Danny was taking a flight, something that had become a great way for him to relax before bed, as the sun dipped behind the concrete blocks and lit the clouds above Danny in its orange light. He swooped through the clock face atop the mall building, marvelling invisibly at the assortment of cogs and mechanisms that kept the clock ticking at all hours of the day that he would otherwise not be privy to.

Unfortunately, his peaceful flight was interrupted by a freezing sensation that caused a swirl of condensed air to materialise in front of his face. Danny shivered and span around apprehensively, awaiting a confrontation with a hostile ghost. He spotted a trio of glowing green vultures flying in and out of houses, accompanied by the screams of the unsuspecting folks in their homes. Danny rocketed towards the birds, and if he wasn't mistaken they were heading in the direction of Fenton Works. Maybe they just wanted to get to the Ghost Zone or something - perhaps Danny could just help them out without a fight.

"Can I help you?" Danny asked, perching on a rooftop next to the vultures and becoming translucent enough for them to see him but not enough for any humans to spot him without trying very hard.

"Finally, someone we can talk to," said one of the vultures, his fez tipping on his head like it was about to fall off. "You wouldn't happen to know the whereabouts of any halfas in the area, would you?"

Danny's face twisted into a quizzical expression laced with suspicion and fear. "Why do you want to find a halfa?"

"We have no nefarious intentions," stated another one of the vultures placatingly, "we merely wish to confirm the existence of another halfa to see if the rumours are true."

"Oh," Danny said blankly, "yeah, I'm a halfa."

"See, I told you we'd find him." The third vulture elbowed his companions before turning to Danny. "And what's your name?"

"Danny," Danny whispered, not wanting to risk anyone overhearing this conversation.

"Fenton?" the second vulture enquired, to which Danny nodded.

"How'd you know?"

The vulture waved him off. "We were given some information by our employer before coming here."

"Your employer?" Concern leaked into Danny's voice.

The first vulture whacked the second over the head. "You weren't meant to mention him, you moron." He focused back on Danny. "Nothing to worry about. We'll be taking our leave now."

Danny stayed crouched there for a moment longer as the vulture took off, then flew after them as they went in the opposite direction of Fenton Works.

"Don't you want to go to the Ghost Zone?"

The vultures stopped to ponder his question before the first, fez-wearing vulture replied, "that would be quicker. I don't fancy another three day long journey. Thank you young man, lead the way."

Danny led them back to Fenton Works, and through the ghost portal, with a quick explanation to his parents. He tried his best to sleep that night, but found himself reading at midnight in an attempt to quell his racing mind, filled with questions about their employer and why they needed to confirm the existence of a halfa, and of course, how they knew his surname.

Danny recounted the encounter with the vulture ghosts to Dash during their sparring session on Friday, which reminded him: "I'll be going to my parent's college reunion tomorrow - and apparently one of my parents' old college friends got hit by an active portal when they were in college, and Jazz says not to get my hopes up, but what if he's a halfa?"

Dash paused, forgetting that he was halfway through trying to punch at Danny's small Captain America-style shield. "I don't know, man. I'd have to agree with your sister - no one really knows how a human becomes a halfa, so for all we know it could just be wishful thinking. But it's still weird that those vulture ghosts' employer knew your name." It occurred to him that they were still sparring, and he went for some quick jabs at the shield, which barely affected Danny. "I know what it's like to want to have someone like you, so just, I guess, don't get carried away with your expectations or anything - it'll just hurt if he turns out not to be a halfa."

Danny nodded with a hint of disappointment lining the creases of his face, and Dash added on to his previous statement.

"But hey, it's not bad to hope."

The young halfa flew home after blowing off steam in his sparring session, and dropped into bed, changing back to human with a flash of light. He just about remembered to kick off his shoes before he lay there and refused to move until his mom came into the room to check on him.

"Danny, can you get changed into your pyjamas?" She lightly shook his shoulder, and smiled when he groaned and tried to wave her off.

"Come on Danny, you're not going to sleep in your day clothes are you?" Maddie put on a light hint of annoyance in her tone, which worked wonders for getting her son to perk up.

"Huh?" he said groggily, and pushed himself up into a sitting position. "Oh, right, sorry Mom." Danny looked down at his creased t-shirt and jeans, and rubbed the back of his neck.

His mother moved back over to the doorway, hand on the door handle. "Normally I'd have to remind you to go to sleep at a reasonable time, but I think you've got that covered. Just make sure to be ready to go by nine tomorrow morning. Good night, sweety."

"'Night Mom," said Danny as she closed his bedroom door with a soft click.

He threw on his pyjamas, washed and decided that he might as well read the last chapter or two of 'A Recent History of the Supernatural Community', pulling the thick hardback book from his bookshelf after a look at his alarm clock, which read 10:37 pm.

That night involved dreams of flying, desperately trying to catch up with a shadowy figure who always seemed to be just out of range to see clearly, and Danny awoke only when he went intangible to avoid a tree in his dream and ended up falling through the floor in real life.

