I mean, considering the Fenton catcher, it's really possible to divide Danny into a real half, and with Vald wanting a perfect Daniel of his own no matter what, I feel like there could be such a story
——
Vald wants a Daniel who trusts and loves him.
Clones will trust him under his guidance, but ultimately they can never replace the original Danny. The departure of Danny from the Fenton factory will once again lead his companions to search for him and disrupt his plans, not to mention taking away the person Daniel loves will make him never trust him.
After reviewing all the surveillance videos of Fenton's house, Vald came up with a good plan to resolve all the conflicts
On a quiet night. A vampire like ghost silently descended on the edge of Danny's bed at the Fenton factory while suppressing signatures. In his sleep, without realizing it, Danny was split by the Fenton catcher. A complete Danny Fenton has become two identical, half human and half ghost Danny Fenton.
……
Danny thinks that Fruitloops is really insane and wants to conduct some desperate cloning experiments to make someone who is not himself die. In order to prevent the new clone from repeating the same mistake, he goes to rescue the clone, but is rejected by the clone on the grounds that they have all the memories and know that Vald really takes him seriously, so they will not leave Vald
Danny felt like he was telling the truth for some reason, but he still couldn't give up. Therefore, Vald proposed a non interfering ceasefire and welcomed visits to new clones at any time to change his view that he would mistreat them
Three months have passed, and Vald has neither implemented the evil plan against the Fenton family nor caused Danny's clone to die again. The two of them even get along very closely. Although it was spine chilling to see himself calling Vald dad - a title he hadn't used for a million years - Danny didn't suffer any losses himself and managed to free the entire Fenton family from a tracking maniac named Fruitloops. Danny decided to leave it at that for now, so after threatening Vald to take good care of his clone, he stopped meddling
All the contradictions have been resolved, and everyone is living a happier life than before. It's really gratifying
……right?
Danny wouldn't have thought that when he was dating Sam, his clone and Vald had secretly crossed the line of love; Vald wouldn't have thought that Ghost Catcher has a usage period and permanent usage sequelae that have never been discovered; Danny's clone wouldn't have thought that he wasn't actually a perfect clone created to love Vald
On a sunny morning, Danny felt a faint back ache and struggled to wake up from a warm embrace that was both unfamiliar and familiar, with an unfamiliar self muttering nonsense in his mind
The world seems to be paused by clock work, Danny's brain is down
[VALD FAKING MASTES！?！WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING！！！]
——Chaos followed
Oh boy, no kidding. Two separate consciousnesses that eventually rejoin into one shared consciousness while the bodies remain separate sounds like the very definition of chaos 😳
Summary: When Danny went through the ghost catcher, he expected to be cured of the ghostliness that had haunted him since the accident, not to wake up on the lab floor with his parents saying he’d been overshadowed but everything’s back to normal now. But why does Danny Fenton cry himself to sleep to then dream of flying? Why does Phantom, the ghost who was supposedly possessing Danny remember a life that wasn’t his? Most of all, why do both the human and the ghost feel that something vital is missing, in their very soul? Or: Trying to cure himself of his powers one month after the accident, Danny accidentally splits himself but neither his ghost nor his human half know that that is what they did
First -> Last
Word Count: 5,791
Also on AO3 and Fanfiction.net
Note: Hi friends! It's been a while. Honestly, I was putting off posting this, the last chapter of Face to Face, because it intimidated me. 😅 But I really wanted to wrap this up by the end of the year. So we're finally here! I'm so excited to share the ending with you guys.
Also in honor of finishing this fic, I wanted to share this loving art made by @lilianade-comics on Tumblr. Check out this lovely scene from chapter 51 here!
Happy Reading!
Six months later.
“I must have been here a dozen times at least. And your lair still surprises me every time.” Sidney said, eyes surveying the room.
Danny leaned back on his couch, giving a chuckle. “Hey, I’m just working with what I have. I think the Hobbit vibes are pretty cool.”
“I figured you would want something more modern and sci fi.” His friend shrugged.
The halfa raised a brow. “Like an underground bunker? Nah.” He shook his head. “As cool as quarters on the Enterprise would be, or the inside of the TARDIS…. It just didn’t feel right. Plus,” He shrugged. “I like to be comfy.”
“It is definitely that.”
True to what Danny had imagined all those months ago, the underground house was cozy, warm, and homey. Wooden floors and paneling. Circular rooms and round doorways. The furniture was simple, warm, reddish maple-wood beds, chairs, and sofas accenting each room. Multiple rugs covered the floors and carefully selected books filled one book shelf. Other decorative objects and nick-nacks covered the walls, end tables, and other surfaces.
Some were brought from the material realm. One of his model rockets. A blob ghost plush that had been made by his dad. A Black orchid, a gift from Sam, sat in one corner, a Femalien Poster from Tucker on the wall above it. A shadow box with tickets and a glossy photo of the siblings, smiling in their bowties and fezzes with a certain actor; for Christmas his sister had bought him tickets to Comic Con and a Meet and Greet with Doctor Who actor Matt Smith.
Some objects were picked up from various trips through the Realms. There was a black and white lamp from Sidney’s lair that gave off gray light. A drum head on the wall sported an animated image of blue fire; he’d gotten that when Johnny and Kitty had taken him to see their friend Ember perform.
And some were manifested by the lair itself. A painting of a The Library with swirling spectral clouds in the background. Snow globes from different places he’d visited: Sid’s lair, The Library, Dora’s kingdom, Ember’s concert hall venue. And…. the halfa smiled softly at this last object… photo of his family and two best friends, Danny grinning in the middle in ghost form.
“Jeepers! What is this?!” Sidney’s voice interrupted the half ghost’s musing.
Danny’s gaze flickered to the object of his friend’s attention. “Oh. That? It was a Christmas present from Mom.” He jabbed a thumb at the kitchen counter where a ceramic cookie jar sported half a dozen eyes and pointy teeth around the lid, threatening approaching hands. He grinned. “It’s a Mimic.”
“A Mimic…” For just a moment, Sidney’s black and white brow wrinkled. Then… “Like from that Dungeon and Dragons game Tucker told me about?!”
“Yep.” Danny nodded.
“Fighting a monster like that… that must be the bee’s knees!” The half ghost could practically see the stars in his friend’s eyes.
“You’re still invited to our games any time you want to join.” Danny raised a brow.
“This section of the Realms needs its own group.” Sidney crossed his arms, pouting slightly.
“Dora might like it… and Ember.” The half ghost grinned toothily. “She’s already literally a bard.” He tapped his chin. “Maybe we can get Ghost Writer to let us use a room in his lair.”
“The Library is not the most convenient location though; it’s far away from everyone but me.”
“Hum.” Danny’s brow furrowed, considering. “That’s fair.” Sidney’s lair was the closest to the Library by far. But the other’s…. Ember’s lair was about the same distance from the portal as Sidney’s, except in the exact opposite direction. And Dora’s lair was vaguely below his, a leisurely forty-five minute flight down. If anything…. Danny blinked. “I’m in the middle.”
“You sure are, buster.” Sidney raised a brow, looking at him as if it was obvious.
The half ghost took a second to process and then laughed. “It’s always like that, huh?”
Getting in between the Lunch Lady and his friends. Helping Dora and other ghosts get back to the portal. Making friends with people in this part of the Zone. He rolled his eyes at the irony. The literal half ghost always stuck in the middle. Or rather… maybe he’d chosen to place himself there.
“So I guess we’d meet here. Or…” An idea had been swimming around in his head. A place for the ghosts on this side of the portal to gather, to bond, to help each other and…. “So I’d been thinking-”
Just then, the black rectangular device clipped to the belt of Danny’s suit chimed. “Oh. That’s probably my parents.” He detached the communicator– made by his parents, with Tucker’s help, to work across dimensions and designed to look like the ones from Star Trek– and flipped it open.
His brow furrowed. “I’m not late for dinner, am I? Didn’t think I’d been gone that long.”
“No sweetie.” His mom’s voice sounded from the other end. “I’m sorry to interrupt your hang-out with Sidney. But Mr. Jenkins called from the Salvage Yard about a ghost problem.”
The boy sighed, head rolling back on the couch to look up at the ceiling. “Is it Technus again?”
“It sounded like it.” The wince was almost audible in her voice. “Your father and I would go but Mr. Jenkins asked for Phantom… very insistently.”
Another sigh. “I’ll be right there.” Danny hung up, putting the communicator back on his belt before burying his head in his hand.
“Technus again?” Sidney rose a brow.
The halfa looked up, fixing an eye on his friend. “ I mean, I’m fine with him hanging out in the material world and tinkering with stuff. But…” The halfa groaned. “He keeps trying to blow things up the salvage yard.”
The ghostly nerd chuckled. “All that new fangled modern technology…. That beatnik must think he died and gone to heaven.”
Danny rolled his eyes. “He will if I have to tell him to stop stealing other people’s stuff one more time.”
Sidney shook his head. “You know it’s hard to keep a ghost from his obsession.” Then tapping his chin, he mused. “But maybe if he had his own place to experiment…”
“Hum…” Danny furrowed his brow, considering. He floated up. “Gotta go.” He pointed at the black and white ghost. “I’m serious, you should come to our D&D games next Saturday. Think about it?”
“I will.” The other ghost nodded, also rising. “See you later.”
The two exited through the lair’s door, Sidney flying into the green atmosphere of the Zone. Danny flew up, towards the portal. The clear dome around the structure parted with his presence and he entered.
The boy drifted over the carefully cultivated plants, a particularly energetic snap-dragon snapping at his heel. “Hey! I don’t have time to play right now.” He bent down, patting the petly approximation of a draconic head.
Danny stood again and continued, passing the beds of black lettuce. A ghostly blue lizard darted between the squash vines. In the flowering tiger shrub, a tiny green bird cooed. Other plants were scattered over the area, glowing insects, some as large as his fist, buzzing over them. The boy couldn’t help but smile. Only six months and there was already so much after-life here on his little island.
The half ghost arrived in the middle, the frame of the portal surprisingly at home among the vegetation. Though… green no longer swirled in the frame; instead, black and yellow painted doors blocked the entrance. His parents had installed a set on either side to keep out unwanted visitors.
But Danny, of course, wasn’t an unwanted visitor. With a quick scan of his palm on the panel beside the door, they parted. He flew through, just as the doors on the human-world side opened too.
At the sound, both parents looked up from their work. “Danny-boy!” His dad smiled with a wave. “You want one of us to come with you?”
“Nah. I’m just gonna try and talk to Technus again.” The halfa waved off the concern. He floated up, towards the ceiling.
His dad looked almost disappointed at the decline; trust Jack Fenton to always be ready and eager to soak an annoyance in ectoplasmic goo, whether they were ghost or human. Still both adults accepted the statement.
“Knock his socks off, son! And be careful!” “We’ll do great, sweetie! Call us if you need anything!”
With his parents’ words of encouragement rising in his ears, Danny phased through the ceiling and zoomed off.
“Finished?! What in tarnation even is-.” A sudden crash. “Woah!’”
“Ah. A few more finishing touches and…” A sparking, sizzling hiss…
“Where did you get a welding gun? Wait! Is that my coffee maker?!”
The ghost scoffed. “It’s not like you were using it.”
“I used it this mornin’, you-”
Danny arrived just as Technus flipped up his face shield. “Tada! My greatest creation!” The ghost spread his arms, grinning proudly.
“You stole my French Press!” Mr. Jenkins yelled.
“Ghost Child!” The adult ghost ignored him, eyes lighting up at Phantom’s arrival. “You arrived just in time to watch!”
Danny fixed Technus with a skeptical look. “What’s going on here?”
“As I was saying, I Technus! Master of all things electronic and beeping have finished my greatest creation yet!” The ghost motioned again, to a tracker-trailer sized collection of mismatched metal parts.
Well, that wasn’t here the last time. “Technus… where did you get all this stuff?”
Just then, a frantic woman came running out of the square building sitting among all the old cars. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Jenkins. I don’t understand how, but the office phone is gone. So are the fax machine and the microwave. And all the computers and-” Her eyes widened, voice squeaking as she spotted Technus. “Not you again!”
“That’s my computer?!” Jenkin’s eyes bulged, his face turning red. “I already told you, this ain’t a junkyard. You can’t take whatever you want!”
“These machines are just sitting here, wasting away! I had to do something with all this beautiful technology.”
“What’s it even supposed to be!?”
“An ingenious invention! And greatly needed!” The green skinned ghost held a finger up. “What kind of junk yard doesn’t have a car-crusher?”
“You’re nuttier than a fruitcake.” Jenkins pointed accusingly at Technus. “This ain’t no junk yard! We’re a salvage yard. We sell used parts!”
“Salvage yard.” Technus rolled his eyes. “That’s ridiculous. You’re just jealous of my brilliance, old man!”
“At least I made it past half a century!” The older man spat.
“I, Technus! Made it to 52, thank you very much! 52 years and then felled by my own unstable experiment! Oh, to die in the pursuit of science! What a glorious send-off! And don’t you know about that, Halfa child! Still wearing that hip and sweet hazmat suit-”
“We are not talking about my death.” Danny interrupted pointedly. “Now-”
“Of course! Enough of this. You came to see my genius!” The mad scientist darted around the metal monstrosity, lab coat flapping behind him.
“Phantom! Stop him!” Mr. Jenkins cried.
“You heard him, Technus.” The ghost boy crossed his arms. “Don’t make me get out the thermos.”
The older ghost ignored the reprimanded, eagerly grabbing at the machine’s controls. “First! The claw will shoot out and snag the car we want. Now which one…” His brow furrowed, then turning and pointing at a red, old-looking convertible. “Ah! That sad sorry hunk of junk will do.”
“Technus! We talked about this!” Danny drove forward, arms out to pull the other ghost away from the controls.
At the same time… “ No! That’s-” Mr. Jenkins sounded panicked.
Danny surged forward but faster than he could process, the mad scientist blinked out of the way. He missed, tumbling in the air and barely missing the side of the car-crushed machine.
The clawed arm lashed out, clamping around the truck. The metal fingers snapped closed with an agonizing crunch of metal and glass.
“Must be out of practice.” Danny mumbled. Then, he lit his hands with ecto-energy, “Technus, I’m warning you!”
“And now! My hyper-efficient car-crusher will reduce this rust bucket to scrap in seconds!” The other ghost laughed maniacally, jamming one of the lever’s down.
“No! No! No!” Mr. Jenkins sounded near… tears?
The arm pulled the car forward, the headlights meeting the jaws of the crusher with a stomach-turning crunch.
“Look! My funky fresh creation is working perfectly!”
The ghost boy let his shot lose, the ecto-energy knocking the other ghost away.
“No! That’s my car!!” Mr. Jenkins fell to his knees.
Danny darted in front of the control panel. His eyes widened. So many buttons, nobs, and levers…. Lights blinked in front of him. Frantic, the boy jabbed at different controls.
“My Oldsmobile!” Beside him, Mr. Jenkins was definitely crying. “That was Pa’s. Me and Pa fixed it up before he passed. No!”
The halfa’s eyes flashed. “How do you turn this thing off?” He turned to the other ghost, demanding.
Technus floated there for a moment, eyes wide and startled. He stared, the previous mad joy completely evaporated, even as he took in his invention. After a blink, his gaze moved from the machine to the devastated human man. The ghost’s face scrunched up, brow wrinkling. Then…
He flew back to the controls. Wordlessly, the mad scientist pushed a series of buttons, metal crunching uglily all the while. He pulled a final lever and the sound of gears and breaking glass stopped.
Quiet fell and Danny sighed, shoulders untensing. Still, he nervously fingered at the thermo’s lid. “Technus, you know I don’t have any problem with you hanging around Amity Park. Tinkering by itself is fine. But when you start taking other people’s things and destroying property…. I can’t let that stand.”
“But it’s just an old car…” The older ghost fixed his head down, voice oddly subdued.
“It’s Mr. Jenkins’ car.” Danny pointed. “It belongs to him.” His tone sharpened. “I wouldn’t come in your lair and mess with your laboratory. Take your inventions without asking. You can’t do that to Mr. Jenkins.”
A long, tense pause fell over the yard. The sound of gravel shifting at the human man stood, as his assistant nervously shuffled. Danny could feel both adult’s eyes on him but his own gaze was fixed on the ghost and his tight, unreadable expression. Technus had stopped the crusher but… why? Did he understand? The boy’s stomach turned, anxiously hoping. That the ghost had listened, that he could find a peaceful resolution.
Technus’s grip on the control panel’s levers tightened. “It seems, I, Technus, made an error. The first tenant of the scientific method…. I failed to gather all the important background information.”
Mr. Jenkins looked up, angrily whipping his face. “You don’t say.”
“I got so excited, I forgot to ask for permission to use the junk…”
“Hey! It’s not-” The human started objecting.
“Or to think about whether the invention would be useful here. I mean, who ever heard of a junkyard without a car-crusher? But apparently, you don’t need one. Which does not make any sense to me. Still, I should not have taken your things and-”
“That’s all fine and good. But my car’s still trashed.” Jenkins interrupted, scowling at the crushed vehicle.
“An honest mistake.” Technus winced. “And…” He held up a finger. “Give me a second.” He darted over to the wreckage. “Here, let me…”
The mad scientist ghost waved his hands over the debris. His aura sparked, spreading out and enveloping the twisted metal and shards of glass. The pieces trembled slightly, rising with a jerk. Technus’ fingers moved as if he was counting, typing, or playing an instrument. The wreckage floated and flowed, swirling in the air and coming together. It coalesced into…
“Well I’ll be damned.” Mr. Jenkins said breathily.
Danny’s eyes widened, just as amazed. “How? You… you-”
Sure enough, the car sat in front of them, whole and intact.
The on-lookers just blinked for a long moment. Then…
“My car!” Mr. Jenkins practically ran forward. “Bessie! You’re alright!” He flopped onto the hood, arms spreading wide as if hugging the vehicle. “Better than alright!” Eyes wide and gleeful, he wiped at a spot over the headlights. “That blasted scratch is gone!”
The human man kept cooing over his car and Danny laughed. “He’s worse than my dad with the GEV.” The boy rolled his eyes. Then… “Seriously though. Putting it back together like that…. that was incredible, Technus. Thank you for fixing this.”
“Pst.” The ghost shrugged off the thanks. “It was child’s play!” He laughed almost maniacally.
“Can you uh… put back the rest of the office?” The assistant asked meekly.
Technus’ eyes flickered to her, briefly looking disappointed, before he scoffed. “Can I put the rest of the office back?” He waved his arms, green light again spreading and enveloping the metal pieces. “Easier than differential calculus. Can I, Technus, master of all things mechanical, put it back? Please.”
The different pieces separated, flying off in seemingly random directions, while the mad scientist mumbled to himself.
Meanwhile, Mr. Jenkins looked up from his car. “I didn’t know you could fix things like this, Technus. Incredible!” He popped open the trunk, gaze flickering over the various parts. “She’s as good as new.” He reached inside, tapping something. “Say. One of the new tow-trucks is acting squirrely. Some kind of malfunction with that fancy new, space-age onboard computers. Can’t make head ‘r tails of it. Take a look and maybe I can find some spare parts for you to tinker with.”
Parts continued to swirl away, the car-crusher growing smaller and smaller. Technus tapped his chin. “Is this a problem worthy of I! Technus’ vast expertise!?”
For a moment, both Mr. Jenkins and his assistant looked worried, concerned eyes searching Danny.
The ghost boy nodded sagely. “Of course! Computer technology is so advanced now. Especially in cars! They definitely need someone as genius as you to fix it. Plus free parts!” The half ghost spread his arms. “You can’t pass up a deal like that!”
“You’re right, Ghost Child!” With a final flourish, the last remnants of the disastrous car crusher vanished, the components returning to their proper places. “Come Jenkins!” The mad scientist quickly floated away. “Show me this tow-truck!”
“Not so fast! We mere humans can’t fly!” The human man jogged after.
Danny gave another chuckle at the pair. He flew after them.
“Here it is.” Mr. Jenkins panted, motioning to the car. He unlocked the door and slid into the seat. “The problem is, anytime I start up the car…” He pressed the ignition. “See?”
The ghost nodded from where he leaned over, observing. “Ah! That is confounding! First, let me try…”
The half ghost watched two for several minutes. His eyes slowly widened, anxious core lossening. The two talked and hypothesized, bouncing ideas off of each other.
“Try it again.” Technus instructed.
Mr. Jenkins pressed the start button again. A pause. “Well, I’ll be.”
The mad scientist laughed. “I told you, old geezer. No electronical problem can overcome my genius!”
The human rolled his eyes, good naturedly. “Old geezer? Ya didn’t know what a computer was until last month.”
They were… getting along? “This is great! See.” Danny gave an encouraging smile and spread his arms. “Technus can help you out with stuff like this and you can give him some spare parts to work with. How does that sound, Mr Jenkins? Technus?”
The human tapped his chin. “You know, my brother’s got an auto shop. He’s always needin’ help. Maybe we can work something out.”
“I’m listening…” The green-skinned ghost nodded, face serious. Even as his aura flickered excitedly.
“I’ll give Perry a call and…”
The two talked for a few more minutes. Hope bloomed in Danny’s heart, a smile slowly parting his lips. They had this. Coming up with a compromise together. Without him. In fact…
The ghost boy turned to leave. “I’m going to go check on your assistant and everything in the office. Shout if you need me.”
The two barely acknowledged him, simply waving as they both chuckled over something.
Danny flew away, shaking his head. Moments later, he knocked at the office door. “It’s Phantom.”
There was a shout to enter and the boy did so. His eyes flickered over the room. Slightly disarrayed but… there was the microwave, the phone, the computer.
The assistant looked up from the desk. “Mr. Jenkins is okay, right? I haven’t heard any screaming recently.”
Danny laughed. “Yeah, he’s fine. Him and Technus are working out tech-help for spare parts.”
The woman blanched. “Is that wise?”
The boy nodded. “Giving the guy something to focus on will be good for him. And I’m sure Mr. Jenkins could use the help.”
The assistant’s brow furrowed thoughtfully. “I guess you have a point.” Her face smoothed out, smiling gratefully at him. “Thank you, by the way, for coming and helping with all this.”
“It’s just what I do.” Danny shrugged. “No big deal.”
“Seriously. This all wouldn’t still be standing without you.” She motioned around her vaguely. “We’d be in a mess without you, Phantom.”
“Well then…” The boy blushed at the praise. “You’re welcome… uh, I don’t know your name.”
“It’s Nancy.” She smiled.
“Nancy.” Danny gave a nod. “Everything’s good here so I’m going to head out. Give FentonWorks a call if you need anything.”
“I will.”
With a wave, the half ghost drifted up and phased through the ceiling. He flew over the salvage yard, catching a glimpse of the two men, one human and one ghost. Mr. Jenkins leaned against the vehicle, arms crossed casually. Technus floated, head lifted to the sky. His unique brand of laughter carried on the wind, the human’s hearty chuckle just as real and vibrant below it.
Danny beamed down at the scene. “Yeah. They’re going to be fine.”
Danny returned home to his ghost researcher parents, both proudly congratulating him on peacefully dealing with Technus. After which of course, both had to blather on about their latest inventions. The boy fondly rolled his eyes.
