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“This case is called into order! Plasmius v the King, with the King as the defendant! Please start your opening remarks!”

He’d come in pale and stumbling in his half-human form. Fright Knight had wanted to approach- but the King always dismissed his help. He knew that the King preferred others to not try and protect him out of fear of their injuries, but the knight never minded.

No.

Not for the child king. The child king with witty quips and kindness that knew no bounds.

But to his surprise, the King spoke first, hazy and pain-ridden eyes looking over him from where he guarded the door to the Keep.

“Please prevent anyone but Frostbite of the Far Frozen from entering my chamber,” he requested softly, but it would’ve been more apt to call it a plea. “ Please .”

“Of course, Your Highness,” the knight looked over, concern bleeding into his features. He allowed himself a moment of hesitation- eyes scanning over the child’s features, desperate for a hint of the problem. “... are you alright, your highness?”

A weak- sad chuckle rang through the air. Something quiet whistled by the knight's core in a way that had horror pulling through him.

A whistling core meant a cracked core .

“... as a whistle,” he replied, before entering his throne room and closing the door. The knight watched the door before quickly making contact to the Far Frozen, requesting the yeti elder’s presence as soon as possible.

“Prosector. You may state your case.” Spectra grinned from their table, before standing.

“Your honor. Plasmius wishes for punishment to be brought upon the King for the crime of abuse of an obsession for gain. The King has spent time in the human realm, pretending to be the son of Plasmius’ obsession. A woman by the name of Madeline Fenton. Plasmius’ existence as a halfa should also be advantageous to this case. He exists in the human realm and is still a rather young ghost at a mere 15 years dead..”

Plasmius didn’t smile externally, and he held back his giddy delight. There was no way for the child to escape this time. His crown and Madeline would finally be his. No way the child would reveal himself. 

Frostbite sat in front of the throne, holding the sobbing child to his chest as he attempted to mend the cracks through the core. The poor halfa’s core was splintered through the center- like a shattered snow globe. Pits of toxic putrid green pussed through the glistening cracks of the boy’s soul. An infection of grief and agony. 

It would kill him permanently and end his kind- so kind- soul.

But that didn’t make the screams any less heartbreaking. He held the core between his palms- forcing ectoplasm to fill the cracks like molten gold in kintsugi. Every nerve and aspect alight in agony and burning flames. Trying to clear the rot with his power and affection. 

It hadn’t stopped raining in the infinite realms for two weeks.

The king hadn’t stopped crying.

“Defense. Your response?” A pause. “Are you representing yourself, your highness?” Dead heterochromatic eyes looked up to the prosecutor. His core was silent to the crowd before he spoke.

“I’d like to countersue your honor. For abuse of an obsession, abuse of a minor ghost, and intent to disrupt a ghost's haunt. I’d go over human charges as well, but they seem less relevant to this case.”

“I’d like to hear them anyway, Your Highness.” Quiet. Before-

“Child endangerment. Child abuse. Battery and assault. Kidnapping. Experimentation on human beings. Torture and violation of the Geneva Conventions.” A gasp ran through the crowd.

“Order! Order in the court!”

Frostbite refused to let his charge leave his side. The boy truly didn’t mind, still being too weak to even lift himself from the throne. 

Frostbite would never mind being the one to hold the child- the infant of a ghost and gently let him take the spare ectoplasm that being near an ancient would allow. He was sleeping then- whimpering as bad dreams jabbed at his mind again and again. Like the tip of a scalpel or the rock left in a wound- not willing to leave the poor boy be.

Frostbite thought of calling Nocturne. Despite her rocky relationship with the King, the woman and he had tended to get along.

She could also read dreams.

“Prosector. You may begin your testimony.” Vlad stood, head up.

“Your honor. My name is Vlad Plasmius, and as it has been told to this court, I am merely a 15-year-dead ghost. My obsession is with one, Madeline Fenton and her biological family, along with a football team of my home state.” He shot a glare at the dead-eyed boy at the defense table. “Daniel took advantage of this. He is not a biological child of hers and didn’t inform me before my obsession grew to include him. He reaped the benefits- including my protection from Madeline and Jackson Fenton. Then, he attacked me and my obsession fractured due to his true nature being revealed. He took advantage of me, your honor.” Whispers of disgust and horror rang through the room- and Vlad smirked to himself.

