Chapter 12: The Lair of the Wendigo

The flight between the two was silent. It was the middle of the night and it was bitterly cold.

It was eerily quiet as Dani wore the goggles, using them to track down the mist.

"Anything yet?" Danny asked.

"Not yet but I think we're getting closer…" Dani answered.

As they continued to search, there was an awkward silence between them, and they both knew why.

He's gonna bring it up, isn't he? Dani thought.

We better talk about it. Her brother thought, before sighing and deciding to be upfront here.

"So… what was all that about?" Danny asks.

"What do you mean? I'm wearing the goggles to track those things, after all." Dani went.

"I'm not talking about that, I'm talking about how you acted with Nat." Danny said, arms crossed and looking disappointed in her.

Hearing that put a sad look on her face. She knew that she couldn't get out of this and decided to come clean.

"I'm sorry...I guess...I was just...afraid." Dani started. "After you and Sam broke up, I felt bad but at least we got to spend time together. But Jazz unintentionally put it in my mind that if you met someone new, then I'd barely got to see you and then you were not gonna spend time with me anymore. I was scared that Nat was gonna take away the first real family member I ever had."

Hearing that made Danny, though still upset, look at her with a more sympathetic look in his eyes.

He knew that Dani is very young, and had gone through a lot in her very short life, so it made sense how attached she can get.

"Dani, we're family. No matter who I meet and date or spend time with, you're a big part of my life and nothing will ever change that..." Danny said.

"Really?" Dani asked as he nodded.

"Yeah, I mean it. We'll be okay but I think you need to try and make some more friends your own age..." Danny said. Dani wanted to say something but he cut her off. "Dani, I know that you're afraid but you can't just stick to just me, Jazz and Mom and Dad. We have lives outside the house too, after all. Well, maybe not Dad, but he's a bad example..." He explained.

Dani sighed.

"I guess so..." She said, choosing not to look at him as she let his words affect her.

As they flew away, she thought back to the first night she became part of the Fenton family.

Flashback

Danielle was before Jack and Maddie. She was nervous while the couple still looked at her in awe and growing fascination.

They're gonna hate me… I just know it. Danielle thought, feeling nervous and afraid.

There was silence for a moment before the couple finally spoke up.

"You know, you have my grandmother's name..." Maddie said, looking at her with a rather scientific view.

"You're the spitting image of Maddie from the family photos she showed me at that age." Jack said, scratching his chin.

Danielle felt wary around them, unsure how to respond to that.

"So, where are you planning to go tonight?" Maddie asks.

"I don't know… I just came because Danny offered me something to eat." Danielle admitted.

"Well… I have an idea." Maddie said.

After giving her a clean set of clothes and something to eat, they began to talk and gave her an offer.

"What are you gonna do with me?" Danielle asks, feeling unsure.

"Where are you staying?" Maddie asks.

"Nowhere, actually. I usually just go...from place to place." Danielle admitted.

"Well then… in that case…" Maddie stood up and held her arms out. "You should live here from now on."

Danielle remained silent, looking stunned as Jazz came in and hugged her.

"Yes! I always wanted a sister!" Jazz went.

"B-But I don't exactly have a birth certificate! How will you guys legally let me live here?" She asks.

"Technically, many orphans have no birth certificate. Plus, I bet Tucker can pull some strings while he's still mayor." Danny said.

"Still?" Jazz asks.

"Yeah… he's gonna be stepping down. Making miniskirt Fridays a thing for the whole town was not popular…" Danny said.

"I wonder why…" Jazz said with an eyeroll.

Danielle wasn't paying attention to that, thinking more about what she was offered.

A home.

"Mr. and Mrs. Fenton…?" She asks.

"Don't be so formal… you'll be living here now. Besides, in a manner, we are your parents, so refer to us as family." Maddie insisted with a smile.

Danielle was still processing this, unfamiliar with the idea of a mother. However, she was being offered something she wanted more than anything. A home with a family.

"Okay… I guess I'll stay here… mother…" Danielle said, giving in.

Flashback over

Being reminded she had more than Danny to her life now, Dani started to think he might be right. However, her thoughts were cut off when she noticed the goggles beeping.

"Uh oh… looks like we found something!" She said.


In Amity Park

Sam had just left the Fenton home and was now on her way home.

However, her mind was still on what happened yesterday, with Kwan of all people.

Weird that I wasn't miserable with him of all people, given what happened last time. She thought, still surprised.

As she kept walking, she ended up crossing paths with the very person she was just thinking of.

"Sam?" Kwan asked.

Here we go… She thought.

"Uh, hi..." She went awkwardly.

"Hey..." Kwan said, looking oddly happy to see her.

I never saw Danny or Tucker smile like that after spending time with me. Then again, we're so used to each other.

"I had fun with you yesterday..." He said.

