Hey gang! This is another day I had to split into two chapters. But I think it works better as two, because it means this chapter is entirely the final battle, and the next is the aftermath and end of the story. So while this chapter is the final battle, it's NOT the end just yet!

So enjoy this nice, exciting chapter! I love writing battle scenes, and I had a lot of fun with this one. Hope you all enjoy it!

-November 8-

-Part 1: Midnight-

Well, this is off to a great start… Danny thought bitterly as he pulled himself to his feet, leaning backward against the wall he'd been thrown into and blinking white dots from his vision. He rubbed the sore spot on the back of his head and raised his eyes just in time to see Crithstain hover over him, raising his scythe and bracing to strike. Muscles tensing reflexively, Danny dove to the left to avoid the attack, which instead sliced easily through the building behind him. He watched in stunned silence as the stone and clay began to erode into dust, as if a corrosive acid had been poured over the wall.

"This scythe was forged in the fires of Hell," Crithstain explained haughtily, "and polished with the cries of the dead. Anything it cuts is slowly eaten away, as if spreading death through it like a disease. A fitting end for a world so cruel, don't you think?"

Danny didn't answer. He glared at Crithstain before turning himself invisible and intangible and dropping into the ground and out of sight.

"You can't hide, you know," Crithstain taunted him, still sounding eerily amused. This is just a game to him, Danny realized angrily. He's so confident he can win, he's not even trying. But strong as he is, he's got nothing to fight for – not like me. We'll see how confident he is by morning. Danny resurfaced behind Crithstain and fired a plasma beam toward him. It hit the armor on his horse and bounced off, leaving a curved dent in the plate. The horse whirled around and neighed loudly, rearing up on its hind legs with nostrils flaring in anger. Crithstain held his scythe high, the wicked grin on his face temporarily paralyzing Danny in sudden startled fear as he stared up at the rearing horse and its evil rider towering over him. The second the horse's hooves slammed against the ground and Crithstain charged, he snapped out of the daze and jumped high into the air, narrowly missing the swinging blade of the glowing scythe.

He flew higher into the air and out of Crithstain's reach. Thrusting his arms out in front of him, Danny fired a beam of ice at the horse, thinking that his chances might improve if he could at least immobilize the animal. He succeeded in freezing the horse's two front legs, and it stumbled before rearing up again and braying furiously. The ice inexplicably began to heat up and in no time it exploded, freeing the animal's legs once more.

Frustrated, Danny glided in a wide arc around Crithstain, trying to come up with a plan. "Afraid to get too close?" Crithstain goaded, twirling his scythe in a circle. Duh, Danny couldn't help but think, though he didn't respond. Instead he began charging a green ecto-blast in his right hand, letting it gather energy as he flew around the outside of the wide clearing. When it had grown so hot he felt it burning in his hand, he changed direction and dove directly at Crithstain, firing the blast when he was as close as he dared to get. Crithstain reacted immediately, blocking the attack with his shield and swinging his scythe downward. Danny pulled out of his dive and just barely dodged the strike, feeling the warm stench of stale breath as the blade whipped past inches from his face.

A loud splintering sound split the air as Crithstain's shield cracked down the middle before shattering to pieces. As the ghost roared in anger, Danny laughed and said, "What was that about never losing?" As Crithstain set a glare on his face and charged forward, Danny dropped below ground again to avoid the attack. With a growl, Crithstain struck at the dirt and dug a wide slice through the rocky ground. As Danny resurfaced, remaining invisible, he watched as the ghost grunted in apparent frustration and stared at the widening crater in the ground. "What, no witty remark this time?" Danny asked lightly. Crithstain spun around in one swift movement, swinging his scythe at where Danny's voice had come from, but he had already dodged the strike.

Danny floated silently around his opponent, keeping as quiet as he could. Crithstain remained silent and still in the center of the area, obviously listening hard for anything that would give away the half-ghost's position. After a few minutes, he seemed to get tired of waiting and said, "It must have been hard for you the past few days, knowing that you alone were responsible for the fate of your world. You've protected so many – your friends, your family, even your enemies. After all your hard work, it would be a shame if anything were to happen to them." If he thinks he's gonna lure me out by making me mad… Danny thought, glaring unseen at the ghost but remaining silent. "Especially the dark-haired girl you spend so much time with," Crithstain continued. Danny ground his teeth and bit back a retort, his body tensing up at Crithstain's mention of Sam. "But you probably needn't worry, Pariah Dark isn't that reliable."

What's he talking about? Danny wondered, having been thrown off by the mention of the Ghost King.

