Moi-Moi: Hey there guys. It's been a while. I know. Classes have been killer. But finals are next week, graduation a week after, and then I'm moving the week after that. So I sound busy, but I think I should have more time in the upcoming weeks.

Anyways, this chapter goes a bit heavy on the romance so I hope you guys are ready for this. If you find yourself screaming, "Get back to the action!" don't worry. That's coming really soon. Like, you have noooo idea what I have planned (not just for this story, but the next one as well). It's all coming into focus now. ;)

~:~

This witch was a crafty one. Not only was she powerful, but she had the ghost child at her beck and call. He'd sent well over fifty ghosts to capture her, but not a single one had returned. If he wanted to capture her, he'd have to work smart. She must already be onto him...

The Fright Knight had never dueled a witch before and had never envisioned himself needing to. But if he was going to finish the task that he had assigned to himself, he would need to take precautions. His precautions came in the form of potent sedatives and magic-suppressing shackles. These shackles were extremely old and one of a kind. He'd procured them centuries ago, but hadn't had any use for them until now.

The iron shackles had been treated with the oils from a (now extinct) plant that was known to suppress a witch's magic. Once upon a time, it was the only way for a ghost to defend themself against a witch. Luckily, it had only grown in the ghost zone. But past witches were quick to wipe out all traces of the plant and all remaining hope any ghost might have had a long time ago.

Fright Knight placed his fully stocked saddle onto his Nightmare's back. If these didn't help him capture that witch, nothing would.

~:~

These were desperate times. That was the only reason Danny could rationalize going to Vlad (of all people!) for help. Vlad was the only one he knew with the means for gathering information and probably the only person left who would help him. Then again, maybe Clockwork would be willing to help? Danny scoffed. It was more likely that Clockwork would offer cryptic advice and smug looks.

Intangibly slipping past the concrete walls of Vlad's city hall office, Danny squared his shoulders and flew in front of Vlad. The older halfa was in the middle of a phone call and barely offered Danny a glance. Folding his arms impatiently, Danny glared down at Vlad.

"...Yes. I understand. But there simply aren't enough funds in the budget for-" Vlad argued into the phone. Apparently, not all the desperation in the world could increase Danny's patience with Vlad. Without any hesitation, Danny pressed down on the switch and ended the call. Sighing loudly, Vlad glanced up at Danny in annoyance. "I suppose the high school really doesn't need more funds for repairs anyway," Vlad commented.

"I'm here on business, Vlad."

"And what can I do for you, Daniel?"

"I... need your help," Danny reluctantly admitted.

Vlad instantly peeked up. A sly grin slowly slid onto his face as Vlad leaned back onto his plush chair. "Well, this is a surprise. And how can I help you, my boy?"

"It's not for me. It's for Kagome."

Vlad raised a brow. "Is there something wrong with Kagome?" Vlad asked with a serious expression. What could be wrong with Kagome?

"More and more ghosts are coming after her and I want to find out why. But I need your help," Danny explained.

"My help?" Vlad parroted. It was rather curious. Daniel would never come to him for help. "Don't you have any allies?"

"I can't ask them. If I could, I would have. Trust me. You're my last choice," Danny said. "No ghost would help me protect Kagome since she's a witch. No matter how much I try to explain to them that she's not some evil ghost hunter, they won't believe me."

"I'm not surprised. There is a fair amount of bad history between ghosts and witches, Daniel. That much bad history can't be erased so easily," Vlad explained. "Do you have any leads?"

"I'm not sure what the connection is. First, it was Skulker. Then, Walker sent his goons after her. Then, a skeleton army cornered her in an alley," Danny summarized. "I thought ghosts avoided witches."

"The weaker ones do. But, a strong or powerful ghost wouldn't feel the same amount of fear towards a witch. It could be that there is someone behind the scenes pulling the strings," Vlad mused. "Let me get in contact with Skulker. I'll see what I can dig up."

"I'll keep an eye on Kagome in the meantime," Danny said before quickly flying away. Despite being somewhat civil towards each other this time, Danny could spend only so much time in Vlad's presence.

~:~

Danny rolled his eyes with a small smile on his face as he listened to Jazz rant and rave. His phone was pressed between his cheek and his shoulder while he moved about his bedroom. Days later and he was still putting his room back together after his friends had turned it upside down. They'd helped him a little but he didn't really need the help. Not when he could make duplicates of himself to make the work go faster. "Seriously, Jazz. You don't need to come home. Stay and finish your summer classes. I'll be fine," Danny assured.

"You've been on vacation for less than two months and you've already been kidnapped, nearly killed, and fought a skeleton army, Danny. You need all the help you can get," Jazz argued.

"Kagome is more than enough help. Trust me, Jazz. She's better at this than I was after a few months of fighting ghosts. Plus, Sam and Tucker are still here. I even have Kagome's mom and Vlad," Danny reasoned.

