Chapter 17: A Thousand Words

The morning past by at a crawl, Danny unable to sleep as last night's events kept replaying in his mind. After all, there was a lot to think about. He sat on top of his bed, staring at nothing in particular as he pushed away from the rising panic. He had made a good choice, right? The rash, out-of-nowhere choice to try a truce with Vlad must not have been a mistake. Right?

He'd been expecting Clockwork to appear in a puff of smoke, booming his stupidity. That he'd ruined everything and that the mission was a failure. That was what he expected to happen the very moment he agreed. Danny gulped, studying his fingers. Then again, he wouldn't even know it if Clockwork decided he'd mucked up the time enough to get rid of him for good. All he needed to do was freeze time and that would be it-

-What was he thinking!? Danny bolted up to pace, hoping the movement would calm his nerves. The Time ghost was his ally! Clearly if he'd destroyed all of time, he would already know about it! It was just all that talk from Luna last night, trying to scare him into making a mistake. All of it was a lie to get him to cave to her stupid evil plan, that was all it was. None of what she said last night had to be true.

Pausing, he took a deep breath to steady himself and reorganize his thoughts. It was something Jazz taught him to do when he was overwhelmed with a school project. Though he never had done it before. Pause, think and break it all down. Focus on the smaller picture.

Danny knew that Albus had promised to look after Harry. So, he needed to trust that he would stay true to his word. He could forget about the shade for a few days and Luna was just… an annoying headache right now. Vlad was trying a truce, though the more Danny thought about it the sicker he felt. Somehow, he still had a feeling that there must be a plot behind this stalemate that the half ghost had come up with. He'd play along for now, but he still wasn't letting his guard down.

That meant his most worrisome problem right now was these ice powers…if they consumed him in a fight he was screwed. He needed to solve this and fast.

And now he had a lead; that Ghostwriter. He must know how to stop these powers, and he had invited him to his lair. That was a start; all he needed to do was find Lady Grey and ask her the way.

Checking the time, he was upset to learn it was four in the morning, and yet Danny suddenly felt buzzing with energy. It was time to fix these power mishaps!

Cautiously he made his way into the main room, relieved to see that Vlad was nowhere in sight. Maybe he was asleep. Or maybe, Danny hoped, he had left for good. Not wishing to take his chances he phased through the door and into the dark corridor beyond.

The hallway was eerily quiet, dark and thankfully isolated. He still did pause to glance back to the door, once again it dawned on him what he'd done last night. Did he seriously think that he could convince Plasmius to help him? It was utter madness to Danny; it just couldn't work. True he didn't know how to properly use his powers, but the moment he figured them out Danny knew he was going to be in a world of hurt. But then…he was right about something; Plasmius could be useful. Right now, Vlad was willing to help, and he could use that to his advantage. If he played his cards right, he knew he could convince that old man to help him fight Luna. He just needed the proper push to get him there-

He sighed in frustration, running his fingers through his messy hair. "Great, now I'm starting to think like the Fruitloop."

Not wanting to think any more about that sickening thought Danny made his way down the seventh floor, heading to where Lady Grey normally haunts. For a moment he was outside, back on that same bridge where all this mess had started. The morning was calm, cold and oddly peaceful, yet he didn't linger there too long in case his ice powers acted up from the biting chill. Entering the tower, he headed up instead of down, knowing that Lady Grey liked being in the highest point where nobody went.

And he was not disappointed. In the mass of wooden beams that helped support the cone roof sat Lady Grey, gazing emotionlessly out into the wintery world beyond. Danny went ghost and drifted up to be level with her. He knew now that she didn't like loud cheery greetings. So instead he waited for her to talk, watching his breath drift up lazily into the air.

"How did it go?"

It took a moment to think about what she was asking about. It couldn't be about the talk with Vlad. So then, it must be about his confrontation with Luna. "Weird," Danny replied, continuing to watch his breath mist up. "I wasn't expecting Luna to talk so much. But… I learned a lot."

"Good." the ghost sighed, her gaze not breaking once from the view. Danny waited for a bit, looking at how the light coming off his ghost form made her look even more creepy. Finally, he asked for his request.

"I was wondering; I kind of need a favor from you."

Lady Grey looked over at him, yet remained still, waiting for him to continue.

"See Ghostwriter told me I could look around his lair, said I could check up some of his books about ghosts. But he said it was only with you since he trusts you. And, well, he said that while a truce was going so I want to use that offer before he forgets. So, could you…you know, take me there?"

"To Ghostwriter's library?" she titled her head ever so slightly. "Of course."

"You can? Awesome. Sorry if I'm being a pain, but I need the information. And I kind of feel comfortable knowing I've got some sort of backup."

Lady Grey gently shook her head, raven hair fluttering across her face. "I have known Ghostwriter for a long time. He is rash, yet good-natured."

"Huh…" Danny pondered this for a second. "I guess… that's good to know." At least he didn't have to worry about this ghost wasting him on sight.

Lady Grey nodded, drifting down through the beam. "Come. It is a ways in."

"It's far in the Zone? How far?"

"An hour." With that she descended through the floor, Danny quickly darting after her. Once they had made it through the ghost portal, they found themselves in the swirling green world of the Ghost Zone.

