DarkFoxKit: Whew, glad that I'm a fox again, otherwise I would've had to go through some weird arc again until I turned back.

Darkzdragon 'Onyx': I think you were still pretty cute as a bunny.

DarkFoxKit: Well, what about you? What would you look like as a bunny?

Andy: Probably just as cute, maybe a little more fluffy. *Munches on some chips*

DarkFoxKit: Andy? When did you get here?

Andy: I never left.

Darkzdragon 'Onyx': He's probably been working on his invisibility…

Andy: Have you ever seen me turn ghost in the ANs?

DarkFoxKit: Come to think of it… no, I don't think we have, not even back during My Brother's a Ghost…

Andy: Exactly.

Darkzdragon 'Onyx': Do you not want to go ghost? Or… do you not have your story counterpart's powers?

Andy: I don't have ghost powers myself. I think my creator was just lazy not to add them to me in the ANs. *Looks at Fox*

DarkFoxKit: Hey! I never said you didn't have ghost powers in the ANs!

Andy: *Raises an eyebrow* Are you sure about that?

DarkFoxKit: Stop breaking the fourth wall.

Andy: It'd only be breaking the fourth wall if I was the Andy from the story.

DarkFoxKit: I didn't give you ghost powers in MBAG's ANs because you were full human in that story. You should be able to use your ghost powers in WAP's ANs though.

Andy: Well… I don't have any. How about you two go ahead and get the readers to the chapter though? I'm sure this is inconsequential to them.

Darkzdragon 'Onyx': Yeah… we should probably figure out why you don't have your story counterpart's powers later.

DarkFoxKit: Okay readers, go on to the chapter, we hope you'll enjoy it~

Chapter 74: Bide Your Time

It was difficult to tell how much time had passed since we got here. There wasn't a real day or night in this realm as there was no sun in the eerie purple sky. However, it seemed there were periods of darkness which everyone used to sleep, so I assumed that was the equivalent of night here. Judging from how many times the periods of darkness came and went, I would say it had been about 3 days. Sam, being the head maid, was constantly working in the palace to keep it clean, and also to do the Pharaoh's whims. I hadn't been able to keep in contact with her since we were first split off to have our tasks explained.

Because I was one of the advisors, I was allowed to be near the palace to observe what was going on. I watched as Paulina and Star were reduced as handmaidens, though it was easy to tell that Tucker chose those two specifically to be his personal handmaidens. It was likely due to Tucker's lust for Paulina, like with 90% of the boys in Casper High, and his past relationship with Star that made them his personal handmaidens. I could hear them mumbling about having to wash Tucker's dirty feet, however I also heard that they kinda found it therapeutic to brush Juliette's fur.

I would sometimes see Jazz as well. At first, Jazz was supposed to do manual labor and chores like most other female slaves, but Tucker promoted her to being a scroll writer instead when he remembered she was incredibly intelligent when it came to books and writing. This made it a little easier for me to keep an eye on Jazz.

What surprised me, however, was seeing Katrina. While I knew she went to Casper High, I rarely saw her at school. Katrina was Juliette's personal handmaiden. Juliette never made Katrina do too much for her, but Tucker insisted that Juliette needed to order her handmaiden around. So Juliette had Katrina do minimal tasks, enough to satisfy Tucker but also not enough to show that Juliette really cared about what he wanted.

I didn't get to see Dash or Valerie much at all, unfortunately, due to them being lowly slaves, they were forced to constantly work on a huge Sphinx statue that had Tucker's face. I also noticed that Mr. Lancer was being forced to work as well, which did worry me a little bit. Mr. Lancer wasn't exactly in shape, nor was he very young, and this being a desert, I couldn't help but worry that Mr. Lancer might get heat stroke or a heart attack if he was pushed too hard. Thankfully, however, it didn't seem to be very hot out here despite being 'Egypt', it was likely because it wasn't truly Egypt, but just a form of it that the Scarab Scepter created.

I was worried for Danny as each day passed and there was no sign or news of him. I didn't feel anything bad had happened to Danny yet, but I still wanted to know if he was okay, and if he was in this realm with us or if he was sent somewhere else entirely. I had little to no answers about my brother's whereabouts, and I had very little access to what I could actually do. As far as I could tell, the best thing I can do right now was bide my time, and gain Hotep Ra and 'Pharaoh Tucker''s trust before I try anything.

"You have done well to fit into your new life, Andy," Tucker spoke up with a smile as he looked down at me. "And for that reason, I shall be allowing you to have slightly more freedom. If you keep this up, you may end up becoming one of my higher advisors within weeks."

"I am honored to have pleased you, my Pharaoh," I stated with a bow.

"Now… tell me, it has been three days since we have come and I have heard very little from you," Tucker began. "Have you come up with any ideas for my kingdom? If not, then perhaps you can assist me by giving some feedback on an edict I plan on putting into place tomorrow."

"I am afraid that I may need more time to think of good ideas for your kingdom, ones that are worth your time, my Pharaoh. But if you need feedback on your edict, then I will be happy to listen, your Highness," I answered, keeping my servant attitude on.

Tucker nodded. "The three pieces of my new edict are as follows; there shall be more water breaks for the servants as I have gotten reports of dehydration from many of my foremen. Elder slaves shall be allowed more rest periods and be allowed to finish work earlier. And finally, for those that are not elderly, they are to work until darkness."

I noticed a man with purple skin, with a dog head writing down what Tucker just said in a scroll.

