Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom. If I did, then it would have runned much longer!
Crashing down to half-life:
"Much better then mom's burned spaghetti."
"I bet."
The couple share a warm laugh as they walk out onto the street. The two just had diner, and now were just enjoying the day out. Already a week into summer-vacation, the streets were filled with many teens and other people.
As they pass the many cars parked at the side of the shopping street, one has the window rolled down and the radio turned on and up.
"-Reports of people that the so-believed secret organization GIW, is once again chasing after the famous teen ghost, Danny Phantom." The female reporter states over the radio. Danny and Sam stop on that note, looking at each other with confusion and worry. Anything involving the GIW was bad news.
"You're here, so who are they chasing?"
"The only person that looks a lot like me is…" Danny quickly rakes his mind before a lightbulb goes off. It quickly turns to a gloomy cloud, though. "Danielle."
Sam's face quickly turns to one of concern. She had only known Danny's 'cousin' for two years now, but even she knew that the girl was very kind and good-hearted, like Danny. To be hunted like that sounded terrible. She looks back at the halfa, a sign of determination in his eyes that she had only seen in rare moments. Life-threatening moments. She sighed before placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Go, help her. But be quick!"
The boy gives a quick nod before taking some space. He reaches deep inside, finding the coldness of his core. The familiar sensation spreads through his body as the signature white ring forms around him, enveloping his body. In place of Danny Fenton is now Danny Phantom, teen ghost and hero. He smiles at Sam before placing a chaste kiss on her lips, and then takes off into the sky.
Further away in the sky, a few green Ghost Rays were flying through the sky. A big, white Air-Skimmer was firing at the source of the attacks: Dani Phantom (with an i).
She takes a fearful glance back before dodging another barrage of lasers from the big air-born vessel. Charging an attack herself, she swings her foot upwards, unleashing an Energy Strike right at the vessel. The agent at the steer simply smirks before expertly dodging the attack.
She huffs, "Show-off." ,before flying out of the way from the blast of a Plasma Bazooka. She stops in time for her backpack to stay put on her back. She exhales a quick breath of relief before her instincts tell her to look back. She can just barely avoid being hit by a few lasers, but one skims her suit and singes a hole in the fabric, leaving a burn-mark on her skin. She hisses from the sting, catching her off-guard.
Just as they fire a missile that was sure to hit, it was blown to pieces mid-air. They all look up, the GIW suddenly growing scared and Dani having a big smile on her face as they notice the ghost-boy hovering in the air. He had an angry frown on his face, and the green in his eyes seemed darker than normal.
"Hey! Pummel-heads, leave her alone!" Danny exclaims over the noise of the vessel's rotor-blades. That gives him an idea, though. He quickly charges a few Ghost-Rays in his hands and aims them at the rotors. The pilot, still recovering from the sight of TWO Danny Phantoms, misses his chance to dodge and the attacks impact, bending the blades in twisted ways, causing the rotor to come to a harsh stop. With just one rotor left, the device starts plummeting down in a spiral. Right before it crashes, a group of parachutes can be seen leaving the vessel.
In that moment, the young hybrid had flown to her 'cousin', exclaiming a loud "DANNY!", with such speed she caught them both by surprise. The two laugh together, glad to see each other.
"It's good to see you too, Dani." Danny manages to get in between the laughter. As the laughing dies down (no pun intended), the girl hybrid takes a deep look in those familiar green eyes before smiling. She gives the ghost hero a warm hug, that was quickly returned.
"So, not to be a fun-breaker, but why were you being chased by the GIW?" He decides to ask, keeping the rest of the reunion for later. Dani looks back down at the wreck of the vessel.
"I'm not sure. I was flying at a very fast speed, maybe they got suspicious or something?" The girl hybrid explains. Danny nods in understanding, knowing that the GIW never seems to leave a ghost alone when they see one. He takes a look back at his 'clone', now able to see that she had barely aged. After the first few years he had noticed, and after looking more into it, Tucker explained it must be that she was aged up to look twelve, but she practically is only four by now. He frowned at that memory, not sure how she would handle being twelve for eight more years. 'I know I would go insane.'
