~Prologue~

"We can spend our lives letting the world tell us who we are. Sane or insane. Saints or sex addicts. Heroes or victims. Letting history tell us how good or bad we are. Letting our past decide our future. Or we can decide for ourselves. And maybe its our job to invent something better." ~Chuck Palahniuk

Why do people waste their effort on trying to become something they're not? Is it because we're afraid of the judgment of others? Or is it our desire to fit in to the "status quo" of today's society? Whatever the reason, the need to be in the "in crowd" is a commonality that bonds people together, despite their differences. However, these same forces also have the power to rip us apart. Sometimes in our quest for identity and a place where we truly belong, we lose what matters most along the way-who we really are. Because of this, many people will hide amongst others in fear. If we allow others to dictate our own purposes in life, we may as well sit alongside the sidelines and do nothing at all. We must stand up on our own and make our own decisions.

Who am I? What should I be doing right here, right now? What is my true purpose in this vast world? No one can answer these questions but you.

"Who you are is not defined by what people say or think, but rather by your own actions and their impact on the world." ~mikopriestessmayumi

"Who Am I?"

A Danny Phantom fan-fiction by mikopriestessmayumi/KokuyokuLoverForever

~Genre: Fantasy/Science-Fiction; A Search for Identity; Angst/Romance; AU

~Pairings: Eventual Danny x Sam

Chapter 1

I have always enjoyed watching the sunset on the horizon of the sparkling ocean. Ever since I was little, I would always spend the last few hours of every day gazing at the sun's last rays reflecting off of the undulating ocean waves. I never grew bored from watching the same scene day after day. I was grateful for being blessed with the opportunity to see such a magnificent sight at the end of every day.

I've always known that I had a connection to the water, but that wasn't because I always watched the sunset on the ocean. I lived on the beach and hardly ever left. There were quite a few times when I would succumb to my fascination of the ocean and just look out to the sea for hours on end.

As dusk finally settled in, I slowly rose to my feet. Because my feet had partially been in the ocean, my red tennis shoes were now waterlogged. I carefully pulled them off, took off my socks, and allowed my feet to bury themselves into the soft, golden sand. As I walked across the beach, my feet swiftly moved over the ground as if it wasn't there. I continued walking until I reached a small cove. The cove was shaded by a rigid, limestone structure that shielded everything inside of it from the sun. A small stream that was just wide enough for me to fit in when I bathed concentrated in a little pool near the back of the cove. The narrower end of the stream flowed smoothly into the calm ocean.

I reached into a small hole in the cove and pulled out a black blanket. Although my blanket was old and torn slightly, it always kept me warm on the coldest nights. I tossed it onto a mattress that I made myself out of leaves and seaweed dredged from the ocean.

Before going to bed, I felt my chest for a small necklace I always made sure that I had with me at all times. It was a small, square-shaped, golden locket. A tiny clip on the side of it allowed for me to open it and see a tiny picture inside of it. A young woman with short, brown hair and purple eyes and a man with long, black hair and blue eyes were both in the picture. The man was holding what appeared to be a gold pitchfork in one hand while the other hand was resting on the woman's shoulder. In the woman's arms was a tiny baby. The baby's looks were very peculiar. He had snow, white hair and eerie, green eyes that appeared to glow.

On the opposite side of the picture, there was a name inscribed on the locket:

"Danny Fenton"

I wasn't entirely sure what the picture meant or why I had it, but I gradually accepted that my name was Danny, and that I was somehow related to the two adults in the worn-out photo. Like the child, I, too, had white hair and green eyes. Because of this fact, I knew that the baby had to be me when I was younger.

For nearly eighteen years, I spent most of my life trying to figure out my place in the world. It all started when I left my cove for the very first time.

~Flashback~

"Today's the day," I said to myself.

"I'm not going to be afraid anymore. I need to see what's out there. I have to know what's out there!"

~Flashback pause~

I was around fourteen years old at the time when I left the safety and vicinity of my ocean. As sand became grass, a set of wooden steps went up to a boardwalk. Hesitantly, I climbed up the stairs and walked across the boardwalk. I continued walking until I came to an open area with many trees and young children running around happily. While lost in thought, I felt something hit my leg. It appeared to be a spherical object with black and white diamond patches on it. When I picked it up, I saw a small child run up to me.

~Flashback continued~

A child dressed in a red shirt and white shorts stopped as he approached me. Out of breath, he wiped some sweat off of his forehead before speaking to me.

"Um, can I have my ball back, please?" the young boy asked.

I smiled and handed the ball back to him. In turn, the boy took the ball from me and smiled back at me.

"Thanks!"

I nodded, but didn't say anything in return. I didn't know how to reply because I couldn't speak English that well at the time.

"Wow, are those real?" He asked.

I saw him point to my forest-green fin ears and light green fins on my arms. I looked at him and nodded again.

"That's so cool!"

I smiled and blushed slightly at the compliment.

"What's your name?" the boy asked. "Mine is Ben. I'm eight."

Ben looked up at me as he waited for me to respond. I was about to say something when an older woman with blonde hair came up to us.

"And just what is going on here?" She asked.

"I was just getting my ball, mom," replied Ben. "This nice kid was helping me, that's all."

Ben's mother took one look at me and scowled.

"Let's go, Ben. NOW."

"But, mom, I-"

"Stay away from my son, you freak!" She yelled as she pulled Ben by the arm to her side.

"Mom, please! Let go!" Ben pleaded.

Without another word, Ben's mother took Ben away, and neither of them looked back. Lonely and hurt, I ran back to the beach and into the safety of my cove. I curled up on my bed and cried until I could taste the saltiness of my own tears.

~Flashback end~

Ever since that day, I avoided all contact with humans entirely. I lived alone on my beach in complete solitude. The only interactions I made were secretly going to the human schools in order to learn more about the world. I would sit in the very back of the room completely unnoticed by the teacher and the rest of the students. This was all because of these special powers I possessed. I could turn invisible, pass through solid objects, and fire green energy-beams from my hands. Though I never attacked anyone, I used my intangibility to infiltrate the school. From there, I would sit invisibly in an unused desk and listen as the teacher taught the class.

Surprisingly, I discovered that I was a quick learner. In a matter of a few years, I became fluent in English. It wasn't exactly useful to me at first because I never spoke to humans. However, because I could now speak it, I was able to understand what they were saying to each other. Although I'll admit- Sometimes, I didn't even want to know what they were saying. Half the time, it was just cruel insults and sexual innuendos.

Despite all these obstacles, I was determined to find my place and my purpose in this world.

Well I hope you liked my brief chapter and entry into my new DP fanfic. I already have the first 4 chapters written, so if enough people like the idea of a Mer-DannyxSam fanfic, then I'll post the rest. Please R&R! :)