This chapter gave me some trouble, but I still managed to get it done. Before I forget happy late holidays I really tried to get this done before the new year, but stuff happened. In any case I'm feeling pretty good and hopefully I can use that to start cranking out chapters a faster rate, time will tell I suppose. Any way without further delay, here we go!
Danny woke up with a start, his heart hammering against his chest. Once he calmed down enough to notice Tucker and Sam sitting next to the bed he was laying in, he got a distinct sense of Deja Vu. "It wasn't a dream, right?" His friends simply nodded the affirmation of what he already knew. "Just great, more weirdness to add to the ever growing list of weird!"
"Well at least you didn't get stabbed." Tucker said in an attempt to cheer up his friend. His attempt earned him a scowl from Danny and a smack to the back of his head courtesy of Sam. "Oh come on! You guys know what I mean." Tucker groused rubbing the back of his head.
"I know." Danny replied sliding his hand down his face. "I think we're all a little weirded out about last night. I mean what happened? Crazy guy appears and I get weirder?" Swallowing in an attempt to clear the steadily forming knot in his throat, Danny asked the question that he wasn't sure if he really wanted answered. "Am I even human anymore?"
Neither Sam nor Tucker could answer the question their distressed friend asked, so they remained silent. The silence dragged on for what seemed like hours, and Danny couldn't see the light at the end of his proverbial tunnel for his situation. Suddenly Danny was snapped out of his lament when Sam almost jumped out of her chair in a sudden epiphany. "Be right back!" she said as she bolted out of the room as Tucker and Danny shared a look, neither having any idea as to Sam's sudden energy.
Moment later Sam burst back through the door brandishing a hand sized mirror in what could only be triumph. "Ok, whats with the mirror?" Danny asked momentarily distracted from the question of his humanity.
"This is the thing that might set you're mind at ease!" Sam said with a wild grin. Sitting down in her seat she started to explain, by starting with a question "When you say human what do you mean?"
Confused and slightly worried Danny answered "Uh. I don't think theres more than one meaning of human."
"Not quite." Sam answered looking Danny directly in the eye. "Do you mean physically human, with all of the genetics and stuff? Or do you mean Human as in maintaining you're humanity, not like those things that attacked us? I can't tell you if the genetics are still right but the other stuff can be proven with this mirror."
"I don't get it. I thought vampires had the thing with mirrors?" Tucker questioned.
"Yeah they do, but other things do too. A mirror, or any reflexive surface really, can reveal the paranormal for what it is. Like that biker reject, when he looked human if he looked into a mirror or window it would see what it actually is." Sam explained before focusing her attention back to Danny. "I think the same principle should apply to you."
"I don't know." Danny said doubting Sam's reasoning.
"Oh please, if theres anyone in this room that would know what their talking about its probably be me." Sam said almost shoving the mirror into Danny's hands, face down. "And before you say that you would know more, I know for a fact that you don't understand half of what you're parents say."
Sadly Danny couldn't argue with that, when his parents got on a roll it was like listening to a different language without subtitles. As it stood Sam was their number one information source on the supernatural, so he took a deep breath and looked into the mirror.
The same. He looked the same, blue eyes, black hair, everything. As he locked eyes with his reflection he could feel his tension slowly disappear. Letting go of the breath that he didn't know that he was holding. "I'm normal." Looking up at his friends his spirits raised he stated "This doesn't make what happened disappear... But its a start I think."
"Now that we're past that depressing subject, what actually happened? I mean, Danny, dude, you transformed and kicked some ass!" Tucker said bringing Danny back to the subject that still needs addressing.
"Thats a good question." Danny said. "I have no clue what happened."
"What was it like? Do you remember what it felt like when you...um...changed?" Sam asked despite fumbling at the end.
"I... I don't know." Danny admitted not knowing how to explain what happened. How could he explain something he couldn't explain to himself? Thinking back on the first time he changed he did recall the sensations leading up to it, the strange numbness that spread from his core to his limbs. He didn't notice when he stood up form his spot on the bed as he recalled how the numbness changed into a almost painful pressure just under his skin. Danny didn't notice when the lights in the room started to flicker as he remembered the pressure built before something gave and he burst. He did notice when the ethereal mist swarmed around him like a swirling storm before disappearing like last time.
