People always took him for granted – the excellent grades that suddenly plummeted during high school was taken as a loss of focus, the family black sheep who, apparently, failed to inherit the genes that were so obvious in his family; the obvious physical failure as he remained the short, puny weakling while his peers grew and filled out; constantly coming home late, never really bothering to give his reasons… the list continued for a while. Daniel Jack Fenton was common, boring, bordering on sub-standard.

That was the point.

Fenton was someone you could look over, dismiss, and never consider again. Fenton was inconspicuous, boring, and of no concern.

Fenton, despite his family's… profession… was never to be held in the same light as Phantom. The thought to compare the two never crossed anyone's mind. Unless it was shoved straight in their faces, so blatantly obvious that no one could deny it, there was no was Fenton could ever have anything to do with Phantom.

Again, that was the point. Two completely obvious personas, resting on a single person: Danny.

There was Fenton, and there was Phantom. The differences were the separation, and no one drew connections.

This started to change around junior year of high school.

Sam and Tucker, they were the first to notice – as it should be, they are his best friends, after all, despite past dealings and betrayals. Sure, they might not have been as close as they once were, but when a secret that intimate is shared between a group, bonds are formed and reinforced to the point of unbreakable. They were separate more often, but when the duo did see their friend, looking more tired and worn down every day, they noticed.

The long Thanksgiving break Danny had spent "camping with friends" (studying and training with Clockwork, he told the friends covering for him) wasn't nearly enough for him to have grown so much. The sudden and terrifying growth spurt wasn't commented on as Danny, now at least three inches taller than Tucker (who stood about 5'8"), had to bend slightly to reach the books in his locker, which he had purposefully put at the perfect level when he'd first gotten them. Tucker and Sam shared concerned looks, but didn't delve into the information Danny didn't willingly divulge. The halfa didn't speak until Lancer's class at the end of the day (that man was just following their class through the years, they'd never be rid of him), and when Lancer threatened detention for refusal to answer, his voice made his friends jump.

It wasn't what he said ("New Orleans"), or the exhausted tone it held, but the fact that, finally, his voice had changed – and the three had heard it before, nearly two years ago. Danny looked back at the two sitting behind him, and sighed.

Dash Baxter, who hadn't really changed at all save the 20 pounds he'd manage to put on last year (not good pounds either – apparently his place on the football team was in question until he got rid of the impending beer belly) and the disturbing mustache he'd decided to sport, laughed out loud at Danny's answer.

"What's that, Fenton? You actually sounded like a guy for a second there." He sneered, and his usual followers (which had shrunk slightly as Kwan had moved to L.A. and Star had recently transferred schools after a brush with one of the more perverted seniors of the school (he was being held until the trial – attempted date rape was a rather serious offense – though with his rich uncle and expensive defending attorney, no one knew for sure if he'd actually be punished for it…), laughed and sneered along with him. The man-boy looked around, nodding as the approval of his group spurred him on.

"I mean, you've always been a girl, this new trick of yours isn't going to change anything."

"Mr. Baxter, if we could get back to the lesson, I'm sure both Mr. Fenton and Coach Boyed would appreciated it." Lancer said, the veiled threat/promise getting Dash's attention and made the matter drop.

Sam and Tucker were the only ones who noticed Danny's hands, clenched into fists and trembling. Again, they said nothing to their friend, just exchanged a meaningful look the other boy missed, and shrugged. Danny took a barely noticeable breath, eyes half-closing, and exhaled, relaxing.

~One Week Earlier~

Danny was alone at lunch, surrounded by people. Tucker sat on his left, Sam on his right. Valerie sat at the edge of the table, backpack within easy reach as she tapped her foot impatiently on the cheap linoleum – she had finished her half-sandwich quickly, and was just waiting for school to be over now. Unsurprisingly, the band geeks occupied the opposite side of the table, swapping Magic cards and talking about next week's game they had to do half-time for. No one marked it as strange when Danny didn't eat past his first few bites – this was common, since freshman year. His appetite was sated easily, and rarely did he eat anything at lunch at all anyways. This had caused a modicum of concern once, when Mrs. Ikason noticed his lack of lunch for four days in a row, but that hype had died down when he'd made up some excuse of eating large breakfasts and dinners so he didn't have to pack a lunch or some similar nonsense. She'd just nodded, accepting the empty reason, and he hadn't been bothered about it since.

The flimsy little apple and peanut butter sandwich he'd thrown together that morning after missing eating anything the day before was more than enough for him, though he kept that little fast to himself. In the beginning, he'd have to eat more than he was now, and he wasn't going to bother his friends with the subtle changes in his physiology – not that they really needed to know anyways. His problems were just that – his. They had shown their hand months ago, and he knew exactly where he stood in their eyes.

Apparently, he was too scary. Phantom was evolving, growing, as he grew. Though, to be fair, Fenton was keeping pace, though this recent growth spurt and abrupt voice change were, apparently, only the beginning. Danny had learned from Clockwork, as he dodged the same ecto-blast sent through time and space over and over again, what being half-ghost had in store for him, personally.

