Author's Notes:

Here she is, the one you've all been waiting for... the next part of Cursings! (is met by crickets chirping) Well, to those of you who do read this, you have my eternal love for reviewing! Here, cookies for everyone! (cookie confetti) Anyway, this one doesn't have Glyn in it at all, and i think her name only shows up once, too. This one is about as canon as it'll get folks. Review if,n you liked it, or even if you didn't. Reviews make chapters come faster!

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Cursings

Starry Symphony

Danny sat upon the ridge that marked the center of Amityville Park. The richly green grass waved in the chill breeze, and the moon shone even in its sliver state. The stars glittered luminously on his dark hair, and the midnight sky made his blue eyes all the more bright.

He was sore from the unexpected battle with Skulker, and didn't want to invite any other Ghosts to attack. Otherwise he would be blowing off steam by flying high into the dark sky, pushing his limits of speed and agility. But he was grounded, not wanting to deal with an aerial battle with Valerie or anyone else, for that matter.

And there something he really didn't want to share, not with Tucker and especially not Sam. He was still recovering his strength from their close encounter with Plasmius a few months back. After that horrible catastrophe, some of his powers had been acting up. His ghostly wail was just fine, but the orb shot was, well, shot. He couldn't control it, or his phasing. It was like starting back at square one.

Gritting his teeth, he lay back in the cool grass. He wanted to punch something. It wasn't fair! He had worked so hard to control his powers, spent so much time practicing and preparing. And now, all it took was one chance battle with his arch enemy to mess everything up.

Danny's only comfort was that he had beaten Vlad for awhile, at least. His lab was in shambles, and the Ghost portal certainly destroyed or very damaged. What ever that machine had been, it had been fed too much power for it to fail as it did. He didn't understand much of the science, but he did know from his experience with the ecto-filter that some things needed their power levels to be controlled. But it was a small consolation, if any.

"Danny? Are you there?" Bolting upright, he looked down to see Sam at the foot of the hill. She was dressed in only her pajamas, and her hair was down. There was worry in her crystalline violet eyes. She climbed up the hill swiftly but carefully, and soon came to sit beside him. The dew didn't seem to bother her much, and she promptly plopped down.

"Hey Sam." He didn't quite know what to say. He wanted to tell her all the problems he was facing, but he also wanted to protect her from them. She already had enough to worry about, what with Glyn and all that; why add himself to that list?

In an eerie reflection of his thoughts, Sam spoke. "Danny, what's wrong? You've been acting odd since that thing with Vlad. I want to help." And with a flare of that spunk that so endeared her to him, she shoved his shoulder. "And you're not protecting me by not telling me. If anything, it'll come back and bite you if you need me in a Ghost battle. And don't laugh, it could happen."

But laughing was far from Danny's mind. Instead there was that unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was happening more and more often, anytime he was around Sam. All he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and watch the night sky together, just the two of them. Too much was already happening around them for that to be a possibility, but he couldn't stop his imagination. He wanted to kiss her, run his hands along her sides, to touch the smooth skin he knew lurked beneath her clothing. He wanted her, plain and simple.

But he couldn't. Not now, with all the chaos and problems they faced. Shaking his head, he tried to smile at her. "I know. I just… you know, didn't want you to get hurt because of me." She smiled at that, and arms akimbo, poked his shoulder.

"I am a self-respecting female who can beat your butt at sports and video games. I don't need your protection." But she relaxed, and completely out of character, looked at him with a different expression in her eyes. "But, it is nice to have."

Well, that obviously led to an awkward silence. Danny scratched his head and Sam had to look away, a blush as bright as a cherry gracing her cheeks. There were moments like this before High School, but now they were so much more frequent. It was like they couldn't get through a private conversation without ending up silent and embarrassed.

"Hehe, yeah… well, at least we wont have much to worry about. Skulker is going to be busy getting prepared for another show down, and most of the other Ghosts are safely in the Fenton Thermos or the Ghost zone. We should have some time just being us." Sam smiled foolishly at that, and Danny realized how his last statement has sounded. "Um – I meant the three of us, you know, you and me and Tucker." Rolling his eyes, Danny lay back in the grass again and sighed dejectedly. "You knew what I meant."

Sam smiled down at him before looking up into the starry sky, her raven hair blowing gently in the wind. "It would be nice to just be the three of us again. Like before any of this Ghost stuff. I miss hanging out at your house on Friday nights. I miss having the time to be bored. Don't get me wrong, all this is fun. Especially the flying." She smiled at him, a crooked angle upon her brow. "But it would be nice getting to be teenagers again, instead of having to lose you the Ghost fighting." Shrugging, Sam lay down, her shoulder gently touching Danny's.

Danny could have gotten angry. Did she think he didn't miss all that? But he couldn't. This was a confession, something he should treasure. Sam always stayed strong, making sure he did the right thing. With out her and Tucker, he probably would have become like Vlad. But they kept him one of the good guys. Turning to her, he placed his hand atop hers and smiled into her eyes. The sky was still that magic, majestic blue, and he wanted to share some of the magic.

"I know, Sam." And they spent the rest of the night there, watching the stars, smiling and laughing like it was still the good old days.

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Vlad paced on the upper floors of his provincial Wisconsin mansion. He had been completely cut off from the Ghost zone, and been forced to abort numerous plans. His Ghost portal was shot, and it would take a great deal of time and energy to fix it. Time he didn't have, sadly. He grimaced. That brought him to the foremost of his problems.