His frown deepens though when he starts taking in her whole appearance. Her white hair was ruffled and there were strands hanging around everywhere. Bags were underneath her eyes, and she had small cuts and bruises everywhere. Her suit was thorn on many different places, along with a few dirty patches. Taking a breath through his nose, the eerie smell of pollution and dirt, along with dried blood and seeped inside. Lastly, he could see that she was thinner, and her skin seemed sickly pale, even for a ghost.
Her demeanor hadn't changed though, back to the hyper and happy girl she normally is. He smiles a little bit at that, and the two fly back to the town, Danny hoping to find Sam somewhere close to where he had left her. He looked back at the girl flying behind him, the way she was so happy bringing a smile to the hybrid boy. But as he turns back to see Amity Park in the distance, his smile quickly fades as he starts to realize that she must have had it though the past year.
Such young innocence, why can't anyone see it?
Finally, after looking through almost half the town, the two find Sam waiting at the front-step of her house. And, judging by the lack of car and lights in the house, her parents weren't home. Danny softly lands on the ground before returning human. But, Danielle remains floating in the air. Sam arches an eyebrow, noticing the girl fidgeting with the a part of her suit, the part that wasn't scorched. Danny notices how nervous she's acting too.
"H-Hey, Sam." The hybrid girl is able to make out before turning back to watching her feet.
The couple shares a glance before looking back at the hybrid floating in the air. The light from the street-lights was hiding her condition, but even Sam could tell that she seemed to be barely staying afloat.
"Dani, is something the matter?" Danny asks her. That seems to snap the girl from her daze as she looks back up to them, meeting their gazes.
"N-no, nothing! I just, uh, would like to stay in my ghost-form if you don't mind?"
The couple look her up and down before turning to face away from her. They whisper something, to quiet for even her ghost-senses to pick up. After a few tensive moments, they turn back to her, a neutral look on their faces.
"Sure. Just, don't run or fly off on us, okay?" Danny proposes with an anxious tone to his voice. His 'cousin' quickly agrees before landing on the ground with a concealed sigh. The trio enters inside the house, neither knowing what for effect everything that will happen this Wednesday evening would have on the rest of their lives.
Sam turns the light on the living room. As the two turn back, they almost jump from shock. They both have worried looks on their faces as the two are finally able to take in Dani's whole appearance in the light.
Her suit was ragged and thorn, the part that was scorched with the burn mark on her skin very visible now. It seemed like they were hanging loose over her body, her frame unhealthily thin and pale for even a ghost under Danny's impression. Her hair was dishelved and full with knots. Strands were hanging everywhere, sticking out. Some were sticking to her face with sweat. Cuts and bruises covered her body and face, a small cut in her lip and a half-healed gash in her side. The smell of dried blood and ectoplasm, sweat, dirt and a pure stench of trash started to fill the room. Bags under her eyes showed how little sleep she had.
Dani quickly averted her eyes from their piercing stare, nerves rising fast.
"Dani, I… H-how, wha-?" Sam stuttered, trying to process what was going on. Last year she seemed to be doing fine when she came to visit, but now? She seemed to have lived on the street, and have faced not just a few stray cats in that time. A sudden sense of protection formed in her chest, also catching her off-guard. She was known to be protective when needed, but this instantaneous desire to protect the little girl was surprisingly new yet familiar for her.
"…" Danny was staring with his mouth half-open. He had seen a bit of her condition when rescuing her, but he didn't think it was this bad! A similar sense of protection, one he had had felt a few times whenever the half-ghost got herself in trouble, overwhelmed his head. He was known to be overprotective, but this didn't seem like that at all. It felt natural and familiar, yet also different and new.
"I know, I don't look that good. Let's just skip to the part where I show you what I found, okay?" Dani said, hurt, nervousness and fear plastered on her face and filling her voice. She took the backpack they only now notice from her back and places it down on the nearby sofa. She jumps on the furniture, ignoring the amazing sensation of comfort for now, grabbing into the bag and pulling the brown folder with her clone-number on it from inside. Seeing this, the couple quickly snaps out of their thoughts and approach closer.
