"Is there anything you want Danny?" Sam asked panic lacing her voice as the young halfa coughed harshly.

Danny looked weakly at her and tucker a faint grin on his face "no I'm fine just go on and help with the clean-up"

Sam and tucker shook their heads "no way" she firmly stated.

"We're not leaving you dude" tucker add his face grim covered in dust streaks.

Danny coughed again "guys just go help get the road cleared so the paramedics can come and get me"

The two shared a look "but…" tucker started.

"You've patched me up all you can for now, now go try and get help I'll be fine" Danny said cutting him off with a bright grin "besides I'm a ghost I won't die from something like this"

"Fine but don't move we'll check back soon" Sam relented climbing over the rubble with tucker leaving Danny alone in the dusty clearing.

"You can come out now" he said to the empty room.

Vlad floated forward revealing himself "hello Daniel" he solemnly said.

"Hey frootloop" Danny remarked a playful note dancing in his voice before coughing. "Come to try and convince me to join you again while I'm in a weakened state?"

Vlad shook his head "no little badger I'm not"

"Oh, then you've come to get more DNA for cloning, or to just kidnap me while I can't resist" Danny offered.

"No, I'm not here to do anything to you Daniel" Vlad said his voice shaking slightly "I can't"

"Ah is that so" Danny said quietly.

The two sat in quiet for a few moments "I'm going to die aren't I Vlad?" Danny asked suddenly breaking the silence.

"... yes… I'm afraid so" Vlad confirmed his voice barely audible.

"Vlad did you know that your ectoplasms color is primarily dependent on what you were feeling before death, like embers she was depressed that her boyfriend could live without her so she blue, or like spectra was lusting for youth so her abilities are primarily black and green the colors of life, or fright knights purple and how he was loyal to his king till death"

Vlad shook his head "I didn't know that little badger"

"And how yours is pink and red the colors of passion, love and anger, you were passionate about ghosts and mom and dad you loved them both and are angry that they left you alone"

Vlad remained silent watching Danny.

"Vlad when you died is this what you really wanted or was it to stay with them?"

Vlad sighed "I don't think that matters anymore Daniel"

Danny stayed quiet for a few moments before coughing again.

"… But if I could change the past I think I would have liked to stay with them" Vlad sighed sitting next to Danny "what about you?" he asked glancing at the weakening boy.

"Me…" Danny smiled his teeth coated in ectoplasm "green is the color of life, growth, harmony and safety… I just wanted to be a normal kid…" Danny's voice grew weaker his eyes drooping "I just wanted to keep people…"

"Daniel?" Vlad asked looking at the younger boy "little badger?" he said more loudly when Danny didn't respond.

"You know Vlad…" Danny's voice just a whisper now "I don't want to go, I… I wish things could have been different… between us…"

"I know"

"... tell everyone I'm…" Danny's voice faded away as his eyes grew dim and glassy.

"I will little badger I will" Vlad said tears falling down his cheeks, he closed Danny's eyes as two rings traveled over him turning white to black, ectoplasm green to red, and green to blue. Vlad picked Danny up transforming himself back to human he walked to the exit as Sam and tucker appeared with a rescue crew.

hey guys i hope you enjoyed hero down, sorry i haven't updated phantom trip i'm stuck... (T-T) and its hard to think of where to go next for it. anyways i wanted to write a story like this for a while now but i couldn't ever figure out where to start i always placed a lot of ephansence on the before and what happened for danny to end up like that but in this one it wasn't important, the main focus was the quiet conversation between the two, i had debated on puting a camio of clockwork but it didn't feel right, anyways let me know if you like this story and i might make a contiuation... otherwise have a good day night morning whatever it is where you are.