"Well, I was holding off on this post until I could extend it a bit, but that hasn't happened yet. I'll have the finished chapter posted on fanfiction.net soon enough." -Casey
Chapter Three: The Ghost Revealed
The dancing lessons had done little to nothing to improve Prince Dexter's skills, but he Danny and Sam met up for the lessons all the same. Danny "Phantom" already knew all the steps to every dance, but thanks to his friends he was learning everyday to control his ghost powers. He could now fly through the air on a whim, which he learned as helped Sam to set up the lights and disco ball. He could turn himself and others intangible on command, which helped when Dexter lost control of his spin and nearly stumbled into his friends. Invisibility was still a troublesome trick, though he didn't much need it. He had no desire to hide. In fact, he hadn't felt so visible in his entire life. The ghost boy spun Lady Manson around the dance floor as Prince Dexter watched in a studious manner.
"Gee willikers, I'm never going to be able to do this," the teenager sighed. "And the ball is in less than 24 hours!"
"Dex, relax," Danny laughed. "I'm sure you'll get this by---wait... Less than 24 hours?"
"Well yeah," Sam nodded. "First thing tomorrow night."
"You are coming to the dance, aren't you, Danny?" Prince Dexter asked.
"Uh, well..." the younger prince hesitated. He'd grown so comfortable with his friends that he'd nearly forgotten about his need to stay hidden. No one was supposed to know that he'd become half ghost, Sam and Dex didn't even know that he was really Prince Fenton.
"I'm going to have an actual ghost at my ball!" Lady Manson shouted in delight. "This party is gonna rock!"
"I don't know, guys," the ghost boy sighed as he kicked uncertainly at the ground. "I don't think Lord Masters would really want me at the party."
"Wait, Lord Masters knows that you're here?" Dexter asked in surprised. "And he hasn't sicked the Fearsome Fentons on you yet?"
"W-well, it's sort of a special case," Danny stammered, realizing that he'd already said too much. "He---that is to say---He normally would, but..."
"Masters is harboring a fugitive? He's cooler than I thought," Sam joked as she nudged Dexter in the shoulder, perhaps a bit harder than was necessary.
"Guys, look, it's supposed to be a secret," the boy insisted.
Sam held her hand out and then waved it with a turn of her head in a nonchalant manner. "Pssh, relax," she assured him. "We haven't told anyone about you, Danny."
"Yeah, trust me, if anyone can keep a secret, it's me," Dexter said as he pointed to himself with his thumb.
"You will come to the ball, won't you?" Lady Manson asked once more, this time handing him an invitation that had "Nurturing Nature Ball" scrawled across it in shimmering dark green ink.
Danny knew better than this. Master Masters hadn't noticed him slipping away every night, but he would be at the party along with all the other guests. There was no way he could lay low amongst a crowd of normal none ghost guests. But what would he do after the party? Lady Sam Manson and Prince Dexter Poyne would be going back to their own lives across the Kingdom after this ball. Was he really going to pass on one last opportunity to hang out with them?
"I wouldn't miss it for the world!" he answered at last.
Danny Phantom (C) Nickelodeon
Story (C) SuperheroGeek13
