Continued...
"Aracteeha, neurohem, niihen. Aracteeha, neurohem, niihen. Aracteeha, neurohem, niihen…" Sam struggled to keep her voice calm and soothing despite the war going on in front of her. She could see it all happening, but breaking her concentration would break the spell and make it all completely pointless. So she kept at it, feeling the dark energies flowing through her mind and body, pooling invisibly between her palms extended in front of her.
As she watched, Dani Phantom and the ghostly copies of Danny Phantom converged on the grass, walking into each other to once again become a single entity, which turned to approach Sam with a wry smirk on her face. "Well, isn't this something else?" Dani cackled. "The Goth thinks she's a witch. All the magic in the world won't save you now, Sam. Nor will your pathetic little lover." She raised her hand in front of her, which began to pulse with powerful ecto-energy.
Sam's eyes widened. She wasn't ready… the spell was still forming in her palms. If she broke it now, she would never have time to get it back.
Without warning a streak of light flew right past her head, creating a wind tunnel string enough to yank her ponytail right off of her head. Her hair hadn't even reached her shoulders before the pink light slammed into the ghost's chest with a sickening crunch. Dani Phantom tumbled back with the light attached to her chest, kicking off of it before coming back down to land a blow across her cheek.
A little girl in a pink dress and a large red hair bow hovered in the air while Dani Phantom tumbled across the ground. She floated down to the ground, panting and holding one arm across her chest. She coughed into her hand without warning, doubling over in pain.
"You…" Dani Phantom rose to her feet, growling in anger. "What do you think you're doing? Do you have any idea what you're dealing with?"
The little girl panted for a moment as the pain seemed to pass, rising to her feet. "You think you're evil?" She smirked and shook her head. "I've looked real evil in the face. You're just another monster."
"You talk like a wounded dog." Dani's arm shot forward, and a thick ecto-beam slammed straight into the girl's chest. The tiny girl's body ground into the ground, plowing through it like a bullet as the ghost followed at blinding speeds, leaving a trail of white behind. But the girl suddenly halted her momentum and thrust off from the ground, meeting the ghost's charge in a flash of pink light.
They slammed into each other with a vicious impact, bounding off of each other and coming back around for another blow. The little girl brought her fist back, but her punch passed right through the ghost, along with her whole body. She stopped and whirled, just in time to catch a massive ecto-blast right in the face, knocking her out of the sky. She hit the ground hard enough to kick up a cloud of dirt and debris, gasping and clutching her stomach again.
"Darnit…" the girl pushed herself to her hands and knees, gritting her teeth against the pain. "Not now. Last a little longer…"
Dani's former laughter had ceased, replaced instead by a haunting anger that sent chills down Sam's spine. Wait… it wasn't Dani that was doing it. She could feel the energy spinning through her body, finally forming into a solid structure within her. Moving through her spine to every part of her body, and focusing it all into her hands. It was finally ready. But she would only get one shot.
She cupped her hands as it holding a glass ball between them, pushing the energy from her spine into the space between them like the instructions in the book said. She could feel her legs shaking, but she ignored it. All of her attention was focused on her target, who was approaching the girl lying prone on the ground.
"Stop fighting and just die already!" Dani raised her arm back and brought it back down, firing a massive green ecto-beam straight into the girl's prone body. A scream erupted from her lips, but it didn't last long.
Sam threw her hands forward, letting the energy detach itself from her own essence to send it hurtling across the field. It couldn't be seen by the naked eye, but she could see its impact on the ghost's back. Dani gasped and stumbled forward, then whirled back towards Sam.
Dani looked around in surprise, then narrowed her eyes. "What did you just do?"
Sam gulped and took a few steps back. "N-nothing. What COULD I do to you? You're way too strong."
"You're up to something. That energy you were building up… it's gone now! What did you DO!?" Dani roared in anger and marched toward her.
Sam stumbled back as fast as she could, trying to keep some distance between them. Please, she prayed mentally. Please let it work…
Dani Fenton could see everything. The destruction, the carnage, the pain. She could see it all as if she was the one causing it, attacking her friends and the ones she loved. She could see Sam's terrified eyes staring into her own, wishing more than anything that she could put a stop to this. But she couldn't, she could only watch it all happen.
