Hey guys, and welcome! This chapter was a bit of a tricky on for me, so don't be too surprised if the pacing is off or the transitions seem abrupt. Still, I hope you enjoy it! It even comes with explainations!
"I've missed you too Illusen." he said quietly, hugging her back before she let go, grinning madly. "You've certainly gotten taller, haven't you?"
"You always say I'm taller Daddy." Illusen said, looking at him quickly, grabbing his hand to make sure he wouldn't fade away. "And you." She turned to Clockwork quickly. "You could have mentioned he was coming so I would know not to let my face get all blotchy and weird and look like I'm going to cry." Clockwork just smiled at her, fully grown. "Please say you're for real and I'm not just dreaming please be here."
"Ha, no dream, I promise." her father said, stepping through the doorway as Illusen still held onto his hand. "I see you planned on surprising us both, huh Clockwork? And here I thought you just wanted to talk to me." He grabbed Illusen just above her waist, picking her up and spinning her. "Oh, you're such a light ghost, let me see you."
Illusen touched down and familiar rings moved across her, moving up to give her light skin covered by a long black shirt and jeans, her smile peeking out from behind light pink lips and bright periwinkle eyes flashing as she waited for her father's approval. Every second she spent with him felt electric, like something you would expect from a bad romance novel, but better. He was here, finally with her again, and Illusen was just happy.
"You still look just like your mother." her father said, smiling in a way that clearly told her he was remembering, trying to think of the last time he had seen anyone. She had seen that look too many times in the mirror not to know it. "And your hair… Are you ever going to cut it?" Her hair fell down her back and curled in odd directions in odd places, making it look wild and full. "Not that you need to. Its lovely."
"I'm not cutting it, don't worry." Illusen said, wishing she could think of what to talk about now that he was here, with her. "I'll let it grow out, just like I promised… Oh, you want to see how I look right now? I match Uncle."
"How's he doing these days?" Her father asked with a laugh. "And go on, show me. I like knowing that my little girl's talented." Neither of them noticed Clockwork smile and then vanish, leaving the tube of clocks with just the two of them.
"I'm not little anymore." Illusen said, closing her eyes as her skin darkened, her hair grew flatter and her shoulders shifted slightly, becoming lower and thinner. "What do you think?" she asked, opening her now dark green eyes. "Its not perfect, but no one doubts that we're related."
"Its fantastic, you're fantastic." Illusen let the changes slide off of her skin, returning to normal. "How did my daughter get so good at being a ghost? You're twice as good as I was at your age, got powers I've never had… Not to mention your mother's charm. You're not dating yet, are you?"
"No, of course not, no one to date at my school." She didn't want to mention that it was his former school too, that her best friends were her parents and uncle, that she had worked out a deal while he had been busy. "I did make some friends though. Uncle thinks you would like them."
Illusen was just very slightly torn. She wanted to tell him everything, that she had made friends and that school was going great and that she had developed new powers that actually worked and that she was getting better at sleeping instead of her usual awful insomnia. But that also meant telling him that she was friends with his past self, that she was going to school in the one place she had been forbidden from ever going, that she had been fighting ghosts there and that she didn't sleep. Seeing her father once a year meant that there was so much he didn't know about her, most of it things that she didn't want him to know. And yet…
"Ha, I trust his judgment. He isn't getting too time tired, is he?"
"Of course not. You know us, a couple of pioneers in time and space. Uncle's doing fine, happily tinkering with electronics… Oh, and we've been going in seasonal rotation for a little while now, so he doesn't have to worry about never ending winter." Illusen knew she was babbling, but she just wanted him to remember her voice, and remember his too, just so she couldn't forget. "What time of year is it for you?"
"Fall, when I'm out there in the human world. It's actually getting close to Thanksgiving. It's less than a week by this point… Where are you?"
