THE PHANTOM'S REALM
CHAPTER THREE: MARS AND VENUS
"Come on just a little bit further." Danny encouraged as he and his class trekked through the Ghost Zone.
Currently Danny was leading them to Mars and Venus' Station for a place to spend the night before they moved on to Dora's Kingdom tomorrow. Hopefully.
Mars and Venus were old Ghosts, just as old as Clockwork was. They were close friends of Danny's though. They were warm, inviting, caring, entertaining, Venus cooked extremely well and Mars always told the best stories. He would often go there to hear a new story from Mars. Danny looked at Mars and Venus as his grandparents, like he looked at Clockwork as his mentor and father figure.
Now that he thought about it, Danny had more friends or allies in the Ghost Zone than on Earth. He didn't know whether that was good or bad.
On Earth he was unimportant, bullied, neglected and forgotten as Fenton and hated, shot at, obsessed over, hunted and unappreciated as Phantom. Even as Phazer he was criticized for his work being 'something no human should ever have to go through'. He'd love to meet that guy and tell him that they were personal experiences just to see the look on his face.
In the Ghost Zone he had his enemies but he also had friends. He spent at least every other day at Clockwork's Tower where he often learned about History and life lessons Often he visited Mars and Venus to make sure they were doing well or needed anything and he would always stay to hear one of Mars' stories about Space or learn Science from the two elderly Ghosts. Ghost Writer sometimes gave him lessons on writing or speaking properly but he enjoyed the writers company. Sometimes Ghost Writer even put him inside books he'd always wanted to read but never found the time. Princess Dora always made sure he minded his manners, both table and public, for any occasion. Frostbite usually gave Danny tips on being a medic or hand-to-hand combat so Danny had spent a lot of time with the Ice Yeti. Ember, Johnny and Kitty taught him how to relax a little and helped him be a teenager once in a while. Walker had even, albeit indirectly, shown him how society worked. Mostly those were the other Ghost's way of preparing him for his upcoming role in the Ghost Zone without him knowing but it still helped him a hell of a lot more than anything he ever learned back on Earth. He learned more here in the Ghost Zone than he did back in the human world. Danny couldn't help but let out a chuckle at that thought.
Tucker and Sam turned to their friend with confused looks. What could he be laughing at?
"What's funny?" Sam asked him curiously, asking what she and Tucker were both thinking.
"I just realized that I've learned more here, in the Zone, than back at school." Danny revealed with a slight chuckle. Tucker started snickering and Sam broke a smile. That was kinda funny.
Meanwhile Lancer was watching the three teens with a critical eye.
These 3 kids seemed so relaxed here. Not free enough to act like normal teenagers, mind you, but freer than they had ever been back at Casper High. That was a little sad, Lancer thought, that these kids felt more comfortable in a world of Ghosts rather than at a place that was supposed to make them feel safe.
This unknown environment made them more relaxed but still not anywhere near as relaxed as regular teens. This 'unknown' environment obviously wasn't unknown to Danny and his friends. They had been extremely calm ever since the crash, not once flipping out like everyone, even he and the Fentons, had done. Lancer had the suspicion that young Daniel had been in the Ghost Zone more times than he had originally let on. The boy had seemed to know enough about Ghosts, maybe just as much as his parents did. Lancer decided he was going to start being more observant from here on out.
The others were doing their usual things. Dash, Kwan and Gary were looking around, as if trying to spot something, anything, familiar. They've had no luck so far. Just glowing green rocks and purple floating doors with the occasional specter passing by. Paulina, Star and Sarah were 'discussing' how well of a wife Paulina would make for Phantom. By discussing I mean Paulina was rambling and Star and Sarah were nodding absent-mindedly. Everybody else just tried to stay unnoticed because none of the other kids really wanted to be the one that got on Danny's nerves.
Maddie was looking around, trying her best to be on guard at all times but it was a little hard trying to be on guard and looking out for every bodies safety. (She couldn't last a day in Danny's shoes)
Jack, contrary to popular belief, was deep in thought. He was racking his brain together trying his best to figure out how Danny wasn't tired. It just didn't make sense. It had been about six hours since the crash and they were on the move relatively quickly but since then they had stopped for four breaks upon the classes request. Most of the kids would have taken more than 4 breaks and much longer than the fifteen minute ones Danny gave them. Even he, Maddie and Lancer could have used a longer rest. Maybe not four but two sounded good. Tucker and Sam looked almost as good as Danny though they were slightly winded and Jack would bet they would have only needed one break. Not his boy though. He had barley sat down during breaks and was the first one up and walking after them. Now six hours later and he looked in better condition than anyone else in the group. He wondered how that was possible.
