This is just here to put a little space~ ignore this.
Let's Never Do This Again
"Wait, wait, wait, wait! Wait a minute!" Kira halts the conversation, "You're not Sam Manson. Then who the hell was in that portal with us!"
"She was here," the woman shrugs an amused twinkle in her eye, "But now she's..."
"Wherever the hell Fenton is," Star groans, "great. Wow, ten out of ten delivery, can we get the fuck out of here now."
"Wait," Dylan groans, "why is Fenton's portal the way home?"
"He woke up first?" Kelly shrugs.
"He never had a portal?" Abby guesses.
"Get in the fucking portal so we can go!" Mikey yells startling the group, "Please."
Valerie narrows her eyes, "I know that you weren't really with us, but are you sure you're feeling like yourself?"
"Good question to ask considering you guys were surrounding by people pretending to be us, like Kelly and Nathan."
"Nathan?" Star questions, "Nathan was with us."
"No." Kelly denies.
"He was with us," Star repeats, "we made it to the-. Oh goddamnit! Fucking Manson!" She stomps her way to the portal all but shoving Megan aside. "Let's go so that this nightmare of a Summer can end! As soon as I find out who's to blame for this, I'm beating their ass! Forget Phantom, I'll do it myself."
"Sam was actually with us," Kira questions the woman hesitantly, "right?"
"She stayed behind," the woman comments offhandedly with a smile.
"STAYED BEHIND!"
"Through the portal everyone!"
Amity Park
With the Real Danny
Danny Fenton was annoyed. He was past it actually, he was done. He knew his summer wasn't going to go well, not since he got grounded, technically a justifiable decision by his parents, at the start of it. Not only was he grounded he couldn't hang out with Tucker, or do anything involving Tucker. His phone was taken and locked away somewhere (it was in the lab, he just hasn't snuck down there to get it yet), his sister was on his ass for no apparent reason other than she was "concerned" about his development at his age. Then his parents decided to go on an inventing kick, much to his aggravation, meaning more weapons to cause him harm. The food in the fridge finally stopped the war between the 1st and 2nd shelf declaring cease only for the bottom of the fridge to join in. He had no idea why the carrots and celery were mad at the mashed potatoes and spaghetti, but they were. And of course nothing can ever go his way, because Vlad has been acting stranger than usual but its been getting him away from his house and more pocket money. And it all came to head when all the parents and his classmates were taken.
What was Danny doing when his classmates were kidnapped? Sleeping. What was Danny doing when his classmates parents were kidnapped? Sleeping. What was Danny doing when an alarm blared through the house in warning? Investigating. He could have let the whole thing play out, no one was in any real danger. They wouldn't remember anything that happened, or at least that's what he had thought till he saw the situation first hand. April's group raised the most concern, his only concern really, considering they got double kidnapped and Sam managed to sneak her way in on the fun. But at least he could watch them from the Ghost Zone, or at least he could till they figured out how to get home. He had no clue about what happened after they made it out the Zone, but he would find out. Eventually. But now he had to deal with a look alike and a once hidden island in the Zone.
"What have I done to deserve this?" He groans tiredly walking through the forest of the island to get to the location that Sam was last in. "I shoulda skipped this and went to help Tucker instead, Ancients knows he's going through withdrawal." He aggressively picks up his foot, pretending that the vine that tried to wrap around his ankle didn't exist. "But no, here I am traipsing through the forest to go deal with someone who looks like me. Or is an echo of me, or whatever the Zone he said." He sighs tiredly running a hand through weightless floating white hair, stopping short at the base of the temple. "He knows I'm here, yet he's really gonna make me go through all this effort just to ask what the Zone is going on. Ancients I hate my life."
"I do agree," his look alike chuckles from behind him.
"You're a waste of ectoplasm." Danny deadpans face blank eyes dull.
"Yet, I'm the better version."
"Doubt it. What's the deal here, I have places to be, and I am not spending more than 3 minutes on this."
"Always the hero, never the-."
"Gonna stop you there, the point," Danny sighs tiredly, "get to it."
"We need to be whole."
"Whole what? Whole foods? Whole friends? Whole steps away from each other? I agree!"
"You know exactly what I mean."
"Look," Danny pinches the bridge of his nose, "you protect this island, I guess, you disappearing wouldn't help anyone. Don't you have a love child to take care of?"
"Fantasy is not a child."
"Coulda fooled me the way that you were treating them."
"Do you not treat your clone the same way?"
"That's not…what do you want me to do?"
"You only need to-."
