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It’s no surprise that Danny loves space. Between his NASA t-shirts, star-patterned socks, and space-themed doodles on his homework, anyone paying attention would know. Which, surprisingly, isn’t a lot of people despite everything.
So when Danny began drifting closer and closer to a ghost with the universe as his skin, it shouldn’t have come as such a surprise. Anyone who knew about his love and obsession with space should have expected it. Space makes up a part of the half-ghost’s Core Type after all. It only makes sense. Plus, who could have known that the ghost of dreams would reflect one’s deepest desires? Danny sure as hell didn’t. And it isn’t like Nocturn had a choice either.
As the days slipped into weeks, Nocturn quickly found himself wrapped around Danny’s little finger. He began to speak of the stars, distant galaxies, and the dreams he’d collected from them far more often than ever. Together, they would hover at the edge of the ghost zone, talking about nebulae and supernovas, or floating through the darker corners of dreams that spanned across galaxies. And Danny found himself growing more and more comfortable around Nocturn. The boy always listened, entranced, as Nocturn spoke of cosmic winds and starlit shadows with a voice that echoed the ancient light of distant stars.
Somehow, Nocturn ended up being stuck with Clockwork’s chaos child.
And somehow, Nocturn didn’t mind.
But then things began to change. Not in Nocturn’s lair. No, but in the ghost boy who had been following him around.
The transformation started subtly enough, with a glimmer here, a shimmer there, much like the first stars appearing at dusk. At first, it was just his fingertips, which seemed to have absorbed the night sky. Then, his arms began to show the faint glimmer of a distant galaxy, spiraling gently down to his elbows. The boy still had yet to notice this, but Nocturn knew it was only a matter of time. The faint twinkling on the black of the boy’s suit was becoming far too noticeable to ignore now.
The effect was enchanting, and as days turned into nights and back into days, Danny’s transformation became more pronounced. Now it wasn't just his arms, but his face began to show signs too; his eyes twinkled with the light of twin stars, and his smile seemed to curve with the elegance of a lunar crescent. As they sat one evening, floating amidst the dreamy expanse of the universe, Nocturn finally decided to address it.
“Child, do you notice anything… different about yourself lately?”
Danny turned to him, his starry eyes blinking in innocent curiosity. "Different? Like what?" he asked, his voice tinged with a nebulous echo that hadn’t been there before.
"Your skin," Nocturn pointed out gently, "it’s becoming like... well, like mine."
Danny glanced down at his hands, truly noticing for the first time the cosmic dance playing across his skin. Instead of shock or fear, a wide grin spread across his face, “That’s awesome!” He exclaimed, his excitement causing a small shower of stardust to drift from his fingertips, “It’s like I’m becoming part of the universe!”
Nocturn, however, wasn’t quite as enthused. “It is fascinating, yes, but have you considered the implications?”
Danny’s smile faltered slightly.
“This transformation… it could mean you’re losing your humanity.”
“Losing my humanity?” He echoed, the twinkle in his eyes dimming a little, “But I thought it was just because I’m hanging out with you. Because we’re friends.”
“We are friends, Danny,” Nocturn assured him quickly, “And nothing could change that. But the essence of my being is tied to dreams and the cosmos. Your close connection to me may be altering you more fundamentally than you realize.”
A silence settled between them, filled only by the whisper of solar winds and the distant hum of starlight. Danny looked thoughtful, his gaze drifting off into the swirling galaxies around them.
“Maybe it’s not such a bad thing,” Danny finally said, more to himself than to Nocturn, “Maybe this is just part of who I am supposed to be.”
To be adorned in the cosmos, to feel the pulse of the universe beneath his skin— Nocturn knew it would be a dream come true for the boy, but the ghost worries that he will lose parts of himself to the vastness of the universe. A shimmer here, a twinkle there. What was the cost of becoming this beautifully decorated?
Nocturn watched him carefully, admiration mingling with a tinge of worry, “Just make sure, Danny, that this is what you truly want. Being like me… it’s not just about bearing the universe on your shoulders. It’s about being forever bound to the intangible, to dreams and starlight.”
Danny nodded, understanding the weight of his friend’s words. "I'll think about it, Nocturn. But for now, can we just keep exploring? I've never felt more... alive."
“Of course,” Nocturn replied, a slight smile breaking through his usual stoic demeanor. As they resumed their journey through the dreamscape of the universe, Nocturn made a silent vow to keep a close watch on Danny’s transformation.
