Author Note: Sorry for this being a little late, but hopefully I'll get the next chapter up in a week or two to make up for it, and well here it is.
Chapter 3: Troubled Past
"Hey dipstick get up already," Ember said as she looked down at Danny.
"W-what time is it," Danny said as he slowly got up.
"Well let's see it's about 10AM, FOUR YEARS IN THE PAST! Why would it matter what time it is? Now let's go and finally get this right so we can end this partnership, and go back to being enemies again."
"Jesse it was just a question, you don't have to be so rude about it. It's not like I like this whole thing either. I would much ratter be with Sam than someone like you."
"Oh that's right Sam you're little girlfriend that only likes you because of your ghost powers, just like everyone else," Ember said giving Danny an evil smile.
"What? You don't even know her, and she doesn't like me just because of my ghost powers," Danny said angrily, and then he changed his tone to a mocking tone. "She really likes me for me, not that you would know anything about that, seeing as you never had any real friends, only part time partners that could care less about you, Ember."
"What was that dipstick? Now I'm only going to say this once, you know nothing about me, so don't go assuming that I would know nothing about…" Ember said angrily at first, but slowly trailed off to a sad and lonely tone. "Let's just start this training so we get this whole thing over with, like I said before. Is that good with you baby pop."
"Find, for once I think you're right, let's just get this over with."
Danny and Ember flew off invisible to train with using their powers together, and again they trained for hours with little progress. Danny would use his ghostly wail as Ember would play her guitar, but no matter how many times they tried they could not connect their powers together.
"Ahh, why can't we get this right we been trying this for two days now. If you didn't have to rest after only using your ghostly wail twice we might be done with this whole thing by now," Ember shouted at Danny.
"Well sorrrry, but my ghostly wail takes up a large amount of my ghost energy, and what about you always looking at that diary of yours. Maybe if you would stop focusing of your past and start focusing of what's going on now we might have beaten the evil one and I might be home with Sam," Danny shouted at Ember.
"Sam, Sam, Sam. That's all I hear from you dipstick. You think I have my head in clouds, well look who's taking. Why don't stop thinking of your girlfriend, if you could call her that, for five seconds, and maybe we can actually get some work done."
"That's it, I had it with you always putting my relationship with Sam down," Danny said as he fired an echo blast at Ember, which she dodged.
"What's that, I seem to hint a nerve," Ember said as she fired a blast from her guitar right at Danny, but Danny countered with the ghostly wail.
The two blasts clashed which caused an explosion that caused both Danny and Ember to crash in opposite directions. Danny and Ember got up as the smoke cleared, which reveled the word connection written in green and red echo energy.
"W-what is this?" Danny said looking at the word his anger seemed to have vanished.
"It must be from Clockwork. He must be trying to tell us something, not that I care, I'm so done with this," Ember said getting ready to fly off somewhere.
"Ember, wait. What if Clockwork is telling us that we need to make a connection? What if the only way we can use our powers as one is that if we connect in someway?"
"There is no way I'm going to tell you my past, and there is no way I'm ever going to 'connect' with you. Got that dipstick."
"Ember it's the only way we can stop the evil one, and remember it kills you. You said yourself, you don't want to die."
I can't believe this, first The Box Ghost gets his hands on my old diary, something I thought I left in the past with the rest of my human life, and now I'm force to pair up with dipstick here and make a connection with him unless I want to die again. Great, it looks like I have no choice, but I still not going to talk about the life I left behind. Ember thought as she said, "Fine dipstick, I'll try to make a connection with you, but I'm not going to tell you everything. Got it.
"Fine, whatever, don't tell me everything, I really don't want to know anywhere. Just tell me enough so we're able to make a connection of some kind."
"Ya, I get it, a connection."
Danny and Ember went back to where they slept the night before. It was an old house in which it seemed that no one lived in years, dust made a thick layer at every inch of the house. They went to the living room area where Ember used her echo blast to break through the layer of dust, but in the process blew up a chair. Danny on the other hand just let his hand glow of green echo energy, and with his hand he cleared the dust away. They both sat down on opposite sides of the room as Danny told Ember his life story; about his parents, sister, friends, and how he got his ghost powers.
"…and well that's how Sam and I got together," Danny said.
"You know you could have left your using girlfriend out of that amazing story of yours," Ember said with sarcasm in her tone.
"I don't get, why are you always bagging on Sam, you don't even know her. What could you possibly have against her?"
"Maybe it's because she's a human girl that has a great life, but always acts all Goth for no reason other than to be different from everyone else. Ya, I know she probably gives the whole speech about just being herself, but that's a lie, she has never been herself. You want to know the real reason she's Goth, it's because she's embarrass of her true self."
"That's not true; Sam's a Goth cause…"
"Cause what she has perfect life. No dipstick, she's embarrassed of her true self. If you have any doubts then tell me how long did you know Sam before she invited you into her house?"
"Well that was because she didn't want me to like her because her family was rich."
