Living Ghost

by Green Tima

AnimorphDP crossover what happens when the most important person in your life is dead? What else you go see the experts. Ch 28 29. The past and future are faced by our heros, some prosper, others fall.

21. The Third Artifact part3

Below them Jazz heard everything but was wasn't in a position to do anything about it having moved well away from them now locked in a hunt with Zephyr, the age old hunt between fox and mouse renewing in the icy waste land. Shifting her ears, and checking the air she moved silently knowing the mouse was near by but unsure where, the scent just mixed up enough to confuse her. (Come out come out wherever you are lunchmeat.)

The ice and slush under her feet felt like home to the fox, the instincts in full swing, not bothering to repress them, they were the only things keeping her alive, like now. Her nose finally picked her up and she jumped back missing the pink blasts from the tiny gun, (don't you know it's not hunting season.) The blasts where enough, nose, ears and eyes coming together to tell her where the ghost rodent was, but instead of attacking she run, letting the snow and ice around her being kicked up by the wild allow her to blend into the surroundings, her white fur making her disappear.

Zephyr grew cautious when Jazz vanished from her sight, not use to an opponent like this, if she were larger the mouse knew she could win, any creature larger she knew how to deal with, her size becoming her greatest strength. However against a creature like this, against a fox or any smaller predator she felt very inadequate, old instincts coming up in her telling her to run, to hide, screaming in her mind that she could never win in a fight, voices she was trying to crush unsuccessfully.

Moving as quietly as she could in the uncertain terrain she knew she wasn't going to get far, her whole body feeling numb, even after she had pulled an off white coat from behind her back and wrapped in around herself. The cold was simply a big a threat to her as the fox, even as a ghost she knew she could freeze and be stopped for a length of time in such a manner. Picking her ears up she picked up a sound, no longer caring what she turned and fired, the pink blasts jumping forward into the white.

(So close,) Jazz pouncing from the right side of the shots, Zephyr having just missed her by a foot, closer than Jazz had intended the rodent to get, (but not close enough.) Slamming her paws down she just missed the rodent, Zephyr darting back then shooting forward again and laying her gauntlet on her leg sending a arc of energy through her body then followed it up by slashing deeply with her claws trying to cut into muscle and bone. She didn't get a chance to use her gun as Jazz brought her maw down over the arm of the rodent and threw her back, as soon as Zephyr was free she wanted to hit herself, (right should've bit down there,) spitting out the rodents gun which had remained behind.

'Not cool,' throwing the card out with her free hand unsure if the fox could even read it then reach back and pulled out another missile launcher and fired it at Jazz.

Dodging the shot she looking at the mouse, (I feel like I'm in a cartoon here.)

Pulling a card with the clawed glove hand, 'that's all folks,' and fired again, this rocket exploding while Jazz moved, throwing rubber balls everywhere, hitting her in eight places at once and shattering a few ribs in the process. 'What's wrong puppy, don't like this game, how about fetch?'

(Not liking where this is going,) trying to run at her while Zephyr fired again, this time the rocker exploding into a bolo that Jazz was able to avoid, her nose picking up the scent that signaled it was going to explode, that alone keeping her safe. (Nice try, now it's my turn,) biting at the female, missing her but spinning around in the snow and biting again, Zephyr staying away, but just barely, Jazz keeping up with the rodent as she moved, the fox guiding her now, every move was counted, every strike sensed, through not all avoided. The rodent wore down quickly, in part from the ferocity of the attack, in part for the pheromones hitting her and trying to calm the scream in her mind.

With a slash Jazz knocked the rocket launcher from the hand of Zephyr and snapped at her again, once more just missing the rodent but coming closer and hitting her with the next snap of her jaws, the fox in her screaming as she felt the weight of the rodent in her jaws once more. With her instincts now raging she bit down, the vulpine now demanding to be feed, chewing and knowing on the ghost, or trying to, the ghost slamming her gauntlet down on Jazz's tongue making her yip and cough, but not enough to get the rodent out. Zephyr now on the attack pulled her longest sword from her back and stabbed upward, piercing the mouth of the canine, the blade rising till it came out of her muzzle, seeing it with her right eye, the pain more than anything letting her know it was there.

(This is not cool,) trying to keep the fox side of her down now, the pain driving the human mind back to the surface, more than a little embarrassed that she'd lost it for a moment. Thinking fast she realized the futility of the situation, she could bite down but it would do little to the ghost in the long run just as it was do little to her after she demorphed, which didn't leave her many choice off the top of her head. Then from no where an idea hit her, she doubted it was a good one but it was all she could think of at the time. Jumping forward, her mouth still wedged open she ran her mouth over the slow filling her jaw with it, the frozen water searing her tongue, which was a nice change from the burning and giving her brain freeze. The ice also effected Zephyr as she'd hoped, the mouse trembling in her mouth letting her know it was working. Doing so for a few more moments she finally felt the rodent start to grow numb from the cold and was able to spit her out without further damaging her mouth.

With a growl filling the air she watched the mouse bounce on the slow but didn't give her time to attack or recover jumping up and head butting the ghost slamming her deeper into the ice. Pulling back she was more or less satisfied that the mouse was no longer a threat to her but not enough to simply walk away. Turning around she followed the smell back to the long sword that had pierced her mouth and picked it up with her teeth and padded back to Zephyr and pinned the rodent down to the ground with it then did the same with the missile launcher, the twin weapons hopefully buying her some time.

Looking up at the fight, she didn't like what she saw, a rocket powered David going after her brother and Sam, (hang on guys, we'll make it out of this,) and running to them trying to figure out a way to help them from the forms she had.

High above her the pair had big problems, David having figured out how to work the weapons in the suit and opening fire on them. A mix of ectoplasm, energy blasts, normal flames and low yield dracon beams flew at them, from one arm, the blue energy blast that came naturally form the suit was emitted by the other arm. From his mouth came a primal roar of a lion, a sound that made it hard for them to think, the sound rattling them mentally and physically.

"Remind me to thank Tobias for bringing this psycho into our lives," Danny snapped turning in mid air and firing off a volley of etcobursts at the enhanced ghost, the green energy just bouncing off him.

"He was coming regardless it's not his fault," the goth grabbing onto the front of her board and arcing up and firing back at David, tired of running and slashing her saber across his back. The move brought her close to the ghost, to close for his now single-minded mind to pass up, twisting and grabbing her in his large claws. Holding her there he brought his multi weapons arm to her ready to turn her inside out with the energy discharge from the weapons.

Danny wanted to scream, but kept his mouth shut, not wanting to give the ghost any warning at all and shot up at him, propelled by a discharge of energy from his feet, an ectoshield held in front of his body, using it as a ram and slamming into the arm of the ghost, the impact enough to shake him up so Sam could once more fire her board, hitting him in the face with the back end of the vehicle as she arced back and away from him.

With Sam free Danny moved back as well not wanting to get caught in those large metal arms, "ok we really need a plan B here," tapping on his head set, "Tucker if you have anything I'd love to here it right now, and I mean anything at all, tell me to hit him with a banana cream pie for all I care."

The comment caught him by surprise, "you have a banana cream pie?" Shaking it off and tapping on his PDA, looking at the readouts, "I still got nothing, well nothing good anyway, last time you were in that thing I could read the power loss it was suffering."

"And now," almost afraid of where this was going.

"I'm not picking up the energy signatures, I'm not sure if that's because of the new pilot in the suit or…"

"…or because Vlad fixed that problem, great, this is the last thing I need right now."

"Look on the bright side at least he can't get the sword any more, that things sealed up tight now."

"And with it Tobias," Sam growled firing off a few more shots at David, the red energy bouncing off the fire of his body's covering.

Growling, "thanks for adding that Sam like I really needed to hear that agai…YIKES," diving down as David opened fire at Danny with his multi arm and started through the little blue orbs with the others, the balls erupting before they hit anything throwing everything in the vicinity back as they detonated.

Sam bounced off the hull of the Eclipse with the first strike, "of course it couldn't be a nice soft snow bank I landed in," pushing off the cold metal.

"When have you ever jumped in a snow bank," a rattled Tucker rasped, unaware he was still transmitting as he tried to get back into his chair.

"Shut up Tuck," she hissed looking back at the fight, "how about you actually start helping instead of just sitting there."

Rolling his eyes, "help comes in all forms Samantha, not my fault you can't recognize it, and yes I called you Samantha and you can't do anything about it right now."

She wanted to respond to that but didn't get the chance as David continued to fire, but tracking Danny rather than shooting at them, seeing the half ghost as the real threat in the environment. Danny was dodging left and right, up and down on the ghost, but that was all he could do, most of his range attacks doing nothing, against the mechanically enhanced killing machine. He knew if he was going to do anything he had to get David out of the suit, a prospect that wasn't encouraging since that meant getting up close, something he didn't want to do given the size of the ghosts claws.

Firing up his jets David shot forward at Danny, taking it out of the half ghosts concern as he suddenly came up next to Danny and backhanded him to the ground, or near the ground as David shot forward again, the jets giving him incredible speed. Suddenly appearing under him he swiped at Danny, his claws sinking into his flesh, slightly burning it from the naturally produced heat, and sending him back up, that was flowed as she shot above Danny again and hit him once more, this time with the blue energy forming around his hand and punched Danny, the blue energy going everywhere, to the ice below, forming huge fissures in the ground, and making the others think Danny might truly be dead given the speed with which he hit.

"That hurt," Danny groaned, trying to sit to but doing so badly, the invisible shield he'd managed to construct from the last hit took the burnt of the abuse, but the force from the third, combined with the first two were enough to take him out of the fight. Raw determination was the only thing keeping him moving at the moment, and he wasn't sure how long that was going to keep him in the fight.

Not far away David floated to the ground, his body melting the ice and snow around him, forming a layer of steam in the air, making it hard to see him in the chilled environment. "Kill," the only word Davis snarled as he moved on Danny, both hands lighting up with energy. With Danny barely moving it wasn't hard for the mind controlled ghost to pick him up by the throat and hold him up, letting Danny see his giant burning fangs, each huge, thanks to his larger head.

"Sulfur breath," Danny coughed getting a whiff of the creatures mouth, coughing weakly, "get a breath mint."

"Kill," Bringing his other hand up and stretching out his claws, a move that took to long as Danny flexed both hands, small spheres of ectoplasm forming in them. Closing his hand around them he shifted the forms of them into knives and stabbed the blades into the flame and metal body, the forms cutting through the flam and hitting the metal and cutting into it.

Laughing lightly as the move worked, David letting him go, "bingo," keeping his voice low, talking to himself, "I really hoped that would pay off. Beams may bounce off you, but raw force, as the bird say that can bring anything down if you use it right."

