Note: I'm back with a new chapter! It's been a minute; I've been busy with Invisobang but I'm excited to be done with the writing and onto the editing process. Also, notice, we finally have a final chapter count! More about that and my Invisobang story in the end note.


With no school and no alarm set for the morning, Danny happily slept in. He slowly blinked awake to soft golden light, rolled over, and…. drifted in and out of sleep for another hour at least.

He woke up again to the light shifted. A glance at the clock: 10:30. The boy scrolled through his phone for a while before his rumbling stomach convinced him to get up.

Down in the kitchen, Danny enjoyed a bowl of cereal. He hummed happily, mind going over plans for the day. No school! Other than a bit of homework, he was free. He could just relax, watch TV, hang out. Maybe Sam and Tucker would want to do something or…

He dropped his spoon, the thought hitting him. "I should go see Sidney." The other ghost had no idea that he was back to normal now. And he still had so many questions, so many plans to make.

Mind made up, the half ghost put his bowl in the sink. Ghostly keen ears picked up on voice downstairs; his parents must be working. He should check with them before going out.

The boy opened the basement door, briefly knocking to get the adult's attention.

"- doors for the portal are a good idea. But wouldn't ghosts be able to just phase through the steel?"

"What if we came up with some kind of phase-proof paint?" Dad raised a hand, turning to look up at the boy at the top of the stairs. "Morning, son."

"Morning." Danny started down the stairs. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Installing steel doors for the portal." Mom turned on her stool. "We haven't had problems with ghosts coming through but it could become one. Especially if more natural portals are opening up." She rubbed the bridge of her nose. "That couple who showed up last night came through a natural portal, you said."

"Yeah." The boy nodded, going on to explain everything that had happened with Johnny, Kitty, and Shadow at the concert.

Both adults nodded as the story finished. "So there was another natural portal." Dad said. "We really need to work on a way to track and map out those."

"We could modify the Fenton Finder and-" Mom started, already switching to problem-solving mode.

Danny held up his hands. "Before you get into it, I came down here to tell you I'm going to go see Sidney."

A worried look crossed each parents' face, eyes flickering to the portal.

The boy shook his head, interpreting the look. "I'm not going through there. I was gonna go to the school and see if I can use his portal."

The worried looks eased slightly but… "So you're still going into the Realms?"

Danny nodded at his mom's question.

The woman's brow furrowed. "You won't be able to call us if something happens."

"I'll stay in the lair." The boy shook his head, voice placating. "I'm not going to go flying off to some random place without a plan. And I'll be with Sidney if something happens. He knows his way around."

The parents traded a look, silently communicating. Finally, Mom sighed. "Alright. Be back before dinner."

A smile cracked on the halfa's face. "I will."

"And-" Dad said pointedly, causing the boy's smile to dip. "Tell your friend we want to meet him."

"Yes." Mom nodded vigorously. "You can bring him over whenever. Even today! We really want to pick his… brain?" Her brow wrinkled at the phrase.

"Core?" Dad shrugged, eyebrow raised.

Danny laughed. "Alright. I'll see if he wants to come over later." He started turning to leave. "I'll see you guys later." He stepped up the first stair, mind already planning. He'd walk to the school, sneak in. Invisibility and intangibility were good for that….

He paused, core suddenly itching. He could walk or…

Deciding, Danny summoned the rings. Once. Twice. It took three tries for them to pass.

His parents gave him curious looks. "What are you doing, Danno?"

"Well, um. I was going to walk but…" The boy shifty awkwardly in the air, suddenly nervous. "I'm kinda itching to... And I haven't really done it in a while but I really want to fly there."

Another pair of concerned looks was traded. "Can you keep it up long enough to get there, son?" Dad motioned to his floating form.

"I think so?"

Mom raised a brow challengingly. "You think so? Danny, I don't want you falling out of the sky."

"Well.. I can feel when I'm about to change back. So I can land before them. And I can kinda still fly as a human so…" He shrugged.

"We did see that yesterday, Madds…" Dad nodded, a brow raised at the woman.

"Yes, we did…" The woman's expression softened. "Go on then." She waved him off.

"Yes!" Danny fist pumped, already zooming up the stairs.

"Bye son!" "Love you Sweetie!".


Flying to the school was fast. And true enough, getting to Sidney's locker was easy with his powers.

