Note: What is this?! Another Face to Face update. I'm still struggling through my first Phic Phight story and hoping some comments on this will encourage me. Thanks for reading as always!
Phantom stayed still for a long moment, looking out over the Ghost Zone. He took a deep breath and watched the floating rocks, the swirling clouds, and the purple doors. He braced himself and slowly floated to his feet. He needed to head out there. Tentatively, he reached out with his mind and plucked at the line. Like Fenton said, it was there, the link between him and his other half. And….a moment later, he received a tug in kind. His confidence grew. Yes, he could do this. He could find his way home.
With that, the ghost flew. He carefully followed the line, over islands and past doors. He slipped between rocks and paused, looking upward to what looked like a river suspended in mid-air and flowing downward. Phantom's eyes widened in awe at the sight but he kept going. All the while, he looked around with keen attention. It wouldn't do, to be attacked by another ghost again. Luckily, he didn't see or sense anything large or notable. Instead, his brow wrinkled as he flew past a small group of what looked like globs of ectoplasm with eyes. One of the little ghosts (at least he thought they were ghosts) looked at Danny. It blinked slowly before letting out a chirp and darting away with the others.
Phantom watched for a moment as the small creatures flew away. Then He sloped downward, below a tree covered island. He gaped at the sight. Trees?! There were actually trees here, even though there didn't appear to be any sun, moon, or stars. So...wait...where did the light come from? And were those the ghosts of dead trees or-
The ghost shook his head, clearing the questions about his surroundings from his mind. It really was incredible being here, even if the circumstances were...not so great. He might just have to come back, after everything was sorted...assuming that things could be fixed with Mom. The boy bit his lip. He couldn't worry about that, not right now.
"Focus, Phantom." He chided himself. He had to follow the line, get back to the real world.
The ghost boy's brow then furrowed, eyes falling on something in the distance. A rectangular shape. White, standing out in stark contrast against the green atmosphere. And…. he tugged the line again….the way home was in that direction.
Less than five minutes later, the object became clear in his view. "It's...Casper High?" Phantom muttered.
There in front of him was a black and white version of the school, complete with the American flag and the name plastered above the door in big letters. It was strange, bizarre. Why would there be a version of his high school in the ghost zone? And….he frowned, feeling his tether. Why did the path he was following back to Fenton lead him here? Phantom furrowed his brow. He hadn't come this way before; he would have remembered seeing this weird building. But…. yep, the line was leading him here and...he could feel he was really close.
The ghost straightened, bracing himself. Cautiously but with forced confidence, he floated up to the doors and slowly pushed them open to find…. an empty hallway, identical to the front hall at Casper, even if it was in monochrome.
"Hello?" He called quietly as he crossed the threshold.
No reply came as Phantom continued onward. His core pulsed nervously at the silence of the eerily familiar space. It was strange, seeing it so empty and quiet. And it was fittingly haunting for a ghostly double of his school. But why was this here? Why did it look like Casper High? And why was it in black and white?
The ghost boy swallowed, pushing the questions away and floating down the hallways. He looked side to side, watching for any movement. His ghost sense hadn't gone off, but being in an enclosed space was making him anxious. But at the same time….he was so close to….something. Something that would lead him home. But what?
Suddenly, the doors he'd come through slammed shut, earning a gasp from Phantom. "Who's...who's there?"
Something flickered at the edge of his vision. Head jerking to the side, he turned to find...nothing. The boy frowned, opening his mouth to call out. Then there was a bang behind him. Startled, Phantom wiped back around to find locker doors banging open and closed on their own.
"I don't want any trouble." The ghost boy started, voice wavering with fear.
Again, something flickered beside him. There was a staticy laugh. Phantom turned again and…. His heart would have skipped a beat, if it was in his chest. There was a monochrome teenager, a buff looking guy with slicked back hair and a leather jacket. He reminded Ghost Danny uncanningly of Dash. The figure opened his mouth, static exiting. Then he pushed the ghost boy.
Phantom stumbled, letting out a surprised cry as his back hit something solid. He turned, looking up at a scowling girl in a poodle shirt. She turned up her nose, pushing the ghost boy away. "Wait! Stop!" His eyes widened as he fell forward again, this time hitting another jock. "I don't wanna fight!" The other teen, in a letterman, grabbed Phantom's arm and shoved him to the floor.
