Prompt by Amabsis: Season 3 Danny Phantom gets transported to the past and only Season 1 Danny Fenton can see him
"That's not how it happened." Danny frowned, looking through one of Clockwork's time windows.
The window showed the empty lab as a fourteen year old Danny stumbled out of the newly activated portal. The boy was hyperventilating, green eyes widening as he stared in horror at his glowing hands. In Clockwork's lair, Danny shivered; he couldn't hear the words but he could guess them. No. No. No. A sting of panicked denials from the boy in the scene. Of course, Danny could guess them; he'd been in the same position, felt the same fear. But….
"Where's Sam and Tucker?" The sixteen year old quietly asked, his heart aching. He turned to look at the Ancient ghost who was floating beside him. "They're supposed to be there."
Clockwork frowned. "That isn't your timeline." He motioned towards the window, for Danny to continue watching.
Across the screen, the other Danny was stumbling across the lab before throwing the bathroom door open. He froze in front of the mirror, his green eyes wide with fear. He reached forward, seeming to verify he was in fact looking at a mirror. Then the boy recoiled. His chest heaved, eyes watering.
"This is a timeline where you were alone during your accident." His mentor explained.
In front of the pair, there was a flash of light. A ring of light formed around the other Danny's waist, turning him human. He stumbled, gasping as he touched down. The boy stared at his now bare hands. Relief passed over his face for an instant...before his hand disappeared. The other Danny's mouth opened in what was likely a scream.
Danny ripped his eyes away, unable to watch any longer as his own memories of his accident hit him. So very similar except...Sam and Tucker were beside him. The goth's teary eyes as she realized he was a ghost. Their frantic questions and panicked footsteps as he rushed to the bathroom. Their shock and then relief when he turned human. Tucker's hand on his wrist, checking his pulse. The technogeek's surprised scream as Danny's hand turned intangible and fell through his friend's hand. Renewed panic. Sam's comforting hands on his back. His friends helping him stumble up the stairs and to his bedroom.
In Clockwork's lair, Danny shivered, feeling his eyes water. His mentor's hundreds of clocks ticked around the pair, the Master of Times' comforting arm around him.
Danny remained frozen like that for a while, the memories replaying. His accident had been terrifying and stressful, the source of many nightmares but….he'd had his friends with him.
His heart clenched, looking up at the screen. The image showed his other self, huddled on his bed and crying.
Danny hadn't been alone but...the boy on the screen, his other self, had been. The sixteen year old frowned. He could hardly imagine that yet it had happened to another version of himself, was happening in front of him and….
"What will happen to him now?" The boy asked, his stomach flopping with worry.
Clockwork remained silent for a moment, his brow furrowed as if in thought. Then he turned red eyes onto Danny. "It is not a favorable timeline." The old ghost mused sadly. "If things continue, he will never tell his friends. He will push them away and his family as well. It will be a sad, lonely existence. And likely a short one."
Danny paled, eyes widening. That sounded horrible, painful. He could imagine it, feeling so isolated and afraid. He wouldn't wish that on this worst enemy and….he shivered… while the circumstances were vastly different, something reminded him far too much of another alternative timeline he'd seen, one Clockwork had diverted him from.
The boy looked at the screen, frowning. "Can you do something, Clockwork?"
The older ghost looked down at him, frowning thoughtfully. He tapped his chin, humming. "I myself cannot...however…."
Danny perked up. "What is it?" Clockwork floated purposefully away, holding up a finger. "Clockwork?"
His mentor flew to a rack along the wall and grabbed a familiar looking device. The older ghost returned, depositing the gear shaped medallion in Danny's hands.
The boy furrowed in brow in confusion before realization hit him. He looked up, frowning. "Me? What can I do?"
Clockwork motioned to the screen again. "You can ensure he doesn't spend his first night as a ghost alone."
Danny looked at the window, remembering. His first night after the accident...watching a movie with Sam and Tucker. Them comforting him while chills wracked his body, his limbs turning invisible and intangible against his will. On the bed, his younger counterpart was still crying.
In the lair, the boy steeled himself and put on the medallion. He turned to the Master of Time. "Alright. What do I need to do?"
Clockwork nodded, looking pleased. "Keep that on. It will prevent anyone other than your alternative self from seeing you. In the morning, I will summon a portal for you to return here."
Danny tilted his head. "So….if I take this off….?"
His mentor raised a brow. "You will remain in place, though visible to everyone."
The boy blinked. "That's not how it worked last time."
The Master of Time just gave him a mischievous look and motioned to the screen. "Go on. I trust you will not divulge too much of the future."
Danny rolled his eyes, used to his mentor's evasiness. But at the same time….his stomach flopped with nerves. Could he do this? Could he actually do this? He'd never been that good at comforting people but...the boy he was going to help wasn't just anyone. He took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and floated through the window.