"Same place." Illusen said, trying to think of what this could mean. "I bet Clockwork has us both synched up to real time." Figuring out where other people were in the time stream was always puzzling. Her grandparents and aunt were all in the same place, twenty seven years away from her current location in time, while her mother was two years behind her in an undisclosed location. Illusen had no idea what time period her father was going back to, but if it was roughly the same time as hers… Well, it had to mean something, didn't it? There were no coincidences when it came to time travel, only connections that she didn't quite understand. There had to be something. "Real time is so much fun."
"I'm glad you've figured out how to deal with the time shifts, I'm doing awful. I wake up sometimes and spend hours figuring out what year it is and why its snowing in the middle of the summer."
"Aw, I hate summer snow, its just befuddling." And then, the deeper, important question. "Hey, have you seen Mom lately?" With Illusen's question, her father's smile seemed to tighten at the corners and his hands tightened too, something she knew he didn't think she would see.
"A couple of weeks ago." her father said, relaxing just very slightly. "She asked about you and wanted you to know that she loves you very much." That was one of Illusen's least favorite part about the whole separated in time fiasco. Even though she wasn't supposed to be too near to her father, it was infinitely more dangerous to be near her entirely human mother for reasons that had never properly been explained to her. "She even sent me with something, let me see…" He reached back and snapped his fingers, making a small box fall out of his sleeve. Ghost powers, Illusen could outwit in a heartbeat, but sleight of hand still eluded her. "Here you go."
"Are you sure its for me?" Illusen asked, taking the box as her father just chuckled. "Its not funny, Mom hasn't seen me in ages, are you sure its from her?"
"Your aunt found it and was so surprised she shuttled it through time for your mother. And your mother apparently knows something no one else does, and said that you have to have it. So, yes, its from her." With careful fingers, Illusen opened the hinged box, gasping.
"No way Dad, this is Mom's ring, I can't have this its hers!" Illusen tried quickly, pulling out the slightly battered blue class ring and holding it up to the light. "It even has Wes written right inside…" Her voice lowered, and she looked from the ring to her dad. "Everything's okay right? Nothings wrong with Mom, she's not sick or anything is she?"
"No, nothing of the sort." her father said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Actually, it's a bit of a time glitch… When your aunt found the ring, your mother already had hers… She sent you the one she's been wearing, and she has the one from the future. She said she wants you to keep it near your heart, alright?" Illusen nodded, slipping the ring into the palm of her hand and making a fist. "That's a girl… So, are you happy?" This was the serious question, the one that she had to answer just right or they would both be guilty until they met again.
"… Yeah." Illusen said, a bit of a lopsided grin creeping onto her face. "Yeah, I am happy… It's a good place." And then, a question she had never dared to ask. "Daddy… Are you happy?"
"I'm happy to see you." he replied, ruffling her hair. "And I'm never happy about being away from you… But its for the best, right? I'm happy just as long as you're somewhere safe." If only he knew…
Illusen smiled, and at the same time felt a tug at her ankle, like someone pulling her back. Quickly, she hugged he father, putting the ring box back inside his hand and held on as tight as the tugging increased.
"Illusen." her father, Daniel Fenton, Danny Phantom, her hero whispered. "You know you have to let go." She did, and with a quick jerk, she found herself back in her basement, nothing but the ring in her fist to suggest that she had ever moved.
"I hate letting go." she whispered, uncurling her fingers and looking at the ring. It was just like the one her mother always wore, and Illusen knew it could have come from no one else. She kissed it gently, and then pressed it to her chest, wishing it would somehow convey her feeling. "I'll keep it Mom. Just for you."
Back in the Ghost Zone, her father was floating just off of the ground, tapping his foot as he waited for Clockwork to come back. Seeing Illusen had been a lucky surprise, but he was there for much more serious matters. First, however, he needed Clockwork.