The ghost boy hit the ground with a start, the impact knocking the air from his only semi-illusionary lungs. He rolled onto his back, paling at what was around him. A crowd of black-and-white teenagers, all wearing retro clothing, maybe from the fifties? They towered over him, scowling and jeering down at him.
"Stop! Please!" Phantom covered his ears, wincing in pain at the sound. It was static, hundreds of voices speaking over each other. And they were laughing, mocking. It was years of insults. Freak, coward, geek, nerd, weak, worthless, dead, wrong, unnatural, monster.
The ghost boy curled in on himself. "Please! I'm lost...I'm sorry I…"
Don't belong here...Don't belong. Invader.
"I don't…."
Trespasser. Invader. Leave! Leave, freak!
"I… I know I'm not supposed to be here. I'm lost..I…"
Leave! Dead! Go! The voices hissed. Don't belong, monster!
"Please! Stop!" Phantom begged.
The words pressed down on him and his chest heaved with panic. He whimpered as the volume rose, growing into a roar. Phantom bit back a cry as he pressed his hands to his ears, like he could block out the noise, keep out the words. He wanted to move, like the voices were demanding but he couldn't, too frozen in fear. Instead he sobbed. "I just wanna go home."
"Enough!" A single voice shouted. There was a whirl, a sound like gall forces winds. And then silence. "You can't just barge into someone's lair!"
"I...I..I'm sorry." Phantom fixed his head down, whole body shaking. "I just...I got lost and was trying to get home but I ended up here 'cause-" His words cut off as his ghost sense billowed out of his mouth and he coughed.
The ghost boy paled, looking cross eyed at the mist. He slowly looked up, eyes falling on the speaker. Like the other teens, he was monochrome but looked like a stereotypical nerd, with coke bottle glasses, a bowler haircut, a polo, and a bowtie. He fit the same fifties aesthetic yet somehow...there was something different about him compared to the other. He was more vivid, more solid than the others, almost like….
"Are you gonna say anything buster?" The crowd around them was still and silent even as the nerd floated half a foot closer, his fists balled.
"Yeah..Umm...Sorry, I.." Phantom stuttered. His eyes then widened as his ghost sense billowed out of his mouth again. That had only happened once this singular figure showed up, not before and not by the others. The others that had stopped when the nerd told them too. "You're a ghost." Ghost Danny whispered, meeting the glasses-covered eyes.
The other ghost scowled. "You don't say."
Phantom averted his eyes again, blushing. "No...sorry...I..I mean..you're not...you're not like…whatever these are." The ghost boy motioned to the crowd around them, shivering. "You're an actual ghost." He whispered the last part, before glancing up, at the other, now confused looking ghost.
The other ghost's brow furrowed behind his glasses. He raised his hand, making Phantom flinch. But instead of swinging his arm to punch or lighting his fist with ectoenergy like Ghost Danny expected, the nerd snapped his fingers and commanded. "Leave us."
With that, the teenagers around the ghost boy seemed to flicker, their outlines wavering. Without any movement, the crowd disappeared, leaving Phantom and the other ghost alone. The nerd lowered his arm, his fist relaxing.
That did little to comfort Phantom. His pulse pounded in his head as he wrung his hands. "So...okay...we're alone now. And...you said this was your lair? I...uh...don't know what that means but...I can leave...I can leave now since those guys didn't seem to want me here-"
"Sorry about that." The quiet words interrupted the ramble.
"What?" Phantom blinked, looking up at the other ghost.
The nerd didn't look angry anymore but instead almost….bashful, holding his hand out. "My shadows got out of hand. They aren't supposed to be that cruel."
The ghost boy just gapped, looking between the offered hand and the other ghost's face. His mind raced, wondering what was going on. What was with the sudden change in attitude? He bit his lip. The other ghost wasn't attacking him or...using those not-ghosts (he called them shadows?) to attack him. Maybe that apology was authentic.
Phantom took a deep breath and chose to be brave. Tentatively, he took the offered hand and allowed the other ghost to pull him up.
Then there was silence. The ghost Danny shifted nervously in the air as he studied the other ghost. And the other ghost studied him, his expression curious yet vaguely sad.
Phantom finally coughed, pointing back the way he came. "I'll just...I'll leave now. Sorry again for barraging in. And uh…bye." Slowly, he floated backward, keeping one eye on the other ghost.
