Hello!! I hope this doesnât come off as weird, but Iâve sort of developed a habit of reading this fanfic every year, and Iâve just completed my reread!!
Realising that this fanfic has hit 5 years has been crazy. Congratulations on all your wonderful work, and your dedication to this story has been genuinely inspiring. Itâs crazy to think how much Iâve grown since I first read your work.
I hope you both many great years to come!!
That's not weird at all! Yeah the five year anniversary hit us both pretty hard. đ We thought we would be a lot farther along in the story by now but life has a way of not going where you want it.
We're overjoyed that you've enjoyed this story so much! It means so much to us to hear that! â€ïž We really hope to get back to writing and posting again soon; we are really doing our best! â€ïžâ€ïžâ€ïž
You know what I love with fanfic? The ones that are super in depth crossovers, where the author(s) have such a love, passion, and understanding of the original works where they can basically rewrite 2 (or more) completely different series and have the characters interact and contribute to the others story and it make sense.
I want to commend you both on the absolute monstrous task that you've decided to under go by doing such an in depth crossover of Danny Phantom and PJO, and the absolutely daunting task of the crossover, fulling molding the timelines together in this way. And a massive congratulations on 5 years of this gauntlet of a crossover!
Thank you! It has been a challenge trying to combine these two worlds, but we've been having lots of fun doing it!
Hey everyone! Happy five year anniversary for The Apprentice of Thanatos! Wow, thatâs a long time! đ We never thought we would be writing anything for this long, so thank you all so much for sticking around! đ„°
As a bit of a treat for the five year anniversary, weâre going to share the timeline of our story (up to where we have posted), as well as some upcoming snippets.
The Timeline:
Danny gets powers
August 5, 2007
School Starts
August 29, 2007
Mystery Meat
September 7, 2007
Splitting Images
September 10, 2007
My Brotherâs Keeper
September 17 - 19, 2007
13
September 21, 2007
Parental Bonding
September 28, 2007
One of A Kind
October 1, 2007
Attack of the Killer Garage Sale
October 6, 2007
What You Want
October 9, 2007
Bitter Reunions
October 10, 2007
Prisoners of Love
October 13, 2007
Shades of Gray
October 15, 2007
Fanning the Flames
October 17, 2007
Teacher of the Year
October 20, 2007
Public Enemies
October 25 - 27, 2007
Fright Night
October 31, 2007
Lucky in LoveÂ
November 3, 2007
Life Lessons
November 5, 2007
Maternal Instincts
November 7, 2007
Danny meets Nico and Bianca as they travel to Westover Hall (PROLOGUE)
November 8, 2007
The Million Dollar Ghost
November 10, 2007
Control Freaks
November 12, 2007
Memory Blank
November 15, 2007
Doctorâs Disorders
November 17, 2007
Pirate Radio
November 20, 2007
Reign Storm
November 23, 2007
Micro Management
November 25, 2007
Danny meets Thanatos (CHAPTER 1)
January 24, 2008
Danny goes to the Underworld (CHAPTER 2-5)
January 25, 2008
First Training session (CHAPTER 6-7)
January 26, 2008
Second Training session (CHAPTER 9)
February 2, 2008
Beauty Marked
February 15, 2008
Secret Weapons
March 26 - 27, 2008
Chapter 10
April 3, 2008
Spring Break (CHAPTER 11-21)
April 4 - 14, 2008
The Ultimate Enemy (CHAPTER 21-29)
Includes Aftermath and The Butterfly Effect
April 17-19, 2008
Psychopomping for Beginners (Chapter 30)
April 19, 2008
Shadow-Travel 101 (Chapter 31)
April 20, 23, 2008
Kindred Spirits (CHAPTER 32-34)
April 26-28, 2008
Ghost Zone Shenanigans (Chapters 36-38)
May 2, 2008
The Snippets (which are subject to change once the chapters are eventually posted. Also, in an attempt to avoid too many spoilers, we will not be explaining these, so have fun theorizing!)
Grover and Annabeth talking:
As Danny walked back towards the Big House, Annabeth turned to face Grover. âWell?â She asked quietly. âWhat do you think, goat boy?â
Grover shuddered, his gaze never leaving Dannyâs form. âDefinitely an Underworld being, and definitely powerful. How did he even enter the camp?â
âPowerful?â Annabeth questioned. âLike, Nico-powerful?â
âNo,â Grover answered, before hesitating. âWell, I mean, he kinda smells like Nico, butâŠâ
When his gaze met Annabethâs, she was surprised by the terror in his eyes.
âWay different. Way moreâŠâ He trailed off, as if he couldnât find the words.
Annabeth felt an inkling of dread begin to grow in the pit of her stomach. âBut⊠he is a demigod, right? Is he⊠Nicoâs brother?â
â⊠no, I donât think so.â Grover decided, and when he spoke again his voice held a hint of disbelief. âNico smells of the dead. That guy? He is dead.â
Danny meeting Percy, Percy POV:
Percy watched as two campers walked a third one up the hill. Though, they were really more dragging him by that point. He recognized the camper on the right as Katie Gardner as he hurried up to the group.
âHey, are you guys okay?â He asked.
âYeah,â Katie responded. âDanny hereâs just not feeling too good. He had a bad reaction to the flowers we were planting.â
Percy turned to the kid in the middle. He had short black hair similar to Percyâs own, though his eyes were more blue than Percyâs sea-green. He wore a green tank top with a picture of a cartoon ghost on the front, gray jeans, and black-and-green striped arm warmers. And he looked miserable.
âHey, so youâre Danny, right?â Percy smiled kindly. (thinks about how he should try and be nice to Danny, like Annabeth said.) âAnnabeth was telling me about you earlier.â
Danny nodded and opened his mouth, but instead of words coming out, he spewed what Percy could only assume was his partially digested lunch.
All over Percyâs shoes.
Annabeth in the Ghost Zone:
Annabeth cried out in alarm, her arms flailing in the sudden weightlessness of the green expanse that was the Ghost Zone. Then her eyes widened, and she pinched her nose shut, clamping her other hand over her mouth as she looked around in shock.
âOh, uhh, you can breathe here,â Danny told her. âI dunno how you can, but uhh⊠you can. You arenât the first human to have come through here.â
Instead of being relieved by that statement, Annabeth glared distrustfully at Danny. He quickly raised his hands in surrender and backed away a bit to give her space.
Annabeth survived without breathing for almost a whole minute, her face deepening in shades of purple until she finally breathed in a desperate gasp of air. She began to cough harshly as she struggled to catch her breath. Danny floated forward and tried to pat her on the back, but another glare from the half-blood had the halfa backing away again almost immediately.
Valerie at Camp Half-Blood:
âYouâre handling this very well, all things considered, Miss Gray,â Chiron said as they passed the strawberry fields.
Valerie chuckled nervously as she kept an eye on the satyrs near the humans. âWell, when you live where I do, you get used to the weird things.â
The centaur nodded sagely. âIâve heard much the same from another camper.â
âIâd imagine so,â Valerie said idly, staring at the ground. If the Greek myths really were real (and this wasnât just some sort of mass ghostly hallucination), then it would make sense that some of the other campers would have seen some weird things.
âWATCH OUT!â
Valerie looked up and quickly rolled out of the way of an orange projectile. She came out of her roll with her fists raised, but she lowered them when she saw that the âprojectileâ was just a basketball that Chiron held casually in his hands. Valerieâs face burned; it was just a basketball, not something that could attack her.
âSorry about that,â a girl about Valerieâs age called out as she ran over. âDanny got distracted and overshot the ball.â
âThatâs alright, Aurora,â Chiron said as he passed the ball to the girl. âIt happens to the best of us.â
âYeah,â Aurora laughed. Then she turned to Valerie and held out her hand. âYouâre a new camper, right? Iâm Aurora.â
Valerie looked at the offered hand for a brief moment before shaking it. âValerie.â
âWell, Valerie, would you like to join me and my friends for a game of basketball?â Aurora asked. âWe could use a fourth player. And I think Danny could use the help. Poor guyâs getting his butt handed to him on a silver platter, but heâs putting up a valiant effort.â
Valerie couldnât help but chuckle at that. âMaybe later. I just got here and I need to⊠uhh⊠yâknowâŠâ
Aurora nodded as though she understood. âI get it. You need some time to yourself.â
Danny seeing something he shouldnât (we have to be vague with this one but we really wanted to share it lol):
The statue was twice Dannyâs size, and looked as if it was carved from glassy obsidian, with small veins of some white oreâmaybe ironâtrailing over its surface. The figure wore ancient clothing and stood in a passive, relaxed stance, with its left hand resting on the dagger strapped to its waist, and its right hand outstretched, as if to help someone up.
The figure looked familiar. It was male, with a youthful face and short hair that curled loosely on top of its head. The statueâs eyes glittered solid green and glowed faintly, as if radioactive gems had been set into the dark rock. It also had two black wings sprouting from its back, the outstretched feathers making the statue seem much bigger and imposing.
Danny felt an icy⊠feeling wash over him, as if he had been dunked into a river. Who⊠who is this? He wondered. He started cautiously towards the statue, a feeling of unease in his stomach growing with each step. Almost in a trance, he reached out with his right hand, as if to take the statueâs own.
âDanny!â A voice called from outside the temple, knocking Danny out of his stupor.
Danny turned back to the temple entrance. âIâll be right there!â He called. He glanced back at the statue, and paused as his eyes landed on the statueâs right arm. A word was engraved into the statueâs forearm, revealing the whiteâno, it wasnât an ore. Marble, perhaps?âbeneath the surface of the obsidian. The word contrasted sharply against the darkness of the statue and the shadows of the room, its brightness searing the letters into Dannyâs mind:
ÎÎŹÎœÎ±ÏÎżÏ.
Thanatos.
âDanny!â
A large blue hand wrapped around Dannyâs waist and pulled him backwards out of the temple. Shaken from⊠whatever that had been, Danny looked up to see Pandora scowling down at him.
âI told you not to go in there.â She scolded, but Danny heard a faint tremor in her voice. âYou⊠youâre not supposed to see that yet.â
And thatâs it for now! We hope you enjoyed the little sneak peeks into the future of this story. And we apologize that we havenât written more, but life has just been hectic for us ever since we started this story. Let us explain a bit.
We started this story as a form of rehabilitation for Anxiescape, to help them learn how to speak and write again after their brain surgery (I, Anxiescape, have written a bit more about this on my personal Tumblr blog if youâd like to know more). So arguably, this story is doctor-approved, lol. Anyway, weâve done our best to update as often as we can, but between work, doctorsâ appointments, and general life stuff, itâs been hard. We really hoped weâd have more written before our five-year anniversary. đ Still, weâre glad to have made it this far, and weâre not giving up on this story anytime soon. It may take us longer than weâd like (especially with everything going on in the world nowadays), but we will finish this story, darn it! So stay tuned! Percy will show up soon, we promise. đ (Even though saying this feels like some sort of inside joke at this point. đ )
(Well, actually, this was part of the last chapter before we split it up, so it was pretty much already written. But anyway.)
Specific to AO3, but it has some fun hints đ€
Also, we wanted to thank everyone who defended us from that less than nice comment that we received last chapter. But from what we can tell about the way that it was written, it was most likely just a spam comment from a bot. (It was very vague, didn't mention any details of our story, and also wasn't true??? Alex Fierro, a trans character, had a brief appearance in Chapter 22 (and may show up again later post-main story or in an offshoot. We'll see. đ) There has been an issue with an increase of negative spam comments on AO3, so be sure to keep an eye out and try not to take them to heart if they show up on your fics. We figured it was best to ignore it and report it, but we are incredibly grateful to you guys. You're all amazing and we love you so much! Thank you!!
AO3 Link
~~~~~~~~~~
âLike Clockworkâ: very smoothly and easily; without any problems or delays.
---
Danny looked up at the large wooden doors standing before them, marking the entrance to the old, somewhat dilapidated-looking clock tower. Although they were currently standing outside, he could still feel the immense power radiating from within the building. An ancient sort of energy, that sent chills down his spine and made his core thrum with something between excitement and nervousness. It felt similar to when he had first come here. When he had first met Clockwork.
But they were cool now, right? Danny was⊠pretty sure that they were cool. Clockwork had been nice enough when they last chatted. Cryptic (and perhaps a little annoying), but nice. And he had saved Danny's friends and family from certain death. So, yeah. Clockwork was cool.
And hopefully, he would continue to remain cool, even though Danny had shown up uninvited. With friends in tow. (Danny didn't know that much about ghosts and their lairs, but he was pretty sure that most ghosts wouldn't be cool with that. But Clockwork was different. He was cool. So it would be fine.)
And on top of all that⊠Danny somehow knew that by being here, he was on the right track to finding Ellie. He swore that he could feel it, deep in his core.
She was close.
Just as Danny raised his fist to knock, he blinked and found himself standing inside Clockwork's lair. Sam and Tucker were there too, and they looked just as surprised and confused as he was.
âIt's rude to show up unannounced,â a familiar voice said from behind them. âAnd ruder still to loiter outside without making your presence known.â
⊠okay, so maybe they weren't as chill as Danny had thought they were?
But when Danny turned around, an apology already forming on his lips, what he saw was a young-looking Clockwork sitting in a plush armchair, with a steaming cup of tea in his hands and a pleasant smile on his face.
âHello, old friend,â Clockwork greeted politely.
Okay, so⊠they were chill. Danny was right.
Good to know.
âUhh, hi.â Danny gave the ghost an awkward wave. âWe were justââ
âI know exactly why you're here,â Clockwork interrupted smoothly as his ghostly form shifted to that of an old man. He waved his hand, and three more armchairs appeared across from him. âNow come, sit down. There is much for us to discuss, and so little time for you to do so.â
.
Once the three visitors were seated, Clockwork provided each of them with a steaming cup of golden tea. Unfortunately, none of them were interested in drinking it. Tucker looked grossed out (he was more of a soda fan), Sam looked cautious (which was wise), and as for Danny, his stomach was twisted into so many knots that he didn't think he'd be able to keep the tea down.
Clockwork didn't seem to mind their reluctance as he contently sipped his own cup of tea. Danny watched him impatiently, then realized that maybe that was a little rude, so he looked away, choosing instead to let his gaze wander over the room. After all, it wasn't often he got to see a ghostâs lair. Especially without the owner of said lair attacking him.
As Danny's gaze wandered over the room, he noticed some things that seemed to be rather⊠out of place. Maybe he hadn't gotten the best look at the tower the last couple of times he'd been there (both times, there had been far more pressing matters than studying the decor), but what use did a ghost have for a fuzzy yellow blanket? Because there was one now, hanging off of one of the (currently blank) monitor screens, and Danny was quite certain it hadn't been there before. And in the far corner of the room was a stack of pillows, with another blanket thrown haphazardly on top of them.
Now, Danny didn't know much about Clockwork (if anything at all), but Clockwork didn't seem like the kind of person to care for creature comforts.
But before Danny could question Clockwork about his decor choices, Tucker spoke up. âAre you baking something? It smells like⊠cake.â
Clockwork paused as Sam leaned forward and glared at Tucker.
âCake?â She hissed.
Tucker held up his hands defensively. âHey, Iâm just telling you what I smell, and I smell cake.â He sniffed again, then added: âWith strawberry frosting.â
Now that Tucker mentioned it, Danny did smell something warm and sweet coming from somewhere within the clock tower. It reminded him of when his mom would test out new cookie recipes. Which had been pretty nice, until the ectoplasm samples took over the fridge. (Though honestly, the freshly-baked scent wafting through the tower did have something off about it. Maybe Clockwork had taken up baking as a new hobby, but couldnât find good ingredients here in the Ghost Zone? Danny didnât know.)