Landing in the hall, Danny cautiously looked to both sides. No one- teacher or custodial staff- was in the hall. He turned visible, opening the rusty door.

"Sidney!" He hissed, eyes fixing on his tarnished reflection. "I'm me, Danny."

There was a long pause, leaving the ghost floating awkwardly. But…

The image rippled, the sudden movement startling the nervous boy.

"Sidney!" Danny exclaimed, realizing.

There was his bespeckled friend. Through the mirror, the other ghost waved excitedly, a grin spreading across his face. A clear invitation to come through.

The halfa touched the mirror and again it rippled, a familiar wave of green passing over. A cold feeling brushed Danny's hand. Like before, the portal opened.

The halfa smiled. Taking a breath, he let his body relax, feeling liquid and boneless. He effortlessly slunk through the opening. Recoiling back into his proper shape, he emerged on the other side, into Sidney's lair.

"Hey, Sidney! How's it going?" With a smile, Danny held a closed fist up in greeting.

The other ghost blinked confusedly at the gesture, tilting his head in question. But he quickly caught on. Sidney tentatively raised his fist before he delivered the expected fist bump. "This is a nice surprise. It's great to see you… Danny." He trailed off slightly, eyes widening as he slowly withdrew his hand.

Danny lowered his own fist. "What?"

"You're different…" The nerd's brow wrinkled for just a moment. Then…. his mouth fell open, eyes sparkling with excitement. "You re-joined, didn't you?!"

"Yes?" Despite the surety of the answer, his voice still pitched up in question. "How do you even know that?"

"I can see it! Your aura looks so much warmer." The other ghost motioned. "And your core sounds happy!" Sidney gave a little clap. "So things worked out?"

Danny stared for just a second, mind working. More questions… what exactly was that about seeing his aura and hearing his core? But the boy shook his head, dismissing them for now. "Yeah!" He beamed. "That's why I wanted to come see you. I managed to re-merge a few days ago and…"

In quick order, the halfa recapped what had happened in the two weeks since he'd seen his ghostly friends. Making up with his parents, practicing his powers, meeting the dragon ghost, and finally being able to fuse back into one person. "So yeah. It's really great to feel like myself again. So…" He rubbed the back of his neck, then shrugging. "I kinda wanted you to actually met halfa-me and hang out for a bit."

"Well then…" Sidney laughed, holding out his hand. "My name is Sidney Pointdexter. It's nice to make your acquaintance."

Grinning, Danny took the hand. "Daniel James Fenton-Phantom. You can call me Danny. I'm happy to officially meet you."

The shake ended, both boys dropping hands. Then…

"Do you want to see my garden?"

"Yes! I'd love to."


"...And this is a tiger shrub." Sidney pointed at the squat but bushy plant.

Danny studied it with wide eyes. So different from the plants he was used to…. Neon blue veins criss crossed the stems. Stripped flowers the size of his hand- black as the void of space and day glow orange, reminding him of his dad's signature hazmat suit. And the fist sized fruits….

"Tiger fruit! That's what I tried last time I was here."

"Yep." Sidney gave a nod. "Grown right here."

The half ghost's head turned, taking in everything. "This is incredible…"

It really was. Plants of every describable color- and quite a few he had no words for – covered just about every inch of the roof and the courtyard below. Bed of pitch black lettuce. Trees with perfectly hexagonal pink leaves. A literally squirming vine with what looked like some type of gourd attached, except perfectly spiraled and covered with different colored polka dots.

A bit of awe leaked into Danny's voice. "Really incredible, Sidney."

The other ghost puffed out his chest slightly at the praise. "I'm happy to hear you think so, friend. I have been tending it for decades."

The halfa nodded, appreciation just growing. "Mom and Dad are gonna want to see this." His eyes widened. A sudden idea… "Pictures! I should take some pics." His hand flailed, patting the top of his pants, up to his torso.

"What are you looking for?"

"My phone. I brought it downstairs with me this morning…." It should be in his pocket. Except his hazmat didn't have any pockets. His hands suddenly froze. He'd transformed before leaving the house. Danny smiled sheepishly. "Guess it's in my other pants."

"Pictures? Phone? Other… pants?" The poor guy looked so confused. "What are you talking about?"