"The edict is…" I hesitated a little, trying to find the right words to say. "... good, my Pharaoh. It will allow the slaves to recover easier before going back to work, so they will be able to work harder." Although, I'm surprised that he's willing to give them breaks. I would've thought Tucker would want to make some ridiculous laws like making everyone wear berets, eat a lot of meat, or have mini-skirt Fridays or something.

"I am working on a few other edicts, but I'm not ready to put them into action just yet," Tucker informed before smiling and nodding at the dog head person. "Be sure those rules are put into place starting tomorrow."

"Yes, my Pharaoh." The dog head person bowed before leaving.

"On an unrelated note, Andy, how have you been feeling ever since you lost your ghost powers?" Tucker inquired. "I hope it hasn't been too uncomfortable an adjustment for you."

"I will admit that it took some time to… adjust to only being human again, your Highness," I answered honestly. "But it wasn't too hard to adjust, as I had been human for far longer than I had been half ghost." It definitely feels a lot more limiting though. I had gotten used to being able to fly or go through solid matter on a whim on a daily basis, to not be able to do that anymore kind of sucks, it's like a part of me had been cut off... I wonder if this is permanent or if I will get my ghost powers back if we ever get out of here…

"No need to look so glum, Andy," Tucker spoke up, likely noticing my somber expression. "If you continue to prove your worth and trustworthiness, I may give you back some of your ghost powers, but only if you use them with my permission, of course."

"I thank you for your generosity, my Pharaoh," I replied.

"Now, is there anything you would like to ask of your most benevolent Pharaoh before you go about your tasks?" Tucker offered.

I hesitated a little. I realized that this could be my chance to get some information on my brother, or have a way to be able to talk to some of my friends. I just hope I could do it in a way that wouldn't make Tucker suspicious.

"I do have a couple of questions I'd like to ask, my Pharaoh, if that is acceptable," I answered.

"Go ahead." Tucker smiled.

"If you would allow it, my Pharaoh, I would like to be informed of what has happened with Danny, my brother, as I am both curious and concerned about his well being," I said, wording the question the least suspicious way possible.

"Danny is still alive, he has surprised all and has defeated many a gladiator at this point," Tucker answered openly.

Gladiator? Danny's a gladiator? I blinked, surprised. At least I know he's okay… for now. "But if Danny is human like me, how has he been able to fight in a gladiator battle?"

"I know not, but it is entertaining to my people nonetheless," Tucker responded.

That's something I'll have to find out later then… I noted. "Then for my second question, my Pharaoh, I would like to request permission to be able to talk to some of the slaves."

"What reason do you have to want to talk to the slaves?" Tucker asked me.

"Some of the slaves are old friends of mine. I have been lonely since I became your advisor, my Pharaoh. I just want the company, but only with your permission," I answered as smoothly and innocently as possible.

"Why not speak with your fellow advisors?" Tucker questioned.

"With all due respect, your Highness, they are all ghosts or have ghost-like properties. Being a human, I feel more comfortable around my fellow humans," I replied. "I hope you understand, my Pharaoh."

Tucker gave a thoughtful nod. "I shall consider your request and give you an answer at a later time."

"Thank you, my Pharaoh," I stated gratefully.

I bowed my head again before looking up at Juliette, who had been silent beside Tucker. I gave her a small, reassuring smile. It was a silent promise to her that I would free her as soon as possible. I felt guilty because I had gotten her and Scarlet involved with this.

Juliette gave the smallest hint of a nod as a response.

I waited patiently to hear from Tucker, hoping that he would accept my request. I did my best to give him some small ideas for what he could do for his kingdom so he wouldn't think I was slacking off, and hoping it would give me a higher chance of approval. A few more days had passed. I was getting anxious, but I had to remain patient and calm. The last thing I wanted to do was blow my chance of having a way to communicate with some of my friends.

I continued to loyally do any of Tucker's bidding if he had anything for me to do, making sure not to give him, Hotep Ra, or any of his other minions any reason to be suspicious of me, until finally, Tucker called me into his throne room.

I kneeled down when I was in front of 'Pharaoh Tucker', and bowed my head. "You summoned me, my Pharaoh?"

"You're in luck, Andy." Tucker smirked. "I thought about your request, the one you made a few days ago, and I reached a decision. I will allow you to see one of your mortal friends at any time, so long as they are not away from work for too long. To see your friends, simply tell one of the guards who you want to see and explain the general appearance of them and they shall be brought to you."

I had to keep myself from smiling and getting excited. "I thank you for your approval, my Pharaoh. Will there be anything else?"

"I think my lovely queen would like to talk to you occasionally, if you have the time to spare," Tucker stated. "She has been, distant to say the least. And when not by my side, she holes up in her room, not wanting to come out. Again, if you have the time to spare, I would request that you talk to her and try to convince her to change her ways before I lose my patience."

"I will do my best to help the queen be more agreeable for you, my Pharaoh," I answered. So I also have permission to talk to Juliette. That's good, this should help give me a slight advantage then. "Perhaps after I talk to one of my old friends, I will go speak with your lovely queen, my Pharaoh."

Tucker gave a small nod before waving his hand. "You are dismissed."

I gave another bow before standing up and turned to leave the throne room. I was relieved when I made it outside.

Okay, this will be the first step. I better not blow it. I took a deep breath and let it out, trying to calm my nerves.

I thought about who I should try to talk to first. Valerie might be the best candidate. Her or Sam, but Sam is still busy in the palace right now.

