A soft sigh slipped from his lips, Danny rested back in his throne. It was still a weird concept, being the king of the zone. When he first accepted the title, he never expected much to come out of it. Sure he had a crown, and a ring. Luckily the items transformed into normal everyday jewelry when he wasn't in his ghost form. The crown of fire went from being a glowing bejeweled piece of onyx metal to a simple barb-wired necklace, the ring of rage didn't change much. Staying in a less ghostly form, no glow or noticeable shifting in the colors.

Clockwork had mentioned he was going to have full control of Pariah Dark's old castle, the throne and everything that came with it. However, it simply passed over his mind. He didn't really think about what that meant... Until now.

His core finally healed enough that he didn't need to be micro-managed by the other ghosts. They turned into quite the helicopter parents for the last two weeks for his healing. Once he was able to use the basics of his powers without draining his core too much, Pandora gave him the clear to travel further from the Far Frozen, which lead him here.

This was his domain, his home in the zone. It didn't quite feel like it, not with the dark looming walls around him, the cobwebs and dust coating everything in sight. The place still scream of Pariah Dark's reign, and he knew he could change it, but it wasn't easy to do. Instead he settled for sleeping his nights in Clockwork's tower, taking refugee in the empty building. During the waking hours he'd settle in the throne, mind mulling over all the things he put in place since his time here.

It wasn't much, simple rules in place to keep their world safe from the ruthless hunters in the living realm. The first was if you were visiting the living you had to make sure you had a charm to disguise your ghostly form from the living, a few ghosts had been banned from being able to go to the living off the sole purpose that they wouldn't know how to function.

For example, Klemper. As much as Danny knew he was some of the most harmless spirits out there, he also knew Klemper wouldn't be able to pass unsuspiciously under the gaze of a seasoned hunter. Lunch Box wasn't allowed out in the world without Boxy or Lunch Lady with her, mostly because Lunch Box didn't really know just how bad the world out there could be, she needed protection.

Another sigh left him, black cover hands plucking the glowing crown off his head. His eyes racked over the swirling details in the black metal, running over the soft blue gems embedded in a few places in the design. Rolling over the flickering green flame that rose around the metal, dipping and swirling in no real pattern. The coordination had been a pain, the ache in his mind and body after he finally allowed his core to accept the power was more uncomfortable than he would have liked.

Then there was adjusting to the powers, and the enhancements. His basic abilities grew ten-fold, his eyesight, his hearing, and healing were the first things he noted easily. The power behind his ecto-blasts was the next, the accident when he missed fire and hit metal was a dead give away. The green energy wavered like fire, eating away the metal as if someone had dropped acid on it.

Danny had been terrified that if he hit a ghost with it, he would end their existence. If Pandora hadn't urged him, encourage him, to hit her with a small blast to show that she was affected just like she normally would, he probably would have never found the answer to his questions. His abilities took a more destructive stance against inanimate objects.

Endless training sessions finally had him comfortable enough to know how to handle the new growth. Although he feels like he'd never get used to and comfortable with the his new ability. The one to take or give life. The one that came with the ring of rage.

Aside from his powers- something he still found hard to think about- was what came with the crown. The unbelieve pressure of knowledge being crammed into his brain the moment the crown was placed on his head was one he wouldn't forget. Along with that, he found himself surprisingly getting used to his brain supplying him answers to questions he never realized he knew.

Information for other creatures out in the world, ones he never encountered or knew existed in the first place. Charles had explained it was essentially an encyclopedia of all the information gathered down from every ghost king to ever have existed before. Every knew piece of information one king learned would be pieced into the crown, passing on to the next to rule.

Then there was the question of how long he'd find himself as king. Skulker had actually been the one to fill him in on great detail how the crown is passed on by king to king, how the title found it's next candidate. Regardless, Danny had an uncomfortable feeling being king was going to be something he was stuck with for a long time.

Danny groaned, letting the crown drop from his finger tips. The soft thumps of it bouncing down the stairs to his throne sounded three times, before the familiar feeling of it floating above his head returned. He couldn't lose it, no matter what. He either had to will the crown out of existence, or he had to be in his human form for it to not look the way it did.

God, as much as his kingly duties kept him occupied, it didn't mean he didn't find himself struggling to try and ignore the wave of emotions concealed behind a too thin wall. He always felt like he was just two minutes away from breaking down.

