Loss

At the mention of the name Vladimir, both Sam and Tucker's doubts about the small fox quickly returned.

"Why would you need to see him?" Sam questioned the fox, suspicion clear on her face

"Vlad is Danny's enemy, not his friend!"

The black fox grew tense, it's exasperation painfully obvious "I told you. He is important to your friend's sanity. If I could, I'd keep him out of it. But I can't."

"I bet you could if were really helping" Sam glared at the ghost, her suspicions still in full force.

"We can argue about this all day, but it won't change that I must find the other half ghost. It will be to your benefit, I assure you." Shade spoke, holding back a growl. Why were these humans so irritating?

"So you say. Prove it." Sam snapped back, scowling at the fox. This was one animal she did not like one bit.

"I don't have to prove anything to you. I can, however make your half-ghost friend believe you are dead. If everything is doomed anyway, I might as well have some fun." A dark smirk lit up the ghost's eyes, deadly serious.

"Sure you can." The gothic girl replied, planning to call his bluff.

In response, the small ghost snickered, clearly amused. "You think I'm bluffing young one? Then why don't you stop snarling at me and look to my right?" he pointed a delicate paw to the right, snickering the whole time like it was a sick joke.

The two friends looked cautiously to the fox's right, but keeping one eye on him incase he tried anything. What the two saw quickly erased their attention on the fox, focusing only on what was on his right. What Sam and Tucker saw was clearly themselves, but also very clearly dead. Limbs mangled, horrid expressions of terror and more, but the two couldn't keep looking. Seeing themselves dead was just too weird and gruesome to comprehend.

"Think I'm bluffing now? Think I'm merely joshing?" Shade growled, banishing the illusions with a flick of his tail. "If I wanted to hurt your friend I wouldn't need Vladimir's help. I could cause far more distress with a fraction of the effort!" the ghost glared at the two, teeth bared in a rather pathetic effort to look more menacing "Tell me where the other half-ghost lives if you value your friendship with Phantom. Or he'll be seeing something rather tragic."

Tucker and Sam glared at the fox, and Sam replied "Threatening us won't get you anywhere."

"Not helping me will also get you nowhere. Unless you count death as a destination."

Tucker looked at Sam and the fox, who would probably keep this up for hours, or until one of them did something unwise. He quickly decided that the best course of action would be to take it into his own hands. Taking a breath and hoping this was the right choice he said "We'll tell you. Just calm down."

"Grown a brain, have we?" Shade grumbled, thoroughly irritated from the verbal battle with Sam. "Tell me then."

"Tucker, what are you doing!" Sam exclaimed. She didn't want to tell this ghost anything that could possibly be useful to him.

"Just let me do this Sam." Tucker whispered to her, before addressing the black fox "Vlad's the mayor of this town now. He lives in a mansion over that way."

"Really now? Last I heard he was in Wisconsin with the Dairy King." Shade's eyes narrowed not exactly trusting this boy's information.

"He had to move. Danny could tell you if you asked him." Tucker answered calmly. "One more thing. You can't leave his house."

"Says who? You? I doubt you could stop me from leaving if I so desired."

"Says the Ghost Shield. You'll have to find another way there."

Shade looked Tucker in the eye, trying to see if he was lying. He seemed sincere, so he was going to have to take the boy's word. Or face the wrath of the crazed girl. Neither was a good option but that was all he had to go on. "I'll take your word for it. Thanks. You'll be glad if this all works out." With that, the fox turned around and dived back into the Ghost Portal, muttering something under his breath.

Tucker looked at Sam and let out a breath he'd been holding "See, now he's gone."

Sam glared at Tucker's relived expression "But now he knows where Vlad is Tucker!"

"I'm sure he would have found it anyway if he was resorting to threatening us." The boy pointed out.

Sam merely glared some more before sighing at looking at the Portal. Where was Danny anyway? Not at school, not here, so where in the Ghost Zone?