"Oof." Danny landed on the dining table, knocking the air out of his lungs and catapulting Jazz's breakfast onto the floor.

"Jesus Christ, Danny!" Jazz exclaimed as the bowl smashed against the tiles, and Danny groaned as he lifted his head from the table.

"Sorry 'bout that," he said as he realised what had just happened. "Want me to clean up?" Danny slid off the table, checking its surface for damage, which he'd thankfully been too light to cause.

Jazz scowled and nodded, backing away when the clumps of pottery and oatmeal gained a green glow and floated into the bin. "Woah, how did you do that?" she asked Danny, eyes going from annoyed to amazed and wide as saucers in a matter of moments.

"Magic." Danny grinned at her from his perch on the edge of the table, and she remembered why she found her younger brother irritating, but was willing to let it slide since he was using his powers for good.

"What happened!?" Maddie burst into the room, clad in her pyjamas and a dressing gown, only to take in what seemed to be a relatively normal scene.

Danny rubbed the back of his neck. "I kinda fell through the ceiling...Oh, and we're one bowl down now."

Maddie blinked and look up at the intact ceiling, complete with its hanging light. This whole ghost powers thing was definitely taking some getting used to, especially when her son randomly passed through solid objects.

Jazz was collecting a new bowl from the cupboard, and it didn't take a genius to work out that the previous bowl was probably broken from Danny landing on it.

The Fenton family were all ready by 7:50, at which time Jack was bouncing by the door like a puppy ready to go for a walk.

Danny came out the door with another large book under his arm ('Wonders of Constellations' by Professor O. Ryan), and seated himself in the back of the RV, in one of the massive chair, decidedly built to suit their father rather than an average size person.

The engine of the RV jumped to life, and Jack Fenton's reckless driving led to them being flung out of the driveway and onto the suburban road with an uncomfortable amount of speed for the suburban area they were in.

The drive passed with loud country music, and the Fenton siblings indulging in their books (Jazz having borrowed 'A Recent History of the Supernatural Community' from her younger brother upon hearing that he'd finished it). Eventually Danny gave up trying to keep the book steady in his hands, and instead opted to levitate it in front of his face, which earned him a glance from his family.

"Seriously, I know halfas can use telekinesis, but since when did you know how to do it?" Jazz asked, placing her book down on her lap

Danny placed his bookmark in between the pages of his book and let it drift down to land in his hand. "I've been practicing it for the past few days. Sam helped quite a bit at first - she explained how she did magic, and so I used that to try and move stuff with ectoenergy. I basically surround the object with my energy, and I can control its movement."

Jazz nodded along, a slight twinge of jealousy spiking through her veins before she remembered the horrible experience he had to go through to get his powers, and it subsided a bit.

"How much can you move with telekinesis?" Jack enquired, his interest in the paranormal sparking behind his eyes.

"Uhh, I'm not sure," Danny said, "just light stuff right now, like books and stuff - but I know the Lunch Lady was able to move entire racks of plates and pans with telekinesis, so I have a ways to go."

Then Jazz got an idea of how to get him to stretch his abilities. "I'll bet you can't lift that bazooka," she challenged, pointing to a particularly large, metal Fenton bazooka at the back of the RV in a rack.

Danny cocked an eyebrow at her questioningly, and his eyes and hand glowed a vibrant green as the bazooka shakily rose up out of its supports. It dropped back into place after a few seconds, leaving Danny breathing heavily. He gave his sister a shit-eating grin, eyes no longer glowing. "Oh yeah?"

"Well done, little brother." She sat back in her seat. "My challenge was actually an incentive to get you to push your limits with your abilities, since you like to prove me wrong."

Danny huffed and crossed his arms. "Sure..." he drawled, lifting his book back into the air in front of his face.

"So, what's the underground community like?" Jazz attempted to start a conversation.

"Nice, I guess," Danny shrugged, clearly wanting to read his book rather than engaging in any more conversation with his sister. He sighed when he glanced around and noticed that his entire family seemed to be interested.

"Most of the community seem to either live in or spend time in the underground community hub. It's really cool - there are all sorts of supernatural beings, and there entire place is filled with glowing crystals-" He glanced at his book. "-which apparently change their appearance in coordination with the constellations above them. I was going to ask if you wanted to visit the underground market at the weekend, but y'know, we've got this, so maybe next week?"

He became increasingly animated as he talked about the community. Despite being a definitive part of it, it still felt like something out of a fantasy novel, and sometimes Danny had to pinch himself to remind himself that this was all real.

"How do you get to the market?" Maddie asked, looking in the mirror at her son.

Danny shrugged. "There are a few entrances that I've seen, but the one I've used is a tunnel that opens up from an alley when you touch the middle of a rune or something on the wall that only magical beings can see."

"Like Diagon Alley?" Jazz enquired.

"Huh? Yeah, I guess," Danny blinked in response. "That was kinda my first thought, but Sam insists that the real life supernatural community is nothing like in Harry Potter."