"Uh, yeah...I did too...surprisingly..." She said, not sure what else to say.

"Cool. Oh, and my friends are coming back today. They decided to come back early..."He said.

Sam's smile dropped.

"Seriously?"

"Uh… yeah?" Kwan went, not getting why she seemed disappointed.

"Still don't understand why you're even friends with them..." She muttered.

Kwan seemed surprised by her choice of words.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Never mind, it's nothing..." She said with a massive eye roll.

"Are you miffed right now? Cause you seemed a little miffed?" He asked.

The Goth girl frowned harder at hin.

"Why would I be miffed, much like the last time you asked me that?" She asked, arms crossed.

"That's what I'm asking. You seem miffed..." He said as Sam rolled her eyes. "Seriously, what's wrong?"

"Just confirmation there's less than meets the eye with you." Sam said, clearly upset but denying it before leaving.

As she left, Kwan rubbed the back of his head in confusion.

"What's eating her?" He wondered.


Meanwhile

The two Phantoms continued their flight, about an hour passed by now.

"Are we any closer?" Danny asks.

"A few more miles." Dani said, using the goggles to track the signature.

They continued to try and track down the wendigos. However, the long silence and flying for several miles has gone on for so long.

As they continued to fly and follow the signature, the ghost boy noticed something.

"Uh… Sis?" Danny went as he stopped.

"What?" She asks before Danny reaches in and pulls the goggles off so that she could see for herself. "WHOA!"

They saw a large lake, one that practically sparked in the moonlight.

"I think I heard of this place from a brochure. Lake… Mommy something." Danny said.

"I think it's Lake Mameigwess." Dani corrected him.

"So… where does the thing say we go?" Danny asks.

Dani takes the goggles from him, putting them on and seeing something.

"That way." She pointed ahead.

"On it..." Danny said as they continued to fly until they reached a location.

"Here." Dani said, holding a hand out to let Danny know to brake.

They arrived at a cave opening.

"Should we phase in?" Danny asks.

"That might speed up." Dani said.

"Then let's go." Danny responded.

Before they could go, they noticed something coming out of the cave.

'Whoa!" Dani whispered, as her brother stood in front of her.

"Another one?" Danny questioned, holding his arm out to keep Dani safe.

It was another wendigo, staring at them. They kept their guard up, the creature breathing heavily at them before scuttling back into the cave, motioning with a talon for them to get closer.

"Does it… want us to follow it?" Dani asks.

The elder Phantom contemplated what to do. He knew this must be a trap, as it was too similar to an experience in Kentucky. Still, it isn't attacking, which means a higher intelligence was in charge.

"Stay close." Danny ordered as they flew deeper into the cave.

With Danny using one hand to illuminate the area, the Phantoms stayed on guard as they followed the one creature.

As they flew into the cave, they noticed several paintings on the cave walls.

Paintings of the natives of the area, of small children playing, of men on the hunt, of women cleaning, and of the animals. All of them then took a dark turn in the presence of hunched creatures, likely the wendigos, with a cloud-like image with eyes observing them as it hovered over what looked like the lake. This suggested that whoever made these was warning any newcomer to leave the cave.

"Who made these?" Dani asks.

"Probably the Algonquin." Danny answered.

"But… what happened to them? The people who made these? Did they leave or…"

She couldn't finish as she saw something that made her gasp. Danny stopped to see just what it was. They both were silent when they saw it.

It was a half-buried human skull.

Dani grew pale, staring too long as Danny put a hand on her shoulder.

"Best not to think about it…" He said in an uneasy manner and he lightly pulled her along.

She didn't comment on it, not sure how to respond to what he said as she followed him.

They saw the wendigo hissing at them, seemingly angry they were taking too long. It then pulled a large boulder out of the way, revealing it was blocking some kind of entrance.

Danny was about to follow as Dani pulled on his arm.

"What if it gets worse in there?" She asks.

"Then it gets worse. At least we'll be able to phase out of the place." Danny reasons.

"Okay… I guess…" Dani said.

They entered as the wendigo creature pulled the boulder back in place.

They continued to follow the creature as they noticed something seemed off.

Danny picked up a scent, making a face at it.

"Ugh… at least we know these things need to learn how the bathroom works." Danny said, waving his hand in front of his face.

Dani sniffed the air.

"That's not what you think it is. It's sulfur." She explained.

"Sulfur?" Danny asks.

"Yeah. It's similar to rotten eggs or something burning at the same time." Dani explained.

"And you know what because…?" Danny asks.

"Places I've had to sleep in…" Dani said as she looked away.

"But why would a place like this, and in this weather, smell like that?" Danny asks.

Before Dani could answer that, they arrived at what seemed to be a large den of some kind.

The two Phantom's stopped in place.

"What's this?" Dani asks.

"I'm guessing we're in their lair." Danny reasoned.