âWhat I do in my free time is personal,â Clockwork said coolly as he set down his drink, making it clear that he would not be answering any questions on the matter. Then he looked at Danny. âNow, say what you must. Tell me what plagues you, old friend.â
But before Danny could say anything, Sam spoke up. âWhy do you keep calling Danny âold friendâ?â She asked with a frown. âYou two never even met until that incident with the evil version of Danny!â
Tucker nodded in agreement and to be honest, Danny wanted to know as well.
Clockwork tutted, as if Sam had asked a rather silly question. âTime is not linear, Samantha Manson. At least, not to me.â
Sam bristled in her seatâno one called her Samantha, except for her parents and teachers. And doing so was just the same as asking her to punch you in the nose.
Though Clockwork either didnât notice her irritation, or (more likely) he didnât care. Instead, he leaned back in his seat and steepled his fingers, his expression thoughtful. âTo a mortal, time flows in one direction, and most mortals will never have to worry about what lies outside their time.â
He glanced at Danny as he said that: most. Danny wasnât like most people, mortal or otherwise. He had seen what lied outside his time. And he couldnât say that he had enjoyed the experience.
âBut for me,â Clockwork continued as he returned his attention to the group. âTime flows in every direction. Timestreams bend and twist together, never quite touching yet always connected. With the right equipment, a weaker beingâsuch as a mortalâcould theoretically manage to go from one timestream to the next, or even go to any point within one particular timestream. It would be difficultânearly impossible, evenâbut theoretically it could be done.â
His eyes took on a different light then, their crimson depths seeming to glitter with power. âBut to a being tied to Time itself, doing this is as easy for me as breathing is to you. You, Daniel, have met me only thrice, but I have met you countless times before. I observe everything that falls under the hands of time. I am everywhere at once. Take right now, for instance. While I am currently speaking to you, I could simultaneously be having a conversation with you two weeks ago, as well as⊠oh, letâs say a year, six months, and eleven days from now.â
As Clockwork said this, two images of Danny appeared next to Danny and his friends. Danny recognized the one on the left as himself just after he had escaped Danâs timeline with the help of future creepy cave Vlad. But the one on the right⊠Danny didnât recognize him. The image was blurred and somewhat see-through, but what Danny could see made his blood run cold. Soot coated this Dannyâs white hair and dusted his sickly pale skin and torn suit. His eyes were sunken and haunted in a way that Danny couldnât find the words to describe. Behind him loomed something large and dark, but the image suddenly flickered out of existence before Danny could get a closer look.
âWh-what was that?â Danny asked, unease creeping over his skin and making his hair stand on end.
âNothing that you need to worry about right now,â Clockwork said calmly as he picked up his cup and took another sip. âNow, why donât you try the tea? It is your motherâs favorite.â
Well, wasnât that just perfectly in line for Clockwork? Leaving Danny with more questions than answers. Maybe Danny shouldâve pressed for an answer, but pushing Clockwork didnât seem like a wise choice. And honestly⊠Danny wasnât sure that he wanted to know what he had seen. Maybe that had been something to do with Dan? But that didnât make sense. Danny had defeated Dan, making sure that Dan was no longer his future. Heck, Clockwork had even said that Dan had never been his future! So what wasâ
Danny shook his head to clear his thoughts. He⊠he could worry about that later. That was future Dannyâs problem (quite literally). But right now, present Danny had a mission. And that mission was to find Ellie.
Danny looked at Clockwork and opened his mouth, ready to ask the ghost if he had any information concerning Dannyâs clone, but Clockwork gave him a pointed look, and then looked at Dannyâs untouched drink, as if to say, âwell?â
Danny frowned as he looked down at his cup of tea. He didnât even know if his mom liked tea. She usually drank coffee. But⊠this tea did look oddly familiar. It even smelled familiar, its herby, florally, almost lemony scent seeming to stir something deep in his memories. Maybe his mom did drink this? But wouldnât he have noticed if she did? The smell⊠it was distinct, in a way that he shouldâve recognized.
âTell me about your core, Daniel,â Clockwork said suddenly, snapping Danny out of his inner search for lost memories. âHow has it been since we last talked?â
âOh, uh⊠itâs been fine,â Danny answered hesitantly as he cast a nervous glance at his friends. This wasnât something he had really talked to them about. âIt hasnât spoken or⊠done anything weird in the past couple of weeks.â
Clockwork nodded. âGood.â
Danny glanced at his friends again⊠and then did a double take as he realized that his friends were frozen. Not cold, but like⊠not moving. As if they were frozen in time.
Danny looked at Clockwork again in disbelief, and saw that the ghost was hiding a smirk behind his teacup.
âHey!â Danny snapped. âNot cool! Unpause my friends now, please!â
âWhy, of course,â Clockwork acquiesced. âAll you needed to do was ask.â
And with a snap of the ghostâs fingers, Sam and Tucker were moving again, as if nothing had happened. Tucker took a whiff of his tea and recoiled, while Sam gave Danny a look, as if urging him to say something.
Confused, Danny gave her a helpless shrug.
Sam rolled her eyes and turned to face the ghost sitting across from them. âUh, Mister Clockwork, sir? Weâre looking for a friend of ours, and Danny thought that you might be able to help us find her.â
âHe thought correctly,â Clockwork told her.
The three teens waited for the ghost to continue, but he didn't.
After an awkward moment of silence, Danny spoke. âSo⊠where is she?â
âSomewhere safe,â Clockwork answered simply.
âOkay, but where specifically?â Tucker asked.
âSomewhere safe,â Clockwork said again. âWhere she can rest and heal.â
Well, that line of questioning wasnât working. But if Clockwork was sure that Ellie was safe, then Danny supposed that it must be true. Clockwork was a trustworthy guy. Well, ghost. It did comfort him somewhat, even if he still didnât know where Ellie was.
But Clockworkâs reassurance didnât ease the discomfort that had been plaguing Danny since they left the Far Frozen. Because something⊠something was nagging at him, deep inside. And it had been for a while now, he realized. And he needed to bring it up before it slipped from his mind yet again.
âBack in the Far Frozen. In the ice caves,â Danny began hesitantly as he clasped his hands together to keep from fidgeting. âThere was a picture that Frostbite wouldnâtâcouldnât tell us about.â
âOh, yeah! I remember that one!â Tucker piped up. âThe one with the bunch of stick figures, and one had a crown or something. Right?â
Danny nodded, his thoughts running at a mile a minute as he struggled to remember what he had felt back then. It was already fading away from him, despite his efforts to keep it at the front of his mind. âFrostbite said⊠Wait, you know Frostbite, right?â
Clockwork stared at him like he was an idiot.
Danny nodded again. âOf course you do. You know everything. Anyway, he said something about a destined new king after Pariah Dark was defeated. And⊠I was⊠wonderingâŠâ
âThere will indeed be a new Ghost King crowned now that Pariah Dark has been defeated,â Clockwork interjected smoothly. âBut they are not yet ready to ascend to that role.â
âButâŠâ
.
âWhen you defeated⊠you became the newâŠâ
.
âBut I thoughtâŠâ
A new Ghost King would be crowned after the defeat of Pariah Dark. Frostbite had said as much, and Clockwork had just confirmed it.
And the one who had defeated Pariah Dark, the old king, wasâŠ
Danny jumped to his feet. âBut Thanatos saidâ!â
Clockwork held up his hand, silencing him. âSaid what?â
An awkward silence settled over the small group as Danny struggled to find the words. They were right there, on the tip of his tongue, but the more he tried to form them, the further they slipped out of his reach.
âHey, Danny?â Tucker said hesitantly, breaking the silence. âWhat did Thanaâyour mentor say?â
âI⊠it was something he said back when we first met,â Danny said slowly.
âWhat was it?â Sam asked him.
Danny opened his mouth to answer, but⊠his mind was blank. What had Thanatos said? âI⊠I donât⊠remember.â
Sam and Tucker shared a worried look.
âBut you just saidââ Tucker began before Clockwork interrupted him.
âItâs no use. He wonât remember.â
Sam rounded on the ghost with a scowl. âWhatâs that supposed to mean?â
âExactly what it sounds like,â Clockwork told her. âDaniel cannot remember that conversation with his mentor.â
Dannyâs blood ran cold. âBut why? Can youâis there something you can do to fix it?â
Clockwork looked at him with an unreadable expression, but Danny was pretty sure there was some pity in it. âIt is the work of someone else. I cannot interfere.â
âBut you interfered last time!â Danny shot back. âThose Observant guys wanted you to kill me, but you didnât!â
âAs I told you before,â Clockwork reminded him calmly. âI only made sure that things played out as they were meant to, and I returned a favor. Nothing more.â
Danny wanted to argue, to push furtherâClockwork couldnât just leave it at that! But before he could say anything, Clockwork rose from his chair. His staff appeared in his hand, and with a wave the armchairs, table, and teacups disappeared. And just like that, Danny and his friends found themselves standing outside the tower once more, but this time Clockwork was with them.
Startled, Danny looked at the time ghost. âHey, whatâ?â
âYou three must get going now,â Clockwork said, the usual calmness in his tone replaced by urgency. âThe Realms are not a safe place for you at this point in time. Especially you, Daniel.â
âWait!â Danny protested. âButâEllie! We need toââ
Clockwork cleared his throat and folded his arms. And then he began to tap his left fingers rather pointedly against his right forearm. He stared intently into Dannyâs eyes, as if waiting for him to understand.
And after a moment, it clicked.
The last time Danny had been in Clockworkâs tower, he had learned that Clockwork had an apprentice. And the ghostâs mark had read ÎŠÎŹÎœÏαÏΌαâPhantom. The same as Thanatosâ.
Danny understood now. Clockworkâs apprentice was a different Phantom.
âGuys, letâs go,â Danny said to his friends.
âBut what about Ellie?â Tucker protested. âWe only went on this trip because we wanted to find her!â
Danny looked at Clockwork, whose expression remained carefully neutral.
âI⊠Iâll tell you guys later,â Danny said hesitantly, but he relaxed when Clockwork gave him a nod. âNow letâs get out of here.â
He started towards the Specter Speeder, but froze when Sam shouted, âWait!â
Danny turned to look at her, confused, and saw that Clockwork was watching her expectantly. She turned to the time ghost, her expression one of concern.
âIs there anything we can do to help Danny with his memory?â She asked him.
Wait. Right, that was an issue. And an upsetting one, at that. Clockwork hadnât been willing to reveal much, but they couldnât just leave when it had just been revealed to them that there was someone out there tampering with Dannyâs memories!
There was a twinkle in Clockworkâs eye, and with a flick of his wrist an envelope appeared in his hand. He held it out to Sam. âThis reveals everything you need to know at this time. Make sure to open it in a safe location. Not here.â
Sam took it with a firm nod. And with that, Clockwork ushered them over to the Specter Speeder. As they climbed inside, Danny spared a glance back at the tower, and saw a familiar face peeking through the front door. She smiled and gave him a thumbs up.
And he smiled back, before climbing into the Speeder and shutting the door. He looked through the window to wave goodbye to Clockwork, but the ghost was already gone.
âWell, that was almost a total bust,â Sam muttered as she turned the envelope over in her hands. âI know you thought he was gonna help us, Danny, butâŠâ She shrugged.
âHe already has,â Danny admitted quietly.
âHuh? What do you mean?â Tucker asked.
Danny shook his head. âIâll explain later. We need to get out of here first.â
Tucker and Sam agreed, and they set off. As Tucker started the engines and got the Speeder moving, Danny couldnât ignore the way the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. It was as if something was watching him. And waiting.
Danny gripped the armrests as he stared out into the swirling green abyss, waiting for something to happen. For some beast to come out and chase them, or attack them.
But nothing happened.
There was nothing there.
Yet Danny couldnât shake the feeling that he was being watched.
Whatever was going on in the Ghost Zone, that had some ghosts disappearing and others unable to speak a word of what was happening⊠Danny had a feeling that it had something to do with him. That it had something to do with his memories being tampered with.
And he was going to find out just what was going on.
~~~~~~~~
Silly Clockwork, canât you just say things plain and straight? (Well, no, because then this story wouldnât be nearly as fun. But anyway.)
Hope you guys enjoyed! And now that you know who Clockworkâs apprentice is, we hope you look forward to meeting her again in future chapters. :3
Also for you note takers out there, the current day in story is May 2, 2008. (Yes, we know the exact dates of when things take place. Itâs important to the story, after all. ;) )
Fun fact! This is the first chapter we edited in Ellipsus! With everything going on with Google right now, we decided to make the switch over to Ellipsus. And oh boy has it been a learning curve! đBut we're still here and still kicking! Or writing. đ (And we don't have to do the HTML tags anymore! Thank the fanfiction gods!)
AO3 Link
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Danny and his friends watched warily as the large figures drew closer to the Specter Speeder, their forms indiscernible through the thick layer of frost covering the windshield. Though he didnât know what they were facing, Danny was quick to transform and fly out of the Speeder, ready to meet the newcomers, and fight them if need be.
The strangers were large and beastlike, with white fur covering their bodies and horns protruding from the sides of their heads. They had sharp, jagged teeth, and claws that looked even sharper.
Danny braced himself as he gathered ecto-energy in his palms, ready to blast these ghosts back to wherever they came from. The Ghost Zone housed all sorts of ghosts, beasts and humanoids alike, but Danny had yet to meet many friendly ones. And these guys? They did not look friendly.
One of the ghosts stepped forward, bigger than all the restâDanny was pretty sure that he was the leader, if the engraved gold armband and jewel-encrusted belt around his waist were anything to go by; none of the others were dressed quite so fancy. His dark blue cape billowed behind him in the bitterly cold wind as he stared at Danny as if he was no more than a bug. Or worseâtheir lunch.
Danny opened his mouth, planning to say something that would hopefully come off as enough of a warning to keep them at bay. At least until he and his friends could get the Specter Speeder running again and hightail it out of there. But before he could say anything, the leader⊠smiled. And Danny realized that he didnât look angryâhe looked overjoyed.
âGreetings, oh Great One! Savior of the Infinite Realms!â The leaderâs voice boomed, cutting through the shrieking of the wind like a knife through softened butter. âI am Frostbite, leader of the Far Frozen. And we, your humble servants, are here to offer our aid.â
Wait⊠what?
As Danny looked at the group of ghosts again, he realized that they werenât quite as menacing as he had first assumed. They werenât staring at him with anger or malice; they were staring at him as if he had hung the stars in the night sky. A couple of them were even whispering to one another like gossiping schoolgirls.
âWait. Wait, wait, wait.â The ecto-energy in Dannyâs palms dissipated, and he shook his head in confusion. âGreat One? Savior? Iâyou must be mistaken. My friends and Iâweâre lost. Our ride broke down. We just want to get it working again, and then weâll be on our way, and out of your hair. Okay? I-I donât want any trouble.â
âWhy, of course!â The one called Frostbite replied jovially, and he extended his hands in a welcoming gesture. âWe mean you no harm!â
âWhaâno harm?â Danny sputtered incredulously. âThen why did you freeze the Specter Speeder?!â
âTo save you from crashing, of course!â Frostbite laughed, as if Danny had asked something funny. A few of his pack joined in. âIf you and your friends would like to follow me, I can explain everything in a more comfortable setting. I imagine you all arenât used to this level of cold.â
Danny wanted to decline the offer, but Frostbite was right. Following his accident, Danny had found that he wasn't really affected by chilly weather anymore. But this was, like, beyond cold, even for him. And if he was freezing, then how were Sam and Tucker handling the sub-zero temperatures? And as much as he hated to admit it, he wouldnât be able to fix the Specter Speeder on his own. âFine,â he said at last. âJust donât do anything funny!â
Frostbite chuckled merrily. âYou have my word, Great One.â
The journey to Frostbiteâs village was quick, thanks to the help of Frostbite and his yeti friends (that was what they referred to themselves as, and Danny supposed that was what they looked like, considering the fact that he himself had never seen a yeti). It had taken a bit of convincing to get his friends to agree to come along peacefully, which Danny understood. He couldnât blame them for being wary, given their previous experiences in the Ghost Zone. But with the Specter Speeder out of commission, and the three of them lost in unknown territory, it would be for the best if they went along with the yeti ghosts for the time being.
