"So everyone is cool with the plan?"
"Yeah."
"Yup."
"Yes."
"I guess so..."
Danny took a deep breath as he looked over his group. The humans wore Specter Deflecters just in case a ghost decided to go after them. The ghosts had their own weapons on hand for the same reason. No one could be exactly sure what to expect. According to Walker and Technus it was different every year and not all the same ghosts always showed up. There was no way of telling how many of Danny's enemies would turn up at the pre-solstice festivities.
"Alright, let's do this." Danny sighed, turning to the control panel. He flipped up the plastic cover over the switch and pressed the button with his thumb.
The machine whirred to life and the screne lit up brightly. The circular radar screen, hooked up to the transmission antenna, began scanning the Ghost Zone. In seconds a digital, holographic map of the Zone was formed in front of their eyes.
"Wow. Where was this when we were mapping out this place?" Tucker asked with dull surprise.
"In my secret biological father's house," Danny answered blandly.
The map continued to build, showing areas of concentrated ghost energy of both high and low levels. Danny prayed in his head as it scanned.
'Please work!' He thought anxiously, 'We need Nocturne!'
The scan finished and the computer beeped in recognition. Technus stepped up to it and reached out to the holographic screan. he pressed his fingers to it and it zoomed in to that region. Every on watched in awe of the advanced computer as Technus scrolled through the ghost zone, enlarging certain areas and pulling up charts of power levels.
"So? Can we find him with this thing?" Walker asked, crossing his arms.
Technus didn't answer at first. The map in front of him changed and shifted as he sorted through the vast amounts of Data. Danny could tell he was ecstatic about this because now he had all the info he would need about the ghosts in the Zone.
Suddenly he shouted and through his hands up in the air, "YES!"
Every one jumped from the outburst.
Danny quickly moved foreward, "What is it? Did you find him?"
"Oh, yeah," Technus answered turning to grin at his son, "He's still at his lair. If we leave now we can probably catch him."
"Awesome!" Danny exclaimed, hugging his father briefly, "You rock!"
Technus accepted the compliment smugly and was herded out the door with the others by Danny. He loaded them into the speeder and rushed to the driver's seat. He wasted no time firing up the engine and heading off.
"Just tell me where I have to go." He told Technus and Tucker, who were pulling up the map on the vehichles computer.
"Due east," They both answered, not looking up.
Danny turned sharply in the direction he was told. He stared intently out the glass dome in front of him. Nothing was going to get in his way now. Not when he was this close.
"Just remember, everyone," Danny started, his eyes still fixed in front of him, "When we get there, everyone just stay calm."
Danny continued to get directtions as he drove along. He could see the lanters diagonal from them but they headed off in a different direction. At least they were close to the festival should they miss him.
"We're close." Tucker told him.
Danny didn't look but he heard his mom readying a Fenton Bazooka. He took even breaths to keep himself calm.
"It should be right in front of us," Technus said, looking up from the radar.
He gasped along with the others. He was right. Nocturne's lair was right in front of them. It was just like Danny had seen it in Nocturne's dream. It was a large, menacing castle with tall towers. Thankfully the hordes of Sleep Walkers were missing and Nocturne wasn't gigantic.
Danny slowlly pulled closer to the castle, easing on the brake gently. No Sleep Walkers materialised so Nocturne must not have seen them yet. Either that or he was ignoring them.
Danny told the others to wait for him in the Speeder. He didnt want to put them in danger should Nocturne be hostile. He could take this guy on his own should it be nessessary.
The Halfa walked up to th large ornate door and reached for the knocker. He brought it up and thumped it down against the door three times before releasing it.
Almost instantly the door creaked open, allowing Danny to step inside. No doubt Nocturne opened it with those strange telepathy powers he, and a few other ghosts, seemed to have. It was well lit inside, and Danny could see all the way up to the high ceiling. It definately looked like a castle on the inside too.
"Nocturne?... You home?" Danny called out nevervously, his right foot causing metalic rings to echo off of the walls as he stepped.
"I am here, Ghost Boy." A deep voice echoed through the caverness room. Danny jumped back when, in a flash of white light, Nocturne appeared in front of him, "But I can't help but wonder why you are here."
Danny swallowed and straightened up, "I'm here to ask you for your help..."
"My help?" The ghost of sleep boomed, "You ruin my plans, trap me in a thermos and send me back to this place and you expect me to help you?"
Dannysmiled sheepishly, "Yes?"
Nocturne growled, fangs bared, "You have a lot of gaul coming to me for help. Why should I help you?"
"Please, Nocturne. If you do't help me an evil ghost might hurt Sam!" Danny pleaded, "You're the only chance I have of finding her!"
