The MARVELOUS Storyteller: "Rider's Delight"

[muppetwriter]

Hey, everybody! Happy Halloween!:)

Today is the day not just for getting treats or pulling off great tricks, but also for demons from the underworld who've come to our realm to create a new h*ll and obtain a "ghost rider" as their enforcer. And only a storyteller and his supernatural friends can stop it all from happening.

Today, from morning to midnight, you will read the first three chapters of what is not your ordinary "MARVELOUS" tale. This story is told by someone who some of you might be familiar with. His name is The Storyteller, and this is his tale of...Rider's Delight!


It is said that the West was built on legends. Tall tales that help us make sense of things too great or too terrifying to believe. This is the legend of the Ghost Rider. The story goes that every generation has one. Some d****d soul, cursed to ride the earth, collecting on the devil’s deals. Many years ago, a Ghost Rider was sent to the village of San Venganza to fetch a contract worth one thousand evil souls. But that contract was so powerful, he knew he could never let the devil get his hands on it. So he did what no Rider has ever done before: he outran the devil himself.

But the marvelous thing about legends is…sometimes they’re true.

“You wanna know something that’d really be marvelous?” A stranger behind me intensely asks. “You puttin’ a sock in it, while we watch Johnny Blaze make the jump!”

Other people around me seem to have agreed with the man’s bold statement. I should have remembered to throw a sound field around my companions and me before coming to this arena.

That probably would have been a brilliant idea.

The problem here is that no one appreciates a good narration when they hear one.

These people don’t care about you and your narrating. They came to see the Ghost Rider.

Quiet! Do you want to spoil the tale for those who haven’t heard it yet?

To begin our adventure, we open with the roaring cheer of a crowd of fans that are well familiar with the stunts performed by none other than Jonathan “Johnny” Blaze, the hero of our tale. My dog and I, of course, are amongst these fans in the crowd. But accompanying us were our noble Nightstalkers: Sarah Williams, Hoggle, Sir Didymus and Ambrosius, Ludo, Jake Long, Luong Lao Shi (Jake’s grandfather), Trixie, Spud, the Lees (Juniper, Jasmine, and Ray-Ray), Munroe the enchanted Scottish pug, and Fu Dog the talking, streetwise Shar Pei.

Jareth doesn’t stand a chance against our team of heroes.

Don’t be too sure. The odds could outmatch us greatly. But, please…I’m telling the story.

Before Johnny Blaze is a pathway…a pathway to what seems like certain death for the most fearful human soul. At both sides of the ramp are flames lit for dramatic effect. And past the ramp are twenty…no, thirty…no, fifty trucks parked across the arena floor.

Spud is very quick to express his amazement of the stunt into words. “Aw, dude! There is absolutely no way he’ll make that jump!”

“Man! It’s gonna be somethin’ to see him splat all over the concrete!” Ray-Ray exclaims with much anticipation.

His older sister, Juniper, is very appalled by his bloodthirsty attitude. “Actually, I’m pretty used to it by now. You should’ve seen him during a cage match between Triple H and The Rock at Wrestlemania.”

Sitting next to me is Sarah, who shows great concern over her face as she watches Johnny Blaze prepare himself for what seems like the final jump he will ever make in his life. “Why is he doing such a dangerous stunt? Is he not scared of what could happen?”

“That’s just the thing, dear Sarah.” I tell her calmly. “Johnny Blaze is a man who has never lived a day of his life in fear…not since the devil himself took his soul from him.”

She turns to me, her look changing from concerned to amazed. “Literally took his soul?”

“Perhaps it would be wise to show you what happened years before our quest began.” I suggest, and using the magic that is bestowed upon me, I change the atmosphere around only Sarah and myself. The massive arena shrinks into that of a not-so-large circus tent. The trucks have been replaced by six very small, very safe ramps that surround a ring of fire.

Sarah is taken by surprise over the sudden change in atmosphere. We are now in a setting that is at least a few years before she was even born. Suddenly, she is startled by the loud, amplified voice of the announcer, “Ladies and gentlemen! The amazing, blazing…stunt cycle spectacular!”

It isn’t long before two cyclists speed onto the scene from opposite directions. Both of them ride their bikes up the ramps and fly through the ring of fire successfully, much to the satisfaction of the crowd…and much to the relief of one particular girl that sits near Sarah and me.

“Who is she?” Sarah asks.

Her name is Roxanne Simpson, the greatest affection of Johnny Blaze’s life. It took much to convince her father to bring her to see the show that we are watching now.

“Why is that?” Sarah again asks me.

But before I can explain to her, I find myself interrupted by the energetic announcer. “How about a big round of applause for Barton and Johnny Blaze? Let’s hear it for them, folks!”

We focus our attention on the young cyclist who passes before us, showing off on his motorbike. This young cyclist is Johnny Blaze himself in his teenage years and under the tutelage of his father, Barton, who does not appreciate his showing off towards the beautiful Roxanne.

“He is quite the overconfident one.” Sarah comments. “I can see why Roxanne’s father tried to keep her from coming. A hotshot like Johnny could be a bad influence.”

Indeed. Johnny was a very young soul, believing he knew everything there was that he needed to know. But he what he didn’t understand was that when he does things without thinking, he is not making the choice…the choice is making him.

“So he does these dire stunts for the love of Roxanne.” Sarah estimates, and her estimation is only partially correct. “Partially?”

Johnny does his stunts for not just the love of Roxanne, but for the respect of his own father as well. He was all that Johnny had in his life.

“Was? Had? Don’t tell me that something awful happened to him?”

I’m afraid so.

Changing the atmosphere around us again, I take us to the home of Johnny and his father. Johnny, just returning from a meeting with Roxanne at their favorite spot on the countryside, comes to find a doctor’s notice throw in the trash, stating that his father has cancer that has spread through his body. Undoubtedly to Johnny, this has to be the result of his father’s continuous smoking habits.

“Oh, no.” Sarah sadly voices her view on the matter. “This is dreadful.”

It gets much worse than this, I’m afraid.

The setting changes again—this time we are back at the carnival that we only moments ago found ourselves in, coming to find Johnny working on his motorbike. It is a stormy and foreboding night…the perfect atmosphere for the meeting that is about to come.

“What meeting is that?” Sarah asks me.

But the deep, chilling, and emotionless voice of a man who had surprisingly entered the tent in which Johnny had been working on his bike in soon answer her question. However, it should not have come as too much as a surprise, as the air suddenly felt cold enough to freeze and see your own breath in.

“Caught your show today, Johnny Blaze.” The man says. “Just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed watching you ride. Perhaps you’d ride for me one day.”

“You run a show?” Johnny asks.

“Greatest show on earth.” The man responds.

Lightning lights the area only for a moment, but it is not enough to show the face of this man who has come to visit Johnny on such an unexpected occasion. While the lightning lights up the area, Johnny does his best to make out any facial features on the man. He sees none. His presence was already disturbing enough for him, so he makes his decision on the man’s request.

“Thanks, but no thanks.”

“Great move, Johnny.” Sarah says. “I don’t trust whoever this stranger is.”

And she has good reason not to, for this was no ordinary stranger that has crept into Johnny’s space.

“What’s wrong? Worried about your father?” He says, much to the surprise of Johnny. “Even a blind man could see he’s sick. Thing about cancer is the time it takes the toll on the loved ones.” Lightning strikes again, and though by this time we have clearly seen what this man’s face looks like (the blank face of a sinister character with eyes that are almost as red as blood), his shadow is what comes as a startling mystery. It did not match his humanlike shape. Instead, it seems to have contradicted it with the shape of a true demon.

“My goodness.” Sarah whispers near me.

“Johnny…what if I could help your dad?” The stranger asks. “Give him back his health? Would you be willing to make a deal?”

Without even a second thought, Johnny turns to the man and says, “Name your price.”

“I’ll take…” The stranger looks around the tent for a moment, seeming as if what he was looking for had to have been nearby. But, of course, that is only half the case in this situation, especially once he slowly turns to Johnny and gazes upon him with his cold eyes. “…your soul.”

For a moment, Johnny had been taking this stranger seriously, truly believing that the life of his father could be saved. But the request is too hard for him to even comprehend, so he simply turns his back to the stranger and continues work on his motorbike, while the stranger keeps his words flowing. “By sunrise tomorrow, your father will be healthy as a horse.” He then pulls from his long, black coat a rolled-up piece of paper that was a black as his clothes were on the outside. “All you have to do is sign.”

Johnny turns and gazes at the rolled-up paper, wondering if what this stranger is telling him has some truth in it. All he can imagine at the moment is seeing his father walking around, no longer suffering from the awful coughs he has been having for some time now and able to perform his stunts without any distractions. If what this stranger is telling him turned out to be the truth, how can he live with himself to say that he had the chance to save the only person he could call “family” and did not take it?

So Johnny takes the paper from the stranger and unrolls it. The inside of the paper truly contradicts the outside. It is plain white and contains words that are in small print. And even before Johnny can make out what they say, he cuts himself from the sharp edge of the paper, drawing blood from the finger that has been cut. From it, a single drop of blood falls from the wound and lands perfectly on the signature line at the bottom of the contract.

“Oh, that’ll do just fine.”

Taking the contract from Johnny, the stranger takes one last gaze at Johnny with his red eyes and through a quick flash of lightning, he disappears.

“So…signing that contract cured Johnny’s father of his cancer, right?” Sarah inquires. “That means all is well, isn’t it?”

For the sake of Johnny Blaze, I wish it were the case.

Our setting changes again to the next day, when Barton Blaze—as healthy as he had felt in years—revved the engine of his motorbike for another leap through the ring of fire. However, once he makes the jump, things did not go as perfectly as they usually did. Barton looses control of his bike and crashes into the flames, dismantling the entire ring.

“Oh, no!” Sarah exclaims at the sight, her gasp joined by ones coming from the crowd.

Johnny immediately comes to his father’s aide, as he lays on the other ramp, his body burned and savagely battered from the crash. “Dad? Dad, it’s all right, I’m here. I’m here, it’s gonna be okay.” Barton takes one last look at his son with his weakened eyes and then closes them, his head falling limp. He then dies from the severe wounds he has suffered from.

All young Johnny Blaze could do at that point is weep over the loss of a man that he believed had been spared of an unfortunate death, only to suffer from an even greater one.

“That d**n stranger and his contract!” Sarah angrily says. “How could he have let this happen? I thought he was supposed to have cured Johnny’s father from his cancer! I thought he saved his life!”

And he had done just that…only there was a price to have come with it.

Again our setting changes to the countryside, as Johnny Blaze rides on his motorcycle through a cross section, only to have the vicious stranger appear right before his eyes and block his path. As he had done so, an image comes before Johnny’s eyes of a satanic, horned being with fangs and black eyes, its skin as dark and red as the color of blood. It is frightening enough to cause Johnny to loose control of his motorcycle and skid across the dirt road, flying off his bike and hit the ground hard. Even as he laid face down on the gravel, Johnny is amazed to discover that he isn’t injured or killed from the fierce crash.

“You’re no good to me dead.” The stranger tells him.

Johnny gets to his feet, dusts himself off, and points directly at the stranger, hatred filling his heart. “You…You killed him.”

“I couldn’t let him come between us.”

“You son of a…” Johnny swings a fist at the stranger, but he quickly discovers that he is left only swinging at the wind, as the stranger disappears in front of him, only to reappear behind him.

“One day, when I need you…I will come. Until then, I’ll be watching.” He touches Johnny’s chest, unleashing a strong wave of heated energy that courses upward through Johnny’s throat and head. The boy’s eyes begin to sizzle, gray streams of smoke flying out from his tear ducts.

“Leave him alone!” Sarah cries to the stranger, but he does not hear her, for we are only voices of the future to the two people in front of us…voices that cannot be heard or reasoned with. “This is not fair!”

“Forget about friends…forget about family…forget about love.”

With these words, images of Barton and Roxanne come to Johnny’s mind, as he winces from the demonic hold that the stranger has placed over him. It is a hold strong enough to paralyze his entire body.

“You’re mine, Johnny Blaze.”

A tap on the back of his neck releases the hold, and Johnny is left falling to his knees, while the stranger disappears once again. The sky blackens with the formation of dark gray clouds and soon rain falls before the weeping Johnny Blaze, as he realizes the anguish that he has brought before himself due to the deal he had made with the devil. It would be something that he would spend years regretting, for it had not only cost him the life of his father, but the love and time he could’ve shared with Roxanne, as he was forced to leave her behind in order to live a life for himself without friends or family.

Leaving this sad atmosphere behind, we find ourselves back in the area—back in the present—just in time to see the adult Johnny Blaze make the jump over the parked trucks to the roar of the wild crowd. His speed is well placed, making it over thirty-five trucks at ten feet in the air. But then Johnny starts to descend as he reaches past the fortieth truck. Fortunately, as he passes the last one, he reaches the ramp. However, his landing is quite morbid.

Johnny quickly looses balance, his body falling over the handle bars and his head smacking violently against the front moving wheel. The glass from his helmet shatters as his head snaps back from the horrible blow. It is quite an unnerving display to everyone in the arena.

You think?

Both Johnny’s body and his motorcycle skid across the concrete and continue on their path, until both smash against a concrete wall. It seems undoubtedly that Johnny had been killed from the accident. While help comes to his side, he lays on the ground, not moving an inch.

Ray-Ray, Juniper Lee’s younger brother, seems to have gained a weak constitution shortly after witnessing the horrendous…as he would call it…wipe-out. “Oh, man! That was sick…and I mean ‘sick’ like in a bad way!”

“Since when is ‘sick’ meant in a good way?” Juniper asks him.

Jake Long looks on, seeming just as concerned as the rest of us. His only clarification of whether Johnny Blaze is okay or not was a large screen situated near the rafters that displays an image of Johnny Blaze’s helmet being removed and revealing an unscarred, unbroken head and face. “He doesn’t look like he’s hurt.”

That much is certain as we all watch Johnny open his eyes and speak to the people crowding around him. It isn’t very long before he is helped us to his feet and starts walking away from the crash, much to the surprise and relief of the crowd.

“He’s alright?” Trixie exclaims. “How da heck is dat possible?”

“The man’s a god, Trixie.” Spud assumes. “A real god!”

“Pretty far from it, kid.” Fu Dog states. “Any human being that can survive a crash like that and live to tell the tale is a guy who has obviously sold his soul. That, my friends, is the devil’s rider.”

“Aye.” Munroe agrees. “And we are lucky to have found him before our enemies have.”

So it’s pretty obvious that Johnny Blaze is the man who we’re looking for. The one who is this rider that everyone keeps talking about. But what do we do now that we’ve found him?

We do what we can to protect him from the dark forces that are approaching now as we speak.

[The Count]

A grand beginning... It seems like you've found what you were searching for, a storyline you're happy with. Enjoyed witnessing the various scenes of Johnny Blaze's previous life. Keep it coming please.

[muppetwriter]

Thanks, Count. :)

The second chapter will be posted around two o'clock this afternoon (three o'clock for you Eastern folks and twelve o'clock for the Westerners).

[ReneeLouvier]

OH WOW. NICE CHAPTER! YAY, oh gosh I love this so much! It's neat! I can't wait to read more, MW!

[muppetwriter]

Thanks, Renee. Be sure to stay tuned to this thread close to midnight, 'cause you're going to love the third chapter.;)

[ReneeLouvier]

Oooh. Definately. *giggles manically* This is such a great story. Well, I'm probably going to be the only one not dressing/dressed up for Halloween. Don't really have anywhere to go!

[JEANYLASER]

Awesome muppetwriter! I can't wait to read more!:)

[muppetwriter]

We move our story to the outskirts of Arizona, where a bar that had been once occupied with tough-as-stone bikers is now nothing more than a graveyard for the frozen deceased bodies of those once-living occupants. This is the handiwork of Blackheart, a “son” created by Mephisto from the energy of accumulated evil. However, this fact is oblivious to the seven people that have entered the empty bar, after detecting high levels of paranormal energy from a ghost-detecting device.

These people are the other heroes of our tale: Sam Manson, Tucker Foley, and the Fenton family (Jack, Maddie, Jazz, and Danny—who is, unbeknownst to his parents but not to his sister and two friends, Sam and Tucker, also a “ghost boy” known as Danny Phantom). With these people is also Uncle Deadly, a blue, dragon-like Muppet ghost who used to work at the Muppet Theater, playing the role of Hamlet until he was killed…by the critics. The only reason wild ghost hunters like Jack and Maddie Fenton are not going after Deadly is to keep the promise they made to Death himself at a church in Arizona not to hurt or betray Deadly, Danny Phantom, or even him.

Hunting Deadly is the last thing on Jack or Maddie’s minds, as the group enters the empty bar and gazes upon the frozen bodies. Mortified by the sight, Jazz can’t hold back a comment any longer. “This is just awful! Who could’ve done this to these people?”

“A ghost.” Jack utters. “Isn’t it obvious, Jazz? Only a ghost could work his black magic on these innocent people.”