Shade streaked through the Ghost Zone at rapid pace, narrowly avoiding stray rocks as he went. Not in Wisconsin. Great. Now he had to find another way into Amity Park, seeing as he didn't really care for the human world and all its Portals. Skidding to a halt on a sizable bolder, the fox crouched down, attempting to make contact with a friend of his. "Zephyr, I need some help here."

"What do you want?" a disembodied voice replied, a bit louder than necessary.

"I need some information." He sighed, knowing what was coming next.

"Information isn't cheap Shade. You of all ghosts know that. If I can recall…" laugher was present in the voice.

"I know, I know. I said the same thing to you, get over it already. I'll strike you a deal."

"Let's hear it then."

"You tell me what I want to know, and I'll tell you the best way to get to Egypt." Shade flattened his ears; his friend had wanted to know this for a long time now, so a refusal would be unexpected.

"Throw in a map and it's a deal."

"Bah. Fine then. I need to know the fastest way to get into Amity Park."

"You don't know that? Geeze Shade, I thought you were smart." The voice was almost in hysterics while Shade looked positively furious.

"A way OTHER than the young half ghost's house! I tried that way and it's blocked." He snarled.

"Then wait until it's open again. I don't see the problem."

"I don't have that sort of time. I'm in a bit of a rush if you haven't noticed."

"Well, there is one other way, but I wouldn't use it."

"Tell me or the deal's off!" he spat.

"Don't get catty with me, I was just telling you the place isn't exactly safe. Alright, listen up. A little ways from here is a portal sort of like the ghost kid's. Problem is the older half ghost lives there."

Shade's ears shot up at the information "Really now? This is perfect! Thanks a lot." He turned and sped off in the direction specified without a look back.

"Hey! What about your end of the deal!"

"Swing by later and I'll tell you!" he yelled without looking back. He had a half ghost to confuse…

"Get out of my way" Danny glared at the raccoon blocking his path.

"Can't. Gotta stay here. Till messenger is back." The raccoon snarled, stringing together a mangled sentence.

He's not going to get out of the way. So we'll have to destroy him too! No, we don't you stupid, stupid voice. Danny shook his head, attempting to clear the voice's murderous thoughts. "Uh okay then raccoon, how about I leave, and then come back?" he attempted to persuade the beast to let him past. For all its size, it seemed a bit dim.

"Uhh." The raccoon thought for a second. "No. I checked. Said no. Sorry." The ghost apologized.

Well, this is strange. He's apologizing for keeping me captive. Let's put him out of his misery then! No! "Are you sure? I just want to do one thing."

"I sure. You can do anything. Except leave. That's the rules."

"What if I try to get past you then?" the half ghost asked.

"I to bite your arm off. Then head."

The half ghost stared at the ghost in disbelief for a few seconds before sighing and turning around. "Alright then. I'll just stay here." He said, while planning a way around. Your plan is silly. Just blast the stupid animal and be done with it. No, this raccoon wouldn't be left here if it couldn't take a few hits. Who said anything about 'a few' I meant one shot. A deadly one. Planning was difficult with a bloodthirsty voice in your head.

"Uh. Sorry. But why is boy talking to self?" the raccoon said dully, not really understanding anything said.

"Umm. I'm not?" Danny said weakly, wishing for the voice to be somewhat tangible so he could strangle it to death. How violent you are. Says the crazed voice.

"Must be hearing things" the beast said stupidly, still blocking the door.

"You aren't the only one." Danny sighed, pacing uneasily. Had to think of a way past this. You already know the fastest course of action.

Shade watched the swirling portal to Vlad's quietly, reluctant to have any dealings with the devil of a man. It was open strangely enough. The man was so cocky that no ghosts would dare enter his home, though it seems his confidence wasn't unfounded. Even though the ghost was certain he could defeat or at least escape the elder half ghost if it came to such a thing, he still dreaded the encounter.

"I look awful." He grumbled, flattening his scruffy fur. If only Phantom didn't decide to destroy his snake form. Then at least he'd be somewhat presentable. "Enough dawdling, need to get a move on." He spoke sternly to himself, and leaped into the open portal. Start confident, but not too much so. That's the plan. Stick to it.

Which caused him to meet a very startled half ghost.

