AN: review time hooray. disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom.
Invader Johnny: no Desiree won't cause anymore trouble. she was vindictive because of all the selfish wishes she was forced to grant. now she is free to choose. that eliminates the vindictiveness.
danifan3000: your forgetting when Kitty possessed Paulina my friend. she was able to mimic Paulina's voice.
Quillion9000: sorry I wasn't thinking of Aladdin when I wrote the ending to the last chapter. haven't watched the original in a long time either might watch it now. though I wish they had the show on Disney. also Desiree needs to grant wishes because that her obsession. without that she would cease to exist.
"normal speech"
'normal thoughts notes'
"YELLING"
[calls texts]
~location/transition~
flashbacks, memories, dreams
~Amity Park sky's~
Star was flying through the sky enjoying the breeze that flows through her hair when she sees Danny on his electric scooter and flies down to him. "Hey Danny!" She said flying next to his scooter. "Running late for curfew?"
"Yeah. Even with your help in catching ghosts I'm still late sometimes." Danny replied. "Guess I still need work on time management."
"I thought you've been doing good with that recently." Star reassured him. "I recommend you tell your parents you're running late though. That way they won't have a reason to punish you."
"Thanks Star, and that's not a bad idea." Danny said. He stopped his scooter and pulled his phone out calling his house.
[Hello?] His mom answered, as they still lacked caller ID.
"Hey mom just calling to tell you I'll be late." Danny said.
[Why's that Danny?] Maddie Fenton questioned.
"I stopped by Star's place and lost track of time." Danny replied.
[Oh! Well I guess you're excused this time.] Maddie said understanding. [Alright sweetie get home safe.]
"I will mom. Love you." Danny said. After his mom told him she loved him too Danny hung up. He then looked to Star. "Want to hang a bit since I have extra time?" Danny asked.
"I'd love to but my mom wanted me to come straight home after my flight. She said dad wanted to talk about something." Star replied flying back to her house missing the vulture ghosts flying from house to house.
~Strong residents~
Star landed at her door and changed to her human form. She opened the door and went in. "I'm home!" She called out.
Mrs. Strong poked her head from the kitchen. "Hey hun! Just have a seat in the living room with your father, okay?" She told her daughter. Star nodded going to the living room. She sees her dad in his Lazyboy armchair. He's a balding blonde, blue eyed man with a bit of a belly and wearing gray dress pants and a button up shirt. His gray work jacket and blue tie were on the back of his chair.
"Hey dad! How was work?" Star asked.
"Exhausting." He replied. "How was school Estella?"
"It was fine. Still trying to get Paulina to change up the cheer routine." Star told Mr. Strong as she sat on the couch.
"I saw the cheer at the last game. It needs a Strong's touch. Plus changing the cheer will make you more popular." Mr. Strong said as he reads his newspaper. This gives Star the opportunity to roll her eyes at his comment, because he couldn't see her through the paper. Her mom then walked in wearing her usual mechanics uniform.
"So you wanted to talk about something dear?" Mrs. Strong asked sitting down next to Star.
Mr. Strong put the newspaper down saying, "Yes I did Maria. I got a letter from a university classmate a few days ago. It said they wanted to have a reunion with everyone from our class this weekend."
"Oh that's wonderful Alan! Are you going?" Maria asked.
"I thought we could make it a family trip." He told his family. "What do you think?" Alan asked with a smile.
"I think that's a good idea." His wife said with Star nodding in agreement.
Star then questioned, "Wait aren't reunions normally done for high-school and not university?'
Alan nodded at his daughter's confusion. "Yes usually it is a high school thing. On occasion someone from a college or university wants to catch up with their old peers, so they decide to host a reunion." He informed her.
"Oh that makes sense." Star said as she got a text and she looked at it. "Danny wants to talk so I'm going to my room."
"Your still talking to that Fenton boy?" Alan asked before saying, "Don't get me wrong I'm glad he helped you when your foot was stuck, but your popularity will drop if you continue interacting with him."
"Dad it's fine, as long as I remain a cheerleader I'm popular." Star said hiding her annoyance at her dad's words. She then goes to her room hearing her mom tell her dad to leave her alone. In her room she calls Danny. "Hey Danny what's up?"
[Something weird happened after you left.] Danny said.
"Weird how?" Star asked.
[These vultures appeared looking for my dad.] Danny replied.
"Woah that is weird." Star commented.
[I know. Thankfully with you telling me to tell my mom I'll be late I didn't get in trouble for that. Still got in trouble for skipping my chores. Now I'm going on a family trip to a reunion for my parents university and it's because Jazz said I can't relate to my parents cause they don't talk about their past.] Danny grumbled.
