A/N: Gah! So sorry for the delay in this chapter! Lots of stuff happened these past two weeks and I only got to writing this chapter on Wednesday. And there were some reviews I really, really wanted to get back to but never found the time, especially someone with some criticism. I always like criticism. But, thankfully, I'm settled for now in Canada Land and will have less problems updating on time.
Anyways, back to the story! You'll be able to tell right away that the first part of the chapter is another dream sequence. Don't worry. The dreams do mean something and are not just pointless moments of me trying to make the chapters longer and exciting...although they do help out in that area. Other than that, enjoy the chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own any Danny Phantom characters.
Chapter 9 Game Advice
"Trippy," I said with a funny smile. My reflection's grin distorted with a funky swirl. I flew farther down the dark hallway, glancing at myself in the fun house's mirrors with a morbid curiosity for what I looked like in each one. Every time I passed one, my reflection changed drastically. I went from a thin, gangly ghost kid to the heaviest superhero known to man-kind in the matter of seconds. The silliness of it all made me laugh.
"Focus, Danny!" Sam's voice sounded from the headphone on my headset. "Lydia could be anywhere in that fun house. You need to be careful."
"Her freaky tattoos may pose a bit of a threat, Sam, but I don't think I'm gonna have any problems with this one," I assured her. Sam and Tucker were stationed around the fun house building, making sure the ghost Lydia wasn't coming out. I'd gone ahead inside to either leer Lydia out or capture her with a Fenton Thermos.
It was just another night on the job. No harm in enjoying myself a bit.
I turned the corner and had to pull up short in surprise. The entire next hallway was round and spinning with white and black swirls, making the door at the end look small and hard to get to. It threw me for a loop for a second, but that was all one of Lydia's glowing tattoo creatures needed to strike.
The little bat gave a screech as it dove for my head from behind. It's sharp, little claws dug into my skin, making me cry out in pain as I flew into the spinning hallway. I grabbed the evil thing by a wing and yanked it off me. Before it even hit the rounded wall, I had my thermos out and sucked the shrieking bat inside.
"One down," I said, putting the cap back on the thermos. "And about a dozen more to go."
I flew deeper into the rotating round room, trying not to get dizzy as I reached the door at the end. Phasing through the door, I emerged into a bigger room that had padded walls and floor. My eyes searched the area for any evil tattoo creatures, my senses keen ever since the first attack.
Halfway to the door on the other side of the room, the lights went off and the sound of grinding gears could be heard from beyond the walls. I felt the room move under my feet. A frown crossed my lips when blinding strobe lights on the ceiling turned on and off rapidly, throwing the spinning room into a battle field of chaos. Through the brief flashes of rays of light I could see the tattoo creatures fly toward me.
The first one, a snake, collided with my shoulder and sunk it's tiny teeth into my skin. Seconds afterwards, two more flew into me. The force drove me into the wall with a grunt of frustration. While their biting was nothing more than obnoxious, it was the room's elements that restricted me. There was just too much stimulation. The spinning room seemed to scoop me up into it's hands and carry me into a sense of disarray.
"Alright you little demon pictures," I yelled as my irritation came to a boil. "This is getting repetitive. Time for you guys to get your tattoo butts kicked!"
With a battle yell, I wrenched the snake one off my shoulder and threw it away. I followed up quickly with an ectoplasm blast to stun the vile thing. The mad hiss that resulted only put a smirk on my lips as I threw my elbow into the wall, smashing the floating skull that had been biting me there into submission. It was sucked into the thermos a second later.
I shoved off the wall with my feet, the lizard tattoo still clinging to my leg as if its pathetic afterlife depended on it. In the air, I extended my leg to get a clear shot at the lizard before blasting it with a ray of ectoplasm. It sighed in reluctance as I vacuumed it into the thermos.
Grinning, I spun quickly around with the thermos aimed in front of me. The poor snake that had been attempting another surprise attack looked so confused as the thermos sipped it right up.
"Nice try," I said, capping the thermos.
"You alright, Danny?" Sam asked me.
"I got it covered," I answered with a confident grin. I could almost see her rolling her eyes as she sighed through the headphones.
The lights unexpectedly turned back on and the room slowed its spinning as I floated down to the floor. Before any more creatures came at me or before the room could start whirling again like a demented top, I flew toward the exit door which would take me into the next section of the fun house. The room was already on and ready for me.