Humans, as a rule, don't officially stop growing until they're 25, when they start dying. But… how can a ghost die? True, Danny was only half-ghost, so Fenton would, eventually, pass on, but with Phantom there to keep a grip on youth and whatever immortality can be assigned to a spectral being, aging would be a chore in and of itself. According to Clockwork, time seemed to be the key point here. He was given a choice to either continue on earth, struggling with the couple hundred years the Time Ghost had near-assured him of (but not outright – the future isn't certain, after all), or, once he was technically old enough (25, funnily enough), he could "claim all that was his in the Zone". Heck in the halfa knew what the Ancient was talking about… but it meant that he'd become more or less a denizen of the Ghost Zone. Sure, he'd still be half-human, and able to visit the Human World when the opportunity arose, but he'd make his home in the Zone. The old ghost already had it all figured out – a cleverly faked death, dealing with parents, friends, the authorities that would search into his inevitable demise… even Danielle, wherever she was, would be able to rest knowing his decision. (He hadn't seen the clone in years, since he 'cured' her… although, according to Clockwork, she'd be able to age and live on as normally as any super powered human could; Vlad hadn't ever managed to pin down the exact molecular composition of Danny – Danielle was just a human with ghost powers, as opposed to his perfect balance between the two. The same held true for the fruitloop. Danny was truly the only halfa in existence.)

Jazz was gone, taken in a car accident that had shattered his life – the drunk driver had totaled his Ferrari along with Jazz's little hybrid, but had enough money to make bail and pay off nearly everyone involved – the "Blood Money", as Jack had called it, was only used because the family didn't have enough money to cover funeral costs. The rest had been donated to the abstract foundation around Amity that helped cover damaged caused by ghosts. The man's excuse was that he'd been distracted by a fight between Phantom and a robot (Skulker hadn't dared venture out after Phantom had taken his pain out on the ghost), and Jack and Maddie had bought it, hook, line, and sinker. Never mind the man's intoxication that neared-toxic, the only thing that mattered was that Phantom was involved, even if he had been the one to fly their daughters body to the nearest hospital, where she'd woken up long enough to smile at him and say "Hero".

Their quest for 'righteous vengeance", as they called it, had managed to take down nearly every ghost that frequented the town; if they didn't capture and destroy any specter foolish enough to come against them, the Phantom would find whoever escaped and made sure they never even thought of coming out of the Zone again. Sam and Tucker had tried to support their friend (this was before everything happened, of course), but couldn't really do more than watch as Phantom let his pain and suffering out on anyone, ghost or otherwise, who dared mess with him or his town. Dash had backed off during this time, not so much out of respect for the suffering, but because Danny had broken his nose the first time the blond had so much as spoken to the boy.

When that anguish, that pain, began to fade, Danny closed himself off. He couldn't freely 'go ghost', as he used to call it, not with his parents roaming the town constantly looking for the ghost that, to them, had killed their daughter. Phantom was hunted, while Fenton was left to fend for himself at home. His parents left him money daily, out of the patent funds they had finally registered their inventions under – past experience had proven that they were incapable of dealing with money well, and the couple million they had gotten from just the Specter Speeder alone was nearly gone already, into more inventions and anti-ghost devices, although the couple hundred they left for Danny on the counter each morning showed that their other inventions were still reeling in the dough, with new ones being registered all the time. Maddie's previous paranoia of sharing her inventions went out the window when Jazz died, and now ghost hunters everywhere were sporting Fentontech.

Danny rarely spent any of what the two adults left him, buying the bare minimum food he needed to get by, and the medical equipment necessary in his line of… work. The rest he saved, and invested.

People though Fenton was below-average, but that was because he wanted them to. Even his friends were unaware of just how smart he was. Which is sad, really. The boy wanted to be an astronaut all his life, did they really think he'd go after such a lofty goal without knowing exactly what it took to stand above the world? He came from a family of geniuses, had been building (and destroying) his parent's little toys for nearly a decade now, and was taught daily by the Ghost of Time. He was equal to, if not above, the intelligence of his family. So he crunched the numbers, took a chance (and asked Clockwork for hints), and invested everything. (Although to be fair, the Ancient was probably only helping because he had told Danny himself that getting a practical, normal job wouldn't really be possible for a superhero, and Danny did need something to eat, if only occasionally.)

Everything he had right now was worth double the Manson "Fortune", and the foretold drop soon meant he'd sell of a fair share of some of it, and he could live on just that for a couple years, at least. Of course, Danny didn't like selling dying stock all that much – meant he was ripping off some poor sap who bought right before it failed, but in small chunks he could get away with knowing not all was lost. No one knew but those he dealt with directly, and Clockwork, of course.

As Danny sat there, looking at the browned apple slices in the greasy peanut butter on stale bread, he decided. Sam and Tucker had distanced themselves when he'd started to open up to them, telling them how it was, being half-ghost, what he had to do to survive (he didn't actively, but ghosts need to feed on emotion to survive. Phantom did it instinctively, and so did Fenton, apparently), and what he would eventually have to do to remain… 'alive' (The more powerful the ghost, the more energy it takes to fuel that power. Danny was the most powerful in existence, barring the Ancients, and, as such, had been taking the ectoplasm supplements provided by his guardian as meal replacements on a nearly-normal basis. But Fenton needed food too, little as it was, so he saved the thermoses full of green goop for dinner alone. Eventually though… that wouldn't be enough, and only the ghost zone's ambient energy would keep him 'full'.)

