A/N: So I have five or six Danny Phantom stories I've wanted to post for several years, both slash and non-slash. I've finally decided to post one despite the fact I am busy as all get out. If you like the story let me know and I will continue to post as I can. Also, this one is the ONLY one of my stories that I haven't decided if it is SLASH or NOT. I won't make that decision until later on in the chapters. For those of you who hate slash or just don't care for it, if this story becomes slash I will warn you which chapters will contain it and you can skip them. Until then, please give this story a shot and I will decide at a later time what will occure. Reader feedback is much appreciated, if you think this story would be better with slash or without I will take it into consideration but I am going to let this one flow and see where it takes me.

Also, this story takes place after the events of the series but ignores Phantom Planet as we all know Vlad would never be so careless or stupid to make the mistakes he did in that story arch, I prefer to stick with the original story that Hartman came up with which was Vlad redeeming himself by helping instead of being the main villian, so PP has not occured nor will it in this universe.

Much love and enjoy the read, Apprentice08.

CHAPTER 1

THE TRUTH

When Vlad was a young boy his father would always spend his evenings drinking and watching football on the tv. Vlad, whose mother had left when he was very little, often times found himself playing alone in his bedroom and ignoring his father and the man's slurred cries of injustice to any give penalty called.

It didn't matter which team he was actually rooting for, Vlad's father, his name not surprisingly being Vladislav, simply did not like when the referees would penalize any play or player, even if the penalty was called for.

Being young, Vlad had simply thought his dad liked to yell, he himself was often on the receiving end of said yells so it never occurred to him that the man was yelling for any other reason than to simply hear himself speak.

As he got older and his father grew bored of yelling at people who couldn't hear him, he turned his attention to his son. What had occasionally been a few times a week turned into almost everyday. The things his father spewed at him always seemed to be demeaning in nature and made Vlad feel rather inadequate.

At some point the yelling wasn't enough so his father took to punishing him in rather painful and insidious ways. Vlad, through the rest of his youth, took the abuse in stride and continually told himself his father was only punishing him because he loved him.

When Vlad reached his early teens he started to notice that the abuse was not remaining within tolerable levels. Slaps were getting harder, palms were closing up and becoming fists. The verbal lashings were becoming more vulgar and violent in their communications and objects were starting to find their way into his father's drunken grasp before they were flung at the wall or his head.

At the time Vlad had few friends in whose confidence he could trust to get advice. In fact, Vlad had been painfully shy as a child and found it really hard to make friends. So, after one particularly scary night he made the decision to go to his teacher the next day and tell her what had been happening.

Despite her willingness to help, it seemed that Vlad's father was one step ahead and had stories for everything, including why Vlad was constantly covered in bruises and why the boy would lie about such a thing.

Vladislav explained that his son was an attention seeker, he lied all the time and would often throw temper tantrums which would cause the bruises as he raged through the house and threw objects and himself against the walls.

Whether or not the police and his teacher believed him Vlad never knew, but he did know that shortly after, the teacher he had reached out to had disappeared leaving a note saying she had taken a job elsewhere and had not had time to give notice.

After that Vlad's young life became a nightmare of the most violent and grotesque nature. His father was merciless and relentless and Vlad swore he knew what insanity might feel like.

By the time he was sixteen Vlad had tried to run away three times, but was always found and brought back despite his protests.

It wasn't until the summer right before his senior year in high school that the opportunity to get out finally crossed his path. He had been digging a hole in the back yard, his father's favorite punishment. Vlad's back was laden with blisters from the sun and his body was shaking from dehydration and malnourishment when his shovel struck his salvation.

Sinking to his knees he had reached down and moved dirt to reveal the dirty sheen of a skull. His heart had been in his throat, he had nearly passed out. But, his mind was quick, despite his home life Vlad was a straight A student and he had watched plenty of crime movies to know what this might mean. He saw his out and quickly ran next door to his neighbors and told them about his find. They phoned the police and before Vlad's father knew what was happening red and blue lights were blazing in the front yard.

After months of investigation, searching and testing it all came down to Vlad's memories and his mother's dental records.

The investigator had taken Vlad to a room and asked him if he knew anything about his mother and her departure from his life.

Vlad remembered the night she left, but couldn't recall the words spoken. He remembered yelling, his father shoving her and hitting her with something that he put away into the hall closet and then his mother was simply gone. His father had said she had walked out on them because she had wanted to give Vlad up for adoption and his father had wanted to keep him. Though, years later, Vlad could recall the sarcasm in his father's voice at the notion.

That day was the day Vlad learned the true story of his mother's sudden departure and the day he learned of man's true nature. The day he had decided he would never put himself in the same position his mother had, nor would he let anyone close enough to take advantage or abuse him again.

