For once, I don't really have anything to say up here. Huh.
Review replies;
Autobot-Outcast: He picked it up because it's cool. Also, I was wondering if anyone would get that reference. Thanks for reading!
TweenisodeOrange: Ah, that was a most cool scene... Thanks for the review!
SOLmaster: Well, hopefully it'll only get more epic. I'm certainly aiming to make it so. :) Thanks for reviewing!
Zim'sMostLoyalServant: Well, I couldn't leave that question unanswered. Glad you liked it! Thanks very much!
LightandDarkness Warrior: Maybe we can force a Windows error on him or something. :P Thanks!
Chapter Fourteen: The Choice
The makeshift infirmary had been built in a small house about two hundred yards from the remains of Fenton Works. The attack had slowed down here. A small team of RERE commandos had been sent forward to secure the Fenton Portal, but the Warlord seemed content to let them be.
For now.
Danny stood under the doorway, looking out across the quiet street towards his house. He had been staring at it for some time.
"Danny?"
Sam had walked up behind him, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"You okay?" she asked.
"Yeah," nodded Danny, "Just working out what I'm gonna do."
"What did the Ma-did Romulus tell you?" asked Sam.
"He told me what the Warlord wants," replied Danny, "He thinks I'm the rightful king of the Ghost Zone."
"Why the heck would he..."
"I beat Pariah Dark," said Danny, "Apparently that makes me king."
Sam shook her head.
"That is a stupid succession system," she scoffed.
"E-yep," nodded Danny, smirking.
He turned to face Sam, taking her hands in his.
"Look," he said, "I don't know if we're gonna survive today. I need to know...I need...um..."
He bit his tongue.
"If we survive this," he said, "I...I wanna know if you'll..."
Sam snorted.
"Finally stopped being the Clueless One, huh?" she said.
"Yeah," nodded Danny, "I finally have...unless you're talking about something else, because if you are I'm gonna look like..."
Sam put a finger on his lips.
"I know what you're saying," she replied, "And you have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear it."
Danny chuckled.
"I am pretty clueless."
He leaned inwards.
"I might never get another chance to say this, so I'm just gonna go ahead and say it," he said, "I love you, Sam Manson."
"I love you," Sam replied, her ears watering and her voice beginning to crack, "You clueless moron."
They leaned in close and kissed. It did not last long, but it was enough.
"Sam!"
The two slowly pulled out of the kiss and turned around. Tucker was standing in the hallway behind them.
"Hill wants you," he said, "She needs a go-between with the ghosts."
Sam nodded.
"I'll see you later, Danny," she said, walking down the hall and around the corner.
Tucker looked back at Danny. He was smiling, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes and a small stream of tears streaked his cheek.
"I knew it," Tucker said softly, grinning at his friend before following Sam.
"No, Sam," he replied quietly, "You won't."
"I see you've made your peace, then?"
Atkinson emerged from a door, shutting it behind him.
"You knew about all of this," replied Danny, "The Warlord, the invasion, the Realm Divide; why didn't you tell us?"
"There was nothing you could have done to prevent this," replied Atkinson, "Why ruin your last few months?"
He and Danny stepped out the door, under the increasingly threatening clouds.
"Richardson radioed in," said Atkinson, "They're at the portal and waiting on your go. We think the Warlord is waiting for you to reach the Well of Souls before he sends his army back in."
"Combat by champion," sighed Danny.
He looked up at the massive portal above.
"What about you?" asked Danny.
"I intend to send a small team into the Ghost Zone after you," replied Atkinson, "They'll try to knock out Napoleon and the Warlord's other commanders. If XJ-9's belief that they have Doctor Wakeman is correct, they will also free her and any other captives."
"And the commanders?"
"Mostly likely in Pariah's keep," said Atkinson.
Danny down from the clouds and faced Atkinson.
"Don't let Sam follow me, alright?" he demanded, "I'm not losing her."
"You have my word," said Atkinson.
Danny nodded, turning back to the road.
"Are you not going to see your parents? Your team?" asked Atkinson.
Danny shook his head.
"One goodbye is hard enough, sir."
He began to walk down the street. Around him, drop by drop, the rain began to fall.
The whole house above Fenton Works had been torn off, so getting into the lab was as simple as climbing down the wall.