Looking from his hand to Danny than back David let out a roar at close range, the force picking Danny up and throwing him across the tundra and making him crash into an ice bolder. "Kill," Snarling the word again and jetting to Danny and punching where Danny was, or trying to as he went intangible, the flame lion's fist flying through him and shattering the boulder next to him.

Whistling, "crushed ice for a thousand, if it wasn't for the melting thing you could make a mint going into the snow cone racket." Not finding it funny, or anything for that matter, David grabbed the largest chunk of ice from those that remained and tried to crush Danny's skull with it, again the strike passed through his body. "Your not that quick on the up take right now are you," phasing into the ground and coming out some distance away while the flame lion looked around.

"Danny you ok," Tucker talking to him over the headset when he came to the surface.

"Beat, hurt, and I'm amazed nothings broken, aside from that yeah, but I don't think I can do this much longer."

"Don't worry, we're here for you," Sam's voice hitting him, now sitting next to Tucker, wishing she had spent more time learning how to fire the weapons.

Not having the energy to look up, "right now I wish you were down here being me."

"Well that's creepy, if I'm you does that mean you want to be me," Sam trying not to look at Tucker, "and if you say it I will throw you out of the ship," pointing a finger at the pilot.

"How'd I get pulled into this," glaring at her, I'm just trying to get everyone out of here in one piece.

"Guys I'm in trouble her," forming twin balls in his hand and forming them into ecto blades, unable to make them any longer than knives, David now noticing him thanks to the talking.

Tapping on the controls, "we hear and obey man," pointing a finger at the girl, "give it to him."

"Lets hope I know what I'm doing here," letting lose a volley of energy blasts, lighting, ecto pulses, dracon beams, slime, and grenades started coming down between Danny and David forming a wall that neither could get across buying Danny time to breath and trying to think. That attack didn't give them much time though as David struck upward firing off a barrage at the ship forcing the pair to bolt away form the makeshift shield and turn the attention onto the ghost, laying their full power onto the attacker.

"Kill," David's only though as he released the full power at the ship, the ectoconverter inside the Eclipse working over time. As Tucker had theorized, inside the Ghost Zone the device worked even better, sucking the very foundation of the realm into and turning it into power and funneling it all into the shield generator and weapon systems, neither one losing power.

Rubbing his hand on the consul while mauve ring the ship away from the fire, and keeping the ghost trained on them and away form Danny. "That's it baby, keep it up a little longer, your doing great, that hunk of junk is no match for you right now, none at all."

"Your talking to a machine Tuck, that's not healthy," Sam not looking at her friend, trying to hit David as many times as possible and making sure Danny didn't get caught in the ricochet.

Not looking at his friend, "I'll talk to her anyway I like so long as she keeps keeping us alive."

The smart thing for Danny to do would've been to hang back and let the others take the heat for a while, but that also wasn't his style. Flying forward with the knives in his hands he shot onto his back and stabbed them into his shoulders, her wanted to go for the neck, but with the suit that wasn't an option since the burning neck was just an illusion, not actually connected to the Ecto-Skeleton. Like before the blade passed threw the flames and into the metal, what he was cutting into he wasn't sure, but it was enough that was he doing so. In response David threw him off, knocking Danny to the ground and brought his claws to bear, only to be assaulted by the Eclipse knocking him to his knees.

With a snarl he waved his hand behind him, activating the systems of the shield and forming a blue energy shield around him and Danny keeping the half ghost from going away where, not that he wanted to. "Not your best idea," closing his hand forming another knife as the shield went up and stabbed it into the arm of the Ecto-Skeleton then brought his hand back and punched it with his glove, the knuckles casting an odd light on the darker purple and forcing it deeper into the arm.

Throwing his head back in a roar he back handed Danny, his claws slashing into Danny's body, then tried to tear out the offending piece of energy out of his arm. Or at least tried to do so, the knife not there, the hit from the future tech enhanced glove caused it to shatter, sending small shards blasting through the internal workings of the arm, but what damage it did couldn't be seen from the outside of the arm.

"Well that did go to well," Danny groaned, from his point of view doing nothing to David other than making him a little bit madder.

Tearing forward, "kill," releasing blasts from his multi weapons arm, an arc of flame flying out and melting the ice around Danny as the half ghost took to the sky, something that didn't help much as David did likewise. The orange flame continued to spray in all direction, the stream never quite hitting Danny, but the heat making itself known to him, despite the coldness round him the warmth felt anything but good to his body.

"Great I'm going to die from third degree burns in the artic," he snarled forming twin balls of energy in his hands. The first began to glow and pulsate, the light growing brighter as he used the flash ball to try and blind David, the light at least slowing him down and making the ghost rear back. When he did so Danny flew up and threw the other ball at him, the ball exploding in his face covering him in green slime, the ooze bubbling and popping as it boiled on the flamed head.

"Well that worked really well didn't it man," Tucker watching from up high while Sam fired off the weapons in the Eclipse at the ghosts back. They knew it wouldn't bring them down, but at this point they were just trying to by time till they could figure something out.

Away from all of them on the opposite of the tower Vlad hovered next to the tower, running his hand over the spot in the ice that let him tough the tower itself. The red energy alone told the vultures he wasn't happy, the screaming and cursing he was doing just added to the obvious. After several moments he finally stopped, taking deep breaths and regaining his composure. "You ok boss," one of the birds asked next to him, up till now keep just far enough away incase he snapped.

"I don't understand this, I can't get in, I can't get in at all, this shouldn't be stopping me, the incantation worked before."

"It is magic boss, and that's something you can't really anticipate."

Turning around and grabbing the bird with the bushy eyebrows by the throat not caring if he had spoken or not, "I anticipate everything, I manipulated Pariah Dark himself, no structure of stone is going to keep me from my prize!"

"Don't think of it as being beaten by a tower, think of it as being outplayed by the greatest strategist and warrior in the history of the Ghost Zone, there's no shame in that," the one in glasses piped in trying to get his boss to release his friend.

"Ot..heling," the bird hacked out, his vocal cords not working in the halfa grasp.

"If he was so smart, so wise, he would still be here, still be in control, he was not even close to the greatest strategist and I will not be beaten by an answering machine.

The third bird looked from the other birds, to Vlad to those he could see, "the Fright Knights still in there and David has the others at bay, who knows this might not be lost just yet, there are a few moves left to play, a few hand still to be dealt, and the fat lady hasn't sung yet."

Vlad just looked at the bird, "did you use every metaphor you know in that sentence," growing calmer the birds words penetrating his anger.

"Just about boss," watching the half ghost release the other bird from his grasp.

Looking at the tower, "for you sakes you better be right about that, I did not come this far just to lose."

Inside the tower a very different fight was raging, blood coved the walls along with wounds and gashes that were self healing. Tobias himself was the donator of the blood, the wounds making it harder for him to think but otherwise not slowing him down much, use to the pain. The Knight had a few wounds himself, while not bleeding, his armor had small nicks and cracks running along it now, wounds that would take him hours in a forge to fix. Wounds that he loved, for the first time in years actually finding someone that was capable of hurting him when pushed hard enough.

"Your fighting well, but your slowing down," slashing at him, catching the palm of Tobias' hand in the swing.

(I've lost just about all my blood, of course I'm slowing down,) laughing, slightly light headed, (but I've fought through worse, and I'm not giving you the satisfaction of beating my,) healing kicking at the ghost, the armored ghost catching the strike, something Tobias had hoped for, figuring out the ghosts habits. With his other leg he lunged up, raking his talons up along the metal armor cutting into it and dropping to the ground due to his loss of anything on the ground.

The self sacrificing attack surprised the ghost to a point, the bird was growing more desperate as the fight went on. The move almost surprised him as much as the tail rocketing out and slashing at the ghosts wrist, the blade and the bulk of the tail knocking the Soul Shredder from the Knights hand. With a clang the swords bounce on the ground, much to the shock of the Knight for the first time truly being disarmed by an opponent in years, up till now always knowing when it might happen in a fight and letting it occur to further his own ends.

The flame around his head jumped up higher into the sky, a sign of his happiness at the fight, "an amazing move, but one miss timed," crushing his boot into Tobias back a moment after he hit the ground, the bird not able to even begin to move.

(Thanks I try,) his tail whipping out but being caught in the ghost grasp before it could do anything to hurt him.

"You use this well but you use it to often," admiring the cuts on the blade, "a warrior must use everything at their disposal.

(I know,) arcing his back and trying to stab his horns into the chest of the Knight, while simultaneously swinging his arms back and up, the elbow blades biting into his heals and the remaining wrist blade cut into his leg. The move however cost him, feeling something snap in his arms, more than likely muscle he realized after a few moments if nor bone.

The cuts made the Knight drop back when it combined with the hit from Tobias head, the metal filling the air with the sound of banging metal. A small growl escaped his lips as he hit, the excite and fun of the moment slipping away slightly, the fight growing more serious, the bird becoming more of a threat a bit wilder than the Knight had expected. While he still was enjoying the fight these self-sacrificing attacking were being to make him mad, having through Tobias was smarter then that, more skilled.

He rolled to his feet at the same time as Tobias, the alien arms hanging at his side limply, "if you continue this there will be nothing left of you soon then how will you fight?"

(One thing I've learned is that wounds heal, and pain doesn't mean you stop, I got plenty left in me, but again if you just want to leave," wincing as she felting his arms fill with pain, now knowing they were indeed totally useless in a fight, at least in the conventional sense.

"You'd make a fair berserker but when again so does David, and I know you can be more than him in your sleep," jumping up near the ceiling, his flame cape flapping in the still air. Coming down, he missing Tobias as the morphed boy rolled out of the way, his claws scratching the ground and cutting new gashes in the floor. On the ground the ghost pulled his armored hand from the ground, having embedded it up to his forearm.

(Why is it your so interested in what I could be,) getting to his feet but keeping his distance, trying to put himself between the black ghost and the sword.

Noticing the move, the seeming subtly of it and becoming a little more impressed that he wasn't that lost in the fight. "Your like a fine sword, honed and sharpened, ready to be used but wielded by a novice why no clue."

(Your calling me stupid?)

"Far from it, you just do things without thinking the consequences through, while you will win the battle, it is only through your power that you survive it. However I do applaud you, you've come further than I thought you could on your own, you simply lack refinement in the ways of battle, and you to easily sacrifice your body for the sake of a single attack."

(A single attack at the right moment can be all you need to win the war, and such an action can be all you need if it preserves the lives of others even at the cost of your own. From that moment the lines of destiny will sprawl in all directions, the future of that action never being known for what might be.)

He cocked his head at the words, "you speak deeply for someone for young, did you come that that conclusion on your own or study it?"

