#Danny is not a King or an ancient. Just a very VERY strong ghost.

[kizzer55555]

DP x DC: The Most Dangerous Card Game

Ok so Danny has essentially claimed earth as his. And he is fully aware that there are constant threats to the planet. Now he can’t stop a threat that originates on earth (that’s something he’ll leave to the Justice league) but he can do something about outside threats. Doing some research on ancient spells, rituals, and artifacts, he cast a world wide barrier on the planet to protect it from hostile threats so they cannot enter. This will prevent another Pariah Dark incident. However, barriers like this come at a price. You see, there are two ways to make a barrier. Either make one powered up by your own energy and power (which would be constantly draining) or set up a barrier with rules. The way magic works is that nothing can be absolutely indestructible. It must have a weakness. The most powerful barriers weren’t the ones reinforced with layer after layer of protective charms and buffed up with power. Those could eventually be destroyed either by being overpowered, wearing them down, or by cutting off the original power source. No, the most powerful barriers were the ones with a deliberate weakness. A barrier indestructible except for one spot. A cage that can only be opened from the outside. Or that can only be passed with a key or by solving a riddle. So Danny chooses this type of barrier and does the necessary ritual and pours in enough power to make it. And he adds his condition for anyone to enter. 

Now the Justice league? Find out about the barrier when Trigon attempts to attack, they were preparing after he threatened what he would do once he got to earth. How he would destroy them. The Justice league tried to take the fight to him first but were utterly destroyed, so they retreated home to tend to their injuries, and fortify earth for one. Last. Stand. Only when Trigon makes his big entrance…he’s stopped.

The Justice league watch in awe as this thin see-through barrier with beautiful green swirls and speckled white lights like stars apears blocking Trigon and his army’s advance. The barrier looks so thin and fragile yet no matter how hard the warlord hits, none of his attacks can get through and neither can he damage said barrier. That’s when Constantine and Zatanna recognizes what this barrier is. Something only a powerful entity could create. For a moment, the league is filled with hope that Trigon can’t get through yet Constantine also explains that it’s not impenetrable. And clearly Trigon knows this too for he calls out a challenge. 

And that’s when, in a flash of light, a tiny glowing teenager appears. He looked absolutly minuscule compared to Trigon and yet practically glowed with power (this isn’t a King Danny AU though).

And that is when the conditions for passing the barrier are revealed. And the Justice realize that the only thing stopping Trigon and his army from decimating earth. The only way he can get through….is by beating this glowing teenager in a card game. 

Not just any card game though. The most convoluted game Sam, Danny, and Tucker invented themselves. It’s like the infinite realms version of magic the gathering, combined with Pokémon, and chess. And Danny is the master. So sit down Trigon and let’s play.

(The most intense card game of the Justice league’s life).

After Danny wins, this happens a few more times with outer word beings and possibly even demons attempting to invade earth, yet none have been able to beat the mysterious teenager in a card game. Constantine might even take a crack at it and try to figure out how to play. He’s really bad though. Every time this happens, the Justice league worry that this might be the time the teenager looses. Yet every time, he wins (even if only barely). 

Meanwhile, Danny, Sam, and Tucker have gotten addicted to the game and play it almost daily. Some teachers might seem them playing the game are are like ‘awww how cute’ not realizing this game is literally saving the world. Jazz is just happy they aren’t spending as much time on their screens playing Doomed.

[sleepy-writes-stuff]

DP X DC WRITING PROMPT #10

(#) = Notes at end of post

TW: mentions of human experimentation and blood

✦

The Sapphire Stone Sits Highest on the Throne

The GIW have done the unthinkable. They've captured Phantom, King of the Infinite Realms and ruler of all who reside within it. The government organization tortured and experimented on Danny so much and for so long that Danny was forced to recede into his core. While a ghost's core is relatively strong by itself --only another ghost of similar strength could shatter it-- it's also extremely vulnerable to misuse if left in the wrong hands.

The GIW use the King's core to ravage Amity Park --uncaring if human citizens got in their way-- as well as the Ghost Zone itself. The Ancients combine their efforts to search for the lost, little king, desperately trying to find Danny's core and take it back from the blood and ectoplasm stained hands of the agents. As a result of their dogged search, the Ancients bring worldwide destruction down upon the Earth in their hunt for every single white suit agent remaining, scurrying from one hiding place to another like rats in the walls of a dilapidated house.

One by one, almost every agent was hunted down and bound in unbreakable chains of ice, awaiting their trials for the atrocities they committed against the Infinite Realms and its King. The only one left is the leader of the organization itself, the one who holds Danny's core. The leader, however, is extremely slippery and has managed to evade capture for months now, going so far as to throw their own men to the wolves if it meant an easy escape with the jewel-blue heart of a scared, grieving, and injured child.

At this point though, the Ancients have caused so much destruction and natural disasters, that the Justice League has no choice but to step in. At first, the JL actively try to fight the Ancients, not fully understanding the situation but having little luck in actually hitting any of them regardless. It isn't until John Constantine runs onto the battlefield like a bat out of hell and skids to a stop right smack dab in the middle of the fight that things change. He's out of breath, his hair is in disarray, he smells heavily of smoke and alcohol, and that's definitely a still fresh coffee stain on his weather beaten trenchcoat along with red blood painting his knuckles.

Normally, one small human wouldn't be able to stop the wrath of the Ancients when they've set their sights on something. This instance, however, was very different. As Constantine raised his hands up towards the rampaging Ancients about to unleash their fury on the JL, one thing managed to capture every single one of their attention.

That being the weakly glowing, sapphire-like core held in one of Constantine's outstretched hands(1 & 2) and the faint, echoing cries of a child begging the Ancients to put an end to the carnage they've unleashed upon the world.

✦

Notes:

(1) Constantine gives little explanation on how he got his hands on Danny's core. Little do the JL know, it was just pure, dumb luck. He ran into the leader of the GIW right as the bastard was leaving a coffee shop. Coffee got spilled all over Constantine and, being slightly drunk off his ass, he decides to deck the person in the pretentious white suit and knocks him out in one shot. Constantine's about to walk away when he hears a child crying. He finds Danny's core in one of the downed guy's pockets and has a panic attack when he immediately realizes what it is. Danny explains what's going on and Constantine books it towards where he can sense a large amount of necrotic energy gathering. The rest is history.

(2) ALSO, sapphire is a pretty significant gem. According to the internet, the sapphire symbolizes wisdom, royalty, prophecy and divine favour. It's a symbol of power and strength, but also of kindness and wise judgement. Which just fits Danny PERFECTLY in this prompt, imo.

[metalotaku-da]

Dcxdp Danny phantom and klarion are friends.

Danny as the ghost king who loves to prank loves teaching a younger appearance klarion all kinds of fun gags and tricks of magical nature. It's like the younger sibling he always wanted. And is a nice break from some of his royal duties. But things have been a little busier than usual they haven't gotten to really get out and have fun. Danny is 30 looks 20. Klarion is looking 14. But in the thousands for age.

Klarion is bored and upset. He wants time with Danny to himself. No interruption from clockwork or the eternal. Other ghosts. No one. It's not fair. He needs a plan to sneak Danny out of the infinite realm, hide him and not be the fall guy when they get caught. Because it's clockwork they will be caught it's the when. He needs someone else to do the summoning work. But who and how.

He lands on John Constantine. Clockwork doesn't like him much. And Danny inherited all the old kings claims. So he be able use that if things got dicey. And klarion is not a fan either of the jerk. To buddy buddy with nabou. So he has a fall guy to blame for the summoning. Just needs to setup a prank so good that John thinks he has no choice but to summon someone who could destroy the world.

Takes him a week to land on act like I'm gonna do it so he has to first. Easy. And he can brag to a bunch of villains to really drive the urgency. Perfect.

Plan worked like a charm. Maybe to good though. John got a bunch of heroes to help. No good no good. John is lieing to his super jerk friends. Klarion can see the seal. It will make Danny weaker and lock him to the jerk like a dog on a leash. Not to the artifact he said they could lock him away with. He's gotta fix this quick. He drops in the pawns he recruited to distract. While discreetly changing the ruin on the summoning without mucking it up so it doesn't work. All while fighting zantana, and racing the circle lighting up.

The summoning is completed. But something obviously went very very wrong. Klarion has teakle distract zantana while he goes over the summoning again to see what he shifted. Oopsie. The ruin for shrinking power turned to shrinking age. But thats ok. It can be fixed later. Maybe. Probably. He didn't get the teather changed before it set. But that's an easy fix by killing Constantine. But his friend is here. And now they can really play. So it's all good. Klarion is ecstatic. So much so teakle runs to him as he shrinks causing one of the supers to over swing on an attack on his familiar.

But Danny needs a minute. As he blinks wearily on his feet. Rubbing at his face. Ugh summoning. He hates summoning. And this had to be a strong one. Because he couldn't resist like most of them. Whatever once the brain fog clears he'll be good and can really give the jerks who did a real stern talking to. Or maybe he'll scare them. That sounds better. Standing infront of him is a blonde man looking like a dirty drunk cop dective from TV. Who is gapping at him as a cigarette burns on the ground at his feet. This guy has to be like a gaint too cause Danny has to really crane his head back to look up at his face. There is a bunch of commotion going on but he's to focuses on this weird feeling he has towards this weirdo. Who seems like he's confused. Maybe it was an accident. Whatever. Danny still isn't happy. He puts his hands on his hips. "Hey jerk face! What do you think your doing?" Then Danny's eyes went wide. "Oh by the ancients is that my voice! What's wrong with my voice!" Danny now clutched his throat before waving his arms wildly at the creepy man. "What did you to me you weirdo! I sound like a baby!"

"It a bloody fucking child."

"It's bad to cuss infront of kids Constantine." Someone else says outside the circle.

Danny's head snaps their direction. Danny's eyes widen as he puts his hand into view looking at himself panic taking over and he looks around at all these tall people looking at him or fighting. He opens his mouth to scream in fear or frustration he doesn't know till he hears a voice he recognizes.

"Don't wail, don't wail!" Danny closes his mouth and looks around for the source.

"Klarion?"

"Sorry my bad. I messed up change the circle so it wouldn't weaken you. And well oopsie " klarion rushed into the circle hugging little Danny tight. "But you are here. So now we can play." Klarion gasped as he pulled back from Danny. "I can be the big brother now!"

"Noooooo, klarion I was already a little brother. I wanted to be a big brother more." Danny whined. His white hair flopping over as he rolled his head in complaint.

"To bad. I'm the big brother now. We are gonna have so much fun. You just have to get rid of this looser so we can go do our thing." Klarion gestured towards Constantine.

[amaramizuki666]

Shared sensation part.3

Danny couldnt feel his link anymore, his bond had completely dissolved when he died. Now even if him and his soulmate reconnected they could never revive their bond.

Danny still only felt numbness, well exept when he got electrocuted, hit with ghost hunting tech, or hurt with ecto plasma. Yeah not the best to feeling to only feel pain, but sometimes danny felt the pain was the only thing that kept him grounded.

It's been 3 years since he became phantom and 2 years since he became ghost king. And danny has learned a lot about being a ghost. Like 1) ghosts where suposed to still have their soulmate in death. The reson Danny aparntly didnt keep his bond was because he was rejected, at least that is what frostbite told him.

2) ghosts are very protective of their soul bonds and danny is no exception to this. He feels his core screaming for its other half every second of every day. Somedays the only thing keeping him going is his protection and space obsession. But still somedays it felt like he was going to go insane.

At one point he tried to order clockwork to tell him where his soulmate was so he could find him and try and convince him they could still be togeather even without the ties of their soul bond. He wanted to tell his soulmate he would do anything for them, he would protect him if he stayed with him no matter the cost.

"Danny?" Sam questions looking at him with concern "you good?". Danny blinked and nodded, they where currently in Danny's lair in the zone because after his parents found out about him being phantom they didnt take it well and let's say the GIW got involved.

"I'm fine sam, I just feel empty" danny says leaning back into his throne. "I understand danny, when the GIW blocked mine and tucker's bond it felt like my world was ripped away, it felt like my soul was in a void, I dont know how you are still sane" sam says sitting in her own throne to his right.

As a members of phantoms council she, tucker, jazz, even wes had their own thrones beside danny. "I'm not sure if I sould call myself sane, my morals have become very sewed to human standards" danny sighed. "Well you got rejected by your soulmate, died, got cloned by a frootloop, and got vivisected by your parents plus some. I'd say it's only fair your morals are fucked" sam states.

Danny chuckled "how is elle?" Sam inquired "oh shes good, in Rome right now" danny says happy to share what is going on with his daughter. Elle was made from his DNA, his ectoplasm, she is his daughter and one of the only reasons he hasn't gone off the deep end yet.

Danny held the goblet of ecto dejecto to his lips when he felt it. Cold and smooth metal in his hand. Danny froze "danny what's wrong?" Sam asked concerned. "Its cold" danny mumbled "what-" "sam I can feel the cold, the texter of the goblet, how-" danny questioned.

He stated at the goblet in his hand in amazement. Danny felt his core whirl in utter joy. "How?" Danny asked no one in particular.

Danny felt it. His bond was back strong and fresh, but that wasnt physicly possable. It goes aginst everything. His soulmate rejected him, he died whith the rejection, it is impossible for their bond to reform. So how is his bond back.

You know what. Danny doesn't care how. He has his other half again. And by the ancients he refuses to loose them again. "Sam tell the others I'm taking momentary leave. You and tucker will be in charge while I'm gone" danny orders and she nods without questions.

Danny rose from his throne. He will fine his soulmate. And nothing was going to stop him.

part. 2

Part 4

[nerdpoe]

Of Kindness and Empathy Part 7

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, AO3

The angry English guy hadn’t stopped ranting at Danny for, like, an hour.

And he was still going strong .

The man had never once stopped scolding him for allowing some sort of royalty or something to wander around the Mortal Plane unsupervised.

Which Danny hadn’t known was his job at all, thanks, what a way to find that out.

All the while, with the prickly English accented voice droning on and on and on , the man kept feeding Ectoplasm into Danny, healing him and stabilizing him.

“ Ancients I have no idea what you’re talking about!” Danny finally exploded, slapping his hands over his ears.

Hands larger than his pried his hands away from his ears, and Danny’s field of vision was filled with an angry face attached to blond hair and ice blue eyes.

“What,” the man hissed, squeezing Danny’s hands, “The absolute bloody fuck did you just say?”

“I don’t know the royal prince or whoever I was supposed to protect, okay? No one told me!”

Danny’s hands were dropped and the English man stalked away, yanking out a cigarette and lighting it.

Danny didn’t dare make any noise, and was honestly grateful for the silence.

And incredibly impressed by how quickly that man was sucking down that cig.

He didn’t know where he was, but he could only assume that Batman had come through and saved him somehow.

“ You , you wanker. You’re the Ghost King, not the prince.”

Danny blinked.

“No,” he automatically denied, waving the notion off, “I can’t…I mean, I’m not. I’m. Pfffft. I’m clearly not King material here, and I think I would know-”

“Yeah, well, clearly you did not.” The man sighed, grinding the cigarette stub on the wall.

“No, see the Ghost King is Pariah Dark, and he’s asleep-”

“And who made him sleep, I wonder. Was it single combat? Did he formally accept the challenge? Were there knights and other ancients to observe his defeat? Because that sounds a lot like the Traditional Method of Trial by Combat, which is the legitimate method to inherit that title in the Infinite Realms.”

Danny could feel the color draining from his face with every qualification.

Oh no.

Oh no .

Then the man held up a mirror, slightly angled, and uh. Yeah. Yeah that was definitely a crown, floating three inches above his head.

“ Oh no ,” Danny hissed, grabbing the mirror and moving around his head to get a better look.

“Oh, yes . Congratulations, it’s an entire bloody realm . Now we need to find out how you’re going to stop your subjects from avenging you-”

“No,” Danny whispered, putting down the mirror and staring into a set of confused eyes, “You don’t understand. I think I lied to Batman.”

The other man sucked in air through his teeth.

