Disclaimer:I don't own anything from Danny Phantom.

Note: Thankfully this time I already had a plan in mind for what was going to happen and I hope you enjoyed the suspense! Like I said, I wanted to bring back the action without overdoing it so personally I think this chapter turned out perfectly. This'll be important for later on when things really start picking up too. But for now if nothing else this has been a great way to ease Owen into the more proactive role when it comes to fighting his enemies.

Trust me, just because they've been quiet lately doesn't mean they aren't scheming something nefarious behind the scenes. Plus I decided to backtrack a little when it comes to exploring Ravenheart manor since I'd like to turn it into a bit more of a bonding experience between Vlad and Owen as they uncover other important secrets from his past so what happened before is more of a teaser if anything.

Chapter 7: Nightmare Fuel

Owen's POV

Damn. Whatever—or whoever—is trying to break down the doors of Vlad's ghost portal in the lab has to be incredibly strong if I can feel the thunderous tremor of each impact reverberating from all the way upstairs. I thought, unsure of how long I had before the doors finally gave way so I braced myself for the worst and transformed into my necromancer form.

Today marks my first battle since the Wraith that murdered my parents five years ago showed up here masquerading as a platinum-blond businesswoman with piercing steel-gray eyes. Although, to be honest, you can hardly consider that encounter a real fight, seeing as I had to heavily rely on the collective wisdom of my past selves to guide me through the process of banishing it. I don't have that luxury this time around, so I'll need to handle this on my own. The final showdown with Kurst in Salem doesn't really count much either since spent the majority of it hiding from Nocturne and then being trapped in a cage of Blood Blossoms until Sam and Tucker came to save me...

But there's no need to feel pressured, right?

I swallowed hard, trying to suppress the anxious lump in my throat, and hoped I was only about to face a ghost rather than something far more sinister, like another Wraith. Because if they've managed to claw their way into the Ghost Zone then things are about to get extremely bad not just for me, but for everyone else in the real world. Still, at this point I'm sure I can fend off at least one intruder without too much trouble. And if things take a turn for the worse, Vlad's security system should buy me enough time to send them back to the Ghost Zone with a banishment spell similar to the one I used on the Wraith.

Based on the loud commotion I heard, it seemed the security system was already engaged in combat with whatever ghost was inside. I was completely unprepared for what awaited me when I entered the lab because the next thing I knew I was suddenly met by the piercing glowing red gaze of a massive black-winged alicorn, its mane and tail ablaze with toxic green flames. In an instant, it charged toward me at full speed, narrowly dodging a hail of anti-ghost gunfire. And before you ask, yes, I'm familiar with those since I've studied mythology before with my dad. Anyways, as for what happened next I barely managed to dodge them in time too, momentarily taken aback by the absurdity of the situation unfolding before me.

"Ok, not gonna lie I didn't see that one coming. But why is it running away? And why was it so determined to get inside in the first place?" I asked myself with a frown, pausing for a moment to survey the damage left in the wake of the alicorn's wild rampage. The large horseshoe-shaped dents left in the metal of the damaged door were still visible as clear evidence of it repeatedly rearing up and stomping hard on them.

As for the alicorn's motives, I couldn't get a clear read on them due to the aggravated blend of emotions swirling in their mind—ranging from intense, focused rage to feelings of indignation and annoyance at being attacked. Why is that? Well we'd soon find out the answer to that after I caught up with our wily ghost friend whom I may have allowed to roam around freely for a bit too long. I mean sure Vlad's security system is handling a lot of the heavy lifting, but it's still my responsibility to determine what this ghost horse wants, if it wants anything at all.

In the end this could all be nothing but a huge misunderstanding and it only forced its way through the ghost portal to our side while trying to escape from something else. And I might be onto something actually since I found a trail of ectoplasmic blood leading back into the mansion from where they took off running past me. I'd have to take a closer look though as it could also be a wound inflicted by one of Vlad's weapons. Fortunately, none of them were set to target me because Vlad ensured I was added as an authorized resident of his home. I just had to be careful not to get caught in the crossfire since I could easily be struck by one of those midflight.

Wincing at the sight of scorch marks streaking down the nearest hallway from the alicorn's fiery hooves, accompanied by the chaotic gunfire that followed its every step, I hurried after it to find out where the hell this creature was trying to run off to now. The floor was littered with the shattered remains of priceless vases and other valuables that while I'm sure Vlad could replace some of them, there were others he couldn't. That inspired me to continue pursuing the path of devastation until I finally caught sight of the alicorn once more, its nostrils flaring as it stamped its hoof, seemingly ready to charge at the next weapon that dared to point in its direction.

Coming to a stop, I made a bold decision and commanded the security system to switch to standby mode. I then touched down at a safe distance from the magnificent creature, ensuring I gave it ample space in case it chose to come at me with that fearsome horn on its head. Oh, and did I forget to mention the incredibly sharp fangs that looked like they could easily bite my head clean off? No way was I going to get any closer to that thing until I was certain it was safe to do so.

"Hey there buddy, its ok. I promise I won't hurt you. Look, I've disabled the weapons for now, so let's take a moment to calm down and see if we can find some common ground. You're obviously here for a reason, right?" I said in a soothing tone, gradually raising my hands in a peaceful gesture to show that I meant no harm unless provoked. I remained in my necromancer form, thinking it might be more effective than approaching as an ordinary human.

