Author Notes: A sequel to 'A Ghostly Perspective', although you don't have to read the prequel since it can work as a standalone. It will be Pitch Pearl this time (meaning Fenton x Phantom, for those who don't know). If that isn't to your taste, you've been warned. Moreover, this will be slow-moving Pitch Pearl (because build-up makes everything better :P), so don't expect the two to get together right off the bat. The prologue is somewhat short, though the later chapters will be longer. Lastly, for those unfamiliar with the setting, this fic starts off during/after 'Reality Trip', the third TV movie.
Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom.
It wasn't like him to do this. Brooding, that is. He was more of a 'shoot first, ask questions later' type. A split second of indecision could be the difference between life and death. Either for him, or for the innocent civilians of Amity Park that were ever-present during a ghost attack.
None of his battle prowess though, was going to be of help here. Danny stopped pacing for a moment and glared for about the umpteenth time at his closet door.
The Reality Gauntlet. A glove capable of bending time and space, allowing its user to transcend the laws of physics. Depending on who wielded it, the gauntlet could be the key to paradise on Earth, or a weapon of mass destruction.
And it was there. In Danny's closet. Buried underneath a pile of clothes and locked away in a small, metal, ghost-proof safe that his parents had given him on his eighth birthday. Every family member had one, in case a ghost tried to make off with their possessions. Danny had never used it. At least, not until now.
Still, the fact that he had something so powerful didn't sit well with him. He'd only taken it from Freakshow because the man was using it to terrorize the students; not because he'd wanted the power for himself.
And now that it was here, in his possession, Danny couldn't help but feel a bit worried. Worried that some ghost might make off with it. Or that the Guys in White might track it down to his house. There'd be no way to explain how he'd come to possess such a powerful item without incriminating himself first.
But then, you could just use the Gauntlet to make them forget, Phantom supplied helpfully. Danny sighed in response.
Right. Phantom. The whole reason he'd even kept the stupid thing in the first place. Danny had always thought of Phantom as a friend, a confidant and even, if he was honest with himself, an older brother of sorts. Granted, the spirit could be a major headache to listen to, but he could always count on the other when he needed it the most.
"It's also why I'm so hesitant to do this." Danny faltered, before shoving the traitorous thought into a deep corner of his mind. No, Phantom deserved this. He shouldn't have to spend the rest of his existence locked up within some fourteen year-old's mind. His, to be exact.
He couldn't afford to be selfish anymore.
With steady hands, he opened the closet door, shifting through the clothes and pulling the box out from underneath and old sweatshirt.
What are you doing? He ignored his counterpart's queries, pressing his thumb down on the access pad. A small buzzing noise emanated from the box, as it scanned the thumbprint. Beeping affirmatively, the safe opened with a clean hiss, the sleek metal sides pulling back to reveal the gauntlet, the gems sparkling in the dim light of the bedroom. Danny picked it up, and slid his hand into the opening. The metal stuck to his skin, his sweat causing it to chafe uncomfortably on his arm.
I swear, you better tell me what you're doing right now or I'll-, Danny pushed Phantom's growing distress to focus on the task at hand. He quickly inputted the sequence to activate the gems. It was only a matter of time before-
Wha-Danny, stop!
"He knows," Danny thought belatedly, fixated on the power that was building within his palm as each gem was pushed. It'd been expected; Phantom had access to every thought and memory in his mind. He was bound to find out what he was up to eventually.
I won't let you do this to yourself! Danny paused, a hint of regret sweeping over him. He knew it wouldn't be the same. Without Phantom. Without the person he regarded as his own twin. They'd be two different people, with separate bodies. Separate minds.
"But I can't live like this. Not anymore," Danny thought dejectedly, his mind a wordless storm. "And neither can you."
But I can! I want to! Phantom replied angrily, I'm fine with the way things are. Like this! The two of us, together!
"Trust me, it's better this way," Phantom would be better off like this. He'd be free, free to do whatever he wanted with his life. With no one to control his actions, his thoughts.
The other might not forgive him, though. In fact, Phantom would probably hate him for separating them, for deciding to push him away from what Phantom obviously thought was his rightful place. But it didn't matter. He wouldn't do it. He couldn't, living day to day knowing his friend, his brother, was imprisoned inside his own mind.
Danny, please! his counterpart was pleading now. If Phantom had had a body, he'd be crying at this moment. Danny wondered what the other would look like. Would they have the same eyes; the same height? Or would it be all different? The thought only spurred him on.
Danny!
"I'm sorry," Danny murmured. He pressed the last gem. The gauntlet lit up instantly, the three gems glowing with raw power. A red glow, warm and strong, gripped his hand. Slowly but steadily, it enveloped his arm, then his shoulders. The torso was next, followed by his head and legs. Danny closed his eyes, as the gauntlet's energy finally enveloped his mind; its energy overpowering his senses and thoughts until everything was awash with a blinding red. Struggling to maintain consciousness, Danny whispered his only request.
"I wish that Phantom had a body of his own." The ruby light overwhelmed him.
End Notes: Reviews are appreciated, especially constructive criticism to make later chapters better :)