“Oh shite , mate.”

~~~~~~

Paulina knew how to get answers.

Paulina knew how to make people realize the very important fact that she deserved answers.

Which was why, with Samantha Manson and Red Huntress at her back, she was staring down Fright Knight, perfectly manicured nails tapping lightly on her arm.

“Repeat that,” she ordered, back ramrod straight, “But without the disrespect.”

She heard Red Huntress unholster one of her guns, felt Manson’s glare as it burned hot over her shoulder.

Fright Knight let out a deep, echoing snarl in return, his hand grasping the pommel of his sword.

Paulina knew what that sword could do.

Paulina was past caring.

“No, you do not get to take that tone with me,” she snarled right back, stalking towards him at a brisk pace, high heels clicking in the eerily silent street, “My family did not go through hell to get where they are today for me to just allow that level of Disrespect. Do it again, and I release my girls.”

Said girls were right behind her, allowing her to lead.

Normally they weren’t her scene, but she’d needed backup and they had weapons training. So as long as she was doing this, they were Hers .

Dash and Kwan were leading the resistance against the GIW doing something stupid .

Foley was working with the other nerds to get a signal out of the Ghost Zone. So he said.

So she had decided to get answers directly from the source.

She had a theory.

He’d stood around looking scary, but he hadn’t really done anything.

“Why are we here, and where is Phantom?”

“You insolent mortal, you dare to challenge Me?” Fright Knight’s voice was gravelly and melodic, and tugged at her spine just as surely as it deafened her ears.

A deep, primal fear began to crawl its way up her throat.

She shoved it down.

She was done.

She was done with the stupid afterlife border patrol ruining her town, she was done with the ghosts who greeted each other with fists, she was done hiding in a shelter wondering if she was going to join the ghosts that plagued the town, and she was done being afraid .

“Kneecaps,” Paulina kept her voice brisk and to the point, and two shots rang out at the same time.

Fright Knight blocked them, of course he did, but he did not block the shots from behind.

The ghosts she’d convinced to help, Kitty and Ember or whatever, flickered out of invisibility. They looked nervous, but that was fine.

Paulina was the face of the operation, not them. They could be as scared as they wanted to, just so long as they did their jobs.

She strode up to Fright Knight, on his knees and attempting to turn to presumably attack Her people, and snapped her fingers in his face with one hand while another slapped a specter collar around his neck.

If he wanted to behave like a rabid dog, he got to get treated like one.

“You aren’t attacking us, why?”

Fright Knight glared at her, but at least he was looking at her now, instead of down on her.

He said nothing.

“So you can learn,” Paulina crooned, reaching into her purse and pulling out some lipstick, “What a good boy you are.”

He growled.

Paulina, wholly unimpressed, flipped the safety off the lipstick and released a small, accurate laser beam.

One that could, had, and would hurt ghosts.

The Fentons wouldn’t mind some missing tech.

The growling stopped.

“So earlier I thought you said this was Phantom’s haunt,” she started, staring directly into the ghost’s eyes, “What, exactly, does that have to do with dragging the whole town into this place?”

She moved the lipstick so that it was resting light next to his helmeted head, the laser creating a small pillar of smoke as it began to cut through the armor.

Fright Knight held very, very still.

“I’m not a hero like Phantom, though, so you should hurry up and explain.”

~~~~~~

Kon stared at the weird little girl  that was arguing with his little brother/nephew/son sort of probably.

She was floating a full three feet above her chair, face stuffed with pie, and trying to prove to Jon that chocolate cake was disgusting and strawberry was the best kind.

Kon looked away from her and towards Clark.

Kon raised an eyebrow and jerked his head slightly towards her.

Clark immediately looked away and started insisting he help Ma Kent.

Kon snorted and took out his phone instead.

Kon:

Tim ur dad’s adoption virus

is contagious

Tim:

What

Kon:

Clark just brought home

some super girl without

a pulse

Kon:

I think he’s gonna keep 

her

Tim:

Wait Kon if ur dad brought

home a corpse that’s

a whole different problem

Tim:

Do we need to get BC?

Kon:

Nah, she’s alive just a 

little bit dead

Kon:

Schrodingers kid or

whatever

Tim:

Schrodinger’s*

Kon didn’t even deign that with a response, opting to instead shove the phone back in his pocket.

Jon was now floating at the girl’s same level, animatedly defending the qualities of a good chocolate cake.

Clark was still deliberately ignoring the knowing looks Kon and Kon’s grandparents (parents? His family tree was so fucked up) kept sending him.

“Hey kid,” Kon drawled, looking out the window at the Kansas sky.

Thunder Clouds were gathering, and a green tint fogged over the rain he could see in the distance. It wasn’t near any towns, it was heading away from the farm, and it looked like a smaller one, but hey. Family bonding.

The girl had her full attention on him, one hand halfway to her mouth with another delivery of pie for her belly.

“You ever go flying in a tornado before?”

She grinned maniacally.

“Do you wanna?”

~~~~~~

Bruce slammed open the door to the operating room that Daniel and Constantine still hadn’t left , the need to ensure the teen was okay overriding common sense, and paused.

There was a floating person who had an eyeball for a head in the center of the room, gesturing animatedly as Daniel argued with it.

His eyes slid over to Constantine, who had his pack of cigarettes upside down and looked absolutely desolate that it was empty.

“Look, if it’s decided by combat then Dash should be King!”

“My Liege, if that person is a Living Being then they are not eligible-”

“He’ll die someday! Probably!”

“And if he defeats you upon his death then yes, he will be King-”

“But he’s ecto-contaminated!”

The eyeball stopped speaking, it’s… head tilting slightly to the side.

“...How contaminated?”

Constantine threw his cigarette pack at the Eyeball Being and rounded on Daniel, ignoring the Eyeball’s outraged spluttering.

“No, you bloody are not going to make your bleeding wanker of a school bully the High King of the Infinite Realms !”

“But I don’t want to be King!”

“My Liege, I understand your concerns-”

“No you don’t! No you don’t ! I lied to Batman, do you have any idea how much trouble I’m going to be in?!”

“He may not,” Bruce rumbled, Batman finally coming to the front, and all participants in the room froze , “But I may have a pretty good idea.”

Constantine held up his hands and backed away slowly.

Daniel appeared to attempt to shrink on himself.

The Eyeball, however, turned to face him completely, haughtiness etched in their posture.

Good.

Batman felt like taking his frustration out of something.

Better this strange Being than the scared kid behind them.

~~~~~~

Tucker was having a Time.

It was not a good Time, it was not a bad Time.

It was somewhere firmly between those two differentiations.

On one side, he was in the Infinite Realms and every computer he’d managed to commandeer from the computer lab was downloading everybit of data he could grab from other dimensions.

Sustained Space travel? Check. Artificial Gravity? Check. Technology not yet invented in their own dimension? Double Check. Multiple Patents for said designs running in tandem with downloading said tech blueprints and instructions?

Hell. Yes.

Tucker was not going to walk out of this weird doomsday thing without being richer than Sam.

He’d offer to share the wealth with Danny, but he was pretty sure with his other Best Friend being King of the Infinite Realms, Danny was probably way richer than Sam already.

He wasn’t sure Danny knew that yet, but like, he could just tell him later.

As it stood, he and the other techies that were feverishly working the computers (with others set to their side projects, he wasn’t the only one with the idea of patenting stuff) had finally, finally broken into the security feed for the GIW headquarters.

The uh…single camera that was left.

His Techies behind him fell silent as they took in the black and blue GIW agents strewn throughout the room, their tech obliterated and scorch marks on the walls.

Tucker wordlessly moved to take screenshots before rewinding the footage to watch The Superman beat the tar out of said agents.

An uncontrolled laugh started up somewhere behind him.

It spread.

Tucker couldn’t even stop himself from joining in.

The video got recorded and Tucker’s worries about his friend were eased.

If Superman had gotten involved, Danny would be fine.

@spooky-fm@markus209@osnii@samgirl98@skulld3mort-1fan@gabrielandjackthenephilim @suppengott@glow-worms-are-believers@zeldomnyo@everest-nightshade@learning-to-fly-on-my-own@spoopyspoony @deatlive@hnymp @latheevening226@roseinbloom02@tsukihimeyfan@arsonpotato@wanderingrutabaga @nanepet@bjurnberg@mentalcarebear@amuseofminds@fire-glass@thewondersoflebanon@ascetic-orange@botwadtict@notforyoucloudheads@idfk-man10@leftmiraclechaos@midnightenigma

@dannyisababyking@oliocelottafanfics@redafi@distractedducky@aconitewolfsbane@onyxlightdragon@blankliferain@theywontletmeusetheoneiwant@thedragonqueen1998@bitchydragonninja@u-a-wizard-jamie@dodekakophonie@ashenfairytale@reach-for-the-horizon@quirky-gardener@thegatorsgoose@sknerd101@stargirl1331@andreaissy @leap-ing@plotwholls

I'm sorry, there's too many of you to tag without the post breaking. Or my brain. This was the only real list I could find, and it's old. I'm gonna have to insist on y'all checking AO3 for updates.

[luffyrose]

Barry, Constantine, and the Kid

I was reading "I Just Wanna Talk" by foldingfacets and the way Barry interacts with Danny, and his whole misunderstanding just gave me a very very good fic idea.

Danny was Constantine's kid! But thanks to whatever ex had him, John had no idea who Danny was, nor that his kid had been put up for adoption. (I'm feeling a random one-night stand with some god-adjacent being so that Danny was already very much Other, compared to normal people). His not fully human blood had him survive the Fenton household, seeing as Jazz had radiation exposure since she was little basically so she'd survived thanks to that.

Danny kinda figured he was adopted. Sure his hair was black like Jack's and his blue eyes weren't anything abnormal, but his parents were both very very white. And he was much more tan, definitely Mideastern. Jazz actually confirmed it when he asked one time, but he still loved them all dearly. He tried to love them all, but it was hard when the only one he really remembers raising him is his sister. Until the accident happens and things just go south.

Like, Danny does his whole hero thing, and works things out with his ghosts because most of them were either messing around or didn't realize he was actually a baby ghost because he was so strong or smth, idk, they cooperate with him and just come to bug him and play fight when bored or needing to satisfy their core. All in all, he's King of the Infinite Realms now and he is not having a good time tm-

He's SEEN all the John Constantine things, but never bothered with tracking this guy down because hey! selling his soul to multiple entities to prevent ANYONE from getting it was really smart! Who was he to fault the guy.

It kind of all comes crashing down though when things go horribly ary with his adoptive parents. He overheard them talking, and even though they did love him, he learned that to them he wasn't just their kid. He was still the kid Jazz really wanted for a brother. After literally growing up in their house, he wasn't on the same level as Jazz. Simply because he was adopted, and neither had truly planned to adopt him.

And despite learning this, he tries so hard to still love and few them as his parents, because he's NOT their kid! They're right, but they still raised him no they didn't it was Jazz and he thought that they at least loved him more than that some part of him knew they never had. So when Jazz suggests they tell them, together for his own safety, he agrees for two reasons. 1, he loves and trusts Jazz and she really wanted to believe they were better than just ghost hunting. 2, he could finally know the truth, whether they would not believe him, hate him, or love him.

They don't.

Maddie and Jack both believe he died due to their creation. They don't doubt that for a moment. Jazz is thrilled at first, thinking that meant they would feel sorry, apologize, accept Danny, ANYTHING except harm him. But she was wrong as they tried to shoot him. She tried to stop them, and they told her even if he was Danny, that he was a ghost which meant it wasn't ever really going to be him again. And Jazz was horrified, asking how they could shoot their own son, ghost or not, and as if it was the simplest thing in the world, they say he wasn't their son.

And that was it.

Danny ran.

He hid in the ghost zone, and Jazz tried to come with. She ended up destroying the portal, outing Vlad, and running away with a voice recorder of their parents and the conversation they'd had. Sam and Tucker have to lay low, only messaging Danny to ask if he'd been hurt.

Danny didn't reply.

After a few months, his friends had gotten a reply a few days after, so had Jazz, saying he was fine and Fright Knight was watching over him, which was true but the Knight was more worried than anything, Pandora stopped by. She was kind of like an aunt, so she hated to see him sad. But she'd also realized something.

Halfa, as most VERY old ghosts and Ancients know, are rare to find. Vlad was an odd case, being Halfa-adjacent but not a true Halfa since it took 20 years for his powers to grow to what they were when it was normal for quick power growth like Danny. Not only does one need to die with a bunch of ectoplasm nearby, but they must have a few other requirements. Such as a bond with the supernatural, strong magic, etc. No mortal being without very strong and innate abilities would survive a full Halfa creation. So she'd always been curious as to how Danny survived when even heroes who'd been exposed to death would not near chance of being a Halfa.

Being a demi-god made it a lot easier. Even then, not all demi-gods would survive either, seeing as it would be rare for them to be within range of the ectoplasm needed to balance their god-like blood. Danny was an incredibly special case. Pandora had found out that Danny wasn't just a demi-god, but the human who was his parent was an incredibly strong magic user. So much so, that he'd tricked and tried his way through many many years of his life. Honestly, Pandora was amazed the human was alive.

Telling Danny of his father was not in her plan, though she did tell him of his demi-god blood. She also told him, that it may be safer with heroes.

So with a little time to heal, not really he was still bandaged up but at least he wasn't about to fall apart, Danny got Wulf and Cujo, the former opening a portal with a sad goodbye for the time being. (Really, Wulf would always know where Danny was.) Either way, Danny had planned to find this John Constantine, since seeing as he'd somehow avoided death all while dimension hoping, he was probably a good bet. Or at the very least could help him find a hero to help.

Falling through the portal with Cujo, he hadn't expected a giant room in what he could only guess was a secret base. There was a hero, he really should have looked up heroes, but most of his childhood hadn't really given him access to anything outside of his hometown, which was staring in shock at him.

And Flash meets Danny.

And instantly wants to adopt the kid. Sorry, Bruce! This one is his kid actually! But when he hears the boy's reason for being there, the poor kid looking utterly terrified and apologetic for barging in and trying to explain how Constantine's contact info had led him here, Barry is just crushed. He's keeping the kid entertained, panicking, and trying to contact John.

Wally ends up meeting him while they're waiting, and it instantly taking this kid as his own new brother. If his boyfriend gets a bunch of younger siblings so does he!

Either way, both speedsters are already filing adoption papers, not really as much as Barry wants to because he knows better than to take in an unknown even with how horrifying this child's accidental slips of his home-life was like.

So we have an MIA John, not like that's rare-, an unknown child who they really need to test DNA for but don't want to scare him, speedsters already mentally said kid's parent, and a whole lot of chaos. Danny had no IDEA that Constantine is his bio dad, Clockwork had Pandora hint him this way for a reason though...he got a dad one way or another and in some universes, he had 2. So. No loss situation to the Ancient.

They are not ready for this traumatized ass kid because he doesn't even realize he'd traumatized. Wait till he has a panic attack though, Danny, despite his apparent obliviousness to how fucked up he should be, will finally seem like the hurt kid he is.

And oh boy, wait till someone accidentally jostles a wound during that whole first meeting since Danny's hiding his wounds. Now that's a whole other bag of worms to open, like how'd he get them????

[massivecheesecakewolf]

Inspired by a fanfic called "The Ghost called Molly McGee" by dat_physics_boi

This is a au of Danny Phantom with the usual ghost king au stuff, but with one thing added, the ADVISOR.

The advisor of the ghost world is the one entity that every ghost ( even the ghost king) listens to because even though the advisor is not strong as the ghost king in fact they are strong as a regular ghost even though their portal skill is very great, they has a power that when any ghost is not listening to the advice from the advisor, the advisor can install dread as the ghost get more fearful as they don't listen, until the ghost finally listens to the advisor and the dread stops, even the ghost king and the ancient powerful ghost are not immune to the dread. This is a necessity for the ghost king for that not even a wise king is all knowing and prepared, so the advisor is there to make sure that the ghost king is on the right path like preventing war and can get the king to change laws to prevent bad time from happening. Of course even the advisor can be corrupted by power as the previous advisor with Pariah Dark is corrupted. While Pariah Dark is imprisoned, the previous advisor was still free and on the loose, WAS free until they are destroyed by a... What do you call a ghost about to be resurrected by his friends ( no seriously do any phantom have a term for resurrected ghost), the resurrected ghost ( let call him John Scroll) is a (teenage) paranormal investigator resurrecting for the 2nd time this week as he is killed by vampire (again) as he saw ghost like thing as the entity saw John Scroll and commented him to take the entity to the castle of the ghost king, John politely refused and feel dread as the entity keep demanding John, as the dread keep going higher and higher John decide the only thing to make it stop, exorcise the entity entirely, and he got a lot of blessings and 'magic' to exorcise the entity just before his resurrection is done. Even though no one saw the interaction, the consequences of the action about to be started as the advisor role can be claimed by combat like the king role can be also claimed, and John is now the new advisor even though he is alive (again).