"Even though I gave him direct orders to dispose of that girl, there's nothing to say he was able to do so," Crithstain said with a passive expression, though his eyes were narrowed as they surveyed the area. Danny stayed just behind Crithstain, his throat tightening as the ghost spoke. He's lying, he told himself, though he couldn't completely squash the fear that had started to take root in his gut. "Then again," Crithstain went on, lowering his voice, "I did give him a scythe just like this one."

That did it. Danny's sharp intake of breath was barely audible, but Crithstain heard it all the same. He spun around, swinging his scythe directly at where Danny still hovered invisible. He jumped in surprise and shook himself off, dodging to the side as quickly as he could react. He was able to get out of the way, but the blade nicked his left arm just above the elbow. He howled in pain and lost his focus, regaining visibility and dropping to his knees on the ground. The cut was very small, but for some reason it felt as though his arm had been torn from his body.

Crithstain's horse came to stand before Danny, swinging its head and breathing dark smoke through flared nostrils. "Human emotions are so predictable," Crithstain observed with a satisfied laugh. "It was a lie, by the way. I would never give that incompetent 'Ghost King' a weapon like this, or any such orders."

Danny glared at Crithstain before leaping back into the air with an angry growl. Immediately a shock of pain stabbed at his arm and he doubled over, gritting his teeth against the discomfort. He twisted his arm around to see the wound and noticed with a pang that already it looked wider than before – the skin around the cut had begun to slowly deteriorate just as everything else struck by Crithstain's evil scythe.

Crithstain laughed as Danny's eyes widened. "That's one cut," the ghost said with a cruel smile. He hefted the scythe over his shoulder. "Now it's time to break you apart piece by piece." He charged forward and swung his scythe again, and Danny rolled to the side in midair, missing the blade. He sped away from Crithstain as the ghost struck again, thinking wildly for a plan. He glided behind Crithstain and began charging another ecto-blast in his right hand, his left arm hanging numbly by his side. As Crithstain reined his horse, Danny noticed a gap in the horse's armor, just between the saddle footholds and the flank plate on either side. It's a long shot, Danny thought, an idea finally forming in his mind, but it just might work.

Setting his jaw with a determined glare, Danny few in close behind Crithstain to get his attention. The ghost spun around in his saddle and raised his scythe, an excited gleam in his eyes. Danny ducked down low, eyes on the scythe as it came whizzing toward him. He jerked his right arm forward and sent the blast still building in his hand toward the scythe, angling his arm so it struck the blade and knocked it off-course. Instead, the scythe sliced through the gap in the armor protecting Crithstain's horse, causing it to scream and buck uncontrollably.

Crithstain roared in fury and leapt out of the saddle, hovering just above the ground as the horse's legs collapsed and it fell in a heap to the dirt, still thrashing and braying while its coat began to slowly turn to dust. With another angry cry, Crithstain raised his scythe and brought it down on the ghostly animal, cutting through its middle and halting its wild movements. Danny staggered backward, watching with wide eyes as the horse's body turned to ash and faded from existence.

Whoa… It worked, Danny thought, a disbelieving grin spreading slowly across his face. His smile vanished instantly, however, when he met Crithstain's gaze. All humor and excitement had gone from the ghost's face, leaving only cold fury. His ruby eyes shone vividly through the surrounding darkness, and Danny felt as though they were seeing inside him. He took a step back reflexively, every muscle in his body wanting to run as far away from there as he could and never look back.

"You may think you have the advantage now," Crithstain said, his tone icy and cold – entirely different from before. "That you've outsmarted me… But make no mistake, I am infinitely more powerful than that animal. It's about time we end this fantasy of yours." With that, he dove toward Danny, who jumped in surprise and darted upward above the scythe's swing. He dropped a few feet behind Crithstain and fired an ecto-ray from his hands. It hit the ghost in the back, causing him to stagger forward but did no visible damage other than a small dent in his armor. Crithstain spun around and swung his scythe, this time giving Danny a narrow cut on the right shoulder. He bit back a scream as he felt the wound burn like acid, firing a beam of ice from his eyes toward his opponent. It connected with the chest plate of Crithstain's armor, freezing the solid, white metallic surface. Ducking under a swipe of the scythe that would have taken off his head, Danny darted forward, staying low, before firing a plasma ray at the frozen armor. He took another shallow slice from the scythe as he retreated – this time on his left side – but was rewarded with the sound of ice breaking as a giant crack appeared in the center of Crithstain's chest plate.

