Prologue
Somewhere in the fast green dimension of the Ghost Zone, you can find two very special ghosts training with each other.
One girl looks to be around 17 years old with red shoulder length hair that flows into black at the tips, wearing a red tank top with a black leather long-sleeved jacket and tight black pants, with red and black combat boots. Her eyes glow an eerie red and around her neck hangs a Reaper necklace. In her hands, which are covered in black cloves with spikes around the wrist, she holds a very lethal looking scythe with a red and black colour pattern.
Her opponent is a boy looking to be around 19 years old with messy snow white hair with black tips, wearing a black tight fitting turtle neck tank top with black army pants with white lining and a silver hourglass key chain hanging from it. Around his wrists are multiple watches, each with a different power when activated and on his finger is a black and silver skull ring. He had florescent green eyes which seemed to glow, and a scar running from the left side of his face; just above the eye and stopping just above his lips, narrowly missing the eye and leaving him blind.
The boy is using a large black and silver halberd to counter all blows from the girl as they continue to try and land a blow on each other, they swirl around like they're dancing.
They are at each other's throat so fast that you would miss it if you blinked.
As the girl makes another swing for his middle, the boy sees an opening and uses it before the girl has a chance to retaliate. Striking with the side of the axe, she loses her balance and falls back, only to land on her ass. To emphasize his victory he pushes the blunt end of the halberd into her face.
'You were getting cocky again and left your side undefended. You really need to keep your head cool and think before you move. No rash moves. I could've easily ended you right now.' stated the boy seriously before he drew his weapon back and offered the girl a hand to help her up.
The girl scoffed and stood up on her own, ignoring the offered hand.
"How is it, that even after all this training, you still beat me with barely breaking a sweat?!" the girl asked, annoyed.
"You seem to forget that I have been doing this much longer than you.' The boy sighed. 'You might have been a full ghost a year longer than me but I had to fight and defend myself three years before that, teaching myself most of it. I started using weapons like these after one year being a halfa, because the ghosts I fought tended to be able to come closer to a point where shooting ectoplasm is no longer effective, and had to refer to hand-to-hand combat against swords and daggers. Of course, making swords and spears with my cryokinesis is handy but not if you don't know how to handle the weapons made. So, after another way too close call, I decided that I needed to learn how to handle various weapons and took lessons from Pandora and Frostbite. I am only this good because of basic self-preservation. And of course because I had good teachers, both chosen at random. Also, I now have so much more time to train. So do you. You will get better, you just have to work on keeping a level head during battle and keep your ego at home."
Of course that last statement pissed the girl of even further giving him the predicted result. Diving under the arm that was being swung at him, he gripped her arm and used the momentum to twist it around her back and throw her down on the ground.
"Again, too hot-headed to think straight. You should never let your opponent get to you." The boy said with a smirk on his face.
The girl huffed in annoyance.
A loud screech was heard followed by the flapping of wings, though it didn't sound like your normal everyday bird wings but rather more mechanic and big. Seconds later, a brown metal eagle came flying towards the two.
Standing up, the boy held out his left arm and the bird landed on his arm. The boy didn't even flinch as the sharp claws pressed in his arm nor did he shift as if the bird weighed nothing.
"You have been summoned by the Master of Time. You are to meet him as soon as possible for time is of the essence." The bird said to the boy telepathically.
"Time is always of the essence with the old man but I'll go to him right away." The boy replied telepathically while rolling his eyes.
"Okay, playtime is over. I've got to go, Soul, duty calls." The boy said to the girl, now named as Soul.
Soul stood up whilst rubbing her now sore arm. "Fine, but I want to have a rematch when you get back and then I will kick your ass! Mark my words Timeless!"
"Keep training and maybe one day you will actually have a slight chance of beating me." Timeless said with a smirk on his face while putting on his black cloak, fastening it with a beautiful emerald brooch, which looked to have swirling green colours inside and pulling up the hood to completely cover his face.
He pushed of the ground, leaving Soul to her angry muttering and flew swiftly to the lair of his teacher, master and father, awaiting his orders for his next mission.
Clockworks lair, Ghost zone.
As Timeless reaches the lair of Clockwork, he sees that his teacher is waiting for him. Knowing that he wouldn't just wait for him on the doorstep, for Clockwork as master of time can see what was, is and will be, he begins to worry if something might be wrong with his teacher. Hoping that Clockwork is just impatient, he lands in front of him with an anxious and confused look on his face.
Sensing his apprentice's discomfort he speaks to his student with a calm voice. "Don't worry Timeless, for I am fine. There is nothing wrong with me or my powers. I will explain why I was waiting for you once we are inside. Come."
Following the master inside, he slowly gets more curious. Sitting down on the couch, Timeless started petting the steel eagle, which landed on the armrest of the couch and clicked his beak in contentment.
"I know that you are curious as to why I was waiting outside for you." Clockwork started with a serious expression. "I stood there because I wasn't sure whether you were still in this world."
Now Timeless was truly confused. First of all, why would he leave the Ghost Zone and second, how was it that the great master of time could not see whether he was there or not.
Seeing his continuing confusion, Clockwork held up his hand and started to explain. "I understand your confusion. Do you remember when I explained to you that there are other worlds out there?" Timeless nodded, remembering the conversation. "Well, though I can see most worlds and their timelines, it seems that there is a world where my vision gets very blurry. I think it has to do with the magic in that world." After a pause Clockwork continues. "I am telling you this because I saw you being summoned to this world but because I couldn't see exactly when and why, I asked Cogwheel to bring you to me as soon as possible for I do know that it will be soon."
Timeless was silent for a moment, trying to process the fact that he was going to be summoned to a world with magic and where his teacher was unable to follow the events. 'Why would I be summoned, how long will I have to stay there and what am I going to tell Ember?' were the thoughts running through his mind.