John Scroll is a paranormal investigator who is equivalent to a mid level dnd character with decent abilities that help with the paranormal and supernatural stuff, even though he died a lot, and he hates war as he and his friends (who is a paranormal investigation squad) stop an event that will start a vampire frenzy and he died (again) as one of his friend is casing a revive spell ( which it take an hour or two to cast) and John is back (again) but something feel off, but before they can think about it the van of spookiness ( it a tricked out van for the team) arrived and the team (let's call them the spook squad or the spook) have to leave. A couple of weeks later as the spooks are bored while waiting for the next investigation job, a portal form under John and he fell into a council room full of a lot of ghosts and he noticed that from the explaining ghost king ( John learns the ghost king name is Danny Phantom ) that John defeats the entity that John learns that they were the last advisor and John gain the advisor power and responsibility (he gain an average ghost power like etcoblast, become invisible, and getting portal making power which he is able to anywhere, even go to an ghost free place) and John just after learning it he just order the ghost council to give john information about the reason ghost goes to the living realm and also order the council and Danny to only call him for important thing like if the ghost king is about to declare war or making a stupid law like barring people from the afterlife,( if you ask John why he chose that situation he will tell you about a time of a insane mutated ghost, which it killed him (again) in the past.)while John is with his friend doing paranormal/supernatural investigator stuff.

Remember what I said about John Scroll hates war, I am thinking of a situation about how Danny has enough about the GIW and the anti ecto law and want to start a war in front of the justice league ( having to add them to get more tag) and as he is speaking

Danny "angry" Phantom:" as you didn't notice about this law and as you didn't stop the Guys in white, I will confirm you are our enem-"

A cough is hard as a masked figure is staring at Danny.

Danny Phantom:" Oh uh advisor I am just making a decoration of war and I am-"

The advisor (it's John Scroll):"no you are not. What you will do is very simple. You will take back what you said about starting a war and just talk about simple things like peacefully getting the justice league help.

Danny Phantom:" I have to start a war so the world can LEAR-"

The advisor stared at Danny disappointed. And unknowingly to the justice league (except John Constantine who knows about the ghost realm thing ) using the dread power on Danny.

Danny just stands there for the moment thinking about what he say until he feels more and more dread as he is thinking about war less and more peaceful solutions to to feeling dreadful.

Danny Phantom:"Fine I will stop with the war decoration and get their help with the anti-ecto law. As his feelings of dread disappear.

The Flash:" uhhh what just happened?"

John Constantine:" what happened is that the advisor does not want war and force the ghost king to listen to him. And if you don't follow the advisor command you feel dread."

Superman:"Wait how do you know that?"

John Constantine:" why else am I still trying to make a spell that makes me immune to dread from the advisor."

By the way tell me what happens when John Constantine learns that the first name of the new advisor is also John what will happen?

[samgirl98]

Cain and Abel Wept 7/?

Prev | Next

This a Fenton Family-oriented chapter with a bit of background. I hope it came out fine.

Danny dodged the big shadows sent his way. Another day, another challenge for the throne. Except for this time, it was an Ancient Danny didn’t know. She was a being made of pure shadows and darkness.

And she had just proclaimed in front of Amity Park, including the GIW, that Danny was the fucking Ghost King. That will be a joy to deal with later.

Danny needed to put a stop to this. The being had already destroyed infrastructure and caused too many injuries. Danny didn’t want any deaths on his hands.

His parents were following their fight with the GAV, too afraid of hitting him to shoot any ectoblasters. The GIW had no such problems. Danny ended up dodging shadows, GIW blasters, and the random attack from a townsperson trying to be helpful.

“Have to get away from everyone,” Danny muttered to himself.

He flew to the empty park and duked it out with the Ancient Shadow. If it weren’t for his intangibility, Danny would have a shit ton of bruises instead of the few he did.

It was going badly when it took a turn for the worse. The Shadow turned six stories tall and somehow, impossibly, got stronger. Danny was at the end of his rope. He could feel his strength waning. Already, a white ring had appeared around his waist three separate times. Even though he didn’t need to breathe in his ghost form, he could still feel his lungs burning. Danny was going to lose, and a chaotic shadow would rule the Infinite Realms.

No, he wouldn’t allow it; he couldn’t!

Danny felt power growing deep in his chest and raring to be let out. His ghostly wail came out of him.

The Ancient didn’t stand a chance.

Danny used the Fenton Thermos to suck her up and let himself float down slowly. He was too tired to notice Agent K hiding behind a tree; he was too tired to keep his ghost form.

Danny sure felt the ectoblast hitting him.

Danny let go of the thermos and held on to his now bleeding shoulder.

“Freeze, ghost scum, under the Anti-Ecto Act Laws, you are to be detained and taken by GIW to be neutralized.”

Danny gritted his teeth and turned to run (he was too tired to transform) straight into Damian’s sword.

Danny woke up hyperventilating. He touched his chest. He was trying to stop the bleeding and remove the sword he felt protruding from it. It was there, the cold steel chilling him to his very core.

(Not like his ice, though, not the silly little tickles of frost; no, it was a straight-up chill that froze to the bone.)

It took a while for Danny to notice the strong arms around him as they rocked him. Then he heard the words.

“It’s okay, Dann-o, we got. We won’t let anything happen to you.”

Through blurry tears, Danny saw his dad’s large figure holding him tight. His mom was on the bed scratching his head, and his older sister was holding his hand up to her chest and taking deep breaths. Danny soon mimicked her.

“I’m sorry,” he eventually whispered through a hoarse throat, “did I wake you?”

“Oh, sweetie, don’t ever apologize about something like this,” his mom said.

Danny was about to apologize again but bit his tongue; he didn’t want his family to feel guilty about him feeling guilty. It was a cycle.

Danny sighed and decided to be selfish for once. He sank deeper into his family’s embrace.

____

Maddie tried to stitch Danny’s injuries as her husband drove away from their smoldering home.

The Fentons had contingency plans in case something like this happened; she just hoped it would never come to it. Thankfully, Jazz was home from university that weekend and could escape with them.

She shuddered to think about what the GIW would do if they had gotten to her while separated.

Danny sobbed in her arms.

“I’m sorry. This is all my fault. I’m so sorry.”

Maddie ignored Danny’s (unwarranted) apologies. She had to focus on his injuries first. Then she could comfort him emotionally.

“Sharp turn,” Jack called out, giving her enough time to put away the needle before he made a crazy move to avoid a shot from the pursuing white vans.

Fuck. Maddie wanted to tear them apart for even hurting her baby.

Danny stared at her with big, fearful eyes, and she had a flashback of a ten-year-old Danny with the same look as they first brought him home. She had promised to protect him; instead, she had gotten killed. Now, he was being chased by a shadowy government organization.

“I’m sorry,” was repeated over and over again from her baby’s mouth. It should’ve been her saying those words.

____

Danny finally cried himself to sleep in his father’s arms; Maddie continued scratching his head. She never wanted to let her small family go. Now, she feared Bruce Wayne, Batman, would try to take her baby away. If not him, then the GIW. If not them, then Danny’s responsibilities, and if not those, then…To say Maddie had separation anxiety would’ve been an understatement.

So, for the time being, she put away all those fears and stayed in bed with her family as they held their youngest.

____

Jazz used the encrypted laptop and smartphone that Tucker and Technus had programmed. Code Blackout had been implemented. Before the GIW had blown up Fenton Works, Tucker had downloaded a remote virus into all of their techs so they would be unsalvageable. Danny had let the being through the portal before it had been shut forever.

Now, they were in a random, run-down motel.

Danny fiddled with a bracelet hiding his ectosignature, looking out into the distance.

Jazz knew better than to say anything, but she did put her arms around his shoulder before giving him a quick kiss on his head.

They already had gotten in contact with Vlad.

After Danny’s secret was spilled, it didn’t take long for his parents to put together who and what Vlad was. They had made a deal; Vlad left them alone, and Maddie and Jack wouldn’t hunt him down for what they put Danny through.

(That truce almost went out the window when they found out about Dani. To say her parents were murderous would’ve been an understatement)

Now that they were on the run, they needed all the help they could get.

Vlad had set them up with a contact that could get them to Europe, where the Anti-Ecto Acts didn’t exist. They just had to get to New York by the end of the month without being caught.

Easy.

Thankfully, both Vlad and Sam had deposited enough money for them to survive in an untraceable account.

Now all they had to do was wait and escape.

____

Jack had always believed in ghosts.

He had believed in them even when he was called a whack job. And when he found Maddie, well, he wasn’t alone anymore.

Jack had never really believed in God, but as he held his small family, he prayed to whatever higher being would hear him that he would be enough to protect his family.

@spectralstardustandphantomnights @avelnfear @idfk-man10 @blackroserelina @candeartist422 @luer-mirin @mur-ururu @insufferablecrab @skulld3mort-1fan @meira-3919 @aethernorwood @mimilikey @marshmelloe @latheevening226 @ahyesanerd @lexdamo @chrysanthemum9484 @spooky-fm

[imekitty]

A twist on Reign Storm.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17

-----

"Vlad, I just can't believe you." Maddie's voice was hoarse after hurling every curse word she could. "Not only did you free the ancient tyrannical ghost king Pariah Dark and steal his Ring of Rage, but then you gave it to Valerie, a child—"

"She's a mature young lady," insisted Vlad. "Very competent."

"Really? Is that why she practically handed the ring back to Pariah Dark?"

Vlad sucked his teeth. "Okay, I didn't expect her to do that."

Maddie paced the floor of the Fenton basement lab. Jack crossed his arms and glared at Vlad, who sheepishly rubbed his upper arm.

"Why did you even have that ring in the first place?" Maddie stopped pacing and turned to Vlad again. "What did you want with it?"

"Ah—" Vlad shrugged. "I just thought it would prove useful for my research, that's all."

"Liar," spat Maddie. "You were after power, weren't you? You probably wanted to get the Crown of Fire, too."

"You wanted to be the next ghost king?" asked Jack with a small smirk.

"I—no," blurted Vlad. "It really was for research."

"Then why didn't you run it by us first?" demanded Maddie. "Why would you do such a thing without telling us?"

"Because I have my own research objectives," Vlad shot back. "I only report to you for anything concerning Daniel, and this had nothing to do with him."

"You still should've told us." Maddie gritted her teeth, clenched her fists. "Everyone is in danger now because of your selfishness. You should've told us."

"Why?" Vlad's fists also clenched. "Why should I tell you anything about my own private ghost research? It's not like we're married, Maddie."

Maddie released a sharp exhale and narrowed her eyes. Vlad held her stare, not backing down.

"Enough," said Jack, coming between them. "We're wasting time. People are going to die if we don't find a way to stop the ghost king right now."

"Vlad, you and Danny need to team up," said Maddie.

"Daniel and I are strong," said Vlad, straightening up. "But we can't defeat Pariah Dark on our own, not when he possesses both the Crown of Fire and Ring of Rage—and don't start yelling at me again, Maddie, I know it's my fault he has both. You've made that abundantly clear."

Maddie shut her mouth, pursing her lips.

"Even if we recruited and convinced all of the ghosts to join us in this fight, it still wouldn't be enough," Vlad continued. "We just aren't strong enough as we are. We need something to…enhance our powers."

Vlad's voice echoed with a meaning Jack and Maddie both caught. They looked over their shoulders at the Ecto-Skeleton, light gleaming in its shiny metal armor.

"The Ecto-Skeleton would magnify the user's abilities by over a hundred times," murmured Maddie. "And that would include ghost powers."

"But it's dangerous," said Jack. "It could kill whoever wears it."

"What choice do we have, Jack?" asked Vlad. "Everyone will die if we don't do something, and Pariah Dark is simply too strong. We have to try something more drastic."

Jack sighed. "If you're sure you want to do this, Vlad, then I'll see if I can make some quick upgrades that will keep you alive as long as possible."

Vlad scoffed. "Me? What makes you think I'm going to wear it?"

Jack's brow furrowed. "Ah—well, I just assumed—I mean, I would wear it, but I don't have ghost powers like you do."

"But I am not the only one with ghost powers," said Vlad, folding his arms.

Jack looked at Vlad, then at Maddie, who was biting her lower lip and looking down at the floor.

"No," said Jack. "Not Danny."

Maddie lifted her head. "Jack—"

"Maddie, we are not making Danny do this."

"We wouldn't be making him do anything. We would guide him to make the decision on his own."

"That still sounds like making him do it."

"He really is the best choice, Jack," said Vlad.

"How exactly is a teenage boy the best choice?" spat Jack.

"Well, to begin, his young age means he's more likely to survive," said Vlad. "And his powers are already superior to what mine were when I had them for the same amount of time."

"But they're not superior to your powers right now."

"Perhaps not, but his ghost form is also stabler than mine is, considering his DNA was compatible with the mutation from the start whereas mine wasn't, hence I nearly died."

"You're stable enough now, aren't you?"

"Enough on my own, but the Ecto-Skeleton would likely be less stable in its enhancements for my ghost powers than Daniel's. And again, that means he's more likely to survive."

"He's still just a kid, and your powers are still stronger than his," said Jack. "We're the adults here. We're supposed to protect him, not the other way around. We've always controlled everything in our experiments to keep him safe."

"His safety won't matter if Pariah Dark destroys Amity Park."

"This is all your fault to begin with, Vlad. You're really going to make a child wear the Ecto-Skeleton and take on the ghost king because of your mistake? Because you're afraid of dying?"

"It's more than that," said Vlad, sounding cross. "He also has a greater chance of success. Daniel's ghostly obsession is far more suited than mine to the successful completion of this task."

"We still don't even know what exactly his obsession is!" yelled Jack.

"Whatever it is, it's made him choose to become a superhero," said Vlad. "And that's what we need right now: a superhero."

Jack huffed and turned to Maddie. "You don't actually agree with this, do you?"

Maddie chewed the inside of her cheek. "Well…"

"Maddie, that's our son! He could die."

"You were perfectly fine with shocking him in that portal and turning him into a ghost hybrid," said Vlad with a sneer.

Jack rounded on him. "That was not my idea. I was never fine with it."

"But you didn't stop it," Vlad shot back.

Jack gritted his teeth. "We calculated everything to ensure he would survive."

"And that's what we'll do now," said Maddie, her tone calm. "Danny must be the one to wear the Ecto-Skeleton, Jack. Vlad is correct that Danny's ecto-stability and obsession give him the best chance of defeating the ghost king."

"And we can certainly make some modifications that will be specifically compatible with Danny's ecto-DNA, increasing his chances of survival," said Vlad.

"We'll have to hurry," said Maddie. "We can formulate a plan to put the idea to wear the suit into Danny's head while we're working."

"Perhaps we can even find a way to make the suit transform and change colors to match Daniel's ghost form."

"We can preinstall mechanisms to channel his known ghost powers, too."

Maddie and Vlad continued discussing the matter while heading over to one of the lab workstations. Jack watched them but did not follow.

"Jack?" Maddie turned and frowned at him. "Jack, we need you. You're our top engineer here."

Jack's eyes were wide as he shook his head, threading his fingers through his greying hair. "This just can't be happening."

"It is happening," said Maddie. "And we don't have time to keep arguing. People are going to die if we don't modify this suit for Danny's DNA and powers."

Jack said nothing, did nothing.

"You know I'm right," said Maddie firmly.

Another couple beats of hesitation, and Jack finally gave in and joined Maddie and Vlad at the workstation.

Part 19

[nabtime]

Our Empty Graves IV

Fandom: Danny Phantom / Batman: Under the Red Hood

Pairings: Danny Fenton/Jason Todd (Dead on Main)

Rating: Mature

Tags: batfamily, hazmat AU, Nobody Knows AU, Mute!Phantom, potential ghost king danny, slow burn?, DC means Disregard Canon, AU means AU nothing is exactly the same, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, more than canon typical violence, danny is a Halfa and also a Fetch, no beta we die like basically everyone

Summary: They say that Red Hood has a loyal mutt. The man rules his territory in Crime Alley with an iron fist and a guard dog at his side. They say that Hood calls him Fetch, sometimes Fetcher. No one's ever heard him speak. Anyone who's ever seen him says he looks like an experiment gone wrong, that Hood picked him up somewhere unspeakable. They say he'll do anything Red Hood asks of him and he'll do it well. That he's strong and fast and probably inhuman. The girls say he's sweet; quiet but charming in his own way. Rival gangs say he's vicious; that he'd sooner rip your throat out than let you go.

