Chapter 7: Gathering Allies
Rebecca landed at Nocturne's lair and went in. Nocturne and Danny both stood up when she came in. "I'm sorry to barge in, Uncle Nocturne," she said.
He smiled. "I know you only do so when you have urgent news," he said understandingly. "What is it, little star?"
Rebecca smiled a moment at her uncle's affectionate nickname for her, but then her smile disappeared. "It's about the story of the Fright Knight," she said. "Grandpa Elijah says we must seek him to help us fight Plasmius and Pariah Dark."
Nocturne looked alarmed. "I thought that evil king was locked away," he said.
"Plasmius will release him to try and get Danny back," said Rebecca worriedly.
The dream ghost then looked worried. "No," he whispered. "Please don't tell me Elijah said…,"
He trailed off as Rebecca looked sadder now. "Danny is the one to free the Fright Knight from his chains to Pariah Dark," she said. "I'm sorry, Uncle."
Nocturne looked sad and then looked at his niece. "Have Clockwork and Elijah seen what will happen?" he asked.
"A huge battle," Rebecca answered. "Plasmius has also been injecting himself with strengthening formulas. We need all the help we can get."
Danny listened and looked scared. "What's this story of this Fright Knight?" he asked.
"He is a ghost who is bound to obey an order from a more powerful ghost," said Nocturne. "He can only be freed from the one he serves by a child who has seen the bad part of the world before being shown the good part of it."
Danny looked afraid. "And I have to free him?" he asked. "How?"
"Fright Knight will not harm a child unless ordered to," said Rebecca. "I know where he is, but we need to gain him as an ally before Plasmius frees Pariah Dark."
Nocturne wrapped a comforting arm around Danny and the boy hugged him fearfully. Rebecca knew he was scared as she was a bit scared too. "Danny, you also have to face Fright Knight in your human form," she said. "It's the only way. I'll be ready if he tries to hurt you."
Nocturne looked at his niece. "Keep my son safe, Rebecca," he said in a slightly stern, but also worried, voice.
She nodded. "I won't let anyone harm him," she promised and hugged her uncle. "We'll be back."
Rebecca then held out her hand to Danny and he took it, transforming to his ghost form and she did the same before they took off. Nocturne watched and quickly called his sleepwalkers to be ready to fight.
Along the way to the Fright Knight's lair, Rebecca took Danny to Vortex's and Pandora's realms and both ghosts agreed to help at once. Vortex had accidently caught them in a tornado, which made Danny afraid of him, but the weather ghost had grabbed him fast and tickled Danny to pieces, making Rebecca laugh a bit at her uncle's silliness before she rescued the boy, explaining her uncle was friendly and just didn't want the boy to fear him, to which Vortex nodded before hearing his niece explain what would happen and he headed out for the Clocktower. Pandora had been sparring when the two halfas had visited her and she didn't hesitate to call some of her warriors and head for the Clocktower too.
A few minutes later, they landed at Fright Knight's lair and went in. Rebecca used her time-slowing power to slow down the booby traps so they could make it to where the Fright Knight was sitting at a desk. He looked up at hearing them come in and grabbed his sword. Rebecca placed Danny behind her. "Transform back to your human form," she whispered to him.
"He'll slice me!" Danny whispered back to her fearfully.
"You have to face him in your human form, Danny," she whispered urgently. "Remember, he won't attack a child."
Danny shivered fearfully, but did as Rebecca told him. She cautiously moved away from him and the Fright Knight lifted his sword up but then froze, his eyes wide under his helmet.
The boy's eyes were green in his ghost form, but in his human form, his eyes were ice blue. The knight remembered the story all too well and had scoffed at it, until now. The story had said the child who would free him would have blue and green eyes. He lowered his sword and motioned Danny to come closer to him.
Danny flinched, his eyes wide as he looked at Rebecca, who laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder and nodded. The boy stepped forward, shivering. Fright Knight kneeled down and one hand tilted the boy's chin up, the light revealing some still-healing bruises on the boy's face.
The ghost then picked up Danny in his arms and carried him to a regal-looking bedroom, setting him down on the bed and sitting beside him. Danny began trembling as the ghost reached for a basin filled with cool water and dunked a clean rag into it, grabbing the boy's arm as Danny tried to get away and pulling him closer. Danny's eyes were filled with fear. "Be still, child," said Fright Knight sternly as he gently ran the cool rag over the still-healing bruises, feeling the boy tremble harder now.
With a deep sigh, the ghost set aside the rag and pulled Danny into his lap, holding the boy as if he were his own son. "Do not fear, child," he said, holding him in a protective hug.
Danny wasn't sure what Fright Knight was trying to do, but then Rebecca stepped up to them. "That's how," she said softly. "Danny, Fright Knight feels protective of you. He'll do anything for you."
