CyberActors15: Hey guys sorry for the delay. It's been a rough couple of months for me which is why this Chapter was delayed. But here it is so let's not waste time and get into it.

Chapter 10: The Hero's Return

Despite the appearance of an evil spirit and Phantom's clear instructions to get inside where the storm couldn't reach them, no one actually cleared the area. They were stuck in awe of the sudden storm and the appearance of the storm spirit.

Phantom cursed to himself as he floated in the air. These people had no self-preservation skills. Maybe that's what happened when you were the cushy nobles who didn't participate in the war. Or perhaps they didn't know how dangerous the threat was. Danny wasn't sure how they didn't get a clue when a dark purple spirit with pulsing veins of power, a monstrous jaw, lightning rippling across its body and strom black eyes that promised death descended from the dark clouds.

Phantom's eyes began to glow a brighter green as a green shield appeared around him. Fine if these guys wanted to stay and watch the show then he'd have to focus on keeping them alive and beating the snot out of the bad guy.

He shot into the air as the shield continued to spread outward from his body. By the time he was above the school a green ghost shield was covering the entire Royal Fire Academy for Girls. Just in time too as hail stones the size of baseballs had started pelting against the shield while lightning struck around the area. The shield wouldn't hold for long against that type of punishment. Phantom was strong not that strong, so he'd have to make this quick.

"Hey! The weather report called for sunny skies!" Phantom yelled. "So how about you take your gloomy weather and go somewhere else!"

"Liars! Betrayers!" The storm spirit yelled, its voice distorted with fury. "You take my gifts and you do not honour your promises."

"Okay, I can tell that you're pissed off about something. How about we talk this through with a good old…" Danny began only to narrowly avoid a strike of lightning. "Or we could fight, works for me."

Phantom's hands began to glow with green ecto energy and he grinned. He had missed this.

~00000~

Standing on the top of the tallest building of the Royal Fire Academy for Girls was a single spectator as he waited for the guests he had invited to join him. The spectator was Avatar Szeto, who had decided to return from the Spirit World.

His eyes looked up towards the sky where the interesting young man had just been struck by lightning.

"You called me here Szeto?" An Air Nomad spirit asked as she appeared beside him.

"You Yangchen was invited as well." A Water Tribe spirit said as he appeared next to the Air Nomad. The Air Nomad couldn't help but feel shame upon the appearance of her successor.

"Yangchen, Kuruk, thank you for coming," Szeto said, not taking his eyes off the battle in the skies. "I believe you met that spirit,"

"That's Narukami," Yangchen commented. "Or he should be, his form is different,"

"He's become a dark spirit," Kuruk said. "Let me guess, another mess you created?"

Yangchen fell silent, knowing the torture she had inadvertently inflicted on Kuruk's life due to her inability to properly handle spiritual affairs. Unlike most other Avatars, Kuruk died young at thirty-three years old because a small part of his spirit broke every time he killed a dark spirit that tried to force its way into the the physical world. Ultimately a cruel, vicious and ancient spirit named Father Glowworm would come to end him and although Kuruk survived that fight, he didn't survive for much longer after that.

It was the reason the Spirit World was typically bare wherever Kuruk went after his death.

"Kuruk, I didn't ask you to come here to fight with Yangchen," Szeto said. "Look towards the sky and tell me what you see?"

"That young man is fighting against Narukami? How?" Yanchen asked.

"I encountered this young man recently. He's an enigma who claims to have been born in the Spirit world." Szeto said. "He also seems to possess strange abilities,"

"Strange is underselling it," Kuruk said.

~00000~

The shield was still holding despite the relentless assault from the elements. Phantom on the other hand wasn't faring well. This was completely different from his encounters with Vortex. Somehow the dark spirit had created a localised hurricane and flying through the winds while trying to keep the shield up proved difficult. Phantom also had to make sure to dodge the lightning because he didn't want to feel that electrifying feeling ever again.

Teleportation was risky because that might collapse the shield so he had to battle against the elements to reach the rogue spirit.

Eventually, he was able to reach the eye of the storm and with significantly fewer weather conditions to deal with, he was able to fly at full speed to the spirit. With a grin on he punched the storm bringer in its dumb face. The spirit bellowed in pain, clearly not expecting such a strong punch to connect and was sent flying back.

The storm seemed to reduce in intensity as if the spirit's concentration were broken. Phantom took that as his sign and began to pelt the spirit with ecto blasts to keep it from kicking the storm back into overdrive. He was relentless in his attack as he filled the air with small green blasts. They weren't powerful enough to do any permanent damage but they packed enough of a punch that they'd hopefully be able to stop the spirit's rampage.

They didn't stop the rampage. They only managed to piss it off more. The spirit bellowed in rage before in a surprising amount of speed for something its size it managed to grab Phantom in its massive claws, bringing an end to his barrage. If looks could kill, Phantom would have died again from the glare the creature gave him.

"Annoying insect. You dare protect these traitorous worms? Then you shall face the wrath of Narukami," The spirit's voice boomed like thunder and Phantom was lucky his ghost form came with extra durability otherwise his ears would have burst from the noise.

