Sam sat on the grass, leaning back against the trunk of a tree. The night was still, and the surface of the lake before her was calm, unbroken by even the slightest stir of wind. Every single star in the sky seemed to be reflected in the lake.
Sam lifted the cloth to her head, rubbing at the place on the back of her head where it ached the most. She had been bleeding for a short while, where her head struck the wall, but now it was starting to heal, and she no longer had to apply pressure to the small wound.
Suddenly, she felt a vibration, a small tremor that shook the earth beneath her for a moment, causing the water at the shore to ripple. Everything became quiet again, then she heard voices, coming from the forest, far behind her. She leapt to her feet and backed up against the tree, waiting, tense. She hoped no one had followed her and Tuck up into this part of the mountains, for the sake of Danny, even though he was possessed by the spirit of a terrible monster that was perfectly capable of defending itself if it ever came under attack. But still, if news of the dragon got out, that would mean some kind of a federal investigation, which she knew Danny really didn't want to happen.
The treetops suddenly swayed toward the lake, as if an enormous gust of wind had hit them from above. Almost immediately afterwards, something huge streaked across the sky, flying out over the lake on a pair of large wings, giving off a white glow. Near the center of the lake, it began to turn, beating its wings furiously, seemingly heading back where it had come. It didn't take Sam much time to recognize the size and shape of the dragon. As it completed its wide turn over the water, it curved its neck to look in her direction. Her eyes met the fiercely glowing green eyes of the winged leviathan, and it was then that she knew that it had spotted her. Then the creature's eyes blinked, and it looked down, is if it had also spotted its reflection in the water. It suddenly made a strange jerking motion in the air, then fell from the sky, landing with a tremendous splash in the lake below.
Sam turned and ran back through the dark forest, screaming at the top of her lungs. Tripping on a rock, she fell down hard on her knees and wrists, then scrambled to get back up again, her chest heaving. She heard the resulting wave break against the shore behind her. She leapt to her feet and took off running, looking back over her shoulder at the lake, which was illuminated from beneath by the submerged monster. Suddenly she crashed into something that reached out and grabbed her shoulders, wrapping one arm around her back, holding her still. She struggled to break free of the bond, but stopped when she heard a familiar voice.
"Sam! Sam, calm down! It's all right!"
She looked up and saw Tuck's face, lit solely by the glow from the lake. Her heartrate began to slow down. Tuck loosened his grip on her.
"It's all right. We'll be fine; that dragon is not going to hurt you."
She wrenched herself free from Tuck's hold on her, then spun to face the lake. The surface still rippled greatly, still recovering from the sudden disturbance. Suddenly, the dragon's head broke the surface, facing upwards, its mouth open in a loud gasp for air. Within a moment, it had caught its breath, shook the water from its head, and started moving toward the shore. The water rolled off and away from its body as it began to approach Sam and Tuck, step by arduous step.
Sam turned to look at Tuck, confused. She turned her attention back on the dragon, which was watching her as it steadily made its way toward dry land. It seemed to be happy to see her, but the look on its greenish-blue face also displayed a sense of austere concern, much unlike anything she had ever seen from the Ghost Dragon from before. As it stepped into more shallow waters, Sam could see more of its body, which seemed to be clothed in a black and white jumpsuit that struck an all-too-familiar tone in her mind. She ran toward the lake shore, leaving Tuck behind.
The dragon rose up on its hind legs before her, letting its wings droop down to its sides. It stood still, looking down on her, the worried look remaining on its face. Sam looked upon its body, a sense of amazement emanating within her mind. Although the creature standing before her was clearly a dragon ghost, its appearance seemed familiar in a different, more friendly manner. Aside from the fact that it appeared to be wearing the monochrome uniform she was used to seeing almost on a daily basis, the spinal fringe of ivory-colored scales that lined its back also went up and over the dragon's head, the shape of the cascading white scales resembling locks and bangs of hair, a hairstyle that she could clearly associate with a close friend of hers. The glowing eyes that had instilled a sense of terror in her before now seemed commonplace to her. Suddenly, the dragon no longer seemed threatening; instead, it was like she was looking at someone she had known for most of her life.
"...Danny?"
The dragon closed its mouth and swallowed, closed its eyes for a moment, then nodded its head.
Sam dashed out into the shallow water as Danny lowered his head, following her movement. She stopped just in front of him, reaching up, touching the end of Danny's cold, scaly nose. He lowered his head further, and she leapt and wrapped her arms around his face, pulling his head down into a full embrace. She closed her eyes and buried her face against the bridge of Danny's nose. He had to cross his eyes in order to see her.
"What's happened to you, Danny...? Why can't we... change you back... that stupid amulet..."
She was clearly in pain, having seen Danny still not back to his normal self, yet still bearing the outer image of the Ghost Dragon. Danny, whose spirit had been lifted from seeing Sam alive after what he had seen happen back in the cave, suddenly felt his heart fall to the pit of his stomach. With things going they way they had been for him recently, what else lay in store for him in the future, when he would plan on returning to Amity Park to see his parents again? Would he be able to approach them, him being what he was now? Would he even be able to make his way back home without causing a problem among the citizens of Amity Park, just by the reactions they would get by seeing him? And yet, what about Spectra and Bertrand? Would what he had now become have anything to do with whatever plans they had laid out for him?
