Of Saturn

By: Wilona Riva

Disclaimer: I only own the plot and any OCs.

Lughnasadh

Author's Note: This entire chapter takes place in the present day, and a little bit into the near future.

Though he'd only played the flute in band in 5th grade, the old fingering came back to him with only a little thought. He played an old melody, the last one his father taught him before he took his own life. It had tears falling like rivulets from his eyes as he remembered. He felt the ponytail being removed, and his hair being unbraided by her long, slender fingers. She undid the three tiny braids he wore at his temple, and removed the hematite beads, placing them in his lap. He bowed his head and let her brush out his long lavender-streaked black hair.

"Setsuna," he whispered, putting down the ocarina. "The memories hurt."

"It's okay, Ganymede," she murmured, "Just relax."

He closed his eyes and enjoyed the pleasure of her playing with his hair.

"How is he, Setsuna-mama?" Hotaru asked one evening when it was just her and Setsuna for dinner. The school year had ended on a triumphal note-Sam had elected not to know who her past self had been-Luna had offered, but she declined. As much as she had loved her younger sister, Amser was often an insufferable brat, in her opinion. Everyone had passed, even Usagi and Minako pulled a few C's in most of their subjects. The senshi and their classmates had returned to Japan, but promised to return for the Lughnasadh celebration in the Ghost Zone, which would end with the coronation of the new ghost king.

"Not well," Setsuna replied. "I think he knows his time on Terra grows short."

Hotaru stared blankly at the wall above her sister's head. "I hate causing rifts."

"It's in our nature," Setsuna reminded her. "You'll start growing up from this point on. Ganymede as well."

"He loves you more than me."

"He and I have spent much time together in our loneliness over the millennia, but it is you he loves. I am not permitted to form such a bond thanks to my duties at the Time Gates."

"You're lying," Hotaru accused.

"About which part?" Setsuna countered. "Eat your green beans before they get cold."

"Yeah, Sam, I've finished crying. Yes, she came and comforted me. She's the guardian of the Time Gates; yes, I know she's always watching. No, she's not a stalker. Okay, now that's seriously disturbing," Danny was saying on his cell, when Maddie entered the kitchen from the downstairs lab.

She arched an eyebrow at him.

He shook his head. "Okay, now the preliminaries are out of the way, I need you and Tucker to get your contacts together. Hotaru hasn't said where she wanted to hold the venue, but since we're both living on Terra in this lifetime, the ceremony will be held on the 3rd night, and I will be permanently confined to the Ghost Zone after this. I want to hold the wedding on the full moon in three days. Do you think you can get the goat? Gee, thanks! Yeah, it would be ironic if Paulina were crowned the queen of the festival. Okay, I'll leave you two lovebirds be, and will talk to Tucker. Okay, shutting up now. Bye."

"Going out with a bang?" Maddie asked him, glass of water in her hand.

"Something like that," he replied, dialing Tucker's number.

Reading up on the customs of Lughnasadh, Team Phantom managed to put on a modern twist with rides, fun booths, games and lots more. The whole city was abuzz when Mayor Masters revealed that this was a special occasion to celebrate the marriage of the Crow Prince and the Firefly Princess, who had been betrothed for almost 8,000 years.

"The festivities will end with his wedding and coronation as the next ghost king," Vlad was say, as Danny slipped away to examine some of the booths. Danny was more than surprise to find Walker operating a trial marriage booth using a wooden model of the Fenton Portal.

"It's in the rules," the Warden said with a grin. "Just without really being legal. Modern rules and all."

"Uh-huh," Danny said, backing away a bit.

A paint-and-dirt smeared Danny reappeared at the food booth, and graciously accepted a roast ear of corn and a glass of water from the Lunch Lady. She smiled sweetly at him. "Thank you," he told her, "for the refreshment."

"The storytelling contest is occuring in half and hour, dearing, and you promised to judge it," she told him. "Eat up."

From the storytelling contest, he jumped to a wrestling match to cheer on Dash, who grinned upon seeing his ghostly idol cheering him on. The day wrapped up with Paulina getting back at Sam by beating her in the dance-off competition.

Luna laid down on the window-seat and examined the boy each time he had to model the two outfits. "Both outfits are red, white and gold," she said, " but the military uniform is just too formal. He looks too much like Prince Endymion, except for the long white hair."

"Leave my hair alone," Prince Ganymede growled. "You're not cutting it."

"It's too long," Maddie commented dryly. "You look like a girl and a pirate."

