As soon as Devlin walked into the Main Chamber, he immediately planted himself upon the couch and lay down across it, his head resting in a cushion as he put down his makeup case.
"What a day…" Devlin let out a yawn. "I never thought we had so many girls in the Freshman class." He then noticed a shadow being cast over him and cracked over his only visible eye.
"Master?" Gillian asked, standing over him. "Would you like some tea?" she offered.
"Not right now, Gillian, but thanks for offering," he said with a smile that made the Mer-girl blush. "I just want to rest for a bit."
"Where were you all day anyway?" asked Lobo as he sat across from Walter with a game of Chess between them. "You just left all of a sudden a couple of hours ago."
"The dance is tonight so I got a lot of phone calls," replied Devlin exhaustedly.
"Sounds like you're a gigolo," Lobo teased. Devlin immediately sat up, eye wide.
"WHAT!?" Devlin exclaimed and watched as Lobo snickered. "I was only offering my services." He blinked, realizing how that sounded. Lobo continued to laugh. "Oh, shut up! You know why I was busy!"
"Oh, I do," the Wolfen continued to laugh, "But it's just so much fun to tease you, kid."
Devlin frowned and laid back down. Tonight was the night. The Freshman Dance. The theme was Gothic Horror and he'd helped organize it so it had to be perfect. He knew that some people would try to ruin it to spite him so he'd sent Fangula, Roulette and the Fright Knight to act as his eyes and ears and patrol the school just incase Dash and his cronies wanted to ruin it. He knew Dash would not give up the chance to ruin Devlin's reputation. After all, Devlin had humiliated him from the start so he had motive…but Devlin wasn't going to give him opportunity.
"It's awfully quiet," noticed Devlin. "Where are the others?"
"Francis and Miriam took Sandy to the park," explained Walter. "The others are at the café working."
"Ah," Devlin realized. His remaining housemates were all busy doing their own thing. "OK, I see."
"And don't worry about our gig, kid," said Lobo with a grin. "We've rehearsed all week. Nothing is going to go wrong."
"I hope so. We've worked hard and I don't want to mess this up."
"Master Devlin, don't be so hard on yourself," Walter advised.
"I know, but this is my first time organizing something like this. I want all my classmates to have a good time," Devlin answered.
"Speaking of which, that Claire girl called again," Lobo informed.
"Oh." Devlin frowned. He'd already turned her down but the girl didn't seem to get the message. She was stubborn but he had to admire her for it. She wasn't one to give up on anything. Unfortunately, she'd thrown a fit when he'd told her he was taking Danielle.
"The dance is in 2 hours," Devlin said as he looked at his watch. "I could take a nap for one hour, then take a bath and get dressed."
"You also need to pick your girlfriend up," Lobo finished. "Or did you forget?
"No, I didn't forget," retorted Devlin. "I do wonder what she'll be wearing though."
Gillian giggled. She knew what Danielle would be wearing to the dance but she wasn't going to spill. She and the girl had grown close even though they loved the same guy. All Gillian wanted was for her master to be happy.
"But, whatever it is, I know it'll be lovely," Devlin finished.
"This thing is a costume party, right?" questioned Lobo. "So what about us, your chaperones?"
"That is already taken care of. Once Francis comes back, you'll be in your 'costumes'." Devlin dug into his pocket and pulled out the three Arms Monster Whistles.
Usually, these whistles would call Lobo, Gillian and Francis, turn them into their weapon forms and then allow Fang to access their power to assume powerful forms. However, that was only when Fangula blew them while Devlin was in armor. They would function differently if blown by Devlin himself.
To put it simply, the whistles would unseal Lobo, Gillian and Francis' true forms.
The double doors swung open as Francis marched inside, arms behind his back. Gillian welcomed her large housemate with a smile and he smiled back at her.
"So, you're back," said Devlin from the couch. "Where's Miriam and Sandy?"
"At the café," Francis answered. "Sandy wanted to see Akashi."
"I see," Devlin nodded. "Now that you're here, let's get started." Devlin swung his legs over the edge of the couch and then got into a sitting position before pushing himself to his seat. "For tonight only, the three of you will be allowed to assume your true forms once more. Are you all ready?"
Lobo grinned and stood up, cracking his knuckles before flexing his fingers. His smile turned feral. "Do you need to ask?" he said.
"Yes!" Gillian cheered. She missed her true form.
Francis merely gave a silent nod.
Devlin first placed the Savage Whistle between his lips and blew. This caused a blue aura to surround Lobo as he growled. Next, he blew on the Sniper Whistle and watched as the girl twirled around with a green aura surrounding her. Finally, he blew the Juggernaut Whistle. Francis popped his neck as a purple aura surrounded him.
Lobo was the first to change as he crossed his arms in front of his face; fingers curled like claws before he got down on one knee and scraped the floor with his fingers, causing blue sparks to arch from it. He let out a growl and then he suddenly stood up and threw his head back, howling. The blue aura intensified as his eyes flashed red. He soon morphed into his true form. He was a humanoid wolf creature covered in shining cobalt blue fur with sharp claws, a golden horn and his lips curled into a snarl. Now, he was in his true form. Now, he was no longer Lobo. Now, he was Savage of the Wolfen Clan.
Gillian giggled and snapped her fingers before going into a twirl. The aura then enveloped her and splashed off her body like water. In her true form she was still beautiful but in an inhuman way. Emerald green scales covered her entire body and some sections of her body were golden. The gold parts seem to make it look like she was wearing her bikini. Her humanoid looking face was silver with a golden frame around her eyes and she had fins on the sides of her head that were her ears. Green seaweed-like hair hung down her back. She had fins on her shoulders, forearms, on her lower legs and back. She also had a miniskirt of fins hanging from her hips. Now, she was in her true form. Now, she was no longer Gillian. Now, she was Sniper of the Merman Clan.
Francis ran his hands through his hair, messing it up before releasing a shout and pounding his fists against his chest with a loud thunderous thud. Electricity arched across his body as his body expanded and changed. His skin had turned dark grey with a rock-like texture. He also looked incredibly muscular. He wore purple pants and heavy black boots. He also wore a purple trench coat with thick and bulky purple rock armor covering his shoulders. The coat was opened to reveal his powerful looking chest and 8-pack abs. Thick purple gauntlets with silver trimmings covered his forearms. He even wore a helmet over his head. What seemed out of place was the small yellow flower that was tucked inside his left breast pocket. Now, he was in his true form. Now, he was no longer Francis. Now, he was Juggernaut of the Stone Clan.
Devlin had always wondered what Gillian and Francis looked like in their true Fangire forms. He did notice that only portions of the trio had some stained glass patterns on them. They had told him that they were different from most Fangires but he never knew by how much. Still, he was grateful that these powerful monsters were his allies and not his enemies.
"How do I look?" Sniper said as she gave her master a twirl. "Do I look pretty?"
Devlin honestly said, "You look amazing, Gillian." She blushed at the compliment.
"Thank goodness my guitar has strong strings," said Savage as he looked at his claws. "If they weren't I could snap them."
"Master, is this alright?" asked Juggernaut.
"Everyone else will think you're wearing costumes," answered Devlin. "Nothing is going to go wrong tonight. We'll play some songs and enjoy the dance."
"I wanna dance with you!" Sniper skipped towards Devlin and wrapped her arms around her cute master. "One dance, please?"
"One dance, I promise," he told the female Fangire. She beamed.
Danny was on another patrol for the night before the Freshman Dance started. He wanted to get done quickly so he could see off Danielle for the event. Well, that and see if he had a chance to place a tracker on her. He may have promised Sam he would tolerate Devlin, but that didn't mean he wouldn't keep track of her in case he needed her help with something.
"Things are quiet for a change," he sighed in thanks. "Maybe I can make it back home before it gets too late for a change."
