Shadow of the Night. Part 2
Edits done by Halusm, and Rye Bread.
Shadow of the Night.
Part 2.
<<>><<>><<>>
"Keep your eyes and ears open, you two. This nightmare has only just begun!"
No sooner than 'Sam' had said this, they heard the sound of leaves crunching and twigs snapping coming from directly behind them. Looking back, they saw that the door they came from had disappeared, along with the entire wall.
"What the..." Danny mumbled as they saw the many trees standing before them.
"Uhh... Guys?" Tucker said, catching the attention of the others.
Glancing over their shoulders, they saw he was looking at something behind them.
They both turned around, and immediately Danny took a step back in confusion and surprise, while 'Sam' only gave a groan in annoyance.
The room they were previously in had disappeared. In its place there was now a massive forest. A forest exactly like the one Danny had tried to escape from, and they were standing right in the middle of it.
Crunch.
There it was again. The three of them pressed their backs together as they scanned the trees for any sign for what was making that sound, yet the darkness that surrounded them made it a difficult task.
Snap... Rustle.
"There. It came from over there!" Tucker said in a half whisper as he pointed in the general area before him.
Crunch... Crunch. Snap.
"Is it just me, or does it sound like something is walking? Something big?" Danny asked as he tried to see through the darkness.
"You're right," 'Sam' said. "Something big is here."
"Roarrrr"
A loud roar came from the dark. The snapping of branches and heavy pounding on the ground indicated that a large form was running towards them. Danny, on instinct, turned back into his ghost form, and took a defensive stance before Tucker and 'Sam'.
"Don't worry you guys! I’ve dealt with one of these before!" he said confidently as he looked at the creature as it came out of the shadows, running towards the trio.
Finding himself surprisingly calm given the circumstances, Danny sized up his opponent.
It had a feral, violent look, and a mouth filled with large sharp teeth. A scorpion tail with poison dripping from the tip, not to mention the large spike that could easily spear him. It had bat wings, with the body and head of a lion. It bore a surprisingly bright pink mane, and bright turquoise, angry eyes. Large claws, one of which seemed to be bleeding as it left dark red marks every time the beast lifted the claw off the ground.
Danny noticed all of this in less than a second as his instincts --sharpened during his time as the hero of Amity Park-- kicked in. Yet, despite all of this, he failed to notice the green glint in the beast's eyes, and the slight curve upwards the corners of the creature's mouth made as he became a ghost again.
With a leap, the manticore jumped towards the three humans standing before it. 'Sam' jumped out of the way, while Tucker froze up.
Acting fast, Danny grabbed his friend and flung him towards one of the more distant trees.
"Just stay here," Danny told him as Tucker scrambled to hide behind a thick tree trunk. "You don't want to get too close to this thing."
"Y-yeah, okay... thanks." Tucker said, shaken.
Giving him a nod of confirmation, Danny flew back to the enraged beast, ready to start the fight.
"Why do I have the feeling something like this has happened before?" Danny wondered as he dodged a wild swing from the beast, and delivered a swift uppercut of his own.
Roaring out in rage from the blow, the manticore launched its tail towards Danny. He narrowly avoided the poisoned tip by turning his midsection into an intangible trail. Not unlike how his legs would be if he turned them into a tail, making it possible for him to twist and turn his body out of the way in ways no normal human would be able to do. Not without breaking their back, anyways.
"Wow, that was a bit too close." He yelped as his body reformed back into a solid shape.
Flying backwards a bit to make sure the animal couldn't hit him with another wild swing, Danny charged energy into his hands, making them glow. But before he had a chance to fire his attack onto the manticore, the beast was struck by another ectoplasmic green blast, not coming from him.
"What? Who did that?" Danny asked aloud as he twisted around to find the source of the blast.
"You aren't the only one that can shoot things, you know.” 'Sam' said as she aimed her ecto blaster at the manticore and unleashed another burst of energy.
"What? Where did you get that thing?" Danny asked, raising his voice over the manticore's enraged roar.
"Well, hellooo? This is your memory too, remember? I just use what is inside that thick head of yours."
"Wait, you can do that?" he asked in surprise.
"Sure, although there isn't really much to work with." 'Sam' shouted back as she dodged one of the claws the manticore swung at her, and let loose a barrage of her own attacks.
"Wow tha.... Wait, what do you mean, there is not much to work with?" Danny asked her, sounding somewhat offended. The only reply he got was a smug smirk as 'Sam' shot the blaster again.
Grumbling under his breath about the obvious jab towards him, Danny flew towards the enraged animal as it was currently distracted by 'Sam'. But, despite the slight insult, a small smile found his way on his face. Regardless of what she had just said, he couldn't help but feel nostalgic about it all. Whether it was a dream, or not. Whether she was real, or not. Here she was again, fighting by his side.
Letting loose the energy he had stored in his hands, Danny sent a twin blast of ectoplasm into the beast's back.
Roaring out in pain, surprise, and rage, the manticore swung his body wildly around, and managed to hit Danny with the bulbous end of his tail.
The blow knocked the wind out of Danny as he went soaring through the air with a silent scream, before crashing into one of the many trees, slowly sliding down the trunk to the ground where he lay in a motionless heap for several long seconds.
Groaning weakly, Danny rubbed his head as he pushed his upper body off the ground. Blinking rapidly to clear the haze and shattered leaves from his vision, he noticed that the already dark forest had become even darker.
Heavy panting filled the air as a thick fluid fell to the ground mere inches from his face. Looking up, he saw the manticore standing over him, and thick drops of saliva fell from the animal's open jaw.
Danny heard the faint sound of 'Sam' as she yelled something to him, but it was lost to him as the manticore lifted himself up onto hind legs, spread out his front legs and wings, and roared loudly before lurching forward, ready to deliver the finishing blow.
Thoughtlessly, Danny rolled to the side, narrowly missing the beast's claws as they made deep gashes into the dark earth on which he had just been lying. Pushing off the ground, he quickly flew up and away from the beast, taking a brief moment to actually catch his breath.
"Wow, that was waaay too close for comfort..." he sighed out in relief.
"I’ll say. Keep your head in the game, Danny." 'Sam' said as she shot the beast in the back, causing it to yelp out as it retreated back in between the shadows of the forest.
"Right." Danny answered as they saw the glint of the animal's eyes coming from the darkness surrounding them. "Say, if you can have one of those blasters, can Tucker have one too?" he asked suddenly.
"I guess," she said with a shrug as she kept her eyes on the last known position of the manticore, preparing for another round. "All you need to do is think about it, and it should happen."
"Really?"
"Maybe. This is your dream, but you are not controlling it. It might work, or it won't because she won't allow it." 'Sam' said as she spun on her heel and aimed her weapon towards the sound of snapping branches coming from her right side.
"Well, it is better than nothing. I can really use all the help I can get.” Danny said as he rubbed his side. "That hit hurt more than I thought it would."
"That doesn't surprise me." 'Sam' said, "Your powers were drained, weakening you. Plus, we are in your own mind. Basically you are fighting yourself, and we are all our own worst enemies." She told him, not realizing what kind of impact her words would have.
"We're our own worst enemy!" Danny repeated under his breath as memories suddenly flooded his mind
Suddenly the forest rippled and warped. Cracks seemed to appear in thin air as the trees surrounding them started to fade, and in their place came many destroyed buildings. Buildings Danny had destroyed in another life.
