(Stares at screen in wonder) Who WROTE this?? Crap… I'm NOT reading this. Not in a million years. Do not read things written by my alter-ego. They'll drive you nuts.

Twisted Oneshot based off of a story I wrote… awhile ago. Thus, the beginning has allusions to the part of the story you (obviously) won't have read. But it's not important, and it's too confusing to explain, so just live with it.

Remember, this has NOTHING to do with the first two stories. It is a completely different story. Just has a common title and a common theme. You should know what it is by this point...

Please…
A Danny Phantom FanFiction by Cordria

Aramanthia's Pier

In the weeks that had passed since that incident with Walker, Maddie and Phantom had settled into an uneasy truce. The huntress had agreed not to shoot him on sight and Phantom had agreed to leave her, for the most part, alone. Maddie had been trying to keep that particular ghost out of her mind lately. Thinking about him gave her a splitting headache. Every bit of information she had collected so far pointed to the fact that Phantom was not a… normal ghost. Phantom was an enigma. A deviation. He threw off almost every one of her charts and theories about ghosts.

The most annoying part was he seemed to know that his oddness was causing her headaches and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it.

Even though Phantom had agreed to stay away from the lab, one particular Saturday evening found him there, floating a few inches above the floor. Maddie stared into his spectral eyes, not quite believing what the ghost was saying. It was impossible. He would never ask for that…

Yet he was. He was almost on his knees, begging for that one thing that tossed the rest of Maddie's beliefs about ghosts out the window. His green eyes pleaded with her, full of fear and pain and… defeat? The sixteen-year-old ghost's normal aura of confident power was gone, replaced by the distinct feeling of pure terror and the need for…

Help.

"Please," Phantom begged. "You need to help me."

"Give me one good reason to," Maddie replied, turning away from the hovering teenager. She walked across the lab to pick up one of her latest inventions. She studied it, still slightly off balance due to the fact that Phantom had just blown her only remaining ghost theory out of the water. Ghosts can ask for help? Opening the small electrical compartment on the side, she tried to ignore the chill breeze wafting off of her spectral guest.

"My friend will die," he whispered.

Her head twisted around to gaze at the ghost. "Ghost's don't die," she said shortly, her fingers clenching tightly around the invention. She could see where this was going and she didn't like it.

"She's not a ghost," Phantom retorted.

Maddie nodded. That had been the answer she was expecting. "Why me?"

The ghost's body tensed for a second, his eyes flickering to the ground and back up. "Why not?" he asked, trying desperately to regain his usual self-assured tone.

"You can't ask your friends?" Maddie twisted the word at the end. She knew that Phantom had human friends as well as ghost friends, a fact that always threw her for a loop. What humans would possibly want to be around a ghost?

"All the ones I trust either can't help or won't help." The ghost's face lost all of its hastily built-up confidence, eyes probing deep into hers. "Please, Maddie."

"What would we need to do?" When the ghost's eyes lit up in delight, she hastily added, "If I decide to come along."

Biting his lip, the ghost dropped down to the floor. "She was kidnapped by…" he hesitated, "…by the Wisconsin ghost and taken to a place in the ghost zone called Aramanthia's Pier." He looked up at her, unasked question glittering in his eyes.

Maddie shook her head. She'd never heard of it.

"It's a place at the very edge of the Ghost Zone. I've been there before… with my friends. Once." Phantom wrung his hands together, his eyes filling with remembered pain. "The stuff beyond the edge of the Ghost Zone is endless. It's kind of like an ocean of ectoplasm – except none of it has a form or a purpose. It's… waiting. Aramanthia's Pier is the only was to get at all that power. The pier is the only thing that goes past the barrier."

"Barrier?" She raised an eyebrow.

"It was designed to keep the ghosts in the Ghost Zone. The barrier magnifies your greatest fear and uses it against you. Giving into your fears destroys you, and you get torn apart. Ghosts can't do anything against their fears." He was silent for a moment. "Humans are much better at it."

"So it's a good thing you are half-human, right?" Maddie crossed her arms. And this is where he denies it. Again.

Phantom glanced at her, his green eyes shining oddly. Slowly he shook his head. "I'm not half-human," he said slowly, carefully. "That ghost in Walker's cell… he was lying."

Maddie rolled her eyes. Phantom completely trounced that poor ghost that had let it slip that Phantom was… how had he put it? Half-human vermin. "Fine," she sighed. The main reason I… trust… him at all is that he's half-human.