"Great. More spinning things," I muttered sarcastically. "I love spinning things."
The small room was made up of rotating orange-padded pillars that were connected to platforms on the floor. The spinning seemed like it was sped up beyond the health standards. The pillars and their eye-sore-of-a-color orange reminded me of a blender. Just looking at the room was making me queasy.
The dizziness didn't stop me from flying into the fray. I was in the mood for a fight, and possessed revolving pillars weren't gonna get in my way.
My already heightened reflexes felt the first creature coming. The thing was in a thermos before it knew what hit him. Unfortunately, I failed to realize the one creature was simply a distraction. As soon as the little guy was safely imprisoned, about five of the wicked creatures descended on me with wild hisses and screeches.
The attack caught me off guard. I was forced to the ground where multiple platforms whirled. Landing on my side with a sharp yelp of pain, I let go of my thermos. It clattered onto another platform which shot it in some random direction. I could hear it clank its way around the room while I was violently flung the opposite way.
Even with the wall being padded, my body's impact with it was still painful at such reckless speeds. I fell onto another platform which spun me in an opposing direction. With a scream of alarm, I was thrown into another pillar with all the little tattoo creatures wrapped, biting, or clinging onto me.
There came a point where I was fed up with my embarrassing ass kicking from a room. Struggling to get my head on straight, I pushed off a pillar I'd been slammed into. While my body hovered safely in the middle of the mess, my head spun as if it was still in the washing machine from hell.
"Off! Get off!" I grumbled at the creatures on me as they tried to fly me into more spinning pillars. Without my thermos, all I could do was stun them with my ectoplasm rays or freeze their sorry butts with my ice powers. The problem with that was the fact that as soon as they landed on the ground, the ice shattered and they were back to terrorizing me.
After a couple of minutes of this useless behavior, I went looking for my thermos. Thankfully, it found me.
Wham!
"Ouch! What the - oh!" I exclaimed as I quickly caught the thermos that had whacked into the back of my head. Although it left a sore bump there, I forgave it as it delivered for me.
The tattoo creatures didn't stand a chance against me as I blasted around the room, sucking them inside their temporary prison. When they were all taken care of, I capped the thermos and readily headed for the next room. I'd taken a fair share of beating, but I wasn't finished. There was one more ghost I needed to take care of that night.
Carefully, I phased through the next door to see what I was up against. Like before, I couldn't see the danger but I knew it was there. The only difference was the absence of something spinning. I was grateful for that. I didn't want to defeat Lydia by throwing up on her. That'd just be sick.
The room was one long, lone hallway with glass walls on both sides. They displayed the same haunted house set up. I wasn't very impressed. The spiderwebs were clearly fake, and the furniture looked cheap and plastic. It looked maintained because not a speck of dust could be seen. If the makers of this fun house were trying to set the mood, they failed. If anything, I wanted to laugh at their lame attempt.
As I walked down the hallway, I noticed that both walls acted like a mirror. I could see myself walking on both sides of me. My eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. So which one was the mirror and which one the real room?
A green vortex swirled around in the real room, whichever room that was, but it appeared on both sides of me. As the whirlwind cleared, I saw the circus freak Lydia appear. Her crimson cape flapped around her green skinned body. Her red eyes narrowed on me from the depths of her dark hood. In her glare was a smirk.
Before anything happened, I knew I'd been tricked somehow. It was an unsettling feeling at the bottom of my spine. It spiked up my vertebra as I picked a side in the hallway I believed was the real side and shot a ray at it, aiming for Lydia's form that flew toward me.
I knew it was over the second my reflection cracked. The fracture spread like a domino effect, creating spiderweb-like cracks all throughout the mirror. For a brief moment, it looked like reality had broken into millions of pieces.
Through the breaking mirror, I saw that Lydia had disappeared and had been replaced my a margay with sinister, glowing green eyes. Those eyes bore into my fragmenting face in the mirror. They took the breath right out of me. I felt like I was frozen in that stunned position as the mirror and its broken pieces dropped to the floor, revealing nothing but a dark pit on the other side.
The margay behind me gave a vicious growl as she attacked. She was lightning quick, leaping onto my back and driving me over the edge of the pit. With a fearful scream, I fell headlong into the black vortex. As soon as I started to fall, the cat seemed to have vanished. It was just me falling to my death. I was all alone.
"Danny! You are having a bad dream! Wake up!"