Twenty-two years later Vlad was a wealthy man, isolated and alone but free to live his life how he pleased. He yielded to no one and was never punished for his decisions nor held accountable for his views. Well, almost never.

Often times he found himself standing juxtaposed to a certain ghost child, the young halfa a mirror image of himself and yet one hundred and ten percent different. This boy knew nothing of real abuse, nor a parents hate. He knew only love, friendship and happiness. The reality of the world never seeming to jade his optimistic and hopeful view of life and the people in it.

Vlad often times found if he ever had to answer to anyone, it was this young pup who knew nothing of the real world. His best laid plans thwarted, witty banter demolished and ego bruised Vlad had never hated, admired and wanted someone's acceptance so much in his life. The only other halfa like him and they could never be together, never be comrades or friends. Vlad's own desires for harth and home aside, the woman he loved was married to another man and had delivered yet another devastating blow in this young boy who could give him everything he had ever wanted and yet refused. Another cruel joke of the infinitely funny universe.

Yet despite the odds stacked against him Vlad continued to try and make Daniel his. Through various manipulations, lies and even going so far as cloning he had tried again and again but was only ever met with failure.

His rage and hate grew, his pain and anguish being buried deeper than his mother's cold grave. His feelings of hopelessness growing and consuming him and his ever fruitful empire giving him more and more pointless and worthless vanity and loveless money.

It was during Daniel's final summer before his senior year that Vlad realized something must be done. Soon the young halfa would be leaving for college and Vlad could not continue to pursue him. His chances were diminishing and he knew his time was running low.

That is when he got a break in the case that was his solution to the problem of young Daniel. Vlad had often monitored the Fenton household, watched the lab carefully and kept track of the trouble Daniel liked to get himself into. It was one fateful day, a month before school let out for the summer, that Vlad came across the golden trio talking conspiratorially in the basement lab of Danny's home.

They were talking about his powers, how they were acting up and doing funny things. He had visited Frostbite, the abominable snow beast that he was, yet the large ghost had not been able to help him nor offer a solution. He had told Danny to come back later if his powers worsened and he would try to help, until then Frostbite planned to seek answers elsewhere in the ghost zone.

Danny seemed very anxious and upset and told his friends he was going to go into the Ghost Zone to seek out Clockwork. The time ghost might be able to help him, at the very least might point him in the right direction. That was when Vlad realized his chance had finally come.

The determined elder halfa had looked for the hidden lair for the Master of Time as long as he could remember. He had read about him when he had first got his ghost powers and had been doing research after his rather terrible stint in the hospital. In fact, he had found the scrolls by accident, shoved into the very back corner of the oldest part of the Wisconsin Library for Paranormal Research and Studies.

This is where he had learned about Pariah Dark, his knight, Clockwork and several other larger than life entities. Though he had never found out who had written the decaying manuscripts he had soaked up the information and had eventually took them to keep in his personal vault where he could reference them as needed.

All this being said, Vlad had searched for his entire adult life for the hidden entrance to Clockwork's castle. And now, Daniel, in all his foolishness was about to lead him right to it. It was a quick decision and he decided he would have to make absolutely sure Daniel did not know the older halfa was following.

This was Vlad's only chance, he could feel it. If he didn't reach the castle following Daniel he would never find it. So, he quickly transformed and headed for his portal, his future suddenly looking much brighter.

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Clockwork looked upon his young friend with a fond half smirk before he turned away and floated to his portal.

"Unfortunately Daniel, I have no answer for you. There is someone who might though. If you are willing to seek him out that is."

The boy perked up considerably at this, the hope of solving his problem suddenly having a solution.

"Great! Who is it?" he asked with a soft smile on his face and bright eyes.

Clockwork turned back to him, his hand coming to rest on Danny's shoulder and he looked down intently as his face shifted from old to young, "You know of whom I speak-"

Danny instantly shoved his hand away and his face melted into an angry snarl, "No way! I can't, you know I can't and you know why too." the young man's blue eyes drifted over to a thermos sitting on a forgotten table in the corner.

"You've nothing to fear from that demon Daniel. His time has come and gone, he is nothing but a creature outside of existence. Helpless and forgotten."

Danny shivered and looked down with anxiety at the floor, "Well, I sure haven't forgotten him- or what he did to my family."

"Correction, what he almost did. If I recall you stopped him."

"No. You stopped him. You gave me a second chance, to live my life right and to change the mistakes I made. If you hadn't froze time-"

"If you wish to look at it that way who am I to stop you, but you made a deal with me if I do remember correctly."