They had accused him of betraying them, and the town, of all things. "Amity needs Phantom, and you're just gonna leave and live with your little ghost friends?", and "That's not normal, dude; that's not what a human would do. You can't just leave everything here."

They had interrupted him, when he had been trying to tell them that he didn't have to be there full time, just enough to recharge, but their outbursts put things in a new light for the halfa. Sure, things had been rather strained since the Disasteroid thing, where he'd saved the world as Phantom, while Fenton was later found hiding in a broom closet. Jazz had told him, before everything, that she'd nearly told their parents everything, when the jet had lost control and crashed, when she thought he'd died, and the robot had been discovered. But when Sam and Tucker had nearly abandoned him when he'd finally been back to normal, when Sam all but told him that Phantom was his new definition, that Fenton alone wasn't enough anymore, something in their friendship had broken, and it had been degrading ever since.

Lunch ended with an ear-ringing alarm, as the students were summoned back to their classes and work. Danny stood up first, throwing his bag over his shoulder and walking off, not saying a word. Sam and Tucker followed soon after, with Valerie trailing behind. Danny veered into his next class then, and the other trio kept walking onto their own shared class, leaving the halfa alone in his Chemistry class, which, actually, was quickly becoming his favorite class.

When he sat and began pulling out his books, spreading them across the lab table that he apparently had exclusive rights to, Mr. Collins grinned and walked over to him, a recent test in hand.

"Well, congratulations Danny, looks like you're, once again, top of the class. What exactly are you doing in your other classes that made all your old teachers warn me about you?" He said jokingly, dropping the packet on the table, a big green 98 circled on top. Danny smiled, and just shrugged.

With the ghosts to scared to even think about bothering him, and his friend's alienation, Danny had much more time than he used to, and he used that to study, work, and train – and it showed. His little study-sessions with Clockwork helped immensely as well, since the Ancient was a much better teacher, and learning while being shot at tended to make what he was learning much easier to remember. Especially with the facts interspersed with the Zone's own teachings – history was much more interesting when it involved parallel wars in another dimension.

As such, his grades had been steadily increasing, though he made a conscious effort not to make it to noticeable. Fenton was not allowed to go from dummy to genius within a week. Chemistry, however, was particularly interesting and rewarding for him, and holding back on tests was a lot more difficult for this class than it was for others. As it was, he could've gotten all the answers, including the extra credit conversion computations, perfectly right, but had intentionally missed some of what should've been the more complex and difficult questions. Though apparently he was the only one in class capable of mentally calculating chemical compositions and proper physics formulae… one slip up in class and everyone knew about that, but that was a while ago, and the hype had long died down.

The class filled up quickly, the 5-minute passing period was barely long enough to get books and run to the other side of the school, so the bell was ringing just seconds after the last person sprinted through the door, like every day. The period passed quickly, the lecture on carbon and its many forms ending in crushing charcoal and hammering pencils, with black dust flying everywhere and covering the class in soot.

Luckily, he'd been able to get a free period at the very end of the day, and left after that final class, ducking into a janitor's closet and transforming, flying out through the roof and heading to Fenton Works. He remained out of sight as he phased into the basement, checking for his parents (just a precaution, really, they were never home anymore) before becoming tangible and removing his glove, pressing his thumb against the DNA scanner, which beeped and opened the portal doors.

The green swirling of the Zone had only become stronger as time passed, and the split between dimensions solidified and became stronger. The opening location had, at first, flitted through the Zone, a random portal that would flit through different areas of the Zone, before it finally stabilized where it was now, just a few hours from the Land of the Far Frozen. That itself had dissuaded some of the less daring ghosts from 'visiting' Amity Park, as Frostbite took Danny's protection seriously, as the Savior of the Ghost Zone, and had placed a small squad of giant yeti ghosts to protect the portal. Only the ghosts able to take on a dozen of them had been able to enter, and even then they had usually been rather beat up from the fight, and as such been easy for Danny to defeat.

The guard had been reduced to two since Jazz's death.

When Danny did enter the Zone, the two yetis bowed from their positions on either side of the swirling mess, and the ghost boy sighed. No matter what he said or asked, the overwhelming respect and admiration of the Far Frozen just wouldn't be diminished, and the ghosts had recently taken to calling him Prince of the Zone, though neither Clockwork nor Frostbite would divulge the reason. They would just smile, and tell him that he would know in time.

In fact, that was the reason he was in the Zone now. The two guardian ghosts had asked him, while he was there training that last Sunday, to visit the Ancient's Tower, because they had news for him. Said Clock Tower was about an hour's flight from the portal, and Danny flew that in silence, keeping a wary eye out for anything that would pose a threat. None appeared, which wasn't really a surprise.

The Tower loomed over a barren rocky asteroid field, Pariah's Keep a small figure in the western distance, with Pandora's Palace in the east. The right and left hands of the King, when there had been one. Danny, out of habit, landed on the doorstep and walked in, used to having to let himself in and climb the stairs up to the viewing room to find the Ancient. This time, however, he walked in on a conference.