He tried to invisibly sneak up on his big sister, the super-powered little brother’s prerogative. To his chagrin, he was unsuccessful though; before he could even think of turning her chair intangible, she turned the spray bottle on him like he was a misbehaving cat.
He logged onto Doom and played with his best friends. The boss of the current level decimated their party three times before they gave up for now and started on a new side quest. All the while, they talked about new movies, rumors and gossip at school, Ember’s upcoming concert, and convincing Sidney to join them for D&D.
Family and friends. Ghosts and humans and the two somehow, miraculously existing together. All this and more, in a day in the life of a half ghost.
And now, during the darkest part of the night, that eerie time between the late night and early morning, the Haunting Hour. Now, Danny Fenton-Phantom floated on his back, suspended in the air above the Ops Center.
Blobby snuggled against him, tiny paws kneading biscuits into his side. The smaller ghost purred loudly, now firmly settled into something between a very cat-like blob and a blob-like cat. The boy gently stroked his pet, idly scrolling through his phone.
A text notification pinged and Danny laughed, typing back.
Danny: that’s the most cursed meme i’ve ever seen
Another cursed follow up. And another. Danny snorted, sending his own.
Tucker: 😵 ☠️ Deed. Y u stil up thoigh?
Danny: Dude it’s spooky hour. Getting my haunt on.
Tucker: U lucky basterd. Ony need 4 hrs of skeep
Danny: 😜 Y r u still up?
Tucker: Doom. newd new armor.
Tucker: 😵 stupd skelton killed me😭
Danny: Go to sleep!
Tucker: Neverrttt5454er66wreeqwsd
Danny: ?
Tucker: dropped phome on my face
Tucker: maybe i shoud slep
Danny: You think? 🤨
Tucker: One more meme!
Tucker: Phantomceiling.mov
Tucker: wrong file. 😴🥱😫 Sry. Gd night Danny
Danny laughed softly, shaking his head at his sleepy friend. He could imagine it, Tucker half-way across town, drifting off at his computer, gaming with one hand and texting with the other. No wonder the skeletons, the freaking easiest monster in the game, managed to kill him.
And he sent a random video? Danny tilted his head at the file name, pressing play.
“Woah!” Tucker’s excited voice cheered.
The camera shifted wildly, a blurry tan surface covering the screen. The crispness of the image wavered, in and out until…. tiny, glow-in-the-dark stars shifted into focus. On the… ceiling? Why did Tucker have a video of his bedroom ceiling?
“I can’t even believe this, I’m floating!” This friend’s voice cheered.
The half ghost’s eyes widened, suddenly remembering. This video, the one Tucker made while swinging from the ceiling. Meaning….
The image titled, pointed directly above and… Black suit, white hair, sparkling green eyes paned into view. Danny felt his heart squeeze.
“Say hi, Danny.” Tucker laughed.
“Hi Danny.” The ghost stuck out his tongue, giving a wave.
“Hi Phantom.” The boy smiled softly, waving back.
This video… he’d forgotten about it completely. Hadn’t even realized they had any video from when he was split, all those months ago. And now…
On the screen, Tucker grunted in effort, Phantom’s face deceptively even, eyes twinkling with suppressed mirth.
And now, Danny could remember it like it was yesterday. His feet planted firmly on the ceiling, one hand in Tucker’s, his familiar weightlessness spread through the contact. That was him, trying to hold back his laughter. And yet…
“Come… on.” His friend shouted in frustration. “Come on!” Two voices burst out in laughter, one higher pitched- obviously Sam. And the other….
The camera panned. Black hair, blue eyes pinched closed, mouth open with his laughter.
“Hi, Fenton.” His eyes crinkled, a fond mirth.
Danny remembered this too. Busting a gut at a constipated-looking Tucker, bent over with his chortles, Sam rolling her eyes at his comment. That was him. And yet…
After re-fusing, it had felt like he’d been asleep for a long time. Like he hadn’t really been present; it was all a dream. And yet, he had been right there. He remembered everything. It was like he told Jazz, all those months ago. He was Phantom and Fenton. Fenton and Phantom had been him. And yet he, the Danny thinking this thought, hadn’t really been there. But now….
The video continued, the camera passed around as Tucker cheered, swinging like a pendulum. As Sam had her turn, laughing hysterically the entire time. As Jazz screamed to be put down, before admitting that it wasn’t so bad. All the while, Danny chuckled at the scene. His smile grew, something soft and precious and fond.
“Wait… how?” Tucker wrinkled his brow. “I don’t get it.”
“He’s tapping into our powers.” Phantom righted himself in the air. “I mean, I’m the ghost so I’m technically the one with the powers right now. But we’re still the same person.”
“So I can kinda use them if we’re touching.” Fenton explained. “I uhh… actually turned myself intangible last night, when Phantom did it and I was touching him.”
The video ended there, Fenton and Phantom side by side. The human’s brow wrinkled in thought. The ghost mid-nod, agreeing.
And Danny’s heart squeezed, something nostalgic. “Guys. We made it.” A finger brushed the screen. As if he could reach back to then and reassure both halves of himself. “We made it.”
Danny remembered that day where it started. Sitting with his friends, his burger falling through his hands. That was the final straw, the moment that changed everything. It led to his fateful decision to go through the ghost catcher. A bad decision but it had left him all the better. It had taught him many hard won lessons, changing the way he saw his friends, his parents, and most importantly himself.
And those lessons…. Danny remembered, his dream the night he re-merged.
“I’m going to be okay.” A soft, swirling gratitude. “I won’t forget what I learned when I was you guys. I’ll remember.”
Danny hadn’t forgotten. He’d come back to himself, like finally coming home. And he’d found that he was more. More than just Phantom plus Fenton. More than just human plus ghost.
Letting out a sigh, the ghost boy lowered himself in the air, down to the roof of the Ops Center. To the camping chair left out here for his nightly star gazing. Blobby curled into his lap, the halfa giving gentle pets. His head drifted up, towards the sky.
And he let himself remember his last night as two halves of himself.
Danny closed his eyes and he was back there. Sitting side by side. Pointing out constellations and telling stories, one arm around his other half. And at the same time, drifting off to sleep to the echoing voice, his body comfortably leaned against the familiar chilly presence.
“Hey, I’m very witty. You just happen to share my brain.” The ghost grinned, roughly ruffling his counterpart’s hair. “Can’t get one over on you, can I?”
“I’m the pun master.” Fenton chuckled, leaning into the touch.
“You’re annoying, that’s what you are.” Phantom teased.
A chuckle at the memory. Seeing this from both sides really shouldn’t make sense. Yet it couldn’t be more clear…
“I love you too.” The human muttered, rolling his eyes.
The ghost stilled, his free hand dropping out of the black hair. His core squeezed, jovial teasing giving way to a soft and quiet joy. The tiredness radiated off of his other self, heavy enough that he was starting to get silly. But those words…. Every syllable was real.
Phantom breathed. Teasing and joking was familiar, comfortable even. He was even used to transparency, tender honesty. But this…. The arm still around his human half tightened, his free arm circling around Fenton’s front. He had said earlier, if they had anything else to say to each other while they were still split, they should say it.
Ghost Danny completed the hug. “I do love you.”
Back on the roof, Danny’s hand tenderly rested over his heart-core. Maybe if anyone else had seen that moment, he’d feel embarrassed, ashamed. But that moment was just for him. That same soft and quiet joy rose, quivering in his chest. Splitting himself had let Danny see himself in new ways. He’d learned so much. He’d grown to know, accept, appreciate, and, yes, love both halves of himself. As strange as it was to say, Fenton and Phantom had loved each other.
An overbearing gratitude washed over him at that. Gratitude that they (that he) had been brave enough to voice that, to give him this memory. This proof, this reminder of how far he’d come. Of all he’d learned.
He had suffered and struggled and agonized. He had fought with his own self-hatred and doubt, his shame and fear, with the painful reminders of his death. But with the love and support of his parents, sister, and friends, he had overcome. He had learned and grown and changed. The transformation itself hurt and terrified him. But he had risen above it. And now. Now Danny loved who he had become.
And who had he become? What did loving himself mean now, with his heart and core nestled together, where they belonged? It meant taking care of himself. Letting his friends and family know him and love him. Loving other people. It meant eating enough– both ecto and regular food-, sleeping well, watching the stars during his Haunting Hour. Spending time with his loved ones and letting them share his burdens. Helping others as Danny Phantom.
He saved humans in the town with his powers when ghost animals appeared or over-enthusiastic ghosts wouldn’t listen. He helped lost ghosts find their way back to the portal. He worked to find ways for humans and ghosts to exist together.
The idea from when he’d been talking to Sidney earlier flickered in his mind. A shared place for the ghosts on this side of the portal to gather, to bond, to help each other. A kind of Sanctuary, that was his dream.
That first time he’d almost fused, before telling his parents about Phantom, he’d dreamed of the human in the ghostly, ghostly in the human. He’d imagined truly being both. And now Danny found he was. The life he wanted was here, in the life he was building.
Danny unlocked his phone again, taking the image of Fenton and Phantom side by side. “We’ve come so far.” His eyes softened, full of awe and gratitude. “I said it before, in that dream. I’m happy I was both of you. And thank you for working to grow into who I am now.”
In his lab, Blobby mewed, head jerking up at something in the sky. The half ghost looked, eyes widening. A shooting star, streaming across the vibrantly deep sky.
His core fluttered in time with his heart, swelling with hope. Danny smiled. “Here’s to whatever comes next.”
Note: Thank you all for reading! Whether you joined me at the beginning back in 2019, you started following only recently, or you're binging at some point in the future, I appreciate you! I would never have written this story, let alone finished it, without all the kind comments on here and fanfiction.net, Tumblr reblogs and rambles in the tags, and DMs on Tumblr and Discord. If you ever talked to me about this story, offered your support and encouragement, I am so thankful to you. I am so thankful for the friendships I've found through this fic and for how much I've grown as a writer.
As always, I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter and the story as a whole. I love and appreciate you all!
Summary: When Danny went through the ghost catcher, he expected to be cured of the ghostliness that had haunted him since the accident, not to wake up on the lab floor with his parents saying he’d been overshadowed but everything’s back to normal now. But why does Danny Fenton cry himself to sleep to then dream of flying? Why does Phantom, the ghost who was supposedly possessing Danny remember a life that wasn’t his? Most of all, why do both the human and the ghost feel that something vital is missing, in their very soul? Or: Trying to cure himself of his powers one month after the accident, Danny accidentally splits himself but neither his ghost nor his human half know that that is what they did
First -> Last -> Next
Word Count: 7,517
Also on AO3 and Fanfiction.net
Note: Finally! The much awaited (for me at least XD) concert chapter! This is probably the most self indulgent thing I have ever written. 😅😳
Seriously though, I put so much time and thought into this love letter to my two favorite things: Danny Phantom and Christian rock. 😂 I hope ya'll enjoy it just a fraction of the amount I did writing it.
(And on a serious note. A warning for some minor religious references and discussion here- the name of Jesus in a reverent context, a character asks another if they would like to be prayed for. I wrote a very long post on Tumblr going to more detail on some of these and my reasons for including them. See the link in the end note.)
Excitement grew, buzzing in Danny’s chest as everyone piled into the GEV. Even Jazz.
The boy raised a brow at his sister. “I figured you’d wanna stay home and read about the psychology of troubled teens or something.”
The red-head rolled her eyes at the comment. She shook her head. “Spike is going. He’s really into the metal scene and I thought going myself might be informative.”
Dad glanced back. “Is that your boyfriend, Jazzirencess?”
Jazz blushed. “We’re just friends, Dad.”
The parents exchanged looks, saying nothing else on the topic. Instead the conversation shifted, back towards the subject of the concert.
Less than ten minutes later, the group arrived at the park. Dad pulled into a parking spot and turned the vehicle off. The teens were out almost before the van even stopped and practically run across the grass.
There was the stage, set up the field where Sam, Tucker, and his two halves had played frisbee golf on Thursday. Danny stopped a dozen feet away, just staring for a long moment. Not even four days ago he’d fought a dragon here. Signs of the struggle still mard the area: patches of dead grass, a few fallen trees, and –Danny winced at the sight– the destroyed bathrooms, bared off the caution tape. A row of Port-a-Potties has been set up in their stead.
The sound of a guitar broke through Danny’s thoughts. “Feels like I'm stuck. Going nowhere fast.” An older teenage girl was singing while playing. “My life is on the line. I'm running out of time.” The instrument suddenly cut off. Then her voice pitched down, speaking normally. “I’m gonna need more guitar in my ears.” A few more strums. “Perfect.” She glanced over at another teen, holding a bass. “Maggie?”
Beside Danny, Tucker leaned in, right next to his ear. “They’re sound checking!” The half ghost could practically hear the stars in his friend’s eyes.
“We’re listening to GFM sound check!” Danny felt just as giddy.
More strumming instruments, banging on the drums, growling and yelling into the mic. “Mic check! One, two, three! Can you hear me?!”
“Yeah!” Woah!” The few people already gathering in front of the stage yelled an affirmative.
“Sounds good, CJ.” The bassist backed up from the mic, leaving her instrument on a stand. “Let’s get dinner.”
“Pizza!” There was a cheer from the drum set.
The other two band members, all sisters if Danny remembered, left the stage, now empty of people.
Sam tugged on her friends’ arms. “Let’s scope out merch.”
The three hurried over to the merch tables, the group clustered under a tent. First GFM’s merch table, all black and pink and green. Shirts and tank tops. A jersey and hoodie. Wristbands and stickers. Pins. Even a skateboard- with cupcakes and a cheerleader in a black and pink cheer outfit with fishnets.
“I want one of everything.” The goth gushed.
Next Relent’s table- black cloth covered the table, displaying fewer options but no less enticing.
Danny eyed one particular shirt.
Tucker pointed. “Dude, check it.” The shirt showed a typical, if spooky, bed-sheet ghost, the scene complete with the band name, fire, lightning, and little bats.
“I’m so tempted.” The half ghost grinned.
Then Protest’s. A huge banner with the band’s logo hung on a frame, shirts displayed around it. In front of that was a table with posters, cds, stickers, and other offerings. A man with long brown hair and an upper arm tattoo was hanging up one last jacket.
“That’s a sick zip-up.” Tucker commented.
The man turned around…. He looked vaguely familiar. “Thanks man. My bro designed it.” He pointed to another man, a few tables down who was talking to some other people. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m-” He held out his hand to Tucker, only to be interrupted.
“Joshua Bramlett!”
The four turned, only to see-
“Grandma?!” Sam’s eyes crinkled in disbelief of the old woman zooming across the path in her electric wheelchair.
The man’s (presumably Joshua) eyes lit up behind his glasses. “Miss Ida!” He stepped around the group, bending over to hug the woman as her chair stopped. “How have you been?!”
The trio of teens stared, confused. “What is happening right now?” Danny asked.
Meanwhile, the bearded man and Sam’s grandma chatted. “These old joints are acting up. But I wasn’t going to miss seeing you boys for the world.” She patted his hand. “You have to meet my granddaughter.”
Grandma Ida wheeled forward, the man walking back to the trio with her. “This is Sam.” The old woman introduced.
“I’m Josh.” The man offered his hand with a smile.
“Sam.” The goth nodded, accepting the gesture.
“Tucker.”
“Danny.”
Two more hand shakes were given.
Josh then lowered his hands, putting them in his pockets. “Have you ever seen us before?”
“Us?” Danny raised a brow and the man motioned to the banner. “Oh.” The boy blushed. “You're in the band.” That really should have been obvious; hadn’t he seen him on the flier for this very show?
Josh chuckled, giving a shrug. “I sing for The Protest.” The words were so casual, “Are you excited for the show?” and the question eager and genuinely interested.
The half ghost instinctively felt himself relaxing. “Yeah! We’ve been talking about this for weeks.”
“Me and the boys will be sure to put on a good one for you.” He chuckled, before pointing back at the stage. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got more set up to do. I’d love to talk to you guys more after.”
Sure enough, Josh turned and walked away. The three teens stopped, watching for a long moment.
“He seems nice.” Tucker commented.
“That young man’s one of the sweetest, most genuine people you’ll ever meet.” Grandma Ida nodded, eyes twinkling with her smile.
“Who you’ve apparently met before?” Sam frowned down, hands on her hips. “You know the Protest’s lead singer. How come you haven’t taken me to see them before?”
The old woman just shrugged, a mischievous look flickering across her face. Then her eyes lit up, gaze flickering to something near the stage. “Is that Marco Pera I see?!” She called out. “Don’t you run off now! Come talk to Grandma Ida.” The old woman wheeled off, leaving the three teens behind.
The goth lowered her hands to her sides, mouth open. “Unbelievable.”
Danny tugged her arm, diverting her attention. “Come on. There’s another table.”
Sam turned back. Her brow furrowed. “I thought there were only three bands playing.”
Tucker shrugged, leading his friends to the table. Sure enough, there was more merch displayed.
“They have everything.” Danny’s eyes widened. Bags, CDs, posters, stickers, and pins were typical fare. But there were shirts in just about every color, not just black or gray. Keychains and coasters. Wristbands too. Even jewelry, bracelets that looked like they were made of leather.
“You should get that one, Sam.” Tucker pointed teasingly at a pink leather bracelet with the band’s name.
The goth rolled her eyes, giving the technogeek a punch on the arm.
“Hey!” Tucker protested.
Sam ignored him, instead reading the writing on the banner behind the table. “Chaotic Resemblance. Who are these guys anyway? They’re not on the flier.”
“We got added last minute.” A blond man, late twenties with a lip ring, looked up from his phone, putting the device in his pocket. “We’re good friends with the guys in the Protest and playin’ a few hours away tomorrow.” The man shrugged. He had an odd accent Danny couldn’t quite place. “Figured we could swing by.”
“Cool.” Danny said with a slight smile. He had no idea who this band was but the prospect of hearing cool, new music was always exciting.
Briefly, names were exchanged; the man’s name was Travis, yet another lead singer. He asked the trio if they’d heard of any of the other bands playing today and who they were excited to see.
“GFM.” Sam’s eyes sparkled. “I’ve been following their vlog for like a year now. The music kicks ass. And their music videos! I love the one for SMILE.” She stopped, blushing in seeming embarrassment from the rant. “So, yeah. I’m excited.”
Travis laughed, expression open and kind, before asking Tucker and Danny the same question. The technogeek mentioned reading a review of The Protest’s new ep on a music website he liked and listening to the songs a bunch. And Danny…
“Relent’s super cool. Sam introduced them to me, since they’re on that same label GFM used to be on.” He blushed, cheeks scrunching up with his smile. “I’ve listened to the new cd like a hundred times. Especially Ghost and Heavy.” Just a hint of sadness brushed his mind at the thought of that second one. “I… really like those songs.”
“You’ve gotta learn the words, right.” Tucker elbowed him playfully.
The halfa just felt more embarrassed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, well uh…”
“Don’t be embarrassed.” Travis leaned forward, a conspiratory twinkle in his eye. “Let me tell you a secret. We love it when fans know the words.”
“Really?” Danny asked hesitantly.
“Yep.” The man nodded. “So you better sing really loud for those guys.” The half ghost nodded eagerly. Then, suddenly strumming sounded from the stage. Travis’ head jerked in the direction. “Oh, we’re sound checking. I have to go. It was great talking to you.”
Again, the trio watched him go. And Danny’s shoulder untensed. He felt better, embarrassment and lingering sadness gone. He knew all the words to Heavy because, well… he’d listened… and cried through the song many times. It’s not like anyone could blame him, right? The last two months had been the hardest of his life. But he’d gotten through it. He’d learned and he’d grown. And that song had been a tiny part of that.
Shaking the thought away, the trio of friends returned to their spot near the front. On the way they passed Danny’s mom and dad, both seated in their camping chairs with what looked like a few other parents. Jazz and a teen with black spiky hair and a nose ring stood on the other side of the stage, a little ways back.
The trio stood in front of the stage, excitement building as the band checked their sound. Minutes later, the musicians walked off, leaving the stage bare and ready. Music crackled to life on the speakers. Pre Recorded but familiar, fast paced and energetic, from bands Danny recognized. Anticipation grew.
The shadows were lengthening now, the golden light of late afternoon bathing the scene. The wind blew gently, not too hot or too cold. And the crowd gathered, people packing closer together near the stage. The half ghost’s heart fluttered with excitement. The show must be starting soon…
A cheer rang out around him. The boy looked up.
“Who’s ready to rock?!” It was an older man, maybe ten years older than his dad, bald but with a big, wispy beard and tattoos in a biker jacket. “I’ve always wanted to say that.” He chuckled. “I’m Dave. I’ve been volunteering with Guardians of the Children for ten years now. We’re so excited to have all of you guys here today. ‘Specially these awesome bands on the Gotta Rock ‘em all Tour.”
Another cheer rose up and Dave clapped. “Yeah! Give it up for these dudes.”
“Woo!!” Danny yelled, voice joining his friends.
More clapping and cheering… slowly the sound died down.
The older man pointed. “Later, one of my buddies is goin’ to tell you all about what we Guardians do. But now… are you ready to have your faces melted!?”
“Yeah!” “Woo!” “Yeah!” The half ghost caught a glimpse of Sam, her fists already in the sky. Tucker, mouth open to yell.
“Our first band wasn’t originally planned to be here. They’re on their own tour now but makin’ a special trip to see us. I love these guys. If you’re in my generation, you’re in for a treat.” Dave’s eyes sparkled knowingly. “Give it up for… Chaotic Resemblance!”
To cheers, the band sauntered onto stage, one by one. The drums pounded, cymbals clashing. Then the bass, an easy strum. The guitar, with a flourish and…
“How are we doing, Amity Park?!” Travis ran onto stage, now in a jean vest with studs and hair unbound.
The first song started, unfamiliar words fast. The guitars slung notes, fast and driving. The singer’s voice rose, high and resonating, with a twang.
Danny bobbed his head, a smile growing as he listened. The sound tickled his ears. This was cool! Not his typical style for sure. Maybe it was closer to something he’d heard his parents listening to…?
A hint of a bridge. The guitar solo. On stage, hair flew. The song swept up.
Around the half ghost, the crowd was swept up with it. Danny’s heart beat faster, hair flopping on his forehead with his movement.
The chorus, on final time….
“It's time we break!” Travis half-sung, half-yelled. “The identity crisis toda-ay!” The note held out, long high and reverberating. Instruments clashed, one finally flurry of head-banging.
With a final shout, the sound died…. And the crowd cheered.
“Yeah!!” The halfa clapped, the motion big and exuberant.
One voice rose above the rest. “Woah! Radical, dudes!”
Danny looked back, cheeks bright red. That was his dad, hands up and grinning like a mad man.
On stage, Travis chuckled, pointing. “Thank you, sir.”
The half ghost face palmed….
The show rolled on, embarrassment long forgotten.
“We’ve got one last song!” The singer started. “Thanks for having us.” A cheer from the crowd. The guitars started shredding. “We love you guys. God bless.” A final yell. “Let’s start a riot!”
Travis pumped the air with a fist. “Hey! Hey! Hey!”