"Wait." The nerd reached forward. "You're new, aren't ya?" The ghost boy stopped, turning more fully towards the other ghost as he continued. "You haven't been a ghost for a long time."
Phantom's eyes widened, his mouth opening and closing. "Um..uhh...yeah… I haven't been...like this very long." He swallowed. "How did you...how did you know?"
The other ghost's expression softened. "You're still trying to breath." At the words, Phantom reflectively stopped, holding his breath with wide eyes. "It's alright. That's a tough habit to break." The other ghost held out of hand, as if to shake. "I'm Sidney Pointdexter, by the way."
The other ghost blinked at the hand. After a long pause, he grasped it. "I'm Danny….Danny Phantom."
"Phantom." The nerd nodded. "So you already picked a name."
"Yeah?" So apparently, that was a thing? Phantom rubbed the back of his neck. "You can call me Danny though."
"Danny." The other ghost half-smile. "You can call me Sidney then." Sidney's expression then turned more serious. "Obviously you didn't know but... if you want to go inside someone's lair, you need to announce yourself and ask permission to enter."
"Oh, okay. Sorry" Phantom blushed. "I'll...I'll do that next time."
"Good." Sidney crossed his arms. "You're lucky you barged in on me, mister. If it'd been Skulker, he would have skinned you."
The ghost boy swallowed, suddenly anxious. His eyes bulged. "Really?!"
The other ghost nodded. "That hunter can be very possessive and mean." Sidney then scowled. "But I'd never do that. I'm not a bully." The other ghost then shook his head. "Anyway...why did you come here?"
Phantom's core pulsed awkwardly at the question. "I..uh…" It wasn't said with any anger or accusation, but innocently curious. But still, the ghost boy struggled to explain why he'd come inside. The line connecting him to his other self had led here but...how could he explain that? He swallowed. "This looks like my school, Casper High."
Sidney blinked, eyes widening. "You went to Casper?" The corner of his lip turned up.
"Yeah." The ghost boy bit his lip, not knowing what to say. Instead, he turned towards the door and pointed. "Yeah...thanks for the advice but...I should go so…"
"You don't have to yet." The other ghost's eyes were slightly pleading. "Why don't you rest for a bit? And I get you something to eat and drink? You look like you need it."
Phantom blinked. "Ghosts eat?"
Sidney frowned, slightly alarmed. "Yes? Come on." He grabbed the other boy's arm. "That's it. I'm making you some tea and a sandwich. I think I still have some cookies too."
The ghost boy didn't resist, instead gawking as the other ghost pulled him down the hallway and towards the cafeteria. His mind sputtered, trying to overcome the emotional whiplash. Seconds later, the pair floated in the cafeteria's kitchen. Sidney grabbed a tea kettle off the stove, filled it with what looked like water from the sink, and placed it on the burner. Then he opened the fridge and pulled out what looked like slices of cheese and luncheon meat.
Phantom just stared in disbelief. Sidney turned back towards him. "I have some tiger fruit too. I grow it in the courtyard. Do you want to try some?" He held up a round, stripped fruit, the orange and black standing out in bright contrast to the monochrome environment.
The ghost boy wrinkled his nose. "What is it?"
Sidney looked down at the fruit. "It kind of tastes like an apple. It's native to the Infinite Realms though. I don't think it has a Material World counterpart." He smiled. "It's really delicious."
"Alright?" Phantom shook his head. There was a lot of information there. Then he shrugged. "Sure."
The other ghost nodded, quickly preparing a plate and two cups of tea. He turned back to ghost Danny. "Let's sit in the cafeteria."
Without question, Phantom followed. Nervously tapping his hand on his leg, he sat down and took the steaming cup offered to him. The ghost blinked, studying the liquid. It actually felt warm in his hands. He moved the cup, closing watching the liquid sloshing in the cup like water. It did actually look like tea. Tentatively, Phantom looked up, glancing at the other ghost who was sitting across from him. Sidney was blowing his own cup before taking a small sip.
It was only then that where he was and what he was doing actually hit the boy. He was sitting in a ghostly version of his school cafeteria, with the ghost of a teenage boy who died in the fifties, based on his appearance. Phantom looked down at his plate again. And there was weird, slightly glowing ghost-food in front of him.
Sidney's words drew his attention. "Go ahead. Try the tea. It's not poison" The nerd half smiled at Danny with a nod.