Danny blinked, blue light swirling around him. A moment later, he was floating in a dark bedroom. His eyes roved over the familiar surroundings: his NASA posters and rocket models, scattered books and clothes, half finished homework on the desk. And on the bed….the sound of crying hitched and the other Danny shivered.
Slowly, the boy sat up. His arms wrapped around himself, as if he was cold. And Danny knew, he likely was; his very presence always chilled the room when he was in ghost form, and it had just gotten more intense since his ice powers had activated. On the bed, his younger self's eyes widened in fear, his mouth falling open.
Instantly, Danny was hit with a sense of dread. He helped his hands out in front of him. "Wait. Hold on. It's-"
The younger Danny's eyes flickered from the ghost to his door. "Ghost!" He screamed, chest heaving.
The older boy paled. "No. Stop. I'm-"
Heavy feet pounded down the hall and the bedroom door flung open, the light of the hallway spilling into the dark room. "Where's the ghost?!" The large ghost hunter demanded, holding an ectogun.
Shakily, the younger Danny pointed across the room, directly at his older counterpart. His dad's head turned, eyes narrowing. Then his brow furrowed in confusion. "Where is it?"
Danny flinched at being called an it, his heart pounding anxiously. Self consciously, he turned invisible.
His younger self's eyes darted from his father to the spot the ghost had been occupying. "You didn't...you didn't see…?" His voice raised up in question and he rubbed his eyes.
Danny shifted nervously in the air. The man was still staring through him, unseeing. And his younger self was still gaping, his fear turning into confusion.
"What is it, son?" Dad turned, looking at the younger boy in concern.
The younger Danny blinked rapidly in disbelief. "I guess….I was seeing things." He frowned. "Must have been a nightmare."
His dad lowered the gun. "Do you want to talk about it?"
The boy shook his head, frowning. "No. I…" He shivered and then looked at his hand, his eyes widening. "I'm...I'm fine." He stuffed the appendage under his covers. "It's fine. I just want to…" He faked a yawn. "Go back to sleep." He blinked up at Dad, trying to look innocent.
The man furrowed his brow, looking unsure. "If you're sure…"
The boy stretched, yawning exaggeratedly. "Yeah. It's fine...I'm...just gonna..go back to sleep." His gaze flickered from the door to where Danny was floating invisibly, before he gave Dad a sheepish smile.
Dad still looked uncertain but after a moment, he stepped back. "Alright. Sleep well, Danno."
The boy nodded. "Night, Dad."
The man closed the door, seemingly leaving his son alone. On the bed, Danny's younger self put his head in his hands. "I'm losing it. First the stupid…" He shivered, again, hands disappearing. "Stupid body. Stupid portal." He gritted his teeth. "Now I'm seeing things."
Danny floated forward, his heart sinking. He needed to do something, to comfort his increasingly distressed younger counterpart. He stopped, hovering at the edge of the bed. With a thought, he returned to visibility. "You're not seeing things."
The younger Danny's head whipped up, his eyes widening. He opened his mouth, likely to shout again.
His own eyes widening, the ghost boy reflexively covered the human's mouth. "Please don't scream."
The other boy shook his head, his eyes pinching closed. He whimpered.
Danny's lip trembled, sudden regret hitting him. "No. Don't be scared. I'm here to help you."
This younger self shook his head again. He was shaking, with fear and stress.
"Danny. Please. You're safe." The older boy begged.
His counterpart stiffened at his name, his eyes slowly peeking open and then widening in realization. His brow furrowed in confusion as he searched the other boy's face.
Slowly, Danny removed his hand.
His younger self's mouth opened and closed. Finally, he muttered. "Why do you look like me?"
Danny swallowed, preparing himself. " 'Cause I am you." He said, as kindly as he could.
The other Danny blinked, frowning. "But….you're a ghost?"
His older self looked down at his glowing hands. He raised a brow. "Yeah? So are you."
The younger Danny tensed, his shoulders raising. "No. I'm not. I'm not a ghost. That's ridiculous. I'm...I'm me. And you're…." He pointed. "How do I know you're not tricking me?"
Danny sighed, running fingers through his hair. "Alright….how about this?" He summoned the light of his transformation. A breath later and he was heavy and warm.
His younger self's head whipped back and he let out a squeak.
Danny gave him a disarming smile and held out a hand. "I have a heartbeat, see?"
Tentatively, the other boy reached forward. His brow furrowed in concentration. Then awed surprise covered his face. "I can feel it."
"Yeah." Danny smiled. "I'm alive, obviously. But I'm a ghost too. Just like you."
"Okay." His younger self took a breath. "Okay. But...how?"
"Well….the accident…" He started.
The other boy shook his head. "No. I….." He bit his lip. "If you're me then...then, tell me something only I would know."
Danny sighed, eyeing a spot on the bed. "Can I sit here?" His counterpart rose a brow before shuffling over. His older self then huffed, flopping onto the bed. "So… I never told Sam and Tucker this but….really, I wanted to get the portal to work so Mom and Dad would be proud of me." He looked down, rubbing his neck. "They were so upset that the portal didn't start and….I hated seeing them like that. They'd been spending so much time working on it and...I thought if I got it to work they'd be so happy and they'd be proud of me...but...well…" He bit his lip. "You know what happened."