"Does Sam have a wand?" Jack Fenton looked like he was holding in a million questions, and Danny was glad that he had suppressed the urge to blurt them all out in one of his usual word vomits.

Danny shook his head, then remembered that his father had to look out the window (although with Mr Fenton's driving it was doubtful whether he actually paid any mind to his surroundings). "Nope. And witches and wizards are completely different: wizards are more like DnD wizards, like spells and flashy stuff, and witches are more aligned with herbology and charms. And then there are druids, but they're a whole different can of worms - they draw their magic from links to ancient magical beings, and I know that seers usually draw their magic from the spirit that oversees time."

"That's so cool!" Jack exclaimed. "Can anyone do magic?"

Danny approached his response carefully, well aware of how excited his father was. "Um, no, sorry, it's genetic I think." Jack sank in disappointment, and Danny quickly added on: "but you can still get wards and charmed items from the market."

This seemed to appease Jack enough for the spark to return to his eyes.

The rest of the journey involved an animated discussion about the supernatural community and Danny's status as a halfa, and the sun began to set as they reached their destination - the orange glow casting deep shadows into every crack and hole in the walls of the towering mansion in front of them.

"Remember: no talking about the supernatural community or my powers when we're in public," Danny gave a quick reminder to his family before any of them opened the doors, mostly being cautious of his dad's enthusiasm about the supernatural and magical.

The Fenton family climbed the short flight of stone stairs up to the grand hardwood doors, decorated with metal finishings and rounded handles. Jack's massive hand rapped against the panels of the dark door, sending echoes throughout the castle and the surrounding area.

A man dressed in an immaculate black suit, with a red napkin in the breast pocket for decoration opened the door within moments, as though he had been waiting right behind the door. He had a slight smile on his face, but Danny could of sworn that there was a look of hopefulness hidden in his expression.

"Heya V-man!" Jack greeted joyfully, and the suited man went to take a step back as Jack offered a hug.

"Hello Jack, Maddie." He had a silky smooth voice, with what sounded like he was trying to force a refined British accent. "And you two must be Jasmine and Daniel." Vlad looked past the Fenton parents to the children standing on the front steps.

"Um, it's Danny," the Fenton boy corrected, trying to be somewhat polite, and Vlad nodded in response.

"Of course my boy." Vlad stepped aside, allowing the family to enter his home. "The party does not start until tomorrow, but I would love it if you were to stay the night in my humble abode."

"I don't know, I don't want to tread on your toes, and we have a really cool RV," Jack trailed off slightly.

Jazz gave a faux sneeze in an attempt to mask her statement of "stay here", to which Danny replied with a sarcastic "smooth" which he drew out for emphasis.

Vlad raised an eyebrow at the sibling interaction before returning his focus to Jack. "You know, it's said that the original owner of this castle, the Wisconsin Dairy King, may still roam its halls as a ghost."

Jack's interest was sparked. "If you say so, I'll go and get our bags."

"I should go and make sure that he doesn't try and carry everything in one go. We don't want a repeat of the airport incident." Maddie turned to follow Jack. "I'll be right back."

Vlad grimaced. "Do I want to know how many people were injured in 'the airport incident'?"

Danny suppressed his gut feeling of wrongness about this man and being stuck alone with him, instead opting to answer his question. "Just three, but we're not allowed into the nearest airport to Amity Park anymore."

Vlad raised an eyebrow and glanced at the door where the Fenton parents were, a look of concern dancing across his features. "Well that's a lot less bad than I expected. I take it Jack's driving is as abysmal as ever too?" His tone was light, but a hint of distaste could be heard in the back of his voice.

Jazz nodded, looking uncomfortable at the mere mention of her dad's driving.

As if on cue, Jack and Maddie reentered the hallway, and Vlad directed them to put their bags down, leaving the housekeepers to move them to their respective rooms.

Danny's breath fogged in front of his eyes and he nudged Jazz, who gave him a concerned look as he scanned his surroundings for ghosts. A wrinkled old man with a light greenish tinge to his sun-spotted skin lifted a particularly heavy bag, and it looked almost as though his arms might fall off with the strain. Danny could have also sworn he could see the shapes of ectoplasmic birds dipping in through the ceiling.

"Oh dear, I didn't think it was that ghostly cold. Should I put on the heating?" asked Vlad, glancing inquisitively at the condensed air that was dissipating in front of Danny's face.

Danny gawked at his choice of words, and quickly rearranged his features into a more neutral expression. "It's fine, it's not too cold."

Vlad noticed Maddie and Jack again, tearing his focus away from the small boy with the icy breath. "Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?" he offered, and the Fenton family followed him into the dining hall. Danny and Jazz trailed behind a bit, whispering to each other.

"Ghostly cold," Danny mouthed to Jazz, who nodded but kept her composure, unlike Danny who was on the verge of whisper shouting.

"It might not mean anything Danny. What do you think triggered the...you know what?"