The halfa lowered his hands. "So humans are okay being here for a little bit, right? Like, I'm not going to fall through your lair or something."

"Probably not?"

That was good enough. Two flickers of his rings. Danny turned human. And…

"Wha!" His body sank into the roof. "I'm not even intangible!"

Sidney grabbed him. "You are not falling through the roof."

"No, dude. I definitely am."

"No." The word was definitive, without question. "Close your eyes and say it. 'I am not falling through the roof.'" The other ghost pulled up.

"I am not falling through the roof?" His feet touched down, solid on the concrete.

"You are not going to fall. You are solid. The roof under you is solid. You won't fall." Sidney continued.

He did feel solid…. "I won't fall." Danny said confidently.

He opened his eyes, just as his friend let go of him. The half ghost looked down. He dragged one shoe across the surface. "Huh. Solid."

Beside him, Sidney nodded. "That's how things work in the Realms for humans. As long as you think something is solid, it is."

Danny raised a brow. "But if I think it isn't…" Instantly, his shoes started sinking. "Heh." He chuckled. But with just a thought, the boy stepped up, his perspective shifting as the ground became solid again. "So humans are the ghosts."

The other boy nodded. Then his eyes trailed down the halfa's now human body. "So you can change back and forth." There was more than a bit of awe to the words. "That was quite a light show, bub."

"Like my magical girl transformation, huh?" He grinned. "Now. Why did I…" He reached for his pocket. "Right, my phone."

He swiped the device out of his pocket, alighting the screen with the press of a button. No service of course but… he opened the camera app and pressed on the screen to take a picture. "Nice, it's working." Danny took a bunch of photos before swiping to the gallery. "Not too bad." He gave an appreciative nod. The phone camera couldn't really capture the vividness of the colors or the real depth of the scene. But it wasn't bad for a phone camera.

"Whatcha got there?" Sidney leaned over his shoulder. "Jeepers!" The ghostly nerd's eyes widened comically. "How'd ya do that?"

Danny shrugged. "I just took a picture on my phone." He held out the device. "Want to see?"

The other ghost eagerly took the device, holding it close to his face, father away, and then back. "Phone… like telephone?"

Danny nodded.

"This is a telephone?! Where's the cord? The rotary dial? How are you supposed to give your pal a bell?" Sideny turned the device once, twice, before his finger brushed the screen. The image swiped to the next picture, causing Sidney to freeze, startled. "I didn't mean to do that."

The halfa laughed. "It's a touch screen. You just changed the picture."

His friend unstiffened at the words, eager fingers returning to the screen. "It takes photographs like a camera… but there's no film. And it's a telephone." His voice trembled with awe. "This is like something out of Science Fiction Quarterly."

"You think that's impressive," Danny grinned, full of mirth. "Wait until I tell you about the internet."

"... What's the internet?"

That inquiry led to an hour, at least, of fielding questions. Sidney zipped around the garden, excited and awestruck. Danny chuckled, appreciating his friend's enthusiasm.

"The modern world's wonders never cease." The ghostly nerd ran a hand over his hair. He suddenly stopped in his pacing.

"What?" Danny pushed off of the tree he was leaning against, standing fully.

"Can you take a picture of me?" Sidney asked sheepishly.

"Sure." The half ghost shrugged, pulling the phone out of his pocket. He positioned the device in the air. "Smile."

The other ghost did so. A few presses of the button and Danny presented the images.

There was Sidney, floating in front of the tiger shrub. His glow blurred the image slightly, his edges fuzzy but…

"Jeepers. That's amazing."

"It looks pretty good." The half ghost shrugged mildly. "Wanna take some pics with me?" He held up the phone, turning the screen towards the pair and…

A flurry of activity. The friends made silly faces at the screen. Danny gave Sidney bunny ears. More pictures of the garden, of the ghostly nerd picking fruit and watering the plants. One from above, the image perking into the courtyard. The empty halls of the school. Outward, facing the open Realms with its purple doors and swirling clouds.

Danny lowered the phone. "Mom and Dad are going to love these."

Sidney lowered the watering can. "They can visit too, if they want. I do wanna meet them."

A nod. "Yeah. I was supposed to ask you about that. They're really excited to pick your brain. Do you want to come over with me after this?"

