Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the characters. Danny Phantom is the sole property of Butch Hartman, Nickelodeon and Viacom International.
Resurrected Memories
Chapter 29: The Ghostly Plaza
Later in the Ghost Zone
Ember's realm
The ghostly pop princess suddenly appeared in her realm and immediately dropped her fake crutches and removed her ankle brace, feeling happy that in just a few days she would see doctor Jones again to "check up on in" and he would say whether or not she could removed it.
"At least Monday, I can stop this little charade...'Ember sighed as she flopped on her sofa, feeling happy that she didn't have any homework tonight and she could relax and goof off now.
She felt on top of the world, today she had managed to perform in front of a crowd and got a lot of applause and she got to stick it to Paulina in the most glorious way possible. True, she didn't use her regular guitar, she instead used the old guitar Danny had loaned her for her performance but the fact remains that she performed and she rocked it...though she recalled feeling a tad strange right after hearing the cheers.
"Hmm...Could I have gotten a power boost...'Ember muttered as she went to her full length mirror and too her surprise, she noticed that the flames that made up her hair was noticeably bigger and brighter, confirming that little theory.
"No way...'Ember thought on excitement as she immediately picked up her ghostly guitar to see for herself. She suddenly felt a surge of power, as if her body had been holding in a bunch of it and it as just now being released.
'WHOA!..."Ember shouted as her guitar let out a pretty big blast, destroying an unfortunate nightstand that had been unlucky enough to have been in the way but Ember was far too amaze by her boost to even care.
"Alright..."Ember muttered in amazement before placing her spectral instrument, feeling positively elated by this development.
Grinning to herself, she rested on her couch, remembering the events of today. She gave a great performance, got a standing ovation and a subsequent power boost, not to mention she ruined Paulina's first step in her campaign for prom queen. She also got a chance to manipulate her little lackey into questioning their friendship and she got to hang out, eat junk food and watch scary movies with Danny and their friends.
"Danny...'Ember thought and recalled the rather awkward moment they had on the couch and felt her own face flush a bit upon recalling just how close they were.
She honestly didn't understand why she was still thinking about it, it was just a little accident and it was not like they had been doing anything weird, they were just goofing around in a pillow fight and she accidentally fell on him...
Nothing odd about that...
However she couldn't help but recall how close they had been and she also remembered how warm his body was in that brief moment before Sam walked in that rather awkward moment. Ember honestly didn't know so why was she still over thinking it, it wasn't like that was the first time she had gotten physically close to a guy. She has had dozens of boyfriends and flings over the years, she made out with quite a few but it was never anything too serious before she broke off with them. She had been close to a few guys but they were all ghosts and thus, their bodies didn't generate any warmth with the exception of a few pyro ghosts but that was different.
Danny was...she couldn't explain it but...his body was soft yet firm and his body was very warm and his blue eyes were so...
'"What am I doing? What am I thinking?...'Ember said shaking her head, surprised by the weird direction her thoughts were heading.
Why in the world was she comparing an accidental contact with her friend with her previous encounters with her ex-beaus?
Finding no answer, the ghostly diva decided that she had a pretty active day and decided to retire for the evening, knowing that she would likely have just as much activity tomorrow, so she would need to be prepared for it.
A few days later
Friday
Kitty had just stepped out her the realm she shared with Johnny, feeling happy that they had managed to make up and end their little lovers tiff yesterday. The green haired ghoul was in a good mood and decided to check on her gal pal. It was Friday night and she was itching to hang out with her, especially since she's been very busy lately with her double life at Casper High along with her prom business, along with a bunch of other school related stuff that was taking a good chunk of her time.
"Well it's Friday night, hopefully she's free..."Kitty muttered as she flew and finally arrived to Ember's door, which was distinctive due to the golden Hollywood like star with her name on it. Not even bothering to knock, Kitty had opened the door with a wide grin, eager for night with her best friend.
"The fun has arrived~...'Kitty said in a sing-song voice as she entered her friend's realm however her expression dropped upon seeing what was happening.
She saw Ember on the floor taking notes with a mountain of books around her and she looked so absorbed by what she was doing that she didn't even notice her and she was muttering what she seemed to have been reading.
"Okay...So according to Darwin, evolution is the process by which organisms change over time as a result of changes in heritable physical or behavioral traits. These changes t allow an organism to better adapt to its environment will help it survive and have more offspring..."Ember read as she tried hard to study the material.
"Ember...'Kitty called but to her dismay, the fiery haired ghoul still didn't notice.
"It has often been called a "self-evident" mechanism because it necessarily follows from three simple facts..."Ember continued reading.
"Ember..."Kitty repeated in a louder tone and to her annoyance, her friend still hasn't noticed her.
"These facts are known as phenotypic variation, differential fitness and heritability of fitness...'Ember said out loud, determined to memorized these facts no matter what.
"EMBER!...'Kitty shouted at the top of her lungs, finally managing to get the ghostly songstress's attention.
What? Kitty? What are you doing here?...'Ember asked in confusion to the annoyed looking ghoul.
"I've came by here like 5 minutes ago and I've been trying to get your attention but you seem to be a little preoccupied..."Kitty said flatly and Ember looked a bit sheepish.
