Chapter 11: The End is Nigh
Well guys, this is it. Final chapter. I have to admit that this had been one of the most difficult stories that I have written. I wish that this was as easy as my previous and current stories that I am writing but, alas, it is not. I hope that my ending is adequate and satisfactory to you all. I won't be writing another sequel to this. Don't worry though, this won't be my last Desiree story. She just might have some competition for Danny's heart, however. I do not own Danny Phantom. R&R and Enjoy.
Silence. That was all Desiree could hear, or lack there of. She saw people trying to talk to her. Their mouths moving, trying to console her for her loss. Her new born children, their cries were inaudible. The only thing on her mind at that moment were her husbands dying words.
'I love you, Desiree'
Over and over, those words repeated in her head. Mocking her. Teasing her because she would never hear her lover speak those words again.
'I love you, Desiree.'
Without saying a word, Desiree handed her new born son to Maddie before slowly walking towards the door they had come through.
"Desiree, what are you doing?" Jazz asked, clutching the boys twin sister to her chest.
But Desiree gave no reply. She simply pushed open the door to the chaotic battle between the Guys In White forces versus Jack, Vlad, and Danielle.
'I love you, Desiree.'
Oh how that phrase haunted her. Tormented her. Teased her. The one thing she wanted most. The one person she desired. Gone.
As she walked into the battle, getting grazed by stray fire from both sides, a tidal wave of feeling flooded her. Sadness, remorse, depression, heartbreak, and loneliness, to name a few. But the greatest feeling, the primary emotion she was currently experiencing, was anger.
Anger at the rotten luck she had been dealt. Anger that her husband had been kidnapped. Anger that her husband was now dead. Anger that her hopes of a pleasant life after this body switch were now dashed. And anger towards the men responsible for her husband's death.
"Desiree!" Dani cried from behind her cover. "You need to find cover! You'll be picked off by the GIW."
"Stay where you are and cover your ears." Desiree said, her voice completely emotionless. The small group realized what she was about to do and took cover.
'I love you Desiree.'
'I love you too, Danny.' Desiree thought, tears streaming down her face.
"Surrender, Ghost Boy. There is nowhere you can hide." a brave GIW agent said as the remainder of the agents moved forward, preparing to eliminate Desiree.
"You killed my lover." Desiree said, her fists curling and her brows furrowing.
"One less ectoplasmic piece of filth we have to worry about." The agent scoffed. "Prepare to join her."
As the agents leveled their rifles at Desiree, she took in a deep breath before releasing the Ghostly Wail. A few of the agents in front were knocked off their feet while others dropped their weapons and covered their ears. On and on the attack went, never seeming to let up. To a ghost, this attack would be extremely painful and leave any specter powerless and weak. To a human, the effects were much more severe. Blood was trickling out of the ears of almost every agent. Their bodies were writhing in pain from waves of power that were hitting their bodies. The agents tried to retreat but the pain from the Wail was too much. They could not move their bodies away from the attack that was decimating them. It came to a point where the agents met one of two ends. The first was that the agents collapsed from both exhaustion and pain experienced from the attack. When they inevitably recovered, their hearing will have been completely lost, their bodies would be beaten and bruised, and their careers in the GIW would be over. The second end would be that would befall the more unfortunate agents would be death. Ironic that they themselves would become the beings they were trying to exterminate.
When the last agent had fallen, Desiree finally transitioned from her now late husband's ghost form to his human form. Yet the wails continued. Certainly not as powerful as the attack she had just unleashed but still equal to the despair she currently felt.
She was on all fours, tears accumulating in a puddle below her head. Her body was shaking with the heavy sobs she was heaving.
Just then, Spectra, Kitty, and Ember appeared through the ceiling.
"What did we miss?" Ember asked, confused at the destruction she saw around her and seeing Phantom crying.
"Could have used your support a bit sooner, dear." Vlad sighed, walking towards Spectra.
"Sorry." she nervously chuckled. "I got a bit side tracked catching up with the girls and filling them in on the situation."
