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Danny Phantom: Fanning the Flames Remix

Chapter 7: The Eastern Venture Part 3 (Departures)





(Fade in to the steps leading up towards the shrine. Hiroshi sits at the bottom, a monk’s staff in one hand and prayer beads in the other. As he looks up towards the shrine’s location, Yoko arrives in full battle gear, brandishing a katana of her own along with a smaller wakizashi.)



Hiroshi: Yoko, glad to see you arrive.

Yoko: Likewise, Hiroshi-san. I take it that there are yokai at the shrine.

Hiroshi: I’m afraid so. Luckily, Yuriko and Hoshino-sensei are up there along with Master Hamato, Danny and Professor York. The others are getting ready to help too.

Yoko: Really? This is surprising. But I’m kind of shocked to see you here.

Hiroshi: Someone has to keep additional company from butting in. Speaking of which, here they are now.



(From seemingly out of black mists itself, 5 different yokai monsters emerge, closing in a circle around Hiroshi. Sighing, he reaches into the folds of his jacket and pulls out a spirit ward, which begins to glow red.)



Hiroshi: You have no idea how many of these I’ve gone through tonight.

Yokai: Foolish human, you think we would not approach you without a plan?

Hiroshi: Oh? (From the trees two winged demons wielding sickles drop down towards Yoko.)

Yokai: We may not be able to kill you, but that female you are with is going to—

Hiroshi: Make quick work of your friends.



(Without missing a beat, Yoko leaps up towards her demonic attackers. In two fluid motions, Yoko acts; she beheads one of the demons with the katana while with the other she slashes deep across the throat using the wakizashi. She lands quietly onto the ground as the demons both fall, their bodies burning up and evaporating into nothingness behind her.)



Yokai: I don’t suppose we can discuss this, yokai to omyonji?

Hiroshi: No, sorry. (Hiroshi tosses the war onto the ground, entrapping the yokai in separate fields around him. After making a hand gesture, Hiroshi utters only one word, causing all of the yokai to explode.)

Yoko: You’re just as potent as ever, Hiroshi-san.

Hiroshi: Well, I can’t say I’m not receiving any help. (Jinpei appears before the two.)

Jinpei: The stairways clear now and it looks like Yoko has arrived just in time. This is perfect.

Yoko: Are there any more arriving?

Hiroshi: I don’t think so. The majority of them are at the shrine now, but we’ve been picking off any reinforcements that have tried to get in.

Jinpei: The odd thing is that there’s a considerably low amount. I was certain there could be more.

Yoko: I find that odd too.

Hiroshi: I’m more concerned with the ones at the shrine now. I pray the others are doing well.



(Up at the shrine, what is about to occur is best described as the Fenton/Ninja equivalent of a barroom brawl. In the front of the shrine are Danny, Sam and Ember along with Yuriko. Nearby stand Dani, Youngblood and Daigo while on the roof of the shrine stand Maddie, York, Shizuru and Master Hamato, who are facing off with Spectra and her companions. All around them on the ground are an array of yokai and demons, armed to the teeth, some literally)



Danny: If you’d ask me 2 years ago how I spent my school nights, the answer would not have included the phrase “slashing through a pack of demons.”

Sam: Ditto.

Ember: You gotta admit this will be the most fun you’ve had since coming here.

Yuriko: This is pretty normal for me. It would be nice if for one night I could just relax. (Yuriko unsheathes the pair of kodaichi she’s armed with which begin to emit a blue pale light.)

Sam: Ok then, guess I need to show off too. (Several Will o the Wisps surround themselves around Sam as her hands and feet glow purple.)

Danny: So, how should we do this?

Ember: I call dibs on the ugly ones!

Danny: That helps.



(And with that the 4 dash in and take the offensive; Danny, with the Fenton Blade activated quickly strikes down his first opponent before he can even make an attack. As the first yokai falls, Danny ducks under two errant swings from a demon wielding a spiked club while quickly blocking a knife slash by another. As the knife wielder goes for a stab, Danny grabs its wrist and pushes him forward, right into the path of the club wielder, who brutally slams the club down, crushing him. Thinking fast, Danny hops and leaps off the tip of the club, then somersaults over the club wielder, striking him in the head while going over. As Danny lands, he swings and strikes down two more directly behind him with precision. Ember meanwhile handles her attackers in a more chaotic approach; leaping into the air, she grabs her guitar off her back and strums a chord, sending a purple shockwave out that destroys the first five it connects with. As she lands, she wields her guitar like an axe with one hand, wildly swinging and cleaving herself a path through the demons and yokai, managing to relieve her victims of their weapons, their limbs or their heads. Sam, using her summoning skills directs the Will o The Wisps to scatter around the battlefield, burning anyone in her path to cinders. One demon somehow manages to sneak up behind her, but before it can hit her, Sam twists around and launches a flame wrapped fist into its gut, knocking it onto its back. Before it can get back up, Yuriko dives down from out of nowhere and stabs it in the center with one of her kodaichi, killing it instantly.)



Sam: Wow, thanks.

Yuriko: Thank me when we get out of here!



(Not missing a step, Yuriko begins her assault anew; with both weapons drawn, Yuriko lashes out at the first 4 to try to attack her; she slashes one in the throat, & thrusts her right kodaichi into the forehead of the next, then makes a criss cross slash to destroy the next one. As that demon falls to the ground she leaps off the body and dives down at the 4th, using both blades to cut off its arms before spinning around to slice the head off. As another set tries to attack Yuriko quickly reaches into her pockets and tosses out five shuriken, each one hitting a target. Then Yuriko makes a gesture with her hands and the shuriken explodes, killing her prey.)



Youngblood: Remind me never to challenge her at darts.

Daigo: Ah, she’s just showing off... Let me show you how it’s done.

Dani: Funny, I was just about to say the same thing.

Demon: HA! You three whelps will barely whet my appetite!

Youngblood: Those are a seriously bad choice of final words. I’m not used to fighting in this artificial body quite yet though so this ass kicking won’t be so quick or merciful. (Daigo twirls his sai as Youngblood taps his left hand. It transforms into a metallic gauntlet that glows green with a blade extending out.)

Dani: Oh, I see Pops actually came through with the upgrade like he promised. A bit Elric for my tastes but whatever works.

Demon: Kill them! KILL THEM ALL!



(As the demon says this, the three attack. Youngblood leaps forward and punches the lead in the face with a vicious right hand before using his left to slash him deep across the chest, striking him down. He then fires several blasts of energy at some incoming fighters before stabbing the next one in the heart. Daigo in the meantime works quickly, using the sai he is armed with to counter and disarm a staff wielder before slashing him across the face. With reckless abandon, Daio leaps into the center of a group of attackers and goes to town. The demons and yokai are no match for him as he uses his speed to slash stab and rip them apart one by one. At one point he kicks a demon into a tree and uses his right sai to rapidly stab it in the ribs. As another yokai tries to attack him, he leg sweeps it and stabs it to death with his left as it hits the ground.)



Dani: Heh, boys. Always so eager to show off their weapons. (6 yokai surround Dani.)

Yokai: At the very least we can kill her!

Dani: Oh gee, whatever shall I do? (Dani smiles as she redirects energy into her hands and feet.)

Yokai: Attack!



(Before any of them can move, Dani reacts; she smashes the jaw of the first yokai with a right hook before burying an uppercut into its belly, releasing a sudden ecto burst that sends it flying into the woods nearby. The next one swings at her head with a crude axe; she ducks and kicks it out of its hands before connecting with her own backwards thrust kick. As the axe falls back down, she catches it and tosses the weapon back, returning the weapon to its owner via the skull. 3 more run towards her, but Dani responds by spinning three times and kicking, releasing 3 crescent shaped ecto blades. They all hit their targets, sending them flying into the stratosphere as they connect. The last yokai looks at Dani and smiles.)



Yokai: Not bad. You seem to prefer to forgo weapons.

Dani: Yeah, well the guy who’s taking care of me seems to think I’d do better without them.

Yokai: Maybe. But you’ll find I’m way more formidable.



(With that, the yokai dashes forward. He rapidly launches a series of lightning quick punches and kicks at Dani, who stands still and dodges them all.)



Yokai: As you can see, I am not some unskilled minion like the brainless brutes you and your friends have fought. I am more than a proper match for you!

Youngblood: hold on Dani! (Youngblood raises his gauntlet) Just give me a good shot…

Daigo: I got a bead on him too. (Daigo pulls out a kunai of his own.)

Dani: Guys, relax. Just watch!



(Suddenly Dani kicks upwards, striking the yokai hard in the jaw. As it staggers back, she spins and strikes it on the left side of the temple with a roundhouse, the center of the chest with a back heel then the side of the neck with a left elbow. She then plows into the yokai with a rapid fire kick assault to the solarplexes before finishing with a somersault kick, releasing a powerful blast of ecto energy that sends the foe far and deep into the forest.)



Ember: Ok, someone tell me just what the hell has York been teaching her.

Dani: Actually, some of these were taught to me by Shizuru.

Yuriko: Fast and brutal, that certainly seems to be her style.

Sam: Speaking of which how is our esteemed teaching staff doing?

Ember: See for yourself.



(On the roof, the 4 adults are deep in battle. Hamato is currently dodging the wild swings of the kusarigama wielder, who is also seemingly able to keep Hamato at bay with the weighted end of the chin.)



Hamato: I must say you seem to be quite adept with that weapon.

K. Wielder: Spare me the analysis old timer! If I wanted to be complemented by some ancient sack of bones, I’d be doing community service at a rest home!

Hamato: You shouldn’t be so impatient. It can prove to be your undoing.

K. Wielder: Says you. Stay there and die!



(The kusarigama wielder swings and lashes out with the sickle end towards Hamato, who sidesteps it not losing his focus. But the oni ninja smiles as his chain lows.)



K. Wielder: There are some things you should know. First, my name is Daishinsai. Second, I only tell my name to someone I’m about to kill.



(Hamato glances behind him to see that the kusarigama’s blade has made a sharp u turn and is directly headed for his neck. At the same time Daishinsai tosses the weighted chin end towards his chest. Without budging an inch or flinching, Hamato grabs the weighted chain and the end of the kusarigama bare handed, then smiles.)



Hamato: Surely that is not all.

Daishinsai: What the---how the hell did you do that you old fart?

Hamato: I think you need to be taught a lesson in respecting the elders of this place. It will be the last one, sadly.



(Hamato gives a light tug with his hand, but Daishinsai is pulled towards him as if a freight train just kicked into overdrive. As he nears Hamato, Hamato gives a quick yell and strikes Daishinsai dead center in the chest with a fierce blow. The effects of the punch are immediate as Daishinsai coughs up a massive amount of blood, then falls down dead. A few seconds later, his body dissolves away.)



Danny: See this is why any martial arts movies featuring the old fighters should be taken seriously.

Yuriko: Especially the ones with beards. So, how is your teacher doing?

Sam: For someone his age, better than we expected.



(Nearby, York takes on the nodaichi wielding oni ninja. York’s sword remains in its sheath as he uses it like a staff to attack his opponent. The nodaichi wielder in the meantime uses the length of the sword to keep York at bay, not giving him room to get a good strike in.)



N. Wielder: You’ve yet to draw your sword.

York: You noticed.

N. Wielder: If you’re trying to bide your time, don’t. I know all about you. You are Altair York and your specialty is iaido. It’s your preferred method of attack when you have no choice but to kill.