A sudden chill ran through Danny's body as a blue wisp of smoke escaped through his mouth. Cursing himself for the jinx, Danny began to look around his surroundings. He was near the school and he didn't want a fight to break out here. Danielle would be mad for weeks if something ruined her night with Devlin. Peering over to the gym, his stomach sank at the sight.
There, standing on the roof of the gym and overlooking the people coming and out of the main doors, was the Fright Knight. Clenching his fists, Danny shot down to where the ghostly knight was standing.
"Shoulda known you couldn't stay straight!" Danny frowned as he began to concentrate ectoplasm into his hand.
"Hnn?" Fright Knight grunted before he saw Danny's ectoplasm sphere launching at him. Acting quickly, he raised his shield, letting the ghostly energy splash off of it. "Hello to you too, Phantom."
Danny didn't answer as he charged forward to attack. Fright Knight was quick to react as he raised his shield again, using it to block the physical assault from the halfa boy. Danny didn't keep the assault up as he got some distance between himself and his opponent. His hands were throbbing from the attack, showing that Fright Knight's shield was as hard as ever.
"Hello, Phantom," Fright Knight greeted. "Is there a reason why you are attacking me?"
"I'm stopping you from turning the dance into a repeat of Halloween!" Danny answered. "Now are you going to shove off or do I have to kick your butt again?"
"Hmph!" Fight Knight snorted. "I am under orders from the Master to keep an eye on things here."
"Master?" Danny wondered out loud. His eyes widened in shock, "Devlin sent you!?"
"If you are talking about the Demon Prince whom I serve, then yes," Fright Knight nodded. "He sent me to keep watch over the school. He feels there will be some people who do not wish for this ball to continue as planned. I am here to make sure of that."
Danny just stared as one of his most dangerous enemies was making small talk with him. "So, you're not going to cause trouble?"
"I have no reason to," Fright Knight answered honestly. "Fighting you, though it may be entertaining, is not on my agenda nor is it one of my Master's orders. I am only to act as security."
"Well, you are well equipped for it," replied Danny, straining a smile. He then saw two small objects flying towards them. "Huh?"
Fangula flapped at the Fright Knight's left as Roulette hovered at the knight's right. "Nothing to report, Fright Knight. All is clear, at least for now."
"The Master would be pleased," nodded Fright Knight in satisfaction. He drew his sword. "If anyone were to ruin this I shall smite them with my blade."
"Let's do a little less smiting," spoke Fangula, "And more watching." The Fright Knight needed to learn how to relax.
"So, he's really working with you guys?" asked Danny.
"Exactly!" exclaimed Roulette gleefully. "He's part of the family!"
Fright Knight seemed uncomfortable with that proclamation. It was true that Devlin treated him more like a friend than a servant, but he had a duty to fulfill. At least the Demon Prince Devlin treated him better than Vlad and Pariah combined. He was bound to serve a powerful king and the power Devlin had displayed as the Demon Emperor was proof of that. He'd bested the Fright Knight in combat and spared him. This was the true face of a king.
"So, you're all watching over the school?" Danny asked.
"Well, we are to act as his eyes and ears for any trouble makers," stated Fangula.
"His word is law and I shall follow it to the end," Fright Knight said firmly.
"Well…I'll leave you guys to do your job," Danny waved before flying off. "OK, that was weirder than when we attended the Lunch Lady and Box Ghost's wedding," he muttered.
Flying through the air again, Danny went in the direction of his girlfriend's house. He had felt really weird at what he had seen. As with most weird things that happened to him, he needed to vent or else he was going to stay feeling weird until he did. Floating down to her window, he saw that she was digging through her numerous CD's for her play list.
"Hey Sam," Danny greeted as he phased through the glass.
"Oh, hey, Danny," Sam smiled. She walked over to Danny as he returned to his human form. They gave their standard kiss before Sam noticed something. "Okay, something weird happened and now you need to tell someone."
"Um…pretty much, yeah," Danny nodded. "Feel like listening?"
"Depends. How weird are we talking here?" Sam asked.
"Lunch Lady and Box Ghost wedding weird," Danny answered.
"Woah," Sam blinked. "Now this I have to hear. Lay it on me."
"Well, I was going around the town on another patrol before heading back. I didn't want to miss Danielle heading out," Danny explained. "Anyway, I was passing near the school when I saw Fright Knight hanging out on top of the gym."
"Really?" Sam blinked. "What was he doing there?"
"In his words, keeping an eye out for trouble," Danny answered. "Apparently Devlin ordered him to keep an eye out for trouble. Roulette and Fangula were helping him out."
"Wow," Sam nodded. "That is a little weird. You guys didn't fight or anything like that?"
"No, but I tried until he explained," Danny sighed. "He didn't even draw his sword on me."
"So Devlin can keep him in line," Sam nodded. "Well, he's definitely strong enough to do it. I mean, he trashed that guy."
Danny frowned. Danny had only defeated the Fright Knight before by sealing him in a pumpkin. He'd nearly gotten himself killed. Devlin had done the same without sealing the dark knight. In fact, from the way the Fright Knight was talking about Devlin, it was like he was the most powerful being in existence. Only Pariah Dark had garnered such respect from the Fright Knight. Vlad had only gotten the Fright Knight to work for him after making a deal with him. This time it was honest for goodness loyalty. Danny still couldn't believe it but the proof was there. He'd even seen Devlin in his Demon Emperor form and the feeling he got from him was the same he got from his evil future self. He was just glad Devlin was on their side.
"Well, I guess it's better if it's Devlin," agreed Danny. "I mean at least Fright Knight is not working for Vlad anymore."
"Vlad must be still fuming about that, huh?" Sam spoke.
"If I see him," Danny shrugged. "Which is odd since he hasn't shown his face here for awhile."
"Consider it a blessing," Sam said. "I mean now with Slayer and Fang helping out, things in Amity Park aren't so bad."
Danny had to agree with that. The two Riders had been a great help against some of his ghostly foes. Devlin had even managed to calm Desiree down and oddly had even offered to do makeup for the Lunch Lady for her wedding. Devlin was the type of guy who didn't charge straight into a fight without getting all the facts. He was just like…his brother. He was calm and always planned ahead, something Danny was still learning how to do. Despite being leader of Team Mystic, he had a lot to learn about leading a real team.
Really, it amazed Danny on how Devlin dealt with some of his enemies.
Desiree flew through the air as she watched the chaos unfolding around her. Not even a couple of minutes back into the human world and she was granting wishes left and right. Of course, she granted them in the most chaotic and noticeable ways possible. When a child wished for candy, she made a candy store explode, practically burying the child with candy. A traffic officer wished for no business and she sent the cars in the area flying away.
It brought such pleasure to ghostly maiden to see all this happening. People noticed her! They knew she existed! There was no way people could ignore her when such things happened in her wake. People would know who she was!
"Desiree!" a sharp voice cried out.
The spectral woman turned to see who had called her name, but the one who spoke it gave her a frown. It was none other than the infernal ghost child and his sibling. Those two always brought a growl to her lips. She hated those who would trap her and toss her away. She hated the fact that they would try to get people to forget about her.
"Can't you keep your nose out of trouble?" Danni frowned.
"I am granting people's desires!" Desiree shouted. "Leave me alone!"
Using her magic, Desiree made nearby fire hydrants explode. Using the high pressure streams of water, she fired them at the two halfas. Both Danny and Danni flew to dodge the streams, but Desiree's determination to end their existence made sure she kept sending those streams flying at them. It didn't take a genius to know that she wasn't going to let them get close enough to attack her.
"We need to get some cover!" Danni cried as she dodged a blast of water. "Let's get closer to the ground!"
"Right!" Danny agreed.
Both halfas dove towards the ground to use what they could as cover or phase into the ground itself to avoid being struck. Desiree wasn't far behind, diving after them. Danni reacted by shooting some ectoplasmic blasts at the genie-like ghost. Desiree wasn't going to let others attack her and she caused an earthquake in the ground, causing chunks of street to fly at the pair.