"A ghost," Danny deadpanned, his raised eyebrows conveying the rest of his theory about Vlad to Jazz.

Jazz crossed her arms. "It could just be the Dairy King."

Danny would have retorted if it weren't for the fact that they had now reached the dining room, which was somewhat similar to the one at Sam's house, but far more ornate and fancy, and with a larger table, and well, a larger and more of everything - especially candles, this man seemed to really like atmospheric candles.

The group seated themselves at the table, and Danny couldn't help the anxiety that swelled inside him. Vlad had to be a halfa, there was no other way to explain what had happened earlier.

Partway through the meal Jack decided it would be a great time for a heart to heart with his old college pal, and he lowered the rib that he'd been raising up to his mouth. "Um, Vlad, this is going to sound really out of the blue, but I'm sorry about the accident with the proto portal. I've been thinking about it, and it was my fault and I don't know how to make it up to you."

Jack seemed to shrink into his chair, while Vlad's mouth was agape, as though his jaw were dislocated. Tears pricked at his eyes. His entire false persona of politeness and restraint faded, and the family in front of him were privy to a broken man who wept tears openly, before wiping his puffy eyes and speaking in a strained and slightly cracking voice.

"Thank you. In all honesty I wasn't expecting an apology, and I'm equally sorry for isolating myself afterwards. I can only imagine the strain it must have placed on the two of you to not know how my condition was for the months in the hospital."

Vlad sat up straighter in his chair, regaining some of his earlier composure.

"For now, I would like to simply request that you and your children enjoy your stay here, and that we can catch up after all this time. After all, a lot can change in twenty years."

The hairs on the back of Danny's neck prickled at the surge of energy that came from the family friend and his core thrummed along with it, picking up the warmth that came his way. Could Danny sense emotions? Or was it something else?

The meal came to an end, however Danny had barely been able to make his way through the food on his plate, his nerves eating away at his appetite as the time went on.

Vlad guided them through the winding hallways and staircases up to their bedrooms, Maddie and Jack sharing a particularly large double bed, and Danny and Jazz each having their own rooms with single beds surrounded by curtains.

The figure of the grey haired billionaire stood in Danny's doorway as he unzipped his suitcase, giving a small cough to announce that he was still there. He looked uncertain as he walked over the threshold into the room, like he was just about ready to turn tail and leave.

"I would like to ask you about the earlier breath of condensed air you displayed earlier," Vlad enquired uncertainly.

"Uh, ghosts?" Danny replied, hoping that Vlad would read in between the lines.

"Indeed, my housekeeper, Mr Goole, is rather old, one might even say he was spectral in nature. And of course this house is home to a few vultures."

Danny bit his tongue. "Did the portal accident do anything to you other than ecto-acne?"

"I suppose it's time to let the proverbial cat out of the bag." Vlad closed the bedroom door behind him. "May I ask how your school lunches are?"

Danny gaped. "How'd you know about that?"

Vlad chuckled. "Word spreads quickly through the grapevine, and in your case, in not only one community, but two."

It was about time Danny took the plunge. "Are you, are you a halfa?"

Vlad nodded, smiling broadly from ear to ear and Danny's eyes widened and filled with a layer of tears.

"And I take it that you are too, if word of you introduction to the community wasn't enough to tell me that."

The tears leaked down Danny's cheeks. "Ha, I knew it! And Jazz said I was wrong!"

When silence greeted the younger halfa, he looked up to see the stunned expression on Vlad's face as he backed away. "Your family know?!" he exclaimed. "And they accepted you?"

Danny nodded. "Of course they did - they're my family. And..." Danny looked down at his shoes awkwardly. "And if you told them, I'm sure they'd accept you too."

Vlad was about ready to break down and sob. "Thank you, Danny."

The pair of halfas launched into a conversation about their experiences with being such, with Vlad pulling up a chair and Danny sitting on the edge of his bed on the crisp sheets.

"I built my own portal to the Ghost Zone after I gained sufficient funds to do so, building on your parent's design and incorporating magical elements to better bridge the gap," Vlad explained, and Danny listened intently. "I am now somewhat of an established figure among ghosts and employ many of them in my home and work. Of course, I am a ghost myself, as are you. Have you visited the Ghost Zone yet, my boy?"

Danny shook his head and spoke slowly, trying hard to voice his feelings. "I don't really think I'm a ghost, since I'm alive and all, and I was kinda busy with school and the community, so I haven't actually seen it." Danny rubbed the back of his neck, not wanting to admit that he was also afraid of entering the Ghost Zone, the green swirls of the portal bringing back an unpleasant memory that crawled under his skin with cold electricity.

Vlad tsked. "Remind me to introduce you to the Ghost Zone, halfas are half ghost after all, it's only natural for you to at least see the place."

"What's the Ghost Zone like?" Danny asked uncertainly, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end at the mere thought of the Zone.

Vlad hummed. "It's rather unorganised at the best of times. There are floating islands and doors in a green expanse. Groups of ghosts have formed communities on some of the larger islands, but most ghosts seem to be solitary or exist in pairs."

