Finally, I have some ideas going here. They may be small, but I couldn't give a care. Don't know if I mentioned this before, but you all can snag these one-shots. Just credit a small idea portion. Don't care what they are.

Challenge by Thunderstorm101

9. Dusk

She thought he could be considered part of the dusk…

He sat on the rooftop of the Fenton Works building, staring out into the sunset and wondering what would become of his future. Besides, he had just saved the world a couple of days ago, and the press was trying to get in on every nook and cranny of his lifestyle. The rooftops at night seemed to be the only way he could get away from those predator newscasters. He needed time to himself sometimes, and right now was the only way to be away from everyone.

Except for perhaps the figure flying to him on a jet board, clad in red and giving the teenage hybrid a smile of the ages. It wasn't a love smile… just a friendly grin to her former enemy. Danny Phantom stood up and nodded as she jumped off the board and onto the rooftop, taking off her helmet. "Hey there."

He smiled. "Valerie Gray. Haven't seen you in a while."

She smirked, sitting on the edge of the building, her feet now dangling over. "Times have changed, Phantom. Life goes on. Although I can't say that I'm still surprised you're Danny Fenton."

Phantom shrugged. "I guess I could say the same if I was in your shoes, Val. But then again, I'm not." He sighed and watched the sun begin to drift behind the clouds. "There's something else."

She waved it off. "I know, I know. You're in love with Sam Manson."

His jaw dropped, not bothering to cover his emotions. "Wait. You know?!"

Valerie laughed. "Look, Danny. Everyone has been watching you since the day the disasteroid nearly hit, and we've all seen your spur of affection for Sam. Trust me, I'm upset, but not in the way you'd think of it."

Phantom looked confused.

"Why didn't you tell me? If I'd known that you were a hybrid trying to save the city from ghosts and ruined my life in the lab, I might've gone a hair bit easier on you and not tried to kill you as much!" Her grin faded and her look turned serious. "Still, though, I can't believe it was you who ruined my life."

He shoved his fingers through his hair exasperatedly. "Oh, come on! How many times have I said I was sorry?!"

The huntress raised an eyebrow. "Hopefully, more than I can count."

Silence hung in the air after a while, the two of them now looking at the pink and red skyline where the sun once stood. Hybrid and hunter made no sound as they contemplated their own thoughts, seemingly eclipsed in the silent of the night. Finally, he spoke. "Have I ever told you about my ultimate enemy?"

Valerie shook her head. "Let me guess. Vlad Masters or Vlad Plasmius."

He shuddered at this. "If he was my enemy like the guy I'm thinking of, I would already be dead by now. Actually, he's a full blown ghost. There's no humanity in him whatsoever. And when I say no humanity, I mean none."

She blinked. "Do I know this ghost?"

Phantom now shook his head. "No. At least, not in this time stream you don't. You know him in a completely different time. His name is Dan Phantom, and he's responsible for how the world is in a completely different sense. It's a really long story."

Valerie smirked, turning off her phone. "I've got plenty of time."

…Forty-five minutes later…

"…and as far as I'm concerned, he could escape from that thermos of his one day and kill me," he finished, shaking his head.

Valerie's gaze was now at the building across the street, biting her lip. Phantom's ultimate enemy was himself as a pure ghost? All because of dear old "Uncle" Vlad Masters. He was a monster in her eyes. How could he put the teen through that much trouble and insanity? What was he? She let out a long sigh. "What was it you called him again?"

He snorted. "One seriously crazed-up fruit loop. Given the fact that…"

"Enough about him," she cut off, standing up. "So Dan's the evil you ten years from now if you cheat on an exam, huh?"

Phantom shrugged. "I guess."

Valerie crossed her arms and shivered, a cool breeze now blowing. "He's like the dusk."

The teenager looked at her, mystified. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, think about it. In a sense, Dan is the epiphany of the evil inside of you. You said he wants to kill you, right? Well, if he did, he could kind of become whole. Despite the fact he has no amount of humanity in himself, technically he has it outside of himself. I mean, look at you. You're half a human, half a ghost- part of Dan. In order for the dusk to finally become nighttime, he needs to destroy his past self from another dimension. The dusk inside of Dan is raging to become full."

Phantom furrowed his brow. "I'm so lost, Val."

"He has to kill you to truly destroy his human self. Technically, he's a heartless and sadistic soul in his time frame. But here, he still has you- his half human self. So the dusk is inside of him of being a human is in this time stream, but not in the one where he exists and you and he are mortal enemies."

Phantom frowned. "Not really, though. He's pure evil, no matter what."

Valerie nodded. "If it's what you think." Her jet board appeared, and she jumped on, firing up the rockets and smiling at the hybrid, slipping on her helmet. "It's getting late. I've got to be going."

He nodded as well. "Me too. I'll see you later?"

"Yep. See you around, ghost boy… I mean, Danny."

With one last wave, the Huntress flew off into the once-dusk sky towards her home, Phantom smiling and wondering how confusing life could get after an explanation like that.

Okay, people. I even confused myself with this one. Did ANYONE understand it at all? Feel free to ramble in those reviews. Thanks for reading!