The Phantom Pegasus

There was a second of silence before Rarity and Applejack scowled, furious. "You..." Applejack started.

"Are..." Rarity continued.

"So..."

"Grounded!" they both shouted. The fillies cowered back. Maddie, Jack, and Jazz stared at the kids, confused.

"Who are you three?" Jack asked. Rarity sighed.

"That's Apple Bloom, Applejack's little sister, Sweetie Belle, my little sister, and Scootaloo." she said.

"They followed us before when Danny showed us his powers. They found out his secret by accident, and what are you girls doing again?" Applejack said, giving a strict look to them. Apple Bloom looked down.

"I'm sorry, sis. But we just wanted to try different things and earn our cutie marks. Maybe ghost hunting is ours." she said hopefully. Sweetie Belle shyly shrugged.

"You see, we're some of the only fillies at school without cutie marks. We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders. We're trying to find our special talent so we get our cutie marks. It's hard enough to be in school without a cutie mark when everpony else has one." she explained. Maddie, Jack, and Jazz all understood and gave an "oh" each. Maddie grinned and walked up.

"Girls, ghost hunting is an extremely dangerous profession. My husband and I- and I'm sure my son over there- have been in life-or-death situations more than once." she said. Scootaloo groaned.

"It sounds like the perfect way to get a super-cool, awesome cutie mark! I don't care how dangerous it is!" she stubbornly said. Jazz rolled her eyes.

"Trust me, girls, you don't want this freakish career. I had to grow up with parents who were obsessed with ghosts and my brother got into an accident and turned himself into a half ghost- which wasn't painless, from what I heard."

"Are you kidding me? It was beyond painful. I can't even tell you how awful it was. It was indescribable- I couldn't put the pain in words. It's like having the worst, most throbbing pain you can think about a thousand fold." Danny said and snorted. Everypony grimaced at that. Even the crusaders backed up a bit. Rarity looked to Celestia.

"Stories aside, we don't really have much time to run back and forth from Ponyville to get them home. Is there anypony who can take them back and make sure they stay?" she asked. Celestia smiled.

"Of course. Derpy Hooves!" she called. A cross-eyed soldier came out from the group. "Derpy, would you mind taking these three fillies over here home?"

"Sure thing, your majesty! I'll take them home with me and make some muffins for them." she said, trotting over to them. Celestia turned to whisper to Applejack and Rarity.

"She has a daughter of her own named Dinky. She also lives in Ponyville, so she'll probably just take them home with her until you come back." she explained. The two ponies nodded as Derpy took the groaning fillies back out with her towards Ponyville. After they left, Danny bowed his head down. Celestia took the necklace from him. "Are you all ready?" Everypony nodded. "Then let's be on our way."

Celestia's horn glowed, and so did the necklace. A large portal appeared behind them. "Let's go!" Rainbow Dash eagerly shouted, as everypony ran through the portal. Seconds after going through, the Fenton family and Sam and Tucker found themselves to be human again- and floating in some random part of the Ghost Zone. Everyone sighed, enjoying seeing thumbs again.

Behind them, the ponies were in awe of the Ghost Zone. They gazed about, taking in everything. Twilight Sparkle gasped. "It's...it's so beautiful. It's fascinating! I swear..."

"And I'm the one who still thinks it's just plain creepy." Danny muttered. Rainbow Dash was looking about and hadn't seen the human forms yet, along with the rest.

"Can it, ghost pon..." she stopped as she saw everyone, human again. Everypony looked, then gasped. Twilight Sparkle came up to them.

"Wow...this is what humans look like?" she asked. They nodded. Rarity ran right up to them.

"These...outfits! How different they are for a bipedal creature!" she said. Applejack poked at Tucker's fingers for a second.

"And these...what happened to your hooves?"

"They look just like fingers that I see on monkey hands." Fluttershy murmured.

"Skin, hair only on their head, no cutie marks, no wings, no horns, fingers, you're bipedal...quite different." Twilight Sparkle summarized. Danny chuckled lightly. His parents came up. Maddie cleared her throat, getting everyone's attention.

"We're going to be going along with Princess Luna now. Is there a cellphone we can take so we can stay in touch?" she asked. Tucker nodded, taking the bag that Danny was carrying and took out a phone and handed it to them.

