Ok so first of all i want to say i am so so so sorry for taking so damn long on updating. this chapter is more of a set up but there's a lot of info. this chapter is nice and long. and i'll try to get the next one out in a timely matter. in the mean time enjoy. i don't own DP!

Chapter 3

The Underworld

"Where the hell could that girl be!? Why haven't we found her yet!?" Lucifer yelled, furiously, at one of his gate keepers. Said demon flinched at the booming voice. "Sir, we are doing all we can. I've sent my best underlings to search for her. But nothing as come up yet. Her signature seems to be blocked so it makes it harder to find her location." Lucifer punched the arm of his thrown, then jumped to his feet.

The gate keeper cringed away, expecting some form of punishment to come his way. But when none came he chanced a glance and only saw the great demon god pacing back and forth deep in thought. "Sir, uh... if I may?" Lucifer looked up at him, his piercing yellow eyes promising torture. The smaller demon made sure not to look directly into his gods eyes. "Perhaps when your daughter left for the human world she masked her signature on purpose. Maybe she really doesn't want to be queen." "That is preposterous!" Roared Lucifer. "Ester. My daughter! Has been working hard these past few years to become the women she is now. She had been looking foreword to being in charge of the Underworld since she was a little demonlet. So tell me, Ragnar." He started getting in the others face. "Why now would she suddenly want NOTHING TO DO WITH HER CORONATION!?" The room was suddenly lit up as bright red flames sprang to life from the torches lining the walls of the great hall; Lucifers boundless temper showing in his power to control the flames of hell. The flames them selves, looking like they could almost reach the vaulted ceilings that reached over seventy feet high.

Ragnar shrank away from Lucifer and started shacking where he stood. After all, you should never oppose someone who was clearly of higher stature then you.

"Perhaps I could answer that question for you father." Two sets of eyes turned towards the third person in the room. One set yellow the other a dark blue. Lucifer straightened himself to his full hight and clasped his hand behind his back too look at his youngest son, Jasper. Regarding him with barely suppressed rage.

The boy was a pure blood demonlet with large, red horns, that poked out of the sides of his head and grow in a spiraled formation. His black skin a startling contrast to the boys bright orange eyes, and orange hair. Jasper was quite tall for his age, like his mother, and had an obsession with the steam punk design. A mixture of 1600's fashion and cogs and mechanisms. Being the youngest of his three children the boy was more inclined to go off on his own since there was less attention paid to him.

What with their father having to dealing with the two older siblings. Jasper was always the shrewd one. Always in the shadows; picking up on things that he shouldn't be getting into but was never caught in the act of snooping around. If he had been an only child. He would have been a force to be reckon with. Be that as it may, Jasper wouldn't be able to succeed the thrown unless misfortune fell upon Ester and Joseph, the middle child.

Lucifer was actually glad he was the youngest because even though he was extremely resourceful he was too much into causing mayhem and destruction, and wanted nothing more to see the human world burn in hells fire.

"And what, prey tell, would you know Jasper, that could possible help the situation boy?" Jasper pushed off the wall he was leaning against and strolled over with his hands loosing clasped behind him. At this point Ragnar backed off so as to not be the center of any more attention.

"Well, father; my dear sister, before she left in the middle of the night a few days ago. Was ranting on about how you have been rather unfair to her lately. It seems you may have been the cause of her loosing sight of what it important. And has taken it upon herself to fulfill what's only important to her." Jasper glances at his father with a pointed expression. "Not once thinking about what the consequences could be for her actions." Said Jasper as he stood to his full hight in front of his father a now bored look about his face as he examined a fingernail. The boy just barely reached Lucifers chin at six feet tall.

Lucifer looked down at his son, wearily. He knew Jasper liked playing games to his advantage. Especially when he could pit family members against each other. "What exactly did she say, Jasper." Looking up, the young hell spawn merely regarded his father before moving to sit on the steps of the citadel that lead to the thrown. "Well, it was something to the effect of, 'I'm tired of dad treating me like I'm 112, I can take care of my self!'" Lucifer narrowed his eyes at his son. But knew well enough to keep how suspicious he was from showing on his face. "Anything else?"

Jasper continued to make eye contact with his father for a full few minutes, then leaned back against the steps as if he owned the room. "Well, Father. The last thing she said before hopping through the portal was that she planned on not coming back. I don't suppose you realized that she really didn't want to be queen.." He then leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "I guess we may have to start making preparations for the next in line?"

"No." Lucifer walked over to Jasper and stood over him with his arms crossed. A displeased look on his face. It amazed him how his youngest could be so driven to become the next king even if it meant going to great lengths to procure his position. "Joseph is not fit, the boy lacks the will power and only thinks about the here and now rather then what's ahead of him." His son looked up at him with his eye brows raised. "Well then I guess that just leaves little old me. Though I am still too young and won't be starting my lessons for another year. By then it would be too late and the human world would be in jeopardy."