Tucker looks over at one frozen body of a biker with a heavy beard and a mean look on his frostbitten face. “At least some of them were innocent.”

“These mortals had no idea who they were dealing with. Their ignorance is what had led to their execution.” Deadly assesses.

“Well, if they knew, then maybe they would’ve stood a chance, right?” Danny assumes.

Deadly looks in Danny’s direction with a cold stare. “No one stands a chance against the son of Mephistopheles, child. It is inevitable to even try.” At this point, Danny would say that no one but him could stop Blackheart. But with his parents standing there close by, it is hard for him to say just that without giving away the secret that he, his sister, and his friends are trying so very hard to keep.

“Okay. So what do we do now?” Sam asks. “I mean, it’s obvious that they cleaned out of here before…”

She is soon interrupted at the sudden swinging and banging of the double doors leading into the bar. The noise makes them all jump in shock, which is a necessary reaction while standing in the midst of a murder scene. The chilling wind that breezes into the building doesn’t make the feeling any less uncomfortable. And to top it all off, who else but Death himself comes in to greet his old friend, Uncle Deadly, and his startled ghost-hunting companions.

“DO NOT BE TOO SCARED.” Death states. “IT IS ONLY ME.”

“Have you come to collect the souls of these unfortunate mortals?” Deadly asks him.

Death stands over one of the frozen bodies and extends one arm, placing a skeletal index finger on its chest. As soon as he moves it away, a stream of purple smoke shoots out from the body of the frozen victim and up towards the ceiling, disappearing through one of the cracks.

After witnessing the unnatural display, Tucker doesn’t hesitate to wittily say, “I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.”

“BLACKHEART IS AN UNRELENTLESS FIGURE.” Death says. “HE WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO FIND THE CONTRACT OF SAN VENGANZA.”

“The contract of who?” Danny remarks with confusion.

“IT IS THE CONTRACT FOR A THOUSAND CORRUPT SOULS FROM THE TOWN OF SAN VEGANZA.”

Sam is trying her best to process this information into her mind. “You mean this whole thing is over some old ghost town?”

“YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND. IF BLACKHEART GETS HIS HANDS ON THAT CONTRACT, HE WILL UNDOUBTEDLY TURN YOUR WORLD INTO A NEW H*LL!”

The intensity of Death’s voice shakes the walls of the building. Clouds of dust escape from them and fill the lungs of the people inside there, excluding Death and Uncle Deadly. After coughing out the dust in her lungs, Jazz focuses on Death and asks, “Okay. So now that we know how crucial it is to stop this Blackheart character, what do we do to stop him? I mean, it shouldn’t be that hard, should it? We have our ghost friend, Danny Phantom, to help us.” She smiles in the direction of her brother as she said that, and he gleefully returns the smile.

“YOU CANNOT DEPEND ON ONE GHOST TO ASSIST YOU ON YOUR QUEST.” Death tells her. “IF YOU HOPE TO STOP BLACKHEART, YOU WILL NEED THE RIDER.”

They all look to each other, bewildered and interested in knowing whom exactly Death is talking about. Maddie Fenton is the only one of them who is intrigued enough to ask, “Who are you talking about? What rider?”

“MEPHISTO’S RIDER.” Death replies. “THE ONE WHOM HE CONVINCED IN SELLING HIS SOUL TO YEARS AGO, IN ORDER TO SAVE THE LIFE OF A LOVED ONE, ONLY TO STILL TAKE IT AWAY THROUGH UNNECCESARY ACTION.”

“So all we must do is find Mephistopheles’ rider, and he shall assist us in stopping his son?” Deadly inquires.

“FINDING THE RIDER WILL BE TOO MUCH OF A DIFFICULT TASK FOR YOU ALL.”

Danny figures Death is only telling them that because he has forgotten his alter ego, Danny Phantom, and thinks he is just talking to a bunch of mortals and their ghostly companion. Feeling the need to remind him, he says, “But it is not a difficult task for Danny Phantom, right? I mean, one ghost to another, the two should be evenly matched, and I…I mean, Danny…Danny Phantom…should have no trouble finding him…right?”

Death looks in Danny’s direction, knowing the reason behind his comments as if he had been reading his mind as he made them. In response to them, he states, “DANNY PHANTOM IS A POWERFUL YOUNG GHOST. BUT MEPHISTO’S RIDER IS TWICE AS POWERFUL AS HE IS. YOUR BEST HOPE WOULD BE TO SAVE DANNY PHANTOM’S ABILITIES FOR YOUR ENCOUNTER WITH BLACKHEART.”

“There has to be some way we can find the rider then.” Jazz says.

“THERE IS.” Death states. “FIND THE ONE KNOWN AS ‘THE STORYTELLER’. WITH HIS MAGICAL CAPABILITIES, IT SHALL BE EASY FOR YOU TO FIND THE RIDER AND ENLIST IN HIS HELP TO KEEP BLACKHEART FROM FINDING THE CONTRACT.”

The group’s confusion grows more and more each moment Death instructs them. This is clear even as Tucker attempts to ask for further instructions. “How do we find the storyte…”

“YOU MUSTN’T WASTE MUCH TIME ASKING ME QUESTIONS!” Death exclaims. “YOU WILL FIND THE STORYTELLER, AS SOON AS YOU LEARN TO STOP AND LISTEN.”

“To what?” Sam asks.

Before Death could bother to give her a reasonable reply to her question, he disappears in pillars of black flames and white smoke, obscuring the group’s vision of everything around them. As soon as the flames and smoke vanishes, so does Death and all of the frozen bodies in the bar. Deadly, Sam, Tucker, and the Fenton family find themselves standing alone in a completely empty bar now, with no clue of how to find their new target: me…The Storyteller.

Stop and listen to me, my new friends. Learn to listen to my narration, and you will find me.


We move our story ahead a day, when Johnny Blaze prepares himself for his next stunt in his dressing room by looking himself in the mirror and repeatedly telling himself, “You can’t live in fear.” And at this opportunity, I bring the Nightstalkers and myself into the atmosphere.

“Aw, dude! Check out this room!” Spud exclaims, unknowingly triggering a surprised reaction from Johnny Blaze, as he takes notice of our presence within his dressing room. It does not help much that Trixie, Spud, and Ray-Ray are sitting as well as standing on the furniture and turning the stereo up loud.

Ray-Ray makes an odd expression as he hears the music over the stereo speakers. “What is this? The Carpenters? Man! Talk about bad taste in music!”

“Ray-Ray! Get back over here!” Juniper demands, gesturing him towards the corner of the room, where the rest of us stood.

Johnny Blaze then steps forward and addresses us all. “Hey, you all shouldn’t really be in here. This is a private area.” He proceeds to then gaze upon us strangely. “How did ya’ll get in here anyways?”

“That is of the least importance, Mr. Blaze.” I tell him. “You are in grave danger from a supernatural threat that threatens the existence of our world. The Goblin King known as Jareth has joined forces with a demon known as Blackheart to capture and use you for his wicked purposes, while Blackheart plans on creating a new h*ll out of our world. We must stop them before it is too late.”

I failed to have realized the quickness in my voice as I explained the situation to Johnny Blaze. His bewildered reaction to my explanation is an excellent confirmation of just that.

“I beg your pardon?” Johnny remarks.

Before I can try to explain myself again, the door to the dressing room opens and in comes Johnny’s manager and best friend, Mack, walks in. He is entirely oblivious to our presence in the room as he addresses Johnny. “Hey, J.B. I just ran a second check on the ramps. They look good. The crowd’s kinda out of control.”

“Don’t you see them?” Johnny asks him, while pointing in our direction.

Mack looks at Johnny puzzlingly. He follows Johnny’s gaze over the room, looking towards where Ray-Ray, Spud, and Trixie are and then where the rest of us stand. He sees nothing. “Uh…who’re you talkin’ about, J.B.?”

“These folks in my dressing room.” Johnny says. “There! Didn’t you hear the old man just now? He just said my name, while talking up towards the ceiling at something or to somebody.”

Sarah, at the moment, seems just as confused as Johnny is. “How come his friend can’t see us?”

“I have thrown a invisible shield over each of us—one that only us and Johnny Blaze can look and hear through.” I reply with a confident smile. “I do have to narrate this story without any interruptions, don’t I?”

Show off.

Meanwhile, Mack begins to show his concern for Johnny, even after he was “talking to the walls and furniture.” “Johnny, you know you don’t have to do this, don’t you? I mean…I’m worried these stunts might be affectin’ your brain. You are talkin’ to thin air right now.”

Johnny looks in each of our directions and shakes his head. “Maybe your right, Mack. But there’s a huge crowd out there, and I wouldn’t want to disappoint my fans.” He boldly states. “So…just lead me out, so we can do this.”

Mack nods in agreement. “Sure thing, J.B.”

Taking Johnny by one arm, Mack then leads him out of the dressing room, while the rest of us follow. A crowd of reporters, all like hungry animals trying to be the first to catch fresh meat, soon greets us. One particular female reporter approaches and says, “Mr. Blaze, do you have time for a quick interview?”

“I don’t know how long you been doing your job, ma’am,” Mack remarks, “But Johnny Blaze don’t do interviews.”

A voice…one familiar to Johnny…then speaks up from outside the crowd. “Not even for an old friend?” Johnny and the rest of us stop abruptly and turn our attention to a hallway leading into the stands. There, dressed in a white dress that is a gorgeous as she is, stands the form of a fully-grown Roxanne Simpson.

She is just as beautiful as Johnny last remembers seeing her, all those years ago at the carnival where he and his father performed. A large smile grows across his face, and even before he can comply her request for an interview, two men step into the scene and crowd around Johnny Blaze.

“I’m so sorry,” says the young businessman known as Damien Takashi, son of the late richest man in the United States—Eli Takashi—and founder of his own enterprise. His friend and associate, the multimillionaire named Vladimir Masters, accompanies him. “But I’m afraid Johnny will be too busy to do an interview with you, Miss Simpson. He’s scheduled to be part of a meeting with Vlad and me.”

Johnny turns puzzlingly to Mack. “I am?”

“Listen,” Mack steps in to immediately settle the matter, “I don’t know who you boys are, but Johnny has a show to perform in just a few seconds, so I suggest…”

“A few seconds is all we need to talk over some things,” Vlad says, “Most particularly over helping endorse some of the best products of our company.”

Johnny seems somewhat intrigued by this—his attention moving away from Roxanne, who continues to stand in the hallway, hoping that he will at least make some effort to speak to her again. “What’re you boys selling?” he asks Damien and Vlad.

Damien takes one puff from his cigarette before answering. “Oh, you know, the basics…video games, toys, soft drinks…”

“…Cars, motorcycles, fast food restaurants…” Vlad adds.

“Everything that’ll have our payers desperately wanting to purchase, once they see your face on the product.” Damien says. “You’re enormously famous, Johnny. Bigger than Donald Trump would ever hope to be.”

Johnny chuckles over the comment. “Well, I wouldn’t go as far as sayin’ I’m bigger than Mr. Trump. He’s a pretty big fella.”

“Our point is, Johnny, that we want you on the side of good.” Vlad states. “Good business, that is.”

Damien then reaches into his black-as-night sports coat and pulls out a rolled-up sheet of paper. “All you have to do is sign on the dotted line.”

As Johnny gazes upon the gesture, an old memory flashes back into his mind. It was the same gesture made by the stranger who he was forced to sign a dangerous contract for—the one he believed would keep his father alive, only to still have him taken out of his life. From that very day, Johnny vowed never to make any deals that involve him signing a contract. He usually leaves the contract signing to Mack, who doesn’t hesitate to step in again and take the contract from Damien’s cold hands.

“Let me have a look at that.” He says, and while he reads the contract, Johnny turns his attention back to where Roxanne is standing…or where she was standing. Realizing she has left, Johnny panics—the only opportunity he had to rekindle what they once had and he ruins it.

Without giving warning to anyone, he dashes away from the group and down the main corridor. Vlad and Damien are watching him go, and they attempt to chase after him, until Mac stops them by standing in their way, still discussing over the matter of their contract.

It isn’t very long before we hear the roar of the crowd near us. We focus our attention to the football field past the stands, where Johnny Blaze has successfully leaped across three hundred feet from field goal to field goal, while six helicopters were parked across the field. It is a stunt that his father thought of shortly before his death, and Johnny had done it in his memory.

But after making the jump, Johnny rides his motorcycle up into the stands and bounces his way up the stairs. He comes across our location, and we immediately clear a path for him to zoom his way out through the entrance to the arena. Upon Johnny’s surprise exit after the stunt, Mack drops the contract to the floor, causing it to get caught in the wheels of Johnny’s motorcycle and shred to pieces, much to the dismay of Vlad and Damien.

“Where’s he goin’ now?” Hoggle curiously asks.

Yes…where is he going?

He is going to continue where he and Roxanne had left off years ago. The romance they had shared together. It is something that has been meaning dear to him, ever since he began performing his dangerous stunts. Despite what the stranger had told him, Johnny could not forget about love. After the death of his father, Roxanne is all that he has left of his morbid past.

“So are we gonna follow after him?” Jake asks. “I mean, we’re still keeping him safe from those haters that wanna use him for the ‘New Underworld’ or whatever, right?”

No, Johnny’s safe…for now. We will give him his space, so he can work out his relationship with Roxanne. In the meantime, we will prepare ourselves for what I fear to be a fierce encounter by traveling to the home of Johnny Blaze, waiting for him to return there and again try to alert him of the danger approaching.

“Sounds like a glorious plan to me, Storyteller!” Sir Didymus comments. “The sooner we get to our destination, the better our chances shall be. Lead the way!”

Dropping the invisible shield that was held over us, I lead my Nightstalkers pass the startled group of reporters (startled, of course, by our sudden appearance before their very eyes) and out through the exit. As soon as we step outside, I summon an approaching taxicab.

“A taxicab?” Trixie exclaims, sounding more disgusted than perplexed. “Wait a minute! You’ve got all this great magical power and errthang, but you still need to take a cab over to this dude’s house?”

“My girl’s got a point, dude,” Spud remarks, “You’re cheap.”

I am not cheap. I am simply conserving my magic for when the opposing supernatural forces arrive.

So he says.

You aren’t helping here!

Well, what else would you expect for me to do? I am a dog, after all.

Do what most dogs normally do and keep quiet.

“Touchy fella, ain’t he?” Monroe compliments.

“Yeah. What’s his problem anyways?” Fu Dog asks my dog.

He’s just mad ‘cause his show only last a couple of measly seasons.

Returning back to our tale…

As soon as the taxicab pulls up in front of us, the driver of the vehicle rolls down her window and sticks her head out to marvel over the appearance of the mixture of human and mystical beings standing before her. This driver’s name is Sara Vines, but to avoid confusion of the other Sarah, we will address her as “Renee.”

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me!” She exclaims. “No way can I fit all of you people, especially that Chewbacca-lookin’ thing, all in my cab! What’re you all goin’ to a costume ball or somethin’?”

“Young lady…” I attempt to reason with her, but her feisty attitude makes that quite impossible.

“First off, don’t ever call me feisty! And second of all, I’m runnin’ a cab service here, not the Little Shop of Horrors! If you want to ride in a bizarre set of wheels, check with my buddy, Ryan. He’ll have the cab just for you. But, for now, step off and…”

While young Renee was addressing me, I had taken the opportunity of remodeling her taxicab. The rooftop had been raised a few feet and the sides stretched out just the same to match with the height and weight of Ludo, who was Renee’s greatest concern. Then I had added more than three sets of seats to accommodate the number of passengers for the vehicle to handle. In a matter of seconds, Renee’s taxicab became just as large as a Hummer vehicle and just as long as a limousine. And before she could completely shoo us off, she realized just this as soon as she glances at her rearview mirror.

“What the…?”

While she stares awkwardly at her upgraded vehicle, the Nightstalkers and I climb into it, not wasting any time in getting to our destination before our adversary did. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out a bag of money and hold it in front of Renee, who is almost overwhelmed by its remarkable weight as she takes it from me.

“I believe this will be enough to cover any trips that we will be taking together for the time being?” I ask her.

She looks over at me, nearly at a lost for words over the unusual change of events as she tells me, “Oh, yeah. You got it, man. Anywhere you want to go, it’s fine with me.”

“Good.” I say, sharing a smile with my Nightstalkers, as we are driven away from the arena and to our destination.

[The Count]

Ga! Between you and Aunt Ru I'll be more than slayed with good Halloweenish fanfic.

Couple of little things.
Though we think of Hamlet immediately because of Yorick the Skull, Uncle Deadly was actually performing the role and in the play based on Othello.
Also, is the contract of 1000 souls meant to be the Spanish equivalent of "saint vengeance"? If so, it should be "San Venganza".
Other than that, nice little zing at Agent Ryan from the Spectacular... Look forward to the third treat for today.

[ReneeLouvier]

OHMIGOSH

Will post tomorrow, have dinner with parents~~ EEEE DAMIEN IS AN AWESOME NAME FOR HIM~!

And the cigarette! EEEE

and I'm a cabbie!

