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Chapter Seventeen
Beyond the End of the War
Danny woke up to find himself surrounded by ice. He tried to sit up but a pain in his left arm stopped him. He then remembered the fight between himself and Leviathan. 'Since I am alive I guess I won.' Danny thought to himself trying to restart his empty mind.
"Great One you are awake." It was Frostbite. "Don't worry your arm was broken but it will be as good as new after we remove the splinters and reform your ectoplasm. The process should only take an hour." Frostbite was his usual self on the surface but Danny knew him better.
"What were there names?" Danny asked simply.
"Great One, we will discuss that later." Frostbite tried to end the conversation.
"Frostbite, please." Danny said looking up at his friend with worried eyes.
Frostbite sighed and tears came to his eyes. "Jimmy the squire that was trying to open a sweets store and Brother Hail who was going to take his 'Trail by Frost' and join the honor guard this New Years."
"I am starting to wish that I never let Aragon exist. Then none of this would have happened." Danny said sadly until a thought hit him. "I know Aragon was eaten, but what of his men. What happened to those how followed him?"
Frostbite turned away. "They all used up most of their energy breaking Leviathan's seal. When he escaped. They were too drained to defend themselves. It was a slaughter, we are still trying to get a number of the departed but… we believe that over one hundred and fifty lost their afterlives."
Danny sat there in silence. "Frostbite, do you think I will ever be strong enough to stop this pointless violence."
"Great One, I am old, I have seen hundreds of kingdoms form and fall. I have seen men die and heroes be born. But I cannot recall ever seeing true peace… I think that you will fix that, but not with power. What you did today was beyond words. Everyone admires you for your actions. You have been told that you are the Prince yes? But did anyone tell you the approval rating you have?" Danny figured it would be something like twelve percent. After all he had a lot of enemies and had always looked out for the humans. "Last I checked it was ninety-six percent. I believe that this will make it higher. Even those like Skulker and Technes agreed that you would make the best king."
This shocked Danny, did the ghost really respect him that much. "They know that you could easily destroy them and that it would make your life easier. But you never did and you always showed a understanding that they need to fulfill the requirements of their obsessions. You also protected them from the human hunters if they were caught and the Ghost Zone when it was endanger. You are a hero, Great One, and you will make a good king."
"Thanks Frostbite. Can I take to Queen Dora while we are fixing my arm?" Danny asked Frostbite nodded.
Queen Dora and Remnant entered the room as Frostbite's doctors got to work on Danny's arm. "Queen Dora thanks you for coming. I would understand if you had need to rest and mourn after this ordeal. Even if they had betrayer you they were still your people and your brother." Danny said respectfully.
"We can mourn after everything is put to rest. That is something you will learn, Sir Phantom. For a king the fighting is the easy part, the hard part is what comes after." Dora said with a dead look in her eyes.
"I know, that is why I wanted you and Frostbite here. I need a full report of the damages both in the Ghost Zone and the Human world so that we can form a plan to spread out our relief effort." Danny said seriously.
"Please change into Ghost form, Great One." One of the Doctors asked and Danny complied not without a lot of pain but he didn't say anything.
"The Ghost Zone was relatively untouched only three lairs were destroyed and people are already at work fixing the ghosts that lived there with new lairs. The human world however even though there were no casualties and all the injuries were cause in the evacuation. Over sixty homes were destroyed." Dora reported solemnly.
"We need to concentrate the relief effort in the human world then. I want someone to contact the Lunch Lady and the Box Ghost and have them start making care packages. I want Wulf and Cujo searching the city for people that didn't get out and may have been injured. And as soon as I am healed up I will go and talk to the human press and explain what happened." Danny then looked at Remnant. "Remnant two things from you. First an explanation as to how one earth that thing was only number four on the world threat list. And second… you were right, I do need a blade. Not for everyday use but as a just in case."
"He was only number four because he slept for eighteen hours out of the day and it made it easy to put a seal on him. We might have lied in the stories later but that is just because it was a little anti-climatic… Alright boy, now for my report. You father asked me a three weeks ago after you picked of the clothes for the tournament to make two things. The first was a new seal. One that would stop Leviathan from regenerating his energy instead of just on that would keep him asleep. I thought that the old Clock was crazy to think that someone would weaken that monstrosity but here you are. You did good kid." Remnant said a grin plastered on his face.
