A.N. Don't forget to comment, guys.

The sound of steady steps on the stone pathway to the dorm. Yukio was just returning there, with a small box in his hands. He had taken everything the exorcist shop had for destroying the ghostly ilk. There wasn't much, and it was truly a pity. Fire worked on most ghosts better than anything, so Yukio had gotten some combustive bullets. There were also a basket of winter cherries, the things were supposed to trap the ghosts. Somehow. The main weapon was still on the way, as it was near impossible to find. Blood Blossoms were all but gone, as the plant was so picky about environment that it could not be grown artificially. Yukio spent a lot of his teacher salary on this.

Upon entering the house, the teen decided to postpone the dinner, so temptingly luring him into the kitchen with abnormally good smell. He would have to hide the box somewhere. Entering the room he shared with his brother and saying hellos, only then did Yukio noticed the absence of said brother. Odd, he hadn't heard anything coming from the kitchen, so where was he. Then a shout was heard from the room nearby, and Yukio ran there with a neck breaking speed. Swinging open the door, he got a sight on the scene he had feared.

The two half-demons were playing game console together. It was the shout of a defeated child of Satan that had called Yukio in the first place. Danny sat nearby, looking totally opposite of what the fourth most powerful being around would look like. Then again, Mephisto was Mephisto, but Phantom was wearing nothing but a shirt and pyjama pants with starships pictured on them. So casual-looking, with a triumphant look in his gleaming eyes. But it wasn't Phantom that caught the primary attention of the exorcist. It was Rin's furry tail swinging all around out in the open.

Without saying a word of greeting in return, Yukio pulled his brother away in one swift motion.

"Oh, oh, oh! What the hell, Yukio!" Rin shouted.

"Why, pray tell, you have your tail all over the place?!" Yukio hissed, "In front of HIM, no less!"

"Chill out, Mole face! He is a half-demon, too!" Rin said enthusiastically, "Besides, he is our neighbour now, why not be friendly?"

"He is... our neighbour?"

Mephisto was just put down in another person's murder list. That dastardly crafty demon hadn't told him any of this! Yukio took a calming sigh, regaining his composure. A glare he sent Danny's way was met with a simple wave of the hand. Yukio then pulled his brother out of the room, closing the door in the process. The teacher was about to speak, but Phantom's voice from the room stopped him.

"You Japanese make very thin walls and doors. I will be able to hear you still!" He called, not seemingly caring about the distrust.

Yukio and Rin went downstairs, the latter complaining all the while. Honestly, what was wrong with him?

"Have you shown him the flames?" Yukio asked harshly and immediately, "Answer!"

"Jeez, that's what you are worried about? I may get F in every subject known to man, but I am not stupid. Why are you so paranoid? Danny is a cool dude. And he's beaten me in "Doomed" ten times in a row," a certain level of bitterness was present in his voice.

"Don't you think that even a half-demon may try to pull you to Gehenna, to bring you to Satan and earn his favour?"

"Now you are overdramatising. Seriously, Yukio, chill. He would have done it already if he could or wanted, right? We've been alone this entire evening. And so far we've been doing nothing but playing games."

Rin did have a point, Yukio reasoned. But there existed such plans that required a bigger amount of time to accomplish. To stay under the radar of every living or dead being in both worlds it took a lot of resourcefulness. Then a single thing snapped him back to reality.

"Wait... you've been playing all this time?"

"Well, duh, that's what I sai....OUCH!"

"You are supposed to be studying for the exam, you slacker!" Yukio shouted pulling the sharpened ear of his brother.

Meanwhile upstairs Danny still could hear the shouts coming from downstairs, albeit muffled beyond recognition. Looking at the clock, Phantom realised that it was time for him to go for a meeting. The room around him was also in a pitiful condition, but it was at least furnished properly. Unlike so many places he had seen, the room had an actual bed. Pulling his favourite T-shirt and jeans out of the wardrobe, Danny put them on quickly, floating to the rooftop, going through several ceilings. He was a ghost, that's what ghosts did. Once on the rooftop, Phantom began scribbling the seal on the list of paper. Once the time was right, he performed a summoning.

