Welp. Epilogue time! :)

:WORD: Inner thoughts

"WORD" Normal dialogue

"WORD" Command

Epilouge: Waltz

"I still would have pushed the button."

-~DP~-

Months later

It was February 9th.

Early morning.

Coincidentally, my birthday.

The mansion was bustling with activity. The loud racket of the mansion turning into something living coming from the doors and windows. Yet Phantom and myself had just awoken. Not a big surprise. Most of the time, we were allowed the mornings to do whatever we wanted or deemed fit anyways. The nights we kept active and enjoyed sleeping in. Afternoons were reserved for Vlad exclusively. And even though it was beginning to inch closer to that time, it was looking to be a good day. A good day after a long line of good days. Something Phantom and I were still wondering about, to be honest.

I, and in fact both of us, felt like it shouldn't have lasted as long as it had. The peace that is.

It almost seemed as if we were in a dream. An old familiar scene from somewhere else.

Life at Vlad's was not… difficult more than abrupt and always changing. While staying the same. A set schedule but... everything moved. It was never the same, no matter how much it was.

At least, that's what I told myself.

Ever since Clockworks... we tried to not think about the future. It was easier if we just put ourselves in the moment. Doing whatever needed to be done to survive.

Admittedly, it wasn't much. Vlad was an easy Master. Never quick to anger or abruptly distant. He gave warnings. If we did something to make him react, it had to have been quite spectacularly stupid.

The only thing he continued to do, was keep things from us. Vlad not telling us things was a norm I would rather break. He point-blank refused to give us any information on Amity, nor would he allow us to search the information out ourselves. It was even Commanded.

It was enough for us that we knew it was my birthday, the dates even being kept from us for the most part.

:Stop thinking so much, Danni. We have more important things to do than think!: Phantom scolded me, floating in our Core and trying to convince me to go flying.

Yet again.

For the fourth time in a minute. Which was impressive, granted, with how many words he managed to get in one sentence.

:Like flying?: I asked exasperated, braiding a lock of my hair. Looking at the clock quickly, I assured myself of the time. Almost noon thirty.

:Yes!: Stated Phantom with a passion he was getting better and better at communicating.

It was really endearing how he managed to be like that. Childlike, but also so very posh.

:No.:

I was only saying no because Vlad had told us specifically not to do anything weird without his permission, today.

Today. Of all days he had to put a limit on us. I sighed dramatically but finished the braid.

:Come on.:

:No.:

It was hard to say no to Phantom, especially when we were closer than ever. Mentally anyway.

Over the long months at Vlad's, we, the both of us, had slowly started the agonizing process of becoming one mind. Which took long hours out of our day. Long hours hunched in an uncomfortable position and head aching at the end of it all. The rewards were many, but at the time after we finished our sessions, we would just as soon had shot ourselves in the foot.

The concentration it had taken was more than either of us had ever been willing to expend, but it had been worth it.

We were proud to admit that we both had made great progress. Enough that we literally didn't have to think about what we wanted as two individuals anymore. We were still pretty selfish, for ourselves. Somehow, we were still separate, but it didn't matter most of the time. It mattered when it mattered, but when it didn't...

Well. We were more one than two, anyways.

At most moments.

Confusing? Yes, it was.

Phantom and I made decisions as one. The first one being that there would be no indecision.

Every so often the tingle of unease over an arguable opinion flickered, but it was quickly stomped out until we both had more time to talk about it. It didn't mean we didn't like to talk it out every now and then, though. Just that we had almost an agreement of what our next movements would be. It was still touch and go, but we were fine. It would all be fine.

We had a schedule, afterall. It was a nice schedule, too.

For the first half of the day, I was in control implicitly and Phantom for the other half. Sometimes, we switched it around if Phantom was feeling particularly vindictive. Or vice versa. Or if one of us needed more head-space time to tire out or work through some things: It always would even out. Because if one of us got more 'free time' the other got it too. Just at a later time.

