Chapter 2

Winterlǣcan Hrīm

Disclaimer: I own neither Danny Phantom nor Merlin

Laughter rolled through the clearing in thunderous peals as Kilgharrah stared down at the younger boy. It wasn't exactly what Merlin had expected when he called to the Dragon for advice, but it was better than him trying to roast the boy. As soon as the dragon had landed he had taken one look at Danny and then broken down into laughter, and hadn't stopped for over five minutes. Strangely enough the boy hadn't reacted much to the sudden appearance of a dragon, only cocking his head in curiosity at the large golden beast.

"Um, sorry?" Danny said, finally breaking the spell that the Dragon's laughter had cast on the clearing.

"Young Warlock," Kilgharrah said as he turned to face Merlin, temporarily ignoring the younger boy. "You do find company in the strangest of people."

"What do you mean by that?" Merlin pressed, slipping into the dragon's tongue as he eyed the young dark haired boy. The dragon smiled at him, a strange smile that Merlin had almost forgotten since the days when he had first sought the Dragon in the caverns beneath Camelot.

"Tell me what you have seen of this young boy." Kilgharrah urged, sending another knowing glance over at Danny.

"He introduced himself as Danny." Merlin began, still keeping the conversation in the dragon's tongue. "He appeared in a smaller clearing closer to Camelot, saying that he's from the future. I didn't even know that was possible. But the portal he came through felt similar to the Veil, and his magic feels... strange." Merlin paused, frowning in confusion.

"I rather imagine it does." The dragon replied, his voice carrying an air of superiority that Merlin had hoped he'd lose over time. "Although I suspect that he could tell you why that is. Isn't that right, Danny?" The boy started at the direct address, but nodded quickly. Merlin was confused it was almost as though...

"Could you understand what we were saying?" Merlin asked, staring across at the younger boy. Danny nodded once more.

"Yeah, I mean, wasn't I supposed to?"

Merlin blinked before turning once more to face the Dragon. "How can he understand the dragon tongue?"

"It is a gift of his species, Merlin." The dragon answered calmly, still bearing his strange smile. "Something of which he has no doubt been ignorant. The majority of his kind are selfish, obsessive creatures. However they do demonstrate a remarkable aptitude for languages, particularly those of magic."

"His... species?" Merlin pressed, sending a surveying glance at Danny who shifted slightly under his gaze.

"He is a creature of magic Merlin. I am sure you realised this. However, I believe that Danny is an aberration even for his kind. Is that not correct, young Phantom?"

Merlin watched as Danny jerked, his blue eyes widening like saucers. "How?" Danny gasped, struggling to regain his composure.

"The dragons you know are not true reflections of my kind." Kilgharrah replied, and Merlin blinked at the reference to other dragons. "You, young Phantom are not meant to be for over a thousand years, but your existence is foretold by Destiny."

"He is Destined?" Merlin interrupted, attracting Kilgharrah's attention back onto him.

"Of sorts." The dragon replied "His coming has not been foretold in the same way as you and your young king; however he is a necessary consequence of what will one day be."

"Necessary consequence? But it was just an accident. A stupid decision on my part." Danny scoffed shaking his head.

"You are right, and you are wrong, young Phantom." The dragon replied smoothly, his golden eyes bearing down on the boy. "While it is true that what happened to you could have become someone else's destiny, what you became was a necessary sacrifice to the Balance."

"The Balance?" Danny puzzled, his eyes betraying his confusion. Merlin still felt a little lost in the conversation, and figured that it was partly due to Kilgharrah's habit of speaking in riddles. But the concept of the Balance was something that he could understand.

"You mean the Balance of Life and Death?" Merlin pressed, looking to Kilgharrah for acknowledgement. When the dragon nodded once in the affirmative he continued. "It is one of the most fundamental laws of nature and magic. For there to be a life there must be a death, the world must always remain in balance. But how does that relate to Danny?"