"I found this," Hotaru said, opening a copperbound chest with a heavy lock in a forgotten corner of the room. "There's a note attached."

"What does it say?" Danny asked, turning in her direction. "I don't recall hiding any other clothes in here."

"My son," Maddie read, taking the note from Hotaru. "I have always wanted to claim you as such. I give to you the very outfit I wore when I wed your mother many years ago. I wish I could be there to celebrate the wedding, but, alas it has been forbidden to me by Chronos himself. May you have many years of peace with your family. Love, King Ares of Mars."

"I thought the Terran King was your father?" Minako wondered out loud.

"He was," Rei said, "but this note's energy feels as it were just penned today. Father is imprisoned somewhere or he would have defied Heaven and Earth to be here."

"Yes," Jupiter said, distracting everyone. "Yes, this will do nicely."

The outfit in question consisted of close fitted black trousers with crisscrossed laces running down the sides of the pants and a red and gold long sleeve tunic with gold embroidery on collar, sleeves and hem.

"Well, it fits the renaissance style of clothing for the festival," Jazz said, looking Danny over with a critical eye. "It will have to do. He seems to favor this style more than others I've noticed."

Danny ignored the conversation, as the topic shifted to what life would be like after the wedding for the bride and groom. Hotaru's eyes drifted over to him, a concerned expression on her face. He smiled at her reassuringly, and made a face motioning to his clothes. She laughed silently at him.

"There will be a harem of course," Desiree was saying to Setsuna. "Saturn-hime will be the main wife, while the rest of us will be royal wives or concubines as those of you in Western culture may call us."

Danny tuned her out and went to change into his jumpsuit again. He preferred the feel of spandex anyway.

Day two of the festival had an adopt-a-pet campaign run by the local animal shelter, a relay race, a hot dog eating contest, and chili cookoff. Danny was on the run from Skulker, when Dani and Valerie caught him hiding under some bleachers.

"Are you absolutely sure, you're alright?" Valerie asked him.

"No," he answered, sighing. "Skulker wants me to rally the ghosts to play hide and seek, and I think that's ridiculous."

"Among other things," Dani pointed out.

"Yes," he admitted. Touching his forehead, he said, "Since this morning, I can feel the entire realm of ghosts in my thoughts. There are things I must do, and some of which I don't want to, but must be."

Looking sadly at both girls, he continued, "And you will both hate me for it."

"WHAT?!"

"There you are, whelp!"

A look of panic crossed Danny's features, and he vanished into the ground before Skulker could zero in on him. Dani and Valerie laughed at the disgruntled expression on the hunter's face as his prey eluded him again.

"What do you think he meant by that?" Dani asked Valerie.

"Beats me," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "Let's go check out the livestock judging competition."

"Okay."

"I use a mixture of coconut oil and avocado to protect it from sun damage, ghost boy," Paulina was saying, while undoing Danny's long hair. Her lips hovered over his neck for a moment, whispering, "Would you like the recipe?"

"Don't answer that, Crow Prince," Princess Zelene said, snatching the girl by the scruff of her neck, and tossing her to one side like a dirty rag. "He is betrothed, human, to the daughter of the God of Time, and consorts with another. Stay away from him."

"Was that necessary, Zelene-hime?" he asked her warily.

"She's a rabid dog," came the reply. "Do you like chocolate ice cream?"

"Yes," he replied, warily before a strange tingling sensation flared throughout his being. "What was that?"

"The Ghost Zone is choosing your harem, babypop," Ember said, popping up. "Where's the bandstand? Someone moved it from last night."

"Mid-festival grounds by the bleachers," Danny said, pointing stage right.

"Thanks."

"Welcome," he grumbled, face palming. "Why the heck do I always fall for the older girls?"

Zelene whacked him in the back of the head. "This is my brother's bride's idea, not mine," she retorted. "Just as it is custom for the rulers of the planets of the Underworld to have long hair, so it is custom for the Sol Kingdom to divide itself into districts each ruled by the son or daughter of the reigning monarch."

"Sam's going to hate it on the sun when Sol revives," Danny said, laughing a bit.

"Agreed, but there aren't that many princes around, and the first member of the Sol Council to bear or father a child becomes the new ruler of the Kingdom. You have a year and a day, Crow Prince. Be seeing you."

"So it's true, Phantom?" Dash asked in a quiet tone from the table next to him. "You are the Crow Prince?"

"Yes," he admitted. "Dash, I don't want to talk about this right now." He rebound his hair into a low ponytail, taking out the rest of the braid. Dressed in blue jeans, red sneakers, and a black and white tshirt with his symbol on it, he looked almost the way he looked when Jack Fenton had shrunk them.

