For a long time, the two talked, sharing memories of their lost siblings. Dani sniffled, leaned against her brother's side. Her eyes traced the dim candle light. The other halfa's even, soothing voice rang in her ears, not the deeper pitch she was growing used to but just as comforting, just as right as ever.
Eventually though, Danny shifted back to his full size. She tucked herself under his chin, just breathing in the scene. The moon rose, the distant sounds of the town quieting as more stars blinked into existence. Here, sitting here next to Danny, felt so right, a soothing balm to her core. This… this was what she had needed.
Danny's forgiveness, his acceptance of her, rang in her head. He had accepted her apology for yelling at him, unwilling to linger on the hurtful things she'd said to him. (But she… she hadn't said anything about what happened at Vlad's. She'd chickened out….) And the lies she'd been telling herself….Her head knew all those were false; she wasn't a mistake, a burden. She was loved, wanted. She was good enough. And… with her brother's support and encouragement, maybe her heart was beginning to believe too.
They talked more, cried more, hugged more. And together, finally releasing the tears and sharing the sorrow with another… the grief was somehow less suffocating. It lingered, promising to hurt for a while yet. But now, knowing she wasn't alone anymore (and never would have to be again), Dani let herself begin to feel hope.
Things would get better.
Finally, Danny stood. "Come on. Let's go home." He yawned. "I'm tired."
"Yeah." With her own yawn, Dani agreed. "Me too."
With that, the two flew back to Fentonworks. A quick goodnight to Jazz. The two half ghosts shared the bathroom to brush their teeth. Danny offered a goodnight hug. And…
Dani was left alone in the guest bedroom. The girl yawned, stretching sleepy muscles. She was tired, she wanted to sleep. But laying here in the dark, in the quiet….
A familiar disquiet washed over her, making her insides twist. Everything had been fine, just minutes before. Her brother and her had talked, comforting each other. She'd apologized for yelling at Danny that first morning, for saying he wasn't her brother, and he'd accepted her apology. But…
She hadn't said everything. The words unsaid weighed heavy on her tongue, guilt choking her core. The betrayal, shooting Danny in the back, helping Vlad hurt him. Selling him out again, to the Red Huntress…
For just a moment, she'd thought of saying something, of pouring out all her shame. But…. She'd chickened out. She was a coward, too afraid to bear her humiliation again. Not after she'd lobbed those words at him before, that first morning. Her guilt was a weapon, used to hurt him, to push him away, to prove that she wasn't lovable or worth helping.
But he hadn't understood. Dami had deflected the words, almost ignored them. Instead promising… he loved her. Of course, he forgave her. He knew none of it was her fault.
And That. That was the cruel irony. The ugly parts of her brain still whispered that it was her fault. She was to blame. She shouldn't have been so stupid, so naive. Vlad had manipulated her but she should have seen it, she should have known. She should have known better. And that… that was unforgivable.
And yet… Dani wanted to be forgiven. She wanted to be free of the shame, to find the strength to believe that it wasn't her fault. But she couldn't. Dami might forgive her but she couldn't. She couldn't forgive herself.
And there…there was no way Danny could….
And that was half of the problem right there. A tear slipped out of Dani's eye at the thought.
They'd talked about the fusion and she understood better now. But now, the guilt flared, thoughts torturing her. Her brother said he loved her, he forgave her. But was that just Dami talking? Her little clone brother… he wasn't who she'd hurt and betrayed. That was Danny, just Danny, the person she was cloned from, her original.
He hadn't asked to be used and tortured. Betrayed and tricked. Cloned against his will and changed so vitally, so impossibly. He didn't ask to be responsible for an imperfection like her. Before the fusion, he probably thought (still currently thought) she was a mistake. (And he would be right.)
Dani rolled over in bed, shoving her face in her pillow. She needed to stop thinking like this. It wasn't true. Dami was Danny. Danny was Dami. Whoever the boy sleeping across from her was, he was her brother and he cared about her. He wanted her here. He started this by begging her to come home with him. He'd brought her to the park, shown her the little grave for their brothers. Cried with her, comforted her. She'd needed to talk about the others. And…
The conversation she'd overheard this morning…. "I'm not deaf, Danny. I heard what she said to you before you told her about the fusion. She's putting on a brave face but-"
Jazz… Jazz was right. She was putting on a brave face. The things she'd said then….. But she'd apologized. And Dami… Danny had listened, reassured her. He reminded her of the truth, that she wasn't worthless, that she deserved to be loved.