"I can get through," Phantom insisted, "but it's hard. Sa… my friend figured out how to get past the barrier last time we were here. She figured that we couldn't fight our own fears… but we'd be able to fight each other's. So we came up with a plan."

"You switched fears?" she asked, following his line of thought.

Phantom nodded. "We switched fears. That's why I want to take you along. I need someone to switch fears with." He eyes glistened. "I can't get through by myself."

Maddie was silent, staring at the forgotten invention still in her hand. "Why do you want to take me though? I'll see your greatest fears."

He winced, but answered after a moment. "I trust you, that's why."

She gazed at him. Phantom's shoulders were rounded, his head bowed. Normally neon eyes were dull and full of fear. Even when all the chips were against him, she had never seen the ghost so broken and desperate. Every bit of his cocky confidence was gone. He really needs my help. "When do we need to go?"

Phantom smiled slightly at her, his eyes glowing in relief. "Now. When the tide comes in, Aramanthia's Pier gets swamped. Anybody that's on it will get dragged into the ocean and die."

"When does the tide come in?"

Silence.

Maddie shivered. "That's soon?"

Phantom just grabbed her arm and yanked her into the ghost zone.

Maddie stumbled away from Phantom as soon as he dropped her onto the ground beside the pier. She narrowed her eyes and rubbed at her shoulder. Idiot ghost-boy, she sighed, he almost yanked my arm out of its socket.

Opening her mouth to talk, she hesitated. Phantom was staring past her, his eyes glowing fiercely. Maddie twisted around and stopped dead. For the first time, she saw Aramanthia's Pier.

Glittering just a few feet from her toes was the barrier the ghost had mentioned. It curved around into oblivion – a seamless, translucent wall separating the Ghost Zone from… nothing. A deep, midnight green glowed everywhere, darkly illuminating the huge expanse of the void. Appearing out of the emptiness, gloomy ectoplasm washed against Aramanthia's Pier like giant ocean waves.

The pier itself was nothing more than a simple-looking wooden dock that extended about a hundred feet into the nothingness. At the very end of the wharf was a small, blue-striped lighthouse. The lighthouse's greenish light shone through the darkness of the abyss.

But Maddie knew that Phantom's eyes were not on the incredible view. His electric eyes were focused on a small figure that was lying prone at the other end of the pier. Maddie blinked, surprised by the familiar-looking girl. "Sam," Phantom whispered, taking a step forwards so that his nose was inches from the barrier. She looked at him, eyes widening as she took in the fear and panic in his voice.

"You ready?" he asked softly, holding out his hand to her.

Maddie hesitated. It's the ghost's fault she's in there, why should I risk my life… she shook her head sharply, annoyed at her own thoughts. That's selfish and bitter. Of course I'm going to help save Sam. I'm not going to let her die just because I don't like Phantom.

Phantom's eyes were wide with disbelief however. He took a step away from the barrier, his hand dropping back to his side. He saw me shake my head. "Of course," she said quickly, reaching out and grabbing his hand. "Let's go."

The ghost smiled shakily. Maddie stepped up next to him, staring into the soft swirling and sparking energy of the barrier. "Remember," Phantom whispered. "Whatever you see, don't give in. Don't move. Don't do anything."

"What will I see?"

His cold fingers tightened around hers. "I don't know," he replied quietly. "Sam never told me what she saw last time we went through."

"You don't know what your own fear is?" That doesn't sound right.

"I have so many fears," he smiled, "I don't know for sure which is my greatest fear."

Maddie nodded absently. "Let's go," she stated and took one step forwards into the barrier. It flickered and sparkled around her with an intense green energy. After a moment, she raised her free hand and slowly raked her fingers through the dense firefly-like energy flares. They swirled between her fingers and danced around her head. She smiled. It's pretty.

Turning her head, she glanced over at Phantom. He was staring at the flares in terror, his face whiter than normal. He flicked a glance in her direction and smiled slightly. "Ready?" he mouthed.

One of the flickers of energy spun through the air and landed lightly on her nose. It tickled her nose for a moment, suddenly growing larger and brighter. In a heartbeat the small light had completely enveloped the huntress in its almost-white light. Then came the pain.

A scream ripped out of her throat. Her whole body shrieked, every molecule feeling like it was being torn in different directions. Suddenly, the light and pain were gone. Blackness met her slowly opening eyes.

