A/N: Well darn it…I guess I have to keep my end of the bargain now, ne? You guys rock my socks so completely off it's a hassle to chase them down and put them back on! I'm not sure if I got that, but whatever. And I'm only two days late on my promise! Not bad considering that I have about five different projects due for my class in a few days…no, I'm not exaggerating, five different things for one class.
I have good news…only one more chapter after this! Bad news…I may not make some friends with this chapter's ending. But, I've had this planned since its inception so please bear with me! You will be well rewarded and pleased with the outcome of this tale, I assure you. Enjoy and please oh please review!
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Ashes to Ashes
Part Fifteen: Cinders
Tucker really hadn't known what to think when he saw Sam calmly stroll out to exchange, what looked like to a common bystander, friendly banter. He also hadn't known what to think when he heard something about Sam being a long lost descendant to Merlin (that seemed almost to video game to him) and her collected voice merely enquiring why he choose her talisman. He definitely didn't know what to think when the raven-haired girl clasped her hands in front of her and whispered something out of earshot, bringing forth this brilliant violet light that raced through the sky. Apparently, neither did Vlad Masters, who seemed only able to gape at the petite girl for a minute before scrunching his bruised face into a scowl and firing a blast at her.
He may not have known what to think, but he certainly knew what to do and his body seemed to react of its own accord, blasting with Fenton blaster and diverting the magenta force off course. Valerie knew what to do too…battered frame and all; she was a vision on her hover-board with her hair flying behind her and an angry gaze in her eyes. She grimaced a bit as she directed the board to circle back down, but Tucker smiled inside at the sight of her forcing it aside as she pulled up her own blaster and shot alongside him at the crazy lunatic. She was so strong…
But, so was Vlad.
Even in the state he was in, he still managed to block their assaults, albeit he didn't look like he was having a picnic doing so. From some hidden reservoir, Plasmius seemed to bring blast upon blast up from nothing and hurl them towards the tired pair, and he didn't seem to be letting up. Tucker was just about to yell for Sam to do something, anything, when a bright purple dome encased the three of them and deflected every single one of the villain's attacks. Tucker looked over at Valerie for a second, seeing the same confused but relieved look mirrored in her chocolate orbs that must have been in his own green ones, before turning around slowly to look behind him.
Sam was standing in a power stance, with that damn stone dangling in front of her, with this huge grin that seemed out of place given the circumstances. Tucker felt his mouth open and close silently, trying to word the questions forming in his mind but unable to string to words together to do so, and Sam just grinned all the wider. "I think I finally got the hang of this stupid thing!" she exclaimed happily before putting the pendant back around her neck.
"That's great, Sam," Tucker replied after a few moments of silence, confusion evident in his tone and expression as he continued to stare at the beaming girl. Valerie must have been thinking something along the same lines as he was…that Sam had finally gone loony like he had told her she was going to since fifth grade. "But, what are we supposed to do about Vlad now?" Tucker was grateful for the shield her little gem had created for them, but it kept things in as much it kept things out. They couldn't afford to just let Vlad stew out there, regaining lost strength.
"We aren't going to do anything, Tuck," Sam replied as she averted her gaze back towards the gray sky…it was close to dawn now; funny how fast the night seem to fly by. Tucker couldn't believe what he had just heard; did using that stone make her loopy? "We are going to wait for Danny to finish what he started."
"I thought Tucker said he fell out of the sky!" Valerie snapped in a tired and beaten voice…she had definitely had enough fighting for one night, Tucker decided. The huntress had undeniably had enough of Sam's weird attitude and her narrowed eyes seemed scary even in her weakened state…only Valerie could have the effect of looking scary while beaten to a pulp. "That he had nearly killed himself, again, using his Ghostly Wail. How the hell is he supposed to defeat Vlad when he's so hurt!"
Tucker was of a like opinion and looked to Sam for an explanation, avoiding the scorching look his could be girlfriend was shooting at anything she could land her eyes on. Yep, Valerie was most assuredly pissed off and not about to take anymore of Sam's cryptic answers or hints anymore. Sam looked unperturbed about the death looks she was receiving, however, and simply content to look up at the sky while a crazy half ghost arch villain was sitting outside their little bubble.