Within the familiar emerald land Lady Grey set the pace, Danny drifted absent-mindlessly beside her. It gave him time to observe his surroundings and to make sure that those ice powers were keeping themselves at bay. However, he didn't try to talk to the ghost, knowing that talking would probably annoy her. The last thing he needed was her to leave him.

She seemed to know the way that they were going by heart, dodging the doors and stone fragments with ease. Though her lack of speed did bug Danny to some degree. Speed was; after all, his kind of thing.

Yet after what seemed a lot longer than an hour to Danny, he noticed a building floating off into the distance. Stark white compared to the dark green hue around them. It had to be their destination for sure, Lady Grey making a slow but clear path to the place. Excitement grew in Danny as they approached, studying the grand building before them.

It was like a giant, ancient museum, with white-washed pillars and carved archways linking the grand doorway. The stairs, maybe once connected were now broken and chipped away, drifting lazily in the Zone, chunks rotating to their own wind. At the foot of the once-stairs Danny gazed up at the brass plate atop the door, reading the old worn words that stated "North Wing."

"North Wing…" he muttered, frowning at the thought. Then there must be other wings elsewhere in the Zone. Or maybe once long ago they were all part of the same building. It was possible, after all. Writer had said that there were other lairs under his domain. So this might have been just one of many. Or four more, Danny pondered in amusement. No, there could even be an around eight though that was a little bit too much lair.

"Come," Lady called, not turning around as she entered the grand building. Mustering up his courage Danny followed her into the unknown, unable to hide the thrill of what he would find within its walls.

He was not disappointed. The moment they entered, walls upon walls of books surrounded them. The shelves seemed to go on forever, giving way to more shelves deep within. They all glowed in different shades and hues as they flickered on their shelves. Almost as if they weren't quite there. Even Danny had trouble not hiding his amazement at the place. Of all the things he'd seen in the Ghost Zone, it was coming close to one of the top. Quickly he followed Lady Grey down to the largest part of the room, not wanting to get lost. He had a feeling that if he did, he might not find the way out again. That was the feeling that this lair had, and Danny wasn't going to ignore that feeling.

In the center of the building, or what Danny believed had to be the center, was a large, circular oriental desk planted smack-bang in the middle. Here he spotted Ghostwriter buried within a mass of yellowed papers. At his fingers was an old typewriter, which didn't have anything normal written about it, what with its faint shining hue. He didn't notice that he had company, not till Lady Grey lightly tapped on the top of the desk, which amused Danny. At this the ghost jolted from his work, the flicker of cold rage quickly disappearing at the sight of them.

"Ah! Wonderful! You came…" In a flurry of rustling, he rose, sending the paper everywhere. "Ignore the mess, had a breakthrough- Wait!" He froze them with a hand, quickly bending down to jot something down with a purple feathered quill that Danny was sure had appeared out of nowhere. "Perfect…caught it before it fled. Now, Phantom wasn't it? Yes… Welcome to my grand lair!"

"Err…Hi." Danny waved as Writer drifted over his desk, eyeing the chuffed face the ghost had. He was happy to see that Danny was impressed with the lair, not below bragging about the library at a moment's notice. Danny couldn't help but smirk back at that. No matter how different they were, in the end, all ghosts were the same. It seemed that Ghostwriter picked up on his thoughts, and of Danny's amusement, copying his smirk. Floating over to them both he nodded in greeting to Lady Grey. The translucent ghost nodded back politely, then drifted off through the library without a word. Danny watched her go, realizing he was now on his own against a ghost that had, as she had put it; a rash personality. He jumped as Ghostwriter huffed loudly, crossing his arms together.

"So, what can I help you with? Surely something interesting, I hope."

Danny nodded slowly, pondering how he would word it to the ghost. "Yeah. I was hoping you might have some stuff on ghosts. About ghost powers maybe?"

Writer snorted in amusement. "Some? Bah, I think I might have a few thousand books on the topic!"

"Really?" Danny's heart sunk. That sounded like a lot of work. The ghost saw this and smiled.

"Let's start at the beginning so I know where we're headed; why do you want to know?"

Danny had thought he'd ask him what, not why. Frustrated he tugged at his gloves. "I sort of have… um, some problem with my ghost powers. More like an ice problem."

The ghost looked back in shock and curious he bent closer to study him, much to his annoyance.

"Cryokinesis? You?"

"Is that what it is?"

Ghostwriter nodded, staring so hard at him Danny became nervous. "Is that like, weird?"

"Not at all." The ghost then shrugged and straightened. "It's just I never pegged you as someone that would have such a power…but feeling your aura, it is quite cold."

Danny ignored the jab and questioned further. "So, you know about these ice powers?"

"I'm afraid I don't have much on the topic. Cryokinesis isn't a well-documented ability."

"So, it's rare?" Despite the fear he felt when the ice broke out, the thought that he might possess an awesome rare ability made him feel proud and a little annoyed at the same time. Just add it to the list of freaky things that he had. Instead of confirming that, Ghostwriter shook his head somberly.

"Not rare, more like unknown. The only ghosts that I know that use the skill are extremely guarded to outsiders. I've tried countless times to get an interview, but they never even let me into their lands. And if there are other ghosts that use Cryokinesis, their either quiet about it or keep to themselves."