"So were is Desiree? I thought she was the one that needed saving." Kitty asked, looking around for the Wishing Ghost.
"I'm afraid," Jazz said, as she exited the lab carrying the baby girl in her arms, "That Desiree didn't survive the child birth."
To confirm her statement, Maddie exited the lab, holding her new born grandson in one arm and pushing the gurney carrying the corpse of her body-switched son with the other. Everyone besides Maddie, Jazz, and Desiree gasped in shock.
"Damn it!" Spectra yelled, punching the nearest wall, tears of frustration falling from her eyes. "If only I had been faster. We could have helped you all sooner."
Vlad walked over to his love to comfort her as best he could while Jack and Danielle walked over to the corpse.
"How?" Jack choked out, having difficulty controlling the despair in his voice.
"Bastards injected her with Blood Blossom Extract. Made her so weak that she couldn't use her powers." Maddie said.
The group knew they couldn't remain in the base for long. Who knew when the GIW would try to send more reinforcements after the decimation of their Amity base. Kitty and Ember left for the Ghost Zone while the rest of the group took Danny's corpse and made their way back to Fenton Works.
***Location Unknown***
The first thing Danny realized when he came to was that somehow, someway, he was still existing. Why he was till existing he did not know.
The second thing he realized was that he had a body because he was stiff all over and his eyelids felt heavy. Slowly, he flexed his fingers and his toes before he began to sit up from whatever surface he had been laying on. Next he brought his hands to his eyes, massaging them to clear out the exhaustion. Finally, he opened is eyes and took in his surroundings.
He seemed to be at a cross road. Three paths lay before him. On the left he saw a burnt out highway sign, covered in ash and riddled with what looked like bullet holes. In the middle of the path was a barricade reading 'restricted access only'. Looking down the path, he saw it was pitch black with only a flickering speck of red off in the distance. The middle path was quite odd to Danny. Instead of a road, there stood a simple, white, unmarked door. There was no door knob but there were hinges on the outside, meaning that at any moment, it could open for him. Finally, on the right path, there was an even stranger sight. It was an elegant stairway with white marble steps and golden rails. It seemed to climb all the way into the clouds and beyond. Danny couldn't help but be drawn towards the stairway.
"I would wait a little while longer, if I were you." a voice from behind Danny said.
Startled by the new voice, Danny whirled around to see two unfamiliar people. There stood a man and a women, Arabic by the look of them. The man stood a head above Danny. A turban wrapped around his head, brown breeches, a plain white shirt and a brown vest. The women next to him was the same height as Danny. She was beautiful for her age with only a few streaks of grey in her otherwise black hair. She wore an elegant dress of blue silk adorned with golden jewelry.
"A pleasure to finally meet you, Daniel Fenton." the women said, smiling widely at him.
"How do you know who I am? Shouldn't I still be...?" Danny started to say before he looked down at his body. He notice for the first time that he appeared to be back in his normal body. He was dressed in his usual white T-shirt and blue jeans. Looking around to try to find something to see his reflection, the woman bought out a mirror from God knows where and handed it to him, chuckling a little as he eagerly grabbed it.
There he was. Staring back at him was his own face. While he didn't mind staring at the beautiful face of his wife every time he looked in a mirror, it felt satisfying to be back in his own body once again.
"How?" Danny asked.
"While you may have switched bodies with our daughter, your true form shows now that you have come to the Crossroads." the man said.
"Wait! You are Desiree's parents?" he asked incredulously.
The two nodded, smiling broadly at him.
"My name is Abhay." the man said, bowing politely to Danny.
"And I am Divya." his wife said, curtseying to him.
"A pleasure to meet you both." Danny replied, bowing to each of them.
"We have seen what you have done for our daughter and we couldn't be more pleased." Abhay said.
"You have shown her the kindness and love she never experienced in life." Divya continued.
"I... I don't know what to say." Danny said, stunned to be receiving their praise. "How have you been able to see what we have been doing back on Earth?"
"The big guy allows us a glimpse into your lives every once in a while." Divya said, pointing her index finger towards the sky.
