Opening A/N: Hello again everyone! As of right now, "I Just Want To Be Remembered" has 193 views, 1 review, 4 favorites, and 4 follows on FFN. 155 hits, 8 comments (excluding my replies), and 8 kudos on Ao3. All of this in just 3 days. Now, to some, those numbers may seem small, insignificant, but as someone who is redeveloping a love for the Danny Phantom fandom, Fanfiction, and writing as a whole, these numbers are huge to me. I cannot overstate just how much it means to me that you guys keep supporting me!
Anyway, enough sappy stuff, there'll be enough of that within the fic itself. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, don't be afraid to comment/review!
Chapter Synopsis - Danny has succeeded in getting Ember to hear his reasons for seeking her out, but now can he convince her to go along with his plans? Exposing a softer, kinder side to the rockstar along the way. Also, what's this about a revolution? Read to find out!
"Two quotation marks means speech or emphasis on a word."
'One quotation mark means thought.'
Italics mean heavy emphasis on a word or written/digital text.
Chapter III: Early Stages
"My point." Danny says, with some frustration. "Is that you don't need to resort to supernatural voodoo to draw a crowd. If I, one of your biggest enemies, can be a fan of your music without being brainwashed to do so, I guarantee that non-brainwashed people will love your music as well. Not to mention that if you aren't mind controlling anyone, I have no reason to stop you."
"You're saying-" Ember starts, her face expressing nothing but shock.
"Ember, how would you like to be a legitimate rockstar?" Danny interrupts with a smile.
Many different emotions flash across the face of the blue haired rocker, ranging from incredulity to outright disbelief. She just can't seem to wrap her head around why Danny Phantom would want to help her.
Something very few know about Ember, after the events of the Disasteroid she developed a crush on the local hero of Amity Park and the Ghost Zone, though over the years, she never acted on it, despite the fact that her feelings for the hero in front of her never faded. From her point of view, Danny had already been claimed by the Goth. Not just that, but she assumed that all of the fights, and the harsh words said between the two had long killed any chances she had. So for Danny to show up out of nowhere, claiming that he wanted to help her with becoming an actual rockstar, and then to say that her talent alone was good enough… to say she was disbelieving would be the understatement of the century. To her it was almost too good to be true.
"You- are you serious?" She asks in an uncharacteristically small voice.
Danny raises an eyebrow. "What? Of course I'm serious. Why would I go through all the trouble of finding you, and risk you launching me deep into the GZ, just to lie to you?"
Ember shakes her head, her loose hair flailing and flickering. "I- I don't know! I just can't get my head around this okay?! We've spent the last four years fighting like pitbulls! For you to just show up out of nowhere, and throw all of this on me… it makes me question a lot of stuff, babypop!" She stands up and starts pacing around, her hands running through the hair draped over her left shoulder.
Her pacing pauses as she looks at Danny once again, taking a deep breath. "Okay. Let's say I agree to this hairbrained plan of yours." She says, crossing her arms. "How am I even supposed to draw a crowd? I haven't been able to since people got wise to what I was doing well over a year ago. People don't think of Ember McLain, "the rockstar" anymore when they hear my name. They think of me as Ember McLain "the evil ghost"."
Danny's lips raise ever so slightly at her nickname for him, then downturn immediately upon hearing her voice her doubts. "So that's why I haven't seen you in so long." He mutters. "Well, at the very least I should be able to get a few hundred people for a small concert in Amity Park. Who knows? Maybe it will blow up from there."
"Again, how?" Ember questions. "You might be Danny Phantom, but you're not all powerful, and you don't have ghostly wish granting powers like Desiree."
'Now there's a thought. I could always ask Desiree to help… No! Stop looking for shortcuts Fenton!' He debates, mentally.
"Well, it helps that my best friend is the mayor." Danny says smugly. "But, I'm sure an endorsement from yours truly wouldn't hurt either. Besides, if the worst comes to pass and people don't seem interested in our original plan, I could just lie and pretend it's some sort of fan gathering for me or something. Then you can do a surprise performance and hopefully make some fans by the end of it."
"Oh yeah, I forgot the Geek got elected after that whole Disasteroid thing." She mutters. "And you, you're willing to lie and put your reputation on the line just to give me a chance?"
