Blood blossoms weren't the only plants that had an effect on ghosts. Though some have more alluring effects then others.
*Mentions of drug & drug like effects*
A/N: Phight prompt 3! Whoop! I wasn't intending for this to be as long as it was but the writing demon bit me so here we go ^^ Unbataed Please R&R
Fruity-hub-blog / lordfruitloop
AO3 and FFN: 2fruity4u
Danny discovers that blood blossoms are not the only ghost plant, in fact there are a whole bunch of ghost plants out there, and not all of them are bad!
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A Garden Variety Ghost
Ding Dong!
The doorbell ringing in the Fenton household was always an event for many different reasons. One main one being that Jack Fenton was like an overly excitable guard dog that could actually open doors to launch out into the streets at the wayward delivery personnel. So when a hapless U-ship worker came with a collection of boxes he was met with the Fenton Foamer and a number of prolific apologies from Maddie.
"So what did you order?" Jazz asked from her spot at the kitchen table, looking up from her book only briefly to eye the cardboard package hoping to discern something from its inconspicuous form.
Maddie placed the box on the table in front of Jazz while Jack bounced excitedly beside her. "We were checking old references in my old Fenton-Nightingale book and we found a few things detailed we wanted to try out!" he boomed excitedly giving a giddy chuckle as Maddie opened the box.
"Okay… and that means what for us exactly? Should I stay at a friend's for a week?" Jazz asked nervously peering into the box only to frown when she saw nothing but packets of cushioning.
"No no. It's fine." Maddie said with a wave of her hand pulling out the air cushions to get to the prize. "We're just looking into the details of ghost plants."
"Yeah! There were a few in here that said they did stuff to ghosts! And the main one was blood blossoms, but they're practically extinct, and we weren't able to get those, but we got all these other ones to experiment with! Now we just gotta catch a ghost and shove them onto it!" Jack said, pulling out a small package of seeds.
"As soon as the plants grow," Maddie added with a laugh. "I suppose gardening can be fun too," she mused. "Come on hun, let's set up a Fenton Grow-op"
"You know how that sounds right?" Jazz sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Seriously it sounds like you guys are getting into illegal ghost drugs or something…"
The Fenton parents exchanged a look before shrugging. "Well if it only affects ghosts it'll be fine." Maddie waved off flippantly.
"Yeah Jazzy! It'll give us a good insight into how they think then! If they think at all!" Jack added, his grin threatening to split his face.
"So you're going to see if ghosts can trip out?" Jazz asked incredulously.
"For science!" Jack boomed, seeming to disregard his daughter's look of disbelief.
"Well not just that, we don't really know the full effects these may or may not have. There are plants that attract, repel hurt and soothe ghosts." Maddie explained gently taking the seeds that Jack was threatening to take off with. "Come on sweetie, let's get these planted." Maddie urged her husband to go down to the lab.
Jazz sighed before sending off a quick text to Danny, to avoid the lab for the next few weeks as much as possible.
Of course, that only worked for so long before Danny was told to clean the lab or else his parents would retaliate by taking away his computer for a week... And with the new Doomed update on its way it was a risk, he was willing to take.
He crept down into the lab cautiously, hovering in the doorway for a moment before making note of the potentially dangerous flora that was innocently hanging out beneath a plexiglass barrier and a bright sun lamp.
He double checked the mask on his face, a gas mask he had found in the garage, it had Duel Jack Fenton faces on either side of the filters but if it worked he would suffer from the embarrassment of wearing this stupid thing for a few hours.
If any of those plants were half as potent as the Blood Blossoms were he would be in trouble if even the pollen were to hit his skin… let alone if he were to inhale something like that…
With a shudder, he took a hesitant step into the preverbal lion's den. "Why do both Sam and Tuck have to be busy today…" he groaned to himself as he finally landed on the lab's floor.