York: Ah, so you HAVE done your homework. I see the Hebi clan has not forgotten what I’ve done to many of their assassins.

N. Wielder: Nor forgiven. Allow me to introduce myself. I am…Bob. But my professional name is Akatori.

York: …Bob?

Akatori: It’s a long story.

York: I’m not familiar with any ninjas named Bob, but Akatori is different. They say that you’re the strongest sword user in the clan.

Akatori: There’s much more than that.



(In a flash, Akatori is before York. Within seconds, Akatori rapidly slashes at York, who barely has time to dodge and parry away his barrage before leaping backwards, keeping his gaze on him.)



Akatori: I am also quite quick myself. And I assume you’ve been trying to gauge my speed when I swing my blade. No doubt you have noticed it’s much faster than it actually is. If you’re banking on getting in close to use your iaido skills on me I’m afraid you’ll find that impossible. My nodaichi, combined with my speed gives me a lethal reach advantage.

Ember: Somebody please inform me why every guy with a sword has to make long ass speeches.

Sam: I know.

Akatori: And I also have one other trick up my sleeve.



(Akatori smiles as he splits into 4 identical bodies. Each of them surrounds York, the nodaichi blade raised high.)



Akatori: I have the ability to split myself like a ghost into multiple bodies. But unlike your ghosts, my copies all have the same strengths and abilities so even if you can manage to kill one of the copies the other 3 will be on you. My rep as the strongest sword in the Hebi clan will be secured with your death.

York: Sorry, but I’m afraid this is the part where you die.



(As soon as he utters these words, York acts. Grasping the hilt, he draws and swings quickly 4 times before twirling the blade and returns it into the sheath. Seconds later, the first 3, the ones o either side of him and the one in front of him, all fall down, cut in half while the last one behind him falls down, bleeding profusely from his chest.)



Akatori: But…how…

York: I channeled some of my magic into my blade, so that when I swing I can release it at will. And while you were so busy wondering if I was gauging your speed, you should have noticed I kept shifting my own. And yeah, I am much faster than this.

Akatori: D..Damn it…you really are… (Akatori slumps down and dies, his body disappearing.)

Ember: Color me impressed. The old boy’s still got it. Now how’s the Mama Bear and the Ass kicking Teacher doing?

Danny: As well as they can. Look at them go.



(Danny points to the area where Maddie and Shizuru are fighting; while Maddie is going blow for blow with Spectra, Shizuru is engaged in fierce battle with the naginata wielder using her chokuto. With great precision, Shizuru actively deflects many of the stabs and thrusts aimed at her while the naginata wielder manages to intercept Shizuru’s sword swings at her own pace. At one point, Shizuru makes for an attempt at her opponents throat. Sensing the threat, the blade of the naginata is quickly used to knock it back after a quick interception.)



Shizuru: You’re a quick one.

N. Wielder: So are you. A shame really that one of us may have to die tonight. I would relish the idea of fighting you again.

Shizuru: The feeling is mutual. So what is your name?

N. Wielder: My name is Kurohebi. You must be Hoshino Shizuru.

Shizuru: I’ve heard quite a bit about you.

Kurohebi: You have? Then in that case you should know I’ve been holding back.

Spectra: Yes, I’m sure that you have but I think you better just cut to the chase already!

Maddie: You really ought to be focused on me right now!



(As she says this, Maddie closes in on Spectra, trying to catch her off guard as she rapidly unleashes a torrent of fists. Spectra goes on a attack barrage of her own, blocking the blows while occasionally firing an ecto blast of her own. Meanwhile Kurohebi lowers the blade of her naginata as the weapon glows blue in her hands, and then begins to crackle.)



Kurohebi: It doesn’t take a genius to figure out the nature of my weapon.

Shizuru: Sure doesn’t.



(Shizuru braces herself as Kurohebi twirls her naginata rabidly in front of her, then swings upwards, sending a steady stream of lightning bolts out towards Shizuru. Shizuru in turn twirls her body and thrusts forward, releasing a wind vortex from her chokuto. The wind creates a gap in between the lightning bolts. Kurohebi quickly leaps to the side to avoid the wind blasts as Shizuru maintains her battle stance.)



Kurohebi: I see, quite impressive.

Spectra: Feh, this is getting us nowhere. Fortunately I have a back up plan.

Kurohebi: A back up plan?

Spectra: Yes. I find when life gives you lemons, its best to take an axe to ‘em. Oh boys!



(A couple of purple portals appear. Out of these portals step out two tall, purple skilled reptilian looking demons, each of them wielding large axes in hand.)



Spectra: Folks, meet the Axe Brothers.

Danny: Damn! That is one huge gator!

Yuriko: Seriously!

Kurohebi: You dared hire these bloodthirsty monsters behind our backs?

Spectra: I find you can’t be too careful. Really, I didn’t expect you and your comrades to fail at such a simple job. Pity.

Shizuru: But to go so far as to hire the likes of them…

Sam: We know this woman, trust us she’s prone to doing crap like this. I’ll guess that whoever these Axe Brothers are, they are not on good terms with the ninja gal.

Ember: Doesn’t take a MENSA member to figure that out Goth. I’ve heard rumors about these guys in the Ghost Zone. There are stories of a family of demons in Japan who like to hunt humans for sport. Families were known to disappear at times and the only known evidence of their work was enough to make a coroner puke and give up the business.

Danny: And it’s just our luck Spectra decided to hire them on the side. We can’t ever catch a break out here it seems.

Sam: Sheesh, someone this big, I’m gonna need at least half a dozen shikigami. Hell, I’ll probably have to see if I can summon a dragon spirit for this.

Yuriko: No, wait. Something is wrong. From what I understand there are 3 Axe Brothers.

Danny: Oh no…that only means one thing. Don’t tell me…

Spectra: Oh, but I have to, that’s part of the fun. I sent the third one, Jiro, to your dorm. He and his friends are going to have a fun time there killing every last one of your classmates.

York: You cold calculating---why?

Spectra: Isn’t it obvious? To make Danny suffer as much as possible. If he even manages to scrape by a victory here, there’s no chance he will make it back in time to save anyone.

York: I’ll not let you get away with this! (York reaches for the handle of his sword and prepares to unsheathe it, but Maddie raises her hand.)

Maddie: Altair…she’s mine. Let me handle this.

Danny: I know that look.

Sam: Me too. That’s the “I’m going to put several dozen people into the intensive care ward” look. But what about the dorm?

York: I think we’ll have to bank on my own backup plan.



(Back at the dorm, a mist obscures the area surrounding the building as Valerie and Star stand by the entrance, accompanied by Rei.)

Valerie: This is bad. Real bad.

Star: I still can’t believe I can sense something like that coming here.

Valerie: That bracelet you borrowed from the professor really can raise your awareness of the unseen.

Rei: Yes, it looks like an Eastern Sumerian bracelet if I’m not mistaken.

Star: Seriously? I thought it was from France.

Rei: In any case, they’ll be here shortly.

Valerie: And they’re using this fog to mask their movement. We’ll need to be on our toes.

Rei: Leave that fog to me. (Rei clasps her hands together. As if a great wind has been called forth to pass through the area, the mists are quickly dissipated and a large mass of yokai are seen approaching the area.) I see we have plenty to work with,

Star: Yeah. Makes me wish I was doing math homework instead.

Valerie: Tucker, how many we got?

Tucker’s Voice: The radar’s picking up about 30 of them plus one huge one that’s gonna join them in a few minutes.

Rei: The barriers I set up will prevent any of them from getting inside the dorm, but it can only last for so long.

Valerie: Trust me, I can use that time well. (Valerie reaches into her jacket and pulls out a short one handed sword while Star pulls out a collapsible staff.) Wow, where’d you get that?

Star: Mrs. Fenton had a spare one. Where did you get that?

Valerie: Made it myself in shop class.

Rei: Ok then I guess we’ll take ten apiece.

?: Hold on, it’s not that simple.



(The three turn to see that Hayate has arrived, a pair of tonfa in hand.)



Rei: Brother? What are you doing here?

Hayate: Duh, what else? I’m looking out for my sister. Besides, mom was busy at work. Don’t worry about that, let me handle this with your friends while you maintain the barrier.

Valerie: Wait a sec; I’ve seen you before, haven’t I?

Hayate: Yeah, I do visit the school on occasion.

Valerie: That’s not what I meant. I mean—

Star: Uh, can we have this discussion later, because these guys seriously want to kill us.

Valerie: Oh, right. Let’s get to work!



(As the first few attack, Valerie makes her move. She swings and strikes down the first one of the yokai with a strong slash across the chest, and then manages to twist her body rapidly to block the next swift attack and slice the assailant’s hands off. As another closes in to attack, Star leaps forward and intercepts, smashing in the side of the yokai’s head with a swift staff strike. Star then follows it up with a downward jumping blow on the head of the next attacker before using the staff like a bat to smash into the next one.)



Star: This is way more fun than I should be having!

Valerie: Star, DUCK!!

Star: What?

Valerie: Trust me, get DOWN!!



(Star hits the ground flat just as 3 yokai reach her location. Valerie swings her sword in their direction and, at the same time presses a butting on the handle. The sword suddenly breaks apart into several segments, held together by a long chain. The extended weapon decapitates all three of them and as they fall down, the sword contracts and forms back into a regular short sword.)



Star: What the hell, you went out of your way to make a whip sword in shop class?

Valerie: I get bored easily on my down time, sue me!



(Hayate meanwhile manages to hold out; using his tonfa, he smashes into the ribs of one demon while crushing the throats of another pair that try to attack. As a group closes in on him, he twirls the weapons, facing towards them and presses a button on each side. A rapid burst of fire mows them all down.)



Hayate: And they said it was insane to have lasers installed in these bad boys!

Star: We still have a few more to deal with.

Rei: At the rate you all are going, I doubt it will be a problem.

Tucker’s Voice: Uh guys? Remember that huge one I said was coming your way. Well, it’s here.



(From out of the sky, the 3rd Axe Brother lands in front of the three, wielding a large black axe that is double bladed.)



Jiro: Ah I was wondering why these guys were having so much trouble here. You 3 humans look like fun.

Valerie: Oh crap.

Star: That is possibly the biggest gecko I have ever seen.

Rei: Hayate! I think that’s one of the Axe Brothers!

Hayate: I know sis! The big damn axe kind of gave it away.

Jiro: They call me Jiro the Ebony Blade. I just happen to be the strongest of the 3 and may I add the most efficient. My brothers may be preoccupied with taking care of those loathsome ninja at the shrine, but I’ll take pleasure killing every human here in this dorm!

Valerie: Look, about that, our professor, who really hates it when anyone even so much as sneezes in our general direction, gave us very explicit instructions that stare we should horribly maim any ghost, demon, yokai or spook that tries that.

Star: it would have been nice if he gave us better weapons like say a rocket launcher, but as you can see we are quite good at our jobs with what we have.

Jiro: You two have quite the mouths. I’ll personally enjoy silencing them forever.

?: Now that’s not very gentleman like behavior, even for a demon.

Hayate: Who the hell…

Rei: It’s you!



(Jiro turns to see Harada, in a white gi and blue hakama, standing among the bodies of many fallen yokai, his sword sheathed. He has on a pair of black gloves smeared with blood and a forehead protector.)