Nocturne scowled at him, "And what incentive do I have to help you or your girlfriend?"
"Fiance now, actually..." Danny corrected him quietly, "Nocturne, please! I'll do anything if you'll just help us find her. "
The dream ghost glared at him in silence. Danny was sure he was thinking of all the horrible things he wanted to do to the boy as revenge. Hopefully he wouldn't act on any of those urges.
"Anything?" He asked in a slightly calmer tone than before.
Danny nodded, "Yes. Just please don't turn me away. You're the only hope we have."
Nocturne sighed, "Your pleas do not fall on deaf ears, ghost boy. I am not without compassion... I will help you."
Danny instantly perked up, "Really?"
"On one condition," Nocturne told him quickly.
"Anything. I'll do whatever you ask," Danny told him sincerly, even though he knew he'd probably hate the condition.
The ghost of sleep hovered around the boy in a circle, "As I am sure you're aware, the solstice is coming up. I assume you are attending?"
"I might..." Danny shrugged, "Why?"
"It is a very tedious job that I have to do. Going over whole continents putting animals into hibernation for the winter..." Nocturne told him with a tired sigh, "And although I can summon my Sleep Walkers I find it difficult and tiring. Keeping the Sleepwalkers active as well as doing my own work quickly drains my energy. Faster than it can replenish itself."
"Okay... What do you want me to do then?" The halfa asked, cokcing his head ever so slightly.
Nocturne smiled at him with purple lips and raised a hand to about shoulder level. Something floated up behind him and landed in his palm. He closed his clawed fingers around it and lowered his hand again.
"What I want you to do is help me with my task," Nocturne told him.
Danny's eyes went wide, "Help you? How am I supposed to do that? I don't have sleep powers!"
Nocturne chuckled, "No, of course not. That would spell disaster for the world."
Danny frowned. Very funny.
"In order to help me, you will wear this," He opened his hand where Danny could see it and showed the boy a silver medalion.
It was round and smooth, On the surface was a decorative engraved purple 'N'. It was strung on a silver chain that looked like it belonged on expensive jewlry.
"What does this do?" Danny asked eyeing the object.
Nocturne smirked, "This allows the wearer to have temporary use of my powers. It was forged in the same way as the Time Medalions my brother uses."
"Clockwork is your brother?" Daniel gaped in shock.
The ghost of sleep nodded, "Yes. Fitting I suppose. He is the only being that does not dream. But that is beside the point."
The medalion was held out to Danny for him to take. Danny didn't reach for it because he had a very bad feeling about this.
"You will wear it if you want to save your fiance." Nocturne ordered him.
The half ghost swallowed and reached for the item. As his fingers closed around it he felt a spark of a new power course though his limbs.
"And if I do this you'll help me find Sam?" Danny asked with a frown.
Nocturne nodded.
"No catch?"
Nocturne shook his head, "The only catch might be that you learn something along the way."
Danny inhaled deeply and relaed it slowly, "Well... here goes nothing..."
He slipped the medalion around his neck slowly. And instantly his body was racked with energy. He shouted as his muscles were tensed against his will and the mones in his hands strained as his fingers extended into claws. Black creeped out from behind the medalion, consuming Danny's chest then the rest of his body all the way up to his jaw line. A red glow filled his vision as his eyes changed color from green to all red. His hair flapped wildly as the transformation took place and suddenly fell flat as it ended.
Danny panted as his body finished it's change. He slumped over in mid air and fell to his knees, drifting down to the floor.
"What happened to me?" Danny asked, out of breath. He looked at his clawed hands in shock and then to his body. Interestingly, his mechanical leg didn't get transformed. Probably since it was unnatural.
"Don't worry. You'll go back to normal once you take the medalion off," Nocturne told him, "But for now it is rather fitting..."
Danny regained his composer and floated up to meet Nocturne eye to eye.
The ghost of sleep reached out to grasp the necklace between his index finger and thumb, "This will give you the power to put creature to sleep. You cannot lose this under any circumstances. Do you understand?"
Danny nodded.
"Good." Nocturne smiled, "After this I will locate your lover and you're free to go."
Danny managed a smile, "You don't know how much this means to me, Nocturne."
The dream ghost didn't return the gesture but nodded, "Do not think this means we are fiends, ghost boy. We are not on good terms."
Danny shrugged, "Doens't mean it's not worth a shot."
"OH MY GOD!"
Danny and Nocturne both turned to the door to see Maddie standing in it.
"What have you done to my son?"
Look everyone! Another costume change for Danny! Yaaaaaaay! And check out my deviant art for pictures of Dream!Danny and some ClockworkxDan lovin ^^
my user name is Transformer-wannabe