Hello, fellow DP fans. It has been years since my last DP tale and a lot has happened: new house, new changes, well that's life. Anyway, I was inspired by one of my favorite Dreamworks trilogy and I put two and two together to make this tale a reality. Half of the credit goes to fellow DP fan and writer mikaela2015 for her support, ideas, suggestions, and help for this new addition to my collection.
Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom characters except my OC's. Also, for those who read and remember my DP trilogy: Legend of the Ghost Guardians, I'll be bringing familiar characters to add to this new tale.
Enjoy!
How to Befriend your Ghost
Chapter 1: War Against the Ghosts
It was a dark night in the week of the new moon, shrouding the land and sea in shadow. A thick fog covered the island where a semi-steampunk village was located. The village resided on top of a cliff with a smooth path leading down to its beach where several ships, both air and sail, are ported by the pier. There were many houses in every size, tall windmills, high watchtowers, iron workshops, and a grand hall where meetings were being held. But the sacred treasure of the village is its heart, and the heart is the people. The villagers lived together in a strong community where they look out for one another. There are blacksmiths, inventors, teachers, farmers, doctors, salesmen, builders, etc. But each one has the heart of a warrior. Having settled there for generations and after weathering a multitude of natural disasters and challenges, the villagers have demonstrated their fortitude against hardships. However, there is one hardship there are undergoing through. One unlike any human had ever seen.
"This is Amity. It's forty miles west of the Point of no Return and few degrees north of Death by Pneumonia. It's located solidly on the Archipelago of Agony. This is my village, my home. In a word, I would say, enduring. And it's been here for quite some time, about nine generations or so, but every single building is new after rebuilding them. Mind you, despite the cold winters and hazards, it is not a bad place to live. We have fishing, hunting, inventing, and a charming view of the sunsets. The only problems we're currently facing are the pests. While other places have rodents, bugs, or even lizards, we have..."
A young boy who was just fourteen heard the screams of the villagers from outside his home. As soon as he opened his door, he saw the people running away from a great ghost. The same ghost then fired his ecto-beam at the boy's house and the boy quickly shuts the door to avoid getting blasted. "Ghosts!" The boy breathed. The boy had black hair and ice blue eyes, wearing a long-sleeved white shirt with a red vest, dark blue pants, dark maroon belt and boots. He actually wasn't surprised by the ghost and the rest that came with him. It had become a routine for the villagers since their first encounter with them years ago. Right now, a horde of ghosts invaded the village, stealing livestock, food, and even some metal while the people either ran away or engaged them.
"Now a wiser person might have packed up and leave, but not us. We're a unique tribe, the Bright Spirit Tribe, gifted with bright minds and warrior's spirit. We're a little advanced compared to the other villages located on the other islands. Our ancestors settled in this island of the Archipelago, not realizing its dangerous neighbors. Since then, every generation tells a story of their battles with a ghost and most of them have everlasting scars. Today, our generation are divided by their skills. Those that can fight are trained as warriors, hunters, and scouts. Others, like me, help by making weapons, inventing, fixing and building houses, healing, and teaching the younger generation. But enough about the past."
The teen ran out through the charred door and into the chaos, but he was awed by it all. He avoided any weapon or attacks flown at him and tried to prevent getting into anyone's way.
"My name is Danny. I know it is not grand or heroic but there's deeper meaning in a name and more to a person than his or her name."
Danny ran across the wooden boardwalks while the villagers charged into battle with weapons at hand. Some of the adults weren't thrilled to see Danny out in the open, not just because it is dangerous for a child, but also, well, Danny isn't the favorite person to be around with. In a village full of warriors, inventors, and alchemists, Danny doesn't belong to any group. He'll be the outcast of the outcasts.
"What are you doing here? Get inside!" One man cried out, running past Danny.
"Get back inside!" A woman ordered to the young teen.
"My name means 'Lord is my judge.' I guess it means that I can judge my own actions. But right now, I am mostly judged for who I am by everyone, especially our lord protector."