I looked around before spotting one of the ghost guards that I've seen Tucker use in his army to round up the slaves. I walked over to the guard.

"The Pharaoh informed me that I can tell you to get one of my friends to talk to, is that correct?" I asked the guard.

"That is correct, Lower Advisor," The guard replied. "Which of the humans would you like for me to bring to you? Or are you simply asking if we have been informed by the Pharaoh that you are allowed to have a singular guest at a time?"

"I do want to talk to someone," I answered. "Could you bring Valerie Gray? She's a 14 year old girl, who's African American and she has somewhat long black hair."

The guard bowed his head a little. "I shall be back with them as quickly as I can. Do not worry, I will ensure they are the correct person before bringing them."

I gave a nod, wanting to thank the guard, but I wasn't sure if it was okay for me to say 'thank you'. Ever since I slipped into my servant role almost a week ago now, it had been difficult for me to say what was on my mind. I did notice that certain ghost servants bowed their heads or completely bowed when I walked by, so I assumed I was a higher rank than them, but I didn't want to risk getting in trouble by talking casually to anyone above me.

I stayed where I was and waited. To my relief, I didn't have to wait long before the guard came back, holding onto Valerie. I was a little surprised when I saw Valerie was wearing leather armor instead of that white skirt she wore on our first day here. The guard placed Valerie down in front of me.

I gave a smile to Valerie before looking at the guard. "Th- I mean, you did well, bringing the right person."

The guard gave a nod. "You have a maximum of one hour with her right now, as that is when she will need to get back to work."

"I will be sure to use the time wisely," I said before looking at Valerie. "Let's go somewhere a little more quiet for us to… enjoy each other's company before you have to get back to work."

Valerie gave a slight nod before both of us walked away from the palace.

I took Valerie to the most secluded place I could find in the area, which just so happened to be my personal quarters. As soon as I knew we were alone, I gave a sigh of relief.

"We should be able to speak freely here for a while," I said quietly. "But try not to talk too loud."

"Wow, so this is where you've been," Valerie remarked as she looked around, glancing out the large window I had in my room. "I've got to say, you're pretty lucky."

"Yeah, sort of, I think it's because I was one of Tucker's closest friends, and didn't try to take that scepter away from him," I guessed.

"Is that why I saw your brother in one of the gladiator cells in the arena?" Valerie questioned. "Did he try to steal that scepter that Tucker seems to always have with him?"

"Yeah, unfortunately. Before we were all transported here, Danny tried to take the scepter away since it was controlling Tucker," I explained.

"I feel bad for him." Valerie sighed. "From what I heard, he's being tortured by having to share a cell with the Ghost Kid."

"... What?" I blinked, surprised at hearing this. "By 'Ghost Kid', did you mean Danny Phantom?"

"Of course," Valerie confirmed. "The other one is the one I'm calling Phantom, the Ghost Kid's brother."

"Yeah, I know, but… you're saying Danny Phantom is here too?" I asked, wanting to be sure.

"The Ghost Kid is not just here, he's also the strongest gladiator in the arena. He's beaten all the other gladiators with relative ease, although I haven't seen Danny being put in the arena… maybe Tucker's giving him some sort of mercy," Valerie informed.

Danny still has access to his ghost powers? Tucker didn't seem to know that. But why? Why is Danny still able to use his ghost powers but the rest of us can't? I thought to myself, before remembering Danny's struggle with Tucker's Scarab Scepter. Maybe it was because Danny was touching the scepter before it transported us here… maybe it weakened its magic on him, so it wasn't able to take away his ghost powers. Whatever the case may be, Danny still has his ghost powers, and because of that, he'll be our best way to save Tucker and get out of this creepy realm.

"What kind of role is Tucker making you do, Valerie?" I asked after thinking.

"Surprised you haven't already come up with a few guesses based on my attire," Valerie chuckled. "I've been assigned to some weird armored ghost lady to train other ghosts to be gladiators. I would love to teach them improperly, but I'd also rather not be put into the arena myself."

"Armored ghost lady? … Did she have red hair and had a bit of an attitude?" I questioned.

"Have you… met her before?" Valerie raised a brow.

"Yeah, I have, she's uh… an acquaintance," I sheepishly admitted. "But that doesn't matter right now. Listen, Valerie, I think I might know of a way to get us out of this weird realm and get back home, but I'm going to need you to cooperate with me."

"Glad to know that your life of luxury hasn't clouded your mind," Valerie joked. "But seriously, what can I do?"

"As much as I know you hate Danny Phantom, he'll be our best bet of getting us out of here," I informed. "He's the only one with powers in this realm who would be willing to help us."

Valerie paled at that. "No. I'm not going to talk to the Ghost Kid, even if he is our only hope of getting out of here."

I gave a sigh before nodding. "Okay, I understand that you don't trust Phantom. Then how about you talk to Danny instead? He can pass on the messages I intend for the ghost boy."

"I… can manage that," Valerie replied. "So long as the Ghost Kid isn't around when I go to talk to your brother."

"I'm sure if you see Danny, he won't be," I reassured. "Is there anyone else you know working in the gladiator arena?"

"I think I may have seen Dash and Kwan there at one point," Valerie answered. "Kwan looked like he was cleaning latrines, but Dash seemed to be simply maintaining gear."

"I see… they might need to help get Danny out then," I remarked. "They have the muscles…"

"What exactly are you thinking?" Valerie questioned.

