"Of course." Without question, without demand of explanation, Frostbite began leading him away. "We shall talk, young one. In your room?"
It was then, the clone boy noticed the eyes on them. Brows wrinkled in concern, questioning mutters and whispers. A flicker of guilt. The boy blushed, nervously self-conscious.
"Oh. We're in the middle of the big celebration." The half ghost wrung his hands. "It can wait."
The chief looked back. "You are more important." The quiet words rang with full conviction. "The celebration can continue without us." The yeti said deliberately loud. His serious eyes flitted from person to person, each gaze a pointed message.
Various yetis nodded, including a few of the warriors. The questioning mutters silenced, chatter of what song to play next starting back up.
The pair continued through the crowd, the ghost boy momentarily glimpsing a few worried or questioning glances. Then, he met Periwinkle's eyes. The yeti woman smiled encouragingly. The anxiety swirling in his gut stilled.
"You missed lunch." Frostbite began, once they arrived in the human quarters. "Do you want me to bring food before we start?"
The half ghost's stomach grumbled at the words. His heart throbbed warmly, touched at the concern. Even as a traitorous part whispered that the worry would turn to rejection once the chief knew the truth. He shook his head vigorously, pushing away the irrational thought.
"No, that's okay." Still, he sighed, dismissing the offer. "Actually…" He stepped towards his packed bag, opening it. "That's a good place to start." He pulled out the wrapped cheese and dried fruit. He nibbled on the snack while he took a seat on the bed.
Frostbite took a seat beside, not quite touching but close enough to offer comfort if wanted. His brow furrowed questioningly at the bag and its content. But instead of asking, he patiently waited for the boy to continue.
"Last night… I tried to run away." Eating slowly, the half ghost explained his plan to leave and its failure. "I realized… I had nowhere else to go. I had to stay. Even though I didn't know how… I couldn't tell you the truth."
Guilt flaring again, the clone couldn't convince himself to look at Frostbite. Instead his hands and eyes focused on unpacking the bag. "I realized last night, after you confronted me after the hunting trip." He pulled out the pre-packaged human food, the roll of bandages. "I couldn't keep running from what I am." A change of clothes, his notebook. "I needed to face it but… I was scared. Terrified. So I wanted to run. Then I realized I couldn't and I ended up pacing all night and…"
Out came the jumpsuit and the clone trailed off, eyes widening. He'd forgotten about finding it last night. The DP loomed in his face, the reminder of who he'd never been as stinging as it was freeing.
Shaking his head, the boy put the suit to the side. "I'm sorry I was avoiding you this morning." He sighed. "I didn't want to talk. Then everyone at the celebration ..." He bit his lip. "It was too much. I got freaked out, ran off again." He hazarded a look up, finally addressing Frostbite. "Then Periwinkle found me. Did you send her?"
"She suggested talking to you in my place." The yeti chief answered. "She cares for you very much."
"I know." The corner of his mouth turned up, the memory of her ruffling his hair a comforting throb in his heart. "She found me and talked to be at the…. shrine." The slight smile disappeared at the words.
"So that is where you went." Frostbite hummed thoughtfully, then he frowned. "Why did you go there?"
"It was an accident. I was freaking out, trying to find somewhere people wouldn't look for me. Somewhere quiet. That's just where I ended up and…" Guilt flickered at the memory of rage, of electricity pouring from his vein. "I'm sorry." The half ghost looked down wringing his hands. "I destroyed your sculpture."
The boy paused, the shame lodged in his chest. He remembered the pride on Frostbite's face when the chief showed him the effigy. The yeti had made it himself…. And the clone destroyed it. He held his breath and tensed, anticipating the disappointment.
When Frostbite finally spoke, the words held no accusation, just confusion. "Why? How?"
"I shot it with lightning." His heart twisted. "I didn't really mean it. I just saw it and… got so angry." The words were not nearly strong enough, a pale shaky reflection of the feeling. The depth of the fury…. He could hardly believe he'd become that angry.
"Why?" The chief repeated the question, this time more gently. "Why were you angry?"
