Danny's in Gotham because there's an astronomy exhibit event at their observatory. Now, astronomy stuff often gets hitchhiked by astrology people. If even one more person asks him 'oh whats your star sign' he is going to EXPLODE.
Either because that exact thing happened or not, while at the gala Danny runs into Tim Drake. Both of them kinda make friends bonding over complaining about the astrology people attending the physics convention and confusing everyone who doesnât know the difference. It escalates to obvious flirting because we all know what this type of fanfic is for.
Predictably, the event gets invaded by rogues, everyone taken hostage.
The cult doing it... starts asking people their star signs... and takes everyone with a certain one and puts them in a group. Danny is going to completely pop off the moment he manages to get enough eyes off him to switch forms, he is seeing red. But of course heâs dragged forward with the others â and so is Tim before he can get away â distress beacon already active of course.
After they're collected together the cult surrounded the crowd. They begin chanting. It's short, not what anyone expected, things are happening before anyone has time to react. Danny had been expecting to have longer to try and pretend to get the ropes off and take a running break. Tim had expected the chance to stall for the arrival of the Bats.
⌠And the magic? It tears Danny in half into Super & Fun (or a different balance) because the dimensional barrier gets punched through directly on top of the group. What else did it do? Dealerâs choice. Summoning, power granting to the cultists, whatever.
Now, obviously, Danny isn't fourteen anymore, so his two halves are thankfully a little less cringy. He's an adult. He's matured. But it does still result in some really extreme personality shenanigans since he's literally two parts of a mind, unbalanced. These two halves are used to relying on the self-control of the other to keep impulse in check after all.
Phantom saves everyone while the Bats arrive in the middle of this chaos. He yoinks Tim out of the way of the fight without any fanfare and shields him because the idiot tried to help and got himself in trouble. Whatever the cult did with the magic besides just hitting Danny like a chainsaw, the ghost handles, which the Bats are not suited for and know so. Magic is not their strong suit. But it certainly is Danny Phantomâs in this regard.
It certainly draws attention. After it's done with police keep making comments like 'oh a new meta cape' and asking Batman 'whos this' and Batman is absolutely bullshitting his way through it because he has no idea. Phantom is struggling â trying to remain collected in front of a crowd of unfamiliar people. Batman manages to send the cops away quickly for his sake and most of the crowd has been evacuated too.
At the end of everything the Bats realized one civilian stuck around, who approaches after the police are there and taking away the cult members. Nightwing bars his way and requests he go back to the crowds since they donât do autographs, and gets laughed at as Danny ducks right under his arm and past him pretty casually, which Nightwing allows because, well, he seems like he should be there from how he's acting right? They realize this random civilian must know the new hero when he starts speaking.
Danny instantly â but in good humor â lays into Phantom the same way he would himself in his own sarcastic inner monologue for any mistakes in the fight, and teases him for being caught by the Bat. The one thing they were supposed to Not Do in Gotham of course. He had ONE job.
Tim Drake, who trailed after Danny like a lost puppy upon realizing the new friend he made at the event was approaching the Bats, tries to defend the ghost; heâs kinda like HEY HE WAS A BIG HELP?? Which they both turn on him about to stare.
While itâs nice of him (and very cute and touching since Danny and Phantom are not used to people trying to defend them), it feels weird to have what amounts to inner thought processes get interrupted with someone countering him on his own review of how he could improve.
As soon as the Bats recover and launch into interrogation towards who the two are Danny tries to nope out really fast by turning to sprint. Phantom just grabs him by the back of the shirt and lifts him up like one would to a misbehaving puppy and says "NO." Danny crosses his arms and just dangles there for the entire rest of the conversation. They see nothing weird about this. The Bats absolutely do.
So then Danny and Phantom need to get away from the Bats, resolve the separation by getting back to Amity somehow with the fairly noticeable Phantom (Danny took a bus for the event and Phantom can't stay invisible 24/7), and deal with the aftereffects of the chaos caused by the cult.
The next time they run into him both of them keep hitting on Tim Drake, while the Bats totally think theyâre an item due to the extreme amount of over-familiarity, such as constant interrupting of each other mid-sentence when one might say something they really shouldn't. Poor Tim is caught in the middle of this. At least one other Bat develops a crush on one half but not the other.
When they call Jazz because they're stuck in Gotham and split but Danny can't stop talking about the cute boy they met while Phantom just yells at him 24/7 that this is SERIOUS they need to GET HOME EVEN THOUGH THERE'S A CUTE BOY she laughs so hard she drops her cellphone on the ground.
Summary: Throwing up ghosts is just the beginning. First, a ghost that looks exactly like Danny comes through the portal. The memory sharing and body switching are weird. Now the portal inside him is growing and Danny is terrified of what happened once it become too big for his body to contain.
Word Count: 3,312
Also on AO3
Sequel to "An Unconventional Way to Get a Cat", Written in response to this ask I received.
âI just finished your cat acquisition portal au fix and I loved it! Missy my beloved. I can't help but imagine Danny instinctively going invisible and intangible out of sheer 'oh shit' at the end, which would NOT make either of them more calm. Ahdjfkf I also read the end note and I think I speak for everyone in that we would LOVE to hear your deranged ideas <3â
Thanks to @sun-spice for asking.Â
This is set staring directly after the last chapter of âAn unconventional way to get a Cat.â It is part story outline, part rough scenes. But between the length and the fact that Iâm really freaking proud of the ending, I figured I should post it here on AO3. Itâs pretty tonally different from the story I wrote for phic phight so I decided it should be itâs own thing as well. So yâall get ready. This is going to be a ride. đ
It begins with something big, bigger than anything else Danny has felt before pushing its way through the portal. There is a big flash of light as the ghost portal opens through him. As the light dies, Danny finds himself floating and glowing. Suddenly, he is a ghost.Â
His sister stands in the bathroom doorway, eyes wide with shock. Danny mirrors her expression, then after a too long pauseâŚ.
âAm I dead?!â
Jazz says something, just as panicked as him. But⌠Danny canât process through the screaming in his own head. His body feels⌠strange. Too warm and too cool. His chest is too full, despite the lightness in his limbs. And yetâŚ. He feels better, more right than heâs felt since the Accident a week ago.
That is until Danny turns human with another flash of light. With a stumble, he lands on his feet. He stares at his ungloved hands. Completely back to normalâŚ
âUghâŚâ Something on the floor behind him groans.
 The boyâs head whips to⌠a ghost on the floor. It looks like a boy about his age, white haired, in a⌠strangely familiar jumpsuit.
âWhat⌠but thatâs-â Jazz, normally so sure sounding, stutters.
At the noise, the ghost's head jerks up. It⌠his eyes are blown wide, confused and disoriented.
The ghost has Dannyâs face.Â
Both the siblings shout, fingers pointing, questions drilling. The ghost flinches, popping invisible and fleeing. The look on his faceâŚ.just as freaked out as Danny and Jazz.Â
For a long while, Danny and Jazz throw out ideas about what just happened. Maybe the ghost is some kind of shape shifter? The two have no idea and no way to find out. They definitely are not telling their parents. And how are they supposed to go after the ghost?Â
âI canât⌠Can we just⌠forget about this?â Danny finally says, running fingers though his hair. âI just want to finish my cereal, cuddle my cat, and go to bed.âÂ
Begrudgingly, Jazz agrees.
But there is no forgetting for Danny. Having a ghost that looks just like him flying around the town is weird. Danny has weird dreams, as if he is seeing Amity Park from above. Weird, out-of-nowhere feelings invade at random moments. Thoughts that echo, that feel not quite like his own but somehow unquestionably are. And⌠memories of green swirling clouds and purple doors. Danny feels⌠strange. Heâs felt weird since the accident but this is something else. An invisible line connects him to⌠something. A feeling that something vital is missing.
Despite his desperate attempts at control, Jazzâs lessons in breathing techniques, meditation, mindfulness⌠Danny still throws up ghosts. More animals, even⌠things that appear almost human. He finds himself in weird dreams of fighting ghosts⌠even when heâs awake. School starts and he inevitably has to tell Sam and Tucker. The trio encounter the Lunch Lady, and⌠Dannyâs weird ghostly double. This is his first time seeing the ghost since that night Jazz found out about his condition. Looking at the ghost boy is strange. It makes his head hurt, vision oddly doubly like he is staring in a funhouse mirror. An uneasy feeling churns through his insides. Those dreams were never really dreams.
One day Danny blinks and finds himself floating above Amity Park.Â
âWhat, no.â The boy mutters to himself. âIâm not actually here.â He closes his eyes, trying to focus. âIâm in my bedroom, sitting on my bed. The blanket is soft. Thereâs a clock ticking on my wall.âÂ
But⌠he canât feel the bed under him, canât hear the clock. The sound of the wind remains stubborn in his ears.Â
Dannyâs eyes pop open. He⌠canât snap himself back to reality. Danny looks down, and the nausea he feels has nothing to do with the portal in his guts. Heâs actually here, floating a hundred feet above the park.Â
Itâs..like just before his look-alike showed up. Danny shivers at the thought. His spectral doubleâŚ. Did the ghost possess him (semi-possess?) him again? Thatâs what he and Jazz decided must have happened back then. The ghost came through the portal and was so confused and disoriented, he immediately overshadowed Danny. There hadnât been a fight for control, no other voice in his head. The ghost must have been too weak and confused to wrestle for control, hence getting thrown out almost immediately.
This almost felt like that. Except⌠No, something was wrong. He felt light, no human warmth, no pounding in his chest. Before thereâd been⌠an odd calmest. It almost made him sick, remembering how right that moment had felt.
Shaking the feeling away, Danny wobbly flew back to his house. He phased through his window to findâŚhimself freaking out in his room.
His own blue eyes stare at him, wide with confusion. And yet⌠they flicker green⌠something behind them is eerily familiar.Â
âItâsâŚyou.â âDanny!â
Apparently the ghost switched bodies with him. And his double, Phantom, is no help.Â
âI have no idea whatâs happening.â Phantom in Dannyâs body (and isnât that a crazy thought) raises his arms. âI donât even know who I am. All I remember is floating on the other side of the portal, guarding it. Like⌠the first thing I remember in a pain, a green flash and I was in the Zone in front of the ghost portal!â He shrugged, looking sheepish. âI just knew it was my job to guard it. I wasnât very good at it though.â
Obviously not with all the ghost animals coming through.Â
Dannyâs brow furrowed. âWhy did you leave?â
Phantom shivered. âThe portal⌠it was⌠calling me. Or maybe it was something on the other side. I just knew I had to come through.âÂ
So Phantom had touched the rift. He found himself in the human world. And⌠suddenly he was with Danny. For just a moment there⌠it felt like he didnât exist. There was no Phantom, justâŚÂ
âThen we turned human and warm and I was just me again.â
Danny doesnât know what to make of the story, his stomach twisting with a dozen feelings.
Eventually the two switch back. But now the memory, thought, and emotion sharing is even more intense. The two keep switching places. Danny fights the ghost in Phantomâs place. The ghost gets an⌠oddly familiar taste of Danny Fentonâs life. Inevitably, the two bond, forming an odd friendship through their efforts to hide their weirdness from the Fenton parents and the town as a whole. They find they have a lot in common too. Phantom loves puns as much as Danny does. The human boyâs love of the stars is as great as his ghostly friendâs. Music, books, movies, games. They squeeze so many shared interests into the quieter moments. Sometimes they butt heads because of how similar they are but⌠overall Danny is happy. Phantom feels like the brother he never had. Maybe the ghost is his twin that he absorbed in the womb. Maybe heâs just a random ghost that he was lucky enough to meet. Either way, itâs nice to have him in his life.
But, things are not all good. The portal is getting worse. More ghosts are coming through. More fights, worse injuries. Phantomâs powers are growing, including new, hard to control ice powers.Â
And the portal feels colder too. Danny can feel it swirling. The tenderals spread, wrapping around his bones and organs. It⌠shines through his skin. He can see it, a ball of neon green below his ribs. It flashes brighter, blinding him every time it opens. And⌠each time, the spot of light is a little bigger.
One morning, Danny wakes up to a tingling feeling on his skin. Like the occasional invisibility and intangibility he experiences when heâs Phantom but⌠it's pervasive, spreading from his stomach to the surface. He lifts his shirt and⌠the portal is there. On his skin? In his skin? Above his skin? It does not make any sense but it is there, bound to him and visible. The size of his fist, it swirls below his rib cage. He brushes it with a finger and⌠it is like touching his own skin. At the same time, it is like brushing cold mist. His hand sinks in, not intangible but like sticking his hand in a bucket. And he shivers. He can feel it, the cold atmosphere of the Realms on his hand⌠and the portal swirling around his wrist. He feels his hand brushing the mist and his mist brushing the hand. He is both hand and mist.
Danny rips his hand out, as if he has been burned. Horror sinks into him. What is happening to him?
The switching keeps happening and the portal keeps growing. And Danny is scared. He hides it from his friends and sister. At first, itâs not that hard. A shirt is enough to cover the swirling gate below his ribs. But it spreads onto his shoulder, below his belly button. He switches to long shirts and hoodies. He is nervous and on edge, avoiding his friends, changing the subject whenever Jazz asks whatâs wrong.
But there is no hiding from Phantom. Not when half the time Dannyâs body is his. The ghost is oddly quiet about the problem. Sometimes Danny catches the ghost looking at him, brow furrowed with thought. Phantom is closing off, acting more distant. In his eyes, something like realization, more than just the dread of death, flashes. And whatever it is, the revelation scares him.
But Danny can barely notice as the dread turns to terror. His heart races, he canât sleep, canât eat. Every minute, he can feel the portal getting bigger. He can feel it eating at his insides, invading them, turning them to ice and mist as they evaporate. He feels it grow and tear, burrowing deeper to replace and pull apart. And it does not even hurt. It should hurt. Being unmade, being changed should hurt. A part of Danny wants it to hurt. The portal is killing him. In the end, it will destroy him. And he doesnât want to die. OrâŚÂ
A much worse possibility screams at the back of his mind, in the way he feels the portal entrance below his shirt, can feel the small ghosts flitting through. Mutation trickles through his veins. Transformation, terrible violating changeâŚ.
Down in the empty portal one night, Danny cries alone. All this struggling, all this hiding and for what? He really is going to die down here, where he should have all those months ago. The portal has spread to just above his knees, to his elbows. He can barely stand, can barely walk now. He canât fill his fingers. But he can feel it, every inch. The portal is killing him, tearing him apart. It pulses, ready for release. And part of him wants to give in but⌠his friends and sister. Phantom, once simply his double, now his closest friendâŚ. Letting the portal take him would be giving up, leaving them. But⌠he canât do this, canât keep fighting forever.
