Author notes:
1)English is my second language. Forgive me for any mistake.
2)I don't own Danny Phantom.
3)I only own the plot for this AU and the eventual OCs
4)Thanks Truephan, Christopher Scott, aryaneragon4ever and DaughterofPoseidon32498 for your reviews.
5)Thanks for the 1.000 hits!
On the day before the classes were to begin, Danny had already to move to Alphonse's new home. He had to do it because he didn't want to get up very early on the next day to not get late for his first day of classes.
His father almost begged Alphonse to let him stay at least for the first week to help Danny to adapt to his new routine. The lycanthrope was very displeased with this situation, but he let Vlad to stay over for the boy's first week.
It wasn't a big surprise for anyone when Eric protested against it. He told Vlad to stop being so overprotective and that Danny wasn't supposed to become a spoiled child. He also told his brother that the boy was safe with Alphonse.
Fright Knight was told everything about how Alphonse helped the boy to control his human half. Because of that, Pariah's general was very thankful to the lycanthrope.
However, James and Christine ended up telling that Vlad should only be there for a short time, because this would start to draw too much unnecessary attention to the boy. That's why Vlad decided to stay there for just a week.
But no one asked the young hybrid what he thought of this situation at all. The boy wanted to his father to stay with him, but the adults kept telling that this would make him weaker and spoiled and the boy didn't want to become any of that. His heart was torn in two with his mixed feelings. But he never voiced them.
When Danny and Vlad went to Alphonse's new home, they found that it wasn't very big like their home, but it was nice and comfortable. It had three bedrooms, kitchen and even indoor bathrooms. This was something the ghost werewolves were proud to achieve because it made things way easier for them
Besides, the lycanthrope changed his mind as he imagined how Vlad's temporary presence would make it easier for the boy to get used to his new home for the next eight years of his life. Alphonse even hired some servants to attend his abode. A chef and a couple of maids to clean the home. However, they wouldn't be sleeping in his abode for safety matters.
Vlad had decided to sleep in the same room as Danny for the time being. He was concerned in leaving his son sleep all by himself in a strange house. Not that Alphonse minded. The werewolf had only to gain with Vlad's actions.
After saying he didn't mind Vlad's actions, he gained, some "trust points" with the parent. Besides, Alphonse wasn't stupid enough to try to take Danny to the Cave of Beginning anytime soon.
Alphonse told the boy that he was going to guide him personally to the school everyday and also take him back home by the end of classes. He also said that if the boy wanted, he could stay with his friends to play with for some time and then he would go home. He also available himself to attend any doubt the boy might have with his homework. Even Vlad had to admit he was pleased to hear that.
Now, both father and son were at Danny's room. Luckily, all beds were big and both could sleep without the need of dragging the bed from the empty bedroom. It was quite late, however both weren't tired.
The hybrid was quite excited to meet many new people and also to see Ember too. Johnny had told him, during the vacations, about some of the teachers. Skulker's son was already fourteen and was halfway done in the school.
Danny remembered how much he complained about Alphonse's exams. He told to both his little sister and Danny how cruel he was with his tests. Danny thought that Johnny complained so much because he didn't study. Danny studied a lot and he didn't find that difficult.
And, of course, the boy shared all this information with his father. Vlad only watched calmly as he saw his son, in his human form, talking about everything Johnny had told about the Lycan School.
The boy really wanted to meet all sorts of new people. The man started to feel a great nostalgia. 'They grow up so fast…' Vlad said as he heard calmly his son rant about the number of new friends he was going to make.
The boy talked so much that he was getting tired soon. When the boy yawned, he looked into his father's red eyes and asked: 'Daddy, can you take me to the school tomorrow?"
The man smiled and told his son: "Of course, little badger. Don't forget to tell me everything that has happened in your first day of school, okay, hmm?"
The boy nodded before he gave himself into his tiredness and fell asleep on in his father's arms. Vlad quietly looked at his son. He was very near of him, but he felt like he was very far away because he wouldn't be able to see his son everyday anymore by the end of the week.
