Regret
Edits done by Halusm
Regret.
<<>><<>><<>>
"Alright, everypony. On your stations," a mare ordered as she looked over her checklist, displayed on her tablet. "The next tear is scheduled to open soon, and we are expecting another group of humans, as well as some ponies coming through."
"Yes, Ma'am," came the combined reply of multiple ponies, going to and fro as they prepared the embarkation hall for the next arrival.
"Is the scanner up and running?" The mare asked.
"Yes, working like a charm," one of the workers answered, and she hummed in satisfaction.
"Good," she nodded, before addressing everypony present. "Keep it up, everypony. Equestria's safety against the ghosts starts right here. Work hard, and work smart."
A chorus of confirmation made her smile broadly, and she looked at the still closed tear; a strange waver in the air. 'Today is going to be another great day. I just know it.'
<<>><<>><<>>
Danny stared mindlessly out of the window as buildings and streets blurred by, the colors of the world faded away into nothing but gray and black. He hadn’t wanted to admit it; he couldn't bring himself to admit it, as it would mean accepting the harsh truth; a truth he wouldn't, nor couldn't accept.
He sat motionless like that for what seemed like hours... or it could have been days; the passing of time seemingly grinded to a halt. Eventually, the line of cars came to a stop as they arrived at their intended destination, and Danny exited the vehicle with numb motions.
He never wanted to be there; not now, not ever; it wasn't right, any of it. Nothing in the world seemed as it should be, and it was as if he was the only one able to see it. Yet he knew, deep down, it was him, and not the world around him that was out of balance; a tightening in his chest which he tried his hardest to ignore.
He didn't want to do this, because doing this would make it permanent: accepting the fact that Sam was gone. He just couldn't accept that, not yet. Not until he was sure that she wasn't out there, somewhere. Lost in that endless green expanse, roaming around in the Ghost Zone.
They all gathered around a tall, covered statue; friends, and family alike. Even Vlad Masters was there, and Danny immediately knew it wasn't good news.
No one spoke, the only sound was the quiet sobs and faint crying that broke the suffocating silence.
Finally, Sam's parents stepped forward, beginning to speak to the gathered crowd, struggling with what they were saying. Danny didn't listen, however. Her own parents might have accepted her fate, but that didn’t mean he had to give up as well.
Jeremy and Pamela Manson struggled to end their small speech, before pulling away the drape covering the statue.
Being the rich family they are, they didn't spare any expenses. The statue showed Sam as who she was; defiant and full of life, but with her all too familiar dark look on things. Made from marble, well over two meters high... a thorn in Danny's eye.
He knew that Sam wouldn't want this, and especially not a statue made from marble. Instead, it should have been made from recycled materials, just like an Ultra Recyclo Vegetarian would have liked.
As Sam's parents stepped away, Vlad took their place.
"Friends and family of Samantha Manson. I know the last thing you want is an interruption in your time of grief, but I found it necessary to make an appearance to give you the following news. In light of recent events, I have put together a specialized teen ghost fighting team. They are responsible for safeguarding our fair city and, most importantly, to catch Danny Phantom. Do know that the terror of Amity Park will be caught and brought to justice," —Vlad gave a sideways glance to Danny— " He shall not be allowed to harm anyone else. I know that dear Samantha's death was unnecessary, but not in vain. Her death showed the true nature of Danny Phantom, and that no ghost can be trusted. She shall become the symbol in our fight against these ectoplasmic freaks and thus, be always remembered. Thank you."
Faint applause could be heard after he finished, but it quickly died down; their hearts were not into it.
As Vlad walked away, his eyes connected with Danny's for a brief moment and Danny could see the same arrogance, and evil in them. But there was also something else there as well; something Danny never thought he would see in there: fear. Fear of him as Vlad looked at him. Although Danny didn't know it, Vlad had one of his spy drones in the store during the incident. He saw everything that transpired and what happened to Danny, after Sam's demise.
'That power, where did it come from?' Vlad thought as he saw a look of anger and defiance in the young boy's eyes.
All the people present said their goodbyes to the statue, it was the closest thing to a memento they had, since there was no body to bury. And, as the crowd slowly diminished, only Jazz, Tucker and Danny remained. Their parents staying back a bit, waiting for their children to leave, but giving them the time to say their goodbyes in peace.
Jazz and Tucker stood waiting for Danny, already having said their goodbyes, leaving them wondering why he hadn’t done the same. But when they noticed Danny looked at the statue with anger, they had to intervene.
"Dude, are you alright?" Tucker asked as he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"No, I'm not. In fact, I should be asking the same thing to you. I can't believe we’re actually here, instead of looking for her," Danny replied angrily.
"What do you mean, looking for her?" Jazz asked.
"Oh, come on, sis. Think!" Danny snapped.
"Wait, you don't think… Dude, no. I know that there is a chance that she could have come back, but don't you think that she would have found a way to contact us by now?" Tucker told his friend, realizing what he was getting at.
"Wait, you think that Sam is still out there?" Jazz asked as she caught on.
"Well, duh," Danny snapped aggressively. "And instead of us just standing here and talking to a dumb statue, we could be out there looking for her."
"Danny, as much as I want that to be true, I have to agree with Tucker. It has been several days now. If Sam had come back, she would have found a way back to us by now," Jazz told her brother.
"How can you?"
"What? What did you say?" Tucker asked, unable to hear what Danny whispered.
"How can you?!" Danny half yelled, making sure that their parents wouldn't hear him. He didn't want to deal with that too, while Tucker and Jazz reared back from the outburst.
"How can you just give up on her?! There is still a chance that she is out there, in the Ghost Zone. Instead, you just say goodbye to a statue and walk away. How can you do something like that!?" Danny seethed, his hands balled into fists, shaking from anger because of the unbelievable foolishness of his friend and sister.
"Danny, I know that this is hard, but you have to face facts. Sam is gone, there wasn't even a body left. You said so yourself," Jazz stepped in, trying to defuse the situation.
"Exactly. There wasn't a body, so she might still be out there somewhere. And you just quit when she needs our help the most. Well, fine then. You just talk to this stupid statue, but I’ll go looking for her. The way I see it, you can either help me, or leave me be; but don't try to convince me that she's gone! I know she’s still out there somewhere, and I'm going to find her." And with those last words, Danny stormed off, leaving a stunned Jazz and Tucker behind; never giving them a chance to tell him that they would never give up on Sam, but they just didn't know what to do. And their parents, who were watching the whole scene, were left with unanswered questions.
<<>><<>><<>>
Shortly after he came home from the ceremony, Danny locked himself up in his room. At least, that’s what his parents thought. In reality, he went into the Ghost Zone, using the Infi-map to guide him to a natural portal.
His parents had stopped their work on the ghost portal halfway through after what had happened, so he couldn't rely on that.
He also released the Box Ghost and Technus, but it was more as an afterthought, knowing that is what Sam would have done, and he went on his way to find her.
As Danny found his way back into the Ghost Zone, he only had one destination in mind; Clockwork’s Lair. He had first encountered this enigmatic guardian through a tragic event, not unlike the situation he found himself in at that moment.
He tried his best not to recall that dark incident. His family, his closest friends, and his teacher, Mister Lancer, had all died in a freak accident at a restaurant.
His teacher had wanted to meet Danny’s parents there because the young man had cheated on his Career Aptitude Test, or CAT test for short. Mister Lancer knew that Danny had the answers, and didn't tell him. So when Danny used them to cheat, Lancer called his parents for a meeting. Why he chose the abandoned Nasty Burger, the local fast food place, Danny didn't know, but it was a choice that would cost him dearly.
A large explosion destroyed the place and took Lancer, Jack, and Maddie with it. Jazz was there too, as were Sam and Tucker. They all died in the explosion. An explosion that would send Danny on a path of darkness, destroying everything in his path.
