Disclaimer: I own nothing from Danny Phantom
Note: Again, sorry for the long delay. Been busy with other projects and wasn't quite up to working on the next chapter since there's a lot I had to change. There still is but hopefully it won't take nearly as long to do.
Chapter 7: Requiem
Danielle's POV
Hating every minute of it as Vlad slipped back into his act of being irresistibly drawn there by the banshee's mesmerizing voice, I watched at she continued to waltz with Dorian across the surface of the water, totally oblivious to his presence until one of those Kelpie creatures suddenly emerged from the water when he got too close to the edge of the lake. Two more of those ghostly horses appeared a few seconds later and blocked Vlad's path as soon as he stepped into the water and acting like he wasn't even remotely aware of the danger he was in...
I don't know much about Kelpies apart from them being these man-eating fairy horses that lure people onto their backs to drown them. But these were definitely in their scary-version mode as they tossed their wet manes and bared their short needle-sharp fangs at Vlad when he approached, their hooves disturbing the water as they stomped to make large splashing sounds and angrily snorted at him. I guess they were basically trying to warn their mistress that there was an intruder.
Their fur was a deep emerald green that was almost black but their flanks had this mossy green look to it like what you might see clinging to a submerged statue covered in algae and there was something like seaweed woven into their dark green manes and tails. Their muzzles were very sunken in too, almost as if they hadn't eaten in weeks and were just skin and bones, which honestly made them look more zombie-like than anything so how these creatures manage to lure someone to ride them to their deaths was beyond me. Then again, maybe it was their eyes because like the Banshee herself their eyes were this terrifying milky white that seemed to see right through you, in fact, I swallowed hard when one of them turned their head in my direction and snorted as they stepped out of the water to investigate.
Luckily for me, that's also when the Banshee finally noticed Vlad and laughed whimsically, calling out to her loyal pets in this devilishly gleeful version of my voice. "Honestly now, is that any way to treat a guest? Bring him to me and be gentle this time. We wouldn't want him to wake up from my spell before I've had my fun now would we...?"
My eyes widened in shock when after that the Kelpies appearance changed drastically in a matter of seconds to the point where they looked more like beautiful black stallions with long wavy manes and smooth flawless fur that glistened in the moonlight. And the first one who had stepped out of the water when they smelled something funny, me in other words, shook their head and turned back to the lake. It then began nudging Vlad from behind who was hanging on the Banshee's every word like a love-struck idiot.
Damn, he's good at this. I might have to ask for a few acting lessons from Vlad when this is all over. I thought to myself as I watched Vlad climb onto the back of one of the Kelpies, not even flinching or showing the slightest hint of hesitation when the beast's mane came alive and wrapped around his wrists to keep him in place...
Once mounted, the remaining two Kelpies took up position on either side of him and together they brought Vlad over to Banshee where she patiently waited for them with an amused smile on her face. And once they stepped onto the small island in the middle she instructed them to while still leading her previous victim by the hand, aka Prince Dorian.
I felt so bad for Dorian since the poor guy was standing there in a daze, swaying slightly on his feet and his eyes had gone completely white so there was no doubt in my mind that unlike Vlad he was completely spellbound by the Banshee. Hopefully she wouldn't notice anything odd about Vlad's eyes staying solid red like they always are when he's in ghost form. So for now, we'd have to rely on Vlad's acting skills to make sure the Banshee finds him a lot more interesting than Dorian...
And after lovingly petting the damp velvety muzzle of one of the Kelpies with her pale slender fingers the Banshee smiled wickedly at Vlad and drew Dorian closer to them as she ordered lazily. "Ivy, why don't you be a dear and show our captive prince to his bedchambers? I may still have use for him so don't eat him just yet. But for now, I wish to admire this new handsome gentleman I seem to have ensnared. His aura feels so familiar and yet I know I've never seen him before. How interesting."
Stepping away from the Kelpie named Ivy, the Banshee offered a hand to Vlad, all but ignoring Dorian now as Ivy knelt down and used their wet snake-like mane to maneuver Dorian onto it's back before rearing and diving straight back into the water. I had to force myself not to reflexively follow them until Vlad made an invisible duplicate that gave me the signal to go ahead. There was no telling how long he'd be able to keep her busy so I had to make every second count which is why I nodded then did just that and followed Dorian into the unknown depths of the ghostly lake before me.
I don't know if I've ever mentioned this before but in my ghost form I actually don't need to breathe while I'm underwater so I was able to effortlessly glide through the water just as easily as I would have flying. And before long I found an underwater cave which if I had to guess was just the path leading up to the Banshee's lair. The opening was low and wide so there was plenty of room for her pets to swim through which is why I kept an eye out for them since there may be more than the three we saw earlier. Besides, I may be a talented flier but the water did slow my movements down quite a lot so I knew I'd have to be careful.
Unlike me, these Kelpies are designed for underwater combat and their manes could be used to pin me down to viciously tear into me with their fangs. Which by the way is still creepy, for a horse to have fangs I mean. Then again...the Fright Knight's steed has pretty large fangs too I guess so nevermind.
