To Phantom's relief, the flight home was much smoother than their previous attempt. Anxiety still buzzed through him from his other self but it was dimmed. The idle chat between the pair was definitely helping.

"Hey Phantom. Wanna hear a joke about ghosts?" Fenton asked.

The ghost titled his head. "Sure."

The human grinned at him. "That's the spirit."

Phantom wrinkled his nose in confusion for a moment, not getting the joke. Then a laugh burst out of his mouth. "Fenton. What the heck." He snorted.

"Oo. I've got another one." The human grinned. "Why are ghosts so bad at lying?"

The ghost chuckled. "Why?"

"Because… because...you can see...see right through them!" Fenton struggled to deliver the punchline before breaking down in giggles.

Watching his other half grin and feeling the mirth the boy was projecting, Phantom couldn't help but laugh as well. Then he raised a brow. "Is that so?" His grin widened into something mischievous and the ghost turned both himself and his passenger invisible.

"Phantom!" Fenton yelped, his grip on his counterpart tightened before he started laughing. "I see what you did there." Still smiling, his gaze fixed on Phantom's face. "Actually...I can still see you." There was a hint of awed-surprise in his voice.

The ghost felt the same. "I...I can see you too."

The arm looped around Phantom's neck relaxed slightly. "Man, that is so cool."

"It is." The ghost boy turned both of them visible. "But you can always see me when I'm invisible, can't you?"

"It's not really seeing." Fenton tilted his head thoughtfully. "It's more like...I just know where you are even if I can't actually see you...if that makes any sense."

Phantom nodded. "Yeah...I think I get it." There was a beat of thoughtful silence before the ghost grinned again. "So, do you have any more bad jokes for me?"

Fenton huffed, faux offended. "Come on, my jokes are awesome." He wiggled his eyebrows teasingly. "I know for a fact you like them."

Phantom rolled his eyes before blushing. Well now, he was caught in a hard place. Oh of course he liked the jokes but he couldn't very well say that.

"I've got another one." The human narrowed his eyes, playfully. "It's perfect, even funnier than that joke about chicken and waffles that Dad loves and we pretend isn't actually funny."

The ghost rolled his eyes. "Get to the point."

"Okay, Okay." He raised his free hand. "What do you call…." He paused schooling his expression. "The ghost of a chicken?"

Phantom looked at him questioningly, not saying anything. But the corner of his lips turned up despite himself.

"You'd call it…." Another pause. Green and blue eyes meet again, mischievousness shining in the human's gaze. "A poultry-geist."

A silent stare down insuided, a battle to see who would crack first. Phantom fought to keep his expression neutral, to keep his lips from turning up. Fenton was doing the same, only his eyes displaying the mirth within. But that feeling still radiated into the ghost from the connection to his other self. The levity, the humor buzzed at Phantom's core, making his spirit (ha!) feel even lighter. A silent laugh shook the ghost's chest but he fought to keep it silent. Fenton clearly noticed the shift. His eyebrows wiggled ever so slightly and Phantom was done for.

Sudden laughter burst from the ghost's mouth, his lips turned up in an incredibly wide smile. A second later, Fenton followed. It felt so good to laugh again, even if Phantom knew he was laughing at his own joke. And of course he was. He could always count on himself to appreciate his own puns. But really, what felt even better was being unified, at peace with the other half of himself. As both figure's shoulders shook with the sound, the laughter morphed. It merged into one sound, one voice ringing with relief, joy and unity.

If both Dannys had been in a position to double over laughing, they would have. Instead Fenton's head lulled to the side, resting on Phantom's shoulder. The ghost's head tilted slightly, to rest against Fenton's head. The laughter quieted but didn't end as the two just enjoyed each other's company. They were two parts, moving together, instead of the jagged incomplete fractions they had been. Not whole, not complete. But...the gaps were lessening, the splinters in their soul healing.

