The Mishaps of the Equestrian Portal

by JuneLuxray2

Grounded

Danny didn't want to get up the next morning. He had taken another late night trip to Canterlot in the early morning hours. However, this time he was almost positive no one or pony had caught him. The boy felt ill; by now he knew he was developing a nasty cold but was determined not the show it. Claim it to be allergies again. He would have to be a fantastic thespian, but he believed he could hide his illness and his fatigue from his family.

He still struggled to drag himself out of bed. Soon, however, somepony pulled him out of bed for him. His eyes went wide as a tingling sensation tickled him and lifted the blankets off of him. He blinked his eyes open to see his parents and Twilight Sparkle in his room, all giving him cross looks. Twilight lifted up a few photos with her magic and passed them to Danny, who gripped them and looked.

It was a few pictures of Danny flying in Canterlot just the previous night, looking very tired. "Where did you get these?" Danny asked incredulously.

"From Princess Luna," Twilight answered, "you seem to have forgotten she rules the night. She happened to see you flying around Canterlot and snapped some pictures for us. Your sister saw them and informed your parents that you did a late night patrol the day before yesterday and was pulling another all-nighter in Equestria."

"Jazz, you snitch..." Danny muttered to himself. Maddie approached and put a hand on her son's forehead.

"You're very warm; you haven't been getting any rest. You've literally worried yourself sick. Danny, you're grounded and you're staying home. No ghost hunting. No more trips to Equestria until further notice."

Danny gaped. "What? C'mon!" he complained. "I was just doing my job as a superhero!"

"Danny, what did Twilight lecture you about yesterday?" Jack asked, narrowing his eyes. "You and I both know what it was. We've decided for your punishment that while you're getting better and yes, not going to school, Twilight will be tutoring you on homework and your finals."

"Dad-"

"No."

Twilight smirked. "And because you find it such a torture to be tutored, I've decided to up my tutoring time from two hours to three hours a day. I already began fixing my schedule to do that with you. This is or your own good, Danny. Oh, and I have a letter for you from Princess Celestia and Shining Armor. I'll see you at three thirty, when your friends bring home your homework for you."

"One last thing, Danny-boy," Jack said, "if you sense a ghost, tell us. We'll handle it."

"If you try to go handle it yourself, however," Maddie said, "Twilight said Princess Celestia sent her a spell that should be able to completely obstruct your powers for a day at a time and she can do it over and over again."

Danny was speechless. His mouth opened and closed as he searched for words to protest, and alas gave up after a few minutes and simply pouted. Maddie pulled the blanket over her son again and they left. After they left, Danny took out the letter and read it.

"Dear Daniel Fenton,

This is an official order to stand down until you are given the all clear to defend Equestria again. Since you have acted like a guard for us, you will be treated like one and given this letter to order you to stop. You are not in any trouble, and until you get well and finish with your final exams at your school, your duties are not requested. As Princess Celestia, I have requested for my finest student, Twilight Sparkle, to fulfill the role of a tutor for your exams. I repeat, do not attempt to be a crime fighter until the necessary requirements for reinstatement- final exam completion and an all-clear in health is issued.

Princess Celestia

Shining Armor"

The letter had been signed by both Celestia and Shining Armor. Danny scowled and tossed the letter aside in frustration. "They need me," Danny thought, "So why are they saying no to who they need help from? They're all just overprotective..."

The boy sighed and went to sleep, his lethargy taking over. No one noticed a miniscule camera shaped like a fly honing in and listening to the conversation just outside the window. After a few minutes of the others leaving, it made a small beep and flew up through the window and through the house until it reached the lab, where it exited through the ghost portal to return to the one who sent it off.

---

It had been time for Jack and Maddie to take a trip up to Canterlot to see how the portal was moving along. The day had been long in the city. Measuring and calculating over and over again and building and fussing over the lock. It took a courageous scientist or engineer to even approach the portal, but they had finally started rebuilding again.

On the way out, Maddie and Jack took their usual stop at Pony Joe's shop, bone-tired. Joe had been happy to see them, and gave them their favorites. It was then Joe brought up a topic known too well to the Fentons. "So, heard about this whole ghost thing that's going on?" he asked. Jack restrained himself from going on excitedly about ghosts, and Maddie nodded.

"Of course we have."

"So what do you folks think they are? Ghosts or somethin' else? Where do ya think they come from?"

Jack further restrained himself, but let out some information. "Ah, we're...um...not sure ourselves. However, I definitely think they're ghosts." He covered his mouth, alarmed; he had not even thought he would reveal so much as that. Thankfully, Joe just nodded.

"My thoughts, too. Makes me think that even more coming from physicists. I wonder how long they've been here...I wonder why they're surfacing all of a sudden." Suddenly he paused. "Jack, mind if I see your cutie mark again?"

The day-glow orange unicorn recoiled. "Um...why do you need to see that? It's nothing of importance. You know my special talent." Sweat visibly dropped down his head. Joe shrugged.

"Just 'cause. What do you got to hide?"

Jack reluctantly turned himself to be in better position to view before quickly snapping back after a split second. "There, ya saw it, Joe, you know my special talent is physics, of course. I told you that the ghost is, um...a representation of how I prove things once thought impossible to be true or untrue, like...er...ghosts!" He grinned awkwardly. Maddie face-hoofed and Joe snorted.

"Jack, how stupid do you think I am? I ain't the brightest unicorn in the world, but...your special talent isn't about physics, is it?" Joe asked flatly. Jack groaned in defeat.

"No. My special talent is ghost hunting and studying ghosts. Ghost stuff. Stuff I always want to talk about out loud, to blabber on all about ghosts. My daughter calls it my 'sick obsession with ghosts.' Please, Joe, you can't-"

"I'm not going to say anything." Joe said and then winked. "Your secret is safe with me. I never suppose I really did believe you when you said it had to do with physics. Why keep it secret though?"

Maddie spoke up. "Ah, the other place we lived in he did do that...and everypony thought we were crazy. We even had a giant neon sign on our home that said FENTONWORKS. Then ghosts came. Have you seen those thermoses that suck in ghosts that now the guards have? We made those."

"You guys made them? Oh ho ho, no way! This is cool...are you also behind the guns some of the guards have?"

"Yep." Jack said proudly, now relieved. "We invent all sorts of anti-ghost equipment."

"I might look into that if more ghosts come...would be nice to protect my shop," Joe commented, "Anyhow, do you know where they're coming from?"

"The ghosts?" Maddie tapped her hoofs, thinking of an excuse. "Ah...of course not. We're still researching that."

Joe didn't look very convinced, but dropped the subject. "Okay then. Just one last question, then...do you know anything about Danny Phantom, that new ghost colt that's been all over the news?"

Both jumped. Jack's ears flipped back. "Ah, um, kind of! We're, um-"

"-partners! Yes. You've seen how he has some of our equipment, namely the Fenton thermos." Maddie finished. Joe smiled.

"He's cool. Hey, Jack, you should tell me more sometime about ghosts. Sounds interesting."

Jack's eyes lit up. "R-really?"

"Of course!"

The stallion practically jumped for joy. "Oh, I will tell you everything you could ever want to know! This is so great! Usually nopony wants to listen to me go on about 'em, not even my kids!"

Maddie smiled. "He's not used to somepony being interested in our work. Usually they just shrug it off and call us crazy."