"Want to go toss a frisbee?" Kwan intejected before Dash could open his mouth.

Danny allowed a ghost of a smile to peep through. "I'd love to."

"Hey, Danny, do you like onion rings?" Desiree asked later that night.

"Yes," Danny told her, only to repeat the tingling sensation again. Desiree smiled, as he muttered curses under his breath.

On the final day of the festival, all rides and booths, except for food, drinks and Walker's 'year and a day' booth came to a standstill. Amity Park's central park underwent a grand transformation as everyone pitched in to make this day very special.

Clockwork and Walker moved down the aisle as everyone found their seats. Danny Fenton sat on the groom's side of the aisle while the senshi sat on the other. In front of the altar, on a pillow, lay an elaborate golden crown designed to look like the crisscrossing of tree branches. A platinum crown with diamonds and pearls lay on the second satin pillow. Between them lay a table with a crystal pitcher filled with a clear liquid and five rose lotus-shaped drinking glasses.

Music played and the royal families of the Silver Millennium walked down the aisle, separating into two factions. Rei and Endymion stood the right of the altar, when you're facing it, while Setsuna and Serenity stood to the left. The rest of the senshi moved left and right forming an honor guard. Paulina was green with envy at the rich materials each girl's gown was made from, not knowing these were the outfits each girl wore when they died in during the final battle when the Dark Kingdom attacked. Luna's memories weren't exactly correct when she showed them henshined during the fall of the Moon Kingdom. The attack by the Terrans and Beryl had come too quickly and there had been no time to transform.

The music swelled again, and a girl appeared wearing a silvery grey A-line gown with indigo, onyx, and fresh water pearls giving it a soft shimmer, as she moved.

"She's just a child," was one of the whispers the bride heard as she progressed down the aisle

Tapping his staff loudly, Clockwork cleared his throat, and the whole congregation of ghosts and humans fell silent. "Almost 10,000 years have passed since the voices of the planets have fallen silent, and many spirits sleep awaiting their rebirth."

He paused allowing a scruffy brown haired man and his two companions to quickly find their places. "Thank you, Doctor," he said dryly. The Doctor grinned in recognition.

"Each planet of the Sol System has its own spirit. I am the God of Time, Chronos, Spirit of the Planet Saturn. For millennia, I guarded the Gates of Time, and then passed those duties down to my second born daughter who inherited my gift. My oldest daughter inherited the gifts of her grandfather, Hades of Pluto. My youngest daughter inherited a tiny moon from her mother, and a bit of psychological magic from me. Time and aging affect each of my daughters in each her own peculiar way."

Dash was bored by the old ghost's rambling and the annoying way he kept shifting forms.

"The laws of Saturn and Pluto required that I take the two princesses as my brides. I chose Ichtaca as my queen, and her sister as my concubine. I cast my thoughts into the timestream to find a prince worthy of my daughters when they were born, but none yet lived. A son and six daughters were born to the Sol King and his consort in a heartbeat of years, soon followed by the birth of the Terran prince Endymion, and the princesses of the other worlds. Following the laws of the universe, each princess was infused with a star seed, as was Endymion. Only the Princess of the White Moon kingdom, though possessing a star seed herself, did not have hers quickened, for she was not meant to be a warrior."

Edward Lancer leaned forward. History was fascinating.

"In time, Ares the God-King of Mars married a princess of Sol-herself of Martian heritage-by name of Summer. She bore him a daughter, an avatar for her husband. Season followed season..." Here, Clockwork created a large viewing orb, which showed the King of Earth meeting the Queen of Mars under a marbled archway, softly kissing her hand in greeting.

Paulina yawned.

"In time, the union bore fruit, and a son was born to Summer and Rokuro. He was named Ganymede, because his older sister was obsessed with an astromomy lesson on the moons of Jupiter."

Danny groaned. Maddie looked at her son curiously before turning back to the story.

Clockwork told of Prince Ganymede's banishment after being stripped of his royal title, of his year of abuse working as a serving boy in a high class tavern at slave wages, and his almost descent into prostitution. His attitude and behavior changed as his gift awakened, of his rise as Ambassador to the Reflection, and of his near death by electrocution which transformed him into a half-ghost.

"I stopped him from aging. Pariah Dark raped him time and time again. Ganymede submitted to each violation, and once, voluntarily gave himself up in sacrifice to the..."

"Sick bastard," Desiree's voice interrupted.