Danny frowned, not liking the sounds of 'Guarded'. "Where are these ghosts?"

"They live in a realm called the Far Frozen, quite a tricky place to get to, even more so with the guards."

"Can you show me where it is? Like on a map or just tell me which direction to go?"

Smirking Ghostwriter returned to his desk. "Even if I did have a map to show you, the realm of the Far Frozen is far from here. If you flew as fast as you could from my library it would take you about a week to get to them. And there are quite a few dangerous spots along the way, so you'll have to detour around them. Add another week to that."

"Oh…" Danny deflated, floating over to the desk. "I don't exactly have time to travel weeks on end through the Zone."

"I imagine not." The ghost settled back on his chair, gazing up to the ceiling in thought. "But whether I have any information on Cryokinesis… I sadly think I'm lacking in that department. Maybe whispers or footnotes on the topic, but nothing that in-dept. Or at least what you're looking for."

"Then," Danny thought about something else that would be useful to him. "What about on ghost powers in general. You've got to have something on that at least."

"Of course, I do. If you want to learn about our very makeup then I have plenty." Turning his gaze back to his desk he stared at the typewriter with puzzlement, but whatever was on his mind he dismissed it from Danny. "My bookshelves on the topic are on the right there, three shelves in. Like I said at the party you are more than welcome to browse my library as long as you respect my books, and don't take anything!" He locked a dark glaze on Danny. "Kept those gloved mitts away from my books! If you think you can take out anything, I'll make sure you severely regret it!"

"Noted." quickly Danny looked away from the ghost to the shelves on his right. That was more like the loopy ghosts he was used too.

"Wonderful!" Mood flicking like a switch Ghostwriter settled back to his typewriter, now paying no mind to Danny at all. With this Danny floated over to the right bookshelves, catching a glimpse of Lady Grey drifting through them noiselessly. Once he'd made it to the spot he craned his neck up to the massive shelves, full to brim with mountains of books. He sighed, seeing the monstrous task he had before him.

"Okay. Let's do this."

####

Danny had no idea how long he'd been sitting on the cold purple floor, but it had to be hours. He was surrounded by a pile of glowing books, where he was carefully holding one large one in his hand. He was all too aware of the odd glance the Ghostwriter sent him, knowing that if he even so much as bent a corner he was in trouble. But as he lent gently against the wooden bookshelf, skimming over the written glowing words, he couldn't help but become invested in the stuff.

There wasn't anything on ice powers, but it still was…. interesting, to say the least. It was nothing like the new-age paranormal stuff he'd read when he'd first got his powers. It was so much more detailed and true that Danny found himself lost in the text.

For one thing, he'd never known that there were ghosts that would sweat ectoplasm to use as a thin-layer shield around them. Or that there was a ghost that could control the very weather who was imprisoned because he kept switching the climates in the living world every minute. Danny hadn't realized how many different types of abilities ghosts had. He knew that there were unique powers as some of his enemies used them against him, he was all too aware of that. But actually, reading interviews or information made him more curious about it. One such part he was reading left him extremely interested;

'-in some cases, I have come across individuals that use their very voice as a weapon. Most that I found used their voice as a "charmer", mostly found in female ghosts (though not limited to). These ghosts use the sound of their vocal cords to manipulate those emotions or feelings of the poor souls that hear them. Very much like a fable siren song. However, I have also come across ghosts that use their voice as a force, actually pushing their foes back from shier-raw power. Once I was unfortunate to come across a ghost name Leosi, who attacked me with such an attack. The force was incredible, my very being shaking at the impact. To me, it felt like a sonic wave had hit a point in my body and rippled outward. Later, I was thankfully allowed to chat with Leosi about this unique attack. He stated that it was due to a raw build-up of core power. He would build power in his core, growing it larger and larger like a ball of clay. Then once he had the right amount, he sent it through his mouth and out into the world.

What I heard as a "roar" was actally the noise of this ecto-power blasting out and vibrating against his throat to increase the impact. Leosi stated it was extremely difficult to use such power for long periods, as constant use of your core like this can destroy it, so much so he'd seen ghosts attempt it and tear themselves apart. (He quickly advised me to stop when I attempted to copy his attack) To build strength Leosi would practice for years breathing in and out, expanding his core along with the breath. He cheekily said that while a full yell would knock back the toughest foes, it was his whistles that were the deadliest, as he could pinpoint this sonic wave to the thin razor point and blast a hole clean through any ghost that threatened him…- "

Danny re-read the passage again, lightly rubbing his neck. It sounded so much like his Ghosty Wail. So, others like him possessed the power too. Maybe his other future hadn't created the technique at all but copied it from one of them. Unconsciously Danny breathed in an out, but couldn't feel his core expand with it like the text said. But the warning of how the power could "tear apart" a core floated in the back of Danny's mind. He had pushed the power to the point he felt he was about to collapse. Was that…bad?

He was so deep in thought he didn't notice Ghostwriter sneaking up to him.

"Doing some reflective thinking eh?"