“As you can see your honor, my client is no more than a teen! Could he ever be so cruel? I’d dismiss the King’s word entirely!”

“Oh, my Ancients…” Nocturne whispered in horror. Her hand laid over the young king’s head as he finally slept peacefully within Frostbite’s arms. “No wonder he hadn’t been able to sleep.”

“What has happened?”

Nocturne looked truly hurt- and disgusted.

“... I fear to tell you, Frostbite. Can your heart handle it?”

“Defense. Your response?” The King let his eyes close for a moment, before looking to the judge. It had the man actually flinching back from the dullness. The King- despite his power and surrounding mystery- still looked like a child.

He’d seen far too many children with that expression .

The Judge was a ghost known as the Protector of Justice. He believed in genuine equality for any person and strived to know all angles. He’d done these court cases since he’d simply been a scale in ancient Egypt, weighing the hearts. 

“Madeline Fenton and Jackson Fenton had not been my biological parents, no. But legally, they were.” The boy removed the papers from his sachel, carefully passing them to the bailiff who passed them back to the judge. “On March 19, 1996, I was adopted and took the name Danny Fenton under my parents. I had been eight and recently moved to the country.”

And the bombshell.

“I had still been alive at that time.”

Whispers.

“The portal is…” Tucker whispered in horror. Sam clung to his arm, tears budding in her eyes. 

The portal- had been destroyed.

Left as smothering ashes and ripped wires- it couldn’t be repaired. Not by their shaky and untrained hands.

Danny was still missing .

They saw the organ-filled jars. They didn’t want to think it happened. That they’d failed in protecting their fraid-family-home- but the proof punched them in the face. The truth was a bitter pill that they had no choice but to swallow.

Sam reached forward, placing a hand on the broken frame before she began to sob, as Tucker collapsed to his knees and screamed.

“Order in the court!” The Judge slammed his gavel down, as the courtroom went back to silence. “Please continue.”

“My biological family was home in Bahrain- a country North of Qatar. I’d been seven when my family was killed due to having been assumed to have relations with a group of criminals. They were executed by people with a grudge and I was left the sole survivor.”

The boy’s eyes were dead.

“I’d originally been in an orphanage, but after it’s destruction due to American resources- they took the children to the US in the hope of finding relatives. They had found a distant relative, but they were unwilling to take me in and I ended up orphaned in Illinois. Jazzmine Fenton- the Fenton’s daughter- was the one who ended up trying to bring me home.”

“And were you still alive at that point?”

“Yes. I was still alive at that point and the paperwork remains legal. I was the Fenton’s child long before Plasmius’ obsession with them led to his interest in my former Mother.”

“Former?”

“Due to the laws currently in the mortal realm of Plasmius’ and I’s shared universe, legally none of those papers apply anymore- but my parents were mostly unaware of that.”

“Which laws would these be?”

“The Anti-Ecto Laws. They dictate that any being with a certain level of ectoplasm is non-sentient and is intended to be either taken for experimentation or killed on sight if found. Their human rights are revoked as soon as they pass the threshold. And they apply to me, not as a ghost. But as a true halfa as well.” The King allowed his form to waver, switching temporarily and allowing several ghosts to hear the beating heart, before switching back.

Vlad looked shocked and furious. The courtroom was silent.

“Give him back,” Jazz whispered, hands placed against the broken portal. She’d done what she could but her parents had given up.

They’d been so happy to catch a ghost that they never even considered that they’d suddenly disappear- and their life's work would be destroyed before their eyes. Both were drinking away their feelings in front of the new TV- they hadn’t had a TV in years- laughing and jolly.

But not her.

Because Danny’s blood splattered the walls. And Danny- her little brother was gone. In her heart, she begged someone- some god or maybe Desiree would give him back. But the banned words no longer worked either.

She sobbed harder.

“GIVE HIM BACK !”