"Took you long enough," Ember noted.

"What are you talking about? I am right on time," Danny raised his eyebrow.

"Different time zones, dipstick," the ghost deadpanned.

"You wanted to talk. Well, then. Here we are, go ahead."

"Look. Everyone near Amity Park was scared of what you would do for trespassing. Now with you gone certain nasty demons are coming through. We fight for territory, and, well. Exorcists do take notice of unusual destruction."

"They never gave a thought to this, why now?" Danny asked, putting hands in his pockets.

"Some change in leadership of the American department. But that's what I've heard. You are the one living with exorcists, could have asked them. What is the big deal, anyway?"

"That's my business, Ember. But to be frank, it is hiding in plane sight. Who would search for a Demon King near another one?"

"That's dumb even for you, Danny."

Phantom threw her a half-serious glare, "I told you. It's MY business. I do not wish to offend you, but everything I tell you is known to all around the next day, and I don't need this hiccup now."

"So you are not coming back, are you?" Ember asked soberly.

"Not in the foreseeable future. I'm done with all this, Em," Danny sighed, "That's final. Move to Gehenna or some other town if you wish. But I am not coming to save everyone's asses again."

He snapped his fingers and a swirling green-black abyss formed on the floor. Both knew what that thing was, and how much power it took to make even a small gate like that.

"Go ahead. You seemed to be content existing there. So here you have your red carpet."

"I don't want back!" Ember snapped, "I like this world more. I take certain pleasure in not being desired to be raped or eaten."

"You think that the 'greatest hunter in all of existence' will come after you again?" Danny asked sarcastically. But knowing him well enough, the siren knew that it was a genuine question.

"I... I am worried, yes. But it's not only that. I have been there for so long... that place is horrible."

"I see where you are coming from," Phantom muttered and the portal vanished, "Still. You all will have to save your pelts yourselves."

"We will be overrun by the next day."

"Not if they won't know about me leaving for good."

"You mean..."

"Just tell everyone that I will come if something truly nasty happens. This should be enough."

"It won't work and you know it. Demons rarely listen."

"I believe I have proven that I won't tolerate anyone trespassing. Remember Walker and his goons? Remember Aragon? Being butchered in Gehenna is a nice enough punishment, I suppose. And what's with ghosts respecting sanctity of each other's dwellings? I am yet to see it."

"The problem is, you are not a typical one. Hence many laws are largely ignored. Thought you have figured this by now, Your Majesty."

Phantom did not seem amused by this titular name-calling, "You all just cannot follow even an ounce of what is seemingly agreed upon."

"Well, I did do what you told me to," Ember responded, "And it surely is a pain in the ass."

"Literally or figuratively?" Her companion chuckled, "That's not it, Em. You know what I mean. How many do I have to put out of their misery so I could live in peace? No puns, Ember. I know what you are about to say."

The teenage-looking girl pouted. He really must have been pissed if he didn't want to make puns.

"You DID beat most of the powerful ghosts. But don't you think it is impractical?"

"What do you mean?"

"Great, we have come to the point when a teen-delinquent is an advisor to the king. Where is Gehenna heading?" She asked dramatically, floating and putting a palm over her eyes.

"It certainly won't get worse. It IS Hell. I know what you mean. No powerful demons, our lovely corner shall be overrun and my subjects shall be devoured. I get it. Are you suggesting that I should make peace with them and sing kumbaya near the campfire? They wish to murder me themselves! How am I supposed to appeal to them?"

"Beat them and NOT murder?" Ember offered weakly, shrugging.

"They will just come back more bitter. How many times have I killed you and the guys? Yet you kept coming back for more?"

"That sounds messed up."