That's not the only thing he thought about though. He was thinking a lot more on Ghosts. He thought that maybe Danny was right and that they weren't all Ecto-plasmic slime. He'd seen a few Ghosts since they'd been on their trek and he began thinking. None of the Ghosts they'd seen had even given a second glance in their direction except the Box Ghost. After seeing so many just harmlessly pass by he couldn't say he solidly believed all Ghosts were bad. Not that he'd began thinking, why did he believe that anyway? Yesterday he could have said "Because they're Ghosts and Ghosts can't be trusted!" but he wasn't sure anymore. What about dying made them 'evil' anyway? Jack was glad he didn't have anything to do later tonight because he had a lot of thinking he was going to do.
"We're almost there guys. When we get there I want you to promise me you won't attack them." Danny stated looking at his parents and glancing at Valerie, as a shape not a floating door came into view.
"Fine." Maddie said with a scowl. Besides, she knew full well that she would break the promise if the Ghosts attack first.
"I promise!" Jack boomed proudly.
He knew his son was hiding something and he was going to start paying more attention so if he had to refrain from shooting stuff he would gladly do it if it meant helping get back on Danny's good side.
Danny looked proudly at his father. Danny knew Jack had more intelligence than he let on but he didn't think he would make that promise so easily. Maybe he's starting to care a bit more, he thought.
Danny nodded at his parents and walked towards the Satellite the size of a two-story house. Everyone expected something so happen so they didn't get too close but Danny just walked right up to the front door, ignoring the questions from his classmates and pleas to come back from his mother, ad knocked on the circular door.
"Who is it?" Came an elderly voice that sounded much like a grandmother would.
"It's Danny and friends." Danny replied, stepping back a bit.
You could hear shuffling inside the house for a few seconds before the door swung open gently and it revealed an elderly looking Ghost.
She had orange hair in a ponytail with eyes to match and very pale skin. She was wearing an orange robe the covered her entire body and orange boots coming from the bottom of her robe. The ghosts also appeared very old and wore a black hole necklace around her neck.
"Hello Danny and friends. I am Venus, the Ghost of Space." She introduced sweetly.
"Would you mind if we stayed the night, Venus? I would really appreciate it." Danny asked her. She smiled sweetly.
"Of course, my boy. You know you didn't need to ask." Venus stated, moving back to allow the class into her humble abode.
It was much larger on the inside. The living room had three sofas lined up in an 'L' shape so that two were against the east wall and one that completed the L facing the wall the door was on. There were two love seats side-by-side against the wall the door was on so it looked like half a square in the room. There was a hallway that led to a kitchen that had a small dining room next to it with a table set for four. There was a staircase on the left wall that most likely led to the bedrooms.
"Make yourselves comfortable while I go find Mars. I'm sure he's around here somewhere." Venus said as she walked into the kitchen.
Everyone did what she said and got situated. Tucker and Sam sat on a love seat with Danny between them. Dash, Kwan and Gary all took one sofa while Paulina, Star, Sarah, Michelle and Nancy took the second and Lancer, Jack and Maddie look the last. Jimmy, Steve, Emma and Hailey moved the chairs fro the dining room into the living room and Mikey sat on the stairs with Nathan.
A moment later Venus emerged from the hallway with another figure.
This ghost had light red hair and matching eyes and he too had pale skin. He wore a robe also, except bright red in color and you could see the wisp of a Ghostly tail coming from the bottom. He wore red gloves that matched his cloak and held a staff that had something that resembled the sun on the top.
"Hello Danny and friends. You may call me Mars, the other Ghost of Space." Mars introduced as he and Venus sat down on the empty love seat next to the Trio.
"So Mars, do you have any stories to tell us?" Sam asked the old Ghost.
Sam had never actually spoken to these Ghosts aside from formal events but Danny had told her and Tucker on the way here that Mars was a great storyteller and that he hadn't heard a bad one yet so she kind of wanted to hear one from him.
"I suppose I could tell a tale to pass the time." Mars said with a fake sign. Everyone could tell the Ghost was happy to recite a story.
"It okay if I tell them one you've already heard, by boy?" Mars asked after thinking for a minute, looking at Danny. Danny smiled and nodded his consent. Mars smiled.
"You kids know about constellations right? Like the Big Dipper or Orion?" Mars asked before he began. Everyone nodded. Danny smiled brightly. This was his favorite story!
"Well many moons ago, when both Earth and the Zone were new, the sky was blank. Like a blanket of darkness was folded over us. No glow, no stars, no anything. Just black." Mars began.
Everyone looked at him with a look that said 'okay then what happened?' so he continued.
"Before Phantom locked up Pariah Dark, he was trapped in a sarcophagus for millions of years. You see it all started when Pariah became King. He was young then, so he wanted to do well. He did his best to be a good King all the time and all went well for a while. Until Pariah's wife Polaris left him after he turned her father in to the Warden. Pariah couldn't handle that and he snapped, so he took the very items he vowed never to handle without consent, which were The Crown of Fire and the Ring of Rage. He then went looking for the thing his mind told him was causing most of his turn, pain and turmoil. Polaris.