"Hey! Watch it!" Danny cried as he avoided several attacks. It looked like he would have to use his Ghostly Wail of he wanted to end this quickly.
"I will not let them forget me!" Desiree shrieked as she prepared more of her power.
"Is it just me or is she angrier than usual?" asked Danni as she dodged an attack.
"So it's not just me," Danny grunted. "I wonder what got her so ticked off."
Desire caused several streetlamps to explode with glass raining down on the two halfas. Both Danny and Danni leaped through the air to avoid getting hit by the shrapnel. Desiree was keeping an eye on them as she charged up her energies for another attack.
That was when things started to get weird.
Fog rolled into the area they were fighting in at an incredible pace. Desiree was even stunned at the sudden appearance of the mist. All three of the fighters felt an odd sensation creep up their spines. For two of the three, it was a familiar sensation. All sounds in the battle area were suddenly silenced. The only sounds left were the sounds of footsteps coming closer. The three ghosts turned to the source and found a familiar figure walking towards the battle.
Fang, in his Demon Emperor Form, walked regally down the road towards the battle. His gold armor reflected the light of the sun that penetrated the dense fog. The fog rolled away from his body as he strolled towards the battle with his red cape flowing behind him. It was times such as this that the title Demon Prince fit him perfect.
"Devlin," Danni sighed dreamily. He was always able to do this to her no matter what the situation was.
"Great," Danny frowned.
Desiree frowned slightly at the appearance of the armored fighter. She really had no animosity towards the armored hero. He had helped her enhance her beauty several times and always made time for her. In fact, she was grateful for his skills. Still, she was not about to let anyone force her to be forgotten. Not even by someone she owed. Swirling through the air, she flew towards the armored royal figure. Her power came from granting wishes, so by granting the figure a wish, she would grow stronger.
"Tell me, great warrior," she purred seductively. "What is your wish today? I will grant you anything."
"Don't listen to her, Devlin!" Danny cried, knowing how hard it was to refuse Desiree anything when she used that voice.
Fang turned his crimson gaze to the spectral beauty in front of him. She continued looking seductively, hoping that he would ask for a wish. Her stomach (or what passed for one for a ghost) tightened when he remained silent. The golden prince remained silent, but he reached out his hand and gently placed it on Desiree's cheek, much to the female ghost's shock.
"My wish," Fang whispered, "Is to continue to be in the company of a desert rose such as you."
Desiree gasped and blushed brightly her breathing increased substantially. This was the first time that someone had wished for her. Usually they wanted something, but this was the first time since she was alive that someone actually wished for her.
"You lie!" she hissed as she turned around, reluctantly leaving the touch on her face. "No one would wish for me! No one finds me beautiful! No one wants me!"
Fang sighed before reaching out and began stroking her long black hair, incidentally running his fingers down her spine, bringing shivers to her body. The claws on his hands were used for weapons, but could be amazingly gentle when he wanted to be.
"Now who would say such things?" Fang asked as he continued to stroke Desiree's hair. "I remember working on your beautiful face several times."
"Hmmm," Desiree sighed deeply. "You made my face beautiful. You are the reason I have that beauty."
"You were beautiful before I began my work," Fang retorted. "I just helped enhance it."
Desiree shivered under his touch. It felt so nice to be touched like this again after centuries of being alone. His words made her face flush brightly and her breathing come out in short gasps. She luxuriated in the sensations, despite the dark side of her mind telling her that he was lying about her beauty. Still, it was hard to believe that he was lying.
Over with the Phantoms, Danny looked like he was about to explode with anger. Danni was trying to hold her brother back.
"Lemme go!" Danny growled. "He's cheating on you!"
"He is not!" Danni insisted. "Would you pay attention for a change? He's calming her down!"
Danni normally wouldn't be far behind her brother in bringing the pain on Desiree for trying to seduce her man and feeling pain from Devlin after seeing what he was doing with Desiree. However, seeing the absolute misery on Desiree's face after she insisted Fang was lying resonated in her heart. It was the same pain she recalled when she considered her existence being real or not while she lived away from the Fentons. Deciding to give Fang a chance on whatever he was planning and expecting an explanation later, Danni waited for whatever was coming next.
"Now," Fang spoke softly as he began using two hands to stroke Desiree's hair and the skin on her back. "Would you like to tell why you are so confrontational today? This normally isn't like you."
Desiree bit her lip. Why was it so hard to deny him? Usually she did what she wanted and she only submitted to others when they made a wish. This man was simply asking her.
"Please?" Fang asked gently as he turned her around. "Will you tell me?"
"I…I," Desiree sniffed. Ghostly tears began to fall down her cheeks. "I…did not want to be forgotten."
Desiree slowly began to break down in tears. Fang wrapped is arms around the distraught ghost woman as she bawled into his armor. Danny and Danni just gaped at the scene. They hadn't thought Desiree was capable of tears like this.
"It's not fair!" Desiree bawled. "I gave him everything! My body, me heart, my very soul! Everything! And he threw it all away because he didn't want to get his wife mad! He threw me away! He forgot about me! Why? WHY?!"
"He was a fool," Fang answered calmly as he continued to stroke Desiree's hair soothingly. "You obviously proved to be the better woman or else his wife wouldn't have had you banished."
"It doesn't feel that way," Desiree sniffed. "He chose her over me."
"Well, he is indeed a fool if he chose a jealous and spiteful woman over you," Fang insisted. "Now, would you like to come back to my mansion? It is a much better place to talk than here in the middle of a ruined street."
"I'd like that," Desiree sighed.
It was more than easy to relocate everyone to the mansion. Despite being dead, Desiree was tired from both the battle and unloading her pain all at once. She had fallen asleep on the way back to Fang Manor. Fang had easily carried her to one of the remaining guest rooms where she could get some rest.
Returning to the main chamber, Devlin removed his armor as Danielle and Danny waited for him. Seeing the glare from Danny and the inquisitive glance from Danielle, he decided to get the interrogation over with.
"If you have something to say, then say it," Devlin sighed.
"Okay," Danny growled. "Why were you flirting with Desiree? In front of Danielle no less!"
"I wasn't flirting with her," Devlin answered as he sat in one of the chairs. "I was comforting her. In case you didn't know, she was rather distraught."
"What made you think that?" Danielle asked curiously.
"Before I answer that, you must know that I do makeup jobs for her and several other female ghosts in the area," Devlin explained. "Before I took the first jobs from them, I researched their lives to learn about them. Obviously, I learned everything about Desiree in her life."
"So what does that have to do with anything?" Danny frowned.
"Today is the anniversary of Desiree's death," Devlin answered, losing patience with Danny. "If you recall, she died brokenhearted and alone. Today would be just a huge reminder of how she was promptly abandoned and forgotten."
"Wow," Danielle gaped. "No wonder she went nuts. She didn't want to be forgotten."
"Yes," Devlin nodded. "I was actually looking for her when I stumbled on the battle."
Danny huffed. As much as he thought he had a reason to go at Devlin, he knew he didn't have one anymore. He couldn't fault Devlin for wanting to help someone. He had helped out several of his enemies in the past when they needed him. Escaping from Walker's prison was one such incident.
Sometimes Devlin really knew how to make a bad situation better.
Danny the recalled events after that day. Desiree would come over to the mansion at random times. She would just like to spend time with Devlin and ask him to remind her that she was still beautiful. She always had a blush on her face when she was in the mansion. Danielle was now very suspicious of her and seeing her as someone new who wanted to take Devlin as their own, even if she hadn't made an actual move…yet.
Café Mal d'Amour was closing for the night. With the dance coming up, and their waitress and assistant head chef heading out for the night, it felt like a good idea. Currently, Miriam, Bob and Bunshichi were helping cleaning up tables. They told Miriam she didn't have to help, but the woman had insisted on it.
