I own nothing, not the characters, the space where this story exists, or even the eyes that you are using to read it. This is for entertainment purposes only, no money involved.
Clockwork. The first of the royal bloodline of Pluto and the very first Guardian of Time and the Land of the Dead. Some say that he was the first being to ever exist, and if he claimed to be, then there would not be anyone old enough to contradict him still alive. His dedication to the practice of observing the endless century had bound him to existence He had silently watched as the eternities passed, forever watching as history was being made. Every possibility, every mistake, every triumph, every tragedy; he had seen them all.
He had watched as the Silver Millennium came to an end, and he had seen the raise and fall of Pariahs Dark, the King of Ghosts. But he knew that all thing would come full circle if he was just patient.
"Grandfather." Sailor Pluto said as she entered the lair of her long dead ancestor. She still had the appearance of a young woman in her early twenties even though hundreds of years had passed since her birth. She had inherited the job of guarding the Time Gate from those who would abuse it's power.
She had long dark green hair that was pulled back in a pony tail which reached all the way down her back. Her soft purple eyes didn't show the weight of the hardships she had to witness, knowing full well that Clockwork had seen endless more. She wore her sailor scout uniform and was carrying her time staff, the Garnet Rod, one modeled after Clockwork's own which grants her some power over time.
"How nice of you to visit, Setsuna." Clockwork said with a slight smile. He turned away from his flouting lenses which showed him images of the past, present and future. Clockwork's form had been twisted by death, like so many others, robbing him of his old noble appearance from when he had been as a king so many years ago that it had nearly faded from even his memory. His skin with a pale blue and he wore a dark purple cloak that he used to hide his bald head. Time had been such a key part of his soul, that men he died, a clock piece had become a part of his chest, his continued existences helping to mark the passage of time with every tick. His eyes were a bright red with a scar going down his left eye. But he still held the calming aura that his many times great granddaughter had always known. "It seems like it has been fifty years since you last came by. But you still look lovely as ever."
"It is good to see you as well Grandfather." Sailor Pluto said walking up and embracing the elderly form, only to have it shrink into that of a child in her arms. Clockwork moved back and his shape changed again into a middle aged man. It was another part of Clockwork's eternity, he was always changing between the three stages of life. She never heard him complain about it, but she realized that within that process, he felt death claiming him, over and over again. The pain must have been great, even if dulled by repetition. "I only wish that this visit was only to see you."
Clockwork chuckled as he looked towards his lenses. "Yes, well, times are changing once again."
"You already know what I wish to ask." Setsuna said, it was not a question. Clockwork always knew, it was his greatest gift, and his greatest curse.
"Humor me." Clockwork said looking towards his granddaughter with a soft smile and pleading eyes, even as his body continued to change like clockwork.
"The inner scout's reincarnations are starting to awaken to their powers and the Dark Kingdom is moving once again." Setsuna said knowing that her Grandfather enjoyed being told things that he already knew. It distracted him from the pain of his shiftings, and she understood full well the appeal. "But I fear that they might not be prepared for what lies ahead of them. They are..." She tried to find the words.
"They are just children." Clockwork finished for her, nodding his head. "You are afraid that they might get hurt and wish for them to have a guardian to watch out for them while they are regaining their powers and memories." He said. It was also a statement.
"You have something in mind." Setsuna stated, smiling as they continued there game of not asking questions.
"Perhaps..." Clockwork said and waved his hand over one of the lenses. It changed to a image of a young boy with white hair and green eyes in a torn up black jumpsuit fighting off four strange mutant green animals. "...we can kill two birds with one stone." He said as the boy knocked back the creatures into a pile and pulled out a silver thermos. Pale blue light came from the device and pulled the monsters in.
The fight finished, the boy fell to the ground exhausted and a white ring of light appeared around his waist moving in both directions before revealing a more normal human boy with black hair and blue eyes.
"Danny, I don't know how much longer you can keep this up." Sam said, trying to talk to her best friend. But the boy was doing his best not to look into her amethyst eyes. He knew that if he did, she would see how truly tired he was. "Ghost activity has been getting higher and higher and you still haven't recovered from your fight with Pariahs Dark. What are you going to do when the schools reopen? They won't say closed forever."
