ACCURSED WRITER'S BLOCK! *shakes fist angrily* Okay, PLEASE READ THIS NOTE:
I HAVE BEEN WONDERING IF I SHOULD WRITE THE CONSUMMATION SCENE, SO I WILL PUT UP A VOTING BOX AT THE TOP OF MY PROFILE PAGE TO LET YOU ALL DECIDE FOR ME. YOU ALL HAVE ONE MONTH TO DECIDE FOR ME TO EITHER WRITE THE SCENE, OR LEAVE IT OUT FOR YOU ALL TO USE YOUR IMAGINATIONS. I HAVE SPOKEN! GHOST-WRITER OUT!
CHAPTER 23 - Last Chances
Fright thought it was bad enough playing messenger boy to Phantom's friends, and that it really couldnt get much worse than that.
How wrong he turned out to be.
If giving messages to the young ghost hunters who had actual experience with ghosts was bad enough, it was absolute Hell giving a message to the older, more paranoid ghost hunters whose son was currently residing in a world they didnt understand at all.
Suffice to say, he was attacked at first sight, and would have probably ended up in that infernal Thermos, had his Prince-to-be's older sister not interviened, may her soul be blessed...
"MOM, DAD, WAIT!" Jazz managed to force the ectoplasmic weapon away from Fright's direction. "He knows Danny!" She turned to look at him, her gaze pleading, but critical. Smart girl. "...You do have word from him, right?"
Fright straightened up, gathering whatever dignity he had left from being blasted halfway across the house. "Actually," he said as evenly as he could, "I come with word from My King Pariah Dark."
While the Fenton parents looked somewhat confused, Jazz visibly shuddered, then blinked and looked up, a spark of realization coming to her eye. "...You mean, Danny...and HIM are...?"
Fright nodded. "Yes," he confirmed. "I am here to tell you that our Prince-to-Be wishes to see you three again before the wedding, to mend fences. My Liege has agreed to this...on HIS terms."
"What in the world does THAT mean?" Jack demanded, his grip on his weapon tightening. Fright sighed.
"It MEANS, Sir, that Our King Pariah Dark is allowing you three - and ONLY you three - to visit his castle and spend the day with your son." His green glare darkened somewhat. "After the events of young Daniel's LAST visit...My Liege wishes to keep his fiance close to home."
"...Danny...is marrying PARIAH DARK?" Jazz managed to stammer out. Fright resisted the urge to groan uncouthly.
"Yes," he said. "I can assure you, Jasmine, that your brother - and your son- " he added to Jack and Maddie, "is being treated well and with kindess and respect. He had allies and friends in our world who are loyal to him, and who find this union benificial to everyone, both human and ghost. This is why Our King agreed to having you three at his castle. To prove to you that he WANTS a level of trust between his subjects...and his in-laws."
The three Fentons looked quite gobsmacked, something Fright found amusing, but he had a job to do. He took the scroll Pariah Dark had given him out of a pouch on his belt and held it out to Jazz, who had at least a modicum of trust in him. "In this scroll is the date and time of which you will be escorted to Dark Castle. It is enchanted to automatically transport you to the villa outside the castle grounds at the precise time, so simply hold onto the paper."
He reached up to touch the brooch that clasped his cloak to his shoulders. "...Please," he said as an afterthought, momentarily abandoning his professional tone. "For the love of your son, do not dissappoint him by not coming." With that, he pressed his fingertips to the brooch and said, "Domus," before vanishing.
It was three days later, the day the Fentons would be coming to visit, and Danny was practically bouncing off of the walls with anxiety. His family was due to arrive just before noon, and though Pariah Dark, Fright, and Dora told him not to be too dissappointed if they didnt show, he kept glancing out the front windows that faced the villa, counting down the minutes until it was time.
Finally, at five minutes to the arrival time, Fright, on the suggestion (or rather, demands to get the hyperactive teenager out of the bloody castle) of Pariah Dark, escorted Danny down to the villa. They walked mostly in silence, but when they came to the villa gate, Fright put a hand on Danny's shoulder.
"...I dont want you to be dissappointed if they dont come," he said softly. Danny glanced up at Fright.
"I cant help but be dissappointed if they dont, Fright," he replied. "They're my family." He sighed. "I just want to show them that...it's going to be okay." He shrugged. "That I'm being treated well...that I still have friends...that Pariah isnt as bad as everyone thinks he is...I just want to assure them that it's all fine."