Clockwork was seated near the end of a long table, to the right of the head. Frostbite was next to him, with, surprisingly, Ghost Writer next to him. Pandora sat to the left of the head, with a ghost Danny didn't recognize seated next to her, clad in similar dress as the queen, a gold and white tunic/toga, though he wore golden armor over his. Next to him sat an Observant, his elegant and slightly obnoxious robes indicating a higher class, something a member of the High Council would wear. (Clockwork had taught Danny of some Zone politics – the King ruled the people, but the Council, if unanimous, could change a ruling of the King. The King couldn't appoint the Councilors, instead they were chosen by the leaders of minor rulings within the Zone itself.) At the very end of the table, sat, to Danny's surprise, sat a trio of his more deadly enemies, Undergrowth, Nocturne, and Vortex. The ghost boy swallowed nervously – alone they were a challenge, but could be beaten, but if all three decided to team up?

"Come, Great One, and take your seat. No hostilities are present at this council, and those who would break tradition shall face the full wrath of those a law broken." Frostbite smiled a toothy grin at Danny, and gestured to the very head of the table. Danny hesitated at taking a spot that would be a perfect target for anyone against him, a single chair in the center of the edge, as opposed to the three on the opposite side, but with nothing else open, he was forced, for courtesy's sake, to take the head chair without a struggle.

As soon as he sat, Clockwork stood, angling himself to look at nearly all the occupants of the table.

"Most of you know why I've asked you here today, and I thank you for coming. Two years ago, today, the Shadow King, Pariah Dark, was defeated in single-combat by one Danny Phantom, also known as Daniel Fenton. According to tradition and law, he has been under observation since then, and unaware of both this and the implications of his actions."

Danny swallowed thickly, looking from the Ancient to the other ghosts seated around the table, the implications of constant observation sinking in. He hadn't taken Jazz's death well, and if this was a trial…

"As his guardian, I discussed with the others who were assigned this task, and we agreed that, even in a state of grief, Mr. Phantom has conducted himself as befitting, never outright destroying or permanently maiming any ghost, instead choosing to release them back home, where they could recover and learn from their defeat. Past experiences have shown qualities and skills that befit his intended position."

Danny was thoroughly lost by now, listening to the praise with a look of complete confusion, which Clockwork smiled slightly at.

"He has been tested, and succeeded against the three challengers, even though one," the Ancient glared pointedly at Vortex. "hadn't yet been cleared to offer such a challenge. Let us hear their reports."

Clockwork sat, and the trio at the end of the table stood as one, and Danny flinched slightly at the sudden movement. Frostbite glanced in the halfa's direction and gave a reassuring grin, which Danny shakily attempted to return. Vortex was the first to speak, asthmatic gasps interspersed in his sentences.

"The ghost child failed my first attack, but somehow gained a portion of my abilities. I was impressed with his ability to adapt to the situation, and use it to his advantage. He has my vote." The Storm spirit sat, and Clockwork nodded, gesturing at Nocturne to continue.

"Not only was the boy able to break my casting himself, but learned the difficult art of dream walking without practice, or, I believe, knowledge of how complicated the skill he apparently possessed was. His mind is strong, and he was willing to admit weakness and accept help. He has my vote." Nocturne sat next to Vortex, and only Undergrowth was left standing.

"I was most impressed by the astounding speed at which the Phantom mastered an entire element, though not without help." He gave Frostbite a nod. "He hesitated little to do what he had to, though he did so with no loss of life, even against a possessed friend. He has my vote."

Clockwork nodded as the Plant ghost sat, and stood again. Danny sat, dumbstruck at the words of what he had considered his enemies, and looked at Clockwork, silently begging an explanation.

"It is the decision of this council, upheld since its formation over a millennia ago, that Danny Phantom/Fenton is worthy and able to take his rightful inheritance. Do you, Head of the Council, accept our decree?" He looked at the Observant, along with everyone else at the table. The green gelatinous ghost 'stood', and took a deep, empty breath.

"We accept this decision, and herby proclaim Daniel James Fenton, also known as Danny Phantom, heir to the Shadow King, Pariah Dark, and King of the Ghost Zone."

This proclamation was met with a tense silence as the entire table looked at the halfa, who sat there in stunned shock. He blinked once, twice, then asked, in a tiny voice:

"What?"

All the ghosts looked at him, then, as one, stood and bowed, though the Observant did so with visible hesitation and some incomprehensible mutterings Danny barely heard.

"Danny," Clockwork began. "It is the tradition of the Ghost Zone that, if and when the High King is defeated in single-combat, and the opponent is the lesser of the evils, said opponent will be given a trail period, unknown to him or her, as three or more ghosts on the Council observe and test the successor. If he or she is deemed worthy, they inherit the throne the battled for. This last happened more than 2,000 years ago, when Pariah defeated his father and assumed the position." The Ancient gestured to the halfa, having resumed his seat along with the rest of the ghosts.

"But… wait. You're saying, you want me to be King. Of the entire Ghost Zone." Danny said, hand rubbing his forehead.

Clockwork measured the ghosts' reactions out of the corner of his eye, grinning to himself as they did exactly what he knew they would – nothing. He turned that grin to Danny.

