2: Believe It Or Not...
They're off the map, kiddies.
Cliffhangers are a pain, aren't they? Don't worry. The end of this fic will come soon. More specifically, three days. I will bust my butt to make sure this fic is finished by Halloween. Heheheheheh!
...
New Amall...
Danny, Sam, and Tucker walked through the town, bored and looking for something to do. A ladder to the right of them fell over, bringing a bucket of tools within a foot of crashing down upon Tucker, who nearly screamed when it hit the ground beside him.
"What the smoof?" Danny exclaimed, kneeling by the ladder.
A man was picking the ladder up immediately.
"Don't worry, no one was hurt, eh? No harm, no foul and all that. I bet this ladder is just a bit faulty. Rust and all that. I'll take it to the shop and fix it up and all that, alright?" the man said, carrying off the ladder.
"That guy's speech was suspsicious. He said 'and all that' about three times," Sam said.
"Yeah. The ladder was perfectly spotless. I'm not an expert, but I'd say it was new. Maybe a few weeks old," Danny added.
"Ah-huh. Well, come on, let's just keep going. There's gotta be an arcade somewhere," Tucker said.
They walked on, searching everywhere for a store with at least something electronic. His laptop had to charge, and Tucker was desperate for technology. A few moments later, they entered a store, just wanting to get out of the cold: the storefront didn't suggest an electronic inventory.
"Let's just get a few hot chocolates to warm up for a bit. You can survive a little longer without the laptop," Sam said, chattering.
Tucker nodded, handing the cashier the twenty he had "won" from Dash, and asking for the three hot chocolates. Danny's eyes brightened up, obviously remembering something. He motioned Tucker and Sam where to sit down. Tucker got the three cups on a tray and carried them over to the table a minute later.
"Hey guys... you know what the weirdest thing is about yesterday... It's something I just remembered. My sense only went off once yesterday. I know I encountered a ghost a few more times, but it didn't do a thing. I didn't get any warning at all," Danny whispered.
"Has it ever done that before? Not gone off, I mean?" Sam asked.
"Not that I can remember," Danny said, scratching his head.
The teens sipped their drinks for a moment, pondering. One after another, they sat their drinks back down on the tray.
"Well, on a different topic, do you guys think there might be some goth jewelry around here?" Sam asked.
"Probably. This place does have a few ghost-" Tucker started.
He was interuppted when the table shook, spilling their hot chocolate all over the table and into their laps. They shouted and leaped back, but, as they were still in their chairs, they only fell on their tails.
The cashier and another worker behind the counter were upon them in a moment.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. The ground isn't stable around here. Would you like a refill? Maybe a free Xtremachino?" one asked.
"Owowowowow..." was the general response.
They were gently set back in their chairs by the burly man and the female co-worker. The man disappeared in the back for a minute or two while the woman cleaned up the mess. About five minutes later, the only thing that remained of the incident was the three refilled hot chocolates and the large Xtremachino with three straws in it.
"What was that?" Danny wondered quietly.
A few more customers entered the shop a second later, giving the workers something else to do than try and observe the potentially unhappy customers.
"I dunno. Minor tremor?" Sam asked.
"That whole row of china in the back would have crashed as well if it were even as small scale as it seemed," Tucker said.
"Then it was a ghost?" Sam asked.
"Why didn't my ghost sense go off when it happened though? It's cold outside, so I could understand if I just saw it as breath. It's warm enough in here that I'd be able to definitely see if my ghost sense went off," Danny replied.
The trio sighed, wondering what could be the problem. A few minutes later, they threw away their trash and headed out towards the front of town.
D-P
The wind was bitterly cold against their face as they walked through the leaves on the ground, a rainbow of earthy colors. Frost decorated the scene, showing the slow transition between fall and winter. Through this the trio tread, not sure where they were headed.
The ice was particularly slick near the ditch they were walking by, and this caused Tucker to immediately fall into it, getting him splashed by the cold water. He yelped, thrashing about to get up. He fell a second time, and this time, Danny and Sam helped him up. They came to a snag halfway through the job, but they just kept pulling. It was for nothing for a few moments. Then...
