The moon hung high above the castle, as a young woman checked her makeup in front of it. She moved a piece of her black hair to behind her ear before closing her compact and smirking as she looked up to the front door. Smoothing out the skirt of her little pinstriped suit, she walked up the stairs and rang the doorbell. She waited for a moment, and a moment it was since it opened up at that moment.
The man that opened the door, however, stared in surprise at the woman before him. Her smirk was still as pleasant as always. Though she looked to be too young for him, he still stared with a longing in his eyes, but surprise on his face.
"Dior? Is that you?"
"Hello," She spoke smoothly, "Vlad."
~BRIAR'S POV~
I was at my locker with Robin and Edwin, when I could hear Valerie walk over to Paulina and Kwan. She was wearing a new lilac-colored shirt.
"Hi, Valerie," Paulina said, making me smirk a bit. I'm so glad I scooped up Danny when I did. "Like, I so much love that top!" She took a swig of her coffee. When did she start drinking coffee in the mornings?
"Isn't it sweet?!" Valerie said as I heard Edwin fall against the lockers while he stared. I stared in his direction. His sight was on Valerie and he had this dreamy, far-off look on his face.
"Edwin, what are you doing?" I asked with concern as I looked back at him.
"Huh? Oh, uh, nothing," He said with a small blush dusting his cheeks. Nothing my butt! He has a thing for Valerie.
"Wait a minute," Robin spoke as she looked at her brother's face. He seemed to slink back some as the blush on his cheeks grew. "You like Valerie?"
"Uh...uh..." I sighed as I closed my locker shut.
"I thought you liked Sam," I spoke up, making Edwin look at me with sorrow.
"Don't get me wrong, Briar, I do. It's just...it's just I'm not sure how I feel," He returned before we heard someone skidding along the floor, and then someone yelled in anger. We looked back to see that Valerie was covered in coffee now and her new shirt was ruined. Oh, what a shame.
"Please hurt the unpopular boy fro me," Valerie said, making me look to see it was Danny who knocked into Paulina and made her spill her coffee.
"Hey, accidents happen!" Kwan said with a smile before Valerie pulled him forward and growled at him. "Alright, alright!"
"Danny," I called, making him look at me. "Run." He obeyed and ran the way he was coming from as Kwan started chasing after him. "I'll see you guys later. My boyfriend needs me...again." I sighed before I put my book in my bag and raced after the two. I could instantly see that Dash was also chasing Danny with a rolled-up piece of paper in his hand.
"Another bad grade?! Really?!" I yelled as I watched Danny go intangible (grateful that Dash or Kwan didn't see) and went through the floor. Almost immediately after, Dash and Kwan ran right into each other. I stopped running and giggled before I saw them rubbing their heads.
"Hey, maybe that'll knock some sense into you two!" I said before walking by them to the hall I saw Danny disappear in.
"Hey!" Dash and Kwan said as I smirked.
"You're lucky we don't beat up girls!" Dash yelled with a glare as he stood up. "Now where did your dweeb of a boyfriend go?!"
"How should I know?!" I yelled. "I'm not his keeper!" I eventually turned my back on them and I walked further into the hallway, smirking. I went intangible when I figured they weren't watching and went through the floor. I soon reappeared behind Danny in the parking lot.
"Phew," He said before I coughed behind him to get his attention. He turned around and smiled. "I didn't need the warning, but thanks anyway!"
"Sure thing, babe," I said with a smirk. "What did Dash get this time?"
"He got a D on the spelling test," Danny sighed. "I don't get it! Every time he gets a bad grade, I'm the one he blames!"
"He really needs to study more," I sighed in return. "But, at least he didn't-" Our ghost sense went off right at that moment, making us look around carefully until...
"Is that a puppy?!" I exclaimed when this ghost dog came walking up to us. He had a small black collar with spikes on it and very space-like A name tag on it. Danny had picked up as I patted it on the head.
"It's like Dash, but with better breath," Danny said, making me snort a bit. He eventually set it back down after it licked Danny's cheek. "Now this, we can handle."
"Yeah," I agreed before the dog got big and vicious. I stared in fear as Danny put an arm in front of me for protection.
"Or not," Danny added with his own fear plastered on his face.
I quickly changed into my ghost form and flew up to the dog, putting out my hand for it to sniff. "Good boy. It's okay. I won't hurt you." The dog snarled at me as he got ready to pounce on me, but Danny quickly changed and stopped the dog from hurting me with an ecto-ray.
But that wasn't the only thing that stopped the ghost dog.
Another dog came pouncing in, big and snarling as it attacked the dog and they scuffled a bit. The other one was white with an icy blue glow around it. Its color was icy blue as well, but with an actual dog tag on it and a name. I couldn't see the name right away though since these two dogs were fighting.
"Is this our cue to-" Danny began before the green dog broke free and pounced on Danny.
"Danny!" I went to go help, but Danny told me to just worry about myself at the moment. He got free and flew away from the school. The school day was over anyway, so I guess he could. And the green dog flew after him quickly.
I went to follow when I heard a whimper, making me look over at the white dog. It had gone to the size of a Corgi puppy and it was licking its paw. I flew on over to it and knelt before it to check it over. But it growled at me.
"Hey, it's okay," I spoke softly. "I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm the good guy." I held out my hand for it to sniff, which it did, and soon, its eyes widened. It looked right at me and I looked at it with a sweet smile.
"Briar?" It spoke, making me jump a little. I was not expecting that.
"Oh, God, you talk," I said as I fell to my butt out of shock. "How are you-? Wait, why am I asking that? I'm half-ghost! At this point, anything is possible." I sighed before looking back at the dog. It whimpered again making me move forward and gently grab its little paw. It had a cut right on its paw pad.
"Aw, you poor thing," I spoke as I gave it a gentle pat on the back.
"I thought I'd never see you again," The dog said in return.
"What are you-?" I began to ask before I noticed that I could see the name tag clearly now. The dog's name was apparently...Cotton? Wait...
"No way," I spoke with surprise. "Cotton?!" The dog got all excited as she hopped onto me and started to lick my cheek. I laughed as she did this. "Oh, my; gosh! I thought you were sent to a farm!"
