[Third Person POV]
Danny stood at the edge of the fractured platform that floated between the Ghost Zone and the living world, the fragile limbo that acted as a bridge between the two reality gone. All Danny could focus on was the emptiness ahead. He stared silently for a long while, his eyes unfocused, before lowering himself to sit along the edge. His legs dangled into the void as he kicked his feet absently. To his left, Penguin's motionless body rested.
Not far away, Ember supported Klemper with one arm, carefully keeping their distance. They lingered, sensing this wasn't their moment to intrude.
Behind him, Jazz, Maddie, and Jack stood close together. None of them spoke. Each one wore the same expression of restrained sorrow, They all had their moment, coming to terms with what's to come, a moment that will remain private between them all.
A moment that was for no one else but Danny.
Jazz shifted uneasily. She looked ready to step forward, her hand half-lifting as if she couldn't stop herself from reaching out to her brother. She even took a small step, but Sam's hand shot out gently to stop her.
"If you say anything now, if you intervene, you'll only make it harder for him," Sam whispered. Her voice carried the certainty of someone who knew Danny better than anyone else. She didn't take her eyes off his back as she added softly, "Let me go. I'll talk to him."
"Me too," Tucker said, lowering his weapon to the ground before walking toward them. "He needs to know he isn't alone."
Sam moved first, circling quietly until she was behind Danny. She smoothed her skirt and then lowered herself, leaning gently against his back. Tucker followed, sitting down on Danny's right, close but not too close, giving him room to breathe.
For a moment, no one said anything. The three of them just sat there, sharing the silence, listening to the distant hum of the Ghost Zone. Tucker opened his mouth once, closed it, then tried again—clearly struggling to find words. But before he could speak, Danny broke the stillness himself, his voice low and unexpectedly steady.
"You know," Danny said, "it's not just my parents and sister I'm losing by undoing all of this, right?"
The question hit them like a jolt
"Uh… was that a rhetorical question?" Tucker asked cautiously, fiddling with his hands before letting out a small sigh of relief when Danny chuckled under his breath.
"All of this gets undone," Danny continued, his gaze fixed downward at the endless void. "Even you guys. You'll forget. Our friendship, our memories… everything gets reset. Sam and I—" he hesitated, leaning his head back against her for comfort, "—that goes away too."
Sam reached out and caught his hand, interlocking her fingers with his. Her grip was firm, grounding him. "Even if we forget, you could always remind us. No matter what happens, we'll still be there for you. You know that, don't you?"
He only hummed, squeezing her hand once before answering with a single word. "Maybe." Another pause, then softer, "And don't worry. I know."
Tucker cleared his throat, speaking more carefully than usual. "You know… most people don't get a second chance like this. Some would give anything—anything—just for one more minute with the people they lost. I'm not saying you should be grateful, 'cause this whole thing is messed up beyond words. But… you should appreciate what it gave you and for what it's worth. You got time with them. Days, weeks. Memories you wouldn't have had otherwise. You got to say things that were left unsaid, to feel things you thought you'd never get back. This isn't like last time. This isn't ripped away from you without warning. This is a real goodbye, a proper farewell.
Sam blinked at Tucker, clearly taken aback. Danny turned his head slowly, studying him. Both of them stared at their friend for a long beat before Danny arched a brow.
"…Who the hell are you, and what have you done with Tucker?" Danny asked, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
Sam laughed, the sound breaking the heaviness of the moment, while Tucker flushed crimson and muttered, "Oh, shut up."
Even behind them, the Fentons chuckled softly, sharing a look among themselves before smiling. For just a moment, there was warmth again.
But Danny's smile faded as his gaze dropped once more toward the abyss. A ringing, sharp and piercing, began to echo in his ears. It grew louder, higher, until the world around him seemed to fall into silence. He closed his eyes and let out a long, steady breath. The sound vanished with his exhale.
(Song recommended for better reading experience: Sparks – By Coldplay)
He rose slowly to his feet. Sam and Tucker scrambled up beside him, unwilling to leave his side now. Danny turned toward his family, his eyes sweeping across each of their faces one last time. And instead of tears, he gave them a smile—a firm, reassuring smile that carried more strength than any words could. He nodded once, resolute.
Then, without hesitation, he reached down and overshadowed Penguin's body.
Danny rose slowly to his feet, the weight of his choice settling over him. Behind him, everyone stood in silence, waiting, watching, yet unwilling to intrude. His eyes fell on the Thermos in his hand, with a flick of his wrist, the latch snapped open, and a surge of emerald energy spilled outward.
