Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Danny Phantom, I'm a big fan and was feeling nostalgic.

Note (11/29/2017): Well...we kinda knew this was coming didn't we? While I've been writing Vlad out to be a very understanding and not-so-evil, the fact of the matter is he WAS evil. And now we're seeing the consequences of Vlad's actions throughout the series (that I've kept in anyway) and how they're effecting the people in his life he does or once did care about. Because I believe that at least at one point Vlad did genuinely care about Dani since unlike the other clones he created she wasn't as mindless so he exploited her the most rather then solely rely on the other clones he sent after Danny. Let's make one thing clear though before we get started, Dani might not become a permanent addition to the story since she's mostly there to make Vlad answer for some of the bad things he's done to finally prove to everyone that he IS changing. So in my own way I'm kinda using her too but don't worry, she's a character I actually do like although some people have mixed feelings about her. However, every choice Vlad makes from here on out will have their consequences too...

P.S. Oh, one last thing! Since I've decided that this will be the last chapter I'm writing for The Grimoire instead since I ended up making to REALLY long I strongly urge you if you're a member of this site that is currently following this story through new chapter notifications to start following the sequel too once the first chapter goes up on here. I've already decided on the name "Ravenheart" so you can't miss it! Hope to see you all there! And enjoy this extra long chapter! Thank you all for your support and I can't wait to see how you react to the end. Please be sure to leave a review with your thoughts on how the first half of this story turned out!

~Chapter 60~

A Sleep Like Death

Several months ago...

So close, Vlad was so close to achieving his dream of having the perfect son whose love and loyalty belonged only to him! And this 'imperfection' was not going to ruin it at the last minute! Not this time! Vlad would destroy her before he allowed that to happen. Danielle was merely a means to an end and was just as disposable as all of the others who had perished so they could make it to this moment. Though he had to admit, of all the clones she was the most stable which is why Vlad relied on her so heavily to make sure his plan would work.

However, when Dani began questioning him when Vlad was mere moments away from his final ultimate victory over Daniel, he lost it and shouted in rage,"You exist to serve me, just do it!"

Tears filled the young girl's eyes only for a split second before anger replaced it and dominated her features and she exclaimed back in his face, "You are not the boss of me!"

And before Vlad could do anything to stop her, she released Danny from the confines of his pod. The little traitor! How DARE Dani defy him, her creator, her FATHER?! Well this would not stand. One way or another Vlad was going to recapture Danny and then dispose of her. Her role in this was finished. All he needed was that mid-morph sample to stabilize his most important clone of the original, the only one with no alterations at all, he was pure, and he was going to be unconditionally loyal to Vlad unlike the real Danny who refused his generous offer time and time again to join his side and finally have everything he could ever want!

And all Vlad asked for was Danny's loyalty and for him to disown his father. It wasn't as if he was actually asking the boy to murder the man too. As often as Vlad tried to kill Jack, he unconsciously never went through it because of several key factors. One, he realized that he would have hated to see his dear Maddie cry even if it was over that oaf so decided against it if only for her sake. Two, Danny would never truly accept him or his love if he actually DID kill Jack. Even if Danny could ever did bring himself to betray his biological father and abandon his code of justice. And finally, Vlad found that he rather enjoyed making Jack look like a fool and it'd be a pity to lose that privilege...lose his whole reason for vengeance in the first place.

After Dani released him, the two of them caught him off guard and Vlad was blasted back and crashed into the pod containing his precious pure clone. Turning when he heard the sound of virtual Maddie's voice telling him his primary clone was destabilized Vlad could only watch in horror as he 'died' before his eyes. And Vlad was helpless to do a thing. Months of work, lost in seconds. Months!

His cry of rage and anguish was second only to the pained howl Vlad made the day he discovered that his collage crush had married his former best friend. He could only see red when he turned and looked upon Dani's troubled expression, as if part of her dared to think she understood the gravity of what she'd cost Vlad. No, Dani could not even fathom what her betrayal had cost Vlad! She had essentially killed Vlad's soon-to-be son. This was all her fault because she couldn't follow one simple order! So Vlad intended to do to her in kind what she had just done to his 'son.' To end her miserable existence.