Would life for him ever be normal again?
Sam lifted the cloth to her head, rubbing at the place on the back of her head where it ached the most. She had been bleeding for a short while, where her head struck the wall, but now it was starting to heal, and she no longer had to apply pressure to the small wound.
Suddenly, she felt a vibration, a small tremor that shook the earth beneath her for a moment, causing the water at the shore to ripple. Everything became quiet again, then she heard voices, coming from the forest, far behind her. She leapt to her feet and backed up against the tree, waiting, tense. She hoped no one had followed her and Tuck up into this part of the mountains, for the sake of Danny, even though he was possessed by the spirit of a terrible monster that was perfectly capable of defending itself if it ever came under attack. But still, if news of the dragon got out, that would mean some kind of a federal investigation, which she knew Danny really didn't want to happen.
The treetops suddenly swayed toward the lake, as if an enormous gust of wind had hit them from above. Almost immediately afterwards, something huge streaked across the sky, flying out over the lake on a pair of large wings, giving off a white glow. Near the center of the lake, it began to turn, beating its wings furiously, seemingly heading back where it had come. It didn't take Sam much time to recognize the size and shape of the dragon. As it completed its wide turn over the water, it curved its neck to look in her direction. Her eyes met the fiercely glowing green eyes of the winged leviathan, and it was then that she knew that it had spotted her. Then the creature's eyes blinked, and it looked down, is if it had also spotted its reflection in the water. It suddenly made a strange jerking motion in the air, then fell from the sky, landing with a tremendous splash in the lake below.
Sam turned and ran back through the dark forest, screaming at the top of her lungs. Tripping on a rock, she fell down hard on her knees and wrists, then scrambled to get back up again, her chest heaving. She heard the resulting wave break against the shore behind her. She leapt to her feet and took off running, looking back over her shoulder at the lake, which was illuminated from beneath by the submerged monster. Suddenly she crashed into something that reached out and grabbed her shoulders, wrapping one arm around her back, holding her still. She struggled to break free of the bond, but stopped when she heard a familiar voice.
"Sam! Sam, calm down! It's all right!"
She looked up and saw Tuck's face, lit solely by the glow from the lake. Her heartrate began to slow down. Tuck loosened his grip on her.
"It's all right. We'll be fine; that dragon is not going to hurt you."
She wrenched herself free from Tuck's hold on her, then spun to face the lake. The surface still rippled greatly, still recovering from the sudden disturbance. Suddenly, the dragon's head broke the surface, facing upwards, its mouth open in a loud gasp for air. Within a moment, it had caught its breath, shook the water from its head, and started moving toward the shore. The water rolled off and away from its body as it began to approach Sam and Tuck, step by arduous step.
Sam turned to look at Tuck, confused. She turned her attention back on the dragon, which was watching her as it steadily made its way toward dry land. It seemed to be happy to see her, but the look on its greenish-blue face also displayed a sense of austere concern, much unlike anything she had ever seen from the Ghost Dragon from before. As it stepped into more shallow waters, Sam could see more of its body, which seemed to be clothed in a black and white jumpsuit that struck an all-too-familiar tone in her mind. She ran toward the lake shore, leaving Tuck behind.
The dragon rose up on its hind legs before her, letting its wings droop down to its sides. It stood still, looking down on her, the worried look remaining on its face. Sam looked upon its body, a sense of amazement emanating within her mind. Although the creature standing before her was clearly a dragon ghost, its appearance seemed familiar in a different, more friendly manner. Aside from the fact that it appeared to be wearing the monochrome uniform she was used to seeing almost on a daily basis, the spinal fringe of ivory-colored scales that lined its back also went up and over the dragon's head, the shape of the cascading white scales resembling locks and bangs of hair, a hairstyle that she could clearly associate with a close friend of hers. The glowing eyes that had instilled a sense of terror in her before now seemed commonplace to her. Suddenly, the dragon no longer seemed threatening; instead, it was like she was looking at someone she had known for most of her life.
"...Danny?"
The dragon closed its mouth and swallowed, closed its eyes for a moment, then nodded its head.
Sam dashed out into the shallow water as Danny lowered his head, following her movement. She stopped just in front of him, reaching up, touching the end of Danny's cold, scaly nose. He lowered his head further, and she leapt and wrapped her arms around his face, pulling his head down into a full embrace. She closed her eyes and buried her face against the bridge of Danny's nose. He had to cross his eyes in order to see her.
"What's happened to you, Danny...? Why can't we... change you back... that stupid amulet..."
She was clearly in pain, having seen Danny still not back to his normal self, yet still bearing the outer image of the Ghost Dragon. Danny, whose spirit had been lifted from seeing Sam alive after what he had seen happen back in the cave, suddenly felt his heart fall to the pit of his stomach. With things going they way they had been for him recently, what else lay in store for him in the future, when he would plan on returning to Amity Park to see his parents again? Would he be able to approach them, him being what he was now? Would he even be able to make his way back home without causing a problem among the citizens of Amity Park, just by the reactions they would get by seeing him? And yet, what about Spectra and Bertrand? Would what he had now become have anything to do with whatever plans they had laid out for him?
Would life for him ever be normal again?