"You're right son, you are not ready and by far the most dangerous of the three of you, if we were to start preparing you now both this and the human world would be in jeopardy. You lack any mural and only wish the see others suffer." Jasper glared at his father; venom in his stare as he got to his feet "How dare you! At least I have the will to want to rule. You on the other hand only coddle Ester and especially Joseph!"

In his anger Jasper's true form came forward. Great black feathered wings sprouting from his back. The horns on his head growing in tighter spirals, now red at the tips; like the color of blood. His barbed tail sporting needle like spikes along its length. His orange eyes glowing brightly. "You mock our family line with your crack pot ways old-" There was a resounding crack that echoed across the room. Effectively silencing Jasper as he was sent reeling several feet back. "YOU WILL NOT DISRESPECT ME BOY!" Roared Lucifer, his tail held still like a whip after having used it like so. Jasper glared up at his father from where he was now laid out on the floor. Now holding his face where a small rivulet of blood was running through his fingers. "We will find Ester, and we will bring her back home!" With that he stormed out the room in a flory of fire.

Jasper growled in anger as he sat up. Looking around he spotted Ragnar the head servant that worked for his father. The lesser demon was currently pressing himself against the wall in an attempt to blend in with it. A smile spread across Jaspers face as a wonderful idea came to him. "Ragnar! Come here!" he watched with amusement as the demon jumped and quickly made his way over. "Yes sir. What is it that you need me to do?" Getting up, Jasper brushed himself off making sure there was no blood on his shirt. Black on white linen did not bode well with him. "Ragnar, I have a job for you. I want you to find your best spawns and set them out to search for my dear sister." "But sir I alread-" "Let me finish!" Ragnar flinched but stayed silent. "Yes I know you already have them searching for her. But what I want you to do is tell them to keep father from ever finding her. Have them take over whoever has her and keep her guarded. Once Father realizes that Ester 'doesn't want to be found' he will give up and start training me instead." "But sir, if I may ask, what if your plan doesn't work?" Jasper smiled a sharp toothy smile in obvious glee. "Oh it will work. I trust you won't let me down." with that he too left the great hall in flurry of green flames.

Days later in the human world.

"Jack I really don't think locking-" "Maddie that ghost is a danger to everyone and sending her back to the ghost zone would just create an even bigger problem when she come back with an army." He said as he typed in the key code to the secret Fenton Ghost Containment room. It had been put in next to the weapons volt.

Ever since the kids had left they had more money to pour into other things. The current prisoner being the demoness who was screaming and carrying on behind the 12 inch thick ectoranium infused steal door. "That thing is no ghost, it's a demon, and it's the greatest find we have ever come across." Maddie frowned at her husband. "But Jack, Ester didn't do anything to warrant for us to lock her up. I mean yeah she scared an old man and his dog. Considering the way she looks... She keeps yelling about someone named Lucifer, and last I check, that was one of the many names that Satan went by. Are you sure it's wise to keep her from going home?" Jack waved off her question as he moved to one of the work benches. "Maddie, you worry to much." He said as he started tinkering with one of their many new inventions.

However on the other side of the door, Ester could hear the husband and wife talking, and was getting more and more upset at how insulting the old man- Jack, was being. The women; Maddie, at least seemed to be on her side; giving her the benefit of the doubt. She at least has been able to talk to her for a short time before Jack intervened.

Ever since then she had been trying to gain access to Maddie's mind in order to establish a sort of mental link with the women. To communicate with the women. But for the past few days it seemed futile. Like there was something blocking her. Ever since they brought her back here; to this room, Jack had been taking "sample" from her to examine. They had locked her away in this round room, and strapped her down to a table with tubes and wires sticking out of her at all angles.

In her current weak state Ester wasn't able to keep her more human form. Her horns were much longer, her teeth sharper, and her tail had spikes all the way down its length. The barb at the end looking deadly. Her skin no longer had the sun tanned look to it, but more of a blood red and her eyes where a deep blue. Her raven colored hair laid out about her head like a black halo.

Remember a one sided conversation that happened yesterday she recalled Maddie making an off handed comment that all the tubes and wires were to help keep her stable; since her core had been damaged. Ester knew that the little tidbit of information was meant for her to hear, since it went completely ignored by the women's bitter husband.

After the umpteenth time of trying to break the bond holding her captive, Ester leaned her head back tiredly and looked back up at the ceiling. "Father was right." She sighed. "The human world is not the place for someone who has no business being in it. I really do hope Maddie can get me back to normal, so I can go home."

Back to the present.

The night had turned dark and rainy over the city of Elmerton. Where the house of a certain Halfa was located. Said house was dark inside, say for a lone computer screen that shown brightly onto the face of the one and only Danny Fenton, working hard on the next novel to his best selling series "The 'Afterlife' and Times of The Phantom."

A few hours had gone by since he had that argument with his boyfriend, Colin. In that time he had gotten a lot done for his next novel. This one being about the time Danny Phantom had to fight a ghost who called himself Undergrowth, and keep the ghost from taking control of the world. All while dealing with his new ice powers and trying to take his town back without harming his friend 'Sarah' in the process. In the story Undergrowth had taken the town hostage and was using all the people as nutrients for his "Children." During all of this the ghost had taken Sarah as his queen since she was an ultra-recyclable vegetarian and was dubbed fit for the role.

