Chapter 6: Something's Still Rotten in Zoravia
"Danny, I still think you shouldn't go." Sam insisted.
"Sam, I understand your worries but what's the odds there'll be a ghost attack during the second time in a row I'm out of town?" Danny asked.
"With fruitloops like Vlad around, too high for my taste." Sam answered.
"Point taken, Sam." Danny conceded. "But don't worry. That's why I'm letting you and Tucker borrow anti-ghost weaponry."
"Hopefully, once Paulina sees me in action, she'll transfer her crush on you to me!" Tucker hopefully declared, earning a glare from his friends. "What? It's not like Mr. Already-Has-a-Girlfriend would still want Paulina to crush on him."
"I already didn't want it before meeting Natasha anyway." Danny replied.
"Honestly, Tucker, I don't know who's the most immature between you and Paulina." Jazz commented.
"If you offer therapy for couples, I can bring Paulina for a session so you can find out." Tucker suggested.
"Never mind, Tucker." Jazz replied. "I don't think it'll be necessary."
'Good one, Jazz.' Danny and Sam thought.
"In short, Danny, there's no reason to worry about anything other than causing a good impression to your girlfriend's parents." Jazz said. "And even that mustn't be too hard. It's not like they're the King and the Queen of Zoravia."
Danny, Tucker and Sam could mentally hear a badum crash sound.
Eventually, Danny took a plane to the Kingdom of Zoravia, where he was amazed at the sight. 'A mix of old and new indeed.' Danny thought as he saw modern buildings and the real Turquoise Palace. At the airport in Zoravia, he was amazed at how crowded it was. 'Tucker did tell me this Kingdom attracted tourists but I didn't expect this many.' Danny thought. 'I wonder if there are more than usual because of the Booferfruit harvest.'
Looking around, Danny found a car with two people holding a sign with his name on it. Remembering Natasha's instructions, he didn't tell them how he became a Royal Family's guest and assumed they didn't know anything about it until they brought it up. As he approached them and identified himself, one of them held a picture to confirm he's really Danny Fenton and, once all doubts were settled, he was allowed in the car. "Sorry about it not being an official car." One of them said as the other drove the car. "His Majesty didn't want it publicly known you're a Royal guest."
"I'm okay." Danny replied. They soon arrived at the Turquoise Palace, where he was directed to a room where Zoravia's Royal Family was waiting for him with some snacks. Danny was soon aware of how too casual he seemed in comparison to them. He knew Natasha was a Princess but it was the first time he saw her dressed as one outside pictures. "Welcome to the Turquoise Palace, Daniel Fenton." King Carl said and Danny remembered to show reverence as Natasha instructed him. "You may rise, young man."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Danny humbly replied, afraid of how the King would take it if Danny asked him to call him 'Danny' instead of 'Daniel'.
"Don't be shy." Queen Lena softly said. "Please, take a seat and have a snack."
Danny thought he'd have to wait until the King started to eat like how guests at Buckingham had to wait until the Queen did it but, since the Queen allowed it, he accepted the invitation. "Daniel, what do you know about the Booferfruit Harvest?" King Carl asked.
"Your Majesty, I know it happens once every year and, if the climate agrees, the booferfruits are tasty in spite of what the smell suggests." Danny answered, still afraid of offending Natasha's parents. "Is it true it smells like a yak's…"
"Yes!" The three Royals answered, not wanting Danny to finish that phrase.
A man in a military outfit approached Danny and his hosts. "I beg your pardon, Your Majesties, but I must inform you that we still haven't found a volunteer for the harvest."
"Volunteer?" Danny asked, not knowing that detail about the harvest.
"Yes, Danny." Natasha explained. "Every year, a volunteer takes a bite of a booferfruit and tells the people if it tastes good or not."
"In that case, may I be the volunteer?" Danny offered, shocking everyone.
"Daniel Fenton, this is a serious compromise." King Carl sternly stated. "Unless you're willing to stay here for the harvest even if it turns out there's a ghost attack, you'd better rescind your offer immediately."
"I'm sure Amity Park will be safe for now." Danny replied and then realized what just happened. "Does he know…"
"Yes, Daniel." King Carl replied. "The General is aware of everything my spies report."
"Young man, your bravery shall never be forgotten." The General declared.
"I'm not gonna die from a bad booferfruit, will I?" Danny asked, worried about how everyone's reacting to his offer to taste them.
"No, but be ready to spend your year's allowance on mouthwash." King Carl replied.
"Ewwwwwwww." Danny replied.
"My husband's just kidding, Daniel." Queen Lena said. "The Kingdom will provide you the mouthwash free of charge if the booferfruit fails the taste test."
"Has it happened before, Your Majesty?" Danny asked the Queen.
"I've only seen it happen once, and the rest of that day is something I'd rather forget." Queen Lena commented.
Meanwhile, back at Amity Park, Tucker and Sam were fighting Skulker. "You'll be perfect bait for the whelp." The Ghost Zone's self-proclaimed greatest hunter said and was then attacked by Jack Fenton.
"No ghost harms the friends of the son of Jack Fenton!" Jack proudly declared.
"Thank you, Mr. Fenton." Tucker said.
"You're welcome." Jack replied. "And you and the goth did a good use of those ghost weapons. Have you thought about becoming professional ghost hunters? We could finally stop that putrid Danny Phantom."