"Is that what she told you? Ha, that's a lie being rich is apart of her, it's a part she doesn't want people to know so she covers it up with being Goth. Face it dipstick your girlfriend is nothing more than a poser. She never really liked you it's all an act, and she got you good."
"No she didn't," Danny said as unknown anger rose from his being. "Sam is not a poser. She is a Goth because that is who she is, and she likes me for who I am," Danny's tone went from angry to sad at the last part as he thought. And she's in trouble now and the only way I can save her and rest of the world is working with Ember. I can't let her get to me, I have to stay calm.
Ember was in a fighting stands waiting for Danny to make the first move, but instead Danny said, "Ember I'm sorry for yelling at you, and I'm sorry for talking about Sam. For some reason you don't like that, and I should respect how you feel. So can we put this behind us, and get to your life story.
Ember starred in complete shock at Danny's words as she thought, Is he really showing me compassion? No one has ever showed me compassion before, no one. This can't be real; I don't believe it, out of all people Danny Phantom, my enemy, is only person to ever show me any real compassion. Is this really happening, it can't be, but it is, Danny Phantom has just showed me compassion.
"Hey Ember, Ember, EMBER!"
"W-what, oh ya. I guess I'm sorry too dipstick. It's my fault for getting under your skin a little. I should have just left your girlfriend out of it. Now I was just about to tell you my past, but before I begin you must know that I will not say anything about my life as a human growing up,
the memories are too personal. But, I well tell you of how I died, and my life as a ghost," Ember said as she again took a seat.
"But Ember we're trying to make a connection, how are we going to do that without you telling me everything? I told everything."
"I will not tell you my human past," Ember yelled at Danny.
"Ok, no human past, I get it. Can you begin with your life, I mean after-life story already."
"Fine, it all began on stage for me with my first major concert ever. Well it wasn't that big, I was just an opening act, but the crowd was huge and the stage had all the pyro effects I needed to make my first big impression on the world. I was going to dazzle their eyes, and after I would become the rock star I always wanted to be. However, the pyro effects weren't working as they should be, and when I got on stage and started rocking out, right when the first time the pyro effects went off the stage explored in blue flames. I was center stage and the closer to the exploration so I was the only one to die, everyone else walked off with minor injuries. The next thing I knew I had blue flaming hair, guitar still in hands, wondering in The Ghost Zone.
"Oh course I didn't know it was The Ghost Zone, or that I was a ghost, but I found out quickly. I found out from Clockwork, he told I was ghost, how I died, and that the place where we floated was The Ghost Zone. After which I wondered around The Ghost Zone sad and lonely until I came across a large floating island that had no ghost living there. This island became my new home, in fact it was the closest thing to home I ever had. I built a house there with some help of my ghost powers, and I soon found out about my musical ghost powers. I lived there for a few years in self pity, not the proudest moment of my life. However, these feelings of pity turned into rage and despair, I felt like taking out my anger on the place that caused all my pain, Earth, the human world.
"I went to the human world through your ghost portal, and quickly learned that my ghost music could brainwash teenagers. So my plan for world domination presented itself to me, so I started my plan by getting a record deal with my brain washing music, but you got in my way, and you know the story after that."
"Ya well I couldn't let you take over the world," Danny said. "But what I don't understand is why you were so sad and lonely in The Ghost Zone."
"Like I said before that is too personal to get into, it has a lot to do with my human past," Ember said as she got out her diary pointing to it.
I didn't really get any closer to Ember; I can't get a connection with her if I don't know her human past. That diary must be from when Ember was a human, I must get my hands on it, but I'll have to wait until tonight. Danny thought as he said, "Fine, but it's getting kind of late Ember so I'm just going to crash for the night. We can finish out training tomorrow. Goodnight Ember."
"Ya, goodnight Da-dipstick."
Danny left the room leaving Ember alone with her thoughts. Why did I almost call dipstick by his really name? Why am I suddenly feeling this strange feeling for him? No, I'm not falling for my enemy, I'm not, there's just no way. This feeling is just in my head, it's not real, it can't be real. After convincing herself of this she got up and headed for bed.
Later that night when Danny was sure Ember was sleeping he snuck into her room in his ghost invisible form. Ember's room was a lot like all the other rooms in that old house; it had an old dresser that had Ember's guitar on it and right above it was an old broken mirror, the old night stand right next to the old bed where Ember was sleeping gave home to Ember's diary.
Excellent just what I was looking for her diary, Danny thought as he picked up the diary, and then looked at Ember. You know she looks somewhat peaceful sleeping like this I almost feel bad about taking her diary, but I have no choice if I want to save the world. I need to see what Ember's human past was like if I'm ever going to connect with her and save the world.
Danny took one last look at Ember before he flew out of the house, and behind another house a few blocks away. He opened the diary to the first entry which read.
