#space core AU

[ashspecter]

The Little Phintom

@duchi-nesten's prompt: Danny’s been enjoying spending time with Nocturn lately, even with the unfortunate side effect of his skin being replaced by stars. That’s… probably fine, right?

Summary: Danny becomes what he’s always wanted to be.

TW: Mild Body Horror (If you count Danny turning into a reflection of space), Body Modification

Words: 1,712

Story also posted below the cut.

It’s no surprise that Danny loves space. Between his NASA t-shirts, star-patterned socks, and space-themed doodles on his homework, anyone paying attention would know. Which, surprisingly, isn’t a lot of people despite everything.

So when Danny began drifting closer and closer to a ghost with the universe as his skin, it shouldn’t have come as such a surprise. Anyone who knew about his love and obsession with space should have expected it. Space makes up a part of the half-ghost’s Core Type after all. It only makes sense. Plus, who could have known that the ghost of dreams would reflect one’s deepest desires? Danny sure as hell didn’t. And it isn’t like Nocturn had a choice either.

As the days slipped into weeks, Nocturn quickly found himself wrapped around Danny’s little finger. He began to speak of the stars, distant galaxies, and the dreams he’d collected from them far more often than ever. Together, they would hover at the edge of the ghost zone, talking about nebulae and supernovas, or floating through the darker corners of dreams that spanned across galaxies. And Danny found himself growing more and more comfortable around Nocturn. The boy always listened, entranced, as Nocturn spoke of cosmic winds and starlit shadows with a voice that echoed the ancient light of distant stars.

Somehow, Nocturn ended up being stuck with Clockwork’s chaos child.

And somehow, Nocturn didn’t mind.

But then things began to change. Not in Nocturn’s lair. No, but in the ghost boy who had been following him around.

The transformation started subtly enough, with a glimmer here, a shimmer there, much like the first stars appearing at dusk. At first, it was just his fingertips, which seemed to have absorbed the night sky. Then, his arms began to show the faint glimmer of a distant galaxy, spiraling gently down to his elbows. The boy still had yet to notice this, but Nocturn knew it was only a matter of time. The faint twinkling on the black of the boy’s suit was becoming far too noticeable to ignore now.

The effect was enchanting, and as days turned into nights and back into days, Danny’s transformation became more pronounced. Now it wasn't just his arms, but his face began to show signs too; his eyes twinkled with the light of twin stars, and his smile seemed to curve with the elegance of a lunar crescent. As they sat one evening, floating amidst the dreamy expanse of the universe, Nocturn finally decided to address it.

“Child, do you notice anything… different about yourself lately?”

Danny turned to him, his starry eyes blinking in innocent curiosity. "Different? Like what?" he asked, his voice tinged with a nebulous echo that hadn’t been there before.

"Your skin," Nocturn pointed out gently, "it’s becoming like... well, like mine."

Danny glanced down at his hands, truly noticing for the first time the cosmic dance playing across his skin. Instead of shock or fear, a wide grin spread across his face, “That’s awesome!” He exclaimed, his excitement causing a small shower of stardust to drift from his fingertips, “It’s like I’m becoming part of the universe!”

Nocturn, however, wasn’t quite as enthused. “It is fascinating, yes, but have you considered the implications?”

Danny’s smile faltered slightly.

“This transformation… it could mean you’re losing your humanity.”

“Losing my humanity?” He echoed, the twinkle in his eyes dimming a little, “But I thought it was just because I’m hanging out with you. Because we’re friends.”

“We are friends, Danny,” Nocturn assured him quickly, “And nothing could change that. But the essence of my being is tied to dreams and the cosmos. Your close connection to me may be altering you more fundamentally than you realize.”

A silence settled between them, filled only by the whisper of solar winds and the distant hum of starlight. Danny looked thoughtful, his gaze drifting off into the swirling galaxies around them.

“Maybe it’s not such a bad thing,” Danny finally said, more to himself than to Nocturn, “Maybe this is just part of who I am supposed to be.”