"I need more information before I plan out anything," I stated. "Could you tell me more about the arena's cells? What are they using to keep ghosts and humans from escaping? How do they unlock? And what happens to the losers in the arena? And more importantly… how is Danny?"

"I'll start off with the easiest question," Valerie began.

Valerie told me how Danny looked somewhat fine. The last time she had seen him, he looked a little scratched up, but nothing too serious. She then went on to explain, in as best detail as she could manage, how the arena was laid out, what the cells looked like, and gave her best guess as to how ghosts couldn't escape. However, when she got to my final question about what happened to losers, she hesitated.

"I'm… not exactly sure you want to know what happens to the losers. So far it's only been ghosts, but it's still pretty… gruesome," Valerie said, explaining her hesitation a little.

I frowned, this gave me all the more reason to get Danny out of there as quickly as possible. I knew Danny was strong as a ghost, but it was only a matter of time before Tucker sends in a warrior strong enough to take out Danny.

"It sounds like the only way to get them out is with permission from a high ranking elite, or the Pharaoh himself," I noted.

"So what should we do?" Valerie asked.

"I assume that the cells need a key to be opened," I remarked. "Since Dash is just doing maintenance, he might be able to take one of the keys without being noticed. If he could get one of the keys, and unlock the cell Danny Phantom is in, then Danny Phantom could sneak into the palace at night, and try to get the scepter away from Tucker."

"What about that mummy that protects Tucker as well as the other guards?" Valerie pointedly asked.

"Phantom might be able to handle them, but then he might lose the chance to get the scepter. If Tucker finds out he's here in the palace, then chances are, Tucker will take away his powers. I think our best bet is to smuggle a few weapons in so I, as well as perhaps you, Sam, and a few others who would be willing to fight ghosts, can try to keep the mummy and the guards distracted. Hopefully in a chaos like that, Tucker won't know that Phantom is here, giving Phantom a chance to grab the scepter before Tucker knows what's going on," I explained.

Valerie gave a nod to that. "It may take a few days to get everything set up, but I think that would all be possible. I can definitely sneak in a few weapons as they don't bother to search me before I come here, and I definitely would be able to help in the distraction fight."

"Try not to take too long. I don't know what will happen to Tucker if he stays under that scepter's dark magic for too long," I warned worriedly, remembering Juliette's warning of Tucker's soul being replaced.

"I get your worry, but if we rush, then we may end up revealing the plan and all of us will be punished," Valerie countered.

"I know… we'll only have one shot at this. If this plan fails, then we may all end up as ghosts ourselves," I said grimly. "I'll see if I can pass this information along to the others, so they know to prepare for it. Once you're able to get the key, let me know when you plan to have Dash release Phantom. Oh, and be sure to tell this to Danny, so he can tell Phantom. The plan won't work if Phantom is kept in the dark."

"I'll do my best," Valerie promised. "Now, if my internal clock is correct, the guard should be coming in soon to collect me as our hour is nearly up."

I nodded. "Good luck, Valerie."

Valerie walked towards the door right as it swung open, revealing the guard that had escorted here.

"Good, it would seem you are ready to head back to the arena," The guard noted. "It's time to take you back to the arena."

"Yes, sir," Valerie answered, though I could tell there was a slight bit of venom behind her voice. Most likely it came from the fact she had just called a ghost 'sir'.

I watched as Valerie was picked up by the guard, and the guard turned both of them intangible before flying off. I waited for a minute before I walked out. Now that I had told Valerie the plan, it was time to talk to 'the queen'.

When I had reached Juliette's room, I knocked on the door. "Queen Juliette? It's Andy, I've come to talk to you on behalf of the Pharaoh. Would you allow me access to your quarters?"

I heard some shuffling around inside before the door opened to reveal Katrina.

"Andy? What are you doing here?" Katrina asked, a confused look on her face.

"I was sent here by the Pharaoh to speak with the queen," I answered formally, knowing the guards were watching. "Is the queen here?"

"Yes, Queen Juliette is here," Katrina answered before glancing into the room. "You may enter."

I gave a nod before Katrina opened the door wider for me to come in. I walked into Juliette's room, a little in awe at how big and well decorated it was. Katrina closed the door soon after I came inside. I saw Juliette laying in a big bed, looking lonely. I walked over to Juliette, and looked around for any guards or possible servants that could be watching us. I was unsure about Katrina, but I doubt she would say anything to Tucker.

To be on the safe side, however, I chose to speak formally. "Queen Juliette? Is it alright if I talk to you?"

"You can speak freely, Andy," Juliette assured as she sat up. "I forbid anybody except Katrina, and now you, from entering. Even Tucker isn't allowed in here."

I gave a nod at that, before giving a tired sigh. "I've been playing the servant role for too long. I never thought I'd have to go on with this for a week… I'm sorry about this, Juliette… I never should've gotten you and Scarlet involved with this..."

"If you hadn't, it could've been much worse," Juliette responded. "If you hadn't roped Scarlet or I in, Tucker most likely would've been replaced completely by the consciousness in the staff. However, because you roped us in and we were brought here, I noticed something intriguing. Instead of being replaced like before, Tucker has somehow safely fused with the consciousness of the staff."

"Fused? Isn't that just as bad?" I frowned in worry. "I mean would he even be Tucker anymore even if we take the Scarab Scepter away from him?"

"Yes," Juliette assured. "If we take away the scepter and destroy it, or at least deactivate it, Tucker will be separated from the consciousness of the scepter and will return to normal."