There was silence for a while, only the sound of both boy's breathing. Then the younger Danny finally spoke. "Okay. That's….damn... That's heavy. That's...that's a lot. But…. I get it. I...I know I'd probably never tell someone else that but it's true so…." He sighed. "I believe you."
Danny nodded. "Good." He rubbed the back of his neck, meeting his counterpart's eyes. "It would have been super awkward if you didn't believe me after that."
The other boy shook his head, even half smiling. "Yeah. So...you're me but" His eyes trailed his older self's body again. "….from the future?"
"Yep. From about two years from now. I'm sixteen."
The younger Danny nodded, biting his lip. "So...two years and I can still...uhh...because of the accident...I can still…."
"Turn into a ghost?" His older counterpart offered.
The boy flinched. "No. I'm not...whatever that was, I'm not a...a ghost." Almost as if his core sensed his denial, another shiver wracked his body. He flickered intangible and started sinking through the bed with a distressed cry.
Danny reached forward, turning his own hand intangible to grab the younger boy's wrist. With a combination of ghostly enhanced strength and transferred weightlessness, he pulled the other out of the bed. After a few seconds, his counterpart returned to solidity and Danny let go, allowing him to drop back down onto the mattress.
The younger Danny gritted his teeth, wrapping his arms around his waist. "Stupid...whatever this is!"
"They're ghost powers, because you're-" Danny started to explain.
His younger self glared. "Not a ghost. I'm just….sick..or something. The stupid portal-" He shivered again, this time light sparking around his waist.
The older boy frowned, knowing what it signified. At the same time, a memory hit him. Himself sitting on the bed in the dark, that same light trying to overtake him. Heart pounding with terrified, panicked fear. Sam and Tucker trying to calm him down.
"No. NO. What's happening?!" The younger boy panted, fearfully. "No. Stop!" He pinched his eyes closed, as if trying to push the feeling away. The ring of light disappeared for a second before flaring again. Then he groaned and curled in on himself. "No. Stop! I don't...I don't want.." His brow furrowed as he forced the light away again but it just reappeared. "Not again! Please. Stop. I'm not… I'm not…." His breath heaved, tears starting to well in his eyes.
Danny's core ached at the sight. "Danny…" He started, quietly saying his other self's name.
The younger boy looked up, glaring. "Stop just staring! Help me."
"I'm trying." Danny muttered, feeling chastised. That earned him an annoyed growl, which he completely deserved. So he took a breath, steeling himself. He could do this.
The boy put a hand on his younger counterpart's arm. "Don't fight it."
"What?" His alternative self demanded.
"That light...your body's trying to turn into your ghost form." Danny explained.
"Ghost form?! But… I don't wanna be a ghost!" There was another groan as the light flared again.
"I know." The older half ghost squeezed, comfortingly. "I know. I know...I remember how scary this is. But...you'll be okay, Danny. It'll be okay. So don't fight it. Let it happen."
"But...I don't...I don't want this. Please! Make it stop! It hurts."
"I know. I know." Danny soothed. "But it'll stop hurting if you stop fighting and change."
"Please. Please don't make me." The younger boy begged, a tear falling from his eyes.
"Listen to me." Danny insisted. "I promise, you'll be okay. You'll be able change back after. And your body needs this. It's trying to get used to your new powers. But you're safe. I'm right here. You can do this."
Shakily, the younger Danny looked up, meeting his counterpart's eyes. "You promise?"
Danny gave him a half smile. "I'm here, aren't I? I've been through this already and I turned out okay. So will you."
The other boy nodded, his brow unfurrowing slightly. He breathed out and the white light dancing over his skin coalesced into a ring. It spread, up towards his head and down towards his feet. Danny shivered as the light passed over the arm he was holding, the cold reaching out to touch his own core. The flash left him blinking spots out of his vision. Then he was staring at the familiar ghost boy, floating across from him.
The younger Danny frowned, staring down at his hands with a heart broken expression. "So...it's...it's true. I am a ghost."
"Yes." Danny said simply.
His counterpart wrinkled his nose, his fists balling. "So I'm some kind of...some kinda...undead freak."
Danny pulled his hand away, the words painfully jabbing at his heart. "You're not a freak. You're just different now. And that's okay."
"No it's not." His alternative self snapped. "I'm freaking dead."
"Well...that's complicated but-"
The younger Danny crossed his arms, cutting him off. "Well, excuse me. Apparently, I can turn back to normal so I'm not actually dead. Except I'm still a freaking ghost and..and…" His chest heaved. "Mom and Dad freaking hunt ghosts." His eyes widened. "Ghosts are supposed to be monsters. Unfeeling violent monsters. I'm...I'm gonna…" He covered his mouth, horror struck. "Oh god. What if-"
"Danny." The older Danny's hands were on both of the younger's shoulders. "Look at me." With a thought, he summoned his own rings and transformed. "Actually look at me." The younger boy's mouth snapped shut as he did so. "I've been like this for two years. Two years. And I'm still me. I'm not some monster who hurts people for no reason. I still feel things. I still have all my memories. I'm still me."