That was the plan at least.

Before he could finish making his advance on the pair of them Vlad soon found himself pinned to the opposite wall when Danny unleashed that ungodly wail of his, a power Vlad had yet to discover how it worked or where the boy learned such a devastating skill. For all his power, the sheer force of it made Vlad momentarily change back into his human form and collapse. It didn't take long before he was back to his feet, closing in on them again. Dani foolishly tried to defend the weakened boy but being as unstable as she was, she began to dissolve slightly from overusing her powers.

Their ONLY saving grace that day was that young Daniel's two friends, that goth girl and the techno geek, quite literally burst in on them and slammed Vlad into the wall. He was down long enough for them to place the Spector Deflector around his waist and then Dani knocked him out with a swift punch. Even Vlad had his limits and that blasted belt made it difficult to focus his powers again so it was a simple task to render him helpless after such a crushing defeat. Though it was not so much his pride that took a blow that his heart had...

Watching that clone die was like watching his dreams, his future as a father, die with him. After that day Vlad genuinely mourned the loss of the son that would never be and decided that until something changed, that was the end of his cloning experiments. Maybe one day Vlad would try again. But for now, all he could do was devise what had gone wrong concerning Danielle so that this mishap would be avoided in the future. One day he would find that girl, and oh how he would make her suffer, though not before gathering some much needed answers as to what truly set her apart from the other clones who had as expected obeyed him without question.

"What're you staring at fruitloop?" Dani scowled when Vlad stared at her for a solid minute as soon as Owen left as if lost in thought. With a sigh, Vlad pulled up a chair and seated himself, making sure to look more confident then he felt at the moment after seeing the look of pure despair on Owen's face that honestly shook him to his ghost core...

Besides, strategically this was an opportunity Vlad wasn't about to miss to find out a few things about what Dani has been up to the past few months and to also take the appropriate actions to get her out of his hair. While he still bore a small grudge against Danielle because of her betrayal, Vlad no longer wished her dead. If anything, Vlad had on occasion found himself genuinely wondering what had become of the young girl without him there to guide her. Wondering if Dani's condition had become even more unstable since their last encounter since in that regard she didn't differ as much from his other failed clones unfortunately.

He sent out his minions to search for Dani the moment she escaped of course as well as a few spy bots so he could enact his vengeance and then study her 'remains' but there had been no luck finding the elusive child. That is, until now because it sounded like Dani's 'hero' complex that she apparently inherited from Danny got the better of her when she saw Owen's troubled expression on TV. That's what Owen explained to him on the way back here at least. Not that it mattered anymore since all Vlad wanted was to get her as far away from them as possible so that she couldn't turn Owen against him. The probability of that happening was small, but there nonetheless.

From what Vlad could tell just from looking at her now after all this time, Dani looked abnormally pale and her powers must already be much weaker then before given the fact that her wounds hadn't healed on their own as Danny's would have by now. Meaning that perhaps Dani wasn't able to heal as easily anymore as time went on even when she didn't overexert herself. It had taken Owen giving her healing powers a jump start before she began healing at all. And that was about all the contact Vlad wanted between them since Danny himself was already testing his patience by telling Owen too much about their complicated past as former adversaries.

Speaking of which-

"I suppose you and Daniel were always two birds of a feather after all," Vlad muttered mostly to himself before crossing his legs and adopting a business-like tone. "Well now that you're here there is something that I'd like to talk about regarding our prior relationship. I did, after all, say some awful things to you when you had been nothing but loyal to me from the beginning. I lashed out when you were only voicing your concerns about melting like the previous clones I used to restrain Danny had. That is the only reason that you felt the need to betray me as you did and I suppose that's to be expected. After that, I'll admit that I did consider destroying you many times over because of the pain you caused me but now I can only apologize for my actions. I'm sure that doesn't amount to much now though."

"You got that right," Dani agreed, crossing her arms but wincing when it made her shoulder throb, though she honestly sounded unsure of herself since Vlad wasn't acting like he was supposed to.

