Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom or Spirited Away. Just 'it'.
Through the Tunnel
The sounds of sleep rested throughout the room as Ember and the other girls were deep in their slumber.
But one wasn't.
Something was different about this young girl compared to the others. Some may say it was her complexion, which reminded many of the French vanilla ice cream one would eat on a hot summer's day, that gave away her nature. Others might say it was the eyes, a glimmering gold color without dullness and full of life. But everyone knew it was the stench that reveal to those in the Ghost Zone of what she was.
An eleven-year-old not-so-ghost girl.
With the ethereal glow trickling through the cracks of the doors, she was only one awake in the entire castle and it was clear that she wouldn't so easily surrender herself to the realm of dreams now.
Too many things had happened to the poor girl that it seemed out of the question to close her eyes and let her conscience drift to wherever it would like to go. After all, it had only been about a day since she and her friend decided to explore the woods near the playground they usually met on summer days to have fun.
-Flashback-
Specks of sunlight littered the forest ground, giving those desperate wildflowers the delicacy of the warmth and the energy to survive. The sound of a woodpecker burrowing its way into a tree as the morning dove's song filled the air around the two curious eleven-year-olds.
The girl's black sneakers carefully and miraculously avoided the roots of trees that happened to cross her path. Her over-sized green and purple striped T-shirt and black jean shorts snagged onto some dead outstretched tree branches that she waved away dismissively. A fallen, moss-covered tree stood in her way of exploration but she was one who liked challenges.
She pulled her ebony hair up into a half ponytail. With one hand, she swung herself over and jumped down on the other side. A smirk played on her facial features, wondering how long it would take for her friend to realize her absence.
The said friend had all his attention to his GameBoy as he fought vigorously with his Pokemon against a powerful wild Articuno. His last Pokemon, Blastoise, was defeated and his avatar was forced to flee. (A/N: It's been a while since I watched and played Pokemon so sorry if I totally messed up on that reference)
He let out an ear-piercing scream of anguish as he had been trying to defeat and catch that specific Pokemon for the past two days! After a mental degrading of his capabilities, he turned off his GameBoy and slipped it into his pocket. It was only then that he realized he was alone.
"Sam?" he asked into the empty space about him. "Sam!"
He looked down to see footprints of the bottoms of sneakers, most likely his friend's. He followed them, only to meet with the fallen tree in his path. She has to be hiding somewhere nearby, the African-American boy thought.
"Sam, I know you're around here so show yourself," he commanded in a bored tone. Sam chuckled as silently as possible, her back towards the tree trunk.
Knowing it may be a while before the dots connected in her companion's head, she scanned the area to find a stone entrance of some sort not too far away from her. Curiosity caused her to forget her little prank as she stood up and began running towards it.
That's interesting...
Her eye-spectacled friend noticed immediately her movements and leaped over the fallen tree trunk. He pursued Sam.
"Sam...where's the...fire?" he asked between breaths, trying his might to keep up with the agile girl.
"There seems to be something up ahead that could be cool," she replied without missing a beat. The two slid down a rocky slope, Sam more graceful than her friend, who uttered an 'oof' when he fell on his stomach.
"Tucker?" she questioned while stifling a laugh.
The boy picked himself up from the ground and began dusting his yellow T-shirt and forest green shorts off. "Leave me alone. Not everyone has the gift of perfect balance like you."
She waved him off. "Whatever. Let's just check this out."
Tucker looked at the peach-colored entry way, ivy and flower roots embedded into the opening. By the way the ivy and wildflowers grasped onto the stones of what would be perceived as the doorway reminded the boy of the trellis his parents have in the backyard of his home. But there seemed to be no end to this mysterious tunnel.
The two walked closer to the entrance, a supernatural vibe throughout the atmosphere.
"This looks pretty old," she whispered.
"It's fake. See, that's plaster falling, not stone," the young boy pointed out to his companion. "I remember because my dad was remodeling not too long ago. How long do you think it's been here?"
"I don't know. Why don't we look inside? We'll probably get answers there."
"Bad idea. Anything that has to do with dark and creepy tunnels always means trouble."
"C'mon Tucker, don't be such a scaredy-cat! Just a little peek. In and out."
"Well," he hesitated before Sam gave him her best puppy eyes. "If it's just quick look, don't see why not."
