Note: For the Phic Phight. Prompts by Astridianmayfly (There is a ghost living in Danny's mirror.) and SummersSixEcho (Doppelganger)
Danny stumbles out of the now activated portal. It hurts. It hurts a lot. His stiff muscles burn with the still lingering electricity. He glances down at his white boots. White boots? There is something wrong with that. But he doesn't linger on it, instead shuffling forward, leaning against the wall of the lab to keep himself up right.
Then something green flashes in the corner of his eye. His head whips to the side and he nearly falls, knees buckling. Right beside him floats something glowing and slightly transparent. The ethereal figure sports white hair and impossibly neon green eyes.
Ghost! Danny's mind screams. His chest heaves but the intake of air felt unsatisfying.
He wants to move away, his body screaming to run but he can barely stand. Fear filled eyes fix on the ghost.
Who also looks scared. The widened eyes bore into his and Danny tilts his head, curiously. Why would a ghost look scared? The ghost tilts its head too. Shakily, Danny puts his hand forward, absently noting that his arm and hand, covered in black hazmat and a white glove, seem to glow like the figure. Dread surges but the boy continues reaching. Instead of meeting the ghost's fingers, his hand hits something cold and solid. His face falls as he pushes forward but the surface doesn't give. Realization dawns on his sluggish mind.
It...it's a mirror. It's a MIRROR.
"No. No. NO!" Danny cries, his shaking voice echoing.
His reflection just echoes his cry silently, the lips following his.
"No! That's...that's not me. It's not me. I'm...I'm not...I'm not." Glowing green tears start falling down his face and the reflection just copies.
No. He isn't dead. He isn't a ghost. No NO.
Arm shaking, he tries to push against the mirror as if he can push his reflection away. No. No that isn't his reflection because he isn't a ghost. He isn't a ghost.
With a swing of his hand, the mirror dislodges from the wall. Falling to the floor, it breaks but his ghostly reflection still haunts him, visible even in the broken pieces. With shaking legs, the boy runs away. If he can just get away from his reflection, it won't be true. He won't be a ghost.
At the foot of the stairs, he falls. Because he trips over his feet, not because his legs flicker intangible. Definitely not that. He stands again but it feels like his feet aren't even touching the ground. He makes it into the luckily empty kitchen (no one else is home) before something sparks in his chest. Blindly white light seeps through his skin, blossoming into a line which spreads across his body.
Danny falls to the ground again, suddenly very warm and heavy. His breath heaves, taking in air greedily like he forgot to breathe earlier. Shakily, he puts his hands under him to push himself to his feet. And his hands are bare. Where did the glowing hazmat suit go? He doesn't dwell instead suddenly feeling incredibly tired. He just wants to sleep. If he can just get up to his room and fall into his bed, everything will be okay.
Miraculously, Danny makes it up the stairs and into his room. He collapses on the bed, completely spent and passes out.
Danny comes to some time later, just as the sun is setting. The house is quiet, suggesting Mom, Dad and Jazz aren't back yet. Blinking up at the ceiling, Danny sits up.
He feels...normal. Not sore or exhausted. He studies his hands as he clenches and unclenches them. They're still bare and pale as ever. He looks down at his clothes, the jeans and tshirt he always wears. They look normal but he still has his shoes on which is weird. But everything looks and feels normal except for a strange cold place near his heart. (Don't think about it. Don't think about it.)
So...nothing happened earlier, right? He must have come home from school, gone up to do his homework, and fallen asleep. It must have been a dream. He definitely didn't go downstairs, walk into the portal, and die. He didn't see himself as a ghost in the mirror. And he's definitely not a ghost now; he's human, completely normal.
He doesn't dwell on it longer as the front door opens and Mom yells for help with the groceries. He doesn't think about it when his fork keeps falling out of (through) his hand at dinner.
Later Danny falls asleep doing his homework but he wakes up in the middle of the night. He shuffles to the bathroom, does his business, and washes his hand. Something eerily green flashes in front of him. Startled, the boy looks up and barely keeps from screaming. His own face- pale, with an open mouth, white hair, and inhuman green eyes- stares back. He blinks and looks down at his bare hands. It's not real. It's not real. That's not him. It didn't happen. He's just tired.
