Disclaimer: I own nothing from Danny Phantom

(Updated 2/1/2025)

Chapter 26: Fate Is A Cruel Mistress

(Chapter inspired by Darkside by Neoni)

Vlad's POV

Under normal circumstances, it would have been interesting to learn how Wulf pulled off this clever little trick. As I stepped into the tunnels, he indicated the first of his markers—a deep groove carved into the stone with his claws—and I noticed that they glowed green in response to the ecto-energy I was using to illuminate my path. It was almost as if his energy acted like a form of bioluminescence, which is actually quite ingenious. From what I gather, Wulf often employs this technique to designate safe spots for hunting or hiding from any unwelcome pursuers. I suppose this approach is certainly more practical than expecting me to follow HIS scent, especially since, while I may be half-ghost, I am definitely not half-wolf...

Regardless, I remained vigilant as I traveled deeper into the darkness, feeling a wave of relief wash over me when the rough, jagged stones gave way to the smoother surfaces of Nocturne's castle spires. Most likely, Danielle was being held captive in the tallest spire, much like a princess in a fairytale awaiting rescue. But knowing her, she is probably already fighting with all her might against Nocturne's sleep spell. Just in case, I've prepared an injection to help rouse her once I find her. If that fails, I may have to delve into her dreams via overshadowing to persuade her that everything in it is nothing more than an illusion. It's a risky move, as I'm unsure of the repercussions if our unique ghost signatures trigger an unexpected chain reaction due to our cores being so close together. Therefore, I'll only consider actually doing it as a last resort.

Once Wulf's markers vanished completely, I cloaked myself in invisibility and slowly made my way into the heart of Nocturne's castle. To my astonishment, the interior was far more opulently adorned than I expected. The walls were lined with black marble, and stained glass windows bathed the corridors in an otherworldly blue and purple glow from the artificial moon hovering above the tallest spire. Torches flickered with pale blue flames, and an eerie stillness hung in the air, creating an unsettling atmosphere, even for a ghosts lair. It felt as though the castle was holding its breath, waiting and watching. Without hesitation, I focused my senses to locate Nocturne's ghost signature and that of any Dreamweavers who might be wandering through these desolate halls...

Strangely enough, I could only detect the presence of five ghosts in total. There were Danielle and Nocturne, of course, but I couldn't identify the other three until I ascended about halfway up the tall, twisting spires that I believed housed Danielle. Since I was already closer to the latter anyway, I decided to float inside for a closer look and discovered three Dreamweavers that were unlike any I had encountered before. Their faces were shrouded in a semi-transparent silk veil, and their delicate hands glided gracefully over spider-thin threads of light that resembled a harp at first glance. However, it soon became clear that they were not merely creating a melody by strumming them; they were intricately weaving them into something tangible. I find it difficult to fully articulate the exact process they were engaged in, as their swift yet graceful movements left me in awe...

That is...until one of them suddenly addressed me directly.

"We know why you have come. For fate has not been kind to you nor the young girl you seek..." one began serenely, all three of their veiled faces turning towards me in unison even though I was invisible. A moment later, their veils fluttered to reveal that they were all blind and I could hear their voices echoing directly in my mind.

"...some fates are preordained. Others avoidable, inevitable..." the second remarked as they carried on with their work. "Nevertheless, even the most diminutive of choices can still turn the tide, much like the delicate flutter of a butterfly's wings can alter the flow of the wind..."

With a collective sigh of sadness, the third spoke in conclusion, "As the Ghost of Sleep and Guardian of Dreams, Nocturne carries the weight of glimpsing fragments of a dreamer's past and future, much like we do. Yet, such insights can only be truly comprehended by the Master of Time, Clockwork. It is not our place to concern ourselves with the future that precedes a given choice. Compared to Clockwork, our perceptions are merely fleeting ripples in the vast currents of time, fading too quickly for us to fully understand their significance. This is why we interpret what we can from the threads that link the living and the dead to their place in the Tapestry of Fate. As such, dreams are our only window into the hearts and minds of those we guide in times of need, much like the flow of time offers insight to the Master of Time. Like him, we take necessary actions to safeguard both realms from danger. Whenever we can, we intertwine a thread from the Tapestry of Fate into their dreams, guiding them toward a more joyful path. That is our role, our calling."