“YOUR MAJESTY!” A civilian screeches. “YOU ALLOW SUCH A THING TO EXIST UNDER YOUR RULE??”

“Negotiations aren’t going well. We’d begun attacking their bases to force them to retreat, but due to their funding, it made it harder. They constantly have the supplies to do proper damage to any ghost.”

“And why haven’t you simply taken out the funding?” the Judge furrowed his brows and the boy simply blinked before looking over to Plasmius.

“Vlad Masters, the human identity of Plasmius, is the person who funds them. I refuse to strike down my own subjects in a way that could injure them, but Walker’s prison cannot hold him due to his status as a halfa.”

Gasps.

“That is irreverent and you know it, Daniel!” Plasmius snapped at the other. That finally got a sharp look from the king as a feeling of dread- anger- WRONG- filled the room and several guests retreated.

“Your Highness, please contain yourself,” the Judge tried but the King spoke faster.

“My name is not Daniel . I have told you this time and time again, Plasmius. Either refer to me as Danny, Phantom, or as Your Highness. You may do it willingly or I will make it an order.” 

Several ghosts gasped at that, and the judge turned his full attention to the boy. The King had yet to declare a single doctrine- his power unused against the Denizens of the Realms. 

“Daniel is not your name then?” The boy shook his head.

“Neither I nor my core recognize it as my name. Legally, my name is Danny Fenton. My birth name was Dan’yal. The name ‘Daniel’ tends to bruise my core and make it hurt, and with my current injuries, Frostbite of the Far Realms has encouraged me to reduce any strain on my core. This has been a recurring issue.” The judge nodded, before turning to Plasmius

“You’ve heard him. Ignoring such a thing could lead to a fine or misdemeanor, punishable by months in Walker’s. You will abide by the request,” the Judge threatened, pointing his gavel at the older man. “Or I will make you.”

“ PLEASE- PLEASE LET ME GO -”

“Dan’yal! Dan’yal, wake up!” Frostbite shook the boy awake as he thrashed in panic. His wounds were opening and his death scars were beginning to show.

Finally, pale heterochromatic eyes opened, full of tears and pain as he sobbed and thrashed.

“Please I’ll- I’ll be good I’m sorry I’m sorry-”

“My child, you are safe. I have you- you are safe .”

Vlad retaliated, shooting off some electricity in the boy’s direction that had him thrashing out of the way in panic. Eyes wide and scared- finally. Vindication filled Vlad.

“Plasmius! Do not use your abilities in my court!” the man slammed his gavel and Vlad felt his abilities and strength begin to drain- forcing him to stumble back into his human form with a wheeze. “I do not tolerate roughhousing in my court!”

“Apologies, your honor. He’s in distress,” Spectra attempted. Vlad could feel something tight wrap around his core- locking him in his weak state, like a bruise on his soul.

“Your Highness, are you quite alright?” The boy’s eyes were unseeing- watching where the lightning had passed him. The judge could tangibly feel his panic. “Your Highness?”

“I would like to add another charge which can be applied immediately,” a new voice interjected. Several heads swiveled to face the Yeti who stormed into the room, looking as mad as a dog. “Abuse of a Death Trigger, intentional damage to a fraid, and violation of Baby Law .”

“Who might you be?” The judge tilted his head. “Please mind your manners as well.”

“I am Frostbite.” He leaned down and picked up the King who clung to the fur like a lifeline as he finally began to breathe again, clutching tight. “Elder of the Far Frozen and the single Parental Bond of King Phantom.”

Gasps.

“Calling in your Daddy to fight your battles?” Spectra snarled, but the boy didn’t rise to the bait. The Yeti, however, simply turned a freezing gaze and snarled.

“I am not here as his father- but rather his doctor and a member of his council. Given I was one of the ones who trained King Phantom, it is understandable I would represent him.”

“Would you explain the additional charges?”