"We'll have my PDA on at all times." Tucker said. Celestia whistled.

"You all, we better get going." she called. Danny and his parents shared a quick hug, then everyone went off. Fluttershy was about to follow them out of instinct, when Zecora paused her. Fluttershy looked up at the zebra, then looked back at the group who was leaving. She looked back up to Zecora.

"Um...Zecora-"

"Go." she said simply and with a smile. Fluttershy smiled softly and ran up to catch up. Rarity turned to look at Fluttershy.

"Fluttershy, I thought you were staying with Zecora? Are you coming along now?"

"Yes. I can't leave my friends...even if I'm a little afraid..." she said. Danny paused for a second.

"Guys, those ghosts are going to be here any minute. Everyone put a hoof or hand on me. Just trust me." he said. They did as told, including Celestia, and Danny allowed invisibility to cover his body and spread to the others. Most of the ponies yelped in surprise. Danny frowned. "Are you guys gonna be alright with this?" he asked. Applejack nodded.

"It-it feels cold...and tingly...but we'll live." she said, still getting used to the odd sensation. Sam giggled.

"You get used to it." she said.

Pravus watched the army's movement with her magic. She scowled, then turned to the army of ghosts behind her. "Go!" she snapped. All the ghosts flew off. Pravus shook her head. "They really think they can stop me? Fat chance." she sneered. She used her magic again and watched as the ghosts came in to meet the incoming army of ponies. "I may not be able to see those brats and their friends, but I know they're here..."

Fluttershy squeaked in shock whilst the rest tried to remain quiet when they saw ghosts incoming towards the pony army not far away from them. Twilight Sparkle stared, mystified. "Ghosts. There's...so many of them." she said. Rarity nearly gave a disgusted cry.

"My goodness, they can't even wear any fashion?" she asked. Applejack snickered.

"Uh, Rarity, I doubt that's the first thing on a ghost's mind."

"Well, at least Danny wears something somewhat fashionable!" Rarity pointed out. Sam shrugged.

"Some do wear clothes...some don't. Tucker, hand me the thermos." she said. Tucker pulled it out of the bag and handed it over. Sam pointed it away and opened the thermos. The Box Ghost, no longer pony, came out.

"I am the Box- oh wait, I'm not a pony anymore. But still! I am the Box Ghost! And I know Danny Phantom and his friends are hiding somewhere!" he snapped. Rarity gave a disgusted cry, accidentally blowing their cover. The Box Ghost turned in the direction of the voice. "I know someone is there! Show yourself!"

"Uh, I will not!" Rarity snapped. "I'm sorry, but that outfit is just...hideous! It doesn't put any sort of fear in me, nor is it fashionable in the least! Seriously, overalls? I can't say I'm struck with fear at all, nor in awe of a wonderful fashion sense." she snapped. The Box Ghost frowned. Danny was trying to get Rarity to move along, but Rarity wasn't done yet.

"You- you don't like my outfit?" The Box Ghost sounded hurt. Rarity sighed.

"I'm sorry, darling, but it's a cold, hard truth. But it's possible to re-do that wardrobe you know. There's always time to make a good fashion choice." she said. The Box Ghost agreed.

"You're right. I will be back eventually, with a new fashion choice that looks good and invokes fear! Beware!" he shouted, then flew off. Applejack rolled her eyes, while the rest stared, open-mouthed. Applejack threw a hoof at her face.

"Well, that was a perfect time waster." Applejack muttered. Rarity frowned.

"Applejack, dear, I did him a favor. Even ghosts need to look fashionable." she said. They kept going. Danny frowned.

"How're we gonna find Pravus?" he asked. Twilight Sparkle thought for a minute.

"Well, we know where the ghosts came from. She's probably in the direction of which they came." she suggested. Sam grinned.

"Ooh, smart."

"I can't wait until we get to her! I'm gonna show her a think or two, and then-"

"Whoa, slow down, Rainbow Dash." Applejack snapped. "We gotta be careful. If we aren't cautious, this might end badly." she said. Rainbow Dash sighed.

"Well," she said, "at least when the time's right, I'll show her a thing or two!" she said stubbornly. Fluttershy's eyes went wide.