Tamashii and Chiaki were in the kitchen, cleaning. Sandy was back there too, glad to be helping Tamashii. She was sad that she couldn't go to the dance, but Tamashii had promised that when they got back, he'd dance with her.
Currently, Seras had dragged Richard upstairs to get opinions on her costume. She hadn't told anyone what she was going as except for Devlin, who had helped with her makeup.
Devlin's nose tingled as he lay down on the couch with his eye closed. Of course, he was not alone on it. Sitting on the piece of furniture was a beautiful woman of Arabian decent. She had long luxurious black hair and wore a pink tube top that barely contained her ample bust. What set her apart from normal people were her green skin, blood red eyes and instead of legs she had a ghostly tail.
It was Desiree and she'd come for one of her odd visits again. She'd managed to sneak into the Demon Prince's home and carefully laid the boy's head on her lap, stroking his hair.
Desiree had grown fond of Devlin since he was the first man in a very long time that genuinely cared for her. He even did his best to not fight her unlike Danny. Devlin's excuse was that he didn't want to mark her beautiful skin with unsightly bruises which was unlikely since she was a ghost but the gesture was still appreciated. He was also the only person to ever resist her charm and would not make a wish. Ironically, she could never resist his charm which made her weak in the knees…if she had knees.
She's watched him from afar. She was a ghost but also a genie and some genies sought out masters. To Desiree, masters would use and abuse her before discarding her so she'd decided to use her wishes to cause chaos and make herself strong. This was a weakness since she couldn't refuse granting wishes as well. She had to obey. This young man never tried to do that. Any of his wishes had been for her. He never wished for himself, which was a pity.
The ghost genie lightly stroked the fringe which covered half his face. She knew why he covered it. His right eye had been scarred shut and it looked just ugly. She'd offered to repair it if he wished it but he politely declined. He wanted to keep the scar, at least until he figured a way to repair it himself.
The boy was a strange one. He wasn't human, yet he still protected them. He was a creature of the night, or at least half of him was. She'd watched him from afar fighting those demons and was impressed by the level of power he displayed. Right now, nobody would be the wiser but he was indeed a powerful warrior. He was even more powerful than Phantom to be honest and even Plasmius had been defeated by him. Heck, someone had to be powerful to get the Fright Knight working for them.
Desiree lightly tickled Devlin's nose with a feather and watched as his nose twitched cutely. The ghost woman giggled. Sure, he was too young for her but maybe in a few years…he still looked so inhumanly beautiful…it had to be a crime. He had soft alabaster skin and jet black hair. He also had a beautiful eye which was disappointing since she wanted to see him with two eyes opened. Maybe she could trick him into making a wish…
Devlin's left eye fluttered opened and he realized that he was looking up at Desiree's smiling face. With a yawn, he greeted, "Greetings, Desiree." Unlike Danny, Devlin would never immediately assume the worst when seeing one of the many ghosts that haunted Amity Park. He would observe and then act. He would never jump to illogical conclusions. Still, with ghosts like Skulker and Technus, it was necessary to be a little vigilant and ready to fight when the need arose.
"Greetings to you too, sweet prince," she smiled back. She had taken to calling him that. He was indeed royalty if that armor was a clue. "Sleep well?"
"In your presence, I have," he answered sincerely before sitting back up. "Your lap is very comfortable, reminds me of my mother's." Desiree smiled serenely at the compliment.
"I've heard about this costume party you'll be having at the school," she said.
"Oh, the Freshman Dance? Yes, it's tonight. Which reminds me, what time is it?"
"Oh, it's three quarters before nine."
Devlin's eye widened. "Goodness! I'm going to be late! Danielle will be waiting for me!" He made a motion to stand but Desiree pulled him by the arm and caused him to fall on top of her. She wrapped her arms around him.
"Why not stay with me?" she offered. That was a tempting offer.
"Desiree, you're only a friend," he stated, removing her arms from him, "And a beautiful one at that. But, I am already taken."
She giggled, "Oh, I am only teasing."
"Still, Danielle would be angry if she'd seen that," Devlin replied. "I need to get ready. I'll see you later, Desiree." He vanished in the form of an invisible mist that was barely traceable.
Desiree smiled as she lay on the couch. He was a little young for her, but there was no doubt that he would become a very handsome man when he grew up. She would be waiting for him. He wasn't human so he could live far longer and well who's to say Danielle would be able to live that long? Desiree could wait. She would wait for eternity even if she had to, knowing that there was someone for her.
The Fright Knight still kept watch on top of the school when his green eyes noticed a few figures headed for the gym. They were acting oddly suspicious and the Fright Knight's orders were to deal with any complications that may arise before the start of the ball. The ball hadn't even started and they didn't seem to be guests either.
"The Master wishes for me to protect this ball," the Fright Knight said to himself. "And thus I shall."
The goons in question were none other than Dash and the few remaining football players that remained loyal to him. They had heard that Devlin was the one who had organized the event. They took it as a perfect opportunity to finally get revenge on him for how much humiliation they'd suffered. Thanks to him, more than half the football team stopped following Dash and turned against him, ruining the hierarchy of Casper High.
Destroying the Freshman Dance would be the perfect opportunity to get revenge. That, and it would strike the fear back into the Freshmen. It was high time that they remembered who was in charge of the school.
"This is going to rock!" Ian, one of the players smirked.
"Amakusa will finally get his!" another football player chuckled. "It's long overdue!"
"This will show the gook his place!" Dash snickered. "Let's see him recover from this!"
All the players were carrying backpacks with spray paint inside. Their plan was to enter, destroy absolutely everything, and then paint their opinion of the youngest Amakusa all over the walls. There was no way they could blow this job. Amakusa's fame was going to end tonight!
"HALT!!" an imperious voice shouted loudly.
Dash and his cronies froze in their tracks. Looking up to the source of the voice, they saw a black figure covered in armor standing on the top of the gym. Taking a step forward, the black armored warrior came down from the sky and landed on the ground without making a sound.
"What is your business here?" the knight asked while crossing his arms.
The others were frozen in shock and fear but not Dash who laughed. "Oh, come on! That is the lamest costume I have ever seen!" He walked over and tapped the Fright Knight's chest. "Listen here, buddy. You better walk away or I'm gonna pound you into the ground." The Fright Knight narrowed his eyes at the disrespect. "Well, speak up?" Dash laughed. He drew his fist and punched the Fright Knight in the head, knocking over his helmet. "Hah! See guys? He's…just…a…phony?"
Their eyes widened when they saw no head on top the Fright Knight's shoulders. The Spirit of Halloween picked up his helmet/head and then placed it back on. His eyes narrowed as his violet cape flared.
"You dare to strike me, boy?" the Fright Knight growled.
All of Dash's bravado vanished and he ran screaming like a little girl, dropping his backpack. The rest had either fainted or frozen in fear as the Fright Knight bore into them with soulless green eyes. He drew his sword and pointed it at them. "I suggest you leave." They did, screaming loudly, dropping their supplies as they picked up their remaining comrades.
"Cowards," snorted the Fright Knight. Fangula and Roulette swooped down to see what was going on.
"What was all that noise?" asked the bat.
"Just some spiteful peasants attempting to ruin the Master's ball," informed the Fright Knight, sliding the Soul Shredder back into its scabbard. "I frightened them off."
"And they left presents!" said Roulette, flying over the backpacks. Fangula poked inside one and examined the contents.
"They were trying to vandalize and wreck the place," muttered Fangula. "I only know one human who would do this. That Baxter boy."
"He seemed oddly familiar," the Fright Knight wondered out loud.
"Well, I better go tell Devlin," said Fangula as he flapped into the sky. "You two stand watch."
"Aye-aye, sir!" Roulette saluted.