It was during that time when a ghost called Clockwork came to Danny before he did the test, and tried to destroy him; trying to prevent that future before it happened, as was his duty. This ghost watched over and protected the timeline and, on some rare occasions, changed the outcome of a singular incident.
At first, Clockwork tried to destroy Danny. But after Danny learned the truth, and even tried to prevent that future from happening, Clockwork gave him a second chance: a chance Danny gave to so many ghosts himself. Then, using his control over time, Clockwork saved his friends, family and teacher, stopping the tragedy that would lead to Danny's downfall from happening.
With this in mind, Danny headed over to Clockwork's lair, hoping he would allow him to go back in time and save Sam.
<<>><<>><<>>
"No, absolutely not!"
"What!? But why not? Why won't you allow me to go back and save her?" Danny half-begged the time ghost.
"There are many reasons, Daniel: First off, I already saved her once; a second time would cause a paradox that even I could not stop. Second, if you were to go back and save her, then she would never have died; you wouldn't have had a reason to go back in time to save her and she would die again, and again, and again; it will create a time loop of which there is no escape. Third, going back in time and interacting with your past self is very dangerous; I will not go into detail about that, but it isn't pretty. And the list goes on and on," Clockwork explained, and the small spark of hope Danny felt he was able to save Sam was snuffed out, a vice grip taking hold of his heart. It was almost as if he had lost her all over again.
"I..... I see," Danny said with no emotion as he hung his head and flew off.
"Child, wait!" Clockwork called out to Danny, stopping him mid-flight. "You feel lost now, but do know that nothing happens without a reason. Everything is connected, influencing each other. And for every door that closes, another will open. You are lost now, but one day you will find your way. And the answers, you do not yet know you seek, will be found."
Danny didn't give any indication that he understood, or even paid attention to him. Instead, he flew off when Clockwork stopped talking, leaving the time ghost alone in his chamber.
"You do not yet know it, child. But the fates of you and your friend are still connected," Clockwork sighed out as he took a look into Danny's future. "The question is, will you be ready?"
<<>><<>><<>>
After the crushing blow Danny got from Clockwork, he started to search for Sam in the Ghost Zone on his own, but months went by without a sign of her. Even using the infi-map in an attempt to try and find her was of no use, for the map refused to show him the way to her.
In fact, it didn't show him anything. And he was lost even more because of it, as the map that could show the way to anything failed to do so.
In a desperate attempt, Danny asked the map for Sam's location in many different ways, hoping that if he just asked in a certain way, the map would be fooled. Yet each time the map remained stubbornly blank.
"Please, if.. if you can't show me where she is, can you at least show me what happened to her?" Danny asked the map, not even knowing anymore where he was going with this.
Great was his shock when the map flashed, and a dotted line appeared on its surface. Not stopping there, the map launched forwards, sensing the need to find what his wielder needed, and it dragged Danny with him towards its destination.
"Whooaaa!" Danny yelled as he was forcefully dragged along with the map, not knowing where he was going, because the map shot off before Danny could take a look at the destination the map had set.
For several long minutes, the map flew through the green expanse, dragging Danny along as it did so. Several ghosts looked in confusion as they saw a scroll fly by, with the ghost boy holding onto it, screaming all the while.
"Where are you taking me?" Danny asked, to no reply.
"Wait... is that... is that the Ghost Writer's library?" Danny asked, still receiving no answer.
The map continued on its path, flying through the doors of the library, and to the section Danny needed to be.
"It's probably a good thing the Ghost Writer is still in prison for breaking the 'no fighting on Christmas' rule," Danny murmured to himself as the scroll stopped and deposited him on the ground in front of a large bookcase.
"What is this?" he wondered as he looked over the large collection of books in there.
"’The afterlife’ ‘You're dead, now what?’ ‘Ghosting for dummies’," he read some of the titles. "Is this a section for those who recently died and became a ghost?" He asked to no one in particular, not expecting an answer.
"Indeed it is, ghost boy," a voice said, and Danny turned around, hands glowing with ectoplasm, ready to attack the one who had snuck up on him.
"Please don't do that, you might damage the books," an old ghost said as he held up a hand, and Danny took a moment to observe the individual. He wore a cloak with the hood down, and had a large beard, and glasses, which gave him the look of an old monk.
"I am not here to hurt you, only to help you find what you need,” the ghost said. “I am the Librarian. I look over, and take care of all the knowledge in this building. Please, tell me what it is you seek, and maybe I can be of some assistance," the Librarian told Danny, who released the energy in his hand, the glow dying down as he let his arm fall down.
"Sorry about that. Reflexes," Danny said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.
“It's alright, boy. No harm was done. Now, please, tell me what you are looking for?” The Librarian asked again and Danny’s face fell.
"I- do yo-... My friend d-died recently and I was hoping that she would be here, in the Ghost Zone. But I was unable to find her, even with the infi-map," Danny said as he showed the map still in his hands.
"Aahh. The map that knows all locations, all there is, and how to get there. But ghost boy, if the map can't show you what you seek, then this library can't either."
"Yeah, I figured. But when I asked the map to show me what had happened to her, it brought me here."
"Interesting," the Librarian mused as he stroked his beard. "In that case, you are in the right place to be. This section of the library holds the knowledge for newly formed ghosts and the knowledge of Purgatory. The place where we all go to, to choose," he explained as he flew up to a book located on a far-out of reach place, for any creature that couldn’t fly. "Here, this book holds the knowledge about Purgatory," he said as he handed over the book to Danny.
Danny looked at the cover of the book, seeing it was completely black save for the title. "Purgatory," he read the golden title out loud. Opening the book, he expected a wealth of information. But, instead, the pages were blank. "What? What is this?"
"Ah, yes, I thought this might happen. These books are not like the ones of your world, where they are just paper and ink over there, they're so much more here. You see, these books are, if you forgive the poor choice of words, alive. They sense the people holding them, and show them the information they seek. Or sometimes, like your map, they show the information you need. But there is a catch: if you are not allowed to know certain things, the pages will remain blank. Purgatory is an elusive place, only those that have been there may know the secrets of it. You, dear boy, have never died, and so, you have never been there. The knowledge of the dead is not meant for the living," the Librarian Explained to Danny.
"But... then, why did the map bring me here if I am not allowed to know these things!" Danny yelled, becoming truly frustrated.
"The map showed you where you could find the answers you seek, it didn't show you it was in a book, right?" the Librarian asked knowingly.
"Yeah… Ehh… I mean, no. It brought me here, so I assume that it has to do with some of these books, but it didn't show me it was a book I was looking for. How so?" Danny said, not really knowing where the old ghost was going with this.
"You are standing in the library. All the knowledge there is can be found in here, but you are not yet allowed to obtain that what you seek. I, however, can. I will tell you what you need to know, but nothing more. The books work by rules that even I cannot break, only bend from time to time." the librarian explained as he picked up the book and placed it back in its place.
"Wait, don't you need that?" Danny asked, confused.
"Oh-hoho, no, boy. I've been in Purgatory myself, so I know a thing or two from experience. Besides, I've been looking over this place for a very long time now, and I like to pass the time with reading. After all, there is much to read here."
"Oh, right. So what happened to my friend?"
"When one dies, their soul is sent to Purgatory to make a choice."
"A choice? What choice?" Danny asked.
"The choice to remain and return as a specter, or ghost. Or, to move on. To leave the physical plain behind."
"And what happens there?"
"I do not know. I chose to remain, and thus, didn't earn the privilege to know what happens there. Of course, a ghost can return to Purgatory once a year to choose again if they so wish, but I have no need for that."
"But this doesn't answer what happened with my friend. Is she still out there somewhere, or-or did she move on?" Danny struggled with the last part, not wanting to accept that.
"Let's find out, shall we?" And with that strange question, the librarian flew off, leaving a confused half ghost behind.
"Hey, wait!" Danny called out after the librarian, quickly following the ghost. "Where are we going?"