They heard other hissing sounds in this room, alerting them of something else in this dark room. Increasing the intensity of the energy in his hand, Danny illuminated the room.

Crawling on the walls were other wendigos, some of the scrawny variety, others of the hairy type they had just faced. All of them, for some reason, were instead crawling away from them, as if someone or something already claimed the two as their prey.

"Now what?" Dani asks.

Before Danny could answer, a sound that soon was recognized as an evil laugh was heard.

"Well… looks like I'm dining in…" A voice went.

The two Phantoms flinched, surprised to hear a legible voice in this cave.

"Who said that?!" Danny asks, standing close to his sister to protect her from potential danger.

The two heroes tried to avoid making any noise as they continued to listen in on the creepy voice.

"I wonder what a half-human tastes like? I don't think I've ever had imitation human meat… but I think I can handle the taste…" It went, followed by a horrifying laugh.

The two Phantom's felt a shiver go up their spines by hearing this, Dani even held onto her brother.

"Danny?" Dani whispered

"Yeah?" Danny asked.

"I'm scared…" Dani admitted.

"I don't blame you…" Danny said.

A footstep was heard, followed by a scratching sound.

The two saw something coming into the room from a tunnel, something big.

What crawled out was an 8 foot tall creature with a skinny frame, what looked to be dark brownish fur, glowing red eyes and what looked to be a black mane on its back. It was definitely not human and most certainly not even an animal.

It had a face not unlike the revenants, only with hair and blazing red eyes, along with a mouth of dirty teeth twisted into a terrifying grin.

"Finally…" It went, licking its teeth in anticipation.

"Holy hot chocolate! Is that another person turned by the Wendigo?" Dani asks as she pulls away in horror.

Danny put the goggles on, seeing the signature emanating from the entity. That same strange, dark aura that the mist had.

"No Dani…" He said as he pulled the goggles off. "I think that's the actual Wendigo itself."

The Wendigo, now in their presence, made a guttural chuckle at the sight of the two.

"I finally have you here, Danny Phantom. I've been waiting long enough for this…" The Wendigo said, making a crushing gesture with one claw.

Hearing his name caught Danny's attention.

"Hang on… how do you know my name?" Danny asks.

"No more talk! I'm hungry for meat! And… revenge!" The Wendigo shouted before lunging at the two.

The claw was pulled back before swinging in an arc over its head.

Thinking fast, Danny pulled Dani with him as he jumped out of the way. The claw pierced into the ground, the owner of it laughing evilly.

Letting her little sister and sidekick go, Danny nodded to her as the two readied their blasts together.

"Take this! It's not mouthwash, but you need it!" Danny said as they sent their combined attack at the creature..

The Wendigo responded by leaping backwards, avoiding the collected attack.

"HA! Is this the best you can do? Your aim is pathetic!" The beast mocked.

As if in response, Danny swung his arm to send a wave of energy as an attack. In response, the Wendigo hopped over it as if it were jump rope, grinning evilly right after.

Thinking this creature will require more than just the two of them, Danny took Dani by the hand and flew to the wall.

"Come on!" Danny said as he tried to phase through the cave walls.

However, to his surprise and displeasure, he found himself pressing on something that rippled with red energy.

"Danny?" Dani asks as she tries as well, failing as she pressed into the wall.

"What the heck?" Danny asks as they regain tangibility.

"Magic…" The Wendigo answered, getting their attention. "Did you really think I'd bring you here and not find a way to keep you here?"

''Darn it..." Danny said, realizing that they were trapped.

His thoughts of how to get out were cut off when he noticed one of the former humans started crawling towards him.

Both Phantoms pulled away, their attention directed back to the Wendigo itself as she snickered loudly.

"They won't kill you… because I want you all to myself!" The Wendigo said with an evil smile.

"What exactly makes me so tempting to kill?" Danny asks.

"You cost me my tasty meat!" The Wendigo said angrily.

"Uh… what?" Danny asks before shaking his head. "Y'know what? Not curious enough…"

Danny then flew at the Wendigo, pulling his arm back for a punch.

Grinning once more, the Wendigo pulled its claw back, ready to slash.

The two collided, fist connecting with jaw, claw swiping shoulder.

Danny hissed in pain, pulling away as the Wendigo snickered, sniffing his finger that was now wet with green ectoplasm. He made a face that indicated disgust, finding it unappetizing.

"Hmm… doesn't smell as good as I thought… but I bet knocking out back into changing back with black hair will be more appealing!" The Wendigo said.

Grossed out by hearing that, Danny shook his head and continued the fight.

He swung his fist, only for the Wendigo to quickly avoid it, appearing to Danny's right with supernatural speeds. Danny, however, continued to try to land a single blow on the beast, but the Wendigo kept avoiding those attempts, laughing mockingly each time.

