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Fenton felt like crying, not because he was upset per say but because Phantom was crying and it’s nearly impossible to not feel what some else feels when you’re sharing a body with them. Fenton knew Phantom’s feelings weren’t just from the absolutely disastrous day that they had endured but were the culmination of months of feeling guilty about hurting his human and being the cause of their permanent overshadowing. Today had just been the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Today had consisted of getting woken up by their ghost sense, fighting Skulker, missing first period because of a cut on their shared arm that needed stitches, getting detention for skipping first period, fighting the Lunch Lady at lunch, not getting to eat lunch because it attacked them, getting another F back on their English test, and skipping detention when a pack of ghost wolves attacked kids in the park. And to top of the list of everything going wrong, Mom and Dad had shown up at the park right after they finished capturing the wolves.
“We’re going to tear you apart molecule by molecule, ghost boy!” Dad yelled, disturbingly cheerful.
Mom hissed. “ Phantom! you ectoplasmic scum trying to trick this town into thinking you’re good! But you won’t fool us!”
She heaved one of her new weapons, an absolutely enormous ectogun, on her shoulder and landed a burning shot on Phantom’s gut. Viscous green ectoplasm flowed from the wound, the paining making their vision blurry. Phantom, who was currently in control of their body, flew faster than ever before. They fled to the ghost portal, Phantom desperately hoping being in the ghost zone would give them the energy to stay in ghost form. Turning human in that state would likely be fatal. And Phantom could not let Fenton die.
They had been flying so fast, neither noticed the ghost shield around Fenton works. They slammed into the shield at full speed and electricity coursed through their body. The charge and the pain forced them into human form and the very human body of Danny Fenton fell the 10 feet onto the concrete. Being human increased the pain tenfold at least as Fenton was roughly jolted to the driver’s seat. Their head spun and muscles locked up as the human tried to move their body but he couldn’t even move a finger. Blood poured from the wound in their gut. Fenton suddenly felt a mental tug and was jolted to the back of their mind. The outside world became hazy to him as Phantom yanked control from him: Phantom, who rarely took control when they were human and never ever wrestled control from him. The ghost excruciatingly dragged their currently human body through the shield.
A cough wrenched their body as they struggled to breathe, though Fenton could not tell if Phantom had coughed or if it was a reflex. His mind grew fuzzy as their blood pressure dropped from blood loss. Their heart struggled to pump blood to their brain. He could sense Phantom was mentally screaming at him but he struggled to focus on the words.
Com…n..ton!...Can…do…alo…Help!...Don…lea…me
What..whatever the ghost was saying must be important right? He should pay attention.
Fenton! I can’t transform by myself! You have to help me!
With his last bit of consciousness, Fenton mentally tugged at their core at the same time Phantom pulled. He saw the white ring pass over their eyes before everything went black.
When Fenton came too, he noticed that they were sitting hunched over on a floating piece of rock in the ghost zone. They were in ghost form. Phantom’s tears streamed down their face, their hands shaking. If they needed to breathe while a ghost, their chest would have been heaving. Phantom’s distressed musings echoed through the air. “Fenton! Fenton! Please tell me you’re still there. I…I can’t do this without you! Please! I can’t loss you!”
Ugggg everything hurts. What happened? Was it possible for your mind to physically hurt? Because Fenton somehow felt like he had mentally gone through a cheese grater.
“Fenton! You’re here! You disappeared! I…I couldn’t hear you or feel you. I couldn’t even tell if we could turn human! I…I thought you were dead!”
Fenton mentally deflated at Phantom’s anxiety. He could feel how terrified Phantom had been before he replied. Trying to sound as comforting as possible, Fenton hummed. Shhhh It’s okay now. I’m here.
That did nothing to placate the ghost. “No! It’s not okay! You almost died! I thought you died!” Phantom curled in on himself, fisting their hair with their hands. “This is all my fault! Mom and Dad shoot us! You could have died!”
I’m fine. It’s not your fault. Fenton replied mentally, as calmly as he could but Phantom was not listening.
“Yes it is! It’s my fault! If I had never asked to overshadow you to hide from Skulker, this would never have happened! Because of course! Of Course! I got stuck and now we’re stuck like this! And Frostbite said there’s no way to separate us!”
Phantom, it’s okay. It’s not your fault!
“And now you’re stuck with me! And you’re always in danger! Getting hurt and tired all the time!” Phantom’s speech quickened. “And..and you almost died! You could have died! I…I’d never forgive myself if you died. I’m supposed to protect you! That’s my job! But I can’t even do that! All I do is hurt you and make your life harder!”
