A/N: Due to a severe overload of story ideas, and the fact that this summary was sitting on my profile for 12 years, (and due to someone's request, you know who you are), enjoy this new story. It's based on "Beauty Marked" except this is an AU and taking place in recent times. I love AUs, don't you?

Chapter 1: I Hate Pageants

Sam hated pageants with a passion. Capital P for passion. Not that she was passionate for anything but the gloom of all things gothic, which brought her back to the pageant. Why girls would parade in front of someone to be judged on their looks and shallow desire for "world peace" was a mystery to her. But leave it to Tucker to sign her up. Did he secretly want to see her in a swimsuit?

"But Sam, it'll be fun!" Tucker insisted, his mouth full of nachos and fake cheese. "You can use it as a platform to make a statement to all the shallow people. You do love making a statement."

"True…"

"And hey, in a room of beautiful women you're bound to stand out as an individual."

"Hey!" She punched him in the shoulder.

"I don't mean it that way." Oh yes he did.

Another mystery was why she was best friends with a techno geek when they had little in common. Sure, they bonded over video games and horror movies, and his confidence was definitely one to be admired, but his taste in girls made her squeal in shame. He definitely was unique though; not only did he have five types of smart phones – that he carried with him at all times due to his flannel jacket's inner pockets – but he managed to ask out every girl in school and get rejected, without a hit to his self-esteem. That was amazing.

However, he really knew how to get on her nerves at times, and knew where it hurt. When he made jokes, he made them about everyone. If she were to be honest, she had her flaws as well; she knew she could be wrong, but she hated to admit it, and she knew she could be too outspoken sometimes, if that were such a thing. Well, they both had their flaws, and they both stuck together.

"What was with that woman anyway? Dora Mattingly, that blonde hairdo outdated by at least a decade, that giant emerald ring of hers, and how she was looking for someone average to be the judge. At first she said you were too annoying but then changed her mind. What was up with that?"

"She saw my inner talent of judging the ladies, I'm sure." Tucker wiggled his eyebrows. "Sam, this is the best thing that's happened to me. At long last, I can be popular for at least the rest of this week! My schedule is filled with dates, this is a dream come true." He cried. "I will be boring this week into my memory."

"Have fun with that, Tuck. You ready to watch the movie now? I'm feeling nostalgic for The Ring, the original of course."

"No, not Sadako…okay fine, I can take it!" She was looking forward to his screams, not that it would make up for the torture she'd have to go through this week.

-2-

Ms. Mattingly had made them practice everything, from the walk to the talk and even the makeup. Sam wasn't disappointed that she was failing at the whole princess thing – not that she wanted to be one in the first place – but the woman kept blowing up at her every time. She could have sworn that when she was really angry the day before the pageant, her eyes dilated and her tongue slithered. She tried talking to Tucker about it but he shrugged her off. But what if Ms. Mattingly was a ghost?

"A ghost, really?" Jazz Fenton rolled her eyes at her.

Oh well, it was worth a shot to ask the only child of Amity Park's resident ghost hunters before she had to go on stage. She only knew her because of her interest in all things dealing with death, but was disappointed to find out Jazz was not as enthusiastic about ghosts as she was. In fact, before they started showing up around town, Jazz was a known nonbeliever. Since then, she was known to be a casual ghost hunter until her parents barreled onto the scene with the big guns and a lot of embarrassing comments. Sam was sorry for and jealous of her at the same time.

"Uh yes, who else can slither their tongue like a snake?"

"Are you sure you weren't just demonizing her based on your inner fears of subjecting yourself to societal norms?"

She narrowed her eyes at that. "Are you trying to psych me out? Don't."

"I'm just concerned is all. Nice dress, by the way. Made it yourself?"

If she counted cutting that horrible pink contraption her mother tried forcing on her and dying it with spray paint, sure. "Just a refashion."

"Ah." Jazz looked at her watch. "Now, don't you have to get up there? I hope you win."

"Uh, I don't plan to, thanks. But seriously, just in case she is one, don't you have a weapon or something?"

"I don't think it's a good idea to have that kind of thing out, you might get the whole event shut down due to safety concerns or something. How about if you find proof, just signal Tucker. I'll give him the wrist ray."

"Sure, let's trust Tucker with the wrist ray. Okay, thanks Jazz."

She trudged over to the backstage, where the girls were already lined up. Ms. Mattingly was clearly expecting her, as she grabbed her and installed her in the back of said line.

Dora smiled with the fakest smile she had ever witnessed. "Now, break a leg, ladies!"

"I like all my limbs intact, thank you very much," she said under her breath, only to get glared at.