Danny jolted, looking up at the ghost. "Yeah…" he trailed off, lowering the book into his lap. "I guess I'm just surprised at how much I didn't know." He ran his finger along the rim. "There's just... so many different types of ghosts. I just thought they all did the same basic things. I didn't-"

"-Didn't know that some ghosts can't turn invisible or intangible? It's quite rare, but some ghost uses their cores for other powers so strongly they cannot do the most basic powers that we use with ease." The ghost held out his hand and the books littered about Danny began to float back to their original spots. "Take this, for example. You would think all ghosts can use telekinesis, yet that's sadly not true. I find that you must have a certain… temperament to focus on the act. Or maybe." He smiled down at Danny. "it all comes down to age."

Danny stared at the ghost, suddenly unsure. "Why are you telling me all this?"

"Why? What's wrong with talking to a fellow ghost about ourselves? You make it sound like I'm pulling your hair or something."

At that Danny fidgeted with his glove. He wasn't exactly a full-ghost. "It's just that normally the ghosts I know prefer to blast me into the ground than have a nice chat."

"Is that right." Ghostwriter finished with the books, letting his hand drop. "or maybe you're the instigator?"

"And what's that supposed to mean?" He hadn't meant his reply to sound that hotly, but it shot out of his mouth before he stopped himself. Ghostwriter merely shrugged, pretending to tidy the shelf across from them.

"Nothing, I suppose. I only enjoy giving information. After all, books are the giver of knowledge, and I it's muse, deliver."

Danny just grumbled at that; this guy didn't know how annoying the ghosts at Amity Park were. But as the ghost started to move away, he suddenly was hit with an idea.

"What do you know about Shades."

Ghostwriter paused. "Shades? Huh, that definitely not ghost-related knowledge."

"So, you don't know?"

"Oh, I do, just it's not a common request." The ghost leaned against the bookcase, folding his arms loosely across. "the living normally mistakes shades for ghosts. Understandably as they have a tiny similarity to us. But in saying that they have nothing in common with us." He scrunched up his nose. "Nasty things really. Shades cannot turn invisible, intangible, nor do they have any ectoplasm running through them. Yet they are souls."

"Souls?"

"Shades are the result of dark magic; death magic. When a witch or wizard tries to meddle with Death a shade is normally the result. The soul is torn from the body, twisted by magic into a shadow that craves life. It's the natural order of things. The living has to die at some point, but if they humor the idea, they can become immortal they usually pay the price."

"Craves life." Danny thought of the deer in the woods. "So they like, suck the life from others to become "immortal?"

"No. Well, sort of… How to explain it." Ghostwriter paused, stroking his goatee. "Let's use an example of a real shade, shall we? Hundreds of years ago, there was a time people used to have terrible battles, like medieval knights' kind of battles. Naturally, there were tonnes of people that didn't want to die in these fights yet were forced to do so and one old wizard thought, 'hey! I can use this to my advantage!' He thought he could devour those souls into himself as they died with necromancy and become 'immortal'. And maybe raise an undead army at the same time."

Danny just stared as the ghost continued. "But of course, it backfired wonderfully. Instead of the wizard taking the souls into himself they ended up devouring him, clinging to the living and the result was a massive cluster of souls who hungered to live, scared to die. This mass of souls formed a shade. A hungry shade that while dead needs life or it would fade away. So, after this battle, scavengers naturally come for the spoils of war and that shade slithers over towards them,"

Ghostwriter pause for effect then gave Danny a wicked grin. "The shade then devours their soul's whole. But of course, it's not enough. It needs more. So it grows bigger, moving in the dead of the night to a nearby village, creeping into the unsuspecting family's homes. And- well, you can figure out the rest. A Shade, Phantom; is a soul torn from its body. And this husk of a soul craves the one thing that it desperately wants; life."

At that the ghost paused, seeing that Danny was deep in thought at the information the other ghost had given him. It explained a bit about the shade, the wispy form, the story from the locals that animals had been found dead. Voldemort must want that stone to revive himself by constantly giving himself the life that he needed. And as the time when on, that shade must have started to become desperate.

"Is it only people with magic that become shade?"

"I imagine so. I don't think there are any reports of a normal human turning into one, though their souls can help create one. Normally, a shade happens either if a witch or wizard kills and tries to take that soul into themselves. Or the opposite when they try to tear pieces of their soul apart in the hope of prolonging their life."

Danny frowned, confused. "Wouldn't tearing your soul cause you to shorten your life instead of growing it?"

"You would think that; however, it's more of…well, "hiding" parts of your soul from Death. Magic folk hate Death; after all, he comes after them all one day and robs them of their power. So, in a bid to cheat Death, they try and bend the laws of magic to allow them to live forever. Of course, the more you tamper with the soul the more corrupt it becomes, it's the irony Death uses to makes sure that the natural order of things remains. Or keeping those wizards from getting too powerful!"

Ghostwriter sighed, closing his violet eyes. "However those magic folks are crafty, every generation there's always one or two that try their luck at immortality. They give Death quite a headache."

Puzzled Danny chuckled. "You make it sound like death's a person."