âDanny!â Suddenly Phantom is there, kneeling in front of him.
The human (Is ever human anymore, with this.. thing parasitizing his body?) blinks, surprised. âWhat are you doing here?â
âYou canât give up.â
Danny hears the words, processes them, the same ones heâd been telling himself just second ago But⌠itâs too much.Â
âIâm⌠Iâm scared.â He cries. Just moments ago, he wanted to let the portal rip him apart. Dying was terrifying. But⌠âI canât⌠I canât keep fighting it. IâŚâ A flash of cold. Danny feels the green claw up his neck. âItâs going to rip me apart. Itâs going to kill me, really kill me this time. ButâŚâ He hiccups, the sound part cry, part laugh. âWhat if I donât die? What ifâŚâ A tendril curls passed his knee, half way down his calf. âI can feel it, the portal. I can feel it like⌠like itâs my own skin. What if it⌠it destroys me but I⌠Iâm stillâŚâ
He canât force out the words, not with the cold tickling his throat, with the tears drowning his voice. But the thoughtâŚ. What if the portal destroys his body but he still exists? What if it breaks out of his fragile human sheel and becomes him? What if he becomes it? The un-living gate between worlds, trapped in his cage of metal. Without sight or sound, just⌠his thoughts and the ghosts swimming through him forever.
âYou wonât be trapped.âÂ
That⌠is not what Danny expected Phantom to say. He opens his eyes, tears cutting off in his shock. âWhat?â
The ghost shakes his head. âI figured it out. Why the accident made me, why you called me through.â
âI donât understand.â
âWe really should have figured it out months ago. The shared memories were a big hint. And the switching bodies.â He rolls his eyes.Â
âIâm.. Iâm dying.â Dannyâs mind is screaming, confusion growing into distress. âWhat are-â
Phantom takes his hands. âYou are the portal. Thereâs no denying it now. Itâs part of you. It is you.â
âNo.â Pure despair crashes over him. The word echoes, more thought and emotion that sound, Dannyâs throat replaced by the green.Â
Itâs true then. A few more minutes and heâll be nothing more than a cloud of mist, hanging in the frame. At least heâll get to say goodbye-
Danny narrows his eyes. He appreciates the attempt at comfort but it was too late for reassuring lies. Even if he wouldnât die, this is still the end.
The ghost points up the stairs. âYou will walk up their stairs in a few minutes and go to bed. Youâll go to school on Monday and the Nasty Burger with Sam and Tuck. Youâll bug Jazz andâŚâ Phantom is crying now too. âWeâll⌠weâll do it together.â
Danny feels it, Phantom means every word. He is so sure but-
âIâm your ghost, Danny. Your ghost.â So much emphasis in the words. âI always have been. Your accident made me. You made me.â Phantomâs eyes glistening with tears. âYou called me through the gate. You made me, an echo, your friend. And nowâŚâ He sniffled and a soft smile bloomed. âIâm⌠Iâm becoming something more.â
Hands still clasps, Phantom brings one of Dannyâs to his hazmat suited chest. The still-flesh fingers feel andâŚÂ
There under his hand, in Phantomâs chest⌠something thumps and pulses. A steady drum beat. In Phantomâs chest, his heart beats.
âIs it really?â The ghost raises one eyebrow.
âYes! Youâre a ghost. This is-â Danny cuts off. No, of course, itâs not impossible. Heâs becoming a ghost portal and Phantom is being raised back to life. His ghost is becoming human.
The momentary awe crests and Danny plunges back into desperation. âWhy are you telling me this?âÂ
His mind whirls. He imagines, Phantom as a human. Like so many times before, laying in his bed, doing his homework, going to school, hanging out with his friends. Danny canât help but smile. The thought of his fading away and Phantom taking his life, the tastes heâd loved so much becoming realâŚ
âNo. I said⌠I said weâd go up those stairs together.â Desperation rings in Phantomâs voice, stronger than even Dannyâs own despair.
Danny blinks. There is meaning there, significance. Phantom is begging him for something and⌠he does not understand.Â
âWhen I first came through the portal, we shared a body and mind.â The ghost pleads, eyes wide. âDonât you remember? I came through and⌠I wasnât me anymore. I thought⌠it was like I didnât exist but⌠but I realizedâŚ. That wasnât it.â
âWhat are you saying?â Danny begs. The portal pulses, his arms and legs consumed.Â
âWe shared the same space and⌠I didnât disappear. I folded back, back to where I came from in first place. I was you again.â Phantom says, the words airy with realization âIâve always been you.â He squeezes the flesh hands, the desperate touch the only thing holding the green back.âYou⌠youâve felt it too, the link between us. Weâre intertwined.â
The ghost is⌠right. Of course he is. Danny feels it in hisâŚ.Phantomâs bones. The shared thoughts and memories. The body swapping. The shared interests and appearance. Dread, excitement, anticipation bubble in what once was Dannyâs stomach. A thousand emotions but⌠paramount is hope.
Danny almost wants to laugh. He became best friends with himself. ButâŚIn Phantomâs chest, he can feel his, their heart pounding. If Phantom is wrong and he had just disappeared in that first overshadowingâŚ
âButâŚ. Phantom, what happens to you if that⌠if⌠if weâŚâ
The ghost shakes his head. His knowing eyes say he knows Dannyâs fear. âDanny, I came from you. From your death. Even with becoming⌠thisâŚâ He motions to his body. âA ghost thatâs technically separate from youâŚ. Weâve always been a step from being the same person. I thinkâŚ. Weâd finally fall back into step.â
They would fall into step⌠The strange sense of fullness, of rightness heâd felt when Phantom appeared⌠Heâd felt different, not quite himself since the accident. Like something was missing. And now, the missing part is in front of himâŚ
And yet⌠a last trickle of doubt, of fear. The portal quivers, wanting to overtake him. The tip of his nose disappearsâŚ
Fear darkens Phantomâs face. âNo matter what happens to me, I wonât let you be trapped in the frame. IâŚâ The ghost steels his face. âWhether we sync back into step, or I disappear, or we end up sharing a body permanently⌠Go back up those stairs with me.â
Danny stares for a long moment. He is just a pair of eyes now, two hands, and two feet. A part of him whispers, it would be easier to let the portal take him. At least he knows what will happen; he feels it in his mist, in the way his ectoplasm wants to expand, to grow to fit the frame. But this uncertaintyâŚÂ
Will he lose Phantom or become him? Was Phantom even real in the first place? Does any of it matter? But the pleading, the desperation in PhantomâŚ. His other selfâs eyes.Â
 âO⌠okay.â Danny stutters, mind made up.
The boy-who-is-a-portal pulls his ghost into a hug. His portal self pulses, straining to fill its proper shape. The last of his mortality in ghostly hands⌠the two fragmented minds intertwine. Strings twisting tighter and tighter together. Gaps that he hadnât even felt filling. Threads knitted into a greater and greater pattern. Ghost and human and something altogether other fall into the weave.
It⌠never was a choice between Phantom and the portal, the creature that was and is Danny, and is so much more realizes. It was, it is, it will be so much more. Form straining to finally become, the being that is Danny releases.
The portal explodes out, a supernova of force, yet contained by his mind. The green mist coalesses, filling the metal machine made by its parentâs hands. The gateway becomes and the new born halfa, its guardian self, floats inside.
Slowly, the halfa floats out of the bridge. He blinks for a long moment, staring at the portal, his other body. A gloved hand over his chest, heart and core intertwined. Ghostly chill in his veins and human warmth.
He breathes out and⌠laughs with relief. His portal self pulses with mirth, mist curling.Â
âIâm⌠Iâm alive. That worked. Danny⌠Phantom⌠we did it.â
He is a ghost and he is alive. He is a gateway and he is a boy. He is Danny and he is Phantom. And he is whole.
Note: So yeah, yall know how much I love split Danny so this idea was born out of that love. If youâve read my other words, youâll probably notice some thematic similarities to Face to Face, hence why I never wrote this despite coming up with this idea first. Seriously, I was daydreaming about this fic while I was in grad school and supposed to be paying attention in the lecture I was TAing. đ
The portal consuming Dannyâs physical body was an interesting idea which came from free story I read on Kindle years ago. It was either a one off short story or in an anthology but I had not luck finding it. It was about a man who got a case of cancerous pocket dimension. Basically, this pocket of space appeared on his stomach and grew like a cancer, eventually destroying him. It was sad, about his wrestling with his impending death and leaving his daughter behind. About how his new part of space was being created with his life and yet he would not live to see it. He was not becoming the space, no part of his consciousness would stay. And yet, the planet that was visible through the spot, a new planet in a whole new universe, which he told his daughter about and showed her to her amazement, was named after her. A part of him did survive.Â
I swear the story was a lot more poignant that my explanation and I really wish I could find it but Iâm having no luck. đ
Anyway, thanks for pushing me into writing this. Feel free to tell me what you think!
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 heâd been overshadowed but everythingâs 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 wasnât 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. đ 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.
âI must have been here a dozen times at least. And your lair still surprises me every time.â Sidney said, eyes surveying the room.
Danny leaned back on his couch, giving a chuckle. âHey, Iâm just working with what I have. I think the Hobbit vibes are pretty cool.â
âI figured you would want something more modern and sci fi.â His friend shrugged.
The halfa raised a brow. âLike an underground bunker? Nah.â He shook his head. âAs cool as quarters on the Enterprise would be, or the inside of the TARDISâŚ. It just didnât feel right. Plus,â He shrugged. âI like to be comfy.â
âIt is definitely that.â
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.Â
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 Sidneyâs lair that gave off gray light. A drum head on the wall sported an animated image of blue fire; heâd 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 heâd visited: Sidâs lair, The Library, Doraâs kingdom, Emberâs concert hall venue. AndâŚ. the halfa smiled softly at this last object⌠photo of his family and two best friends, Danny grinning in the middle in ghost form.
âJeepers! What is this?!â Sidneyâs voice interrupted the half ghostâs musing.Â
Dannyâs gaze flickered to the object of his friendâs attention. âOh. That? It was a Christmas present from Mom.â 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. âItâs a Mimic.â
âA MimicâŚâ For just a moment, Sidneyâs black and white brow wrinkled. Then⌠âLike from that Dungeon and Dragons game Tucker told me about?!âÂ
âYep.â Danny nodded.
âFighting a monster like that⌠that must be the beeâs knees!â The half ghost could practically see the stars in his friendâs eyes.
âYouâre still invited to our games any time you want to join.â Danny raised a brow.
âThis section of the Realms needs its own group.â Sidney crossed his arms, pouting slightly.
âDora might like it⌠and Ember.â The half ghost grinned toothily. âSheâs already literally a bard.â He tapped his chin. âMaybe we can get Ghost Writer to let us use a room in his lair.â
âThe Library is not the most convenient location though; itâs far away from everyone but me.âÂ
âHum.â Dannyâs brow furrowed, considering. âThatâs fair.â Sidneyâs lair was the closest to the Library by far. But the otherâsâŚ. Emberâs lair was about the same distance from the portal as Sidneyâs, except in the exact opposite direction. And Doraâs lair was vaguely below his, a leisurely forty-five minute flight down. If anythingâŚ. Danny blinked. âIâm in the middle.â
âYou sure are, buster.â Sidney raised a brow, looking at him as if it was obvious.
The half ghost took a second to process and then laughed. âItâs always like that, huh?âÂ
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 heâd chosen to place himself there.
âSo I guess weâd meet here. OrâŚâ 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 andâŚ. âSo Iâd been thinking-â
Just then, the black rectangular device clipped to the belt of Dannyâs suit chimed. âOh. Thatâs probably my parents.â He detached the communicatorâ made by his parents, with Tuckerâs help, to work across dimensions and designed to look like the ones from Star Trekâ and flipped it open.
His brow furrowed. âIâm not late for dinner, am I? Didnât think Iâd been gone that long.â
âNo sweetie.â His momâs voice sounded from the other end. âIâm sorry to interrupt your hang-out with Sidney. But Mr. Jenkins called from the Salvage Yard about a ghost problem.â
The boy sighed, head rolling back on the couch to look up at the ceiling. âIs it Technus again?â
âIt sounded like it.â The wince was almost audible in her voice. âYour father and I would go but Mr. Jenkins asked for Phantom⌠very insistently.âÂ
Another sigh. âIâll be right there.â Danny hung up, putting the communicator back on his belt before burying his head in his hand.
âTechnus again?â Sidney rose a brow.
The halfa looked up, fixing an eye on his friend. â I mean, Iâm fine with him hanging out in the material world and tinkering with stuff. ButâŚâ The halfa groaned. âHe keeps trying to blow things up the salvage yard.â
The ghostly nerd chuckled. âAll that new fangled modern technologyâŚ. That beatnik must think he died and gone to heaven.â
Danny rolled his eyes. âHe will if I have to tell him to stop stealing other peopleâs stuff one more time.â
Sidney shook his head. âYou know itâs hard to keep a ghost from his obsession.â Then tapping his chin, he mused. âBut maybe if he had his own place to experimentâŚâ
âHumâŚâ Danny furrowed his brow, considering. He floated up. âGotta go.â He pointed at the black and white ghost. âIâm serious, you should come to our D&D games next Saturday. Think about it?â
âI will.â The other ghost nodded, also rising. âSee you later.â
The two exited through the lairâs 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.Â
The boy drifted over the carefully cultivated plants, a particularly energetic snap-dragon snapping at his heel. âHey! I donât have time to play right now.â He bent down, patting the petly approximation of a draconic head.Â
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 couldnât help but smile. Only six months and there was already so much after-life here on his little island.Â
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.Â
But Danny, of course, wasnât 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. âDanny-boy!â His dad smiled with a wave. âYou want one of us to come with you?â
âNah. Iâm just gonna try and talk to Technus again.â The halfa waved off the concern. He floated up, towards the ceiling.Â
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.
âKnock his socks off, son! And be careful!â âWeâll do great, sweetie! Call us if you need anything!âÂ
With his parentsâ words of encouragement rising in his ears, Danny phased through the ceiling and zoomed off.
âFinished?! What in tarnation even is-.â A sudden crash. âWoah!ââÂ
âAh. A few more finishing touches andâŚâ A sparking, sizzling hissâŚ
âWhere did you get a welding gun? Wait! Is that my coffee maker?!â
The ghost scoffed. âItâs not like you were using it.â
âI used it this morninâ, you-âÂ
Danny arrived just as Technus flipped up his face shield. âTada! My greatest creation!â The ghost spread his arms, grinning proudly.