Phantom looked down at his cup again, doubtfully. His stomach flopped as he considered. He was wary of trying the beverage. What actually was it? It couldn't be actually tea, like his sister liked to drink. Could it hurt him? Weren't there myths or something about how if you eat something in the land of the dead you can't leave? Or was that fairies? Or...wait...did that only apply to humans? He wasn't exactly human right now; he was a ghost. And this was food meant for ghosts. And….
"It won't hurt you. And it's good. I promise you'll love it." The other ghost encouraged patiently.
Phantom picked up the cup, again noticing the comforting warmth. It was still softly billowing steam. And it smelled so good, sweet and citrusy. Tentatively, he blew on the cup to cool it. He really did want to try it. Ignoring his doubts, ghost Danny finally took a small sip.
Phantom blinked rapidly, taking another sip. "I can taste this." He muttered numbly before taking another sip of the fresh, lemony liquid.
Excitement grew at the realization. He then looked down at his sandwich. Putting the cup down, he took a small bit. The savory taste of bread, cheese, ham. He took a larger bit. "I can taste this!"
"Of course you can." Across from him, Sidney said in disbelief.
Phantom looked up, talking through his full mouth. "No I...I haven't eaten in weeks." He swallowed. "I mean...I tried but I couldn't taste anything so I gave up."
"Gave… up?" The other ghost blinked.
"Yeah. But-" Phantom stuffed a cookie in his mouth, groaning in pleasure at the taste. "But how?"
"How?" Sidney held out his hands. "It's just lair made food."
"Lair made?"
"Yeah, as in the lair made it?" The other ghost's mouth fell open at the lack of recognition. "The lair basically took free ectoplasm and shaped it into food that we can eat."
Phantom dropped the sandwich. "Ectoplasm?"
"Yes. Everything here is made of ectoplasm, even us." Sidney answered like it was obvious. "Why wouldn't the food be?"
At that, the ghost boy looked down at the meal with new realization. "That makes sense."
The ghostly nerd nodded. "Yes. How don't you know that? And why couldn't you taste anything earlier?" His brow furrowed in deep confusion. "You said you tried food. But….you didn't know that ghosts can eat….or need to eat?"
Phantom picked up the sandwich again, taking a few more bits to finish it. His mind whirled. "We need to eat? But we're dead so…." He took another cookie, smiling at the taste.
Sidney gapped. "Of course we need to eat! Haven't you been hungry?"
"Hungry?" Phantom put a hand over his stomach. No, he hadn't been hungry in that way but...he moved his hand over his core. He'd gotten tired from overusing his powers and...he'd felt the Zone calling to him, like...like he needed to go to it for nourishment. "I have been." He whispered.
"But you hadn't realized?" The nerd face palmed. "No wonder you look so sickly."
The other ghost looked up, mouth falling open. "What?"
"You're barely glowing. And you're so pale. They're no color in your skin."
Phantom pointed. "You're likely in black and white?!"
Sidney raised a brow, motioning down his body. "This is an intentional aesthetic." His image wavered briefly, before the other ghost was in full color. His skin was a pale green and his eyes a glowing silver.
"Oh." The ghost boy muttered.
"Yes." The other boy nodded, motioning to the plate. "Go ahead and finish. You're lookin' better already."
Phantom didn't need to be told twice. He finished the sandwich and the cookies.
Sidney crossed his arms. "I don't understand how you didn't realize. You should have at least been passively absorbing ectoplasm through your skin." So apparently, that was something else ghosts could do.
The ghost boy shrugged, taking a bite of the fruit. He paused, staring down at it. "This is really good."
The other ghost smiled. "Isn't it? I can give you some seeds. The bushes grow very well in lairs, if you want to plant some." He tapped his chin. "Is your lair near here? You were trying to get back there, right? You did say that you were lost earlier."
"I did say I was lost." Phantom said, swallowing a bit of his tiger fruit. He then bit his lip nervously. "But...I'm not trying to get back to my….lair? I don't have one of those, I don't think…..Not that I'm that clear on what exactly a lair is."
Sidney again furrowed his brow, looking bewildered. "This is a lair." He motioned around them.
"No, I get that." Phantom sighed. "But...what is this? Why does it look like a high school? Where did that food come from? And those people...you called them, shadows? What are those?" The other ghost was still looking at him in confusion as an idea suddenly hit the ghost Danny. "Wait...is this like your house? Like you live here. Or...err...I guess that's not the right word. Afterlive?" His speech quickened. "If it is, I'm so sorry for barging into your house. I get why you'd be mad about that but I swear I didn't mean-"
"Danny." The other ghost said pointedly, making Phantom's mouth snap shut. "It's fine. I understand. Just…" Sidney pinched the bridge of his nose. "Let me explain?"
