The Reverie Robber

 

Synopsis: Continuing after "Keyblades, Magiswords and Magic Wands, Oh My !". Charles Cheese's parents have been rescued and the Amusementy Kingdoms are restored to normal, but this time a dream energy-harvesting villain has emerged. One of Danny Phantom's enemies, Nocturne. In his quest to harvest vast amounts of dream energy to take over the Dream Dimension and the Multiverse, he sets his sights on collecting the dream energy of humans, robots, and Toons. Can he be redeemed or destroyed for good?

Chapter 1—The Wedding of Chuck E. and Helen

It had been a lengthy wait, almost what seemed like the desert of eternity for Chuck E. Cheese. However, now, thankfully, he had come to his sacred oasis. His one and only Helen Henny. It wouldn’t be the first inter-species wedding. Not long ago, Nick Wilde had married his long-time sweetheart, Judy Hopps. Everyone had seen it coming and the whole Academy in Zootopia had been on her and Nick’s side, supporting their decision whole-hardheartedly. Now it was apparent that Chuck was walking the same path as so many before him.

Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring played from the grand hall in the opulent cathedral. Every spire, every buttress, every pillar, was decorated in brilliant colors, mirroring the signature purple, yellow, and orange that Chuck’s diners often showcased.

There she was, all decked out in white. Beguiling, smoldering, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Time seemed to stand still. He walked down the aisle and took her feathery hand into his, stroking it with his thumb and forefinger.

‘To think so many thought I’d go for Mitsy. Mitsy did have my heart at one time, but she fell for Fats, and they’re happy together.’, he thought to himself, wistfully. She, Fats, Dook, Beach Bear, Billy Bob, Looney Bird, Rolfe and Earl had all come just to cheer him on. Seeing the original Rock-A-Fire Explosion made him become a bit emotional, but he held himself together.

The preacher began the service, asking the would-be bride and groom to read their vows and exchange their rings. After they were bound, traditional Irish/Scottish style, the blissful couple shared their first kiss together. There wasn’t a dry eye in the cathedral as the newlyweds paraded down the aisle, prouder than peacocks. Then, suddenly, the organ music became warbled and everything was distorted. It was like coming off a roller coaster after having been exceptionally dizzy. A cloaked figure towered above Chuck and Henny, laughing menacingly. His fingers were dreadful talons, swooping down into the congregation and batting them away like bowling pins. Then his hand caged Henny and Chuck underneath it.

‘You two aren’t going anywhere.’, the threatening, basso-profundo voice boomed. With a shriek loud enough to wake the whole neighborhood, Chuck jolted up in bed, drenched in sweat.

Chapter 2—This Could Mean Only One Thing…

Chuck quickly told his new friends, the Power Rangers, about what had frightened him so deeply in his nightmare. Somnibot shivered.

‘I know this foe too well. We fought him a long time ago, and I was for certain we had finished him for good.’, she stated.

‘Obviously, he found a way to respawn !’, Adam chimed in. Some of the group was completely lost as to whom Somnibot and the others were referring to, so they gave a short discourse on Nocturne.

‘Do you think that Danny Phantom would be up to this challenge ? If anyone knows Nocturne’s weakness, it’s him.’, Kim stated. The Rangers had worked with the marvelous phantasmic lad before and he had been an incredible addition to the team.

‘There’s only one way to find out. I’ll see if I can get a hold of him.’, Zordon responded, beginning to dial Danny’s number over the ether.

Amity Park, Fenton home

Danny approached the videophone that his parents had recently installed and picked up the receiver.
'Fenton residence. May I ask who is calling, please ?', he asked. Jason began explaining, in detail, everything that had happened to them thus far.
‘This is serious. I was certain Nocturne had gone ghost, literally.’, he thought. It didn’t take him long to consider the mission at hand, though he knew it was going to be an arduous one.
‘You can count on me, Jason. I look forward to working with you.’, he said, optimism in his voice. Though he was gung-ho about defeating him, honestly, he wasn’t certain how that was going to be done. Nocturne was even more powerful than ever and he would be a ridiculously tough foe to beat. He just hoped that these Rangers were as resilient as they sounded because he knew he needed all the help he could get.






Chapter 3—Training Before Entering the Dream Realm
It wasn’t long after Danny arrived that he had ridden into Angel Grove and located Power Ranger HQ. He was introduced to the immense team and was surprised by a few unusual faces. There were tons of faces and people that made his nostalgia overflow and all he could do was grin with unmitigated glee.

‘This’ll certainly be the most unusual team-up I’ve done.’, he commented. He was elated to see such iconic stars as Herman Ruebens and his wife, ‘forgotten’ cartoon characters like Popeye and Olive Oyl and even foreign stars like the Totally Spies.

‘How did you get here ?’, he asked, completely confused. Jeramie, adjusting his glasses, did the best he could to lay everything down in layman’s terms but Danny was still utterly addled by all the information.

‘A meeting of the multiverses. How fantastic.’, he stated, in nearly breathless awe.