âYou stole my French Press!â Mr. Jenkins yelled.
âGhost Child!â The adult ghost ignored him, eyes lighting up at Phantomâs arrival. âYou arrived just in time to watch!â
Danny fixed Technus with a skeptical look. âWhatâs going on here?â
âAs I was saying, I Technus! Master of all things electronic and beeping have finished my greatest creation yet!â The ghost motioned again, to a tracker-trailer sized collection of mismatched metal parts.Â
Well, that wasnât here the last time. âTechnus⌠where did you get all this stuff?â
Just then, a frantic woman came running out of the square building sitting among all the old cars. âIâm so sorry, Mr. Jenkins. I donât understand how, but the office phone is gone. So are the fax machine and the microwave. And all the computers and-â Her eyes widened, voice squeaking as she spotted Technus. âNot you again!â
âThatâs my computer?!â Jenkinâs eyes bulged, his face turning red. âI already told you, this ainât a junkyard. You canât take whatever you want!â
âThese machines are just sitting here, wasting away! I had to do something with all this beautiful technology.âÂ
âWhatâs it even supposed to be!?âÂ
âAn ingenious invention! And greatly needed!â The green skinned ghost held a finger up. âWhat kind of junk yard doesnât have a car-crusher?â
âYouâre nuttier than a fruitcake.â Jenkins pointed accusingly at Technus. âThis ainât no junk yard! Weâre a salvage yard. We sell used parts!â
âSalvage yard.â Technus rolled his eyes. âThatâs ridiculous. Youâre just jealous of my brilliance, old man!â
âAt least I made it past half a century!â The older man spat.
âI, 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 donât you know about that, Halfa child! Still wearing that hip and sweet hazmat suit-â
âWe are not talking about my death.â Danny interrupted pointedly. âNow-â
âOf course! Enough of this. You came to see my genius!â The mad scientist darted around the metal monstrosity, lab coat flapping behind him.
âPhantom! Stop him!â Mr. Jenkins cried.
âYou heard him, Technus.â The ghost boy crossed his arms. âDonât make me get out the thermos.â
The older ghost ignored the reprimanded, eagerly grabbing at the machineâs controls. âFirst! The claw will shoot out and snag the car we want. Now which oneâŚâ His brow furrowed, then turning and pointing at a red, old-looking convertible. âAh! That sad sorry hunk of junk will do.â
âTechnus! We talked about this!â Danny drove forward, arms out to pull the other ghost away from the controls.
At the same time⌠â No! Thatâs-â Mr. Jenkins sounded panicked.Â
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.Â
The clawed arm lashed out, clamping around the truck. The metal fingers snapped closed with an agonizing crunch of metal and glass.Â
âMust be out of practice.â Danny mumbled. Then, he lit his hands with ecto-energy, âTechnus, Iâm warning you!âÂ
âAnd now! My hyper-efficient car-crusher will reduce this rust bucket to scrap in seconds!â The other ghost laughed maniacally, jamming one of the leverâs down.
âNo! No! No!â Mr. Jenkins sounded near⌠tears?
The arm pulled the car forward, the headlights meeting the jaws of the crusher with a stomach-turning crunch.
âLook! My funky fresh creation is working perfectly!âÂ
The ghost boy let his shot lose, the ecto-energy knocking the other ghost away.
âNo! Thatâs my car!!â Mr. Jenkins fell to his knees.
Danny darted in front of the control panel. His eyes widened. So many buttons, nobs, and leversâŚ. Lights blinked in front of him. Frantic, the boy jabbed at different controls.Â
âMy Oldsmobile!â Beside him, Mr. Jenkins was definitely crying. âThat was Paâs. Me and Pa fixed it up before he passed. No!â
The halfaâs eyes flashed. âHow do you turn this thing off?â 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 ghostâs face scrunched up, brow wrinkling. ThenâŚ
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 thermoâs lid. âTechnus, you know I donât have any problem with you hanging around Amity Park. Tinkering by itself is fine. But when you start taking other peopleâs things and destroying propertyâŚ. I canât let that stand.â
âBut itâs just an old carâŚâ The older ghost fixed his head down, voice oddly subdued.
âItâs Mr. Jenkinsâ car.â Danny pointed. âIt belongs to him.â His tone sharpened. âI wouldnât come in your lair and mess with your laboratory. Take your inventions without asking. You canât do that to Mr. Jenkins.â
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 adultâs 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 boyâs stomach turned, anxiously hoping. That the ghost had listened, that he could find a peaceful resolution.Â
Technusâs grip on the control panelâs levers tightened. âIt seems, I, Technus, made an error. The first tenant of the scientific methodâŚ. I failed to gather all the important background information.â
Mr. Jenkins looked up, angrily whipping his face. âYou donât say.â
âI got so excited, I forgot to ask for permission to use the junkâŚâ
âHey! Itâs not-â The human started objecting.
âOr 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 donât need one. Which does not make any sense to me. Still, I should not have taken your things and-â
âThatâs all fine and good. But my carâs still trashed.â Jenkins interrupted, scowling at the crushed vehicle.
âAn honest mistake.â Technus winced. âAndâŚâ He held up a finger. âGive me a second.â He darted over to the wreckage. âHere, let meâŚâÂ
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. Technusâ 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 intoâŚ
âWell Iâll be damned.â Mr. Jenkins said breathily.
Dannyâs eyes widened, just as amazed. âHow? You⌠you-â
Sure enough, the car sat in front of them, whole and intact.
The on-lookers just blinked for a long moment. ThenâŚ
âMy car!â Mr. Jenkins practically ran forward. âBessie! Youâre alright!â He flopped onto the hood, arms spreading wide as if hugging the vehicle. âBetter than alright!â Eyes wide and gleeful, he wiped at a spot over the headlights. âThat blasted scratch is gone!âÂ
The human man kept cooing over his car and Danny laughed. âHeâs worse than my dad with the GEV.â The boy rolled his eyes. Then⌠âSeriously though. Putting it back together like thatâŚ. that was incredible, Technus. Thank you for fixing this.âÂ
âPst.â The ghost shrugged off the thanks. âIt was childâs play!â He laughed almost maniacally.
âCan you uh⌠put back the rest of the office?â The assistant asked meekly.
Technusâ eyes flickered to her, briefly looking disappointed, before he scoffed. âCan I put the rest of the office back?â He waved his arms, green light again spreading and enveloping the metal pieces. âEasier than differential calculus. Can I, Technus, master of all things mechanical, put it back? Please.â
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. âI didnât know you could fix things like this, Technus. Incredible!â He popped open the trunk, gaze flickering over the various parts. âSheâs as good as new.â He reached inside, tapping something. âSay. One of the new tow-trucks is acting squirrely. Some kind of malfunction with that fancy new, space-age onboard computers. Canât make head âr tails of it. Take a look and maybe I can find some spare parts for you to tinker with.â
Parts continued to swirl away, the car-crusher growing smaller and smaller. Technus tapped his chin. âIs this a problem worthy of I! Technusâ vast expertise!?â
For a moment, both Mr. Jenkins and his assistant looked worried, concerned eyes searching Danny.Â
The ghost boy nodded sagely. âOf course! Computer technology is so advanced now. Especially in cars! They definitely need someone as genius as you to fix it. Plus free parts!â The half ghost spread his arms. âYou canât pass up a deal like that!â
âYouâre right, Ghost Child!â With a final flourish, the last remnants of the disastrous car crusher vanished, the components returning to their proper places. âCome Jenkins!â The mad scientist quickly floated away. âShow me this tow-truck!â
âNot so fast! We mere humans canât fly!â The human man jogged after.Â
Danny gave another chuckle at the pair. He flew after them.Â
âHere it is.â Mr. Jenkins panted, motioning to the car. He unlocked the door and slid into the seat. âThe problem is, anytime I start up the carâŚâ He pressed the ignition. âSee?â
The ghost nodded from where he leaned over, observing. âAh! That is confounding! First, let me tryâŚâ
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.
âTry it again.â Technus instructed.
Mr. Jenkins pressed the start button again. A pause. âWell, Iâll be.â
The mad scientist laughed. âI told you, old geezer. No electronical problem can overcome my genius!â
The human rolled his eyes, good naturedly. âOld geezer? Ya didnât know what a computer was until last month.â
They were⌠getting along? âThis is great! See.â Danny gave an encouraging smile and spread his arms. âTechnus 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?â
The human tapped his chin. âYou know, my brotherâs got an auto shop. Heâs always needinâ help. Maybe we can work something out.â
âIâm listeningâŚâ The green-skinned ghost nodded, face serious. Even as his aura flickered excitedly.
âIâll give Perry a call andâŚâ
The two talked for a few more minutes. Hope bloomed in Dannyâs heart, a smile slowly parting his lips. They had this. Coming up with a compromise together. Without him. In factâŚ
The ghost boy turned to leave. âIâm going to go check on your assistant and everything in the office. Shout if you need me.â
The two barely acknowledged him, simply waving as they both chuckled over something.Â
Danny flew away, shaking his head. Moments later, he knocked at the office door. âItâs Phantom.â
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. âMr. Jenkins is okay, right? I havenât heard any screaming recently.â
Danny laughed. âYeah, heâs fine. Him and Technus are working out tech-help for spare parts.â
The woman blanched. âIs that wise?â
The boy nodded. âGiving the guy something to focus on will be good for him. And Iâm sure Mr. Jenkins could use the help.â
The assistantâs brow furrowed thoughtfully. âI guess you have a point.â Her face smoothed out, smiling gratefully at him. âThank you, by the way, for coming and helping with all this.âÂ
âItâs just what I do.â Danny shrugged. âNo big deal.â
 âSeriously. This all wouldnât still be standing without you.â She motioned around her vaguely. âWeâd be in a mess without you, Phantom.â
âWell thenâŚâ The boy blushed at the praise. âYouâre welcome⌠uh, I donât know your name.â
âItâs Nancy.â She smiled.
âNancy.â Danny gave a nod. âEverythingâs good here so Iâm going to head out. Give FentonWorks a call if you need anything.â
âI will.âÂ
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 humanâs hearty chuckle just as real and vibrant below it.
Danny beamed down at the scene. âYeah. Theyâre going to be fine.â
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 brotherâs 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.Â
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, Emberâs 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.Â
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.Â
A text notification pinged and Danny laughed, typing back.
Danny: thatâs the most cursed meme iâve ever seen
Another cursed follow up. And another. Danny snorted, sending his own.
Tucker: đľ â ď¸ Deed. Y u stil up thoigh?
Danny: Dude itâs spooky hour. Getting my haunt on.
Tucker: U lucky basterd. Ony need 4 hrs of skeep
Danny: đ Y r u still up?
Tucker: Doom. newd new armor.Â
Tucker: đľ stupd skelton killed međ
Danny: Go to sleep!
Tucker: Neverrttt5454er66wreeqwsd
Danny: ?
Tucker: dropped phome on my face
Tucker: maybe i shoud slep
Danny: You think? đ¤¨
Tucker: One more meme!
Tucker: Phantomceiling.mov
Tucker: wrong file. đ´đĽąđŤ 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.Â
And he sent a random video? Danny tilted his head at the file name, pressing play.
âWoah!â Tuckerâs excited voice cheered.Â
The camera shifted wildly, a blurry tan surface covering the screen. The crispness of the image wavered, in and out untilâŚ. tiny, glow-in-the-dark stars shifted into focus. On the⌠ceiling? Why did Tucker have a video of his bedroom ceiling?
âI canât even believe this, Iâm floating!â This friendâs voice cheered.Â
The half ghostâs eyes widened, suddenly remembering. This video, the one Tucker made while swinging from the ceiling. MeaningâŚ.
The image titled, pointed directly above and⌠ Black suit, white hair, sparkling green eyes paned into view. Danny felt his heart squeeze.
âSay hi, Danny.â Tucker laughed.Â
âHi Danny.â The ghost stuck out his tongue, giving a wave.
âHi Phantom.â The boy smiled softly, waving back.
This video⌠heâd forgotten about it completely. Hadnât even realized they had any video from when he was split, all those months ago. And nowâŚ
On the screen, Tucker grunted in effort, Phantomâs 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 Tuckerâs, his familiar weightlessness spread through the contact. That was him, trying to hold back his laughter. And yetâŚÂ
âCome⌠on.â His friend shouted in frustration. âCome on!â Two voices burst out in laughter, one higher pitched- obviously Sam. And the otherâŚ.
The camera panned. Black hair, blue eyes pinched closed, mouth open with his laughter.
âHi, Fenton.â 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 yetâŚ
After re-fusing, it had felt like heâd been asleep for a long time. Like he hadnât 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, hadnât really been there. But nowâŚ.
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 wasnât so bad. All the while, Danny chuckled at the scene. His smile grew, something soft and precious and fond.
âWait⌠how?â Tucker wrinkled his brow. âI donât get it.â
âHeâs tapping into our powers.â Phantom righted himself in the air. âI mean, Iâm the ghost so Iâm technically the one with the powers right now. But weâre still the same person.â
âSo I can kinda use them if weâre touching.â Fenton explained. âI uhh⌠actually turned myself intangible last night, when Phantom did it and I was touching him.â
The video ended there, Fenton and Phantom side by side. The humanâs brow wrinkled in thought. The ghost mid-nod, agreeing.Â
And Dannyâs heart squeezed, something nostalgic. âGuys. We made it.â A finger brushed the screen. As if he could reach back to then and reassure both halves of himself. âWe made it.âÂ
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 lessonsâŚ. Danny remembered, his dream the night he re-merged.
âIâm going to be okay.â A soft, swirling gratitude. âI wonât forget what I learned when I was you guys. Iâll remember.âÂ
Danny hadnât forgotten. Heâd come back to himself, like finally coming home. And heâd found that he was more. More than just Phantom plus Fenton. More than just human plus ghost.Â
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.Â
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.
âHey, Iâm very witty. You just happen to share my brain.â The ghost grinned, roughly ruffling his counterpartâs hair. âCanât get one over on you, can I?â
âIâm the pun master.â Fenton chuckled, leaning into the touch.
âYouâre annoying, thatâs what you are.â Phantom teased.