'Sam' called out to him, but he was unable to hear her as he was consumed by the emerging city.
<<>><<>><<>>
'What is this?' Nightmare thought as she reared back in shock.
She had been observing the human ever since he had so carelessly ran into her trap, and had been watching with twisted amusement how he and his "friends" fought with the beast she had sent to them.
She knew he didn't stand a chance. Not only had he been weakened from the power drain, but in a world she controlled, there was no victory for her prey. Yet somehow, one of his associates had managed to obtain a weapon, even though she didn't allow for it. And somehow, they managed to scare off her pawn. Even if it was only temporary. But this was not what concerned her, nor was it the obvious attempt to form some sort of plan of attack they were discussing. No, it was what happened after the female had told him something that captured her attention.
Outside of her control, the environment had changed. The forest she created vanished, replaced by a city of formidable size.
At first Nightmare thought that, somehow, this ape had managed to break her hold over his mind, that he was shaping his own dream. But after the first buildings took shape, and she got a good look at this new landscape, she realized something else was happening.
A memory.
A memory of something dark.
A nightmare.
"Well, aren't you full of surprises." She mused as she watched the scene unfold with rapt attention.
<<>><<>><<>>
Danny was breathing heavily, almost to the point of hyperventilating, as he suddenly found himself standing in the one place he wished he would never see again.
He knew this place all too well.
Amity Park. The city he was born and raised in. The city he had tried to defend as he took on the role of hero. The city that had shunned him, had branded him as a criminal. The city he had destroyed. Destroyed in a future he fought so hard to prevent.
It was a fate that was averted, thanks to the intervention and guidance of the ghost, Clockwork. And Danny knew he shouldn’t have to worry about this future becoming a reality. Yet, here he was again. Standing in the abandoned streets of the ruined city.
Gasping, trying to get his panicked breathing under control, he looked around for his friends, hoping that somehow 'Sam' would know what was going on.
"Hello." He called out with a high pitched voice, yet he received no reply.
Everywhere he looked he saw emptied buildings, burned out cars, destroyed streets, and all the wreckage of many hard fought battles.
He wandered aimlessly through the streets, taking in the destruction and knowing he caused it all.
"This isn't right. I stopped this... didn't I?" Danny asked himself, uncertain; so immersed in his own memory that he didn't notice it wasn't real.
A loud crash made him jump, and he swirled around with his arm raised and his hand glowing green. But the threat he was expecting proved to be nothing more than a collapsing wall.
Chunks of masonry littered the street where the wall had tumbled down, while a small puff of dust ballooned into the air. The dust mixed with the smoke rising from the destruction surrounding him, while weak, red sunlight shone through the holes in the suffocating layers of smog.
Danny shivered uncontrollably as he took it all in.
"I did this." He whispered as his guilt crushed down on him like a mountain.
"My powers caused this." He said, bending down to pick up a damaged teddy bear. Half the face of it was burned away, and black scorch marks covered the body.
"This is all I am good for." He said through clenched teeth as he tightened his grip on the pitiful stuffed animal. "Death and destruction! That is all I am good for!" He yelled as he threw away the destroyed bear.
Falling to his knees, Danny punched the ground again and again until the glove covering his hand was torn, and his knuckles were bleeding. Drops of ectoplasm fell to the ground, mixed with the tears falling from his eyes.
"Why do I destroy everything I touch? Why do I hurt everyone that gets close to me?"
"Because it is your destiny!"
Danny's eyes shot open as he heard the voice. Raising his head to look for the voice, he saw that hateful being he wished he would never see again.
Himself.
The older, corrupted version of himself that had laid waste to the city he once protected. The sight of him hit like a physical blow, knocking Danny backwards off his knees.
<<>><<>><<>>
"Impossible!" Nightmare Moon roared as she observed the corruption.
Pale, greenish skin, and white hair that moved in a similar fashion as her own mane. A broad chest, muscular arms, glowing red eyes, and fangs. He wore a cape that was white on the outside, and black on the inside. And a suit which was equally white, but with a black center section that split into a large V and covered his arms.
"This ape. He was like me once." Nightmare Moon said in surprise, amazement and disgust. How could such a low creature be blessed with the powers of a god? Yet he didn't show any of it now, save for this memory.
"What are you?" She said in a hissed whisper.
<<>><<>><<>>
"NO, it can't be. You can't be here. We stopped you. I stopped you." Danny screamed in panic as he scampered away in a backwards crab-walk.
"So you did." Dan replied with a snarl, stepping closer to the retreating, younger version of himself.
"Poor. Little. Danny." He said in a calm, but mocking voice as he grabbed Danny by the collar, and lifted him up with one hand. "All grown up. And yet, you remain the same ignorant fool you were as a kid." His head cocked to one side as his tone shifted from mocking to condescending.
"I had it all. You had it all. Powers beyond your wildest imagination, yet you gave it all up for what? To be a hero, or to save your friends? Or maybe for Sam?" He asked with cruel contempt as he looked at his younger self with disgust.
"Let me tell you something Danny Boy. Being a hero never pays off. You sacrifice yourself time, and time again. And for what? What have you gained for your heroism?" He asked, pausing a few seconds for Danny to answer. But he didn't as he struggled to free himself from the grip his corrupted counterpart had him in. "Nothing, that's what." Dan spat at him. "And friends, they only get in the way. It wasn't until they were gone that I realized how much they had held me back. And since that day, I became stronger than I thought possible. And then there is Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Do I even need to say it? Oh, there was a time that I would do anything for her.... Gha, pathetic. To lower one’s self to do the bidding of another. Her death was probably the best that ever happened to me. Hers, Tucker's, and the rest of my family." He said in a dark tone, perversely proud, as if it were a victory.
"You... Gha... You're a monster." Danny struggled to speak as he strained with the effort of freeing himself.
Dan pulled Danny close to his face. "Yes, yes I am. And so are you. After all, you are me." He replied proudly.
"I am nothing like you!" Danny spat back defiantly, forcing his dark self to rear back
Dan's eyes narrowed. "Oh, but you are. Even now, the seed of darkness grows within you, as it always had." He countered with calm logic.
"Never. I will never be like you. I am not evil! I have no darkness in me!" Danny yelled as he gave up his attempt to free himself, spending all his efforts to defy his corrupted counterpart.
"Oh Danny, Danny, Danny. Soon you will realize that evil and darkness are not necessarily the same thing. You are not evil, yet. But there is darkness inside of you. As it always has been. Festering and growing, reaching out to you. All you need to do is to embrace it." Dan said in a tone a father would use to lecture his foolish child.
"Never!"
Danny roared.
"Yes you will. After all, you already did." Dan said angrily as he grew annoyed with his younger counterpart's stubbornness. "I am here because you already made the choice once. So why would you hesitate to do what you already have done?" He gave Danny a hard shake to drive his point home.
"Because I choose not to. Because I choose to fight you." Danny said in a half whisper, but his volume slowly rose as his anger towards his darker form grew.
"Yes, you did. And look where it got you. Sam died regardless, and you ended up a miserable, pathetic excuse of a human being. You're weak, pathetic, and an embarrassment to the both of us. At least I managed to rise up from the ashes when I lost everything. And I became the most powerful of beings. An unstoppable force."
"Pfha. An unstoppable force!" Danny said in a mocking tone. "I stopped you, my friends stopped you. You said that friends held you back, but, ultimately, it was your lack of friends that became your downfall." He nearly shouted, and then his eyes widened as the meaning of his words struck home.
