Shadow of Past Sins
Edited by Halusm and Clawder.
Shadow of Past Sins
<<>><<>><<>>
Something was different. Something he couldn't quite place.
He'd recognized the scent of his own sin, there had been no mistake. The human who appeared amidst them quite unexpectedly, reeked of it.
Then his ancient sin revealed itself, but something was… different.
True, the most obvious of differences were in its form; equine, female. But there was something else. Something distinctly… different.
But what?
Lies and deceit were the words it spoke. False promises the cloak it used to veil its true agenda. It tricked, it lied, it didn't care about anyone or anything but itself.
He knew this. A lesson learned in blood.
But something was different.
He knew how his sin worked. A small nudge here, a carefully chosen word there. Pushing its victim towards the tipping point; an abyss of darkness he was only partially able to escape from. It would lie. It would confuse. It would do anything in its power to blind you from what it truly wants.
Could this be it? It had to be. Because something was… different.
No, he wouldn't allow his ancient sin to cloud his mind once more. Everything it had said ever since it chose to reveal itself to protect its new host were lies and deceit.
The guardian spoke highly of his sin's new victim, the human accepting of this darkness… No, lies and deceit meant to cloud the mind.
He knew now what was different. Now, he saw his mistake through his brothers' eyes.
His paws tightened into fists, eyeing his mistake from the corner of his eyes.
'I shall free his mind from your diabolical clutches, even if it kills him. But my failure to kill you shall be undone before this night is over,' Fenris vowed, waiting patiently for the opportune moment to strike.
<<>><<>><<>>
"And so it is that Fenrir, the Dark One, came to be. An ancient evil, older than most I know," Wind Chill concluded.
Danny stood silent for a bit, going through everything he had been told.
"If all of that is true, then I understand why you think about the guy the way you do," Danny said finally. "But you also said this story was passed down from one ghost to the next, so just how much of all of this is real, and how much is exaggeration?"
"I'm afraid I can't answer this," Wind Chill replied, frowning. "In fact, what you said only makes me doubt what I thought I knew."
"It never crossed your mind that parts of this story might be false?"
"No," Wind Chill admitted with noticeable reluctance. "This story, I never saw reason to doubt it. And everything said, it makes Fenrir out to be nothing but pure evil. But what if this is wrong? Have I treated him with distrust based on biased misconception through my own failure to question the credibility of such words told to me?"
"That, I can't answer," Danny told him, turning to the tunnel leading to the underground city. "But I do know there is another side to this story I don't yet know. And somehow, I think this might hold the answers we're looking for."
"What is it you're going to do, Great One?"
"Honestly, I don't know," Danny answered, frowning. "But whatever it is, I hope it gives some credibility to the name all of you have given me."
"What do you m-"
"I'm not great, Wind Chill. And I doubt I ever was. Lucky, yes. Great, not so much."
Wind Chill sucked in a breath through teeth, scandalized.
"Surely you're joking?" He tried to counter. "After everything you've done."
"All I ever did was rely on others to come through," Danny said, voice subdued. "And somehow, I doubt now will be any different." He sighed out, glancing at the giant behind him. "That's the whole thing with me, I don't know what I'm doing most of the time. I just make it up as I go, and either it works, or my… friends… are there to save me." He fell silent there for a moment, then shook his head to focus.
"Look, I have already wasted enough time as is. Right now, I'm needed down there, though I don't have a clue what I can do any further," he sighed out again. "Sounding inspirational is one thing," he added in a murmur, "but how are we going to save these changelings?"
Still, despite his doubts, Danny flew up and into the tunnel, leaving behind a distraught Wind Chill, while Cujo, seeing Danny had left, quickly followed after his friend with a yelp.
"But that is exactly why you are great, Great One," Wind Chill said, even though Danny couldn't hear him any more. "Not because of elaborate plans, or incredible might. No, it is your careless self sacrifice, and your ability to rally others behind you."
Looking at the tunnel in which Danny had disappeared, Wind Chill felt incredible sadness for the guilt ridden ghost.
"But it seems you're no longer able to see this yourself; too blinded by guilt, loss and sadness."
One of the windigos neighed loudly, its voice echoing over the land as Wind Chill slowly made his way back to the herd with a troubled frown.
"May the ancestors guide you back to the path, Danny Phantom. Our worlds need you. More than they, and you, realize."
<<>><<>><<>>
Back in the city, Danny slowly flew around as he took notice of the diminished number of fires. Taking a closer look, he soon realized the many sick changelings he saw earlier were already doing better, if only due to the increase in temperature. Still, they were ways off from actually improving. But at the very least, their shivering had slowed down to the point it wasn't visible from a distance away.
"Some small comfort," he murmured, moving for the castle. "But it will hardly be enough. Let's just hope Eclipse and Fenris haven't made things worse while I was gone."
With that sobering thought, he flew through the gate Sweetie Belle said she'd blown up; taking just a moment to really look at the destruction.
"Just how much energy did she use?" He wondered, placing a hand on the smooth, molten edges. "This would take a lot of energy."
Slowly pulling his hand back, Danny resumes his path back to the throne room, briefly wondering how his double was doing.
<<>><<>><<>>
Back in Ponyville, Danny once again found himself amidst a group of ponies in search of Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.
Having exhausted all other possible and likely spots where those three could hide, (and, of course, keeping his knowledge about their true whereabouts hidden lest he gave himself away) Danny and the group of ponies now moved to the last remaining place they had all avoided previously: The Everfree Forest.
Although they had all initially agreed that the fillies wouldn't have gone there at night… again. But therein lies the problem. They had done so before, trying to get their Cutie Marks by attempting to tame a manticore, and were almost eaten as a result.
And so, unable to find those three in and around town, they now ventured into the one place none of them wanted to step into, especially at night.
