Danny Potter and the Halfa Prince chapter 7

Chapter 7: Curse on Tenten

Danny's group enters the Lightsabers Pub. The halfa looks around and found Skroob at the bar, sitting on a stool; Now to get his attention somewhat.
"Over here." Danny said as he, Luke, Shadow, Cream and Cheese with Twilight and Applejack goes over to a table that has evidence of a previous customer. Some of the others are seating at a better and clean table when they see this.
"Gah," Misty groans a bit. Even Rarity frowns at the sight of the table that Danny sitting at. "Do we have to sit there?"
"We may...there's Skroob." Gemerl spoke up as the others look at each other and shrug as they join the others at Danny's table.
Jake sits at a chair that is opposite Danny, blocking his view until the halfa motions to another seat, saying, "No, no, sit here next to me."
Jake blinks a bit, looks at the others and remarks, "Okay." The half dragon goes to the chair right near Danny.
"So Danny, why are we sitting here for?" Lily ask Danny curiously.
Just then a skinny kid in an apron appears, tossing a filthy rag across the table which begins to wipe the surface on its own. As Danny does his best to see around him to keep an eye on view, the employee ask, "So what will we have?"
"A number for the Board of Health," Ash jokes a bit, making the others laugh at his joke.
"Pikachu, Pika!" Pikachu laughs a bit. Even Rainbow felt off the table, rolling on the floor in laughter.
Betty roll her eyes as she said, "A lot of root beers for us, a splash of ginger in mind if you please."
The kid nod and whistles to call the rag back into his pocket before leaving. Danny kept his eye on Skroob then spots Paul. The two rivals lock eyes before Paul leaves.
"Interesting," Shadow said with a glare. "What is he doing here?"
"Simple, it's a pub for everyone. No exceptions I guess." Luke said with a nod as Applejack looks at Skroob in curiosity.
"Aww, dawg," Jake groans a bit. Danny and some of the others notice that the Asian is looking at June. The girl is sitting in a dark corner with Redge with their faces lit by a guttering candle. Even Jake find that disturbing.
"Oh, grow up, Jacob!" Betty said, rolling her eyes. What must Jake make a deal about whom his cousin is seeing anyway? "They are just holding hands..."
"And don't look now but they're snogging." Misty comments. Sure enough, Redge is kissing June, much to Jake's chagrin...and Danny's pure annoyance. The halfa does his best to keep the jealously look to a minimum, at best...though Danny can imagine himself in Redge's place, kissing June.
"Hey guys!" May calls out as she, Billy and Mara comes over to join the group at their table. "Amazing running into you guys here."
"Can we leave, dawg? Let's leave now." Jake insists frantically. He is really not in the mood to see what June and Redge are doing right now.
"What? You just got here." Billy said, looking puzzled to Jake's behavior.
Mara, glancing to June and Redge, roll her eyes while saying, "Let me guess: making a fuss over June?"
"You want us to leave? You can't be serious!" Gemerl said as Cyber comes over to join the group.
"Well, that happens to be my cousin!" Jake complains a bit to his pals. "I mean, I don't mind June dating as long as it's someone I can tolerate! I don't trust Redge for some reason!"
"So what? What if June looks over here and sees you snogging me?" Betty asks Jake with an annoyed frown. "Do you want her to get up and leave?"
Jake didn't answer, he looks utterly speechless. Cyber pauses as she comments, "Not much to answer for, is it?"
"Oh, Danny," A familiar boy spoke up so loudly that June jumps out of her seat and saw Danny looking over. The halfa nervously turns to see Skroob, the one who spoke, waddling over with a mug in his hand.
Danny stood up, much to the amusement of some of his pals, as he answers, "Hello sir. Wonderful to see you here," The halfa ignores Betty who turns to the others and silently mouth the 'wonderful to see you here' part. "So what brings you here?"
"Well, the Lightsabers Pub and I go way back...longer I can imagine. In fact, back then, I remember when it was only one lightsaber!" Skroob jokes a bit while laughing. Danny joins in, pretending to laughing heartily at the ill-fated joke. The man's belly trembles near Betty's cheek as his waving mug sloshes over, spilling onto the table. "Oops! All hands on deck, Barrett!"
Betty does her best to smile slightly as a whistle is heard. The filthy rage came back, getting rid of Skroob's mess while the skinny slides a couple of more mugs onto the table. Billy whistles in amazement, "Now that's service!"
During this time, Tenten came out from a restroom as she prepares to leave with her friend Alexis Rhodes following her. As Skroob calms down, he spoke up, "Well, Danny, listen, in the old days, I would usually love throw together the occasional supper, inviting a certain student or two to join in. Perhaps I might be interest in asking you to come."
"Well, I will consider it an honor, sir." Danny said with a secret grin. This is the opportunity that he has been waiting for.
"Miss Barrett, you are happy to come too of course."
Betty was drinking her root beer in one long draw before slamming her mug down. Her friends hold their giggles as she left behind a 'mustache' while saying, "Sir, I would be delighted."
"Is it all right if Cream, Ash, Misty, Luke and Shadow come along too?" Danny asks Skroob with a smile. The mentioned ones hold their ponies, while the professor looks a bit uneasy...mostly to Luke. "I betcha their, my and Betty's ponies will be a hit at the supper."
"Please, Mr. Skroob?" Cream asks as she and Fluttershy gave cute smiles and puppy dog eyes look to Skroob. Even he finds them hard to resist.
"Oh very well, they may come. Ahem, look for my Noctowl! Good to see you, Bob and friends." Skroob said to Jake and the others not invited as he leaves.
Jake frowns a bit at Skroob before turning to Danny, saying, "Dawg! What are you up to?"
"Right, Danny. Why did you let Skroob invite you to his supper thing?" Mara ask Danny curiously.
"Simple; Obi-Wan and Eli asked me to get to know him." Danny explains to his pals, much to their puzzled state.
"'Get to know him'?" Jake asks Danny skeptically. "Why?"
"Not sure. But it must be important, otherwise, they wouldn't ask us."
"Part of our...ahem...'lessons'." Luke said, whispering the last part to their friends, the ones trust worthy enough to tell.
"What lessons?" Billy, the only one not knowing about this, asks in confusion.
"That's for another time, Billy." May chuckle a bit. The girl sees Betty slamming her mug down while finishing her mug. May smiles as she points to her friend's upper lip, saying, "Betty, you got something right..."
Betty blinks then flicks her tongue, wiping her upper lip clean. The others chuckle at this.

