Um...ahem I'd like to say that I'm really sorry...this was supposed to be up a week and a half ago...but due to MORE internes issues and a sudden change in schedule...it just took a LOT longer than I thought it would! I"m sooo sorry guys!

Here's more! Please comment!

Danny could tell almost immediately the ghost was female. She walked delicately, almost wistfully, and looked as transparent as the mist that had so recently shrouded the deepening blackness of the oncoming night that continued descend apon the lake. The only thing that assured him she was indeed the ghost he had sensed, was the fact that the mist had dissipated in a strong wind that had blown in only minutes before, and no other traces of the mist could even be seen now…except for the figure. Danny had never seen the weather change so quickly in his life. One minute a calm breeze blew every now and then, if at all, and the next, this gale came thundering down on him. Did it have something to do with the ghost? He doubted it, but then again, he didn't know.

As he approached the figure, her misty form began to show some color. Black hair piled messily onto her head as long stray strands blew in the wind…and dark skin apparent in even the fading light. His heart beat hard, if irregularly, breaking the usual quiet that most often accompanied his ghost form. Had he been right after all? Had Alesha brought his sister here? Was this really her? He didn't dare believe, although he couldn't help but hope.

He flew closer, slowing down so as not to alert her to his presence. While most humans seemed to be completely oblivious to him when he flew by, some ghosts seemed to be able to hear him as much as if he walked on hard wood in human form.

A lump began to form in his throat, and time seemed to slow down to an agonizingly slow pace. He'd only been a few hundred yards away…why hadn't he reached her yet? Was she traveling at a deceptively fast speed that he couldn't see? But that didn't make sense, did it? With a shake of his head, he decided not to pursue that particular train of thought, and flew on.

After what seemed like forever, he finally came within a few yards of her, wondering why she couldn't hear his thunderous heartbeat over the strong wind. She seemed unaware of his presence, and continued to tread the air as if walking on solid ground, never making a hint that she would turn around.

After several seconds of composing himself, he examined her more closely. Her hair looked as if she'd styled it, and then left it for days, if not longer. More than one large patch of loose hair twisted and turned delicately in the wind, but to this, she also seemed oblivious. She wore tan Capri's and a blue shirt over black slip-on shoes. He'd never seen Alesha look like this…if this really was his former friend, why would she change her look all of a sudden?

For a second his anticipation dropped, but never completely fell. He still felt the flame of hope burn within him…diminished, but there none the less--and even if it wasn't her, she might be able to help him. 'This could be her though' he insisted to himself, although the more he thought about it, the more he doubted it. Nevertheless, he hid his hand behind his back, and got ready to throw an ectoplasmic blast at her…just in case she was hostile.

Then he cleared his throat.

"Excuse me…." He jumped when she shrieked and spun around to face him. Then she jumped back with another yelp the moment she saw him, which didn't help his own jittery mood.

He floated there, looking at this ghost, holding his hand up threateningly, willing it to glow with the seeping cold that accompanied all of his powers, and faced this ghost.

Now his hopes fell. She looked a lot like Alesha, but at least 20 years older, and with subtle differences in her features. No…it wasn't her, he sighed.

"Wh-who are you?" she stuttered. Danny realized he still held the ectoplasmic ball in his hands, ready to throw. Instantly he let it fade, and dropped his arm while attempting a weak smile.

"Er…sorry about that," he forced a laugh. "I'm Danny Phantom…who are you?"

She seemed confused for a minute, and answered very slowly. "I…I-I don't know."

Danny's eyes widened in surprise. "You don't know? Do you have amnesia or something?"

"Er…I guess," she shrugged, the look of scared confusion never leaving her face. "How can you float like that?" she gulped and pointed to his feet.

He blinked at her, and looked down, only to see the ocean at least fifty feet below both of them, and then looked back at her, now mirroring her look of bewilderment.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "We're both floating." At this, she gave him a double take, and looked down, only to look back at him with a calmer and slightly angry expression.

"What do YOU mean, young man?" She gestured towards her feet as if to point out the obvious. "I'm standing on this beach that I've been walking along…for…" she suddenly stopped and her face took on a contemplative look. "Well…a long time," she nodded and her former glare returned.

"Look," Danny started, but just shook his head with a sigh. She didn't seem to know about her current…situation, and she certainly didn't act like most of the ghosts he'd met. Frankly, though, he still couldn't be sure as to how stable she really was, so he would ask her about Alesha first, and tell her about her own passing later. Why did that sound so cowardly though?

"Never mind," he said finally. "I'm looking for a girl…er…who looks like you, but…uh…smaller." He forced a grin and rubbed the back of his neck. "Has anyone come by lately?"

She shook her head. "You're the first person I've met…well…since I started along the beach."

Danny cocked his head. "How long have you been walking?"

She shrugged. "I don't really remember. It's all kind of a blur."

"Oh," Danny sighed. "Well, since you haven't…I…I mean…" he paused for several moments before continuing. "I gotta tell you something." He braced himself for an explosion, not sure how she would take the news of her death, but he felt he had to tell her before he left. "Um…I'm a ghost. Well, half ghost, but that's a long story. And…er…well, you're a ghost too." She blinked at him for several seconds before shaking her head.

"Right. So, what…I'm dead?" Danny bit his lip and nodded. She simply rolled her eyes and turned her back on him. He stared after her for several seconds before a glare settled onto his features. "Hey, what's the last thing you remember before you started this 'walk'?" he challenged.

"A bright light," she said non-chalantly, not even bothering to look back at him. Danny suddenly felt the cold feeling that reminded him of ice in the pit of his stomach come back.

He gulped. "And a lighthouse?"

She stopped and turned slowly towards him again. "How did you know that?"

"Do the names Alesha and Brian mean anything to you?"

She shook her head. "Vaguely…"

"How about Lars and Marsha?" Danny croaked. Suddenly his voice wouldn't work for him.

"My…Masrha? Lars…and John…" she put her hand to her head, trying to recall the information that obviously teased the edge of her consciousness.

"Is…your name Nora?" he whispered to her.

Suddenly her eyes flashed brightly, only for a few seconds, but enough for Danny to back away. Then she gasped and looked around as if seeing her surroundings for the first time.

"You okay?" Danny asked slowly. She didn't answer but sank to her knees, resting on the ground that only she could see.

"Nora" she whispered, "I…so long…" her eyes turned up to look at Danny as if she hadn't been talking to him for the last several minutes. The painful shock showing through the vibrant green caused him to flinch, but he didn't back away again. "I really am dead…aren't I?" Danny bit his lip and looked away. He still remembered the horrible feeling he'd had when he realized he was half-ghost--half-dead--but at least he still lived. She didn't have that luxury, now cursed to remain in an endless state of an obsessive shadow of her former life.

He couldn't look at her for several minutes after that. He really couldn't imagine what it felt like to realize that you were dead--completely dead--and he was sure he didn't want to know yet, so he continued to stare awkwardly and silently at the uneven cliff face. He didn't look back until he heard her sobbing, and turned to see her faintly glowing figure shaking with the sobs that drifted towards him on the wind.

Not really knowing what else to do, he flew towards her, floating up next to her, and folding his legs to wait until she finished. It somehow felt inappropriate to want to stop her, so he sat quietly.

After several seconds, he felt her head on his shoulder, and it took all the willpower he could muster to not flinch. It was like having his own mother come and ask him for comfort…and that thought scared him in more ways than one. Still, he didn't have the heart to move away from her and cut into her mourning, so he sat with his eyes forward as the world around him finally faded to the blackness of night.