#the Fenton parents aren't the best but they'll finally be willing to learn

[redhoneysugarorange]

The Wise King looked down, shocked at the little king before him. The Little King was floating just off the seat under him, clutching his arms around his legs and staring at the table. The Little King did not seem to realize the Wise King had stopped at his previous words, seeming to be lost in his thoughts. He was broken out of these thoughts when the Wise King spoke to him in a strained voice.

"Your parents... They were the cause of your death? And they were some of the ones to hate your people?"- The man looked horrified, at this, this adolescent! An adolescent who had no only started to lead a country as an adolescent, he had also only died just three years previously. This Little King who met his demise to, to his own flesh and blood!

The Little King continued to stare at the table, occasionally phasing his hands through the surface to distract himself.

"Um. Well, kinda? It's definitely... Definitely a bit hard to talk about, my death that is. I didn't really die all the way, the way I died. My parents built that portal to further their research, they did not... They didn't think it would take me dying and reviving over and over for the portal to work. They didn't even know about it or see it, didn't even know I was the reason the portal started working. They didn't know I died until... Well, until the Guys in White... Um ... Yeah."

The Wise King still looked slightly disturbed, not quite sure a death of negligence was much better that murder straight up, but he decided that wasn't something to bring up at the moment. Something else was bothering him however.

"You said your parents hated your kind, but they were the ones to protect you?" The Wise King watched carefully, hands nearly folded and eyes watching the Little King.

"Oh, ha yeah. They called ghosts spooks, they... were always talking about their research. They thought that ghosts were just... Memories. Just memories of what once was imprinted onto ectoplasm. Unchanging emotions of a life that ended, of emotions that no longer mattered. They would make weapons to try to capture ghosts, though they failed at that pretty often. They did not think ghosts were truly spirits, or sentient or felt pain or anything like that."- the Little King buried his head into his legs, and curled up further into himself.

The Wise King titled his head, before leaving forward and bringing the young king into a hug, something he had learned from the Little King's sister and the various human spirits that had crossed over to their planet for safety. He had been taught it would help comfort humanity, and he figured that It applied to their dead as well. The way the Little King collapsed into his arms, it seemed the wise king was correct in his assumption.

"In the end though, your parents saved you."- The Wise King said, patting the Little King's head.

The Little King wiped at his eyes, and continued. "They, they did! They took out their life's work, the portal to the infinity realms, a marvel of science that shouldn't have been possible. They took it out just so the GIW wouldn't be able to follow us through. They just barely made it through themselves. I... I thought they were going to end me o-or just hand me over... But they didn't... I'm happy they didn't, but is me being their son really something that could make them do that? They believed they ghosts are memories...."

The Wise King hummed "Ah, and you lived... To the best of your ability, in their house for those years after your accident yes? What was it like"

The Little King nodded. "Y-yeah. They were working all the time, happy that their project worked, that they proved to our town at least that ghosts were real. The ghosts that came through were itching for a way to fulfill their obsessions, and that only ended up making people's thoughts on us ghosts worse. Until I struck a deal with the other ghosts, I would sneak out and transform to keep them at bay... My parents... they really worried about me, they didn't know why I was sneaking around... Why I was skipping and failing my classes, why I was keeping secrets. I didn't know what to tell them. It got better later, but freshman and sophomore year in highschool.... Sucked."

The Wise King nodded his head, "And did you change during this time?"

The Little King lifted his head, looking confused. "Well, yeah. I wasn't doing so hot in my classes, but I got better at... At problem solving. I kept getting more powers as time went on, so I had to learn to control those. Jazz, she helped Mom and Dad understand that I was dealing with shi- um. Stuff, as a teenager, and that I just needed understanding. It was cheesy, but they seemed to lay off on me. I got better at talking with them too, I... I didn't tell a lot, but... We were finally getting along again as a family. I finally got my growth spurt too!... Though I've only grown a few inches... besides my height, I... I changed a lot during that time."

The Wise King looked down at the Little King, seeming to realize something. "And your parents believed that ghosts were incapable of change, just memories yes?"

The Little King looked at him, even more confused. "Um, yes. It was like, their main belief system."

The Wise King let go of they boy to get to his eyes level. "Young man, from what you've told me, it takes a lot for your parents to realize things or change their beliefs. I think, in that moment of your reveal, that they were finally faced with a truth so harsh but undeniable. It seems that, aside from some very concerning safety factors, they loved you and cared for you dearly. They watched you struggle, they watched you hurt, they watched you heal, they watched you try to amend your relationship."

The Little King looked into the Wise King's eyes warily. "I... I don't understand what you're getting at."

The Wise King smiled at him, "They saw you, their son, change all the time you were with them. And then, they realized you were a ghost, or at least partially. They knew you could change, they knew you were a ghost, this they figured out that their concrete theory wasn't so concert. You, their son, are a ghost, and you're everything they thought impossible. I assume that after your reveal, they flipped so fast because of that reason. You are their son, and you're someone they would protect in life, and it seems as though after destroying their entire philosophy, they would also protect you in death as well.

The Little King stared, eyes wide and shiny, at the Wise King. A choked sob wretched itself out of the boy's throat, and he collapsed into the Wise King sobbing.

"I... they listened? They, they won't hate me when they.. they wake up because I'm... I'm.."

The Wise King waved away the servants standing just outside of earshot who started rushing over at the younger's tears. The Little King was The Wise King's responsibility right now, one he gladly took. The Wise King squeezed the boy real tight.

"no... I rather think, they'll be asking you about all of the things they missed out on. It may be hard, but that's just something's you'll have to deal with."