Speaking as one this time, the three Dreamweavers said to me, "Nocturne has made a grave mistake by attempting to decipher the ghost girl's dreams, believing he could grasp her uncertain future, which is not predetermined." They spoke with solemnity, adding, "We support him out of loyalty and love, but we too acknowledge that he has overstepped his bounds. If the Observants discover this...they could inadvertently inflict even greater harm on that innocent child and jeopardize her very existence in their misguided quest to secure the future, for the path she currently walks is indeed dark and fraught with peril.

"But there is still time to change her fate. For the sake of Nocturne and the child, we will overlook your intrusion to ensure that the necessary actions are taken. As a farewell gift, we, the Fates, offer you this warning: justice without mercy shall herald only destruction. When the time comes, we urge you to choose mercy over vengeance. Or else you risk losing the one you cherish most to the darkness that is slowly taking root in her heart, ready to emerge."

Danielle's POV

"We're close now, I can feel it..." Nocturne said, as we hovered above the glittering snowdrifts bathed in moonlight. He rested his hands on my shoulders and leaned closer, saying, "Just a bit further, my child, and then you will finally be able to return home."

Home? Is that what we're looking for...? I pondered as I touched down softly, taking a few steps forward after he let me go. Then I gazed dreamily up at the sky, watching the snowflakes flutter down slowly like tiny white feathers. But how could I find it when I couldn't recall where my home was or how long we had been wandering through this endless snowy landscape, filled with beautiful blue shadows that reminded me of someone I once knew. Were they my eyes? Their eyes? I didn't know...

Even though we were surrounded by ice and snow, I don't remember what it's like to feel cold, or feel anything really. All that's left is this blissful emptiness apart from knowing that there's something I need to find. Nocturne understands what it is, and I have faith that he will guide me to it; after all, he has always been by my side. Thanks to him, I'm not afraid anymore. We're together, always, and that's all that matters.

I keep feeling like I've forgotten something important, but just as I'm on the verge of remembering it, Nocturne intervenes, shielding me from those painful thoughts. If there's anything I need to know, even without my memories, I'm sure he'll help me figure out what it is. He'd never lie to me without a good reason. Still, there's something about this place, even though it started out as a tranquil, beautiful scene, but as we ventured deeper, everything began to change. The gentle snowfall transformed into a fierce blizzard, making it increasingly difficult to keep going. Eventually, his voice was completely drowned out and I was forced to raise both arms over my eyes as a blinding flash of violet light erupted before me. I shouted above the howling wind, desperate to know what was happening, and then—

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in a once-familiar place now entirely encased in ice, but everything was in ruins. My heart began to race as I transitioned from walking to running, and then finally took flight again to get a better look. This was unmistakably Amity Park, but it was all wrong. Everything looked like some sort of ice bomb had had detonated somewhere in the city, freezing everything in its path, while anything too fragile to withstand the blast had shattered like glass on impact. It wasn't until I got closer to the ground though that I realized some of those things that had frozen solid...were people!

Their faces were frozen in terror and desperation as they ran from the source of the icy explosion, and some of them had even been impaled by ice spikes through their hearts. But what happened here?! Did a ghost do this? And why hadn't anyone stopped them? Is it...my fault?

A chilling sense of dread enveloped me as I approached the site of the explosion. And when I saw it...I staggered backward, collapsing into the snow as I took in the remnants of Fenton Works. Ice spikes jutted out in every direction from somewhere down below, most likely the lab, and parts of the building were still frozen in place where they broke apart. The sign had toppled from the structure, crushing the Fenton Assault Vehicle beneath it and nearly slicing it in two.

I hadn't seen anyone yet but still, I phased through the ice and called out desperately for someone—anyone—to respond. The interior of Fenton Works, or what remained of it, was completely flash-frozen, resembling the inside of a freezer, and the silence was unsettling, broken only by the occasional sound of cracking ice. I can't even begin to describe how terrified I was and when I finally made it down to the lab itself, what I saw a scene was like something straight out of a horror movie. A lab table had been hurled against the far wall that seemed the be the focal point of all the ice spikes spreading outward towards the rest of the city. The ghost portal was destroyed too, slashed to bits by what looked like...icy claws? And when I turned around while standing in the very spot where that ghost—or whatever it was—had once been before breaking free from its restraints, I saw—

"NOOOOO!" I cried out, tears streaming down my face as I collapsed to my knees, wrapping my arms around myself. My anguished scream morphed into a heart-wrenching wail that echoed through the air, shattering everything in its path just like whatever originally happened in this room. Then the entire dream fractured like glass, revealing a starry abyss below, while darkness began to engulf everything, as if the world itself was being erased.

