Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom, Stargate SG-1, Reign, or anything else I reference.
Chapter Thirty: Keeping Promises
"Where am I?" Danny asked as he found himself sitting at a table.
"There is no need for concern." The man sitting in front of him wearing a cloak over his face said. "I have come to talk with you."
"Who are you?" Danny asked as he stood up and took a look around the room.
There were no windows around them. No sign of where they could be. The only light came from the table's green glow. Looking down at the symbol he saw that it had the shape of an abnormal star. It looked to be made from two triangles but the line that is supposed to connect them is bent.
"My name is Marik and I represent an organization. An ancient brotherhood that wants to improve the world from what it is now." Marik said.
Marik is sitting in a chair that looks more like a throne. The throne looked to be designed in the shape of a hawk.
"Why not approach me when I am awake?" Danny asked. "If you can contact me in my sleep, then I am sure that you know where I am staying?"
"This is the only way we could speak to you without Qetsiyah interfering." Marik said.
Meaning that if they approached him anywhere else Qetsiyah would be aware and send her witches to spy on them. Whatever group they belonged to clearly did not get along with the witches of the Other Side.
"What do you wish to tell me?" Danny asked.
"I think that we can work together. Qetsiyah and her ilk have prevented us from improving the world. They want the people to struggle, suffer, and die when we could do so much more to help them." Marik said.
"I can understand the desire to see the world and know that you can help and make it better." Danny asked. "What I do not understand is why you have decided to ruin my sleep?"
"You passed my test." Marik said.
"A test?" Danny asked.
"Imhotep." Marik clarified.
"I had wondered if you would control Imhotep or send him back to sleep. Instead, you killed him. That made me unsure of how you would respond to my offer. I would have come with another test but then you conquered the vampires. Brout order to a squabbling group of abominations. " Marik said forming a ball of light between his hands. "They would be a great help with our goals."
"Really?" Danny asked.
"I want to show you a new path. One that can lead to power beyond your wildest dreams." Marik said.
"I assume that this 'power' you are referring to is Expression?" Danny asked.
It was the latest topic he was researching after all. What Qetsiyah had warned him against.
"The witches would have you believe that it is a dark power but that is not the truth. They are just afraid. Afraid of what could happen if we take our rightful place." Marik said.
"Is that what happened to the people of Kul Elna?" Danny asked.
"Kul Elna?" Marik scoffed. "It was simply a city of thieves and criminals. They served the best purpose that people like that could."
'Tis man is a terrible recruiter.' Danny thought to himself. "I thought that this was about helping the world?"
"You need power to bring safety and peace to the world. To gain the power some people will have to be sacrificed." Marik said. "Words alone cannot help anyone."
"Tell me more." Danny said as he brought his hands together. "Why have you contacted me? If I helped you, what would I get out of this?"
The part of him that was Vlad cautioned him against doing anything for free.
"When we summon the master to this world, he will reward his loyal followers with treasures and riches beyond our wildest dreams in return for our hard work. Grant us the power and respect that only the gods have had." Marik said. "He will tear down those that have tried to oppress us and erase us from the world."
"Really?" Danny asked. "You trust your master that much?"
"The master has helped humanity countless times. Countless kings and heroes. He gave Solomon his servants, He sent Tefnut to Ramesses II to bring an end to their drought, he gave Xerxes the power to create an empire, he even gave the man the church calls George the sword of Damocles to end the dragon Lindorm. " Marik said.
He could hear the zeal in the man's voice.
"That sounds nice." Danny said as he started tapping the table. "There is just one problem with all that."
"What?" Marik asked confused.
"This planet is mine and I will not allow anyone to take it from me." Danny said as he used his power to pull the robes over his head and lift Marik off of the ground.
This was a mental space so it was not like he could do serious damage, but it still helped make a point.
"What are you doing?" Marik asked.
"Sending you and the other members of your cult a message. I won't allow you and your cult to summon some ancient monstrosity to ruin it." Danny said as he started slamming Marik from one end of the room to the other.
"You will regret this. No one can stand against the master." Marik promised. "He will take everything you love and smash it to dust."
"He has not gotten free yet in all this time, so I doubt I have much too fear." Danny sad.
Danny opened his eyes and looked at Queen Catherine sleeping next to him. 'Looks like I have found another group that I will have to destroy.'
If nothing else the Earth had plenty of things to keep him entertained.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
(Royal Palace, France, February 1559)
"How are your other children doing?" Danny asked.