He crinkled up his nose behind the mask and moved along the wall of the lab, always keeping his eyes on the plants as if they were going to come to life any second and attack him. Though in this household you never know…
When he finally made it to the shelf he pulled down a box of disposable nitrile gloves and snapped on a pair. Next, he reached for a pair of goggles, popping those onto his eyes. "Right," he said aloud to himself, now as protected as he was going to get without opting to wear a hazmat suit, which he hated the feel off on his human skin.
He stared at the plants across the lab a moment before deciding it would be best to start there first. Deal with the area most in danger then work outward.
He frowned in concentration as he began to clean the plexiglass. this was going well so far, good… this will work go-
"Danny boy!" Jack boomed as he entered the lab causing the teen to jolt in surprise. The action caused his arm that was holding the squeegee to be thrown upwards popping the sealed box open and releasing some sort of purple pollen from the container.
Danny winced seeing that, infinitely thankful for the mask he had on.
"Hey, you found the Fenton anti Ecto Gas mask!" Jack boomed, pulling the device free with a wide grin. "I've been looking everywhere for this baby! Now we can have taco nights again! Your mother refused to make them, cuz -a what happens at night after… well, you know how it goes'' He chuckled, giving his son a slap on the back in gratitude.
Danny just stared wide eyed at his father, there were so many reasons why he didn't need to know about his father's nighttime emissions, but moreover, he had just stolen the gasmask! the one thing that was stopping the… the…
"You're doing great Dann-o Just remember the gear isn't to play around with… Now I gotta show Maddie this babyˋs back!" Jack boomed leaving his glassy eyed son to stare off into the void, a dopey smile crossing his face.
What was he so worried about again? Danny blinked slowly as he stared down at the purple pollen. Right that… but why? This was relaxing… it was as if everything just melted away into the background. The scent from the pollen was intoxicating…
Wait… He blinked his eyes rapidly a few times to clear them. "What?" he stared down at the floor again. That had felt incredibly relaxing! and he felt rejuvenated and energized now!
He resolved then to figure out what plant it was that did that. it was like a ghostly energy drink! Maybe his parents had flubbed up again like with the ecto-dejecto? He smiled and looked towards the first flower that he could suspect the purple pollen came from.
The flower looked like some sort of purple pinkie sunflower, with a red tinted centre. Carefully Danny lifted the glass and poked the greenish leaves, before poking the centre of the plant. "Hm…." he stared at it blankly for a moment.
"Nope, nothing…" He mused this flower was a dud it seemed.
Moving on he found something that looked like a deep purple tulip, with blood red leaves. He found himself enraptured with this one even before he opened the glass. it was beautiful and he couldn't think of anything more lovely….
He had to have it.. it was… calling him…
without even thinking he shifted into ghost mode and phased his hand through to pluck the delicate flower from its stem. He stared at it perplexed a moment before stuffing his face into the plant's open petals, breathing deep and savouring its sweet scent.
He felt a bit like a cat when he was finally snapped out of his bliss and found himself rubbing his face all over the petals sticky bits of pollen now covered him.
He wrinkled his nose as he pulled off the sap like pollen onto his glove. It wasn't burning or hurting him so that was something at least… Something that Sam had once told him about plants sparked into his mind. Something about plants attracting certain things for pollinators?
Great, he was reduced to a but brain now… Though it would make sense if these things were probably grown in the ghost zone before having their seeds dispersed through the human realm
He glared at the remainder of what once was the tulip, a moment vaporizing the flower pulp to ash in revenge for his idiocy before moving on to the next one.
Curious now, he opened up the next plant in the line of the trays. This one was a large white flower with a lime green innard and as soon as the teen stuck his head in to examine it he recoiled in disgust.
It smelled awful! "Nope!" he shut the lid in such a hurry on that one.
Next to that was a ball shaped cluster of flowers that just seemed to make him angry more than anything. He shook his head and quickly moved on from that.