A chuckle at the memory. Seeing this from both sides really shouldnât make sense. Yet it couldnât be more clearâŚ
âI love you too.â 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 wordsâŚ. Every syllable was real.Â
Phantom breathed. Teasing and joking was familiar, comfortable even. He was even used to transparency, tender honesty. But thisâŚ. The arm still around his human half tightened, his free arm circling around Fentonâs 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. âI do love you.â
Back on the roof, Dannyâs hand tenderly rested over his heart-core. Maybe if anyone else had seen that moment, heâd 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. Heâd learned so much. Heâd 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.Â
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 heâd come. Of all heâd learned.Â
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 enoughâ 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 wouldnât 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 heâd 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 heâd almost fused, before telling his parents about Phantom, heâd dreamed of the human in the ghostly, ghostly in the human. Heâd 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. âWeâve come so far.â His eyes softened, full of awe and gratitude. âI said it before, in that dream. Iâm happy I was both of you. And thank you for working to grow into who I am now.âÂ
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.Â
His core fluttered in time with his heart, swelling with hope. Danny smiled. âHereâs to whatever comes next.â
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 heâd been overshadowed but everythingâs 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 wasnât 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. đ đł
Seriously though, I put so much time and thought into this love letter to my two favorite things: Danny Phantom and Christian rock. đ 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 Dannyâs chest as everyone piled into the GEV. Even Jazz.
The boy raised a brow at his sister. âI figured youâd wanna stay home and read about the psychology of troubled teens or something.â
The red-head rolled her eyes at the comment. She shook her head. âSpike is going. Heâs really into the metal scene and I thought going myself might be informative.â
Dad glanced back. âIs that your boyfriend, Jazzirencess?â
Jazz blushed. âWeâre just friends, Dad.â
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 heâd fought a dragon here. Signs of the struggle still mard the area: patches of dead grass, a few fallen trees, and âDanny winced at the sightâ 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 Dannyâs thoughts. âFeels like I'm stuck. Going nowhere fast.â An older teenage girl was singing while playing. âMy life is on the line. I'm running out of time.â The instrument suddenly cut off. Then her voice pitched down, speaking normally. âIâm gonna need more guitar in my ears.â A few more strums. âPerfect.â She glanced over at another teen, holding a bass. âMaggie?â
Beside Danny, Tucker leaned in, right next to his ear. âTheyâre sound checking!â The half ghost could practically hear the stars in his friendâs eyes.Â
âWeâre listening to GFM sound check!â Danny felt just as giddy.
More strumming instruments, banging on the drums, growling and yelling into the mic. âMic check! One, two, three! Can you hear me?!âÂ
âYeah!â Woah!â The few people already gathering in front of the stage yelled an affirmative.
âSounds good, CJ.â The bassist backed up from the mic, leaving her instrument on a stand. âLetâs get dinner.â
âPizza!â 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.Â
Sam tugged on her friendsâ arms. âLetâs scope out merch.â
The three hurried over to the merch tables, the group clustered under a tent. First GFMâs 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.
âI want one of everything.â The goth gushed.Â
Next Relentâs table- black cloth covered the table, displaying fewer options but no less enticing.
Danny eyed one particular shirt.Â
Tucker pointed. âDude, check it.â The shirt showed a typical, if spooky, bed-sheet ghost, the scene complete with the band name, fire, lightning, and little bats.
âIâm so tempted.â The half ghost grinned.
Then Protestâs. A huge banner with the bandâs 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.
âThatâs a sick zip-up.â Tucker commented.
The man turned aroundâŚ. He looked vaguely familiar. âThanks man. My bro designed it.â He pointed to another man, a few tables down who was talking to some other people. âI donât think weâve met. Iâm-â He held out his hand to Tucker, only to be interrupted.
âJoshua Bramlett!âÂ
The four turned, only to see-
âGrandma?!â Samâs eyes crinkled in disbelief of the old woman zooming across the path in her electric wheelchair.
The manâs (presumably Joshua) eyes lit up behind his glasses. âMiss Ida!â He stepped around the group, bending over to hug the woman as her chair stopped. âHow have you been?!â
The trio of teens stared, confused. âWhat is happening right now?â Danny asked.
Meanwhile, the bearded man and Samâs grandma chatted. âThese old joints are acting up. But I wasnât going to miss seeing you boys for the world.â She patted his hand. âYou have to meet my granddaughter.â
Grandma Ida wheeled forward, the man walking back to the trio with her. âThis is Sam.â The old woman introduced.
âIâm Josh.â The man offered his hand with a smile.
âSam.â The goth nodded, accepting the gesture.
âTucker.â
âDanny.â
Two more hand shakes were given.Â
Josh then lowered his hands, putting them in his pockets. âHave you ever seen us before?â
âUs?â Danny raised a brow and the man motioned to the banner. âOh.â The boy blushed. âYou're in the band.â That really should have been obvious; hadnât he seen him on the flier for this very show?
Josh chuckled, giving a shrug. âI sing for The Protest.â The words were so casual, âAre you excited for the show?â and the question eager and genuinely interested.
The half ghost instinctively felt himself relaxing. âYeah! Weâve been talking about this for weeks.â
âMe and the boys will be sure to put on a good one for you.â He chuckled, before pointing back at the stage. âIf youâll excuse me, Iâve got more set up to do. Iâd love to talk to you guys more after.â
Sure enough, Josh turned and walked away. The three teens stopped, watching for a long moment.
âHe seems nice.â Tucker commented.
âThat young manâs one of the sweetest, most genuine people youâll ever meet.â Grandma Ida nodded, eyes twinkling with her smile.Â
âWho youâve apparently met before?â Sam frowned down, hands on her hips. âYou know the Protestâs lead singer. How come you havenât taken me to see them before?â
The old woman just shrugged, a mischievous look flickering across her face. Then her eyes lit up, gaze flickering to something near the stage. âIs that Marco Pera I see?!â She called out. âDonât you run off now! Come talk to Grandma Ida.â The old woman wheeled off, leaving the three teens behind.
The goth lowered her hands to her sides, mouth open. âUnbelievable.â
Danny tugged her arm, diverting her attention. âCome on. Thereâs another table.â
Sam turned back. Her brow furrowed. âI thought there were only three bands playing.â
Tucker shrugged, leading his friends to the table. Sure enough, there was more merch displayed.Â
âThey have everything.â Dannyâs 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.
âYou should get that one, Sam.â Tucker pointed teasingly at a pink leather bracelet with the bandâs name.
The goth rolled her eyes, giving the technogeek a punch on the arm.Â
âHey!â Tucker protested.Â
Sam ignored him, instead reading the writing on the banner behind the table. âChaotic Resemblance. Who are these guys anyway? Theyâre not on the flier.â
âWe got added last minute.â A blond man, late twenties with a lip ring, looked up from his phone, putting the device in his pocket. âWeâre good friends with the guys in the Protest and playinâ a few hours away tomorrow.â The man shrugged. He had an odd accent Danny couldnât quite place. âFigured we could swing by.â
âCool.â 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 manâs name was Travis, yet another lead singer. He asked the trio if theyâd heard of any of the other bands playing today and who they were excited to see.
âGFM.â Samâs eyes sparkled. âIâve been following their vlog for like a year now. The music kicks ass. And their music videos! I love the one for SMILE.â She stopped, blushing in seeming embarrassment from the rant. âSo, yeah. Iâm excited.â
Travis laughed, expression open and kind, before asking Tucker and Danny the same question. The technogeek mentioned reading a review of The Protestâs new ep on a music website he liked and listening to the songs a bunch. And DannyâŚ
âRelentâs super cool. Sam introduced them to me, since theyâre on that same label GFM used to be on.â He blushed, cheeks scrunching up with his smile. âIâve listened to the new cd like a hundred times. Especially Ghost and Heavy.â Just a hint of sadness brushed his mind at the thought of that second one. âI⌠really like those songs.â
âYouâve gotta learn the words, right.â Tucker elbowed him playfully.Â
The halfa just felt more embarrassed, rubbing the back of his neck. âYeah, well uhâŚâ
âDonât be embarrassed.â Travis leaned forward, a conspiratory twinkle in his eye. âLet me tell you a secret. We love it when fans know the words.â
âReally?â Danny asked hesitantly.
âYep.â The man nodded. âSo you better sing really loud for those guys.â The half ghost nodded eagerly. Then, suddenly strumming sounded from the stage. Travisâ head jerked in the direction. âOh, weâre sound checking. I have to go. It was great talking to you.â
Again, the trio watched him go. And Dannyâs shoulder untensed. He felt better, embarrassment and lingering sadness gone. He knew all the words to Heavy because, well⌠heâd listened⌠and cried through the song many times. Itâs not like anyone could blame him, right? The last two months had been the hardest of his life. But heâd gotten through it. Heâd learned and heâd 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 Dannyâs 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 ghostâs heart fluttered with excitement. The show must be starting soonâŚ
A cheer rang out around him. The boy looked up.
âWhoâs ready to rock?!â 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. âIâve always wanted to say that.â He chuckled. âIâm Dave. Iâve been volunteering with Guardians of the Children for ten years now. Weâre so excited to have all of you guys here today. âSpecially these awesome bands on the Gotta Rock âem all Tour.âÂ
Another cheer rose up and Dave clapped. âYeah! Give it up for these dudes.â
âWoo!!â Danny yelled, voice joining his friends.
More clapping and cheering⌠slowly the sound died down.
The older man pointed. âLater, one of my buddies is goinâ to tell you all about what we Guardians do. But now⌠are you ready to have your faces melted!?â
âYeah!â âWoo!â âYeah!â The half ghost caught a glimpse of Sam, her fists already in the sky. Tucker, mouth open to yell.
âOur first band wasnât originally planned to be here. Theyâre on their own tour now but makinâ a special trip to see us. I love these guys. If youâre in my generation, youâre in for a treat.â Daveâs eyes sparkled knowingly. âGive it up for⌠Chaotic Resemblance!â
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 andâŚ
âHow are we doing, Amity Park?!â 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 singerâs voice rose, high and resonating, with a twang.Â
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 heâd heard his parents listening toâŚ?Â
A hint of a bridge. The guitar solo. On stage, hair flew. The song swept up.Â
Around the half ghost, the crowd was swept up with it. Dannyâs heart beat faster, hair flopping on his forehead with his movement.
The chorus, on final timeâŚ.Â
âIt's time we break!â Travis half-sung, half-yelled. âThe identity crisis toda-ay!â The note held out, long high and reverberating. Instruments clashed, one finally flurry of head-banging.Â
With a final shout, the sound diedâŚ. And the crowd cheered.
âYeah!!â The halfa clapped, the motion big and exuberant.
One voice rose above the rest. âWoah! Radical, dudes!â
Danny looked back, cheeks bright red. That was his dad, hands up and grinning like a mad man.
On stage, Travis chuckled, pointing. âThank you, sir.â
The half ghost face palmedâŚ.
The show rolled on, embarrassment long forgotten.Â
âWeâve got one last song!â The singer started. âThanks for having us.â A cheer from the crowd. The guitars started shredding. âWe love you guys. God bless.â A final yell. âLetâs start a riot!â
Travis pumped the air with a fist. âHey! Hey! Hey!â
Soon the crowd was copyingâŚ.
Jumping. Hair slinging. Figuring out what to do during the song was natural, the crowd moving as one.Â
âThis is the Riot Anthem!âÂ
âRiot! Riot!â The boyâs heart pumped, grinning.
âOur final call to action!â
âRiot! Riot!â He shouted, fist punching the skyâŚ
The set ended but the show went on, Relent playing next, just as the sun was starting to set.
âWhat you're about to see is not for free. No, I ain't got time for apologies!â Danny spat the words to the much loved song. âI'm a south boy killa. No scope headshot winner.â Screaming. âI can feel something staring at me!â
Bouncing, the half ghostâs spirit soared.
But the next song was Heavy. âI wrote this song based on my wifeâs story. Sheâs been through so much. So many horrible, painful things. But sheâs come out victorious.â The singerâs eyes flicking over the crowd. âSo I hope her story helps people. I hope it helps you remember youâre not alone. And it helps you find the strength to break the silence and talk about the things that arenât talked about enough.â
The drums pounded, slow and steady. The emotional words rang out. âI cannot take the pressure. This feels like foreverâŚâ
Danny sang along, vision threatening to blurâŚ.Â
The singer fisted the mic, eyes closed. âLook what you did to my soul. Look at the size of the hole.â He lamented. Tears collected in the corners of the half ghostâs eyes. âWhy do I, why do I, why do I feel so heavy?â
The song trickled to a stop and Dannyâs heart squeezed. He whipped the tears awayâŚ.
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. âTimeâs up! What! What! What! Welcome to the-â
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 Dannyâs 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 ghostâs. 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 Samâs shoulder who turned as he leaned closer. âSave my spot. Be back soon.â The gothâs brow furrowed for just a second. Then Danny muttered. âGhost.â 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 heâd been with before had called him, right? Quickly, Danny approached, half a dozen questions buzzing in his head. But what came out of his mouthâŚ
âYou should put that thing out.â His eyes narrowed at the death stick in Johnnyâs hand. âDonât you know cigarettes can kill you?â
The older ghost burst out laughing. âShit, kid.â He dropped the cigarette, the object disappearing into mist as it fell. âHow can you even see me?â
âYouâre standing right in front of me.â The halfa raised a brow, arms crossed.
âIâm invisible.â He rolled his eyes like it was obvious. âYou a medium or something?â
âA medium? What-âÂ
âShit, Iâve seen you before.â The biker interrupted, snapping his finger. âYou look like that twelve year old who was looking for his Mama.â
âIâm fourteen!â Danny bared his teeth. A cold feeling flickered in his eyes, green light swirling in them.Â
âHolyâŚ.â The other ghostâs eyes widened. âI thought you were the live twin to your dead bro. But⌠holy f-king hellâŚ.â He pointed. âYouâre a halfa.â
Said halfa dropped his arms. âWhat⌠How?⌠I just flashed my eyes and knew it like that?â
âI felt it, now that Iâm actually lookinâ at yaâŚâ Somehow, Johnnyâs eyes widened more. âHow come I didnât feel it before?â
Danny blushed. âThatâs complicatedâŚâ He shook his head. âWhat are you doing here?â The question was curious, just a hint of suspicion.Â
âWatching a show.â He motioned to the stage, matter-of-fact. âMe and Kitten stumbled on a natural portal. Thought weâd have a bit of fun.â He leaned forward, voice lowering. âSheâs good about knowing how long oneâs gonna be open. Said weâve got âtil midnight.â
Dannyâs brow furrowed. So that was apparently a thingâŚ? But he didnât ask. Instead he looked side-to-sideâŚ. âWhere is she?â
âSnooping around backstage.â 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. ButâŚ. 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 hopeâŚ.