At least the yeti ghosts seemed friendly enough.
Once the Speeder had been set down in the middle of the cozy little village, Danny and his friends stepped out, bundled up in Fenton Parkas (his parents really had prepared for anything in the Ghost Zone). They were immediately surrounded by a crowd of the yeti ghosts, young and old, big and small, and all beaming as if they were at a celebrity meet-and-greet.
âGreat One, please allow us, your humble servants, to welcome you and your friends with the traditional greeting of our people,â Frostbite said. He then pressed his palms together and bowed his head, his people swiftly following his lead. âNamaste.â
Tucker made a sound halfway between a scoff and a chuckle. âWhat is this, yoga class?â
Shocked murmurs rose from the crowd of yetis, and a few offended glares were shot Tuckerâs way. But Frostbite merely raised his hand, and his people quieted down.
âIt would be wise of you to refrain from speaking lightly of cultures that you know little about, friend of the Great One.â Frostbite advised coldly, a startling change from his warm, welcoming demeanor. âIt may end poorly for you one of these days.â
Tucker gulped nervously and gave a meek nod. Danny didnât blame him for being spooked; these guys, though seemingly nice, looked like they ate Tuckers for breakfast.
âBut seeing as you are a friend of the Great One, I will let it slide,â Frostbite declared, and just like that, his friendly manner returned. âNow come! Let me introduce you to the tribe.â
~~~~
After another round of introductions (one that lasted much longer than the first), Frostbite took Danny, Sam, and Tucker down into a cave while some of his people got to work fixing up the Specter Speeder with welding torches. (Oh, yeah. Frostbite and the yeti ghosts lived in caves. Had Danny mentioned that? He supposed it fit with the whole âfrozen wastelandâ theme. Unlike the welding torches. But anyway.) The cave (which, strangely, had armed guards posted at its entrance) was well-lit with flickering green torches, but it wasnât any warmer than it had been out in the snow. On the walls of the cave were pictures, their lines scratched and carved carefully into the stone. And the pictures⊠well, that was where this whole thing got really weird.
They were all pictures of Danny.
âThis here is a shrine! Dedicated to you, oh Great One!â Frostbite explained, a proud smile on his face as he gestured to the murals. âOur people have added to it over the centuries, depicting your journeys and tales in the immortality of stone. It is a tribute and a testament to all your good deeds.âÂ
âWait a minute.â Dannyâs brain felt like it was short-circuiting, because what Frostbite had just said did not add up. âCenturies?â
Frostbite nodded enthusiastically, not seeming to notice Dannyâs bewilderment. âOf course! Time flows strangely in the Infinite Realms. But all of your legends are documented here, both past and future.â
In a state of complete disbelief, Danny held his breath as he spun around, eyeing the pictures on the walls. He recognized some of them now. The portal accident. His many fights with various ghosts (he was pretty sure he could make out Vlad, Skulker, and even the Box Ghost in some of the carvings). One of the bigger, more detailed murals was of the time Danny had defeated the Ghost King, Pariah Dark, and trapped him in the Sarcophagus of Eternal Sleep. There was even a mural of his apprenticeship ceremony in the Underworld, when he had taken on the title of Thanatosâ apprentice. How in the world did Frostbiteâs people know about that?
âOh, and please don't wander too far,â Frostbite warned like he was a tour guide for the world's strangest museum. âWe don't want you seeing your future before it happens!â
âHey, Frostbite? So, uhh⊠why do you guys have a shrine dedicated to Danny?â Sam asked, clearly perturbed by the strange cave.
âWhy, is it not obvious?â Frostbite asked. âThe Great One is a very important part of our history! Not just of the Far Frozen, but of the entire Ghost Zone!â
âBut how?â Danny asked. âIâve never even met you guys before now.â
âYes, that is true,â Frostbite agreed. âBut we have known you for much longer.â
âButâŠâ Danny looked at the walls around him once more, before giving a helpless shrug. âBut Iâm just⊠Danny. Iâm not the Great One you guys keep talking about.â
âYeah!â Tucker agreed. âThis guyâs barely passing ninth grade. Great One? I donât think so.â
Before Frostbite could reply, another picture caught Dannyâs attention. This one⊠he didnât recognize. The carving was simple: a group of crudely-formed stick figures, with the one in the middle standing above the rest, wearing a crown.
Danny reached out and touched the mural with his hand. The lines were softer than those of the other murals, worn and faded from the touch of time. It was old; maybe that was why it wasnât as detailed as the rest. But what did it have to do with Danny? Was he one of the figures in the picture? If so, which one?
âWhatâs going on here?â Danny asked as his friends came to stand on either side of him.
âAh⊠yes. That one.â Frostbite said with far less enthusiasm than Danny had come to expect from him. âWhen Pariah Dark was defeated, a new king was destined to take his place. Butââ
The yetiâs voice seemed to catch in his throat, and when Danny looked back at him he saw that Frostbite looked⊠angry. But the look faded in an instant, replaced instead by a look of sadness.
âI am sorry,â Frostbite muttered quietly. âI cannot speak of it at this time.â
Why was Frostbite acting so weird all of a sudden? He had been so eager to explain before, but now⊠it was almost as if the picture of this future Ghost King filled the yeti ghost with regret.
Wait a second. Future Ghost King?
Ghost King?
Why⊠why did that ring a bell? It was almost as if he had heard it⊠in a dream or something. A memory, but distant and fuzzyâit gave him a headache just trying to recall it.
âAs⊠I thought you knew.â
âWhat did you just call me?â
â...?â
âWhat do you mean IâmâŠ?!â
âWhen you defeated⊠you became the newâŠâ
âAnd what does that mean? Being your apprentice? Will it help me withâŠ?â
Danny gripped his arm, his nails digging into the fabric of his suit. Why couldnât he remember? It was something important, he knew that much. Something⊠something Thanatos had told him. Something Thanatos had called him.
But what was it?
âHey, look at this one!â Tucker called out, derailing Dannyâs train of thought. âIt looks like some sort of⊠wedding thingy.â
Confused, Danny turned around and looked at what Tucker was referring to. And then he spluttered rather indignantly. âIt was not! It was a super ancient, super serious ceremony that made Thanatos my mentor!â
Tucker gave an awkward chuckle as he stepped away from the carving. âHeh, oops. My bad.â
~~~~
âHey, Frostbite? Not that weâre not having the time of our lives and all,â Danny said, careful not to meet the tired, annoyed looks of his friends. âBut do you know how much longer itâll be until the Speeder is fixed?â
And honestly, it wasnât just his friends that were cold, tired, and perhaps a little on edge. Danny knew that he certainly was. They didnât have time to waste learning about the weird, prophetic carvings of him in this cave when they were supposed to be finding Ellie, before somethingâor someoneâelse did.
âIâm sure it will be done soon, Great One,â Frostbite answered (un)helpfully. âIf you three would like, we can head back up and check on the progress of the repairs.â
âYes, please!â was the unanimous vote, and Frostbite took the lead as they began to make their way back to the cave entrance. Dannyâs gaze trailed over the pictures as they made their way back, and he honestly wasnât sure how to feel about the whole âshrineâ thing, other than⊠weird. Honored, maybe. But mostly, it was just weird.
As Danny glanced behind him, he saw something move in the corner of his eye. He swore that he caught a glimpse of white hair, and it was enough to make him freeze.
Ellie?
Neither Frostbite, Sam, nor Tucker noticed as Danny quietly slipped away and made his way back down into the cave to go investigate. Had it been Ellie that he had seen? Or could it have been someone else? Another yeti ghost, maybe? Danny hadnât seen anyone else while they were down there.
But when Danny made it to the back of the cave, past where he and his friends had explored with Frostbite, he didnât find anyone. Odd, but⊠maybe it was just his nerves getting to him. He was used to being on edgeâit kind of came with the whole âdaily ghost attacksâ deal, and he definitely hadnât been getting enough sleep lately (not that he ever did). Both of those combined could totally explain why he had thought he had seen somebody when there was no one there. Right?
Danny sighed tiredly as he dragged his hand down his face. Once they found Ellie and made sure she was safe, he was going to go home and sleep for the rest of the weekend. With everything that had happened to him in just the past monthâhis evil not-future self and Vlad and the clonesâhe definitely needed it.
Eager to get back to their search, Danny started to leave the cave once more, but as he did so one of the carvings caught his eye. There were two figures, standing facing the same way. The one in front looked like Danny, at least when compared to the other cave carvings of him. The other, Danny didnât recognize. It didnât look like Tucker or Sam, or any of his family. They seemed to be reaching towards DannyâŠ
Wait.
No, that wasnât it. They had something in their hand, which was outstretched. A thin triangle, the point of which was aimed right for him.
A sense of unease trickled down Dannyâs back like a cold sweat, even though he was pretty sure it was far too cold in this cave for sweat to even form. This picture⊠something wasnât right about it. It felt almost like⊠a warning. The unknown object in the strangerâs handâŠÂ
Was that⊠a knife?
âAh! There you are, Great One!â Frostbite said, his booming voice startling Danny out of his thoughts. âYour friends and I were wondering where youâd gone off to.â
Danny winced and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, ashamed that he had been caught. âYeah, uhh, sorry about that. IâŠâ He knew he should follow Frostbite out of the cave, but his gaze flicked back to the ominous drawing, and his sense of unease returned. âHey, uhh⊠do you know whatâs going on here?â
âHmm?â Frostbite came over to where Danny stood and leaned in, peering at the carving. He was standing so close that Danny felt the hairs on Frostbiteâs arm stand on end as an unreadable expression flickered across his face for just a split second.
âOh, that? Thatâs nothing special!â Frostbite said too quickly and too cheerfullyâeven for him. âWorry not. Itâs⊠itâs nothing. Really!â
But⊠if it was nothing, then why was it important enough to end up engraved in this cave?
Frostbiteâs large, furry, and clawed hand landed on Dannyâs shoulder with almost enough force to make his knees buckle. âCome along now, Great One! We mustnât keep your friends waiting.â
Danny did as he was told, and followed Frostbite out of the strange cave. But as he did so, he got the feeling that he had stumbled across something that he shouldnât have.
~~~~
âThanks again, Frostbite,â Danny said for what mustâve been the dozenth time as Sam and Tucker clambered into the Specter Speeder. âIâm really glad we ran into you.â
âAnytime, Great One,â Frostbite replied with a smile. âPerhaps the next time our paths cross, it will not be in such a dire situation.â
Danny chuckled. âYeah, Iâd like that.â He gave Frostbite a parting wave and turned to leave, but made it only a few steps before a question came to mind. âHey, Frostbite? Weird question, but have you seen someone who looks like me recently?â
Frostbiteâs cheerful smile became puzzled. âI⊠have seen you.â
âWell, thatâs notâŠâ Danny rubbed his neck again, feeling a bit awkward as he clarified: âHave you seen me, but like⊠a girl?â
Frostbite shook his head. âI have not, Great One. If you would like, I can keep an eye out for any who might match that description.â
Danny smiled. âYeah. That would be really helpful. Thanks, Frostbite.â
âOf course, Great One. Safe travels.â
Frostbite had been kind enough to point them in the direction of another realm in the Ghost Zone that might be able to help them, and with a final goodbye, the three teens set off to continue their search for Ellie.
âWoah! Those yetis really know their stuff!â Tucker exclaimed as the Specter Speeder glided smoothly towards their destination. âThis babyâs running like new!â
âLetâs hope itâll hold together until we find Ellie,â Danny muttered rather glumly as he settled down in his seat.
âHey. Sheâll be fine,â Sam said reassuringly.
âYeah!â Tucker chimed in. âIf sheâs anything like you, then itâs the ghosts whoâll be in trouble. Not her.â
Danny scoffed. âYou must not know me very well, Tuck. Iâm always in trouble.â
~~~~
While flying through the Ghost Zone, the trio of friends were greeted by a surprising lack of ghosts. Which was strange, considering they were in, yâknow, the Ghost Zone. Home of ghosts, spirits, and all manner of spooky things. The fact that there were currently no ghosts in sight was enough to set Danny on edge.
Was something happening in the Ghost Zone? Something big that he wasnât aware of? He was pretty sure it wasnât Pariah Dark againâif it were, then there wouldâve been a surplus of ghosts in the human world again, staking claim on their new lairs and causing chaos all over Amity Park.
But then what was it? Shouldnât he have heard something by now if something was wrong? Not every ghost in the Zone hated him. Like⊠Wulf, for example. Or Princess Dora. They were friendly with him. Heck, wouldnât Frostbite have told him if something was wrong? He had called Danny the "savior of the realm", or something like that. If that was the case, then wouldnât he have told Danny if something was going on in the Ghost Zone?
Danny tried to distract himself from the unease bubbling in his gut by looking out the window at the vast green nothingness before them. It wasnât the most exciting view, but the vibrant green background should make it easy to see if a certain white-ponytailed ghost in a familiar black and white suit were to pass byâŠ
âWow! The Zoneâs really got everything, huh?â Tucker exclaimed, breaking Danny out of his thoughts. âThey even have plants! Bet youâre happy to see that, huh, Sam?â
Curious, both Sam and Danny looked where Tucker was pointing, and there were indeed plants. And they even looked somewhat healthy, unlike the plants he usually saw in the Ghost Zone (which were often withered and sad-looking, and only came in a small variety of colors: black, purple, and ectoplasmic green).
No, these plants were thriving, with their leaves spread wide and their flowers in full bloom. They sported the usual greens and purples of the Ghost Zone, but there were also vibrant pinks and blues, along with a haze of yellow spores floating all around them. Just looking at it was enough to make Dannyâs nose itch as if he had to sneeze.
âWhat do you think, Sam? Is it vegan enough for you?â Tucker teased.
But there was no response from her. Not even a well-deserved punch to the arm.
âSam?â Danny turned to look at the goth girl.
Sam was staring at the island of plants, but something wasnât right. Her posture was stiff, and her eyes were strangely focused, yet blank. As if she was hyperfocused, yet not there at all. Was she even breathing?
Danny reached out and touched her shoulder, but Sam didnât react. She didnât even blink. She was frozen in place like a statue.
Okay, something was definitely wrong.
âHey, Tuck. I think we should get out of here,â Danny said worriedly.
Tucker nodded. âWay ahead of you, dude.â
The Speeder jolted slightly as Tucker swerved to the side and stepped on the gas, speeding away from the strange, jungle-like island.
âEarth to Sam. Come in, Sam.â
It had taken a while for the island to disappear from the horizon, and Sam had been frozen the entire time, moving only to continue facing the island as they passed by, her eyes unblinking, her intense gaze unwavering.
At the lack of response to his corny space joke, Danny reached out and shook Samâs shoulder. She hadnât responded the first few times he had done so, but this time she blinked, much to his relief.
She blinked again, seemingly confused.
âAre you okay?â Danny asked her.
âHuh?â She looked only more confused.
âWhat happened?â Danny prodded.
Sam frowned. âWhat are you talking about? Nothing happened.â
Danny glanced over his shoulder to share a concerned look with Tucker. âUhh⊠donât you remember? You saw those weird plants, and then you got all weird.â
âYeah. Like a zombie or something,â Tucker added.
Sam scowled. âNo, I didnât. We just flew by some ghostly plant island, so what?â
Her scowl only deepened as it became clear that that answer wasnât enough for either of the boys. âIâm fine,â she all but snarled. âSo knock it off.â
Okay, so Sam was definitely not fine. But before Danny could say anything, Tucker sat up in his seat and pointed straight ahead. âLand ho!â
Their attention was drawn to the sight past the windshield, which was a large, floating island. Clustered atop it was a group of buildings in patterns of white and gold, with tall, grecian pillars that looked as if they had long withstood the test of time.