To be adorned in the cosmos, to feel the pulse of the universe beneath his skin— Nocturn knew it would be a dream come true for the boy, but the ghost worries that he will lose parts of himself to the vastness of the universe. A shimmer here, a twinkle there. What was the cost of becoming this beautifully decorated?

Nocturn watched him carefully, admiration mingling with a tinge of worry, “Just make sure, Danny, that this is what you truly want. Being like me… it’s not just about bearing the universe on your shoulders. It’s about being forever bound to the intangible, to dreams and starlight.”

Danny nodded, understanding the weight of his friend’s words. "I'll think about it, Nocturn. But for now, can we just keep exploring? I've never felt more... alive."

“Of course,” Nocturn replied, a slight smile breaking through his usual stoic demeanor. As they resumed their journey through the dreamscape of the universe, Nocturn made a silent vow to keep a close watch on Danny’s transformation.

—

In the following weeks, Danny’s transformation grew even more profound, his once human features now glimmering with an ethereal light that seemed to illuminate the darkest recesses of the ghost zone. They continued their adventures, drifting through the cosmic realms of dreamscapes and nebulae, but the change in Danny was not lost on Nocturn.

One evening, as they floated through a dream resembling a vast ocean reflecting the night sky above, Nocturn decided it was time to revisit their earlier conversation. The serene sounds of imaginary waves gently lapping against the shore provided a soothing backdrop to their dialogue.

“Have you given any more thought to what’s happening to you?” Nocturn asked, his tone gentle yet filled with an undercurrent of concern.

Danny paused, his gaze fixed on the shimmering water below them. He dipped his hand into the dream-sea, watching as the waters turned to stardust at his touch, “I have,” He finally said, his voice calm, “And I think... I think I’m okay with it. It’s like I’m becoming more myself than ever.”

Nocturn floated closer, his own cosmic form reflecting in the starlit sea, “Your soul resonates with the cosmos, Danny. The more time you spend with me, the more you become a part of what you love. You are merging with the dreamscape of the universe, embracing your deepest desire to connect with the vastness of space.”

“What will I become?” Danny asked, finally voicing his worries despite his initial wonder, “Am I still going to be me?”

“You will always be you, just a different version,” Nocturn assured him, his tone soothing but cryptic, “A version that lives in the dream of the stars.”

Danny nodded slowly, his starry eyes reflecting a complex mix of emotions. “That sounds... incredible,” He murmured, almost breathlessly, as the cosmic winds of the dream-sea whipped around them, “What if I lose touch with… everything?”

“That’s a valid fear,” Nocturn conceded, his voice echoing softly across the dream waves, “Transformation of any kind comes with its risks. You might find that some parts of your old life no longer fit with what you are becoming.”

Danny’s expression grew distant, pensive, “Like my family and friends?”

“Possibly,” Nocturn replied gently, “You may find that as you drift further into the universe, the connections to your earthly existence might stretch thin.”

The weight of his friend’s words pressed heavily on Danny, the enormity of his journey making his heart pulse with a nebulous mix of excitement and fear.

“But that doesn't mean you have to choose now, or ever fully decide,” Nocturn added, sensing Danny’s internal struggle. “Life, like the universe, isn't about absolute states. It’s about evolution, exploration, and sometimes, finding a balance between worlds.”

Danny looked up, his face lit by the ethereal glow of the stars within him. “Balance, huh?” He said with a small smile, trying to wrap his mind around the enormity of his situation, “I guess I’ve always been about that, haven’t I? Half ghost, half human... now maybe part cosmic.”

Nocturn chuckled softly, the sound like the distant twinkling of celestial bodies. “Indeed, you have always been caught between realms.”

Danny felt a resurgence of his earlier enthusiasm. “Then let’s keep going. I want to see everything—every galaxy, every star!” His voice grew stronger, more confident. “And I’ll figure out my place in all of it as I go.”

Nocturn nodded, pleased with Danny’s resolve but still bearing the silent promise to protect and guide him as much as possible, “Very well, then. There are dreams out there waiting to be discovered. Let’s not keep them waiting.”