Back in Zoravia, King Carl kept questioning Danny. "So, Daniel, what'll you do if your superheroing gets in the way of your desire to become an astronaut, or of your life and intentions with my daughter?"
"Dad, don't rush things." Natasha asked her father.
Danny was surprised Natasha wasn't required to be more formal than that while addressing the King. "Your Majesty, I understand your concerns. I cannot promise you anything right now but I hope Amity Park will no longer need me by the time I become either an astronaut or anything else that keeps me too occupied to defend my home town." Danny believed it to be too soon for him to openly entertain the possibility of becoming Zoravia's Prince Consort.
"That answer satisfies me." King Carl said. "For now."
During normal circumstances, the only people in America watching the Booferfruit Harvest would be those living in Zoravia, Illinois, but there were at least two places outside that town with people in America watching it that year: Fentonworks, since Jack, Maddie and Jazz wanted to see their son/brother; and Sam's mansion, where she and Tucker were watching it. "Jack, why is Danny's girlfriend dressed like she's a Princess?" Maddie asked her husband.
"I don't know, Mads." Jack answered.
"Wait a minute!" Jazz exclaimed and picked up a book on Zoravian history she acquired to learn more about where her potential sister-in-law came from. "That's became she is Zoravia's Crown Princess!" She exclaimed and pointed at a picture. "There's a picture of her with her parents at the opening of a Children's Hospital."
"I can't believe it!" Maddie said, surprised a Princess visited her family's home and she didn't even know it.
"Ha!" Jack was proud. "Even royalty cannot resist the Fenton charm! Jazzypants, you could see if she has any brothers around your age!"
"Uh, Dad, there's nothing here to suggest King Carl and Queen Lena have any other children, my age or not." Jazz uneasily replied.
"Tough luck, Jazz." Jack commented.
Meanwhile, people in the Kingdom of Zoravia were surprised a non-Zoravian would taste the booferfruit that year. "Are they really trusting an outsider with this task?" A citizen asked.
"For as long as it's not me there." The previous year's "volunteer" commented and everyone who heard him agreed with the sentiment. As much as they hated the idea of an outsider being the volunteer, they hated the idea of being the volunteer themselves even more.
Danny tasted the booferfruit and gave a signal of approval, to everyone's delight. The next day, the Fentons were at the Zoravia, Illinois, airport to pick up Danny. "Welcome back, son." Jack said and then looked around. "Uh, didn't your girlfriend come with you?"
"She took another flight, Dad." Danny explained.
"Did King Carl decide you're not good enough for his daughter?" Jazz teasingly asked her brother.
"I don't think so since he didn't keep her from returning to…" Danny answered but stopped as he realized what they were saying. "No, I mean…"
"Danny, we watched Princess Natasha on TV during the harvest." Maddie said. "Our only doubt was if you already knew or not."
"Can we discuss it at home?" Danny asked.
At Fentonworks, Danny told his family the cover story he was instructed to tell in case they found out Natasha was a Princess. "Let me get this straight." Maddie said. "Are you saying Princess Natasha wanted to know if she could be liked by people who didn't know she's a Princess and, out of all places in America, she chooses the town most likely to recognize her?"
"Yeah, I have trouble believing that part as well, Mom." Danny honestly answered. Had he not known from the very beginning it was a lie, it'd be his major clue.
"Her case would be a great topic for therapy." Jazz commented.
"Don't! You! Dare!" Danny demanded.
"Don't worry, son." Jack said. "I'm sure she's just kidding. And besides, we now must invite her for a dinner so she'll know the Fentons know how to treat Royalty."
"Dad, I don't think it's necessary." Danny replied. He was afraid his parents would scare away Natasha and he knew how brave she was.
"Nonsense, Danny." Maddie said with a smile. "The last time Natasha visited us was before you and her became a couple."
Danny knew he lost that fight. "Alright. At least let me tell Tucker and Sam you now know the truth."
"They knew?" Jack was shocked.
"It was Tucker who first figured out she's a Princess, Dad." Danny explained. He then video-called Tucker and Sam during a Doomed session.
"So, your parents watched you on TV and found out the truth about You-Know-Who?" Sam asked.
"Voldemort?" Tucker asked while giggling.
"No time for jokes, Tucker." Danny said. "My family saw Princess Natasha on TV. Who knows who else watched her."
"Danny, who else in Amity Park would watch that for either you or Natasha?" Tucker asked.
"Point." Danny replied.
Meanwhile, at the O'Brien's home, Greg was talking to Natasha. "Odd." He commented. "I've seen your boyfriend on TV but not you."
"I was wearing what I usually do back in the Kingdom of Zoravia, Greg." Natasha replied.
"Then it's probably a good thing I didn't recognize you in a crowd of people wearing lederhosen." Greg commented. "I can't picture you wearing it without looking ridiculous."
"Whatever." Natasha replied and went to her room. 'I can't believe I used to have a crush on this guy.' She thought in disgust.
"Anyway, did Princess Natasha ask about me?" Greg eagerly asked.
"No, Greg." She answered, still surprised he hasn't figured it out.
"Whatever." Greg said. "She probably doesn't even know you exist."
End chapter.
Author's Note: The booferfruit video is something from the Princess Natasha episode "Something's Rotten in Zoravia".
Answer to Leonardo (Guest): A idéia tem potencial mas não sei se vou usá-la.