:Now?:

:We can't.: I muttered, remembering that Phantom didn't like taking no for an answer over his favorite subject. Flight. :Remember? Orders?:

It was almost one in the afternoon, though, and Vlad had promised us something in return if we were good little ducklings. Which we both had been. Perfect angels, really. No terrorizing the staff, or visiting the library without permission. Or the lab. We had sat on our behinds and had some good old fashion meditation, after some good old fashioned sleep. Danni-and-Phantom time.

But...

Vlad had this misguided view that I would try and make our way back home if he didn't order me not too. Which was partially true. But that could be said on any given day. And it wasn't to get away from Vlad, but to see Jazz.

Vlad didn't think we were ready to be released into the wild yet.

Understandable as it was, we didn't like it.

:I remember our… orders.: Phantom huffed the word. I was reminded of the sour taste of lemons and pushed aside Phantom's dislikes that was showing through. :Doesn't mean I don't want to try and test them, though.:

I rolled my eyes. Phantom was such a child.

My child, granted, but still.

:Good luck with that.: I snorted. :You go split off and have a fun day. I'll either be sleeping... or…:

This was the truly baffling part. Wasn't it? What to do if not have Phantom?

:Well, I don't know. What do you think Vlad's got planned for me?:

:You've gotten tame in your new life.: Phantom accused me, teasingly.

:And, that's a bad thing?: I retorted, already taking enough of his crap for it being so 'early'. And I had already showered, which made Phantom want to escape even more. The force of being under the spray of water always made Phantom go a bit crazy in the head.

:Not really.:

It was then, as Vlad was known to have impeccable timing, that he appeared.

"Danniella, are you up -" Vlad came into the room without knocking, per usual. I had actually just pulled on jeans, minutes before. Shyness was not a strong point for me anymore, either way. I had long lost my modesty when Phantom and myself had started running.

There were only so many places to change in the woods. Or alleys. Or buildings.

Little known fact: McDonalds can practically smell homeless.

"Oh, You're up. Good. Good. Dressed, too." He smiled before looking around as if to see if there was something he was missing. "Isn't this a surprise?-"

"It's almost one in the afternoon." I said, deadpan.

Vlad raised one of his eyebrows, looked out the window as if to say 'oh-well-lookit-that' before turning back to us without a word.

:Flight.: Phantom demanded before taking control to fling our body at him. Wrapping my arms around his waist, Phantom pouted upwards. Myself nor Phantom had tried this tactic to get what we wanted in a while, seeing as it had failed disastrously last time. But it was my birthday today, and we were in my body, what could it hurt?

"Can I fly?" The voice that came out was the perfect imitation of my own but it was all Phantom. It interrupted whatever else Vlad was about to say. Interrupted just as Phantom opened 'her' eyes impressionability wide, and tried 'her' very hardest to pout.

Vlad didn't so much as blink, and instead huffed out a smile, pulled her gently off himself and walked towards the window. A shake of his head following.

:Drat.: Phantom said, giving back the control I had lost. It hadn't worked.

:No duh.:

I was about to ask what Vlad was looking at, but knew it was redundant. Because I already knew. Vlad was having a new garden installed. Our room, more mine than Phantom's sometimes, was the perfect vantage point to oversee the entire landscape of his backyard. This was the first time Vlad had switched the gardens since we had arrived. I only knew this because he had told us only a week ago.

A new garden every third of a year. He'd said. Or well, some of the plants anyway. A lot of the bigger foliage stayed, but the smaller things didn't.

a

a

a

a

a

a

a

Phantom thought Vlad might be falling into our pull of adorableness, so Phantom paid more attention to him. Pulling her eyes even more wide.

"Phantom is getting restless, I take it?" Vlad chuckled instead of giving in, not even the slightly bit perturbed by my 'puppy dog' eyes.

"Or was it Phantom in control?" It was a question, and I answered it with a nod.

:Traitor.: He growled. :Body before Hottie.:

:Body before Hottie?: That's a new one.