But… but…. guilt still stabbed. And… He hadn't brought up her meeting his parents again.
The thought hit her like a truck and the clone girl blinked, dread (almost terror) suddenly dropping in her gut.
That… that was what was freaking her out. The thought of meeting the Fentons still… it still… terrified her. (Really? Terrified?)
Okay, terrified was a strong word. Yes, it scared her but….She (was trying to) trust Danny. He wouldn't suggest telling his parents about him being half ghost, and about her, if he seriously thought it would put her in danger. And if something went wrong….She knew, especially after tonight, he would try to protect her.
But living here permanently…. that was like too much. Too big a change. She could barely imagine herself having a home. Let alone parents, friends, classmates. (Not that she deserved that-)
No. Dani shook her head. (She needed to telling herself the truth…) That was wrong. Danny said she deserved help. And she did. She deserved a home, just as much as anyone else. She could accept his help. And she should accept it but….
His parents…. Danny wanted her to stay here, for his parents to be her parents. That's what he wanted. And how could she disappoint him and Jazz like that, after they'd been so good to her? How could she hurt Danny like that (again)? How… how could she say no?
How could she say yes?
But the thought of living at Fentonworks… uncomfortable, out of place, trying to be normal….
No, she couldn't stay but…. What was the other option? Run off and break Dami's heart again? Hungry, dirty, tired on the road? Alone again? No, she couldn't do that, couldn't be alone again. There was nowhere else to go…
"Ugh." The girl groaned, core twisting in two. "I'm never getting to sleep."
Well…. She must have fallen asleep at some point. Dani thought as she blinked awake to soft yellow light.
It was morning. And as is often the case… things looked better in the light. What had she even been freaking out about last night, anyway? Something about-
"Dani! Breakfast!" Jazz's voice yelling up the stairs conveniently distracted her.
The food was even better for lifting her mood, Dani digging into the (new, uncontaminated!) bacon the older girl had microwaved
"We should make a trip to the Far Frozen." Danny suggested, swallowing his bite of cereal.
Jazz rose a brow. "I was wondering when you were going to suggest that."
"Well, I'm bringing it up now." The boy rolled his eyes. He turned to Dani. "How's that sound?"
The younger halfa's eyes lit up. "And meet this famed Frostbite! Yes, please."
"Alright." Danny gave a chuckle at her enthusiasm.
Finishing up breakfast, the three left the dishes in the sink. Danny packed snacks while Jazz gathered puffer coats, hats, and gloves for her and Dani.
The girl furrowed her brow, curious. "Why only two sets?"
Jazz handed over one of the coats. "Make sure this fits." Then she explained. "You know Danny has an ice core. He never gets cold. He loves it, actually. But…." She gave a nod at the snug fitting puffer, plopping a hat on the other girl's head. "We don't know about your core. It's better to be safe."
Dani nodded, tugging the askew bean over her ears. "I should be nice and cozy." She grabbed a scarf, wrapping it around her head, leaving only her eyes visible. Under the fabric, she grinned.
Danny came into the room. "Speeder's ready." Eyeing Dani, he laughed. "Can you put your arms down?"
Head tilted in question, the girl lowered her arms to her side. "Yes?" The word came out muffled through the scarf.
"No, you're supposed to wave your arms and let out muffled complaints until someone unwraps you and…" He trailed off, waving off Jazz's eye roll and Dani's confused look, "Never mind." He pointed his thumb back towards the door. "Are we ready to go?"
Dani unwrapped herself. "Yeah!"
"Awesome!" Danny went ahead.
"What was that?" The younger girl whispered to the red-head.
"A reference to a movie. For someone who hates Christmas, he really loves A Christmas Story." Jazz shook her head, smiling. "We'll show you later."
"I triple-dog dare you!" The boy shouted.
"To what?!" Jazz yelled down the stairs.
"To say I like anything related to Christmas again!"
Dani laughed.
The three flew through the Ghost Zone, Danny navigating.
"It's so big! Oh! What's that?" Dani pressed her face to the window. Running to the other side of the ship… "What's that?!"