"Danny!"
Danny smiles at Sam, ignoring the deep sigh his double let out. "You're the one who kept her here." He says lowly while still smiling.
"Yes, I did. And I don't regret it." The other him sighs wistfully.
"You should, Shes gonna kick your ass."
"We've talked."
"No," Danny denies smile not wavering, "she let you talk. There's a difference." His smile fades once Sam is close enough to grab, pulling her into a tight hug. "I know you said you had to leave, but you coulda gave us a warning."
"What's the fun in that!"
"You're traveling with two children, Sam."
"I am aware Danny," she chuckles, "Dani says hi."
"She stable?"
"That's…," she trails off pulling back from their hug, "something to discuss later."
"And by later you mean, it won't be for a while." He sighs again, "What's going on, I still have to go and find our classmates."
"This has everything that has been happening since the beginning of this school year all over it. Danny, this," she gestures to the other Danny, "is Shade."
"I am aware. He wants to be whole."
"No, he wants your memory to be whole. Not you. There's a difference."
"Well, I'm gonna have to put a reign check on that." He shakes his head, "Something is off. I gotta go."
"It's fine."
The two share a small sad smile as Danny floats off the ground rocketing away at top speed.
"That is him?" Shade asks her curiously. "I heard that this one is the most like the original. They are an exact copy."
"He's not like the original." Sam disagrees eyes a comforting silver. "He's better." The silver fades leaving familiar lilac, "In every way."
"You are better than your original too. Much better."
Danny managed to get to the location Tucker and their classmates appeared in, just as the portal closed, using the portal closing as a distraction to change back. His eyes roam over his classmates taking them in one-by-one noting that April and Michelle must have still been arguing based on the glare that April shot the other girl. He also noticed that Kelly refused to look anywhere near Dash, which wasn't as unusual, what was unusual was Dash staring at her confusedly with intrigue in his eyes. Star was glaring right at him. Wait...why was Star glaring at him.
"Fenton!"
He nervously took a half step back looking confusedly to Tucker, "Star?"
"This is all your fault!"
"What." He deadpans face going blank. "What exactly have I done that's my fault."
She sputters, "Your little goth girlfriend-."
"She's not my girlfriend but continue."
"-decided to stay behind when we all explicitly agreed to stay together! And-"
"Okay, but did she say that she agreed, or did you assume that she agreed?"
"-And not only that but you somehow got spared from the load of bullshit that we all just went through. So where. Were. You."
"Sleeping." He answered truthfully waving a hand to dismiss her accusations. "In my defense, I was in a highly protected highly secure building with an impenetrable ghost shield. Aka my house."
"Your parents were there." April cut in, raising her hands in defeat as all eyes turned to her.
"They left the house to ghost hunt?"
"Danny dude," Tucker couldn't help but laugh, Danny was a little shit sometimes, especially when he was annoyed and considering that he said he had been sleeping before everything happened, he probably was still tired.
"In my defense," Danny rolled his eyes, "I am grounded." He drolly stated.
The woman moved through the students to observe the boy as he spoke, "My, my, aren't you a looker."
"Hooker? No."
"I said looker kid," she laughs dryly.
"I heard you," Danny nods, "and I said-."
"Please don't disrespect the woman that we have no idea who she is," Abby begs, "and get more sleep cause you're right snippy."
"See, I coulda slept through this whole thing, but no." He runs a hand down his face seemingly to compose himself, "Who are you, what do you want, and can I be excluded."
"You already know the answers to those questions?" She tilts her head amusedly.
"Let's pretend that no one else here knows those answers." Danny was really really tired.
While the two had their conversation the class huddled together watching in vague horror.
"He cannot be serious right now." Valerie gripes watching the black-haired boy stumble slightly then straighten.
"We should really let him get some sleep," Kira sighs "poor boy seems to need it."
"He does know that we have no idea who that is right?" Ricky snorts as Fenton calls the woman a hooker. "This Fenton is more amusing than usual."
"If he gets us killed," Paulina hisses, "I'll kill him."
"Why is Tucker laughing," Sofie cuts in visibly worried as Danny and the woman go back and forth.
"Why indeed."
"Um excuse me," Paulina's accented voice interrupts the glare off happening, "can we go home now? I am starting to get very very very annoyed, and heads will roll very soon if I don't get to sleep in my bed."
"Okay," Abby whispers, "that's more information than I wanted."
"I, for one, like totally agree. Can we like, get to the getting home part. And forget the like finding out the reason behind it part."