"Don't worry Sam, we've always handled it before." Danny said trying to put a smile on but it just didn't stick.
"Come on dude, you can't keep this up." Tucker said putting a hand on Danny's shoulder. "You haven't had time to sleep or eat, or bath." He said holding his noise. "In the last three days. Your going to die at this rate. And for real this time."
"Guys, I'll be fine. I can handle myself." Danny said a little frustrated. He knew that he was reaching his breaking point. His eyes had lost their shine, his skin was paler than usual and he's entire body ached. He felt like he was going to collapse at any moment. But he couldn't give in. He had to keep moving.
"Danny, we're worried about you. You look terrible." Sam said putting a hand on top of Danny's. The boy gave an involuntary hiss of pain that did not go unnoticed by his female friend. She turned the boy's hand over and say that it was burned raw. "Danny... you've been using too many of those ghost rays! I though we agreed that they were too dangerous!" Sam said angrily.
"I need them, Sam!" Danny shouted back. He held his damaged hands close to his, trying to hide them from sight, even though the damage had already been done. The high powered ghost rays were different from his other attacks, a constant blast of energy that could actually do some real damage to a ghost. At full power, they could level half a city block. Unfortunately, it was a double sided sword. "The ghost attacks are becoming more and more frequent and I can't just sit by and do nothing. The ghost rays are the strongest attacks I got. I can't just stop using them. Even if it hurts. The damage will heal in a couple of days."
"Dude, you can't go a couple of hours without getting into a fight!" Tucker shouted. "Your hands are going to be burned off at this rate."
"Guys... please... please don't fight me over this." Danny begged. His friends looked worked, no... scared. They were seeing him break done, but they knew as well as he did, that there was no helping it, and that it wasn't getting better. "I... I need to eat something while I still have the chance." Giving into at least that point, Sam and Tucker guided him into the Nasty Burger where he ordered two dozen burger. His friends watched in shock as he shoveled them down as fast as he could, hardly even chewing. He was halfway done before he paused and looked up at them. "The power for those attacks... it has to come from somewhere." He said miserably.
"Danny... what's going to happen to you?" Sam asked, her voice was full of concern.
"I... don't really know." Danny said starting to break down. "I don't think I could run away from this anymore, even if I wanted to. The ghosts aren't just trying to terrorize the town anymore. They are coming after me. They want something from me." He said, a hand moving to a point over his heart. He could feel a sort of heat inside of his chest, painful, and hot. Like a great signal fire that was drawing the ghosts in.
A pale blue mist escaped his mouth. "Danny, you can't." Tucker said as his friend got up.
"I have to. It's either I go now. Or they come at me while I'm in human form." Danny said grimly as he started walking to the bathroom to change into his hero persona.
Sam's hand wrapped around his wrist. "Danny... just promise me you'll come back." She said he could see moisture in her eyes. Danny open his mouth, but no words came out. He wanted so much to tell her that he would. But he really didn't know. And he refused to make a promise that he couldn't keep. He phased his hand through her grip and kept walking towards the bathroom. He tried to ignore the sound of his friend crying.
'Rockets, five of them.' Danny thought as he we watched the projectiles that Skulker hand launched at him. He dived underground to avoid the blasts.
Skulker flew over where he had just been. "Come out here, Ghost Child! I am going to finish you off this time and take what should rightfully be mine!" He shouted.
"Not likely!" Danny shouted from above him. Skulker looked around to see Danny holding out his white gloved hands which were completely eclipsed by dark green light. Danny fired off a ghost ray which caught Skulker on the head and blasted off the helmet, and tearing at the armor. The rest of the armored suit fell to the ground, some sparks coming out of it.
Danny landed by the armor and was going to go and suck Skulker into the Fenton Thermos when the armor exploded, throwning to the side by the blast which had taken him completely by surprise. He hit his head hard against the garbage bin behind the Nasty Burger and his head injury coupled with his lack of sleep and his physical exhaustion, caused him to begin to black out. He was fully unconscious before the green portal appeared behind him and pulled him into the Ghost Zone.
Skulker pulled himself out his helmet and looked around to find that the Ghostboy was nowhere insight, then he stopped the wreckage of his suit and a large piece of the boy's jumpsuit covered in blood. A wide grin passed over the ball of snouts face. "Yes, I did it! I killed Phantom!" He shouted. "I am the new Ghost King!"