"I was angry because…" The memory replayed in his head. "I looked up and saw that statue, just staring back at me, and…. That wasn't me." He emphasized the last word, the same he'd said to Frostbite when he'd first seen the sculpture. "That wasn't me. And…. I could never be him, no matter how hard I try. But that's what everyone sees, what everyone expects. For me to… to be someone that I can't."
The boy paused, hazarding a look at Frostbite again. Part of him expected the chief to echo his response during the first conversation at the shrine. He expected reassurance that he was brave and honorable, comfort and promise he did not need to remain strong all the time for the chief. But….
Frostbite offered no such word. Just… wide, knowing eyes, wordlessly saying that he understood the source of the upset was even deeper than that.
"That… that was never me, no matter how much I tried. And…" Shakily, the clone boy exhaled. "After talking to Periwinkle, I realized… I don't even want to be that Danny anymore. Frostbite, I…" His voice slipped, courage shaking. This was it, his final confession. The words burned at the tip of his tongue, yet his lips stayed silent. He was too scared to say them.
The yeti chief saw the fear. "It is alright, little one." He reached out, gently squeezing the boy's shoulder. "You can trust me."
He could trust Frostbite. He could. One final breath. "Frostbite, I'm… I'm not Danny." The words came out and they were an impossible weight off his chest. "I'm not Danny."
Now that the first and hardest part was uttered, the rest poured out in a stream. "I'm his clone. Plasmius made me, in his lab. He put false memories in my head, made me think that I was really Danny. But I'm not." He was not. The words felt freeing, feeding the frantic outpouring. "I found Vlad's lab and a clone in one of the chambers. Except, I didn't realize he was Danny and I'm… I'm actually the clone. But I tried to get both of us away from Plasmius. I was going to run but… like I told you, Vlad interrupted me. I found out the truth. He tried to kill me and I… ended up here."
He trailed off, finally looking at Frostbite. The chief's brow furrowed, an unreadable mix of emotions. Was that confusion? Hurt? Anger?
The boy's stomach churned with guilt. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry I lied to you. I didn't remember at first and when I did… I didn't want to face it. I didn't want it to be true. I… just wanted to be who I thought I was. I just wanted to still be Danny. So I lied. And I'm so so sorry. Can… can you forgive me?"
It was a sad excuse for apology, and asked for much too quickly, too easily. Frostbite by all means should not forgive him but-
"Of course I forgive you." Before the boy registered, Frostbite's arms were around him.
"I… what?" He stammered.
"I understand, little one. And I forgive you." The chief embraced him without hesitance, without anger.
The boy blinked, straining up to look at the yeti's face. It was soft, determined, affectionate. Not a hint of distrust or confusion or… "You're… you're not surprised." He could hardly believe it, utterly stunned.
Frostbite nodded. He pulled away, looking at the half ghost's face. "I'd suspected for a while now."
The words were a blow to the head. "What? How?" His eyes widened, jaw falling open.
"Several things made me wonder if you were mirror-born. Your memory problems, your electricity powers, your tendency to give evasive answers."
The clone boy blushed at that, guilt flaring. "Sorry."
Frostbite just shook his head at the apology, continuing. "The scan of your core was quite telling as well, very different from what I expected."
The half ghost nodded. "I remember. You seemed really confused after." He bit his lip. "I was afraid you were going to figure me out."
"There was no need to be afraid." The yeti reassured. ""That, with what I had thought were strange changes in your preferences and interests, did convince me you were not the Danny Phantom I knew but…." The chief smiled encouragingly, ruffling the boy's hair. "I see those were glimpses of your unique personality, incredibly obvious in retrospect."
Surprise threatened to steal the boy's breath. "I'm not really that different, am I?"
"I ascribed much to grief, at least at first." Frostbite frowned. "I suspect I was not entirely wrong, but even still…." A soft smile grew. "It has brought me much joy to see you begin to come into your own."
The clone didn't know what to say to that, his core pulsing an odd mix of pleased comfort and stinging ache. So he just asked. "Why didn't you say anything, if you figured me out?"
"I wanted to wait until you felt ready to confide in me." The chief answered.
The words felt… oddly familiar. And echo of a memory, just the briefest flash of Jazz's face. The clone boy frowned, shaking away the image. "That's nice, I guess. I kinda wish you had said something though." He rubbed his face tiredly. "I'd been freaking out over how'd you react when you found out."
