Prologue

If I were to think about it, I guess my future was sealed right after I met my future self. I know, I know; it sounds totally crazy, but to tell you the truth I couldn't care less whether you believe me or not. I could easily, ahem, let's say influence your decision by temporarily taking over your body and making you do things you wouldn't dream of in your wildest nightmares - but lucky for you, I'm not really in the mood for that kinda thing today.

Ha ha, I can see the alarm in your eyes. But don't worry, I'm not crazy.

Oh, you believe me now?

How delightful.

Well then, now that we've got your trust issues out of the way, I can finally get on with my reverie. Don't you wanna know who I am?

You do? Oh, I feel so loved!

Well, I was Danny Fenton, ordinary teenage boy with the ghost-fighting, ghost-powered alter ego, Danny Phantom.

But, you knew that already. Didn't you.

I dedicated most of my teenage years to protecting my pathetic little town of Amity Park from every single miserable ghost that came out of the very same portal that gave me my powers. Everything was just hunky-dory; I had my two best friends, Tucker and Sam, my clueless but lovable family and I mean, come on! I was half ghost! I had an 'awesome' life, as I might have said once.

But all good things must come to an end, unfortunately. I can see you know what I'm talking about. I mean, surely you've experienced that moment when just when things are looking their best, suddenly your whole world is turned upside down?

Yes, you have. You thought I didn't notice the sweat starting to glisten on your brow, or the slight inconsistency in your heart rate when you shook your head. Hello! Half-ghost, remember? My powers have developed over time, you surely must expect.

Anyways, back to my story.

What's that? You wanna know what turned my world upside down? Well, if you would stop interrupting and let me get on with it you'd soon find out!

Oh, heh heh, sorry. I know I can get a bit fierce when I get irritated. What was it that scared you? The glowing red eyes? Or maybe, the fangs? I know, they're impressive.

Anyways. With your permission, do you think I could get on with my story?

Thanks. Where was I?

Oh yes! You wanted to know what it was that turned my world upside down. Well, it was more of a who actually.

Who? Oh you do sound like an owl, stop saying that please.

Well, if you must know, it was -

Myself.

My older, darker self from a possible future came back in time to ensure that his possible reality became the inevitable one. But in order for that to happen, I had to become lost and alone, unwanted and bent on revenge -

Oh dear, you look a bit dazed. I don't think you understand.

He was going to kill my family and friends in an explosion at the Nasty Burger - because that's how I turned into what he would eventually become... apparently.

Needless to say, everyone ended up alright, I saved the day and everyone went home for celebratory pizza, blah blah blah…

I hate that part of the story. It's just so, predictable. I mean, obviously the hero defeats the bad guy – over and over again – gets the girl, saves the day, and everyone loves him, right? That's just how it works.

So what changed my future, you ask? Why did I become the very thing I promised everyone I would not?

Well, my friend, I'm afraid you're gonna be here for a while, because that's where the real story begins…

Chapter 1

"Hooray for Danny Fenton!... er, um…Phantom?" the cheer that started with a blast fades into muddled confusion. As they whisper amongst themselves, I chuckle and look at my best friends, standing on either side of me. This is really weird.

The crowd finally reaches a decision, "Hooray for Danny!" They roar enthusiastically. This time I laugh out loud and everyone laughs with me. Yep, this is definitely gonna take some getting used to.

Only Sam, Tucker and my sister Jazz had known about my ghost-self, Danny Phantom. But after the darker, future me terrorised the town and tried to murder my, and not to mention, his own friends and family, he tried to turn everyone against me by making my alter-ego known to everyone. He knew he was defeated, and if you ask me that last attempt at trying to make me turn into him was really lame for someone who was supposed to be a super villain. I mean, he shoulda known it wasn't gonna work, because all the people, even in his own past, loved Danny Phantom. I mean, I protect them from ghosts!

I guess I proved this fact by beating Dark Danny and capturing him in the Fenton Thermos. Well that sentence didn't sound ridiculous at all. Anyway, I gave the thermos to Clockwork, the ghost of time, knowing it would be safe there with him, and that Danny would never be able to hurt anyone again. Especially the people I loved. And I'm now thinking that I'm gonna love the fact that everyone knows who Danny Phantom really is, as Sam slips her hand into mine. I look at her, surprised, and she looks back at me with an uncharacteristically sweet smile. I'd always thought that she was pretty, but I guess I didn't realise just how beautiful she was until this moment. I notice that the crowd has gone quiet and I look back at them when someone coughs uncomfortably. They're staring at Sam and me awkwardly, Paulina with a particularly penetrating glare, and I turn to face them, but still keep Sam's hand in mine.

"Uh, Thanks?" I say, not expecting that I'd have to give an acceptance speech.

The crowd roars again, and I'm a little bewildered. I look at Sam again.

"You're a hero, Danny! An idiot, but a hero too." She grins mischievously.

We celebrate the defeat of probably the most dangerous ghost that I've ever come across late into the night, but I can't help but feel – I dunno – strange, I guess? I mean, cut me some slack here, it would be a bit disconcerting to meet your future self in any circumstance. But to find out that you could turn out to be an evil, vengeful ghost-dude…yeah, now I know why I feel a little bit sick.

I try to slip out of the party unnoticed, but when I duck into my bedroom, I find a whole crowd of kids from my school there.

"Yo! Dan the man!"

"Danny, good to see you bro!"

"Eeeeek! It's Danny Phantom!"

"Please sign my chest!"

What?! This is getting a little too weird for me, and all I wanted was some time to think by myself! I go ghost, and phase through my bedroom wall to get outside. As I fly into the night sky, I hear cheers and whoops of excitement coming from my bedroom at the unintentional display of my powers. As I speed through the brisk night air, I see a whole street full of people on the way to my house! I pass above them, and they quickly turn around and proceed to chase me through the streets of the town. Everywhere I go, there are people screaming at me and shouting for me to sign parts of their bodies. For once in my life, I feel trapped and helpless. I rush around aimlessly, the futility of trying to get away from these people dawning on me. Just as I think about turning human again, and walking back home on foot, I realise that I can't even do that.

Everyone now knows who Danny Phantom is.

Ya see now? How my future self kinda got what he wanted when he told everyone my 'secret identity'? I had thought he was an idiot to think that the people of Amity Park would ever turn against me, but at that moment I realised that that was never his intention. He wanted everyone to love me too much. He wanted me to crave something other than the adoration of everyone, not to mention the total lack of privacy.

Well, I didn't know it then but I was playing right into his manipulative hands.

This whole everyone knowing who I was thing went on for months on end, interfering with my personal life, my ghost life, my crime-fighting life, every type of life I had.

Eventually I couldn't take it anymore. I mean, I hadn't gone off the deep end…yet. But I could feel something building up inside of me that I desperately wanted to go away, and I knew that there was only one way I could make that happen.

I had to go back in time to make sure that no one ever found out about my secret identity.

When I went to see Clockwork, he gave me the usual spiel about how if you affect your past, you affect your present; how I was doing the wrong thing; how he wasn't gonna help me anymore if I decided to go through with this …you get the point.

But the guy obviously knew what he was talking about because I never saw what actually happened coming. He was right to warn me, I eventually found out. But I don't resent him for not physically stopping me. Far from it, in fact. If it weren't for Clockwork, I'd never be who I am today. I'm just grateful that he didn't progress his warning any further than words. I was much weaker than I am now, and would have never been able to take on that old (young?) ghost. No, I think that somewhere deep down, he wanted this to happen. So much for being time's servant. Because, he now has the most powerful ally in the ghost world.

Me.