Empyreal
empyreal (em-pir-ee-uhl) adj. - pertaining to the highest heaven in the cosmology of the ancients.

-Sixteen-

I had never felt fear such as that moment. Vlad was as unassuming of a man as one could be; thin, aging, wearing out-dated clothes. He could pass as a ghost even though he was still alive. But his smile, nearly baring fangs, and the glint in his eyes…

Sam stumbled backwards so quickly she lost her footing and hit the hardwood floor with a loud thwump, whacking her elbow on the bedside table. She grabbed her elbow and hissed darkly but her eyes remained trained on Vlad, all of the color draining from her face. Tucker was faring just as well, although he seemed to be transfixed with Vlad as he crossed the threshold and closed the door with a soft click.

"You three," he purred in a low voice. "Oh, you three." I glanced back at my companions, and they gave me harried looks. I really wasn't sure what to do; nature told me to fight, but sense told me holy crap he's going to hurt someone. Don't be stupid.

"Why did you take our friend?" Tucker spit out a moment later, leaning back on his palms, eyes narrowed. He was much braver than I gave him credit for. "What is she to you?" Vlad pressed his lips into a thin line and stared hard at each one of us in turn; Sam whimpered, Tucker's limbs shook as he suppressed anger and I could feel my entire body heating up to intense degrees.

I could take him, I thought. It wouldn't even be hard. I could end this. I don't care about his reasons.

"I can't even—oh, it's just too much for me right now," he said cooly. "I was having an easier time with the police force that are intruding on my land right now, oh, it's just all sorts of delightf—"

"Shut up," I muttered. Vlad closed his mouth but grinned at me. He was dawdling; he had a plan up his sleeve, he had to. Out of the corner of my eye, Sam was still hovering in the corner, holding her elbow, but she was watching Vlad's legs with narrowed eyes and a calculating gaze. Tucker kept throwing glances her way, and I clenched my fists.

We were planning, too.

"I can see you down there, Samantha," Vlad said, still staring straight at me. "Always the fighter. You've all done very well, so let's see what you can do." I was ready and willing. I was exhausted, Sam was hurt, Tucker seemed like he was going to strangle Vlad—

"Time… OUT." And everyone froze.

Except Vlad and myself. We practically crashed into each other as our momentum was thrown off, but I didn't even notice that a figure had appeared between us because I just wanted to tear Vlad to pieces.

"I said stop," the voice said again, and a hand stopped me in my tracks as I transformed and attempted to throw myself at Vlad.

"Augh let me go—" I panted, trying to shove through the object in my way, but the gloved hand holding me back had a peculiar number of watches all over it and seemed to be attached to a very familiar arm… I glanced up and was staring into the vacant eyes of none other than Master. Vlad seemed startled as well, for he was sitting on the floor, staring up at Master with a look of confusion. But as soon as he recovered he was back on his feet, that same disgusting half-smile covering his face.

"Enough, child," Master said, extending his hand to help me up. Vlad just watched us, although he frowned when he saw my real form and my Master's insignia around my neck. "It is a good thing I returned when I did, or I would have been too late."

"Too late? For what? For me to get him?" I asked, pointing at Vlad. Master sighed in the heavy way he did when he was annoyed with me. "Master, please, I don't understand," I begged, although his arm was still in front of my chest, preventing me from jumping on Vlad. Master knew what was going on; I hadn't a clue.

Master rubbed his forehead thoughtfully, as if he was in pain. Sam and Tucker were paused mid-air, Tucker looking like he was about to throttle someone, Sam preparing to push herself off the floor in attack. Even the sunlight that had filtered into the room seemed to hesitate at my Master's bidding.

"It's… complicated," Master explained.

"Yes, very," Vlad said from in front of us. I bared my teeth at him (oh how I wish I had fangs like some of the fiercer of our kind) and that same heat that had flooded me before had returned. It was a strange feeling, since I was in my ethereal form, to experience the heat of hatred. Humans had an emotional range far wider than any ghost.

"So it is you. I was right," Master murmured. I turned to Master with a pleading look.

"Master, he kidnapped—" I started but Master silenced me and focused on Vlad.

"What are you doing here? Don't you realize—"

"What? That I'm playing with time? Yes, it happens," he said, adjusting his jacket. He walked over to where we were standing, but took no notice of me, avoiding the daggers from my eyes.

