In-betweens.

Never The Stars

It's definitely strange but I wrote this and it's here now. Any review would be appreciated and I hope someone might even enjoy this piece of my writing. You may read something in between the lines of this one-shot or you may not. Whatever you may find, I hope it will be to your liking. Thank you.

...

(I do not own Danny Phantom or its characters.)

...

Never The Stars

Up until this day, touching the stars had always been his dream, metaphorically speaking, of course. (You can't touch stars, they're too warm, too bright, too beautiful to get close to.) He had loved the stars from the moment he had first laid eyes on them and up until this day they had always been a comfort. They were always there, far away, but visible. The patterns he had long since learned by heart never seemed to change and it gave him the feeling of safety, the knowledge of knowing where to go if he ever got lost. Up until this day, it had always been the stars.

When Danny looked up, his dazed eyes saw only the black sky. He had finally reached a clearing, a relief from the prison that was the dense forest he was trapped in. (Somebody tell him what freedom feels like, because he thinks he forgot.) The gigantic ghost - wolf? Lion? Something in between? - that had chased him away from their campsite was nowhere to be seen and honestly, Danny was close to okay with that. His leg was throbbing painfully where the ghost had managed to sink his jaw into his flesh - ectoplasm? - and he wasn't sure anymore how long he had been here, running, flying, chasing and fighting the ghost. His exhausted mind had silenced the signals from inside his core to stand, to fight, to protect and all he wanted to do was lie down and sleep and watch the stars that where always there. (Always supposed to be there, always, always, always.)

Danny collapsed onto the cool forest ground, onto his back and focused on the sky above him, not the trees around him, not the grass beneath him and not the pain. (Don't think about the cold.) He knew he was exhausted when he failed to understand why he couldn't see the stars. (Always there. The stars? The cold.) Inside, he was starting to panic, mind racing, but not because he didn't have the energy and he felt restrained by not being able to form thoughts the way he should. (Frozen in the moment and where were the stars to warm him up?) Suddenly, part of the black sky gave way for a single star - not a star, no, the moon? (But it doesn't shine.) Danny couldn't remember ever feeling so relieved and disappointed at the same moment. (What do you mean "up until this day"? He loved the stars.)

Then the moon was gone once more, obscured by invisible clouds, a mindless black force and Danny couldn't help the shiver that vibrated through him. (Don't think about the cold.) He didn't know what it was that had made him believe the stars were too warm to get close to. (Not too warm, too bright or too beautiful. Just too far away.) Stars don't move, they have their place, their purpose. (Someone tell him what having a purpose feels like, because he thinks he forget even that.) But if he moved - too fast, too much - what could even keep up with him anymore?

Danny closed his eyes, the darkness of the sky being replaced with the darkness of his own mind and stayed still. (Just like the stars. Not warm and please don't even think about the cold.) There were steps to his left, hurried movement through the forest vegetation, the brown prison bars - no, trees - and the bed he was lying on - Grass? Yeah. - and then he heard his name. (A whisper, cold breath on his face but those hands were so warm.) And again. He knew that voice.

"Danny?" It took him a moment to recognize the panic in the two syllables. "Danny?!"

That was Tucker.