Chapter 18: Problematic Potions

"Somebody is in trouble. Somebody is in trouble!" Dash taunted Danny in singsong.

"What're you talking about, Dash?" Danny asked.

"Fenton, I respect you for all you do as Danny Phantom but your parents are inside Mr. Lancer's office right now." Dash told Danny.

"What?" Danny asked in shock.

"Don't worry, Danny." Tucker said. "I'm sure Mr. Lancer just wants reassurance your enemies won't attack the school looking for you. I just hope he doesn't ask about Skulker."

"You're not making me feel better, Tucker." Danny replied. "But don't worry. I know exactly why my parents are here and, unlike what Dash thinks, I'm not in trouble."

"Okay, Phantom." Dash said but then grew worried. "They're not here to get me in trouble, are they?"

At first, Danny would just tell what his parents were doing in Casper High but changed his mind. "I guess you'll have to wait to find out, Dash." He commented with a malicious smile.

"You're not having your future father-in-law's executioners cut off my head, are you?" Dash asked in worry.

"Dash, it's the twentieth-first century." Danny replied. "Nobody would do that with a minor nowadays and you don't live under Zoravian rule anyway."

"Alright but please don't get me in trouble." Dash pleaded.

"You'll have to wait, Dash." Danny replied. "Bye."

As Danny and his friends walked away, Sam was the first to speak. "You're not using royal power to get him in trouble, are you?" The goth asked. "Sure, he deserves it but he's not worthy an international incident."

"No, I won't." Danny said.

"But now I'm curious." Sam commented. "Do they have the death penalty in Zoravia?"

"I don't know, Sam." Danny answered.

"You should find out." Tucker suggested. "Sure, I know you're a C student but, you're dating that country's Crown Princess. You should know more about her homeland before you make a faux-pas."

"I'll think about that, Tucker." Danny replied.

Later on, the students were called for an assembly. "Attention, students." Principal Ishiyama said. "Danny Fenton's parents rented the school hall for his birthday party and all students are invited."

Practically everyone cheered.

"Since the event requires extra security due to the presence of a royal guest, all other invitees must bring proof of identity since said security includes guards who never met any of you before." Principal Ishiyama added.

"Danny, how much of this is being paid by Natasha?" Tucker jokingly asked. "Does that count as her gift?"

"Ha. Ha." Danny sarcastically replied.

"I know exactly what I'll give my ghost boy." Paulina commented with a dreamy expression.

"An autographed picture of yours?" Dash asked in return.

"How did you find out?" Paulina asked.

"Honestly, you're kinda predictable in Phantom matters." Dash answered. "And why do you still call him your ghost boy? I thought you accepted losing him to a Princess."

"Old habits die hard, Dash." Paulina explained. "Pardon the pun."

At the party night, everyone was enjoying the festivities. "I wonder what Natasha will give Danny." Tucker commented. "Zoravia's newest computer? Their newest PDA? Their newest boofer phone? Hopefully the whole shebang."

"Tucker, she's dating Danny, not you." Sam pointed out.

"Please, don't remind me." Tucker sadly asked.

Danny then filled a cup with punch and was about to drink it when a Zoravian guard stopped him. "Excuse me, Sir." The guard said. "I cannot allow a future consort of the Royal Family to drink it without being sure it's not poisoned." He then drank some.

"Is this really…" Danny stopped asking once he saw some guests falling asleep. "Are they?"

"I'm afraid somebody slipped some (yawn) sleeping potion in…" The guard tried to say but fell asleep.

Tucker, Sam and Jazz then approached Danny. "Danny, didn't you feel Nocturn around?"

"Who's Nocturn?" Natasha asked.

"A ghost who feeds on people's dreams…" Danny answered and felt his ghost sense. "And is likely here."

"You're correct, Danny Phantom." Nocturn said as he phased his way from the ground. "I was hoping you'd drink the punch before noticing the spiking but, what can we do?"

"Freeze, spook." Jack Fenton ordered as he pointed a bazooka at the ghost.

"How're you still standing up?" Nocturn asked in confusion. "My sleepwalkers put enough sleeping potion in that fudge to put an elephant to sleep."

"Hey!" Jack protested. "I might be a little overweight but I'm no elephant." He then fell asleep.

"If he's a little overweight, water is a little wet." Nocturn commented.

Danny then went ghost. "Wake everyone up!" He demanded. "Now!"

"You may defeat me, Danny Phantom, but they'll never wake up." Nocturn said.

"Oleg may synthetize an antidote later, Danny." Natasha said. "Just focus on defeating him!"

"Yes, Natasha." Danny replied.

Natasha and Oleg then filled some cups with the sleeping punch. "What do you think you're doing?" Sam asked with a frown.

"Collecting samples so Oleg can make an antidote." Natasha answered.

"Oh, that's actually a good plan." Sam commented after recovering from the shock.

Nocturn's sleepwalkers showed up and flipped the food table, spilling the remaining punch. "Tucker, take Oleg and the samples to the school's lab." Natasha ordered. "Jazz, Sam and I will stop the sleepwalkers."

"Yes, Princess." Tucker sincerely replied and guided Oleg away.

The fight's noise eventually attracted the guards stationed outside and they were surprised by what they saw. Fortunately, the guards distracted Nocturn long enough for Danny to weaken him and suck him into a Fenton Thermos. "Thank you." Danny told them.

"Just doing our duty, Sir." One of the guards said.

"So, what do we do now?" Jazz asked.

"We need people to guard the sleeping people until the antidote to Nocturn's problematic potion is ready and someone must check how Tucker and Oleg are faring." Natasha answered and Sam was impressed on how calm and collected the Princess was even in face of danger.

"We'll stand guard, Your Highness." The guards' leader volunteered.

"Good." Natasha said. "We'll go check on Tucker and Oleg." As she started walking, she noticed that, unlike Sam and Jazz, Danny wasn't following her. "Danny?"

"I'll stay here in case another ghost shows up." Danny said.

"Okay." Natasha said and the three girls left. Later on, everyone woke up.

"How was it like following a Princess' lead?" Tucker teasingly asked Sam.

"At least her main dress is purple instead of pink." Sam answered whole making a disgusting expression at the mention of 'pink'.

Danny was opening the gifts and was happy to receive a golden wristwatch from his girlfriend. "Thank you, Natasha." He said.

"You're welcome, Danny." Natasha replied.

He then opened the gift from Paulina. "An autographed picture?"

"Can't blame a girl for trying, my ghost boy." Paulina replied.

Tucker then approached the shallow cheerleader. "Paulina, you should settle for some available boy." He suggested. "Myself for example."

"Thank you, Foley." She replied. "You've just reminded me that there are worse things than not having a boyfriend at all."

"Ha!" Dash laughed. "Good one, Paulina!"

A guard then showed up. "Good news, everyone." The guard announced. "The replacement buffet already arrived."

"I'll have the fudge!" Jack shouted, prompting his wife and kids to roll their eyes.

End chapter.

Answer to Leonardo (Guest): Sim, adorei a viagem. O discurso provavelmente entraria por um ouvido e sairia pelo outro.