He was supposed to goad her into attacking him and perhaps tell her in his most smug tone that it was only a matter of time before she came crawling back to him, begging for forgiveness, which WASN'T the case at all. She had taken pretty good care of herself, all things considering. Dani rarely used her powers really except in self-defense or to get food. Other then that her main concern was making sure Vlad never found her. Looks like that plan was out the window though now that she had blown her cover to come here and supposedly rescue a fellow clone.

Humoring him though so Vlad would drop his guard, Dani smirked and added, "But I guess it wouldn't hurt to listen to your little speech while we wait for Danny. That is, IF he actually is coming."

Vlad groaned and dragged a hand down his face, "I do not have the patience to play your little games Danielle. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree because Danny also barged in on me too when I was dealing with Owen's last emotional breakdown. It would seem that I have no choice but to regale you with our little tale. First of all, Owen is not a clone of Danny. He is an orphaned boy that I took in when I discovered he has natural born anti-ghost powers and I am in the process of adopting as my son and only legal heir. Contrary to my actions today I am not holding him here as my prisoner. I'm actually trying to protect him from a threat you cannot even begin to imagine. I won't get into the details in that regard since you would hardly be able to understand them anyway. And because of this common enemy we share, the same enemy that in fact murdered Owen's birth parents in cold blood, Daniel and I have made a truce. That is why we are no longer at odds anymore. As for you..."

Dani flinched again when Vlad stood and walked over to her, brushing some hair out of her face as she looked up at him in terror. He could see her trembling, knowing she was too weak to fight back if Vlad decided to kill her right then and there. It pained him to see her act this way too, but it was completely understandable. Even so, whether she accepted it or not, Vlad only wanted to do this for Owen's sake, to prove that he was not the same man he was once before.

That is why despite her protests, Vlad placed a hand on her shoulder then leaned in as he told her solemnly. "I don't care if you forgive me, or even if you believe what I'm about to say but I am truly sorry for the way I treated you. On a more serious note Danielle, should EVER you try to take Owen away from me again I WILL consider you my enemy. You will probably never understand how I feel, especially after the way I rejected you, but I NEED him. Your betrayal that day already cost me the only chance I had at obtaining the perfect half-ghost son, but I refuse to let you ruin this for me as well. I've come too far to lose Owen now. His love is all that matters to me now because unlike yours and that of the other clones it is completely genuine, it is not fabricated like theirs was. Like yours was. And knowing that has made me realize what a fool I've been. I know now that I had with you COULD have been real if I had only realized that sooner that you were more then a mere tool. We could have been very happy together. But I never even considered the possibility. I deeply regret that now," pulling away, Vlad glanced at her wounded arm and continued, "What's done is done however and I don't expect you to forgive me any time soon if at all. To be frank I haven't completely forgiven you yet either. That being said, I want you out of my home before you give Owen any bright idea's about making a break for it again. Unlike before however, I do not want your death on my conscious. If you don't believe anything else, believe that. So long as you don't interfere again I am willing to stop hunting you. It all depends of if you can behave yourself long enough for Daniel to arrive."

Without another word, Vlad left Dani to her own devices after briefly telling her that should she want anything to eat she knew where the kitchen was as the room would not be locked behind him as a friendly gesture, though his expression was as harsh and cold as ever to warn her against taking any detours. He fully expected her to be a good girl and rest for awhile until Danny arrived and his minions would report to him if she did anything else otherwise.

His main concern however was Owen's well-being, not hers. Vlad was mildly concerned for Dani's health since it was his fault she'd been injured in the first place, but he was more anxious about Owen's recent behavior as of late. Vlad was deathly afraid that as a result of this 'miasma' Owen kept going on about influencing his emotions, he might end up hurting himself if left alone for too long.

Vlad knew Owen well enough to predict that right about now he was probably very angry with himself and didn't want Vlad to see him in his current state. After that last escape attempt though Vlad wasn't going to let Owen out of his sights. Because the moment he did, Vlad was afraid that the boy would disappear from his life. He wasn't sure how, but Owen could be very resourceful when he needed to be and would surely find some weakness in his defenses to exploit. A trait that Vlad both admired, and despised for that very reason.