[muppetwriter]

Haha! I love turning my MC friends into cabbies!:)

Thanks for the comments, my friends. The third chapter will be posted later on this evening, plenty of time in-between for you all to enjoy the rest of your Halloween day, going out trick-or-treating or partying with friends or watching great specials on TV.

The third chapter will be waitin' for you 'til then.;)

[JEANYLASER]

This is awesome story muppetwriter! You're the best writer! I can't wait to read more!:)

[muppetwriter]

We wait and wait and wait for Johnny to return to his home. It might have taken at least six or seven hours, and day soon turns to night. My Nightstalkers and I sit patiently in the cab of our new driver, Renee—well, at least some of us are patient…others (more particularly Hoggle, Ray-Ray, Spud, Trixie, and Jake) grow tired of waiting for the rider to return.

But before anyone could make his or her complaints, we hear the sound of an approaching motorcycle. It is Johnny Blaze, looking happier than he had ever felt before. As he enters his home, we find ourselves transported from inside the taxicab to the inside of Blaze’s home.

“Man! You wanna warn somebody first before you do that, dawg?” Jake demands of me, obviously still getting used to my teleportation powers.

Even as Jake badgers me over my abilities, some of the other Nightstalkers seem very jittery over our presence here in Blaze’s house, most particularly Sarah. “Do you think it’s really wise for us to invade the privacy of this man’s home?” she asks me.

I simply reply, “He shall be pleased we’re doing so, once Blackheart, Jareth, and their minions begin to show themselves before him.” I can understand how Sarah and the few of my Nightstalkers feel about the methods we are taking to protect Johnny Blaze, but we must do whatever’s possible to succeed in our mission.

The gated entrance of the home opens, and Johnny enters with the motorcycle that he rode on. At first, he barely even notices our presence—which is quite baffling, considering the fact that I don’t have my invisibility field cloaking us at the moment. But after taking a few more steps…

“AAAAHHHHHH!”

His motorcycle falls to its side, as Johnny releases his hold on it. Much of the machinery on the cycle breaks off the bike as it hits the floor. However, Johnny pays no mind to it, for he is more interested in knowing—

“Why in the h*ll are you people in my house?” he screams.

Before I can even explain myself, I am interrupted once again by Renee, who steps in to shake Johnny’s hand with a blissful expression on her face. “Mr. Blaze, sir, let me just say it is an honor to meet you in person! I have seen all of your coolest stunts! I tell all of my friends how great you are and how much they should come to see your shows! But the poor saps have weak constitutions and can’t even take the sound of your motorcycle humming ferociously as you ride up that ram and…”

“Thank you, young lady. Thank you.” Johnny remarks. “But, you and your friends from the Critter Shop need to scoot on out of here, because I really need to get ready for a date I’m having with someone who I have no seen in years.”

“You are forgetting Mephisto’s warning after you signed that contract to save your father’s life, Johnny.” I say to him. “You must forget about love.”

He stares at me with a look of his face that expresses both bewilderment and suspicion. “How do you know about that contract?”

“I am the Storyteller, my boy. There is much I know about everything that goes on in the universe. I know that there are Muppets working hard to protect our society from threats like Nicky Holiday and Doctor Doom. I know there is another world that exists beyond our own, where a man of steel coexists with people from a friendly neighborhood where children play all day under the great sun. I even know that there are people reading this tale as we speak.”

Wow. He’s good, isn’t he?

Johnny can barely find the words to express his shock over what I have just told him. And I cannot blame him for being so overwhelmed by my vast knowledge. The only thing he can say in a disbelieving way is, “If you know so much about my life, Mr. Storyteller, then you know that I’m gonna completely ignore you and your friends while I get ready for my date.”

“Johnny,” Sarah begins with her own attempt to convince him, “You have to let us help you. There is a real wicked man named Jareth, a king amongst goblins, who plans on using you for his own desire while some other evil beings bring h*ll amongst our world.”

Johnny shakes his head, trying desperately to avoid hearing our warnings. “Is there some internet forum that you people go to make stuff like this up?”

“Well, there is one place that I personally go to.” Renee states. “You might’ve heard of it. My friend Philip Chapman is the…”

Before Renee can continue on, I immediately speak up to stay on track with the subject at hand. “Johnny, time is greatly of the essence. The son of Mephistopheles and his minions will come after you very soon, and you can do nothing to stop them, unless you allow us to protect you.”

“Even if I want to believe this wild story of yours, Mr. Teller, what am I gonna tell Roxanne when she’s waiting for me at that restaurant?” Johnny asks. “I don’t have time for silly games or scary Halloween stories, especially when it ain’t that time of year yet!”

So he thinks.

“Now, for the last time, scoot on out of here before…”

He quickly stops as soon as he notices something very bizarre about his right hand. It starts to turn bright red and smoking, as if it is being baked under intense heat.

“Johnny…”

A soft, eerie voice calls out to him, but we all seem to hear it as well. He turns to his assortment of motorcycle materials and books dealing with the supernatural, wondering what is happening. He then turns to me, his look of suspicion returning. “Now you cut this stuff out, ya hear?”

“I swear to you…I am doing nothing of the sort.”

Feeling somewhat assured of my words, Johnny quickly heads out of his home, leaving behind my equally baffled Nightstalkers and me. Even Sarah comes up to me and asks, “Are you sure this isn’t some way to convince him of letting us protect him?”

My only simple reply to her question is, “No.”

“I was hoping that you would say the opposite of that, pal.” Fu Dog says.

With not a single minute to lose, we follow Johnny Blaze out of his home and onto the dark alleyway outside, the voice still calling out…

“Johhhhhhnnnnnnyyyyyyy…”

“Please tell me there’s some way you can phase that freaky voice out.” Juniper Lee asks me, and I just simply shake my head in reply.

Then, without notice, the roar of an engine catches our attention. And we suddenly find ourselves face-to-face with a motorcycle reminiscent of the one Johnny used to ride when he was just a teenager, except it was larger…large enough to suit his adult figure.

“Man! Is it just me or is it gettin’ chilly up in here?” Trixie asks, and soon we all begin to feel very cold, seeing our own breath billowing out from our mouths in the form of a brief but clear cloud.

After seconds of staring bizarrely at the mysterious bike, Johnny looks away from it and points in a single direction with a fierce gaze in his eyes. “You.”

And with a flash of light and dark energy, out comes the figure of Mephistopheles, just the way Johnny remembers seeing him years before. “Hello, Johnny.”

“Stay away from me.” Johnny warns him, but Mephisto keeps walking to him, marveling over the sight of the motorcycle sitting in the alleyway that he obviously put there. “Why are you here?”

“Oh, I’ve always been here, Johnny. All along.” Mephisto tells him. “Phoenix…Denver…Houston.”

“It was you keeping him alive?” Sarah asks.

“No, it was all him.” Mephisto replies. “He’s the best. And I’m his greatest fan.”

Renee scoffs. “No one a greatest fan of his than me, dude.”

Mephisto looks in her direction, giving off a cold glare that makes her shiver in fear. He then returns his focus to Johnny and is very quick to make his demand. “Find the one known as Blackheart and destroy him.”

“Why don’t you just leave him alone?” Sarah exclaims to Mephisto—not a very wise move, considering how much of a powerfully dark figure this being is. “You’ve already made his life miserable with your unruly deals.”

Mephisto lets out a dark cackle. “Miserable, you say? How miserable is a man who has grown into such popularity over the years? Very little, I say. Johnny has just about everything he wants. Every show…every moment…every place he goes…the crowd is there chanting his name. Johnny…Johnny…Johnny!”

On the last “Johnny,” Mephisto’s mouth briefly changes from human form to a demonic one. It was undetectable by Johnny, whose back was facing Mephisto at the time of the change. But my Nightstalkers and I had noticed it and a few of us were completely frightened by it.

“He’s like an investment that has been growing and growing until the day comes to cash it in.” Mephisto continues. “And that day is today.”

Johnny has been giving Mephisto nothing more than a dark glare, ever since he appeared before our eyes. “You wanna find this Blackheart of yours? Find him yourself.” Thinking of only Roxanne, he gets on the motorcycle and attempts to ride off from the scene. However, something keeps him from going…and also keeps him from getting off the bike.

“It doesn’t work like that. You’re under contract, remember?” Mephisto reminds him. “If you succeed…I’ll return your soul.”

Johnny’s fear grows with each attempt to get himself off the bike. His hands are stuck to the bars and his feet to the pedals. Mephisto’s dark energy is keeping him on the bike long enough for him to give his instructions, which Johnny, of course, still refuses to take. “I’m not doing it.”

“You cannot let him, Mephistopheles.” I say. “If you send him out to face your son, you will be practically handing him over to the very people you’re trying to prevent from creating a new h*ll!”

Mephisto looks in my direction and grins. “You underestimate my rider, Storyteller. But you’ll soon marvel over his power!” And with that said, Mephisto takes his cane and pokes it fiercely into the concrete.

Suddenly, the engine of the motorcycle roars more fiercely than possible, and Johnny an overwhelming force come over him. The wheels of the motorcycle spin so intensely fast that they tear into the concrete and cause chunks to fly out in all directions. The Nightstalkers and I quickly move away from both Johnny and the unearthly motorcycle, as more chunks of fire and concrete fly all around.

It isn’t very long before Johnny is off and zooming down the alleyway, fire shooting out from the back of his cycle. As he passes by several parked vehicles, the windows of them shatter to pieces, unleashing shards of glass all over the pavement. Johnny makes several attempts to stop or maybe control the unnatural motorcycle, but the force of it is too much, even as the tires begin to ignite in flames.

Still standing in the alleyway, the Nightstalkers and I look around to see that Mephisto has vanished from sight—his deed already done. Realizing how dire the situation has become, I turn to my Nightstalker companions and say, “We must follow after him.”

“Are you kidding? He’s movin’ faster than the speed of light now.” Jasmine Lee tells me. “There is no way we can keep up with him, even with your magic, Storyteller.”

“Then we will just have to try with Renee’s cab.” I declare, looking into her direction and seeing the bewildered look on her face after I had.

She is very quick to turn down my offer. “No way, man! I’m not gettin’ myself involved with some scary old white dude and his bike from h*ll! I’d rather be home watching Back to the Future: Part II!”

“You’re as involved in this as the rest of us are now, Renee. You must help us in preventing a great threat from using a powerful being to ensure a new underworld over this realm.”

Renee shakes her head over the thought of becoming a temporary Nightstalker, as the others pile into her advanced taxicab. “I knew I should’ve called in sick today.” As soon as she takes her place at the wheel of the cab, we chase after Johnny and the demonic bike, which are currently near the outskirts of the city.

At that particular section, our other heroes (Uncle Deadly, Sam, Tucker, and the Fenton family) sit in their RV vehicle, which was parked behind a “Welcome to Arizona” sign at the side of the road. They have been planning out their next move of searching for me—The Storyteller—until they suddenly begin to pick up a great amount of energy from their “Ghost Detector.”

“We have something! We have something! We have something!” Jack excitedly exclaims again and again.

“Jack, calm down.” Maddie tells him. “It might only be a…”

Before Maddie can continue her assumption, a massive explosion erupts near them, blowing the welcome sign to smithereens and knocking the RV over on its top. Luckily, the passengers inside are wearing their seatbelts and kept from falling on their heads, as they stare out the window of the upside-down sight of Johnny Blaze and his demonic bike passing through and leaving behind a line of fire scorching the road.

“Was that…?” Danny begins to ask, until Jack quickly interrupts him.

“A GHOST! THAT WAS A GHOST!” He screams.

“It wasn’t just any ghost. That was the Ghost Rider.” Sam indicates.

“You mean the one Death’s been telling us about?” Tucker asks.

“Is there any other?” Danny remarks, before taking advantage of the opportunity to turn invisible and slip out from underneath his seatbelt and through the side of the RV. As soon as he is out, he quickly goes into his ghost form and chases after the proclaimed “Ghost Rider.”

Soon Johnny and the demonic bike come to a train station outside the city, which used to be the location of a cemetery from which several graves had been moved to a different location. It has already become the grave sight for a man in charge of watching over the premises whose body had been frozen stone cold by Blackheart.

This, of course, goes unnoticed by Johnny, as he is too busy controlling the motorcycle that brings him inside a warehouse at the station. As soon as he is brought inside, he is thrown off his halting cycle with enough force to throw him twenty feet across the air and slide down an extra twelve feet. My Nightstalkers and I, as well as Danny Phantom, arrive in time to see the transformation begin.

Transformation? What transformation?

We all watch intently as Johnny gets to his feet that are engulfed in flames, his tear ducts smoking from his eyes. With each step he takes, he leaves behind a fiery footprint in his wake. Soon his whole head and hands begin to smoke—the pain of his flesh starting to singe takes an unbearable toll on him, leaving his groaning in pain.

“My God!” Renee says near me.

Johnny begins to scream, as parts of his flesh burn away from his hands and head. His eyes are suddenly burnt away, leaving behind nothing more than flames seeping out from two empty sockets. It is indeed a horrid sight, watching a man whom at one point was screaming in pain is now screaming with joy.

“AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

Within seconds, we are no longer staring at an ordinary man…we are staring before a true demon, much like the one Sarah had once seen in her dreams. A demon with a fiery skull and fiery, skeletal hands, standing at seven feet tall. It is what Mephisto has anticipated for many years of creating: a real-life Ghost Rider.

“AAAAAAAGGGGGGRRRRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHH!”

As we stare at the horrible monstrosity, Danny Phantom glides his way near our vehicle and says, “You guys gotta get out of here! I’ll handle this…uh…would ya call it a ghost?”

That is when we hear the sound of wicked cackling from the other side of the warehouse, echoing throughout the interior. All of us, even the demonic Ghost Rider, look in the direction of the cackling to see a vampiric ghostly figure clad in a long white cape and white and black clothing, with a light greenish complexion, black hair that has a devilish style to it along with a gray streak down the middle, a black goatee, and eyes that were as red as blood. This is Danny Phantom’s archrival, Vlad Plasmius.

“Quite an introduction, Mr. Storyteller.” Vlad says. “It’s too bad you won’t be able to make any more just like it, after I’ve taken over this world with some of the best supernatural beings ever.”

Hearing how his worst nemesis addressed me, Danny Phantom turns and looks in my direction with a bewildered expression. “You’re the Storyteller? The guy whose voice we’re supposed to listen out for?”

“Oh, Daniel. Don’t bother with trying to figure out what you can never comprehend in a million years.” Vlad remarks. “Just go back to your pathetic father and friends to leave me with controlling the universe with this marvelous creation by my side, as well as that of the love of my life, Maddie.”

Tired of Vlad always criticizing his father and friends and trying to win the affections of his own mother, Danny does not hesitate to attack him. He flies at full speed towards Plasmius, only to realize at the last moment how Vlad turns himself invisible and leaves Danny phasing through him. Danny crashes into a pile of wooden crates, while Vlad does not bother paying any attention to his fallen opponent.

Vlad’s attention is focused solely on the Ghost Rider, whom he soon approaches without any hesitation. “Time to join the side of the real warriors.”

The Ghost Rider simply shakes his head, points a flaming skeletal finger directly at Vlad, and states…

“BACK TO H*LL!”

“We’re not going to have a meaningful conversation now, are we?”

“YOU’RE GOING DOWN!”

“I think not, my grotesque friend.”

Vlad then unleashes an ectoplasmic energy blast (two beams—one from each of his eyes—consisting of pink ectoplasm) that knocks the Ghost Rider several feet from him, soaring him through the air. The Rider flies into a set of looped chains that tangle around his “throat” and choke him hard enough to render him unconscious. The flames shrouding his skull and hands extinguish as he hangs there, not budging an inch.

“Oh, no!” Sarah exclaims.

“Oh, yes!” Vlad says afterwards, as he gazes upon the inert form of the hanging Ghost Rider. “I guess we made a mistake recruiting this pawn of Mephistopheles. He’s not as tough as he claims he is.”

Before Vlad could utter another insult, the flames on the Rider return as he moves his head around to glare into the eyes of a shocked Vlad Plasmius. The Rider grabs the chain tangled around his throat and tears it away from the pulley system supporting it, dropping himself back to the floor. He then wraps it tightly around his right hand and balls up a fist consisting of bone and steel.

“SUCK ON THIS, DIRTBAG!”

With one single flaming punch to the face, the Ghost Rider sends Vlad Plasmius flying backwards across the air and then skidding across the floor, stopping close to where Danny Phantom had crashed. Danny, who has been witnessing the whole battle since he regained composure, looks directly at the face of Vlad to see one side of it dreadfully scorched.

The once-mighty Vlad Plasmius gazes at Danny with teary eyes, shaking and whimpering as he pleads, “H-H-H-Help me, D-Daniel! H-H-He i-is too powerful for m-m-me.”

Danny almost decides to assist his fallen nemesis in battle. But after the snide remarks he has made to his father and friends, as well as his helping the very dark forces that are attempting to create a new h*ll out of Earth, it is very hard for him to even make such a choice.