"To find an answer to your question," the librarian replied as he flew through many sections of the library. After about fifteen minutes of flying past thousands and thousands of books, he stopped in front of a bookcase that seemed to stretch on forever in every direction.
"Whoa, what is this?" Danny asked, awed by the sheer size of the construct in front of him.
"This is the place that holds all the knowledge of the living and dead. Every human, ghost and, since you opened a doorway to that other world, every sentient living being there as well. Now tell me, what was your friend's name?"
"Sam," Danny replied.
"Her full name," the Librarian deadpanned.
"Oh, right. It's Samantha Manson." Danny said sheepishly.
"Okay then, let's see. S, s, sa, Sammy, Samuel.... Ah her she is, Samantha Manson," he exclaimed as he pulled out a dark looking book. "This book contains the knowledge of your friend's life from the day she was born to the very part where she is now. Each story continues to be written, even your own. What you experience in here is also being written down in the book belonging to you." He said as he handed the book over to Danny.
"How do you mean, the story continues to be written as we speak?" Danny asked in puzzlement.
"Just like I said, but maybe a demonstration is in order so you know what to expect," the librarian said as he flew off to the left and up, towards the section labeled 'E'.
"Ah, here you are," he said after a moment, pulling a glowing blue book out of the case. "This will show you what I mean."
Danny switched the book of Sam with the glowing book the librarian handed him. Reading the name on the cover, Danny couldn't help shout a surprised: "What!".
Earl Mackelbee, the Box Ghost. The title read. "You have got to be kidding me," Danny murmured.
Sighing, he opened the book and went to the last page, noticing in surprise and confusion that, no matter how far he went in the book, the pages just kept coming without end. Eventually the pages turned blank, and Danny went back a few pages to find the current page of the Box Ghost's life, or afterlife.
Danny stared in awe as he saw words form on the paper as if they were written by an invisible pen. Writing down the things that the Box Ghost, or Earl, was doing at this very moment.
"W-what? How...?"
"It is quite something isn't it?" the Librarian asked, nodding.
"Yeah," Danny breathed, not looking up; staring intently at the words being written before his eyes. "Wait, this book holds the story of how he became a ghost, right?" Danny never saw the Librarian nod, as the pages started acting if they've been hit by a fierce wind. Moving further and further back in the life of Earl, before stopping at a page titled: Birth of a ghost.
"Never mind, I figured it out." Danny said, surprised, as he began reading the story of Earl.
Birth of a Ghost.
Year, 1955.
13.34 PM.
The docks.Earl Macklebee was at work, being the crane operator at the harbor, moving numerous cargo containers and crates on, and off the ships docked there. It was a job he took great pride in, though his over eagerness was not entirely understood by his colleagues. He fulfilled his job with passion, although he was often weird about it.
More often than not, it seemed like he almost worshiped the containers, crates and even the lunchboxes in the canteen. So much in fact, that his colleagues made fun of him because of it. And today was no different.
"Hey, Earl. Have you seen the load of that last shipment? Wow. I mean, really. All those containers stacked together. It was quite the sight," one of his colleagues said.
"I know, right. I could watch them for hours. And that I can move them, too. Ohooo," Earl gave a shudder of delight.
"Ha, I bet. But didn't you hear?"
"Hear what?"
"Well, about the accident. Apparently some of the containers you moved fell over, damaging the contents inside."
"WHAT!?" Earl shouted.
"Heh, I've heard about that," another colleague picked up. "It did quite some damage to the containers. Denting them quite badly.
"NOO!" Earl shouted, grabbing his hair with both hands.
"Yes, and you won't believe what was inside them."
"What?" Earl asked in a panic.
"I've heard that they were filled with crates, crates full of boxes. All of them were beat up quite badly."
"NOOOHOOO!" Earl wailed as he fell to his knees. His colleagues burst out in laughter.
"Boy, you are one weirdo, you know that?"
"What?" Earl asked in confusion, desperately trying to hold back his tears.
"We're just messing with you, man. You take this way too seriously, like always," the first colleague said.
"Yeah. Besides, who cares about a bunch of boxes anyhow?"
Now, Earl was an easy going guy; having learned to ignore most of the jabs and insults of those around him. But there were some things you just do not joke about.
"WHAT! How dare you insult the boxes!?" Earl snapped. "They are responsible for safeguarding everything during their trip around the world. They keep their cargo safe from wind and weather, snow and ice, and the dangers from the sea itself! So you had better apologize!"
His colleagues burst out in laughter all over again, some of them even had trouble breathing as they clutched their sides.
"OHOO, I'm warning you. Mistreat the boxes and they will hurt you back." If it were possible for those present to laugh any harder, they did so.
"I won't warn you again. Be aware of the boxes, or they will get you," Earl warned, then stormed for the exit, turning around to say one last thing. "Beware," and he slammed the door shut. The roaring laughter of his colleagues still following him.
<<>><<>><<>>
Earl sat in his crane again, the arm swinging more aggressively now, as he was still angry from the cruel joke from his colleagues.
"Idiots. Making fun of the boxes. Do they not know? In the end we all end up in a box. And they know, they know how we treated them. They will treat us as we treat them," Earl rambled on, too absorbed in his rant, he didn't notice some of the containers had been placed incorrectly. His haphazard handling made the stack stand unstable, while he continued to add more and more.
This went on for several hours, until, finally, his shift ended and Earl walked past the stack of containers; still mumbling to himself about his co workers’ foolish ways.
A loud screech made him stop in his tracks; the sound of metal grinding on metal. Looking up as the sound became louder and louder, he watched with rapidly widening eyes as numerous containers tilted over, falling down towards him. He had just enough time to hold his hands above him in a futile attempt to ward off the danger, screaming loudly, before the cacophony of tons of metal colliding with the ground silenced him; crushing the unfortunate human under their weight,
It wasn't until the next day that his colleagues found the disaster site and even longer before they found Earl. And, despite the seriousness of the situation, they couldn't help but laugh about the irony of it all.
They stopped laughing, however, when Earl returned to work the following day; his skin pale blue, and a glow surrounding his body; hovering above the ground, boxes of various sizes floating around him.
They all ran as fast as they could, boxes flung after them while Earl laughed diabolically, shouting: "Beware, for I am the Box Ghost!"
Danny was stunned, to say the least. All this time he made fun of the Box Ghost, or Earl, as he was called. Yet it was people making fun of him which lead to his untimely demise. If his colleagues hadn't bullied him the way they did, then he wouldn't have been upset. He would have stacked the containers properly, and they wouldn't have fallen down on top of him.
".... So.. So that is how he became what he is today!?" Danny half asked, half stated as he continued to stare at the page in front of him.
"Yes it is. He was bullied for his beliefs. And that, in turn, made him make mistakes which resulted in his death. He saw it as a sign though, a chance to become the one to defend the boxes where others would just toss them aside," the librarian answered.
"Still. Boxes? Come on, that's just crazy."
"Not to him. We all need to believe in something, even you... So tell me, what is it that you believe in, hmm?" The Librarian asked.
"That Sam is still out there, somewhere," Danny said confidently, accepting back Sam's book. "So, this will tell me where she is?"
"No. But it will tell you if she is still around, or if she has chosen to move on."
"Okay then, here goes everything," Danny said, opening the book and quickly flipped to the last page of Sam's life. He found it after some page turning, but to his surprise, shock and rapidly growing sense of dread, he noticed no new words were being written. "What? Why isn't anything new showing up?"
"I'm sorry, child. But the only reason for the story to end, is if she has left the physical plane, and moved on," the librarian said sadly, knowing all too well what it was like to lose someone who chose to cross over.
"No, it can't be!" Danny shouted, dropping the book. "You're lying."
"I have nothing to gain by lying to you. What I speak is the truth and only the truth. I'm sorry."
"No!" Danny yelled angrily as he flew off, tears blurring his vision.