The ghost boy chuckled, at the display. Huh. It hadn't occurred to him that Dani hadn't actually seen the Ghost Zone yet. Still, she was eating it all in with big eyes. Jazz explained what she knew while Danny focused on getting them to their destination as fast as possible.
The boy's mind wandered, from excitement to showing Danielle the Far Frozen and introducing her to Frostbite, to more practical things. He would need to talk to his mentor about Vlad and what to do with him. And more importantly, they'd need to visit the medical facilities...
Worry pricked his core. The ecto-dejecto had saved Dani. It seemed to stabilize her, just in time. But… how? How did that work? Danny had no idea. Was it even a permanent fix? His stomach twisted. Or… would his little sister be in danger of melting,… of… of Dying again? The yeti doctors would know. They… they would be able to help her if she did start destabilizing again. Right?
Soon enough, the icy shelf appeared in front of them. Danny flew for the familiar tunnel opening. Carefully, he pulled the vehicle into the cave and drove towards the dim light at the end.
Less than a minute later, yetis in their hoverships arrived, to excited calls. "Great One!" "The Great Phantom is arrived!"
Danny smiled at the eager greeting, much of his anxiety soothed at the welcome sight. "Icefang!" He called through the speeder's speaker system with a wave. "We're here to see Frostbite."
Their escort led the trio in the speeder across the icy plains. White-gray clouds, a strange sight in the Infinite Realms, drifted across the even more strangely blue sky, buffeted by the winds. The yeti's village with its icy futuristic buildings quickly approached. Hovering over the town square, Danny landed the vehicle. He floated out of his seat and looked back at Dani and Jazz, the older of whom was bundling up while the younger transformed. Once the girls were ready….
Danny grinned, throwing the door open. His eyes fell on a familiar furry figure. "Frostbite!"
The boy flew out, practically crashing into his mentor and wrapping arms around him.
"Danny." The towering ghost rumbled affectionately, returning the embrace. "How have you been, Great One?"
"Great!" The half ghost pulled back, beaming. "I brought someone you have to meet." He motioned towards the speeder door.
Dani hovered in her ghost form, peeking over Jazz's shoulder. "Um. Hi." She waved shyly.
Frostbite grinned toothily. "You must be the Danielle young Danny has told me so much about!"
The girl blushed. "He's told you about me?"
The taller ghost nodded. "Yes! I have heard many wonderful things from your brother." His expression softened, smiling kindly. "He must be most relieved to have found you again."
"Yeah." Dani drifted forward, her own posture loosening. She looked at Danny. "It's been great to be back. Hanging out and stuff…."
"Wonderful! That is wonderful, young ones." The yeti spread his arms, one great hairy arm scooping Danny up in a hug.
"Hey!" The boy complained, laughing.
And the other arm…. For a moment Dani tensed, also swept up in the embrace. She remained frozen, eyes wide in surprise. Then…. She giggled, face buried in the furry chest. A string of muffled words…
"What's that, Danielle?" The yeti tilted his head in question.
Dani's head turned up, grinning. "You're so fuzzy!" She giggled again. "And…." She schooled her expression, serious. "It's Dani with an i." She grinned.
"Dani with an i." Frostbite nodded sagely. Then…. "Dani with an i. How marvelous!" He laughed heartily, shaking both half ghosts with the sound. "How marvelous, child." He opened his arms again, releasing the two. "Come! We must celebrate. A feast, dancing! And a tour! The stadium, the library, the Ice garden! And the ice drakes' enclosure, we mustn't forget that excitement! Young Dani with an i, you must see all the wonders the Far Frozen has to offer." One hand waved, motioning towards a square, blue-white building. "But first, hot chocolate for our guests."
"That sounds great." Jazz finally spoke up, her breath puffing in front of her for just a second, only to be quickly blown away. "I definitely want out of this wind."
"Oh! How rude of me to not greet you." The yeti chief stepped forward. "Older sister of the Great One, Lady Jasmine! You have my salutations. How go your studies?"
"It's been great, Frostbite." The red-head's eyes lit up. "I've been working on this new hypothesis and-"
"I thought you wanted hot chocolate." Danny raised a brow, interrupting her ramble before it could start.
His sister rolled her eyes. "Alright, I'll tell him later." She started walking toward the building. "Let's get inside."