The quiet chuckling continued as they arrived back outside of their house. Phantom phased himself and his passenger through the wall of their bedroom. The pair was so relaxed, neither noticed they weren't alone anymore.

"Daniel James Fenton!"

Two pairs of eyes popped open, gazes falling on the two adults.

"Mom! Dad!" In shock, Phantom's arms fell to his sides.

Then there was a yelp. "Phantom!"

Shoot. He'd just dropped Fenton. The arm around his neck tightened, pulling him down. With a huff, the human landed on his behind, his legs splayed in front of him. Phantom flopped onto his stomach, draped over his human's legs.

"This is turning into a pattern." Fenton mussed, amusement in his voice.

Phantom nodded, pushing himself up with his hands. "Yeah, It is." The corner of his lip turned up slightly; between the previous levity and the humor of the situation, he smiled despite himself. He sat down on the carpet, perpendicular to his other half before giving him an appraising look. "You okay?"

Fenton nodded. "Yeah. I'm-"

"Danny!" The human boy was cut off by his parents pounding towards him. "Are you okay?" Mom lowered herself to her knees while Dad squatted.

"I'm fine." Fenton and Phantom said at the same time.

Mom's eyes flitted between the two faces, before trailing up and down each body in search of injuries. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Both Dannys spit out, slightly annoyed at the hovering.

"They're fine, Madds." Dad reassured looking between the two versions of his son.

He stood up before offering one hand to Fenton and one to Phantom to help each boy to his feet. A moment later, Mom stood. At seeing both Dannys standing or floating unharmed, her worried expression slowly weaned and her face hardened. "Where have you been?"

Sudden nervousness spiked at her change in tone. Phantom blinked. "What?"

"Your father and I came to check on you an hour ago and you were gone!" She put a hand on her head. "We tried calling you but" She held up their bookbag. "You left your phone in your bag! Where were you?!" Phantom opened his mouth to answer but Mom continued. "We...we had no idea where you were. None. You just...just disappeared without telling us anything!" There was a hint of hysteria in her voice, anger just covering intense worry. "And then you just phase back in here laughing like nothing happened. How could you...How could you just leave like that, without telling us after, after...everything?! I thought you'd...you'd-" Her voice cracked before she cut off whatever she'd been trying to say. "We were worried sick. Where were you?!"

"Oh. We...ummm" Phantom swallowed, tension rising in him under his Mom's angry gaze.

He glanced at Fenton, who was rubbing the back of his neck. "I..uhh...wanted to go flying."

Mom blinked, confusion passing over her face.

Similar confusion passed over Dad's expression. "You wanted to go flying?"

Fenton glanced at his counterpart nervously. "Uhh...yeah."

Mom quickly looked between the two, eyes falling on Phantom. "You went flying?!" Frantic anger leaked into her disbelieving voice. "How could you? That's….that's dangerous." She looked at Fenton. "You could have fallen or gotten lost or-"

Something prickled in Phantom's core. Maybe anger, maybe hurt. He swallowed. "It's fine...we're fine."

"Fine!? Something could have happened to you!" She pointed angrily.

"Nothing would have happened." Phantom crossed his arms, before glancing at Fenton. "I would never let him fall."

Mom's jaw dropped, her eyes narrowing. "But...you can't just…"

Fenton spoke up. "It's fine Mom." He stepped forward and looped his arm in Phantom's. "I trust my ghost half."

Earlier, the declaration of trust would have been reassuring but now, Mom's attitude, her reaction to them flying grated at Phantom. Was this normal parental concern or...was that mistrust? Dangerous. Was flying dangerous or...was he, the ghost, dangerous?

"Yes but...humans cannot just fly." The woman put her hands up.

To Phantom, the words were a stab to the core. He glared. "I'm not human."

Another voice, or rather his own without the echo, said the words at the same time. But not angry, instead they were flat, lacking bite. Feeling his anger drain from him, the ghost looked at his human counterpart. Then his eyes widened in surprise. The human wasn't looking down, his shoulders heavy with sorrow like Phantom expected. He was looking directly at their parents. And while there was an undeniable hint of sadness in his eyes, there was...acceptance as well.

