The Field Trip and a Secret Identity

Chapter 8

Danny flew for only a few minutes to Pariah's Keep, flying at his top speed. He was anxious to see if Mark had been telling the truth.

It's just a misunderstanding probably.

Maybe Ember is throwing a concert? What does she do in her free time? Whatever.

Why did I volunteer for this? Wait. I didn't. Thanks Frostbite.

And now I'm just talking to myself in my mind. There nothing else to do though! I could shot random beams of ectoplasm into who knows where, but that's too much work.

Am I there ye- OH LOOK! I'm here!

After wasting his time for a few minutes, Danny floated to the entrance to the Castle of the ex-Ghost king. It's dark red door had been ripped off its hinges, not like someone was entering with extreme force, but like someone had been trying to escape. The door was nearly twenty feet from its frame, and upon closer inspection dents in the form of fingers were imprinted on the sides. Someone had been holding on for their survival. Looking up and away from the door, Danny walked over to the throne. He saw a shadow move, and he needed to know if someone was in trouble.

Once at the throne, Danny remembered something very important. The Sarcophagus was supposed to be in its place. Gasping Danny flew a few feet away and started to notice simple details that had been changed since he had fought Pariah. The Fright Knight's Pumpkin was nowhere to be seen. While he was free at the moment, he made a deal to not attack the ghost boy if ever in a dire situation. Such as the rise of his ex- king if ever awoken. It was free game otherwise, but the pumpkin was always meant to be present in Pariah's Keep should should the ghost go completely bad. Its reason for absence was something that Danny could only guess.

Next, Danny noticed the Ring of Rage on the floor near the foot of the stairs up to the throne. It sat on the ground, no longer glowing. The power had been drained from the ring, leaving but an empty shell of what it once was. A memory of power. Danny picked it up and dropped it in the thermos. Even without its power, it was important to have for later in case it ever returns.

The last thing Danny noticed was the hand that hardly poked out from behind the throne at the top of the stairs. Flying up the stairs to the throne once again, but with caution now, Danny slowly looked around the throne and was startled by the sight in front of him.

Pariah Dark was leaning against the throne, taking deep and shaky breaths, a habit to all ghost, even ones that had been created in the Ghost Zone and not through a human form of passing on to the next life. Pariah's leg was bent in an odd position, which Danny found strange. All ghosts have a healing factor that helped to heal them when large amounts of physical damage have been applied to them. It only stops working when the ghost is near fading or their power has been taken... much like the ring.

A shaky breath startled Danny out of his revaluation, and a raspy voice nearly scared Danny the other half to death. "So you have come to taunt me, showing yourself in your childish form? Just let me fade in peace. Even a coward such as yourself should have at least a remnant of respect for the fading!" The once strong voice that commanded leadership was now weak, rendered to a whisper.

Danny tried to speak, but found that he didn't have the strength to speak. He cleared his throat, and a shaky whisper came out. "W-who did this t-to you?"

Anger flashed through the ex-ghost king's eyes. "You find this funny? You have won! I admitted defeat! YOU WERE THE ONE THAT DIDN'T LIVE UP TO OUR DEAL! YOU SAID YOU WOULD GIVE ME A PAINLESS FADE!" Pariah coughed up ectoplasm, his rant leaving him even weaker than before. Pariah's red eyes bore into Danny's glowing green.