"He is both the death sacrificed and the life granted." Kilgharrah answered sending Merlin's mind reeling. "You see, when Morgana tore open the Veil between our world and that of the dead she disturbed the Balance. The sacrifice to the Calleich was enough to close the tear, yes; however the damage had already been done. She permanently weakened the barrier, and in allowing the spirits from beyond to enter our world she gave some of them the strength to break through."

The dragon paused, looking across at Danny considering. "By Danny's time the barrier will be weakened to the point where it is possible for the spirits to break through of their own accord. And this in itself will create an imbalance. Unfortunately a sacrifice to the Calleich will not be enough to restore the natural order, and so a greater price will be taken; a permanent opening, completely manageable by those on both sides in order to stabilise the barrier between the worlds. This will be the only solution to Morgana's ill considered plans."

Merlin frowned, his feelings over Morgana mixing with growing understanding. "But to make such a link..."

"A sacrifice would have to be made, yes. One who would walk between the two worlds for the sole purpose of maintaining the balance. It could have been anyone, and I'm sure Danny can tell you of the first failed attempt to create such a link. However he was the one chosen; gifted by the powers of the Old Religion and cursed by them. Anymore of his story he will have to tell you. However know that it is no chance meeting that he was called to you, young Warlock."

Merlin blinked, looking over at Danny who had visibly paled. The boy looked stunned, but managed to regain his composure quickly enough. "So it wasn't an accident? What happened..."

"It could have happened to anyone in your time." The dragon acknowledged. "However, would you choose to force someone else to walk your path?"

"No." Danny answered quickly, shaking his head. "No, definitely not."

"Thus you have something in common with the young Warlock." The dragon replied bluntly. "I cannot tell you how to return to your home, you shall have to be patient and discover the path for yourself. In the meantime, I need hardly caution you about revealing the secrets of the future before they are ready to become known."

Danny nodded once, his lips pressed tightly together. "Perhaps," The dragon added, turning to face Merlin once more. "It is time for Emrys to appreciate a different aspect of the nature of the Balance." The dragon grinned, spreading his wings out before leaping into the sky. It was an abrupt a departure as usual, but Kilgharrah would choose to leave once he had said all that needed to be said. Merlin turned to face the young boy, there were still a lot of questions to be answered but perhaps they would be best answered on the way back to Camelot.

Danny was musing quietly as he followed the young man, Merlin through the forest. He watched the dark head as the man led him through the woods, stumbling slightly in the darkened undergrowth. Merlin was different than he would have expected. Danny himself had never grown up on the Legends of Arthur and Merlin, but Sam had spent several hours lecturing him about the legend even before he became part ghost. After that it had seemed more important to look into; after all, if the Fright Knight had turned out to be more than legend than who was to say that anything else was nothing more than myth.

But the raven haired man was nothing like the Merlin he had imagined. He had imagined a wrinkly old man in a deep blue robe, wizened eyes and a pointy hat. Or a cloak at the very least. But the real Merlin was just so unassuming; if Danny couldn't sense the power that dwelled within him he would have assumed he was just a peasant. Then again he should know better. It had been barely over two years since his defeat of Pariah Dark and the stories going around the Zone made him out to be a lot older and stronger and overall better than he actually was. And visiting his friends in the Far Frozen always made him feel guilty, as though they were celebrating him for something that he wasn't.

Talking to the dragon had been interesting. He was nothing like Dora or Aragon in their dragon forms. They became bestial, savage. But this dragon had been wise, somewhat reminiscent of Clockwork but in a less grandfatherly way. It was strange; and Danny wasn't entirely sure what to make of half of what had been said. All he really understood was that his accident wasn't so much an accident as a... necessary outcome. He didn't fully understand the concept of the Balance, but parts of it made sense.

"Kilgharrah never said exactly what you are." Merlin commented, breaking Danny out of his musings. The two of them were picking their way through the moonlit forest; Merlin had a blue-white orb floating above his hand to guide the way. Danny paused, but only for a moment. His secret identity probably wouldn't matter so much in this time period. And it was probably safe to say that if he was gonna talk to anyone, Merlin would be a good bet. It was just so hard to even shape the words in his mouth, he'd never actually told anyone before.