His counterpart frowned. "But...I saw….you're….we're….still alive too."
Danny shook his head. "I've met other ghosts too. And...Mom and Dad are wrong. Ghosts are just like the living. Yeah, they're different but….they're still people too."
The younger Danny bit his lip. "But..that's...that could be a trick or…."
The older boy squeezed his shoulders. "Actually, it was a ghost who sent me here."
His counterpart frowned. "What? A ghost?"
Danny nodded. "He's my mentor. He...he saved me. He saved everyone." He looked down at the last part, his heart clenching at the memory. His hand stretched out, reaching towards his tied up friends and family. The roar of the explosion, the pressure wave throwing him back, the smoke. Then suddenly suspended in the air, Clockwork in front of him. The older ghost waving and his loved ones appearing, unconscious but alive and unharmed.
The boy shook his head, forcing the memory away. "He watches over the timelines so that explains how I'm here. And he couldn't come here himself but…" He smiled at his younger self. "Neither of us wanted you to have to go through this alone."
The other Danny starred, looking bewildered for a long moment. Then he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Wow...that's a lot..."
"Yeah, it is." Danny nodded, agreeing.
Across from him, the younger boy looked overwhelmed, like he was still unsure what to think of all this. His brow furrowed in thought as he picked at his glowing gloves. He then shivered as his hands turned invisible again. He sighed again. "I still hate this. I feel so weird."
"I know but...you'll get used to it soon, I promise." Danny comforted.
His other self just huffed.
Danny bit his lip, stomach flopping. As he said, he did remember the feeling, how strange being in ghost form was at first. It was unnatural and stifling; the randomness of his powers scared him. And there was seemingly nothing to be done, only wait until he got used to his new normal. But right now, he only had one night with this version of himself and words would only do so much.
The older boy glanced out the window, the stars twinkling through it. His brow furrowed. Maybe if he could show his younger self….. Danny floated up from his cross legged position.
The younger Danny looked up, questioningly. "What're you doing?"
Danny offered his hand to pull the other boy up. "I want to show you something."
His counterpart raised a brow but took the hand. Surprisingly smoothly, he floated to his feet. That is, until he noticed he was floating. He wobbled in the air, eyes widening. "Woah!"
Danny grabbed his other arm, steadying him. "There you go. You've got it."
The younger boy stabilized, his gaze flickering from his feet and back to his other self's face. "Alright. Okay. Maybe that wasn't so bad."
The older boy smiled. "Good." He motioned toward the window. "Let's go."
"Where?" The younger Danny tilted his head.
Danny smiled wider. "We're going flying."
His counterpart's eyes widened in surprise but he didn't ask any questions, even as Danny pulled him towards the window. The older boy flickered intangible, the power passing over his companion as well and they both phased through the window. The younger gasped but still allowed himself to be pulled along as Danny started ascending. In ten seconds, he rose at least a hundred feet; all the while, the younger Danny watched him curiously.
Danny paused, looking out over the town. "Wow. Look at that view." He smiled. Stretched out below him was Amity Park. His city. His home. He could see all of it. "There's the park." He pointed in front of him. "And Casper High." He turned, pointing slightly to the left of the school. "The Nasty Burger. And-"
His younger self's hand, which he was still holding, squeezed, the grip almost painful.
Danny looked down, suddenly worried. "What is it?"
"I don't...I don't like this." His voice trembled. "We're so...so high."
"Oh..alright. Sorry…" The older boy frowned, concerned and slightly confused. He didn't remember being this afraid of heights the first time he flew. But then again, this was a different timeline than his. But still….his ghostly tail flickered under him, nervously.
The younger half ghost's eyes widened and he jerked away. "What the hell happened to your legs?" Danny glanced down at the same time his counterpart did. The younger stared at his own furiously twitching ghostly tail. "What the hell happened to my legs?"
Danny held out his hands. "Hey, it's okay. That's normal."
"Normal!?" The other Danny shouted. "Nothing about this is normal!"
"I know but-" He was cut off by a scream.
Below him, the younger's mouth fell open in horror as white light flashed around his waist. Before he could breath, the ring passed over him and he turned human. Gravity reengaged and he was falling.
The scene seemed to play out in front of Danny in slow motion. His younger self's hand stretched out in front of him, eyes wide with terror. Danny reached and dove, his ghostly tail trailing behind him. His heart pounded as he strained, flying faster than gravity could pull him down.
Seconds that felt like minutes later, the older boy grabbed his counterpart. His arm reached around the boy's chest from the back, looped under the other's arm pits. Danny resisted against gravity and the pair jerked to a stop.
