Disclaimer: I still don't own Danny Phantom as it's the property of Butch Hartman, Nickelodeon and Viacom International. I am just a loyal fan and nothing more.
Unshattered Bonds
Chapter 6: A twist in time
In the Ghost Zone
Ember had just arrived to Kitty's realm to tell her about the news and about the wedding. The two ghouls were sitting on the couch drinking tea and talking about the happy news.
'It's about damn time girl…"Kitty said as she admired the engagement ring.
"Tell me about it…"Ember said as she kept showing off the ring.
"It's so gorgeous…"Kitty said in admiration.
Kitty's appearance changed over the years, especially after giving birth to twins. She now sported short hair and dressed a little more appropriately now that she was a mother and gained a little more weight but she was still pretty.
"Isn't it just…"Ember said in a blissful tone.
'So, don't leave me hanging…Give me all of the details…"Kitty demanded.
"He took me to Café Rêve. You should have seen it Kitty, he had the whole place rented out, there was champagne, romantic music, a sunset view and then he got on his knees and proposes…"Ember said excitedly.
"How romantic…"Kitty gushed, feeling so giddy.
'So he proposed to you on Valentine's day?..."Kitty asked.
"Yep, on the most romantic night of the year…"Ember said happily.
"Looks like I win the bet, Tucker and Dani owes me $100 bucks…"Kitty thought mischievously while she kept listening to her friend give details.
Ember didn't need to know that some of them have made bets on when Danny would finally propose, Kitty betted that he would do it by Valentine's Day, Tucker betted that it would have been on by her birthday and Dani betted that it would have been by their anniversary this year. Kitty won and she made a note to remind those two of it later and collect her winnings.
Suddenly the door opened and they saw Johnny join in with the twins.
"Hey there…"Ember greeted.
'Auntie Ember!..."Kyle and Roxy said as they ran and hug her.
"Hey there gang, I'm happy to see you…"Ember said as she hugged her godchildren.
"I got some exciting news, guess who is getting married….'Ember said as she showed off her ring.
"You and Uncle Danny…"Roxy guessed.
"You guessed right honey…'Ember said happy.
"So the little man finally did it…"Johnny noted.
"He sure did…"Ember said.
"Pretty…"Roxy said as she looked at the ring.
"It really is but that's not the only news I have…I actually have something to ask you both…'Ember said as she got down to eye level with the two ghostly children.
"As you know, Danny and I are getting married and we wanted to know if you two wanted to be the flower girl and the ring bearer…"Ember asked the two kids who looked excited.
"You mean it auntie Ember?..."Kyle asked.
"Of course, there's no one else I could want for the job…"Ember said to the two kids.
"Yes! We will auntie…'Roxy exclaimed.
"We won't let you guys down…"Kyle said with confidence.
"Thanks you guys…"Ember said as she hugged her godchildren.
Despite not being biologically related, she loved Roxy and Kyle as if they were her own and she was happy that they would be there on her special day.
"So when's the big day Ember?...'Johnny asked as he pulled out a soda from the fridge.
"Danny and I are still talking about it, he wants to wait to make sure all of his friends and relatives will be able to attend…'Ember explained.
"Speaking of which, did you get your winnings yet…"Johnny quickly whispered to his wife who shushed him.
"What was that?..."Ember asked, not hearing what the biker said to his wife.
"Nothing important, so any ideas because I was thinking on a Hawaiian beach wedding theme…"Kitty said in excitement.
The ghosts continued to talk, socialize and discuss the wedding, all blissfully unaware of the events that would soon unfold.
During the Renaissance era
Clockwork and Aphrodite had just exited from watching the world premiere of Romeo and Juliet and now were enjoying a nice picnic on a hilltop, enjoying a sunset view.
"It is true as they say, you cannot beat the original…"Clockwork said as he poured some wine into a glass and handed it to his date.
"The most famous love tragedy ever told but it's still light compared to the real tragedies I have seen…'Aphrodite said as she took a sip.
"Ah, that's the good stuff…"Aphrodite sighed as she savored the taste of the wine.
"Chardonnay of the ages, only the best for my lady…'Clockwork said as he poured another glass for himself.
