Chapter 14: Superstar

At Casper High, you'd find it practically impossible to find a girl who wasn't thinking about the pageant to be held at Zoravia High. Especially because, this time, the pageant would be open to Casper High girls. "What a waste of time." Sam commented.

Paulina overheard the goth's comment. "You're probably saying that just because without your would-be-boyfriend judging the contest, you'll have no chance to win the million dollars." Paulina teased Sam.

"A million dollars isn't worth the humiliation, shallow girl." Sam replied.

'Easy for you to say, cellophane twirling heiress.' Danny thought.

"Wait a minute." Tucker asked. "Who said anything about a million dollars?"

"Don't you know, Foley?" Paulina asked. "Whoever wins the contest, like there's any doubt about that, will receive one million dollars. When I win, I'll invite my ghost boy to a European tour but I'll skip the Eastern part so I won't risk running into your loser friend and his loser girlfriend."

"Paulina, I thought your parents insisted on saving that money for your college education." Star commented.

"I can buy a diploma at Oxford, Star." Paulina replied.

"Disgusting." Sam muttered.

"Danny, Sam, did you know Natasha's uncle disguised himself as a girl to enter the previous year's pageant?" Tucker asked.

"I guess educators are that desperate for money." Sam commented.

"But I don't think he had a chance." Tucker commented upon looking at a picture of Lubek in drag. "I'd have done a better job."

"He's not serious, is he?" Sam asked in worry.

"Well, a million is way more than what you paid him to dress like you, Sam." Danny replied.

"Tucker Foley, don't you dare." Sam demanded.

"Don't worry, Sam." Tucker reassured his friends. "One million dollars isn't worth the risk of becoming the girls' punching bag… again. But of course, if you need a manager, I can take a percentage…" He said until he noticed her staring at him. "Never mind."

"Guys, how do I look?" Valerie asked.

"Like a pathetic and shallow girl who cares only about looks, Valerie." Sam retorted. "Are you entering this stupid pageant as well?"

"Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment." Valerie replied. "And not everyone can expect to inherit a million dollars, Manson."

"Don't you know how degrading those things are for women?" Sam asked Valerie.

"Those pageants aren't just beauty contests." Valerie argued. "We also get to show our talents."

"Those are just to disguise the fact the women who enter pageants are judged by beauty only." Sam protested.

"I see nothing wrong with that." Tucker commented, earning Sam's ire.

"You never learn when to stay quiet, Tucker." Danny said.

"For as long as Sam doesn't go to Zoravia, Illinois to stop the contest." Tucker replied but soon regretted saying that. "Sam, you're not…"

"Don't worry, Tucker." Sam replied. "If I thought it to be worth going to another town, I'd have tried to stop Miss Universe pageants by now."

Valerie decided to ignore Sam by that point. "Danny, is your girlfriend entering as well?" She asked Danny.

"No, she's not." Danny answered, surprising his friends.

"In that case, wish me luck." Valerie replied and left.

"Good luck, Valerie." Danny said and then noticed his friends. "What?"

"Danny, I've seen her in a swimsuit!" Tucker commented. "Don't look at me like that. My point is: she's got a good chance at winning!"

"Is she afraid being a Princess would be seen as unfair advantage?" Sam teasingly asked.

"Actually, she doesn't seem much, if any fonder of that pageant as you are, Sam." Danny replied.

"Okay, that just increased my respect for her." Sam commented, glad to know there's another girl who saw pageants for the wastes of time she thought they were. "May I get her phone number? I'd like to see if she's willing to organize a demonstration with me."

"Sam, Natasha and I already have a date for the contest's night." Danny replied. "And I don't think she'd risk deportation or whatever it's called when done to foreign exchange students."

"Fair enough but I'm still demonstrating." Sam said.

"And I'm still looking for a contestant who needs a manager." Tucker added but his friends decided to ignore his comment.

During the day of the pageant, Danny and Natasha were back at the minigolf course in Zoravia, Illinois having a great time. "Nice hole in one, Danny." Natasha commented.

"You're not that bad either, Natasha." Danny replied as both of them had just finished the King Hector hole.

"Thank you, Danny." Natasha replied.

"So, is it true that last year your Uncle disguised himself as part of a plan to get the million dollars from that year's pageant?" Danny asked.

"Ugh, the worst part is being forced to be near that contest place." Natasha commented.

"So, you've been assigned to stop Lubek." Danny replied, not being too clueless to connect the dots.

"Dammit." Natasha said. "I shouldn't let you know that."

"Your secret is safe with me but, why do you hate those pageants?" Danny asked.

"I hate the idea of showing off to let people decide if I'm the most beautiful or not." Natasha answered. "At least when I'm posing for posters, it helps Zoravian economy."

"Okay." Danny replied. 'I never thought Natasha only saw those posters as part of royal duties instead of something she enjoyed doing.'

"So, Danny, I'm grabbing a bite." Natasha said. "Do you want some? My treat!"

"Thanks." Danny and replied and Natasha bought some snacks. "So, Natasha, given what I know about you, I expected you to use a more formal vocabulary." Danny commented, surprised that a Princess could be so informal.

"Foreign exchange student or not, a teenager must know how to blend in." Natasha replied, implying it was about being a secret agent or at least that's how Danny took her reply. Her booferphone then rang and she received the usual "You've got an alert" message. Except that, instead of coming from her father or the General, it came from Oleg. "Oleg?"