"Honestly, I'm not surprised," responded Devlin as he fixed on his cape and looked himself in the mirror. He was in his room putting on his costume. "Baxter has been after me since I stood up to him. He'll take advantage of any chance in an attempt to ruin me. Frankly, he's an annoyance and not so much as a threat."
"Well, it's a good thing you had us keep watch," agreed Fangula. "Who knows what would happen."
"I know," Devlin nodded. They heard knocking at the door. "Come in."
Topper entered with that enigmatic smile of his. It was a sure sign he was up to something. It was the same smile he had gracing his features when he had the Fright Knight sign the Dark Contract. Desiree didn't sign it despite the fact she'd have a real human body but in exchange she'd be bound by the contract. She loved her freedom above all else but Devlin got the feeling that if under different circumstances she would want the Demon Prince as a master. Personally, she didn't trust the draconic demon businessman. Nobody trusted him 100 percent. His loyalty was questionable at times but he did come through. Still, Devlin kept his eye on the Mad Hatter-like man.
"Greetings and good evening, My Lords," Topper said with a bow.
"You too, Topper," Devlin returned. "What brings you here?"
"I just came to inform you that preparations are going smoothly. Mr. Foley and Ms. Manson have already set everything up for their Disc Jockeying." He added, "Lobo, Francis and Gillian are also setting up the instruments and stage."
"Any complications?"
"Nothing I couldn't handle. Transportation went smoothly. Food and refreshments are en route and will be there in 5 minutes." At least Devlin could trust Topper enough to look after things like this.
"And my ride?" questioned Devlin.
"True to your specifications. You will be pleased," answered Topper.
"Good," Devlin smiled as he assumed his vampire form along with the Fangire markings on his skin. "Let's go. I have a princess to pick up."
"As you wish, My Lord," Topper bowed.
Danielle was waiting in the living room with a feeling of anticipation and anxiety. She was in costume and it made her look stunning, like a dark princess. It was the dress Gillian had picked out for her for the dance. She was nervous. Luckily, Jazz was there to help calm her down. Even Danny was lending his support along with Maddie and Jack. The largest Fenton even had a camera ready to take some memorable pictures.
"How are you feeling?" asked Jazz.
"A little shaky," replied Danielle. "What if he doesn't like my costume?"
"He'd probably get down on his knees complimenting you when he sees it," Danny muttered.
"Well, he's a sweet boy. He will love to see your costume," smiled Maddie.
'Thanks, mom," Danielle managed to smile.
The doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" announced Jack as he ran to the door.
"Did he tell you what he was going to be wearing?" asked Jazz.
Suddenly, Jack shouted, "AHH!! GHOST!!"
This was followed by, "MR. FENTON! IT'S ME! PUT THE GUN DOWN!"
"It's Devlin!" Danielle gasped.
"And Jack sounds like he's trying to shoot him," sighed Maddie.
"Well, he's calmed down, I think," Jazz added when she heard silence following.
Devlin entered the living room and Danielle gasped as she saw her prince. He, of course, was stunned when he looked upon her.
His costume matched his preference for black and white. It was a black jacket with white trimmings and two rows of silver buttons. He wore matching pants and boots. On his hands he wore white gloves with his emblem on the back of the hand. Finally, hanging from his back was a black cape with white lining. It made him look completely regal. He was in his vampire form. His skin was white and his hair was silver but still in the same style that covered the right half of her face. His ears were pointed and his cheeks had the stained glass tribal markings decorating them.
Her costume was a skimpy thing that looked like it was made of black material that was borderline on leather. The skirt only reached down to just above mid-thigh with a see-through section that reached to where her ankles were. Her shoulders were bare and her cleavage would be wide open for all to see. It certainly didn't help that there was a black strap that led to a choker for her neck. It would only make her breasts more pronounced. A pair of sleeves tied with brown leather were included, but weren't long enough for her shoulders. She wore some light makeup which made her look pale and her lips were blood red. She wore some eyeliner that complemented her eyes and her hair was down.
"My god…" he walked towards her and then got down on one knee. He took her hand and kissed it, causing her to blush. Looking up at her with his red eye, he spoke, "I am truly humbled by thy beauty, my sweet princess. I am not worthy." He took out a bouquet of red roses. "Please, accept this humble token of my admiration."
"Oh, Dev…" she sighed.
"Where's dad?" asked Danny and Jack stumbled into the living room, looking he'd been through a lawnmower. "Dad!"
"Woah, I had no idea Devlin could do that!" Jack exclaimed, impressed.
"What did you do?" demanded Danny.
"He surprised me with his gun so I had to use these." He allowed the chains to slither out of his wrist before slowly retracting them. "I apologize, Mr. Fenton."
"It's okay," Jack smiled. "Hey, it's picture time!" He raised up the camera. Danielle blushed but Devlin smiled and held her by the waist against him. She smiled at the camera as he did too. Jack took the picture and grinned. "This is going to look so good in the album!"
"Well, milady, your chariot awaits," Devlin bowed. She giggled and looped her arm around his as he led her to the front door. What awaited her outside made her gasp.
"You seriously went all out," she said. Parked outside Fenton Works was a real horse drawn carriage. Topper would be their driver and the horse was black a night. Topper actually borrowed the Fright Knight's horse for this.
"Shall we?" he said before leading her to the carriage. Topper opened the door and Devlin helped her inside before he entered as well. Topper closed the door before taking his place on the driver's seat, gripping the reins. Thankfully, by having the Fright Knight sign the Dark Contract, his horse was included in the deal.
"Let's go!" Topper snapped the reins and the carriage was on its way to Casper High with the Fenton family watching. Jazz, Jack and Maddie waved. Even Danny managed a small wave. Despite the way he felt about Devlin, he couldn't think of anybody better for his sister.
Danielle felt her heart pounding a mile a minute. She felt a little exposed in such a revealing outfit, but the way Devlin looked at her made her knees weak. The kiss on the hand and the roses were almost magical. So far, the night was like her dreams coming true.
They traveled through town and made their way towards the school. The entire way, Danielle leaned against Devlin's side, enjoying his company and his warmth. She wanted him to bite her so badly, feeling their outfits helped the mood, but decided to hold off for later. That way it wouldn't matter of her make-up got messed up.
The entrance to the gym certainly looked like it was dressed for the occasion. There was an archway leading to the doors that looked like gothic pillars with black ivy crawling over them. Lots of people were hanging around the red carpet that led inside. Most of the people were reporters or older students who had come to see everything that was going on. The Freshman Dance was a lot like the prom, except it was for the Freshmen.
Pulling to a stop at the red carpet, Topper stepped off his seat and towards the side of the carriage. Opening it with a bow, Devlin exited first with a majestic movement and wave of his cape. Numerous females who were there sighed dreamily at the sight of him. When he was on the ground, he held out his hand, which Danielle grasped daintily and stepped out behind her boyfriend. As she was fully revealed, many young men gave a wolf whistle of appreciation.
"Ah, more guests!" Mr. Lancer grinned. He was dressed as a butler and was in charge of making sure only Freshmen or chaperones got inside. Taking out a sheet of yellowed paper, he spoke. "Announcing Lord Kyoichiro Devlin Amakusa and Lady Danielle Fenton!"
Many of the audience members gasped at the announcement. They knew it was Devlin they were looking at, but they never knew that Danielle was the one wearing the costume. No one had expected that she had such a slim and voluptuous figure for someone like her. Of course, the flashes from reporters' cameras made her grin, revealing a small pair of fake fangs that she'd added to her costume.
"I feel like a celebrity," she smiled brightly.
"Well, tonight you're a princess," Devlin whispered in her ear. "And I plan to make sure you get treated like one."
"Oh, Dev," Danielle sighed. "You treat me like a princess everyday."
"Then I'd better take it up a notch tonight," Devlin grinned. He then gestured to the entrance. "Shall we?"