Fenton swallowed. "I'm not completely human, not anymore. This-" He waved up and down the ghost's body with his free hand. "Phantom...is a part of who I am now. Flying included."

Despite the lingering sting from Mom's statement, the assurance bolstered the ghost's confidence. He stood tall, arm in arm with his other self. Again, he felt more unified and at peace with Fenton than he had at any time since the ghost catcher. And he hoped Mom and Dad could see that and accept what they had to say.

But the ghost feared it wasn't so as Mom paled, the anger leaking from her face. She looked uncomfortable again, maybe even fearful but tried to cover it by crossing her arms. "You still...something could have happened to you." She swallowed. "You could have-"

"Madds." Dad's hand appeared on her arm, interpreting. "They're fine. Nothing happened."

She shook her head. "But-"

"You can stop worrying." He squeezed her comfortingly. "Our boy's home safe. And happier than I've seen either of him in a while." At the last part, Dad looked at the pair of Dannys with an almost relieved smile.

Phantom would have blushed at the observation, except...Dad was looking at him with loving relief, holding no anger. He remembered what Dad had said earlier, how he'd give anything to see his son smile again. And well…..yes, he was happier than he'd been in a while. Mom must have seen or realized something similar because she looked between the two Dannys, the anger and worry on her face lessening into relief as well.

The woman sighed. "You're right Jack. You're right. Danny's safe." She looked between the two boys lovingly for a few moments before her expression turned hard, not angry per say but completely serious. She crossed her arms. "But what exactly possessed you to go….flying…. past curfew without your phone?"

Phantom swallowed, rubbing the back of his neck. "There was no possession involved."

Mom raised a brow, as if to say 'seriously?'

Fenton coughed. "We uhh… went flying around sunset, got talking and just kinda lost track of time."

Disbelievingly, Mom glared. "Really? You were just talking?"

Suddenly alarmed at the distrust, both Dannys put up their hands. "We weren't doing anything bad, I swear." They said at the same time.

Fenton continued. "I just wanted to fly so we did for a bit and stargazed."

"Then we landed in the park and talked for a while." Phantom added.

"Talked about what?" Mom asked.

Phantom crossed his arms, looking away. "It's...it's private."

At the closed off response, Mom and Dad looked between each other questioningly. Phantom really hoped they would not press. He was in no way ready to talk about any of his issues with his parents, especially considering Mom's reaction to learning he and his human counterpart went flying. He, all of him, was working on accepting and embracing his ghostliness. But Mom and Dad….. 'But humans can't fly.' He struggled not to shiver at the words. It was technically true but… said as if he was only human and that's all he was supposed to be. And the way Mom paled and sputtered when Fenton said he wasn't completely human anymore...it all pricked at his core.

"You don't have to tell us." Dad finally said.

"But if you want to talk to us about anything, you can." Mom continued. "You know that right?"

Fenton and Phantom glanced at each other, biting their lips. They weren't sure that was true, not after…..wrong, unnatural, ghosts aren't like humans….. Everything. They nodded anyway.

Seemingly satisfied, Mom nodded. Then Dad continued. "And then you lost track of time?"

"Yeah." Fenton bit his lip. "After we talked, we stargazed and it was so pretty and quiet, we...uhh….didn't noticed how late it was getting."

Phantom wrung his hands. "We thought we wouldn't be gone long so didn't think to tell you...or bring the phone."

Mom nodded, understanding on her face. "Alright." She glanced at her husband. "We believe you."

Brief relief passed through both boys; Mom and Dad had calmed down. They weren't angry anymore and believed their story about what happened. The feeling soon left.

"But you're grounded." Dad crossed arms.

Both jaws dropped. "What?!"

"But...we weren't doing anything bad." Fenton argued.

"We just lost track of time." Phantom frowned, whining.

Dad pinned the pair with a serious look. "You were out past curfew."