I came out of the nightmare totally disorientated, in a cold sweat, and gasping for air as if I'd just jogged 500 miles. My world swirled into clarity, and the form of Aleksey focused above me from where I'd fallen asleep in an armchair. He was lightly shaking my shoulder as he leaned over me. The concern showed itself on his face. I was thankful it was him and not Vlad waking me.
"Will you be alright, boy?" Aleksey asked me. "Want me to get you some water?"
I ran a hand through my hair, letting out a long, stressed sigh. "I'm fine," I said weakly. I cleared my craggy throat, trying again. "I'm fine. Just another nightmare. Nothing you can do about it."
"Now, don't be lying to me, Danny," Aleksey said gravely as he eased himself into the armchair across from mine. A table with a chess set stood between us. "Vlad told me about your other nightmares. He tells me you're stressed. Do you mind sharing that with me?"
I'd fallen asleep sideways on the armchair. To compose myself, I slowly sat up and rightened myself in the chair. My wounded shoulder shot me a pang of pain as I did so. I had to close my eyes for a second and push through the pain.
I shot a quick glance at the man before muttering truthfully, "Yeah. I do mind. I'm fine, though."
Aleksey nodded in understanding, but he didn't look very convinced. He smiled at me, requesting politely, "Would you like to play a game of chess with me then? I am waiting for a group of Japanese tourists to arrive tonight, and I have nothing else to do till then. It will be a nice way to pass the time."
My eyes glanced down at the chess set before coming back to set on Aleksey. The last time I played chess, it was against Vlad and that obviously wasn't fun. I'd come to hate the game. It was a heartless game, and the only good players had to be as cold and calculating as the game itself.
Aleksey perceived my distaste with a light chuckle. "I see you have played against my nephew a few too many times," he said. "He takes all the fun out of it. You see, he views the game as his life. That is no way to play. Here, we play one game and then you decide if you still do not like chess."
"Alright," I sighed, pulling my chair closer to the table. "But I'm not guaranteeing I'll magically like it." Aleksey grinned. The expression seemed to put my emotions at ease, and I let myself express a small smile.
As soon as we started the game, I saw the differences in the way Aleksey and Vlad played. Vlad always had swift, cunning movements as if he knew how to win before you even moved your first piece. He could win a game in minutes, the entire time wearing that annoying smirk of his. Aleksey, on the other hand, was slow and thoughtful. While it was obvious he liked thinking out his movements, I found out he liked talking with his opponent more than moving his pieces.
"Ah, you see what your problem is, Danny, is that you do not have a strategy," Aleksey said after five minutes of play. He pointed to my pieces, explaining, "You do not know whether to be defensive or offensive. You are just reacting to my movements, hoping that I'll make a mistake. That won't help you."
"But I'm thinking ahead," I grumbled. "I know which moves you might make. Isn't that how you're supposed to play?"
"Yes, but that's only a small part of the game," Aleksey said with a furtive nod. "You need a plan. A good chess player not only thinks ahead, he understands his opponent. You must watch how they play and figure out their plans. Once you do that, you can make your own plans. Understanding your opponent also allows you to better your judgement about their movements. You'll be able to think farther ahead because you'll know how they move. Understand?"
"Yeah," I sighed. "I think I do." I couldn't help but think I was getting a life lesson taught to me as well as a lecture on chess. I tried to apply the new lesson as I touched a bishop uncertainly.
"Take your time, boy," Aleksey said with an amused chuckle. He sat relaxed and content in his armchair as if he had all the time in the world to play this game with me. "You do not have to play like my nephew. He does not play for fun; he plays to win. That's not how uncle Aleksey likes it."
"Was he always like that?" I asked.
"Hm?"
"Was Vlad always out to win? I mean, like when he was my age, was he a...jerk?"
Aleksey gave one of his boisterous laughs, making my tense shoulders relax a little. The man shook his head, saying, "The Vlad you know is not the nephew I remember. Before his accident, my nephew was ambitious and passionate about the sciences and the supernatural. He had a light that came into his eyes every time he talked about how they both coincided. It would make him giddy as a schoolboy even at the age of 20. That light isn't there now. It makes me sad."
It was odd hearing this about Vlad. His history would always be a surprise to me. It was hard picturing Vlad my age and completely human. It was easier for me to accept his evil-overlord-ness by imagining him as a demon child. I'd like to think he was born mean. It would explain so much. Instead, his history had a lot of baggage and it was hard for me to shift through it all. It seemed all too...personal.