Danny was a little shocked. "I know someone told me it but I didn't believe them. Remnant are your sober?"
Remnant broke out laughing. "Yes no thanks to you. I have been working none stop for three weeks without a single drop of good spirits. But I guess your worth it kid." Remnant's face turned serious. "Boy do you know how you're still alive? Not just from this last fight but all of them? Your life force has gone beyond the breaking point more than once."
"Just lucky I guess." Danny looked down at the condition his body was in. The arm was the only bad injury but his entire body was covered in small scraps from the fight.
"Afraid not kid, you are alive because every time you are about to die you start to pull in the ectoplasm around you and using it to heal yourself and keep you alive. I think it has something to do with your magic but only Clockwork knows and he doesn't feel like sharing." Remnant started to grumble about the old Clock twisting his arm. "Your old man knew about this and believed that once your back was to the wall all the ectoplasm you absorbed this way would activate and start to show its nature. You have almost died in battle on four major actuations. First when you fight again Pariahs dark, second was the Dark Dan, three when you were grabbed by Undergrowth and he tried to use you're as a battery, and very few things could survive having been hit by even one of Vortex's lightning bolts and you were hit by more. Each time you lived by bringing in the ectoplasm around you to keep yourself alive. And a majority of that free ectoplasm in the area was the stuff that those Dark Gods just let loose from their bodies."
"Boy you have gained to powers of three of the strongest ghost ever to exist. Lucky that fight against Leviathan drained them all away for now. But in a day or two they will be back and you still have next to no experience controlling them. You will be a danger to yourself and everyone around you." Remnant looked at the look of horror on Danny's face before he broke out laughing. "Don't worry boy that was the second thing your dad asked me to make." Remnant brought out an arm guard, it was steel gray and had black designs on it as well as covings, their also was an emerald green stone in the center of the guard. "It will slow down the rate in which you recharge this new ectoplasm and give you some time to learn control before it is back at full power. It will start at about point three percent power and slowly grow over the next six months until the seal is no longer inhibiting the powers."
"So Clockwork knew that all this was going to happen." Danny said with a sad smile.
"No, but he guessed. And if your guesses are fueled by the same level of knowledge and experience as he has. Then they are usually right. Really everything turned out better then we hoped. The seal for your new powers couldn't be put on until they awakened. But unless they were drain you would be too dangerous to approach." Remnant said. "Don't worry kid."
Remnant put the guard down on the bed side counter and turned away and started to head out the down. "I am going to go find Wulf and Cujo and tell Dani that her dad is alright. Hopefully someone else can get in contact with the Boxy and the Lunch Lady because I am not nearly drunk enough to talk to them." And like that Remnant was gone.
"Your arm is as good as we can get it, Great One. Just try not to fight anything for a little will ok." The doctor said as he pulled away. Danny grabbed the guard and placed it over his left arm.
"I need to go to the human world to help calm the panic." Danny stood up, his entire body was still in pain but everyone knew that it was useless to tell him not to stress himself and that he need to heal. Danny walked to the wall were his staff leaned up against the wall. He grabbed it and made a hole into the human world. 'This won't be easy. I wonder how many more Red Huntresses were just made today.' He walked through the portal and then flew to the edge of town looking for a news crew.
Danny found one at the sign welcome to Amity Park. Danny landed, right in front of the news crew to find that it was Lance Thunder again. Danny knew he was not presentable. He his clothes mended themselves whenever he charged forms but he was still covered in cuts and bruises, one of his eyes was drooping and his arm was still covered in his ectoplasmic green blood with small hints of the human red.
"Mr. Phantom what happened?" Lance asked looking at Danny's body.
"The battle is over and I came to answer questions." Danny said. "Please, I will be fine, doctors have already seen me."
"If you say so? First question what was that thing? Was it some kind of Ghost?" Lance asked.
