♧Zen️♧️

ʚ 🌸 ɞ ┈➤ makoto / chiaki icons

( ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈) 𝙹𝚄𝙽𝙺𝙾, 𝚁𝙰𝙽𝚃𝙰𝚁𝙾, 𝚃𝙴𝙽𝙺𝙾 𝚆𝙰𝙻𝙻𝙿𝙰𝙿𝙴𝚁𝚂

　　　　 (ꈍ ꒳ ꈍ✿) 𝙽𝙰𝙴𝙷𝙸𝚁𝙾 𝙸𝙲𝙾𝙽𝚂

Link to the picrew: https://picrew.me/secret_image_maker/1ATjYgP9eVbd7xP9/complete

"That's so Cute"

╰┈➤ makoto naegi icons

Here he is, the main protagonist of the MLP AU: Makoto, aka Hope Springs! 

A clumsy but optimistic Earth pony, Hope Springs considers himself ordinary in all ways except for his ability to always see the silver lining of a bad situation. For a long time, he thought that his talent was just his uncanny (if temperamental) luck, but after looking deeper into the problems plaguing the town of Hope’s Creek alongside his new friend Snowy Sleuth, he discovered he was also the embodiment of the Element of Hope!

"Why?!"

Oh hun, let me tell you about how absolutely delicious and messed up the relationship between Danny Fenton and Vlad Masters is. It’s a veritable mine of content, a fic writer could get lost in that sweet, sweet sauce.

Long story short is Vlad is also part human, part ghost from a lab accident also caused by Danny’s parents 20 years ago when they were in college. He used his powers for selfish gain, lying and cheating his way to billions of dollars. But he was still bitter, still alone, falling victim to the ghostly nature of his powers and becoming obsessive. He was in love with Danny’s mom, Maddie and is convinced he had a chance with her if only his accident hadn’t happened. He blames Danny’s dad, Jack and swears to kill him.

He puts his plan into motion for their 20 year college reunion, to kill Jack and woo Maddie and finally stop feeling so alone. Only he finds out that the Fenton’s youngest son, a shy boy he’d written off, is also a half ghost hybrid. And just like that Vlad isn’t totally alone in the world. 

But does Vlad approach Danny like a normal person? Offer his understanding, help with his powers and generally act like someone with half a conscious? hell no. Instead he beats the child halfway to Sunday, demands that Danny forsake his home and family and become Vlad’s apprentice all the while actively trying to kill his Dad. Danny, predictably, says no dice.

And it spirals out of control from there. Vlad’s obsession with Maddie slowly shifts until he’s become obsessed with Danny. He says he wants love, he says he wants a family but he’s trying to get at it by scaring the child, by threatening him, by trying to get rid of every other place for Danny to turn so he has no where else to go but into Vlad’s welcoming arms. He wants a son but he has no idea how to be a decent person much less a father. At one point, he goes full blown nutso and tries to clone Danny to create “the perfect half ghost son”, it blows up in his face (literally) but it goes to show the lengths he’d go to.

Danny, meanwhile, is rightfully angry and upset about the whole situation. He’s scared to death of these ghost powers and he meets someone who finally understands and all he does is manipulate and hurt Danny. It really takes a blow to Danny’s trust in adults, Vlad instantly tries to control him once he learns about Danny’s powers so how can Danny trust anyone? He wants some guidance, he wants security and all he keeps getting is pain. He lashes out just as hard back as Vlad, mocking his loneliness and flaunting the loved ones he has in his life. He spits and curses the man as Fenton and tries to punch his smarmy face in as Phantom.

They’re two members of the world’s smallest species and they can’t stand each other. But it’s not as simple as that. Vlad has been isolated from people for 20 years, he’s conniving and manipulative as a human but his ghost powers make him 10x worse and his moral compass is perpetually broken. He does love, in his own twisted way, but things he had to force and painfully grip that love not realizing he’s driving people off. Danny is also just a kid and it’s not his job to help Vlad through his many, many issues. Vlad also exacerbates Danny’s paranoia and mistrust in general. I think some part of him still does look up to Vlad, hoping that one day he’ll turn around and become an actual mentor to Danny who really has no adult he can rely on. He’s willing to lend a hand to help his enemies but he always hesitates with Vlad, burned too many times. We see in a future AU that Vlad is capable of change and regret, Danny likewise is very compassionate and open but just can’t extend the same curtesy to Vlad.

That kind of villain/hero relationship is why I love Darth Vader and Dad for One, so I cannot judge your love for it because that fascination is something real and that I am intimately aware of.

Both of them have been keeping their true nature from Danny’s parents, and neither of them want to spill their secrets. Vlad can’t ruin Danny’s life via reveal without also taking himself down to, and vice versa.

As much as this might not go well for Danny, it would be infinitely worse for Vlad. Danny as Phantom may not have a great relationship with is parents, but there are episodes where the co-operate, hell, there’s even an episode where he  is revealed and they’re ok with it (this does get undone via Infinity Gantlet, but my point stands).

Vlad though? Vlad knows a reveal would not play out well for him. His ghost form, Plasmius, has never been anything but a threat to the Fentons, and to the town. To make things even better, Maddie Fenton starts becoming more wary of Vlad in his human form, after his pursuit of her starts becoming more and more blatant.