Suddenly she felt something change. She could feel her spirit moving in her own mind, turning into the dark recesses where a crack had appeared and was growing wider by the second. Dani blinked in amazement and approached it, hearing the sound of murmurs from the other side. As it grew wider, lights began to shine through, ever shifting and changing as colors weaved around one another. It took her a few moments to recognize it. It was Eternity.
Without warning, Dani felt herself being sucked towards it. She fell to her knees just inside the crack, her palms scraping painfully across the hard patch of land just inside of it. Dani turned his gaze upward to see Danielle standing in front of her with a look of surprise and happiness on her face.
"Dani! You're back! But… does this mean you're…?" Danielle's enthusiasm faded.
"I don't know." Dani shook her head. "It feels different this time… but I don't think I'm quite dead. Whatever Sam did, it must have brought me here."
"Yeah, I'll say it's different this time. You look like you instead of me." Danielle commented. Dani blinked in surprise and slowly lowered her gaze to her own body.
It was him. Danny Fenton, the boy he had been so long ago. His chest, his legs, his hands, they were all just as he remembered them. Only a bit longer and thicker now. He stared at his hands in amazement, reaching up to touch his face. It was as smooth and hairless as ever, but it definitely had a more masculine bone structure. His breath caught in his throat and a smile spread across his lips.
"Sam. She must have done this somehow. But what exactly did she do?" Danny looked over at his female clone.
"Whatever she did, it looks like it brought you here. The real you, instead of the 'you-in-my-body' you." Danielle commented.
"That's it!" A voice screamed in delight. Danny and Danielle both whirled around in surprise, looking around through the lights that surrounded them without seeing anything. "This is the true you, this is Daniel Fenton."
"You mean… my soul?" Danny asked.
"Bingo! Got it in one! I knew you were smart!" The voice giggled with girlish glee. "Sam's spell has broken the link between your body and your soul. You are free of its bondage, free to strike back at your captor, as was her plan all along."
"But if that's true, and I'm a living spirit, why did I come here?" Danny asked.
"Because the spell also ripped open a hole into the world of free souls. Eternity. Because you and Danielle are linked, it brought you straight to her."
"Linked?" Danielle looked up at Danny in surprise. "I thought that was just because he was in my body."
The girly voice spoke in a serious tone. "Your identical 'ghostly' sides link your spirits forever. Even if you cannot see nor feel one another, you will always be linked. Especially now that you have become a free-floating spirit."
"Free floating spirit… what about my body? Can I ever go back to it?"
"Of course, once you reclaim it as your own," the voice told him. "The boundary between Earth and Eternity is now as a door to you, Danny Fenton. Your life takes you there, and your bond with Danielle brings you here."
Danny looked down at the land mass, then raised his eyes to look at Danielle. "Danielle, I think I have a plan, but I'm going to need your help."
"Maybe you can go back, but I can't. What can I do?" Danielle asked.
Danny gripped her shoulders firmly. "Think back. Remember when I opened that portal in Orchid Bay? You said it did something to you."
"Yeah, it was like energy was being sucked… through me…" Danielle's eyes went wide and she looked up at Danny. "I know what you're thinking. But… that's a lot of power. It hurt last time. Passing more of it on to you could…"
"I know, and I'm sorry. But please. Sam is in danger, and so is everyone on Earth if that ghost isn't stopped." Danny flashed her a smile and placed a hand on her chin. "I know you can handle it, Danielle. You've always been a strong girl, ever since you were created. And we can do this if we work together."
Danielle stared into his eyes, then gulped and nodded her head. "Okay, I'll try. Just… finish it quickly."
"I'll do my best." Danny stood up, holding her hand tightly in one of his. "Now let's do this."
Sam gulped and stepped back as one of Dani Phantom's hands shot out, gripping the front of her leather vest and hauling her up off the ground. For the first time, Sam felt true fear well up in her throat. She'd always believed in Danny, always believed in his ability to come through for her. Was she wrong about the spell? Did it not work? Was he just not able to do anything?
"Sam!" She heard Jazz's voice scream from near the volcano. "You've got to help her!"