Harada: Geez, big guys like you, did you really have to go and cause a commotion? People need to sleep.

Valerie: What the---did you just beat those guys there all by yourself?

Harada: Yeah. I mean while you were preoccupied with Wally Gator over there, I saw these guys and figured what the hell, I got some free time.

Star: I can’t believe it. You’re actually a competent fighter!

Harada: Hey now that’s not fair! Yoko caught me off guard! Besides, she wanted to meet Danny and I didn’t want to get in the way.

Rei: Ok but did you think it was a good idea to meet him the way you did? There’s no way Danny can ever take you seriously after that!

Jiro: Excuse me but… (Jiro slams down his axe in front of Harada) Who in the hell are you, human?

Harada: Right, intros. I’m Harada Kenji. I’ve come here to kill you.

Jiro Hah! You, a mere human? Don’t make me laugh boy! Even if you are able to engage me in combat, it’ll take more than your fists to kill the likes of me.

Harada: Yeah, you’re right. (Harada grips his sword tighter)

Jiro: And as much as I would like to kill you on the spot, I have other business to attend with…STARTING WITH YOU!!



(Jiro quickly turns around and lunges towards Star, his axe raised. At the last second, a stone pillar erupts from the ground and collides with hi chest, knocking him back Rei smiles as she lowers her hands from her necklace.)



Rei: And now brother, you see why I requested this particular artifact.

Jiro: Meddling bitch! I’ll cut you to pieces!

Hayate: You’re wide open.



(Before Jiro knows it, Harada is above him with sword drawn; as he leaps down in front of Jiro, he swings hard at him with the katana. Landing in a crouch, Harada exhales)



Harada: Going after women primarily was your M.O. Jiro. It's just one reason why I always wanted to kill you.



(As Harada returns his katana to its sheath, Jiro’s axe, as well as Jiro himself, collapses into two pieces.)



Valerie: Holy CRAP.

Hayate: Quick question Harada…

Harada: I kind of noticed something was amiss up at the shrine. I would have gone there myself, but I sensed some spirits making their way here. Besides, Yoko was already on her way there and I rather not get in her way.

Star: Well now, aren’t you the hopeless romantic.

Harada: Hell no, it’s nothing like that!

Rei: Really? The way you reacted you could have fooled me.

Hayate: Least the dorm is safe for now

Valerie: Good to know. (Valerie pulls Hayate aside.) Now then, perhaps you would be so kind to enlighten me as to why an agent of the Shinigami is here.

Hayate: You know that I'm an agent, huh? I guess York taught you a lot.

Valerie: He did. But I thought you guys were not interested in monitoring me.

Hayate: We’re not. We actually want to recruit you.



(Meanwhile, back at the shrine, the other students face off with the two remaining Axe Brothers as Maddie continues her face off with Spectra.)



Danny: Ok, I don’t suppose any one else wants the honor of tackling the lizard crew.

York: No, we’ll let you handle it. I’m confident you can handle this problem.

Sam: Your faith is uplifting, really.

Danny: In that case, let’s take out the Dynamic Duo here as quickly as possible.

Axe Bros 1: Do you hear the young one, Hiro?

Hiro: Yes Jinchiro, he believes he and his playmates will make short work of us!

Jinchiro: I am insulted! Let’s reduce them all to nothing more than pulp

Yuriko: I don’t think I’d like tat. Really puts a cramp in my style. Daigo, stay out of this one!

Daigo: but—

Yuriko: Trust me. Your big sister won’t be taking too long. (As Yuriko says this, her eyes glow brightly and her body emits a purple aura.)

Daigo: Sure fine, go nuts. This is probably the best time to mention that my mother’s side of the gene pool has an Oni bloodline.

Ember: I kind of figured that, what with the crazy strength and glowing pupils.

Danny: Yuriko and I will take care of Jinchiro here. Sam, you and Ember have the other of the gruesome twosome.

Jinchiro: Don’t presume you can so much as scar even one of us, child.



(Danny smiles as he transforms into his Danny Phantom persona, then tosses the Fenton Blade to Danny.)



Danny: Trust me you have more than scars to look forward to.

Sam: I guess that means we ought to show off too. You all set?

Ember: Oh yeah. Let’s grill this guy.



(Assuming her spirit ball form, Ember merges with Sam, transforming her into her Shaman Form. Sam looks up and smirks at the towering Hiro.)



Sam: All right big boy, let’s dance







(That said, the two monsters attack; Hiro leaps towards Sam with his axe raised while Jinchiro, holding his axe at his right side, charges forward, barreling towards Danny and Yuriko. Danny, with ecto energy powered burst of speed, dashes in as well, managing to duck under Jinchiro’s axe swings, then uses the opportunity to propel himself forward and Kick Jinchiro in the gut hard. As Jinchiro is knocked backward he snarls in rage and raises his open arm, striking out with a punch towards Danny. Utilizing his strength, Danny grabs the fist just in the nick of time. Jinchiro, grunting, goes for another axe swing but before he can do anything, Yuriko is on him; she leaps up and kicks hard into Jinchiro’s jaw making him stagger. As she comes down, the glow of her kodaichi’s blades become brighter and with two deft swings she slices off the axe hand.)



Jinchiro: GRAAAHHH!! YOU FILTHY—

Danny: Say handsome, maybe you should be asking yourself “why is this kid still holding on to my fist?” Let me show you a neat trick.



(Danny smiles as he quickly uses his ice abilities to completely freeze Jinchiro, entrapping him in a large block of ice.)



Danny: Care to do the honors?

Yuriko: Thanks. I never made ice cubes this way. (In an instant, Jinchiro’s body is shattered into nothing but ice shards as Yuriko’s fist makes contact.)

Hiro: BROTHER!! You will pay for that, filth!!

Sam: Oh no you don’t!



(Sam quickly forms a ball of blue fire and hurls it at Hiro’s feet. Sensing the danger, Hiro leaps forward and comes down towards Sam with his axe. With great precision, Sam uses her guitar to intercept and block the axe, and then proceeds to unleash an axe swing barrage of her own, keeping Hiro on the defensive. The frustration eventually overwhelms him and Hiro, gripping his axe with both hands, raises it over his head, intent on bringing it down with full force on Sam. Rearing one fist back, Sam smiles and thrusts it forward. A huge concentrated blast of flames is unleashed at Hiro, powerful enough to leave a huge gaping hole in Hiro’s body. As the blast dies down, Sam and Ember are separated back into their own individual selves.)



Sam: What just happened?

Ember: Guess we put WAY too much pepper into that one. But that should take care of him.

Sam: Yeah, I would agree…if it wasn’t for the fact that he’s still moving.

Hiro: I…will…ki-kill…



(Before he can make a move, Jinpachi appears before the gravely injured Hiro and raises his staff, forming a force field that repels Hiro’s axe swing. As Hiro is forced back, Sam quickly presses her hand to the ground. Seconds later, a large series of vines erupt from the ground and completely ensnare Hiro, binding him and pulling him deep into the ground.)



Ember: Now how the hell did I forget you have that ability?

Sam: I’m just glad the vines out here are strong enough to get him out of our hair. And I certainly hope demons make good plant food. Thanks for the assist by the way.

Jinpachi: Don’t mention it. All that’s left is her. (Jinpachi jerks a thumb towards Spectra.)

Ember: Nah, mama Grizzly has it covered.



(Spectra takes to the air while firing more powerful ecto blasts down at Maddie, who dodges quickly. Reaching into her back pocket, she produces several small black balls and tosses them towards Spectra just as she begins to fire another one. The resulting explosion blinds Spectra and knocks her back down to the roof hard.)



Spectra: Argh! Of all the dirty—(Before she can finish her sentence, Maddie finishes making her point by connecting with a hard roundhouse kick to her chin.)

Maddie: You ought to know. But I assure you, I don’t need anyone else to help me kick your ass.

Spectra: Oh, you’re too sweet. Too bad I feel the exact opposite. Kurohebi, if you will be so kind.

Kurohebi: Sorry, but I refuse.

Spectra: What?

Kurohebi: You violated our agreement not only by hiring the Axe Bros, but keeping it a secret from my clan. You sought to manipulate us from the very end. Generally speaking, that really kills a business relationship.

Maddie: And so it looks like you are out of friends and lackeys. Lucky me. (Maddie cracks her knuckles.)

Spectra: Nuts. This turned out worse than I expected. I’d like to play with you some more, but not when the odds are to my disliking. I’ll just have to hitch a ride back home then.



(Out of the skies, a large bat like creature swoops down and picks her off of the roof before streaking off into the night.)



Danny: No! She’s getting away!

York: Let her go Danny. She won’t be able to do much of anything here anymore.

Kurohebi: Especially if I have anything to do with it.

Danny: Huh?

Kurohebi: We have a code of conduct when it comes to fulfill a contract. In short, we do not target any noncombatants. The yokai and demons that you fought, they were also hired by her when she had sought out our services. Our clans have had a long standing rivalry and Spectra hired us on the basis that she wanted you to be taken out.

Danny: Ok, so the contract is now officially null and void. What’s next then?

Kurohebi: Now that the other heads of the clan are dead, I am the sole leader f the Hebi clan. That being the case, I will end this feud once and for all.

Shizuru: I find that hard to believe.

Kurohebi: I know, but my associates were the ones who had chosen to undertake this mission. We did not see eye to eye on this matter. Besides, it is as I said; I wish to fight you again, but in a more suitable environment.

Shizuru: Hey, I know what you mean. I’m looking forward to having a rematch myself.

Kurohebi: In that case, I bid you all farewell. We may yet meet again. (Kurohebi bows and leaps off into the forest.)

Yuriko: And that takes care of the crazy ass ninja battle for the night! Ok, I’m hungry. Who wants to hit the noodle stands?

Ember: I like the way you think, count me in!

Dani: Me too!

Daigo: Ditto!

York: Hold on, we got to check up on the dorm, see if everything’s all right. (Hiroshi and Yoko arrive at the top of the steps)

Hiroshi: Don’t worry, Rei just called us. Valerie and the others have finished taking care of things there.

Yoko: And we secured the area below. I am rather hungry myself. So I suppose I could do with a bowl or two.

Danny: Hey, count me in!

Maddie: Not so fast, young man. We need to have a little talk.

York: Yikes. Don’t worry about it Danny, we’ll save you two a bowl.

Maddie: Oh, he’s not the only one I want o speak to right now.

York: Oh crud. I was hoping you’d never say that.



(Sometime later, after everyone else has left for the noodle stands, Maddie speaks with Danny and York.)



Danny: Wow. Where to begin.

Maddie: You can start just how exactly you got those powers of yours in the first place.

Danny: That part is the easy one. I was in the Fenton Portal when I switched it on.

Maddie: Of course. The transference of energy onto the human body via a massive shock could be expected, especially at the focal point of an emerging portal.

Danny: And for the record, you should REALLY reconsider leaving any and all power switches outside of a machine.

York: Trust me, not the first time that has happened.

Maddie: But why keep it a secret from me hon?

Danny: Lets be honest mom. You and dad aren’t exactly the most tolerant type when it comes to the subject of ghosts. Both of you have a pesky habit of shooting first and asking questions never. And you’ve said multiple times just how much you wanted to break ghosts like me down and study me molecule by molecule. How’d you think I’d react? I know that doesn’t seem right but—

Maddie: No, I understand. Your father and I haven’t been “rational” especially in the subject of ghosts. But trust me dear, we would have accepted you no matter what.