Danny rubbed the bridge of his nose. âCan you at least try not to cause trouble?â
âTrouble?â The man laughed. âWe wonât do nothing too bad.â He winked. âBesides, Iâm digging these guys⌠and girls?â His eyes widened slightly, set on something behind. Probably GFM getting on stage. He shook his head, expression just a bit more genuine. âBelieve me, the last thing I want is to stop the party.â
At that, Danny sighed. Behind him, cheers started. âGreat. Iâll be near the front. Have fun.â He started turning to leave. âAnd really, donât try anything. My parents are ghost hunters after all.â He pointed a thumb to the two Fentons adults, standing in front of their chairs. âYou saw that big gun my Mom had in the Realms? She knows how to use it. AndâŚâ He flashed his eyes. âMy folks arenât the only onesâ armed.â
For a second, Johnnyâs face paled, nervousness flickering across it. Then he smirked, summoning another cigarette with a flick of his fingers. âAlright, kid.â Burgeoning respect shone in those eyes. âSee you âround.â
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.Â
âWhat is up Amity? I need you all to make some noise for me tonight!â Arms spread, head back, the teen brought the mic to her mouth and growledâŚ.
âDonât tell me to! Donât tell me to! SMILE.â A guttural yell.Â
Hair flying. The crowd chanted around him. âS.M.I.L.E. Why donât you smile for me?â
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 friendsâ faces shone with gleeful happiness.
The second verse swung around, the chorus again. Dannyâs 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. âOkay, everyone settle down. Boys and girls, are you ready?â The guitarist, CJ, more chanted than sung.
The crowd clapped and yelled, hands in the air.
âLuLu, are you ready?â Pointing at the drummer. âI know Iâm ready!â With a grin. âMaggie, are you ready?â Voice pitched up, a performatively raised brow. âMaggie?â
A pause. The audience held their breath, gripped with anticipation and...
âGo!â 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. AndâŚ. they were circling?! The half ghost grinned manically.Â
âJack!â
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.Â
Danny chuckled, turning back to the front as the last chorus started. His voice joined the rest. At least his dad was having funâŚ.
âAnyone want cupcakes?!â Maggie yelled.
This was it, the last song! And there they were: clear plastic containers with neon-frosted confections. The famed cupcakes!
âMisery loves company, I bet you're fun at parties.â Cupcakes flew. âChasing after all the things you think will make you happy.â Instinctively, Danny ducked. âYou've been played so many times, you'd make the perfect barbie.â The sugary goodness rained down. âPretend your life's a fairytale, the story's getting boringâŚ.â 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. âI donât need your fantasy!âÂ
Beside him, Samâs eyes shone with passion, a balled fist to the sky. â'Cause I'm gonna say, gonna say what I wanna sayâŚâÂ
A cupcake nailed her in the shoulder, pink icing smearing across her shirt and face. Danny laughed, pointing. The shocked look on her face!
ââŚmy voice. You can't take it away!â
Something chocolate brown and blue flew at his face. The half ghost flailed to catch andâŚÂ
âYou canât!â
Blue icing coated his hands. He dropped the cupcakeâŚ
âYou canât! You canât!â
Right into Tuckerâs hands. The technogeek smirked, taking a huge bite.Â
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.Â
âThis is my life, my voice. You can't take it away!â
His core sang, buzzing inside him. This. This right here. It was amazing, incredible, perfect. The feeling almost euphoric.Â
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-
âMisery loves company, I bet you're fun at parties.â Samâs jump sent her careening into him. âChasing after all the things you think will make you happy!â Sheâs never looked so happy to be wearing pink.
The breakdown. Tuckerâs flailing arm jolted his side, icing smeared around the technogeekâs mouth.
âNow, youâll see⌠I donât need your fantasy!â With bared teeth, head raised to the sky, Danny had never felt so aliveâŚ.
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. âIâve got icing on my face now, donât I?â
âYep.â Jazzâs tone was full of teasing.
âYou want some?â With a grin, the little brother swiped for her.
âDanny!â The older teen shrieked, jumping away.
âCome on! Let me give you a high five!â He reached again.
Jazz weaved, dodging. âNo!â
âCome on!â Danny got her right in her face.
âEw! Itâs sticky!â The girl fished in her bag, pulling on a sleeve of wet wipes. Frustiously, she whipped at the blue frosting. âHere, you heathen.â 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.Â
A sudden screeching sound through the mic brought Dannyâs attention back to the speaker.Â
The older man speaking smiled sheepishly. âGot too close to the mic there. As I was sayingâŚâ
What was the man saying? Danny should probably pay attentionâŚ
The boy shuffled foot to foot, watching, listening. He was getting tired from standing here so long. And thirsty. Heâd sung, and screamed, and sweated a lot. He glanced back, wanting to go get some water. But his coveted spotâŚ
Another screech. Dannyâs 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 Dannyâs attention. Some thing darted by, dark and strangely formless. That was weirdâŚÂ
A few more minutes and the volunteer finished speaking, leaving the stage. The soundtrack returned as the lights on the stage dimmed.
Dannyâs 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. âOh, man. This is gonna be awesome.â
Danny nodded. The lights shifted, spot lighting the drums. AndâŚ
âMake some noise, Amity!â Josh ran on stage, jumping. âI wanna see you on your feet!â
The music rumbled and the crowd obeyed. A roar from the background track. Josh fisted the mic and growled. âI caught you like the monster hiding under my bed. Now Iâm gonna rip you right out of my head! Like a baseball to the side of the face, Iâll make you disappear without a trace.â Heads bobbed, hands raised. âThe match is in my hand⌠The match is in my hand!â The crowd shook, starting to jump. âYouâre just a paper!â
A deafening pop and sound and lights died.
âA paper tiger!â The last yelled words sounded, only audible because of how close Danny was to the stage.Â
For a few more seconds, the crowd continued jumping, the band still trying to play as Josh sang without amplification . âNothing more than a⌠silver tongued⌠liar?âÂ
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. âDid we just lose power?â
The drummer shrugged. One of the lights flashed on, randomly swiveling on its display. The spotlight shone right in the short haired musicianâs face. âWoah!â He closed his eyes, head jerking away. The sound echoed out. The man blinked. âHey, the micâs back.â
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. âWell, thatâs how you know itâs live and weâre not just playing over a recording.â He laughed, strumming his guitar and making a face. âAnyone want to hear a joke?â
Under the stage something black flickered again. Danny titled his head, brow furrowed.
âWhat's a vampire's favorite kind of candy?â 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. âThereâs more where that came from. What doâŚ.â
The words drifted over Dannyâs 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.Â
Another electric pop. The lights swiveled.
Danny almost swore he heard laughterâŚ.
The half ghostâs head turned side to side, looking. Was⌠no one else really seeing this?
The creatureâŚ. 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. âOkay, okay, no more dad jokes.â
Somehow no one was seeing the ghost. How? Other people had been able to see the Lunch Lady and Dora. WaitâŚ. It must have been the partial invisibility like Sidney showed him. But whyâŚ
âHey!â The word was hissed, just a hint of ghostly echo.Â
Dannyâs head jerked, looking for the source of the noise. His gaze scanned the crowd. For just a second, his eyes met his motherâs, her brow wrinkled in concern as she stood up.Â
Then⌠his gaze met a wavering, ethereal figure. JohnnyâŚ
âCut it out!â The ghostly man hissed. He drifted forward, unseen by the crowd even as he literally, intangibly floated through them.Â
Dannyâs eyes narrowed suspiciously. âIâm not doing anything.â He muttered hotly, earning a confused look from Tucker.
The biker ghost âWhat? No, not-â Another crackle cut off the word, the man covering his ears. His eyes narrowed, fixing onâŚ.
The strange embodiment of darkness.Â
Oh. Danny realizedÂ
âCut it out, Shadow.â The man complained. âIâm actually enjoying this. Go make a kid drop their ice cream or something.â
Danny raised a brow at that last part but Johnny waved him off, attention still on the shadow.
âIâll bring out the flashlight, man. Just you keep it up and see.â 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. âHey!â Several positive shouts came from the stage.Â
âNow weâre getting somewhere!â Danny picked up the words, from the other guitarist and unamplified.
The half ghost turned his attention back to Johnny. âWhat was that about?â He asked quietly.
The man shrugged. âThereâs a reason they call me Unlucky Johnny 13.â He motioned, waving in the general direction the shadow had gone. âThingâs got a mind of its own.â
That⌠answered no questions. But the other ghost ignored Dannyâs confused look, instead lifting a hand. âThere you are Kitty.â His eyes lit up and in a blink, he disappeared, materializing at the green-haired womanâs side seconds later.
Danny just blinked, taking in what had just happened. That was⌠something.
â...feel like my ears are burning. Theyâre talking about me, arenât they?â The words drew the half ghostâs attention back. The guitarist pointed his thumb at his bandmates. âIâm being voted out of the band, arenât I?â The look was falsely aghast. âThisâll be my last show with the Protest, guys. Itâs been fun.â
What the heck had he missed?
Just then, his mom tapped on his shoulder.
Danny turned jerkily, surprised. âWhen did you get here?â
The womanâs brow furrowed in concern. âYou had a strange look on your face. Is everything alright sweetie? â
âYeah, everythingâs fine.â His eyes flickered to the two ghosts standing at the edge of the crowd. The halfaâs voice lowered, stepping closer to the woman. âThereâs 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.â
His mom looked in the direction his gaze had flickered. âI canât see them.â
âI donât think anyone else can either. Just me.â The boy shrugged. âItâs a ghost thing.â
âWhat are they doing?â She asked.
âJust watching the show. Johnny said they came through a natural portal and wanted to have some fun.â
Her forehead wrinkled in worry at the statement. âA natural portal again?â
âWeâre good to go!â The crowd cheering interrupted Dannyâs response. Joshâs words echoed. âLetâs start this again.âÂ
âWe can talk later.â 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.Â
The instruments pounded. The singer held the mic to his mouth and⌠âI caught you like the monster hiding under my bedâŚ.â
The song started again and Danny jumped, previous confusion and worry quickly forgotten.
âYouâre just a paper! A paper tiger! Nothing more than a silver tongued liar! Paper! Paper Tiger! Incinerated by my new found fire!â
The crowd jumped and screamed. Song after song, excitement built.
Josh sang. âYou may feel a change but don't be afraid.âÂ
âThe transformation has just begun!â The short-haired guitarist quipped with a grin, pointing at the audienceâŚ.
The words half-chanted. âIn the freak show. In the freak show. In the freak show.â Hands flailed, shoulders shook as Danny and his friends danced.
 âYour mind will be blown away! Hey!â Each word punctuated by a fist to the sky. âHey! Hey!âÂ
âWelcome to the Freakshow!â 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.Â
The boy snorted. Sore neck bobbing faster, he stuck out his tongue at herâŚ.
In the small break before the next song⌠âYouâre supposed to take pictures of the band, not me!â Danny laughedâŚ
The set forgaged on. Shredding guitars, pounding drums, screamed words. The songs were incredible. And the message in betweenâŚ
âIf you leave here tonight with one thing, know that you are loved so much. Do you guys understand me?â Murmurs of agreement. âSo much. You have no idea.â Joshâs eyes were wide and earnest, so much conviction behind the words. âAfter weâre done playing tonight, we will be over at the merch tent. Please come talk to us. You are looking at four sinners so we donât have all the answers, I promise you that. We donât. We would love to hear your story. Weâd love to pray with you. Weâd love to talk with you. Thatâs why weâre here. Thatâs 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. Weâve got a few more for youâŚ.â
Dannyâs heart squeezed, something deep in him touched by the words. He didnât know about all of this, but that offer⌠to be heard, to be listened to. There were plenty of things he couldnât say butâŚ
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 ghostâs arm.
âThis 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.â
The singer leaned over the crowd and the half ghost sang, his soul pouring into each syllable. âDespite the pain, weâll stay unbroken.âÂ
Each voice ringing in harmony, brown eyes and blue eyes met. Something in Dannyâs chest fluttered, breathless and awed. He could never describe the feeling, not completely. But when gazes met⌠belief resonated. Both meant every single wordâŚ.
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 stirredâŚ
âWe need to get a picture!â Jazzâs hand on his shoulder drew him out of himself.
âYeah. Go for it.â The boy smiled, letting his sister put her arm around him.Â
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.
âThat first band was so good!â His dad gushed. âTheyâre just like that band I was in in college! Good olâ Skunk Punks! But theyâve got much better hair. And better lyrics.â
âYour strengths are in things other than lyrical composition, dear.â His mom graciously didnât speak on the hair comment.Â
Sam pulled him and Tucker across the grass. âWe need to get pictures with everyone! And merch! I want one of like everything.â
âYes! I need the GFM snapback. Their set was so good!â The technogeek laughed, pointing at the icing staining her shirt. âThey got you to wear pink. And.â He puffed out his chest. âIâm the only one who didnât get icing on them
The goth rolled her eyes but then a mischievous look passed her face. âThatâs what you think.âÂ
âWhat are you- Hey!â
She swiped a glob of crusting icing from her shirt and shoved it at him. âHa!â
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. (âWho even buys CDs anymore? You can just stream that.â Tucker wrinkled his nose. The goth pulled his hand down over his face. âI want to actually support the bands I like, Tucker. Spotify doesnât deserve a cent.) The technogeek proceeded to buy his own CD and his coveted snapback.
Dannyâs 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.Â
âA silly one next!â 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 showâŚ.
âAwesome set!â Each GFM member was offered a high five.
More casual ones, about school and interests. (Unsurprisingly Josh and co were very personable.)
âYeah. I just started ninth grade. Itâs going pretty well.â âWhatâs your favorite subject?â âScience. Iâve always wanted to be an astronautâŚâ
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.
âThe last few months have been⌠really hard for me, for a bunch of reasons. But⌠Iâve listened to your song, Heavy a bunch of times. And itâs really helped me. Like⌠uhh⌠when I couldnât sleep and just wanted to cry. And⌠yeah. Iâve listened to it alot and all your other songs soâŚ. Thanks for writing them and putting them out. And⌠uh⌠thanks for being here tonight.â
Danny looked down, nervousness flopping his stomach.
âThatâs why we write songs and tour.â The lead singer (In their introduction, Danny learned his name was Miggy.) âLike I said on stage, I hope that our songs help people. Thanks for telling me, man.â His expression softened, earnest. âDo you mind if I pray for you?â
As Dannyâs 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 manâs 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 heâd 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.Â
Even so, the half ghostâs 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.Â
Sam bumped his shoulder. âCome on. Tucker asked and your dad said heâs taking us to Nasty Burger for shakes.â
It looked like the night wasnât 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.
âThatâs a good one! You got him mid-head bang.â Tucker pointed while he and Danny leaned over Samâs phone, admiring a picture of Josh Bramlett with his hair spread in a halo above him.
