The Jewels The Guardian and The Ghost.
By Kellie Fay
Disclaimer: Well you know.
Chapter 18 Stalemate
"I can't believe you," Tucker glared at Sam as they climbed the steps up the Jazz's room. "Why didn't you just make Danny stay here. You're the only one who could have!"
Sam plopped down on the bed, and drew her feet under her sitting indian style. "I told Miss Daily and I'm telling you Tucker. I will NOT use this thing to control Danny!"
"Wait control Danny? What are you talking about?" Jazz asked.
Sam and Tucker looked at each other and sighed. "That's right you don't know," Sam said sadly. "Remember what we said about that bracelet and how it held Danny hypnotized with a pair of magic rubies?"
When Jazz nodded Tucker continued. "And Danny told you that other rubies that originally came with the bracelet were being stolen all over Europe."
"And now the thief will probably come here. That's why you didn't want Danny to go to the museum right?" Jazz asked.
"Because whoever is holding the rubies will have some control over ghosts." Tucker explained.
"Remember that guy who kidnaped you and all our parents just when summer vacation started?" Sam asked.
"You mean that creepy goth curcus guy with Ghost Envy?" Jazz said. "His name was Freakshow right?"
Sam nodded. "Did Danny ever tell you about the first time we met Freakshow?" Sam asked
Jazz shook her head. "I know Danny mentioned him once or twice, and I know he has a huge grudge against him, but no. I didn't know anything about him before he kidnaped us."
Tucker and Sam looked at each other uneasily and began to explain. "When we first met Freakshow he had this magic crystal ball on a staff that could control ghosts," Sam told the older girl. "And it could partially control Danny."
"Control Danny? And Mom and Dad didn't know?"
Tucker shook his head no. "By the time we knew what was going on Freakshow pretty much had Danny under control, and he stayed in ghost mode the whole time, so they never figured out it was Danny, but it was pretty close there."
"We can't let Freakshow find Danny again," Sam said clutching at the chain around her neck. "When Freakshow had Danny under his control, he...He wasn't Danny anymore."
Jazz could see that the topic distressed Sam more than Tucker, but Sam seemed to understand what happened to Danny better. "What do you mean he wasn't Danny anymore?" Jazz asked.
"Well," Tucker counted off on his fingers, "He overshadowed Mr Lancer, he helped Freakshow's other ghosts rob a bank, he ecto blasted us, He made Sam fall from the high wire -"
"And then he caught me Tucker!" Sam snapped, defending Danny. "Every time Freakshow put me in danger Danny would... I don't know... partially snap out of it and protect me."
"Only partially?" Jazz asked.
Sam shrugged. "As long as Freakshow was around he kept putting Danny back under control. When I was around though, Danny kept fighting it."
"Which is why you should have stopped Danny from following his parents," Tucker said glaring at Sam. "If Freakshow steals the ring over there, he'll have five rubies. Danny was frozen in there with only two. If Freakshow finds him -"
"It was two rubies and the band, and Miss Daily told us the Band makes the gems stronger." Sam said looking distressed. "I won't use the amulet against Danny I won't!"
"Amulet?" Jazz echoed..
With a sigh Sam reached for the chain around her neck and pulled out a silver infinity symbol with a deep red ruby at it's center. "This is one of the rubies from the bracelet. Miss Daily said if I concentrate hard enough and tell Danny to do something he would probably do it." Sam looked up at Jazz who looked frightened and puzzled. "But I won't use it against him! I'll hold the ruby so Freakshow doesn't get it, but I won't force Danny to do anything against his will."
Tucker sighed. "Sam keeping Danny safe isn't forcing him to do anything against his will."
"It is if he doesn't want to be safe!" Sam argued back. "If I try to control Danny I'm no better than Freakshow!" Suddenly the ruby began to glow and Sam sat bolt upright and stared into space. "Danny?"
"Tucker what's going on?" Jazz asked worried.
"I'm not sure," Tucker said. "Miss Daily said she used the setting to help us out, but you and Danny came in before she could tell us what she did to the pendant."
Oblivious to Jazz and Tucker Sam called out. "Danny listen to Miss Daily!"
"Sam?" Jazz knelt down next to the bed and took the young Goth's hand. "Sam this is Jazz tell me what's happening!"