It was only after everything disappeared that my wail faded into the distance and I heard Nocturne's voice again coming from somewhere above me, but I couldn't tell him apart from the rest of the surrounding blackness. He gently lifted my chin with one of his tendrils and wiped away my tears, his once-sleepy eyes now filled with genuine sorrow as sparkling tears of his own streamed down his cheeks. "I'm so sorry, my child. You...weren't meant to see this. I only sought to uncover the truth of who you are at your core, hoping to find a way to avert this future. But in doing so, I've forced you to endure a memory of something that hasn't yet occurred. Clockwork was right; I should have left things as they were. All I've done is cause you more pain than I had any right to, especially when you are still so innocent and young."

"WHY...?!" I sobbed, my voice breaking. "Why did this have to happen? Who did this to them? Or who... will do this to them?"

"That depends," Nocturne said with a heavy heart, helping me to my feet to give me an awkward embrace as his clawed hand stroked my hair. "I have seen two possible futures that lead to this moment. In one, your parents commit an unthinkable act in their attempt to save you from yourself, only to bring about your ruin. In the other, if Vladimir resorts to something equally horrific to protect you from them, his overwhelming fear of losing you will break something inside of you beyond repair. In either case you...will lose your humanity."

As my memories started slowly coming back to me of who I really am and the circumstances that led me here I was torn between rejecting Nocturne's comforting embrace and attacking him because I was furious that he had forced me to be a part of this nightmare for so long. He had put me into a deep sleep, over and over again, each time going deeper into my heart and exposing everything from my most cherished dreams to my deepest fear of hurting the people I love. Nocturne made me forget parts of myself to suit his own needs, and I hated him for it. I don't care how badly Nocturne wants to help me, doing this to me was just sick and wrong and he knows it!

Overwhelmed by a rage unlike anything I've ever felt before, I let out another scream, and the same tremendous force I used in my dream sent him skidding across the dark, empty expanse beneath us. Without giving him any time to recover, I screamed even louder, causing cracks to erupt around us like jagged purple lightning, revealing the true nature of our surroundings. The impact of my voice slammed him against a nearby wall, and Nocturne stared at me in horror since I had not only broken free of his dream world, but now I was wide awake, using a new power I clearly wasn't meant to have yet. Desperately teleporting out of the path of my next attack, he begged—

"Stop! If you use too much of that power you'll only hurt yourself! It belongs to HER, and you're not ready for-OOF!" Nocturne's warning was abruptly interrupted as I whirled around and charged at him, delivering a ruthless punch directly into his face, completely oblivious to the fact that my eyes were glowing a deep purple while I did so.

Even though they were glowing purple, however, all I could see was red as tears almost blinded me. Because I felt so hurt and betrayed and wanted Nocturne to understand extent of the heartache he had inflicted by trapping me in all those dreams and the memories he had forced me to relive. Normally I can restrain myself since I've never had to completely destroy a ghost before, but I was in so much pain I needed an outlet before I did anything else I would regret. Fueled by my anguish, I charged at him once more, my fist aimed squarely at his chest.

With his eyes glowing a fierce red, Nocturne's tendrils lashed out at me, snapping like a whip and knocking me out of the air. Then another tendril coiled around my ankle, slamming me into the ground, while several more joined it to keep me immobile. I struggled against his grip until a surge of icy energy erupted from my core, rapidly freezing them, and I sized the opportunity to turn human just long enough to phase through the floor to escape Nocturne's grasp just like I intended to last time when he materialized in my bedroom. A few seconds later I reappeared behind him, shifting back into my ghost form, and drove my fist into his back, freezing him from head to... well, you get the idea.