Guilt flashed on the yeti's face. "My apologies, young one." His ears pinned back.
"It's okay." He wasn't angry over Frostbite keeping quiet. If anything, he felt relieved. "You're not mad at me though? Not even a little? I would understand if you were."
Again, the yeti denied, shaking his head. "I understand why you did not speak up. What you have suffered is heavy. I cannot even imagine…" His voice sobered, a hand reaching to rub the boy's back. "Even if the claims that your friends and family are no more and your home destroyed were ruses, the grief itself is very real."
"I… yeah, that stuff about Amity Park and my loved ones…" He didn't quite have the strength to give the words the proper air quotes. "That wasn't true. They're all fine, as far as I know. Danny probably went home to them but…" He bit his lip. "I realized they weren't my friends and family. They don't even know me and…" Despite his conviction that he was not and had never been Danny, the thought of not having Mom and Dad, Jazz, Sam, and Tucker still stung. "It felt like I'd lost them, so I just let you think that. It was… easier."
Frostbite didn't respond with words. Instead he opened his arms, drawing the boy into his lap and another embrace again. The clone boy accepted the closeness, crumbling into the hug. For a long moment, the two sat there, just dwelling in the grief.
Finally, the yeti spoke. "I know it is no replacement. But as before, I hope to offer comfort. You are not without a home or without loved ones. You are one of this tribe, a child in need of a family, a home. The Far Frozen can be your home. And still, I would happily open my home to you, as I would my own cub."
Unlike before, the words did not sting. They made the boy's heart ache, a sweet comfort. Frostbite cared about him, still loved him despite knowing the truth. Part of him wanted to accept the offer. But…. a hint of doubt.
"I… this is moving so fast. I really like you, Frostbite. I… " Those kind concerned eyes, the booming laugh that reminded him of Jack Fenton. "You've been like a dad to me. I love you and Periwinkle. And the cubs and CrystalBreeze. Laura and Snowflake. I really like it here. But…" His insides turned nervously. "The rest of the tribe doesn't know about me being a clone yet." He chewed on his lip. "They still think I'm the Great One. The warriors… what are they going to think?"
"They adore you, and they still will." Frostbite started.
"That's the problem." The boy muttered, staring down into his lap.
"I know their enthusiasm and admiration have made you uncomfortable." The chief continued. "And I have talked to them about the inappropriate exuberance of their hero worship, even if only to moderate success." He grumbled the last part, betraying his annoyance.
"It's not even the hero worship." The half ghost sighed. "All that admiration… it's for who they think I am, for the real Great One. Not... just me." His shoulders feel, voice quiet. "They're going to be so disappointed."
"They will adjust, as will the rest of the tribe." Frostbite's brow furrowed seriously. "Any disappointed reactions are on their heads, not yours. Anyone harboring any unkind words or actions will have to answer to me."
The yeti looked so protective of him, the fierce expression making his heart melt a little. "O.. okay." He stuttered, still nervous at the idea, but with Frostbite at his side…. "We can tell the rest of the tribe."
Frostbite nodded. "Very well." His expression shifted into something relieved and proud. "At the feast tonight, perhaps? I can reintroduce you as…." He trailed off, face scrunching up in contemplation. "What would you like to be known as now?"
"I… I don't know." The half ghost blinked, again surprised.
"You hadn't thought on it?" The yeti asked one brow raised.
"No. I hadn't." In all his thoughts of discarding the name Danny, his certainty that it no longer fit him, he hadn't even thought about being called by something. But he most definitely needed a name, didn't he? "But maybe…" the boy bit his lip, turning over the idea. "Periwinkle told me some of the dead chose to take a new name after arriving here. Maybe… I could have a yeti name?"
Frostbite couldn't look more proud. He smiled, ruffling the half ghost's hair. "That is an excellent idea. Perhaps something related to your lightning abilities?"
The boy nodded. "Yeah." It was a fitting idea, a stark reminder of his difference from his original, from the boy he was no longer pretending to be. "And maybe…" His core twisted, a pleasant lightness at the dawning thought. "Maybe something about phoenixes?"