"Briar," Cotton began as she hopped down to the ground and looked at me with a look that only meant one thing: I was lied to. "You were told that so you wouldn't be heartbroken. I got hit by a car while you were out on a zoo trip with the Fenton Family."
"What?!" I yelled with surprise. "Thanks, dad, for lying to me!" I think this confused Cotton as she looked at me weirdly since I was looking up to the sky. I gave her a look and sighed in sorrow. "It's a long story. And it's the same story as to how I became like this." I gestured to the ghost form that I was still in.
"I have all of eternity, Briar," She said with a smile. "I'll listen." I smiled and went to say what happened, when-
"Oh, crap! Danny!" I yelled as I flew up to the sky and looked around to see if I could find where he and that big green dog went.
"Who?!" Cotton asked as she floated up beside me.
"My boyfriend! He's in trouble and is just like me!" I exclaimed. "Come on! We have to find him!"
I couldn't find Danny after I found my ghost dog, Cotton. So, I went home with Cotton trailing behind me. We flew into my room and I went to change back to my normal self when I heard Cotton cough. I looked at her and she tilted her head like she was confused or something.
"What?" I asked with wonder.
"That star on your suit," She began, "what's it for?"
"Huh? Oh, it was just a star my father decided to use as his trademark," I exclaimed. "He said it was because of me that he decided on the star."
"Oh, that's sweet," Cotton said. "But it looks like the symbol for a section of the Ghost Zone."
"Really? That's neat," I said before something came to me. "Wait...that means-"
"It's not your father," Cotton gave a sympathetic smile as she said this. "He never showed up to the Ghost Zone, meaning his unfinished business was finished before he died. He's up there." I grinned at that, knowing that my father was safe. But it was still sad to know that I wouldn't see him ever in the Ghost Zone...if I ever visited the Ghost Zone, that is.
"That's good to know," I returned before I changed back into my human form and sat on my bed. Tomorrow was going to be a long day, and I sure hoped that Danny was alright.
I was walking down the street one day when I stopped and saw Valerie's house. It had a moving van in the driveway and a sign that said "Yard Sale" in the grass, with a bunch of old things they were selling. What was going on?
It didn't take long until Danny, Tucker, and Sam all rode up on their scooters, making me sigh with relief as to know that my boyfriend was okay.
"UHG! Talk about rock bottom!" Sam said as I walked up to them. "They're selling everything they own in a Yard Sale!"
"I feel bad," Danny said with sorrow. "If I could have stopped that ghost dog, none of this would be happening."
"What's happening?" I asked as they all finally noticed my presence.
"Briar, there you are! Where were you yesterday?! I needed help!" Danny asked with both concern and anger in his voice.
"Oh, I'm sorry," I began sarcastically, "but I lost your trail and thought you already had it under control! Besides, it's not like you got someone fired from work because of it." He gave me a nervous smile and I could see that what I said was true. "You got Valerie's father fired, didn't you?"
"Yeah?" He said sheepishly, making me slap my forehead. I should have known.
"Well, after the coffee that got spilled on her," I stated.
"And ecto dog slobber," Danny added, making me look at him and he just rolled with it.
"And now having to move?" I was feeling bad for her now.
"She's having a hard week," Tucker commented, making me sigh in return. "Which means I can catch her on the rebound! Sweet!" Again...I slapped my forehead.
Eventually, I saw Valerie bring out a big box of her old clothing. She looked to be struggling, so I went up to her and took the other end. "Here, let me help."
"Oh, Briar!" Valerie said as we set the box down on the yard. "What are you doing here?"
"We heard what happened," Tucker said as he walked up with Danny and Sam behind him.
"Oh, great," Valerie began, using that fake A-List voice she tended to use, "words already trickled down to the bottom of the social grape vine."
"Hey!" I yelled, making her look at me.
"Except for you," She said. "Seriously, I don't know what you see in Fenton." I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. Now I'm kind of wishing that ghost dog ate her.
"Come on! I know you're upset! But he just wants to help," Danny said, making me grin at him. "We all do!"
"I don't," Sam deadpanned, making me walk over without being noticed and slapped her arm. "OW!"
"Be nice!"
"Most of do!" Tucker continued, seeming to ignore Sam's cry of pain. "More than 3/4ths!"
"Thanks," Valerie began, looking angry, "but I'll pass." My ghost sense immediately went off after that with Danny's following after. We looked at each other before looking at Valerie.
"Uh...we're gonna have to pass, too," Danny said as he grabbed my hand and we raced off. We got onto his scooter, he put on his helmet (wish I had one) and we took off.
"I feel bad for leaving like that," I said.
"I know. But ghost firsts, us second, and friends third!"
"You put us second?!" I asked, finding this kind of endearing. I noticed the small blush on his face and I giggled, wrapping my arms tighter around his torso. "I love you. You know that?"
"I love you, too."
The ground started shaking, making Danny stop the scooter but that didn't stop us from falling off and hitting the ground. Danny helped me up and we looked hid behind a wall. We changed into our ghost forms and we flew back to the rumble, stopping when we saw the green ghost dog sniffing the ground. We floated into the ground, intangibly, and flew back up near the dog.
"How did you get out of the Ghost Zone?!" Danny yelled with confusion, which made the dog look at him with a snarl before he went up and scratched his chin. In the end, that little dog just smiled and was a happy dog as it got attention. And soon after, he shrunk back to a small puppy, making me giggle as I flew up to it and picked it up.
"Hey there," I said as I scratched the dog's belly. "Who's a good boy? You are!" I giggled as the little green dog licked my cheek.
"Well, ghost dogs are a lot more entertaining than regular dogs," Danny said as he landed on the ground, making me look up as I heard something get squished on. "Oh, great. Invisible dog doo." I snorted as I continued to pet the dog.
"Whatever you two are, get out of here!" Valerie said as she walked up to us with anger. "You and your stupid dog have done enough!" She was pointing to Danny. "And I don't even know you!"
"We're going! We're going!" I said. "Come on, Phantom," I smirked at him before taking to the sky with Danny right behind me. I was still holding the dog.