"You didn't see the two of us..." Danny started, a blush creeping to his face if his in-laws had seen him and Desiree making love.
Much to his embarrassment, the two of them began to laugh.
"Worry not, Daniel." Abhay said, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "God doesn't show us your moments of intimacy. Although from the looks of you two afterwards, we could tell how passionate the two of you had been."
Danny groaned, closing his eyes and rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger while the two continued to chuckle. Once they had calmed down, he decided to voice the big question that had been on his mind.
"Where exactly are we? You mentioned this place was called the Crossroads?"
"Indeed. Each path leads to a final resting place for the soul." Abhay said.
"Where does the left path lead to?" Danny asked.
Instead of answering, a strong gust of wind blew through the Crossroads. It was so violent that Danny had to cover his eyes to protect them from the sting of the rushing air. When it finally died down, he looked back over to the left path. The wind had wiped away the ash that was covering the highway sign to reveal exactly where the path would take him.
Highway 666
"Hell." Danny whispered.
"Fortunately for you, the path is blocked for all that have led a righteous life." Divya said, giving him a reassuring smile.
"So I guess that means that," Danny said, pointing to the right path with the ornate stairway, "leads to..."
"Heaven." Abhay finished for him.
"Wow. Didn't think the songs would actually be true." Danny remarked.
"Each person that comes to the Crossroads see something different. This is simply what your mind has pictured the two paths to look like." Divya explained.
Nodding in understanding, Danny turned his attention to the middle path with the door. "So where does this path lead?"
"Ah, now that path is very special. Few have ever taken that path because that path rarely ever opens." Divya said.
"That path will return you to your body and back to the Land of the Living." Abhay continued. "But it rarely ever opens because people are rarely ever saved once they have made it to the Crossroads."
"So." Danny said, a somber look crossing his face. "I guess my only choice is to follow you two up to Heaven?"
He was surprised to see the to chuckle before shaking their heads no.
"Not exactly." Abhay said.
"We simply wished to see the husband of our daughter before he returned to her." Divya added.
"But how am I supposed to go back? You said the door rarely opens for anyone." Danny asked, confusion evident in his voice."
"Just wait and see." they said.
***Fenton Works***
The Fenton family, Desiree, Vlad, Spectra, and Danielle were all gathered around the living room sofa where they had placed the body. Spectra was crying into Vlad's shoulder while he gently rocked her back and forth, trying to calm her while a few silent tears of his own escaped his eyes.
Danielle sat on the carpet in front of the sofa, a look of despair on her face. Her original was dead. Well, technically his body was still here, currently being occupied by Desiree. Still, it did nothing to stop the great loss she was feeling. Her original, her brother... was now dead. So there she sat. Silently looking over the lifeless form on the couch.
Jack, Maddie, and Jazz were huddled together. Jazz could not believe she had witnessed the death of her younger brother. The scene kept replaying over and over in her mind as she tried to figure out some way she could have saved Danny using the vast amount of knowledge she possessed. Maddie was feeling even worse. She had managed to successfully deliver the twins only to fail in saving her son. Jack did his best trying to soothe them both, saying they had done all they could for Danny, that the GIW were to blame for is death and not them. It did little to decrease the guilt they felt by they nodded their heads all the same.
Finally, Desiree sat on the couch, Danny's head cradled in her lap while she held her babies in her arms. Tyler and Sasha were babbling and giggling away at each other, blissfully unaware of the somber mood in the room. Desiree herself could only stare into the face of her now dead lover. She could not cry any more tears from her bloodshot eyes because she had no more she could shed. No sound came from her lips because she had lost her voice from sobbing over the loss of Danny. All she could do was think about everything that had taken place and cradle her new borns. As the time slipped by, one thought stood out from the rest. One request she would never get an answer to.
Clearing her throat, Desiree rasped out her deepest desire.
"I wish I could have Danny back."
Then something strange happened.
The two infants in her arms began to glow, giggling at each other while the light became brighter.
"What's happening?" Danielle asked as the group watched the twins with rapt fascination.
'If this is what I think it is, please work.' Desiree thought.