Mr. Lancer went out on stage in a dumb bard's costume, but his stupid song wasn't half as bad as she expected.

She felt stupid being up there in a dress, but she wanted to run away when it was swimsuit time. She tried putting on her cloak to cover her black one piece but Ms. Mattingly confiscated it before she could make it onstage. The spotlight was not good for her skin and she could feel herself shriveling. She couldn't even bear to look in front of her anymore so she just looked at her feet as she followed the girls ahead. She heard a whistle from somewhere in the crowd; it was probably Jazz trying to show support, but it gave her the creeps. The noise of the crowd became too much for her so she gave up and hid behind Paulina.

"Hey!" Paulina whispered in protest. "Who said you could become my shadow?"

"Get over it." Sam whispered back.

When it came time for the talents, she was regretting ever showing up to practice. She would have escaped if not for the pageant director blocking the way.

"Erm, Ms. Mattingly? I've realized I'm not exactly princess material, so I'd like to withdraw-"

"No one withdraws from my pageant." Her eyes turned red and dilated like a snake's, and her hand turned into claws with blue scales. "That is, if you want to live." She reached out towards her neck with a lustful expression.

"W…what are you?" Sam backed up from her, only to end up under the spotlight.

"So, what's your talent?" Tucker said, innocently smiling from the judge's seat. She eyed the wrist ray on his arm. 'Time for the signal.'

"Um, my talent is… goth haiku! Here it goes." She had gotten pretty good at them from all the times she attended the goth poetry slams on Thursdays. She took a dramatic pose and hoped Tucker would catch on. "Gloom covers the eyes. Finally, revelation! Dora is a ghost!"

Ms. Mattingly dragged her off stage as Tucker's eyes opened wide.

"Let me go-" The woman covered her mouth with a scaly hand.

Mr. Lancer came out and asked Tucker to name the winner, but he was running on stage, calling her name while trying to activate his wrist ray.

"And the winner of the Miss Teenage Happy Princess Beauty Pageant is… Sam Manson? Are you blind, young man?"

Ms. Mattingly smiled, and then dragged her to the awards area, where she shoved a crown on her head. The crowd was applauding, while the other girls swamped Tucker, preventing him from coming closer. She noticed Jazz was trying to push past as well.

"And now for the audience to take a small nap…" Dora took a deep breath and breathed out blue smoke.

The last thing Sam remembered was that woman's claws boring into her shoulder.

-3-

It wasn't necessarily a problem that she woke up in a dank castle in the middle of a dark forest without a ray of sun in sight. No, this would have been, in any other situation, the stuff of her fantasies. The problem was that this stupid woman Dora was now telling her that she had to get married to a ghost. She was only fourteen, and who knew how old Dora's older brother, Aragon, was.

She had tried to jump out of the window, but the stupid thing on her head put up some kind of force field. She was a prisoner. Dora walked in with an army of ladies behind her donned in dresses of muted pink and blue.

As a ghost, Dora was ghastly. She wore the same golden necklace, her skin was tinted a toxic green, and her eyes resembled a serpent's. Her blonde locks were French braided and she wore a typical blue princess gown and circular hat. Her posture was as on point as ever.

Sam was forcefully subjected to having her hair fluffed and styled by a bunch of ghostly ladies-in-waiting at the dresser table.

"You should be happy," Dora said to her in a condescending tone. "Isn't every girl's dream to be a princess?"

"This is so illegal. Can't I have a ghost police officer arrest you people or something?" Once the ladies were finished, she got up from the stool with a huff.

"Not here it isn't," Dora said as she shoved her in a black corset. "This realm is frozen in time, and my brother's word is law."

She looked at her wristwatch; surely enough the arms weren't moving an inch.

"What does your brother want with me anyway? I'm human, and I don't think I fit the description of a typical submissive medieval girl." He obviously had some creepy fetish for the warm-blooded.

"That's exactly why he wants you. No one else has had a human bride before. And you're opinionated, smart, and every bit the modern woman."

The giggling ladies-in-waiting arrived and forced her into a pink dress. 'Why, why, why?!'

"What he wants someone different?" They tried to shove her feet into some glass slippers, which quickly shattered.

Dora let out a chuckle behind her folded hands, every bit the lady. "Pshaw, he wants to crush you." Harsh. Things just got dark fast.

Sam scoffed. "I'd like to see him try." Like she'd break that easily.

"He has his ways. My brother always gets what he wants." The way Dora said it made her shiver, but she wasn't going to let it get to her.

"Tell me, you tell me to suck it up and be happy, but are you? Especially under your brother's thumb?"