Desiree spiraled into existence, her form twisting like smoke before solidifying into the elegant figure she always carried. Her crimson eyes fixed on Danny, curiosity and amusement flickering in equal measure. She arched a brow and smirked.
"What is this? Couldn't resist the allure of a genie who can grant your heart's deepest desire?" she asked, her voice like silk.
Danny shook his head, his lips pressed tightly together. "That's not why I called you back out…" His voice wavered, then steadied with effort. "Though… I do have a wish."
Desiree's smile widened knowingly. "Of course you do. You all do."
Danny dropped his gaze to the ground. His thoughts clawed at him, pulling him in every direction. 'I could… I could just wish to undo all of Penguin's wishes except the first one. I could save them all and keep what I want. I could—honestly, wholeheartedly, I could… His fists clenched. But it wouldn't be right. It wouldn't be fair. Not to them. Not to me.'
He closed his eyes tightly, drawing in a shuddering breath before speaking, each word like glass in his throat. "I wish… that all of the wishes made by the Penguin were undone."
The Thermos slipped from his hand as he stepped back from Penguin's body, letting it fall limp against the ground.
Desiree blinked once, clearly surprised, but said nothing. Instead, she lifted her hands, her bracelets chiming like bells as spectral fire gathered at her fingertips. "If you so desire," she intoned, "then so it shall be." Magic erupted from her, blooming outward in a breathtaking wave of green and violet light that washed across the fractured limbo.
Danny's lips trembled as he looked back. His parents' outlines had already begun to blur, fading into nothingness. His sister too. His stomach sank—Sam and Tucker as well. The barrier between worlds, once broken and bleeding, was stitching itself back together thread by glowing thread.
"Danny, sweetheart," Maddie said softly, her voice carrying the tenderness only a mother could give. Her smile was gentle, her eyes shining with warmth even as her form flickered. "Be good, alright? Don't stay up past your curfew. Brush your teeth before bed. Get your homework done. And… don't be afraid to ask for help if it ever feels like it's too much. Alright, baby?"
Danny's chest tightened, but he smiled through the ache and nodded.
Jack's booming voice followed, quieter than usual, steadier. "Son, do me a favor, will you? Tell Batman I said thank you. Thank him for everything he's done for you. Tell him I appreciate it more than I can say."
"I'll be sure to tell him," Danny said, his grin breaking through with a chuckle, even as his throat threatened to close.
Jazz stepped forward, her eyes brimming with tears. "Danny… don't ever forget that we love you. We may not be here, but that doesn't change anything, we'll always be looking after you… I'll… I'll always be proud to have been your big sister." Her voice cracked, but her smile remained bright, radiant, unshaken.
Danny swallowed hard, forcing calm into his voice. "I love you all too. Don't worry about me—I'll be fine. Go in peace. I'll handle the rest."
From behind, Desiree's gaze sharpened. She saw what Danny hid: his hands clasped tightly behind his back, nails digging into his skin, blood welling where crescents carved into his flesh. The strain of his choice was etched into every line of his posture.
Sam broke. As her body began to fade, being pulled back into the timeline where she belonged, she sprinted toward him with everything she had left. Her form flickered, legs dissolving into light, but she forced herself forward, colliding into him. She cupped his face in her hands, her touch trembling yet desperate, and kissed him fiercely, tears spilling unchecked.
When she pulled back, her forehead pressed against his, her voice came as a whisper, barely held together. "I don't want to forget us. Please… don't let me forget."
Danny reached for her, but even as his fingers grazed hers, her outline fractured into shards of light. She slipped from his grasp, dissolving into nothing.
Tucker fought his own vanishing act, gripping the Fenton Deflector as it sparked and rattled violently against him, as it fought against Desiree's magic. Tucker himself disappears into the restored flow of time.
One by one, they were gone. His family, his friends—their voices echoing faintly, their tears sparkling in the air like dew before evaporating.
And then there was silence.
The Ghost Zone around him rewound itself like a film reel in reverse: fractured spaces sealed shut, torn buildings rebuilt brick by brick, ruptures mended until the realm stood whole again. The chaos was erased, corrected, leaving no trace of what had been.
Danny stood in the middle of it all, unmoving. His white hair swayed in the faint, ghostly breeze, his eyes shadowed. His lips pressed into a thin, unreadable line, his expression hidden by the tilt of his head.
From a distance, Ember and Klemper exchanged worried glances. Neither dared approach.
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