A/N: I'M NOT DEAD!! YAY!! Sorry everyone!! I've been really busy and thus led me to procrastination on this story. (hides) Don't kill me! Please forgive me! I made this story one of my priorities to finish. Anyway I'm really sorry!!

Thanks everyone who reviewed and stick with me this far and putting up with my posting habits. I really appreciate your feedback and support! I also apologize in advance for grammer errors as this is un-beta-ed...

Now for the story, enjoy!

The story so far...

A fourteen year old orphan, Daniel Jackson as been taken in by the Fentons as foster child. Suddenly two distinctive ghosts appears and starts to attack the town and Danny Fenton. One female and one male that Daniel has recognized one to be his mother. Tension and suspicions come between Daniel and Danny, then Danny falls dangerously ill. Vlad appears asking Daniel Jackson to translate a tablet and offers Daniel a way out of state care. Meanwhile Danny almost freezes to death and now he's in a coma. While everyone is fighting for his life, he meets an underworld lord, Anubis who offers him an after life and eventually resurrects Danny.

Now Danny has survived and is asked by Anubis to pursue Vlad and retrieve Anbus's scepter that will restore the Ghost Zone again. While Vlad manipulates Daniel Jackson further and pursues his quest for power.

The Specter Speeder whizzed across the empty vastness of the Ghost Zone. Swirls of spectral energy and pink doors dotted the inky darkness.

Danny took command of the vehicle as Tucker handled the navigation while Jazz and Sam kept an eye on the Speeder’s workings. Danny insisted he drove the vehicle instead of floating around in his ghost form. It gave him a chance to explain what had happened to him since he fell sick. He felt he owed it to Sam, Tucker and Jazz to give them an explanation at the very least. He also felt the strong desire to be around them and didn’t want to be alone.

He looked out to the eerie scenery of the Ghost Zone as he recounted his experience with Anubis, leaving out the god’s attempt to take his powers away if he was to remain as a ghost. He didn’t want them to think Anubis was bad or was malicious. Danny somehow understood the god’s intentions as its number one priority above all else was to keep the realm safe and balanced. Danny didn’t want to turn evil, if he was left as a ghost while his ghost side slowly corrupted him like the god said. Danny saw what he could become and was quite frankly scared to loose everything he had and turn evil.

He stopped his trail of thought and his mind returned to the present time, relishing the fact he was safe and with the people he came to know and love.

“So Anubis is real?” Sam shook her head in disbelief, “The Egyptian God of the Underworld”

Danny turned to her and gave a lopsided smile. He knew she loved the whole mythical supernatural gods and creatures that history and lore has churned out. Anything to do with death or the occult she was the go to person, so Danny knew she would somewhat excited about the existence of Anubis.

“So let me get this straight, we have to find Anubis’s relic and save the Ghost Zone?” Tucker summed up his story

Danny nodded, “Yeah basically. And I have a feeling Vlad is somewhere in the middle of all this”

Jazz gave a sigh somewhere behind him, “Maybe we should’ve waited a little longer before heading out”

Danny didn’t look at Jazz but he could feel Jazz’s worried stare bore into the back of his neck. Danny noticed how quiet Jazz has been. Usually she was quite talkative and always sprouting knowledge but since he came back to the land of the living she just keeps staring at him with concern and fear. He couldn’t meet her eyes so he looked away every time she looked at him, afraid of what he might see.

An awkward silence filled the cabin space.

“Vlad is up to something big plus Anubis is asking for our help. If a god is asking for help I’m pretty sure there is something seriously wrong” Danny finally answered

In his curiosity he wanted to ask about what happened while he was in a coma but he knew that no one wanted to talk about it, let alone tell him. They were all just thankful that he was ok and alive. His parents fussed over him for hours upon hours and he had to covertly use his powers to escape just to have some room. He knew that he was a walking miracle and he wasn’t going to push his friends because of his curiosity. He would be clearly rattled if one of his friends or family almost died.

“We’re almost there” Tucker announced

Danny glanced over to Tucker

“Its straight ahead, were about a mile out” he continued looking at the large red dot that glared from the screen

“Are you sure that large spectral energy would be Anubis?” Jazz asked

Danny shrugged, “I dunno but it’s worth a shot”

As they neared their destination, the realm darkened. There were hints of purple ectoplasm mixed with some green and the doors where ghosts ‘live’ were becoming scarce.

“We’ve got a visual” Tucker announced and then grinned, “I’ve always wanted to say that!”

He was ignored when all pairs of eyes were plastered to the sight before them. There was a dark speck in the distance that grew in size when they approached. Also a gigantic land mass greeted them, the biggest that Danny had seen in a long time. It stretched towards the horizon and probably beyond and it was wide, filled with vegetation and ghostly critters. The black speck became a humanoid shape and before long an actual distinctive shape, one that Danny recognised.