Danny turned with his own fond eye-roll, flying after her.
"Yeah! Hot Chocolate!" Dani cheered, following.
The group of one full ghost, two halfas, and one human entered through the automatic sliding doors. They continued down the carved ice corridors, Frostbite in the lead with the three siblings behind, Dani in the middle with Jazz and Danny to each side. The boy's eyes took in the familiar halls, pointing out different parts.
"That leads to the library." He pointed down a hall. "And there's a weird mural with me down that hall. Oh! And that's where we had that big dance that one time."
They came upon a door sporting neon green, orange, purple, and red splotches, a strange pop of color in the blue-white surroundings. High-pitched giggles and excited chatter rang from the room.
"The nursery." Frostbite hummed pleasantly. "The cubs sound to be having a most joyous time."
Turns down a few more corners and they passed a square area with straight backed chairs in a row.
Danny pointed. "That's the waiting room for all the medical stuff. They've helped me out a lot. Like when I first got my ice powers. And after the fusion." The boy rubbed the back of his neck, looking to Dani. "I was thinking Frostbite could take a look at your core too. Make sure everything's alright."
Said yeti looked back. "I most certainly can."
Dani bit her lip, nervous. "Oh. Um… You don't have to. I'm good."
"It's okay to be nervous." Jazz offered a kind smile.
"Jazz and me will be with you the whole time if you want." Danny added. "Plus, Frostbite's the best." He leaned closer, stage-whispering conspiratorially. "If you bring out the puppy dog eyes, I bet you can get him to give you two lolli-pops when you're done."
A hint of a smile graced Dani's lips. "Really?"
"Oh, definitely." Jazz leaned in too. "No one can resist puppy dog eyes." She smiled, a little smugly, at her brother. "Danny would know."
"Is that a jab about me and Cujo?" The boy raised a brow skeptically.
"You let him sleep in your bed. After he got sprayed by a skunk." Jazz dead-panned.
"There was no 'let.'" Danny air-quoted. "That dog does what he wants. There's no stopping him."
"Mom thought a squirrel had gotten in the walls and died!"
"So?" The boy shrugged.
"She and Dad tried to knock down my wall to find it!"
Dani laughed, nerves quickly forgotten.
The group arrived at the eating area, Frostbite motioning to a long table with bench setting. "Rest here, honored guests. I will bring refreshments at once."
Dani looked around, eyes eagerly taking in the surroundings.
At the same time…. "Nurse SnowFlake!" Danny exclaimed, waving. "Doctor FrozenHeart!"
Said two yetis looked up from their table, the nurse's eyes lighting up in excitement while the doctor nodded, smiling kindly.
"Your hot chocolate!" Frostbite announced, placing three cups on the table; two slightly glowed with streaming dark brown liquid, harboring flecks of green while the other surprisingly mundane mug contained lighter brown hot chocolate, without a hint of a glow. "And enjoy these pastries!"
"Thank you Frostbite." Jazz grabbed a non-glowing Danish from the smaller plate. "Did you want to hear the theory I was talking about earlier?"
"Of course, Lady Jasmine." The chief smiled kindly.
While the yeti chief and Jazz discussed her psychological study, Danny and Dani enjoyed their own hot chocolate and baked treats. With another wave, the boy successfully beckoned the other two. "SnowFlake. Frozenheart. You have to meet my little sister!"
The two medical professionals greeted the two kids, Dani still a little wary of the introduction.
"So you both helped Danny when he came here about the core-fusion thing…." She worried at the edge of her glove.
The two adult ghosts traded worried looks. Then Snowflake smiled comfortingly. "Yes. I assisted Chief Frostbite with the Great One's examination." She patted Danny's shoulder with her massive paw. "This one was a model patient for me."
"Thanks." Danny tried to smile but ended up grimacing. He'd been stressed, worried out of his mind then but he'd also been eager for the yetis' help, desperately hopeful of their skills and knowledge. Guess he had been a model patient… until he'd had a self-destructive panic attack in the exam room and had to be sedated. Still…. Snowflake had helped on his next checkup after that and been as gracious as ever. "You're really the best though. Both of you." He looked to Frozenheart. "You and Frostbite and everyone else take really good care of me."