We soon flew into Danny's basement, with the dog in my arms. And I don't know why, but Cotton was sitting by the portal. I don't know if Danny saw her, but he just took the green ghost dog from me and tossed him into the glowing swirl of the Ghost Zone. I giggled as I saw ecto dog slobber on his hands.
"ECK! That's it! I'm getting a hamster!" He yelled, making me giggle again.
"Oh!" Cotton spoke as she trotted on over to us, while Danny wiped his hands off on a towel. I bent down and picked her up, giving a small pat to the head.
"Seriously?! Another one?!" Danny yelled, making me look at him and sigh.
"Danny, you remember my dog, Cotton, right?" I asked.
"I think so. Wasn't it a Corgi?" He returned.
"That's right," Cotton said proudly, causing Danny to jump in surprise. "It's nice to see you again, Danny."
"It talks...how is it talking?!" Danny yelled with curiosity.
"I'm a ghost dog," Cotton deadpanned.
"But that makes no sense!"
"Oh, but it makes sense for you two to have ghost powers?" She asked with a smirk, which rendered Danny speechless. I giggled at his dumbfounded face before setting Cotton down.
"I think it's nice," I said. "Now I know exactly what she wants."
"You're going to keep her around? What about your mom? Won't she figure out that-?"
"She already knows," I said, stopping him as he stared at me with shock. "She only knows about me, though. How I'm not sure yet. But, she won't mind Cotton coming back, I'm sure."
"O...kay..." Danny took a deep breath before grinning at me and changed back into his human self, with me following suit. "Well, welcome back, Cotton."
"Thanks, Danny." Cotton said with a smile.
"Oh, my; gosh!" I heard Paulina say from my table with my friends. Robin and Edwin heard what happened with Valerie earlier today. One of these days we'll spend more time together. I looked over with Robin and saw Dash, Paulina, and Kwan all wearing Dumpty Humpty band shirts. I think I saw an album of theirs in Danny's room.
"Wait till you see what I'm wearing to the concert!" Paulina continued. "I'm going to look better than ever!"
"Man, I've been waiting weeks for this!" Dash exclaimed. "Dumpty Humpty rocks!" He proceeded to do an air guitar and I just gave Robin a look like 'he's lost it'. She giggled at me before I heard Kwan speak up.
"Hey, Val!" I looked back at their table. "We're down for the concert, right?" I just now noticed that Valerie had walked up with a brown paper lunch bag.
"Sorry guys," She began, "I had to sell my ticket online to help pay for the moving truck. Things are kind of tight now, you know?"
"No," Dash said with Paulina and Kwan returning the confusion. I watched as she went to sit down with them, only to have Dash stop her. "But speaking of tight...!" He then looked over at our table, making me look at my Danny and Tucker, seeing them shoving food in their faces while Sam places her face in her hands out of embarrassment. I sighed as I took Danny's hand.
"Danny...table manners," He gulped down his food and gave me a sheepish smile, making me giggle in return.
"Hey, Valerie, did you at least sell your tickets to someone cool?" I heard Paulina ask, making me spin around with surprise. "We don't want to have to sit next to any losers at the concert!" I stared with hurt and sorrow for Valerie as I watched her walk away and sit at a table by herself.
"Whoa," Tucker said after he swallowed his food. "Brutal."
"Did you see that?" I asked as I looked back at my friends. "Valerie just got scorched by her friends."
"Maybe she needs better friends," Sam said as she looked at the bullies angrily.
"My thoughts exactly," Tucker exclaimed, making Edwin look at him with wonder.
"Tucker, what are you-?" I went to ask before he was over by Valerie. I watched with wonder. "Well, this should be good."
"What do you want?!" Valerie asked, sounding annoyed. Don't blame her. She's been having a bad week.
"I was, uh, just wondering if you wanted to join me, US, for lunch," Tucker stammered. I've never seen him stammer like that before. "I mean since you're-" He stopped and backed away from the window, making me stand up in shock. Edwin and Robin must have seen this as well as Danny and Sam.
The green dog was back.
"I'm already aware of my sudden outcast status," Valerie stated with anger as she stared at Tucker, not realizing that the ghost dog was sticking his head through the window. "But thanks for reminding me." Tucker was shaking as he pointed to the dog.
"But-"
"Can you please just leave me alone?! I want to enjoy my bagged lunch in peace!"
That's when the dog grabbed Valerie's lunch and ate it. He growled at her, making her scream before he hopped on some tables and splashed food into Dash's face. Everyone soon ran out of the school screaming at the giant ghost dog.
"You're not much of a dog catcher," Sam said.
"No kidding," Danny returned. "Who let the dogs IN?!" I looked at him with my best "really?" face, but the corner of my mouth was twitching a little. Though Sam just looked annoyed.
"You see, the song is "Who let the dogs out", but I said, "who let the dogs in"," Danny explained, making me slap my forehead while Sam just continued to stare with annoyance. I sighed as I ran off and hid, changed into my ghost form, then flew out to stop this ghost dog.
And when I came back, I saw the dog had the lunch lady in his mouth. When did that happen?!
"HEY!" I yelled as I flew in next to Danny, who was now in his ghost form. About time!
"Nice pooch," Danny said. "Easy. That lady isn't edible."
"And neither is anything she cooks," I added, making Danny stifle a snort as the dog released the lady and got all excited at the sight of Danny and I. Though I think he got more excited when he saw Danny.
"And neither am I!" He yelled as the dog pounced on him and made them phase through the wall. I sighed and went after them, flying as fast as I could.
Sadly, the dog got away.
"I'm telling you, this is one bad dog!" Danny yelled as he had his hands on his hips. I was back in my human form while Danny was still in his Phantom form while reading a book about dogs at the park together. "No matter how many times we toss back him into the Ghost Zone, he digs his way out of the Fenton Portal and he comes back to us!"
"Well, we're the only other ghosts in the area," I said. "So, why not train him?! Ghost dog or not, he's still a dog. I think."
"But don't you have to head home early tonight?" Danny asked me, reminding me of the dinner plans that my mom put together for us. I sighed in defeat.
"Yeah, but-"
"No buts! You go spend time with your mom, I can handle the ghost dog," I smiled at Danny before pecking his cheek and closing my book.