As it snows in Toonsmeade, the group walk together as they head back to Toonwart, Betty and some of the trails several yards behind while the ponies and Spiek are happily getting snowflakes on their tongues.
"Bit worried about Betty. I mean, did you hear that stuff she was saying about in the pub?" Jake asks some of his pals while glancing back at Betty, "Her and me snogging. Ha! Give me a break."
"I don't know." Cream giggles a bit while keeping Fluttershy on her shoulder. "You and her do make a good couple."
"Chao, chao, chao, chao," Cheese giggled in agreement. Jake rolls his eyes a bit.
"So Danny, any ideas on..." Gemerl begins to say, about to ask Danny if he has plans on what to do at Skroob's supper thing.
"Tenten, don't! You don't even know what it could be!" Alexis's voice protested. The group saw her and Tenten standing in the drifting snow, arguing about some sort of package that Tenten herself is holding.
As Betty and those lagging behind catch up to the boys, the girl put her arms over Danny and Jake while asking, "Hey, guys, what's up?"
Suddenly something happened without warning: Tenten rose 6 feet into the air, much to the shock of Danny's group; her hair dance violently in the window while her face remains eerily before the girl screams like mad. The ponies and Spike yelp in fear while hiding behind their owners with Hunter and Lily.
"What the heck," Billy yells in alarm as he, Danny, Jake, Shadow and Cyber dash forward and grabs Tentetn by the ankles before she could rise any further.
"Bad choice of words, Betty," Misty exclaims in alarm. Soon Tenten fell into the snow, thrashing and shrieking frantically while her eyes rolled up in her skull.
"Alexis, what happened?" Ash frantically asks Alexis who looks terrified.
“I don’t know! I told her not to touch it!” Alexis answers Ash’s question, terrified over what happened out of her mind.
Betty looks and saw the package that is now torn opened. Jake yelps, "Danny! She's swallowing her tongue!'
"I will get someone!" Betty exclaims in worry. Something in that package must've done this to Tentetn!
"There isn't any time!" Danny exclaims frantically.
"Get back, all of you!" A familiar voice yells out as DK came onto the scene. Everyone else backs off as the gorilla picks up Tenten's trashing body; As if calming a terrified animal, he press his face close to hers and whispers gently, "Now, there, there. Calm down..."
"Is she going to be okay?" May ask DK as the gorilla repeats what he said like caretakers. Tenten's eyelids soon flutter before her body goes limp, the girl has passed out.
"Yeah, she should be fine. Listen, no one touched that, except for the wrappings, got it?"
DK nods a bit to the package in the snow. Danny and Ash kneels to get a closer looker to see what was in the package: It is an ornate opal necklace...and not just! The halfa recognizes this as the same necklace that he saw back in the Creeper's shop in his second year!
Luke took his scarf off and uses it to hold the package's remains, making sure not to touch it. He and the others saw DK heading back to Toonwarts with Tenten in his arms. Something has happened indeed.