Owen wasn't as easily controlled as Dani and the other clones had been, not by a long shot. And it wasn't just because of his inexperienced power that gave Owen a measure of supremacy over most ghosts or anyone with ghost powers, it was also because Owen was very headstrong and not unlike Daniel was very good at making quick decisions when backed into a corner.

That was what made this situation all the more dangerous.

"Just so we're clear Vlad, just because we're allies now doesn't mean I'm some kind of errand boy," Danny grumbled after having to wait for Vlad to open the portal from his side. "Why is this even locked anyway if you knew I was coming?"

"That is none of your concern," Vlad told him indifferently. "However, you are correct about one thing. You are certainly not an errand boy. You'll have to forgive me for that but as you can see I was in a rather...precarious situation."

"Oh god, what happened this time?" Danny asked, equally curious as he was concerned since all he knew was that Dani showed up out of nowhere and was mistaken for another kidnapper or something after Owen.

With a sigh, Vlad explained while floating up the steps rather then walking, and admitted, "I'm afraid Owen and I had a disagreement of sorts a few weeks ago concerning Azrael which I have no doubt he's complained to you about while he thought I was too preoccupied to notice and things escalated before I had the foresight to prevent it. He attempted to run away from home after a particularly intense emotional outburst but not for the reasons you think. Owen isn't...angry with me," sounding mildly relieved simply by knowing that fact, Vlad stopped once they reached the top of the stairs and closed the entrance behind him before glancing back at the now hidden passage, his brows knitted tightly together in frustration. "This is the downside of having a son who doesn't necessarily have ghost powers like you and I do. Apparently, my feelings over the past 20 years has accumulated into something like a miasma that only he can sense because, well, since I'm the one who produced it I'm more or less use to it."

As soon as Vlad stopped, Danny floated in front of him, arms crossed and asked, "Hold up, are you telling me you've created this literally toxic environment that's started getting to Owen the longer he's around it? He's not getting sick again is he? Whenever I hear about miasma in a videogame it's either poison or it makes people go crazy."

"Daniel!" Vlad snapped, his eyes flashing red. "This is no laughing matter."

"Chill out Plasmius," Danny growled, his eyes flashing bright green right back at him. "I'm being serious here. If Owen's not mad at you but tried to run away it can only mean one thing. He was scared. In my own way I..." rubbing the back of his neck nervously, Danny landed on the ground in front of him and admitted sheepishly, "I'm worried about it too honestly. Maybe I'm just being selfish for wanting this to last, but I really like the idea of having you on my side. There's so much you can teach me and I know you've been working your butt off to help Owen adapt to his powers too. But if you turn evil again, that all is gonna get thrown out the window. Honestly when Owen told me Dani was here I half expected you to start secretly treating her like some test subject again purely out of habit instead of try to help her while she was knocked out. You're a lot like my parents that way. Sometimes their scientific curiosity reaches levels of scary that not even a ghost could manage. You see what I'm saying? As scared as I am of turning into my future evil self no matter what I do, Owen cares about you so much that he can't stand the thought of you slipping back into your old bad habits which would make you WIDE open for demonic possession and we both know what happened the last two times that's happened to the people he cares about, living and dead. Now do you get it?"

Vlad's eyes shot wide open in shock. So that was it! Owen wasn't afraid of him, of his dark past, he was trying to protect him out of love! Despite himself, Vlad found a grin creeping up on his face now that he understood the truth of the matter. That's when it really struck Vlad that he was so used to being the one fighting for love and acceptance that he couldn't even recognize it completely when it was being so freely given to him even through contrary actions that would tell him otherwise. It made Vlad want to hug Danny and thank him for clearing that up before rushing to Owen's side and embracing him as well. The only thing that stopped him from doing so was the fact that Dani was abstracting things right now and Vlad wanted to be rid of her as soon as possible, which brought Danny to his other point that Vlad needed to hear.

"Vlad, you're going to have to answer for what you did to Dani eventually," Danny told him, crossing his arms again and tapping his foot impatiently. "In fact, you've got a LOT to answer for if you expect any of this to work. With Owen, and with me. I've been pretty lenient so far but attacking Dani like that wasn't cool, even if it was a mistake. You've got to be more careful. Even if you don't necessarily like her that's no excuse for pushing her on me. What am I supposed to do with a 12 year old not-my-actual-cousin? I'll do what I can but I need your help Vlad. I've got enough problems of my own as it is besides hiding Dani for any length of time. Why don't you just adopt her too? That'd solve everything. You did MAKE her after all."

