Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Danny Phantom, I'm a big fan and was feeling nostalgic.

Note (11/30/2017): Sorry this is kinda short, but I hope you enjoy it anyway!

~Chapter 2~

The Sound of Wings

"Dani? You ok?" Danny asked, shaking her slightly on her good side. He didn't want to believe what Vlad said, but knew the man well enough to understand when he had no reason to lie at least sometimes. Besides, Dani really wasn't looking too good. There was a sheen of greenish sweat on her brow and that could only mean one thing. That she really was-

"Did...did I do good daddy?" she muttered in her sleep, leaning into Danny's touch and curling up against him, a tear rolling down her pale cheek when the Vlad in her dreams said no and turned his back on her.

It was the same nightmare. Always the same one. And every time Dani fought back instead of submit to Vlad, she melted and woke up screaming. Dani had tried everything to make them stop but without fail, either choice she made resulted in the same thing. Her end. So Dani thought that maybe, just maybe, if she could save this new clone and confront Vlad, she could force him to help her. She could trick him into thinking she'd never tell him where he was unless Vlad saved her. Even now Dani knew she wasn't doing half as well as she pretended to be. But she didn't want Danny to worry about her either, she wanted him to be proud of her at least whether Vlad ever was or not.

Worried because she was way too warm, Danny used a weak amount of his ice powers to cool her down, petting her hair in the process to try and help her even just a little. This, if anything, proved that there was something seriously wrong with her after all. Danny wasn't sure what else he could do but this was something at least. As for the rest, there had to be SOME way to convince Vlad to help save her. If it came down too it Danny was ready to throw any and all future lessons with the only other halfa out the window to ask him to save Dani instead as his return favor for helping him save Owen. No, there wasn't even an 'if' about it. That's what Danny was going to do as soon as Vlad got back. He was the only one who knew anything about Dani and her condition.

"Geez, what's taking him so long?" Danny grumbled after looking at the nearest clock. It was already 2am and he seriously couldn't afford losing out on any more sleep. Something has been going on behind the scenes making the ghosts more active then usual, like animals who sensed a storm coming that wanted to get as far away from it as possible.

Unfortunately, coming here to their world was the only way to do that...

"Vhat does he think ve are? Carrier pigeons?" a thick accented voice grumbled just as both of their ghost senses went off in sync and Dani opened her eyes when the trio phased down through the roof.

It was those three vulture ghosts Vlad was always using despite them being so old even by ghost standards, honestly, you'd think Vlad would consider them obsolete or something. Owen had seen them a few times in passing but like most of Vlad's lesser minions they'd been told to leave him alone as much as possible. He'd dealt with more then his fair share of wayward spirits trying to strike up a conversation with him when the boy clearly wanted nothing to do with them. Although it wasn't like Owen hated ghosts. Back then, he wasn't as used to them being around constantly.

"Vell vould you razer be fighting ze ghost boy and getting your tail feathers scorched off?" the eldest of the three vultures challenged, rubbing his rear and wincing as if recalling the same event actually happening to him in person.

The third one, who always wore shades for some reason, glanced down at Danny and sighed, "Let's just get zis over vith so ve can go back to ze game already."

With a nod, the ringleader of the trio handed a piece of paper to Danny and cleared his throat, "Mr. Masters had to take off in a hurry so he didn't have time to tell us much so listen up. In regards to ze girl, he said to bring her somevere safe for ze time being and if there is novere here then take her to ze Ghost Zone and ask for someone there to help. Ze rest is in ze note." Looking back up at the other two, he called, "And zat is zat. Let's go boyz!"

"Hey wait! Where's Vlad?" Danny demanded but they were already long gone. "Figures. I come all the way out here and yet he's allowed to run off whenever he pleases."

He was staring at the paper when Dani said in disbelief, "You...you really did come. But why? What's going on? Is all that stuff he told me true? Was I...not good enough?"

Turning around sharply, Danny finally noticed she was awake and smiled. "Dani! You're awake! I was getting kinda worried. Do you have some kind of freaky ghost viris? Vlad told me your healing powers stopped working until Owen gave them a boost. Speaking of which, how's your arm? Still broken?"

Shaking her head, Dani frowned and pointed out, "Forget about me, what does the note say?"