Without looking again, Danny runs back to his room.
The next day, Danny wakes up late. He hurries to get ready, tripping over his own (intangible) feet as he walks into the kitchen and grabs a granola bar for breakfast. He scarfs it down while practically running to school and just makes it into homeroom before the bell.
Sam and Tucker smile at him but don't say anything as the announcements start. Ten minutes later, they walk to first period gym class, idly chatting. Danny doesn't think about the ghost he saw in the mirror last night.
Until he's staring at it again in one of the locker room mirrors. Danny freezes, still in his normal clothes. His eyes widen with shock and fear as his knees start shaking.
"What's up with you?" Tucker comes up behind him, already in his gym clothes. "Have you got a bad pimple or something?"
Danny looks between his ghostly reflection and his friend. "What? Don't you see…."
"What?" The other boy raises an eyebrow as he ties his shoes.
"Does my reflection look….weird to you?" Danny asks.
"No. Just normal Danny Fenton." Tucker shrugs casually as he finishes with his shoe. When Danny doesn't respond, he frowns. "Are you okay man?"
Danny looks between his friend and his reflection. 'Normal Danny Fenton' The words ring in his head. "Yeah. I'm fine." He lies.
He doesn't tell Tucker and Sam about the weird reflection or his 'dream' about the ghost portal last night.
After that the ghostly reflection seems to always follow Danny. In any mirror, his eyes are green, his hair is white, and he's wearing the black and white hazmat suit. But when he looks down at himself, he looks normal. He feels normal (except for that little cold spot). And he keeps dropping things and falling...but that's just puberty, his growth spurt making him more clumsy. (Liar)
He starts avoiding mirrors. In the locker room, the school bathroom, the bathroom at home, the one on his closet door. Even the rearview and side mirrors when he rides in Jazz's car or the RV. He averts his eyes, unable to look at the green orbs that stare back. He tries not to shiver. It feels like those eyes are always watching him, even when he's not looking directly at the mirror. Even if he's not in front of the mirror at all.
And does the face frown at him, head tilting as if studying him? Sometimes he swears he sees the lips move or the head shake when he himself hasn't spoken or moved. But…..it's just his imagination. He's just creeped out by this weird….. hallucination, dream. (Haunting)
Maybe he should tell Mom and Dad. But nonsensical fear and dread bubble in his gut. The passing thought that maybe his 'dream,' the accident, really happened, plagues him. Maybe the ghost in the mirror is real and maybe…. It's just him.
After a while, Danny gets annoyed. Having to avoid mirrors is surprisingly exhausting. And stiffening in fear, bracing himself to see a ghost, everything he goes to the bathroom is emotionally draining. And he can't even look at his own face to fix his hair anymore!
He's in his bedroom, getting dressed for bed when he catches another glimpse of his reflection's eyes following him. Danny lashes out, staring straight at the mirror.
"I'm tired of not being able to see my own freaking face! Why won't you go away?"
"Don't yell at me! I don't know why I'm here either!" An echoing voice bits back.
Danny faints.
"Danny! Danny!" The boy returns to wavering consciousness. He blinks at the ceiling. "Dude, I can't see you. Please tell me you're okay."
He blinks again. Is someone talking to him? Who's in his room and why? And why does their voice sound echoey? He slowly sits up, rubbing his head. Then he stands.
"Oh. Thank god. You had me really scared." remarks the voice again.
Danny searches for the speaker. His eyes fall on….the mirror. He sways. "Danny! Danny. Stay with me!"
"No No NO!" The boy balls his hands. "This isn't happening!"
"I'm pretty sure it is." says the creature in the mirror, one eyebrow raised.
"No It's not! You're not real!" Danny shouts.
"So, what? You're crazy?"
Danny pales, dread balling in his stomach. He's not crazy. He can't be crazy but the other options…..