"Let's," Danielle smiled as she gripped her boyfriend's arm snugly.
Inside the gym was certainly a surprise. It looked more like a ballroom than a gym. The walls were lined with huge gothic pillars with dark curtains reaching from the top. For an added effect, there were fake windows depicting a full moon night in the romantic era countryside.
The ceiling was donned with a large chandelier that was reflecting light from the lamps through the crystal. Since the light kept changing color, the room was constantly being bathed in white, violet, and red sparkles. It helped make the atmosphere more Halloween-like.
The floor was hidden from view with fog that was from a machine that Tucker had managed to obtain. It was received on short notice so he didn't have the time to 'upgrade' it. Tables were situated near the sides of the room where students were seated when they weren't dancing. One table had a buffet on it with a large purple Stone Clan member watching it. People were complementing his costume as he kept replacing empty dishes of food.
Patrolling the edges of the room, especially the corners where couples could hide to make out and such, a cobalt blue Wolfen Fangire was making his rounds. When he caught a couple, he would flush them out with a growl. The couples usually liked the fact they were caught by a monster, just like in the horror movies. It probably helped that he pretended to attack them to get them to move on.
Near the dance floor, a very attractive member of the Merman Fangire Clan was being hit on by numerous boys. She had a happy smile on her face. She gently strung them along, but made sure that they got the message they could look but never touch. Of course, the way her body was shaped and the coloration which looked like a bikini and grass skirt combination helped keep attention trained on her. She didn't seem to notice that some girls were looking a little upset at the attention she was getting.
The stage looked like it was part of a balcony with a full moon night behind it. Sam was up at the main table up there with her equipment all set up and a pile of CD's beside her. Tucker was also tending to the technical aspects of the equipment to make sure they were working at an optimal rate.
"Oh my gosh!" Danielle squealed. "Devlin! This is incredible! Where did you get all this stuff?"
"I have my ways," Devlin smirked. "Care to dance?"
"I'd love to," Danielle smiled.
The next to enter were Tamashii and Seras. Tamashii was the spitting image of a Shinigami. Tamashii wore a black kimono and hakama (pants), and a white obi sash. Attached to his side were his swords. His shoulder length white hair was pulled back into a braid. Seras looked like a ghost. Her skin was painted a pale white, with dark circles around her eyes. Atop her head was a white triangle, and she wore a white burial kimono, and was clutching a sword tightly to her chest. Not just any sword, but the legendary Ryuken, the most powerful weapon in Tamashii's possession.
"Wow…" Seras gazed at the inside of the gym.
"Impressive," Tamashii agreed. "Amakusa pulled out all the stops on this party."
"I agree," Seras nodded. She then began to smile brightly. "Well, let's enjoy the night! Party!"
Gabbing Tamashii's hand, the excited girl pulled the half-enthusiastic man into the mob of people.
A slow song had been next on the list and several couples were already on the dance floor. Devlin and Danielle took the centre and wrapped their arms around each other before moving softly to the music. They contentedly stared into each other's eyes as they let the tune of the music carry them away. The soft tones and deep feeling in the music made them feel like they were alone in the room, which suited them just fine.
"I could stay like this all night," Danielle sighed.
"I think we could," Devlin smiled. "But…remember that I promised a dance with Gillian."
"I know," Danielle sighed. "I think she's earned at least that."
"You don't like that?" asked Devlin.
"Well, out of all the girls who are after you, I think I can trust her," Danielle sighed. A mischievous grin then overtook her face. "But…I think I'd better stake my claim."
Leaning in close to Devlin, Danielle opened her mouth to reveal the artificial fangs that were placed over her normal eye teeth. They were adhesive and would stick for a while without a reapplication, but they would last long enough. Pressing her face into Devlin's neck, she nipped him sharply.
"Hey," Devlin grinned softly, enjoying the playful side of his love. "Aren't I supposed to be the one who does that to you?"
"Turnabout is fair play," Danielle giggled as the song ended. "Now, let's explore a little."
Clasping their hands together, they walked over to the buffet table where Juggernaut was tending to the snacks and replacing them when they got low. He had made enough to feed the entire Freshman class several times over, so he was in no danger of running out.
"Good evening Master, Lady Fenton," the purple behemoth bowed respectively. "I hope your night has been enjoyable so far."
"Extremely so," Danielle smiled as she picked up one of the crackers covered with toppings. Biting into it, she smiled. "Wow. Your cooking is as good as ever!"
"Thank you, Lady Fenton," Juggernaut smiled.
"So how goes your night?" asked Devlin curiously.
"Very well," Juggernaut answered. "The snacks are moving quickly and no one is causing trouble with Lobo on the prowl. Everyone seems to like my 'costume', but Gillian seems to be gaining the most attention."
"So we saw," Danielle smiled as she eyed the Merwoman being surrounded by boys who were offering her snacks or a dance. She wondered when one of them would start offering their possessions.
"That Brewster girl is hunting for you as well," Juggernaut warned as he placed a plate filled with red Jell-o cubes on the table. "She seems determined to get you to dance with her tonight. I overheard her mention something about a plan to her twin friends."
"Okay, that does it!" Danielle hissed as she grabbed Devlin's arm. "I am not letting you out of my sight!"
"Relax, luv," Devlin chuckled. "Claire has as much chance of getting me as a snowball does of surviving in hell."
"Doesn't make me feel better," Danielle frowned.
"Incoming," Juggernaut warned as he retreated to his catering duties.
"Hi, Devlin!" a certain annoying voice called, bringing shivers to both Devlin and Danielle.
Turning around, Devlin and Danielle were faced with none other than Claire and the Twitches. All of them were dressed up like playboy bunnies and showed off their womanly attributes very well. There was a trail of drooling boys behind them, obviously entranced by their physical looks.
"…Hello, Claire," Devlin grimaced, putting his polite face. "Fancy seeing you here."
"Yeah, this party is doing great," Clair smiled, positioning herself so her cleavage seemed a little more deeper. "So, who's your date? I though Fentontina was going to be with you."
"Look a little closer, Brewster," Danielle smirked. "I'm right in front of you."
"Huh?" Claire and the Twitches blinked as they took in her attire.
"Like, no way!" one of the Twitches gasped.
"Is that you, Fentontina?" Claire gaped.
"It's me," Danielle smirked. "What? Don't recognize me?"
"Like, who did your boobs?" the second of the Twitches asked bluntly. They was no way that they were natural.
"God did," Danielle frowned while Devlin attempted to hide his blush. "You here for something?"
"For your information, yes," Claire frowned. "I wanted to ask Devlin if he would like to dance with me."
"Well, I…" Devlin swallowed, attempting to get himself out of the situation.
"Hey, he's my boyfriend remember?" Danielle frowned. "You can't just come over and snatch him away!"
"Duh!" Claire frowned. "That's why I'm asking! Afraid I'm gonna steal Devlin away?"
"You've tried before," Danielle practically hissed.
"All's fair in love and war," Claire shrugged. "Besides, what is one dance going to hurt?"
Danielle frowned and attempted to find some way to shoot down Claire's attempts at a dance. She knew that if Claire got her dance then she would try something to steal him away. Of course, she had faith in Devlin's loyalty. That didn't mean she wasn't afraid of something happening.
"Do I have any say in this?" Devlin asked plainly. He was ignored by the arguing girls.
"I guess," Danielle sighed. "If Devlin wants to give you a dance then it's okay with me."
Claire smiled before turning her attention towards the Demon Prince. "Let's dance." She then dragged the helpless boy onto the dance floor.
Sniper had managed to escape her admirers before bumping into someone. "Oh, sorry!" the Fangire girl apologized. She then gasped when she saw who it was. "Richard?"
"Gill?" Richard blinked, recognizing the voice coming from the Fangire. "Is that you?"
"In the scales," she giggled.
"Wow, you look amazing!" Richard admitted, looking up and down her shiny and scaly emerald body.