"That's because he is." At the sight of Danny's slack jaw, the ghost laughed. "amazing how little ghosts know about the world around them! Grim's an old ghost that was given the bothersome task of making sure those magic folks don't get too cocky. If a witch or wizards start leaning into forbidden territory, he flies in to stop that from happening. He's the one that makes sure that if they attempt to play with death magic, they pay the bill. Normally Grim deals with these shades before they get too big, but not before allowing them to waste a few people. Got to let them be a message to others, after all."

"So…he's the Grim Reaper-"

"-A Grim Reaper you could say. He's not the cause of death itself, even though he likes to refer himself as Death. No, he'd more like… a policeman of the magic world. You stick your toe in death magic and he'll come before you to demand the toll. He's fair, while at the same time a little bit of a trickster."

That didn't sound right to Danny. "How can you say he's fair when he's killing people?"

"Death's killing people that would kill thousands of others. A wizard who's corrupted their soul cannot truly be saved, so Grim quickly sends their soul into the afterlife to make sure the innocence is spared. And from his actions, other magic folk dubbed the taboo art as…well, taboo. Because of Grim, the magical community hasn't taken over everything. Ghost Zone included."

Still, Danny thought that wasn't a reason to kill anybody. Though it was clear he was the only one that thought this. "Has… anyone stopped him?"

"Avoided Grim? Well, he did have a problem around 15 years ago. Apparently, a wizard found a way to tear his soul apart way more times than normal. Had to chase him for years, yet this guy kept one step ahead of him. Grim's still hunting him down now; to make sure he pays for humiliating him like this. He'll get him one day."

"15 years ago…" Danny quickly did the math and thought of Voldemort at once. He was a shade, Albus telling him he was a powerful wizard. And didn't Clockwork refer to the shade as a necromancer? Suddenly Danny thought of this ghost that wanted Voldemort dead, and a tiny bit of hope crossed his mind.

"Do you know where Grim is?"

"Bah!" Ghostwriter threw his head back in laughter. "Find Death? Listen Phantom; you don't find Grim, he finds you. On the times I've chatted with him it's only when he comes to visit for a game of checkers. If he doesn't want to talk to you, you won't ever meet him."

"Oh," That crossed that plan out. Though Danny doubted he wanted the help from a ghost that called himself death. But even then, he'd learned a lot about shades from this ghost. He pushed the topic further.

"How do you defeat a shade?"

That question seemed to make Ghostwriter think about his question deeply. "To defeat a shade, huh…Grim has his own way of crushing shades, but I don't know his methods. I suppose it depends on how the shade was made. If due to a person consuming souls to live you just drain it off that supply. As for the other, I guess you just destroy the pieces of soul till the shade has no anchor. Then you strike it."

"But… how do you destroy a soul?" How could he physically destroy a piece of a soul? It didn't sound possible.

"Beats me," Writer shrugged. "I have no idea, it's not like I've gone running around destroying souls in my afterlife. Why you so interested in shades anyway?"

"I'm trying to stop one."

"Oh? Then you might get your wish."

"What?" Danny looked up in confusion, closing the book in his lap gently shut.

"Meeting Grim. If you're on the trail of a shade he won't be that far behind."

"Wonderful." he reposed dryly, though he liked the idea that there was another ghost wanting to defeat the shade, he might not be too keen bumping into a ghost that's basically running around like a grim reaper. But Danny stored that piece of information as something to remember.

At that moment, Lady Grey appeared around the corner, regarding them calmly.

"I am returning." She sighed, peering down at Danny on the floor. "You know the way back?"

"I'll come with you." Quickly Danny rose, he didn't want to be left alone in another ghost's lair. Instead of being offended Ghostwriter nodded.

"I suppose it is getting late for the land of the living. I enjoyed our chat Phantom; I haven't had such a deep conversation in a long time. If you ever get those ice powers of yours in control, I would love an interview. It would be quite informative to add to my collection."

"I won't promise you anything…" Danny muttered, knowing that this ghost would be even more excited if he knew he was a half ghost. With a polite nod, he and Lady Grey made their way through the exit and started the long journey back through the Ghost Zone.

The trip back to the castle was uneventful as they silently made their way. This allowed Danny to think about the information he'd received, or rather what he hadn't learned. There was still the issue of the ice powers. He didn't dare leave the school for weeks at the risk the shade learned this and hasten his plot. But... he still needed to get this under control.

As they passed through the portal Danny sighed loudly, catching Lady Grey's attention.

" You did not find your answers?"

"Not really." Danny gave her a small smile. " I mean I did learn something. Just not what I went in there to figure out."

The ghost nodded slowly. Yet she didn't press for Danny to continue. So, he filled her in himself.

"I wanted to learn how to control this ice power thing. I've had new powers before, but nothing this... dangerous."

" Dangerous?"

" Yeah. When I use them, I just don't have any control. It feels like I'm going to freeze myself over if I'm not too careful."

"Are you scared?" She studied him as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"...A little bit."

Lady Grey nodded. "Understandable. I cannot comprehend the type of power you ghosts have. But..." She paused with a frown, which surprised Danny. "...having no control can be…infuriating."

"Yeah..." he fell silent, unsure what to tell her after that. Somehow, he felt that this was personal to her. However, she looked back at him with that normal emotionless stare.

"What triggers it?"