Swaying his head back and forth, (I learned it from my uncle, he learned it from my father,) shooting forward, lunging his head forward and snapping his beak. The knight moved back, but that didn't give him time to miss the heal kick from Tobias to his head sending the helmet spinning around on his head. Dropping down he used the momentum and his opponents blind ness to turn into a leg sweep and drop the ghost to the ground. Not letting up he jumped up and body slammed the ghost as best he could, embedding an elbow blade between the chinks in the armor then head butted him in the helmet one more time for good measure.

Jumping back, letting out a small grunt as his blade choose to stay in place and broke away, (and that I learned from three girls in my life, I know I hang out with intense people.) Turning on his heals and running, not waiting for the purple flamed ghost to get up and come after him. With the blood loss raging threw him his legs felt like they were made of solid iron, the stomping sound of his feet on the ground only helps to emphasis that feeling.

"Then again," the Fright Knight sitting up and turning his helmet around so he could see again, "it's entirely possible I've been miss reading you and you don't actually become weaker as your injured." The series of strikes had made him very happy, the raw ferocity of the assault and the precision renewing his enjoyment of the fight, the thoughts of needing to teach him slipping away.

(Yeah I get that a lot, it's the hawk side of me, the whole kill or be killed thing when something bigger decided to come after me.) As he spoke he turned to look at the Knight who was slowly rising to her feet, staring back at him half way up the stone pyramid.

"Your also resourceful," looking up at him and walking over to get his sword making no move to the bird as he slowly backed up the pyramid one step at a time.

The hawk was now alive in his mind, more so than before, he knew an attack was coming, the Knight now being perceived as a more powerful predator, knowing it was the Knight's move and all he could do was fly away or try and strike back against a more powerful opponent. (What can I say, a weapon of raw power, it may be what I need to win this fight before I finally pass out.)

The Knight was a little shocked at the boys frankness having expected him to lie through his beak, "a good plan but you don't know anything about that weapon, what it can do, what it might do to you, you did hear that it could destroy you."

(Can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs, besides I adapt quickly, it comes with the territory, a byproduct of my power,) taking a feet more steps up the stairs.

Picking up his weapon and sheathing it, turning his back on Tobias, "adapting to a body is one thing if I what David told me is true, adapting to power, that's something very different, if used foolishly it can destroy everything you wish to keep safe in a heart beat and make your life a living nightmare."

Looking at the purple flames of his back, (that's something I already know, and have experienced to many times, I don't want power for myself, for that matter I don't want it period, I've seen those with power driven mad and I don't want to become them. But sometimes power is the only thing that can keep you going, the only thing that can make sure those you love never have to know the heartache that comes from the loss of the life you love. If taking a little bit more is the only thing that keeps them safe, and keeps them happy I'll take it even if it does make my life more miserable.)

Laughing lightly when he head the words, "I said something like that once long ago," his voice low, but Tobias still hearing him, "I believed them at the time as well. Power is a slippery slope the wrong move at the wrong time and it ceases being about protection and simply become a matter of power and thrill."

(Yeah well, you and I we're not the same, different paths, different people in our lives, different everything,) coming within a few steps of the sword.

Jumping up, using his flight to shoot forward in a back flip, both he and Tobias diving for the weapon, "or perhaps we're not as different as you think," both grabbing the hilt in the same instant, the Knight with his hand, Tobias with his beak.

(Somehow I really doubt that,) pulling on the weapon the Knight doing likewise, neither pulling it away.

"I hope your right," drawing the Soul Shredder and stabbing it at Tobias, the bird using his knee blade to block the strike and turn it away. "Impressive, I wouldn't have used that as such a weapon."

Kicking with the foot, the strike totally missing, (as I said I adapt fast, and I use whatever at my disposal.)

"The hallmark of a skilled fighter," slashing at the aliens neck, missing as he moved it, in the process nearly letting go of the weapon.

(Or maybe just a desperate one,) arcing his tail up and wrapping it around the razored edge of the Lightning Blade while he shot forward with his head grabbed the Soul Shredder in his beak, trying to wrestle it from his opponents grasp.

Laughing loudly, his enjoyment growing, "this is every bit amusing as I thought it's be," trying to pull the sword away and slash it across Tobias jaw and send him into the nightmare realm at his disposal. The move however never came as the bird jumped his right leg landing on the pedestal where the sword hovered, his other leg shot over the weapon and kicked down into the Knights head. The move put the sword essentially between his leg and the hit disoriented the Knight enough to weaken his grasp again Tobias wrenching the green blade from his hand and fling it across the room. With a snarl, a mix of a wolf's growl and parrots squawk, his tail pulled the sword free moving it away, the blade cutting into his tail and making him winch as it cut deeply. With the tail moving, the Lightning Blade was trust at the head of the Fright Knight, Tobias intent of embedding it into his head.

"Not today," his grip on the blades hilt not loosening, his free hand forming a multisided purple energy structure and hit Tobias in the back with it, causing the light purple energy to fire out in every direction, even into the Knight and the Lightning Blade due to the lack of distance. When the purple energy hit the sword it reflected off, glowing a brilliant white, striking back at the green back of the other would be wielder of the mythic weapon The force of the hit mixed with the energy released, shot Tobias forward, his tail running over the length of the sword, nearly being cut in half by it.

As he hit the ground Tobias became aware of the fact that the Lightning Blade was no longer in his tail, and burning pain in his back from the energy discharge. Mixed with those was the pain from a hundred other wounds he'd gotten in the short fight including feeling his organs starting to shut down, those that still worked anyway. However those were just the surface pains, below them he felt something else, something on the border of pain he didn't understand, something that just hung on the verge of a feeling, but it was growing and doing so quickly, threatening to envelope his body as it grew and seemed to coil around his body filling every inch of his body.

Watching the alien bounce down the steps caused the Knight no end of amusement, the fight over, the final outcome now known, his victory now proof rather than speculation. Beginning to walk down the steps, feeling the weight of the weapon in his hand, at first it felt heavy, odd in his hand but as he moved it felt better, light, as though it were part of him, forged for his hand, meant to be used by him alone. For a moment he let himself be intoxicated by the feel of the weapon, but only for a moment, his mind returning to the situation at hand, knowing this wasn't quite over yet, a section of a wall beginning to vanish, the claiming of the sword activating the final element of the towers enchantment allowing those within to exit at their leisure.

"You fight well Tobias, better than most I've come across in the last few years, with passion and force that comes along once in a lifetime. But you lack many thing, training in combat, both the mental and physical skills, knowledge of strategy, I can teach you these things make you far stronger than any living creature has a right to be, more so than most ghost will ever hope to be. To that end I'm offering you a choice, join me, I don't mean Vlad, I me alone, stand at my side and I will make you a true warrior, a complete warrior, one with full knowledge of the wisdom I've accumulated. If you refuse, I'll let you live, I don't want to kill you, I respect you, I want to see what you will become, but you would be better served at my side, I'll even let you stay with your friends, I think they add something to you."

Tobias heard most of it, demorphing, healing the wounds on his body, beginning to feel a coldness sweeping over his body the sign that it was shutting down. The coldness seemed to be overwhelming the other feeling he couldn't place, but he wasn't sure if that was because it was gone or if it was because it was simply going away. (No,) not looking at him, (I enjoy the offer, but I'd rather do things on my own, and frankly I don't trust you. You're a warrior, you have a code, I know that much, I know you didn't like what you did to me when Vlad had me captured, but we're just to different, and honestly I don't like the idea of you having that sword anymore than I like the idea of Vlad or even myself having it. It's to dangerous for any person to have, it has to be to put this many security measures in place.)

Looking at his reflection in the blade, "your probably right about that, but it's to late for that now," looking down at Tobias then taking to the air, not yet at the base of the pyramid and floating to the corridor than lead to freedom.

Standing up Tobias stretched his wings, they felt heavy, but that was mostly due to his exhaustion rather than a physical injury. Looking at the Knights back, he knew the sword might be safer with the spirit, but that belief wasn't enough to sustain him. Spreading his wings and flapping into the dead air making getting lift difficult, buy at the moment he needed all the energy he could get and morphing into another bird to gain height just wasn't as option.

The Knight heard what was going on behind him but didn't make a move to stop him, noting it as another thing he would have to teach Tobias, when to let a situation be and simply walk away and wait for the next confrontation. "Don't be stupid Tobias," he warned giving the bird the courtesy, "save your strength to help your friends."

(I am,) Diving down at the Knight the silver sword flashing in the low light and hitting Tobias dead in the talons. In the meeting of the two a bright white light jumped between them, lighting up everything in the room in a light so blinding it blinded them both yet nether relented in the strike. The Knight was shocked, not understand why he could cut through the bird more easily, Tobias easily shocked by that, but more so by the feeling radiating in his body, the formerly unidentifiable feeling becoming a mix of pain and exhilaration that seemed to hit every fiber of his being and made him want both to run away and experience more in the same instant.

"YOUR NO MATCH FOR ME," the Knight roared not understand what was going on.

(I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT BEFORE, THEN I TORE THEM APART,) the mental snarl a mix of many beasts at once, but in front of them all was human determination. Feeling the energy building in him, he didn't bother trying to run just letting it come not knowing what was going to happen but continued to yell, (THAT THING IS NEVER GETTING OUT OF HERE!)

Outside the others took note of the mental roar, the thoughts going everywhere, even making David pause, what little influence he still had over his body considering if Tobias was a bigger threat and needed to be dealt with first. The thoughts were ultimately ignored however as Jazz fired off a few more shots at him, having traded place with Sam some time ago, none of her forms up to the fight, at least in the sky, a few of the blasts got threw the rest being blocked as he raised his shield again. Taking a glace over at the pilot, "you heard that to right?"

Nodding numbly, "that really didn't sound good did it?"

"Not even close to it," the thoughts making her shiver, the raw rage in his thoughts making her afraid, she'd known he had a darker side, a wild side, but nothing like that.

"Are we sure we want him out," maneuvering the ship up as David let loss a blast of blue energy at them while shooting at Danny and Sam with his other arm.

"Shut up Tucker," Jazz snarled looking over at Sam and Danny who were outside trying to slow David down but not really getting anywhere with the task.

Arcing up with her board Sam avoided the shot but still came close enough to throw her far away from the fight till she managed to get the board become stable again. "If anyone has any idea what to do here to get this guy away from us I'd love to hear it because I'm getting really tired."

Glaring up at his friend, "at least you got to sit down for a while, how do you think I feel," he tried not to let the anger of the seemingly futile fight creep into his voice but her knew he failed.

"Guys focus," Jazz staying calm inside the side, and altering the weapons system on the ship, "this guy can be taken down, the suits not perfect and neither is the pilot, we just need to find the right combination to stop him so just calm down."