"Sometimes," she said quietly, her eyes not leaving the sky for a second to glance at either of her companions. "All you have to do is have a little bit of hope."
Tucker and Valerie let their gazes drift back to each other, exchanging looks of bafflement at the simple statement that seemed almost beyond their comprehension. Maybe it was just the wording, but something about her tone made it seem strangely prophetic…Tucker decided that maybe he was stuck inside on of those video games he liked so much after all.
"Sam, what are you talk--"
Valerie never finished her sharp reply, as a gasp overtook the sentence and her hands clapped over her mouth in amazement. Tucker directed his green gaze in the same direction as the brown-haired girl's and felt his mouth drop in surprise at the sight that was awarded him. Zipping through the sky and subsequently landing in front of the trio encased in the dome, cackling with a purple energy, was Danny Phantom, completely healed and unmarked as if the past hours of battling had been erased. Tucker and Valerie felt Sam stand beside them but didn't look away from the powerful creature in front of them.
Neither of them could hear the words being exchanged quietly on the other side of the shield, but it was clear that Vlad did not like what he was hearing. The initial shock and rage faded to a stubborn, almost petulant, look and he started to form magenta blasts in his hands…but Danny stood still and calmly defiant against him. A stunned disbelief spread across the crimson-eyed man's face at whatever words were spoken, and he retaliated by sending a powerful looking beam straight at Danny's heart…something that made Tucker yell out and Valerie to move again.
It was unfounded worry though, as the two watched in amazement as the beam seemed to separate and flow around Danny's still form, as if he had a dome around him as well. The rage came back to Vlad's face, and he yelled something at Danny that sounded vaguely like "that's impossible!" before readying another blast. This continued in a pattern for another few minutes before Danny retaliated himself, shooting a green and purple laced blast of his own towards Vlad, trapping him in a similar dome that covered the trio.
It was only then that he turned around and looked at the others with a serene look on his face…a face that was devoid of blue or green eyes. The eyes were instead a strange golden color that glowed in the early pre-dawn of the morning. He gave them a gentle smile and nodded to Sam, sandwiched in between Tucker and Valerie, before turning and walking back to his trapped adversary. The violet dome melted back into nothingness and the sounds from the outside rushed back all at once. And, Tucker noted with a soft smile even though confusion still marred his thinking, the screams and shouts of battle had ended…
Amity Park had been saved for another day.
"How…what did you do?" Tucker asked in a small voice as he glanced over at Sam briefly and then back to his glowing best friend.
"I helped remind Danny how powerful holding onto hope can be," Sam answered with a smirk in her tone as well as on her lips. "Nothing more…the rest was him."
"Sam," Valerie whispered as she tugged on both the bespectacled boy's and the Goth's arms and pointed upwards and behind. "Look…is that the Seasons?" She was pointing towards four rainbow-haired figures flying their way, followed by many ghosts and spirits alike, as if to rally around a leader. It really wasn't so much a question as it was a declaration, that spectrum colored hair couldn't belong to any other beings. Sam smiled in a strange way before grabbing both the huntress and Tucker's arms and dragging them closer to where Danny was standing over Vlad…and closer to where the ghosts and spirits who had helped them save their town were landing.
"I think you're finally going to get your answers, Val," Sam said in a darkly humorous tone as they neared close enough to hear the words exchanged between Danny and Vlad. It wasn't spoken with any malice or spite, but Valerie recoiled slightly anyway…she felt a little guilty about demanding answers from Sam when she should have just trusted her. But, hindsight didn't do her much good, so she just nodded with a neutral face, allowing Tucker to help her stand when Sam let them go. She was still enormously tired and sore…injuries from crashing into walls didn't just go away after a few hours of unconsciousness.
"Hello children," Flora said pleasantly as she and her siblings floated over to where they were stationed, a tired but cheerful smile on her kind face. "This is almost over; methinks…you all did well."
"Why are all the ghosts here?" Tucker asked in curiosity…nearly every single ghost that he could think would've helped them was there, staring at the confrontation between the two halfas for a moment before blinking away to, Tucker assumed, the Ghost Zone. "I'm sure they're all tired too…don't the spirits need to get back?"
