Yeah. So the climax is running longer than I originally thought. Oh well; it doesn't really matter. I hope everyone likes this chapter!! Please review when you're finished!!
Chapter Twelve
Shaun
Shaun was flying down the dark tunnel that lead out into the main area of the cove. He couldn't hear any fighting or any sign of Vlad and Finn at all really, at first. The whole time he flew Shaun's anxiety built up. How long had they been gone from that room? Why hadn't he noticed? What if Finn is hurt even more because Shaun wasn't paying attention? Great; not really helping. Suddenly, he could hear the sound of fighting in the distance. Finally; Shaun sped up to get to the cove faster. The sight he saw when he got there was pretty hectic. Finn and Vlad were having a full on fight. Tucker was on the sidelines supporting Danny with a blaster in his hand and was shooting it once in a while; plus Danny was also able to shoot a few ecto-plasm rays too. Wait; back up just a little bit. Danny is alive?!? And when did Tucker get here?!? That's it; Shaun was officially confused.
"Hey!" Finn suddenly yelled at him, "Are you going to help us or what?"
It wasn't until then that Shaun realized that he was just standing there. Immediately, he jumped into battle with Finn and Vlad.
Charlotte
Slowly, Charlotte opened her eyes to a loud, yet soft at the same time, ominous sound. She was still in the golden room, but the dark light had brightened and was slightly tinted blue. Charlotte blinked; was she dreaming? With a groan, she sat up and saw what had been casting the blue light. The big stone, which she recently figured out was the portal, was gone. Well, it was there; but it was open. Unlike the swirling green that her father's old portal showed, it was a swirling light blue. Charlotte stood up and slowly walked in front of it. It was producing a strong wind that blew her loose black hair behind her and made her blink rapidly. Something about it was strange, though. It looked like bolts of electricity fizzing around the portal here and there. Charlotte lifted her hand towards the portal. Carefully, using her index finger, she touched the surface of the portal. She screamed. The electricity zapped her finger and burned her. Charlotte immediately brought her hand back. Something was definitely not right.
"Oh… my… gosh." Charlotte said to herself, "You would die trying to go through that."
For a moment, Charlotte was mesmerized by the portal as though it was calling to her; which was strange. Suddenly, she came back to her senses. She shook her head for emphasis and turned around. Her hair was still being blown and flew into her face, but she didn't care. They had to end this. It had to be now. She turned into her ghost form and flew at top speed down the tunnel. What seemed too long to Charlotte was actually a very short amount of time. She made quite an entrance into the cove. She examined her surroundings. Shaun and Finn were fighting Vlad. Danny and Tucker were on the sidelines. He was alive? He was alive!? He was alive! The seriousness of her personality before changed to joy. Charlotte flew towards her father and embraced him in a big hug.
"You're alive." She cried into her father's shoulder. She looked up and said through tears to Tucker: "When did you get here?"
Tucker laughed.
"I managed to contact him." Danny replied instead as he pulled away from her embrace but still had to lean on her shoulder.
"The speeder fell on your leg, didn't it?" Charlotte asked worriedly.
"That doesn't matter now. You have to go fight. We need you to distract Vlad. I have the equipment to find out what's happening in that room, but I can't get to the tunnel. I can't go too fast leaning on Tucker and Vlad keeps eyeing the opening. He wants to go back. He most likely has to go back soon. I don't know why he can't just go back now, though. You just can't let him go down the tunnel."
"Okay. I'll get the other two to follow my lead."
With that, Charlotte was about to launch into battle but spied something shiny on the ground. They were her swords! She grabbed them and smiled. Charlotte jumped Vlad from behind and slashed his back. Quickly, she told Shaun and Finn the plan with her own idea mixed in. Vlad yelled in anger and immediately aimed at her, but she was too fast. While Vlad was busy with her, Finn grabbed Tucker and Shaun took Danny. Charlotte saw them fly into the darkness of the tunnel. She silently wished them luck as she shot yet another ecto-plasm ray.
Shaun
Shaun flew through the same tunnel he had traveled down just about ten minutes before. Danny wasn't that heavy; it was trying not to hurt his already injured leg that was the hardest. Shaun really felt bad for Finn, who didn't have extra strength from ghost powers. He glanced over at her. Her face showed slight pain but she seemed to be holding on. He wasn't sure how much time Charlotte had and he and Finn needed to get back as soon as possible. The light grew brighter all of a sudden. Finally, they were approaching the room. He could see a blue light mixed with the orange of the torches. Shaun could feel a slight increase in wind, too. Strange; must be the portal! He and Danny arrived first. Immediately, he let Danny down but stood by for him to lean on until Finn arrived with Tucker. A few seconds later, Finn flew in; but not the same as Shaun. As soon as she entered the room, she screamed and fell to the ground; dropping Tucker in the process. What was happening?!? Tucker got up quickly and ran to Shaun and Danny.
"What's happening?" Tucker asked loudly.
It was then that Shaun noticed the wind coming from the portal had picked up and was blowing loudly. They couldn't hear each other over the roar.
"I don't know!" Danny yelled back.
Of course they didn't know. They don't know what Vlad did to Finn. Shaun had to do something. He ran over to her. She was on her knees and had the palms of her hands flat on the ground. Her short dirty-blond hair would've been in her face had the wind not been blowing it back. Shaun got on his knees next to her and put one of his hands onto her back.