"People who are safe and warm don't get to talk sis," sneezing as a blast of cold air hit him in the face while he dodged another arc of laser fire. That was followed up by another one of the small blue balls that sent everyone reeling again as the shockwave picked them up and threw them different directions.

Inside the Eclipse Tucker was trying to keep the ship stable and stay in his chair, a task that he'd nearly given up on at this point. "I know what I said about this girl being tough but if we keep getting hit like that the momentum is going to shake something loose."

Tapping the firing control, "don't worry, she'll hold together," the redhead finally finding what she hoped was the right combination. Pushing the button an arc of lightning jumped from the weapons compartment on the left, striking David in the back, following it up with a blast of slime from the beam on the right, then a flash of blue, the slime freezing as it was hit by super chilled ectoplasm and following it up with a crimson beam of dracon energy shattering it and cutting right into the heart of the Ecto-Skeleton.

Turning to Tucker and putting her arm in the air the boy answering her with a high five, "of yeah on a roll now," blasting him a few more times but not hitting anything but the shield and as he flashed his hand behind him.

Next to her Tucker sighed, "well it was a good idea, it really was."

"Still is Tucker," Danny seeing the weak point of the metal incase ghost, and watching the flames try and heal around the wound.

He didn't have to say anything Sam nodding, "already know where your going with this," shooting down under David and releasing a few blasts of red energy trying to distract the ghost for Danny.

"Alright time to do something stupid again," blasting next to David, a trail of green behind him, already forming a knife in his hand and stabbing it into the metal back, trying to carve it open and get at the hardware within, enough of a Fenton to know if it destroyed that the suit might become useless depending on what was in his reach.

Reaching in he managed to pull out a few handfuls of wires and electronics out of the cavity, inside David saw warning lights flashing inside the suit, understanding them but not really caring, only concerned about killing his opposition. The warning however was enough as he activated the close quarters weapons, the body of the suit electrifying and sending Danny hurtling back, the fire taking on a lighter hue and the charge added to the ghost fire for a few moments.

Looking back at the half ghost he rocketed towards the white haired boy and punched him down to the ice below. The second Danny bounced off the frozen water David was there lacing his finger together and hammering him back down, forcing him deeper into the ice. Pulling an arm back he was ready to drive Danny further down and deliver the death blow, his hand lighting up with blue energy that highlighted his black claws as he opened them up. To make matter worse, a compartment on his wrist opened up four long claws that could double for swords, each glowing with a mix of black flame and blue energy as well.

"BACK OFF FLAME BAIT," Sam slamming the bottom of her hover board into the ghost, taking the brunt with the shield portion of the device, bouncing off the ghosts arm just below the claws and forcing him to the ground away from Danny, the claws melting the ice and snow. She ricocheted away but not before lashing out with her whip and grabbing Danny's leg and pulling him away from the fight, twin rings running over him and turning him back to normal.

Up in the ship the pair saw it all, Jazz's mouth growing dry, unsure what had just happened. Tucker tapped the communication system cutting Jazz out in fear of the next words Sam said. "Sam how is he," running his fingers over the controls trying to get a read on Danny's vital signs.

Leaning down next to him after she pulled him onto the board and checked his pulse, with a deep sigh, "he's still with us, I think he just had enough," looking up, inside the ship Tucker sighed and opened up Jazz's communication system. "I'm bringing him in to warm up, this ice can't be help him right now.

Leaning back into her chair, "oh thank you," Jazz speaking to every religion figure she could think of at once just to be on the safe side.

"Door will be open when you get here," then looking over at Jazz, "I hate to saw this, but I think we might want to leave."

Glaring at him, "we're not leaving without Tobias."

"If we knew where he was I'd be more inclined to agree with you but we're not in a position to be looking for him."

"Don't fight me on this Tuck," her hair going white, "you wouldn't win."

"All the same," watching Sam's progress, "it's not like he can't take care of himself….of crap," watching David move in on Sam and Danny fast, it wasn't his full speed but it was enough to over take her well before she got to the ship. "Hang on to your butt," turning the ship, "we're about to become a really big shield and it will hurt," trying to get between David and the pair.

"KILL," David roared, his lion scream mixing with it as he drew closer to the pair, Tucker knowing he wasn't going to be able to get between them in time to stop the ghost.

"Back off," Jazz opening fire on David, what looking like a chain gun coming out of the weapons compartment on both sides of the Eclipse forced to only use the light armaments due t the backlash of the fire possibly hitting Sam.

"That's not going to work," Tucker hissed not looking at her.

"I know but shy of miracle this it all I can do," as she said it white light streamed out of the hole in the tower that had formed but had kept anyone from entering through it. With a roar not unlike David's own, yet less dark the light shot towards them faster than could be tracked, only the after glow letting them know where it was.

Inching closer to them David opened his hand the blue energy forming ready to cut through the pair on the board, "kill," the word seemingly taking an a deeper meaning as Sam looking down at him, half expecting her life to start flashing before her eyes. Only the impact and sizzle of flesh never came, David unable to use it as the light grabbed David by the attacking arm, flipped him over and flung him away as though her were nothing at all.

Tucker jerked his hand around to look at Jazz, "do you have any idea what that was?"

"No idea but one hope," watching as the light died down slightly become easier to look at as it lost it's blinding intensity.

(Nice upgrade David, lets see how you deal with mine,) the light revealing a slightly different Tobias, a mix of human and hawk features now hovered in the sky before them. His body was modeled on a humans, but one covered with feathers, with large wings, a tail and hawks head. His arms and legs grew scaled just below his elbows and knees, his hands a feet more closely resembling those of a hawk, ending in shark talons. His coloring was that of a normal hawk, but it was hard to tell, the bright white glow seeming to come from under his feathers casting an old color from his body. Around his body was a strip of cloth connecting to a scabbard, holding the hilt of a green weapon in it.

"Ok when did he get that," Tucker keeping his eyes on the new comer to the fight.

Shrugging her shoulders, "I have no idea he didn't mention it to me before, but it does work on him."

"Yeah lets hope it works on David too," flying over to Sam so the goth could throw Danny into the ship.

"You heard Tobias voice to right," looking back out at the bright backed bird.

Jazzed nodded, "no clue what's going on either, I just hope he's not dead."

"Looking like that it's a real possibility," walking back to the lip of the door, "if things get bad I'll come back, but right now someone has to go deal with Vlad."

"We'll keep you informed," Tucker pulling the Eclipse back, having a feeling it was going to get bad very quickly out there.

Outside David and Tobias were staring each other down, the white bird making a stark contrast to the black cat, (any time your ready,) flexing his fingers.

"KILL," David rocketing forward using his jets moving at the same speed he'd used to move past Danny, his claws opening up to tear into Tobias, or trying to as his claws was caught and held in place by one of Tobias hands.

(Well,) holding the arm, feeling the power David was putting behind the strike but simply holding it back as if it were nothing at all, (this is different.) Pushing the arm back he kicked him in the chest and sent the cat flying back till it crashed into a mountain of ice causing an avalanche to fall on him, burying him in snow in a matter of seconds.

"Ok did that scare anybody else," Tucker's voice very small as he watch Tobias treat David like a rag doll.

Looking up from her spot in the back with her brother, seeing the falling snow, "that was Tobias?"

"Oh yeah," looking out but not blinking his eyes.

"Those must be some steroids birdies on."

"Lets just hope the 'roid rage isn't that bad."

In the chill of the subzero world the fight continued to rage against the two, David releasing beams of energy at Tobias, none of the attacks hitting him as shot over them at a speed to great from David to track. (Come on man, where's a little bit of the old David psychosis, kill, maim, rape, this isn't much fun of you don't put some energy into it.)

"Kill," rocketing towards the birdman missing his strike as Tobias simply side stepped him in the sky, the metallic ghost just flying past.

(For that matters where's your winning wit, you use to love the sound of your own voice,) flapping his wings and flying up and diving down, laying his feet talons into his opponents back, driving him down. From his position he could see through the flames, his eyes quite a bit better now, inside the cockpit he got all the answers he sought, David with the same charm around his neck that had once been around his own. (Well that explains the lack of you talking,) pushing off the machine and flapping away from him.

With him off his back David roared in anger and rage, a tiny bit of his old hatred creeping back into his control, the full knowledge that the bird was his largest threat now fully in place. Looking at the bird he shot forward, fingers spread, each flaming claw glinting in the light, the four blades out and his other arm charged to release the fire power in his arm, his body growing brighter as he clicked on the electric shield to fry the bird if he got to close.

Even as David moved in on him Tobias held his ground, completely calm, reading the movements of his opponents, knowing what he wanted to do, every strike he might try, every combination that would follow afterwards. Something about the power swirling through him had calmed him, changed him, not totally through, he was still himself, still in control but he now felt at ease with battle, as though this was where he belong, like the swirling rush of battle was were he was meant to be.

"KKKIIILLLLLL," David roared coming in on the bird.

(You can try,) waiting till the last second, ducking down pulling the Soul Shredder and spinning in the air, cutting off both legs at the knees. As they fell the metal legs lost their fire and became simply silver again and bounced on the tundra below. (I hope that hurt,) coming back up and watching David turn, the stumps that were his legs sparking and flaring as the electronics went nuts.

Whistling from inside the ship, "you just saw that right, tell me you saw that."

"No I didn't see it Tuck, I'm trying to get my brother up," lightly slapping her brothers face, glad he was at least getting warmer to the touch but that was all.

"Good thing I'm recording this then because your going to want to watch that," tapping his PDA making sure he actually was recording everything.

(Yeah yeah yeah, kill, I get it,) Tobias sighed mouthing along with what David was saying, the power inside him combined with the Soul Shedder easily making him a match for the technology enhanced ghost. Regardless of his lack of legs David didn't slow down, still relying on the jets to move, the only real sign they had even been there to begin with were the occasional blasts of flame and sparks that lit up the icy world and causing the falling snow to melt.

Watching the movements of his old enemy he could see something in the midst of the movements that set his mind off, recognizing a target when he saw one. His right arm was moving slower then the left, it wasn't much but it was definitely slower, from the movements he guessed it was an injury caused in the fight before he arrived. (Ok how did I know that,) looking on information just jumping into his mind, an action that frightened him, but he wasn't in a situation to really look into that facet of his change.

Clacking his beck together, (here kitty kitty, come get the nice juicy bird, plenty of white meat on me,) stretching his arms wide in part joking about the light radiating off him, taunting him to try and eat him. With a snarl David shot towards him moving a top speed, the multiple weapons unfolding from his arm ready to fire when he got in point blank range. He wasn't aware he didn't stand a chance as Tobias side stepped him again, to him David might as well have been standing still and sliced up his his arm to the metal shoulder and flapping his wings back moving a good distance back.