Because of the fact that these are underwater creatures, I was worried that the Kelpie's might sense my movements in the water so when I spotted more of them I ducked into a small side cavern in the cave and anxiously waited for them to swim past. Unfortunately it turns out I ducked into the cavern they were heading to and felt the water whoosh past me as they swam by with surprising grace and speed. And when I peeked around the corner to see what they were doing, I blinked when I saw something glowing inside of an opalescent bubble that the two of them kept swimming circles around almost like it was some kind of ritual.
I couldn't help but stare in wonder as the plant-like veins on the Kelpie's manes and tails began to shine with a pale green glow just like the color of glow-in-the-dark stars and the light inside of the strange bubble took on a new shape. It felt like I was watching something I shouldn't have but I couldn't pull my eyes away from the beautiful dark horses before me to the point where I unconsciously began to drift out of my hiding place in the shadows to get a closer look. I managed to catch myself just in time and shook my head when they stopped moving and opened their mouths which grew impossibly wide as the black flesh of their jaws seemed to stretch out like tar to reveal their fangs and they began tearing the bubble to shreds, letting the transparent substance fall to the ground.
By the time they were finished, that's when I noticed what was inside the bubble and it looked like a newly formed Kelpie. It was the same size of a normal foal that awkwardly flailed in the water a bit before steadying itself. If it wasn't for the fact that this was a man-eating monster horse ghost, I'd almost think it was cute when the other two Kelpie's nuzzled the newest member of their family and knelt down to pick up strands of that weird substance again to feed it with.
I winced when the new born Kelpie began devouring it ravenously, rows of needle sharp fangs tearing into it with a muffled but distinct ripping sound. No wonder these creatures are so terrifying, I could only imagine what it'd be like if they were tearing into a person like that. I should probably get out of it before they notice me otherwise I'm going to be turned into murder-horse food myself...
Backing away slowly, I kept my eyes on them until I turned the corner and whipped around it, thankfully not seeing it when their heads snapped up in that direction at the exact same time, their milk-white eyes glowing and staring coldly in my direction. Once I got far enough away from them I was relieved when I saw a rock formation that looked like it flawlessly shifted from a natural cave to something hand-carved and found steps leading up into some kind of opening. I didn't know what I was going to find on the other side but the staircase was very narrow which luckily for me meant there wasn't room for the Kelpie's to follow.
As soon as I made it to the top of the stairs I was surprised when it opened up to what looked like the inside of an Irish castle. There was literally so much green that for a second I thought I was back outside in that fog-filled forest because the walls were covered in a thin layer of moss and the floor itself was completely covered with it too which made it soft and springy like a carpet. The room it was large and round with an ornate stained glass window the very top of the chamber designed to let in the fake moonlight from above us that cast water-like shimmers all over the walls to make it seem like this room was submerged underwater too.
There were crystals hanging from the roof too that kept making these soft crystalline sounds sort of like the pleasant hum of a crystal glass being traced with your finger that swayed in a non-existent wind. That's when it hit me that this place looked like a hybrid between an moss-covered castle and one of those fairy houses I've seen people build for crafting projects. To be honest, I've always wanted to make one of those myself but sadly even when we did get the chance to go camping my parents were always too busy telling ghost stories or taking us to haunted houses and things like that to hunt down said-ghosts which means, our camping trips were far from relaxing...
Speaking of ghosts, I was so busy taking in my surroundings that I didn't notice Dorian who had wandered over to me, staring blankly at me with those lifeless white eyes. Good thing I didn't have my voice back yet otherwise I might have screamed in surprise when I staggered back from him. Reflexively he caught me when I fell but his expression was still devoid of any emotion which had me worried. In the end Dorian was probably only in this mess because he was tried to help me get my voice back from the Banshee personally and that's why I had to do something to break the Banshee's spell on him.
I just didn't know what yet.
I paused when something besides the sound of the crystals reached me but it was muffled by my earbuds so I decided to risk pulling them out. After that I finally able hear the voices more clearly, whispering to me earnestly from the center of the room. Following them after taking Dorian's hand, I stepped into the center of the room looking for clues when I heard the voices insist I go down further to reach them.
Confused, I tried to phase through the floor but when that didn't work I sighed, tapping my foot on the mossy ground while thinking and that's when I noticed a thin gap in the moss cut in a perfect circle and realized there must be a hidden room right below me! So I knelt down, reached for the small gap and tried to pull after letting go of Dorian's hand but I still couldn't get it to budge.
Not sure what to do next I leaned down closer, hoping the voices might give me another clue and this is what I heard them say:
This world is a mirror of the other so to pass where others cannot, you must return to the flesh...
...we know who you are, we heard your voice crying out when the Banshee stole it...you fear your nature will bring harm to those you love one day but it gives you power like no other to help us. Please, set us free and use that power to fight back against the Banshee...
...you must turn human again. Only then can you reach us.
