A/N: So I noticed that I accidently had this story labeled as 'Complete' but I'm telling you all now, that it is not. There is the potential for 1 chapter per line of the poem. Unfortunately this chapter is a bit of a transition point. Serious changes are beginning for his family and Danny is going to find out something that you'll all realize how it leads to that opening chapter.

But that's enough spoilers for now. Enjoy.

x
x
x
x
x

Chapter 6 – Wishing I was not gone…

When he'd had a body, the green and black abyss of the Ghost Zone had been a dark mistrusting place; without one, it didn't seem nearly as foreboding. In fact, the glowing orb's last hope was somewhere inside. He just had to find it.

Drifting through the space, a shout from behind him made him look around just as an ectopus, a low level ghost, flew past looking panicked. Skulker whizzed past not a moment later and made quick work of catching the ghost.

Skulker! … I can't believe I'm going to say this but LOOK AT ME! The orb buzzed around Skulker's face, but the hunter made no reaction at all. It followed him back down to the floating land mass where he liked to hunt.

Skulker threw the ectopus into the cage and went to stoke a small green fire, looking bored. Ember Mclain phased up through the ground and went to sit next to him. "Poor thing didn't have a chance." Skulker grunted in response. Ember rolled her eyes. "Oh come on I'm trying to cheer you up. So you lost your big prey. You could always go after his clone."

"And have that annoying Plasmius after me? Not likely."

"He's been gone since the accident." She said and elbowed him playfully on the arm. "After what he did, I doubt he'll ever come back." Skulker sighed at her attempts to cheer him up and phased through the ground. Ember looked down at the seat sadly. Almost feeling afraid at what she might say, the green orb flew away. Even doing so, he thought she might have mumbled "dipstick". Knowing neither Ember nor Skulker could hear or see him, the orb flew on, apprehensively wondering if this plan had any chance of working.

XXX

"Thank you for helping to arrange this Mr. Lancer," Mrs. Fenton said, holding the phone to her ear.

"Not a problem at all. I'm old friends with the middle school's principal. I'll talk to him about the situation. He was always a fan of Phantom so I'm sure he'll understand the situation. We'll make sure that she settles in alright."

Mrs. Fenton thanked him again and hung up the phone. Jazz poked her head around the corner.

"So what'd he say?"

Maddie sunk down into a chair and ran her hand through her hair. "He's going to arrange a proficiency test to figure out what grade she should be in." A grumble came the upper corner of the kitchen as Danielle's intangible head stuck through the ceiling.

"I don't even see why I have to go to school."

Startled by the sudden appearance of her newly adopted daughter, Maddie nearly reached for the mini-ecto-snatcher which hung off her belt. When she realized who it was, she relaxed back into her chair and sighed, "School is a good experience. You'll be able to make friends and have a life that doesn't involve ghosts."

"Yeah like that's going to happen." Danielle dropped down into an open chair, transforming back to her human form as she did so. Her weathered red hoodie had been replaced with a sleek ecto-green and black jacket, with new shorts and shoes to match, and even though Jazz had insisted she looked like a Christmas tree, her usual red beanie covered her hair. "No offense Aunt Maddie but the whole 'no ghost thing,' isn't going to happen."

"It will if you don't use your powers. Like we agreed." She added the last part sternly, maybe it was better that Danny had thought he needed to be afraid of his parents knowing he was a ghost, dealing with his tardiness, and seeming lacking-responsibility, had been one thing, but if he'd had the attitude like this clone of his, she might have gone insane. Maddie sighed thinking it over again, no it was never good that he was afraid of us. If he had told us, then he would still be here... but we never gave him the chance.

Jazz saw the look in her mother's eye change and stepped into the conversation. "Think of it this way Dani, going to school will keep you from being stuck at home with Dad and his experiments." Danielle smiled. Jazz was the only one willing to call her Dani, which was okay since she was probably the only one that would distinguish the difference with an 'i' even in her head.

Jazz glanced at the clock and announced she was leaving for class. "I'm taking the gear with me, since Sam and Tucker will be meeting me on campus after classes," she told her mom. Maddie nodded and said something about doing the grocery shopping.

"What should I do?" Danielle asked. The two woman looked back at her. Some ghost hunters had been spotted in town looking for the cause of the Mayor's and the Ghost Boy's disapearence, so the family had decided it wasn't safe for Danielle to go out of the house until she got used to Not using her powers every five seconds.

Jazz smiled and pointed toward the basement. "Why not go help dad with his latest experiment?"

Danielle gave a groaning sigh, "But yesterday he wanted to test it on me…"

Maddie smiled and pat the girl on the head. "Don't worry, he does that to me to." She grabbed her keys and told her to make sure Jack didn't destroy the house, and left. Jazz kissed Dani on the head, which Dani promptly wiped away, and left for class.

