Author's Note: I decided to watch Danny Phantom again, and once I did, I remembered why I enjoyed the show so much. I remembered loving Ember McClain as a character, and ideas started whirling around in my mind. So, I created this fan fic. I'm not sure I'll continue this, but I feel like it warrants an upload, at least. I hope you enjoy it!
Burn: Chapter 1
"Now, class, can anyone tell me which word goes in this blank; affect or effect?"
Danny sighed. His icy blue eyes were struggling to stay open.
Ten more minutes, Danny. You can do this…
"Danny, could you answer?"
The seventeen year old yawned. "Eh?"
Lovely. I didn't even hear the question.
The balding, middle aged teacher frowned. "Well, someone's getting detention. For the third time, don't sleep in class, Danny Fenton."
The class laughed as Danny's face met the desk, his long, messy black hair covering it completely.
Give me a break, Mr. Lancer. It's not my fault a ghost attacked me at 11 PM.
The class droned on for ten more minutes before the bell rang. The class scampered out; not even hearing the usual speech Lancer gave regarding the importance of education, causing him to stomp out of the room. Suddenly, a blond haired jock appeared.
"Hey, Fen-toad!"
Danny sighed. "Oh, Dash. Hey."
"Don't 'hey' me! You haven't received your weekly beating yet!"
"You do know Lancer could come back any second, right?"
"Yeah."
"And you don't care."
"Yep."
The disgruntled teen threw his hands up. "Why do I even bother?"
"Hasta la vista, Fentoid!"
*PUNCH!*
"Gah!"
While Danny clenched his right shoulder, the jock laughed. "Later, Fen-toad!"
And there he goes. At least this type of pain is short.
Five minutes later, Lancer returned, his eyes narrow.
"Danny Fenton, this is the tenth time this year that you've been in here. Why aren't you paying attention in class?"
Danny sighed. "I'm exhausted. There was a ghost attack at 11 PM, and I could barely get any sleep. It's been like this for two years and about three months."
"I respect that you're trying to help Amity Park out, but you still need to learn and pay attention."
Danny muttered, "I'm starting to wonder why at this point…"
Lancer gasped. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest! Fenton, you'd better not ask that again. School is incredibly important for your future!"
"What, as a ghost hunter?"
"That isn't going to pay your bills when you get older, you know."
Danny sighed. "OK, fine."
"Good. I hope this detention will help you realize the importance of school. I expect to see you doing schoolwork for the next hour."
"Alright, alright."
Boredom and fatigue for an hour. Beautiful. I hate my life so much.
An hour later, Danny glumly walked out of school.
I wonder where Tuck and Sam are. Guess they already went home. Hopefully nothing stupid will happen when I return home.
A half an hour later, the black-haired teen opened the door, only to reveal a large, cylindrical green blast.
"Whoa!"
At least I dodged it…
A large man in an orange jumpsuit holding the gun yelled, "Dang it! I thought a ghost would be here for sure!"
"Hey, Dad. Don't worry, you didn't get me."
Suddenly, Danny heard loud stomps and saw an angry woman in a blue jumpsuit approach him.
"Daniel Fenton, what is the meaning of this?!"
Ah, fuck! I forgot it was interim day…
"Maddie? What did our son do?"
"Have a look, Jack."
She shoved the report card in her husband's face, and it slowly contorted into a frown.
"You're flunking English, and getting C's and D's in your other classes, Danny?"
"He is. Daniel, you need to put more effort into school! These grades are unacceptable!"
Danny sighed. "Let me guess. My room, right now."
Maddie nodded. "Make sure you do your work this time! You're grounded until you bring your grades up!"
With another sigh, Danny trudged up the stairs. Then, his breath turned blue.
Seriously? Well, I could use an outlet for my frustration, so I'm going to take this as a positive.
"I'm going ghos-"
Maddie shouted, "No, you're not, Daniel! You do your schoolwork! We'll take care of the ghosts."
"Alright, time to hunt some ghosts with the Fenton Shredder!"
With that, Danny hung his head; a few tears flowing from his eyes.
Damn it! Well, it's a good thing I bought a bottle of Miller Lite earlier.
He grabbed the bottle underneath his bed and took a small drink, the liquid pouring down his throat like a stream.