Dani, meanwhile, wondered how to get involved as she turned her head and noticed how much deeper the cave is.

"Maybe there's another way out…." She suggested before noticing how the fight was going.

Danny was grabbed by the neck and pushed downward, pressed into the ground.

Despite his struggling, he found himself unable to break free or phase out.

"Hey! What's going on?! I can't go intangible!" He shouted in anger.

"I prepared myself for this… magic in my hands that keeps you from phasing out of my grasp… Now…"

The Wendigo bared his teeth and was ready to bite down.

Dani then flew in with a kick, making the Wendigo let go of Danny in response as it swung back. Her actions were distracting the Wendigo long enough for the two to fly away from him, heading deeper into the cave.

Undaunted, the Wendigo grinned.

"Find them!" He said to his transformed victims.


The two flew deeper into the cave.

"Any chance he only casted the spell in that room?" Dani asks.

Danny turned his hand intangible and tried to phase it through the cave walls, only for his hand to press and see ripples of red energy.

"No… I think he did it to the whole cave." He said.

As Dani shook her head, she noticed something ahead.

"I think something's glowing over there." She said as she pointed ahead.

Danny turned his head and saw as well what she did. Around the corner led to a room, one where a pinkish-purplish glow was coming from.

Speeding up, the two made the turn, entering the room and seeing just what it was that emitted the glow.

Inside the room, littered with strange pink rocks that were giving off the strange glow. All of them were scattered around near a wall, making it almost seem like they came from that wall despite the stone not being native to the cave.

''Okay, this doesn't look suspicious at all..."Danny said sarcastically.

"What are these?" Dani asks as she picks one up.

"I guess that thing does some rock collecting." Danny reasoned as he walked towards the opening that they came from.

"Peculiar kind of rock, huh?" Dani asks as she observes what was in her hand.

Danny stopped in place, hearing one of her words.

"Peculiar…?" He asks under his breath as he begins pondering.

He recalled Rich mentioning something peculiar earlier, something about it being important enough to take now that he thought about it.

These rocks sure seem pretty peculiar. They don't look like they belong here… He thought.

"Danny?" Dani asks.

"Maybe… we should take these things as samples?" He suggested.

Before Dani could question him, they heard a screeching sound.

"Where are you?!" The Wendigo called out in a faux-playful tone as they heard loud scurrying. The Wendigo then jumped into view, giving a sinister grin. "There you a-"

His grin dropped upon seeing the rock in Dani's hand as Danny instinctively stood in front of her for protection.

Almost as if a switch was hit, the Wendigo's sinister grin was replaced by snarling rage.

"I'LL KILL YOU ALL!"

In that split second, he leapt off the ground, readying to claw Dani. In response, Danny stepped in and raised a hand to create a ghost shield, keeping the creature at bay.

The Wendigo attempted to claw his way through as Danny struggled to keep the shield up.

"What's wrong? Got a rock collection you're so protective of?" Danny asks snarkily with a smile.

"Don't toy with me! You've cost me flesh to consume already! Don't you take what I brought from my world!" The Wendigo shouted in anger.

"What in the heck are you talking about?!" Danny asks, struggling to keep the shield up.

"I stored months worth of flesh for the Summer! I used magic to preserve them in specially made cocoons… then YOU made the Earth intangible! You made them fall into the Earth's core!" The Wendigo shouted.

"Of course…" Danny muttered, rolling his eyes. "And another monster knows about me thanks to that…"

"But thanks to that one in the dark, I found out what you did and now I will have my revenge!" The Wendigo shouted with a vicious grin before pulling his left arm back.

"Wait, what'd you-"

Danny's question was cut off when the claw managed to break the shield, causing him to pull back.

Before the Wendigo could claw him, one of the rocks he was so protective of was thrown in his face as a distraction.

Danny turned his head to see it was Dani who threw it. She was also carrying a pile of the glowing rocks.

"We got plenty of samples." She said.

The Wendigo, shaking his head to ignore the hit, snarled at her.

"I'M NOT GOING BACK!" He shouted in anger.

"Going back where?" Danny asks as he keeps his arm out to shield Dani. "What are you?"

"I'm not a ghost, obviously. I'm also not a spirit like the primitive humans thought I was… I'm not even from this universe… those rocks contain energy from my universe… and I'm not letting anyone figure out how to break dimensions to send me back!" The Wendigo shouted.

That's when he backhanded Danny with enough force to slam him into the wall. He reached out to grab Dani, who threw the rocks she carried into his face, making him close his eyes and look away.

Thinking fast, Dani flew to her brother, pulling him off the wall.

"We gotta go!" She said.

Danny put a hand on his head and shook to clear his thoughts.

"Grab some rocks and let's find a way out." He said.

"Why?" Dani asked.

"Just do it!" Danny ordered, grabbing some rocks as fast as he could.

