Withering (2?)

Rating: T

Warnings: Uh…violence, character death, romance that could be considered necrophilia , gratuitous abuse of our favorite halfa.

Pairings: DxS, TxJ

Summary: Based loosely off "Beauty and the Beast." A prince cursed to walk among the dead, and a maiden drawn to it…can she save him before all the petals wither away?

Note: Part of my mini Disney project…and because I think it's high time that Sam does some heroic work for a helpless Danny !

Disclaimer: I, in no way shape or form, own anything affiliated with Danny Phantom…Butch Hartmann and Nickelodeon has that honor. Nor do I own anything affiliated with Disney…I'm just borrowing and warping a story they borrowed. I'm a mere college girl attempting to entertain herself.

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Chapter Two: Sacrifice

Sam was beginning to worry.

She hadn't thought much about her father's absence until the night after the party, probably because it was at the party she began to miss him terribly, but now…it was just disconcerting. Her mother was even starting to act worried about her overdue husband; they had appearances to keep up after all. Sam remembered her father telling her that he would be back within a fortnight from Mayville, and now five days past he still hadn't come home. She knew it was silly to worry as she did, he was probably delayed due to weather or something trivial like that, but she couldn't shake the raw feeling of foreboding from her gut. Just something…

Sam rubbed her temple with two fingers as she sat in the field outside her family's farm, surrounded by tall green grass, yellow and white daises, and those fun little cotton blossoms that one could blow everywhere. She decided that half of what put her on edge was the increase in the dreams she had begun having…they didn't become any clearer mind you, they just happened more often. They had even stopped being restricted to happening in dreams…they happened when she was wide awake now as well, making her disoriented and with a headache afterwards. She knew there had to be some kind of meaning behind them, you didn't just have the same dream over and over for nothing, but she couldn't figure out what anything meant.

Sam let out a loud sigh as she lay back against the soft grass, fixing her lilac eyes on the blue sky that was punctuated with puffy, white clouds as she tried to clear her head of all the thoughts running around in her head…the certainly weren't helping her headache any. Focus on something more mundane, something that doesn't feel like it matters in the grand scheme of things.

Sam smirked as she recalled the unforgettable moment of Dash Baxter coming to her house three days past and trying to convince her to marry him. He had been wearing a suit that looked like he wanted to marry that afternoon…it really had taken all of Sam's will power to not openly insult him as he strutted about her house and talked about their future six sons; all burly just as their father was. It was only out of respect to her mother's health that she hadn't thrown him out when he mentioned something about massaging his feet…at least, she hoped he said feet. She hadn't really been paying attention to what he said until he just came out and asked her to marry him, then she felt morally obligated to all womankind to, delicately, throw the brute out, not minding if he landed in a puddle of mud in the least.

Her mother had been incredibly upset with her that afternoon, going as far as calling her a disappointment to the Manson name before she calmed down enough to listen to Sam's version of the events. Listening to hearsay was dangerous after all in a small town. The proud Pamela Manson had been upset to hear that Dashiel Baxter had just shown up and asked Sam to marry him…propriety demanded that he ask permission from the parents first of course, and she had decided to side with her daughter after much critical thinking.

It was when Sam said she would never marry such a boorish pig for a man that her mother really got upset.

Sam closed her eyes for a moment as the sun began to make her eyes water, and opened them as she sat back up, a cotton blossom twirling in her hand. Luckily, her mother began to fret over her belated father soon afterwards; it cut down the amount of glaring and sobbing her mother had probably planned for her disobedient daughter. The problem was, Sam started to worry right alongside her mother…it was never a good thing when both Manson women agreed on something.

Sam rubbed her hands up and down her arms in an attempt to warm them as the sun began its descent, painting the sky brilliant shades of orange and yellow. He pushed up to a standing position, the slight breeze causing her loose dark hair to tease her face from where wisps had fallen out of the bun. She wiped her hands on her dark brown linen trousers, not caring in the least if she grubbed them up a bit, before deciding to head back in…she had daydreamed and fretted enough for one afternoon. Her loose, light blue blouse floated around her as she began walking against the slightly stronger breeze…she loved wearing clothing designed for men whenever she could, finding it much more comfortable and practical than all the stiff and uncomfortable layers of clothing that women had to wear to be proper.

Just as she was about to reach the back door, she heard the whinny of a horse, and turned about to find a fine black mare galloping towards the farm. The horse was one of Sam's favorite, and that's why she always made sure her father took her whenever he went away on long trips for business…she was the smartest horse Sam had ever ridden, and always seemed to know when danger was nigh. She had a wild look in her eyes, and Sam hurried towards her to clam her with soothing words and motions on her muzzle, only registering the fact that she was most definitely rider-less when those intelligent black eyes regarded her sadly.

"Lillith," she said with a slight quiver in her voice…maybe her father had just lost his bearings and had slipped off close to the house. "Where's…where's my father? Did…is he all right?"