Dora turned her back without saying a word. The ladies quickly swept the glass shards into a wooden bin.

This was just an unusual challenge, and she was not going to sit there and obediently get married.

Once Dora left the room with her ladies, she eyed her combat boots in the corner, as well as some black ink on the dresser table.

'Just wait till he sees who he's messing with. Soon he'll be begging to send me back.'

-4-

"Wazzup. It's Sam in da House. Who's ready to Partay?!"

She was positive she nailed the entry. Crazy hair and makeup; check. Outlandish behavior; also check. Throwing the meat just because she could; double check. Causing the man of the hour to do a double take and then flip the table; priceless. There was even a tasty watermelon which wasn't glowing. She wondered if actual food grew in this place. Hopefully she wasn't doing a Persephone and getting herself trapped here, but that was a myth and this was real life, right?

Someone else had actually retrieved all the meat she had distributed while she was doing her little show and was chowing down. It was some boy in a jumpsuit with various armor pieces attached on. She took a moment to spit some seeds in his face, but then he just stuck his tongue out at her. Cheeky brat.

She was surprised that the party guests were actually cheering for her by the time she rode the chandelier. She could check that one off her bucket list. It was too bad she didn't plan her landing, because the floor hurt.

Prince Aragon loomed over her with a frightening face. "You are one monstrous demon child. Guards, to the dungeon with her."

'Says you.'

A couple of skeletons with spears filed from the door and formed a circle around her.

"But honey, don't you love me? We're getting married soon!" She tried to sound as sappy as possible.

Dora stood behind Aragon, looking frightened.

"I have no desire for you to be my bride." He reached over towards her crown and she couldn't help the smile forming on her face.

All of a sudden, he grinned. "Did you think I would let you go that easily? Guards."

They grabbed her with an iron grip and dragged her off. As she passed Dora, the ghost had the nerve to tell her, "I told you so."

Aragon followed to witness her getting locked behind iron bars in a candle-lit room. The air smelled of tallow and sweat, and the guards threw her into the cell before slamming the creaking bars behind her. There was a click and a jingle; they locked her in. She couldn't see much of her surroundings, but the floor was oily to the touch. She was positive it hadn't been washed in millennia.

Aragon stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at her. "Don't worry my bride. I'll come get you for the wedding in a few days. Hopefully a little starvation will help you behave next time?" He waved his pinky at her.

She spit at him, and then his face was suddenly right up to the bars, so close she could see the veins pop in his eyes as he flared blue fire from his nose. She shrank back in fear, desperately slapping at her head to extinguish the fire.

Aragon laughed from his belly. "There there, not to worry my dear. I'm sure we can fashion a wig for you. Get some rest, if you can."

He strode out of the room with pep in his step, and the guards tapped out the candles.

Now that it was too dark for anyone to see her, she let herself cry.

-5-

She had fallen asleep numerous times to wake up to nightmares of glowing red eyes and blue flames. Her hands stung something awful and she was in a cell with not just one but a dozen skeletons. She had no idea if they were the remains of humans or ghosts, but this wasn't fun anymore. Her stomach growled, her throat itched, and her eyes ached. She didn't consider herself spoiled, but she had never gone without food before, even in rebellion. It had been two days since he locked her in here, which meant that the wedding would be tomorrow.

She gulped, feeling a strong need for liquids. She felt nauseous from her own smell, having been forced to soil her clothes since no one would let her out. She cried again, and quickly mopped them up with her thumb to suck on.

She wasn't sure if she was even going to last until the wedding.

Oh well, she'd rather die than let him get his way with her. Or was there some way she could just go along with it, get a hot meal and somehow escape when the opportunity arose? No, he was too powerful; her singed scalp was evidence of that.

She was Sam Manson, too proud to admit defeat, too proud to be defeated. Right?

She heard a noise; the dungeon door creaked open as footsteps came down the wooden steps. A tiny light floated as if it were a will o' wisp.

"Go on, thief, get in 'er."

The key ring jingled as the guard pulled it from his belt, unlocking the rusty cell next to her. Someone was thrown in, and the cell was locked. The light went back from whence it came; she was sad to see it go.

Wait, there was still faint light.

She turned to face a pair of glowing green eyes. "Hey there," the young ghost said.

It was the glutton from the other day. "Ack, you scared me. Why did you get arrested?" She was shocked at her own voice, all hoarse and ruffed up.

"Just pilfering from their stores. They have so much food they should share, right? Yep, that gouda sure went well with the lamb, that's for sure." He rubbed his belly.