"Yes!" The ebony-haired girl pumped a victorious fist into the air. Then, she grabbed the poor boy's hand and dragged him into the tunnel of obscurity.
--End of Flashback
Why didn't I let him talk me out of it? She thought, trembling underneath the blue bed covers. If I hadn't pressured him for us to go, we would be home...Or anywhere but here...
The creaking sound of the door reached her ears, following by light footfalls towards her. She closed her eyes to fake sleep. She felt a light touch and a familiar voice whisper:
"Meet me by the bridge. I'll take you to your friend." And as quickly as the individual arrived, he had departed, shutting the door behind him.
At this noise, the young girl bolted up in a sitting position, staring at the door. She knew who that person was and didn't want to waste any time. So, she put on the outer clothes of her violet and black maid uniform, pulled her white hair into a half-ponytail, and made her way through the quiet hotel palace.
Looking around, she could only remember the events of the night before.
Flash back—
The two eleven-year-olds emerged from the tunnel, bewildered to find a treeless hillside with what seemed to be roofs of houses sticking out of the ground.
"What is this place?" Sam wondered aloud, the wind blowing through her half-ponytail hair.
"I knew it!" she looked over to her friend, Tucker. "It's an abandoned theme park. See?" He gestured to the sign above them. "From what my dad said, they built them everywhere in the early 90s. Then, their popularity dropped and they all went bankrupt. This must be one of them!"
She crossed her arms and smirked with confidence. "Told you it would be interesting."
The beret boy rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Let's just go look around quickly. We don't want to be late for curfew."
The two continued on their path until a sweet smell of food floated to Tucker's nostrils.
"Something smells good!" he exclaimed, excited. With newfound energy, the eleven-year-old boy raced through the boulders towards the source of the aroma.
"You're always thinking about food, tech geek!" she shouted at him in playful annoyance as she followed his trail of dust.
As she was chasing after him, she noticed all the buildings were restaurants and no one was seen in sight.
"That's weird," she whispered to herself. A cry of joy reached her ears.
Tucker had found the food.
It was arranged as some sort of banquet. On every platter, there was some strange type of food. The smell of delicious was heaven on earth to Tucker.
However, Sam wasn't pleased for it was mostly meat.
And what puzzled her was that there was no chef or server in sight.
"Tucker, I have a bad feeling about this... We could get in trouble for eating this." She paused to turn to see her best friend piling two plates with this food.
"Oh now you have the bad feeling. You convinced me to come but once you saw meat... Whatever." The African-American waved his friend off as he began to enjoy the food in front of his eyes. He ignored Sam's protests as he continued his meal.
Knowing it was futile, the eleven-year-old girl decided to leave her friend to explore. 'It's either technology or food,' she thought to herself with an exasperated sigh.
Spotting some stone stairs nearby, she walked towards them and began her ascent to the top. She had to step two at a time since the stairs were wider than her foot. Not even panting, she had made it to the top.
A post saying 'DALV' stood in front of her, gesturing to its left. Following the arrow's direction, Sam turned her head to see a what seemed to be a majestic palace.
Its windows rattled against the wind as black smoke rose from its stack. Dragons of various colors adorned the facade along with faces of legendary spirits and ghosts. It carried an air of warmth and fear that confused the young girl.
Before she knew it, Sam was standing on the bridge, staring at it with curious lavender orbs. Something deep inside felt drawn to the mysterious building.
"It's a hotel," she said to herself, unsure how she knew what it was.
A train whistle pierced through her thoughts that came from below? Short ebony locks trailed behind her as she ran to the black railing and looked down.
A train was roaring out of a tunnel into the vast empty space!
"It's a train!" she exclaimed. Curiosity aroused in her being and she ran to the other side to get a better look.
'Wait until Tucker hears about this,' she thought to herself, smiling. Footsteps to her right disturbed her thoughts. She turned and gasped.
Standing there was a boy no older than twelve. The setting sun rays landed softly on his pallor skin. His black, tailored tuxedo fitted nicely on his lanky body, silver gloves adorned his hands. The cool breeze played with his bleach white locks of hair as his intense emerald eyes stared at the girl.
He blinked, then said in a stern voice, "You shouldn't be here. Get out of here now."
Confused, she began, "Wha—?"
"Leave before it gets dark." Suddenly, everything began getting darker as lanterns glowed with the evening sun.