A ghost let out a fire attack in front of Danny. He would have been burned into a crisp if not for a large man who pulled him back from the flames. He is a large, bulky man with black hair with some white in the back and blue eyes. He wore orange clothes with a back coat over them, black gloves, and boots. Like the rest of the villagers, he, too, was not happy in seeing Danny outside the safety of his house.
"Danny! What is he doing out again?" The man, Jack Fenton, demanded. He then faced Danny. "What are you doing out? Get inside!"
"That's Jack Fenton. The lord protector of our village and greatest ghost hunter of our tribe. Rumors say that when he was a baby, he squeezed a ghost so hard, its head popped up from its shoulders and ectoplasm had splattered everywhere. A real murder crime scene. Do I believe it? Yes, no doubt about it."
Jack then picks up a log with his bare hands and flung it towards an upcoming ghost, knocking it out from the sky. "What have we got?" Jack asked one of his top scouts.
"Sir, we got Hackers, Dracos, Enforcers, Wildfangs, oh, and Hugh saw a Storm Bringer."
"Any Halfas?" Jack watched the sky, unfazed by the flaming debris that landed on his shoulder until he brushed it off.
"None so far."
"Good. We have enough trouble as it is."
Danny dashed through the chaos to his destination. As he ran, the burning smell flew into his nose, felt the intense heat from the flames, heard battle cries echoing around him, and saw the dark night illuminated by the lit torches and exploding ghost attacks. The adrenaline, mixed with excitement and fear, was enough to make him feel more alive. Danny finally reached the workshop where he was greeted by an overweight, bald, middle-aged man with green eyes and a goatee, wearing a light blue shirt, gray pants, a black cape and shoe. He has a right peg leg and left metal hand which he can turn into various tools.
"Oh, nice of you to join the party," the man said, focusing on the task in welding a sword on his table. "I thought you have been carried off."
"Who, me?" Danny joked as he put on his work apron. "Nah, come on. I'm not even the healthy choice. I'll give them diabetes since I'm full of life-threatening sugar."
"Well, they can always have you for dessert. If not, they still need toothpicks, don't they?" The man joked.
Danny ignored him with a scoff. A bunch of warriors came to the workshop, giving Danny their broken weapons so they can be fixed and sharpened for battle. Danny then began to use the bellows to heat up the steel.
"The out of shape, melodramatic bookworm with attitude and interchangeable hands is Mr. Lancer, or just Lancer as the kids call him. He's the voice of reason and wisdom for the young generation and Jack's close friend. About two decades ago, he lost his hand in a ghost attack which caused him to step down from being a warrior not out of fear, but because he found his calling in teaching, mentoring, and blacksmith. Then he lost his leg when his leg was pinned down by a burning debris and the people had to chopped it off in order to save him. I've been his apprentice ever since I was small, well, smaller."
"Let's go!" Jack ordered. Several villagers evacuated with their sheep and livestock down the stairs to prevent the ghost from getting their hands on them. "We'll move to the lower defenses, and we'll counterattack with the cannons." He then saw a Storm Bringer setting a house on fire with its lightning powers. "Darn it! I just had that house painted!"
"What did I tell you? Old village and lots and lots of new houses. We win some fights, we lose a few hundred houses."
"FIRE!"
"That's our cue, guys! Let's go!" A young girl's voice commanded.
Danny recognized the voice and abruptly stopped his work to watch the scene before him. A group of teens around his age brought a barrel to fill their buckets with water to douse the burning blaze. There's a fourteen-year-old skinny boy with brown skin, turquoise eyes, black hair, and black glasses. He carried frantically his bucket to the flames. Behind him is a sixteen-year-old, muscular, teenage boy with blond hair and dark blue eyes with enough strength to carry three filled buckets. Then there's a brother and sister duo taking control of the situation and leading the other teens into battle. Despite not being twins, they have a strong bond. The elder sibling and possibly the oldest of the group is a sixteen-year-old girl with bluish black hair, blue eyes, and peach skin. She also has a crescent moon birthmark on her left cheek. Her brother, younger by only a year, has peach skin, blue eyes, and unique white hair. The last member is a young girl with violet eyes, short black hair with a small ponytail and wearing black clothes. She is the bravest and hardcore teen who won't back down from any fight or injustice.