Jason just wants to help him.

Chapter 4: sing to me (cause i can't hear myself)

Chapter Summary: Red Hood and Danny have a talk over soup

Chapter Notes: title from Sing to Me by MISSIO Links: AO3 // Chapter 1 // Chapter 3 // Chapter 5

What the hell had he gotten himself into now?

Danny hadn’t laid on a couch in what felt like years. Graveyard benches, tree branches, and mausoleum roofs were very poor substitutes for cushions or mattresses. The couch was rank and decrepit and leaking stuffing all over the place and it felt heavenly. There was also a weirdly abundant supply of ectoplasm just floating around the place. Ancients he hoped that didn’t mean what he thought it meant. He better not have invaded another ghost’s Haunt. He did not want to deal with a territorial asshole trying to fight him off when he needed to heal. He was not leaving this couch for anything.

Warily he gathered up the ectoplasm telekinetically and wrapped it all around himself like a faintly glowing blanket, soaking it in with a small contented churr from his core. He still thought it was weird-all the animal like noises he could make. Noises that were instinctual and part of Core Speak, which was a lesser form of Ghost Speak. Ghost Speak itself was less about words and more about emotions and the vague intention of thoughts. Like when sounds and colors could convey a certain feeling or impression. He’d used a bit of it to talk to Red Hood even though Ghost Speak was something humans couldn’t understand or even perceive. It was an unconscious habit- Ghost Speak was the only way he could communicate with the other ghosts (not that they cared much for what he had to say most of the time) and he couldn’t even try to talk to anyone else usually.

It was nice that Red Hood still seemed to be able to understand him, it felt good to ‘talk’ with someone willing to play charades.

But, Ancients, what an embarrassing conversation. He’d been so delirious from being punch drunk and having blood loss. He was lucky he couldn’t talk because he couldn’t imagine what kind of filth he would’ve been spewing, waxing poetic about Red Hood’s juicy ass or something, if he could’ve. Just because it really was a juicy ass didn’t mean Red Hood had to know. Although, he probably already knew that. Man couldn’t walk around with that much cake and not know it. So, Red Hood didn’t have to know that Danny knew about and appreciated his ass. And thighs. And arms. And tits. Aaaand- he really needed to think about something else.

Red Hood being surprisingly hilarious? He called him Ghostbuster Reject and he didn’t even know Danny was a ghost. Not to mention all the names for Batman like Goth Furry Man and Mr. Dark and Stormy Night. He could tell that Red Hood was keeping back more of them too. He’d take any silly nickname Red wanted to give him if it meant he didn’t have to go by the stupid name he’d given himself.

Fetcher the Fetch. Red was right, it made him sound like Moon Moon. It would have to do though. He couldn’t spread the name Phantom around, couldn’t risk the GIW or his parents trying to find him in Gotham. The city had enough of its own problems without the property damage and disregard for by-standers that came with either group.

He felt bad that he’d only given Red Hood the partial truth. He was a Fetch, but that wasn’t exactly a term well used outside of ghosts and the Realms. Fetch- the apparition of a being yet still alive. The ghost of a living person. Both alive and dead. Half ghost and half human. Not that Danny felt all that like a human anymore. He hadn’t changed in a long time and the only reason he knew he still had a side of himself still alive was the faint heart-beat that thumped just under his core.

He still felt a tad guilty about hiding the whole “dead guy” she-bang from Red, but he didn’t need some weirdly nice Gotham Rogue knowing his entire being was against the law. That he could be turned over to the government for a hefty bounty. Didn’t matter that the guy had saved his skin, he’d been betrayed more than once and he wouldn’t risk it with a stranger. He also didn’t want to cause trouble. Red Hood looked like a guy that could handle himself but also someone who would protect his own to the last. He didn’t need anyone getting shot on either side because of him. The GIW didn’t care about collateral damage and they really wouldn’t care about hurting people they thought didn’t matter and destroying homes already falling apart. It was unfair and maddening, but it was how they worked. Ruthless and unforgiving.

Was it sad that the ghosts he used to fight to protect the town were now the least of his problems? Most of them had been scared off by the GIW after they’d gotten more competent and started experimenting. After the Anti-Ecto Acts got passed, most of the regular ghosts had made themselves scarce. Only the more powerful guys had dared to step foot into Amity, and then they became Danny’s problem. And then the whole mess with Pariah had happened and then none of the ghosts wanted to go top side. No, Danny’s post in Amity, stuck as it was in the zone, had become more about preventing humans from entering the Zone than the other way around. He had to stop the occasional reckless spirit, but for the most part they stayed scarce.

He hoped the Realms would be okay while he was gone. Who knows what his parents or the GIW could get up to in his absence.

He dozed on and off for a good bit, sleep light as it always was in ghost form. He could avoid eating when he was Phantom by absorbing ectoplasm, and he could get by with much less sleep in this form as well. But when he was injured, especially as injured as he was now, he needed to rest to get better. Needed to conserve energy and soak. Like a nice bath. A ghostly hibernation.

He started to feel better each time he blearily woke before going back down.

One of the times he could hear clanging and shuffling, like someone making food in a kitchen. He figured Red Hood would have gotten take-out. Was he making food? Maybe he was just dreaming. Dreaming of a better time in a more familiar kitchen…

It was all vague sensations and feelings. Just the warm light of the sun streaming in through the kitchen window. Just the suggestion of a fresh breeze blowing through and stirring up the scent of spices permeating the cramped space. The susurration of curtains in the wind.  Just the faintest sound of humming and soft laughter. Like he’d fallen asleep in the kitchen and he was hearing everything through a drowsy fog.

It was warm. The oven was on. There was something giving off steam on the stove. He could hear pots clanging and utensils clinking. He could hear murmuring and rustling. There was the sensation of closeness and a sort of comfort and togetherness he rarely felt. It felt like contentment. It felt like love.

“Hey, sweetie,” his mom said, voice soft and dulcet. He could feel a warm hand rubbing his back. “It’s time for dinner now, sleepy-head.”

He said something in reply but he couldn’t hear it. He felt dizzy, like the room was spinning and everything he’d felt started to distort and spiral. His mother said something again but her voice came out cold and distorted and angry.

“What did you do with my son?”

“Hey,” a gruff voice, still staticky from being filtered, spoke as he was shaken awake. He blinked as the dream he’d been having floated away from his mind, forgotten as he rose from Nocturn’s hold into the realm of the wakeful.

“Black-white-and-green-all-over,” the voice said again, a hint of amusement lacing the words, “time to wake up and smell the bacon.”

“Food’s ready,” Red Hood said, straightening from where he’d been hovering over Danny to wake him.

Mrrp?

His core let out a little sound, much like a cat just being woken. Cats and ghosts had a lot in common, sounds wise, and he was discovering new sounds he could make all the time. Most ghosts could just talk and Core Speak was considered something more intimate, to be used with close friends, lovers, and allies. But for him, it was the only way he could communicate until he could find a way to learn sign. His core seemed particularly talkative around Red Hood, too. Strange. Maybe because Red was the first person he’d encountered in ages that didn’t want to immediately kill him?

“Hohmy-god.”

He blinked, stretching and tilting his head in question. What was that about?

“You’re adorable, kid,” Red answered, teasing.

Red Hood had his hands on his hips, arms bare in all their glory without his jacket, and was wearing an apron. A red apron with frills and a cute little skull printed on it. Who was this man to call Danny the adorable one?! Clearly he hadn’t seen himself in a mirror. It didn’t matter at all that Danny couldn’t see his face- the personalized apron was more than enough. Did he make that? Did someone else make it for him? He had so many questions he couldn’t ask.

Danny chose to just flip him off instead.

Red shook his head and headed back into the kitchen. “Get your ass in here and eat this soup already. You look like you’ve healed enough.”

If Danny could groan, he would. The thought of moving was not appealing. He had already told himself that he wasn’t moving from the couch for anything and that included whatever soup ‘The Red Hood’ decided to shovel into him.

Could Red even cook? He had a whole apron thing going on, but that didn’t really mean anything. Maybe it was a gag gift because of how bad he was at cooking. He shuddered. Well, no one could be worse than his parents. He’s pretty sure sentient food beats out burnt to a crisp any day. There wasn’t any smoke or sign of fire so that was encouraging at least.

He was mostly healed at this point, scrapes gone and bleeding stopped. He could move his arm again and he didn’t need to channel all his ectoplasm into healing alone. His thigh and his shoulder were still throbbing from the shitty Bat-a-rangs but they were on the mend. Honestly, for how bad off he’d been he was healing pretty well and pretty quickly. The benefits of being a dead guy. And landing in a city rich with the stuff that helped him. He had enough he could probably go invisible and freak out Red, but he’d refrain for now.

Still, he flopped over the cushions, debating on whether it was worth it to move or not. He didn’t need to eat and its not like his senses were the same in ghost form as they were in human form. He didn’t smell the same way and while he’d never tested it, he probably couldn’t taste the same way either. So what did it even matter-

And suddenly there was a mass of looming Red just hovering over him and then- still very suddenly, he was being lifted up from the couch. Cradled in very warm, very nice arms.

“H-up we go-,” Red Hood mumbled, very very close to Danny’s ear and making him shiver. He was carried princess style into the kitchen and plopped down into a rickety wooden seat. He stared dumbly down at the, frankly, delicious looking bowl of chicken noodle soup as he tried to process what the hell just happened. Everything was tingly and his mind was blank. He had phantom (haha) sensations of warmth where Red had held him. When was the last time he’d been touched without being hurt?

“Like a handful of grapes,” he heard Red mutter as he settled into the seat across from Danny. Wow, rude.

Red picked up a spoon and used it to point at Danny’s bowl. “Eat.”

He huffed and slid down in the chair a bit but picked up the spoon anyway. If he could grumble he would. He made sure to look as petulant as he could as he dipped his spoon into the broth. He stared dumbly again as he tried to figure out how he was supposed to eat.

He heard a mechanical click and looked up to see that Red had retracted part of his mask somehow, leaving the bottom half of his face bare. A cupid’s bow. Hm. A cupid’s bow turned up into a smirk. Red pointed again.

“Eat.”

His voice was odd without the modulator, smooth and deep. And very clearly amused. And Danny really, really needed to think about other things. He had enough to worry about than to be distracted by a nice voice. One guy treats you like you’re not a monster and suddenly you go ga-ga for him. The thought made him sag further down into the chair, piercing the night with a shrill squeak. Fucking hopeless.

Danny sighed internally and went back to trying to figure out how to eat. Well, if he was healed enough to go invisible he was healed enough to go intangible. Partially.

He made the mask intangible but still visible, so to someone else it didn’t look any different from before. Then he brought the spoon up and let it pass through the mask unhindered. Oh Ancients. Chicken noodle soup. Good chicken noodle soup. He couldn’t smell it before but he could now, and it smelled divine and tasted even better. He would die a second time for this soup. Hell, he might kill someone for this soup. Red Hood wanted someone gone? He would do it. He’d do it for soup. He kind of wanted to cry about it. How long had it been since he’d had something to eat? Let alone something this good. And even less something that was home-made and this good. Yeah, if he kept thinking about it he would definitely cry.

He took another eager bite, willing to sink into the flavor- rich with things he’d almost forgotten about like garlic and onion and carrots and celery. Spices he couldn’t name giving it a taste like nothing else. He felt a deep warmth spread through his body and his core purred with contentment.

He blinked open his eyes that he hadn’t even realized he’d closed to find Red Hood staring at him.

“How the fuck are you doing that?” he asked, incredulous.

Danny tilted his head in feigned innocence. He had no idea what Red was talking about, no sirree.

“Don’t give me that, you know what you’re doing,” he said, pointing an accusatory finger towards him. “How the fuck are you doing it?”

Danny rolled his eyes and dropped his spoon . He held up his hand and then phased it through the table, waving his fingers in a little ta-da motion afterwards.

“Alright. Density-shifting,” he said, sounding just a bit exasperated. “Okay. That’s just a thing you can do, then.”

He didn’t know what density shifting was but figured it was close enough to intangibility that he nodded. He picked up his spoon but before he could eat the most delicious meal of his life, Red had another question.

“Anything else you can do that I should worry about?”

He paused (a tragedy, really) . It’s not like he could actually give a list. He could write it, yeah, but where was the fun in that. It also didn’t help that he couldn’t remember half of his powers on a good day. They were instinctual. Like a muscle he didn’t know the name of that he could flex . He could move the muscle but its not like he was aware of it. What it was called or how it worked.

He shrugged and continued eating.

“You know, glow-stick, there’s gonna come a point where I need answers,” Red said, voice wry. “I’ve let you get away with a lot already. Don’t think I’ll be lenient again,” he spoke with finality.

Danny regarded him seriously. Red Hood had let him move on without explaining things multiple times now. He was grateful for it honestly. He didn’t know how he would even start to untangle all that he was to this stranger. He couldn’t even do that with people he knew and trusted. And he didn’t want to go through being interrogated within an inch of his half-live again either. At least Red was being civil about everything.

He put his spoon down again (mournfully) and gave Red Hood a solemn nod. There wasn’t much else he could do to convey his thanks and his seriousness, but Red seemed to get the message.

“Good. Don’t cause trouble and it won’t be an issue.”

He wanted to laugh at that. Like he could ever stay out of trouble.

Red must have sensed his amusement because he made a motion with his head like he was rolling his eyes. Danny could tell even though he couldn’t see them behind the helmet. Looks like they were both able to communicate with body language pretty well, probably why Red was so good at reading him.

They ate in silence for a bit, the distant sound of sirens and gunfire lulling to a background noise he wouldn’t have thought he’d get used to so easily. But it was still somehow familiar, like a song he knew played on an instrument he’d never heard of. Police sirens instead of ghost attack sirens and gunfire instead of the odd electric crackle of ecto-blasts.

Danny melted into his chair as he finished his last bite, the warmth of the soup turning him into a puddle of goo. His belly felt full in a way it hadn’t in years. The last meal Jazz had made for him had been when he was what? Sixteen? Before she left. Before he left.

“So,” Red started, voice firm. Danny wanted to groan again. He didn’t want to have serious discussions, not now. All he wanted to do right now was become one with the table and savor his beautiful, beautiful soup. But Red Hood was relentless. Merciless.

“You said you fell from a portal?”

He nodded. Miserably.

“You got any way to get back through said portal?”

He stilled. No, he didn’t. He really didn’t.

He thought about what would happen next. Would he go back to his Haunt? Could he? He’d found his way topside and the only stable portal connecting the two halves was in the ruins of the place that Amity used to occupy. Both his parents’ portal and Vlad’s had been victims to the shift into the Zone, both weirdly inverting on themselves, collapsing and reforming- twisting reality in ways it should never have twisted.

Vlad’s portal never stabilized, shrinking down and imploding in on itself- condensing like a dying star becoming a black hole but bursting out in radioactive shock-waves instead. It took out half of Elmerton in the explosion as well. Thankfully the neighboring town had been evacuated the moment Amity disappeared so there weren’t any casualties. But it had definitely been a close call. His parent’s portal survived on a miracle, creating an exit for the townspeople when everyone realized that the city was stuck and there was no going back. Nobody died but- there wasn’t a single citizen who hadn’t lost everything. There was only so much that could be transported through the portal after all. It was the only time anyone ever let him near enough to help, if only to use his strength to carry the boxes of meager belongings through to the other side. Boxy knew better than to mess with them when he was around.

The truth was that he didn’t have anywhere to go. Anything to do. If he weren’t only half-ghost then the loss of his Haunt and Obsession could have Ended him, but as it were it just made him sad. Restless. Core-tearingly despondent. He’d already just been listlessly haunting the cemetery, fighting ghosts when they wanted to pick a fight with him. Skulker was really the only one that tried anymore.

The most he could hope for was a natural portal popping up that he could sneak into, and that was only if it didn’t spit him back out somewhere completely different instead of the Zone. While Gotham seemed to have an abundance of ectoplasm, that didn’t mean it had an abundance of portals.

Would he build a new place for himself here? Haunt a new graveyard? He could never be human again. He’d left that life far and long behind. Maybe he’d find a house to haunt, be a proper ghost and scare some people.

The thought left a bad taste in his mouth, but he elected to ignore it. He’d only just felt a little like a human again. A mistake.

He’d stalled long enough. He shook his head and waited for Red Hood’s reaction.

