Some heavier violence in this chapter, so do be warned. Nothing too graphic, though. Enjoy!
Pariah Dark was, quite frankly, mopping the floor with Plasmius and the Knight. The only reason they hadn't yet been turned to ectoplasmic goo was that they were quick, and the King was not at peak power. Even so, I saw Plasmius desperately try to hold a shield over his head, being pummeled by Pariah's fists, while the Fright Knight shot his weird crystalline purple orbs at his liege lord.
"GHOST KING!" -I shouted, flying in at my max speed. The ghost in question barely had enough time to turn before I delivered the mother of all punches to his nose, causing him to stagger and howl in pain. Not wanting to waste the chance, I followed up with a two-handed, concentrated ghost ray, straight to his midsection. The King fell to the ground, roaring.
Plasmius landed beside me, looking worse than I'd ever seen him. "Danielle." -he said wearily.
"You've seen better days, Plasmius." -I said sarcastically.
"Well, ha. Still, death rather suits me, no?" -he shot back.
"Definitely makes you less annoying."
The Fright Knight, not interested in conversation, dove down on the King's prone form, driving his magical blade into Pariah's forehead.
It should've incapacitated him, plagued his psyche with never-ending nightmares. It didn't.
"You dare use the badge of your office against your liege lord? I have tolerated enough of your treason, Spirit of Halloween!" -bellowed Pariah, grabbing the Fright Knight with a single, massive hand. I only looked away as I heard the crumpling of metal.
"We may not survive this one, Danielle." -Plasmius gulped.
Now I shot him a sarcastic look. "Well, ha. I'd say 'worry about yourself', but you're dead already."
Plasmius did not appreciate being reminded of his human half's death, but he did not comment, instead grimly summoning the pink energy to his palms.
A glowing green sword landed in front of us with a clatter. Pariah loomed ahead of us. "Of course. The hybrid opposes me again. You are no true ghost, child. Half alive, half undead...you belong nowhere. Not in this world, and certainly not on my realm! Only I am fit to rule. Only I am the Ghost King!" -he boasted.
I just scoffed. "Wow, you're full of yourself."
The King charged, and I flew at him, charging an ecto-ball with ghostly flame. Before we crashed, I became intangible, passing through his form, and leaving the unstable orb behind. It exploded, which made him roar. Plasmius shot at his ugly, chalky mug. I sent a dozen ecto-discs his way, peppering his back with smaller explosions. When he finally gathered his wits enough to turn towards me, I opened my mouth, and gave him my best ghostly wail.
The haunting melody caused him to scream in pain, kneeling. It was an awful attack to suffer, the ectoplasmically charged sound waves destabilizing a ghost's corporeal structure, something akin to a human's cells spontaneously bursting.
I kept it up as long as I could, but it was too draining. Soon enough, I stopped, trying desperately to breathe in.
He didn't let me. The Ghost King's huge hand shot out and slapped me out of the air, a colossal impact that put the gem monster's to shame. I screamed in pain as I crashed through a nearby office building.
"ENOUGH! Worthless waste of ectoplasm! I am your KING! I will not stand for your disrespect any longer!" -he growled, sticking his hand inside the hole I made, grabbing me - and a whole bunch of debris - and throwing me to the ground. I cried out, feeling something break inside me. The Ghost King brought his boot down, but I managed to phase out of danger for a second. Bleeding and bruised, I still burst from the ground and put all my strength behind a 1-2 combo to his one good eye, busting it. Of course, my victory came at a cost - the King headbutted me into the ground. Once more, I shouted in pain. I knew I would turn back to human soon, my ghost core nearly depleted. My bodysuit was in tatters, and I was bleeding glowing green blood everywhere. I was pretty sure I had at least a dozen broken bones.
I grunted with effort, trying to rise, but his foot found me, kicking me a good block away and into a car, which my body broke nearly in half. Then, he pointed a hand at me, and I saw it become wreathed in red energy.
This was it. Idiot Ellie, killed for trying to measure up to her genetic source material. I briefly wondered if my ghost half would remain in existence, like Plasmius', before he shot. I awaited the searing beam with as much dignity as I could muster.
It never came.
A fast, agile figure, much taller than me, landed in front of me, a familiar pink shield standing between me and certain death. Pariah's monstrous ecto-beam slammed into the shield, but it did not yield. The energy flared out around the edges of it, like light crashing against a prism, but we were unharmed.
"Stevonnie?" -I squeaked out, as rings of white light enveloped my form, turning me back to human. It made me feel even worse, but seeing the fusion wink at me with a confident expression filled me with hope.
