(Hello. Thanks to everyone for all the great reviews! I'll try to make this chapter as good as the last few. Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. Hope you enjoy!)

The Ghost and the Kitten

Chapter Four

Into The Ghost Zone

Danny awoke in a strange bed. It took him a couple of minutes of blinking to figure out where he was. He was at Kari's apartment. He was lying in her bed with her warm body curled up close to his cold one. He watched her sleep for a moment, running his hand up her bare arm. She shivered a bit then purred out his name. He smiled and was about to go further, when a wave of nausea slammed into his stomach making it roll violently. Danny quickly jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom, getting there just in time to vomit in the toilet. He sat on the floor gagging and retching when he felt a damp rag bath his forehead. He looked up to see Kari kneeling beside him. She smiled kindly then continued to wash his face. She got a look at the glowing green plasma he was pukeing up and noticed that there were specks of red blood in it.

"Didn't mean to wake you." He mumbled when he was finally able to talk.

"Don't worry about it. When you are sick like this, do you usually throw up blood and plasma?" Kari asked curiously.

"No. This is the first time. It's the first time I've ever been in ghost form and ill like this." Danny muttered.

"Oh." Kari said as a worried look washed over her face.

"What? What's the matter?" Danny asked.

"N...nothing." Kari answered quickly.

"Kari. Tell me if something is wrong with me, or worse." Danny said grabbing her arm.

"You're changing. I'm too late. This time tomorrow, you'll be a demon. I couldn't save you." Kari said sadly as she put a hand on Danny's cheek.

"No. It's not over! I'm not giving up. There has to be a way! I'll find a way!" Danny exclaimed, brushing Kari's hand away and struggling to his feet.

He went back to the room and started pulling on his hasmat suit. He's last chance was the Ghost Zone. Surely someone could help him there. Clockwork or maybe Desiree. Hell, if the Box-ghost could help, Danny would ask him. He finished pulling his clothes on, then started for the open window.

"No. Don't go. There's nothing they can do. Believe me, it's been tried. Stay with me." Kari said desperately as she ran up to him and threw her arms around his waist in an attempt to keep him from leavening.

"You just want me to become a demon like you. What? Did you're mother promise me to you as soon as I become a demon? It's not going to happen." Danny growled harshly at her.

He phased through her arms and right out the window. Kari fell to her knees on the floor as sobs racked her body.

"You ignorant, stubborn, basterd. If there is no one around you to control you after you change, you'll destroy everything and anyone that comes in contact with you. Go to your Ghost Zone and find out for yourself." Kari whispered between sobs.

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Danny flew as fast as he could to Jazz's house and phased all the way down into the basement. He became tangible again and walked up to the Fenton Ghost Portal. He pressed the button to open it and watched as the doors hissed apart. He watched the swirling green ecto energy for a minute, and then plunged into it. He flew through the ghost zone looking around for any signs of any of the ghosts he was use to running into. He saw no one. Not a single ghost or even the hint of one. What was going on? Why was it so quiet? He was almost all the way to the fright night's lair when a wisp of blue breath flew from his mouth. He quickly turned around and saw Skulker.

"You must leave this place at once, Ghost Child. You are not welcome here." Skulker growled as he pointed one of his various large weapons at Danny.

"Since when have I ever?" Danny growled back as he placed his fists on his hips.

"Well, let's just say, if you had been before, you are definitely not now, Demon." Skulker replied.

"I'm not a demon yet! I'm trying to stop the transformation. There has to be a ghost that knows how!" Danny exclaimed.

"There is not." came a voice from behind him.

He turned around to see Desiree, Ember, Spectra, and a few of the other ghosts he had fought over the years.

"Not even my power can vanquish the seed that grows in you." Desiree said.

"Then Clockwork..." Danny began.

"He is forbidden to meddle with whatever the demons are doing. You are out of luck." Spectra said with a shake of her head.

"Harley has chosen you. Just like she chose Plasmious." Ember said.

"Who is Harley?" Danny asked.

"The Harlot of Babylon. The rider of the Great Beast. She sits upon a seven headed beast and wears purple and scarlet. She is decked in gold, precious stones and pearls. She holds a golden goblet that is filled with abomination and filth. She drinks the blood of saints and martyrs. On her forehead is written, 'Mystery, Babylon the Great, Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth'. Or so they say." Spectra said with a shrug.

"This woman, or whatever, she's the one wanting to turn me into a demon?" Danny asked with a look of revulsion on his face.

"No. She's the one turning you into a demon. The Ghost Zone is the only safe place for us now." Skulker answered.

"Well, that explains why I haven't seen any ghosts lately. Sort of anyway. Why are you guys afraid of demons? You're already dead." Danny pointed out.

"Heh. You always were a dipstick. Demons eat ghosts. They still our souls and eat them. All we have left is our souls. We don't have bodies anymore so once they take our souls, there is nothing left of us. We are obliterated. It's like we never existed." Ember explained.

"What! That's horrible!" Danny exclaimed.

"Now you see why we don't want you around. We'll make you leave by force if necessary." Desiree said.

"No need. I'm out of here. I was hoping there would be something you could do. I see now that I'm fucked." Danny said sadly as he turned and flew away.

