Danny carried his friends and sister through the dark ghost zone. The endless space was lit by a dull red glow that came from everywhere and nowhere. Danny's fight or flight response kicked in as soon as they saw the approaching Jackal legion and chose any direction that was opposite to the enemy. Without any doors or visible landmarks he had no idea where he was and the only signs of afterlife was the floating islands the dotted the expansive space.

His speed was drastically reduced due to four passengers. He carried Tucker with both arms under the Technogeek's armpits with Jazz and Sam sat upon his back. He was glad for the supernatural strength he possessed otherwise this wouldn't be possible. Sweat formed on his head unnecessarily cooling his ghostly cold skin and he shivered in response. He knew his human side was showing through his powers meaning he was at his limit of power. He couldn't keep this up any longer.

"Come on Danny go faster!" Sam urged clearly unaware the stress Danny's body was under

"I'm trying!" Danny growled, "But Tucker seems to eaten too many Nasty Burgers!"

"Hey I resent that!" Tucker yelled, "I'm on a strict meat diet!"

Sam groaned, "No wonder you've packed on the pounds"

"What? Meat isn't-"

"Guys this isn't the time!" Jazz snapped as yellow ecto-energy balls whizzed passed them.

The legion swift mindlessly pursued their enemy, feet sprinted in mid air as they held their stickle weapons beside them at the ready. Their skeletal forms lacked no strength as meat, fur and sinew swung and whipped in the rush of air that their motion created. They snarled, white broken teeth glistening in the ghostly red light of the black Ghost Zone. They howled a fierce war cry as red eye glowed with power and anger.

Only moments before they were a mere cloud in the distance and now they were rapidly approaching like a swarm of wasps.

"Looks like we'll have to fight them" Sam he voice wavering pulling out a ghost ray gun from her hip

Jazz nodded, thankful that the Spectre Speeder carried a few weapons on board. They salvaged what they could from the ship before heading off.

Some of the more muscular members of the legion, who were more complete then their skeletal counterparts, raised their stickle staffs and fired yellow bolts from their weapons.

Hot echo-energy whizzed passed them, the girls ducked as Tucker waved around his dangling legs to avoid collision. Danny felt the searing heat of a bolt pass his cheek.

"Try to keep them off me!" Danny ordered his adrenaline driving his fear from his mind sharpening his mind.

He had to focus on escaping them and avoiding their attacks. He used his ghostly sense, the same response that alerts him to a presence of a ghost, to figure out how far away the legion was and how close the ecto bolts were. He figured out that with his ghost sense (after the spine tingling shiver) he could use it as a GPS to locate other ghosts or where a bouts they were in a certain proximity. It wasn't an accurate in any way but since he couldn't turn to face their enemies at the moment it was the best he could do in avoiding their attacks. He also had to compensate for the three passengers he carried with him.

Jazz picked up her weapon, a large two hand blaster and fired at the swarm. Hot energy blasts tore through bone and muscle, burning fur and charing marrow. Some Jackals fell behind as the blasts force them back as others seemed to shrug it off and kept going barely wavering from their narrow minded pursuit. Sam aimed her weapon with practiced ease, thankful that playing video games, such as Doomed, had increased her skill. She effortlessly aimed for the more vulnerable parts on the creatures, thankful that these were energy weapons with a set charge time and not based on ammo. The Jackals were incredibly tough, and took a lot of energy bullets to take down.

The Jackals leaders returned fire with their own bolts and Danny avoided them the best he could. Sam narrowly missed one shot as a sharp smell of singed hair passed in it's wake. Fury and determination crossed her face and she fired back with more ferocity.

"Damn Jackals!" she swore. Her violet eyes hard with determination and venom, she picked off a few more Jackals that were coming in close, "Yes! Headshot!… Take that!… Oh yeah, pwnd!"

"And she says playing video games was a time waster" Tucker rolled his eyes

The silence was deafening as the Ghost Zone was devoid of all spirit life. The skies were pitch black, plunging into the depths below Daniel's dangling feet. He felt the rush of wind against his face, his sloppy clothing whipped around him but the sound of rushing wind never came. It felt strange to see the whole realm lit up with a red tinge that had no source and small tiny green unearthly lands quickly pass.

Pushing the uneasy feeling aside he kept calm trying not to squirm in Vlad's tight grip. He was held by his torso, tucked under Vlad's arm. He knew the old man was strong now he had the power of the Sceptre at his command and he made the effort of not attracting the Fruit Loop's attention. He was on opposite side of the sceptre; Vlad held him in his left arm while he held the Sceptre on his right. The Halfa held a devilish vampire smirk but said nothing, content in the silence the trip was creating.

The silence was defending.

Daniel knew he wasn't going to escape any time soon so he concentrated on reciting the tablet translation backwards. He was so close to the Sceptre that if he could release the power now then everything would be restored. The problem was if he pissed Vlad off, with the old man right next to him, there was no telling what he could do or even if the reversal spell would work. He suddenly felt scared and squeezed his blue eyes shut.

Mom, Dad… I need you, he silently prayed hoping the whispers of his parents would appear in his mind. He felt warm and he smiled.

Filled with confidence he started to murmur under his breath, hoping it was low enough that Vlad couldn't hear, "Na'tu nah Amok…"

What was the next line? He couldn't remember, he couldn't risk looking at the crumpled note in his pocket he took from Sam earlier.

"Na'tu nah Amok…" He felt frustrated. If only he knew it backwards then this whole nightmare would be over and he could go back home.

Home? I don't have a home… or did I mean the Fenton's home?

"Did you say something Daniel?" Vlad's voice was strong and full of authority

Daniel's heart fluttered in panic.

"No" Daniel answered trying to keep the fear from his voice, "I was commenting to myself on how different this world was"

"It is very different. It has a variety of species and legends. It's almost like a photo negative of Earth but obvious differences" Vlad explained

"I would like to learn all about it" Daniel said with a lot of truth. He truly did want to explore this world from a cultural sense.