Phantom nodded, blushing in embarrassment.
"A lair is like a ghost's house but...It's more personalized. It might reflect somewhere from your life or a place you've always wanted to see. It's different for every ghost but based on your subconscious desires and your obsession."
"Alright." The ghost boy glanced around. "So this is your school from when you were alive. But still...who were those people that...attacked me?"
"Those weren't people. They were shadows. They're part of the lair."
"So you do control them."
"Somewhat?" Sidney waved his hand in a so-so motion. "As I said, your subconscious is what molds the lair." He balled his fists. "So those shadows are reflections of people, bullies, I knew when I was alive."
Phantom bit his lip, nervous at the anger in the statement. And he wondered. Obviously the shadows were something of a security system. But there must be more as well. There was the anger that the other ghost had shown twice now when talking about bullies. And what was that he said about obsessions having a role?
"Alright, okay." Ghost Danny bit his lip. "But...what about your obsession? How does that-"
"Don't." Sidney suddenly snapped, his eyes flashing. "Never, ever ask another ghost about their obsession."
Phantom shrunk in on himself, his shoulders falling. "Sorry."
The other ghost's expression softened. "You didn't know. It's okay. But...that's personal to me. I don't like to think about it, much less talk about it to someone I just met. So...don't ask unless someone brings it up first, okay? Other ghosts aren't as nice as me. If you asked Ember, she would fry you."
"Okay." The ghost boy paled, nodding furiously.
Sidney also nodded, taking a sip of his tea. Phantom finished his fruit, while his mind struggled to process all he'd learned. About how ghosts had to eat and about ghostly food. About lairs and shadows and not asking about obsessions. It was a lot, and there were so many more questions he could ask. But he had no idea what to ask now.
And again, the reality hit Phantom. He was sitting in a ghost's lair, having a genial conversation like he was just a new neighbor. Not one half of a human-ghost hybrid who was trying to get back to his other half in the real world. With that, there was a small push in the back of Phantom's mind. Yes, right. He needed to get back to following his tether to Fenton. But again...why had the line led him here?
The ghost boy put down the core of his tiger fruit once he'd finished. That got Sidney's attention. "You're done. Do you want anything else to eat?"
"No, thank you." Phantom shook his head. "Actually...I need to go home."
"Back to your lair?" Sidney questioned.
"No, I don't have one of those."
"Oh that's right." The other ghost said, frowning. "So where are you going?"
Ghost Danny bit his lip, considering. "The...the human world or...err...I think you called it the Material Realm?"
Sidney blinked, a strange mixture of shock, confusion, and worry on his face. "What? Why?"
Phantom sighed, rubbing his head. How to explain this. Guess he'd have to start at the beginning...and keep it simple. "That's where I've been ever since I…..you know…" He motioned up and down his body. "About a month and a half."
The other ghost's mouth fell open, his eyes bulging. "You've been...In the living realm?"
"Yep." Ghost Danny nodded.
"In the living realm?" Sidney put his hands on his head. "The material realm? Really, the living realm? And…." His voice pitched up in disbelief. "For a month and a half? Since you died? Wait...you've only been dead for a month and a half? And...that's where you were...the whole time...but...how? And…" He waved his arms. "No wonder you look so starved!"
"Starved?" Phantom muttered, even as the other ghost continued.
"And how did you even form in the material realm?" Sidney exclaimed. "That just doesn't happen, ever! And then how did you get here? Portals are so rare!"
"Sidney!" Ghost Danny interrupted, causing the other ghost's mouth to snap shut. Knowing he'd gotten his host's attention, he continued. "So...long story short. My parents are ghosts hunters and researchers. They're scientists who made a portal to...this place. They call it the Ghost Zone. And well...I went inside their portal, turned it on, and...umm...it..well...it killed me." Phantom looked down, his core clenching at the words and the pitying look on the other ghost's face.
"But...I walked out of the portal. I'm still here...even if I'm different now." He paused for a moment, considering the words. He'd said as much to Mom earlier. And he believed them. But…
"I did...I did try to act like nothing was different for a month after that accident, like I hadn't changed. But….it's really obvious now. Mom and Dad know what happened and…" He shivered, recent memories hitting him. "Mom and I had a fight. I wanted to talk to her about...some very hurtful stuff she'd said but…."