âI love this one.â The goth swiped. This photo was of GFMâs drummer, an excited grin plastered on her face.
âDrummer pics are so hard to get! Thatâs awesome.â Danny congratulated.
The conversation continued on, milkshakes almost finished andâŚÂ
The half ghost sighed. âThanks guys for being there.âÂ
That got him strange looks. âDude, of course we were going to come to the show with you.â
âNo, thatâs not what I mean. IâŚâ Danny shook his head. He wasnât exactly sure what prompted this line of thinking but⌠âI meanâŚ. Thanks for being here for me. With the accident and then splitting myself. I know itâs been hard and youâve been the best friends I could ask for.â Heâd told them as much at Samâs that day, when theyâd convinced Phantom to talk to Fenton about re-fusing and his denial of his death. And even before thatâŚ
He blushed. âYou 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 didnât know myself. SoâŚâ He bit his lip. âThanks for sticking with me,â There in the Hot Topic dressing room, after his ghost self had flown off⌠âeven when I was a jerk to you guys.âÂ
His friendsâ expressions softened. âYou really donât have to thank us, Danny. Thatâs what friends are for.â Sam said.
âYeah.â Tucker smiled. âWeâre your friends. Of course weâll stick by you. Youâd do the same for us.â
Danny sighed, shaking his head. âLike I said, you guys are the best.â
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 heâd been overshadowed but everythingâs 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 wasnât 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
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Word Count: 4,253
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Penultimate chapter ya'll! đđđ
Grabbing a quick snack, Danny settled onto his bed to do homework, textbooks and paper spread around him.Â
âAlright. Math worksheet. Bio vocab. Spanish notes card.â The half ghost mused to himself, pointing at each assignment. âAnd⌠I need to read a chapter for Lancer and take notes.â He scowled at the thought before shaking his head. The boy put his hand together, forcing himself to focus. âThe easy stuff first. Then math. And⌠ugh, English.â
Biology was pretty good, definitely his favorite subject right now. Plus it was easy; with his Momâs interest in biology and medicine, heâd known most of this by the time he was in fifth grade. SpanishâŚ. Making the notecards and going over them a few times wasnât 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 butâŚ
âWhat did Mr. Faluca say in class on FridayâŚ. Oh, thatâs right. First, youâre supposed toâŚâ
The memory flickered through Dannyâs 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 normalâŚÂ
A shrug. âWell, if it works, it works.â
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.Â
âWhatâs the point?â He scowled down at the page. âIt doesnât make any sense. Whatâs with the redâŚ. Wait.â He flipped back a few pages in the notebook. âThat was mentioned in the first chapter⌠Yeah!â He pointed out the sentence heâd written. âThat was foreshadowing, wasnât it? And nowâŚâ Connections sparked, almost faster than Dannyâs tongue could fly. âLoneliness seems to be important. Thatâs a theme, right?â A flurry of words, of jolting down thoughts. âThat sounds familiarâŚ. I bet thatâs referencing something⌠Wait! I remember now! ItâsâŚ.â
Ten minutes passed, the page full of words. âAlright. Thatâs done.â He closed the book with a thud. âSo weâve doneâŚ.â
The sound of footsteps approaching the slightly ajar doorâŚ
âBio. Spanish. Mathâs done. And English. That was all, rightâ He nodded, counting on his fingers. âRight. AndâŚâ Danny glanced at the clock, eyes widening. âAn hour and a half! We got that done in less than two hours!â A flicker of orange at the doorâŚ. âGood job, Danny!â The half ghost turned, eyes bright and one hand up for a high fiveâŚ.Â
Eyes falling on nothing, his expression fell, a complex feeling flickering in his core. âOh.â
âAre you okay?â
Danny jerked his head at the noise. There was his sister, standing in the doorway. âHow long were you standing there?â
âJust a few seconds. Mom wanted your help with dinner.â Her expression softened, concern in her eyes as she repeated. âAre you okay?â
 The boy blushed. âYeah, I⌠Iâm okay. I just⌠forgot for a second there.â
That worry just seemed to deepen. âDo you want to talk about it?â
Danny considered for just a moment. He could say no; he kinda wanted toâŚ. Shaking his head, he dismissed the impulse, instead patting the bed beside him. âYeah. Iâll talk about it.â
Jazz closed the door while the half ghost cleared the bed for her. The older sister sat. âWhat do you mean you forgot for a second there?â
âI guessâŚ.â The boy frowned, brow furrowed. âI kinda forgot I wasnât still split.â
The girl blinked, concern flickering to confusion. âYou forgot⌠that? How could you manage to forget something like that?â
âI was split for a month, Jazz. I guessâŚâ He crossed his legs under him, sitting criss-cross on the bed. âBy the end there, I think I⌠we were almost used to it. I mean, being split wasnât fun. It definitely wasnât good for me. But we⌠Fenton and Phantom were making do, I guess.â A shrug. âAndâŚâ Danny bit his lip. âWe talked to each other⌠er.. Ourself through the homework all the time. Sitting on the bed doing that just felt familiar.â
âDannyâŚ.â That worry was back. âShould I be worried about the⌠pronoun swapping?â
The halfa could read between the lines of that question. âIâm only one person, Jazz. Thereâs just one of me here, I promise.â He sighed. âItâs justâŚâ He rubbed his head. âActually figuring out how to talk about it out loud is hard.â
Danny had thought about what heâd experienced while split, that first night after merging while floating in front of the portal. In his head, it made sense. Heâd 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 thatâŚ
âI think you should try.â Jazz offered gently.
âYou would.â The boy rolled his eyes, a hint of a smile on his face.Â
âIâm serious.â The girl poked him. âOn Saturday, you said you remembered everything. But it kind of felt like youâd been gone for a while. Do you think you can talk about that?â
âYes.â Danny said simply, letting the word hang in the air.
Jazz gave him a look that screamed, âreally?â
âAlright. Alright.â He held up his hands, surrendering; he should stop being difficult on purpose. He sighed. âI do remember everything that happened from both perspectives. But still⌠it doesnât quite feel like I was there.â
âLike they feel like someone elseâs memories?â His sister offered.
âNo.â The half ghost shook his head. âThatâs not it. ItâsâŚâ He sucked in air through his teeth. âPhantom 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⌠Iâm more than that too.â Danny furrowed his brow. âWhen I was split, IâŚwe⌠my two halves⌠they knew they were incomplete. Even if both of me, Fenton and Phantom, were sitting here, side by side,â He motioned vaguely to the spot on the bed beside him. âcompletely on the same page, in sync, agreeing on everythingâŚ. There still was something missing. Fenton and Phantom together⌠that still⌠that still wasnât me. Iâm⌠more than that.â He rubbed his full chest. âSo in a way⌠I wasnât really there then. Even though I was.â
Jazzâs face scrunched up, still focused in thought.
The boy deflated slightly, legs unfolding and pulling to his chest. âSorry. I guess that still doesnât make any sense.â
âNo.â The girl shook her head, a hand reaching out to rest over his. âYou make sense⌠even if I donât understand. I donât 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 werenât a whole person.â She squeezed his hand. âBut youâre back as one person now. And I know how happy youâve been because of that. If you say youâre finally back, that you feel like yourself again, then thatâs good enough for me.â
The boy smiled softly. âThanks Jazz.â He turned his hand over, palm meeting hers. âYouâve really been the best sister. IâŚI canât even tell you how much you helped both of me when I was separated. I wouldnât have gotten here if it wasnât for you.â
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 heâd finally broken down over Momâs avoidance of his ghost side. She checked on him after Mom apologized after their fight, reassuring him that he wasnât a bad son for not being ready to accept the womanâs apology yet. (That apologyâŚ. something niggled in his mind). And after his halves had talked about the accident, mourning their own death, sheâd 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. âThank you Jazz.â He repeated.
âYouâre welcome.â The girl squeezed him tighter. âI love you little brother.â
âI love you too.â 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. âAlright. Thatâs enough mushiness for today.â
Jazz let him leave the hug, rolling her eyes. âThereâs nothing wrong with talking about your feelings.â
âI never said there was.â The halfa stuck out his tongue. âBut I can still only take so much.â
His sister stood up, shaking her head. âCome on then. We still need to see Mom about dinner.â
âComing. Coming.â 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.Â
The half ghost reached to open the door but⌠a hand rested on his shoulder. He turned to his sister, a brow raised.
âIf you want to talk about it more, you can ask me. Anytime you need.â
Danny's face softened, his reply not the excuse they would have been just a month ago, but completely real, trusting, authentic. âI know.â
âYouâre saying, because the portal is on top of Dannyâs lair, itâs in his territory.â Mom asked. âSo that makes it a privileged, permission-restricted area?â
âAs in⌠other ghosts canât enter without Dannoâs okay.â Dad said.
âWell, itâs not that they canâtâŚâ Sidney pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. âEntering 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 intruderâŚâ
Well⌠Danny had been planning to talk to Mom about dinner. But of course everyone got distracted. Itâs a wonder Jazz hadnât stomped down yet, wondering what was taking them so long.
âBut thatâs just unspoken societal rules keeping interlopers out.â The womanâs brow furrowed.
âYou mentioned doors earlier, with phase-proof paint.â The ghostly nerd pointed out. âInfinite Realms paint would probably do the trick; ghosts can only phase through things in the material realm.â He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. âYou would need something to trade for it⌠Material Realm goods fetch a good price.â He looked to Danny. âAnd you could try shaping the lair so it hides the portal at least partially.â
The half ghost sat up more fully, attention drawn. âWhat do you mean, shape the lair?â
Sidney tilted his head, eyes narrowing slightly like he couldnât believe the question. âYouâre already almost as strong as me and youâre only two months old, buster. Of course youâll be able to manipulate its form once your lair settles.â
âBy-passing the two months old commentâŚâ Danny blushed at the words. âLairs can be changed like that? I thought⌠I donât know⌠they just came pre-made and stayed like that.â
âOh.â Sidney nodded, apparently getting the misunderstanding. âIt 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. Iâll show it to you next time you come over.â
âSo I can probably do something like that tooâŚâ Dannyâs eyes widened. âHow do I even do that though? Is it just supposed to, what, come naturally? Or could you teach me?â
âI could help.â Sidney nodded. âYou would be able to make a bigger change sooner that way as well.â He smiled slightly. âIâve never been a part of making one but I know thatâs how some of the larger islands form: groups of ghosts working together to form free-floating rocks into a kind of communal lair. Thatâs how the Acropolis and Far Frozen originated, according to the histories in the Library at least.â
âWhat are the Acropolis and Far Frozen?â Danny asked.
That tail-spinned the conversation into another direction. Sometime laterâŚ.
â...And thatâs why itâs called the Carnivorous Cannon.â Sidney finished.
Dannyâs stomach growled, earning an embarrassed chuckle from the boy. âOkay. We really need to go figure out dinner now.â
âI should head back to my lair.â The ghostly nerd gave a nod, floating back towards the portal.Â
âYeah. Bye.. Oh!â The half ghostâs eyes flickered to the jars still sitting on the tables. âLetâs plant these before you go.â
âOf course.â Sidney nodded, eyes widening in remembrance. âThey wonât be happy if they have to stay in those jars much longer.â
âIâll get the gardening tools!â Dad offered brightly, already digging through the closest. âHere we go!â 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. âWhy do you have these down here?â In the basement, far away from any dirtâŚ
Mom gave a casual wave. âYou know us, Danny. Always prepared.â
The boy shook his head, chuckling. âSure. I guess.â He turned back to Sidney, reaching for one of the jars, but suddenly paused. âI should transform.â
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. âRight here is perfect.â He knelt, placing his own jar down before patting the spot beside him meaningfully. âLetâs do the tiger shrub first.â
Danny lowered himself to the ground, handing over his own jar. âHere you go.â
The nerd unscrewed the lid, placing it to the side. His head turned up, looking towards the half ghostâs dad. âMr. Fenton, can I have the garden trowel please?â
âHere you go, kiddo.â The man handed it over.
The ghost accepted, using the tool to dig a small hole. âThis is good soil.â He hummed, pleased. âLoamy, not very compact.â He ran his fingers through the upturned dirt. âA little dry but itâs not too bad.â
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.Â
The other ghost sat back slightly, studying the cutting. âSee, easy.â He turned to look at Danny. âNow you just need to water it.â
âOh.â The half ghost turned his head up from the plant. A glance back at the portal. âI can go get some water from the houseâŚâ
Sidney shook his head. âItâs a Realms plant. It needs water from here.â
âBut⌠where?â Danny looked around, wide-eyed. But there was no water hereâŚ
âHere is the first lesson on shaping your lair.â The ghostly nerd reached out a hand, grabbing Dannyâs. âPlace your hand over the soil like this, palm down.â
The half ghost did so, questioning gaze flickering from the ground to his friend. âSo⌠what do I do?â
Sidney smiled encouragingly. âThings are malleable here, not like in the Material Realm. Theyâre 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. Itâs an extension of you, a part of you. It reacts to your mind.â
Dannyâs eyes widened. He saw where this was goingâŚ
His friend continued. âSo 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.â
Danny closed his eyes. âAlright. I need to water this plant soâŚ. I need a watering can. With plenty of waterâŚ.â He tried to picture it in his head. The shape of it, the weight, the textureâŚ.. There was a strange, fuzzy feeling at the edge of his perception.Â
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.Â
The fuzzy feeling swirled, solidifying. There was something under his handâŚ
Dannyâs eyes popped open. âI did it.â 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. âI canât believe I did that!â
âNifty work, pal.â Sidney congratulated.Â
Dad patted him on the shoulder. âGood job, son!â
The halfa beamed. âThanks!â
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?
âTiger Shrub needs lots of space.â The ghostly nerd said. âLetâs plant the squash a little farther away.â
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.
âIt looks great, sweetie.â Mom approached, wrapping an arm around her son in a half hug.