"I promise I'll make this up to you. Good luck!" I went to leave when I tossed him the book, letting him catch it and I was gone.
Well...sort of.
I pulled out my binoculars and watched from afar to see Danny training the ghost dog, who already seemed to be trained...almost. He pounced onto Danny and he was laughing as they fell to the ground.
I pulled the binoculars down and giggled at the encounter, right before a giant missile shot passed me and went towards Danny and the ghost dog. I went to call to them when Danny dodged out of the way with the ghost dog in his arms.
I raced over to Danny as I saw him place the ghost dog on the ground, telling him to stay before he flew back towards where the blast landed. My mom is so going to kill me because I'm already going to be late enough as it was. But who knew if Danny was going to need me right now? Mom will understand.
"What the heck was that?!" Danny called as I walked up to him, seeing the crater as well. But in the end, I heard someone hover over to us, making us look over to see someone in a red hazmat suit with a helmet over their head and an energy ray gun in their hand. With the sound of their voice, however (when they almost fell off their hoverboard), it almost sounded like a girl.
I saw her stare at us and lock whatever onto Danny. Another missile fired at us, this time it was smaller, but Danny quickly picked me up and flew me away as the small missile hit the ground we were standing it.
I watched the huntress follow after us. She was firing more missiles at us as we flew away. He dropped me by the dog as he spun back, still avoiding this huntress. She fired lasers now at Danny, making me look on with even more worry than before. If this huntress hit Danny once, he'd be done.
I ran towards the tree that he phased through and watched as the huntress fell off her hoverboard, having it fly without her for a moment. But before she even hit the ground, the hoverboard saved her just in time.
"Yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about!" Wait a minute...I know that voice.
Shaking that thought away, I turned around as she went to face off Danny. He was floating in place now as she threw these pink CD looking disks to him. One hit a tree and showed that it was a full blade, another hit a rock and flew up into the air, and another hit a birdbath and felt into the water, while also scaring a bird away. I stifled a giggle with that one.
"Wow! Nice aim!" Danny exclaimed. "First day with the new weapons?" Just then, that disk that hit the rock came back down and cut Danny on the wrist, tearing some of his hazmat suit. "Ow. That hurt!" My eyes widened. "Wait a minute...that hurt."
"Oh, don't worry, ghost kid. It won't hurt now," The huntress said. "Because you are going down!" She aimed her blaster at Danny. I went to go in to take the hit myself, but thankfully that ghost dog came back in and grabbed Danny, moving him out of the way. I sighed with relief as I ran after them without the huntress knowing. I don't know why I didn't decide to change into my ghost form right now, but I'm sure if I did, she'd hurt me, too! So, my best bet was to try and help Danny the best I can as Briar Winthrope, and not as Stardust.
The Red Huntress (gonna have to remember that name) started shooting more blasts at Danny and the ghost dog, as I ran faster and faster. Thankfully, with being half-ghost, I was able to move faster against the wind. So I was way passed her by this point and was now hiding behind a bush as the ghost dog slid to a stop and dropped Danny. I didn't see the huntress anymore. She might have hit a tree and fell.
"Who is that?!" I yelled as I helped Danny up. "That is an awesome outfit! … But I really hate her!"
"Don't know, don't care!" Danny yelled as he flew up into the air and threw an ecto-ball for the ghost dog to fetch. I heard the hoverboard again, making me tense with worry. "Oh, man. She's coming. Briar, hide!"
"No time!" I then pounced on him and started to kiss him as he changed back into his Fenton form. He was fighting at first but soon got into it as it turned into a full-on make-out session. He moved to have me under him as the huntress came back and aimed the gun at us...from what I heard.
"No escaping me now, ghost boy!" I heard her put down her gun as she stared, making us pull apart and yell with mock surprise.
"Do you mind?!" I yelled with anger, so wanting to throw an ecto-ball at her. But I refrained from doing so.
"Ah, gross! Loser love!" The huntress yelled, making me growl at her. "You two are perfect for each other!" And with that, she flew off.
"Wait...I thought I knew that voice. That sounded like Valerie," I said before looking over at Danny, seeing the faint blush on his cheeks. I giggled as I sat up and leaned back on my hands. "You are such a dork, Danny."
"Huh? What? Oh, heh! Yeah," He said with a nervous chuckle.
"But I love you no matter what," I said, making him smile at me before he shook his head from a thought.
"Say, why didn't you turn into Stardust with of all that?" He asked me, now making me sigh as my smile fell.
"Did you really need me to be a target as well? When you're already on her radar?" I asked as I felt Danny scoot closer.
"No, of course not!" He yelled. "I was just curious."
"Be glad I didn't, otherwise you could be dead right now," I said as I put a hand on his cheek, wiping some dirt off it.
"True," He smirked before wincing and grabbing his wrist. I sat up some and took his hand, seeing the cut as it was already healing up.
"It should be fine, babe," I said with a smirk. "It's healing up already." He smirked at me again as he bent down and kissed me once more. But I had to make it quick.
"Sorry, Danny. But I'm really late for that dinner with my mom," I said nervously.
"Oh, crap! Yeah! I'm so sorry, Briar!" Danny said as he helped me up from the ground.
"It's alright," I smiled. "My mom loves you! She'll understand if I tell her that-" I stopped and thought about it. "Hey, why don't you come over for dinner? My mom usually makes a feast for an army whenever we have these dinner nights! I'm sure she'll have enough for you, too!"
"I-I don't know," He said as he looked at the time on his phone. "It's getting late." I followed his gaze to the time and saw that it said it was 7 pm. "And my curfew is still 10, remember?"
"Danny, I live across the street from you," I said with a giggle. "I'm sure your parents will lift it for tonight if they knew you were just across the street."
"Well...okay. If you really want me there."
"My mom won't mind," I smiled as I took his hand and we started heading towards my house. I'm just glad I didn't live too far from the park.
I took out my keys as we made it to my front steps. I saw in the driveway a different car, one that wasn't my mom's.
"That's odd," I said confused. "I thought it was just me and my mom tonight."