"I'm on it!" another voice screamed, and Sam saw a flash of green light flying across the grassy park. But it was far too late.
Dani Phantom's arm came back, then rushed forward, burying itself in Sam's stomach. She gasped in pain on impact, feeling her ribs cracking sharply under the ferocity of the blow. Gasps echoed across the field, and even the green light stopped in mid-air, watching the scene. The ghost held her steady for a moment, then moved her hand back, letting Sam dangle from her fist.
Sam grunted and gasped for air, with lungs punctured by her own bones. Dani pulled her closer, whispering into her ear. "A slow death… so much more delicious this way, don't you think?" She cackled. Sam grunted and tried to raise her hands, feeling the blood trickling from her lips. Silently, Dani Phantom dropped her to the grass, where she collapsed to the ground, trying futilely to raise her head.
"NO!" She heard a chorus of screams from across the field as her body hit the ground. She could feel the twisting pain in her stomach. Something was wrong… something was very wrong. She couldn't even sit up without the pain driving her back to the ground, clutching her stomach in desperation.
Buttercup screamed in fury and threw herself at the ghost, with Kim Possible rushing into the fray right beside her, but Jazz didn't pay them any mind. She could only stare at Sam lying on the grass, writhing in pain. It was a horrible sight to behold, one she wished she could wipe from her mind.
"This monster… it is unstoppable." Starfire spoke for the first time in a while, leaning weakly against Jazz with her broken arm dangling at her opposite side. Her gaze swept the field, seeing Cyborg nearby, with Raven lying on the grass a distance away and Robin lying against the mountainside, both unconscious. "It has defeated them all… there, there must be a way…" Starfire's eyes glistened with tears that echoed Jazz's own.
"Why won't you stay down!?" Buttercup screamed in anger as her fists tore into the ghostly body, but Dani suddenly went intangible, letting her fist pass through before firing a powerful ecto-blast into her face. Before she could press the assault, Kim vaulted up behind her, slamming both legs into her back. Dani barely stumbled, but her return blow was dodged with a quick duck, then a foot came up to knock her in the jaw before Kim rolled away again.
"Because I am raw power!" Dani brought her arm around, slamming it into Buttercup's face as she tried to launch another assault. The streak of green light flew back, punching into the ground like a spike, where she lay still, with her eyes closed in pain. "I am the strongest!" Dani whirled again with blinding speed as Kim tried to slip in behind her. One fist grabbed her leg right out of her kick and spun her around to fling her to the ground like a rag doll, sending her tumbling until she finally came to a stop, groaning in pain. "I am the fate of this world. Death."
Those who remained standing stumbled back until their backs pressed against the rocks at the base of the volcano. Dani Phantom approached with a dark promise etched onto her face, her hands twitching in anticipation. "The death of all pathetic humans." She brought her glowing hand up in front of her, but the ecto-blast that leapt from her palm was blocked by a suddenly whirling cloud of color covering her hand. "What's this?" Dani looked at it in confusion, trying to shake it off, but it began to spread up her arm instead.
"No! Get off of me! I can feel you! GET OFF!" Dani Phantom screamed in anger, trying to beat at the coalescing cloud that spread across her body. But her efforts were in vain, as soon the cloud was covering her entire body, and spreading wider and brighter until those watching were forced to cover their eyes.
"What's going on!?" Paulina screamed. "He's never done this before!"
"I don't think it's him!" Jazz peered through her hands at the lights until suddenly a brighter flash seemed to sweep through the entire city of Townsville, blinding all foolish enough to look in its direction.
Jazz blinked furiously, desperate to clear her vision and see what had happened. When her eyes finally cleared of the blinding light, she saw a figure in a white cloak huddled on the grass a distance away, its head down. At first Jazz thought it was Danny's dark body, but then it raised its head and turned to look back with a scowl. It was a woman, with dark blue skin and blood red eyes, with fingers that ended in wicked claws. The woman rose to her feet, facing a glowing light.
"I'm taking my body back." The lights slowly faded to reveal the body of a boy, pulling back into his eyes while his white gloved hands clenched in front of his black jumpsuit with the ghostly D embossed on the chest. "And I'm taking you down. Permanently."
"Danny." Jazz gaped in awe, looking at the glowing, coalescing colors contained within his eyes. "What's happened to you?"