Danny just shrugs, a smile on his face. "Even in the event that this goes wrong, it wouldn't be the first time I got bad press. Besides, I don't really care about the court of public opinion. I do what I do, not for fame, but because it's the right thing to do. So I'll be fine if I lose a few adoring fans in the process."
Ember just stares at him, an unreadable look on her face. Slowly, she walks up to Danny until there is less than a foot of space between them. "Uhh… Ember? You're kinda starting to freak me out with the whole "silent stalker" act." He says, leaning back ever so slightly and holding his hands up in surrender.
She pulls her arms back and Danny closes his eyes, his body tensing, bracing for the inevitable impact. Although, what happens is far from what he expected; the feel the literal sting of a slap, or the metaphorical sting of a verbal lashing, such as her calling him a dumbass and berating him for even coming to her realm. No, instead He feels Ember's small arms wrap around his torso, and the gentle heat of her flaming hair flow throughout his body.
It was quickly apparent to Ember that Danny was definitely not the same scrawny kid from four years ago, especially if the firm muscle under her grip was anything to go by. Not to mention that he now dwarfed her five foot three height. She hadn't really noticed it until he had shown up at her door nearly half an hour ago, but to actually feel the changes was appalling.
"I can't believe how much of a sickeningly good person you are, you know that? But thank you." He hears her muffled voice speak.
Danny opens his eyes and looks down to see the mane of blue flickering gently. 'If you would've told me four years ago that one day I would be in Ember McLain's realm, while she hugged me, I would've asked you what drugs you were on.'
"You're uh… you're welcome, but you shouldn't thank me, not yet." He says, tentatively returning her hug. She feels almost fragile within his grip, his long arms easily encompassing her small frame. The size difference between them had to have been at least sixty pounds in weight, and almost a full foot in height.
Ember loosens her arms ever so slightly to look up at him. "What? Of course I should be thanking you! Sure she always supported me, but not even Kitty has ever tried to help me out with this!" She says somewhat heatedly, a disapproving look marring her features.
"Shit." He mutters, realizing how that sounded. "What I meant, is that, yes, I'm giving you a chance, but this can all still fall apart Ember. After all, even with Tucker's help I won't be able to throw a concert together overnight. This is going to take time to plan, weeks maybe, and there's no guarantee that we'll even be able to get a sizable enough crowd together for your concert."
Nodding her head at the explanation, and releasing her hold on him, she steps back a few paces. Sighing, she responds, "You're right."
Danny wouldn't admit it, especially not out loud, but he actually missed the feeling of warmth that she provided. "Also, if you're willing to hear me out on it, I have something else I'm planning."
"As long as it doesn't have anything to do with me wearing some crazy ass clothes or breaking my guitar, I'm all for it babypop." She replies with a smirk, a hand on her hip.
Returning her smile he says, "I will have to talk to all the ghosts I'm on good terms with, but I was thinking that if you and a few others could spend some time out in Amity Park with me, specifically where people can see us, maybe it will help people open up to the idea of ghosts hanging around a bit more."
Ember tilts her head and raises an eyebrow. "I thought you said you don't care about public opinion."
Danny lets out a sarcastic laugh. "When it comes to what they think of me? I don't. I'm going to continue doing what I do regardless, but this isn't about me. And don't take this the wrong way, but this specific plan isn't just about you either." He says, taking a seat in the conversation pit for the first time.
'Holy- wow this thing is comfortable. I should totally get one of these.' He notes, almost sinking into the soft cushioning.
"This is about trying to bridge the gap between the human world and the ghost world. I understand that every society has its good eggs, and bad ones. And no offense to you or the rest of the GZ, but the ghost world has some SERIOUSLY bad ones. But that doesn't make it right to judge you, or others, based on something someone like Plasimus, Skulker, or Pariah Dark did, and everyone else needs to understand that too. So, maybe, if people see the good people within ghost world, they won't be so openly hostile towards ghosts in general anymore. Besides, no one should have to suffer the pure boredom that the GZ radiates." Danny explains.
Ember takes a seat across from him. "It's awfully optimistic of you to label me as good."
"Oh, didn't you know? Danny Phantom always dreams big. Planning a paranormal social revolution, and the morality change of one of my greatest enemies is just another Tuesday for me." He says with a smirk.
The rock enthusiast grimaces lightly at the "enemy" remark, but lets out a small snort of laughter and throws one of the many small pillows at him. "Don't get such a big head, dipshit, it doesn't suit you. Also, it's Saturday."