"So when did he change? After he turned half ghost?" I asked, a bit curious. I moved a pawn on the board and sat back to wait for his move.
"Yes," Aleksey answered with a sober nod. His eyes scanned the board as he rubbed his chin in deep thought. "You must understand that my nephew was hospitalized for years after the accident that made him half ghost. He was forced to sit in a bed for many, many months. That wears on a man's soul. A man needs contact with people, to feel the sun, and run and walk and jump, not sit in a stuffy room watching those ridiculous soap operas on the television. While it might have been new ghost genes introduced into his body, I believe it was his time cooped up in the hospital that changed my nephew."
Trying to remain indifferent about the subject, I stared at Aleksey as he spoke about Vlad. I carefully watched his face and how it twisted in heartache over his nephew's change in character. Inside me, I was torn between reasoning and feeling. This was Vlad's uncle. I knew I should be careful around him because I didn't know him well enough to trust a word he said, but the human part of me really felt what he was saying. I didn't want to, but I found myself believing Aleksey.
"I'm...I'm sorry," I said reluctantly. I really was. In a way, Aleksey lost his nephew after that accident. Truly, I was sorry about what happened because losing someone in that way seems pretty painful. No one, not even Vlad, deserved what happened. But that didn't give Vlad an excuse to turn into such an evil jerk.
"Well, thank you, Danny," Aleksey said with a sad smile. He moved his knight on the board, telling me, "I believe you're a good kid. You have a strong heart. I can see how that kind of heart could be having trouble in a situation like this."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Vlad told me about the margay attack and how it was a forest spirit," Aleksey said, lowering his voice as if the thing was supposed to be a secret. The frown sprung to my face before I could mask my emotions. "I understand that you are a superhero in the town my nephew is mayor for," Aleksey explained at the sight of my scowl. "You protect the city from such evil spirits or ghosts and help the good ones. You are used to saving the day. To be here with Vlad and denied your privilege to help must be very frustrating for you, Danny. Do you think this is the reason behind your bad dreams?"
I felt my shoulders droop as my spirit seemed to deflate like a balloon. My eyes kept themselves on the chess board as I answered truthfully, "I don't know anymore."
"No? Why not, boy?" Aleksey asked curiously.
At first I didn't want to open up to Aleksey, but I thought about how he'd shared that bit about Vlad's past and how sorrowful he was. He was being very real with me. I felt obligated to tell the truth because of that. Besides, I needed someone to share my thoughts with.
"Even with the stress of being a superhero, I don't get very many nightmares," I explained. I rubbed the side of my face before giving in to my feelings and saying, "But these nightmares are vivid and constant. I've never had dreams like these. Then again, I'm more stressed than ever when I'm with Vlad and it would make sense that the spirit was only protecting its forest from me. So...I...I have no clue what to think anymore."
I gave a heavy sigh, finally glancing up at Aleksey. He stared at me, not expecting anything from me at all as he listened intently. It was...refreshing. "You're gonna tell Vlad all this, aren't you?" I said with a bitter chuckle.
He broke out into a knowing smile, saying, "Only if he asks."
"He'll ask. Trust me, he'll ask."
"Ha ha! You know my nephew too much," Aleksey laughed. The laugh was short lived, though, and the man was soon solemn again before asking, "Do you mind if I tell you what I think about your situation?"
"Go ahead," I said, sitting back in my seat. I liked it how Aleksey treated me like an adult. He didn't talk to me like Vlad did. I felt my age around Aleksey; not like a dumb five-year-old like when I was around Vlad.
"My nephew wants you to relax and feel like you are on vacation," Aleksey told me straightforward, "but I don't think you can do that." That surprised me. I perked up to hear the rest. "Your heart wants to help this forest spirit. It is your logic that says differently. Those two forces are conflicting with each other, and that is what is giving you those nightmares.
"You will not be able to relax until you settle one or the other. The heart can not accept what the mind denies, and visa versa. To get rid of these nightmares, I suggest you either completely forget about the spirit and being a superhero or you delve deeper into the mystery of the margay spirit's warning and do all you can to help her or figure out why she attacked you. You must choose between logic and your heart."
"That's easier said than done," I said. Still, I couldn't say it was bad advice. Actually, it sounded pretty good and I found myself wondering which one I was going to choose.