Ah, that's better. Not by much, but I'll take anything at this point.
He closed the bottle, and put it back under the bed. When he did, he felt a rough cylindrical object on his wrist, and heard a slight ringing noise, causing him to moan.
Just another hobby that my halfa life ruined. I was good at it too. Man, what has my life become? Just fighting ghosts, doing homework, and maybe hanging out with Tucker and Sam; that's what.
He walked like a zombie over to the table where he trudged through his schoolwork until he fell asleep at 9 PM; his head nestled snugly in his Pre-Calculus textbook.
All of a sudden, he appeared in a crowd of people. They were yelling quite loudly.
What's going on? Am I dreaming?
"Yeah! Ohh-ooohhh!"
I know that voice…Ember. I have to stop her!
"I'm going ghost!"
Nothing happened.
What?! Why can't I go ghost?
Danny panicked, but then Ember began to sing.
"It was, it was September,
Wind blows, the dead leaves fall,
To you, I did surrender,
Two weeks, you didn't call..."
Wow, I never noticed how amazing her voice was. I feel…relaxed. Maybe I don't need to do anything for once! It's been so long since I've been able to just enjoy myself…
Suddenly, a smile appeared on the halfa's face as he continued to watch and listen to Ember's performance. As the song continued, he actually started cheering.
This is fantastic! I never thought I'd say this, but thank you, Ember.
As the song concluded, the crowd erupted in applause. However, Danny was suddenly interrupted by a voice in the crowd yelling, "Danny, wake up!"
"Wha…huh?"
As he opened his eyes, he saw a girl with long, orange hair who appeared to be a few years older than him. "I can't believe you just fell asleep while doing schoolwork!"
"Whatever, Jazz. I was having a great dream…ugh, what time is it?"
"6:30."
Danny's eyes widened. "Seriously? Guess I gotta get ready."
"Yup. Be quick, though, school starts in an hour."
"Don't need to tell me twice!"
Danny thrust himself out of bed, brushed his teeth, and ran off to school. The bell rang before he arrived, but he was earlier than usual.
At class, Mr. Lancer said, "Ah, Mr. Fenton. Good to see you trying to get to school on time."
Danny merely grunted and took his seat. That Friday passed by; Danny as miserable as ever. It was as if that day was the same as yesterday for him, but the decent amount of sleep he received meant that he could stay awake, and thus, no detention. Besides, he had reached the small break that was the weekend.
One week had passed; the Winter Break drawing ever so close, but not much else had changed. Oh, sure, there were a few ghost attacks which he had to stay in his room for, many assignments that he flat out couldn't do, his parents and teachers seemed to be getting stricter, and his friends were getting busier thanks to school, but Danny still had that dull look in his eyes. It was as if his will to live was slowly getting sucked away. When that Friday ended, he plopped down on his bed.
Ugh, what the hell is going on? I'm too busy to do anything else but schoolwork, my friends are too busy, I can't fight ghosts anymore, and I'm too tired to do any more work now. I swear, if I see another Physics problem, I'm gonna lose my shit.
As if to pour salt in his wounds, his breath turned blue, causing him to pound his bed out of anger.
Gah! The one thing I enjoy doing nowadays and I can't even do it! Was I really that far behind in school? Or are Mr. Lancer and my other teachers just giving me more homework to make fun of me? I have about four hours of it each night!
He groaned, and proceeded to have another gulp of Miller Lite.
Ah, that's a little better. You know what? My parents are out ghost hunting and it's not a school night, so I may be able to take a little nap.
With a yawn, he closed the bottle, placed it under his bed, and quickly went to sleep.
Subsequently, Danny returned to the concert, as people were starting to leave.
Wait, I'm back here? Why is the dream I had eight days ago continuing now? …You know what, I don't care. It's the best thing that's happened to me in a while.
"Hey, dipstick!"
Wait, is she talking to me?
At this, Danny tilted his head nervously, only to see that no one was around him, causing Ember to laugh.
"I wanted to make sure that you couldn't ruin my gig, and now that you're the only one left, I could easily destroy you. After all, you don't have your ghost powers now, do you?"
Danny gulped, closed his eyes, and shivered.
"Heh, guess you noticed. Now, it's time for me to rock your world!"
"No!"