The silence lingers but his reflection says nothing. No. Not his reflection. Not his reflection. Danny's not a ghost, or part ghost, or even remotely ghostly. So that is not his reflection. So… what?
The green swirl of the portal flashes through his mind. The portal worked and ghosts are real so maybe…
"Hey! Wait!"
Ignoring a call in protest, Danny leaves his room and sneaks downstairs. He pads across the kitchen to find the Fenton Finder on the kitchen table where Mom and Dad left it. It beeps sadly once he picks it up (that definitely means something, right?). And he runs back up the stairs.
Opening his bedroom door, he growls at seeing the stupid image in the mirror again. The ghost's arms are crossed, expression hard. Then his eyebrow raises as he points. "Hey. What's that?"
Danny doesn't respond but holds up the Finder as he approaches the mirror. The beeping increases in frequency. He frowns. "I knew it. You're a ghost."
The ghost gaps and then looks down at himself. "You don't say. I had no idea." The disbelieving looks drops into a deadpan frown. "We both already knew that."
"Well….it means I'm not crazy!" Danny defends.
"I never said you were crazy." The ghost deadpans.
Annoyance mounting, the boy grits his teeth. "Whatever." His eyes trail the figure in the mirror. "Why do you look like me?"
After a second, the ghost shrugs. "I don't know."
"You don't know?" Danny asks skeptically. "How do you not know?!"
The ghost opens his mouth to respond but Danny cuts him off, a hand pinching the bridge of his nose. "Never mind, I don't care. Just get out."
An eyebrow raises. "What?"
"Get out of my damn mirror and leave me alone." the boy balls a fist.
The ghost bites his lip. "I….don't think I can get out of here."
At the argument, Danny's glare intensifies. "Bullshit."
"No really." Gloved hands reach towards the surface of the mirror but stop against a flat surface. The palms press forward, arms straining as if the ghost is just on the other side of a window and trying to push the glass out of the pane. "See I can't get out that way."
The ghost then backs up, farther away from the mirror and into the reflected version of Danny's room. His back hits the wall beside the bed, which in the real world was behind Danny. Then the ghost walks to the left - the direction of the window- and out of the frame.
Danny furrows his brow. Did the ghost just disappear? Then it reappears in front of him. "If I try to walk out of view of the mirror, I just reappear back here. So I don't think I can get out."
The human boy growls. "Okay? Why are you even here then?"
"I already told you, I don't know. I don't even remember how I got here. I just suddenly was staring at your startled face and have been following you around since. I keep trying to talk to you, but this is the first time you've ever heard me."
Jaw still clenched, Danny shakes his head. That...none of that made sense! This is too much to think about. He groans. He doesn't want to deal with this shit. He just wants this freaky haunting to end. Scowling, he starts pulling the closet door shut.
"Hey! What are you doing?" The ghost protests.
But Danny ignores him. He doesn't want to look at the ghost or talk to him or even think about him.
"Danny! Let's just talk about this!"
No. Nope. Don't respond.
"Danny! Please!"
The door swings closed, silencing the cries. But they keep ringing in Danny's mind.
The next morning, Danny hesitates outside the bathroom. He really needs to get inside and ready before Jazz hogs the bathroom. But there is a mirror in there and if last night was any indication, he's going to get an earful from an annoying ghost.
Danny takes a deep breath. He'd just ignore the stupid ghost. He throws the door open.
"Danny!" An echoing voice calls.
He fast-walks past the mirror, deliberately not even looking.
"Dude. Finally! We need to talk."
Quickly stripping, Danny climbs into the shower. The water turns on, the sound drowning out the voice. After quickly lathering his hair with shampoo and washing his body, the boy turns off the water.
"So you're done now?"
Danny sighs. Shaking his head, he pulls back the shower curtain and grabs his towel. After letting water drip off him for a moment, he wraps the towel around his waist and steps out. Head fixed down, he stands in front of the sink and picks up his toothbrush.
"Hey Danny look at me."
The boy doesn't acknowledge, while he squeezes toothpaste onto his brush.