""We do," Messis stated with his authoritative voice and brown eyes flashing. "We grow weak the longer we stay here in the living plane, and the ghosts wish to return and heal their wounds, but most would like to see the Abomination defeated first…and pay their respect to the Hybrid in the spirits' cases."
"So does everything start once this is over?" Sam asked miserably, remembering all the warnings these four had given her about some other threat that would attack Danny. They had never given her specifics, never mentioned a name or anything, but all the hinting made her feel like whatever was coming, was coming fast. "This next threat or whatever?"
"No girl," Bruma answered with her face in a blank mask, crossing her arms over her chest to observe the ghosts and spirits as a duty aide in a school yard would. "It does not. Rest and be happy with your victory now…worry about the then when it is upon you."
"So…why are you four waiting for everyone else to get back home?" Valerie asked simply.
"We must thank Daniel for his role in rescuing our sister!" Aestas boomed with a laugh, encircling a nervous looking Valerie and Tucker with his massive arms. "If you three had not sought us out to help him, then we would have never been able to aid Bruma! And since he was incapacitated for a time, he has yet to receive out thanks!"
"I own him a service," Bruma added on as she glanced down at the three humans with her inky black eyes. "A debt…I sought to harm him, even though I was controlled, and must therefore owe him a service to compensate."
"I don't think Danny will care," Tucker replied in a factual tone, quirking his eyebrow at the too-formal winter spirit…these four siblings really did reflect their respective provinces aptly.
"But I do," was all the answer received before Messis shot them a look to be silent. Funny, nearly all the ghosts and spirits had filtered away by this point, leaving only the seasonal spirits and a few ghosts Danny had fought when he first received his powers. Ember, and Skulker were glaring at Vlad with looks of open contempt, while Dora and Technus were gazing at Danny with respect…Desiree was floating above them all with a disinterested look on her beautiful face, smirking slightly when she saw Sam, Tucker, and Valerie with the Seasons. They each blinked out of sight and plane when Bruma gave them each a look, one not too dissimilar from a look a mother gives to a child when it is past a bed time, and left the spirits as the only undead left…besides from Danny and Vlad.
"If you think I will merely give up because of a silly shield, you are vastly mistaken boy!" Vlad exclaimed angrily as he shot a blast at the dome…one that Tucker assumed was not the first. "You won't be able to keep your family and friends safe! You'll fail and I. Will. Win!"
"I think he's cracked," Valerie whispered in Tucker's ear before Bruma spoke up in a deathly calm voice.
"Your role in this is now over, Plasmius. You have been tested and tried and you failed…you are no longer a player in this game."
"You so sure?" Vlad asked with a sneer, taking his eyes away from Danny's still form to glare at Bruma and those behind her. Tucker stifled a chuckle seeing Messis and Flora restrain Aestas from attacking the man, shield or no. "You spirits have no idea the kind of power I have…"
"That may be," Messis spoke, his brown eyes glowing hotly as he glared at the defeated villain. "But there are many ways beside the powers of the living that we can subdue you. My sister speaks true, you're role is now done."
"Plasmius," a melodic voice that was both familiar and alien spoke aloud, tearing Tucker's attention away from the spirits to his best friend…Danny seemed to have broken the silence he had been keeping and now was speaking with a strange voice that sounded much too old for the eighteen year old. "Nothing will save you from me if you continue to try to harm my family. Despite what you believe, I AM more powerful than you…I promise you that if you attempt to hurt anyone I care about again, I will not trap you in a shield and give you a chance to leave."
"Are you threatening to kill me, Daniel?" Vlad asked with a sibilant laugh, refocusing his red gaze on his adversary.
"I will do what I have to, Vlad," was the answer that came from Danny's mouth, shocking Tucker, Valerie, and apparently Vlad, with the candidness and honesty that simple response was laced with. "I won't enjoy it if it comes to that, but I can't allow you to hurt people the way you do…do you even know how hurt Jazz was by your plan to break me? Do you know how devastated my mother was when she found out we were kidnapped, Vlad? Maybe you do, but I don't care anymore. I just want you gone from their lives, and mine. I'm done with this game…cut your losses now and square with what you are in that huge mansion of yours."