On the next day, Danny, who had turned back to his ghost half as soon as he woke up, was quite excited to go to the school, but it soon faded away when Alphonse told them that it would be too weird for the boy to be near his father right on his first day. The parents were only seen at that school when the teachers called them periodically to talk about their children's progress. The school was famous for not only giving teachings about normal subjects, such as math and history, but also to prepare the children to an independent life and have a career on their own.
Both boy and parent tried to insist on the matter, but, this time, Alphonse denied. "You two can't go there together! No other child is going with their parents." But then the werewolf have a deep sigh to calm himself down. He didn't foresee this outcome and he wasn't pleased by it. "Look, I know this might be hard for both of you, but if you two do this, you'll become a walking joke, Daniel. All other kids are going to pick on you. You better not give them a reason to make fun of you, boy." Then he turned to the parent and continued: "You attended to the Lycan School yourself, didn't you? Did your parents tried to take you there by holding your hand?"
Vlad didn't have an answer for that. The werewolf was right about it. When both him and his brother were studying at the Lycan School, they had to sleep in the dorms and their parents only showed up to pick them up at the weekends and vacations and also for the periodical parents-teachers meetings.
Alphonse gave another sigh and tried to sooth the man's worries a little: "I told you, Count Vlad, Daniel is going with me to the school everyday. It's not weird for a student to live with their private teacher and he'll be fine. I'll also accompany him all his way back here, so you don't have to worry about it. You can also spend the day in my personal library, which is in the second floor, at the end of the right side of the hallway, Count Vladimir."
In the end the man ended up agreeing with Alphonse, despite of his feelings about the situation. He kneeled down and gave Danny a hug. "Daddy will be waiting for you. I want to hear everything later, okay?"
The boy nodded and said with a sad tone while he hugged his father back. "Okay, daddy…"
Then, after they broke the hug, Alphonse got out of the house, walking alongside Danny to the school. Vlad sighed after seeing his son leaving through the front door. He missed the boy already.
The man shook his head and tried to focus on something else, after all he had to tell himself that he couldn't hold the hand of his son forever. The boy was growing up fast and he needed to learn how to be strong and independent.
The count then went to the library, following the werewolf's instructions. When he got there, he was quite surprised to see that the room was about twice the size of the library of Vlad's own home! 'Professor Alphonse must really like to read.' The blue-skinned ghost thought.
He then moved near the shelves and glanced over the tons of books displayed there. He wasn't exactly in mood for reading, but it would help him to take his mind off his son.
After a while he saw a book that caught his curiosity because he had never read anything like it before. The title was 'Theories About the Begging of the Ghosts.'
Vlad picked the book up and noticed that there were several other books with similar titles and therefore similar subjects. He raised an eyebrow at that, but he thought it was all just some kind of curiosity the lycanthrope had. And even he was interested to know what those books had to say.
Meanwhile, Danny was walking with Alphonse and he suddenly remembered something and asked: "Why did I had only to bring my pencils?"
The werewolf calmly replied: "It's because you'll be provided with everything else there. The first day is usually just to greet the new students and give an out-of-date motivational long speech. I already have your schedule. You'll have the same classes everyday at the same time and at the same room. Your classroom is the number 102. I also checked for you and guess what? You're in the same class as your female friend, Ember."
"Really?" Danny said with his eyes beaming in joy. He was glad that he was going to at least share the same classes with his friend.
Alphonse knew that because the rooms were also divided in alphabetical order and he gave a quick look in the name list of the boy's classmates. This ended up being in his favor. Have a gloomy child at his home would be troublesome for him, especially because the boy's parent might try do something drastic like moving into the Werewolf Village just to cheer his son up. And he couldn't afford any of that.
When they got there, Danny immediately spotted Ember, who was talking with Johnny. Ember's brother cringed when he saw Alphonse. The lycanthrope also remembered him. He was the boy that nearly failed his classes.
Truth to be told, Alphonse was a strict teacher and demanded a lot from his students, but he was never unfair or made personal grudges while correcting the exams. He kinda liked teaching and hated when students used excuses such as 'it's too hard' with him. Alphonse liked to teach Danny, because the boy always gave 110% of himself and never complained.