"Huh, I'm going with my parents for a reunion with my dad's university too. Though we're making it a family outing." Star said.
[Would be funny if we're going to the same reunion.] Danny joked.
"Yeah it would be a bit funny." Star said giggling. She then hears Danny talking to someone.
[I got to go. Mom said we're leaving tomorrow. Bye.] Danny explained.
"Alright bye Danny." Star said before hanging up her phone.
~Half way between Amity Park and somewhere in Wisconsin~
The Strong's were driving to the location of the reunion. "So dad who is the benefactor of the reunion?" Star asked her father.
"His name is Vlad Masters." Alan revealed. Maria and Star are visibly shocked at his revelation.
"Vlad Masters? As in the billionaire of the year?" Maria questioned.
"Yes. I'm glad he was able to come back from that horrible accident he was in twenty years ago." Alan answered. He tells his family what he saw happen to Vlad.
~Twenty years before~
A younger Alan Strong, with a full head of hair and wearing regular clothes with a letterman jacket, was walking in the lab hall when he heard a scream. He quickly ran to the scream. Alan made it to the room and slammed the door open and saw Vlad with a weird case of acne with the Fenton's near.
~Present day~
"Seeing Vlad like that I immediately called for an ambulance." Alan finished explaining the accident. "I'd be surprised if the Fenton's were invited as well since Vlad was cursing about Jack Fenton as the paramedics took him away."
Star was shocked at hearing that her dad was classmates with her friends dad. "I didn't know you were classmates with Mr. Fenton." She said.
"We both were on the university football team. Didn't have an actual class together. Vlad and I had a business class together though." Alan informed. "Seeing the aftermath of that lab accident though made me realize I did't want my kids in a lab accident. That's why I always push you to be popular." He said to his daughter. Star and her mom gave each other a nervous look, that her dad missed, knowing that already happened.
"Yeah that wouldn't be fun." Star said hiding her nervousness before thinking, 'Yep dad would definitely have a heart attack if I told him about my powers and how I got them.' She then remembered what Danny told her a few nights ago. "Well Mr. Masters must have forgave Mr. Fenton since the fentons might be there."
"Oh well if Vlad forgave him then that's good." Alan said.
Later that day the family stopped at a rest stop to sleep for the night and saw a familiar RV. "Hey it's Danny's family!" Star exclaimed happily. When the Strong family parked Star hopped out of the truck with a camper and went near the RV. As she walked Danny exited the RV and she called to him, "Danny hey!"
Danny looked up surprised to see Star. "Star? What are you doing here?" He asked her.
"I'm going with my dad to his university reunion remember." Star reminded him.
"Oh right. I forgot." Danny responded. "So this means our parents went to the same university?"
"My dad did. Our dad's were on the football team together." Star said as the rest of the Strong's and Fenton's joined the two friends.
"Alan! How are you?" Jack asked happily to his old classmate.
"I've been well Jack." Alan replied obviously annoyed at Jack's appearance.
"I didn't realize you had a family." Jack said. "And our kids are friends to boot." He gave a hardy laugh patting Danny's back a bit hard making him stumble some.
"Why don't you three join us for a grill out?" Maddie asked as she held up a tray of hamburgers and hotdogs.
"As long as we use my grill sure." Alan says going to get his grill from the truck so the two families could eat. Both families enjoyed the dinner as the sun goes down. When the Fenton siblings asked who was hosting the reunion Star answered.
"Dad said it's Vlad Masters." Star told the siblings.
Jazz was drinking water and spit it out in surprise at the revelation. "Wait, wait, wait. Masters? As in Vlad Masters? Who was named 'Billionaire of the Year!?'" She exclaimed. Her reaction caused the Strong family to laugh. "Did I say something funny?" Jazz asked confused.
"No mom had a similar reaction as you. So we found it funny on how similar your reaction was." Star answered. Jazz nodded in understanding. When everyone was done eating they cleaned up and went to their respective sleeping areas.
~next day Vlads mansion~
Star and Danny looked up at the mansion not expecting the size making both say, "Woah." Vlad steps out of the shadowy doorway. He has white hair in a ponytail and blue eyes. Vlad had on a black dress suit, a white shirt underneath, a red tie, and black dress shoes that were a bit too pointy.
"Jack... and Maddie!" Vlad says with a bit of annoyance as he said Jack's name. "Ah and Alan, you all are early. Welcome." He walks back to the door and opens it. "Please come in."