“Anubis” he whispered before climbing out of the vehicle, once they landed. His friends followed at a more cautious distance as Danny quickly approached.

The being was easily seven to eight feet tall, his skin was covered in fine fur. He turned to meet the new arrivals. All of them stopped dead in their tracks as the god’s golden eyes glowed from his dark muzzled face. Danny seen the god already and knew him but he could never get over how much of a presence that the Lord of the Underworld made. The air was filled with calm authority as he looked upon the morals before him.

It is good to see you again young one.

A voice boomed in his mind making his heart leap in fear and somewhat excitement. It low tones vibrated through his soul, it was a familiar but unnatural. He glanced over to his friends to see them with the look of shock and surprise. He was sure they felt the power the god emitting.

I have been waiting for you. The other who also holds my power has entered the place where my relic is being held and now attempts to retrieve it.

“Do you have a plan of attack?” Danny asked swallowing a lump in his throat that seemed to have developed there

Anubis gave a nod.

You will have to do this alone young one. Resurrecting you has drained me of my reserved power. I must now concentrate on keeping the Spirit Realm in existence. The Realm is deteriorating rapidly as I am now weakened.

Danny nodded.

“C-Can I ask you something?”

Anubis’s gazed upon him in expectance. Danny tried to keep his voice even and not to stammer as the god’s overwhelming presence swept over him. It seemed that his presence was more intense now that he was alive before him, rather than in spirit form.

“Will you take my powers when this is done?” Danny dared to ask, “Since you need it and all?”

Anubis stood there for a moment as if contemplating Danny’s question.

No. I have given back your life, even if it is not my place to. Your life is yours to have. However when you die again you will not be resurrected again. I have a life and death cycle to maintain and no mortal can live forever. The powers you have are yours to keep, unless you forfeit them to me or you choose not to crossover again. You and Vladmir only have the essence of my powers and once I retrieve my relic I shall restore the Spirit Realm to its rightful composition. I was never in need of your powers young one; I couldn’t let you have them when you’re a complete spirit.

Danny nodded, “Oh, Ok”

The time for words have past, young one. You must go and retrieve the relic; I fear I cannot sustain the realm like this for much longer.

Danny nodded and moved past the large supernatural being. He turned to his friends and gestured them to come along. They awkwardly followed him never taking their eyes off the god until he was out of sight.

“Wow” Tucker muttered

“You got that right” Sam muttered panting like she just had finished a race

“He didn’t even speak. He just spoke into our minds” Jazz commented in somewhat fear and awe

Danny looked at them taking in their astonished expressions before concentrating on the path a head of him.

Lions, Tigers and Bears (oh my!), Daniel thought as he gazed upon the stone structure in front of him, At least it looks like stone, its probably made of ectoplasm or something…

Daniel was in a daze. Vlad shown him the ghost portal, he told him about ghosts and all about the Ghost Zone, all about different types of ghosts and rare powerful artefacts that existed here. Vlad told him with much enthusiasm that Daniel couldn’t believe it was the same man he’d met days ago.

Last but not least Daniel was shown that Vlad wasn’t completely human either. He was a ghost and human hybrid, caused by a lab accident in college. Daniel was afraid at first his instinct was to run away but at the same time his urge to learn everything about this strange place was more powerful. He wanted to explore and meet other ghosts and even study them on a cultural level. He wondered if they mimicked cultural practices as a former echo of what they had practiced when they were alive. How did they interact? how did they exist? Was there a major ghost hierarchy or was each ghost in for themselves?

Questions bubbled in his head wanting to be answered. He no longer scoffed at the mere thought of ghosts but now wondered what other supernatural things that was out there, other places and other worlds waiting to be discovered and explored.

He felt like he fell down the proverbial Rabbit Hole and entered a bizarre world.

He followed Vlad through some vegetation. Daniel saw that he went right through the object as if he was a ghost… he smiled at the irony. Now they stood before a stone structure that Daniel mentally referenced it to an Egyptian like building with smooth surfaces and writings on the wall. It was run down but it wasn’t in ruins. He wondered if it could ever be in ruins. He wondered if things here were timeless or did they age like in the real world.

“Stay out here” Vlad instructed before entering the building himself

Daniel wanted to go inside but he was afraid what he might find in there. Everything here was strange and he wasn’t really up to exploring ruins, at least not until he knew more about the world he was in.

After half an hour Vlad emerged carrying a stick like sceptre. It was thin and Egyptian looking with blue and red paint and the gold beak that tipped the top. He never seen something like it before, he studied Egypt and its past artefacts and treasures but not this. He knew it was Egyptian in nature but he knew nothing more about it and the tablet he deciphered wasn’t much help either.