Alphonse allowed the children to chit chat for a while and told them to follow him because he would show them around before the 'welcome students' speech. Alphonse showed that their classroom was at the first floor on the right side of the school. It had a window in the room and it was headed towards a small camp where the children could spend their time playing.
While the young hybrid memorized his way around the school, he saw that the school had not only some normal child ghosts, but also werewolves and also several other species he had never seen before, like some white furred bear-yeti-like beings.
Ember already knew where her classroom was and she also told Danny that she was looking forward spending the day with him.
Alphonse then took the three of them to a large room with several rows of seats, which was getting quite crowded. "Ember, Daniel, you two will sit over there" the werewolf said pointing to a section of chairs on the front-left side of the room "And John, you'll sit there." he said pointing to the middle row of seats in the middle of the room. The lycanthrope never liked calling people by nicknames.
"As John should already know, each class is divided in this auditorium, you three should go to your respective seats. I'm a teacher so I have to stand with the principal. You'll be able to see me from your seats. I'll pick you up, Daniel, as soon as your first day of school is done. If you excuse me now." The werewolf finished going towards to the front along with many other werewolf adults, who were the other teachers.
There was a fairly old brown-furred lycanthrope with the others teachers. His name was Amadeus and he was the current principal of the Lycan School. Alphonse respected him and greeted him appropriately as soon as he got near.
When the auditorium was full, Amadeus started talking, greeting both the new students and the old ones. This was the only thing Alphonse didn't like about the older werewolf. It was his habit of making the same long speech year after year. The senior students already knew it by heart and didn't pay much attention. Even some of the teachers were spacing out. Basically, only the first years were paying attention to his words.
Amadeus talked about the future, hopes and dreams and how the education they were going to receive there was greatly going to help them all for the future. The old werewolf also emphasized that women should also be taught equally on the same things as the men.
After two hours of speaking the oldest of the werewolves present continued still with his smile: "Well, I hope this sums up everything. If you have any more doubts you could ask an available teacher. For those who are at the first year, you'll be given tomorrow a list of rules that I hope you all obey." Then his smile turned into an utter serious face: "This school has zero tolerance to people that disobey rules. Disobey once and you'll be severely punished, disobey twice and you'll never set your feet here ever again. I hope I'm very clear about that."
Some of the younger kids winced at the tone of Amadeus last words. The old lycanthrope was dead serious about it and some of the seniors have witnessed the wrath of the old lycanthrope when one of their classmates decided to do a prank for another student. He had put a bucket of water over the door so it would fall on the head of a student that he hated, but what he didn't know was that the targeted person had seen the principal of the school and let him enter into the class first. The result was that the werewolf was soaked in the end. Unfortunately, for the prankster, that was his second time doing something against the school rules and he was expelled without mercy.
But the old lycanthrope smiled again hoping that he made himself clear to everyone and said: "Now that we're done with the presentations. Allow me to welcome you all and I hope you all have a productive year. You can now go have fun with your friends and relax for today. Starting tomorrow I hope you all can give me 110% of yourselves during classes. You're all dismissed."
Danny was a little unsure of what he had to do now. He thought that Alphonse was going to pick him up or something like that, but then Ember grabbed him by his hand and told him: "Come on! I have a place to show you. It's very nice and we can go play there.
The hybrid looked unsure at his werewolf teacher. The boy really wanted to go play with Ember, but this entire territory was new to him and he didn't want to do anything bad, especially after what Amadeus had said.
Alphonse had seen Danny looking into his direction and sighed. He smiled and gave a nod, allowing the boy to go have fun with Ember. He could understand why the boy was so unsure and honestly, he had no problem in going to hang out for a while. He would pick him up later after he was done with the meeting between the teachers and the principal.
They had to give another list of the students who weren't sleeping at the dorms, because the one Amadeus had vanished from his office. The old werewolf assumed he had discarded it with the trash by accident.