However, instead of finishing him off, Ember floated closer to him. It took a few seconds for him to realize that Ember wasn't attacking him, and when he finally opened his eyes, he saw the spectral rock star standing right in front of him; a devilish smirk on her face.
Afterwards, Danny jumped back; his cheeks red.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing, Ember?!"
She laughed. "Watching you squirm, baby pop. It's kinda cute how much your hormones are acting up."
This only made him blush more, causing his voice to stop working.
Oh man, what is she doing?
"Y'know, I actually heard ya say my name in the crowd. Could it be that you actually like my song?"
Oh god, I'm embarrassed. I'm sure she's enjoying this.
"W-well, ye-yeah…"
She patted his head. "That's a good dipstick."
Damn it, Ember! Why must you be so attractive? And why are you such an amazing singer? Ugh, my awkwardness is coming in full force!
"Heh, your cheeks are bright red, baby pop. It's good to be in control."
Control? …Wait a second!
Suddenly, Danny smiled. "Yes. Yes, it is."
Ember's eyes narrowed. "What the hell are you talking about, dipstick?"
"It felt good to be able to relax for once. Hell, I haven't been able to relax since I got these powers. With my schoolwork increasing along with having to save Amity Park from ghosts, I haven't had time to do anything. But, during your concert, I felt free and in control of my destiny for the first time in ages. So thanks."
Ember's eyes widened, but she quickly regained her composure and smirked. "Finally learning to be rebellious, eh, baby pop?"
She put her arm around Danny and forcefully pushed him into her body. "I like that."
Suddenly, a voice sounded in Danny's head.
"Wake up!"
Danny opened his eyes again, only to see Jazz and his parents glaring at him.
With that, he yelled, "Ugh…I was just taking a nap, guys! Cut me some slack here!"
Maddie was the first to speak. "Daniel, how much homework do you have this weekend?"
"Too m…I mean, ten hours. I've got time, don't worry."
"Well, alright. You need to get started soon, though. It's 8 PM now."
Danny groaned. "Sure."
With that, he hopped up and continued his History homework.
What the hell is going on? Why was a concert from Ember in my dreams the best thing to happen to me in months? I know I shouldn't think too much about this, but am I really becoming rebellious? …Maybe I'll have a little time later to think about that. But I doubt it.
With a groan, he returned to his work.
As the weekend and succeeding week plodded on, Danny's thoughts continued to be occupied with work, fatigue, and misery.
The next Friday came; the Friday right before Winter Break, but Danny was too exhausted to be excited; seeing it as merely another day of school. The pace of the day, as per usual, was very slow. However, he seemed a bit happier after the lunch bell rang.
Finally! Hopefully, there's something decent in the cafeteria.
He dashed to the lunchroom, but as he was about to turn the corner, he heard a voice.
"Oh, Sam, you're so beautiful."
Danny gasped.
What?! No, I did not just hear that!
"Tucker, thank you."
You. Can't. Be. Serious.
To mitigate his fears, he peered around the corner, only to fall to his knees in pain.
His two best friends were kissing.
And his heart broke into a million pieces.
No! Sam…why would you do this to me?! And Tucker…you knew I had feelings for her! I…I hate you all!
With tears in his eyes, Danny turned around and stormed down the hallway.
Subsequently, Sam said, "Thanks, Tucker. I feel more comfortable telling Danny how I feel now."
"Sure thing, Sam. But are you sure you had to do this to feel comfortable?"
"I did, yes."
"Well, if you insist. Let's go to lunch."
"Alright."
Meanwhile, Danny passed Mr. Lancer, but he was too distraught to see or hear him yell, "Hey! Where do you think you're going?!"
Walking outside of school, he said flatly, "Going ghost."
With that, he flew into the ghost room; the basement of his house. He lifelessly walked around the room, wondering where he went wrong.
Why? Why is all of this happening to me? I don't know where to go! Nothing's going right at all. I thought things would get better after I helped save the world, but I guess not. …Maybe I should just go ghost for a while. Maybe I just need to clear my head and focus on ghosts. But…should I really do that? Calm down, Danny, let's think this through. OK, so what will happen if I leave? Well, I'll be leaving behind my parents, Jazz, and my two 'friends' behind. I mean, I know I shouldn't worry about Sam and Tucker anymore, but I can't believe they'd do that to me. Still, I can't deny what I saw and heard…
Hmm…what about my parents? Sure, they're overprotective and care too much about my studies, but I don't think they hate me. And Jazz, she seems to still care for me. You know what? Maybe it's just been a really tough portion of my life. Maybe it will get better soon. Besides, could I really forgive myself if I made them so miserable?