RIIIIIP.
Tucker groaned as they pulled him onto the dry-ish ground. His right leg had a tear in the jeans.
"Aw, man, I liked this pair," Tucker moaned.
Danny grabbed the small chain that Tucker had snagged his jeans on. He dug around in the leaves and mud until he managed to loosen it.
"Danny, what are you...?" Sam trailed off.
Danny pulled out the sign, causing her question to die in her throat.
"Man, what am I gonna tell my mom?" Tucker hissed to himself.
"Tucker, we got bigger problems than ripped pants," Sam said, elbowing him.
"Oh, now what?" he demanded, looking at the sign.
SLEEPY HOLLOW
A scream pierced the midday air. Danny was in ghost mode in a second. He took off a second later, and was out of sight of his friends another second later.
"C'mon, Tuck. He'll meet us at the hotel. Let's get back there and keep you warm," Sam muttered, hefting Tucker up.
D-P
Danny touched ground at a small scene. The townspeople had gathered around an empty space.
"What happened?" he shouted in his best 'hero voice'.
"Crane finally got back Kat," a civilian muttered.
"What happened!?"
Kwan turned around.
"Danny Phantom? How're you here?"
"I make regular patrols. What happened here?" Danny continued.
"Well, we were just making jokes about the geeks when we heard this booming voice. That skeleteon dude showed up and said 'He's here'. We were scared witless by that. In all the confusion, Paulina disappeared. There was some weird mark left in the ground right there, I think," Kwan said, pointing to the center of the crowd.
"Thanks," Danny said, becoming intangible and floating through the crowd.
The marking was almost like a burn mark. The features of it were strange, almost as if it were a... jack-o-lantern. Danny's eyes scrutinized the mark, then he floated back to the hotel.
D-P
"I've heard of Sleepy Hollow somewhere," Tucker mumbled.
"Ichabod Crane, a schoolteacher, fell for a woman named Katrina," Danny started.
"But he was superstitious, as well. Brom, a rival, told them all of a Headless Horseman. Brom raced him passed the bridge, but when he got there, the Horseman disappeared," Sam continued.
"Ichabod and Katrina argued for a while that night, causing Ichabod to leave around midnight. He felt confident for a while until he reached the bridge and the Headless Horseman appeared, racing after him."
"He somehow managed to reach the bridge, and looked back at the Horseman. Rather than disappear, as expected, the Headless Horseman stood up in his stirrups, took the pumpkin off his shoulders, and tossed it."
"It collided with the back of his skull. The next day, his horse showed up, but no one found anything of Ichabod."
"Except for his hat and a cracked pumpkin," Sam concluded.
"Someone said that Crane had gotten back Kat. I think they were talking about Paulina. That voice we heard yesterday was Crane. Crane has Paulina..." Danny trailed off.
"Time to play hero?" Tucker asked.
"Not until tonight. Lancer will come by at ten to make sure everyone is in the room they have to be and that the lights are off. If Danny isn't here then, he'll be in huge trouble," Sam said.
"Alright then. Tonight, I go ghost hunting," Danny shrugged.
Later that Night, Abandoned Schoolhouse...
Danny landed on the dusty, dark land of the crumbling schoolhouse. His ghost sense had yet to go off, but all of his hairs were standing on end. Something was wrong, he could feel it. He heard the laughter of a child off to the side. He turned, but saw nothing.
Definitely something wrong...
With this thought, he continued on. Several times, he saw something flicker out of the corner of his eye or heard the sounds of children playing, but he ignored it, trying to get to the door as quickly as possible.
He opened it to to see Paulina and a weedy, geekish adult talking.
"Oh, you were always so worrisome, Crane. It's cute. I thought you had left. Brom told us that you confided in him you were tired of this place and wanted to move on. We had that spat about the baby, so I thought it was the truth," Paulina said.
Danny gawked.
"I forgive you, Katrina. It's just good to see you again. I'm so glad I finally managed to bring us together once again," Crane replied.
"What the hell is going on?" Danny shouted.
"Who are you?" Paulina-Katrina asked.