"Yes it was. Its name was Leviathan, he had been sealed away for over a thousand years but someone woke him up." Danny looked down. "We don't know of any human causalities and the Ghost Zone is forming a search and rescue team right now but… the ghosts were not as lucky. Leviathan ate more than a hundred and fifty ghosts."
"So the thing was some kind of cannibal ghost? Why did the seal break?" Lance asked a little discussed.
"The seal was undone by the former Prince Aragon how had imprisoned in his kingdom after he kidnapped a human girl and tried to force her to be his bride. The girl led a revolt and helped now Queen Dora to over throw her brother. I wish I could tell you that Aragon would be brought to justice, but he was eaten by Leviathan after he woke him up." Danny said sadly.
"You mentioned a human girl before. Who is she?" Lance asked.
"That is really not very important. If I told you there might be repercussions for it. The right for the public to know ends when people start getting hurt." Danny said.
"Well can we get off of today's event and ask what has been happening? You haven't been seen in months and ghost attacks had almost stopped. Why is that?" Lance asked.
"I disappeared in order to take care of my daughter and receive further training." Danny said.
"You have a daughter." Lance said wide eyed. "Is she from before or after death and who is the mother?"
"After death and there is no mother. It is a ghost thing that is not ok for your younger views so I would rather drop that subject." Danny said to change the subject. "There are three reasons that that the ghost attacks are stopping. First a ghost found Jack and Maddie Fenton dissecting their own son alive will he was conscious." The look of disgust on Lance's face stopped Danny from laughing at the fact that everyone thought he was dead. "The news of that event made the Ghost that was behind most of the organized ghost attacks stopped wanting to take over the human world out of disgust. Second the two stable portals between our world and yours were destroyed. This made it a lot harder for ghosts that can't make their own portals to get through into the real world. Like how it took Leviathan over six hours to tunnel into the human world. Finally the Observant, who are a form of high counsel in the Ghost Zone named a living boy the 'Prince of All Ghost' and the next king."
"Wait you mean that they are replacing Pariahs with a human child?" Lance was shocked.
"Yes they are. And in order not to upset their future king they stopped attacking the human world." Danny said with a smile. No need for them to know that he was the king. And no one would expect the dead Danny Fenton of being the next living king of ghosts.
"I know that you still probably have a lot more questions but I really want to get home to my daughter." Danny said, he knew that Dani would worry if he didn't check in with her. "There is work going on in the Ghost Zone to organize a relief effort for the humans that lost their homes or any that received injuries. On behalf of all ghosts, I am greatly sorry for everything that has happened to you today. This was a tragedy over a thousand years in the making. But there is nothing more that I can do right now, and I don't want my daughter to worry. So take care and good luck." Danny turned away and made another portal, this one to Pandora's Greece.
"Daddy!" Danny hadn't even entered the portal before Dani jumped out of it in her ghost form tackling him to the ground. "Daddy are you ok, Pandora said you were fighting a big monster. Are you ok Daddy, are you?"
"Daddy is a little injured Dani. Could you please stop jumping on me?" Danny winced causing Dani to jump back and hover in mid air a small distance away. "But I will live… well sort of."
Dani laughed at the little joke. "So this is your daughter Mr. Phantom." Lance asked with wide eyes. He didn't know what he was expecting but the half pint girl version of the town hero that acted like she had had one too many spoons full of sugar certainly was not it. And then an idea hit him. He didn't know how old they really were or how long they were ghosts. "Just a question and I hope it is not rude but… how old are you two?"
"Daddy is thirteen years old, and I am fourteen months old. And fourteen is bigger than thirteen." Dani said proudly. "That is what Kitty and Ember told me to say."
Danny looked slightly embarrassed by the little girl's statement. "What you are only a year old? But you look at least five. How does that work?"
"Youngblood looks four and he is over two hundred. Ghosts' appearance is not really the same as their real age all the time." Danny made an excuse knowing that no one would listen to any Ghost researcher that called 'BS'. "Dani is aging though at a nature rate just like I do, she just started at the age of four."
"So you really are thirteen and are taking the responsibility of having a daughter? Aren't you a little young." Lance asked shocked by how responsible the boy was.
