After that whole experience with Freakshow and that Reality Gauntlet, I was glad I was able to return everything back to normal. There would be no more of that clown faced freak for a long time, after I put him back in jail with the Guys in White.
After there was no trace of a circus or clown themed world, I changed back to normal. I stared at the Reality Gauntlet on my left arm. All of that chaos with just four tiny gems! When I get back to Amity Park, I'm going to make sure that this is gone for good, so that none of this ever happens again.
"Danny!"
The familiar boom of my father's voice made me jump. I turned around to see my parents, along with Jazz, the Mansons and the Foalys standing before me. My parents inched closer to me. Telling by their facial expressions, they weren't too pleased with me keeping a secret from them for so long.
"Young man..." Mom began, in her usual disappointed mother tone of voice.
I rolled my eyes and sighed. Oh boy. It was time to face the music…
I hung my head sadly and stared at the ground. "I-I'm…sorry-"
Before I could finish, Dad suddenly wrapped his enormous arms around me in one of his traditional bone crushing bear hugs. What was he trying to do? Suffocate me so I would be unconscious when he tries to examine me? He released me much to my relief so I could take in some air.
"We're very proud of you, son," he said happily, placing a black gloved hand on my shoulder. A huge grin crept across his face with pride. I blinked, baffled by his reply. Proud?
"Oh! My baby boy!" Mom also gave me a sudden suffocating hug and smothered me with kisses, with four or five ruby red lipstick marks on my cheek. Were they trying to trick me or was this real? I didn't understand what was happening.
"But I… lied to you," I said, still confused of what was going on, "over and over, for a really long time. If I were you guys, I'd be furious."
"Well, of course you lied to us," said Mom, calmly with a smile. "We never gave you a reason not to!"
"All this time, we've be yammering about destroying and dissecting ghosts." Dad kneeled to my height, never looking away ashamed, and rested a hand on my shoulder. "I'd be terrified too if I were you!"
Wow, my parents really understand me and my secret? Even Dad, who's totally obsessed with ghosts? I guessed I should have told them a long time ago if I knew this was their reaction…
"We love you sweetie," continued Mom. "You."
"Whether, you're a ghost, boy, or something in between," finished Dad.
I smiled. They really do accept me for who I am! I wanted to go ghost and do a hundred back flips with joy. They accepted me! Just like Sam, Tucker and Jazz did! I must have the best parents on the planet right now. They didn't care what I was or have been, just that I was their son.
"And I appreciate that," I replied. "More than you guys will ever know…"
I hugged Dad tightly. I thought I was going to cry for being so happy. Mom joined in too. My secret was officially out to them now and I was happy for all the lies to end.
My eyes snapped open. Wait, that's right! My secret! Now that they know it, even if I did fix reality, there could still be technicalities. What if Mom or Dad accidentally slipped up and told everyone in town? Then there would be TV, magazine and newspaper interviews at every turn. The government would try to send people like the Guys in White to run tests on and question me about what has happened over the past year.
Then, what would happen if my enemies found out? Better yet, what if Vlad found out? My enemies would try to threaten or harm them to get what they want: me! I didn't something bad to happen like Vlad had explained about the alternate present, with my family and friends dead, and me turning into my evil self. No, this isn't the right time to tell them. I never actually did tell them in the first place too, they found out on TV and I had transformed by accident.
I looked at the gauntlet and then back at my parents, who were still smiling at me with pride. It was for their own good.
"Or, will ever remember…"
The Gem of Fantasy activated and bathed my left hand in a light turquoise glow. I faced my palm at Mom and Dad, like I would fire a ghost beam, and smiled once more. Sorry, I thought as if my parents could read my thoughts, but couldn't. A beam of white light instantly exploded from the center of my palm and temporarily blinded me for a brief moment. When I had regained my sight, Mom and Dad both had blank expressions on their faces.
"Um, what were we just doing now?" asked Dad, scratching his head with utter confusion.
"I had the strangest dream…" said Mom, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "We were captured by the Freakshow guy and were held captive in cages. Then, we found Danny was the ghost boy and were saved by him, but that could never happen…"
I smirked. Perfect.
"Thanks," I whispered to the Reality Gauntlet. "You just saved my skin."
It didn't take very long to erase Mr. and Mrs. Manson memories, along with Mr. and Mrs. Foaly. Now, Jazz, Sam and Tucker were the only ones who knew about my secret and what had happened in the past three days. While the adults talked about how they had the exact same dream, my sister and my two friends were still confused of what I had done.
"Why did you wipe out your parent's memories?" asked Sam, curiously. "They accepted you after all, didn't they?"
"I guess it wasn't the right time to tell them," I replied with a brief shrug. "Maybe someday, when I'm ready, I'll tell them, but at least now I know they'll accept me for who I am."
Jazz ruffled my hair while smiling. "I don't mind all either, Danny. It's your secret and you have the power of who you want to know and not know. I'm proud of you being my little brother, half ghost or human."
"Ditto," added Tucker while he high-fived me. "Minus the brother part…"
"Double ditto," said Sam, while awkwardly hugging me.
"So, how are we getting out of here?" asked Tucker.
I held up the Gauntlet, showing the obvious while smirking. "Leave it to me…" I suddenly remembered the Fenton Thermos that was still lying at my feet and containing the ghostly Freakshow inside. "But first, I have some unfinished business to finish…"
Raising the Reality Gauntlet over my head, the Gem of Fantasy began to shine once again, now swallowing up everyone that was with me in its light turquoise glow.
"Hang on tight, guys!" I shouted. "Next stop: Amity Park!"
The energy swirled around each of us in a raging whirlwind of light. Then, one by one, I saw my family; my friends and their parents vanish without of trace, with the exception for a brief flash of white light after they disappeared. I was the last to leave. After transforming me into Danny Phantom once more, I picked up the thermos and let the gem's power do its work.
Someday, when I'm ready... My words echoed through the corners of my mind. Someday…
Next stop: the Guys in White headquarters.
Well, here you have it. My first DP one shot story. Tell me what you think of it, guys. (No flaming though!)