“ Anyplace to go?” he questioned, tone flat. Danny couldn’t begin to tell what he was thinking, he kept his cards close to his chest. But maybe there was a hint of concern there? Or maybe he was being too optimistic.

He shrugged, truthfully not knowing how to answer that. He could try to get back to Amity, but that was a long, long while to walk and a major fight with the GIW and his parents that he didn’t want to pick. Or he could settle back into the cemetery he’d been chased from. Visit his old zombie pal, Jason and dodge Batman again. It’s not like he needed human accommodations. Nothing an old mausoleum wouldn’t do.

Danny could see the black eye-cover of Red’s helmet narrow (and wasn’t that a trip). He could feel the other man’s stare, intense and analytic. He waited.

Red Hood sighed. “Well, for now, you’re staying here until you’re healed completely . Then we’ll figure it out as we go.” He pressed a button on his helmet that made it drop back down and recover his face, then stood up and picked up the empty soup bowls. “Don’t need Bold and the Bleakness trying to kill you over something stupid again.”

Danny nodded. He could agree to that. He’d stay until the Bat-a-rang wounds and his broken arm fully healed and then drift back to the cemetery. No need to bother Red Hood any further than he already had. He didn’t deserve as much kindness as he’d already gotten. The man might seem to be a crime lord, but he cared about his people and had a surprising amount of warmth. A man like that didn’t need to worry about a thing like Danny.

He would fade out when Red Hood left and go back to where he belonged. Some dusty old mausoleum he could guard. And then he would wait out the rest of his existence there, protecting bones no one cared about anymore for as long as he continued to walk this plane. Maybe someday he’d fully die and make his way back to the empty streets of Amity, maybe by then the ghosts of his neighbors would have repopulated the town. Maybe he’d see his friends again. Maybe, someday, he could rest.

It was as good a plan as any.

“Alright, kid, rest up for now,” Red said, rinsing out the bowls and setting them to dry on a rack by the sink. Danny just watched the man move about the kitchen, enjoying the view. Red ducked out of the apron and folded it up until it was as small of a bundle as it could go and stuffed it in a side pocket on his utility belt. Well, huh. So he just carried that around with him then. Fascinating.

He turned back to Danny and pointed a stern finger in his direction. “I don’t wanna see you anywhere but that couch until you’re fully healed.”

Danny rolled his eyes and nodded. He’d be fine. Red Hood wouldn’t see him anywhere but the couch, not once he went invisible.

Red pulled his gloves on, Danny watching with rapt attention. Maybe a little too much attention when he pulled his jacket back on and his arms flexed with the movement. Hmm.

“You need help back to the couch, glow-stick?”

Danny felt himself flush, face probably turning green under the mask as he scrambled out of the chair and stumbled back to the couch, shaking his head along the way. He plopped down onto the cushions and melted a little into the blood-stained fabric with a bit of intangibility.

Red Hood huffed and shook his head, making his way toward the window and throwing a leg out and straddling the sill.

“Rest up and I’ll see you in the morning, Fetcher,” he called, giving Danny a wave.

Danny gave a wave back, a little sad that this would be the last time he saw Red Hood. He’d be gone in an hour or two, ready to haunt one of the smaller cemeteries of Gotham into perpetuity. For now, however, he’d take another nap and rest like a human just one last time.

[url-is-url]

We the Phandom like to elaborate on Tucker’s Pharaoh connection and maybe give him powers related to it.

Let’s throw that at a Corpse AU, because I love Corpse AUs and I was an Egyptology kid. Imagine for me if you will, all the usual Corpse AU stuff happens, and Danny has to admit his secret identity to a small group of detectives to get them to believe that yes, it was an accident and no, I don’t want to press charges now will you please put my carcass back in the ground this is making me very agoraphobic. And the detectives, naturally, want Danny to come out of the casket to his parents because Holy Fuck Dude, and Danny naturally does not want that. They reach a compromise: Danny doesn’t have to admit his secret identity to anybody else, but he does have to let the city give him a proper spot in the cemetery with a headstone instead of going out and making another unmarked grave for somebody else to find and freak out about.

Danny is wary of having a marked grave because he’s afraid his rabid fans or rabid enemies might dig it up. Enter Tucker! The ancient Egyptians were all about funerary rites, and Tucker convinces Danny to let him put some good old fashioned curses on the new grave. Egypt was sometimes a theocracy, it’s very possible that “appeasing powerful ghosts through grave magic” was Tucker’s ancestor’s/previous life’s whole job description.

Tucker starts getting occasional visits from cobras. Cobras do not naturally live in Amity Park, and they definitely don’t talk, but they show up in Amity Park and occasionally talk to Tucker. Why cobras? Because they’re associated with Meretseger, the guardian goddess of the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens in Thebes. The tomb builders prayed to her for protection from the snakes and scorpions that lived in the Valleys, and she was invoked to blind grave robbers with her venom.

Imagine you’re a random kid at Casper High, and suddenly a bigass snake comes from nowhere and crawls up that weird techie kid’s shoulders. It puts its mouth near the guy’s ear and he stands up like “excuse me teacher, the Guys in White are trying to dig up Phantom’s grave, can I please go chase them off?”

Imagine you’re Wes Weston and you know that Fenton is Phantom, and you see a snake whisper something in Tucker Foley’s ear. He turns to Fenton and says, just loud enough for you to also hear it because Fenton and his friends are all dicks, “hey, somebody just put a blunt on your grave, do you want it?”

Imagine you’re Jack and Maddie Fenton and you really want a look at Phantom’s body to see if there’s any clues to why he got so strong so fast. Before you’re even a foot into this grave, your son’s best friend shows up with an enormous snake wrapped around his shoulders and they’re both glaring at you. All of the usual wildlife of the night has gone completely, creepily silent (Meretseger means “she who loves silence”) and the cobra is absolutely making eye contact with you.

[13thdoodle]

can you explain to me the levi au? i read the original post and i still don't get it

Okay so this is the post about Levi's origin but to summarize

Levi(athan) is an OC of mine who is the Ancient of Heroes (like how Clockwork is the Ancient of Time) and was the First Ghost King.

But he didn't like being the king like at all, so at some point he appointed the next King (my partner's OC Auberon ) and then he jsut left, hiding away at the edge of the ghost zone realm so no one can bother him there

He only come out of isolation just once to help kicking Pariah's ass to the sarcophagus and then peace out again

--

the AU kinda starts off with Danny finding out he looks like the first Ghost King and later on just.. accidentally found said guy just hanging around in middle of no where fighting monsters or sth

it's basically just grabbing this short feral man by the scruff and get him to meet and talk to ppl again

--

so when I refer to og!Levi, I meant this version of Levi, the I-haven't-talk-to-ppl-for-thousands-of-years-and-also-am-absolutely-a-feral kind of Levi

there's a reason for him going that far for isolation and I'm gonna explain it under cut bc it is long

So, I have drew this for angst week but in case it's hard read

Levi in this AU, his og AU, actually had lived through this timeline twice. On the first run, he was way more brass and way way more impulsive.

And he didn't really know how to properly do a King's job? so instead of getting help with the whole ruling thing, he took on everything on himself and it weigh him down really bad

I mean that's what heroes do, helping others by taking the burnt of it on themselves. and yes, Levi have a bad case of Saviour/Hero Complex because he literally was made from one akjsdnkajsd

oh yeah, in my AU, I hc that Ancients are made of concepts or stories ppl made. kind of like gods and such, stories and concepts given form. Levi is made from stories of heroes, ones who saved people and protecting others

so that's what he do, thats what his core is

which clashes with being a King all about, because when you're a King, esp on times of chaos n war, you WILL have to make sacrifices. And it cannot be yourself, bc ppl would still need you to lead them. And that fucks him up, because the whole thing with Heroes complexs are sacrificing themselves to make sure everyone else is safe

so he took everything on his own, stretched himself thin, and eventually got caught off guard n he failed to safe a town/village. It was literally destroyed right in front of him n that just broke him

he asked Chronos (the first timeline's Clockwork) to turn back time so he can fix this n Chronos refused bc duh its bad. .....so Levi tried to turn back time himself

But the problem with that is, time magic.. requires compatible magic user to use them. And Levi, who is very much not a time ghost, cannot use it. But he IS a very VERY strong ghost, so he brute force it, and basically broke the timeline all together

Chronos got there in time (lol) and tried to fix/sealed it, but it drains all his power, but before that, he sent Levi back in time to prevent this from happening in the first place

So here's Levi, back in time, to when he was supposed to meet Chronos the first time. But Chronos never showed up, bc he lost all power and essentially died, and have to reform again, to the one we now know as Clockwork.

And now Levi get to live through this timeline knowing what will happen in the future and can react accordingly. But it also made him a bit more distant? Keeping everyone's at arm length bc he is way older and more tired than he was the first time.

like if u know whats going to happen it'll be a bit harder to get super invested into what is going on basically?

So he's now keeping ppl at distance and doesnt really bothers as much to befriend ppl anymore bc what if he fcked up n got em killed again?

and then time goes on and he crowned Auberon and then he leave for good

So, there's Levi.. who haven't had.. or tried to make any meaningful relationship since (he did make frens but he left all of em behind so) and now are being dragged kicking n screaming to socialize agian lmao

[agent-jaselin]

All of these are drawings of Cosmic based on dm talks about him and his au with @five-rivers, drawn before the Isolation oneshot was written. I drew these a while ago but lets see if I can remember what they are for k? Cool. 

1. First picture is Cosmic’s ghost form and his secondary human form. Less a reverse pallete here and more just a Clockwork colored version of him XD He’s still very much and elfish and mischievous fellow in human form, and doesn’t talk there either. 

2. Clockwork first finding Cosmic once he’s finished changing. Before Five came up with the cocoon idea.

3.What it looks like when Cosmic blushes in ghost form! little nebulae forming on his cheeks. :3

4. There was some talk about Cosmic having the ability to visit other universes, and in particular latching on to one that’s closer to canon. Sort of becomes a brother figure to Danny and befriends Danny’s friends and family. Here he is hanging with Jazz, and being generally quite affectionate. (Danny puts up with the strange ghost because he 1. seems like a sweet kid, and 2. no other ghosts appear when Cosmic is there so he usually has time to study. Danny does not know that Cosmic is an all powerful ancient.) 

5. Cosmic being sad and taking comfort from Danny, I can’t quite remember why? I think it had something to do with his origins coming up and Cosmic getting a bit morose about it.

6. Ok this relates to the idea that the Danny he becomes attached to is one that’s destined to become Ghost King? Specifically in the way that he became king in that one shot by @five-rivers where it was done in his sleep and his two halves were permanently fused and his lost his eye to the crown? Well as an Ancient that means that Cosmic was forced to put chains on him as well. And it’s actually like, opposing to one of his obsessions. His long time trapped in the void makes freedom and the ability to leave very important to Cosmic, so binding Danny actually hurt him physically. IT took him a few days to recover, but once he was  finished he came with a gift to the king, a mirror that could let him see the human world and lands beyond the Ghost Zone. It is one of the few times he speaks, to apologize. His voice sounds strangely older than it should, and is very quiet and hoarse. (which also relates to his Ghost Wail being that of danny’s last calls for help in the void.)

7. The first time Danny and Cosmic met. He didn’t know the kid was a half ghost and suddenly his parents came in and he was worried about protecting him. But his parents were like “oh are you babysitting?” And he looked down and Cosmic was HUMAN and he suddenly had to figure out how to lie about that while also freaking out about the new half ghost so he was just like “OH UH YEAH I SURE AM” 

8. A series of little sketches, first row has a randomly distressed Cosmic and cosmic with the mirror approaching Danny (with gift wrapped.) second row is Cosmic growling at Vlad over Jack’s shoulder. Basically a version of events where they found out about Danny and it sort of led to them befriending/adopting him (and learning about his origins too.) And the last one in that group is Cosmic trying to talk to ghost king Danny. 

9. Cosmic is having a nice sandwich because Jack said little kids his age should eat, Danny is freaking out about this kids possible origins. 

Also, not drawn here but the freak out about origins and Cosmic not liking Vlad has to do with Vlad temporarily capturing the master of Space as part of one of his hair brained schemes. (shortly before Maddy and Danny ended up in his forest mansion.) Cosmic freaked out and destroyed half the mansion (and Vlad had to make up a lie about tornadoes.) and because of that incident has had a strong grudge against him since. But most people don’t know the reason for the grudge and just think Vlad had something to do with his murder (or in Danny’s case, thinks he had something to do with him being half ghost.) OH! also his look in number six is relating to the fact that all the half ghosts forms combined into one form? So the colors and crown and grey details are references to his human form.

[ayamari-no-goshi]

Verboten 10 | (T)

ff.net | AO3

Fandom: Danny Phantom (DP)

Summary:   AU. When Danny was five years old, he went missing for 2 weeks. In the years that follow, his family tried to make sense of what happened, only for the truth to be discovered years later.

Warnings: rated T for violence, mentions of death, language. Be prepared for some very weird things

Chapter warning: child kidnappings mentioned

Parings: Danny/Sam

Notes: originally uploaded to Ff.net. Cross-posted to AO3 and tumblr. This fic is very heavily inspired by folklore surrounding mysterious wilderness disappearances

Chapter 10

Frostbite was close lipped on their journey to Clockwork's lair, at least in regards to the mysterious and ancient ghost. He instead talked to Danny about different aspects of ghosts and their realm. Although the yeti ghost wanted Danny to return home, he wanted Danny to know about the realm as a precaution, and Danny reluctantly agreed.

As they passed by some of the floating islands, buildings, and doors, Frostbite would occasionally mention which of his allies or neutral acquaintances lived there. It was all so strange. There were buildings which looked like they were from ancient Greece or Rome, while there was another which looked like a modern library. Frostbite explained the form of the lair was heavily influenced by its ruler. A ghost needed to be a fairly strong to be able to create such a large lair, and while the architecture often reflected what the ghost knew while they were alive, it wasn't a necessity.

Eventually, a dark and imposing clock tower could be seen in the distance. "I guess that's the place?" Danny questioned as he tried to get a better look at it.

"It is. When we arrive, it is unlikely I will be able to go in with you."

"Wait, what?" Danny hadn't expected this would be a one on one meeting. From the way Frostbite spoke, he figured someone would be guarding him, at least until he had answers.

The older ghost gave him a sheepish look. "The invitation was only for you. Unless Clockworks invites me in, I will do no more than ferry you to the location and wait for your return."

"Is this Clockwork really so scary?"

"He is far more powerful than I am, so I have no desire to anger him. There are stories regarding how no foe has been able to sway or harm him."

"So you're just going to allow a teenager to go to meet a ridiculously powerful ghost by himself? That's just great. What if he incinerates me or something?"

Frostbite just chuckled. "I do not think you have anything to fear, unless you try to attack him. Clockwork is not known for going out of his way to do damage to someone."

"Great. That makes me feel so much better." Danny's sarcasm was lost on Frostbite.

…

A short time later, Frostbite's sleigh landed in front of the clock tower. Upon closer inspection, the building appeared to be made of a dark gray stone with large wooden doors. Thankfully, there was a small amount of land surrounding the building, so Danny wasn't worried about falling to his death. After being coaxed out of the sleigh, Danny, feeling incredibly self-conscious, knocked on the door.

The door opened, but he didn't see anyone when he cautiously stepped inside. He half expected the door to slam behind him, but instead, it remained open until he started moving towards the only thing in the room, a stair case. Once he reached it, the door slowly closed on its own.

While uneasy, he wasn't exactly scared. Whoever this Clockwork was, he was at least somewhat courteous.

After reaching the top of the stairs, he found himself in a large room filled with gears, pendulums, and what appeared to be mirrors set within large gears. However, after a closer inspection, the mirrors showed shadowy images which didn't appear to be him or anything in the room.

"Do you see anything interesting?" a pleasant voice asked from somewhere behind him, making him jump. He sheepishly spun around to find a ghost with blue skin, red eyes, and a clock pendulum in his chest watching him. The ghost initially appeared maybe around thirty, but after a few moments shifted to appear much older.

"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have looked." Danny wasn't exactly certain why, but he felt almost as if he was being caught in the act by a favorite relative. There was something familiar and personable about this ghost, even when his form shifted again. This time, his appearance was childlike.

The ghost chuckled as he approached. "It is quite alright. Most of my visitors have been drawn to them." He gestured towards the closest one, and the images suddenly became more vivid. It was almost as if it was playing some sort of video. "As you have guessed, I am Clockwork, master of time. I am able to see all events which may or may not come to pass." His form again shifted.