Danny: I know. In fact, I kinda told you about it once or twice, but I had to reset reality to undo the damage Freakshow had done.

Maddie and York: Reality Gauntlet.

Danny: You guys know about that?

Maddie: You would be surprised at all the things we researched. And after all the things you have been through, I’m surprised that you didn’t tell us sooner.

Danny: I’ve gotten so used to having a secret identity that it became second nature.

Maddie: And then there was the incident with Dash. I suspected that the injuries you had didn’t come from the bike accident, but there was no way I could have proven it.

York: It’s probably best I fill you in on that one then. Trust me this one is a doozy.

Maddie: And I suspect its part of the reason you came to Amity.

York: Partially. Before the end of the summer this year, an old enemy of mine will come to your town looking for a particular artifact. If he gets a hold of it, our world as well as the Ghost Zone will fall.

Maddie: Then the reason why our sensei summoned us here may make more sense.

York: I guess. To be honest, his request for me to set this all up caught me off guard.

Danny: I’ve got a feeling he figured out my secret a long time ago too.

Maddie: And when you stop to think about it, it all makes sense Danny Fenton, Danny Phantom. I know the white hair and vocal reverb throws you off balance but still…anyway, I’m sure Master Hamato may make you his student, but I’m not too sure for how long.

Danny: Whoa wait! Studying with the guy who made my already kick ass mom even more of an ass kicker? That would be awesome!

York: You’ve never taking a training montage in a kung fu movie very seriously, have you?

Maddie: And what about you? You’ve kept that little secret about being a high level magic user from your friends. I’ve yet to guess how many other secrets you’ve got tucked away.

Danny: Ok, for starters he is a lot older than he looks. Like say 2000 years.

Maddie: What?

York: It’s kind of complicated.

Maddie: Try me. Are you a god?

York: U…no. I’m not too sure about that. I can tell you this: I can’t die by ordinary means. In fact, only old age seems to do it, and when my body succumbs to that, I regenerate into a 3 year old body. I lose all of my memory and, most of my powers for at least 2 years after that. Trust me; turning 5 is a hell of a wake up call.

Addie: Now see, that wasn’t too bad.

Danny: I find it hard to believe you’ve lasted for this long.

York: Ember took this a lot better than you did.



(Meanwhile, on the steps leading away from the shrine, Ember sneezes as she talks with Sam and Yuriko.)



Ember: That was odd.

Yuriko: That was really cool what you two were able to do up there, by the way.

Sam: The combination attack? Yeah, we’re still what we like to call a work in progress.

Ember: I’ll say. At most now, we’ve been able to go for at least a half hour joined at the hip like that.

Sam: But we still lose power when we pull off a big attack like that on the fly.

Yuriko: I noticed. Something like that, it takes a while to come up with.

Ember: I still think we should concentrate more on developing that fire whip of ours. It’s cool and kinky.

Sam: Oh I’ll bet.

Ember: You’re one to talk. I do believe you’re still at work on that vine whip of yours.

Sam: That’s different! I’m not the one who has fire as her base power.

Yuriko: Ok, I take it that you want to increase your spiritual powers then.

Sam: You know a way?

Yuriko: Well, not me precisely. Hiroshi, however, is more experienced with this.

Sam: That’s right; he said he was an omyonji in training himself.

Ember: The kids probably got a ton of info on mana and junk. We definitely need to talk with him and get a heads up.

Yuriko: If you guys can, meet me at his family’s shine in 3 days.

Sam: 3 days?

Yuriko: Trust me, it’ll give him the prep time he needs.



(Later on at the ramen stand, while most of the group has gone back to the dorms or their home, Maddie, York, Shizuru and Hamato remain to talk.)



York: This is probably the best pork ramen I’ve had in a while.

Hamato: Quite. I do prefer their beef bowls however.

Maddie: I’m just glad I wasn’t the one paying for it. Did you see how many bowls Dani put away?

Shizuru: Tell me about it. When I first met her she ate through at least 3 plates of my soba noodles.

Hamato: And she lived.

Shizuru: Hey! I’ve gotten better!

Hamato: I’ll take your word for it, but I won’t risk a plate.

Maddie: Her development is still very remarkable, given the circumstances behind her creation.

York: Did you have any suspicions about her?

Maddie: Yeah, when you had come in to save her. A piece of her uniform was left behind. I did a DNA analysis on it and discovered trace DNA elements that matched mine, as well as Danny and Jack

Shizuru: So, in some respects, she is more of a daughter than a cousin.

York: But are you sure that it should be me that you want raising her?

Maddie: For the last time, yes! I think you’ve done a great job bringing her up, especially at your age.

York: Wait, what?

Shizuru: The Wraiths though, what about them? Are you sure that Danny and the others are prepared to face them.

Hamato: As I see it, Danny is coming along well. However he could be a lot stronger. No one has heard much about the Wraiths for some time or what they’re planning.

York: And for that matter, we have no idea how many they have in their ranks.

Maddie: Plus we have to consider what they have planned for Amity Park. When they do attack, I doubt they will be our only concern.

York: I have some ideas, but it will take some crazy brainstorming to implement. And we will need both Jack and Vlad on this.

Shizuru: Oh, that will go over well. No offense Maddie, but Jack’s liable to destroy more property than he can save.

Maddie: I know, and I’m not too thrilled at the idea of working with Vlad myself.

Hamato: I think you will be able to trust them when the time comes. But for now, I must think about what I can do for young Danny. Also, I would like a shrimp ramen bowl.



(A day later back at Seimei High, Danny and Sam talk during the lunch break.)



Danny: Basically, my mom wants to find a way to slowly break all of this to Dad. She figures he’s less likely to break out the Ecto Bazooka if we take the easy approach to all of this.

Sam: The easy approach?

Danny: It involves the traditional therapeutic Fenton Pot Roast.

Sam: You’re just lucky that you can confide in your parents this way. I can’t begin to imagine how my parents will react. They’d probably try to get an injunction imposed on the professor or something.

Danny: That would put our plans on hold.

Sam: Well me and the others are headed to the arcades later. You coming?

Danny: Love to, but I’ve got some business with Yuriko later.

Sam: Yuriko? You two seem o be awfully chummy as of late.

Danny: Hey we do share some common interests you know. We like to talk a lot of trash in battle, we have siblings that are smart alecks…

Sam: And you both happen to have super powered alter egos.

Danny: Her power is genetic! (Before they can continue, from out of nowhere leaps in Harada.)

Harada: Daniel Fenton, we meet again!

Danny: GAH!! Where’d you come from?

Harada: The second floor window. Yuriko isn’t the only one who is capable of leaping from there. I hear that you and your friend here took down the other Axe Bros. at the shrine.

Sam: And we hear you took out the last one on your own. That’s mighty impressive.

Harada: I appreciate the compliment, Lady Manson.

Sam: Oh, I could get used to that.

Harada: In any case, I am curious about where your abilities lie. Therefore I propose that after school we—



(Before Harada can finish the sentence, he is struck on the back of the head, falling to the ground. Yoko, who is now in her school uniform, sighs.)



Yoko: One victory and it goes to his head.

Danny: Yeah, um, did you really need to knock him out like that.

Yoko: Yes. Yes I did. Could you excuse us, we need to have a word. (Yoko grabs Harada’s collar and drags him off.)

Sam: No, that wasn’t awkward at all.



(Somewhere else, Paulina is sitting down at a bench and table with Haruka.)



Haruka: I swear, it was one of the oddest sights I will never forget! There he was, completely soaked head to toe in soy sauce, holding a huge sack of carrots! The vice principal could barely hold his laughter in. To this day we still refer to that guy as “Kid Kikkoman”.

Paulina: Well that certainly explains why I saw him the other day with the Kikkoman hat.

Haruka: It doesn’t hurt that the company got him to be their part time spokesman now. (As they talk, a short boy with swirly glasses and round frames approaches.)

Kid: Uh…ex-excuse me, Haruka-san…

Paulina: My geek senses are tingling.

Haruka: Now now, let the little guy speak.

Kid: I’m, uh, ki-kind of in a bind since I, um, was sick and well…

Haruka: Out with it!

Kid: I need the notes for yesterday’s music history class, Haruka-san!! (Bows low.)

Haruka: Ok, but please don’t beg like that. It embarrasses us both. (Haruka reaches into her backpack and hands over the notes.) And don’t be so afraid to ask for notes, we’re all students here.

Kid: Yes, Haruka-san. (The kid walks away quickly.)

Paulina: You handled that much differently from the girls I know.

Haruka: You think?

Paulina: Yeah, trust me. The girls I’ve come to know would have torn into him like a pack of rabid hungry chic wolves.

Haruka: Yeouch. You sound like you know these types well.

Paulina: Pretty much. Up until some time ago, I may have even started it. But after this past summer, something changed.

Haruka: I have a feeling we’re about to dive into some pretty deep waters.

Paulina: Danny’s kind of the reason behind it. See, he almost got killed in this bike accident caused by the school’s football team quarterback Dash. That got quite a few of the school’s administrators in trouble and Dash got a pretty hefty punishment. After Danny got out of the hospital and came back to school, Dash decided to confront Danny and it got real ugly real fast.

Haruka: Oh. Dash didn’t attack him or anything did he?

Paulina: No, if he did he wouldn’t even be here. But he said some things that really pushed his buttons and Danny really lashed out at him. Things between the two were never what I would label ‘friendly’. And then it got worse?

Haruka: Worse.

Paulina: Yeah. I kind of made a crack at his expense. In retrospect, was probably not the smartest thing to do or my finest moment because that’s when he decided to go of on me and just about anyone who ever picked on him. It was really shocking too. No one ever figured Danny Fenton, the awkward son of the local crazy inventors, would ever be holding back that much anger.

Haruka: Actually, I think it kind of makes sense. I mean it sounds like everyone, including this Dash guy, was dumping on him for a long time. Dash does something that nearly costs him his life and when he comes back to school, that same guy who was responsible for him being there threatens him. If he didn’t blow up right then and there, he may as well be Buddha himself.

Paulina: Buddha, that’s the guy with the belly, right.

Haruka: Yup.

Paulina: After that, things kind of changed. I kind of like that attention I got, especially from someone like him, but I always thought my beauty would never allow anyone to hate me. That’s probably one of the most insanely naïve things anyone can ever believe. So I did what any person insecure about themselves did.

Haruka: Internet.

Paulina: Oh yeah. Came up with a fake identity and everything, and then logged on to the Casper High ultra secret social board. The opinions about me were varied to say the very least.

Haruka: You can’t really go by what people on a message board think all the time. For God’s sake, there’s message boards out there dedicated to complaining about Nintendo games they’ll never play.

Paulina: I know, but I actually do care about what people really see in me. I don’t wanna be seen as some air headed self obsessed brat who doesn’t know a crescent from a croissant roll. And this was Danny who had gone off on me, someone who always had a cute crush on me. I thought I knew him, but I guess I don’t.

Haruka: Trust me, kiddo, its something you can mend if you genuinely try to reach out to him

Paulina: You think?

Haruka: Totally. I’m very familiar with this sort of problem. Truth is, Seimei High is the 2nd high school I’ve attended.

Paulina: what?