"IS it all fine?" Fright queried. Danny sighed.
"As good as it could be," was all he said before leaning against the villa gate's wall. He pulled out a pocketwatch Clockwork sent him as a congradulatory engagement gift and checked the time. "...Ten more seconds..."
Indeed, just seconds later, it looked as though a bright wormhole appeared, contorted a small area of space around, and with a flash, Jack, Maddie, and Jazz appeared, holding onto the scroll Fright had given them. All three looked a little pale, but Danny knew it wasnt from nerves. Time/space fractal-travel was quite nauseating, to be honest.
"MOM! DAD! JAZZ!" He ran forward toward them, and Jazz recovered first, turning to catch him in a big hug.
"DANNY!" all three of them cried, joining into the hug-fray. Many tears and incomprehensable words went around before Danny managed to disintangle himself from his family.
"You came," he said, smiling and wiping at his eyes. Jazz smiled and squeezed his shoulders.
"Of course we came, Danny," she said softly. She wisely chose not to mention that she had practically threatened her parents to come, and to behave while they were at it. Her gaze lowered, her expression shamed. "...I'm so sorry for how it turned out last time...I didnt know..."
"Water under the bridge, Jazz," Danny quickly brushed off. "I'm getting better, you know. Fright's been a big help." He turned and nodded to Fright, who drew himself upright, then turned to his parents. "...Mom...Dad..." he began, not really knowing what to really say.
Maddie reached out and pulled him into a hug. "Danny, we're sorry too," she said. "After all those years you tried to tell us...and after all you said about how not all ghosts are evil...we should have listened." She kissed his forehead, then teared up. "You've grown up so much!"
Danny blushed a little and scratched the back of his neck; it was true that he'd grown almost a full six inches since he'd been here, not to mention how long his hair had gotten, or how toned he'd gotten from training with Fright. "Yeah, well...I've been busy," he lamely replied. He turned to his father, who had remained quiet all this time. "...Dad..." he began.
"Danny, I wont lie," Jack cut in, sounding more serious than Danny had ever heard him be. "I'm not entirely comfortable with this. I'll even go so far as to say I dont like it. But I'm willing to be here for you, and listen to what you have to say."
"That's all I'm asking, Dad," Danny replied. He took a deep breath and let it out before putting on a cheery demeanor for them. "So." He spread his arms out. "Welcome to the Dark Realm. As bad as it sounds, it ISNT. 'Dark' is just Pariah's surname, not his attitude."
Behind him, Fright barely withheld a snort.
"So, follow me." He turned and led the way to the villa gate. "I know that normally, humans are the ghosts in the Ghost Zone, but everything in this land can be touched by humans as well as ghosts. So you dont have to worry about falling through floors or anything..."
He kept talking to them as he led them through the villa and up to the courtyard. "...And this is the Dark Castle."
Truthfully, Jazz had expected the castle to look like something from a horror movie; instead, this castle resembled the ones she had seen from her book of famous still-standing castles of the world, only this one looked new. And over the castle and courtyard, the sky atmosphere looked almost sunny. In the courtyard were flowers and plants she had never seen before, and they were all beautiful.
Glancing at her parents, she saw that they were expressing similar reactions. They were looking around, as though trying to make an illusion drop. Ahead of them, Danny was strolling through it all like it was nothing really special, and Fright just stared on ahead, looking boredly oblivious to everything around him.
Danny lead them to the castle's side-entrance and ushered them inside. "...And I use this entrance most of the time. It leads right to the courtyard." While inside, he showed them the front foyer, the dining hall, the kitchens, and the meade hall before leading them up to the west wing.
"What's in the east wing?" Jazz spoke up. Danny glanced in it's direction, feeling a soft pull from the Ring of Rage.
"The east wing belongs to Pariah," he replied. "The west wing is all mine." Not emphasizing further, he lead them around his wing, showing off his expansive sitting room, bedroom, dressing room, bathroom, and other smaller rooms that had yet to have a purpose. As he was leaving the wing, Dora came walking in with an armload of black clothing, most likely for Danny's extensive wardrobe.
"And this is Dorathea," Danny introduced, smiling. "She's one of my best friends here." Dora set the clothing down on a nearby table and cursied.