Still agitated, the alicorn snorted out a large puff of smoke, eyeing me wearily. It then started to pace back and forth, never taking its eyes off me. That's when I noticed the origin of the ectoplasmic blood from earlier—a gruesome gash running along the left side of its hindquarters, which appeared to have also grazed the edge of one of its massive, leathery black bat wings. To be fair, its wings were already quite tattered, indicating that they had been around for a long time and had experienced their fair share of battles. Without realizing it, I took a step forward to confirm my suspicions, but halted when it lowered its head menacingly, a reminder of its long and very lethal horn.

"Easy now..." I murmured, extending my hand to let them get accustomed to my scent instead. Besides, maybe it'd be easier to figure out why they're here by making direct contact. As a sign of goodwill, I could also offer to heal their injuries using my abilities. Its worth a try at least.

When I did this, something changed in their demeanor, and finally, the alicorn slowly lifted its head upright once again. Then my eyes were drawn to the chest piece of its armor, where I spotted a familiar crest featuring a carved pumpkin and crossbones. "I've seen that somewhere before. Where have I seen it? The Grimoire maybe?" I wondered aloud, careful not to make any sudden movements that might spook the big scary alicorn in front of me, which is pretty ironic don't you think...?

Once my subconscious fear of facing something beyond my capabilities to defeat began to dissipate, the alicorn seemed to loosen up, as if it had sensed my apprehension from the very beginning. But then again that's probably just my insecurity talking. So after having addressed the immediate issue, the next step was simply to wait because I was reluctant to use my powers to capture it. Besides, I still had no clue what had drawn them here. Unless-

Just as I was about to ask if they were looking for Vlad, I felt the unexpectedly warm muzzle of the ghost alicorn press against the palm of my outstretched hand. It reminded me of that iconic moment from the movie How To Train Your Dragon when Hiccup first touched his dragon, Toothless. In an instant, a wave of new emotions surged through me. It was a powerful mix of urgency and resolve that finally revealed to me that their presence here was actually a cry for help to rescue their rider from a dangerous adversary.

Vlad's help specifically.

Vlad's POV

The journey back home felt agonizingly longer than the trip to Salem, and when I was greeted by my three vultures out on patrol I couldn't contain my frustration. "You! Where's Owen? He's not picking up my calls! Has he been moved to safety? And why haven't you dealt with the intruder yet?"

Perplexed, they looked at one another before the lankiest one among of the group cleared his throat and spoke up. "Don't vorry, ze young man has already dealt vith ze intruder himself and is vaiting for you outside in ze garden. Ze rest of us have been tidying up ze mess zey left inside because ve knew you would be upset if ve left it like that for too long. He probably hasn't responded since the kid is still busy keeping zem from causing any more trouble."

"Explain." I commanded, fixing them with a sharp glare.

Groaning and rubbing his temples, he replied. "No offense, boss, but I believe it vould be best for you to see zis for yourself. Come on boyz, zere's still plenty of vork left to do, especially vith zhose pesky doors. It's a good vhing ze young man knew how to deactivate the ghost portal too othervise ve'd be neck deep in even more unvelcome guests barging in from over zere."

Brushing past me, which was an objectively stupid thing to do on their part, I chose to overlook their insubordination for the moment and teleported directly to the garden to find out what utter nonsense they were referring to. I must confess, learning that Owen not only defeated the intruder on his own but also took the initiative to clean up afterward filled me with a great sense of pride. If Daniel could learn to be more considerate like this in his daily life, perhaps he wouldn't have to work so hard to earn his parents' approval.

Upon my arrival, I was greeted by the charming scene of Owen trying his hardest to prevent a very restless Nightmare from escaping the confines of his makeshift pen, as if it were a wild stallion from the Old West. From what I could tell it seemed to be working so far thanks to the wards he set in place. After all, unlike actual horses, this one had the ability to fly, which added a whole new level of complexity to the problem.

Exhausted, Owen slowly slumped to the ground and gave me a casual wave as I landed beside him, acknowledging my presence while catching his breath. Confident that he would share his thoughts eventually, I chose to remain silent and instead approached Nightmare who did not hesitate to step forward to the very edge of the barrier in front of him. Clearly, the most troubling aspect of his unexpected visit wasn't the fact Nightmare had made an absolute mess of my mansion, but rather the noticeable absence of his master, the Fright Knight...

Strangely enough I think I can understand why Nightmare came to the conclusion that I'm the only one capable of rectifying the situation. After all, the Fright Knight and I are still technically allies. One might expect the alicorn to seek help from Daniel, but as you may recall, their initial encounter occurred only after the boy had stolen his master's sword, the Soul Shredder, to use as a prop for some ridiculous haunted house. Following that incident, both the Fright Knight and his faithful steed were under the control of Pariah Dark until I eventually persuaded him to join me instead to overthrow him.

Although I've put my partnership with the Fright Knight on hold until our objectives align again, that doesn't mean I'm eager to stick my neck out for him. On a positive note, Owen seems to have come through unscathed and managed the situation remarkably well with the resources I provided. Better yet, I'm glad this whole sordid affair turned out to be nothing more than a false alarm.

Or could this be a sign of much darker things to come?