"Plasmius, you are dead here," Master said, clutching his staff tightly.

"To whom? No one remembers and I got rid of all the evidence – well, except one," Vlad replied, nodding towards Sam. "Samantha found it. I thought I had gotten everything but I clearly didn't."

"You didn't get the obvious grave either," Master said. Vlad shrugged.

"What, no one's going to be visiting it anytime soon, I have no family," he replied.

"You can't be here," Master said, glaring at Vlad.

"And why not? Who's stopping me? You're certainly not. And these three? They're completely useless," Vlad bellowed, throwing his arms into the air. "The only ghost hunters around are the Fentons and they're as incompetent here as they are elsewhere." Master didn't say anything. I looked from Vlad, to Master, and back again. Vlad turned and gave me a smile.

"And you," he said. "You're twice as powerful and half as knowledgeable. I prefer you this way far more than that other Danny Phantom I know, the prick." I just stared at him.

What on earth is he talking about? I thought to myself. The look on Vlad's face, the amount of power he exhibited... there was something about this man. Something very, very strange. He has seen things, experienced things that are beyond the realm of anything I could ever see. I could tell.

"Enough," Master demanded. "If you were trying to be discreet, Plasmius, you stretched yourself too far and I noticed. I am here to put a stop to this, right now. You will be imprisoned—"

"And you'll be sent to hell where you belong!" Vlad cried suddenly, and both Master and I gasped in surprise. Sentencing an innocent spirit to eternal damnation…

"Unless you tell him," Vlad said, gesturing to me. "Tell him about me."

"ENOUGH!" Master said again, pointing his staff straight at Vlad's throat. Vlad gulped and looked down at the staff, which was glowing. I knew from experience that it could be a formidable weapon, and Vlad was (at least part) human. He was neither immortal nor invulnerable and he knew it.

"This isn't necessary information," Master said, moving forwards toward Vlad. "What has happened in the past, has happened. What has happened in another time, has happened. I don't know how or when you gained my abilities, but you will never have the power over time that I have."

"Why didn't you stop me, then?" Vlad asked, only moving his ice blue eyes upwards. His breathing was heavy.

"Because I am a fool sometimes, and I didn't realize," Master responded.

"Realize what?" The words tumbled out of my mouth before I had time to process them. Master raised his eyes and looked at me. His staff faltered, and Vlad took the opportunity to push the staff out of the way and came right up to me. He gripped my shoulders and got as close to my face as possible, while I shrank away.

"Realize that I'm not from here," he said, a smile curling onto his lips. Master pulled Vlad away from me.

"This is not the same boy, Vlad," he said, his voice softening. "Your goals are fruitless here."

"What do you mean 'here'? Where's 'here' verses anywhere else?" I asked. Now I was getting frustrated. Sam and Tucker were still frozen around me. "Master, I don't understand. All this time – something was happening, wasn't it? What is going on? Why am I in Amity Park? Why did you place me with my family?" the questions came pouring out in a torrent and I couldn't stop them. Master lowered his staff.

"You know?" he said. Even Vlad seemed surprised. My face became hot and suddnely they were both staring at me.

"Yes, I… I know I'm a Fenton," I said, crossing my arms in front of my chest. I could feel my human heart pounding. "I just want to know why."

Suddenly, the world around us shifted. Master looked up in shock as time released itself. Tucker fell over and Sam pushed herself up only to land on her knees, glance around, and then scream and jump backwards.

"W-who are you?" she cried, pointing at Master.

"I must have lost my concentration," he murmured. I stepped back and helped her up. Tucker looked up, looked at Vlad and Master, and sighed.

"I can't believe I'm getting used to this," he mumbled, rubbing his forehead.

"I just don't understand," I said, standing up. "Please, Master... please tell me." Master sighed. Vlad smirked.

"Phantom... Daniel," Master said, using his staff to steady his elderly form, "the Ghost Zone is tumultuous. It is dangerous. It is trans-dimensional. It is the past, present, and future at once. And because of this, everything that is affected by the Ghost Zone is connected. Including different..." He sighed once more and turned away. I just stared at him. Behind me, Tucker was holding onto Sam, who was breathing heavily. I could hear Tucker's soft voice a gentle thud. They must have sat down.

