79Dead: the first word that passed through Danny Phantom's mind. I'm dead. He shivered, a strange and distant feeling, like he was but wasn't present. He wondered if that should concern him. Then he wondered why it didn't. A possible answer flickered like a wan light in the back of his head, trying (so it seemed) to get his attention. He made an attempt (he did, right?) but his arm fell short and when it went down the force dragged him along with it (right?)
He swore under his breath—at least he tried—but his voice weighed like, well, a weight on his tongue and left him only garbled words. What the hell? He thought and flinched because the phrase rang louder than church bells inside his head and this brought him back to those first words, the ones that yanked him from nothingness into a single seamless black: I'm dead.
He had to be dead. His last memory still burned his brain like the fatal blast he'd faced as his older, crueler self burned away final moments. Except, he thought suddenly, weak and not at all sure of himself, except he swore he'd heard a voice beyond that—several voices, voices he knew—calling to him, calling his name, calling…
"Danny?"
Like that.
"Danny, can you hear me?" A sensation like the wrinkling of one's nose passed over his face and a feeling akin to confusion stirred within him. The light, the one from before reappeared, only brighter and (was he imagining things?) closer, too. I'm dead. I have to be. But he reached for the light all the same: this time, his fingers brushed the surface.
"Danny, hey…hey there you are." Jazz Fenton murmured. She sat by his bed, leaning against the wall in a chair she'd stolen from the kitchen. She'd been this way for the last three days, draped in lounge clothes and a messy ponytail while bruise-colored shadows hung from her eyes. Her broken arm still nestled snuggly in its sling. Three days spent watching. Three days spent worrying. Three days waiting on a razor's edge for the scales to tip either way. When Danny finally stirred her weary heart leaped. "J…Jazz?" Danny croaked.
"Yeah," Jazz said. She smiled, a soft, sincere smile. "Welcome back."
Danny blinked his blue eyes, eyes that while muddled already held a spark of life. Thank goodness.
"Where… am I?" Danny asked, struggling to form the words.
"At home," Jazz said. She leaned forward and slowly, carefully, stroked her brother's hair. Beneath his bangs Danny's brow slid down his nose. His eyes roved from her face to her cast.
"I…I missed something, didn't I."
"A little," Jazz hummed. "Nothing too exciting."
"Jazz…"
"Okay, maybe it was a little exciting." She teased, gentle and fond. "Don't worry about that, now. You just woke up."
Danny's eyes narrowed. "You…you realize that's going t-to make me worry more, don't you?"
"Worth a try." Jazz took her hand away, now ruffling through her own hair. Three days and still she hadn't decided what to tell him. One side of her vouched to tell all while the other made note of his condition and dangerous stubborn streak. How many times had he called out his older self to take his life instead of hers? She nearly shuddered to think of it. No, she'd have to breach the subject delicately, maybe shy away from the fatal circumstances and ease into them later on. After he'd had more time to recover.
If Danny sensed her dilemma he didn't say, but his next question seemed to indicate he'd picked up on something."Can you t…tell me this at least?" He asked. Without waiting for an answer he said: "is he…did you kill him?"
Kill. She still didn't like that word. Kill, die, it was all the same and all served to remind her of what she'd nearly lost. Exhaustion crept back into her face when she answered him. "Yeah. We—beat him. It's over."
She watched him work through the emotions on his face: from disbelief to amazement to resigned relief to…was that skepticism? "H-how?" Jazz shrugged.
"I told you. A lot happened." Danny's frown deepened.
"And..?"
"And you're going to be fine," Jazz assured him. "We all are. That's what matters."
Doubt lingered in the corners of his eyes and Jazz prepared herself for a comeback. She didn't need it. Danny sighed deeply, closing his eyes again. "I'm glad."
"Me too." They shared one blissful silent second together, then her brother spoke up again.
"H-hey Jazz?"
"Yeah?"
"…thank you." Jazz's mouth opened. Then it closed. She'd heard him right. She knew she heard him right and after everything a thank you only made sense. That said, she hadn't actually expected it, hadn't even considered it in the crazy whirlwind they'd been swept up in of late. That he felt the need to thank her warmed her heart and pushed her smile into a full grin.
"You're welcome," she told him. "That's what sisters are for."
"Yeah," Danny sighed and then he paused before adding: "I'm starting to realize that." His eyes opened. "Jazz, I…I hope you know I mean it. Without you I'd…" he trailed off, expression twisting in a grimace. Jazz touched his shoulder.
"It's okay. I understand."
"I don't think you do. I…" He looked away as if in thought. "I don't remember everything I said out there," He admitted quietly. "But I know I mentioned the danger you were in at least once." He offered a small and sheepish smile of his own. Jazz blew out a puff of faint laughter.