"No he didn't." Danny acknowledged, jumping between two tree roots distractedly. "He reminds me of someone back home actually. Or from the Zone... the world beyond the Veil I suppose." He turned around when he realised Merlin had paused.

"So that much was true. I had half hoped that the Veil was closed forever." Merlin sighed sadly.

"Yeah, that's true." Danny shrugged "In my time the barrier between the worlds is ridiculously thin. I have a friend who is able to open it himself. Most of the ... spirits?... that come through try to wreak havoc, can't move on properly from their death I guess. They just slip through the portals. But what he said about the permanent one, I think that's right. I mean, having a permanent opening to the world of the dead in your backyard isn't the best thing in the world, but I know it stops the portals being completely unmanageable everywhere else."

"And you have been to the world beyond the Veil? And returned?" Merlin asked, his brow creased towards him. It looked as though he were searching for something in his eyes but smiled when he didn't find it.

"Yeah." Danny answered. "I mean, not everywhere there. It's pretty big, and there're areas where nobody sane would go. A lot of it's just plain creepy. But there're some places that are safe enough... or will be. Someday."

"I mean, you've been there and you returned safely." Merlin interrupted, stopping Danny's rambling. "You didn't become a wraith or a shade? And you still haven't told me what you actually are."

"Sorry." Danny said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Defence mechanism, rambling on about something small rather than answer the big questions. I'm a halfa. Half human, half ghost." There, it was said. It needed to be, and it was only fair since he knew about Merlin's magic. But it didn't change the fact that this was the first time he'd ever voluntarily admitted it. "It's something I've gotten used to, had to really. Like the dragon said, it's not like I'd ask anyone else to take my place."

Merlin frowned, looking at the dark haired boy. "Is that why your magic feels cold, like the spirits?"

"I guess" Danny replied with a shrug. "I've never thought of it as magic. To be honest you're the first person with magic I've actually met. It's just... ghost powers... to me. That's all of the supernatural that I've ever seen; ghosts. But, now I've met you I'd recognise it. Ghosts make me feel cold; I can always tell when they're around. But you're warm. The air is warm, like sunlight. It's strange, but I guess it's just a different strange to what I'm used to."

Danny frowned. It wasn't like him to be so accepting of things, to go with the flow quite like this. But maybe it had more to do with the fact that he knew he couldn't get home until the next portal decided to open up. He refused to think if one decided to open up. Or maybe it was just the fact that this was Merlin, the most powerful wizard in history.

"And you, you're really... Merlin?" Danny asked. The two of them had stopped and the sounds of the night animals flitted about them in the forest.

"That is what my mother named me." Merlin replied slowly. Danny nodded once, not keen to pry. From his tone Merlin wasn't particularly keen on following that line of conversation and Danny didn't want to press the issue. Having been badgered by both human and ghost fans he knew how off putting it could be when people presumed they knew you because of your name. Plus there was the whole not telling about the future before it happened thing.

Danny frowned musing over everything he'd been told. "Earlier," He began "You said that magic is banned in Camelot..."

Merlin sighed, his whole figure slumping. "It has been for the best part of thirty years. King Uther decreed all practices of sorcery evil and started the Great Purge. My guardian once told me that people used magic for the wrong ends back then, but there's so much more to it than that. And magic is still banned on pain of death. Arthur tries, he really does, but the idea that 'all sorcerers are evil' is something that he's believed all his life. I've tried to change it, but..."

"Every time you come close something happens to ruin it?" Danny finished. It was so similar to his own story, his own fears.

"You're not supposed to talk about our future." Merlin reprimanded.

"I'm not." Danny defended, leaning back against a tree. "I'm talking about my present. Magic isn't feared, well nobody believes in magic anymore. But ghosts are 'evil', and being half ghost, my ghost half is lumped in with that. It's sad, there're good ghosts out there, but nobody gets to see them because they're scared to come out."

"And it's only the evil ones that come to try to change things, so people only have their beliefs confirmed." Merlin continued. "They only get to see the bad side because the good people have to hide themselves."