He missed them. Everyone he used to talk to, back when he was 'alive'.

He missed Sam.

He missed Dean.

"How much longer?" Danny asked, eyes fixated on the upside down image of Pandora in his gaze. He was settled floating upside down above her desk, legs morphed into his ghostly tail, head hung as far back as it could go. Pandora shook her head slightly, paper work for the bar she owned shifting on her desk as she looked them over.

"When I decide so." She reminded, sliding one sheet off to the side.

"Whatcha looking at?" Danny asked. He was bored, beyond bored. Everything that needed his kingly input was dealt with, which left him with very little to do.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" Pandora countered, leaning back in her chair to meet his eyes. The amusement in her voice wasn't lost on him.

"That's all I've been doing!" Danny groan, slowly straightening himself and floating down to rest on pristine castle flooring. Pandora laughed, straightening out the paperwork after one last signature. "I'm going stir-crazy."

"More like you're starting to think about things you don't want to."

"No, no mindreading." Danny shook his head, crossing his arms defiantly. He knew she couldn't mindread, but she was much too good reading him like an open book.

"Maybe don't walk around looking like a love-struck puppy who just got rejected." She shot back, pushing the chair back with a soft squeak. "You miss him, everyone with half a brain cell can see it."

"I don't think I'm ready to think about it." Danny mumbled, crossing his legs below him, floating to be leveled with her. "It hurts."

"Well, you're stuck here medically until you are." Danny's eyes jolted up in surprise, meeting her smug ones.

"Seriously?"

"Can't send you out into the other realm if you aren't ready." She smirked, picking up a pen and turning towards the door. "What kind of aunt would I be?" Danny watched shocked as she left.

He wasn't ready to make a decision, he had no clue where to go with his life from here, but he didn't want to be confine to the zone. He loved this place, it was his second home... But he was still alive. He missed the bustle that was the living world, the constant actions and movement of humans on the daily. Hell, he even missed the other creatures he'd encounter ever so often.

He appreciated Pandora giving him a reason to wait longer, but part of him felt like he could have all the time in the world and still not find an answer. Which was his biggest problem, how was he supposed to decide? Was he supposed to go back and telling the Winchesters' he was still very much alive, and reveal his secret? Or should he just move on with his life?

Sometimes he didn't feel like he was adult enough to answer.

"Dean has a warrant out for his arrest." Danny's eyes jumped up, meeting Johnny's teasing gaze. Shadow was curled around where he sat, idly watching the lights flickering through the window of Johnny's haunt. "Well, he's technically dead, but we all know better. They've been getting into a whole lot of trouble."

"Why are you telling me this?" Danny sighed, dropping his own hand of cards. With nothing better to do, Danny figured he'd spend time with some of the others after knocking down some kingly duties.

"I saw it on the news when I was top-side, had Shadow do a check." Johnny continued, not answering Danny's question. "It was a shapeshifter, got Dean tagged on a few murders, assaults, and dead in the eyes of the law."

"But the two of them are okay?" Danny asked, not bothering to repeat his earlier question.

"Don't worry, lover boy and his brother are just fine. Last we heard, they were headed to a case in Kentucky. Something about vampires." Shadow made a sound in agreement, and Danny nodded.

An exhale left him and he glanced around the garage, bikes and pieces littered the area. He didn't ask for the update, but he wasn't sure he didn't want it. Yea, it hurt a little knowing Sam went back to the life he left, but Danny can't blame him. It was the only thing he knew aside from what he learned in college. After Danny's supposed death, he can't blame him for not wanting to stay. He knew if it was him, he didn't think he could push through college after that.

"If you decide to find him, we're here to help." Johnny offered, which was oddly uncharacteristic. No catch, no deal was tagged onto that offer. He was just being nice.

"I know I almost died again and all, but you being nice is more disturbing than burning alive." Danny spoke, raising an eyebrow at the older spirit. Johnny's harsh laugh filled the air for a moment.

"Don't get used to it princess, I'm only aiming to get on Kitty's good side again." That one pulled a laugh out of Danny.

"And there's the catch." Danny smiled, picking up his hand again.

A soft comfort rested in him though, even if Sam was still mourning he at least had Dean there to help him when he needed it.