"I'm sorry, child," the librarian said as he picked up the book, still opened at the last page. He was about to close and put it back in place, when something caught his eyes.
A new word: Alive.
Alive.
What does it mean? Really?Does it mean we need to eat, breathe, and multiply? If it is, then fire, by this definition, is also alive.
Does it mean to have a heartbeat, to grow old and die? Then why are those who are alive by this definition wasting their time doing nothing? I wouldn't call that alive.
For a time I thought I knew. But now... now I know for real. Merely existing has nothing to do with being alive. It just means that you spent your time bringing joy to others. To find love and be loved in return. To let your memory continue where you have left off. I may not have a heartbeat, but I do have a heart. I know that I am alive, even though I am no longer among the living.
I am alive!
But I am confused. I know Danny and Tucker would look for me, but I do not yet want to be found. I made a choice, but now I must understand it before I can go on. No matter how long that might take. I know this is unfair to them, but this is how it has to be. I hope that, one day, they can forgive me.
<<>><<>><<>>
A bump in the road shook Danny awake, the memories brought back in his dream now haunting his conscious mind.
Thinking back to how he acted towards Jazz and Tucker, he felt a deep sense of shame and regret. They didn't deserve to be lashed out at like that. He knew they wouldn't just give up, but he was angry and in grief. Vlad being there didn't help either. He wished he could have given them a proper apology, but he was too blinded, too focused on finding Sam that the thought never crossed his mind. He regretted it ever since.
Sighing, he looked around him, seeing several other persons sitting in the mostly empty bus. Two people caught his attention the most: a couple, sitting together with the woman resting her head on her boyfriend's shoulder.
A pang of sadness shot through Danny as he looked at them, wondering if it could have been him and Sam, should she still be alive.
Forcing his eyes away from the two, he instead focused his attention on the pass which allowed him entry into Equestria.
Name, age, date of birth. Just the usual information connected to the person it was intended for. Along with the official mark from a princess he'd heard only a few things about, granting her approval.
Sure there were forgers who had become quite proficient at faking these passes, but he'd decided that it wasn't worth the risk to buy a fake. It might have been more expensive, but if he was caught with a fake, he would be in for a lot of trouble.
Security had been tight, especially after the repeated attempts by ghosts to enter the other side by the use of fake IDs and possession. Of course, they weren't the smartest ghosts; they didn't even get past the ghost shield.
The thought of the shield forced Danny's mind back to his parents and sister. He hadn’t been in contact with them for over six years now. He didn't know how they were doing, but he did know they've secured a major contract with the government; designing and making new kinds of ghost hunting equipment. Probably something they agreed to do ever since he ran away. And, most likely, they thought it could probably help them catch Danny Phantom.
Jazz and Tucker would also be hard-pressed to tell his parents about the truth about him. Ever since Danny Phantom was accused of the murder of Sam, Vlad showed all kinds of video ‘proof’ in which Danny Phantom performed various crimes. Jazz and Tucker knew they were fake, of course, but it didn't matter. What were three teenagers going to do against a billionaire mayor, who also happens to be a half-ghost, and uses his powers to influence others?
The bus came to a stop, jerking Danny out of his downward spiraling thoughts.
'Right. Think happy thoughts. You're about to start a new life,' he told himself as he stepped out off the bus.
He was still a short walk away from reaching the facility which housed the tear in reality, giving him ample time to gather his thoughts. And so, with a moderate pace, he began thinking about the location he chose for his fresh start.
He did his own research, something he never thought possible and made a list of various likely looking places which piqued his interest. Of course, he crossed off any of the major cities. He preferred some peace and quiet for once, and he wouldn’t find that living in a hectic city. Any town with more than a randomly decided amount of citizens was also rejected. The memory of large crowds against him still chilled his blood.
In the end, he was left with four candidates. Deciding that the only way he could settle on a choice was through chance, he closed his eyes and picked one of the names at random.
Opening his eyes again to see where his new life would be, he couldn't help but cringe a bit reading the name: Ponyville. All of a sudden, the speech his father gave him oh so many years ago came back.
'I do know I wanted a pony. Never got a pony. As a matter of fact, we had to eat h-'
Forcing that particular memory back to the dark recesses of his mind, Danny focuses back on the paper in hand. "Well, horse meat or not. Ponyville, here I come," and with that, the choice was made.
After several more minutes of walking and idle thoughts, he arrived at the tear facility.
By some tradition which started after the first tear facility was built, they named each and every tear through popular vote, (most of the candidate names submitted by teenagers,) and displayed the name above the entrance. Looking up, Danny saw the sign indicating that this portal was named: Teru a Newon.
Danny stood frozen for a moment, mouthing the name, almost saying it for real, but decided against it as he shook his head.
Walking through the doors and entering pass control, Danny joined the short line in front of him, seeing there were not just humans waiting to pass through, but also some of those ponies; chatting idly with one another as they waited their turn.
'I wonder what they were doing here of all places? There are far more interesting places to visit. Oh well,' he wondered, then shrugged.
The line progressed quickly and before long it was Danny's turn.
"May I please see your pass, sir?" An elderly woman asked.
Handing over his pass, Danny hoped his name wouldn't cause too many problems. Though he knew it would raise questions. It always did. He would've used a different name, but he just couldn't force himself to do so. Besides, it was too late for that now anyway.
"That's quite an interesting name you have there, kid. Any relations with them?" The woman asked after seeing the name on Danny’s pass.
"Nope," Danny said a little too fast and the woman raised an eyebrow. "I mean, I'm not related to them in any way. Our names are just similar, nothing more. I do get this a lot, though," he told her his well rehearsed lie.
"Huh, okay then. It’s also curious to see that this is a pass for a one way trip. And a seal of approval for citizenship. I've never seen that before. I've heard of them, but never seen one myself. You’re actually moving to this world?"
"That was the idea," Danny replied, fidgeting where he stood from all the questions. He just wanted to get out of here and step through the tear.
"Well, let me check for authenticity," she told him, placing the pass in a specially designed scanning device, looking for the ectoplasmic mark that would show it was real.
They used ectoplasm because not many could forge that, and thus discourage those that would otherwise try.
"Aaaand, yes. Everything looks to be in order, sir. Now, if you would please go to your left and walk through our ghost shield over there. That way we can be sure that you are who you say you are," she instructed as she gave back the pass to Danny. "When you step through, just walk all the way to the end of the hallway and through the doors. There you will find the embarkation room, as well as a local bank to exchange any money you have on you."
Nodding, Danny did just that. Walking towards the shield emitter, he saw an armed guard stand on each side, holding an ecto-blaster at the ready and he clearly recognized the design as one of his parents'.
Standing in front of the shield, he looked at it for a moment, making the guards look at him with suspicion.
'Even after all those years, they still haven't changed the original design of the shield?' he thought, then stepped through.
Passing through the shield without any problem, Danny then found himself in a large, white, brightly lit hallway. Following it all the way to the end, an automated door swung open when he drew near, revealing the grand room hidden on the other side.
The room was large, massive even. The area where the tear would open was walled off, so no one could get there without supervision. This was for safety purposes, of course.The tears to this other world acted almost like naturally formed ghost portals; there one moment, gone the next.
Unlike the ghost portal, which would appear smoothly and without much spectacle, these tears would open up with quite a bit of force. Starting out as a ripple in the air, followed by a static crackle. You could actually see reality tear open as the two worlds connect. When this happened, you heard a sound, not unlike a vacuum sucking air, only in reverse.
In comparison, the ghost portals would show as a small vortex of ectoplasm in thin air when they opened. These tears, however, didn't quite work like that. They would remain at a fixed point, seen as a small point of shimmering air. You couldn't go through them when they were closed like that, but it would distort you if you tried. It caused quite a few injuries before they started to control these tears and construct buildings around them.
The tear was closed now, but after Danny stepped inside the room and the doors closed behind him, the tear started to open.