Haruka: Yeah…I had attended a high school in another prefecture a couple of years ago. Like many others, I became a member of a small and elite group of “popular” girls who did nothing but obsess over fashion, flirt, collect beauty mags and make the lives of the lower class as miserable a living hell as possible. A lot of the pranks we pulled seemed like harmless fun to us, but it hurt a lot more deeply than I figured. This one girl I was particularly harsh on, I knew she had feelings for a guy in her class.

Paulina: Uh oh. I have a feeling I know where this is headed.

Haruka: That’s when I did something really, really terrible. I started this nasty rumor that she had slept around with a lot of guys, including a teacher. It got out of hand real fast and not only did he get forced to resign, that girl tried to commit suicide.

Paulina: Oh my…

Haruka: Yes. The worst part of it was that the other girls felt not one damn shred of guilt about it. I told the truth and let’s just say that was the moment everything got worse for me. Just about every student wanted me gone, the teachers all called for my expulsion, hell the girls who were my so called ‘friends’ turned on me and tried to pin it all on my shoulders. So I did what I believed was right; I ran away from home I thought it would be better for my parents if I had just disappeared and be out of their lives, after all I had done such a dishonorable thing. Turns out that my parents were more worried than I actually knew. I was out there on my own for at least 3-4 months before they tracked me down in Shibuya sharing a room with a female college student. I was lucky I did find her because the other person who was trying to pick me up was a real freak. We talked for some time and my parents convinced me that I should return and seek that girl’s forgiveness. I wasn’t too sure if it was going to work out, the way I had hoped for, but I had to see her.

Paulina: Man that sounds rough. I guess if I was in your shoes, I’d expect her to rip my head off. Wait what about the school and your ‘friends’?

Haruka: oh, I’ll get to that. The girl was staying at a psychiatric ward for a while when I visited her. She was doing great and when I talked to her and told her everything that had happened, she accepted my apology and told me she forgave me a long time ago.

Paulina: She did?

Haruka: Yeah, turned out my parents had visited her there after I ran away. They had begged for her forgiveness in my absence and were ready to help her in any way they could, but she only asked that they concentrate on bringing me back home safe. It was more than enough that I felt remorse for what I did and she felt that I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I didn’t come back and confront this face to face. After we talked we became good friends. We call each other now and then to see how the other’s holding up. As for my old school, the incident was something of a local scandal. The teacher who I had gotten fired accepted my apology and sued the school for firing him without even bothering to do a proper investigation to see if the claims were valid. As for my ex compatriots while the other students had slowly forgiven me over time, they were not so fortunate. They had found themselves real unpopular real quickly. But I don’t really know what happened to them after that since I transferred to here after I finished my freshman year.

Paulina: At least everything worked out for you and your friend though. And you’re seriously well adjusted enough to talk about this.

Haruka: Can’t go on and keep hating myself for that one mistake the rest of my life.

Paulina: Yeah, I can see that.

Haruka: So, this Danny Fenton, what’s he like?

Paulina: I don’ really know how to describe him too much. The guy’s like 30 different shades of awkward and he has an alarming tendency of accidentally dropping his pants. But he’s always quick to respond with a joke of some other kind of pun. Plus, he does go out of his way to make a girl feel nice. Hell, I remember how he actually managed to tune up my radio when I was trying to set up a signal for the Dumpty Humpty concert.

Haruka: Hard to believe a guy like him is single.

Paulina: Blame it on the social circles folk. If you didn’t have enough money or didn’t fit into the pre-chosen acceptable social types, you were swiftly rejected.

Haruka: Sadly that’s universal.

Paulina Oh how right you are. I think all the free time I spent working on sketches and designs may have done wonders for my IQ. And it’s been a while since I have had a talk with Fenton one on one.

Haruka: I have a suggestion. And it involves one of our countries traditions.



(Later on that day, Sam enters the school’s library, the book that Hiroshi recommended in hand.)





Sam: Hey, ‘m returning this book I took out.

Librarian: Ah, you finished it already, I see. Quite remarkable I have to say. We don’t get too many requests for “The Tales of Kurokame” these days.

Sam: I’m surprised. The dude sounds like a totally awesome guy, even if the stories have way too much spiritual meaning in them.

Librarian: Yes, these days people seem to want more karate than ghost tales. Anyway, this needs to be returned to the archive where it belongs. Please take this. (The librarian hands Sam a small red card.)

Sam: Another library card?

Librarian: It grants you special privileges in here, trust me. Just go into that elevator and show it to the girl inside.

Sam: There’s an elevator here? (The Librarian nods and points over to the adjacent wall, where a pair of blue elevator door awaits her.) Funny how I seem to overlook these things when I visit.



(Sam walks over to the elevator doors which automatically open as she approaches. Entering the interior, she finds it is occupied by a girl in an odd blue dress with matching gloves and high boots with a hat that looks like it could be worn by a stewardess. In her hands is a clipboard. The floor of the elevator is draped with a nice rug and sitting against the wall is a couch.)



Sam: I guess I’m supposed to show my card to you. (Sam flashes the red card.)

Girl: Ah, the library archives. Very well. I will take you there now.

Sam: Thanks. Uh, is there any reason why I see a couch here?

Girl: The travel in between the various sections of the library tends to take its time.

Sam: Must be a big library.

Girl: It is quite immense. Here we are.



(The elevator doors open and Sam steps out to find herself in a massive area, about 5 stories in height. Each level seems to be occupied by various people and spirits searching through massive bookshelves. As Sam goes to the main desk, she spots what appears to be an elderly lady ghost floating nearby reading a book while nearby, sitting at a desk, a young woman with rectangular framed glasses is reading from a small book while sitting next to a huge stack of books neatly placed by her side.)



Loudspeaker: Ms. Twitty, you are needed in Restoration immediately. And please bring the copy of the G. Codex with you.

Sam: Now this is more like it. (Rei approaches Sam, book in hand.)

Rei: So I see you took up Hiroshi’s recommendation.

Sam: hey, fancy meeting you here.

Rei: I do nee to research here from time to time. I’m surprised you were visiting this place now.

Sam: It took a bit of time to comprehend some of the details in the stories. But Kurokame seemed to be one hell of an omyonji.

Rei: He was indeed. Kurokame was the most powerful and well respected of this town’s protectors. Believe it or not, the school’s library and archive was founded by him. In fact the entire school was built on his family’s land. In his later years, he dedicated much of his life collecting rare books and artifacts that were connected in some way to the supernatural.

Sam: Judging by the size of this place, he looked like he had no trouble collecting them at all. Most of these look especially rare.

Rei: After he died, others continued to contribute to the library, both from here and the beyond. It’s practically the source that many come to if there is something about the supernatural they need clarification on.

Sam: It’s also a huge target. This would explain why the school was built around it and the measures that the faculty took to protect it.

Rei: The library in town is a small extension of the one here, but its purpose is to make sure no undue suspicion falls on this area. My mom works there too. She also tends to bring home books for me to read.

Sam: There’s something I’ve been real curious about. The town seems pretty keen on keeping something of a tight lid on just how much supernatural activity is seen.

Rei: I know. We find that in the past, a lot of ghost hunters tended to cause more trouble than we expected. So naturally, we had to work on a system to make the friendly and less harmful spirits would not be targeted. Last thing the world needs is another version of Amity Park.

Sam: Oh, don’t get me started. Our insurance doesn’t even cover random attacks by apparitions or Primal Gods anymore.



(A couple of days later at the dorm, Danny enters the rec room to find Valerie sitting at a chair watching a Sentai show.)



Danny: Wow, for once this room is actually empty. I was wondering when I’d get some serious down time alone on the video games.

Valerie: Better hurry then. I don’t think the guys can do without their Street Fighter fix for too long.

Danny: Me too. I’m kind of curious as to where everyone went today.

Valerie: It’s Sunday, they needed to blow some steam off. Plus many of the girls went shopping. A certain day is coming up and they’ll be prepared well in advance.

Danny: Valentine’s Day. That’s right; it’s done much differently here,

Valerie: I’m willing to bet a young Mr. Fenton is going to receive his fair share of chocolates this year.

Danny: That would be a nice change of pace. Usually I get the occasional “friend valentine” greeting or my yearly Paulina rejection.

Valerie: Don’t you usually do something with Sam?

Danny: This is a girl who believes Valentines is a conspiracy by the greeting card and candy corporations to sucker people into buying their products and make them believe it is a proper way to express their love.

Valerie: Then I guess that is a no.

Danny: Big time. And where’s the professor? He’s usually lurking about the dorms.

Valerie: Today is the big day. He went with Dash and Mrs. Testlaff to the Sasuke obstacle course.

Danny: Man, what I wouldn’t give to have a video of Dash falling face first into the water. Guess I’ll have to wait until it airs later this year.

Valerie: I don’t think you’ll have to wait too long for that. The show will air here in a week or two and the professor mentioned he’ll be taping some of the runs they make today. Just try not to gloat too loudly when Dash falls.

Danny: I make no promises. (Jack enters the rec room, a laptop in hand.)

Jack: Danny, I’ve got great news!

Danny: Let me guess, the Gojira Museum gave you the VIP membership for being a frequent customer and dedicated fan.

Jack: Wow, I was planning to save that bit of news for later. But enough about that! The sales of the Fenton Blade went through the roof, thanks to your handling of that ghost a few weeks back. Not only was I able to sell some to the local townsfolk, but the police force just commissioned me to help design a special modified version just for their officers!

Danny: Are you serious? Just how much are they paying you?

Jack: It was enough to put you into college 5 times over. And thanks to that money, I can also make those special modifications to the Fenton RV, as well as make serious progress with my latest brainstorm.

Valerie: The laptop?

Jack: It’s what’s on the laptop that matters. (Jack lays down the laptop onto the table and opens it.) I’d like the two of you to meet a new friend. This is Tesla. (The laptop then turns itself on and a smiley face reveals itself.)

Tesla: Greetings. You are Jack’s son I believe. My designated name is Tesla.

Jack: York and I were working on this project for a while now. Tesla is a unique A.I. that can transfer itself not only between computer systems, but other forms of technology.

Tesla: Currently, I am programmed to only be able to transfer myself between FentonWorks and YorkTech systems. This is to ensure that no one else can attempt to duplicate me.

Danny: I guess then that this explains why I saw you all those times in the kitchen with the laptop.

Jack: Partially. I was also making orders from the “Bacons of the Month” Club. Gotta love that authentic Irish flavor.

Valerie: We’ll take your word for it.



(Later on that day, an exhausted Dash arrives at the dorm accompanied by York.)



York: Considering the odds you faced, I have to say it was quite a performance today.

Dash: Tell that to Testlaff! You have any idea how hard it was to concentrate with her yelling at the sides? It’s a miracle I made it with any sort of hearing.

York: Trust me; it’s preferable to her jeers. But you did well for someone your age.

Dash: Yeah, ok, but promise me one thing make sure Fenton doesn’t lay into me when he sees how I failed on the Spider Jump. The others I can handle, but Fenton is different.

York: I’ll be sure to have a word with him. (As Dash goes upstairs, Sam arrives.) Ah Sam, back from Hiroshi’s temple I see. Odd…

Sam: What? Something in my hair?

York: No, nothing like that.

Sam: Hey, wait a second; I thought Mrs. Testlaff was with you.

York: Funny story; it turns out that Testlaff herself had qualified to run the course as well. She’s currently in the hospital with a concussion. Let’s just say she seriously misjudged the Hang 10.

