Author's Note: This is my first fan fiction, so please be polite in pointing out mistakes. Reviews are greatly appreciated, Lord knows I need whatever help I can get.
My head-canons about ghosts in the show are a bit estranged from the average interpretation. You won't hear anything about obsessions or a loss of humanity. Personality-wise, the ghosts are the same as humans.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this!
Chapter 1: The Second Death
Danny Phantom gazed down at the melting mess that was previously a monster of a ghost. Measuring at a power level of 8.5 as opposed to Danny's reading of 7 on the Fenton's equipment, it had taken all he had and more to take out the godzilla-like creature, even with the help of Amity Park's greatest ghost hunters. All was silent for a few seconds, save for the sizzling mass in the middle of the Casper High parking lot and the whir of engines as the Red Huntress touched down a few meters from Phantom.
Danny looked up at Maddie and Jack Fenton, standing at the side of the lot closest to his school. Exhausted from evacuating the students, they had sprinted out the school doors just in time to see the heavily injured ghost boy end the beastly ghost with a particularly impressive ectoblast. However, with only their knowledge of conventional ghost physiology, they underestimated the severity of Phantom's wounds.
Danny coughed weakly, ectoplasm dribbling down from the corner of his mouth as a distressed cry and the thump of black combat boots announced the approach of his best friend, Sam Manson.
"Danny! Please tell me you're okay. Please say something!" She placed her arms under Danny's, catching him as he fell to his knees. Suddenly aware of his condition, the three ghost hunters slowly approached, apprehensive, but concerned for the hero that had just saved the city. Danny was painfully aware of the ectoplasm filling his lungs, a result of a nasty attack involving a large set of claws to the chest. He had spent his remaining energy in attempting to end the fight before he succumbed to his wounds, and it was all he could do to choke out one last sentence.
"Take them with you… mom and dad..." He managed to say before he went into a coughing fit, thick green liquid with an unsettling resemblance to blood getting all over Sam's shirt. She barely had time to decipher his cryptic message before he lit up with a bright silver light. Faintly glowing green eyes changed to desperate blue ones as the ghost kid in her arms transformed into Danny Fenton. Red mixed with the green that stained his shirt as his parents gasped in horror, a mere five meters away. With the last of his life, Danny pulled something out of his pocket and placed it into Sam's trembling hands. She clenched her hands around it and pulled Danny closer to her, sobbing as Danny's eyes glazed over and the life left his body.
Jack and Maddie stood there in shock, staring into the lifeless eyes of their only son. They could only stand there as they realized the truth of what was going on. They could only watch as Sam shakily opened her hands to look at Danny's final gift. It was a gold medallion that looked like a five-toothed gear, with stylized letters in the center, reading "CW". Sam's eyes widened.
"Clockwork."
Sorry for the short chapter, I intended this just to be a short introduction to the story. Just a bit of background. Just as I said at the top of this chapter, Ghosts are just like humans when it comes to personality. Therefore, Danny's ghost is still Danny.