"You might have," she said. "I don't blame you, I was really in over my—"
"That's not what I-I meant." Danny stopped again and by the following inhale Jazz guessed he'd done so to gather his breath. Concern skittered across her brain. She squeezed his shoulder.
"Don't strain yourself, okay? Whatever you're going to say, it can wait."
"No," Danny breathed, "It can't. Jazz…you really…held your own out there…for me."
"I know," she murmured. "I told you, that's what sisters—"
"Jazz."
"Sorry." She sat up straighter. "Okay. I'm listening. Promise." Did he just roll his eyes at her? He absolutely did, Jazz thought and whatever lingering fears she felt scurried away. If weren't a sign of improvement she didn't know what was.
"Look," Danny said, "I'm trying to ask you if you'll continue…helping me. As a half-ghost." Jazz's eyes nearly popped out of her head. This time her mouth stayed open.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Are you sure?" Jazz pressed. This…this was a step way beyond gratitude. She held her own out there alright; if reinforcements hadn't shown up she might have joined Danny in an almost-bitter-end. But they had shown up and together they'd secured a brighter outcome. It left Jazz with much to consider.
"I thought you'd push me to get rid of my ghost powers," Jazz told him honestly. She understood now, after all. Understood more than ever the gravity he'd dealt with on a daily basis.
"I was going to," admitted Danny. "But after everything…"
"After everything I agree," Jazz finished gently. "You could use an extra hand. Besides, I think we make a pretty good team." That earned her a smile and there he was, a ghost (no pun intended) of the old Danny already on his way back.
She meant to say more, comment on it, suggest in small ways he might help her expand on her own powers but a cold gasp and wisp of blue smoke cut her off—cut them both off it looked like. Jazz jumped to her feet. They would make a good team, she knew but until then Jazz Fenton (Jazz Phantom) had to continue flying solo.
"You-you sure you got this?" Danny questioned. "You're still hurt." Jazz stepped away from her chair. She nodded to her arm.
"What this? I'll be fine…but thanks," she added.
"Be careful, Jazz."
"I will," Jazz promised, then to herself said: Transform. Her aqua eyes flashed ghostly green and on cue the glowing rings appeared. A black and white uniform took the place of her comfort clothes, emblazoned with the letters 'JP.' Her orange ponytail unfurled and fanned out in loose white hair behind her, held in place by her black headband. It was with pride and renewed vigor Jazz Phantom rose into the air. Before she exited the room Danny called her back.
"You s-still owe me that conversation," he told her. Jazz winked at him.
"I know," she said, then willed herself intangible. She didn't miss the look on her brother's face as she phased through the ceiling.
Jazz figured exiting through the roof would minimize any distraction. Plus it provided an ample aerial view: with any luck, she'd spot the potential poltergeist first. Of course, that would really only come in handy if she remembered the darn Fenton Thermos but no, she'd left it behind yet again.
"You've got to be kidding me," Jazz muttered to herself. She gave the area a quick glance-around: was there time to double back for it? I'm really going to have to get a handle on this. Otherwise Danny would never let her hear the end of it. Her ghost sense escaped again, answering her dilemma for her. No thermos it is. Jazz spun around, her good arm balled in a tight fist. "…Ember?"
"Hi." Ember Mclain floated a short distance away, arms folded and guitar strapped across her back. She raised one hand when she spoke, forming a 'hang ten' (or was it 'hang loose?') sign.
"Hi?" Jazz echoed. "What are you doing here?" She hadn't seen Ember since that first night following the future Phantom's defeat. She'd learned a lot that night: first and foremost that Technus apparently trusted his former leader about as much as Ember—which to say wasn't all that much because after a thorough search they indeed found an antidote. It sat on a shelf in a capped test tube, a test tube that looked like many others lined up next to it. Unwilling to gamble the ghost girls opted for the whole set.
Thank goodness Clockwork hadn't wondered off; if Jazz were truthful with herself she didn't have quite enough faith to believe they'd pick the right vial on the first go. She was smart, but intelligence only went as far as knowledge: there was a lot yet she had to learn about this otherworldly realm.
Jazz waited for Ember to speak; when she finally did it was preceded by a shrug. "I don't know. I was in the neighborhood I guess."
Jazz's eyes narrowed. "Really? Sure you weren't checking up on everyone?"
"Uh yeah," Ember scoffed. "I don't do that."
"Okay fine, you don't do that," Jazz echoed. Did she believe the other girl? Not really. She also wasn't looking for a fight. Play it smart, Jazz. "Is there something I can help you with? Since you're here?"
Just like before, Ember shrugged. "Since I'm here," she snipped. "If you wanna tell me how close we are to avoiding the end of the world, that'd be great."
I knew it. "I think we're out of the woods," Jazz said with a smile. "Danny just woke up."
"What, now?"