"Taking care of Dani here is just like taking care of rouge ghosts. If I don't do it, then someone less pleasant will. I don't want to even think about what you happen if someone like Jack and Maddie Fenton got their hands on any ghost let alone an innocent little girl like Dani. By the way I hold Jasmine Fenton in no way responsible for her parents' actions and hope that she is ok after the loss of her brother. Besides it is not like I take care of her alone. She has her Aunt, Pandora, Queen Dora, and Frostbite." Danny listed them off on his fingers.
"But aren't you worried that your enemies might hurt her?" Lance asked.
Dani burst out laughing. "No one wants to make Daddy angry. They are too afraid to hurt me. And besides Kitty says I am too cute from them to try anything like that with." Dani started making faces.
"Alright just two more questions. Why did you name your daughter Danny and you said something about an Aunt? Is that biological or what?" Lance asked.
"Her real name is Danielle, but she decided that the wanted to be called Dani spelt with an 'I'." Danny said. "And her Aunt is my older sister who is still alive but will not be named for everyone's privacy." Danny summed up he picked up Dani in his good arm along with the staff and reopened the portal to Pandora's and this time walked through.
"There you have it folks your hero has defeated the giant monster, the ghosts will have a human king and there is a new Phantom about. I am Lance Thunder and this has been the Giant Ghost Monster Watch. We really need a new reporter to do this." Lance said more than a little tired.
Another portal appear, this time the Box Ghost came out of it along with Wulf and Cujo. "Beware! For I, The Box Ghost, bring you warm food, tents, and blankets to help you in your Doom! Beware!" The box ghost raised his arms and over a hundred labeled boxes of various sizes came shooting out of the portal. "My work here is done. Beware!" The Box Ghost ran back into the portal and Wulf walked up to Lance and started to speak in his best English.
"Friend say help you need yes? Wulf help find missing people." Wulf then dashed off with Cujo at his heals.
"Yah a new reporter would be nice." Lance said again looking like a random circus and come through throwing pies in his face only to disappear.
Danny spent a little time with Dani in Pandora's Layer in order to comfort her. He also used it as head quarters for the relief effort. A surprising number of ghosts turned up to help. Most of them were from in broken home before they died or died in a bad storm. Remembering how it was like for them they helped out in any way they could. Though no one provided more help than the Lunch Lady and the Box Ghost. The abilities to summon food out of no were and transport disproportionally amounts of materials through boxes regardless of size or weight were really useful power.
It was round six pm in England when Danny walked out of the portal unto the Great Hall looking as if he had walked through a rockslide while holding a rock magnet. From the time he had spent in human form after the fight, his robes were socked in his own bleed. One of his eyes was still a little swollen and he was having difficulty walking.
Silence fell across the hall as he walked to his seat and sat down to each. "Danny are you going to be ok?" Ginny asked putting a hand on Danny's shoulder.
Danny looked at her and smiled, "Don't worry. I already saw a doctor about the wounds. I will be fine with rest."
"What every Clockwork had you do could have killed you." Danny turned his head to see Harry. "You need to stop doing his dirty work." Harry said.
"One hundred sixty three!" Danny shouted at Harry how flinched at the anger in Danny's eyes. "One hundred sixty three ghosts lost their afterlives before the fight was over. If I had done nothing then Leviathan would have gone through the human world to, and then over a thousand humans would be dead as well. Clockwork didn't tell me to go and fight. He just had to have the medic kit there for when I was done."
"As your older brother I am telling you that you cannot do this anymore." Harry said.
"You are not my brother. My family are the Ghosts that protected me, Jazz how listened to me and comforted me, Sam and Tucker that helped me become who I am today, and Dani who needs me. You are just some nosy kid that wants to run my life." Danny said the glare clear on his face. "You need to stop researching me and my father. Clockwork is a good man who has save millions of lives by the choices he's made. You are just some lucky kid that Voldemort's curse didn't kill you as a baby." Danny turned and walked away, leaving a shocked Harry behind him. All ties had just been severed.
This took 1 hour 34 minutes 57 seconds.
I don't even know if any of this stuff even fits what I wrote in the past because reading the last few chapters would have taken too long.
There you got your stupid aftermath chapter, now leave me alone about it! If you want it continued, DO IT YOURSELF!