A.N. I'm terribly sorry for not fulfilling my previous promise to the full extent. Danny is going to become a halfa here, but the reaction will be in the next one. It's just for the steady story flow.

The Fenton household was completely silent and void of any activity. After the last candle was extinguished, Danny started to patiently wait until he heard his father snoring in his room. Jack always was the last to fall asleep, everyone got used to this and adjusted to the snoring, which almost shook the entire house and wasn't a bother anymore. Danny threw away the thin covers and put on his usual clothes, trying to make as less sound as possible.

Then the teen slowly tiptoed out of his room, outstretching his hands and using them to orientate around the dark inners of the house. There were few windows, when winter came they could easily seal them, but it was dark nevertheless. The wooden floor creaked slightly beneath his boots, but the sounds remained unheard because of the rumbling snores. Suddenly Danny hit the pot and pushed it off the table, but thankfully he managed to catch it before it hit the ground. 

Finally Danny got to the front door and slowly turned the key in its hole with characteristical clacking sound. Flinching at how loud the action was, he started to listen if someone had woken up. Everything seemed as quiet as it was before. Danny pushed open the wooden door, and the night wind poured inside the house. He stepped outside and closed the door behind him. The teen turned around and went down the path out of the front yard.

It was a clear night, just as the day before it. The white disk of the moon was shining in its full circular glory, and the light wind was blowing into the teen's face. As it was commonly known, all nasty things came out during the midnight. Danny thought that if it was true, then he most certainly would find something. Or someone.

The forest was close, but Danny had previously decided to make a little hook by making a stop at the house where Tucker lived. The night streets of Amity Park were mostly empty, except for a few drinking inns which were working all the time. You could easily avoid them, since the noise they made was like a lighthouse in the foggy evening. The guards occasionally passed nearby, with torches in their hand. Danny hid from them by simply watching out for the light. After all, it wasn't his first time sneaking around the town at night, and not even the second.

The teen reached for a brick two story house on the central street. Of course, he didn't go to the front door and knocked. Instead Danny went to the shady alleyway and kneeled to a small window, which was barely above the ground. Tucker slept in a basement, which the dark skinned teen had made more warm and comfortable.

"Psst, Tucker, it's time to go."

There wasn't a single indication of any movements inside the room. For some reason Danny recalled their old joke, that the black people couldn't be seen at night. Suddenly the teen felt someone putting a hand on his shoulder. Danny jumped in surprise and spun around on speed usual people would deem impossible. He then heard an uncontrollable laughter and saw Tucker clenching his stomach and shaking in this same laughter. Danny narrowed his eyes at his friend.

"Haha, very funny. Let's go before someone notices."

Danny didn't have time for this, so he simply went in required direction. On their way through the multiple alleyways, Danny picked an unlit torch from one of the stands and the two continued their way. He doubted that Baxters were going to suffer extreme losses because someone took a torch. Besides, annoying that pompous fools was priceless. At least someone should spew into their faces at least once, even if indirectly, and that's exactly what Tucker and Danny were doing in their free time. It was more interesting than scaring the chickens and flipping over the cows, like some of their peers did.

The two walked out of the city and to the edge of the forest, and with each step Tucker seemed less and less confident. Danny put the torch on a tree stamp and took out a flint and steel, before attempting to set the torch on fire.

"Uhm, man, are you sure about this?" Tucker asked nervously.

"Yeah, completely," Danny answered without looking up. "I'm not going to back out now. If we don't find anything, nothing will be able to harm us. Besides, there isn't a single predator in the forest."

With one final hit the yellow sparks fell on the torch and ignited a piece of clothing, which was wrapped around the stick and previously dipped in the flammable oil. Danny picked the tool and looked at Tucker.

"You coming?" He asked.

Tucker sighed. "If you are going to get yourself killed, at least you won't be alone," he said dryly.

Danny beamed at his friend, before they walked inside the forest. At first it looked like a simple forest, trees, trees, and, once the open ground dissappeared behind the green giants, you guessed correctly, even more trees. The summer was at its finest, all oaks, pines and bushes were flush, generous on acorns, cones and berries, sometimes poisonous. Danny never was an expert in the stuff, and neither was Tucker, so they won't risk it. The latter never ate plants if he had a chance to eat meat or, at the very least, some bread.

