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the-random-phan · 2 years

Text

POV History Lesson

aka Ectoberhaunt Day 24- Past

WC: 3796

Ao3

FFnet

Summary:

Danny didn’t really understand what Clockwork wanted from him, this time. Usually when Clockwork gave him a ‘quest,’ it was to retrieve something or otherwise set the timeline back to rights. This time, Clockwork simply told him to have fun and chucked him through a portal. The other side released Danny into the open Ghost Zone. With absolutely no clue what he was meant to do, Danny simply chose a direction and flew.

Needless to say, Danny wasn’t having all that much fun.

The other side of the portal he was rudely shoved into released Danny into the open Ghost Zone. Clocky hadn’t even mentioned what time they were sending him to. It could be dinosaurs or space travel, he had no way of knowing.

With absolutely no clue what he was meant to do, Danny simply chose a direction and flew.

This area of the Zone was pretty well pieced together, with a cohesive landmass spreading beneath Danny. He couldn’t even see the ends. It just kept on going and going. It was like nothing he’d seen before.

Danny felt incredibly alone. It was only his fingers wrapped in the ribbon of Clockwork’s medallion that kept him grounded. (Not literally, of course. The thick forest beneath him was not inviting for a stroll.) He wasn’t sure how long he wandered. It was hard to tell the time when the sky never changed.

But then it did?

It was so gradual, Danny didn’t even notice until the clammy glow of his skin began to glimmer.

Somehow, the sky had darkened. Clouds of ectoplasm still swirled above, but the green was tinged with blue. Small blobs dotted the sky, looking almost like stars.

The sky continued to leak further into darkness, and Danny’s confusion grew.

He had never seen a phenomenon like this before. The GZ sky had always been an eye-burning green, no matter what. It had never given itself to inky black as it appeared now.

The first theory that popped into his head was that maybe this place was simply more connected to the Real World, and was mirroring Earth’s skies. Ectoplasm was easily influenced by ideas. But that couldn’t be possible. Amity Park was about as closely linked to the Infinite Realms as is possible for a mortal town. But the sky never faltered.

Where was he?

Danny was starting to lose hope. His fingers were wrapped around the medallion, ready to rip it off. But Clockwork wouldn’t have sent him here without a reason. ‘Everything is as it should be’ and all that. He just needed to tough it out.

Danny was growing weary, and his eyelids were drooping. More than once, he found himself half asleep and falling from the sky. He would jerk awake immediately and struggle to regain altitude.

Finally, he couldn’t stand it anymore. With a final burst of energy, Danny inspected the ground beneath him. There he found a small cliff overhang, only barely big enough to shelter a body. The entrance was partially hidden by a big bush. But it was perfect. Anything larger and he would run the risk of trespassing into some creature’s home.

Now that he had shelter, Danny finally passed out. He’d been flying for hours and certainly deserved the rest. He passed out almost immediately, and sank into a deep sleep.

Too bad it wasn’t very restful.

What woke Danny first was the crunching of leaves. But he was reluctant to wake. His eyes felt gritty and he was surprisingly toasty, especially for being in his ghost form. Then Danny’s world tilted.

Gravity shifted and Danny was shoved face-first into consciousness. It was so dark that for a moment he thought he still had his eyes closed. Danny tried to stand but his feet slipped. He fell to his knees and was surprised to feel the ground curved beneath him.

Hands probed in the dark and Danny was struck with the realization that he was stuck in a bubble. An opaque bubble. And now that he stilled, he could feel it moving slightly. He was being moved. By who or what? He had absolutely no clue.

Danny tried not to panic, even as his breath picked up.

He was stuck inside a bubble. This was fine. It wasn’t at all claustrophobia inducing. Not in the slightest.

A touch of intangibility produced no results.

Power bubbled up from Danny's core as he made an ectoblast. He didn't discharge it right away, and let the green light cast shadows across his containment. Just as he thought. A bubble. It was small, not even enough room to stand even if he could manage to get to his feet. The surface of the bubble was slick. There was no sort of seam or opening as far as Danny could see.

The blast did nothing against the bubble, just fizzled out when it hit the surface. Damn.

"Hello?" Danny finally called out. The bubble wavered, sending him sliding. Danny tumbled and his funny bone slammed into the ground. He winced and cradled his elbow.

But the bubble didn't disappear, and just continued on after a minute. OK, so he could be heard by… whoever was controlling this thing. Who?

The time, he braced himself before opening his mouth.

"Please, I don't mean any harm!" There was no wavering. He went ignored.

Danny huffed and slid onto his back. He'd find out where they were going, eventually.

It took over 15 minutes for that 'eventually' to come.

His first clue was voices. There was laughter, and crying, and hushed whispers. But the bubble must have muffled them, because Danny couldn't make out anything specific. It was all jumbled.

