Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom
–
„blah blah...", speaking
'blah blah...', thinking
–
Please Review and please don't hold back. Tell me if something bothered you, I can handle the truth.
–
A fourteen year old Danny Fenton walked into his parents lab closely followed by his best friends Sam Manson and Tucker Foley. His parents were just plugging in their latest invention. The Fenton Ghost Portal.
„Ok Maddie this will be a small step for a ghost but a big step for the Fentons", Jack exclaimed as he plugged it in.
Sparks began to fly inside the portal but died down immediately again.
„I don't understand. It should work.", Jack hung his head deeply depressed.
„Don't worry honey. We will find the problem.", his wife Maddie tried to sooth him.
Meanwhile Danny had put on his hazmat suit and walked to his dad. Yes Danny willingly put on the ugly white suit becuase it was safer to do it. His father tended to blow up stuff and Danny wasn't really up to it to be covered in chemicals again. It happened before and since then he always wore it while working with his parents.
„Hey dad what happened?", he asked as he stepped beside his parents.
Sam and Tucker stood back and watched from the other side of the room because they didn't want to get hurt.
„We plugged in the portal but nothing happened.", the big man sighed.
„Let me take a look. It's probably a loose cable inside.", Danny explained as he walked into the inactive portal.
Carefully he looked at every connection and double checked every plug.
„There is nothing here. Maybe the problem is on the outside.", he shouted while he checked the last fuses.
„No that can't be. Can't you find any loose connections?", Maddie called.
„Nope but truth be told I only helped with the blue prints. I didn't build it and you know it.", he called back and stumbled outside.
He was halfway out as he placed his hand on the wall. A small click echoed through the tube. Danny lifted his hand from the wall and stared at a small panel inside the wall. On the panel in big letters was the word ON.
'You got to be kidding me.'
The portal began to charge up and green light lit up around him. He felt the building energy buzzing through the cables.
„DAD YOU IDIOT!", he yelled angry, knowing that he would die here.
The portal activated and a earpiercing scream echoed through th lab and house above.
„DANNY!", everyone yelled.
Hair-rising minutes passed and finally a figured stumbled outside towards the shocked group. The figure was a boy in a black and white hazmat suit. He had long white hair and neon green eyes. With a thud he fell face down and groaned.
„I'm gonna kill dad when I'm up again.", he mumbled weak but everyone heard him.
Everyone stared in silence at the downed figure.
„Hey what's happening down there?", a new female voice.
The second Fenton child came down to the lab. She looked at the frightened and confused faces of her family and her brother's friends. Then she noticed the downed figure laying in front of the portal.
„Danny?", Jazz asked a bit unsure of the familiar yet unfamiliar boy.
He only groaned and turned his head slightly and she saw his neon green piercing eyes.
„Jazz?", he whispered weak.
„DANNY!", she yelled and hurried to him.
She fell on her knees before him and pulled his limp figure in her lap. Careful she pushed away a few strands so she could get a better look on his face. Without a doubt the boy in her lap was her little brother. His features were unmistakable.
„Danny what happened to you?", she whispered not caring that four sets of eyes were locked on them.
„Dad messed up...", he groaned and sat up.
„What?", she asked confused.
„Dad put an activation button on the inside.", he groaned and gestured Jazz to help him stand.
She did just that and supported him till he found his balance again.
„Wait you were inside the portal when it activated?", Jazz suddenly realized.
„Were else would I have been I...", he paused and began to think.
„How am I alive anyway? That thing created a rift between two dimensions and I was right inbetween.", he seemed to muse.
He then noticed the others in the room staring at him.
„What?", he snapped.
„Danny I think you should take a look in the mirror.", Jazz stated and pointed to a mirror on the wall. He walked over and stared blankly at the refelction.
„Ok who dyed my hair and put colored contacts in my eyes while I was out?", he asked no one in particular.
No answer. He mustered his new appearance and seemed to like it because he began to smile.
„So who did it?", he turned to his family and friends.
No one said a word.
„Ok guys that's getting old. Do I get an answer or do I have to assume that it were Sam and Tucker?", he leaned against the wall only to sink into it partially.
He barely regained his balance and stood straight up. His left arm was transparent with a light blue glow to it. Then it turned back to it's normal color.
„Ok that's new.", he mustered his hand.
„I wonder...", he trailed off and thought about passing his arm through the wall.
Immediately his arm turned transparent and he stuck it inside the wall. After a minute or so he pulled it back out and sighed.
„I think the only possible explanation would be that I died and became a ghost.", he stated more to himself.
