Ethereal

19

Grabbing Jazz's limp arm, Danny rushed towards the surface, an inhuman noise escaping Serafina's lips as he ripped his older sister out of her grasp.

With a burst of newly found energy, he swam towards the surface, spotting the dock. People were screaming from above, a mix of angry obscenities and calls of Jazz's name.

"You little twit!" Serafina was angry. She swam towards Danny, her upper lip pushed up in a snarl. Danny turned his head just in time to see Amerdon grab her by the tail, pulling her back down to the lake floor.

"Go, Danny!" He shouted, struggling to hold the flailing merwoman. "Save your sister!"

Mermando, without hesitation, swam up by Danny's side, helping him hold Jazz's weight. He quickly glanced at him before focusing on the task at hand, and the three broke through the surface, sunlight steaming into their eyes and momentarily blinding them.

With the help of Wendy, Jazz was hefted onto the old dock. She spluttered and coughed, throwing up lake water.

"Mermando?" This came from Mabel, who's unicorn vibe momentarily faded at the sight of her old friend.

"Mabel?" Mermando's eyebrows rose in inquiry. "You're . . ."

"Yeah, I know." Mabel looked down, her hair falling into one eye. Mermando studied her, confused. This was not the Mabel he knew.

However, they didn't have much time to talk. With a sudden, quick movement, Grunkle Stan dove for the Ghost Globber, shooting it at Danny with surprising grace. The merman, who had not suspected the move, had no time to dodge. A green ball of ecto-energy surrounded him, electrifying the water and himself. He yelled out in pain and sunk underneath the waves, holding his aching stomach.

"No!" Jazz screamed, her voice hoarse. She lay on the deck, a hand on her aching throat. "You're hurting him!"

"He almost killed you, Jazz," Dipper said, grabbing hold of his uncle's arm. His eyes were wide in fear.

"No." Jazz shook her head. "No. It wasn't him."

"Who was it, then?" Grunkle Stan slowly dropped the gun to his side, his eyebrow raising in inquiry.

Danny emerged from the water. Some green liquid floated up with him, tainting the blue a hazy green color. He winced at the sight of his own blood and pressed harder against the wound. With deep, shaking breaths, he spoke.

"It was Serafina."

A laugh echoed from underneath the waves, and Danny was pulled under.

A yelp escaped his lips as he flailed, Mermando looking from the family to his new friend in worry. The group raised their eyebrows, but, with the water being so dirty, they were not aware of what just happened. Should he stay? Should he attempt to help? The merman didn't know which to choose.

"Foolish." Serafina's disapproving voice filled his senses as he was thrown onto the lake floor. He curled up in pain. "Did you really think they would accept you?"

Danny shook his head. "Don't you dare hurt them, Sera."

"Oh, but . . ." Her voice trailed off as she pointed a claw upwards at the dock. Danny glanced up, watching as a merman dragged Mermando underneath the waves. Two others picked at the broken-down dock. It shifted and groaned, about to break.

With everyone standing on top of it.

With a groan, Danny ignored his pain and tried to lunge towards the two mermen, but to no avail. He was pushed back down on the ground, groaning in pain.

Realization hit, and he glanced around for Amerdon.

His body was laying, unconscious, several hundred feet away.

More of Danny's green blood clouded the water. Like an eerie green fog, the blood covered his vision.

Danny hissed in pain, his head nodding as though he was about to fall unconscious.

Serafina swam down, grabbing his body and pulling it off the ground. Her claws dug into the skin on his left arm and scratched at his right cheek.

"Oh, you can't fall asleep now. The show has barely begun."

She directed Danny's lulling head towards the dock as it groaned. He fought weakly against her tight grasp, murmuring empty threats.

Serafina laughed humorously, her eyes glittering.

The dock's wood cracked and broke open, throwing his friends' bodies into the waves.

* * *

Grunkle Stan helped Jazz off the dock, half-carrying her to the dry land. He walked back over to where Dipper, Wendy, and Mabel were standing, precariously eyeing the water.

Mermando went under the waves. The water was much too dirty around the edges to see in, so the four settled for waiting patiently for something to occur.

Jazz coughed, laying down on the grass. "Danny Phantom. Ever heard of him?"

Dipper, who had done more than enough research on supernatural creatures, nodded his head enthusiastically. "He's the ghost from your hometown, Amity Park. I heard he fights other ghosts and saves people, but there's been speculation. I kind of think it's a hoax. I mean, a friendly ghost? Sounds like something straight out of a—"

Dipper's breath hitched.

"Yeah." Jazz sat up with a groan. "It's not a hoax. That's my brother."

Dipper focused his attention back on the waves, his ears rising. Adrenaline pumped through his veins.

"The Danny Phantom?"

Jazz forced a laugh. "Didn't think people knew about him everywhere else."

The dock creaked, but they dismissed that as something usual. Wendy's eyebrows furrowed as she intently listened to their conversation, and Grunkle Stan looked absolutely perplexed. Could he trust the boy?

The dock groaned again, this time much louder. Stan's eyes squinted before widening, realization striking.

He yelled, "Get off the—"

The four of them were thrown haphazardly into the water before he could finish his sentence.

I released a new book! This is Danny Phantom based, in fact, it's a novelization of the Danny Phantom TV show. That's right. The entire first season written in the form of a book. How cool is that?

I really think you guys should check out of the first chapter. You might like it!