Thank you so much for your comments. They truly are much appreciated so, thanks.
Anyway, to those who think that this is the last chapter I just wanted to let you know that this story is not over yet. It's close to the end? Yes. But aren't we forgetting a bit about a necessary showdown and some unsolved conflicts?
Disclaimer: Danny Phantom is not mine. I only own The Guardian of Dreams and Remy, the Dream Eater.
Chapter 13: Sweet Dreams
"You're awake," the cloaked figure told Danny, who still remained seated on the same old spot he occupied on the street.
"Morpheus?" the raven-haired boy exclaimed surprised just after the Guardian of Dreams addressed to him. "I thought you were going to leave me there alone," he continued.
Danny tried to stand up, but his muscles were still sore. The ghost by his side rested a hand on the teenager's shoulder soothingly. "There's no need to rush. You are not fully recovered yet and, considering Clockwork's warning, I'm sure you will request some answers before we can continue," Morpheus spoke with his soporific voice.
Noticing the warm smile on the Guardian's shady face, Danny nodded. "I won't rush or anything but, could we go somewhere else? This place gives me the creeps," the boy explained with a shudder.
The ghost released a dark and strange fog, which began to surround them both. Everything went black for an instant. As their vision (or at least Danny's) cleared, the teenager noticed they were now on the roof of some building. "Whoa, where are we?" he questioned.
"We're in front of your home, so you don't have to travel a long distance after I'm gone," Morpheus replied as he pointed his finger towards FentonWorks (which, indeed, was right across the street).
Danny took a minute to watch his own house. I've been gone for a while. I wonder if they're worried about me. How long have I actually been unconscious anyway?
The boy turned his icy-blue gaze in the Guardian's direction. "You were right before. I need some answers," he said. Replaying Morpheus' earlier comment, Danny realized he missed something and he narrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "What did you mean with Clockwork's warning?"
"As soon as you were captured by the Dream Eater, he began to feed from your energy and I was unable to break his spell. In order to help you and to capture him, I requested Clockwork's advice. I knew you had become the Master of Time's responsibility, so he would have a better idea of how to break into your psyche," Morpheus explained.
"What happened? What did he say?" Danny asked with curiosity when the ghost paused.
"Ironically, he told me to give you time, that you would find a way to see through the Dream Eater's farce. He also told me to give you only the necessary information as soon as your tormentor left you alone," Morpheus continued. "And he also warned me that you would have plenty of questions as soon as you woke up," he added with a smirk on his face.
However, Danny sort of pushed away the last comment as he noticed a more important matter in his thoughts. "If you're the Guardian of Dreams, there must have been something you could've done to help me instead of making me fight myself. But you just left me there," the boy exclaimed, raising his hands in exasperation.
I have to calm down. Everything's over now. Even if he left me alone, we, err… I found a way out. Wow, that sure is weird. I mean, I have both Fenton's and Phantom's memories in my head. It really worked, then. I'm one again.
"There was. I could have reverted your mental schism, but seeing the inner conflicts both of your identities had, it was only up to you to embrace each other to become one. It would have been ineffective otherwise".
"So, what you're saying is that, I would've ended up with a mental breakdown if I hadn't accepted my two personalities?" Danny questioned once again.
Morpheus smiled at the boy. "Precisely. But, in the end, you acknowledged that those two parts of your psyche were actually one and the same. That's what you needed to keep yourself together, stable, and complete".
"I guess that makes sense," Danny replied softly. "What did you do with Remy? That was the Dream Eater's name, right?" the boy asked.
The Sandman frowned at this. "I'm afraid that he has obtained enough power to avoid my attacks and even to prevent me from tracking him. But, rest assured, young man. He is my responsibility and I won't rest until I capture him for good. You are free to return to your ordinary life. Well, ordinary to your own standards, that is," the ghost finished with a warm and reassuring smile.
I'm free? It really is hard to believe that I was trapped for so long like that. Wait, but for how long?
Just as the Guardian of Dreams was about to take off, Danny stopped him. "Wait. I still have to know something. How much time has passed since I fell into Remy's trap?" he asked intrigued.
Morpheus kept his grinning expression on his shadowed face. "It would amaze you how time tends to keep a measured pace in your dreams but, when it comes to reality, it occurs as fast as a blink of an eye".
Danny just blinked in confusion. "So… what does that mean?"
"I think the answer you are looking for is in the device that your wrist is wearing," the ghost replied in an amused tone.
'Duh!' Danny thought as he mentally kicked himself for being so oblivious to this small detail.