"Finn!" he called, "Can you hear me? Are you okay?"
Instantly, Shaun regretted his last question. Finn obviously didn't feel okay. She must've thought so too or was in too much pain to notice anything else because she didn't respond. It was then that Shaun noticed her right arm. That was the arm that Vlad had cut and the cut was glowing an identical blue to the glow of the portal. The color wasn't perfect, though. It had electricity running through it. Shaun looked up; so did the portal. An idea flashed through his mind. He took hold of Finn's other wrist, so as not to touch the glow, and stood up. Finn stayed where she was. Shaun sat back down and whispered in her ear to stand up with him. Next time, she did so. Carefully, Shaun walked towards the portal with Finn silently following. Finally, they stood in front of the portal with the wind howling in their faces. Shaun grasped Finn glowing arm, but still didn't touch the actual glow, and prepared to stick it into the portal's surface.
"Shaun, no!" Danny cried, realizing what he was about to do, "The portal isn't working right! You touch it, you're done!"
Shaun gulped. Danny was probably right. But he wasn't going to touch it; Finn was. He looked at her face. Her eyes were shut tight. He must really trust her then. Oh, how Shaun hoped that he was doing the right thing. Fine; he decided against the better judgment of Danny to do it. Shaun thrust Finn's arm into the portal. Instantly, the wind ceased and the lines of electricity stopped running along the surface of the portal. Shaun could've only taken this as a good sign. Finn opened one of her eyes and then both.
"What happened?" Finn said hoarsely.
"I'm not sure." Shaun replied.
Finn cleared her throat.
"You can let go of me now." She stated to Shaun.
Shaun's face turned red in embarrassment and quickly let go of her arm. He hadn't realized he was still holding on until she told him so. Finn looked at her arm in the portal curiously.
"What do you think will happen if I take it out again." She asked.
"I don't know." He answered honestly.
It was then that Danny limped over to them alongside Tucker.
"What did Vlad say to you, Finn, when he caught you in the tunnel?" asked Danny importantly.
Shaun wasn't sure how Danny knew that Vlad did that, but decided to dismiss it. Whatever; he could've seen it faintly from the entrance.
"He told me that I couldn't leave. He said that I had been bound to the… the portal." Finn told Danny nervously, "What does it mean?"
"I think what it means is that, first of all, you can take your arm out."
Finn did so hesitantly. When she took it out, the cut no longer glowed.
"Also, it must be that that was what he needed you for; to sterilize the portal, in other words, to make it operational. He must've let go of you at first because of his anxiousness for the portal to open. He later realized his mistake and went after you. My guess is now, there is only a matter of time before he realizes that he had been distracted by Charlotte. He could be here any minute."
And, indeed, in the next few seconds who would barge through the tunnel but Vlad.
"I see that you have done the work for me." He said as his worried frown turned into an evil grin.
Seconds later, Charlotte followed.
"I'm sorry, guys!" she apologized as soon as she came into view, "He overpowered me!"
Charlotte
Oh, crap. Oh, crap. Oh, crap. Oh, crap. Charlotte couldn't believe that she had let him go. It was an accident. Vlad had distracted her. He shot a blast directed at the Specter Speeder and sent it flying down the cove towards the water. Terrified for Danni's body, Charlotte had flown at top speed to get the speeder. She caught it and brought it back to dry land right before she realized that Vlad was missing. After that, she had immediately flown for the tunnel. Now, Charlotte suspected that they had to fight yet another battle with Vlad. She wasn't sure how much more of this they could take. Vlad does not seem to get tired, either. Maybe they should just go back home. They have Danni, after all, even though they weren't able to save her. But the mystery behind the portal was too much. Who knows what Vlad could do with it in his control? No; they couldn't surrender. Besides, that's not how she rolls anyway. Charlotte could never give up; and if that meant fighting 'till her last breath, so be it. But fortunately, she didn't have to.
Vlad was examining the portal while the rest of them stood tensely. The three teens wouldn't dare fight before the adults gave a signal of some sort. But then Shaun silently took one of Charlotte's swords from her hand. Charlotte was surprised; what was he up to? She mouthed her concerns to him but got no answer even though it was clear that he understood. Shaun began to hover above the ground; so as not to make any noise, Charlotte realized. Realization dawned on her. He was going to—
Suddenly, Shaun thrust the sword blade directly in Vlad's back; directly into his heart.
"The only way to kill ghosts…" Charlotte whispered.
"Is through the heart and only if they would change the course," Shaun finished her sentence.
He turned on his heel as he dropped the sword and started walking towards the tunnel.
"And he deserved it."
OMG!! Can it really be??? Yes. It can. Now this is definitely my longest chapter. And one of my best, I believe. Please review!!!
Note from the Editor: The editor actually edited this one! She hasn't edited in a while. When this book is done the edited chapters will be posted. This is her fav chapter!! And she absolutely luhvs angst-y Shaun! Unfortunately it is too late to edit the spelling of Shaun… should be Sean. Let the editor know if you're a Faun or a Shaulotte shipper. The writer does already know who will become a pair, but the editor is just wondering what the fans (Come on, the editor knows you're there! She knows ALL.. so review!) are thinking in their little imaginative minds.