The ghosts watched him, then shrugged uncaringly and went back to their own lairs.

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Danny flew around the city for a while to clear his head. He wasn't the one to usually give up, but if Clockwork and Desiree couldn't even help him, then he was doomed. Maybe he could control himself as a demon. Maybe he could be like Kari and do as he pleased. He'd be hunted, but he'd be free. He didn't know about people being turned demons not having control of themselves afterwards. He looked down at a bar below and smiled. He was only going to be human for the rest of the night. Better make the best of it, right. He had never drank before and it had been a small wish of his to go to a bar when he was old enough, but by the time he had turned 21, he was too busy fighting ghosts to go to a bar. He grinned wickedly as he landed in front of it. It was only six o'clock in the evening, the sun was just going down, and so there wouldn't be too many people there yet. He'd go in as is. He wanted to laugh, but kept a straight and almost stern face as he walked in and sat at the bar. The Bartender looked at him and nearly screamed.

"D...don't h...h...haunt me." the bartender stuttered.

"Pffft. I'm not here to haunt you. I want a drink." Danny said.

The bartender looked stunned.

"H...how come you want a drink. You're dead, ain't you?" he asked shaking with fear.

"Sometimes, some habits are just too hard to break." Danny said with a mischievous grin.

"O...oh." was all the bartender could manage.

Danny grinned as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet.

"Just think of me as any other customer. I can even pay you." Danny said.

"Well, why didn't you say so!. What'll it be, Sir?" the bartender asked suddenly very cheerful.

This time Danny was thrown off. He didn't know what to order, this being his first time in a bar and all. He blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Uh, dry martini?" Danny asked.

"Shaken not stirred right?" the bartender laughed.

"Whatever works for you." Danny said not catching the joke in time. "Oh wait. Hey!"

"Just messing with you, Sir." the bartender said still laughing.

"It's Danny. Not sir." Danny said.

"I knew you looked familure. You're that Danny Phantom guy! Use to be called Inviso-Bill." the bartender said.

"Uh, yeah. Please don't call me that." Danny muttered.

"No problem, Danny. Here ya go." the bartender said sliding Danny drink to him.

Danny took the drink and downed it in one gulp, then wished he hadn't. He started coughing violently as the stuff burned going down and hit his stomach like a fire ball in his gut.

"Old habits, huh?" the bartender asked with a smirk.

"Don't start with me." Danny muttered when he could finally talk again.

"Here. Try this." the bartender said sliding a glass filled with brown liquid over to him.

"What's this?" Danny asked.

"Whiskey." the bartender answered.

Danny sniffed the stuff, then took a quick sip. It wasn't too bad. He smiled and drained the glass. Three hours and one gin and tonic, margarita, sex on the beach, and three pitchers of beer later, Danny was happily trashed. He was downing tequila shots one after another as the few patrons who hadn't been too afraid to stay, stood behind him chanting, "Chug".

"Here ya go, Danny. One last whiskey, then all your money here is gone." the bartender said shacking Danny's empty wallet in the ghost's face.

Another bartender slid the glass to Danny. Sadly, Danny's hand went intangible and the glass slid threw and almost fell on the floor.

"Opps." Danny said with a drunken giggle.

"Hey now, Danny. That's alcohol abuse." the bartender laughed.

Danny was laughing so hard, that when his whole body went intangible, he fell through the stool and lay on the floor laughing.

"You okay down there?" the bartender asked looking over the bar.

"Oh yeah. Just fine." Danny laughed.

"Man. I didn't know ghosts could get drunk." the bartender said.

"Neither did I. Imagine that." Danny said laughing harder.

"Danny." came a voice from behind.

Danny looked up to see Kari looking down at him with worry in her eyes.

"Well if it isn't Miss Kitty! Hey bartender, a box of catnip for the lovely lady." Danny said laughing even harder.

Kari was glad that she was wearing a dew rag on her head to hide her ears and her tail was wrapped around her waist, or one of the drunken basterds might take Danny seriously and actually give her a box of catnip. This action would piss her off. She sighed as she reached down and grabbed the now tangible Danny by the arm and helped him up.

"I think you've had enough." she said.

"Naa. Just gonna finish one more..." Danny began.

"Danny, please." Kari said pleadingly.

Danny sighed and nodded. He grabbed his wallet off the bar and let Kari lead him out to the street. They walked silently through the city and back to her apartment. For once using the door to get in. It happened when they got to her room. Great pain started in Danny's middle then just spread throughout his body. He groaned and fell to his knees holding his midsection.

"Oh no! Danny!" Kari yelled.

She watched in horror as he started to change. Large bat like wings ripped from his back causing a blood curdling scream to escape his throat. A tail similar to Vlad's snaked from his tail bone, as two horns popped up on his forehead. Danny moaned as he fell forwards unconscious. Kari knelt to check on him. She was about to touch his shoulder, when he jumped up and floated in the air and grinned at her with evil crimson eyes.

To Be Continued...

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Next: Ghost and the Kitten: Chapter Five: Demon.

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(Sorry about the drunken part. I just wanted to try to lighten things up a bit before they got darker. Well please read and review. Thanks!)