:Sounds better than keeper-of-my-soul before Master.:

I chuckled, trying not to allow it to spill into the real world. :Touche.:

Phantom practically yanking the reins to our joined body out of my hands. But he was stopped more by the 'orders' of Vlad than anything. The silent but hard edge to Masters eyes made both of us stop their shenanigans.

"Later today, you may, but we have many things to do still."

Phantom and I both groaned, pout leaving and face falling, knowing semi-instinctively that this meant bruises might be present at the end of whatever was to come. And brain-strain. Maybe even brain damage. And a lot of things I just didn't want to do or think about.

It was my birthday, damnit. Why couldn't Vlad back off?

"Training?" I asked. Surprising me, he only shook his head with a chuckle and beckoned them over, giving nothing away.

"Come along, little badger."

So, of course, we followed. And not exactly because we wanted to finally get out of our room, but because there was a small tugging in my Core. The sign that this was more than a little suggestion, but an order. Orders were all powerful in Phantom and my own life. Orders meant no longer asking. It should have been rude, but he was master. Our lives pretty much orbited Vlad's now.

Sometimes, Phantom wondered if Vlad even knew he did that. The whole 'soft spoke words' that make Phantom and me, his partner in crime, want to tear space and time to complete the task associated with it… and everything else. Of course. I wondered, too, if he knew the effect his presence had on us. At all hours of the day. At every waking moment. On the jitters. On the mind-blankness that sometimes came with it. And if he did, I and Phantom wished, desperately, for him to never bring it up.

Following Vlad was an experience, though. Neither could deny that. In both senses of the word. Literally and figuratively.

Vlad was... Well. How does one describe a Master like Vlad?

Literally, as in right now, he was so careful with his every move. Always planned. Precise. He knew exactly what he was doing. Exactly where he was doing it. Unruffled. The only one able to ruffle his feathers was Clockwork, and even then he had to work at it. The time in the tower, all those months ago, was only one of the times they had seen Vlad lose his cool.

Another had been during the prank-war of February. Where Clockwork and Vlad had traded well times 'blows' using their 'assets' as they were. With blows being silly and offhanded pranks and assets being their 'minions'. Namely Phantom and I.

It had been lighthearted, whereas the images of Jazz could never be quite as tame. It had been nice, where the images of Jazz hurt.

I was intensely grateful that Vlad never brought up the future, except when necessary, and kept me busy. The ending of the war had been amusing though, with Clockwork managing to somehow put every kind of office-supplies Vlad had in the house into some kind of gelatinous substance. Jelly. Peanut butter. The works.

It had put a mighty dampener on the image in our head of never-defeated-Vlad standing over his desk in a daze as he watched his stapler float in blue jell-o.

Figuratively following Vlad was… scary at times. It had been a few months back that Phantom and I had both decided that things could only get worse if we didn't accept our situation. Fully. So it was only logical, really, that we had decided to give in. A huge decision that had not made lightly.

But it had been made.

Almost been pushed on us with the whole rules instilled in our heads.

And for all their pussy-footing around, both of them were much more… satisfied.

Now that it had been a semi-choice of their own. Giving in that is. It was easier to follow Vlad in to the training room. When he sent us out on small little missions to steal something insignificant, just to see if they could, we also accepted that as part of the equation. Phantom's and my own hearts, actually for once, in the right place.

The equation of slavery which was turning out to be something a little more than was bargained for though... that was still be decided upon.

What that was… we still didn't quite know.

The part of slavery that just had to dealt with was the instilled obedience. The almost constant pang of 'need' to make sure Vlad was happy. I, there-by-addition Phantom, felt almost… in love with Vlad. He, the ghost half of our duo, was a little more disturbed by this, mostly because he was a macho-man. I used to giggle at the image of Phantom making googoo eyes at Vlad, but now that it was an actual option - it was agreed, by both parties, that it was not needed.

We didn't joke about things like that.

:Could we call it loyalty? Forced loyalty?: Phantom asked, once. Before total commitment to the cause.