With a piercing screech, the Wendigo tried to charge at them again.

Thinking fast, Danny used his hands to create a powerful flash that blinded the Wendigo.

It worked, and Dani quickly grabbed some more glowing rocks, while the beast got angrier.

"DON'T TOUCH THOSE!" The Wendigo shouted as he crawled towards them on all fours.

Thinking fast, Danny saw a stalactite above, firing from his eyes to break it off.

It ended up being what the Wendigo collided with, long enough for the two to grab enough they could and fly away.

"Let's go!" Danny said he made the turn, Dani following him.

The Wendigo, snarling at first, screeched with enough volume to echo throughout the caves.

"FIND THEM! DON'T LET THEM GO!"


Flying as fast as they could, both Phantoms were looking left and right for openings.

Dani then turned her head, seeing several shapes scurrying in their direction.

"Uh… Danny?" She asks, directing his attention to what's behind them.

Thinking fast, Danny swung his arm, creating an ice wall to buy them time.

"Come on… I have an idea." He said as he took her arm and pulled around the corner.

The creatures resumed clawing, their large numbers being enough to break the ice and resume their hunt.

The revenants ran down the caverns, a select few going through the corner the two Phantoms went.

All of them passed by a specific rock, not seeing the seemingly discarded stones their master wanted back near it.

One revenant heard a gasp, causing it to pause. Turning its head, it looked at the rock, staring at it for a prolonged time. It slowly crawled on all fours before glaring at the rock, as if expecting to see something. Seconds passed before it finally turned its head and joined the hunt with its kin.

Once it was gone, that rock suddenly had two Phantoms leaning on it, sitting. Danny had his hand on his sister's mouth, letting out a small breath before letting her go.

"Why did you cover my mouth? We were already invisible." Dani pointed out.

"They don't just see us, they see motion. I didn't just want us to turn invisible, I wanted us to stay still so they wouldn't pick us up." Danny explained.

"You sure learned a lot about how to fight these things…" Dani said as she started picking back up the rocks.

"Yeah… but we managed to win against those things…" Danny said.

Dani stopped upon picking another rock up, hearing his choice of words.

"We?" She asks.

Danny shook his head.

"I… I managed to win." He lied, not wanting to give away what had happened.

Dani eyed him suspicious, not believing him before resuming her scavenging the rocks, deciding that escaping was more important.

"What now?" She asks.

"We get out of here… that thing is stronger and faster than its little army." Danny explained.

"How? We can't phase out of the cave." Dani pointed out.

Knowing her point, Danny thought of what to do before recalling something.

He recalled how he managed to blast a piece of the roof as a way to save himself and Dani and escape the Wendigo.

"Whatever spell he used to keep us from phasing out doesn't seem to work on shooting energy beams. Maybe we can blast our way out?" He suggests.

"Okay… but what if they come after us?" Dani asks, seeing a potential hole in his plan.

"I think… we'll have to shoot as hard as we can into their chests." Danny suggested.

"Their chests? Like vampires?" Dani asks.

"Yeah… Sam told me a thing or two about Wendigos before we left. We might need to destroy their icy hearts." He explained.

"That's why you aimed for that thing's chest…" She reasoned before an awful thought came to her mind. "But… those things used to be people."

"I know… but they're basically prisoners in their own bodies. Besides, you saw them… they're the undead now." He pointed out.

Dani made a face, looking away. She felt unsure of the idea. However, considering the situation, she knew they had little choice.

"Okay. Any idea where we can go to blow a hole?" Danny asks.

"Let's head back to that big room we met that thing in. It's not as cramped. Plenty of room for us to keep those things away." He suggested.


The Wendigo paced back and forth, snarling in anger.

"They just had to ruin my fun… the one in the dark didn't tell me how crafty they'd be. Still… it'll be worth it once I've ended his life." He said to himself.

As he resumed the pacing, his back was turned to the opening.

Two invisible Phantoms slowly hovered passed, holding hands and keeping quiet.

The Wendigo turned his head towards the opening, causing the two to pause.

Please look away… please look away… Danny thought.

Please look away… please look away… Dani thought, scared.

The Wendigo looked away, making the two think they were safe.

They resumed their escape attempt, hovering closer to getting away from view.

"By the way…" The Wendigo said as the two stopped. "Their eyesight has the same problem as I do… but I can smell your sweat… I can smell your fear."

With that, he turned his head and grinned at the two.

"RUN!" Danny shouted as the two flew away, not bothering to stay invisible anymore.

The Wendigo cackled as he managed to get from his location to where the two were in a second, landing on all fours and licking his teeth.

"The hunt is on!"


Both Phantoms arrived in the room they originally encountered the Wendigo. Danny fired a blast of ice, creating a wall to block off the room from the beasts.

"Do you think that'll hold him?" Dani asked.