"Trigger? I don't know..." Danny thought back at all the times he'd lost control. He had already tried to think of a cause, but he hadn't seen any connection. But now as he looked at Lady Grey, he came up with something.

"I guess, they showed up when I'm stressed out; like when I overthink my plan, or get into a fight. But then that's not true either as they popped up when I was super happy too. So it can't be when I'm stressed, could it?"

The ghost tilted her head. "Emotion. Could it be your heightened emotions are the cause?"

"I guess. But it happens too randomly and all the time."

"Perhaps you should be calmer."

Danny scoffed, crossing his arms. "I think I'm pretty chilled out at the moment."

Then, he was stumped as Lady Grey actually smiled back at him. It was so small, so gentle, but it was such a shock to Danny. Had she... liked his joke? As quickly as the smile had come it drifted away, yet it lightened the mood.

"True. However, it might be wise to try."

Danny nodded back as she drifted through the wall, leaving him to his shock. With one final glance at the swirling aqua portal, he made his way back up. He switched back to normal, pausing at the top of the dungeon steps to make sure the coast was clear. He was shocked to see that it wasn't morning anymore, but in the dead of night, the Great hall quiet and cast in blue light. He must have been super invested in those ghost books that he hadn't noticed time fly.

Making his way up the stairs, Danny took each step as slow as he could, not looking forward to returning to the room. He grumbled, stuffing his hands in his pockets. This was going to be interesting-

-he froze and whipped around to peer down the staircase. At that moment he was sure that he was being watched. Yet nothing was there. But still, the hairs on the back of his neck prickled. He was so sure that someone was there, he could feel it. He narrowed his eyes, searching for anything in the darkness below. But nothing stirred.

Danny hummed, taking a few steps up a bit but not turning around. Maybe he imagined it? After all his ghost sense hadn't gone off. Ignoring the flutter of adrenalin in his chest he turned and continued. Yet the whole time he was tense, ready for anything to lunge out behind him. He didn't relax until the wall of the room was in front of him. Quickly he summoned it, giving the hallway one quick search and stepped through the door.

From the very moment he entered the room, Danny saw that Vlad was very much still there. The man seemed surprised as he quickly shut the door behind him, still annoyingly trying to read those Ghosty books the wrong way. Though Danny paid no mind to the other half ghost. He marched over to his side of the room, beelining to the messy desk in the corner.

"Your back." Vlad queried out.

"Yep." Danny bluntly replied, knowing all too well the man was probably fishing for more detail. Not saying another word, he plopped down at the desk, quickly pulling out more paper to write down the information he'd learned. He didn't dare forget the information about the shade, that little chunks of knowledge might be useful in the future.

Danny became focused on the work, glad that Vlad hadn't bugged him about anything else. As he wrote everything down his brain churned the idea that Voldemort had pieces of his soul apart from him. If he destroyed them, wouldn't that destroy the shade for good? He chuckled silently. Yeah right, as if Voldemort would just keep pieces of his own soul lying around on the ground. He would have hidden them tightly, with tough security too. No, all he needed to do was stop the shade reaching Harry. If there was another ghost hunting it, he'll leave the shade-destroying to them.

Without really thinking about it, Danny breathed in deeply, placing a hand on his chest. He could feel a cold tingle in there, with each breath the cold increased that feeling. It wasn't just about that ghost who had a wail like him, but also what Lady Grey had said about his powers.

Calm. How could he take control of his emotions? If that was the reason his powers where acting up, how was he going to take control of his feelings? It wasn't like he thought about them anyway, especially in a fight, he acted in the moment, there wasn't time to pause and calm down.

He continued to do the breathing thing for a while, making his breaths larger, holding and exhaling out. At least he might make his ghosty wail better.

"What are you doing?" Came the annoying voice, Danny frowning. The peace couldn't last, could it?

"I'm making sure my core hasn't conked out from the stress of last night."

"Core?"

With a groan, Danny turned his chair towards the man. "My ghost core." When he was met with a puzzled look he rolled his eyes. " You know, the reason behind our powers; the ghost core."

Vlad seemed to be uncomfortable at the thought. " I don't feel anything."

"It's right here." Danny poked the spot where the icy power slept. "That's where your powers come from. Don't tell me Pl-Vlad that you can't feel your own ghost core? I mean I get you don't get the whole 'ghost thing' yet. But come on, you can't be that thick."

Danny noticed the puzzled look from the man before he seemed to realize he had just been insulted. He looked down at his chest. "A core…" At that he closed the book and moved it away, closing his eyes. Danny huffed and turned his chair back, returning to his work. Younger Vlad was definitely dumber than his older counterpart. As if he didn't feel his ghost core! Even the first day of getting his powers it was hard to dismiss the energy coursing through him-

-He jolted in shock as mist exploded from his mouth. Danny just had time to catch the black rings to find Plasmius sitting where Vlad had been. The other half ghost glimpsing Danny's ghost sense in full with surprise.

Danny froze, now nervous at the idea he was now in a room with the powerful, crazy Fruitloop. Yet he did a double-take as he watched as Vlad himself seemed shocked that just turned into a ghost.