"Sorry about that Kitty, I didn't mean to, it's just that I'm pretty fried right now, Lancer assigned this huge science test for next Tuesday and he's not showing any mercy, not to mention I'm up to my neck with homework for this weekend..."Ember sighed as she pointed to the large stack of books. ..."The good news is that I at least managed to get some of it done during free period but I still got a lot of studying to do..."Ember groaned, wondering why all of her teachers had assigned so much work for the same weekend.
"You look really stressed out girl, come on...Let's hang out, I came over because I wanted to see if you wanted to go with me to the Ghostly Plaza..."Kitty offered to her friend who shook her head.
"I would love that Kitty but I still got to study about evolution, listen and interpret 3 of Beethoven's songs, as well wrtie a stupid book report all by Tuesday...'Ember said with a sigh.
"Come on girl, it's Friday and it's been a while since he hung out...Come on..."Kitty urged
"But Lancer-..."Ember started
'Who cares about Lancer? Come on Ember, it's Friday night and you had a jam-packed week, let's go out and unwind for a bit...I doubt a few hours of shopping and hanging out with your best friend will affect anything...'Kitty pleaded and to her relief, Ember sighed before placing her book down.
"Well...tomorrow is Saturday...I guess I could listen to the compositions and do the book report early...'Ember sighed while Kitty grinned widely.
"That's what I like to hear, Ghostly Plaza, here we come..."Kitty said in glee as she dragged the less-than-enthusiastic ghoul out the door and onto a night of fun.
At the Ghostly Plaza
The Ghostly Plaza was considered one of the few areas in the Ghost Zone that could resemble a mall and a large one at that as it housed hundreds of shops, spa's and restaurants all lead by the spirits of people whom either worked or had a passion for them. It was no secret that this was the reason it was one of the most frequently visited spots in the otherwise dull and creepy Ghost Zone and it was also Ember's most frequent hang out.
"I tell ya Kitty, this is what the doctor order..."Ember said before sipping her chocolate milkshake.
She was in a good mood, Kitty had been right, she's been overworking herself lately and she needed a break like this. The two ghost girls had gone to all of their favorite shops and bought a large amount of clothes, gotten manicures and were now at their favorite eatery called "Bones Diner", a cute 50-esque diner shop that served great food, had great music and a friendly atmosphere.
'I told ya girl..."Kitty said happily before munching on her cookie.
"So tell me, any new developments in the human world?..."Kitty asked to her friend.
"You wouldn't believe it Kitty, thanks to that show I did the other day, Sam and Val says my status raised a lot according to their sources...Lately I've been doing better but unfortunately Paulina has become even more obnoxious as usual...'Ember complained as she proceeded to explain the events from the last few days.
She said in detail the results of her performance, how a lot of the students admired her skill and that she knew she was no longer viewed as "the new kid" but now as "a hot girl who can really play guitar" and that was a good development as far as she was concern. However Paulina had tried pranking her again today and the day before with her minions. First she tried to leave gum on the bottom of her seat which Ember saw a mile away and immediately foiled the very childish prank. However that wasn't the end of the series of pranks that the ghostly diva had managed to avoid either due to her own smarts or due to the help of her new friends. Today had been a particular example of the latter since during gym class, Paulina had somehow broke into her locker and wrecked her top by cutting around the chest area, making it completely unusable. Thankfully Sam had been in the locker room with her at that time and she had loaned an extra and thankfully clean gym t-shirt and she even used a can of black spray paint and scissors to change it into looking like a simple black top which Ember was still amazed by how quick she was.
Ember was stunned and the goth girl insisted that it was no trouble and she could always buy another one. She was so lost in the memory that she failed to notice the look Kitty had when she praised Sam's ingenuity.
"I see you and the goth girl have become tight..."Kitty commented in a less than enthusiastic tone.
"You know it...remind me to show you her handy work, I tell you Kitty, you never would have believe that it had ever been a gym shirt..."Ember said smiling, since she was looking away, she didn't see the slight frown Kitty had before wiping that expression away as she asked for more details about her day.
Ember continued with her story, telling her that she had spent the rest of the afternoon with her makeshift top and even got some compliments from a few people and she could still recall the look on Paulina's face when she had proudly walked into the class. She was certain that it had only been because of Lancer's presence that Sanchez didn't scream bloody murder due to her plan blowing up in her face.
"Geez...Will that girl ever give up?...'Kitty commented as Ember kept complaining about her.
"I wish but it doesn't matter, that little brat is messing with the wrong person and I really can't wait to start giving her orders once I win this bet...'Ember said as she briefly had another daydream of ordering Paulina around and making her due so many humiliating tasks to make up for months worth of harassment.
"Exactly what are you going to make her do exactly?...'Kitty asked in curiosity.
"Take a look, I've made a list..."Ember said as she pulled out a piece of paper from her purse and handed it to her surprised friend.
Kitty looked over and her eyes widened at all of the assignments, each one more humiliating or horrendous than the last. Kitty admitted that a lot of them seemed pretty funny while other seemed a little mean, while a few made her raise an eyebrow in confusion.
"You're really going to make her do all these?..."Kitty questioned.