His second clue came when the bubble popped out of existence.

Danny was jarred, and landed unceremoniously flat on his butt. He didn't even have time to look up before there were four weapons shoved in his face. Each spear's tip glowed menacingly with energy.

Danny gulped. He put his hands up in a placating gesture.

"I'm not a threat, I swear!"

He got a glimpse at his captors' faces and was surprised by what he saw.

Glowing white hair, eyes of every shade, and a distinct human skin tone. Even if they were glowing.

Just like him.

Someone was speaking and oh look at that, Danny couldn't parse out a single word. Major downside of time travel. English was a pretty new language in the grand scale. Or so Danny thought?

The speaker repeated themself, and this time the words somehow slotted into Danny's brain.

"Quis te misit?" Who sent you?

Ignoring the freaky-factor, that was pretty neat. Something clicked, and the next time Danny spoke the words came out weird. His brain talked to his mouth but his mouth had other ideas.

"No one sent me, I'm lost." The words were jumbled in Danny's ears but it seemed the message had gotten across.

It wouldn't do well to mention technically he had been sent here, by Clockwork. Clockwork's name could be a blessing or a curse depending on who heard it. Best not to chance it.

This wasn't Danny's first rodeo.

Weapons did not lower, and if anything their wielders became even more tense. Then they began to speak between themselves, again in that first language that Danny couldn't comprehend. Damn.

As they spoke over his head, Danny took the chance to look around.

They were still in the forest, but a clearing within it. It was still nighttime. They appeared to be in a camp. There were temporary tents interspersed throughout the clearing, and people constantly ducked in and out of them.

People?

There were heads of white and black hair all around him. Some glowed with ghostly light but others' skin was dull. Danny truly doubted himself until he saw a glance of a child transforming. Black hair to white, brown eyes to yellow.

This is a camp of halfas.

There were so many of them! Was this what Clockwork had sent him to witness? That there were others like him? This must be the past. The ghostly halfas were dressed in complex outfits, and decked out in natural mosses and fibers and colorful flowers.

Those who were in human form dressed much more simply, and also had much more of their skin covered. They wore shoes, unlike their ghostly counterparts. Probably because human forms were more fragile. Which, of course, Danny had first-hand experience in.

Ghostly children flew around chasing after each other. One child zapped anyone he got close to with a small ectoblast. A game of tag, maybe? Huh.

Of course, there weren't just children. Some adults watched the children, others stood over fires (some of which burned green, but also pink, blue, and orange). Others still had their gazes locked on Danny himself. Some of them took notice he was there and called for their children, then disappeared into their tents. Danny shifted awkwardly, uneasy at being watched and stirring up trouble.

Danny was apparently at the edge of the camp. Behind him was an expanse of forest.

The ring of people around him seemed to make up their minds.

Something sharp poked Danny in the back and he held back a scream as all-too-familiar tingles ran down his back. The spear glowed a greenish-yellow. Damn electricity.

"Stand." They ordered. Danny did as he was told, and fought past the numbness the shock had sent down his limbs to get to his feet.

Three of the halfas continued to hold their charged spears way too close to his skin to be comfortable. The fourth turned away and started walking.

"Follow." And that he did.

They didn't go very far, and Danny parsed out what was happening pretty quick.

They approached a tent that was much more glamorous than the rest. Their leader? Someone tugged on the front tent flap and the occupant phased out. Human, graying black hair and green eyes. She must have been at least 90, with sunken eyes and skin hanging off her bones. An Elder, it would seem.

She began to speak, first to his entourage and then to Danny himself. He stared blankly at her, and one of the guards stepped forward to explain. When she spoke next, the words clicked.

"Who are you, boy?" She asked gruffly. She leaned heavily on a stick cane.

Danny's mouth was dry as he spoke.

"My name is Danny." He said.

"Why were you on our land?" She questioned. Danny fidgeted with his hands.

"I'm lost. I was tired and stopped to sleep." There was no reason for her not to believe him, but Danny couldn't help but feel nervous. Should he transform, maybe? Could they gain their trust?

What did Danny even want out of this interaction? Did he want them to just let him go, or should he try to weasel his way into their group? He was curious about how they lived. And the fact there were more halfas! How could he forget that little detail?!

Somehow, the Ghost Zone used to have a tribe of halfas. And guessing by the presence of children, either they readily had access to a ghost portal or they were naturally born. His bet was on the second one.

The Elder looked at him suspiciously.

"What is that?" She lifted her cane and poked him in the chest. A strike of fear flashed over him but the medallion stayed put. Danny cradled it in his hand.

"A necklace?" Danny tried his best to sound convincing while speaking a language he wasn't even aware he knew. She didn't look convinced. But she also didn't press.