For the stories, since he had to smudge some of the details, made it so he was hull ghost, and had changed the names of his friends and some of the other people that he included. Sam was Sarah, Tucker was Troy, and so on.

It honestly amazed him how people still haven't figured out that he was The Phantom of the books he'd been writing.

Looking up from his laptop, Danny rubbed the tiredness out of his eyes and looked around the dark living room. "Jesus, when did it get so dark?" mumbles Danny as he looked at the clock that was situated on the wall between the arch way to the kitchen and the stairway to the second floor. The clock read 11:34. Way too late when he had a meeting with his publicist the next morning.

Looking back to his computer he saved and sent his latest work to Stacy, said publicist, and shut it down before getting up. Stretching, his back cracked in several places, then he floated over to the kitchen when he realized just how hungry he was. Then he wince when he realized he never made dinner for Colin and himself. "Great," he said as he flipped on the light, "Another reason for Colin to be vindictive about things." Grumbled Danny as he flew over to the counter. Getting a bowl down from the cupboard he floated over to the pantry and got out a box of frosted flakes, not bothering to open the door as he went through it. Getting the milk from the fridge he poured himself a bowl of cereal and sat down at the kitchen table.

After a moment he paused and looked around his kitchen. It was large but had a homey feel to it. There was lots of counter space with a rap around bar. The floors where hard wood, with a rug in the center where the table was situation; where he was seated. The five other chairs empty. They rarely had anyone over. In the three years that he lived here with Colin, the last people to actually set foot here where Sam and Tucker and his publicist.

Danny put his spoon down; no longer having an appetite.

This place didn't feel like a home anymore; just a place he lived in. Before, when they had first moved in together, Danny had already been living here. They had people over all the time; friends, Colin's family, ghosts- (when no one else was around,) his sister. Now the place just seemed dark, foreboding. But he couldn't leave, not since he found out that Vlad had something to do with him meeting Colin, and knowing that Vlad was involved meant that Vlad was planning things that involved him mother. He also missed his friends; the feeling of freedom just felt so fleeting.

He couldn't say he missed his family; the reason he left in the first place was because he couldn't deal with how his father started treating him after he found out he was gay. He could say he missed him mother though. He would protect her in a heart beat, even if he wasn't physically there anymore. He remembered when Vlad had actually tracked him down a few years back, having been the only one who actually knew right where to find him. He was pissed about that; instantly going to fight mode when the guy showed up one day out of the blue. He had been home alone in the kitchen cooking when the ass teleported to the middle of the room, scaring the shit out of him.

Of course Vlad had only been there to talk, and it took a whopping 30 minutes for him to shut Danny up long enough to listen to him. That day was the day he found out just how broken his family really was, and he couldn't help but blame himself for all of it. His father had become bitter and angry, his mother was trying desperately to keep their marriage going, and his sister was traveling around the world to keep herself busy and almost unreachable. Only he, Sam and Tucker actually had a direct line to her.

Vlad actually told him that his mother had asked him to track Danny down, and that Vlad had been getting close to his mother for her sake. Danny didn't believe him though, at first. But when Vlad got him to agree to actually have a conversation with his mother over the phone, he could hear it in her voice. How sad she sounded.

It pulled at his heart terribly.

But still, there was a part of him that felt like it was all a hoax, that Vlad had come up with an elaborate scheme to mess with him. So he stayed away regardless of what his mother wanted. After some more arguing with Vlad they eventually came to an agreement. That Vlad kept his whereabouts a secret, if he would allow him to keep an eye on his mother for him. Vlad was pissed but he reluctantly agreed and left. But not without popping it unannounced every once in a while. Looking up, Danny glanced around the kitchen for a moment almost expecting him to show up. But he knew he wouldn't, hadn't for quite some time. "I wonder if he even knows about Colin's anger issues." Getting up from the table he emptied out the bowl and put it in the sink.

Thats when he remembered his his unexpected meeting with Dash earlier today, and the plans he made with him for this weekend.

A small smile appeared on his face.

He couldn't wait for Friday and it was only Monday; he was excited, to say the least, and he was getting to catch up with an old classmate. Albeit a bully, but the guy seemed to be different now. There was still that nervousness he felt though; Colin could find out, could get really pissed. But that didn't make him stop the plans from happening. Even with that thought the smile still didn't leave his face as he floated out of the kitchen; turning off the light on the way, and up the stairs. Landing soundlessly in front of the door to their room he went to turn the knob and go in only to lean into a door that didn't open. "What the..." He tried to door again only to confirm it really was locked. Sighing indignantly he went intangible and invisible and looked in. He could see Colin sleeping soundly in their bed. Making a face Danny floated over to the closet got dressed in some night clothes them floated soundlessly out of the room. "Guess I'm sleeping in the guest room." Mumbled Danny as he went to the other room, somewhat glad that he never told Colin about his ghost powers.

There was only a few people who knew about it and he wanted to keep it that way.