"Not for long. We gotta hurry..." Danny said in an urgent tone of voice.

Nodding, Dani assisted him as the two flew to the rooftop of the room.

They prepared their attacks, aiming their hands at the rooftop and fired powerful streams of energy.

To their relief, it was working. In seconds, they were able to blast about 10 feet through the dirt.

However, before they could resume, the ice wall broke down.

The Wendigo stood above the chunks of ice, grinning victoriously and evilly.

"Did you think I'm as weak as the human revenants?" He asks with a cruel tone before pointing at the two.

With that, the revenant wendigos began crawling on the walls, all of them were snarling and an unpleasant sight for the two Phantoms.

"Tell me that's enough and we can phase through?" Dani asks.

Danny pressed a hand on the exposed dirt, trying to phase through but nothing.

"No good…" He said.

Before the wendigo's could attack them, the sound of an animal caught their attention.

The two Phantoms noticed something was in the shadows.

"Another wendigo?!" Dani gasped, seeing the figure starting to get closer.

Danny was about to attack it, but the creature stepped into the light and they saw that it was a deer.

Danny noticed it looked very similar to the deer he had been seeing, but brushed it aside.

"No, it's way too good looking to be one of those things..." Danny snarked.

Dani felt embarrassed and sighed in relief, but what happened next caught everyone off guard.

"Thank you for the compliment, though this is not what I always look like..." The deer said without opening its mouth.

Danny and Dani were nearly floored by what they just heard and from where.

"You talk?!" They both exclaimed.

"Yes, and I can also do more..." The deer said sarcastically.

The Wendigo raised his arm.

"Wait!" He shouted, causing his remnant army to pause. "I recognize that voice…"

The two Phantoms were still stunned, seeing this deer speak.

"Are you the same deer I've been seeing around?" Danny asks.

"I am… and I could sense you weren't natural. And, to my relief, you were after this foul monster…" The deer said.

"H-How? My ghost sense didn't go off, so I know you can't be a ghost..." Danny said, scratching his head..

"Are you an alien or something?" Dani asked.

"I am indeed a ghost, or at least very close to one, but I am not like the kind you might be familiar with..." The deer explained.

"What are you?!" Danny demanded.

The deer just bowed his head.

"I am called Achak! And now that I know where the beast dwells, I can leave this disguise..." The deer said as it now started to glow.

The creature then morphed, turning into a man. A man of clear Native American descent, with traditional Algonquin hunting gear for the winter, as well as sporting a fake deer skull and a staff. He pulled the fake skull off to glare hatefully at the Wendigo.

The Wendigo grinned once more in remembrance.

"Wait… I remember you… I'm not good with names or faces unless they've provoked me… but I never forget who provided me with a feast…" He said, licking his teeth maliciously.

Achak stared at the Wendigo with a burning hatred in his eyes.

"I have waited years for this…" He said before pointing his staff at the monster. "You will never claim another innocent again!"

"And who's gonna stop me?!" The Wendigo asks as a challenge.

"I am! I will make sure you starve!" Achak stated.

"HA! You couldn't stop me from what I did years ago! But don't worry… you already lost what I wanted from you a long time ago…" The Wendigo said with a snide tone.

Hatred grew from this mystery man as the two Phantoms watched on in growing confusion.

"Any idea what they're talking about?" Dani asks.

"Not a clue…" Danny admits.

That's when Achak looked up at the two Phantoms.

"You will want to go back the way you came. I will deal with this monster…"

"Huh?" Danny asks.

"After I'm done with you, I'll devour them and their family! You'll get to watch a repeat of what happened back then!" The Wendigo said in a malicious way, laughing sinisterly as he charged at him.

Achak scowled hatefully.

"Not again..." He said as he waved his staff, creating a sort of blue energy shield that protected him from the claws of the monster. "I will make sure of it!"

The Wendigo laughed it off.

"We should help him." Danny said.

"Should we?" Dani asks.

It was then they noticed the revenant wendigos still remaining in place. That's when their master was reminded of the two.

"Oh right… bring me those two so I can kill them myself!" The Wendigo ordered.

"No!" Achak shouted as he attempted to stab him in the chest.

With that, the revenants resumed their attempted assault, thus giving the two Phantoms an answer to their question.

"Guess the choice was made for us!" Danny went as the two flew in to aid the mystery ghost.

Achak's staff was caught, causing the Wendigo to swing him and toss him away, dropping something in the process. The wendigo grabbed the item in question, the fake skull, and grinned at it.

"You really worshiped these pathetic creatures that only barely taste better than humans… "He said, holding it like some trophy. "I think I'll keep it."

He then placed it on his head, wearing it like a helmet.

Achak, getting back up, glared angrily.

"How dare you desecrate that!"

"You should know by now that I-"

The Wendigo didn't have time to finish as both Phantoms flew in, kicking him in the back of the head, knocking him into the ground.

