This chapter gets a bit dark, forewarning. Thanks for the continuous support, love you all. Enjoy chapter 13!

(Dash's POV)

I looked into the room, seeing a thinner pale version of Vlad sitting beside Danny's bed now donning a hospital gown as well. Dark bags spread around his eyes like a nasty bruise and the small metal bucket never left his hand. Jasmine had been in and out of the room four times already, constantly checking up on Vlad and dumping the vomit. His hair had fallen around his shoulders, casting him in a darker shadow. It was weird, seeing Vlad like this... I didn't know why but it was like I was seeing him for the first time, the true person under the anger. Vlad looked... younger. The crow's feet and fine lines had disappeared along with his peachy complexion. He had every right to worry about his own health but his eyes were on Danny and Danny alone, arms wrapped around his bucket like a child with a teddy bear.

My eyes move from Vlad to the bed, Danny's frameshifting slightly. I stay still as Vlad moves, jumping to his feet. The bucket rests on the table as he leans over the bed, hands hovering over Danny's face as though the slightest touch could break him.

"Daniel?" Danny groans softly, turning his head to the left and scrunches his eyes "Daniel, it's okay. You're safe now. Open your eyes little badger..."

Danny's eyes flutter a few times before opening, a hoarse voice coming out "...Ouch." he turns jolting slightly in surprise at Vlad's close face but that shock turns to sadness, taking in his sickly frame "Vlad..."

He goes to sit up, finding himself pushed back to the bed "Lie down child, you're wounded." Vlad chuckles softly

Danny answers with a painful smile, shutting his eyes "Or what... You'll spank me?

In spite of everything Vlad actually smiles, crossing his arms "I think I should." the mood turns sour, Vlad's voice angry "What were you thinking? Going after Skulker by yourself?! Why did you call for back up?! There were way to many people to help by yourself!"

"I didn't really have time to think okay? I-it just happened." I felt my heart break a little as his pains come out, his words were small and shaking. Like me Vlad's anger breaks and I watch Vlad kneel down closer to the bed, taking Danny's hand in his own and brings it to his lips, his eyes shut. Danny's face twists in pain, tears running down his face as well "Come on fruit loop... don't cry."

"Danny I can't lose you... Your one of the few people I have in my life." His head leans on Danny's hand.

Danny smiles softly, pain on his face. He moves a hand full of IVs over to Vlad's head, holding him close as more tears come "I'm not going anywhere Vlad... you're stuck with me remember."

I felt a ping of jealousy, glaring softly and turn. Walking down the hallway back to the study, finally understanding what Valerie had meant. What Jasmine had been trying to show me.

Vlad wouldn't hurt Danny.

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Despite my newfound trust, I started my slow descent up the stairs, taking in the grand hallways, the large pictures of faces I didn't know and continued my descent into the belly of the beast. This new Vlad was weird and the small jealous part of my mind had me trying to find something, anything to use against him.

I wanted to know everything I could about Vlad. The image of glowing red eyes and lava dripping from his mouth had seared its way into my mind. The house was large, larger than mine and somehow felt even more lonely. Each room I opened, each doorway was like seeing into a small part of Vlad's heart. Empty, barren. Filled with items that no one would ever touch. Small tickets placed with care to bring delight now sat idly on the counter collecting dust. Well, it would have had there been any dust.

The house was huge, fifty rooms filled with god knows what, a large tennis court, an outdoor and indoor pool. A large five-car garage, filled with old and new cars, each one glistening in the lights. Two grand staircases leading to different parts of the house. A large hunting room, the severed heads of animals starring into your soul. A private movie theatre with twelve chairs. A grand dining room with a large crystal chandelier. Large stone steps leading out to a lush garden and a grand maze winding up and back, further then I could see through the window.

This house could have been a boarding school, large bulky and impossible to clean. Yet, for all my effort I couldn't find a spec of dust anywhere. On anything. Nothing was out of place. No squares of dust surrounding pictures that hung on the wall for years. It was as if the house itself was frozen in time. Like time itself was too scared to enter the large wooden doors.

"Dash. Hey, Dash. DASH!" the third time was accompanied by a hard slap to my shoulder, knocking me out of my thoughts

"W-what?" I snap, not sounding nearly as tough as I wanted and take in the annoyed face of Quan.

"Are you okay man?" he hand moves to my forehead "Your pale. You look like you've seen..."

"A ghost?"

Quan gives a bittersweet smile, leaning back against the wall "I wonder if that sentence will ever sound normal again."

