Attacked On All Sides

-D-

"Jazz!" I said in wonder and fear. "Oh no, did they get you too?! We have to-"

"NO Danny." Jazz didn't scream but her voice was serious and her expression was hard. It shocked me for a moment then I remembered and crossed my legs, falling back down to the floor beside her.

"Sorry." I muttered.

Jazz smiled and turned to the pictures in front of her. "There's nothing to apologize for Danny; you can't help being confused. You are coming into your Ancient powers after all"

I froze. "What?"

"NO Danny." Jazz didn't scream but her voice was serious and her expression was hard.

I blinked. "I'm still here. But I don't remember telling you I was going to be an Ancient."

A small smile came back. She was always so happy when I stayed in my right mind. It made me wonder exactly how much my madness had affected her.

"Clockwork told me." she said carefully. "He's been trying to look into your future even though it gives him a horrible headache."

"Why? He said it was dangerous for him to do that?" I asked.

Jazz hummed as she glued the back of a photograph of me and Tucker when we were kids. Apparently he and Sam had dropped it off when they come to see me. Sadly I was still too out of it to have visitors, but it was nice to know they had come by.

Jazz and I had decided to use more evidence in this journal, making it more like a scrapbook. I forgot how much I loved scrapbooking with Jazz. I froze as a conflicting memory of me hating scrapbooking emerged. "He's trying to figure out what you're going to be a Keeper of. Everyone says that, that is going to be the first step in learning how to control your new level of powers."

"New level of power?" I asked befuddled as to why I was on the floor helping my sister with one of her scrapbooking projects.

"NO Danny." Jazz didn't scream but her voice was serious and her expression was hard. It shocked me for a moment then I remembered and fell into an apologetic and bashful smile.

"So how does knowing what I will be a Keeper of help me with my powers?" I asked moving back to my task of glewing the fancy shaped label bubbles (all pre- written) next to the appropriate picture. It was depressingly hard to remember which construction paper bubble went with which picture

"From what I've seen most Ancients have a physical and mental tie to whatever they are Keeping. Like how Clockwork switches ages continuously, or Compass resembles outer space."

"And Orbit's clinginess." I said in realization. Handing Jazz the next picture.

"Exactly." Jazz said, her smile wide. "That is why you're so confused. Obviously you are connecting to what you are going to Keep and that connection is confusing you. But if we can figure out what you are the Keeper of, then we can figure out how to manage and control your powers thus giving you a better grasp at reality."

I heaved a heavy sigh. "I don't know Jazz." I said reluctantly. "They all seem so real." They did. Each one, whatever they were, felt like they were my own, even when they were plainly not. Even when I- they did something I would never dream of doing or thought in a way I didn't understand. But in that moment I was them and everything made sense. The world made sense. While I was them, their world was real; then I was back here and I was just supposed to believe they were just my imagination? My mind traveled to the more heartbreaking and tragic memories. "I don't have that creative of an imagination Jazz. Wherever these visions, these memories come from, I can't help feeling that they are real."

Jazz put a hand on my shoulder. "They aren't real Danny. They aren't memories. I don't know what they are but we will figure it out."

I sighed. "But they feel real."

Jazz opened her mouth only for the door to open and interrupt her. " Jasmin?" called Compass. I couldn't help the small smile that came to my face at the oddly colored Ancient. She had been extraordinarily patient, repeatedly going over the same stuff again and again and again until i could recognises who she was no matter how confused I was. Not an easy task,the woman had the patent of a thousand saints.

"Something's come up."

Jazz turned and gave me a smile. I ripped my gaze away from the Master Of Space to throw a half hearted smile towards my sister. Letting her know I would be fine. She got up and walked from the room. My blank eyes followed her until the door closed.

I froze staring at the door for a minute. The sight of the door causing a rush of images, situations, memories. The emotions from the fake memories always hit me like a freight train. I had never been good at controlling my emotions but I didn't have much of a choice now, when so many emotions hit me to the point that I couldn't react. I didn't know how.

After the visions slowed to a stop I collapsed on my back lying on the floor looking up trying to sort through and find what the 'real' me was feeling. Everything was all over the place. Hatred melded with love. Joy danced with sadness. When anyone came into my line of view I didn't know whether I wanted to wrap them in a hug or push them away. So, I stood or in this case sat, frozen until they left or they helped me figure out which was real. Doing nothing at all was better then doing the wrong thing and feeling bad about it later.

-J-

"WHAT IS HE DOING HERE" I cried loudly

"Calm yourself Jasmin. He is well contained." Compass reassured as she eyed our unexpected and unwelcome company with disapproving eyes and slightly frowning lips.

Vlad Plasmius, full white suit and cape with black and red accents, hair formed into horned spikes, eyes sold pink, blue skin and vampire fangs… sat smushed up against Orbit as the child-like entity played with his many toys, talking a mile a minute explaining a story or a game that the older hybrid didn't bother to listen to.

"How did he get in here?" I asked glancing worriedly at the two way mirror glimpsing Danny lounging on the floor on the other side. Vlad was way too close for my comfort.

"We're not sure but he is a very resourceful man to have gotten this far without being detected." The Keeper of Space seemed to subconsciously agree with my inner thought because the room around us seemed to be growing in size causing the distance between the intruder and my brother to stretch. " But then again, with Clockwork blind as he is, this building isn't as secure as it was."

"Where is Clockwork?" I asked wearily never taking my eyes off of Plasmius, as he glared at me with a look promising vengeance not quite hiding his alarm at the distance that was inexplicably growing between everything in the room.

"He had to leave. Danny's presence is messing with his sight too much. He's hoping that physical distance between himself and the boy may aid his sight." Compass said. Her voice calm, her body language irritated, but she must feel some better seeing as the room stopped growing.