The four talked for a while longer, Dani growing increasingly more comfortable. The two yetis shared stories of afterlife in the Far Frozen, especially…
"He froze everyone in the stands?!" The girl almost punched the table in her enthusiasm, giving her brother a scandalous look. "And I thought that bowl of mac and cheese was bad!" She snorted.
"Hey! I literally had just got my ice powers that day." Danny crossed his arms. "It's not my fault everyone decided to stand too close and gawk."
Snowflake laughed, covering her mouth with a paw. "Rest assured, the entire tribe learned our lesson."
"That is a most astute observation." Frostbite congratulated Jazz from across the table. "I believe you are embarking on a most remarkable work. I look forward to hearing how it progresses." He turned to the group on the other side. "Now. I believe we should proceed to the medical area for Dani with an i's examination, if we are to have time for the tour before the feast this evening."
Instantly, Dani tensed again. "Oh. Right. That…"
Danny wrapped an arm around him in a side hug. "It'll be okay. You've got this."
Jazz smiled encouragingly. "We'll be right here with you the entire time."
Frostbite and Snowflake escorted the three siblings back through the building to the waiting room. They showed Dani to the examination room.
"You may sit there, dear." The nurse motioned to the padded exam table.
Shuffling nervously, the girl floated over. She hesitated for a long moment, biting her lip, before settling down on the bench. Danny and Jazz pulled up chairs, sitting on either side.
Frostbite began. "First, we will start with some basic measurements…."
Danny squeezed his little sister's hand, hoping to offer some comfort. More than a hint of guilt stabbed at his core for putting her through this. He didn't remember much of Vlad's lab and the man's examinations. But there had been ectoplasm samples taken, painful tests of his powers. This, now… having her pulse measured, her reflexes checked must have felt uncomfortably familiar. An unsettling reminder of that time. And yet…
Dani gently squeezed back, her shoulders slowly untensing the longer the checkup continued. The yetis' kind voices, their gentle hands soothed her worries. And… Danny slowly felt the ball of anxiety in his gut uncurl. There were no words, no looks of concern. Dani was calm, taking the exam so well. And everything… everything seemed to be normal….
"You've done excellent, Dani with an i." Frostbite smiled comfortingly.
"Very well." Snowflake nodded. "You've been very brave."
The other yeti stepped towards the door. "Now, if you will follow, we will take a scan of your core and we'll be done."
Dani obeyed, rising from the table. The teens followed, again sitting on either side of her while the clone girl laid down on the table, the scanner hanging from the ceiling above her.
The younger halfa swallowed, eyeing the instrument a tad fearfully. "It doesn't hurt, does it?"
"No." Danny shook his head, patting her shoulder. "No. You won't feel a thing."
"You're almost done." Jazz squeezed her hand. "Then…" She leaned towards Dani's ear, the corner of her lips turning up. "You can try for those two lollipops."
"Three." The boy whispered teasingly, poking Dani gently. "I'm expecting three."
Dani laughed lightly. "Three? You've got it."
"Great One, Lady Jasmine, remove your hands for now." Frostbite gently instructed. "Good. Good." He congratulated as the two obeyed. "Now on the count of three. One. Two. Three."
There was a slight hum from the machine. Several flashes of light caused Dani to close her eyes. A pause, after the flashes and…
"Is that it?" The girl opened one eye.
"Yes." Frostbite nodded. "Snowflake and I will assess your results and return to discuss them shortly."
With another congratulation, the two yetis left. The younger half ghost sat up.
"See? That wasn't so bad." Danny patted her back encouragingly.
And yet on the inside… anxiety still churned. Nothing had raised immediate red flags but… what horrible things could be on that scan, in those test results? Dani had been unstable to the point of almost dying just a week ago. The ecto-dejecto had saved her but… how? Would it last?
"It kinda tickled." Dani chuckled, a tad nervously. "Did you think it kinda tickled?"
The boy's lips turned up. "Yeah. Kinda."
He breathed, coaxing the anxiety down. Dani was fine. And the yetis knew what they were doing. They would help if she wasn't… or if that changed in the future.
The three siblings passed the five-minute wait with light, idle chatter. Soon, Frostbite and Snowflake returned.
The chief took a seat across from the three, smiling openly. "You appear to be in perfect health, young Danielle." He began.
The two half ghosts both blinked, taking in the statement. Then….
