π°πππππππππππ 2021_Day 24 [Trick]
~Sequel of Domestic Phantoms "Day 23: Ruins"~
Category: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Family, Friendship, Illusory Reality.
Trigger Warning: Death of old age, Mention of Cockroach/Parasite/Corruption.
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Things have been good for a while for Dan, now that an actual decent adult was supporting him.
After waking up from crying himself to sleep still in the hold of Ida Manson, he had rebuilt a house for her with his powers along with new shelters for the other survivors.
Since none of them had seen Phantom as the Calamity (un/fortunately everyone who did was dead), they had spun the tale as in that he had come back from the imposed self-isolation in the Ghost Zone as soon as he heard the news about the invasion⦠that had come too late to save the world, but enough in time to avoid complete extinction by defeating the enemy.
At first the people had been wary of him, but as time passed and Dan only showed himself as a benevolent spirit (now that he had really come back to being himself) they warmed up to his new appearance, different from what the archives showed.
Ida, who had seen the Calamity before he got rid of the Plasmius Parasite, noticed some changes as well after Dan had reverted to his Phantom form: gone were the crimson eyes, now back to their original toxic green shade, while the skin tone had lost a bit of aquamarine color to go to a light powder blue.
The rest of his form had stayed unchanged, fiery white hair, muscles and cape, all a heritage from Plasmius's side, but Dan had felt more comfortable with those characteristics, so he had unconsciously kept them.
He had made amends with the ghosts he had wronged after long negotiations with each of them, more often than not regaling relics he had found in the deep ends of the Zone during his conquest. He had nothing to do with them after all, so he didn't care if they were his or not and he was too strong to worry about his old foes attempting revenge by using their powers.
The following years jumpstarted the recovery of society with Dan squirreling from community to community to help (and make secret amends). While he couldn't erase the wrongs his corrupted self had done, Phantom's protective obsession had taken the wheel and was driving him to find a remedy for them, after being repressed and chocked by Vlad's hidden influence for 10 long years.
(He still teleported every day to Ida's new house to tend and be tended by her, because they were each other's link to a lost past life, so they wanted to pass as much time together as they could.)
However, Ida Manson had been old before the Calamity had come and after its extinction she was even older. One day, when Dan had been visiting to tell her how one of the overseas town was recuperating, she stopped answering him and passed over.
Dan buried her beside Sam, Jazz, his parents, Tucker, Mr. Lancer, Valerie and Damon Gray with a quiet acceptance that would have been unheard when he had been the Calamity. Then he sat before their graves and softly spoke to them every day, now that humanity could stand and walk with their own feet and didn't need his help anymore.
At a certain point (who knew how many days or weeks had passed), Dan was about to nod off*, when a snort of cold smoke came out of his nostrils, making him instantly aware of a clock-shaped teleport light beside him.
He didn't react further however, other than staring at the Master of Time, who gazed back at him silently.
Dan would have been contented to stay like this forever, after all he couldn't die and get tired anymore, sleep was merely a luxury for him, but his curiosity had been piqued. What did the Ancient want with him after ignoring his raging assault to the Infinite Realms?
β Ah, Clockwork. What do I owe the pleasure of your presence? β He said pleasantly with sarcasm evident in his words (he had got rid of Plasmius, yes, but certain habits died hard, okay?).
β I saw that now you are the most stable version of yourself and you're working to make amends, soβ¦ I wanted to offer you the possibility of a second chance. β The adult form of the spirit shifted to the child-like one and looked expectantly at Dan.
β Like what? They are all dead, β he gestured to the tombstones before him, β I don't think that exist something capable of resuscitating the deads. Besides, they are too much on the skeletons side now. β The once-halfa looked at the other unimpressed, folding his arms.
β They are dead in this timeline, yes. But what would you say if I'd offer you the chance to go back? To save your relatives and friends before the accident can take place? β The Ancient smiled, going elderly.
β Where's the catch? β Dan narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Clockwork was the only being in existence that could best him, but only because of his time manipulation skills.
β No catch. You'll be there to make sure your younger self won't turn into your old "you". You'll have to protect his humanity as long as you're able. β Here Clockwork hesitated. β If you don't still resent your humanity, that is.