Danny let out a slow, drawn out whistle as he witnessed the spectacle in front of him. The tear was quite the sight. And, as he slowly walked around it, he noticed another feature he had only heard about, but never seen before. It was a rip in reality, yes. And if you stood behind it you could see the air shimmer and move. Almost as if someone had thrown several stones in a puddle of water. From the front, you could see the other world, or the control station that was there. But from the sides, you couldn't see a thing; almost as if you looked at a piece of paper from the side, so thin you can't see it unless you look at it from an angle.
Seeing the tear also made Danny remember something that had happened several years ago. A rather large tear had formed in Tokyo, and it just happened to lead to, what was later determined, the dragon lands. And it also just happened that a rather large dragon decided to investigate this strange phenomenon, stepping through. So, there was Tokyo, in an uproar and panic because of a gigantic reptile stomping through the streets. Everyone started to shout something about Godzilla, and just caused general panic among each other. It became even more confusing for them when the dragon asked what all the fuss was about.
With a thin smile on his lips, he made it to the front of the tear, catching up with those who stood before him in line, seeing they were all waiting for the tear to fully open. So, knowing they still had some waiting to do, he went to the small bank indicated by the woman earlier.
"Good day, sir. Here to change your dollars for bits, I presume?" A jovial man asked as Danny walked up to him.
"Eh, yes.... I think. Bits are the currency used in Equestria, right?" He asked.
"Ha, a first timer eh, lad? Well, yes. Bits are to them what dollars are to us. So how much did you want to exchange?"
"Everything," Danny answered, taking all of his life savings out of his backpack, dropping a small roll of bills, a grand total of almost a thousand dollars, on the counter. Something he had preserved as long as he could, only taking from it if he really had no other choice.
"The man looked at Danny in slight shock, "Everything? Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm not planning on coming back, so I want to exchange it all."
"Wait, not coming back? You’re actually moving there? Wow, never had that happen here before," the man said as he took the money, exchanging it for the appropriate amount of coins.
"Let me just explain this real quick to you," he said as he saw Danny's questioning look. "This silver coin here is one buck. One single dollar, or bit as they call it. These golden coins are worth ten bucks, and then there are these things," he explained as he held up a small bar of gold. "These things are simply called bars, and they're worth a whole hundred bucks. Mostly used by the big spenders. And then, of course," he continued as he grabbed a bronze coin. "There is the small change. This coin is worth a quarter of a single bit. Just to buy the small stuff. Alright. you haaaave... nine hundred and seventy three dollars on you, which means you'll get five bars, forty gold bits, fifty silver bits, and the rest in bronze. Giving you some spending money, without resorting to paying with a hundred bucks each time," he said, jokingly, as he put all the money into separate bags.
Accepting the exchanged currency, Danny thanked the helpful clerk, then left to see the tear had fully opened
"Okay, all of you. May I please have your attention?" An elderly man called out, drawing everyone's attention as he stood in front of the tear. "Now, I will explain to you what is about to happen. Some of you already know this from previous crossings, but please pay attention anyhow, it'll avoid accidents. In a moment, you will all walk in a single file line through this big hole in reality behind me," he instructed as he pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "On the other side, you will be escorted by the crew there to the G.S.Z., or Ghost Scan Zone. This is to make sure that no ghosts have slipped through here by accident." This announcement made Danny's heart skip a beat. Shields were fine, but scanners would mean trouble. He would have to find a way to slip past this scanner, or he would be stopped right then and there.
'Damn, I just might need to use my powers here to get out of this, but how?' Danny thought. Intangibility would be useless, they would see. Invisibility, no again. It was too crowded, he couldn't do that in public. With the only two viable options useless to him, he started to panic slightly.
'Oh no, this is not good. Don't tell me I've come all this way for nothing. To be shot down, and sent off to wherever it is they would send me. Come on, Danny. Think, dammit, think,' he thought, looking down at his shadow. And an idea sparked to life, as another memory resurfaced.
<<>><<>><<>>
Some years ago.
Danny once again found himself in some ambiguous part of the Ghost Zone, searching. It had been three months now since Sam had died and he had spent every waking moment looking for her.
"Argh, come on, stupid map. Just show me where she is!" Danny yelled at the infi-map, which remained stubbornly blank.
"AARRGGGHHH!" he roared, throwing the map away in a fit of rage, only realizing what he had done a few moments later. "Aaawww, crud," he muttered, seeing the map fly away into the depths of the Ghost Zone.
Mentally beating himself up over losing his temper, he flew after the map to retrieve it.
The map, soaring through the green expanse without hindrance, eventually fell down onto the barren land of one of the larger chunks of rock and soil floating aimlessly in the Zone. The sound of a roaring engine was the only sound to be heard on an otherwise quiet expanse of dead land; a large dust cloud rising up in the distance, quickly growing larger and larger as the source drew near to the map's point of impact.
The grinding of rubber wheels, as they slowed down on dry dirt, was joined by the revving of an engine, before it was shut off entirely; the dust cloud dissipating as the ghost driving the motorcycle stepped off.
"Whoa, what's this?" Johnny Thirteen said, picking up the map and opening it. With a flash, all the locations of the Ghost Zone were revealed to him. "Whoaa, Awesome. With this here, I can find the most amazing cruising ground around here!" And, on cue, the map flashed, showing him the way to just such a place. "Whoa, cool!" Johnny awed, stepping back on his bike, started the engine, and followed the directions given by the map.
Moments later, Danny landed at the point he saw the map drifting off to. But when he got there, the map was nowhere to be found.
"Oh no. Where is it? Where is it!?" He repeated several times, frantically looking around, but unable to find anything. What he did find, however, were tire tracks. Tracks he knew could only belong to one ghost. "Aw, that's just my rotten luck," he muttered as he saw a small cloud of dust in the distance and knew which way to go.
Flying as fast as he could, he eventually caught up with Johnny. Flying by his side, he shouted: "Hey, Johnny," trying to be heard over the engine.
Johnny, looking over his shoulder to see who shouted at him, almost lost control over his bike when he saw the ghost boy fly right next to him. "Hey, kid. Don't do that. You almost made me crash!" He yelled at Danny, righting himself and continued on his way. "What do you want?"
"That map you have there, it's mine."
"Pff, yeah right."
"I'm serious."
"Look, kid. I found this here map fair and square. It's mine and if you don't like that, tough luck," and with those final words, he accelerated and shot off, leaving Danny in a cloud of dust.
Hacking and coughing, Danny slowed down until he could breathe again, seeing that Johnny had gained quite a distance between the two of them.
Not in the mood for any of this, Danny followed in pursuit, done with playing nice. He would get that map back, no matter what. It was the only thing that could lead him to Sam. If the damn thing cooperated, that is.
Catching up with Johnny, he flew closer and closer until he was almost able to reach out and grab the map. Johnny noticed this, and veered off to the side, glaring angrily at Danny as he raced away.
Angered further by this, Danny channeled some energy in his hand. Not enough to do damage, but more than sufficient to bother the biker ghost.
Unleashing the energy, he fired a bolt of ectoplasm at the bike's front wheel and Johnny wobbled for a few tense seconds before he righted himself.
"Oh, you want to fight over it. Fine. Shadow, go," he ordered his shadow, pointing at Danny.
His shadow detached itself from him and shot off to its target. A demonic figure formed from the darkness that was Johnny's shadow, circling around Danny, blocking him from getting any closer to its master.
"Get ou-... move... will yo-.... AARRGGH. GET OUTTA MY WAY!" Danny yelled as he blasted the shadow with a large ectoplasmic bolt, the light managing to diffuse the dark figure, weakening it.
Using this moment of weakness to escape, he continued his pursuit after Johnny, the shadow following close behind.
'I don't have time for this, I need to find a way to stop this once and for all. But with this shadow going after me, I won't be able to get any closer to Johnny.... Unless...' he thought, remembering something Vlad had told him in the destroyed future. How his ghost side had possessed Vlad’s half, taking over his powers, but corrupting himself in the process.