Danny still wasn't his puppet, and he had ruined his lab in the last attempt. The rest was just pomp and circumstance. He had failed this time, and it was possibly the largest setback of his long villainous career. But it wasn't the end. He just needed time.

But there was so much else to do! His life didn't revolve around the revenge; he had to watch stocks, keep his business running efficiently, and all sorts of mundane human things. Vlad just didn't have the recourses to continue both his human and Ghost operations, and only the human ones brought in money.

Moving down the stairs to his wrecked lab, Vlad shifted into his Ghost form, and lit a red energy orb to shed light on the path. He didn't see the ecto-shot; it was same color as his, only a shade or three darker. It blended in. Too late did he see the dark visage of his hidden opponent. He barely noticed the filament-like strands of glowing matter, even as they reached his body.

It was like a hundred volt of electricity beating through his veins, lighting him like a candle from within. It burned, but such was the pain that it shot icily through being, immobilizing and eliciting a strangled growl from paralyzed throat. Vlad new the Ghost-web well; he had ordered its creation as a Ghost capturing tool. He spent weeks pouring over its design. If he had known that a Ghost could do it, he would not have wasted the time. Yet another irritating problem, this smaller than the present opposition.

The ectoplasm wound itself around his body a few timed before webbing out, creating an eye puzzling, break-proof net. It was even better than his original. The glowing red matter burned soundlessly, a malicious vivid color that grated upon the senses. It was superbly done, he thought. If the shooter was who Vlad thought he was, it matched perfectly with the others personality.

"Ah, hello lad. I was hoping you would drop in. Alas, though! I am unable to act the host as I should." Vlad shrugged, as though completely unaware that he was talking to his attacker.

His jailer didn't say anything, and Vlad got the impression there was turmoil bubbling just below the surface. What on earth could cause such a strong internal struggle, for so simple a comment? He was used to giving out barbs, but never had he seen this reaction in the recipient.

"I release you of duty for this inaction." The voice that responded was stiff with ill-used formality, rough and clipped. It was the voice of a teenage male, Vlad predicted, unused to speech and conversation. At such an age, he now felt that his earlier assumption was correct. Grinning slightly, Vlad continued to speak in a courteous, calm tone.

"I have been wondering what to call you, young man, and I haven't the foggiest. I could call you Danny, but that wouldn't be accurate, would it?"

He hadn't expected the violent reaction that followed. Daniel had been able to take much more taunting before giving into rage; this one angered at the drop of a hat. Snarling viciously, he lunged towards the tied Plasmius. Hands in claws, but face still shadowed, he shot multiple red orbs and even a punch or two. Vlad had taken much worse, but the wrath in the attack was enough to startle him.

Then, as suddenly as he started his rampage, he stopped. Vlad heard the panting, and the other sat down heavily. In that moment, Vlad could see the resemblance between the copy and the original.

This new creature had mixed black and white hair, but the majority of it was grey. The body, which he had initially seen as thin, had thickened out, and would continue to gain muscle if the wide shoulders and long legs meant anything. His suit was indeed like the Phantom's, but the stylized English D had seemingly been smeared. It looked like old, much defamed blood.

Looking up, the boys eyes were suddenly clear to Vlad's sight. They were the same as the hair; splintered bits of red and brown, with that ancient blood color filling in the gaps. The eyes pulsed with darkness that threatened to escape, a red glow that boded ill for the entire world. In it, there seemed to be two separate sides to that fight, and, slowly, his panting stopped.

After a slight shiver, the young man stood, and now in the dim light of the hall, he towered over the fallen form of Vlad. The captured man noted with interest that the others eyes were now mostly blood and earth colored, the burning red only embers.

"I would be… unwise to call me by Danny, or even Daniel." He paused, grasping at words. " I would not advise calling me anything at this point beyond 'Shade.' As the mythical name for the remnant after a person has dies, I think it fits." Ah! So the boy was smart, just untutored! Vlad felt a spark of possibility blossom within his mind. Could he perhaps still use this lad to turn the tides upon his teenage rival?

"Shade? Yes I remember learning of those as a boy. The more undesirable parts of a soul left over from when the spirit itself has gone into the afterlife. I agree. It fits so very well, with you being a mere copy of the original Phantom. How droll." Vlad would have sworn that in those eyes there was a flare of bright, painful red. But just as fast it was gone.

"You are Vlad Plasmius, Vlad Masters to humans. You have knowledge of both humanity and the Ghost race. I need such knowledge. But I wish not to be your puppet," Vlad felt a moment of concern for the lad's words. He obviously had Danny's memory; would he be just as surly? "I have memory of not wanting this. But I also wish not to have you work under duress. It would create unsatisfactory results."

Vlad pondered at Shade's wording. Was the boy a robot, emotionless? The rage of moments ago seemed locked away. "Yes, it would not be good to hold the gun to a teachers head, figuratively speaking. One might nor like what's being taught." Shade nodded, obvious understanding in his movements.

"Indeed. So I will offer you this; I will set goals for myself. Every goal you help me accomplish, with your teaching, I will do one favor for you. I am free to leave at any time, and I can help you. If you try to take away my free will, the ingenuity and knowledge that I possess will be lost to you. Is this satisfactory?" Vlad nodded, a villainous smile creeping across his features. A willing student? Now this was what he had been dreaming off.

"It's a deal, young man."

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Yesh, his name... IS SHADE! All bow before the Gary-Stu name of awesomeness! Review, please, and I promise there will be more action... be it romantically, mentally, or just plain old fighting. Yeah, fighting is GOOD.