"I don't think any of this will ever be normal again..."

(Ember's POV)

I float over the large mansion, taking in the dark browns and blacks, the large courtyard, maze and pool. There was everything a human could want here but I was not human and the last thing I wanted was to be here. I sigh deeply, feeling the pull of her pair-bond, the pulse of the king and most worrisome Vlad Plasmis. That ghost had a long list of problems with her and Ember made it her mission to avoid him when possible. I made a mental note to maim Skulker later and began my descent in the house.

I follow the core of the king, ignoring anyone else and phases through the last floor. I take in the medical beds and equipment, feeling my pulse jump slightly as I sink into a low kneel, my hand placed gently over my heart. I don't bother to look up, feeling overly unworthy to look upon his face.

"My king."

If he were angry, she was done for. No amount of power would compare to his, even in his early form he held considerable power over her. If Skulker had done something bad, hurt someone the king loved she could do little more then watch should he ask for his head. Hell, he could order her to take Skulker's head.

The king sighs, looking over from his place in bed "Ember we've talked about this."

Despite the overwhelming gap in power I couldn't help but smile, feeling the wave of fear lift off my shoulders. Barely holding in the sob of relief I clench my hand.

"Sorry baby pop it's the rules..."

"Em?" I turn, taking in an old face

"Hey! Baby poppet! How you doing cookie?"

"Not too good." I pause and take in her pale form

"My dumb ass pair-bond did this didn't he?" Despite my earlier relief anger floods my system. I'd told Skulker a thousand times, Danielle was OFF-LIMITS! Even more so now that her partner was the ruler of the ghost zone "Wait till I get my hands on him…"

Ember moves her hands, gently running her fingers over Danielle's smooth hair, causing the younger girl to smile softly. Over the last few years Ember and Danielle had gotten pretty close, the young ghost had no idea how to control her powers and Ember remembering her early years in the ghost zone took the young girl under her wings. Teaching her everything from combat skills to dealing with men.

I hardly register Danny glancing at me until he speaks, causing my motions to stop "What are you doing here Ember?"

"Well, That's a long story" I laugh. Noticing their stony expressions, I clear my throat "I got into a fight with Skulker and came home to this." I wave the note in the air "I was hoping to catch him before he made a mess or hopefully warn you."

"How did you know I was here?"

"I didn't, this is my fourth stop actually. When you weren't at home, I figured this was the next best place." I left my guitar showing the broken string "and judging by the upgraded defence system you still haven't told your parents." Danny turns away "Look baby pop, I mean my king, it's none of my business, tell them when you're ready. I'm only looking for my dumbass pair bond, do you know where he is?"

Danny's eyes widen, his heart monitor increasing "What day is it?"

"The 25th." At his silence, I continue "Tuesday."

"Fuck!" Danny jolts up trying to get out of bed and yells in pain, clutching his chest.

"Danny!"

"Baby pop! King!" I move forwards clutching his body. My hand slaps on his thigh, stopping any more movement "Stay down, you're hurt."

"But the Thermus! Dash!" he spits out, forcing against me as I push him into the bed.

He cries out again as the door opens "Stand down Daniel. Your friends are fine."

I turn, my eyes narrowing "Vlad." I growl, my hair flaring up in anger "How dare you come near our king after the shit you pulled!" My guitar glows in the dimmed room.

"How dare I?" he snorts "That's high talk coming from you Ember. You've attacked him as much as I have."

"Well, at least I never pretended to be his friend." I snap back, seeing him flinch a little and smile. when he goes to counter Danny shouts.

"WOULD YOU TWO FOCUS PLEASE! What do you mean their safe?"

We both paused, looking at Danny before Vlad sighs, pushing our young king back on the bed "Skulker escaped the Thermus?

"Yes but Frostbite interviewed. They have minor cuts and scrapes but will recover nicely. There actually exploring my house as we speak..." his voice trails off in annoyance.

"What's wrong Vlad, not used to so many guests?" I tease. As his power flares lightly I sense it, the deep stab of pain through my chest. My eyes glow red, highlighting splashes of ectoplasm on his body. Skulkers Ectoplasm. I move, slamming Vlad into the wall, my protective instincts showing through "WHERE'S MY PAIRBOND?!"

"WHERE HE SHOULD BE!" he struggles against my grip, my fists balling tighter in his shirt "If it were up to me, he'd be resting in the folds of time!"

As quickly as the anger fills me its gone. More accurately forced out of me. Danny lifts his hands and I gasp, feeling this overwhelming power sink onto me, trying to force my body to the floor. Vlad feels it too, the male's eyes widen, chest folding in pain and only when we separate does it go down.