"There are communities of ghosts?" Danny sat upright with interest.

"Of course. Beings will band together regardless of the environment or specifics, whether it be for survival or companionship." Vlad waved his hand dismissively and pushed himself up off the chair. "Now, I would say that it is probably time for bed, wouldn't you say so?"

Danny looked like he was about to argued, then gave a large yawn that he was only just able to cover his mouth for.

"'Night," he said to Vlad as the older halfa closed the door.

"Good night Little Badger."

The sun drifted lazily onto Danny's face, impeded by the curtains that surrounded the bed. The sun, however, was not what woke him, rather the thumping of footsteps like a hoard of baby elephants.

Danny groaned and hauled himself out of bed, checking the time on his phone. He joined his parents in the hallway (Jack had realised that he'd been running in the wrong direction down the corridor and corrected his path to the dining room).

They emerged in the hall, where an oddly disheveled Vlad Masters greeted them. Bags hung under his eyes, and he wore more casual wear - just a shirt and formal trousers - which compared to his custom tailored suit was relatively normal. He guided the group into the dining room, and an unspoken apprehension passed between all members of the group, with the exception of Jazz, who entered the room shortly after them.

Vlad took his seat at the head of the table, and cleared his throat. "I would like to tell your family something rather significant about myself, but first I should ask whether you want me to tell you before or after breakfast."

No one spoke in response to this, and Vlad opted to get it over and done with.

"Well then. I suppose you remember the accident with the portal that gave me ecto-acne twenty years ago?" He directed the question at the Fenton parents.

Meanwhile Jazz's mind was racing at 100 mph, and her face betrayed her surprise and anticipation for the conformation of Danny's theory. She glanced over to her brother and noticed that he was nowhere near as excited as she would have expected, but of course Danny must already know.

Vlad watched as the cogs turned in both Maddie and Jack's heads until Maddie uttered, "like Danny's accident..."

The silver-haired man nodded. "The accident made me into a halfa. I was afraid to tell you for a long time because I was sure that you would despise the very thing that I had become, however, after a conversation with Danny, here, I have decided it best to inform you of my condition, as it were."

"Told you so," Danny muttered as he elbowed Jazz in the ribs. Jazz grimaced at her brother and said nothing. She never was good at being wrong, and it happened so infrequently she had never really confronted the feelings it dredged up.

Vlad chose to ignore this little sibling interaction. "I could show you my ghost form if you wish, but it would have to be in a more private part of the mansion - my personal library."

The Fentons followed him through the winding halls, with Jazz mumbling a little "and this doesn't seem at all like a horror film", until they reached a pair of tall doors, not unlike the ones at the entrance to the mansion. Doors opened up into a towering room that seemed to stretch on for further than the eye could see with a maze of bookshelves stacked higher than any human could reasonably reach, even with a ladder. Jazz's mouth dropped open at the display, and Danny fought to keep his composure so he could mock Jazz for it later.

Vlad walked over to the middle of the room and the doors closed behind them as the last of the family entered the room. He looked over the group apprehensively, noticing Danny's little thumbs up, and let black rings spring forth from his waist - sucking in the light around them as the polar opposite of Danny's own bright rings.

Jack sucked in a sharp breath as the rings split and travelled over the man in front of them, changing his appearance as it went, skin going from a tan to a bluish shade, like the frozen skin of a corpse. He lifted slightly off the ground as the rings finished their journey, leaving a white and red cape flowing behind him in a non-existent wind behind his pristine white suit with a black belt, gloves and boots. His pure red eyes scanned over their reactions, taking in the shocked faces of the Fenton family, even Danny.

Vlad landed in front of his guests, trying his best to appear non-threatening in his slow descent.

Jack was the one to break the silence with a question: "Why do you look so different in your ghost form when Danno just has a palette swap? Is it because of the impure ectoplasm from the portal?"

Vlad shook his head. "No, nothing of the sort. Ghosts are able to change their appearance, and I figured it would be best to have a ghostly appearance that is significantly different to my human one for safety reasons, and to be able to fit in better among ghosts - the majority of ghosts are only vaguely human-like in their appearance. Although, I am curious to see young Danny's ghost form now."

Danny blushed slightly under the attention that was now turned to him, and summoned the white rings to change him into his ghost form, bleaching his hair white in the opposite of Vlad's, which had turned his silver hair to coal black horn-like points.

"Is that what you were wearing when you became a halfa?" Vlad asked, cocking a thick eyebrow at the jumpsuit Danny had on.

"Uh, yeah," Danny responded, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Why'd you choose to look like a stereotypical vampire of all things though?" Jazz piped up from the back of the group, and Vlad scowled, not bothering to dignify that question with an answer.

"Moving on," he said, shifting back into his human form and gracefully landing on the thick carpet. "Would you like to have breakfast now?"