"We all need friends, or we end up miserable and alone. Just like you are. Just like I am." He said barely above a whisper.
"What was that?" The corruption asked with a hiss.
Danny didn't answer as he thought back to all the times he spent with both Sam and Tucker. Memories flooded the area surrounding the two, all of them showed Sam, Tucker, and Danny. Either together, or apart, but always in a situation where they would be there for each other.
"What is this!?" Dan shouted in surprise as the memories continued to appear, slowly filling the once abandoned city with their presence.
****
"Are you still going to eat those fries?" Tucker asked in one of the memories, showing him, Sam, and Danny eating together in the local fast food place, the Nasty Burger.
****
"What is the meaning of this?" Dan asked out loud, switching his attention to another memory.
****
Sam and Tucker were standing on the eighteenth hole of the mini golf course. Sam lined up her shot, and swung her club. The ball flew straight and true, only to be stopped by the mill standing in the center of the course.
"Ugh, darnit." Sam said as she slammed the club into the ground.
"Eighteen holes Sam. I beat you here, I win." Tucker said smugly as he walked away with the golf club resting on one of his shoulders.
Sam only gave a groan in annoyance as her right eye twitched.
Tucker walked towards his own ball, seeing it was only half a meter away from the hole. An easy shot, he was sure to win.
Taking a little time to line up his shot, he gave a little tap against the ball, knowing that he had won. Or he would have if his club hadn't swung through the ball.
Tucker gasped out. How could he have missed?
"That's one." Sam said, amused.
Tucker swung again, and missed again.
"And two!" Sam counted.
Annoyed and confused why he missed the ball all the time, Tucker kept swinging and swinging.
"Three, four and five. Ha." Sam said mockingly.
Tucker gave a groan in annoyance as he reached out to pick up the small object of his frustration, only to be shocked when his hand phased through it.
"Yoohoo." Danny said as he appeared from underneath the ground, holding Tucker's golf ball.
"Ghaaa... Danny! Knock it off. Tucker half yelled as he reared back in shock.
"Yeah, you were supposed to be here an hour ago." Sam said. "By the way, that still counts." She said to Tucker.
****
Suddenly the memory faded as others took its place. All of them showing Danny with his friends. Whether they were Sam, Tucker, or others. They were all there.
"What is going on?" Dan roared as he started to blast the memories surrounding him with his free hand, but his attacks passed clean through the images, not doing any damage at all.
"Weak? Pathetic? Powerless?!" Danny said as his eyes regained focus, and snapped towards his evil self. "You're right. I am weak. If I wasn't, then I wouldn't have ran away. And I certainly have been pathetic. Doing nothing but waste away in some dump of an apartment. But I wasn't always like that. I may not be as strong as you, but I wasn't weak. I had my friends to hold my back, to pick me up whenever I was down." He said with power behind his words. For the first time in a long time Danny remembered exactly what his friends meant to him; what they had done for him.
Staring down his opponent, Danny could feel his power rise as memories strengthened his resolve.
"I was weak, and pathetic. But not any more. I am done with that. And between the two of us, I see only one that is powerless." Danny said as his eyes glowed a bright green. Looking just like two bright green orbs of pure energy.
There was a shift in the memories surrounding the two ghosts. All the images blurred together, a swirling mix that dissolved the scenery leaving the forms of each person standing in the ruined city.
"I will always have my friends to help me." The images of Tucker, Jazz, Wulf, Dani, and many more, suddenly turned towards the corruption, readying for an attack. Except Sam, who looked around in confusion, before her eyes widened at seeing Dan. She quickly recovered herself and took a fighting stance, prepared for anything.
Wulf unsheathed his claws, while Dani's hands glowed green. Sam, Tucker and Jazz all had a Fenton blaster at the ready, while various frost giants gathered large chunks of ice in their claws.
Danny, held aloft by his darker form, reached up, holding tightly to the older Fenton’s wrist. "I may not be as strong as you, but are you as strong as all of us?" Danny said threateningly as he froze Dan's wrist.
Breaking free, Danny landed on his feet.
The corruption fell to his knees, roaring as he held onto the frozen and broken stump where his hand used to be. Yet Danny failed to notice that the moment he injured his darker self, the scenery slightly changed. A couple of the bent and broken street lights faded out of existence, and in their places trees sprouted out of the ground. Trees with an almost unnatural dark bark, with shadows spread out from them in every direction.
A shadow fell across the corruption as Danny stood before him, looking down at him with disgust clearly visible on his face, while his eyes continued to glow with intensity.
"Pathetic." Was all Danny said.
Dan only growled back in response. Steam came off his demolished arm as he melted the ice with his energy, and similar puffs of water vapor came off the small chunks of his hand lying on the ground. The small chunks melted down into green goop, before they flew back to the corruption's arm. There they rejoined into an undamaged hand.
"Ah, good as new." Dan snarled as he got up, baring his fangs as he looked his opposite directly in the eyes. "Now, where were we? Oh, right." He said, then shot a beam of ectoplasm towards Danny.
Danny, standing too close to his evil self, had no time to dodge, or go intangible. With a scream, and a flash of green, he was launched backwards. Slamming into the wreck of an adjacent building, bursting through the wall. With a deafening rumble the heavily abused building imploded, collapsing onto the half ghost.
Dan laughed victoriously as he watched the building crush his former self, only to turn around when he heard an angry growl coming from behind him.
A surprised: "Oh!" was all he was able to say before Wulf impaled him with his extended claws.
Piercing his chest, and sticking out of his back, Wulf's claws were drenched with green ectoplasme as he howled in the face of the corruption.
"Bravo, you oversized mutt, you got me. It won't happen again." Dan grunted as ectoplasmic blood seeped from his mouth.
Raising his arm, he blasted Wulf in the chest, blasting him away like he did Danny. A painful shriek erupted from the both of them, the claws forcibly pulled out of Dan’s body. A small fountain of green blood sprayed out of the holes in his chest, before they sealed themselves. But there was no chance for him to catch his breath, as he immediately received a boot against his face.
"You like that, huh? Well I got a lot more where that is coming from." Said the young teenager as she charged her hands with ectoplasm. Shooting blast after blast onto the darkness that was once her cousin.
While Dani was busy blasting away as if it was the fourth of July, Sam, Tucker, and Jazz were busy clearing the rubble lying on top of Danny.
"Come on, you guys. We need to get him out of there!" Jazz said frantically as she struggled to move a large piece of concrete out of the way.
"Don't worry, dude. We'll get you out of there!" Tucker called out to his friend.
"Typical Danny. Going from one place to the other, and leaving us behind, struggling to catch up." 'Sam' muttered.
"What was that?" Jazz asked, confused.
"I am just wondering why Danny doesn't just go intangible and fly out of there himself?" 'Sam' said quickly.
Jazz and Tucker stopped their effort to remove the rubble as they registered what 'Sam' had said.
"Wait. You don't mean that-" Jazz began in a shocked whisper, but 'Sam' cut her off before she could finish.
"No, no. Not like that. Not him, not in here." 'Sam' said as she looked around, suddenly noticing the trees. "Hmmm."
Without warning, the ground started to shake, and the debris covering Danny started to shift and turn as a green glow shone through the cracks.
"What are you up to now?" 'Sam' shouted as she, Jazz, and Tucker quickly moved away from the shifting debris.
<<>><<>><<>>
"Enough!" Dan roared as he was peppered with multiple blasts from Dani.
