They say that love, in itself, is an escape from the world, from reality's tight steel grip on your ankles. If you are, in fact, in love, nothing else really seems to matter; life, for instance, soon becomes an epiphany in which you realize what you were missing all those years before you ever found happiness in love.
I, of course, have never fallen for such petty, inexperienced words. It's all a lie, a mere façade to real meaning of the word we've all come to desire so lavishly. I say this, not in a negative or degrading way, because I myself have experience firsthand what love truly is. But love is rarely perfect, and almost always one-sided. Only because, the temperaments of the world forces a strangling hold on the necks of us all… In my case, it's literal.
I am a hero. Not exactly the red-caped, masculine, super-powered man who flies around New York City defeating villains and getting the girl. Well, okay, I do have powers, but they're ghost powers. It was all a sheer accident that changed my life, and though it may be better for the city I live in, I can't exactly say it has been better for me all of the time. Now I'm flying through walls and sucking up mongrels in my father's "Fenton Thermos".
As for getting the girl? I suppose that's why I feel so obliged to be writing all of this down. For whoever might find this diary in some strange happening, you're the only way I can shout my secret to the world… Samantha Manson is my life.
These ghost attacks have been getting more frequent and a heck of a lot more dangerous. I barely get breaks… I'm seventeen now, but I have no more time to be a negligent kid anymore. Fighting ghosts and protecting Amity Park has become my transcendental priority in my life.
To make it worse, I have stubborn friends, and though I love them with my heart and soul, I have to think about their safety… They're always trying to come along on my missions, skip out on school to help me catch ghouls. They have been in danger in more ways than one. They haven't thought about what they are setting up for themselves in the future. But what's going to happen if they fail all of their classes, demoting their chances for good jobs and a comfortable future, something that I know I can never achieve? Even worse, they could lose their life to one of my merciless villains, leaving their blood smeared on my hands, and I swear by God if that ever happens, I will positively die of remorse. Thus, I no longer call for their aid when I fight my battles, for fear of the consequences.
Sam doesn't understand me anymore… I've been naïve this whole time, thinking I could continue loving her the way I was. But I understand now what my duties are; I cannot have a foot in both worlds, so to say. Sam and I have known each other for so long that we wouldn't even have to bother dating. We know each other's hearts and we could get right down to the vows and get on with our lives together. But I could never do that to her… Never.
I could never give Sam the life that she deserves. She needs someone to be there by her side every single day, someone who could comfort her and be her shelter from all harm, no matter what. Someone who has the time to give his wife the love and affection she deserves, like cuddling at the fireplace or making love at sunset before they go to sleep. She wants kids; we've talked about all of this before, a long while ago. How could someone like me, a world hero, who's constantly fighting specters from another dimension be able to give her all of that, plus the financial support to keep my family thriving? You understand me, don't you? I could not be there for her in the way that it supposed to be, and even though I'm still so young, I've already matured enough to understand that.
But Sam, she does not understand. I've tried to tell her all of this, but she refuses to listen to reason. Do you know what she says?
"I don't need all of that, Danny. All I'll ever need is you, and that's enough."
I know that eventually she would be missing out on the rest of her normal life, and even though she may not understand it now, I do. And eventually, when she finds someone else and starts her own family, living a normal life, she'll understand why I said no. Eventually, she'll understand why I've forced myself to pretend as if we've had nothing all along, and that I've grown out of my infatuation. She'll know that I really had, and will never stop, loving her for the rest of my life.
And, perhaps, the thought will cross her mind that she has been my inspiration, the one and only love I'll ever have, and I've already made that promise to myself.
It's breaking my heart to pieces to do this to Sam, I'll tell you, but I've always put the well-being of others before myself, ever since the day I became Danny Phantom. And that, my dear reader, is my pledge. Because whenever you have a duty, there will always be... Sacrifice.