However, even if young Danny did make one there and then, he would not have enough time to make a move, as the Ghost Rider has already advanced upon Vlad. He grabs him by his collar and lifts him high off the ground. While weakened under the Rider’s fierce grip, Vlad is forced to return back to his human form—the form of Vladimir Masters.

“The fella who was tryin’ to get Johnny Blaze to sign a contract with him and that Damien Takashi guy?” Fu Dog remarks with surprise. “I knew he was bad news the moment I saw ‘em!”

Vlad makes an attempt to plead for his life by saying, “Have mercy.”

“SORRY. ALL OUT OF MERCY.”

The Ghost Rider then let out quite an inhuman roar, as he glares directly into the human eyes of Vlad Masters. As Vlad stares into the fiery sockets of the Ghost Rider, he starts to scream insanely, squirming under his grip.

What is he doing to him?

He is forcing him to experience all the pain and suffering he had caused others. Even as Vladimir goes through this supernatural experience, he realizes that it is a punishment far, far worse than death itself. And after his eyes have turn to nothing more than molten rock, the soul of Vlad Masters (a.k.a. “Vlad Plasmius”) is seared and sent to h*ll, while his limp, catatonic body falls helplessly to the ground. Even as Danny witnesses the fate of his worst enemy, he feels a bit of remorse for him—it is something he would never, in his wild feud with Vlad, wish upon him.

After taking care of Vlad, another group of people soon enter the scene in an RV vehicle: Sam, Tucker, and the rest of the Fenton family. They park their vehicle right behind Renee’s taxicab and quickly pile out to find the Ghost Rider inside the warehouse, standing before the body of Vlad Masters. The sight is horrifying enough for Jack and Maddie, seeing as how Vlad is an old college friend of theirs, and make them angry enough to aim their weapons directly at the demonic Rider.

“You won’t kill any one else dear to me, you stinkin’ ghost!” Jack screams, and before Sam, Tucker, Jazz, or even Danny could remind him or Maddie of the warning by Death himself, the two ghost hunters have already pulled the triggers of their weapons.

However, the Ghost Rider—aware of their presence—turns and howls atrociously while a wall of flames shoots out before Jack and Maddie, knocking them both back and leaving them firing their weapons into the night sky. Seeing this other threat easily taken care of, the Rider then calls upon the unnatural motorcycle that had brought his alter ego, Johnny Blaze, there.

The motorcycle immediately comes on his call and stops right outside the warehouse. Stepping outside to greet it, the Rider places his skeletal hands on the bike’s gas cap and howls once again. As soon as he removes his hands from the gas cap, a transformation more fierce than that between Johnny Blaze and the Ghost Rider commences.

The bike’s wheels became larger (along with the rest of the motorcycle) and consume in mystic hellfire and the rest of it looks like a high-tech, futuristic machine with a demonic personality. It is entirely engulfed in flames and suitable for the Rider’s needs. Along with the flaming wheels, it includes a shield-like battering ram on the front. This is the Rider’s pride and joy, his Hellcycle.

Immediately he gets on it and begins to ride away from the scene, until pillars of black flames and white smoke appear in front of him and block his path out of the area. The form of Death stands before the Ghost Rider, towering over the demon by only a few inches. “RIDER! YOU WILL NOT LEAVE HERE UNTIL YOU HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED INTO THE ALLIANCE! THESE BEINGS HAVE WORKED HARD TO PREVENT YOU FROM FALLING INTO THE HANDS OF THE ONES THAT DESIRE TO USE YOU FOR THEIR NEW H*LL! YOU WILL NOT ABANDON THEM!”

The Ghost Rider’s reply to Death’s command is short and simple…

“@*% OFF!”

With that being said, the Rider zooms directly into Death, phasing right through his dark form and leaving behind a trail of fire in his wake. As Death watches him depart, he lowers and shakes his head. “BONEHEAD.”

[The Count]

Awesomeness. That's what this is. From everything that happened to everything that happens to everything that will happen. Absobloominglutely enthralled by this and I need more please.

[ReneeLouvier]

Holy crap. That was a great chapter, MW. I really can't wait to read more of it!

More please!

[muppetwriter]

Thanks. :)

I'm going to make it a priority to work on this story and the second F4/Muppets crossover some more around Thanksgiving and post here on the forum. There's a lot of more interesting stories to tell in both, and I can't wait a moment too soon to get back to writing them.

[JEANYLASER]

i can't wait!

[muppetwriter]

With Uncle Deadly and his allies joining up with us on our mission to protect the Ghost Rider from our adversaries from the underworld, we begin our search for him after the chaos at the train station. Undoubtedly, Blackheart had obtained the information that he sought; otherwise we wouldn’t have seen Vlad Plasmius and the dead night watchman there.

Using a combination of my mythical senses and ghost-hunting technology from the Fentons, we are able to trace the Ghost Rider to an old cemetery just outside of the city. At this particular cemetery, an elderly caretaker keeps watch over the area, always seen carrying his old shovel. What is even more amusing of this caretaker is how he expected our arrival at the cemetery in the Fentons’ RV and Renee’s taxicab.

Stepping out from his sanctuary, the caretaker approached us and says, “Wonderin’ what took you folks so long.”

Sarah’s reaction to his words is just the same as everyone else’s reaction to them: complete surprise. “How could you have possibly known we were coming here?”

“Waste no time asking him how, Sarah.” I say. “He knows just as much of our quest as he does about me being the ‘Marvelous Storyteller’ he has heard about all these years.” But does he realize that I know just as much of him as he does of me?

The caretaker nods his head, but not in response to my question…more like in understanding to it. Pointing towards his sanctuary, he tells us, “The Rider’s in there, if you’re searchin’ for him.” We start to make our way towards the current nesting place of the Ghost Rider, until the Caretaker adds, “But I wouldn’t try convincin’ him that all that happened the other night wasn’t just a dream. He’d think you all are out of your minds.” After adding this warning, he spits out some of the tobacco that he has been chewing for hours now.

“Let me be the one to convince him by showing the frozen solid dead body of a dear friend of mine!” Jack furiously exclaims.

Maddie is quick to comfort her angry husband. “Now, Jack, calm down. It was nobody fault what happened to Vlad but Vlad himself. None of us could have known that he was part ghost and bent on taking over the world with his insanity and supernatural abilities.” And with this being said, Danny Fenton makes quite a sheepish look that only his sister and two friends take notice of.

“Aye.” Munroe acknowledges. “And let’s not forget we’re on a mission here. We have to protect the Ghost Rider at all costs.”

“Yeah, otherwise Vlad’s death would actually mean something.” Fu Dog adds.

At this point, Johnny Blaze has stepped out of the caretaker’s sanctuary, looking as if he has been sweating for hours straight, as well as quite dazed and confused. He is holding a cup of water, drinking it heavily to fix his dried, hot throat.

The caretaker takes notice of his sudden appearance. “Ya feelin’ good?”

“Yeah, I’m good.” Johnny responds. “I feel like my skull’s on fire, but I’m good.” Taking one last sip from his cup of water, Johnny hands it to the caretaker graciously. “Thanks. Did you see my bike?” The caretaker just stares at Johnny with a grin on his face; not once did he take the cup from his hands. “Did I say something funny?”

“Ironic.” The caretaker says. “We’re big on irony around here.” He points in a certain direction on the ancient premises. “Your bike’s out by the shed.”

Johnny, still feeling bewildered at the moment, nods his head in appreciation. Before he can go over to retrieve his bike, I tell him, “It does.”

He turns to me, seeming to have remembered only slightly who I am, and says, “What?”

“You are wondering if your bike looks normal? It does.” I say. “And to answer your other questions: last night did happen…it was not a dream…and it will happen again.”

Johnny appears very spooked by my words. Perhaps the caretaker was wrong about the task of trying to convince Johnny. But I assume that is what he had expected, as he looks in my direction with a smile. Meanwhile, Johnny stares in my direction for a long time, and then gazes at everyone else around me. He begins to believe that he is not still dreaming and finally brings himself to ask, “Who are you people?”

“Question is…who are you?” The caretaker asks him. “You are the rider…the Ghost Rider. Get used to it, kid. It’ll be a lot easier. If you don’t, I got a nice cozy spot picked out for ya.”

Ignoring the caretaker’s words, Johnny sets off to find his bike. However, in the deepest regions of his thoughts, he couldn’t ignore the caretaker’s words, because the memory of what happened in the previous night is still flashing through his mind.

Once he retrieves his bike, he returns to the cemetery with it, rolling it alongside him towards the front gate. Of course, neither of us takes our eyes off of him as he does so.

“Johnny, they have seen you now, and they will be coming for you.” Sarah tells him. “It’s important for you to stay here where it’s safe.”

“She’s right, kid.” The caretaker says. “You’ll need our help, if you expect to last the night.”

Johnny, as he gets on his bike, says, “Last time I let a stranger help me, it didn’t pan out so good.” He then turns in my direction and adds, “But you already figured that out back at the arena yesterday, didn’t ya?” Staring at me for a while longer, he seems to be completely convinced now, and the caretaker knows this exactly by noticing his expression.

“Congratulations.” He says. “Your chances went from none to slim.”

Getting off his bike, Johnny approaches us again, seeming determined to get some answers. “Alright. So you people seem to have all the answers. What’s been happenin’ to me?”

“You’re the devil’s bounty hunter.” Caretaker explains. “Sent to hunt down anyone that escapes from h*ll.”

“During the day you shall be as normal as you are now.” I add. “But at night, in the presence of evil, the Rider takes over.”

An alarmed and yet still puzzled look appears on Johnny’s face. “I remember now. Last night…there was this fella that tried to mess with me…looked just like one of those vampires out of the horror movies…and I could see all the wrong he’d ever done…and I turned it all against him.”

“It was your Penance Stare…your greatest weapon.” Caretaker says.

“Yeah, and that ‘fella’ you had used it on was my best friend, you ghostly son of a…” Jack fumes, but his own wife quickly tames him before he gets out of hand any further.

Johnny takes one look at Jack and feels somewhat guilty. “Have there been others with my ‘Ghost Rider’ problem?”

“Been a few.” Caretaker answers. “Last one was one hundred and fifty years ago in a little town called San Venganza. Nice town…nice people…till a stranger came along making promises…one deal at a time. Consumed by greed, they turned on one another, until the village of San Venganza drowned in its own blood. Their souls trapped forever in that godforsaken place.”

Johnny then suddenly finds himself asking, “What’s this have to do with Blackheart?”

The caretaker reacts to this question with surprise. “He sent you after Blackheart?”

“And apparently others, just like Vlad Masters.” Danny says. “Guys wanting to do what they can to see themselves as gods over a new place to call home…or h*ll.”

“And another just happens to be the Goblin King known as Jareth.” Sarah adds with a disgusted look on her face. “Doesn’t he already have enough with his dreadful labyrinth?”

Hoggle sighs and grunts. “Apparently not.”

“You better hang around here, kid.” Caretaker told Johnny. “Not even they can come onto hallowed ground.”

Johnny lets out a deep sigh. “Thanks for the info. I feel much better now that I know I’m the devil’s bounty hunter.” He then turns back to his bike once again and gets on it.

“Hey, bro. Didn’t ya hear what we just told you?” Jake says. “It’s dangerous out there with all those demons and stuff lookin’ for your flaming butt.”

“There’s somebody I gotta see.” Johnny tells Jake.

“Bad idea.” Caretaker says.

“It wouldn’t be my first.” Johnny retorts, just as he starts up his bike and rides away from the cemetery.

Watching him ride off, Caretaker turns to me and says, “Best be followin’ him…keepin’ an eye out for Blackheart and his friends…otherwise—”

“You do not have to tell me much more, my friend.” I tell him. “We are already on our way.” And after letting him know just that, my companions and I get to our vehicles and ride away from the cemetery ourselves, leaving the caretaker behind in his thoughts…and prayers.

[JEANYLASER]

awesome!

[The Count]

Extremely awesome. Glad to finally find where that line from the movie took place inrelation to the story. But is the "Caretaker" some special character? At any rate, great to have an update, post more when you can.

[muppetwriter]

The Caretaker is a very special character, but I won't tell why just yet for those who haven't seen the movie. Just know that he's much like Storyteller in the case that he knows more than he's telling. ;)

[muppetwriter]

We follow Johnny through the city and across the areas that he had ravaged while on his Hellcycle as the Ghost Rider. Keeping our distance from him (which I tell my companions would be a wise decision, in order to avoid attracting too much attention from our enemies), we see him come across Roxanne Simpson, who was less than pleased to see him. From what it appears during the conversation they have amongst the ravaged site being investigated by police, the relationship between Roxanne and Johnny has diminished after Johnny failed to meet Roxanne for their date.

Feeling there being no way of telling her the truth without having her think he is utterly insane, he let Roxanne out of his life once again. Even though this is an unfortunate situation for Johnny, it is fortunate for us, seeing as how we are free to follow him once again to his home. But we do not enter simultaneously with him—again, we are taking our next steps tactically to avoid any more altercations. Instead, we wait for night to approach, that way if we are discovered, we can be prepared to defend ourselves with Johnny as the Ghost Rider by our side.

“We’re waiting?” Tucker exclaims. “You have got to be kidding me, man! We can take on Blackheart and his goons, with or without the Ghost Rider.”

Sam grins at the boy. “Would you really like to test out that theory, Tucker?” He looks back at her and seems as if he is about to provide her with a witty response, but he stops and thinks.

“Um…never mind.” He says.

Looking up at the sky, I see how it is completely after dark right now. It is the perfect time for my Nightstalkers and I to meet with Johnny Blaze again. But before I attempt to transport all of us inside his home, a vehicle approaches to the entrance.

“It could well be another deadly threat.” Sir Didymus assesses. “Be on your guard, Ambrosius. We might just very well engage in another battle between good and evil soon.”

Looking closely at the person stepping out of the vehicle, I realize soon that it is far from what Sir Didymus has been anticipating. The unexpected visitor is Roxanne herself, obviously returning to apologize to Johnny for not feeling so understanding during their previous conversation. She is leaving for another town soon and does not want the previous conversation to be the last one they would have for a long time.

“Well, that’s good. Right?” Juniper inquires. “I mean, now they have a chance again to patch things up in their relationship.”

I’m afraid not. In this current encounter of theirs, Johnny will be forced to reveal the truth of his involvement with Mephisto to Roxanne, telling her all that we have shared with him at the cemetery. And, unfortunately, Roxanne will not believe a word he will say, again feeling obligated to walk out of his life.

This much is evident, as you can see, my dear Nightstalkers, as Johnny accompanies Roxanne out of his home and guides her to the vehicle she had arrived in. With nothing else more to tell her, she drives away back to her apartment to prepare to leave town.

“Poor Johnny.” Sarah utters. “Trying to convince someone of this secret of his must be only adding to the headache he’s already been suffering from for years.”

That it is, dear Sarah. But with Roxanne now again out of the picture, we can only take advantage of this unfortunate moment to try and get Johnny Blaze back to the cemetery before any unforeseen circumstances happen to get in our way of doing so.

But as we attempt to reunite with Johnny Blaze again, it seems like only a split second as we are all suddenly surrounded by groups of police cars, red and blue lights flashing in every direction. The police officers quickly pile out of each of the vehicles and are immediately aiming their weapons at all of us.

“Hands where we can see them! Right over your heads!” They shout at us, and we immediately comply with their demands.

Two officers come out of one vehicle and approach Johnny—one with a tough, no-nonsense type look on his face, and the other with a smug one (much younger than the other officer). The tough officer flashes his badge along with his partner’s and says, “Johnny Blaze. I’m Captain Jack Dolan. This is Officer Edwards. You and your satanic friends here are coming with us.”

“Satanic?” Renee exclaims. “Hold up, man! I just happen to be a church-going woman! You can just ask my mom!”

Ignoring Renee’s claims, Captain Dolan looks in the direction of Ludo, who he finds the most intimidating figure out of us all. “Somebody taser that freak to the ground now!”

And just as Captain Dolan commanded, a group of S.W.A.T. officers approach Ludo and instantly attack him with their taser weapons, sending jolts of electricity coursing through him. Ludo howls in pain as he falls to the ground, quivering under the mighty electrical voltage.

The sight is enough to bring Sarah up to protest. “Leave him alone! He’s not going to hurt anyone!” But the officers just ignore her demands, continuing to electrocute Ludo to the point where he is unconscious. As soon as he completely is, they come in with one large net and place it over him, carrying him over to the back of a huge police van.

It isn’t very long before Animal Control arrives to place muzzles over Fu Dog, Munroe, Ambrosius, Sir Didymus, and my own dog, guiding them over to their truck. And then the rest of us are placed under handcuffs and taken to separate police vehicles.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A moment later, we are all taken to the police station, where Sarah, Hoggle, the Lees, the Longs, the Fentons, Sam, Tucker, Spud, Trixie, and myself are placed in the same holding cell along with other prisoners who seem as if they belong there more than either of us do. They are vicious, dangerous, and hungry for violence (presumably on us newcomers). Even as we wait for Johnny to finish being interrogated by the police, the homicidal prisoners not once take their eyes off of us.