"Yes, he was," Clockwork acknowledged. "So after Pariah was sentenced to the Forever Sleep, I decided to watch over the boy, and when the twentieth century rolled around, he was given a second chance at life. Ganymede always wanted to help others, so one fateful day, when his mortal parents gave up on their newest creation, I whispered into my youngest daughter's mind the words he needed to hear. And the rest as you humans say, is what brings us here today."

A scene from the not-so-distant past showed Danny Phantom in the borrowed exo-skeleton facing off against the Ghost King, Pariah Dark, who was in the act of bellowing the words, " I accept your challenge."

"Pariah Dark is no more," Clockwork announced. "A new king has arisen. Crow Prince, it is time."

Everyone turned to look at the nervous scrawny boy in the baggy blue jeans, tshirt, and scruffy red sneakers sitting next to the Fentons stand up. His black hair was braided intricately with tiny hematite beads in a single braid down his back.

"Don't even think about it, punk," Walker warned, noticing blue eyes seeking an avenue for escape.

To the crowd's confusion, Danny Fenton walked forward and as he got nearer to the altar, he began to change until it was Danny Phantom who walked up the two short steps to turn and face the Firefly Princess dressed in the red, gold and black finery identifying him as the Prince of Mars.

"Oh heck," Dash moaned, slumping down in his seat. Dani and Valerie turned to look at him curiously. Valerie gave him a knowing look, and turned back to watch the scene before them.

The Crow Prince and the Firefly Princess both knelt facing the altar. Clockwork looked at them both sternly. "You have been betrothed since before birth, for it was written in the stars and the annals of Time. Do the two of you still desire this union?"

"I do," Phantom spoke, words from a long since dead language.

"As I will it," Hotaru added.

"As the Creator made the end before He set the beginning in motion, Prince Ganymede, do you swear to uphold the laws and customs of the Ghost Zone, to protect the realm of ghosts from all outside influences?"

Phantom replied in Saturnian-accented Lunarian:

"Eyes of Silver and Gold watch over me,

Life and Death surround me,

Sol's light within"

"Saturn-hime?"

"Terra's grass is green,

Mars' skies are red,

Saturn's magic over death and life is my blood,

I bind myself to thee."

"Ganymede?"

Phantom reached for the glass pitcher and poured a stream of ruby wine into 4 red lotus shaped glass cups. The fifth he left empty. The first he gave to his bride. The second to the Princess of Pluto. The third to Princess Zelene of Sol, and the final one to Desiree.

"Drink for this is what I desire:

Love and Warmth to fill my hearth and home,

A wife and consort to share my bed,

Companionship for as long as it is wished."

Edward Lancer was studying the faces of the four girls, and then nearly jumped up to prevent the rest of the ceremony from progressing. The oldest of the four was Miss Meioh, most definitely too old for a teenage boy to be marrying.

"Calm down," Vlad told him, leaning forward. "Age is irrelevant to those born of the Silver Millennium."

"This is illegal and immoral," the English teacher grumbled.

"Sshhh!" Ember told them, as the four chosen ones drank the ceremonial cup.

Clockwork slid gold and platinum rings onto the couple's ring fingers and they both turned to face the congregation as one. "With this crown, I crown you Reflection's Queen," he said, putting the platinum crown on Hotaru's head."

Everyone watched as Setsuna took the golden crown from her father, and placed it on Phantom's head. He looked like he was about to faint.

"As consort, I crown thee, my lord, as Reflection's Guardian King," she said. Hotaru, meanwhile, poured a golden liquid from the pitcher into the fifth lotus cup. Setsuna wrapped her arms around Phantom and held him tightly in place as Hotaru touched the cup to his lips. He swallowed, desperately looking for a way out, as the golden liquid scorched its way down his throat. He made a choking sound and Setsuna tightened her grip on him. Closing his emerald eyes, when he reopened them, they were blue as winter ice. The crown burst into flames.

"Long live the King and Queen of the Reflection!" Clockwork called out.

As the couple filed down the aisle, walking past the Fentons, Jack called out, "I'm proud of you, Danny boy!"

King Ganymede looked at him silently, no spark of recognition in his eyes. Jazz shuddered at the coldness of his gaze.

"Will he be alright, Mom?" she asked.

"I don't know, sweetie."

King Ganymede stopped in front of Valerie and Dani. Everyone began moving aside sensing something about to happen.

"Danny, I'm happy for you. Do you think I can come live with you in the Ghost Zone ?" Dani asked him cheerily.