"Using the combined powers of the Crown and Ring, he sent Polaris into orbit and set her ablaze, hoping to cease her existence. But he had tasted power, and the temptation was too much. He went power crazy, sending random and innocent Ghosts to join Polaris' cruel fate.
"But then, just when all hope was lost, the sky began to glow. Ghosts looked up and saw glowing stars in the sky, like the ones Pariah had sent up. They took this as a sign that there was still a chance, so they formed and gathered and made plans. Not everybody was willing to attack directly but we had 12 brave warriors that led the charge of the army. The things you call 'Zodiac Signs' were originally Ghosts that had given their afterlives in that battle.
"Today you base your luck and personality after your Zodiac Signs, but those signs are Ghosts who saved us from Pariah's First conquest. You match your personalities to the Ghosts who made up those signs once. And Polaris, the North Star, shines brighter than all the rest to keep people from being lost like she and so many others were back then. Lost in the belief of a perfect King. Lost in the belief of a perfect world. Lost in the belief that nothing could go wrong." Mars told them.
He always loved telling stories, especially to children. Kids always loved the stories he told. Listened with wrapped attention, always asking good questions. Danny was no exception. He loved telling Danny stories, seeing the boy get excited and curious about them. The young Ghost Child was good company. He always stopped by, making sure they were both okay and offering his assistance with anything no matter how small. He could see how Clockwork, who never got attached to anyone, became attached to the boy.
They were all listening with wrapped attention for most of the story. That's all it was, right? A story? They found that hard to believe. Everything fit perfectly! The Zodiac Signs and number of Stars and Polaris that Mars talked about all explained a lot.
"What, how didn't this effect people?" Maddie asked suspiciously.
"There weren't as many natural portals between the worlds then because they're weren't many humans." Venus explained wisely.
"Natural portals? Those happen?" Maddie asked clueless.
"All the time." Venus replied.
"How come we've never heard of them?" Maddie asked, continuing acting suspicious. Danny was getting a little sick of it.
"Ever heard of the Bermuda Triangle? Natural Portals open up there all the time. Pilot's fly into them and don't get out in time." Mars explained.
"Really? What else?" Mikey asked, getting into this.
"That one sock that seems to vanish in your washing machine. You've all seen the Box Ghost, but probably never the Socks Ghost. He loves to steal socks from people and thinks that the rinse cycle is the best time. Only takes one so you won't get too suspicious." Mars continued.
"You kids ever swear up and down something isn't there, but when mom comes looking it magically appears? That's Mary-Ann. She died when he kids lost her hairdryer. She found it in her bathtub. From then on she goes out of her way to make kids look bad in front of their mothers." Mars revealed.
Many of the group had mouths agape. 3 of the most confusing things of their childhood had just been broken in 10 minutes with the 2 words of 'Natural Portals'. Weird day.
"We learned a lot about Ghosts today, did we not kids? I bet your tired from your long trek here so why not go to sleep now so you can get on out of here early tomorrow morning." Venus suggested.
"Good idea. I think we will." Danny replied. The elderly couple nodded.
"Guest rooms are upstairs on the left." Mars told them. Wouldn't want them going into his and Venus' room or Danny's. Yeah, Danny had his own room. Granted he didn't use it much but he was here often enough for them to give it to him. It was the only other one on the right side of the hallway.
Dash, Kwan, Gary, Jimmy, Steve, Mikey and Nathan took one room and Paulina, Star, Sarah, Emma, Hailey, Valerie, Michelle and Nancy took another. Lancer, Jack and Maddie took Danny's room but they didn't know that.
Now with only The Trio, Venus and Mars in the living room Mars sighed and looked at Danny.
"Mind tellin' us how you got yourself into this one, my boy?" Mars said with a chuckle and Venus smiled.
Tucker and Sam lay down on two different sofas, preparing to go to bed while Danny sat straight up on the free sofa to begin his explanation.
AND SCENE!
HOW WAS THIS CHAPTER GUYS? I THOUGHT IT WAS OKAY. A BIT BORING BUT IT SETS UP SOME OF THE NEXT CHAPTER SO IT WAS NECESSARY.
I'M STILL TAKING SUGGESTIONS ON A PAIRING FOR DANNY THAT'S NOT SAM. POLE IS OFFICIAL ON MY PROFILE.
PS CHECK OUT MY DANNY PHANTOM AND WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE CROSSOVER IF YOU CAN. NOT MANY PEOPLE CHECK THAT CATEGORY TO JUST TRYING TO PROMOTE IT A BIT.