The fog suddenly returned but it now surrounded only the Guardian of Dreams. The ghost raised his hands to conjure the rest of his power. "Sweet dreams. And remember: don't meddle in someone else's job next time," he exclaimed before he faded from view between the shadows and the smoke.
The blue-eyed teenager stared at the place where the ghost had just been a second ago. His gaze held a mix of gratitude, confusion, and relief. His eyes then turned to see his watch, which was the device Morpheus was talking about before. What the little screen read surprised him.
No way… it's just 10:50! Which means that I've been asleep for only ten minutes. I can't believe this. How did Remy manage to turn weeks into minutes?
He then remembered another minor detail as he glanced at the building across the street. Oh, no. I'm seriously late! I am SO grounded.
Hurriedly, the youngster stood up and realized there was only one way to get down to the street level: by flying.
There are no stairs up here and jumping seems a bit extreme. I guess the only way to get off this roof is by using my ghost powers. Well, if my two halves have reconciled, this will be my chance to prove it.
"Here goes nothing," he voiced to no one in particular. "Going ghost!" Even though he was still feeling weak and tired, he used all his strength to summon his ghostly alter ego through his catchphrase. He knew he didn't have to exclaim those two words to make the change happen. He knew that a battle cry was pretty useless if there wasn't an impending battle nearby. He also knew that, according to his watch, he yelled the same phrase only an hour ago.
However, in his mind it felt like weeks and he missed the sense of security provided by those two simple words. They had become his trademark. They had always prepared him both mentally and physically for the transformation that would take place an instant after he spoke them.
Two rings of light circled his waist and traveled in opposite directions to convert the human teen into an ectoplasm-based creature. Within seconds, Danny Phantom appeared where Danny Fenton had been standing.
Checking for any anomaly in his current form, the white-haired hero looked at his gloved hands, his suit, and his boots. He ran his fingers through his hair to feel its consistency. He noticed a metallic antenna on the roof he was at and floated towards it to see his reflection. Even when it was not a perfect mirror, he could see his glowing green eyes clearly enough. The crimson he wore in his dreams was completely gone.
The improvised mirror confirmed he was the regular Danny Phantom. No more rage tainting his gaze and no apparent glitch could be seen in his image.
I'm back. It's me. No more mind games, no more prisons, and no more scams. It really is me. Everything is just the way it's supposed to be. I'm normal again!
Danny couldn't hold a chuckle after those last thoughts.
Well, as normal as I can be, anyway.
With an amused expression on his face, he turned around and stood at the edge of the roof, staring at the building with the FentonWorks sign. Even though it wasn't necessary in his current state, he took a deep breath and tried to fly.
As he scarcely began to defy gravity, he noticed that his powers were still weak. He tried to steady himself to avoid a nasty fall and managed to make it to the ground, although it was a rough (yet short) flight.
I guess I'm still weak after the last Ghostly Wail that drained my energy. Not to mention all the power Remy took. I have to take it easy for at least a couple of days, unless I want to end up as hybrid meat to any ghost who attacks me. And, knowing Skulker, he wouldn't miss that opportunity.
Changing back to his human mode, he stood in front of the main entrance to his house. Another deep breath entered his now functional lungs as his hand reached the knob. Slowly, he opened the door. As he had expected, his parents were standing behind the entrance with a scolding look on their faces.
"Daniel Fenton! Where on Earth have you been?" the boy's mother asked in an angered tone.
"You're in a lot of trouble, mister," his dad, Jack, then spoke.
Danny looked at the two figures standing in front of him. He began to feel nervous since he had no idea of how to explain his tardiness. In his silence, he also noticed that Jazz was looking at the scene from upstairs. The boy gulped as he searched for a logical answer. "Uh, I… err… was… attacked by a ghost?" he replied unsure.
Both Jack and Maddie raised their eyebrows and looked at each other before returning their gaze to their son. The woman in the blue hazmat suit kneeled in front of Danny and grabbed his hands. "Oh, sweetie, are you alright?" she asked in a tender voice.
"Where did he go, son? I'm going to destroy that fiend atom by atom. No one messes with a Fenton without a punishment!" Jack now bellowed.
To be honest, Danny didn't really expect his parents to believe him. But still, there he was: a shaken boy with several bruises and a cut on his forehead, which he only noticed when it began to bleed a couple of seconds ago. What more proof did they need to believe that a ghoul in a city overrun by ghosts had attacked their youngest child?
"I'm ok, but I feel weak," the boy replied as his parents motioned him to sit on the couch.
Maddie put her gloved hand on his forehead. It was more like some sort of habit since she couldn't really feel his warmth through the fabric than covered her hand. "What happened?" she asked Danny but then quickly turned to her husband, "Jack, please bring the first aid kit here".