He looked at her coldly. "You are not a true child of the Reflection. I do not know you." With those words, Dani screamed as the ectoplasm in her blood ignited and reduced her to ash.

"Danny Fenton, that was cold-blooded murder. What have you become?"

"She was not of the Reflection," he repeated, looking to Walker, who was escorting the royal couple out of the large tent that served as a covering over their heads.

"The Lethe potion has of yet to work its way through every fiber of his being," Walker explained. "I will take charge of him for the next few weeks, Miss Grey. Ganymede's life-force is meshed with that of the Reflection, and the ghost girl's soul cried out for deliverance from her unnaturalness. He granted her wish and restored the balance of the universe."

"He's a murderer," she snapped back. "Watch your back, Danny Phantom, for I will hunt you down and make you pay for this."

He looked down at his hands; Hotaru leaned over and whispered something to him. The Ghost King smiled at her, and blessed her hunting of him!

Youngblood chose that moment to jump up and yell, "The King of All Ghosts is my big brother!"

Ganymede reached out and ruffled his green hair affectionately. Meeting Skulker outside the tent, Ganymede wasted no time in reducing his armor to scrap metal.

"He had it coming," Ember told Kitty, who nodded. "Where's Johnny?"

"He and Spectra are hiding," Kitty replied. "They're both ghost/shade hybrids and know he'll be gunning for them next as he restores the balance."

"Great," Ember muttered.

The humans by this time were scared and on the verge of panicking. Gathering their loved ones, each family quickly departed.

Dash found himself restrained by Setsuna and Desiree.

"If ever you threaten those weaker than you because you cannot live up to your own strengths and faults, I wish for you to remember this," Danny said, throwing him against a low wall separating the parking lot from the park proper. He rattled off a series of accented Lunarian phrases to Desiree, who grinned. Her hands glowed, as she helped Dash relive Phantom's memories of being raped by Pariah Dark on that long ago night. He didn't just live Phantom's memories, he was Phantom.

Hotaru and Walker steered the Ghost King towards Wulf, who happened to open a portal to the Warden's prison. "This way," Walker told him respectfully. "It is time for you to rest."

"Yes," King Ganymede agreed, as Hotaru guided him into the portal.

"Who are they?" he asked her, as the portal closed behind them.

"Ghost hunters," the Fentons heard her say. "I will tell you about them when you awaken. You must rest, so the elixir can finish its course."

It was three years before the Fentons would see their youngest member again. The Sol Kingdom would arise in one year's time, united under the rule of King Solannon and Queen Amser, as the world fell into a cold quiet sleep of death. Clockwork had forced his youngest daughter to face her past. They were expecting an heir in the fall.

Princess Zelene kept her word, and departed the Reflection when the year and a day ended her union to the Ghost King. No child formed from their union.

Desiree bore a stillborn son to Ganymede not long after his sixteenth birthday and a daughter, Esther, was born a year later. Her first view of the human world was a crystalline night filled with stars. Her father told her many stories as they floated amongst the sakura trees.

The wedding of Usagi and Mamoru was a quiet affair attended by friends and family. Kenji was shocked to learn that the King of All Ghosts was attending the wedding. He'd heard what happened in Amity Park three years ago.

Shy quiet Hotaru had grown into a beautiful woman. Though she was barren, she gave attention to her husband and kept him from doing stupid things to embarrass his older brother. One of which, is why King Endymion always wore lavender during the time of Crystal Tokyo.

"Absolutely not, Ganymede!"

"Tara!"

"You are not changing his tuxedo to pink."

"Fine."

Hotaru hadn't told him he couldn't change the tuxedo to another color. With a bit of magic and help from one of the shades, a lavender clad Prince Endymion marched down the aisle and wed his moon bunny.

"Very funny," he muttered in aside to his younger brother as he passed.

Ganymede smirked back at him in response.

At the reception, King Ganymede handed off his beloved to Haruka-san, and accepted the arm of a turquoise-clad ginger-haired American girl.

"Do you remember me?" she asked him, while they danced.

"I know you and your family are hunters of my kind. I may not remember very much, but I feel great love towards you. And a lot of annoyance for all times you psychoanalyzed me," he told her.

"You still remember some things," she smiled. "I love you, little brother."

He handed her off to the next partner, and found himself dancing with Setsuna. "Some memories are returning," he told her.

"They will," she replied. "Go with the hunter family when they leave. Get to know them. They are part of our family."

"Suna?"

"Yes, Ganymede?"

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply. "Come to my chamber this eveningtide, beloved."

She smiled. "Finally," she whispered. "All is as it should be."