"I would be pleased to show it all to you, now that I have the ultimate power" Vlad said proudly

Daniel cringed. He let silence fall between them, half wondering why they just didn't teleport around the place. Vlad all the power in the ghostly world, it wasn't a stretch.

"Look at this trip as a first exploration and our first father and son bonding experience" Vlad announced with a soft tone

"Father and son bonding?" Daniel swallowed feeling sick. He focused on the task he needed to do and blurted out, "Where are we going?"

"To Far Reach"

"What's that?" Daniel frowned, feeling like he had heard that name from a fictional novel he once read.

"The edge of this world my boy, no ghost could ever reach it. With the Sceptre I've increased our speed one hundred fold so we may get there soon"

Daniel frowned, "We are? It doesn't feel fast"

Vlad shrugged, "You should have worked out by now that the laws of physics don't apply here, whose to say we're not going at lighting speed?"

Daniel.

The young boy closed his eyes and the memory of his parents flooded his mind.

We're here for you.

He had almost forgotten his original task of releasing the Sceptre's power. Daniel opened his mouth to start the release spell and the strange language spilled from his lips.

Vlad stopped and looked at Daniel in bewilderment. He had his eyes closed and talking in a foreign language as if he had been possessed by a demon in some b-grade movie. Confused he let go of the boy and he floated away as if he was in zero gravity. Daniel didn't stop but kept going as if nothing around him mattered.

Suddenly a bright light illuminated the area. Vlad looked over and saw the source of this light was his own sceptre. He felt the metallic item grow warm within his hand.

"...Ra, shalmek rata ma'ti..." Daniel chanted

Vlad felt the power drain from him into the sceptre.

"No! What are you doing!" the old halfa roared

He went to grab the boy to interrupt the strange chanting but he was suddenly confronted by a large green ghost with ruggish features and dark rimmed glasses. He wore overalls and had messy brown hair. Vlad saw the familiarity right away. The ghost looked a lot like Daniel.

"How dare you kidnap my son" the ghost glared, "We may be dead but he deserves a better life"

In shock at the ghost entity in front of him, Vlad didn't know what to say to that.

Suddenly the Sceptre brightened like the sun and Vlad felt his own power being sucked out of him. He immediately released it in fear of loosing his own ghostly being. The Sceptre floated away out of his reach. Vlad knew he had to stop the boy. What ever he was saying, it was doing something to the Sceptre and taking away his claim to ultimate power.

Rage filled the old Halfa as his red eyes glared at the fatherly ghost.

"You dare oppose me?" a sinister smile crept across his face, "I will make you regret ever crossing paths with me"

Vlad shot hot pink ecto-rays and the other ghost lazily raised a shield and kept it up.

"You'll have to do better than that old man"

Vlad raised his hands, gathering ghostly energies to them. His red eyes glowed with fury as he floated back to create distance for his attack. Daniel's father, Melburn, backed up and readied himself for an onslaught. Vlad shot powerful ecto-beams at his opponent and the other ghost snapped up a shield up. The hot bolts dissipated against the hardened ectoplasm. In an instant Melburn brought down the shield and rushed forward, his fist powered with green energy. Vlad easily blocked the punch, and blocked the consecutive blows confident in his training of self defence.

Seeing an opening Vlad charged his fist with ecto energy and hitting the ghost on the jaw. The power filled punch sent the parent flying. Not missing a beat Vlad flew after the ghost with a follow up kick, driving his opponent into a nearby island. He instantly dove down like a missile, his arms charged with ecto power, to pummel the ghost into ground.

"You will regret ever crossing me, you pathetic little worm!" Vlad snarled eyes glowed with rage.

Melburn rolled away in time barely missing the punch but the shockwave from the power collision pushed him a few meters. Spluttering the ghost got up only to find Vlad in his face again. Melburn reacted with a quick shield but his hasty attempt was shattered as Vlad easily broke through his weak shield punching this gut and then his face. Melburn fell onto he ground, tasting the dusty pebbles of dirt in his mouth.

Vlad sneered at the pitiful life form and kicked him in glee. Vlad kicked him again satisfied with the rush of breath and a defeated groan. Seeing his victory he turned away to deal with the boy and reaffirm his authority.

"YOU WILL PAY!" a voice screamed

Vlad turned to find another ghost charging towards him. He easily erected a shield, defecting any attack it made. The ghost was female, dressed in the same clothing as the male ghost. He saw the familiarly in her eyes.

"So it looks like Daniel's parents have come back from the dead" Vlad sneered

"You dare attack my son!" the female ghost, Claire, shrilled, "I will never let you take him! He is too good for the likes of such vermin as you!"

"It seems worms don't know their place!" Vlad sneered nastily

"Claire" Melburn coughed struggling to get up from the ground

Vlad smiled a toothy vampire smile, "I will mould your son to be mine. He will be obedient and loyal to me, he will learn to be deceptive, manipulative and how to gain everything that he deserves. I will also give him the best gift of all. To become a Halfa, like me"

"NO!" Claire charged forward as her fear transferred to anger

Vlad just grinned.

She viciously attacked him. She landed a few blows but due to her rage her movements were un-coordinated and wide, leaving a lot of room for Vlad to land a few punches, most were charged with energy. Melburn staggered to his feet with his eyes heated with rage. He charged his hands with powerful green ecto energy and with deadly accuracy, he hit Vlad in the chest. The Halfa was knocked to the side, wind rushed out of his lungs. He resisted his human impulse to re-inflate his lungs and got up. He raised a small localised shield to block an Ecto punch from Claire, then pulled up another to block a second punch.