Of course they knew better than step in blindly, and worse, step off the path. So, with at least one clear target for them to reach, they slowly made their way to Zecora's; the few lanterns and magical lit horns illuminating the way, with Big Mac at the front to, hopefully scare away any potentially dangerous animal with his bulk. And if that didn't work, both Twilight and Rarity kept defensive spells at the ready.
"I don't know," Danny said wearily, looking around, trying to come up with something, anything to keep everyone from entering the forest, knowing it to be of no use. "I seriously doubt they're here."
"Then where else could they be?!" Bellflower snapped.
Danny, taken aback by the sudden harsh tone used against him, nor having any convincing lie to tell and persuade them from reconsidering their current course of action, could only mumble a few incoherent words, before shrugging and sighing in defeat.
"I understand how you think, Danny," Twilight told him, looking back at the human. "But Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle have done something like this not too long ago."
"Yeah, I remember," Danny sighed out. "Still, could they really have gone in here, again? Especially after what had happened last time?"
"We can't rule it out," Twilight told him. "As unlikely as it may be."
"But honestly," Bellflower spoke up. "What are those three thinking? Even if they aren't here, surely they should know better by now?"
"I'm sure when we find them, they will have a good reason for us," Twilight said, trying to sound hopeful.
"They better," Applejack grumbled.
"Even more so now that they forced all of you to go into the Everfree again," Bellflower added with anger. "I'm just glad you were there last time. If none of you noticed Scootaloo missing then, I would only have found out after returning from Canterlot."
"Don't mention it," Applejack replied, giving her a somewhat forced smile. The situation not allowing for anything more.
"And yet, here we are again," Danny intoned, slowly shaking his head. "I swear, if there's another manticore…" He said, just going with the belief the fillies were back in the forest.
For a moment, nothing more was said.
"I just don't get her," Bellflower suddenly spoke up. "Why is she always rebelling like this?"
"Well, she is getting to that age," Twilight replied, but a glare cut her off.
"This is not just a phase she's going through. Ever since a couple of years ago, when she began asking about her parents, something just… misaligned, I guess."
"Whadda ya mean?" Applejack asked, slowing down a bit and allowing Bellflower to match her speed.
Sighing out heavily, Bellflower looked down at the ground. "Scootaloo was only still a foal when her parents died, and I didn't hesitate for a moment to take her in when I learned. I'd hoped, as horrible as it may be, that she would be able to grow up without missing them too much. She was still very young, after all."
"Makes sense," Applejack said thoughtfully, and even Big Mac nodded tensely. "It's tha same with Apple Bloom."
"Yes," Bellflower nodded. "But it would seem she still remembers them… if only a bit."
"She does?" Rarity asked, surprised.
Nodding, Bellflower continued. "Nothing much, though. Or, at least. That's what I think. She doesn't talk much about it, least of all with me. Still, I did manage to pick up a thing or two." She fell silent there, releasing a sad sigh as she shook her head.
"That must've been difficult, finding out," Danny said with soft spoken voice.
"Not as much as trying to talk about it with her, and having her yell at me because of it," Bellflower murmured. "... And sorry for snapping at you earlier. I know you're just trying to help."
"Don't worry about it. I understand," said Danny.
"We're here," Twilight told them as they approached the hut Danny remembered from the last time he was there. Of course, he couldn't tell them that either.
Slowly moving for the door, Twilight knocked several times. "Zecora, are you there. I know it is late, but-" That was all she could say, as, with an ominous creak, the door slowly swung open, revealing to them the absolute devastation that lay within. And, sitting in the center of this catastrophe, was Zecora; looking absolutely defeated and worse for wear.
<<>><<>><<>>
"Zecora!" They all shouted, rushing inside.
"What happened in here?" Twilight asked the striped mare, voice heavy with concern.
Looking up at them, exhaustion evident, Zecora sighed out tiredly.
"A creature unusual, the likes I've never seen before. It caught me by surprise, as it phased right through the door."
"What?!" Twilight reared back, eyes wide.
"Phased through the door?" Rarity gasped. "Surely you don't mean…"
"It came out of nowhere, tongue lolling around. Yet its form was deceptive, for this pup was an undead hound."
Danny tensed up, and he slowly looked around the hut; only now noticing a eerily familiarity in the destruction around. 'Cujo,' he groaned mentally.
Locking eyes with Zecora, a almost imperceptive nod passed between the two. Despite what had happened, his secret would be safe.
"A dog did this?" Bellflower asked, surprised.
"Look around, at this destructive scene. It was caused by a denizen of the world unseen."
Several new gasps filled the room, all looking around nervously, while Danny could only stand in the back, eyes closed and forcing himself to take a deep, calming breath.
"So there is a ghost out here after all!" Rarity shrieked.
This caught Zecora's attention, and only now did she question why her friends had come to her, in the middle of the night no less.
"But why are you here, if I might ask? Traveling here, at night, is no easy task."
Snapped back to their senses, the ponies all looked at one another, shuffling uneasily on the spot while glancing around nervously.
"Zecora; Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are missing," Twilight informed her friend.
Zecora, obviously shocked, finally found the strength to push herself back to her hooves. "They are, what? Did those three stray from the beaten path?"
"There have been all kinds of strange things going on around town," Rarity told her. "And Danny—" They all looked at the human "—said a ghost could be responsible."
"Not exactly how I said it," Danny muttered, looking imploringly at Zecora.
"And now you said a ghost destroyed your home," Bellflower added, almost hyperventilating.
"Zecora, we need your help!" said Twilight with urgency.
Slowly looking around at the devastation in her home, and understanding the unspoken question Danny tried to convey through the split second of eye contact between the two, Zecora slowly turned to Twilight.
"I understand there is good reason for fright, but those fillies, I have not seen them this night. But this forest is large, stretching far and wide, if you wish to search for them, you will all need a guide. But, I must say, I cannot promise success. Wouldn't it more wise for you to inform the Princess?"