"I know you know I'm waiting for you to act like you care that I'm here." he said to a relatively empty room, ignoring the ticking. He had spent so much time with Clockwork that he never even heard ticks anymore, except when he first moved to a new time. Then, he could never escape that second marker, normally not for hours. "I also know that you can hear me."
"Of course I can hear you Daniel." Clockwork said, floating in from nowhere. "I also know why you're here. And that its still not what your looking for." Aging quickly, hunching, stooping, withered. "You can leave now Daniel. You already know exactly what's going to happen, what you're going to see."
"You already know that I'm not going to listen to you." Daniel replied. It was always tiring talking to Clockwork, trying to figure out what he was doing that Clockwork already knew about. It made him second-guess himself. "Just let me see, like every other time. I want to see if I can change it this time, just let me look."
"As always Daniel." Clockwork said, and Daniel followed him. "You know, I've seen it too Daniel, and there is no other way this scene ends. This is what always happens." Clockwork waved his hand and the screen appeared, showing Daniel the scene that had been playing in his mind for years. "Watch again if you must."
It was right inside Amity Park, the park, a scene that was normally serene and for a seconds, all was normal. Then, a single blast destroyed the park, a bright light that obliterated everything just as a very confused Grand Illusion appeared, ducking as she looked around wildly. Behind her was a rather angry looking Danny Phantom, eyes and hands glowing as he chased her and dodged another of the bright beams.
"What did you do?" Danny demanded, shooting a bolt at Illusion that she dodged quickly. "What did you do, why are you here, why are you hurting people? You haven't even explained what you're doing yet!"
"I'm not doing this, I promise!" Illusion said, flying upwards as the scene panned out, revealing the most despicable ghost imaginable: Dark Dan. "I don't know how he got here, he just comes every time, I can't fix it!" She turned invisible and Danny stopped short, looking at Dan instead.
"I can't stand this!" Danny yelled, glaring angrily towards the sky and returning fire as Illusion twisted behind a tree, her back to the bark. "Why can't anything go right!" A ring of black fire fell to the ground as an answer, and as Danny dodged, Illusion looked up suddenly, her lips moving rapidly as she looked at her feet, and took to the sky. "Hey, what are you doing?"
"I don't know." Illusion called back. "But whatever it is, I'm sure it right. Otherwise I wouldn't be doing it." As she rose, she accelerated and when she got within ten feet of Dan, he whirled around, sending a blast straight towards her.
What happened next was barely visible, something Daniel only knew happened because he had seen the scene so many times. Illusion threw up her arms and the blast curved around her as it forced her down into a reasonably sized crater as Dan dived after her. Danny dodged the falling ghosts, but just barely and as they hit, dust kicked up quickly. There were a couple flashes of light, all strobe-quick and conveying more violence that should have really been capable of light.
"Fuck, this part hurts!" Illusion shouted, and then-
The entire scene went white with a shock, and when the white cleared, Danny Phantom was floating alone in a decimated park. Trees were broken, benches leveled, bushes gone entirely and not a sound from anything could be heard.
"What… Just happened?" Danny asked himself quietly, floating off the ground as he peered into the crater. "Did they-"
"Stop stop, its still the same." Daniel whispered and the scene froze, Clockwork floating over him with a look of concern on his face. "Why doesn't it ever change? Why does she die every time?" He had seen the end too many times; what had been his daughter laying in the crater, a mess of ectoplasm and all too human blood that he could only recognize from the scraps of her clothes that lay soaked in her blood. "How does she even get to Amity Park? Nothing happens there, I don't remember her ever being there."
"Its always the same Daniel." Clockwork replied, an adult. "They fight, there's the explosion, and you, neither there nor here, know why or what happened. Why do you keep looking for a different outcome?"
"Because she's my daughter!" Daniel exclaimed, throwing his hands up. "You don't understand, that girl is my life! She's my daughter, flesh and blood and somehow, I have to know that she's just going to die and there's nothing I can do? I know I attract enemies, but that why she travels, that's why everyone I love floats through time, so even if I cause the end of the world, they're safely years away, timelines away. Why is it that no matter what, she ends up back in time, in my hometown with stupid teenage me and has to die?"