With an angry snarl, Crithstain grabbed the armor and tore it from his body, tossing it to the side where it fell uselessly near the outside of the circular clearing. Without a word he charged at Danny again, forcing him backward toward the edge of the city. Danny fired an ecto-blast at Crithstain, wincing as the scythe sliced his right leg. The blast hit the ghost in the chest, but did little more than shove him backward a few feet – and he wasted no time in making up the distance. Soon Danny's arms, legs, and torso were littered with small, thin cuts that grew slowly wider, sapping his strength and making his body scream in agony. And what was worse, nothing Danny hit Crithstain with seemed to have any lasting effect. Finally after a lucky dodge, pain spiked through a particularly nasty wound in his right thigh and his leg gave out, dropping him to one knee on the rocky ground.

Crithstain halted his arm mid-swing and let out a cruel bark of laughter. He raised his foot and pressed it against Danny's shoulder, shoving him onto his back. "And to think you actually thought you could win," he said coldly, lowering his scythe to his side. "You thought you could save the human race, but compared to me – me, who brings its destruction – you are so weak and powerless."

No way… Danny thought with a groan. If he thinks I'm giving up… He wanted to keep fighting – wanted more than anything to do something to stop this evil being. But through the desperate determination, part of him was afraid. Part of him knew he had already lost. Everybody's counting on me, he told himself, thinking of all the people who had wished him luck the previous day when he'd set out. I… I can't let them down, whatever it takes. …I just wish I had some kind of help…

Just then, a thin shaft of weak, faded light glimmered into existence behind Crithstain, near the center of the area. What… What is that? Danny wondered, noticing that Crithstain didn't appear to have seen it. It's gotta be too early for sunrise… He felt a stab of fear that maybe the night had gone faster than he'd thought. But something about the light seemed inviting, almost… safe. With one last glance at Crithstain, Danny summoned his strength and turned himself intangible, sinking into the ground. He heard Crithstain growl in anger before he resurfaced beside the strange stream of light. The ghost spun around to chase after him but froze immediately, his expression a mixture of fury and… was it fear? Danny looked up at the dark sky, but couldn't see an end to the light. So on an impulse, he stepped into it.

At once Danny felt strangely rejuvenated, as if just waking up from a good night's sleep. The light wasn't warm, but still the cold feeling of death began to vanish from his weak limbs. The cuts from Crithstain's scythe stopped spreading. He remembered what Crithstain had said earlier – 'Anything it cuts is slowly eaten away, as if spreading death through it like a disease.'

Huh, Danny thought in wonder, then maybe this is some kind of cure. Perplexed, he raised his eyes upward and suddenly a memory flooded into him.

"You should be careful about using that bow," Pariah said evenly to Crithstain. "You know what would happen if it were—"

That's it… Danny realized. The bow… That must be the way to defeat him for good! He grinned, feeling strangely elated that he had an answer, when the memory continued.

"We needn't worry about that," Crithstain replied. "I'm the only one who can touch it. If anyone else were to try, they would be dead within minutes."

Then another memory was in his mind before he had time to think.

"What matters most is how far you're willing to go for the ones you've sworn to protect." Mr. Lancer turned sideways on the step and looked at Danny seriously. "There will come a time when you have to make a choice – a choice neither I nor anyone else can teach you how to make. The choice will affect a great number of people, but it's a choice all leaders are forced to make in their lifetime. …You have to do what you think is right."

When the memories faded, Danny's chest tightened as he understood what it all meant – and what he would have to do to save the world. I guess I did say 'whatever it takes'… he admitted with a rueful smile, shaking his head. He took a deep breath and raised his eyes to look at Crithstain, who hadn't come any closer. As the light finally began to fade, Danny felt some of the strength go out of his limbs, leaving him feeling exhausted once more, but he was glad to see that the scythe wounds remained as they were rather than continuing to grow in size.

"So," Crithstain said through gritted teeth, looking angrier than Danny had possibly ever seen him. "I see that grin on your face. You think just because he's on your side that means you can win?" He raised his scythe, ruby eyes reflecting on the glowing blade. "Let's see if his power is stronger than mine!" With a furious cry he charged toward Danny once again, swinging the scythe wildly above his head. Danny jumped into the air and dodged the wide strike, noticing that Crithstain seemed to have lost his concentration in his ferocity. He swung another wide, inaccurate attack, like he was trying so desperately to hit Danny that he didn't care his precision was suffering.

If I can make him madder, Danny thought as he dodged another attack, maybe I can use his hysteria to my advantage. "You're never gonna get me, swingin' like that!" he shouted at Crithstain, laughing. "What's the matter, can't hit a moving target?" He spun away as the ghost let out a fierce bellow, flying at top speed into the ruined city. As he'd hoped, Crithstain followed him, chasing closely behind and swinging his scythe wildly left and right. Its blade sliced through walls and earth alike, eroding nearly everything in sight – at least, everything except Danny, who continued to weave in and out of the low buildings and narrow roads, dodging both Crithstain's scythe and the falling rubble as it tore the small roofless huts asunder. Just a little further… he kept telling himself, pushing his strength to its limits to stay in the air.