"Because it is. Need I mention that I dated a girl who has several wounds left by me? That's basically this messed up stuff that made us break up, Em. That's just insane! I killed you only for you to come back head over heels for me."

"I was not 'head over heels'," the demon huffed indignantly.

"The fact that you smothered me back then is hanging above us," the young king leaned against the metal railing, staring at the distant academy.

"I get it, Danny. I understand that you couldn't care less about that place, because neither do I. Still, I am not certain how it will affect everything around. What other place than Gehenna do we have for hiding from the others? Just imagine a horde of undead creatures, enough to outnumber the entire humankind by a large margin. You can say goodbye to your peaceful life afterwards."

"You do have a fair point. But will the upper class of our lovely fold see the issue? Or will they just keep ramming into the brick wall hoping that it will break? I will try, Em. But you all should not expect miracles."

Ember smirked slightly. Finally the teen was doing what was expected of him.

Before Phantom could rip that thing, he felt hot lips press against his. Danny pulled back, looking confused more than anything.

"Feels just as good as before," Ember whispered and smiled, "Goodbye, Danny. Don't turn all self-hating and angsty again, would you?"

She vanished when the seal was ripped apart. Now alone, Phantom took a sigh. She hadn't changed at all. It was when he heard the shouting downstairs. Rolling his eyes, Danny took the conventional way, using the stairs this time. The stairs that threatened to snap right under him. QPhantom wondered if he could submit a request for repairs, but he figured that the mailbox for such things was already overfilled. And in no way was he going to spend his hard-earned money on this. His thoughts were interrupted when he met face to face with Yukio.

"Well hello there, teach," Danny smirked, "What's with the noise?"

"Rin is studying now," Yukio responded like it explained everything. He did not avert his gaze. The teen had to admit that the disguise of the Demon King was astoundingly crafty. No pointers at all, except the chilly air. He looked like a normal human. It seemed logical, ghosts were already copies of humans they impersonated, add a little more of human nature into the twist and get the guy in front of him.

"Is there something you need or what?" Phantom asked after a prolonged silence between them.

"That depends. I would like to get as far away as possible, but it seems implausible at best."

Danny snorted and laughed, putting hands behind his head, "Yeah. Relax, pal. It's not like I'm going to slit your throats while you are sleeping," he tried to smile good-naturally, emphasis on try. It still came out as a mocking one. "Well, I'm going to call it a night," he turned around and went off, "I'm not going to disrupt my good sleep just because I have to visit your boring lessons, teach."

"Keep in mind that two days from now we will have visitors," Yukio warned, making Danny turn around with a curious look, "Training camp. Sir Pheles has decided to host the event here."

"In this rundown place?" Phantom asked in a genuine surprise, "Look. You've known that white clown for a longer while. Tell me," he said slowly, "What am I to expect from him?"

"You think I am going to help you?"

"Help me what? Kill him? I am playing by his rules for now, I am merely trying to understand what game he has in mind. All I want..."

"Is to be left alone. Yes, I heard that," Yukio crossed his hands, "How believable."

"What's so hard to believe? It's what separates ghosts from the rest, you know. We are... more ambiguous, if I say so myself. We don't need destruction, we need only what it brings. We don't need death as long as we see no point. The only goal in our mind is to get what keeps us tied to this world. Some are more driven by it, some powerful ones, like me, do not let such desire ever take the reigns. It takes a lot of willpower, but even then we may find ourselves subconsciously doing it."

"And yours is?"

Danny laughed, "What an absurd question. Listen, four-eyes, other ghosts may try to rip you apart shall you ask such preposterous thing. They go ballistic. I too get itchy in the back of my head. Albeit our lesson has shown that you know relatively little."

"Are you proposing the same thing Sir Pheles did?"

"Helping you guys? Hell no," Phantom snorted, putting hands in his pockets, "You want to kill me, why would I?"

With that Danny finally departed, dead set on getting a good night's sleep. It's not like he was afraid of being killed in the process. He could awake from the tiniest of sounds.