"Yeah," Danny said as his phone dinged, making me spin to him with hope. He checked his text and smiled. "My mom lift it for tonight! I guess you're right. Knowing I'm only over here helps a lot."
"It sure does," I giggled. "Come on. I can smell my mom's food from out here." I turned to the door and put my key into the keyhole. I unlocked the door walked inside with Danny. "Mom, I'm home! Sorry, I'm so late!"
"It's alright, honey! You're right on time!" Mom called from the kitchen. "Is Danny with you?" I looked at Danny with surprise.
"Uh, yeah! Is that okay?!" I called back.
"Of course, dear! He's always welcomed!" Mom called back, making me smile as I took his hand and we headed into the living room. But we stopped in the doorway with surprise when we saw a woman with long black hair hanging down her back and pale white skin. She was holding a glass of what looked to be water, but it was in a wine glass. She was also wearing a white and black pinstriped suit with a pencil skirt and black heels.
"Uh, hello?" I asked, making the woman turn around to me with a sweet, yet creepy kind of smirk on her face. And her eyes...pine green.
Wait a second...I saw this woman at the Spirit Week pep rally! What is she doing in my house? And how is it that when I first saw her, my ghost sense went off, but now it's not with this second encounter?
And more importantly...who is she?!
"Oh, you must be Briar!" She spoke as she took a few steps toward me. "Your photos don't do you justice! You're growing to be a beautiful young lady."
"Thank...you?" I was uncertain about this woman. I felt uneasy as I tightened my grip on Danny's hand. I was so glad he was here with me now.
"Oh, Briar!" Mom said as she came in while wiping her hands off on her apron. "I almost forgot to tell you, your aunt has come to visit us!"
"Aunt? On Dad's side?" I asked, making the woman giggle almost evilly.
"No, dear girl," She said. "I'm your mother's sister."
"Wait, you have a sister, mom?" I asked with surprise.
"Yeah!" Mom stated. "Briar, this is my younger sister, Dior Vergara. She has been off the face of the earth for quite some time now."
"But it feels so good to be home now," Dior said with a smirk. "I do have to say, when I was your age though, Briar, there weren't too many ghost attacks here in Amity Park."
"Those just recently started, Dior," Mom said. "I don't know when, but I'm grateful for the two ghost kids protecting us."
"Well, I'm glad someone does," Danny mumbled, making me squeeze his hand again. He squeezed mine back to tell me it was fine as I also saw Cotton floating up on the second floor, hiding from this new visitor.
"Seriously, Iris?! I would have moved away the moment I saw my first ghost!" Dior exclaimed, and all I could think of was Wisconsin with Vlad Plasmius. No place is without ghosts, Aunt Dior. No place is without ghosts.
"I would have, but Briar is really enjoying it here," Mom smiled at me, making me smile at her. Her smiles always warmed me up and made me feel less afraid. Then again, Danny's smiles did the same for me, too.
"Oh, I see that," Dior smirked as she saw Danny. "And you must be Danny Fenton. Briar's boyfriend?"
"Yeah, that's me," Danny said politely. "It's nice to meet you, ma'am."
"Oh, please! Call me Dior," Dior said. "Ma'am just makes me sound like...royalty." That smirk was still on her face, and it was starting to creep me out even more.
"Okay," Danny seemed to be a little uneasy about my long lost aunt as well, which was a perfect point to break away.
"Well, if it's alright, Danny and I would like to spend some time alone for a while," I said. "So, can we go up to my room now?"
"Oh, sure! Just no funny business," Mom said with a giggle, making Danny and I go bright red.
"Mom!" I exclaimed as I heard my Aunt Dior giggle.
"Oh, relax, Iris!" She said. "I'm sure Briar is just as smart as you were at her age."
"That and then some," Mom said with a giggle of her own. I grinned before pulling Danny up the stairs. "I'll call when dinner is ready, you two!" Mom added on before I heard her and her sister talking and laughing again. But I didn't hear much since I closed my door once we made it into my room.
"Well, this was unexpected," Danny said with a snort, making me look at him with exhaustion. "What?"
"My mom's never mentioned her family before," I said. "It's just coming to me as a shock."
"Then why do you look tired?" Danny asked with a smirk.
"Because I was running around trying to protect you from that huntress, while also keeping my secret hidden!" I exclaimed as I walked over to my bed and flopped onto my back. My head was on the pillow as I felt Danny sit beside me.
"I'm sure your aunt is cool," Danny said as he took my hand again. "Just give her time." I grinned at him as I watched him lay next to me now and I turned to face him completely.
"Thanks for being here, Danny," I said.
"Sure thing, babe," He said as he kissed my forehead and pulled me to his chest. I rested my head there, just listening to his heartbeat as he rubbed my back for comfort. I just loved this feeling so much. I felt safe. I felt alive. I felt fireworks. It felt nice.
I looked up at him as he looked at me and we grinned at each other. He bent down and started kissing me again. I didn't want this moment to end as we moved, having him on top of me like he was at the park. I wrapped my arms around his neck as I felt his find their way around my torso, making us deepen the kiss. I know this seemed wrong, making out on my bed, but it felt so right. Like we just fit perfectly together.
I could feel something stirring in the pit of my stomach. It felt like little butterflies flying around from either nerves or excitement. I'm going to go with excitement. I eventually felt one of his hands move to my hip, making me smile into the kiss even more when...
"Briar! Danny! Dinner's ready!" Mom called from downstairs, making us pull away and giggle. Danny rolled off of my bed and helped me up by taking my hand and holding me close.
"Come on," He said. "Let's go visit with your aunt."
Well, it's safe to say that I hope my "Aunt" Dior doesn't come back. I still have the creeps about her, though she does have a love for music like I do. She just went into the whole manager route instead of pursuing music herself. But still, I'm creeped out by her.
"So, your mom has a younger sister?" Robin asked as we were walking down the halls of the school the next day. Edwin was to my left, while Robin was on my right.
"Yeah," I retorted. "And she seems cool, but I'm not sure. I'm getting the same weird vibe I got when I met Vlad." Edwin and Robin looked at each other with worry, making me sigh. "Trust me, that thought came to my mind, too."
"And?" Edwin asked, making me hesitate for a moment, before...