Danny was close to Vlad's face now, the shield long taken down, but all Vlad could seem to do was focus on the words flowing from the younger halfa's mouth, like music flows from an instrument. Tucker vaguely wondered where Danny learned to captivate people so well, but one look at the glowing pendant around Sam's neck gave him his answer. Vlad was breaking under these simple words by the very antithesis that was fueling Danny…despair. He shot Sam a questioning look, to which she just murmured, "Maybe by giving him hope, I gave him to power to use despair too…one can't exist without the other."
"Take your life and live it with the money you have," Danny continued in the musical voice. "Take it before the chance escapes you…you've hurt so many people and created enemies because of it. If you don't think I will defeat you next time we meet, think about all those spirits you messed with when you captured one of their own…or think about the ghosts you've used who would rather fight with me than with you.
"Or…think about my mother, the woman you love, as you say, who knows exactly who you are and what you did when you hired Mance Riley to break me. I bet she'd let you live…but I wonder if you could handle the memory of the pure hatred you'd receive from her."
And in a twisted form of reversal, it was Danny who broke down Vladimir Masters with that final statement, uttered in such a soft way it hardly seemed able to convince an evil foe like Plasmius to turn aside. But it did. And he did too, with a lone tear streaking down his face and eyes filled with an echoing despair that made Tucker feel a pang of pity for the man, he turned away from the golden eyes that haunted him and disappeared into the night.
"Does anyone else think that was more than a little strange?" Tucker asked after a few moments of silence. He didn't know what to think…on one hand he was happy that Vlad and his goons were gone, but watching Danny break him so ruthlessly, despite the kind voice he was using, troubled him. As soon as he had uttered the words though, Danny's shoulders slumped and he nearly fell to the ground, saved only by Aestas's large hands that steadied him and helped him turn around. The summer spirit was mumbling to the distraught looking boy in a soft tone…Tucker immediately felt guilty for thinking his previous thoughts.
"It's all right, Daniel," Bruma spoke aloud in a soft tone, strange for her and earning her a few looks from the other humans near. "You did what had to be done…there was no other way to be rid of him than the words you used."
"I did exactly what he would have done," Danny muttered in that strange tone, gold eyes brimming with the pain of what he just had to do. "It's the same…how does that make me any better than him?"
"Because, Danny," Sam whispered gently as she stepped forward and embraced him, something that Tucker bet she had been wanting to do for three months and hadn't been able to. "You hurt inside because of what you did…that's what makes it different." She smiled softly as she pulled away, keeping his hands intertwined with hers. Danny didn't really smile back, but it was something that looked like acceptance to Tucker, and the gold faded from his eyes as he changed back to his human form, leaving only blue behind. He collapsed fully then, Sam right along with him, and the sun rose out over the horizon.
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Sam sat on her front portico, garbed in a loose fitting purple tank and dark jeans, with her pulled back by a head band and ponytail and a serene look on her face as she stared out and down the street. It was hard to believe that only a few weeks ago nearly the entire town had been in dire need of cleaning due to the ghost attack launched by Vlad Plasmius; it was so clean and new looking now. But, the townspeople had risen to the challenge of rebuilding their City Hall and other districts magnificently and the entire city was good as new. Even the nearly destroyed City Hall was up and running again…it was amazing what people could do once they put their minds to something.
Danny's parents and Jazz, plus Mikey, had shown up almost right after she and Danny had passed out from the pendant's effects, and were fine except a few bumps and bruises that were faded and gone. Sam was told that her own parents had shown up soon after, getting a notice of what was happening from Flora, and she had woken up a few minutes after Danny had…feeling fine except for some light-headedness.
Danny and his family had a long and involved talk, about everything from his ghost powers to even touching on what had happened with Riley, and some of the sadness in his eyes from what he did to Plasmius faded, leaving only remnants of that pain that were to stubborn to give up. Just like him. Her parents happened to listen to the whole thing, in addition to Tucker's and Valerie's father (all summoned by Messis apparently), and had only muttered something about it figuring their daughter would fall for a half-dead young man. She didn't know how Danny felt with so many more people, including one he didn't even know that well in Mikey, knowing about his secret, but she hoped he was okay.