Dani hands the file to her 'cousin' before leaning back on the sofa, finally allowing the comfort to claim her body. She keeps her eyes from drooping, though, wanting to know what they think. She keeps her gaze on the ceiling, not wanting to see their expressions.
Danny and Sam look at the file with dread and curiosity. They knew what it was, and they knew what it was about, but their curiosity got the better of them. Danny opens the file, and they read through the many pages of data and scientific knowledge.
Anxious minutes pass until they reach the last page. The one about her DNA. Danny, growing impatient by now, skipped whatever he didn't understand and started looking at the small list at the bottom.
"DNA Donor A: Daniel "Danny" Fenton/Phantom"
"DNA Donor B: Samantha "Sam" Manson"
His eyes widen.
He almost drops the file.
Sam reads it too.
They share a dreaded look.
Their eyes both creep to the hybrid sitting in front of them.
The girl sitting in the sofa.
Their biological daughter.
Daughter.
Oh god.
That's why…
And she's…?
She knew, she had already read it.
That's why she was in such a hurry.
Their thoughts mold into one.
'I'm her father/mother.'
Oh…
"I'm not sure if the result is going to be any different. It makes a lot of sense you know." Tucker comments as he places the cartridge holding a blood-sample from Dani inside a complicated machine. The group was inside the lab underneath Fenton Works. Tucker at the DNA-scanner with a pacing Danny in the center and a cold Sam behind the techno-geek. Dani was in a corner fidgeting with a few strands of hair, her other hand tracing the spot where Tucker had drawn some blood.
"Just do the damn test. I don't want to fall in another one of Vlad's traps." Danny growls out as he keeps on pacing. His mind was still trying to wrap itself around the idea of Dani being his daughter, but somewhere in his mind the thought lingered. 'Please let it be true.'
Sam, who had been in her own thoughts, finally snapped back to attention and tore her eyes off the scanner's screen. She turned on her heels and got in the way of Danny, stopping him by grabbing his shoulders.
"Sam?" He questions, unable to read her expression, the one thing about her that was still catching up with the situation.
"Just… Stop pacing like that or you'll dig a hole. Or maybe just sink through the floor, or… Just stop it, okay? Breathe."
Danny did as he was told, taking in gulps of needed air before exhaling his worries. His mind finally clearing, he was able to start comprehending their predicament. His eyes darted to the hybrid in the corner, but she quickly looked away.
Sam allowed a strained breath to escape her as she let his shoulder go. Just at that time, the scanner blinks a green light, signaling that it's done.
The trio is quick to the screen, but only Tucker can really read what it means. He examines it carefully before releasing a sigh. Spinning on his chair, he faces his two best friends with a neutral face.
"Well?" The couple demands, both crossing their arms. Crossing his own arms and closing his eyes, he slowly shakes his head in exasperation before answering.
"No denial. She," He points at Dani. "is your kid."
The revelation is like a weight being dropped on them, their expressions back to shock, worry and slight confusion. Danny was about to start pacing again when he notices that the hybrid girl was slowly phasing into the wall behind her. Before anyone else even realizes it, he's at her side, grabbing her wrist before gently pulling her from running away.
"And where were you going?" He asks with mild worry and concern in his voice. His mind was still in the process of absorbing information, so his emotions were still sluggish.
"I was just, uhm… I, uh…" She looks up, finally meeting his eyes. What surprises her is the lack of anger or hatred she was expecting, but that could be easily masked, she thinks. 'Like with Vlad.'
Looking away again, she mutters something under her breath.
"Sorry, what was that?"
"…I thought you wouldn't want me."
"And what makes you think that?" Danny asks, now more worried than before. By then Sam and Tucker were making their way over to the two hybrids.