"Daniel, you really should've expected this." He said, counting on his charge's intelligence to show itself. He was not disappointed.

"You mean, all those lessons, the history, the training… you were just getting me ready so you could drop this huge bomb on me." Danny said, oddly calm. Clockwork nodded, and the other ghosts watched as Danny took a deep breath, eyes closed. When he opened them again, though, they were burning. Pride and confidence shown from them, if tinged with betrayal.

"You'll have to give me a while to get used to this…"

Clockwork chuckled, along with the rest (except that stupid Observant!) of the ghosts.

"Of course. We are a rather long-lived people, and are used to waiting, even for our King. You are not expected to do much quite yet…" He looked around the room. "I think we can all agree to give you a few years before you're expected to do any… heavy ruling."

Danny opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again.

"A few years? You made it sound like this is an immediate thing!" Danny said, giving Clockwork an incredulous look. The Time Master tilted his head.

"Now what made you think that?" He asked, more innocent that he had any right to sound, and Danny just stood there, flabbergasted, as Frostbite started laughing, a contagious, roaring laughter that echoed through the Tower. The Ice King stood.

"Young King, your human side betrays you. Time, for us ghosts, is much less valuable than it is for the living (except, of course, Clockwork), and a few years to you is but a small lapse of time for those who have existed for millennia. Enjoy your life, before you assume the responsibilities of a King." Frostbite said, making his way to Danny and resting a hand on the sitting halfa's shoulder. Pandora, opposite Clockwork, spoke up for the first time in the meeting.

"Frostbite is correct, though you should understand that even the title of High King carries weight, even without immediate action to assume the throne." She said, serious, looking at the yeti, who shrugged.

"I am sure the Great One is more than capable of adapting to the situation, as has been praised in this very meeting."

Pandora gave Frostbite an appraising look.

"Regardless of ability, some things are better explained, especially these. Young Phantom has been left in the dark on multiple occasions, sometimes with negative consequences. Besides," She looked at Danny, "I'm sure he'd appreciate an explanation… for once."

Danny gave her a wry grin, slightly exasperated.

"Well, this is a first. It's not like I just sat through a meeting making me freaking King of the Ghost Zone, with no prior knowledge, or anything." That, at least, got a few nervous chuckles out of a few ghosts (Frostbite, Pandora, and, surprisingly, Vortex), and Danny sighed.

"Clockwork, I've put my trust in you often enough to know that you'll do what's meant, even if it's not what's wanted. You wouldn't pull something like this lightly. I gave up getting an explanation out of you long ago. But if you guys did decide to let me in on what's going on…" He trailed off, gesturing vaguely, arms open. Frostbite and Pandora shrugged as one, turning to Clockwork.

The leader of the Far Frozen was probably the only ghost present Danny actually considered a friend – sad thing really, since the yeti ghost was alone in that category. Clockwork was more of a mentor or father-figure. Pandora he'd only really met once, during that whole Box Ghost incident, but from her subtle placing of her seat on his left side, he got the feeling he'd be getting to know her pretty well. Ghost Writer had eventually warmed up to him, after an explanation about the accident with the poem, and with Clockwork sending him to the Literature ghost for extra study and English tutoring.

Danny had no idea who the ghost on Pandora's side was, but based on the shining gold armor and multitude of medals (Greek, but still obvious), he was pretty important too. The Observant, of course, was supposed to be a neutral party here (though it was obvious that the Council was accepting this only out of tradition and rules, and very grudgingly.) Vortex, Nocturne, and Undergrowth were wild cards, enemies until now, when he found out that they'd been sent to test him. He'd suspend judgment for now, but would keep his eyes open and back to the wall.

Clockwork shrugged back to the Greek and Yeti, turning to face Danny.

"There is much you need to know, though little I am," He turned to glare at the Observant, who ignored him quite thoroughly. "Allowed to say. There are powers passed from King to King – how, we're not sure, but inheritance rights surrounding rulers here have never been quite clear. I expect, given your previous rate of growth and learning, that you'll be able to master the basic abilities befitting a King within a few weeks, if you practice. The more advanced powers will come later, when you've officially assumed the throne, so you don't need to worry about those quite yet. I cannot tell you what powers to expect, but be aware of their appearance, and learn to control them quickly, as some are rather dangerous."

The Observant cleared its throat, its single eye narrowing into a warning glare, which Clockwork returned just as heatedly.

"The rest of your powers," the Ancient continued, looking away from the green ghost and turning back to the young King. "Will be, as you would say, upgraded, in both power and ability. We will hold the Ring of Rage and Crown of Fire until your official coronation, but the claim you have over them will allow some of their power to be used by you, regardless of proximity to the objects themselves.

A final word of warning – with your new position comes the need to defend it, though not as dedicatedly as you would expect. Most ghosts will respect the Savior of the Ghost Zone, as you are known," He gave a pointed look at Frostbite, who grinned and shrugged. "and will accept your rule over the reign of Dark with celebration. Others, from the darker areas of the Zone, will not be so happy. While I do not foresee any immediate threat to you or your town, be prepared to defend both against some of the more powerful tenants of the Zone. Remember your position when in need, and rely upon your place in the Zone to defend it."