Danny turned to his father and sighed again.
„You know dad it never troubled me that you sometimes messed up but this time you seriously cracked the record.", he looked at his father's crestfallen expression.
„But I'm not angry. It's just weird that to prove your thesis I had to give up my humanity.", Danny laughed.
A white ring appeared at his hips and split up. One going up and one going down. The hazmat suit turned back into it's original color as did Danny's hair and eyes. The others gasped and Danny turned back to the mirror.
„Ok weird. Why do I look human again?", he was confused.
„Danny?", Maddie finally spoke.
„What?", he asked absent-mindly as he studied his old features.
Maddie ran to him and pulled him into a bone crushing hug.
„Oh Danny, I thought I had lost you.", she cried.
Strange enough was that it didn't bother him. It was as if his mother had become weaker. He didn't even feel like he was suffocating like he usually did when his mother did that. The others joined into the hug and cried. Jazz just smiled at her little brother. After endless minutes they broke the hug and noticed Danny's thoughtful expression.
„What's wrong sweetie?", Maddie asked worried.
„Dad could you come here a second?", Danny ignored his mother and gestured his father to come to him.
Jack reluctant came closer. Without another word Danny grabbed his father and lifted him over his head without any strain. The others gasped in shocked. As he put Jack back down, the tall man stepped a few steps away.
„Danny what happened to you?", Tucker yelled.
„I have no clue but it seems like I'm no longer just a normal human.", he pondered.
„What do you mean?", Sam asked wary.
„I feel stronger and to my own suprise it seems like I don't need to breath anymore.. and I have this new cold feeling deep inside me.", he explained.
During his explanation he reached out to the cold feeling and the ring of light appeared again, turning him into his white haired alter ego.
„Hmmm... I think I turned into a half ghost or a human with ghost powers. I can't really explain it but it feels like it. Right now I feel so light. I feel like I could do everything.", he stated with a big smile.
„Ähhh... dude...", Tucker stuttered.
Danny turned to his friend with a confused expression.
„You're flying.", he stated.
Danny looked down and saw that his friend was right. Right now he was floating at least 2 feet above the floor.
„This... is... AWESOME!", Danny bellowed and shot upwards.
He crashed into the ceiling and fell back down on the floor.
„Ok crashing sucks.", he rubbed his head.
That finally broke the ice and everyone laughed. Danny turned back in his human form and sighed.
„This will take some time to get used to.", he stated with a big headache.
„You can say that again.", Sam, Tucker and Jazz laughed.
„Are you sure you are fine sweetie?", Maddie still looked a bit worried.
„Yeah she's right Danny-boy we should check you up.", Jack nodded.
„Don't worry guys. I may be a freak now but I'm still your son. I just have some new skills and I can make use of them while working here in the lab or in the ghost hunt.", he stated.
„But we never have seen a ghost.", Jack looked a bit sad at that.
„Yeah but now we have a active ghost portal in the lab and from it ghosts will come to our world for sure even if we don't want it. Plus we can use my condition we can learn more about ghosts.", Danny explained.
„He has a point Mr. And Mrs. Fenton.", Sam stated.
„Good but if you feel strange in any way then you tell us right away.", Maddie stated stern.
„Will do mom.", Danny laughed.
–
Timeskip 1 month later
–
Ember was just playing in front of Casper High. Only her plan in mind. She would enslave the whole world and make them chant her name to gain strength. Enough strength to kill that bastard who killed her dear love fourteen years ago. Since then the 13. March 1991 had become a dark day to her and anyone who was close to them.
She just hypnotized the crowd to chase away that fat teacher as she saw him. A boy with a unbelievable strong aura. He had back long white hair and green eyes and was most definitely a ghost like herself but he seemed to help humans.
Ember had heard about him. This boy was the common talk of the ghost zone. He was the apprentice of the legendary master of time, Clockwork. A ghost not many had ever seen. Those who had never spoke about it but said that they felt different after the meeting.
He felt familiar.
'No Ember. Don't let yourself stray from your goal. You need to control everyone to avenge John.'
The boy saved the fat teacher by turning him intangible while the angry crowd ran right through him without even noticing it. After the man was safe the boy turned to Ember and looked her deep in the eyes.
Ember began to shiver. These eyes were warm despite the irritated look on his face. His neon green eyes felt familiar. A picture of forest green eyes appeared and vanished in her mind in a instant. A horrible thought struck her.
'Could this ghost fighting apprentice of Clockwork be really the rebirth of John? My John? No please... don't let me be right...'