Phantom, that’s not true!
“Yes it is! If it wasn’t for me, you won’t be doing horrible in school! You would actually have time to study and hang out with Sam and Tucker!”
That doesn’t matter. I don’t mind.
“And you won’t have to deal with Mom and Dad’s inventions hurting us and getting yelled at by them when we’re in ghost form! And they wouldn’t be disappointed by your grades and they’d be proud of you!”
Phantom! Phantom! Fenton at this point was getting really annoyed at the ghost ignoring him.
Fenton felt their core flare, flash freezing tears on their face. “You would be so much better off without me! You would be happy! And normal like you’ve always wanted to be! You would be safe! Not constantly knocking on death’s door.”
Fenton felt anger flare, magnified by the extreme distress Phantom was projecting. You are being ridiculous! None of that is true!
Phantom screamed as Fenton’s anger and his own fear, sorrow, and anxiety mixed and crescendo-ed. He punched the ground. “Yes it is! I am a curse! It would be better if I had never formed!”
Fenton paused at that dumb founded as he felt more tears form in their eyes, though he could not tell if they were Phantom’s or his. He mentally shrunk in on himself as Phantom continued to cry in agony. His heart broke at the ghost’s pain. Quietly directing calming and comforting thoughts at Phantom did nothing. As many benefits as sharing a body had, the most difficult part was not being able to physically see and comfort each other, like they could before their permanent overshadowing. In that moment, Fenton wished more than anything he could hug his ghost again.
At that exact second, Fenton felt…something, a strange pulling in their core. He felt Phantom blink their eyes and then everything shifted.
And Fenton was looking down at Phantom.
The ghost was still crying oblivious to what just happened, while Fenton stared at his hands. They were peach colors without gloves like their human form. But this body didn’t feel human. It was too cold and light. Fenton shook his head. He had no idea what just happened but he just got what he wished for.
Fenton knelt down and squeezed Phantom into a hug. He muttered into the ghost’s shoulder.
“I don’t regret saying yes to you overshadowing me. And I don’t regret going in the portal.”
Phantom’s sobs quieted at the statement but he pulled away anyway. “You should. You shouldn’t have almost died at 14. I was never supposed to exist.”
“Maybe so. But it happened and you’re here because of it. And I don’t regret that.”
The ghost just shook his head, eyes focused on the ground. Fenton reached forward and gently gripped Phantom’s shoulders, comfortingly. Trying to get his attention, Fenton pleaded. “Phantom. Look at me.” The ghost’s eyes remained fixed, avoiding Fenton’s. “Phantom. Phantom Look at me.” With the plea, Fenton gave Phantom’s shoulders a light squeeze but the ghost just continued to ignore that, worrying his lip.
Fenton sighed, studying the figure in front of him- his ghost. Taking a breath, Fenton softly said the one thing he knew would get the other’s attention. “Danny.”
The ghost snapped his head up, eye widening at that, their shared first name. Because they never used that with each other. While to everyone else Fenton was Danny, and Phantom as simply Phantom, to each other they only used the last names. As recognition and acceptance that they were both Danny, that name belonged to both of them equally. ‘Danny’ was only used to remind each other of who they were, of their connection, their bond. It was recognition that the two were born of the same soul.
Noticing he had the ghost’s attention, Fenton smiled. “You are my best friend, my brother, my twin. If I had to die so that you would be born, then so be it. I would do it again without hesitation.”
Phantom started crying again, though Fenton could feel they were happy tears (how did that work?). Giving the other boy a watery smile, he threw his arms around Fenton. “I love you so much.”
Fenton melted into the hug, feeling happy tears well in his eyes too. “I love you too.”
After a prolonged hug of about 30 seconds, Phantom pulled back first. He smiled, looking into Fenton’s blue eyes. Then his eyes widened. After calming down, he finally noticed who was in front of him and the significance of that. Phantom leaned back, away from the other boy as Fenton looked down at himself and then at the ghost, with slight confusion.
Still dumb founded, Phantom stammered. “What…what just happened? Did we…just separate?”
Fenton stood up, still studying his hands. “I…don’t think so. This doesn’t feel like our human body.”
Phantom slowly stood up still staring at Fenton. His brow farrowed and he grabbed Fenton’s right hand, studying it. “But..umm..it looks right…what.”