"Well, your lady is most definitely please…" Aphrodite said with her dazzling smile.
The two shared a kiss and Aphrodite didn't hesitate to make it more passionate. It continued for several minutes and was getting more and more heated.
"You do realize that we are alone Clockwork…"Aphrodite said with a seductive smirk on her face.
"As much as I'd like too, we really should be heading back soon, we do have jobs remember…"Clockwork reminded her but Aphrodite, very much in the mood, just sent him another glance.
"Oh you worry too much, you're the master of time and no bad can come from having a little fun, besides it's not even our first time…" Aphrodite said as she cuddled closer to him.
'Come on, it's our special day and I won't be able to have you again for months if possible…Besides, you do control time, I don't really see a problem here…'Aphrodite said.
"Remember that I need my staff in order to see and sense any shifts and I can't exactly do that if we…"He paused, feeling a little flustered.
"You really don't want to?...'She asked disappointed.
"Believe me that I want to but we've already milked our free time enough as if it…'He sighed.
Aphrodite pouted, before an idea formed in her head and she turned to her lover.
"20 minutes…"She said.
"Pardon me?...'Clockwork asked
"That's my final offer. You spend no more than 20 minutes with me and then we both get back to work and act professional again and you can check your staff in between breaks…"Aphrodite suggested.
Clockwork only shook his head with an exasperated but understanding smile on his face. Aphrodite was a good woman but she was still a woman with desires, ones that he shared as well. They have gotten intimate during the few times they could spend together before they had to return to the demands of their jobs. He honestly had no problem with giving into her wish, he loved her and she was such a beautiful, desirable woman.
He might have been the master of time, but he was still a man.
"You really want me don't you?...'He chuckled.
"I am a woman of simple desires…"Aphrodite shrugged.
"Alright, I can't deny it but only 20 minutes and then we have to get back to work…'Clockwork said.
"Yay…"Aphrodite giggled as she kissed Clockwork and soon moved to his neck.
"Not yet Aphrodite, this is not the right setting…"Clockwork said playfully.
"Oh silly me…"Aphrodite giggled as she took his hand.
Clockwork picked up his staff and opened another time portal and he soon found himself in Aphrodite back in his clock tower and he and the guardian of love soon began to embrace each other in another kiss. The two were completely lost within each other, unaware of what was happening around them but they were not worried. This would only take a few moments and then they would go back to their duties as they always did.
"Oh Clockwork…" Aphrodite whispered as she enjoyed him nibbling her neck.
"Oh Aphrodite…" Clockwork said as he continued kissing her, forgetting his worries.
It was just one passionate moment between two lovers before they go back to doing their assignments in both the areas of time and love.
Besides, what could happen?
Elsewhere
Vlad and Paulina had managed to sneak into the Fenton Portal. Vlad was stunned and extremely angry to see all the advancement in the town over the years, especially regarding Fenton Works.
"I still can't believe that Maddie is still with that fat oaf…"Vlad spat as he carried Paulina by the arms through the Ghost Zone.
He had only got one glance on her and even in her fifties, she still looked so beautiful. However, his joy of seeing her after so long was replaced by her anger at seeing that Jack was still alive and still married to the love of his life.
"Don't worry, as soon as we find our targets, everything will be right, just as long as you make sure-…"Paulina started.
"Yes,yes…Make Aphrodite restore your looks and make Daniel marry you, I heard it the first time…" Vlad said as he landed on a floating rock.
"Speaking of which, how exactly will that work?...'Paulina asked, as soon as she and Vlad teamed up, they wasted no time in getting back to the city and hacking the security to sneak into the Fenton Portal.
"With this…'Vlad said as he pulled out what looked to be a metallic collar with a strange symbol on it.
"What is that?..."Paulina asked.
"A device the aliens placed on me to make me there slave for the last 8 years of my life…" Vlad said with some bitterness.
"ALIENS?! There's aliens out there?!...'Paulina shouted in shock.
"Keep your voice down and really, you have lived in a town that got haunted by ghost for years…and you really surprised by aliens?...'Vlad asked sarcastically.
Paulina blinked, as she considered that he had a point.