"Something like that." Danny answered, smiling. It seemed they had a lot more in common than Danny would have thought. "It's sad because the good ones are so amazing, if they could share it with the rest of the world... but fear does so much damage and makes it impossible to see through those doubts."

The two shared a moment of silence, passing the minutes by in companionable silence in the moonlit forest. But Danny soon felt Merlin's curious gaze. "How exactly does it work? Being half-ghost?"

Danny blinked twice. "I'm not sure, exactly. I don't think I'll ever know properly and I'm not sure I want to. But I have a human and a ghost half. If I want I can change between the two, appear more ghostly than human. In the Real World... the world of the living, I tend to stay in my human half. It's just easier. But my ghost half makes a good disguise for when I have to stop the other full ghosts from wreaking havoc."

"You can change between the two? Living and dead?" Merlin pressed.

"Sort of, I guess." Danny replied frowning. He wasn't used to thinking of it that way. Usually the distinction of human and ghost was enough, but if he was getting down to technicalities. "I'm not sure it's like that exactly. It's just... something that happens." And really that was the best explanation he had. He knew how to change, but to put it into words... that was impossible. Instead he straightened, looking Merlin in the eyes. "Look, I'll show you."

Danny paused, focusing on the icy feeling that was his core. He always felt the shift, felt the human flesh morph to something more energetic. He felt the two rings erupt from his waist, sliding across him to shift him visibly into his ghost half. He could feel Merlin watching, and shivered as a wave of that warm magic washed over him, wrapping around him almost inquisitively. He shivered slightly as the magic left him, pulling away to return back to its source. Cautiously he looked across the forest path at Merlin.

"You have greater access to magic in this form." Merlin commented, his eyebrows creased. "But you're different. When Morgana opened the Veil, the creatures that escaped were completely cut off from magic. I couldn't touch them."

"But I felt that, whatever you did." Danny replied.

Merlin smiled. "Yes, my magic still works around you, which is a good thing. The first time, with the dorocha was terrifying. I've always had my magic and without it..."

"You felt exposed." Danny finished. "Been there, done that. I know it's not fun at all." Danny shuddered, remembering his first time with Vlad's Plasmius Maximus; that little device had effectively cut off his powers and left him feeling sick for hours. He's felt so disoriented, and while he forced himself to keep going it had been a near thing. Even then he'd needed his powers as a vital part of him, and to have them cut off like that had been awful. "But it sort of made me appreciate my powers when I got them back."

Merlin sent him a half smile. "You're not wrong about that." His gaze became curious as he more closely studied Danny. While he was in his ghost form he had stayed firmly planted on the ground, and Merlin seemed to be studying him closely.

"Your clothes, are they... common in your time?" Merlin asked after a long minute. Danny looked down at himself, considering the old Hazmat suit that had become his uniform since he became a halfa.

"No." Danny replied, shaking his head. "This isn't. It's pretty much what I was wearing when I first went into the portal. It's sort of a protective layer that's supposed to protect you from chemicals. Kinda like armour but for scientists. But now it's sort of part of my ghost half, it's what I wear whenever I change forms so..."

"Can you change it?" Merlin interrupted. "It's just, what you were wearing before was conspicuous enough, but that is just too..."

Danny bit his lip, understanding Merlin's dilemma. "Um, yeah." Danny acknowledged with a nod. "In theory. I mean, my guardian once said that it was possible to change how we look, so I know it can be done..." Danny trailed off as he remembered that conversation with Clockwork. In between the riddles Danny had managed to gleam that for most ghosts their appearance was about self image. Of course the ten minute verbal maze that Clockwork had given him almost made him regret asking why Clockwork was always shifting in his age in the first place. But it was a piece of advice that could be useful in this time period.

For the purposes of being inconspicuous Merlin was right. Traipsing about in medieval times in a hazmat suit was not a good idea. He was going to get a big enough lecture from Clockwork without causing an anachronistic paradox to the timeline. Taking inspiration from Dora's kingdom he re-imagined his image. The top half of his suit was replaced by a loose fitting white tunic and the bottom half became black breeches. Since he would already stand enough without drawing attention to himself he imagined a black cloak, coming to rest on his shoulders and fastened with his insignia in a silver clasp.