While Phantom gently ran his gloved hand of the cresses of the human like hand, Fenton finally felt it. He tilted his head. How had he not noticed it before? “Can you feel that?”
Phantom paused, titling his own head. “What?”
Fenton quickly looked between the ungloved and gloved hand. “I can feel both hands.”
Phantom snorted. “I hope you would be able to feel both of your hands.”
Fenton shook his head. “No. My ungloved hand and your gloved hand. I can feel both of them…from the inside? From both sides? It felt like… if I touched the palm of my right hand with my left hand.” He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. “It feels like…both hands are my hands, like I can feel with and feel both.” Still feeling confusion about the sensation and frustrated with his inability to describe it, Fenton shrugged. “Ugggg that… probably made no sense to you at all.”
During Fenton’s whole explanation, Phantom had been staring at the hands questioningly as well. In the middle of the ramble he closed his eyes, focusing on what he was feeling. He thought he felt…something like what Fenton was talking about. His eyes snapped open and he focused on the other boy. “No. It makes sense. I think I feel it too.” He pulled his gloved hand away. “That…is freaky. What…what does that even mean?”
Fenton looked at his hands as an idea hit him. “I think I’m a duplicate.” At Phantom’s startled expression, he quickly amended. “Or this body is. I said earlier it felt wrong. It feels too light and cold, like we do in ghost form.”
Phantom gapped. “But…what… how…how did you do that?”
Fenton’s eyes widened in realization. “Earlier, I wanted to be able to hug you. So I guess I just…made an ectoplasmic body to do that.”
“You just…made a body?” Phantom muttered, disbelievingly.
Fenton put his hands on his head. “I guess? I mean we can make duplicates.” Phantom nodded, remembering when they used that power against the ghost king. “And I can use our core, in either form. So I guess I just used our powers to make a duplicate but am now controlling it…from the inside?”
Phantom rubbed his head, looking at Fenton disbelievingly. “I am still so confused.”
Fenton farrowed his eyebrows, trying to figure out how to explain. He put his hands in front of him, eye widening in realization. He excitedly explained. “Okay. So you know how Frostbite called a duplicate an ‘extension of a ghost’s form.’ He said having and controlling a duplicate was like having an extra limb, except you know it’s a whole body with two arms, eyes, and ears and stuff.”
Phantom crossed his arms. “Okay? I remember that.” He then motioned the other boy to continue.
“So we know that it’s possible for you to be controlling most of our body while I control only one part, like, the arm for example.”
Phantom nodded. Then his eyes widened, understanding. “So you’re just controlling that” He motioned vaguely to all of Fenton “like if you were controlling only one of our hands to shoot ectoblasts which fighting,
Fenton nodded. “Yeah, this” motioning down his body “is basically a complicated extra limb.”
"That you exclusively are controlling."
"Yep." Fenton popped the P.
"But I could, if you gave control over, also move...that."
"Yeah, like I can still, move that hand," he pointed to the gloved right hand. "if you let me."
Nodding, he released control of the hand. His eyes bulged as he felt Fenton regain control and wiggle the fingers.
After a few seconds, he stammered. "Can I...uhhh… have my hand back?"
"Sure." Fenton replied. "Do you want to try the opposite? Try controlling my right hand."
Phantom still stood there slack jawed but nodded robotically. Fenton released control and the hand flopped as the muscles relaxed. He then saw the hand ball into a fist, without his conscious effort as Phantom willed Fenton's hand to move. While watching Fenton raised his eyebrow. Ya know it was a little concerning that he wasn't concerned at all about his body moving without his permission. He guessed he was used to it, as impossible and ridiculous as that sounded. When they were in one body, Fenton commonly watched Phantom move their body without Fenton's effort. And it didn't freak him out anymore. He just trusted Phantom that much, enough to call their shared form THEIR body, not just his.
After Phantom finished experimenting with control of Fenton's hand, his shock disaappeared. He then deflated slightly, looking disappointed as he realized something. “So we haven’t split?”
Fenton frowned. He knew Phantom didn't really want to separate but he still thought at some level that being fused with Fenton put the human in danger and made him unhappy. Wanting to reassure the ghost, Fenton stepped forward and placed one arm around the other boy's shoulders. Closing his eyes, he projected his thoughts into the ghost's mind.
No I'm still right here.
Opening his eyes, he gently poked Phantom's chest, the location of their heart and core. "And right here. Even though we're in two separate 'bodies', they're still connected and still both of ours. And I won't have it any other way. I like how we are."