As everyone walks inside Star noticed Vlad slam the door on Jack as he says, "Vladdie, my man! It's good to-" Jack knocks on the door calling out, "Hello? Hello?!" As Vlad walks away from the door into the light Star noticed his shadow did not match his body. It looked like his shadow had on a cloak of some kind and it seemed to have horns for a bit, but when she blinks it matches Vlads body.
'That was weird.' Star thought. When Vlad passed her she went and opened the door for Jack, and they caught up to the rest of the group.
~Ghost Zone Clockworks tower~
"Looks like Star's element is developing in her core." Clockwork says to a figure in the shadows.
The figure opened their eyes showing a golden glow with slited pupils. "So the time to train her is nearing?" The figure asked in a rough but gentle voice.
"Not yet old friend. He needs to come first." Clockwork answered looking at another time window showing an observant talking to a weakening ghost in a future that's starting to deteriorate. "All is as it should be."
~Vlads mansion~
Star watched as Jack tackled Vlad who was holding a football. As the two get up Jack says, "Ha! I see you've still got the old moves."
"I never had old moves! Thanks to the accident robbing me of that!" Vlad said annoyed.
Alan leaned to his daughter and whispered, "Sounds like he's still sour about the accident."
"Guess he wanted Mrs. Fenton and Mr. Fenton is just extra to Mr. Masters." Star whispered back. Her dad nodded as they hear Vlad offer everyone to stay the night, which her dad accepted immediately.
A little later Star and Danny were exploring the mansion. "This place is big." Danny said though Star wasn't paying attention and he noticed. "You okay Star?" He asked putting his hand on her shoulder.
Star jumped at his touch bringing her out of her thoughts. "Oh yeah. I was just thinking of why Mr. Masters' shadow looked different." She replied.
"Really? You think it might be more than a hallucination?" Danny inquired.
"I'm not sure it could be anything, but I do know that Mr. Masters gives off a disturbing feeling." Star told her concerns. Danny nodded trusting her intuition as they walked not knowing that they were being watched.
'Seems I need to keep an eye on the young Ms. Strong.' Vlad thought as he appeared from a darken hallway behind the teens. "She must have a strong sixth sense if she saw my ghost form in my shadow." He said to himself smiling.
~Vlad's mansion night~
Star was in the room that Vlad let her use but she couldn't sleep. She got up from the bed and transformed deciding to investigate the mansion. She phased through the door and walked around since the halls were to small to use her wings. Star snuck around until she got to the library. As she was examining the area she was shot in the back by an ecto-ray sending her flying into a bookcase.
"It's quite rude to sneak around someone's home miss." Said the one who shot her. Star immediately recognized the voice, even with the echo, as she got up.
"Vlad Masters! I knew something was off when your shadow didn't match." Star said glaring at the vampire looking halfa. He had black hair shaped like horns with a lighter black strike, red eyes, and blue skin. He's wearing a gray suit of some kind with black boots, gloves and belt. Vlad also had a high collar gray cape that's red inside. "Wow the accident made your ghost form ugly with horrible fashion sense." Star added.
Vlad was confused for a second before he realized what she said. "You're Alan's daughter!?" He exclaimed surprised. "Seems Jack's incompetence claimed another victim." Vlad said after the initial shock smiling.
"Actually it was a dare that caused this." Star explained firing an ecto blast that Vlad blocked with a barrier.
He fake yawned saying, "Ecto-rays are so year one." Vlad then turned his barrier into a blast that Star dodged flying up spreading her wings. "Hmm that's unique. Guessing you can't fly without your wings?" He mocked flying at her.
"So what if I can't. I can still put the hurt on you!" Star claimed, and to prove it she used her wings to turn herself three hundred and sixty degrees delivering a powerful kick to Vlads face. He was sent back into a bookcase hard enough to break it making the books fall on him.
"You've learned to maneuver well Starlight, and you haven't had your powers for that long I assume." Vlad said wiping ectoplasm mixed with blood from his mouth impressed. He then smiled as he sees something behind Star. "However I'm more experienced." He added confusing the girl. Before she could reply a hand grabbed her head forcing her to the ground face first. She kicked the being away and turned to look seeing another Vlad.
"What the fuck! How did you-" Star started to say before being blasted in the back again.
"Years of practice my dear." Vlad said his duplicate merging with him. "I could help you. I'll even offer your father a higher position then the one he has."
Star picked herself up, glaring at the older halfa. "Yeah, I'm not joining a creephead like you." She said, her back still burning a bit. They then hear some commotion.
