Hee hee! I'm not exactly new around here but it might take a while for people to figure out who I am! XD This could be fun! I came up with this idea while I was thinking about Danny's ice powers and how he should use them differently instead of just the same old way. Stupid…plot…bunnies…! Eh, anyway, this is after Phantom Planet.
Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom, I think if I did there'd be too much paperwork and I'd die. I'll stick to the fan fictions, thank you.
Chapter One: The Interlocking Prelude
"It's weird, isn't it?" Sam asked him, leaning against Danny's shoulder as they both starred out across the peaceful Amity Park in the twilight, "It seems like yesterday you were desperately trying to keep your secret from everyone and now here you are, a hero to the whole entire planet." She gently waved a hand around as though the small gesture could encompass the enormity of her statement.
"Not that weird," Danny murmured, gently tracing his lips against her neck, his eyes closed, "It's only been, what, two months? I'm used to it by now." Then he pulled away, frowning slightly as a thought came to him, "Actually, I still get a little nervous about going ghost in front of people…and the paparazzi I could definitely live without." Then he smiled again, cheeks flushed, "But…but at least I have you, Sam."
Sam blushed too and they leaned forward to kiss each other. A swirl of green light made them both freeze and Danny leapt up, throwing his arms wide and standing in front of his girlfriend as the portal to the Ghost Zone expanded. A cold white light flashed over his body as he went into his ghost form, green eyes narrowing as he focused on his ecotplasmic energies.
"Relax, Danny Fenton," Said a familiar voice as a figure slipped out of opening, "I mean neither you or Sam Manson any harm."
"Clockwork…!" The halfa dropped his defensive stance as Sam stood up beside him, he looped an arm around her waist and she shivered as his cold, ghostly skin brushed against her own, "What's going on? Dropping by to say hello?"
"Hardly…" The Ghost of Time seemed amused by the concept, a smile tracing at his toddler aged lips, "Though I do congratulate you on your recent victory."
"Like you didn't know it was going to happen."
"Indeed," The humor dropped, the Time Ghost was all seriousness now, "The matter at hand is far more important. You must come with me to Ghost Zone immediately."
"No." Danny said flatly, his arm tightening around Sam's waist, she wrapped her slim fingers around his arm, "I don't have to so I won't." Anger flashed in his green eyes, "I don't care if you're responsible for me now, Clockwork, I'm not your pet. I won't-." The rumble of distant thunder rolled in the distance and he paused, looking up into the sky warily.
"So it has already begun." Clockwork hissed, "How long have the elements been bending to your will, Danny? How long has nature been reacting to your feelings?"
"Danny, what's he talking about?" Sam interrogated, glaring at her boyfriend, Danny bit his lip.
"Sam, I…" He stopped, looked from her to Clockwork and back again, and then sighed an continued, "For the past couple of weeks there have been some, well, weird things going on. And I'm surprised you hadn't noticed. I mean, it seemed pretty obvious to me." He released her from his hold and walked away a little to stare blankly up into the darkening sky, "Thunder storms coming out of nowhere when I get really upset, the wind picking up if I get scared, leaves changing colors and flowers blooming out of season whenever I'm really excited or happy, and I'm sure that there have been other things going on too that even I haven't noticed." His green eyes flashed to Clockwork as he brushed a strand of stray white hair from his face, "And you're here because you know what's happening and how to do something about it." The boy was careful to avoid saying 'how to stop it'.
"Yes, Danny, I can show you to someone who can help you but there is always a price," His red eyes flickered over to Sam, "You may find yourself living in the Ghost Zone for at least a month. And that is something I am sure you do not wish to do."
"Not really," Danny replied, "But I'd rather have a month away from everyone with all of them safe than to stay here and end up hurting someone." The ghost boy moved over to Sam and took her warm hands in his own chilling ones, "I promise to come back Sam, just like always, just don't forget me." He held up one hand and a sparkle of ice formed there, shaping itself into the interlocking letters of 'D' and 'S', "You are so precious to me…" He whispered, placing the ice formation in her hands, "I've infused this with ectoplasm, it will never melt. We'll always be together." He kissed her deeply, "I love you so much…!"
"I love you too." Sam whispered back, closing her fingers around the special gift, "And I could never forget my idiot boyfriend. Not if the world ended."