"It doesn't matter." Danielle's dark body growled and brought her claws up. "He's going to die with the rest of the pathetic humans!"
Danny ignored her for a moment, his head flicking to the side, where Sam was still lying on the ground, writhing in pain. When he looked back, his eyes were narrowed, his fists clenching into powerful fists that pulsed with rainbow energy. Dani just laughed at the display, shaking her head and speaking in a soft, mocking tone. "If you'll miss her so much, I will send you to be with her."
Danny didn't respond. Instead he flung himself at Dani, bringing his fist around in a wide arc. Dani easily blocked it with one arm, grinning up at her. "Looks like the Chemical X came with me." She brought an arm around to slam into Danny's face, sending him hurtling back through the air. Danny flipped back end over end, but quickly righted himself. No sooner had he done that however than Dani was on him.
Danny's arm shot up instantly, leaving rainbow energy floating in the air where his hand passed. Dani's fist slammed into the energy, stopping dead in its tracks right before the energy faded. Another blow met another shield of energy, and a third and forth quickly followed suit as Danny floated backward, desperately trying to keep from being nailed by one of the punishing blows.
Danny whirled abruptly around one of the punches, bringing his glowing palm around to slam a rainbow ball right into Dani's face. The impact drove her back through the air, where Danny pressed the attack by throwing more powerful rainbow spheres and moving after her.
The dark ghost knocked all of the shots aside with a wave of its arms, coming back at Danny at full speed. They collided with a crackle of energy like thunder striking from the Heavens, and flew back towards the mountains. They went intangible just before they hit, vanishing from sight.
"Sam!" Jazz whirled away from the volcano and ran toward her wounded friend, kneeling down beside her. Her parents rushed up behind her, clasping each others' hands and watching in fear as Jazz knelt down to touch the younger girl's cheek. "Sam, come on. Talk to me, here."
Sam's eyes opened with a dazed smile. There was a trickle of blood running from the corner of her mouth down her cheek. "It worked. I saw him."
Jazz couldn't help but smile at that, despite the fear that still gripped her heart. "Yeah. You did. It was really him." She looked down the young girl's body, placing a hand against her abdomen. She could feel the pieces of her ribs just under the skin. Sam's face contorted in pain at her touch. "Sam, we need to get you to a hospital. Right now."
"No." Sam raised a hand to grip her shoulder, gulping in pain. "It's not over. Danny still needs me." She looked away from Jazz, at the book lying a few feet away on the grass. "Get my book, I have to help him."
"Sam, you can't. You're too hurt."
"Danny would do it for me." Sam looked up at Jazz with a steady gaze. "He'd do it for anyone. I have to do it for him. Just help me." Jazz wanted to argue, but there was no consoling the look in Sam's eyes.
Without another word of argument, Jazz snatched the Necronomicon from the ground, gently placed it against Sam's chest, and knelt to lift the younger girl up in her arms, cradling her carefully. Sam winced in pain, though her grip never loosened on the book. A glance around revealed that Buttercup was kneeling beside Blossom, who was lying still on the soft grass. The Possibles were gathered around Kim, who was still recovering a distance away. Starfire had wandered back toward the mountain, kneeling beside the body of her friend and leader, who was lying against the rocks, though Jazz could see his breath coming in short, ragged gasps.
"If we don't stop her…" Sam gulped. "The whole world will be this… a hundred times worse."
"Let's do it then." Jazz looked down at Sam. "Let's find Danny, and help him stop this once and for all."
The magma deep inside the volcano was swirling around them, intangible to the touch as Danny and Dani plummeted through the swirling liquid, each trying to get hold of the other in a vicious assault. Danny's fists tightened around his opponent's throat at last and he brought one leg up, slamming it into her stomach. Dani hurdled back through the mountain, but just as quickly came back with a shriek.
Danny's glowing energy bounced her back, but she whirled around and came back yet again. Danny blocked this one as well, then launched an assault of his own with his fists glowing. But Dani knocked his blows aside with a wave of her arms, and soon they were both whirling through the volcanic magma, bouncing off of each other's strikes and trying to get the upper hand.