"So what does this doohickey do anyway?..." Paulina asked.
"It's a collar meant to control the slaves, make them keep working and give them painful shocks if they disobeyed…'Vlad explained.
"So, it's like a mind control device?...'Paulina asked.
"No…It doesn't, the person wearing it is still coherent but they will still perform their tasks…'Vlad said in a solemn tone, as if he was trying to forget unwanted memories.
"Originally I was going to place it on Daniel…but now we have a much bigger pray to catch…'Vlad said with a sinister grin on his ugly mug.
"You better not hurt him, remember that you promised that he would be mine…'Paulina yelled.
"Yes I did and I will keep my word…'Vlad said … "Being stuck with you is an even worse punishment for him"….He thought to himself.
"Now listen here, when we find Aphrodite, you are to place this device on her when she is not looking and I will use this remote to control her…'Vlad explained as he pulled out the device.
"All of her power will be mine, all I will need to do is voice my command and she will have no choice but to perform it…" Vlad said as if it was nothing.
"I like it but what about Clockwork? We still need him if we want to change things for the better…"Paulina questioned.
"That is where this device comes from…'Vlad said as he pulled out what looked to be a black-metal cube.
"All of Clockwork's power are within his time staff, all we need is that in order to change my fate, we don't need him specifically like with Aphrodite….That's where this comes in, this is how the aliens captured me in the first place. This device is completely inescapable, it's like an ultra-Fenton Thermos, and no one can be let out unless I chose to let them out…'Vlad explained to his cohort.
"Perfect…Now let's go find that time jerk…"Paulina said to her alley.
The two soon left that spot and Paulina kept giving directions from her memory. She remembers passing by a large canyon that was a giant mouth, what looked to be a miss-matched forest of various colors and several other sights.
They continued their flight until-
"There it is…"Paulina pointed as she saw the large Clock tower where her life was ruined.
"Finally, after all of these years…"Vlad said as he flew closer.
They had to be quiet and careful, Clockwork was the master of time and it would be very tricky dealing with him. While he was a neutral spirit, no one dared to get on his bad side.
Until now…
"Now wait out here and don't do anything until I say otherwise, Clockwork is known to be very elusive and we will only have one chance at catching him off-guard…'Vlad said.
"Well, he's getting off right now…'Paulina said as she looked into one of the nearby windows.
"What do you mean?...'Vlad asked as he looked in the direction she was staring.
Vlad's jaw dropped and the ectoplasm in his face started to heat at what he saw. It was the legendary time master in bed and Vlad's eyes soon landed on the woman he was with and for the first time since he laid his eyes on Maddie, Vlad was stunned by the beauty.
"Oh…Oh my….'Vlad said as he continued to stare at the display, his eyes on the woman and he couldn't look away.
"Snap out of it…'Paulina slapped him and pulled him away.
"What just happened?...'Vlad asked in disbelief and disgust, trying to forget the images he just saw.
"The girl in there was Aphrodite…"Paulina whispered harshly.
'She was…Oh my…"Vlad said in disbelief.
"What a slut…'Paulina spat, referring to her enemy and what she was doing right now…or who she was doing to be more precise.
"The master of time and the guardian of love, I never would have predicted that…'Vlad mussed.
"So now what do we do?..." Paulina demanded.
"I…I think this will be easier that we thought but we have to act fast and make a tiny little adjustment to the plan…"Vlad said with a sneaky grin on his face.
"Well, what is it?...'Paulina demanded, wanting to get on with it.
"Now you listen here-…'Vlad whispered his instructions to his little minions.
Inside the Clock tower
Clockwork laid on his bed as he watched Aphrodite getting dressed. He had really enjoyed their time together this evening.
"You certainly don't waste any time Aphrodite…"Clockwork quipped.
"That's supposed to be my line…" The spirit of beauty quipped back.
"Well that was probably the best end of a date I have had in quiet a long time…"She said.
"Well, it's not over yet…"Clockwork said as he got up.
"Itching for another round?...'Aphrodite said with a grin.
"Tempting but no, I actually have a gift for you…"Clockwork said as he pulled one of his time medallions.