A cause that was still a little on the fuzzy side. Ghost war and all withstanding.

:In our heads, we can call it whatever we want.: I had responded.

"Whatever are you and Phantom talking about this time?" Vlad questioned, looking over his shoulder as he walked. Shoulders straight, arms behind his back, pace even and unprovoked. This pose was used to convey that he knew exactly what was going on. Nothing was out of control. Somehow that was calming.

Who knew that having everything dictated in my life would be so comforting?

"Nothing."

He gave me a skeptical look.

"Not Phantom. Phantom's sulking. I was just… thinking." I was quick to assure him.

"About?" Vlad pressed, the clicking of his expensive shoes rhythmic.

"Life."

"Yes?"

"Life here, anyway. How things have changed. How Phantom and I have changed." I admitted, knowing that he was just curious and not pressing. 'Pressing voice' was a little more aggressive. And I would have been spilling my guts, singing like a canary, if Vlad had really wanted to know. Or if Vlad had given even a smidgen of a smile.

The sound of his shoes tapping the tile was all we heard for a little bit after that confession. Vlad was very used to giving space. Phantom and I had both pleaded for it.

"I see." He said as they reached the stairs. He stopped before going forward, which made me almost crash into him. It was the easiest course of action to back up a few paces, stand silent, and watched for his reaction.

"Sorr-" I started before being interrupted.

"And how have you changed?"

Vlad turned around to look me in the eyes.

I found I couldn't meet his eyes. Part of the stupid obedience that we had embraced was the submission aspect. Almost primitive in its insistency to never meet his eyes. It was not new, but it was a relatively powerful instinct.

"I don't know." I muttered, feeling self-conscious, a hand was rubbing unconsciously at the marking that was on our forearm. It prickled. The forearm that was always to be left bare. Another order that they both minded only slightly. I was more prickly about their 'badger'.

Then again, what sixteen-now-seventeen-year old wants to have her skin irreparably marked?

:You do too know,: Phantom snorted. Totally disregarding my side-thoughts on the badger cub.

:Yes. But I don't want to tell him that…:

:I can see why.:

:We may have gotten far in these few months. He may be the best master we could ask for... but he's still something I never would have chosen for myself.:

Phantom was understanding of that at least.

"This has all been rather overwhelming for you. Hasn't it?"

I blinked, breaking my bodies own rules and looking up. Vlad was watching the actions of my body carefully. As if to see if I would break over his words.

"It's been... different," I said, admitting to herself, too. "Better and worse in some things. New. Old. It's been... longer than a year since I have been home. It is just. Strange to think about everything that has changed."

Oh boy had it ever been.

Vlad sighed.

"You do realize the aspects of the bond we have makes it nearly impossible to think anything against me, correct? You know I know that, correct?"

Both of them were startled by the way he said that, enough so that I actually looked into his eyes. I had been looking at his face before, but now we were staring at each other. A mistake I nor Phantom made lightly. They were deep and dark, Vlad's eyes, like the first time we had ever met. They were also curious. Mostly dark though.

"Right." We both whispered, voice wavering as we both echoed each other. I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jeans. To hide the shaking. "I knew that."

"And the overwhelming need to take every one of my suggestions out of context and obey?" Vlad continued, as if just realizing that he had never covered those basics with us. "That is also normal. You are young, too, which makes even trying to disobey your own body impossible... Am I right?"

So he did understand. Or at least, knew that he did it.

"Yes."

My throat closed slightly, my body warning me of something. I was a quick study and caught on fast. Eyes lowering, I spoke what I had missed.

"... Sir."

Vlad took a moment, watching before nodded, looking out towards the patio, just outside the front door at the bottom of the stairs.

"I understand. You should know I understand." He finally said after everyone at the top of the stairs watched a pair of birds fly past the window repeatedly.

Vlad did understand, I knew, somewhere in my mind I knew it to be true, but it was hard to admit that we all were in such similar positions. Especially as I was on the bottom of 'our' food chain. they all had someone to command, whereas I was just commanded.