"You don't look too bad yourself either, Mr. Belmont," she replied. She checked him out. He was wearing all black. He was clad in a pair of black pants, boots, shirt and a trench coat. Over his head he wore a wide brimmed hat. His whip was at his hip as well. "Van Hellsing?"
"Yep," he grinned. A pregnant silence was between them before he spoke again, "So, great party, huh? Devlin really outdid himself here."
"He has," agreed Sniper.
Richard rubbed the back of his head. "So…um…Gill, would you like to dance? With me?"
Sniper blinked in surprise. "You wish to dance with me?"
"Of course. I came to this party so I could dance with you," he answered. "And I ain't taking no for an answer."
Sniper wasn't sure what to say. Richard knew exactly what she was but he didn't seem to mind. He was from a family of vampire hunters and she'd felt nervous around him while she had been sealed. Now, he was seeing her in her true form and instead of recoiling in disgust, he was asking her for a dance. "I don't know, Richard," she seemed hesitant. "You know how I feel about Master."
"Hey, I'm not asking you to make out with me in the janitor's closet," he said bluntly. "Just for a dance. So, yes or no, fish-girl?"
Sniper had wanted to dance but most of the guys had been looking at her body, particularly her bust. If they knew what she was, they would run off screaming. Richard at least looked her in the eyes and knew what she was. He wasn't at all disgusted. Would it be so wrong?
"Very well, you may dance with me," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. He smiled brightly.
"Sweet, let's go, Gill!" They both went onto the dance floor hand in hand.
A bat and a dragon were flying close to the rafters surveying the party from above. Fangula sighed, saying, "It reminds me of the masquerades ball back in the day. Of course, the costumes then were a lot different."
"It looks fun!" agreed Roulette. "The music, the lights, the dancing and all that food!" He made his way to fly over the buffet table but Fangula grabbed his tail. "Hey!"
"We can't reveal ourselves," Fangula reminded. Roulette grumbled. "I know, I know…" The bat then saw something out of the ordinary. "Hm?"
"What's wrong?" asked Roulette.
"It's the boy," Fangula answered. "Devlin's dancing with that Brewster girl." He stopped to admire the bunny girl costume. "Doesn't look too bad but why isn't he with Danielle?"
Devlin and Claire were both dancing cheek to cheek though the young heir of the Demon Emperor seemed to want to get away. The girl was holding onto him as they swayed to the music. She started to speak, "Devlin, you did a great job."
"Well, you helped too," he replied, looking her in the eye.
"Oh, don't be so modest. You know this dance is all thanks to you."
"I only did my best because my fellow classmates deserve the best," he told her.
She drew circles on his chest. "That's what I like about you, Devlin. You're different from most boys. They are either losers or posers. You're none of those. You're pretty special." She was talking about his family, his powerful and influential family. "When I first saw you, I didn't know what to think but then I could see why girls find you irresistible."
Devlin recognized the look in her eyes. 'Oh bother…' he gulped.
"You're a real gentleman, extremely talented…" she dragged him away from the dance floor to a little private spot, "You can stand up for yourself and you're unique…" They were now far from the crowd. "I want you." She closed her eyes and puckered her lips before leaning in for a kiss. Instead of his soft lips, her lips were met with a barrier and she opened her eyes to see a fan spread open in front of her face. Devlin gently pushed her back and closed his fan before tucking it into his belt.
"This dance, is over," he said coldly. "I'm sorry, but I'm with Danielle." He then walked away from a stunned Claire.
"What's so special about her?" she demanded, keeping her cool.
He stopped in mid-step and spoke without facing her, "Under different circumstances and in a different time, maybe I could've loved you…but that's not the case is it, Claire? You only want what you can't have. I'm the forbidden fruit. I'm out of your reach and yet you still want me." He finished, "I need to find Danielle. I hope to see you later. Thank you for the dance." He walked straight into the crowd to find his princess.
"Saw you with that Brewster girl," spoke Savage as Devlin walked past him.
"She wanted to dance but I knew she had other plans," the young Rider replied.
"Well, at least you told her off."
"Which is why I need to find Danielle. Claire doesn't take rejection well from my experience." He pushed himself through the crowd in search of his beloved.
Currently, Seras and Tamashii were dancing slowly to the music. "So much has changed," said Seras as she leaned against Tamashii.
"I guess it has," said Tamashii. "A long time ago I would never befriend a dhampir or Fangires."
"Speaking of which," began Seras, "What do you think of Devlin?"
"What do you mean?"
"Is he still your rival or a friend?"
"He's an ally," said Tamashii. Seras looked slightly saddened by this. After all that had happened he didn't even consider Devlin a friend? In truth, Tamashii considered Devlin to be a good friend, but his pride refused to allow him to admit it. Tamashii considered Devlin to be a great warrior and a worthy adversary. But he knew one day they'd have to finish their battle once and for all.
Slayer and his opponent faced each other. His opponent was the Tortoise Fangire. Slayer was panting beneath his helmet. The Fangire's thick shell made it tough for him to do any actual damage. Slayer had tried nearly everything at his disposal. "Well, time to bring out the big guns," said the Rider. Slayer reached up to his mouthpiece and it popped right out. He flipped it open and entered the three digit code. It was 777. He then pressed "ENTER".
"INITIATE: PALADIN SYSTEM!"
"SLAYER SYSTEM: CAST OFF!"
Slayer's armor loosened and then flew off, revealing the red emblem on his chest and the sapphire armor underneath. The wings spread out and covered his body before they were absorbed and turned his bodysuit ivory white. His gauntlets, boots and helmet now matched the rest of the armor. The eyes changed color from blue to red as the golden sections of his Save Mode faceplate reconfigured, the top section becoming horns and the bottom sections moving to the spot where his ears were.
"PALADIN MODE: ACTIVATED!"
Slayer attached a Power Whistle into a slot in the back of the Paladin Phone and then rotated the slot around the side to become the handle, eyes trained on the Fangire.
The Reptile Clan member showed no fear and charged at the Rider. How stupid. Slayer pulled out the whistle kept in his gun handle before sliding it into the Slayer Buckle.
"PALADIN BLASTER: RISING UP!"
Slayer aimed his Paladin Blaster at the Fangire. The charge up was instantaneous as the antennae, which became the barrel, produced a glowing golden magical circle in front of it.
"FINAL RISING BLAST!"
Slayer then pulled the trigger, unleashing the massive blast which also caused an equally powerful recoil that threw him backwards.
Slayer's attack hit the Tortoise Fangire and the intense burst of heat petrified it. Slayer vaulted off a wall to offset his recoil. He then summoned his twin swords before swinging them forward. "Iron Dragon Strike!" roared Slayer as he sent a powerful energy dragon at the Fangire. The attack connected with great force, shattering the fragile Fangire.
Devlin managed to find Danielle who was standing alone at the buffet table with Juggernaut. He was relieved to see that she hadn't gotten into any trouble. He would tell her about what Claire had tried to do but decided against it. He would tell her later. He wanted her to enjoy this night with him and telling her the news would only upset her.
Devlin pulled the ghost girl into a sudden embrace, causing her to gasp in surprise. She relaxed and allowed herself to melt in his arms. She asked, "So, how was your dance with Claire?"
"It was fine," he answered.
"Did she come onto you?" she asked.
Devlin frowned and said, "Let's worry about that later. Let's just enjoy ourselves. But first…"
"And now for some live entertainment!" announced Sam.
"Give it up for the Fang Gang!" added Tucker. On the stage was the trio of Fangires, much to the surprise of the students.
Savage/Lobo, Sniper/Gillian and Juggernaut/Francis were already on stage with their instruments. They were currently playing a short instrumental piece Devlin had composed entitled "Entrance Procession". This was the opening for their act which they had been rehearsing for.