“Vlad Masters had intentionally targeted the King’s living fraid. As he stated- being a halfa means he not only bonds with ghosts but those on the scale of ecto-contamination. He had several human members that Masters had intentionally targeted. On the charge of Abuse of a Death Trigger-” The yeti paused, before carefully covering the boy’s head with his large paws. “King Phantom was killed in the opening of a Realms Portal- so he was killed by dismemberment due to portal displacements, electricity, and charged ectoplasm .”

A millennia of agony. Unable to think or adjust.

Charped Ectoplasm could manipulate time and the perception of it if sparked right.

“Is it not my fault he is afraid of sparks!” Vlad defended, gesturing. “He died a pathetic death, didn’t you Daniel? Why don’t you tell this court how you died!?!”

Outrage spread through the court, remarks shouted but they were stopped when a suffocating wind filled the courtroom.

Static life and a creeping of fear and death, coming from the silent king.

“MIND YOUR TONGUE, MASTERS!”

But the damage was done as the courtroom was plunged into agony .

It took a long time before the courtroom could be evacuated- Frostbite taking the incapacitated king to a back room for recovery as it broke for recess.

But every person- every ghost who came to see the King’s first trial, as a defendant nonetheless- could still feel it.

Feel the burning flesh and unending- unstopping pain of electricity shooting through their corpse. As portals ripped them open and pulled them apart. Yet the fact was- they only had a piece- a sliver of the true pain the remembering would cause.

That was only a morsel of the pain of the true event.

The king was truly a powerful man.

The Neverborn knew of Death- knew the pain through scientific research and Literature. He knew he would never know of it himself. But holting his limp ward protectively against his chest as he twitched and seized- his muscles no doubt remembering their agonies and pain as the boy relived his own death- he wasn’t sure if he should be grateful or heartbroken. 

He wasn’t sure how fortunate it was that no matter what, the remembering would never be as long as the true event. 

And hoped that no one would ever truly know the pain of being torn apart for a millennia- unable to think or process anything but pain and agonies again.

“The client is currently incapacitated due to your actions, Masters,” the judge warned. “You will be getting punishment for violating a sacred law of this land.”

The man snarled.

“If the boy can’t handle such a thing, maybe he shouldn’t be the king .”

Outraged ran through the court. Frostbite put his head up, before speaking.

“I would like to continue my counter-offense. Notably, Master’s violation of the sacred Baby Law that had existed in this land since I was formed. Ghosts under the age of 5 are not to be fought with any more than once a month due to the stress and pressure it puts their core under. This is a known law, yes?”

Murmurs ran through the court.

“Master’s is guilty, as are several other ghosts but only two are to be charged at the victim's request. Plasmius and Spectra.” The two ghosts looked affronted.

“We would never!” “Even I know Baby Law-” The judge slammed his gavel down, turning the two silent as he turned his gaze back to the yeti, ignoring their violent gestures.

“Who is the victim in question, and what is their ghostly age?”

“That would be me,” a voice rang, and the courtroom gasped- turning to see the speaker in the doorway. He was now covered in a thick coat that many could recognize as regalia of the Far Frozen- looking much less prim and put together than he had before, but the king stood there. “By ghost law, I am turning two in two and a half weeks,” the king murmured, stalking in and placing himself back at Frostbite’s side.

Horror.

“I’d like to call up a witness, who’s offered her testimony in exchange for her guilt being absolved. Ember Mcclain.”

She approached him slowly- knowing Phantom tended to startle when he was tired. They’d been getting ready to playfight but-

“Something wrong?” she asked, floating over him. He lay- sprawled against the floor as he stared up at the stars past her head. “Phan?”

“Sorry Ember,” he spoke softer, eyes drifting a bit closed. “Just… feeling off.” She furrowed her brow, looking him over. He did look a bit pale- and a bit weak even by her standards. “... I was hoping the stars would help…”

She hummed, before moving and placing a hand against his chest and letting out a soft vibration- hoping it’d call back to her. 

Hello-safe-okay-comfort

The protection spirit let out a soft chirp of comfort and a small whine but the core didn’t call back. She furrowed, before quickly moving to sit by him.

“Phan, why isn’t yours calling back?” She murmured, moving to place a hand on his head. Green eyes cracked open before he sighed softer.