Gathering his energy, he shot out a large wave of energy in every direction, forcing everything and everyone out of the way.
Dani was blown back as the wave of energy hit her, pushing her back almost ten meters. Not enough to disorient her, but enough to cause a lull in her attack.
Gagging on the choking dust, Dani readied herself for anything that might be thrown at her. She turned invisible, despite the fact that she was somewhat covered in the dust cloud that hung around her. You could never be too careful, after all.
She quietly made her way towards the center of the blast, hoping that Dan was still there, but she was not surprised to find that this was not the case. Shifting her eyes from left to right, she scanned the environment to the best of her abilities. Knowing he was here somewhere. He wouldn't just run away from a fight, but where did he go?
A puff of cold air escaped out of her mouth, but not expecting this, she was caught off guard. Momentarily distracted, she had only enough time to blink once as Dan flew up from underneath the ground, punching her in the stomach with one fully charged fist.
"Ghaaaa!" Dani yelled out as she was thrust skyward.
On her descent back to the ground, she was snatched by the throat. Coming to an instant stop, neck popping loudly, she groaned weakly as she looked the corruption in the eyes as he squeezed her windpipe.
Dani desperately tried to pull the hand from around her throat, but his grip was just too strong. She was gasping for air, as her vision slowly faded to black.
Drawing her close, Dan leered at Dani. "You had so much promise. The potential to become just as great as me, but you chose weakness instead. If I could kill you, I would. But I guess I will have to settle for this instead," he said in a low, menacing voice as he triumphantly watched the light in her eyes slowly fade.
BOOOOOM!
A large explosion went off, accompanied by a blinding green flash. The shockwave of it knocked Dani free of the corruption’s grasp, causing her to fall to the ground.
Barely conscious, Dani was unable to stop her plummet, and was only aware enough to close her eyes before impact.
A large body impacted with hers, and the sudden jerk caused her head to snap back, yet there was no collision with the ground. Struggling to open her eyes, Dani was able to make out the blurry image of Wulf as he was holding her.
She lost consciousness seconds later.
<<>><<>><<>>
One minute prior.
Wulf was frothing with anger. He had the Dark One impaled onto his claws, and yet he managed to escape. The only satisfaction he had was that he had injured him. But that was short lived, as the Dark One's wounds healed almost immediately.
That was an insult to him. That, and the blast he received in the chest. After all, he was a being of pride, and he would take down anyone that would damage it.
Looking down at the black scorch mark in his fur he could feel his anger rise. This was a worse insult than the collar Walker placed on him during his imprisonment. But the thing that truly caused him to lose his cool, was what the Dark One did to his family. First, he hit Danny, the one who became his bond brother after freeing him, with the same attack that stained Wulf’s coat; blasting him into the destroyed remains of a building, and causing it to collapse on top of him.
Then his sister took his place, and attacked the Dark One. She was confusing to him, at first. She smelled the same, and yet, she was different. But where smell confused him, sight allowed him to solve the mystery. They shared the same powers, and family skin, black and white.
Wulf recognized her as Danny's kin, and therefore, as one of his own. She was his sister as much as Danny was his brother, and seeing the Dark One hurt her was the last straw.
He rose up to his full height, and allowed the bloodwrath to consume him. An anger fueled by blind fury that would be devastating to anyone in his path.
Looking up, he saw the Dark One hold his bond sister in his blunt claws. She was struggling, injured, and he would make sure he would pay for it.
His chest swelled as he filled his lungs, Wulf prepared to let loose the howl of his ancestors. Yet, before he could call out to the great wolves of long past, the ground started to shake violently, and a faint green glow shone from the rubble where his bond brother lay.
Eyes shining, Wulf grinned a menacing grin. His brother was still alive, and he was angry.
An explosion, louder than even the howl of his ancestors, ripped through the air, and the green flash that came with it blinded him momentarily. Shaking his head to remove the spots from his vision, Wulf looked around to see what happened in the split second that he was incapacitated.
His hackles raised as he saw his bond sister fall to the ground, clearly unable to save herself. Knowing that his vengeance on the Dark One would have to wait for now, he ran as fast as he could towards the falling form. Using every ounce of strength he had, he jumped towards her, and caught her an instant before she hit the ground.
Wulf didn't know where his brother, or the Dark One were. All he knew was, his sister needed his protection more than he needed vengeance. So, holding Dani close to his chest to shield her with his bulk, he ran towards a moderately intact building some distance away from where the Dark One last was.
Several explosions and green flashes went off in the distance, and Wulf grinned to himself. He knew that his brother was already regaining his honor.
And, because he was only a memory, he missed the sudden growth of what seemed to be a forest in the city all around him.
<<>><<>><<>>
Nightmare Moon had been observing the human for some time now, and she had to admit to herself that she was impressed, if only a little bit.
This human showed great power. Power she desperately wanted. To say she was surprised to learn that he possessed the ability to control one of nature's elements, would be an understatement. The more she saw, the more she wanted to absorb every last drop of this ape's powers. She would certainly become an unstoppable force if she did. Not only would she gain a new form, but new powers as well.
So, seeing her prey use his powers in such an abundance, she couldn't help but feel elated. She would absorb every last bit of it, and she didn't even need to do anything to draw out his abilities. No, he did that himself.
But when she reached out, and prepared to tap into this abundant source of energy, there was nothing. No energy she could absorb. No powers she could rip away from him, just nothing.
For a moment, she struggled to find out why she couldn't drain this ape from the prize she sought. Then it hit her. She couldn't get what she wanted, because the human was no longer within her domain. Instead, he was now in a dreamscape of his own making. And, because of that, all the power he used would remain in there, just out of her reach, only because something was still blocking her from tapping directly into his core.
Nightmare Moon felt her anger rise over this revelation. There he was, using all that power that should be her’s. Instead, it was wasted on some ridiculous dream. If she wanted to gain his powers, he had to be returned to her own domain. But how?
Then she noticed something. The moment he injured the memory this world was built around, the structure weakened. Small cracks appeared in the layers of this dream, openings she could exploit.
Sending out her own energy, she poured her presence into the layers of Danny's dream, infecting it. Slowly, she changed the dream, molding it back into the forest he had escaped from. But it was a slow process, and it could only work if the dream would become more and more unstable. Something that would only happen if the core of the dream would be weakened. And fortunately for her, that was exactly what was happening.
<<>><<>><<>>
Danny blasted free from the debris lying above him, chunks of stone and steel flying through the air in every direction. His eyes glowed an intense green as he roared out in rage.
His aim was true, and his attack swift, as he flew into his dark counterpart with speed. He knocked the wind out of him, and sent him flying in a wide arc.
Dan slammed through building after building, until he came to a stop against an upturned, burned out car.
For a moment he just lay there, unmoving. Danny descended until he hovered a mere meter above the prone form, watching him intently with glowing eyes and hands.
Suddenly, Dan's eyes snapped open with a red glow, and he shot a powerful beam at Danny. But Danny was expecting this, and quickly moved to the side, the beam of deadly energy shooting past his face with mere inches to spare.
"You missed." Danny commented in a cold tone, shooting his own attack at the corruption.
Melting into green fog, Dan led the shot pass through him without suffering personal injury.
"So did you." He taunted
Danny growled back in response as the two started to circle around each other. Hands glowing, and tails swirling in a slight breeze that kicked up some of the dust lying around, the two waited for the other to make a move.