"Yep and anything else that I can think of, each time that brat bugs me, I write another task on the list...'Ember said as recalled the incident from today and how she immediately pulled out this paper to write another order.
"There are over 20 things on this list and what's this about staying away from Danny?..."Kitty asked her flaming haired friend.
"Oh well, when he found out about the bet, he practically begged me to use my power to kept that leech off of him, he even bribed me with a chocolate milkshake..."Ember laughed as she recalled that day. It was right before Danny had saved her from Skulker and that she accepted to herself that he was her friend.
Before Kitty could ask more questions, Ember's phone suddenly rang and the ghostly diva picked it up and smiled upon seeing who it was.
"Oh man it's Danny...shush..."Ember shushed her friend who was agape at how quick she was to answer it.
"Hey Danny..."Ember said in a friendly voice.
"Hey Amberline, what's up?..."Danny asked over the phone.
"Nothing much, just having a milkshake...you? 'Ember asked to the halfa boy.
"I'm just flying home right now...I still can't believe Lancer left us that mountain of homework along with that test next week..."The boy complained.
"Please don't remind me of that, I'm getting a headache just thinking about that..."Ember groaned into the phone.
"Anyway, I wanted to call and ask if you wanted to study together, as painful as this is, I learned that it's less painful if you have someone around..."Danny suggested.
'Yeah, having someone else you can make do half of the homework and mooch of...'Ember said sarcastically before laughing, showing she didn't mean anything..."I'm a little busy tonight Danny, how about tomorrow, m'kay?...'Ember asked in a diplomatic voice.
'Sure, sounds good...So anything interesting has happened?...'Danny asked his friend.
"Not much really...just did a little shopping and-...'Ember continued giving Danny an edited version of her day, leaving out any mentions of ghosts and Kitty and she soon found herself chatting with the boy about various topics.
Kitty only stood there in disbelief as she saw how her friend talked to the boy over the phone so socially but what really disturbed her was her attitude. Ember was her friend but she wasn't always so...friendly to say the least. She knew that Ember and Danny had developed a friendship but Kitty saw Ember laughing at something he said over the phone and she noticed the kind of smile on her face as she kept talking to the boy.
Maybe it was her imagination but it almost seemed like Ember was a little more than just friendly with him.
" No way..."Kitty thought in disbelief as Ember kept talking over the phone with the ghost boy. After what felt like hours, Ember had finally seemed to be coming to the end of her phone conversation with her former enemy.
"Are you serious? Did you really poured a pitcher of cola on that dude's head?...'Danny said in between his laughter.
"That's what he gets for trying to cheat me out of my change, no one messes with me without facing my wrath after all..."Ember said surely to the boy...though she left out the part of the brawl she had with the waiter ghost immediately after she did that.
"Remind me not to get on your bad side...'Danny said good naturedly to her.
"Don't worry, I will...Anyway Danny, it's getting pretty late and I still have some stuff to do..."Ember said.
"Oh you're right, so we still on for studying together tomorrow?...'Danny asked her.
"You know it..."Ember said happily to the boy.
"Cool, we'll I'll talk to you later Amberline, have a nice evening..."Danny said politely.
"Bye Danny..."Ember said before hanging up, having a positive expression on her face. However she soon noticed the annoyed look on Kitty's face, she was glaring at her like she had done something to bother her.
"What?...'Ember asked in a clueless tone, wondering what her problem was.
"Oh...nothing..."Kitty said looking away, though judging from her tone, it was obvious that something had bugged her.
"What is it Kitty?...'Ember demanded from her friend, wondering what was wrong with her.
"It's nothing, I was just wondering since when did you and Danny became so tight?...'Kitty asked, not in accusation but more in concern, however Ember only blinked at that.
"What are you talking about, we're friends...'Ember said, wondering what she meant.
"Are you really...'Kitty thought in worry before pressing forward.
"Do you always talk to him for almost 40 minutes straight whenever he calls you...'Kitty asked flatly and earned a surprised look form the ghostly diva.
"What? 40?...'Ember said, obviously surprised that so much time had passed just by talking to Danny.
Kitty merely shook her head at both her friend' cluelessness at the fact that she had long phone conversation with a boy which Kitty suspected wasn't of the casual variety...at least not completely.
"Forget it...Forget I said anything...So what did he say exactly?...'Kitty asked out of curiosity.
"Oh he just told me that he had to stop a bank robbery...it seems he doesn't just fight ghosts...also that he had to take his little sister Danielle, that little halfa girl his family adopted a while back...to the movies and-...'Ember continued to tell her friend about her conversation with the ghost boy.
During the whole thing, Kitty couldn't help but get a sinking suspicion that something else was brewing between the male and female halfa's...something she worried would turn out bad in the end...
Meanwhile
In Amity Park
Our favorite ghost boy was currently on some roof top, still glued to his phone as he conversed with Amberline Lain, a phone call that started out casual but he was still unaware of how much time has passed and even so, he didn't particularly care in the slightest.
"Are you serious? Did you really poured a pitcher of cola on that dude's head?...'Danny said laughing after Amberline had told her most recent encounter today.