"What is this?..." Aphrodite asked with interest.
"A little gift from me to you…"Clockwork said as he presented a golden bracelet with a pink diamond on it.
"It's beautiful…"Aphrodite said as she admired the bracelet in the mirror, though she noticed that she still had her time medallion on.
"Oh, I almost forgot…"Aphrodite was about to take it off but her boyfriend stopped her.
"Keep it, for the next time we take a date through time…'Clockwork said to her.
Aphrodite blinked at that but soon smiled. Clockwork was the master of time and just giving her one of his time medallions was a huge sign of trust from the time master.
"I really had a nice time tonight…"Aphrodite said to her lover.
"I did to, till the next my lady…'Clockwork said as he kissed her hand, earning a giggle from her.
"Au revoir Clockwork…" Aphrodite winked before she left the premises.
Clockwork sighed, feeling waves of pleasure and happiness wash over him. He snapped out of it when he realized that he had to get back to work. Putting on his robe, he soon got up and went to grab his time staff, only to see that it wasn't there.
"What?...'Clockwork said, wondering where he put it.
"Looking for this…'A new voice said and Clockwork turned around to see who it was, a smug looking ghost with his time staff at hand.
"Vlad Plasmius…"Clockwork said with no emotion in his tone.
"Oh so you have heard of me, how flattering…"Vlad said in mockery.
"I believe that you have something that belongs to me…"Clockwork said in a low tone.
"Oh, I think you are wrong about something…"Vlad said as he pulled out a black cube.
"I see that exile still hasn't stopped you from making foolish choices. Plasmius, you cannot control time…"Clockwork said as he hid one of his hand behind his back, using a small bit of his power as he did so.
"Oh, I think I can and I will…not just time but love as well….'Vlad said as he tossed the cube.
"Love?...APHRODITE?!..."Clockwork thought but it was too late as he soon found himself being sucked in.
Clockwork tried to fight off its power but as strong as he was, he couldn't get out of range.
"I only have one shot at this…"Clockwork thought as he made his hand glow and raised his power on a special seal he had now. It's the only way he would be able to get linked to Aphrodite, he knew that she had to know that there was trouble. Clockwork managed to raise his power as high as he could but he ended up being sucked in.
Vlad had a satisfied look on his face as he picked up the cube that contained his prisoner and held the time staff in his other hand.
"There is going to be some changes around here…'Vlad said as he let out an uncurled, evil laugh.
Phase one of his diabolical plan was complete.
Now onto phase two.
"AH! Clockwork…" Aphrodite said as she suddenly felt a sharp sensation all around her body.
She knew what it was. As the spirit of love, Aphrodite could sense when her lovers whenever they were in trouble, all the needed to do was activate a seal she placed on them, which activated when they increased their power enough.
She knew that Clockwork would never operate it unless there was an emergency.
She quickly used teleportation and soon found herself back at the Clock tower but her instincts told her to stay outside. She peaked in one of the windows and her jaw dropped when she saw that it was Vlad Plasmius with the time staff at hand.
'What did he do with Clockwork? This is not good…"Aphrodite said in fury.
What did he do to her lover? She was going to destroy him if anything bad has happened to her love! However before she could do anything, she saw another figure enter the room and her anger spiked when she saw who it was.
She could never forget such an ugly face. After all she was the one who created it.
"Paulina…" Aphrodite whispered in anger as she tried to listen in on their conversation.
"Glad to see you got that jerk…"Paulina said.
"Was there ever any doubt…"Vlad said arrogantly
"Not so fast, we might have the time master here but you are still forgetting one thing…"Paulina said angrily.
"Right, right…Next is Aphrodite and then Daniel…'Vlad said in confidence.
'Speaking of which, look what I found…"Paulina said as she picked up a pair of familiar shades.
"No! I knew I forgot something…'Aphrodite cursed as she realized they were one of her special made sunglasses meant to temporarily make men lucid in her presence.
"Time to find that bitch…"Paulina said as she whispered the rest of the plan to her partner.
"Not if I can help it…"Aphrodite thought as she knew she had to be quick.
She could sense cosmic shifts about to happen. That was really bad and she had to stop this before the irreversible happened.