"Err… Frostbite said you wanted to see me?"

"Correct. Beings such as yourself have only shown up a handful of times over the millennia, and each time one does, it often brings great change."

"But what am I? Am I dead? Am I alive?"

The ghost gave a gentle chuckle. "You are still very much alive. You're just able to access the power of your soul, which is not usually feasible while one is still has a living body. However, this is not possible unless you are able to resist the pull of this realm."

"What does that mean?" Although Danny was relieved to know he was classified as living, he was still deeply confused by everything. "Does it deal with what Frostbite explained regarding what could trigger the change?"

"Yes. This world is similar to the human concept of limbo. It is a place where some souls wander until they are lead to the Evermore – true death. But, it is still a world of the dead, and the living are not meant to be here. It has defenses to prevent the dead from crossing back into your world, which unfortunately can cause the wayward human to become a denizen."

"However, there is more to it than that," Clockwork continued as he gestured to the mirror. Strange images flickered within it. "Over millennia, this realm became corrupted. The guides, beings unique to this realm, which used to help guide those wayward souls, are all but gone now. No longer being able to find true rest, souls that remain here often become tainted and become ghosts. Many can spread that taint as well, and some use that to create others like themselves."

"You're telling me that's why my classmates were abducted?" A cold chill ran through him as his body decided to return to his human form.

"Not in this case." Clockwork gestured to the mirror as an image flickered to the first ghost Danny and his friends saw. After a moment, another ghostly figure who suspiciously resembled Mikey came into view. "In Youngblood's case, whether or better or worse, wanted a companion more than anything else. This isn't an isolated case. However, many abductors have a far more insidious reason." The ghost turned to face him. "The living have an energy that the dead do not. It's probably easiest to refer to it as vitality. Returning to your previous question, you still produce that energy so it is safe to say you are still alive."

"Alright. So what makes that so appealing? Does it give, I don't know, special abilities?"

"Some believe so. Others believe vitality will help them restore some of the memories commonly lost upon death."

"That's so messed up," Danny replied after mulling over the information. "The memory loss thing, does that happen to everyone? Will it happen to me? Will I…?" He didn't want to admit it out loud, but he was worried he might become a danger to his friends and family.

The ghost, who was back in his child form, gave him a soft smile. "As long as you're alive, you don't need to worry. As for death, most souls do not come to this realm, but instead find their way to the Evermore. Also, as long as the soul is strong, it can avoid being tainted by this realm and become a force of good or of balance. Those which do have no need to seek out and harm the living." It was impossible for Danny to hide the relief on his face, which made Clockwork chuckle.

"Now let us move on to some of your other concerns. You want to know if you can return home and how you became like that, correct?" When Danny nodded, Clockwork again gestured to the mirrors. An image of a young Danny berry picking with his aunt and sister. The view changed to show a creature, some other ghost, peering at them from behind a tree. After Danny caught sight of it, his family members disappeared from the scene. "This is where your journey began. As you saw earlier, a distraction from this realm can accidently pull you into it."

"What is that thing?" Danny felt uneasy as he watched the ghost beckon to his younger self which somehow triggered his body to switch forms again. There was something about the ghost which made him unsettled. It looked humanoid with dark skin, but did not have any facial features. "I don't remember seeing it, but then again, I don't remember much from that."

Clockwork stared at the image for another moment before glancing at Danny. "Most of them no longer have names. We call them 'Recruiters', but it was believed they had been destroyed several centuries ago. They worked for the previous king."

"Wait, king? You guys have a king? And what do you mean they were supposed to be destroyed?"

"We once did," Clockwork replied as he shifted to his elderly form. "He waged war against this realm and yours, so he was sealed away. The members of his court, made mostly of purposely modified ghosts, were either destroyed or sealed. It appears someone has resurrected those modification techniques."

Danny was about to ask another question when the images in the mirror caught his attention again. It showed the ghost, the Recruiter, examining him. It then handed him something which looked like some type of candy. After young Danny ate it, the Recruiter watched him for a while before attempting to grab him. When the attempt failed, young Danny tried to escape.

Images flashed as his younger self ran away from the Recruiter. Eventually, the boy collapsed outside of what appeared to be some sort of wall and began to cry as a faint glow started to surround him. As the Recruiter again appeared in the scene, it was blasted away by a strange beam. The boy looked up to see Plasmius staring curiously at him.

"Wow… so Plasmius actually wasn't lying when he said how he first met me."

"For the most part, no," Clockwork replied as he raised his staff, which caused the scene to shift to the inside of Plasmius' mansion. The older ghost had given Danny more food and was watching him carefully. "Plasmius did accidently find you, but if he hadn't provided you with more food from this realm, you may have been able to return home as a fairly normal human, albeit with form of minor psychic ability. However, he saw potential in you and became interested."

The teenager was silent for a moment as he continued to watch the images. After Plasmius took him back to the human world, the scene shifted to show him a little older. With a jolt, he realized it was when he disappeared the second time. Instead of the Recruiter, it was Plasmius who beckoned him. The ghost didn't do anything other than talk and play with his younger self. However, Danny was showing evidence of ghostly traits again. "He wanted to make sure he was right, didn't he?"

"Yes. Plasmius has grand ambitions in this realm. He wants power and having someone like you at his side would be a great boon. However," Clockwork froze the image and somehow zoomed into a spot in the background. There was a Recruiter watching them, "you were not alone. This is troubling."

"You mentioned earlier you are able to see all possible events, didn't you? So why do you seem so surprised?"

The ghost, still in his elderly form, wore a tenebrous expression. "While my abilities allow me to see any number of possibilities, it can be difficult to sort through the amount of information I receive. It is also possible, though unlikely, someone powerful was able to block them from my abilities. However, now that I am aware of the concern, it is much easier to locate similar events." The ghost shifted to his child form. "I had wanted to send you home while you adjust to the changes in your body, but you may need trained first."

Uncertain how to respond while the ghost took a few moments to think, Danny turned back to the mirror. It was no longer showing images of his past. Instead, it was flickering through a multitude of scenes at a blinding rate. For a second, he thought he saw Sam and Tucker, but the image changed before he could be certain. Some of the images seemed to show an army of some sort. Overall, it left him unsettled.

"I believe I will need to let Frostbite into the Clock Tower," Clockwork stated, making Danny jump. "I will need him to spread the word of my discovery, and he has information for both of us."

Moments later, the white furred ghost hurried up the stairs with two of his guards. After taking a moment to collect himself, he bowed towards Clockwork. "I humbly thank you for allowing us into your presence."

"There is no need for that. My abilities and agreement with the Observants force me to remain neutral under most circumstances. As such, I prefer to keep to myself, but sometimes when extraordinary people appear," Clockwork gestured to Danny, "curiosity gets in the way. However, this time, I am glad it did." The ghost brought their attention to the mirrors and showed the Yetis the image of the Recruiter.

Frostbite's shock was quickly replaced by rage. "Who would dare attempt to recreate such a vile creature? However, we have unsettling news of our own. The entourage who were escorting the other humans Danny knows home were attacked by the Fright Knight and a horde of Reanimated." When the yeti caught sight of Danny's horrified expression, he gave a small smile. "Fear not. Pandora herself stepped into assist my men and drove them back; not even the Fright Knight dares raise his blade to her. Your friends should be arriving home soon." His attention turned back towards Clockwork. "Pandora explained one of her spies caught sight of them shortly before they attacked my men and took it upon herself to intervene. Her ambassadors will request an audience of the counsel within the day."

"As much as I dislike dealing with the Observants, I believe this is necessary," Clockwork agreed. "Whoever is employing the techniques of the old king has been able to exploit the blind spots in my abilities. It also seems as if they are aware of Daniel and what his existence means. They may also be watching Plasmius."

"This is most troubling."

"Uh, excuse me, but I have no idea what's going on here," Danny interrupted. The conversation had lost him some time ago, but he was relieved to hear his friends were safe.

Frostbite gave him a sheepish smile as Clockwork explained, "It appears someone is trying to make a grab for power. The last time this happened, war overtook this realm and spilled into yours."

"That… that doesn't sound good."

"No. Last time, it was only through the power of the Ancients that we were able to defeat the King. If someone has found a way to access his abilities, then it needs to be stopped before catastrophe happens." The yeti's expression was grim as he addressed Clockwork. "So what becomes of Danny? Will he need to remain with us, or can he travel home? Is it even safe for someone like him to return to the human realm?"

"As he is still alive, there is no harm in him returning him. His parents are working on several projects, one of which will provide his home with enough ambient energy to allow his core to remain stable. However, the more I attempt to peer into the future, the more muddled the images become. There is definitely interference. So, I am uncertain what route will allow the most favorable outcome." He shifted to his adult form. "So, Daniel, I leave the choice to you."

"You said that whoever attacked my friends know about me?"

The time ghost nodded. "Yes. Since you can traverse both worlds without ill effects, your abilities would be of great interest. You could remain here and train with Frostbite…"

"But I would not be able to guarantee your safety as today proved," the Yeti admitted.

"There is also a concern the Observant and the Counsel will not approve of your existence," Clockwork continued. "You could return home, but you would be forced to develop your abilities on your own. However, you would be much safer there for the time being."

Danny looked down at his hands and momentarily stared at the faint glow surrounding them. "Am I a danger to my family and friends if I go home?"

"No, but it is possible to make them more open to this world. If we are unable to prevent our enemies from gaining power, it may cause them to be targeted again."

"Is it okay if I take some time to think about it?"

"Of course. Take all of the time you need."

=========================================

Note: The Evermore is something within DP lore. It was mentioned in a video Butch Hartman released which expanded upon more information regarding the different residents.

Clockwork's mention of limbo and soul guides. To my knowledge, the concept of Limbo is most prevalent to Christians (particularly Catholics). This is a place in between life and Heaven/Hell. In previous Catholic tradition, Limbo is the place where unbaptized souls go upon death, and there were circumstances which could help those souls find rest (the Catholic Church modified its views on Limbo in 2007). Some people say Limbo is also the realm of the fairies, elves, and any creature/entity which lives in another realm that is not heaven or hell. There is a similar concept in Greek mythology which was referred to as the Asphodel Fields/Meadows.

And for completion sake, Purgatory is not the same as Limbo. Purgatory (also per Catholic tradition) is a place of fiery cleansing after death. It's a temporary stop as once the cleansing is completed, the soul moves on to Heaven. While it is not mentioned much, Purgatory is still considered to exist.

Soul guides, also called psychopomps, are creatures responsible for guiding the deceased souls to the afterlife. The belief in them is ancient. Depending on tradition, they can be anything or look like anything. There's even some thought that certain entities known to spirit away people, faeries come to mind, may have derived from this concept. A great representation of this are the Alebrijes found in Mexican traditions (they were recently featured in the movie "Coco.")

The Recruiters are kind of based of off "Shadow People" mixed in with other legends like "Tall Man" spirit and Stick Men/Indians seen in some First Nation lore. Shadow People are a weird phenomenon, even for the paranormal. True Shadow People are not usually considered to be ghosts, but no one is exactly certain of what they are. The inter-dimensional theory often pops up with them because they don't seem to act like "normal ghosts" and are usually considered dangerous. They are reported to negatively influence and harm humans. There are some reports of them attempting to steal people. 

Stick Men/Indians and the Tall Man are described as creatures similar to that of the modern tale of Slenderman, and they are again said to either negatively influence or take children. I used these descriptions due to some supposed reports from missing and found children saying creatures of similar descriptions wanted to take them with them, but they didn't meet the correct criteria.

Also, regarding Clockwork's powers… per the show, he "knows everything." However, it would very difficult of an entity to be able to take and absorb all of the information he gets at a time. So, my mind is viewing it as if he's skimming the majority of the information, which could allow events in the background to get missed.

[phantomphangphucker]

Ectober Day 23: Soul- This Is A Little Bit Much Chap. 2 - Even Plains Of Reality Need Souls

Danny’s one part impossible, one part too powerful for his own good, and one part a series of existential crises.

Jack shrugging as Maddie speaks, “well it shouldn’t do anything. We never tested it out in such a way. If a ghost had any reaction they’d probably look human. Which would probably cause them to go into some form of ghost shock”, Maddie’s eyes widen, “wait, sweetie did, did someone get Phantom to use it?”.

Jack looks excited and bounces in his seat slightly, while Danny nods, “yeah and then a little after seeing him Technus apparently tried to flee. And a bunch of people were commenting that his ecto-blast was way brighter and stronger. Also, this”, Danny shoves his phone into the centre of the table. His parents giving it the single most confused expression he’s ever seen on their faces.

His moms muttering about how ‘ghosts can’t even glow like this’ and how ‘strength increasing isn’t even a possible function’. While his dad stares, thinking face on. Before speaking up, “maybe it’s showing the Ghost Zone”.

Danny blinks, mumbling around the spoon in his mouth, “what?”. Maddie also seems confused, as she raises an eyebrow at her husband.

Jack taps his chin and nods, “think about it. The Ghost Mirroring Key was designed to show a persons base ghost. And what makes up a base ghost is a persons true self, their soul. A reflection of what really makes them, well, them. The Ghost Zone makes ghosts, gives them their ectoplasm. So at their very base they’d be the Ghost Zone?”.

Maddie shakes her head, “ghosts at their base would still have to be separate otherwise they wouldn’t have a form at all. And being in a base state, if that affected strength at all, should have made Phantom weaker”.

“Well, maybe he’s more connected to the Ghost Zone like this?”.

“Being more connected with the Ghost Zone should logically just make him look more ghostly”, gesturing to the phone, “not this”.

“Maybe it just hyper-concentrated his ectoplasm?”.

“Then his skin would be green, not black”.

Danny looks down at his phone and blinks, thinking of how, exactly, he became a halfa. “What if, what if Phantom was created closer to the core or epicentre of the Zone? Had more pure ectoplasm?”.

Maddie scrunches up her eyebrows, “I’m not sure if that’s even possible sweetie”.

Jack slams his fist into his hand, “wait! Phantom’s weird, we know this. This is another example of that. Maybe Danny-boy is on to something here. Maybe Phantom isn’t a ghost in the traditional sense. A dead being that was once living”, Danny’s officially feeling nervous and regrets speaking. Then his dad throws him through a loop, “what if instead, Phantom is a ghost of the Ghost Zone itself. A personification and culmination of the Ghost Zone. It would explain him trying to keep ghosts in the Ghost Zone. That’s where the Ghost Zone would want them to be. Why he finds and rounds up ghosts, the Ghost Zone’s way of keeping an eye on and effectively leading ghosts. Why he can be outside of the Ghost Zone indefinitely, because he is it. Why he always seems to know where ghosts are, the Ghost Zone should be able to sense the location of any ghost. Maybe our sensors and barriers and weapons don’t always work on him because they’re made for regular ghosts, not an embodiment of the Ghost Zone. Why he’s so strong, he has the whole Ghost Zone at his disposal”.

Both Danny and Maddie are gaping at him. Before Maddie nods, “yes that, that would make sense. It would also mean that all laws and norms generally assigned to ghosts might not necessarily apply to Phantom. Which we already know many do not. It would also explain why he’s so human-seeming. The Ghost Zone is the other side to our world. If we were to take that further, that would make Phantom the ghost of humanity itself as well. And that would explain why he’s protective of humans”.

Meanwhile, Danny’s attempting to not have a complete existential crisis. Combining what his folks said with what Danny knew of how he half died. He was literally infused and half offed by the entirety of the Ghost Zone. His parents, they could be right. Excluding the never alive/human bit. Because really? His obsession didn’t make any sense for him to have as his obsession. He’d never been all that protective before? Or a fighter? Oh fuck, was he literally the will of the Ghost Zone? And being the High Ghost King, he literally ruled over all other ghosts. His word was basically law. So was Phantom, was Phantom literally a combination of Danny’s ghost before he became a halfa -because let’s be real, becoming a halfa changed his base ghost - and the Ghost Zone itself? Looking down at himself, if it wasn’t for Phantom, would his base ghost even look anything like he did now? Oh Ancients he needs to stop thinking. Deciding instead to blurt out, “so what you’re saying is, Phantom’s basically ghost god”, which honestly just gives him another crisis. Because what was a god? An immortal being that watched over their world, or in Danny’s case, world’s? Who possessed massive, seldom rivalled, and unheard-of power? Who leads and guided the people of their world(s)? Who could see everything from a wildly different point of view and existed in a state that was nearly unique? Because fuck, that was Danny. He was just lacking the whole omniscient and omnipresent thing....Which ClockWork did have....and he was Danny’s advisor and mentor. Danny...Danny is not sleeping tonight.