"Why, pray tell, are vermin leaping through my Ghost Portal?" Vlad said to no one in particular, glaring at the ruffled fox on the floor. First he was beaten to near death by that amateur Daniel, then he had a long healing period with lousy food service, and now he had ghost foxes hopping into his abode! What next, the Dairy King moving in?

"Because this vermin has quite the offer for you." Shade answered curtly, ignoring Vlad's threatening tone.

Shade's nonchalant tone and lack of fear intrigued the elder half ghost, causing him to hold off on the blasting to smithereens idea he'd first thought of. "And what could a scruffy rat like you possibly offer me?"

The fox hissed slightly, but bit his tongue, not wanting to seem uppity to Vladmir. "I can offer what you've been yearning for. I can give you Phantom's loyalty."

Vlad was a hard man to surprise. He'd seen and done it all after all, but this one sentence floored him. Of course, he didn't believe it. How could this obviously weak ghost promise such a thing? Answer, he couldn't and was bluffing. "So you wish to say you've achieved something I've been working on for the past three years with minimal success?" he said darkly, an ectoplasmic charge building in his hand.

"Yes and no." Shade spoke quickly while eying Vlad's hand with slight worry. This is why he hated humans. So high strung. "I say this in your best interest, not mine. The half ghost you insist on calling Daniel will be very vulnerable to your words in the next day or so. If I were you, I'd take advantage of this…problem he's having." He spoke calmly, knowing he had to convince Vlad to strike within the next two days. If not…

"Daniel has a problem?" the half ghost said with surprise, not knowing this information due to the incompetence of his ghostly staff.

"A problem to him perhaps, but a great boon to you. His true nature wishes to be known, and it fits nicely with your ideals." Although this was important, the fox couldn't seem to speak in simple terms.

The multi-millionaire mayor instantly became suspicious. The ghost that stood before him spoke with great certainty and confidence, but he gave the impression that he knew far too much about the two half ghost's affairs. It bothered the man, but the information seemed sound…if not shocking. "You'd part with information so freely?"

"Ahh. Now we get to payment." Shade's grin flickered for a fraction of a second, knowing he had to remain convincing. A lowly ghost that wanted protected from a much stronger one. Choking back his pride, the fox answered. "All I wish is protection. You are obviously one of the most powerful ghosts around, and I wish to be on the winning side." The lie sound sincere, but the ghost had to work hard not to gag.

Vlad relaxed at this, shaking his worries away like a bad memory. The ghost was just a self serving cretin after all. The stupid creature had given up his bargaining chips without a fight, and now he had all the cards. "I don't make deals with idiots who cannot defend themselves. Although I see no reason to, I will allow you to leave this place unharmed for your service." Vlad said dismissively, not feeling the need to destroy the foolish fox. "Show your ugly face here again and you won't be so lucky."

"Of course." Shade slunk away, the picture of thankfulness mixed with fear. He left the half-ghost's abode without another word, feeling much safer with the swirling green around him.

He spat violently, shaking his head. "Never sinking that low ever again. Not even if the Ghost Zone might end." He grumbled, still spitting. "Should ask if Phantom has toothpaste. Wash this foul taste out of my mouth."

"You have toothpaste?" the large raccoon asked stupidly, throwing Danny off guard.

"What?" he said, equally stupidly, halting his endless pacing. "Um no. Why?"

"Just felt like asking." The great beast shrugged his shoulders, scratching behind his ear. "You can go now by the way. Don't need to keep you here anymore."

Yet again, Danny was startled. "Just like that?" he asked, wondering if there was a catch. There's no catch. He's probably killed your friends already so no reason to stop you. The half ghost frowned at the voice's unwanted input.

"Uh huh. You'd better go before Shade gets back, or he'll speak for hours and hours." the raccoon warned, ears flattening as he'd remembered such speeches.

If it was possible, Danny paled and sprinted out the now unblocked door. No way was he waiting around so he could get lectured constantly. It would be a great opportunity to eliminate him. "Just shut up!" he snarled to himself.