The fatherly ghost leapt forward to join the effort in defeating Vlad when suddenly a hand gripped his ghostly heart. He stopped and looked to his wife who at the same fear in her eyes. He knew this feeling. It's the same feeling they've had since their death. It was an ghostly sense like no other. When they felt this sense they knew when their son was in trouble and what caused it. It was impulse; a power that drew them and they couldn't stop it.

In unison they turned around to find a second Vlad lunging at Daniel. They both shot forward, knowing they had to reach their only child before it was too late.

Vlad's evil laugh cackled in their ears.

Sam and Jazz were firing at the Jackal soldiers, trying to keep the legion at bay. The army approached closed and closer, as their efforts were becoming fruitless. Every time they picked off a Jackal, another took it's place. Finally one Jackal was close enough to swing it's deadly stickle to decapitate Sam. Sam ducked with a squeal. Jazz quickly filled the Jackal's head with energy bullets, before turning to shoot another that was close.

"Danny!" Sam shouted, "Go faster!"

Danny didn't respond. His concentration was narrowed in staying afloat. He felt his power wavering, he dug in deeper into his core but he knew that he was almost spent. He ignored the sweat that soaked his cold skin, his aching arms and his blurry vision. He breathed hard as his human functions were returning to him. He knew he was going to change back at any moment. He saw a large land mass on approach and turn towards it.

"Danny!" he heard someone shout

He felt power drain from his arms and he almost stopped. He knew that he no longer had his supernatural strength or flight. He felt his form changing from his feet but he kept going hoping to get everyone to safety. Suddenly he felt white hot energy burn his side. His yelp of pain was mixed with everyone else's frightened scream. His body turned, he desperately clutched Tucker as his vision swerved towards the black sky. The feeling of freefall made him snap out of his daze. Instinct took over and he reached inside himself but nothing was there.

As quickly as it had started he hit solid ground, his body froze in shock and the air left his lungs. Unable to stop the physics that were applied his momentum pushed him across the dusty ground and for a moment he was disorientated, until he realised he was tangled in the branches of a bush. Then at once his body burst out in pain. With the numbing gone his body ached from the fall. He could feel the burning sensation of a graze on his cheek and arms and the overall throbbing of abuse.

He just laid there, baby blue eyes staring at the darkness above him. He couldn't move, he wanted to pick himself off the ground but he couldn't lift a finger. His chest was tight and protested with every breath. His mind dazed his instincts once again screamed at him so he reached into his core but found nothing. He was completely drained of energy. Danny tried to fight the fog of darkness but he felt himself slipping away.

As his eyes slid closed he could hear the howling and the roar of Jackals just above him.

I'm sorry

He plunged into darkness.

Vlad raced over to where Daniel was. He had sent a clone to deal with his parents so he would be free to stop the boy before all Sceptre's power was gone. He approached the boy who was spoke an ancient language, unbeknownst to all it was used by an evil parasitic race thousands of years ago.

Vlad closed his hands around the boy's throat. Daniel gasped as the words and air were cut off. Vlad allowed himself a feeling of small satisfaction that Daniel was being rightfully punished.

"You insolent child!" Vlad snarled increasing the pressure on the boy's neck almost wanting it to snap in two, "How dare you defy me! I gave you a chance and now you throw it away? For what? Stupidities?"

Daniel let out a strangled scream, his eyes full of tears as his lungs burned for air. Vlad shook the boy's small form with rage. He saw Daniel was starting to pass out so he let him go and Daniel collapsed like a sack of potatoes, gasping and spluttering for air.

Vlad's cold hard red eyes looked down on the pathetic life form beneath him, "I will not kill you, but for your defiance I will destroy all the ties you have with everyone, starting with your parents"

Daniel looked up at him with pure fear.

"Then I will torture Danny and his family. I will make them suffer for what you did. I will kill them all nice and slow so you can watch. Well maybe not Maddie, but especially Jack"

"No" Daniel rasped weakly

"Then I will kill Sam and Tucker, and perhaps their whole family too" Vlad grinned cruelly "It's so easy to phase through their walls and kill them in their sleep. There is nothing to stop me."

Daniel paled in utter shock.

"And you could've avoided it all if you had obeyed me. If you did what was agreed, but now you will learn the hard way"

"Daniel!" a voice howled

Daniel turned to see his parents flying towards them, his heart filled with hope. Vlad snarled before firing off pink ecto-beams. They dodged them easily but Vlad didn't take notice, as he turned and ran over to grab the Sceptre which was still floating.

Daniel saw this and he wiped the tears from his eyes. With a renewed resolve he faced the twisted Fruit Loop his sapphire eyes filled with determination.

"Lee…. leel" Daniel gasped his windpipe still sore from it's recent trauma.

Tears pricked at the corner of his eyes as he saw Vlad grabbing the Sceptre staff and pointing it at his parents. A low whine echoed before a white hot beam shot out from the staff's tip.

"NO!" Daniel gasped trying to get up but his body wasn't cooperating. He saw his parents being swallowed by the white hot light, he could hear their painful screams as powerful energies tore them apart.

Daniel squeezed his eyes shut, grief overwhelmed him. Their screaming seared into his mind, torturing his heart with painful memories and loss. Through his grief he formed three words, knowing that his parents couldn't die in vain and Vlad couldn't do this to anyone else.

"L-l-l le" he stuttered before raising his voice in frustration, "…LEK ARI FEMAC"

Wind whipped around him but he stayed in place, keeping his eyes shut as white light lit up his eyelids. He clutched his jacket as heat scolded his skin, his ears rang.

Then silence.

Daniel opened his eyes to realise the roaring energies were gone and Vlad stood there dumbfounded for a few seconds before realising what had happened.

"NO!" Vlad snarled before turning to Daniel in a twist of rage

In an instant Vlad was upon Daniel with his hand around his throat once again, "WHAT DID YOU DO!"

Daniel gasped.

"YOU STUPID BOY! AFTER ALL I HAVE DONE, AFTER ALL THAT I HAVE WORKED FOR AND THIS…. THIS….!"

