Chapter 3:

Danny landed in front of the large building, eyes wide with awe. It was a castle. Possibly the biggest building he'd ever seen. (Or at least remember seeing) He walked into the lobby, looking for his aunt and uncle, and saw a few zombies carrying their baggage up the stairs, slowly, dropping things along the way. Danny chuckled and ran over to help them, ignoring the stares from the other monsters.

Later, he had finally found their suite and greeted his uncle, looking around the room as they spoke.

"Hey Danny, how was the forest?" Jack asked.

Their suite had a center room with a bedroom on either side and a bathroom connected to both.

'Always privileges to being the adopted son to the pumpkin king.' Danny thought.

"Definitely more trees than the one back home." Then he smiled as inflated by the pumpkin King with his legs crossed crossed. "I found this weird town just past the graveyard though."

"Oh?" Jack said, looking at his son in shock. "The owner told me this hotel was completely secluded from any human life."

"Yeah, well the people there were actually just zombies with masks and they surrounded this girl, trying to freak her out. They even started on fire. Burnt whole town to the ground."

"Is the girl ok?"

"Yeah, I helped her out. She was a vampire so I'm surprised she was so scared by it."

"Maybe she hasn't seen anything like that before." Jack suggested, then a thought struck, he thought out loud. "Maybe we should go check it out later."

"Don't bother. After the girl left, I went back to the town to check it out and the town and the zombies were making their way to go somewhere else. I didn't bother to follow them though." Danny explained, putting his stuff in one of the drawers on his dresser.

With a thoughtful hum, Jack put a hand to his bony chin and put the other hand on his hip.

"I should probably talk to Drac about this. He might have some answers to your curiousity."

"Who?"

"The owner of the hotel. I knew him long before I came to Halloween Town." Jack explained, smiling at the boys shocked expression.

"Wow..." Danny said softly before giving his uncle a straightforward expression. "You're really old."

Jack froze before hitting the now laughing teen on the head before pulling him into a noogie. Messing up Danny's hair.

"This'll teach you!"

"Hahaha! Stop! My hair!"

Sally smiled at the two from her spot at the doorway that connected to her and Jack's bedroom. Their laughter had woken her up and she had decided to investigate. Of course, being Danny's tutor, she spoke up.

"Don't get too rough, you two. I'd like Danny to remember what he read on his way here, Jack." She called, causing the two to freeze before Danny fazed out of Jack's arms and flew to hide behind his aunt.

"But Sally! He called me old!" Jack whined as DAnny snickered.

Sally simply smiled at her husband. It was times like this when she was glad she and Danny were so close to the pumpkin king. Who else is able to see him act like a child? She laughed and set a hand on Jack's shoulder, comforting him.

"Yes, you're old. But then remember, you're not as old as some people we know." She winked at Jack's realization and he smiled at her.

"Well! Care to go down and meet everyone?" Jack asked, wrapping an arm around his wife.

Danny nodded and ran for the door while his aunt and uncle followed.

Mavis helped her aunt Wanda down the stairs slowly, holding her hand so she wouldn't fall as they talked.

"Sweetheart, you haven't told us anything about your trip. How was it?" Wanda asked.

"Don't worry. I don't know why I ever wanted to leave. I like the people here so much more." Mavis said, avoiding eye contact with the pregnant wolf.

"Don't worry, hun. I think you just haven't gotten used to any other monsters yet."

Mavis nodded and smiled at her aunt as they got to the bottom of the stairs. She smiled up at her dad as he walked toward her.

"Feeling better, my little blood orange?" he asked.

"Yeah, dad. I'm fine. Just needed to eat something and greet some guests. I don't think I'll be wanting to leave the hotel any time soon."

Dracula smiled at his daughter and hugged her before pulling away.

"Now sweetheart, we've got a few new guests staying here and I want you to make them feel welcome. They're from Halloween Town. A town outside of Transylvania and they have a son about your age. You can have someone who's your age here for once. I know how important that is for you."

Mavis's eyes lit up.

"Really?!" She asked as she began to look around the lobby for the boy from before, hoping her suspicions were correct.

Her eyes returned to her confused dad when she failed to see his glowing white hair.

"They should be coming down now, sir." One of the suits of armor said since Dracula asked.

"Dracula!" A voice called from behind her and Mavis turned to see two figures walking down the stairs, holding hands.

The first was a tall skeleton man in a striped suit. She'd seen skeletons before but none like him. He actually wore clothes, as formal as they looked, she couldn't imagine anything else on him. With him was a slightly shorter woman that looked like she was sewn together. She had blue skin and long red hair that hung down past her waist. Her dress looked as sewn together as she was but with vibrant patterns patched together. She smiled at the two as she walked toward them.

"Mavis, this is Jack and Sally Skellington." Dracula introduced. "Jack, Sally, this is my daughter, Mavis."

Jack took Mavis's hand in his and she couldn't help but notice how bony his hands were. Each white bone polished and well cared for. She smiled at him and said hello. He responded by kissing her hand (as well as he could with a skull) and smiling before releasing her hand.

"How old are you, Mavis?" Jack asked.

"118"

"Almost as old as Danny, Jack." Sally said, setting a hand on her husband's shoulder.

Jack nodded.

"Where is your son anyway, Jack?" Dracula asked.

"He was with us when we first got here. I wonder where he went." Sally said thoughtfully as she looked around for her son.

Mavis looked around again to find the boy only to see him. Jumping back a foot when she noticed he had been only a few inches away from her.

"You're that girl from the town, aren't you? I didn't think you'd be here. Well, I kinda assumed but I didn't want to get my hopes up. It didn't seem that anyone young would be here." He rambled in thought as he floated around them before ending up behind his parents.

Dracula set a hand on Mavis's shoulder and smiled at the teen, letting his fangs show.

"Nice to meet you, Danny. I'm Dracula. The owner of this hotel." he said, only to take a step back as Danny was suddenly face to face with him.

"You're the owner?" He asked. "Good, then I have a few questions for you-"

"Danny, give him his space, hun." Sally said, setting a hand on her son's foot and pulled him back easily. "Where are your manners?"

Danny's cheeks turned a slight green as he looked down at the carpet and away from Sally's gaze.

"Sorry Aunt Sally." He said softly before taking a step forward a bowing slightly toward the two vampires. "My name is Danny Phantom. It's nice to meet you. Thank you for inviting us to stay in your hotel."

He avoided eye contact with Mavis since his cheeks still had the green tint to them. He took Mavis's hand like Jack did and shook Dracula's hand.

"We're welcome to have you, Danny. Both you and your parents are welcome to be here as long as you like." Dracula said cheerfully, his smile slipping slightly when he noticed Danny freeze and pale completely.

Sally set a hand on his shoulder and he seemed to relax a little before he turned toward her and asked if he could leave. A small smile and a nod from her was his response before he took off through nearby wall.

"Sorry, Drac. It's just a tick Danny has. His death had something to do with his parents and it was so mortifying that he panic's at any mention of anything involving them. He refers to us as his aunt and uncle and we don't mind." Jack explained.

Dracula's smile returned and he nodded, not noticing his daughters thoughtful expression still facing the wall that Danny had flown through. She recognized the wall and decided she'd go check it out.