A few hours later, still before lunchtime, the silver lycanthrope searched for the boy in the fields where the children usually played at. For his surprise, he saw Danny playing with some other children. He thought that the boy would take some more time to make friends with other kids. Among them there was some young werewolves, some of the yetis of Far Frozen and even Winterflower, who was the daughter of the Far Frozen village leader, Frostbite.
He approached the boy and told him: "I'm really sorry for interrupting your fun, but it's time we go home, Daniel."
"Already?" the hybrid said disappointed.
"You can come to play with them some more tomorrow." The lycanthrope replied.
"Okay…"the boy said. Then he turned to Ember and his new friends and said with a smile: "Bye. I hope to see you all tomorrow."
"Bye, Danny!" They said in union too.
Ember was quite sad that her friend wasn't staying in the dorm too. If he was, then they could play anytime after school, without much problems. But she also knew that he had to keep his human half as a secret and that sleeping in a safe place away from the eyes of strangers would be safer for him. That's at least what her father explained to her.
The walk back home was quiet. The silver werewolf knew it was because the fun the boy was having had abruptly ended. He then sighed and suggested to the boy to raise his spirit a little, so the boy's father wouldn't get the wrong impression of his first day of school. "How about if we race home. I think I can run faster than you can fly."
Danny then looked to the older man and smiled: "I think I'm faster. Try to get me!" then he started flying being followed by Alphonse who ran keeping up with the boy. He had no intention of winning, he just wanted to keep close of him, so he wouldn't get lost or something like that, but then seeing how the boy flew fast for his age, he sped up and ended up arriving first than Danny at their home.
For some reason, Alphonse felt good at beating the boy at this 'game'. He then used this opportunity to say to the boy: "Looks like you still have a long way until you can beat me. But you're quite fast. No wonder you told me that you liked to fly. If you use this same enthusiasm at your studies, you'll be the top of your class. You're very smart. I know that."
Danny just smiled at the compliment and when Alphonse opened the door of the house. They were greeted by one white-furred lycanthrope maid who happened to be dusting the entrance. After Danny got back from his first day at school, he was hyped to tell his father about everything that had happened and asked to the maid: "Do you know where my daddy?"
The maid found really weird that the boy's father had been staying at the house, but she said nothing about it. It wasn't her place to judge someone else's decisions. "He's at the library, young master."
Danny then looked to Alphonse who told him where it was and the boy flew right there with a big smile on the face. 'Was I the only kid in the world who didn't get excited with such trivial things?' the werewolf wondered in his mind.
"I'll be going to my room now. Please tell those two and me when lunch is ready."
The maid replied: "As you wish, sir."
Alphonse's room was also on the second floor. As he walked smirked as he elaborated how he could make the boy agree to work on his personal project. After all he had the boy's entire trust and he knew which buttons to press to make him believe at every word he said.
The three human kings were reunited once again. And now that they had been fortifying their kingdoms for the past years, each of them had finally been able to turn them into huge anti-ghost fortresses. But through it all, King Raymond still didn't like it very much and his opinion of flowers hadn't changed. He never liked them and still found them to make his kingdom look weak and effeminate. He made a mental note to burn those flowers as soon as the ghost threat was gone.
That was another of their regular and scheduled meetings. King Raymond was sure that they would now discuss the invading plans. He had been arming his forces to the teeth to attack the Dead Forest. However the course of the meeting took a way he didn't expect.
King Thurston said: "I know we've been preparing ourselves for quite a good time now, but don't you two think it's strange that the ghosts didn't try to attack us?"
King William nodded and replied: "True. Maybe those three ghosts were just bluffing so we would spare their lives."
But the oldest man in the room didn't like where this was going and quickly intervened: "Please, don't tell be that you two kids are backing down now? The ghosts are a serious matter. Don't dare take them lightly. They're most likely plotting our very own doom right now!"
King Irongrip was a very prideful man. He thought that, being the oldest person in the room, it automatically gave him 'wisdom' and therefore he should be followed and respected even when his opinions were completely away from all reasoning and logic.
"King Raymond, I've been thinking about this for a while now. Don't you think that the sole reason for your hatred against ghosts is solely because your daughter mated with one?" King Mason dared to say.
