Author's note: Once again, if you've seen it on Danny Phantom, I don't own it.
I would like to thank the following for their reviews: the sleep warrior- If I answered any of those questions it would ruin the story for you, now wouldn't it? If you have any ideas I can always use them for the sequel or for a separate series, but I've pretty much got the sequence of events lined up for this one. You've got plenty of time for ideas if you're interested.
Also- Have any of you ever considered what you'd do if you could fly? If I could, it would be something along these lines. Read on.
Chapter 4 (School-zone; Ghost-zone: what's the dif?) I got up that morning, feeling new and rejuvenated. My muscles felt as if they'd been very thoroughly massaged, and I felt much stronger, faster, and happier than I had in a long time.
I changed into my ghost form and found my stuff, backpack, lunchkit, what little homework that had to be done over the weekend and I'd never gotten to and would probably finish on the way to school.
Ronnie and I ate fast and left at about seven in the morning, because we had both agreed that I should get in lots of practise with my ghost powers. We walked to school, me with my staff in hand, and Ronnie a little bit ahead with her books.
When we got to school an hour ahead of time I noticed that she made a turn.
I wondered silently as she headed for what I soon found out to be woods. After a while she stopped in a clearing.
"Transform, Tir." was all that she said. I nodded, and about a second later I was in ghost form. Ronnie was staring at me wide-eyed, and just as I was about to ask why I looked down and saw that my legs were missing!
They had been replaced by a single stream of white that hovered just a few inches above the ground. "Cool! Just a sec, let me give this a try," and I shifted my weight forward, and just missed Ronnie's head.
I was about to crash into the trees when I pulled up, shooting into the air like a falcon after its prey. I flew, inches above the trees, with blurring speed. I made loops, spirals, and some really cool geometric shapes up there before I started to feel tired and headed back down to where Ronnie was.
She was standing on the edge of the woods now, hands on hips, a look of pride on her face.I landed, then transformed back, still a little sad when my sight disappeared.
"Nice flying, Tir! And it looks like you've got the transformation down too. Now let's get to class before we're late!"
First period went by like a breeze, as did second and third. All my teachers understood my condition, and fortunately, there was a rather large supply of braille textbooks around, so I got off rather well.
It was strange though. I'd never even studied braille before and yet I was still the first to finish my math assignment, and in class too. I noticed that Tai had been absent that morning, and was lucky enough that he never appeared before third period gym.
He was a big guy, with considerable muscles across his body. He had dark eyes and hair, and from what I had ever seen always wore a self-satisfied smirk. It was when the smirk came off that those he picked on realized that the time had come to run.
That time came for me just after school had ended. I was by my locker, putting my books away from last period, when I heard just the slightest sound to my right.
I recoiled just as the door to my locker slammed shut. I locked it and then turned just as Tai said, "You are getting quicker, loser-san. But what is this? Your eyes are a dull blue and you wield a tinfoil shinai. Have you gone blind or is it just me?"
"Yes actually," I replied easily, then said sarcastically, "Finally, the genius realizes that I'm blind."
I felt him twitch, trying to control his temper. I could smell smoke, but since no one was screaming or running around like chickens with their heads cut off I assumed that Tai had, well, let's just say he wasn't quite on the ball.
The bustling hallway had gone silent. Tai then said, "What, did your mother accidentally spray you with some ecto-goo and forget to take you to the hospital? Besides, If that stick is all that you have, let me show you a real weapon."
I heard sharp gasps as I heard steel being drawn from its sheath. Somehow it didn't surprise me that he'd resort to such a desperate and painful method of bullying, especially under the influence of whatever he was using.
"What's wrong, Tai? Your own tongue not sharp enough for you, so you got a steel one?" After his last crack I was pretty ticked myself, but I was still in control. That was when the first blow fell.
The air hissed as his blade came in from my left, aimed at my head. My arm whipped up, and there was a loud metallic clang as steel struck steel. Our weapons grated against each other for what in reality was probably a split second, but seemed like hours.
Finally, I twisted his blade over my head and slammed it into the ground. I could still hear it vibrating as he leveled it at me again. "You fight well, Morgan-san. But you shall not defeat me this day, or any other."