I will not shut up. Listen to me now. I continue to remind you I am not some strange voice in your head. I am you, as you are me. Stop fighting and embrace who you are. Who you've always been, who you will always be. You can't change your nature and you know it! You save the town because we are possessive! You don't truly feel anything for the humans; you just want to deny yourself. A monster hiding out amongst the lambs. You may find them sweet, you may wish to be one, but you are not! You are the wolf, who will turn and devour them. Stop denying yourself. Accept your monstrous existence and be who you truly wish to be. Who you're meant to be.

Danny moaned, clutching his head as he flew, trying to block out the voice and its lies. "You can't fool me. You're a liar…I'm no monster." The half ghost's voice shook, as if uncertain. He didn't know anymore.

Not a monster? That's why you hide from the public eye, why you deny what you are, why you lie so no one will know who you are. You feared your own parents. Why? Because they've deemed us a monster. Something to be eliminated. What if I told you I saw their thoughts, their dreams? What if I told you they still see you for what you are. A monster that must be destroyed.

"You didn't…you're lying." He tried to ignore it, but the voice was all consuming, he could barely concentrate on flying in a straight path.

If I lie, so do you. YOU are the one who knows this. I'm just reminding you.

Danny didn't respond, focusing on Sam and Tucker. Instantly his mind threw up images of them hating him, betraying him. Their eyes would become sharper, their voices lined with hateful blades…He forced the dark thought away, trying to think of something the voice couldn't manipulate. The Ghost Zone. His home. Wait. No. Not his home! The Earth was his home!

Is it really?

"Stop! Just stop!" he snarled desperately, keeping his eyes fixed on the Ghost Portal. Almost back. No dark twisted imagers assaulted him. Thankfully, it seemed the voice was taking a break from the constant torment. Letting out a silent sigh of relief. The ghost landed safely on the other side of the portal, in Fentonworks. Safe as a bird in a cage…oh wait. You are in a cage. The voice came back, still taunting the half-ghost's predicament, so he was unaware when he was forcefully grabbed.

Panic. Without even looking at what had grabbed him, he lashed out with an ectoshield, repelling his attacker. He turned, emerald eyes blazing, expecting Skulker, the Box Ghost. Vlad. Anyone except who he saw. "S-sam?" he choked out, stepping back in fear and disgust.

His friend was out cold, having been slammed into the metal equipment at quite a high speed due to Danny's overkill in the power department. His head turned suddenly when he heard a gasp of shock.

"Sam!" Tucker cried out in shock, running over to his fallen friend from the stairs. Only after checking to see that yes, Sam was still breathing, did he notice the ghost boy had returned. "Danny! Are you alright? Did you see who attacked Sam?" he asked, but seemed worried about the expression Danny had. Disgust.

The half ghost backed away from Tucker, shaking his head. "No…I'm fine. Didn't see anything…" he tripped over his lies, a childish terror flooding his very being.

"Danny, what's wrong?" Tucker pressed, knowing something was wrong. He knew his friend, and he was a rotten liar. Still wasn't any better at lying. He took a step away from Sam and towards the terrified half ghost, and his response was shocking.

"STAY BACK!" he yelled, and the tech geek froze in his tracks, while the while haired teen moved back. "Get help for Sam. Just don't come close. Stay away." His tone was quieter now, but still a warning. I hurt Sam…I didn't look, I just attacked her. I'm… Finally coming to my way of thinking? No. I'm not. I just made a mistake. How quickly you change your mind just to avoid yourself. I do not!

"Just tell me what happened." Tucker forced himself to stay calm, but Danny's behavior was scaring the boy.

"It was an accident. I didn't. I wouldn't." the half ghost mumbled out, still staying away from Tucker and the knocked out Sam.

"It's okay! Calm down, I know you wouldn't hurt Sam on purpose!" The boy tried to convince the half ghost, guessing what he'd implied.

Danny refused to be comforted, and shook his head while backing away. "I didn't even think. I just attacked her! My best friend! I don't want to hurt you too." He sounded frantic, his own mind twisting what Tucker had said to mean something far different.

He suddenly halted his retreat.