She breathed quickly, glancing around in the darkness. Abruptly, Danny appeared before her, small and fragile, barely three years old. "Mommy!" Danny laughed, holding up his arms. His large, blue eyes sparkled in the emptiness.

We need to switch, Phantom's fear-filled voice echoed in her mind. Before we give in.

Maddie looked down at her child once more, and then closed her eyes. Whatever was going to happen, I do not want to see. Her little baby called her name once more before the white pain once again slammed into her body. For an instant, her shoulder wrenched painfully and the world spun around her. The pain stopped as quickly as it started and she collapsed to her knees, gasping, one hand coming up to cradle her throbbing arm.

Almost against her will, her eyes opened. Toddler Danny was gone. Into the darkness she peered, her eyes straining for a glimpse of Phantom's worst fears. Her breath caught in her throat as she wondered at the horrible things a ghost's mind would be able to concoct.

A green blast of ectoenergy blew past her ear, hissing in the black air. Maddie spun, her eyes widening as she caught a flash of black hair and checkered skirt. The sharp flare of green energy took Sam straight in the back.

"Sam!" a boy yelled. Then Danny was there, appearing out of the darkness, racing to the girl's side. He picked her up in his arms, blood leaking all over his clothes, his fingers running over her neck as he desperately felt for a heartbeat.

Why is this Phantom's worst fear? Maddie's analytical mind questioned as she took a few staggering steps forwards. Almost overriding that thought was the desire to run to her child's side. It's just a fear. It's a nightmare. Don't give in… Still, tears trickled down her cheeks as she stared at the sight of her son screaming into the night.

"No!" he cried, hugging the body of his best friend to him. He hunched over her, stroking her hair. "Sam… don't leave me…"

"Did you think she'd ever love a freak like you?" a cruel voice echoed from behind Maddie. She twisted on her heel, her eyes ripping away from her son to stare up into the sky. Floating there was a ghost – a twisted, older image of Phantom. His hair flamed, his red eyes flared with manic delight, and his cape fluttered in an imaginary breeze. "Really, I did you a favor, getting rid of her like that. Now you are more like me than ever."

"I agree," another voice cut in. Maddie jerked towards that voice, stumbling backwards a step when the vampire-like Wisconsin ghost stepped out of the black. "You should be relieved to be rid of that bit of trash. Now you can join me as you always should have, son."

The two ghosts flew a bit closer to her son, who was sitting perfectly still, his eyes closed. "You…" Danny's voice was chocked. "You…"

He looked up, his normally blue eyes flaring to a spectral green. Maddie gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "You…" he whispered again. "I'm…" Danny glanced back down at Sam's bloody body, then back up at the ghosts, tears trickling down his face. His green eyes blurred to a bloody red. "I'm going to kill you." Maddie shivered at the sudden influx of pure malice into his voice.

He rose to his feet, letting Sam drop forgotten to the ground. Two rings of light appeared around his waist, separating and leaving Phantom behind. Not the self-assured, green-eyed Phantom that she had seen in Walker's cell; this one was a twisted, malignant form with glowing red eyes and flaming hair. When he spoke, cold malevolence dripped from his every word. "You will pay for what you did."

The boy moved, throwing himself off the black, unseen ground. Phantom grabbed a hold of the Wisconsin ghost and abruptly tore the specter in half. Maddie flinched away from the gobs of flying ectoplasm. She closed her eyes in terrified confusion as Phantom flew towards the older version of himself. Her hands came up to unconsciously cover her ears as the sounds of the one-sided fight echoed in the blackness around her.

When she couldn't hear anything more, she cautiously opened her eyes. She watched in amazement as Danny dropped back to the ground, his bloody eyes glistening with glee as the splattered remains of the ghosts disintegrated around him. He laughed.

Slowly, he knelt down and touched Sam's cold body. "They will pay, Sam," he hissed, his eyes flaring red once more. "I will make them all pay." All around them, the darkness suddenly vanished. Amity Park appeared, glittering in the morning sunlight. "Each and every one of them," he finished.

And with a delightfully slow pace, Danny Phantom tore the town to shreds.

"No…" Maddie whispered, still frozen in place. All around her, Amity Park fell to pieces. People fled into her line of sight, only to be shot down by obsessed red light. Blood splattered everything, forming a macabre painting around the discarded body of Danny's best friend.