She disappeared in a whirlwind of blue flames and left an irritated Danny behind with a new goal in addittion her original one. She would investigate that new feeling.
If this boy really was her John than she would fight for him.
–
Later that day the young hero stood in front of his closet mirror and mustered the new outfit he had got his alter ego.
He now wore black loose pants with white flames at the bottom of his left leg. The right leg was made out of thick net staring shortly over the knee. A white leather belt with red x-stitches. Black high combat boots with steel toe caps. A white skintight tanktop with a black sleeveless coat. The coat had also white flames at the bottom but with green outlining. Also he had black gloves with metal knuckle protectors. The last new piece of cloth was a black metal bracer with green outlining on his left arm. The bracer wasn't just any bracer but a high-tech computer with holographic display and keyboard that was connected to my systems at home in case he needed informations while he was out there fighting ghosts.
His new look highlighted the changes of his body that came after his meeting with that Rockstar ghost today. Suddenly light blue wisps appeared in his hair and he felt his muscles tighten on it's own, pumping his anyhow strong muscles up even more. He always had a slight sixpack even before he got his powers but lately he had trained more. He and his mother soon learned that he was a natural in fighting. Even his intellectual grasp became more advanced. He looked at something only once and could use it without any fail. Within two weeks he had mastered karate, capoeira, judo and kung-fu. Just seeing each stance once was enough for him.
But the last change was what made him think. On his right shoulder a big yin and yang symbol had appeared. But only the yang part was filled with forest green. The yin part was still empty.
'Why is that part empty.'
„Guess I will have to talk to Jazz about this.", he sighed and walked over to his sisters room.
„Hey Jazz you got a moment?", he asked as he knocked on her door.
„Come in.", she called and entered.
She was laying on her bed in her Ember fangirl attire.
„What's up little bro?", she asked as she turned around.
She stopped for a moment and took in his new attire. She gave a low whistle.
„Hey if you weren't my brother I would so go for you right now.", she smiled as his face dropped for a second.
„Ok thanks now I'm unnecessarily aroused.", he stated dry and now it was Jazz who looked crestfallen and blushed heavy.
„DANNY!", she yelled and tried to hit him.
He only stepped back and barely evaded her fist.
„Hey you started it.", he laughed.
Jazz mumbled something under her breath but sat down again.
„What did you want?", she asked a bit calmer.
„It's about this.", he pointed at the half filled tattoo on his shoulder.
„It just appeared today just like the blue wisps but what bothers me is that the tattoo is only partly filled. There has to be a deeper meaning.", he stated serious.
Jazz mustered the tattoo with interest. She always tried to get him to be more balanced but this was just irony. Ok he meditated but that was something completely different than her theraputic babbling. He loved her with all his heart. She was the best sister one could get but sometimes she was really a pain in the ass.
Yes he meditated. He was a buddhist after all. He had found his way to this religion at the age of six. He liked the thought of karma and rebirth. That's why he never fought back even after being bullied for years. He had made his peace with it. Though since he started the ghost hunt his beliefs had been put to a test. Protecting people was good yes but at the same time it meant to beat up someone else even if that someone was a ghost meaning harm to others.
„If it really means something then I would say that you are missing something.", Jazz finally stated.
„What do you mean? What could I miss?", he asked confused.
„I don't know but think about it. The symbol is not completed. Maybe it shows that a piece of your soul is missing.", she explained.
'It's true that I feel a empty since I got my powers but it never bothered me before.', he thought about it.
„What like a soulmate or something? Are you trying to tell me that this is some kind of supernatural love compass?", he joked.
„Why not? We don't know what your powers are capable of.", she stopped as she thought about something.
„Maybe you should ask Clockwork about it. He will know for sure what it means.", she smiled at her own deduction.
„Yeah and I already know his answer. All will be revealed in time my young apprentice.", Danny mimicked his master.
Suddenly a jolt of pain hit the back of his head and he groaned.
„Hey Clockwork using your time powers is cheating!", he yelled as he rubbed his head.
„Did he just?", Jazz asked with a small smile.
„Yeah... never mock the master of all times.", Danny smiled and turned to leave.
„Thanks Jazz. Our talk helped me quite a bit. Oh and don't get too obsessed with Ember. She is a ghost after all.", with that he left her room.
He changed back into his human form and changed his clothes for bed. He only wore grey sweatpants. Without another word he fell on his bed and slept like a stone.
–
The next day was a huge mess. First did Ember put Danny under a love spell making him fall for his best friend Sam but he also had to make the whole world listen to Tucker's creepy singing. Just the memory of it made him shiver but what confused him most was Ember's behavior after everyone stopped chanting her name and cutting off her source of power. Also did his tattoo ache in her presence which he also didn't understand.