"I never said I attacked her." He said quietly, glaring at Tucker.

"Well, you kind of did, and I just assumed…" Mistake.

"You just assumed I was the evil one who did this." He growled, inexplicably angry at Tucker. Sam too, for surprising him.

"No! I just thought…"

"That you should run for your life from the horrid half ghost." Danny butted in, eyes flaring wish rage.

"No! Just listen to me!" Tucker tried vainly to make his friend see reason, but deep down he felt as if the Danny he knew as unreachable now.

"Listen to your lies, your songs of hate? No thank you. Get out." He ordered, turning away from Tucker and Sam.

"Just-"

"I said GET OUT!" Danny roared, sounding far more ghost than human, as if this was his territory and Tucker was an intruder.

Tucker let out a small squeak of fear, but did as Danny ordered, picking up Sam and fleeing out of the lab, then out the door. He couldn't get through to him now. Just had to wait until he calmed down. At least, that's what Tucker had convinced himself with.

The half ghost inside moaned holding his head. "What happened there? Need to get something for Sam, I can't keep worrying about a mistake." he mumbled to himself. Why did he feel so angry? He looked to where Tucker and Sam had been.

No one there

They'd run away and abandoned him. They feared and hated him. "Why did they run? Why…" He knew why. You're a monster.

"I know."

Jack practically kicked down the door to his home, dumping the bought food on the table, far too excited to get to work to bother putting it away. "Alright. Where's that weapon!" he said brightly, charging down the stairs with the grace of a rhinoceros.

His wife sighed, but followed him down the stairs, helping her overly exuberant husband find the weapon.

So they searched. Through boxes, bookshelves, beakers and drawers. Every place turned out fruitless, and Maddie was rapidly loosing hope, even though Jack seemed optimistic still. "Jack, I think it got smashed with a lot of our other equipment." Maddie finally voiced her concerns, but Jack waved them away.

"Don't be silly Maddie! Of course it's still here!" he paused for a moment, but continued to grin. "And if it's not, we'll build a new one!"

"But that will take time Jack. We might not have that much of it left."

"Then we'll stay up all day and night!" he said back, still grinning. He would not give up on his brave half ghost son. He couldn't.

Danny stayed hidden, unwilling to face any humans. He heard snippets of the conversation his parents were having though. Building a weapon again. To use? On him? He shuddered, wanting to flee the house, to clear away the fear that continued to mount inside. He couldn't though. Not with the Ghost shield up.

He flinched at the knock on his door. Jazz again. "What."

"Danny, you should really come out and eat something." Jazz said, trying to force her suddenly sullen brother to come out from his room.

"Not hungry." He lied, refusing to bend to Jazz's will.

"Danny, you had all day to relax at home by yourself! Just come out for a bit." She said, ignorant of what had happened during his 'free time'. Sam and Tucker hadn't come by, which surprised Jazz. They never even bothered to tell her Danny was fine at home. She didn't dwell on it though, for her brother's behavior was much more alarming.

"No."

"I'm only trying to help-"

"Why." Danny butted in; something in Jazz's tone had set him off.

"Because I'm your sister!"

"Says you."

Jazz couldn't reply, shocked at her little brother's response. Something must be wrong. He was hiding…and now denying that they were related? But why would he do that?

The half ghost grinned grimly at his sibling's silence. "I'm going to bed." He muttered, digging out his pajamas.

"Danny-" Jazz tried to begin, but Danny refused to let her have a say.

"I'm going to bed. Let me sleep."

The girl moaned in exasperation, but turned away, hoping it was nothing serious, and it was just him being a teenager. She knew though, deep down, that it was nothing so simple.

As the Fenton parents worked late into the night, the half ghost squirmed and growled at foes in his own mind. Unable to wake himself from his nightmare, the hellish place he often dreamed of.

The confrontation he'd been dreading.

The place was the same as always. The Ghost Zone. The large rock in empty space.

A mockery of himself grinning at him.

"I'm done letting your foolish ideals rule us." His copy said darkly, but his form is what alarmed Danny most. He did not go for the expected Ghost form. Instead he was human.