Phantom eyed the other boy somewhat skeptically. Gently shaking off the other's arm, he walked forward, to the edge of the floating island. With an exaggerated sigh, he flopped down, dangling his legs over the edge. His shoulders slumped.
Fenton signed himself, feeling disappointed. He had hoped Phantom would feel better after their talk. Fenton could feel and knew how deeply Phantom cared for him ( that care was the reason Phantom was acting like this in the first place) and the human knew that Phantom knew that he felt the same. But that mutual love right now wasn't enough to convince him that Fenton was content and even happy with their arrangement.
Fenton's own shoulders slumped. He walked forward, coming to sit on the the ghost's right. He remained silent; maybe Phantom just needed some quiet time to think. Fenton stared into the eerie but calm atmosphere, silently promising that he would be there when Phantom needed him.
After a few minutes, Phantom turned his head towards the other boy. Worrying his lip, he quietly asked. “Are you really okay with us being..like we are?”
"Yes. Absolutely." Fenton answered with out hesitation.
Phantom wrung his hands together. "And you're not just saying that to make me feel better. Or like in denial?"
Fenton shook his head. " Of course not. I know how I feel."
Phantom studied the other boy's face. Seeing his sincerity, his eyes widened a little as he tried to understand. "But...how are you okay with this? This was an accident and you never got a choice." He rubbed the back of his neck. " I mean you choose to say yes when I asked to overshadow you. But you didn't choose to get stuck with me or to constantly be in danger because of me."
" I mean yeah. That's true but we've made the most of it. We've seen and done things that no ghost or human could do by themselves." Excitingly he motioned in front of him. " Just look at where was are! We're in the ghost zone! Me as just a human could never have gotten here!"
Phantom looked over the atmosphere, smiling somewhat. "That is true."
Nodding, Fenton continued. "And our powers! Being able to use those myself, not just watch while you use them but to be able to turn invisible or form ice myself! And being able to fly is incredible." Awe filled his voice at the end. "The freedom to just float hundreds of feet above the world and its problems. It feels like being in space, like I could reach the stars if I just got close enough." His eyes had closed at some point in the speech, smiling as he remembered everything he was describing.
Seeing Fenton so happy made Phantom smile too. "Yeah. Flying is incredible."
Fenton continued, still smiling. "And we get to help so many people, both the humans in Amity Park and the ghosts! Me as just a human would probably never get to meet and make friends with so many ghosts. And I can help protect our home in a way I couldn't before, not even when I was helping you fight before we got stuck together."
Phantom snickered, gently elbowing the other boy. "Yeah. It's nice not having to carry you so you can keep up. Because 'humans can't fly.'" He made air quotes at the end, taking on a jovial taunting tone.
Fenton rolled his eyes, answering in mock annoyance. "Normal humans can't fly, Phantom."
"Weak." Phantom stuck out his tongue. " Seriously though, it is nice to always have you with me when I'm fighting and not worry about accidentally leaving you behind. Even if you do get hurt too often."
Fenton frowned, noticing the ghost's sober tone. "That would still be an issue if we were separate though; I could still get hurt fighting ghosts with you." Phantom opened his mouth to argue but paused at the human's raised hand and determined expression. "Yes, I would still help you and there would be nothing you could do to stop me."
Phantom shock his head. "But you wouldn't have to."
Fenton also shock his head, though it was at the ghost's stubbornness. He narrowed his eyes and then his face morphed into a mischievous expression. Before Phantom could react, Fenton had his arm around the ghost's shoulders and was furiously knuckling the ghost's head. "When are you going to get this though you're thick skull? I am helping you because I want to!"
Somewhat surprisingly, the action elicited a chuckle from the ghost, who responded with knowing smile. "I'm a ghost. I don't have a skull!"
Fenton gapped at the other boy and playfully nocked him in the back of the head. "Seriously! That's what you got out of that statement! Didn't you hear me?"
Phantom stopped laughing and focused on the other boy's blue eyes. His expression turned more serious but sincere. " I heard you." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry. I guess I've been kinda stubborn."
"Kinda?" Fenton narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, still slightly annoyed.
Phantom rolled his eyes. "Okay. More than kinda. I have been stubborn and I haven't been listening to you. If you say that you like being stuck with me and help because you want to, then I need to trust that you mean it."
Fenton's expression softened. "Thank you. I did mean everything I said."
"I know you do." Phantom gave the other boy a quick side hug.
Fenton smiled at that. After the ghost pulled away, he turned his head towards Phantom. "So what do you like about being stuck with me?"