He knew where Prince/King Francis and Queen Leeza were. He might as well know where the others were even if he disliked the people Charles and Henri had become in the show. He was going to be married to one of her daughters after all.
"I have not heard from them for a while." Queen Catherine said. "They have yet to send a response to my letters."
"Where are they?" Danny asked.
"They are in the Spanish court." Queen Catherine answered.
"Really?" Danny asked.
He is surprised at that given that Queen Leeza's issues with her siblings. Namely that she felt that their mother had liked them all better than her.
"I sent them when I misunderstood your intentions. Now Leeza feels that they would be better protected with her husband and under the protection of their god." Queen Catherine said as she took a sip of her tea.
"Not sure how true that is." Danny muttered.
"What do you mean?" Queen Catherine asked.
"I have heard word of armies gathering around to attack Spain. Granted they are not united, but I believe that will only make things worse." Danny answered her.
What he was not telling her was that it was all his fault. He had been launching terror attacks around the world claiming that they were sanctioned by the Spanish government in a desire for conquest. He was also raising armies with the intent of attacking and breaking down Spain's forces.
"I hear that you are sending a ship of yours to Egypt?" Queen Catherine asked wanting to take her mind off of the threat that her children faced.
"Yes. There is a certain city that I wanted looked into." Danny answered.
The Jaffa were going to explore the village of Kul Elna.
"What village? I would love to send additional people to help your soldiers." Queen Catherine asked.
"That is not necessary." Danny answered.
Depending on what was awaiting his Jaffa he did not need baseline humans getting in their way.
The reason being that the city was filled with history and knowledge that had been lost even to the Medjai and he was never one to ignore an area full of history that had been lost to time.
Kul Elna had once been home to the people that wrote both the Book of the Dead and the book of Amun-Ra. Apparently afterwards it had then belonged to bandits before they were ritually massacred.
Imhotep had used his power and position as high priest to find a map to the lost village. He had planned on visiting the ancient city in Search of ancient secrets, but he ended up in a sarcophagus for the next few thousand years.
"I hate to bother you when you are busy, but I want to ask you to do a favor for me." Queen Catherine said.
"What kind of favor did you have in mind?" Danny asked.
"There have been requests made by the peasants." Queen Catherine said.
"What kind of requests?" Danny asked.
"Certain villages that have accepted King Henry's changes have had their storehouses burned and their people either killed or taken. They are requesting help otherwise they will starve." Queen Catherine said. "It was probably England or Rome behind this. A way to turn nobles against us. A sign that God has turned on King Henry due to his recent actions. Henry is too focused on the war to send soldiers to check up on the peasants."
"I can send some Jaffa to look into it." Danny said.
They were his people and so he would help them.
"Thank you." Queen Catherine said.
"I have been wondering what you plan on doing with Diane?" Danny asked.
"I want to kill her." Queen Catherine said as she shook her hands imagining that they were wrapped around Diane's throat.
Queen Catherine learned what she had done to her twin children.
"Is there a problem?" Danny asked.
"The problem is Henry. Even this sin is something he might forgive her for." Queen Catherine said. "It is so aggravating that I have to send soldiers meant to guard the castle to look for her."
"Would you like some help?" Danny asked.
"Very much so." Queen Catherine replied.
"Then let's seal the deal." Danny said.
Queen Catherine rose from er side of the table and walked over to him and moved to her knees.
0-0-0-0-0-0
"I have a mission for you." Danny said sitting on King Henry's throne as he looked at the group.
It was comprised of four Jaffa and two werewolves and a vampire.
"We will fulfil any of your desires my king." Raios said as he kneeled alongside the others that were summoned.
"There has been another attack on a French village. I want you to find the culprits and bring them to me for judgment." Danny said.
Many homes had been burned down and the survivors said that the attackers wanted them to spread the word. It could be the work of bandits taking advantage of the war, or it could be soldiers preparing for the invasion and making sure their morale was broken beforehand.
"We will make these criminals regret the day they committed a crime in your kingdom." Van'ya said full of determination.
"The seven of you have been gathered to become a symbol that proves the different species can work together." Danny said as he stood up and moved from the throne. "That despite the differences between your species that you can come together and take down the evil that tries to break our kingdom and kill our people."
"We will move at once." Selene said.
She was trying to appear calm, but on the inside, she was radiating fear and anger. She is the vampire of the group. She had been born fifty-four years ago but physically she looked eighteen. She is a member of Kol's bloodline, but her personality was a lot colder than the Original she descended from.