"Ah." She was too worn out to continue conversing, so she leaned against the bars that divided them. She was in too much pain to hope that she could just sleep and wake up in her bed to her hovering parents. Anywhere was better than here.

He shoved his hand through the bar, holding something. When she opened her hands, he dropped an apple in her hands. "I grow these myself, they're tasty. You're hungry right?"

Without questioning him, she quickly polished it off, even the core. Then the conspiracy theories hit her. "This wasn't some scheme was it?" Maybe he poisoned it.

He laughed, banging the side of the cell.

"Shh!" He didn't listen to her.

As she feared, she heard the dungeon door open again. Luckily, it was Dora. She walked up to her cell, revealing a face of sorrow lit by her small candle in its holder.

"Sam…you were right, about everything. Me being unhappy. I am sorry I brought you here, subjecting you to the same fate as myself." She bit the corner of her long sleeve.

With something in her belly she felt some energy return. "I'm not going to give up, Dora. I am not getting married to that control freak. If you really feel guilty, you'll help me get out of here."

Dora's eyes darted to the side. "I…I don't know about that. I'm not as strong as my brother."

"You have the same amulet right? Surely…"

Dora shook her head. "Even if I stand up to him, for me to beat him his powers must be taken from him. His amulet…and there's no way to get close to him."

Her dungeon companion spoke up. "That guy has some serious anger issues. We could use that to our advantage."

"Since when was it 'we'?" Sam said.

"Since you could use my help. And besides, I've overstayed my welcome." He grinned widely. "I'm really good at making trouble. Do you trust me?"

"I don't know you, why would I trust you? For all I know you're one of Aragon's men sent here to get me in trouble."

Dora sighed. "I let him in sometimes, my brother doesn't know about it. He leaves us apples in exchange so it's not like he's really stealing."

Sam blinked. "So you can think for yourself Dora." She turned back to the boy. "Okay sure, hit me." She didn't think what she did before would work anyway.

"So, we make him lose his head, and trust me I have the perfect plan for that, and then Dora fights an irrational Aragon, and then while she distracts him I can get the amulet, then it's in the bag."

"Um no it's not, I still need to get this thing off of me or I can't leave."

"I can take care of that," Dora said, pulling out a key. She unlocked her cell and walked in, then wrestled with the crown. Finally, it came off.

Sam rubbed at her head in joy; she definitely lost some hair. If she could estimate from the feel alone, she was once again rocking her middle school do. "Would it have killed you to do that earlier? Now that my circulation's not cut off anymore, spill the plan."

"So, what would make Aragon the angriest?" Danny asked them, blinking with wide eyes.

"You mean you don't know?" Sam said. She wanted to face palm.

"If he can't get what he wants?" Dora said. "But the last time that happened, he killed our parents!"

Danny grinned boyishly, unperturbed. "And he can't get married to someone who's already married."

"But I'm not mar-wait so we should lie?" She was good at those.

"Not lie per say, merely act out a little play?"

She liked how this kid operated.

-6-

They could see everything from the hole in the altar.

The reception hall was wide and grand, and decorations for the occasions adorned the walls. A sizeable roster of guests was seated like sardines on the pews, and a burgundy carpet roll lined the walkway from door to altar. A crystal chandelier hung in the room's center, shining with a soft glint from the candles it supported. Chattering was heard due to the event's delay; everything was ready but the bride.

Aragon was waiting with an elaborate costume, pacing back and forth. The soldiers appeared at the door, looking apprehensive.

Aragon stomped over to them, gesturing wildly with his pointer finger. "What are you doing here empty handed? Where is my bride?! And don't you dare tell me she died on me."

"She wasn't there, your highness. She must have escaped!"

"Escaped?! With the crown I made especially for this moment, she could not have escaped, only I can remove…Dora." Flames appeared around his body.

"He seems angry enough," Sam whispered, but Dora had already gotten in position.

She was shaking like a leaf, and her voice followed suit. "We-we have come here today, to celebrate the most auspicious moment in a ghost's life. The union of two souls."

"Shut up, Dora," Aragon said. "Tell me what you did with my bride. And since when did I give you permission to officiate the wedding?" Luckily, he was still on the other side of the room.

Without warning, Danny grabbed Sam's hand and somehow they went through the altar box and into the main hall.

The audience gasped. Aragon turned red and managed to puff out a few profanities. "What is the meaning of this?!"

Thanks to Dora's miracle workers, she had been changed into a gorgeous gothic gown, complete with a lacy veil and cross necklace. Danny held her in his arms as they floated in the air. With Aragon's eyes on them, Sam made every effort to look in love.