The other ghost laughed, before shrugging. "Righto! That sounds neat. We'll fly over after lunch. I want to see all those new fangled personal computers and flat TVs!"

Danny held out his phone, wearing a smirk. "Behold. A new fangled personal computer!"

Sidney rolled his eyes, returning to inspecting one of his vines. "And I can talk to your folks about taking you to the Ghost Writer's library."

"Mom, Dad, and Jazz were really excited to learn about that too." Danny chuckled.

"If Ghost Writer is okay with it, I'm sure they can visit some time too. And my lair too, if they want to see it in person."

A nod. "They'd like that." His brow furrowed, a thought tickling his brain. His family actually planning to visit the Realms….

"My parents and sister can't come through your portal though. We'll have to figure out how to get here from ours…" Danny turned, surveying the green atmosphere. "Our portal can't be that far. I did end up here by accident. Let's see, I came from that direction…"

Danny turned, facing the front of the school and… he breathed, his core pulsing strangely. He couldn't see anything but…. an odd sound, a humming tickled his core. There was… a pull.

Sidney must have picked up on his odd expression. "What is it?"

The half ghost pointed. "The portal's…. That way." He suddenly felt more sure. "Yeah. If I go straight that way… maybe for thirty minutes or so?"

A hand moved to rub his chest. That pull…. He'd felt something like it before, the metaphysical connection between his two halves. This was similar but… dimmer, with a different flavor, on a different wavelength. Danny's nose wrinkled. "That's weird, right? I feel like… I just know where it is."

"It's not that weird." The nerd shifted awkwardly in the air, face scrunched up in thought.

There was something to that look…. "What is it?"

Sidney looked down, fiddling with his fingers. "It's normally taboo to talk about another ghost's… death unprovoked. But you did tell me some about it… and I have an idea about your portal…"

Danny's eyes widened, understanding. "Sid, just tell me what you're thinking. I won't get upset." The words earnest and gentle.

"Alright." The other ghost sighed. "It's pretty common for a ghost to be linked to their place of death or their grave. And you did say the portal is where you died…."

The half ghost frowned. "Linked? Linked how?"

"Like you can always find your way back, no matter where you are. Or some ghosts can see or hear what is happening there from a distance. Like… hear a loved one talking at their resting place."

The hestance in those words… "Sidney, are you…"

"Linked to my grave? Yes. And… to my locker." His voice lowered, arms wrapping around himself.

Danny paled, heart squeezing. The implications there….

The other ghost rubbed his face. "A bully locked me in there, right before spring break. I remember yelling for hours. But no one came. No one cared no matter how much I banged on the door or cried or…" His voice trembled, tears glistening in the corners of his eyes. "I had my pocket knife in my front pocket. And it was so stupid but it hurt… everything hurt so much…" For just a second, neon green cuts welled on his wrists, the marks gone in the next blink.

"Sidney…" The half ghost stepped forward, his warm living hand covering his friend's cold ghostly one. "I'm so sorry."

The nerd rubbed his eyes. "My first life ended too soon but… " He shrugged. "I've got another one and it's been pretty good. Besides, we were talking about you, not me."

"Alright… but you can talk to me about it if you want." Danny paused for a second, then sighing as he accepted Sidney's nod of acknowledgement. He wasn't going to push… "So… I probably am linked to Mom and Dad's portal then."

"That or you're sensing your lair." The ghostly nerd's brow wrinkled. "Are you feeling a pull, like you really want to go there?"

Danny considered. "Maybe?"

"Try transforming. Maybe if you're a ghost, it will be clearer."

The halfa obeyed, the rings flickering once before passing over his body. Now in ghost form, he floated off the ground.

"Are you feeling a pull now?"

Danny's brow furrowed. "It's… louder?" The hum danced at the edge of his perception. "Like… the line is thicker?" Fishing line as opposed to the previous spider silk. "Line's not really the right word though. It's more liquid?" He shook his head. "It feels like someone turned up the contrast on a photo but… no, the pull's not any stronger."

"That is strange…" The other ghost rubbed his chin.

The half ghost wanted to roll his eyes. 'That is strange'… how could Sidney even make sense of what he was trying to describe? It didn't even make sense to himself.

Instead of commenting, Danny shook his head. "What did finding your lair feel like?"