"But we didn't mean to." The ghost pouted.

"Danny." Mom put one hand on her hip. "You left without telling us where you went. You didn't even bring your phone so we could call you."

"But-" Fenton started.

Mom put up a hand, continuing. "Anything could have happened to you. And we won't know if you were hurt or lost, or where to look for you if something happened. You had no way to get up with anyone if you needed help." She frowned, sounding not angry but disappointed.

Guilt swirled in Phantom's core. She...she had a point. They hadn't even thought to tell Jazz and...not bringing the phone was stupid over sight. "I'm sorry. We...we should have told you….or at least brought the phone."

Fenton looked down. "It won't happen again, I promise."

"Make sure it doesn't." She shook her head. "You need to be more careful, Danny."

"We will be." Both Dannys said.

Then Fenton bit his lip. "Are we...are we still grounded?"

"Yes." Mom said flatly. "No going out with your friends for a week and they can't come over after school."

"And we're taking your phone and computer." Dad added.

"But...but…" Fenton stuttered.

"This is serious." Mom crossed her arms. "You missed curfew. And you can not run off without telling us."

"I know but…" Phantom held up his hands. "I won't get to talk to Sam and Tucker all week!"

"You'll see them at school." Mom frowned.

"But I can't go to school." Phantom whined, motioning to his glowing form.

At the statement, Mom and Dad blinked startledly like they just realized that fact. The adults looked at each other. "How about…..they keep the phone but not the computer?" Dad suggested.

Mom nodded. "Fine then. You can keep your phone. But the rest stands." She then pointed at Phantom. "And no video games tomorrow or Thursday while you're home."

The ghost swallowed. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good." Mom's face then softened. "I'm so happy you're home safe, Danny." Looking between the two faces, she tentatively stepped forward before wrapping her arms around Fenton and Phantom. "But never worry me like that again, okay?"

The ghost startled slightly at the unexpected affection. He returned the hug. "We won't." He said sincerely, at the same time as Fenton.

After a moment, the woman stepped back, a sad expression creeping onto her face. There was a beat of silence, quickly growing awkward.

"I think we all need to go to sleep." Dad finally interrupted. "We'll see you in the morning son."

Oh sleep, yeah that was something all the human members of the family needed. Phantom frowned, his brow wrinkling.

"Good night." Mom offered a small smile, walking towards the door.

"Good night." Fenton muttered quietly and Phantom said the same a second later.

With one last glance, Mom and then Dad walked out the door before closing it and leaving the pair alone.

Fenton and Phantom stood side by side in silence for a moment before the human stepped away. With a sigh, he walked towards the bed and flopped down. The boy put his head in his hands. "You know, I was having such a good night after everything and then….."

"We just had to come in to Mom freaking out." Phantom sat down beside his counterpart, a deep frown painting his face.

"It really was dumb to not bring our phone." Fenton looked up and wrung his hands. "I can't believe we're grounded."

"Yeah this stucks." The ghost huffed. "I guess it could be worse though. Mom sounded like….."

Fenton raised a brow as his other half trailed off. "What?"

A spike of anxiety came from Phantom as the ghost bit his lip. "Mom sounded like she was just seconds away from saying we weren't allowed to fly anymore."

The human's eyes widened, slightly startled. "You really think that?"

"You heard her." Phantom grumbled, a hint of anger leaking into his face. "Humans aren't supposed to fly."

The reminder stabbed at Fenton's heart. He….well...he had thought that just hours ago but he was working on accepting that he wasn't really human anymore. The flight tonight had been a big step towards that. But Mom thinking that? Somehow hearing it from her stung more.

At the lack of verbal response, Phantom continued. "I thought she was getting better. I know accepting that we're not human anymore is hard. Heck, we're struggling with that. But did she have to say that out loud? Like...like we're wrong 'cause we're not human. 'Cause we're a ghost. They're nothing wrong with flying or being like this!"