"B-because… You're only eighteen, Danny! And I-I'm stuck like this for at least eight more years. I thought that, that you wouldn't want to have the worries of a dad. Besides Vlad, I-I've never had a real dad, and you know how well it went with him. I just, don't want to be a burden. And Sam isn't even part of this. She doesn't know me like you do!" The hybrid girl confesses before tugging her hand from the weakened grip of Danny. She goes intangible and phases through the trio, trying her best to keep herself together. And she knew she was failing.
"Dani!" Both Sam and Danny exclaim after her. She turns around, stopping in her tracks, allowing her now tear-filled eyes to meet theirs.
"What?! What do you want? You don't know what to do, well, neither do I! You think I asked for this life? You think I wanted to be like this? For who knows, I might be stuck as a twelve-year old forever!"
"You think I wanted to be created? W-well, sometimes, I just… I-I just wanted to… to d-disappear. Sometimes… s-sometimes, I-I…" By now she was sitting on the ground, her legs tucked together and her arms hugging herself, tears flowing freely from her bloodshot eyes.
"Sometimes I just wanted to die."
The trio of friends freeze as they register what she had just mumbled. Danny is the first to move after gathering himself together, slowly inching closer to the shaking and crying form of Dany Phantom, his biological daughter. He sits down on his knees in front of her, a few tears in his own eyes.
"Dani." He calls softly, trying to get her attention. No response.
"Danielle." He tries again, louder, but she doesn't look at him and only mumbles a "go away" before continuing with crying. He sighs before taking his last resort.
"Danielle Fenton!"
Her head shoots up with an angry "What?!", but before she knows it she's wrapped in a warm hug. Shock takes over, causing her body to tense.
"Stop talking. Don't make it worse. I know that this isn't ideal, and I know that you would want it to be different, but life's a mess. You can't expect everything to go like you want it to go. So stop talking, because I won't have no daughter of mine talk about herself like that." Danny says, cutting any protests from the girl off by tightening the hug. Finally, after a few tense moments, her body starts to relax as she allows her head to lie down in the crook of his neck. A hand lands on her shoulder, and as she looks up she's met with concerned but also warm purple eyes.
The goth had made her way to the pair, listening intently at the words of her boyfriend. She could only agree with him. As she crouches down, she does the one thing she never really thought she would do. She opens her arms and joins the hug, wrapping the young teen in even more caring warmth.
At the sideline, Tucker wipes away a few stray tears. 'So emotional.'
By the time things have calmed down, it's already late in the night. Tucker waves farewell at his friends before entering the mayor's limo. The couple watches it drive off into the darkness of night.
They walk back inside, closing the door behind them. Danny was carrying a sleeping Dani in human form, who had fallen asleep and transformed back from both physical and emotional exhaustion. Sam shared a concerned look with him at the girl, her condition still printed in their minds.
Thank god that Danny's parents were off for a Ghost-Convention in the city for the next few days, and Jazz was at college. At least they had some time alone to get everything in a row.
He carefully handed her to his girlfriend, who nodded in understanding. She carried the hybrid girl upstairs to the bathroom, where she removed the girl's thorn and worn clothes and threw them in the trashcan. She carefully took care of some of the small cuts and bruises before grabbing some nightwear from the nearby closet. Thanking whatever higher power there is that Jazz kept her old clothes around, she puts some comfortable pj's on Dani. Making sure they were spacious and comfortable enough she picked the girl up and left for the guest room.
Danny had already assured that the room was all set, so by the time he opened the door, he almost bumped into Sam holding a better dressed Dani in her caring arms. A small smile tugs at his lips of the sight, but the situation keeps him level-headed. He helps her put the girl In the large and comfortable bed before turning the light off and closing the door.
They both take turns showering and getting ready for the night. Danny does a quick late-night check over the town, but he's only busy for half an hour before deeming the town ghost-free for tonight. He quickly returns to his house, finding Sam all ready to sleep.
Small luck to both their parents being gone was that neither teens had to worry about rules. But with the ordeal of the evening, they were both exhausted and needed their sleep. That doesn't stop them from sharing a bed, though.