Danny whirled suddenly as her dark half came around with a vicious kick. His arm snapped across her knee, his glowing rainbow energy snapping into her leg like a spike driven by a hammer. Dani screamed and whirled to the side, and Danny launched after her, but the girl suddenly barked out a laugh and spun around to meet her assault, grabbing her wrists as Danny's charge sent them both flying through the volcano.
They emerged from the volcano moving at full speed, Danny's energy leaving a rainbow trail across the dark night sky as they sped out across Townsville. Dani's hands pushed themselves inward, her dark claws reaching desperate to crush her, but Danny brought one leg up again and with a flash of energy and a vicious kick, then Dani hurtling down toward a nearby building.
Dani's body plunged through the walls with a thunderous crash that made the Earth quake when her body hit the ground. Danny thought for a moment he had the upper hand, but within moments a piece of the roof was ripped free and sent hurtling through the night sky. Danny's eyes turned toward the ground quickly, as people began to emerge from their homes. If the roof kept going, it could kill someone when it came down.
Danny brought one hand up as a field of light spread around his body. As the roof touched the outer edge, it began to dissolve, wasting into nothing moments before it hit Danny. But the dark ghost plunged through the field without effect, slamming into him with her shoulder to knock him off balance then bringing one fist around in a vicious uppercut. Danny swore he could feel his neck about to come off of his body as he flipped back through the air.
He didn't even have time to right himself before Dani was on him, streaking up over his head in a flash of white light and slamming a fist into his back. Danny screamed in pain as he plummeted through the sky. The sound of the Townsville's citizens shrieks as they ran to get out of his way was deafening, Danny's body came down on a nearby car, but he went intangible at the last second, phasing right through it into the ground. He moved to fly back up, but Dani suddenly plunged into the rock with a hard blow.
Dani spun back through the ground, trying to regain his balance, focus the powers Danielle was feeding into him, but he didn't even have time to think. Dani's assault was merciless, and her fists were quickly sapping away Danny's strength with each blow. Suddenly Dani grabbed the front of his suit and yanked him close, grinning her fanged grin.
"For all your new power, you're still an insignificant insect compared to me!" She whirled, planting a kick right into his chest strong enough to send him hurtling out of the ground, his body flailing through the sky.
His eyes closed in pain as he felt himself flying through the air, desperately reaching out with his mind as his lips spoke in a pained whisper. "Danielle… help me…"
Danielle groaned and fell to her knees on the small patch of land floating in the ever-swirling energy of Eternity. She could feel the power rushing through her spirit, overflowing its boundaries and streaming into Danny fighting on the outside. Her body was tense with the pain of it ripping through her, like a hundred lightning-strikes at once. But it still wasn't enough.
"I can't…" Dani grunted through a sob as she tried to focus more power, but she couldn't get hold of it. "I can't do any more Danny. I'm sorry, I can't… I just can't…"
"Danielle." Danielle opened her eyes with a sniffle and turned her glowing eyes upward to see Tucker standing beside her. "If you need help, all you have to do is say so." He gave her a soft smile and reached down to take her hand. Within seconds his own eyes were glowing as the energy of Eternity began to flow through him.
Danielle turned the other way when she felt someone take her other hand. She looked up into Valerie's eyes, shining with kindness for a moment before they too began to shine with coalescing light. Danielle's gaze swept in front of her as more friends emerged from the depths of Eternity. Ember McLain took Tucker's second hand, while Johnny and Kitty chained out from Valerie's. Others emerged as well, people from Danny's past who came together along the chain, one by one beginning to siphon the energy around them, pumping it into Danielle in a controlled wave so intense her hair spread upward and exploded in a shower of coalescing light.
"Danny…" Danielle said softly. "Let this be enough."
"There he is!" Jazz screamed from the passenger's seat of a small car they had borrowed to pursue Danny in his flight across Townsville. Maddie was driving, while Sam was lying in the backseat, muttering to herself in a low, muted voice. "We have to get to him! Quickly!"
"Make sure your seatbelt is securely fastened sweetie. We're burning rubber!" Maddie's foot slammed down in the gas pedal, sending the car lurching forward like a cat that just spotted a mouse sandwich. The car squealed loudly through the streets, around corners and blazing through empty intersections in hot pursuit of the flying figured. Jazz's eyes went wide suddenly, and her heart skipped a beat.