The rest of the morning was spent catching up, and Danny and Jazz chose to leave the room when the adults started excitedly talking about their college days. Vlad's smile seemed a lot more genuine than the forced one he had greeted them with when they first arrived, and Danny couldn't help but wonder whether it was because of the talk of nostalgic times or the fact that he had found another halfa. Danny was certainly happy to find someone like him, so he could only imagine the joy one would get from finding a fellow halfa after 20 years of waiting.

Vlad agreed to visit the Fenton's regularly, travelling between Wisconsin and Amity Park via his ghost portal, which he had hidden underground, with a secret passage leading to his lab, in order to spend time with the family and tutor Danny in the use of his ghostly powers and the Ghost Zone.

The party was just about as boring as you could expect from a group of middle-aged adults, and both Danny and Jazz hid themselves in the library until the party had finished - Jazz enjoying a book on the behaviourist approach of psychology and its applications in institutions, and Danny starting to read a book on the rise and fall of Pariah Dark, which Jazz insisted was not in English or any other language she could identify, before getting distracted and going off to say hi to the ghostly residents of the mansion.

By the time the party had ended, Danny had managed to befriend the majority of the ghosts in the castle, including the Dairy King, who he found to be a little odd, but otherwise good company. At some point in their conversation Danny had ended up being lectured about the different types of cheese with an exuberant amount of passion, and he just sat there and nodded along while the ghost rambled delightedly. It was sort of nice, even if he didn't have any idea about cheese. Honestly, the Dairy King's enthuthiasm somewhat reminded Danny of his dad, and he made a mental note to introduce the two of them at some time.

"Danny! Jazz!" Jack Fenton's booming voice broke up the conversation, and Danny bid the Dairy King a farewell, before flying through the walls and floors towards the source of the sound.

"Hey Dad, what's up?" Danny floated into the library just as Jazz came out from her hiding place in between the bookshelves.

Jack jumped at the sudden appearance of his children, but smiled broadly. "Your mother says that we should be leaving soon so we can get you home for school tomorrow. Are you two ready to go?"

"Yeah, I just need to go to the bathroom first." Danny dropped the the floor in his human form.

It wasn't long before the family said goodbye to their host, and made their way to the Fenton RV with the moon hanging over them with the emerging stars. Danny marveled at how much more visible the stars were out in the countryside than in the city of Amity Park, head twisting to the skies as he walked.

"Thanks for hosting this. Feel free to visit us at any time," Jack said as he released Vlad from one of his bone crushing hugs.

The businessman stumbled a bit and brushed the creases out of his suit. "Thank you." He gave a warm smile that accented the dark creases under each of his eyes.

• • •

"Danny? Are you awake?" A familiar voice poked through the fog of Danny's sleep, and he merely rolled over as much as the seat belt would permit.

Large hands lifted him from his reclined seat in the RV, the orange glow of the street lights shining through his eyelids. "Huh," he mumbled as he was carried from the vehicle in large strides, cracking open his eyes to see his father in his bright orange jumpsuit guiding him into the house.

The Fenton Works sign was unilluminated at this time of night, and a few wispy clouds drifted across the star-speckled sky.

Danny absentmindedly noted that the stars were far dimmer here than he had seen them earlier in the night, and the first few amber streaks dimmed them further than light pollution alone.

Jack continued to carry Danny's mostly limp body up the stairs, following Jazz, who had managed to wake up enough to walk into their home on her own, and placed Danny on his bed. It was too late (or early?) for Jack to concern himself with trying to get Danny to get changed into more suitable nightwear, and he whispered a "good night, I love you" before leaving Danny to rest.

Danny slipped back into the warm cloud of sleep, ignoring the early rays that gradually lightened the walls around him.

A trilling alarm ripped Danny begrudgingly from his bed, and he stumbled across the room to where his phone was yelling at him to wake up. He clicked the alarm off and flipped the phone shut. His aching spine protested against him having slept in the RV for the majority of the previous night, an ache that was reduced only slightly by stretching and having a cold shower.

Now somewhat more awake than before, Danny trudged down the staircase to the dining room, where he hardly noticed the lack of his dad in the room as he focused on grabbing his cereal.

"Cookie Crisp? Just how tired are you?" Jazz questioned, looking up from the book she was reading in front of her glass of orange juice.

Danny hummed through his mouthful of sugary cereal and swallowed before speaking. "I don't sleep well in a seat."

Jazz rolled her eyes. "I'm pretty sure you can sleep anywhere, but okay. You know it would be better to have a cereal that releases energy slowly throughout the day, like shredded wheat."

"Yeah, well, this is better for waking me up." Danny pointedly ignored his sister's advice and poured some more Cookie Crisp into his bowl.

"Good morning." Maddie walked over and sat down with her own bowl of cereal, donning her own slight bags under her eyes from the previous night of poor rest. "Looking forward to school?"

"Utterly thrilled," Danny deadpanned and shoveled another spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

Danny had a new spring in his step with the discovery of another halfa, and he felt like shouting with joy to his friends when he met them in the corridor, but restrained himself, instead telling them that he had great news to tell them later.