"I can see her being half-ghost like me," I finally said. "But I doubt it! My mom never mentioned any accident involving my Aunt Dior, and my mom wasn't into ghost hunting until she met my father. At least that's what my dad told me."
"Maybe it's time to do some research," Robin said as she grabbed my arm and pulled me to the library, which we were coincidentally already near. "Now, Dior Vergara, you said?" She asked as she sat at a computer.
"Yeah," I answered as I watched her type away in the search engine and hit enter. A picture of my aunt showed up with that same smirk on her face while holding a pair of glasses in her hand and posing like a queen.
"Wow. How old is she?" Edwin asked with a curious tone.
"She's supposed to be five years younger than my mom," I said. "And my mom is 45. Meaning she'd be 40."
"Yeah, here it is!" Robin said as she clicked on an article that dated back to when Danny's parents were in college. It was a news report on Vlad's accident, though. "Oh, wait. Wrong one."
"Hold on," I said reading through it until I grabbed the mouse from Robin and scrolled further down the article. There, I saw the link to a different one titled 'Missing Vergara Case'. I clicked on it and read it out loud to Edwin and Robin.
"A recent lab accident causes the Vergara family distress as their youngest daughter, Dior (13), runs away from home from being in the midst of the accident," I looked at my friends with wonder.
"Really? Off the face of the earth for 27 years and just now decides to return?" Edwin asked, not exactly excited to be seeing this. "Something doesn't seem right here."
"I couldn't agree more," I retorted while looking back at the computer. I noticed another article, this one about ghost attacks. I clicked on that one and it showed me a picture of a girl, floating in the air. She was wearing a long black dress with a slit going up the skirt, white heels, and a flowing white cape behind her. She had white hair and a silver tiara was placed on her head. I couldn't tell what eye color she had since the photo was in black and white, but she looked menacing and evil. However, the strangest thing ever was...she had the same star on her hip that was on my ghost form suit.
"What the heck?!" Robin yelled.
"Reports of a ghost girl have spread throughout Florida, with stories of her terrorizing parks or stealing from banks without ever being caught. She calls herself...Queen Dior."
"Is Dior that common of a name?" Robin asked, making me think for a moment. Dior didn't sound like a common name. And yet, I'm finding two people with this name now. Then again, Briar isn't that common either, so who am I to judge.
"It might be. I don't know," I said as I stood up straight. "But just to be safe, I'll keep an eye on my aunt. If what we think is true, then," I sighed as touched my locket for comfort, "then Vlad will be the least of our concern."
I walked into the gymnasium a little late with Robin and Edwin. All that research on my aunt made us lose track of time. I saw the game was already in full swing, making me and my friends rush over to the bleachers quickly. I looked around the room before spotting Danny and Sam sitting together. Danny seemed a little too worried for my liking.
"Oh, boy," I sighed before walking up to him. "Hey, Danny!" He looked up and smiled, though the worry never left his eyes. "Sorry, I'm late." I sat beside him and pecked his cheek, while Edwin sat next to Sam. Robin was beside me.
"It's fine," Danny said as he went back to looking around with worry.
"Danny, will you relax?" Sam said, almost annoyed.
"How can I relax?!" Danny exclaimed. "That stupid ghost dog could be anywhere! Not to mention, I have no idea how Valerie became a Ghost Hunter!"
"Wait, what?!" Edwin exclaimed with shock.
"Oops! I knew I forgot something!" I exclaimed with a sheepish and sorrowful smile. He didn't show it, but I could tell he seemed hurt. I mean, wouldn't you?! Knowing that your crush was actually hunting down his best friends because they're half-ghosts? I'm sure you've never been in that situation, but trust me...it apparently can happen.
"Hey, guys!" Tucker spoke up, making me look over to see him and Valerie. Of course. "Can we join you?"
"No!" Sam and Danny said in unison, and I could see the hurt in Valerie's eyes. Man, if only she knew that Danny and I were those ghost kids. Also, I guess Tucker noticed Valerie's mood had changed from smiling to hurt.
"Of course we can," He said as Valerie found her way between me and Danny. I scooted over and just scoffed with my arms crossed.
"So, Tucker tells me your parents hunt ghosts!" Valerie said, making me look at her with wonder.
"Did he now? What else did he tell you?" Danny looked angrily at Tucker, who didn't seem to get the hint that Danny was mad at him. All he did was smile in return. The whistle blew and I looked to see Dash getting ready to throw the basketball through the basket. But there was a rumble and he ended up missing the basket all together. He growled before the green ghost dog appeared before them.
Everyone screamed as the dog chased them away barking. I gasped as my ghost sense went off, though I don't think Danny's did. That's strange. I turned my head over to the door to see a black-haired woman walk out of it right as the door closed.
"Aunt Dior?" I stood up and raced after her, leaving the gymnasium all together. I stopped in the middle of the hall and looked both ways before I turned my head to see my aunt standing there, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.
"What a nice group of friends you've got there, Briar," She said. "That Tucker guy seems...a bit clueless."
"He has his moments," I returned. "What are you doing at my school?" She then showed me a message on her phone, making me see that it said something about hit was made to her name or something like that. I couldn't really see it with how far she was.
"I get pinged every time someone searches my name," She said, making me go on high alert. "Do you know who?"
"Yeah. Me," I said. "I don't know what you're up to, but I've been burned before. I don't trust easily."
"You trust your friends, right?" She asked as she pushed herself off the wall and walked a small way towards me. "They know all your secrets, right?"
"Of course," I retorted. "Why wouldn't I trust my friends?!"
"Because friends can turn on you in an instant," Dior said with a smirk. "Friends from elementary school and high school don't last forever."
"But true friends do!" I yelled. "And that's what I see with mine! You might have had that experience when you were 14, but I'm not you!"
"Sensitive much?" Dior giggled evilly as I saw her eyes flash red and go back to green. "Well, I guess I'll go then." She walked passed before stopping and looking at me again. I tried to keep myself from looking at her, trying to maintain a stubborn attitude towards her. Mom said I'm like my dad this way.