"Since when do you look to Vlad for help?"

"Since he's the only ghost who would help me keep Kagome safe. Besides, Vlad cares about her too."

"Frostbite and Clockwork won't help? I thought they liked you."

"They do. But Frostbite doesn't want to cause trouble for him and his people. I didn't ask Clockwork. I feel like he'd just give me a long-winded, life lesson," Danny said and rolled his eyes.

"Probably. I can't believe that no one will believe you though. They won't even listen to reason!"

"I don't think there's anything I can do about it. Or, at least, that's what everyone keeps telling me. I don't know. I'll just take things one step at a time," Danny said with a sigh.

"I'm proud of you, little brother. You've really grown up. I know you can handle things, but it definitely makes me feel better that you have so many people helping you. I just wish that I could help keep mom and dad off your back."

"Kagome's got that covered. When they don't see me, they just assume that I'm at her house. Can you believe it?"

"Duh. You're always with her. It's just like three years ago when we all thought that you and Sam would end up together because of how much time you spent with her."

Danny balked. "Sam and I are just friends. And what do you mean everyone thought that we'd end up together?"

"You're so clueless, Danny. Never mind. Just don't let another one get away. Okay, little brother? I've got to go, but I'll call you later."

Danny frowned at his phone once he heard the resounding click when Jazz had ended the call. It wasn't news to him that people had thought that he and Sam liked each other. But they were wrong! Maybe he had liked Sam a little bit, but... That was three years ago. If they were meant to be, it would have happened already.

Nonetheless, he finally had a date with Kagome now. He hadn't been sure of his feelings for Sam, but he knew exactly where he stood with how he felt for Kagome. And for once, a girl he really liked actually liked him back! He could have a real relationship and not have to hide half of his life. He just had to try not to screw this up...

~:~

She was doing this for the both of them. It really was impractical to think that a relationship between a ghost and a witch could ever work out. There were just too many factors against them.

Kimiko squared her shoulders as she walked through the empty hallways of Vlad's mansion. She could never understand how he could live in such a quiet and empty home. Then again, Vlad usually spent more time in her home than his own. It was going to be rough going back to the way things used to be. But they would have to tough it out. Stopping in front of some cherrywood doors, Kimiko knocked twice.

"Come in."

Pushing the doors open, Kimiko stepped into Vlad's study and braced herself for what she was about to do.

"Ah, Kimiko. What a pleasant surprise," Vlad greeted when he looked up from the papers on his desk. "What can I do for you, my dear?" he asked as he got up and walked around the wooden desk.

"Vlad, we need to talk," Kimiko started.

"What about?" Vlad asked with a curious smile.

"I'm just going to come out with it. Vlad, I'm breaking up with you," Kimiko said in a no nonsense tone.

"Really?" Vlad responded with a raised brow. With arms folded over his chest, Vlad leaned back onto his desk. "And why ever would you want to do that?"

"I can tell that you aren't taking me seriously, but I'm being quite serious Vlad. I don't think we are right for each other."

"And why is that? Because you're a witch and I'm half ghost? We're supernatural. I don't think that there is anyone better for me than you. And I know for a fact that I make you very happy," Vlad started. "I don't understand why you feel the need to have what we are define who we can be with. You are more than just a witch and I am more than just a ghost."

"But you can't deny that they are a large part of who we are. We can't avoid it," Kimiko argued. Why did he have to be so difficult!? He'd gotten out of this talk the last time she had brought it up, but she wasn't backing down this time.

Vlad rolled his eyes with a scoff. "Maybe not but quite frankly, I don't care. I may sound like a petulant adolescent, but I don't care what anyone else has to say. I am a selfish man who only wants the best out of life and I know for a fact that there is no woman on this planet better for me than you."

"Not if being with me might get you killed," Kimiko responded with her arms folded angrily.

"Are you referring to what happened to Daniel?" Vlad asked and shook his head. "Even you know that Daniel is inexperienced. Honestly, he was captured by a woman in her sixties. Do you honestly believe that I would allow that to happen to me?"

"I'm trying to tell you. You don't have a choice in the matter. Just listen to me, Vlad. Everyday, I get a bad feeling. Something terrible is coming. I don't know what it is and whenever I've tried to look ahead, all I see is a cloudy future of turmoil," Kimiko urged.

Vlad straightened out and unfolded his arms. "Kimiko, love, I think what you're feeling is comparable to how normal humans feel. Unlike us, they look to new experiences and the future with doubt and foreboding. But we're above all that."

"Why?" Kimiko asked and rolled her eyes. "Because we're supernatural?"