Sam had led Danny and the other two away after some of the excitement had died down and told them everything Bruma or one of her siblings deigned to tell her. She told them about the knowledge that she was a descendent of Merlin, and about how Danny was called the Hybrid, and why. Valerie had been angry at first, but she swallowed that soon and just vowed to help against whatever may come. Tucker had laughed, saying something about how it was ironic his life would turn into such a story after all those books and games he played, and Danny was silent…it seemed to be a habit he had acquired in getting his memories back.
So, here Sam sat now, two and a half weeks later, and absolutely dreading the next few days…because in exactly six days, she had to leave to go off to school in New York. The worries about what would happen between her and Danny had been lost during their trying and intense summer, but they had come back in full force now that everything had calmed down. Before, she had been pretty confident that they could work at a long distance relationship, but now…Danny had changed ever since he had gotten his memories back. It wasn't all that surprising really, he had almost been raped and had dealt with the guilt of knowing Jazz was, in addition to nearly being killed a few times…it was bound to happen. But, it made Sam worry that he would need her there with him and she couldn't…it wasn't fair.
"Scowling at the pavement is not going to make it feel for your situation, girl," a cold and sarcastic voice said from beside her, and Sam directed her scowl towards the wintery spirit instead. "Nor will it move me…I suggest with a smile."
"Why's that?"
"Because it would be a surprise instead of the perpetual scowl or smirk adorning your features of late," Bruma dead-panned, causing Sam to do as she suggested, despite her mood. The spirit always seemed to be able to make her smile, usually because she wasn't trying to.
"What are you doing here?" Sam asked as she fingered the troublesome little pendant around her neck.
"Fulfilling my debt to your lover child….what did you think?" Bruma shot back, this time with a small smirk on her usually blank face.
Sam blushed and looked away at the mention of calling Danny her lover…Bruma always knew how to get those rare patches of pink to spread across her cheeks. She actually didn't mind Bruma checking up on her, per the request Danny asked for in order to alleviate the debt that Bruma owed him, in her mind. She enjoyed the winter spirit's company, acerbic comments and all, and had actually been meaning to talk to her about something for a while now. She would have asked earlier, but it was something she wanted to do just between the two of them…now seemed like the perfect time.
"Did you always know?" Sam asked quietly, knowing she didn't need to clarify the specifics on the question. She fidgeted with the gemstone a bit more before dropping it and resting back on her elbows, cocking her head to the side inquisitively.
"I suspected that you may have been Merlin's heir," Bruma answered as she turned her head to focus the black eyes she bore on Sam's purple ones. "But I knew for sure after you told me about summoning power from the Crai'agh…only the heirs of the Bloodlines assigned to a talisman could achieve that. I waited until you discovered on your own though…I want it to be your own decision and not to be influenced by my opinion on what you are."
"But, I found out through Vlad," Sam countered with a quick grin.
"Yes, but it was you who decided to believe," the spirit quipped immediately. "Only you, not pressured by our thoughts on the matter…and that is what matters."
"So…what happened now that I know?"
"Nothing, unless you want it to. You cannot stop conflicts from arising, no more than you can stop nature, but you can fight back…and when the time comes, you will decide what the right thing to do is. Until then, I would just enjoy the peace while it decides to grace us…it is a fleeting thing after all."
"How were the spirits formed?" Sam asked before she even knew why she was asking such a personal question…it was just something that had been nagging at her mind for a while now. "I mean, I know that you're dead, but why are you so different from ghosts? And why do you have specific powers and names whereas they don't?"
"That is a rather complicated tale," Bruma answered and then fell silent for a time. Sam thought she wasn't going to answer when she began again, her voice devoid of the harshness it usually carried and her eyes sparkling with something Sam couldn't place. "But I will tell you a shortened version of it. Long ago, a terrible evil was created in arrogance and foolishness, an evil that nearly destroyed its maker. The race responsible took precautions after the storm, and came to the Bloodlines and other magic bearing races and asked for those willing to part with existence to embody and protect certain aspects of nature and life against future evils.