"And here comes the junior fire brigade, at least, until they received their ghost hunting diplomas. First, we have my best friend, Tucker. A ghost fanatic and fellow techno geek. His love for technology holds no bounds and would marry his jetboard if he could, but he would prefer dating a girl... if he ever gets one. That big jock is Dash, all brawn and no brain last time I've checked. The siblings, Luna and Chinook, both strong, loyal, and brave-hearted. Most siblings fight against each other, but these two are closer than two peas in a pod. And then... Sam. (Sigh)"
Danny was speechless when Sam threw her water at the flames right before a fiery explosion blasted behind her and the teens, giving them a heroic background. He and Sam have been friends since they were young and unbeknownst to them, they both harbor a secret crush on each other. But society and dangers kept their distance apart.
"Oh, their job is so much cooler. I would give my left leg to be out with them."
Wanting to get some action, Danny attempted to sneak out, only for Lancer to pull him back in. "Not so fast, Fenton."
"Oh, come on, Lancer. Let me out, please," Danny pleaded. "The other teens are helping out. I need to join them and make my mark!"
"Oh, you'll make plenty of marks, alright, all in the wrong places! An 'A' in effort is not enough to join them," Lancer argued.
"All I ask is two minutes, please. I'll take down a ghost and my life will get infinitely better that I'll even go out with a girl!"
"Fenton, I know you. You can't fire a bazooka, you can't swing an axe, and you can't even throw one of these!" Lancer took out some ecto-bolas which a hunter grabbed and threw at a ghost. The weapon tied the ghost's arms and tail and fell to the ground.
"Okay, that may be true, but this will throw it for me," Danny then patted his handmade cannon, accidentally setting it off as it fired a bola shot at a man's head, knocking him out.
"See? Now this right here is what I'm talking about!" Lancer made his point to disagree.
"Well, all I need is to fix the trigger and..." Danny tried to explain, but Lancer interrupted him.
"Listen, Fenton! If you ever want to get out there to fight ghosts, you need to stop all of... this!" The man said, gesturing to Danny completely.
"But you've just pointed to all of me!" Danny argued.
"Yes, that's my point. Stop being all of you! It's not only best for us, but it's also best for you!"
Danny scoffed with a chuckle. "Okay, I see what you're getting at. But I must warn you, sir. You're playing a dangerous game. Keeping this much raw Hunterness contained. There will be consequences!"
"I'll take my chances," Lancer said, not feeling a bit worried. He then passed the teen several weapons to fix. "Weapons sharpened, fixed, and battle ready, now."
Danny sighed and began working on the weapons, yet in his mind, he planned a way to prove himself as a ghost hunter as he dreamt to be. It's his destiny, his legacy, and it will put an end to any negative insults and lack of faith on him. He glanced at the different types of ghosts flying around the village. From fire-breathing ghost dragons aka Dracos to Enforcers, ghosts known to work together in hordes. Each one with unique powers and abilities, yet all dangerous to deal with.
"One day. I'll get out there. Because taking down a ghost is everything around here. A Draco's head is sure to get me at least noticed. Hackers are fast. Taking down one or two of those will definitely earn me a date with any girl in the village, if Sam says no. Wildfangs are tough, their fangs, tougher. Their bites are worse than their bark. They'll tell stories about me for years if I get their fangs or tails. An Enforcer? Adaptable. Always comes in groups, working together to bring down even the strongest of their enemies."
"They found the cattle!" A man alerted Jack after seeing Enforcers destroying the barn where the livestock hid.
"Concentrate fire on the north shore!" Jack ordered while the men turned the catapult and fired ecto-ranium boulders at one ghost stealing a cow. But then, below the catapult, giant flames surrounded them, and an electric ghost appeared in front of Jack with a menacing face.