"No…" she said again, barely audible above the screams and shouts of the dying. Jazz blew into her vision, eyes wide and terrified. Phantom blazed towards her, both blood-stained hands reaching out to tear his sister's body to pieces…

Then it was all gone.

Maddie dropped to the ground, tears dripping onto the wooden pier. Gasping for breath between the violent sobs that were shaking her body, she shut her eyes. Blood danced in her vision.

"It's over," Phantom whispered. She jerked upwards, her panicked eyes taking in the young ghost's form. Phantom was curled into a little ball, his hands pressed into the sides of his head. "We made it." He seemed to be saying it to reassure himself, almost like a prayer. Maddie watched as a pearlescent tear trickled down his cheek and splattered on the wood. "It's done."

He looked up at her, his normally sparkling, green eyes dull and full of pain. Maddie stared at him. She could not reconcile the malicious, blood-thirsty ghost of that… nightmare… with the fear-filled boy trembling next to her. And Danny… she pushed the thought of what that might be about out of her head.

Suddenly he looked up. "Sam," he said shortly, thrusting himself to his feet. He stumbled down the length of the slightly heaving dock, green eyes fixed on the still form of the girl at the end.

Maddie swallowed heavily, also rising to her feet. As she made her way towards the lighthouse, Phantom dropped to the girl's side. With a cry, he pulled her into his arms, cradling Sam tightly to him.

For a second, Maddie's heart stopped. A fragment of the nightmare sliced through her mind: Danny hugging the broken body of his friend. Before her, Phantom was curled around Sam in the exact same fashion. Danny…

"Sam… no… please…" he whispered as she drew near. He tore off one of his gloves with his teeth, his scarred fingers pressing themselves desperately into her neck. Eyes closed as he focused on trying to find a pulse. "Please…" he begged as another tear worked its way out of his eyes.

Maddie crouched down beside the ghost-boy and held out a hand. Carefully, she touched her fingers to Sam's cheek, dreading the cold, dead feeling she was sure would greet her. Instead, she blinked in surprise. The girl's flesh was warm. "She's alive," Maddie smiled.

Phantom looked at her, neon eyes wide. His arms tightened reflexively around Sam's unconscious form. "Sam," he cried, "thank you…"

Maddie watched the ghost for a moment, marveling at the thoughts that were crashing together in her brain. Could it be? Is it possible?

Suddenly Phantom jerked, his whole head twisting to stare up at the lighthouse. The beacon on top was glowing brighter, pulsing with power. Waves of green light crashed against the pier like huge ocean waves. A few sprinkles of cold power splashed against her back as a large wave rolled in. "The tide's coming in," he hissed. "We need to get out."

Without a second thought, Phantom was on his feet, Sam hugged to his chest. He took off up the pier, feet flying against the wooden panels. Maddie followed, not quite as agile on the swaying dock. When he reached the barrier, Phantom stopped and looked back. Frozen in place, he watched Maddie struggling against the ever-more-violently bucking pier.

A wave of dark-green light broke over the wooden planks, dousing Maddie in a flood of frozen energy and trying to throw her off the pier. She shivered, fingers numb, clutching at the harsh floorboards. Her eyes trailed up to meet Phantom's. Danny's… In his eyes, she saw another wave approaching. This one would take her off. She was doomed.

Danny moved, tossing Sam gently through the barrier and on to dry land before throwing himself into the air. In a breath, he was by her side, grabbing onto her arm. Using his momentum, he flung Maddie towards the barrier. She twisted around in midair, watching as Danny tumbled onto the pier. A tingle of cool energy, and she was through. Safe.

Green eyes sparkled as Danny glanced up. He had just enough time to smile at the fact that both of them were safe before the wave of green light rolled over him. It slammed into the pier, the ground shaking with the force its impact.

When the wave receded, Danny was gone.

"No!" Maddie screamed, her voice raw. She threw herself forwards, stopping just short of the fear-inducing barrier. Another wave was pounding towards the pier.

"Please!" she shrieked as she dropped to her knees. "Danny!"

Her voice echoed all over the Ghost Zone.

"Please…"

Not my best work... but I'm sick of revising. Give me some ideas and some inspiration so I can get it better. :-) They're called reviews.

Do not, never have, and will not ever own Danny Phantom.

Thanks for reading!

--Cori