"Sometimes the choices we make and the circumstances we find ourselves in create links to alternate timelines. The Ghost Zone is one – but it is connected to many, many versions of the human world. I am one of the few ghosts who is purely one," Master said, his voice laced with apprehension. I nodded. "That is why I would vanish for days, weeks at a time... I was in other places."

"Tell him what else is up," Vlad said, nearly ordering him. He had his hands behind his back and a wicked grin played over his face. I hated the way he subjugated Master like he was some rudimentary lowlife of a spirit. The glee in which Vlad said every word made me want to rip out his stupid throat—

"...There is more than one of you, Daniel," Master said, finally. I simply stared back at him, attempting to form words or at least react in some way but it seemed as if everything in my brain had been switched off. My angry thoughts turned to mush as a tremor ran through me there is more than one of you does that mean… were all my theories off? Was I not who I thought I was?

The tremor increased to my limbs and I found myself shaking my head; blood was rushing through my ears and making a sound that was deafening. I stepped back, breath caught in my lungs and throat, and there was a burning sensation that was new and painful coursing through every part of me. Master just remained where he was, watching me.

"In other versions of your life, you were born. And you lived. And in each one, you are, somehow, both a ghost, and a human, at once, at one point." I didn't dare turn around to face Sam and Tucker, considering they were probably doubting their own sanity at the moment.

"I get it," a soft voice said from behind me. Reluctantly I turned and saw Sam, half laying in Tucker's lap, sitting up, her face even paler than normal, sweat rolling down her thin cheeks. Tucker gave her a glance that said You get this? But he said nothing. "You," she said, pointing at Vlad. "You're not from this... dimension or whatever, are you? That's how you knew who I was." Vlad nodded.

"The me of this time? Dead. Long, long dead," he said. "That article you found, my dear Samantha, is the only bit of truth that remains about me. I have to say, you have lived a completely different life from the Samantha I know, yet you're just as clever." Sam just stared at him, unsure of how to take the information.

"Just... just where are you from?" I asked cautiously. Master narrowed his eyes at Vlad but Vlad completely ignored him.

"I'm from a place so different from here that you wouldn't even believe it if I told you," he responded, walking over to me. A low rumble was heard throughout the room, and it was then I noticed that the sky had darkened. "The point is, I had no place there. I had to leave. So I did... and now I'm here. And your precious Clockwork didn't even notice. I'm not even the right age for this year and yet he didn't notice," he said, turning to Clockwork. Clockwork just closed his eyes.

"You've damaged enough," Master said. "Now one reality is aware of the others, now we will have problems. My job is not only to make sure things happen as they are supposed to, I am also supposed to watch over these realities and make sure they don't mix. Every choice we make, Phantom, leads to a million and one different consequences, and I make sure the right one is primary."

"Primary? Wait, so there's one that's right and the rest are just mistakes?" Even I was surprised by the agitated tone that Sam's voice took. She pushed herself away from Tucker and stood up. "What the hell are we then?"

"This reality is an interesting one," Vlad said, ignoring Sam and looking up at the room. "It's so different... calming, yet boring, but as long as I get what I want, it doesn't matter to me." With that, Vlad snapped his fingers and suddenly my body was frozen. Master was frozen as well. Sam and Tucker were unaffected but silent.

"Where I come from, you're a powerful little pest," Vlad said, two inches away from my face. "You are a half-ghost, half-human brat who has powers that develop twice as quickly as my own, and you've created quite a following as – get this – a little super hero." He sniggered. I couldn't move but my heart was moving a mile a minute. Is this the truth?

"However," he said, frowning to himself, "you've all but banished me from existence, after a long time fighting against you. So I left. I came here. I found the one solid enough reality that was as different from the primary as possible. And here we are, my dear Daniel Fenton." Vlad grabbed my arms, pulled them forwards, and slapped something like hand cuffs on them – hand cuffs that were ghost-proof. He snapped again, and I could move, but my center of gravity had been thrown off and I fell to the floor. My head connected to the floor with a great thud, and piercing pain rushed through me. I had just enough time to hear a yell and watch something dark and quick rush at Vlad—and then I was out.

I... graduated college...?