Sam didn't resist Jazz's touch, but her entire focus was elsewhere. Her expression turned angry and defensive as she shouted into the air "I told you I won't use this thing like that!" Her eyes began to well up in tears. "No," she said softly while the tears fell. "No I won't lose him!" She closed her eyes letting the tears fall, and grasped the amulet around her neck. At her touch the gem began to glow even brighter. "Danny!" She called out. "Danny come here I'll help you!"
It was less than five minutes latter Danny came flying into the room at full speed in a state Jazz had never seen her brother in before. He threw his arms around Sam's waist, put his head in her lap and cried.
Sam drew Danny in close to her. "It's all right Danny, I'm here, I'm fine."
"No," Danny muttered trembling in her arms. "I remembered. I saw...I tried to-"
"But you didn't, Danny," Sam said running her fingers through his white hair. "You didn't."
Ten minutes later a knock on Danny's window revealed Miss Daily hovering outside Danny's room." Without a word Tucker let her in. "Freakshow got the ring?"
Miss Daily took off her cape and put it around Danny. "To hell with Freakshow. He almost got Danny!" Gently she placed her hand on top of his head. Danny cringed but didn't move and didn't let go of Sam.
"Danny won't say anything and he won't let go," Sam looked up at Miss Daily with tears in her eyes. "I can see him in a dark pit and I can't reach him."
"I know Sam," Miss Daily said. "I wish you could have kept him away from the museum, but I know Danny was determined to find out what we were hiding from him." She looked up at Jazz and Tucker. "I can help him, but we need to take him to my place." Jazz do you have a full length mirror in the house?"
"I can do better than that," Jazz said confidently. "My mom's closet door is a mirror."
"Good, you and Sam bring Danny. Tucker, bring anything else you think might be useful."
"Get my laptop from my room," Jazz said. "I have some notes about Freakshow in there."
"Got it," Tucker said. He ran into Jazz's room and grabbed her computer gear, then moved to the Fenton's master bedroom where Miss Daily was chanting in front of the mirror. Slowly the images of their reflections dissolved and reformed into a window into a bed room.
"Everybody in," Miss Daily said. Carrying Danny, Jazz and Sam entered the mirror first followed by Tucker and Miss Daily.
They found themselves in a bedroom of deep browns and golds. The room was inviting and warm. Miss Daily muttered something and threw a white light from her hand into the fireplace that was in the room. Instantly the prepared logs in the fire place caught and burned warming the room further.
Sam and Jazz gently put Danny into the bed. Danny only semiconscious instantly climbed back into Sam's lap the moment she sat down on the bed. He didn't seem to be registering anything other than hanging on to Sam. "Miss Daily what's wrong with him?" Sam asked trembling slightly.
"Miss Daily sighed and gently ran her fingers through Danny's white hair. "He's got a bad case of psionic shock. His mind couldn't take the strain of the three of us in his head plus the battle and the memory of whatever it was Freakshow made him do the first time you all met him. He...He just couldn't bear it. He's trying to hide, and block out the memories again, but he knows he can't this time. Don't let him pass out Sam. He has to remember."
"You said you were going to help him." Tucker reminded her angrily.
"I am," She answered with a nod, "but first I have three other things that I absolutely have to do. I first have to strengthen my wards on the house and the inner library. To do the first I'm going to have to use Danny's energy.
"WHAT?" All three of them shouted in unison.
"In lue of the Marble," Miss Daily went on as if none of them had raised their voice. She turned to Jazz. "He explained to you what I needed the marble for originally right?"
Sam remembered. "You used it to have your wards recognize Danny. The house will let him and anyone with him to pass through, but other ghosts can't phase through the house."
"Exactly. Don't worry Sam. It won't hurt him. He's not going to even feel it." She then looked at Jazz. It took Danny's sister only a few seconds to realize that she was asking for permission. She nodded once firmly, and saw the teacher sigh relieved.
Ever so gently Miss Daily placed her hand on top of Danny's head and began to whisper under her breath. Danny began to radiate a soft luminescent green. Once his glow was stable Miss Daily said in a loud clear voice.