“It’s just quiet,” he murmured. It was another moment before he sat up and grabbed her hand, placing it against his chest.

… ˢᵃᶠᵉ⁻ ᵗᶦʳᵉᵈ⁻ ᵗᶦʳᵉᵈ⁻ ᵃᶜʰᶦⁿᵍ -

She held her hand there as Phantom kept his eyes shut. It felt like it was practically in her hand. Hesitantly, she called to it again and the core peeked through his chest and her heart dropped into her feet.

Barely bigger than a large marble. 

She slowly moved, placing her thumb against it as it cooed against her, whispering messages too soft to hear.

Too young to hear.

Phantom was a baby ghost. A powerful one- yes. But a baby . She knew of the fights he endured for them- helping them through their obsessions. 

But that was too much for him.

Phantom was drifting off and she slowly moved, placing herself behind him and pulling his core back in- keep it safe- protect the baby- before sending out soft reassurances and comforts to the young core as Phantom drifted to sleep.

“I discovered that Phantom was a baby ghost about three months ago. Prior to that, and even prior to becoming king, we engaged him within his former haunt- the town of Amity Park. At first, it was due to aggression and territorial issues, but after some time, he began to assist us with our Obsessions in the mortal realm. So long as we followed his rule to not injure civilians and to steer clear of any hunters- he would also play-fight with us. He’d been doing it for over a year before I ever discovered it. I believe he had fought ghosts every day except Tuesdays for the last year and some. That’s far too great of a strain on a young ghost.”

Her gaze turned to Vlad.

“He was aware of the King’s death, and when it happened, yet still continued to engage him anyway- often overloading the King. If he hadn’t been as strong as he is, he undoubtedly would’ve destabilized due to the strain on his core.”

“Vlad. Do you deny this claim?” 

“Before he speaks,” Frostbite interrupted. “I would like to add one more piece of evidence. In the experiments Vlad performed on the King in his attempts to clone the chosen one, he noted his core was young and estimated it to be about one year of age.”

The yeti easily handed over the papers, which had Master’s nearly screeching as the man looked over.

“Do you deny the claim, Masters?” 

“I do- not!” His voice spoke without his permission, and he covered his mouth, before snarling. 

“ Do not lie in my courtroom .”

“If you want further evidence, we call in the crown Princess, and Queen of the Clones, Dani- or as she’s more widely known, Phantasm.”

Dani remembered meeting her older brother- father- donor - for the first time. He’d been strapped down to a silver table and dripping blood from his open chest.

Plasmius had forced the information of ghosts he knew into her head when she was created. So she knew his core was hiding from them- hiding from everyone.

Even when she hadn’t helped and only watched- when she was free he never hesitated to look at her with happiness and delight- despite the fact she was created from his misery and pain. Not his consent.

He was the first to ever see her as a person. As her own being- not simply a clone of Him. She was Dani.

Cujo brought her in by the scruff of her neck, slobbering all the way as she was dropped gracelessly in the center of the courthouse.

“Ew! Dog slobber!” She groaned, before looking around. “A courtroom eh? Did I finally slip- nope. Not back- yay.”

“Princess Dani, Queen of Clones, please rise.” She blinked at the judge, before looking around the courtroom. She nearly hissed when she saw Vlad at one of the tables, scowling.

“Oh yucky- someone’s finally putting him in prison? Good- I think he needs to be on a register-”

“Princess Dani, he isn’t the one on trial. You’ve been called as key witness in the trial of the High King, Danny Phantom for abuse of obsession. Frostbite of the Defense has called you as a witness in his countersuing.”

She blinked.

“Huh?”

“Plasmius is accusing me of lying that I was Maddie’s kid,” Danny spoke softly, peeking around from his spot at Frostbite’s side. Dani instantly jumped up.

“TEMPLATE!” She easily dove at him but was caught by a furry paw before she could collide. “Hey!”

“Apologies, Princess. But he is still badly injured,” Frostebite spoke sympathetically. “Would you be willing to speak about your… experiences with Plasmius?” She blinked again, before looking to her Dad.

