Chapter 9
"Rosa, No!" Danny launched himself over the edge, falling after her. He would not let her die.
"Danny!" Both Sam and Tucker cried, they ran to the edge and looked down as the two figures fell, they got smaller and smaller.
At that time, Cass also ran to the scene. She pulled out a crystal ball and murmured some words. It glowed brightly and fell down after them.
"What was that?!" Tucker looked at Cass.
"You'll see..." She looked solemn.
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"You miserable brat! Now see what you've done?!" Desdemona screeched.
"I've done what I should have." Her mind was in total peace. She had her eyes closed. She wasn't screaming or making a slightest hint that she was frightened.
"Fine! Then you should die alone!" with that, Desdemona left her body.
It felt like Rosa had been falling for hours. Her mind was only focused on that she was finally free, finally herself. She smiled softly. She wished Danny could see her now. She wished everyone could see how much she had changed now. Somewhere, deep inside she wished she didn't have to die. But she knew it was already too late.
Then she felt herself stop. No bone-crunching end, no intense pain, no nothing, it was like she was hanging in mid air. She opened her eyes.
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"Good you're awake." The voice was warm. She instantly knew Danny had saved her. She looked and saw he was holding her arms, she looked down and saw the ground inches from them. He gently set her down on the ground and landed next to her.
Rosa seemed in a trance for a minute. Then she looked at Danny.
"You.. saved me?"
"I had to. I couldn't let you kill yourself." Danny smiled warmly. She felt herself smile back.
"C'mon, lets see how the others are." Rosa nodded and flew up with him to the top of the cliff.
"You're alright!" Tucker cried out, both he and Sam ran and wrapped Rosa in a death hug.
"Guys? Uh, guys?! Oxygen....becoming an...issue!"
"Sorry.." Both replied and let her go. She inhaled air. Next then, both went over to Danny and started to talk to him. Cass walked over to Rosa holding a crystal ball.
"You doing alright?"
"Yeah, but, now Desdemona can invade anyone she wants to now. I know Danny did what he thought was right, but-"
"No need to worry. Look who I have." Cass held up the ball and Rosa peered inside. Inside was a reddish figure. She was screaming out angry threats. Rosa felt herself smile wide. It was Desdemona!
"How did you-"
"Trapped her in this magical crystal ball. Nothing can escape from it. Just to make sure she doesn't try to either, I will keep her with me at all times."
"How can I ever thank you?"
"No need Rosa. You are the one who was about to make the ultimate sacrifice. You were willing to die to save everyone else." Rosa felt herself blush, then instantly disappeared.
"Drat!"
She reappeared.
"Sorry, I have to learn to control these new powers."
"You will Rosa, you will." With that, Cass disappeared into the fog.
Rosa blinked, then walked over to her friends.
Nearby, another figure was grinning.
"So, there is another ghost child. This should be very interesting. Very interesting indeed." The figure smirked, he walked into the lamplight as the sun disappeared behind nearby mountains. It was Skulker.
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Days later, Rosa was returning back to a normal life. Her parents had told the school that she had been suffering an illness related to her lab accident she had ten years ago. Which, was sort of true. The school accepted the excuse and had Rosa go back to her classes. She had much to make up. But she did not mind it at all. She still would have panic attacks, afraid that Desdemona would take her over again, during nights. She would wake up in a cold sweat. Her eye widened in horror, she would instantly dial Danny's number and talk to him. He would calm her down and manage to get her back to sleep. After a while, the calls came less and less. She was finally almost back to herself. She seemed to be happy. Until one fateful day.
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Rosa walked to school like she normally did. She waited by Danny's house, he finally emerged, almost running out of the house. Rosa blinked.
"C'mon!" he grabbed her arm and dragged her towards the school. She took a small glance behind her to see Danny's father waving something in the air. She smirked. It looked like Danny's dad was at it again with the ghost hunting equipment. When they stopped at Tuckers house, Rosa asked what the strange device was.
"Some ghost catching thing. It can literally smell the DNA of a ghost, and instantly trap it. I nearly got trapped myself."
Tucker came out a minute later, then all three headed for Sam's house. She was out instantly, with a frown on her face.
"You alright Sam?" Danny asked her.
"Fine." She said sarcastically.
Danny looked at Rosa and shrugged. The four now headed to Casper High.
It was a pretty normal day at first. Four classes over and two left of another day. Rosa and Danny decided to talk nearby at his locker about Rosa getting ghost lessons on how to control her powers. Then she saw Dash stomping up behind Danny. She blinked, Danny noticed and turned around to face a very angry Dash.
"Fenton! You are such dead meat!" He grabbed Danny by the collar and shoved him up against the lockers.
"Ow...Dash, what did I-"
"You stole my football!"
"No I didn't-"
Dash shoved him up against the lockers harder. "Don't lie!"
"Hey stop it!" Rosa tried to shove Dash away from Danny, but Dash instead shoved her to the ground. Tucker and Sam saw the crowd that was forming around Danny and Dash, so they both ran over and tried to get Dash away from Danny. Rosa got up and again tried to help. Finally all three got Dash away from Danny. Danny started to run for it. But Dash pulled himself from their grasp and ran towards Danny at a amazingly fast speed. Then Rosa got into Dash's way. She had a frown on her face and her eye was narrowed.
"Back off Dash, Danny did not steal your stupid football, so leave him be." Dash was fed up with her, he grabbed her by the arms and pushed her against the lockers.