The paunchy patriarch hurried to the bathroom to get what his wife requested. As soon as he returned, Danny narrated his story. The modified version, that is. "It's all very confusing, but I was on my way over here when a shadow caught my attention. It moved too fast and then I realized it was a ghost. He sort of hypnotized me and he wanted to drain my energy or something," he paused as he mentally decided whether or not to tell the next part of his version. Meanwhile, his mom was cleaning the cut on his forehead. Danny sighed and continued. "Anyway, I thought it was over for me when all of the sudden something hit the mind-controlling freak. I looked up and it was the ghost kid. He told me to run but then I tripped and hit my head. I was out cold for a few minutes. When I woke up, Danny Phantom had already defeated the ghost and then I ran as fast as I could to get here. And… that's what happened," the blue-eyed teen finished nervously.
Both Jack and Maddie glanced at each other with concerned looks when Danny mentioned the ghost kid's name. "Danny Phantom helped you?" both of them asked in unison, showing disbelief as they spoke those four words.
A sheepish smile appeared on their son's face. "Uh, yeah. Well, maybe he really is a good guy who just seriously needs to get a publicist," he replied with a shrug, trying to sound as convincing as possible.
Hey, I might as well use this kind of opportunities to change my parents' opinion towards my ghost half. I mean, sooner or later they're going to notice the similarities between Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom. I want them to be more accepting when they do.
Actually, the teenager feared their rejection after the scenario proposed by Phantom in their mental showdown.
The two adults remained silent as they sank deeper in thought. Maddie had already finished patching her son's cut with a small gauze. Jack, for once, kept a thoughtful expression on his face. After the brief silence that fell upon them, it was Jazz who interrupted the mood. "You know, maybe Danny just needs some rest. Why don't you dwell on the ghost boy's intentions in the morning?" she politely suggested as she walked down the stairs and stood next to them.
Maddie sighed. "She's right, Jack. We can contemplate the possibilities of a benevolent ghost in our sleep. Danny has school tomorrow, he should go to bed," she addressed to her husband.
The chubby man in the orange jumpsuit simply nodded in agreement and then turned to face Danny. "C'mon, son. We'll talk about this tomorrow," he said in a softer voice than usual. Apparently, he was just as tired as his son.
Danny softly sighed in relief and shot Jazz a thankful grin. She winked back and the four Fentons headed upstairs to their respective rooms.
The room was dark. The only light that came into it was provided by the shiny full moon that peeked through the window. A figure moved restlessly between the covers of the bed that adorned the four-walled space.
Danny couldn't sleep. He shifted uncomfortably on his mattress. It was just past midnight. The rest of the house was rather silent by now, though he could hear every now and then the muffled voices of his parents through the walls. Apparently, they were discussing their views on the ghost boy, but the youngest Fenton lost interest quickly as old arguments began to resurface.
Unbelievable. Technically, I was only asleep for ten minutes even if it felt like it had been weeks. I'm tired but I'm feeling insomniac again. This really sucks. Why did that Dream Eater have to mess with my head? Why couldn't he have chosen Vlad if he was so interested in a half-ghost, half-human hybrid? Karma. That's what it is. Why else would all the bad things happen to me?
Well, I have to see the bright side. Ever since my two halves cleared things up, somehow I feel more… complete. As if a weight was taken off my shoulders. I have to admit I was still kinda tense when I half died.
I'm still fifteen and I'm already half dead. That's a harsh way to put it. But I guess I'm not as stressed about it as I was before. Having my ghost side is really a part of me. While it doesn't define who I am, it is part of the whole package now.
I hope mom and dad realize this once I tell them the truth. One of these days I have to talk to them and just… explain. Everything. They're my parents and I'm sure they'll understand. They have to, right? I guess only time can tell.
Pushing his thoughts aside, Danny stood up and started searching for his laptop. If he wasn't going to be able to sleep, he might as well update his ghost files with the new enemy he earned a couple of hours ago. Once the computer was on, he typed in his password, and then opened the aforementioned file and began to fill the newest addition to his database.
Name: Remy.
Kind: Dream eater.
Abilities: Controls dreams and feeds from the energy provided by them.
Last seen: Elm Street, in front of the now demolished construction site.
Current location: Unknown. Probably hiding.
Notes: extremely dangerous. He can make his victims believe that their dreams are real. Hopefully, soon to be under Morpheus' custody.
As he continued filling the page with a thorough description of the ghost, a window appeared at the bottom of the screen. Danny noticed it was an instant message from Valerie.
Valerie? What is she doing up so late?
He resized the window to read her message.
- Ghosth8r: Hey, what are you doing up so late?