Although his ears were ringing. His ears were the least of his concerns as Narukami decided to toss Phantom clear across the sky as if he were a baseball. Unfortunately for Phantom, he didn't have enough for course correction before a large blast of lightning collided with his body.

Phantom cried out in pain as the electricity coursed through his body. His screams were so loud that all the people looking above heard his cries.

~00000~

Azula couldn't tear her eyes from the sky as the green barrier fell. That scream was haunting. She could see the lightning continuing to strike her bodyguard as his screams continued to ring out. How his voice had been able to reach this far, she'd never know. But eventually, he began to fall as the barrage of lightning ended. It seemed that even he, with his incredible strength, was weak to the power of lightning.

She was almost disappointed though. After all their time training she had begun to see him as strong and to see him go down when there was still much that she could learn from him was unfortunate. Now he was dead. The powerful annoyance was gone and things would return to normal, assuming they survived the fury of the spirit and its storm.

Speaking of which, with the shield down Azula could feel the storm returning. Heavy rain began to pour and hail was returning as lightning flashed through the skies. The spirit was continuing its descent and it was angry.

"Everyone inside!" The princess ordered.

"Listen to the Princess!" Ozai added. And just like that everyone started making their way over to the academy building.

The building was similar to the palace walls so it could withstand a storm. Before Azula could make her way though, a voice caught her attention. She turned and stared as Danny floated just above the school clutching his arm and glaring up at the sky. If she could see his eyes she would have seen how they were blazing. One thing was clear. He was still alive even after taking all that lightning.

"Is that all you got!" he yelled defiantly.

~00000~

Szeto, Yangchen and Kuruk stared wide-eyed at Phantom as he floated in the air. Unlike the humans down below, they could feel the intense power radiating off the boy. His energy was raw and dangerous. It reminded them of some of the dark spirits Kuruk fought.

"How many lightning bolts did Kyoshi survive?" Szeto asked.

"Seven," Kuruk whispered.

"Not even she could survive as many as this boy," Yangchen added. "Just who is that boy?"

~00000~

Little known fact about Danny Phantom. He really didn't like being struck by lightning. More often than not it felt too similar to the day he became half ghost. The Fenton ghost portal required a lot of energy to run and having all that energy crash into him because his parents left the on button inside wasn't a particularly fun memory for him. Lightning and other electric-based attacks typically brought him back to that fun incident.

But once you survive enough energy to punch a hole between dimensions, you survive all energy-based attacks. Phantom was still annoyed and ready to express his grievances by no longer holding back. The air currents that held him back seemed to hold no more weight as he accelerated through the air for round two.

He reached Narukami at record speed before he started another onslaught of attacks. His previous ecto blasts hadn't been great for dealing with Narukami and only managed to infuriate him so Phantom decided that it was time to stop holding back.

The tides of the fight shifted instantly as Phantom went on a relentless offence. With each blast, the sky turned green briefly as he attacked with unrelenting force. The storm itself was slowly dying out as Phantom unleashed continuous waves of ecto energy until eventually the storm ended entirely and the spirit fell to the ground with Phantom hot on his heels.

Narukami landed in a mighty crash on the ground, in pain but unwilling to give up. Phantom landed in front of him with a cold and unreadable expression on his face. Narukami groaned but a blast to the side of his head from Phantom stopped him from moving.

"Don't move and surrender," Phantom said.

"Never. Those ungrateful humans will pay for what they've done. They will pay with their lives for not honouring their word. Only when they are dead and this island flooded by my storm will I rest," The dark spirit wheezed in pain as the winds started to pick back up again.

Lightning flashed in the sky as Narukami seemed to try and regain his strength and Phantom just sighed. This spirit wouldn't give up until the end. Well if that's what he wanted, then Phantom would oblige him.

Danny Phantom wasn't the same old hero that he used to be. He'd changed. He'd been forced to change when war broke out in his war. Dealing with Pariah Dark the first time had been stressful. Dealing with the alternate future version of himself had been downright terrifying but dealing with the unholy combination of the two had fundamentally changed the young hero.

Phantom flew into the air and took a deep breath in. If Narukami wasn't going to surrender then he left Phantom with no choice. It also didn't help that he hadn't brought his Fenton Thermos with him anyway so he didn't have any way of capturing the ghost.

Phantom opened his mouth as his ghostly wail ripped out of his throat. The haunted cry crashed into Narukami and pushed him deeper into the ground. Phantom didn't relent as the ground cracked beneath the spirit nor did he relent when the spirit's body began to break apart.

He only stopped when all that was left of the spirit's body were the odd crystals that sprouted from its back. The spirit was dead and Phantom was exhausted.

Danny sighed to himself as he reverted to his human form. He regarded the crystals that remained. They might be worth keeping around. They might even solve his energy problem since they came from a spirit that could summon lightning

~00000~

The three spirits of past Avatars stared in awe. Kuruk in particular knew the toll that came from slaying a Spirit and seeing the boy standing strong told him everything he needed to know about the boy's strength.

