Naturally - as with all drastic events that have a great impact on Danny's life - the day starts out like any other. The usual morning battle with a ghost or two before breakfast, an obnoxious visit from the Box Ghost, the race to get to school on time. Then receiving detention for being late to class. All is right in the world, at least until lunch. Everything starts out normal. Danny, Sam, and Tucker sit down at an empty table with their lunches, and a heated debate about meat vs. vegetables ensues. Things start to get weird from there on out. In an instant the incessant chatter that fills the lunchroom stops. People, adults and teens alike, no longer move - forever frozen in that one moment in time.
Only Danny and his two friends are spared by the suspiciously familiar phenomenon. Danny is promptly reminded of the Keeper of Time, Clockwork, but has a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that this not entirely the ghost's doing. Sam and Tucker cease their petty argument in favor of surveying their surroundings. Nothing seemed amiss, aside from the time distortion, until a great tremor vibrated the entire building - possibly the whole Earth. All three non-frozen humans - half human in Danny's case - scramble to grab onto something in order to prevent themselves from falling face first on the rumbling ground.
Cracks and fractures form in the cafeteria floor; statue like people crash onto the ground with a sicking thud - some even break apart from the sheer force of the impact - as the shaking continued. All of a sudden the earthquake stopped, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake. The abrupt stop caused an unsuspecting Danny to lose his balance and fall flat on the floor. A creature slowly manifested in front of the trio as Sam and Tucker helped Danny off the ground.
The three noticed their new spectator. Danny gasped in surprise at the ghost that materialized before him and his friends, "Clockwork?!" The pale blue specter - currently in his adult form - floated a mere five feet away from them, staff clutched firmly in his right hand. His purple cloak was in tatters - ripped and frayed at the edges. But that was hardly the most concerning thing about the Timekeeper's appearance. Four large gashes ran down his chest and right into the glass protecting the clock inside of him. Copious amounts of ectoplasm leaked out of the wounds and dripped onto the cafeteria's white tile floor. Clockwork looked exhausted. Somehow the creases on his face and his rigid posture made him appear far old than he should in his adult form. Danny instantly began bombarding the ghost with a series of worried questions, "What's wrong? Are you okay? What happened?" Sam and Tucker chose to hang out in the background as Danny fussed over the Keeper of Time.
"Everything is as it should be… I am fine. I was merely caught off guard."
"Merely caught off guard?! These injuries couldn't have come from something like that. You know everything!"
The normally calm and collected ghost snapped, "Do not mind my wounds, Daniel! There are greater forces at play here." The halfa flinched at Clockwork's tone.
"Then why don't you explain to me what is going on?!" Danny was trying and failing to keep himself from panicking. Clockwork was purposefully leaving out very important details and not saying a single thing about the problem at hand.
"Daniel, you must understand that time is of the essence." The ghost ignored Danny's exasperated question in favor of handling the true reason he appeared before the boy. "While I did not foresee this path transpiring, it was always a very real possibility. You and your friends must leave this instance." Danny froze in shock, mouth agape, trying to process what Clockwork just said.
"What?!" Sam and Tucker chorused from the sidelines, clearly disturbed by Clockwork's statement. Their outburst brought Danny back to reality.
"B-but, what about my family?" The young halfa stuttered.
"As previously mentioned, time is of the essence, even though I have the ability to temporarily stop time that will not halt what is to come. There is no time left for me to attempt to save the rest of your friends and family." Just as Clockwork finished speaking a swirling green vortex opened up behind Sam and Tucker.
"Danny!" His two friend simultaneously shouted in panic as an invisible entity forced them into the portal.
"Sam! Tucker!" Danny cried out, watching the portal encompass his best friends.
"Daniel, change the very history of this world."
"How do I know if I am changing it for the better?!"
"I trust you will find the path in between right and wrong. Walk it, and build a new life for you and the people you care about."
Clockwork didn't wait for Danny to form any kind of reply or farewell. He swiftly jutted his hand out, making direct contact with Danny's chest and forcing him backwards into the portal. As Danny fell he shot Clockwork a hurt look before vanishing to his fated destination.
"Stay safe, Danny. You have a long and treacherous road ahead of you." Of course the words fell on deaf ears because the person meant to receive them was already gone - whisked away to a time period where he was truly needed.
The sound of footfall echoing throughout the cafeteria alerted the Timekeeper to the presence of another being unaffected by the unraveling of time. The steps were far too light to be anything other than a ghost. Clockwork slowly turned to face his approaching adversary. Calmly treading through the shattered remains of frozen humans was a ominous yet familiar phantom. One that happened to have light blue skin and white hair dancing atop his head like a roaring fire.
"I hope you are happy, Dan." Clockwork spat, glowering at the alternate version of Daniel.
The inhuman apparition merely chuckled at his words, slowly stalking towards the Keeper of Time, before replying. "Oh, very much so. If I can't have this world - this timeline even - then neither can Daniel."
"I assume you did not realize sending Danielle back in time would have such an extreme effect on the timeline."
Dan stopped his approach now that he was face-to-face with Clockwork. His form flickering and fading - going from solid to see through in a matter of seconds. "Perhaps, but either way this world will fall and there is nothing you or Daniel can do to fix this." Dan gloated, smirking triumphantly as if he had finally won. After finishing his sentence the ghost seemed to slowly vanish from existence, disappearing to a place no living creature goes.
"You poor misguided fool…" Clockwork whispered, mournfully. He stared at the spot Dan once proudly stood before turning his attention to the shifting and changing surroundings. The world around him was changing - Clockwork glanced down at his hands only to see straight through them - and he was fading.
"Regardless of your actions in this timeline, Daniel will save this world and bring about a new era. One where his kind are more welcome."