"So I was thinking, what exactly happened before I showed up?"
Danny shivers, an image of the swirling portal invading his mind. He starts brushing his teeth.
"Like did anything important happen before? Cause I can't remember anything before I saw you through the mirror a few weeks ago."
Danny closes his eyes. No. Nope. Wasn't going to think about this. He hums, trying to block out the sound.
"Damnit Danny! At least pretend that you're listening!"
Spitting out the foam, Danny's head whipps up. His narrowed eyes fix on the glaring ghost. The ethereal figure wavers for a second, taking on a bluish tint as the toothbrush falls out of Danny's hand, forgotten.
"No" Danny growls. "I'm not going to listen to you. So shut up and leave me alone!"
The ghost's expression falls. One hand reaches out, palm against the inside of the mirror. "Danny…."
"I said shut up!" Baring his teeth, the boy leans forward, close enough that his breath mists on the reflective surface.
The green eyes in front of him widen in hurt. "Danny, please."
"Stop! I don't need you here, you stupid ghost!" Angry, his arm moves forward. He wants to hit the ghost so badly but his palm just slaps the cold surface, luckily not very hard. "Stop reminding me of the stupid portal! And what hap…." The word cuts off as his voice trembles. He swallows. "What….what almost happened, could have happened." His head turns down, staring at the sink. But the memory of pain, of the electricity frying him…..of fleeing from the broken mirror…. invade. "It….it didn't happen. It didn't. I didn't...I'm not…."
The weak denials die in his throat but he remains frozen in place, his body shaking with emotion. His eyes feel wet but he doesn't want to cry. He's not going to cry. He lets out a small whine anyway.
The area under his palm seems to chill and something cold brushes his fingers. It curls down until the cold, misty things are brushing the back of his hand. Slowly he looks up. In the blink of an eye, he takes in the ethereal fingers projecting out of the mirror and cupping the back of his hand (as if trying to hold his hand.)
The boy screams and pulls away. His heart pounds in his chest. Shock and horror filled eyes fix on the ghost who returned a hurt expression.
"Danny! Are you okay?" Jazz calls from the other side of the door.
Danny's gaze rips away from the mirror. "I'm...I'm okay, Jazz." His voice wavers.
"Okay? Then get out of the bathroom, I need to get ready."
Fear-filled eyes return to the ghost. His hand had returned to the mirror. With his head fixed down, he stands with arms around his stomach. He glances up, his shoulders falling.
The ghost says nothing as Danny walks out of the bathroom.
The ghost doesn't try to talk to Danny for several days, though the otherworldly reflection still follows him. His not-reflection dons a sad expression, those glowing eyes only giving him cursory and cautious glances. Danny averts his eyes right back, pointedly ignoring the ghost.
But he doesn't tell his parents for some reason. He's not sure he even wants to. Just thinking about it sends a vague sense of wrongness and dread….like it would be a really bad idea. But Danny can't make sense of it, so he distracts himself with homework, video games, and scrolling through social media. Anything to distract himself.
But Danny still doesn't know what to do about the ghost so he just ignores until he can't.
Danny walks across the dark lab. The white and black suit feels rubbery and unnatural over his clothes but he has to be wearing it...for some reason. Widen eyes survey the maw of the inactivated portal; a tiny green light wavers in the back of the tunnel. Something….something is calling to him. He crosses the threshold. The subtle buzz of electricity vibrates in and through him. It sets him on edge but also feels right. He takes a step forward, the sound of his steps echoing in his head.
A gloved hand lazily runs along the wall, the cold smooth texture surprisingly vivid despite the fabric. His fingers caress something raised. Something moves under his finger. A click.
Machinery whirls but Danny stays frozen in place, his heart pounding in his chest. The green light flickers and grows until all the boy sees is green. The light and electricity overtakes him. And his heart convulses. Frying, burning, freezing, ripping, tearing, crushing.
Danny's heart stops but he still screams.
"Danny!"
The boy shot up in bed, the scream still on his lips. His chest heaves. It was a nightmare. Just a dream.