"You mean, if I ask him something, he'll do it?" asked Danny.
"Yes," said Fright Knight, standing up with Danny in his arms. "I am now bound to protect you. The story said I would be freed by a child and you freed me."
The poor boy looked confused. "How?" he asked.
"I cannot hurt a child, and when I see a child is hurt, I become angry and do what I can to help that child. By helping that child, I become the child's guardian and no one can order me to do otherwise. I follow only the one I guard," Fright Knight explained.
Danny then understood and felt the ghost set him down on his feet, but then hold him in a hug. Rebecca giggled a little and then looked at the caped ghost. "It's good to have you as an ally," she said. "And just in time. Danny needs our help."
"What is the trouble, Daughter of Time?" the ghost asked respectfully, bowing a little.
Rebecca curtsied in response to the respectful bow and the respectful title he called her. "Plasmius, a wicked halfa, seeks to kidnap Danny and hurt him again," she said. "He is even going so far as to inject himself with strengthening formulas and free Pariah Dark."
"I've heard of Plasmius," said Fright Knight. "He is the one who harmed this child?"
"Yes," said Rebecca gravely. "Nocturne, the dream ghost, saved him and has adopted Danny as his son."
Fright Knight nodded at that and turned to the boy. "Danny," he said. "Let me see your ghost form."
The boy transformed and Fright Knight looked thoughtful. "You will need training," he said gently. "I will train you."
"Training?" Danny asked.
Rebecca looked worried. "Fright Knight, Danny needs to be far away from the battle to be safe," she said.
The caped ghost nodded to her. "I understand, but is it not true that to get rid of one's enemy, the one who has been tormented by the enemy is the only one to get rid of their tormentor?" he asked.
The girl winced as she knew he was right and Danny looked scared. "I can't fight Plasmius!" He cried out fearfully.
Fright Knight held the boy tightly to prevent him from running away. "Danny, you know how Plasmius fights," he said gently.
"I hate to say it, but Fright Knight's right," said Rebecca sadly before looking at Danny and taking his hands in her own. "But you won't be alone in facing him. You'll have your dad, Fright Knight, and my whole family helping you. But we can only do so much."
"She's right," said the caped ghost.
Danny looked away for a moment and then back at them. "Rebecca, can your dad change time to stop Plasmius?" he asked hopefully.
She sadly shook her head. "Sorry, Danny," she said. "Your first father, Jack, died in that explosion. We can't change that."
Danny then had a thought. "Was it really an accident?" he asked.
Rebecca saw what he meant. "Yes, it was," she answered. "That was one thing Plasmius did not do. He didn't know where you and your family were until reading about Jack's death in the papers. He came up with the lie to your mother about Jack asking him to take care of you, your mom, and your sister. Two years later, he divorced your mom and threw her and your sister out of the mansion, but kept you because he wanted to hurt your mother as punishment for her continuing her experiments with ghosts."
The boy looked at her with tears running down his face. "He told me she abandoned me," he said and hugged Fright Knight, who rubbed his back and gently wiped away the tears running down the boy's face.
"That's not true," said Rebecca. "Dad and I saw both your mom and Jasmine the other day. They came back to get you away from Plasmius. We told them you were safe and even showed them that Nocturne was taking care of you. They badly wanted to see you, but it wasn't time yet."
"They did?" Danny asked. "They asked about me?"
The girl smiled. "They never forgot about you," she said.
Fright Knight held up a hand. "Forgive me, Daughter of Time, but perhaps we should get to the Clocktower to help the others?" he asked politely.
Rebecca nodded. "Yes," she said and smiled as the armored ghost picked up Danny, who protested a little, but the ghost didn't let him go. Rebecca chuckled. "Sorry, Danny. As you're his responsibility, he's going to make sure you don't tire yourself out, especially since he's going to train you."
Danny gave her a glare that didn't last as Fright Knight suddenly started tickling him and the boy quickly went ghost and slipped away with the caped ghost chasing him and Rebecca joined in, playfully blocking Danny's way, which allowed Fright Knight to catch up and capture Danny to tickle him some more. Finally, the boy gave up and the caped ghost held him securely, to which Danny didn't protest this time, but he looked worried.
"Rebecca, do you know if we'll beat Plasmius?" he asked.
She shook her head. "I honestly don't know," she said and then smiled. "But I'm planning on giving him a serious butt kicking."
Danny and Fright Knight both laughed at that as all three headed back for the Clocktower where the others were waiting for them.
Well, Rebecca and Danny were successful in gaining Fright Knight as an ally and Danny now knows the truth about his mom and sister. How will his training go? Will they be able to stop Plasmius and possibly Pariah Dark? Stay tuned for the next chapter!
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