They had been talking about what had they done since they last saw each other at school only a few hours ago and Amberline said she had gone to some diner to get some grub and one of the waiters tried to cheat her and she retaliated by drenching him in soda. Danny tried to imagined the thin, somewhat innocent looking but very fierce girl grabbing a pitcher of soda and dumping it on the waiters head and he couldn't stop laughing, finding it pretty funny.
"That's what he gets for trying to cheat me out of my change, no one messes with me without facing my wrath after all..."Amberline told him over the phone.
"Remind me not to get on your bad side...'Danny said good naturedly to her once he calmed down from laughing.
"Don't worry, I will..." She joked..."Anyway Danny, it's getting pretty late and I still have some stuff to do..."She told him.
Danny blinked and looked up to see the sky that was now dark, he was surprised since the sun had been just starting to set when he made this call and he wondered just how much time had passed.
"Oh you're right, so we still on for studying together tomorrow?...'Danny asked her.
"You know it..."Was her reply much to his joy.
"Cool, we'll I'll talk to you later Amberline, have a nice evening..."Danny said politely to the girl.
"Bye Danny..."She said before hanging up.
Danny checked the time on his phone and to his immense relief it was only 7:30pm and he still had a long time before curfew..."Not too bad..."Danny said as he decided it was best to fly home before Murphy's Law did it's stuff.
The super powered boy continued flying, however he cursed when he saw a few news helicopters nearby and they spotted him.
"DANNY PHANTOM! I'm Shelly Makamoto of channel six news, can we have a word on that bank robbery that you ended today?...'Shelly asked as she and her camera man grinned widely to the annoyed hero.
"There's not much to say, he was robbing a bank and I stopped him, he had a gun and I zapped it out of his hand before he did anything stupid and that's all...Now if you don't mind, I have to get home..."Danny said flatly as he flew away and the copter kept following him.
'Wait Mr. Phantom, we have more questions..."Shelly shouted before ordering the pilot to fly faster and catch up with the ghost boy.
Danny sighed as he immediately became invisible to avoid his aerial paparazzi, once the helicopter was out of his sight, he high tailed it out of there and eventually found himself home. Once there, he changed back into his human form and flopped on his couch, tired and happy for the peace and quiet.
"Home sweet home...Now time for some quiet and relaxation...'Danny sighed as he tried to enjoy the privacy and tranquility.
"GIVE IT BACK DANIELLE!...'Was shouted loudly upstairs and could be heard all over the house.
"NO WAY! I NEED IT!...'Another voice shouted in an equally loud voice.
"I just jinxed it, didn't I?...'Danny groaned as he found himself upstairs as he had a feeling he knew what was up. Once there, he saw his two sisters Jazz and Dani in a shouting match while Dani was in her ghost form, holding a labtop and Jazz, wearing the ghost gauntlets, was trying to pull it away from her.
"Give it back...'Jazz said in annoyance.
"No way I need it..."Dani yelled childishly as she used her powers to play keep away.
'I need it more!..."Jazz shouted as she tried to pull hard it.
'Break it up you two!...'Danny shouted as he wedged between his fighting sisters, forcing them to end their fight.
"Now what's going on here?...'Danny demanded.
"Dani took my laptop without permission and I need it to finish my extra-credit social studies essay..."Jazz said with her hands on her hips.
"Well I need it to watch the season finale of "Love from the beyond" and my computer's busted...'Dani said, trying to look innocent to her brother.
"Dani, this is the third time in six months, what happened this time?...'Danny demanded his younger sister who had a nervous look.
Flashback
About 2 hours ago
Dani was happily lying on her bed, laughing her cute little head off as she watched numerous funny internet videos.
"Hahahaha! get it boy...'Dani chortled as she enjoyed a clip of small puppy attacking a garden hose and barking at the water coming out.
The little ghost girl was peacefully enjoying her own time until she felt a cold, blue mist come out of her mouth and she immediately leaped to action, transforming into her ghostly form, Dani Phantom.
"Okay, come out, I don't have time to deal with some scared-y ghost...'Dani called as she looked around, wondering whom she would be fighting right now.
"FOOLISH GIRL, I, THE BOX GHOST, am not scared-y ghost!..."The Box ghost shouted and unintentionally gave his location away to the little ghost girl who grinned.
"Of course not, your just a moron who's interrupting my web surfing..."Dani said in annoyance to the overall wearing ghost..."So can we get this fight over with so I can go back to my video...'Dani asked in a bored tone.
"DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE ME! NOW WHERE IS THAT ACCURSED DANNY PHANTOM! I must find him so that I may gain my corrugated cardboard vengeance on him!..."The Box Ghost bellowed in his usual, obnoxious way.
"He's out now, so it looks like I'll be the one to kick your butt today...'Dani said cheekily as her hands started to glow bright green and she had a noticeable smirk on her face.
Since Dani was a scale 5 ghost and was still learning to fight and the box ghost wasn't all that powerful, it didn't take longer than 10 minutes for her to get the upper hand and leave the annoying spirit on a pain induced trance on the ground due to her constantly hitting him on the head.
"Ouch...'He groaned while Dani still hovered over him with a Fenton thermos in her hands.
"Later loser..."Dani said as she sucked the box-obsessed ghost into the cylindrical device and had a look of satisfaction on her face.