“I think I smell fresh meat, boys!” One of them (a bald man with heavy leather motorcycle jacket) says while staring upon us. His eyes are primarily focused on Sarah, who suddenly finds herself frightened over his particular interest in her. “And something tells me we gonna have one h*ll of a party soon!”

The other inmates, with the exception of one young man who stands by himself in the corner of the cell, laugh in agreement with the bald stranger.

“Who ya callin’ ‘bald’, old dude?” He shouts to me. “And who the h*ll are you even talkin’ to? Someone ought to teach ya how to talk to people in their face rather than behind their backs!”

“And someone should teach you how to brush your teeth, ‘cause your breath smells rank, dude!” Ray-Ray boldly exclaims, and the bald inmate diverts his attention from me to focus on Ray-Ray, who he starts to advance on until Juniper steps in to block his path.

“How about you just take it easy, buddy?” She suggests, appearing to be ready to defend herself if the inmate happens to decide on making a move.

While Juniper and the inmate are locking glares with one another, I can hear Sam, Tucker, and Danny talk amongst each other near me. Sam says to Danny, “Don’t you think now would be a marvelous time to go ghost?”

“With my parents sitting there nearby? Are you nuts?” Danny remarks.

“Yeah, Sam.” Tucker agrees. “With his parents sitting there nearby? Are you nuts?”

“Shut up, Tucker.” She utters.

“Yeah, shut up, Tuck…oh, yeah. Right.” Tucker says, feeling sheepish for acting like a parrot that one moment.

Meanwhile, another inmate (one speaking with a Southern accent and wearing a dirty baseball cap) attempts at wooing Sarah, who is far from showing affection towards any of the animals in this cell. “C’mon, sweetheart. Why don’t you show daddy them sweet buns ya got covered under all that cotton?”

Having enough of their harassment towards his only friend, Hoggle steps up to the inmate and says, “Enough! Leave her alone! She’s not interested in either of you ugly dogs! She’s a wonderful girl that neither of you deserve to even stare at!”

“And who’re you supposed to be? Her boyfriend?” The Southern inmate jesters, bringing every other inmate to laugh directly at Hoggle, who is starting to fume from all of them disrespect. “Do yourself a favor, midget, and go back to the Land of Oz, while Dorothy and I get better acquainted.” Having enough of the man’s comments, Hoggle tries to attack him but is quickly held back by Sarah, who doesn’t want to see her friend get himself hurt (or killed).

“Let me go! Let me go!” Hoggle furiously petitions. “He’s no Jareth! I can take him!”

Before Hoggle could have done any damage to the inmate (or vice versa), we hear two men loudly debating outside of the cell. This attracts the attention of all the inmates inside, as they run up to the bars and start mocking the new addition to the cell: Johnny Blaze.

Johnny is sweating profusely and shaking under the grip of the guard who is bringing him in. His feet are barely in sync with the guard’s, dragging behind and forcing the guard to set him up straight several times. This is an action of protest from Johnny to prevent the guard from putting him in the cell, and that much was made clear from his constant pleading.

“You gotta let me go. The real killer’s out there.” He says, but the guard refuses to listen. “Oh, God. Oh, please. Please, you don’t wanna put me in there!”

“Sorry…the Ritz was booked!” The guard exclaims, before throwing Johnny in and causing him to collapse at the feet of us, his only friends in this unholy territory.

As we all help him to his feet, we each notice almost immediately how extremely warm he is, forcing all of us to let go of him as soon as he’s on his own two feet. Sarah brings herself to ask, “Johnny, what in the world is going on? Why are they doing this to us?”

“Because they think we’re the ones responsible for killing all those people who Blackheart murdered.” Johnny could barely speak, as his voice is quivering more than his body. “We have to…we have to get out! I’m…I’m…”

“Johnny?” Sarah looks questionably at him.

Meanwhile, our “friends” begin to advance on Johnny. The bald one mockingly tells him, “You look like that Johnny Blaze.” He then turns to his fellow inmates and shouts, “That is him!” They agree with the man, each with smug, vicious looks on their faces. “I saw you jump in the state fair a few years ago. I paid ten bucks to watch you splatter. But you didn’t.”

Johnny suddenly reaches out violently at the bald man, hissing at him and even roaring. The man is not once intimidated by his sudden actions, neither are the other inmates, including the Southern one in the dirty cap who assumingly says, “Looks like somebody’s tripping out.”

Johnny desperately tries to keep himself under control long enough to avoid any more attention, but his plan is leading to no avail. “Now, I don’t want any trouble. I don’t want any troub…HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

“Gentlemen, I’m certain that we all are feeling understandably upset for being locked up in such a crowded area.” I say, knowing what is about to happen to Johnny and buying enough time for it to come. “So, why don’t we all just calm down and…”

“I’m getting d**n sick and tired of you, old man!” The bald inmate shouts, pushing me to the floor. “You just sit your a** right there, while we take care of Mr. VIP right here!” And after addressing me, the inmate punches Johnny right in his stomach. The punch doesn’t stop Johnny from laughing horrendously. Neither of the inmates takes notice of the way his eyes are starting to burst into flame. “I’m takin’ that jacket, Blaze!”

Throwing Johnny to the floor, the bald inmate and his friends commence in brutally beating Johnny, while the one inmate that has been standing in the corner steps in and protests. “C’mon, man! Leave the dude alone!”

“Shut up!” The bald inmate yells at him, turning away from Johnny long enough to slam the young inmate across the face and knock him back to the corner of the cell.

My Nightstalker allies start to step in to assist Johnny, but I quickly hold them all back to avoid an all-out brawl from happening inside the cell. It will only be a matter of time before karma steps in on its own.

“What do you mean by that?” Jake asks me.

And before I even have the moment to answer…

“BWWWWRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!”

A blinding light shines from the center of the holding cell, obscuring our view on what’s occurring from that area. As soon as the light diminishes, we see the unearthly form of the Ghost Rider stand where Johnny Blaze formerly was, with all of the inmates beating on him now lying unconsciously on the floor.

“Oh, now I see what you mean.” Jake says. “Sweet!”

The Ghost Rider stomps his way to where the bald inmate (who is still conscious enough to see the demonic form before him), while the sprinkler system in the holding cell goes off and drenches everything and everyone inside. If Johnny Blaze didn’t intimidate the bald inmate, he is truly much so by his alter ego, the Ghost Rider, who reaches out and grabs him, holding up high up in the air. While shaking under his massive grip, the inmate looks into the “eyes” of the Ghost Rider, but the demon does not perform his Penance Stare on him.

Instead, he gazes at the torn area of his jacket from the ambush and then looks at the inmate and his own jacket. If his gaze on the jacket is not obvious enough that he is interested in having it, his words most definitely are…

“NICE JACKET. VERY NICE.”

The moment proves to be too much for the inmate and he faints under the Rider’s grasp. With him now in an unconscious state, the Ghost Rider removes his jacket from his body and places it on himself. As soon as he wears it, it automatically upgrades itself under his demonic aura, spikes protruding from sections that have metal on them. Even the long, heavy gloves that he finds out of the pockets upgrade themselves as soon as he puts them on.

Needless to say, the Rider is prepared to get out of this unsanitary area and search for the ones that are responsible for having him put there. Just as he is about to head out, he turns in the direction of the young inmate that is still standing in the corner and obviously horrified and bewildered at the shocking turn of events that has occurred within the cell. Pointing to him, he says…

“YOU…INNOCENT.”

It is plan enough that the Ghost Rider’s intuition serves him well, because not once does he bother the young man that had tried to save him while he was under the form of Johnny Blaze. Instead, he turns to a section of the bars surrounding the cell and melts them away, providing a perfect escape route for him. As soon as he steps out and makes his way down the hall, we are right on his track and following him out of the station, leaving behind quite a bit of carnage.

[The Count]

Excellent installment. Very curious to see where this leads when you update next.

[muppetwriter]

While the Ghost Rider retrieves his confiscated Hellcycle from the garage area of the police station, the rest of us free Ludo, Sir Didymus, Ambrosius, Fu Dog, Monroe, and my own dog from the cells in the section of the station that is reserved for animals and not humans. With our alliance now together again, we enter the garage area to find the Ghost Rider. But we are only met with his roaring Hellcycle, as it rides up the side of a parked car and soars over our heads.

“Whoa, dude!” Spud exclaims, as the demonic motorcycle lands back to the concrete and zooms outside of the garage to meet its owner. The Rider gets on his cycle and, with one maniacal cackle, rides away from the station. In his wake, he leaves behind a busted neon “Garage” sign, knocking out the “G”, “A”, and “R” letters and causing it to only read “Rage.”

“Well, there he goin’ again, probably to mess someone else up.” Trixie says. “How we supposed to get him to come back to that cemetery wit us?”

That is when Jake Long decides to take control as the resident planner of the group. “The best plan would be to split up. Gramps and I will ‘Dragon Up’ and chase after him on air. Sam, Tucker, and the Fentons can go in one direction on ground in their RV and the rest of you guys can go in the other in Renee’s cab.”

“Sounds like a marvelous plan to me.” Sam acknowledges. “What do you think, Danny?” As soon as she turns in the direction of where Danny Fenton once stood, she suddenly realizes that he is no longer standing there. Apparently no one else in the group has taken notice of this, because they are already busy commencing with Jake’s plan. And it is best that they have not, because it left Danny Fenton to go off on his own and search for the Ghost Rider as Danny Phantom.

While Jake and his grandfather both transform into their dragon forms and fly off into the night sky, the rest of us run to our confiscated vehicles inside the garage and drive away to search for the Rider on ground, taking separate directions just as Jake had planned for us.

When Sarah, her labyrinth friends, the Lees, Trixie, Spud, my fateful dog, and I search for the Ghost Rider in our direction, we come directly across him as he zooms down the street near the one we are traveling down. If it were not for the shield that I put around Renee’s cab, we all would have been sure to be incinerated by the intense unearthly power the Rider’s cycle left behind. And it is also the one thing that protects us as we chase him down this particular street. At the wheel of the cab, Renee tries her best to keep her cool, as she feels the cab almost steering itself off the road.

“I said it once and I’ll say it again: this is just downright insane!” She says.

Despite Renee’s struggle to control her own taxicab, we are very hot on the Rider’s trail. Unfortunately, we hear the sound of police sirens behind us, signifying that the authorities are hot on our own trail as well.

“Oh, great!” Sarah exclaims. “What do we do now?”

And while the rest of us try to think of some way to elude the police, Ludo is already way ahead of us. With one loud howl that echoed through the windows of the car and the shield surrounding it, Ludo summons the rocks littering the street from the shredded areas of the concrete caused by the Hellcycle. They roll themselves towards the pursuing police vehicles and slam against their wheels, tearing through their exteriors and bringing the cars to an abrupt stop.

Seeing what Ludo’s uncanny ability had done to the pursuing vehicles impresses the Lees, Spud, and Trixie quite a bit. Even Jasmine expresses her joy by saying, “Wow. Talk about your old school rock ‘n’ roll.”

With the police no longer a problem, we find ourselves returning to our primary task of retrieving the Ghost Rider, who has come across a bridge area with a massive arch constructed at the side of it. The Rider drives his motorcycle up the arch, once he sees the fleet of police vehicles approaching at the opposite side of the bridge. He soon finds himself trapped at the top of the arch, with the fleet of officers at one side and us Nightstalkers at the other.

“CRAP.”

Looking down the side of the arch, the Rider sees only one alternative: jumping into the river. If the Rider had an ordinary mouth, he would be grinning right now, because he sees the brilliance in this idea. He then proceeds to go along with it by driving his cycle down the rest of the arch and skidding it sideways until he has completely fallen off the arch.

Both the police officers and our Nightstalker team look to the edge of the bridge to see the Ghost Rider splash into the river. As we expect for physics to kick in and see his flames extinguish from the water, it appears as if even underwater the Ghost Rider’s flames continue to grow strong. We see a bright light beneath the bubbling surface, and it is not very long before the Ghost Rider and his Hellcycle resurface incredibly.

Turning in our direction, he makes a very obscene gesture with one of his fingers and then laughs horrendously while riding his cycle across the water, heading back to dry land in only a matter of seconds. As soon as he is out of the scene, we all return back to our vehicles and continue on with the chase.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Sam, Tucker, and the Fenton family search for the Rider through an alleyway. As soon as they pass through completely, the Rider appears before them.

“There he is! Let’s get him!” Jack exclaims, still bent on avenging the death of his friend Vlad Masters, although he was once an evil half-human/half-ghost. “I’m not doing this for Vlad! I’m doing it because this is a no-good, stinkin’ ghost…AND HE’S GOIN’ DOWN!”

“Dad, for the last time, we can’t hurt the Ghost Rider!” Jazz reminds him. “We made a promise to Death, and if we got back on that promise, we’ll all…”

“No talkin’ now! I’ve got him cornered!” Jack interjects.

Apparently that seems to be the case, as the group find themselves chasing the Ghost Rider down the dead end of a street. However, this does not stop the Ghost Rider—it only provides him with one easy and remarkable challenge. With his eyes blazing more than ever, the Rider tilts himself and his motorcycle back before slamming against the wall of a building. His engine revving more monstrously than before, the Ghost Rider commences in scaling up the side of the office building, shattering all of its windows while trekking up towards the rooftop.

Stopping the RV near the dead end, its occupants get out to look up and see how bizarrely they have lost their prey. Tucker cannot help but comment on the sudden action by saying, “Uhhh…on second thought, I think I’m gonna keep my mouth shut on this one.”

As the Ghost Rider scales up the building on his demonic Hellcycle, he unknowingly catches the attention of someone from another nearby building. Staring out the window of her bedroom suite, Roxanne Simpson sees the horrific, unearthly form of the Ghost Rider and is shocked over the revelation that all that Johnny Blaze had told her earlier was in fact true. Johnny is the devil’s bounty hunter as he said he was.

“Johnny.” She silently utters.

Meanwhile, while the Rider continues to ride his way up the side of the building, three forms suddenly appear on opposite sides of him. To his left are Jake and Luong Lao Shi (flying in their dragon forms) and to his right is the flying Danny Phantom.

“Pull over, Skully!” Danny demands. “We need to have a talk!”

Jake and his grandfather are surprised to say the least by the appearance of Danny Phantom himself. “Yo, bro. Who the heck are you?” Jake asks him.

Danny was about to ask Jake and his grandfather that exactly same question, for he had not witnessed their transformation a short while ago. He left to transform into his ghost form shortly before Jake shared his plan with the rest of the team. So instead of even telling his alter-ego name to the two, he settles on telling them, “I’m the guy who’s here to stop the Grim Reaper’s evil twin from terrorizing even more people!”

“Oh, please. What could you do with your sad self?” Jake asks. “You look like an anorexic version of Casper!”

“Anorexic?” Danny remarks. “Hey, for your information, I gulf down more meat than my friend Sam can ever hope to!”

On his reference to a fellow member of the Nightstalker team, Jake and his grandfather stare at the half-human/half-ghost boy in surprise. “Danny? Is that you?” Luong Lao Shi inquires, and a sheepish look comes across the face of Danny, as he suddenly realizes the mistake he has made.

Before Danny could provide an answer for them, the Ghost Rider reaches the rooftop area, soaring high across the air momentarily and landing with a hard thud on the roof. Danny, Jake, and Luong Lao Shi all land softly on the rooftop surface, just as a police helicopter arrives and shines over all of them.

“Yo! Chill on that light!” Jake tells the pilot, while shielding his eyes along with his grandfather and Danny.

The Ghost Rider, however, needs not to shield his own eyes—for he has no human eyes at the moment. He gets off his Hellcycle and takes off the long chain that has been wrapped around his torso, using it as a way of lassoing the bottom of the chopper.

“YEEEE-HAAAAAWWWW!”

With the pilot suddenly losing control of the aircraft, he begins to look down upon the Ghost Rider in fear, as he becomes more and more closer to him with the Rider himself pulling the helicopter towards him. As soon as the pilot is within earshot, the Ghost Rider immediately let him know how dissatisfied he is over his presence.

“YOU’RE P***ING ME OFF.”

Notified of this, the pilot nervously nods his head in affirmation. “S-Sorry.”

“THAT’S BETTER.”

Giving the chain one mighty tug, the Ghost Rider starts to swing the helicopter around again and again, until he forcibly sends it on a course away from the rooftop of the office building. As it flies away from the area, the Rider uncoils his chain from the chopper’s legs.

Down below, a large assemblage of police officers and Nightstalkers surround the perimeter of the building, as the rest of us prepare for the Ghost Rider’s next move. The officers seem so interested in him that they miss the fact that the other escaped prisoners (us, the Nightstalkers) are standing right near them—and I do not have our invisibility shield over us. Even Captain Dolan and Captain Edwards are oblivious to our presence, but not that of Roxanne Simpson, who has come for the Ghost Rider as well…or yet the other half of him—the half that is Johnny Blaze.