"We have already done just that," Twilight answered. "And I'm sure they will send some help to us. But we can't wast-" She was suddenly interrupted by a loud knock coming from the open door behind them.
"Yes, speaking of such," a large earth pony said with gruff voice; he and three others making themselves known; two of which carrying flashlights with them. "That's where we come in."
"Whoa!" Rainbow Dash shouted, alarmed. Then she shot for the stallion in the blink of an eye. "And who the hay are you supposed to be?!"
Looking down at the smaller, prismatic mare with calculative eyes, the stallion stood a bit straighter as he gave his reply.
"Miss Dash, my name is Rolling Stone, and this are Blue Ice, Sound Wave and Ornate Charm. We are her Highness' specialized spectral investigative and containment team, and we are here to help."
Twilight gasped, eyes wide. "You're the Ghost-Keteers?" She breathed, and Rolling Stone gave her a mildly surprised glare. Meanwhile, Danny first flinched in shock, then struggled not to groan in annoyance. That name was just the worst, and he knew exactly who came up with it. "I've heard about you and your team from the princess… but I never thought I'd meet any of you," said Twilight.
"That's because we aren't supposed to be publicly known. The only reason we're even here, breaking our standing order to secrecy is because of the immediate danger these fillies could be in."
Bellflower, absolutely stunned by this revelation, looked at the stallion in bewilderment. A look which didn't go unnoticed.
"That also included you, miss Flower," Rolling Stone explained.
"B-but you have been here for days… weeks, almost."
"Weeks?" Rainbow Dash repeated, puzzled. "There hasn't been any ghost around here for that long."
"That you know of," Rolling Stone countered, and he, as well as the three other members of his team, all turned to Danny.
Tensing up, Danny swallowed nervously. "Why are you all looking at me?"
Grunting, Rolling Stone debated with himself whether or not he should reveal even this piece of information. But, as he reasoned, they had already exposed themselves, and this particular fact wouldn't be able to keep hidden for all that much longer.
"Had the situation been any different, none of you would have known about our mission here—" Twilight stuttered a bit, trying to correct the stallion. "—with the exception of Miss Twilight, who the Princess has informed herself not too long ago." —All eyes now turned to the purple mare— "But we're here because of you," Rolling stone revealed, looking stoically at Danny.
"Me?" Danny said nervously, a new cold sweat beginning to break out.
Standing just a bit straighter, the stallion glared at Danny with an unreadable face.
"Yes. Ever since you came to Equestria, strange things have happened. Starting with your shadow, mere moments after you entered the scanner."
Danny's eyes widened, and he took an involuntary step back, only to end up with his back against the wall.
"Shadow?" Rainbow Dash said, confused, looking first at Rolling Stone, then Danny; mirrored by the rest, though a gleam of rising awareness shone in Zecora's eyes.
Once again, Danny was put on the spot, and a cold trickle of sweat leaked down his neck; absolute fear grabbing hold on him as they all pushed closer and closer to the truth. A truth he knew would spell disaster for him.
Twilight released a gasp, shocked. "This is about that ghost that damaged the scanner, isn't it?"
Now all eyes were aimed at her; eyes wide with shock, fear, and even a hint of betrayal from Danny. Just how much did she know?
"Okay!" Rainbow spoke up, loudly. "What the hay is this all about?"
For a moment, Twilight bit her lower lip, in thought.
"After Baltimare, the princesses, and the other world leaders all worked together to make sure no ghost could find their way onto our world again. With the humans' help, the tear facilities were built; and numerous security installations were put in place to ensure no ghost is able to even come close to a tear. However, it would seem these security systems failed. Except for the scanner, the last line of defense to weed out any ghost."
"Which is where you come in," Rolling Stone aimed at Danny. "It was your shadow which was possessed."
For a moment, it was deathly quiet. Not even the forest itself generated any sound, and tension rapidly grew to impossible to contain heights.
"WHAT!!??" Almost everyone shouted. Only Danny, Zecora, Twilight, and the Ghost-keteers remained silent.
All those who shouted looked at Danny as if he was a ghost himself, taking an involuntary step back, while Fluttershy put in an honest effort to hide in the overturned cauldron on the floor.
Yet as their shout still rung in his ears, an odd sense of calm settle down over Danny. It was his shadow they were focused on, which meant he wasn't actually in their sight. So, maybe, if he played his cards right, he could get away with this. Or, at the very least, draw away any suspicion on him.
Still, he had to be careful. These ponies were actually trained hunters, and he knew any slip-up on his part would be used against him. So, with this in mind, and plenty of nervousness from the whole situation to at least make his reaction seem plausible, Danny stuttered his reply.
"S-so what if? The guards there destroyed it."
"If that's true, then why don't you have a shadow?" Blue Ice asked matter of factly, shining her flashlight at Danny's feet.
"I, ehhm…" Danny faltered, at a complete loss for words as he, and everyone else looked at the ground, noticing a complete lack of a shadow at his feet.
Fluttershy screamed, loudly.
Slowly lifting his head, Danny stared at the ghost hunting ponies with the unmistakable look of a deer in headlights, only able to voice the most basic of thoughts amidst the storm of panic he experienced: "Shit."
"Ornate?" Rolling Stone said gruffly.
Stepping forwards, Ornate Charm held out an all too familiar device for Danny; a ghost scanner.
"He's clean," Ornate reported after a short, but tense moment. "Well, clean as far as he can be, considering."
"You sure?" Blue Ice seeked confirmation, still illuminating the immediate area around Danny.
"Positive," Ornate Charm confirmed. "I'm not detecting any spectral energy on him," he then fell quiet, looking at his scanner with a growing frown.
"Wait, nothing?" Sound Wave voiced her surprise, suspicious.
"His shadow is missing, and has been confirmed to be possessed before. There is no way he's clean."
"Are you positive the scanner is working?" Rolling Stone asked Blue Ice.
"Absolutely. The last calibrations should've eliminated all interference."