Dear Diary,
This is the last thing my mother gave me before they took me away from her. They say she is unfit to be my mother, but I know that isn't true, she loved me, and I love her. They took me away to a foster home where the kids are mean and the people that are suppose to take care of us don't really do their job. No one here seems to care about anyone other than their self, but I have to stay strong for my mom, she cared about me, and I care about her. She always said to me that "if you can find one person in your life that really cares about you then your doing good." I just wish I was with that one person now, mom I miss you so much.
Ember McLain
Danny looked at the first entry as he thought, So you lost your mom Ember. Wow I don't know what I would do without my mom, or anyone of the people I care for most in this world; mom, dad, Jazz, Tucker, and Sam. No wonder she makes fun of my relationship with Sam, she never had anyone other than her mom, which according to this she lost at a young age. I wonder if she ever found anyone else that cared for her. Danny flipped to a latter entry in Ember's diary, and it read.
Dear Diary,
Today was one of the worst days of my life, and to think it started good with me finally finding a family. Little did I know that this is the worst family of all time, I was better off in the foster home. At first they acted as if they wanted me; the dad, mom, and their daughter looked thrilled to have me, but that change when we made it into their car. They told me that, "I'm lucky they are taken me in, and that I will do whatever they say because I'm nothing more than their slave."
I hate that word slave. When we made it to their house they made me clean all of it, do their laundry, and cook for them, something I don't know how to do. They forced me to cook again and again until I got it to their liking; they even threaten to beat me. I'm not lucky at all they took me in, I'm not, the foster home was way better than this life.
Ember McLain
Danny looked at that page of the diary nearly heart broken as he thought, I think I understand why Ember is the way she is now, her human life seems horrible. I don't think I need to read anymore, Ember wanted to keep her past hidden and now I know why.
Danny closed the diary and was just about to head back to the place Ember and him were staying when he heard a shout from Ember. "There you are dipstick! Now tell me what are you doing with my diary?!"
"I was just. Well, you see I just had to read it in order to understand you. I only read it so we can make a connection, and that's all. I'm sorry for reading it Ember, I didn't know," Danny said as he backed off a little, but still giving the diary to Ember.
Ember grabbed the diary with a look of anger in her eyes and said, "Listen dipstick I told you before that I didn't want my human past to be known by you or anyone else. It's in the past, it's doesn't matter anymore."
"But it does matter; the past is what shapes who we are today. Now I know your past was bad, but I know you can find someone that cares for you if you just give them the chance. I feel I understand you better now that I know how your past was like, I understand why you are the way you are."
Ember starred at Danny for a moment with anger and confusion in her eyes as she thought, Why is he doing this, does he really understand me better now? Maybe he does, but no one can understand the pain I went through in my human life.
"Listen dipstick I won't fight with you for reading my diary but to make sure that no one ever reads this again…" Ember said as she burn the diary in blue flames, and tossed it to the ground to finish burning.
"Hey girl are you done cleaning so I can go to bed already," a voice that came from the near by house said. It took Ember by surprise, but caught her attention all the same. She flew closer to a near by window and looked in.
Ember saw her human self; red hair instead of blue, without her white skin, and she looked younger. Her foster dad was yelling at her for taking so long to clean the house. Human Ember was crying, tears were poring down her face. Ghost Ember was starring at the scene in horror as a few tears fell from her face to the ground.
Danny looked at Ember and then through the window and noticed that it was human Ember. He turned to Ember who suddenly rose up in anger. She was going to go in the house and kill her foster dad, but Danny grabbed hold of Ember just in time.
"What are you doing? Let me go," Ember said ready to fly off and kill her foster dad the second Danny let go of her.
Danny pinned her to a near by fence, and said, "Listen Ember I know you're mad and you want to kill that guy, but you can't. We can't interfere with the past; we could change everything, and make everything worst. Trust me I changed the past once, and it all turned out worst in the end, but I was able to change it back."
Danny saw that Ember calmed down somewhat so he let her go. She just walked a little closer to the house and said, "I'm sick of the past, I'm tired of this place! I don't want to relive my past and I won't."
Ember then started to remove her time belt as Danny said, "Ember don't…" Right when Ember removed the belt Danny grabbed hold of her shoulder, and Ember turned and looked into Danny's eyes. They both looked into each other's eyes in wonder just when the time portal sent them both back to their present.
Author Note: So like I said sorry for being a little late, and like I said last chapter a lot of Danny and Ember. The next chapter will have every main character, just like chapter 2, but it will have more Clockwork than the other characters. I wanted to put a page of Clockwork at the beginning of this chapter, but I felt it would be too long and I sort of wanted at least one whole chapter just to have Danny and Ember, so hear it is.
Thanks for reading and reviewing, hope you enjoy, and by the way I know theirs a lot of spelling errors, I'm not at spelling, but I this story goes off big I will rewrite and get someone to edit my rewrite. I just might do that anyway, but I still have to finish the story first. The story will have about 10 to 15 chapters, not sure yet because I don't have the whole plot lined up for Dani and Jin yet, so if you have any ideas, mind you they have to do something with them getting closer, thanks.