Together, they resumed their exploration, delving deeper into the dreamscape of the universe. With each new vista and every unexplored dream, Danny’s connection to the cosmos grew stronger. His body shimmered with stardust, and the echoes of nebulae hummed through his veins. The universe wasn’t just around him; it was within him, part of his very essence.

As they moved through swirling galaxies and past shimmering auroras, Nocturn watched Danny with a mix of pride and apprehension. The boy who loved space was becoming a creature of it, embodying the wonder and vastness he had always adored. Yet, the ghost knew the journey they were on was unprecedented, the path uncharted. Danny was transforming into something new, something neither entirely ghost nor human, nor purely cosmic, but a unique fusion of all three.

The dreamscapes they visited became more surreal, shaped by the dreams of beings from countless worlds—dreams of peace, of exploration, of fears, and hopes. Each dream added layers to Danny’s transformation, coloring his perceptions and deepening his connection to the universe.

One evening, as they paused to watch a supernova bloom in the distance, casting radiant waves of light across the dreamscape, Nocturn spoke up, his voice soft yet clear.

“You have embraced your new role admirably,” He said, “But remember, no matter how far you go or how much you change, you are never alone.”

Danny looked at Nocturn, gratitude filling his twinkling eyes, “Thank you, Nocturn. And thank you for showing me this path, for being my friend through all of it.”

[dnpanimationstudioclone]

Space Core Danny!!!!!🪐🪐🪐

A lot of people theorize him having specifically an ice core because of his ice breath or an electric core because of how he died, but what if his core embodied all those aspects in some way, like space does!!!!!!!!!

Here’s a design for Danny’s Space Core!!!!!!!!!🪐🪐🪐🪐🪐🪐🪐🪐

Ice powers-Space has cold stuff like Uranus and how it gets colder in the atmosphere🪐

Heat powers-Space has hot stuff like the Sun!☀️

Electricity-Space is built with all kinds of energy!!!!⚡️

Plasma?-Space has plasma!

How he defies gravity! Space has no gravity!!!!!! Tbh a lot of ghosts can float but he def can float pretty well, like a rocket or comet through space🚀☄️🌌

His Ghostly wail? A mini SUPERNOVA!!!!!!!

The reason he’s so powerful and can do so much? Pretty much all the powers he’s got, can be found in space, it’s the most mysterious and powerful place beyond our world! Like space, he has a little bit of everything, full of INFINITE powers and possibilities!!!!!!!!!!!!!

def much more unique than the other guys! You could say, he’s out of this world!🔭🌌🪐🚀👽🛸☄️🌠🧑‍🚀🛰️

Why he’s a space core? He wanted to be able to do things even he didn’t think he could, more than what a normal kid could do, like a superhero! And where do a lot of those superheroes come from or what’s connected to their powers?🦸‍♂️🌌

What do u think? What kind of core do you think he has? I’d love to know💖

[weshney]

Ghost Queen Sam with a Space Core AU!

My final coloring for the Green With Envy Event! Thanks @occasionally-intelligent for the line art!!!

Alt version and description below the cut:

This bad boy is actually half digital, half tranditional! The background was done on a canvas with joint compound, sand, spray paint and acrylic, then color-shifted and enhanced with phone filters. Then Sam, herself, was done entirely digital, using overlain textures from the background!

It was a lot of fun to do and I'm really proud of this it! 😀

I've never done spray paint art before so it was a challenge. But I found some tutorials online and picked and chose techniques.

I made two versions because I wasn't sure which I liked better.