It seems as though, the Little King, for the first time since their arrival, finally was able to release some of the tension of his shoulders. The Wise King comforted and changed to conversation to something lighter, the Little King's love of space. As the man listened to the Little King, he couldn't help but feel as though the infinity realm would be in good hands, they just needed guidance. And Guidance was something the King could definitely provide.

Actually? WOULD Earth be the ones to petition Oa?

They are interstellar Space Interpol. You don't usually call them on different parts of your OWN settlements or systems. You call them in when someone is breaking THE Laws. Not necessarily YOUR laws, though obviously by breaking THE laws they clearly ARE. But THE Big Laws(tm).

Like Geneva Convention for Space type laws.

You have discovered Planet or King X is committing WAR CRIMES. Call Oa. Tax fraud? That's an inter-personal planet side issue they can't help you with. Pointing Nukes at your nursery settlement and threatening to blow up the infants there unless you give them sex-slaves?

Knock-knock! Taste HARD Light Constructs!

But if so? Then how would the situation get so out of hand on Earth? With the G.I.W.? Simple. Tell me, Mr. President, what do you know of the current day to day life of villagers in rural Siberia?

That they exist? Could you even NAME their village, if I referenced specific individuals? Likely not. And no one would realistically expect you too.

There are countless planets out there! With Leaders busy with local industrial conferences and infrastructure bills. Farming regulations. Talks with that planet a few stars over. Very busy. What do THEY know of Earth? Why would they NEED too?

But! As we know, Ectoplasm is EVERYWHERE. Not just earth. And? Thin spots are not just an Earth-centric phenomenon. Other planets most CERTAINLY would have them too. And depending on the species? The culture? To quote the wise sage Bill Wurtz "you can make a religion out of this!"

After all, chosen few, returned from death... glowing and more powerful then before? Immortal? It's a pretty reasonable conclusion to come too. They are clearly Gods Touched. Some sacred task they must complete.

It would likely even shape the ghosts of the region themselves. After all, they TOO, would believe they were chosen for some Important Religious Task. Be it study or collecting rocks. To what end? Unknown. Who are they to question The Gods?

But! Oh happy day! The old tyrant is no more! A chosen Hero! They go to greet him! Honor him, as you do. Traditional gifts and ballads. Maybe some sacred rocks. A fancy hat. But? Oh? The Champion is wounded! Gasp! Still? But the fight with Pariah happened-

And then they are given Grave Warning(tm). Don't go to Earth. Heretics attacking people. KILLING souls! Trying to KILL the king of all the Infinite! He is somber because his living parents were hurt. Preventing the END OF ALL THINGS!!!??

WHAT!?

These "People In White" tried to EXPLODE the very FABRIC of all realities!? Several of them faint. Truely, these Fentons MUST be chosen by the Gods! Heros. Legends. Such bravery in the face of such HORRORS. Please, let them be brought to their Living counterparts! The hospitals are quite good!

And you know what? Fuck it. Danny will take that. Because his Mom n Dad got hurt. BAD.

They learned he was Phantom at probably the SINGLE worst time imaginable and still chose HIM. Chose THEM. The GIW were coming for him. Gonna hurt Jazz. And his parents told them, with fire and blood, it'd be a cold day in hell before they let them so much as TRY it.

They BLEW UP their own life's work. Went literally scorched earth. And now? They're not doing so good.

Because the Zone isn't made for the living. No food, no water, and no real human-safe medical supplies. They've run out. Danny will take what he can get. He'd even go to Vlad but... his Portal's gone too. And the Buzzards said he looked... spirally. Very... "suicide runs until everything BURNS".

So, yeah. No one's doing so great.

Alien planet it is.

They are greeted with fanfare and respect. The best medical teams on the PLANET. The King and his family is there, to welcome him. It's... it's beautiful. Hardly some perfect utopia, but the air is lite. Art everywhere. The stars vivid and so easy to see, at night.

The King kinda reminds him of Mr. Lancer to be honest. Balding and a bit round around the middle, stern but endlessly fair about it, wants people to do their best and succeed in life. Maybe that's why Danny finds himself opening up. Because... because here is a real, honest to God, KING king.

Somebody who was actually TRAINED to do all this King stuff.

Unlike Danny.

And Danny? He's scared. People expect him to Lead now. To know what he's doing. To somehow just... suddenly KNOW how to do all these things he's never even heard about. He only barely just died. Has BARELY been keeping everybody safe.

BARELY stopped Pariah.

He doesn't know what to do. But he pours his guts out. All the things that have bottled up. And King Not-Lancer listens. Somber and thoughtful. There is little, if anything he can TRUELY do to help. But... there ARE things he can do. Lessons on statescraft, while he's here, for one.

As for the other? Well, as King, he does have the local Lantern's Call Sign. Not to be used lightly, mind you. But what Danny describes? And from what the Sacred Ones have reported? THAT must be reported to Oa. He can show Danny how to do that.

(He does)

[The Lanterns of Earth get a VERY exciting call from Oa. Are every different shade of pissed. But? Whoops! Looks like they ACCIDENTALLY put the Watchtower into a complete Quarantine! Well, dang. Guess we're all stuck here for two weeks!

Reset it? *sound of smashing computer terminal* Yeah, don't think that's gonna work! :)

WHO WANTS TO PLAY 20 QUESTIONS?? We'll start! :) Who here has heard of an organization called, and I quote, The Ghost Investigation Ward? :) ]

@hdgnj @ailithnight @nerdpoe @the-witchhunter