"She's okay." Relieved washed over Danny, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"I'm stable. I'm really stable…" Her eyes widened, just as relieved as her brother.
"It appears so." Frostbite reached out, patting the girl's hand. Then he held out an icy rectangle, the portable screen Danny had seen the doctors use on his other visits. "Your core appears healthy. Well formed, without any cracks or deformities."
Dani studied the image with a tilted head. "It looks pretty." She mused.
Like Danny's own core, hers was perfectly spherical. But the color… it reminded him of the ocean. A dark, watery blue-green. "Yeah." Danny agreed. "It's beautiful."
The girl smiled at the words, the action. Then her brow wrinkled in question. "What's that?" She pointed.
The older half ghost looked again, at a specific pattern of lines and spirals. A familiar pattern. "That's our sibling mark, isn't it?" His heart warmed at the thought.
"That is correct." The yeti chief nodded.
"Sibling mark?" Dani asked, looking at her brother with warm, soft eyes.
"Yes. Your brother bears a similar one." With a few swipes, Frostbite pulled up the image of Danny's core. "Or rather… two."
The boy took in the picture. Oh, how much fear and anger seeing this blue and green circle for the first time had caused. But now he'd grown to accept, even appreciate it. Those twin marks of siblinghood, one for Danny and one for Dami. Now, to know Dani shared the same mark….
He smiled down at her affectionately. "See. We match."
"Humm." The girl hummed wordlessly, a hand tracing the pattern on his core. Then on hers…. "We do." The corner of her lip turned up. "That's cool."
"Yeah it is!" Danny held up one arm, half-hugging her with the other.
"Yeah!" The younger girl cheered, one of her arms up too.
Jazz laughed at the display. Then… "It's a huge relief that Dani's stable, Frostbite." Grateful eyes fixed on him.
"Yes, it is." The yeti agreed. "Although…" He sobered slightly, taking on a more serious tone. "We must not throw caution to the wind just yet."
Both half ghost's put their arms down, a stab of worry hitting Danny's core.
"What do you mean?" The red-head asked, looking just as concerned.
"I must propose caution and continued monitoring, as we have no prior data of Dani with an i's core, nor knowledge of how this ecto-dejecto worked to prevent her destabilization."
The boy's stomach twisted. Yeah, that was true….
"I do not mean to worry you." The chief smiled comfortingly. "The information we have collected all support Danielle's stabilization and her continued health." Again, he patted the girl's knee. "You will just require regular checkups, as any ghost child does."
"Okay, that does make sense." Danny breathed out, soothed by the explanation.
He looked at Dani in particular.
The girl looked up, biting her lip. Then…. She sighed. "Just to be sure… I am stable and healthy." She put her hands together. "Like… it doesn't look like I'm in danger of melting anytime soon."
"No, young one." Frostbite shook his head, eyes wide with compassion. "You are in no danger of that."
A bit more relief crept onto her face. "So I just need checkups with you to make sure everything stays good."
Another nod. "I will give you the advice I have given your brother. Eat well, including a healthy supply of ectoplasm. Get sufficient sleep. Exercise your body and mind, most especially your powers. And listen to your body; that is the best safeguard against pushing yourself too hard."
"Alright." Dani nodded, considering. "So I'll just do all that and I'm good?"
She looked to Danny who blushed, holding up his hands. "I'm not the best at following all that advice…. But I try!"
The doctor narrowed his eyes seriously before giving a sigh. "I will send both of you with more vitamin supplements. Lady Jasmine?"
"Oh, I'm on it." The older teen put her hands together, an almost smug look on her face. "These two can't get anything over on me."
The two half ghosts traded vaguely panicked looks.
"Actually, can I get full copies of both their medical information? And," She pulled a notebook out from seemingly nowhere. "Last time you explained energy flux rates and core morphological changes. I have a few questions about that, as it relates to a healthy diet."
"Of course, Lady Jasmine."
"And that's our queue to leave." Danny floated up, grabbing his little sister's hand. "Thanks again for everything, Frostbite."
"Wait! I have a question." The girl looked up, eyes wide and seemingly anxious.
"What is it, young Danielle?" The yeti asked.
She broke into a grin. "Can I have those lollipops, now?"
A hearty laugh. "Yes. Of course."
In the end, after some profitable use of puppy dog eyes, Frostbite gave her three.