Sam and tucker couldn't believe that Danny had just changed right in front of them, and Danny couldn't believe that he had transformed at all. "Well. We weren't expecting that." Tucker said attempting to break the awkward silence that had descended the group after Danny's demonstration.
"Yeah. No kidding" Danny agreed still unsettled by the fact he consciously changed. Eventually curiosity overrode any the weirdness and potential panic that Danny may have felt about the situation as he started to look himself over. First he noticed that he felt a bit different. He felt energy coursing through his muscles like if he was on a sugar or caffeine high. His head felt a little light and floaty, in a way that he guess was like having a slight buzz. Over all it didn't feel bad, witch was surprising because he looked like hell. Taking stock of his now changed appearance he noticed that his shirt had a hole in the front and covered in what could only be blood, his blood to be precise.
"Why am I wearing this!?" Danny almost yelled, panic taking over his curiosity. "I thought you guys thew it out!?"
"We burned it actually." Tucker informed Danny. Looking to Sam he asked "Why would he have clothes that we destroyed?"
Taking a deep breath in an attempt to figure out an answer for that question. "Well... It might be the clothes that he, uh, first changed in so they stay with him when he transforms now?" Sam answered, despite that fact that it came out like a question.
After calming down a bit, Danny decided to put the question of the clothes that he almost died in to the back of his mind. Now the next question was if he could change back. Considering he woke up looking like he normally did then he just needed to figure out how to change back. Winging it, he started to think back on how he was before he changed. At first he didn't feel any change, until he noticed a warmth spreading through him and that he started to glow with a golden light that grew in intensity until it shattered, flaking away like dust in a wind revealing him changed back to his usual self.
After the change Danny took in a gasp of air in shock, looking at his hands before looking to his friend who were, again, shocked that he changed in front of them.
Danny felt exhausted, he wasn't sure if it was from the actual transformations or all the shocks of the day. His exhaustion must have been showing because Sam broke the silence, "We should probably try to get some sleep." she suggested. "We know you're fine and it's pretty late, plus it wouldn't hurt to have clearer heads anyways."
Danny and Tucker agreed, and before long the three teens were asleep.
After an hour and a half he gave up on the idea of sleep and got up and went to the hallway bathroom that was just outside his room. In an attempt to clear his head, Danny splashed water on his face before staring at his reflection. He was still normal looking, nothing to suggest that he was anything else except human. Yet he had a nagging suspicion that his situation was a bit more complex, too complex to be fixed with a mirror. Especially with the fact that he could transform at will. He could feel his powers react just by the thought of him transforming, churning just under the surface. On a whim he let his transformation trigger, this time he clearly saw his eyes change from blue to an unnatural glowing green before he was engulfed by the mist that his change summons. Before he knew it he was once again in his alternate form, his hair now white, ashen skin, and the bloody clothes from the incident with Mr. Dark.
"Have trouble sleeping?" asked Sam who was suddenly in the door way. Danny's response to her sudden appearance was to make a very emasculating noise and jump several feet in the air and hover in one of the rooms ceiling corners.
Coughing to clear the brief awkward silence Danny calmly reprimanded Sam "You shouldn't sneak up on people you know."
Sam laughed remorseless before replying "Its my house, I can skulk were I want." This drew a light chuckle from Danny before he fully realized that he was floating in the air. Stopping himself from freaking out over the fact he instead focused on getting down. Luckily it only took a minute as he willed himself to descend back to the floor.
Once firmly grounded, Danny noticed that the awkward silence that seemed to have been plaguing him and his friends returned. Desperately looking for a topic he glanced at his still transformed visage in the mirror. "You know? I had a feeling that that whole mirror thing was B.S." He hoped that what he just said didn't come out accusing.