Danny returned the gesture. âYeah, it does.â Smiling in satisfaction, his eyes flitted from plant to plant. Each so small and delicate now butâŚ. He could picture it, over months of time. Plants growing and spreading, multiplying. His little island, no longer bare. âItâs gonna look awesome once the lairâs done. Iâm thinking, a dome over the top, like a greenhouse.â He motioned above him. âAnd see that staircase. The door to the actual house will be down there so everythingâs underground⌠kinda like a hobbit hole from Lord of the Rings. Super cozy.â He started counting off on his fingers. âItâll have my bedroom. A kitchen, living room, game room. And guest bedrooms! One for Sidney, at least. And maybe Iâll make some other ghost friendsâŚâ 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. âItâll be a cool place to hang out.â
Dad slapped him heartily on the back. âYouâll have your own little place in no time!â His eyes flickered to the watering can. âAnd check that out.â He stepped forward, eagerly lifting the object. âIt feels just like a real watering can!â
Mom wrapped her hand around the spout, eyes widening. âIt does. And you made this.â
Danny blushed. âNot really. I mean, I just asked the lair to make it.â
His parentsâ excitement failed to wane. âItâs still incredible.â The womanâs eyes shining with pride. âYouâre going to do so many amazing things here, Danny.â
The ghost boyâs heart twisted, a burst of complex feelings but⌠âReally?â That was hope.
Mom nodded and Dad agreed. âI just know it.âÂ
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 whatâs moreâŚ. He was a ghost, a resident of the Realms; this was his world too.
âThanks Mom and Dad.â Danny wedged himself between his parents, an arm around each. âThanks for working so hard to understand. I love you guys. AndâŚâ Heâd reminded himself of it earlier, the words heavy in his heart. Making the decision, his voice quieted, earnest eyes fixed on his Mom. âI accept your apology.â
For just a moment, the woman startled, a flicker of hurtâŚ
The boy blushed. âI wasnât sure if I actually said it before butâŚ. I forgive you Mom. I want to put that fight, when I ran away, behind us. All of that, all of itâŚâ He motioned vaguely, shaking his head. âItâs in the past, where itâs going to stay.â
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. âThank⌠thank you, Danny.â A hint of a sniffle but he felt her muscles relax, could almost see the weight lifted off her shoulders. âThank you.â
They stayed like that for a long minute. ThenâŚ
Over his momâs shoulder, Danny caught a glimpse of black-and-white, awkward shuffling. Embarrassed, he pulled away.Â
Mom turned around, towards what he was looking at, brow furrowed in question.
âOh. Uh⌠Sidney. I forgot you were still here.â The half ghost rubbed the back of his neck.
âItâs alright.â His friend smiled understandingly. âYou were having a moment.âÂ
There was a hint of sadness, of longing there. A second of wondering then⌠the memory. Sidney had said he wished heâd been able to talk to his parents, when Danny told him about the fight with his mom and making up.Â
Danny didnât comment, instead drifting forward, eyes full of compassion. âWell, thanks for waiting. And thanks for everything.â He held up his fist for a fist pump.
The ghostly nerd quickly caught on this time, raising his fist. âYouâre welcome, pal. Iâm happy to help. I will see you on Friday?â
The half ghost nodded. âI can come to your locker after school. Weâll talk more about plans for the library. And how to change my lair.â
âGhost Zone Field trip!â Dad cheered, rejoining the conversation. He took his wifeâs hand, the two meeting eyes for just a second before continuing. âWe need to design some kind of vehicle to navigate. A blimp? A jet? Oh! A submarine!!â
âAnd communications equipment. Maybe some kind of bluetooth headset?â Mom offered, excitement rising.
âWe 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?â
âTheyâre going to be making blueprints the rest of the night.â Danny stage-whispered to his friend.
âOf course we wonât.â Mom waved him off.
âYeah! We need to get dinner!â Dad exclaimed. âAnd thereâs a new episode of Spector Hunters tonight.â
âItâs not Monday night if we donât get to insult⌠I mean critique, other⌠researchers.â
The ghost boy rolled his eyes. âOnly if I get to watch the new Supernatural too.âÂ
âThatâs just as bad.â The woman complained, raising her hands.
âCome on. Itâs a good show. I mean⌠this season hasnât been that good butâŚâ
Sidney chuckled at banter. âIâm going to go. See you on Friday, Danny.â
âBye, Sidney.â Danny waved. âIâm invested. I have to see what happened. And last weekâŚâ
With that, the ghostly nerd flew away, leaving the family to debate (and insult each other) about their preferred shows.
âOkay, okay.â A short trip through the portal found the three back in the lab. Danny summoned the rings, feet softly landing on the metal floor. âWeâll watch both.â
âYou guys are supposed to tell me if you go somewhere.âÂ
The boy turned at Jazzâs annoyed voice. âOh. Sorry.â He smiled sheepishly.
âI knew I should have gone down here with Danny instead of going to work on my thesis.â She rolled her eyes. âItâs almost eight.â
The half ghost glanced at the wall clock. âWe were talking for that long?â Then he asked. âWhat can we make fast, Mom?â
âWe have cans of soup in the pantry and plenty of ingredients for sandwiches.â
âSounds good to me.â
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: Phantomâs feet draped over Fentonâs 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. Â
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.Â
âThereâs a ghost.â The boy stood. âI should see what it is. ItâŚâ brows furrowed⌠âFeels familiar? Maybe like that ectopus I sent back through the portal.â
A hint of worry, of doubt from his parents. But⌠âMake sure to take the thermos, sweetie.â
âIâll be fast.â Danny summoned the rings, his core buzzing pleasantly. And⌠âYes!â The light spread smoothly, the ghostly chill expanding, blooming effortlessly. In his core, something had at last realignedâŚ.
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 heâd been overshadowed but everythingâs 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 wasnât 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! đ And I'm not going to say anymore and risk spoilers. Go check it out! đ
With yawns, the group hug pulled apart.
Dad stretched, pushing himself to his feet. âThis old manâs ready to hit the hay. Thereâs been a lotta excitement.â
âThere has been.â The other adult nodded. âI think we all need to head to bed.âÂ
Fenton held back a yawn, looking at Phantom. A silent conversation passed and⌠âI think weâre gonna stay up here a few more minutes. Get some star gazing in.â
Worry flickered across Momâs face. âAre you sure? You look tired, sweetie. I donât want you falling asleep up here.â
âWeâll be fine.â Phantom gave her a soft smile. âI can carry Fenton in, if he does fall asleep.â
The woman offered a nod. âAlright. Good night Danny.âÂ
Good night kisses were exchanged, other parting words and soonâŚ. 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 constellationsâŚ.
âThereâs Pegasus.â Phantomâs finger traced the square of stars.Â
âAnd Andromeda.â Fenton pointed above the famed flying horse. His eyes widened slightly, awed. âI can actually see the galaxy.â
âItâs incredible.â The ghost breath, sharing the feeling. âI donât think Iâll ever get over it, how many stars we can see now.â His eyes shone, quietly giddy.
More patterns were traced. âPerseus. Cassiopeia.â
âAnd thereâs little Lacerta, the Lizard.â The humanâs finger pointed out the diamond âhead,â the square âbodyâ, the little âtail.â âAnd the swan, Cygnus.â The Northern cross made up the âbodyâ, two âwingsâ outlined with the upper part.
Heâd 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.Â
Fenton gave a sigh. âItâs too bad itâs the wrong time of year for Orion.âÂ
The ghost turned his head. âOur favorite.â His counterpart nodded. âIt is a winter constellation, likeâŚâ His eyes drifted to the sky, checking for something he was sure wouldnât be there. Phantom gave a soft smile. âYou know, Iâm kinda partial to Gemini.â
The human rolled his eyes, putting his head in his hands. âThe twins, really?â He looked up, raising a brow. âThese âIâm my own brotherâ jokes.â
The ghost laughed. âYouâre the one who started calling me James.â He poked his other playfully. âBut seriously though, I like the constellation. It seemed appropriate, and⌠I donât know, theyâre something⌠special about this.â He motioned to the two of them.
âYeah.â Fenton raised a brow, a quiet request to continue.
Phantom nodded. âAnd⌠this is it.â He sobered slightly, wide earnest eyes fixed on his counterpart. âIf everything goes right, weâll be back to being a halfa tomorrow.â A flicker of hope, of excitement. If it worked, they would finally be back to how they were supposed to be. But⌠âThis is our last night, like this.â There was a weight to the words, a bittersweet aching in his core. âSo⌠I guess if we have anything else to say to each other while weâre still like this, we should say it.â
The humanâs brow furrowed. âWell.â A pause, betraying Fentonâs understanding of the seriousness of the conversation. Then the corner of human Dannyâs mouth twitched. âI do have a joke.â
âDo you now?â Phantomâs serious expression cracked slightly, a brow raised.
 âWhy didnât the ghost go to the dance?â Fenton kept his face deceptively neutral.
â...why?â Phantom asked, hesitantly.
 Human Danny grinned. âHe had no body to go with.â
His counterpart gawked. âReally, Fenton?â He chuckled. âReally?â
âWhat? It seemed appropriate considering.âŚâ He wiggled his eyebrows pointing at himself.Â
âYou. are. Ridiculous!â Phantom practically lunged for him. âHe had no body to go with?â A hand furiously noogied the black haired head. âHe had no body to go with? How could you do me dirty like that?âÂ
The human shook with laughter, squirming and trying to get away. âYouâre the one who thought I was your dead body.â
âYou were asleep!â The ghost exclaimed.
âYouâd still have no body to go with.â Fenton giggled. âIâd never let you take me to the dance!â
Phantom lost it, his hand dropping out of his humanâs 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.
âSorry. Sorry.â Fenton finally broke out, panting for breath. âI just had to get that out of me.â
His counterpart snorted. âIâd never let you take me to the dance.â
âVery funny.â The human rolled his eyes, still smiling.
âYouâre never gonna live that down.â The ghost propped himself up with his elbows. âWeâll be at the next school dance. Thatâll suddenly pop up in our head and weâll end up laughing to ourself like weâre crazy.â
âOnly if halfa-us actually remembers this.â Fenton pointed out, one brow raised. âAlso, we canât live anything down.â A yawn broke through the words but he powered through. âKinda comes with being half-dead.â
âWeâre making death jokes now!â Phantom sat up, raising his arms. âHow the tables have turned!â
âYep.â His other chuckled. Then⌠âSeriously though.â His face sobered, a mirror of Phantomâs earlier expression. âAbout your question⌠I guess I do have some stuff to say.â
The ghost shuffled closer but didnât say anything, patient.
The human sighed. âFirst, Iâm glad we talked to Mom and Dad. It was hard but⌠I think it helped. We⌠we really did need to do it.â
Phantom reached, a hand going to his counterpartâs arm. âIâm happy we could do it together.â He gave a soft smile. âSo much has happened and⌠it was good to get it all out in the open.â
Fenton nodded. There were a lot of feelings there but⌠paramount was relief, a peace settling over them. Then⌠a twinge in his heart. âWe never really talked about what happened with Dora at the park.â
The ghost's soft smile waned slightly. âRight. I guess we got pretty wrapped up worrying about tonight.â
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 princessâs questions. Sadness and worry: They learned a bit of where Dora was from, the abuse she was suffering and⌠sheâd flown back to her brother. Guilt: people had been hurt at the park, property destroyed. And yetâŚ.
Things could have gone much worse if it wasnât for their ice and quick thinking. Theyâd jumped into action, Fenton getting people away from the action while Phantom tried to get the necklace off the dragon ghost. Theyâd both fought, in their own separate ways. But at the end, togetherâŚ.
A shared feeling rose. At that momentâŚ. Thereâd been determination, surety. Green and blue eyes meet, both sparkling.
âWe both pulled off the amulet.â Phantom spoke the words. âAnd⌠it felt so right.â
âLike⌠like thatâs what we were meant to do.â Fenton nodded, eyes wide.
The words, the memory made the ghostâs core buzz. âIt felt so⌠perfect. Protecting people and helping Dora.â He couldnât verbalize, could hardly explain it. But⌠it felt like looking at the stars. LikeâŚ. Somehow, something slotted into place.
âSidney said about us being a bridge between worlds.â Fentonâs voice was quiet, awed. âIt wasnât 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.â The human blinked, eyes widening. âThatâs what weâve been doing since this started really, standing in the middle.â
âMaybe thatâs why this happened to us.â The ghostâs lips quirked. âIt 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.â
That was true. Theyâd talked about the accident, agonized over the what ifs together, ultimately choosing to table them but stillâŚ. That longing for meaning, for purpose lingered.
Fenton smiled softly, giving his counterpartâs arm a squeeze. âAnd if it wasnât for some outside reason⌠we can give it one.â
This felt like the beginning of something. Phantomâs 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 wasnât 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.Â
The two sat for a long pause, arm in arm. Feelings, emotions, memories wafted. Peace. Hope. Joy. Expectation.Â
âIâm happy I got a chance to get to know you like this.â Fenton finally said, voice so quiet, so tender.
Phantom looked over, meeting the blue eyes. His own softened, shining with affection.
The human continued. âI know we would have figured it out eventually if we hadnât done this. And being split hasnât exactly been fun. But youâre right. This was special. Iâve learned so much andâŚâ Fenton put an arm around him, a gentle half-hug âIâve loved getting to see and talk to you like this.â
Phantom felt his eyes watering with emotion. This momentâŚ. so tender, so close. His chest almost ached, his insides soft and gooey.
âI think Iâm going to like being you.â Fenton smiled.
Somehow, his core felt even meltier. âYou already are me.â
The human snorted. âYou know what I mean.â
He did.
Phantom leaned into the half hug. âIâm happy I got to know you like this too. I meanâŚâ He shrugged. âWe were just human most of our life so I think I know human us pretty well but⌠youâre not the boy who went into the portal, not anymore.âÂ
Sadness wafted, the knowledge that that version of them was gone. ButâŚ. âI know we can never go back to that andâŚ. I donât really want to anymore.â Fenton said, no surprise in his words but a quiet confidence. âIâm excited to actually be half ghost. When this works, weâllâŚ. weâll finally be the real us, the real Danny again.â
The ghost nodded vigorously, his arm rising to wrap around his counterpart. âMe too. Iâm⌠really looking forward to being human again.â He turned his head, looking at Fenton. âIâm happy Mom figured out the ecto-cookies and stuff. And getting to eat and taste it was great. But⌠itâs no substitute.âÂ
For just a moment he wondered; would he be able to taste if he and Fenton were sharing the humanâs mouth? Well⌠the memory pressed into the ghostâs mind; Fenton had tasted the ecto-cookie when Phantom had first tried them. But maybe they could do it on purpose. Theyâd try it out in the morning, before trying the ghost catcher again.
The human gave a chuckle, sensing the thought. âThat could be fun.â Then his eyes drifted back up, to the sky. âIâm really excited to fly.â His serene smile brightened, eyes glowing. âNot dreaming it through your eyes. Not having to be carried. Actually, finally⌠touching the sky.â
âThe way itâs supposed to be.â Phantom breathed.
âThe way itâs supposed to be.â Fenton couldnât help but agree.