"Then I can at least shoot for a tie," I shot back, lowering my weapon. He thrust towards my middle, and at the last second I shifted to the side and grabbed his sword-arm. He attempted a punch to my face, which I blocked with my stick. There was a loud crack as his arm broke, and he fell to his knees. Some might have thought that he was beaten, but given my experience I thought otherwise. I was right.
I heard him pick himself up and raise himself into stance again. There was no exchange this time. He was angry, and I could feel his anger dripping from him like sweat. He struck like a cobra, giving me barely enough time to block his attacks.
Clang after clang reverberated through the halls. I was luck that he only had one usable arm or I'd probably have been killed. He swung at my face, and I intercepted the blow. I then slid to the side, let his sword fall, then smacked him across the face with my weapon. He took a couple of steps backwards, then sat down hard. As much as I disliked Tai I did not like doing this to anyone.
As he tried to raise himself into a standing position again I stepped towards him and pushed him back down. I heard the slight ping of his sword when he hit the ground again, so I struck the hand holding it. He automatically dropped the blade, which I proceeded to kick out of the way. I could hear his laboured breathing, and pointed my stick at his head.
I heard a low growl escape his lips, and I was moderately surprised. After such an experience most people would be cringing on the floor in fear, not snarling their defiance as he did. "You're beaten, Fenbutsu-san," I said, walking past him for the school doors. "Now go to the hospital and get yourself healed and cared for. I'd sure want to see a doctor about that arm."
I walked out of the school, and was about to start heading for home when something flickered across my vision. It was hard not to notice, seeing as I was blind. I waited as it happened again.
The third time my vision stayed active, and I looked around. Something was wrong. Very wrong. My eyes flicked all over the place, until I saw something high in the air over my head. And it was getting closer. I sheathed my walking stick, then dove behind the nearest dumpster. I watched as a bright green ball of flame struck the ground in front of the school.
Something emerged from the smoke and flame. Something big. I knew from a single glance that it was an ogre from Japanese legend, a considerable beast with a mane, a boar's snout, tusks, and enormous claws. If I knew anything about Japanese ogres, it was that this one did not look friendly. The jagged horns and whip in one hand told more than enough.
I dropped back behind the dumpster and said to myself, "Okay, you probably don't have much of a chance against that thing as a human. But you'll definitely have a much bigger chance of at least holding it off while everyone else gets to safety as a ghost!" I phase-shifted into ghost form, then stepped through-not around, through- the dumpster and faced my adversary. It was not a wise idea.
He really was a big guy, at least twice the size of a grown man. If I hadn't caught him by surprise and slammed into his gut, he may well have eaten me.
"Hey, ghosty!" I hollered across the school grounds, "Mount Erymanthus called. It wants its boar back!"
"Scheill nam Arean cahul!" the ghastly beast roared. Rest assured, he was ticked now. He picked himself up off the ground, then charged me. I dodged out of the way, then rammed into him from above like a cannon ball. He hit the ground, shook himself off, and rose to his feet again. One thing was for sure, this guy was big. And learning.
I thought that he was going to attempt the same tactic again, so I dodged to my left. One thing I didn't count on was that he would see that move coming.
As I avoided his charge I saw his whip flick out. It was much too late by that time. The lash twisted around my ankle, and with one sharp jerk the beast threw me to the ground. I was so focused on my opponent and my rather imminent demise that I didn't notice that my body was no longer visible.
As the ogre turned I closed my eyes, not noticing at first that he couldn't see me. I opened my eyes to see that he was looking around, sniffing the earth, and unfortunately drawing closer to my position. I slowly rose into the air, then snuck behind him. Just as he realized where I was, I sprung my trap, grabbing him by the horns and thrusting both feet into his eyes.
He roared in pain, pawing at his eyes, whilst I rained down blow after crippling blow on him. Eventually he lashed out, and caught me across the chest, winding me entirely, sending me crashing to the ground, and I became visible again.
At that moment I noticed that a crowd had formed just outside the school, watching. My thoughts on that were momentarily distracted as the ogre's huge hand descended on my throat.