That comment made the older man's ire rise and it was clearly noticed by the other two when he slammed his fists on the circular table where they were sitting next to. "Don't you dare say that again! She wasn't my daughter! She was corrupted by that ghost and it's clear that they are a huge threat! Those birds even talked about a retaliation, or are you forgetting this already? Are you going to just sit down and let them destroy everything you hold dear? Don't you have any guts?"
Seeing his father-in-law losing his temper, King William said: "I know you're still mad for what happened, but I have to agree with King Mason in this matter. We haven't had any contact with ghosts for a long time and, as I said, I think it was just a ruse what those ghost birds said. Also, if that man ghost (?) who 'mated' with Madeline truly wanted revenge for killing her and their unborn child, don't you think he would have come right on the next day to do so? If we act solely on isolated happenings, we might rage a war against a kingdom who doesn't desire war."
"You must be kidding me. After everything, after all the preparations, I just can't believe that you two are backing down now!" said the older of the men in the room getting up of his chair.
King Mason tried to reason with him: "Please, King Raymond, calm down! Both me and King Baxter agree that, unless the ghosts show a sign that their leader desires to fight against us, we can't be the ones to throw the first stone!"
"You two are pathetic and weak! I'll show you all! I'll destroy the ghosts with my own military force. Just wait!" Then the man stormed out of the room slamming the door behind him.
"What has gotten into him?" questioned King Mason a bit fearful.
King William just sighed and said: "He's always like this. Using his personal hatred as an excuse for his actions. Maybe he'll understand that it's better for us to wait until the ghosts show signs of hostility before we attack. In any case, we can't just get ourselves into a mess that King Irongrip is bringing himself into."
"I agree." Said King Thurston nodding.
What they didn't knew was that King Raymond was still listening on the other side of the room. He had decided to give them a little chance to run to reach him to come after him and say that they agree with him, but for to his surprise they had completely abandoned him.
His temper was completely almost out of control. He practically stomped his way back to his carriage and ordered his men to take him back to Amikeco Parko immediately.
Even the soldiers were taken a little back with the hostile tone of voice of their king and they decided to comply what he said without saying a thing. None of them wanted to bring the wrath of their king upon themselves.
'I'll show them all. I'll crush the ghosts myself! I can't believe they decided to ignore such a threat! They even managed to corrupt my own daughter! I'll start a war myself! I have all means necessary and…' then the king stopped his own thoughts as he realized something.
His eyes went wide and his mouth opened in shock. 'That's it! This is the only possible explanation. They want me to start a war against the ghosts. If I start a war myself and end up losing they're going to try use it as an opportunity to befriend those unholy spawns and even help them to destroy me and take over my kingdom! They're all going to pay for they treachery. Every single one of them! Both humans and ghosts! I'll divide my army in two. One to destroy the ghosts and the other to kill the corrupt humans!'
Then the king's carriage suddenly stopped. The king was initially confused, but then his anger voiced for him: "What's the meaning of this? Why did you stop?"
"Your highness, there's a man here who wants to talk with you. He says to be Baron Jack Fenton and he wishes to have an audience with you, your majesty." Answered the man guiding the carriage fearfully.
"What? What does he desire?" questioned the king.
"I-I don't know, your highness…" said the man wincing.
The man growled and said: "If you don't know, then ask him!"
The man who was guiding the carriage got down and went to comply to his king's orders. It didn't take long until he was back to report him. "Your majesty, Baron Jack Fenton wants to tell you that he wishes to continue working with his anti-ghost gadgets under your supervision, because King Manson won't support that anymore."
The King Irongrip blinked a few times and he found himself grinning. 'Maybe there's still light in the end of the tunnel.' Then he ordered to bring the man inside of his royal carriage so they could discuss a little bit.
In the Werewolf Village, Danny treasured the time he spent with his father at Alphonse's home before he had to leave. The young hybrid missed his father during the week, but he was glad that they could still be reunited during the weekends.
Vlad hadn't mentioned the books he had read to the silver lycanthrope at all. All he had said was that the werewolf had an 'interesting collection' and the lycanthrope smirked with the praise.