"What the heck are you doing with this loser Rosa? You know this makes you a loser too." His voice was as deadly as acid.
"He is nice to me." She said through clenched teeth.
"Oh yeah? Well why don't you try seeing him through both eyes!" With one gesture he pulled her hair from her other eye. The whole school seemed to gasp at what they saw.
"Well, now I know, you're a disgusting freak!" Dash laughed.
Rosa's lower lip quivered. She was trying desperately not to cry.
"Dash leave her alone!" Danny yelled, he had been doing that for a while, but Rosa did not hear it until that moment. Danny used all strength he had and pulled Dash from Rosa. Then he shoved Dash.
"Don't you ever hurt her again. EVER!" Danny was very angry.
"Does the loser want to be with his new freak girlfriend?" Dash smirked.
"She's not my girlfriend...I mean, Dash just leave before I get the principal!"
Dash was laughing as left, calling Rosa a freak and Danny a loser. Danny hated being called a loser, but then he looked and saw Rosa, she had tears in both of her eyes. That freak comment really got to her.
She managed to stand straight.
"Ill be right back, I have to use the restroom." She whispered. She made a forced smile and walked to the girl's restroom and disappeared inside.
"Sam, I-"
"Don't worry.. Ill go." She sighed and followed Rosa into the bathroom. Tucker and Danny waited outside.
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"What you doing here, Danny and Tucker are waiting for us outside." Sam saw her wiping her eyes with a tissue.
"I can't face them. I am a freak. Now the whole school knows it, just like at my old school..."
"But at least now you have friends." Sam looked at her.
Rosa nodded. She seemed to be better. "Yeah, I do."
Rosa smiled softly. "Thanks Sam."
"No problem, Rosa. Hey, I think Danny might have a crush on you." She smirked.
"Doubt it, because I am sure he has a crush on you Sam." Rosa smirked back.
Sam blinked. "Huh?"
"Danny's a great guy, but I have seen how he looks at you when you aren't looking. He's only known me for a month or so, he's known you all of his life. Besides, I think of Danny more as a brother than a boyfriend." Rosa smiled. "C'mon, lets go out and meet with the boys."
Sam nodded and both went out to the boys. Then all four headed to their classes.
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When school was over, the four met up outside and started to walk around. They weren't going to go home just yet.
"Where should we go?" Danny asked his three friends.
"Movies." "The mall." "Nasty Burger" all three said at once.
They all glanced at each other. Danny shrugged.
At that instant blue smoke flew from his mouth, pink came from Rosa's.
"Looks like I have all the powers you have Danny." Rosa said.
He nodded. "Lets go find the ghost, Sam, Tucker, keep on us with the Thermos."
They both saluted.
Both Rosa and Danny changed into their phantom selves and took off into the sky. When they finally met up with the ghost, Danny wasn't happy to see him at all.
"Skulker! What are you doing here?!"
"Simply wanting to ask you something."
"Which is?"
"Do you treasure this girl so much, for your own life?" In an instant, a net blasted from his suit and captured Rosa instantly.
"Rosa!" Danny cried. "Phase out of it!"
Rosa tried, but it wouldn't work.
"Yes, I have upgraded. This net is non phase proof, She isn't going anywhere, except in my zoo."
"Let her go Skulker!!" Danny threatened. His fists were clenched on both sides of him.
"Here's our deal, you come willingly with me, and I will think about letting the halfa girl go. If you don't agree.. she comes with me and you will never see her again." Skulker smirked. "Is it a deal?"
"Like I have any choice?" Danny said icily.
"Danny no!! Don't!" Rosa cried from inside the green net.
"Sorry Rosa, you risked your life once for us all. I can't let you do that again. I have to."
All three instantly disappeared and reappeared next to the portal.
"Okay, now let her go!" Danny looked at Skulker.
"I Said, I would think about letting her go. Actually I believe you both would make wonderful additions." Rosa gasped.
"Skulker you lied!" Danny sprung into action and kicked Skulker in the side. Skulker fought back. He had a lot of new toys though.
Rosa desperately tried to find a way out of the net. After a few minutes, she sighed. It was no use. She also saw Danny fly into the wall, he landed with a hard slam on the floor.
"Danny!" Rosa cried out. That was it for her. She felt her body start to glow bright pink. Skulker seemed to notice this, giving Danny time to sock him in the jaw. Skulker hit Danny back in the shoulder. Danny backed away, holding his shoulder. But his face showed no pain. They both attacked again. Skulker got lucky. Danny lay unconscious at his feet after a blow to the head.
"Danny!!" Rosa screamed.
It was too late. Skulker picked up Danny and went over to grab Rosa.
She was terrified at what he was going to do to them both. She stumbled back in her net and tried to free herself. He reached down to grab the net.
"Hey! Leave her alone!" It was Tucker's voice. She smiled and turned to see Tucker and Sam racing down the stairs, Tucker with the thermos in hand.
"Sorry, but Vlad wants to talk to the halfa personally, and the girl is for my zoo." He grabbed the net and proceeded to walk through the portal. But that is when Danny woke up. He kicked Skulker in the back, and used a plasma blast to free himself and Rosa from his grasp. Rosa, still in the net, fell to the ground. Tucker and Sam ran over and opened the net. Rosa flew out.
Danny kicked Skulker back into the ghost zone. Literally. Rosa looked at Danny and smiled. He smiled back, only to have his face turn to horror as a hand flew from the ghost zone and grabbed him by the neck. He was pulled in.
"Danny!" All three of his friends cried out.
The portal closed.