"Danny! Are you okay?" The same voice calls again.
Just a dream. It didn't happen. His heart didn't stop. The portal didn't….it didn't….
"Danny. It's okay. It's okay. Just take a deep breath, okay?"
Mind not connecting who is speaking to him, Danny obeys.
"You're doing great. Just breath in and out. In and out."
Deeply breathing, the boy's heart rate starts to slow.
"It's over. You're safe. You're safe, Danny."
Another breath and the shaking of his limbs slowly stops. Then his sluggish mind finally recognizes his comforter. With the young echoing voice so much like his own, it's the ghost in his mirror.
Earlier that afternoon, he might have yelled at the figure. But now, the fight had drained out of him. He's tired, so tired. And not just physically. He's tired of the tension, the fear, the dread. He's tired of ignoring his ghostly doppelganger and hoping he goes away.
With a sigh, he swings his legs over the edge of the bed. Walking to the closet, he slowly swings open the mirror. There's none of the previous shock or dread as he faces the ghost in the mirror.
The ghost's eyes remain wide in concern. "Are you okay?"
Danny's eyebrow raises. He'd half expected a quip or even a biting comment. But the concern is authentic. Despite his misgivings, the boy replies honestly. "Not really."
"Bad dream?" Danny nods and the ghost asks meekly."Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not really." The boy put a hand on his head.
The ghost doesn't say anything for a while, just biting his lip. Then he wrings his hands. "Well if you want to talk about it, I'm here to listen."
Danny studies his mirror counterpart, biting his own lip. "Only because you're stuck here. You can't leave for some reason."
The ghost shakes his head, looking down. "No...well yeah. I am stuck here." He meets Danny's eyes. "But….I actually want to listen, Danny."
He doesn't know why but he believes the ghost. The boy sighs. Then he realizes something; his double keeps calling him by his name (with a lot of familiarity and tenderness), but Danny just calls him ghost.
"What's your name?" The boy asks, the softness of his own voice surprising him.
"What?" The ghost's expression morphs into surprised confusion.
"Your name. If we stuck with each other, I need something to call you. Not just ghost."
The other's confusion only deepens. His brow wrinkles "I...I don't remember." He frowns. "It starts with a D, I think. Maybe. D something." The ghost's hand taps his chin in thought. "And the last part? Ph…Ph...Phan... Phan-ton….Phanton. Phan-tom. Phantom. Phantom! Yeah that's it!"
Danny raises an eyebrow. "That's another word for ghost."
Phantom's (?) mouth rounds in an O. "Well…. I am a ghost so it fits, I guess." He shrugs. "And I want to be called that, until I remember my real name anyway."
"Alright Phantom." The boy puts his arms around his middle. "I guess, since we're stuck with each other, we should try to at least be civil. Until we figure out why you're here anyway." One hand rubs the back of his head. "So…..I'm going to go back to bed. Yeah."
Danny starts turning away when Phantom calls out. "Wait." He turns back. "So are we just going to go back to ignoring each other?" The ghost's lips turn down, voice wavering in something like hurt.
Danny frowns, taking in the defeated posture. An eyebrow raises. "You're really lonely, aren't you?"
Phantom nods. "Yeah. But…." His arms went around his middle and his shoulder's fell. "It's not just that." He sighs, biting his lips. Then when the ghost speaks, it's a barely audible whisper. "You looking at me like you hate me, that….hurts." One hand moves to his chest, gripping the fabric of his hazmat suit. "It hurts really badly. Really deeply." Shining green eyes then met Danny's. "Like you're someone I know and love…...but you think I'm a monster."
Danny's mouth fell. There's a lot there. A lot he partly wants to deny but…..he feels a tinge of familiarity too. How could he not? Phantom looks just like him (But there's something more, isn't there?)
His mouth closes. "I don't want to think you're a monster but…." He runs his hand through his hair. "I'm scared. I don't know what's happening or why. But maybe we can figure it out together."
Phantom gives a subtle smile, surprise lighting up his face. "I think….we can do that, work together."
