Chapter 2
The Announcement
Danni Fenton slumped in her seat between Sam and Tucker, making sure to appear smaller amongst the humans. It was Friday; the day that the crazy plan to enroll ghosts into school would be announced to the whole world. The student body had been called to an assembly which no one but Team Phantom knew the true meaning of. They had set up a giant screen for all the students to watch The President as well as the ghost council announce the news over live television. The teachers quieted everyone down when the time came and soon the President walked up to the podium. He made the usual greeting of a President which Danni didn't pay attention to. Only when he neared the announcement did Danni look up.
"As we've come to know over the past few years, ghosts do truly exist and live in a plain of existence called the Ghost Zone. For the past few months we have been making negotiations with the Ghost Zone to create peace between our two realms. May I introduce to you the members of the Ghost Council."
The president began introducing the members of the ghost council who appeared on stage near the president where everyone could see them. When Clockwork and a few of Danni's other friends on the council appeared she couldn't help but smile.
"And finally the last member of the ghost council, who I assume many of you already know, Danielle Phantom."
All hell broke loose as soon as the president announced the ghost girl's name. The gym was filled with the voices of the students. Danni watched herself appear on stage in-between Clockwork and Vast, the ghost of space. She was draped in her royal outfit, minus her crown, and Nevermore perched on her shoulder. Some of the kids, the loudest being Paulina and Dash, cheered her name. The Danni seated amongst them almost laughed. If they knew the real her then they wouldn't be cheering like that.
"The council and I would like to improve relations between our people and the best way is by project Casper. This project calls a few younger ghosts to attend Casper High school in Amity Park, Illinois." Danni covered her sensitive ears as the gym was filled with even more noise than before.
Principal Ishiyama called for silence, stating that they were going to miss the rest of the speech. That quieted everyone immensely, none of them wanting to miss anything important. The president went on to explain the plan and what would happen if everything went well.
"At the end of the first semester of school the students will be allowed to attend a field trip into the ghost zone. Then for the second semester more ghosts will be enrolled. That is of course if there are no major complications."
The field trip, Danni remembered, that would be her least favorite. The council had assigned her as a chaperone so she would have to attend. She knew that Iris the leader of the observers had purposefully suggested she have the job just to tick her off. That blasted eyeball seriously ticked her off sometimes. She stopped paying attention completely now, already knowing all the details the President was announcing. Beside her Sam passed her ectoplasm enhanced pain killers and a bottle of water, both of which Danni downed in seconds. Danni felt Sam's hand rub her back and relaxed into her touch, laying her head onto Sam's shoulder. The speech soon came to an end and the ghosts left back to the ghost zone. Principal Ishiyama called for everyone's attention to confirm everything the President had said.
"Now before we release you back to your classes we have special guests that will be arriving any minute now," she announced.
On cue a dark portal appeared near the principal, out of it steeped Vast, a ghost that looked like a cross between Clockwork and Nocturn, and behind her followed the town hero Danni Phantom. Before the portal closed Nevermore swooped through and circled the gym. Human Danni scowled at the yelling crowd while ghost Dani smiled politely and waved.
"Students of Casper high I would like you to extend a warm welcome to Miss. Vast and Miss. Phantom."
Principal Ishiyama stepped aside for Vast to address the student body, "Now I'm sure many of you are surprised by the president's latest announcement, who wouldn't be. I'm not here to tell you what you already know. All I'm going to say is that I hope for the best in this project and that you all learn from this unique experience."
When she spoke Vast brought a sense of calm to the gym though her motherly voice. The calm however broke when Vast stepped aside for Danni to address everyone. They chanted her name much too both Danni's annoyance. She cleared her throat and the gym quieted, waiting for their hero to talk.
"I'm sure you're all pretty curious about Project Casper and the ghosts attending your school," she nodded over to Vast who opened another black portal and dozen ghosts walked though, "I would like to introduce you to the ghosts who will be joining you in your classes."
She read off the names of the ghosts who greeted the humans when there name was called. Danni had to admit that the council did a pretty good job at choosing the new students. Many she knew by just reputation, but some she knew personally. Very few of the ghosts had her worried, she knew she had to keep an eye on was Arthur Dark, the descendent of Pariah Dark. She's never met him, though she's had to deal with many issues he's caused around the ghost zone, but Clockwork vouched for him so Danni wasn't really worried. She looked over at him when she called his name. He was a strongly built teen with a mess of green hair and green eyes. A pair of pitch black horns sprouted from his skull. Danni noted that he wore a lot of leather, Sam was going to be so happy when she sees him. The list came to an end.