The Observant stood, clearing its throat (what even… how does a green blob…whatever.)

"Clockwork, you speak more than is proper. Cease now, lest you interfere with what must happen!"

Danny was amazed that the ghost didn't evaporate under the fiery glares of all the ghosts at the table. It seemed there was no love lost between the Council and the ghosts it supposedly ruled, and the green eyeball stood its ground for a few mere seconds before sitting, 'coughing' a little, uncomfortable. Clockwork didn't turn away from the Observant as he spoke again.

"That's all I can give away, without interfering with time, something our friend here, should remember that I am master over. I know when something can be told, and what must be withheld. And what I have said is all that I can, at the moment. Everything else will be revealed, in time."

The Observant 'stood', and floated out of the Tower, without a word. Every ghost (and Half-ghost) present grinned as the door slammed shut after the eyeball. Frostbite stood and walked over to the halfa, placing a furry hand over his shoulder, giant paw nearly covering the broad shoulder it was resting on.

"While we would all like to sit and talk, I assume the time has gotten away from us." He looked at Clockwork. "Well, most of us." The Time ghosts nodded, also 'standing', though he didn't move from where his seat was placed.

"Indeed. I believe that the new King and I have some business to attend to, if he wishes it."

Danny, not used to actually being asked anything by the Ancient, nodded, blinking in surprise. The other seated ghosts stood as one (kinda weird looking, since some were substantially taller than others, and took longer to stand), and bowed again, before filing out of the Tower, leaving only the Ancient and Halfa.

The two looked after the ghosts until the door had closed completely, and Danny broke out laughing.

"You're a twisted manipulator, you know that, right?" The halfa asked Clockwork, who was stifling his own laughter. The Time Ghost grinned.

"What did you expect?"

Danny smiled. "Well, certainly not this – you've been spouting riddles about inheritance and 'my place in the Zone', but… I never imagined you were sitting on something like this."

Clockwork returned the grin, though the air of knowing mystery he seemed to emit was obvious in his expression.

"Of course you didn't. That's the point. If the King proves themselves worthy, without knowing they are doing so, doesn't that make them all the better? Besides, you have had enough to worry about, without this hanging over your head." The Ancient looked at the halfa sympathetically, laying a sad hand on his shoulder. Danny shrugged.

"You know, I think this is actually some of the better news I've gotten in a while. This, I can deal with. I've been wondering what I'm going to do with my life… having some sort of direction is nice, for a change."

Clockwork squeezed the young King's shoulder comfortingly, then released him and floated to reclaim his seat at the table.

"Admittedly, the Human World would suit you ill. There are too many variables to be certain of which future would have been yours, but in very few would you have been happy. Of course, the only reason I can even tell you this is because none are possibilities any more, even if you choose to renounce the Throne."

Danny looked at his Guardian sharply.

"Is that even possible?" he asked, and Clockwork raised an eyebrow.

"You think you'd be forced to rule against your will? The very fact that you hold the title of King makes you powerful beyond nearly all others, even if you do not choose to act upon it. The power and right to rule is yours, whether you want it or not. However, the choice to exercise and rule is your choice, and yours alone."

Danny nodded, a far-away look in his eyes. Clockwork frowned. Within the Zone there were

tales of Kings who forsook their crowns, and none were good. Beings granted such power, without a

reason directing that strength usually lost their minds, ending up murderous and vengeful, if only for something to do. A King is a King, after all. Whether they acknowledge it or not, the rest of the Zone does. Ghosts daring enough to climb out of the shadows for a challenge prove a small respite from the respectful nothingness that comes from being the most powerful being in the Zone.

But Danny wasn't like that.

"No, I don't think you'll have to worry about that. You said I'd have a few years until I was expected to rule, right?" Danny asked, and Clockwork nodded.

"Then I think I'll try the 'normal' thing. Graduate, get a job, maybe try college a little bit…"

He looked down at his hands. "I've been fighting, and protecting this town for so long though, I can't remember what exactly 'normal' is." Danny laughed breathily, closing his eyes. "I think I'll try it out for a bit, see what it's like."

Clockwork smiled sadly.

"That's what I knew you would say. However, there are some unspoken expectations that come with being King, you know."

Danny blinked, and looked at the Ancient.

"I thought it was just those tests you guys were talking about. What else do you want me to do?" Clockwork shook his head.

"It's not a rule, or law, or anything official – just tradition. Ancient tradition." He floated towards the staircase leading up to the Observatory, where the Monitors of Time were kept, and Danny stood, following.

"You've learned, in your lessons here and in school, of the great rulers of old. Arthur, Charlemagne, Napoleon, Queen Elizabeth, Churchill, Roosevelt, Lincoln, Washington, Caesar, Alexander, Joseph II, even Hitler and Genghis Khan. All these people, men and women, were great in the eyes of history, regardless of motivation or sins. They all took control of their people, and used their power to make them great, if only for a while. Hitler and Khan were both horrendous, killing millions in their quests, but their abilities and skills took them to the top, and kept them there for years.