"Oh no. They're lighting the lamps," he breathed as he pushed her to the way she came. "You need to get across the river. Go, I'll distract them."
A neon green light emitted from the strange boy's finger, going off to the heavens. Seeing that was her cue, Sam raced down the stairs to find her friend.
"What's his problem?" she thought aloud as she continued to search. Small floating green blobs began to appear around her. She found the place she left the spectacled preteen.
"Tuck—" she cut her off as lavender eyes widened. Instead of a technology-obsessed boy at the counter, there was a green boy with point ears, floating. His sharp claws swiped at her maliciously but his teal eyes showed concern and worry.
"You... were right... Get away... from me... before... I hurt you," he struggled out as his body continued its futile attempt to harm his best friend.
Not wasting any time, she began to run towards the tunnel, however not before shouting behind her, "Don't worry Tucker! I'll go get help from our parents!"
'Because they can fix anything, right?' she mused, trying to reassure herself. 'They can turn Tucker back to normal.'
But the same part of her that was drawn to the strange hotel also contradicted her thoughts.
Humans can't fix everything...
She shivered from that foreign thought as she ran down towards the tunnel. However, instead of hitting grass, a loud splash filled her ears.
"What the heck! Water?" she cried in shock as the liquid was up to her waist. Quickly she climbed out and back to shore.
Lavender eyes widened as she saw the expanse of the river. On the other side were lights and seemed to be stores by the building. The thing that caught her eye was the two-deck boat coming her way!
"I must be dreaming," she reasoned, pinching herself over and over again. "C'mon, wake up idiot! Wake up!"
She squatted into a ball. "It's just a dream. Go away. Disappear."
She gasped as she could see through herself! She quickly stood up.
"I'm transparent!" she squeaked, trying to hard to become non-transparent.
Her attention was diverted to the doors on the boat flying open once it docked. Creatures of all sorts—dragons, yeti, plants, etc.—processed out of the boat towards—what Sam suspected—the hotel she saw.
She would have stayed if it were for the small green blobs that were emerging from the river's depths. Startled, she ran away from the scene to hide somewhere safe.
DP-SA-DP-SA-DP-SA
Emerald eyes scanned the darkened grassy hillside, searching for a certain ebony-haired girl. 'There was no way she would have made it,' he thought somberly. 'But she must have tried.'
His eyes landed on a transparent girl, muttering something along the lines of, "Need to be stronger."
Whether the girl was too deep in thought or just not aware of her surroundings, the older boy did not know as he was able to sit right next to her without a flinch. It was only until he placed one of his gloved hands around her shoulders did she react.
By trying to punch him in the face.
Instead, all her fist do was go right through his head, the boy not flinching in the slightest.
"Wha—?" The word came more like a garbled sound as lavender eyes widened. She was translucent too!
Oh joy.
"I'm not going to hurt you," the older boy reassured her, holding out what appeared to be a cherry. "You just need to eat some food from this world before you disappear completely. Don't worry, it won't turn you into a homicidal maniac."
She took the cherry and forced it down into her system. She sighed.
"Look, you're all better," he said, lifting his palm. "See for yourself."
Nevertheless, the preteen girl's hand was solid and didn't go through his hand. He smiled.
"You see?" he asked, holding Sam's hand—who was blushing now. "Now we have to get going."
"Wait! How can I trust you?" she asked suspiciously. "You could be a homicidal maniac too."
Before the boy could retort on how ungrateful Sam was being, he heard a swooshing from above. Quickly, he covered her with his body.
"Don't move," he commanded gently as the two stared—well the boy glared—silently at the ghastly vulture circling before it moved on.
"That vulture is looking for you. You have to get out of here."
"What do you think I've been doing all this time?" she nearly cried, eyes narrowed. "Dancing with ghosts?"
Then her hand clasped over her mouth as she realized what she had just said. Realizing the boy's hand was as cold as dead winter, his pupiless eyes, and ghastly aura, she gasped.
"Y-you're...a ghost," she breathed.
He chuckled a bit. "I prefer Phantom. Besides, what do you expect? This is the Ghost Realm."
--End of Flashback
She walked down the many stairs of the hotel palace, the sun rays trickling into the sleeping building. She made down to the time-keeping room where the time ghost stood watching the different time periods and alternative time-lines.