He turned to us.

"I wish I could alleviate some of your fears that I know you have, Danniella... Phantom. But it never goes away."

Vlad was always poised. It was something both Phantom and I could agree about the man on. Yet, at this moment, he didn't look so closed off. He looked like he had all those months ago, in the library, when I had broken down and demanded comfort by proximity.

Jazz flashed across our eyes, before Phantom or I could stop it.

"Even now, twenty-some-odd years later," Vlad said, ignorant of their thoughts. "I can't fight it any more than I could when I was young. But you do have the upper hand in that you've accepted me. Whereas, I did not accept Clockwork. Not for a long, long time."

That was news to us.

Phantom and I both reeled with wide eyes.

:Vlad hadn't always been so obedient?:

:Wow.:

:Now that's news.:

How had that gone down then?

:I mean. It made sense.: In that weird not-really-making-sense kind of way. Vlad was a controller. We knew that from personal experience, so it made sense that having Clockwork, the master of time, would be trying. It was kind of… depressing in a way. First for the fact that Vlad had known, but hadn't elaborated; and secondly because this was the first time we had ever talked about it.

Even though he had known.

:Were we that obvious?:

:I like to think not... but probably?:

But Vlad wasn't trying to be mean, or cruel about his knowledge. Quite the opposite. He was genuine in his speech. He was teaching us. Something he loved to do, and that I was only now seeing as that. As that love of not being a Master but of being useful. Vlad knew that this could potentially save them trouble in the future, save the both of them sleepless nights, save them from something on the inside, rather than outside.

And it was the thought that truly counted. Right?

That was one thing that had become increasingly obvious - Blaringly even:

Was that loyalty could go both ways.

We were tied irrevocably to Vlad, but so was Vlad to them. Just in a slightly… different way. They had a bond that could not be broken. Would not. The Ghost-king had made sure of that.

Vlad was a very… honorable man, too, when it came to ghosts. To them. To Clockwork.

Humans, he was underhanded and even vicious to. He cared not for their practices because they lived short lives and tried everything in the books to win while losing. With ghosts he was also somewhat vicious and cunning, but there was something more. He had something to prove to ghosts. There was something more to ghosts.

Somewhere along the line of ghost and human, he had decided that if he was going to be forced into a culture, he was going to embrace it. And he did. He lived, breathed, and was ghost. Something he had never told the two in front of him, sure, but we had just accepted that as some knowledge we were not gifted to know

Phantom whispering all of Vlad's secrets to I, helped also.

:Kind of hard to imagine for you, isn't it?: Phantom asked, and I nodded, quickly zoning back into Vlad.

"- Even when Clockwork spontaneously shows up after leaving me alone for years," Vlad was saying. "Tells me that I have a chance the chance to do something important in history, and basically uses me as a pawn. There are few feelings as amazing as knowing that your Master is happy."

Vlad closed his eyes as if remembering that sensation. His smile pulled on his lips and we both felt our heart soar, stutter, even if it wasn't Vlad himself that was forcing our heart to feel this way. Even if it was the bond, more than anything.

And it was true. What Vlad was saying.

Ever since the branding, there were few things Phantom or I loved more, or wanted more, than a smile from Vlad. Acknowledgement from Vlad. I had found that out on the second day of being awake. When Vlad had come walking in with a smile on his face, and had almost drowned mein the need to keep it there.

It was half the reason why they both acted like such an idiot, tried for a laugh, or even just allowed Phantom to do something crazy. Why I tried my very hardest in training.

I guess, if I had to, that I just didn't quite realize what our mind had been telling our body, at least unconsciously. Or had, but chose to ignore the implications.

"True or not?" Vlad asked, turning towards me for the first time.

:Oh, sure. Now he looks at us.: There was no fire behind my words.

Vlad had looked at me, turned to me, tons of times, but never like this. This was special.

This was different in a way that was all too palpable and all too real.