Danny nods. "Let's talk again then, tomorrow. I do have school in the morning."
"Yeah. You do. Don't let me keep you then." The ghost waves him off lightly.
Danny walks back to his bed, leaving the closet open so the reflection of his bed rests behind Phantom. He lays down.
"Good night, Danny"
"Good night, Phantom."
Soon after, Danny falls asleep.
Danny and Phantom talk a little the next day but neither learn much.
"So your parents opened a portal to the ghost zone, whatever that is?" The ghost asks. "And I showed up right after that happened?"
Danny nods. "That's a yes to both."
"So I obviously came from the ghost zone through that portal." One hand goes to his chin in thought. "But why am I stuck in your mirror?" Phantom hums in thought. "Wait. I'm not stuck in this mirror."
Danny furrows his brow. "I'm pretty sure you are. You've tried to get out before but can't"
"No, I mean, I'm not just stuck in this one mirror. I can move to…. any mirror you're looking at." Neon green eyes widen. "I'm linked to you."
Danny's stomach drops as he averts his eyes. He wants to deny it but can't find the conviction.
Phantom's expression falls at the human's withdrawal. He asks quietly. "Do you know why?"
Danny knows why. The image of the portal, of the dreams he's vowed again and again never happened, assault his mind. Because they did happen. He did go into the portal. He did see himself as a ghost in the basement and he hasn't stopped since.
Danny can't meet his own eyes in the mirror. "I don't know." He lies.
There is a long pause and Danny holds his breath. He expects to be called out for his lie. While he still doesn't quite understand what Phantom is and how he's here, Danny knows who the ghost is. The ghost is just him, just Danny.
But his other self doesn't detect the lie. "Okay." He sounds defeated. "I'm sure one of us will figure it out."
"Yeah." Danny says, lithlessly. He rubs the back of his neck, still looking down. "I'm...uhhh...going to take a shower."
"Oh." Danny can imagine the hurt look on his reflection's face. "I'll see you later then."
Danny leaves, fleeing to the bathroom. If tears start dripping from his eyes in the shower, he doesn't notice.
Danny stays silent about his lie. Somehow, the portal changed him. It did turn him into a ghost, at least partially. And Phantom is that part. And as far as the human Danny can tell, his ghost self doesn't remember anything at all. Not his real identity or life before the accident. Nothing, just a vague sense of familiarity.
And Danny doesn't know how but he physically managed to lock that new part of himself away, to trap it in the mirror.
"What are you working on?" His own voice startles the boy out of his thoughts.
Danny looks down at the book in his lab. He had been trying to do homework before the confusing thoughts and nebulous guilt invaded his mind.
He looks up at his reflection. "Just math homework. I'm having trouble concentrating though. It doesn't help that my notes make no sense."
"Can I see?" The ghost asks.
Getting up, Danny obliges. He holds the paper up to the mirror. After scanning the words, Phantom's eyes widen slightly. "Oh, I see. You left out a step." He points. "So here you have too…."
As he explains and Danny understands his mistake, he realizes as odd as this situation is, there are some perks to having Phantom around.
With being in such close quarters, the two(?) inevitably start talking more.
Helping with homework, chatting about movies and video games, Phantom just asking about his day.
And it's weird but Danny kinda likes it. Always having someone to talk to that's a lot like him, but not quite. Someone who always seems to understand. Someone who's really good at talking him out of nightmares (which he keeps having). He starts carrying around a compact mirror with him so he can talk to Phantom when no one is there.
Danny uses the small mirror to take Phantom star gazing. He lies on the roof with the mirror facing the sky.
"It's so beautiful." The echoing voice fills with awe. "Just imagine what it'd be like to be up there, so high."
Phantom gives a sad sigh and Danny remembers that ghosts can fly, according to his parents. He wonders if Phantom knows that.
"Hey, Danny. You know constellations, right? Can you tell me some?" The question shakes Danny out of the thought.
"Yeah." The human smiles. "So there is Gemini…." He pointed, describing the shape and the story behind the constellation. His smile slowly grows as Phantom asks him more questions about the stars excitedly.