"No. Because I am completely confident that my future is a bright one. And it only looks that way because you and your children are in it. I would do anything to secure that future for me- for us. If I had to give up my ghost half, I would," Vlad stressed. He'd always been a passionate man and he had no problems with expressing his emotions. Of course his only other experience with confessing his love had ended with Maddie hating him for years, but still. This was different. What he felt now was different. This love was liberating and real. There was no hiding who he really was. He could be himself with this extraordinary woman.

Kimiko was speechless. After a few seconds of shaking her head in disbelief, she asked, "Would you really?"

"In a heartbeat. That is, unless you had reservations about being with a normal mortal," Vlad replied with a smirk.

"Nope. None," Kimiko replied. "I'm not sure how I could bring a normal person into my crazy world. Just the other day, Judai spent his afternoon changing Aki into a variety of different animals for fun."

"Be happy that you never have to. You'll have me forever," Vlad said as he walked around his desk and started rummaging through one of the drawers. "That is..." he started as he grabbed something and returned to her. "If you'll still have me."

She wanted him, but she didn't want anyone to get hurt. She wanted to believe in Vlad's vision of the future, but her own visions were still haunting her. How could she jump wholeheartedly into this love story with such a bad feeling hanging over her head? Or maybe she was just scared of being left alone again? But if she gave up on Vlad now, she'd be alone for sure...

"I would never hurt you, Kimiko," Vlad started. Was he reading her mind? "I would never dream of hurting you or leaving you. As of right now, I can see that there's only one way that I can prove it to you," Vlad said as he lowered onto one knee. Kimiko's eyes widened.

~:~

Kagome slipped her white, knit cap onto her head before smiling brightly. She's picked out a cute sweater and dark skinny jeans for her second date with Danny. He hadn't told her where they were going, choosing instead to stress that she dress warmly. Maybe he was flying them somewhere cold? Or was he going to use his ice powers to make it snow in summer!? While giggling to herself, Kagome reached for her purse. "This is what happens when you date a half-ghost," she said to herself.

"What happens?"

With a small gasp escaping her, Kagome quickly turned around to see Danny Phantom floating in her room. Smiling softly, Kagome shrugged once and said, "I was just thinking of all the possibilities for a date with a boy with ghost powers."

"Not to disappoint you," Danny started and changed back into his human half. "But I'm just plain old Danny Fenton tonight."

"I don't think there's been anything "plain" about Danny Fenton for years," Kagome said with a giggle. Spotting the thermos in his hand, she asked, "Are we ghost hunting in Alaska?"

"Nope," Danny said with a bright grin while leading her out of the room. "Plain old Danny Fenton carries a regular thermos with regular hot chocolate. There's no ghost hunting tonight," Danny announced proudly. He knew that he couldn't promise that, but he would be darned if he didn't try his best to have a normal, ghost-free date.

~:~

Her anticipation was building. Once they'd gotten into town, Danny had insisted that he blindfold her to maintain the surprise. So, with Danny as her eyes, they walked the empty streets towards their destination. "Are we going to the park?" Kagome guessed.

"Nope," Danny answered cheekily.

"The movies?"

"Definitely not. Going to the movies as a date is pretty cliché. Don't you think? Give me a little more credit than that."

Kagome giggled brightly. "I'm sorry. How could I? Where else could we be going where I need to dress warm? You didn't use your ice powers to make it snow in the summer. Right?"

"What ice powers? I'm just a normal teenager," Danny replied cheekily. Seriously, why hadn't he thought of that? That would have been an awesome idea. Oh well. Next time. That is, if there is a next time.

"Okay. We're here," Kagome heard him say before she felt the blindfold be pulled away. Eagerly, she opened her eyes and looked around. "The ice skating rink? I thought they closed after six," Kagome said and looked around at the deserted rink. She turned to Danny in question to see him offering her a pair of white skates.

"They do, but this is the best time to skate- when there's no one else to share the rink with. Come on," Danny encouraged and led her towards some benches. Okay. So maybe he used his powers a little to get them inside, but it was only for a second!

"Danny, this is really sweet, but I've never ice skated before," Kagome explained hesitantly.

"That's okay. I've done it tons of times. I'll show you how," Danny said and finished lacing up his skates. "Sit down and I'll help you get your skates on."

Kagome watched Danny take off her ankle boots one at a time before slipping on the skates. A tiny smile was threatening to take over as she watched Danny work with his hands on ankles and calves. She still wasn't sure what caused it, but she couldn't help but see Danny differently. She noticed things now. Like how long his fingers felt whenever he held her hand or how pink his lips always looked or how you could see a sliver of skin on his abdomen when he stretched and his shirt lifted a little (ghost fighting was definitely better on the body than anything other boys were doing). Shaking her head out a bit, she removed her feet from his lap once he had finished. Oh boy. This was going to be a task. Hopefully, she wouldn't end up making a complete fool of herself on the ice.

"Ready?" Danny asked and stood. He offered her his hands with an easy smile. "Stand slowly and try to keep your balance. I'll help you onto the ice."