Wasting no time, she floated on her bed and immediately transformed back, safely landing on her bed, eager to get back to her videos. Unfortunately the force of her weight upon landed on the bed caused some of the items already on it to move or jump a bit. That included her poor, poor laptop that had also moved and ended up falling, becoming a shattered mess on the ground much to her dismay.
"Uh oh..."She said upon seeing the state of her computer that was now totally broken and gulped when she realized she had a lot of explaining to do once her folks came home.
End of Flashback
Present time
"I had a fight with the Box Ghost in my room and my laptop ended up totaled...'Dani said vaguely, since it wasn't a total lie. Danny sighed before slapping his forehead, having a hunch that that wasn't the total truth...
"Danielle, you have to take better care of your stuff, mom and dad just replaced your laptop last month..."Jazz pointed out to her adoptive sister.
"It's not my fault that jerk Technus stole it to make another stupid robot suit last month..."Dani pointed out angrily.
"Break it up, please...I had a long day and I want some quiet, Dani... look, if it will keep you two from trying to kill each other, you can use my laptop to watch your show..."Danny said reluctantly, earning a bright smile from his little sister who immediately let go of the laptop, causing Jazz to almost stumble but thankfully no damage was done.
"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you big brother...'Dani said happily before kissing his cheek and immediately ran to his room to get it.
"You're welcome but you're on your own when mom and dad come home and you have to tell them..."Danny said but he was ignored as his little sister was already out of his sight, obviously too eager to watch her program to even care.
"You do realize you might not be getting it back..."Jazz pointed out to her brother who sighed..."So where we you?..."She asked her brother.
"Just finished the usual patrol, no ghosts tonight but I managed to stop a bank robbery and that's it..."Danny said to his sister.
"Anything new happen at school?...'Jazz asked.
'Same as always, fans keep pestering me, the press still tries to find ways to sneak into the school to get on my case and Paulina keeps bugging me about being her prom date...speaking of which, Sam and Amberline are still fighting with her for the crown, you won't believe what she tried to do...she tried to sabotage Amberline's clothes during gym time but luckily Sam had managed to fix it before class...'Danny said, feeling angry at his stalker for messing with his friend and feeling relieved that she and Sam had managed to fix that situation before it became a real problem.
"Amberline again?...'Jazz commented, looking down.
"What does that mean?..."Danny asked her in a suspicions tone.
"You have been spending quite a lot of time with her lately..."Jazz pointed out.
"So what if I am, she's my friend...What's with you Jazz?..."Danny demanded, wondering why his sister was acting so cold at the mention of his friend.
"Danny, there's something about that girl that just rubs me the wrong way...don't tell me that you didn't notice the dirty looks she sent you when we all went to the Nasty Burger that one time..."Jazz pointed out, remembering the girl's somewhat anti-social behavior form that day along with several other instances.
"That was forever ago Jazz and me and Amberline talked about it, the reason she seemed a little...abrasive was because she had thought that I might have been some jerky celebrity but we talked it over..."Danny said with a sigh.
Jazz remained silent, she knew maybe she was being a but harsh but she still got a strange feeling about that girl, she couldn't explain it but it felt that she had seen her before they had officially met, and upon hearing her singing a few days ago, that strange familiarity seemed stronger but she couldn't explain it for the life of it. her brother seemed completely convinced that the girl was harmless but Jazz was still curious.
The two siblings then went to their respective bedrooms, both needing to rest and have privacy. Once in his room, Danny laid on his bed and stared at his ceiling, wondering why on earth his sister was acing so strange about his friend. Sure maybe he and Amberline had started off on the wrong foot when they first met but things have changed and he really liked her.
'Amberline..."He thought as he thought about his newest friend.
Amberline was a really cool girl and he honestly liked hanging out with her. She was spunky, bold, outspoken, sarcastic and while she seemed to be pretty proud and had a temper on her, he could tell that she didn't have any malice in her antics. She was also a tough, funny and sarcastic girl whom was able to make him laugh. She was also pretty self-assured and unafraid due to not letting Paulina or anyone try to intimidate her and he respected that. Not only that but ever since he met her, not once did she make a big deal about his fame or his powers, it was like she honestly didn't care about them and he found himself appreciating the fact that she hadn't jumped him or tried to use his fame for her own advantage. If anything, she seemed determined to get respect and attention at school by her own merit, not because of her association with him.
Though at the same time, he sensed that there might be some vulnerability within her. He recalled the first two weeks after she transferred and how she seemed very distant and kept to herself, not to mention she seemed a little nervous when he or someone else tried to get closer to her, and would react with hostility. At first he was put off by it until he spent more time with her during the mermaid assignment and noticed more things about her. He couldn't explain it but it was almost like she was confused and angry, about what he wasn't sure but the longer they spent time together, he noticed she started loosening up and showing him the cool girl she was.
Now he considered her one of his friends and a good one at that, despite knowing her for only a few short months.
"She really is something isn't she...'Danny thought with a grin as he thought more about her.