I gave a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness, I was worried that Tucker would be forever like that, fused with a powerful being, and cor-"

I stopped myself, trying not to think about a certain memory. Juliette gave me a curious look, probably noticing the strange way I cut myself off.

"A-anyways, I was able to gain Tucker's approval for allowing me to talk to someone," I quickly said, changing the subject. "I was able to talk to Valerie, and she told me something interesting."

"What was it?" Juliette asked.

"Danny, not only is he still alive, but he still…" I paused, looking at Katrina for a second, before looking back at Juliette. "He's not as powerless as the rest of us are. I'm not sure why exactly, but my guess is it's because he was touching the scepter when it transported us into this realm."

"I suspected that," Juliette stated with a smile. "But it's nice to have this confirmation from you."

"Yeah, and knowing this, I figured Danny will be our best bet of saving Tucker and getting us out of here," I went on. "I told Valerie to get Dash to get the key to Danny's cell. Once they're able to get him out, he'll be able to sneak into the palace to get the scepter away from Tucker. Right now, Tucker doesn't seem to be aware that Danny isn't powerless, that's our biggest advantage. But it's also dangerous, if Danny fails, then we may as well kiss our lives goodbye. We also have to keep in mind of the guards and Hotep Ra himself, they'll likely spot Danny and try to stop him. The best idea I have for that is to gather as many people as I can who are willing to fight, to fight against the guards and Hotep Ra, causing enough chaos to keep Tucker from seeing Danny."

"That's an excellent plan," Juliette commented. "However, it might be best to think of a secondary plan that perhaps we can try and put into action before your current plan goes through. Perhaps find a way to have Tucker bring Danny here or have Tucker to go the arena where Danny is."

I gave a nod. "I was thinking about that as well. Of course, it might be difficult to suggest the idea without getting Tucker suspicious. And if he sees Danny as… you know who, then that will blow our other plans completely."

"I understand the risks, hence why it is only a backup plan," Juliette chuckled. "Now, when Tucker undoubtedly asks you how you are progressing with me, tell him that I am at the very least, speaking to you."

"Right, that will show that I am making progress, but I still need to talk to you some more," I remarked.

"Exactly." Juliette nodded. "For this moment, I can only apologize in advance."

I raised an eyebrow at that.

"I WILL NOT BE A PLAYTHING FOR THE KING!" Juliette suddenly shouted. "If I allow you to come here again, you better choose your words carefully!"

I was a bit stunned from Juliette's sudden shouting, so much so that the next thing I knew, I was being pushed out of the room before the door slammed shut behind me. I just stood there like an idiot for half a minute, blinking.

The guard next to the door glanced over at me. "I'm surprised you were in there for as long as you were. I will make sure to inform the Pharaoh of that."

"... Yeah… you do that…" I said, recovering from Juliette's sudden outburst. Note to self; never get on Juliette's bad side… and not just because of Scarlet.

Meanwhile, From Danny's Point of View

"Here's your grub," A ghost guard said as he plopped down a tray of food in my cell. "A human will be back later to collect your tray, so don't try to fashion it into some makeshift escape tool."

"What? You think I would do that?" I asked sarcastically.

"Considering you've already been found with a makeshift shovel, yes," The ghost replied.

"Whatever, it's not like it worked anyways," I grumbled.

"You try anything like that again, and you most likely won't survive your next time in the arena," The ghost warned before walking away.

I looked down at the tray of food and sighed to myself. The food wasn't bad, but I didn't feel like eating. I wasn't sure how long I've been here, but it felt like months. I didn't know what happened after I grabbed that scepter from Tucker, but I had suddenly found myself in an arena with a bunch of people watching me fighting against an armored ghost. The ghost was easy to defeat, but then I was suddenly hit by some kind of electricity that paralyzed me, and I was brought to this cell. This happened every time I was taken to the arena.

I didn't know where anyone was for a while, until I saw Scarlet. Scarlet asked me what was going on, but I was just as clueless as she was. Scarlet apparently couldn't use any of her powers, which I found odd since my own ghost powers worked just fine. I just couldn't use them to escape, these dang prison bars were ghost proof. I probably could've busted out of here with my Ghostly Wail, but if I did that, I'd cause the entire arena to collapse on me and everyone else who were here.

I was worried for my friends, especially Andy, Tucker, and Sam. But all I could do was wait here until I was forced back into the arena again. Then, one day, Valerie came over to me. I was surprised to see she was here too. Unfortunately, I was in my ghost form when she first saw me. Valerie didn't come back for a while until Scarlet told her she had to. I made sure to stay in my human form when she returned, and Valerie was surprised when she saw me. We didn't get to talk much, but she did make sure I was taken care of at the very least. Valerie would often check my wounds, or made sure I got a proper meal to eat. She did ask me about the 'Ghost Kid', but I assured her that he didn't bother me much. Valerie also told me that Andy and the others were fine, but Tucker was taken over by that scepter.

I was also pretty lonely inside my cell. There wasn't much to do when I wasn't being forced to battle it out in the arena. As selfish as it was, a part of me wished my brother was taken in here with me.

I picked up the tray and started eating some of the food. Wherever Andy is, I hope he's able to come up with some kind of plan. I'm pretty much useless here… and there is no way that I want to stay in this gladiator arena, especially since I am forced to fight or die.

Before I knew it, I had finished eating my food. With my tray empty, I placed it down near the door to my cell. I wonder what Andy would do if he was here? Likely he'd try to think of a way to get out of here, or find a way to get a message to someone on the outside...