"That was interesting." Merlin commented at seeing the finished effect. "You uttered no spell."

"Don't know any spells." Danny replied absently, getting used to the way the cloak moved around him. "But is this less conspicuous?"

"For a traveller or a druid, yes." Merlin answered with a shrug as he started off again, leading him through the forest. "But the druids are not welcomed in the citadel. And you still glow."

"I know, I can tone it down a bit but I can never get rid of it in this form." Danny replied, easily catching Merlin as he tripped over a root. "Pity the cloak'll disappear when I change back."

"What is it made from?" Merlin asked.

"Energy, I guess." Danny replied. It was what most of the Zone was made of so it stood to reason that the cloak was too.

"Can you hand it over for a minute?" Merlin asked, and Danny was curious to see what Merlin intended to do. He undid the clasp, gathering the dark folds of fabric in his hands before handing it over to Merlin. It should stay solid so long as it wasn't taken too far away from him. Merlin's attention was on the cloak as he prodded it with his fingers. Briefly his eyes glowed gold and Danny felt as the warm energy wash through the air, shifting in eddying whirls and melding with his cloak.

"Change back now." Merlin instructed, keeping the cloak in his hands. Danny obediently shifted back, the white rings instantly shifting him back into his human form. The cloak however stayed firmly in Merlin's hands. Danny's eyes widened in awe at the raven haired man; that was no small trick, making a ghostly item stay in the real world after the ghostly influence was gone. His parents had never managed that and they'd been trying for years. Yet Merlin had just done it.

Merlin smiled and chucked the cloak at Danny. "Come along. And put that back on. While you're not glowing anymore you still stand out in what you're wearing. And here if you stand out too much someone's likely to cry sorcery."

Danny nodded and tugged the cloak back across his shoulders. "It's that bad?" He asked.

"It was." Came Merlin's short reply. "But Arthur is a fair king. He at least gives fair trial. Still, I'd prefer not to push his limits too much, and Gwen knows textiles better than anyone. It's safer if you hide a bit until we get into the citadel."

Danny nodded once, staring up as the pearlescent silhouette of a castle emerged from the darkness. He paused, staring in wonderment at the sight; it was so much bigger than any of the castles in the zone, and it seemed so much livelier. Even in the darkness of night Danny could feel the thrum of life that buzzed through the castle and its peoples. It was a completely different kind of magic to Merlin's, and yet Danny could very much imagine the wizard living in as majestic a place as this.

It may not be what he expected, and the Merlin was already far different from the legends. But staring up through the parting trees at the castle, at Camelot... Danny couldn't help but feel that if a portal had to dump him in the medieval ages, at least he was with someone who was known to be kind. All he had to do was not mess up the timeline and wait until a portal opened. And in the meantime he could experience true medieval life, how the people lived rather than how the ghosts replicated it. It wouldn't be too bad.

"Come on, Danny." Merlin called from just over a crest in the forest. Danny smiled as he raced to catch up, the black cloak which Merlin had fixed for him flowing easily behind him. He could spend a little while in Camelot until Clockwork got involved enough to open a portal for him. It was all going to be alright.

AN: Ta-da? Well, I wanted Danny to meet Kilgharrah and I figured that Kilgharrah would find Danny funny just for being a halfa. But did he sound Kilgharrah-y enough? It's hard because he's like a cranky Clockwork but knows destiny as opposed to everything.

Then... I couldn't figure out how to get Merlin and Danny into Camelot so that's what happened.

And okay, that reveal was maybe a bit artificial, but Danny wouldn't see through the Dragon's remarks well enough to think that he could just do a couple of tricks in human form. And now he has a cloak. Cloaks are cool. They're like bowties, but better.

Anyway, next time Danny will get to meet one of the knights. XD

Translation;
Winterlǣcan Hrīm – Growing Wintery Frost

Fare the well,

Bluerose