Danny dropped the last few feet to the ground, landing next to a couple of RERE soldiers and Captain Richardson. The portal was still active, it's green glow illuminating the falling rain. A somewhat battered Spectre Speeder was being readied for use in front of it.
"Fenton!" nodded Richardson, "I'd say it's good to see you, but...you know the term 'forlorn hope?'"
"Pretty sure I do," replied Danny.
"Ah well," shrugged Richardson, "We'll be through behind you. Private Elsmere will remain behind to shut off the portal behind us."
"Then how do you guys get back?" demanded Danny.
"The hope is that we'll be able to escape through the Warlord's own portal," replied Richardson, "But let's be realistic here, we're probably not coming back."
"Never say never."
"True enough," shrugged Richardson, "We'll move in after you. Good luck."
Danny walked towards the portal. For a moment, he looked into the swirling green vortex, before clenching his fists and flying through.
Sam walked out of the house, looking around. Danny had been gone when she emerged from Hill's meeting, and she wanted to keep him company while they waited for the final battle.
Instead she found Colonel Atkinson looking down the street towards Fenton Works, his face stern and unreadable.
"Atkinson!" called Sam, "Where's Danny?"
"He has gone to the Well of Souls," replied Atkinson, "To fight the Warlord, and to initiate the Realm Divide."
"The realm what?" demanded Sam, barely noticing the Nicktoons, Tucker, Jazz and Sandy emerging from the house behind her.
"The Realm Divide will give him the power to vanquish the Warlord's armies," replied Atkinson, "It will also seal off the Ghost Zone forever."
"What?!" demanded Jazz, "He can't do that! He..."
"It's all he can do," replied Atkinson.
"I'm going after him," growled Sam, "He's not sacrificing himself."
"Then how, pray tell, will you defeat the Warlord?!" shouted Atkinson.
"I'll do it," replied Sam.
"No, you won't," snapped Tucker, walking to her side, "I will."
Atkinson glanced over to the Nicktoons.
"...I suspect you're going to volunteer yourselves too?" he asked dryly.
"For Danny?" replied Timmy, "Every time."
"He's one of us," said Jimmy, "If he's being trapped forever in the Ghost Zone, I won't let him stay there alone."
"Besides, we saved him once," added Jenny, "If he gets himself stuck, we'd all have wasted our time."
"And you?" asked Atkinson, looking at Spongebob, "I'm not sure you'd have the backbone to..."
"I'm ready," replied Spongebob, uncharacteristically seriously.
Atkinson looked over them.
"I gave my word to Mr. Fenton that I wouldn't let you follow him," he said, sternly.
"You can't-" began Jazz.
"I am an intelligence officer," continued Atkinson, "And therefore lie habitually. Get going."
He turned his back and walked away.
The group stared at his back for a moment, before turning back in the direction of Fenton Works.
"An eternity in the Ghost Zone," mused Sandy, "Well, I've managed living under the sea pretty fine."
"Nobody's getting stranded anywhere," snapped Jimmy, "I have a plan."
There was a moment's silence.
"Well, okay, it's more of a theory, I'll explain as we go."
Danny stood on one of the Ghost Zone's many rocks, looking down over a massive, swirling vortex.
The Well of Souls had not been hard to find – it was actually in a straight line from the portal, about five minute's flight away. The Warlord must have changed the geography of the Ghost Zone for him. If it were anyone else, it might have been a nice sentiment.
Well, here I am. Standing on a rock looking over the place where I think I'm gonna die.
He looked down, slowly breathing in and out.
I thought I'd freeze up or something, but now I'm here, I'm not afraid.
I've lived a pretty good life. While most kids were worrying about homework and their love lives, I was fighting ghosts, saving the world and making the best friends anyone ever had. Guess I did pretty good for some average teenager.
I'm not scared. The Warlord can waste me like a fly but he can't make me fear him.
This is my destiny.
My name is Danny Phantom...and I'm going to stop you, Alexander.
He extended his arms and allowed himself to fall forward off the rock, swan diving into the vortex below. There was the sound of rushing wind, and then everything faded to white.
AN: Fiction: When it only starts raining when it needs to be dramatic.
We're on the home stretch now, and I intend to go all out in making it as good as it can possibly be. Wish me luck!