"I was young, just twenty I believe, and my sibling and I agreed to this…we sacrificed our mortal lives to become spirits of the Seasons and help protect those to come. Not to say that there is only my siblings and I who are guardians of the seasons, I am sure there were many before, but we were created into the forms you have seen. That is why we are different from ghosts…we willingly gave our lives while they were torn from theirs."
"So, Clockwork is…" Sam began, already getting a feeling about what the answer was.
"Is known as Aetas to me…spirit of Time," Bruma finished for her. "He is quite attached to the Hybrid, and perhaps even knew who he was before everything was revealed, so he appreciates all that you have done this summer to help him."
"I thought he knew everything," Sam said with a sarcastic edge to her voice.
"He knows all of the past and present, and sees the many different paths the future can take," Bruma clarified with a small grin. "He does not claim to know which path the future will take…and the future was split between Daniel and Vladimir Masters, both of whom are Halflings. That has been cleared up, and Daniel is the Hybrid we have been waiting for, but here was a chance it could have turned out a different way, a different path."
"I don't believe in all this fate stuff," Sam grumbled, crossing her arms in front of her in frustration. "It's like our path is already chosen for us…just seems like we end up having no free will."
"Most entangled in fate usually think that way. However, it is always your choice what to do, Samantha…nothing governs a destiny but the wielder."
Sam smiled gently and was about to ask another question, one about all the references Bruma and her siblings made when it came to some child she was supposed to have one day, when a black-haired, blue-eyed boy distracted her from the fleeting question. He was walking up to her with his hands in his pockets and the same troubled look in his eyes, the look that told her he was about to do something martyr like. And she had a good idea what that something was…
"Sam?" he asked in an absolutely miserable tone that confirmed all of her suspicions. The musical quality that had been in his voice when she shot that ray of hope into him was gone, and he was almost her Danny again…almost being the key word. He needed something that she couldn't give right now, she and he both knew that, and that's why she wasn't so upset with what she knew was going to happen…if this would make him smile again, then she would do it. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
"You came here to break up, didn't you?" Sam asked with a sad smile on her face, her violet and knowing eyes boring into him as he just dug his hands deeper into his pockets. "You do know that I'm not that easy to get rid of, right?"
"I'm not 'breaking up' with you, Sam," Danny answered with a tired sigh, meeting her eyes with his own. "I just…I'm not 'right,' right now, you know? And…I need to get better. It's not fair to you that I…that I can't stand contact right now, and I don't want you to worry about me when you're at school. Plus…look at everything that happened here! That's not going to change, Sam…I'm always going to be Danny Phantom and I can't change that."
"I never asked you to," Sam responded in that understanding tone that she knew helped calm him down…he was starting to ramble. "And what if I want to help you get better, Danny? I don't care if you don't want to hold hands, that's fine; I just want you to get better."
"But…I can't have you help." Sam knew she would agree with him…it was impossible not to given the circumstances. She would let him have this, let him go and wait for him to get better on his own, like he wanted. He was giving her a chance to get out of everything, get out of everything dangerous and wild his life was, and have a normal life. Part of her told her this was a good thing, the logical part of course, to step back and make sure this is what she wanted…and her heart didn't argue because it knew her answer would be the same.
So, she nodded and gave him a smile when he told that he loved her more than anything and that he was so sorry. He didn't let her say anything to him though, he went ghost and zipped off; she knew why. If he let her say anything, he would have changed his mind…idiotic boy, she thought with a sad grin. "You didn't even let me ask you not to go."
"May I ask what you were thinking when you let him be an idiot?" Bruma asked in a conversational tone, her eyebrow raised in question and her mouth quirked in a frown.
"He needs this, Bruma," Sam responded as she wiped the lone tear that had escaped her eye, vowing that was all she was going to shed over this. "He needs to figure some things out, and I can't help him do it. I'll let him, and I'll still be here for him when he realizes what a moron he's being. But I'll let him go for now…"
Bruma looked at the girl for a moment before shaking her head and casting a look to the heavens in exasperation. "You humans are so fickle…"
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A/N: Hehe…review for the epilogue!