The Zone is similar. There are rulers, both good and bad, studied in our own history. Dark's reign was one of the more horrific, but there have been equal, if not worse, atrocities by a King. Dark's most awful battle, the Massacre of Fifty Thousand is still talked about today in only whispers and fearful tones. A Queen who ruled millennia before the Americas were discovered did so for nearly a thousand years, and in that time the Shadow realm was created by the Ancients for the sole purpose of holding truly evil ghosts, starting with her.

There are so many similarities between the two worlds you belong to, Daniel. The Zone has suffered wars parallel to Earth's, and vice-versa. The Civil war lit the fuse on Dark's imminent imprisonment, while the Massacre he wrought caused such a loss of existence here that the balance between the two worlds shifted, and the Black Plague swept through Europe, seeking to replace the void the destruction had left in the Zone."

Danny shivered, phantom fingers running up his spine as he imagined the death and suffering both worlds experienced at the hands of his predecessor.

"But what does this have to do with tradition? So far all I've gotten is no massacring, which really wasn't a concern in the first place." Clockwork shook his head slightly, a grin ghosting across his neutral expression.

"I'm aware of that, but you must understand that, even for the atrocities wrought by his hand, Dark was still a powerful and influential King. To be remembered in the essence of the Zone itself is an achievement few have achieved, but in his earlier years Dark was one of the greatest rulers this place has had. The power he wielded drove him to insanity after a few thousand years, though this happened to few ghosts before him.

The point I'm trying to get to, Daniel, is that all these leaders had one thing in common. They all were someone, something, before they were King. A common ghost can never hope to defeat a ruler and claim their place, but a ghost with power, with experience, that can overcome the challenges and overpower their King? They have been ruling already. These ghosts are leaders, strategists, warriors – they have all fought for their lives, and know what it takes to be a ruler."

Danny opened his mouth to say something to this, but the Ancient cut him off.

"You yourself have faced many challenges in these regards, I have not forgotten. However, you almost always do so alone. You're so used to being the only on able to succeed, to take upon yourself responsibilities others would collapse under. This is both a strength, and weakness. You are capable of so much on your own, but you do not know how to share this burden."

Clockwork shook his head.

"I am sorry you've been so alone." He said, shoulder drooping. Danny frowned, looking at his mentor.

"Clockwork, I didn't decide to go out as Phantom, to save people, to protect them, expecting to have that much support. Sam and Tucker were there, and later Jazz… but they never knew everything. Dani was too young, too inexperienced to need to know the things I do, and Vlad is too much of a fruit-loop. Don't apologize. Although, I am wondering if you have some plan up your sleeve to rectify this apparent failing I have." Danny said, with a smirk at the Time Master, who returned it with a decided-ly plotting grin. When he saw that expression on his mentor's face, Danny was suddenly regretting asking such an open-ended question.

"Why yes. Yes I do. But you're not going to like it. Return here in a few weeks, after your graduation. Congratulations, by the way. I hear you'll be asked to give a speech at the ceremony. Something about turning your life around." Clockwork smirked at the long-suffering sigh Danny gave at this news, and summoned a portal for the young King to travel back home through.

"You're not going to tell me what you've got planned then?" Danny asked, taking one step through the way. Clockwork just continued grinning.

"In time." He said, and with his staff, pushed his charge in the rest of the way. "In time."

~A few hours later~

Danny got back from the Zone just as his parents walked in the front door, but the thud from the closet in his room as he fell out of the portal didn't get noticed. Not surprising – it was nearly 11pm, and, like always, Jack and Maddie were barely able to get up the stairs to bed, let alone notice a thud and curse as Danny landed on some old boots.

The two trudged up the steps, exhausted, like usual, from their daily ghost hunt. These started around 5am, and for them to be getting home at 11 was actually earlier than usual, if only by an hour or so.

The halfa stayed still and silent as he listened to the footsteps outside his door as his parents headed to their own rooms, opening the door and slipping downstairs once the coast was clear. Unsurprisingly, the front door had been left wide open once again, muddy boot-prints tracking from where his dad had haphazardly parked the filthy RV half on the side-walk all the way up the stairs to the bedroom. Apparently the pits surrounding the lake outside town had been today's search area, because they'd brought half the stuff home on them.

Danny just sighed as he grabbed the mop and broom from the closet where he usually kept them, freezing the mud then sweeping it up, then mopping up the rest. It was becoming a more usual occurrence, now that his parents had moved out of Amity proper in their search for Phantom, to keep cleaning up their messes, and basically taking care of them so they didn't wear themselves into the ground. He'd be turning off their alarm again tonight, sure they' be mad, but they needed to sleep. And they'd just blame Phantom, as usual.

The kitchen was just as he left it that morning, clean except for a single plate of slightly-burnt toast he'd left out hoping his parents would eat something. No such luck. He'd have to find a way to put some sandwiches or something in the RV tomorrow, hopefully they hadn't put in the newest ghost shield yet – it was a lot more sensitive than the previous models, able to affect him even as a human.

Danny rubbed his eyes, yawning, but not tired. He'd been needing less and less sleep lately, only one or two hours a night, really. Another ghost thing, he guessed.

He rummaged around inside the wall behind the sink, arm intangible as he pulled out a battered thermos. He stuck his tongue out at the green glop that churned around inside it, but downed a couple mouthfuls with a grimace, recapping the thing and putting it back in the wall.