The chief gave him a curiously surprised look. "What would be the reason for that?"
His mind flickered back. The cold fire filling his vision, the gentle weight of the egg in his hand. Just the memory left him breathless. "The phoenix that lives in the garden… I saw her burn, right in my hands, after Periwinkle talked to me." Her words, the comforting tone rang in his ears. "She said I survived something I shouldn't have, like when she was reborn here. She said I would endure. It hurt but I would heal too and…" The impossible, incredible connection… "She said it was like a phoenix, burning and rising from the aches." The impossibility had him laughing, heart filled with a brilliant, joyous airiness. "She said that and not ten minutes later, the phoenix… it was like she came and found me. She led me to her nest and burned, right in my hands." He paused for a moment, looking at those same familiar, brand new hands. Awestruck, eyes wide and breathless… it was vast, immeasurable, far beyond him.
Then the boy shook his head, laughing again. "I don't understand how any of that could happen. You said you've never seen the phoenix burn in what… centuries? But I did. I saw it. And just after… none of this makes sense…" He trailed off, out of words with his awe.
"Creation itself testifies to the truth." Frostbite mussed, his voice a worshipful rumble. "Praise the Maker." Then he laughed, strong paws gripping the boy under the arms as he stood.
"Frostbite!" The half ghost gasped, startled. He hadn't expected to be picked up and swung in the air. Still, he chuckled.
"Little phoenix." The yeti laughed, full bodied and reverberating. "You do rise, like the dawn."
The boy blushed as green as a tomato, still his heart sang. Frostbite held him aloft, above the yeti's grinning face. A flicker of a borrowed memory, little body lifted above Jack Fenton's head, tiny face peppered with kisses. In the memory, Danny had giggled like the clone himself was now. The half ghost imagined… that moment had felt like this. And somehow, the similarity did not sting.
"You blaze so brightly." Frostbite was saying. "No, you are full of spark. The lightning lives in your veins. But it does not consume. It brings life, and you rise, rise like the dawn, my little phoenix."
An affectionate boop to his forehead with Frostbite's own, and the half ghost was giggling. "Alright, alright. I'm a phoenix." He exhaled a breath, laughter stilling. He took in the yeti's face. The confidence, the determination, the certainty…. "I think I'm going to be okay."
"Yes." Frostbite brushed their foreheads again and the single word shone with so much affection. "More than okay." He brought the boy down, drawing him to his chest again. "You are magnificent, my cub."
"Your cub?" The ghost boy raised a brow. "Does this mean you're adopting me?"
Frostbite stilled, exuberant smile turning soft and almost watery. "If you will have me, I will gladly be your papa."
"Papa…" The half ghost let go of the fear, let go of the hesitation. He tasted the word. "Papa. I think I like that." He smiled softly. "I'll think about a name for you to call me too."
"I will be very excited to hear it." Round, loving eyes spoke a thousand words. "And talking to the rest of the tribe, will you think about that as well?"
"Yes." The clone nodded. "We… we should tell them." He stumbled, nerves returning. "But, we should talk to Periwinkle first. I promised her a better explanation. And I wanted to ask…" He blushed. "Maybe.. if she'd be okay with being… Mama Periwinkle?"
"Oh yes." Frostbite grinned encouragingly. "She loves you very much. I think she will feel honored that you would ask."
"Yeah?" The hopeful word sent a nervous giddiness through him, clashing starkly with the… sudden tiredness of his body. He yawned. "I definitely want to talk to her before the day's out. But I think I need a nap first, before any more emotional conversations."
Just a flicker of concern on Frostbite's face, then he nodded, putting the boy down. "You did say you slept little last night."
The half ghost flopped onto the bed. "Thanks for understanding."
"Your health is important. Hard conversations can wait as long as you need." The yeti smiled warmly, stepping towards the door. "I will check on you in an hour or so, and I will bring Periwinkle. Sleep well, little one."
"Thanks Frostbite." The half ghost muttered, rolling onto his side.
He shifted, getting under the covers, trying to get comfortable but… his brow furrowed. There was… something else, something niggling at the back of his mind, preventing him from resting.
The yeti noticed the unease on his face. "What is it, my cub?"