Danny blanched and his shoulders hunched, "I know, I know- but it's so hard… it goes against everything I believe in. Not to mention the major consequences it could have on the past, present and future." Danny said, his thumb pointing angrily back at the thermos.

"Let me worry about the past, present and future. You just focus on the task I have laid out for you. It will become clear in the end my young friend."

"Alright, I will try again but the last time I tried to talk to him he blasted me through a roof."

"Persistence is a virtue." Danny went to rebuke but saw that Clockwork was already staring into his many time portals. The young halfa elected to simply fly back before his powers shorted on him again. He was not aware of the glowing red eyes that watched him from the shadows of the ghost zone. Nor did he see the shadow leave its perch and head right for the castle.

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When Vlad entered the strange castle the first thing he noticed was the grinding of large ancient looking gears and the soft ticking of thousands of clocks which hung above him in a strange sort of limbo.

The next thing he noticed was the dust, dirt and cobwebs and even though he would never admit it he felt a small tingle of discomfort run up his spine. This place was very old, not just ancient but almost having a sense of existing beyond time, outside of time. It wasn't a feeling that Vlad really appreciated, in fact if he was being honest with himself he was almost having second thoughts.

But an image of Daniel drifted through his mind and he felt his resolve harden. He flew down towards the floor below and came to a stand still, floating a few feet above the floor, his eyes scanning and his ears flexing, listening for any indication he wasn't alone.

Suddenly, a light caught his eye and his head turned to a small portal held in a strange mirror. He floated closer until the swirling colors took shape, an image of Daniel greeted him, as well as an image of himself. He and Daniel were fighting, the boy looking much older than he did now. Perhaps in his mid to late twenties, but the fight didn't seem to be as volatile or violent as their current fights did. In fact, this nearly seemed like they were only sparing.

This truth was confirmed moments later when Daniel dodged a purple blast and let out a laugh, "No you don't old man, I got you now!" Daniel's voice was deeper here but still held the traces of a young man, just coming into his own and quite brash.

Vlad saw himself then, in his ghost form though he was not wearing his signature outfit. He was simply wearing his pants and boots, his bare blue chest glowing and he felt himself cringe. He never took off his shirt in front of people, why on Earth- when was this happening?

The Vlad he saw gave a cocky smile and sent a blast of light pink towards Daniel, the boy easily dodged but he neglected to take into account the reflective wall behind him. The blast hit him in the back and he went down, saved from a face plant to the floor by Vlad, who held him triumphantly by his ankle.

"Old man indeed." the Vlad in the portal snorted.

"Yeah yeah, I get it. You're Vlad the great and powerful, now put me down fruitloop."

"As you wish little badger." Vlad released his hold and the young man toppled to the ground.

"You ass!"

"Language little badger."

The two were now toweling off the sweat that had collected during their apparent spar session.

"Will you stop calling me that. It was cute when I was a kid but I'm not so little anymore."

"I suppose I could, but you'd have to stop calling me that lovely nickname that your charming friends came up with."

"Which one, crazy? Demented? Egomaniac?"

"Forever the clever witty young man. No, I mean the other one."

Daniel seemed to think a moment and then gasped, "You mean fruitloop? But that's my favorite, it describes you so perfectly."

"Huh, hardly, but if you must know I think little badger describes you to a T."

"Bull shit, Vlad."

"Daniel, I mean it. Your choice of words is vulgar and I'd appreciate it if you could clean it up before I am forced to make you."

"You could try old man, but I don't think you could do shit about it..."

"I've been waiting for you Plasmius." Vlad jumped at the sound of the voice and spun quickly, firing off a shot of blue energy in the direction he thought it had come from.

He saw no one and took to the air to get a better view of his surroundings, "Where are you spirit! Answer me!"

Silence followed, only the sounds of the gears and the ticking of the clocks echoed around him.

"Very well, if you won't speak willingly, I suppose I will just have to make you-" Vlad started vollying small balls of pink energy down onto the castle below. As the dust rose he felt his own nerves jump and he ceased firing immediately. As he swooped down to see the damage the dust parted and he realized that nothing was damaged.

"What the-"

"Vlad, do you think dad's doing okay?"

The man in question turned to a view screen that appeared out of the smoke and couldn't stop his jaw from dropping.

An image of him and a slightly older Daniel stood outside of a window in a hospital and looked in at Jack Fenton, who was hooked up to all manner of machines.

"Have no worries, Daniel, your father is a rather annoying if not persistent man. He will pull through and you will be fine-"

The image changed and Vlad lost all sense of where he was when he saw Daniel, in his human form, smash Vlad across the face with his fist.