Eventually it peters into silence as both boy and his reflection stare happily into the sky. But the peace doesn't last.
"So Danny. Have you thought anymore about why we're linked? Any new ideas?"
Holding up the mirror, Danny bits his lip. "No." He denies.
One eyebrow raises. "Are you sure? Because you don't sound that certain."
Danny shakes his head.
"Well...if you're sure then." Phantom runs a gloved hand through his hair. "It's just...I don't want to be stuck in here anymore. I just wish we could find a way to get me out."
Danny puts down the mirror to avoid Phantom's eyes. Guilt turns in his stomach. He knows what he's doing is a wrong and horrible idea. He's just hurting himself and will keep doing it until the truth comes out. And he can't keep holding this part of himself at an arm's length.
But he's scared, scared at what admitting the truth will mean.
"I know there's something." The ghost in the mirror softly confesses. "Just...tell me when you're ready okay? And whatever happens then, we'll be okay."
Danny relaxed a little at the soft promise. Clutching the mirror like it's precious, the boy goes inside and to bed. He lays the mirror on his bedside table.
"Good night, Phantom."
"Good night, Danny."
That night instead of dreaming about the portal, Danny dreams of flying.
Danny floats, weightless above Amity Park. He flies up until he stops above the clouds. Whooping with excitement, he shoots across the sky with his ghostly tail trailing behind him. He dives and corkscrews, so lite and free. Then he stops, staring up at the stars. They're so bright and clear up here. Close enough to touch.
Eventually, he has to come back to earth. Danny descends in the blink of an eye, coming to hover over the lake. His reflection wavers below him, the white hair and green eyes of his familiar ghost form. He smiles and his reflection smiles with him. Why had he ever been afraid of this?
Danny blinks awake to a still dark room. He turns onto his back and stares at the ceiling. His brow furrows in thought. Thoughts and memories swirl in his head, the portal accident, his ghostly double. Every conversation and revelation since he stumbled out of the portal as Phantom before somehow banishing that part of himself so deep, his ghost forgot who he was. Danny sighed. It was time for that to end.
He rolled out of bed and approached his closet mirror.
Phantom opens his eyes, blinking at him sleepily. "Oh hey, you're up." He frowns. "Is something wrong?"
Danny bits his lip. "I'm ready to talk now."
The ghost's eyes open more widely, seemingly more awake. "I'm listening."
The human takes a deep breath. "About a month ago, there was an accident. Mom and Dad's portal didn't work when they started it." He then closes his eyes, voice pained. "So I went to check it out by myself. I pressed the on button….inside the portal. It….it turned on with me inside it." His voice cracks. "And….and I died. It killed me."
Danny pauses, slowly opening his eyes to see Phantom surveying him with a kind expression. "That couldn't have happened. You're still alive."
Taking another breath, Danny continues. "You're right. I am alive, at least half-way."
Phantom raises a brow. "But…."
Danny averts his eyes. "When I stumbled out of the portal, I was….a ghost."
The ghost's eyes widen. "Danny, you're not a ghost."
Danny shakes his head. He then fixes kind eyes on his ghost. "Oh, Phantom. You're my reflection."
"What?" Phantom tilts his head, startled.
The human's left hand touches the mirror's surface. "You're my reflection. My ghost."
The ghost's brows furrows. "I don't understand."
"You're me, Danny." He says the name tenderly. "And I don't know how but I trapped you in there, because I was afraid. And….and I don't want to deal with this…..with you."He whispers looking down. "But I'm ready now."
Phantom's hand meets his, his palm the exact same size and shape as Danny's. A perfect reflection. His expression is tainted with hurt but his fingers press out of the mirror to hold his human self's hand anyway. "I think… I get it."
Danny's expression softens. "I'm sorry, Danny. I'm sorry." He leans his head forward until his forehead touches the mirror. He's not sure what will happen once he does, but it's time to set Phantom free of his prison."But I'm ready to make this right."
Phantom's head rolls forward too. He says nothing but Danny can almost feel the acceptance and understanding from his counterpart.