Phantom bit his lip. "It went bad. We were both yelling and Mom got really upset and said...she said…" The words sputtered to a stop as what Mom had said repeated in his head. He was supposed to be normal, human, alive. He wasn't supposed to be a ghost. He swallowed. "I started crying….and…" Mom's shocked and distressed face flashed in his mind, her desperate expression as she reached towards him. "I ran away. I didn't even think. I just flew through the portal 'cause I just couldn't be in the same room as her. I just had to get away but…" He put his head in his hands.
"Now I'm lost somewhere in the Ghost Zone and Mom is probably freaking out. Dad and Jazz too if she told them." Phantom then shivered, looking up. "I need to get back to them." He balled his fists in determination. "I need to get back to my parents, my sister, my friends, and my hum-"
Phantom snapped his mouth shut on the last word as doubt suddenly flickered through him. Human half, he was going to say. But...he hadn't mentioned that little fact at all. And the idea of explaining was daunting. His insides squirmed. What would a real, actual proper ghost think of that, of him? Both human and a ghost, living and dead, at the same time. Or...half of each, somewhere in the middle. Or maybe even neither, something else entirely. He didn't know and he was suddenly terrified to find out.
So instead, ghost Danny kept his mouth shut as he slowly looked up. He blushed. "I can't believe I told you all that." His shoulders fell. "I must sound so pathetic."
"No, of course not." Sidney said kindly. He was studying Phantom curiously, yet also oddly sad. He raised a brow, looking like he still wanted to ask about the other's near slip up. But he didn't. Maybe he sensed it was personal, maybe he thought Phantom would refuse to answer if asked. Either way, Sidney didn't press. Instead, after a long pause he finally said. "But I know why you came here now."
Phantom blinked in surprise. "What?"
"You're looking for a portal to the living world." The other ghost stood. "I might have something to help you. Follow me."
Ghost Danny's eyes widened at the statement but he obeyed without question. He floated out of his seat and took his place behind Sidney as he flew out of the cafeteria. The pair hovered down a familiar hallway. Soon enough, they stopped in front of a rusty looking locker numbered 724. Phantom looked at the door curiously.
Across from him, Sidney asked. "Did another ghost tell you about my portal?"
Ghost Danny turned to face the other ghost, brow furrowing. "Your portal?" He shook his head. "No one told me." He blushed. "You're actually the first ghost I've ever talked to."
The other ghost frowned. "Then how did you know this was here?"
"I didn't." Phantom glanced at the door again, reaching out with his mind. He tugged on the tether connecting him to Fenton and the line grew taunt. His eyes widened. There, behind the door, he sensed...something. "But...I sensed something. It...the line...it was leading me here."
"Line?" Sidney asked.
The ghost boy glanced back at his host, eyes widening. "Yeah..I'm...uh..I'm" He bit his lip nervously. "I'm….connected to someone in the material world...like mentally."
The other ghost raised a brow, clearly wanting to know more.
Phantom coughed, changing the subject. "So...uh...how does this work? How do I get through?"
Sidney frowned but answered the question anyway as he opened the locker door. "The mirror is the portal. It leads to the real Casper High."
Ghost Danny blinked, studying the mirror. "That? But it's so small and… where's the swirling green light?" His brow furrowed as he remembered his parents' portal.
The ghostly nerd shook his head. "It's not always active. It's only open for a few minutes during the witching hour of the full moon...and on the equinoxes and solstices. But" He raised a finger seriously. "There is a full moon tonight."
Phantom raised a brow, wondering how exactly the other ghost knew that. But he didn't ask. Instead, he looked at the mirror again. Was it really through there, his way home? Closing his eyes, the ghost boy reached out with his mind once again. Yep, yes. He was sensing something. Fenton...Fenton was through there but…. He glanced back down the hallway, towards the way he'd come. Theoretically, he could try to find his parents' portal or he could stay here and go through when the portal opened in a little over 12 hours….and leave his loved ones worrying for longer.
Then there was a gentle tug on the line. Something tickled in the back of his mind. The corner of Phantom's lip turned up. He could feel Fenton's keen interest on him. Oh yeah, he could tell or show Fenton what was happening and ask him to tell their family and friends that he was okay.