âIt looks very⊠Greek,â Tucker observed as they flew towards the island.
Danny nodded in agreement. âThis must be the place Frostbite told us about.â
Sam folded his arms over her chest as she leaned back in her seat. âWell, letâs hope these locals are as friendly as the last ones.â
As it turned out, they didnât have to worry about whether the locals were friendly or not, because there were no locals. The streets were completely devoid of any semblance of life. (Well, they were usually devoid of life in the Ghost Zone, but like, there were no ghosts to be seen, yâknow?) Doors were shut, torches smoldered in their sconces, and curtains fluttered eerily in empty windows. It was like a ghost townâwell, okay, all towns in the Ghost Zone were technically ghost towns. But this one?
It was straight up abandoned.
âWhere is everybody?â Tucker wondered aloud as he landed the Specter Speeder in what looked like the town square. In front of them was a large, official looking building that looked like something straight out of Ancient Greece.
âNo idea,â Danny replied as he stood and opened the hatch.
âBe careful,â Sam warned him. âWe donât need to add ârescuing youâ to our checklist today.â
âIâll be fine,â Danny said with a dismissive wave of his hand. Then he stepped out onto the cobbled street.
Danny only managed to take a couple of steps away from the Speeder before a booming voice shouted at him. âSTOP! What do you think youâre doing?!â
Danny jumped like a spooked cat as he turned towards the voice, and he froze when he saw the ghost standing in the doorway of the large building.
The ghost was tall. Like, double Thanatosâ height and then some tall. She was wearing golden plate armor with a matching plumed helmet, and a floor-length yellow and black Grecian-style dress. Her skin was blue, her eyes were red, and her hair was a fiery magenta that flickered dangerously from underneath her helmet. And as if that wasnât scary enough, she had four arms, one of which was holding a massive spear, which shined with a radiant energy that was just waiting to be unleashed.
All in all? Very intimidating.
Danny quickly threw up his hands in what he meant as a placating gesture; he did not feel like becoming a Danny-kebab today, thank you very much.
The ghost stepped closer. And to his surprise, she froze.
âLord Athâuh. You⊠w-what are you doing here?â The ghost stammered, as if she was the one that was surprised.
Danny slowly and cautiously lowered his hands. âUmm⊠you must be Pandora, right?â He asked her nervously. âFrostbite said that you could help me? And my friends?â
The ghost blinked as she regained her composure. âYes. I am Pandora. But no, I cannot help you. Not right now.â
âWhat? Why not?â Danny asked, confused. Frostbite had saidâŠ
âSomeone⊠someone has been taking my people,â Pandora explained slowly. Cautiously, even. As if she was carefully choosing her words. âAnd if you do not leave now, you will be taken as well.â
Though alarmed by her words, Danny felt frustration begin to bubble deep in his gut. They had come so far to find Pandora, only for her to tell them that she couldnât help? First the Specter Speeder broke down, stranding them in the Far Frozen for hours, then Sam got possessed by a weird plant island, and now this? Why was everything working against him when he was just trying to find Ellie?!
âIs there anything you can do to help?â Danny asked her, trying his best not to sound like a whiny child.
Pandora thought for a moment before responding carefully. âThat depends on what you need help with.â
âIâm looking for someone who looks like me, but female.â
There was a spark of recognition in her eyes. Hope swelled like a balloon in Dannyâs chest.
âI see,â Pandora hummed thoughtfully. âUnfortunately, the person you seek does not dwell in this realm. Nor does she visit often.â
Danny visibly deflated. Another dead end.
Well, not exactly. Pandora at least seemed to know who he was talking about.
Before Danny could ask her another question, she continued. âPerhaps you would have better luck finding her if you asked her father.â
Danny bit back a growl. âAs if I would ask him for help.â Vlad was the reason why all of this was happening in the first place!
Pandora sighed as she gave Danny a lookâone that was very similar to his momâs whenever she was disappointed in him. âThat is unfortunate to hear. I thought he might help you, as you are his kin.â
Wait. What?
Pandora continued once more, before Danny could correct her or ask her what on earth she was talking about. âRegretfully, there is nothing I can do to aid you in your plight. But I hope that you may reconcile with him soon. Your grandfather is so fond of you.â
Uhh⊠âWho?â
Pandora blinked, as if she was the one that had the right to be confused. âYour motherâs father, of course. Isnât she the one you are looking for?â
Just then, a howl split through the silence of the abandoned city, followed by others, and a chill filled the air. It sounded like a pack of dogs far off in the distance, but there was something⊠off-putting about it. Something that Danny couldnât quite put his finger on, but it sent a huge shiver down his spine and made his knees begin to tremble.
âThe Hounds of the Damned!â Pandora gasped fearfully. She turned to look at Danny, her expression panicked. âYou have to go! Now!â
Danny didnât have time to speak or do anything else as Pandora picked him up in just one hand (holy cow, she was big) and pushed him back into the Specter Speeder. Before he could even regain his footing, Pandora picked up the Speeder like it weighed nothing and lifted it up so she could stare at them eye to eye through the windshield.
âPromise me that you will head home right now,â the gigantic ghost urged. âIt is not safe for you here.â
âBut I can help!â Danny argued. Whatever was howling, it was scaring Pandora. It had to have something to do with her people being taken. And Danny couldnât just run away and leave her to face it on her own. What kind of ___ would he be?
Dannyâs train of thought hit the brakes as he realized that he couldnât⊠he couldnât remember the word, for some reason. But he knew the word. Both Thanatos and Hades had mentioned it before. They had called him the⊠the ruler of the Ghost Zone. TheâŠ
King?
Why did he keep forgetting that?
The howling grew closer, and it made Dannyâs hair stand on end. Any previous thoughts he may have been having were pushed from his mind by a strong, almost overwhelming urge to flee.
âPlease, Danny! Promise me you will go home now!â Pandora pleaded. âI cannot protect you if she gets a hold of you!â
The mix of hatred and fear that rang in Pandoraâs voice with that single wordâsheâonly made Danny more concerned. More insistent on standing his ground. âWhat? Who?â If something could scare someone like Pandora as badly as this⊠if someone was out to get him⊠then that was all the more reason for him to stay and fight. âWho are youââ
âDanny, please. Letâs go,â Sam begged.
Danny turned to look at his friends, ready to argue, but he faltered when he saw them. They were both pale and shaky, as if all the blood had drained from their faces. Tucker was staring straight ahead, gripping the steering wheel with whitened knuckles. Samâs fingers were digging into her seat as she looked at Danny with a look that he could only describe as petrified.
The howl sounded again, closer than before, and Danny watched helplessly as his friends winced and cowered, as if they were being tormented by some unseen force.
Danny clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. As much as he wanted to stay and help Pandora with this unknown threat, he wasnât about to put Sam and Tucker in harmâs way.
âAlright,â Danny said bitterly. âWeâll leave. But Iâm coming back to help you!â
Pandora smiled, relief washing over her worried expression. âI wouldnât expect anything less from you, Danny. Now, go!â
Pandora lifted her hand above her head, and (with a little prompting from Danny) Tucker flew the Specter Speeder out of there as quickly as he could, the howls calling after them sounding like those of an enraged beast.
And as they flew away, Danny realized something: he had never told Pandora his name.
That wasnât too strange though, was it? After all, he was Danny Phantom. He was well-known throughout the Ghost Zone, as both a hero and a menace. Frostbite had known who he was, even though theyâd never met. Maybe it was the same with Pandora.
⊠maybe.
âAre we really going home?â Sam asked as the Speederâs engines worked to drown out the awful howling. She still looked shaken, but she managed to give Danny a knowing look; she knew that he wasnât going to give up the search for Ellie that easily.
âNot yet,â Danny admitted as he took his seat. âWe still have one more place to visit.â
~~~~
Once the eerie howls had died away, Sam and Tucker collapsed in their seats. They were still pale and shaky, and Danny swore he could see a few dried tears on Tuckerâs face. The howls had been unnerving, sure, but they were clearly more affected than Danny had been. As Danny got his friends sitting down in the back with some bottled water and wrapped a Fenton Shock Blanket around their shoulders, he wondered just what that had been. The howling⊠it wasnât just noise. There mustâve been some weird energy behind it. Some dark magic, maybe? He really didnât know much about that stuff just yet, but⊠maybe he could ask Thanatos about it when he saw him again. The Hounds of the Damned definitely sounded like something that the god would have at least some knowledge about.
Danny took the driverâs seat, but then he hesitated. He knew where he wanted to go next, but⊠he didnât know where it was. He had only ever seen it from the inside.
But if anyone could help him find where Ellie had gone⊠it would be Clockwork.
He just needed to figure out how to find him first.
Tentatively, Danny inched the Specter Speeder forward. These surroundings were kinda familiar, right? Maybe? (Though if he was being honest, all of the Ghost Zone kinda looked the same to him.) It was mostly just green emptiness around them, but there were some chunks of rock floating in the distance ahead. Did that mean there would be more civilization that way? Maybe another island? Or were those just some random rocks?
Just as he was wondering which way he should go, Danny saw something move. He looked at the rocks again, and saw someone peeking out from behind one, smiling. And then she stuck her tongue out at him.
Ellie!
Sam and Tucker made sounds of surprise as Danny abruptly stepped on the gas, sending the Specter Speeder zooming forward without any warning. They reached the floating rocks in less than a minute, but as Danny hit the brakes and quickly looked around, he realized that Ellie was nowhere in sight.
What in the�
âDanny, what was that?â Sam asked angrily. âAre you trying to give us concussions?â
âI thought I sawâŠâ Danny trailed off as he realized just how crazy he sounded. Oh, I just thought I saw Ellie playing peek-a-boo with me in the middle of freaking nowhere, Ghost Zone, USA. Silly me!
But as Danny began to question his sanity, his gaze wandered out past the windshield, and he saw what looked like a cog. More specifically, one of the cogs he had seen floating outside the window of Clockworkâs Tower.
Danny gripped the steering wheel again. âBuckle up, guys.â
âYou donât have to tell me twice,â Tucker muttered as he sat down in one of the seats and bundled himself up in the blanket. âThough you might wanna work on your lead foot.â
Danny rolled his eyes at the snarky comment, but once his friends were buckled in, he did set off a little more smoothly than before. He steered the Speeder towards the floating clockwork gear, and as they drew near he saw another, and then another. They led him forward like a trail of breadcrumbs, and with each one Danny only grew more sure that they were heading in the right direction.
But only ten minutes into their drive, Tucker began to whine.
âDanny, can you stop? Youâve been driving aimlessly for hours.â
Danny scowled, annoyed at his impatience. âTucker, itâs only been a few minutes!â
âNuh-uh!â Tucker leaned forward and held out his PDA for Danny to see. âAccording to my PDA, youâve been driving for 3 hours and 16 minutes! Iâm bored and hungry! Hangry, even! My stomach canât take this anymore!â
Danny took the PDA from Tucker as Sam, who looked as if she had just woken up, popped open the overhead compartment and pulled out a bag of Fenton Jerky, which she handed to Tucker.
âOh!â Tucker took the bag and ripped it open, taking a deep whiff of the dried meat. âWell, I suppose we can go a little longer.â
But Danny wasnât paying attention to Tucker. Instead, he was staring at the time listed on the PDA: 3:41 PM.
That couldnât be rightâŠ
Danny pulled out his own phone and checked the time. 11:38 AM. And the clock on the Speederâs dashboard read 12:35. âSam, can I see your phone for a sec?â
Sam rolled her eyes as she handed over her phone. âTuckâs right, Danny. Weâve been out here all day. We should head home for now.â
Danny took her phone and checked the display.
5:39 PM.
âUmm, guys? Look at this.â Danny laid out the phones and PDA on the dashboard, and when his friends saw the conundrum Tucker pulled out his own phone, checking its time for good measure.
Tucker frowned. âWhat in theâŠ?â
âWatch out!â Sam yelled.
Danny looked up through the windshield, and just barely managed to steer the Speeder out of the way of a large, fast-approaching gear. The size of a tractor wheel, it narrowly rolled past them, and Danny realized that they had reached their destination. Floating before them was a dark and gloomy clock tower. One that Danny recognized instantly, even though he had never seen it from the outside.
Clockworkâs Tower.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Woof, had to cut this chapter in half⊠again. So I guess it's really been cut into thirds. đ Up next, Clockwork! Our favorite confusing time ghost man. Does he know where Ellie is? Hmm⊠I guess we'll have to wait and see. đ
Hey! Itâs uhh⊠been a bit, huh? Sorry for the wait. We hope to post a little sooner next time. But for now, enjoy this chapter!
Read on AO3 here!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Danny POV:
Dianthe?
Danny didnât recognize the name at first, but then a faint memory came to him, of a strange dream heâd had after his first training session with Thanatos. The god had said that name, in Dannyâs dream: Dianthe.
But who was that? And why had Thanatos mistaken Ellie for them?
Ellie stared at Thanatos like he had grown a second head (which likely wouldnât have been the strangest thing sheâd seen in her short life in Vladâs weird clone laboratory, but still). âThat is not my name!â She said defensively, clearly still on edge with the literal god of death standing before her. âIâm Ellie!â
Thanatosâ wings flicked in what seemed to be agitation as his gaze fell to the floor. âI⊠Iâm sorry,â he muttered. âI must go.â
And just like that, before anyone could say or do anything, Thanatos was gone in a cloud of dark smoke.
Sam, Tucker, and Ellie all turned their attention to Danny, their faces twisted with varying degrees of confusion. But Danny had no answer for themâhe was just as confused, if not more so. Thanatos wasnât a manâwell, a god of many words, but⊠that had been a strange reaction, even for him. And the look on his face⊠If Danny hadnât known better, he wouldâve thought that the god looked⊠scared.
âWho was that?!â Ellie demanded to know; it was obvious that she was still spooked from the brief encounter. âWhatâs going on?â
âThat⊠was Thanatos,â Danny said slowly, still a bit stunned from everything that had just gone down. âMy mentor. I⊠donât know where he went. UhhâŠâ
Danny shook his head in an attempt to knock the brain fog out of it. The adrenaline still coursing through his veins wasnât enough to help him piece his thoughts together, to process what had happened to him in the course of just a few⊠what, hours, maybe? How long had it been? How long had he been trapped here, in Vladâs freaky mansion in the middle of who knew where?
Ellie crossed her arms with a scowl. âOh, thanks! That explains just about nothing.â
âI know! I know.â Danny groaned as he dragged his hand down his face. âLook, thereâs a lot to explain, and Iâd rather not do it here, if thatâs alright with you.â He looked disdainfully at the wrecked lab around them. The nasty smelling candles had all gone out at some point during the fight, but their stench still lingered in the air. All the complex, expensive-looking machinery had clearly been damaged beyond repair. And Vlad was still crumpled on the floor, where he had fallen when Ellie had kicked him. His nose was swollen and quickly turning a reddish-purple. âI donât want to be here when Sleeping Beauty wakes up.â
Ellieâs gaze flicked over to the unconscious halfa, and her frustration was immediately replaced by a look that was halfway between fear and heartbreak. Danny knew that this was all hard for her. Well, âhard for herâ was a big understatement. He couldnât even begin to understand what she was going throughâwhat it was like for her whole world to come crashing down with just a few cruel words. What was it like for her to have to turn on the only father that she had ever known?
Danny didnât know. But if he was being honest, Vlad deserved much more than a broken nose.
A hand brushed Dannyâs arm, and when he turned he saw Sam and Tucker standing next to him, looks of worry evident on their faces. Oh, right. Right. They were here, they⊠how had they even gotten here? HowâŠ?