"Good. Your supplies are in the Tel'tak that will take you to the village. Send reports regularly. I want to know how well you are getting along." Danny said and the group nodded and left him in the throne room. It was a simple mission to start them off. 'I wonder how their story will end?'
He had yet to decide if it ended with them walking off into the sunset together or if they would die in a tragic manner that befitted heroes.
"I still do not agree on this." Qetsiyah said as she appeared in Queen Catherine's throne.
"I gathered the vampires because I wanted them organized. Right now, they fear me ending their line, but I want them to understand that serving me is better than the alternatives." Danny said.
"They will try to betray you." Qetsiyah said.
"It is likely to happen eventually. Do not worry so much. I will watch out for it." Danny said.
It was well known that Vampires spent their centuries scheming for power and betraying others.
"Have you found out anything about the witch that hired the Englishmen to awaken Imhotep?"
He doubted that it was Marik himself that hired them.
If it was then that meant he was a low-level grunt. What was the point of being a villain if you did not have minions to do the jobs you found beneath you?
"Those that practice expression are called warlocks. They know spells that can conceal themselves from me and those on the Other Side." Qetsiyah said. "I have not been watching over the world since I died. I had no idea that the warlocks had formed an organization."
"This is going to make things a lot harder." Danny said then though of something else. "Do you think that is the reason that you cannot find Mikael. Some witch used expression to hide him from you and the others?"
There had to be some reason that despite months of searching that no one had found the last Original Vampire.
"It would be possible." Qetsiyah said. "The Dark One would probably find the vampire species to be amusing pets. Stronger servants than humans and already attracted to the darkness."
"Does expression leave a trace?" Danny asked.
If it was as dark as Qetsiyah claimed, then it had to leave something behind.
"Yes. The ground is marked with tainted energy. It takes centuries for the wound to heal." Qetsiyah said.
"Like Hammunaptra?" Danny asked remembering the feeling as he stood upon the sand.
"Yes. The ancient pharaohs have had their priests sacrifice many people there during their time." Qetsiyah answered. "Their blood and their pain have soaked into the land leaving a scar that will take many millennia to heal."
"Give me another location where there is still a trace." Danny said.
He would record a sample of the energy and use his Jaffa to track down places and people that gave off the feeling.
"I will scour the earth for one." Qetsiyah said before disappearing.
'It is good that she is dedicated to this.' Danny thought to himself as he adjusted in the chair.
"My King this woman wants to talk to you." Iok said as he entered the throne room.
"Hello Lady Amelie." Danny said looking at the niece of Stephan Narcisse.
"I beg of you please do not kill my cousin." Lady Amelie pleaded as she fell to her knees.
"Your cousin is the one that challenged me." Danny said.
"He is a good man, but he follows his heart instead of his head and it leads him to trouble." Lady Amelie pleaded. "I will do anything to save my family from your wrath."
He looked into her mind to see her reasoning. She was afraid her uncle would never let this slide. Eduard was the oldest, but Luc was his favorite. It would start a war between her family and the sorcerer, and she did not want to risk it.
"Let's talk about it. I am a kind king, and I would hate to cause such a pretty girl to cry." Danny said with a smile as he leaned back into King Henry's throne.
"I will do anything." Lady Amelie said as she looked up at the man before her.
"Do me this one little favor and I promise you that I will not kill your cousin." Danny said.
"What is it that you wish of me?" Lady Amelie asked as she walked up to him.
She had expected that she would have to sleep with him.
"I want you to kidnap a cook." Danny said enjoying the confusion she was feeling.
"I do not understand." Lady Amelie said.
"You do not need to understand. All you need to know is that I want this cook. I would capture him myself but since you asked me not to kill your cousin this has become your task. Complete it and I will not kill him." Danny said as he put his knuckles next to his cheek and started tapping the throne with his free hand.
He had been planning to deal with Cristophe for a while, but the urge had increased as he had recently killed a prostitute that one of his Jaffa had been fond of.
0-0-0-0-0-0
'It looks like everyone is here.' Danny thought to himself as he looked from the castle ramparts down to the stands that he created when he had Raki fight the castle guards and saw Luc waiting in the training field and the nobles filling their seats.
It seemed that word had spread about their duel and the people in the castle were coming to see how it would end.
His contact orb activated.
"Yes?" Danny asked.