"Walls of spirit, walls of stone
Encircle and protect this home
The bright green glow around Danny slowly thinned and expanded and mixed with a bright blue gold energy emanating from Miss Daily. The combined blue green turquoise and gold ball of energy expanded like a soap bubble slowly growing and thinning. Sam, Tucker and Jazz watched amazed as the energy passed through them ignoring them, until it came to the walls of the house. Then they saw the energies enter the walls and join with similar multicolor energies that the they hadn't seen before.
"Good," Miss Daily said satisfied. Now for the inner library. She still held a small ball of Danny's own energies. She added her own, whispering to the energies then send it into the floor. Jazz saw the ball of energies move through the floor out of the room.
"There," Miss Daily said wearily. "As for the third thing Jazz I'll want to ask your permission for this too. I think we need to hex your parents."
"My parents!" Jazz echoed. "Why on earth -"
"Not they way you think, Jazz. It's not going to do anything to them directly. I just want to make sure they don't get home, and find you and Danny not there. This hex will prevent them from getting home."
Jazz sighed. "You sure it won't hurt them."
"Not directly, it will just prevent them from going home." Miss Daily said gently.
Jazz sighed. "All right," She said. "Do it."
Miss Daily smiled." Jazz I need you to touch the mirror and think about your parents.
Jazz nodded doing as she was told. The image in the mirror changed from Danny's bedroom to somewhere near the Amity Park museum where the Fenton RV was parked.
Miss Daily took out a wand of rosemary and basil twigs braided together. She dipped them in a bit of water and sprinkled them on the mirror chanting softly.
It is our wish for you to roam
wandering far from your own home
until your son returns to stay
from your home be away
The Fenton RV seemed to sparkle and glow for a brief moment in response to the spell. Neither Jack nor Maddie seemed to know the difference.
"That will keep your parents from arriving home before you two do," Miss Daily said. Jazz nodded slowly understanding. Then Miss Daily gestured to a glass cabinet in the bedroom. "Now for Danny."
She opened the cabinet and revealed about a dozen different flutes of various sizes and materials. Selecting a small wooden flute the sorcerous said, "My ancestors came into the circle of guardians and beings of power because during the twelfth or thirteenth centuries my ancestor had the talent to charm almost any living thing with music. I've never been able to charm birds or rats , but the genes are there, and I think I can pull Danny out of his despair easily."
"With music?" Jazz asked. Miss Daily nodded
Sam sighed sadly. She looked as if she were sharing Danny's unhappiness. "Let her try Jazz, I can't get him to wake up."
Miss Daily moved to the far side of the room. "He's not asleep Sam. He's in such a despair and feeling so hopeless that he doesn't want to deal with the real world anymore. We have to draw him out of that and bring him back to reality."
"You can do that?" Tucker asked.
"With a little help," Miss Daily answered. She placed the flute into her mouth and began to play.
At first Danny's reaction wasn't noticeable but gradually Sam noticed that Danny's breathing slowed. At first Sam thought that Danny fell asleep, but suddenly Danny's head rose slowly from Sam's lap. His eyes were strangely neutral his face without expression as he rose from the bed, and slowly moved over to where Miss Daily stood playing softly on the flute.
Miss Daily played a few more minutes with Danny just standing there entranced. When she stopped Danny blinked and shook his head and looked accusingly up at his teacher. "What did you do to me?" He demanded.
Coming Soon Chapter 19 Awareness
Suddenly a wave of pressure washed over Danny. He winced even though the sensation didn't precisely hurt it still felt uncomfortable. He looked up to see Miss Daily reacting in the same manner. "What the heck was that?"
Sarah moved instantly to the window. Suddenly her expression turned angry. "All of you stay up here. Don't open the windows. In fact Danny stay away from the windows and stay close to Sam. I have to deal with a soliciter." With that she muttered something under her breath and stormed down the stairs.
"Gee she seemed mad about something." Sam said wondering. "I wonder who's at the door?"
"Tucker," Danny asked, "You were the closest what did she say before she left?"
Tucker stopped and thought "I'm not sure it sounded like "Lords of Fire and Lightning help me defend against my enemy."
"Defend?" Danny got up from the bed and moved to the window.
Jazz blocked his path. "Oh no Danny. Miss Daily said you should stay away from the windows."