Now he wasn't planning to take over anyone's powers, but he might be able to possess Johnny and stop him. That, and his shadow wouldn't be able to attack him either, giving him the chance to end all of this right now.
With his mind made up, Danny increased his speed, catching up to Johnny once again, but not stopping this time.
"Wait, what are you doing!?" Johnny shouted in alarm as he looked over his shoulder, seeing Danny fly right at him; his eyes burning with anger. "Oh no, don't you dare! Don't yo-" Johnny roared, unable to prevent Danny to collide with, and then possess him.
Johnny's shadow looked at his master with a look of pure shock on its shadowy face, while Johnny and Danny lost control of the bike, crashing into the unforgiving ground. The bike skidding to a halt as it slid over the ground, while the possessed Johnny bounced, rolled and finally slammed on the ground as he roared out. Not from the crash, but from the invading mind trying to possess him.
"GET OUTt!" Johnny roared, down on his knees, clawing at his face. He struggled to move his arms down and his hands towards his chest, using his own intangibility to force them inside, and pull Danny out.
Breathing heavily, Johnny glared burning daggers at Danny; throwing him away the second he regained control over his body.
"DON'T YOU KNOW ANYTHING!? Ghosts don't possess ghosts, it's dangerous. Idiot!" Johnny yelled, slowly pushing himself back up, then moved to his bike, picking up the map on the ground besides it. He then stomped his way back to Danny, barely able to contain himself as he glared murderously at the still downed Halfa.
Danny writhed on the ground, panting and groaning. Bolts of electricity shooting through him, similar to the feeling he had when he got hit by the ghost portal, but weaker. Unable to move, except for the uncontrolled twitches his body made. He could only watch as Johnny walked over to him.
Johnny grabbed Danny by his throat, eyes glowing green in anger, lifting him up. "If you want this map so badly, then take it!" He yelled, shoving the map forcefully against Danny's chest. "But don't you ever, EVER, do that again! Or you will find out why I really am called Johnny Thirteen. Do I make myself clear!?" He roared in Danny's face, who was only able to nod weakly, but nothing more. "Good," Johnny sneered, then dropped Danny to the ground, stepped back on his bike, and drove off. Followed shortly thereafter by his shadow, which shot a hesitant, worried, almost fearful glance to Danny.
Danny didn't notice any of this, though. Because, when he finally was able to pull himself up again, he noticed something odd. His shadow was rippling, moving in directions that were not his own.
"What’s going on?" He croaked, his throat still hurting from the firm grip Johnny had on it, when he reared back in shock.
Down on the ground, within the darkness of his shade, two green glowing eyes stared back at him. Then, it grinned.
Danny screamed.
<<>><<>><<>>
Present day.
"I never wanted this, but it might just work out for me now," Danny thought as he looked at his shadow, standing in front of the tear and ready to pass through.
Looking back to make sure that no one was watching, and satisfied he was in the clear, he called forth the presence of his shadow, feeling a portion of his conscious mind separate from him.
A slight shiver ran over the outlines of his shade as Danny's mental fragment took hold, but remained otherwise still.
Danny looked around once again, making sure none saw the slight distortion in his shade. When he was sure that he remained undetected, he spoke to his shadow through the link between their shared mind.
'Okay, here’s the plan. When they scan us, they’ll find out I'm a ghost. When this happens, I want you to make an appearance, making it look like that they picked up on you instead of me. Do some ghosting and such, but don't hurt anyone. Do try to damage the scanner if you can, but nothing else. We need to do this clean and quick,' the shadow gave a slight nod in understanding, and for a moment Danny was scared someone saw the movement.
Fortunately, no one paid any interest to him, as the man who gave them their instructions, had finished with his talk and began leading them through the tear, one at a time.
"Okay all of you, time to get moving. Please form an orderly line, and no pushing," the man reminded them, gesturing to his pony colleagues on the other side of the tear, telling them that the next group was coming through. "Okay, let's go," and the small group walked through the shimmering hole, and into Equestria.
It was a smooth transition, like walking through a door. 'Odd,' Danny thought. 'I didn't even feel a shiver, like the one you get when going through a ghost portal. Huh, oh well.'
"A good day to you all, and welcome to Equestria," a unicorn mare said with a warm voice, a tablet floating beside her. "If you would please follow me to the scanning chamber, this will only take a moment. I don't expect any problems, seeing how you all passed through the shield back at the Earth facility, but we can't be too careful. We can't allow any of those nasty ghosts to come through and wreak havoc, can we?" she said with a chipper, but serious tone, leading the group to a medium sized chamber, a grid pattern lining the walls, floor and ceiling; a unicorn guard carrying an ecto-blaster standing on every corner.
Hearing those words about ghosts made Danny grind his teeth. Sure there were bad ghosts, but there were a lot of good ghosts as well. But Danny couldn't blame them, they've only dealt with the worst of the worst. Most of the good ghosts remained in the Ghost Zone, minding their own business, so it was easy for them to think that all ghosts were bad.
As the group stepped in the room, the door closed behind them. A green ecto-laser grid descended from the ceiling, while a second grid appeared from the left wall; moving up and down, left and right. covering all present, until both grids came to an unexpected, and quite abrupt stop when passing over Danny; the grids shrinking down in size until they only covered Danny, turning a dark red.
"What? What is happening?" Danny said, faking shock and surprise, while the rest of the group stepped away from him, murmuring in shock, fear, and even a few gasps of fright. The guards in the room pointed their blasters at Danny, ready to fire on a moment’s notice.
'Now, do it now!' Danny ordered the fragment in his mind when the scanner shut off, the red grid around him disappearing.
Two green orbs appeared in his shadow as it rose up, making sure its form didn't resemble his master in any way. Several of the ponies present in the group screamed out, never before having seen a ghost. And, in truth, they still hadn't. The humans were more accustomed to ghosts, but they, too, reared back in shock.
Danny faked a scream of fear as he scrambled away, backing up into a wall. "What... What is that thing? What did it do to my shadow?"
The guards decided then and there that Danny was most likely just another victim and pointed their blasters at the 'ghost'. The shade moved out of the way of the shots and started to follow the command given to him prior. 'Do some ghosting' and that he did. Scaring those present who didn't have a weapon. Showing a toothy grin with glowing green pointed teeth, the shadow started flying around the mare that had led them in here, making her scream out loudly while avoiding the shots sent his way.
Of course there was also the other part of his objective. 'Do try to damage the scanner if you can,' and so the shade flew through the walls and ceiling, leaving deep cuts in them, destroying the circuits and other vital parts necessary to operate the scanner.
'Okay, that’s enough. Let them hit you. Make them think you are destroyed,' Danny commanded as he sat huddled in a corner and the shade, picking up on the new order, obeyed.
Moving to the middle of the room, the shadow spread itself out as big as it could, making some threatening gestures to those present. The guards pointed their blasters to the supposed ghost. No need to aim now, due to the size of the shade, and fired.
Beams of ectoplasm shot through the shadow.
It moved as if in a great deal of pain and agony, while, in fact, the shadow didn't feel a thing, Shades can't be hurt by mere ecto-blasts, which did nothing more than diffuse them slightly.
Staying true to its order, the shade started to pulse rapidly, like a balloon inflating and deflating over and over again. Then it burst, disappearing into thin air, reappearing below Danny's form immediately as its fragment returned to Danny's mind.
No-one noticed, though. Too absorbed with what had just happened to notice.
"I think we got it," one of the guards said, breathing heavily.
"Better make sure, though," another guard grunted. "Scan the guy again."
"But the room is damaged," a third guard called out as he approached his colleague.
"So, use a portable scanner," the second guard replied.
'Wait, portable scanners? Uh oh,' Danny thought, eyes widening, seeing no way out of this now.
A guard approached Danny while holding a small scanning unit in his hoof. "Please remain still, mister. If you know what is good for you."