He had to admit these last few months had been pretty tough on him, what with his break up with Sam and the media and his fans, especially Paullina bugging him more than ever. Amberline's appearance in his life had been a nice distraction during that time and now he could honestly say that he was feeling better. As much as things sucked at the beginning, things have gotten better for him. He had a new friend now he and Sam had agreed to remain friends.
"Sam..."He thought about his ex-girlfriend.
It's been over a month since they had agreed to remain friends and while it had been pretty awkward at times, he was glad that they didn't lose the friendship between them. He had known Sam for most of his life and it would have devastated him if their friendship had been destroyed due to their failed romance. Even if they didn't love each other like lovers...He knew that she would always have a special place in his heart, just not the place he originally believed that she belonged.
As hard as things were at first, he felt better now and he knew that soon, they might be able to go back to what they used to have...Just being friends and hanging out with each other with out any awkwardness or tension between them.
"Maybe it really is better this way...'He thought before he found himself dozing off.
Meanwhile
At the Nasty Burger
Sam Manson was by herself, leisurely taking a sip of water. She was aware that it was late and that not a lot of people were here at this time but she didn't really mind. She needed to get out of the house and away from her stupid parents. Ever since she and Danny had broken up, her parents had try setting her up with a bunch of rich losers, either the sons of their friends from the country club or some teenaged hot shot with an enormous ego, either way they were just some jerks who were only interested in her due to her fame for being a member of team Phantom and thus, she wanted nothing to do with them. This evening they had invited some creep named Adam Calder, some 18 year old wanna-be male model who had an unhealthy obsession with his hair and had leered at her during dinner when her folks weren't looking.
They claimed that Adam and his family had recently arrived to town and that this was a friendly dinner but Sam wasn't born yesterday and she knew they were trying to set her up with someone "high class" now that she was no longer dating Danny, which they seemed upset about since they had enjoyed the status boost from her relationship.
"When are they just going to leave me alone? I don't want to date anyone, especially not some plastic gold digger with less personality than a mannequin...'Sam hissed as she sat by herself in the booth, slowly taking sips as she recalled how she managed to escape that situation.
She wasted almost no time getting out of there, she made the excuse to leave to use the bathroom and immediately snuck out the window and here she was, using the greasy restaurant as her sanctuary while she ignored her parent's phone calls until she felt it was safe to return home, not having to deal with Adams advances or lame pickup lines, as well as her mother's nagging.
Either way, she really needed to be alone right now...
She honestly didn't want to even think about boys or a relationship for a while, maybe ever. She had broken up with Danny only a while back, someone whom she had a crush on for a very long time and who had also been her best friend since kindergarten. As much as she realized that they didn't work out as a couple and that she was happy that they remained friends, she was still pretty sure she wasn't ready for dating yet...
Suddenly an image of Amberline and Danny on the couch flashed through her eyes before shaking her head.
"Stop that...it has absolutely nothing to do with anything..."Sam muttered, wondering why she felt so weird by the memory.
"Talking to yourself in public...that means your cracking up or rehearsing for a play, mind telling me which is it...'A voice suddenly called out and Sam turned around to see a boy around her age approach her and she sighed upon recognizing him.
He was a tall, thin, almost lanky looking boy with light blonde hair and green eyes and he was wearing a green hoodie along with an amused grin on his face. It was Christopher, a boy who was one of the most frequent protesters during her environmental rallies. Christopher was their newest recruit since he a few months ago, before the Disasteroid to be more precise. Sam considered him an acquaintance at best and she had a few things in common with the boy due to his love of nature and his own veganism, though he seemed to fancy himself as a comedian as well.
"Hello Christopher. .."Sam said unenthusiastically to the boy.
'Hey Sam, what brings you here at this hour?...'The boy, Christopher asked to the gothic female.
"I needed some time to myself, you?...'Sam asked.
"Just getting some take out...Mind telling me why your down...more so than usual that is?..."He joked, though Sam was unamused. Sensing this, he stopped..."I mean it, is something up?...'He asked in a more concern voice.
"Not really, just dealing with idiotic parents who want to play matchmaker but somehow I'll survive..."Sam sighed.
"Bummer..."He said as he took a seat in the booth, right across the gothic girl.
"Yeah...'Sam said looking down.
"I think I have an idea on getting them off your back, at least for a while..."Christopher said.
"What is it?..."Sam asked in a curious tone.
"Go out with me and tell them that, that way they can't try to set you up if your already with someone..."Christopher said with a flirty look and eye wiggled an eyebrow, though Sam wasn't exactly swayed.
"I'll think I'll pass..."Sam said with an eye roll while the blonde boy didn't look discouraged in the slightest.
"Oh well...My offer still stands if ya change your mind...'He said with a wink to the goth who rolled her eyes once more.
Another thing about Christopher was that he was a bit of a flirt, even when they first met he hit on her when he had joined her rally. Sam could still remember that day.
Flashback
About 2 months before the Disasteroid
Sam Manson was currently in the park trying to get signatures for her group. They were currently trying to protest against Vlad's anti-environmental act of chopping down the local woods to make a new mini-mall and Sam wasn't about to let that creep destroy nature just to spite her and her friends.
"Please sign my petition against the demolition of our local woods...'Sam asked to a random pedestrian who signed.
