In the Ghost Zone once again, Danny had arrived to the top of the tower where Clockwork was. The time ghost was starring into one of the many windows before him or probably all of them. He brought his head down and turned as Danny made it a few feet across from him.
"Hello Daniel," greeted Clockwork.
"Hey Clockwork," returned Danny before asking, "Are you busy?"
"Does time stop?" asked the enigmatic ghost with a raised brow.
"Right, sorry. Dumb question."
"What is it that you want?"
"Do you know anything about what Johnny 13 said to me earlier? You know the three most infamous ghosts thing?"
"Yes, I do."
"What is it exactly?"
"Its nothing."
"Nothing? But Johnny 13 said..."
"I know what he said," interrupted the master of time. "To people like you and I, it is nothing. Because popularity and fame isn't something we set our hearts on. However, those looking in from the outside, that do focus on such vain things, put us on pedestals of infamy based upon what they've seen or heard from the outside. Though they know absolutely nothing beyond what their eyes see and what their ears hear. And so some get swept up in the ridiculousness of the whole thing to the point where they become jealous, angry, high-minded, or miserable. But the two of us know better."
Clockwork smirked.
"Right?"
Danny smiled back and nodded.
"Good," said Clockwork as his smile faded before looking past Danny to ask, "And what about you miss Mclain? Do you know any better?"
"Miss Mclain?" repeated Danny before putting two and two together "Wait, Ember's here?!"
Danny turned around to see if Ember was in fact there with them.
"Crud!" muttered Ember before sighing. "Oh well, might as well show myself now that the cat is out of the bag."
In the next moment, Ember came from behind a supporting pillar with a hand placed on her hip.
"Ember!" said the tense halfa before demanding, "What are you doing here?!"
Ember smirked.
"I could ask you the same thing babypop," responded the pop princess with a smirk.
Danny was about to fire a ghost ray at her but Clockwork intervened.
"Stay your hand Daniel," ordered Clockwork.
"What?!" exclaimed Danny in disbelief before trying to explain, "But she's my...!"
Clockwork gave him a 'Don't you think I know that already?' kind of look. Danny with some reservations let the green glow from his hand fade away. Then Clockwork turned to Ember.
"I trust that you won't try anything funny either," said the ghost time.
"Not making any promises but I won't bite for the time being," stated the flame-haired ghost. "'If' you answer my questions."
"Very well. What do you wish to know miss Mclain?"
"First, cut out the miss Mclain stuff and call me Ember. Second, I wanna know how the two of you know each other?"
Clockwork looked to Danny before asking, "Would you like to do the honors or should I?"
The halfa remained silent for a few seconds. Then he answered with, "Go ahead."
Clockwork nodded and turned to face Ember once more.
"It all started nearly two years ago when Daniel Fenton's future was hanging in the balance," began the enigmatic ghost "Over whether he would choose to cheat on a test or not."
"A test?" repeated the confused Ember.
"That's right. A test. But not just any test. The dreaded C.A.T. Because the pressure was so great, he would eventually end up taking a wrong turn in life thus ruining the futures for both humans and ghosts."
"What? A test did all that? Tell me you're kidding?"
"You'd be surprise how something so small could have such a big impact on the future."
Ember shifted her eyes to the halfa who now was looking off into the distance.
"So," she started. "What kind of impact are we talking here?"
"Take a look," responded Clockwork directing her attention to a time window.
He showed her the consequences of Danny's mistake. A destroyed Amity Park, a fear filled Ghost Zone, and Dan Phantom who laughed in delight at the screams of his victims.
"Whoa...!" exclaimed Ember before pointing between the present Danny and the Future Danny. "He. Him?"
"Yes," answered Clockwork.
"And me?"
The ghost of time revealed a sad overweight Ember from a different time window before explaining, "His Ghostly Wail shattered your singing career permanently, and you ended up eating your feelings away because of it. You even earned the nickname Ember Mcrib."
Ember gasped in shock and said, "But... no way! He looks totally different from Dipstick!"
"Granted, the human part of Daniel died at the beginning of it all, his ghost half however, became much more ghostly and less friendly since."
Ember looked from Future Danny to present Danny back and forth as she commented aloud, "I see what you mean. The other looks like he would snap someone's neck without batting an eye."
"Which is why I was asked to take care of the problem by getting rid of it before it became the world's 'Ultimate Enemy'. But I chose to give him a test of my own; which he passed with flying color's I might add. In summary, that horrible future became null, everybody is safe, and nobody will ever call you Ember Mcrib. At least, that last part might change if you let yourself go or stuff your feelings with food."
"Heck no! I'm going to keep this physique til the day my afterlife is done! As a matter of fact, I'm going to work my butt off as soon as I leave here!"
The ghost of time smirked as he said, "That's good to hear. Now that you know a bit more about your enemy, I think it would only be fair if Daniel learns something about you in return."
Ember gasped before getting angry.
"No!" she said before commanding, "Don't you dare tell him anything about me!"
"Not in the sharing mood?" asked Clockwork. "Are you afraid of what he might find out?"
"She's a bad guy who tries to take over the world with music," said Danny. "What's more to know?"
The master of time chuckled.
"That's just the tip of the iceberg," said the enigmatic ghost. "What you fail to see is the base of it."
"Base?" repeated the halfa confused.
"Yes, base. In other words, how your enemy became the ghost that she is today."
Ghostly diva clenched her fists in rage.
"I'm warning you Clockhead!" Ember threatened. "Say anything and I'll...!"
Clockwork pointed his time staff at Ember and the ghostly diva vanished from his realm.
Focusing on Danny once more, Clockwork proceeded to inform Danny about Ember, but who cares about that? Let's check in on what Sam is doing.