After a moment, Danny moves his head away. He glances at their still clasped hands. "Are you ready?"
The other Danny looks at their hands too and nods. "I'm ready."
Danny pulls with his left hand, Phantom hand sliding out of the mirror until they are truly palm to palm outside of the mirror. Both Danny's grin. It's working. The human puts his right hand on the mirror and Phantom happily clasps it. Danny pulls with both arms, now. Both of Phantom's arms exit the surface, his body inching farther and farther into the real world. As the ghost's head and shoulders exit, a threshold breaks. There's a flash of light and Phantom just floats the rest of the way off.
Danny steps back, taking in his counterpart while the ghost's eyes widen. His ghostly tail flickers in the air and he marveled, glaze flickering between his own hands and his human self. The silence lingers as emotions flitter across his face. Shocked confusion morphs into awed realization as the ghost's mouth falls open.
The human stares in awe right back. Seeing Phantom….himself….outside the mirror is so vivid, so real. He can hardly believe this; Danny literally floats beside himself. He's been talking to this part (?)….half (?)... himself for weeks. But now he's actually here, physically in front of him and gaping like a fish. He wonders what his ghost self is thinking right now.
Those thoughts falter as Danny's ghost floats closer. The ghost wraps his arms around the human, who reciprocates without hesitation. There is a pause as the human takes in the comfortable cold aura and subtle electricity of his ghostly counterpart.
"I remember now." Phantom whispers. The statement is heavy, wavering with a dozen emotions. "I remember." Danny's eyes start watering, both pairs. The ghost stays hugging his human for several moments before he pulls away.
Shining green eyes meet Danny's. "I remember who I am now. Who WE are."
Despite the tears, the human Danny's eyes light up with joy, what he had hoped for confirmed. He has so many questions. Is his ghost half upset with him or does the human's guilt override that? What was being trapped in a mirror like? And how did that even happen? But one question weighs heaviest.
"How do we…" Human Danny starts but a yawn interrupts.
Ghost Danny furrows thoughtfully. "We need to get to sleep."
The human frowns. "But….we need to…." He trails off, motioning vaguely between himself and his ghost.
"We will." The ghost states with complete certainty.
The human raises a brow, silently asking for an explanation. When none comes, he argues. "But…."
Phantom rolls his eyes. "Come on. Bed." Taking the human's hand, he pulls the boy to the bed. After letting go, human Danny sits down on the bed.
"Phantom." He whines, blinking sleepily.
"Fenton." The ghost whines right back, one hand on his hip.
With one hand, the ghost gently pushes Danny on the shoulder. The human gives, flopping down with a grumble. He rolls onto his side, facing the ghost still floating beside the bed.
Wide blue eyes beg. "What happens now?"
Slightly exacerbated expression melting away, Phantom lowers his knees to the floor so he kneels beside the bed, at eye level with his other self. "Everything will be okay, no matter what."
Now feeling sleepy, Danny wonders at how Phantom now seems to be the part of them that knows what's happening. He puts a hand forward, palm up and Phantom takes it.
The ghost then points with his other hand, at the human's chest. "I'll be right here, when you wake up."
The human blinks sleepily, still peering at his ghost. As he starts drifting off, Phantom's form looks fuzzy around the edges, Danny's vision blurring as he fights to keep his eyes open. At the same time, the ghost's hand feels less substantial, like gripping ice turning into mist. Maybe it's not just his vision.
With Danny Phantom's hand in his, Danny Fenton falls asleep.
When Danny wakes up in the morning, the sunlight filters through his window. Only one seemingly human figure occupies the room. With a sleepy groan, the boy rolls out of bed and walks to his mirror.
In the mirror, his reflection shows him in his pajamas with blue eyes and black hair. One hand touches the mirror and the reflection follows as it should. He closes his eyes, resting his other hand rests over his chest. He breathes deep, reveling in the beating of his heart and pulsing of his core. Perfectly in sync.
Danny opens his eyes. In the mirror, they flash green and he smiles.