Finally, Phantom sighed. "I guess I'm waiting then."
Sidney nodded. Then his expression turned more serious. "Make sure you're sure you want to do this, though."
The other ghost blinked. "Of course, I want to do this. Why wouldn't I?"
The nerd bit his lip. "Well...I should tell you not to go through the portal. You could get trapped on the other side and ghosts that get trapped in the material realm...they starve. They get weak and desperate and angry." He shivered. "It's a horrible way to exist but…" He looked up. "If you think you need to do this, I'll help you." His eyes flickered to the floor. "If I had another chance to talk to my parents, I'd take it."
"Your...parents?" Phantom asked quietly.
Sidney wrapped his arms around himself. "They moved away from Amity Park after I….you know." His voice quieted. "By the time I found this portal, it was too late. They'd already moved." He shivered. "I know it would have hurt them to see me like this but...I still wish I could have. I should have told them how much I loved them, how sorry I was that all this happened."
That sobered Phantom. For a long moment, he stared at the other ghost and it really hit him. This was a dead teenager, a dead kid who'd had family and friends. Hopes, dreams, memories. A life...just like him. "We're not...we're not that different." Ghost Danny muttered.
Sidney finally looked up. "No, I don't think that we are. So…" The other ghost shifted nervously in the air. "I don't know what all happened with your mom but….talk to her." His voice pitched up, hopeful yet sad. Not demanding but a kind suggestion from someone with experience...and regrets. "Try to make things right with her if you can. Don't give up yet."
Phantom swallowed, considering. He didn't really know what to think of the other ghost's advice. Earlier, right after the fight, he might have been angry at the suggestion. He'd tried to make things right and had failed; it wasn't his responsibility to try again if there was no fixing things but...Mom's face flashed in his mind again. Her guilt, her desperation as he darted through the portal. And it was simple. She was his mom and he loved her, damnit. He couldn't just turn that off, couldn't stop wanting her to love and accept him. He couldn't stop hoping that she would.
"Alright." Ghost Danny wrung his hands. "I'll...keep that in mind." The way he saw it, another conversation was inevitable. Knowing his sister and dad, they would insist on talking about everything as a family. But he had a choice about how he would approach that conversation. Maybe he could approach it with the hope that things would get better, even if he'd be wary to trust again.
With that, Phantom pushed the thought away, focusing on the ghost in front of him, "Thank you for the advice. And for telling me stuff. I've learned a lot." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Man, I knew I didn't know much but...I don't seem actually to know anything at all."
Sidney nodded. "No sweat, pal." He half-smiled. "This is the most exciting day I've had in years. We can hang out 'til the portal opens and I can answer more questions."
"That would be awesome." Phantom finally smiled. "You're actually a really cool dude, Sidney."
The other ghost beamed and ghost Danny was happy he'd managed to wander into this ghost's lair. He'd be in big...err...bigger trouble if he hadn't. He'd learned a ton about ghosts, gotten a much needed meal, and would be home in a few...hours. His thoughts trailed off at the end as he felt an excited mental nudge.
In the lair, Sidney physically nudged him. "Danny?" He questioned, pointing towards the mirror. His voice turned sad. "Is that what you looked like when you were alive?"
"When I was….alive?" Phantom turned and his eyes widened, taking in his reflection. In the mirror, he had black hair, blue eyes, and was wearing a white and red t-shirt.
Phantom! There was an excited exclamation in his head. At the same time, his reflection's eyes widened.
"That's not my reflection." The ghost's mouth stretched into a grin. He placed both hands on the mirror. "I'm here! I'm right here! I can see you."
Across the mirror, Fenton smiled. You're okay. The words were mouthed through the mirror and communicated in the ghost's head.
"Yeah! I'm fine. I'm-" Phantom cut himself off as Fenton placed his own hands on the mirror, directly opposite his other half's. Instantly, a warmth coursed into the ghost boy. His eyes widened as a wave of green passed over the mirror. "It's open." He muttered, sounding awed.
Phantom didn't quite understand how but the portal was opened. And he needed to be on the other side of it, now. With little effort, he pressed his fingers out of the mirror. He curled them around the back of Fenton's hand as if he and his other self were holding hands.
Fenton grinned and he pulled.
Behind Phantom, Sidney called. "What are you-"
Without resistance, Phantom slipped through the mirror and right into his other self's arms.