Sam is the first to get in, quickly getting herself warm and cozy. Danny gets in the other side of his (or their right now) bed and gets the cover over the both of them. A few minutes pass, but neither seems to be able to get some sleep.
"Hey, Sam?" Danny decides to ask, feeling concerned for her. Sure, he was having it pretty bad himself, but he couldn't just tell how she was doing. Sam doesn't show her feelings so openly like he does.
"Yeah?"
"You doing alright?"
"I'm... No, not really." She decides to be honest, feeling that this was something to be discussed together. "I mean, we aren't exactly the best option as parents, Danny. We have to deal with ghosts, we're only eighteen! What if... what if she was right? Maybe we really aren't meant for parenthood." She visible shivers, a dreadful chill going across her spine. Danny knew what she meant, he had doubts of his own. But he wasn't going to give up. He cups her cheek, softly turning her head to face him.
"Hey. I know that this isn't really what we signed up for, but sometimes you just have to take what life throws at you. I know for sure that Dani will understand that we are going to make mistakes. And don't say we can't because, well, look at our parents."
"Yeah, not really the best examples." Sam agrees, memories of her parents flashing through her mind.
"So, that means we know what not to do! And, be honest, Dani is a lot more mature then she looks like. And she can fight for herself. Honestly, I think we have it a bit easier with her then most parents."
"Perhaps, but... What about school? Like she said, she hasn't aged for four years, Danny! Four years! She should be sixteen by now, but she hasn't aged at all!"
"We figure that out when that time comes around. I could maybe ask Clockwork if he knows what to do. And, otherwise, I'll just start searching whatever is left of Vlad's research. I mean, that crazy fruit loop must have at least thought about it, right?"
The two share a soft laugh at the memory. Sam sighs softly.
"Yeah, you're right. I'm over-thinking this all. Thanks, Danny."
"Anytime, Sammy." He softly replies before placing a passionate kiss on her lips. Sam quickly returns the favor, wrapping her arms around his neck before snuggling closer. The teenage couple remains like that, wrapped together in the bed, softly falling asleep. A slumber without dreams, but peaceful nonetheless.
Deep in the Ghost Zone, in a place unaffected by time, lies the lair of Clockwork. Father of Time, his job is to keep an eye on the paths of time, assuring that no great evil shall befall on the Earth or the Ghost Zone.
And currently, said ghost was playing hide-and-seek.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" He calls in the hallways of his clock-tower lair. As he keeps on looking, he changes from child to adult and old, then back again. He looks in every nook and cranny, behind every clock and even in the massive bell of the tower, but can't find the one he's looking for.
"You really are getting exceptional." He musses to himself as he flies through the last hallways of his lair.
Finally, he enter the large hall with the mirror that shows him the paths of time, or whatever was happening in the present. As he observes the mirror, an idea pops into his head.
He reaches the mirror and, with a swing of his staff, commands it to show him one of the many times Danny Phantom and his human friends were face to face with a ghost. Assuring they were all from the past (can't hurt to see that), acts as if he forgot to stop the mirror from playing and starts flying away. Reaching behind a corner, he quickly goes intangible and phases through the walls.
A few moments pass.
Time keeps on ticking.
The sound of the many battles being fought were echoing through the lair.
And suddenly, a giggle was accompanying those sounds.
'Gotcha.'
He looks through the wall to the mirror, finding a young little girl with black hair down to her shoulders and ecto-green eyes. She was wearing a dress made out of leaves, a single vine coiling around her right-arm. A red tulip was seated in her hair. Barefoot and currently floating in the air, she was admiring the many victories of Phantom showing in the reflective surface of the mirror.
Clockwork slowly floats down, turning invisible as well. As he floats right behind the girl, he prepares for the jump and...
"You know this counts as cheating."
He's caught himself?
The girls twirls around, pointing an accusing yet playful finger at the ghost, even though he was still invisible.
"That trick doesn't work twice!" She jabs, pocking him in the chest. As he turns visible again, he can only praise her for finding him when she was the one hiding.