"Ok ok! I'll read the darn note! Wow, you're not even my real cousin but you act as pushy as my sister," Danny sighed, still smiling since she seemed to be ok for the moment at least. Reading it out loud, Danny's face fell when he saw what Vlad had hastily written down, "Daniel, Owen opened a ghost portal to try and contact Azrael but summoned another ghost by mistake. His name is Nocturne, the Ghost of Sleep. He took Owen and I am now in pursuit. If you can, please search Owen's room for The Grimoire and see if there's anything else in there about this ghost. Assuming The Grimoire is still there, keep it close until I get back or hide it somewhere safe. Knowing you you'll want to play hero as usual though and if that's the case then as dangerous as it may be I'd advise you to bring Danielle with you. The pure ectoenergy might even do her some good. And if you need an extra incentive it's too dangerous to leave her there alone right now. I leave it up to you to decide."

When he finished reading, Danny crumpled the paper and snorted, "Pfft, yeah right. You tell me it's my decision and then you pluck on my heartstrings like that. Once a fruitloop, always a fruitloop."

Nocturne couldn't help but smile while observing his sleeping prince. To think that such a frail looking creature could harness such power was unfathomable to most. But he knew better. Of all the ghosts the boy could have summoned it was fortunate that he had summoned someone who understood his worth and didn't attack him on sight. After sifting through Owen's memories as he slept in the peaceful folds of a dreamless slumber Nocturne witnessed how powerful yet inexperienced the child was...

True, he had fought a few times and was as clever as they come, but Owen was also carrying an immensely heavy truth that weighed on his mind and over his heart to the point of crushing his spirit. Seeing this, Nocturne felt genuine concern for him and while his plan was to use that rare power to his advantage he was going to stay true to his word. If anyone deserved some peace, Owen did. And besides, for his plan to work Owen needed to stay asleep for as long as possible, providing Nocturne with enough dream energy to mount his invasion of the human world.

This dream had to be perfect. It had to be so alluring that Owen wouldn't want to wake from it any time soon. Nocturne would wake him, eventually, because there were grander things in store for this young necromancer here in the Ghost Zone that even he would have to abide by. Still, as of late more and more ghosts had come to his domain claiming to feel a strange unease and restlessness that even to a ghost was bizarre. Something was stirring. Something old. Something dangerous. And the only one that stood between them and this shadow, was the boy sleeping before him in a large moon-shaped bed covered in his finest black silk sheets.

Really, he probably should have placed the boy in one of his dream pods that would keep him in a deep slumber with a steady supply of sleeping gas but Nocturne didn't believe it was necessary. Nocturne heard his silent wish. A wish for a night of sleep unbroken by nightmares. Deep and healing. Because if Owen couldn't protect himself, how was he supposed to protect that man...? The man who'd given him hope and a reason to continue living?

Nocturne had heard tales of him, the elder halfa, but had yet to have the pleasure of meeting him. And because he knew that Vlad Plasmius was not someone to be trifled with, it was all the more vital to absorb as much pure dream energy from Owen as he could, from present dreams to the dreams of days long passed. Glancing down at him, Nocturne noticed the slight twitch in his hand as Owen called out Vlad's name and stirred.

"Don't worry Owen. I will protect your sleep, even from him," Nocturne murmured softly, pouring more of his power into the sleeping spell so Owen would submerge even further down into the depths. "I promised you my finest dreams, did I not? Just wait a little while longer then it will be ready for you. All I need are the right memories from you to build them from. Though I wonder which you long for more, the carefree days of the past, or the bight future you fervently hope this Vlad can bring?"

Once Owen was still again and at rest, Nocturne continued to study the thoughts of his subconscious, weaving a beautiful dream from them like a tapestry that would soon envelope Owen like a soft blanket. This would take some time but this world was vast and it would take anyone who knew of Owen's disappearance ages to find them whether or not the portal had stayed open or not. Just to be safe though, Nocturnal created a few Sleepwalkers to test his renewed strength then ordered them to watch over the boy and alert him if there was any changes. There were preparations to make for his other visitor no doubt too that were far less welcoming then Owen's...

Wings. He could hear...wings flapping. Or was that the swish of Vlad's cloak in the wind? Wondering which one it was, Owen opened his eyes only to find himself floating in a sea of endless stars. There was nothing else there but the small shimmering that Owen assumed were stars until they started to move gently and dance around him like little fireflies.

It wasn't until one came closer that Owen realized it was a small flame, not a star or a firefly, but it was so small that it could easily be mistaken for the light of a candle without the actual candle. Reaching out, Owen captured the small flame and almost immediately he was overcome by a brief vision of an old man staring out to sea, bracing his eyes against the sunset turning the sky a thousand different shades of red as the sunset.

"It won't be long until my final sunset huh?" the elderly man chuckled, somehow at ease despite the morbid subject. "Who will be the next one to carry the torch I wonder? I wish him luck either way. This road has been long for all of us, but, there is no such thing as something that does not end. Everything ends. Even moments like this. So like life, shouldn't we treasure them while they last...?"