I felt a stab of guilt at forcing the Time Master out of his own home. "What should we do with him?" I asked, gesturing to Vlad.

Compass crossed her arms, sighing, the recently acquired distance quivered slightly as she did. "There isn't much we can do." She explained. "Orbit is incredibly clinging of people who have the ability to defy gravity. We won't be able to separate them for quite awhile; and i don't dare move them farther away. Danny still needs Orbit nearby to give him a sense of direction."

I nodded. "We need to figure out what Danny is the Keeper of, so we can help him get his mind back and get his powers under control."

Compass nodded. "And I do not feel comfortable with him possibly over hearing such a conversation."

"Agreed." I said eyeing the man suspiciously. "Meet me in the parlor. I want to talk to him a second."

"Careful, when approaching Orbit." She reminded; before turning and heading back to the parlor the halway shortening so much that the doors on either side didn't have anything but an inch between the frames. Already used to such a sight from there only other woman in Clockwork's clocktower, I returned my attention to our 'guest'.

I eyed Vlad and Orbit for a second longer before approaching. Each step I took closer I had to lean my weight away to keep myself from sliding all the way to the child and getting stuck like Vlad had. He eyed me with interest and contempt obviously wishing I would do just that. When I had come as close as I dared, I stopped.

"How did you know Danny was sick?" I demanded.

Vlad rolled his eyes. "Honestly Jasmine I'm not stupid. I knew something was up when I convinced your parents to allow me to confront Daniel about 'skipping school'. His fight with Skulker was off and the fact that he gave Miss Gray a Fenton Thermos was enough evidence I needed to know something was going on." Vlad smirked and pulled familiar well-used yet brand new journal out of his suit jacket. My eyes widened at the sight.

"But I had no idea how big an ordeal it was until I read this." He said flipping through the pages with little interest. "At first I thought it was a diary of sorts but after the events that happened at Casper High Thursday..." Masters looked up and smirked. "I realized it was actually a guide. A rule book to keep Daniel in line. To keep people from guessing the truth."

Vlad's eyes landed on my no doubt horrific expression. The wind seemed to leave his sails momentarily and he slumped slightly, eyes traveling to the two way mirror, eyes almost soft, possibly even worried. I had no idea if he could actually see my brother from where he was trapped on the floor. "He truly has lost his mind hasn't he?"

"No. He's just confused." My voice thick with emotion. What was wrong with me. This was Plasmius. The enemy, I should not be getting emotional in front of him.

Cold blank eyes returned to mine. "Don't lie Jasmin. You know something very serious is wrong with your brother and he needs help. Not to be locked up somewhere so he cannot cause damage."

"You think I'm not helping him. We are all doing everything we can to get Danny back."

"You have always been so smart Jasmin, but you can be so blind when the people you love are involved. Just because you are an inspiring psychiatrist, that does not make you qualified to help your brother through this. He needs professional help."

I gritted my teeth. Knowing Vlad's every word would haunt my thoughts for years to come. He always knew exactly what facts or parcel facts to say to prey on your insecurities, make you second guess yourself and fall right into his trap. He had done it to Danny so many times before. Danny had barely kept up before, he wouldn't stand a chance now. Vlad could literally mold my brother into whoever he wanted in the state he was in. Hopefully if that happened Danny would just switch personalities again but it would sabotage all the work we had put in, setting us back who knows how far.

"Don't!" I gritted back. "Don't you dare tell me what my brother needs. I have known him his whole life. You have only known him for two years and the second you met you started pulling strings meddling in my family's lives 'for our own good'. Well guess what Vlad? You don't know what is good for us, you don't even know us. And this situation is no different. Danny hasn't suddenly gone insane, you know. There is a cause, there is a reason, and there is a way to get him back. But not with you're manipulating crap. We know what we are doing. And if you care about my brother even a little bit you will leave us alone so we can fix this."

I searched him, looking for something. Trying to see the bond Danny had told me about. The line of enemies that cared about each other was so hard to follow. It certainly didn't help that Vlad was borderline insane.

"Your just a child, Jasmin. A child playing a game not even an adult could play. How can you possibly succeed?"

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Doing what I have, having seen what I have, and lived through what I have and still be viewed as nothing but an ignorant little girl who didn't know what she was getting herself into. And in a way it was true. I didn't know what I was doing but that didn't mean I couldn't figure it out. I was a Fenton. I was a member of Team Phantom.

"The same way my brother survived thousands of volts of electricity at the age 14. The same way Sam managed to fight back against her kidnappers escape and return home. The same way Tucker hacked into the pentagon without getting caught." I opened my eyes leveling a look upon the man. "By now you of all people know exactly what we can do when we set our minds to it." I gave a smirk. "And in case you haven't forgotten, we aren't alone."

Vlad stayed silent as I hoped he would. If my age was his only excuse for meddling in our affairs, it was a weak one. And we both knew it. Deciding not to stew on that too much I continued to something that was bothering me "So how did you really find out… and don't lie to me." I asked "Our parents don't know Danny skipped school. They were off on the ghost convention by then."

Vlad scoffed like I truly was a child. "There is no ghost conventions this time of year my dear. I don't know what game your playing but it won't work."

"What game I'm playing!?" I said incredulously. " You're the one playing games, causing destruction Plasmius, and you will not add my brother's psyche to your list of demolitions." Unable to stand the emotional manipulation any longer I turned, fought my way out of Orbit's pull and stalked to the parlor to join Compass on the search for what Danny was becoming the keeper of. We would get through this. I was not going to allow Vlad or anyone else to take my brother away from me. Somehow, someway, we would survive; we always did.

-)(-

-D- Danny Fenton Phantom point of view

-J- Jasmine Jazz Fenton point of view

I do not own 'Danny Phantom'