"Let's hope it doesn't." Danny turned to Clockwork, "Alright, Time Ghost, let's go before we all start crying a river." And they disappeared into the portal that soon shrank away, leaving Sam alone on the hilltop. Tears sprang into her eyes and she angrily brushed them away but they didn't stop. She stood there and cried, clutching the pendant close to her. She understood that Danny had to leave but that didn't stop her from hating it. It felt like he'd taken her heart too.
---DP---
Clockwork and Danny exited the portal in the middle of the Ghost Zone, which surprised the halfa because he had thought that they would come out in Clockwork's castle. No such luck.
"Um, where are we?" Danny asked, trailing after the Ghost of Time, "Or rather, where are we going?"
"To Compass, the Ghost of Elements." Clockwork replied, not even looking over his shoulder, "Danny, there is something else. You might very well be his successor."
"Successor?" Danny mused over the thought, "Danny, the Halfa of Elements…" He made a face, "Ooh, that sounds so terrible. Like a Final Fantasy reject."
Clockwork made no response but instead kept floating onward and Danny huffed, annoyed and getting bored. His thoughts trailed to his family and friends; Tucker was Mayor of Amity Park, his parents were acknowledge scientists working on defenses for the town, Jazz was probably going to graduate top of the class as valedictorian or whatever the heck it was, and Sam, his precious, precious treasure, she was the world to him. Maybe, after high school, he could ask her to-.
"Are you listening to me?"
"What?" Danny looked up and found himself inches from Clockwork's flaming red eyes. He backed off slightly, noticing that they'd stopped in front of a towering yet modern looking mansion. It looked completely out of place in the middle of the Ghost Zone.
"I said, you're not going to be the only probable successor," The Time Ghost's fingers tightened around his staff, "So be wary. Compass' trials will most likely be hard on you, being a halfa, but it will be worth it. Oh, and another thing. When Compass is done with you, you come stay with me."
"Wait, stay? You mean, like, live?"
"That is precisely what I mean." Clockwork turned around and tapped the head of his staff on the door three times, "Don't worry yourself, Phantom, Compass is harsh but he cares; no harm will befall you in his lair."
The front door, an intricately carved mahogany thing with golden hinges, swung open at that moment and what appeared to be a servant stood at the threshold. He was dressed in a black suit, almost like a tuxedo, but at the ends of the sleeves were clasps with teardrop shaped gems swirling between a variety of colors.
"Ah, Master Clockwork," The servant bowed and then appeared to notice Danny, "And Compass' fifth pupil. He will be pleased. Right this way, gentlemen." He motioned for the two to follow him into the house, the door closing behind them as they went. Danny was in awe. It was a huge, Victorian styled house, gorgeous, grand, and exotic.
The ceiling was high and vaulted, the walls a warm cream color, the carpet beneath their feet a rich, deep violet, tall windows with golden panes let in sunlight that was not really there, and several doors led off to other rooms. There was no one else in the hall but them and both he and Clockwork looked extremely out of place.
"This place is…is…is huge!" Danny hissed, his voice still carrying in the silence.
"Indeed," Responded the servant as Clockwork chuckled away at the halfa's shock, "Master Compass likes his space and has also taken a strange fancy to the Victorian style that once resided in the human world. He is a complicated ghost." They paused in front of the door at the end of the hall, all black stained wood inlaid with gold and silver intricacies, and the servant faced them once again, "Master Clockwork, will you be accompanying us into Master Compass' study?"
"No need," Clockwork shook his head and Danny felt his heart leap a bit, he was going in there alone, "The halfa can wait outside once Compass is finished. I'll come and collect him." And he drifted back down the hall, smirking at the look on Danny's face.
"This way." The servant pushed the door open slightly and motioned Danny to enter the room. Danny shot one last look down the hall at The Ghost of Time's retreating back and then slipped into the Ghost of Elements' study. It was large and spacious, bookshelves lined the walls, a beautiful antler chandelier hung from the dark wood ceiling, black tile covered the floor, reflecting the many candles that hung on their own in the air, dark red couches and chairs were placed around the room beside desks, chairs or coffee tables made of the same dark wood.
The study was not empty. Four other boys, obviously ghosts, were perched on some of the furniture and they all looked up as the door clicked shut behind Danny. One was tall, lanky, and wiry, like an acrobat, his red hair springing from his head in sharp points, his equally sharp golden eyes zoning in right on the halfa. He wore dark brown pants, worn looking hiking boots, a low collared white shirt, and a sweeping dark green trench coat with frayed ends that was splayed about him like a pair of mutilated wings as he sat perfectly still in one of the straight-backed desk chairs.