Sometimes she really wished she’d gotten more of Danny’s brain.

“What do I need to do?”

“Tell the court what a piece of shit piece of DNA material Vlad was,” he answered more simply. “You have to tell the truth in here.”

“Your Highness, language.”

“Oh!” Dani perked up easily, turning around. “Hey Judgeman, where do you need me to talk?”

“To the witness stand, if you will.” She easily floated forward and placed herself. “Do you swear to tell the truth, nothing but the truth, and the whole truth in this court of law?”

“I do, mostly because I have to!” she grinned back. “So, what do you need to know?”

“Why is my core so much larger?” Dani asked softly once- sitting at Danny’s side. He hummed softer- holding his own gently in his hand.

“Technically- you’d be considered a Neverborn of me,” he rolled his marble around. “Which means your core is technically 14. My core is only 1 since I only died a year ago- so it’s still growing,” he smiled sadly.

She blinked, before looking at him in mild horror.

“Wait- in ghost terms, I’m older???” He snorted.

“Weird, huh?”

“... too weird. I’m sticking with being the annoying- younger sibling.” She huffed and plopped down- lying on the roof. “Can I play games on your phone?”

“Of course.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

“I call him my brother- but technically he is my Dad,” Dani spoke to the court, leaning back. “I switch the names out interchangeably depending on how I’m feeling. It’s easier to say I’m a clone since I was made with his DNA primarily- but some of it was Vlad’s.”

“Some of it was Plasmius’? Wouldn’t that compromise your development of a clone?” the judge asked, confused. She tensed her jaw, looking over to Danny who closed his eyes and nodded. 

“Plasmius hadn’t intended his DNA to be gathered into it. It had been an accident, given how he’d gotten Danny’s DNA in the first place.” Frostbite held Danny a bit tighter. “Vlad had intentionally used Danny’s core and body to make me. He had to expend his own energy to force Danny’s core to the surface.”

The courtroom was silent- but distantly there were the sounds of puking in the back of the courtroom.

“While it may not be as well understood in the human realm, most people within this realm recognize that even touching another ghost’s core is an intimate experience, as it is a physical manifestation of everything they are. By your standards- Plasmius is 15 and Danny is 2- by human standards, Danny is still 15, and Plasmius is 48. In Ghost terms- that’s a 108-year dead ghost having relations with a 1-year dead ghost.”

“Dear Ancients…” the Judge muttered. “Plasmius, what do you have to say about this?”

“... I cannot deny the claim. But-”

“Oh shove a sock into it!” Dani cursed him out, flying up and jamming a finger in his direction. “Own up to being a piece of fucking shit! You came here to try and have a chance at his crown and you KNOW it! You piece of-”

“Princess Dani, please take a seat ,” the Judge ordered as Dani was ripped from the air and into the seat by Danny, who was silently laid into Frostbite’s side. His eyes looked dead- dull. “Prosecution. Do you have a response?”

“Your honor. Danny should’ve known what he was getting into as a part of Plasmius’ obsession. If he were smart, he wouldn’t have gone with him.”

“If you recall, Danny had been kidnapped ,” Dani stressed with a growl.

“Nonetheless. Shouldn’t a king be strong enough to fight off a mere subject?” Spectra accused. “I think he let it happen.”

“You-”

“I would like to give my own statement of this event,” Danny spoke dully, slowly looking up to the judge. “You that be alright, your honor?”

“... yes your majesty. I’ll allow it.”

“Dani and I’s meeting wasn’t the first time it happened. Vlad happened to know about my weakness to electricity and used it against me several times.”

His memory had blanked out again.

He knew what happened. He hurt but he was back in his bed. He palmed at the roughly textured sheets and forced himself to have a short breath.

Would it ever end?

His Core Ached.

Maybe it would be better if he was d e a d-

He finished his story and closed his eyes- leaning back into his mentor with a soft exhale. The other took him more gently into his side, shielding him from the prying eyes.