I watched with bored interest as someone cautiously walked over to my cell.

"You done with your meal?" One of the ghosts in front of my cell, which I had given the nickname 'gladiator fetcher', asked.

"What do you think? That I'd eat the metal tray too?" I snipped.

"Gladiators do crazy things, so I wouldn't put it past you," Gladiator fetcher chuckled. "Now, do I need to explain the routine to you again? Or will you simply comply this time?"

"You may have to repeat it." I smirked, wanting to annoy the gladiator fetcher as much as possible.

The gladiator fetcher shrugged, seemingly unbothered by my attempt to annoy him. "Alright. Well, first you need to come over to the bars and put your hands through the slot. We will attach cuffs to your wrists that will prevent you from using your powers while you are brought to the arena. Once you are in the ready area, the cuffs will be removed. If you try to escape during the time the cuffs are off or try to act smart to me now, I am authorized to paralyze you and simply throw your unready self out into the arena."

I rolled my eyes, this sometimes made me wonder if gladiator fetcher was an actual ghost or just a robot with ghostly properties.

"Fine, whatever," I grumbled as I slid my hands through the slot. "Just hurry up and get it over with."

A pair of cuffs were attached to my wrists, temporarily draining me of most of my strength. Gladiator fetcher then gave a nod before one of the other ghost guards with him opened up the cell door and attached a chain to the cuffs. The end of the chain was handed to the gladiator fetcher who began to pull it, forcing me to follow him towards the ready room of the arena.

I was currently in my human form as my ghost form recovered much faster while I stayed human. I usually only transformed just before I got to the arena. But I did have to watch out for Valerie, or anyone else I knew before I transformed. There were many other ghosts in the prison cells as well, though I hadn't seen any humans in these cells. I doubt humans would've been able to put up much of a fight against ghosts anyways. Thankfully I was always able to transform in the relative safety and secrecy of the arena's ready room.

I could already hear the loud cheers coming from the arena. Sometimes I wondered if these people ever got tired of watching two ghosts battling it out to the death. Though 'death' was a weird word to use when it came to ghosts.

We stopped near the entrance to the arena. I sighed before gladiator fetcher turned back to me. I had to wait until he removed my cuffs, I couldn't go ghost as long as these were on me.

"Once I take these off, you are to walk through the door and prepare yourself for your next battle," The gladiator fetcher stated as he took off one of the cuffs. "When you are done, if you survive, you will come to this door and we will repeat the process we've done a few times now."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know the drill by now," I grumbled in annoyance as the second cuff was removed and I was pushed into the ready room.

"Well, you were the one who told him to repeat the rules," I could hear Andy's voice say to me.

I just wanted to get a reaction out of him. I defended. Great, talking to myself again…

I could already see my next opponent stepping out into the arena even though I hadn't yet.

Guess it's time to go ghost… I sighed to myself.

I reached into my ice cold core, letting it spark and release my ghostly energy. A bright ring of light appeared on my torso before it split in two horizontally over my body, transforming me into my ghost form. As I had figured, my ghost form was already almost fully recharged after my last fight due to being in my human form. When I was ready, I walked out of the ready room and headed to the arena. As soon as I stepped into the light of the arena, the crowd's cheerings got louder.

I seemed to be the crowd's favorite, since I had won every battle I had been in so far. I looked at my opponent, who looked just like all the other opponents I've beaten in this arena; a ghost wearing a full armor, along with a helmet covering their face, and some leather. They may not all look exactly the same, but they all just blended together for me. I guess maybe since I didn't wear any armor, it was easy to distinguish me from the rest of the gladiators.

"Okay, let's get this over with," I said tiredly.

Normally I'd try to come up with something witty when I fight, but at this point, I was just tired and bored with fighting. I felt like fighting here was pointless, I was only doing this because I had to. At least if I was fighting with ghosts back home, they'd all look different and have their own personalities, heck I'd take the Box Ghost over these bland gladiators any day.

"May the gods watch over our battle!" The opposing gladiator yelled. "I wish for them to watch as I end your success spree!"

I only sighed again, the gladiator said pretty much what the others had said. I began to wonder if they all really were just robots with ghostly properties.

The gladiator held out a sword and flew at me. I easily dodged by side stepping, letting the gladiator fly past me. I watched as the opponent swung around, trying to get back to me. This time I jumped, letting the gladiator fly under me before I landed. I gave an amused smile as he stopped himself from hitting the wall.

"Come on, you gotta be faster than that if you want to get me with that sword," I chuckled. "Scarlet would've sliced my legs off by now, even without her ghost powers."

"If you speak of the same Scarlet who is training the up and coming gladiators, I have to laugh," The gladiator remarked. "That ghost seems like she wouldn't be able to catch a horse, let alone match my speed."

I frowned a little. I knew Scarlet wasn't weak or slow, even if she couldn't use her ghost powers here, training with her during our time at Aragon's castle showed me that. It was then I realized that Scarlet was likely acting weak here, maybe to keep the guards from getting worried that she could bust herself out of here or something.

"It was just a taunt, you know what that is, don't you?" I stated, mostly to cover for Scarlet when I realized what she was doing.

"Yes, it is a weak man's attempt to distract the opponent so they may gain an opportunity to strike," The gladiator answered.

"Weak, huh? Funny you should mention that," I remarked. "You haven't even been able to hit me yet."

"You only cower, you haven't even attempted to strike at me, all you've done was dodge," The gladiator growled. "I fail to see why you have been undefeated."