Sam: Ouch.

York: You on the other hand…you seem much more powerful than before. Whatever Hiroshi did has done wonders.

Sam: Actually, it wasn’t just him. It’s kind of complicated but I’ll show you later. Right now, I need to go upstairs.



(Upstairs, inside of Sam and Star’s room.)



Tucker: Ok, we’re here.

Star: Whatever this is, it had better be important.

Sam: I’m sure you two can reschedule making out for 20 minutes some other time.

Tucker: Hey, that’s not fair! I need that time!

Star: Moving on, what did you want to show us? (Ember appears besides Sam)

Ember: Oh, just this.



(Sam’s eyes glow brightly as she smiles. Seconds later, Kitty and Dora appear in the room together.)



Kitty: Damn it Sam! You have got to stop doing that! At least give a girl time to get her jacket on!

Dora: I rather find this method of summoning rather odd.

Star: What the…

Tucker: I am either dreaming or you just poofed Kitty and Dora into your dorm room.

Kitty: Oh sweet! This is the dorm, huh? Looks like a sweet set up. At least it’s not that temple or that weird room again.

Dora: So this is the famed Edo I have read so much about. It looks like an interesting land indeed.

Ember: If you mean Japan, then yeah, but its more fun if you go outside and look around.

Kitty: A night out on the town in another country without Johnny. I’m game.

Dora: We will need a map to navigate the land and—

Ember: Trust me, I’m all you need.

Sam: Just try not to overdose on the rice balls and tempura.

Kitty: You guys seem less shocked to see us.

Tucker: You’d be surprised at all the crazy shit we have encountered here.

Star: I didn’t even know a ghost could be summoned from the Ghost Zone.

Dora: It was a shock to me as well.

Kitty: And trust me, it really threw Johnny for a loop

Sam: It’s real tough to explain what happened inside the shrine. I mean, honestly, it was like it was its own self contained world and everything. And going inside of there, I dunno I felt more relaxed, as if I been there so many times.

Ember: We’d waste time going into detail about it, but quite frankly I need to show these gals just how much fun a night on a Japanese town is. Come on, grab the princess and let’s book.

Dora: But I’m not properly dressed for—

Kitty: We’ll take care of that, come on! (Ember and Kitty grab an arm of Dora and fly off.)

Sam: The professor also said he sensed I was more powerful than before.

Star: Really? Do you feel any different?

Sam: Yeah, actually I do. Look. (Sam snaps her fingers. Within seconds, the entire room is almost swarmed with Will o’ The Wisps and shikigamis all wandering about.)

Tucker: I hope you don’t expect me to clean up after them.



(Some time later, at Seimei High...)



Narrator: A couple of weeks pass and before they know it, Valentine’s Day was upon them. This day, for certain individuals became quite memorable.



(In Danny’s homeroom, Dash sits at his desk, a rather huge smile on his face as he eyes the two boxes of chocolates he received.)



Dash: Dash, my man, your charm wins out again! Even here, there are some ladies who can’t resist the allure of being around Casper High’s greatest athlete EVER.

Kwan: Are you talking to yourself again?

Dash: No, just admiring these pretty sweet sweets! I hope you got a nice reception.

Kwan: I can’t complain. (Kwan holds up a couple of boxes of his own) Although I have to say, the card to chocolate ratio is higher.

Dash: Cards are nice too, but quite frankly I rather I get a hot date out of this. (Rather abruptly, a small white box is tossed into Kwan’s hands by Valerie.)

Valerie: Here ya go! Don’t say I didn’t give you anything ever.

Kwan: Oh hey, thanks!

Dash: Ho ho! I thought there was something going on between you two.

Valerie: Don’t get your hopes up there, Baxter. He’s not the only one getting some today. (Valerie passes a box to Dash as well.) Danny and Tucker already got theirs too.

Kwan: Covering all your bases, I take it.

Dash: Tucker I can understand, but Fenton? Dork doesn’t need that much more attention.

Valerie: Well too bad. He earned it. You’re just lucky I resisted the urge to inject a laxative into your chocolate. Again.

Dash: Yeah, I’ll overlook that prank you pulled. I am curious as to how many Fenton’s receiving anyway.



(Outside the classroom, Danny sighs as he looks at the small pile of boxes that has been forming up in front of his locker.)



Danny: At this point, I think I’m going to need to bust out the Fenton Freezer. (Tucker walks by, a huge pink box in hand.)

Tucker: Three guesses who this humongous piece of chocolate loving is from. And she said she made it herself.

Danny: I have to hand it to her, when Star puts her mind to something, she can really get results.

Tucker: And you seem to have enjoyed a real surge in popularity. I’ve never seen you with that many chocolates before.

Danny: All this? This is from the first years alone. I had to call in some favors to get the others that I couldn’t store delivered to the dorm. And then there’s THIS! (Danny pulls out an expensive looking box from his locker.) Some girl from another school mailed this to me, special delivery!

Tucker: Are these Godiva? Man Danny, you really cleaned up. (A second later, a box is placed on top of Danny’s head as Ember floats by.)

Ember: Look at you; you’re the toast of the town. This place is more screwed up then I thought.

Danny: What the—candy? From YOU?

Ember: Don’t read anything into it, dipstick. I was bored and needed to try some recipes out or something. Foley here gets something too. (Tucker is tossed a large, skull shaped chocolate block.)

Tucker: Damn, this is a bit heavier than usual.

Ember: Well it better. I packed that damn thing with so much peanuts and caramel, it’d give a hyper kid light speed capabilities. Now if you excuse m, I’ve got my own little affairs to attend to. (Ember floats off.)

Tucker: She’s right; something about this place today just seems off. I don’t suppose you’ll get anything from Sam this year.

Danny: You know her, she’s probably more prone to dragging me off to a Goth poetry meet than tolerate the commercialism of Valentine’s. What about you?

Tucker: Star and I are gonna go check out that new café across town. Supposed to be a French themed thing, which means mucho tongue swapping excuses.

Danny: Like you two need an excuse. (Danny is tapped on his shoulder by Paulina.) Huh? Paulina?

Paulina: I better be. Anyway Danny, here this is for you. (Danny is handed a large box of chocolates by Paulina.)

Danny: I, uh, don’t know what to say. A box of chocolates from you? This is…new.

Paulina: Well, you can find a way of thanking me later. But before that, I was wondering what you had planned for today.

Danny: Nothing much, except for a visit to the park later I suppose.

Paulina: Then I don’t suppose you’d mind accompanying me for a bit today then.

Danny: (Jaw drops) Whoa. I was expecting a rejection or something.

Paulina: Oh, we could do that if you want to—

Danny: No, no I’m good with the first choice.

Paulina: Ok. Meet me at the school gates at 4 today. (Paulina walks off.)

Tucker: Dude, she must be possessed or something. That is the only explanation I got.

Danny: No, I doubt it. My luck’s not that bad.



(Elsewhere, Yuriko walks on her own, a box in her hands.)



Yuriko: Ok girl, just remember, hand the box to Sam, compliment her and walk off. She doesn’t need to know you have the hots for her, because more than likely Danny’s already got designs on her. I can’t blame the guy either, but if he doesn’t say something to her I will throttle him for being so dense! (Yuriko spots Sam looking around a corner.)

All right, show time.



(As Yuriko approaches, Sam notices her and puts a finger to her lips, indicating to her to be quiet, and points to the spot she’s staring at. Yuriko walks next to Sam and peers out to see what Sam is staring at: Harada and Yoko are both talking, Harada holding a large box in his hands.)



Harada: Hmm, you’re actually giving this to me? This is a strange change of pace.

Yoko: You think so?

Harada: Yes, quite frankly. I’ve never known you to take part in such traditions.

Yoko: I’m not as straight laced as you think, Harada. And unlike you, I am not afraid of holding back.

Harada: I don’t know what you—

Yoko: Come on Harada, admit it. You made that match with me for a reason. You are more than capable than being a member of the Kendo team, even the captain, and you insist on behaving the way that you do.

Harada: Look…I can’t help it. There’s a lot of guys in the Kendo Club who really love that sport, but they’ll never get to the levels that they want to, at least not on their own. And a lot more love the sport but can’t be a part of it for one reason nor another. They have something they want to part of and they need someone to help keep that passion alive. If that means that I have to be that guy I’ll do it, even if it means I would leave the Kendo Team behind. Besides, you’re better at organizing than me; I figure you’d be the one who can hold the team together.

Yoko: I was kinda expecting that sort of clichéd response from you, especially after the way that you dispatched that Axe Brother. And you seriously thought I wouldn’t be mad at you for throwing that match? I would be even angrier because you thought I was the weaker sex.

Harada: Are you saying I had another reason for losing on purpose?

Yoko: Yes. And this is why. (Without warning, Yoko grabs Harada by the collar, pulls him in and fully kisses him on the lips. Sam and Yuriko, exchanging glances, quickly walk away.)

Sam: I think the word ‘surreal’ explains their relationship.

Yuriko: Those two have had the hots for each other ever since they were in elementary school together. He just has a very odd way of displaying his feelings.

Sam: I know what that’s like.

Yuriko: Really?

Sam: Sorta.

Yuriko: Hey, what happened to your teacher?

Sam: Oh, he’s out on business for some reason. I think it’s a cover for meeting with Master Hamato personally, but I can’t confirm it. That reminds me, I haven’t seen Danny. You know anything?

Yuriko: Uh oh. It sounds like I’m being interrogated.

Sam: No, don’t get the wrong idea. It’s just that you guys are hanging out a lot more and—

Yuriko: Oh no, it’s all training related, I assure you. But if you want to know about Danny, I think I saw him headed off with that Paulina girl.

Sam: Oh…wait, WHAT?!

Yuriko: Judging by your response, I will say that you do not approve.



(Somewhere in town, Dash is sitting down at a bench drinking from a soda can.)



Dash: Well today wasn’t so bad. I still can’t get why Fenturd got so many chocolates. Ok, so he kicked some ghost ass, big whoop. If I’d had been there, I could have really shown that spook what I could do. Oh well. Least I can do is enjoy my chocolate gifts.

?: Hey, you. Baxter was it? Looks like we have something in common.



(Dash looks over his shoulder to see Goro standing behind him.)



Dash: Have we met?

Goro: No, but I know who you are, and I know of your little annoying problem. You’re not the only one who doesn’t care for that interloper.

Dash: What did Fenton do to you?

Goro: The guy’s got a lot of female admirers in the 3rd years and quite frankly, it sickens me. If anything, that win he had was a fluke and I am gonna prove it. I don’t fee like doing it alone however, so I was wondering if you’d like to help out.

Dash: That would be a problem. I can’t exactly lay a hand on the bastard, no matter how much I want to lay into him.

Goro: Oh, I’ve got that covered.





(Meanwhile, Sam and Yuriko find themselves hiding in the bushes of an outdoor café as Danny and Paulina have a talk.)



Sam: I can’t believe him! Out of the blue, he just accepts a date with HER?

Yuriko: I don’t think it’s much of a date.

Sam: Oh trust me, in his mind this is SO a date.

Yuriko: Ok, whatever you say Sherlock. Let’s just keep an eye on him.

Danny: Are you serious? He actually said that?

Paulina: Totally! Professor York said it was the moist improvement he has seen in a student so far this semester! My grade point level is now a 3.2! My papa was practically doing cartwheels and running up the walls when he saw my report card.