I look at Danny in shock, the young king only stared at us oddly having no idea he'd done something. The longer I was separated from Vlad the more the pain dropped.

"Enough! Ember take Skulker, you're both free to go."

The shock was evident for both of us "What?"

"Daniel you can't be serious?!" Vlad roars "He-"

"He's done the same thing he's done for the last three years okay? Just because I'm king doesn't mean..." he trails off glaring at the wall "Ember take Skulker and go, I don't want to see his face for a while understand?"

Even in his weaker form I can't help but submit to his power. I bow again, placing a hand on my chest "Yes my king, you have my word."

Vlad turns, glaring at the wall and when Danny clears his throat loudly he sighs, pulling out a key card "He's in the basement."

I sink through the floor, going down about three levels and glance down the long hallway. The walls were round like someone had carved them out with a shovel or blasted them away. Thick metal lights hung on the walls, lighting up the seemingly endless tunnel. The air was colder and I couldn't help but shiver. It was like all the happiness had been sucked out of here. Every nerve in my body was screaming for me to leave but I felt it, every so often, the gentle pulse from our bond. Skulker was in pain, that much was obvious yet the tunnel was eerily quiet.

I floated forwards, feeling this pressure on my form. The closer I got the heavier it felt. Each movement was painful and soon I felt the tip of my boots dragging on the cold stone floors. I exhale, placing my feet on the floor and continue my walk. The further I went the darker it got, the space between lights stretched out further, hiding the tunnel in long periods of darkness. I feel my guitar hum on my back, casting the hall in a little light but the act was draining my energy.

After a bit I look down, the stone floors suddenly shift to metal, the thick square tiles held down by large bolts. Further in the tunnel lights up, proper florescent lights eliminated the metal and I notice the thick metal doors at the end. I swallow roughly as two red dots appear on my chest, my eyes finding the large lasers mounted to the ceiling. They were new, difficult to destroy and very powerful. Years of creating suits with Skulker had given me quite a knack for weapons. As my guitar hummed again the weapons hummed, the lasers warming up and I force down my power.

When they go quiet, I touch the heavy metal, sliding the thick cover off the keypad. I tap the monitor, sliding my key card through the scanner and type in the code. 06051982. (A.N. the day Vlad became a ghost) The thick metal bolts shake, hissing open and I grab the heavy metal wheel and turn it, the circular style vault opens, the metal had three layers, scraping across the ground.

As quickly as I'd open the door, I want to shut it. The painful feeling, the heavyweight I'd felt in the tunnel hit me full force. I felt my powers drain instantly, my knees buckling under the force and I collapse, hitting the floor in pain. I scream, pulling my hands to my body.

It was like my body was on fire, every nerve in my body was screaming in pain. Shaking at such a speed that my skin was starting to spilt like it was old and dry. Lying like this I could see Skulker, my bond partner had been removed from his suit and stuck inside a square glass box. The outsides were covered with metal coils that glowed red and smaller wires wrapped around the box. Thick black tubes hung from the ceiling and disappeared into the walls and the lights flickered on and off as we both screamed. Skulker laid in a pool of his blood, multiple cuts littered his body where the skin had ripped open and to my left stood Valerie and Jasmine, Vlad's elite huntresses.

I felt the tang of blood and lay there gasping for air when the pain stops. Jasmine had flipped the heavy switch up and the red lights shut off, the overhead lights flickering on again. Valerie was leaning against the wall, left foot tucked against the metal and her arms crossed like she was bored. Jasmine had her left hand on the large antique breaker switch and her right was holding a stopwatch.

"This could be over Skulker. Give us what we want or I'll keep increasing the intensity."

My own laboured pants were drowned out by my partners. I could only imagine how long this had been going on. Both of them standing over him, cold lifeless faces as they listened to his screams.

The box took the energy from the house's forcefields and concentrated it into the box. At a high enough dose, the body would begin to rip itself apart. When it was over the power dispersed, flowing back through the house, stopping any hope for ghostly regeneration while it was on. It was the perfect form of offence and defence and only something Vlad Plasmius would be twisted enough to come up with.

It only took five seconds for Huntress Valerie's steely eyes to fall on me. She lifts her arm, gently elbowing Jasmine and nods her head in my direction "Look who decided to show up."

"If you're here on some foolish attempt to save your partner it's pointless. Your powers won't work in this room." Jasmine adds and I watch the red lights glow brighter, her fingers tapping the black rubber handle.