When Danny saw the fat roots of an oak, the teen overstepped it. Tucker wasn't as observant, his sight was below average. He stumbled on one of the roots, and Danny tried to catch him before he fell, but didn't have enough time. Tucker fell on the ground face down, causing Danny to flinch in embarrassment. Tucker got up and started to wipe out the dirt from his clothes and face. Thankfully, it was dry and left only small dark spots on his yellow tunic.

"You alright?" Danny asked.

"Just wonderful," Tucker said sarcastically. "What the heck can you be doing here? I mean WHY do you need to find that 'spirits' in the first place? You never were into this stuff!" He ranted as they continued walking.

"I just want the people to stop thinking of my family as a bunch of freaks. Father said that he is here only because he wants to find the inhabitants of this forest, too. He never has time but he still stays here."

Tucker froze on his place. "Does...does that mean that you will move out of here?"

"I always wanted to live in London..."

Only then Danny realized the reason of Tucker's reaction. He looked back at the dark skinned teen. "Tuck, I'm just stating my thought. Don't worry, I'm sure we won't move out. Knowing Dad and Mom, they will want to stay here to get rid of the threat. But at least people will stop seeing us as they do now."

Tucker's tension evaporated quickly. He believed his friend's words, since he knew Danny's parents as well as the youngest Fenton. And if it was going to help Danny, Tucker would do that. Danny meanwhile smirked and nudged him slightly with his elbow.

"Relax, I'm not going to leave ya alone here," he said, before continuing his path.

The midnight was approaching. Danny had previously decided to go only straight, without turning to the side. It was just in case, so they won't get lost. But if something happened, he knew that he could just follow the Polar star, since they were currently going South. There wasn't a single indication of any supernatural activity, unless you consider an owl's howl or a bat's squeaks something otherwordly. Occasionally, a small animal ran from one bush to another, being so fast that it was impossible to see what animal exactly it was.

When Danny looked at the torch in his hand, his lips formed a thin line. It had burned off, covering everything in darkness. He sighed sadly.

"I guess we should head back," Tucker said.

"That won't be needed," Danny responded with wide eyes.

Tucker followed his friend's gaze and saw that on a considerable distance was a bright orange spot. It was too big to be a single torch, it could only be a camp. Danny threw away the burnt stick away and it fell on the soft grass. Tucker meanwhile went forward. Danny was baffled by that action.

"What are you doing?!" He whisper yelled. "What if there are bandits?"

"Then we have to be quiet."

Danny didn't want to be left behind, so he walked after his friend, who had suddenly gained a confidence. Two boys slowed down their pace, their walk turning into sneaking. The light was getting closer and closer, and the teens approached the camp. They hid behind two neighboring pine trees and peeked around to look. And the sight was not a pleasant one, if anything, it was terrifying.

There weren't any spirits, or even demons, however, it was probably closer to the second kind of things. Piles of bloody corpses, several tall campfires, and, of course, the organizers of this mess. They didn't hide their faces. Why would they need to, there wasn't a single soul around for miles, except two teens who were stupid enough to come there. The cultists were wearing black robes, crowding around the center of the camp. One of them stepped on a tribune under the loud whistling and cheers.

The man had a chalky-white skin. His red lips seemed to have a more vibrant color with it, and the teens hoped it wasn't because the guy was a vampire, who had just finished the breakfast. If he was, it would have been the most ugly vampire in the world. Another strange thing were his eyes, which had the same crimson color. He was bald, with an abnormally long, pointed nose. The man grinned widely, revealing his yellow teeth, and bowed theatrically.

"Thank you, my dear followers, for being present here during this eventful night. I know many of you got tired getting into such a far place, but we can wait no more. Our Lord needs sacrifices, and we are his loyal servants, we should please him, right?"