Turning his thought speech to the others, (your going to want to move if I'm right about this because it's going to be ugly.)

"What is he talking about," Jazz growing nervous, not sure what was going on in the fight with the exception of a few ohhs and ahhs from Tucker.

"Umm," tapping on his PDA, shifting his attention from that to the screens on the consul and a hologram in the center of the ship.

"I don't like 'Umm's' Tucker."

"I think he hit a power generator on that strike and David might be in the midst of a meltdown in the next few minutes if not seconds."

Dropping her brother and hopping into the chair, "tell me your kidding me here, this is insane, how would he even know that was there?"

Shrugging, "I have no idea but we need the shields on and we need to get as far away from here as possible," flipping a switch, "Sam you need to get back here because things are about to get very hot out there, and I mean more than normal."

"Having problems of my own here Tucker," the goth hissed bouncing off one Vlad's face with her board while shooting another clone in the leg with her gun, just missing as twin beams of ecto energy missed her from his eyes. She had one Vulture entangles in her whip but in the process of doing so she'd lost her grip on it and they were both laying on the ice, the bird screaming Yiddish obstinacies at her. The other two ghost birds were taking turns diving bombing her while a third and forth Vlad launched ectoblasts at her from a distance.

"Yeah whatever they are they can't be as bad as what's coming," the boy in glasses having no clue what her situation was.

"Trust me I don't think it can be much worse than the situation I'm currently is," deflecting one shot of energy with her sword ending it into the bird with the dark glasses, and sniped the other from the sky, a blast of red cutting through his right wings and dropping him down to his partner. Lifting her board up, she caught the blast from another Vlad and made it ricochet to the Vlad that had tried to shot her with the eyes beams.

"Just get off you pampers butt and get back here," not caring what Sam was dealing with looking at the growing power out put of the suit.

"PAMPERED BUTT, OH THAT IS IT FOLEY YOU ARE A DEAD MAN!"

"You'll be deader if you don't get back here and I mean ASAP!"

Looking to the pilot, "you do know she's going to kill you now?"

Nodding , "pretty much as soon as I said the words but at least it's getting her back here and I think that's all that matters right now," watching the power levels go off the chart.

Tobias was oblivious to this knowledge, just expecting the multi weaponed arm to be disabled from the damage, not knowing what was going on underneath the surface of the flaming metal. With a roar David tore off the unfunctioning piece of machinery, losing it's flame as it fell and bounced off the ground with a thud. (Safe to say you can't feel anything now isn't it,) staying back but keeping his eyes on the boy, not missing a thing about the fight.

"Kill," the uninjured arm letting lose a torrent of energy at the bird, the shots all missing, for Tobias each coming at a snails pace allowing him to arc up over each of them without so much as a second thought.

(This is getting old David, really really old, at least when your you this feels like a fight, but your nothing more than a zombie now, not worth my time.)

"Kill," shooting forward with his jets covering the ground between himself and the empowered bird.

(Get some new materi…what,) looking down at the sword, feeling the green blade pulsate in his hand, new understand flowing into him. (Ok this is creepy,) suddenly understanding the blade and the power held within it, every facet of the weapon now at his beak and call. Looking over at David who had barley approached on him despite the speed of his movements, Tobias revelation taking only a second though seeming longer to him, (looks like a found a place to keep you after all.)

"KKKIIILLLLLLL," rocketing at the bird, an attack that proved fruitless as Tobias wings folded against his back, dropping from the sky as David passed over him, the Soul Shredder plunging into the ghost as he flew over head. A tiny amount of sparks jumped from the wound but that was all as the ghost disappeared from sight, the power of the sword sending him into the nightmare dimension.

Inside the Eclipse Jazz watched with wide eyes, "well I don't feel stupid now."

Tucker nodded numbly, after everything they'd done to try and fight him and never so much as slowing him down Tobias had simply removed him from the fight in a matter of minutes after completely dominating him. Shaking his head, forcing the thoughts away, "have to admit this feels a little like a cop out I was expecting something big to happen in order to stop him, you know one of those life and death, movie style final fights."

Looking back at the controls trying to find where Sam was in relation to them, "except this isn't a movie Tucker."

Looking at his own set of controls, while David was gone the threat of his arm wasn't, "this things still on the critical side of exploding."

"Great," Jazz's hair going white as she morphed her gorilla body quickly, she could've used the ships speakers but she wanted to make sure she got his attention. (Tobias, I don't what's going on in side you right now, but you have to listen, David's arm is going to explode and if I understand what Tuckers talking about it's going to take this segment of the Ghost Zone with him, we have to go.)

Looking over at her, seeing her through the ships windshield, but also seeing every weapon on the ship, and how best to destroy them. (On it,) looking down at the arm and spreading his wings and flying up before turning into a dive and bolting down, leaving a trail of white light following him. Or did, (whoa,) Tobias vision going dark, a wave of exhaustion he'd never felt before hitting him all at once making him lose control of his descent, and in truth his whole body as he passed out. With his body in a free fall and muscles relaxed he lost his grip on the Soul Shredder, the ghost blade plummeting to the ground ahead of him. The second his eyes closed he flared brightly, blinding all those looking at him for a few seconds, by the time they could see again he was a normal hawk again, a normal bleeding hawk, blood streaming out of every naturally occurring hole on his body, leaving a new trail in the sky.

When they noticed Sam was only a few feet from the ship, murder on her mind for the things Tucker had said to her, not knowing what was going o behind her. "I'm not going to kill him just hurt him, I'm not going to kill him just hurt him, I'm not going to kill him just hurt him," the only things she'd been saying since she escaped the seven way assault by Vlad and the birds.

"Sam," Jazz's voice coming from the speaking in her ear, the girl having demorphed in the ship, the seats not meant to support her weight, "I know you're probably mad right now but we need you to turn around an get birdie."

"Why," her voice sounding like a demon and Jazz doubted it was due to the filter in the mask.

Not looking at the flying goth, "turn around he's the red thing that can't fly," her tone strangely calm despite the pressing need for them to leave.

"WHAT," looking back at the red blob of blood, "CRAP, I'M ON IT BUT FOLLOW ME," turning on her board and speeding to the bird, her smaller more maneuverable form letting her snag Tobias out of the sky better than the Eclipse could, at least in theory. Positioning herself under him was easy enough for the tired teen, however the act of holding him proved to be far harder, the blood making him slick as she grabbed him in her arms only to drop him, the bird bouncing off the board and continuing to fall to the ice and metal arm.

"You want to actually grab him Sam," Tucker growled a little behind her, ready to grab them and run.

"Why don't you get out of that tin can and try it yourself Tuck," following the bird down and running her hands over her body, throwing the blood off. "This borders on the most disgusting thing I've ever done," grabbing one of his feet and trying to keep a grip on him, barely holding on. Shifting to power on her board with her feet the vehicle dropped down quickly by passing the bird then jolting back up slapping the bird in the tail feathers and popping him back up into her arms.

"You want to be a little more gentle with him," Jazz snarled worried the ruff treatment on him in that condition making her made.

Sam understood why Jazz snapped but couldn't help but answer in the same dangerous tone she had earlier, "this guys like a tennis ball soaked in lubricant, your lucky I can hold him at all."

"Just get him in," the Eclipse pulling over to her, the goth flying in, Tobias falling from her grip and dropped on the ground with a thud, blood splattering everywhere.

A blob hit Tucker in the back of the head, "I really don't want to know what that was do I?"

Stepping off her board and walking over to her friend, her presence making him very nervous, "that was hawk blood and your about to see your own, Tucky."

Taking a deep breath, understanding her anger, "understandable but can we wait till we're back on Earth, beating me won't do much good if we die in an explosion."

Growling under her breath, "make it fast I have a long list of things I want to do to you."

His voice becoming very small, "yes ma'am," turning the ship away from the tower and fly forward, moving the power from the weapons to the engines to gain more speed, not sure how large the explosion might be.

Jazz turned around in her chair, Sam taking over at the weapons position, while the redhead bent down next to the boys in her life, not sure what to do. Danny wasn't moving but Jazz had faith that whatever it was that healed him was working now and that he'd be up in a few hours. Tobias was another story altogether, while she knew he could heal it only worked when he morphed and it became clear after slapping him around a few times that wasn't going to happen, whatever had knocked him out not just going away. Even doing a quick morph to gorilla and screaming into his mind didn't help as far as she could tell, the bird simply out of it.

Looking back at Tucker and getting up, "we did put a first aid kit in this thing right," trying to stay calm.

"Back corner, I think in one of the boxes we loaded," Sam replied, understand Jazz's fear having held the bird, "need help?"

"Maybe," opening up a few boxes quickly and throwing the contents around till she came across the small red box and tore it open whipping out bandages and bottles of antiseptic hoping it would be enough. "The first aid classes I took, did not cover patching up birds."

Near the tower Vlad was far from happy, pulling his clones together, attributing his inability to stop Sam due to the energy he expended fighting off Daniel. His hands glowed a dark red, indicative of his anger, David was gone, the sword lost to him, and the Fright Knight and Zephyr no where to be seen, and finally the retreat of Daniel and his friends. That action more than the others worried him, they had been winning so why simply run, what was it that he was missing.

"Um boss," the bird with the glasses and the bracelet interrupted Vlad's train of thought, but stayed just out of arms reach of the halfa.

"What is it," folding his arms, making no attempt to hide his anger.

Tapping the bracelet with his other leg, "we can't find David but the rest of the suit still sending signals."

"So."

"Remember what we told you about the suit being mostly ready to go."

"Get to the point."

Flapping away, "the power source in the arm is unstable and it's about to blow," already a good deal away from the half ghost and the other two birds. He knew his cowardice would get him in trouble later, but he wasn't sure what would happen when the part ghost, part human, part alien power source would effect him or anyone else for that matter.

Vlad didn't have to be told twice taking off after the bird, the other two following in his wake, looking back at them, "remind me to make him suffer for leaving like that."

The one with bushy eyebrows nodded, "not a problem boss, just make sure we get to watch, or at least slap him around a little bit."

"I'll consider it," keeping his speed up, his thought temporarily off anything else, simply wanting to survive to see another day.

As they ran the Fright Knight, beaten, battered, cracks running up and down his suit, walked out of the tower, from his position he had heard everything, knowing that escape was now for the best. In spite of that however he couldn't bring himself to leave, not till he had his sword back. The ancient weapon might as well have been a part of him, a third arm or extra head, he wasn't just going to let it go. Reaching out he could sense the blade and knew to it quickly, knowing time was of the essence, and that every moment could be his last.

As a warrior he was dedicated to understanding weapons, to that extent he'd watching the bird make their ultimate weapon, their war suit for Vlad. In truth he didn't really understand it, but he knew enough of it to know that being near it at the moment could very well even end his after life.