Daniel felt the crushing power tighten under Vlad's boiling fury. The ghost's red eyes were glowing with pure hate and killing intent. Fear swamped the young boy as his life flashed before his eyes with the last memory lingering to his parents.

Perhaps I can join them this time...

Everything faded to black.

Nhs Ba

Danny opened his eyes seeing green trendils of cloud that spiraled unnaturally in the black sky.

Strange clouds, they're almost peaceful…

Huh? Wait clouds don't do that!

All at once Danny's memories came back to him with a sense of fear and urgency. He sat up and instantly saw his friends and sister sprawled on the ground nearby. Fear drove him to his feet and he raced over to find that they were all ok. He looked around but no Jackal or enemy in sight. Relief flooded him and his body's adrenaline slowly dwindled away. On closer inspection they didn't have a scratch on them, as if they just had fallen asleep. He then realised how injured he was and came to realisation that he was perfectly fine. He inspected himself and found his grazes were gone and that nothing ached, he reached inside himself to find power humming at his core ready to be summoned. While attuned to his sixth sense he felt a powerful presence vibrating nearby.

Anubis, He surmised as he got to his feet

He looked to the direction where he had felt the god's presence and all he saw was shrubbery and trees, meaning they had to do a bit of trekking. He decided to rouse his friends from their slumber, each one grumbling wearily getting their bearings as he did.

"What happened?" Sam asked rubbing the sleep from her eyes

"We survived!" Tucker cheered getting up, "I don't care how but we did!"

"Look!' Jazz said pointing out to the environment around them, "It's normal again!"

Four pairs of eyes stared at the air all around them to confirm that the realm was back to normal.

"Does that mean we won?" Tucker asked

"Let's find out. Anubis is over that way" Danny murmured speaking for the first time since he woke up

Danny pointed to the direction where he could feel the Ancient Egyptian's power. Without waiting for any answer from his friends he headed off. He knew his friends will follow all curious as to what had happened. They waded through the flora and being real world humans they easily phased through the ghostly vegetation. Danny glanced to his friends seeing their curious and worried expressions. He was thinking along the same lines as they were. They all wanted to know what had happened to Daniel, to Vlad and how the Ghost Zone returned to normal. Danny feared for his foster brother and hoped he was ok.

Suddenly the air was thick with supernatural power as they came upon a clearing. Before them stood a large humanoid Jackal, it's black fur glistened amongst the ghostly aura of the surrounding vegetation.

"Anubis" Danny gasped instantly recognising the god

Anubis turned his head his gold coloured eyes, were full of power pierced through his soul. Danny instinctively froze as did his friends as they felt the very presence of the god before them. The god's eye's softened to a kinder expression but was full of authority. His ears stood proud as his muscular body adorned the Ancient Egyptian jewellery and clothing. It was like he had just come out from a text book or a statue that had come to life.

Welcome Ba.

His voice echoed in each of their minds and his low tones vibrated in their chest.

Do not fear for your friend. He is well.

Danny realised who he was referring to.

"Daniel?" he gasped as he looked past Anubis to find his foster brother lying still on the ground. He ran over to him and checked for any injuries. He had a steady pulse and was breathing fine. Then Danny looked up to see another person.

"Vlad" Danny snarled in disgust

Vlad was slouched over on the ground, with a pale complexion and ragged clothing and hair. He was in human form and looked at Danny blankly with hollow eyes. He didn't say anything, he didn't have any vigour, any wit or any sarcastic remarks. It was as if his soul had been crushed from years of torture. It unnerved Danny and he looked towards Anubis for answers.

I have removed my power from him

An icy hand gripped Danny's heart and he looked at Vlad who had now looked away with such despair.

"What do you mean" Jazz broke the silence

"It means he did to Vlad what he almost did to me" Danny said quietly, "He separated his powers from his soul, except that Vlad is still alive"

"Dude" Tucker breathed

I called upon the judgement to be made and found his heart heavy. He did not deserve to manifest my power any longer and so his punishment is just!

They winced at Anubis' anger. Danny felt a pang of pity for Vlad, despite everything. He almost had the same thing happen to him because Anubis could allow the powers to develop when he was a full ghost. It was pain like Danny never had experienced and would hope to never experience ever again. He saw the consequences before him now and when the time comes he wanted to move on to the afterlife without a hitch.

"Mmo-m" a voice croaked below him

Danny smiled down at Daniel as he woke up from his slumber. His friends came around him in quiet concern for Daniel.

"Hey there" Sam smiled hoping to ease Jackson's confusion

"Where am I?"

"The Ghost Zone"

"…Oh…"

Daniel suddenly sat up almost knocking Danny over, "Mom! Dad!"

He looked wildly around only to find his eyes landing on the powerful god before him.

"Erh, Daniel meet Anubis. Anubis, Daniel" Danny injected

"Anubis" Daniel gasped in awe

Thank you young one. You released the power of the Sceptre so it may return to me. Your efforts and deeds shall always hold favour with me little mortal.

Daniel gasped as the voice spoke into his mind but moved his soul at the same time. He could feel the radiant power flowing out of the being. It was nothing he has ever experienced 's yellow eyes looked away from them briefly before staring right into Daniel's soul.

I have safely restored the Spirit Realm and can now govern it properly. All of you have my gratitude on your efforts to restore the realm and come to aid at my request.

"So what will happen now?" Danny asked

I have no need for your services any longer. You are free to do what you choose. You may call upon me if there is a request I can fulfil as a favour but I may not always answer.

"My parents" Daniel spoke up for the first time, "What happened to them… are they…"

Danny, Tucker, Sam and Jazz looked to Daniel with new curiosity. Daniel never mentioned his parents and knew they were deceased since he came to them as an orphan.