"Looks good on you! Too bad you were too busy showing it off!" Dani went with a grin.

The Wendigo snarled and was about to say something, but Danny kicked it again as he and Dani flew to Achak.

"You okay there?" Danny asked.

"I am well..." Achak said.

The Wendigo pushed himself back up, snarling with a killer grin on his face.

"Well, looks like I'm staining this new helmet of mine in your blood!" The Wendigo said before screeching at them.

With that, his revenants came scurrying after their intended prey.

Both Danny and Dani fired to keep them at bay as Achak held up his staff.

"I have the means to stop him once and for all. Do you trust me?" Achak asks.

"Of course not! We literally just met you!" Dani said, looking back with an "are you kidding me" look on her face before resuming her blasting.

"And do you think that?" Achak asks Danny.

Despite being wary of the stranger, the fact that they have a massive monster that was a bigger deal.

"Look, I'm still processing that you're not a deer, but I think that we can both agree that tall, stinky and ugly is the biggest threat here. So, truce?" Danny asked as he looked between his sister and this mystery figure.

Dani rolled her eyes.

"Fine… truce." She said.

"Truce..."He said as he shook Danny's hand, cementing them as temporarily as allies before giving a questioning look. "Where is the other one?"

That caught Dani's attention.

"Other one?" She asks.

"The other female, the one he is clearly attracted to." Achak asks.

Danny's eyebrows raised.

"Oh… Nat? She's… just a human." Danny said with a nervous laugh.

Achak raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you speaking like that?" Achak asks.

Seeing this, the Wendigo grinned as he raised his arm, making his revenants stop as he decided this was too good an opportunity.

"Yes… why are you talking like that?" He asks with a sinister tone before gesturing to Dani. "Why don't you tell your sister?"

Dani was confused as Danny grew nervous.

"I-It's nothing big she needs to know now!" He went, dropping his guard.

"What are you-" Dani begins her question before she's suddenly backhanded by the Wendigo, knocking her into the wall.

The impact causes her to fall unconscious, knocking her out.

"DANI!" Danny shouted as he tried to go to her.

The Wendigo managed to reach her before he could, pressing the girl into the wall with his claw as she stirred awake, gasping in horror as the Wendigo then stared her in the eye.

"Aww… I see it… a selfish desire to keep your brother all to yourself… just like how he's selfishly hiding his new girlfriend from everyone…" The Wendigo went in a faux-cheerful tone.

"Danny! What is he talking about?!" Danielle asks as she tried to claw her way out of the monster's grip.

The ghost boy felt like he was between a rock and a hard place and tried to think fast. However, the sight of Danielle in the monster's grip made him lose interest in hiding it any longer.

"I… I…" He gave in. "I fought this thing with Ember! And she kissed me! And… I kissed her back too!" Danny said, looking guilty and self-He was embarrassed before sighing in defeat.

It took a moment, but his little sister looked outraged to hear this.

"Seriously?! It's not bad enough you're seeing this new girl, but you're also cheating on her?!" Danielle asks.

"I'm not cheating on her! Ember was messing with me!" Danny went.

"So… you don't like her?" Danielle questions.

"I-I… I don't know… maybe? This whole thing is super confusing and this is the worst possible time for this!" Danny went.

The Wendigo inched closer to continue staring Danielle in the eye.

"I beg to differ…" The Wendigo said as his eyes glowed.

Danny then flew in as fast as he could, punching the Wendigo in the head, making him let Danielle go.

It hissed as the two siblings shared an awkward silence.

"You should discuss your issues later… we must escape now as it is time for my means of stopping this beast, once and for all." Achak stated.

With that, the two nodded.

Danielle morphed as they stood their ground.

"What now?" Dani asks.

"This..." Achack said, as he placed his staff in the ground. "Keep them occupied as I perform the chant."

As he quietly recited his chant, both Phantoms nodded as they fired a joined blast. They hit the Wendigo, sending him crashing into many of his revenants.

Two of the revenants managed to reach the two, causing Danny to react by blasting one in the chest as powerfully as he could, causing it to fall on the ground.

One grabbed Dani by the leg. Reacting in horror, she did as Danny himself stated. She used her foot to fire a blast into the chest of the creature as powerfully as she could. The end result created a large cavity in the chest, causing its grip to loosen the monster to fall.

The two's ghost senses kicked in as blue lights lifted out of the dissolving bodies, leaving in the direction of the exit.

Danny quickly noticed Dani shuddering, realizing how that did not seem to go well with her.

"Dani?"

She didn't respond. It was either because she was still upset about him hiding what happened with Ember or what she just did had a worse effect than he thought.

"It is done!" Achak went, no longer reciting his spell.

With that, the staff began to glow blue before a flash of energy occurred. Nothing seemed to happen as Achak motioned for the two to follow him.