The creaking of metal settling drew Dannyâs attention, and he was reminded of the crashed, slightly wrecked Specter Speeder, sitting in a mountain of rubble. Oh, right. That was how they had gotten there. And Danny knew that his parents never would have let his friends borrow their super expensive, super dangerous hovercraft, which meant that Sam and Tucker had probably stolen it. Which meant that the three of them were in for a world of trouble when they got home.
And yet⊠they had done it for him. Even with how cruddy of a friend he had been lately, and even though they were most definitely going to get in trouble for skipping school, and for stealing the Specter Speeder, and then taking it on a cross-country joy ride, they had still done it. To save him.
Tucker opened his mouthâlikely to make a snarky remark about Dannyâs lack of gratitudeâbut Danny beat him to the punch. He grabbed both of his friends and pulled them into a (thankfully not literally) bone-crushing hug, rudely squishing the air from their lungs in the process.
âOh, thank you!â Danny gushed. âThank you, thank you, thank you, you guys!â
âNo problem,â Tucker wheezed weakly.
âNo, seriously!â Danny continued. âThank you. If it hadnât been for you guys, Iâhave I said thank you yet?â
âYes.â Sam deadpanned, and with a well-placed elbow to Dannyâs ribs, she freed herself from the embrace. âYou did. Like, a dozen times already.â
Okay, maybe he had. But honestly, friends like his deserved all the thanks in the world. If it hadnât been for them⊠if it hadnât been for Ellieâ
Danny whirled around to thank her as well, but to his surprise she was gone. A quick scan of the room revealed that she was nowhere in sight; she must have left the room while he was chatting with his friends.
His joy quickly overridden by concern, Danny started toward the doorway, but he only made it a few steps before his legs gave out.
âDanny!â Sam rushed over and knelt beside him, Tucker close behind. âWhat are youââ
âEllie. Sheââ Danny pushed himself back to his feet, trying to ignore the way that his head spun like a top. âI need to find her.â
âDude, you need to sit down,â Tucker told him. âBefore you fall down. Again, that is.â
âButââ
âDanny, think about yourself for a moment!â Sam hissed, looking at him like he was crazy (a look that she gave him rather often). âYouâve been running yourself ragged with school, and patrols, and your apprenticeship. And now youâve been kidnapped, and from the looks of it, tortured!â
Okay, well⊠he could see why she would think that, with the containment pods and wrist restraints and the frankly evil looking computer panel remnants on the far wall. And honestly, being zapped like a cheap burrito in a microwave while Vlad tried to steal his DNA hadnât been particularly⊠enjoyable experience. Heck, he was pretty sure he could smell the singed ends of his own hair.
But that didnât matter right now. He had been through worse, but Ellie? She was literally destabilizing! Falling apart at the seams! He had seen it with his own eyes. And he couldnât let her go off on her own in that state. He needed to help her. How, he didnât know yet, but⊠she didnât deserve to die, melting into a pile of lifeless green goop. Maybe⊠maybe he could find something in his parents lab. Heck, maybe Thanatos knew something, or knew someone that knew something? But⊠Danny couldnât let herâŠ
Danny sank to his knees again as black spots danced in his vision. Now that the adrenaline had faded, he did not feel good. Maybe he could try some more of that ambrosia? But Thanatos had warned him not to. And going against a godâs instructions likely wasnât the best idea.
âTucker, get the Specter Speeder up and running.â Sam ordered as she hooked her arm under Dannyâs shoulders and helped him to his feet. He tried to protest, but she shut him up with just one look. âWeâll find her, okay? But first, weâre taking you home.â
After a moment, Danny gave a weak nod. âOkay.â
------------------------
Danny breathed a heavy sigh as he closed his bedroom door. His ears were still ringing from the scolding he and his friends had just received from not only Dannyâs parents, but also their teacher, Mr. Lancer. (Why had he scolded Danny? Danny hadnât told his friends to skip school, or to call Mr. Lancer âold man.â (Why Tucker had thought that was a good idea, Danny would never know. Though it was true, it had only made their teacher angrier. Much, much angrier.))
He had expected the scolding to go on well into the night, but for some reason⊠things had gotten a little weird at the end.
âI didnât know you could overshadow people from a distance, Danny,â Sam commented as she picked up a basketball from the messy bedroom floor. âThatâs pretty cool.â
âThatâs the thing,â Danny said slowly as he gave his friends an uneasy look. âI canât.â
The atmosphere grew tenseâchilly, evenâwith that revelation, but Tucker wasnât one to be so easily deterred. âMaybe youâre just more powerful than you think!â He suggested helpfully.
âMaybe.â Danny muttered. But he didnât believe it. He knew he hadnât overshadowed anyoneâbut at the same time, whoever had overshadowed his mom and Mr. Lancer hadnât seemed⊠evil, as crazy as that sounded.
But who�
A giggle rang through the air, but it didnât come from any of the roomâs occupants. Danny turned around and saw none other than Ellie, floating outside the open bedroom window. She smiled as she gave them a wave. âConsider that a thank you for saving me from Vlad.â
Danny was relieved to see that she was alright, but as he looked closer he noticed that she looked different from when they had last seen her. She seemed happier. And healthierâit almost looked like she was glowing. But the biggest difference was her clothes. She was wearing a black tunic with silvery-white detailing, white boots, and a pocket watch clipped to her belt.
âWhat? What are youââ Danny began, but she cut him off.
âI canât stay long,â Ellie told them quickly. âBut you will see me again. Promise.â
And with a wink, she turned and flew away into the sunset, leaving Danny with more questions, and no answers.
------------------------
As the school year started to reach its end, there began to be talk of summer plans. For some, summer meant freedom, with cross-country road trips or fun family vacations. For others, it meant summer school. For Danny⊠well, technically he could say he was going to summer camp. Just not a regular, normal summer camp, where normal kids would go. No, Danny would be going to a camp several states away, where he would learn less than normal things, such as how to fight monsters and how to make your own weaponry.
For Danny, summer meant returning to Camp Half-Blood.
He supposed he was excited to return. Sure, heâd had a bit of a rough start when he first visited, but it had turned out alright by the end. If he thought about it, he was really more nervous than anything else. He would be states away from his home, in unfamiliar territory, with no friends to watch his back. Well, no friends that really knew him, that was. Annabeth was his friend. Sunny and Aura were his friends. But they were all demigods. Sam and Tucker? They were plain old humans. And plain old humans couldnât go to Camp Half-Blood. Danny was sure of that. After all, heâd asked Thanatos at least a dozen times if they could come âfor just a week or two.â And the answer had always been the same: a firm âno.â Apparently having some godly blood in your veins was a requirement for attendance (which made sense, considering the campâs name), but that didnât make sense, since Danny didnât have any godly blood either! But Thanatos had simply said that that was different, and refused to discuss it further.
Well, if Danny was going to go a whole summer without his best friends, then he needed to start making up for it now. Movies, sleepovers, trips to the arcade, and plenty of tasty junk food⊠there was plenty to do, not including their nightly patrols and unplanned ghost hunts. And⊠one more thing, that had been on Dannyâs mind since they got back from Colorado.
The bell rang just then, signaling the end of another school day, and counting down one day closer to summer break. As the other students hurried out of the classroom, Danny took a moment to stretch and rub the sleepiness from his eyes. He was surprised he had managed to stay awake for the whole period, considering the fact heâd been up all night worrying about, well⊠Ellie.
âWow,â Sam remarked dryly as she sat down on the edge of his desk. âYou look like death.â
Danny chuckled. âI donât look like him at all. Heâs like, what, six-ten and looks like he belongs on the cover of a fancy menswear magazine?â
Sam wasnât nearly as amused at Dannyâs joke as he was, if the dramatic roll of her eyes was anything to go by. âThatâs not what I meant and you know it, Danny.â
âYeah, but it was funny,â Danny insisted jokingly. âAnd as Deathâs apprentice and all that, Iâm practically required to make that joke.â
Sam shook her head with a sigh. âWhatever you say, Ghost Boy.â But then she fixed him with a knowing look, that saw right through his facade. âNow tell me whatâs on your mind. Did you even sleep last night?â
Danny sighed as his gaze dropped to his lap. â⊠Iâm worried about Ellie,â he admitted quietly.
âShe seemed okay the last time we saw her,â Sam pointed out. âGreat, even. You saw how easily she overshadowed Mr. Lancer and your mom on Monday.â
âYeah, butâŠâ Danny trailed off as he stood and slung his backpack over his shoulder. How could he say it without sounding paranoid? How could he say that something⊠hadnât felt right about that interaction. Ellie⊠how could she have recovered that quickly? In just the few short hours it took them to get home, she had gotten a wardrobe change, stabilized her ghostly DNA, and shaken off the trauma of her whole life being turned upside down?
Danny found that pretty unlikely. He just⊠he just needed to see her again. He needed to talk to her, and learn what had happened after she disappeared. He just needed to know that she was okay. That she was safe.
âHey.â Sam placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. âIf youâre that worried, we can go look for her, alright?â
âLook for who?â Tucker piped up from the doorway; he mustâve come looking for them when they didnât meet up at one of their lockers.
âDannyâs worried about Ellie,â Sam told him as the three of them made their way out of the classroom.
âCanât you just ask your mentor about her?â Tucker asked with a little wiggle of his fingers. âHe can track ghosts and all that, canât he?â
âWell, thatâs⊠another thingâŠâ Danny muttered. He hadnât seen or heard from Thanatos since Monday, in Vladâs laboratory. Any attempts to contact him through their marks hadnât gone through.
âAlright, that settles it,â Sam said decisively. âWeâre searching for Ellie, and weâre not stopping until we find her.â
âWhat homework are you trying to put off?â Tucker asked teasingly.
Sam scowled. âShut it, Tuck.â Then she looked at Danny, and her expression softened. âWhat do you say?â
After a moment of thought, Danny nodded. âYeah. Letâs do it.â
------------------------
Okay, so maybe an impromptu after-school ghost hunt for a ghost that they had no idea where to look for hadnât been their best idea. Especially when they had decided that the first place they would look would be the ominous, otherworldly dimension known as the Ghost Zone. They had planned for their disappearance by telling their parents that they were all sleeping at Samâs house for the night (since it was unlikely her parents would even check up on them). Tucker had packed snacks. Danny had even drawn out a map of the Ghost Zone and all the locations they knew, so they could mark them off one by one until they found Ellie.
But none of them had thought to make sure that the repairs on the Specter Speeder were finished before heading off.
.
All things considered, they were lucky that the Speeder had gotten as far as it did before things went horribly wrong. They had entered the Ghost Zone with no problems, save for a couple of strange sounds from the engine when Tucker first started the poor machine. And the area just inside the Fenton Portal had been pretty barren when they arrived, with nary a ghost in sight. A welcome change for the ghost-fighting teens.
But then things had gotten quickly out of hand as a strong current of ectoplasm snatched the Speeder in its grasp, pulling them off their planned route.
âUh, Tuck?â Danny gripped the edges of his seat tightly. âYou got it, buddy?â
âYeah, yeah!â Tucker replied quickly, but the sweat forming on his furrowed brow said otherwise. âUhh, maybe. The thrusters, they⊠theyâre not working.â
Suddenly, alarms began to blare, alerting them to what they already knewâsomething was terribly wrong with the Speeder. Danny undid his seatbelt and stood as Tucker fought to regain control of the vehicle, but it wasnât looking good. The ecto-current was ferocious as it washed over the Speeder, and without the thrusters, there was no way theyâd be able to drive it back out. And even if they wanted to just ride it out until the current ebbed to a stop (which they didnât, thank you very much), Danny wasnât sure if the Specter Speeder would hold out that long, if the way the walls were rattling was anything to go by. Just how banged up had the Specter Speeder been after crashing into Vladâs lab? It had gotten them home in one piece, so why was it choosing to give out now?
âDanny!â Sam cried as the Speeder began to roll.
Danny grabbed onto the back of Tuckerâs seat, barely managing to keep on his feet. âTucker!â He shouted over the sound of the Speeder being shaken apart. âWe need to get off this ride!â
âWorking on it!â Tucker shouted back as he pulled on the steering wheel with all his might.
The Specter Speeder shuddered like it was going to fall apart at any second, as it tried its best to escape the raging ecto-current. Danny and Sam both grabbed onto the steering wheel and together, the three friends managed to turn it to the side, directing the ship out of the current. The wheel bucked and fought against them, but they held fast, and at last the nose of the Speeder broke free of the swirling torrent of ectoplasm.
For a split second, there was relief. And then the moment was filled with screaming as the Speeder slipped from the current and immediately careened out of control. Tucker tried to reign in the out-of-control vehicle, but the steering wheel spun uselessly in its column; it had broken loose.
âDanny! Do something!â Sam shouted.
Thinking quickly, Danny planted his hands on the dashboard and tried something he had never tried before. With all the focus he could muster, he willed the ectoplasm surrounding the Specter Speeder to grab them and slow their descent. He had never done something like this before, but he knew that powerful ghosts were able to shape the ectoplasm around them. He had seen it before. Just once or twice. But only in the lairs of the ghosts doing so (Skulker was a prime example; he loved manipulating the ectoplasm in his lair to make all sorts of death traps).
Well, according to his friends (and some of his enemies), Danny was one powerful ghost. Maybe he could shape ectoplasm without a lair.
âCâmon, câmon, please work,â Danny pleaded desperately as sweat dripped down his face. âPlease work!â
And then, to his relief and utter disbelief, something did happen. He wasnât sure what, but he could feel something shift, both inside himself and in the realm around him, and then the Specter Speeder began to slow, cocooned in the hold of the surrounding ectoplasm.
âItâs working!â Tucker cried in relief.
âBut not fast enough!â Sam shouted, ruining the moment. âLook!â
Sure enough, sprawling in front of them was what looked like a frozen wasteland, that stretched as far as the eye could see. And they were approaching it far too quickly for any sort of safe landing to take place.
Danny threw his arms around his friends and held them tight, in hopes that he could somehow protect them from the inevitable crash. âBrace yourselves!â
But the inevitable crash never came. One second, they were careening to their doom at top speed. And the next⊠they werenât. Danny opened his eyes and cautiously peered through the windshield, and what he saw was an unusual sight. The Specter Speeder was coated in what appeared to be⊠ice. And through the ice covering the window, Danny could just barely make out large figures. Who or what they were, Danny didnât know, but it seemed that they had come to the rescue, and Danny was beyond grateful for the help.
âAre we dead?â Tucker whimpered, his hands clamped tightly over his eyes.
âI donât think so,â Sam answered warily as she looked out the windshield. âWhat is this, Danny?â
Danny could only give a helpless shrug. âI donât know. But I think weâre about to find out.â
Vlad POV:
In Vladimirâs mind, today truly couldnât get any worse. Hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment and resources, years of research and work, all wasted. Destroyed, by Jack Fentonâs brat of a son and his own sorry excuse for a daughter. It would take months to get his lab back in working order, but there was no replacing the lost DNA samples and computer files. He knew he shouldâve backed them up, he just⊠hadnât gotten around to it yet, for pityâs sake!
And now he supposed he never would.
Vlad snarled in anger as he reached the top of the basement stairs and stumbled his way towards the parlour. He needed a drink. Everything hurt, but especially his face. The last thing he remembered was Danielle kicking him, right in theâ
A sound halfway between a hiss and a whimper slipped past Vladâs lips as he gingerly touched his broken nose. That ungrateful brat. When he got his hands on her, he wouldâ
Both Vladâs feet and his train of thought came to an abrupt stop when he entered the parlour and found that his armchair was already occupied. It had been moved, dragged in front of the roaring fireplace, and with the back of the chair facing him, all Vlad could make out of the intruder was a head full of stringy black hair.