Oddly enough, Danny was in Ghost form. He didn't know why, but he didn't care. He needed to stop the voice from ruining his life.

"You're the one who's wrong." Danny said, unmoving, trying to show no fear of his freakish doppelganger.

"Oh really? You admitted that we're a monster. Today in fact."

"I didn't mean that! I was just upset." Danny lied.

"When will you learn you cannot lie you yourself?" the human sighed, shaking his head. "Haven't you wondered why I'm the human, and you're the ghost?" he asked cruelly.

The question threw Danny off balance. He didn't think much of it really.

"Perhaps because you feel more yourself as a ghost?"

The ghost paled, not liking what the human mockery was implying. "No."

"If you really think you're human, switch." He voice mocked, and Danny struggled on if he should attempt it or not. It was probably another cruel trick.

He tried. Failed. Tried yet again. He refused to admit it out loud, as if it would make a difference.

"Not so human after all, are you ghost?" he laughed, adding insult to injury. "You know what that means?"

"No." he couldn't help it. He was curious, even though he feared the answer.

"Simple. You're the ghost. The invader. The wrongdoer. I'm the human you suppressed all this time." His face split into a wide and cruel grin, while Danny reeled back like he'd been hit with a ton of bricks.

"That's not true! I know who I am, and I was a human first!"

The voice seemed unphased, continuing the tirade of questions "After the accident, how did you wake up?"

"As a ghost…" Danny admitted quietly.

"Don't you remember being…confused? Lost even?"

"No! I was just kinda freaked out."

"Not how I remember it."

"You don't remember anything because you didn't exist!"

"Can you prove it?"

Danny felt lost and hopeless against this thing that kept saying was him. Now it was saying he was the ghost, that the voice had always been human. That couldn't be true though!

"When we got separated, who was the good guy? Who was the hero?" the voice grew stronger, drawing on Danny's own confusion and doubt.

"Ghost side."

"You, in other words. When did we play the most tricks? When did we embarrass Dash, flaunt our power and enjoy the pain it caused?" he continued to pile examples on the lost ghost boy, who seemed quite feeble at the time.

"Human side…I stopped that though!"

"Only after your nasty ectoplasmic force subdued your more human inclinations!"

"That's not true! I was just overconfident!"

"Then explain why you hear me so clearly now!"

This question confused Danny greatly. It gave some relief, helping him believe the rest of the voice's rant was all lies too. "What?"

"What did the weapon weaken! WHO suffered the most from the blast from that gun!"

With that, Danny froze, stunned, unwilling to fight back. The gun weakened ghosts. He'd yelled at his parents that day.

Then the mood swings. Vlad attacking Dad…how he attacked him in revenge.

The swift descent from well meaning hero to revenge driven beast began there.

When his ghost side had been weakened.

When he had been weakened.

"And I, strengthened." The human form of Danny smirked triumphantly, pleased in Danny's horrified expression. "You're the ghost. Not me. Don't you want Mom and Dad to have their true son back?"

Danny couldn't reply. He just slumped, unable to counter himself. Was he even Danny? Lost in himself and how his world had been flipped, he didn't notice his other form vanish.

Danny awoke, grinning. "Well that will keep him busy for awhile." He spoke to himself, but it was obviously not the Danny everyone knew.

The voice that had tormented Danny all this time had finally come to the fore.

Well, that was long.

Of course, seeing as it was about a year since I last updated, it better be long.

All your reviews were very kind, and I thank you all for taking time to do so.

It's pretty much the only reason this is up now, your kind messages served as reminders of what I had begun.

On the dream sequence, you may draw your own conclusions.

Is it all a big lie, or the truth?

I will let you choose for yourself.

I hope this wasn't too long for you guys. It's been a long time since I've updated, and I apologize.

I've mostly retired from Fanfiction, but I will see this to it's end.

Reviews are lovely, and I'd like to know what you believe from what has been written here.

I'm not sure how many chapters there will be.

More if you find this too much in one go.

Less if you think it's not enough.

Thank you for reading.

-Phantom Shade