After a decadent but healthy lunch, Somnibot and her children began to prepare everyone for the imminent war.
‘Fairly soon we’ll be facing Nocturne on his own territory. We’ve been upgraded to the nth degree and our offense is staunch.’, she reassured them. They would all be heading into Dreamworld together and meeting Nocturne on a slightly uneven playing field. Some of the Warriors were feeling slightly anxious and uneasy about the fight, but they were reassured that they were more powerful in unison with their unique abilities then they were separately. Of course, being upgraded didn’t hurt, either.

Chapter 4—Squaring Off Against Nocturne
Nocturne surveyed his surrounding. This dreamscape was a vast playground of incredible possibilities. With arms raised and a maniacal laugh in the back of his throat, he began to shroud a swath of dreamers lost in their reveries into horrible nightmares. They would be paralyzed for a time in order for Nocturne to drain the necessary energy he required to become the ruler of all dreams. What he hadn’t realized was that another entity was watching him the entire time; none other than Sandman. Needless to say, Sandman wasn’t amused and he wasn’t taking kindly to Nocturne’s abuse of power or of his antics. 'This guy is really starting to roil me !', he said. Quietly, as silent as the shadows and stardust that were the essence of his nature, he spiraled into incarnate form in front of Nocturne, menacingly.

‘This is my domain. What purpose have you here ?’, he demanded.

‘Firstly, I don’t know you. I’ve never seen you.’, Nocturne dismissed him. This made Dream all the madder. He had other guests who were there and he welcomed. Most humans he enjoyed and he loved to give them various reveries because in some aspect, he liked giving them hope and aspirations. It was most interesting when they became reality. He admired human beings for that.
‘I must request that you leave this premises immediately.’, Dream said. At that time, the Warriors, Rangers, Titans, cartoons of old and even fast food mogul mascots Ronald McDonald and friends had come from their corners, each brandishing a weapon that suited their unique personalities.
‘I’m not scared of your battalion, whoever or whatever you are. I don’t care if this is your realm. It doesn’t matter how all powerful and invincible you are. Even if you’re immortal, so am I !’, Nocturne boasted. In all essence, despite his hubris, Nocturne was actually becoming a bit concerned, because unlike Dream, he was very much mortal and could be obliterated in the right circumstances.

Chapter 5—Dream War

All the heroes assembled mightily, Dream overseeing the massive skirmish. Should anything go awry, he would quickly step in and assist if need be. For now, however, he took a rather laid back sprawl on his gilded throne and watched in bemusement at what was now unfolding.

‘Really ? Come on. I don’t have time for ANY of this !’, Nocturne said, unleashing a darkness that could be felt. It was a depression that all of them had never experienced. It was difficult to shake but Tommy and Jason had trained them well for any circumstance. Nocturne certainly hadn’t foreseen this. The Rangers, Titans, heroes and heroines, all of them, were much stronger than he had initially thought.

‘If that does nothing, then I am ramping up the occlusion !’, he bellowed. The deep, depressing, disquieting unrest of the tendrils wrapped around all the protagonists. No matter how many times a tendril was lopped off, 3 or 4 more shoots would branch out in its place.

‘Good luck with your weed whacking.’, he thought to himself with a sardonic smile. He fought all of them on, one by one. Dream finally grew tired of his shenanigans and snapped his fingers. The terrible brambles that he had created were now withered. The energy he had taken was starting to dry up and he felt totally enervated.

‘Oh, I suppose I am being unfair. I warned you, Nocturne. You wouldn’t heed.’, Dream said, dissipating into cosmic multicolored sand and whispers in the Dreamscape.

Somnibot finally saw him and caught him unawares. Using her wand, she transformed to her ultimate form and ‘healed’ him as well as everyone else who had suffered the effects of his energy sapping technique.

‘No...NO !’, Nocturne said as he was overcome with light, love, positivism and unhinged goodness. It broke apart at his negative core, splitting him from the inside out. With a scream that sounded like a hybrid of a banshee, yeti and werewolf, Nocturne broke into millions of pieces and blew away into nothingness, never to be reformed.

Chapter 6—Is It Over ?

'He's gone !', Michael Theodore Mouse said.
    'Is it all over ?', Herman asked.

‘Our forms from the Dream Realm are beginning to oscillate.’, Delta mentioned, astutely. Kim nodded and held Tommy’s hand quietly as all of them began to awaken and face the day anew. The only thing that remained now for Chuck was to make his dream a reality, and without thinking twice, he finally asked Henny the most important question of his life. At long last, Henny said yes.

Epilogue

Unlike Chuck E’s nightmare, his wedding to Henny had been the marriage of the decade. It was highly attended and all of his old friends had come to see him get hitched. Seeing the old gang back together again brought some tears into his eyes but he was far too happy to weep at such an auspicious occasion. He was now a married man. He knew this changed everything but it wouldn’t shift his status with the Rangers. He had fought well and unbelievably well. He knew how to hold his own against Nocturne and his nasty tricks. Now he was gone and Danny had returned to Amity Park where he would be solving other mysteries, mainly as a paranormal investigator and psychic.

All was quiet within HQ again and life resumed its usual hum. The Warriors were ever vigilant and diligent about their training, keeping their skills honed whatever obstacles life happened to throw their way. Of course, there were the usual charity gigs they were more than pleased to attend. Matters were placid, at least for now and everything had returned to normal.

The End