"I don't give a fuck about that," April interrupts, "I'm not Nancy Drew, I don't care why we're here, I just wanna know how to leave. So can we get to it please, I got shit to do and people to see."
"Thank you," Megan smiles sarcastically, "April, for that boost in confidence."
"I wanna go home, sooner rather than later. So, hop to it." Michelle adds giving a little clap.
"This little attitude you've tried on is not it," Kira says side eyeing the red-haired girl. "The Hanlon twins are being weird. Vote to leave them here!" Hands raised immediately. "All opposed?"
"We don't leave people behind Kira," Danny interrupts sounding more like himself.
"Oh," April starts, "are you fully awake now cause we got bidness."
"Say hello to your kidnapper," Danny gestures to the woman lacklusterly, "she is a massive fan of the show and wanted to meet you guys so bad. Be glad you didn't disappoint and lived up to your expectations because otherwise..."
"That's wild, our kidnapper was masquerading as Sam."
Tucker snaps pointing at Kira, "I like that, let's go with that."
"I'll let you all go free of charge-"
"Charge what charge!"
"-but I must request one thing."
"Yep, I knew it the ladies all love Dash."
"Um, no." Kelly disagreed hand raised in a stop gesture.
"I require a conversation with Daniel."
"Who's he?"
"Don't know 'im."
"I do not recall this, Daniel."
Tucker snorted glancing at said Daniel in amusement. Danny was more than a little amused simply nodding along to the words falling out of his classmates' mouths.
"Coulda sworn you spoke to him already," Kelly tells the woman blank faced, "can we go now?"
"That was cute." The woman smiled before her face turned cold features morphing into something terrifying.
"Oh god, what is that!"
"I might vomit."
"Daniel, talk to the lady."
"We had our conversation." Danny disagrees.
"No, we had a conversation."
"'Still a conversation," a portal opens behind him. "Would you looky there it counted, bye now."
He hurries the class along taking up the rear as the file through the portal.
"We will meet again, your majesty."
"Meeting me twice doesn't usually end well." He paused, "That sounds really cocky and I'm not like that, so I'll apologize. But if you really wanna have a conversation you know how to find me." The portal closes leaving the amused woman behind.
"How cute."
Everyone filtered through the portal ignoring the portal as it closed behind them.
"I thought that White said that the fake Danny was the high jacker?" Kwan rubbed his head looking to the group that had gotten kidnapped, "Or did you forget that he said that?"
Star rounded on him with narrowed eyes, "Yes, thank you, Kwan. Fenton!"
Said boy was calmly leaning against a wall scrolling on his phone. Tucker was squatting in front of him seemingly juggling various devices, handing them one by one to the raven haired boy as he finished with each one. "What?"
"Explain."
Danny shrugs, not having to voice that there wasn't much else to say about the situation. He tilts his head to the side seemingly gazing off into the distance behind Kira and Dylan, who share a confused look as he stares at them. He chuckles lightly kicking Tucker to get his attention. The black boy looks up at him then off into the direction that his best friend was looking in, laughing when he notices.
"Doesn't matter because it won't matter in 3..."
"...2..."
"1."
A bright flash engulfs the group accompanied by the sound of a throaty amused chuckle.
"All is as it should be." The entity in the purple cloak pulls Danny and Tucker into his time space. "I don't have much time, so listen well and listen fast. The world is crumbling, and the fires are growing find safety in a place where it is always snowing. The die is cast, and roles are played but justice can never be delayed. Hidden treasures are once again found but the only way back is on sacred ground. Be wary of those that come into your life and find solace in those that have left it. Heavy is the head the bares the weight but only once it is bared can we all be saved."
"Clockwork-."
"You will restore the true path and gain trust anew but always trust those that have believed in you. Young Phantom I have seen many lifetimes with you, but this might be the last one for you to get to live it true. Young Foley, never doubt your skills watch for adversaries at every turn they don't see you coming and that is a mistake they never learn. Be safe boys." He sends them on their way, leaving him floating in his clock tower locked in his young adult form. "I did what you asked, are you happy?"
"Oh, I'm ecstatic," a sinister voice chuckles, "but you took a second longer than I would like Ancient one.
"Am I not allowed to say goodbye to son?"
"He's not your kid." The voice disagrees with a laugh, you can go join the others now.
Clockwork rolls his red eyes floating down the hall between his guards to go back to the cell that all the ancients were trapped in. Undergrowth sighs heavily in annoyance at the sight of him. Nocturn (Google what the fuck his name is) shakes his head in dismay.