If anyone asked me what the most emotional, the most real, moment in my life was, to date, I would have to say this moment. Right here, with Vlad having a heart to heart with me and Phantom. At the top of his elegant stairs, as the noon sun forgot it was supposed to be somewhere else.

A random heart to heart, not at all planned.

Because we were the only three people in the entire world that knew what it felt like to be both human and ghost, to be marked by someone of a higher power than them, and the only ones to be unique as we were. To each other and to the world.

"True." Not quite realizing that my voice had turned into that neutral tone taken when both Phantom and myself agreed on something so completely that there was little else but our agreement; I craned my neck downwards. Little of their differences whether it be gender, agenda, or plans came in between. Everything that was in the two of them agreed, and it showed.

In our agreement, curiosity seeped into a large hole in our stomachs, demanding answers.

"We have some questions... could you... would you be willing to answer them?"

Vlad didn't exactly relax, but he was less tense. "You may ask whatever you need to ask."

"It's been... bothering the both of us for a while now," I began before just coming right out with it. "Why does the Ghost King control everyone through the Marks? Surely there must be a better way than… something so primitive?"

Since the two of us weren't quite allowed to transform between forms in the presence of 'humans' that Vlad employed, Phantom took over from there. We had an agreed, after all, that mouth was public domain. 'They' was myself, Vlad, and Phantom. It rarely ever excluded Vlad these days.

"It seems stupid. To us."

"In the lab, if you please." Vlad said, already starting his trek towards the lower levels. He straightened minutely, and whatever little moment we had had was currently over. At least, until we all reach the basement.

It takes five minutes to walk from the room given to us, to the kitchen, and then another five minutes to the basement. Where there were enough security precautions that took five minutes themselves to get through.

If we had been allowed to fly, it would have been a different matter. Five minutes tops.

But Vlad hadn't allowing us to, so it took us the required fifteen minutes.

:Bloody stupid if you ask me: Phantom said.

:Nobody asked you, did they Phantom?: I responded, walking into the lab, following closely at Vlad's heels. :And when did you become British? Well... Again?:

It was no secret that Phantom had almost completely phased out his 'british' accent, but it was now back.

:About the same time we watched that movie about the teenage spy.:

:You mean Alex Rider?:

Phantom was silent and I knew that it was true.

I snickered. :Fictional character, and you have to put yourself in his shoes?:

:Shut it, sweetheart.:

In the lab, Phantom felt claustrophobic. By extension, I did too. And not just because Vlad used some of their blood for more… unsavory purposes. The whole lab screamed science, and had a distinct odor to it that made the both of us question animal shelter's integrities.

But it wasn't worth it to dare to question Vlad. Or his integrity.

:He'd probably have our heads…: Phantom supplied helplessly.

"You wanted the reason for the Ghost Kings control, correct?" Vlad asked as he sat in a chair nearest to a pile of goop in a tube, barely molecules at the moment. I tore my eyes away from it and nodded.

Vlad giving them information was rare and priceless. A gift that was worth its weight in gold.

As for the whole marking thing, Phantom and I could only figure out that it was the best way to control everyone, but it still didn't change the fact that ghosts could, technically, rise up and challenge him. It didn't change the fact that Clockwork and a number of other ghosts could rise up and attack and win.

So why hadn't they?

"I," Vlad sighed, crossing his arms and his ankles. "I've told you it is all about power."

"Well. We know that," Phantom responded, using my mouth again, sounding like himself. "It doesn't change the fact that mutiny and uprising should happen sometime… right?"

I took back over to say, "That war should be present… Especially with a system so… so fickle."

"Usually." Vlad corrected. "But they are ghosts, Phantom, and as ghosts they live longer and have more to 'live' for. They are usually satisfied with what they are given. Follow whoever is put up to follow. Considering the Ghost King is much, much more powerful? You've got a concoction of people unwilling to fight for anything else. They aren't human. They don't get the morality of fighting a losing battle."

Phantom bristled slightly.

"Yeah, well I'm not human, and I think this way… so why haven't other ghosts banded together?"