Dan sighed and looked away, scratching his flaming hair. β At first I did. But Aunt Ida made me realize that it was because Vlad hadn't been capable of looking past his desires. He didn't take me to therapy, like Jazz would have done, and let me elaborate the grief. My human side made mistakes like I did after the merge. I can't hold a grunge for this anymore.
β Then do you accept? β The now adult Clockwork extended a hand that Dan looked intently, reflecting upon his choices, but at last he took, floating up to stand.
β I do. Let's go and be the hero once again.
~OoO~
When the Time Teleport's light faded, they found themselves in Danny's old room, with the boy startling in a standing position from his desk chair at their sight, probably warned by his Ghost Sense.
β Who are you? What are you doing in my room? β The boy demanded, shifting into a battle stance and probably a hair trigger away from transforming. β And why do you have that symbol? β He pointed to Dan's chest, frowning.
β Because I am you. And you could become me, if we won't intervene now. β The older Phantom stated seriously, but trying to hold off his usual threatening aura. It was a default thing and it had worked wonders during the amends negotiations.
β "Intervene" how? And why becoming you would be bad? β Danny narrowed his eyes in distrust.
β β¦I turned into a machine of mass-destruction after losing everyone I loved and being corrupted by Vlad. I only managed to shake it off only few years ago, but I'm trying to atone for my sins. β The ex-Calamity explained bluntly, but sincerely.
β I am Clockwork, Master of Time, and I offered him to come back in another timeline to prevent the incident and save your humanity. I presume you would beβ¦ Interested in hearing us? β The Time Ghost shifter into his elderly form and looked expectantly at the halfa as he had done with his older self.
It took few seconds (how they were still alike, Dan realized), but Danny lowered himself back in his chair and offered them his (for once made) bed. β I'm listening.
Thankfully they spared some details, but the boy got the picture very clear. At first he had stared at his possible future self a bit distrustfully, but then sympathy had kicked in and his obsession had gently nudged him to help him, so he had accepted.
Dan would reside in the Ops Center at least until a better place was found, while they would gradually present him to the rest of the Team and the town as "Phantom's older brother".
The older doppelganger's non-negotiable demand had been that the two of them had to reveal themselves to Jazz, in order to get the necessary support for the upcoming C.A.T. for Danny. While the boy tried to catch up with the studies, Dan would protect the town in his stead and at the same time find a solution for the Nasty Sauce so it wouldn't explode whatever happened.
Danny had grumbled and protested, but the pressure of his future had prevailed, making him cave in.
Once Clockwork was sure that things had nicely settled, he left the two of them alone (to bond).
They were awkward for a while, but when Jazz barged in to escape a mutant Franken-weenie upraise from the kitchen, the choice of the reveal was taken for them.
Dan, silently reeling from the presence of his older sister after years of not seeing her, swiftly and efficiently made quick work of the revenant sausages (snaking on them), then the three of them had a serious conversation on Danny's double life and what it would have meant for him going on without an actual support.
It came to a complete surprise (for both Phantoms) that she already knew about his halfa status and had tried to cover for him with their parent, waiting for him to come to her at his own pace.
(Dan had wondered if his Jazz had wanted to do the same, but the incident had ruined her chances.)
Meeting Sam and Tucker happened the following day and Dan met a high level of suspicion, which lasted even after the whole explanation for the Goth, who left for school with the others after the universal gesture of "I'm watching you".
The first ghost that Dan met was Cujo, who played with him almost all day, interrupted here and there by the Box Ghost (who learned very quickly not to mess with the older Phantom), Skulker and Ember (since the couple had quarreled once again).
None of them were maimed, but the Shame Jail (made by Ghost Shields) he had put them in (since Danny had forgot to give him a Thermos) was very humiliating and a sufficient punishment to convince them to leave Amity Park alone for a while.
The happiness on Danny's face, after he came back from a whole uninterrupted school day, had been so rewarding that it filled the full ghost with a warm feeling that he had sorely missed for more than a decade. He⦠could get used to this.
The C.A.T. exams came and passed, not with a top score, but high enough to make Jazz proud, allowing a bit of Sam's mistrust to fade away.
The relationship with the Red Huntress had been a wild ride, but after saving her life more than once and managing to keep her still enough to explain what had truly happened with Cujo, she a bit begrudgingly acknowledged the Phantoms as allies.