"You imbecilic child," Vlad lamented harshly, his small bubble of happiness bursting instantaneously. "You have no right to lecture me on morality. I know very well that I've done less then reputable things during the course of my life, however, the sins of the past cannot be erased nor do I care to more then is necessary. I am no saint, Daniel, I told you as much when Owen nearly died in my arms because I was afraid I couldn't carry the essence of his soul without it burning out. Besides, adopting Dani would do no good anyway. She's already fading fast and the most I can do for her is research a way to bring her back from the brink before she..."

Alarmed, Danny grabbed his arm and demanded, "Whoa whoa, back up! I thought you said she only had a broken arm and a bruised shoulder! That can't be life threatening can it?"

"I cared very little for my other creations," Vlad continued as if Danny hadn't said a word, "For all I know, the other clones I created were merely empty shells mimicking human emotions with no heart or will of their own. They did not have souls, Daniel. I do not know what became of them when they disintegrated. Perhaps not even an echo remains to mark that they ever existed at all. It is different for Danielle. She inherited much more then just your powers, she exemplifies you in every aspect from your likes and dislikes to that insufferable moral code you follow. Unlike them, I believe she does carry some semblance of a soul. That does not change the fact that she is still as unstable as the others were if not more so since I haven't been there to monitor her condition constantly. The fact of the matter is my dear boy, Danielle has been dying slowly for some time now. The effects might not even be reversible anymore. However, since Owen was able to give her healing abilities a jump start, then perhaps together we can save her. If not then...who do you think she would rather be with before her final hour? The man who abandoned her, or the hero Danielle idolizes that she wishes with all her heart really was family?"

"This is a really REALLY stupid idea..." Owen admitted to himself, holding The Grimoire in his lap as he debated on whether or not to go through with this.

Clenching his fists, knowing that what he was about to attempt was extremely dangerous, Owen sighed and thought well what choice did he have? It was the only thing Vlad would never expect him to do BECAUSE it was so risky. That, and Vlad didn't understand the archaic side of his powers nearly as well as the powers related to his necromancer form. Still, if Vlad wasn't going to help him find closure with Azrael then Owen was going to take matters into his own hands...

If Vlad wouldn't let him talk to Azrael in person, then it was up to Owen to use the bond they shared to call out to him instead. It was no different then what they'd planned to do once anyway as a last resort when they were searching for answers, at least up until Azrael deceived them and kidnapped Owen. But if Owen was the one doing the calling this time, Azrael could do nothing to manipulate him like before which is what he kept trying to convince Vlad. Especially not now that he was a true necromancer now and could control most of his powers with relative ease.

Owen was still learning, true, but lately he felt like his deep bond with Azrael was part of the reason he felt so...hopeless and lost. Some of those feelings weren't his own. They were most likely Azrael's effecting him in addition to the feelings attached to Vlad's hateful past that permeated this place. And now that Azrael's darker emotions weren't being bled dry by his demon, leaving him numb and disillusioned to his true feelings, even though there was so much distance between them Owen could feel his pain and agony and couldn't help but feel obligated to alleviate it somehow if only for the sake of his own sanity.

That's why Azrael's presence felt so empty before when they met in person for the first time in this lifetime. Rather then a mixture of hot or cold depending on if a person was alive or dead or felt a certain way, Azrael's heart and true feelings had gone numb as well, paralyzing him so that when the time was right his demon could emerge and deliver his soul to Lilith in a listless and submissive state so he would not resist her shadowy embrace. Either way, Owen needed to stop the onslaught of un-repressed emotions leaking through their subconscious link because being such an emotional wreck wasn't fair to Vlad.

Vlad was trying so hard to make him happy, to feel loved, to feel safe for the first time in years. Owen knew that and felt ashamed of the fact that all he was doing was hurting him by being like this, fearing the worst and belittling the depth of Vlad's love for him as a future father figure in his life. Vlad's been hurt more then enough by the people he loved. And being hurt by someone you love is the worst feeling in the world, whether they hurt you willingly or not or most often unknowingly. Owen could related to that in so many ways because he too had been betrayed...