"Any chance you decreased its sensitivity to the point it can't detect anything anymore?" Sound Wave asked.
"Of course not. I'm not some kind of amateur."
"Then why doesn't the scanner pick up any signature?" Ornate Charm wondered, looking back at Danny through the corner of his eye.
Danny, at the center of attention, tried to swallow the lump now firmly lodged in his throat; trying to find a way out if his predicament when, with a startling beep, the scanner called out an alarm.
"Contact!" Ornate Charm called out, aiming the device away from Danny, and towards the open door; an almost imperceptible form flashing by in the darkness, and only the faintest glint of green eyes visible before it vanished.
"What the-" Danny gasped, unable to believe what he had just seen, and glad that, somehow, his ghost sense hadn't responded. That would have been difficult to explain. Though, now he did wonder. Was what flashed by truly a ghost?
'It doesn't matter,' he thought, glad that, whatever that was had pulled everyone's attention away from him.
Though, the shouting from Fluttershy also proved to be a viable distraction. So did the shrieking from Rarity, for that matter.
"After it!" Rolling Stone ordered. "Everypony else, stay in here!"
"As if," Rainbow Dash snapped as the four ponies rushed out of Zecora's hut. "There's no way I'm staying in here, doing nothing."
"But what can we do against a ghost?" Rarity asked, almost to the point of hyperventilating.
"Easy, the same thing we do to all bad guys. Kick their flanks, and looking awesome doing it." Rainbow Dash replied confidently. "Ghost or not, if they have a butt, I can kick it."
"Unless they go intangible," Twilight calmly interjected, despite the situation. "I know this is bad. Really, really bad. But this' something we can't compare with the likes of Nightmare Moon, or Discord."
"Yer right," Applejack agreed, frowning deeply. "This' more along tha lines like Sombra. An', honestly, we only barely managed ta make it through that. And only because of that Heart thingy."
"And Danny. Don't forget about Danny!" Pinkie Pie reminded them.
"Yeaaah. Speaking of which," Rainbow Dash said, slowly turning to the lone human; soon followed by her friends. "Let's not forget about him."
"Eehhh," Danny stuttered, beginning to feel uncomfortably familiar in the metaphorical spotlight he, once again, found himself in.
All ponies looked at him in fright, with Fluttershy peeking at him from underneath Zecora's cauldron, which she now hid in much like a tortoise would in its shell.
Though, despite their apparent fear, there was also worry and concern, and it was Applejack who eventually stepped up and asked the question on all their minds.
"Are ya alright, Danny?"
"I-... I'll let you know when I figure that out myself," Danny answered with slightly lowered voice, frowning deeply as he looked at his feet, and his, in the darkness impossible to see, missing shadow.
'How am I going to fix this?'
"Danny?" Twilight hesitantly stepped forwards. "Do you feel anything? Different, I mean."
"Honestly," Danny spoke with hesitance and reluctance. "Right now, all I feel is the need to go to bed and start an early hibernation to wait for all of this to blow over." He then sighed out explosively, "Though, knowing my luck, it'd be morning before I can even attempt going to bed."
"... Yer taking this surprisingly well," Applejack remarked, looking at him quizzically.
"Well, worse things have happened to me than just my shadow missing," Danny answered honestly. "In fact, it seems like it only happened earlier today when we came up against this powerful, shadow type ghost who abducted an entire empire, citizens and all, over a thousand years ago."
"Pfff, silly. That was today," Pinkie Pie chirped.
"Ah, so that's why," Danny half joked.
"Ehh… what's a shadow type ghost?" Bellflower asked, reluctantly, while Zecora arched a single eyebrow, glancing at Danny.
Looking at one another, the ponies tried to figure out how to quickly explain the situation.
"It's a ghost made of shadows," Danny answered quickly, not feeling like any extended explanation. Which was also why he held up a hand to silence Bellflower before she could ask any further. "It's a long story, and I don't think we have the time."
"Hold on," Twilight gasped, eyes slowly widening as a realization came to mind. "Sombra was a shadow type ghost, and now your shadow is missing… What if the two are connected?"
"Like, how?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Sombra stole his shadow?"
"Well, Danny was separated from us for quite some time," Rarity spoke up.
"True. But Ah'm sure that if somethang happened ta him, Danny would've told us," Applejack voiced her thoughts.
"Ehmm, girls," Fluttershy timidly tried to speak up.
"But what if he can't remember?" Twilight realized. "The crystal ponies all were under mind control; their thoughts twisted and corrupted."
"Girls," Fluttershy tried again.
"Crystal ponies?" Bellflower repeated, completely lost. Momentarily locking eyes with Big Mac, who shrugged in answer, also unaware what the others were talking about.
"Now, hold on there, pardner. Ya don't think that Danny is under some kind o' mind control now, do ya?" Applejack asked with rising concern.
"Oh, no no no," Twilight shook her head. "At least, I don't think so. I mean, Sombra was defeated; the power of the Crystal Heart stopped him, and cleansed all within the empire. Including Danny."
"Yeah, but didn't he also not become crystala-whatchama call it?" Rainbow Dash reminded her.
"Girls!" Fluttershy boldly attempted to gain her friends attention once again.
"True," Twilight had to admit, biting her lower lip. "But I'm sure that's because he doesn't have any magic for the Heart to interact with."
"Then how do you know for sure he's really himself?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"He was able to hold Sombra's horn without ill effect," Rarity gasped.
"Girls!" Fluttershy attempted once more.
"I'm sure that means nothing," Twilight quickly shot back, somewhat frantic.
"Then what about that strange feeling Pinkie said she'd felt?" Rainbow Dash asked, pushing the subject.
"Pinkie also said she couldn't feel it anymore," Twilight reminded her. Pinkie Pie hummed in agreement, nodding.
"But she did feel something. And we all know when Pinkie feels something, you take it seriously." Rainbow Dash argued back.