Landing next to his blade, he pulled up on the green hilt, the blade coming from the ice without difficulty, from what he could tell with a quick look it was no worse for it's time in Tobias' care. "It's good to have you back old friend," lifting into the sky but not getting very far a snow ball hit him in the face.

As the ice came apart a bright blue card dropped out and in gold lettering said, 'TAKE ME WITH YOU!'

Looking down he found the source of the card, Zephyr with a rather large sling, even for a normal sized person it would seem overly sized. "So you survived as well," floating down next to her and scooping her up, "I would've thought he would've sent someone to save you."

'I'm a little surprised by this situation as well,' standing up in his hand, his cold armor hurting her already frozen feet.

Looking down at the metal arm the Knight sighed, "it appears we only have one way out of this, pity," looking at the Soul Shredder.

'Not going to like this?'

"More than likely not," drawing his blade above his head while below them the arm exploded in a myriad of lights and energy discharges that decimated the landscape. A wave of green tore through an ice cliff equal parts melting and shattering it. A wave of flame shot in all directions melting the landscape everywhere, the ground continuing to burn due to a mix of chemicals and energies released in the blast. Shots of purple drilled to the bottom of the hovering ice, destabilizing the ice. This continued for over an hour, the batteries and power cells on the suit possessing a long life, the maelstrom of energies released scaring the land and incinerating the area that was around it. By the time it was over nothing was left of the area, not even the tower survived only a few rouge stones signifying it was still there.

---

DP Style

As soon as the five got back threw the ghost portal they scattered, hurt feelings and barely controlled anger running wild through all of them. Jazz, pulled Danny and Tobias from the ship in the basement, Sam left as the Eclipse hit the skyline, needing to get away from Tucker before she hurt him. The pilot and tech guru was left putting the ship into the cove, not that he felt bad about that, glad to have the extra time to look over the ship's systems now that the fighting was over.

Jazz had been taken care of the two the remained of the day and into the night, keeping their parents at bay. Her brother was relatively easy for her but Tobias had proven difficult having no idea what to do for him shy of waking him up or cutting him open and trying to perform some kind of surgery that she'd read about on the internet. By the time she warded the others off and tucked her brother in and made sure Tobias was clean she was as existed as the pair she was taking care of, but still her mind wandered as she watched them sleep. She thought back to what she had seen in the tower, of the vision of what she wanted in the future, she had to admit the idea was intriguing, something she wouldn't be apposed to. Feeling the small shifting of the bird in her lap, she couldn't help but wonder if that was even still a possibility not understanding what was happening to him.

It was night fall by the time Danny woke up in his bed, still swore all over, but healing quickly thanks to his powers. He was more than a little shocked to find Jazz asleep in his room, sleeping in a chair, her feet propped up on the bed, in her arms was a heavily bandaged Tobias. However it became clear to Danny after a moment the bird was still alive despite how he looked, a soft rise and fall to the bandaged letting him know the bird was breathing. Laying in bed he wasn't sure what to make of the world or what had happened, al he knew was that he'd failed on some levels and that didn't sit well with him, that and not knowing how he'd ended up in his bed.

Sam had spent more than a few hours asleep herself, like the others, but in addition she shifted between screaming and trying to spar. The action and movement helping her release some of the tension that had built up in her, it wasn't that she minded losing she just didn't have any clue what had gone on and it made her nuts, that and the vision she'd had in the tower. She understood the meaning, but it didn't change the fact that having one of her biggest fears thrown back in her face, what she now was forced to admit could've been her greatest fear.

Tucker on the other hand was feeling far better about the fight and his time in the castle, for the first time in a long while simply feeling good about himself. He hadn't wanted to admit it to himself or to the others but he'd been feeling a little lost. His friends one by one were gaining powers or reveling secret lives he didn't know about and were systematically becoming more and more involved in the fighting while he hung back. But now things were changing, he wasn't sure why but he felt like he was where he needed to be, he wasn't a fighter he knew that much, he was a scientist, a thinker, and surrounded by the equipment on the Eclipse was where he felt most useful, most vital. It was something he felt he proved today in the fighting, acting more as the eyes and ears of the others, using things other than his fists to solve problems.

When the morning light streamed through Danny's window Tobias came around, strangely the human came out before the bird, something that was for the best when his situation hit him. When the bird's mind rolled up he kept in calm as the panic of being bound swelled up in him, letting Jazz sleep. Forcing himself to stay still like the others he thought back to the day before, both on the fight against himself, but more to the point the infusion of power that had occurred. It wasn't so much the power that had hit him that made him think but what he assumed were the after effects, the fatigue and given the look of his bandages the blood loss. (Of course it's possible someone beat the crap out of me between these two points,) keeping his thoughts private, not wanting to wake the others but not believing it himself.

Wherever they where they needed the time alone to think clearly, away from their friends. Each had things to think about and many saying things in the heat of battle they wish they hadn't, particularly Sam and Tucker, even if it was said for what they hoped was the right reasons. None doubted that things would blow over but they all knew those first few moments back together would be stressful, if not dangerous depending on the person.

The next morning after they all had woke up they met back at Sam's basement-rec room. Sam was in her usual tank top and skirt but nothing else but a black and purple fluffy bathrobe that her grandmother had given her two birthdays back that felt good on her sore skin. Jazz was back in her normal clothing, Tobias' jacket around her shoulders, somewhat adopting the clothing as her own. Danny was now in over sized version of his normal shirt, like Sam, wanting something a little lighter, while Tucker was dressed normally next to his friend, one of his extra berets on his head, the only change being a black eye Sam had given him when he'd told them they were all clear of the blast, a pay back for the things he'd said to her. Finally Tobias perched on the soda machine, glad to be rid of the bandages Jazz had covered him in, more or less looking like a cliché mummy but with the odd feather sticking out, now totally healed after a quick session of morphing.

"So did this seem like a waste of time to anyone else," Tucker finally asked picking up and ice pack and putting it on his eye, one of many around the room, being used off and on by the others, even after a night none where moving all that well and enjoyed the dulling sensation of the bags.

Danny and Sam nodded to Tobias, letting him do it, (SHUT UP TUCKER,) screaming into his mind so loud that he jumped in his chair and fell out of it.

Messing with his ears out of habit, "was that really necessary," glaring up at the bird.

(They told me to and yes, we didn't need to hear it,) closing his eyes, (we all know things didn't turn out right, it happens, for the moment we need to focus on the positive.)

Slumping back into the chair, "and where is that here?"

"We're alive," Jazz sighed, sounding very far away, "and beyond that does it really matter?"

"And we stopped Vlad from getting what he wanted, and sometimes that's more important," Sam added not totally believing it herself.

"Except we don't know that we did," Danny tried to keep his voice neutral but the others could hear the fact that he was about to lose consciousness, "and there are other questions that still haven't been answered," not hiding the accusation.

Tobias tried to keep his feathers from bristling, (I told you I can't remember what went on in there, one second I'm fighting the Fright Knight the next I'm outside looking at David and I have no clue what came between those two point in time.)

"You have admit that's kinda weird."

(Danny I'm a bird, I'm part alien, I talk to dead people, and for some reason I became whatever I became out there, not being able to remember a few minutes is not exactly high on the list of things wrong with me right now,) the feathers on his head rising.

Sam groaned a load fake moan cutting the to off, "would you two just stop, it doesn't matter right now."

"Glad someone said it," Jazz moving a pillow under her head to feel better, and moved an icepack on to it, feeling a throb at her temples form.

"I'm just saying we go to answer things and all we end up getting are more questions."

"And injuries, don't forget injuries," Tucker added, still feeling good, tapping on his PDA, looking for the video file to show Sam and Danny the fight Tobias had been in till now only hearing about the confrontation from himself and Jazz.

Rolling her eyes, "like you would know anything about that," flinching suddenly, a twinge of pain running through her shoulder.

Ignoring her, satisfied with what he'd done, "you have to know your strengths and apply them, I do my best fighting from inside that ship, maybe it's cheap, but it's where I belong just like you belong on the front lines."

(Looks like someone knows himself now,) Tobias a little impressed by the confidence in his voice.

"I had time to think ya feathered hemophiliac," giving him a small smirk, or as much of one he could with the bag on his face.

Pulling his head back, the best a hawk could do to look surprised, (big words, I'm impressed.)

"I am gifted in that area," leaning back into the chair, "and for the record, all things considered the Eclipse did pretty well. Everything that went wrong with the dragons I managed to fix and outside of not being able to get at David I think she did everything we asked of her."

Reaching out and grabbing a cold soda and slapping it on his forehead Danny leaned into his own chair, "I wouldn't think to much of that, nothing really got through that armor, nothing on our side anyway," eyeing Tobias past brightly colored metal.

Fluffing his wings, (I told you I don't know how I did that, I just knew things.)

Moving a can a little, "I find it really hard to believe that knowing had anything to do with you stopping that monster."

(It did,) keeping his thoughts calm, (I just knew things, where to hit, how he'd move, I understood the weapon in my hand completely. I don't know how I did it, I just did, I think it had something to do with whatever it is I was feeling.)

"More than likely," the others a little shocked when Tucker spoke up, "I managed to get a quick scan during your fight, not much considering I was trying to time the overload but still I managed to get a few readings."

Leaning back Danny sighed and rolled his hand around in small circles, "can you get to the point here Tuck."

Pushing his glasses up, hiding his momentary embarrassment, "right the point is, I was picking something weird off you."

(Define weird.)

"Ghost signature weird," looking away from him.

Tobias and Jazz shared a look of concern, both speaking as you, "you mean I'm dead?"

"You mean he's dead," the girl blushing as they synced, realizing how stupid that sounded. "What a minute he can't be dead, I spent all night with him, he was breathing, he had a pulse, he bleed, near as I can tell ghost don't do that."

A frustrated sigh escaped his lips, "I don't claim to understand the why, at least right now but I was picking that up, it's possible that has something to do with it."

"So he's like me," Danny growing concerned there was another half ghost running around.

Shaking his head, "I'm not sure, without the right equipment I can't even begin to make an accurate guess."

Closing her eyes Jazz tapped the bridge of her nose with the side of her knuckle, "this is just a shot in the dark but is it possible what happened to me is happening here?"

Sam was the only one in the group that understood what the redhead meant, "the Fright Knight isn't like Desiree, he doesn't grant wishes or give people power."

Shaking her head, "I don't mean him I mean the sword, Tobias said they were fighting over it when a blast of energy hit it, for the most part we don't know much about it other than it's part of a set and it gives people incredible skilled in a fight." Looking over at Tobias, "I'd say that's what happened here, maybe through some weird coincidence or accident part of the sword got shifted into Tobias, that also might explain why his powers left so suddenly, they were meant for battle, when that was taken away so was everything he'd be given."