"Where are you going?" Ah, that one was gonna be a bit harder. Danny wracked his brain for an answer. Careful not to take too long. Even if he probably hesitated more than he should have anyways

"I don't have anywhere to go." Danny bit his lip. The Elder turned away from him and yet again started talking to the guards.

"I'm a halfa, too." He added in a bid of peace. Again the words that came out of his mouth had changed, except 'halfa.' Was it the same in this spooky language?

The Elder did a double take.

"Change!" She demanded and slammed her stick into the ground. The guards all took a step back.

Feeling like a circus act, Danny reverted to human form. White to black and green to blue, just like the halfas he'd seen here. How come they all had black hair? He'd yet to see any blonde or brown.

As the rings dissipated, whispers began to spread. And then become louder and louder. Until a crowd had formed with Danny at its center. He had to cover his ears as the people got louder and louder.

Then it was silent. The Elder banged her stick against the ground and everyone shut up. She looked angry, but her face softened when she looked back at him.

“How old are you?” She asked.

“Sixteen.” Danny replied. Shock spread across the Elder’s face. She walked closer and reached out to him. She cupped Danny’s cheek in her palm. He was kind of taken aback by how quickly her tune changed and he desperately wanted to avoid her hand, but forced himself to stay still. Danny didn’t think he was that young.

“Little one,” She began.

“Where are your family? Why are you alone?” She removed her hand but didn’t step back. Oh no. What could he say to that? They probably thought he was a born halfa too…

“I was raised by humans on Earth. A portal brought me here.” It wasn’t really lying, technically. Just… omission.

The Elder clicked her tongue and whipped around. Her voice was booming as she addressed their crowd.

“This child is ours! Who shall step forward for him?” Wait what? It was that easy? But he wasn’t entirely sure what she meant. Was he about to get halfa adopted?

She repeated it again in that other language. People muttered until finally two stepped forward. Both women were in their ghost forms, white hair and both had green eyes.

“We volunteer!” Shouted the taller of the two. She had long hair that was looped around her waist like a belt.

The Elder nodded. With another word the crowd was dismissed, and the two who had stepped forward came to meet him.

“My name is Grasha.” Said the tall one.

“And I’m Kytrin.” She had short hair and her face was dotted with glowing freckles.

They both had huge smiles on their faces. Danny felt uneasy. He wasn’t really planning on staying long. This was too much.

“I never introduced myself, I apologize. I am Lele.” Said the Elder- Lele.

“Kytrin and Grasha have graciously volunteered to take you in until you are of age.” Then Lele dismissed herself by stepping back into her tent. Leaving Danny standing there awkwardly with Kytrin and Grasha.

“Danny is your name?” Grasha stepped forward and cupped his cheek. Was that a thing with these people?

“Uh, yeah.”

“I’m sorry, but I can't really stick around for very long.” Danny tried to explain. Kytrin just shook her head.

“You are much too young to be alone. We will care for you. You have no reason to leave.” She smiled through it all.

“I’m not really that young.” Danny replied. Kytrin clicked her tongue.

“Of age is 35. You still have a long way to go, boy.”

Danny gaped. What?!

“Do… halfas live longer than humans?” He asked.

Grasha nodded.

“Quite. Lele is nearing 500 years now. I’m 197, and Kytrin is 203.”

”It is such a shame that you had to bear humans for so long of your childhood. You never have to go back to them. You have a place here.” She said kindly. She finally withdrew her hand from his cheek and instead held it out in Danny’s direction. Did she… want him to hold her hand?

This was all so much to take in. He might live to be 500? That. Danny couldn’t even imagine.

When Danny remained frozen to his spot blue-screening for more than 10 seconds, both Grasha and Kytrin took each of his hands. Danny let them drag him along to… wherever they were going.

So by halfa standards he was only like, what, 8? Wow. Yeah, Danny probably wouldn’t want to send an 8 year old off into the forest by themself.

“Your clothing is strange.” Grasha commented. Danny looked down to see his pajamas. Ah, right. Clockwork had called him up in the middle of the night for this quest. Bastard.

They weren’t his strangest pair. It was a good thing he hadn’t worn the button ups that had little ghosts all over them. He had a navy blue t-shirt and a pair of black sweatpants that had been cut into shorts. He wasn’t even wearing socks.

Then again, she could be talking about his ghost form. And he really had no excuses there.

People stared at Danny as they walked past various campsites. But instead of fear, most of what he saw just looked like pity. And a bit of apprehension. But nobody hid their kids from him this time, so that was a win.

“Here.” Said Kytrin. Before them was a tent, like any other.

“Dear?” She asked. Grasha nodded and stepped forward, releasing Danny’s arm. He was confused at what she was doing, until her aura intensified.