"Because that's what happens Daniel." A floating baby, just mocking him with such a solemn, ancient voice. "No matter what any of you do, this will happen. There's no way to undo it. You should know by now Daniel, that you can't change the future anymore than you can change the past." Daniel sighed and ran a hand through his hair, messing it up. "That's why you're better off not knowing."
"You've changed the past before, changed the future. I know the fate of the world isn't at stake, but please. You could save her. And seeing her today, I know its going to be soon. She looks so…" Daniel gestured towards the air almost angrily, and the elder floated towards him. "You won't, will you?"
"You seem so determined to convince me." Clockwork said. "Are you just convincing yourself? And just hold on for a moment, will you? I'm expecting another visitor." A shimmer and a chime, and Daniel turned around to see a woman with black hair and violet eyes, looking flawlessly ageless as always. "Hmm, early again Samantha."
"I'm always early." Samantha replied, immediately walking over and hugging Daniel. Their brushes in time were always fleeting and so brisk, because they never knew when an attack could come. Daniel simply had too many enemies, and being a human meant being vulnerable. "Third time this year."
"Seventh for my year." Daniel replied. "But for me, its November." Samantha nodded and Clockwork drifted away, trusting them to share their moment.
"Oh Daniel." Clockwork muttered, twisting his staff in his withered fingers. "You don't need to worry so much. Just because she got hurt once, that doesn't mean you have to cut yourself off from everyone you love… Your family is a hearty sort. I'm sure they'll survive most of anything."
In the Amity Park morning, Illusen awoke to discover that she had not only managed to fall asleep in the lab, but that her uncle had noticed, and was shaking her awake so she could make her way to school.
"You know, you have a bed for a reason Lou." her uncle reminded her, not unkindly. "And that reason is for sleeping in."
"Psh, why sleep in my bed when I have the lovely freezing lab floor?" Illusen asked groggily, blinking hard and then grinning softly. "I saw him last night Uncle, he talked to me, I even got the ring, Mom gave it to me…"
"I'm sure you had brilliant dreams." her uncle replied, holding out his hand. Illusen took it, letting him help her up and with a smile, he brushed the hair out of her eyes. "Ready to wake up dreamer? Because school starts quite soon. Like… half an hour quite soon."
"Whaaat?" Illusen asked, shoving her hair back, the texture startling her. "Uncle how did you let me sleep so late, I'm not even matching!" Arms flailing, Illusen closed her eyes and her skin grew darker, almost dripping down. "Ugh, so sorry I fell asleep down here I hope you're not mad, I just wanted to ask if I could stay a little longer and it went so well and I hate that Clockwork never sends me back the same time I left I missed like two hours how's my hair?" Illusen said all of that very very quickly and while still moving her hands, trying to think. "I'm already dressed I need something to eat and I have scummy breath and I have to walk!"
"I know its beside the point." Recut called as Illusen dashed up the stairs. "but you know you can always just fly in. No one will noticed."
"No, human only!" Illusen said, yelling down from the top of the stairs. "Human by day, that's the rules. I fly by night." She ran, slamming the door behind her and her uncle could hear her feet as she ran through the house.
"Oh Lou, you're far too busy sometimes, aren't you?" Recut asked himself, hands in his pockets. "Oh well… I should probably figure out what's going on with the new… thing I haven't named yet." Pulling up an incomplete set of wires and circuitry, Recut flipped it over, picking up a very small soldering gun. "Que sera sera…"
This chapter contained much of what you the reader will need to know later on in the story. Also, don't forget that I've been hiding delightful plot points throughout the story so far.
Please feel free to review at any time! Your comments are both appreciated and my main source of food. That's right, I live off of other people's opinions. What a bizarre existence.
~ Natalie
