He had returned to Earth, turned his entire set of thinking around, but he had failed. He thought about his choices as he absentmindedly drifted towards the Earth's atmosphere, and before he would change his mind, plunged into the pull of gravity. The long-forgotten sensation of being bound once again had made his stomach roll three times over. His head felt like it would simply incinerate from the pain, for while he was a ghost at that terror-filled moment, he felt the very fiber of his cold, cold being begin to evaporate.

But one thought had given him the strength to retain his body from complete oblivion, the thought that he knew that Daniel had always left him with his thoughts of his actions. He had always tried to show him, Vlad Plasmius, the mercy he believed that the world deserved as a whole. The thought hardened his reserve, his very core, and his last thoughts before crashing head-first into a large crater created by his evaporated ectoplasm were:

Maybe, when Daniel... no, Danny, has shown the world his infamous display of mercy towards the broken halfa, he would retain his friendship with his old college buddies, Jack and Maddie, and the world would be declaring that the former-billionaire could even have his money, power, and his precious cat returned.

But alas, a small ghost child watched as Vlad crashed into the Earth, his deep red eyes obtaining slight regret, yet the wisdom of that who had been since time itself was formed. Alas, the young ghost thought, for it was not meant to be, Vladimir Masters. For the days of the world are closing to an end, and the Ultimate Power has conquered all.

His ruby eyes scanned the line, the deep, sadistic laugh of that who had obtained what he wanted, what he desired with the very fiber of Hell itself, echoed through the empty husk of what was once, but would never be again.

For not only had He escaped, he tore his way through the very fabric of space and time, fangs glittering as he watched the world tear itself apart over a one-thousand-year period. The people had tried, they rallied together under the command of the very one who had sworn to protect the world from Him and Him alone, and they failed.

When their leader, the very symbol of hope, had fallen into the void, that last spark of hope which was falsely created died along with the great Danny Phantom. The time-ghost knew that while Phantom had been eager to destroy all life and watch them suffer, the recent generations of man had begun to bore him. They were like cattle, bred only for the purpose of watching the world burn, screaming in agony as every living thing, human or not, met their cries that crossed the world. Therefore, the Phantom Lord would enjoy the faint return of rising hope, so he would rise from the ashes of his 'defeat' and crush them once again.

Clockwork shifted as the door to his castle opened, then bowed so he was kissing the floor in front of his dark master's blood-stained shoes. Never looking up at the red eyes that could burn his existence away, he softly said, "The task his done, My Lord, he may have been frozen in time, but the time is right. It is just before the race of man shall forget the concept of freedom and hope, therefore they shall cling to the highest hopes as he pretends to be the hero. I want nothing more than this to fulfill your deepest desires."

The treacherous figure loomed over him as it pondered his answer, then briskly nodded, sending ice-cold flames dancing upon Clockwork's back. Finally, he grinned, already looking forward to when the halfa would awaken and find himself in a world without hope, life, and best of all, a world without Danny Phantom.

And Vlad Plasmius would watch as Dan Phantom burned it all away.

Well, who would've guess it! That blasted little author has come crawling back just to participate in the Danny Phantom Angst Day...

Sorry! I have half of the next chapter of Origins finished, but I have to wrap this up within the hour or my internet lock will force me to be late! NUUU!! TT

I realize this is crappy, and I may redo it, but at least it was posted on time! Unlike other things...

Have a Miserable, blood-freezing, hope-sapping, soul-reaping Day of Angst!

Begone...

Linhae