"Finally I will also be attending Casper High," she paused letting the information sink in, "I hope we can all get along and prove that peace between ghosts and humans is possible. I look forward to the upcoming weeks and what will come after. Thank you. Now I think it's time for you all to go back to class and for us ghosts to sign up for classes."
With her speech over Danni went to go stand with Vast, she relaxed at her friends side. The rest of the ghosts came to stand near them as the students were herded like cattle out of the gym, tripping over each other as they craned to look at the ghosts. Danni spotted herself and her friends leaving in the mass of students. Her other self sent her a reassuring smile before disappearing into the crowd. When the students were gone, Principal Ishiyama led the ghosts into one of the empty computer labs where they were going to sign up for classes. Danni debated whether she should take the same electives she was already in, but decided to keep them the same. Done, Danni went around to assist the ghosts that were having some trouble.
"I thought we were supposed to have seven class periods," A ghost Danni recognized vaguely as Nozomi, who Danni knew by her reputation as an amazing samurai.
"Yes you are." Vast informed, "But your last period class will be used for you all to, as Danni would put it, relax and hang out with different humans."
The ghosts who knew Vast giggled at her impersonation of their queen.
Danni rolled her eyes, "No. That class is for us to talk to humans about our culture and other stuff that they probably don't know about ghosts."
On the other side of the school the other Danni counted down the last few minutes of her math class, wanting lunch to start so she could relax with Sam and Tucker. When the bell finally did ring she raced out of class and over to the art room where Sam was. Danni smiled seeing her girlfriend leave the art room and walk toward her. Sam still loved to wear black and stomp around in her combat boots. Her tank top with a green flaming skull didn't hide the black rose tattoo on her left shoulder or the vines that went down her left arm. Around her neck hung a choker with the ice crystal Danni had given her after her fight with Undergrowth. Her long black hair fell just past her shoulder with the tips dyed purple.
"Hey Danni," Sam smiled, "How was math?"
"We didn't do anything. Everyone was just freaking out about the news the whole time. Even the teacher joined in."
"Yeah that's what it was like in art."
They met up with Tucker in the cafeteria after Danni grabbed their lunch boxes packed by Phantasma's chef, then walked outside to eat. In junior year the trio had found a spot over in the trees and bushes where they could hide from the rest of the school. Now out of sight of everyone, Sam kissed Danni on the cheek and leaned into her. Tucker gagged at the 'love birds' as he called them. He was secretly happy the two were finally together, even if it was in secret. The only ones outside of the ghost zone who knew about their relationship was him and Jazz. They had been sworn to secrecy, he had been threatened by Sam, because Danni was terrified of what could happen if anyone found out. Tucker found this understandable since Danni was picked on for a whole boat load of reasons any way, adding on the fact she was gay would only fuel the A-listers. Sam didn't care but kept quiet out of respect for Danni.
"Hey, what are you going to do when Danni Phantom gets asked out? Tell everyone you're gay?" Tucker asked.
"No." Danni stated firmly, "and what makes you think Danni Phantom's going to be asked out?"
"Cause Dash was boasting that the ghost girl is soon going to be his girl. In my class."
"I wouldn't be his girl in a thousand years. No wait I'm half ghost, might make it that long. Who knows with my messed up biology. I would never be his girl period."
"Just telling you what he said." Tucker defended pointing his jerky stick at the half ghost, "Don't say I didn't warn you."
Danni's ghost sense wen off, alerting her to the presence of a ghost. Beside her Sam's green ghost sense went off too, she having ghost powers as well due to a side affect of being controlled by Undergrowth and her DNA being contaminated with echo-chlorophyll, and Tucker's ghost sensor in his watch beeped. The trio didn't even have enough time to respond when the newly arrived ghost swooped down and snatched Tucker's jerky. The geek let out an indignant cry having had his meaty treat taken from him. Sam and Danni relaxed seeing Nevermore perch himself on a branch where he began to pick at the snack he'd stolen.
"Danni you're bird is a jerk." Tucker whined like a child.
"Good boy Nevermore, but what are you doing out here?" she inquired the bird.
He cawed then fluttered down to Danni. She stroked his head figuring he wanted attention and the other version of Danni was too busy. Danni offered a potato chip to the ghost. Nevermore swooped from the tree and came to rest on Danni's knee, accepting the chip. She ended up feeding her Raven the rest of the bag.
"Careful," Sam said offering Danni an apple from her garden, "Keep feeding him like that and he might not be able to fly."
