Challenge #2- Lies
Genre: General
Summary: Danny's thoughts during Phantom Planet
Quick note: I used some quotes from various episodes..let's see if you can remember which episodes they came from…^_^
As I float down from the intangibility tower, I see everyone running out of the control center, completely overjoyed that my plan worked. As I land with a big grin on my face, I get tackled by my best friend, my soon-to-be girlfriend, and my sister.
"Good job, little brother; or should I say…hero." Jazz says with a smile on her face.
I was about to say something when Dad's voice came booming in,
"Great job, Danny; or should we say: Danny." He said with what sounded like a hint of knowing in his voice.
I caught that hint and automatically tried to cover up with my hero voice, "Sorry, citizen, but I have no idea what you're talking about—"
Mom grabs my hand in both of hers, "Isn't there something you want to tell us?" she asks, looking at me with familiarity in her eyes.
It's then that Jazz steps in, "It's alright, Danny, they know."
At that point, time seems to stop for a while. For a second there I expected to see Clockwork floating above me somewhere, but no dice. It's just me. A million thoughts are running through my mind right now, and they all revolve around one thing: me; or my ghost half anyway. All this started with that day when I turned on the portal, making me half-ghost. From then on out it was the same thing:
Ghost attacks on a day-to-day basis—
"Beware!"
"Very well. I planned on simply capturing you and letting you live the rest of your life in a cage. But now I will rest your pelt at the foot of my bed!"
"What are you? A ghost trying to fit in with humans? Or some creepy little boy with creepy little powers?"
"So you have wished it, so shall it be."
"Shadow, attack!"
"I have experience, my child, and the money and power attained through using those powers for personal gain, you see! I could train you, teach you everything I know, and all you'd have to do, is renounce your idiot father!"
Worries about my double life—
"I got a D? All this ghost fighting is cutting into my study time!"
"If anyone finds out I'll go from geek to freak around here!"
"Danny, eat something." "I can't eat now, he could be anywhere."
"I couldn't imagine my life without you…or Tucker."
"Two-hundred seventy-nine girls in our school, and he's got to have a crush on the one with the weapons and the grudge."
"Woah, what happened to her?" "You name it: Fright Knight, Ghost King, Vlad, all of my enemies."
"Dude, you can't blame yourself for this." "Maybe not, but it is my responsibility."
"I can't go home, I can't go to school, I can't even walk around in public without getting mobbed. What am I gonna do?"
"Oh man, I'm one makeover away from blowing my secret identity! Good thing Dash is a total moron!"
Lies to cover up my secret—
"Where's Danny?" "He's at school/FentonWorks!" "Uh, the important thing is he's safe!"
"How'd you get rid of that Danny Phantom freak anyway, son?" "Easy, I just told him that my parents were the fearsome Fenton's, he freaked out, used his ghost powers to patch me up, and brought me home."
"Have you kids seen Danny?" "Uh, Danny who?" "He was being chased through our house by that awful Danny Phantom and now we can't find him." "Danny's not missing, we just saw him, right Tucker?" "Yeah, he was, uh, running down the street, away from that jerky Danny Phantom."
"Oh great, I'm losing so much power I'm reverting back to—" "Hey, what's with your pants?" "Uh, it's… casual… Friday?" "Today's Tuesday."
"As much as I hate to say this, I think we should go back to Vlad's." "But he's my archenemy! I mean…he said all those horrible things about Dad."
There used to be a rhythm to these things: ghost attacks, I'd make up some excuse, hide and go ghost, fight and usually beat the ghost, then try to avoid my parents or Valerie shooting at me as I flew away to dump the ghost, then change back and make up some lie as to where I was.
But now, there were all these people, surrounding me without hatred, extremely grateful for having saved the world. I had gotten so used to that rhythm of making a quick entrance and exit that even now, I was fighting the urge to fly away or to phase through the ground; to go and come back as Danny Fenton, to make up some excuse to keep my secret just a little longer; but looking into my parents eyes, and remembering Jazz's words, I saw that I didn't need to anymore.
For a brief second, I wished I hadn't destroyed the reality gauntlet, but then I see the benefits of having my secret exposed. I look around me to my friends faces, each showing me that it was ok. I turn back, and with a determined expression, I tap into my core and summon the familiar blue rings around my waist. As they traveled their opposite directions, I kept staring at my parents as three thoughts ran through my head…
Black spandex and white boots became blue jeans and red sneakers…
No more secrets…
Black and white torso became a white t-shirt and bare, pale arms…
No more unnecessary worries…and especially…
White hair and green eyes became black hair and blue eyes…
No more lies…