"True, but she also said it wasn't her Pinkie Sense telling her so," Applejack added. Pinkie Pie, once again, hummed while nodding.
"Girls!" Fluttershy spoke up again.
"GHAA!"
The unexpected shout caught them by surprise, and the subsequent flash of white coming from outside startled them even further. The following, almost eery silence weighing down on them like a mountain.
"Th- that was Danny," Twilight gasped, wasting no more time and rushed outside, closely followed by the others; finding a shocked Zecora a few steps away from her hut.
<<>><<>><<>>
Twenty minutes earlier.
"Just how much energy did she use?" Danny wondered as he placed a hand on the smooth, molten edges of the destroyed gate. "This would take a lot of energy."
Slowly pulling his hand back, Danny resumes his path back to the throne room, briefly wondering how his double was doing.
He didn't have long to dwell on these thoughts, as, when he returned to the throne room, a new problem revealed itself to him.
No sooner had he entered, and Fenris pounced on him; pinning him against the far wall with a single, muscular arm before anyone could register what had happened. When they did, however, all hell broke loose.
"GET OFF OF ME!" Danny roared, pushing into Fenris' chest with green glowing hands, burning his flesh.
"MASTER!" Eclipse shouted, rushing to Danny's aid.
Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and numerous changelings, including Erlea gasped in shock; soon replaced by anger from Erlea and several of the older changelings as the air once again filled with anger and hateful emotions.
With Danny firmly pinned against the wall, Fenris lifted his free paw; claws unsheathed, his intent clear.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Danny roared, his struggle intensifying.
"What I should have done from the start," Fenris rumbled. "I cannot allow my sin to exist any longer."
"RELEASE HIM!" Eclipse shouted, slamming her full weight into the wolf, only for her form to partially fall apart due to her shadow forged nature. As a result, the impact did little more than stagger Fenris. Not enough for him to lose his grip.
"I give you this one chance," Fenris rumbled, crossing eyes with Eclipse. "Leave this host willingly, and your destruction will be quick."
"And if I refuse?" Eclipse hissed.
Fenris slowly pushed his glowing claw into Danny's chest, the tips of his sharp nails piercing the skin. Danny groaned in pain.
"Then I'll cut you out, like I've done to myself," Fenris rumbled darkly.
"THAT WILL KILL HIM!" Eclipse screamed in outrage, readying herself to strike.
Groaning in part strain, part pain, Danny grabbed hold onto the wrist of Fenris claw partially piercing his chest.
"You ghnn- know," Danny grunted, his eyes starting to glow an icy blue. "I wanted to give you a chance, thinking that maybe what I was told wasn't, nghh- true. But now, there's not a doubt in my mind you're dangerous." Then his grip tightened, and voice darkened. "And there is now way in Hell I'll let you stay near the children."
With a burst of freeing might, Danny froze Fenris' wrist through and through. Then, twisting his arms, he broke free, while also breaking off the intruding claw.
Fenris, caught unaware, could only stare in shock at the human. A ghost easily caught, tainted by his ancient sin, defying him even when his claw pierced his skin. Then shock was replaced by pain. Terrible, nauseating pain. And Fenris dropped to his knees, howling in anguish, holding the frozen stump with his remaining hand.
Falling to the floor, Danny panted while clutching his chest; glaring with burning eyes at the dark wolf as the glowing puncture wounds slowly closed.
"Danny!" Sweetie Belle squeaked, she, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo ran towards him.
"STAY BACK!" Danny yelled, never breaking his sight on Fenris.
The three fillies all came to a screeching stop, eyes wide, unsure what to do as they stared at the angry human, the panting, growling wolf, and the shadow mare ready to strike at a moment's notice.
"So," Danny grunted, slowly standing up, hands aglow. "You want to do this here, or do we take this outside? Either way, I'm more than ready to tango."
Slowly rising himself, Fenris flexed his remaining hand, glaring momentarily to the injury inflicted on him. Then his cold eyes locked with Danny's.
"You willingly chose to defend this corruption," he spat. "Your soul has already been lost, now all I can do is set it free."
Grabbing his frozen stump in his paw, he crushed the ice; ectoplasm flowed out of the severed limb, pooling on the ground.
Danny glanced down at the growing puddle, the creases of his frown deepening marginally.
He knew such an injury wasn't permanent. In fact, compared with his full body splatter when Freakshow had a roller coaster car collide with him, this was but a scratch. And seeing the wavering aura around the claw, Danny was far from surprised to see it slowly move back to Fenris; connecting back to the arm with a wet squelch and a crack as Fenris flexed the newly knitted wrist bone.
Though Danny wasn't surprised, the children witnessing this unnatural event all gasped out in shock.
"Still haven't gotten an answer," Danny reminded Fenris, his posture becoming more aggressive.
Fenris snarled, unsheathing his claw from the newly mended appendage. Then a weight dropped near Danny, and it was with great shock for the human to see Chrysalis lying on the floor, half-way from the throne; her eyes partially closed, glassy, yet staring at them with a fire burning deep within over their aggression.
Struggling to push herself back up, Chrysalis never averted her gaze from Danny.
"Stop this…. Now," she demanded, attempting to sound authoritative, but her weak, raspy voice made it sound pitiful instead.
Only managing to push herself partially up, Chrysalis' strength left her fully, and she fell to the ground again. Only Danny, acting in reflex, was able to catch her before she'd slammed into the floor once again. Yet with his back now turned to Fenris, and wide open, it was with a startled gasp when he noticed the large shadow fall over him.
Several shouts of warning echoed through the large chamber, and an numbing chill run the course of Danny's spine as, in seemingly slow motion, he turned around to see Fenris' claw bore down onto him.
"NO!" Eclipse shouted, and, turning into a column of shadowy smoke, rapidly flew in between Danny and her former host.
Fenris punched his claw, slicing cleanly through Eclipse, and into Danny's open back; his claw sticking out through his chest, and a splatter of green glowing ectoplasm stained Chrysalis' face.