Danny: Wow, I think if my dad did that, he receive a dart in the neck from my mom. No way could he ever be that hyper.

Paulina: She’d probably appreciate that actually. A woman does like a healthy and agile man.

Danny: Look, Paulina, not to sound suspicious or anything but…

Paulina: Yeah, I know. You want to know why I decided to have a nice little outing with you, Danny Fenton of all people. I can understand that.

Danny: Also, it will help my alibi to Sam when she eventually hears about this and tracks me down.

Paulina: Come on, I don’t think Ol’ Goth is the really jealous type. Clingy yes Stubborn as a bull, completely. Overprotective, utterly. But not jealous.

Sam: Why that…

Yuriko: Easy there killer.

Paulina: Well, that little meltdown you had a few months back…

Danny: No my finest moment…

Paulina: Neither …nor as it mine. It did get me thinking about what other people saw in me. I thought it wouldn’t bother me what I did to other people because they would all love me no matter what. I didn’t really stop to consider that I was becoming that kind of vapid cliché I’ve always hated in those cartoons I used to watch. You ever sit and watch “Snow White”? Its one of my favorite movies of all time. I used to remember as a kid I watched it and hated the Queen so much because she treated al those people so horribly and was only concerned with just how much more beautiful she was. She was so vain she even sacrificed her youth to kill her own husband’s daughter just because everyone liked her more. She never really understood what ‘fairest’ really meant; it wasn’t just inner beauty; it was her attitude that really made the mirror say she was the fairest of her people. I watched Snow White a few days later what happened and that’s when I realized I was becoming the very person I hated when I was a child. I uses that’s when my ‘epiphany’ kicked in.

Danny: Thank you Walt Disney.

Paulina: I guess all that attention my dad was heaping on me as a child kind of warped me. It’s not easy, I suppose, being a rich man and a widower. And lets be honest, having so many hanger ons who agree with anything and everything you say clouds your judgment. But that was no excuse for being so horrible to you. So, this is kind of my way of making it up to you.

Danny: Oh…wow this is awkward.

Paulina: Not as awkward as seeing so many comments on a social board dedicated on guessing what kind of a easy lay I am. I should point out that I have the capabilities of tracking down those little slime balls and kicking their asses like they owe my daddy money!

Danny: Whoa, no need to go that far…not yet. And trust me, I’ve seen that message board. I try not to frequent it too much. I should apologize too, I mean I was angry and by all rights I should be but I didn’t need to lash out like that.

Paulina: But I don’t think anyone can blame you. You’re a pretty cool guy, I have to admit.

Danny: Really?

Paulina: Yeah…but don’t tell Sam I said that. She’d have my head. And seriously, why aren’t you two going out? She’s gaga for you!

Danny: It’s kind of…

Paulina: What, complicated? You’ve known her since junior high, she gets in the face of any girl who even tries to utter a negative syllable at you, and she even punched the huevos out of Dash…

Danny: Damn I wish I was there to see that…

Paulina: …so if that don’t mean that she hasn’t got a thing for you, I don’t know what does!

Danny: Well, when you put it like that…

Paulina: Just trust me. Now come on, I spy a karaoke machine that needs to belt out a few tunes. (Paulina grabs Danny by the hand and drags him off to the machine.)

Yuriko: Wow. She’s got you pegged.

Sam: Oh great, Paulina’s giving relationship advice. My life is complete.

Yuriko: She does have a point though.

Sam: Yeah, but something like that…you know how hard it is to see Danny go out there and do what he does without thinking “Please, let him walk away from this one unharmed”? And he came so close to dying a few months ago too! Plus he almost became the very guy he hated so much. It’s not something I look forward to. Some days I just wish I had the courage to grab him by the shoulders, scream “I love you Danny Fenton!” and French kiss the hell out of him! But I don’t think it’ll work like that.

Yuriko: Hey, I could be easier than you think.

Sam: How do you figure?

Yuriko: Well..,



(Without warning, Sam is grabbed by the shoulders and kissed fully on the lips by Yuriko. When she finally stops, Sam looks as though the equivalent of a freight train has mentally hit her.)



Sam: …WHOA.

Yuriko: By the way, I got you some chocolates. Do you want them?

Sam: Yes. Yes I do.



(Later on, Danny walks down the streets alone, book bag in hand and a smile on his face.)



Danny: Wow, this has been one hell of a Valentine’s Day. Got a mountain of chocolates and Paulina actually spent time with me. Guess my luck has finally perked up. The only thing that could make this better is if I won the Tenkaichi Budokai.



(As he walks into an empty lot, two masked figures dressed like stereotypical Japanese high school gang thugs walk in front of Danny’s path, with bandannas that hide their hair. Goro has on a lion mask while Dash has a red faced oni mask with a long nose on.)



Goro: Well, if it isn’t Danny Fenton, a local celeb!

Danny: Do I…know you?

Dash: No, you do not, but we know you!

Danny: (thinking to himself) Oh great, it looks like Dash found a way to get to me. And with the professor being away, this could get tricky.

Goro: You’ve been getting pretty full of yourself lately, with all the girls going gonzo over you.

Dash: It’s time someone put you in your place! Of course, you can feel free to run in terror all you want.

Goro: It’ll make the chase that more satisfying.

Danny: I really would like to get back to the dorm, but seeing as how you two are in my way (in a low voice) and since I have been meaning to kick his ass (regular voice I guess I have no choice. Hey, you in the red mask! You want to go first?

Dash: I thought you’d never ask! I’ve been looking forward to this.

Danny: I’ll just tell you this right now; I won’t even have to make a fist or throw a kick to beat you.

Dash: Why you—





(Dash runs forward and swings at Danny’s head, but at the last second, Danny ducks down from the fist. Dash, enraged, goes for a right hook, which Danny leans back to avoid while smiling. For several minutes, Dash continues to wildly swing at Danny with a barrage of punches, and Danny manages to avoid each and every one of them effortlessly.)



Dash: What the—won’t you fight back?

Danny: No, I don’t need to. You really are quite slow.

Dash: All right smart guy, I’ve had enough of you.



(Dash rears back, intending to go for a hard straight punch. Danny, however, ducks under the punch, grabs Dash’s arm and tosses him over his shoulder onto the ground, then puts Dash in an arm lock.)



Danny: Uh, you might want to give up. I can very easily dislocate your shoulder from this position and that would be bad.

Dash: Yeah, I agree.

Goro: I guess I’m up next. However, I think I’ll handle this my way. (Goro snaps his fingers. 6 other guys, dressed similarly to Goro, all surround Danny, 3 at each side. Dash is released by Danny and he runs off.) Too bad my friend there had to leave. But I’m gonna enjoy this personally.

Danny: 7 on 1 huh? I swear it’s like I’m in the middle of a badly booked wrestling program.

Goro: Whoever said I had to fight fair? Now boys, teach this gaijin a lesson in—

?: EAT THIS!!



(One of the thugs turns around only to meet the fist of Harada as it smashes into the face. The thug falls over, knocked out as Harada smiles.)



Harada: You’ve got a lot of nerve ganging up on my friend like that! You punks want a fight, you got it!

Danny: Nice timing Harada!

Goro: Heh, like that will make any difference! 6 on 2 suit me just fine!

?: Oh yeah? How does 6 on three sound then?



(Another thug is floored by an uppercut as Kwan lays out another one.)



Kwan: Actually, my math is off. I meant to say 5 on 3.

Harada: Damn, that was a wicked uppercut!

Kwan: Yeah, my dad’s lessons are paying off! You ought to see my left right combo!

Goro: Who in the hell are you?!

Kwan: I’m his classmate! You want a piece of him, you gotta deal with me first!

?: And me too!!!



(Suddenly two more thugs get their heads banged together as Valerie grabs them and dispatches them rather swiftly.)



Valerie: I ALWAYS wanted to do that.

Danny: I think you enjoyed that way too much.

Valerie: Maybe. Now 4 on 3 sounds about right,

?: MAKE WAY!!



(The last two thugs are completely knocked the hell out as from out of nowhere, Dani arrives and collides with a fist into each face. Daigo and Youngblood arrive shortly behind her.)



Daigo: Holy crap that actually worked?!

Youngblood: I’m surprised too. I didn’t think we could launch her that far that fast.

Dani: And now it’s 7 on 1 again. Wow, sure does suck to be you.

Goro: I, uh, don’t suppose we can talk this out, can we?

?: No. SOMEONE needs to be taught a lesson in manners.



(Goro, gulping, turns around…only to be met with the combination of Yuriko’s devastating roundhouse kick to the right side of his face and Sam’s savage swift thrust kick to the left.)



Danny: So…how long were you guys gonna let me hang like that?

Harada: Oh, not too long.

Yuriko: Yeah, we were waiting to have our own big damn heroes’ moment, but we needed to time it just right.

Danny: Yeah, that makes sense.

Sam: Now come on, we’ve got a party to attend to at the dorm.

Danny: A party?

Kwan: Yup, and Tucker’s the DJ. His idea purely, not ours.

Valerie: If he takes up the mic again, we tape his mouth shut.

Sam: Agreed.



(As everyone walks to the dorm, Sam hands over a box of chocolates to Danny.)



Danny: Uh…

Sam: Let’s just say I’m feeling a bit festive, ok? Leave it at that.

Narrator: And so, the class enjoyed the rest of this day without any incident. Weeks later, the time for the class to return to America was almost upon them. However…





(At the dorm, York speaks with Paulina in his office)



York: I have to say this is really surprising…

Paulina: You’re not the only one who was ambushed like this. But its ok, I can deal with it.

York: Still Paulina…it’s not going to be easy to study abroad. You’ve got quite a few ties in Amity Park. Are you sure this is ok with you?

Paulina: Don’t fret professor! I will be ok, and so will my papa. He’s been in Japan before and he will help me to get acquainted with the place. Besides, my grades improved a lot and the school has an awesome fashion and design course. Plus I made some great friends too.

York: Hmm, well…if you want this I won’t stop you. I will say, however, that you have matured considerably since we have met on your own.

Paulina: You think?

York: I know.

Paulina: I wonder how the rest of the class will take the news hat I’m not coming with them.

York: Good question…then again… (York quietly gets up, walks over to his door and pulls it open. Danny, Sam, Tucker, Star, Valerie, and a whole slew of other students come crashing into the office.) We could just ask them.

Valerie: Uh, hi.

Star: Studying here in Japan? That’ll be rough.

Sam: And that takes a tremendous amount of courage. I kind of admire that.

Paulina: A compliment from you? Yeah, this is indeed an odd place.



(Later on, Maddie speaks with Danny.)



Maddie: So…how did your dad take the news?

Danny: That I’m gonna stay here to train at the dojo with Master Hamato up until May? Oh, about as well as any other father would take it. He even gave me this! (Danny hoists up a headband that has huge bold lettering on it.)

Maddie: Oh that father of yours. Will he EVER learn?

Danny: I kind of like it.

Maddie: Danny, I want you to know I am very proud of everything that you have done. It warms my heart to know that you dedicated yourself to saving everyone so often,

Danny: I know mom. I’m kind of worried though. I mean even if I complete the training, what if I’m not strong enough. What if—

Maddie: Don’t worry. You won’t have to face the Wraiths alone. And trust me, both me and your father will be at your side when it counts.

Danny: Good…but he still doesn’t know about You Know What.