"Thank you..."She said graciously before trying to get another signature. She needed at least a thousand to send to the city council by the end of the week and she had only managed to get about 200 so far.
"Where do I sign?..."Was heard and Sam turned around to see a boy around her age.
"Right here, by doing this, your helping preserve mother nature and all of her splendor...'Sam said as she handed the clipboard to the boy who signed.
"Well, glad I could be of service, especially to a fine thing like you..."The boy said with a wink and Sam's smile dropped upon that.
She didn't even bother to give him an answer other than an annoyed glare before turning to walk away before he got her attention again.
"Okay...Okay...I get ya...Not in the mood huh...that's okay...I can take a hint..."The boy said in a calm disposition.
"Do you even know what you signed up to support anyway?...'Sam accused, not liking the idea that a boy just signed not out of concern for nature but just as an excuse to hit on her. It reminded her too much of that phony Gregor or Elliot or whatever his name was. She had no time or energy to deal with cheap flirts like that, not now and not ever.
"Of course, this is to support the preservation of about 100 square feat of our plantae brethren that our opportunistic mayor is willing to decapitate in order to make a quick buck..."The boy said with some anger in his voice, surprising Sam in the process.
"Uh, yeah that is it..."Sam said slowly, surprised by his sudden change in demeanor.
"Of course I know about it, since I'm in that protest..."The boy pointed out.
"You are?...'Sam questioned, she didn't recall seeing this boy in any of her previous rallies.
"Well, I will be anyway, you just tell me when and where and I'll be there...'The boy said to her and Sam raised an eyebrow at that before shrugging.
"Tomorrow we're leading a protest by the woods to stop the bulldozers, Masters might be a total jerk but even his workers can't stop the civil right to protest..."Sam said confidently to the boy.
"Then I'll be there..."The boy said before turning around and Sam blinked at how quick he changed demeanor once more until she realized something.
'Hey wait...um...What's your name?..."She asked the boy.
'Oh how rude of me, I suppose introduction is in order, my name is Christopher Morgan..."The boy, Christopher said, complete with a bow.
'Sam Manson..."Sam said flatly, though she tried not to laugh at his antics.
"Well it's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Manson but I should be heading out now, nice talking to you..."The boy, Christopher said before walking in the other direction.
Sam only stood there before snapping out of it. She decided not to make too big of a deal of it. Christopher seemed like a flirt but at least his concern in her cause seemed genuine and she would settle for that. Realizing that she was burning day light, she went back to gather more signatures.
No matter what, she wanted to make sure that Vlad would not be able to get away with hurting what she loved and care for more than anything in the world.
Whether it was Danny or mother nature herself.
End of Flashback
Present time
That was how it was, since that day Christopher had participated in all of her environmental protests and he seemed to have a talent for picking up signatures as well, though for some reason he would also flirt with her any chance he got. That however stopped when she started dating Danny and Christopher stopped his flirtations and even after they broke up, he hadn't made a move...at least until now that is.
Before anything else could happen an employee got his attention.
"Well it looks like my order is ready...I'll be seeing ya Sam..."Christopher said as he got up to get his order.
"Yeah...See ya...'Sam said as she watched him walk out the door.
Sam sighed, before taking another sip of her drink. She knew that Christopher was a nice guy and he was harmless unlike those other sleazes whom have been hitting on her since her big break up but...She really didn't want to deal with boys right now, whether it was her parent's blatant matchmaking or Christopher flirtations, she just wasn't interested or even ready to consider another guy yet.
Suddenly her phone started vibrating and she sighed when she saw it was her parents once more. She let it ring out before turning it off. She then decided to get another soda and she knew she was stuck here for at least another hour or so.
She didn't mind really...
Back in the Ghost Zone
Ember and Kitty had just finished eating and decided to go back to window shopping for a bit, which subsequently resulted in real shopping instead. They had just gotten out of another shoe store and Ember was admiring her brand new sandals.
"Now this is what I'm talking about...'Ember said as she and Kitty had exited the little shop.
"I told ya girl...Nothing like a little retail therapy to strengthen the female bonding experience...'Kitty said as she glanced at her new boots in her bag.
As the two ghouls turned the corner in order to find another shop, Ember cursed when she saw Skulker walk out of some sporting goods store and he immediately spotted her.
"Ember...""He said loudly much to the singer's chagrin.
"Let's just ignore him...'She whispered as she and Kitty floated away only for Skulker to go right in front of them and Ember knew there would be no two ways about this.
"What do you want Skulker, I was actually having a pleasant evening..."Ember said sourly to him.
"You still haven't answered for destroying my suit and attacking me unprovoked ..."Skulker said angrily as he recalled his insane ex choose to attack him for no real reason.
"Oh I was provoked alright you jerk...'Ember thought angrily but wisely kept quiet. She was still angry at Skulker for putting her human form in danger and hurting Danny, as well as nearly hurting Maggie as well. She really enjoyed turning his suit into scrap metal that time.
"Aren't you even going to apologize...'Skulker demanded, making Ember even angrier.
"I don't see why I should..."Ember shouted.
"Why you little-...'Skulker growled as he pulled out a missile while Ember still looked defiantly at him.
