Chapter 1 - An Intervention
Danny sighed as he walked down the long and almost endless halls of his castle, an aura forming around him in a way that’s almost depressing. Whenever he would pass a ghostly castle worker, they would only nod their heads at him in sympathy. It’s been 2 years since the dreadful Incident. Right down to the very day. The Death Day of everyone in Amity Park… The Death Day of Jack, Maddie, and Jazz Fenton. Although it’s been two years, he still remembers it like it was yesterday. On this specific day, every time he would close his eyes, he would only see the look of saddened determination on his parents’ faces as they pushed him through the Portal. He can only see the look of sister’s face, fearing for him and for everyone else in the room. He can only see the Portal exploding itself shut. The crater that now built the entirety of Amity Park.
It always gets harder as the years go by, even it has been a couple years so far. Danny will never think it can get better so the only way to move on is to work hard to make things better. Primarily for those he is able to help. In this case, it’s his subjects of the Infinite Realms.
Over the course of two years, Danny has worked hard to make the Realms a better place. He decided to throw himself into finishing his studies. He caught up to where he would have been before the Incident and even finished his schooling. He hired specific ghosts whose obsessions is to teach. What better way to fulfill those obsessions than to teach The King of the Infinite Realms? He passed with flying colors over the course of a few months and spent the rest of his time until now studying courses that he would have chosen for college. He learned all that he could about space and the sciences. He’s even learned about businesses and how to create one, not that he would even need it. He figured that because his parents tried so hard to get him into the family business, it would be an homage to them. He supposes that it can help him manage the Realms better. The Observants can be a bit… much, but he’s managed to whip them into shape.
Kind of.
Whatever.
Danny finally stopped in front of his room. A living quarters within the castle grounds. For the second year in a row, he plans on spending this dreadful day in his room mourning the loss of everyone he loved. Before he could even grab the handle to go inside, he could hear voices from behind the door.
“I don't know Kitty, as much as it's a great idea, I don't think he'll agree to this. Like, at all,” Ember's voice sounded concerned.
Kitty responded, her voice booming from beyond the door, “He will! He will! This is the perfect opportunity for him to start getting better!”
“I'm already fine as I am,” Danny sighed as he finally entered his room. “Now, before I ask what the hell you guys were talking about, I am going to ask what the hell you're all doing in my room?”
Danny looked all around his room. Besides Kitty and Ember who were sitting by a table usually for personal meetings, it seems that Skulker is a part of whatever stupid party this is. Skulker’s looking all around the frames that decorated the room, suspiciously looking like he's about to do something. Danny just wants to know what that something is.
Ember scoffed, putting on an innocent look, “What do you mean? This door was perfectly unlocked! For all we know, this could have just been anyone's room!”
The King looked at Ember incredulously before pinching the bridge of his nose. “You've all been in here before. Don't try to think you haven't been here before. Try again. I really don't want to be doing this today, guys.”
“We just wanted to check up on you, little King,” Kitty said after a moment. “Today was the perfect day to do that. You're clearly upset and we're just really good friends that want to make sure you're, like, not gonna lose your mind… or something.”
Danny sighed, relaxing his shoulders, “Or something.”
“Or something! We weren't even talking about anything,” Ember spoke loudly, interrupting whatever Kitty was going to say next, “In fact, we were just leaving. Right, Kitty?” The musician stood up abruptly, almost knocking out the chair she was sitting on.
“The fuck, Ember? We're not just leaving. I don't know why you’re so pressed about this. I'm actually trying to help here. Skulker, do something about your GF!”
Danny made no effort to move around from the front of the doorway, confusion only growing from Ember's unnatural acts and Kitty being her usual self. He turned to look at Skulker, still looking at all the frames in front of him. The frames he’s specifically looking at are of his family. There were only a few photos that he was able to salvage from the Incident, mainly because they were already in the bag that he brought with him to the Infinite Realms. Those frames are the only things he has left before the memory of their faces erases from his memory.
“They both fear you are lonely, ghost child,” Skulker eventually says after an uncomfortable silence, “Kitty has put out the idea that you go back to the Human Realm so that you may be… happy.”
Danny looked at Skulker who only looked back as if he was not the one for negotiation. “We understand that today is, for lack of better terms, not a good day, but Kitty suggests that you can't just sit here and wallow.”
“I-” Ember started, looking guilty, “We just wanted to make sure you're happy, Danny. I think you need more time to rest-”
“Look, kid,” Kitty interrupted, stepping closer to a silent Danny, “Us ghosties are so glad that you've been helping out here in the Realms. Honestly, since Pariah Dark, things have never been better! But you're pulling yourself too thin, Danny. We're worried about you! Pandora is worried about you. CW won't say shit about anything but that's just how he is. Fuck, even Walker is worried about you! Mainly because he wants you to get off his back about the way he likes to control his lair. The ‘Phantom Zone’ he wants to claim it as. Honestly, what's up with that name? Trying to steal your thunder or something? He could've thought of a much better name, like the Buffer Zone or the Still Zone. Oh! Or maybe just Jail? Yeah, maybe Ghost Jail or something.”