"What am I going to do?...'She whispered to herself.
She knew that with the time staff, she was basically a sitting duck. She was the spirit of love she might be powerful but Plasmius was a vengeful ghost and she knew that no good could come of this.
"Well, well, look who we have here…'Aphrodite turned to see Paulina and Vlad who was wearing the shades.
"Aphrodite, Vlad Plasmius and it's a pleasure to meet you my dear…" Vlad said in a faux charming tone.
"You made this much easier for us…"Paulina said smugly.
"I don't know what you both are up to but you won't get away with it…"Aphrodite shouted as she sent a blast but Vlad quickly disappeared with Paulina.
"Actually I think we will…"Aphrodite turned to see Vlad right behind her, just as he sucker punched her.
"ACK!...'Aphrodite hissed, unable to believe this.
"Dammit…"She hissed as she knew that she had to get away from here.
She flew away and the two were right behind her. She knew she wasn't going to be able to get away now that they had the time staff. She quickly hid in a nearby cave but she knew it was only temporary.
"Think…Think of something Aphrodite…'She thought until an idea formed in her head.
It was half baked and she didn't have all the details worked out but it was her only chance. She knew that she wasn't going to be able to get away but maybe someone else would be able to success where she had failed.
"I only have one shot at this…"Aphrodite pulled out the time medallion Clockwork gave her and her hands stared to glow purple.
"Please let this work…"She silently begged as she began to chant…
"Steílte se éna fílo, kánete tin krísi telos"…'She chanted as her power raised and the medallion was glowing brightly now.
She soon sent a blast of energy and the medallion was gone. On its way to its destination. She can only hope that the recipient would get it before it was too late. Suddenly a blast hit her, causing her to fall to the ground.
"Ouch…"She hissed and looked up to see Vlad and Paulina entered the cave.
"It's the end of the line bitch…"Paulina said as she pulled out a strange, metallic device in her hand.
"Please, let it work…"Aphrodite thought as her adversaries closed in on her.
In Amity Park
With Danny and Ember
The happy couple had just gotten out of the movies, having been in disguise to avoid their fans. Now they were in the middle of a passionate make out session.
"Mmm…Root beer…."Ember teased.
"Yeah…"Danny chuckled and kissed her again.
"Chocolate nuggets…"Danny said in a similar teasing tone.
The two sit down on a nearby bench and were now just holding hands, feeling utterly at bliss.
"You know this is the park where I told you I loved you…" Danny said.
"And this is the park where I gave you almost half a year worth of kissing after you said it…"Ember quipped causing Danny to laugh.
"Yeah, and here we are engaged and holding hands…Maybe soon, we'll be here pushing a stroller…'Danny said with a grin.
"And having family picnics together…"Ember suggested.
"And if we're lucky, we'll be doing what we're doing right now…"Danny said.
"You mean holding hands on a park bench…"Ember said.
"Yep, as an old and gray couple…"Danny chuckled.
"Maybe you'll be the one who's old and gray but the good thing about being all ghost is that I'm never going to look any older than this…"Ember said.
"It's actually a pity, I think you could have been cute as an old lady…'Danny said as he started to tickle her.
"Danny, stop it….I'm warning you…"Ember said in between her laughter.
"I can't help it. You're laugh is too cute…'Danny said.
"So is yours…"Ember said mischievously as she started to tickle him back.
The two soon engaged in a little tickle fight, which left them laughing their heads off until they needed a break.
"Geez Danny, a tickle fight at our age…"Ember said as she tried to calm down.
"Eh…'Danny shrugged before they went back to cuddling.
"I love you…"They both said before kissing once more.
However Danny's ghost sense activated, causing Ember to groan.
"Again…'Ember said in annoyance.
Before either of them could do anything, a purple blast suddenly appeared and hit Ember square on.
"EMBER! Are you alright?...'Danny ran to check on her.
"I'm fine, it didn't hurt…'Ember said as she got up.
"Why are you wearing a time medallion?..."Danny asked.
"What?...'Ember said in confusion as she looked down.
It was a time medallion with CW on it.