The younger Danny panted. He shook against the other's chest until he found his voice. "What the hell?! Are you trying to kill me again?"
"I'm sorry!" Danny flinched. "I'm so sorry. I didn't...I didn't think this through."
"Ya think!" The other yelled, angry struggling to cover his fear. "I'm scared of heights!"
The older Danny frowned. "No you're not." He'd never been afraid of heights.
"Well, maybe you're not. But I'm not you!"
Danny's brow furrowed at the words. He wanted to comment that that wasn't exactly correct but…. That felt like the wrong thing to say. Instead, he sighed. " Alright. How about...let's just go home."
The younger didn't say anything as they slowly descended. The ops center grew closer and closer. Soon, the two were floating just inches above the metal surface. Danny let go of his counterpart and he landed on his feet on the roof.
The ghost remained floated, nervously rubbing his neck as his counterpart turned to face him. The younger frowned. He punched his older version in the arm, a little too hard to be playful. "No offense but that sucked."
Danny bit his lip. "I am so sorry." He looked down, cheeks coloring with shame. "I really screwed up. I'm so bad at this."
The other crossed his arms. "Dude. You should at least know what not to do, based on what happened your first time."
"My first?" Danny's brow furrowed in question. Then a realization hit him. "This didn't happen to me." He motioned between himself and the younger halfa. "I'm from a different timeline. Dimension?" He shook his head. "Sam and Tucker were in that lab during my accident. And they stayed with me my first night as a half ghost."
The younger Danny's expression slowly softened. He uncrossed his arms. "Half ghost?"
"Yeah. That's what we came up with for this." He motioned to himself. "The other ghosts call me a halfa though."
The younger nodded. "Alright. So you're still me. But from another timeline. And older."
"That's right." Danny agreed. He shifted nervously in the air. "Like I said, I wasn't alone tonight. And...I didn't want you to be either. And I'm sorry I messed up. I really do want to help so…." He bit his lip. "Whatever you need. If you want to talk about stuff, or get some pointers on your powers, or a distraction? I'll do whatever you want, okay?"
The other Danny studied him for a moment. "I think...I just want a distraction for now. Maybe we can talk later."
Danny nodded, touching down on the roof. With a thought, he turned human. He looked up. "That stars are a good distraction... or something else?"
His counterpart smiled. "No. Star gazing's good. I can always ramble about space."
The two flopped down on the roof and the younger Danny did just that. He pointed out constellations, talked about far away stars and planets and blackholes. Danny listened. It was nice, being on the other side of this. So this is what he sounded like when he got starstruck. It was also wonderful to see his alternative self relax, to see the corner of his lips turn up into a smile. Then, for just a second, his freckles lit up green.
The younger half ghost stopped in the middle of his sentence, brow furrowing. His eyes flared green and they widened. "Holy...what that…" He reached upward with one hand, as if he could touch the sky. "What am I seeing?" He turned to look at his older version.
Danny furrowed his brow for a moment before realizing. He'd long grown used to it; his vision was enhanced at night in either form, even without his eyes glowing. But still... he smiled, turning his eyes back to the night sky, deeper and more vibrate than any human could see. "That's what the night looks like to a ghost."
"What?" The younger breathed.
"Ghosts can see better than humans in the dark. Like a hundred times better. So that's what the sky looks like to you now."
"But...it's…. It looks like...when we go to Aunt Alicia's and...there's just so many stars but...there's more colors? And...it's deeper?" He pointed. "And that's the Milky Way!"
Danny chuckled. "Yeah."
The younger boy sat up, looking down at him. "So...if my eyes are glowing…. 'Cause apparently, that's something they do now?...It always looks like this."
The older nodded. "Actually, it always looks like that to me but….yeah." Danny sighed, looking wistfully. "That's my second favorite thing about being half ghost. The first is being able to fly." He met his counterpart's eyes. "The stars look even more incredible if you're above the clouds." He grinned, teeth gleaming. "But the best view is in space."
His counterpart's eyes widened. "Space!? You've been to…. You've been to space?!"
Danny nodded. "Yeah but...I shouldn't spoil too much. Just be careful. Don't try it until you know you've got a handle on transforming….actually not until after you met...uh...our mentor so he can bail you out if something happens."
The younger tapped his chin. "This mysterious mentor again. You gonna tell me who he is?"
"Probably shouldn't. He won't be happy if I tell you too much about the future."
The younger Danny hummed. Then he looked back at the sky. He pointed. "Look! A meteor!"
Danny traced the path with his eyes until it fizzled out. "Did you make a wish?" His counterpart nodded and the older raised a brow. "Are you gonna tell me?"
His alternative self turned. "Hey. You know it won't come true if you tell someone else."
"I'm not exactly someone else."
"But you're not, not someone else." The younger chuckled. Then his brow furrowed. "So….you said in your timeline, Sam and Tucker were with you tonight?"