"Sir Danny has spoken much about you," she said, smiling kindly at them, despite the suspicious looks from the parents. "It is an honor to finally meet you."
Deciding to be polite, Jazz gave her a friendly smile back. "Same here," she said. "You look after Danny?" Dora rolled her eyes.
"Look after him, make sure he looks presentable, makes sure he stays out of trouble..." She gave the blushing Prince-to-be a smug glance. "It's a neverending job."
"No need to embarrass me in front of my parents, Dora..." he muttered. Dora laughed and picked the clothing back up.
"My apologies, Sir Danny," she replied, giggling. "Oh, and I heard word from Edna that dinner will be served for you and your family in the dining hall."
Danny nodded. "And Pariah?" he queried. At that point, Fright, who had remained a quiet fly on the wall this whole time, cleared his throat.
"Our King said he shall join you and your family for supper," he said. "Until then, he shall give you time to spend with your family."
"Oh," Danny said. "Alright, then." Danny made a mental note to thank his fiance for giving his family some space to get more comfortable around the castle. "So, I guess we'll eat, and I'll show you guys the training grounds..."
Lunch was a quiet affair, with mostl Jazz asking Danny questions, such as 'are you REALLY okay', or 'what's it like living here', and even 'what's Pariah Dark really like'. Danny answered as much as he could, told his family the story of how Pariah Dark had proposed, and how the other ghosts may have future careers with the new monarchy.
After lunch, Danny took his family to the training courtyard, where he demonstrated his swordfighting skills with some help from Fright. Even his parents looked impressed with how well he could handle a sword.
After the swordfighting demonstration, Danny took his parents and sister around the castle some more, showing off the library, which, to his surprise, was already being tended over by Ghost Writer. And Danny had to admit, the library looked much more inviting and hospitable after the 'Writer had straightened up a bit. He introduced the ghost novelist to his family as one of his friends, and after looking around with interest, they left after Danny had to pull his sister, who was engaged in scintilating academic conversation with the 'Writer, away to carry on.
After the library was the war room, where tapestries, weapons, and more books had his family staring in appraisal. While Jack and Maddie were looking over the weapons and whispering amongst themselves, Jazz pulled Danny off to the side to ask him for the millionth time, "So, how are you?"
It took everything Danny had not to repeatedly bash his head into the stone wall. "Jazz," he said with as much patience as he could muster up, "I'm FINE. Really." At her still-skeptical look, he sighed and turned to absently gaze at a tapestry of Pariah Dark's coat of arms. "...I dont know how I can convince you that I'm alright, Jazz. I mean...I KNOW what Pariah Dark has done in the past. He told me. I READ about it. I've asked him questions. And I can honestly say that...what I really think he needed was someone to be around."
"I dont understand," Jazz said, sitting down in one of the chairs. Danny looked at her sadly.
"I really shouldnt be telling you everything about him, but...he didnt have the best of lives." He sat down in the chair next to hers. "...Everyone he ever loved died. He buried three wives and five consorts, all who died before they should have. It's only natural that he would become bitter so he wouldnt have to feel sadness." He leaned his head on his hand and absently flipped through a book on the table. "I just think he's been alone for too long, and that's why he was so cruel. He's loosened up a LOT since the engagment."
"I cant say I'm happy for you, Danny," Jazz said, crossing her arms. "You were stolen away from us and forced to become engaged to the most terrifying ghost in the Ghost Zone." She shuddered. "...I remember when he came to our world, Danny...even a mile away, you could...FEEL the evil radiating off of him. Ghosts that had been terrifying enemies ran screaming from him...and now you're marrying him..."
"For the best," Danny said firmly. "And...you know, I dont think it'll be so bad, to be honest..."
Before Jazz could ask what he meant by that, Fright strolled into the war room and up to Danny. "Supper will be served in a half hour," he said. "Best you and your family be ready."
Danny nodded, then glanced back at his parents. "...How's Pariah?" he asked. Fright gave the barest hint of a shrug.
"He has been in his wing all day," he replied. "No one has seen or heard of him."
Danny nodded, then felt a slight tug on the Ring. "...He's on his way down," he said, thumbing the Ring with his right finger. Jazz looked down at the Ring, her eyes widening.
"...Danny," she said slowly, "...is that...?" Danny nodded.