During the speech, Fenton could feel anger rising in his other self, just covering the fear. The human looked at his counterpart. "Maybe she was just worried and didn't mean it. I mean, we disappeared and Mom and Dad didn't know where we were."

Phantom glared, as if to ask 'really?' and Fenton raised his hands placatingly. The ghost then sighed. "Sorry. I know you're just hoping for the best but what if they do try to keep us from flying?" Phantom wrapped his arms around himself. "I don't think… I don't think I could handle that. It's weird...we've only been able to do that for like a month, and I remember being so afraid before but…." He shivered. "Not being able to would be like...like, being locked in a box or chained to the floor." Phantom finally looked up, meeting the human's blue eyes. "But you were shaking like a leaf just earlier, when we tried. How does that work?"

Fenton frowned. Well that… "I guess we're at different places. You are the ghost half; I guess it shouldn't be surprising you're more comfortable with the ghost stuff than me. But.." He leaned into his other self. "I hate the thought of being barred from flying too. I mean, I'm finally getting used to the idea. And...I want to get past being afraid."

The human felt his ghost relax at the statement. He knew Phantom believed him; Fenton had said pretty much the same thing about flying earlier. But repeating it, after getting chewed out by Mom, reinforced his conviction.

"Thank you for saying I'm a part of who you are now, to Mom and Dad." Phantom muttered after a moment.

"Of course." Fenton said softly. "We're a part of each other, really." He wrapped one arm around his counterpart in a side hug. "It felt good to say it confidently, ya know. Like being a ghost and flying isn't negotiable. Even if I'm not always confident of that." A tickle of guilt tried to worm its way into Fenton's heart. But Phantom snuffed it out.

Half-smiling, the ghost put one arm around his human, returning the side hug. "And thanks for the honesty. Remember, we don't have to be confident all the time. But I'm just...I'm so happy you're trying...and talking to me again."

"Yeah." The pair sat in silence for a bit, enjoying their own company. Again, Fenton was struck by the strangeness of the situation. He was literally sitting beside himself. He'd gone flying tonight, and managed to get in trouble because he lost track of time talking to himself.

He still wasn't that sure how to feel about the grounding. Guilty for making his parents worry, Annoyed at himself for not paying more attention, Angry at Mom and Dad for punishing him, Worried and Hurt at Mom's near hysterical reaction. It was a tangled mess inside his head but having his other half by his side and for once, not being at odds with him, made it feel more manageable.

Phantom spoke up. "Whatever happens with Mom and Dad, we stick together, yeah."

Fenton looked at his ghost, giving him a kind smile. "Yeah, we stick together."

"You should go on to bed." Phantom suggested, returning the smile. "I'll see you in the morning."

The ghost floated off the bed but stopped when he noticed Fenton frowning at him. "What are you gonna do tonight?"

The ghost shrugged. "Probably read some. Watch some YouTube videos." His shoulders fell. "I'm definitely not going flying after….." He sighed. "I probably shouldn't have been going off in the middle of the night anyway. I guess it's just gonna be another boring night."

The human tilted his head thoughtfully. "Do you want to try sleeping?"

The ghost shook his head, huffing. "What's the point? It never works. Beside...the bed's occupied."

"It's your bed too." Fenton said, gently. "We'll both fit and it's not like personal space is really an issue." The human grinned teasingly. "Plus, you've got to be a better bed fellow than Jazz."

"She takes up the entire bed and moves so much." Phantom whined slightly in complaint. The corner of his mouth turned up reminiscently. "Remember when we were little and had to share a bed with her at Grandma's house?"

"She always kicked us. And somehow always ended up with her head at the other end of the bed." Fenton continued with a snort. "I'm so happy they got that pull out couch and we don't have to share anymore." His smile then flattened. "But seriously, if you wanna to try sleeping, there's space."

Phantom shook his head. "Nah. But thanks for the offer. I'm going to go read the book I was working on downstairs." He floated towards the door before turning back. "Goodnight Danny."