The others looked at her while they rolled the idea around in there heads, "that's a little far fetched sis," Danny the first to speak."

Shrugging her shoulders, "I'm just going with what I have right now, I'm as lost as everyone else here."

(Ok, assuming this is true for half a second,) Tobias looking at the teen, (why did I start bleeding everywhere when it stopped?)

Again she shrugged, "shot in the dark you can't contain that much power. We don't really know much about ghost energies, honestly," jerking a thumb at her brother, "Danny surviving his experience was a one in a million shot. Mixing living tissue with undead energy isn't even a science yet, it's impossible to know what's going on in you Then again you are unique it might be a reaction to the other energies in your body, or possibly because you weren't human when the fight occurred." Leaning back into the chair, a low growl slipping past her lips, "there's no real way of knowing, even if we brought my parents in there are just to many variables, to many possibilities."

Fluffing himself, (well that's always nice to hear.)

"You actually believe that," Sam a little wary of the idea.

"Like I said I'm just guessing."

Tucker decided to cut through the coming arguments, "no real point in debating it right now, at this point we're all just guessing."

(And all for putting this aside but I do want to know what's going on with me.)

Getting up and scooping him into her arms and patting him on the head lightly, "we will birdie, whatever's going on we will fix it," giving him a small kiss on the head.

For a moment Danny could feel a little vomit slip up his throat, something he forced back, unsure why he had that reaction, believing he had come to terms with their relationship even if they hadn't yet. "Alright I'm willing to look the other way right now, but it still leaves the question of what happened to the sword, I'd feel better knowing where it was."

"If we're lucky it was destroyed in the blast," rolling her shoulders, enjoying the feeling of the robe on her shoulders.

(Luck like that we don't really have.)

---

DP Style

Pieces of the stone wall gave way as Vlad hit it with a glowing hand, anger no longer blinding him, but still a long way from regaining his composure. He'd been prepared for the possibility of losing, he'd always known it was a chance even if he hadn't wanted to admit it, but to be beaten in such a way, to Daniel of all people, it enraged him to know end. Perhaps even worse than the lose was what it had cost him, his entire elite force had been taken from him, it was true he still had his birds and the animals were coming along but they couldn't compare to the other three.

"Where did he learn all those attacks," his eye glowing again, shifting and punching the wall again a little more stone giving way and bouncing off his face. "I'm older, stronger, more experienced and didn't know any of those moves."

"It's what happens when you get to focused on one thing and stop looking at the big picture," the normal looking vulture offered staying in the back corner, the three taking turns watching over him in case he ended up hurting himself.

"Meaning," despite the rage in his voice he genuinely wished for the ghosts council, his age having given him a unique outlook on existence.

Taking a deep breath, more symbolic that functional, "you stopped trying a long time ago boss, at least as your powers are concerned. You got to the point where your powers could get you power then you abandoned them, choosing to move forward like a normal man rather than the being of raw power that you are. The kid, he's not like that, he's moving forward, constantly challenged, something you aren't any more. He forces his powers to evolve and change, to grow stronger with each passing fight and experience, you, well you just run back and think of a new plan, a new way to try and bring him down to your level. Yeah right now you might be physically stronger, but he's moving faster than you, and he's found new ways to use his skills, soon, maybe sooner than you think he's going to pass you by, and then….well, no plan in the world will be able to help you."

Rolling his hands into fists that glowed red, looking every bit like they'd kill anything they hit, even a ghost, tremors flowing up his arms to his shoulders. He stayed like that for several moments before they died down and opened his hand, the energy wafting away. "What can I do," the words small, and tasting bitter in his mouth, more so then when he had to pretend to like Jack when he was around Maddie.

"At the moment all you can do is train, try and become stronger like the kid, but that doesn't mean you should give up your plans, just make time for other things. Right now your biggest edge on him isn't your strength but your mind, that's what can maneuver you into a victory, all the same that alone won't save you at least if you continue to walk the path your on."

"Why do you insist in talking in riddles," the contradictions in those statements confounded him.

"Knowledge is only truly understood when it is wrestled to the ground and forced into submission, when it's made your, only is it truly integrated into your life and thinking."

"I know I've said this before, but I hate you," it was impossible for the bird to know if the half ghost was serious or joking.

Bowing slightly on his perch, "I exist to serve."

"Never forget that," turning from the ghost and punching the wall again, this time not bothering to use his powers, liking the rush of pain that swept through him.

"I neve...r…do," cocking his head to the side, something stirring in him, something about the situation feeling wrong all of a sudden.

Looking back at the bird, also feeling something was wrong, "I don't like this," bracing himself for an assault only to have the ceiling above him begin to swirl into a vortex of red, silver and brown. "Don't see that every day," Hovering away from it, backing against a wall incase whatever came out wanted a fight. A fight however didn't come as David, still incased in his armor, but now losing his flaming form hit the floor with a thud, behind him the Fright Knight with Zephyr sitting in his open hand, curled into a ball and shivering, the pair floating down, the vortex collapsing in on itself a moment later.

"Well how'd you like that, the kids and their babysitter came back."

A small growl escaped from the battering warrior, one of aggravation and tolerance, while neither would say the words they were both glad to see each other still moving. "I apologies for the delay in our return, I had difficulty navigating the nightmare realm," looking down at the female mouse, "she didn't fare well to her first trip of my creation."

"But you did," not knowing his Knight could travel through that realm before, the ghost never mentioning it.

Nodding, "I don't do it much, it's an action I find," pausing and looking for the right word, "distasteful, unlike the others I'm immune to the places power, but it doesn't mean I particularly enjoy being surrounded by the nightmares of others."

Vlad choose his words carefully, the situation catching him by surprise, "understandable there are things few beings wish to be surrounded by, even those hardened by battle."

Resting his hand on the hilt of his blade, "very true."

Looking from Zephyr to David, "what is there condition?"

Patting the small rodent gently, or as much as he could given his metal gauntlet, "her nightmares simply overwhelmed her, she will recover in time, she surprisingly strong for someone her size. As for him," looking down at David, "I'm not completely sure, the realm had no effect on him, though I think that may be to his addition," eyeing the Charm of Soll Thild around the ghosts neck.

"A precaution I made, I felt it might be something I would need soon rather than later."

"All the same I'm unsure of his condition, the Charm seems to be suppressing everything about him, he technically be alive, so to speak, but it's not much of an existence."

Lightly kicking the armor with the tip of his foot, "I don't really care about the nature of his way of life, I just need a warrior to carry out my wishes." Enjoying the emotionless look on his face, "besides he's much easier to control this way and I think that's more important right now. "

Looking from David to Vlad, "you do have a point there," keeping his voice even, emotionless, making it impossible to know if he approved of what the half ghost had done or not.

The coolness in the Knights tone made him uneasy but he choose not to act on it, wanting to present a strong face in front of him. Looking to the bird, "get the others, I want him moved to the lab, have a full diagnostic run on the suit, it did well for a first test but I want to know everything about how it handled."

Nodding, "on it, but I'm not sure what good that'll do," looking at the suit, "that things seen better days, it's possible the systems are to fried to get anything useful."

"I don't care just do it," keeping his eyes on the black clad warrior, twin rings running over him as he retook his human form, tugging on the lapels of his suit. Feeling a little more comfortable, "now tell me about the sword, did you get it."

"No," the word speaking volumes to Vlad even though he didn't show it.

For a moment the only sound was Vlad breathing threw his nose, "I'm going to make this simple," shifting into his board room voice, a mix of authority and cool distance, as though daring someone to give him bad news. "I want to know what happened to my sword, nothing more, if I don't like what I hear," inhaling sharply and letting the point drop.

"Tobias and I struggled over the sword, proving himself a worthy challenge and a skilled warrior."

"I don't care," looking at the points of light that made up the Knights eyes.

"During the struggle something occurred within the blade, though I've never seen this exact form I recognized it as a defense spell placed on the weapon. In the midst of the struggle the blade began to emit and energy I've never seen encountered before, an arc hitting the bird and driving him into the far wall. Even during the chaos I was bale to keep my eye on it, the blade seemingly converting into energy and vanishing into a thousand directions at once, a piece flying of it's own accord."

"Your telling me the most powerful weapon in existence is now in a thousand piece?"

"Perhaps," for a moment seeming like he was bringing his hand together before stopping when he remembered Zephyr. "I've seen like this before, though never to this degree, the weapon may have indeed scattered to all corners of the Ghost Zone, or it may have, or will soon, reform in another place."

Vlad watched the Knight during the explanation, looking for any sign of deception on his part and evaluating the plausibility of the story. "What are the odds after going through all that there's be more security," the question coming off more rhetorical than anything else.

"We are talking about a very powerful weapon and we did…cheat, as you say in this time, it's conceivable that the king anticipated this and in the events the weapon did not go to the victor of the challenge that it would flee, go to some place else to await the next that would dare claim it."

Bringing his hand to his beard and stroking it, turning the idea over and over in his mind, "the tower did seem to be overly prepared for any situation, and that would be consistent with what the legends say about him."

Nodding his head, "indeed it would, there is a reason he has the reputation that he does."

"The question is where did it go, I say nothing in the text to indicate something like this."

Pulling his hand from his blade and lightly stroking Zephyr with it, "would you write down everything you had planned for such a place or would you leave a few booby traps for your enemies."

The Knights words had a ring of truth, and it is what he'd do in such an event, "but that still doesn't say where it went."

"More than likely in a place Gadron would deem safe, in retrospect I doubt he would just leave it floating in the Ghost Zone where anyone can get to it."

Something in Vlad's mind snapped when he heard that but remained calm, "you've put a lot of though into this, more than you normally do."

At the accusation his fire grew brighter, more dangerous, "in that realm there is little to do and if one does not keep their mind occupied it can lead to insanity. The only things I had to think of was the fight with the bird, something that was purely my own, his transformation, or of the mystery of the sword, something I knew you'd want to know, and as my master I am honor bound to give. We both know that if I had come to you with nothing you would've been incensed, I wasn't going to come to you with nothing but an explanation of what I'd seen."

That took Vlad back a step, the anger he was expecting, the raw clarity of the situation, that surprised him a great deal. Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, "your proving that my faith in you has proven to be well placed, that would've been the case. Very good Knight," turning from him, "and what of your belief as far as the birds new power."

"Given his proximity to the sword and the knowledge of never seeing such a change before from him, I've come to think it was a boon granted by the weapon, a momentary gift given to the victor of the challenge, one it viewed as worthy, in order to win a battle."

"Will he continue to retain this power?"

"Doubtful," moving his hand back to his sword, "power like that would burn a ghost out in a few days, I can't imagining a living creature surviving for more than a few hours."