(It would have her learn about Danny's halfa status to completely accept the situation, but it was already a progress from shooting at him.)
The Fentons took more time to be convinced, but since now Danny wasn't anymore "a worry" and their studies had shifted to have a more acceptable approach to the subject (not without an eye-opener courtesy of a save from Dan), it didn't take them long to figure that ghosts were still people and that the more evident individuals in a crowd were always the most violent ones, thus the same concept applied to the dead.
(It also didn't take long afterwards for them to figure out that Danny was a ghost-hybrid after relinquishing their prejudices on Ecto-biology and then accept him.)
After the reveal, Dan didn't have to hide in the Ops Center anymore and was offered his own room⦠That he had to share not long after, since the fruitloop's last attempt at getting his claws on "Phantom" by trying to clone him had been successful. The first "specimens" had been too fragile unfortunately, but Dani was saved by the Fenton family's team effort, now that they were all on the same page.
(If after destroying the clone machine Dan had a more⦠"serious" conversation than the first time the two of them had met, it had been all a matter of instilling primal terror in the man's mind to make him stay away from his family. The lesson seemed to have stuck since then.)
Dan was often found playing with Cujo and his new little sister, or chatting with old Ida Manson when he wasn't "on duty", the latter event seemed to happen less and less with three Phantoms haunting Amity Park.
He was finally content and at peace after all the fighting, hate and rage that had almost consumed him for a decade. Dan was glad he had accepted Clockwork's second chance.
~OoO~
Nocturne, Undergrowth and a third spirit stepped back from the yew that they had helped growing around Dan Phantom's deep-sleeping form, encasing him in a live-sepulcher of forever-slumber. The deed was done, so their input wasn't needed anymore.
β Do you remember the deal? β A skinny ghostly teenager with black and cyan casual clothes, white hair and pale bluish skin asked his companions with a solemn tone.
β Earth will be left untouched, Phantom, just as promised. There are too few humans left to deal damage to my children, anyway. β Undergrowth lisped, uncaring.
β And humans as well. This magnificent tomb, along with Pariah's, will give me nourishment until the end of Time, allowing me to exist. I won't need to target anyone with my powers now. β Nocturne smiled serenely. β I hope that you will keep your end of the deal.
β I'll protect this place as long as I exist. I'll make it my lair and drag it to the Zone, when Earth will meet her demise by the Sun's life-ending-cycle. I won't let anything disturb their rest, that I swear. β The new Phantom nodded, resting a hand on his core.
The (now) eternal-boy had been awoken by Clockwork few days after Ida Manson's end and he had been allowed to see the past of his counterpart.
And Danny⦠had felt guilty. If he hadn't rejected his ghost-half in his grief for the loss of his family, he would have noticed Vlad's misguided attempts at manipulation. It was only fair that Dan got to have a happy ending, even if illusory, since Clockwork had categorically refused to let them to go back in time.
The Master of Time had "helped" Danny Fenton's human-half murdered by Dan to become a full ghost because it had been the only thing that a loop in the Observants' rules had allowed.
So this deal with Nocturne and Undergrowth had been all what the newly formed ghost could come up to due to his limited powers.
Danny Phantom had been reborn once again, but as a Guardian of the Lost Heroβ¦
And nothing would have make him break his promise.
* If anyone was guessing, the Sweet Dream starts from here.
A/N. β¦This had been a long and heartbreaking journey, Phans, I swear that it started with one idea, but then it morphed midway because I thought I would do a disservice to the characters if I went with the original plan (and I'm not that cruel or sadistic, so I went with wistfulness rather than punishment).
(γ·_ _)γ·
This one-shot broke the canons I had for Domestic Phantoms, but it was a necessary follow up of the previous Day, so I hope you'll forgive my deviance from the leitmotivβ¦ (γ»γΏγ»;)γ
I liked the result, even if THIS kind of angst isn't my bread and butter, but now I get to write FLUFF! So don't despair! (*β’Μα΄β’Μ*)Ω
Hope you liked my take at the "Sweet Dreams", type ya tomorrow!
Will Day 25 be Headstone or Boo!? Check in "Domestic Phantoms" and you'll find out!