It was the first time since he'd arrived at Hogwarts that he got a good look at Vlad's ghost form. That Halloween night had been nothing but a blur, Danny having little time to think much about Plasmius, only that he wanted him out of his life as fast as possible. But now that he could see the man's ghost form without worrying he was going to attack; Danny saw that Plasmius was a little…different than his timeline. It was still the annoying Plasmius; same red pupilless eyes and pale blue skin that he knew. However, what he had first thought was just his cape was actually a lab coat. In fact, there were other things, smaller things that Danny saw that were different. And at that realization made his imagination run wild.

So future Plasmius had found a way to change his ghost appearance. Then…could he do that too? It was enough of a crazy thought it broke his tension away from the man, who had now got over that he'd turned.

"What was that?" Vlad asked, gripping the armrests tightly. Danny shot up straight in his chair, almost tilting it over.

"What was what?"

"That…fog, just now."

"Oh, that," Danny almost flushed in embarrassment, why was he suddenly freaking out? " It's just my ghost sense. I spew mist when a ghost's nearby." He looked away and focused on the papers in front of him. All too clearly remembering that Lady Grey had told him to try calm; an ice freak-up wouldn't be helpful here.

"You can," the man hesitated, clearly unsure whether it was worth continuing. "…sense ghosts?"

"Duh," He stopped himself from saying that every ghost could because now he wasn't so sure of that. Plasmius had never shown that he could sense him, at least not outwardly. But then he could never surprise him either. So maybe he did have some secret hidden sense he didn't know about.

Either way, Danny felt uncomfortable as the ghost studied him from the fireplace. He didn't have to look over at him; he could feel the intense stare boring into his back. What was wrong with him? This was a totally weaker Vlad, and they had their weird truce thing going on. Then why was he still inches away from going ghost and sending a blast towards him.

"You're scared of me?"

"I am not scared of you!" Danny snapped way louder than he should have. " Why would I be scared of a weakling like you? I just… don't like being so close to another ghost, alright."

Something seemed to click with the man and Vlad inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. Danny used this moment to watch him with narrowed eyes, waiting for the Fruitloop to try something. After a while, those dark, glowing rings appeared around his waist. It was clear that it was a struggle for the man, but after a few frizzled and wavering lines the rings parted.

Danny quickly turned away once Vlad had opened his eyes again, choosing to disregard him altogether. He totally was never going to get used to this. Why couldn't Clockwork just show up and boom at him that he'd failed and send him back to the beginning? Then he could choose never to have entered the Ghost Zone on Halloween.

"You don't like other ghosts," Vlad questioned, Danny scowling.

"No." When after a time he got no response he sighed, running a hand through his hair. " I don't hate all ghosts, just the ones that make my life a living hell."

"Do I fit into that category."

Danny stilled, his heart skipping a beat. What could he say to that? Of course Plasmius did. He was the main headache in his life. Yet he couldn't exactly say that to him, especially with their agreement. He was supposed to be playing 'nice'; at least as much as he could.

Instead, he played it safe and didn't answer, writing his notes down with a little more force behind them. Weirdly, he felt a little bad, his no-response probably a good enough answer for Vlad. And from the silence on his end he probably saw that, yes, he was.

Danny was about to stand up and pull the curtain across, stating that he was calling it a night when Vlad finally spoke.

"Does.. that Lunch Lady ghost also fit into that category too?"

"The Lunch Lady?" All of his discomfort vanished as he looked at Vlad in confusion. How did he know about the first ghost he ever faced?

The man gave him a sad smile. " The bridge, remember? You mention of a ghost you fought name the Lunch Lady."

"Did I?" Danny looked up at the ceiling as he tried to recall that night again. He scowled when he remembered yes, he had mentioned her. Quickly he made a mental note; Vlad had an extremely keen memory that he had to watch out for. " Oh, yeah her. She's… one of the first ghosts I fought right after I got my ghost powers. " He looked down at the desk again. " She used to work at our school cafeteria, but she came back for vengeance after my friend changed the menu."

He was surprised to hear a chuckle, and he quickly rose to the defense. " Hey, it's true! You might think it's funny, but I'll like to see if you're still laughing if you were confronted by a giant, meat-loving ghost that trying to waste you and your friends!?"

Vlad quickly tried to hide the smile but struggled. " It's hard to believe something so silly-"

"-Silly, Huh? Well it wasn't silly for me as I barely could use my powers at the time. Ghosts aren't push-overs. With their insane obsessive nature, they don't give up easily. Nor do they just go back to the Ghost Zone if you ask them nicely!"

"So basically your enemy was a lady that used to work at your school cafeteria?"

"She's just one of many! You have no idea how many enemies I have!" Despite himself, Danny narrowed his eyes, once again pulling his chair out. " I don't have time to relax and slack off when I've got ghosts coming into my town and trying to take it over! They don't go easy on me so neither do I. You might still not believe that ghosts exist and this is all a dream, but for me it's my whole life!" The more heated he got, the colder the room became, his eyes flashing green.

Vlad immediately saw the danger and leaned back, smile vanishing. " No, I don't understand anything about ghosts. Before meeting you I didn't think such a thing was possible. For you, the concept of 'ghosts' might come easily. But for me… I think it will take me some time."

Danny scoffed at that. " Well you don't have a lot of time! If you want to; as you put it, help me; then you're going to have to get over that fact real soon. Because I don't think you realized that out there is a ghost that won't go easy on you."

