Time in the Heart

By: Wilona Riva

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom.


Behind them lay pain, and death, and fear. Ahead of them lay doubt, and danger, and fathomless mysteries. But they weren't alone. - The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman


Author's Note: Danny has the ability to banish ghosts to other regions of the ghost zone, but not ghost powers. Not yet, at any rate.


Ring of Tales


"Plum? Plum? Plum?" the floating plum orbiting his head was confused. His young master was going away. Had he done sometbing wrong?

"Danny, plum?" he asked again.

Danny plucked his little pet out of the air. It looked like a red plum covered with porcupine quills with tiny beady yellow eyes on purple stalks. It had a very limited vocabulary and had been dubbed 'Plum' since that was the word it kept repeating.

"Danny has to go away now," Danny said swallowing, while thinking about the events which had just transpired in the Ghost King's throne room.


"You will live by your wits in the human world from now on, Daniel," King Pariah said. "Do what you must to survive."

"But, Sire!" the boy said.

"Daniel, Desiree twisted your words into a wish that is true, but the fact is, I cannnot undo what has been done. You have been apprenticed to me; as such, you are now the heir to the Ghost Zone. When you return, Ember will be waiting. I give her to you as your wife, when you have come of age," King Pariah concluded.

Danny shut his mouth. There was no use in arguing with King Pariah.

"Oh, yes," he added. "One more thing." He pulled off a glowing gold ring with a veridian diamond rune flowing arounds its edge.

"The Ring of Rage," Danny said in awe.

The Ring of Rage could only be used in conjuction with the Crown of Fire, the symbol of King Pariah Dark's rule over the Ghost Zone.

Danny felt the ring slide over the ringer finger of his own right hand. "But, Majesty..."

"You will return to the human world from whence you came. You will be allowed to return when you reach your fourteenth year. Then you will be ready," the Ghost King continued, mentally reviewing the images of the young Daniel becoming a halfa and the battles to follow that Clockwork had shown him.


Danny fingered the ring upon his finger. He had been entrusted with the Ring of Rage and bethrothed to Princess Ember of all people. At least the singing lessons were finally beginning to pay off!

He began to laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

"Plum!" Plum squeaked as the boy grabbed him and hugged him tightly.

The room whirled around them; then both fell to the ground, while wincing at the bright light.

"Hey, kid, you alright?" a homeless vagabond asked him, poking him in the side.