Just then, he heard voices.
"Daniel Fenton! If you don't show your face this instant, you'll be grounded until you go to college! IF you go to college! I'm so ashamed of you, young man!"
"How dare you storm off like that away from your studies? Come back here or I'll never forgive you, little brother!"
"Son, I'm ready to show you the power of the Fenton Anti-Creep Stick right about now! Come on up here!"
He sighed; a few tears falling from his eyes.
I guess they don't care about me. They didn't even ask why I left.
Suddenly, a vision of his dream streamed through his mind.
"Ember! So warm and tender!
You will remember my name!"
That's right. When I was in that dream, I felt so happy. So free. So alive. Ember…you ignited the small flame that remained in my soul whether you realize it or not. Well, call me rebellious, but I have the chance to get my freedom right now. Yes…I have to do this. I'm sorry everyone…but it's time for me to go ghost for a while.
He flew up to the natural portal above the Nasty Burger and transported into the Ghost Zone.
Just then, Jack rammed the door to the basement open, tumbling down the stairs.
"Honey, did you really have to do that?"
"Sometimes you just have to make a dramatic entrance, Maddie. Now then, where's our troublemaking son?!"
He stomped around the room, checking every place where Danny could hide, but found nothing.
"Dad, did you find him?"
Jack scratched his head. "No, I didn't. How strange…"
Jazz gasped. "What?! He disappeared? Oh no…"
Maddie seemed about to ready to burst. "Danny! Where are you?!"
"Calm down, Maddie. Let's give this house the ol' Fenton search. He won't be able to hide for long!"
With that, the three dispersed, and ten minutes later, they came back to the dining room.
With concern in her voice, Jazz said, "Dad…Mom…I couldn't find him! Do…do you think he's in the Ghost Zone?"
Maddie sighed. "I don't know, but I think you should get back to school and report our findings to Mr. Lancer. He'd better not be hiding somewhere around town…"
Jasmine nodded and ran back to school.
After getting to the cafeteria, Sam said, "Danny's not here. Huh, that's weird. Maybe he has to make up a test or something."
"That sounds about right. Anyway, today's gunk looks slightly less repulsive than yesterday's gunk."
Sam laughed. "Yeah, a little."
After lunch, the two realized that Danny wasn't at their 6th period Science class, so after the science bell, Sam asked, "Mr. Lancer, do you know where Danny is?"
Mr. Lancer growled, "He just walked out during lunch, ignoring me! I sent Jasmine to get him back, and when he does finally return, he's getting detention for the next month!"
Tucker's eyes widened. "Uh oh. I've got a bad feeling about this."
Sam's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"
"Remember what we did during lunch?"
Sam's jaw dropped. "No…what have I done?! We need to check up on him!"
"No, you won't! Tucker, Sam, you'll stay here until school is over. I won't have any others just ditching school willy-nilly!"
All of a sudden, the three saw Jasmine huffing and puffing.
Lancer was the first to speak up. "Are you alright, Jasmine? What happened? Did you catch up with Danny?"
"No…we can't find him!"
Sam and Tucker both gasped, and ran away from the school to Danny's home while Lancer appeared to be in a horrified trance.
When the two arrived in Danny's home, Jack and Maddie both appeared to be concerned.
Tucker was the first to speak. "Mr. Fenton…Mrs. Fenton. Please tell me you have a clue as to where Danny is…"
Jack was sullen. "I'm afraid not. I'm starting to get worried…"
Sam gasped in horror, but managed to work up determination to yell, "We have to find him!"
Maddie nodded. "Yes, you're right. I don't want to believe Danny would just ditch us like this…but we'll just need to search for him."
Tucker shouted, "I'll check the Nasty Burger!"
Sam yelled, "I'll ask others!"
Jack shouted, "I'll use the Fenton Ghost Finder!"
"Good thinking, Jack! Let's take the Fenton RV!"
"Way ahead of you, Maddie!"
With that, the four rushed out of the house.