He received loud cheers and claps. Danny and Tucker meanwhile looked at each other and gulped. How lucky they were to be present there. What happened next made both of them yelp loudly in surprise. They felt someone grabbing them, putting their hands behind their backs, and pinning them to the same trees the teens used to hide behind a few moments ago. Neither Tucker or Danny were able to see their own assaultants, because their heads were held tightly on their places with huge palms, but they could see each other's. They both were brutes, they still wore the robes, but their muscles were that of the vikings. Without saying a word, they tied the teens' hands with the rough ropes and pushed them towards the camp.

"What should we do?" Tucker muttered in fear.

"Hug each other and part ways?" Danny deadpanned, hiding his own fears under sarcasm as usual.

The cultists parted so the trespassers could be brought forth. With one final push the teens were forced to their knees. The guy in charge seemed surprised. He stepped down from his tribune and walked to the captives.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" He asked, clapping his hands and leaning down to Danny's face.

"If you get any closer, you will stab my eye with your nose," the teen said, earning a horrified look from his friend.

Tucker sighed internally when the man started to laugh.

"Aw, aren't you a witty one," he said, wiping a fake tear from his eye. Then he picked Danny's chin and looked into his ice blue eyes. "What's your name, lad?"

"You first."

"You can call me Freakshow."

"I doubt any mother can be that cruel to call her kid like that," Danny responded.

Freakshow gasped and put a hand over his heart. "How dare you doubt my lovely Mommy? Tell. Me. Your. Name," he gripped Danny's head tighter.

"Daniel."

The man's face was threatened to be split in two by a grin. He let go of the teen, before whistling a tune slightly, completely ignoring him.

"And what are you doing here?" Danny asked. "I don't think it's a meeting of talented shoemakers."

"Aren't you afraid, lad?" Freakshow asked in genuine surprise.

"I would have shrugged, but your buddies here are making it quite difficult."

"So they are...so they are. Answering your own question, we wish to call upon our Lord so he could show the humanity his true power."

"And by that you mean..."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," the man shook his pointing finger. "Names have power, lad, don't say anyone's name, especially one so powerful. He has many names, but you are right. There is a full moon, and the midnight is coming. All preparations went fine, all sacrifices have been made. We always could use two more, though," Freakshow tapped on his chin.

Tucker visibly flinched, which got the cultist's attention. "Ah, your friend seems less brave than you are."

Freakshow approached the dark skinned teen and patted his head. "Don't worry, I have other plans," the man whispered gently.

"You know what, you have entertained me just fine, Danny-boy. You may leave, and spread the word about the Lord's arrival. But your friend here shall stay. Master needs a vessel to get here."

Danny's look grew hard as he looked down on the ground. Not on Tucker. The raven haired teen couldn't bring himself to look at his friend. It was his fault they were in that situation. The choice he was given was like choosing between two apples, where one was rotten and another was wormy. But they didn't lead to death or something unknown. Danny was torn between what was worse. But suddenly, a thought occured in his mind.

"If I go willingly, will you let him go?"

Freakshow raised an eyebrow. "Hm, how do you know that the willing vessel is better?"

"I was tasked with burning heretic books once. I read one...a bit," Danny said, ashamed of himself.

"Oh, I'm ready to bet it was one of mine. I didn't expect to ever see a willing vessel. There is a first time for everything, I guess," he mumbled. "Fine, untie the second one."

The cultists obeyed his command and untied Tucker, who kept staring at Danny in shock.

"Danny, you can't..."

"Can't what? It's either me or you, so just go."

Tucker was pushed forward. Shifting nervously, he kept looking sadly, but thankfully at his noble friend. Partially it was his fault, too, if Danny was the one to bring them into the forest, Tucker was the one who got too curious and tried to be daring. But no one looks into a gifted horse's mouth. He had to go, or that psycho could change his mind, and Danny's sacrifice would be pointless, which Tucker couldn't let to happen. It sounded more like justification of cowardice, he decided, but he knew that Danny was having none of his objections.

When Tucker dissappeared behind the trees, Danny finally looked up at Freakshow, who wiped yet another fake tear from his eye.

"Oh, such a noble action," he sniffed into his handkerchief. "Bring him to the spot."

Danny was rudely picked up and carried forward. The teen almost snorted when he saw where exactly he was carried. A pentagram drawn with blood, about five meters in diameter, how original. Danny was almost disappointed. Why he wasn't afraid? On the contrary, he was afraid, terrified, to be exact. But he was probably going to die anyway, or something worse, there was no changing that. If he stared into the pit, he would have been afraid to jump, because he could turn away.