Two boys sat on a couch together, though the space between them suggested that they didn't know each other. One had greasy looking silver hair that was slicked back over his skull and stopped just above the base of his neck, curling slightly at the end, and a single flickering pale blue eye. The other was covered by an eye patch. And he was dressed in rather ragged looking camouflage shorts that hung to his knees, a gray, long sleeved shirt, worn out tennis shoes that may have, at one point, been white, and a tattered old, brownish-green scarf. The boy beside him was short, probably about a head shorter than Danny, with dirty blonde hair that fell all over the place and bright, interested turquoise eyes. He was dressed rather eccentrically in a tight tank top of black and neon green, slightly looser matching pants, black boots, one green glove and one black glove, and a head band with a neon green flame emblazed upon it. He grinned at Danny who returned a wavering smile.
The final boy had curly hazel hair, deep black eyes that seemed to see things others could not, and elaborate tattoos adorning his left cheek that disappeared into the high collar of his black turtleneck. His turtleneck, in question, was tucked into a pair of taupe jeans held up with a dark leather belt, and his feet were bare. He cocked a head at Danny curiously, his feet dangling over the edge of the table he sat upon.
Danny carefully sunk into an armchair, his green eyes flicking from one boy to the other. The one in the trench coat looked poised to strike, like a predator, and Danny couldn't help but get a sense of unease. He slouched down in the chair and tried to pretend he was alone in the room. He wished Sam and Tucker were there with him. The boy in the neon green and black bounced off the couch and slid across the black tile to sit on a footstool by the halfa, a small smile tracing his pale lips.
"The name's Cinder!" He said in a light voice laced with melody and a slight British accent, "I live with Ember! She was teaching me to be a right ol' singer until I started shooting lightning out o' my finger tips! She threw a right ol' fit, she did!" He chuckled, "And that's Nazmodaus but most of us call 'im Naz." Cinder pointed to the boy in trench coat, "'E lives with Skulker, see, and that makes him one tough cookie!" He winked.
"Hey, Cinder, don't go taking all the glory of the introductions…!" Chortled the silver haired boy in whispering sort of tone, "I'm Rocky, live with Ghostwriter, the crazy nut."
"Seth." Muttered the tattooed boy, his voice a little deeper than the other two, "I'm living with Pandora and I have to say, the scenery change is quite welcome."
"And what about you, runt?" Growled Naz, his voice as harsh as his scowl, "What's your name then, huh?"
"Danny Phantom." Danny replied automatically and then sort of wished he hadn't as three pairs of eyes narrowed and flashed, "Um…I'm sort of living with Clockwork…"
"The whelp that Skulker seeks…!" Naz sneered, "This is the great halfa boy he keeps going on about!? This skinny little thing!?" He laughed and it was like sandpaper rubbing together.
"Ember holds a grudge against ya' as well!" Cinder's tone went flat, "More 'en once she's told me how she'd like to get back at you…"
"Eh, it's not that Ghostwriter hates you," Rocky seemed to be a little more wary of Danny, "But that doesn't mean he doesn't want to stay as far away from you as possible."
"Pandora likes you!" Seth's black eyes glittered but he didn't smile, "You helped return her box after it was…um…stolen…!"
"So everyone hates me…" Danny muttered, now pouting slightly, "This is just my luck. I wish Sam and Tucker were here!"
"Now, now boys, let's play nice together, hm?" A slightly muffled voice came from somewhere, "After all, you're going to be studying together, right?"
Everyone looked around for the source of the voice and then Naz spun to his feet, a dagger suddenly in his hand, facing a seemingly ordinary bookshelf. The shelf sank back into the wall slightly and moved aside, revealing a room on the other side. The voice chuckled ominously.
"Come on in, boys, and I'll get this whole tea party started."
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Ooh, so, now that the long intros are finished the good stuff can finally begin! Imagine, Danny's in a mansion in the middle of the Ghost Zone with powers he can't control and three out of the four boys who are competing against him have roommates that hate his guts! Trouble, trouble, trouble!
Reviews are much appreciated and will probably make the next chapter come sooner! Thank you for reading and see you later! Bye!