"Yeah. They...We were all really scared but...they helped me figure out what was happening." He sighed. "I wouldn't have made it this far without them."
The younger turned back to look at the sky, frowning.
"What is it?" Danny asked.
"They're gonna think I'm a freak." His alternative self whispered.
Danny frowned. "You don't really think that."
The younger raised a brow, as if to say seriously. Then he shivered as a hand turned intangible and sunk into the roof. He groaned. "Not again." He pulled the limb out and frowned as his hand turned invisible again. "Really? This isn't going to freak them out?"
The older sighed. "I mean honestly...it might, a little but...they'll want to understand and help you."
The other Danny just huffed as his arm reappeared.
"Haven't they always been there for you?" Danny asked.
His counterpart's expression softened. "Yeah, they have."
"So trust them now. They're your friends."
"But…" He worried his lip. "Oh god. How am I even supposed to have that conversation?"
Danny frowned, thinking. He didn't know how to answer. He hadn't had to tell them but…. "I guess just go for it. They'll believe you. And remember they'll always have your back."
The other boy said nothing for a long while. Then he glared as his hand disappeared again. "How do I get this to stop?"
The older look at the outline of the invisible limb. "Well….your body's still adjusting to your powers so it's going to do that for a while-"
"Wow. That's a big help." The younger Danny interrupted.
Danny continued, with an eye roll. "But...for me, it got better after I started practicing my powers."
The other's eyes widened and he sat up. "You're not serious."
"I am. I had to learn how to turn invisible and intangible on purpose. It was like...my powers wanted to be used. They're a part of me. I couldn't just ignore them and hope they went away. I had to use them."
The younger shook his head. "That sounds wrong. I mean...these are ghost powers." He emphasized the word with worry and just a hint of disgust; the implication was clear.
Danny frowned but his voice was patient and kind. "Yeah, they are. But being a ghost doesn't make you bad, Danny. It's just...a different way of existing."
The fourteen year old studied him for a long moment. Finally, he said. "You really believe that."
The other boy nodded. "Yeah, I do."
It had taken a while. Practicing his powers with his friends and seeing how comfortable and accepting they were of him. Meeting, talking to, and learning from other ghosts. It was hard to unlearn a lifetime of biases ingrained by his parents and he still felt uncertain at times but it was getting better. (He'd even made headway in changing his parent's beliefs about ghosts but that was another story.)
Across from him, the young Danny sighed. "Alright. That's...I don't know what to think of that but… I guess you can give me some pointers at least and...I'll think about what you said."
"Really?!" Danny's eyes lit up excitedly and he sat up.
The younger joined him in a sitting position. "Yeah." He sighed. "I guess this is the part where you show me the ropes."
"Okay." The older rubbed his hands together. "First… you're gonna need to change into your ghost form."
His counterpart's eyes widened. "No. Nah uh. No way."
"Your powers are easier to use if you transform. Plus…" Danny raised a brow. "Do you want to randomly change into a ghost during dinner?"
The younger paled before conceding. "Alright. I'll do it. But…. How?"
The older boy hummed, considering. "Okay so…." He placed his hand on his chest. "You know that ball of cold right here?"
His counterpart gave him a confused look. "What are you talking about?"
Danny frowned, leaning forward. "In the center of your chest, a little to the right of your heart." He gently grabbed the other boy's hand and placed it on his own chest. "Can you feel it? It kinda hums like...well...it reminds me of the refrigerator…. 'Cause it buzzes, sounds kinda electrical, and it's cold…."
The younger Danny's brow furrowed in thought. After a long moment, slight realization lit his eyes. "Yeah. Okay. I think I'm feeling...something."
Danny nodded. "That's my core. It's where my powers come from." At the other's understanding nod, he continued. "You have the same thing inside of you."
His counterpart frowned, lowering his hand. "Of course I do."
The older's expression softened. "You don't have to be afraid of this. Your core is a part of you. Just like your heart or your brain. It's an organ that controls your powers; that's all it is."
Honestly, that was a simplification. Even with the very basic knowledge he'd learned at the Far Frozen, Danny knew his core did much more than regulate his powers. It helped him think and remember, to sense and respond to things around him. But right now, his other self just needed to know to not be afraid of a part of himself.
"If you say so." The younger looked down. He moved his hand up to his own chest, brow furrowing.
Danny glanced at the other's chest. "Now, can you feel it now?"
"Yeah." The other Danny confirmed, still frowning. "So...how do I...uhh...transform?"
The older nodded. "Close your eyes." The younger boy did so and Danny continued. "Really focus on that cold, that energy. Feel it swirling around in your chest. It's pulsing and buzzing, deep inside you. Now…" The boy took a breath. "Reach out and touch that cold with your mind. Wrapped your hands around it and...pull. Pull it to the surface."
His counterpart's brow furrowed in concentration; clearly he was listening to the words and trying to put them into practice. His nose wrinkled, focus increasing. Then the younger Danny gasped. White light danced over his skin, forming a ring around his chest. Surprised, his eyes popped open and then widened as his gaze fell on the ring.