The teen was thrown down in the center and ordered not to move. They even tied his legs this time. Danny thought that he was going to faint because of stress and the rigid smell of blood. He was observing the actions of the cult leader. Freakshow was muttering something under his nose, before taking out a small vial from his robes. The liquid inside glowed brighter than a torch with the vibrant green color. Freakshow opened the vial and the liquid poured down slowly, showing its density. When the droplets fell on the blood, nothing happened at first, and Freakshow didn't seem pleased with it. Then he looked up and understood the reason. Danny looked up, too.

The moon was hidden behind the dark clouds, which were not there a few hours ago. Freakshow tapped impatiently and started to wait. It wasn't like he could change the weather.

"So you know, lad," the man looked at Danny. "This is my first time and you might die," he said casually.

"You heard him, guys, one of you will be next!" Danny grinned at the cultists.

They started whispering among each other, and that was just what the teen wanted. He unnoticeably dug in one of his deep pockets and took a knife. It didn't have a handle, there was only a sharp piece of metal. Danny managed to take it and situate the blade in his hand, but when it came to cutting the ropes, he accidentally dropped it. He flinched in fright, praying that no one had noticed his actions. Freakshow's look meanwhile turned angry. Seemingly from nowhere, he took a black staff, which ended with a black bat and had a swirling red sphere on top. Then the man hit the ground with its wooden edge loudly.

"Silence!" He yelled. "You all knew what is our destiny. To serve our Lord and get everything he had promised. This brat is expendable, however."

Freakshow pointed his staff at Danny, who flinched again at how sudden that was. The teen shifted slightly, hiding the blade beneath him. Before anyone could say something more, the place where the man had added the strange liquid started to glow. The moon was slowly coming from behind the clouds, and the blood started to glow green where its light fell. Danny took that a sign that he should hurry, but what could he do, every eye was glued to the stage and himself. Not only that, they grouped around, there wasn't a single opening around. The panic was evident in his eyes.

Finally, the moon fully came out from behind the clouds, and the circle now glowed so bright that it was almost blinding. All torches and campfires were extinguished by the strong wind. Freakshow noticed something gleaming beneath Danny, but the grin didn't fall off his face. Instead the man approached him, carefully overstepping the glowing drawings. Freakshow picked the blade and smirked, before grabbing Danny's head again.

"Now, for the final touch."

He made a slice across the teen's cheek and Danny yelped and hissed in pain. The cut won't leave a scar, but it was painful and deep enough to cause a bloodloss. Freakshow hurried to get out of the circle. The blood slowly leaked down the teen's face and fell on the ground.

What happened next was a blur. The bright green light was everything Danny saw. The forest was filled with a yell of agony, which escaped the teen's mouth. The pain he was suffering was unbearable, it felt like every inch of his body was set on fire and slashed through at the same time. It was becoming hard to breath through the continuous screams, the air seemed to leave his lungs and never come inside. Still, the screams didn't end, and he didn't faint because of suffocation.

All his muscles began to twitch and spasm, starting a torture of their own, he was still tied up and he couldn't get rid of them. His continuous twitching didn't ease the throbbing pain. It was like he was stabbed with several knifes, spears and swords. Danny's eyes were shut tightly, but the deathly green light was still coming through his eyelids. He couldn't keep a few tears coming from the corners of his eyes. He was too exhausted to open them even once. Maybe it was for the best, if the light was so blinding even with shut eyes, what could happen if he had opened them?

For some reason, at some point the ropes on his legs and hands couldn't be felt, his limbs were now free. But what exactly changed? Only that his twitching became more chaotic, starting from his fingers and ending with his insides. Danny could barely move on his own, even if he tried to crawl his way out, he managed to move his hand forward and claw into the dirt, but the teen wasn't able to pull himself forward.

Danny didn't know how long he was like that. Seconds, minutes, hours? It didn't matter and he lost count of time in his neverending agony. And the end could not be seen, but finally the luck turned her face to him. Not being able to stay awake anymore, he fainted.