There is no time to find the hidden way, hurry...hurry...
Since I figured they had no reason to lie to me, I sighed and let the transformation rings form around my waist to turn me human again. It felt so bizarre doing this in the Ghost Zone, but if they were right about humans being considered the ghosts here then maybe that would give us another advantage against the Banshee. Closing my eyes I basically used the same mindset I do whenever I phase through stuff in the real world and gasped when I abruptly fell down into the hidden room I was trying to get into with a loud splash.
I coughed and sputtered after lifting my head out of the water, pushing the wet hair out my eyes just in time to see that the pool I had landed in was completely covered from one end to the other in the same glowing lilies from my dream. And honestly, being near them was like reliving part of that dream because I could hear so many different voices crying, whispering, feeling sorry for what they said, while others spoke directly to me and I had to try and focus on those as I waded through the water towards the energy that felt closest to my own and cupped my fingers under the dimly glowing flower. My shoulders dropping in relief when I found it since I could tell it was mine but...it felt weak and at first I couldn't understand why...
I was in the middle of considered my options when one of the flowers beside me started to pulse more brightly than the others and spoke to me directly with a sad but gentle tone. "It's no use, my child. You won't be able to reclaim your voice without the Seed of Remembrance. The Banshee has yours with her now at this very moment. For you see, in order for her to use our stolen voices she must swallow the seed to use it in place of her own. But your voice is special. Even without the flower which held it captive, that power is still connected to you which is how we were able to cry out to you in your dreams..."
Eager to hear more I gently put my flower back in the water and picked hers up just as the mysterious voice continued. "That is why she keeps our voices trapped in these vessels. If not for them, they would return to those who lost them because each seed holds a small piece of who we are, or rather, who we WERE since most of us have long since vanished from the real world. But I will happily lend you my voice so that you can reclaim yours and free us."
Opening her flower to reveal the glowing seed inside the voice urged. "Here, take my Seed of Remembrance and use my voice to drown out the Banshee's keen. My only request is that you free the others to weaken her first. Do not concern yourself about me, my flower too will wilt once the deed is done which will allow me return to where I belong so for now, focus only on doing what must be done."
Before I could chicken out I swallowed the glowing seed and felt its power settle into place in my throat which flashed again just like it did before when Vlad tried to examine me with his powers. It felt really strange, like I had swallowed a small piece of ice but it wasn't a bad feeling, just strange. After that, I ignited my hands with ecto-energy and used my power to destroy each and every flower in the immediate area. It was kind of a bitter-sweet feeling, knowing that most of them belonged to victims of the Banshee's from a long time ago, but the sight was breathtaking as each seed flew high up into the air and darted around the room like fireflies before they finally faded out of sight. Freed from their suffering at long last.
When I finally returned to Dorian's I took his hands in mine and told him what's been on my mind since I first saw the Banshee had captured him. "I know you can't really understand me right now but I'm so sorry I got you dragged into this. It's going to be ok though, I promise."
Taking a deep breath, I began to sing, hoping that somehow my voice would snap him out of this trance. At first I was afraid it wasn't working until I saw a look of confusion flit across his face as his red eyes faded back to red and then he jerked in surprise when he saw me floating in front of him. "Lady Phantom?! What are you doing here? What's going on...? Where...am I? The last thing I remember was trying to sneak past the Banshee then something like seaweed wrapped around my arms, dragged me into the water where I saw flashing teeth that pierced my flesh. After that, I believe I turned into a dragon to escape only to hear your voice as soon as I broke the surface of the water...and I can't recall anything else."
Snickering, I crossed my arms and smiled. "I could ask you the same question, Prince Dorian. Are you alright? Oh and before you ask, no this isn't my real voice, I'm borrowing one of the voices the Banshee stole until I can get mine back and set the others free after they offered to help."
Blushing, Dorian glanced down at himself then nodded sheepishly. "Yes...it would seem that I have fully recovered but, what happened...? How did you free me?"
I was just about to answer him when his red eyes began shining with renewed admiration and wonder as he blurted out. "Actually, you don't have to answer that My Lady. It doesn't matter anymore. What does matter is that you have freed me from the Banshee's spell even though I came here hoping to repay you for the kindness you showed me before. I'm terribly sorry to have only caused more trouble for you. Forgive me..."
"Don't worry about it. Besides, it's kinda nice knowing I might have another ally in the Ghost Zone." I smiled warmly before getting serious and pulling the Fenton Phones out again in the palm of my hand. "There is something I'd like you to do for me. You see these two small silvery things in my hand? Put those in your ears and they should protect you from the Banshee's spell this time. I'll take care of the rest but it would really help me out knowing that she can't send you in dragon form to rip us apart. Can you do that for me, Dorian?"
He nodded, taking the earbuds from me and after a few attempts to get them in right Dorian smiled then leaned down to kiss the top of my hand. "I understand My Lady. I will do as you ask and put your mind at ease by removing myself from the Banshee's influence. But even so, please be careful and I pray that you will succeed..."