"Phantom," Vlad said, slightly exasperated. "You share headspace with a human."

He stated this like it was the most blatant fact in the world, which it was, but there was something more. Phantom was silent as he listened.

"As far as the other ghosts know, or are concerned, you aren't fully like them. And it's true. You have been… I would guess ghosts would call it 'tainted', with human. You think like a hybrid. You are a hybrid. And to us, the world has to make sense twice. For ghosts, once. For humans once. But for us? It has to be twice."

Phantom kind of recoiled at that, and stuffed himself into the farthest part of our conscious. Thinking. I heard everything, all of it, and it was mostly mulling over Vlad and how truthful he was being. Phantom was thinking about how his thought process had changed over the year. With the mind merge that had happened between us.

The poor ghost was currently in shock, finally seeing just how much my mind had changed his. From vocabulary to thought progression. To actions to weaknesses.

"What do you mean twice?" I asked, instead of allowing the silence to stretch on for longer than was allowed. Five seconds max, if I could help it.

"Humans have gravity, science, social norms, and peer pressure." Vlad said. "Ghosts have a King, slavery, laws that do not bind our physical forms, and a second chance at life. As hybrids, we understand both of those worlds, which should be impossible."

"How impossible?" I demanded.

"There is a reason humans can't get their heads around ghosts being sentient and alive. Because in all rights, ghosts shouldn't be. " Vlad shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "They do not follow human law; therefore they are above the law. And things that are above the law…"

Vlad stopped, rolled a thought around on his tongue before looking the both of them in the eye, before posing his question.

"What do you think happens to them?"

"Humans fear the unknown," Phantom answered dutifully with the shared mouth, coming back from the dark place of separation. "Or rather the strength hidden in the unknown. So… they get destroyed."

Vlad nodded.

"But then, why don't they… why haven't they killed each other, yet?" I asked, taking control back from Phantom's iron clad grip. He was getting really touchy about giving up control these days.

"Ahhh that, my little badger, is the beauty of two different worlds," Vlad didn't really smile, but he did rise to walk around. Pace, really. With his hands behind his back. "Technological gaps that mean the difference between a war and something much worse. Much, much worse."

"Ghosts are hard to kill. Humans mostly just piss them off. Humans are easy to kill, but ghosts have no motivation to kill them. For the most part they remember what it feels like to die, and in a way, it's a limbo that could be tilted at a moment's notice."

Vlad snorted as he lost his train of thought to something else. His face was hard.

"It doesn't help that ghosts like it more when they can feed off the negative energy associated with fear and anxiety that humans are ripe with. A dead human gives a ghost nothing, except more competitions for the humans that are alive."

That was strangely a… pessimistic thought. Vlad didn't have many of those. Or rather he didn't share it.

"So it's just stupid dumb luck that the humans haven't done something so thoughtless that they end up getting themselves destroyed?" I asked, continuing my train of thought with, "Like say… capture a high ranking ghost and destroy them? Or even… just destroy a mass quantity of ghosts?"

"That's right." Vlad nodded. "And in the state the two worlds are in, war could be coming at any time. Just as Clockwork has said."

He looked decades older than, as he said that.

Vlad looked us over carefully.

Something flashed in his eyes. I could guess that it was most likely a sort of dark knowledge given to him by Clockwork - that he had been forbidden to talk about.

"Another time." Vlad said instead of allowing us our questions, getting up. "We have much to do today."

"But-" I stuttered, intent on getting to the end of the matter today.

"Not now." Vlad commanded, his voice piercing directly through our chest. Immediately my chin fell to my collarbone and I lowered my eyes. Submissive. It was more of reaction to his voice than anything. Yet it was a reaction.

Knowing I would not be getting any more from him I also rose, slower, and keeping eyes downward.

"What shall we do today?"

"You told me once that you and Phantom had managed to split into two bodies," Vlad stated, making Phantom wonder what he was going to do about it. "Correct?"

"Correct." We answered in our neutral tone. Total agreement.