Danny closed his eyes as the guard scanned him, already expecting the worst.
"All clear, no ectos," the guard called out.
"Wait, what?" Danny asked, genuinely confused.
"I said, you're clear. No ectoplasmic traces found on you," he repeated. "I guess the ghost possessed his shadow. This is troubling, we have no record of them being able to do that," he said to the other guards.
"Wait, you said there is no ghost near me?"
"Yes. Look, I know that you are shaken right now, but the ghost is gone. We hit it mighty hard with those blasters of ours, so don't worry," he said as he helped Danny up, while Danny only nodded dumbly.
"Alright, everypony. I'm sorry for this, but you all need to come with us for questioning. Once again, apologies, but this is now an investigation into how this ghost got past the shields back on Earth, and all the way into here. So, if you would all follow us."
Danny, mind going million miles an hour, quietly followed the rest of the group. All the while, a single question ran through his mind: 'How did that scanner not detect me?'
Glancing down at his shadow, he could feel the fragment that controlled the shade back in his own consciousness. Knowing that, even though it wasn't showing, his shadow was staring back at him.
<<>><<>><<>>
Several years ago. Shortly after Johnny Thirteen's possession.possession.
Danny was freaking out. Before him sat his shadow, sitting like he was.
At first his shadow acted as if on its own, but after getting up and taking a more three-dimensional shape, it acted like a shadow should. Mirroring the movements of its caster, only in three dimensions instead of a flat image on the ground.
It behaved exactly like Danny was, only in mirror image; almost as if Danny was looking at a very dark reflection of himself, only less detailed.
After several moments, Danny slowly returned to his senses. "Wha-... what? You're my shadow?!" He said, pointing at the shade with a trembling hand. The shadow pointed its hand back at Danny, mirroring his movement.
Danny jerked back his hand, and the shadow did the same.
"What happened? What caused this?" he said, barely above a whisper.
He slowly raised his arm again, carefully reaching out to his shadow, arm trembling.
His shadow copied the movement, trembling and all.
As their hands drew near, Danny expected to move right through his shadow, but was startled to feel resistance when he touched his darker counterpart's hand.
He yelped out in fright as the shadow acted on its own again, grabbing him by the wrist.
Danny struggled to release himself, but in vain as the hold on his arm was too strong.
"Let go of me!" He yelled, and was surprised when the shadow released him.
Looking in surprise at his arm, then his shadow, he saw the shadow mirroring his movements once again.
"Did this happen because I possessed Johnny?" He asked.
Silence was his only answer.
Suddenly, without warning, his shadow fell flat on the ground and returned to its rightful place with Danny. Firmly connected to him from the ground up, just a flat image.
'I need to find help, and quick.' Danny thought, staring at his shadow.
<<>><<>><<>>
Danny flew towards the only one he knew might have some answers, the one who had helped him when his ice powers manifested. Frostbite.
Flying as fast as he could towards the frozen lands where Frostbite and his people 'lived', he couldn't help but warily look down at the snow and ice-covered ground, making sure his shadow was still there.
Sure enough, there it was.
Sighing out in part relief and part frustration for the mess he got himself into, he continued his flight to the village just up ahead.
Nearing the edge of the village, Danny opted to walk the last distance, only to hesitate with the landing; warily looking at his shade, expecting it to make a sudden move on its own.
"Lost something?" A gruff voice asked humorously, startling Danny, and he promptly dropped down in the snow. "Oh my, I am terribly sorry, oh Great One. I didn't mean to scare you."
"Frostbite," Danny said as he recognized the yeti like ghost standing over him. "It's all right. In fact, it's great that you're here. I need your help, something has happened to me and I don’t know what to do with it."
"Then come to my village, and let's discuss your trouble in a somewhat warmer place," Frostbite replied seriously, but eager as he gestured for Danny to follow him.
<<>><<>><<>>
"So, tell me. How can I be of assistance? Has it to do with the infi-map you carry with you?"
"No.. Well, yes.. kinda. Look, long story short. Some ghost got his hands on the map and I tried to get it back. He sent his shadow after me to keep me from getting the map back, and I was already frustrated because I didn't have the time for that. I need to find Sam, but-" Danny said in a rush, making the words blur into each other until he was interrupted.
"So, the rumors are true, then? Your mate has died?" Frostbite asked sadly. "And you wish to use the map to find her, correct?"
"She is no-.... Yes, yes she did. But that is not why I am here."
"It isn't?"
"No. Look, something has happened to me, and I don't know what. My shadow, it's... it's, I don't know, it moves on its own. Does things on its own. A moment ago it held me by my wrist," Danny said, panicked.
Frostbite looked at Danny with shock and surprise. "How do you mean, your shadow acts on its own? It's right there, doing nothing," he commented, pointing at Danny's shadow.
"I don't know, it just did things on its own, then it went back like this. I thought that maybe it might have something to do with me possessing Johnny Thirt-"
"WAIT! You possessed a ghost!?" Frostbite roared in shock.
"Yes, it was the only thing I could do to get the map back from him without a fight."
"And did this ghost have a shade specter?" Frostbite asked lowly, seriously.
"If by that, you mean a shadow that moves on its own. Then, yes," Danny nodded.
Frostbite didn't say anything. Instead, he looked at Danny's shadow with a studying gaze.
Lifting his claw, he channeled a small amount of energy into it. A glowing piece of ice grew in the palm of his claw, and he held it above Danny's shadow, the glow illuminating the room.
At first, nothing seemed to happen. But then, a ripple occurred in the shade. Glowing green eyes formed in its head and it brought its hands up to shield himself from the glow.
Frostbite inhaled sharply as he reared back, knowing what had happened.
"I think I might have some answers for you as to what has happened, Great One. But you must understand the severity of the situation you find yourself in."
"What do you mean, severity? How more severe could this be? My shadow is moving on its own."
"It goes farther than that, I'm afraid. You see, you possessed a ghost. A ghost who wields a shade specter. Because of that, you yourself have become a wielder of a shade."
"WHAT!? How?"
"You must know that ghosts never possess ghosts. It's most dangerous. You see, if a ghost possesses a mere mortal, our body and energy shifts and molds itself to fit within whomever it is that is being possessed. It does this so it is accepted by the body, instead of rejected. But if we possess another ghost, our spectral energy clash. This happens because they, too, try to match the one you try to possess, and in doing so, create a dangerous situation."
"How do you mean, dangerous situation?" Danny asked, warily.
"Because ghosts, in essence, are all the same. And when our powers shift to match something which, at the basic level, is identical, many different, and often very dangerous possibilities can happen," Frostbite explained. "Think of us ghosts as the snow outside. From a distance, it all looks the same. But when you look at things up close, you will see just how different each and every flake is. Just like us ghosts. From a distance, we are all the same. We share many of the same, basic abilities. Whether this is flight, intangibility, or invisibility. But when you look up close, no ghost is the same. Each has their own unique abilities, powers vastly different from one another. Yet, just like the snow, it all comes from the same source. Like snow, in all its incredible shapes and forms, is nothing more than frozen water, we ghosts are, at the most basic level of our being, exactly the same," Frostbite told Danny, who could only stare at the giant with slightly unfocused eyes, a headache starting to form.
Noticing this, Frostbite clarified. "Look at it like this. Each ghost has their special ability, whether this is hunting, writing, or the ice shaping my kind and you have. Each power is unique to its wielder, but the source of that power is the same. So if our powers shift to match that which is basically the same, it can have some strange, unexpected results. Tell me, can you still use your ice shaping?" Frostbite asked.
"Eh, I think so. Hold on, let me try." Danny's eyes glowed an ice blue, and a small lump of ice formed in his hand.
"Interesting," Frostbite mused upon seeing Danny use his ice shaping.
"What, what is interesting?"
"It seems that something very rare has happened to you. Tell me, what happened precisely when you possessed this other ghost?"