Sam and Tucker cocked their eyebrows, but didn't pursue it further, sensing the implicit message that it was something they couldn't talk about in public.

While they didn't pursue it, they did shoot occasional glances at the halfa, who seemed torn between excitement and exhaustion, and had instead simply resorted to doodling on a piece of paper he had torn out from his work book. Danny tried to recall the appearances of the ghosts he had met the last night, all the while struggling to listen to Mr Lancer's lecture.

Mr Lancer noticed this doodling, but decided to turn a blind eye to it instead of calling out the boy. It wasn't exactly a secret that Danny sometimes had trouble concentrating on work, and listening while doodling was far better than completely zoning out.

Lunch time eventually came and Danny dragged his friends off to an empty area of the courtyard by the teacher's car park. Trees stood guard around them while Danny explained in hushed tones what had happened over the weekend.

"Okay, so you guys know about the college reunion my parents took us to?"

Sam and Tucker nodded in confirmation, egging him on to continue his announcement.

"Well we got there, and it turns out that Vlad's," Danny lowered his voice to whisper the last words, "a halfa."

"Shut up man!" Tucker exclaimed, and Sam shot him a deadly look for possibly drawing attention to them.

Danny glanced around to check for eavesdroppers before continuing.

"Yeah, and he has a load of ghosts as servants at his mansion. He said he'd visit us, and tutor me with my powers. Oh, and he wants to introduce me to the Ghost Zone."

"Woah, that's awesome!" Sam joined in. "Do you think we could meet him too?"

Danny nodded enthusiastically. "'Course. I can text you when he comes around."

"Sounds cool." Tucker gave Danny a fist bump.

"Anyway, what do you guys think about the new Doomed update?" Sam forcefully changed the topic.

The trio settled down in the cafeteria to continue their discussion. Dash gave them a brief questioning glance when they entered halfway through the breaktime, but remained in his conversation with the A-listers.

Danny fumbled with his keys to unlock the front door after school. He could see the silhouettes of people inside the living room, as he pushed the door open.

"Hello Danno, guess who came to visit," Jack greeted, almost jumping up from the couch when he saw Danny entering the house.

Vlad was sitting on the remaining third of the couch next to Jack, while Maddie sat in an armchair opposite the two of them. The billionaire was wearing one of his typical suits as he sipped from a small cup of tea. A teapot with floral designs that Danny was not accustomed to seeing outside of the high up kitchen cupboard that housed the fine china that they never used sat on the coffee table between the seats.

"Good afternoon, Little Badger," said Vlad between sips of his tea. "We were just talking about you."

"Hi." Danny shut the door behind him and hesitantly asked. "What were you saying about me?"

Vlad hummed. "We were just discussing your halfa education. I was enquiring how to go about your tutoring. What would be convenient for you?"

"Uhh," Danny stalled, thinking about his answer. "Maybe after school or at weekends?"

"Of course." Vlad put down his empty teacup on his saucer. "Would you like to begin today, or on another date?"

"Um, I'll just put my bag in my room, then can we please start the tutoring today?" Danny edged towards the staircase, and hopped up the steps upon Vlad's nod. He stopped halfway up the steps and hesitantly spoke. "Oh, right, can my friends come around to meet you? Like, they're also part of the community."

Vlad's face twisted through a range of emotions, settling on a forced smile. "Why, of course. It would be good to meet the friend's who've introduced you to the supernatural world so far."

After dumping his bag by his bed, Danny pulled his phone out of his pocket and shot Sam and Tucker a quick text telling them that Vlad was there and they could visit. He then sprinted back down to the living room, where Vlad gestured him towards the remaining armchair around the coffee table.

Danny sat down, feeling the fabric of his jeans as a nervous habit.

"I would like to enquire to the extent of your current powers and knowledge before we start any training or tutoring," Vlad questioned.

Danny paused, unsure of what Vlad wanted to hear. "Well I can fly, turn invisible, intangible, make balls of ectoplasmic energy, shoot energy rays, make ectoplasmic shields and use telekinesis. And I've been to the underground market, and I've read the Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures, and A Recent History of the Supernatural Community."

"Hmm, good progress, especially considering considering how short of a time you've learned this in," Vlad praised, and Jack beamed at Vlad's words, while Danny rubbed the back of his neck.

The doorbell rang, interrupting the conversation.

"That'll be Sam and Tuck." Danny sprang up from his seat and answered the door. True to his word, Sam and Tucker were anxiously waiting outside the door.

"Hey dude, you good?" Tucker asked, to which Danny nodded and stepped aside to let them inside.

The newcomers' eyes darted around the room, settling on the older halfa seated next to Jack Fenton, with a warm, but stiff, smile to the duo. "Nice to meet you. You must be Danny's friends." Vlad extended a hand that Tucker happily shook, while Sam stood back and eyed the man skeptically from slightly further back.

Danny stepped closer, his anxious excitement nearly palpable, and Vlad answered the unspoken question.