Betrayed by several of the potential parents he's placed all of his hopes on that never adopted him; betrayed by Azrael when he didn't tell him he was a ghost from the start; betrayed by his so-called friends back in his old school when they turned their backs on him the moment Owen blamed ghosts for his parents deaths and joined the crowd labeling him a broken down freak of nature; and lastly...betrayed by his own past lives who decided to hide the truth from him about owning the soul of Lilith's firstborn son and being the key to reviving Death.

Who knows, maybe if Death WAS revived he could give his parents a chance to be reborn, at least once, so they could try again to have happier lives. Lives where they'd be well away from all of this madness and heartache. Owen almost wished for that himself before realizing, no, when his time came, Owen wanted it to be the end of this cycle so no one else would have to carry these burdens. He want to find eternal peace at last after suffering through countless lifetimes of heartbreak, struggles against the darkness, and sheer agony. It was the least Death could do for him after leaving him to suffer at the hands of Lilith for so long through each of her attempts to capture his soul.

Shaking his head, Owen opened The Grimoire and willed it to the page he needed. If his power could banish demons, why couldn't open portals to the Ghost Zone as well like he had done in ages past when only natural portals existed? Back then, they either had to find one or create their own temporary ones to summon or contact their ghostly allies. In this case, Owen would be summoning Azrael into a bound portal where it would be like he was in the space between worlds rather then in one or the other. It'd be similar to how the Unworld worked and negated ghost and human powers, with the exception of Owen's which could work anywhere since it was self generated from his very soul and lived in his blood.

"Ok, so I just need to chant a few words, cast a few runes, and summon a portal while thinking of who I want to summon. Easy enough. " Owen chuckled humorlessly as he got out of bed and moved to the middle of the floor, holding The Grimiore propped open against the crook of his arm while he lit a blue flame in the other hand to carve the runes he needed. "I just hope that since Azrael won't be here or there none of Vlad's alarms will go off..."

Taking another deep breath, Owen filled himself with Necroenergy and when it reached a certain point, he allowed his body to change into that form. He immediately felt the purifying effects take hold as the miasma that managed to seep into his skin while they were down in the lab burned away. It made him feel much calmer, more at ease, but this still had to be done, otherwise no amount of purification would be enough to keep the shadows of doubt and unfathomable fury from invading his heart.

Finding his resolve, Owen looked down at the floor and saw that a circle of fire had formed in front of him, floating less then an inch from the actual ground so it wouldn't scorch the stone floor. Well, one might argue that doing this was pointless since it wasn't a normal flame but experience had taught Owen that he could easily make it burn as hot as he wanted through his will alone or as a result of unruly emotions getting the better of him like earlier in Dani's room. Then, turning back to the passage he was reading with the spell he needed, Owen read the words which like every other time he'd used a spell automatically changed into the language of the dead, otherwise known as Latin, when he uttered them.

"Lux et umbra, et si tactum mortis obiter, et produc mihi januam videant ut saecula inter crepusculo pervenerunt in!"

"Where light and shadow meet, where life and death touch if only in passing, bring forth for me this doorway so that I too may see and reach into the twilight between worlds!"

The circle of blue flames flared up and Owen took that as a sign that he needed to carve the runes into the circle as well. It sounded easy but Owen was surprised with how much resistance he felt and how he had to struggle to carve these runes to express his desire for how that energy was to be used to shape the space in that circle. Owen probably should have stopped right there, since he was so tired and he could feel the strain weakening him at an alarming rate ad he attempted to do what had taken Vlad and the Fentons years of study to achieve, to create a working portal into the Ghost Zone.

Feeling his heart starting to flutter like a dying bird once he started on the second rune, Owen seriously considered stopping but then convinced himself he couldn't afford to. He couldn't afford to be weak in front of Vlad anymore, not when he was all that stood between Vlad and him creating a wraith, or demon as they were still calling them. For once, Owen wanted to be the one doing the protecting.

