Disclaimer: Danny Phantom is property of Butch Hartman and Nickelodeon.
Chapter 2: Press
Danny floated behind a curtain in City Hall. Sam and Dani floating a little in front of him. He was pacing nervously as best he could while floating. Finally, the gentle mumbling of curious reporters settled down. Danny took a deep breath as the curtains raised preparing himself for the inevitable. As soon as the curtains were far enough to reveal the Phantom family, the loud murmur of voices all trying to be heard started again.
Danny spoke into the microphone, "I understand that my family has raised many questions for this town and the country. That is why this Q A is being broadcast to everyone in the world."
Sam came up on his side and with her alluring, echoing voice told them, "Any question you ask we will happily answer."
Dani floated above her parents landing in front of them, "But if it can endanger us or fellow ghost we will not answer."
Danny smiled at his family, "So, ask."
Immediately a hand was raised, "How did you die Mr. Phantom?"
Danny's smile dropped, "I was electrocuted, it was an accident."
The same reporter asked, "And your wife and child."
Sam answered, "I was burned in my home for being a 'witch', and Dani never died she was born."
The next reporter asked, "Its been believed by our ghost experts ghost could not give birth, grow, or feel."
Danny clenched his fist, "While my heart no longer beats, I still feel. I feel sadness when the loves of my afterlife are in pain. I feel anger when they are hurt. I feel joy when they are with me. I feel proud when my daughter does something good. I feel love when I look at my mate. I feel protective of them. I live, I love, I laugh, I breath, and I get hurt like all of you. How do you get to determine who feels and who doesn't?"
There was a quiet murmuring as the reporters progressed his question.
Sam after they quieted pointed out, "Ghost can have children seeing as how Dani is here. We just age differently our childhood could last anywhere from 18 years to thousands of years. As our powers and abilities grow so do we."
The next reporter asked, "How long have you all been?"
Danny chuckled, "Sam and I meet when she was alive not long after I died and a little before she did, so since the witch trial period. Dani is eight. We look like teenagers because we died feeling like them. Scared and afraid and wishing someone would help us, we haven't grown into ourselves yet."
Everyone asked a few more questions, however a hand in the back was raised, asking the one question no one wanted to, "Why do you help this town? Why do ghost even haunt earth?"
Danny simply said, "My obsession. Every ghost has an obsession. Usually something we didn't do in life or something we did all the time. Mine is saving people. I even saved Sam from burning on the stake. Obviously I didn't get there that last time but still, it is my obsession. Sam's is saving the earth, not the humans on it but the earth, we balance each other that way. My daughter's is family."
Sam said, "Ghost haunt, as you call it, the earth because the ghost zone and earth are connected. Significant change to the earth or ghost zone would cause significant harm to the latter. Some ghost want to rule the world yes, but none want to destroy it. All those times you guys have had great wars started by bad leaders have been reflected in the ghost zone as an evil king rose to power. Your Great Depression was a reflection of the suffering period that the ghost zone went through after the king was defeated, and no heir rose to replace him."
This cause a rise among the reporters, "You have a king."
"How do we know this won't happen again?" "Who is the current king of the ghost zone?"
Dani called out, "Quiet," her ghostly wail slipping in.
Danny stood tall in front of them, his tone of voice making it clear these were the last questions he would answer, "I am the current king of the ghost zone. We have a king because we know how to band together when that king abuses his power and overthrow him, we know how to do such in a way that doesn't end in thousands of deaths, not only that but we need a king, I cannot tell you why because it endangers the ghost zone and my family but we need one."
"You don't know, at anytime a ghost zone problem can affect the human world, but we don't know if you will ever start a Great War again. We don't know if you will commit genocide and end up killing off ghost in the ghost zone. We never know. It is a secret trust that all of you now know about and all you can do is what you've always done before you knew, hope and try to be better."
The phantom family walked off stage, the Ring of Rage and Crown of Fire briefly flickering into view as they turned. The ring on Sam's hand and the crown on Danny's head.