"It would be best to begin your tutoring in the lab. Your friends may come along as long as they stay out of danger."

Vlad turned to Sam and Tucker. "I appreciate your presence and all you have done to aid Danny so far. If you don't mind me asking, what magical beings are you two. I'm afraid that I do not know how safe it would be for you to come into contact with ghost powers, as there are some magical beings that do not react well to those sorts of stuff."

"I'm a witch, Tucker's a werewolf. We're fine to be around Danny," Sam said, not leaving any room for argument.

"Very well then." Vlad was led by an exuberant Danny down to the basement, with Sam, Tucker, Maddie and Jack all staying nearer the entrance of the lab than the middle of the lab where the halfas were.

Danny and Vlad both shifted into their ghost forms, and the same wisp of cold air that always accompanied the presence of another ghost swirled from Danny's mouth.

Vlad raised an eyebrow at Danny's ghost sense. "I've been meaning to ask what that is."

"Uh, it's sort of my ghost sense. It happens whenever there's a ghost nearby," Danny answered, suddenly self conscious.

"Wait, don't you have that power?" Maddie enquired.

Vlad shook his head. "Alas, I don't. If I had to guess, I would say that I have a different elemental core to Danny, and as such, different core powers."

"Huh? What kind of core do you have?" Danny asked.

Vlad let flames burst up in the palm of his hand. "I have a fire core."

"Woah," Danny gaped at the small display of elemental power.

"Tell me, what core type do you have?" Vlad let the flames in his hand dissipate.

"Uhh, I don't really know. I guess my ghost sense feels cold, but what would that be?" Danny's face scrunched in confusion.

"If I had to make an informed guess, I would say that you have an ice core." Vlad rubbed his bearded chin. "In which case we will likely need the help of the Far Frozen to train your elemental powers."

"In the Ghost Zone?" Danny anxiously glanced at the portal's blast doors.

"Well of course," Vlad said nonchalantly.

"Can we go with you to the Ghost Zone?" Jack asked, bouncing up and down excitedly.

Vlad looked rather uncomfortable, looking over the cloak covering his shoulders to the portal. "I suppose, but I would recommend creating a vehicle to travel through the Zone as you can't fly. The Ghost Zone isn't exactly safe for humans."

"That's easy, we can just take the Specter Speeder!" Jack exclaimed. "Mads, did you hear that? We can go to the Ghost Zone!"

Maddie nodded with a broad smile, and placed a hand on her husband's arm. "I know, it'll be incredible."

While listening to the others chat, Danny processed Vlad's appearance. The man no longer had hair that turned up in horn-like spikes, but instead a loose ponytail with a few strands out of the tie. The ponytail appeared to move like a flame, small sparks and embers coming off of it and fading into nothingness within a metre of Vlad. He had scrapped his flowing cape in exchange for a red cloth that covered his shoulders and wrapped around the front like a very short poncho. Overall, he looked far more friendly, despite his pure red eyes, fanged teeth and pointed ears remaining the same as they had the last time Danny had seen Vlad's ghost half.

"Hey, Vlad, why'd you change your ghost form?" Danny enquired.

Vlad seemed slightly taken aback, and frowned slightly at the implication that he had a reason for it.

"It was about time for a change of wardrobe, nothing more."

"And it has nothing to do with Jazz calling you a vampire last time?"

Vlad scowled and pushed down a pink glow in his cheeks. "Nothing at all."

Danny snickered, and Vlad's expression softened, losing most of its defensive edge.

The rest of that session was spent working out future lessons, and it was decided that Danny would be entering the Ghost Zone after he had perfected telepathy and ectoenergy manipulation, despite his reluctance to go anywhere near the green swirls.

Vlad had also lent Danny some books on the history and cultures of the Ghost Zone, insisting that they were required reading for their journey. The books had a slight green glow to them, but were otherwise normal enough.

"Farewell" Vlad said as the portal doors opened, and the Fentons and Tucker responded with enthusiastic goodbyes. The vampiric halfa glided through the green swirls which rippled out from his form passing through them like jelly being poked.

Sam, Tucker and Danny sat in the latter's bedroom, surrounded by model rockets and glow-in-the-dark stars that adorned the ceiling in constellation patterns.

"He seems like a cool dude," said Tucker, sitting to the side on Danny's desk chair. "Kinda weird, but cool."

Sam glared holes at the carpet. "Something about him seems off to me."

Danny opened his mouth to argue in Vlad's defense, but Sam cut him off before he could start.

"He gives me similar vibes to the manipulative snobs at my parents' parties - all fake smiles and hidden intentions. I know it means a lot to you to find another halfa, but just be careful."

"Sam, he is a billionaire. What did you expect?" Tucker interjected, resulting in Sam turning her glare to him.

"I know, but something still seems off about him."

Danny sighed, and leaned forward on the edge of his bouncy mattress. "Just give him a chance, alright," he pleaded.

Sam caved. "Alright, alright." She raised her hands placatingly.