Phantom shrugged. "I like all the mundane human things: going to school, hanging out with our friends, doing homework, even just eating and sleeping. It...makes me feel alive, like I'm still a part of life here, like I belong." The ghost then looked down, worrying his lip seriously. " I like that I get to see and talk to Mom and Dad without them shooting at me or yelling about how they want to destroy me. I know they think I'm you when I talk to them in our human form and know they would be furious if they knew. But…. they're my parents...even if they'll probably never see me as their son."
Phantom expression had turned serious as he frowned and tears formed in his eyes again. Fenton put his arm around the ghost and leaning closer to him so their shoulders were touching. The issue of their parents was a complicated and painful one with no readiliy available solution that would guarantee the safety and happiness of both boys and their parents. Fenton frowned; all they could do was try to show Mom and Dad that Phantom was a good ghost so hopefully they would except him if and when they discovered the truth. He hated feeling so helpless, unable to solve the problem and ease his ghost's pain. He remained silent, doing all that he could right then: comforting the other boy with his presence and quietly projecting love, understanding, and empathy to the ghost allowing Phantom to feel how much his human cared.
After a few moments, Phantom wiped his eyes. He put his arm around the human, returning the side hug. He quietly continued. "The thing I like the best though about being stuck with you is I'm never alone."
Fenton turned his head studying the ghost who in return focused on the other boy's eyes. Phantom gave him a sad smile. "When I first formed I was really lonely. No one could see or hear me for the first few weeks but I felt drawn to Amity Park, the Fentonworks, to our family. But I couldn't remember why. I did know who or what I was and was so scared. Then when people finally saw me, Mom and Dad shot at me, other humans ran away, and the other ghosts wanted nothing to do this me."
He paused, tightening his hold on the human. His voice filled with gratitude as he continued. " Then I meet you. You were afraid at first like I was but you helped me. You quickly accepted me. You cared about me, you loved me, this weird ghost that had been following around for weeks." Phantom swallowed nervously, continuing.
"And then when we figured out that I was your ghost and what exactly that means, you stayed. Even though you had every right to freak out about the shared memories, the emphatic connection, the fact that I'm basically a ghostly copy of you. And you never treated me like that either. You treated me like a real person, someone who yes was a lot like you but wasn't You. You treated me like I mattered and like you believed I could grow and change past just being a copy of you." Phantom beamed at that part.
"And then we got stuck together because I overshadowed you and you handled everything so well, without freaking out too much or blaming me. And the best part is that because we are like we are, I'm never alone. I'm always with you. I always have someone to talk to that understands. I definitely feel closer to you than I did before. And if you separated I would miss being this close."
By the end of Phantom's speech, he was smiling widely, though his face was weat with happy tears. Fenton gapped, surprised at all the emotions and in sincerity of Phantom's statement. He felt tears prickling in his eyes, as he tried to voice his thoughts. He managed to stammer. "I..I feel the same way."
It wasn't much but it was enough; Phantom understood. There was nothing left to say.
After that the two sat in silence, watching the clouds of ectoplasm swirl through the atmosphere and enjoying each other’s company for as long as they could manage a duplicate to allow them to interact like this
They could both feel the wounds on their body healing and the spark of life that was their human form growing stronger. They were going to be alright.
After a time, both started to feel tired, though to Phantom whose focused himself in their original body it felt like his powers draining.
To Fenton, he felt like his entire body was falling asleep as a fuzzy pins and needles feeling spread. Phantom squeezed Fenton in one last side hug; they both know what was happening. They knew that being in two bodies via duplication was temporary and eventually they would run out of energy and have to refuse. In all honesty the only reason it had lasted as long as it did was that being on the ghost zone had increased their energy, stabilizing the duplicate body. But despite being lucky, it would have to end. The pair felt a little sad though, knowing they would miss being able to interact like this.
Fenton blinked and when he opened his eyes, the barely perceptible change in perspective told him where he was. He was back with Phantom where they were supposed to be. After their talk, the pair knew they were better together. Their strange Symbiosis only served to strengthen their bond and their love for one another. They were together and together would be able to face any challenges that arrived.
Phantom, who was still controlling their body, yawned. Fenton then sent him a mental chuckle.
We need to get some sleep.
“Yeah but not here.”
At the same time, both mentally prod their life spark. It was here as strong as ever and ready to be called on when they need it.
Let’s go home.
Phantom smiled and nodded, sending his human a wave of agreement and flew off.