"Good night Danny." Fenton parroted, with a smile before Phantom phased through the door, leaving the human to get dressed for bed.

True to his word, there was no midnight flight for Phantom. Honestly that felt weird considering the regularity of those escapades since the ghost catcher. Between the aimless wanderings of the first few days after splitting and more recently fleeing due to emotional stress from his parents or his own human half, Phantom had gotten rather used to almost literally haunting the empty streets. Instead, tonight he was in a way, haunting Fentonworks.

The house was quiet, almost ominously so. Every tick of the clocks, every hum of the refrigerator, every russel of branches just outside the window, every creak of the pipes stood out in sharp contrast without the sounds of human voices, passing cars, and lab work that filled the day. At the same time, the house was pitch black dark. Or...it would be if not for Phantom's own glow. The green of his eyes and the clear white of his aura lit up the livingroom, casting eerie shadows.

The ghost tilted his head as he studied his hands. Was his glow...brighter? He blinked confusedly as he wiggled his fingers and watched how the aura around them blurred the movement. It was brighter, wasn't it? Why?

Wiggling his fingers again, Phantom floated into the kitchen. The green numbers of the clock above the oven caught his attention. 3:06 am, The Witching Hour. His brow furrowed. According to Sam, wasn't this time of night associated with the supernatural? When witches, demons, and...ghosts appeared and were at their strongest.

The ghost looked at his hands again. Was that why his glow was brighter? It was the witching hour and so he was...stronger? Did he feel stronger? Phantom wasn't sure. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to feel the cold energy inside of him. The ectoenergy, that's what Mom and Dad said it was called. Drawing the power from the ball in his chest, he collected the energy in his hand. His eyes lit up as neon green energy colessed in his palm. It spread, overtaking his whole hand. The ghost watched with wide eyes. The light seemed to dance, swirling around his still bare hand. Tentatively, he moved his other unlit hand over the light; it licked at his hand like a cool flame, except instead of bringing pain it was..comforting, like aloe on a sunburn. The ghost smiled in awe. It was so beautiful, incredible. And he'd done this. Right now, actually was the first time he'd purposefully summoned the ectoenergy, not during a time of emotional distress.

For a few moments, he studied the light, now radiating from both hands. He tried to feel the energy in his core again, to sense if it was stronger compared to earlier. Phantom tilted his head. It might be? It was hard to tell; he still wasn't that used to being a ghost and what it felt like. He knew he didn't get tired like he did as a human but...he could overtax his powers, right? In the first few days, he'd found out that he couldn't manatain invisibility for hours on end, even if he could maintain passive floating. He hadn't really tested intangibility or his ectoblasts (That would be a cool name for his shots of ectoenergy) but those had to have limits as well, and consequences if he overdid it. So maybe he did get tired, just not for the same reasons and in the same ways a human did.

Phantom looked at his hand again as he noticed the green light flickering and shrinking. He tried to push more energy into it but met resistance. His core seemed to clench, preventing him from drawing more power. After a few seconds, he stopped trying and his core relaxed. Huh… he furrowed his brow thoughtfully. He needed to actually test out his powers and see what he could really do. That way he could learn what overdoing it felt like and learning to listen to this version of his body. It was really weird, thinking that this specific body hadn't existed a month ago. He was literally inside a different body than the one he'd grown up in. Somehow that body, his human body was asleep upstairs with the other half of his soul still inhabiting it. That, having two bodies, was so weird and Phantom knew he would never get used to that. But...having a ghost form, being a ghost, that was something he was actually getting used. The glowing and floating, the green eyes and white hair in the mirror. Those were all starting to feel more comfortable. And this ectoplasmic form now felt more like his body than a foreign vessel.

Minutes later, the ectoenergy in the ghost's hands extinguished. The light he was projecting lessened slightly, though his glow remained abnormally bright. He looked at the clock again. 3:26 am. So he'd keep that energy up for twenty minutes. Not bad, especially since he hadn't been able to do that at all until a few days ago. Maybe there was something to this witching hour idea.