Little did he realize that the boy was still alive.
It wasn't until the next day that Danny finally regained consciousness. He sat up to find himself in a room full of clocks. The noise from them was nearly deafening, so loud that it shook the entire structure. Danny couldn't believe that he had actually been sleeping through them. "Where am I?" He asked no one since he seemed to be alone. But he still got an answer.
"You are in my lair." Danny nearly jumped out of his skin as a ghost he had never seen before flouted down in front of him. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Clockwork, Guardian of Time."
"Um... hi, I'm Danny." Danny introduced himself in a meaner that showed just how confused he was.
"Yes, I know. Of course, I know everything." Clockwork said with a slightly cocky grin. Danny was puzzled as the ghost's body changed from that of a middle aged man to one resembling an elder. "But even if there isn't much that you can tell me. There is still much that I must tell you."
"Ok..." Danny said, wondering if he was dreaming.
"For starters, the reason that the ghosts have been hunting you endlessly." Clockwork said, grinning as he got the boy's attention. "After your fight with Pariah four days ago. You fulfilled the requirements of an ancient law of the Ghost Zone. Whoever defeats the king will become the king."
"What!?" Danny said horrified. He never wanted to become the Ghost King. He had only been trying to protect his friends and family. "Please tell me this is just some joke, or a dream. I can't be the Ghost King!"
"You aren't. At least not yet." Clockwork said. "And that is why the ghosts are attacking you. You see, in order to be king you must first have come of age. And in the Ghost Zone, you come of age at 15 years after your birth in life. If a ghost manages to kill you before that day comes, then they will take your title, and all the power that comes with it."
"But... that's six months." Danny said weakly, his heart dropping into his shoes at the thought of six more months of none stop fighting. "I've hardly survived the last three days."
"Yes, well, I wouldn't worry for now. After all, you disappeared a day ago. Everyone thinks you're already dead." Clockwork said. Danny's jaw dropped open as he tried to process this. "Skulker did not gain the power of the Ghost King. So people believe that your battle against Pariah didn't count and that the power is just lost. So as long as you don't reveal yourself until you turn fifteen, you will have nothing to worry about."
"They... think I'm dead." Danny said before jumping up. "I need to go home. My friend and family think I'm... I have to tell them I'm ok."
"And then what?" Clockwork asked, shocking Danny out of his thoughts. "If you do that, then the whole Ghost Zone will find out you are still alive and will restart the hunt for you. Do you honestly think that you can protect your family for six months? Just look at your hands." Danny did. The burns were clear as day. Even after a whole day's rest he was still injured. "If you go back there, then I promise you that you will die. And as far as letting your family and friends know. If they know were you are, or even that you are alive, that would put there lives in danger."
"Then what am I supposed to do!?" Danny said desperately.
"I already told you. Go into hiding." Clockwork said with a smile. "I have already arranged for a place in Japan. Fake passports, and birth records, bank accounts, a condo. Everything you will need in order to survive on your own until you turn fifteen. And being so far away from Amity Park, none of the ghosts will be able to track you." Danny was silent for a long time. "I understand that it feels like you are betraying everyone you love. But you don't really have much of an option. Take my offer. Or you will die, and your town, and perhaps your world will go with you."
Danny bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. "What... what are you getting out of this?" Danny asked suspiciously. "What is it that you want me to do?"
Clockwork chuckled. "Once you are in Japan, you will do everything that I want you to. Because you are not the type of person who would just watch and do nothing."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Danny asked angrily.
"I'm afraid that telling you would be breaking the rules. I am dancing on a thin line as it is with letting you be here and speaking of current events. Telling you anything about the future would be going to far." Clockwork said shaking his head.
Danny closed his eyes. 'Sam... I'm sorry. I guess deep down. I knew I wasn't coming back.' "I'll do it." Danny said sadly. "I really don't have a choose."
"Excellent." Clockwork said pressing a button on top of his staff. A portal appeared in front of them. "You will find everything you need on the other side of this portal. Good luck." Danny looked hard at the swirling green vortex and took a deep breath. Then he did a leap of faith, and jumped into the portal. "Everything is as it should be."