Honestly, Kagome wasn't as bad as she made it seem. While they weren't going very fast around the rink, she was definitely picking up on the skill faster than he had expected. It had taken forever for Tucker to learn how to skate and even then he was only average at best. But it wasn't long before Danny could let go of one of her hands and start to skate at her side. Once in a while, she would slip a little but he was always quick to catch her. Of course, he always held her close to him afterwards for extra support.

The first time he fell was a complete accident. He could have avoided it altogether, but he had been distracted! Kagome had started laughing happily and captured his attention. Then, he'd noticed how red her cheeks were just as he'd gotten a glimpse of that movie-star smile. He'd lost his footing and ended up pulling them both down onto the ice like the major clutz that he was. But Kagome had only laughed some more and asked if he was okay.

Once they had decided to take a break from the ice, Danny brought out his thermos and two, paper cups that he'd snagged from a water bubbler. "Who taught you how to skate?" Kagome asked as she and Danny sipped their hot chocolate beside the rink.

"Jazz did. While my parents were busy fighting over whether or not Santa existed, Jazz tried to take my mind off it all," Danny explained. "It worked for a while."

"Does it bother you that they still fight over Santa?"

"Not anymore. I got over it years ago. Besides, these past few Christmases haven't been so bad," Danny said with a shrug.

"What made you want to go ice skating with me? Dinner and a movie would have been fine you know," Kagome said with a sly grin.

"It would have been fine, but we've seen plenty of movies and had dinner together plenty of times. It was a lot harder than you would think to find something that we haven't already done together," Danny answered.

Kagome was about to answer him when the sound of a door opening and shutting loudly stopped her.

"Why are all these lights on? Who's out there!?"

Both teens froze before exchanging wide-eyed gazes. Danny quickly took her by the hand before turning them both invisible. Seconds later, an elderly man in a janitor's outfit walked out and looked around suspiciously. Still invisible, they got up slowly and attempted to walk around him. "Probably some stupid kids..." the janitor muttered with a deep frown.

Once they were safely outside the ice rink, they both started laughing loudly. "That was close!" Kagome exclaimed in between her laughter.

"Tell me about it," Danny said and changed into his ghostly persona. "We should get out of here," Danny suggested and offered his gloved hand. With her hand in his, the two quickly flew away from the scene. Despite the date being cut short, both teens were filled with a satisfied feeling and the sense of being lighter than air.

~:~

Kagome turned down her bed while humming happily to herself. 'Best date EVER,' she thought as she sighed once with a smile.

Danny had dropped her off half an hour ago. She'd come home to an empty house since Judai was over at a friend's house and her mother had yet to get back from Vlad's. Coming home to an empty house did wonders for her confidence. She was able to share a goodnight kiss with Danny and not have to worry about teasing from her little brother or mother.

Just before she slipped into bed, Kagome left the room in search of Aki. It looked like it was going to be just the two of them tonight. She didn't want to leave him outside by himself. Plus, she felt a bit paranoid about sleeping alone. At least if Aki were in the room with her, she'd have some protection. "Aki? Where are you? It's time for bed," Kagome called out as she poked her head into Judai and Kimiko's rooms. She didn't find Aki in the living room either and when she called down into the basement, she got no reply. Stepping out into the backyard, Kagome frowned and looked around. "Aki?" she called out when she saw him laying on the grass. With a shake of her head, she walked over to him. "Aki, wake up. Come inside and let's go to bed."

When Aki didn't wake, she crouched by his head. Shaking him slightly, Kagome frowned at his unresponsiveness. Aki was definitely breathing, but he wasn't waking up. Just like that, everything felt wrong. Standing slowly, Kagome glanced around warily and wrapped her arms around herself. She'd be safer inside. Quickly stooping down to pick up her dog, she was about to pull him to her when she felt the presence of a ghost. Springing up, Kagome came face to face with a fanged, black horse. It's neon green, flaming mane and black armor shone in the pale moonlight.

Suddenly, the horse neighed loudly and stretched out a pair of veiny, black bat-like wings as it stood on its hind legs. "I'm not afraid of some demon horse," Kagome promised and narrowed her gaze. She knew where her mother kept her wards and potions. She just had to get back inside!

"There's no escape, thy fate is mine."

Kagome froze when she felt a chill go up her spine at the same time that a gloved hand clamp over her mouth. Before she could summon up any of her magic to defend herself, she felt a painful prick in her neck.

"To serve the true king 'til the end of time."

She barely heard the deep voice's last words before a thick fog enveloped her senses.

~:~

Moi-Moi: Was it glaringly obvious that I'm not a poet and that I suck at ice skating? Honestly, I tried both and they're just not for me. I fell every time I got on the ice and it takes forever for me to figure out how to write or understand poetry. Anyways, don't forget to comment and vote for this chapter! ;)