"I'm Danny Phantom, a hero of Amity Park. Paulina, like everyone there, is under my protection. Release her!" Danny shouted.
"Boy! I have been separated from her for hundreds of years. I will never relinquish my happiness again. Do you hear me? NEVER!" Crane roared.
He pointed a finger at Danny, and the desks launched themselves at him. Danny's instinctive shield raised, protecting him from the barrage.
"Katrina, my love, please turn away. This may get ugly," Crane suggested.
Paulina-Katrina turned her chair around, forcing herself to face the chalkboard. Crane launched himself at Danny, an arm covered in a strange, white substance. Dust flew from it as it collided with Danny's gut, having pierced the shield. It was chalk. Danny bent over at the waist, then Crane smashed him in the face with his knee. Danny somersaulted through the air, backwards, and Crane heaved up a desktop, then a pointer.
Danny recovered in mid-air and shot several ecto-beams at Crane, who deflected them with the desktop, oozing with its own ecto-power.
"I don't tolerate Brom-helpers," Crane growled.
"Whuh?" Danny asked.
Crane took a slice at Danny with the pointer, but Danny, aware that everything in the school was fatal, dodged it, then launched a punch laden with ecto-energy into Crane. It snapped through the shield and they both heard a crack as it broke bones. Danny grabbed him and threw him outside the schoolhouse, straight through the doors.
D-P
Danny flew out the doors himself and landed a kick against the fallen Crane, sending him skidding several feet. He flew over Crane, grabbing his limbs, pinning him.
"Now, who are you?" Danny demanded.
"I am Ichabod Crane," Crane spat.
"Ichabod has been dead for hundreds of years, who are you?" Danny demanded.
"I am Ichabod Crane, damn you!"
"Then how are you alive?" Danny demanded.
"That's my business, boy!"
"If you won't answer that question, then answer this one: how do I release Paulina from Katrina?"
"I'll never release her!"
"You are tearing her from her family! Her friends! There are people who love her more than life itself. Would you cause them pain for such a greedy goal?"
Ichabod paled even more, if that were possible.
"...No. I will release her."
Danny sighed, "good."
D-P
Paulina and Danny walked down the dark and dusty path. Well, Paulina walked. Danny floated beside her.
"So... what happened?" Paulina asked.
"You had been doing something with your friends when you were knocked unconscious. They panicked and ran off. We've been looking for you in the woods ever since," Danny lied.
"Oh my gosh, my hair will be so horrid tomorrow. I can feel it messing up. This place isn't good to my looks!" Paulina complained.
"At least you're alive," Danny pointed out.
"I have you to thank for that, Danny Phantom. Come closer," Paulina said.
Danny, inquisitively, approached Paulina. She grabbed the back of his head, and, slowly, pressed themselves closer in a kiss. It ended a moment later, and Danny floated upwards. Both were blushing.
"Well, umm... go on back to the hotel. Your peers will undoubtedly be glad to see you. I have... others to save," Danny stumbled.
Paulina, smiling and blushing, walked on. Danny flew out of her sight, much farther back along the path and in the woods, then transformed. He hadn't enjoyed the kiss. He had a crush on her a while back, sure, but no longer. But, well, it was a very bad thing to crush someone's hopes if you didn't have to. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't hear the clip-clopping of the horse until it was several yards behind him. He turned around and gasped.
The horse was black as pitch, with silver hooves glinting and red eyes literally blazing with fire. The rider wore an array of black. He had on gloves, a heavy cape, an old-fashioned shirt along with pants and boots. It was his head that caught attention though. It was a pumpkin.
The Headless Horseman rode again.
Danny transformed and took to the sky. Yet, despite the speed of his flight, the Headless Horseman was riding on his heels. He pushed the pedal to the medal. The bridge came up, and he flew faster, filled with glee. The Horseman should disappear around here. He passed the bridge, and felt a buzz of strange energy. Danny paused, looking around. A giant ball of fire had exploded far behind him, though it shouldn't have done anything. He shrugged and dropped down, preparing to become intangible and get to the hotel.
Pain sprouted from the back of his head, and his consciousness slipped into nothingness.