"You promised he would be okay- you PROMISED me! You said- you said…"

Vlad watched as the boy dropped to his knees and covered his face with his hands as he cried. The Vlad who had been struck was still laying on the floor but quickly sat up, moving to his knees and wrapping his arms around the elder teen.

"I know, I'm- sorry. Oh Daniel I am so sorry- I really thought… I really believed he would make it through. Please, believe me I didn't-"

Danny tried to pull away as he elbowed the man in his chest, "It's your fault! It's your-"

But the Vlad in the portal held on tight and eventually when Danny calmed down the young man reluctantly wrapped his arms around his companion and openly wept as Vlad held him close and ran his hand in slow circles over the boys back, offering up comforting whispers and gentle words as Danny finally became still.

"You can't believe it's true can you?"

Vlad spun again but this time, before he could fire, he was greeted by a ghost he had never seen before, "Can't believe what?" Vlad hissed as his hand sparked with electricity.

"That young Daniel would ever find comfort in your arms. That he would seek you out and simultaneously reject and accept you. That he would let you get so close."

Vlad turned back to the portal but didn't see anything but swirling colors. His face contorted in rage and he raised a powerful ball of white hot ecto- energy in his hand.

As he went to throw it the ghost raised his staff and clicked a button on the top, "Time out."

Vlad felt himself slow down, could see that he was moving so slow he nearly wasn't moving at all and his red eyes jumped back and forth between his hand filled with energy and the ghost who watched him with a cocky smile.

"I wouldn't try anything if I were you plasmius. I brought you here for a reason. I can just as easily send you away, far away. Perhaps the jurassic period-" a T-Rex appeared in the portal and Vlad swallowed thickly.

"Time in."

Vlad's arm lurched forward and his concentration slipped, the ball dissipated sending a backlash of energy up his arm which rattled his joints and caused a rather painful spasm in his back.

"Alright! Very well, what do you want?" The annoyed halfa asked as he rubbed his aching shoulder though he noticed only his top half was movable, his legs remained inert.

"I'm glad you are able to see things my way, as we have a shared interest and I was hoping for your cooperation."

"What could I possibly have in common with you, interest or otherwise?" Vlad sneered, though he had to admit his interest was peeked if only slightly.

Clockwork swung his staff through the air and the image of a jurassic monster disappeared and was replaced with one of the ghost boy.

"Daniel?"

The time ghost allowed Vlad his freedom to move about and sat him down onto the ground, his invisible grip releasing the halfa and Plasmius stretched.

"What could the child have done to you? You are all powerful, surely he hasn't gotten the better of you."

"All powerful? Im flattered you think so, but it is not what he did to me it is what he hasn't done for me." Clockwork approached the portal and his red eyes scanned several images of the ghost boy, his face not giving a clue as to what he was thinking even as his appearance shifted from one age to another.

"Explain." Vlad said in frustration as he crossed his arms over his chest and waited with less than amused eyes.

"I asked young Daniel to try and befriend you." finally the time spirit looked to him, he moved closer and peered knowingly into Vlad's eyes.

"That a bond with you would be in his best interest for the future that is to come. He said he would try but has failed to act, despite multiple warnings on my part for him to do so."

A scoff resounded throughout the castle as Vlad shifted his weight and looked angrily to the floor. "And that surprises you? I've tried to sway Daniel to my side for years. He is stubborn and uncomprehending in the face of what we could become together."

Clockwork hesitated before he turned away from Plasmius and floated over to a thermos sitting in a dark and forgotten corner.

"You do not give him enough credit. He understands more than you could imagine. His fear of giving into your plans for him is based upon your desire for him to renounce his father and turn his back on those he loves. He is also aware of something that you are not, and because of that, he will never be yours. Not unless steps are taken to ensure it."

Plasmius's eyes narrowed as he looked to the thermos that now resided in Clockwork's hand, "And what, pray tell, would that be?"

Clockwork swayed his staff through the air again and another image came onto the portal's face. A ghost that Plasmius had never seen was in the process of destroying everything in sight. He was massive and looked to be unbeatable, killing without hesitance or preference, men, women and children alike.

"Who in God's name is that? And what does he have to do with Daniel and I?"

"That- thing, is you and Daniel's future selves merged together into one entity."

"What! Impossible!"

"Last year the beginning events to this outcome of the timeline occured, young Daniel was able to stop it from happening and in the end spared your time line from suffering the same fate as most of the others. Because of this a new timeline was created, one in which the joining of you and Daniel is unavoidable and quit necessary."