Danny sat at the top of Fenton Works and looked thoughtful into the night sky.
–
Flachback
–
Tucker's singing had just made everyone stop chanting her name. Her flaming hair vanished and she looked at Danny crestfallen with pleading eyes.
„Are you going to end me now?", she asked in a shaking voice.
„What? No. I don't end anyone. I just send you back to the ghost zone.", he explained as he uncapped the Fenton thermos.
Then he saw it. All the pain in her eyes. The eyes of a tortured soul. In that moment all his previous anger vanished and he knew that he couldn't just put her into the thermos. He had to help her somehow.
'But how?', he thought bitter at his helplessness.
„Listen Ember. I won't put you into the thermos. I will guide you back to the portal. While we go there I want some answers.", he stated in a soft voice.
She only nodded weak and tried to stand up which didn't work since she was too weak after he had cut off her source of power. So he stepped to her, picked her up bridal style and flew away.
„Why is it that you look at me like that?", he suddenly asked and brought her full attention to himself.
„I don't know what you are talking about.", she tried to keep her tough facade but Danny saw it already crumbling as tears formed in her eyes.
„Hey listen Ember. I don't know why you're so obsessed with getting more and more power but I don't think that's the right way. A girl shouldn't become a power hungry maniac. That doesn't fit you.", he stated with concern clear in his voice.
„What do you know anyway?", she spat.
„I have my reasons.", she huffed and looked away.
„I'm sure you have but please stop that Ember. I don't know why you do it but I don't think it will do you any good. No matter what or who you lost to become like this, do you think he or she would be alright to see you like this?", he asked with genuine concern.
„SHUT UP!", she yelled and slapped him hard.
He had hit a nerve form what it seemed. He wanted to keep on asking but he knew better than to corner a woman in despair.
„I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked.", he hung his head.
The rest of the flight to the portal was in silence. Carefully he put her on her feet and guided her the last few steps to the portal. He opened the shield so she could step through.
„Thanks...", she mumbled.
„But don't think that you stopped me. I will be back to fulfill my goal.", she hissed and stepped through the portal.
„Now that went just perfect.", he sighed.
–
Flashback end
–
Even after overthinking all events of the day he just couldn't make out what made him bring Ember back to the portal without putting her into the thermos. Why should he care about her pain? She messed him up terribly today and he was still a bit peeved about it but the pain in her eyes always seemed to catch up with him, making him feel sorry for her. He didn't even waste one second on the thought why his tattoo ached while she was near him. He just shrugged it off as muscle pain from the fight.
But one thing he knew for sure. He was in for one of Sam's famous tirades. She would chew him out good tommorow as to why he didn't put Ember into the thermos.
„Oh just kill me now...", he fell flat on the roof at the thought of his upcoming punishment.
–
Ember crash-landed into her own realm, tired from her defeat.
„Ember? What happened?", Kitty asked worried.
Ember didn't say anything and stumbled over to her couch. With a loud thud she fell face down on it and groaned.
„You gonna tell me what happened or do I have to find it out by force?", Kitty asked in a sly tone.
„It's the Phantom kid...", Ember groaned as she turned her head to face her friend.
„What about him? I heard he is quite a cutey.", Kitty tried to get her friend to be interested in men again after all these years.
„He is... so much... like John...", Ember muttered weak.
„What do you mean?", Kitty was a bit shocked at her best friends statement.
„The way he carries himself. The way he fights... his long hair, his purposeful look... he even tried to talk to me. Trying to talking me out of my revenge... everything he does reminds me of John.", Ember explained as she sat up and looked at her friend.
Kitty just stared at her friend for a few minutes in silence till she found her language again.
„Ok that's certainly hard...", Kitty began to muse over something.
„How about we spy on him for a bit and see if you are right and if you are we will try to get him back.", she suggested.
Ember looked at her friend with a nearly long forgotten glimmer in her eyes.
'Hope. I see you haven't given up all hope after all.', Kitty smiled.
„You would do that?", Ember asked hopeful.
„Hey.. everything for my best girlfriend. I just want to see you happy again.", Kitty smiled and pulled her friend into a big hug.
„Operation spying on Phantom begins now.", she joked and for the first time in fourteen years Kitty heard her friend giggle.
It was a blessing to her to hear Ember like that.
'I just hope that she is right. I don't think that her heart can take any more bad news.', Kitty frowned at that thought.