Danielle? No, this person was far too tall, and their hands⊠Vlad could see the right one resting on the armrest, its long, spidery fingers tapping languidly against the leather upholstery. The skin was as white as snow.
Well, unfortunately for this trespasser, Vlad Masters was not in the mood for company right now.
But before Vlad could speak, the other person did so. A womanâs voice cut through the crackle of the splintering firewood, low and raspy in a way that instantly sent chills down the halfaâs spine.
âItâs a shame, really. I put so much effort into helping you, and it was all wasted.â
âWhat?â Was all that Vlad could muster in that moment, the sheer absurdity of the situation leaving him almost speechless. âWho are you?â
The fingers stopped tapping rather abruptly, the hand curling into a loose fist. When the woman spoke again, her voice had a hard edge of cold annoyance. âIâm the person you should be thanking for saving your sorry hide. You are dealing with beings of which you know nothing about, Vladimir Masters.â
The woman chuckled, and the sound echoed eerily through the room in a way that shouldnât have been possible, sounding as if it was coming from everywhere, and yet nowhere. Vlad barely managed to keep himself from peeking over his shoulder, where he knew no one was.
âYou see, the thing with Daniel isâŠâ The woman continued slowly. Thoughtfully. âHe has a very unique soul. His mentor wouldâve found him the moment that you took him, had I not⊠intervened a little. Covered his soulâs ecto-signature with a bit of my own magic. However, once you let him get loose and activate his mark, there was nothing I could do.â Her voice took on a bitter tone then, a faint growl bubbling up underneath her words. âApprentice marks are not so easily interfered with.â
Vladâs patience was wearing thin. Whoever this woman was, she had long overstayed her welcome. Especially considering the fact that she wasnât welcome in the first place. So with a sickly sweet voice full of venom, he asked again: âExcuse me, but who are you, and what are you doing in my house?â
There was no answer. And then the woman stood, slowly, the movement like a marionette being tugged around on its strings. And suddenly Vlad could feel as his voice caught in his throat, and his knees began to tremble, his fingers curling into tight, shaking fists as his mind screamed at his petrified body to run.
Slow and languid, as if she had not a care in the world, the woman turned to face him. She looked like a walking corpse, with a golden dress draped over her bony frame. The right half of her body was white like chalk, while the left half was a charred black. Her hair was like a burial shroud, as black as night as it fell over her shoulders and down her back in thin, inky strands. And her eyes? Two bottomless pits, in which Vlad saw a vision of his own body crumbling to dust.
A choked sound of terror forced its way out of his throat, but when he blinked the vision was gone. A smirk was pulled taut across the womanâs thin lips, but Vlad dared not look any higher on her face, for fear of seeing that⊠that nightmare again.
âI am Melinoe,â the woman said, and Vlad swore he could hear whispers mixed in her words, indiscernible yet terrifying all the same. âGoddess of nightmares, madness, and ghosts. The first halfa. And I have a proposition for you.â
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ehehee, Melinoe is finally here. >:3
FYI, this Melinoe is not going to be anything like the Hades 2 Melinoe. This is the Percy Jackson Melinoe (which only showed up in a side story in the original book series, but still). We were hoping to introduce her long before Hades 2 was even announced, but uhh⊠here we are. đ€·ââïž
Since we have received quite a few comments and messages about this despite us giving clarification, please let us give a REMINDER:
Thanatos and Danny are NOT a couple. They are not married (the apprenticeship ceremony in Chapter 3 was not a weddingâwe have stated this several times now). They are not a couple, and they will not ever be a couple becauseâŠ
đšđšđš SPOILER ALERT đšđšđš
Danny is Thanatosâ son. They will never be a romantic couple because they are father and son. If you are looking for Danny x Thanatos in this fic, then you will be disappointed, and we highly suggest that you look elsewhere, or write your own.
With all that said, thank you to everyone who has stuck with us through this fic. Weâre sorry about the slow updates, but weâre glad that our story has been enjoyed so much. đ (and Percy will be showing up eventually WE SWEARâ)
UGGH. So, we were set to post a couple of MONTHS ago, but then we had a heatwave, then a power outage during said heatwave, then more heatwaves, and now our dinky little window AC is dying. And there was also a visit to the emergency room. Aaannd a thousand other things have piled up, as well.
This is what happens when we try to post. The AO3 author curse is holding strong. đ
Anyway, here we go! The First Apprentice is going to consist of three long chapters, but they will be spread out at different points in the story, when each part is relevant. They wonât be all in a row, just so that we arenât going too long without a Danny Phantom character within this Danny Phantom story, lol.
We do not own Danny Phantom or Percy Jackson, only this story and our original characters.
~~~~~~~~
Late one fall evening, back in the early days of Ancient Greece, Thanatos decided to visit Persephoneâs garden, in the courtyard of Hadesâ Palace. A chill had settled over the mortal realm, which meant that the goddess of spring would be returning to the Underworld soon. But for the time being, the garden would likely be empty of guests, and Thanatos wanted to take advantage of that. He enjoyed the quiet and solitude of the courtyard, especially after a long and tiring day of dealing with uncooperative souls.
However, as Thanatos entered the garden, he quickly noticed that it was already occupied by none other than Hades. The god was sitting on the edge of the fountain, with his head in his hands. A fine layer of frost coated the ground around his feet, and by the aura radiating off of the underworldly king, Thanatos could tell that he was in a foul mood. So he turned to leave⊠but stopped when Hades called his name.
âThanatos!â
Thanatos turned back to face the god. âIs something the matter?â He asked, all the while wondering if he should try to find respite elsewhere. Hypnosâ chambers, perhaps? It was usually quite peaceful there, but Thanatos didnât particularly feel like sleeping at the momentâŠ
âThanatos,â Hades said again, his hands falling into his lap as he stared at his feet. âI must speak with you.â
Thanatos walked over and came to a stop in front of Hades, waiting patiently for him to speak. But Hades refused to meet Thanatosâ gaze, seemingly more intent on staring at his own sandals. Thanatos wondered how long Hades would keep him standing there in silence before sending him away.
But after only a few seconds, Hades sighed. âI messed upâŠâ
Thanatos frowned, puzzled. âWhat do you mean?â
Hades ran his hand through his hair and growled in frustration. âIâm no better than my brothers,â he muttered bitterly. And when he finally looked up at Thanatos, his eyes were dark and troubled. âA few years ago⊠I was unfaithful to my wife.â
Thanatos was slightly taken aback. He had never known Hades to behave in such a way. âWith whom? Does Persephone know?â
âA mortal woman,â Hades admitted somberly. âHer name is Althaea. Her husband had passed, and she had been praying to me incessantly, and Persephone was away with her mother, andâŠâ Hades shook his head, slapping his hand against his temple with a frustrated growl. âIt doesnât matter. It does not excuse my actions. And no, Persephone knows nothing about this, or else Iâm sure she wouldâve done something drastic by now. I was hoping that this whole mess would just be a one time thing, and nothing would come of it! It was a mistake!â Hadesâ voice rose with his insistence, but then it fell again as he continued his mournful confession. âBut Althaea prayed to me again today, and I learned that she has a child. My child.â He groaned and dropped his head back into his hands. âWhat am I going to do, Thanatos?â
Thanatos remained silent, but after a brief pause he sat down beside his friend, his feathers ruffling slightly as little droplets of water splashed onto them from the fountain behind him. He wasnât sure how he felt about Hades keeping this from Persephone (he knew both gods considered him to be their good friend, and he respected them both equally). But how Thanatos felt didnât particularly matterâit wasnât any of his business.
The fountain burbled peacefully as the two gods sat in silence, neither quite knowing what to say.
âWell, what do you feel like you should do?â Thanatos eventually inquired of his fellow god.
âI donât know.â Hades admitted. âAlthaea asked me for help. She says that she has no more food or money to care for herself and herâour child. As a husband, I want to just forget about this whole thing, but as a father⊠I want to care for my offspring.â
âThen do what you feel is right,â Thanatos suggested simply. âI am not sure why you needed my input on this matter.â
âWellâŠâ Hades glanced at Thanatos before looking away awkwardly. âThatâs⊠because I need your help.â
âWith what?â Thanatos asked him, completely bewildered. âWhat could I possibly help with?â
Hades sighed and ran his hand through his hair once more. âI⊠want to meet my child. I want to get to know them. But Iâm afraid of⊠messing it up, or⊠something. So⊠I want you there with me.â
âThanatosâŠâ Hades pouted like an unhappy toddler. âPlease? Just this once?â
Thanatos was silent as he thought for a moment. He didnât know what good having him along would do, but it wasnât like it was a burden to him. Not much of one, anyway.
Thanatos sighed tiredly. âAlright. I will go with you.â
Hades immediately brightenedâwell, as much as the King of the Underworld could, anyway. âReally? You would do that for me, Thanatos?â
âOf course, Lord Hades,â Thanatos replied. âWe are friends, are we not?â
.
They left for the mortal world a few days after Persephoneâs return, with Hades claiming to his wife that he had to go check on some of his temples on the surface. Persephone, as bright and warm and lovely as always, had smiled and nodded and wished them safe travels. Thanatos had remained silent.
Hades, who seemed equal parts excited and anxious for this meeting, had opted to take the long route rather than just shadow-travel to the womanâs homeâperhaps so he could have time to calm his nerves. So, draped in long, dark cloaks that hid them from the prying eyes of other deities, the two gods set off on their journey.
There wasnât much conversation. They greeted Charon, and thanked him for their passage over the River Styx, but Thanatos otherwise remained silent for most of the trip, while Hades muttered quietly to himself. The king turned to Thanatos a few times, looking as if he were about to say somethingâperhaps to suggest that they should call off this whole escapade, and return homeâbut then he would just look away again, without a word.
As for Thanatos, he just stood there and waited for the boat to arrive on the far shores of the river. Going along with Hades meant he would have more work to catch up on once he returned to his duties, but it wasnât like it would be much of a burden to him. Thanatos was used to the ceaseless work. It was more or less the same, day after day.
Nothing ever changed in his dull, unending life.
They reached one of the hidden cave entrances to the Underworld shortly after the sun had risen, and the morning dew on the plants surrounding them quickly dried up as they journeyed onwards through the world of the living. Hades had been at least somewhat composed back in the Underworld, but what little composure heâd had began to crumble as they reached the border of a small village.
âOh, Gaea, what am I doing here?â Hades muttered anxiously. âThis is a terrible idea! We should turn back.â
Hades turned on his heel and started back towards the cave, but Thanatos placed a hand on Hadesâ shoulder, stopping his friendâs hasty movement. âHades, we have come this far already,â Thanatos stated calmly. âWe may as well complete our journey.â
â⊠youâre right, Thanatos.â Hades sighed in resignation. âOf course, you are right.â
After taking a moment to steel himself, Hades started towards the village again; Thanatos fell into step behind him, silent as a shade. Together, they walked along the outskirts of the town, sticking to the shadows to avoid unwanted attention as villagers emerged from their homes to go about the dayâs work.
By mid-morning, they came upon a small house on the very edge of the town. Hades froze at the sight of the little homestead, as though he was suddenly petrified.
This must be their destination, then.
With each step they took towards the house, Hades seemed to become more and more tense. Thanatos quietly followed as they slowly approached, until they came to a stop at the door. Hades stared long and hard at the door, shifting his weight from foot to foot. He seemed conflicted.
Thanatos waited patiently.
Before Hades had managed to settle whatever internal debate had taken him over, the door opened. A woman with olive skin and long, dark, wavy hair in a messy bun stood at the threshold, holding a bucket. An uncomfortable silence reigned as Hades and the woman stared at each other, both seemingly surprised by the otherâs presence.
âHello, Althaea,â Hades greeted at last, finally breaking the silence.
The woman, Althaea, smiled and looked like she might say something in kind, but then her gaze shifted to the side and she finally noticed the death god standing behind Hades. Althaea gasped in terror and dropped the bucket, her face turning as pale as a ghost. She moved quickly to shut the door, but Hades stopped her.
âNo! I wonât let you take me to the Underworld!â She cried fearfully. âI canât go! Iâm not ready!â
âAlthaea, please calm down. Weâre not here to take you anywhere,â Hades spoke quickly, trying to calm the mortal woman.
âThen why did you bring him?!â Althaea shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Thanatos.
âHeâs just here as my friend,â Hades explained. âHeâs not going to do anything to you, I promise.â
Several tense seconds passed as Althaea looked between Hades and Thanatos, until finally, the woman seemed to relax just a bit.
âWhy are you here, Hades?â Althaea asked hesitantly. It was clear that she was being careful not to look Thanatosâ way, perhaps for fear that the two gods might change their minds about letting her live. Or perhaps she wanted to act like Thanatos wasnât there, ominously looming over their shoulders. Thanatos didnât care if she looked at him or not; he was used to being ignored.
âIâve heard your prayers,â Hades answered, trying not to sound uncertain in front of the mortal woman. âAnd I, uhh⊠I am here to answer them.â
Althaea stared at the god in disbelief for a brief moment, before tears started to leak from her eyes. She stepped forward and threw her arms around Hades, who awkwardly returned the hug. Thanatos took a step back, unsure of what was going on. He didnât care to be involved in whatever this was, so he would let Hades handle it; he was just here for Hades, anyway.
âOh, thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!â Althaea said between sobs, and her eyes shone with tears as she raised her head and smiled gratefully at Hades. âYou have no idea how relieving it is to hear that.â
Hades offered a small smile in return, but it quickly fell away as he got to the true reason for his visit. âIn your prayer, you⊠you mentioned a child?â
Althaea nodded as she stepped back and wiped her eyes. âYes, I did. A daughter.â She then turned around and walked into the house, calling, âDianthe!â
Thanatos stood beside his friend in silent support as the other god shifted nervously on his feet. Thanatos had seen Hades with his godly children, Melinoe and Zagreus, enough times to know he had a soft spot for children. So he didnât understand why Hades was so nervous now.
Althaea returned to the doorway, and smiled at Hades as she said, âLord Hades, meet your daughter, Dianthe.â
There was some movement behind the woman, and then a small child peeked out from behind her skirts. The girl couldnât have been more than three years old, and her shockingly blue eyes instantly caught Thanatosâ attention. If this truly was Hadesâ child, then he wondered where the eye color had come from; neither Hades nor Althaea had blue irises.
âDianthe,â Althaea gently chided the child. âQuit being shy.â
The little girl hesitantly stepped out from behind her mother, her hand clinging tightly to her motherâs skirts as she came into view. And with just a glance, it was rather obvious that she was indeed Hadesâ daughter. Her skin was ghostly pale, just like his, and contrasted sharply against her motherâs olive complexion. Her hair was also black and silky, and as straight as a reed. In fact, except for her eyes, she looked like a miniature version of her father.
Althaea gestured to Hades. âDianthe, this is your father, Hades.â
Dianthe stared up at Hades with big, wide eyes. Hades stared right back, taking in his youngest childâs appearance with wonder. Hades briefly glanced at Thanatos, as if looking for reassurance, before crouching down to Diantheâs eye level.
âHello, Dianthe,â the god said softly.
Dianthe took a step back, trying to hide herself behind her mother once more. But Althaea shook her head and gently pushed her daughter forward. Dianthe, for her part, did not back away again as she stared at Hades in a childish mixture of shyness and curiosity.
âAy⊠Ay-dee?â Dianthe finally spoke, sounding out her fatherâs name. Then she beamed. âAydee!â
Hades smiled at his daughterâs butchered attempt at saying his name, and held his hands out to her in welcome. Dianthe giggled and toddled forward with her arms outstretched towards Hades. It looked to be second nature to Hades as he scooped his daughter up, and the little girl giggled as she was swung up into her fatherâs arms. Thanatos couldâve sworn there were tears in Hadesâ eyes, but that easily couldâve been a trick of the light. Regardless, he was glad that his friend had finally found his courage. And perhaps it hadnât been such a burden to Thanatos to come along after all.
