Work Text:
A gorgeous full moon showed brightly over a floating isle in the Ghost Zone. Of course, it wasn't the actual moon, as the Ghost Zone didn't have celestial bodies. However, that didn't mean a ghost couldn't make the illusion of one.
The floating island in question was known as the Graveyard, and it was home to the Ancient Ghost of Death, Cronos, and his family. Cronos's wife was the enthralling Dreama, the twin sister to Nocturne. Nocturne lived within half a mile of his sister's home in the Realm of Dreams. So he wasn't ever too far from his sister or her family.
The couple had a young son named Kai, who looked like neither of his parents. It wasn't unfamiliar with ghost offspring that look radically different from their parents—also, being a child of an Ancient well? That certainly played a role in it. Plus, when it came to the genetics of anything, who knew when random recessive genes would pop up anyhow?
Kai most resembled the Egyptian God of Death, Anubis. Which made sense, given his father was again the Ancient Ghost of Death. He didn't like it when people called him cute, as if he were a puppy. The only person who got away with calling him cute was his mother. His father didn't give pet names, but he treated his son as a young man, not a child.
Right now, he is in his residence with his mother. Technically their house was an enormous mausoleum in the heart of the island. However, his father was at a Council meeting with the Ancients in their Nexus, so it was just mother and son tonight. The jackal-like revenant didn't mind as he appreciated it when he and his mother had some alone time together.
Kai was occupied with making snacks as his mother desired to play a game with him. He finished getting a bowl of what looked like violet and light-green potato chips and Cheetos from the kitchen. Considering those of the Ghost Zone bodies required a distinct substance to nourish them, it wasn't shocking that their meals looked eerie instead of human food.
"Honey? What's taking you so long?" called out his mother's musical voice from the living room.
"Coming, Mom!" He brought in the snacks and placed them on a coffin-shaped coffee table. Then he gradually sat down on the leather sofa across from his mother, who was relaxing on the other leather couch. His mother looked nothing like his Uncle Nocturne. Dreama's lustrous chartreuse hair was as long as Rapunzel's. It made her flawless alabaster skin and azure blue eyes stand out more. On her forehead was a star-shaped birthmark.
Dreama forever wore an evening gown fashioned from blazingly colored material like liquid and light merged. Around her neck was the Moon Key, an excellent accessory with extraordinary powers. But unfortunately, even Kai didn't comprehend all of them.
Set upon the coffin table were nine floating black and white candles. Kai knew what game his mother desired to play. It was called Tic Tack Candle. It was the same as tic-tack toe when it came to rules. The difference was it was a concentration exercise. You had to focus on which candle you wanted to play with and then will it to light.
"Come, Kai, we don't have all night. I feel a game about concentration would encourage you to find your focus," his mother replied thoughtfully.
Kai had unquestionably been sidetracked lately. He'd had peculiar visions of someone extremely tall with blood-red eyes and a somewhat sinister voice. So, naturally, he'd sought to disregard the dreams.
There were three reasons why he didn't inform his parents of the truth about the dreams. First, he felt ashamed because they're what humans call "Wet Dreams." What kid genuinely wants to tell their parents they have those dreams? He'd never been precisely great at sharing things with anyone in general as he was a relatively private person. The third and final reason? It was almost like whoever he was dreaming about was commanding. So he did not tell anyone about his dreams.
Consequently, he kept his muzzle shut about them. Instead, he focused all his focus on his mother's game. His mother was a lady, so of course, ladies first. Dreama closed her enormous eyes and smiled. It only took a second before the candle in the upper right corner was lit with chartreuse energy. "Okay, now your turn, son."
Try as he might, Kai couldn't light one single candle. Instead, he growled like a canine in disappointment. His mother was doing her best to be composed and understanding to him. "Kai, please calm down. You're letting your emotions get the better of you. Try counting down from ten." He did as his mother said, but he still wasn't thoroughly calm. "I don't want to play this dumb game anymore," he informed his mother gruffly.
"Okay, it doesn't seem you are in the right mind to play anyhow," she waved her hand, and everything disappeared from the table. She smoothed out her apparel before adding, "Although I want you to fill out your dream journal tonight. You've not been keeping it for two weeks, and you know how upset that makes me."
Kai didn't like making his mother upset. However, his mother insisted he keeps a dream journal because she and his Uncle Nocturne were the Ghosts of Dreams. Therefore being half a Dream Ghost, they felt it was of the essence to keep track of his dreams.
"Okay, Mom, I promise to transcribe my dreams in the morning. Now may I go to bed?"
"Sure. I need to go on patrol anyway. It's the witching hour, and you know that's when my powers are at the most effective."
"Yep, your powers are at the most influential from midnight to four am. Also, when its a full moon, your capabilities are at their zenith."
"That's true," as she fingered her Moon Key necklace. She kissed her son gently on his forehead, which made him flush. They could hear somewhere in the distance Clockwork's clock tower chime the hour. His mother's necklace radiated vividly at the twelve bongs, and a crescent moon-shaped door appeared. She flashed her Moon Key, then crossed the gleaming threshold to open in.