[shrimperini]

first batch of portal refs done!! the second will come soon (i hope) it will include spin off and mod characters as well :D

android AU: everything stays the same but the robots are more humanoid. thats it really xD

human AU: set in 2010. quite a few things change (i oc-ify the characters pretty much). the main things to note is that it’s a lot of what if scenarios. what if the resonance cascade in black mesa never happened, what if caroline had a daughter (gladys, so glados and caroline aren’t the same person in the AU. i wanted to explore the possibility of them being two separate people haha), what if the disk operating system project was put into halt and AI never took over. in the AU black mesa and aperture are still rivals in the development of teleportation technology, portals are still being experimented on, human test subjects are paid to test, they don’t go through cryo sleep stasis but live their life at aperture in dormitories (let me slice of life portal okay im self indulgent). Aperture still has questionable work ethics and morals but things work slightly more differently. Gladys is the CEO of aperture and she pushes for a lot of work to be done so they can surpass black mesa. Also important to note, Chell registers as a test subject for the cash deal but she also aims to investigate what really happened to her adoptive father who died at Aperture.

that’s the main essence of the au, still working on it and some plots here and there but, like most of my fandom aus, it’s really self indulgent slice of life crap LOL

if you have questions or feedback don’t hesitate to let me know! :>

[zylev-blog]

Apprentice of time Danny AU.

in Danny’s dimension, he was Phantom, savior of Earth, and also Danny Fenton. To the rest of the universes he was a nobody, a cryptid, a shadow.

As Danny got older, he began to learn what it would take to be King. This causes Clockwork to send him on missions through time and space, which eventually lead him to the DC verse.

Clockwork had told him of some things to say if he was ever confronted about his identity. Danny agreed, because why would he argue with the ancient of time? Clockwork knew best. But he also knew Clockwork was an asshole, and he figured this was one of those times.

He was floating above the surface of the planet. He didn’t want to touch ground on molten lava, so that’s why he had opted to float. He was going to try and reason with Darkseid, the way he always tried to. He was a being of peace, after all. But Darkseid was not to be reasoned with, so Danny did what he must for the timeline. Apokolyps was destroyed violently. The shockwaves of this planet’s destruction echoed through the universe.

Earth found all of their missing meta teens delivered back safely, and they didn’t have any other problems from Apokolyps ever again. Highfather invited Danny to a grand dinner fit for a god.

By the time whispers travel to Earth of the new god of space, the legends had already dubbed him as the son of Kronos. The protector of the innocent.

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 214

“I did an oopsie.” 

Clockwork paused in his work, gaze turning from his work towards his ghostling (it didn’t matter if he was an adult, he’d always be his ghostling) who was smiling nervously, avoiding his eyes. 

“Oh?” He kept his tone light, even as he worked on untangling a time knot. Honestly at least Danny was immune to any effect of time, even if he couldn’t look into his timelines in exchange. It came with being the other half of Infinity. 

“Yeeah… you know that corner of the multiverse you told me not to go to because you’re working on some time problems? I might have stumbled into one of the worlds in the corner…” 

He stopped his machinations, fully turning towards Danny- Space, his Core whispered and quivered in utter delight at having an Equal in power- with a raised eyebrow, leaning on his staff and silently telling him to explain. 

Danny poked his fingers together, giving a nervous laugh. “So uh, I was just exploring right? Well me and Ellie, you know how she gets when she can’t wander, and um… I er, we might have messed with some things in the creation of it… I didn’t know it was part of that universe, I swear! It was so far at the fringes and halfway into the Zone and I couldn’t just let a universe die before it began and-”

Oh- Oh! His ghostling (and his grand-ghostlings it sounded like) had claimed his first universe! He could put off these time knots, this was a grand milestone for any Ancient, nevermind such a primordial force as one of theirs.

And this is how a DC world came into being with humans evolving with more avian traits. Like wings. And claws. Look, Dan thought it’d be funny if they gave baby humanity wings and Ellie started rambling about how much farther they could travel if they had them and Danny thought it could be cool. Oh well, time to keep an eye on their itty baby world now…

[time-woods]

queercosmicentity stuff

[ovytia-art]

Various dragon Dannys based on a few AUs for Ectoberhaunt :3

[decaying-enigma]

[Space Core AU]

Danny could see it all.

Where the darkness meets the dance of light, a swirling canvas of stardust and celestial wonders—a symphony of colors, shapes, and energies unfurling across the infinite reaches of space.

Their radiant glow casting an aura that just beckoned him to join.

Cosmic tendrils weaved a labyrinth of star clusters, and stellar nurseries gave birth to new stars.