Nevermore cawed indignantly at his master's girlfriend who smirked back.
"He's fine. But what are you doing here Nevermore? Shouldn't you be with the other me?"
The ghost raven cawed then picked at Danni's lunch box, asking for more food. Danni went to move the lunch box out of his reach only for it to fly open and her remaining lunch to fly out. It was after Danni realized that there was a ghost when her ghost sense went off. Without a second thought Danni jumped to her feet ready to transform. Sam's hand clamped onto Dani's wrist and pulled her back down, halting her mid transformation.
"Can't have two Phantoms around can we?" Sam answered Danni's questioning look.
"You'd like that," Tucker snickered, earning his hat to be pulled down into his face courtesy of Sam.
"You're right." Danni agreed settling back down next to Sam.
"See even Danni agrees," Tucker said pulling his hat off.
"Not you," Danni replied smiling at her best friends antics.
Off in the distance they heard a loud crash and what they recognized to be the Lunch Lady yelling that the new ghost students deserved a nutritious lunch full of meat. A few other loud crashes later, each one getting closer to them, a figure landed into team Phantom's little sanctuary. Danni recognized the girl in ancient Japanese dress, and long silver hair as Nozomi.
"Queen Phantom," Nozomi asked seeing her queen sitting against a tree in human form, "but you're-"
"Duplication," Danni reminded her, "I go to the school as a human as well."
"Oh yeah," Nozomi remembered.
"Are you fighting Lunch Lady?" Sam asked looking for the meat loving ghost, slightly worried that she'd be buried in a pile of meat again.
"Yes. Queen Phantom went to face her and I asked to accompany. The queen has so many duties already so I thought I could assist her with fighting."
"Thank you Nozomi," Danni smiled at the samurai.
Nozomi fell into a deep bow, "It is my honor, my queen." "You don't need to bow," Danni blushed, "and you can just call me Danni."
"Yes my qu-. Yes Danni."
"Cool, can't wait to work with you." Danni stood up, "I think the battles over, and the bells about to ring."
Danni lead her friends and Nozomi back through the trees and bushes back to school where they saw a bunch of students cheering for Danni Phantom as she placed the Fenton thermos back inside her jacket.
"Hold it right there Phantom," a voice called out.
Walking up to the ghost, surprisingly without a weapon in hand, was Maddie and Jack Fenton. Danni Phantom raised her hands mimicking surrender.
"I come in peace," she joked.
"Don't worry Phantom," Maddie said, "We've been told not to hurt any of the ghosts. We just wanted to talk to you."
"Oh cool. What about?" Danni asked relaxing but made sure to keep her guard up.
"You and the other ghosts, they'll be teaching the kids about ghosts, right?"
"Yeah. Our last period class is us answering any questions the humans might have. Why?"
"Jack and I were wondering if we could sit in on these meetings?"
Danni glanced over at Vast who shrugged and replied, "Your choice."
"Ok. As long as you don't hurt any of the ghosts and stop hunting me, I guess its fine."
"That can be done," Maddie agreed, "but Phantom if you or any of the ghosts even-,"
"Don't worry Mrs. Fenton, None of the students should hurt the students, I'll personally make sure of that."
"You better," Jack said unusually serious, "My youngest daughter does to school here and I don't want her in danger."
Danni Phantom smiled at her father, he could be a great man when the situation demanded. She glanced over at her human self who stood a bit away from the crowd with Sam, Tucker, and Nozami.
"I think your daughter is in good hands."
The Fentons turned to see human Danni standing next to the samurai ghost. Maddie ran over to her daughter and hugged her.
"Mom." Danni groaned at her mother's affection. "Who's this?" Jack asked staring down Nozomi who stared back with her bright gold eyes.
"This is Nozami," Danni introduced when her mother released her, "she saved me when Lunch Lady attacked."
That was a lie, but Danni's parents didn't need to know that. She just wanted her parents to leave Nozami alone. Jack's eyes softened.
"Well thanks." Jack said then turned back to Danni, "I don't like you spooks but if this plan means my girls will be safe I, Jack Fenton, will stop hunting you."
Everyone was surprised by Jack's change in attitude that is until he turned to Maddie wondering if his speech deserved a cookie. Danni Phantom smiled at her dad but it fell slightly when she saw her mother staring at her intently.
"We mean it Phantom. We won't hunt you but one wrong move and that's it."
"You're not the only one who wants this to work. I don't want anyone to get hurt, especially the ones I love." With that Danni Phantom began to float back to the school, Nozami following, "See you in class."
Thanks for reading. Please review.
