Set Alight

Chapter 7

"When did I change?" I demand, stepping forward. My agitation triggers some fire, and it glows a bit on my skin. My dress, thankfully, doesn't burn, and the fire doesn't hurt. Yet. It teases along my skin, warming it comfortably. Everyone takes a collective step backwards except the woman with fire for hair.

"When we put you in the chamber. You glowed and your hair turned white," supplies the woman beside Danny Phantom. "We were rather surprised, too."

"Okay, who are you?! And you?!" I point to the black-clad woman. Thrusting my hand down before my point accidently shoots fire, I glare expectantly at the two women.

"I am Blaze," supplied the ghost. She looks kindly at me, almost paternally. I shake off the gaze and look at the final unidentified person in the room.

"Sam. I'm Danny's wife and Jack's mom." She returns me glare, folding her arms defensively.

"I'm Emma." The words are out of my mouth before I realize they were probably already told my name. "Just in case you didn't know."

"A pleasure, Emma Wildfire," Blaze greets.

"Not Wildfire. Just Emma." She doesn't seem to have heard me, as she turns and busies herself with the panel nearest to her. I turn to address everyone else. "What does this mean? How can I be a ghost?"

Danny Phantom shakes his head. "It's a mystery, isn't it? Ha. You must've been in an accident similar to mine."

"Which was...?"

"A portal. I turned a portal on from the inside and my DNA mixed with ghost DNA. Did something like that happen to you?"

"You can turn a portal on from the inside? Seems like a major safety hazard."

Sam laughs. "You're telling me. He almost died sixty times because of that stupid thing."

I raise an eyebrow, folding my arms. "Aren't ghosts already dead?" My fire dies down as I calm, and it seems to reluctantly curl into my heart, waiting for the slightest moment to attack. "You should really be more careful, Mr. Phantom."

"It's not my fault!" He holds his hands up defensively. "I don't ask for things to attack me!"

"What are you talking about? The portal attacked you? Or did you just go inside multiple times and keep hitting the button that killed you, at no fault to the poor inanimate object?"

Ashton grins, suddenly. "I call custody!"

I gasp in mock outrage, then glare at him before shrugging. "Sounds like a delinquent anyway."

"I bet I can whip him into shape. Get him to choose the right path." He smiles at Danny Phantom and Sam, who just look blankly at him.

"But... it's mine..." Danny argues weakly.

Lindsey completely ignores Danny and continues the portal custody conversation. "Yup. Maybe then it'll stop killing people. All you have to do is guide him with a loving hand. Just don't go overboard, like Emma's dad."

At the mention of my dad, I freeze. Lindsey, Ashton, Jack and-strangely- Benedict laugh, until they see my immobilization. "Emma?" Ashton asks. "We didn't mean to offend your dad-"

"My Dad!!!!" I cry, suddenly released from my shock. "He's going to kill me! He hates ghosts, he hates them!" I start pacing along the floor, and my fire leaps up and sets my skin and hair alight, refusing anyone to come within ten feet of me. "He says they're dangerous and they kill people, he says that they need to kill people, I don't want to kill people. I can't. My dad'll kill me! I can't-"