Sidney looked up. "Well, I woke up floating in the middle of all this green. I was really confused but there was this… pull, in my chest. All I could think about was following it. There was something at the other end, somewhere I needed to go. So I followed and I found the school."

He definitely wasn't feeling anything that desperate….

"Maybe your lair is forming but it isn't done yet." His friend suggested.

"That's a possibility?" Danny raised a brow.

The other ghost shrugged. "You're a halfa. Anything's possible."

Said halfa also shrugged. "I guess we should just follow the link and see what happens."

"It's as good a plan as any. Now…" Sidney grabbed the basket full of freshly picked fruits and vegetables. "Let's go eat."


The two enjoyed a meal in the cafeteria, chatting about books and movies. It turned out Sidney was a big fan of science fiction and Danny had just read H.G. Well's "The Time Machine" for school.

Both full after the delicious lunch and the conversation drawing to a close, Danny stood up. "We should get going."

The other ghost nodded. Then hurrying to the other end of the room he grabbed a cloth bag. "Here's some food for later, things from the garden. And…." He presented three glass jars with holes in the top, a bit of soil, and… "That's a cutting from my tiger shrub. That one's spotted squa-pump-chini. And midnight arugula. I can show you how to plant them once we get to your portal. They'll need a bit of water. And lots of talking to. That's the most important part; they won't grow unless you tell them they're doing a good job."

Danny laughed. "That sounds like something Sam would say." He'd have to show her these.

"I'm serious. Realms plants are very sensitive to emotions. Feed them some good ones and they'll be flowering in no time."

"You got it, boss." He took the jars, carefully placing them in the bag and the bag on his back.

The pair floated towards the school's entrance. Sidney pushed the doors open, motioning to the swirling green atmosphere. "After you."

And with that, the half ghost took off, following the strange hum of the portal through the uncharted Realms and back home.


The flight back to the portal was much less eventful than his last trip. Danny passed that same sideways river. (Revir Syawedis, Sidney said it was called.)

That same floating island, covered in trees. ("Skulker's island." The ghostly nerd shivered at the words, hurrying past it.)

A school of now-more-familiar blobs swirled around them, a few approaching to nudge at both boys curiously before darting back to their group.

Sidney scratched one between the eyes, the little things letting out a hum. "Ah. Spotted blobs. Always friendly little guys."

"Spotted? But they're all one color?"

"Watch." Sidney instructed, ectoenergy flickering in his hand. The blob trilled, body flashing with…

"It does have spots." Danny laughed, eyes crinkling in happiness as the green and purple spotted blob darted back to its school.

The pair continued on, darting past more floating rocks. Above that floating highway the two biker ghosts had driven one. More confusing, twisting masses of stairs.

And barely twenty minutes after leaving Sidney's lair…

"We're here." The almost anxious buzz in Danny quieted at the sight of the floating pillar with the tiny metal frame on top.

It was Sidney's turn to look amazed. "Your parents made that!"

Danny nodded, flying down to meet the cliff near the bottom. His friend followed. The two circled as they flew up.

"I've seen this plateau before. It's right next to the infinite highway." The full ghost offered.

It was the same purplish rock as last time, interspersed with hand and foot holds. But…

The halfa blinked. "That wasn't there before."

Danny eyed the staircase carved into the rock. He reached out, touching one of the steps. His fingers brushed the surface and… he shrugged, confused core settling. Something about this felt right…

"Danny." Sidney nudged him, pointing.

There was the outline of a door, carved into the rock. Both reached out to touch….

A cold, electric flicker sparked from the half ghost's core.

His friend said what Danny was already sensing. "It feels like your aura."

The feeling radiated…. home, belonging, safety.

Danny smiled. "So it's a lair in progress, huh?"

He could almost picture the cozy room behind the door….

Dismissing the image, Danny flew up. "It'll be ready soon."

Arriving at the top, he landed. His eyes crinkled up, pleased at the little tufts of purple grass, spreading across the bare rock. Or… he drug his shoe across the surface… actually, it was packed dirt.

Sideny eyed the area approvingly. "This will be a great place to plant those cuttings."

"Once Mom and Dad take a look, yeah." Thinking of them….

Danny floated forward, approaching the portal. His hand parted the green mist. The action tickled his mind, a reminder of his dream. The place where he died and where he was re-born….