If Sam took it as such she didn't show it as replied "It is actually a thing. A reflection will reveal anything that use illusions and stuff to hide what they are." Seeing Danny's incomprehension she elaborated a bit. "Like if something was trying to hide what they were the mirror thing would reveal what they really are, but if its a complete transformation, like a werewolf, then the reflection would be what they are at the time."
"Ok. So what does that mean about me?" Danny asked.
"That means that you are what you are." she replied. Motioning towards his transformed self she continued "When you have white hair you're whatever it is that you are, but when you're your usual self then you're human."
"How're you so sure?"
"I'm not." Sam answered honestly. "But thats how I see it. You're still you, you haven't done anything that would suggest other wise. Hell, you even protected us from those... things the first time you changed."
Danny wished he could be so sure about his... condition, but he did appreciate what Sam said. And he supposed it made a bit of sense, or as much sense that this situation could ever make. Glancing back at his reflection Danny figured that it was time to turn back, the now familiar warmth came quickly and before he could blink the golden light was flaking off to reveal his usual self. After the last of the light disappeared Danny let a sigh out and leaned back against the wall opposite the mirror and slid down to sit on the floor, for now not having the will to stand.
After a brief moment Sam moved forward and joined him not saying anything, letting her friend process whatever he need to process. The two sat in silence for a time before Danny spoke. "I don't know what to do. Outside of hiding, what am I supposed to do about this whole mess, I already have a permanent reminder that I almost died and that some really bizarre things happened that let me survive. And then I find out I have something else to hide?" Shaking his head he continued. "I don't know what to even make of this. It feels like I have lost all control of my life and its become something unrecognizable."
After taking a moment to absorb what was said Sam replied almost solemnly "I would normally say embrace the weirdness, but I don't know what to make of this either."
Closing his eyes briefly in regret Danny stated "This whole thing isn't easy for you either is it?"
"No it isn't." Sam replied before smirking and saying "but to be fair all the weird thing are happening to you."
That managed to lighten to mood as Danny smirked along side one of his best friends. "Yeah. I guess that dose give me a legit reason to complain." This earned a small laugh from both teens before they descended into a comfortable silence. "Sorry." Danny suddenly said.
"For what?" Sam asked curious. In her mind she should be the one to apologize all things considered.
"For freaking out so hard, for making you worry, for anything and everything really." Letting out a sigh "I don't know." Danny finished.
"If anyone should apologize it should be me." Sam countered. Bringing her knees to her chest she continued "It's because of me that you almost died, that you became like this. Everything that has happened is from that night with Mr. Dark." By the end of it she was silently crying, everything coming to the surface. Her guilt, fear, everything.
Danny didn't say anything for a moment before he wrapped an arm around her shoulders in a comforting half-hug. "None of that was your fault, it was all because of a fruit-loop that wanted to kill you for one reason or another. Frankly, I would do it all over again. I don't regret anything from that night, its the things that happened afterwards that threw me for a loop." Danny didn't see the need to mention that he only came that particular conclusion as he was saying it. With everything that happened: Mr. Dark, his and Sam's near death experience, his first transformation and having to deal with the facts of said transformation, Danny never had a chance to really process any of it. It didn't help that he didn't want to even acknowledge what happened at first. Now he couldn't deny it anymore, he was changed from his experience, as were Sam and Tucker, albeit not in such an obvious fashion as himself.
Sam was just wiping away the last her tears when a inhuman sound escaped from the room next to Danny's. "Is Tucker blending gravel or something?" Sam asked, recognizing their friend's telltale snores.
"Knowing him he probably did his usual summer ritual of not sleeping for days at a time." Danny answered. "We should probably try to get some sleep now."
"Probably a good idea." Sam agreed stifling a yawn. "I refuse be a cliche and fall asleep out here after having a heart-to-heart." With that said, Sam stood up and prepared to head off back to her room throwing a quick "Night." over her shoulder as she left.
His heart feeling lighter than its felt in what seemed a long time Danny also trudged off to bed.