"My King it seems that ships from England are making their way to France." Kada said.
"I want you to send death gliders the area and burn them down." Danny said.
The original had thought about letting the English and the Italians come towards France and let the soldiers fight it out weakening both armies, but he argued against the decision to reduce Queen Catherine's troubles and the repair that France would need. Rather the French could take the battle to England. It would give them the same result that he wanted.
"Up Onto The Overturned Keel. Clamber, With A Heart Of Steel. Cold Is The Ocean's Spray. And Your Death Is On Its Way." Danny said looking to the distance.
He was thinking of the old poem because the royal family of England descend from the Viking Rollo. Rollo had become the Duke of Normandy following his betrayal of his brother Ragnar and his descendant William the conqueror took it from killing Harald Godwinson.
The passageway behind him was pushed open.
"You lied to me." Lady Amelie said coming through feeling enormous anger.
"How did I do that?" Danny asked as he glanced at her.
"You promised that if I did what you wanted that you would make sure that you would not fight Luc." Lady Amelie said. "He has been captured by guards that served my family when he had come to bring her food. I even used a sedative you gave me to keep him asleep."
"I promised that I would not kill him, and I won't." Danny said taking a sip of wine from Bordeaux.
It was a gift from Queen Catherine and so he wanted to at least try it even if he did not care much for alcohol.
"Making an enemy of my family is not something that you want." Lady Amelie said. "You know how influential my uncle is. He can help you with the nobles that are plotting against France."
"Do not worry. You will still have a cousin at the end of this." Danny said as he stood up from his lawn chair and walked to the edge of the castle roof.
He continued walking until he was standing above the training field. He whipped the wind into a tornado around him that connected straight in front of Luc and the nobles.
"Hello Luc, have you enjoyed your last few months?" Danny asked as he walked through the tornado. "I hope you have because you are going to regret challenging me."
The moment he left it completely it broke apart returning the weather to normal.
"I could wait as long as needed to remove your vile evil from my country." Luc said with his hands on his sword.
'He is so lucky that his cousin made a deal with me.' Danny thought to himself as he walked to stand across from Luc.
"What are you playing at?" Luc asked as he watched Danny walk over to one of his servants.
"It would end too quickly if I used my powers or my regular sword. This way you feel like you have an actual chance." Danny said pulling the katana out of the scabbard.
The werewolf took the scabbard back and walked to stand with the others. It was a souvenir that the eastern duplicate had bought while in Japan.
"What are the terms of this duel?" Luc asked.
"When I win, I will torment you in ways that you have yet to experience." Danny said.
"When I win you will leave this country and never come back." Luc said.
"Let's see how strong your resolve is." Danny said as he charged at Luc and brought his sword down in a strong swing.
"This will not be as easy as you think." Luc said as he moved out of the way and tried to knock the sword out of his hand.
If it took his hand along with it than he believed that Luc would be fine with that outcome as well
"I think you are very optimistic, but that will not save you here." Danny said as he used his katana to block the strike and he followed that with a punch to Luc in the stomach. It sent him moving backwards as he lost his footing.
"You will not beat me that easily." Luc said.
"I could do it even easier, but I am more than willing to beat you to the point you accept reality and stop being stubborn." Danny said as he moved forwards with a sword thrust.
"That is never going to happen." Luc said as he rolled out of the way.
"It is a good thing that the rules of the match are not up to you." Danny said as he walked towards him.
The moment that Luc passed out was the moment that he lost. The next moment he created a huge storm around the arena and when it was gone so were they.
0-0-0-0-0-0
"Where have you taken Luc? What have you done to him?" Lady Amelie asked.
She had come back to her rooms to pace and panic about what she was going to do next when she found him waiting for her.
"I have him right here." Danny said placing something on the table that was covered in cloth.
"What are you talking about? What is that?" Lady Amelie asked.
"It's your cousin." Danny answered removing the cloth.
The moment that he had taken Luc away from the training field he had appeared in the blood wood where his Jaffa were waiting with the device and jar prepared.
"What have you done to him?" Lady Amelie asked.
"I shrunk him." Danny answered her.
"Is he alright?" Lady Amelie asked.
"He is fine and do not worry despite how the jar looks he has plenty of air." Danny said as he pushed the jar forward towards her.
"How is he going to live like this?" Lady Amelie asked him.
"That is your problem to figure out. I promised you that I would keep him alive, and I have." Danny said.
"Yes. You did." Lady Amelie said wondering how she was going to explain this to Uncle Stephan.