"No! Danny!" Jazz screamed as a streak of white light slammed into his glowing body, sending him hurtling down toward the street.
Danny's body slammed into the hood of a car along the street with the sound of crunching metal echoing in his ears. A car alarm blared instantly, and the warning lights on the front began to flash. He groaned and tried to move, but his body was shuddering and looked weak. He collapsed back against the broken steel with his breath coming in deep, pained gasps.
Jazz whirled around in her seat. "Sam, it's time! Are you ready?"
Sam nodded, clutching the book in her arms. "I'm ready." Jazz jumped out of the car and rushed to the back, yanking the door open for her. Jazz and Maddie both reached into the car for her, grabbing her and pulling her out onto the street. There were tears of pain running down Sam's cheeks, and her legs were shaking so bad she didn't have a prayer of standing on her own. But she remained upright regardless as she lifted the book in front of her and looked down at its pages.
"Enough games." Jazz's gaze turned upward when she heard a feminine voice speaking in a dark hiss. "Prepare for death!" Dani flung herself toward the totaled car in a flash of white light, moving so fast Jazz could barely track her through the sky. The light came down right on top of Danny, but before it could strike Danny's body exploded in a flash of rainbow light. Dani howled in anger as she was flung back into the sky.
The light floated up from the car, slowly sinking back into Danny's form. The coalescing rainbow of light was running through his formerly-ghost-white hair, pulsing down his body like an electrical current that grew only fiercer as he floated up from the hood. He raised his hands over his head, gathering a massive ball of energy in his palms as he faced the dark ghost.
"Enough games." Danny's voice echoed from the light. "This ends now!" The blast erupted from Danny's hand, striking the dark ghost before she could even think of blinking. Her body hurdled back through the air, but in a flash of light Danny appeared in her flight path, slamming one fist into her face to knock her back toward the ground. Danny's hands flashed with light and a powerful beam reached his dark half before it even touched the ground, slamming into her and driving her deep into the ground. The shockwave from the impact nearly knocked Jazz, Maddie, and Sam off their feet.
Dani pulled herself up to the street out of the crater, but she didn't have time to catch her breath before Danny slammed his fist into the back of her head, grabbing hold of it and driving her face into the pavement. He yanked her back up and did it several more times, howling in anger until at last he stopped and lifted her into the air, panting.
Dani laughed softly, despite the pain she had to be in. "Attack me all you will… the Chemical… makes me immortal."
"Think again!" Jazz shouted. Danny and Dani both turned toward them in surprise. "Now, Sam!"
"Begahno, murishipa, totaray!" Sam screamed and flung one hand forward. Black light flashed from the book, surging through her body before arching from her outstretched hand.
Danny shoved his dark ghostly side forward and leapt back, floating into the air as the energy approached. Dani tried to flee, but the energy slammed into her stomach, ripping through her body. A horrendous scream echoed through the night, her body convulsing with the force of the power. Spectral energy poured out of her body, glowing green in the otherwise dark night. Dani's body fell to the ground like a rag doll as the ghost floated into the air, still trying to run, but the essence was being chipped away by the energy.
"N-no!" The dark ghost screamed his blood red eyes flaring in desperation. "I am power! I am immortal!"
"You are finished!" Danny floated up beside the ghost. "Now shut up and die already!"
"No! NNNOOOOOOOOOO!" The ghost screamed one last time, its fading hand reaching toward the sky as the black energy suddenly pulsed. His ghostly body suddenly ripped apart and drifted into the sky, becoming less cohesive by the second until, at last, it faded completely into the night.
"That's it…" Jazz said softly, as if afraid speaking too loud would bring the ghost back to life. "It's over…"
"Sam! That was awesome!" Danny floated through the air to land in front of them, his body still glowing with coalescing light. "You used magic! It was…" He trailed off, realizing at last that something was wrong. "Sam…?"
"Ugh…" The Necronomicon fell to the street from her limp hands before Sam began to fall backward. Jazz and Maddie didn't have time to catch her before Danny was there, holding her cradled in both arms. "I'm… glad to see you, Danny…"
"Sam? What's wrong? Sam!"