The courtroom was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

“Vlad never knew that benzodiazepines don’t have a reaction on me. He would’ve been better off simply getting me drunk. But I wasn’t strong enough to fight back against him at the time. And there was no one I could safely tell without the risk of Plasmius attacking them. And with it...” It was like looking at a corpse. “Who’d believe a child saying that their Godfather is injuring and touching their soul? It would mean nothing to the Living.”

“You little-” Vlad snarled but he was strapped to his chair- silenced.

“I’d like to add one more charge,” Frostbite muttered darkly. “And fully turn this court around- as it is quite obvious my son cannot be charged for any of the crimes in question- as in accordance with Baby Law. I’d like to charge Vlad with willful selling to malicious beings- in which, he directly told people who intended to harm him the human identity of the chosen one, Which led to his current state.”

The wind blew through the courtroom and faintly they could hear the soft whistle of the King’s core.

“But before that, I’d like to call a short recess.”

Frostbite held the king tightly against his chest. Deeper in his heart- he wished he could simply take the other far away from here. Away from the prying eyes and away from the cruel words.

The boy’s core was silent- and numb.

Ghosts were being of emotion.

He’d been pushed too far.

“Dan’yal,” he murmured ever so softly, letting the other listen to the soft thrum of his core. “I will not let them hurt you any longer. Plasmius will be shattered for his crimes- not against you as a king- but against you as a child . I’m sorry it took so long for anyone to notice.”

The other didn’t speak a word, only closing his eyes as his form wavered again.

All it took, were the images. The images and video that had been taken. Frostbite had hidden the King from it- pulling him close and covering his ears as he wouldn’t have to hear his own cries.

Frostbite couldn’t count how many people left or fainted. He could barely stomach watching the Fenton Doctors and the GIW tear into his son himself, focusing instead on the gentle comforts he could provide to the boy tucked against his chest.

The courtroom didn’t make a sound.

Plasmius had been brought to the front of the courtroom- Spectra dragged at his side as the Judge snarled down at them. Before either could argue- their cores had been ripped forward and into the hand of the Judge.

“By the power invested in me as the Ancient of Justice, your souls will be weighed. Tonight, you will either be sent for reincarnation or you will be shattered due to your crimes.”

They looked scared. Rightfully so.

“Spectra. You will be judged first.” The Judge took the large orb- and set it nimbly on the scale. “You’ve abused children- fed of the dismay of young ghosts, and tormented young liminals.” A scroll was pulled out and set on the other side and he went for the pin. “If your soul is lighter than your crimes, you will be allowed to reincarnate. If not, you will be shattered.”

She closed her eyes.

“Yes, your honor.”

The pin was pulled.

Gasps.

“It seems you Spectra, will be reincarnated. Forced to live again. May you return kinder, and more understanding of decency.” The crowd could see as she began to fade away- not painful but she looked tired. Her ectoplasm turned to nothing as her core was taken by the scroll.

“Plasmius. You are next.”

The man stepped forward, a scowl on his face.

“Yes, your honor.”

A scroll and his core- much smaller than Spectra. 

The pin was lifted and Plasmius’ core slammed into the table, cracking the pristine wood. Vlad’s eyes went wide as a single crack formed over his core.

“Goodbye, Plasmius.”

Cracking. Cracking- bit by bit. The man tried to struggle- reach for the core to no avail with two guards at his side. The scroll curled around it and began to crush as spiraling cracks formed over his skin and he wailed .

It did nothing in the courtroom.

Finally- after eternity- and only a minute- Vlad was gone. Soul disappeared into nothing- and blankness. 

“Your majesty,” the Judge turned to him. “I wish you well, in your recovery. Let it be known- your subjects support you. This shattering was not at your order- nor your jurisdiction. I am Justice, and you are a child. I’m sorry it took me so long to assist you.”

The King looked up and the Judge frowned, a single tear slipping down his eye at the soft tune of the whistling and cracked core.

“Thank you, your honor.”

Three months.

That’s how long it took for them to hear a thing. Mourning and desperate- they nearly went to destroy the GIW themselves when finally- a sliver of hope appeared.

Jazz, Sam, Tucker, and Wes had all been tucked into Sam’s room in her house when it came. They’d nearly jumped in panic- hastily grabbing for weapons when a familiar “Yip!” rang through- and a glowing green dog jumped out.