Clockwork spoke again, pulling Timeless from his thoughts. "It is actually rather convenient that you are to be summoned to this world for I wanted to send you there in the close future anyways. It has come to my attention that there are a few powerful artifacts in that world that are dangerous to mortals when in the wrong hands. I want you to retrieve them. Also, as there are a few ghosts in that world it would be wise to meet them and let them know that they are welcome in the Ghost Zone when in need of contact with others of their kind. Who better to do that than the King of the Ghost Zone himself?" motioning to Timeless.
"That is good to know as I was planning to meet all the ghosts in the different dimensions and worlds at some point." Timeless said whilst nodding. "You said something about artifacts that are dangerous to mortals. I am assuming that they are ghost artifacts then?" He asked Clockwork with a thoughtful look on his face.
"Correct. These artifacts are rings much like the ring of rage that you are wearing on your finger so you have an idea of just how powerful they are." Timeless' eyes widened as Clockwork continued. "There are in total five rings of power. One you are wearing right now, two in the world of your summoner and two are still missing. I want you to retrieve the two rings so they can be stored safely. I will start looking for the others in your absence."
Timeless nodded and stood up and started to walk to the door. "Very well, I will retrieve the rings from that world. I now have to go and get ready for we do not know when exactly I will be summoned and if it is possible to return easily. Also I have to tell Ember about my temporary absence and make sure she'll be able to rule without me. Now, is there any more information you can give me about this world?" Timeless said turning to the Master of Time.
"I have told you everything I can tell you without disrupting the timeline. The only thing that I can add to my explanation is that the world does not know about ghosts and the ghosts that roam the world are called spirits and are both feared and looked up to." Putting a hand on Timeless' shoulder he spoke before turning around and focusing on his looking glasses. "Good luck and be safe."
Timeless turned around with a small smile on his face, the eagle landing on his shoulder. Flying back, he mulled over everything that was said and hoped that he had enough time to tell his wife about the recent development.
Timeless' lair, Ghost Zone
His lair soon came into view. His lair was on a big piece of land floating around in the Ghost Zone. As King of the Ghost Zone he had a castle be built on it. Well, more like appear on it as the Ghost Zone can be shaped to the wishes of the ghosts. That is why every ghost has its own lair looking as it suits the ghost best.
Landing in front of the doors leading into the castle, he walked inside and to his chambers. On his way over there, he stopped a maid working in the hallways to ask if she could find his Queen and ask her come to their chambers. Urgently.
Once in their room he started to write down all the things that he planned to do and had to be done for the next two weeks, Cogwheel giving helpful additions. When he was just finished, his wife Ember came rushing into the room.
The Queen is a young women, looking to be around 19 years old with blue flaming hair in a high ponytail, a red short sleeved dress reaching just below the knees and long black trousers which both accentuated her figure and just below-the-knee grey boots. Her eyes had the same florescent green as her husband with a black curl under her right eye and a curved line under her left. Around her neck there was a black choker. Her hands were covered in black gloves.
"What is wrong?! Did something happen to you?! If that Soul so much as harmed a hair on your head, I'll…" Placing his left hand on her shoulder, he took her chin in his other hand and gently lifted her head up and kissed her gently on her lips, effectively shutting her up. Ember was frozen for a second before giving in and kissing him back. Breaking apart he embraced her resting his chin on her head. It still surprised him that her flaming hair did not burn. It felt more like normal soft hair flowing up instead of hanging down.
"Nothing happened, I am not harmed and nothing is wrong. It is just that I have to go away for a while and I don't know how long I have before leave." With a confused look on her face she asked how it was that he didn't know when he would be leaving if he knew that would be leaving.
Timeless chuckled, hearing the confusion in her voice. She sounded as confused as he was when he heard that Clockwork could not see if he was still in the Ghost Zone or not. He explained to her what Clockwork had told him, keeping out the details about the rings of power.
"Okay, let me get this straight. You are going to be summoned to a different world where the inhabitants wield magic, for an unknown reason and amount of time, whilst on a mission for Clockwork, where you will also meet new ghosts and try to get along with them, not knowing what they can do or what their ideals are?" She said summing up what has been said and counting down on her fingers.
"Pretty much" Timeless shrugged. "Also I have left you a list of things that I was planning on doing and things that have to be done in the next two weeks. I hope to be back by then or at least establish a conversation line with you so I can keep tabs on what happens in the Zone. Go to Clockwork, Frostbite or Dora if you have any questions." He hugged her again just to keep her close for as long as possible.
"You should take the Crown of Fire with you. That way you'll be strong enough to handle anything they can throw at you." Ember said to her husband.
"No, I am strong enough as I am and I do not want to leave you undefended. I know that you are strong but the crown gives you just that bit more to keep me happy. Also, if anything was to happen then I would know straight away, as the ring and crown are connected and I will come flying home for you." Timeless said with a comforting smile on his face.
At that moment he heard a voice whisper in the stillness, slowly getting stronger. "… somewhere in the universe!..." Looking to try and find the source he sees the beginning of a blue portal. It started small but grew large enough for a Ghost his size to step through. It was just there, not swirling like the Ghost portals that he had grown used to. Knowing that this is the portal to transport him to a different world he turned to his wife and spoke with a sad smile on his face. "I guess that's my cue." He gave her a soft and quick kiss and turned around towards the portal.
"Try and come home before your death day. If you are not home the night before than I will find a way to come to you. I will not let you go through that alone. Not yet." She said with a stern expression.
He looked back just before completely stepping into the portal. "Thank you." He said sincerely, before disappearing to the world he just learned existed.