For a moment, nothing happened. But then, as if they heard the shot of a starter pistol, the two lurched to each other.
They slammed into one another with brute force, their energy collided, and the miniature explosion sent them both hurtling to the ground. Both of them recovered before they would impact, and they started to fire one shot after the other. Some hit, but most missed, causing them to slam into the already damaged terrain, and creating small craters all around.
Danny grunted with each hit he endured, but shook it off. His dark counterpart did the same, but, with each hit Danny scored, the terrain would slightly change. More and more trees appeared, and the emerging forest grew larger and larger, slowly casting more of the area in its shadow.
Danny did not notice this, as he was put on the defensive from a barrage of ectoplasmic blasts and beams Dan kept firing at him, not stopping for anything as he tried to overpower his weaker counterpart.
Danny threw up a shield in front of himself as a means to stop the attack, and give himself some breathing room. But the onslaught of the corruption's attack proved to be too much, and he found himself slowly being pushed back from the force of the barrage.
The shield cracked as the strain became too much for him. He knew he wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer, and he needed to find a way to turn the tides.
Rescue came to him as two frost giants charged into the fray. One of them threw an enormous ball of ice at Dan, causing him to freeze solid. The other grew a large ice stalagmite, and used it as a bat to slam away his opponent.
The ice broke away from Dan as he tumbled toward the street. Screaming in pain and rage the second his lungs unfroze, he slammed into the ground, creating a small crater with his body.
The frost giant that had thrown the frozen ball against the corruption, rushed to the scene. Looking down in the hole, he saw the dark form struggling to get up. Not wasting any time, he unleashed the full extent of his ice shaping, and froze the abomination in a layer of ice many times stronger than steel, and frozen to absolute zero. It wouldn't hold him forever, but for now, it would do.
"Are you alright, Great One?" The frost giant holding the ice club asked Danny as he helped him back up.
"Yeah, I am now." Danny answered as he looked up at the hulking form, recognizing him.
"Frostbite?" Danny said in surprise, glad to see him. "What are you doing here?"
"I am here because you called upon me." He answered.
"Huh?"
"You were in need, and I came to help." He simplified.
"Ah, ok then." Danny said. "So, what are we going to do about that guy?" He asked, pointing to the area his corruption lay, now frozen solid.
"It is not what we will do, but what you can do." Frostbite answered as he observed the trees standing around the area.
"What I can do? Maybe you didn't notice, but I got my butt handed to me just now." Danny said bitterly. "He is just too strong for me alone."
"He is only stronger than you because you believe him to be stronger."
"Huh? You kinda lost me there." Danny said confused.
"Danny, do you remember where you were before you got here?" Frostbite asked.
"Of course I do. I was... ehhh. I was... Where was I?" Danny asked himself, struggling remember.
"Observe," was all Frostbite said as he pointed to a small group of trees standing in the distance.
Thick, high trees with an unnaturally dark bark littered the place. At first they didn't mean much to Danny, but as he looked closer he saw something that caused a shiver to run down his spine.
Demonic faces could be seen on the trees, and if he listened closely, he could hear an all too familiar ghost-like giggle coming from them. The shadows they cast seemed too dark, and too widespread to be natural. Then he saw a large form move in the shadows, and a glint of what could only be eyes as they looked at him.
"The forest. The manticore!" Danny suddenly shouted as he remembered. "But does that mean this is just a dream too?"
"Indeed it is." Frostbite answered.
"But how do you know? Are you like Sam, or whoever she really is?" Danny asked in a rush, his words almost blurring together.
"No, I am not. I am the representation of your logic. The part of you that is aware of what is happening, but, until now, was suppressed by—" he tapped Danny in the center of the forehead, "—all of this. I am here to aid you in both this fight, and the one that is still waiting for you there." He said as he pointed to the manticore that was lurking in the shadows.
"Yeah, about that. Shouldn't we be worried about that mutant cat attacking us here?" Danny asked, slightly worried, not wanting to fight both his own corruption and the manticore at the same time.
"Don't worry, Great One. It is unable to cross in here. It is not a product of your mind, and thus it's unable to cross the boundaries of his realm into yours. But its domain is spreading, and soon you will be forced to deal with this other threat. But for now, we must focus on the task at hand." Frostbite told Danny as he focused his attention to his fellow frost giant, and the frozen crater from which white vapor was rising.
"Prepare yourself, Danny Phantom. This fight is about to start anew."
Steam continued rising off the frozen area, while small pockets of water started to boil. A bright glow came from the center of the frozen landscape, the being trapped in there pouring everything he had into freeing himself.
Cracks appeared in the sheet of ice that covered Dan, and rays of green light shot out of them. The escaping energy hastening the melting process, and a massive, billowing cloud rose to obscure the vision of Danny and the frost giants. All they could see was the ominous glow of the corruption's energy at work, and the sharp sound of ice cracking reverberated over the otherwise quiet streets.
With a massive roar of anger, Dan rose up to his full height while balancing a large chunk of ice above him. Channeling massive amounts of energy into the frozen boulder, it exploded in a volatile mixture of boiling water, frozen shards, and burning steam.
"Graaaa!.... You will pay for that!" The corruption roared at the frost giant that had frozen him, before shooting an energy beam at him. He hit him dead center in the chest, and, with a roar of agony, the frost giant fell to the ground with smoke rising from his prone form.
"Now, where are you?" Dan growled in a low tone, peering through the fog that covered the area.
"Remember great one, he is only as strong as you allow him to be." Frostbite whispered to Danny, as both of them were keeping a distance between them, and the enraged psychopath. "And keep in mind, this is not merely a battle of strength, but of willpower as well. You are stronger than he, but only if you believe yourself to be."
"Right." Danny said in a low voice as he sighed deeply, levitated upward, and moved to his darkness.
"And Danny," Frostbite said, his voice stopping Danny for a moment. "Give him everything you got."
Giving him a grim nod of confirmation, Danny flew towards Dan, the outline of his enemy becoming clearer as the fog started to lift.
"Ahh, Danny. How nice of you to show up. I was starting to worry that you might have run away. After all, that is what you do best." Dan taunted as he saw Danny land several meters away.
"Like I said before, I am done with that." Danny said with a raised voice. "Now, are we going to do this, or what?"
"I see you found yourself a pair. Good, now things will finally get interesting." Dan mocked as his hands started to glow.
Danny only growled back in response, his hands glowing with the same intensity as his opponent.
Both of them unleashed their attack at the same time. Two twin beams of ectoplasm were shot, and they struck in the middle. The energy merged as it came from the same source, and a large sphere formed in the center, growing larger and larger as both Danny and his darker self kept pouring more and more energy into their attack.
Danny saw the growing sphere of green energy, and knew he should stop before things got out of hand. But he was not willing to let his own darkness win. So with his mind made up, he increased his attack with a wordless roar.
Dan also noticed the growing bomb of power, but didn't care about what might happen if it blew. All he cared about was that he would beat down his ignorant younger self through any means necessary. So, increasing his own power to match that of Danny's, the expansion of the glowing ball of undead energy increased.
It grew larger and larger, gouging a cradle in the ground underneath it the moment it touched the cracked asphalt. It continued to expand until it had grown so large that both Dannys were touching it with their outstretched hands. Still pouring power into the destructive force, both of them were struggling to contain the glowing green sun between them, knowing that if they faltered, they would pay the price for it.
'I need help if I am going to win this!' Danny thought as he strained himself to keep standing.