Nebulae shimmered with ethereal beauty, their wispy tendrils reaching out across the void like ghostly fingers.

Supernovae unleashed titanic explosions, scattering the remnants of dying stars across the cosmos in a dazzling fireworks display of light and energy.

Danny could almost feel it wash over his skin.

Black holes lurked in the depths of space, their gravitational pull so intense that not even light could escape their grasp.

Dark matter, the invisible scaffolding of the universe, weaves its enigmatic web throughout the galaxy.

He could hear the countless echoes, all worming their way into his being and, for a moment, pulling him closer and closer to...

""Danny!""

He fell back into his seat instantly, two arms holding him down, as Earth's gravity once again took hold of him.

Blinking rapidly, Danny shook his head, visions of stars and nebulae sliding away.

Yet not completely leaving his mind.

It took him a moment to remember where he was as he turned to Tucker and Sam.

They sat on either side of him, both having a firm grip on him with deeply concerned expressions on their faces.

They were all outside, at a table nestled in the corner of the (thankfully empty) park, and had been in the middle of eating lunch from a new cafe that Sam had wanted to try.

Or, at least, that had been the plan before he decided that gravity was just a suggestion.

"You okay, dude?" Tucker asked, a hand still holding onto him.

"I'm fine," Danny replied immediately.

But judging by the identical unimpressed looks on Sam and Tucker's faces, neither believe him in the slightest.

And rightfully so.

Though they did let go of him, trusting he wasn't about to start floating away again, they were ready to react if it happened again.

Danny sighed.

"I just got distracted for a second."

"You were floating away." Sam pointed it out, making little wiggly movements with her fingers. "Plus, your eyes were doing that weird galaxy thing again.

"That was just some dust," he lied half-halfheartedly.

She raised an unimpressed eyebrow, not buying that for a moment. "Yeah right. If we hadn't pulled you back down, you would probably already be out of the atmosphere by now."

"I would've noticed," Danny murmured, his eyes shifting to the side. "...eventually."

Sam huffed in frustration. "So not the point I was trying to make."

"They are super weird, though," Tucker agreed, then took a bite of his giant BLT sandwich. "But still cool, in the way they turn into terrifying black-holes that they look like the endless and cruel vacuum of space."

Danny stared at Tucker flatly.

"That makes me feel so much better."

"No problem!"

There was a brief silence, only for Tucker to put his sandwich back down, showing just how serious he was, and ask.

"But seriously, dude, are you alright?"

Danny looked down at the table, wanting to ignore his friends admittedly reasonable concerns, and absently twirled the straw of his ice tea.

But, eventually, he gave in.

"I already stopped by the Far Frozen to talk with Frostbite," he finally admitted. "Even ran into Clockwork, who was feeling strangely non-cryptic, and asked him about what was going on."

"So, what'd you find out?" Sam questioned, leaning forward, eager to hear what he had to say.

Danny snorted, an impish grin growing on his face. "Apparently, I don't actually have an ice core."

They both blinked in surprise.

The fact that Danny's core, practically the ghostly equivalent of a soul and a fundamental part of their being, wasn't ice this whole time and was actually something different was... a pretty big deal.

Sam asked, both curious and concerned, "So, what core do you have?"

"Frostbite called it a space core, or, as Clockwork referred to it, a piece of the Void." Danny rolled his eyes. "I'm like, 70% sure, he only called it that to be extra dramatic."

"So the ice powers were just...what? The first side effect before the weird eyes and the 'spacing' out?" Tucker joked with a grin.

Danny chuckled at the pun, while Sam groaned.

"Basically."

"Do you know what powers you are supposed to expect?" Sam asked, hoping they would catch a break this time.

"Not a clue," Danny said, shooting that hope down immediately.

Tucker raised an eyebrow. "Isn't there someone in the Ghost Zone you could ask?"

"It's, like, super rare; I mean, the only other ghost I know with the same core is Nocturn," he explained with an annoyed huff.

They both winced.