Sam smiled and coughed, a trickle of blood leaking from her mouth, down her chest and to her shirt. "Kinda hurts…"
Danny's eyes grew wide and frantic as he looked up and down her body, then stared into her eyes. "Oh God… Sam, no, you can't. We're completely free now! I'm back, the ghost is gone… everything can be as it should be."
"Maybe some things… aren't meant to be." Sam coughed again, then clutched her stomach in pain and doubled over in his arms.
"I won't accept that. I can't." Danny gulped, then looked down at one hand. "Danielle, please, don't fail me now."
"Danny, what're you… ugh!" Sam gasped when he pushed his hand into her body, phasing it intangibly into her stomach. The energy of Eternity began to rip through her body, sending her into convulsions.
"Hold on Sam, just hold on." Danny's free arm held her cheek tightly against his chest, trying to keep her from moving too much. "I won't let you go. Not now. Not after everything that's happened, and everything you've done for me."
Sam grunted in pain, then threw her head back and let out a scream. Danny could feel it, the energy inside her, in tune with that of Eternity. He could even feel her soul lodged in her body, though it was struggling to break free. He held it in at the same time as he forced power of Eternity to run through her body, setting it back to the way it should be. He hated to hear her scream, but there was no other way.
"No! Not now!" Danny gasped as the energy began to fade to darkness, slowly vanishing from Sam's body. "Danielle, wait, I still need it! Danielle!" Danny looked frantically around, then gulped and forced himself to look down at his wife. He hadn't been finished… but there was still a chance he'd done enough.
Sam looked tired and frazzled, but her breath was now deep and steady as she stared up into his eyes. "So much… to say…" she whispered softly.
"You don't have to. I already know it all." Danny smiled and ran one hand across her cheek. Nothing more needed to be said, so their lips met in a gentle kiss that confirmed the rest of their lives together. Lives that would last for a long time to come.
It's hard to believe it's over now. The last evil ghost, my dark side, is gone. But still, it doesn't feel like anything has truly ended.
Buttercup approached the Townsville shoreline, walking on foot despite having her full powers at her disposal. In her arms she carried the body of her pink-clad sister, whose eyes had closed hours ago, to never again open. The tainted Chemical X had taken its toll, as Blossom had known it would. Buttercup wanted to curse her for throwing her life away, but she found herself unable. So instead, she floated over the water, and let Blossom's body gently slide down onto the waves, to sink down into the ocean's depths.
Buttercup reached into her pocket then and withdrew the vial of Antidote X. With it, she could regain her mortal life. Lose her powers, and live out the rest of her days as a normal person. She didn't hesitate for even a moment before she brought it back and hurled it out across the ocean.
So many people had converged to help me, to help the world, just because they were asked to. Some weren't even asked, they just did it because it needed to be done.
Circuits kicked into motion and electricity began to run through a series of internal batteries, sparking a systems check that, at last, allowed him to awaken from what felt like a long sleep. Cyborg's eyes opened to see people standing over him in the medical wing of Titans Tower, looking bruised and battered, and holding each other for support. The worst of it was that Starfire's left arm was in a thick cast.
His gaze swept over them, then turned to focus on Robin. The boy wonder gave him a soft smile and held out one hand. "Welcome back."
It made me think about my own reasons. I've always fought to protect those I love… but after seeing these heroes doing what they do, it makes me wonder. Have I been wasting my powers only on myself?
The front lock clicked open and Kim Possible stepped forward into her living room with her family close behind her. She felt sore, irritated, and tired after two long, sleepless nights. But her spirits lifted instantly when a small pink animal leapt from the living room sofa to perch on her shoulder, giving her cheek a big, firm hug. Rufus' presence could only mean one thing.
"K.P.!" Ron leapt up from the couch and rushed around it toward her with a look of concern on his face. "The news reports, they were-" He was cut off when Kim tackled him in a tight hug, burying her face in his chest. She didn't want to talk… she just wanted his arms around her.