"And there's the Storm Bringer. Only the best hunters chase after those. They have the nasty habit of controlling the weather, especially lightning storms and bringing put the thunder. Their lightning can barbecue anyone and burn houses down."
"Reload! I'll take care of this punk," Jack glared at the Storm Bringer. With a sledgehammer on hand, he fended off the ghost away. But then Jack and even Danny heard a sound that they recognize. They know what's coming for only one kind of ghost makes that wail.
"But the ultimate prize is the ghost no one's ever seen. A mysterious menace so fast and powerful, we can only hear it coming when it attacks. We called it the..."
"HALFA!"
"Get down!"
A sonic blast of ecto-energy fired at the catapult, destroying it from its stand. The engulfing flames are the only light that revealed the flying ghost for only a second as it zoomed by. It didn't look as big as a Draco or had fur like the Wildfangs, but no one had seen Halfas closed up or lived long enough to tell the tale if they had. Jack managed to evade being crushed by the catapult.
"This thing never steals food, never shows itself, and..." Danny saw another sonic blast caused by the Halfa taking down a tower. "Never misses. No one has ever killed a Halfa. That's why I will be the first."
Lancer took out his axe and put it in his hand stub, getting ready to fight with the others. "Man the fort, Daniel. They need me out there," he then faced Hiccup seriously. "Stay put. There. You know what I mean." With a yell, he joined the fray. Little did Lancer know is that by leaving Danny alone, it gave the teen the chance to prove himself as a Ghost Hunter and capture a ghost using his own methods rather than standard hunter aggression.
Danny then quickly wheeled his invention out in the open and through the confused people while ignoring their orders for him to get to cover. Meanwhile, Jack and the others wrestled with some Dracos they managed to capture.
"Mind yourself! This beast still has some juice in him!"
Danny reached the edge of a cliff, away from the battle action, and quickly set up his cannon for ghost capture. He glanced up into the starry, night sky, waiting for any ghost that come into view. "Come on. Give me something to shoot at. Give me something to shoot at." He listened and positioned his cannon to aim at a target, but the only things in the sky are the stars. However, he then caught some stars disappearing and reappearing, as if a shadow flew in front of them. He barely noticed a form flying in the sky but couldn't get a good aim. He then heard the familiar wail and suddenly, an ecto ray blasted the tower in front of him. A black ghost came into view in from of the flames for a second. Taking a chance, Danny used a bola shot from his built cannon, causing him to fall back from the force. He heard the bolas capturing something and then a wail after it. Danny became overjoyed when his weapon hit the ghost in mid-air, thinking it's the rare and dangerous Halfa, as it fell down from the sky and over the woods beyond the village.
"Oh, I hit it," he whispered until he gladly announced it. "Yes, I hit it! Did anyone see that?" He was so excited that he failed to notice a Storm Bringer climbing the cliff and zapping his cannon. Danny turned around and frowned, knowing he is in deep trouble. "Except for you."
In the village, Jack managed to tangle his capture until he heard Danny's screams behind him. He caught sight of the teen running away from the Storm Bringer. With a heavy sigh, knowing Danny once again disobeyed him, he went to rescue him. "Do not let them escape!" He ordered to his men before running off.
Danny quickly ran with the ferocious Storm Bringer behind him, firing his lightning powers at the boy. He quickly hid behind a pillar, barely missing the electric beam. But before the ghost could attack again, Jack bash at the ghost to a standoff. The ghost snarled and when it tried to attack, a weak electric beam came out of its hands, having used up all his powers in the chase.
"You're all out," Jack stated before giving his all at the ghost, punching his fists at it. Jack's physical strength and bravery was enough to send the ghost away.
"Oh, and there's one more thing you need to know."
The burned pillar broke off, revealing a scared Danny Fenton behind it. The pillar had a fiery pit on top which then rolled away, creating a path of pain and destruction on the way. This did not please Jack one bit as he angrily glared at Danny.