- DFenton: I should be asking you the same thing
- Ghosth8r: I couldn't sleep. Had a nightmare. You?
- DFenton: Avoiding a possible nightmare.
- Ghosth8r: That bad?
- DFenton: You wouldn't believe me if I told you.
- Ghosth8r: Can't be worse than mine.
- DFenton: What was yours about?
- Ghosth8r: I don't think I should tell you.
- DFenton: Oh, c'mon. Try me.
- Ghosth8r: You promise not to laugh?
- DFenton: Not that you would know anyway…
- Ghosth8r: Ha, ha. Very funny Fenton.
- DFenton: C'mon… shoot, Grey.
- Ghosth8r: It's very silly, actually… I was some sort of ghost hunter, in my dream of course, and I was trying to capture Phantom… you've obviously heard about the ghost kid, right?
- DFenton: The one with white hair, green eyes, and a lame jumpsuit?
- Ghosth8r: Yeah
- DFenton: Never heard of him
- Ghosth8r: You're really in a funny mood tonight, aren't you?
- DFenton: Ok, I'll stop. So, what happened next?
- Ghosth8r: Well, I was supposed to be chasing him and this other creepy ghost shows up and grabs Phantom by the throat.
- DFenton: What did the ghost look like?
- Ghosth8r: It's hard to tell, he was wearing some kind of cloak and he didn't appear to have a body, like he was made of smoke or something
The blue eyes of the black-haired boy went wide at the description of the ghost since it was similar to the characteristics Remy had.
- Ghosth8r: Danny? You still there? I knew it… you're laughing, aren't you? At least wait 'til I tell you the rest of the dream
Danny was still frozen in front of the computer. He was brought back to reality when Valerie's last message appeared.
- DFenton: Sorry, Val. I just thought I heard a noise. What happened next?
- Ghosth8r: Well, this is the part I warned you about. I know it's impossible so don't laugh. Ok, then, the ghost shocked Phantom or something and suddenly he wasn't the ghost kid anymore. He was someone else.
- DFenton: Someone else?
- Ghosth8r: Ugh… please don't laugh.
Danny waited anxiously for her answer for a couple of seconds.
- Ghosth8r: Well, he turned into you. I know! I know! It's impossible. There's no way someone can be half alive and half dead at the same time, right? But it really freaked me out. And this guy, the shadow creep, he said 'this is just a warning, don't follow me' or something
Forget the boy's previous state. Danny was now paralyzed.
No way, he was using Valerie? Oh, man. That means he could make her believe anything he wants. The same goes for my parents. Heck, all Amity Park could learn my secret while dreaming.
- DFenton: Did he say anything else?
- Ghosth8r: No, why? Do you think it really means something?
Oh, crud. She can't suspect me. Who knows what she'll do. My parents might accept me because I'm their son, but… Valerie? She's a ghost hunter with a grudge! I highly doubt she'll give me the benefit of doubt. She's mostly shooting first and asking questions never.
- DFenton: Of course not. I was just curious. So… that was your dream?
- Ghosth8r: Hey! You too would freak out if you were enemies with that creep
Her message appeared rather quickly, which meant that she wrote it impulsively without checking what she was saying first.
- Ghosth8r: Just kidding, of course.
Right. And my alter ego is actually the Box Ghost.
- DFenton: I have to go. See ya at school tomorrow?
- Ghosth8r: Sure. Sweet dreams.
- DFenton: Ha, ha.
Valerie logged off and Danny did the same. The confused boy decided to turn off his computer and went back to bed to contemplate his newest dilemma.
What am I going to do? What if Morpheus can't stop him? This is definitely not good. So, I'm just supposed to sit here and do nothing while Remy feeds from other dreams as he exposes my secret? I really need to come up with a plan. Maybe if I tell Sam, Tucker, and Jazz about it tomorrow they'll have a better idea of what I should do.
Right now, I really hope I can get some sleep. I need to recover all the energy that Remy drained from me not to mention that I have to be alert in case that freak tries to attack or something.
Danny sighed as he moved between his covers. This promised to be a long night before he could actually fall asleep. Part of him feared being unconscious again but another part reminded him how tired he actually was. A couple of minutes later, the second part of his brain won. He felt his exhausted body and mind preparing to drift into sleep. He finally closed his eyes and allowed the slumber to befall on him.
As some of you might have read either in my profile, my messages, or Deviant Art, I can't be online as often as before, but I will try to do my best to update the next chapter by March 25th. Thank you for understanding and for following this story. I hope you liked this chapter.
Save the ghost boy from cancellation! Check at the bottom of chapter 8 for ways to help.