As I yanked my hand back, the slender tendrils snapped, and Nocturne tumbled backward with a resounding crash. His shadowy form shattered into countless glittering fragments that reminded me of that metallic black stone used in jewelry, I forget what it's called. Breathing heavily, I felt massive chill radiate from where I stood, a thin layer of frost spreading out beneath me. Each exhale that escaped my lips came out as a puff of cold air as my power began dropping the temperature in the room even further. I watched in silence as the ice chunks rapidly melted and he managed to reform just enough to regain a semblance of his original shape. Although at first glance I could tell Nocturne was much smaller than and weaker now since he probably used up a ton of dream energy to regenerate that quickly.

Determined not to let him get away that easily, plus I'm not entirely sure how I knew I could do this outside of my dream, I planted my feet firmly, and tearfully shrieked. "Now for the last time, I don't care what you saw about my future in your stupid fucking visions! I just want you to...LEAVE. ME. ALONE!"

Letting out a piercing, almost siren-like scream, I slammed Nocturne against the wall with my assault. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Vlad entering the main chamber, covering his ears and retreating to the side, flying along the wall to avoid the brunt of my new attack. But I didn't have time to worry about him, no, I wanted to make sure Nocturne got my message loud and clear. I continued my assault until he crumpled to the floor, his body twitching as he weakly attempted to rise after enduring a direct hit like that.

I refused to let him go, pushing myself even harder until my cry was abruptly cut off short and I unwillingly transformed back into my human form when my transformation rings appeared out of nowhere and I just couldn't keep it up anymore. The ice around me melted away as I lost all strength in my legs, collapsing to my knees before falling onto my side. I coughed and clutched my throat, gasping for air, and instinctively covered my mouth as I hurled up both human and ectoplasmic blood, feeling as if my lungs were ablaze. It was only then that Vlad reached me, gently lifting me off the ground by my shoulder, cradling me against his chest while checking to make sure I wasn't hurt too badly...

"...s-such incredible power. Although you have not become that creature yet, you are already have this much strength..." Nocturne murmured faintly, grasping his chest as he awkwardly propped himself up into a sitting position. "Perhaps I misjudged you, my child. If you have the capability of defeating one of the ancient guardians of the Ghost Zone like me, who oversees the dreams of ghosts and humans alike, then it stands to reason you may yet be able to defeat...your ultimate enemy."

Gazing up at the crumbling spire of his castle, Nocturne continued a surprisingly relieved tone, "I see now that I was wrong to subject you to such a terrible burden of knowing what is to come. It's evident that you are not as close to becoming the creature I envisioned, as you harbor a profound love in your heart even towards those in your past who have wronged you. You hold fast to the hope that one day your parents will accept you as a half-ghost hybrid and welcome you back into their lives. Yes, there is a darkness within you as well, but it has not grown so deep to the point where you've shunned all of the love and adoration you have received from many others in your life, including Vlad Masters who just now was willing to risk his life to save you...

"Although you have every right to resent me, I want you to know, for what it's worth I enjoyed our time together while we traversed the dream world. Through your memories, I've witnessed firsthand that you truly are a remarkably kind soul. Even in your dreams, you prioritize helping others over yourself, seek forgiveness instead of succumbing to blind hatred, and remain fiercely loyal to those you love, wishing only for their happiness. That, my dear, is the essence of who you are, and I regret ever doubting it."

Turning to Vlad, Nocturne gave a faint, respectful nod in our direction and said, "Go. She has more than earned her freedom and you have nothing more to fear from me. I will wait here for your return. Because I still owe you both some answers..."

Glaring at Nocturne as he scooped me up into his arms bridal style, Vlad snapped venomously, "You should be grateful Danielle got to you first, because I can assure you, I would have made you suffer a much more humiliating defeat before your inevitable destruction. As for your idiotic predictions, you'd best keep them to yourself because no matter what I will NEVER allow Danielle to lose herself like that so easily. Consider this your only warning, Nocturne, if I EVER catch you anywhere near my castle or Danielle again I will make you regret ever being formed."

Creating a duplicate to deliver a final blow to Nocturne, rendering him unconscious, Vlad wrapped his arms around me and urged me to concentrate on my breathing while he lifted us into the air. My vision flickered, making it difficult to focus, so I shut my eyes and buried my face against Vlad's chest because all I wanted was to go home and get this over with. More than anything though, I wish everything Nocturne had shown me was only a bad dream instead of a glimpse of the waking nightmare that lies ahead of us.