Cleft the Devil's Foot
By: Wilona Riva
Disclaimer: Danny Phantom, by rights, belongs to Nickelodeon and Butch Hartman.
Maddie stared down at the box in her son's trash can.
"Hair dye? Why would he be dying his hair black? He already has black hair," she murmured, staring down at the box in her hands.
She hardly knew her son anymore.
"Skulker hurt Ember again?" Sam asked, noting the faint black of dye on Danny's cheek.
"Yeah," came the mumbled reply. "I have to be in ghost form in order for my healing powers to work and it's becoming harder and harder to hide the changes from my parents. I have to dye my hair once a week just to hide the white hairs."
"At least you don't have to wear contacts yet," Tucker pointed out.
"Yet," Danny pointed out. "I'm afraid one of these days, they're going to find out. What if I left any evidence behind?"
"You did remember to empty the trash can last night, right?"Sam asked, frowning a bit.
Danny's blue eyes widened in horror. "Uh-oh!"
Uh-oh, indeed.
Maddie placed the box of black hair dye in front of her husband, who tinkering yet on the Fenton Ghost Finder.
Jack squinted at the box and then looked up at Maddie. "Not a good color for you, Mads."
"No, Jack," Maddie said, sitting down. "I found this in Danny's trash can when I went to clean up his room this morning."
Jack scratched his head. "Why would our son want to dye his hair black? He already has black hair."
Maddie sighed. "That's what I would like to know as well."
Jack was about to reply when the Fenton Spectral Alarms sounded in the basement. Something was coming through the portal.
"Need the Healer," the ghost gasped out, her arm oozing greenish blood from the lacerated wound she was barely holding closed with her other hand.
Jack and Maddie glanced at each other.
"Who is this healer?" Maddie asked her.
"And who are you, for that matter, spook?" Jack demanded.
"I am Gilda the Golden, daughter of Prometheus, who stole fire from the gods and gave it to mankind. My father, in brief respite from his torment, has told me of the Healer-only one of three halfas in existence who can heal any ghost ailment."
"What is a halfa?" Jack asked, throwing caution to the wind. If the ghost had meant to attack, she would have done so by now. Besides, with flaming red hair and glowing amber eyes, she was kind of cute.
"Please, I must find the Healer. I have not much time," the ghost pleaded again.
"Gilda, I'm going to assume that a halfa is someone who half-ghost and half-human. Am I correct?" Maddie asked, coaxing her out of the portal and onto an examination table. "I'm not a medical expert, but I can suture up those wounds until your Healer arrives."
"He comes," Gilda said, turning towards the stairs leading to the kitchen.
Danny's eyes went blank. "I am needed," he said, pushing his chair back from the lunch table.
"Okay, dude, we'll cover for you," Tucker replied, pouring chocolate milk into his spaghetti and digging in with his spork.
"That is so gross," Sam said, a look of disgust on her face.
"For an encore and fifty bucks, I'll eat my milk carton," Tucker said, a wide grin on his face.
"Don't encourage him, Sam," Danny said, coming out of his trance. He ducked under the table and turned invisible. "The ghost is at my house. Let's hope my parents won't notice."
"Not likely," Sam retorted.
"Uh, Sam?" Tucker tapped her on the shoulder.
She looked up to find the whole cafeteria staring at her.
"Mind your own business!" she snapped.
Normal life resumed.
"Healer," she whispered in awe, as Danny came down the stairs.
"Gilda," he replied, noting his parents' presence with a flicker of the eyes. "Let me see the wound."
"I was fighting the Death Guardian, Cerberus, who tore my flesh. It was my father who told me to find you," she replied. "How is it you know my name?"
"It comes with the territory. Mom cleaned and sutured the wounds, so only a little power will be needed," he replied, triggering the transformation rings.
Maddie watched in amazement as black turned white and blue became green. This was her little boy, this alien creature? She grabbed Jack's arm as he reached for a Fenton thermos.
"Wait until he's done," she whispered.