"Looks like that's my cue," Devlin said. He gave Danielle a kiss before walking towards the stage, his cape flowing behind him regally like a dark prince. Claire, despite his earlier rejection, watched him dreamily along with a large number of girls. He flashed them a smile before he stepped on stage and took his place at the microphone. The Fangire Trio stopped playing as Devlin closed his eyes. He raised up his hand and gave them the signal. They recognized it and knew which song to play and started. It was "Destiny's Play".
(Written by Handsofthefallen from DeviantArt)
The lights go low; everyone gets in their seats,
I cling to your hand as I feel the racing Beats,
The main character is me,
This is my life as the people will see,
It's all in my head this imaginary scene,
Of me looking back at where I have been,
The night curls me up,
It won't stop no matter how rough
I've been chained to my seat,
I guess my maker is the one I'll meet
(Ready to go)
This is the play they call my life,
And how I can't end it with that smiling knife,
Life or death is the war my heart will wage,
I just got to remember the world is my stage,
Just as the next act that's about to begin,
The Violin plays a tune about what's deep within,
I can't run away, I just won't run away,
As I watch my: Destiny's Play,
I am portrayed a knight without a horse,
To direct me through the fight's course,
He holds my sword up to the heavens above,
The gods won't help me it's not enough
With a clash of lightning,
I awake and begin realising,
That I've grown to be a fool,
That's been abused and used like a tool,
I see the earth out my window,
As the second act starts who will know,
(Ready to go)
This is the play they call my life,
And how I can't end it with that smiling knife,
Life or death is the war my heart will wage,
I just got to remember the world is my stage,
Just as the next act that's about to begin,
The Violin plays a tune about what's deep within,
I can't run away, I just won't run away,
As I watch my: Destiny's Play,
(Rock/Violin solo)
This is my Night,
I stand and make my Fight,
My song is played by the band,
I tune heard across the land,
My heart's about to break,
But I know in a beat I will be Awake,
This is the play they call my life,
And how I can't end it with that smiling knife,
Life or death is the war my heart will wage,
I just got to remember the world is my stage,
Just as the next act that's about to begin,
The Violin plays a tune about what's deep within,
I can't run away, I just won't run away,
As I watch my: Destiny's Play,
I can't run away, I just won't run away,
As I watch my: Destiny's Play,
The final scene is done the curtain goes down,
As I yell out and hear this last sound,
Gotta do what I say:
Break the chain! Wake up! To Destiny's play!
My Destiny's play!
As the three monsters and their leader were playing their song, Tucker had hit a button which allowed a projection screen to lower from the back of the stage. The lights dimmed slightly so everyone could see what would be projected. Once it was down, a movie about Fang began to start up. Tucker had done it in honor of Amity Park's gothic hero by making a music video for Destiny's Play, which Devlin himself had said was made in honor of Fang's basic form. He had gotten the images from taping Devlin's training sessions in that form. Special effects and such finished the rest.
The video ended when the song did with Fang using his finisher on a digitally created Fangire that exploded into glowing glass shards.
The Dragon was headed for the school, leading a group of men in black suits. Flanking him were Mitsuomi and Emi. They could hear the sound of music coming from inside the gym and the Dragon smirked in anticipation. "Good, they're all here. We take them all out, along with some pesky humans." He ordered his men, "Let's go. We have a party to crash.
The band was very busy that night, performing all of their songs. The next few songs that followed were "Shout in the Moonlight", "Innocent Trap", "Silent Shout" and finally "Supernova". Each song came with their own video presentation as well courtesy of Tucker. The students all enjoyed the songs and videos, dancing to them as Devlin sang his heart out. His eye was on Danielle the whole time. Richard was with her and staring up at Gillian adoringly.
"OK, I'm going have to stop singing," said Devlin. There were some protests coming from the crowd. "I have a date too, mind you, and I'm afraid she's getting a little lonely with me singing up here. So, to sing the next couple of songs, I call on…" He pointed ahead, "Tamashii Akashi!!"
The spotlight became aimed at Tamashii who looked annoyed. Seras gasped in shock and giggled at his expression.
"Come up on stage, Akashi. You know you want to," Devlin grinned.
Tamashii grumbled and muttered something under his breath. All eyes were on him now so he might as well humor his fellow warrior. He marched towards the stage and when he got on he glared at Devlin. He whispered, "You better have an explanation for this."
Devlin covered the microphone and whispered back, "Just one: Fight for Justice."
Tamashii blinked. Devlin had asked him to come to the mansion to listen to two new compositions. One was entitled "Individual System", a song written in tribute of the Slayer System and the second song was entitled "Individual System: Fight for Justice". The second song seemed to match Tamashii's old attitude towards vampire but also his mission for justice. Tamashii took the microphone as Devlin gave his band the signal for the song. They started to play the beat as Devlin stepped off the stage to join Danielle. He got pats on the back and some praises for his performance. Some girls even blew kissed and offered to dance with him but there was only one girl he wanted to dance with.
"Shall we?" Devlin took Danielle's hand and she smiled.
"Yes, we shall," she answered. Seras joined up with them, wanting a closer look as Tamashii sang.
Tamashii then started to sing and everyone was stunned. Who knew the guy could sing? They started to dance along to the song. The night just seemed so perfect.
Suddenly, as soon as the song had ended, the doors to the gym were thrown open as Mr. Lancer was tossed into the building, sliding across the floor. The music immediately stopped as some unwelcome guests entered.
"Is this a private party, or can anybody join in?" the Dragon, Head of the Reptile Fangire Clan, grinned. Behind him were Mitsuomi and Emi along with his black clad minions.
From his place near the rafters with Roulette, Fangula gulped. "This looks bad…"
Tamashii's eyes widened as he saw the Dragon. "You…" he growled. "YOU!!" He then drew his swords and went into a stance. Everyone that stood between Tamashii and the Dragon quickly moved to the sides of the gym. "Iron Dragon Strike!" roared Tamashii as he sent his own dragon at his opponent. The Dragon merely stood there as the attack slammed into him.
When the dust settled, the Dragon was revealed to be unharmed. "Is that the best you have, Young Dragon? If so, then this will be truly disappointing."
POWER WHISTLES
These whistles were created by Topper and used by both Fang and Slayer to invoke their powers and summon their weapons as well. Both Riders possess a total of 6 Power Whistle each that are kept in slots on the sides of their belts. When Fang uses his whistle, Fangula blows into them. Slayer inserts his whistles into his belt in order to activate them.
FANG'S POWER WHISTLES:
Fang Whistle: Used to summon Fangula when Devlin blows into it. When Fangula blows into it, it activates the Bloody Moon Smash.
Savage Whistle: Used to summon the Savage Saber when Fangula blows into it. When Devlin blows it, it unseals Lobo's true form.
Sniper Whistle: Used to summon the Sniper Magnum when Fangula blows into it. When Devlin blows it, it unseals Gillian's true form.
Juggernaut Whistle: Used to summon the Juggernaut Hammer when Fangula blows into it. When Devlin blows it, it unseals Francis' true form.
Motor Whistle: When Devlin blows into it, it summons the Blood Fang. When Fangula blows into it, it summons Brawn to combine with the Blood Fang to become the Brawn Booster.
Dragoon Whistle: This whistle is used to summon Topper and turn him into the Great Dragoon.
SLAYER'S POWER WHISTLES:
Knuckle Whistle: Charges up the Slayer Knuckle and activates the Broken Fang finisher when inserted into the belt.
X-Calibur Whistle: Charges up the X-Calibur and activates the Heaven's Judgment finisher when inserted into the belt.
Savage Whistle: Summons the Savage Saber when inserted into the belt.
Sniper Whistle: Summons the Sniper Magnum when inserted into the belt.
Juggernaut Whistle: Summons the Juggernaut Whistle when inserted into the belt.
Mecha Whistle: Summons the Mecha Dragoon when inserted into the belt.