Maddie and Jack blink at Danny before exchanging a look and nodding. Maddie speaking into her hands while staring at the screen, “it would seem so. It’s the only thing that makes sense. But I wouldn’t say he’s anything like the way gods are written about in books and I wouldn’t say he truly knows”.

Danny can’t help but think, no fucking shit.

Jack nods again, “it would explain his growing too. If he was really just a teenager when he showed up. The Ghost Zone itself would only have human ageing to go off of, so it moulded its personified self after that”.

Maddie looks at Danny, smiling a bit softly, which he honestly can’t comprehend right now. He’s too busy having one crisis after another, while she talks, “teens often don’t know who they are or what their role in life is. So it only makes sense that he wouldn’t know just what he was. I suspect the other, normal, ghosts don’t know exactly either”, Maddie goes wide-eyed and asks Danny, “wait, you said Technus fled from him right?”.

Danny just nods numbly.

“What if that’s because he could see or sense that Phantom was the Ghost Zone?”.

Now Jack looks worried, “so we may have inadvertently revealed Phantom in a sense? Mads, you don’t think that could be bad?”.

Danny can instantly see both of them worrying now and looking guilty. So Danny decides he should be the only one have a mental freak out tonight, “um actually, none of the ghosts seem to view Phantom as a normal ghost. Skulker literally screams about him being unique. And people have seen Spectra mock him by calling him an unnatural freak. And-”, Danny blinks realising he was literally worshiped, like a god, “-and, I’ve heard there are ghosts who...who worship him. Call him the Great One and Saviour”. Danny’s basically whispering by the end. He’d always just passed off the Far Frozen's people’s words as fanciful compliments and shows of respect. Never giving them much thought other than the fact that it was a bit embarrassing and seemed unnecessary.

Maddie nods, looking a bit more relaxed, “that’s good then, we didn’t mess things up. I hope. But that, that just confirms it. There’s no way he’s a normal ghost at all. He’s something more. The Ghost Zone itself”, while Danny tries to not look like his brain stopped working, Maddie frowns, “but why would ghosts treat him unkindly then? Call him such things?”. Maddie sighs, giving herself the answer, “maybe he wasn’t supposed to exist. Maybe something horrible happened, something went wrong, and he came to exist. That if he didn’t exist something bad would have happened...”.

Jack rubs his temples, “maybe they resent his power or affection for humans and simply take whatever cheap shots they can?”.

Danny blinks, technically they were both right. All ghosts insulted each other. That was just a ghost thing. But his mom, well, the answer was yes. Regardless of him existing or not, Pariah would have happened. The G.I.W. would have tried to blow up the Ghost Zone. OverGrowth would have awakened. Hotep-ra would have been summoned. Nephitius would have tried to remove gravity. Phantom was needed in every situation. And when he was the one who needed to be stopped, and needed to be protected; ClockWork showed up. The world(s) were literally dependent on him, he could either destroy it all or keep protecting it. You know, after the whole ‘King of the entire Ghost Zone and ghost species’ thing, you’d think nothing could really shock him anymore. But Ancients, he was a goddamn god. The embodiment of the Ghost Zone. Personification of the afterlife. Death given form. The very soul of the underworld. But he was also alive, a person, a teenager, and perpetually in over his head. Oh, and tired. Really damn tired. And not just physically.

Danny looks at the kitchen clock before getting up and putting away his plate, “well I’m going to go to bed and pointedly not think about how our local teenage town hero, who sometimes faceplants into buildings or forgets to dodge. Is probably a godly embodiment of an entire realm and it’s will”.

Halfway up the stairs, his mom calls out, “you forgot your phone sweetie”.

Danny mutters, “oh, right”, before grabbing it and heading back upstairs.

Danny flops onto his bed and calls Sam and Tucker.

“What’s up dude? Ghosts?”-T

“What’d your parents say about sorta ghost you? Mine rolled their eyes and complained about it not being girly enough”-S

“Oh shit yeah. Mine complimented me but made me promise not to die. Three times”-T

“Come to think of it, mine didn’t ask me about that at all”-S

“Is that really surprising though? Your parents are the most selfish people ever”-T

Groaning, “tell me about it”-S

There’s a pause for a while.

“Uh dude? You’re being awfully quiet”-T

“Should we be worried?”-S

“Ugh”-D

“Okay that was more ‘I hate my existence’ than ‘my half life’s in danger’”-S

“I’m, like, eighty percent mental crisis right now”-D

“Dare I ask, why?”-T

“Did they say they’ll love and accept you if you ever became a ghost? ‘Cause yeah that is exactly the kind of thing that would give you, of all people, a crisis”-S

Danny blinks up at the ceiling a couple of times, “uh, oh yeah right. That did happen. Forgot about that”-D

“You...the guy who constantly worries about their folks not accepting them, forgot your parents accepted you? Well sorta at least?”-T

“What else happened Danny”-S

“Ugh, just belgerfuncklederck”-D

Tucker wheezes in laughter some, “care to try again dude?”-T

“Uh, in between my folks blatantly stating they expect me to become a ghost and actively wanting me to be powerful. Which just, like, what? I mean yes. Just, like, yes please. I honestly cried. Then there’s them going to call a truce with Phantom, which yay. But then it’s all ‘should I tell them?’, ‘would they feel the same?’, and...and oh Ancients they asked me not to die”-D

Tucker snorts, “little late”-T

“Were they manly tears or did you blubber like an idiot?”-S

There’s another pause in the conversation before Danny barely whispers, “is it really? Am I dead or just, like, the Zone?”-D

“Dude what? You’re supposed to say ‘hey that’s my line’. Your question doesn’t even make sense. And you ignored Sam’s jab”-T

“I thought we were already past the whole “I’M NOT DEAD!!!’ thing?”-S

“I showed my folks the photo. A photo. Image. Thing that captures our likeness to suspend it forever in existence to show off to whom ever’s willing to look at our mugs. Thingys we look at with our eyeballs, whatever the fuck. Of Phantom me all fucked up glow bug-”-D

“Uh, you know I’m not one to question your mental state. But do we need Jazz?”-T

“Tuck, goddamn fuck. Ancients and shit. Just no, fuck. Just fuck no. Ugh. Fuuuuucck. Hebergebber nerugh”-D

“This seems like an overreaction and definitely a call Jazz thing”-S

“Please don’t. I mean, fuck, uh, I’d say I’d hang up if you did but, like, fuck, how do fingers work?”-D

“I mean yours have ectoplasm in them so they probably work a little differently”-T

Danny points aggressively at the phone, though internally grateful for the slight distraction, “you. Shut the fuck up. I, uh...what? Fuck, I forgot what I was going to say. Why was I even calling?”-D

An exaggerated sigh, “Ancients Danny”-S

“Something to do with your parents, mental crisis, and you questioning your deadness. Which yeah, you were over that”-T

Danny blinks up at the ceiling, “Uuuuuuugh. Fuck yeah. That. My brain don’t feel like workin’ no more”-D

“Then stop thinking! You’re really good at that”-S

“Not good enough apparently. Look, like, fuck. So, like... fuck. The picture right. My phone and shit-”-D

Tucker cuts him off, “don’t think you actually mentioned your phone yet, so that’s progress”-T

Danny’s screws up his face and starts laughing; and he just sort of keeps laughing.

“Dude, it’s not that funny”-T

After a while, with Danny still laughing, “Uh... you okay?”-T

“You broke him Tucker”-S

Danny wheezes and flops his hand/phone down onto the bed. “Ancients fuck, holy shit. Good goddamn”, snorting and wheezing some more while his friends muffled concerned voices come through the speaker. Shaking his head, “how the fuck does mash potatoes and peas change the universe”.

Lifting the phone back to his ear, “Alright, I’m back. Not fully dead. Still fuck and, like, never going to look at mash potatoes the same again”-D

“Dude don’t do that. You know we do actually worry about you”-T

“Yeah Danny. Stitch and ditch is another thing we’ve established is bad to do”-S

“Heh. Yeah, well, you’re conversing with the equivalent of a puddle that apparently decided to eat a shift in reality for supper”-D

Sounding unimpressed, “what happened with your phone Danny”-T

“Okay fair enough on the shortness. I did kind of, uh, ghost? you there”-D

“You being awkward about puns is honestly more worrying”-S

Danny takes a deep breath and wheezes, words coming out in a rush and firmly reminding everyone that he doesn’t actually need to breathe, “my parents decided Phantom’s a literal god the embodiment of the Ghost Zone and It’s will. That he was created from the very essence of the Ghost Zone after something horrible happened. That he captures and sends home ghosts because that’s where the Ghost Zone wants them. That he’s protective of humans but earth is the other side of the coin and will become ghosts. That he’s so strong because he has access to the entirety of the Ghost Zone. That he knows where ghosts are because of course the damn Ghost Zone knows where ghosts are. And Ancients holy jerzerbelerbed. It, fuck, it accounts for everything. Except the half alive shit. But like fuck guys, I was zapped by the entirety of the Ghost Zone. Would I even look like Phantom if I had died normally? I mean fuck, you two make it clear all this ghostly crap changes how our ghosts would look. And my obsession? Where the fuck does that even come from? Why am I such a protective son of a corpse? And I don’t know if I’m just really fucking confused, weirded out, or fucking terrified. Because just what the fuck even am I? Like dead yeah sure, fucking dead. Partly. But like fuck am I really? My folks officially don’t even think so. Cause created from the Zone apparently doesn’t count as dead. And I’m literally worshiped and if I wasn’t Phantom and shit, you know how fucked we’d all be? Pariah and OverGrowth and goddamn Nephitius. Fucking Nephitius. No fucking gravity. Hurgerflebergederhurg. And, and the fucking King thing. I literally rule the whole damn place and a guy with fucking omnipresence and omniscience is my fucking advisor. I am a god. I. Am. A. Fucking. God. Like the Zone just got all up in me and decided ‘oh yeah this looks like a great place to push my will and being into!’. And I’m sitting here like what the fuck did my ghost originally look like? Did I even have one? Was I just some shell? Waiting to be filled by the void of death? Oh god that mental image! I did not need that! Oh Ancients. Aregerflagerdertic-“-D

“Danny shut the fuck up”-S

“-The Zone, fuck, it’s like the body of death and shit. So am I like the fucking grim reaper now? And oh fuck right, the, like, first fucking thing they said was ghost of the Ghost Zone. So am I even my own ghost at all? Or did like my ghost and the Zones ghost like fucking fuse. Or did the Zone fucking yeet my ghost back into me thusly making me alive again but then like, fuck, insert it’s ghost where my ghost should have been? Or did it-”-D

“Danny be quite”-S

“-make my ghost extra ghost to the point where it couldn’t possibly be fully ghost. Or maybe made my ghost so extra ghost that it literally became the Zone itself. I am I just, like, super ectoplasm absorbent to the point of just yanking it all into my very being? What the fuck am I? Like, what the fuck is up with half my shit? I highly fucking doubt Vlad half died looking like a vampire twat. But then what the fucks up with Vortex and Nocturne? The fuck are they? What the absolute fuck?!? And I am literally the strongest ghost there is. WHYYYYYY??? I’m only half one! And my core? The fuck is it ice for? Because the Ghost Zone is cold, that’s fucking why. And my obsession, my goddamn obsession! I’m not a protective person! Wait no, UGH! I uh ugh. Yes I am. I really fucking am. But just fuck, ugh. GAH! I DIDN’T USED TO BE SUCH A PROTECTIVE WEIRDASS! WHAT THE FUCK IS UP WITH ME! WHAT AM I!?! WHAT IS PHANTOM!?! WHO THE FUCK AM I!?! FENTON!?! PHANTOM!?! FENTON!?! PHANTOM!?! ARE THEY THE SAME FUCKING PERSON!?! AM I THE SAME PERSON AS MYSELF!?! AM I ME!?!-”-D

“DANNY!”-S & T

Deciding he really should probably just shut up,“I, um, FUUUUUUCK!”-D

“Dude it’s okay. You just unloaded a lot of shit. But dude, we’ve been over this. You are Phantom. He is you. You are yourself. And that’s fucking awesome. We all know this secret identity shit messes with you sometimes. But that’s not what this is, is it?”-T

Being a little pissy and hating himself for it just a little bit, “no Tuck, no it’s fucking not. I’m not even sure how to put it beyond, just what am I? Like ugh”, taking a deep breath, “halfa yes, obviously. Half human, half...ghost. But is the ghost half actually a ghost? Like my dead half? Or the Ghost Zone itself given form through me and thus changing me as a person in the process. I wasn’t protective guys. I wasn’t fucking protective”-D

“Alright, I’m going to try and unravel your word vomit from earlier. Your folks deciding something about Phantom doesn’t count for shit, they literally have only half the picture. They are constantly wrong about ghosts, Danny. They have made hundreds of incorrect assumptions about them that we know for a fact are wrong. So on this, what they think means nothing. It doesn’t matter. Now the idea of you, more specifically your ghost half, being the manifestation of the Ghost Zone; would make sense if you weren’t a halfa. But I’ll give you that the idea that your ghost form is a combination of both your natural ghost and the Ghost Zone’s essence makes sense-”-S

Danny cuts her off, “that doesn’t exactly make me feel better Sam”-D

“It wasn’t supposed to. Like you said, all this ghost stuff has affected our natural ghosts. Valerie’s probably isn’t the same either. But so what? That’s normal. For life to affect who we are as people. It’s just more extreme for us because it’s ghost stuff that’s happened in our lives”-S

“I think it just bothers you more because you notice it. Because you changed so suddenly. ‘Cause yeah, you never used to be such a protective bastard”-T

“Still not helping”-D

“Dude, we’re your friends and sidekicks. Not your therapist. That’s Jazz’s job”-T

Rubbing his eyes, “ass. But yeah, I know. But I couldn’t just sit on all of that and I definitively can not deal with Jazz’s psychoanalysing”-D

“That is incredibly obvious. And Danny, out of everything, your obsession is the only one that yeah, this is probably the only explanation for. Vlad’s powerful too, sure he’s weaker than you but just how much does he even use his powers? Hardly ever. Sure you could be right, but it’s not a sure thing on that. Your core is a major stretch, they don’t seem to have much of a reason to them ever”-S

“And Danny dude, so what? Even if the Zone fused itself to you and changed who you were, it made you the you you are now. So really, you wouldn’t be you if it didn’t fuse with you. And come on dude, you love who you are now. We ALL do”-T

Snickering, “shit Tucker, have you been going to slam poetry without me?”-S

“I, fuck, you’ve got a point there. But like guys, my protectiveness is, like, at least twenty-five percent of who I am now. And like the other shit? Feeling the need to send ghosts back without interfering with their ability to get back here? And come on, did I ever seem like I’d be the leader type? At all? I guess you’re right, it’s doesn’t really matter. I do love it, but it is quite literally impossible for me to have a remotely normalish life. Like, ever. You guys have that option. And okay point to you too Sam. I was being dramatic”-D

“Thank you for accepting your role as the teams drama queen”-S

“Pfft, you stage riots over what kind of oven brands stores sell”-D

“Ahh there he is. The wise cracking idiot has returned. Glad to have you back”-T

“I’m still fucked up”-D

“You, by your very impossible nature, always are. But that just makes you fit in better with us. We’re all fucked up. And dude, do you seriously think normal society could handle either of us either? And do you seriously think we’d drop this shit for normal lives? Naw man, you’re fucking stuck with us. We’ll be ninety years old, half blind and deaf; and will still be helping your ass. And then we’ll join the Zone and still help your ass. And Danny, you’ve always been the leader of our group. You’ve always fit in with and lead weird. So maybe the Zone just straight up sensed that shit in you. Knew you’d do it right and do right by it”-T

“Why, out of everything, is that comforting. Being deemed worthy by a dimension to get to become Its personification”-D

“If you blame it on your ghost pride, I will come over there and kick you”-S

Feeling the healthy amount of genuine fear that statement requires, “uh... it’s not because of my ghost pride”-D

“Good half ghost Zone god”-S

“I’m not sure if I should be saying too soon”-D

“Dude, you made dead jokes within an hour of half dying. You literally made a ectoplasm absorbent paper towel joke during your mild mental break down. If there is one thing in the entire universe that is definitively you, it’s a dark sense of humour with zero sense of sensitivity”-T

“You are on a fucking roll today Tucker”-S

“Oh shit, I totally did”-D, which just makes Danny start laughing again.