Maddie: Well, that will give me enough time to prepare the Fenton Therapeutic Pot Roast Dinner when we break the news to him. Now, go on, I believe you have an appointment with Lady Manson at the park today.

Danny: How did you—

Maddie: Girl talk. Go on, go! (As Danny runs out the door, Ember appears besides her.)

Ember: Oh boy, that guy is hopeless sometimes.

Maddie: He’s a Fenton. This will get some adjusting to.

Ember: This witty banter? Oh yeah. I’ll thank you for not aiming a blaster at me.

Maddie: And I’ll thank you for looking after my son at the hospital when I left.

Ember: Huh? How did you—

Maddie: I have my secrets too.



(At the park, Danny meets with Sam, who is sitting at a park bench, eating from a chips bag.)



Danny: Sorry I’m a bit late.

Sam: Actually you’re really early for once. That’s a surprise for once.

Danny: Really? Wow. Anyway, I’ve got something to tell you.

Sam: Let me guess, you’re staying here to train with Master Hamato for the next two months.

Danny: How did you—

Sam: Yuriko texted me the news.

Danny: Ah. You two are getting mighty friendly.

Sam: We have an understanding now, let’s not get into that.

Danny: Heh, right. Look, there’s something I think I want to get off my chest now. I’ve been thinking quite a lot and—(Danny is grabbed by the shoulders by Sam.)

Sam: Uh huh, for the record, let me say I LOVE YOU DANNY FENTON!!Danny: What?!



(Sam, without hesitation, locks Danny in a passionate French kiss. As Danny returns the favor, Yuriko, Hiroshi and Rei watch from behind the trees.)



Yuriko: YEAH! I knew she had it in her!

Hiroshi: It was inevitable, you realize.

Rei: But of course. Now I wonder what will happen next for the two.

Hiroshi: As long as they don’t head for the love hotel over there, they’ll be fine.

Rei: Wait, you mean that one? The one where I saw Hoshino-sensei and York leave?

Hiroshi: …wait, WHAT?!

Yuriko: Are you joking?!

Hiroshi: Why didn’t you mention that earlier?

Rei: Because you two were too engaged in a conversation on what Sam was gonna do with Danny when he arrived to notice. Besides, they are adults, we can’t control their hormones.

Yuriko: Perhaps the knowledge that my teacher went there is something I should never, ever dwell on.

Rei: Yes. Yes you should.

Yuriko: Oh well. I kind of wish I had my own random romantic moment. (Suddenly, Ember appears out of nowhere.)

Ember: Well, since you asked. (Ember grabs Yuriko and gives her a full blown kiss on the lips.)

Rei: Uh…

Ember: What? I didn’t wanna feel left out.





(Much later at a noodle stand, Hayate and York are talking.)



Hayate: So…you and Shizuru...,

York: Let me guess, Rei told you. I suspected I saw her at the park. Look it’s not something that I wanna get into.

Hayate: Do I look like someone who likes getting juicy, juicy details of my friend’s romantic escapades?

York: I will refrain from answering that with the reply that you bought a limited edition copy of “Fire Nation Paradise”, therefore ending this. But you know why I’m here.

Hayate: The recruitment of Valerie into the Shinigami... I kind of figured you’d be inquiring about that. Look, right now we need all the help we can get. And the higher ups, they think she’s come along well.

York: True, but I wonder if it’s not because of a security issue. I know she came dangerously close, but she’s not the one I am worried about.

Hayate: You mean him of course? He is impressionable but right now the boy doesn’t seem to pose a threat to anyone.

York: That’s how it usually starts. We’ll have to be wary, especially the agent you have to hire Valerie. We can’t let Perseus know what we know.

Hayate: And how about you? Are you sure you want to train both Dani and Youngblood?

York: I do. All of these kids, they have a huge task ahead of them. And if they can’t stop the Wraiths, the world will be faced with a 2Nd Great War and I don’t think anyone will survive that.





END OF CHAPTER 7!!!







And now we present the 2Nd Part of the Cosplay Filler Nonsense Theater!



(Dani gets on the stage, dressed as Rei Saotome of Yu-Gi-Oh DX fame.)



Dani: Ok folks, we are now set to get this cosplay edition underway! Now normally, the author is here to be a part of this madness, but seeing as how he is the Vice President of the T.N.T. Brigade, we needed someone to do guest hosting duites. And so, for this volume, taking over will be…JAYRICH!!



(Jayrich quickly hurries on stage, a clipboard in hand.)



Jayrich: Wow, he actually came through on his promise to get me a guest spot. Right, as you all know, Paulina had challenged Tootie to a cosplay themed face off and Tootie accepted. That said, we now will begin!

Dani: The team captains and their hostages, um I mean members, will be showing off their best costumes. The judges will decide who will walk away as Supreme Cosplay Masters!

Jayrich: Lets go to our judging panel now. (Jayrch turns to see DarkDP and Anita, still in their own costumes from the previous chapter, now joined by Hinata Hyuga, who is dressed as a bunny maid.)

Dani: Ok someone better explain why she has that on.

Hinata: I was told that this was the one costume that everyone voted on for me to wear.

Anita: And by ‘everyone’ we mean the writer and Naruto.

DarkDP: Yeah, well the fanservice quota had to be filled.

Jayrich: And no one will object to that. First up, Team Paulina!



(Paulina slides in on a zipline dressed as Cowboy Bebop’s Faye Valentine, to the many whistles and cattle calls of the male audience.)



Paulina: I guess we now know how popular my choice is.

Anita: Sadly, yes. (As the hoots continues, Anita sighs, pulls out a rocket launcher and fires at the ones cheering.)

Dani: I’d ask you to refrain from doing that, but I’d have done the same thing.

DarkDP: Indeed.

Jayrich: So, next up are her teammates, Sokka and Zuko. I imagine you found a suitable choice for them.

Paulina: Oh totally. With Zuko, I had to work around the scar but I knew exactly the perfect style for him. BEHOLD!



(Sokka cartwheels in, dressed as Mugen of Samurai Champloo fame while Zuko saunters in, dressed as The Law of Ueki’s Seichiiro Sano.)



Hinata: Ah, he looks just like him.

Zuko: You know, I’ve been getting that a lot. Why does everyone I meet seem to think I’m related to the guy?

Sokka: The scar for one, not to mention the short temper and the hair, plus the whole skill with heat thing.

Zuko But he uses hot towels. I don’t have any skills with towels.

Paulina: That’s not what Mai told me last night—

Sokka: Yeah, that’s way more than we needed to know. And I’m totally digging this look. Funky, unique…

DarkDP: Completely unkempt and a magnet for destruction. Yup, hat is you.

Jayrich: Moving on, we now present the T.N.T. Brigade’s entries. Up first is the guy responsible for all of us being in here. (I walk in, dressed as Barry Burton of Resident Evil, complete with a replica Desert Eagle.)

Me: Yeah, I’ll do us all a favor and refrain from the “Jill Sandwich” jokes.

Anita: I would have sworn you’d have come in with an Indiana Jones costume.

Jayrich: Or a Ghostbusters one, but I see Dark beat you to it.

Me: We couldn’t find a pair of khaki pants or shirt. Also, the gut hinders it. So Tootie said we should go with the Resident Evil approach. Besides I have the beard and gut for it.

Dani: Ok, now where’s Timmy and Tootie?

Me: Yeah, about that. (I pull out a radio and turn it on, which immediately blasts the MXM version of the Yatterman theme) You guys will NOT believe this…



(A huge green colored version of Yatterwan floats down from overhead as Timmy and Tootie, both dressed as Yatterman-1 and 2 respectively, appear atop of it.)



Timmy: Now THIS is what you call a Dynamic Entry!

Tootie: Now how do you like them apples!

Jayrich: Wow. You went for the old school approach. Nice!

Hinata: And they even got the details of Yatterwan down o the last detail.

DarkDP: This will be tough to call, though.

Paulina: Darn, I knew I should have paid extra for the replica of Faye’s ship.

Dani: I don’t even wanna know how anyone can dare to top that. (Jayrich is handed a note.)

Jayrich: Hold on a second…we’ve got one more last second entry!

Me: What, from who?



(The walls behind us part and Rukia comes out, accompanied by Rangiku. Rukia is dressed as Lina Inverse and Rangiku is Naga the Serpant.)



Rukia: Hope no one minds if there is a little friendly competition.

Rangiku: So, how do we look? Be honest

Me: O_O

Jayrich: O_O

Every Male Except DarkDP: O_O

DarkDP: Yeah, I think I’m gonna have to seriously consider all parties here.

Anita: You’re not just saying that because I’m armed with a rocket launcher and Hinata, master of the Gentle Fist, is standing right next to you, are you?

DarkDP: …maybe.

Me: Lets just conclude this story before it gets more awkward.

Jayrich: Yeah, I agree. (Ichigo comes out dressed as Roronoa Zoro)

Sokka: Uh quick question…

Ichigo: There was no way in hell anyone can convince me to put on makeup and dress as Zelgadis.

Zuko: Fair enough.







In the next chapter…the final story arc begins! And before the story ends, the Wraiths will recruit a student from Casper High







Theme Songs for “Departures”





Sewer- Takahiro Nishii (From “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash Up”)

Calenduna Requiem- Kanon x Kanon







Author’s Notes and Other Musings







And so ends this story arc. Whew, never thought I’d get it done in a timely manner.



Again, I wish to apologize to anyone who waited so long for these stories to be released. I take my time and a lot of other stuff in my life keeps me from writing a long story regularly. But at the very least, I do put an effort in trying to keep some sort of a schedule even if the possibility that could die before I ever see the proper end of this. Just joking. Maybe.



Now there are some things I wanna address about certain characters



- One of this stories goals as you can probably see was to make Paulina into an actually somewhat likeable person by the time her role in this ended. One of the things I found that the original Danny Phantom series lacked for the supporting cast was the fact that the supporting cast didn’t all really evolve. With a character like Kwan, there was a person that probably could have fit in with the other students because he was shown as a guy who really wanted to fit in with whomever he was with, no mater what. It was something I wanted to pick up and elaborate on, and as you will see, his role in the story will be a bit bigger. Paulina was a character on the show who really just did not improve at all over time. She was the token rich shallow girl that everyone seemingly had a crush on and at best, can be described as ‘barely relevant to the series’ as the show went on. I didn’t like her but I wasn’t gonna take the route that many a writer has taken with a character they despise. So, rather than destroy, I wanted to evolve her somewhat, make her question whether or not people really liked her for just superficial reasons. If it means that her core character is slighty OOC, okay, but I ain’t gonna turn her into Mother Teresa.

- -I was originally planning to focus more on the relationship between York and Shizuru, as well as Yoko and Harada, but that would have made the story a bit longer. So I kind of condensed it. You’ll have to wait a bit for me to expand on the former though.

- -If you are wondering about Ember, the answer is yes. If you are wondering about Sam and Yuriko-stop! That’s just naughty!

- -For those of you who know about “Fire Nation Paradise” and are trying to figure out how it exists in this universe, the answer is simple: “It came from the Seimei Library” You can figure out the rest from there. And for those of you who want to know just what the hell is “Fire Nation Paradise” and what it’s about…email me. Just make sure you tell me your age first.

- -If you can spot the cameos and allusions in this chapter, this means that I am indeed as bad as the mangaka for GinTama. (Anita knows what I mean. ;)