Vlad looked to the creature on the screen, a beast of nightmares and legends. Vlad's evil mind thought of all the ways he could control or manipulate a creature like that, but at the image of the ghoul ripping a woman in half he thought better of it, "What type of joining and why would it be so beneficial?"

Clockwork smiled and put the thermos back on the table. He turned to look at Vlad and then waved his staff, the portal's face changed for a third time.

"Daniel is about to face loss again. This time, however, it will not be the loss of many, but the loss of two that will cause his downfall. A great depression and guilt will sweep through him and crush his heart. He will be but a shadow of the boy you knew and nothing will bring him back from the edge he will be teetering on. Nothing and no one but you."

Images in the portal had been playing the entire time Clockwork spoke. Images of Maddie, Vlad's one and only love, and of the little goth girl Daniel was so fond of. They had looked to be driving around in the Fenton's Rv, looking desperately for someone. An image of a train and then shocked faces and the RV getting crushed with both women inside sent Vlad's heart hammering.

"NO!" Vlad screamed, his blazing eyes turning to the time ghost, his fists sparking with electricity.

"Now that you've told me, I can prevent this, why would you ever think I would let this happen?"

Another half smirk crossed Clockwork's face and he floated up next to Vlad, "That's precisely why I showed you. Daniel will try to save them from their fate and he will fail. I want you to do what he cannot. I want you to defy the timeline that has now been set in place and save his mother and friend from death's grasp."

"I don't understand how will this push Daniel into my arms? Just because I save his mother and his little girlfriend doesn't mean he will forgive all my past deeds. And it won't stop me from trying to implement evil plots to rule the world-"

"I am offering you the chance to redeem yourself in Daniel's eyes. A chance to start over, all you have to do is everything I say, and act in accordance with the rules and stipulations I give you."

Vlad took a few moments to think. On one hand this strange ghost was offering him everything he ever wanted, on the other he would have to place his trust in some he didn't even know. Vlad had a hard enough time trusting those who he knew well, Maddie and Jack being the people he used to be the closest to. This could be a setup or a trap, or it could be the answer to all his problems- but the possibility of having Daniel at his side, even a remote one, wasn't it worth it?

"This seems too good to be true, which usually means it is, you are asking me to trust you blindly, and if you know me at all you know how impossible that is for me."

Clockwork changed the image on the portal's face but let his eyes stare deep into Vlad and the blue skinned villain felt his stomach twist, "I know all beings, ghost and human alike. That is my purpose, to watch and observe. I knew who and what you would become before your own existence was even a blink on my screen. The same goes for Daniel. I know your beginning-"

Vlad saw images of himself as a child at the mercy of an angry and very drunk father, "I know where you've been-"

Images of Vlad going to school and then getting his powers, his misery in the hospital and his pinning for Maddie and the loss of his youth.

"I know where you are going and the many possibilities of your future. Your self-induced pain and suffering and your pride, rage and lack of humility. I know you Vladimir Masters and I know that through everything your quest for power and control is only a subconscious illusion for your real desire, which is that craving of love, trust and acceptance. I am offering this to you, Daniel has the ability to give you everything you've wanted so badly. And all you need to do is, for the time being, is trust me and doubt nothing."

Vlad stared at him in shock, at a total loss for words, his anxiety and fear spiking but for once not causing a single reaction. "You think- is it truly possible?"

"If you can see your way to trust me, yes, all you want shall be yours but you must NOT stray off on your own. You must do everything I say, you must suppress your natural instincts to protect your heart and attack anyone who gets close, you must fight the demons which will lead to your destruction and choose to listen to someone other than yourself, can you do this?"

Vlad remained silent, the moment stretching out as clocks ticked and the portal's glowed. Clockwork continued to watch him, his gaze steady and his face blank, waiting for the answer that he knew was to come.

Finally, after time had ticked by in the silence of his contemplation Vlad looked to the time ghost and gave one single succinct nod. He felt like in this moment he was agreeing without actually reading between the lines. Yet, his mind, so determined to get Daniel for himself, allowed his normally guarded soul to reach out. It was grasping desperately for hope and this time Vlad had a feeling he might actually reach his goal.

"Good, then all is as it should be. In two days Daniel will go missing, he is in no danger but will cause quite a stir among his friends and family. You will be approached by Jasmine Fenton, you are to let on nothing of our arrangement. You've not seen Daniel in months and have no desire to get dragged into his foolish games. Once Jasmine leaves you will go to the railroad crossing near the forest preserve at the far side of Amity park and wait. Right when the train is about to strike you will remove Maddie and Samantha from the vehicle and set them aside. Daniel will have seen your rescue and will be shocked to say the least, under no circumstances are you to approach him. Daniel will come to you on his own and from there- that is where it gets tricky."