The memorial stone, his mind flashed back to it. The one meant for his friends and family, the ones who were not dead but… were not his. He shouldn't need it anymore, not when there were no real deaths to mourn. But…
The image tugged at his heart. He'd stumbled across the stone again, just feet from the phoenix's nest. Where he'd decided to discard his old name of Danny. Where he'd… decided to let his old self die.
His eyes flickered to the crumbled hazmat on the floor, with its insignia. He stared at the suit, Frostbite soon following his gaze with furrowed brow.
"Papa… before we talk to the rest of the tribe…" The insignia, the DP symbol burned in his mind, a poignant reminder of who he would no longer pretend to be. Of who he never was, the false self he was letting go. He… didn't need it anymore.
The boy looked up at Frostbite, face set with determination. "There's one last thing I need to do."
A funeral. That was what he needed.
The next morning, after talking to Periwinkle, after giving Frostbite some time to carve words into the slab…
The half ghost knelt in the snow in front of the stone. "Mama. Papa." He glanced up at both yetis, standing above him at either side. "Thanks for being here."
"Of course we would be here." Mama Periwinkle bent down, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Papa Frostbite ruffled his hair, smiling encouragingly. "Begin whenever you are ready, son."
"Okay." The boy swallowed, eyes fixed on the stone. "We're here to put to rest… me, I guess." A breath in, then out, trying to still his quivering heart. "I spent a long time thinking I was Danny, trying to be someone I'm not and… I think it's time to put that version of me to rest."
Pausing, the half ghost pulled the hazmat suit out of its bag. "This is the only thing I have from Vlad's, the only memo really… of who I thought I was." Holding it up by the arms, he spread the fabric in front of him. "I had the idea to bury it here, in the snow. Like… I'm burying who I used to be."
He stared at the suit for a long while, heart a storm of grief. He'd made his decision. He wasn't Danny Phantom anymore. He would bury this reminder but… hesitance had his nose wrinkling.
Periwinkle noticed his expression, moving to kneel beside him. "You can let go of it, little one." She encouraged. "I know letting go of the Danny Phantom name is frightening. But you are strong, and you will be all the better for doing it."
"No, it's not that." The half ghost shook his head, looking at her. "Not the Phantom part, I mean."
Mama's brow wrinkled. "Then what gives you pause, child?"
The boy looked back to the suit and pain stabbed at his core. "The suit looks like Jack and Maddie's. They don't know me. I've never met them but we're still…" He stumbled over the words, the idea. "They're still…"
"They are still your blood." Somehow, Frostbite understood what was making him hesitate. "You are related."
"I… yeah." The ghost boy looked down. "I'm… not ready to go to Amity Park yet. But maybe someday I will be and… maybe someday I want to know them." He studied the hazmat again. "Throwing the suit away feels like… like throwing that away." He bit his lip, heart twisting with doubt. "That probably sounds crazy."
"It does not." Mama Periwinkle said gently. "They're still your parents by blood." The words came without jealousy, without bitterness. "I would be surprised if you were not at least curious to meet them and your other relatives."
"Yeah." He nodded. There was Jazz, of course, the big sister of his borrowed memories. Danielle, the other surviving clone… they were definitely related, by both blood and shared origin. And… Danny himself. The last thought sent a heart-pounding jolt through him, a cacophonous mix of fearful unease and dawning hope.
The half ghost pushed the thought away, lifting a finger to his mouth to chew on a thumb. "So, I don't really want to bury the suit but-"
Like a miraculous bolt from the blue, a memory bloomed in his mind.
Sam with one eyebrow raised teasingly. "You can not go around with your dad's face on your chest." She pulled off the sticker, crumpling it.
"What… what are you-" Danny stammered, blush rising to his ears.
At the same time, the goth stuck and pressed a familiar symbol to his chest. She grinned smugly. "Much better."
"It's a sticker." The half ghost's eyes blown wide, realizing. He felt around the edge of the emblem, brow furrowing. "I know it's not the same suit. It's a recreation or something? But…" His nail slid under a border that hadn't been there a second before. "Ah! Here we go." The insignia peeled away from the black fabric.
"Quite clever." Frostbite congratulated with a proud hum.
