Okay, I'm back from camp, but I have a family reunion coming up. My goal before I leave for that is to update all my stories that are still in-progress.

Thanks for reviewing go to: TPcrazy and Luiz4200!

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Danny Phantom.

How to Learn Ghost Powers

Considering the current monarch, it was an uncommonly tame punishment for ghost hunting. The Fentons' ghost weapons had been taken to provide the skeleton army with weapons against anyone foolhardy enough to defy the king. Instead of being killed or exiled, the Fentons, under the watchful eye of guards, had been forced to make additional arms for the king.

Poor, pathetic, Danny Fenton was not a threat to the king; that was common knowledge. Miserable under Pariah's rule, especially with the banning of childish fun, he was often found sulking in his parent's basement. Occasionally, he fell through his chair. He'd try to get up, only to bonk his head on one of the legs.

Bitter after months of boredom, he complained one day after his parents' work hours. "I'm sick of this." he said. "I don't think I can take much more of Pariah Dark."

"Neither can we, but unless there's someone powerful enough to get past the skeleton army and defeat the king, I'm afraid we're stuck under his rule, son." said Jack.

"He's paranoid that someone will try," Maddie added. "That's why he's not allowing anyone outside his military to have weapons. He's building his defenses."

"I know, I'm just about the only one he thinks will never be able to defeat him," Danny mourned. "If only I was powerful enough to defend Amity against him; he'd never have captured us then. I'm nothing. I can't overthrow him, I can't defend myself from anyone, and I can't do anything to make life better. I'm worthless."

"Danny, you're not worthless," his mother said, hurting because of her son's opinion of himself.

"Then how come everyone thinks I'm a joke!" Danny snapped, releasing in his anger an ectoblast. It flew forward, hitting his mom. "Sorry, I didn't mean to. Are you okay?"

Gasping, Maddie answered, "Yeah, but that was pretty strong. You're more powerful than you think, Danny. You just need to be able to control your powers better to be able to defend yourself."

Danny hung his head, "I guess, but how am I supposed to learn? The enemy are the only one with any experience of ghost powers. They wouldn't train me. If they even knew we were having this conversation, they'd do something to make sure I don't get training. Let's face it, I can't get training, and without training, I'll just be the kid with the weird ghost powers who messes things up by mistake. It's impossible for me to learn to control my powers!"

"Danny," Maddie said. "What if you figured your ghost powers out for yourself instead of getting formal training? I mean, Thomas Edison wasn't trained on how to make an electric light. In fact, people said it was impossible, and look what he did. He tried every way he could think of to make an electric light, and in the end, he did what no one had ever done before. I bet if you try, you'll discover powers that Pariah Dark can't even imagine. Come on Danny, scientists used to think that man would never be able to walk on the moon, and man did anyway! Would you at least try to master your powers?"

"Okay, I'll try."

"That's my boy!" Jack said proudly. "I tell you Maddie, he'll make a great superhero someday!"