Their spirits were destroyed by my power when Vladmir used the Sceptre against them. However no soul disappears without consequences, and thus I have returned them to the Spirit Realm once again.

Daniel's face was filled with glee, "Where are they?"

"Right here son, trying make an entrance"

Daniel turned to find the two ghosts who were the spirit of his parents. He scrambled up and ran to them. He jumped into their welcoming embrace his battered heart filled with utter joy. He felt like he was eight years old again, running into the arms of his parents after coming home from a long day at work. He buried himself in their warm embrace, so thankful that they were alive in spirit. He thought that they were destroyed, torn apart by the power of the Sceptre. After a while he realised he was sobbing but he didn't care he wanted things to go back the way they were and live a life with his parents, his only family. After a while he was pushed back by his Dad.

"Well son, I hate to say it but we have to leave you, now" his father said in a light tone but his face was grim

"What? Why? We just met, I mean we, I haven't seen you since then and I-" Daniel stuttered as tears threaten to overwhelm him again

"I'm sorry honey, but we have to move on" his mother said sadly

"But you stuck around me all this time, can't you do that any longer?" Daniel argued getting angry

"No son. That was a mistake" his father replied

"A mistake?" Daniel snapped, "A mistake to be with me?"

"No Honey. We…. we were cursed" his mother said hesitantly

"What?" Daniel cried bewildered

"Claire" his father warned

"He was a right to know Mel"

His father faltered and looked away. Daniel looked up in questioning almost afraid of the answer. Daniel felt his friends standing beside him in comfort. Normally he would try to hide all this and his feelings but it didn't matter any more. They've been through something so surreal together that he didn't care if they knew everything about him. He knew he could trust them.

"I recognise the both of you" Danny peered them, "You're the ghosts that were attacking the town including the school but with serious anger issues"

"No wonder they knew your name Danny" Sam commented, "Or rather they were screaming Daniel's name"

Claire sadly nodded, "You see when we died we lingered around the living world, watching over our only son. We wanted to make sure he was going to be ok before we moved on"

"However" Melburn stepped into the conversation, "A few nights afterwards Danny read a passage from my journal, in which I was translating some strange text we found on a dig"

"Amok nah na'tu" Daniel repeated and his Dad nodded

"I didn't realise it but they are binding words Daniel" Melburn said sadly, "They were part of a ritual that was preformed thousands of years ago, however you said them out of context and normally this wouldn't do anything…"

"But since you were missing us so much I think the spell took a whole new meaning with your feelings" his mother continued

"Because you wanted us to be with you again so badly and repeated the spell several times it actually bound our forms to you" his father gave a shaky chuckle, "I didn't even think that was possible"

"You mean I bound you to me as ghosts?" Daniel gaped

"Not only that but we were compelled to protect you" his mother said sadly, "At first it was ok. We could sense if you were in trouble, but soon it became out of control. Over the years, the feelings of protecting you were so strong we couldn't help ourselves"

"And we began attacking innocent people in blind rage"

"People who had hurt your feelings or you had disagreements with"

"Is that why you were around attacking Danny?" Sam asked

Claire nodded sadly, "He and Daniel had a fight and I couldn't help myself. I felt so much rage that I had to kill him"

Danny was surprised at this whole revelation and was reminded of Freakshow's ghost controlling staff. Perhaps it derived from the same magic or power.

"The worst thing was we knew what happening but we couldn't do anything about it" Melburn admitted, "We were responsible for your consistent placement in different homes since we kept scaring and attacking people"

Daniel shook his head trying to take all that information in, This is all my fault… if I hadn't… this would never….

"Don't blame yourself" Claire saw the regret and guilt in her son's sapphire eyes, "This was a series of unfortunate consequences. We love you so much my son"

"But I caused all this! I stopped you from moving on! I made you suffer..." Danie's voice broke with emotion

"But we saw how much you have grown" his mother said proudly, "How much of a man you have become. You have saved this realm and us and we couldn't be more proud"

"Mom…"

It is time

Everyone jumped at the sudden echoic voice of the god. They almost forgot he there was with them.

"We have to go now son"

"Wait!" Daniel cried before turning to the god, "You brought them back, can't you bring them back to life?"

Danny stiffened, he knew Anubis was capable of this since he was resurrected himself.

I cannot

"Why?" Daniel snapped, "If you can bring them back here you can resurrect them!"

I maintain the balance between life and death, young one. It was time for your parents to move on and take their place in the afterlife. I returned their souls to the Spirit Realm because a missing spirit could spell consequences that will disrupt the balance. To resurrect them to flesh will disrupt the balance.

"Then why did you resurrect me?" Danny asked hoping to sway things in Daniel's favour, "If it's against the 'balance' then I shouldn't be here either!"

I have made the exception for you ba, but not without consequences.

"What kind of consequences?" Sam asked

The being seemed to hesitate as it did not reply right away.

When your life is forfeit you join in the afterlife. However if someone returns from the afterlife then another soul needs to take that souls place.

"What? You traded my soul for someone else's?" Danny exclaimed in shock

I did not. Instead I chose a future for you. I exchanged your fate for your life. In doing so I minimised the damage done to the balance. It was a necessary consequence as I needed my power restored to the realm.

Danny swallowed, Fate? Does that mean will I become like my future self… and there is nothing I can do about it?

Danny was suddenly filled with dread and he turned to his friends who returned some comfort but not much. Anubis turned to Daniel.

I am sorry young one but it is time for your parents to go.

Melburn Jackson rubbed his son's hair, "Take care. Remember we are always proud of you"

"We always believe in you" Claire Jackson teared up

Daniel hugged them for the last time, a final embrace. He never wanted to let go, but finally he moved away as Anubis stepped forward. He waved his Sceptre and his parents disappeared. He could no longer feel their presence and he wept at the emptiness in his heart. Sam went over to comfort him.