Soon the crowd was copying….
Jumping. Hair slinging. Figuring out what to do during the song was natural, the crowd moving as one.
The set ended but the show went on, Relent playing next, just as the sun was starting to set.
“What you're about to see is not for free. No, I ain't got time for apologies!” Danny spat the words to the much loved song. “I'm a south boy killa. No scope headshot winner.” Screaming. “I can feel something staring at me!”
Bouncing, the half ghost’s spirit soared.
But the next song was Heavy. “I wrote this song based on my wife’s story. She’s been through so much. So many horrible, painful things. But she’s come out victorious.” The singer’s eyes flicking over the crowd. “So I hope her story helps people. I hope it helps you remember you’re not alone. And it helps you find the strength to break the silence and talk about the things that aren’t talked about enough.”
The drums pounded, slow and steady. The emotional words rang out. “I cannot take the pressure. This feels like forever…”
Danny sang along, vision threatening to blur….
The singer fisted the mic, eyes closed. “Look what you did to my soul. Look at the size of the hole.” He lamented. Tears collected in the corners of the half ghost’s eyes. “Why do I, why do I, why do I feel so heavy?”
The song trickled to a stop and Danny’s heart squeezed. He whipped the tears away….
One final Relent song. The music pounded. Danny jumped and head-banged, excitement returning. His head swung at the bridge, the best part of the song. He sung. “Time’s up! What! What! What! Welcome to the-”
A puff of cold air. Danny stumbled to a stop, looking side to side. His eyes caught on… he blinked. A young man with sandy blond hair, a leather jacket. Was that… the motorcycle ghost he saw in the Zone?
Nervous curiosity squirmed in Danny’s gut as the set ended with a bang. The instruments pounded as the people cheered. With waves, the band left the stage.
The half ghost glanced back, his eyes meeting the other ghost’s. The biker raised an eyebrow. Danny turned back to the front, biting his lip. He should probably go talk to the guy. There was a little time before GFM started.
He tapped on Sam’s shoulder who turned as he leaned closer. “Save my spot. Be back soon.” The goth’s brow furrowed for just a second. Then Danny muttered. “Ghost.” He vaguely motioned with his head.
With no more discussion, he ran off, weaving through the crowd. Sure enough… there was the biker ghost. Johnny? That was what the green haired woman he’d been with before had called him, right? Quickly, Danny approached, half a dozen questions buzzing in his head. But what came out of his mouth…
“You should put that thing out.” His eyes narrowed at the death stick in Johnny’s hand. “Don’t you know cigarettes can kill you?”
The older ghost burst out laughing. “Shit, kid.” He dropped the cigarette, the object disappearing into mist as it fell. “How can you even see me?”
“You’re standing right in front of me.” The halfa raised a brow, arms crossed.
“I’m invisible.” He rolled his eyes like it was obvious. “You a medium or something?”
“A medium? What-”
“Shit, I’ve seen you before.” The biker interrupted, snapping his finger. “You look like that twelve year old who was looking for his Mama.”
“I’m fourteen!” Danny bared his teeth. A cold feeling flickered in his eyes, green light swirling in them.
“Holy….” The other ghost’s eyes widened. “I thought you were the live twin to your dead bro. But… holy f-king hell….” He pointed. “You’re a halfa.”
Said halfa dropped his arms. “What… How?… I just flashed my eyes and knew it like that?”
“I felt it, now that I’m actually lookin’ at ya…” Somehow, Johnny’s eyes widened more. “How come I didn’t feel it before?”
Danny blushed. “That’s complicated…” He shook his head. “What are you doing here?” The question was curious, just a hint of suspicion.
“Watching a show.” He motioned to the stage, matter-of-fact. “Me and Kitten stumbled on a natural portal. Thought we’d have a bit of fun.” He leaned forward, voice lowering. “She’s good about knowing how long one’s gonna be open. Said we’ve got ‘til midnight.”
Danny’s brow furrowed. So that was apparently a thing…? But he didn’t ask. Instead he looked side-to-side…. “Where is she?”
“Snooping around backstage.” The other ghost grinned, mischievously, a hint of sharp teeth flashing.
New suspiciousness flashed in his eyes. A desire flickered- to get the thermos and catch the two ghosts before anything happened. But…. the boy sighed. Johnny was just standing here, watching the show like any other concert goer. He sounded like he was enjoying the music. Maybe Danny could hope….
Danny rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Can you at least try not to cause trouble?”
“Trouble?” The man laughed. “We won’t do nothing too bad.” He winked. “Besides, I’m digging these guys… and girls?” His eyes widened slightly, set on something behind. Probably GFM getting on stage. He shook his head, expression just a bit more genuine. “Believe me, the last thing I want is to stop the party.”
At that, Danny sighed. Behind him, cheers started. “Great. I’ll be near the front. Have fun.” He started turning to leave. “And really, don’t try anything. My parents are ghost hunters after all.” He pointed a thumb to the two Fentons adults, standing in front of their chairs. “You saw that big gun my Mom had in the Realms? She knows how to use it. And…” He flashed his eyes. “My folks aren’t the only ones’ armed.”
For a second, Johnny’s face paled, nervousness flickering across it. Then he smirked, summoning another cigarette with a flick of his fingers. “Alright, kid.” Burgeoning respect shone in those eyes. “See you ‘round.”
Danny ran back to the front, pushing through the crowd. In front of him, pink-colored smoke still shot up from the stage. He arrived at his spot just as Maggie ran on stage.
“What is up Amity? I need you all to make some noise for me tonight!” Arms spread, head back, the teen brought the mic to her mouth and growled….
“Don’t tell me to! Don’t tell me to! SMILE.” A guttural yell.
Hair flying. The crowd chanted around him. “S.M.I.L.E. Why don’t you smile for me?”
His feet pounded, his heart pounded, sweat running down his back. Beside him, Sam spat the words; he could almost hear her growling along. Tucker banged his head, glasses hanging on for dear life. Even so, his friends’ faces shone with gleeful happiness.
The second verse swung around, the chorus again. Danny’s mind filled up with the words, the rhythm. No room for anything more than the sheer exuberance.
The guitar and bass cut off, drums pounding the beat. “Okay, everyone settle down. Boys and girls, are you ready?” The guitarist, CJ, more chanted than sung.
The crowd clapped and yelled, hands in the air.
“LuLu, are you ready?” Pointing at the drummer. “I know I’m ready!” With a grin. “Maggie, are you ready?” Voice pitched up, a performatively raised brow. “Maggie?”
A pause. The audience held their breath, gripped with anticipation and...
“Go!” A growl from said teen. The breakdown hit.
And the crowd lost it. Jumping. Headbanging. Pushing and shoving. Moshing. The horde jolted. Someone ran past Danny. And…. they were circling?! The half ghost grinned manically.
“Jack!”
His ears twitched at the cry. A look back, eyes widened. And… Danny just about felt his soul leave his body. His Dad… his dad was in the circle pit. A flash of worry. But the man was keeping up no problem, sure on his feet.
Danny chuckled, turning back to the front as the last chorus started. His voice joined the rest. At least his dad was having fun….
“Anyone want cupcakes?!” Maggie yelled.
This was it, the last song! And there they were: clear plastic containers with neon-frosted confections. The famed cupcakes!
“Misery loves company, I bet you're fun at parties.” Cupcakes flew. “Chasing after all the things you think will make you happy.” Instinctively, Danny ducked. “You've been played so many times, you'd make the perfect barbie.” The sugary goodness rained down. “Pretend your life's a fairytale, the story's getting boring….” The guitar sped up, fingers flying across the cords.
Adrenaline rushed through his veins, heart pounding a mile a minute. He sang his lungs out. “I don’t need your fantasy!”
Beside him, Sam’s eyes shone with passion, a balled fist to the sky. “'Cause I'm gonna say, gonna say what I wanna say…”
A cupcake nailed her in the shoulder, pink icing smearing across her shirt and face. Danny laughed, pointing. The shocked look on her face!
“…my voice. You can't take it away!”
Something chocolate brown and blue flew at his face. The half ghost flailed to catch and…
“You can’t!”
Blue icing coated his hands. He dropped the cupcake…
“You can’t! You can’t!”
Right into Tucker’s hands. The technogeek smirked, taking a huge bite.
Danny lost it, bursting out laughing. Mind, body, heart, and soul wrapped up, caught up in the moment. Just him and the beat. The stickiness on his hands. His grinning, screaming, laughing friends. The press of the crowd around him. The words pouring out of his mouth.
“This is my life, my voice. You can't take it away!”
His core sang, buzzing inside him. This. This right here. It was amazing, incredible, perfect. The feeling almost euphoric.
This is awesome! The words were more yelled in his head than thought. An almost physical thing, like throwing the idea with his mind to-
“Misery loves company, I bet you're fun at parties.” Sam’s jump sent her careening into him. “Chasing after all the things you think will make you happy!” She’s never looked so happy to be wearing pink.
The breakdown. Tucker’s flailing arm jolted his side, icing smeared around the technogeek’s mouth.
“Now, you’ll see… I don’t need your fantasy!” With bared teeth, head raised to the sky, Danny had never felt so alive….
The set ended with a bang, the clashing of instruments as people cheered. The three sisters left the stage. The previous soundtrack started again, so much quieter than the live music. The half ghost almost felt the crowd breath out, decompress as one of the Guardian of the Children volunteers came up to speak. The mass of people shifted, the space for moshing filling in as some snuck closer to the front and others left. Jazz and Spike drifted closer, standing right beside Danny and his friends.
Danny took a breath, whipping his sweaty forehead.
His sister laughed, giving him a knowing look.
The boy raised a brow. “I’ve got icing on my face now, don’t I?”
“Yep.” Jazz’s tone was full of teasing.
“You want some?” With a grin, the little brother swiped for her.
“Danny!” The older teen shrieked, jumping away.
“Come on! Let me give you a high five!” He reached again.
Jazz weaved, dodging. “No!”
“Come on!” Danny got her right in her face.
“Ew! It’s sticky!” The girl fished in her bag, pulling on a sleeve of wet wipes. Frustiously, she whipped at the blue frosting. “Here, you heathen.” She shoved the package at her brother.
The boy rolled his eyes but obliged, whipping his hands. It did feel nice to get the sticky feeling off them.
A sudden screeching sound through the mic brought Danny’s attention back to the speaker.
The older man speaking smiled sheepishly. “Got too close to the mic there. As I was saying…”
What was the man saying? Danny should probably pay attention…
The boy shuffled foot to foot, watching, listening. He was getting tired from standing here so long. And thirsty. He’d sung, and screamed, and sweated a lot. He glanced back, wanting to go get some water. But his coveted spot…
Another screech. Danny’s gaze jolted back, focus returned. The mic was giving the guy problems, huh? He watched the stage, the lights slowly brightening in the growing darkness. It was well past sunset now. A flicker of movement below the stage caught Danny’s attention. Some thing darted by, dark and strangely formless. That was weird…
A few more minutes and the volunteer finished speaking, leaving the stage. The soundtrack returned as the lights on the stage dimmed.
Danny’s insides fluttered, anticipation rising again. He was still tired, previous emotional high lessened. But the last band was about to come on soon! The headliner!
Beside him, Tucker shook with excitement. “Oh, man. This is gonna be awesome.”
Danny nodded. The lights shifted, spot lighting the drums. And…
“Make some noise, Amity!” Josh ran on stage, jumping. “I wanna see you on your feet!”
The music rumbled and the crowd obeyed. A roar from the background track. Josh fisted the mic and growled. “I caught you like the monster hiding under my bed. Now I’m gonna rip you right out of my head! Like a baseball to the side of the face, I’ll make you disappear without a trace.” Heads bobbed, hands raised. “The match is in my hand… The match is in my hand!” The crowd shook, starting to jump. “You’re just a paper!”
A deafening pop and sound and lights died.
“A paper tiger!” The last yelled words sounded, only audible because of how close Danny was to the stage.
For a few more seconds, the crowd continued jumping, the band still trying to play as Josh sang without amplification . “Nothing more than a… silver tongued… liar?”
But the movement stalled, fizzling out. The half ghost stumbled to a stop, brow furrowing in confusion. Around him the crowd started to murmur.
On stage, the guitarist closest to the trio, short cropped hair and bare faced in a tank top, stummed, no sound coming through the speaker. His head turned toward the others already gathering around the drum set. “Did we just lose power?”
The drummer shrugged. One of the lights flashed on, randomly swiveling on its display. The spotlight shone right in the short haired musician’s face. “Woah!” He closed his eyes, head jerking away. The sound echoed out. The man blinked. “Hey, the mic’s back.”
More strumming attempts. Josh tried his mic again, lowering it with a confused look. The drummer motioned to something on the laptop set up beside the kit.
The guitarist turned his attention back to the audience. “Well, that’s how you know it’s live and we’re not just playing over a recording.” He laughed, strumming his guitar and making a face. “Anyone want to hear a joke?”
Under the stage something black flickered again. Danny titled his head, brow furrowed.
“What's a vampire's favorite kind of candy?” He gave a pause for effect, murmurs of question coming from the audience. Then… "A sucker."
Around him, people chuckled lightly, several groaning at the bad joke. On stage, the man continued. “There’s more where that came from. What do….”
The words drifted over Danny’s head, unable to keep his attention. Instead, his focus was on a… weird, unnaturally dark shadow. It undulated, half-slinging-half-crawling in the recesses under the stage.
Another electric pop. The lights swiveled.
Danny almost swore he heard laughter….
The half ghost’s head turned side to side, looking. Was… no one else really seeing this?
The creature…. The ghost (it must be another ghost, with the way his ghost sense was swirling in his throat) chuckled again, static echoing through the speakers.
A few people winced, covering their ears. “Okay, okay, no more dad jokes.”
Somehow no one was seeing the ghost. How? Other people had been able to see the Lunch Lady and Dora. Wait…. It must have been the partial invisibility like Sidney showed him. But why…
“Hey!” The word was hissed, just a hint of ghostly echo.
Danny’s head jerked, looking for the source of the noise. His gaze scanned the crowd. For just a second, his eyes met his mother’s, her brow wrinkled in concern as she stood up.
Then… his gaze met a wavering, ethereal figure. Johnny…
“Cut it out!” The ghostly man hissed. He drifted forward, unseen by the crowd even as he literally, intangibly floated through them.
Danny’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “I’m not doing anything.” He muttered hotly, earning a confused look from Tucker.
The biker ghost “What? No, not-” Another crackle cut off the word, the man covering his ears. His eyes narrowed, fixing on….
The strange embodiment of darkness.
Oh. Danny realized
“Cut it out, Shadow.” The man complained. “I’m actually enjoying this. Go make a kid drop their ice cream or something.”
Danny raised a brow at that last part but Johnny waved him off, attention still on the shadow.
“I’ll bring out the flashlight, man. Just you keep it up and see.” The other ghost threatened.
The living (unliving? undead?) shadow seemed to deflate. With something like a sigh, it zipped off.
The lights came back on. “Hey!” Several positive shouts came from the stage.
“Now we’re getting somewhere!” Danny picked up the words, from the other guitarist and unamplified.
The half ghost turned his attention back to Johnny. “What was that about?” He asked quietly.
The man shrugged. “There’s a reason they call me Unlucky Johnny 13.” He motioned, waving in the general direction the shadow had gone. “Thing’s got a mind of its own.”
That… answered no questions. But the other ghost ignored Danny’s confused look, instead lifting a hand. “There you are Kitty.” His eyes lit up and in a blink, he disappeared, materializing at the green-haired woman’s side seconds later.
Danny just blinked, taking in what had just happened. That was… something.
“...feel like my ears are burning. They’re talking about me, aren’t they?” The words drew the half ghost’s attention back. The guitarist pointed his thumb at his bandmates. “I’m being voted out of the band, aren’t I?” The look was falsely aghast. “This’ll be my last show with the Protest, guys. It’s been fun.”
What the heck had he missed?
Just then, his mom tapped on his shoulder.
Danny turned jerkily, surprised. “When did you get here?”
The woman’s brow furrowed in concern. “You had a strange look on your face. Is everything alright sweetie? ”
“Yeah, everything’s fine.” His eyes flickered to the two ghosts standing at the edge of the crowd. The halfa’s voice lowered, stepping closer to the woman. “There’s two ghosts, the biker couple we saw in the Realms. And this weird shadow ghost that was messing with the sound. The dude, Johnny, yelled at it to stop and it flew off somewhere.”
His mom looked in the direction his gaze had flickered. “I can’t see them.”
“I don’t think anyone else can either. Just me.” The boy shrugged. “It’s a ghost thing.”
“What are they doing?” She asked.
“Just watching the show. Johnny said they came through a natural portal and wanted to have some fun.”
Her forehead wrinkled in worry at the statement. “A natural portal again?”
“We’re good to go!” The crowd cheering interrupted Danny’s response. Josh’s words echoed. “Let’s start this again.”
“We can talk later.” Danny had to raise his voice to be heard. Accepting a nod in response, he turned back to the front.
The band was walking off the stage, only to return moments later to cheers.
The instruments pounded. The singer held the mic to his mouth and… “I caught you like the monster hiding under my bed….”
The song started again and Danny jumped, previous confusion and worry quickly forgotten.
“You’re just a paper! A paper tiger! Nothing more than a silver tongued liar! Paper! Paper Tiger! Incinerated by my new found fire!”
The crowd jumped and screamed. Song after song, excitement built.
Josh sang. “You may feel a change but don't be afraid.”
“The transformation has just begun!” The short-haired guitarist quipped with a grin, pointing at the audience….
The words half-chanted. “In the freak show. In the freak show. In the freak show.” Hands flailed, shoulders shook as Danny and his friends danced.
“Your mind will be blown away! Hey!” Each word punctuated by a fist to the sky. “Hey! Hey!”
“Welcome to the Freakshow!” Second chorus ending, the crowd reached a fever pitch.
His heart beating in time with the music, Danny head-banged. His hair flung, dripping with sweat.
Something square and silver at the edge of his vision. Head turned, brow furrowed. His mom had her phone out, lens facing him.
The boy snorted. Sore neck bobbing faster, he stuck out his tongue at her….
In the small break before the next song… “You’re supposed to take pictures of the band, not me!” Danny laughed…
The set forgaged on. Shredding guitars, pounding drums, screamed words. The songs were incredible. And the message in between…
“If you leave here tonight with one thing, know that you are loved so much. Do you guys understand me?” Murmurs of agreement. “So much. You have no idea.” Josh’s eyes were wide and earnest, so much conviction behind the words. “After we’re done playing tonight, we will be over at the merch tent. Please come talk to us. You are looking at four sinners so we don’t have all the answers, I promise you that. We don’t. We would love to hear your story. We’d love to pray with you. We’d love to talk with you. That’s why we’re here. That’s why all of these bands are here, why we drove hundreds of miles to be here today. To share the hope that we have in Jesus. We love you guys so so much. Come hang out with us. We’ve got a few more for you….”
Danny’s heart squeezed, something deep in him touched by the words. He didn’t know about all of this, but that offer… to be heard, to be listened to. There were plenty of things he couldn’t say but…
Another song started. By now, the almost euphoric excitement had smoothed, lessened, morphed into a more quiet, heartfelt joy. Even still, the words sent goose bumps over the half ghost’s arm.
“This is the time for life revolution
Setting a course to reclaim the broken.
We look to find those lost in the night.
Following hearts that lead like a compass
Fire will rise and we let it guide us.”
The singer leaned over the crowd and the half ghost sang, his soul pouring into each syllable. “Despite the pain, we’ll stay unbroken.”
Each voice ringing in harmony, brown eyes and blue eyes met. Something in Danny’s chest fluttered, breathless and awed. He could never describe the feeling, not completely. But when gazes met… belief resonated. Both meant every single word….
To cheers, the set ended. The lights dimmed as people started walking away. And for a long moment, Danny stood in front of the stage, eyes wide and heart light. That amazed feeling stirred…
“We need to get a picture!” Jazz’s hand on his shoulder drew him out of himself.
“Yeah. Go for it.” The boy smiled, letting his sister put her arm around him.
The pair took a selfie, each with matching grins. The red-head lowered the phone. And Danny finally registered his friends and family hovering around him.
“That first band was so good!” His dad gushed. “They’re just like that band I was in in college! Good ol’ Skunk Punks! But they’ve got much better hair. And better lyrics.”
“Your strengths are in things other than lyrical composition, dear.” His mom graciously didn’t speak on the hair comment.
Sam pulled him and Tucker across the grass. “We need to get pictures with everyone! And merch! I want one of like everything.”
“Yes! I need the GFM snapback. Their set was so good!” The technogeek laughed, pointing at the icing staining her shirt. “They got you to wear pink. And.” He puffed out his chest. “I’m the only one who didn’t get icing on them
The goth rolled her eyes but then a mischievous look passed her face. “That’s what you think.”
“What are you- Hey!”
She swiped a glob of crusting icing from her shirt and shoved it at him. “Ha!”
Everyone bought merch. The Relent Ghost shirt and a wristband for GFM and The Protest for Danny. For Sam, the pink and black skateboard, a delightfully cute and creepy pink, green, and black shirt, and a bunch of CDs. (“Who even buys CDs anymore? You can just stream that.” Tucker wrinkled his nose. The goth pulled his hand down over his face. “I want to actually support the bands I like, Tucker. Spotify doesn’t deserve a cent.) The technogeek proceeded to buy his own CD and his coveted snapback.
Danny’s parents even got in on the action. Dad apparently bought a Chaotic Resemblance shirt for everyone in the family. And the famed pink leather bracelet.
Pictures were taken with every band.
“A silly one next!” Noses were scrunched up in ridiculous expressions. Two members of the Protest pretended to be punching each other. Danny laughed more still.
Words were exchanged, excited ones about the show….
“Awesome set!” Each GFM member was offered a high five.
More casual ones, about school and interests. (Unsurprisingly Josh and co were very personable.)
“Yeah. I just started ninth grade. It’s going pretty well.” “What’s your favorite subject?” “Science. I’ve always wanted to be an astronaut…”
And somber ones.
The last band Danny got to speak to was Relent. His heart twisted, words lingering heavy on it. You should say something, a voice in him, not audible but very much present, whispered. The ghost boy listened.
“The last few months have been… really hard for me, for a bunch of reasons. But… I’ve listened to your song, Heavy a bunch of times. And it’s really helped me. Like… uhh… when I couldn’t sleep and just wanted to cry. And… yeah. I’ve listened to it alot and all your other songs so…. Thanks for writing them and putting them out. And… uh… thanks for being here tonight.”
Danny looked down, nervousness flopping his stomach.
“That’s why we write songs and tour.” The lead singer (In their introduction, Danny learned his name was Miggy.) “Like I said on stage, I hope that our songs help people. Thanks for telling me, man.” His expression softened, earnest. “Do you mind if I pray for you?”
As Danny’s friends and family walked back towards the GEV, the boy lingered for just a moment to look over the field. For just a second, three ghostly figures flickered into existence. Kitty and Johnny, the black shadow curled at the man’s feet, floated in front of the stage, unseen by all except the half ghost. The man nodded in his direction, lifting a cigarette-gripping hand. The green-haired woman waved.