"I'm sorry dear, but I have other matters to attend to." Vlad says, annoyed that his minions can't handle a simple job. Before Star could reply, he quickly punched her in the gut with an ecto-infused fist. The impact knocked the wind out of Star as she began to lose consciousness. Vlad added, "You're lucky I can't get rid of you. Otherwise, your parents will get suspicious."
"Fuck you, asshole!" Star said before losing consciousness completely, slumping into Vlad's arms and transforming back to her human form.
"Such a foul mouth for a girl." Vlad said shaking his head. He duplicated himself and tossed Star to the duplicate. "Get her to her room, I'll handle the commotion." He told it before adding, "Let's hope she thinks this was a dream and nothing more." The duplicate nodded and flew to Star's temporary room.
~next day~
Star bolted upright from the bed as if waking from a nightmare. She was breathing heavily. "Was that just a dream?" She asked herself, looking around there was a knock on the door. "Come in!"
The door opened and Vlad entered in his human form. "Good morning my dear. How did you sleep?" He asked hoping she doesn't remember the night before. Star looks at him and everything in her was telling her to run. She quickly got out of the bed to get distance from him as the memories of the night before returned to her. Vlad sighed as she was ready to fight. "I'm not going to hurt you Starlight. The only reason I attacked last night was because I didn't know who you were. Now that I know I'm sorry." He said lying.
Star was obviously still suspicious but lowered her guard for the time bing. "I'll believe you for now but I'm watching you." She said uncomfortable with Vlad there.
"Fair enough. It's only natural to be cautious of another ghost." Vlad acknowledged though he was irritated that he couldn't easily manipulate her, but he's also impressed by her instincts. 'She is definitely not a pawn.' He thought to himself before saying, "Well I'll let you get ready my dear." Vlad left as he smirked leaving her in the room.
When he left Star felt a surge of relief as her legs gave out making her see she was afraid of Vlad even if she put on a brave front. "I hope we never cross paths after this reunion." She said to herself.
~At the reunion~
Star never got the chance to talk to Danny as they helped set up for the reunion. Every time she tried her dad called her to help him with one thing or another. Now her dad is keeping her at his side trying to find other old classmates, who has kids her age, just to set her up with someone that's not a Fenton. Her mother just gave an apologetic look as she couldn't talk her husband out of it. The Strong parents were currently wearing matching outfits her dad had a navy blue suit and her mom had a navy blue dress. Star was wearing a light blue dress, cause her dress from the fall formal got ripped when she was packing for the trip, though was hoping to get a compliment from Danny.
Star was currently watching Vlad talk to Danny. When Danny left she turned to her father and one of his old classmates that had a kid close to her age and politely excused herself, "Excuse me but I need to go freshen up."
"Go right ahead Estella." Alan said.
As Star walked away she heard the woman her dad was talking to say, "Oh such a polite girl Alan. I can't even get my boy to be so polite." Star rolled her eyes at the comment as she had more important matters to deal with. Outside the ball room she transformed without anyone seeing her and flew around the mansion cause she had a bad feeling.
As she flew in the larger halls she was blasted in the back by Skulker. "Sorry girl but my empoyer wants you busy." He says firing ecto rays at her keeping damage to a minimum.
"Skulker I should have known you'd be a hired gun." Star said as she made an ecto barrier blocking the rays. "Let me guess Vlad's your employer?" Star scoffed as she asked that riring an ectoray.
"hahaha you catch on faster then the welp girl!" Skulker remarked. "I'd end you but plasmious just wants you busy." Skulker flew at Star and they exchanged blows until they phased into the library. She sees Vlad holding Maddie. Star immediately grappled her opponent and tossed him to the vampiric looking ghost forcing him to drop Maddie.
"Skulker you fool! you were supposed to distract her not lead her here!" Vlad shouted at the hunter ghost. He was then picked up by Danny who was in Jack Fentons body and they had a short talk while Skulker was sucked up by Star's mom. When they were done Vlad flew up in the air dramatically shouting, "Curse you Jack Fenton and your renowned expertise! you've bested me!" He then added with a wicked grin, "Until next time son." His body desolved into nothing but Star knew they haven't seen the last of him as she leaves the room with Danny.
~back in the ballroom~
"I can't believe Vlad Masters like us!" Danny said suprised.
"Yeah I've been trying to warn you all day but dad kept me close the whole time." Star griped as they helped clean up.
"At least we now know that you seeing his shadow change wasn't a hallucination." Danny commented.
"Yeah but what does it mean that i could see that?" Star questioned looking out the ballroom window.
okay thats it for this chapter and once again thanks to Quillion3000 for advice. Sorry that it took so long. i had electronic issues, but i hope you enjoyed.