Back on the rooftop, as the three members of our Nightstalker team attempt to confront the Ghost Rider again, they are quickly stopped by the sudden sound of wicked laughter. With the blink of an eye, the form of Damien Takashi appears before the group, grinning at the Ghost Rider.

“What a marvelous coincidence that we all just happen to be meeting on the rooftop to one of my father’s many office buildings in the United States.” Damien confidently says. “It shows power in my opinion. Power over all this.” He gestures towards the view of the city. “Could you image owning all of this, Rider? Helping us take control over all of humanity for eternity? It’s gonna be so sweet!”

Danny, Jake, and Luong Lao Shi have had just about enough of Damien’s talk, which he seems to be all of at the moment.

“I tell ya what’s gonna be sweet,” Danny says, “Us kicking the living snot out of you!”

Damien lets out a fierce cackle. “Sounds fun. But would you really want to challenge my power…especially now that we know all about your little girlfriend?”

“Sam is not my girlfriend!” Danny angrily yells.

“I’m talking about the Ghost Rider’s girlfriend, genius.” Damien sarcastically clarifies.

Feeling even more sheepish than he had when Jake and his grandfather found out about his secret identity, Danny suddenly turns invisible, hiding the embarrassment that his face is registering. “My bad.”

The flames on the Rider’s skull seem to have grown intensely, as he takes notice of Takashi’s threat. He points his finger directly at him and makes his own threat demandingly clear.

“I SWEAR I’LL MESS YOU UP, IF YOU LAY A FINGER ON HER!”

However, Damien is not too intimidated by the Rider’s threat. He only expresses his fascination in it by laughing coolly. “You’re weak, Rider. It’s quite unfortunate for you that we don’t allow demons with hearts in our group, otherwise the world would be ours now and these pathetic warriors behind you would be dealt with.”

“Hey, man. Who ya callin’ weak?” Jake retorts.

“I’m callin’ you weak, Dragon Breath!” Damien tells him, provoking Jake to unleash havoc, which he tries to do if it were not for the interjection of his own grandfather, who holds him back. “Soon we will have the contract, and then you all will only be a footnote in the history of the new h*ll.”

“I DON’T THINK SO.”

“Well, ya see, that’s the problem, bonehead.” Damien remarks. “Because I do!” And with that said, Damien disappears before their very eyes in a dark gray cloud of smoke, after taking a puff from his lit cigarette.

Seeing no point in being on the rooftop any longer, the Ghost Rider wraps his chain around his torso again, gets back on his Hellcycle, and rides it towards the edge of the rooftop, which Jake, Danny, and Luong Lao Shi just happen to be standing near. The three Nightstalkers immediately leap out of the way in time for the Rider to zoom right past them and crash through the concrete barrier surrounding the roof.

The Rider scaled his way down the side of the building at full speed, heading towards where we—the crowd of officers and Nightstalkers—are currently standing. Realizing how fast he is moving in our direction, we all start to brace ourselves for an unnatural phenomenon to occur.

As soon as the Ghost Rider is within a few feet close to ground zero, something unnatural occurs…only it is not the Rider’s doing. Out of nowhere, a swirling purple vortex appears before the Ghost Rider’s path towards the ground and swallows him up. Just after he disappears through the vortex, it suddenly disappears, leaving us all mortified and bewildered over what has just occurred.

Wh…What happened to the Ghost Rider? One second he was here, and then the next…he’s gone! What happened? What on earth happened?

That’s just the thing, my friend…what happened was not of this earth.

But of mine.

[BeakerSqueedom]

I got chills.
Thank you for posting this next chapter.
*GLOMP*

My gosh...
This is intense!

[The Count]

Greatness... That's all I can say at the moment. Except, don't forget Uncle Deadly's part of this story on the Nightstalkers side. Looking forward to the next update eagerly.

[muppetwriter]

It should be noted that what happened in the last part of this recent installment did not happen in the movie. This is the part of the story that I said would switch to that Labyrinth side, so expect a certain long blonde-haired, singing Goblin King to appear in the next installment....

...and probably even take over as narrator for the tale. ;)

[BeakerSqueedom]

In Animal voice: MORE STORY! MORE STORY! Hahaha!

This is really getting me excited!
You certainly have a great imagination--which is why
this story seems awfully successful.

*Cheers*

[JEANYLASER]

Yeah! more Story!

[muppetwriter]

No one can blame you
For walking away
Too much rejection
No love injection…

But down in the underground
You’ll find someone true
Down in the underground
A land serene
A crystal moon…

Awake, Rider. It’s only forever. It’s not long at all. You’ll feel lost and lonely at first…but that’s the underground for you.

Yes, awake and rise to stand before your new surroundings…your new prison…your new home…my labyrinth. As you stand on your own two feet, you first realize that your hellish flames have been extinguished, bringing you back to nothing more than a ball of flesh and bone.

Look around, Johnny Blaze…what do you see? Do you see that you are at the main gate to the labyrinth? Ominous area, isn’t it? Nothing more than decaying plant life and a fountain running with waste, some of which came from that pathetic weakling known as Hoggle.

Don’t be too afraid, Rider. You still have your fateful motorcycle to accompany you. Take advantage of its presence, for it will get you through my labyrinth as quickly as you hope. But that’s the key, isn’t it? Hope. It’s what is assuring you that you’ll make it out soon enough to return back to reality and save your precious Roxanne.

Poor Johnny Blaze. Hope will not get you through my labyrinth in time to complete your task. For as we speak at this very moment, your friends are walking into a trap set up by Blackheart himself. Thanks to Damien, he knows your weakness and will use it against you.

If only you can see what I see through my crystal ball now: dear Sarah comes to your abode with the wise Storyteller and her noble friends in pursuit of Roxanne, who actually believes she’ll find you there. She is much too easy, Johnny. Perhaps you’re better off finding a different girlfriend. Ha-ha!

If only you can see how ridiculous your Nightstalker friends look, Johnny, as they enter to find Roxanne being accompanied by the only friend in your miserable life, Mack.

“D**n it! Johnny needs to get a lock on his front door.” Mack says. “He’s letting all of these weirdoes in here, and it ain’t even Halloween!”

The wise Storyteller steps forward to address Mack. “Kind sir, we are anything but ‘weirdoes’. We have come to take Miss Simpson to the cemetery outside the city for safety.”

“You call a cemetery safe?” Roxanne says with a bewildered look on her face. “Who are you guys anyway?”

“Your protectors, M’Lady.” Sir Didymus tells her.

“Yes,” Uncle Deadly speaks up, “And we must leave here before….”

They hear a slight gasp come out of Mack’s abysmal body, and not very long does it start to lose its coloring, turning from a light tan shade to a very dark shade of violet. His body starts to become solid cold and shrivels up like an old prune. That is exactly what he looks like…a human prune. Ha-ha!

And as this human prune collapses to the floor, it is made clear that the person behind his unfortunate fate is none other than Blackheart himself. His presence—although a demon in the form of a pale-skinned human—is foreboding to the people before him, especially Roxanne, who he immediately sets his eyes on.

Realizing this, the noble Storyteller turns to her and exclaims, “Roxanne! Get away from here! Now!”

Roxanne quickly makes her way to the elevator entrance of Johnny Blaze’s home. However, when she opens the gate to it, she is met with the shock of being grabbed by Damien Takashi, whom afterwards disappears with her in a cloud of smoke.

“NO!” The brave Sarah cries.

“Don’t worry about her, my friends.” Blackheart tells them. “She will not suffer as worse of a fate as this other useless mortal.”

“What have you done with Johnny?” Sarah asks him (rudely, I might add).

Blackheart grins. “Now what makes you believe that I had anything to do with his surprising disappearance?”

“Because you’ve been responsible for just about every bad thing that’s happened to us in the past forty-eight hours!” Danny tells him. “Now tell us what you and your vampire buddy have done to our friends!”

“You aren’t in the position to be making demands, boy!” Blackheart yells, his voice shaking the walls of the room and his face turning into its true demonic form—black eyes, black complexion, and razor sharp teeth. It is enough to put fear into the hearts of the “brave” Nightstalkers. “If you’re just dying to know what’s happened to him, go to the Caretaker and get me the contract. Then bring it to me in San Venganza and maybe I’ll spare the life of the Rider’s girl. And don’t make me wait!”

With this warning made clear, Blackheart disappears before the Nightstalkers, leaving them with no other choice but to get the contract themselves in order to save the lives of you and your loved one, Johnny. How easy would it be for them to know that you’re actually here in my labyrinth, safe and yet-to-be-harmed.

I feel sorry for you in a way, Johnny. The sun bearing down on you and keeping you from transforming into your Ghost Rider form…it’s unfair, isn’t it? But that’s the idea, Johnny. Once you’re in my labyrinth, nothing is ever fair anymore.

From the looks of my view through the crystal ball, it appears that you are coming through the land of the Fireys. Beware of them, Johnny. They’re lanky beasts with flaming red pelts, always devoted to having a good time by removing their heads, limbs, and other body parts. If you’re lucky…they might even try to take off your head.

As you trek through the area, Johnny, you will hear singing in the distance…clear but yet slightly faint singing…

When the sun goes down (when the sun goes down)
And the bats are back to bed (and the bats are back)
The brothers come ‘round (the brothers come ‘round)
I get out of my dirty bed (my dirty bed)
I shake my pretty little head (I shake my pretty little head)
Tap my pretty little feet (tap my pretty little feet)
Feeling brighter than sunlight (oh)
Louder than thunder (oh)
Bouncing like a yo-yo, wooh (oh)

You see them in the distance, already bouncing their heads around like basketballs or using them of batting practice with someone’s leg. They are not like anything you’ve seen before, not even like the Muppets. Yet they are just that close to being outstandingly bizarre.

I just throw in my hand (throw in my hand)
With the chilliest bunch in the land (in the land)
They don’t look much (oh)
They sure chilly-chilly (oh)
They positively glow-glow, huh (oh)

Chilly down with the fire gang
Think small with the fire gang (It’s the only way)
Bad hep with the fire gang (a smile a day keeps the doctor away)
When your thing gets wild
Chilly down, Chilly down

You attempt to ride away from the dreadful abominations, but, no…I’d much rather see how far this goes, so I keep your motorcycle stalled long enough to find out. But you still try to run, getting off from your bike and hiding behind a large tree. However, one or two Fireys still find you there.

So when things get too tough (get too tough)
And your chin is dragging on the ground (dragging on the ground)
And even down looks up (down looks up)
Bad luck (heh, heh)
We can show you a good time (show you a good time)
And we don’t charge nothin’ (nothin’ at all)
Just strut your nasty stuff,
Wiggle in the middle yeh
Get the town talkin’, fire gang.

Chilly down with the fire gang (think small)
Think small with the fire gang
Bad hep with the fire gang (Hey, listen up)
When your thing gets wild
Chilly down

You’re quivering, Johnny. What’s wrong? Don’t you know how to chilly down with the fire gang? Perhaps as you stand in the shadows, you’ll learn how to…

The shadows? No! You fools! Keep him away from there, before he—

“AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHH!”

The Ghost Rider rises again, lighting the shadows up only partially. The Fireys, witnessing the unexpected change, back away from the glowing form of the Ghost Rider. But are they afraid? No. In fact, they’re quite impressed.

“Hey, check it out!” The Firey Leader says. “We got ourselves a new member of the gang!”

“Yeah!” One Firey member excitedly exclaims. “Someone else to chilly with. Maybe even start our basketball team with. HAHA!”

“The sixth Firey! How ‘bout that? Ain’t that somethin’ there!”

The Firey Leader aims his focus on the Ghost Rider and asks, “How does that sound to you, brotha?”

“SORRY. NOT INTERESTED.”

And with that being said, the Ghost Rider opens his mouth wide and blows out a huge amount of flames like a fire-breathing dragon. The Fireys, three of them engulfed in the flames and incinerated, start to run away from the demonic being, finding him less intriguing than they had when they approached him.

“You’re no fun, brotha! No fun at all!”

“WHAT’D YOU REJECTS EXPECT? A SONG AND DANCE?”

With the Fireys now gone from his presence, the Ghost Rider returns to his motorcycle. However, as he steps out of the shadows, he returns to the form of Johnny Blaze, who is aware of the unexpected change and how exactly it came about. Sticking to the shadows is the key to becoming the Ghost Rider during the daylight.

But we can’t have none of that again, can we, Johnny Blaze?

So I guess I will have to increase the intensity of the sun, burning it brighter so that no more shadows remain anywhere around the labyrinth. I want you to make it through it without the assistance of your “friend.” Yes, it will be just as tough getting by, now that you have the heat of the sun bearing down upon you.

But it’s like I said, Johnny…in the labyrinth, nothing is ever fair.

[BeakerSqueedom]

I love how you shifted POV.
I find myself getting drawn into this amazing story.

[The Count]

Oooh... Creepy. Intense. Fun. Very well done presenting this from the perspective of Jareth. Post more when you can, it's quite addictive.

[JEANYLASER]

very cool!:)

[muppetwriter]

While you’re continuing on your way through the labyrinth, let us check on your friends in the real world, shall we?

Through my crystal ball, I can see clearly how they return to the cemetery to meet with the Caretaker, whom I had the pleasure of meeting along with my goblin cohorts not so long ago. He looks rather grim at the moment, sitting down by the gravesite of Carter Slade, whose grave he often looks upon at times.

When the Nightstalkers arrive in the RV and taxicab, they are quick to approach the Caretaker and reveal to him all that has happened to them within the past hours. However, he is already ahead of them. “Blackheart threatens to kill the girl if he doesn’t get what he wants, right? I told that bonehead to stay here. Now look what’s gone and happened.”

“Can we please not start finger-pointing?” Sarah pleads. “People are in danger and we must do whatever’s possible to save them. Now where is the contract?”

The Caretaker does not say a word for a long moment. But when he finally brings himself to speak, he responds not in the way that the Nightstalkers wanted him to. Instead of revealing the location of the contract, he goes on about the gravesite near him.

“You all really want to know what this is about?” He says, not waiting a moment for their confirmation. “Legend has it that Carter Slade was a Texas Ranger. Man of honor. But he got greedy. Found himself locked up, waiting on the gallows. Stranger came to see him…offering freedom. Slade made a deal…and ended up a Ghost Rider.”

“So what does he have to do with this?” Uncle Deadly asks.

“The contract the stranger made with the people of San Venganza? Slade was sent there to collect all the souls.” Caretaker replies. “But what he found there was so evil that he took the contract and rode off.”

Sarah seems a bit intrigued. “He stole it?”

“Keep Mephistopheles from getting his hands on it.” Caretaker says. “And now you all are aiming to give it to Blackheart, his son…for what? To keep two people alive, when they’ll be dead as soon as Blackheart creates his new h*ll? You people don’t know how much you’re going to d**n us all.”

The Nightstalkers stand there silent, each of them ashamed and confused of what they should do.

“Well, to answer your question, it ain’t here.” Caretaker finally answers. “Not long after you made your escape from prison with Blaze, some old friends of yours from the labyrinth came and took the contract.”

The eyes of Sarah and her friends widen with surprise. “Jareth? He has the contract of San Venganza?”

I most certainly do, dear Sarah.

“But if Jareth has the contract, then that can only mean they have what they want.” Hoggle assumes.

But the Storyteller is smart enough to make a different deduction. “Unless Blackheart does not know that he has it, and this is all a game he is playing with us…and the Ghost Rider.”

“What a time to play games when lives are at stake!” Jake exclaims.

“That’s just the thing.” Sarah says. “Jareth knows that lives are in danger, and he’s just entertaining himself to see if we’ll get to him in time to retrieve that contract and get it to Blackheart.”

“That’s messed up!” Trixie utters.

“That’s ridiculous!” Sam exclaims.

“That’s insane!” Uncle Deadly states.

“That’s not even fair!” Renee comments.

“That’s Jareth.” Sarah says.

The Caretaker gets up from his spot and walks away from the gravesite of Carter Slade, approaching the Nightstalkers. “So any of you know a way into this labyrinth of his?”

It is silent for a long time, until the Storyteller grins and says, “I have the perfect spell to act as a key to the door.”

“Then let’s get goin’, shall we?” Caretaker says, and his words are a little confusing to the Nightstalkers.

“What do you mean ‘we’?” Sarah asks him.

Instead of answering her, he turns in one direction and whistles. At that moment, a black horse comes riding out of a mysterious fog and into the scene, much to the surprise of the Nightstalkers. The horse stops exactly by the Caretaker, who immediately gets on it as if it were his own horse…but it soon dawns upon the Nightstalkers that it is in fact his horse.

“I got one last ride left in me.” Caretaker says, before picking up a worn-out dark brown cowboy hat that was nestled on the saddle. As soon as he puts it on, it is engulfed in flames along with his head. But he does not seem in shock or pain as it happens. In fact, he seems quite calm as his entire body is suddenly bursting in flames, leaving nothing more behind than a flaming skeleton in the Caretaker’s old clothes.

It doesn’t take long for the Nightstalkers to realize who this caretaker really is. “Carter Slade,” Sarah says as she looks at the ancient Ghost Rider on horseback. It isn’t long before the horse itself burst into flames, becoming nothing more than a skeletal, flaming version of itself.