On and on he went examining the various plants, with varying degrees of nothing or something with such a small change that he couldn't even really decide if it was really the plant or not.
it was when he came back around to the mushrooms that his parents were growing that things got a little more… Recreational…
When he opened up the container to poke at a weird curling mushroom it exploded it's white and blue spores at him.
Danny grinned brightly a second later and found the world looked as if it suddenly had taken on a deeper saturation, and lights had large star trails following them.
including the ghostly glow that was on his body… That was simply fun to watch. how his fingers curled and flexed, then turned to mist and back to solid again. Why was this so fun? And since when did the lines in the floor turn to water? how did his parents get them to ripple like that?
Danny poked the floor with a toe and giggled as he can see the soundwaves from the clack, incredibly loud on the floor, ripple out in the pond that became of the metal. The portal to the ghost zone spinning became still the longer Danny stared at it, it was lucid and wondrous and well… trippy.
Danny hardly noticed when a grumbling Maddie entered the basement lab holding the infernal Gasmask. The last thing she needed right now was her husband's- "Wh-What's...?" She trailed off, blinking in confusion as she stared at Phantom.
The ghost was logrolling, though staying perfectly still otherwise in the air, all the while staring at the ghost portal.
While the huntress's first instinct was to toss a net at the infernal ghost to catch him, she hesitated upon noticing some of the flowers she had been cultivating had been messed with.
Well, then this was a potential scientific breakthrough that she probably won't get another chance to have… A lucid highly human like, and sapient ghost had taken some of her plants for seemingly recreational purposes….
"Phantom. Why are you here?" Maddie asked in the most authoritative voice she could muster with the smirk pulling at her lips. the Famed and controversial hero, Phantom. high as a kite and spinning madly at the ghost portal like he was trying to find an end to the endless swirls.
The ghost startled at her voice stealing his endless spinning to stare at her upside down. The ghost's pupils were glowing brightly, and the iris had grown wide enough to be seen within the glowing orbs.
"Mom!" he gasped out, mouth falling open in his shock, as he blinked his wide eyes, and clicked his green tinted tongue as if he'd suddenly tasted something utterly foul.
Maddie raised an eyebrow at the comment. There wouldn't be any way Phantom would or should remember his human life to any capacity… It was most likely a result of whatever plant the creature had gotten into… Still…
She figured she could use it to her advantage.
Without disputing or reprimanding the ghost for his claim she simply moved onto more important matters."What on earth did you get into?"
Phantom stilled at that, he stopped his movements and did his best imitation of a statue, somehow, incredibly, it still had some sense that forced him to keep up a compulsion that made it look like he was breathing.
"I- um… I," he stammered staring at her with wide wild eyes. "I'm sorry Mom! I wanted to tell you!" He called, his eyes were starting to water now.
How did she find out?! Did she see him transform? Actually, when did he transform? Why was everything moving? How… How did she…
Maddie tilted her head watching the ghost curiously. He did remember his mother than to some degree it seems…Was he still around only because he was looking to confess to his family?
Actually, now that she was able to see him up close… He really looked like a child… She took a couple of steps forward towards the ghost, who sniffed and wiped his face on his sleeve.
Despite herself, she asked him "Is that the only reason you're still here? because you never got to tell your family you'd died?" What a horrible thought? A child taken and killed, the parents and family left behind not knowing what happened to him.
"Not exactly… I mean I always wanted to tell you guys... But I just… There were so many ghosts attacking… Then you were saying Phantom was no good… And I tried to be as good as I can!" he sniffed. He was very much not in the right headspace for this to be happening right now…
Maddie seemed to shift and shimmer stretch and bend. The teen suddenly found himself tunnelling in on the jumpsuit Maddie was wearing. The teal colour that bled into the black accents. The smooth rubberized feel and slight crinkling as she moved and shifted. It squeaks…. He could just barely make out the zipper under her neck tucked into the collar jostling slightly as she breathes. He remembered being held as a kid and staring up at that zipper… she would cradle him on his back and he would stare up at it and…
"Phantom what-" Maddie never got to finish as the ghost slammed into her. He curled around her. like a dog jumping into her arms. His ghostly tail wrapped around her arm and around her waist, as he looked up at her with bright green eyes, and overly enlarged pupils.