“CUJO??” “PUPPY!” “CUJO!”

A soft chuckle from behind the portal as it was forced wider- and the familiar faces of Ember, Johnny, and Kitty poked through.

“Someone needs a ride to the local King?”

He wasn’t responding to their treatments. Frostbite could try all he could but the only things the king was responding to was his core’s gentle healing, and Princess Dani’s.

It was far deeper than a chip in his core. It was something viscerally a part of him that had been wounded and hurt, and no longer would they attempt it on their own.

“What about his Fraid?” Dani suggested and Frostbite nearly jumped at the speed he moved.

“It might be our last choice. But we’ll need the King to open the portals again. It might exhaust him further.”

“If it keeps him from getting to a Second Death?? We need to try anything.”

Jazz flew with Ember while Tucker and Sam rode on the bike. The realms seemed… brighter than they had before. Since Danny had taken the role of King- it had grown more lively.

… it was pale again.

“What happened?? No one- no one contacted us for three months !” Jazz stressed. Ember winced but kept flying.

“So uhm… shit none of you are gonna like this. But three months ago he seemed to have escaped…”

…

“And then he spent two weeks asleep-”

…

“The trial two weeks ago-”

…

“Frostbite helped Babypop to open the portals as a last-ditch effort to reach you because he and the Princess are terrified that he’d about to hit Second Death from grief.”

None of the Liminal Party looked okay with any of the information they were hit with as they finally reached the castle. Sam was near tears while Tucker was full-on sobbing.

But Jazz?

Jazz looked murderous .

“Come on,” she looked to the other two. “We need to see Danny. Then, I have a few murder plans to make.”

“He is no longer awakening…” Frostbite spoke softly, gently running his paw up and down his son’s back. Danny was losing his battle with his grief. Dani let out a stifled sob as she sunk into the bed- reaching a hand forward. “We can only hope there is still time to reach him.”

“I didn’t… I didn’t know this would happen,” she whimpered softly. “God I- I should’ve killed Plasmius when I had the chance -”

“Do not blame yourself, Princess,” he spoke softly and fondly to her, reaching out to pet her face. “But have faith in his strength. We must remain strong for him- so he remains strong for himself.”

Observatory.

He was being kept in the observatory. On days like this- Sam couldn’t be more relieved at Tucker’s innate ability to find stuff. Because no way they would’ve located the stairs to the top room had he not had such luck.

“He should be up there,” the other promised- wiping his tear-stained face again. “We should hurry.” Jazz nodded first and took the first step without hesitation.

They followed.

The room had been so quiet- sans the quiet cries of Dani. They’d entered quietly and the room felt grim.

It felt like entering the hospital room of a terminal patient- as if they were already dead. But when they looked at Danny- they couldn’t help the way they wanted to sink into the grief.

He was unconscious against Frostbite who had him propped against him. His breathing was nearly silent and he looked miserable. Stained cheeks and sharp scars across his face that hadn’t been there before.

Frostbite had been singing some soft tune in Esperanto- more self-soothing than anything it seemed- but it seemed to be helping Dani who was sniffling and curled into the giant’s side.

“Is he…” Tucker asked hesitantly and the giant shook his head.

“He’s still holding on, but he is in the woods,” Frostbite murmured. “He’s closer to a comatose state at the moment. We truly tried to put off the trial as long as we could so he could have more time to recover but…”

They all approached, taking spots by Danny.

“I think he would enjoy to hear your voices.”

So that’s what they did.

Every day- they’d come by and speak. About their days- random facts about the stars- anything.

They would never leave him. Never.

Four months.

He slept for four months- and they came every day. Between their jobs and school- they would sit at his bedside- sleep in his room, and live with him.

And finally- his eyes cracked to life.

Tuck had been at his side, tapping away at his game as he spoke with Sam- who seemed to be annoyed at some meal being served at school.

Jazz was softly laughing while she braided Danny’s hair- observing the two fondly. And he felt the paw against his back settle.

“Good morning, Danny.”