That seemed to hit home with Vlad, Danny surprised as the man seemed suddenly torn by his statement. It wasn't what he'd expected Vlad Plasmius to do, yet he didn't understand why he still thought he would be like that anyway. He supposed he too would be a little freaked out at the idea of another ghost out there wanting to waste him. He was just used to it now.

"Look; if you're not comfortable with this truce, then my offer still stands. I will show you the best way out."

Vlad's concerned look disappeared at once. "Your backing out of the deal?"

"What? No! I just mean…If you…" Danny wiggled in his chair, Damn this was pathetic. " If you don't like the idea of, you know; of going up against a crazy killer ghost I get it."

"It's not that." The other half ghost frowned, also clearly uncomfortable with the turn of the conversation. " I'm trying to understand all of this. The way you describe ghosts is like they have actual identities. Aren't ghosts just..echos of the dead soul they were? Nothing more than ectoplasm?"

Danny blinked, surprised at the idea that he knew more then Plasmius right now. But suddenly the idea of being called nothing more than ectoplasm really ticked him off. Too much like what his parents said or the GIW. Completely pulling the chair away he stood and stormed over to the fireplace. Vlad instantly tensed as Danny flopped into the opposite chair. Crossing his legs he glared at the man, Vlad clearly thinking he was about to throw something at him. This close, Danny could read him better, spotting that he was uneasy with the abrupt move.

"Ghosts; are not just ectoplasm. They aren't just echoes. Their people, in their weird sort of way." Danny waited for Vlad to start back-talking him. But it was clear he didn't dare with the way he was acting. " They might not look 'normal' to you but they are the same people as they were when they were alive. I think. Maybe a little crazier, maybe more obsessive, but they're in their own way 'living'. Take the Lunch Lady, she might have been able to blast me through a wall or use her mind to throw food like a missile at me, but she's still that same person, whoever that was."

"Wouldn't there," Vlad nervously cut in, moving ever so slightly away. " be some kind of difference-"

"No." Danny cut in sharply, making the other half ghost jolt. " Yeah, ghosts have a different mindset when they're a ghost than we do, but they still have like a drive, something they want to do. Take…" he paused, thinking of the list of ghosts he fought back at Amity. "There's this ghost I fought named Technus, he's a ghost that loves technology, and wants to use it to take over the world. Sure he's a jerk, and totally thinks that's he's some genius or whatever; I mean that's like common ghost behavior one-o-one. But he still has like…his own thing."

"Technology?"

"Yeah. Technus is obsessed with technology, the self-proclaim 'Ghost master of science and electoral technology'. He mucked up our garage sale where we were selling some of the lab stuff. I think he kind of fused himself to the machines to like make a battle suit with it. I'm really not sure how he does it. Never had to chance to ask between punches."

Danny took a deep breath, getting more animated in the talk. " Then, there is Pointdexter. He's the best example of personality as he used to go to my High school like years ago. He was a total nerd, which, I'm not one to judge since me and my friends are basically the geek troupe. He haunted this locker that he was thrown into all the time. He hates bullies, kind of like a defender of the nerds. I had a hard time proving to him that I'm not a bully like he first thought I was. If anything he should have gone after Dash…"

As Danny continued on Vlad just stared at him in awe at how much he was talking about himself. One minute it was almost impossible to ask him anything and the next minute he wouldn't stop talking.

"Then…Then there was Desiree. She's this annoying ghost that grants your wishes."

"Like a genie?" Vlad tested lightly, and Danny didn't seem to care about the question.

"I guess, like a ghost genie? I don't think she was a genie when she was alive. But yeah, she grants wishes, but they always have a bad side to them! I think she loves causing trouble when people ask her for stuff. Anyway, she used one of her wishes to basically turn my best friend against me. Which was a bit challenging since she gave him ghost powers."

"He was turned into something like you?" Vlad had slowly eased back into a more relaxed pose as it was clear Danny wasn't going to lunge at him.

"No, No. She didn't turn him into a half ghost permanently, it was a temporary thing. Thank goodness as I don't think I could've handled that. One- I mean have a bunch of ghosts trying to muck up my town was bad enough, I didn't want to add Tucker into the list! I finally was able to stop her though."

"How did you manage that?" Vlad couldn't help pushing Danny to continue. In front of him wasn't the crazy ghost kid he'd witnessed all these weeks; but an actual, normal teenager. Kind of.

" I tricked her by using her own wishes against her." And for the first time, Danny smiled smugly at the other half ghost. " Strike of genius on my part. Since she was the one that kept telling me she could grant any wish. So I thought why don't I test that theory? Wished her right into that thermos! Oh, and the Box Ghost!" Danny rolled his eyes at the mere memory of that pain-in-the-butt ghost. " Let me tell you about the Box Ghost! Oh my god the Box Ghost, he is such the lamest ghost I've ever encountered. And that saying something because I've met a lot of lame ghosts. It all started in a warehouse downtown. And of course, it just had to be on a school night…"

AN: Ah, back again. I thought it might be nice to explore a little more of the Three Brothers' tale with a dash of Danny Phantom lore thrown in.