"And if it persists?"

Gripping the hilt of his weapon tightly, "then I wouldn't be concerned, he will die very soon, of course then we will have the problem of him as a ghost but that is easier to take care of, I believe Walker could help us a great deal considering I doubt the bird would willingly work with him. They both have strong beliefs of right and wrong, those idea why'll similar are not mutually inclusive."

"True," the birds flying threw the door as he said it, looking to them, "after you have suit set up I want surveillance begun on Daniel and Tobias, I want to know about the changes that have happened to them, more to the point I want to know if the bird shows any signs of the power he displayed in the fight yesterday."

"Yeah sure give us a few more things to do, not like we don't already have a lot on our talons," neither could tell which of them said it as they pulled the scrape heap that was David up through the ceiling.

Watching them disappear, "there are time why I wonder why you put up with them."

"As I've said they have their uses, as you well know, but for now to much has happened all we all need time to relax and recuperate, nothing will be solved from rash action at the moment."

"Then I take it I can leave," being more a statement than a request, walking past him.

Watching him leave the room, "so many things have happened, so many plans have fallen apart, it does make one wonder what will happen next."

Walking threw the halls and hovering through various walls and floors he quickly came to the animal room as the birds called it. It was the habitat of the altered ghost animals, a mix of an artificial forest and a lab where they could run free and Vlad could work on them from time to time without taking them to the primary lab in the mountain cabin-compound. When he came in the other animals ran to him, while they were still ruled to a degree of their primal instincts, they had a bond to the others of there pack regardless of if they were foes in life.

The wolf cocked her head as he placed Zephyr on the ground, obviously concerned over the smallest member of their family, nuzzling her with her nose. "She is strong," he assured her, "she will survive but give her time to recover." With a small nod the wolf picked up the rodent with her mouth and padded off with her, disappearing into the woods.

"Take care little one," turning from the animals and phasing through the wall, he refused to say anything for fear of being recorded but he was worried about her. She shown a great deal of skill in the fight, till now he hadn't had much exposure to her, and to say the least he was impressed. Perhaps more than her skill in a fight it was the time in his realm that impressed him even more, she's lasted several hours, never giving up, never surrendering to the phantoms of her mind, that more than anything else amazed him, rarely seeing such determination in anyone. While she didn't strike at them like Tobias but she did endure against them and their tortures they inflicted on her.

Moving into his private chambers he made several passes looking for any sign of a recording device, finding more than a few, but that was expected and they were easy enough to remove. When he was satisfied that he was now alone he relaxed, the armor slumping all around him, suddenly feeling very heavy on his ghost form. Pulling a chair out and slumping into it, his energy gone, the trip threw his realm taking more out of him than he wanted to admit. It was the same every time he went into the realm, he could survive it, navigate it, but it took a great deal out of him when he did it

"It's day's like this I wish I were still in my pumpkin," pulling the Soul Shredder from it's sheath, "but then I wouldn't have you would I." Reaching his other hand out and running it over the blade he popped the long thin needle from it's resting place on the green weapon. To anyone looking, and understood what they were seeing it would seem like a normal weapon, but the Knight knew better, the weapon growing and changing in his hand till it was once more the Lightning Blade, complete and unaltered.

He laughed lightly as he placed the weapon on the table before him, as light as it was in his hand it still felt like carrying a world in his fatigued state. "I can't believe that fool actually bought it, that he thought the sword actually vanished into the night, or is going to appear elsewhere." Vlad had been so sure he was the only one that understood the weapon, that it's secrets had been lost to the years, but that was far from the truth. For many years he'd been the string right arms of Pariah Dark, and while the one time self proclaimed ruler of the Ghost Zone hadn't known about the sword it didn't mean he didn't have record of it hidden away in his possession, he just didn't know about it. He'd come across them long ago, and had longed to see the weapon, to hold it, to study it, and above all else to use it. He knew of it's powers and origin, how King Gadron had sacrificed a thousand warriors and strategists, had forced their combined skills into the blade allowing any who would hold it to have that same knowledge and skill. Not only that but the weapon could assume any form to best maximize that skill, thousands of weapons were now at his disposal.

"Of course there are draw backs," the pain a sharp reminder to what he had read, more proof that what he knew of the swords legend was indeed true. Not before even entering the realm of nightmares he'd be drained, drawing on the power of the sword, the down side of the weapon. The three were linked to use one without the other two was dangerous, using two in tandem was a risk but one far better than the situation he now found himself in. "I need to get the ring," he spoke quietly to himself, "but first I need to put the sword back together," the sword itself letting him know a small part of it was now inside Tobias, an accident of mixing energies.

"The power inside him is dangerous," looking at the blade, "it will make him a force that can shake the Ghost Zone to the core," the lights of his eyes vanishing for a moment, "provided he doesn't die fromit raging inside him." What he had said to Vlad wasn't a total lie, the power in the boy would indeed kill him soon if it wasn't removed, how long that was he couldn't be sure, but it would happen, the question for the Knight became you of simplicity, "how do I get it out of him without forcing a fight against both the bird, his friends, and Vlad," it was a fight he knew couldn't win, not yet, not without careful planning or more specifically the other three artifacts.

Leaning back and sighing looking at the cracking and dents in his armor, "this day did not go as I planned but as a first step it was well worth it. I managed to keep the Lightning Blade out of Vlad's hands, I've made a fair assessment of Tobias, Daniel, and even Zephyr, and David has been removed from future engagements, at least for the time being." That last thought made his fire die down a little on his head, "of course I doubt that will last long, the charm was never meant to be used indefinably." Sighing, "that aside this was a good day, new possibilities have appeared and I was right on many of my judgments and my ultimate goal is one step closer."

Reluctantly rising to his feet and pulling the scroll from it's hiding place, saying the small chant and activating the magic within it bringing Tobias' image up. Pulling the quill out and adding a few more details to his profile, "yes young one, very soon you will be ready to receive my tutelage, to become a true warrior, if you survive this perhaps sooner than even I'm prepared for." Adding the last few details, altering the profile to reflect his new powers and form before beginning to draw the new incarnation of the bird, making sure to add the proper level of detail to the image attempting to make it perfect, his mind wondering back to the last time he'd put so much work into an image, the though forcing a stab of pain to run through him as though a sword had been thrust into his body. Clutching his chest as the pain hit him, the lights of his eyes glowing dark as the pain became real, after a moment the feeling subsided but he didn't remove his hand, "I haven't felt that in a long time, I had hoped that wound would heal." After a moment he moved his hands putting them on his helmet and after a moment pulling the metal free, filling the room with bright purple light, and turned to the mirror in the room, looking at the wound inflicted from a fight long passed, the memories flooding into him.

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Authors notes

This one took a while to finish, as I said part was from going on vacation, the other side was the major rewrites that kept occurring as the chapter went on. At the beginning I had a good idea what I wanted to do here, and that's still reflected, but at the same time things kept changing. I started realizing what I had planned would do more harm than good to the story but I still really liked the primary ideas surrounding most of the ideas. In the end that lead to a compromise with myself that would let me keep certain points in but do them in a way that would help certain lesser ideas I had. You'll understand what I'm talking about as the others chapters show up.

Yes I sorta took David out of the picture but I think I gave him a nice send off letting you see some darker sides of him, or more to the point showed you his inner desires. I really tried to present those it a way that was both really dark, but at the same time not actually saying anything so a lot was left to your imagination as to what he did for that 'year'. This probably isn't the last time you'll see 'robo- David' or normal psycho rapist David, I just want to give myself things to experiment with.

Yep I brought in the Ecto-skeleton but altered, for the most part I just really liked the part in Reign Strom when Danny changed it transforming and expanded it to the next level.

Tucker, I have to talk about Tucker, up till now I was kinda ignoring him, focusing on the others and giving them all this skills and abilities, but this is my answer to all that. As I said the others are front liners, they go into the fight head first, Tucker's not like that, he has the ability to do that but he likes sitting back and being in the ship where he can do things the others can't, he likes the protection but also the understand the Eclipse give him from the sensors. That's not say he'll always be in the ship, but that's where he feels comfortable.

In case I didn't really set it up that well Vlad has been through a major set back, and he now stands on a precipice one that makes him very dangerous as he considered his next move. As I said after he got to a certain point with his powers he just stopped no longer needing to look for more skills, yes he's stronger, but that won't last so guess where that's going to lead him.

The Fright Knight as you may have noticed has a few of his own plans in mind, mostly involving Tobias, expect those to make sense as the story goes on

And once more I bring up the idea of Tobias and Jazz's kid, granted she's a delusion in Jazz's head but I still like the idea of bringing this idea to my story.

I know I shafted Sam towards the end (giving her a very brief fight scene against Vlad and the birds) and played her out of character a little (hitting Tuck). Hitting him in my head made sense, she was under stress and so was she, as for cutting her scene so short well, I tried to write it but realized I couldn't, what I saw in my head was so face paced and violent it bordered on superhuman, which Sam isn't and more to the point I think letting you imagine the fight is better.

And yes I considered not letting you know what was going on with Tobias and having it be a secret as the stories progressed that everyone had to figure out, but I just couldn't justify it to myself, so I figured let everyone reading know what's going on but not the guy it's happening to. This way I get to play up the 'every fight could literally be his last with a pulse' angle, something we know but he doesn't which I grant you is a gamble but I like the idea.

Ok because I know someone will ask, it, yes I know I'm reusing the bird-human hybrid form but there is a reason for that. I don't know if I'm ever going to get to this in the series so I'm just going to say it, the hybrid form is Tobias 'ghost'. Yep I said it it's his ghost form, or at least his current form, this body has been used three times now, once with The Ellimist, once in the Saber future and now and this is why. In my mind, for this world, as we exist our afterlife body is formed by what we do and who we are, it changes as we change, right now this is Tobias, if he died that's how he'd look most of the time when his ghost powers aren't active. As he goes along in can change, but this is his current ghost. When he dies he can also change his ghost, but it takes longer, I don't know why it just does, that's why the 10+ year future Tobias still look like the current ghost, he hasn't been around long enough to change it since it's now a slower process. Does that mean we'll be seeing Tobias ghost full time in the near future, only time will tell, I changed ideas multiple times writing this I can do it again for the other chapters.

Oh and a weird thing, it's always funny when the source material supports fan ideas. I came up with the idea of Sam becoming a hunter it turns out in the show she's highly athletic. Now we have Reality Trip, where it we learn Tucker has a little thing for Furries, and I've been building the possibility of a Tucker Nikki relationship which is sorta furry. Creepy when stuff like that happens.

That's enough of this, I'm probably missing things but I don't care, if you have questions ask in the reviews, so of course.

R&R