"Happy dreams, Mom. Now, if I could only have happy dreams tonight." He went to his bedroom and collapsed on his bed. He was out like a light.
"It was so freezing. Some would say more frozen then Death itself. It was an absolute sensory deprivation—no light or sound, which made it scarier. Then, suddenly, out of the blackness came that voice that sent shivers up his spine for more than one reason.
"Kai! Come out, come out, whoever you are! You know you can't hide, Kai!"
"Who is there? Who are you?"
"Kai," the voice called out alluringly in the obscurity.
Steeling himself, he followed where he thought the voice was coming from. Eventually, he saw a pinprick of light. Shielding his sensitive eyes, he trudged through it. Gasping, he saw he was in a crater of what had been a city only a short time ago. Wildfires still crackled with the strong scent of death and decay. It genuinely unnerved him, he may be the son of the Ancient Ghost of Death, but this certainly wasn't his cup of tea.
He was in such a state of shock he didn't hear someone sneak up behind him. Then, suddenly, he felt someone wrap their strong arms around his waist, and they licked his neck once before they kissed it.
He was hyperventilating, not because of what the person was doing. Gay, who at least knew who was touching him, was male. However, that didn't mean he wasn't freaked out. He freaked out enough that he succeeded in getting out of the person's embrace and flew fifty feet away. He was seeking to recover when the person holding him repeated his name.
"Kai? What's the matter, boy? Don't want to play?"
He finally saw who had been terrorizing his dreams for a fortnight. He didn't know if he should be revolted or enamored with what he saw. Six feet tall, athletic, flaming hair, and dressed in black and white.
"Who are you? Why are you stalking me?" demanded the son of the Ancient Ghost of Death.
"Surely, you know who I am? The bond we share will withstand changes to the timeline," the insane specter taunted him.
"You are implying you are my soulmate? Well, I may honestly find you attractive physically, but you're not the ghost of my dreams," he shook his head no. He was not playing this freak's game.
"Oh, foolish, Kai, we've been together far longer then forever," the entity snickered.
"Maybe in your dreams, not mine. I want to wake up now," Kai said and tried to wake up forcefully. But nothing happened. The malicious spirit before him grinned a twisted grin at him.
"You think you can outrun me? In sleep, you came to me, and you'll never be able to get me out of your mind."
"Don't be so sure about that, Dan," a voice came from behind.
The man known as "Dan" whirled around and saw an outraged mother staring back at him. "Kai, hurry! Get to the dream door! I'll deal with this abomination," as his mother and this being known as Dan faced off for a dream duel.
He bolted to the crescent moon-shaped door and into the dream corridor without needing to be told twice. It seemed like forever before his mom came back. She looked seriously pissed off.
"Let's return to the real world, son."
"You got it."
Kai woke up in a cold sweat with all his family around him. His mother and uncle seemed to seek to perform a cleansing ritual. His father looked even more hostile, which didn't fit his typical bleak and stoic nature. Then, finally, his mother spoke to him again. "Why didn't you tell us that monstrosity was haunting your dreams? We could've helped sooner!"
"I didn't think it was a problem. I mean, I figured I was having um...wet dreams?" he admitted.
"Oh, son, that wasn't a dream caused by the fact you are going through puberty," his father informed him in his typical deadpan tone.
"Then, what was it?" Kai was puzzled about why that thing got everyone riled up so much in his dreams.
"Someone was trying to use you as a gateway to come to this reality. If you had accepted Dan's offer of romance, he'd be able to possess you. Then leave his fragmented timeline and cause havoc in this world," his uncle explained patiently to his beloved nephew.
"I don't understand."
"You are most vulnerable when you are asleep, nephew. It's easier to get messages across when you are dreaming. Though the same rules of an invitation apply."
"Invitation?"
"You know, son," his mother reminded him, "Renegades and demons can only come into someone's home if they are invited. It has even deadlier consequences if you are foolish enough to do it in a dream."
"So, who was that? And why did I feel like I knew him?"
"That son was something that all the Ancients have tried to circumvent. The one who could bring about doomsday for all worlds. It's an abomination known as Dan Phantom, an evil future version of your friend Danny."
"What?! How can that be?! Danny Masters doesn't have an evil bone in his body!"
"All things are possible given the right circumstances, son." his father informed him gravely. "Whatever you do, don't let him seduce you. It would help if you never allowed him in your mind again. Or its doomsday."
"I understand, Father. I'll work harder on my psychic protection."
"Good. Now let us all get back to sleep. I've set up protective wards throughout the island, so we shall be safe tonight," his mother informed them.
It took a month for Kai to be able to block Dan from penetrating his dreams altogether. So what prevented Kai from getting into a relationship with the Ancient Ghost of Peace Harmony's child, Empathy? With Empathy by his side, he no longer could be seduced by Dan, and that abomination had no more means to get into this brand-new existence.
All was well.