"You know the deal old timers," one of the guards announces reaching for Clockwork's wrist. "See ya next time."
"Have I said that I blame you and your boy for this," Undergrowth grumbles. "My daughter would not have caused anything like this."
"Isn't she older than thou." The dream ghost comments idly.
"You were her guard?" Clockwork couldn't help but point out in the same tone as his companion.
"Details." The green ghost shrugs. "I barely sensed her at first but once I took control, I felt her. She's so young in this lifetime."
"Thou sound almost wistful, old friend."
"Is old Clocky not the same? He has finally gotten to speak to his son, see his son, protect his son. And I got to cradle my charge in my arms once more." He sighs happily as the other ghost in the cell shoot him reproachful looks.
"Can we please have a separate cell, please. That's all I'm asking." No one replied to the formless being. "Vortex might be next," Clockwork sighs letting Nocturn know that the ghost was already on his way, "Vortex has been captured. Frostbite might evade capture a while simply out of stubbornness. Fright Night might still be playing puppet to that fuddy duddy."
"Please," Undergrowth hisses, "Frostbite won't leave the boy to be vulnerable. And there aren't many ancients left. If they wanted to be smart, they would capture the boy-" the world around them rumbles in discontent, "or not. They will leave the boy alone until it is time."
Heavy footsteps are heard down the corridor. Quillon, in his Durai look, stops in front of the cell. "What did you do?"
"Nothing?" Undergrowth offers up, meekly looking past the man disguised as a boy.
"Well, you had to have done something because the Realm roared in discontent." He leans forward, "You know something. Something about the boy."
"The puny human boy?" Nocturn scoffs, "I am the concept of dreams I know a lot."
"And I am a God," he laughs, "I know more."
"I've been around way longer than you boy and so has the nuisance. You may have gotten ahead of him in his other lives but in this one, I can assure you, you are already too far behind. Let this be a warning."
"Oh please, the only reason you're still here is because I don't have enough to kill you yet."
"No," Clockwork disagrees, "the only reason we're still here is because without us the Realms would crumble further than it already has. Until a ruler is crowned there is no getting rid of us. And the Realm will accept no one but him."
"Oh Crocky," Nocturn cooed, "I knew you cared. I figured that's why you sent me to test the boy. And my my my, he is strong. Coming into his powers early, is he?"
"Not early enough," the time ghost mumbled.
"Enough, you are no better than those children I have to deal with."
"Rude," the green ghost pouts turning to face the other two ancients in the cell, "how dare he compare us to children. I am eons old."
"You're the youngest in the room?"
"I existed long before Mistress made me. I am merely a combination of what she made for earth and what already was."
"While, I am enjoying this," he smiles stiffly, "immensely. Answer my question free of will, before you have no free will."
"Good luck with that boy," Nocturn dismisses.
"The Realm simply does not like when someone threatens her favorite one."
"The Realms...are sentient?"
"Are you ignorant, by chance." Undergrowth deadpanned.
"Are you!" Nocturn snaps at the earth spirit. "Did you hit your head on your way here? Were you set on fire, because if not I am going to."
"Undergrowth, silence. Nocturn, enough. We have given you more than we should have already. Be gone."
"Where are the other ancients?"
"So, you are ignorant," Undergrowth laughs loudly the sound echoing off the empty rooms around them. "The brat knows more than you!"
"Not possible!" The boy seethes, "You are supposed to be his enemies! He defeated you!"
"Yes, I enslaved his whole town," Nocturn dismisses. "As did he," he gestures to Undergrowth who waves, "but it is our nature, our culture to seek out those who are powerful and test them. The very Realm itself was singing for him and we were given a task to complete."
The teen scoffs, "And you did so like the good little pawns you are."
"No," Undergrowth laughs, "we did so because we felt the realm shift from the moment he was born."
"This realm will be mine!"
Nocturne looks him up and down distastefully, "You've already messed up if you don't understand how she works. Afterall, it was His Majesty Phantasma who gave her sentience."
"That's enough." Clockwork cuts in. "Be gone Quillon and heed the warning I gave you the first time you crossed me."
"All those years ago? That measly little threat. Don't make me laugh."
"What was the threat?" Undergrowth asked like an eager puppy at the suffering of the man disguised as a teen.
"That my son will kill him." Clockwork answers smirking at the retreating figures back.
Hiiiii it's been a while. Here's a chapter for you. We started a new arc, and I can't wait to see how this one turns out! There might be a few discrepancies here and there, but I'll go through and fix them...eventually