Time's Reflection
By: Wilona Riva
Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom.
"There are almost as many kinds of libraries as there are kinds of readers."
― Lemony Snicket, The Carnivorous Carnival
Winter Carnival
"So what was it you couldn't tell us over the phone last night?" Tucker asked, popping a fry into his mouth.
"Two words," Danny said ticking them off on his fingers. "Winter Carnival."
Ember's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "You are so lucky you can go."
"And why can't you?" Sam queried, snitching one of Danny's own fries.
"Because," Ember started to say, before one of the A-list, a big blond jock named Dash Baxter turned around and eyeballed her. "What do you want?"
"A carnival, Fenton?" Dash sneered, "I didn't hear anything about it over the radio or the tv. Where is it? I want to take Paulina and gets some action."
"You just want to win another teddy bear for your collection," Danny teased, emerald eyes glowing softly with amusement.
"Danny, why are your eyes glowing green?" Sam asked, noticing for them for the first time. "Did something happen over the weekend?"
Ember started laughing, then coughing when Danny shot her an annoyed look and kicked her under the table. "Danny, Plum's tickling my foot."
"Plum?"
"I thought I told you to stay at home," Danny said, looking under the table at his pet. Plum's eyestalks swivelled upwards to meet his gaze.
"French fry, Danny?"
"What's the magic word?" Sam interrupted, snagging a couple more fries from the basket in front of her.
"Please can Plum have more panties?"
Dash nearly keeled over. "What the heck are you teaching that thing?" He knew not to look under the table after the last time Danny had ordered it to stick him.
"Not me," Danny said, raising both hands defensively, while Sam fed the porcupine fruit the fries. "That's one you'll have to blame Jazz for."
"So about this carnival," Dash said, returning to the previous topic. "Where is it and how are we going to get there?"
"You can't," Ember told them. "I'm a fire elemental and the Winter Carnival is held in the Far Frozen. It plays havoc with my core, so I can never get to go. Danny's an ice elemental, so he's in his glory. You're human, you'll freeze to death without protection."
"Yeah, but Frostbite gave me a few bracelets just for this occasion and Ringmaster Lydia has a real human as part of the sideshow this year," Danny told her, producing one of the bracelet he slid on her arm.
She admired it in the light, the harsh flourescent lights flickering on the beautiful ice carved structures. "Thank you, babypop," she murmured, pulling him in for a passionate kiss. "I'm glad you sang with the Fates."
Danny blushed this time and refused to elaborate when his friends asked for an clarification. When Dash asked him what was so special about a human being part of a circus, Danny reminded him it was a ghost circus. Very few humans actually could survive the freezing temperatures of the Ghost Zone; himself one of the rare exceptions.
"Stop by my house later, Dash, and I'll give you the bracelets for the carnival. You'd better stress to the rest of the group, especially Paulina, to dress warmly. The Far Frozen very few warming huts," Danny warned him.
"Cool, thanks," Dash told him. "I still can't believe you're a half-ghost. That was really freaky yesterday."
"Tell me about it," Danny muttered. "I won't be half-ghost for much longer."
"How long?" Sam asked, worried for her friend.
"Under a year to go," Ember cut in. "Danny made his final choice with his father and mine as witnesses."
"Ember dance with Danny; Danny dance with Ember," came a sleepy taunt from below the table.
"Shut it," Danny scowled, shooting a look at his pet. "Plum, go home."
"Plum."
The rest of the afternoon was spent pouring over some books on the Ghost Zone and picking and Danny's brain for any memories he had of his childhood there. Danny wouldn't go into specifics about what his Master had called him into the Zone for via Plasmius, but he did describe his less than humorous meeting with his father, Jorge and the Time Master and his new power.
"Who is going to train you?" Tucker asked. "Last new power you got, you practically almost blew the roof off Plasmius' mansion."
"Don't remind me," Danny growled, as the rest of the table laughed. "And it's going to be the Weather Master. Youngblood is training under him too since his core is starting to develop wind elemental gifts."
"That reminds me," Ember said, snapping her fingers. "He chose his Master this morning."
"Who?"
"You're not to believe me."
"Try me," Danny shot back.
"Your father."
...
...
...
"You're right; I don't believe it."