Despite managing to get to sleep Danny didn't feel rested, mainly due to the fact that his sleep was fitful at best. By the time eleven A.M. came around he gave up trying to get anymore sleep. Stretching the kinks out of his back Danny headed to the door to see if Sam or Tucker were up and moving. He got his answer and a greater feeling of relief that he slept in his clothes when he opened the door to find Sam standing there looking like she didn't sleep very well either.
"Oh! You're up." Sam stated surprised.
"Yeah." Danny said scratching the back of his head looking for anything else to say. "Didn't get a lot of sleep. Had a lot to think about I guess." He finished lamely.
"Same here." Sam admitted. "Thats actually one of the reasons that I came to wake you up. I might have figured some stuff out, but we have to get Tucker up first." As if to confirm that their Techno-Geek friend was in fact still asleep his telltale snore resonated form the from the wall the two rooms shared.
"Gook luck with that." Danny said unhelpfully before the two friends headed over to the next door down, which currently housed Tucker. Without even knocking Sam threw open the door and walked straight to the window, yanking open the heavy curtains allowing the bright late morning light to shine through straight into their slumbering friend's face. The effects were instantaneous, Tucker let out a noise that was one part yelp and one part groan as he pulled the blankets over his head in an attempt to cancel out the offending light. An instant later Sam forcibly removed the blanket taking Tucker's protection from the harmful effects of the sun, forcing him to awaken fully from his sleep.
Luckily Tucker had also crashed with his clothes on, so his indignation was purely out of the fact that his sleep was interrupted. "Damn it Sam! Do you know what time it is!"
"Its eleven, so get up." Was Sam's remorseless reply.
"Come on! Let a brotha sleep." Tucker groaned.
"Tucker. You're not a 'brotha' nor will you ever be one." Sam countered. "I might have figured out some stuff about last night, so I need you up and moving. There'll be caffeine downstairs waiting if it'll make you feel better." At the mention of the popular stimulant Tucker rolled out of bed with a groan and followed Danny and Sam.
Sam waited until everyone had their needed caffeine and had clear enough heads before she explained the wake up calls. "Ok. I might have had an epiphany last night, and spent the better part of the night confirming it. Anyways, I might have an idea on what Danny is."
Tucker almost cringed. If he knew his best friend, Danny wouldn't want to even be reminded about it so soon after it happened. Tucker knew he wouldn't. Glancing at Danny he was surprised that the expected irritation or anger was replaced by curiosity. "Ok. So what do you got?" Danny asked cementing Tuckers surprise and confusion.
"Um, before we get any further into that topic, did I miss something? I mean, Danny, last night you could barely keep you're head on strait, now you are actually curious about it?" Tucker asked.
"I came to a couple realizations last night." Danny replied with a slight grin. "Theres no denying what happened to me so its better to just deal with it."
Tucker almost wanted to say more but he managed to restrain himself. Shaking his head slightly he could only marvel on how quick his friend got used to some pretty world shattering stuff. Yet he couldn't help but feel relieved that his friend was ok nevertheless. Turning to Sam Tucker asked "Alright, so what did your creepy books tell you?"
Smirking Sam answered. "Glad you said that Mr. Foley, because the idea actually popped into my head when I glanced at my book collection and spotted a collection of ghost stories." This revelation earned Sam full attention of the two males. Her smirk grew as she focused on Danny. "When you transformed you could turn completely intangible, not only that but you were wearing the cloths you 'died' in."
Danny wasn't sure he liked where this was going. "Are you saying that I'm a ghost?" he asked before he put his fingers to his wrist "But I have a pulse."
Sam's eyes almost seemed to shine as she replied. "Yeah, I'll admit that I may have been exaggerating a bit when I said I knew what you were, but I'm on the right track I think. You still have a body obviously so you're not a ghost like we would think of them, but you do show some characteristics of being one. Frankly its better than nothing, I think."
"That still doesn't tell me what I am."
"I know. But its as close we're going to get. I even thought of a name for it." Sam paused looking to see if they were still following along. "The closest term for you I could come up with is... Half-Ghost."