The foster child watched as Vlad gave a wicked grin, his fangs sticking out. He held it in one hand and swung it and then paused as if he was expecting something. An annoyed expression crossed his face and he swung it again and paused but nothing happened.

Daniel frowned at his strange behaviour, “What are you doing?”

Vlad scowled but composed himself and addressed the boy in front of him

“Just making sure it is sturdy…”

Daniel lifted an eyebrow and Vlad cursed the boy for being so observant and sharp. He had to be careful. He hadn’t told him how valuable this was to his quest for power. He knew he had to gain the boy’s trust and slowly manipulate him to see things his way.

“Lets go” Vlad moved off in another direction

Daniel began to doubt Vlad had an appreciation of artefacts. With the way he acted and treated the artefact, he knew then that Vlad wasn’t a true archaeologist or even interested in finding past treasures for human knowledge and gain.

Daniel began to question the man’s agenda in all this. He knew he had one from the start but he was wondering if a free shot to a grand school was worth it. Daniel began following Vlad when he heard a voice, he turned and his eyes went wide with surprise.

It felt like they have been walking for hours. Danny felt achy and sore. Usually he was in tip top shape due to his “second job” but he gathered that his body hasn’t been getting much exercise. He half wondered why he hadn’t changed into his ghost form and floated around instead, but he wasn’t bothered to battle the thick vegetation. At least in his human form with his friends they can go through the ghostly plants and bugs like they were the ghosts.

They finally came upon a clearing and a large stone structure. Sam came up beside him.

“This has to be it” she panted a little

“I hope we’re not too late” Tucker wheezed, “Man this is why I hate hiking!”

“Well one way to find out if he’s actually in there. Going-”

Danny stopped as Sam’s hand clapped onto his arm. He turned to her but her attention was elsewhere. He looked towards the direction she was looking.

“Daniel!!” Sam called as she jogged ahead of him

Danny turned to look at the foster kid. He had almost forgotten about him with all that had been happening. He saw the kid was much skinnier than when he first met him. His moppy messy brown hair almost covered his large gold rimmed glasses. He saw him.

Their eyes locked and Danny could see the boy’s look of utter shock. Sam appeared beside Daniel and shook him out of his stupor, literally. Danny gave a smile but it faded when his eyes caught someone else.

Vlad.

Vlad stood behind Daniel and Sam with his trade mark smugness, holding Anubis’s sceptre. A flare of fury surged through him and he ran towards the man. Sam turned to find Vlad in his ghost form, her expression turned dark and scowled. Daniel saw her expression and curious but cautiously looked up to Vlad.

Danny broke out into a sprint towards his friends, his instinct to protect them was strong as danger was so close to them. In one quick move Vlad pushed Sam out of the way and grabbed Daniel and took off into the air.

“Sam!”

Danny reached Sam as he looked up to see them disappearing into the distance. He cursed as Vlad still had the sceptre and now he had his foster brother. Danny felt a little guilty for worrying more about Sam than Daniel but he never got along with the foster kid… even if he maybe in more trouble that Sam was.

“Sam, are you ok?” Danny took Sam’s arm and helped her up

Sam nodded breathless. Tucker and Jazz appeared beside them at that moment.

“We’re too late Vlad’s got the sceptre” Jazz wailed

“Not if I can help it” Danny growled, his eyes glowed green with anger

“If we leave now we maybe able to catch up with him” Tucker waved over

Danny blinked in confusion.

Jazz rolled her eyes and moved aside to clear his line of vision, “While you rushed ahead, we saw Vlad a little earlier than you did so we decided to get the Spectre Speeder here just in case you needed some backup”

Danny saw the Spectre Speeder parked a few meters away.

“Great! You guys go ahead” Danny urged them, “I’m Going Ghost!”

White rings appeared around him and he changed into his ghost form. Without looking back he leaped into the air and headed towards the last known position Vlad was seen, knowing his friends would be behind him backing him up.

“What on earth is going on? Let me go!” Daniel growled as he twisted in the muscular ghost’s grip

“Calm yourself Daniel. I was merely trying to save you” Vlad replied as they flew across the deep recesses of the Ghost Zone

“What? They’re my friends!” Daniel defended, “I’m with Danny’s family!”

“Oh please dear boy, don’t let them fool you” Vlad snorted

Daniel laxed in his grip frowning, “What do you mean?”

“There is something else you’ll need to know Daniel. Something about Daniel Fenton…”

To Be Continued...

What is Vlad's plan? Why does he even want the sceptre? Where is he off to with Daniel?
I dunno but I've got a bad feeling about this...