Chapter One: Dream

"Danny, help me!"

"Phantom!?" Danny's eyes snapped open and he groaned, holding his head. "Again? Freakin' AGAIN?" He looked at the clock and sighed, rolling over to go back to sleep. Hell no was he going to be getting up this early when the Christmas Truce was still in effect. He was taking advantage of not being woken by the ghost sense this week, thank-you-very-much.

"Danny, please…"

Black gloves groped helplessly at the darkness, green eyes shining with pain.

"Guuuuaaaahhhhhhh!" Danny sat up, groaning. "For the love of all that is almighty, can you STOP?!"

"Danny, go back to bed!" Jazz yelled from the next room.

"I'm TRYING!" Danny groaned, getting up and going to his window. Black gloves…and green eyes…it was an image that just didn't mix in his mind. The voice was Dan Phantom's, the gloves were Dan Phantom's, but GREEN eyes? "Why won't you let me sleep?" He groaned, holding his head. "What do you WANT?"

.o.o.o.

"Dude, you look like you got into a wreck." Tucker remarked in his usual tactless way.

"Gee, really?" Danny sighed, catching his reflection in a store window as they passed it. "I keep having this dream, Tuck. About…him." He shivered.

Tucker frowned. "Which he-who-must-not-be-named are you talking about? You have a few that make you shudder with dread like that."

Danny sighed. "You know…HIM."

"Nope, still don't get it." Tucker shrugged.

"There's only one guy I don't say the name of, Tucker!" Danny stopped and turned to him. "Ten years?"

"Ohh! HIM!" Tucker nodded in understanding. "Uh…why are you dreaming about him?"

Danny sighed, walking on. "I don't know. I just have been, since the start of winter break. Heck, I've been feeling someone calling me since about a week after Disasteroid." He noticed someone not paying attention about to walk into him and went intangible, passing through him harmlessly. "What does he want with me?" He asked, turning tangible and continuing on like he hadn't just walked through someone.

"Well, tell me about it." Tucker shrugged. "I'm no dream-seer thing, but I might be able to help you decode it a little."

"He's just…screaming for me; calling for help, over and over. He's in some dark place, and his eyes are…they're green. And one time I heard horrible laughter and saw red eyes, and he looked…scared." Danny shook his head. "I don't understand it. And why NOW?"

"Dude, when it comes to you and HIM, maybe you should be asking Clockwork and not me." Tucker said, shaking his head. "'Cause I really got nothing."

"Well, at least you got advice. I don't know WHY I didn't think of clockwork myself!" He slapped his palm to his forehead and change into his ghost form. "I better get this figured out now, I'll see you later, Tuck!"

Tucker waved, watching him go before walking on.

.o.o.o.

"Clockwork!" Danny greeted as he entered Clockwork's tower. "Happy Holidays!"

"Good afternoon, Danny." Clockwork smiled. "Cookie?" He held out a plate to him, changing from old to young-adult.

"Sure!" Danny took the plate, munching on it. "Mm! Lunch Lady make 'em?"

"Actually, I did." Clockwork looked amused.

"Really? You're a good cook!" Danny swallowed and then looked at the battered theromos. "Uh, Clockwork…there's been…I've been having…"

"Dreams?" Clockwork asked softly.

Danny nodded. "Wait, you must know that 'cause I told tucker." He laughed a bit.

"…I have been hearing his screams for some time. But he did not call my name." Clockwork looked towards the thermos.

Danny blinked and walked over to the thermos. "Screams?"

Clockwork nodded. "Those dreams were not simply dreams, but him trying to reach out to you." He approached the thermos as well, looking down at it. "Dan Phantom is more than one entity, Danny. He knows you can help him."

Danny blinked. "Uh…"

"Think of how he was created, Danny." Clockwork reminded him, waving his staff towards the orbs. Danny turned his attention to them, cringing when he saw Dan Phantom's creation.

"Phantom…and Plasmius." He looked at Clockwork. "Right?"

Clockwork nodded. "You have been hearing Phantom's screams and Plasmius' laughter."

"If I free him, he'll just run wild and kill everyone!" Danny shook his head.

"Danny…"

"What the?" Danny held his head. "Was that…"

"Danny…if you're going to help me…now would be best. Plasmius…he's asleep. It's the only time I can do this. Please, help me."

Danny looked at the thermos. "How do I know you're not just trying to trick me?"

"You don't…and it'd be a stretch to ask you to trust me. I only wish to be free of him…"

Danny looked at Clockwork. "…What will happen?"

"…It is unclear. As soon as you split them, the paths diverge." Clockwork admitted. "But it is your timeline, Danny. Are you willing to risk it, for the sake of his freedom?"

"Risk what?" Danny frowned.

"You know what splitting does." Clockwork said firmly, moving his staff to show when Danny and Phantom first split. "Are you willing to risk both of them in this time?"

"…I don't mean to be unreasonable. I just…I'm so tired of fighting him in here…"

Danny pursed his lips and walked over to pick up the thermos. "Anything he does, you're going to help me clean up." He said firmly, flying out. He made sure to grab a couple more of Clockwork's cookies on the way out, MAN they were good!

I swear, I did not make it Christmas time just so Clockwork could make Christmas cookies. Okay, I did. XD
Review, and you can have some of Clockwork's Christmas cookies too! 8D ~ Zone