Danny, eyes wide, could only sputter in disbelief; the shock of reality not yet registering fully. Then he coughed, ectoplasm seeping out of the corner of his mouth. And for a split second, he felt the searing pain of Fenris' claw penetrating through his body, before everything went numb and quiet. The last he heard, were the cries of Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. And, strangely, Fenris as well.
<<>><<>><<>>
Darkness consumed him.
A billowing vortex of shadow and black.
There was no sound, no light, no sense of place, presence, nor time. Yet somehow, Danny found himself there, standing in the center of this vortex of nothingness.
"Wha- what happened? Where am I?" He said, wildly looking around, unable to identify anything which could tell him about where he was. "Is anyone there? Sweetie Belle? Apple Bloom? Scootaloo?"
A growl caught his attention, and turning around, the massive form of Fenris stepped out of the vortex of shadows.
"You!" Danny yelled, jumping back and readying himself to fight. To his shock, however, he was unable to summon any energy. Furthermore, he soon realized he stood before Fenris as his mortal self, unable to transform.
"What is going on? WHAT DID YOU DO!?"
Fenris didn't answer. Instead, he glared down at Danny, then slowly shifted his gaze around the darkness consuming them; teeth baring, and growling continuously.
"So, now it has claimed us both," he growled.
Snorting with disdain, Fenris finally acknowledged Danny, growling harshly.
"So, not only did you willingly accept my past sin. But you allowed yourself to be used as bait, and lure me back into this endless pit of despair and hatred."
"How many times do I need to tell you!?" Danny yelled back defiantly. "I DIDN'T ACCEPT ANYTHING! AND YOU'RE THE ONE WHO BROUGHT US HERE… somehow."
Fenris growled, flexing his claws.
Loud thunder shook them, followed by a fierce, orange flash.
"What the-" Danny spun around, trying to figure out what had just happened.
"YOUR TRICKERY SHALL NOT WORK ON ME AGAIN!" Fenris barked at the darkness, claws showing. He then turned to Danny, burning hatred strong in his eyes.
"I'd already slain you once. I can do so again. And this time both you and this abomination will be destroyed."
<<>><<>><<>>
With a yell, Danny dodged out of yet another attack; Fenris' claw swiping precariously close to his face.
Rolling to the side, Danny quickly scampered back up and rapidly raised his arm, attempting to fire a bolt of ectoplasm, or even a beam. In all honesty, right now, he would even settle for a mere spark. But as this rapidly worsening situation had already clearly demonstrated, Danny was completely powerless. No ectoplasm, no intangibility or invisibility. No ability to even transform. Despite his situation, and how much he wished otherwise, right now, he was nothing more than the unremarkable human he'd spent so long pretending to be. And now, being exactly as he tried to convince everyone he was, he wished his ghost self was still available to him.
With another yell, Danny only barely managed to evade another swipe of Fenris' lethal claw. Much like he had done for the last… well, he couldn't really tell anymore. Though it almost seemed to be forever.
Time didn't seem to have any meaning in this place, wherever, or whatever it was. And much to Danny's shock, when he allowed himself a fraction of a moment to think about it, he and Fenris had been going through the same routine for hundreds of different times.
Fenris would attack, and he would dodge, narrowly avoiding getting hit. Still, each of Fenris' attacks were close, too close. Yet at the same time, Danny always seemed to be out of reach. Not by much, a hair's breadth. But even so, he realized Fenris was as powerless as he was.
Fenris was stronger, faster, taller, more muscular, had claws and fangs, and was better equipped for pretty much any kind of engagement than Danny. And still, this giant beast of ferocity still couldn't hit Danny. The small, insignificant, powerless individual who always hid away in the shadows.
In a way, Danny realized, they were the same. Despite any advantage either one of them once had, in here, wherever here was, they were equally powerless.
"STOP THIS!" Danny yelled, desperately. "DON'T YOU SEE THIS IS POINTLESS!?"
"I SHALL NOT LISTEN TO ANY OF YOUR LIES" Fenris roared, spittle flying from his mouth as he attacked yet again. And, just like all the countless other times, Danny narrowly evaded.
"CAN'T YOU SEE WHAT'S GOING ON!?" He yelled back, desperately trying to get through to the wolf.
"I CAN SEE CLEARLY WHAT IS HAPPENING," Fenris spat back. "AND I SHALL NOT BE BLINDED BY ANY OF THESE LIES EVER AGAIN!"
"WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE RIGHT NOW!" Danny roared back after he rolled out of another of Fenris' swips. "YOU'RE BLINDED BY YOUR OWN INABILITY TO SEE WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON! WE'RE BOTH TRAPPED IN HERE! BOTH POWERLESS TO DO ANYTHING TO ONE ANOTHER! MY POWERS DON'T WORK, AND YOU CAN'T SEEM TO HIT ME, NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU'VE TRIED!"
"SILENCE!" Fenris roared, pouncing on Danny, only to miss as Danny managed to jump out of the way; barely.
"CAN YOU JUST STOP FOR FIVE SECONDS AND SEE WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON!?" Danny immediately shot back. Fenris responded by lunging at him once again.
'THERE HAS TO BE A WAY TO GET THROUGH TO HIM; TO STOP THIS MADNESS!?' Danny screamed mentally.
"I'M NOT YOUR ENEMY!" Danny tried, standing still with his arms spread wide. "YOU DON'T HAVE TO ATTACK ME!" Fenris, however, did attack. And Danny jumped out of the way in the nick of time.
"PLEASE, STOP THIS! NOW!"
Fenris barked, harshly, fangs bared, saliva dripping down, claws unsheathed, and hair on end, attacking without thought or care.
Danny jumped away again, desperately trying to find a way to stop this madness; to make the wolf see reason. Yet as their struggle continued, and Danny's calls to sanity went unanswered and his throat turned raw from trying, he himself slowly became blind to the world around him.