The air around them turned green. Foliage and sticks picked themselves off of the forest floor and came to form around Grasha. The tent as it was dissolved, then everything Grasha had gathered wove itself back together.

Danny couldn’t help but gape at the display of power. He could barely pick up a dry erase marker without touching it, let alone use it to write something. He just didn’t have that level of control, nowhere near Grasha’s.

The glow died down as the materials settled into their final form. The radius of the teepee-like tent had been made slightly larger.

Grasha turned around with a proud smile on her face. Kytrin released Danny’s arm to press her forehead to Grasha’s. Danny suddenly felt like he was catching them in what should be an intimate moment. He looked away and shifted on his feet awkwardly.

“I am a Former,” Grasha explained.

“I can manipulate ectoplasm on a somewhat small scale. I couldn’t stop a river but I could bend a tree.” She explained. Huh, that was cool! Sounded like a player class in a video game. Danny wondered if he could learn the same skill.

“And I’m a Healer.” Kytrin held up a hand, and from her fingertips came a dusting of snowflakes.

“I spent many years studying under the people of the Frozen North.” That sounded suspiciously like the Far Frozen. The name, and the part about healing.

“I have ice too,” Danny grinned and decided to show off a little. He held up a hand and put a bit of focus into forming a sculpture of ice. He made a frosty version of their tent.

Kytrin’s jaw dropped. She plucked the sculpture right up out of his hands. She did a double take between it and the tent.

“Your mastery at your age is amazing! Who taught you?” She asked with stars in her eyes. Grasha looked impressed as well.

“I’m mostly self-taught.” Danny said sheepishly. Yes, Frostbite had taught him the basics of his ice powers. But most of the refinement had come from his own trial and error.

Kytrin’s jaw dropped even further, if possible. She fluttered about the palm-sized sculpture and continued to marvel over it. She held it up to the light of a nearby campfire and marveled at how clear it was.

Grasha clicked her tongue.

“I believe it is time for sleep. We must move camp early in the morning.” Grasha explained. Kytrin returned and handed the sculpture back to Danny. He stuck it in the pocket of his pajamas.

Grasha and Kytrin headed for the tent flap, and Danny wracked his brain for any more burning questions.

“Are the halfas here born that way?” He asked suddenly. His adopters took a step back.

“Of course. How else?” Kytrin puzzled.

“I can see you are full of questions, but you can ask them once we have all sat down.” Grasha gestured for them to enter the tent. Ok, sure. That was fine.

The structure looked rather small from the outside, but was spacious enough inside. Within it was absolutely stuffed with pillow-like lumps. Obviously also made of natural supplies. But when Danny plopped down, he found they were actually quite soft. He sunk into them. Kytrin and Grasha settled likewise opposite him. They were close enough to touch, but could probably tell Danny wasn’t that comfortable with them.

Grasha and Kytrin dropped their ghost forms, and Danny wasn’t surprised to see black hair and blue eyes. It almost looked like Danny could be related to them. Especially with the freckles. Maybe he was? This was the past, after all. But he hadn’t been born a halfa.

“What do you ask?” Kytrin invited.

“Do you guys just move around all the time?”

“We have a few permanent camps, and travel between them.” Answered Grasha.

“Are there other groups of halfas?”

“Some.” Said Kytrin.

“But ours is by far the largest. We own a big territory.”

“What… species are the Frozen North people?”

“They have been suited for the cold over time, with large limbs and thick white hair all over their bodies. I do not know the specific name they use.” Kytrin looked kinda disappointed in herself.

“It is our turn.” Grasha chimed in.

“You are from the Human Realm, yes?”

“Yeah.”

“Were your parents halfas?” She said. Danny wasn’t expecting that question. There was concern in Grasha’s eyes.

Danny searched his brain to decide what would be the best answer, but was fortunately saved by the yawn.

“Nevermind. There will be time for questions in the morning.” Grasha conceded. She stretched and then laid beside Kytrin, who was already half out of it.

Lights that Danny hadn’t even realized were up near the top of the tent were extinguished.

“Sleep well,” Grasha wished. Kytrin echoed her a moment later.

Danny couldn’t help but feel a touch of compassion. They had taken him, a really weird kid, in without a second thought. They were so kind. But he would have to leave, eventually. He couldn’t imagine it would be much longer before Clockwork would come for him.

But for now, Danny set that aside. He cozied into the pillow mound and fell asleep quite quickly. There was so much buzzing around in his skull that he was tired of thinking. He conked out and slept hard.

When Danny’s eyes finally snapped open, child form Clockwork stood over him with that gap-toothed smile.

“Did you have fun?”

#EH order #ectoberhaunt22 #day 24 #past #ectober #danny phantom #dp #clockwork dp #dp oc #dp ocs #halfa history hehehehe #my fic

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