"Yes," he said, showing it to her. "He proposed with his Ring of Rage." He looked her in the eye. "It's proof that he's serious about this." Without waiting for a response, he turned to his parents. "It's almost dinnertime," he annoucned to them. "And listen...Pariah's going to be there, alright? Dont make any assumptions, guys, please. And show him some respect; he IS a King."
Jack looked slightly mutinous, but Maddie nodded, looking more worried than anything. Fright led all of them to the dining hall, where the table was set and some servants were standing off to the side, waiting to serve them. Danny noticed that his setting (there were different setting arrangements, based on rank, Pariah Dark mentioned) was in the spot to Pariah Dark's right-hand side, and his family's places were at least two chair-widths away from either of them.
'Possessive much?' Danny thought to himself as he walked over to his placing and stood by his chair. It was proper decorum to remain standing until either Pariah Dark sat him down, or if the King sat down first.
Danny and his family remained standing at the chairs for all of fifteen seconds before the double-doors to the dining hall opened and Pariah Dark walked in.
He was in his normal 6'6 form, and to Danny's surprise, he was dress very simply, wearing something almost identical to what Danny was wearing, only with more layers and with heavier material. His helmet was absent, and he looked as though he had spent all day getting his hair to tame. He looked very presentable, and surprisingly approachable. He glanced over the Fenton family for a brief moment before walking forward and stopping in front of Danny, who nodded in greeting.
"Good evening," he said softly. "Welcome to my realm. I hope your visit has been pleasant." That said, he pulled Danny's chair out for him, and Danny sat down. At that cue, two servants stepped forward to pull out Maddie and Jazz's chairs, and when everyone was seated, the servants began to fix plates and pour drinks for everyone.
There was an incredibly awkward silence that resounded in the dining hall before Pariah Dark turned to Danny. "How was your afternoon?" he asked, dipping a piece of bread into his wine glass. Danny finished chewing before replying,
"It was great. I showed them around the castle, introduced them to a few friends, and showed them how good I am with a sword." He turned to his family, smiling to get them to feel at ease. "I think they were impressed with the place."
Pariah Dark made a barely-audible sound of amusement. "Considering it was built two thousand years ago, iti is impressive in and of itself that others find it impressive."
"Ghost Writer thinks it is."
"That is because the man is a bibliophile who only tolerates my presence for the opportunity to touch my books."
"Oh please! He likes you. And he finds it a great honor. Trust me. He's about ready to merge his library with yours, I can TELL..."
As they spoke, Jazz took in the conversation with a new paradigm; Pariah Dark was nothing how she'd imagined him to be. Instead of being some overbearing megalomaniac brute, he was soft-spoken, respectful, and dare she say it, KIND. The fact that Danny seemed completely at ease around the man spoke volumes. Not to mention Jazz saw a tender light in the Ghost King's eye as he looked over her little brother...perhaps Danny was right about him after all. Bearing that in mind, Jazz's stomach, which had been in knots, settled enough for her to try the food. It wasnt bad at all.
"...And do you think maybe Undergrowth can do something with the villa? I mean, it's so BARE, and - !"
Danny was sharply cut off when his father suddenly shot out of his seat, slamming both hands onto the tabletop. "I cant STAND this anymore!" Jack shouded, making everyone sans Pariah Dark jump with a start. He glared down the table at the Ghost King. "I cant STAND how everyone can just sit here like NOTHING is wrong with this situation!"
"And WHAT, Sir," Pariah Dark replied back, his voice making everyone feel burning hot and cold at the same time, "IS wrong with this situation?"
"Jack, please..." Maddie murmured desperatly, trying to stop her husband from doing anything stupid. Jack ignored her.
"What is WRONG, is the fact that my SON is marrying...YOU!" he cried, pointing at Pariah Dark. "I REFUSE to let my only son stay here and be tainted by filthy GHOSTS!"
"DAD!" Danny shouted, horrified at how quickly this was disintigrating. "STOP THAT!" He flicked his anxious stare at Pariah Dark, whose aura grew more intense.
"Ghosts, SIR, are NOT filthy!" Pariah Dark shot back, pleasantries gone and buried. "We are PEOPLE who used to be human just like YOU. The fact that we happen to be DEAD does not change the fact that we are still PEOPLE!"
"Ghosts are bastardized, hollow shells of human memory!" Jack 'reasoned' back. "And you are trying to drag our son down with you - !"