With each slash of Fenris' claw, he would dodge. With each cut for his throat, he would dodge. With each attempt at his life, he would dodge. This was all their world was now, what their very being was reduced to. Attack, dodge, miss, repeat. Attack, dodge, miss, repeat.
In the end, Danny had grown numb, lost in the despair of the situation, and the hate Fenris lunged at him with each attempt.
Yet in the darkness, a small ember flickered to life. Faint, weak, small, but trying.
Attack, dodge, miss, repeat.
Danny's eyes, glassed over from the hopelessness of his situation, slowly focused; regaining their light as a trickle of warmth entered his chest.
Attack, dodge, miss, repeat. eat.
There was something there, he felt it. Someone called to him. He just didn't understand who, or what. Yet this calling, which he felt instead of heard, sounded angry, lost, desperate. Why?
Attack, dodge, miss, repeat.
The realization came as sudden as it was shocking. They weren't the only ones here. There were others, desperately trying to reach him, calling for him. But who? All he knew where this place of nothingness, and the wolf he shared this hopeless place with. The wolf he knew he couldn't fight, yet dimly remembered trying to do so once, long ago. But why?
Attack, dodge, miss, repeat.
His eyes fully focused, widening as his memories came back screaming. Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, the changelings, Wind Chill, Cujo, Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and everyone at the Crystal Empire. He remembered their faces; those he fought so hard to help and save. And those who he still needed to save. He was here to find the missing fillies, and instead found something much more severe. Something he couldn't just ignore, or forget.
For the entirety of the day, he had fought monsters of the worst kind, never letting up, and unwilling to accept defeat. Yet now, when he was as powerless as he had pretended to be for all those years, he suddenly couldn't even stand tall against an equally powerless wolf while so many lives were at stake, a rising sense of anger took hold over him. Anger towards himself. But then, just as sudden as it came, his anger dissipated.
Yes, he had been fighting all kinds of monsters, and not just today. But now, as he looked at the hulking beast pouncing down on him, all he could see was himself.
Despite their differences, despite everything that set them apart, they were the same. Two individuals, lost in the darkness of their own creation. And yet, here they were. Two fundamentally different beings, yet the same; joined together by their choice to help a sick and dying species; brought together by children brave enough to face the dangerous and unknown.
And as he looked up at Fenris, Danny didn't feel anger. Instead, he felt pity for the wolf so lost in his own hatred that all he could see were the shadows staining his soul.
The feeling of warmth intensified, and Danny gasped out as he clutched at his chest; only just managing to avoid another of Fenris' attacks.
He knew why he was here. To help the changelings. But now, he realized, they weren't the only ones who needed helping.
And as he thought about all those he helped today, the faces of his friends stuck out above all else, and what connected them with him.
Applejack, who invited him over for lunch; treating him with the warmth and kindness as if he was part of the family.
Rarity, who made him several new sets of clothes, gifting them to him without a second though.
Fluttershy, scared and shy when they first met, yet quickly opening up to him and giving him fish to eat without prejudgement over his carnivorous needs.
Rainbow Dash, pushy and irritating at first, soon revealed herself to be a pony who cared greatly about others; hiding away her own insecurities behind a wall of cocky confidence. Apologizing to him for prying in his personal life, allowing a momentary glimpse into her true persona.
Pinkie Pie, the pony who orchestrated a party to welcome him to Ponyville, going out of her way to make him feel as welcome as awkward for being put on the spot. Yet her never diminishing smile making it impossible for him not to join.
Then there were Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. The three fillies who continuously ran him over, making him drop his cupcakes on the ground; harboring a secret he knew all too well himself. Going out of their way to help others, even if that meant severe repercussions when they returned home. In many ways, they reminded him of Tucker, Sam and himself.
This realization brought the faces of his oldest friends to the forefront of his mind.
Tucker, the techno wizard. Able to do things Danny couldn't even begin to understand. Connected with the digital realm that, sometimes, it was hard to tell where Tucker ended and the computer began. Yet he always managed to disconnect enough for his friends to keep up; if only to steal their fries when they weren't looking.
And then there was Sam. The girl he didn't even know he loved until it was already too late. His greatest regret. Her confident smirk, no nonsense attitude, and her ability to think before acting often kept him and Tucker grounded; though she would just as often use this against them, sporting that very confident, even cocky smirk he loved about her.
And yet, as Sam's image provided him with a sense of calm, another face materialized before him. A face with bright smile, and eyes wide with wonder when he told her about his own world. Twilight Sparkle.
He didn't know why he thought of her last. Just that he did. Something compelling her image to show up after everyone else; remaining sharp in his mind, not pushed away by the faces of others.
Her smile, her eagerness to learn about him and his world. Her drive to show him around and to help him when he needed it. There was something about her he just couldn't quite place. Yet the more he focused on her, her smile, her wonder filled eyes, the warmth he felt in his chest rushed out; encompassing his entire form.
THUMB THUMB
Danny froze where he stood, looking up at the wolf with a determined glare void of anger or hate.
"You are blind, but so was I. We've been doing the same thing over and over again without effect. But if you are not willing to see, to recognize what's going on, then I will."
Fenris didn't acknowledge the human; instead he narrowed his eyes and lunged at Danny once more. But this time things were different.
Instead of avoiding the attack, Danny welcomed it. Standing with arms wide, and eyes open.
Fenris struck, his claw sinking into Danny's chest; moving deeper and deeper, yet never exiting from the back.
Then, down to his elbow, Danny wrapped his arms around Fenris' midsection; pulling him close.
"Hatred never solved anything. I see that now," he said, closing his eyes, feeling Fenris sink deeper and deeper into his being. "Now it is your turn to see."
And Fenris, unable to pull himself free, gasped out as he felt something he couldn't describe.
Then, the vortex of darkness surrounding them collapsed, swallowing both of them with it.