"Look up when I am talking." Vlad ordered softly. I tensed momentarily, hoping this wasn't one of his power trips.

It wasn't, thank God.

Both of us looked up to see Vlad back to being mostly good natured. Still stiff as a board, yet he wasn't as 'hard-eyed'.

Vlad smiled and I immediately had to steel myself so she didn't step back. Smiles were one thing, and smirks were another. And we both knew which one we would rather have. Because one spoke of a promise and other of a reward.

"Today, you have me for the entirety of four hours to perfect your ability to split into two." Vlad said it as one would say to their student. "By the end of the day, if you haven't already figured out the best way to do it, we will try again in a week. As of six thirty this evening, the gardens are also open to you and Phantom. The help has been ordered to stay away."

My mouth dropped open. Only it wasn't just I who had allowed the action.

Vlad had offered us many lessons, but never had he actually tried teaching us how to split, or teleport. Nor had we been allowed to do it. Something about our minds being too fragile in the state they had been in. Which basically meant that Vlad hadn't wanted us splitting and then getting lost in the feeling of being two people and never returning.

The latter being an impossibility. Phantom and I now understood that it would have been detrimental to our very lives.

Being two people in the same body, fighting all over again like it had been in the first month: it was not something either of us wanted.

"Do you accept?" Vlad asked, eyebrow raised just the slightest bit and a smile pulling at his lips. Genuine, this time.

"I was born ready." We stated, and somehow it felt right when Vlad used that expression at them. It made it easy to forget him ordering us around like toy soldiers. "And thank you. For the time today. And for the garden."

He nodded once, sharply.

"Then let's, shall we?"

Vlad lead the way and our day then consisted of the promised training.

:Not so bad.: Phantom said.

:Not so bad at all.: I repeated.

The world was going to be okay. Never perfect. Never wonderful as it could have been, but fine. They would never know what it would be to be free again, but at least with this - with Vlad - it didn't feel so chained. They didn't feel so attached.

Or they were attached, but it was to Vlad. And they were both okay with that. It was accepted at this point.

We had a large cage, a place to sleep, and a place to call home. A life that would be full of excitement. And we were also granted a Master that was not cruel, a friend - each - who could never (nor would ever) leave us, and it wasn't so bad.

Phantom and I stood, one in front of the other, gazing at each other for the first time outside of a mirror. The tears hadn't started yet, the exhaustion hadn't set in, nor had I and Phantom truly begun to believe this was real.

Still, I said:

"If I had known pressing that button in the ghost portal would bring me to this point, right here, standing and focusing on splitting you and myself, for a limited amount of time. So we could face each other, see each other for the first time in forever."

"Yes?" Phantom asked.

"I still would have pushed the button."

They were inches from each other, their thoughts dulled, not quite as sharp as always, but Phantom launched himself forward to crash me to him in a hug.

:And I would not have flown the other way.:

The time in the garden was amazing.

Vlad had kept his word and managed to allow the two of them two hours in the almost sunny skies, before the dark fell across the Wisconsin landscape. At about seven-fifteen, the sky had started to darken, but Phantom didn't care. The wind was his friend, the expansion above them their domain.

And for the first time, I meant theirs as physically and mentally as possible.

Danny Phantom and I 'Phantom' flew around, trying and succeeding to hold our minds separate as we flew next to each other. Two Phantom's in the sky. An oddity, but one that neither would trade for the world.

:It's not so bad.: I told Phantom as we each sat on a tree limb, looking out over the garden towards the mansion. And I meant it just as I said it.

Life wasn't bad. It was pretty good. They had little to be unhappy about.

:No.: Phantom responded, in agreement. :It is not.:

The night ended much like any other would. With the birds settling down for the night, with the stream in the far corner of Vlad's property running, and with the quieting of the world making room for the darker sounds.

And they were quite happy to sit and wait for Vlad to order them back inside. If he dared.

:Happy Birthday to me, huh?:

I hope you guys enjoyed! Sequel to come!