With nothing else to do, and for her personal safety, Danielle walked down the basement stairs.

XXX

The small green orb floated further and further into the ghost zone. At this point, it wasn't even sure where else to look. The only three times it had ever seen Desire in the ghost zone had been in Walker's Prison, at the Christmas Party, and once, twenty years in the future. Since he'd already checked the prison, with another annoying failure at being seen by one of his enemies, there weren't many other clues where to look.

He'd long since given up trying to go through the doors. All that floating through them had done was winding up on the other side of the door frame; not in another dimension or sector of the ghost zone.

Maybe if I try looking for the infinity map, though I don't know if I'll even be able to use it… The orb spun around in the air a number of times, and brightened by a degree. No. It's too soon to give up. It thought before zipping off in the direction of the artic zone.

Traveling through the ghost zone seemed go faster than it ever had before. Maybe it was because his mass was smaller. But then again… ghosts didn't have a mass to begin with… if he was even a ghost anymore. That thought had been entering his head far too often. What exactly was he now?

The orb slowed and it pondered the thought it had been avoiding for so long.

No arms, legs, head, or anything that even resembled a body. It was able to pass through solid objects in the human world, so it clearly wasn't alive. But it also flew through the ectoplasmic-solid objects in the ghost zone; so maybe it wasn't really dead? But it had to be dead. It had seen its body being laid into the ground, as disturbing as that had been.

But that was another thing that was weird. Why had his body been stuck divided halfway between human and ghost? As a ghost, he had received more seemingly-fatal wounds than he had bothered to count. So why was that wound any different? It wasn't even on the living side of his body… or had it been? Honestly, he couldn't remember anymore.

Actually… What had he even been doing at the time? That's weird. The orb couldn't remember that either. It was like that whole day was hidden by a fog. He could barely even call his friend's faces to mind as they had met at school that morning. Why? Why couldn't it remember?

It tried thinking a bit more, but soon realized that the more details it searched for, the more memories slipped into the fog.

The orb spun itself around again trying to distract itself. It pushed the thoughts aside and zoomed on its way, not even realizing it was headed in the wrong direction.

XXX

A female ghost with long black hair and dressed in Arabian dancer's clothing, sat up and looked around. There was a human soul nearby. "And not just that," she smiled evilly, "a soul who's desperate to make a wish."

The soul was moving away at incredible speed, so Desire wasted no time in rushing after it.

XXX

The small orb looked all around itself. Nothing in the area looked even the least bit familiar. Things seemed darker, and even though the orb could no longer feel temperatures, it had the suspicion that temperatures were actually getting warmer rather than colder.

Well that can't be right…

It decided to backtrack a ways, but when it got to the spot where it had stopped to think, it found that it still couldn't recognize anything. I know I've been here before but… everything seems different. The little orb burned with frustration. Darnit! Why am I having so much trouble remembering where everything is! I've got to find Frostbite! … The little orb froze for a second. Why did it need Frostbite? Didn't it need someone else? Oh no…

Terror gripped the little orb as it realized it couldn't remember who it had been looking for. The single face of Sam Manson came to mind. That's right! I have to get back to Sam! I promised I'd never leave her!

It was about to speed off when a ghost passed by. The woman was looking around, confused, like she had lost something. Everything clicked when the orb saw her face.

DESIRE! It flew straight over, and to all surprise, the wishing ghost ducked.

The orb came to a stop after it passed over her; she was looking up into the spot where it had just flown. Her hand felt around in the air, expecting to touch something.

Did she see me? The orb's silent voice was almost a desperate plea. A plea which Desire turned to stare directly at.

YOU CAN HEAR ME?! But even as it yelled out, it realized she couldn't because her eyes were scanning the area.

She seemed to realize something and spoke aloud. "Wishing to be seen or heard, but invisible to all. I don't know why I thought you were a human, but whatever you are, I cannot help you."

What?! Why not?!

Desire closed her eyes to concentrate. It was so faint, the voice that shouldn't exist, but she could hear the wishes that held together its frayed reality. Whatever it used to be, now it was nothing more than the desires it had at moment of its death. It was a presence that would continue to unravel until one day, even that strongest desire would disappear. It would become nothing more than a hollow shell, waiting alone for all of eternity. She had been its last hope.

The small orb saw a tear roll down the ghost's cheek. "Whatever it is that you came to me for, I cannot give you. I am not the one that can fulfill your heart's final wish." As Desire spoke she summoned her powers. "Whatever it is that you must do, do it quickly, and move on. Before your time runs out." It was not much, but this was all she could do for it. "I wish to go to where I need to be," using her words she made the wish that the silent heart could not. She released her power and a portal to the human world opened beside her and the orb.

The orb stared at her, wondering what her words meant, but after a few seconds it moved into the portal, as its light dimmed in hopelessness.