I push myself up on shaking arms and stop when a cold green blade presses against my throat. The large black handle and glowing blade told me it was one of Skulker's ghost hunting knives. I lift my hands up as the sharp serrated edge pierces into my flesh threateningly.

"Okay… Okay, let's just calm down. Please. I'm not here to fight, I'm here on orders from the King!" I squeak as it presses harder into my flesh

"What?" Valerie snorts, grabbing a fist full of my hair and I cry out in pain

"Danny Phantom is king after he dethroned-" I pause, not wanting to mention THAT name, even the mention of it gave him power and wince as her grip tightens "Baby pop defeated the last king, that means he rules the ghost zone! King Phantom sent me to get my Pair bond! We're free to leave!"

"Do you honestly think we'd believe that?" Valerie hot breathe ghosts over my ear, her soft lips pressing against my flesh with a smile "If you want to live, you'll have to do better then that..."

"I'm not lying!" I lift the key card "I got the key card and password from Vlad after Danny -Our king let us go. I'm sorry my pair-bond hurt people! I swear on my life I will keep him away from the king from now on, just let us go!"

"If you think we'll-" Huntress Valerie snaps, stopping as Huntress Jasmine lifts a hand.

"Skulker hurt your king, he's not leaving until we know what his upgrades did." She states, her icy stare made me squirm.

Thankfully the blade leaves my throat and Huntress Valerie drops me to the floor. I reach up, touching my neck and only feel a small number of punctures.

"Is the information the only thing you want?" Her silence all but answers the question "If I get it will you let him go?"

Jasmine stares me down, her hand leaves the switch and I swallow roughly as she clears the three steps to lean over me. Her hand moves down, fisting the front of my shirt and I'm lifted off the floor with ease.

Her lips brush against my ear "You give me what I want or that switch will stay on until they turn the power off for lack of payment on the bill…"

I swallow, feeling my feet rest on the floor and look at them as she pulls away. It wasn't just Vlad, all three of them were twisted beyond repair and I found my eyes falling to the floor in fear of the monsters... monsters we had created "Give me five minutes..."

"You have three."

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The three of us stood in front of the large monitor, Skulkers BlackBox was hooked to a giant computer and my fingers filled the tense silence as I quickly broke down Skulker's defence systems. I felt the cold sweat run down my neck as the two huntresses stared me down, weapons of choice in hand. They were not more then seven steps from me and I knew if I tried anything funny my head would be rolling across the floor. I swallowed roughly and clicked another part.

After a while, Huntress Valerie breaks the silence "Why are you doing this?"

"Believe it or not I actually like baby pop, I even care for little poppet. The mad king would raise his armies for anything, causing chaos wherever he went. We're extremely lucky Danny isn't like that. Being the new king, he has that power." I chuckle lightly "Haven't you noticed a significant drop on ghost attacks lately? Only idiots like Skull would go after a ghost with that much power. -Even if he won't use it the threats still there."

Huntress Valerie glares at me "Are we sure we can trust her?"

"I may be a ghost, but you're holding my pair bond hostage. I'm not gonna do anything else to anger the king today."

"We still don't trust you."

"Given our history, I'm not surprised. If you trusted me right off the bat, I trust you less than I do now."

I typed in the last code, watching the screen line with information. The latest specs of Skulkers suit. I couldn't understand everything but I couldn't help the seductive grin that hits my lips. Damn babe, this is cold even for you. I bite my lower lip hungrily, taking in the upgrades all made to impress me.

I jump as a loud bang echoed through the room. I turn to see the large hunting knife embedded into the countertop and drop my smile

"I don't like either of you, and I don't think I ever will. Were natural-born enemies-But I doing respect our king. I won't cross him again…"

"Oh my god..." Valerie whispers "You're afraid of him."

"As king Danny has more power then he knows... If he wanted too, he could erase us from all of history."

"Erase you?"

"Erase our forms. He can't get rid of our internal energy but he can erase everything that makes us us and send our spirits back into the bend of time. We'd be created again as different ghosts over time, but we'll never be this again." I sigh, remembering the hell that was Pariah Dark and softly touches the gold pendant on my shirt. We lost a lot of friends that day...

I clear my throat, shifting away from my temporary pain "Don't worry; he'll have forever to figure it out."

Realizing what I just said I force my fingers to move, clicking on the latest lasers.

"Here's the information." I step back, letting the two of them move and drop my eyes to the floor when Jasmine's eyes catch mine "Can I take my dumb ass pair bond home now…"

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