Danny phased through the wall into the gym. He'd checked every classroom, bathroom and changing room. He'd checked the grounds around the school and the basement. Danny frowned in frustration and phased back out of the room. Thankfully the school wasn't close to many affected houses, the fear wasn't reaching him as much anymore. He felt some but it wasn't confusing him in its intensity. The only place left was the cafeteria. Danny walked down the corridor before seeing the guardians trying to break through a wall of nightmare sand. But every time Sandy or the others touched the wall, the sand threatened to engulf them, something they knew from experience wasn't good.
"What are you guys doing here? Where's Jamie?" Danny called as he joined them. The guardians turned to him.
"Thank goodness you're here. You have to help us get through. Jamie went inside with Sam and Tucker. Pitch is in there," Tooth informed him. Danny blinked in shock. Sam and Tucker were here?!
"Why was Jamie with Sam and Tucker?" Danny demanded.
"He thought that they could help," Jack answered. Danny glared at him angrily.
"Pitch is trying to get to me! I didn't want them involved," Danny growled. The guardians bit their lips and looked guilty.
"We didn't know that. You didn't tell us," Bunny replied. Danny took a deep breath and shook his head.
"I know. Sorry. I'm just on edge. Leave this to me," Danny apologised and stepped up to the sand.
"Wait, you can't take Pitch on by yourself," Jack retorted. Danny turned to Jack.
"I have to do this Jack. None of you can get close to Pitch. Trust me I'll be fine," Danny replied.
"But it might be a trap!" Jack argued. Danny nodded.
"I know it is," Danny informed them.
"But the last time you walked into a trap, you died!" North reminded him. Danny nodded slowly and gave them a grim smile.
"Some things are unavoidable. Sometimes you just have to face your fears," Danny remarked and walked straight into the wall of sand, not bothering to turn intangible. The sand melted around him sending fear at him but he was able to shake off the feeling and emerged in the cafeteria.
Sitting in the centre of the room was Jamie, Sam and Tucker and Danny blinked in surprise as he recognised his clone. Danielle looked to be around eighteen now. But Danny knew that mentally she was probably around thirteen or fourteen. He gritted his teeth and scowled angrily. He stepped over to them and felt their fear radiating from them. Pitch melted out of a shadow near the four captives.
"Ah, you finally arrive. I thought I was pretty easy to find personally. I'm disappointed," Pitch greeted him. Danny's scowl deepened and ignored the confused expressions on Sam, Tucker and Danielle's faces. Jamie looked up and saw Danny walked silently towards them.
"Don't! It's a trap!" Jamie warned.
"I know Jamie. That's why I'm here. Tell the others it's alright. Help is here," Danny replied. Jamie's eyes widened and he relayed the message to Sam, Tucker and Danielle.
"How do you know that?" Danielle whimpered.
"Because I can see and hear him. No one else can," Jamie answered softly. Danny stopped in front of Pitch.
"You really think that you can save them?" Pitch inquired. Danny narrowed his eyes at the boogieman.
"You have no idea what I'm capable of Pitch. Ticking me off is not a good idea. And right now, I'm furious," Danny growled. Pitch laughed.
"Furious? That's hilarious. I think you're forgetting our last two encounters," Pitch replied. Danny shook his head.
"I think you're forgetting Pitch. You retreated the first time and the second time you played a coward's trick," Danny recalled. Pitch scowled at Danny.
"This time will be different. Those bindings are slowly corrupting their hearts and minds with fear. She's been bound for a long time now. You can't defeat me," Pitch bragged, nodding to Danielle. Danny glanced at Danielle and felt that Pitch was right. Soon Danielle's fear would take over her mind.
"How long do you think it'll take for lesser minds like those pathetic friends of yours will last and an unextroridinary boy that got lucky?" Pitch taunted. Danny returned his gaze to Pitch.
"You've made a big mistake Pitch. No one threatens them. No one!" Danny snarled. Danny's right hand glowed bright green and punched Pitch in the face. Pitch stumbled back and chuckled.
"This will be fun," he commented and the room filled with nightmare sand horses. They charged at Danny. Danny's left blue eye flashed and his left hand glowed bright blue. The room dropped a few degrees and the horses were encased in ice within seconds.
Pitch blinked in shock.
"I told you. Making me angry isn't a good plan Pitch," Danny reminded him and he turned to Pitch and ignited both his hands, one blue, one green. Pitch dodged Danny's blasts and created a massive scythe of black shadows and swung at him. Danny, caught unawares by the large weapon was thrown back into the black wall blocking the entrance. This time the sand clung on to him and held him. Fear trickled into him and Danny knew that anyone else would be terrified but this only infuriated him further.
As Pitch and Jamie watched, transfixed by the Spirit of Fear. At first Pitch watched with glee but it quickly changed to horror and even fear. Danny's black hair slowly turned white and gradually covered his whole head. His blue eye changed to match his glowing green one.
"Let me go!" Danny demanded, ending in a ghostly wail. Pitch was thrown off his feet and pinned to the opposite wall. Jamie, Sam, Tucker and Danielle groaned in pain as the sound attacked their ears and as soon as the black bindings vanished, clapped their hands over their ears and fell to the ground. The sand wall melted away and released Danny.
So, remember how I said that Danny could only use certain powers on certain sides. In Danny's anger, his ghost side spread and took over, allowing him to tap into his more powerful ghost powers. It's not explained in the story, so I thought I'd explain here.
Anyway, until the next chapter.