This plot bunny is not intended as a one-shot and IS up for adoption. If you want to adopt it, just PM me. By the way, it's a Nightmare Before Christmas crossover.
"Oooh, let's go through that one!" Sam eagerly pointed through the windshield of the Specter Speeder at a particularly interesting portal as it went past. It was a dark, greenish-gray colored swirling energy with what seemed like a black ring around it. The ring was especially interesting, since it seemed fashioned of black wood with intricate carvings everywhere. Tucker, who was driving, corrected his course to go near it. Danny Phantom, outside the Specter Speeder, flew ahead to inspect it closely.
"Are you really sure?" his voice came through the headphones specially designed for outings such as this one. "The last time you really wanted to go through a portal we barely escaped being smashed by the clan of Bigfoot."
"You know that was all Tucker's idea. I haven't picked any portals today; I think I should get at least one."
"Hey!" Tucker shouted indignantly. "I didn't know there'd be evil Bigfoot chasing us!" His outburst was disregarded by the other two.
"At least let me scout it out first. If it's too dangerous, Sam, you can pick another one."
"Works for me!"
It was a weekend and the trio, having absolutely nothing to do, decided that they should go explore the Ghost Zone. They'd gone through multiple portals, one of which was just a shortcut to Skulker's island. The most exciting had been the Bigfoot realm, right up until they had to escape for their lives.
"So can we go in?" Sam asked eagerly as Danny returned a few minutes later through the portal.
"Yeah. It looks pretty okay so far, at least where the portal ends up. It's a big forest or something."
"Great! Let's go!"
Danny led the way in and Tucker parked the Specter Speeder in a small grove just inside the portal.
What they saw after getting out was indeed a large forest, filled with old-looking trees. The bark was smooth and the color of dark ash with branches that began high above their heads and looked like vague shadows against the featureless black sky.
Yet there was light, enough for them to see.
"What's over there?" Sam pointed at a brighter haze that shone through the trees.
Danny, who hadn't noticed it before, said, "I don't know. Why not investigate?"
The three took off at a swift walking pace, eventually reaching the source, which turned out to be another larger grove. All around it, evenly placed, were several trees facing inward. How did they know the trees were facing inward? Each one had a door, and each door was different. Among them were a colorful egg, a decorated tree, a heart, a pumpkin, a clover, a turkey, and a red door with stars. Danny sighed when he saw the pumpkin door, unable to hold back memories of the Fright Knight.
Sam, being the goth she is, went for the pumpkin door and opened it, looking inside.
"It's like another portal," she observed, and Danny--who'd opened the decorated tree door to see it was at the top of a snowy hill looking down on a brightly lit, colorful town--and Tucker--who'd opened the red starry door to see a factory-type place with fireworks being tested high above--both shut their doors and went to Sam. Seeing through her door was difficult because it was night in the other place as well without as much light, but it seemed to be another forest with the wall of a town and rooftops visible beyond it.
"I'm going in," Sam announced, immediately following up her statement by jumping through the pumpkin-shaped doorway. Danny and Tucker of course had to follow her.
They emerged in the new forest as the door shut behind the trio of its own volition. They had to walk around the wall for a short distance, but they quickly found a gate that led to the town inside.
As Sam got her first good look, all she could do was gape like her friends.
"Wow..."