.
After Althaea invited them into her humble home, Thanatos stood off to the side while Hades and Althaea discussed matters amongst themselves, such as what Hades could do to provide for her and their child. Well, Hades was trying to, at least. Althaea seemed more interested in discussing the weather or something just as inane as she twirled a lock of hair around her finger. Thanatos didnât care much for their conversation, so he just looked out the window overlooking the nearby fields and tuned it out.
Maybe he should check his list while they talked⊠he wondered how many souls had been added to it in the short time he had been away⊠Did Hades even still need him here? Perhaps Thanatos could just leave and get back to his work before it got too out of hand⊠mortals were always dying, no matter what was going on in the world. Dying, dying, dying, and leaving Thanatos with far too much to doâŠ
Something small latched onto the bottom of Thanatosâ wing, drawing him out of his thoughts. He looked over his shoulder, and saw Dianthe standing behind him, her hands buried in his feathers.
She looked up at him, her big blue eyes bright with curiosity. âMine?â
âUhh⊠noâŠâ Thanatos answered slowly, and he shook his wing gently to try and get the little child to let go, but not strongly enough to knock her over. âThat is⊠uhh, mine, thank you.â
Diantheâs grip tightened painfully, and she tugged on his feathers as she angrily stomped her foot. âMine!â
The sound of snickering reached Thanatosâ ears, and he saw that Hades had his mouth hidden behind his hand, an amused glint in his eyes. Althaea was watching too, though she didnât look anywhere near as amused. Thanatos gave the other god an annoyed glare before directing his attention back to the little girl.
âHey, thatâs not nice,â Thanatos scolded quietly. âDonât pull on my feathers, please.â
âOhâŠâ Dianthe let go of his wing, and her eyes turned shiny with tears as she frowned worriedly. âHurt?â
âI mean⊠yes?â Thanatos answered uncertainly. Was Dianthe about to cry? Why?
Dianthe whimpered as she reached for his feathers again, but this time she gentlyâgently for a child, anywayâbrushed them, as if she were petting a dog.
âPretty birdâŠâ Dianthe mumbled to herself, loud enough for the other occupants of the room to hear. âPretty birdâŠâ
Thanatos did not know how to respond to that. He wasnât a bird. Didnât this child know that? Thanatos also didnât know how he felt about his wing being petted, but he did know that if he tried to pull his wing away, Dianthe would likely start crying again. For whatever strange reason.
âIâm not sure I want her to be so close to⊠him.â Althaea muttered to Hades, as if she thought that Thanatos couldnât hear her.
Hades scoffed good-naturedly. âI am her father. I say itâs fine.â
Althaea scowled at the god. âAnd Iâm her motherâŠâ
Thanatos tuned out the rest of their argument just as Dianthe sneezed. She had been nuzzling her face into his feathers, so he guessed that one must have tickled her nose in the process.
Dianthe sniffled a bit, and then proceeded to wipe her nose on Thanatosâ wing.
âDianthe!â Althaea gasped, horrified by her childâs actions. âI am so sorry, m-my lord! Sheâs not usually like this, I-I swearââ
Thanatos waved off her concern. âIt is alright. I have been covered in far worse than mucus.â Which really, he had. As the god of death, and Aresâ good friend, blood and bits of viscera often found its way into Thanatosâ feathers.
Althaea paled at the implication of his words. â⊠ah.â
Dianthe giggled.
As morning became noon, it was eventually time for Hades and Thanatos to take their leave. Hades stood by the door, waiting for Thanatos, who was still being held somewhat captive by a three-year-old. Thanatos gingerly attempted to pull his wing away, but to his dismay, Diantheâs eyes immediately filled with tears and she began to cry again.
Thanatos glanced at Hades, his eyes asking the other god, âwhat do I do?â
Hades looked just as unsure, and shrugged hopelessly in responseâbut Thanatos could tell that the other god was holding back a smirk.
âCome on, Dianthe,â Althaea chided, grabbing the little girl and pulling her away. âLeave him alone.â
Dianthe let out a tearful wail, but finally released Thanatosâ wing from her grubby hands. Thanatos shook out his wing, briefly noting that he would have to thoroughly clean his feathers later (were child hands always so sticky?), and tucked it behind his back before joining Hades by the door.
âThank you for blessing us with your presence, Hades,â Althaea said with a polite bow. âI hope you will visit again soon.â She winked at Hades with a coy smile.
Hades smiled uncomfortably in response. âI am a very busy god. I doubt I'll be able to visit often.â
Althaea hummed as she turned her attention to her daughter. âSay goodbye, Dianthe.â She told the little girl, gesturing to Hades.
Instead, Dianthe looked at Thanatos and waved. âBye bye, birdie!â
Thanatos looked at the little girl, who for whatever reason seemed to be enamored with him, and hesitantly gave her a little wave. He then watched in bewilderment as Diantheâs eyes lit up, and she giggled as she hid behind her mother.
Without another word, Hades and Thanatos slipped out of the little home and returned to the path they had taken earlier that day, heading back to their home beneath the surface.
They traveled in peaceful silence for only a little while before Hades spoke.
âMy daughter seems to like you more than me,â Hades muttered enviously, but there was a clear note of amusement in his voice.
Thanatos scoffed. âIf youâre jealous, you can grow your own set of wings and let her pull your feathers out.â
Hades chuckled. âNo, thanks. Iâll pass.â
The conversation between the two gods as they made their way back to their home was far more lighthearted than the one theyâd had that morning. But as they reached the caves that led back to the Underworld, Hades stopped and grabbed Thanatosâ shoulder.
âThanatos,â he said quietly. âOnce we return to the Underworld, we cannot discuss what happened today. If Persephone were to find outâŠâ
Thanatos nodded. He understood. Of course he did. If Persephone were to learn of Hadesâ infidelity, or the offspring that it had resulted inâŠ
All of them would face her wrath.
.
A year had passed, and Persephone had once again left and returned to the Underworld, before Hades suggested visiting his daughter again.
âMay I join you?â Thanatos asked him. Why he asked, he wasnât sureâthe words had just slipped from his mouth before he even realized it.
âYes, I⊠I would appreciate that,â Hades admitted sheepishly. âIâm still a bit nervous about this whole thing, you know.â
Thanatos did not know, but he nodded as if he did. He didnât particularly understand Hadesâ feelings, or care for the godâs love affair. However, he was⊠intrigued by the little girl that had come from it. It was strange, to not only be noticed by someone so small and fragile, but⊠to not be feared. Perhaps she didnât know better; she couldnât possibly understand death, or the sorrow and fear that it brought.
Maybe Thanatos shouldnât come along on this trip. Perhaps it would simply be better to leave the little demigod well enough alone until the time came for her soul to be collected. He did not need to interfere in her life, or inadvertently cause any undue trouble for her by getting involved for no good reason. There was no point in asking to come along.
But⊠for some reason⊠Thanatos wanted to go. Thanatos didnât think he had ever really wanted something before. His wants had never really mattered, so he had never paid attention to them. Death did not have needs, so therefore there was no point in tending to his wants.
But now⊠he wanted to see that little girl again. She hadnât left his mind since the moment he met her. He wanted to see her little smile, and her little hands reaching for his feathers. He wanted to hear her little voice, sayingâŠ
âPretty Bird!â
They had reached the little mortal home without any issues or delay. Hades had been eager to knock on the door, and when it had opened, the two gods had been surprised to see that none other than Dianthe had been the one to open it. She had grown taller since they last saw her.
Dianthe had blinked owlishly at the two visitors, before her face had split into a wide grin, and sheâd said that silly little nickname that Thanatos had been sure she wouldâve forgotten by now.
Hades made a noise of confusion at the fact that his daughter had completely ignored him, while Thanatos couldnât help the small smile that came to his lips. It was strange. Had he ever smiled before now?
âHello, Dianthe,â Thanatos greeted softly.
Dianthe jumped up and down excitedly as her mother came up behind her. She looked startled by the unexpected guests, but then she quickly bowed her head. âLord Hades. A-and Lord Thanatos! It is a⊠an honor to see you both.â
Hades nodded. âLikewise.â And then he turned to Dianthe, his expression one of betrayal and hurt. âWhat?â He asked the little girl, affronted. âNo greetings for your father?â
Diantheâs cheerful demeanor fell away, and she suddenly became the meek child that Hades and Thanatos had met last year. Thanatos could practically feel Hadesâ disappointment, but then Dianthe shyly tip-toed forward and hugged his leg.
âHi, Papa,â she said shyly. She let go and looked up at the god hopefully as her little hands nervously fidgeted with the fabric of her chiton. âDo you wanna see the flowers I picked yesterday?â
Hades smiled endearingly at her, all sense of disappointment forgotten as he nodded at his darling mortal daughter. âI would love to.â
.
As time passed, Hades and Thanatos continued their secret visits. They could only visit once a year at most for fear of catching Persephoneâs attention and drawing her wrath down on either of them, or even Dianthe and her mother. But under Hadesâ orders, Thanatos did discreetly check in on Dianthe every now and then, when time allowed. Thanatos was in the mortal realm more often than the Underworld most days, so it was easy for him to sneak a passing glance here and there as he flitted about doing his work. Just to make sure the little girl was alright.
Dianthe grew by leaps and bounds in the few short years that Thanatos had known her. He never knew that mortal children grew up so fast. Granted, Thanatos knew godly children became full grown within a matter of days, if not in mere hours or in the blink of an eye. And he knew that mortals grew far more slowly than that. But for some reason, watching Dianthe grow was different. It was like every time he saw her, sheâd grown a little taller. Her hair had grown longer. The shape of her face had become slimmer. It was like she was growing old right before his eyes, and⊠it made him feel odd.
It was⊠unpleasant. As an unchanging being, it was strange to see her change every time he looked back. It⊠hurt, to know that her life would be over before he knew it. But wasnât that ridiculous? How could emotions hurt? Thanatos had felt true hurt before. He had been cut and bruised. He had fallen many a time. He had even broken his wing once. So why did this feeling ache so deeply within his chest? It carried no visible scars, but the feeling occupied his thoughts more often than not. It itched constantly in the back of his mind, bringing worries and fears that he had never experienced before.
How would Dianthe die? When would she die? And why did he care? Was it because she was his friend Hadesâ daughter? Or perhaps⊠did he see Dianthe as a friend?
Now that was truly ridiculous. A godâDeath, no lessâbeing friends with a mortal? The notion was laughable, at best.
But⊠in all honestyâŠ
⊠that didnât sound like a bad idea to him.
As Dianthe grew, Thanatos almost expected her to lose interest in him. No mortal being had ever cared for his presenceâin fact, most feared it. But Dianthe always greeted him with joy and delight, as if he were a beloved friend. âPapa! Pretty Bird!â She would always call whenever she saw the two chthonic beings coming up the path. And she would always run up to greet them, and tell them about everything that had happened since their last visit.
Thanatos found it sort of⊠endearing, if he was being honest. The way that she looked at him like he had hung the stars in the sky (though that had actually been his motherâs work), and how her face lit up with joy whenever she was so much as in his presence. Thanatos wasnât used to others paying attention to him. He wasnât used to having peopleâa mortal, of all beingsâtalk to him and ask about his day (not that he could tell her about his day; that was probably too morbid for most children to hear about). And when she would ask him to play⊠it was almost like he was a child again. The only other person he had played with when he was little had been his twin, Hypnos. Meeting Dianthe, and being around her⊠it made him feel seen. Acknowledged.
It made him feel real. Like he was a person with feelings, and more than just a being with a purpose to fulfill.
But because of that, being told that he was only to check on her from afar, and never interact⊠hurt. And Thanatos knew what his duty was. He knew that he was to obey his lordâs commands.
But⊠a little visit surely couldnât hurt.
.
âPretty Bird!â
Thanatos smiled at the little girl. He had found her in a field close to her home, where she was hard at work picking flowers. âHello, Dianthe.â
Dianthe motioned for him to sit down beside her, and Thanatos obliged. He watched silently as she braided the flowers together by their stems, twisting them into a delicate cord.
Thanatos tilted his head to the side. âWhat are you doing?â
âIâm making flower crowns!â Dianthe chirped happily. âDo you want me to show you how?â
Thanatos didnât particularly care about the art of making flower crowns, but he nodded anyway, just to see Diantheâs smile grow wider. The little girl excitedly handed Thanatos a bunch of freshly picked flowers, and Thanatos thought to himself that this little visit wouldnât hurt. Not at all.
Hades didnât need to know.
.
Unfortunately, Hades did need to know, after all. Because Dianthe had made Thanatos promise her that he would give her father the flower crown she had made for him. She had made one for Thanatos, as well, once the both of them had realized that his flower-braiding skills were⊠inept, to say the least. And the silly little loop of blossoms that she had put together for him was now perched atop Thanatosâ head as he fluttered down into the Underworld, his stomach dropping as he mentally prepared himself to deal with Hadesâ displeasure. Thanatos was known to be a stickler for rules, and to follow commands without question. So for him to go against Hadesâ orders now? And for such a silly reason?
Hopefully, the frivolity of the situation would ease Hadesâ anger.
As Thanatos neared the obsidian palace, he saw Hades on a balcony overlooking the garden. Thanatos glided down and perched on the railing next to him like a rather large bird.
Hades scowled at him. âI told you to stop doing that.â
Thanatos ignored his kingâs remarks and proceeded to reach into his satchel. âI have a gift for you.â
âWhat?â Hades looked bewildered. Thanatos bringing him gifts wasnât exactly a common occurrence (if it had ever even happened before this point).
âFrom your daughter.â Thanatos pulled out the flower crown that he had tucked carefully inside his bag and held it out to Hades, being careful to ignore the godâs perplexed gaze.
Hades took the circlet and looked at it closely, clearly confused. âBut Melinoe wouldnât haveâŠâ Hadesâ eyes widened in realization, and Thanatos winced as the god looked at him in complete disbelief. âDiaââ
Thanatos gave a curt nod and looked over Hadesâ shoulder pointedly, silently warning him not to say anything. And almost as if on cue, none other than Persephone rounded the corner. She smiled at Hades in greeting, but frowned when she saw the god perched beside him.
âThanatos? Why are you on the railing?â Persephone asked. âYouâre going to fall again.â
Thanatos rolled his eyes and finally hopped down from the railing, coming to stand beside Hades. Honestly, he was a little relieved. With Persephone here, Hades wouldnât be able to scold him for disobeying his secret orders.
But Thanatosâ relief disappeared instantly when Persephoneâs frown grew and she pointed right at him. âWhat is that on your head?â
The two gods immediately looked at each other, both of their faces going pale. Thanatos had forgotten about his own flower crown.
âOhâŠâ Thanatos said weakly, his voice catching in his throat as his gaze flitted about, landing everywhere except Persephoneâs face. âI-I⊠I⊠made it.â
That was the first time Thanatos had ever lied. And he wasnât sure if he had done a very good job of it.
Persephone looked surprised by his claim. âReally?â She then looked at the one in Hadesâ sweaty hands. âAnd you made one for Hades, too?â
Thanatos nodded fervently. He could feel Hadesâ eyes burning holes into the back of his head, the other god staring at him in complete and utter disbelief. Thanatos was making a lot of surprising choices today.
Persephone frowned again, but this time she looked hurt. âAnd you didnât make one for me?â
Oh no. âI-I⊠IâŠâ
âH-he didnât think you would want one!â Hades added quickly, coming to Thanatosâ rescue. âSince this is⊠the first time heâs made one, and⊠yâknowâŠâ Hades lifted the crown he was holding and awkwardly placed it atop his own head. âHe wanted to practice first. Right, Thanatos?â
Thanatos nodded again. He knew that if he tried to speak, all that would come out of his mouth would be a stuttering mess. He hadnât stuttered in ages. Not since he was a child.