"And you shall have it!" Frostbite called out as he raised his club and charged the corruption with a roar.
A loud, piercing howl sounded in the distance, and moments later Wulf leaped down a building, charging towards Dan in a blind fury.
Both Wulf and Frostbite attacked the corruption with all they had. Dan, desperate to defend himself couldn't just release the energy that he was struggling to contain. With effort, he duplicated himself, forcing the two combatants to fight his clone, allowing him to continue this battle of wills with Danny. It weakened him, but he was confident that he was strong enough to hold his own against his younger self.
"Heh, is that all you've got?" He masked his strain with a mocking tone.
'I certainly hope not.' Danny thought as his left leg gave out, almost causing him to fall to the ground, and lose the hold he had over his attack.Grinding his teeth, he managed to catch himself before that happened. 'I really hope it isn't.'
<<>><<>><<>>
Frostbite swung his club, and almost hit the duplicate. But the clone managed to evade, only to be countered by a massive fist in the face, courtesy of Wulf.
Staggering back from the force of the blow, the duplicate gritted his teeth as he shot blast after blast towards the berserk wolf.
Exhibiting a practiced agility, Wulf dodged between each shot with relative ease. The few shots that did manage contact, were shaken off as if they were nothing. Bloodwrath coursed through his veins, and he would not let something like a few hits get in his way to regain his honor.
With impressive speed, Wulf ran towards the corruption. Readying his claws, he jumped towards his enemy, and swung his claw in a large X across the dark being's chest.
Green ectoplasmic blood sprayed out of the gashes Dan inflicted by Wulf's attack while he roared in pain and anger. His wounds healed after a moment, but in the split second that he was struggling Frostbite moved in, slamming his club down on the duplicate with a crushing blow.
Wulf immediately jumped onto the downed being, not allowing him to recover as he slashed the chest over and over again. Each wound that healed was replaced with two more. Each attempt to throw off Wulf was countered with a devastating blow to the head. When the duplicate stopped moving altogether, Wulf did not stop. He knew what his enemy was capable of, and he would not show a moment of weakness for him to exploit.
Wulf could feel his enemy's "blood" soaking his fur, yet he didn't stop. He could feel his enemy go limp underneath himself, yet he didn't stop. Only when he felt the claw of Frostbite on his shoulder did he calm down, and looked down at the results of his fury.
To call it a bloody mess would be an understatement. The corruption had deep gashes in his chest, and green ectoplasmic blood flowed freely from them. His head was badly bruised, and one of his fangs was missing. Slowly, a pool of the corruption's blood formed around him, and Wulf reared back in disgust. He shook himself to clear his fur of the filth that was his enemy's blood. It was tainted, and he didn't want it to defile him.
Giving an angry growl, Wulf turned and walked away. Followed closely by Frostbite, and together they moved toward the other corruption still in combat with Danny. But before they could walk two steps, they heard a bloody cough and Wulf was shot in the back, knocking him to the ground.
"Fools," Duplicate Dan spat, blood flying from his mouth. "If you had defeated me, I would have rejoined my other form." He stood up, his injuries healing in mere seconds.
"And now, prepare to be destroyed."
<<>><<>><<>>
Seven minutes earlier.
Tucker, Jazz, and 'Sam' watched the ongoing carnage from the relative safety of a building. They knew they had to help Danny, but going out there guns blazing would be a certain way to die. Even 'Sam' had her reservations. She knew it was not real, but even so. This could seriously damage Danny's and her own mind, and that was not something she would let happen if she could help it.
They needed a plan, something that would help them help Danny.
'I need help if I am going to win this!' Danny's voice echoed through her mind.
"You heard him. ATTACK!" Tucker yelled as he and Jazz stormed onto the battlefield, guns blazing.
"Or we're just going to do that." 'Sam' groaned as she followed the two, but with a more controlled pace as she observed how the battle unfolded.
She saw how Wulf and Frostbite charged towards Danny's corruption, and how he split himself in two. One part stayed to fight Danny, the other went to fight the two ghosts charging towards him.
Jazz and Tucker were still too far away to be of any help, and their shots went wild as they ran and shoot at the same time. By the time they were near enough to be useful, Wulf and frostbite had already managed to beat down the duplicate.
And most importantly, she saw how Danny was struggling to keep control over the miniature green sun.
A roar snapped her back to Wulf and Frostbite, and she saw how Wulf hit the ground with smoldering, singed fur on his back.
"And now, prepare to be destroyed." She heard the duplicate say as he resumed his attack on the two ghosts.
Jazz and Tucker faltered for a moment when they saw what the duplicate had done, but resumed their ill planned attack with a less than impressive battle cry.
'Sam' sighed out. "I might as well help them." Irritated, she ran towards the two.
Jazz and Tucker sprinted as fast as they could towards the ensuing battle between the duplicated corruption, Wulf, and Frostbite. Their shots, which went wild at first, finally started to hit their marks. They proved to be nothing more than a nuisance, but the added distraction gave Frostbite the opening he needed. With a mighty swing, he connected his club with the corruption's head. A sickening 'Snap' could be heard as Dan's head swung backward. His body fell limp to the ground, where it twitched for a moment.
"Wait. That was it?" Tucker asked out of breath as lowered his weapon, and came to a stop near Wulf.
"That was easier that I thought." Jazz panted.
"Stay back you two," Frostbite barked. "He has not returned to his other self."
"Aww. And here I thought I could use the same trick twice." Dan said as his eyes snapped open, shooting Frostbite's club out of his hand. "I guess you are smarter than you look after all."
Rising up from the ground, Dan observed the beings surrounding him. Wulf stood with his claws at the ready, growling deeply as smoke rose from his back. Frostbite had reared back after his club was shot away, using his ice powers to cool his injured hand while forming a new club in the other. 'Sam', Jazz, and Tucker stood at his back, weapons aimed at him and ready to fire.
"Heh, five against one, that hardly seems like a fair fight. Bring some more, maybe then you stand a chan-" Dan taunted, then was shot in the face by 'Sam'.
"Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much." 'Sam' sneered as she re-aimed her blaster.
Jazz and Tucker looked at her in amazement, while Frostbite had a slight smirk on his face, and Wulf showed a menacing grin.
"Eh, guys. Focus." 'Sam' shouted as she dodged a bolt of ectoplasm.
In a flurry of movements, the four remaining combatants sprung into motion. Frostbite moved in front of 'Sam', shielding her as she got back up. Wulf ran towards the corruption, and slashed at him again and again. Jazz and Tucker kept firing at Dan in order to distract him long enough for Wulf's attacks to hit.
"Are you alright?" Frostbite asked 'Sam' as he helped her up.
"Yeah, I am. Thanks." she replied.
"Hmmmm." Frostbite hummed as he observed the young teenager.
"Is anything wrong?" 'Sam' asked.
"You do not belong here." He said after a moment. "You are something else than a memory. Something more, and less."
"What, how... How did you know?" 'Sam' asked in shock.
Frostbite observed the battle behind him for a moment before answering.
"I am the representation of Danny's logic. I am aware of the things happening, even if Danny is clouded by the events that are transpiring. I know not what you are, but I know that you are different. You told Danny that you were an outside force, but not Luna. I am struggling to figure you out, yet your actions indicate that you truly are helping Danny. I will not add more strain on Danny's mind. But he is aware something strange is going on with you, though he does not yet realize it. For now, I suggest we focus on the problem at hand." He told her as he observed 'Sam' with a studious gaze. "Are you good to fight?" he asked.