Danny smiled encouragingly. "That's it. Now just let it pass over you."
The younger nodded, taking a breath. The ring passed a few heartbeats later, leaving a ghost floating across from Danny.
"You did it." The older congratulated.
The younger Danny looked down at his hands, flipping them over and examining the glow of his gloves. "I did…." His brow furrowed. "That actually wasn't that bad." He lowered his hands. "Still weird though."
Danny chuckled. "You'll get used to it."
His counterpart didn't reply to that, instead asking. "So what now?"
The older Danny transformed into his ghost form. "I guess, I'll go over the basic powers and help you practice for a bit."
The younger Danny nodded, relaxing his shoulders with forced confidence. "Let's do this."
The two spend the next hour practicing. Danny explained the three basic powers: invisibility, intangibility, and flight. He demonstrated each. Flickering invisible, phasing through the metal pillars on top of the ops center, flying circles above the roof.
"Now you try." Danny encouraged after showing off each power.
His younger self did try, despite his anxiety. The displays of his powers were spotty. He flickered in and out of visibility like a dying light bulb. Random parts of his body turned intangible and he furrowed his power, concerting great effort to turn to his whole body intangible. But he was making progress.
"There you go!" Danny cheered as his alternative self successfully phased through the satellite dish twice in a row. He grinned, offering the other boy a high five.
The younger Danny returned the gesture. "Yeah!"
The practice continued, the new halfa's confidence growing. It made Danny happy to see his counterpart growing more comfortable, even if his control was still laughable. His body continued flickering invisible and intangible to the younger's frustration. The older half ghost figured things would be like that for a while, as the younger's body adjusted to his new core and powers. But the prospect of him spending less time confused and less time afraid of his powers was a bright one. And another bright prospect….
Danny glanced at the air just below his counterpart's glowing boots. He smiled. "You've got a great handle on floating."
The younger Danny looked down, browning furrowing. Then his eyes widened in realization. He wobbled in the air.
Danny reached out to steady him. "Hey, don't think about it too hard. Just let your body do what it will. Flying's natural to us ghosts."
His counterpart frowned. Clearly, he didn't like being called a ghost again but he didn't comment. Instead, he straightened and focused on his older self's face. "Alright. I'll do that, just… let my body do it's thing."
"Good." Danny patted him on the shoulder. He offered a half smile. "Let's fly. I promise I won't go too high this time.
The older half ghost did as he said, leading his younger self in a circle around the ops center while floating only about five feet above the roof.
After a few circles, he let go, flying in front of the younger. Giving a mischievous grin, he glanced back over his shoulder. "Let's go a little faster."
The younger Danny raised a brow, a smile sneaking onto his face. He increased his speed, inching in front of the other boy. In return, Danny smiled and flew faster himself. He pulled forward, in front of the other boy. The younger's slight smile grew and he darted forward, faster still.
Just like that, a race started. The two ghosts circled the roof, chasing each other. Slowly, smiles grew into laughter. Danny snickered, dodging around the satellite dish. Seconds later, his younger self phased through. The older flew higher, his legs morphing into a ghostly tail as he twisted back around to fly in the other direction. The other Danny let out a laugh, reaching for him but just missing. Danny dove down, phasing through the roof with his counterpart following seconds later. He passed by the fridge, before darting up through the roof again.
Danny flew about about five feet up and then froze as another shooting star careened across the sky. He marveled for just a second before a cold body slammed into him. The air weezed out of his lungs and he let out a cry as the pair tumbled, head over heels.
With some effort, Danny slowed the tumble. He looked down, recognizing the arms were wrapped around his chest and the shaking body they were connected to. The older halfa ghost put hand on the younger's back. "Hey. It's okay."
The other Danny looked up. He was laughing. "Oh man...this is ridiculous." He let go, slowly backing up. "But I really needed that."
Danny smiled. "No problem. I'm happy you're having a good time."
The younger raised a hand to rub the back of his neck, looking sheepish. "Yeah well...thanks." He glanced down, paling as he realized they were floating three stories above the street. Danny took his hand, leading him back to the roof.
"So do you want to practice some more or…." The older started once both had touched down on the roof. Then the younger yawned. The corner of Danny's lip turned up. "I guess that answers my question."
The other boy yawned, stretching. "Yeah. Let's go to bed." He glanced down. "Oh uh…. Should I turn back or…."
"We can just phase into your bedroom. That's less noisy than climbing down the steps."
"Yeah. Okay." The younger Danny nodded in agreement. His older self phased through the roof and he followed.
Seconds later, the two halfas were floating inside of Danny Fenton's bedroom. With a flash of light, the older turned human.
The younger frowned. "How do I turn back?"
"Oh, right." Danny bit his lip, considering. "So where your heart is...there should be this little warm spot. I kinda think of it as a candle flame. You want to coax that, make it bigger so you're warm and heavy and-" He was cut off by a flash.
