Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom.

Drabble #12: Gone

Dan Phantom destroyed everything. Ten years from now, he would unleash his Ghostly Wail upon Amity, demolishing everything around for the next fifty miles. Few buildings would remain intact, and even fewer people would remain in Amity Park. If you weren't already dead, you would have enough sense to leave while you still had the chance. It was a horrible reality, and all of it was my fault.

Who knew that cheating on a test would destroy a future instead of cementing it? However, I did end up cementing my future in a different way. It was only in a way that ruined my life. I didn't want to cause any harm. I only wanted to try getting into a college and try to make my parents think that I was smart also. But I was hopelessly naïve. Even having the answers shattered my sister's heart. It caused Mr. Lancer to call my parents up for a meeting at the Nasty Burger. Tucker and Sam had run there, trying to warn everyone in time. It didn't work. The boiler filled with the Nasty Sauce blew up with them strapped to it.

Vlad filled me in on what happened from that day to the future where I currently was. He was just Vlad Masters then, an old man who had gone to seed in the ruins of a castle. I had come to him when I lost everything that mattered to me, and I had asked him to rip out my ghost half. I didn't know that my ghost half would merge with Vlad's ghost half, creating the evilest ghost in the world. I didn't know that the ghost would live on destruction, despair and pain. What I did know was that my ghost half was the root of all of my troubles, and that was what condemned me.

Dan Phantom, or as Sam called him, my "jerky future self," was masquerading as me back in my time. Surprisingly, he can still become me, even after Plasmius' evil influence won over Phantom's good. He was cheating on the CATs that I had accidentally stolen the answers to. I was trapped ten years in the future, facing off against my enemies that my future self had ruined. Jazz had saved me. She apparently knew my secret after all. Also, she had seen right through Dark Danny's illusion, and she sent the Boo-merang out to save me. I returned back to the past to face off with Dan Phantom and to save my family and friends.

Defeating my future self was no easy feat. The Ghostly Wail was what I needed, but it didn't work until he was severely weakened already. It helped that when I used the Ghostly Wail, it rammed him into a tall building. Then, I trapped him in the Fenton Thermos. How long could the Thermos hold a powerful being like Dan Phantom? I had more important things to worry about at the moment, though. Mom, Dad, Jazz, Sam, Tuck and Mr. Lancer were all strapped to a radioactive boiler that was going to explode in the next thirty seconds.

The Ghostly Wail drained me. It was similar to what the Plasmius Maximus did; only I was weak instead of just powerless. What could I do to save everyone who I loved from a fiery death?

I had no time to think. They were going to die in less than a minute if I didn't do anything. So I started running as fast as I could towards the boiler. Something could be done- anything- as long as I got there in time. A mental countdown started in my head.

Ten. Nine. Eight.

The boiler wasn't far from me. It was only twenty feet away. I was getting closer and closer. Would there be enough time?

Seven. Six. Five. Four.

I was only a few feet away, close enough to almost touch the boiler. The glowing, ghost-resistant rope was nearly in my grasp. I needed a little more time.

Three. Two. One.

BOOM! The boiler exploded with an extremely loud noise in my face. I was so close; if only I had more time to save them all. I'm sorry, everyone. I'm sorry Mom, Dad, Jazz, Sam, Tuck and Mr. Lancer. The last thing I knew was flying up in the air. Then, everything went black.

A/N: Another TUE oneshot! Okay, maybe this should have been written and posted before Heroic Loss. This is a prequel to Drabble #11. Numbers 11 and 12 are related drabbles, even though I said all of these would be unrelated. Oh well. Make sure you read Heroic Loss- that might help you understand some of this (it's the drabble right before this one). Thanks to LovelyxBunchaxCoconuts, purpledog100, at-a-glance and Esme Kali Phantom for reviewing! Review and tell me what you think! Constructive criticism is accepted, but no flames please.