Danny returned the gesture, lips quirking as the couple disappeared. He had a feeling he’d be seeing them again.
With the ghosts gone, the boy turned his attention back to the activity across the field. The bands were still active, packing up instruments and putting them in the vans and buses. Soon enough the stage would be torn down as well, leaving no evidence of the concert that had been here.
Even so, the half ghost’s heavy heart felt lightened. He felt better after talking to Miggy; that had been good for him. The boy sighed. This had been an incredible night.
Sam bumped his shoulder. “Come on. Tucker asked and your dad said he’s taking us to Nasty Burger for shakes.”
It looked like the night wasn’t over yet.
Everyone piled into the GEV and his dad pulled out, leaving the almost empty parking lot. A few minutes later found the trio sitting at a picnic table outside the restaurant, each nursing their own shake.
Chatter batted back and forth, jokes and memories. The three looked through the pictures that had been taken.
“That’s a good one! You got him mid-head bang.” Tucker pointed while he and Danny leaned over Sam’s phone, admiring a picture of Josh Bramlett with his hair spread in a halo above him.
“I love this one.” The goth swiped. This photo was of GFM’s drummer, an excited grin plastered on her face.
“Drummer pics are so hard to get! That’s awesome.” Danny congratulated.
The conversation continued on, milkshakes almost finished and…
The half ghost sighed. “Thanks guys for being there.”
That got him strange looks. “Dude, of course we were going to come to the show with you.”
“No, that’s not what I mean. I…” Danny shook his head. He wasn’t exactly sure what prompted this line of thinking but… “I mean…. Thanks for being here for me. With the accident and then splitting myself. I know it’s been hard and you’ve been the best friends I could ask for.” He’d told them as much at Sam’s that day, when they’d convinced Phantom to talk to Fenton about re-fusing and his denial of his death. And even before that…
He blushed. “You guys are the ones who convinced Phantom me to stop denying we were the same person. You guys… you saw me.. You knew me even when I didn’t know myself. So…” He bit his lip. “Thanks for sticking with me,” There in the Hot Topic dressing room, after his ghost self had flown off… “even when I was a jerk to you guys.”
His friends’ expressions softened. “You really don’t have to thank us, Danny. That’s what friends are for.” Sam said.
“Yeah.” Tucker smiled. “We’re your friends. Of course we’ll stick by you. You’d do the same for us.”
Danny sighed, shaking his head. “Like I said, you guys are the best.”
His best friends both reacted out. An awkward group hug… the table in the middle had just their arms touching each other, heads close together. But Danny closed his eyes, heart warm.
This really had been the best day.
End note: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy it. :) As always, feel free to let me know what you liked.
First off, thank to anyone who read this chapter and this long post. This chapter was one of the most self indulgant things I have ever writ
Summary: When Danny went through the ghost catcher, he expected to be cured of the ghostliness that had haunted him since the accident, not to wake up on the lab floor with his parents saying he’d been overshadowed but everything’s back to normal now. But why does Danny Fenton cry himself to sleep to then dream of flying? Why does Phantom, the ghost who was supposedly possessing Danny remember a life that wasn’t his? Most of all, why do both the human and the ghost feel that something vital is missing, in their very soul? Or: Trying to cure himself of his powers one month after the accident, Danny accidentally splits himself but neither his ghost nor his human half know that that is what they did
First -> Last -> Next
Word Count: 4,253
Also on AO3 and Fanfiction.net
Penultimate chapter ya'll! 😍😍😍
Grabbing a quick snack, Danny settled onto his bed to do homework, textbooks and paper spread around him.
“Alright. Math worksheet. Bio vocab. Spanish notes card.” The half ghost mused to himself, pointing at each assignment. “And… I need to read a chapter for Lancer and take notes.” He scowled at the thought before shaking his head. The boy put his hand together, forcing himself to focus. “The easy stuff first. Then math. And… ugh, English.”
Biology was pretty good, definitely his favorite subject right now. Plus it was easy; with his Mom’s interest in biology and medicine, he’d known most of this by the time he was in fifth grade. Spanish…. Making the notecards and going over them a few times wasn’t hard. The words lodged in his head, making a surprising amount of sense… Maybe he did have a knack for this.
Math was… math. Boring, a little difficult but…
“What did Mr. Faluca say in class on Friday…. Oh, that’s right. First, you’re supposed to…”
The memory flickered through Danny’s mind. His two halves on this same bed, talking through the math together. The suggestion to keep the talking-to-himself up once they were back to normal…
A shrug. “Well, if it works, it works.”
And it seemed to. Danny talked himself through the math, finishing in fifteen minutes. And then the English… the half ghost read the chapter, half-muttering down at the page. He opened his reading journal, first jotting down a summary. And then looking for different literary devices: allusions, symbolism, foreshadowing.
“What’s the point?” He scowled down at the page. “It doesn’t make any sense. What’s with the red…. Wait.” He flipped back a few pages in the notebook. “That was mentioned in the first chapter… Yeah!” He pointed out the sentence he’d written. “That was foreshadowing, wasn’t it? And now…” Connections sparked, almost faster than Danny’s tongue could fly. “Loneliness seems to be important. That’s a theme, right?” A flurry of words, of jolting down thoughts. “That sounds familiar…. I bet that’s referencing something… Wait! I remember now! It’s….”
Ten minutes passed, the page full of words. “Alright. That’s done.” He closed the book with a thud. “So we’ve done….”
The sound of footsteps approaching the slightly ajar door…
“Bio. Spanish. Math’s done. And English. That was all, right” He nodded, counting on his fingers. “Right. And…” Danny glanced at the clock, eyes widening. “An hour and a half! We got that done in less than two hours!” A flicker of orange at the door…. “Good job, Danny!” The half ghost turned, eyes bright and one hand up for a high five….
Eyes falling on nothing, his expression fell, a complex feeling flickering in his core. “Oh.”
“Are you okay?”
Danny jerked his head at the noise. There was his sister, standing in the doorway. “How long were you standing there?”
“Just a few seconds. Mom wanted your help with dinner.” Her expression softened, concern in her eyes as she repeated. “Are you okay?”
The boy blushed. “Yeah, I… I’m okay. I just… forgot for a second there.”
That worry just seemed to deepen. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Danny considered for just a moment. He could say no; he kinda wanted to…. Shaking his head, he dismissed the impulse, instead patting the bed beside him. “Yeah. I’ll talk about it.”
Jazz closed the door while the half ghost cleared the bed for her. The older sister sat. “What do you mean you forgot for a second there?”
“I guess….” The boy frowned, brow furrowed. “I kinda forgot I wasn’t still split.”
The girl blinked, concern flickering to confusion. “You forgot… that? How could you manage to forget something like that?”
“I was split for a month, Jazz. I guess…” He crossed his legs under him, sitting criss-cross on the bed. “By the end there, I think I… we were almost used to it. I mean, being split wasn’t fun. It definitely wasn’t good for me. But we… Fenton and Phantom were making do, I guess.” A shrug. “And…” Danny bit his lip. “We talked to each other… er.. Ourself through the homework all the time. Sitting on the bed doing that just felt familiar.”
“Danny….” That worry was back. “Should I be worried about the… pronoun swapping?”
The halfa could read between the lines of that question. “I’m only one person, Jazz. There’s just one of me here, I promise.” He sighed. “It’s just…” He rubbed his head. “Actually figuring out how to talk about it out loud is hard.”
Danny had thought about what he’d experienced while split, that first night after merging while floating in front of the portal. In his head, it made sense. He’d been split in half. He had two sets of memories for the past month, both of which were equally his, equally him. But actually verbalizing that…
“I think you should try.” Jazz offered gently.
“You would.” The boy rolled his eyes, a hint of a smile on his face.
“I’m serious.” The girl poked him. “On Saturday, you said you remembered everything. But it kind of felt like you’d been gone for a while. Do you think you can talk about that?”
“Yes.” Danny said simply, letting the word hang in the air.
Jazz gave him a look that screamed, ‘really?’
“Alright. Alright.” He held up his hands, surrendering; he should stop being difficult on purpose. He sighed. “I do remember everything that happened from both perspectives. But still… it doesn’t quite feel like I was there.”
“Like they feel like someone else’s memories?” His sister offered.
“No.” The half ghost shook his head. “That’s not it. It’s…” He sucked in air through his teeth. “Phantom and Fenton were both me. And still are. Those are just names I gave to each of my forms. I am both of them but… I’m more than that too.” Danny furrowed his brow. “When I was split, I…we… my two halves… they knew they were incomplete. Even if both of me, Fenton and Phantom, were sitting here, side by side,” He motioned vaguely to the spot on the bed beside him. “completely on the same page, in sync, agreeing on everything…. There still was something missing. Fenton and Phantom together… that still… that still wasn’t me. I’m… more than that.” He rubbed his full chest. “So in a way… I wasn’t really there then. Even though I was.”
Jazz’s face scrunched up, still focused in thought.
The boy deflated slightly, legs unfolding and pulling to his chest. “Sorry. I guess that still doesn’t make any sense.”
“No.” The girl shook her head, a hand reaching out to rest over his. “You make sense… even if I don’t understand. I don’t think I ever really can. But I know how unhappy your two halves were to be split. Phantom you told me you feel incomplete, like you weren’t a whole person.” She squeezed his hand. “But you’re back as one person now. And I know how happy you’ve been because of that. If you say you’re finally back, that you feel like yourself again, then that’s good enough for me.”
The boy smiled softly. “Thanks Jazz.” He turned his hand over, palm meeting hers. “You’ve really been the best sister. I…I can’t even tell you how much you helped both of me when I was separated. I wouldn’t have gotten here if it wasn’t for you.”
His big sister had done so much. She yelled at their parents for him, convincing them to rethink their ghost bias and actually see Phantom as part of their son. She talked to his ghost half and encouraged him to make things right with his human side. She was there after the ghost catcher blew up, when he’d finally broken down over Mom’s avoidance of his ghost side. She checked on him after Mom apologized after their fight, reassuring him that he wasn’t a bad son for not being ready to accept the woman’s apology yet. (That apology…. something niggled in his mind). And after his halves had talked about the accident, mourning their own death, she’d comforted him. Jazz had been the first one Phanom had told about that first week, about him thinking he was an imposter.
So much had happened and Jazz had been there through it all.
The boy lowered his legs and spread his arms out, leaning forward for a hug. His sister accepted it. “Thank you Jazz.” He repeated.
“You’re welcome.” The girl squeezed him tighter. “I love you little brother.”
“I love you too.” Danny returned.
The two stayed like that for a long moment, arms around each other. Then with a heavy breath, the half ghost lowered his arms, pulling away. “Alright. That’s enough mushiness for today.”
Jazz let him leave the hug, rolling her eyes. “There’s nothing wrong with talking about your feelings.”
“I never said there was.” The halfa stuck out his tongue. “But I can still only take so much.”
His sister stood up, shaking her head. “Come on then. We still need to see Mom about dinner.”
“Coming. Coming.” Danny rolled his eyes.
Jazz hurried to the door as the boy stood. Down the second floor hall and the stairs. The living room. The kitchen. Excited voices carried up from the basement.
The half ghost reached to open the door but… a hand rested on his shoulder. He turned to his sister, a brow raised.
“If you want to talk about it more, you can ask me. Anytime you need.”
Danny's face softened, his reply not the excuse they would have been just a month ago, but completely real, trusting, authentic. “I know.”
“You’re saying, because the portal is on top of Danny’s lair, it’s in his territory.” Mom asked. “So that makes it a privileged, permission-restricted area?”
“As in… other ghosts can’t enter without Danno’s okay.” Dad said.
“Well, it’s not that they can’t…” Sidney pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Entering without permission is highly frowned upon. And doing so repeatedly will get you in trouble with Walker. Most of the time, the resident ghost beats up or scares off the intruder…”
Well… Danny had been planning to talk to Mom about dinner. But of course everyone got distracted. It’s a wonder Jazz hadn’t stomped down yet, wondering what was taking them so long.
“But that’s just unspoken societal rules keeping interlopers out.” The woman’s brow furrowed.
“You mentioned doors earlier, with phase-proof paint.” The ghostly nerd pointed out. “Infinite Realms paint would probably do the trick; ghosts can only phase through things in the material realm.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “You would need something to trade for it… Material Realm goods fetch a good price.” He looked to Danny. “And you could try shaping the lair so it hides the portal at least partially.”
The half ghost sat up more fully, attention drawn. “What do you mean, shape the lair?”
Sidney tilted his head, eyes narrowing slightly like he couldn’t believe the question. “You’re already almost as strong as me and you’re only two months old, buster. Of course you’ll be able to manipulate its form once your lair settles.”
“By-passing the two months old comment…” Danny blushed at the words. “Lairs can be changed like that? I thought… I don’t know… they just came pre-made and stayed like that.”
“Oh.” Sidney nodded, apparently getting the misunderstanding. “It does take a considerable amount of time and effort but it can be done. I never bothered to do much with my own lair, besides make myself a bedroom. I’ll show it to you next time you come over.”
“So I can probably do something like that too…” Danny’s eyes widened. “How do I even do that though? Is it just supposed to, what, come naturally? Or could you teach me?”
“I could help.” Sidney nodded. “You would be able to make a bigger change sooner that way as well.” He smiled slightly. “I’ve never been a part of making one but I know that’s how some of the larger islands form: groups of ghosts working together to form free-floating rocks into a kind of communal lair. That’s how the Acropolis and Far Frozen originated, according to the histories in the Library at least.”
“What are the Acropolis and Far Frozen?” Danny asked.
That tail-spinned the conversation into another direction. Sometime later….
“...And that’s why it’s called the Carnivorous Cannon.” Sidney finished.
Danny’s stomach growled, earning an embarrassed chuckle from the boy. “Okay. We really need to go figure out dinner now.”
“I should head back to my lair.” The ghostly nerd gave a nod, floating back towards the portal.
“Yeah. Bye.. Oh!” The half ghost’s eyes flickered to the jars still sitting on the tables. “Let’s plant these before you go.”
“Of course.” Sidney nodded, eyes widening in remembrance. “They won’t be happy if they have to stay in those jars much longer.”
“I’ll get the gardening tools!” Dad offered brightly, already digging through the closest. “Here we go!” He slung the bag onto the table, contents on display. Shears, trowels. A hand fork and weeder. Even gloves and a knee pad.
Danny blinked. “Why do you have these down here?” In the basement, far away from any dirt…
Mom gave a casual wave. “You know us, Danny. Always prepared.”
The boy shook his head, chuckling. “Sure. I guess.” He turned back to Sidney, reaching for one of the jars, but suddenly paused. “I should transform.”
Danny summoned the ring, light flickering out once before passing over him. Now in ghost form, he floated off the ground. He took the tiger shrub cutting and with his ghostly friend, passed through the portal. Mom and Dad followed.
Sidney surveyed the dirt for a few seconds, drifting closer to the edge. “Right here is perfect.” He knelt, placing his own jar down before patting the spot beside him meaningfully. “Let’s do the tiger shrub first.”
Danny lowered himself to the ground, handing over his own jar. “Here you go.”
The nerd unscrewed the lid, placing it to the side. His head turned up, looking towards the half ghost’s dad. “Mr. Fenton, can I have the garden trowel please?”
“Here you go, kiddo.” The man handed it over.
The ghost accepted, using the tool to dig a small hole. “This is good soil.” He hummed, pleased. “Loamy, not very compact.” He ran his fingers through the upturned dirt. “A little dry but it’s not too bad.”
With that comment, Sidney gently lifted the plant cutting out of the jar. He placed the small portion of soil, thick with roots, into the hole, and with his hands brushed the dirt back into place around it. Again, Danny was reminded of Sam, of watching her care for her plants and helping her in her greenhouse.
The other ghost sat back slightly, studying the cutting. “See, easy.” He turned to look at Danny. “Now you just need to water it.”
“Oh.” The half ghost turned his head up from the plant. A glance back at the portal. “I can go get some water from the house…”
Sidney shook his head. “It’s a Realms plant. It needs water from here.”
“But… where?” Danny looked around, wide-eyed. But there was no water here…
“Here is the first lesson on shaping your lair.” The ghostly nerd reached out a hand, grabbing Danny’s. “Place your hand over the soil like this, palm down.”
The half ghost did so, questioning gaze flickering from the ground to his friend. “So… what do I do?”
Sidney smiled encouragingly. “Things are malleable here, not like in the Material Realm. They’re shaped by thoughts, feelings, intentions, as much or more than by the normal rules of cause and effect. And here, this place. This is your lair. Your home. It’s an extension of you, a part of you. It reacts to your mind.”
Danny’s eyes widened. He saw where this was going…
His friend continued. “So tell it what you need. Focus on it. Picture it in your mind. And the lair will draw from the matter and energy around to make it.”
Danny closed his eyes. “Alright. I need to water this plant so…. I need a watering can. With plenty of water….” He tried to picture it in his head. The shape of it, the weight, the texture….. There was a strange, fuzzy feeling at the edge of his perception.
He needed to focus. The square shape of the body. White plastic with some kind of floral design. A spout coming out. The water inside: liquid, not too cold or too warm.
The fuzzy feeling swirled, solidifying. There was something under his hand…
Danny’s eyes popped open. “I did it.” The words filled with awe. There, sitting in a slight depression in the ground, was a perfectly formed watering can. Tentatively, the boy reached out for the object, fingers wrapping around the handle. He lifted; it was heavy, solid, real. He tipped it, slack jawed as slightly green water gently poured out. “I can’t believe I did that!”
“Nifty work, pal.” Sidney congratulated.
Dad patted him on the shoulder. “Good job, son!”
The halfa beamed. “Thanks!”
The two ghosts returned to working on the plants. Danny carefully opened the second jar, holding some kind of viney plant; Spotted squa-pump-chini is what his friend had called it, right?
“Tiger Shrub needs lots of space.” The ghostly nerd said. “Let’s plant the squash a little farther away.”
The halfa dug the hole, pulled out the plant, buried the roots, and watered it. Moving another few feet over, the process was repeated with the midnight arugula. All plants in the ground, the two ghosts stood, surveying their work.
“It looks great, sweetie.” Mom approached, wrapping an arm around her son in a half hug.
Danny returned the gesture. “Yeah, it does.” Smiling in satisfaction, his eyes flitted from plant to plant. Each so small and delicate now but…. He could picture it, over months of time. Plants growing and spreading, multiplying. His little island, no longer bare. “It’s gonna look awesome once the lair’s done. I’m thinking, a dome over the top, like a greenhouse.” He motioned above him. “And see that staircase. The door to the actual house will be down there so everything’s underground… kinda like a hobbit hole from Lord of the Rings. Super cozy.” He started counting off on his fingers. “It’ll have my bedroom. A kitchen, living room, game room. And guest bedrooms! One for Sidney, at least. And maybe I’ll make some other ghost friends…” He pictured Dora, fleeing from her brother and needing a refuge. Maybe Johnny and Kitty would stop by; the biker dude seemed to like him at least. “It’ll be a cool place to hang out.”
Dad slapped him heartily on the back. “You’ll have your own little place in no time!” His eyes flickered to the watering can. “And check that out.” He stepped forward, eagerly lifting the object. “It feels just like a real watering can!”
Mom wrapped her hand around the spout, eyes widening. “It does. And you made this.”
Danny blushed. “Not really. I mean, I just asked the lair to make it.”
His parents’ excitement failed to wane. “It’s still incredible.” The woman’s eyes shining with pride. “You’re going to do so many amazing things here, Danny.”
The ghost boy’s heart twisted, a burst of complex feelings but… “Really?” That was hope.
Mom nodded and Dad agreed. “I just know it.”
They sounded so proud of him. And the words… that was an acknowledgement for what he had realized to be true. His core hummed, pleased and content. That this was his lair, his home as much as Fentonwork. And what’s more…. He was a ghost, a resident of the Realms; this was his world too.
“Thanks Mom and Dad.” Danny wedged himself between his parents, an arm around each. “Thanks for working so hard to understand. I love you guys. And…” He’d reminded himself of it earlier, the words heavy in his heart. Making the decision, his voice quieted, earnest eyes fixed on his Mom. “I accept your apology.”
For just a moment, the woman startled, a flicker of hurt…
The boy blushed. “I wasn’t sure if I actually said it before but…. I forgive you Mom. I want to put that fight, when I ran away, behind us. All of that, all of it…” He motioned vaguely, shaking his head. “It’s in the past, where it’s going to stay.”
The last of that icy hurt chipped away, something in his core finally sliding into place.
His mom wrapped both arms around him, the sensation so much fuller, so much greater than when it had been both his halves clinging to her in a hug. “Thank… thank you, Danny.” A hint of a sniffle but he felt her muscles relax, could almost see the weight lifted off her shoulders. “Thank you.”
They stayed like that for a long minute. Then…
Over his mom’s shoulder, Danny caught a glimpse of black-and-white, awkward shuffling. Embarrassed, he pulled away.
Mom turned around, towards what he was looking at, brow furrowed in question.
“Oh. Uh… Sidney. I forgot you were still here.” The half ghost rubbed the back of his neck.
“It’s alright.” His friend smiled understandingly. “You were having a moment.”
There was a hint of sadness, of longing there. A second of wondering then… the memory. Sidney had said he wished he’d been able to talk to his parents, when Danny told him about the fight with his mom and making up.
Danny didn’t comment, instead drifting forward, eyes full of compassion. “Well, thanks for waiting. And thanks for everything.” He held up his fist for a fist pump.
The ghostly nerd quickly caught on this time, raising his fist. “You’re welcome, pal. I’m happy to help. I will see you on Friday?”
The half ghost nodded. “I can come to your locker after school. We’ll talk more about plans for the library. And how to change my lair.”
“Ghost Zone Field trip!” Dad cheered, rejoining the conversation. He took his wife’s hand, the two meeting eyes for just a second before continuing. “We need to design some kind of vehicle to navigate. A blimp? A jet? Oh! A submarine!!”
“And communications equipment. Maybe some kind of bluetooth headset?” Mom offered, excitement rising.
“We can set up satellites to ping the signals off of. What if we set up a dish on the Zone side and connect it to a receiver in the lab through the portal?”
“They’re going to be making blueprints the rest of the night.” Danny stage-whispered to his friend.
“Of course we won’t.” Mom waved him off.
“Yeah! We need to get dinner!” Dad exclaimed. “And there’s a new episode of Spector Hunters tonight.”
“It’s not Monday night if we don’t get to insult… I mean critique, other… researchers.”
The ghost boy rolled his eyes. “Only if I get to watch the new Supernatural too.”
“That’s just as bad.” The woman complained, raising her hands.
“Come on. It’s a good show. I mean… this season hasn’t been that good but…”
Sidney chuckled at banter. “I’m going to go. See you on Friday, Danny.”
“Bye, Sidney.” Danny waved. “I’m invested. I have to see what happened. And last week…”
With that, the ghostly nerd flew away, leaving the family to debate (and insult each other) about their preferred shows.
“Okay, okay.” A short trip through the portal found the three back in the lab. Danny summoned the rings, feet softly landing on the metal floor. “We’ll watch both.”
“You guys are supposed to tell me if you go somewhere.”