"Then why don't you come at me and I show you?" I challenged.

"Gladly!" The gladiator yelled as he lunged at me.

I allowed some of my ecto energy to coat my right hand, causing it to glow green a little. When the gladiator brought down his sword, I caught the sword with my right hand. Since the sword wasn't made of plasma energy, like with Andy's weapons, it didn't electrocute me, so I easily held it there while the gladiator struggled to push it down. After I watched the gladiator struggle with bored interest, I decided to tighten my hold on the sword before phasing it out of the ghost's hands. The gladiator's eyes widened from in the helmet as I had just took away his weapon.

I took the sword's handle and turned the blade at the gladiator. "Want to see what your sword can do?"

"A gladiator that can only use one weapon is destined to die." The gladiator stated before he spun around quickly and kicked me in the chest.

That kick knocked me back a few feet, and while I was recovering, the gladiator pulled two small daggers out of his boots.

"Two small daggers, at least that's a little more new," I commented before getting back to my feet.

"I feel it's only right to warn you, there is a powerful poison on the blades of these daggers," The gladiator warned. "One cut, and you will drop dead within moments. I'll give you one chance to surrender, otherwise I guarantee you will die."

I raised an eyebrow. "If I surrender, I'll die anyways. Thanks for the warning though, that was kind of you."

Without waiting for a response, I flew at the gladiator and swung the sword. Due to Scarlet's training, I was able to use a sword decently enough, though I still preferred battling with my fists and ghost ray.

The gladiator parried the sword swing with one of the daggers before lunging at me with the other. I pulled back quickly, avoiding the dagger, before I swung my sword again. The gladiator continued to parry me with his daggers, though I wasn't really trying my hardest. I was mostly just killing time. Despite the dangers of the poisonous daggers slashing or stabbing me, I wasn't in any hurry to go back into the cell.

"You fight well, but I have been honing my skills. I will overcome and defeat you, and become the Pharaoh's champion," The gladiator spoke up after we came to a stalemate.

"Yeah, yeah…" I muttered, not really taking the gladiator as a serious threat.

"Do not play with your opponent, Danny! It will only lead to slip ups!" Someone, who sounded a lot like Scarlet, shouted from somewhere in the crowd. "Finish the battle before your opponent gets an opportunity to strike!"

"Yes ma'am!" I responded automatically. Was that Scarlet? I didn't even know she was watching.

The gladiator snorted. "Ha! As if you could-"

I shot out a small ghost ray at the gladiator, the ghost ray was powerful enough to cause the gladiator to slam into the wall hard, even with his armor on. I approached the ghost that was on the ground, and dropped the sword in front of him. I looked at the two daggers that were lying beside the gladiator and picked one of the daggers up, checking it over.

"Heh… you liar, there was no poison on these daggers," I chuckled, noting that there was no special gleam of a poison on either of the blades.

"It wasn't lying, it was simply a battle strategy…" The gladiator weakly coughed. "Go ahead and finish me."

I gave a sigh before I put a hand over the gladiator's helmet and released a bit of my plasma energy. The energy electrocuted the ghost before he was out cold. This was how I always ended the battles, I could never truly finish a ghost, just knock them out. Knocking out the opponent was the same as winning, thankfully, so I never actually had to completely destroy them. Unfortunately… I knew that despite my mercy, this ghost would die, or fade, or whatever. Losers were fated to meet an end in this arena, it was why I couldn't afford to lose.

"AND THERE WE HAVE IT FOLKS! THE WHITE PHANTOM HAS WON AGAIN!" The announcer declared.

I had noted that the announcer only spoke up at the end of the fight as to not distract the gladiators. I figured that their main job was to simply let everyone outside the arena know who had won the fight.

Now that the fight was over, I had the choice to willingly leave the arena and go back to the ready room to be taken back to my cell, or I could try to make a break for it, only to be paralyzed on my way out. The first three times I attempted escape was painful, and I would rather not go through that again if I could help it. So with a small, tired sigh, I walked out of the arena and into the ready room.

Maybe I'll hear from someone soon… or maybe I can try to find another way to escape when everyone's asleep. I sighed to myself as gladiator fetcher approached me to take me back to my cell.

Reviews

Titanic X: DarkFoxKit: Yes, we are planning to do season 3 as well. Though we definitely have our work cut out for season 3, there's going to be some… overhauls with those episodes. The premises had potential, as well as the new ghosts like Vortex, Nocturne, and Undergrowth, and the new ice powers Danny had, but unfortunately most of it was kind of wasted with the comedy being cranked up to 11. But it's also kind of exciting since this means we'll go off the grid a lot more with season 3 to have it fit in with the rest of the story.

Anime lover 3593: DarkFoxKit: Yeah, that was the idea, Duul Aman and Tucker fusing, sort of. Sam wasn't Tucker's queen if that's what you meant in the actual episode, but she did seem to have a higher position than the rest of the people who were trapped in that realm. We had Tucker take Juliette as his queen due to his crush on her.

Danny's part of the story is pretty interesting, that's all I'll say on that. ;3

Andy's gotten used to his ghost powers though, especially after he came to accept them after the Pariah Dark incident, he had been working on ways to improve and use his ghost powers in combat, and it all just got taken away from him. He hadn't kept his Fenton Rod on him because his powers were never taken away throughout the series until now. And how often do they run into Vlad who has the Plasmius Maximus? Not very often. ^^'

Tucker will also find a way to implement a Ghost Shield to help better protect the school, though he would also try to tweak it so Danny and Andy will be able to go through it even in their Phantom forms.