The horse seemed to understand the panicked girl's question and let out a soft nay as she flicked her ears black and gestured towards the forest with her head. Sam let out a small sound as she attempted to process what Lillith was trying to tell her. Motioning to the forest could be anything…the forests surrounding Amity Park were vast and frightened many of the local villagers. Lancer, one of the town's educators, would tell his students the stories surrounding those woods…how they were haunted by a cursed family who once ruled a nearby kingdom. He would always tell these stories to prove them as such, simple stories meant to entertain but not believe, but the townspeople still seemed to fear those woods. Was her father lost somewhere in those woods…alone and without a horse to get home?

Sam was about to call out for her mother when a small flower tangled in Lillith's mane caught her eye…it was a deep lilac blossom that only grew in one part of the forest…past the twilight and in dark under-bushes. Her father had shown her them on a ride deep into the forest once, before both had been informed they were haunted. She narrowed her eyes and felt a determined flash streak through her…she knew how to find her father and help him back home if he was injured. She cast a glance back to her home for a moment before turning back to Lillith and mounting her with the ease of an experienced rider.

"Go, Lillith," Sam urged in the mare's soft, black ear as she entwined her hands in the reins that were still around the horse's neck. "Run as fast as you can towards my father…"

The mare seemed to detect the urgency in Sam's voice, taking off back into the forest with a burst of speed that was almost unrivaled in Amity Park. The cold air that rushed by chilled Sam down to the bone, the casual clothing she had on not doing much to protect her from the elements, but she didn't even indulge in slowing down…her father could be hurt, or worse, out there. She could stand being cold for a little while. The slight purple-eyed girl guided black horse with ease towards the heart of the forest…maybe she would find something there to tell her where to head next.

After the sun had dipped out of the sky, a grayish pre-twilight now coating the sky as stars began to twinkle, Sam had finally reached the clearing that held the small purple flowers…lavender her father had named them, and looked all over for any signs of her father. All she could see was some old hoof prints that were almost washed away by the wind and new hoof prints Lillith was making. Sam was about to let out a frustrated growl when she spotted footprints to the left of the clearing, prints made by a finely made pair of boots, and they seemed to head even deeper into the woods…that's where her father went.

Sam nudged her heels into Lillith's side and set off after the prints, ducking her head when a stray branch from the looming trees came to close for comfort. The temperature dropped enough to cause the girl to chatter her teeth, pressing herself closer to the tiring horse in an attempt to find warmth. She had lost sight of her father's tracks, but she saw wolf tracks, and that encouraged her to stay on the present path…she just hoped for good and not ill. Her face felt raw from the wind whipping against it, and she could hear how labored Lillith's breathing was becoming…just a little bit further!

The forest seemed to end abruptly, and Sam found herself staring up at huge castle, dark and curved to give it an unearthly quality that invited doom to unsuspecting travelers. She felt her eyes go wide and her mouth drop in a small O of surprise, letting a tired Lillith trot slowly towards the dark iron gates...this was the castle from her dreams! Every gargoyle, every spiked tower, every dark angle mirrored the castle she had been seeing in her dreams for the past moon almost…is this where her father was?

Sam dismounted gracefully as she and the mare stopped in front of the gate, wrapping her arms around her shivering body as the gates seemed to creak open of their own accord…she didn't know if she shivered out of cold or fear. She motioned for Lillith to follow after her, which the horse did with a look of trepidation in her step…great; even the horse knew this was bad idea. The doors to the massive manor were ornately carved, that much Sam could tell, but it seemed that age had obscured most of what was depicted considerably…the doors opened just as easily as the front gate had, and with a moment of hesitation, Sam stepped into the dark interior, staying a hand for Lillith to stay still and wait outside.

"Hello?" Sam called out in the lightly lit manor, cringing slightly as her voice echoed back at her through the empty home. But, there were lights on and the interior looked taken care of…someone had to live here. "Is anyone there?" She walked further past the entry way and stared at the huge stairway that seemed to wind up to the top of the castle…and she couldn't shake off the feeling that someone was following her.

She turned around and looked around with narrowed eyes…but only a stray book and a tall lamp against the side of the wall were met with her vision. She looked around once more before walking to the stairs, beginning the climb up them and calling out every now and then for the master of the manor or for her father. She looked down a few different hallways before turning back around and noticing and open door that lead somewhere else…strange, she hadn't seen that door there before. She cautiously walked through the door and was met with a winding and narrow stone staircase…and a light seemed to be coming from somewhere near the top.

"Hello? I'm looking for my father and…is anyone up there?" Sam called out as she steadily climbed the narrow stairs, pushing her mussed hair out of her face with a deft hand movement. She only had her protesting legs to measure how long she had been climbing, but she smiled briefly as she reached the apex of the stairway and pushed open an ancient looking wood door.

"Father?" Sam called out softly as she looked around the room, noting the cells that marked it as a dungeon…she hoped her father wasn't here. But, a cough coming from behind one of the solid and barred doors dashed that hope…especially when she heard her father's weak voice call out to her.