The classes were going smoothly for Danny. He was a bright kid and Alphonse also helped him with any problem the boy had with his home assignments. But he never gave the answers to the boy. He always taught what the question was really about and allowed Daniel to reach for the answer on his own.
Danny also was happy for being able to play with his friends after school time. Despite of missing his family during the week, the boy was quite content with his new life.
One day, while Daniel was doing his homework in his room, Alphonse was at the library preparing himself for the classes he was going to give on the next day when he heard someone knocking at the door of his library.
"Come in." said the lycanthrope expecting it to be the boy with some kind of question about his homework, but it was the white-furred maid who was there.
"Master, you have a visit. It's Lord Wulf." The maid said.
Being the son of the village leader, most of people treated both Wulf and his father, Nicolas, with the title of 'Lord'. Every ghost treated their respective village leader and their children with this title, for a matter of fact.
'I bet Vladimir asked Wulf to keep an eye at the boy every now and then.' He thought trying not to groan. "Take him to the living room. I'll be right there."
The maid bowed and said: "Very well, Master" then she left.
The silver lycanthrope first organized his desk before he went downstairs. He wasn't in hurry to have a 'fruitless' talk with his childhood 'friend'.
When he got there, Wulf welcome him with a warm smile: "Hi, Alphonse! How are you and Danny doing?"
'Wow, he doesn't even hide it…' the silver werewolf thought before answering with a forced smile on his own: "We're doing fine. The boy is getting used to his new situation quite well. So, did you come here to check on him? I could call him for you. He would be quite happy to meet you."
The black-furred werewolf shook his head and said with a sheepishly grin: "No, no. I'm here to talk with you."
Alphonse raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms: "Really? What is it about?"
Wulf scratched the back of his head and said: "Do you remember my youngest sister, Jadiwiga? She's turning twenty-one in two weeks. And she's still single."
'Nononononono.' Thought Alphonse knowing were this conversation was going to.
"I accidentally saw your father at my own father's home and he mentioned how you liked my sister and you know what? My sister also likes you." Wulf said with a smile.
'That little…He's going to ruin everything. I can't get married now! Especially with Wulf's sister!' Alphonse thought as he desperately tried to make something up to prevent this from going any further, but nothing came to his mind.
"R-Really? She really likes me?" Alphonse said but that sounded the opposite of he wanted it to sound.
Wulf nodded "Yes! Don't you think it's great? We'll become brothers-in-law!"
"Joy…"Alphonse mumbled while thinking of ways he could make his father pay for putting him into such situation.
But Wulf didn't hear that and so he continued: "Hey, I have to go now. I just wanted to say that I'm looking forward having you in my family. But you need to learn how to voice you own feelings. Sending you father to give the news for you was quite strange."
"I'll keep that in mind…" Alphonse said doing the best he could to don't turn his smile into a heavy frown.
Wulf then patted his friend on the shoulder and said his byes to him before he left.
Alphonse remained calm as he silently went back to his library and as soon as he closed the door, he punched the wall fiercely, cracking it a bit. 'That bastard! I should have known that he would try do something against me for leaving the house and refuse to help him to gain fame at my expense.' He thought.
'I have to do something. In two weeks, I'll most likely be married and because of that going outside on my own at the middle of the night is going to be really hard! I have to hasten my plans if I want to figure it out what the hell is inside of the Cave of Beginning! I can deal with this marriage thing later. It'll be harder for me to keep the boy from telling his father about where I'm taking him.'
Then he took deep breathes trying to calm himself down. He elaborated a few theories in his head. It was still Tuesday, but he had no time to waste. They might have to take several trips to the Cave of Begging and the lycanthrope was aware that if he rushed too much he could destroy all his effort so far.
But then he smiled and decided to gamble with his best idea so far. The boy trusted him and he was going to exploit that.
He then went to Danny's room and knocked the door. When the boy allowed him to enter, Alphonse closed the door behind him and approached the boy who looked at him happily. "Boy, would you like to partake in a personal project of mine?" said Alphonse.
End of chapter 10
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review. I love to read your comments.