Finally he burst back into the clearing, skidding to a halt in the air as he looked out over the pile of rubble that had once been an ancient city. The horizon was just beginning to brighten, spreading a warm glow across the sky far in the distance. Danny's eyes widened nervously – he was running out of time.

He spun around just as Crithstain emerged from the ruins, a look of pure hatred in his eyes. Danny's gaze flitted to the quiver on his back, and the black and red bow still sticking out of it. It was now or never.

Bracing himself and taking a deep breath, Danny charged straight at Crithstain. The ghost looked momentarily surprised, but quickly the surprise changed to insane excitement as he raised his scythe and darted forward to meet the attack. Danny angled his dive toward Crithstain's left side, and just as the scythe came down he rolled to the left in midair and shot over Crithstain's shoulder, reaching out both hands and grabbing the bow from the quiver.

Instantly Danny felt the ashen substance burn his hands like hot iron, but he tightened his grip and didn't let go. He landed unsteadily on the rocky ground and turned to face Crithstain, who was staring at him with a look of wide-eyed shock and rage. "You can't touch it," he growled, though it sounded more like he was insisting to himself rather than Danny. "No human can! It will kill you!"

And he wasn't lying. Already Danny could feel his strength fading fast. His mind was starting to numb even as his vision blurred, and in seconds his legs grew too weak to stand and he collapsed to his knees, his breathing fast and shallow, as his body finally reverted suddenly to human form. No… he couldn't help but think, trying to stay focused. I'm way too close… This can't have been for nothing…

With a snarl, Crithstain leapt into the air and lunged forward, raising his scythe for one final, deadly strike. Not strong enough to dodge or block the attack, Danny shut his eyes and raised his arms above his head, waiting for it to end – when suddenly, it did.

A deafening crack split the air, followed closely by the sound of howling wind – even though the air was still. Danny slowly opened his heavy eyes to see the blade of Crithstain's scythe stuck firmly into the ground inches in front of him, as if his attack had just barely fallen short.

"NO!" Crithstain screamed, and Danny lowered his arms to see that he was still holding the swirling, black and red bow – or what was left of it. The scythe and sliced the ashen weapon right down the middle.

Danny watched in disbelief as the bow quickly lost its solidity and turned to ash in his hands, sparking with light and fading from existence. Crithstain threw back his head and howled into the sky, his anguished wail mixing with the strange sound of whipping wind as the ground beneath them began to shake and a great chasm suddenly opened under Crithstain's feet. It was impossibly deep, with a sinister, fiery red glow shining from its depths. Crithstain screamed again as burning black flames stretched from the maw, engulfing him and pulling him slowly toward the endless darkness. After a horrible minute of thrashing and howling, Crithstain was gone and the chasm closed with another great rumble, sealing the earth as though it had never been.

As the sound of wind quieted, Danny stared at the ground, wondering if what he'd just seen was real and hesitant to believe it. But when he finally let it sink in that it was over – that he won – he cracked a grin and began to laugh. It came out short and breathy due to the soreness of his body and the waning of his strength. Tired, he let himself fall forward onto his hands, before his arms gave out in turn and dropped him onto his side. His vision was further blurred and now dotted with blackness as his breathing slowed and his lungs started to empty of air. Through the haze, he looked out over the ruined city toward the eastern horizon, just as a warm, golden sun began to rise, bringing with it a brand new day – a day he'd won for the earth. Crithstain had been so confident, saying that he'd never lost and that Danny never stood a chance – but despite all that he was able to win against the odds. He thought of his friends and family, of all the people he'd left behind, and was glad in knowing that they would live on – that the world was saved.

"Winner-take-all…" he whispered with a weak chuckle, and his tired, clouded mind traveled back once more to his conversation with Mr. Lancer.

"How will I know if I made the right choice?"

"I'm afraid that's not something I can tell you. You have to do what you think is right."

"Great, more pressure."

"Don't worry. Like I said, you're a smart kid with a good heart. That's all you need to believe."

Danny felt a small smile cross his face as his eyes slid closed, and he found himself hoping he'd finally managed to make his teacher proud.

Welp, there it is! Remember what I said - this isn't the end. There's one more chapter with the whole aftermath, so you'll just have to wait and see what happens when the sun rises. Just know that after all the characters have been through in this story, I think they deserve a happy ending, don't you? Heh heh.

Anyway, I'll get the last chapter up by the end of the week, so no worries there. Review for me in the meantime? See ya soon!

-oMM