Still floating in the kitchen, Phantom started turning around, intending to sit down on the couch and read but something seemed to stop him. He glanced at the door to the lab….when had he floated closer to it? He frowned. He was feeling….something. Or sensing it. He tilted his head, studying the door. He'd felt this before, in the lab with Fenton after telling Mom and Dad. With little thought, he was phasing through the door to the lab and was halfway down the stairs. He stopped, eyes falling on the portal.

Goosebumps rose on his hands. The Cold, a sensation he was used to projecting instead of feeling, wafted passed him. Instead of being oppressive or harsh, it was…. soft, comforting. A gentle breeze caressing him Something hummed in his ears, his head….in his core. A low, layered sound. Almost...a song, a call. Multitudes of voices welcoming, calling. Come here. Come home.

Phantom floated a few feet farther, hand reaching forward. Yes, he knew what this was. The portal or maybe the ghost zone itself. It was calling to him and it really was a beautiful sound. For a second, the thought of answering passed through his mind. He was a ghost, a creature of the Zone, wasn't he? But he'd never been there. What wonders were on the other side, waiting for him? He could drifted through and explore for a few hours and be back before anyone woke up or-

The ghost ripped his hand away, as if he was burned. A small measure of fear jabbed his core. No, no, nope. He was not doing this tonight. He wasn't going through the portal, not without a plan or back up. Even a few hours was just asking to get lost or lose track of time. And he had no idea what was on the other side. He could run into anything and get hurt or lost or….

But...the sound was so tempting, so beautiful, so welcoming. And it wasn't malicious. His core screamed that it wasn't a trick or a trap but a real invitation. And something inside him, something new and otherworldly, knew that was true. Maybe it was new ghostly instincts, the same ones that helped direct his powers. Or some kind of knowledge imprinted on his soul by death. But he knew the call of the portal wasn't a lie. He could go through and would be safe but….

Fear pricked him again and the ghost felt the shadow of a heart beat in his chest. His eyes widened and he looked at his hands. "Fenton...are you dreaming about this right now?"

There was a tug in his mind and the ghost could feel the line tethering him to his other self, his humanity, more keenly. He could feel Fenton following along with what he was doing and thinking right now. And...that part of him, the part that was human and alive, was afraid of the portal's song. If Fenton had been down here with him, his hair would be raised too, but for a different reason. His haunches would be raised in dread from the ominous, unwelcoming sound. Phantom furrowed his brow in confusion, trying to puzzle out the conflicting emotions. Longing and fear. At once feeling drawn and repelled. It was contradictory, confusing, to feel two things so opposed.

Ghost Danny turned around, floating back up the stairs. He needed to get away from the portal for now, to try and get the sound out of his head. Why was it so much louder now than it had been earlier? Before it had been subtle but now it was much more tempting. But why?...He hummed thoughtfully for a moment before something tickled in his mind. A poke from his other self who was still dreaming with him….the witching hour. Wasn't the witching hour also supposed to be when the veil between life and death was thinnest? Maybe that was why the song was louder, or rather he could just hear it better as the barrier between the worlds was thinner and more easily penetrated. He glanced back, again feeling a swell of longing and more distant warriness at the same. Two contrasting feelings from his different halves. The ghost wondered what his complete self, the Danny that was really human and ghost at the same time, would feel. Both in equal measures? Or would it differ depending on what form he was in?

Phantom shook his head. None of that really mattered right now. He could sort that out once he and Fenton refused. And either way, right now he belonged with his friends and family and his human half. Here on Earth, the realm of the living, not in the world of ghosts.

With that thought, Phantom phased through the door. The sound of the portal was already almost completely out of his perception as he grounded himself literally and planted his feet on the floor. He crossed the living room and flopped down on the couch. Beside him, his phone was plugged in to charge. He plugged in some headphones and turned some music on. There, some good music to read to. He picked up his book and read until the sun came up.