Chapter Two: Arrival

Danny ran to his room, plopping down in front of his computer. Turning it on, he tapped his fingers impatiently. A few minutes later, he was looking guiltily at his friends' faces.

Sam glanced at her watch. "New record: you're only fifteen minutes late."

He winced. "Sorry. Vlad showed up for dinner and I couldn't get away from my parents."

"Did they leave yet?"

"Yeah, taking Vlad with, thank goodness. Are you guys ready?"

"That depends, do you have everything, Tucker?" Sam asked.

He looked offended. "Of course! Everything is wrapped and packed and my folks are out at dinner." He frowned. "Isn't this security kinda overboard? I mean, it's just a party."

"In the Ghost Zone! My parents can't know, your parents can't know. If they did, not only would my identity be blown, but we would never see each other again!"

"Fine, fine. I'm ready the. I'll be over in, like, ten minutes."

"Ditto. See you, Danny."

Sitting back, Danny wondered why they had even decided to go: this sure was a lot of cover up, just for a party. Of course, the other choice was to be set upon by tons of ghost hunting technology and eight or so angry ghosts.

Sam, Tucker, and Danny stood right outside the Fenton Portal, Danny as Danny Phantom.

"Specter Speeder?" Sam asked, dressed in a new black dress. It was plain, but Danny thought she couldn't have chosen a more beautiful gown.

Shaking his head, Danny looked over at the Specter Speeder. His dad had been making more upgrades, so it looked new and shiny. He knew that if there was even one scratch, his parents would know. It was a dangerous bet to take it back into the Ghost Zone so soon, but Danny's ghostly strength had its limits, and they had quite a few packages with them.

He sighed. "Fine. You guys have to take the blame if something happens, though."

Soon they were flying through the Ghost Zone, headed straight for Skulker's Island. Skulker's Island is a huge rock not too far from the Fenton Portal. It's covered in trees, and normally traps, ready to spring on the unsuspecting ghost. Or human, thought Danny, remembering when Skulker had brought him and Valerie to the island, hoping for a good chase and then catch. His plan had backfired, though, as Valerie and Danny easily outsmarted the hunter. Apparently, the territory didn't completely fulfill Skulker's obsession with hunting, even though its aura drew animal ghosts and weaker ghosts toward it.

Today, however, it wasn't a dark place. It was lit up all over in the center, bright red, green, and blue lights showing where the party was to take place.

Tucker stared at the display, his jaw dropping as they landed. "Wow, Ember really went all out! I mean, look at those trees!"

"Yeah, she has been known to show a creative side once in a while. Come on, we'd better get out." Carrying their gifts to a table that already had a large pile, the three peered around.

"Where is everybody? Don't tell me this is a trap." Sam put her hands on her hips, her glare threatening the very trees.

Tucker pointed somewhere through the forest. "No! Listen! I can hear something from over there!"

Danny stood for a second, his heightened hearing easily deciphering the sound. It was music, a guitar to be precise. "Ember's playing something. You guys better get out the Fenton Phones." Once they had, he led the way to another clearing, where a makeshift stage was set up. Ember was up there, finishing a solo, while the other ghosts milled around, snacking on provided hors d'oeuvres.

Tucker took one look at the food and was off. "I'll be at the snacks!"

"Like we didn't know that."

"Hey Dipstick! You and your girlfriend are late!"

"Hey no-hit wonder. What happened to the center of the island?"

She made a face, her fiery blue hair twitching irritably. "Skulker said my guitar was going to scare all his prey away, and he wanted to get some hunting in before he came the party. Like he's going to catch anything. He hasn't caught you yet,and he's been trying for years!"

Sam snorted. "And you have?"

"I'm not a hunter, I'm a rock star! And my music has beaten your little boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend!"

"Oh yeah? Then why was that love spell so effective on him?"

Danny edged away, hoping to stay out of the way. When Sam got angry, you want to avoid her. Or agree with her, and Ember wasn't doing either of those for a while. He sighed. There goes my non-violent New Year...

"Kiel vi fartas, Amiko?" How are you, friend?

"Wulf! I'm good, I mean, Mi fartas bone, kio pri vi?" I'm fine, how about you?

"Tre bona." Very good.

"Alright! Skulker's back!"

Danny and Wulf looked up. Ember and her boyfriend were up on the stage. Ember had the microphone in her hand, her face excited.

"We can move back to the lit clearing now. We better open stuff too, the Box Ghost won't stop pestering me," she added as an afterthought. "Come on, three hours till midnight!" She jumped down, pressing a button to collapse the stage.

Yay! Presents next! Don't worry, I won't go through them all, that would take too long, and this thing was supposed to be done already... and I have to work on Captured? as well, I leat another cliffhanger. I have got to stop doing that... oh well. Happy New Year! Have fun watching the ball drop, drinking sparkling wine, blowing those horn things, wearing weird 2013 glasses, and fuming because your mother won't let you go to your friend's party. Not that I do all those things. Nope. Not at all.