"Good. Now you that you have admitted that you can give me Cristophe." Danny said.
"What are you going to do to him?" Lady Amelie asked. "I want to know what sin I have made when I agreed to this deal."
"Do you wish to see?" Danny asked.
"Yes." Lady Amelie said. "I did this so I should see it through."
"Very well. Give him to me and we can start." Danny said.
0-0-0-0-0-0
"We are going into the Blood Woods?" Lady Amelie asked looking at the servants carrying Cristophe.
"It is the perfect place for what we are going to do." Danny said as he caused a deep fog to roll in and cover the path that they had traveled.
"What was that?" Lady Amelie asked as she whirled around in fear.
"What has you so scared?" Danny asked with fake concern.
"There had been rumors of Pagans and blood sacrifices happening in these woods. Queen Mary had been threatened by a group of those savages that had snuck into the castle." Lady Amelie answered.
"The howl of wolves. Nothing more." Danny said with amusement in his eyes.
They walked through the woods until they reach the area where the sacrifice was to take place. "Now it is time for our guest to wake up."
"What is going on?" Cristophe asked as he woke up.
He realized that his arms were tied around a post. He looked around taking in his surroundings.
"I am sacrificing you." Danny said taking in the atmosphere.
The sound of drums played by the Jaffa hidden by the mist, the werewolves dressed in robes standing around in a circle with arms stretched to the sky, and the full moon shining above the trees bringing a dim light.
"What? Why?" Cristophe asked as he struggled to break free of his bonds.
"That is not going to help you." Danny said activating the cuffs and sending a shock though Christophe's body.
"I have done nothing to you." Cristophe said.
"We both know that is a lie." Danny said as he moved his left hand up with his index and pointer finger extended.
The five torches around him placed in a pentagram began to light up with a black fire. The werewolves in the fog howled in unison, and a cold wind enveloped the humans.
"What do you mean?" Cristophe asked afraid as the man walked up the stage and closer to him.
'I know that you are a killer.' Danny thought to him and watched as his eyes widened.
"You are in my head." Cristophe said with wide eyes.
"Yes, and so you know why you are here." Danny said as he pulled out the sword of Telchak.
"You know that all of this is not necessary right?" Arcadius asked as he appeared before them.
Yes. Once a person had his mark no matter how they were killed they would end up in his dimension.
'If I am going to sacrifice someone to you then I need to make sure that the atmosphere is right.' Danny thought to Arcadius as he placed his right hand on top of Cristophe's head.
The reason being so that Cristophe could see Arcadius while he was still alive.
"What is going on? Who are you?" Cristophe asked as he looked at the dark-skinned man.
"You are going to be staying with me once you die." Arcadius said stretching out his hand.
"You are the devil?" Cristophe asked as he tried to break free and run as far as he could.
"Correct and he is waiting to punish you." Danny said as he stabbed him through the chest with the sword of Telchak.
"We are going to spend a long time together." Arcadius said as his red portal opened between them.
"Please save me!" Cristophe pleaded as he looked at him and tried to hold onto a tree and fight the devil's pull.
'No.' Danny thought to him watching as Cristophe was pulled from the trees and into the portal.
"A rather wretched soul indeed. What do you wish in return for this?" Arcadius asked.
'I want memoires from the generals that fought during the warring states of China.' Danny answered while pulling out the sword.
Given what happened in those times it would be no surprise that Arcadius could have some. The Eastern Duplicate had read a tale of a Qin general that had decapitated one hundred thousand prisoners while they believed that they were being given water. That was just one example of the cruelty that happened during those times.
"How many?" Arcadius asked.
'As many as you have. You are trying to be my friend.' Danny answered. 'I know you have been in hell a long time, but friends give each other gifts.'
The memories were no big deal for either of them, so he was going to ask for a huge number of them.
"Alright." Arcadius said.
"What have you done?" Lady Amelie screamed at him.
She had been stuck in a haze of horror but watching as the sorcerer's servants free the cook's body snapped her out of it.
"I sacrificed him to the devil." Danny answered her as he turned towards her with a hard look in his eye and a smile in his mind.
Lady Amelie broke into a run as she tried to get as far away from this sorcerer as she could. Danny had no intention of letting that happen.
At this time of night in a forest covered by fog she could get hurt. He also wanted to play a game with the young lady. See how she reacted when she learned that she was being "hunted" by the devil because of what she saw this night.