“Guess we’ve got nothing to worry about now.” Danny Fenton comments.

But think again, Daniel. For even when you are able to get into my world through a portal created by the Storyteller himself, you still won’t stand a chance against my labyrinth. That will be quite evident as Carter Slade enters and returns back to his human form under the sun’s light (even his horse goes back to its regular form).

“Don’t worry about me.” He tells his companions. “My aura still runs under this mystical atmosphere. I can still turn once I’m in the shadows.”

“But that aren’t very many shadows left.” Sarah indicates, as she wipes a little sweat from her brow. “The sun is not only eradicating them all, but it’s making the heat unbearable.”

“It’s Jareth.” Storyteller states. “He’s using his own labyrinth to slow us down.” He then turns in Sarah’s direction and says, “You are the only one who can use his magic against him, Sarah. You have as much of a connection to this labyrinth as he does.”

Unfortunately, the Storyteller speaks the truth. In our last confrontation, Sarah was in fact able to use my own defenses against me. But the power she possesses in the labyrinth can only be used through strong focus. Let’s see how heavily she can focus as I increase the heat from the sun.

“Alright. I can do this.” Sarah says, before she wipes another amount of sweat off her forehead and focuses. Soon every section of the labyrinth begins to disappear, until there is no longer any trace of it left. All that remain is a flat terrain leading straight to Goblin City. In the midst of the terrain is Johnny Blaze, sitting on his motorcycle with a bewildered expression on his face. But his expression soon changes as he sees Sarah and her friends, who he waves to. “There he is! Come on!”

Clever young girl you are, Sarah. Your power surpasses that of even the Storyteller himself. But it will not help you pass the horror that lies before you near the front gate to Goblin City. And it seems as if even that toad Hoggle remembers it, as all of you approach.

“Wait a minute! Don’t ya remember? This is the part where we encountered…”

Before Hoggle can even finish, the front door to Goblin City burst open, scattering several bits of wood everywhere. The intensity of the explosion knocks the Nightstalkers on their backs, Johnny off his motorcycle and Slade off his horse. Just as the dust clears, out comes the goblins’ new creation, Humongous II, built to be twice as large and menacing as its “brother.”

Standing at 25 feet tall, the mechanical behemoth towers over the precious Nightstalkers while wielding both a large flail and axe. With the flail, Humongous II swings at the Nightstalkers, forcing them all to dodge out of the way. But it rarely gives them enough time to recover, as it then swings at them with the axe.

Unfortunately, the speech of Humongous II is no different from his predecessor’s—in fact, it’s worse. “Goes who? Goes who? Goes who? Goes who?”

“What da heck is he tryin’ to say?” Trixie asks.

“I don’t know, but he’s going down!” Jake says, before he makes a feeble attempt to transform from human to dragon. But he soon learns that in the labyrinth, no mere boy can transform into a fire-breathing dragon. Neither can another turns himself into a ghost or a girl use mystical fighting skills to take down such a monster as Humongous II.

Danny is the first to express his discouragement over the situation, after he makes an attempt to “go ghost.” “Oh, man! You have got to be kidding me?”

“What’s wrong?” Sam asks him, before whispering her next question so that his parents won’t hear. “Can’t you go ghost?”

“No!” Danny exclaims. “Something or someone is keeping me from transforming.”

It only takes a sloppy attempt at a roundhouse kick for Juniper Lee to discover that her Te Xuan Ze abilities have been vanished in the labyrinth. The Nightstalkers are doomed, and this quickly dawns upon them, after several dodges from the flail and axe of Humongous II. The intense heat from the sun breaks them down further, drenching each and every one of them in their own sweat and forcing some to collapse to the ground.

“This…could be…the end…” Hoggle says while panting heavily.

“It can’t be.” Johnny manages to utter. “Roxy’s dependin’ on us. We gotta…keep goin’.”

Soon all of the Nightstalkers are on the ground, making abysmal attempts to get back to their feet and fight back. This is the perfect moment for Humongous II to finish them off. Put them out of their misery before they suffer any longer from the heat of my sun. See to it that they no longer have to worry about getting the contract of San Venganza to Blackheart in time to save their precious friend, Roxanne, or live to see the birth of the new h*ll.

So why isn’t Humongous II doing it? Why is he just standing there like a blithering idiot? What is happening?

I AM WHAT IS HAPPENING, JARETH. I…THE BEING THAT MORTALS ADDRESS AS DEATH.

This voice, coming from nowhere at all, rings over all through my world, shaking the ground and blackening the sky. In a moment, my sun has been extinguished, causing night to befallen over the area.

You, this so-called being referred to as Death…why do you interfere? You should be delighted that the souls of these people will soon be at your grips.

BECAUSE I CANNOT SIT BY AND WATCH THOUSANDS MORE SUFFER OVER THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PLACE THAT SHOULD ONLY EXIST AS ONE. THERE IS NO JUSTICE IN WHAT YOU ARE DOING, JARETH. THAT IS WHY I AM REMOVING YOU FROM CONTROL OF THIS DREADFUL PRISON OF YOURS.

What?

AND RETURNING POWER TO THESE BRAVE NIGHTSTALKERS.

You cannot do this! I will not be robbed from a…

Silence, Jareth! I have control now! Correction…we now have control! And I can clarify this by telling you that both Ghost Riders, Johnny Blaze and Carter Slade, have now risen in their demonic form. All of us have risen to our feet, ready to retrieve that contract and escape from here with it.

With his demon-powered shotgun, Carter Slade aims at the mechanical behemoth called Humongous II and fires. The remarkable power of the blast shatters the steel beast to pieces, leaving nothing behind other than a small, scared goblin (the machine’s operator) returning to his house while screaming.

After returning to his Hellcycle, the Ghost Rider revs his engine, looking directly past the front entrance to Goblin City and noticing the fleet of goblin soldiers gathering and preparing for battle. These small warriors do not intimidate the Rider or his companions. They are just as prepared as we all are.

“LET’S RIDE!”

[The Count]

Heck yeah! Time to fear the Reaper! Hexcellence is what this is... Absolutely love the confrontation at the gates of Goblin City... The original Ghost Rider, well, original in a historical sense (because the original Rider is named Danny Kech)... And the team-up, everybody's flexing their magical mystical might. Just don't forget that Uncle D has his own touch of blue lightning to impart for when you need a Muppet hero to save the rest of these mortals known as Nightstalkers too.

Please, post more soon!

[muppetwriter]

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! Enjoy this next installment while feasting upon whatever leftovers you might have. :)


An old cowpoke went riding out one dark and windy day
Upon a ridge he rested as he went along his way
When all at once a mighty herd of red eyed cows he saw
A-plowing through the ragged sky and up the cloudy draw

Their brands were still on fire and their hooves were made of steel
Their horns were black and shiny and their hot breath he could feel
A bolt of fear went through him as they thundered through the sky
For he saw the Riders coming hard and he heard their mournful cry.

Yippie-Yi-Ohhhhh
Yippie-Yi-Yaaaaay
Ghost Riders in the Sky!

Within mere moments, we are penetrating Jareth’s goblin defenses, taking each warrior out one-by-one with our remarkable abilities. With two Ghost Riders, two American Dragons, a half human/half ghost boy, one Muppet phantom, seven average ghost hunters, a giant, a dwarf, a dormouse and his steed/dog, and me and my own dog, these goblin do not even stand a chance. That much is evident as we kick, punch, slash, shoot, and ravage our way to Jareth’s castle.

Their faces gaunt, their eyes were blurred, their shirts all soaked with sweat
He’s riding hard to catch that herd, but he ain’t caught ‘em yet
‘Cause they’ve got to ride forever on that range up in the sky
On horses snorting fire
As they ride on hear their cry

In the midst of battle, I see my dog escape from my side, scurrying off past a fleet of goblin soldiers that are bringing in a large cannon that they plan on finishing us off with. However, their attempt is soon foiled by the Ghost Riders, as one fires at the cannon and explodes it to pieces while the others uses his long, flaming chain and chases off the soldiers on his motorcycle, laughing maniacally while whipping his chain and striking them over their heads by the tip of it.

As the riders loped on by him he heard one call his name
If you want to save your soul from H*ll a-riding on our range
Then cowboy change your ways today or with us you will ride
Trying to catch the Devil’s herd, across these endless skies

Seeing some of the soldiers climbing out of towers and chimneys and attacking from there, Uncle Deadly knows that they must be dealt with immediately. So, using his supernatural abilities, he summons massive waves of thunderclouds over the city and brings out large quantities of lightning over the soldiers. Each of them are struck by the fierce lightning and knocked off the towers and out of the chimneys, falling either through a nearby rooftop or down a long well.

“Tell my old friend I said ‘Thank You’ on your way to death, cretins!”

Yippie-Yi-Ohhhhh
Yippie-Yi-Yaaaaay

Ghost Riders in the sky
Ghost Riders in the sky
Ghost…Riders…in…the sky!

After taking care of all the goblin warriors, we turn our attention to Jareth’s castle, where we shall find both the Goblin King himself and the contract of San Venganza. Once we have entered, we come through an illusionary maze, which Sarah uses her mystical power within Jareth’s reality to guide us through.

Just as soon as we reach the door to Jareth’s throne room, Ludo breaks it down, allowing us to walk right inside without any sense of fear. However, there is not a single person in the room to confront us—not Jareth or his goblin subjects.

“The coward must be hiding!” Hoggle exclaims. “No doubt using his power to trick us!”

“But his power was removed, remember?” Sarah reminds her friend. “He must have run away while we were attacking the city.”

“Like the dwarf said, coward!” Sir Didymus says.

Meanwhile, both Johnny and Slade transform out of their Ghost Rider forms, just as Slade spots something sitting at the ledge of the balcony nearby. He walks over to the object and picks it up, bringing in back inside for his companions to see.

“What is it?” Johnny asks, realizing how the object is a rolled up, ancient sheet of paper. “Is it the contract of San Venganza?”

Slade takes a long look at the paper as he unravels it, gazing closely at the print on it. “It certainly is. The Contract of San Venganza.” Johnny attempts to reach for the contract, but Slade quickly backs away from him with it. “H*ll on earth, kid.”

Johnny stares directly into Slade’s eyes, being extremely serious. “Now, you’re gonna have to trust me and my friends here on this one.”

“And why is that?” Slade asks him.

“Mephisto may have my soul,” Johnny remarks, “But he doesn’t have my spirit.”

Hearing this, Slade grins and chuckles. “Any man who’s got the guts to sell his soul for love got the power to change the world. You didn’t do it for greed. You did it for the right reason. Maybe that puts God on your side. To him, that makes you dangerous. Makes you unpredictable. That’s the best thing you can be right now.”

“Amen to that.” Sarah utters with a smile.

Convinced of Johnny Blaze’s methods of stopping Blackheart, Carter Slade hands over the contract to Johnny. As soon as the trade is made, my fateful dog arrives at the scene, carrying in his mouth another rolled-up sheet of paper.

Mmmpf mmmp mffmhf mfmkf!

I beg your pardon?

Mmmpf mmmp mffmhf mfmkf!

I can’t understand a word you’re saying. Take this old thing out of your mouth. You don’t know where it has been.

I take it immediately, sparing my dog the trouble of having to taste the old thing any longer. And he is able to tell me his message in clear, understandable English.

I said, “Look what I found!” I think it’s from Jareth.

Gazing at the other sheet of paper, I unravel it to see that it is in fact a brief letter from the absent Goblin King. It says…

Take your prize and enjoy it now, Nightstalkers. But you shall never make it in time to prevent Blackheart from causing your world to suddenly blow up in your face.

After reading the message, an object bounces its way past the balcony and into the center of the throne room. We all stare down at it to find out that it is one of Jareth’s crystal balls. At first it sits there on the floor, seemingly harmless, until it suddenly begins to glow into an intense ball of white light. In seconds, both the room and us Nightstalkers are engulfed in the light’s glow, shielding our eyes away from its intensity.

Not long before we know it, the light has been diminished, allowing us to open our eyes again. No longer are we in Jareth’s castle or his realm. We are back in our own world, standing in the midst of a desert at nightfall, only a few miles away from the town of San Venganza.

Realizing where we are, Carter Slade gets back on his horse and faces in the opposite direction of the town. Sarah immediately takes notice of this and addresses him. “You’re leaving? Why?”

“This is the end of the trail for me, kid.” Slade tells Sarah. “I got nothing left…at least not here in this world. Jareth’s world was the only place where I could change one more time…and I was saving it for that very moment.” He looks up toward the night sky and sighs. “God knows I’ve made my share of mistakes. Been tryin’ to make things right ever since. Guess all I can do now is hope He sees fit to give me a second chance.”

The rest of us nod in understanding with Slade’s reason for leaving. “Thank you,” Johnny tells him.

“No,” He remarks, “Thank you, kid.” After telling him this, he reaches into the holder located at the side of the saddle and pulls out his shotgun, throwing it over to Johnny. “Remember…stick to the shadows.”

Johnny catches the shotgun and nods in understanding, while Slade steers his horse down towards the nearby canyons. As soon as he is only a few feet away from us, both he and his horse vanish into oblivion, never to be heard or seen from again. The only thing the rest of us are left to do in his absence is to go directly to the abandoned town of San Venganza and confront both Blackheart and Damien Takashi, with the contract in our possession. They are waiting for us, and we are prepared for them.

[The Count]

Woo-hoo! Loved every moment of the battle, the contract reading, the letter the everything.

Looks like we be heading to a climax partners... So let's ride and finish this grand ol' tale.

[ReneeLouvier]

Wow. So, totally, awesome. And YAY for Damien Takashi! Every bit like his father! Whoo-Hoo!

[muppetwriter]

The final installment of the story. Enjoy! :)


The journey to San Venganza is not long, and soon enough we are making our way through the empty, foreboding town, looking around for any sign of Blackheart and Damien. Johnny keeps the shotgun at his back, ready to use it at just the right time. Renee, the Fentons, Sam, Tucker, Spud, Ray-Ray, and Trixie are all armed with their own ghost-hunting weapons, while Jake, Luong Lao Shi, and Danny are already in their supernatural forms and Juniper and Jasmine Lee are bracing themselves for a physical encounter.

We feel the chilling wind blow past us, and before we know it, the forms of Blackheart and Damien Takashi stand several feet from us. Damien keeps his icy cold hands gripped over Roxanne’s throat, ready to break it in half at any time. Both demons grin and laugh as we approach.

“Stop!” Blackheart demands, pointing directly at Johnny. “You change, she dies.” Damien tightens his grip over Roxanne’s throat, only encouraging Johnny more to transform.

But he doesn’t.

Instead, he reaches into his jacket and pulls out the contract. The sight of it brings a dark, sinister grin to the face of Blackheart. Johnny’s eyes direct towards Damien as he makes his own demand. “Let her go first.”

Blackheart turns to Damien, silently commanding him to let go of Roxanne. The son of Eli Takashi shows a little discouragement in the order, having too much fun torturing her with his cold grasp and having her body so close to his own. But he complies with the demand by using his supernatural strength to hurl Roxanne across the air.

As she flies in our direction, Danny Phantom immediately flies up in the air and catches her before she hits the ground. Bringing her back down, she climbs out of Danny’s arms and goes to Johnny, giving him a hug.

“Roxy,” He whispers to her, “Go find a good hiding spot right now, ya hear? Things are about to get really nasty.” She doesn’t do what he tells her at first, fearing over his confrontation with Blackheart and that it will lead to his doom.

“I don’t understand.” Roxanne tells him. “Why? Why you?”

“It’s been me since the day I made the deal.” Johnny remarks. “I’m the only one who can walk in both worlds. I’m Ghost Rider.”

Looking into his eyes and seeing the flaming circles in his pupils, she knows that he is in fact the only one who can stop Blackheart. So she acknowledges his command and finds a safe hiding place to be in, while Johnny and the rest of us slowly begin to approach Blackheart and Damien with the contract. Once Johnny is close enough to him, Blackheart reaches out and grabs the contract. However, as he tries to take it from Johnny’s hand, he discovers that the motorcyclist has kept his grip on it.

Taking advantage of the moment, Johnny transforms into his Ghost Rider form and starts to repeatedly punch Blackheart in the face. Both men’s grip on the contract falls to the ground at the same time Blackheart does.

“Now you’ve gone and made this harder than it had to be!” Damien exclaims, before two massive black wings sprout from his back and tear through the rear end of his trenchcoat. With one loud screech, he flies towards the Ghost Rider and tackles him, flying both of them through the air and away from Blackheart and the contract.

Seeing the danger that the Rider is in, the mortal half of our Nightstalkers team begins firing at Damien with their ghost-hunting weapons. One blast from Sam’s gun strikes one of Damien’s wings and forces him to fall back to the ground with the Ghost Rider. As the two crash and skid across the gravel, Damien lets go of the Ghost Rider and lands only a few feet from him.