Unnerved, 'Sam' nodded and raised her weapon. She didn't show it, but she was slightly shaken that Frostbite, or Danny actually, started to piece things together.
"Right. Let's deal with this first, shall we?" 'Sam' said as she focused her attention back to the ongoing fight.
Both of them moved to the violent clash, when they heard a roar of anger and disbelief come from behind them. Looking around, their eyes widened in fear as they saw the massive ball of ectoplasm consume the corruption, and move towards them.
"RUUUUNN!"
'Sam' yelled as she and Frostbite jumped out of the way of the ball of destruction.
Wulf, Jazz, and Tucker looked in awe and fear at the approaching death star, and only through the quick action of Wulf were Jazz and Tucker spared from obliteration as he grabbed them both in his claws and darted away as quickly as he could.
Dan, however, was unable to move at all, as he was too stunned by what was happening. How could he have failed? How could his pathetic, younger self have beaten him? This he would never know. But he would discover exactly what it was like to be struck by the single most powerful attack he had ever seen.
<<>><<>><<>>
Ten minutes earlier.
Danny was struggling to keep control over the massive amount of energy between him and the corruption. His leg almost gave out, but he managed to keep himself from buckling under the stress. But if something didn't change soon, he would fail.
Frostbite said that he was only as strong as he believed himself to be, yet Danny felt himself become weaker and weaker with every passing second. He knew that somehow his friends had heard his plea for help, and that they were fighting their own battle right now. But whatever it was that they were doing, he still had a hard time holding his own against this imposing force.
"Need a hand?" Dani asked as she limped over to him, looking worse for wear but still showing a confident smile.
Danny only grunted a response as he was using all his strength to keep the energy contained, but it was enough for Dani.
Standing next to him, she placed her own hands against the ball of energy and poured her own into the mix.
With this newly added power coming from Danny's side, the corruption was slowly overpowered. He saw the volatile ball gradually push towards him, and he roared out in anger and disbelief. How could such a weakling beat him? How could he have failed again? Slowly, he was consumed by the bright green energy and simply ceased to be as his energy was transferred back to his other half.
But Dan's other half was unable to move as he was unable to comprehend what had just happened, and could only stare in disbelief at the approaching destructive force as it picked up speed.
Danny and Dani were still pumping as much of their power into the attack, no idea that their opponent had already been destroyed. Slowly, the energy bomb moved away, and four beams of ectoplasme could be seen coming from their hands, forcing the green sun away from them. Then, the bubble burst where Dan used to be. And with an enormous shockwave, coupled with a massive beam of ectoplasme shooting out of the sphere, everything in its path was obliterated, including the corruption.
<<>><<>><<>>
Nightmare Moon was shocked. Shocked, and outraged.
Such energy. Such power. Wasted, all of it. And only because her influence had not spread far enough to be of use. She swore as she moved into the rift created by the destruction of the dream's core, and hastened the spread of her own domain. She would claim his powers as her own, and she allows for no more to be wasted like that.
<<>><<>><<>>
A massive trench was dug in the ground, starting at the two half ghosts who had reverted back to their exhausted human forms, and disappearing far beyond the horizon. Danny was just sitting there alongside Dani, both of them panting from their efforts.
"So, that just happened." Danny spoke up after several moments of silence.
"It certainly looks like it." Dani replied as she followed the scar on the surface for as far as she could see. "Nice going, cousin."
"Hah, yeah. You too."
"Danny!" a trio of voices called out.
Danny looked behind him, and saw 'Sam', Tucker, and Jazz run towards him.
"Hey guys," he said as he stood up. "How did things go for yo- Whoaa!" Danny yelled as he was hug-tackled by the trio, causing him to fall to the ground.
"Nice going little brother." Jazz said happily as she held Danny tightly.
"Yeah, you were totally awesome with that... that. Whatever it was." Tucker added.
'Sam' didn't say anything, she was just glad he managed to not seriously injure himself.
"Thanks, you guys. But I couldn't have done it without you." Danny told them, returning the hug as best he could.
"That most certainly is true, Great One. You'd be wise to remember that." Frostbite said as he walked towards the small group. "Yet, the time for celebration is not yet here. Your next battle awaits, and it's growing impatient." He said as he pointed at the quickly expanding forest all around Danny.
"Oh no, not now. I am not ready for another fight." Danny said in both panic and frustration as he saw the trees consume the city.
"Perhaps you don't need to." Frostbite said. "Like I promised, I will aid you in this fight as well."
"So you will fight the manticore?" Danny asked hopefully.
"No, this is your trial, and you must complete it. But I can offer guidance, while I still have the time." Frostbite told him, seeing the shadows of the trees cover the area rapidly approaching them. "Danny Phantom, you still have much to learn. But you have just made the first step. Recognizing that you need your friends, and their help, in time of need is something we all must learn. There are those that take this for granted, and they often find themselves without friends when they need them. But you pushed those around you away because you thought that you would hurt them otherwise. And in doing so, you found yourself wasting away because there was no one there to help you. Remembering that you need your friends, and what they have done for you in the past is a step forward, but you still have a long way to go. And there are many trials still to overcome." Danny looked at him in confusion as he spoke, but did not interrupt him.
"Fighting yourself has reminded you of the bond of friendship, and the power it possesses. Because of the loyalty between yourself, and your friends, you have been able to defeat your own corruption. But you have not been honest with yourself, and until you do, you will not be able to forgive yourself." Frostbite explained as he knelt before Danny, and placed his claw on Danny's shoulder. "You have always been generous with giving second chances to those that deserve it, maybe you should do the same for yourself. When you do, you will find that life will be easier for you, and that you will be able to let its laughter brighten your day, instead of hiding from it."
"Eh, ok. But how does this help me with that oversized cat?"
"There is one thing that has always separated you from the others. You fight when you need, but you show boundless kindness to those around you. You might not always think things through, but you always have the best interest of others at heart." Frostbite told him as he reached behind his back, and retrieved a splinter of ice. "I, too, was once an enraged beast. But you saw that it was not me that controlled this." He said as Danny picked up the ice shard, looking at it with wide eyes. "Not all is as it seems. And remember, are you not destroying your enemy if you make them your friend?"
And with those last words he vanished into thin air, along with Dani, Jazz, Wulf and the other frost giant that still lay unmoving on the ground as the forest consumed everything. Only 'Sam', Tucker, and Danny remained as they found themselves standing in the same spot where everything started.
"Is it just me, or did that guy sound way too smart to be of my own mind?" Danny asked 'Sam' as he continued to stare at the frozen shard Frostbite had given him.
"Or maybe you’re smarter than you think." 'Sam' said genuinely as she looked at Danny. "So, what do you think he meant with all that?"
"I think I have a pretty good idea." Danny answered as they heard the heavy pounding of approaching footsteps, "And we are about to find out if I am right, or not." He added as he turned back into his ghost half.
"What do we need to do?" Tucker asked as he saw the beast crashing through the undergrowth.
"Nothing."
"Nothing?" Both Tucker and 'Sam' said in confusion.
"Exactly. Not because I am doubting your abilities, but because I need to do this myself." Danny said with strength in his words.
He dropped the ice shard he got from Frostbite, and as it fell to the ground it vanished in a puff of cold air.