"Just remember, Briar," She spoke. "As long as you keep your friends close, they're in just as much danger as you are. Especially your little boyfriend." And with that, she was gone. I took in a sharp breath as I touched my locket, hoping on all hope that what she just told me wasn't true.
Was I really putting my friends in danger because of my powers?
I walked into my room after a hard day and closed the door behind me. I saw Cotton laying on my bed with one of her old toys. I giggled at the sight, making her look up at me.
"Briar!" She exclaimed, before seeing the worry on my face. "What's wrong?"
"Am I doing the right thing?" I asked. "By having all my friends know about my powers...and my mom?"
"Why do you ask?" Cotton asked as she sat up. "Did something happen today?"
"My aunt Dior...she's half-ghost," I said, making my ghost dog gasp with shock. "My reaction exactly." I sighed. "She said that the people I love will just be in more danger than ever since they know about my ghost powers."
"Briar," I looked at Cotton, seeing a calming grin on her face. "I've seen how your friends can handle this life. Especially Danny! He's just like you with the whole ghost powers thing!" I giggled. "They can handle themselves. You just need to worry about protecting the world and keeping your relationship with Danny as a priority."
"Well, he says our relationship is number two on his list," I blushed with a grin. "He's such a sweetheart."
"I like him!" Cotton said as she flew up to me and tackled me, making me laugh as I got licks on my cheek from her.
"Okay, okay!" I said as I sat up, with Cotton getting off me and sitting on the floor.
"Besides, what have you always told me when I was alive?" I looked at her and smiled.
"Don't think, just run," She nodded with confirmation and I sighed again. "Thanks, Cotton."
"Sure thing, Briar," My dinged as I pulled it out to see a text from Danny, saying to meet him at the hill by Axion Labs. Oh, boy...what now?
I walked up the hill by Axion Labs, seeing Danny immediately as he was on one knee and looking over the edge. I also saw that Sam and Tucker were there too. How did they get here before me?
"Hi, guys," I said with a grin. Danny turned to me and smiled with light coming to his eyes. That smile always made my life feel less strange.
"Okay, we're all here," Sam said as she looked at Danny. Wait...he didn't call Robin or Edwin?
"What about Robin and Edwin?" I asked.
"They couldn't come," Danny said. "Trust me, I asked. But they had chores to do."
"Oh, makes sense," I raced on over. "Now, where's man's best friend?" Danny then whistled with his fingers, and the dog came out of the ground, big and snarling. He ended up knocking me over onto my butt.
"Relax! I'm on your side!" Tucker yelled, making me glare at him.
"Yeah. So he says," Sam said, taking the words right out of my mouth.
"Hey! I'm the one who knocked out the security camera, remember?"
"Alright," Danny began as he stood up and helped me to my feet. "Good news, there's only one guard. Bad news...it's Valerie's dad."
"Ouch," Sam, Tucker, and I said in unison.
"So I think it's safe if I go down there myself," Danny said as he changed into his ghost form. "The Fenton Fisher should make a good leash." I watched as Danny tied the line to the dog's collar and then the rest of it was tied to the tree.
"You guys watch the dog," He said before flying over to me and giving me a quick peck to the lips as he flew off towards Axion Labs.
"We will!" I heard Sam say, making me look up to see that Sam and Tucker were already up in a tree.
"From way up here," Tucker added as the ghost dog tried to get to them. I giggled before turning towards the lab. "Don't think, just run," Those words were what I always said to myself when I was younger. It's what got me so many gigs as a little kid. But after the accident, the thinking was always apart of my life. I thought first before telling my friends my secret. I thought first before giving Danny my song. I thought to change in my ghost form to help Danny the other night, but ended up not doing that. I always started to think before I acted on something.
But not anymore.
I wasn't going to think before acting anymore. I wasn't going to listen to my Aunt Dior's lies. I was going to fight and protect my friends no matter what. And that included the boy I was in love with. I quickly changed into my ghost form and floated into the air, eyeing the place to see where a good place to phase through was.
"Briar, what are you doing?!" Sam yelled, making me look at her and grin.
"My boyfriend might need me," I said.
"Don't you think you should-" Tucker began to say as I looked back at the labs.
"I'm done thinking," I said. "Don't think...just run." And then I flew towards the lab at a fast speed. I phased through the wall and flew down the halls. I was still invisible, so I doubt I'd trigger any alarms. I stopped my flying to a slow hover and looked around for Danny.
I soon heard an explosion, making me spin around and fly towards it. I stopped immediately when I saw the big hole in the ceiling and Danny flying back in. I looked over and saw Valerie in her Red Huntress outfit. Great...I had a feeling she'd be here.
I growled and flew towards her, knocking away one of her guns with an ecto-beam and floated near Danny. "Hi! I don't think we've met!" I smirked, making Valerie look at me with surprise.
"Who the heck are you?!" She asked.
"Stardust?" I looked at Danny and grinned. "What are you doing?!"
"What does it look like, babe? I'm here to help," I winked at him before looking back at Valerie.
"Babe?" Valerie spoke confused before it seemed to hit her. "Oh! Is this your girlfriend, ghost boy?! How nice! You guys can both die together!"
"Stardust, get out of here! I've got it handled!"
"I'll be fine, Phantom!" I yelled. "For better or worse, I'm there for you! No matter what!" I shot a beam of my ecto-energy at Valerie again and made her fly back. She started shooting one of her guns at us again as we dodged them. But one did hit me and sent me flying into a wall. Thankfully, I was fine and didn't blackout. For once.
Danny aimed one of his ecto-rays at her and hit the wall above her. I looked at him confused. He had a better aim than that!
"You're a pretty lousy shot!" Valerie yelled at Danny.
"That's because I'm not trying to hit you!" Danny yelled, making me look at him even more confused.
"What?" I asked.
"Can't we talk?" Danny asked with sincere.
"I'm done talking!" Valerie made skates appear on her boot with rockets. She started rolling towards Danny, making him go intangible as she rolled right through him. She looked back for a moment and then forward screeching to a halt as the ghost dog came through the wall, barking at her. Danny immediately raced over and grabbed her before the dog could grab her.
"Let me go!" She yelled.