"Talai kaj tumar, kajis ghantian," he said quietly as he raised his other arm for the killing blow. I grabbed the hand that held me down, and as I tried to force it off I shouted, "Let me go! I have as much a right to life as you do, pal! Well, maybe a bit more of a right, actually."
He raised his fist higher, then brought it crashing down for the deathblow. At that moment I howled at the top of my voice, "Listen to me!"
I waited for a moment for my head to get planted six inches into the ground, but it never happened. I opened my eyes, and looked up at the ogre. His fist was resting a fraction of an inch above my face, and on his face was a look of such surprise that I almost began to laugh.
After a moment the ghost opened his mouth, and I was just as surprised when he said to me, "What did you just say?"
It took me a moment to reply before I said, "I asked you to listen to me. So now that you are, can you please release me to the extent that I can breathe?"
"Of course, sorry," he apologized, removing his hand instantly. "I just thought that you were trying to deal me serious harm."
"I thought that you were here to deal everybody here harm," I answered, "No offense or anything, but you don't look like the friendliest ghost out there."
"Oh, believe me, I get that a lot," he said, sitting down on his haunches. "Especially since finding my way out of the Ghost Zone. I have a flare for the dramatic, you know."
"You don't say," I answered, looking him down from head to toe, "Now about your being here. Why is that?"
"Oh, where to begin," the ghost whined, "The housing costs, the justice system, the lack of familiar friends. Mostly the major upheaval in the Ghost Zone. Many ghosts are heading to this world. That and the housing's one boatload cheaper."
"Well," I said, taking in as much of this as I could, "I don't mean to be rude, and I really do apologize for this, but I'm almost positive that you're aware of humanity's fear of the unknown?"
He nodded, and I continued, "So, if your going to live on this side of the Ghost Portal, I know of a few nice, secluded spots about thirty or forty miles north of here, across the strait, up in the mountains. Got a great view there. Oh, and if you happen to find any other ghosts on your way there, please ask them to come with you. I don't like fighting you guys unless there's no other choice."
He was silent for a moment. I wondered what he was thinking, until his eyes opened and he answered, "Very well, ghost ninja. I will go. And thank you for a little understanding. Most people are just like "prejudice this" and "persecute that," it's refreshing to meet someone out of the loop every once in a while. If you ever need anything, just whistle one short note and one long one."
With that he disappeared from sight, and the entire area was silent. I looked around. Students, teachers, the principal, and several drivers had stopped and watched as my encounter with the ogre unfolded.
"And with that I bid you ado!" I called behind me as I flew off to the woods.
I waited there for Ronnie for a fair while. I practiced my invisibility and intangibility, as well as my now slightly more refined skills, performing simple combinations and movements in midair.
After a while Ronnie finally showed, unshouldering her bookbag as she sat down on an old log at the edge of the clearing.
I pulled crazy, almost hazardous, formations in the air, weaving through trees and around them with almost breakneck speed, as she sat and did her homework.
When she was finished she gave me a call and we headed home. I phase-shifted back to human form, losing my sight once more.
I could tell that Veronica wanted to say something. I could feel the pressure building from the awkward silence.
Finally she said, "Tir, I'm really proud of you. You know that, right?"
"I had a slight feeling. But just what made you so proud, out of curiosity?"
"For one thing, I don't think that anyone's ever beaten Tai so badly into the ground before," she said, laughing a bit.
"I know that," I replied, "But he was still pretty formidable, I'll give him that much."
"That's not the point," she said, stopping and grabbing me by the shoulder. She turned me around and said, "You were great, no doubt about it. I don't think that anyone has ever moved that fast. I saw the whole thing, start to finish. It was the finish of that fight that made me feel proud of you, bro."
"Instead of beating him further or taunting him, you showed him mercy, albeit in the most painful sense."
"Hey, no damage, I'm alright, and in a few weeks he'll be alright and whaling on me all over again."
"Tir, he could have killed you! He could have killed you and you still showed him mercy!" she shouted. "He'll probably be convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to several years in prison. He, with a solid steel katana and roughly two hundred pounds of muscle at his beck and call, faced down a blind kid of no more than a hundred and fifty pounds, and got his tail kicked."