"I- I'm so sorry mum…" Danny sniffled out before burying his face in her shoulder tightly squeezing her as he sobs.
Maddie was trapped by the ghost now, unable to move her arms from the hug, or legs without tripping herself up in his tail. She stares incredulously down at the white mop of hair that was just under her nose… so lifelike and soft, like real human hair…
Though now that she was right up to him like this, she noticed other oddities too. The texture of his suit and the skin that she could see from his face was incredibly detailed. He had freckles even! She could see every individual hair on his head unlike other ghosts that had more of a blanket effect, whispy and fuzzy but not really hair…
The thing that really drew her eye, however, was the jumpsuit. Or more specifically the clasp at the back of the ghost's collar… An emblazoned F a distinct design that she knew all too well. One she herself helped Jack to design… This was undoubtedly at one time a proper Fenton jumpsuit…
Which means this child… this child who was no older than Danny, he was probably one of his friends! In a borrowed jumpsuit no less! But if someone had borrowed a suit and got killed in it somehow surely she'd have noticed…
The ghost shifted allowing her to move and giving her freedom of her one arm. His core seemed to buzz in his chest as he held her ever tightly. "This is .. nice… I … was so worried about how you'd take this all…. I… I was stupid…" he shuddered as he spoke each word coming out with rapid and haggard breaths.
"It's fine... " Maddie offered, though her mind was a million miles west as she pondered over the clasps. She needed answers… Reaching over into the plants she pulled out something that looked like a queen's Ann's lace but with bright blue flowers.
She stuffed Phantom's nose in the flower and watched with mild relief as the ghost's eyelids drooped and closed. She sighed again as his tail loosened up around her and she slumped against her. "Well, at least I know that one works" She mused aloud.
Not even a second later Phantom sighs deeply and a bright ring flared at his waist, causing Maddie to yelp and drop the ghost on the ground thinking an attack was building.
Instead, she was mildly perplexed as it continued to wash over Phantom, bathing the ghost in light as he changed. Everywhere the light washed over, the colours of the ghost seemed to invert until it passed over his head.
"D-Danny?" Maddie whispered out in surprise. She was thinking of all the experiments she could run but now… her mind stalled as she stared down at the prone form of her son. What happened to make him like this? Was it even really her son or was phantom somehow still awake enough to pull a trick like this? Making her see her Danny instead of…
Instead of Danny Phantom.
"Oh-Oh God…" Maddie gasped and slid next to her son, scooping him up into her lap.
When Danny next woke up it was to a bleary bliss that he wasn't quite too sure what to make of. "Mum?" He mumbled out as he blinked his glassy blue eyes up at her. Why was his head so fuzzy? It was like he was underwater... "You cryin'?" He asked softly before his eyes widened and he jolted. His core fluttering in his chest. Had something hurt her?
"It's okay baby, I know you were so scared before but you don't have to be any longer… I know… I know I've made some terrible mistakes against Phantom… against you… but I promise I'll do what I can to make you feel safe here…" She sniffed and curled her form around his burying her face into his shoulder.
Danny's muddied thoughts spun out to a halt as his memories caught up with him. That's right! She knew! she knew! And apparently accepted him!
"Y-You have no idea how much that means to me…" He sniffed too, tucking his chin over her shoulder. And squeezing her tightly just as he had only an hour earlier as Phantom. "I love you so much…"
"I know hun… I love you too… and I promise I'll make this up to you any way I can." She responded in kind. Tomorrow she'll look into the plants that can help to cure her son, but for right now? She would be content to offer the love and comfort they both so dearly craved.
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Complete
Word count: 3281