"Going to meet with Master Phantom, I see?" said the ghost with a fatherly smile.
A bit shaken by his voice, she replied, "Please don't tell anyone, especially King Plasimus. I don't want his apprentice to get in trouble."
"Do not fret child," he assured. "Your secret is safe with me."
"Thanks Clockwork." With a smile, she left the ghost alone once more.
Up the outer stairs she went, avoiding the missing step she broke while trying to make it to Clockwork last night. An experience she would rather forget.
The preteen girl, in her violet and black maid outfit, arrived to the last step and the hidden gate. Slipping through and making sure not to be seen, she began to walk across the bridge.
And there was the ghost who called himself 'It'. Before he could even say a word, she ran past him. She turned around to see he had disappeared.
Footsteps from behind signaled Phantom had come. She turned towards him.
"Let's go," he urged as she followed him through the grounds. She found it hard to keep up with him, even with her own transformation.
"We must hurry," he continued. "If you are found here, you will become just like your friend. So only come here with me. Okay?"
"Okay," she mumbled as they slid down the slope.
At the bottom of this hill was a prison of some sort. Homicidal ghosts who were trespassing humans into the Ghost Realm were kept there for all eternity. There were no guards, just spells to keep the prisoners at bay and unable to escape.
Fortunately for the two, these inmates wouldn't be up for a while, sleeping until evening.
And one of them was Tucker.
His skin was still of green pallor, claws visible in the darkened light. One of his fangs poked through his lip. The golden-eyed girl watched as he slept.
"Did they do anything to him?" she whispered to Phantom.
"No, but he's slowly losing sanity," he informed. "I'm surprised he still remembers you. Now it's your job to remember him."
Tears stung her golden eyes. "Why didn't I listen to you, Tucker? We're in this mess because of me."
Phantom remained silent as she walked solemnly away.
DP-SA-DP-SA-DP-SA
The two sat in the garden, the aroma of exotic plants around them. Breaking the awkward silence, Phantom outstretched his arm, in his hands her clothes.
"Here are your clothes. Hide them," he said as the white-haired girl accepted her garments.
"I thought they were stolen or burned," she whispered.
"No. You will need them when you return home."
The girl began rummaging through her pockets to make sure that everything was still there. She pulled out her wallet and looked at her student I.D.
She read the name on the card and stared at the picture next to it. A young girl with lavender eyes and ebony hair stared back with an indifferent expression. She turned to the older boy beside her.
"Samantha Manson. Sam. That's me, isn't it?" asked 'Sam.'
He nodded. "That's how Plasimus controls you, by stealing your identity. So keep that card hidden and while you're here, you must called yourself 'Luna.'"
Golden eyes widened as she nodded her head in understanding. "I can't believe I forgot who I am. He almost took it from me."
"If you completely forget, you'll never find your way home," a pause. "I've tried everything to remember mine."
Sam was surprised. "You can't remember who you are, or rather, were?"
"No. But for some reason, I remember yours." He began rummaging through his knapsack and pulled out a small bag of apple slices. "Here, you must be hungry."
"No, not really," she mumbled for the second time that day.
"I put a spell on it to help you regain your strength. Just eat it," he chuckled mischievously. "Or do I have to shove them down your throat?"
With a scowl, Sam snatched the bag away from him and began devouring the helpless apple slices.
DP-SA-DP-SA-DP-SA
Standing by the bridge, the golden-eyed girl grinned, holding her human clothes close to her body.
"I'll come by to see you soon," he smiled. "Stay out of trouble, okay?"
She glared. "I do stay out of trouble. It's just that trouble finds me."
With a huff, she sprinted across the bridge. She turned back to see a black and white dragon in the blue sky. She opened her mouth in awe.
"Phantom's a dragon?" she asked to no one in particular. 'Well, you don't see that everyday...'
She stood there dumbstruck for a few more moments before going back into DALV.
DP-SA-DP-SA-DP-SA
Clockwork returned to his lair at the bottom of the hotel-palace. He was amused to find a sleeping Sam on the floor, curled into a little ball.
But how did he know her name was Sam and not Luna?
Simple. He's the Master of Time.
In a nice gesture, he took one of the blankets he never uses and draped it over the sleeping girl.
He smiled knowingly. "If only you knew..."