There was nothing more to say, not with the parts of their soul touching. Emotions and memories swirled together as Fentonâs eyes started fluttering.Â
He yawned. âTell me about some more constellations.â
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.
âOf course, the Andromeda constellation has the famous Andromeda galaxy. See, itâs right there. Itâs also called Messier 31. Thereâs two other galaxies, dwarf elliptical ones. Le Gentil, called Messier 31 I think. And 110?â He shrugged, hand waving. âSee those three bright stars in a kinda curved line. Thereâs Alpheratz, Mirach, and Almach. Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Andromedae.â His freckles glowed, seeming to shift into a familiar pattern. âAlpheratz makes up one corner of the Great Square of Pegasus. And Almach is up there, near Perseus.â
Fentonâs head drifted, settling onto his ghostâs shoulder. âThe story, Phantom.â The boy whined tiredly. âAbout Perseus and Medusa and the flying horseâŚâ
âAlright, alright.â The ghost laughed. âSo 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 canât keep it in his pantsâŚ..â
Phantom rambled, loud and enthusiastic. His hands waved. His constellation freckles shone.Â
âSo Perseus beheaded Medusa using his shield to see her reflection. That way he didnât look at her directly and you know, get turned to stone.â He shrugged. âAnd thatâs where Pegasus comes in. The horse supposedly sprung from the blood dripping from her decapitated head. So the horse was actually Medusa and Poseidonâs kid. Which is completely weird and totally messed up. Actually this whole story is so messed up. Sam was right. Whereâs the justice? Medusa got attacked by a freaking god in Athenaâs temple, turned into a monster, and beheaded. And she didnât even get a constellation! Howâs that fair?â
âYouâre such a dork.â The human slurred out sleepily, interrupting the rant.
Phantomâs mouth snapped shut. He smirked, raising an eyebrow teasingly. âI know you are but what am I?â
âStill a dork.â Fenton snorted, snuggling into his side.
The ghost blinked once. Then he rolled his eyes, smiling. âI walked right into that one, didnât I?â
âYep.â His counterpart giggled. âThink youâre the king of the comebacks, donât cha? Silly ghost.â
âHey, Iâm very witty. You just happen to share my brain.â He grinned, roughly ruffling his counterpartâs hair. âCanât get one over on you, can I?â
âIâm the pun master.â Fenton chuckled, leaning into the touch.
âYouâre annoying, thatâs what you are.â Phantom teased.
âI love you too.â 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 wordsâŚ. Every syllable was real.Â
Phantom breathed. Teasing and joking was familiar, comfortable even. He was even used to transparency, tender honesty. But thisâŚ. The arm still around his human half tightened, his free arm circling around Fentonâs 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. âI do love you.â
Human Danny didnât say anything, just smiling before closing his eyes. His free hand drifted up, squeezing his ghostâs.
FinallyâŚ. âCan you finish the story?â A yawn. âThen I can go ta bed.â
âYeah, Iâll finish it. Where was I? Oh right. Medusa. SoâŚâ Phantom continued, his other selfâs head buried in his shoulder. âPerseus 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 invisibleâŚâÂ
The ghost talked, this time not loud and excited, but instead quiet and calm. Fentonâs breathing slowed. âSo he found this girl - thatâs where Andromeda comes in- tied naked to a rock and for once had the rationale reaction of being like âWhat the hell is going on?ââÂ
The humanâs body relaxed, muscles going limp. âPerseus 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 Medusaâs head in the first place- wouldnât take no for an answer. So our man Percy was like âThatâs it, Iâve had enough of youâ and used the head to turn the king guy to stone and kill him ....â
Fentonâs quiet breath ghosted across his shoulder, a soft snore resounding. âThe prophecy that started all this did come true. But for once it wasnât an evil plot or some cruel joke by the gods. It was just a tragic accidentâŚ.â
Tiredness brushed at his consciousness, radiating from the human boy half-laying on him. But Phantom would finish this story; heâd told himself he would. âPerseus 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.â
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. âAlright. Letâs get you to bed.â
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. âIâll come back for these. Bed first.â 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. âThis is amazing!âÂ
Phantom blinked. âWhat-â
The ghost flipped, swimming back up. And⌠it was his own ghostly face. âThere you are!â
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.Â
A rough pull on his mind, from somewhere deep inside of him.
The other figure waved, frantically motioning the on-looker to approach. âCome on! Itâs a perfect night for flying.â
Phantom blinked, suddenly understanding. This was⌠this was Fentonâs dream. And the figure in front of himâŚ. 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?
âCome on!â Danny? Fenton dreaming of being Danny? Waved again. âThe skyâs clear and open. Thereâs so many stars. Letâs fly, Danny!â
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 humanâs arm off him.Â
A gloved hand moved andâŚ. The dreamâŚ
A jubilee yell. Fenton waved, green eyes sparkling. âCome on! You know you want to.âÂ
Phantom did want to. The sensation of pins and needles washed over his body. ButâŚ
The ghostly figure twirled, doing a backflip before leveling out. âNo buts! I always dream through your eyes. Itâs your turn. Get over here.â
Ghost Danny wanted to. He wanted to sleep, to dream. His grip loosened. He already could barely feel his hands on Fentonâs back, the feather-light sensation like brushing fogâŚÂ
Another echoing laugh. A ghostly tail flicked, gaze fixed to the sky. FentonâŚ. Danny turned his head, eyebrow raised. âWell then?â
Or maybe Phantom was the mist. He released his hold and let himself fall into the dream.Â
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.Â
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 heâd been overshadowed but everythingâs 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 wasnât 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. BelowâŚ
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. AndâŚ
One foot hit the floor and suddenly⌠falling off the bed.
âWha- Umph.â Something didnât 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 andâŚÂ
His⌠their⌠mind stalled. Bare, pale, human fingers. No gloves covered them. But⌠that wasnât right. He was stuck in ghost form. He couldnât turn human. He hadnât been able to since-
No wait. That wasnât 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⌠humanâŚ.
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.Â
His mouth dried, confusion and fear rising. They couldnât transform. Heâd been in human form, just a second ago. But⌠that wasnât right. He was supposed to be in ghost form. Of course, his hand was glowing. Why wouldnât it be?
Another flicker. Bare human hands. This wasnât⌠this wasnât 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 kneesâŚ. they were intangible, stuck in the carpet.
Frantically, they tried to pull up. This didnât 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 didnât have any powers. He couldnât get stuck in the floor! Was⌠was Phantom playing a prank? No! He wouldnât play a prank like this! How could Fenton think that?! Why would he think that? He wasnât 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 didnât make sense. Something was wrong. Wrong. Something was wrong.
âMom! Dad!â 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.
âDanny!â Jazz threw the door open, her red hair vibrant and vivid despite the dark, despite their tears. Tears?Â
Their sister stopped, wrapping her arms around his chest. A hug? No... âIâm going to pull you up.â The girl bent her knees, hoisting. His body jerked, legs inching forward. But⌠Jazz grunted. âI canât get you free. Danny, youâll have to turn your legs intangible again and float out.â
âFloat?!â A hysterical gasp. âI canât float as a human. Phantomâs the one with powers. No, wait. I have my powers. Thatâs not-â
Mom and Dad burst through the door, hefting a bat and a wrench. âKids! Whatâs-â âWhereâs the-â
âDanny!â Their sonâs name cut off the frantic questions, both parents dropping improvised weapons.
âHeâs stuck in the floor!â Jazz pulled again. âHelp me!â
Both adults ran forward. Three pairs of arms wrapped around the boy. A great heave and- âUmph.âÂ
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 lashingâŚ. No, those were legs. But where was his tail?!
Blobby flitted above, chirping and just as distressed.
âDanny boy, what happened?â Dad asked, eyes wide and worried.
âI donât know! I donât understand!â Their chest heaved, the hair at the edge of his vision flickering from white to black to white. âPhantom and me were talking on the roof and I fell asleep.â His voice shifted, echoing ethereally. âFenton fell asleep, and I carried him to bed.â The words flattened, tone bare and human. âI 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-â The speech quickened. âI⌠we woke up and we fell out of bed. And I was suddenly stuck in the floor. We couldnât get out. And now somethingâs wrong!â
âDannyâŚâ Mom hazarded, eyes widening with realization.
The boy didnât register the word. âThis isnâtâŚ. Thereâs too much.â 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. âI⌠I feel like too much.â Too many thoughts, too many memories, too many words stuffed inside his⌠their head. âBut⌠weâre not enough.â An ache, a cut, a fracture. Incomplete. Something missing. Almost healed but not quiteâŚÂ âThis isnât right.â
âDanny, I think-â The woman tried again.
Breath quickened. âIt doesnât make sense. I donât have the powers. Iâm the human.â They shook his head. âNo. No. Thatâs not right. Weâre supposed to be half ghost. But-â He cut off, echoing voice flattening. âI know that! Weâre supposed to be half ghost butâŚbut weâre split. We canât merge yet.âÂ
âDanny, take a breath. Try to calm down.â That was Jazz.
âNo, that doesnât make sense.â Gritted teeth. âWhy does my head hurt?!â 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, familiarâŚ. A breathe. âWe need to⌠need to think logically about this, Fenton. Iâm trying to be logical, Phantom!â A hand waved, as if motioning someone else to be quiet. âShush. We were just talking on the roof and- I fell asleep; I already said that. Now-â A finger tapped their chin. âSomething must have happened when I carried you to bed. Maybe-â Arms spread, he scowled in annoyance. âPhantom, stop trying to use my mouth!â Fists balled. âWe only have one mouth!â
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.Â
Then, Fenton⌠Phantom⌠Danny looked up. Wide eyes flitted among the other three family members. âWe⌠I tried to fuse.â
âI can see that.â Dad chuckled, patting him hardily on the back. Then his lips turned down. âIt doesnât look like itâs working.â
The ghost boy frowned down again at his hands. No, it wasnât working. They were shifting between ghost and human, human and ghost, form unstable and fluctuating. And on the inside⌠âThereâs still two of us in here.â 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 butâŚ
Momâs brow furrowed, eyes shining with worry. âDo we need to get the ghost catcher? You can try again in the morning.â
âNo!â 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. âGive us some time to⌠to equilibrate. WeâŚâ Eyes closed, focusing. âI can do this. I.â Singular, not plural. âI can do this.â
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.
âAre you sure?â Jazz asked, a hand on his shoulder.
The boy, who was almost Danny, nodded. âIâm⌠weâre merging but⌠Iâm not done yet. I just⌠need some time.â
His sister nodded, smiling understandingly. âAlright.âÂ
Mom and Dad stepped closer, both still worried but⌠their expressions softened.
âWhatever you need, Danny boy.â The man rubbed his back.
Mom took a flickering hand, rubbing her finger against the knuckles. âTake as long as you need. Do you want to try to go back to sleep?â
The almost-halfa shook their head. âThereâs no way weâre getting to sleep anytime soon.â
âWe can stay up with you.â Jazz offered.
The boy nodded, just enjoying his familyâs 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.Â
âIâd like that.â 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. âCan we go sit in front of the portal? I think itâll help.â
Mom nodded. âOf course, we can do that.â
âGreat.â 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 bodyâs knees wobbled. He tipped forward.
 Dad caught him. âWoo there, Danno.â
The almost-half ghost looked up. âWe donât think I can walk.â
âNo problem, son.â The manâs arms wrapped around him. âYour old manâs got ya.â
With surprising ease, Dad lifted them, shifting the body into a bridal carry.Â
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 werenât going to fall through Dadâs 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. Heâd never been more exposed. And yet, he could never be safer.
He relaxed in the hold. Calm, comfortable, at ease. âLetâs go.â Almost-Danny motioned to the door.Â
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.
âWe can sit here, on the stairs.â 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. âNot we. Me. Iâm only one person.â He said.
âThatâs right.â Jazz leaned in, wrapping one arm around them. No, him.
âOnly one person.â 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.
âJust relax.â His sister gently reassured, as if sensing the inner tension. âYouâre safe. Weâve got you.â
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.Â
Dad was saying something, voice low and warm. But almost-Danny didnât 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.
âItâs starting to slow down.â Jazz commented easily. âThe shifting.â
Tired eyes fluttered open. His hands⌠the white gloves lingered for three breaths before the white light flickered. Warmth spread, leaving human fingers behind. ââHatâs good.â They mumbled. âWas startinâ ta get⌠worried.â
A hand softly rubbed his back. âYouâre doing great, Danny.â Dad reassured.
A sleepy blink. âDanny. Our⌠My name is Danny, right. Just⌠Danny.â
Mom hugged him. âYes. And I love you so much, Danny.â
So many warm arms around him. âI love you, little brother.â âLove you, son.â
Their family loved him.Â
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 Realmâs 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 butâŚ. A sense of anticipation grew. This was where heâd 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.Â
Two breaths for courage. Mirrored hands lowered. Fenton and Phantom, even on either side of the portal, stepped through the opening as one.
InsideâŚ. 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.Â
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.Â
Both felt it, heads turning to see the figure manifesting beside them.
âHere I am.â The figure, human with glowing green eyes, stared in awed satisfaction at his hands. He looked up, smiling at the two. âAnd there you guys are.â
Both human and ghost blinked for just a second, surprised. Then⌠the new figure flickered- ghostly with Fentonâs human eyes. Twin gasps. Excitement. Joy.
âDanny.â 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 halfâs hands.
It struck like lightning, the sudden sensation stealing all breath. They gasped, dizzy and overwhelmed. ButâŚ. 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. ButâŚ.
A flicker of fear. The laughter quieted.
âIâm scared.â Fenton said.
âI donât know what is going to happen next.â Phantom said.
âI donât know how to be a halfa.â The two halves said as one. The memory⌠staring at their ghostly reflection in terror.
Danny squeezed his counterpartâs hands. âIâm not that boy, not anymore.â The fear of the future still lingered, swirling around them. Encroaching darkness. The half ghost pulled his selves closer. âWe donât have to be afraid. Iâll have Sam and Tucker, Jazz, Mom and Dad, Sidney.âÂ
Hesitation flashed across Fenton and Phantomâs faces. The fear of release.
âIâm going to be okay.â A soft, swirling gratitude. âI wonât forget what I learned when I was you guys. Iâll remember.â Dannyâs voice lowered, soft and tender. âYou can let go.â
A long-drawn-out pause. Fenton and Phantom looked at each other. A breath and shoulders fell, relaxed. âOkay.â The human assured. âYouâll be okay.â
Neither released. Instead⌠the halves drew their halfa counterpart into a hug. The three embraced.
âIâm happy weâve grown into you.â Phantom muttered into Dannyâs shoulder.
âAnd Iâm happy I was both of you.â 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.