He ran as the two flew.

The Wendigo pushed revenants out of the way as he approached the staff.

"What is this? A new lamp?" He asks incredulously as he tries to grab it, only for a shock to his hand to occur. "OW!" He went, pulling away. "That… that sore loser… GET THEM!" The Wendigo loudly ordered.


Achak ran as the two Phantoms flew by his side. They could hear inhuman screeches getting closer as the two shortened the distance between them as their new ally.

"Can't you just fly?" Danny asks.

"I cannot…" Achak said.

"A ghost who can't fly? How's that a thing?" Dani asks.

"As you of your era say… long story." Achak said as he raised his arms.

Both shrugging at each other, Danny picked Achak up, allowing them to speed up.

The arrived at the boulder that was used to block off the entrance. Dani pushes it out of the way for them as they manage to get out.

"Let me down here." Achak demanded, much to Danny's confusion.

"What's going to stop them coming after us, exactly?" Danny asks

"Just do it." Achak insisted.

Rolling his eyes, Danny did so.

They face the entrance to the deeper caves as they see a horde of revenants closing in.

"What's gonna keep them from attacking us?" Dani asks as she and Danny raise their glowing fists.

Suddenly, one revenant seemed to have hit some kind of barrier as blue ripples of energy from where its head made contact occurred.

Both Phantoms were surprised as Achak sighed in relief.

"That is what." He said.

"A… ghost shie- I mean, wendigo shield?" Danny asks.

"It does more than shield…" Achak stated as he pointed to the revenants.

As soon as the revenant hit the barrier, it then fell to the cave floor as if it had shut off. The others did the same, seemingly turning off.

"Huh?!" The two went

All of the revenants were now on the floor, seemingly turned off. The Wendigo itself came running on all fours before noticing that his underlings were not moving. He was about to attack the three when he too hit the barrier, making him pull back.

"What just happened?!" He questioned.

"The spell I've waited years for worked…" Achak answered him.

"What?!" The Wendigo questioned.

"You cannot escape… and as long as you're in there, your control over you revenants is canceled out. I will wait out until you have starved. If that does not end you, I will." Achak stated clearly.

Although angered, the Wendigo sneered at him.

"So… you're not going to find out which one it is?" He asks, gesturing to the revenants.

Achak's glare became more hateful before sighing out the nose in defeat.

"I have waited a long time to be rid of you and take back what you took from me… I can wait longer." He answered, looking upset before turning his back and walking away.

Danny and Dani noticed this, following him as the Wendigo laughed at him.

"None of you have seen the last of me! I'll hunt you all down! Especially you, Danny Phantom!" He declared before resuming his insane laughter.

Once the two left the cave entirely, reaching the outside and out of the monster's view, the two Phantoms noticed how quiet Achak was.

"What was he talking about?" Danny asked.

The spirit ignored him, choosing not to explain what just occurred.

"Thank you. The world will be free of this evil thanks to you..." Achak said.

"Uh...no problem..." Danny said, rubbing the back of his head as he was still in the dark over what he saw.

"Yeah, it's what we do." Dani said, smiling with an equally unsure look on her face.

"So...how long is he gonna be in there?" Danny asked, worried that it would not be permanent.

"My spell is meant to last about a year or so… We can only hope that the beast will starve by then and no longer be alive or at least able to defend himself..." Achak said, glaring in the direction of the cave.

"So… does that mean no one else can get in?" Danny asks.

"No… I must locate all of the potential openings and seal them…" Achak said as he walked away. "I will stand guard until the day comes where I may end this monster's reign… forever…"

As he resumed walking, the two Phantoms were now alone.

Recalling what had happened, Danny avoided eye contact as Dani cleared her throat.

"So… about you and Ember?" Dani asks.

"Can we… discuss this back at the cabin? I kind of don't want to be here right now." He answered.

Looking at both the cave entrance and at Achak slowly disappearing over the hill, Dani nodded in agreement.

"Fine… this place is giving me the creeps too." She said.

With that, both Phantoms left. Though the ending was bittersweet, at least a victory seemed to have occurred.


New chapter with help from Flower princess11.

Now we meet the actual Wendigo and what it is he wants from Danny.

But is it truly over now? We shall see...

Also, feel free to share this story and the first one, as well as add to the tv tropes page.

RonaldM40196867: Most likely. Probably no need. He didn't think to wait until he was alone with his parents. Maddie. No. Realizing who the bad guy really is. No comment. No crossovers here. We shall see. Maybe later. Probably not. No questions involving other stories, please ask me in the other Stranded stories.

Luiz4200: Yup.

Invader Johnny: Yup.

danifan3000: Maybe. Did she call her something?

SuperiorBatman1: Thanks.

Leonardo: Maybe, i don't know yet.

Khy Dragon: Thanks.