Danny felt hurt by the unfairness of everything. He turned to the powerful being, "When were you going to tell me this?"

Anubis didn't say anything he's form was still as a statue, however his golden eyes stared down at Danny seeing the child's anger.

I am sorry young one. What done is done. Your fate is sealed.

Danny frowned and shook his head, "I help you out and this is what I get? Come on guys lets go"

Suddenly the Anubis presence overwhelmed them as anger crackled like an electrical pulse in the air.

You dare speak to me with such insolence mortal? Be grateful that you are living with my powers at all. If you do not wish to live I can take you life away and return you to the folds of life and death where you are meant to belong. This will undo what I have done and restore the balance properly. I am offering you this chance, what do you choose?

Danny gasped trying to quash the fear that threatened to engulf him. He squeezed his eyes shut, " T-t-to live!"

With that the air returned to a calm authority. His heart thudded making a mental note not to piss the god off.

Wise choice.

They stared at the god, his white teeth glistening in a toothy smile.

May Ra shine his blessings upon you.

With that they all disappeared in a flash of white light.

Epilogue

Jack O'Neill stretched his arms out feeling his elbow pop. He winced knowing it was because he was in the same seating position for a prolonged period. He looked over to his second in command Samantha Carter who was seated beside him. Her short cropped blond hair was neatly combed as she dressed in a warm white jumper, blue slacks and off-white sneakers. She reached over and grabbed her half filled glass and took a sip, watching the rolling credits.

He shifted in the old but comfortable couch, his own attire mirrored Sam's casualness with a light blue shirt, jeans brown boots. He glanced over to former first prime, Teal'c, who kept his expressions to a minimum but on this occasion was smiling a little. He was pleased with the movie they had just watched. He was out of the regulation BDUs that he often wore at the base, and was in a grey jumper, black trousers and shoes. His grey beanie that he used to cover his golden tattoo in public, lay beside him.

"You know, this is the only movie series I enjoy as much as the books" Sam commented between chewing on the popcorn

"I concur" Teal'c agreed, "But I also enjoyed Lord of the Rings books and movies equally"

"I think I fell asleep in the second Lord of the Rings" Sam admitted

"Well you kids maybe interested in this stuff but the Wizard of Oz was more my thing" Jack replied knowing he had missed the boat on the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. He watched the movies with his team and he had to admit, he did enjoy them but it wasn't his cup of tea

They were currently enjoying a team movie night at Daniel's place. His place was a sizable loft covered with white walls, and dated decor. Jack knew Daniel didn't care too much about how it looked, but he did take care of what was displayed. Photos of himself, of others as well as SG-1. Then there were pictures and various rocks ("Artefacts, Jack" as Daniel often corrected him) that littered the walls and shelves and Jack always find himself studying them from afar. Danny's office at the base was far more cluttered but here it seemed he kept the more prized or nicer looking things.

Thinking about their current host Jack looked around to find Daniel but he wasn't about.

"Where's Danny?"

Sam shrugged. They were in Daniel's house this movie night so she wasn't too worried if he had wandered off somewhere. He had every right to.

"Geeze Jack, just taking a whiz" Daniel muttered appearing from the hallway, "Do you want to hold my hand next time?"

Jack opened his mouth to reply when the doorbell rung. Daniel frowned, his attention was now focused on the unexpected intrusion. Jack immediately took in his expression and became more alert. His team seemed to respond. Always alert at sudden situations, Jack thought proudly. Teal'c instantly reached for a beanie and slipped it on, covering his gold symbol of Apophis.

Daniel hadn't been expecting anyone this time of night. No one came to his home. He he no living blood family and his friends were usually from work. Guarded and knowing his friends were behind him if something bad were to happen, he opened the door.

At the door way he saw a tall and lean man in his early 30s with short black hair and bright icy blue eyes. He was pale as if hadn't seen the sun in years, he was dressed in a black shirt and white hoodie with baggy dark jeans and red sneakers. Their eyes met, locked into a searching stare and a bolt of recognition struck through him.

"Danny?" he gasped his eyes wide with surprise.

"The one and only!" the man's face beamed, "Nice hair cut, although the glasses are still the same"

"Oh my G-w-what are you doing here? How did you get here?" Daniel gaped not quite believing the person before him

"I'm here to see you and I got here by plane" the raven haired man replied smirking at Daniel's stunned reaction

Jack peered over to see the fuss was with Sam and Teal'c in his wake. They were curious as to who this new person was. Danny didn't keep many contacts from his past since joining the program.

"Are you going to stand there and stare at me all night or you gonna let me in?" the man quipped

Daniel blinked and held an embarrassed look. He stepped aside, "Sorry! Come in"

Jackson stepped aside allowing Danny to step inside and closed the door behind him. Danny stood opposite to Daniel's friends as they now moved away from the couch and stood with Daniel at the door.

"Oh Jack, Sam, T-erh Murray, meet Daniel Fenton. Danny meet Jack, Sam and Murray" Daniel introduced them all pointing each person in turn

Jack shook the man's hand as he murmured a polite greeting, whilst Sam smiled and gave a handshake and Teal'c bowed his head. Jack took note how muscular the man was. He looked well trained and carried himself with an air of confidence. Jack had a feeling the guy could handle himself in a fight, but he was defiantly not military. Daniel turned to his team-mates.

"Danny's family took me in when I was fourteen" Daniel briefly explained, "He's my foster brother"

"Two Danny's!" Jack quipped hoping to break the ice, "It's hard enough keeping track of one!"

The raven-haired man laughed heartily and the ice was shattered, "My father said the same thing"

As Daniel asked Danny if he wanted to drink, Jack took note that Daniel never mentioned anything from his childhood. Only brief and unwanted glimpses gave him some insight to Daniel's tragic beginnings and his dysfunctional family and life but Daniel had never told them anything. Jack never approached the subject because he saw how much Daniel closed up and withdrew into himself when his past was brought up. So when this guy shows up and out of the blue Jack's curiosity was standing attention. It was a rare opportunity to peak into Daniel's past.