"Of course," he said, nodding. "Most things in life are that way."
He leaned forward and over the chess table, motioning for me to do the same. I obeyed, listening keenly as he instructed me with passion, "This decision doesn't have to be the way Vlad plays chess, Danny. Do not feel rushed for time to choose. Carefully create your own strategy. Do not simply react to Vlad's actions; make your own. Understand?"
My eyes slowly scanned the board between us as my mind seemed to digest what the man had said. Finally, my gaze returned to Aleksey's face. My gut told me to trust him. And usually I can trust my gut. It had served me rather well in the past.
"Yeah," I said, nodding with a smile. "I do."
"Good!" Aleksey said, giving my shoulder a hearty pat. "I knew you were a quick one."
"Hey, what were you expecting? I'm a legit superhero from where I come from," I said with a cocky smile. Tapping my temple, I said, "You gotta be quick up here to properly be one."
"I'm sure those tests in school are real villains," he joked with a grin.
"Oh, you know it!" I laughed. I made a gun with my fingers and mocked aimed and fired while I said, imitating some high and mighty superhero voice, "But with my fearless bravery and exuberant charisma, the villainous tests and their evil F's are properly taken care of...and all before dinner time."
Aleksey's shoulders were bouncing up and down with his laughter. I grinned, the man reminding me of a jolly grandpa at the moment. It was good to talk and joke around with Aleksey. He paid attention to me and was really going out of his way to make my time here enjoyable. I appreciated that.
"Uncle," Vlad said from where he seemed to have spawned behind my armchair. I actually jumped in surprise. For one brief moment, I had forgotten about Vlad.
"Vlad, you never told me the boy was suck a jokester," Aleksey said as he got to his feet. Slowly, I did the same.
"He at least tries," Vlad said, shooting me a quick smirk. The expression was only a phantom on his lips because he was soon saying seriously, "I came in here to tell you that group of tourists are here and will need your help. Quite honestly, I don't want Danny around your guests. We'll be off to bed, then."
"That is fine," Aleksey said with a flippant wave of his hand.
He patted my shoulder one more time, telling me goodnight before Vlad escorted me toward the stairs to the second floor's balcony and bedrooms. Silently, I followed Vlad upward, but on the inside I was annoyed. It would be like Vlad to be paranoid enough to hide me away from other people visiting the ranch. He was probably scared I'd discover one of their cellphones and call home. It wasn't possible, though. I bet the ranch out here in the middle of nowhere got 0 bars of reception.
Vlad and I were on the second floor balcony and heading toward our rooms when the main doors opened to the living room below. Aleksey warmly greeted the Japanese tourists, shaking all three men's hands heartily. It was the usual casualties. I wouldn't expect anything less.
If I didn't know they were Japanese beforehand, I don't think I would have glanced over the railing down at them that night. I still don't know what made me do it exactly. Maybe it was the voice of one of them that sounded familiar, or maybe I just wanted to do something to spite Vlad. Whatever it was, I stopped and looked down to get a good look at them.
A second after my choice to stare at the men, one of them glanced up at the balcony to take in the sights. He was too far away for me to make him out properly. His eyes listlessly grazed his surroundings till they landed on me. He paused to stare at and take me in before he shoved his hands into his pant pockets and followed his group and Aleksey deeper into the living room. He had no interest in me.
"You finished lollygagging?" Vlad asked me suddenly. I snapped my head up to look at him. He was creeping me out today with his ninja popping up out of nowhere tricks. "Is your curiosity quenched yet?"
"Yeah," I said with nod. This was true. I was tired beyond belief. I guess learning how to ride a horse, almost getting mauled by a margay forest spirit, and getting stitches all in one day does tucker a guy out.
"Goodnight," Vlad said curtly.
"If you never wake up, that means I succeeded in escaping and killing you," I said lightly back.
"You can't kill a ghost, Danny."
"You want me to have sweet dreams or not?"
Vlad stopped at his door to glare over at me. I grinned back, knowing I was being annoying and loving every last second of it. I'd never get over the exasperated look on Vlad's face. He deserved the punishment.
Finally, the man sighed and said while slamming his door shut, "'Night, Daniel."
"Mission accomplished," I said, humming in triumph as I walked into my room.
A/N: Decided to leave it for once on a lighter note. Last chapter it was a bit all doom and gloom. Gotta spice it up a bit. Anyways, next chapter should be up next weekend! Have a good week till then!