"Okay. Well Johnny was driving off at high-speed on his bike, while I was fending off his shadow. Then I remembered something about ghosts being able to possess other ghosts, and I decided to possess Johnny so I could stop him, and retrieve the map that he had taken. So I possessed him, but he forcefully pulled me out of his body mid-possession. I was lying on the ground after that, unable to move for a while because of the pain I was in."
"You were pulled out during the possession?"
"Yes, why?"
“It would seem that you have been both very lucky, and very unlucky. You were removed from the host before any alterations could be made to your own powers, but the shifting of your power has made a change within your being. You copied this Johnny's special talent, making it your own. But with a twist, if I'm not mistaken. The change was interrupted before it could be fully completed, and thus, leaving you with a partial shade specter. Where a full specter is its own being, capable of independent acts of its own, albeit within the commands given by their wielder, yours is more of a shell, and is still connected to your mind. Most likely your subconscious, seeing how it is only acting on reflex. I believe that this partial specter is a small fragment of your mind, transferred to your shadow, giving it its abilities. But, as of now, it is only acting on reflex and impulse alone. You need to learn to control your mind, if you want to control your shadow. And, if possible, retract the fragment of your mind back to the rest of your consciousness. It will make your shade into a shadow again, but this fragment will be with you forever. It has become a part of you, and you must learn to control it, or it will control you," Frostbite explained with heavily weighing implications, and Danny gulped as he looked down at his shadow, seeing it stare back at him.
<<>><<>><<>>
Present Day
As Danny went through an intense round of twenty questions by the guards of the tear facility, he recalled the days he spent training his shadow and mental capabilities. Mainly the part to remove the fracture of his mind from the shadow, not liking the idea of his shadow acting on its own, just because he let his mind wander.
He recalled the small, fleeting feeling of triumph when he learned to control his shade to some extent. It was possible for him to control the shadow with mere thoughts, but only if it was close enough. The link between his full mind and the fragment grew weaker over distance and, the further the shadow moved away from him, the less stable it became; until it passed a point where the link would break and his shadow vanished, only to reappear at Danny's feet.
He didn't like this. He always tried to be the good guy. Sure, he might have used his powers for a few questionable things every now and then.....
But to steal someone's powers. Well, copy it. Still, he never wanted that. Then again, there were many regrets he found he was now forced to live with. A crushing weight always following him wherever he went.
He just hoped things would be better here… As soon as he managed to get out of this interrogation, that is.
As it was now, he was in for a long, unpleasant round of questions where he had to be very careful with what he said.
As far as they knew, he was merely an innocent bystander, who just so happened to have his shadow possessed. He needed them to keep believing that and saying the wrong thing, reveal a detail he couldn't have known, and everything would come falling down on top of him.
‘Yeah, what a great start I’m having now,’ he thought sourly.
<<>><<>><<>>
"Sir, you have a new message on your private terminal," an artificial woman's voice announced.
"Not now, Karen. I'm busy," a dark skinned man replied, busy working on the latest design of the Specter Speeder.
"Sir, it's labeled as urgent, with a type seven security protocol embedded into it. Also, it came from a portable scanning station past a tear"
This made him halt his work. A type seven security was the highest level there was, rarely used. But never had any of those rare few protocol messages been delivered to his private terminal, nor would they ever, unless...
"Show me," he said, and the designs for the new craft were replaced with a command box requesting a password to open the message.
Typing in the password, and almost slamming down the enter key, he almost gasped out at what he saw. A text log telling him the scanner responsible for the message had found the unique ecto pattern programmed into its memory unit.
Only two ghosts had this pattern, and he knew where the second was.
"Danny," the man whispered, picking up a photo of him in his teenage years. With him were two more teens, all smiling, all together… All alive.
"It's a good thing I programmed those portable devices to ignore you, old friend," Tucker spoke to the photo. "Karen, which tear exactly did the signal originate from."
"From the Teru a Newon facility, sir," the A.I. answered, and Tucker blinked dumbly at the name.
"You're kidding, right?"
"Negative, Sir. That is not part of my programming."
"And where does it lead to?"
"To the city of Canterlot."
"Right, right. Okay, is the tear still open?"
"Negative, the tear closed five minutes and thirty six seconds ago."
He sighed out in reply to this news. “Okay, keep a close watch on this tear, report any ghost activity near it, but keep it in a hidden file on my ghost drive. I don't want others to find out about this, not yet. I need to be sure it's him."
"Yes sir," the A.I. replied as Tucker swirled his chair around, facing the window behind him.
"Danny, I hope that wherever it is you're going, you're happy," Tucker spoke with lowered voice, staring out of the window, watching the city before him, covered underneath a shimmering dome known as the ghost shield.
“Nothing has been the same since you’ve left. Nothing at all.”
And here we have chapter two.
I hope you like what I have come up with and enjoy the read.
As usual, let me know about any mistakes I've made, or any change that should be made.
Telling me what you liked is also welcome. 
Powerdrainer.
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Wow. 12k. Longer than the last one.
Why? Why must you write an even longer chapter and STILL not have him in Equestria yet?
2690259 Just so that you know, Danny is in Equestria.
It is in the last part, yes. But he did cross to the other side.
2690282I know he is... but it's there for like, one sentence. I mean, why would you write so much just to stop when he got to Equestria?
2690292 Did I stop writing? Huh, I didn't know the story was already complete. Strange?
Great chapter.
2692959You didn't. You just stopped writing the chapter.
Imagine the joy on that old man's face when he realized that he gets paid to say this.
Awesome!
Danny Phantom is one of my favorite shows of my childhood (which was like seven years ago)
3845624
I don't get it.
4294369 Tear you a new one, as in "tear you a new asshole"
Hey, Tucker didn't do too bad for himself, did he?
Also 'Earl Mackelbee?' 
Seriously? I mean the guy is kind of a joke, but even he doesn't deserve that!
Damn it, another story that seems promising, but gets worse over time...
DAMN IT!
4810042 seems fitting... xD
Maybe I'm missing some prerequisite writing, but this seems....forced? The writing concerning the situation between Equestria and Danny's world comes off as more of a "you should already know what happened" rather than "you will learn what happened" vibe
And the possession thing just comes across as stuffing another power for reasons. Danny knew the consequences of possessing a ghost from Poindexter and from his evil future; and even if he was on edge from the hunt for Sam, Danny could have just wailed on Johnny with his conventional powers instead for the map
just asking... but is everything meant to be central?
And love this DP is one of the best cartoons in history in my opinion, and mixing it up with MLP (though we haven't gotten there yet) I think I'm going to like it
That is of course, if my mind, and distractedness keeps me at it.
5827597 Wait, wut?! Damn it, a broken center tag. Thanks for informing me about this.
I thought Danny said Ponyville...
"Today is going to be another great day. I just know it."
DOES NO ONE STUDY MURPHY'S LAW?
Remove the 4
7301037 Thanks.
Okay, some of my questions have been answered. Cool. I'm a bit disappointed that the humans don't turn into ponies and vice versa but meh, it's your story. Also, I'm guessing that the second unique ecto pattern is Vlad. I grow curious as to what will happen next.
He didn't want to do this, as doing it would make it permanent.
Moving further and further back in the life of Earl
They stopped laughing, however, when Earl returned to work the next day, with pale blue skin and a glow around his body, hovering slightly above the ground with boxes of various sizes floating around him.
It just means that you spend your time bringing joy to others.
Sighing, he looked around him, seeing several other people sitting in the mostly empty bus.
Why didi I thin of Stargate when I heard embarkation room.
(/°♡°)/ ~☆
No creo que la profecía fuera necesaria. Con que Sam muriera y su espíritu fuera destruido habría sido suficiente
7301289
No, its two ghosts with the same ecto pattern, so its Danny and Dani.
Why the heck do you keep on adding new backstory instead of summarizing it and keeping the pov on the main story?!