Danny took a deep breath of the green gaseous air of the Ghost Zone. He flew off towards Dora's kingdom first. There he asked her what it was like to rule over her people. Dora was kind enough to explain the pros and cons of the role. Then Danny flew to Frostbite's realm, the Far Frozen, and asked the ghost if the ancient law was true, which it was. Then Danny asked what the ghost thought of Danny being Ghost King. Frostbite was very supportive of the idea. Danny flew to a number of other places to ask a number of ghost friends for their opinions, Pandora and Clockwork being the most important. Pandora had been supportive but Clockwork replied by saying he had to remain impartial. However Danny took the fact that the ghost hadn't mentioned his evil future self or any warnings as the ghost being secretly supportive.

Lastly, Danny returned to Fenton Works and told his family and friends what he learned. His parents had been intrigued to learn about ghost laws and hierarchy and weren't particularly helpful. They were supportive but Danny wasn't sure if they thought it was a good idea or if they were just trying to be encouraging. Tucker had given Danny a warning on how new status can change a person and had changed Danny in the past, mentioning in particular when the Fentons became rich and Danny got into the A-listers. Jazz had been concerned about the psychological reasoning behind the desire and what the role could mean for Danny's mind. However Sam had been the most surprising. Danny had expected her to say no and that he should stay a free agent and so on. But she actually thought it was a great idea. She started to list reasons to become king, the most prevalent being that he could order the ghosts to leave the living be and protect everyone without lifting a finger. It would give Danny more free time. She knew there would be other responsibilities but she assured him that Team Phantom would be there for him every step of the way.

Danny returned to Hogwarts having made up his mind. Three days after learning of the law, Danny decided to pursue his rightful throne. He informed Dumbledore and it was decided that Danny would wait another week before pursuing it to ensure his absence wasn't noticed by Malfoy on any other students. But after that week, Danny returned to the Ghost Zone and paid a visit to Walker.

"Punk! Finally surrendering?" Walker growled.

"No, actually, I wanted to ask you how I need to go about claiming the title of Ghost King," Danny replied with a raised eyebrow. Walker faltered.

"Ah, you er you found out about that then," the white ghost mumbled.

"I did. So?" Danny prompted. Walker growled in annoyance.

"Alright. Legally speaking, you have to find the crown and be coronated by an older ghost," Walker explained reluctantly.

"Thanks Walker, any other rules I need to know about?" Danny asked. Walker huffed.

"Yes, the coronation has to be in the presence of at least ten agreeable ghosts. And all Far Frozen inhabitants don't count. They must be from a few realms or free floating ghosts," Walker informed the halfa.

Danny smirked and nodded.

"Are you agreeable Walker?" Danny asked teasingly, batting his eyes tauntingly. Walker gritted his teeth and refused to answer.

"Get out of my prison before I lock you up," Walker hissed. Danny chuckled and left without another word. He floated outside the prison and considered the rules. He had to find the crown. With a sigh, he decided to do that by himself. It would probably be easy enough with Wulf or Frostbite's Infi-map but Danny had a hunch that it was still in the ruins of Pariah's Keep. So Danny flew there and duplicated as many Dannys as he could and began to sift through the rubble.

He couldn't be sure how long he searched but his hands were scratched, bruised and bloody from the effort before he decided the crown was gone. With an annoyed huff, Danny straightened and recalled his duplicates. His gaze fell onto the sarcophagus. Plasmius had released the Ghost King before to get the Crown of Fire and Ring of Rage. The ring wasn't removed in the fight. But… the crown was. Danny hadn't moved it, but Vlad had stolen the Fenton exoskeleton. Could he have taken the Crown of Fire too? It was worth investigation. If Vlad didn't have it, then Danny would resort to asking the Infi-map for help.

Danny returned to Fenton Works.

"Danny?! Oh my- what happened to your hands!?" Maddie shouted in alarm and shock. Danny blinked and shrugged.

"It's not a big deal mom. I was digging through some rocks looking for the crown and my hands got cut up," Danny answered dismissively. Maddie gave her son a reproachful frown and insisted on treating his hands and bandaging them. Danny sighed and after his hands were treated then left the house before his mother or sister could stop him. He had a time limit, he couldn't take unnecessary time. Dumbledore and the order needed him. He changed back into his ghost form and flew as fast as possible to Vlad's mansion, hoping that the halfa would be out on business until Danny could be sure if Vlad had the crown or not. He wouldn't steal it. It wouldn't be right. But he would explain the situation and if that didn't work, he'd go from there.