“Kitty, you're rambling,” Skulker suddenly spoke, already appearing closer to Ember.
“You're also not saying anything, Rockstar,” Ember then said, rubbing her arm nervously, “Why aren't you saying anything? Like, I need you to give us an opinion or something. Maybe say that ‘Hey, this is a great idea! Thanks Kitty and Ember, I will award you will a bajillion ghost dollars or something.’”
Danny merely stood at the front of his door, really trying to put together everything that they've had to say. While yes, he has been working his ass off just trying to make things better for everyone, he hasn't been putting time for himself at all. He's been fulfilling his obsessions in a way, but he can't do everything he wants inside the Realms. But, people need him. Humans are after him and all of his citizens. He can't just leave.
“I can't just leave,” he finally forms the words. Kitty and Ember's shoulders slump in disappointment. “People need me here. They need a King to rule them. Plus, it’s dangerous for me. I can't leave the Realms anymore. The GIW are still out there and for all we know, they're just waiting for me to show up. I'll be hunted and not in a fun way,” Danny only glances at Skulker before looking back at the two women, “Plus, there's no reason for me to go back. Everyone that ever mattered to me has disappeared or died. I don't see myself going back to the Human Realm unless I am being requested there.”
The three other ghosts looked over at Danny, really trying to process the words he’s said. “So,” Ember started, thinking hard on what to say next “What? You're just gonna say no?”
“Yes, I am just gonna say no. There's no one there waiting for me. There are no tasks that are so big that require me personally to go out.”
“What if there is something that needs you to go out? This could be the perfect opportunity for you to just be, well, you,” Kitty said, crossing her arms, “‘Cause I'm not gonna lie, kid, you're kinda insufferable. I can't do shit!”
“Because it's dangerous, Kitty!” Danny raised his voice, finally making an effort to move in his room. His steps seem to drag on the ground, despondent about the topic. “I am doing my best to keep everyone safe. I made an order that no more of my subjects go out to the Human Realm for their own safety. That includes you, Kitty.”
“That's no fun!” KItty crossed her arms, a foot stomping on the ground like a stubborn rabbit. “I haven't been able to enjoy myself and Johnny and I haven't been able to go on our crazy dates!”
“Look,” Danny sighed, now standing in front of the photo frames that Skulker once was, “I don't want to hear this right now. You can file a complaint to Fright Knight. I'm sure he'll gladly help you, but my word is final. No one is to leave the Infinite Realms for their own safety. You know what humans can do.”
Kitty looked at Danny, glaring daggers into the side of his head, “Don't forget you're also human, kid. Even if it's only half. We can all tell that you're not happy.”
“Yeah, Danny,” Ember finally spoke. She and Skulker are standing side by side, not really liking where the conversation is going, “Even Spectra is thriving right now and I can't tell if it's you she's unconsciously feeding off of.”
“Yeah, well, she can go fuck off somewhere. I'm only 19. She's got about a year left before she goes back to her usual self.”
“Ghost child… Danny,” Skulker said. He's not really the one to really address Danny by his name. Hell, he doesn't even call him by his formal title as king. Not that he minds, but still. Danny turns his head to face Skulker who is just standing there awkwardly, “At least visit the human realm. When was the last time you fed into your obsessions?”
Danny didn't answer the question. As much as the guy is kind of insufferable to deal with, Skulker makes a pretty good point. While, in a way, he's been feeding his Protection Obsession, he hasn't really been doing anything about his secondary obsession which is Space. He hasn't been able to look out in the stars even if he knows that there's no way that the GIW will find him in freaking space. He's just afraid that if he goes back out, everything will happen all over again. The pain and the loss. He can't do that again.
“Just leave, guys,” Danny said after a long silence. “I'll think about what you've all said, but don't get your hopes up.”
Ember and Skulker left without an issue, saying their solemn goodbyes. Kitty was the last to leave, but she ended up having the last word, “You're killing yourself, Danny. Quite literally too given that it's been years since you last used your human form. You think your family would like to see you being something you don't like being? Really think about what we've said. Despite everything, it's still you.” Kitty didn't close the door behind her.
Danny now sat in the empty room, the silence ringing in his ears. He knows that his friends make a very valid point but in all honesty, he's scared. He's scared of going outside of his comfort zone. The last time he did something so outrageous, his entire family got killed. The worst part, he didn't avenge them. He’s afraid that if he goes out to the Human Realm, the first thing he'll do is enact revenge. Then, he'll give all the humans a reason to agree with the GIW and all their misinformation.
He looked over to the frames that adorn the room. Really, it barely fits a corner of the wall. They mainly stay on one side of his room right by his bed. That way, he can easily look at them from when he lays in bed. It's not a lot of photos. He can count all of them with just one hand.
“It's been two years,” Danny began to speak, his voice echoing in the empty, “When are you guys finally going to show yourselves? I can't find your ghosts anywhere. That either means you're alive somewhere or you decided to die without any regrets.”
Nothing replies.
“You died not regretting leaving me alone. Just when we finally started being happy together.”
Nobody responds.
“I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing as King. If you guys don't like it, you'll just have to tell me to my face.”
There's no one else there.