"I'm not going to hold those charges against him, Veronica," I heard her jaw drop as I continued, "I realized then, when he was down on the floor, that as much as I disliked him, I respected him. And I also felt pity for him."
"What fourteen year old can attempt to kill someone, on school grounds, in front of numerous people, without some serious history, whether or not he's been abusing drugs?"
"Well, Tir," she replied after a few minutes, "You've either made a loyal friend today, or one very lethal enemy."
"By the way," she asked slyly, "Do you know what language you were speaking when you were fighting that creature earlier today?"
"Uh, either English or Japanese, I would assume," I answered cluelessly, "You can understand both languages, right?"
"Yes," she replied, then added, "And you were speaking neither of them."
"What are you talking about?" I asked, "As far as I know Arean and I were speaking plain English when I was talking with him."
"No you weren't," she taunted, "That ghost said something quietly, then you yelled something out just as he was about to pummel you into the ground, and before my brain could even register it you two were deep in conversation."
"I'm betting that this is some sort of ghost power," I mused, "Now how on earth did I use it? There was the plea, he raised his fist, I grabbed his hand, then just as his fist came down I yelled, th-"
"Your hands!" Ronnie exclaimed, "That's it! In order to understand his language you had to make physical contact, followed by a synaptic link, connecting your brains just long enough for you to absorb the information in the speech centre of his brain, then translate it."
"Wow," I said, turning my head in her direction, "I think that that may be one of the first sentences that you've ever said that I haven't understood in the least."
"I'll explain it when we get home," she said, "I think that mom should know about what happened at school today."
"With Tai or the ghost-ogre?" I asked sarcastically.
"Oh, the ghost-ogre, definitely. Look, if you tell her everything about it, she'll understand."
"Okay, if you say so," I said as we climbed the steps to the house.
We were eating dinner, which contrary to the previous night's, was rather quiet.
After a while mom looked up from her plate and asked, "So Ronnie, how was school?"
"I'll be up in my room. Ask Tir," she said quickly, having shoveled all of her food into her mouth and down her throat in about three seconds.
After she left mom turned a curious eye to me and asked, "What happened, Tirrell? You can tell me about it."
"I broke someone's arm today," I said quietly. I didn't know quite how to tell her, but I don't think that that was the best method.
"How did it happen?" she asked. I think that I was more surprised than her! I'd expected her to explode. I then proceeded to tell her all about said event, including what Veronica and I had discussed on the way home, relating only to the Tai incident, by the way.
She was silent for several minutes, her eyes closed. After a time she opened them, then proceeded to finish her supper before she spoke. I didn't know what to expect.
"Given the circumstances, Tirrell," she said calmly, "You handled the situation well. You could have easily returned what he was going to do to you, but you didn't. Instead you showed him mercy."
"What surprises me most though is that you're not pressing charges. Some parents might, but since this incident happened to you, so I'm leaving it in your hands."
"Thanks, mom," I said, rising from my place at the table and giving her a little hug. "I'll be up in my room." Before I went to my room I visited Ronnie's. I opened the door after she said I could come in.
"So, how did she take it?" she asked curiously, flipping through some old book.
"Well, I guess the whole decision of whether he gets convicted or not rests in my hands. At least twenty other people can testify, including you, but I've got to choose whether or not to prosecute him."
"And we both know the answer to that one," she replied, stopping on a page, reading a small snatch of it, then continuing to flip. "Think about it, sis. He's probably been treated with hostility ever since he can remember. Maybe if someone just extended the hand of peace before reaching for the blade of battle, he might start to understand."
"Tirrell," she said slowly, looking up from her book, "I think that you may have just insanely made a good, strong point."
"I know," I answered smugly. My face darkened as I asked, "Wait, what do you mean by "insanely" made a good point? When have I ever made a bad point?"
"Need I bring up the pudding incident?" she grinned maliciously.
"Good point," I answered, stifling a gasp of horror. "I'll be in my room practicing."
"Practicing what?" she asked curiously, one eyebrow arched.
"The art that I by far have the least experience with," I answered, "Yureido, The way of the Ghost."
"Ah," she answered before returning to her book.