But god...he was so tired. After this was over and done with, Owen prayed that he would be able to sleep peacefully again knowing he had done his best. He wished there was someone that could help him sleep without having to worry about all these visions and nightmares. Anyone that could give him that moment of lasting peace Owen so desperately needed...

Forgetting all about the part about needed to concentrate on WHO he wanted to summon, the pages of The Grimoire flipped of their own accord in response to Owen's wish to an entry about an ancient ghost who could accomplish such a feat. While Owen was fighting to remain conscious long enough to complete the final rune, a swirling blue portal formed out of the misty circle of flames and Owen gasped, almost shocked that it actually worked! He did something right for once! Feeling a sense of immense pride, Owen found himself smiling and wishing Vlad could see him now only to remember that Vlad was very upset with him right now which only reminded him of why he was trying to summon Azrael in the first place.

Falling to his knees, Owen was about to change back to conserve energy when a voice that was very much NOT Azrael addressed him. "Boy, why have you summoned me? It has been too long since one of your kind has dared ask me to come forth, so I must say that I'm surprised."

Looking up, Owen's eyes widened in shock when an unfamiliar ghost that didn't even remotely resemble Azrael appeared before him. It was a tall slender ghost with solid red eyes similar to Vlad's when he was in his ghost form- the left one decorated with a long scar over it- a handsome pale face with a small goatee on his chin, a pair of light purple downward facing horns on either side of his head that curled inward at their tips, and an entirely black form that looked as though it had captured the stars out of the very heavens to adorn himself like a tapestry made of dreams. He stared down at him with old and knowing eyes but Owen was so taken aback that he'd summoned the wrong ghost that he didn't even notice tendrils of the ghost's powers reaching into his mind, sampling his memories.

"Ah, I see. So you have been haunted by terrible dreams as of late that you cannot escape in the dreaming or waking world," the ghost smirked, fully aware of his nigh omnipotent power over anything revolving the dreams of mortals but he was amused nevertheless by Owen's surprised expression. "Fear not child, for I can give you what you so desire. The question is, what can you do for me in return?"

Managing to steady himself and rise to his feet again to face the spirit properly, Owen met the ghost's gaze, though it was still unnerving how he seemed to see right through him, and admitted. "I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself sooner. You kinda surprised me. To be honest I was... actually trying to summon someone else. My name is Owen Rav-" stopping himself, Owen shook his head before telling a total stranger who he was, ghost or not, then corrected himself while still making sure he was being polite to this ghost since he wasn't sure if he was dangerous yet or not. "Actually, just Owen is fine. Mind if I ask who you are?"

Smiling in that same creepy knowing way as before, the ghost re-positioned himself to look more at ease in the confines of this strange circle then replied in a kind understanding tone, "It is all too often that only our subconscious really knows what we need in such desperate times when the body and heart are too weary to realize it. I have seen it many times before. Hmm?" As if finally noting Owen's unusual form, the ghost's eyes began to sparkle as he pointed this out, "That form...you cannot possibly be the necromancer everyone has been talking about, can you? If so then you can most assuredly be of use to me. Very useful indeed."

"Use to you?" Owen repeated, eyeing him suspiciously. "You haven't even told me who you are yet. Besides, I told you this was an acci...dent..." getting dizzy, Owen took a few steps back so he could sit on the edge of his bed and wait for the room to stop spinning, he shivered too when all of the warmth suddenly felt like it was being leeched out of him to prevent the ghost in front of him from approaching him in his weakened state. Yep, he was right, this HAD been a very stupid idea. And now Owen was paying the price.

Again, feigning concern, the ghost asked, "Are you alright child? Do you need to lie down for a moment?"

"No, I'm fine. I just need to catch my breath then I can send you home. I'm really sorry about all of this. I-" biting his tongue, Owen sighed heavily and stood up again despite how weak his legs were, knowing better then to continue to look weak in front of a potential enemy. "If nothing else this proves that I need more practice. At any rate, since you seem to know who I am then you know what I'm capable of. I don't want to fight you, but I will if I need to defend myself, that isn't why I brought you here. It was totally unintentional. But I guess I'll admit that I WAS thinking about how tired I am. I never thought that would summon a different ghost though while I was distracted by that thought..." bending down, Owen picked up The Grimoire that had fallen out of his grasp when he fell to his knees a moment ago but before he could scan their pages looking for an answer, the ghost spoke again in that same comforting tone that made Owen feel a pleasant buzz in his head, calming his nerves like some kind of sedative which should have been his first clue that something was amiss.