"Um...guys?" she said. "I think our talking caught a ghost's attention."

Everypony saw a ghost approaching them- it had heard them. Danny allowed a hand to glow green. Right as the ghost got a step too close, he blasted it. It snarled, then came back. Applejack let go of Danny for a second to quickly buck the ghost in the head, then ran back. To their surprise, the ghost stopped all of a sudden. It dizzily wavered back and forth, then shook itself. It looked back to the battle of ghosts and ponies in alarm and then fled.

Celestia thought for a moment. "It looked as if it had no idea what was going on, like it had woken up from a trance." she pointed out. Applejack smiled.

"Maybe my buck to the head was hard enough to snap it out of it." she said. Danny's eyes all of a sudden went wide. He smiled.

"I have an idea. Tucker, call my parents. Tell them to call back the army towards where we came out of the portal. Try to lead the ghosts over there." he said. Tucker raised an eyebrow.

"Why would we do that?"

"Because, if they're all hit with something strong enough to snap them all out of it, then they'll flee like that one did. I can use my ghostly wail on them." he suggested. Rarity frowned.

"Forgive me if I'm wrong, but didn't you say that it knocked you out when you used that power?"

"Yes; but what power will Pravus have with no army to defend her and an entire army against her?" he asked. Tucker quickly called up Danny's parents. After a minute of talking, he hung up.

"They're doing what you asked. We better get back, and fast."

Everypony and person had run or flown at top speed to get back to where they originally started. Danny's parents and Luna were waiting, and the army was coming back behind them. Jack looked at his son. "Danny, are you sure about this?" he asked. Danny nodded.

"I'm sure." he said. Luna looked as the last soldier came back, and the entire ghost army was following.

"You need to act now, Danny Phantom." she said. Danny nodded, determined.

"Alright, everyone- and pony- stay behind me and cover your ears." he said. Celestia shouted out to the army to follow orders to cover ears and stay put. When the ghosts came close enough, Danny took in a deep breath and released in a ghostly wail.

Everyone shut their ears tight and was shocked by the sheer power that came from Danny. Rainbow Dash gasped.

"It's just like a ghostly sonic rainboom!" she yelled, barely audible. Pinkie Pie began to scream, too, smiling while doing it- trying to help Danny.

The ghosts were pushed back by the wail and tossed by it. The force felt like a hurricane at full force. Eventually Danny changed back to human form during the wail, but didn't stop it. He kept going on for longer than he had in the past with the wail. He began to ignore his friends' and parents' orders to stop, and after a few more minutes, stopped the wail. Pinkie stopped when he did. She coughed.

"Ouch, sore throat!" she squeaked. "But we sure showed 'em!"

Indeed, the wail had its intended effect; the ghosts were all groggy and confused, but after a second, looked to the pony army and fled.

Danny was only awake long enough to see Pravus appear before passing out. His friends and family let out alarmed cries at his fainting. Zecora and Jazz ran up to him and took him back with them. Pravus sneered. "You may have defeated my army, but there isn't a chance you can stop me!" she snapped. Her horn began to glow before it was stopped by Celestia.

"Not on my watch, Lady Pravus." she said. Celestia used her magic to stop Pravus's. She walked up to her. "Pravus, what happened to you? You used to be one of the nicest ladies of Canterlot. You even used to have a different name, until you changed it for...this reason, I suppose. Your real name should be Strawberry Blossom, like it was before.

"Strawberry Blossom?" Everyone blurted, surprised. Celestia continued.

"Lady Blossom, you had special talents. You were good at growing strawberries. You were always so kind, so cheerful, so eager to help...what happened to you? All of a sudden, this happened. Why?" she asked. Pravus merely scowled and said nothing. Rainbow Dash smirked and flew forward behind Pravus, then bucked her in the back of the head, knocking her out for the moment. Everypony recoiled in surprise.

"Rainbow Dash, why did you do that?" Twilight Sparkle asked. Rainbow smiled.

"Because, maybe if it worked on those ghosts, it would work on her if something's wrong with her." she said. Sam came up, popped open the thermos, and sucked in Pravus.

"Well, we'll find out soon, then, I guess." Tucker said as the thermos was capped closed.