The boy turned at Jazz’s annoyed voice. “Oh. Sorry.” He smiled sheepishly.
“I knew I should have gone down here with Danny instead of going to work on my thesis.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s almost eight.”
The half ghost glanced at the wall clock. “We were talking for that long?” Then he asked. “What can we make fast, Mom?”
“We have cans of soup in the pantry and plenty of ingredients for sandwiches.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Soup and sandwiches were served around the table. Danny ate on the tiger fruits his friend had brought. Then the family gathered for evening tv.
Even with the blob ghost claiming one of the couch cushions, the scene was cozy, safe, familiar. Danny remembered: Phantom’s feet draped over Fenton’s lap, Fenton, half laying on Phantom. His core purred contentedly. Satisfied, intertwined, nestled in its place beside his heart. He was both. Both were him. But… he was also more. He was whole.
Drown in a contented kind of tiredness, Danny watched the credits roll.
His ghost sense went off, blue mist billowing past his lips. He sat up, suddenly more aware. All eyes fixed on him, eager and expectant for explanation.
“There’s a ghost.” The boy stood. “I should see what it is. It…” brows furrowed… “Feels familiar? Maybe like that ectopus I sent back through the portal.”
A hint of worry, of doubt from his parents. But… “Make sure to take the thermos, sweetie.”
“I’ll be fast.” Danny summoned the rings, his core buzzing pleasantly. And… “Yes!” The light spread smoothly, the ghostly chill expanding, blooming effortlessly. In his core, something had at last realigned….
Summary: When Danny went through the ghost catcher, he expected to be cured of the ghostliness that had haunted him since the accident, not to wake up on the lab floor with his parents saying he’d been overshadowed but everything’s back to normal now. But why does Danny Fenton cry himself to sleep to then dream of flying? Why does Phantom, the ghost who was supposedly possessing Danny remember a life that wasn’t his? Most of all, why do both the human and the ghost feel that something vital is missing, in their very soul? Or: Trying to cure himself of his powers one month after the accident, Danny accidentally splits himself but neither his ghost nor his human half know that that is what they did
First -> Last
Word Count: 3,341
Also on AO3 and Fanfiction.net
Note: I am so excited for you guys to see this chapter! 😍 And I'm not going to say anymore and risk spoilers. Go check it out! 👀
With yawns, the group hug pulled apart.
Dad stretched, pushing himself to his feet. “This old man’s ready to hit the hay. There’s been a lotta excitement.”
“There has been.” The other adult nodded. “I think we all need to head to bed.”
Fenton held back a yawn, looking at Phantom. A silent conversation passed and… “I think we’re gonna stay up here a few more minutes. Get some star gazing in.”
Worry flickered across Mom’s face. “Are you sure? You look tired, sweetie. I don’t want you falling asleep up here.”
“We’ll be fine.” Phantom gave her a soft smile. “I can carry Fenton in, if he does fall asleep.”
The woman offered a nod. “Alright. Good night Danny.”
Good night kisses were exchanged, other parting words and soon…. Fenton and Phantom were alone.
They both shifted on the blanket pile, sitting down side by side and looking at the stars. A beat of companionable silence passed. Just the night sky, deep and vivid with ghostly eyes. The moon, barely a waning sliver. Venus, still bright near the horizon. With a quick search, Human Danny found Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. And the constellations….
“There’s Pegasus.” Phantom’s finger traced the square of stars.
“And Andromeda.” Fenton pointed above the famed flying horse. His eyes widened slightly, awed. “I can actually see the galaxy.”
“It’s incredible.” The ghost breath, sharing the feeling. “I don’t think I’ll ever get over it, how many stars we can see now.” His eyes shone, quietly giddy.
More patterns were traced. “Perseus. Cassiopeia.”
“And there’s little Lacerta, the Lizard.” The human’s finger pointed out the diamond ‘head,’ the square ‘body’, the little ‘tail.’ “And the swan, Cygnus.” The Northern cross made up the ‘body’, two ‘wings’ outlined with the upper part.
He’d never tire of this, Phantom knew, the sight filling him with so much joy. He loved learning the names of the stars, the stories people told. He dreamed of the far reaches of space, the mysteries and wonders of distant worlds. His mind drifted for just a moment to the portal, to the unknown world accessible through his basement.
Fenton gave a sigh. “It’s too bad it’s the wrong time of year for Orion.”
The ghost turned his head. “Our favorite.” His counterpart nodded. “It is a winter constellation, like…” His eyes drifted to the sky, checking for something he was sure wouldn’t be there. Phantom gave a soft smile. “You know, I’m kinda partial to Gemini.”
The human rolled his eyes, putting his head in his hands. “The twins, really?” He looked up, raising a brow. “These ‘I’m my own brother’ jokes.”
The ghost laughed. “You’re the one who started calling me James.” He poked his other playfully. “But seriously though, I like the constellation. It seemed appropriate, and… I don’t know, they’re something… special about this.” He motioned to the two of them.
“Yeah.” Fenton raised a brow, a quiet request to continue.
Phantom nodded. “And… this is it.” He sobered slightly, wide earnest eyes fixed on his counterpart. “If everything goes right, we’ll be back to being a halfa tomorrow.” A flicker of hope, of excitement. If it worked, they would finally be back to how they were supposed to be. But… “This is our last night, like this.” There was a weight to the words, a bittersweet aching in his core. “So… I guess if we have anything else to say to each other while we’re still like this, we should say it.”
The human’s brow furrowed. “Well.” A pause, betraying Fenton’s understanding of the seriousness of the conversation. Then the corner of human Danny’s mouth twitched. “I do have a joke.”
“Do you now?” Phantom’s serious expression cracked slightly, a brow raised.
“Why didn’t the ghost go to the dance?” Fenton kept his face deceptively neutral.
“...why?” Phantom asked, hesitantly.
Human Danny grinned. “He had no body to go with.”
His counterpart gawked. “Really, Fenton?” He chuckled. “Really?”
“What? It seemed appropriate considering.…” He wiggled his eyebrows pointing at himself.
“You. are. Ridiculous!” Phantom practically lunged for him. “He had no body to go with?” A hand furiously noogied the black haired head. “He had no body to go with? How could you do me dirty like that?”
The human shook with laughter, squirming and trying to get away. “You’re the one who thought I was your dead body.”
“You were asleep!” The ghost exclaimed.
“You’d still have no body to go with.” Fenton giggled. “I’d never let you take me to the dance!”
Phantom lost it, his hand dropping out of his human’s hair. The other successfully broke away, arms wrapping around his middle in his outburst. The ghost flopped down on the blanket pile, tail twitching in his mirth.
“Sorry. Sorry.” Fenton finally broke out, panting for breath. “I just had to get that out of me.”
His counterpart snorted. “I’d never let you take me to the dance.”
“Very funny.” The human rolled his eyes, still smiling.
“You’re never gonna live that down.” The ghost propped himself up with his elbows. “We’ll be at the next school dance. That’ll suddenly pop up in our head and we’ll end up laughing to ourself like we’re crazy.”
“Only if halfa-us actually remembers this.” Fenton pointed out, one brow raised. “Also, we can’t live anything down.” A yawn broke through the words but he powered through. “Kinda comes with being half-dead.”
“We’re making death jokes now!” Phantom sat up, raising his arms. “How the tables have turned!”
“Yep.” His other chuckled. Then… “Seriously though.” His face sobered, a mirror of Phantom’s earlier expression. “About your question… I guess I do have some stuff to say.”
The ghost shuffled closer but didn’t say anything, patient.
The human sighed. “First, I’m glad we talked to Mom and Dad. It was hard but… I think it helped. We… we really did need to do it.”
Phantom reached, a hand going to his counterpart’s arm. “I’m happy we could do it together.” He gave a soft smile. “So much has happened and… it was good to get it all out in the open.”
Fenton nodded. There were a lot of feelings there but… paramount was relief, a peace settling over them. Then… a twinge in his heart. “We never really talked about what happened with Dora at the park.”
The ghost's soft smile waned slightly. “Right. I guess we got pretty wrapped up worrying about tonight.”
There was a lot there as well. Happiness and excitement: Mom and Dad had reacted so well, been so enthusiastic to answer all of the princess’s questions. Sadness and worry: They learned a bit of where Dora was from, the abuse she was suffering and… she’d flown back to her brother. Guilt: people had been hurt at the park, property destroyed. And yet….
Things could have gone much worse if it wasn’t for their ice and quick thinking. They’d jumped into action, Fenton getting people away from the action while Phantom tried to get the necklace off the dragon ghost. They’d both fought, in their own separate ways. But at the end, together….
A shared feeling rose. At that moment…. There’d been determination, surety. Green and blue eyes meet, both sparkling.
“We both pulled off the amulet.” Phantom spoke the words. “And… it felt so right.”
“Like… like that’s what we were meant to do.” Fenton nodded, eyes wide.
The words, the memory made the ghost’s core buzz. “It felt so… perfect. Protecting people and helping Dora.” He couldn’t verbalize, could hardly explain it. But… it felt like looking at the stars. Like…. Somehow, something slotted into place.
“Sidney said about us being a bridge between worlds.” Fenton’s voice was quiet, awed. “It wasn’t just that we did the right thing. We protected those kids and helped Dora get back to the portal. We helped both of them, the ghost and the humans.” The human blinked, eyes widening. “That’s what we’ve been doing since this started really, standing in the middle.”
“Maybe that’s why this happened to us.” The ghost’s lips quirked. “It feels almost stupid to say that. But… we were called down the stairs and into the portal. And we both desperately want to believe it was for a reason.”
That was true. They’d talked about the accident, agonized over the what ifs together, ultimately choosing to table them but still…. That longing for meaning, for purpose lingered.
Fenton smiled softly, giving his counterpart’s arm a squeeze. “And if it wasn’t for some outside reason… we can give it one.”
This felt like the beginning of something. Phantom’s core pulsed, a thousand emotions churning. His mind flickered back, to kneeling in front of Sophie and declaring he was Danny Phantom. And this time, the name wasn’t a placeholder. It was something thought up to make the pain a little more bearable. It was his name, really his name. A truth he chose to accept, to embrace.
The two sat for a long pause, arm in arm. Feelings, emotions, memories wafted. Peace. Hope. Joy. Expectation.
“I’m happy I got a chance to get to know you like this.” Fenton finally said, voice so quiet, so tender.
Phantom looked over, meeting the blue eyes. His own softened, shining with affection.
The human continued. “I know we would have figured it out eventually if we hadn’t done this. And being split hasn’t exactly been fun. But you’re right. This was special. I’ve learned so much and…” Fenton put an arm around him, a gentle half-hug “I’ve loved getting to see and talk to you like this.”
Phantom felt his eyes watering with emotion. This moment…. so tender, so close. His chest almost ached, his insides soft and gooey.
“I think I’m going to like being you.” Fenton smiled.
Somehow, his core felt even meltier. “You already are me.”
The human snorted. “You know what I mean.”
He did.
Phantom leaned into the half hug. “I’m happy I got to know you like this too. I mean…” He shrugged. “We were just human most of our life so I think I know human us pretty well but… you’re not the boy who went into the portal, not anymore.”
Sadness wafted, the knowledge that that version of them was gone. But…. “I know we can never go back to that and…. I don’t really want to anymore.” Fenton said, no surprise in his words but a quiet confidence. “I’m excited to actually be half ghost. When this works, we’ll…. we’ll finally be the real us, the real Danny again.”
The ghost nodded vigorously, his arm rising to wrap around his counterpart. “Me too. I’m… really looking forward to being human again.” He turned his head, looking at Fenton. “I’m happy Mom figured out the ecto-cookies and stuff. And getting to eat and taste it was great. But… it’s no substitute.”
For just a moment he wondered; would he be able to taste if he and Fenton were sharing the human’s mouth? Well… the memory pressed into the ghost’s mind; Fenton had tasted the ecto-cookie when Phantom had first tried them. But maybe they could do it on purpose. They’d try it out in the morning, before trying the ghost catcher again.
The human gave a chuckle, sensing the thought. “That could be fun.” Then his eyes drifted back up, to the sky. “I’m really excited to fly.” His serene smile brightened, eyes glowing. “Not dreaming it through your eyes. Not having to be carried. Actually, finally… touching the sky.”
“The way it’s supposed to be.” Phantom breathed.
“The way it’s supposed to be.” Fenton couldn’t help but agree.
There was nothing more to say, not with the parts of their soul touching. Emotions and memories swirled together as Fenton’s eyes started fluttering.
He yawned. “Tell me about some more constellations.”
Phantom obliged. With his free hand, he pointed to the sky. Fingers waved and motioned, connecting the dots. He rambled, eyes shining. About the notable celestial objects making up those constellations. The galaxies, nebulae, massive stars, and black holes.
“Of course, the Andromeda constellation has the famous Andromeda galaxy. See, it’s right there. It’s also called Messier 31. There’s two other galaxies, dwarf elliptical ones. Le Gentil, called Messier 31 I think. And 110?” He shrugged, hand waving. “See those three bright stars in a kinda curved line. There’s Alpheratz, Mirach, and Almach. Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Andromedae.” His freckles glowed, seeming to shift into a familiar pattern. “Alpheratz makes up one corner of the Great Square of Pegasus. And Almach is up there, near Perseus.”
Fenton’s head drifted, settling onto his ghost’s shoulder. “The story, Phantom.” The boy whined tiredly. “About Perseus and Medusa and the flying horse…”
“Alright, alright.” The ghost laughed. “So Perseus was the son of a Greek princess and Zeus, the king of the gods. And of course like any f-ed up Greek myth, the story starts with a prophecy and Zeus shape-shifting to get a lady pregnant, because he can’t keep it in his pants…..”
Phantom rambled, loud and enthusiastic. His hands waved. His constellation freckles shone.
“So Perseus beheaded Medusa using his shield to see her reflection. That way he didn’t look at her directly and you know, get turned to stone.” He shrugged. “And that’s where Pegasus comes in. The horse supposedly sprung from the blood dripping from her decapitated head. So the horse was actually Medusa and Poseidon’s kid. Which is completely weird and totally messed up. Actually this whole story is so messed up. Sam was right. Where’s the justice? Medusa got attacked by a freaking god in Athena’s temple, turned into a monster, and beheaded. And she didn’t even get a constellation! How’s that fair?”
“You’re such a dork.” The human slurred out sleepily, interrupting the rant.
Phantom’s mouth snapped shut. He smirked, raising an eyebrow teasingly. “I know you are but what am I?”
“Still a dork.” Fenton snorted, snuggling into his side.
The ghost blinked once. Then he rolled his eyes, smiling. “I walked right into that one, didn’t I?”
“Yep.” His counterpart giggled. “Think you’re the king of the comebacks, don’t cha? Silly ghost.”
“Hey, I’m very witty. You just happen to share my brain.” He grinned, roughly ruffling his counterpart’s hair. “Can’t get one over on you, can I?”
“I’m the pun master.” Fenton chuckled, leaning into the touch.
“You’re annoying, that’s what you are.” Phantom teased.
“I love you too.” The human muttered, rolling his eyes.
The ghost stilled, his free hand dropping out of the black hair. His core squeezed, jovial teasing giving way to a soft and quiet joy. The tiredness radiated off of his other self, heavy enough that he was starting to get silly. But those words…. Every syllable was real.
Phantom breathed. Teasing and joking was familiar, comfortable even. He was even used to transparency, tender honesty. But this…. The arm still around his human half tightened, his free arm circling around Fenton’s front. He had said earlier, if they had anything else to say to each other while they were still split, they should say it.
Ghost Danny completed the hug. “I do love you.”
Human Danny didn’t say anything, just smiling before closing his eyes. His free hand drifted up, squeezing his ghost’s.
Finally…. “Can you finish the story?” A yawn. “Then I can go ta bed.”
“Yeah, I’ll finish it. Where was I? Oh right. Medusa. So…” Phantom continued, his other self’s head buried in his shoulder. “Perseus put the head in a bag. The other two gorgons tried to chase and attack him but he escaped, using the helm of darkness to turn invisible…”
The ghost talked, this time not loud and excited, but instead quiet and calm. Fenton’s breathing slowed. “So he found this girl - that’s where Andromeda comes in- tied naked to a rock and for once had the rationale reaction of being like ‘What the hell is going on?’”
The human’s body relaxed, muscles going limp. “Perseus came back to Seriphos and found out that his mom was in hiding because apparently, Polydectes, the king- the same who sent on this suicide mission to get Medusa’s head in the first place- wouldn’t take no for an answer. So our man Percy was like ‘That’s it, I’ve had enough of you’ and used the head to turn the king guy to stone and kill him ....”
Fenton’s quiet breath ghosted across his shoulder, a soft snore resounding. “The prophecy that started all this did come true. But for once it wasn’t an evil plot or some cruel joke by the gods. It was just a tragic accident….”
Tiredness brushed at his consciousness, radiating from the human boy half-laying on him. But Phantom would finish this story; he’d told himself he would. “Perseus went back to his new wife and their new kingdom. They had a bunch of kids and ruled in peace and prosperity. Rare for a Greek Hero, there was no tragic ending. No sudden madness, no bloody fall in battle, no cruel betrayal. Finally, they just lived happily ever after.”
The story finished, Phantom smiling as his human half gave another light snore. He let go of the sleeping boy, to gently lower him onto the blankets. But Fenton hung on, giving a sleepy whine.
The ghost chuckled. “Alright. Let’s get you to bed.”
Ghost Danny floated off the ground, one arm still around his human self. It took some maneuvering with his free hand and his tail; luckily the appendage proved to be much longer and more dexterous than his legs. But Phantom managed to move the boy into a comfortable enough princess carry.
He glanced down at the blanket and pillow pile. “I’ll come back for these. Bed first.” He flickered both of them intangible and-
A black and white figure darted in front of him. A whoop of delight. The other person dove, twirling in the air. “This is amazing!”
Phantom blinked. “What-”
The ghost flipped, swimming back up. And… it was his own ghostly face. “There you are!”
Phantom just stared, mind spinning. What was happen-
Ghost Danny yanked himself out of the dream. He needed to get his human self to bed. He darted down, through the ceiling.
A rough pull on his mind, from somewhere deep inside of him.
The other figure waved, frantically motioning the on-looker to approach. “Come on! It’s a perfect night for flying.”
Phantom blinked, suddenly understanding. This was… this was Fenton’s dream. And the figure in front of him…. His human self was dreaming, not of being his ghost half but… somehow, Phantom knew, this was a dream of being Danny, their half ghost self.
The ghost boy was hovering over their bed. When did he get here?
“Come on!” Danny? Fenton dreaming of being Danny? Waved again. “The sky’s clear and open. There’s so many stars. Let’s fly, Danny!”
It was tempting, so tempting.
His body felt tingly and light. He lowered, arms holding Fenton just half a foot from the bed. He just had to let go and pry the human’s arm off him.
A gloved hand moved and…. The dream…
A jubilee yell. Fenton waved, green eyes sparkling. “Come on! You know you want to.”
Phantom did want to. The sensation of pins and needles washed over his body. But…
The ghostly figure twirled, doing a backflip before leveling out. “No buts! I always dream through your eyes. It’s your turn. Get over here.”
Ghost Danny wanted to. He wanted to sleep, to dream. His grip loosened. He already could barely feel his hands on Fenton’s back, the feather-light sensation like brushing fog…
Another echoing laugh. A ghostly tail flicked, gaze fixed to the sky. Fenton…. Danny turned his head, eyebrow raised. “Well then?”
Or maybe Phantom was the mist. He released his hold and let himself fall into the dream.
Two calls of joy echoed, twirling, intertwining, melding into one.
Ghostly light swirling over his skin, the seemingly-human body of Danny Fenton alone fell to his bed.
Note: Feel free to yell at me in the comments. Seriously, I am so excited about this and the next chapter. I'd been waiting literal years to write them and I'm so happy with how this one turned out!
Summary: When Danny went through the ghost catcher, he expected to be cured of the ghostliness that had haunted him since the accident, not to wake up on the lab floor with his parents saying he’d been overshadowed but everything’s back to normal now. But why does Danny Fenton cry himself to sleep to then dream of flying? Why does Phantom, the ghost who was supposedly possessing Danny remember a life that wasn’t his? Most of all, why do both the human and the ghost feel that something vital is missing, in their very soul? Or: Trying to cure himself of his powers one month after the accident, Danny accidentally splits himself but neither his ghost nor his human half know that that is what they did
First -> Last -> Next
Word Count: 3,320
Also on AO3 and Fanfiction.net
Spinning. Twirling. Wind caressing. Smile wide and bright.
Dipping down. A wide, slow river. Gloved hand brushing the surface.
Giddy butterflies. Ascending. Arms spread, head raised to the sky.
The moon, white and full. Twinkling city lights below. A celebratory laugh, core light as air.
Diving down, tail lashing. An excited yell.
A jolt. Suddenly pulling up short. Below…
A serene pond. The reflection of shining stars. Laughter quieting. A soft smile. Hand brushing water.
The familiar image. White hair and green eyes.
Waking up with a gasp. With a flailing jerk up, a body tangled in the blankets. A surprised squeak; Blobby went flying. And…
One foot hit the floor and suddenly… falling off the bed.
“Wha- Umph.” Something didn’t sound right with the words; an echo rang out.
With a shake of the head, the thought was dismissed. Hands braced the floor, pushing up onto all fours. Eyes stared down at ungloved fingers, bathed in ghostly green. A blink and…
His… their… mind stalled. Bare, pale, human fingers. No gloves covered them. But… that wasn’t right. He was stuck in ghost form. He couldn’t turn human. He hadn’t been able to since-
No wait. That wasn’t right either. That was just his bare hand, nothing out of the ordinary. Why was he surprised? He was the human half; of course, his hands were… human….
Eyes widened. Swirling ghostly light enveloped the hand. A bright white flickered, like electricity. A tingly feeling. And… his skin had a greenish tint. Then… neon green… ectoplasm, damp and sticky, stretched, molding over his fingers, like a second skin. A glowing white glove morphed into place.
His mouth dried, confusion and fear rising. They couldn’t transform. He’d been in human form, just a second ago. But… that wasn’t right. He was supposed to be in ghost form. Of course, his hand was glowing. Why wouldn’t it be?
Another flicker. Bare human hands. This wasn’t… this wasn’t right. Something had gone wrong.
Still kneeling on the floor, they… he tried to stand. But… a cold tingly feeling rose. Head turned down and their heart-core jolted. His knees…. they were intangible, stuck in the carpet.
Frantically, they tried to pull up. This didn’t make any sense! His legs were… were caught in the floor, sinking. Heart pounding, two arms flailed for the bed, for something to grab and pull up with. But they were facing the wrong direction, nothing in reach.
Fenton was human! He didn’t have any powers. He couldn’t get stuck in the floor! Was… was Phantom playing a prank? No! He wouldn’t play a prank like this! How could Fenton think that?! Why would he think that? He wasn’t doing this on purpose. Fenton knew that. Yes… yes, he knew that. Phantom would never do this to them on purpose. But-
His… their head hurt. It didn’t make sense. Something was wrong. Wrong. Something was wrong.
“Mom! Dad!” A yell, echoing, and then flat.