"What's going on here?...'Ember asked out loud.
Suddenly there was a rumbling happening, as if it was an earthquake. Ember looked up to see the sky starting to change.
"What's happening?...'Ember shouted.
Danny looked alarm as he changed into his ghost form on command and turned to her.
"Trouble! Run…"Danny said as he took her hand and they tried to fly away to someplace safe.
They tried to fly but they saw that everything was being engulfed in a bright light of white. It was like everything was caught in a ripple of time. Buildings and everything were disappearing and it soon got Danny.
"Ember!...'Danny shouted as the ripple hit him and soon he disappeared right in front of Ember's eyes.
"DANNY!...'Ember shouted in dismay as she watched everything around her be sucked in and saw that everything was changing.
Her survival instructs kicked in and she kept flying but soon the ripple hit her, to her surprise, she was still in place and she noticed that the time medallion was glowing purple as well.
"What?...'Ember said, not understanding anything at all and feeling scared for Danny.
Soon the light disappeared and Ember found herself in Amity Park once more, but she couldn't see Danny anywhere at all and she had a sinking feeling that something wrong has happened.
"What the heck happened?...'Ember said as she tried to search for her fiancé but to her surprised, she saw that everything was different.
Some buildings were gone and replaced with different ones, the weather was suddenly gloomy when it had been sunny only a few moments ago and she kept getting a bad vibe. As she kept flying, Ember froze in place as she saw something that made her stop in her tracks.
It was the builboard that usually had Danny's Image on it that proudly read "Welcome to Amity Park, home of world savior Danny Phantom". Only now it had a picture of Vlad Plasmius and read "Welcome to Amity Park, capitol of the Plasmius Empire".
"Plasmius?... Just what the heck was happening here?!'She mouthed, unable to believe what she was seeing.
"I believe that I can answer that…"A new voice said.
"Who said that?...'Ember looked around.
"On the time medallion…'The voice said.
Ember looked and saw that the medallion was still glowing on it she saw a reflection of Aphrodite on it.
"Lady Aphrodite, what has happened?..."Ember asked, not caring that she was talking to jewelry now since she faced weirder stuff before.
"It's Vlad Plasmius, he captured Clockwork and me and he's changing the time stream…"The voice of Aphrodite said to the distressed diva.
"WHAT?...'Ember shouted.
"I'm only a small essence of Aphrodite's spirit and I don't have a lot of time…Ember you have to do something before Plasmius does something to damage the flow of time…"The medallion said.
"Alright, as soon as I find Danny, we'll destroy that bitter old fruitloop…"Ember said.
"I'm afraid that might be a little tricky…'The medallion said in a somber tone.
"What do you mean? Where's my Danny? Plasmius didn't do anything to him? I'll kill him!...'Ember demanded, feeling all kinds of worry right now.
Before the medallion could answer her question, a newspaper suddenly smacked into Ember's face, much to the ghostly diva's irritation.
"Oh all the stupid-…'Ember's rant was cut short when she saw the cover page and felt both her jaw drop and her heart break at what was on the cover.
The in a big, black and white ink, she saw a picture of Danny with his arms around another woman. Not just any woman, it was Paulina Sanchez who was showing off a smile and ring to the camera. She was no longer ugly either, she looked just as she did when she was 17 only a little more mature but Paulina could still see the same smugness in her eyes she saw all those years ago as she clung to Danny in the photo.
Beneath them read in big bold letters "Daniel Plasmius, heir to the throne of earth is engaged to high school sweetheart".
"What?...No…"Ember mouthed as she felt as if a bucket of ice fell on her.
Clockwork and Aphrodite were captured. Vlad was back and took over the world and Danny was now engaged to Paulina?!
This cannot be happening!
To be continued-
Next time on Unshattered Bonds
A new world of horrors
REPLIES to my loyal and totally awesome reviewers:
Feurrige: Kinda like this….
Invader Johnny: We are all feeling that.
Wiseguy2415: Well said….
Guest: Thanks, I hope this chapter is up to standards.
CyberActor15: Well there was a bet and Tucker lost and Kitty won! LOL!
:) Till next time beautiful people, remember to read and review :)