"Natasha, the pageant's being attacked by ghosts!" Oleg shouted in despair.

As soon as Danny found a place to transform, he went ghost and flew away. Not wanting to be left behind, Natasha went somewhere to change into her secret agent suit and went after him. 'I'm buying myself a motorcycle as soon as I get a license to drive it.' The Princess thought.

Meanwhile, at the stadium, ghosts led by Spectra and Aragon were rounding up the contestants. "I don't understand, Aragon." Spectra commented. "I was sure Danny Phantom's girlfriend would be in this pageant like the other girls."

"Like I told you, Lady Penelope, no real Princess would lower herself to such a plebeian level." Aragon replied. "I just agreed with our temporary alliance out of our mutual hatred for Danny Phantom. And it is King Aragon, mind you."

"Not since your sister dethroned you." Spectra maliciously reminded him. "You sound like a case of…"

"Save your psychology charlatanism for the captives, Lady Penelope." Aragon ordered. "Especially Danny Phantom's esquire. His desperation for a female companion must be like a full course for a ghost with your tastes."

"You don't know the half of it." Penelope Spectra happily replied and left.

"Your Majesty, what shall we do with those females?" One of Aragon's subordinates asked him.

"If we fail to take Princess Natasha of Zoravia from Danny Phantom, one of them will be my back-up bride." Aragon replied.

"Ha." A girl scoffed. "Princess Natasha isn't dating my ghost boy. She's dating Danny Fenton."

"No, he's dating a loser girl who happens to have the same name as Zoravia's Crown Princess." Another girl said.

"Stay out of it, Kelly." The first girl demanded.

"No, you stay out of it, Paulina." Kelly replied.

"Silence!" Aragon ordered. "Neither of you is demure enough to be my consort."

"Then let them go, Aragon, along with the others." Danny demanded as he revealed his presence.

"My ghost boy came to rescue me." Paulina said as she made a cute expression.

"I'm here to rescue everybody and I'm not your ghost boy, Paulina." Danny clarified.

"Here's my proposition." Aragon said. "You help me to regain my throne and I release these hostages."

"Here's my counterproposition." Danny replied. "You release them and I don't suck you into a Fenton Thermos."

"If you really want to spare them without helping me to regain my throne, let's settle it like gentlemen." Aragon said.

"What do you mean?" Danny asked with a frown.

"We'll have a duel." Aragon said. "If you win, I'll release them. If I win, you'll hand me over Princess Natasha so I can marry her and become Zoravia's next King."

"Natasha's not a prize to be delivered against her will." Danny replied.

"Coward." Aragon accused Danny. "I shall…"

"Fight me." A person in black demanded.

"Who are you?" Aragon asked. "I command you to identify yourself."

"I am a warrior sent here on orders from the King of Zoravia to fight threats to the Kingdom." The person answered. "By declaring your intentions towards his daughter, you became a threat. If you really want to settle this with a duel, fight me!"

"Challenge accepted." Aragon replied. Five minutes later, Aragon was surrendering. "I give up! I give up!"

"Then release the hostages as agreed, knave." Natasha demanded.

"Men, release them." Aragon ordered and his subordinates obeyed. "I gave my word. We now must leave but don't think you've heard the last of me, Phantom." He and his subordinates then left.

"Good work, Natasha." Danny complimented his girlfriend. "Now we can…" He said until he felt his ghost sense. "Uh-oh."

"Bertrand told me of what happened to Aragon." Spectra said as she showed up. "He might have given his word but I didn't give mine so say goodbye to your technology-obsessed friend."

Furious, Danny started shooting beams at Spectra, who simply ignored them. "Nice try but your friend's desperation feeds me to the point…" Spectra's speech was interrupted by Natasha grabbing her with anti-ghost gloves. "Now, Danny!"

Taking Natasha's cue, Danny sucked Spectra in a Fenton Thermos. Bertrand decided to flee.

The next day, Danny and Tucker told Sam about the incident. "Spectra and Aragon?" The goth asked in shock.

"Yeah, I was just as surprised as you are, Sam." Danny replied and told her about how Natasha defeated Aragon and later helped him defeat Spectra.

"So, how did that chauvinistic ghost feel about being defeated by a girl?" Sam happily asked. "Again."

"He doesn't know." Danny answered.

"I hope I get to be the one to tell him." Sam said.

"Be careful, Sam." Tucker said. "Desiree could be hearing you."

"I know." Sam replied. "That's why I'm not using the 'w' word."

"Good call." Tucker commented.

"So, who won the pageant?" Sam asked. "I hope it wasn't Paulina."

"The judges delayed the decision because of the ghost attack, Sam." Danny answered.

"A mere formality." Paulina said as she showed up. "They must know I'm the best since my ghost boy went there to rescue me. And don't be surprised I'm talking to you losers. News like that must be shared with everyone. And Fenton, would you believe those ghosts thought you were him?"

"What?" Tucker and Sam gasped and Danny feigned surprise. He wasn't very good but he was good enough to fool Paulina.

"I know, right?" Paulina asked. "Besides the obvious fact that Danny Phantom is a ghost and Danny Fenton isn't, Fenton's too lame to be my ghost boy. Bye, losers." She left.

"Ugh." Danny said. "At least the Guys in White can say 'prepubescent'."

'The more I'm reminded of how shallow Paulina is, the more I can conform with the fact Danny's dating Natasha.' Sam thought.

End chapter.