"Well yeah. We didn't know how long it would take for the antidote to work." Had she crossed a line, sharing this with the other ghost girl? Maybe…but Jazz's life was full of maybes lately. Maybes and change, and though she couldn't say for sure Jazz suspected she wasn't the only one for whom this occurred. For that reason, Jazz Phantom decided to roll the dice again.
"By the way," she asked carefully. "You never did tell me what Clockwork meant the other day. About, you know, Danny's human half." Ember stiffened.
"Oh yeah…that," she grumbled. "You still remember, huh?"
"Of course I do. He's my brother—you didn't explain how you know that, either." A sour look crossed Ember's face.
"You wouldn't rather leave it up to mystery?" The way she said it suggested she'd very much prefer Jazz took that route. Sorry, not gonna happen. The halfa-girl said none of this aloud, swallowing her determination and adopting a friendlier tone. Maybe (that word again) maybe the time had come to extend more than a temporary truce.
"Come on, tell me" Jazz said. " It can't be that bad."
"It's not," Ember huffed, "but it's not pleasant to think about, either."
"I believe you…but I kind of really need to know this. For the future." That got Ember's attention. Something like discomfort flickered across the blue-haired ghost's face. It lingered even after she rolled her eyes.
"Fine. Just remember, you asked for it."
It wasn't a long story, and began shortly after they'd parted ways on the roof. Jazz had flown off towards what turned out to be the future Phantom and Ember returned to the Ghost Zone. She hadn't gone back to their so-called headquarters and wouldn't before teaming up with Jazz. Instead, Clockwork appeared and it was through him Ember learned what she did.
"I still don't know why he didn't just do it himself," said the blue-haired ghost. "Would've saved us a lot of trouble."
"No kidding," Jazz agreed. She'd been wondering about that, too. Why a ghost with Clockwork's power went out of his way to track down not only one of her brother's enemies but show her the future she nearly helped create. If he had that power all along why go through the extra hassle? The extra risk? It didn't make sense.
"What about Danny?" Jazz asked.
"What about him?"
"Ember."
"Right, you still want to know what happened to him." The rockstar ghost spoke in a tone halfway between sarcastic and reluctant. Was the answer really so bad?
It was—well it was but it wasn't. Somehow the older (alternate) Danny Phantom found a way to suppress the ghost side of his younger self while a man-made (or ghost-made in this case) virus ate away his human half. And it was a half, Jazz learned for without it Phantom had nothing to fall back on when Ember injected him. His ghost side, his only side deteriorated quickly as a result. There was something sad in that, Jazz thought. A tragic poetic irony: that this awful thing he worked so hard to insure proved his undoing in the end. Not for the first time she found herself wondering if this in some way—however subtly and/or unconsciously—stemmed from that restless emptiness all ghosts seemed to suffer. Without a human side, didn't that technically mean the older Phantom was…?
"Hey Ember?"
"What."
Jazz paused. She inhaled a slow breath, then let it out. "Have you given anymore thought to what we talked about before? About playing your guitar?" Her green eyes flit to the instrument slung over Ember's back.
The other girl stared at her, obviously not expecting the sudden turn in conversation. "I…uh..."
Her stumbling came to a halt as two new voices floated up from the ground. Jazz glanced down, not terribly surprised to see Sam and Tucker approaching Fenton Works, chatting among themselves. They'd been by every day since bringing Danny home and Jazz knew they'd be thrilled by the recent update. I should probably go back inside, she thought. She looked back at Ember and found that the other girl, too, watched the teens below. She noticed Jazz staring and reeled herself back in.
"I didn't see anything," Jazz said, holding her good arm.
"Good," Ember warned, "because there's nothing to see."
"Of course not." Jazz smiled. Ember's eyes narrowed.
"I think it's time I go."
"Fair enough," Jazz replied. "I've gotta get going, too." She hovered back, allowing Ember space as the other girl's fiery ponytail surged and wrapped around her body. Before vanishing, Ember met her grin with a smirk of her own.
"By the way," she said. "Tell Tucker I think he's right. I'd make a killer rockstar."
"I will," Jazz said, and then Ember was gone, disappeared in the flurry of blue flames. Still, Jazz didn't move right away. A week ago she never would've dreamed working alongside any of the ghosts frequenting Amity Park, much less holding a civil conversation. Funny how things change.
Jazz lowered herself towards the roof. True, Ember was one among many troublesome poltergeists but wasn't that how change began? With enough time and patience, maybe other lost souls would hang up their old ways in search of something better. Danny did. Ember seemed on her way as well. Another thought occurred to her then, one that rang through her memory in a voice not her own. 'I told you,' Clockwork said. 'All will be revealed in Time.'
"I guess he was right." Jazz mused and then she willed herself intangible, dropping down into her brother's room. The future was wide open.
A/N: I can't believe I made it this far! One more little epilogue and then that's it!
Thanks so much to everyone who followed along, old and new readers alike. I hope you've enjoyed this fanfic; I know I've enjoyed sharing it with you all 3