Artgirl4 reminded me to put another chapter up. And by "reminded," I mean asked constantly. Just kiding! Sorry Artgirl4, you're fun to tease. Don't take offense.
Disclaimer: No, I don't own Danny Phantom. Yes, I am annoyed by these things.
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The group sat in the safety of the cave as Frostbite drilled Danny. They had all been given thick coats to borrow, since it was freezing in there. At the moment, Danny was being tested on basic ice blasts and changing the shape of the ice. When he had created the simple ice crystal, he had smiled a little bit and looked kind of dreamy for a moment. Sam had smiled, too. She remembered Danny giving one of those to her right after the Undergrowth incident. When it shape-shifted again into an icy rose, her smile grew.
In the far back of the cave, there was a small group around Paulina including Star and Mr. Lancer, who was more off to the side, really. The girl had calmed down just enough so that she wasn't shaking uncontrollably.
"What did Phantom do to you?" Star questioned.
Paulina shivered a bit at the thought. "He told me not to touch his stuff and then told me to go back to bed. He looked so angry, though. He was shaking and then when I looked again, his eyes…they turned red."
The group glanced over at the boy who had just accomplished making an icy statue of Frostbite. The larger ghost seemed to be pleased by this.
"Well done!" he congratulated. "Now let's move on to ice blasts, shall we?"
Danny nodded. He created a ball of ice and shot it into the distance.
"Good," the ice ghost rated. "Now make it into an icicle."
The boy concentrated and did so with ease. The spear shot extremely far. Danny had lost sight of it before it landed.
"Outstanding!" the ghost said gleefully, not having expected it to go that well. "Are you ready to create a very large-scale attack? We sometimes call it an 'ice storm' because of its effect." Danny nodded briefly. "Very well, I want you to focus a large portion of your ice energy and center it. Danny did so, having to close his eyes. His aura shifted to blue. "Now, channel most of it into your hands, but focus on all other parts of your body as well." The boy's hands, which were drawn close to his chest, glowed brighter. "Excellent. Now let it loose all at once in a forward motion." Danny did nothing. "Great One, why aren't you…?"
"I'm trying," Danny mumbled. He kept it up for a few moments longer. All of the campers had focused their attention on him once they sensed a disturbance. Danny began to shake a little. "F-Frostbite, I-I can't!" He sounded worried. As he should have been, considering he glowed even more brightly. He opened his eyes for only a moment to reveal that they had turned blue as well. Then, they slammed shut again.
"Stop building up the power and let it go!" the mentor shouted, beginning to panic.
"I can't!" the ghost boy screamed. "It keeps coming and I can't…can't let it go! Help!"
Frostbite ran forward and grabbed Danny's shoulders, but instantly recoiled. His paws had been encased in ice.
"Danny!" Sam screeched.
The boy's breathing became labored a minute before he let out a loud scream. All of the ice shot forward in once huge wave. It seemed to shake up the surrounding area. Uneven breaths came from Danny as he studied his hands. He quickly looked over at the shocked Frostbite before sprinting off. Without a moment's hesitation, Sam, Tucker, and Frostbite ran after him, leaving behind the startled classmates.
"Danny?" Sam called softly, entering an icy cavern not too far off. The whole inside of it was completely frozen over. She walked in farther upon seeing a black lump with a patch of snow-white hair. Danny had his head buried in his knees, which had been drawn close to his body. She realized that he was shaking. Pity clenched her heart. The girl treaded over to her friend and knelt down, placing a hand lightly on his shoulder. She didn't want to startle him. "Danny?" she said softly.
"Sam?" he asked shakily.
"It's okay, I'm right here," she soothed. "What happened?"
Danny looked up, traumatized. "I-I don't know. I lost control. All of it just kept coming and…and…" He trailed off, unable to finish, and started shaking harder.
Sam wrapped him in a warm embrace. "You're cold," she whispered, her voice gentle.
As Sam comforted him, Tucker and Frostbite stood by the door dumbly, not sure what to do. At one point, they exchanged a glance before resting their eyes on the scene again. After about a minute, Sam let go.
"Thanks, Sam," Danny breathed, still a bit nervous.
A smile crossed the girl's face and she helped Danny to his feet. He froze for a moment and started gasping, leaning against a wall.
"Woah, easy there, big guy," Sam said, helping to hold her friend upright.
Frostbite took a step forward once Danny recovered a bit. "Shall I return to the humans and inform them that you will return shortly as well as call upon Mistress Dora?"
"Yeah. T-Thanks, Frostbite," he responded, still shivering a bit. Sam kept her hold on him, just in case.
Once the snow-beast left, Tucker trudged up to his best friends. "Dude, that was scary."
"Tell me about it," Danny agreed, shivering again. Sam put her arm behind his shoulders and made sure to keep close to him.
"C'mon, Tuck, help me get him back," Sam pleaded.
Tucker ran around to Danny's other side and the two of them worked to hold him upright.
"You guys are the best," Danny whispered, almost inaudible.
"Shh…" Sam cooed. "Save your strength." Even if he wouldn't admit it, Sam knew that he wasn't doing too well. The loss of so much energy had completely drained him to the point where he was having trouble standing on his own; not to mention how the recent panic attack had affected him.
When the trio reached the clearing again, the group members swarmed out of the cave and flocked toward them. They were appalled by Danny's state. He looked even worse now than when he had run off. Only a few realized that it must have been the adrenalin and pure terror that enabled him to push himself that far.
"War of the Worlds, what happened?!" Lancer shouted upon his discovery of Danny's condition.
The boy shivered and gave a shaky smile. "Lost c-control for a minute."
"Which just might be the understatement of the year," Sam muttered quietly. Danny responded to this with a weak laugh.
Dora swooped down in full dragon form. Frostbite walked over to greet her and spoke quietly about something. The dragon ghost nodded a few times and glanced at Danny occasionally. The snow-beast then trotted up to Danny.
"We think that it would be best if you stayed here for a short time at the medical facility while Dora delivers the humans back to your domain. Do you agree?" Frostbite asked.
"Don't worry, dude, we'll make sure they behave," Tucker prodded, in consent.
"I'm with them on this one," Sam concurred as well, going against her suspicions.
"Okay," Danny responded tiredly.
Sam and Tucker joined the group while Frostbite took his position by Danny, laying one of his huge paws on the half-ghost's shoulder.
"Friends of Danny Phantom," the large ghost addressed, getting the immediate attention of everyone, "you are being instructed to return to your temporary residence with Mistress Dora. Phantom will rejoin you after a brief time."
A few kids waved as they hopped on the dragon and prepared to leave. Then, with the flap of wings and the swoosh of stirred snow, they vanished. Danny watched their retreating forms carefully.
"Let us leave, Oh Great One," the larger ghost suggested, directing Danny gently toward the village. The boy obediently followed.
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Did I not tell you I was going to slip back into my overdramatic routine? But, I will have you know that, no matter how random and overdamatic I may get, I actually have a reason for it this time! Yes, I was shocked, too.