"Rooaaarrrr"
With a mighty roar the manticore attacked Danny, doing everything in its power to bring his prey down. He swiped his claw, snapped his jaw, and swung his tail back and forth. Yet Danny evaded every attempt, and did not return the hostility with any of his own. Instead, he flew left and right, up and down, trying to get a good look at the paw he saw bleeding some time ago.
'Not all is as it seems.'
The word echoed through Danny's mind as he believed he understood what Frostbite had meant. This beast is not in control of its own actions, something is forcing it. And he had a pretty good idea where the source of the problem lay.
The manticore raised his claw in an attempt to swat Danny out of the sky, and there he saw what was causing all the trouble. A large thorn was lodged deep within the animal's paw, causing it to bleed thoroughly, and an agonizing pain anytime he, no, she, stood on it. For some reason, Danny got the distinct feeling the manticore was a she.
Taking his chance, Danny launched himself forward with as much speed as he could while he still had a clear target. Flying towards the claw, he grabbed the thorn in both hands and, using his momentum reversed, yanked the protruding object out of her claw.
Reflexively, the manticore forcefully jerked her arm back, launching Danny away while he was still holding the thorn.
With a roar of pain, the manticore fell down on all fours, and slowly moved toward Danny as he lay on the ground, still holding the thorn in his hands.
"Danny!"
'Sam' and Tucker yelled as they saw the animal move in on their friend. But before they could act, they saw the beast grab Danny in his claw, and.... hug him?
"Hey, you know what. I was right." Danny said in amazement as the manticore started to lick his face like a dog would, "And she really has bad breath." He added.
Without warning, the forest and the manticore began to fade and massive walls rose up from the ground, forming the chamber where the trio found themselves before they encountered the manticore.
"What is happening?" Tucker asked in panic.
"I have no ide-Whoa!" Danny yelled out as the thorn he was still holding started to glow with a pink light.
It rose up out of his hands, and flew towards the pedestal they saw in the center of the chamber. Hovering above one of the empty bowls, it slowly descended while its shape changed. At first it was nothing more than a wooden thorn, covered in the blood of the manticore. But now, it became a pink butterfly made out of crystal. It hovered slightly above the bowl as if it did not want gravity to take full hold over it; slowly rotating in place.
"Wha... What is going on?" Danny asked as he stood there, absolutely confused.
"I don't know!" Tucker half yelled.
"Kindness." 'Sam' said in a whisper, amazed.
"What?" Danny asked, not hearing what she said.
"Nothing, nothing. Just wondering what this is." 'Sam' deflected.
"So what do we do now?" Tucker asked.
"Well, if this thing is any indication, I'd say we need to find the remaining pieces to fill up the bowls. I guess it is the only way we can beat her at her own game." 'Sam' said as she observed the pedestal.
"Okay, so where do we go now?" Danny asked.
"That is a good question." 'Sam' said, then a loud rumble could be heard and the walls started to crumble; the floor falling away from under their feet.
The three of them screamed as they fell into the dark void below.
<<>><<>><<>>
Nightmare Moon swore. Her rage grew to new levels, as she observed the human not only waste all that energy, but also take down her pawn and free its energy. One of the seals was broken, and she couldn't allow it to happen again. The next in line would be much more challenging, something he couldn't just solve like that. And so she channeled her powers and changed the dream they were in again.
The walls began to crumble as she broke away the floor, causing her prey to fall down towards his doom.
"Let's see if you can deal with this!" she said, before beginning to laugh maniacally.
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Wow, it's been forever since you last posted a chapter.
3400791 Yeah, I know. I've been struggling with my editors. One is not doing anything, the other was actually helping me, but he had school finals, and now issues at home. Therefore, only the first small part of the next chapter is edited, (partially), and the rest is just as I wrote it. I hope my editor gets things back on track, and I will see what I do with the other. But I am working on it. I am not sure when the other chapter is coming, I have yet to start writing it.
3400807I could help edit if you continue to have editor troubles. I've got college soon, but that shouldn't really change anything from what it already is. Most chapters I edit don't take me more than half an hour to an hour.Just give me a PM if you want some help.
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I think that Laughter should be the second-to-last Element, as you could show depressing scenes such as having him re-live all his failures, and/or watching his dream-friends "die". Afterwards, Danny completes Laughter and moves on to the last Element. Then his friends suddenly make a comeback for the final element when least expected.
Uuuuuuhhh... That AN. My head hurts.
I'd offer an idea, but with all the criteria... yeah, I got nothing.
3400909No problem. If you have an idea, just post a comment. If not, just enjoy the story.
Honesty must me last, second last Magic then Laughter.
Kindness is done Generosity and Loyalty can happen at the same time because that will end up being 'funny'.
For Honesty you should start by using either Princess Celestia or Luna with blonde manes. This represent the fact that Danny suspects that their reunion was because of something more than a welcome new citizen greeting.
For Magic you could put ghost form Freakshow with Purple hair signifying both the great power of both Twilight Sparkle and the godlike powers Freakshow had in the summer special.
3402660 ..... You know, when I said "Think inside the chimney." I didn't mean it literally. What you have come up with is... interesting. And something I will keep in the back of my mind. Honestly, I have had a rather hard time to come up with a decent role for Twilight, and this might just be the answer I have been looking for. Thanks
Keep the ideas coming.
3402699 Hey thanks for the comment. I just had those ideas on the spot and it seemed like a good idead at the time... Hey I just remembered that another Danny phantom character that could really stick out with one of the Mane Six would be Clockwork acting like Rarity given that he has helped Danny several times in the past he could be Generosity because he gave Danny a lot of chances to rewrite the outcome of past, present and future out of the goodness of his heart but also impeding to do too many drastic changes because he has the authority of time and he sometimes has to put his hand down.
A good way of showing laughter would be something not from Danny's past but from Luna's own as you could take a look at the tragic backstory of how her own feelings of despair and sadness let the Nightmare posses her and made her mad.
Also I think I am over staying my welcome here but the whole trip for the reality gauntlet's gems are a good way of showing Danny the power of Friendship as it was a trip he made with his friends all around America to the places his friends decided to hide the gems and it was ultimately the advice of his sister that allowed Danny to defeat a villain that outmatched him in every possible way turning his battle against the god like Freakshow into a battle (that by comparison) Spiderman would have against beings like Firelord (the fire herald of Galactus) or Morlun (The Totem hunter) which really outclassed him in every way but while in the first one he defeated him out of despair and the fact that he had the symbiotic costume the other one was with intelligence rather than strenght and that would really allow Danny to finally thrust his new rulers and friends in case he would need their help in the near future.
Ok those are my thoughts on the matter if I really have more about it then I will make sure to let you know. if you do not want to hear more just let me know.
Logging out
It's a good chapter and I'm looking forward to what comes next. I'll try to come up with some ideas.
By the way, I almost thought that the manticore was really pinkie, until you metioned kindness.
Actually I think I have an idea for a dream opponent of loyalty.
What about Danny fighting Undergrowth with magenta eyes like rainbow dash. In Urban Jungle, he was a little reluctant to return to Amity Park to save it, thinking he still can't defeat Undergrowth, but Frostbite convinces him to return to home to defeat him and to not break his loyalty to his friends, family and his town.
Awesome chapter. What else does Nightmare have in store for Danny? Who is 'Sam' really? Can't wait to read more to find out.
3628994>>3629162
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3652899 Thank you very much.
And I am working on the grammar issue. The next chapter is already being corrected by my editor. 