Yangchen however felt numb. Another spirit was slain because of her inability to secure peace between the humans and the spirits. Regardless of who had killed the spirit, it was her actions that led to this outcome.

Szeto was conflicted. Although he was happy that the Fire Nation royal family was spared from harm by the malignant spirit he was also conflicted to see a great and powerful storm spirit get taken down. This was the first time in history, as far as he was aware, that a spirit was killed by someone who wasn't the Avatar.

"This day marks a change for the Fire Nation," Szeto muttered. "They have gained an individual with the power of the spirits. Their own Dark Avatar."

"I can only hope that he never clashes with Aang," Yangchen added.

"Agreed," Kuruk responded.

~00000~

Ozai wasn't one to sing the praises of others often but he decided that the young man who saved his life and the citizens at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls would be rewarded handsomely.

At least that's what would have happened if the boy had answered his summons. But no the boy had been confined to his workshop since returning from the battle and was determined not to be disturbed. The incident occurred almost five days ago and Danny had yet to show himself. At least until today.

The throne room doors swung open and Danny walked in, carrying the unconscious forms of the guards that had been sent to retrieve him. His expression was neutral as he tossed the guards on the floor. And he stopped and looked up at the Fire Lord. Ozai was not pleased. He was pissed off. The others in the room were shocked. The guards who remained didn't move one inch. Princess Azula, who had been speaking with her father also didn't move. The sound of that haunted wail continued to play in her mind.

"When your Fire Lord calls for you, you answer…" Ozai began before a blast of ecto energy flew past his head and collided with the wall behind him, leaving a large mark.

Ozai's eyes were wide. That had been centimetres from his face. Any closer and it would have taken his head off. He had seen what Phantom's attacks did to the spirit before he fell. He knew he couldn't survive a blast like that.

"I was busy," Danny responded emotionlessly. "In a few hours, the spirit detector will be set up around the city and the next time one attacks you'll know about it. I'll try to contain it and make sure it doesn't cause any trouble. For now, leave me alone and I'll be back soon."

Danny turned and made his way towards the exit. He then stopped as if he suddenly remembered something he forgot to say.

He turned, with a slightly happier expression on his mostly neutral face.

"Oh before I forget," Danny said as he glanced at Azula.

Azula was still kneeling before her father so she couldn't see his expression so she was confused when she heard the praise.

"Good job winning your Agni Kai, Azula. You improved a lot since we started training," Danny said and with that, he walked out of the throne room.

No one dared to stop him. They knew they wouldn't be able to even if they wanted to.

Ozai took a breath as if to calm himself. His brother always advised controlling his breathing when things didn't go according to plan. Controlling your emotions were essential so that you didn't appear weak before your followers.

"As he saved lives, during the battle with the lightning spirit, he will be allowed this time of leave," Ozai said. "But know he will be punished for daring to attack me. Leave him to his own devices for now. All of you, leave. I must speak to my daughter alone."

The guards and ministers filed out of the room, even ensuring to take the unconscious guards that Danny had left in the room. Eventually, only Ozai and Azula were left.

"So he has been training you?" Ozai asked.

"Yes, father. He saw flaws in my technique and offered me training to correct them," Azula responded.

"I understand," Ozai said. "Tell me, are you unsatisfied with your instructors Lo and Li?"

Ordinarily, it wouldn't make sense for two non-benders to instruct a Fire Bender however those two were an exception. They had trained Ozai and Iroh when they were young and were often regarded as the best instructors in the Fire Nation but if Azula no longer needed them perhaps it was time for a new instructor.

"No, despite their lack of bending they are quite skilled instructors," Azula responded.

"It is clear that your bodyguard is incredibly powerful," Ozai said. "And he seems to be fond of your growth. Continue your lessons with Lo and Li but once he returns you are to start lessons with him. Learn from him, befriend him. Become his ally and he will become a valuable asset to the Fire Nation."

"You already asked this of me?" Azula said.

"And where are you with that?" Ozai asked. "From what I hear, he is friendlier with your pawns than he is with you. I want his loyalty Azula and he has already decided that I am an enemy of his but he seems to care for you. You can turn him to our side."

"Understood Father," Azula muttered.

Imagining how she'd ever get someone like him to become her friend.

CyberActors15: And that's the chapter. Once again sorry for the delay and if the last part of the chapter felt rushed. That's because it was. I felt bad keeping this chapter out of your hands for so long that I just gave it a simple ending. Future chapters will feel stronger narratively and I am really excited for the next arc that will be upcoming because I think you guys will enjoy it. Little warning the next chapter will be a flash forward back to the present. That's typically how I'll separate the arcs. But yeah looking forward to you guys seeing what I have planned. Unfortunately from here, the chapters won't be releasing consistently as things are still going on IRL but I intend to keep writing because this is fun. Anyway in other news, my third book will be releasing on Amazon soon (in September) and if you like my writing here you should check that out because it's way more polished. The book series is called Inheritors of Power by Caleb Gumbo btw. Anyway, if you enjoyed this chapter, feel free to leave a review If you didn't like it, feel free to leave a review and tell me why. Feedback is always appreciated, and criticism only makes me a better writer. Until next time, peace!