"Yeah! You're welcome!" Danny said irritated as he released her and made her fall on her feet. She went to shoot a giant ray gun at him, making him fly out of the way. I went to do the same but wasn't lucky. I got hit and was flown back into the alarm button. I winced as I sat up while the alarm was blaring in the air. I grabbed my stomach and watched as she kept trying to lock onto Danny with another gun. But he kept moving out of the way.
"You and your stupid dog ruined everything!" Valerie yelled. "And you're gonna pay! You and every ghost like you!"
"No!" I yelled as I tried to stand up, but fell back down. Man, this blast hurt.
"Oh, don't worry," Valerie said, and I could tell she was smirking under her mask. "You'll be joining your boyfriend shortly." She then shot the blast and Danny went intangible. But for some reason that didn't work. He got hit and was sent through a wall with the blast.
"Danny!" I screamed out to him with tears forming in my eyes. This couldn't be how it ends!
"That ought to do it!" Valerie said before I heard something growl. I looked over to see the ghost dog behind Valerie, snarling, and looking pretty angry at the hunter. She turned around and screamed as she saw the dog. I slowly was able to stand up while keeping my hand on my stomach. I tried to move to help her, but the pain from that blast was too much. I fell to my knees, weak. I just hope Danny was okay. I refuse to think I failed to protect him.
And I'm starting to get really tired of getting hurt in every battle.
Valerie kept screaming as she fell to the ground as well, while the dog kept growling at her. He looked to have wanted to eat her until...
"Here, boy!" Danny's voice! I looked over and saw Danny standing there with this pink bear squeaky toy in his hand. "Is this what you've been looking for?" He squeaked the toy and I giggle, now wincing at that mistake. I looked over at the dog and saw it get all happy as his tail was wagging non-stop. It was actually kind of cute. He barked with excitement.
Valerie made a slight move, which made the ghost dog growl at her again.
"No, no, no! It's okay!" Danny said as he flew up to him. "Does you want your squeaky?" He was saying this a voice that a dog would understand. And by that, I mean a cute voice. It was kind of sweet. "Huh? Oh, does you?" I giggled again. And again, that was a mistake.
The dog barked again, basically saying yes.
"Here you go. Now please," Danny began, as he arched his arm back, ready to throw the toy, "just go home, and stay there!" I watched as the dog chased the toy and grabbed it in his mouth. He slowly shrank down to the size of a puppy and stopped, looking over his shoulder at Danny before dissolving into nothing.
"Aw," I said, wincing once more from the pain. "Dang...why is this still hurting?"
"Look," Danny began, making me look over to see him helping Valerie up, "I know you're angry. But that's not my dog, and I'm sorry about whatever happened to you." I grinned. He did have a good heart in him. "Not all ghosts are evil." He had stood up and held his hand out for her to take.
"Yeah?" She didn't seem so forgiving with the way she said that. And sure enough, she took his hand and then flipped him on his back.
"Danny!" I yelled with worry.
"And not all humans are saps, huh!" She aimed a wrist gun at him, making the adrenaline help me get up and fly towards her. I rammed my body into hers and made her fly into a wall. I stared angrily to her as I grabbed my stomach again and fell back to the ground.
"Stardust!" Danny yelled as he crawled over to me and held me as I fell into his arms. "Stardust, are you okay?!" He seemed very concerned and worried, and that made me grin up at him.
"I'm fine. I just don't know why this pain is lasting so long," I said as I showed a burn mark on my suit. Was it that big earlier? "Oh, boy,"
"Briar," He whispered, making me look at him as he put his other arm under my knees. "I got you. Don't worry."
"Not so fast, Ghost Duo!" Valerie said, making us look up to see her aiming the wrist gun at us again. She was about to fire it until...
"Valerie?!"
"Oh, no! My dad!" She yelled, retracting the gun. "I can't let him see me like this!"
"I'm sorry, but we can't help you there!" Danny said with a smirk before he picked me up bridal style and we flew through the ceiling. He took me over to the hilltop we were at before and set me down against a tree. I winced as I looked at the burn again. It was bigger now.
"Dang it!"
"Briar," Danny was beside me as he put his hand over mine. "I'm right here. It's okay."
"Why is it getting worse?" I asked as I looked over at Danny, seeing his concerned green eyes looking at mine. My aunt was wrong. None of my friends are getting hurt...just me.
"I'm not sure. Here, let me try something," He looked at the ecto-energy burn on my stomach and moved my hand. He placed his hand over the mark himself, making me wince before I saw his hand glowing green.
"Danny, what are you-?"
"Shh," He said as he put his other hand on my cheek. "I got you."
"But-"
"You mean the world to me, Briar," He said. "I just hope this-" He looked at the burn mark and smiled. I looked as well and sighed with relief. The mark was gone, and so was the pain. "There! Good as new!" I giggled as I took his hand and intertwined our fingers together as we sat there. We changed into our human forms as he moved closer to me and put an arm around me. After that burn almost killed me, we deserved this moment of peace.
"No where the dog went?" Tucker asked as we were sitting at lunch the next day.
"Nope," Danny returned with one hand on mine and the other his head was leaning on.
"Going to play it safe now that Valerie, the Ghost Slayer is around?" Sam asked with a smirk that I rolled my eyes at.
"Yep," Danny returned as Valerie walked by us with her lunch. "I just wish I knew where she got those weapons!"
"Or that costume!" Tucker said. "Costume that stylin' had to cost something, you know?"
"Well, I don't know where she got the weapons," Sam began, "but I think I know where she got some extra cash. Remember those concert tickets she sold on the internet?" I perked up as I saw this smirk on her face.
"You bought her tickets?" Danny asked surprised.
Cut to us at the Dumpty Humpty concert that night, with screaming fans and loud rock music. I was laughing as Danny was doing the air guitar, while Sam and Tucker were jumping up and down.
"I can't believe we're sitting next to those losers!" Sam yelled, making me snort as they all started to dance again. I was wiping my head around as I danced and jumped to the music, only to be stopped by Danny grabbing me around the waist and pulling me close. I smiled as he kissed me and held me close.
No need to ask if I was ever a burden to him in battles. I knew at this moment that I wasn't.
~THE END – END OF CHAPTER 8~