"YOU BE SILENT!" Pariah Dark shouted, shooting up out of his chair. "How DARE you insult me? How DARE you insult my people? How DARE you insult your own SON!" He gestured to Danny, who had gone paler than should be normal, even for a ghost. "Do you not know he is HALF ghost!"
"It's a flaw that we can fix - !"
"STOP!"
Danny slammed his fist into the table, jostling the dishes and candelabras, silencing everyone. He turned to glare at his father, his eyes glowing an icy blue. He quietly stood up, then transformed, his internal rage making his hair more flame-like.
"...I am not a flaw," he said, his voice wavering with emotion. "I am not something that can be FIXED. I'm half DEAD, Dad! And Pariah's RIGHT!" He clenched his fists tightly, frost covering his skin. "Ghosts are PEOPLE! They are NOT evil, soulless beings Hell-bent on torturing the living! They can cry and feel emotion just like you can! To insult them is to insult ME, and although I tolerated it when you didnt know who I was, I will NOT tolerate it now. Not HERE.
"I am your SON, and you just called me a bastardize hollow shell of human memory!" Tears poured from his eyes and froze halfway down his face. "You cant FIX death, not even half-death! The only cure for what I am IS death!" His glare hardened. "...And at this point, I WELCOME it."
Without another word, he flung his hand out, and a portal appeared in the space next to him. "...Leave."
"Danny, please...!" his mother tried to say, but Danny held up his free hand.
"No, Mom," he said, his voice going flat. "I know that in your deepest of thoughts, you agree with Dad. And I'm sorry, but I cant come back with you. I'm going to die soon, and then I'll FINALLY feel...at peace." He blinked back more tears. "...For three years...I've felt the tugging pain of never belonging. And now, I finally feel that I DO belong...and..." His voice hitched sharply. "...If you cant accept that, then you have no place in my world. Leave."
"Danny..." Jack tried to amend, but Danny's eyes flashed dangerously.
"LEAVE!" His hair flickered more flame-like and his ice armor began to crawl up his arm. "LEAVE! NOW!"
Without another word, but with many tears, Jack, followed by Maddie, and ended by Jazz, stepped into the portal. Before she left, Jazz turned to look at Pariah Dark, and saw that the Ghost King was looking pained...for her brother. He actually looked like he was concerned.
Right as she stepped through the portal, Jazz had the sudden, overwhelming realization that she may never see her brother again. And she didnt know if she could ever forgive her parents for this.
After Jazz had vanished through the portal, Danny disengaged it, then sat back down in his chair, staring off numbly for a few moments to calm down, then buried his face in his hands and began sobbing.
Immediately, Pariah Dark was at his side, kneeling down in front of his fiance. Danny leaned forward and buried his face into Pariah Dark's shoulder, letting the Ghost King put his arms around him.
After a few moments, Pariah Dark spoke up. "I should have known better," he said softly. "I shouldnt have allowed you to be hurt like that..."
"No." Danny lifted his head from Pariah Dark's shoulder to look his fiance in the eye. "...It had to happen, Pariah. I..." He lowered his eyes. "...To be honest...I kind of knew this would happen. But I had to hear it...I had to KNOW..."
"What are you talking about?" Pariah Dark asked, frowning. Danny wiped at his eyes.
"...I had to know that I cant be a part of that world anymore," he murmured. He blinked back more tears. "...That it was best...that I stay here. Because I BELONG here...that this is SUPPOSED to happen, and..." His breath hitched as more tears forced their way up.
"Calm down," Pariah Dark said softly, brushing Danny's tears away with his thumbs. "...It is alright, Phantom. And since you believe so strongly that this is supposed to happen, then we will make it work. Together, yes?" He reached down and took Danny's left hand in both his own. "I will swear it on the Ring of Rage, if you wish, that I will make your transition into death something not worth mourning, but worth celebrating. Phantom...Daniel..." Danny looked up at hearing Pariah Dark use his given name for once. "...I do vow to you that I will do my best...to make you happy."
Danny blinked and stared for a moment before leaning forward to cry into Pariah Dark's shoulder again. Pariah Dark held him tightly, wondering if his fiance even knew how strong that vow truly was.
Whew. *pitches forward onto the desk* I'm tired, I'm hungry, and I have carpal tunnel. I hope this was worth it. Dont forget to vote!