With these new powers as a free floating spirit, I could do so much good. And I promise, I will. But there are other benefits to this new state of being…
The endlessly swirling essence of Eternity continued like it always did while Dani and the others discussed, briefly, the events that had been transpiring on Earth. It was tough for Danielle to understand everything that had happened, let alone to explain it all. Thankfully, she didn't have to. Several hours after the flow of energy had ended, Danny suddenly materialized before them with a broad smile on his face.
"Danny!" Danielle rushed toward him, grinning madly. "It worked! We did it!"
"Yeah!" Danny grinned and wrapped her up in a tight hug. "Thank you so much. All of you." Danny released the hug and climbed to his feet, looking around at all of those gathered around. "And it looks like, from now on, I'll be able to come visit you any time I want to."
"Awesome!" Tucker walked up to him. "It feels like forever since I've had someone to pal around with."
Valerie approached them as well with her hands on her hips and a smile on her face. "The surprises just keep coming with you, Danny."
"Great, you can come to my next concert." Ember grinned.
"Are you sure you can't bring your sister too?" Johnny asked hopefully, earning a resounding smack from Kitty.
"And you are welcome here, Danny Phantom. With open arms." The voice from before spoke, to the surprise of everyone present. They whirled around until they spotted the colors of Eternity coming together nearby, forming a steadier pattern. It was a little girl who looked somewhat familiar, though she wore a small blue dress and had blonde pigtails instead of a green dress and black hair.
Danny chuckled in disbelief. "You're one of the Powerpuff Girls, aren't you?"
The girl smiled and curtsied, letting out a cute giggle. "Bubbles is the name!"
"Does this mean you're God or something? Your sisters acted like you died." Danny asked.
"How I got here is a long story that doesn't matter anymore." Bubbles smiled. "What matters is your future. And I want you to promise to enjoy it, as long as it lasts. Life is a gift that is not to be wasted."
"I promise." Danny smiled and turned back to the others. "And I promise I'll come visit you all too. As often as I can."
"We'll be here waiting for you, Danny." Danielle wrapped her arms around his waist one more time in a tight hug, then let him go so he could turn to leave. He couldn't stop himself from smiling however hard he tried. It seemed unreal for everything to turn out so perfect… there were no more concerns, no more threats. Just a future free of trouble or complications.
Paulina approached Casper high school for the first time several days after the incidents. She was clutching her books tightly in her arms, unused to feeling so insecure. It seemed like the atmosphere in the school had changed since she got back. Her parents had been glad to see her, but whenever she ran into one of her old posse, it was like they ignored her. Had they just moved on? She didn't have anything left now…
She came to an abrupt stop when she spotted Star pulling her books out of her locker. It occurred to her to turn the other way, or try to rush past, but before she could decide Star closed her locker and turned. A gasp leapt from her throat and her books clattered to the floor when their eyes met.
"Paulina… you're back." Star smiled. "The news has been talking about you all week."
"Star…" Paulina looked down. "I'm… sorry." She looked up into her old friend's eyes. Star blinked, but didn't respond. "You don't have to say anything, but… I am." Paulina moved to walk away beside her, her arms clutching her books like a security blanket.
She squeaked in surprise when Star's arms wrapped around her from the side, engulfing her in a tight hug. "Apology accepted, Paulina. We'll catch up after school, okay?" Star smiled.
"S… sure." Paulina smiled back nervously. Star grinned, then patted her back and turned to rush on toward her class. The hallways was now empty, since all of the other students had already rushed to their classes as well. "Did you hear that? Someone here does still accept me."
I'm happy for you, Paulina. A voice spoke into her mind. As Paulina watched, tendrils of black energy emerged from her body, sliding out of her chest and into her arms. Paulina cradled the shadow in them. Her green eyes were dim and her essence was swirling weakly in the air. "I mean… mother."
"Don't worry, Mange. It's okay." Paulina squeezed the shadow against her chest, smiling. "I forgive you. And I'll make sure you get all better." Her hands stroked the shadow against her chest. Mange closed her eyes and nestled against her like a lost child, confused about her place in the world. Paulina swore to herself to see her recover and turn over a new leaf… as Paulina herself now planned to. The future was bright for the girl and her child shadow.
END SEASON ONE
More heroes, more villains, more action, more humor, and a battle that will rock the cosmos to its very foundation. Haunted Legacies: Season Two coming soon.