While the threat that is Damien Takashi is being dealt with by one half of the team, Juniper and Jasmine Lee focus on Blackheart, who has quickly recovered from the Ghost Rider’s blows and is making his way to where the contract lies on the ground. Jasmine Lee runs towards him, leaps high in the air, and kicks him across the face, knocking him down momentarily. As he gets to his feet again, Juniper comes in with her roundhouse kick (which she was unable to perform in Jareth’s labyrinth) and knocks him down again.

“I can do this all day, buddy!” Juniper tells him, before attempting to strike him across the face again with her fist.

Unfortunately, Blackheart grabs at it in time and starts to freeze it solid, causing her to winch in pain. He looks up at her and cackles. “I don’t have that kind of time, sweetie.” Blackheart then lets go of her fist, which thaws out on its own a little while later, and pushes her away from him.

“Juniper!” Jasmine cries, immediately running to check on her granddaughter, as she lies on the ground in pain.

With the Lees having been taken care of, Blackheart continues on his task to retrieve the contract. But when he bends over to pick it up, he soon met with the mighty fist of Danny Phantom, who flies in his direction and punches him square in the face. Danny’s ghostly punch is the one thing that sends Blackheart reeling several feet from the contract, dazed and bewildered at the same time.

Meanwhile, Jake and his grandfather approach Damien Takashi as he weakly gets to his feet. As soon as he realizes how the two American Dragons have confronted him, he lets out a small chuckle. “Great. Now I’ve got the Disney Channel freaks on my butt.”

“That’s your last insult right there, man!” Jake exclaims.

“Oh, I’m just gettin’ started on the insults, kid.” Damien says, taking a great puff from a lit cigarette. But instead of blowing out smoke, he blows out flames that immediately come near Jake and his grandfather. But Damien should be smart enough to know that it’s useless to blow fire at a couple of fire-breathing dragons.

Jake and Luong Lao Shi deflect Damien’s flames by blowing out their own flames from their mouths. Their flames prove to be very overwhelming towards Damien’s, and the son of Eli Takashi soon finds himself having to dodge out of the way from the path of the flames. As he tries to make his escape out of the old town, he is suddenly met with the end of a ghost-hunting bazooka being held by Renee.

Gazing upon the face of the cab driver, a grin suddenly creeps across his face. “You look very familiar. Have we met before? Maybe I’ve threatened to put you into bankrupt or something?”

“Let’s just say your daddy did things to my husband that I’m still having problems getting over.” Renee replies. “But I think blowing you to a million pieces ought to help out a lot.”

Damien chuckles wickedly. “Now I know you! My father used to tell all sorts of weird mess about how you fell in love with a Muppet. Tell me something, Mrs. Grosse. How do you two expect to…you know…?” He makes an unsanitary motion with his body that angers Renee to the point where she decides to fire her bazooka at him.

Fortunately for Damien, the direction she aims the bazooka is in the opposite of where Damien stands, and instead of destroying him, she destroys the building right behind her in some single ectoplasmic blast. Realizing her fault, she turns back to Damien and sheepishly grins. “Oops. My bad.”

“You can say that again.” Damien utters, while advancing threateningly towards Renee.

Before he can get any closer to her, something else unexpected and unnatural happens. Out of nowhere, a bolt of blue lightning strikes Damien square in the chest and sends him flying far away from Renee. As his body soars across the air, it quickly vanishes into nothing more than ash.

After Damien disappears, Renee looks in the direction that the lightning had come from and sees none other than Uncle Deadly standing there, grinning and laughing. “Only in a story like this one can I escape from that dreadful G-rated life of mine at the Muppet Theatre!”

Back in the battle between Danny Phantom and Blackheart, the son of Mephistopheles gets to his feet again and advances towards Danny, prepared to show him power that surpasses the ghost boy’s. Before he can do so, something strikes him from behind that sends quite a painful sensation in his back. He turns to see Jazz Fenton holding a ghost-hunting weapon that shoots out ectoplasmic flame, which she sends another burst of flying out at Blackheart’s face, forcing him to howl in pain.

“Leave my bro…I mean, my friend alone!” Jazz demands.

Blackheart just laughs wickedly at Jazz before flying in her direction at rapid speed and pushing her to the ground, causing her to drop her weapon. Angered by the demon’s attacking his sister, Danny flies towards Blackheart again and fires an ectoplasmic blast from the palms of his hands. Blackheart, however, is very quick to deflect these blasts and hit Danny, stunning him instantly and forcing him to revert back to his human form.

While Danny falls back to the ground unconsciously, Blackheart once again attempts to retrieve the contract.

“HEY!”

Blackheart stops upon hearing the voice and turns around, seeing how the Ghost Rider has returned to his fighting stance.

“WE’RE NOT DONE YET!”

Before the Ghost Rider makes his move on Blackheart, something catches his attention at the corner of his “eye.” The rest of us follow his gaze towards the horizon and see how the sun is rising up. Daylight, the Ghost Rider’s greatest weakness, is approaching.

Realizing this, Blackheart laughs confidently. “Looks like you’re out of time.”

With very little of it left, the Ghost Rider proceeds to destroy Blackheart with his chain and shotgun. He slashes his chain out at Blackheart, but the demon snatches it in time to tug on it afterwards and send the Ghost Rider hurling over him. The Rider falls to the other side of Blackheart, hitting an area that is bathed in the rising sunlight.

Transforming back into his human form automatically, Johnny painfully crawls to where his shotgun lies on the ground. There is very little time for him to find a shaded area to attack Blackheart in.

In the meantime, Blackheart himself has finally retrieved the contract of San Venganza and starts to unravel and read it. “All of you…COME TO MEEEEEEEE!”

The rest of us hear loud moaning coming out of the shadows of the town and feel the wind blow harder past us. In a split second, a thousand souls come out from several dark areas of the town and fly directly into the body of Blackheart, who freely absorbs them all.

As we are forced to get out of the way of the flying souls that look grotesque and monstrous in appearance, I turn to Sarah and tell her, “Your power in the labyrinth…you still possess it here in our world, Sarah.” She is about to ask me how that is possible, but I do not give her the time to do so, with very little of it remaining. “I have no time to explain in detail. Just trust me. You must use your control over reality to bend time and space. Keep the sun from coming out and robbing Johnny of his powers.”

Sarah quickly nods. “I’ll try.”

“Don’t try this time, dear Sarah.” I tell her. “Do it.”

She nods again in acknowledgment and then turns towards the horizon, the bright glow of the rising sun shining into her bright blue eyes. Although it is quite intense, she does not let it ruin her focus. She maintains it the best way possible in order for her mystical power to take form.

Meanwhile, after absorbing all of the souls, Blackheart’s body is shrouded in a swirling black mist of dark energy. His eyes are blood red and his entire human appearance corrupted by that of a true demon. No longer does he have a mouth but fierce, sharp fangs instead. Long, grotesque scales protrude from the sides of his face, all the way from his forehead to his chin.

And his voice is much darker and deeper than ever. “MY NAME IS LEGION…FOR WE ARE…MANY!”

All of the sudden, a fierce blast strikes the possessed Blackheart in his shoulder, leaving a hole residing there that regenerates back to normal instantly. He turns to where the blast had come from and sees Johnny standing up on his feet and aiming his shotgun at Blackheart. He continues firing at Blackheart, blasting away several parts of his body that regenerate afterwards.

No matter how many times Johnny fires the shotgun at Blackheart, the demon keeps advancing towards him. But this does not keep Johnny from taunting him. “C’mon, you sick son of a b***h!” As he continues firing at Blackheart, he looks past him to see Sarah focusing on the sunrise. Once he looks himself for a moment towards it, he realizes that it is having some type of reverse effect, returning back behind the horizon.

In mere seconds, Johnny Blaze has returned to his Ghost Rider form, and his shotgun transforms itself into its more fierce and demonic version, powerful enough to take out an entire being with one single blast. And that is exactly what happens when the Rider fires his demonic weapon at Blackheart, unleashing hellfire and causing Blackheart’s body shatters and all of the souls to scatter.

But the souls lie scattered for only a moment, as they soon begin to reform back into the shape of Blackheart. While watching the souls reform, the Ghost Rider realizes that the son of Mephistopheles has gained a weakness. Something he can finally use against him to end all of this. Dropping the shotgun, he starts to advance towards Blackheart.

“HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE ALL THAT EVIL INSIDE OF YOU? ALL THEIR POWER. ALL THEIR SOULS. A THOUSAND SOULS TO BURN.”

The Ghost Rider grabs Blackheart by the collar and brings him closer to his face, forcing his blood red eyes to gaze upon his own.

“LOOK INTO MY EYES. THE BLOOD OF THE INNOCENT STAINS YOUR SOULS. FEEL THEIR PAIN.”

Suddenly, Blackheart begins to scream in horror, as the Rider unleashes his Penance Stare upon him, which is effective now that Blackheart has one thousand corrupt souls to burn. Images flash before Blackheart’s eyes of all the evil he has committed since arriving to our realm…all of the people who he has made suffer or killed by his wicked touch. And then the evil of the people of San Venganza appears before his eyes. He sees all the wrong they have done. The corruption that was brought over them by Mephisto himself. It is all quite overwhelming to the evil Blackheart, making this Penance Stare the most powerful one the Ghost Rider has ever unleashed on his prey.

Soon the blood red eyes of Blackheart turn into molten rock, just like the eyes of Vlad Masters had when the Penance Stare was placed on him. Blackheart’s demonic form reverts back to the pale-skinned human form that he had been carrying over time. However, his body is no longer any used to him, as he is now left in a catatonic state.

The “mighty” Blackheart is no more.

Tossing his comatose body aside, the Ghost Rider turns in our direction. As he does so, Sarah drops her hold over the sunrise and allows time to go back on track. While the sun begins to rise again and shine over all the land, Roxanne steps out from her hiding place and approaches the Ghost Rider, whose fierce reddish-orange flames soon begin to settle into a calmer bluish set. Even in his demonic state, his feelings for Roxanne remain just the same as they are in his human form.

She approaches him while not showing an ounce of fear. But as she tries to touch the side of his partially flamed skull, he turns away, looking ashamed.

“MONSTER.”

“I’m not afraid.” She tells him.

He turns back towards her and allows her to touch the side of his skull. But instead of burning it, as it should have, the sunlight dawning over him turns him back into the form of Johnny Blaze before any harm could have been done. It is only flesh…warm, soft human flesh…that she touches while staring into the eyes of Johnny Blaze. She kisses and hugs him tightly, and then the both of them walk side-by-side with each other towards us.

As we Nightstalkers dust ourselves off after the remarkable battle we have just been a part of, Johnny smiles and gestures a thumb up. “Kick-a** job back there, y’all.”

“You are most welcome, Johnny Bla…”

Without notice, I am soon interrupted by a bright flash of light that shines near us, accompanied by the intense sound of a thunderclap. Not before long do we see the form of Mephistopheles standing near us, with a wicked grin on his face. “Congratulations, Johnny. You upheld your end of the bargain. Now it’s time I take back the power of the Ghost Rider.”

“Will it require taking the life of another loved one?” Sarah asks him, obviously furious over the demon’s sudden appearance, but I am very quick to calm her down by putting a hand on her shoulder.

“Why the hostility?” Mephisto inquires. “I’m giving Johnny back his life. The love he’s always wanted. He can start a family of his own.”

“For what price, Mephistopheles.” I ask him, somewhat knowing there is a catch involved in this.

“No price at all. No more deals with any of you anymore.” He remarks. “Of course, there are more deals to be made with more people willing to give their souls for what they desire.” Mephisto returns his glare upon Johnny, as Roxanne clings more tightly onto him. “Let someone else carry this curse, Johnny…you’re free now.” He then finally adds with a sinister growl in his voice, “After all…a deal’s a deal.”

Johnny ponders this offer of Mephisto’s for a very long moment, looking in the direction of his Nightstalker allies for one moment and towards the love of his life, Roxanne Simpson, during the next. He then focuses again on Mephisto and points a finger that sticks out through a torn section of his glove at him, and while under a shadowed area does the finger suddenly burst into flames and transforms into a skeletal finger.

“No.” Johnny says to Mephisto. “I’m gonna own this curse…and I’m gonna use it against you.” Obviously from the dark frown on Mephisto’s face, he does not appreciate this idea of Johnny’s. “Whenever innocent blood is spilt, it’ll be my father’s blood…and you’ll find me there. A spirit of vengeance…fighting fire with fire.”

Mephisto’s only reply to this is, “I will make you pay for this!”

“You can’t live in fear.” Johnny states.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

With a fierce stab into the ground with his case, Mephisto creates a wave of chaos over the land. The sky grows dangerously dark and the ground starts to quake intensely. The human figure of Mephisto is disrupted by his demonic form, which is just as grotesque and wicked as his son’s. His anger over Johnny’s refusal shows greatly in the atmosphere.

But soon he is gone. Vanished into a mist of energy, possibly to be heard from sometime in the future. For now, he leaves us with the returning, peaceful glow of the sunlight. And he takes with him the comatose body of his son, which vanishes from where it lies in a bluish-black haze.

“It’s over.” Sarah says with a sigh.

“At least for now it is.” Hoggle adds.

Nearby, Jack Fenton grips his ghost-hunting weapon tightly in anger. His wife, Maddie, takes notice of this action and cannot help but feel a bit concerned. “Jack? What’s wrong, sweetie?”

“All of these ghosts, and I didn’t even get to capture a single one for study.” Jack remarks, just as he spots Uncle Deadly standing near him. “Scratch that! We’ve still got one here to take back home with us!” He then aims his weapon directly at Uncle Deadly, who jumps in surprise over his sudden action. But before Jack Fenton could pull the trigger, Deadly suddenly disappears in pillars of black flames and white smoke, obscuring Jack’s view on him through the crosshairs of the gun. His disappearance nevertheless angers him, as it dawn upon his fellow comrades that Death himself has taking Deadly away from the scene before any harm could be done. “No, no! This isn’t fair! This isn’t fair at all!”

“You know, it never really helps saying that.” Sarah tells him, smiling.

Danny rolls his eyes at his father and approaches him with a calm attitude. “C’mon, Dad. I’m sure there are plenty of spooks to capture back at Amity Park.” And with his family and friends, Danny Fenton leaves the town of San Venganza, waving goodbye to his companions as he departs in his family’s RV.

“There goes one seriously messed up family.” Jake comments.

Meanwhile, Roxanne and Johnny are having the first soothing conversation they’ve had in years, now that so many threats have passed. “So where will you go now?” Roxanne asks him.

“Wherever the road takes me, I guess.” Johnny responds. “My daddy once said, ‘If you don’t make a choice, the choice makes you’.”

“Yeah,” Roxanne says with a nod, “But why do your choices always keep us apart?”

Johnny’s only answer to that question is a shrug and a sigh. “Sure wish things could have turned out different.”

Roxanne smiles at him, shaking her head at that sentiment. “No. This is what you are. This is what you always were meant to be. You got your second chance. So go out there and make the best of it.”

Johnny smiles back at her, and the both of them share a long, passionate kiss.

So…Johnny Blaze is going to remain a Ghost Rider?

That’s right.

Kind of sad, when you think about it. Never being able to love Roxanne the same way he had before this all ever happened.

But it is like she had told him. With a second chance, Johnny can be able to make a difference in people’s lives. And we will be there right behind him, as the brave Nightstalkers who were able to confront a manipulative Goblin King and several other supernatural forces in a limited amount of time.

But what about love?

Love will always remain, my fateful friend. As long as Johnny keeps it within himself, he will have good reason to do what he does, protecting the innocent and punishing the wicked.

So what is this talk about us being a team now? Are you saying there is more out there for us to take on? More horrible men like Jareth or Mephisto that threaten our existence?

After what we have accomplished here, we are not only a team, but we are legends. It is said that the West was built on legends, and that legends are a way of understanding things greater than us. Forces that shape our lives. Events that defy explanation. Individuals whose lives soar to the heavens or fall to the earth.

This is how legends are born.


THE MARVELOUS STORYTELLER

[The Count]

Thunderous applause on a story well wraught and well written. After this, I am convinced that you sir are one of our true fanfic greats. Look forward to whatever else you may have in store in the future.

[ReneeLouvier]

Yes, I echo what Ed has said. "One of our true fanfic greats". I loved this story so much, MW!

I also loved the exchange between Renee and Damien! It was AWESOME! Also I would be the one who messes up the attack. XD Wow...such a great story, nicely done and epic as well.

[BeakerSqueedom]

....*Her jaw runs off*
I loved every second of this.
A job well done!

You write up your stories until they are through.
That is dedication!

I don't know what to say.
All I can say is "BRAVO!"

*Cheers*

[muppetwriter]

Thanks for the wonderful comments, everybody. Especially yours, BeakerSqueedom. I do find myself quite dedicated to get my stories finished no matter how much time it takes from my "normal life." I write them to entertain my fellow fans here on the forum, as well as friends from MySpace who I'm now writing into as characters for the stories.

There'll definitely be more "MARVELOUS Storyteller" tales to come. My next target is definitely that Blade/Storyteller/Labyrinth crossover trilogy that I aim to write in the future.:)