***Back at the Crossroads***
Just as Desiree's parents had told him to wait, the door in the middle path began to open.
"Ah, right on time." Divya said. "Go on, Daniel. Desiree is waiting."
Nodding, Danny hesitantly made his way to the door. Through the door was a blinding white light through which he could see nothing. Right as he was about to step through the door he gave one last look towards Abhay and Divya.
"Anything you would like me to tell your daughter?" Danny asked, a small smile on his face.
"Tell her we love our beautiful flower and that she take care of our grandchildren. Abhay said.
Nodding, Danny passed through the door, letting the light envelop him and return him to Desiree.
***Back at Fenton Works***
The group at Fenton Works watched as the light the two newborns were giving off enveloped the lifeless body of Danny. The light became so bright that nobody could look at Danny. After a few seconds, the light eventually died down. Everybody turned back to Danny, hoping that through whatever power the twins had used, it would be enough to bring him back.
The room was quite for several seconds. So quiet, one could hear a pin drop. The silence was broken by a low groan coming from the sofa.
"Did somebody get the plates on that bus?" Danny muttered as his eyes slowly opened.
The reactions from everyone varied greatly. Vlad and Spectra simply chuckled that even after dying, Danny still retained his sense of humor when he came back. Danielle broke out into hysterical laughter. The Fentons crowded around the couch to get a better look at him and make sure their eyes and ears weren't deceiving them. Finally, Desiree bent down and planted a passionate kiss on his lips. When they finally broke apart, they were both sporting wide grins.
"Your parents say they love their beautiful flower and hope we take care of the kids." he whispered to her. This shocked Desiree.
"You saw them?" she asked.
Danny nodded. "They waited with me so I could return for you."
Before she could say anything else, the rest of the group began welcoming Danny back. While Danny did his best to accept their greetings and praise, he felt extremely drained. Desiree could see his want to sleep this ordeal off and managed to convince the group to allow her to take him to bed. She handed the twins to Jazz before gingerly picking Danny up and carrying him up to their shared bedroom. After placing him on the bed and covering him with sheets, Desiree crawled in with him and embraced him from behind.
"So what was it like?" Desiree whispered to him.
"Strange. I don't think I have the words to describe what it was like. Just know that your parents are happy for us and wish you the best." Danny replied.
Slowly but surely, they began to drift to sleep.
"Now that the children have been born, when did you want to switch back?" Desiree asked, trying unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn.
"Day after tomorrow. I still feel drained and I would rather you not suffer through the recovery." he said, gently rubbing the arms that were around his waist before sleep took them both.
***1 Week Later***
It was a beautiful day in Amity's park. The birds were chirping. A light wind was blowing. There was not a cloud in the sky. Perfect for the small group that was enjoying the day.
Jazz was tossing a Frisbee to Danielle. Jack and Maddie were playing with their new grandchildren while talking with Vlad and Spectra. As for our couple, they are lying beneath a tree. Danny leaning against the trunk while Desiree lay in between Danny's legs. They were relieved to be returned to their original bodies but now had a great respect for the other.
"I hope we can enjoy more days like this. I don't know about you but I have had enough challenges for a lifetime." Danny said while looking down at Desiree.
"Don't worry. If something comes up, we can just wish it away." she replied before leaning forward and planting a kiss on his lips.
With dangers averted
And the crisis in the past
Our two lovers
Can relax at last
"I knew we were forgetting something." Danny groaned, looking to his right to see the Ghost Writer typing away on his repaired laptop. "You know that now that we are back in our proper bodies there is no need for you to narrate our lives?"
The Ghost writer simply shrugged before he continued to tap away on the keyboard.
For the family of Fentons
It was the perfect day
Only to be made better
When they learned Vlad and Penelope had one on the way
"WHAT?" Vlad and Spectra said, surprised at the Ghost Writer's latest line. Seeing him nod in confirmation, Vlad picked up his lover and began swinging her around in excitement. The rest of the group laughed at their celebration and congratulated the two of them. With that, the Ghost Writer disappeared, never to disturb them again.
THE END