Curiouser and curiouser he chided to himself.

Daniel ushered them all to sit down.

"I don't mean to intrude, I can come by later if you are busy" Danny felt a bit out of place. He had only intended to surprise his long lost foster brother.

"You are not intruding at all Daniel Fenton" Teal'c interjected

Danny looked at him strangely. Teal'c word choice and full address of someone's name had that effect on people that didn't know him.

"Please call me Danny" Danny grimaced, "My mom calls me Daniel when I get into trouble"

Jack chuckled knowing his mother did the same thing when he was growing up, "What he means is that we don't bite"

"We just finished watching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" Sam added hoping to quell the visitor's uneasiness

Jack knew that they were all as curious as he was about this stranger from Daniel's past and he saw Daniel shifting uncomfortably. Jack smiled, You have to let us know sooner of later Danny boy

Danny sank in the couch next to Jack and Daniel handed him a beer before sitting down in the armchair beside him.

"So what happened?" Daniel asked wondering why this was happening now.

Danny swallowed looking around Daniel's friends, their with curious expressions. He hadn't seen Daniel in years due to circumstances out of his control. It was hardly the time and place to explain why he hadn't contacted Daniel since his theory about Ancient Egyptians.

"A lot of things" Danny replied carefully, "I wanted to see how you were"

"You came all the way from Amity?"

"Ok so I was in the neighbourhood..."

"And you knew where to find me?" Daniel raised an eyebrow

Danny snorted, "Please, look who you are talking to here"

They both looked at each other. Daniel grinned with secret understanding and replied, "Of course I should've known"

Jack saw that look that they shared, as if they had secret knowledge about something. His curiosity skyrocketed.

"Are you an expert tracker Danny Fenton?" Teal'c asked noticing the exchange

Jack smiled, Trust Teal'c to point out the obvious! Recently he was coaching Teal'c in making small talk. Sometime his silent presence intimidated people.

"Nah, I just have a knack of finding people" Danny smiled, "Usually people I like"

"Alright don't avoid the subject, why are you here?" Daniel asked

"Well I thought to tell you the good news in person" Danny grinned

"Which is...?"

"I'm finally an Astronaut"

Jack blinked at the news. He saw Daniel's expression turn from confusion to happiness, "That is great news!" Daniel exclaimed, "I'm so happy for you, since you've always wanted to be one"

Fenton grinned, "I'm tying up a few things at NORAD tomorrow and then I head off to NASA. I thought to drop by and see how you are doing. I know it's but sudden but better now than never…"

Jack glanced over to see Sam's reaction since she also aimed at a top job in NASA but ended up doing so much more with the Stargate Program. She kept her face neutral but had a knowing look in her eyes. If this Fenton kid proved himself as a good scientist he wouldn't be surprised if he saw him working on the Stargate Program. Not to mention Daniel would put in a good word for him.

"Hows Sam and Tucker?" Daniel asked

"Good. Tucker is still working at Fentec, you know how he loves technology" Danny smiled before his face fell a little, "Sam, she's good. Still working in DC. I visit her from time to time"

Daniel nodded, he knew Danny and Sam had a falling out. They finally made it official boyfriend and girlfriend not long after the Anubis Incident (something they all referred to it as), however after he moved away for college he wasn't too sure what had happened. Danny would clam up each time and refused to tell him what had happened between him and Sam... Sam was the same but she would deflect the conversation. Tucker wisely stayed out of it. Daniel would have thought they would be a couple with kids with the apple pie life by now. Anubis had once said that he had set Danny's fate and what ever it was it was meant to be.

"So tell us more about your self Danny. Daniel never mentions anything about a foster family" Jack stated changing the subject.

Daniel frowned at Jack but Danny seemed not to mind Jack's bluntness.

"I'm just your average person trying to live the American Dream" Danny shrugged, "Although I am not surprised Daniel never talked to you about me or my family. Our family is a bit unconventional. When he first came along he hardly talked at all and was all moody and angry. Actually we got off to a bad start and we fought a lot"

Jack raised his eyebrows in surprise and so did the rest of his team-mates. Daniel having anger issues seems so foreign now. He was the most nicest person you could ever meet.

Daniel shifted uncomfortably regretting this surprise visit. Danny grinned and patted his foster brother on his shoulder, "But in the end we became friends. My parents paid for a better education, since he was too smart for regular school. He got a scholarship for college from what I remember and I didn't see you again for a while"

"I think you missed my favourite colour and my favourite food in there" Daniel retorted

"And snarky as ever" Danny's grin widened. He looked around to the three friends and they were in still in surprise, just taking the information in.

Danny wasn't born yesterday, he could feel Jackson's unease and his friend's questioning eyes. He thought Daniel would have told them a little bit about their family, just leaving all the ghostly things out and one psychopath in particular. Daniel must've told them nothing to be this attentive and judging by Daniel's reaction he wasn't enjoying his past digging either. Oh the irony.

"So what are you doing now?" Danny asked taking a swig of beer

"Just a civilian consultant to the military" Daniel gave the cover story instantly without thought

"I thought field work was more your thing" Danny frowned, knowing how excited Daniel had got one time when he was off to a dig site. He was basically born on a dig site.

Daniel shrugged, hoping to avoid the subject. Danny eyed his foster brother, as the well rehearsed and quickly dished out job description sounded awfully like a cover story. He looked around at Jackson's friends and going by first impressions and instincts he knew that his friends weren't civilian. According to the location and the poor excuse Daniel made, they most likely worked at Cheyenne Mountain since he knew there was a military operation going on (in connection to NORAD). Daniel didn't make friends easy and any friends he'd made were usually co-workers, so if he was a consultant to the military, then he would have military friends. He didn't know what they did or why they need an archaeologist to work under a mountain but he knew if he wanted to he could find out himself.

