title is from porter robinson's "trying to feel alive"
so this absolutely ran away from me. idk where it started or where it's going, but a longer, overarching plot thread presented itself to me as i started writing, so i guess we're flying blind here, folks. the fact that it turned into a multi-chap fic was ENTIRELY accidental. it ended up running longer than i expected, especially without some kind of resolution, so i ended up writing more, and more, and i never hit on the plot thread i wanted, so it just kept going and going, and here we are.
idk how long this will be—as of the original posting of chapter 1, im starting chapter 5—but i hope you all enjoy the ride :3
fic is for 13thcat over on tumblr, who doesn't seem to have an ffn. if this is you and you do, lemme know! :3
full prompt: Danny Phantom grew up in Ghost Zone and today, a curious man-made portal opens up in a town called Amity Park. What could lie beyond the portal?
i've tossed in a few fun aus for you to discover as you read. also, a warning for mild cursing if that's something you don't like
Something is different, something he can't quite put his finger on. He's flown past this area tons of times, but never has it ever felt quite like this. He isn't sure how to describe it, but something feels… off.
Phantom slows to a stop and tucks his hands in the front pocket of his hoodie. He squints at his surroundings, ignoring the things he's used to seeing, and looking for anything new. It should be easy, seeing as things in the Realms rarely changed so drastically, but all he sees is green and purple and more green.
Wait—there.
He blinks and drifts closer, legs reforming from their misty state, and tilts his head. It looks like a normal portal, but everything in him is saying that it most definitely is not. This wasn't here a couple weeks ago and although word travels quickly here, this is the first time he's seen or heard of any sort of unnatural portal around these parts.
Surrounding the portal is a metal frame of some sort, a perfect octagon and freestanding aside from the bottom edge that had been lucky—unlucky?—enough to open on top of and become embedded in a small chunk of earth with a flat top.
Reaching out a hand, he taps at the frame, half expecting it to phase through like he's heard human stuff is supposed to do. Instead, his knuckle lands solidly on the metal and his brows raise in surprise.
"Huh." Interesting.
"Child!" booms a voice behind him. Phantom turns to look over his shoulder and sees the Box Ghost in all his glory. He has a smug look on his round face and Phantom resists the urge to freeze it that way. "I see you have also found the human portal!"
"Is that what this is?" Phantom asks. If the Box Ghost has some information, he's not going to let it slip by him, regardless of his feelings on the other ghost.
"Of course!" Box Ghost zips over, dramatic as always and gestures grandly at the swirling ectoplasm within the frame. "This portal leads to the human world, to a place called Amity Park!" He waggles a finger in Phantom's direction. "But beware," he says, voice dropping. It makes him sound much more serious, which is weird and a little unsettling coming from this goof-ball. "This portal is owned by ghost hunters, so if you want to use it, you need to be quick."
Phantom, as much as he wants to scoff and brush the warning off, to make a joke about just how quick he is, simply nods in response. No ghost wants to see another get caught and ended. It's just common decently. "Good to know. Thanks, Box."
Box Ghost nods back, his red eyes holding Phantom's own green ones for a moment more. Then, "Now! If you would like to join me, I am going to into the human realm! Beware!" And with those words and a brief flailing of his arms, the Box Ghost shoots through the portal without hesitation.
Phantom stares into the swirls for a moment longer, waiting for something, anything. After several long moments with no change, he shrugs. Warning or not, if the Box Ghost can come and go freely from the portal, then he should have no problems.
Still, he'll be careful. No one knows where he is, after all.
With an unnecessary breath, Phantom plunges into the portal. It's not like the natural portals, which function more like doors or windows. This one leads to a tunnel of sorts, and once he's through, he can start to make out the view of the human world on the other side, obscured by what looks like a layer of green fog or translucent ectoplasm. A quick glance over his shoulder shows the view to the Realms behind a similar kind of filter.
As he drifts closer to the human side of the tunnel, he can start to make out the sights more clearly. It looks like there's a lab of some sort on the other end, which makes sense if the Box Ghost is to be believed. The portal definitely belongs to scientists of some kind, which, thinking about it, duh. Only someone skilled enough would be able to build a machine to punch a hole into the Infinite Realms.
He slows to a stop at the human end of the tunnel, and he looks into the room, scanning for some kind of life. Seeing that he was alone, he drifts out of the portal and lands on the floor of the lab. He takes another deep breath and he's a little disappointed to still smell so much ectoplasm in the air. It's not surprising, considering the proximity to the Realms, but…
Phantom isn't a stranger to the human realm. Over his years, he's come and gone a few times, though it's usually under the supervision and tutelage of one of his many mentors. This time, there's no Frostbite with his Infi-Map or Clockwork with his Medallions, though Phantom is… reasonably sure that if something terrible were to befall him, Clockwork would at least give him some sort of forewarning.
Hm. His thoughts are beginning to turn Ominous.
Time to get out of here, then.
Shifting to both invisibility and intangibility, Phantom shoots through the ceiling and through the rooms above until he's free floating in the sky. It's much further away than he expected it to be, as he turns to look at where he came from, he can see the reason why. The building below him is a multi-storied brick home, probably, but with a giant metal monstrosity somehow stuck on top. There's also a giant sign pointing right to the building, proudly proclaiming it as "FENTONWORKS" to anyone who cared to know (and several who undoubtedly didn't).
"Subtle," he mumbles to himself. Ah, well. At least he isn't likely to lose track of it, and since this is where the portal is, he'll need to come back eventually.
Well, since he's here, it won't hurt to take a look around. The sky above is blue and bright and although the cold doesn't bother him, what with his ice core, the day is pleasantly warm as well, and sure to get hotter. He wonders what the date is, idly, as he turns towards the sun to bask in its rays.
There's a full color version of Sidney's school, Casper High, in front of him, and for a minute, he can't believe his eyes. It's rather surreal, but he can't deny that he's a little excited to be here. Sidney's realm is… rather uncomfortable to hang out in, so he's never really explored it before, so he's looking forward to taking a look around now that he can.
Phantom nods and goes invisible, diving for the front doors. He lands without a sound and walks through the doors without opening them. The hallways are clear and empty, but the further he walks, the more he can hear the signs of human life in the classrooms. Coming to a stop in front of one door, he phases his head into the room, taking in the rows of desks occupied by bored looking teenagers.
He shifts his gaze to look at the teacher as the man speaks. "Remember class. The year is just starting, so make sure to start it out right. You're high schoolers now, so it's important to make a good first impression. You'll be here for four years, after all."
Phantom grins as the kids erupt into stifled groans. The Realms has a critical lack of young people, but maybe he can make human friends…?
He almost loses his invisibility as he jumps back, startled, at a loud ringing noise that sounds from all around him. He pulls his head free before the surge of students can pass through him, and he takes to the air to avoid them. They may not be able to touch them if he doesn't want them to, but no one wants people to walk through them all the time.
Phantom watches the students flood out of their classes and pour into the hallways like a river. It reminds him of something Clockwork told him once, about seeing time as a parade.
He makes to leave when he hears a rough voice yell out, "Watch it, Fenton!"
"Watch yourself, meathead," a higher voices shoots back, annoyed.
Phantom, turns, intrigued, in the direction of the bickering. Fenton… That's the name that's on the arrow pointing to the building the portal is in.
Well, he has nothing better to do. Might as well investigate.