Shoulders relaxing, he flew through.

The boy started calling even before he was through. "Mom! Dad! I'm-"

The clatter of two chairs cut off the word, both adults jumping to their feet and wielding whatever tool they'd been using weapons.

"Home?" Danny finished.

"Oh, Hi sweetie!" Mom dropped the wrench on the table, pulling down her goggles. "And you brought your friend! Sidney, I presume."

"Yes, Ma'am." The full ghost nodded, offering a hand to shake which the woman accepted.

"Danno!" Dad grinned. "And Sidney!" Another handshake, this time so enthusiastic that the nerd bobbed up and down like a balloon. "Nice to meet you, kiddo!" The adult's brow furrowed, gaze flickering to the portal. "We really need to make a doorbell for that thing or something."

"We really should. When we build the doors, we'll need a way for Danny to open them from the Realms side too."

"Maybe some kind of DNA lock?" The other adult suggested.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea." Danny nodded.

"We can discuss it later." Mom waved off. "And speaking of the Realms…" The woman's eyes narrowed slightly, serious and concerned. "I thought you told us you were coming back through Sidney's portal, Mister."

"Yeah. I did…" The halfa shrugged, suddenly sheepish. "But I brought Sidney with me!" He motioned to his friend. "And we found out my lair is forming right under the portal! And!" He swiped the bag off his back. "We brought food from Sid's garden! And these plant cuttings." Danny shoved the jar with the tiger shrub cutting forward enthusiastically. "See!"

Dad accepted the jar, studying it with wide eyes. "Check it out, Madds!"

The mother's gaze flickered to the jar, then back to her son. Her expression softened. "Alright. I'm glad you're back safe." She ruffled his hair. "It sounds like you had quite the adventure."

"Mom!" Danny shrugged away, complaining like any normal teenager.

"Is this one of those new fangled personal computers?!" Sidney interrupted from where he was floating over one of the lab tables. He pointed excitedly, apparently distracted by one of the parents' inventions.

"Afraid not." Dad chuckled. "That's the Fenton Finder!"

"Fenton Finder? What does that do?"

The question was enough to send the man into an excited invention ramble, the full ghost listening intently with wide eyes.

Danny watched for a minute, feeling the warm heaviness of a transformation coming on. He flickered back to human and stretched, his hands reaching over his head. "Man. I flew for a while." His stomach grumbled. "I need some human food."

With a word to his friend, Danny started up the stairs.

His mom interrupted. "Have you done your homework yet?"

He paused, eyes widening. "I hadn't even thought about that." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess I should…. Sid, I'm going to get a quick snack and work on homework for an hour or so. My room's upstairs if you wanna hang…."

He trailed off, seeing the other ghost wave him off, still intent on the conversation with his parents. Danny blinked. How did this keep happening….

With a silent chuckle, Danny walked up the stairs. His parents getting along with a ghost again… who would have thought?


Note: I hope you enjoyed the chapter! As always, I eagerly await ya'lls' thoughts, especially as this fic wraps up; there's one more chapter after this-already written- and then an epilogue which I only just started on. I'm super-excited at see this all come together.

And about my Invisobang story! I am writing a sequel to my first Invisobang fic which was called I am you(and you are me). This new story is set right after D-stabilized. A rough blurb is below.

Consumed with worry and scarred after watching Dani almost die, Danny begs her to come home with him and meet Jazz. He wants to see her safe and happy and taken care of so badly. An important reveal also weighs heavy on him – Dani isn't the only living clone… and the other is him. He needs to tell her the truth; maybe that will convince her to agree to the idea of telling his parents. And she'll stay in Amity Park, by his side where he'll never have to worry if she's safe ever again.

Meanwhile, Dani has mixed feelings. She's still reeling from the loss of her clone siblings. Danny's unexpected worry and care make her uncomfortable in light of that... and her guilt; she did hurt him and help him get kidnapped twice. How can he care about an imperfect, a mistake like her? But having clean clothes and a bed is wonderful and things aren't so simple, after learning that one of his clone brothers is alive.

Will Dani accept the help she needs and let herself be loved? Or will she push Danny and Jazz away and run again?

There will be lots of sibling fluff and bonding. Misunderstandings and emotional conversations and healing. I'm very excited to share what I've been working on soon!