Then again if it was military central and top secret, he didn't want to stick his nose in where it didn't belong. He didn't need GIW to have a reason to come back into operation again.

Jack watched Danny's facial expressions on how he assessed Daniel's work situation and looked to them in observation. Jack was going to back Danny boy up but the kid seemed to accept his foster brother's cover story and didn't bring it up again. Jack relaxed a little but the boy was way too observant, must be a scientist thing.

Danny moved forward to grab some popcorn from the table and said in a nonchalant tone, "Well now I know what you do, I will open up question time for your friends here. I can see they are dying to know who I am, this mystery person from your past"

He looked up to see Daniel sink in his chair clearly uncomfortable with talking about himself or his past. He saw that Sam had the decency to look away in embarrassment of her curiosity but Jack eyes lit up like an excited puppy. Murray was clearly interested but held a lot more restraint over his facial expressions. Interesting….

Danny smirked clearly having their attention and making his foster brother uncomfortable… after all that was his job as a brother. Making his brother's life as difficult or as embarrassing as it can be. He did that to his big sister, and now he was doing it to his brother.

"Ok then mystery man, why don't you start from the beginning" Jack couldn't contain his curiosity any longer, "How did you meet Danny boy here"

"Oh so they're calling you Danny now" Fenton shot a smile to Daniel who held an unreadable expression, in which the group noticed but couldn't determine if this was good or not, "Erh, as you know" Fenton moved on quickly as he didn't want to make things too uncomfortable for his foster brother, "My name is Daniel Fenton but everyone calls me Danny. We met when my parents decided to make room for one more person in our family and decided to foster a child. To be honest I wasn't too thrilled but I guess he grew on me"

Jack snorted. Danny continued hoping his friends new about his social service system bounce around, "I suppose we were the final family to take him in. To be honest it was tough going but he settled in quickly, despite my family's weirdness"

"And what did your parents do for a living?" Sam asked

"They were inventors" Danny replied, "They sold tech, mainly to DALV Inc before it was shut down. Then they started their own tech company called Fentec"

"You're the heir of Fentec?" Sam spluttered almost choking on her beer

Jack quirked up an eyebrow before Sam composed herself. Danny quietly chuckled.

"Sorry" she offered. "It's just Fentec has the most advanced technology on Earth. They've made major breakthroughs in engineering and devices"

"How come I never heard of them before?" Jack asked frowning

"They're a private company" Danny supplied, "I think at the moment the government has asked them to engineer some tech but it's top secret so I don't know anything about it.

Jack and Sam shared a look. Their instincts told them that Fentec was probably the company at Area 51, helping developing technology to work with Goa'uld tech that they manage to salvage. Probably the driving force to make the glider hybrids. Sam would look it up at work tomorrow. The information was readily available with her clearance but it never occurred to her to look up who was behind the reverse engineering. She always looked at the individual scientists and not the organisation.

Danny smirked. He knew what tech his family was working on since he is part of the company, he had a right to know. He just can't go off and tell everyone he meets. The idea of alien tech was a bit strange, however his family excelled in the strange. Danny glanced over to Daniel, his expression was curious but thoughtful.

"And Daniel kept it a secret from you all this time?" Danny decided to turn the attention back to Daniel, who clearly didn't like to be centre of attention when it was personal

"I was busy" Daniel said defensively

"Playing with rocks" Jack quipped

"Artefacts" Daniel corrected

Jack and Daniel started up on their light banter. Danny took another sip of beer quietly observing Daniel and his interactions with his friends. Sam broke into Jack and Daniel's discussion with her own opinion. He noticed that Murray kept the same expression but upon closer observation his eyes were bright and his mouth and eyebrows showed hints of emotions that danced underneath.

He observed that Sam was a passionate person who had the military training ingrained into her so she was reserved if needed. Here in the privacy of Daniel's home she was just as passionate as he had seen Daniel in one of his discussions. He wouldn't put it past her that she was a tough woman and considering her interest on his background he was sure she could hold her own against Tucker's brilliance with tech.

He could see that Jack was like a father to them all. He cared for them and treated them like his children at times. Considering how Sam acted around him he was a military leader, he had yet to determine his rank but it was somewhere quite high if he considered how he carried himself and how he subtly commanded his friends-no team. Danny saw all the non-verbal communication and he knew Daniel was more than just a consultant. He was part of something bigger.

They all seemed closer than friends, more like family as if they had gone to hell and back. He regretted not having a lot contact with Daniel after he left for college but his own path took such a drastic turn he had to stay out of contact. He was there for Daniel on numerous occasions, even when he was laughed out of his academic community for his wild ideas. After the storms were weathered and he was on his way to getting into NASA, Daniel disappeared. Danny couldn't find him even with his ghost powers and he found no sign of him for about a year. It was as if he had fell off the face of the planet.

Since Daniel's return he wanted to visit but this visit was the first time in a long time that he could come here physically. He couldn't risk using his ghost powers so openly and give a reason the the GIW to reform. He really wanted to catch up with Daniel and know what was going on, but tonight with his friends was not the place.

Danny took another sip of beer.

"So Danny, what are your hobbies?" Jack asked when silence resumed again

Danny smirked, "Ever heard of a game called Doomed?"

The End

Yaaaay! I finally finished! Whoooo!

Anywho, thank you for reading and putting up with my crappy updating! I really enjoyed writing this. Doing a different perspective on Daniel and his upbringing was a challenge but refreshing. Placing him in Danny's world was a bit hard and the introduction of Anubis hopefully carried the Stargate theme of Egyptology.

On the writing side, I tried to pay more attention on how I was writing as I tend to mix my tenses a lot. I often write these pieces late at night and usually I write what ever comes to mind ^_^;

Let me know what you think. Feedback is really appreciated.