<<>><<>><<>>
'Ugh,' Danny groaned in thought, unable to speak, or even move; his body aching all over, and his eyes felt so heavy he couldn't even open them.
'What happened?' He wondered, trying to get a feel for his surroundings.
"Danny?" He heard the familiar voice of Sweetie Belle.
'Did I get out of there?' He questioned, then tried to stand up. 'Ghnn… Why does my body feel so heavy?' Still, he pushed on, slowly forcing himself to stand to full height.
"No, it can't be," he heard Wind Chill gasp out, confusing him.
'What happened?'
"Where's Danny?" Scootaloo's diminished voice reached him; sounding strangely loud, even though he knew she was whispering.
'What is she talking about? I'm right here,' he asked himself, forcing his body to turn towards where he heard the voices.
"I- I- I fear he was lost to the darkness of Fenris," Wind Chill choked out.
'Okay, that does it! I need to know what's going on!' And with this determined thought, Danny struggled to open his eyes and see what it was everyone was obviously staring at. Yet it was a difficult task, he soon realized, as his eyelids seemed to have weights hanging on to them. Yet he persevered, and slowly the flickering lights of the fires in the throne room reached his retina, and the first blurry images revealed themselves to him. Soon clearing out, and presenting him with the shocked faces of everyone standing around him. And Danny himself, too, was shocked. Somehow, everyone seemed just that much smaller.
"Ghnn…" Danny groaned. "What happ-..." he asked, only to fall silent when he heard his voice; deep, rumbling, clearly not how it should be.
In reflex, he lifted a hand to his throat, but stopped mid motion as the alien appendage moved into view.
Muscular, black fur, and a paw with lethal claws extended.
Danny stood silent for well over a full second, unmoving, unblinking.
"WHAT THE-"
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Ruh-roh Raggy.
Lol. It seems Danny has gone and possessed another ghost. Can't wait to see how this plays out.
Also, loved the part with the mane six finding out about Danny's missing shadow. It's funny to see them flounder so much when the answer is literally staring them in the face. They know so much that if they could only put all the information they have in the right order, they'd figure out the truth.
Looking forward to the next chapter. =)
only eight thousand words? That might be a lot for other writer but I gotta ask are you feeling well?
The blackened sun, the father of wolves. He who was once consumed by hate and betrayal lost in the cycle of life and death, found redemption in a new soul that could see beyond the dark light he cast. Born anew the two as one, can fix what has been done.
That is one annoying cliff hanger ya got there... Real annoying...
Gonna be so hard waiting for the next update this time, Here's hoping it isn't to terribly long.
8407451
Well, now that you ask. I do have this persistent itch on my nose.
But, no. The reason this is such a small chapter is simple. It is one of those chapters that set the stage for things to come, but don't have enough going on in them to stretch them out into 10, 15, or even 20K chapters. And, sure, I could probably add some stuff here and there, but it would be nothing more than unnecessary filler. And believe me, I tried to increase the word count, but eventually I had to admit I was forcing the issue, and should stick with what I liked, and get rid of the stuff I just wasn't comfortable with. Which wasn't much, I might add. I was truly stuck for the longest of times, not able to put anything on the digital paper, because of this. Now though, the stage is set for Danny and Fenris to sort out this mess. That should be an interesting development.
So does this mean Danny is going to have a Beast form? I gotta be honest that sounds awesome.
8409162 And why are both of your comments correct!? ... Hold on! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!
Say.... when can we expect a new chapter for your Phantom fic?
8409290
Not for a while. I'm rethinking the plot along with other things going on. PM you about it later.
You pulled a damn Naruto, bravo dear chap.
Dat coming drama doe
Clifhangerrrrr nooooo. I'm not ready to wait for another chapter!
Hm, I was thinking about Danny's powers, and that led me down an odd path. I'm not sure if he's canon in your story, but Dan Phantom (Danny's evil self) is shown to have pyrokinetic abilities. Normally, I would simply assume that these were powers Dan got from his fusion with Vlad's ghost, but the thing is, Vlad never showed any power over fire beforehand, despite him being a ghost for far longer than Danny. This leads me to believe that the pyrokinesis originates from Danny, and thus, might have a place in this story. Pyrokinesis isn't even the only power, but some of them can be attribuited to Vlad while others seem like they're basic ghost powers Danny simply hasn't developed or trained yet. Either way, they can all be found on the wiki for Dark Danny.
NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! The dreaded cliffhanger!
8550242
This is exactly how I feel.
8553605
8550242
8596967
As good an explanation as I've ever heard. Clockwork really is his own worst enemy.
Ant chance of a Christmas chapter release?
8628012
I'm afraid not. I've been crazy busy with numerous other things keeping me from writing. Not that I haven't done anything at all, I do have 16k for the next chapter of GoaP. However, I haven't even started on the next chapter of SS. Thing is, there are several other things that require my attention a lot more at the moment than my fic. So it will be a little while longer. Luckily, I do have 2 weeks vacation right now. That will help me a lot getting those things out of my way.
8628371
No problem. Hopefully, things work themselves out for you. Merry Christmas.
8628639
Merry Christmas to you as well.
Great story love the lore and it all feels like what could have actually happened if these two worlds were to have met I'm looking forward to the next chapter but for now I'm going to eat some popcorn and wait
GASP did you say you had popcorn?!
GAH pinkie?! What.....how.....I....here
SQUEE thank you Mr.Deltorix have a cupcake
Uh...thanks?
i honestly wonder how this wolf form is going to effect danny's daily life
Your work always gets me through a long day of work and cant wait for the next chapter to come out.
8708320
Thank you. And with any luck, it won't be much longer. I finished both chapters for GoaP and SS a little while ago, and my editors are currently busy (they should be at the very least) with correcting my mistakes.
8708328
What an annoying chapter
No, you ARE the wolf!
What is the repeating text really necessary got kind of annoying