—
In the following weeks, Danny’s transformation grew even more profound, his once human features now glimmering with an ethereal light that seemed to illuminate the darkest recesses of the ghost zone. They continued their adventures, drifting through the cosmic realms of dreamscapes and nebulae, but the change in Danny was not lost on Nocturn.
One evening, as they floated through a dream resembling a vast ocean reflecting the night sky above, Nocturn decided it was time to revisit their earlier conversation. The serene sounds of imaginary waves gently lapping against the shore provided a soothing backdrop to their dialogue.
“Have you given any more thought to what’s happening to you?” Nocturn asked, his tone gentle yet filled with an undercurrent of concern.
Danny paused, his gaze fixed on the shimmering water below them. He dipped his hand into the dream-sea, watching as the waters turned to stardust at his touch, “I have,” He finally said, his voice calm, “And I think... I think I’m okay with it. It’s like I’m becoming more myself than ever.”
Nocturn floated closer, his own cosmic form reflecting in the starlit sea, “Your soul resonates with the cosmos, Danny. The more time you spend with me, the more you become a part of what you love. You are merging with the dreamscape of the universe, embracing your deepest desire to connect with the vastness of space.”
“What will I become?” Danny asked, finally voicing his worries despite his initial wonder, “Am I still going to be me?”
“You will always be you, just a different version,” Nocturn assured him, his tone soothing but cryptic, “A version that lives in the dream of the stars.”
Danny nodded slowly, his starry eyes reflecting a complex mix of emotions. “That sounds... incredible,” He murmured, almost breathlessly, as the cosmic winds of the dream-sea whipped around them, “What if I lose touch with… everything?”
“That’s a valid fear,” Nocturn conceded, his voice echoing softly across the dream waves, “Transformation of any kind comes with its risks. You might find that some parts of your old life no longer fit with what you are becoming.”
Danny’s expression grew distant, pensive, “Like my family and friends?”
“Possibly,” Nocturn replied gently, “You may find that as you drift further into the universe, the connections to your earthly existence might stretch thin.”
The weight of his friend’s words pressed heavily on Danny, the enormity of his journey making his heart pulse with a nebulous mix of excitement and fear.
“But that doesn't mean you have to choose now, or ever fully decide,” Nocturn added, sensing Danny’s internal struggle. “Life, like the universe, isn't about absolute states. It’s about evolution, exploration, and sometimes, finding a balance between worlds.”
Danny looked up, his face lit by the ethereal glow of the stars within him. “Balance, huh?” He said with a small smile, trying to wrap his mind around the enormity of his situation, “I guess I’ve always been about that, haven’t I? Half ghost, half human... now maybe part cosmic.”
Nocturn chuckled softly, the sound like the distant twinkling of celestial bodies. “Indeed, you have always been caught between realms.”
Danny felt a resurgence of his earlier enthusiasm. “Then let’s keep going. I want to see everything—every galaxy, every star!” His voice grew stronger, more confident. “And I’ll figure out my place in all of it as I go.”
Nocturn nodded, pleased with Danny’s resolve but still bearing the silent promise to protect and guide him as much as possible, “Very well, then. There are dreams out there waiting to be discovered. Let’s not keep them waiting.”
Together, they resumed their exploration, delving deeper into the dreamscape of the universe. With each new vista and every unexplored dream, Danny’s connection to the cosmos grew stronger. His body shimmered with stardust, and the echoes of nebulae hummed through his veins. The universe wasn’t just around him; it was within him, part of his very essence.
As they moved through swirling galaxies and past shimmering auroras, Nocturn watched Danny with a mix of pride and apprehension. The boy who loved space was becoming a creature of it, embodying the wonder and vastness he had always adored. Yet, the ghost knew the journey they were on was unprecedented, the path uncharted. Danny was transforming into something new, something neither entirely ghost nor human, nor purely cosmic, but a unique fusion of all three.
The dreamscapes they visited became more surreal, shaped by the dreams of beings from countless worlds—dreams of peace, of exploration, of fears, and hopes. Each dream added layers to Danny’s transformation, coloring his perceptions and deepening his connection to the universe.
One evening, as they paused to watch a supernova bloom in the distance, casting radiant waves of light across the dreamscape, Nocturn spoke up, his voice soft yet clear.
“You have embraced your new role admirably,” He said, “But remember, no matter how far you go or how much you change, you are never alone.”
Danny looked at Nocturn, gratitude filling his twinkling eyes, “Thank you, Nocturn. And thank you for showing me this path, for being my friend through all of it.”