"Samantha…what are you doing here?" William Manson's haggard and pale face came into view through the bars near the top of the door. His blue eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep and his skin looked stretched across his face…he looked so sick. Sam smiled in relief that her father was still alive however, and reached her small hands through the bars to hold onto his clammy ones. "You…you have to leave this place, Sam!"

"I'm not going to just leave you," Sam snorted with a small smirk on her pretty face…her father could be so silly sometimes. Hadn't she just ridden through the forest at night to find him? She could certainly get him home without too much difficulty. "You look sick anyway, you need to see a doctor. But, who put you here?"

"Sammy, please just get out of here," her father answered with wide eyes, not answering his daughter's question as to who his kidnapper was. "It's not safe here!"

"All the more reason to get you out of here!" Sam shot back with narrowed violet eyes. She opened her mouth in preparation to scold the stubborn man some more, but the words were ripped from her throat as a ghostly wail filled the dungeon and extinguished all the lights, pitching the room into utter darkness. Sam lost her grip on her father's hands and looked around wildly for anything that could have caused such a gut-wrenching sound…whoever caused must have been in a lot of pain…

"What are you doing here?" a cold voice asked the bewildered girl, a faint echo following the sound and causing Sam to whip her head around to stare at the darkened door. She hadn't heard it open, and no one had been in the dungeon besides herself and her father…how had someone just walked through the walls to enter the dungeon? "You're not welcome here…"

"I…I came to help my father!" Sam shot back with anger, a slight moment of hesitation showing her fear only at the beginning. She narrowed her eyes at the disembodied figure lurking somewhere in front of her…he was hurting her father for no reason! "Why did you lock him up! He would never hurt anyone!"

"He was trespassing," the voice, definitely male, answered with a bitter tone that made Sam cringe inwardly. "I don't tolerate trespassers and thieves in my castle."

"He would never steal! Besides…can't you see he's sick? He'll die if you keep him here!"

"Tell me why I should care?" the voice asked in a cruel tone…Sam could see a flash of green eyes in the darkness. "He's my prisoner…sometimes prisoners die. He should never have come here in the first place. Now, get out…"

Sam swallowed the retort she was longing to throw at this mystery man, and instead pushed aside her fear and stepped closer to a single beam of moonlight that had broken the darkness as the moon reached its zenith in the night sky. She still couldn't see the cruel man, but he could see her…it would be enough. "Wait…take me instead."

She heard her father protest weakly from behind the prison door, but she kept her eyes focused on the spot she believed the master of the castle to be. It hurt her enough to do this, she didn't need to hear or see his pain…but she wasn't going to do nothing as her father wasted away in a cell for doing nothing. There was no reply at first, but then his voice, filled with something akin to puzzlement and awe instead of the maliciousness that had laced the tone before.

"You…you would willingly trade yourself?"

"Yes…" Sam answered with a glare…she would not let her heart soften at how childish the voice sounded now…no older than herself and full of pain and incredulity.

"You could never return to your home," the voice impressed upon her…strange, why would he be trying to make sure she knew the consequences of her actions? "And you would never see your family again…are you willing to give that up?"

Sam began to answer, but hesitated. "Come into the light," she asked with an accusatory tone. It wouldn't change her mind but…but she had to know what she was condemning herself to before she actually did it. No answer was received, but she saw a silver encased foot step forward, followed by a glowing being that was floating at least a foot off the ground. True, his face was young and quite handsome in its own right, the ghostly green eyes were full off such loathing, both self and for everyone else, that Sam gasped aloud and took a step back. The young man's hair was a snowy white color, both dead and alive looking…just like he was. He was so cold…and staring at her with an intensity that rivaled the sun's….and maybe even the moon's.

Sam took a deep breath and stepped back into the light, standing not two feet from the ghastly…Phantom. She closed her violet eyes and raised her chin, unable to see the verdant eyes widen as he took in her face and form. "You have my word."

"So be it."

Sam felt the Phantom float past her and heard the heavy groan of a door being swung open. She turned around and embraced her father, trying not to focus on his tears lest her own would fall. "Samantha," he murmured as he clutched her weakly. "Don't do this, I'm old and have lived my life…"

"Take him back to the edge of the woods…provide him with a coat," the Phantom barked to some invisible force…and then Sam felt her father being pulled away from him and carried out the door. The Phantom followed immediately, leaving Sam to collapse on the cold floor of the dungeon and hug herself as she heard her father's anguished pleas fade away.

Sam felt a sob come over her uncontrollably, and she buried her face in her hands to let them flow, not caring that she abhorred crying and avoided it at all costs. It seemed appropriate at the moment…she had just given up her freedom, her dreams, everything in exchange for a life with bars and a cage. Yes…it seemed perfectly all right to cry.

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Please do me the favor and review! I have no words for how stunned I was last chapter…thank you all so very much for all the comments and encouragement! More to come soon!

Osco