“Laughing in the face of everything is what you do”-S

There’s another pause in the conversation, as Danny mulls things over in his head.

“So just so we’re clear, my ghost half, Phantom, is at least partly the entirety of the Ghost Zone. That my obsession is a direct result of the Ghost Zone part of me wanting to keep all the ghosts inside of it aka the Ghost Zone and the Ghost Zone’s desire to stop mortals from becoming ghost prematurely. Oh, and the Ghost Zone’s desire to not be destroyed or for any of its ghosts to be destroyed. And that, due to all of this, combined with my immortality, absurd power -which is possibly because of being partly the Ghost Zone-, being High Ghost King, and how my ghost forms base ghost looked; that I am Ghost God. And that we’re all just okay with this?”-D

“Yup”-S

“Sounds about right dude”-T

“That’s really fucked up”-D

“You’re an impossible paradox and basically an entire dimension. I think being fucked up would be a requirement”-T  

“Ass”-D

“You feeling less freaked out by your own self now”-S

Sighing, “yeah. Still not keen with the fact that this definitely changed who I am as a person and not just giving me some quirks”-D

“You’re still you dude. Same as you’ve always been. Just more ghostly in an extreme and very saturated way. I think the way Phantom looked kind of proved and currently proves that”-T

Scrunching up his eyebrows, “oh?”-D

“Yeah that makes sense, your ghost self looks like you Danny. If Phantom was just straight up the Zone you’d probably look wildly different. Even all, I can’t believe I’m saying this, Mega evolved, you still looked like Danny”-S

Grumbling, “could have just imprinted off my form”, defeatedly, “but yeah fused with my ghost self makes more sense”-D

“No shit. So there, no more ‘am I me’ crisis”-S

Snorting, “yeah right. Danny never really stops having his crises. They just hide away for a while”-T

“Ouch, but true. I’ll probably flip shit and turn into a mental puddle again the next time I’m being pushingly or overwhelmingly protective. Or the next time I go to the Zone and can’t help but notice how comfortable I feel. And oh fuck, how did I never think that was weird?”-D

“I thought that was just a ghost thing?”-T

“No, fuck. I got eyed-balled funny three of the times I mentioned it around ghosts. Vlad being one of them. Come to think of it, CW’s the only one to not eyeball me funny about it”-D

“Guess that says a lot about all of us that we don’t even notice weird anymore”-S

“Well weirdness sensitivity level check aside, y’all should sleep. And I should stare at my ceilings glow-in-the-dark stars until I self actualise fully”-D

“Does that include accepting and loving yourself as being a dimension and your purpose as Its defender and lord?”-T

“Pretty sure he already accepted that last bit after becoming King”-S

“But now it’s on the god level Sam. That’s different”-T

Motioning his hands around wildly, “it’s different. It’s so fucking different. And fuck you Tuck....ah goddamnit it. Ain’t I fucking, like, lording over and ruling myself then? If I’m the fucking Zone or some shit, the Zone’s soul, and ruling the Zone. Fuck, Tuck you goddamn fuck”-D

Laughter, “dude yes, yes you are”-T

“You’ve actually achieved the highest possible level of individuality and self-sufficiency then”-S

“That's our Danny, taking ‘I am my own king’ to its absolute conclusion”-T

Facepalming, “how is that not supposed to be terrifying? Fuck y’all. I’m hanging up before y’all give yet another existential crisis”-D  

Danny hangs up to laughter and tosses his phone onto the corner of his bed, before turning over and growling into his pillow. Turning back onto his back to stare at his ceiling. Jabbing his thumb into his chest, “me, I am a fucking mess and I’m a fucking entire different realm of reality”. Snorting and barking out a laugh after a while, smirking, “wow the Zone really drew the short stick on Its personal meat suit”.

Staring at the ceiling till his eyes begin to unfocus and burn. Shaking his head with a slight chuckle, “but I guess I have been doing pretty well. And it infused itself into my being so easily that I wasn’t even aware for years”, shaking his head again, “Hell, I still wouldn’t be aware if it weren’t for my parents coming up with the weirdest theories. And I guess, I guess that means it really must be okay. For me not to notice. But still, it changed me into someone I wouldn’t have been. My very being, my soul, my ghost. Irrevocably bound and one with the Realm of the dead”. Raising an eyebrow before wheezing in a way that sounds almost like a laugh, “oh Ancients! I’m only half ghosts but technically I’m more ghost than any other ghost can ever be”. And oh god, ghosts are partly created by the Zone. So technically him. Does that make literally every ghost his child in a way? Ah fuck. And then, if he wants to be really dramatic about it, all living beings have their base ghost right? Technically that couldn’t exist without the Zone creating that as well. So then, every single living and dead thing was sorta the Zone’s child. His child...No wonder he was so fucking protective, goddamn. Everything was a child of his soul or part of his ghost. Or was a child of the thing, Realm, that he was the soul or ghost of. Ancients this was all so fucked up.

Shaking his head and roughly putting an arm over his eyes. Him, Danny, was just one big cluster fuck of escalations. A boy. A hunter. A halfa. A hero. A saviour. A king. A god. A universe. Was there no end to his existences surprises? He really fucking hopes so, because this? This bullshit was getting a little much. But hey, at least he was less ‘this is utterly horrifying’ and more ‘not this shit again’ now.

End.

[ibelieveinahappilyeverafter]

From the Beginning Exclusive!

This is an exclusive for the rewritten and soon to be posted Danny Phantom story “From the Beginning.” This is a sneak peak as to what FtB is going to be all about. You can even think of it like a trailer. Not everything is chronological and these paragraphs might not make it into the final copy, but it tells the heart of the story!

From the Beginning’s first chapter will be released on July 6th! Pledge to me on Patreon Buy me a coffee at Ko-Fi

—

Summary:  Danny Fenton was a simple, sixteen-year-old teenager who loved fast food, video games, and getting a B on surprise pop quizzes. He’s also the half-ghost teenage hero Danny Phantom who defends Amity Park from ghost attacks on a daily basis. Somehow, the ghost attacks make a lot more sense than crushes, friendships, and falling in love with someone he is definitely not supposed to be falling in love with. It was a lot easier to separate Phantom and Fenton before, but now it’s getting a harder the more he learns about himself. Just who was he? The dorky son of scientists who loved the stars or the hero that protected the town. He’s starting to feel like he won’t like the answer. (Iambic Prose) (Prequel to Guardians and Partial Show Rewrite)

—

“Hello? Anyone here?” Danny shifted outside the massive library, hesitantly knocking on the doors and oh. Okay. That happened, then. Right. Doors swinging open without anyone there. That was his life, wasn’t it? “Great. I’m trapped in a horror movie and it’s not even a good one.”

Pushing his way in, Danny swallowed at the silence and the thousands of books that he could see even from the front doors. “Hey, uh, Ghostwriter dude? Your doors kind of opened and I came here to, um, visit?”

~

“Huh.” Danny crouched down, tilting his head at one of the broken murals. While the other murals at Pariah’s Keep had been beautifully painted across the walls and held strong even now, this one was shattered on the floor. “I wonder what you meant.”

There had been one with ten cloaked figures crowning Pariah as king, but then the next few had shown Pariah’s fall and his subsequent imprisonment. Danny half wondered who had drawn the murals, but he was willing to chalk it up to it being a ghost thing. Reaching a hand out, Danny brushed his fingers against the mural he was currently inspecting.

While there were ten figures, they weren’t the shapeless cloaked figures from the other murals. These ten all had varying sizes and heights, but it was broken in the way that only one figure was separated from the rest. Danny wondered if these were the original Ancients. He never heard much about them, and he was pretty sure ‘the Ancients’ was just the Observants in disguise, but these ghosts definitely didn’t look like Observants.

Shifting his balance, Danny almost tumbled forward before he caught himself, both hands now braced against the cracked mural-

Golden eyes that shone like molten gold and death and hate and loss and pain and how dare they how dare they how dare they when it had been him to bring them all together and if they wanted to suffer than he would show them and he would make them see him he would make sure they never forgot again-

Grunting as he hit the floor on his back, Danny stared up at the ceiling and only absently realized he was gasping for breath and what… What had that been?

~

“Recent? Recent- It’s always been like this! You’ve always been so damn prideful and full of yourself and it’s gotten worse ever since you became ‘Phantom.’ You think you’re above everything!”

“Above- You have no idea what I go through! I’m trying to be ‘in charge’ because I, at least, know about all these damn ghost things-”

“And I don’t?! I’ve been right here this entire time and learning it all the same time as you! I’ve been here the whole time and you don’t even see me! I’m nothing but the tech guy to you!”

“At least you know what you are! I don’t even know if I’m alive anymore some days-!” Danny’s voice died in his throat as he saw the shot that was speeding towards them and while it might  hurt ghosts, this was a shot that could kill humans and no-

~

“The blame seems to lie in both parties this time around, so why not agree to forgive and forget on both sides?”

“Jeez, does everything you say sound like it’s from some kind of Hallmark card?” Laughter bubbling out at the annoyed look he was given, Danny shook his head and forgive and forget, huh? Not bad, but… “Hey, Ghostwriter, what about something else, instead?”

“Oh, please. ‘Something else’ typically means a battle royale and I’m uncertain about you, but I prefer to solve disputes these days by-” Ghostwriter’s mouth closed with a snap, Danny’s grin growing wider as he continued to hold out his hand.

“Hi, there. My name is Danny and I’m a half-ghost idiot with a saving people thing. I hate Christmas, I love my friends, and it’s nice to meet you.” The long silence was worth it when the ghost finally clasped his hand, genuine smile on his face.

“Hello, Danny. My name is Ghostwriter and I’m obsessive over my books and tend to talk to myself outloud. It’s nice to meet you, as well.”

~

“You don’t understand- I wasn’t even a ghost.” Danielle, the little girl that had pretended to be his cousin the last week, looked up at him as if begging him to understand. Danny found it hard to when he was strapped in some machine and doing his best to not panic. “If it wasn’t for Daddy- If it wasn’t for Vlad, then I would still just be a half-formed spirit thing floating around the Ghost Zone. He gave me my life back.”

“That doesn’t mean- That doesn’t mean you just go and do everything he says! You’re your own person, aren’t you?” Please- Please see that this was wrong. “Do you really think this is the right thing to do?”

“No, but… Danny, please. He’s hurting. Daddy loves me, but he’s hurting and I ran away to see if he would care enough to come get me and he did! I didn’t think he’d hurt you, too, but please, you have to help him.”

~

“So, yeah.” Danny took a breath after a rambling apology that had went on for far too long, a little of the weight falling off his shoulders when he saw Elliot’s smile. “I’m… I’m sorry that we got off on the wrong foot. I can kind of jump to conclusions, sometimes, and I didn’t mean to make you feel like you didn’t belong. Trust me. I know how it feels.”

“You could have just said sorry,” Elliot laughed, stepping forward and resting a hand on Danny’s shoulder. “It’s alright. I did kind of push my way between all of you.”

“It’s hard to be a new kid,” Danny shrugged, and, okay… Maybe Elliot could be okay. Maybe everyone was right and he had just been a jealous brat. “Right, so, um, yeah. It’ll- It’ll be nice to have another friend around here.”

“That’s sweet.” Elliot laughed again, grip tightening on Danny’s shoulder for a moment. “I never would have thought that ghosts could pretend to be so kind.”

“Gh… Ghosts.” Danny watched as Elliot’s glasses slipped down and no… No, there was nothing warm in those eyes. “I don’t-”

“It’s okay.” It was the same feeling as when he had stepped into the portal and felt his palm press against a button. A missed step. A wrong move. An unseen threat. A mistake. “The Guys-in-White have been very eager to meet you, Danny Phantom.”

~

“Give her back!” Ice crawled through his veins and Danny knew that each breath he breathed out was filled with crystals of ice and snow. “She’s not yours.”

“Meddlesome child.” Plants with thorns and toxins deadly even to ghosts rose up, Undergrowth at the center of it all with Sam sitting under him. “She will be Queen. This child will carry on the work that has been left unfinished for far too long! After her death is complete, she shall be the one to heal the world.”

“Maybe, but she doesn’t need to die to change things. She never has.” Energy colder than anything he had ever felt poured into his hands, and this. This was why he had first started fighting back. Someone needed to stop the ghosts.

~

“I always wondered, but why do you risk so much to protect your town? Surely you’ve read enough comics to know how poorly life is for a ‘hero.’” Ghostwriter stared at him steadily, curiously, and Danny felt all his lies die in his throat.

“I…” He told everyone it was because he had always dreamed of being a hero. He agreed that he had a ‘saving people’ thing. He swore up and down that if he didn’t do it, then he’d regret that he never got the chance to do something so amazing. None of it… Not all of them were lies, but they weren’t the truth.

“You risk everyone and you don’t have to. I’ve known you for months, almost, but I just can’t understand it.” Ghostwriter was honestly confused and Danny couldn’t help but laugh. Really. Shouldn’t a writer have known before anyone else? “Wha- Danny?”

“No, no, it’s just… It’s simple, isn’t it?” At the look, Danny shook his head. “Bad things… Bad things happen sometimes, right? A lot of times, you can’t do anything about it, and you just help where you can and keep on going. The thing is, though…” Danny swallowed, looking up at Ghostwriter and taking a steady breath.

“When bad things happen and you have the power to stop it and you don’t? Then the bad things happen because of you. If I have these powers and someone gets hurt and I can do something? I’m going to do it. It’s not because I’m playing at being hero, but because I’m doing whatever everyone else has always done. I’m protecting my home.

~

“Danny-” If this Reality Gauntlet thing really worked, which he had just proved it did, then they would never remember this, and that? That was perfect.

“I love your stupid poetry, I love how you mutter under your breath when you have a new idea you want to write about, I love your stupid hair and how you can never completely get it to lay flat you hypocrite, I love how you sometimes go hours without realizing that your coat that you’ve been looking for is on the back of the only couch you ever sit at, I love how you can’t see without those stupid glasses, I love how you have to always have your tea in just the right way or you won’t drink it, and I love, more than anything else, that you saw me.”

Andrew seemed struck completely speechless, Danny giving a hopeless smile. “I always thought it’d be Sam, you know? Maybe Paulina or someone else from school, but then I met you, and… God. It’s like I met you, and I knew- I wasn’t looking to ever fall in love like I did, but then I met you, and oh, man. I lost so bad, Andrew. So I’m going to say it now, just this once.

“I’m in love with you, Andrew Riter. I love you. You’re never going to remember this, but I thought you deserved to know at least just once.”

~

“Oh, I see.” Still crouched and ready for danger, Danny eyed the ghost that was in front of him in the dream he had found himself in now. He didn’t know where Nocturne was, but he was going to be ready for anything. “She must be dreaming…”

“Right, yeah, okay, dream that knows it’s a dream. Great. Is there where the walls start oozing blood?” A laugh escaped the ghost in front of him. It was definitely a ghost Danny had never seen before. The hairstyle alone was something he definitely would have remembered considering it was dreads tied up with beads and chains and, yeah, definitely not something from today’s style. “You should know that I don’t go down without a fight and-”

“Hush, young one.” The ghost walked forward and before Danny could fly away, he was taking a necklace off and pressing it into Danny’s hands. It looked like a dreamcatcher or whatever, only… It was glowing and the thread seemed like ghostly energy rather than thread. It reminded him of Clockwork’s staff, weirdly enough. “When you see Nocturne, gift this to him. He will know what it is.”

“I, uh, yeah. Okay?” This was a very weird dream, but if Danny didn’t have to fight, then, yeah, hey, great. “Do you know where to find him, right now? I’m kind of trying to stop the entire world from entering into a sleep coma.”

“Follow this path until it ends.” Great. Cryptic. Just what he needed. “Young one…” The ghost bit his lip, Danny near jerking back in surprise when his cheek was cupped. “Oh, such young ones. I’m sorry for what you will face.”

~

“That’s that, then, huh?” Danny rubbed at his eyes before looking back to the results of three night’s research. It all said the same thing no matter how many times he reworked the problem. “I’m dying.”

He felt like the words should have torn something apart in him, but all they did was make him tired. He supposed, somehow, that made even more sense.

~

“You know, GW, I have a feeling that we’re going to be great friends.”

“I find that I rather agree with you on that.”