Usually, after his helping of ectoplasm, Danny would go down to the lab and train for a little while, or study, if there were any tests the next day. After the news today though, perhaps he was allowed a little respite from the daily grind.

He flew far and fast that night, wind blowing through his insubstantial form as he went intangible to increase speed. Within the hour he was hovering over Mt. Rushmore, thunderstorm roaring overhead, flashes of light illuminating the faces carved there in violent bursts of electric rage. He floated there, still intangible, looking at the faces of history's greats.

"What made you so special?" He asked aloud, barely hearing himself over the crack of lightning and following explosion of thunder, ignoring the way the sound seemed to make the earth itself shake.

"What did you do, that people remember you for hundreds of years?" He looked at his hands.

"Why doesn't anyone talk about your mistakes? Your messes? What were you, that you're remembered as heroes?" Another clap of light, and the roar that followed shook the trees, one small sapling actually breaking as the wind and rain became too much. The pounding of the rain hitting the world sounded like it did in everywhere – rain was constant, rain didn't change. But as he looked up into the black sky, lightning flashing again, illuminating the clouds, Danny realized something.

"Clockwork is right. It's just me. It's always just been me. I'm the one with powers, so I'm the one fighting." He looked at his gloved hands again, the faint-transparency of intangibility turning the silver gloves lighter, whiter.

"But how do I change that? It's not like anyone else could even help, not as much as they'd need to, to actually help…" He frowned, turning back to look at the President's heads. He floated there, just staring at the mountain in the storm for a while more, before turning back the way he came, and flying home. There were parents to take care of, and sleep was calling his name.

~Early morning, in the Ghost Zone~

Clockwork watched as his main screen changed from Danny's sandwich-making, which was getting boring anyways, and began focusing instead on one of many future possibilities. One of the decidedly-less likely ones, a single scientific accident dictated whether or not this would actually happen, and for humanities' sake, Clockwork hoped it didn't. However, this future could prove useful to him. After sabotaging its cause, he'd be free to make use of it in any way he needed, and sabotage was always easy for the Ancient. What he'd be doing with the future after it became an impossibility was the hard part though. This world he was watching now was not a kind one, and the young man he'd be sending in would take the lessons with difficulty. Hopefully though, he'd be able to overcome the cruel life of that reality. If he didn't, he would break.

But Clockwork knew Daniel well. He had overcome trials that would've crippled others, taking on impossibilities and succeeding where none expected him to. But that wasn't what worried the Time Master.

Daniel could easily succeed in that world, but would he be able to live with himself afterwards? Would he be able to do what he had to, to save what remained of humanity? Would he be able to earn the trust of those hardened by years of harsh survival? Could he lead them?

Only one way to find out.

~The next morning, Danny's room~

The halfa sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as his father's mumbling and accusations made it through the wood of his door.

"That damned Phantom again. He's so scared of us finding him, he doesn't even want us to get up. Needs the head start to keep ahead of us."

"I don't know where the shield went, Jack, so we're going to have to deal with it until we catch the scum ourselves. Then we'll make a new one." His mother replied, and Danny sighed, getting out of bed and throwing a shirt and pants on as he heard the front door open. There wasn't a sound of it shutting, but that wasn't unusual.

He used the restroom, brushed his teeth, tried to make his hair at least look like he tried, then headed downstairs. He shut and locked the door his parent's had left open, and pocketed the stack of bills they'd left on the coffee table in the living room. Breakfast consisted of another swig of ectoplasm, then he turned back to the front door, transforming into Phantom and preparing to fly off to school.

Before he even floated off the floor, though, time stopped. Danny was frozen, one foot off the ground, as a blue portal swirled open beside him.

Clockwork floated through, placing a medallion over the young King's head. Danny resumed his floating before noticing something had changed, and turned to the Ancient in surprise.

"Clockwork? What's wrong?" he asked. Usually his mentor/guardian only showed up outside of the Zone if there was a problem, otherwise he'd just send a message for Danny to meet him at the Tower. The purple clad ghost just gave Danny an unreadable look, and opened another portal.

"There are dangers through here you cannot imagine. Not from ghosts, or technology, but from horrors and monsters. This future is no longer possible, or sending you there would not be allowed, but it's real to those within it, if not to the current timeline. Do not expect help from me except in the most dire of situations. Use what you have learned, but keep your abilities secret. The unknown is not welcome here. Keep your head down, and eyes open. Do what must be done."

Danny stared at Clockwork, mouth slightly gaping as he listened.

"What are you-"

"Protect these people, Daniel. Work with them. You are not alone, and pretending to be will only bring pain and suffering. I will bring you back when you are ready."

"Clockwork, what's through there?" Danny asked, the ominous foreboding was nearly tangible, seeping from the blue swirling vortex. The Ancient blinked, but remained expressionless.

"Something that you must learn from. I hope, for your sake and the world's, that you can survive it." And with that, he moved the portal towards the boy, too fast to dodge, and the Halfa was sent through.

"Sit securus, cave confortare." He said to the empty space, then disappeared back to the Tower. He had to keep an eye on the young King, after all.