The goth girl sped her way through the Ghost Zone looking from left to right in an attempt to find the teen she held feelings for.
"Not there, not there..." Sam muttered. "C'mon Danny, where are you?"
"Have you tried the animal shelter?" asked Shadow before adding, "I hear lost ex-boyfriends end up there every once in a while."
"You're not helping...!"
"That's because you didn't say the magic words."
"What magic words? You don't mean...?"
"Yep."
The goth girl sighed and asked, "You're getting a real kick out of making me do things that I don't want to do, aren't you?"
"Not really. I just want to be noticed and talked to every now and then. Is that so much to ask?"
"Wait, you're telling me that you feel neglected?"
"Is it really that shocking? I am the one who always has to initiate our little chats."
"Oh... right..."
"Oh is right. But I guess it is always about what you want and not what others want."
"You make it sound like I'm selfish or something; which I am not."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Yes."
"Because I remember the Samantha Manson who changed the menu for the school cafeteria to suit her own personal eating habits. I don't recall her asking if other students agreed with her idea or not."
"That was um... one time and I learned from my mistake."
"Did you ask Danny if he wanted that D.P. logo on his jumpsuit?"
"Um... no but you gotta admit that it's a cool design."
"How many times have your parents asked you to try on something and you flat out said no to them?"
"Hey, nobody wants their parents to treat them like a changeable barbie doll. Not even you."
"Exactly, but sometimes you have to compromise and subject yourself to things you may or may not like."
"Why?"
"Because that's how life works sometimes. You give a little and you take a little. You give a lot and you take a lot. For example, by giving up your independence on Monday, your mother will lighten up on you about your whole goth persona."
The goth girl raised her brows before uttering, "Really? I never..."
"Thought of it that way? Of course not, you're just a teenage girl guided by hormones and a rebellious thought pattern."
She went silent. Clearly Shadow's words had gotten to her.
"I'm a selfish person, aren't I?" asked Sam after some time.
"Thank you for checking into the Reality 101 Hotel. I hope you never come back and am looking forward to your growth into the smart young woman I know you'll become."
"Thanks Shadow," said the goth girl while blushing.
"You're welcome."
With a new perspective on life, the goth girl thought for a few seconds.
"Hey um..." Sam started, "Can you please tell me where I can find Danny?
"Since you asked nicely yes," responded Shadow. "He's visiting Clockwork."
"Clockwork? But you said he was in danger?
"Must I reiterate what I said to you earlier? The words 'could potentially' is a key part in my statement. Also, Danny's track record at Clockwork's hasn't always been good you know."
"Good point."
"Now ride like the wind Bullseye!"
"What?"
All of a sudden, the F.G.P sped up and Sam yelled at the top of her lungs.
"WHOOOOAAAAAAAA!"
Switching back to Danny talking with Clockwork...
"And there you have it," finished the master of time. "The back story to Ember Mclain."
"I... had no idea," uttered the befuddled halfa in the room. "I just thought..."
"She was some evil ghost who wanted to take over the world for no reason? No my boy, there is a cause behind the motives of miss Mclain."
"I can't believe I was this naive. This must be how my parents felt when they found out I was part ghost. Both times. She was just a normal teenager who died trying to make her dream come true."
"And you were just a boy who struggled with a decision about the C.A.T's but look where that led?"
"I just... wow... Ember Mclain. I think I can see ghosts in a whole new light now. Well, not the ones who want my head. Both figuratively and literally."
"If that is all then I must return to my duties now. Goodbye Daniel."
Danny waved goodbye and headed out the same way he came in but he still was in deep thought about the latest bit of information that he received. Outside, he heard a beeping noise which snapped him back to reality.
"Danny!" called Sam from nearby.
"Sam?" said Danny with raised brows before asking, "What are you doing here?"
Stopping in front of the ghost boy on the F.G.P, she answered, "I thought you were in trouble so I came to see if you were ok."
"What made you think I was trouble?"
"Um... intuition?"
"How did you know I was in the Ghost Zone?"
"Um... lucky guess?"
Becoming skeptical of her last two answers, Danny became a little more suspicious.
"Sam?" he said with a questioning look.
"Oh alright..." folded the goth girl. "Someone told me.
"What? Someone told you? But who would..."
That's when Danny realized something important.
"Did Shadow tell you?"
"Wait, you know him too?"
Danny nodded.
"So it isn't just me?"
"Looks like it."
"He told me where I could find you and that you could be in danger."
"Danger? I wasn't in any..."
He paused.
"What Danny?" asked Sam noticing his reaction. "Did something happen?"
"Oh right... I almost forgot," said Danny before expounding, "Ember showed up out of the blue while I was talking to Clockwork."
"Ember? What would she be doing here?"
"I think she followed me on the way here. She wanted to know how Clockwork and I know each other."
"That's uncharacteristic of her. I didn't peg her as the ghostly investigator."
"Neither did I, but Clockwork answered her question and sent her away."
"Really? She knows about the other you now?"
"Yeah."
"And is that good or bad for us?"
"I'm not sure to be honest. Although, I'm more confused as to why Clockwork told her in the first place."
"Your guess is as good as mine."
The two of them went silent as the topic of Ember came to an end.
"So..." started Sam in an attempt to change the subject. "What did you talk to Clockwork about?"
Johnny 13 said something that got my attention and I asked Clockwork about it," answer the halfa. "He said it was nothing and that was pretty much it."
"That's a relief. For a minute, I thought something bad was about to go down."
"So anyway, that's it for now. Unless you wanna um... talk some more...?"
"Um... no that's it. Just wanted to make sure you're alright. Ready to go?"
Danny nodded and the two headed back to the Fenton Portal.