"Well, that surely brings the fun out of it." He fake groans as he turns into his infant self. A nice giggle confirms that he timed the joke right, his groan coming out childishly in his younger form.
"You know that isn't how it works." She accuses him, the playing tone in her angelic voice still there. He could only sigh in content, glad to have this kind of fun in his lair, instead of being bored all his eternal life.
'But that can't stay forever.' He reminds himself as he looks at a scene in the mirror, showing Danny Phantom and his human girlfriend Sam Manson. He notices the time on one of his clocks, causing his fine demeanor to drop instantly.
Seems time and fate had different plans.
"Rosa, may I?" He asks with a nice voice, his hand gesturing to the mirror. She takes a moment before realizing what he meant and gives a mock bow before floating out of his way. Right before she was going to return to her sleeping quarters, he calls to her.
"This is something you might want to see, dear."
That quickly changes her mood, an exited giggle escaping her lips as she flies back to float right next to her guardian/mentor.
He waves his staff right when he turns adult, the mirror complying to his wish. The surface ripples before showing a recent moment.
Danny Phantom arriving at the house of Sam, another ghost right behind him. Rosa's eyes start to shimmer as she recognizes the other ghost.
Dani Phantom, with an i.
"It seems that everything has started to fall into motion. Ready for your great big adventure, Rosa?" Clockwork explains as he waves the image away. He turns to find the girl doing loops in the air, giggling non-stop. 'She sure is taking it well.'
"Is it really time?" She asks to be sure, barely able to keep her energy together. He can only sigh in playful content as he nods. A loud squeal echoes through the massive building, almost able to be mistaken for a Wail.
Rubbing his ears, Clockwork manifests a bag with necessities and a note in the air. The girl grabs the bag and slings it over her shoulder. She grabs the note and reads it herself. But, what she reads causes her mood to fall very quickly. She looks at the Father of Time with a sad expression.
"W-will we see each other soon?" She asks, her voice wavering for a moment.
"Of course, child." Clockwork answers, using his old name for her. She smiles sadly before giving the ghost a final big hug. He returns it with a smile, enjoying the time he still has left.
Suddenly, the clocks around them start to strike, signaling the moment.
"Be safe." He advises her before opening a portal in front of them. They both look inside it, aware to where it leads and the adventure it will bring.
"Goodbye." Rosa waves before entering the portal. She looks back one last time, seeing her guardian vanish in the green swirls of the portal. She turns back to the exit of the portal.
Leaving the swirling ecto-green portal, she finds herself at a lake covered with an eerie fog. She stands down on the ground and allows the feeling of life encompass her.
A white ring manifests around her, covering her body as the leafy dress is replaced by a purple skirt with flowers. A blue belt keeps it up, the buckle shaped as a rose. She was wearing a black tank top, an ecto-green jacket over it. Her hair was still the same midnight black, but the red tulip was replaced by a red hairclip.
She took a deep breath, allowing the scents of nature to fill her nostrils. She breaths out in content, glad to have this feeling great her before she heads to the polluted air of the nearby town.
Amity Park.
"Alright." She starts with determination in her eyes. She adjusts the bag on her shoulder and puts the note inside. She looks around, finding a road in the distance cutting through the woods. Internally she flinches, knowing that this had costed the life of many trees, but she keeps her cool.
And such, Rosa Phantom starts on her adventure in the human world, her new home.
"Sir!"
Operative K turns at the call of one of their other operatives. The man who called him as pointing at a screen registering ectoplasm activity. A green dot had appeared near Lake Eerie.
"It seems we have a new ghost to hunt, gentlemen." Operative K declares as he turns to face the other men dressed in white. They all receive a dark smirk on their faces at the knowledge that they can start hunting again.
GIW is back in business.
So, that is the first chapter of the story. And boy, is it filled with revelations. We find out about Dani, and we meet my OC Rosa.
Anyways, remember to fav, review and follow. See ya soon!
Me: Does anybody else have the chills here?
Danny: I don't have them, I am chill.
me: *Groans in frustration*