"Sam," Danny said, giving her a tender look. "I promise to always take care of you and cherish you as long as we live. Will you be my bride?"

She had gotten that A+ in Drama back in middle school for a reason. She thought of the lead male singer of Humpty Dumpty and felt a blush form on her cheeks. "I do."

"With that, you may kiss the bride!" Dora chirped out, and then jumped out of the way of a blast of fire from her brother.

She lifted her veil. Danny leaned her back and kissed her so deeply she forgot to breathe. He was cold and warm at the same time.

"You…you thief!" Aragon called out, his words echoing in the hall before they were drowned out by applause.

Danny let her down on the ground, and then smirked at the prince. "She's my bride now, what're you gonna do about it?"

Aragon howled, turning into a fearsome black dragon. "Not for long. I'll have your neck, and I'll take back my bride by force!"

Danny stuck out his tongue and wiggled his hands. He broke the window and led him outside, where they fought. Danny deftly avoided the streams of flames and shot out balls of green light. Were all ghosts so…strong?

"Hold onto my neck," Dora said, breaking her out of her trance. "We're going to stop my brother once and for all. He's destroyed too much."

Sam leaned on her back and grabbed her neck, then Dora transformed into a majestic blue dragon. She was now riding a dragon. "Woah, cool."

Dora laughed, and then flew off into the night sky.

After Dora had looked around, she swooped down to the lake where Aragon had Danny pinned down under his foot. She swiped at Aragon, catching him off guard. They both went up into the air and began blowing fire at each other that swirled in blues and greens as they intersected.

Aragon yelled, "How dare you not do what I say, sister? It's that girl's fault, filling your head with modern ideas! I should never have brought her here."

"Maybe you should listen to some of those ideas, Prince." Danny had managed to get to his neck and swipe the medallion.

Dora grabbed Aragon's arm as he shrunk back to his normal ghost form. From atop Dora, Sam looked down at him, smirking when he avoided her gaze. He was so fearsome when he had the upper hand, but now he was almost pitiful. Someone that cruel did not deserve pity, however.

"You are hereby no longer prince, my brother," Dora said, bringing him up to her face. "Your powers are no more!"

With a nod from Dora, Danny threw the medallion into the air and blasted it, causing it to melt.

"Noooo!" Aragon cried. With one puff from Dora, his crown fell off of his head and sunk into the lake beneath them.

Dora sighed, looking up to the cloudy sky. "And now, I suppose, it's time to leave the Dark Ages." She blew away the clouds, leaving a sunny sky in its wake.

Sam looked down at her wristwatch; time had begun to move again. She smiled.

-7-

Once they returned, Dora proclaimed herself queen and had Aragon locked up on charges of treason for killing the previous king and queen. She also formed an official alliance with Danny Phantom, the ghost who she had "married". His name suited him.

As soon as she got the chance, she took a medieval bath and then changed back into her normal attire. She was beyond done with her adventure in ghost world and ready to go kick back at Tucker's over a nice action-packed game of Doom II.

After the coronation party, she went up to Dora, who was sitting at the head of the table in a dark cherry wood chair lined with red cloth. "So, can you take me back now?"

Dora looked down and bit her lip. That was not a good sign. "I wish I could. That ring I had was what I used to go to your world in the first place, but it was only good enough for one trip. It's already shattered, and my brother had paid a fortune for it."

"…You mean you can't get me back?"

Danny walked over with a chicken leg in his hand, so she ran up to him. "Danny, tell me you know how to get me back to the Human Realm!"

"Human realm, what's that? Never heard of it." He resumed munching on the chicken leg.

"Blarhdgehd." She found herself suddenly speaking in tongues. "Where do you think humans come from, you dimwit?" She shook him after he had the nerve to give her a blank look.

Dora spoke up again. "But why would you want to go back? You just got married."

She and Danny looked at each other. "Um, that was so not for real."

Dora blinked at them. "I suppose that's understandable, you see, this kid's only been around for a decade or so. He doesn't know how things work around here. Anything witnessed by a gathering of three ghosts or more is fact. And I definitely married you in front of at least fifty." She shrugged off Sam's look of utter dismay.

A few ghosts stopped by and gave their congratulations.

"Great wedding."

"A human bride, that's a first."

"I'm gonna tell all my pals."

Danny gave her a look of apology, but she was too mad for that. No, she was beyond furious.

She wanted to kill them all.

It was all that pageant's fault.

And she hated pageants.

A/N: Come on, leave a review if you liked it so I can see who you are. Take care, and stop by my other stories if you run out of things to read. Tata for now!