Panicked flailing. They were too hot, too cold. He was… too solid, not solid enough. His heart beat too fast, their core too slow.
“Danny!” Jazz threw the door open, her red hair vibrant and vivid despite the dark, despite their tears. Tears?
Their sister stopped, wrapping her arms around his chest. A hug? No... “I’m going to pull you up.” The girl bent her knees, hoisting. His body jerked, legs inching forward. But… Jazz grunted. “I can’t get you free. Danny, you’ll have to turn your legs intangible again and float out.”
“Float?!” A hysterical gasp. “I can’t float as a human. Phantom’s the one with powers. No, wait. I have my powers. That’s not-”
Mom and Dad burst through the door, hefting a bat and a wrench. “Kids! What’s-” “Where’s the-”
“Danny!” Their son’s name cut off the frantic questions, both parents dropping improvised weapons.
“He’s stuck in the floor!” Jazz pulled again. “Help me!”
Both adults ran forward. Three pairs of arms wrapped around the boy. A great heave and- “Umph.”
The ghost… the human dangled in the air, free of the floor. Then gravity re-engaged. He fell before flickering intangible and phasing through the arms holding them. They landed on the bed, tail lashing…. No, those were legs. But where was his tail?!
Blobby flitted above, chirping and just as distressed.
“Danny boy, what happened?” Dad asked, eyes wide and worried.
“I don’t know! I don’t understand!” Their chest heaved, the hair at the edge of his vision flickering from white to black to white. “Phantom and me were talking on the roof and I fell asleep.” His voice shifted, echoing ethereally. “Fenton fell asleep, and I carried him to bed.” The words flattened, tone bare and human. “I was dreaming, having the best dream ever. I was flying and suddenly, ghost me was there too. And I actually fell asleep! I was actually dreaming! It was amazing! But-” The speech quickened. “I… we woke up and we fell out of bed. And I was suddenly stuck in the floor. We couldn’t get out. And now something’s wrong!”
“Danny…” Mom hazarded, eyes widening with realization.
The boy didn’t register the word. “This isn’t…. There’s too much.” Their arms wrapped around his chest, a torso rapidly shifting from an old t-shirt in one blink to black hazmat in the next. The action should have been self-soothing but panic rose. “I… I feel like too much.” Too many thoughts, too many memories, too many words stuffed inside his… their head. “But… we’re not enough.” An ache, a cut, a fracture. Incomplete. Something missing. Almost healed but not quite… “This isn’t right.”
“Danny, I think-” The woman tried again.
Breath quickened. “It doesn’t make sense. I don’t have the powers. I’m the human.” They shook his head. “No. No. That’s not right. We’re supposed to be half ghost. But-” He cut off, echoing voice flattening. “I know that! We’re supposed to be half ghost but…but we’re split. We can’t merge yet.”
“Danny, take a breath. Try to calm down.” That was Jazz.
“No, that doesn’t make sense.” Gritted teeth. “Why does my head hurt?!” Everything hurt, a strange ache pressing on his skin, in their chest. It felt too full. Something pounded and something pulsed uncomfortably close together and yet… it was almost right, familiar…. A breathe. “We need to… need to think logically about this, Fenton. I’m trying to be logical, Phantom!” A hand waved, as if motioning someone else to be quiet. “Shush. We were just talking on the roof and- I fell asleep; I already said that. Now-” A finger tapped their chin. “Something must have happened when I carried you to bed. Maybe-” Arms spread, he scowled in annoyance. “Phantom, stop trying to use my mouth!” Fists balled. “We only have one mouth!”
Suddenly, that single mouth snapped shut. The words and their impact, their meaning, crashed over their mind. Wide eyes stared at their hands, their singular pair of hands. They only had one pair of hands, one body, though it was shifting. White and black hair, flickering at the edge of their vision. Pale peach skin and light blue-green, spreading and condensing in patches. Sleep shirt and hazmat suit, changing in the blink of an eye. And… his eyes. The cool burn of ghostly vision flickered like a dying light bulb; his eyes must have been flickering too, from icy blue to ghostly green.
For a long moment, they stared at the fingers, mind spinning, processing, putting the pieces together.
Then, Fenton… Phantom… Danny looked up. Wide eyes flitted among the other three family members. “We… I tried to fuse.”
“I can see that.” Dad chuckled, patting him hardily on the back. Then his lips turned down. “It doesn’t look like it’s working.”
The ghost boy frowned down again at his hands. No, it wasn’t working. They were shifting between ghost and human, human and ghost, form unstable and fluctuating. And on the inside… “There’s still two of us in here.” Now that they realized it… that line, that distinction between their two halves, they could feel it. Fenton and Phantom were still here and there was still a hole, a gap in between them but…
Mom’s brow furrowed, eyes shining with worry. “Do we need to get the ghost catcher? You can try again in the morning.”
“No!” The word came out loud and echoing, both halves replying at the same time. For just a moment, the shifting stalled, perfectly balanced between forms. A deep, deliberate breath. “Give us some time to… to equilibrate. We…” Eyes closed, focusing. “I can do this. I.” Singular, not plural. “I can do this.”
Phantom and Fenton were still there. There was still a wound but… it was almost just a scar. It was a mended gash, the tissue underneath knitted together and fresh. All that was left was for the scab to fall off.
“Are you sure?” Jazz asked, a hand on his shoulder.
The boy, who was almost Danny, nodded. “I’m… we’re merging but… I’m not done yet. I just… need some time.”
His sister nodded, smiling understandingly. “Alright.”
Mom and Dad stepped closer, both still worried but… their expressions softened.
“Whatever you need, Danny boy.” The man rubbed his back.
Mom took a flickering hand, rubbing her finger against the knuckles. “Take as long as you need. Do you want to try to go back to sleep?”
The almost-halfa shook their head. “There’s no way we’re getting to sleep anytime soon.”
“We can stay up with you.” Jazz offered.
The boy nodded, just enjoying his family’s presence, their gentle hands. They were touching him, comforting him, despite their flickering form. And just weeks ago, their parents would have been uncomfortable, even fearful to see, let alone touch them like this. The realization sent a warm feeling through his heart.
“I’d like that.” The two halves smiled, closing their eyes. He breathed… the song of the portal hummed, just at the edge of their awareness. The sound sent a pleasant lightness through his core. One eye opened, this one green. “Can we go sit in front of the portal? I think it’ll help.”
Mom nodded. “Of course, we can do that.”
“Great.” The boy scooted forward on the bed. Fenton tried to stand. At the same time, Phantom pulled on their core to float. The two impulses came at once and the body’s knees wobbled. He tipped forward.
Dad caught him. “Woo there, Danno.”
The almost-half ghost looked up. “We don’t think I can walk.”
“No problem, son.” The man’s arms wrapped around him. “Your old man’s got ya.”
With surprising ease, Dad lifted them, shifting the body into a bridal carry.
For just a second embarrassment flared; they were being picked up like a little kid. Intangibility flickered, body threatening to sink. But they closed their eyes. No, they were okay. The ghost part pulled on their core to steady them; at the same time the human took a calming breath. He trusted his powers, his ghost half. They weren’t going to fall through Dad’s arms. They were safe.
Their mind flickered back to the conversation that night, earlier with Mom and Dad. To the love and acceptance given, when faced with such vulnerability. Now he was vulnerable. Their body shifted. Their mind churned, straining to smooth out, to weave back into its proper shape. He’d never been more exposed. And yet, he could never be safer.
He relaxed in the hold. Calm, comfortable, at ease. “Let’s go.” Almost-Danny motioned to the door.
The man agreed, exiting the room and carefully walking down the stairs. The boy felt more than saw Mom and Jazz following. Moments later, the family stood in the lab at the foot of the stairs.
“We can sit here, on the stairs.” The almost-half ghost waved with one hand.
Dad put them down and they wobbled slightly before sitting. Mom and Jazz joined, on either side. The other adult sat behind. A chirp came from over his shoulder, Blobby drifting over to settle on their lap.
Not their lap. His lap. His. Singular, not plural. “Not we. Me. I’m only one person.” He said.
“That’s right.” Jazz leaned in, wrapping one arm around them. No, him.
“Only one person.” He muttered again. Only one. Singular. But that felt so hard, so distant after spending so long being two. A month as two halves in two bodies. One month as human and ghost separately. As Phantom and Fenton apart. But now… one body. One head, one pair of eyes, of ears, of hands, of feet. Almost one mind.
“Just relax.” His sister gently reassured, as if sensing the inner tension. “You’re safe. We’ve got you.”
The words nestled into their heart and core, drawing the dual beats closer. His family had him.
Silence fell over the room, only broken by the song of the portal, the sound only heard by the ghostly boy. He breathed, the music washing over them. So calming, so serene. And yet underneath… the hint of warning, danger, the call for caution. Still, it was beautiful. Their core buzzed, basking in the light and sound. Energy seemed to swell in their chest. He looked down at his still-flickering hands. In the ghostly blinks, their aura flared brighter; it must have been about the Witching Hour. The perfect time to sit in front of the portal and drink in its ectoenergy.
The boy stroked the blob absently, muscles relaxing. In front of the portal, surrounded by his family, warmth and safety enveloped. Breaths slowed, mingling, falling in sync.
Dad was saying something, voice low and warm. But almost-Danny didn’t register the words, just the tone. Just the love and care. Just the peaceful swirling of the portal. Just the arms around him.
His heart rate slowed, his body feeling tingly and distant. Their mind slowed, congealing, smoothing, softening even as the echo inside quieted.
One. He was one. One.
Gradually, slowly, the flare of ghostly energy calmed. The cold dwindled, drawing away from the surface. It folded, nestling in its home behind his heart.
“It’s starting to slow down.” Jazz commented easily. “The shifting.”
Tired eyes fluttered open. His hands… the white gloves lingered for three breaths before the white light flickered. Warmth spread, leaving human fingers behind. “‘Hat’s good.” They mumbled. “Was startin’ ta get… worried.”
A hand softly rubbed his back. “You’re doing great, Danny.” Dad reassured.
A sleepy blink. “Danny. Our… My name is Danny, right. Just… Danny.”
Mom hugged him. “Yes. And I love you so much, Danny.”
So many warm arms around him. “I love you, little brother.” “Love you, son.”
Their family loved him.
A hair's breadth from unity, the becoming-halfa softly drifted back into sleep.
Phantom floated in front of the portal, the neon green of the Realm’s atmosphere to his back. He stared at the frame, where he had died. Where he had been re-created. His tail flicked under him lazily, calmly. Something was inside the portal, calling him.
Fenton stood in the lab in front of the portal. The mist churned, a voice inside calling. He wrung his hand, heart beating nervously but…. A sense of anticipation grew. This was where he’d died, where he'd been re-made.
Something was calling, drawing both of them, both of him, forward. The human stepped forward, a hand brushing the fog. The ghost flew, drifting closer cautiously. His fingers parted the veil.
Two breaths for courage. Mirrored hands lowered. Fenton and Phantom, even on either side of the portal, stepped through the opening as one.
Inside…. The tunnel. The metal walls and wires, melded and assembled by their parents, overlaid faintly green rock. Parts of the Material and the Infinite Realms mingled, within and beside each other. A liminal space. Both human and ghostly and between the two.
Just like them.
Serenely, the human and ghost moved forward. Three steps, a breath, and they met in the middle. Both smiled softly, eyes crinkling. Hands reached forward, palms meeting. Fingers curled, intertwining. The parts of their soul touched, a feather light caress, shining with joy.
Both felt it, heads turning to see the figure manifesting beside them.
“Here I am.” The figure, human with glowing green eyes, stared in awed satisfaction at his hands. He looked up, smiling at the two. “And there you guys are.”
Both human and ghost blinked for just a second, surprised. Then… the new figure flickered- ghostly with Fenton’s human eyes. Twin gasps. Excitement. Joy.
“Danny.” The word was breathed as one, in sync. Finally, finally with its proper depth and meaning.
This was their half ghost self. The Danny who was both human and ghost. Finally, truly, completely a halfa.
All grinning, the trio stepped forward, Danny grasping each half’s hands.
It struck like lightning, the sudden sensation stealing all breath. They gasped, dizzy and overwhelmed. But…. giddy laughter rose. Somehow, impossibly, they were all here, together. In this moment, they were Fenton and Phantom, and they were Danny. Human, ghost, and halfa. Past looking forward and future looking back. They were three, they were two, and they were one.
All laughed, disbelieving, awed. Finally, finally things were being set right. But….
A flicker of fear. The laughter quieted.
“I’m scared.” Fenton said.
“I don’t know what is going to happen next.” Phantom said.
“I don’t know how to be a halfa.” The two halves said as one. The memory… staring at their ghostly reflection in terror.
Danny squeezed his counterpart’s hands. “I’m not that boy, not anymore.” The fear of the future still lingered, swirling around them. Encroaching darkness. The half ghost pulled his selves closer. “We don’t have to be afraid. I’ll have Sam and Tucker, Jazz, Mom and Dad, Sidney.”
Hesitation flashed across Fenton and Phantom’s faces. The fear of release.
“I’m going to be okay.” A soft, swirling gratitude. “I won’t forget what I learned when I was you guys. I’ll remember.” Danny’s voice lowered, soft and tender. “You can let go.”
A long-drawn-out pause. Fenton and Phantom looked at each other. A breath and shoulders fell, relaxed. “Okay.” The human assured. “You’ll be okay.”
Neither released. Instead… the halves drew their halfa counterpart into a hug. The three embraced.
“I’m happy we’ve grown into you.” Phantom muttered into Danny’s shoulder.
“And I’m happy I was both of you.” Danny whispered.
The halfa closed his eyes. One last breath, in sync with his halves, their bodies pressed into his. Then… a pulling sensation. A push. It was like dripping into a pool. Eating a hot meal. Massaging a sore limb. Being wrapped in a blanket. Like sinking into bed.
It was cold and it was warm, and it was right.
When Danny opened his eyes, Fenton and Phantom were no longer in front of him but inside of him. Not as jagged, broken pieces of his soul. Not as raw, opened wounds. Not as voices in his head. But as memories, nestled into his heart and core. As parts of his past. As lessons painfully but gratefully learned.
Fenton and Phantom were back where they belonged. And as the dream faded, as the inside of the portal- the place where he died and where he was born- disappeared, so was Danny.
Summary: When Danny went through the ghost catcher, he expected to be cured of the ghostliness that had haunted him since the accident, not to wake up on the lab floor with his parents saying he’d been overshadowed but everything’s back to normal now. But why does Danny Fenton cry himself to sleep to then dream of flying? Why does Phantom, the ghost who was supposedly possessing Danny remember a life that wasn’t his? Most of all, why do both the human and the ghost feel that something vital is missing, in their very soul? Or: Trying to cure himself of his powers one month after the accident, Danny accidentally splits himself but neither his ghost nor his human half know that that is what they did
First -> Last -> Next
Word Count: 4,666
Also on AO3 and Fanfiction.net
Note: I'm back with a new chapter! It's been a minute; I've been busy with Invisobang but I'm excited to be done with the writing and onto the editing process. Also, notice, we finally have a final chapter count! More about that and my Invisobang story in the end note.
With no school and no alarm set for the morning, Danny happily slept in. He slowly blinked awake to soft golden light, rolled over, and…. drifted in and out of sleep for another hour at least.
He woke up again to the light shifted. A glance at the clock: 10:30. The boy scrolled through his phone for a while before his rumbling stomach convinced him to get up.
Down in the kitchen, Danny enjoyed a bowl of cereal. He hummed happily, mind going over plans for the day. No school! Other than a bit of homework, he was free. He could just relax, watch TV, hang out. Maybe Sam and Tucker would want to do something or…
He dropped his spoon, the thought hitting him. “I should go see Sidney.” The other ghost had no idea that he was back to normal now. And he still had so many questions, so many plans to make.
Mind made up, the half ghost put his bowl in the sink. Ghostly keen ears picked up on voice downstairs; his parents must be working. He should check with them before going out.
The boy opened the basement door, briefly knocking to get the adult’s attention.
“- doors for the portal are a good idea. But wouldn’t ghosts be able to just phase through the steel?”
“What if we came up with some kind of phase-proof paint?” Dad raised a hand, turning to look up at the boy at the top of the stairs. “Morning, son.”
“Morning.” Danny started down the stairs. “What are you guys talking about?”
“Installing steel doors for the portal.” Mom turned on her stool. “We haven’t had problems with ghosts coming through but it could become one. Especially if more natural portals are opening up.” She rubbed the bridge of her nose. “That couple who showed up last night came through a natural portal, you said.”
“Yeah.” The boy nodded, going on to explain everything that had happened with Johnny, Kitty, and Shadow at the concert.
Both adults nodded as the story finished. “So there was another natural portal.” Dad said. “We really need to work on a way to track and map out those.”
“We could modify the Fenton Finder and-” Mom started, already switching to problem-solving mode.
Danny held up his hands. “Before you get into it, I came down here to tell you I’m going to go see Sidney.”
A worried look crossed each parents’ face, eyes flickering to the portal.
The boy shook his head, interpreting the look. “I’m not going through there. I was gonna go to the school and see if I can use his portal.”
The worried looks eased slightly but… “So you’re still going into the Realms?”
Danny nodded at his mom’s question.
The woman’s brow furrowed. “You won’t be able to call us if something happens.”
“I’ll stay in the lair.” The boy shook his head, voice placating. “I’m not going to go flying off to some random place without a plan. And I’ll be with Sidney if something happens. He knows his way around.”
The parents traded a look, silently communicating. Finally, Mom sighed. “Alright. Be back before dinner.”
A smile cracked on the halfa’s face. “I will.”
“And-” Dad said pointedly, causing the boy’s smile to dip. “Tell your friend we want to meet him.”
“Yes.” Mom nodded vigorously. “You can bring him over whenever. Even today! We really want to pick his… brain?” Her brow wrinkled at the phrase.
“Core?” Dad shrugged, eyebrow raised.
Danny laughed. “Alright. I’ll see if he wants to come over later.” He started turning to leave. “I’ll see you guys later.” He stepped up the first stair, mind already planning. He’d walk to the school, sneak in. Invisibility and intangibility were good for that….
He paused, core suddenly itching. He could walk or…
Deciding, Danny summoned the rings. Once. Twice. It took three tries for them to pass.
His parents gave him curious looks. “What are you doing, Danno?”
“Well, um. I was going to walk but…” The boy shifty awkwardly in the air, suddenly nervous. “I’m kinda itching to... And I haven’t really done it in a while but I really want to fly there.”
Another pair of concerned looks was traded. “Can you keep it up long enough to get there, son?” Dad motioned to his floating form.
“I think so?”
Mom raised a brow challengingly. “You think so? Danny, I don’t want you falling out of the sky.”
“Well.. I can feel when I’m about to change back. So I can land before them. And I can kinda still fly as a human so…” He shrugged.
“We did see that yesterday, Madds…” Dad nodded, a brow raised at the woman.
“Yes, we did…” The woman’s expression softened. “Go on then.” She waved him off.
“Yes!” Danny fist pumped, already zooming up the stairs.
Flying to the school was fast. And true enough, getting to Sidney’s locker was easy with his powers.
Landing in the hall, Danny cautiously looked to both sides. No one- teacher or custodial staff- was in the hall. He turned visible, opening the rusty door.
“Sidney!” He hissed, eyes fixing on his tarnished reflection. “I’m me, Danny.”
There was a long pause, leaving the ghost floating awkwardly. But…
The image rippled, the sudden movement startling the nervous boy.
“Sidney!” Danny exclaimed, realizing.
There was his bespeckled friend. Through the mirror, the other ghost waved excitedly, a grin spreading across his face. A clear invitation to come through.
The halfa touched the mirror and again it rippled, a familiar wave of green passing over. A cold feeling brushed Danny’s hand. Like before, the portal opened.
The halfa smiled. Taking a breath, he let his body relax, feeling liquid and boneless. He effortlessly slunk through the opening. Recoiling back into his proper shape, he emerged on the other side, into Sidney’s lair.
“Hey, Sidney! How’s it going?” With a smile, Danny held a closed fist up in greeting.
The other ghost blinked confusedly at the gesture, tilting his head in question. But he quickly caught on. Sidney tentatively raised his fist before he delivered the expected fist bump. “This is a nice surprise. It’s great to see you… Danny.” He trailed off slightly, eyes widening as he slowly withdrew his hand.
Danny lowered his own fist. “What?”
“You’re different…” The nerd’s brow wrinkled for just a moment. Then…. his mouth fell open, eyes sparkling with excitement. “You re-joined, didn’t you?!”
“Yes?” Despite the surety of the answer, his voice still pitched up in question. “How do you even know that?”
“I can see it! Your aura looks so much warmer.” The other ghost motioned. “And your core sounds happy!” Sidney gave a little clap. “So things worked out?”
Danny stared for just a second, mind working. More questions… what exactly was that about seeing his aura and hearing his core? But the boy shook his head, dismissing them for now. “Yeah!” He beamed. “That’s why I wanted to come see you. I managed to re-merge a few days ago and…”
In quick order, the halfa recapped what had happened in the two weeks since he’d seen his ghostly friends. Making up with his parents, practicing his powers, meeting the dragon ghost, and finally being able to fuse back into one person. “So yeah. It’s really great to feel like myself again. So…” He rubbed the back of his neck, then shrugging. “I kinda wanted you to actually met halfa-me and hang out for a bit.”
“Well then…” Sidney laughed, holding out his hand. “My name is Sidney Pointdexter. It’s nice to make your acquaintance.”
Grinning, Danny took the hand. “Daniel James Fenton-Phantom. You can call me Danny. I’m happy to officially meet you.”
“...And this is a tiger shrub.” Sidney pointed at the squat but bushy plant.
Danny studied it with wide eyes. So different from the plants he was used to…. Neon blue veins criss crossed the stems. Stripped flowers the size of his hand- black as the void of space and day glow orange, reminding him of his dad’s signature hazmat suit. And the fist sized fruits….
“Tiger fruit! That’s what I tried last time I was here.”
“Yep.” Sidney gave a nod. “Grown right here.”
The half ghost’s head turned, taking in everything. “This is incredible…”
It really was. Plants of every describable color-- and quite a few he had no words for – covered just about every inch of the roof and the courtyard below. Bed of pitch black lettuce. Trees with perfectly hexagonal pink leaves. A literally squirming vine with what looked like some type of gourd attached, except perfectly spiraled and covered with different colored polka dots.
A bit of awe leaked into Danny’s voice. “Really incredible, Sidney.”
The other ghost puffed out his chest slightly at the praise. “I’m happy to hear you think so, friend. I have been tending it for decades.”
The halfa nodded, appreciation just growing. “Mom and Dad are gonna want to see this.” His eyes widened. A sudden idea… “Pictures! I should take some pics.” His hand flailed, patting the top of his pants, up to his torso.
“What are you looking for?”
“My phone. I brought it downstairs with me this morning….” It should be in his pocket. Except his hazmat didn’t have any pockets. His hands suddenly froze. He’d transformed before leaving the house. Danny smiled sheepishly. “Guess it's in my other pants.”
“Pictures? Phone? Other… pants?” The poor guy looked so confused. “What are you talking about?”