Danny bit his lip and rang the doorbell. He waited. Nothing happened. He rang the doorbell again, just in case Vlad was in one of his especially grumpy moods and avoiding the front door. He rang the bell another five times to make sure he annoyed anyone present enough that they'd have to answer the door. Content that the mansion was empty, Danny phased inside and then began to zoom through the building looking for a vault or display with a fiery green crown. With a sigh, there was no sign. Danny teleported to Vlad's mansion in Wisconsin and searched there but found nothing again. He then teleported to Vlad's chalet in Colorado and searched there. With a grin, Danny spotted the green crown.

He found it! Now he just needed to figure out how to get Vlad to give him the crown. Hopefully without any embarrassing consequences. Danny teleported back to Amity Park and went to the town hall and phased, invisibly, into the mayor's office. Behind the desk, sat Vlad Masters, the first halfa. Danny took a deep breath and became visible.

"Hey V-man!" Danny greeted loudly in a bright voice. Vlad jumped and glared at Danny.

"Daniel. Where have you been for the last year and a half?" Vlad drawled.

"Oh, you know, boarding school out of state. It's nice," Danny answered.

"School isn't during the summer Daniel. I know you're lying," Vlad retorted.

"Unlike you, I can make friends that actually want me around," Danny replied with a shrug. Vlad scowled.

"What are you doing here?" Vlad demanded.

"Alright, you caught me. I do want something. I want the Crown of Fire," Danny admitted.

Vlad stared at Danny for a few minutes in complete shock. Danny waited for that to request to sink in. Admittedly he probably should have been buttering Vlad up rather than taunting the man, but it had been over a year since they'd last spoken. Taunting was necessary.

"What makes you think that I have the crown?" Vlad began.

"I know you have it," Danny replied calmly. Vlad narrowed his dark blue eyes.

"You've found it haven't you?" the older man realised. Danny nodded and folded his arms.

"I could have taken it. But I didn't. I'd prefer to come to an agreement," Danny confirmed. Vlad raised an eyebrow and propped his elbows on his large desk.

"Why do you want the crown? You aren't a collector of rare ghostly relics. It can't be used without the Ring of Rage," Vlad wondered aloud. Danny pursed his lips and widened his stance slightly. He didn't want to have to explain his reasons to Vlad. The man would make the payment unbelievably unreasonable if he understood the importance the crown held for him. He just hoped that he looked confident and determined rather than a stubborn child that wanted a cool toy. Vlad considered Danny.

"Daniel, the Crown of Fire is the pride of my collection. I can't get the Ring of Rage or the Infi-map thanks to you. And now you want the crown. I think I deserve at least an explanation," Vlad growled with pronounced annoyance. Danny sighed.

"Vlad, you know I wouldn't ask if I didn't have a very good reason," Danny offered. Vlad raised an eyebrow. Danny growled under his breath in annoyance, he wasn't going to get away without giving Vlad a reason.

"Would you believe that I need the crown to stop… a really bad guy from hurting a lot of people?" Danny asked, feeling ridiculous by how childish he sounded. Vlad scoffed.

"You're going to have to do much better than that Daniel," Vlad sneered. Danny sighed again.

"I need the crown to… to give myself more power to… um stop a lot of ghosts from hurting a lot of people because… they're being ordered around by a powerful human," Danny attempted again. Vlad rolled his hand in a go on gesture. Danny groaned.

"Remember Freakshow? He had a crystal ball that could control ghosts. This human… he's a hundred times worse. And er… if I… if I can't stop him, he might go after my family. Especially since he already hates me. Which includes my mom, Vladdie," Danny concluded with a triumphant smirk.

Vlad considered that explanation for a few moments before nodding slightly.

"Very well, I guess you're not going to give me any further information, correct?" Vlad drawled. Danny hummed his confirmation.

"Alright, I'll allow you to negotiate a price for that relic. What's your offer?" Vlad decided. Danny scowled.

"My offer?" Danny repeated in disbelief. Vlad nodded.

"I already told you Daniel. The Crown of Fire is the pride of my ghost relic collection. I'm not going to just give it away. I am convinced that you do actually need the relic, but I will not be left empty handed," Vlad retorted. Danny groaned.

"You're rich! What the heck am I gonna be able to give you?!" Danny exclaimed. Vlad chuckled.

"You are correct in that assumption Daniel," Vlad affirmed. Danny glared at the man.

"The only things I know you want are the Green Bay Packers, my mom married to you and my dad dead. I can't get you the Packers. And I'm not splitting up my parents," Danny remarked firmly. Vlad nodded in agreement.

"I guess, I can stop suggesting you get a cat. And I could stop publically humiliating you," Danny offered uncertainly. Vlad sighed.

"It's a start, but not nearly enough to match such a priceless artefact," Vlad commented. Danny groaned. What could he have or do that Vlad would be happy enough with to trade the crown? He really did not want to ask Vlad what he wanted. The moment he did, Vlad would ask for something unreasonable that Danny either would not want to do or wouldn't actually be able to do.