The beam died down, and the fusion jumped into action. Stevonnie was impossibly fast and agile, the sum of two very different yet equally capable forms, plus a little extra magic. They evaded a second beam completely, then jumped a good thirty feet into the air, bringing their huge sword down on the Ghost King's eye, finishing the job I'd begun. Pariah Dark wailed in agony as Stevonnie pulled out their magic sword, leaping behind him.
I tried to rise, but I was too wounded. I focused on gathering enough energy to turn back into ghost form, so that my healing factor could get me back into the fight. Meanwhile, Stevonnie seemed to be having the time of their life, jumping in and out of danger, bringing the Ghost King to his knees by way of a thousand cuts.
I sat up against the wreckage, pressing my hand to a grievous cut on my side, probably the one from before that had been reopened. I felt a hand press over my own, turning to find Ginny looking at me with concern. I'd have blushed, but the blood loss wouldn't allow it.
"You look really different as a human, love." -she said, her voice tight.
I smirked weakly. "You should see the other guy."
Ginny looked over at the rather one-sided fight. "Looks like 'Vonnie's got him handled." -she said, as she opened one of her leather pouches and pointed her wand inside. "Accio dittany!"
A tiny bottle flew to her hand, which she promptly opened and began to pour over my worst injuries, drop by drop. It burned, but I won't deny her magical treatment did the trick, as the flesh started to seal, smoking slightly. "I'm rubbish at field medicine, hence the dittany extract. I'm handy with broken bones, though. Point them out for me?"
I had half a mind to just gesture at my whole body, but I simply pointed at my ribcage instead. She nodded, and aimed her wand. "Episkey!"
My ribs shifted slightly, fusing back together in a second. I felt a lot better, and my core had enough energy again. "Thanks, Ginny. I'll take it from here." -I said, as the familiar warmth pooled at my midriff and spread all over my body in a blinding flash.
She blinked stars away, nodding. "Do try not to get that badly hurt again. And next time, stay with your team, you bloody fool." -she said, her tone a mix of concern, amusement, and annoyance.
I blushed, rising into the air. "Sorry about that." -I muttered.
She shrugged. "S'alright. I reckon we were all surprised by, uh, him." -she said, aggressively pointing her wand towards the Ghost King, who was making his way to us, trying to ignore the tall fusion stabbing at his back.
"Phantom! I will end you, insolent runt!" -he bellowed.
Ginny sneered. "Cheery bloke. Shall we end him?"
I winked. "We shall."
Green fire wreathed my hands, which I shot in a steady stream at his face. He cried out in pain, trying blindly to hit me. I was still stiff and sore, so I didn't bother, merely becoming intangible and avoiding everything. Ginny teleported to my side, and 'Vonnie landed beside her. "Where's Nico?" -I asked them.
"Busy! Let's keep the big guy similarly occupied." -Ginny answered, pointing her wand skyward and shooting a firework.
I nodded as Pariah grunted, trying to rise. "Alright. He might be blind, but he can sense me, so I'll distract him. 'Vonnie, keep slashing, look for weak points. Ginny, blast away."
They acknowledged me, and moved. Cracking my neck, I went to work, throwing a few ecto-disks at the risen King. He shot his horrendously powerful beam at my general direction, but I managed to dodge it. Stevonnie threw their shield at his face with surprising force, causing him to turn towards them, blasting away. I barked out a warning, but they had it under control, summoning a pink sphere around themselves. The crimson beam crashed against it harmlessly.
"Bombarda Maxima!" -shouted Ginny, creating an enormous explosion at his already hurt back. The Ghost King stumbled, so I swooped in and delivered a hell of an uppercut.
'Vonnie jumped up and used my back as a platform, leaping further up into the air, and crashing down, shield first, on the Ghost King's skull. Pariah Dark fell with a grunt and a shower of broken concrete.
Ginny waved her wand and heavy steel chains wrapped themselves around the King, then anchoring themselves on the street.
The three (four? I still didn't understand fusion) of us stood in front of our fallen foe, battle stances at the ready. I could feel my adrenaline fading, the toll of the fight and my many injuries weighing on me. "Is he down?" -'Vonnie asked me, unsure of how ghosts were defeated.
"We should probably make sure."
Ginny looked at me, uncertain. "How?"
"Well, the last time he got pushed into a sarcophagus and sealed for eternity."
The redhead raised an eyebrow. "That worked out well."
"Yup. Any ideas?"
She chuckled. "Keep him down, is what Nico said. Aside from that, no, not really. I'm used to rather small enemies, in comparison."
I frowned. "What is his plan?"
"You should ask him." -she shrugged. The Ghost King stirred, noticing his entrapment and bellowing in rage. Ginny raised her wand, and then slashed it downward, making the chains tighten their hold. "Will those last?" -I asked her.