The halfa lowered his hands. “So humans are okay being here for a little bit, right? Like, I’m not going to fall through your lair or something.”
“Probably not?”
That was good enough. Two flickers of his rings. Danny turned human. And…
“Wha!” His body sank into the roof. “I’m not even intangible!”
Sidney grabbed him. “You are not falling through the roof.”
“No, dude. I definitely am.”
“No.” The word was definitive, without question. “Close your eyes and say it. ‘I am not falling through the roof.’” The other ghost pulled up.
“I am not falling through the roof?” His feet touched down, solid on the concrete.
“You are not going to fall. You are solid. The roof under you is solid. You won’t fall.” Sidney continued.
He did feel solid…. “I won’t fall.” Danny said confidently.
He opened his eyes, just as his friend let go of him. The half ghost looked down. He dragged one shoe across the surface. “Huh. Solid.”
Beside him, Sidney nodded. “That’s how things work in the Realms for humans. As long as you think something is solid, it is.”
Danny raised a brow. “But if I think it isn’t…” Instantly, his shoes started sinking. “Heh.” He chuckled. But with just a thought, the boy stepped up, his perspective shifting as the ground became solid again. “So humans are the ghosts.”
The other boy nodded. Then his eyes trailed down the halfa’s now human body. “So you can change back and forth.” There was more than a bit of awe to the words. “That was quite a light show, bub.”
“Like my magical girl transformation, huh?” He grinned. “Now. Why did I…” He reached for his pocket. “Right, my phone.”
He swiped the device out of his pocket, alighting the screen with the press of a button. No service of course but… he opened the camera app and pressed on the screen to take a picture. “Nice, it’s working.” Danny took a bunch of photos before swiping to the gallery. “Not too bad.” He gave an appreciative nod. The phone camera couldn’t really capture the vividness of the colors or the real depth of the scene. But it wasn’t bad for a phone camera.
“Whatcha got there?” Sidney leaned over his shoulder. “Jeepers!” The ghostly nerd’s eyes widened comically. “How’d ya do that?”
Danny shrugged. “I just took a picture on my phone.” He held out the device. “Want to see?”
The other ghost eagerly took the device, holding it close to his face, father away, and then back. “Phone… like telephone?”
Danny nodded.
“This is a telephone?! Where’s the cord? The rotary dial? How are you supposed to give your pal a bell?” Sideny turned the device once, twice, before his finger brushed the screen. The image swiped to the next picture, causing Sidney to freeze, startled. “I didn’t mean to do that.”
The halfa laughed. “It’s a touch screen. You just changed the picture.”
His friend unstiffened at the words, eager fingers returning to the screen. “It takes photographs like a camera… but there’s no film. And it’s a telephone.” His voice trembled with awe. “This is like something out of Science Fiction Quarterly.”
“You think that’s impressive,” Danny grinned, full of mirth. “Wait until I tell you about the internet.”
“.... What’s the internet?”
That inquiry led to an hour, at least, of fielding questions. Sidney zipped around the garden, excited and awestruck. Danny chuckled, appreciating his friend's enthusiasm.
“The modern world’s wonders never cease.” The ghostly nerd ran a hand over his hair. He suddenly stopped in his pacing.
“What?” Danny pushed off of the tree he was leaning against, standing fully.
“Can you take a picture of me?” Sidney asked sheepishly.
“Sure.” The half ghost shrugged, pulling the phone out of his pocket. He positioned the device in the air. “Smile.”
The other ghost did so. A few presses of the button and Danny presented the images.
There was Sidney, floating in front of the tiger shrub. His glow blurred the image slightly, his edges fuzzy but…
“Jeepers. That’s amazing.”
“It looks pretty good.” The half ghost shrugged mildly. “Wanna take some pics with me?” He held up the phone, turning the screen towards the pair and…
A flurry of activity. The friends made silly faces at the screen. Danny gave Sidney bunny ears. More pictures of the garden, of the ghostly nerd picking fruit and watering the plants. One from above, the image perking into the courtyard. The empty halls of the school. Outward, facing the open Realms with its purple doors and swirling clouds.
Danny lowered the phone. “Mom and Dad are going to love these.”
Sidney lowered the watering can. “They can visit too, if they want. I do wanna meet them.”
A nod. “Yeah. I was supposed to ask you about that. They’re really excited to pick your brain. Do you want to come over with me after this?”
The other ghost laughed, before shrugging. “Righto! That sounds neat. We’ll fly over after lunch. I want to see all those new fangled personal computers and flat TVs!”
Danny held out his phone, wearing a smirk. “Behold. A new fangled personal computer!”
Sidney rolled his eyes, returning to inspecting one of his vines. “And I can talk to your folks about taking you to the Ghost Writer’s library.”
“Mom, Dad, and Jazz were really excited to learn about that too.” Danny chuckled.
“If Ghost Writer is okay with it, I’m sure they can visit some time too. And my lair too, if they want to see it in person.”
A nod. “They’d like that.” His brow furrowed, a thought tickling his brain. His family actually planning to visit the Realms….
“My parents and sister can’t come through your portal though. We’ll have to figure out how to get here from ours…” Danny turned, surveying the green atmosphere. “Our portal can’t be that far. I did end up here by accident. Let’s see, I came from that direction…”
Danny turned, facing the front of the school and… he breathed, his core pulsing strangely. He couldn’t see anything but…. an odd sound, a humming tickled his core. There was… a pull.
Sidney must have picked up on his odd expression. “What is it?”
The half ghost pointed. “The portal’s…. That way.” He suddenly felt more sure. “Yeah. If I go straight that way… maybe for thirty minutes or so?”
A hand moved to rub his chest. That pull…. He’d felt something like it before, the metaphysical connection between his two halves. This was similar but… dimmer, with a different flavor, on a different wavelength. Danny’s nose wrinkled. “That’s weird, right? I feel like… I just know where it is.”
“It’s not that weird.” The nerd shifted awkwardly in the air, face scrunched up in thought.
There was something to that look…. “What is it?”
Sidney looked down, fiddling with his fingers. “It’s normally taboo to talk about another ghost’s… death unprovoked. But you did tell me some about it… and I have an idea about your portal…”
Danny’s eyes widened, understanding. “Sid, just tell me what you’re thinking. I won’t get upset.” The words earnest and gentle.
“Alright.” The other ghost sighed. “It’s pretty common for a ghost to be linked to their place of death or their grave. And you did say the portal is where you died….”
The half ghost frowned. “Linked? Linked how?”
“Like you can always find your way back, no matter where you are. Or some ghosts can see or hear what is happening there from a distance. Like… hear a loved one talking at their resting place.”
The hestance in those words… “Sidney, are you…”
“Linked to my grave? Yes. And… to my locker.” His voice lowered, arms wrapping around himself.
Danny paled, heart squeezing. The implications there….
The other ghost rubbed his face. “A bully locked me in there, right before spring break. I remember yelling for hours. But no one came. No one cared no matter how much I banged on the door or cried or…” His voice trembled, tears glistening in the corners of his eyes. “I had my pocket knife in my front pocket. And it was so stupid but it hurt… everything hurt so much…” For just a second, neon green cuts welled on his wrists, the marks gone in the next blink.
“Sidney…” The half ghost stepped forward, his warm living hand covering his friend's cold ghostly one. “I’m so sorry.”
The nerd rubbed his eyes. “My first life ended too soon but… “ He shrugged. “I’ve got another one and it’s been pretty good. Besides, we were talking about you, not me.”
“Alright… but you can talk to me about it if you want.” Danny paused for a second, then sighing as he accepted Sidney’s nod of acknowledgement. He wasn't going to push… “So… I probably am linked to Mom and Dad’s portal then.”
“That or you’re sensing your lair.” The ghostly nerd’s brow wrinkled. “Are you feeling a pull, like you really want to go there?”
Danny considered. “Maybe?”
“Try transforming. Maybe if you’re a ghost, it will be clearer.”
The halfa obeyed, the rings flickering once before passing over his body. Now in ghost form, he floated off the ground.
“Are you feeling a pull now?”
Danny’s brow furrowed. “It’s… louder?” The hum danced at the edge of his perception. “Like… the line is thicker?” Fishing line as opposed to the previous spider silk. “Line’s not really the right word though. It’s more liquid?” He shook his head. “It feels like someone turned up the contrast on a photo but… no, the pull’s not any stronger.”
“That is strange…” The other ghost rubbed his chin.
The half ghost wanted to roll his eyes. ‘That is strange’… how could Sidney even make sense of what he was trying to describe? It didn’t even make sense to himself.
Instead of commenting, Danny shook his head. “What did finding your lair feel like?”
Sidney looked up. “Well, I woke up floating in the middle of all this green. I was really confused but there was this… pull, in my chest. All I could think about was following it. There was something at the other end, somewhere I needed to go. So I followed and I found the school.”
He definitely wasn’t feeling anything that desperate….
“Maybe your lair is forming but it isn’t done yet.” His friend suggested.
“That’s a possibility?” Danny raised a brow.
The other ghost shrugged. “You’re a halfa. Anything’s possible.”
Said halfa also shrugged. “I guess we should just follow the link and see what happens.”
“It’s as good a plan as any. Now…” Sidney grabbed the basket full of freshly picked fruits and vegetables. “Let’s go eat.”
The two enjoyed a meal in the cafeteria, chatting about books and movies. It turned out Sidney was a big fan of science fiction and Danny had just read H.G. Well’s “The Time Machine” for school.
Both full after the delicious lunch and the conversation drawing to a close, Danny stood up. “We should get going.”
The other ghost nodded. Then hurrying to the other end of the room he grabbed a cloth bag. “Here’s some food for later, things from the garden. And….” He presented three glass jars with holes in the top, a bit of soil, and… “That’s a cutting from my tiger shrub. That one’s spotted squa-pump-chini. And midnight arugula. I can show you how to plant them once we get to your portal. They’ll need a bit of water. And lots of talking to. That’s the most important part; they won’t grow unless you tell them they’re doing a good job.”
Danny laughed. “That sounds like something Sam would say.” He’d have to show her these.
“I’m serious. Realms plants are very sensitive to emotions. Feed them some good ones and they’ll be flowering in no time.”
“You got it, boss.” He took the jars, carefully placing them in the bag and the bag on his back.
The pair floated towards the school’s entrance. Sidney pushed the doors open, motioning to the swirling green atmosphere. “After you.”
And with that, the half ghost took off, following the strange hum of the portal through the uncharted Realms and back home.
The flight back to the portal was much less eventful than his last trip. Danny passed that same sideways river. (Revir Syawedis, Sidney said it was called.)
That same floating island, covered in trees. (“Skulker’s island.” The ghostly nerd shivered at the words, hurrying past it.)
A school of now-more-familiar blobs swirled around them, a few approaching to nudge at both boys curiously before darting back to their group.
Sidney scratched one between the eyes, the little things letting out a hum. “Ah. Spotted blobs. Always friendly little guys.”
“Spotted? But they’re all one color?”
“Watch.” Sidney instructed, ectoenergy flickering in his hand. The blob trilled, body flashing with…
“It does have spots.” Danny laughed, eyes crinkling in happiness as the green and purple spotted blob darted back to its school.
The pair continued on, darting past more floating rocks. Above that floating highway the two biker ghosts had driven one. More confusing, twisting masses of stairs.
And barely twenty minutes after leaving Sidney’s lair…
“We’re here.” The almost anxious buzz in Danny quieted at the sight of the floating pillar with the tiny metal frame on top.
It was Sidney’s turn to look amazed. “Your parents made that!”
Danny nodded, flying down to meet the cliff near the bottom. His friend followed. The two circled as they flew up.
“I’ve seen this plateau before. It’s right next to the infinite highway.” The full ghost offered.
It was the same purplish rock as last time, interspersed with hand and foot holds. But…
The halfa blinked. “That wasn’t there before.”
Danny eyed the staircase carved into the rock. He reached out, touching one of the steps. His fingers brushed the surface and… he shrugged, confused core settling. Something about this felt right…
“Danny.” Sidney nudged him, pointing.
There was the outline of a door, carved into the rock. Both reached out to touch….
A cold, electric flicker sparked from the half ghost’s core.
His friend said what Danny was already sensing. “It feels like your aura.”
The feeling radiated…. home, belonging, safety.
Danny smiled. “So it’s a lair in progress, huh?”
He could almost picture the cozy room behind the door….
Dismissing the image, Danny flew up. “It’ll be ready soon.”
Arriving at the top, he landed. His eyes crinkled up, pleased at the little tufts of purple grass, spreading across the bare rock. Or… he drug his shoe across the surface… actually, it was packed dirt.
Sideny eyed the area approvingly. “This will be a great place to plant those cuttings.”
“Once Mom and Dad take a look, yeah.” Thinking of them….
Danny floated forward, approaching the portal. His hand parted the green mist. The action tickled his mind, a reminder of his dream. The place where he died and where he was re-born….
Shoulders relaxing, he flew through.
The boy started calling even before he was through. “Mom! Dad! I’m-”
The clatter of two chairs cut off the word, both adults jumping to their feet and wielding whatever tool they’d been using weapons.
“Home?” Danny finished.
“Oh, Hi sweetie!” Mom dropped the wrench on the table, pulling down her goggles. “And you brought your friend! Sidney, I presume.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” The full ghost nodded, offering a hand to shake which the woman accepted.
“Danno!” Dad grinned. “And Sidney!” Another handshake, this time so enthusiastic that the nerd bobbed up and down like a balloon. “Nice to meet you, kiddo!” The adult’s brow furrowed, gaze flickering to the portal. “We really need to make a doorbell for that thing or something.”
“We really should. When we build the doors, we’ll need a way for Danny to open them from the Realms side too.”
“Maybe some kind of DNA lock?” The other adult suggested.
“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.” Danny nodded.
“We can discuss it later.” Mom waved off. “And speaking of the Realms…” The woman’s eyes narrowed slightly, serious and concerned. “I thought you told us you were coming back through Sidney’s portal, Mister.”
“Yeah. I did…” The halfa shrugged, suddenly sheepish. “But I brought Sidney with me!” He motioned to his friend. “And we found out my lair is forming right under the portal! And!” He swiped the bag off his back. “We brought food from Sid’s garden! And these plant cuttings.” Danny shoved the jar with the tiger shrub cutting forward enthusiastically. “See!”
Dad accepted the jar, studying it with wide eyes. “Check it out, Madds!”
The mother’s gaze flickered to the jar, then back to her son. Her expression softened. “Alright. I’m glad you’re back safe.” She ruffled his hair. “It sounds like you had quite the adventure.”
“Mom!” Danny shrugged away, complaining like any normal teenager.
“Is this one of those new fangled personal computers?!” Sidney interrupted from where he was floating over one of the lab tables. He pointed excitedly, apparently distracted by one of the parents’ inventions.
“Afraid not.” Dad chuckled. “That’s the Fenton Finder!”
“Fenton Finder? What does that do?”
The question was enough to send the man into an excited invention ramble, the full ghost listening intently with wide eyes.
Danny watched for a minute, feeling the warm heaviness of a transformation coming on. He flickered back to human and stretched, his hands reaching over his head. “Man. I flew for a while.” His stomach grumbled. “I need some human food.”
With a word to his friend, Danny started up the stairs.
His mom interrupted. “Have you done your homework yet?”
He paused, eyes widening. “I hadn’t even thought about that.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess I should…. Sid, I’m going to get a quick snack and work on homework for an hour or so. My room’s upstairs if you wanna hang….”
He trailed off, seeing the other ghost wave him off, still intent on the conversation with his parents. Danny blinked. How did this keep happening….
With a silent chuckle, Danny walked up the stairs. His parents getting along with a ghost again… who would have thought?
Note: I hope you enjoyed the chapter! As always, I eagerly await ya'lls' thoughts, especially as this fic wraps up; there's one more chapter after this-already written- and then an epilogue which I only just started on. I'm super-excited at see this all come together.
And about my Invisobang story! I am writing a sequel to my first Invisobang fic which was called I am you(and you are me). This new story is set right after D-stabilized. A rough blurb is below.
Consumed with worry and scarred after watching Dani almost die, Danny begs her to come home with him and meet Jazz. He wants to see her safe and happy and taken care of so badly. An important reveal also weighs heavy on him – Dani isn’t the only living clone… and the other is him. He needs to tell her the truth; maybe that will convince her to agree to the idea of telling his parents. And she'll stay in Amity Park, by his side where he'll never have to worry if she's safe ever again.
Meanwhile, Dani has mixed feelings. She's still reeling from the loss of her clone siblings. Danny’s unexpected worry and care make her uncomfortable in light of that… and her guilt; she did hurt him and help him get kidnapped twice. How can he care about an imperfect, a mistake like her? But having clean clothes and a bed is wonderful and things aren't so simple, after learning that one of his clone brothers is alive.
Will Dani accept the help she needs and let herself be loved? Or will she push Danny and Jazz away and run again?
There will be lots of sibling fluff and bonding. Misunderstandings and emotional conversations and healing. I'm very excited to share what I've been working on soon!
Summary: When Danny went through the ghost catcher, he expected to be cured of the ghostliness that had haunted him since the accident, not to wake up on the lab floor with his parents saying he’d been overshadowed but everything’s back to normal now. But why does Danny Fenton cry himself to sleep to then dream of flying? Why does Phantom, the ghost who was supposedly possessing Danny remember a life that wasn’t his? Most of all, why do both the human and the ghost feel that something vital is missing, in their very soul? Or: Trying to cure himself of his powers one month after the accident, Danny accidentally splits himself but neither his ghost nor his human half know that that is what they did
First -> Last -> Next
Word Count: 5,621
Also on AO3 and Fanfiction.net
Soon enough, bedtime came, for his human half at least. Phantom waited in their bedroom, happily devouring the last chapter of their book while Fenton stripped out of his slightly ripped, grass-stained jeans and showered.
The human returned, just as the ghost slammed the book close. He lifted the paperback, softly knocking his head with a groan.
“That bad?” Fenton raised a brow, a hint of teasing.
Phantom shook his head. “No. It… ugh! How could he end it in a cliffhanger like that?! I mean, did she just die? She just got her sister back and then this happens….” The ghost boy ranted, his other self just watching with an amused expression.
Human Danny slipped into an old tshirt, careful of the now-unbandaged cuts. “I’m telling you, she’s not dead. It’s some kind of stasis. They’ll figure out how to get her back in the first chapter of the next book.”
“The next book’s not even been announced yet!” Phantom complained. Even so he enjoyed the conversation, glad that their memory sharing had become so seamless. With hardly an effort, Fenton knew everything he’d just read. Ranting to himself about a book had never been so fulfilling.
“That’s what fanfiction is for.” Fenton wiggled his eyebrows. He winced, pulling his sweatpants on, past the cut on his leg.
Ghost Danny frowned, stopping his rant. “Let me help you with that.” He darted out of the room, returning moments later with bandages.
“I’ll change your wrappings too.” Fenton offered.
Phantom agreed, rolling up his pant leg.
The two sat down on the bed, across from each other. Carefully, bandages were changed. Ghost Danny rolled up his sleeve. He watched as his human half wrapped the three scratches on his arm, a sense of deja vu hitting him. They’d been here before, on the bed treating injuries. The same burn mark on both their stomachs. Except… instead of letting Fenton help him, Phantom had refused, insisting to do it himself. Something in him twinged at the thought, at how far they had some. That moment, realizing that the injuries were the same despite his greenish skin tone, felt like so long ago. It was back before they’d even told Sam and Tucker, back when he’d still been in denial.
“Mom and Dad haven’t mentioned talking about it again.” Fenton said, a perfect segway from his thoughts.
Phantom nodded, fastening his counterpart’s wrapping. “They were busy, talking to Dora. I guess they got so excited they forgot-”
A knock. “Danny?” Dad’s voice came through the door. “Can I talk to you for a bit?”
Ghost Danny sighed, muttering under his breath. “Spoke too soon.” He raised his voice, enough to be heard through the wall. “Yeah. Come in.”
The door opened. The man’s brow furrowed at the two on the bed. “You could have asked your mother or me to help with that.” He motioned to the bandages.
Fenton shrugged. “We’ve got it. Thanks for offering though.” He gave a slight, authentic smile before turning his attention back to Phantom’s leg.
The bandage secured, the ghost let the pant leg fall back into place. The human boy did the same and…
Phantom’s stomach twisted, the nervousness hitting. He picked at his gloves, shifting on the bed.
“So… what did you want to talk about?” Fenton asked the question.
Dad approached the bed with a sigh. Phantom didn’t wait for him to ask, moving to make room and motioning to the spot.
The man sat, eyes flickering to the ghost version of his son. His brow wrinkled with parental concern. “Your mom told me about what you talked about this afternoon.”
Phantom bit his lip. “About… me frost-burning Fenton?”
Dad nodded, gaze moving to human Danny’s hands. “Can I see?”
Tentatively, Fenton opened his clenched palms, healed and unmarked. “They’re fine. Not even a scar or anything.”
The adult carefully examined one of the hands, before withdrawing. “We need to talk more about this. About what happened right after the ghost catcher and the week after.”
Something in ghost Danny tightened, an impulse to argue. Across from him, Fenton’s lips turned down. He glanced at the clock. “But… it’s almost eleven.”
“I know. I know it’s late and you have school tomorrow.” That worry remained, flickering across the Dannys’ faces. But Dad’s expression softened, understanding. “I’m not gonna make you go into it now. You do need to sleep.” He reached out, ruffling Fenton’s hair with a chuckle. “This you does at least.”
Human Danny’s shoulders untensed, the affection sending a fond warmth through his heart. “Yes, this me does need to sleep.”
The man nodded. “Gotta get that beauty sleep. But…” His other arm reached for the ghost version of his son and Phantom let himself be pulled into a half hug. “We have to talk about things. Okay? We can’t put stuff like this off.”
There was a silent pause. Neon green eyes met their blue counterparts. A wordless conversation.
“Tomorrow.” Ghost Danny promised. “Tomorrow after school. Fenton and I, we’ll… we’ll tell you everything.” Despite the flickering worry, there was no hesitation, no doubt.
Dad smiled softly, holding each boy close. “Good.” He gave Fenton’s arm an affectionate squeeze. “Sleep tight, Danny boy.” He did the same to Phantom. “Let your mom and I know if you need anything, son.”
“I will.” Ghost Danny smiled softly.
“I love you both so much.” Another squeeze and the man let go. He stood, walking to the door. “Good night.”
“Good night, Dad.” Both Dannys waved.
The door closed, leaving ghost and human alone. Phantom drifted up, moving to hug his other self from the side. A long, contemplative silence. Then….
Fenton sighed, arm moving to return the embrace. “It’s going to be alright. We saw how well they handled meeting Dora. They were so excited….”
Phantom gave an agreeing hum, his own core churning. No other words were needed, the feelings crystal clear between them. They were still scared. The thought of bearing the truth… it was daunting, intimidating. No one ever really wanted to talk about hard things; it was difficult, no matter the subject matter but…
The Dannys sighed in sync, as one. Muscles untensed, heart and core beating so close together. A strange peace settled. It was going to be okay.