Despite not currently being antagonistic with the Ghost of Dreams, Danny and Nocturn's relationship wasn't anywhere close to friendly, even by ghostly standards.

And considering most ghosts could beat each other up, possibly even dismember one another, and still be willing to hang out later, that's saying something.

Danny sighed. "Yeah, I basically had the same reaction."

"Are you sure there's no one else?" Sam pushed, looking for a solution.

"Ghost Zone's a big place and leads to a lot of others, so probably." He shrugged. "But, even if Nocturn or someone else was willing to give me advice, it wouldn't help very much."

Seeing the confusion on their faces, he continued to explain.

"Frostbite gave me a whole lecture about it, but it basically boils down to the fact that, unlike most core elements, space cores express themselves so differently that there's no real set of powers that they share."

Sam slowly nodded, understanding showing on her face.

"So, while one ghost with a space core might be able to make black-holes, another might control gravity or even create stars," she continued, a hint of wonder in her voice.

Danny nodded his head in agreement.

"Hey, for all we know, you might get the power to twinkle really, really brightly instead." Tucker snickered loudly, with Sam quickly following.

Danny dropped his head onto the table, not sharing his friend's amusement in the slightest.

The snickers soon died off, as Danny continued to mope.

"It's probably not that bad." Tucker pointed this out. "You already learned to control the ice part of your powers; you'll figure this part out eventually."

"And we'll be right there when you do," Sam added, fully believing they would find the answer eventually.

"Hopefully not too close. Frostbite mentioned a few...unexpected stabbings the first time around," Tucker muttered under his breath, wincing as Sam punched him in the shoulder.

Danny rolled his eyes.

He wished that he shared his friends confidence in his abilities, but he was nevertheless grateful for the support his two best friends were giving him.

Thankfully, the conversation soon changed subjects from his potential new powers, moving on to talk about a homework assignment for school as they finished their lunch.

Danny made sure to pay attention this time, staying focused on the here and now.

Yet, even as he grinned from the sarcastic joke Sam had made, he could still feel the pull in the background.

He could hear the symphony of celestial bodies, the stars, the nebulae, and the infinite reaches of space in the back of his mind, all calling out to him.

Just waiting for the day that he would give in to the urge, and in the moment of weakness, join them forever and always until the end of time.

[heleizition]

out of context tim & cassie doodles :]c

[soaked-ghost]

I had a vision

[mnemov]

Here’s a dp brainrot I’ve been having

I just really like fantasy aus

[tourettesdog]

He consumes my waking thoughts

[shrimperini]

wheatley has a rough day

[little-pondhead]

doodles of random Danny AUs

At this point these are all separate people😭😭

[puppetmaster13u]

Can't stop thinking about This prompt/au lol

I almost like to think that Clockwork kind of half-sent Danny to the ghost-world version of Gotham because he was struggling and is honestly just a kid and could use some guidance. And with how the Observants dislike him to the point of murder, CW sure couldn't keep him in Long Now. But Gotham? Now there's a place that not many go, thanks to curses running amok, a very dangerous City Spirit, and amalgamations of fallen Guardians and Rogues. It's chaotic, dangerous, and a hell of a shot, but the Bat could, and most probably would assist the newborn guardian. The living world and the infinite are intertwined after all, influenced by whatever realm it drifts closest to.

Thankfully Danny seems to be enjoying himself- he has a proper ghost friend now! And he's starting to be able to understand Batblob's cacophony of Silent-EverSilent-Gurgles-DistantWhispers-QuietScreamsSilence easier too without Robin translating. (His Ghost-Speak is getting so good :D) He wishes he could bring Sam & Tucker but it's a little too far into the ghost zone. And the ghosts and Vlad doesn't bother him here! (The last time he tried, unknown to Danny, the older halfa was met with a malicious swarm of teeth and maws ready to rip and tear and not lose another child again-) He's even gotten shown the exits to the living-world's Gotham. Robin likes to ramble about the new and different living-robins and about their friend who was also a robin and who disappeared one day and whose core they carry on their belt. Maybe he can help them find out what happened to him...