"I could… I could act more supportive towards you, in both forms," Danny attempted again. Vlad didn't react. Danny could tell it wasn't enough.

"Fine! What do you want?" Danny ground out, fuming that he had to ask that question. Vlad smirked.

"I'm so glad you asked that question. I'll be reasonable. I won't ask you anything you can't give Daniel. And I'll keep this agreement between you and myself. You don't have to become my son, but join me," Vlad decided.

Danny blinked in shock. He really should have expected that one. Now what did he say? He couldn't join Vlad. It just wouldn't work. He was doing this to become Ghost King. He was doing this for the order to turn the tide of the war. Joining Vlad, it wouldn't work. But if he wanted the crown, he couldn't say no. Danny growled under his breath to himself. That sneak knew the position he'd put Danny in. He knew that Danny couldn't say no this time.

"Vlad… I can't say yes," Danny muttered and shook his head.

"Then I can't give you the crown," Vlad retorted. Danny groaned. He considered his options. He couldn't join Vlad. But… maybe… maybe Danny could convince Vlad there was another option. Instead of being enemies, they could be… friends? Danny considered what he learned from Snape. The guy had loved Lily and she chose James Potter. Danny had never really considered how devastating that could be before. Vlad had always been the creep from Wisconsin that had a weird obsession with his mother and hated his father. But Snape… he had seemed more like someone to pity.

"Vlad, what do you think of me? Do you hate me because I'm Jack Fenton's son? Or do you like me because I'm also my mom's son?" Danny wondered, too lost in his musings to realise how deep that question was for Vlad. The mayor blinked in surprise, completely caught off guard. He had expected Danny to give an answer, a hateful yes or despairing no. Not a question to better understand their relationship.

"I suppose, I see both of them in you. When I see Jack, I do feel angry and hateful towards you. But I can also see Maddie, and when I see that… I have to admit I feel nothing but kindness towards you. I guess, I feel both," Vlad muttered thoughtfully. Danny nodded slowly. That was exactly what he thought Vlad would say. It was what Snape had said. It truly was uncanny how similar their situations were. And if Danny could be friends with Snape… there was hope for friendship between the halfas.

"Then I want to offer something else. I can't join you, but… if you'd like, we could try to be friends," Danny offered softly. Vlad snapped out of his thoughts and stared at Danny. Danny held the older man's gaze.

"Friends?" Vlad whispered. Danny nodded.

"Yes, friends. No more fighting. No more arguing. No more trying to kill each other or my dad. We'd both have to compromise but wouldn't it be better like that. If I joined you because of this, you know I'd hate you for it. This way, you kind of get what you want, and I won't completely hate you and still be able to do what I need to do," Danny replied, becoming more and more confident in his offer. Vlad scowled.

"My previous friend ruined my life," Vlad snarled. Danny frowned.

"But… don't get angry, but… was it really my dad's fault? Completely? I mean, all he did was press a button. You were the one that dropped out of college, cut all ties with everyone. I'm not saying what happened wasn't awful. I know what it's like to lose half of yourself. I could have turned on my friends, but I didn't. It was an accident. If you could let that… hatred go… I know you'd be happier. If you moved on, you wouldn't have to be the lonely old guy with a cat. You could have your own family," Danny interjected before Vlad could get angry. Vlad scowled.

"I could help you with that too," Danny offered quickly.

Vlad considered the teen. Danny made certain to look confident but also ready to forgive. He could see a crossroads in front of him. He'd seen a future version of Vlad that had forgiven Jack Fenton. A future version that actually regretted holding onto his anger and hatred. If Danny could befriend Vlad, show him that things didn't have to be like this without the halfa losing everything, maybe it would be another block in his own bleak potential future as an evil rampaging ghost. Vlad sighed.

"I'm not an easy man to change Daniel. I'll admit, I'm stuck in my ways. I have hated your father for over twenty years," Vlad remarked, suddenly sounding weary. Danny nodded.

"I know. But… sometimes the only thing a person needs is a nudge in the right direction. You may need more of a shove but I'm willing to try. Are you?" Danny agreed. Vlad growled in annoyance.

"Very well Daniel. Deal. But I need to be certain that this isn't a trick. I'll draw up a contract and we'll have a trial period before we make it official. Once I'm content that this deal will work for longer than it takes for you to grab the crown and run, I'll give it to you," Vlad relented. Danny bit his lip. That would be a lot longer than he had initially planned. But he knew it would benefit both of them in the long run.

"Alright. Deal. But I'm still in that school, so I won't be around all the time," Danny agreed. Vlad nodded.

"I understand that. Visit when you can though and we'll spend a couple of hours in each other's company. If we can survive that, I think there may be hope for us yet," Vlad replied.

So Vlad stands between Danny and the throne. But can Danny and Vlad befriend each other?

Let me know what you think.

Until the next chapter.