Nodding, the ghost boy placed the insignia on the stone. "This…" He turned attention to the hazmat suit, balling it in his lap. "This feels right to keep by itself."
A remnant he could live with. No, not a remnant but a connection. A connection to the friends and family that were real, even if they were not his. But, maybe someday, he could know them too.
"But this…" He held up the insignia, studying it from a long moment. Finally, the boy sighed. "Here we go then."
"Danny Phantom and Danny Fenton. That's who I was created to be, who I thought was. But I found out the truth." He rubbed the symbol with his thumb. "The memories I have aren't mine but… what they made me feel was real. The grief they made me feel was real…" That grief balled in his chest, rising to mist his eyes. "That's why I tried to still be Danny. Why I wanted to be Danny..."
Trailing off, tears filled his vision. Slowly, they fell and the boy lowered his head. He placed insignia down on the stone, hand scooping up the snow in front of him.
"But…. I'm not him." The two yetis placed paws on his shoulders as he continued digging. "I'm not Fenton or Phantom." The snow tingled on bare fingers."I'm not a normal high schooler. I'm not Amity Park's hero." His core trembled, aching. "I'm not the Savior of the Ghost Zone. I'm not the Great One." White fluff, like his first glimpses of the Far Frozen, was a blurry vision in his hands. "I'm not Danny."
His adoptive parents said nothing, simply a comforting presence on either side. One hand stayed steady on his shoulder, another moving to rub his back… and with a shaky breath, the half ghost found the strength.
He lifted the symbol from the stone, gently lowering it into the shallow hole. "Now… it's time to put that name behind me. It doesn't fit anymore." With a swipe of his hand, the boy brushed snow over the piece of fabric. "Now, I'm burying who I thought I was." Another sprinkle of white. "And this memorial stone… it's my tomb" Another small scattering. "Here lies the version of me that was Danny." Another handful. "Fenton and Phantom." One last portion, blocking the view, filling the hole. "My own little graveyard of identities." The Danny Phantom insignia was out of sight, buried, gone.
One last shaking breath. The clone closed his eyes, letting the tears fall slowly. "Good bye, Danny."
For a long moment, the boy sat hunching over. A breath in and out. In and out. His heart throbbed. Still hurt, still bitter but… growing sweeter. A rising lightness, a flicker of surprise.
"I… I actually did it." He straightened, wiping his tears. The two yetis hugged him. "I thought this… all of this would destroy me. But… but I'm okay." He returned the hug, clinging onto his new parents. "I… I couldn't have done this without you guys."
"I am so proud of you." Frostbite whispered. The same words as after the worm hunt but this time…
The half ghost smiled, though it was watery. "I love you guys. I love you, Papa and Mama."
His mama and papa muttered the same. Declarations of love and family that soothed the pain in the boy's heart.
Shakily, he breathed. "Thank you… thank you for loving me, even though I'm a wreck. All this…. Everything fell apart and it hurt so bad. It felt like the truth would kill me but…" His core trembled with gratitude, a dawning hope. "I… I still don't know who I am but you guys still love me. I survived. You still love me. And… I know it will be better. I'll get better. I will rise." Finally, his eye traced the words on the memorial, the one's he'd asked Papa to carve. "like a phoenix from the ashes."
The two yetis noticed the shift in his tone, shifting to follow his gaze. The boy lifted a hand to wipe his tear stained face.
"I'm not who I was. I'm someone else. I'm not just a clone. I'm someone new. I'm…" The word burned on his tongue, a nervous excitement lighting his eyes. "DawnSpark. I'm DawnSpark. That's my name."
The two adult's heads tilted, first looks of confusion. But… wide eyed realization dawned.
"DawnSpark." Mama spoke the name first. And it was like honey to his ears.
"It is fitting, little phoenix." Papa smiled tenderly.
"Our little DawnSpark." The yeti woman leaned forward, planting a kiss on his forehead. "It is a beautiful name."
"All the more beautiful because it is yours." Frostbite ruffled his hair. "I did say you rise like the dawn." Another kiss, right between his horns.
The newly named DawnSpark smiled softly. "Yes. You did. You were right. Both of you were right. I'm going to be okay."