"Where are my manners. I am Nocturne, the Ghost of Sleep. Perhaps you've heard of me at some point in one of your many lifetimes," testing the barrier between them, Nocturne placed his hand against the unseen wall the flames were creating and quickly withdrew it when the flames burned him as a warning. "I can see now why you would have need of my services. If you release me I can promise you a night of only my finest dreams. It is not in my nature to harm humans. I thrive from the energy of their dreams and it has been too long since I have sampled such power. Your dreams in particular, though nightmarish at present, hold immense power. Especially because of your gift to look into the past through your dreams which is by no means a skill to take lightly. Oh the energy I could harvest from the collective dreams of so many accumulated in the heart of a single person..."

"What...what would you even do with all that power?" Owen asked, shaking his head when the tingling feeling rippling through his body became stronger when Nocturne exerted his energy rather then literally use his hand physically to test the barrier, his power already seeping through the unseen cracks that were forming in it.

"Perhaps you already know this but long ago, I served Death, whose power you have been entrusted with. In exchange for their dream energy I gave comfort and counsel to the dying or those who were simply in need of it. That was my sole duty. But when the veil fell and the Ghost Zone was formed, I no longer had access to the dreams of mortals and was forced to get by harvesting energy from my fellow ghosts which as you can imagine did not provide me with nearly as much strength. Now that you're here however, perhaps we may be able to strike a bargain. Either way it is not my intention to do anyone, least of all you, any harm," smiling warmly, though there was a wicked glint in his eyes when Nocturne was rewarded for his subtle efforts when Owen's eyes began to droop and glaze over, he continued, "Accident or no, I can see that you are in need of such respite yourself. Perhaps it was fate that you called for me instead. And as a sign of good faith I will tell you a secret, though it may trouble you to learn this but I promise you, the pain won't last long."

Struggling to remain standing, Owen swayed and asked, "What are you talking about?"

"The girl you saved now sleeping soundly a few rooms away," Nocturne replied, pointing in the direction of Dani's room. "I can feel the presence of death's shadow looming over her. She is not long for this world I'm afraid."

"Dani?" Owen blinked slowly, barely able to get his eyes open again once they closed. "But she-"

"I do not pretend to know why this is so, but it is. But think of this no more Owen and let me help you, just let go...and you can finally sleep well tonight," Nocturne cooed, already free from the confines of the portal's inner circle and releasing a gentle cascade of dream dust on the already lethargic boy. "That's it. Don't resist me. Your power will more then suffice for what I have in mind."

Being as physically and emotionally exhausted as he was, Owen easily slipped under his power and collapsed into Nocturne's waiting arms. He hadn't changed back to his human form, even after falling asleep, so the effects of Nocturne's influence became obvious pretty quickly. His arms and legs, which before were previously blue and translucent soon faded into black with the same star-like pattern as Nocturne's form, like the night sky dusted with billions of stars. Owen's hair also changed color, at least the white part anyway, and was now the same dreamy shade of purple as Nocturne's horns.

Carrying the boy bridal style back to the portal, Nocturne smiled triumphantly and when The Grimoire slipped from his now limp fingers, he lazily knocked it aside until it was concealed underneath Owen's bed. "Come, and enter my world of dreams. There, I will grant you the eternal peace you long for. And you, as Death's heir, will grant me untold power which I shall use to plunge the entire world into such a deep sleep that no one shall ever wake from, they shall never know fear nor pain ever again. Now isn't that generous of me?" Of course, Owen couldn't reply but how could anyone argue with that? Without so much as another curious glance at this human world he had not seen in centuries, Nocturne slipped back into the portal with Owen in tow, unaware of the events he had just sent into motion by bringing him there, to that other world where he along with many other ghosts who were old enough to remember that Owen...was the rightful heir to the Ghost King's throne.

And who was the original Ghost King?

Well none other then Death himself...