DK was able to get Tenten to the nurse's office. Luckily, the girl is okay but needs a while to recover. Luke and his pals take the necklace to Shaak Ti's office where she and Ryan look at it in concern.
"Now, Alexis, you sure that Tenten didn't have this in her possession when she entered the Lightsabers Pub?" Shaak Ti asks Alexis in concern.
"It's like I said, Tenten went to the bathroom and once she came back, she had the package." Alexis explains, still shaken by the experience. "She won't explain how she herself got it, only that it's important and Tenten must deliver it."
"Did she say whom she was giving it to?" Ryan asks Alexis, making the girl shake her head. "All right, you may go now."
Shaak Ti sighs, shaking her head while looking to Danny's group, "Why is it that it is always you lot? I mean, when something happens, you all are always nearby."
"Professor, I have been asking myself the same questions for 6 years now." Jake explains sheepishly to Shaak Ti.
"Right, I guess it must be luck...bad." Misty said with a sigh while hugging Rarity a bit.
Just then, Vlad enters the room, glancing at the group; Shaak Ti, noticing, spoke up, "Vlad."
"Well, you took your time, Vlady-poo." Ryan jokes a bit, making Vlad glares at him.
"Is this it?" Vlad ask as he looks at the necklace in question. Shaak Ti nods as her ally took out his wand and uses it to lift the necklace like a dead snakes, eyeing it in fascination.
"So what do you think?" Shaak Ti asks Vlad in concern.
"Well, Miss Tenten is lucky to still be alive."
"Ryan, I recognize that necklace." Danny explains to Ryan who looks at him. "It's the same one that I saw in the Creeper's shop when I arrive there by accident in my second year."
"Yes, I thought it looks familiar. The necklace was said to curse anyone who touches it, takes the lives of a few Muggle owners." Ryan said seriously.
"Was Tenten cursed?" Cream spoke up in worry. "We know Tenten. She may be feisty at times but off the Quidditch pitch, she wouldn't harm a fly."
"Yes, if she's bringing that necklace to someone, Tenten must've not realized what she was doing." Ash said seriously, making Vlad glances at him levelly.
"Well, I presumed that Tenten must've been hypnotized into bringing that cursed necklace, so she is cursed either way." Shaak Ti said in concern to the students. "And if this necklace is the same one from the Creeper's shop, how did it get into Tentetn's possession in the first place?"
"It was Paul Zhao. He gave it to her, hypnotizing Tenten into doing whatever it is he wanted her to do." Danny said sternly, much to the surprise of his friends and concern of the teachers.
"That is a very serious accusation you made there, Mr. Fenton."
Vlad chuckles in amusement as he remarks, "Indeed. Do you got any evidence that proves it?"
"I just know...although I saw Paul in the Lightsabers Pub around the same time Tenten was there..."
"Oh? And you just know from that? Once again, you astonish with your gifts, Fenton, gifts mere mortals could only dream of possession. How grand it must be to the 'Chosen One'."
"Okay, that's enough, Vlady-poo." Ryan snaps to Vlad sternly. "Danny was just giving out what he knows as well as a theory. There's no need for you to call him out as a liar."
"Well, perhaps you got a theory of your own, Huffman?" Vlad challenges Ryan, seeing if the son of Eli got any theories of his own, making some of the others a bit uncomfortable.
"Okay, enough. Until we find out the full facts, we shall keep the theory about Paul to rest for now." Shaak Ti said, not wanting this matter to get out of hand. Turning to the students, she adds, "I suggest you return to your dormitory...all of you."
Danny's group took their leave of the office, followed by Ryan. The halfa, frustrated, spoke to his adopted big brother, "Ryan, you believe me about Paul, right? I told you about what we saw. He must've taken that necklace from Creeper's on that day or before that. I thought you were supposed to keep tabs on him."
"My men are, but he keeps disappearing from time to time, we don’t know where that boy goes off to." Ryan sighs to Danny in concern. "Anyway, even still, we don't know if Paul was truly the one who hypnotized Tenten into delivering that necklace..."
"And we don't know who she is going to give the necklace to. Heck, it could be either Obi-Wan or Eli!" Shadow spoke up with a frown.
"We will have to leave this mystery unsolved for now."
Danny groans a bit but decides to stick to Ryan's decision. The halfa knows that Paul was up to something. For all he knows, Vader recruited him on a mission to kill Eli, the next on the Sith Lord's hit list. Or maybe Obi-Wan; either way, Danny won't rest until he finds out what his rival is up to.

Author's note
Phew; Close call for Tenten, but what's going on? In the next chapter, Danny, Betty and some of their friends attend Skroob's supper while the halfa tries to get some info out of the Potions master about Anakin. Read, review and suggest.

Alexis Rhodes is from Yu-Gi-Oh! GX.