"Bring it on, bub..."Ember said as she soon found herself in another fight with her idiotic ex-boyfriend.
Kitty sighed as she chose to sit back and watch until Ember got this out of her system. She saw the two of them attack each other, Ember with her guitar which surprisingly seemed to have more juice than usual and sent a mighty blast which Skulker somehow just managed to avoid. The fighting would have continued with Ember as the obvious winner had it not been from a group of ghostly security guards come to them to break the fight.
"Break it up you two, no fighting is allowed in the plaza...Take it somewhere else before I call the Ghost Zone police force ..."A guard shouted, separating the hunter and the singer who were still glaring at each other.
"Consider yourself fortunate that I have better things to do this evening..."Skulker commented, making Ember even angrier.
"You're the one who came up to me, picking a fight..."Ember shouted only to be ignored as the hunter ghost's flew away.
"Jerk...'Ember muttered as he jetted away from the area.
"Remind me again why you went out with him..."Kitty said as she glanced to her fuming friend.
"Temporary insanity...Let's go...'Ember said as she and the biker babe went back to their shopping.
"Who was that character?..."Was heard and Ember turned around to see a tall, male ghost approach her.
It was a tall, green, muscular ghost with red eyes and a noticeable scar on his face. He had dark red hair and was wearing a dark overcoat, white shirt and some jeans. He was also looking at the two girls with some interest in his eyes.
"Her ex-boyfriend...'Kitty said on behalf of Ember.
"I can understand the ex part...That ain't no way to treat a lady after all...'The ghost said as he eyed the two girls, Ember in particular and neither were amused.
"Do I know you?...'Ember asked in annoyance with her arms crossed.
"No but that can easily be fixed...The name's Rancor, just your typical mercenary ghost..."Rancor said as he sent Ember a smile that showed off a pair of surprisingly white teeth on his otherwise scarred face.
"Ember Mclain..."Ember said in annoyance.
"Kitty..."She said in a similar tone.
"You must be a little stressed from dealing with that creep, how's about I take you and your friend out, maybe get a drink or two..."He said in a suggested tone to Ember who sent him a glare.
Rancor honestly liked what he saw. He had just finished a job for Plasmius and got a heap of cash so he had come here to the Plaza to unwind a bit. However, he saw a fight happen nearby but his eyes landed on the feisty little babe in the middle of it. Rancor knew what he liked and he liked what he was seeing right now. Ember was a hottie and her friend was pretty easy on the eyes too.
"I have a boyfriend..."Kitty said not-so-subtly to the ghost, already knowing his intentions.
"And I'm not interested...'Ember said coldly though Rancor didn't seem bothered in the slightest.
"Sassy girl I take it...my favorite..."He said flirtatiously to the azure haired pop idol who was becoming less and less amused by him.
She didn't take kindly to Rancor or his advances. Ember knew that he wasn't a bad looking guy and he was pretty fit but she could see his "gentleman act" 100 miles away. She had tangled with a lot of flirtatious scum who tried to get into her pants, they would all give her cheesy pick up lines or send her cheep trinkets as if she was easy or something. Ember dated quite a bit in her time but she considered that she had standards.
Rancor might be offering but she was not interested in the slightest.
However before she could comment, a phone started ringing and she turned to see that it was Rancor's phone. The male ghost picked it up.
"Hello...What?...Now?...But I just-...Alright...I'll be there in half an hour...'He said with a sigh before hanging out.
'Sorry ladies but I got a business call...We should continue some other time..."Rancor said, thinking he was being slick or something.
"As if..."Ember thought before Rancor handed her a piece of paper with a phone number on it.
"Here's my card, call me if ever need my help...or if you just want to see me..."He said suggestively before leaving the area.
Ember looked in disgust at the card with the phone number before crumpling it in her hand and tossing it in a nearby trash can.
"Creep...'Kitty commented as she watch Ember throw away the phone number, obviously not impressed by Rancor at all.
"Let's go back to shopping...I got a ton of work for tomorrow, and I want to wipe the last 20 minutes from my mind...'Ember said as she thought about her encounter with her ex and Rancor and how she wasn't in a good mood because of them
The two female ghosts had left to go back to their shopping trip, entering countless shops and buying a boat load of clothes, shoes and accessory and Ember soon found herself satisfied. It's been a while since she just got to hang out and chill as Ember Mclain and she knew that Kitty was right, she needed this break from her human role and the work that came with it.
The two best friends shopped until they almost literally dropped and Ember felt more upbeat now.
Friday nights were definitely meant for fun.
-To be continued-
Next time on Resurrected Memories:
Call me Amberline
A/N: Christopher Morgan is an OC whom I used in my 'Cupid's Wrath" fanfic. He played a minor role there but that might be different here...or maybe not.
I guess we should just wait and see.
REPLIES to my loyal and totally awesome reviewers:
Spectre Kid, Wiseguy2415, VanguardLuard and Cyberactor15: Thanks everyone, that scene was my favorite to right and I'm glad you all clearly enjoyed it.
Neko Jackun and Kosmic: thanks
Invader Johnny: It would certainly be dramatic but as I always say, we have to wait and see how the story goes about...
:) Till next time beautiful people and don't forget to review :)