Fenton went to sleep. He dreamed of stargazing, of cuddling with Blobby. The little ghost purred, kneading into his lab with its little nobby appendages. He scratched under its chin.
Phantom listened to music. He doodled in his sketchbook and enjoyed the quiet night. He watched the stars slowly move across the sky, cheristing his human’s sleepy presence in the back of his mind.
Soon enough the sun rose, its rays bringing the world to life. The ghost smiled, enjoying the light’s warmth on his face. He gave his blob a kiss on the head, eyes crinkling at the soft mewing noise it made. He scribbled a quick sketch, putting on the finishing touches. And….
Danny sighed, feeling a part of himself draw away. He was waking up.
Friday morning, Fenton got ready for school before riding there with Jazz. He met his friends at his locker and found the school was abuzz.
“It was a dragon!”
“No way!”
“Look, I have a picture.”
Two boys talked excitedly in front of a locker. Lester and Mikey. Fenton remembered them from the few Dungeons and Dragons sessions Tucker had dragged him into. Had one of them been at the park?
“I saw it too.” “Yeah, it turned into this blue, glowy chick.” “The Fentons said she was a ghost.” “A ghost? That’s ridiculous.” “Well, what else could it be?”
Questions, theories buzzed around him. Most thought it was a hoax, a publicity stunt blown out of proportion. And Fenton was grateful. Dealing with questions was more than he wanted today, not with his stomach flopping over the impending conversation with his parents. At least Phantom was having a chill day.
“Any particular food you want me to try and infuse with ectoplasm?” Mom asked, when she and Dad came up for lunch.
“A grilled cheese sounds good, honestly.” Phantom shrugged. “I have no idea how you’d do that though.”
The woman furrowed her brow in thought. “I’ve got a few ideas.”
“I should probably go see Sidney at some point. He might have some ideas too. Plus, he was going to give me some tiger fruit seeds to see if I could grow them and that never happened.”
“Maybe we could plant them on the island the portal is on, in the Zone.” Dad suggested.
“That’s a good idea.” Ghost Danny nodded. Then his voice pitched up, attention on a certain ghost.“What are you doing?”
He reached down, scratching the curious blob which was investigating the ecto-cookie he was eating. If the ghost had a nose, he’d have thought it was sniffing it. Another insistent bob and Blobby darted forward. Its mouth-like depression opened, snatching a bit of the cookie.
“Hey! That’s mine.” Phantom jerked his hand away, before stuffing the rest into his mouth.
Mom’s nose wrinkled in disgust but with a flicker of green light, all attention was one the blob.
Dad blinked. “It’s got cat ears.”
Ghost Danny swallowed the cookie. He reached down to scratch the new ears. “Huh…. I thought Blobby was pretty catty.” A purr sounded from the blob. “Who’s a good kitty?”
A mew sounded and the little ghost flickered intangible. A bit of wet, smashed cookie fell into Ghost Danny’s lap. The boy stared down, nose wrinkling in disgust. “This is fine.”
Mom waggled her finger. “No more real world food for you.”
The school day continued, as did the quiet day at home. An undercurrent of anxiety lingered but… so did an expectation, a determination.
Soon enough, the bell rang. Classmates rushed out of the room, excited for the three day weekend. Fenton felt some of that too; Mom and Dad had told Phantom earlier that they thought the ghost catcher would be finished by Monday. He let himself feel excitement, hope at the thought.
Saying goodbye to his friends, Human Danny rode home with Jazz. He and his ghost half watched an episode of Criminal Minds with Mom before helping her with dinner.
Phantom smiled, enjoying his grilled cheese as the family ate.
The sun went down. The table was cleaned, leftovers put away and dishes cleaned.
Up on top of the Ops Center, with blankets and pillow to cushion against the hard metal, Fenton and Phantom looked to the stars. Their parents sat at either side of them.
Fenton started. “It… it hurt. Going through the ghost catcher hurt. I mean, of course it would, getting pulled apart like that but… neither of us realized at first.” He sighed. “I just…I just remember hitting the ground, being confused, and… feeling like something was wrong.”
“I just ran.” Phantom bit his lip, fidgeting with his gloves. “I saw you guys with your suits and goggles and stuff. I just thought ‘danger’ and… and ran. I… uh… got to the park before I actually started thinking and remembered what happened.” The image flickered in his mind, staring at his own white gloves. Searching for the flicker of warmth near his heart. “I thought… I thought I was dead.” The words were surprisingly easy. “I tried to turn back and I couldn’t so I thought I’d just died all the way. Like… going through the ghost catcher killed me.”
Those moments of panic, of sorrow came back to him, the echo of those feelings. But Phantom shook his head, pushing them away. He managed a look up, at his parents' faces. His dad’s mouth, void of its normal smile, drawn into a deep frown. His mom’s eyes, normally so sure and confident, now round and wet. They looked so sad. And it was just going to get worse. He forced himself to continue. “I freaked out and started crying.”
“I remember that.” Fenton nodded somberly. “I started crying too, once Mom got me up to my room. Something was missing and… I wanted to go home.”
“I wanted to go home.” Phantom agreed, rubbing his watering eye. “I had to see what happened. I thought… I couldn’t be a ghost. There was no way… no way I was dead. I just needed to see… to see my… body. Then I could figure out what was happening. I just… needed to see it.”
Mom’s brow furrowed, a sad understanding. “So you flew home.”
The ghost nodded. “I did.” The memory replied through his head. Rushing home, phasing into his bedroom. “I saw Fenton asleep on our bed and thought… thought he was my corpse.” Horror flickered across the faces. “But he was breathing. So… I wasn’t dead. I was having an out of body experience or something.” That moment of elation, of pure joy. “I hadn’t been… been too late. I still had a chance. I could figure out how to go back to normal if I could figure out how to… well… get back in my body. I could… I could be human.”
He let the words linger, the feeling of excitement, sheer hope.
“Then, I woke up.” Fenton’s words shattered the moment, like a pane of glass. “I woke up and…” He shivered. Phantom felt the echo of that remembered horror. The feelings of his insides churning, the world turning on its head. “You thought I was possessed or something.” Human Danny continued. “You flew away, completely freakout.” Someone else had been in his body. An imposter, except…..
The ghost looked up, taking in the confused expressions. This was it. This was the big secret, the knowledge that had been haunting him. The one thing he couldn’t say, couldn’t admit to his parents. But….
Phantom swallowed, willing himself to continue. “I realized that wasn’t true though. Fenton wasn’t possessed. He wasn’t some imposter in my bedroom. He was… he was the real deal.” For just a moment, the bewildered expressions deepened. “Fenton was Danny, the real Danny. So there was… was no way I was.”
Mom’s eyes widened, the confusion evaporating. “Oh, Danny.” She breathed.
“I thought… I thought I was the imposter.” The words were so hard to force out with his trembling voice. “I wasn’t real. Just some confused imprint thing. Just… just some disgusting ghost.”
“Danny boy…. I’m…I’m so sorry.” Dad wrapped an arm around the ghost boy.
“I mean, I know that’s not true now.” Phantom whimpered. And now he was crying again. “But I was positive, completely sure. So that… that’s why I didn’t come home. I thought I was a… a stupid copy at… at best. Or I’d been possessing Fenton for a month.” His speech quickened. “A month! And not even realized it. I mean, who does that?! Who hurts someone like that without even caring? So… maybe… maybe I was actually evil like… like you guys said.”
“No, baby. No.” Mom pleaded, reaching across Fenton to cup his cheek. “And… and that’s what I told you, after you showed us the truth. I’m… I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, baby.”
More poured out. “I tried to stay away. I thought I’d… I’d been hurting Fenton. Maybe he was my obsession. That’s why I looked like him and had his memories. So I just… wandered around town.” People watching at the mall, sneaking into the movies, floating above the clouds. “But everything reminded me that… that I was alone. Just some freaky ghost. And I kept finding myself back here, near Fenton. I couldn’t… I couldn't stay away.”
The memory rose up unbidden. Floating into front of their house late at night. He’d caught a glimpse of Fenton in their bedroom window. And…. it flipped, the scene from the other side. Standing at the window, his blanket draped around his shoulders. Shaking off another strange dream. A flash of light and a glowing figure.
Back on the rooftop, his human self’s hand was in his. “You started following me around, a few days after. When that Lunch Lady ghost showed up… you tried to fight her to protect Sam, Tucker, and me.” His eyes rounded, soft and grateful. “You saved Sam.”
He saved Sam. Phantom took a breath, furiously whipping at his face. The memory of her face, staring up at him, flickered in his mind. He needed to help her. Even if he only cared about her because Danny did, he still cared. The warmth in his chest, the certainty, that strange peace. Fenton had been with him and for just a moment…. they had been Danny again.
The thought, the memory gave him courage. “I did save Sam. I got her out of that creepy meat pile. I was still scared but… I’d done something good. I'd finally done something right. So I went after the Lunch Lady again.”
“And…” Mom tensed. “That’s when we found you and… shot you.”
“Yeah.” Ghost Danny sighed. That pain, that heartbreak threatened to rise. They could never love a ghost like him; he’d been so sure of that, getting attacked serving as a painful reminder. But… “I forgive you.” He closed his eyes, leaning into his parents’ arms. “I’ve forgiven you for a while now.”
“We forgive you.” Fenton agreed, joining the hug.
Phantom found himself nodding, his mind drifting over that afternoon. Being chased, yelled at, and shot hurt; he’d consider it one of the worst experiences of his life but…. “We’ve come so far since then.” Not just his parents and his relationship with them but personally, he and Fenton.
“What happened next?” Mom finally asked, after a minute’ pause. “After we almost caught you?”
Right. Phantom took a breath, preparing to continue.
But Fenton spoke for him “I went and found him.” He smiled slightly, fond, before sombering again. “I saw what happened with Sam and you guys. The perception sharing thing. And… I’d had enough. I needed to figure out what was happening with me. So I just kinda followed my instincts and found Phantom at the park and…” He gave the ghost a poke in the side, teasing. “This one told me to go home and forget about him. And then just disappeared.”
The ghost boy shook his head, rolling his eyes good-naturedly. It was almost funny now, in retrospect. He’d been pretty melodramatic. “I did come back.”
Fenton’s face softened. “Yeah, you did.”
“Later that night.” Phantom explained at the questioning looks. “I flew to our room. Fenton wanted to talk so…”
He trailed off, green eyes meeting his counterpart. It was just like back then, after he’d broken down crying and on instinct Fenton had hugged him. The pieces of their soul had touched and…. I know who you are. The words rang in their heads now, still hand in hand. The experience had been so close, so intimate. How could he word that?
Phantom closed his eyes, taking a breath. “As soon… as soon as we touched, we felt it. We were the same.”
“I was so happy.” Fenton almost whispered. “I finally figured out what was wrong. I was… I was just half a soul but… I found the rest of me, my other half.”
Their parent’s eyes. Soft, relieved. “And as soon as you found each other…. you just knew.” In Dad’s voice, there was more than a hint of awe.
The human boy nodded.
“Every time you tell us more about being split, I’m amazed.” Mom mused, a shake of her head.
“Yeah, it’s…..” And how could Fenton explain that to someone else? Much less someone who had never felt their soul, their very self unravel. Even now with his two halves so close together, hand in hand, they still weren’t quite themself, not fully. “It’s a lot.” Another breath. “It took a week but we figured out the truth.”
“I didn’t want it to be though.” Ghost Danny wanted to swallow back the words, the disappointed looks stabbing his core. “I didn’t want to be true. I was stubborn. I said it couldn’t be. There was no way. I… I was a ghost and… Danny was just a normal human boy. We couldn’t… couldn’t….” He sniffled, his dad starting to rub his back. “I ran… I ran again.” His cheeks turned green, shame painting his face.
“But you didn’t stay away.” Mom offered, compassionate. “You told me earlier, you and Fenton talked in your room the next morning. And you both went to see Sam and Tucker.”
Phantom shrugged, blushing. “I just couldn’t stay away. Honestly….” He bit his lip. “It was crazy but… I kinda hoped Sam and Tucker wouldn’t think we were the same person, that… they’d think it was too crazy to be true so… so… I’d be right.” His dad’s brow, wrinkled in worry. He could almost hear the question. “But Sam saw right through me. She recognized me, not just as the ghost who saved her but…. Me.” He tapped his chest. “Who I really was. So… I was wrong. I…I couldn’t keep lying to myself.”
“So like he said earlier, we hung out with Sam and Tucker.” Fenton said. “Phantom wasn’t in denial anymore, actually started letting everyone call him Danny again. We had a pretty good time.”
For just a moment, a hint of relief flashed across the parents’ faces. But then… “And you texted me when you got home, after you flew back.” Mom’s brow furrowed, more worried than ever. “The cold burn…. You said you got upset and that’s why your powers acted out. What happened that night, Danny?”
The ghost’s face darkened, ashamed and guilty, eyes fixed down.
“Danny boy….” Dad’s voice, soft and gentle. “You never explained. Why didn’t you want it to be true? Why didn’t you…. you…” His lips turned down, at a loss for words.
“Why didn’t I want to be Danny?” The words were barely audible.
The parents nodded, faces pale.
Phantom stared down for a long moment, mind swimming. So many words, images flashed in his head. Emotions, long forgotten. The uncertainty, the anger, the sorrow. Fenton’s face, disbelieving and desperate. The tears on his face. How… how could he explain? Should he even? That moment, that argument….
“NO!” Something in the human Danny snapped. “I’m half a person without you! How are I supposed to be happy without the other half of my soul?!”
“You don’t actually want me! You just want to feel whole! I’m a sickness, a disease. Some...some foreign thing that’s been haunting you.”
So much pain. So many ugly words.
Ghost Danny whipped his face. “I didn’t want to be Danny because… because that meant… there was no fixing me.” The words were a punch to the gut. “It meant…. I was actually… this.” He motioned to his glowing body. “I’d… I’d actually died and there was no going back to normal. I…I’d never really be human again. I didn’t…. I told Fenton I didn’t want to refuse because… he was supposed to be normal. He was supposed to be human. But Fenton… he insisted. He wanted to merge. He wanted to be whole. But…but….”
“I didn’t really get it.” Human Danny picked up. “I kept… I kept pushing and Phantom kept getting more upset. And…”
“Just stop! Stop trying to comfort me!” Dripping tears turned into a stream. “I’m scum. A dirty, good-for-nothing ghost. I’m a freaking disease! I deserve to be hated so stop acting like you don’t!”
“That’s when he cold-burned me. But… I’d hurt him first.” Fenton whimpered, drawing his knees to his chest. “I… I hated myself so much.” The memory flashed…. The glacial pain. Crying on the bathroom floor. The anger, the self-hatred, the guilt. “That’s… that’s why I asked you to fix me. I hated my ghost powers so much. I hated that part of me. I wanted…I wanted to get rid of it. I tried to get rid of Phantom.” He’d thought… he’d thought talking about feeling like an imposter would be hard but this…. “I wanted it… I wanted him gone so badly, I ripped myself in half. I …I violated… I destroyed myself.”
Tears dripped down Fenton’s face. But Phantom’s hand was still in his, the understanding, the forgiveness streaming through him. His ghost didn’t blame him, had let go of the bitterness, the anger. The blame had been both of theirs and now… The human let out a breath, letting it go.
“I didn’t… I didn’t realize that until that night.” His own glowing eyes in the mirror. “I didn't see it. But…” On the bed, Phantom’s eyes wide and hopeful. “When I saw… when I saw Phantom face to face, when I actually looked, I couldn’t hate him. He was… he was me, just me. And he was in pain and scared and… and I didn’t want to be scared anymore.” He squeezed his ghost half’s hand. “I wanted to understand what had happened to me. What I had become, what I…what I am now. And I couldn’t do that unless I accepted Phantom and…. started forgiving myself.”
There was a long silence after the words. Phantom scooted closer, wrapping his arms around his other self. Love and forgiveness radiated from the contact. Seconds later, Mom did the same, hugging the ghost version of her son. And Dad did the same, strong arms embracing the three figures.
“I don’t… I don’t even know what to say.” Mom muttered. “Just… thank you for telling us.”
“It was so brave, Danny. You’re so brave.” Dad reassured. “You’ve been through so much.”
“And… I’m sorry.” The woman continued. “We’ve said it before but I’m sorry this happened to you. I’m… I’m sorry for how I’ve made you feel and what the thing we’ve taught you made you think. But…” Mom hugged him tighter, her words so tender right behind Phantom’s ear. “You’re not an imposter. You’re my son and you’ll always be. And I’m sorry I made you think that wasn’t true, that… that that couldn’t be true.”
“I’m so sorry, Danny.” The other adult’s voice was so quiet. “I’m so sorry, son. We messed up so badly. I know you thought so badly about ghosts and about…about yourself because of us. And I’m so sorry. It never should have gotten that bad. You shouldn’t have felt that bad.”
“And the ghost catcher wasn’t your fault.” Mom brushed a hand against Fenton’s hair. “It wasn’t your fault. You’re not… you’re not destroyed. I know… god… I know you don’t feel like yourself. I can’t… I can’t even imagine how you’re feeling. But you’ll come back from this. You’re not too far gone.”
Phantom ignored the twitch of surprise at the curse, too relieved, too grateful for the words. “I… I know. I know I’ll be able to refuse. Even if…” His voice quieted, almost a whisper. “Even if I won’t be that same as before.”
It was a reality, a potentially fearful one. But… the Danny who had gone through the ghost catcher was dead. Whoever came out after, the Danny they would be, would be someone different.
Still, their parents hugged them tightly. “We’ll still love you.” Dad vowed. “Full human, two halves, or one whole halfa. We love you.”
“And we always will.” Mom whispered.
Human Danny felt his whole body relaxed, a relief washing over him. The words were sappy, so sappy. And things he’d heard many times before. He knew his parents loved him. But he’d still been scared, just a hint of doubt lingering in his mind. But that doubt was empty; it was nothing. Now, his parents knew. Everything was out in the open and they hugged him, reassured him. They loved and accepted him. They understood.
The group hug finally fell apart.
“Yeah, thanks for listening.” Fenton whipped his wet face.. “That was hard. Especially talking about Phantom and me’s argument. It was…. It was…. Bad. Really bad but… it needed to happen. The fight, I mean.”
“We wouldn’t have gotten better with each other if it hadn’t.” Phantom agreed. “We needed to figure things out and we did. So…”
Twin eyes meet again and… the promise they’d made, down in their bedroom, rang in their head.
But I don’t want to be afraid anymore. I want to try. To be the person we’re supposed to be. Together.
The parts of their soul had touched, memories, thoughts, and emotions coming together.
On the roof, eyes swirled green and blue. “We got really close.” Two voices spoke as one. “If we hadn’t realized we needed to tell you the next day, then maybe…”
Mom suddenly sat up straighter. She blinked at the boys, brow furrowed. “Really… close? What do you mean?”
Phantom blinked, eyes fading back to green. “Really close….”
“We… we almost merged.” Fenton said it like it was a revelation.
“What?” Dad’s mouth fell open.
“We almost merged.” The human boy blinked, eyes widening. “Before we even told you guys. We could… we could feel it. Our mind and soul coming together. Everything was…. was running in sync. We were coming together. It… shit.” Fenton furiously ran fingers through his hair. “Phantom ended up half-phased into me.”
Mom just blinked, for once not saying anything about the language. “Half-phased in…” She shook her head. “Was that the only time?”
“Well um.” Phantom wrung his hands. “I tried to possess Fenton the next night. I thought we’d fuse but… you saw what happened.”
The adult’s frowns deepened as Fenton continued. “Umm…. a few other times felt similar? When we were thinking and feeling together, I guess? Or doing the perception sharing thing. But we weren’t close together to most of those. And we don’t start uh….” He vaguely waved his hands around, lacing his fingers together.
The ghost furrowed his brow, before eyes widening in another realization. “When I flew through the portal after my fight with Mom…. Fenton was with me.” He pointed to his head. “We were freaking out and… it’s like we fused but we still had two bodies.”
“It felt like we put ourself back together wrong.” For just a moment, his eyes were distant. Then he shook his head. “It’s like there was just one of us again. We were just… Danny. But… it wasn’t right. We weren’t right.”
The human Danny fell silent, brow furrowed. He replayed the memory, the feeling. They really had come so close, only to have to pull themself apart again.
For a long moment, the adults just stared, Dad looking bewildered. And Mom… her forehead wrinkled.
Finally, the woman took a breath, eyes almost twitching. “Sweetie…” Her lips slowly turned up. “Have you considered that maybe… you don’t need the ghost catcher?”
It was the Dannys turn to stare, disbelieving. “What?”
The adults traded a look. Realization dawned on Dad’s face and… the man burst out laughing. “We spent… we spent all the time fussing with… with that thing. Only for… for…” A guffaw cut off the words, large hands furiously ruffling both heads.
Phantom phased out of the hold, eyes wide. “What are you talking about?”
“Danny,” Mom also chuckled, eyes sparkling with fond exacerbation. “We were trying to fix the ghost catcher so it could give you the energy boost you needed to re-fuse. But.. you almost merged several times without it. Have you thought that maybe you don’t even need the ghost catcher? Maybe… you can do it by yourself.”
Fenton stared for a moment more, moving out from under his father’s hand. He traded a look with his ghost half. And…
Phantom leaned over laughing. “Of… of course. It’s so obvious!” The ghost put his hands on his head. “It makes so much sense!”
Human Danny suddenly understood. “Our mind already wants to be one.” He laughed. “Our core and brain.. They’re already working together… all the time. We don’t need the energy boost. We don’t.” He grinned. “We can do it by ourself.”
“We can do it ourself.” The ghost repeated, glowing with excitement.
“Why didn’t we realize that two weeks ago?” The human half-laughed, half-groaned. “I feel so dumb.”
“That’s what happens when you’ve only got half a brain.” Phantom teased.
Counterpart eyes met and…. Total agreement. Joyous, complete agreement.
“Can we try?!” Both said, eyes shining.
“Not so fast.” Dad held out his hands, giving a chuckle.
“Tomorrow.” Mom continued. For just a moment disappointment flickered on the boy’s faces. Then… “We want you to re-merge as soon as possible. But we should do this in the lab, in case something goes wrong. The last failure we saw was… rather painful to watch.”
The Dannys’ shoulders fell at the reminder. On this same roof…. The fear, the pain. Terror at what was supposed to feel like coming home…. becoming a violent rejection.
Dad’s hand gently patted Fenton’s and Phantom’s shoulder. “It’ll work.” He reassured. “Just let’s all get a good night’s sleep first.” He yawned. “We’ll all be fresher and… we can celebrate.” He smiled.
The woman agreed. “I’ll make chocolate chip pancakes, your favorite.”
The boys finally relent. “Alright.” Fenton sighed, corner of his lip turning up. “Danny… Halfa-us will like that.”
Mom lifted a hand, cupping both Dannys’ checks. “I’ll look forward to seeing that version of you again.”
The woman removed her hands and Dad leaned forward, scooping the two counterparts up in another hug. “As fun as it’s been having two of you, I’ll be happy when you’re back to how you’re supposed to be.”
The two Dannys relaxed into the hold, smiling as Mom joined the group hug again. “Me too.”