Ashamed and embarrassed, Danny could only reply to Jack. "Sorry, Dad."
Though the villagers survived the battle and the night, their victory wasn't a happy one. Many captured ghosts escaped from their traps and most of the livestock and food were stolen by the invaders.
Realizing he is surrounded by villagers, Danny then revealed his success. "But I hit a Halfa." Instead of listening to his son, Jack only furiously dragged him away. "Oh, this isn't like the last few times, Dad. I mean, I really actually hit it. Everyone was busy and I had a very clear shot. It went down just off Crow Point. Let's get a search party out there..."
"STOP!" Jack shouted, silencing Danny. "Just stop. Every time you step outside, disaster follows! Can you not see that I have bigger problems to deal with? Winter is almost here, and these attacks leaves us with less and less food for everyone to feed!"
"Well, between you and me, a little diet doesn't hurt anyone, don't you think?" Danny said.
"This isn't a joke, Danny!" Jack argued. "All I ever asked is for you to listen and obey and yet, you can't even follow the simplest orders!"
"I can't help it. I see a ghost and I have to just hunt it. You know? It's who I am. It's in our blood."
Jack sighed. "Oh, son, you're many things. But a ghost hunter, though I wish for you to be one, is not one of them. You have to accept it as did I. Now, get back to the house. Make sure he gets there!" Lancer volunteered and slaps Danny on his head for his disobedience before leading him away. "I have a mess to clean up."
Another chance, another failure. This was humiliating for Danny Fenton. Having not paid attention to in the chaos, no one else in the village believes him because no one ever even saw a Halfa, let alone brought one down. As he walked home, he passed by the other teens. Dash laughed out the loudest, enjoying Danny's failure. Tucker only gave him a thumbs up, giving some encouragement to cheer him up. Luna only shook his head, thinking Danny is over his head while Chinook only patted Danny. Sam felt bad but only stayed quiet as she wielded her axe, watching Danny pass by.
"Fenton, you're going down in history as the boy with the world record in failures and messes," Dash boasted. "Your toy really helped our enemies tonight."
"Thanks, I was trying," Danny sarcastically replied.
Chinook defended Danny in knocking Dash down to the ground. "And you're an embarrassment to nature, Dash, thinking you're all mighty and great. Like to see you face off a Draco or Wildfang."
It wasn't long until Lancer guided Danny back to his house. His house being the biggest, sturdiest, and most detailed of the houses in the village. It even consists of a giant green ghost figurine in the front.
"I really did hit one," Danny said, believing that he actually brought down a Halfa despite the villagers' disbelief.
"Sure, Daniel," Lancer replied, though he not sure what to believe. Without evidence or even the ghost himself, one cannot comprehend a teenager's story.
"But he never listens."
"Well, it runs in the family."
"And when he does, it's always with his disappointed scowl, like someone forgot to add fudge on his dessert." Danny then roleplayed in what his father might say. With a deep voice, he said, "Excuse me, nurse. I'm afraid you've brought me the wrong offspring! I've ordered a strong, massive boy with beefy arms, able to rip ghost molecule by molecule! This here, this is a talking toothpick!"
"Now, you're thinking about this all wrong, Daniel," Lancer tried to explain. "It's not so much what you look like. It's what inside that he can't stand."
Danny felt insulted. "Thank you for summing that up."
"Look, the point is stop trying so hard to be something you're not."
"All I want is to be one of you guys. To be part of something bigger so I won't be a disappointment to anyone." Danny then sadly went inside, closing the door behind him.
Lancer sighed heavily. It's not easy being the son of the Lord Protector, but it's even harder when no one has faith in him despite his good heart. If only there was some way for Danny to be stronger and get some self-esteem. Little does he know that despite being told to go home, Danny disobeys his father once more by sneaking out the back door and heading out to the woods, determined to bring back proof that he brought down the Halfa.
Hope you liked the first chapter for there's more to come!
Please leave reviews!
Neomoon585