Persephone was quiet for a long, agonizing moment as she stared at the two deceitful gods standing in front of her, both with silly flower crowns on their heads. Thanatosâ feathers bristled as he clenched his jaw, his hand coming to rest on his satchel. He was sure that Persephone was going to see right through his foolish lies. And when she did, the truth would be unraveled, and then DiantheâŠ
Thanatos was a fool. He never should have visited Dianthe. Why in all the realms had he thought that was a good idea?
The winged god flinched when Persephone spoke, but to his complete disbelief it was not words of wrath.
âWell, you better make one for me next time. Alright?â Persephone leaned forward and tapped the crown on Hadesâ head, her magic making it instantly bloom anew and sprout fresh blossoms. âI think theyâre rather cute.â
Thanatos nodded weakly, feeling strangely lightheaded from the relief that immediately washed over him. And as Hades and Persephone wandered inside the palace, leaving Thanatos alone on the balcony, the god of death realized that he would actually have to learn to make flower crowns on his own to keep up his clever lie.
⊠perhaps Dianthe could teach him again the next time he visited.
.
It was another dull day of work, just like any other, when everything came crashing down.
Thanatos was leaving the archives when he saw none other than Hades marching quickly towards him. There was an urgency in the godâs steps that made Thanatos pause, a strange feeling of dread settling in his gut as Hades drew near.
âThanatos.â Hadesâ voice was taut with tension. âI must speak with you. Now.â
Without waiting for an answer, Hades grabbed Thanatosâ arm and pulled him into an alcove in the wall, away from any prying eyes or wandering spirits.
âPersephone knows.â
â⊠how?â Thanatos asked quietly, stunned as his heart began to beat erratically in his chest like a hummingbirdâs wings. He knew all too well what Persephone could do in anger. If she had truly found out about Dianthe, then Thanatos dreaded what might happen to the poor child.
âOne of Demeterâs nymphs saw me talking to Althaea and told Demeter,â Hades whispered quickly. âAnd you know how she gets whenever Iâm involved.â
Thanatos nodded. Having been by Hadesâ side since the god first stepped into the Underworld, Thanatos knew plenty about the contention between him and his mother-in-law.
âDemeter told Persephone what the nymph told her, and then Persephone confronted me.â Hades sighed heavily. âNothing I said would ease her anger. Now sheâs gone to⊠take care of the issue.â
A strange weight fell upon Thanatosâ heart, and it felt like it was crushing him from the inside. Thanatos knew what Persephoneâs anger was like. And death would be a blessing for any of her victims. Thanatos could only hope that Persephone would have mercy on Dianthe, considering she was only a childâŠ
Hades squeezed Thanatosâ arm, drawing him out of his spiraling thoughts. âBut she doesnât know about Dianthe.â
â⊠what?â
âShe must have been out with you when I was seen,â Hades explained quickly. âWhich means there is a chance that she may live.â Hades released Thanatos and pushed him away, then dug into the folds of his robe. âGo. Now. Take her before Persephone sees.â From the folds of his robes, Hades drew a parchment scroll, which carried the sooty scent of fresh ink. He placed it in Thanatosâ palm and wrapped the godâs fingers around it, squeezing his hand tightly. âIâve written this for her mortal uncle in Argos. Take her there.â
Thanatos nodded in understanding and moved to leave, but Hades grabbed his shoulder and stopped him. A pained look was etched across the fatherâs face. âDo not visit her again, Thanatos. Iâwe cannot risk it. Once she is safe, leave. And do not go back. Promise me.â
It was a simple request. One that Thanatos should have had no problem agreeing to. But he found that his tongue was like stone behind his unmoving lips, and his head refused to bow in acknowledgement.
Hadesâ grip on his shoulder tightened painfully, his eyes never leaving Thanatosâ own. He would not let Thanatos leave until he agreed.
Thanatos swallowed thickly. â⊠I promise.â
.
Thanatos found Dianthe in the fields on the other side of her little town, about as far from her home as she could be. Thanatos supposed he should thank the Fates for that, but his only focus at the moment was the little girl in front of him, who stood up when she saw the winged god descending from the sky.
âPretty Bird!â Dianthe smiled as Thanatos landed right in front of her.
Thanatos immediately held out his hand to the little girl. âCome with me. Quickly.â He said.
Dianthe looked somewhat taken aback, and she frowned in question. But Thanatos did not have time to tell her what was going on. He grabbed her hand, knocking the freshly picked flowers from her grasp, and dragged her into the shadows.
They resurfaced a few kilometers from the village, and Thanatos immediately looked around, searching for any signs of magicâlife magic, in particular, for that would signal to him that there were nymphs nearby.
But there was none. Not a hint of magic in the air, except his own. Thanatos could only assume that the local nature spirits were all a bit preoccupied at the moment, helping their mistress deliver swift retribution upon her husbandâs mortal lover.
Which meant that Thanatos could escape. He could take Dianthe, and carry her far away from all of this. But only if he moved quickly, lest wrathful eyes looked his way.
Dianthe stumbled, looking all around her with an air of bewilderment. âWhatâs happening? Where are we?â
Thanatos didnât answer, instead taking a few fleeting seconds to plan their getaway. It would be better if he could just shadow-travel with Dianthe all the way to Argos, but that wasnât an option with her youth and lack of experience. He could already see how ill she looked from the short distance they had teleported. Which meant they would have to fly.
âPretty Bird?â Dianthe looked at him, clearly worried. âWhatâsââ
âWe must leave.â Thanatos cut her off, picking the little girl up and holding her tightly to his chest as he spread his midnight-toned wings. âNow.â
Dianthe shrieked in terror as they took flight, but her voice was lost almost instantly to the roar of the wind as Thanatos raced across the sky. He hoped that Persephone had not been listeningâit was unlikely she had heard anythingâyet he swore he could feel her eyes on his back, her burning gaze watching him betray her trust as he flew away carrying the product of her husbandâs infidelity.
No words were spoken as they traveled across the skies, from Diantheâs little town on the outskirts of Sparta to the city of Argos. Thanatos was too focused on completing his task. That, and he didnât have anything to say. For some reason, his throat felt tight, and his thoughts were all flitting about his head, like flies around a corpse. He couldnât form a sentence if he triedâhe was sure it would all come out as a jumbled, wobbling mess.
But after a few kilometers had passed in silence, Dianthe spoke. âYouâre sad today,â she remarked quietly, her cutting blue eyes seeming to see right into Thanatosâ very core. âWhy?â
Sad?
Death didnât feel sadness. Death didnât feel anything.
âI am fine,â Thanatos replied, but the words felt odd on his tongue. Was that another lie, falling from his cursed lips? Wasnât it lying that had gotten him into this mess in the first place? Lying to Persephone by omission, and then by word, and nowâŠ
Thanatos had never felt so wrong as he did right now.
âDo you want to talk about it?â Dianthe offered. âMy mom says that talking about your sad feelings can make them go away.â
Thanatos did not answer, because there was nothing to talk about. He was not sad. He did not know how to feel sad.
But the awful ache in chest, that had been there ever since Hades gave him the devastating news, seemed to say otherwise.
After a long moment of silence, Dianthe spoke again. âWhere are we going?â
Thanatos swallowed, hoping his voice would not fail him when he answered. âTo your new home.â
âWhat?â Diantheâs hands gripped the fabric of Thanatosâ chiton just a little tighter, and he could hear the distress in her tone. He did not dare look at her face. âWhy? What about Mama?â
â⊠your mother cannot care for you anymore,â Thanatos informed her quietly, for he could sense now that her mother had passed on. Thanatos had managed to sweep Dianthe away just in the nick of time.
Perhaps it would be best to keep that information to himself, though.
âWhy?â Dianthe questioned, her voice beginning to wobble. The weak sound was enough to make Thanatosâ heart feel like it was being crushed beneath a mountain of stone. âWhy canât she? Can I go home now? Please? I-Iââ
From the corner of his eye, Thanatos spotted a little earth-colored home, at the far end of a modestly-sized field. They had finally reached their destination.
Dianthe yelped as Thanatos banked sharply, dipping down through the clouds and then spreading his wings to slow their descent. Dianthe clung to Thanatos as if she was terrified she might fall, but she didnât need to fear; Thanatos would never let her fall. He held her tightly to his chest as the wind billowed past them, tearing at his hair and feathers, until finally he landed in the middle of the little field, stumbling just slightly as his feet struck the earth. He wasnât used to flying with others in tow.
The little girl in his arms was still clinging to him, and Thanatos was still holding onto her just as tightly, even though they were no longer in flight, and there was no danger of her falling. Truth be told⊠a small part of him didnât want to let go.
But let go he must, for that was his duty. To deliver her into the safety of her uncleâs care, and then to leave and never return, to ensure that Persephone never learned of her existence.
Thanatos was silent as he set Dianthe down on the ground. She stumbled, her legs shaking, but quickly regained her footing. When she looked up at Thanatos, he could see the tears shining brightly in her eyes. Thanatos looked away with a quiet sigh, and wondered once again why his chest was aching so terribly.
Dianthe looked around at the field, which was full of wheat, still green and not even a meter in length. From here, they could easily see the humble little farmhouse just past the field, on the other side of the fence. There was smoke rising from its chimney, indicating that someone was home.
âWhere are we?â Dianthe asked quietly. Timidly.
âThis⊠is the home of your uncle,â Thanatos revealed, watching the way that the little girlâs shoulders slumped at his words. âYou will be living here from now on.â
He waited for her to ask him why, as she had several times already, but to his surprise she just nodded silently after a moment.
It was for the best that she didnât ask, because Thanatos could not give her an answer. He couldnât tell her that her mother had been killed by a vengeful goddess. He couldnât tell her that this would be their last meeting until her death, for fear of catching Persephoneâs wrathful eye. But he did have to tell her that this⊠this wasâŠ
âThis⊠is farewell.â
Dianthe turned back to face him, surprise evident on her face. Thanatos knelt down and reached into his satchel, pulling out the letter Hades had written, and gave it to her. âThis is for your uncle,â he instructed her dutifully. âGive it to him as soon as you can.â
Dianthe nodded again as she clutched the little scroll in her trembling hands. âWill you go with me?â
âI⊠I cannot.â Thanatos looked down at the ground as his voice cracked in his throat, and it felt like his ribcage was being split in two. âI must go now. There is much work to be done, and I have been away for too long.â
A few tears dripped down Diantheâs cheeks as she set her mouth in a thin, wobbly line and nodded once more, but with less certainty this time. âIâll see you later⊠right?â
Thanatos tried to shake his head, but it felt like he was made of stone. Stone that was cracking, crumbling, and ready to fall apart right then and there. He opened his mouth to tell her noâno, they would not see each other again. Not until her death, which hopefully would not come to pass for at least a few more decades. Even though he desperately did not want to tell her the truth, he felt that⊠maybe he should. It would be wrong to let her carry false hope in her chest for so long.
But when he opened his mouth to speak, the words caught in his throat. His eyes burned, and when he blinked, he was surprised to find his vision had gone blurry.
What was happening to him?
Diantheâs eyebrows creased with worry as she reached up, her hand coming to rest on his left cheek. âYouâre crying.â
Crying? Was that what he was doing? How⊠odd. He had never⊠cried before. He didnât know that he could, as strange as that sounded.
âI⊠Iâm sorry.â Thanatos muttered quietly, feeling rather foolish.
âDonât worry,â Dianthe soothed him, and wasnât that ridiculous? A child soothing a god? âThis isnât goodbye for forever. Iâll see you again soon.â
She said it with such surety that Thanatos couldnât help but smile weakly, even though he knew it wasnât true. He would only get to see her once more in her lifetime, and for her sake, he hoped that it was many, many years from now, after she had lived a long and happy life.
Dianthe smiled, and then she wrapped her arms around Thanatosâ neck, pulling him into a warm embrace. Surprised and caught off guard, Thanatos didnât know how he was supposed to respond. He wasnât exactly the kind of being to be on the receiving end of hugs. He wasnât sure he ever had received a hug before now, except maybe from Hypnos back when they were children. Or Hades, when he was drunk. Was he supposed to give one in return?
But before Thanatos could do so, Dianthe pulled away. Her eyes were still watery, but there was a hopefulness in her smile that gave Thanatos his own hope that she would be alright. He hoped that she would settle in here at her uncleâs home. He hoped that she might find friends, and be happy. That one day, she might be able to forget about this sad day, and think of it as no more than a figment of her imagination. It would be for the best.
âGoodbye for now,â Dianthe said earnestly, with all the hopefulness of an innocent, naive child. Then she turned, and with a confidence that Thanatos could only wish to have in that moment, she walked away, towards the house at the end of the field.
â⊠bye.â Thanatos replied quietly, knowing that she would not hear him. Then he stood, and disappeared into the shadows, never to return.
~~~~~~~~
So⊠what do you guys think?
Yeah, the flower crown scene may not have fit the vibe of this chapter too much, but we had to leave it in. The original The First Apprentice is way longer and we had to cut out a bunch of fun scenes, but weâre keeping this one, gosh darn it! Itâs too funny!
Maybe weâll post the entirety of The First Apprentice as its own fic later on, would you guys be interested in that? We have way too much fun stuff in there to just leave it in a WIP folder.
Also, we wonât be updating this again for a little bit. Weâve got a lot of stuff going on IRL, and weâre also trying to get some cosplays done for a convention this fall, so weâre gonna be pretty busy. Thank you for reading! We hope to be back soon!
We're just letting you all know that the next chapter is currently in editing, and we plan to post by Danny's birthday (June 14th, at least in our story). We might be a few days late of our goal, but we will be posting this month!!!
So, uhh... yeah, things went kinda topsy-turvy for us. We had a heatwave, then a power outage during said heatwave, then more heatwaves, and @anxiescape got really sick (and ended up having emergency surgery), so... the AO3 author's curse is strong with us. We are not sure when we will get back to posting, sorry about that. đ
We're just letting you all know that the next chapter is currently in editing, and we plan to post by Danny's birthday (June 14th, at least in our story). We might be a few days late of our goal, but we will be posting this month!!!
For the apprentice of thanatos are you going to give danny a scythe?
For some reason the only weapon my goblin brain can imagine danny with is a scythe or a knights sword (like soul shredder).
Actually, we've decided to give him a dagger! It has a lot of significance behind it in the story, so we're looking forward to when that's revealed. đ
Though we must admit, giving Danny a scythe would be pretty awesome. Maybe we could do that for a future fight scene. đ€
Just letting y'all know that The Apprentice of Thanatos is not dead! @amalgamorph and I are just awfully busy, and life is being really tough on us at the moment.
But I was looking for something in one of my sketchbooks the other day, and I found a couple of doodles that I thought it would be nice to share. Just some Thanatos outfit designs and drawings as I figured out how to draw this awesome death boi.
And I also found the original sketch that inspired this whole story, which I drew years agoâback when House of Hades came out. (How long ago was that, anyway? *googles it* Oh. Oh no. It hasn't been that long, has it??? I... I think I need to sit down.)
Anyway, the OG sketch:
The story went by a different name back then, and the plot was pretty different, as well (as you can probably tell by the old title). But years later, when @amalgamorph moved in with me, this sketchbook was pulled out of the depths of my art supplies, and the story was rewritten and reborn into the fic that it is today. đ
Uggh, now that I'm all sappy, I just wanna give a huge thanks to @amalgamorph for helping me through one of the darkest and most difficult times of my life, and for encouraging me to discover my love of writing. Thank you. đđđ
To any confused TAoT followers, sorry we keep accidentally liking non Danny Phantom and Percy Jackson things on this blog! The sideblog feature on Tumblr is a little confusing to us, we're still trying to figure it out! đ
