Introspection of an Alternate Reality
Daniel sighed as he gently stroked the glass covering a picture of his family. It was his entire fault. It was all his fault that they died. He hadn't been fast enough or strong enough to save them. It was his fault that they had even been at the Nasty Burger when it blew.
A tear ran down his cheek as he continued to stare at the picture. Vlad, his Godfather, had taken him in out of both pity and mourning. Vlad had loved Daniel's mother since college and actually put blame of the accident on Jack - Daniel's father.
"If the oaf had paid more attention to you, Daniel, and less time on his ridiculous inventions then you wouldn't have felt pressured into cheating." Or something like that.
Daniel didn't mind Vlad's Jack-bashing as much as he used to. He could tell that as much as Vlad believed what he was saying, he was mentioning it out loud for Daniel's benefit. Vlad had become really…Well, "compassionate" was all he could think of. Vlad had become compassionate around Daniel since the accident.
Yes, that sounds right.
Vlad was no goody-goody that's for sure, but he had become kinder and more involved in Daniel's life. He couldn't be happier with Vlad's change of heart. They did quite a bit together - meals, movies, walks, fighting overbearing ghosts, fighting overenthusiastic hunters, evil schemes…
No, don't adjust your screen, you read that correct. Danny Phantom, Amity's local hero, participated in evil plans. Daniel had ceased to paint the world in monochrome. He learned that the world was of shades of grey he had missed previously, the shadows that controlled everything behind the scenes.
Daniel had long forgotten just why he had turned Vlad's previous offers down all those years ago. He had far surpassed even the Ghost King Pariah Dark himself in power, speed, and even strategy. In fact, he had taken the Crown of Fire and the Ring of Rage forcibly, becoming the new King of the Ghost Zone while he was at it.
Vlad surprised Daniel at the time by not getting jealous of his new influence over the ghosts. Vlad had laughed at his shock, stating that so long as he had the human world he didn't care what became of the Ghost Zone. Daniel had gotten closer to Vlad since, as they worked together to rule both realms.
"Daniel?" Vlad's voice broke him from his introspection.
"Yeah Vlad?"
"Dora requests an audience. I would have sent a servant, but you left the 'Do not disturb' sign on the doorknob. Are you up for it?"
Daniel gave a small, sad smile to the picture on his desk before standing and following Vlad to the "Audience Chamber" as Dora had named it the first time she had shown up. As he walked he realized that this was who he was now, and he wouldn't change it - even if Clockwork offered.