"They're a fancy little trick my brother Charlie taught me for subduing dragons. The more he struggles, the stronger the chains become. In any case, they're not meant to last." -she explained, nodding behind us. I looked, and paled. The Ghost King's army had come to aid their lord.
Only, that wasn't it at all, considering Nico was marching in front of them, obsidian sword raised high.
"Ok, I won't lie, that's impressive." -I said, awed.
Nico reached us, sparing an annoyed-yet-relieved glare at me. The demigod regarded Pariah coolly. "Pariah Dark, correct?"
The Ghost King was still blind, but he seemed to sense something about Nico, because he instinctively tried to back away. "Who are you, human? What is this power you wield?"
I felt a little pity for him, already knowing what was going to happen. Nico narrowed his eyes. "Not human. Demigod. Son of Hades, god of the dead. Prince of the Underworld...and King of all ghosts."
A shiver passed through me as he spoke, and not the pleasant kind. The ghost half in me was scared of this teenager, and with good reason. I briefly wondered if Ginny's fiancé would feel similar, with his alleged mastery over Death.
Pariah seemed to shrink at his boasting. "It...it can't be…" -he said, fumbling for words.
Nico shrugged. "I don't actually know much about you. It's not my place to judge. But you hurt my friends, and so you will be judged. I hope you find justice in the Underworld, Pariah Dark, for I release your soul from this form." -he half stated, half prayed, pointing the wicked tip of his sword towards the prone ghost.
The emerald army marched forth as Pariah wailed in agony. The massive ghost seemed to become intangible, but the glowing green puddle that was forming beneath him told a very different story. With the soul being separated from the body, the ectoplasm that formed the substance of the ghost's body was falling apart. It freaked me out, knowing this was way too similar to my own near-disintegration.
No one seemed to notice my discomfort, entranced with the otherworldly display as they were, a small lake of highly energetic ectoplasm with a progressively smaller person at its center, surrounded by rapidly decaying skeletons. The banishment lasted but a minute, and in the end, only Pariah's after-lifeblood remained as evidence of his existence - well, that, and the damage he'd caused.
Nico waved his sword around, then sheathed it. I felt slightly less threatened with it put away, which I guess meant I was at least partially affected by the divine weapon. I sat down, feeling my adrenaline vanish, a latent sting of pain in my abdomen making itself apparent. A flash of light at my right caused me to turn, dissolving into Steven and Connie, each putting away their respective weapon.
"Are you ok?" -Steven asked me.
"Umm, fine, I think." -I replied. It was a lie, of course. Superhuman healing doing its thing or not, I had taken a brutal beating. Without the effect of adrenaline, it was only a matter of time before I crashed.
Connie walked over to me. "I'm sorry, but you don't look fine...I think you should lie down."
Nico joined her as I wearily complied. I gave him a half-hearted smirk. "Came to gloat?"
He stared down at his hands with a neutral face, fingering his skull ring. "You nearly died. I may not be that great at reading your weird aura, but I know what actual death looks like, and you were right about to-" -he said quickly, nervous, then composed himself.
Nico sighed. "I don't care for glory. I care about you, and your brother, and the team. You left us behind. I didn't stop you. You almost died. You're still not out of the woods, either."
I frowned, clutching my abdomen as Steven whistled for his pink lion to come. "You barely know me. None of you know who - or what - I really am, or what I've done."
He gave me an unimpressed look. "The same holds true in reverse. Wouldn't you save us, if you had the chance?"
Damn. Got me there. "I-I would."
The huge lion portaled in, and Steven pet it before he reached into its flowing mane, which glowed white as he did. Steven pulled out a jar filled with clear liquid, and offered it to me. "Here. Drink this."
I looked at him strangely, but...well, Nico was right. I trusted each and every one of them - perhaps stupidly - implicitly. I took a swig of what tasted like slightly salted water. Sparkles began to glow from me, a faint pink. I immediately started feeling better, less in pain, more relaxed. "What is this?"
Steven smirked. "Pearl calls it a 'lacrimal essence' or something, but they're really just my mom's healing tears." -he explained, then laughed awkwardly at my horrified expression. "It's...well it's exactly what it sounds like, but I promise you Gem tears are not the same as human tears. Especially not mom's."
Drinking tears from a long dead alien ranked pretty high on my list of weird stuff I've done, so I tried not to think about it very much. My body was completely healed, I could feel it. "Thank you, Steven."
He nodded. "No problem. You should probably rest though. You look dead on your feet. Pun totally intended."
I snorted. "Right. I guess our little tour will have to wait."
Nico rolled his eyes. "Rest easy, Danielle. Your brother will need you at your best."
The demigod extended his hands over my face, and sleep took me.