The younger Danny touched down. "That was a lot easier than the other way around."
Danny shrugged. "Figures. You're more used to being a human than a ghost."
"Yeah." The younger sat on the bed. "So I'm going to go to sleep then. What about you?" His lips turned down. "Are you leaving or…?"
Danny shook his head. "Not until the morning." He walked over to the closet. "I'll use your sleeping bag if you don't mind."
"Go for it." The younger was already lying down. He watched sleepily as Danny retrieved the sleeping bag and settled on the floor. He yawned. "Good night."
"Good night." Danny hummed in return.
Soon, the younger Danny was snoring. The older laid still for a few minutes, mind going over all that had happened tonight. But his thought stilled, fatigue overtaking him as well. He sighed happily, falling asleep.
Danny drifted in sleep, his mind floating through dreams. Not nightmares for once but pleasant ones. Having a picnic with his friends and family. Making cookies with Clockwork. Flying through space. He floated up, out of the depths of sleep. Awareness of the waking world slowly enveloped him. Morning light on his face. Warm, thick fabric around him. The hardness of...the floor? His brow furrowed but he just buried his face in his pillow.
Then there was a thump behind him. Danny jerked, rolling over. He squinted, eyes falling on a figure less than two feet in front of him. He frowned. It was….himself?
"Ouch." The boy groaned. "How the heck did I end up under the bed..." He trailed off, eyes falling on Danny. "Oh...it's you. That...all that really happened."
Danny's mind finally caught up as he remembered. Last night. Clockwork sending him through the time window. Talking his younger self through his second transformation into a ghost. Trying to take him flying. Stargazing with him. Demonstrating his ghost powers and helping his young counterpart practice.
Danny hummed. "Yep. Really here." The corner of his lip turned up. "And I guess you phased through the bed in your sleep."
The younger grumbled. "I thought practicing was supposed to help."
"It will...just not overnight. Like I said, your body's still trying to adjust. It'll take time so be patient."
The other Danny groaned. "Great."
"I know it sucks but you'll get through it." Danny promised.
His counterpart didn't reply. Instead, he stood up and then laid back down on his bed. His eyes flickered to the window and the light streaming through it. He glanced down at his older self. "So...it's morning."
"Yeah. I don't know when my portal will open but it should be soon."
The younger Danny nodded soberly. "And...I guess you can't tell me much more about the future."
"No. I can't." Danny said, feeling guilty.
If he could, there's a lot he would say. About the ghosts he'd fight. About Vlad. About Valerie. About his parents. But Clockwork trusted him and….
"Okay." The younger sighed. "But...I'll be okay, right?"
Slowly, Danny sat up. He studied his younger self for a bit before smiling. "You'll be okay." His brow furrowed, considering. "Yeah, everything's not always perfect…" He remembered his many ghost fights. Valerie's grudge against him. His parent's mistrust. All of the headaches Vlad had caused him.
"But I've done and seen so many incredible things." Saving the town. Meeting Clockwork, Frostbite, Dora, Pandora. Dating Valerie and his truces with the Red huntress. Slowly changing his parents' opinions on ghosts. Meeting and saving Danielle. And all the while…." And Sam and Tucker have been with me, the whole time. We've only gotten closer since my accident. We're team Phantom and we've helped so many people and learned so much. Really just...it's been incredible and…. I know it will be that same for you." Danny finished with complete conviction.
His younger self considered his words for a long time before he raised a brow. "Team Phantom?"
Danny smirked. "That's a spoiler."
The other Danny huffed before his expression softened. "Alright that's…." He sat up and ran a hand through his hair. "All of this had been so unbelievable but...I still believe you." He sighed. "And I'm going to tell Sam and Tucker about my accident.
Danny's eyes widened, his lips turning up. "Really?"
"Yeah. You've convinced me. 'Cause you were right last night. They have alway been there for me so...thanks for reminding me."
The older boy smiled. "You're welcome."
Danny stayed like that for a moment, smiling and watching his younger self with satisfaction. Faintly, he felt the medallion around his neck hum. And he knew it was time. To his side, a blue portal sparked into existence.
The younger Danny' eyes widened. "Is that it?"
Danny nodded and stood up. "Yep. That's my way home." He turned to the portal, preparing to step through. "I guess this is goodbye."
The younger Danny also stood, frowning. "Am I gonna see you again?"
Danny shook his head. "I don't think so. Not like this."
The other boy nodded, seeing to understand what he meant. That conundrum. Two different yet so similar lives. The same person and yet not.
The younger Danny stepped forward. He wrapped his arms around his counterpart. "Thank you for making sure I wasn't alone last night."
Danny hugged him back. "I...I couldn't see you in pain if I could do something about it." He squeezed. "Take care of yourself, Danny."
The younger also squeezed. "You too, Danny."
The pair stayed like that for a long moment before pulling away. With parting waves, Danny stepped through the portal.