*Pouts* Luckily it wasn't a long term transformation, so I'm a fox again, it was just a prank someone sent me. By the way, I do love reading your speculations.

eeveemaster: DarkFoxKit: Thank you. The episodes have always been the base and premise for the chapters, with a few exceptions with the original chapters and the movie. My co-writer Onyx does help me come up with more original ideas for the episodes though, so the episodes become more different than their canon counterparts, be sure to give her some credit too.

Darkzdragon 'Onyx': 'Different' is all you got, huh? I see how it is. *Pouts*

DarkFoxKit: What? Different is great! And besides, you're not as into Danny Phantom as I am.

Darkzdragon 'Onyx': That's true. But maybe next time you can clarify 'different' a bit more.

DarkFoxKit: *Pouts* Fine.

Luna Lillyth: Darkzdragon 'Onyx': Oh geez *Tries to hide this post from Fox's view so she doesn't go on a rant* Uh yeah… Butch has… gone against a lot of the things that he originally made. *Lowers voice* One of the things that Fox really hates is what Butch said about ghosts and where they come from/how they come to be.

DarkFoxKit: Did somebody say… 'Butch' and '10 years later version'?

Darkzdragon 'Onyx': Uh oh! Run!

DarkFoxKit: The whole 10 years later thing started out fun, yes, but then Butch keeps coming back to it. I also don't think most of what he said would even happen. I also feel like Danny looks better being lean than buff, he can still have muscles of course, just not to the point that it's Dash Baxter levels of buff. I can understand Dan, his evil future self, being like that due to fusing with Vlad's ghost and all, but now I kind of fear for a possible continuation of Danny Phantom being timeskipped to 10 years later, and we would hardly recognize the characters. I personally hate it when a show just jumps years ahead and the characters are all adults and almost unrecognizable. I also fear a reboot of Danny Phantom, especially in this day and age, where things like Teen Titans Go and The Powerpuff Girls 2016 are considered popular. Can you imagine how badly Butch might butcher Danny Phantom? Considering how season 3 and Phantom Planet went, I don't have a lot of confidence. If Danny Phantom would get a reboot or a continuation, it needs to be in the hands of someone who truly understands and cares about the show and its lore. No more '10 years later' crap, and no more 'ghosts aren't actually ghosts'.

Oh yeah, the 'ghostly Egypt' mostly looked how it did in the episode.

Andy: *Comes up with a helmet* We good now?

Darkzdragon 'Onyx': Yeah… *Comes out from behind the couch* I think the storm has cleared up…

haloguardian452: DarkFoxKit: It might be a little difficult since this is all done in Andy's point of view with the occasional switch to Danny's, but we will see what we can do with Tucker. If you have any suggestions, feel free to give them.

The Moonfox Collective: Darkzdragon 'Onyx': I'm currently part of a Mass Effect 5e conversion campaign, and two other campaigns, one of which Fox and I play together. I've also been working on a character for a 4th campaign.

As you said, on to the chapter. It isn't actually a curse per say. The reason Andy lost his powers was due to the magic of the scepter. The powers weren't drained, but more… locked away. And we really wanted to make this episode more about strategy than just powering through the enemies like normally happens in Danny Phantom. After all, one of the main things of Yugioh, which helped inspire the changes for this episode, is strategy.

DarkFoxKit: *GASP* What do you mean you've never saw episodes past The Ultimate Enemy!? You're missing out! DX

I hope we don't disappoint. I feel like we didn't do it justice with Andy until near the end of the 'episode', but Danny's side was a lot of fun to write.

I don't know what Butch intended the ghosts to be, and to be honest I don't care. I liked the idea that they were ghosts, spirits of deceased people and animals, it brings a little more dark reality into the show, not to mention how Danny's halfa biology works, giving the question if our protagonist is technically dead or not. I liked that speculation, and it felt like Butch took it all away with his claim that the ghosts are just monsters from another dimension. It made me think that maybe it was for the best the show got cancelled when it did, better dead than for it to live long enough to become a 'villain', even though I will always want for it to come back.

Mana: DarkFoxKit: Though the main reason why we did it was so the people of Amity Park would stop confusing Andy Phantom as a clone or a duplicate of Danny Phantom's, or Danny Phantom himself in some cases. It was about time the people knew Andy Phantom was his own separate being.

We won't say what Danny will do, it's best if you saw for yourself.

Yeah, the episode of King Tuck was a bit exaggerated with how everyone treated Tucker, including his best friends. It didn't sit right with me, and it didn't fit the characters that well. I can understand the popular kids ignoring Tucker, but why was everyone else doing it? It just came out of nowhere. We figured this way felt more organic and natural.

One of the reasons why I like Danny Phantom is because of the ghosts. I don't know if I would've liked the show as much as I did if they were just aliens or monsters. The ghosts are what gave it that dark reality vibe that always brought me back to it. With Danny being half ghost, I enjoyed speculating if that meant he was half dead or technically dead, and just how exactly that happened with the lab accident during the theme song. So to have that aspect taken away just aggravated me a lot. It made it a bit harder to go back into the show knowing that these 'ghosts' weren't actually ghosts. That is until the episodes in seasons 1 and 2 pretty much outright said they were once people who were alive, and some heavily implied it like with the Lunch Lady. So I don't know what Butch was talking about.

Nobody is telling us 'that's not canon!' thankfully, at least not yet, we're just giving them a fair warning in case they ever get the idea to.