"What can I say?" Closing his eyes and leaning back, he responds with his own small laugh. "After four years of being a celebrity, getting a big head was bound to happen."
"Yeah right, I don't think you could develop an ego if your life depended on it." Ember quips.
Danny responds, "If my life depended on it? Definitely not. But if someone else's life depended on it? Absolutely."
The two share another laugh over Danny's endlessly noble nature. "So." He says, "Where should we meet to plan everything?"
Ember looks thoughtful for a moment. "Well, you could always just come here again I guess." She suggests with a shrug, "But if you wanna go with your plan of being seen out in public while not trying to tear each other's faces off, I guess we could alternate."
"The evil Ember McLain, inviting Danny Phantom back to her realm?! I never thought I would see the day." Danny says sarcastically, placing a hand on his chest in feigned shock.
Laughing once more, she throws another pillow at him, this time hitting her mark: his face. "Yeah, yeah. Don't forget that I can still kick your ass, evil or not. Even without the help of my realm."
He can't help but laugh with her. Her laugh is light, yet full. A pleasant sound that he had never heard originate from her before today. Anytime she would laugh during their fights, it was always shallow, mocking, but this was different, it was an actual genuine, happy sound. He had to admit, it was something he wanted to hear more of come from the girl sat across from him.
"Okay, enough foolin' around." Ember says, still smiling. "Since you came here to start this whole thing, I guess I could go to Amity for our next meeting. You said you wanted to be seen in public, right? So where exactly in the town should we meet?"
"It's up to you really. We could go pretty much anywhere, one of the local restaurants like the Nasty Burger, or somewhere simple yet open like the park. Or we could even just walk or fly around, whatever you feel most comfortable with." Danny suggests.
She nods, considering her options. "Alright then, it's settled." Snapping her fingers, she summons glass bottles which appear next to both her and Danny.
He looks at the bottle hesitantly. No clear markings describing what the contents may be. Ember rolls her eyes and takes a swig. "It's just soda, dipshit. I may be a ghost, but I'm still under the legal drinking age."
Picking up the bottle, he takes his own small sip. "Lemon lime soda? I didn't know you liked this, and since when do you care about rules?"
"There's a lot of things you still don't know about me, babypop." Ember states.
"Fair enough." He responds, raising his glass in a toast. "To creating a new rockstar!"
Ember smiles almost evilly, and raises her bottle in return. "To planning the Phantom Revolution!"
Danny sweatdrops. "Please don't call it that." She can only guffaw in response.
Once again, inside the clock themed tower deep within the Ghost Zone, as the sound of the massive gears moving in sequence permeates the air, a singular purple robed figure looks on at his former apprentice with a fond, yet proud look.
"Why are you letting this continue, Clockwork?! This wasn't how the timeline was supposed to go! The Phantom boy was to end up with the Manson girl and share her prejudices against ghostkind!" A nearby observant protests.
Clockwork turns and levels a glare at the observational spirit. "Remind me which of us is the ghost of time? Your job is to observe and take note, not to ask meaningless questions. As for your complaints, every timeline has countless variants. For one where young Daniel becomes Danny Phantom, there is one where he is tragically killed outright in the portal incident that gifted him his abilities. The possibilities are endless when it comes to time. There is no such thing as should be or wrong. Time is a flowing, almost sentient force. You can guide it, swaying it towards the conclusion you want, yet it will always continue on its own path."
After thoroughly admonishing the observant, Clockwork turns back to the observation portal and leans on the staff within his hands. "You always did dream big, Daniel. I couldn't be more proud." Clockwork says in a small whisper, his features taking on an older look as he watches the current timeline continue down its current path.
Ending A/N: I'm going into uncharted water here, trying to write a more casual and softer side of these characters. I really hope my style doesn't disappoint. Either way, I had a ton of fun writing this chapter (once I figured out what I wanted to write of course.).
Once again, thank you guys/gals SO much for the continued support. I can't tell you how proud and happy it makes me to wake up everyday and see the numbers continue to rise on these fics, not to mention the positive comments.
Now, as for the title of this chapter, it can mean a couple of things. "Early Stages" could refer to Danny and Embers budding relationship, it could also just refer to the early stages of their plans. Who knows? *wink wink*
Either way I hope you enjoyed it and I'll catch you next time! I hope you have a wonderful day! -DraconicAnarkhy