Of Lightning Bolts, Half-Ghosts & Time Pieces
By Twin Kats
Chapter Twenty
Plans To Fail
Albus Dumbledore was quite happy with the most recent turn of events. Originally his summer had started out like the summer from hell. Especially since Harry Potter as it turns out was the reincarnation of Merlin, some strange half-dead thing, and had almost the entire staff of Hogwarts under oath to not mention his otherworldly affliction. Because of all the unexpected twists surrounding young Mr. Potter Dumbledore could do quite literally nothing by way of manipulating the boy.
It would probably smash back at him thrice fold if he tried. Ruddy 'rule of three' nonsense and all that rot; it was annoying.
For this reason alone when Molly 'Mum' Weasley turned up on his doorstep (Gargoyle step…office step…whatever!) fussing about Fred and George running off to Amity Park, Illinois, and that someone was brainwashing Harry into believing he had a twin brother….well, Dumbledore didn't really do anything. He couldn't tell Molly about Harry's twin brother (bound by oath of the boy) and he couldn't force Harry back himself as it was a familial joint decision to vacation there (and possibly move there) which meant….
Get the Ministry involved.
Albus Dumbledore so loved it when the little puppets danced to his tune without him having to actually manipulate them; the running outrage and bitter anger that swept the British Nation made him mighty pleased. The fact that it quelled the distasteful rumors against him and Harry for some time was just an added bonus.
Honestly how was he supposed to know that the Ministry would rather claim him mad than take action against the worst Dark Lord of their century rising again? If he'd known that declaring Voldemort dead all those years would come back to bite him in the arse like this…well, Dumbledore surely would have kept his big mouth shut!
Still the Ministry went up in arms about the apparent kidnapping of the boy-who-lived and his family against their will (and when was kidnapping ever to the victims will, anyway, Dumbledore wondered) by a mysterious Dark Wizard that had disguised themselves as the fake twin brother of Harry Potter. They wanted a contingency of Aurors sent off to American soil right away or damn the consequences! Especially when it went public about this Dark Wizard meeting the American Muggle President which just meant that America's community was compromised, really, so no need for that official paperwork stuff! Just storm on down and grab the boy back and all will be well.
Yes, Dumbledore was quite pleased. The fact that he was on the taskforce to retrieve Harry made him doubly pleased. And to think all of this wouldn't have been possible if the boy hadn't made him swear that oath.
Ah, the naivety of youth…how wonderful to take advantage of it again.
Too bad that the minute they get near Potter or his family the shit would, quite literally, hit the proverbial fan and splatter everyone in its vicinity with, well…need it really be said? Pity that Dumbledore's wonderful, happy, week would go up like a pile of dung and a forest on fire. It makes for great amusement, though.
The shadows certainly thought so.
Ghost Writer cricked his neck lightly as he paused in his much needed note-taking. Since the near-death of the living portion of Clockwork's soul the gifted writer had taken a bit of a step back. He'd had to, really, because the whole situation was a trying ordeal.
Writer didn't know where, or when, but he had grown attached to this living Clockwork. Millennia of years working alongside the Time Master had never yielded such emotions from him before. They had a friendship going, or a kinship, or even justly a friendly understanding over the years. They had their jobs, most often the jobs crossed over into one or the others territory, but they didn't interact all that much.
Sure Writer knew Clockwork better than any ghost, save Shadow who had been around the Time Master far longer than he or Randy, but…this was different. The author in him wanted to spew out the most soppiest and fluffiest of love sonnets; of pure happiness and joy.
It almost physically made him sick.
On the other hand the writer in him also wanted to write out the most dirtiest, raunchiest, and sexiest pure pornographic stories he could.
That just made him aroused which made moving or doing anything really just troublesome. It's not like he could find any true privacy here to get off, anyway!
The author groaned and smashed his head into his journal. Truly he wished that Randy were around. His brother always knew just what to say to make everything just click. Randy was the good one at figuring out all this emotional stuff. It's probably why his brother had so many successful dates.
Although Writer wasn't too sure on how the guy snagged Technus, the supposedly unemotional ghost. It was terrifying.
"Bee in your bonnet? Cat got your tongue? Oh what other fun little euphemisms are there to use that you love so much little writing ghost?"
Writer jumped at the familiar, twisting cadence. He whirled around, eyes darting, but no one emerged partway through the shadows. Snickering echoed all around him.
"Oh please my little child no need to fear me…."
"Shadow…" Ghost Writer breathed out, still looking around the room. "What…why are you here?"
"Can't I watch the fun?"
"…fun?"
Sharp giggling filled the room.
"Oh my little writing ghost look at you! All grown up now, isn't it cute~?"
Ghost Writer swallowed, on edge. This shadowed ghost always put him on edge.
"And my oh my would you look at that? Seems someone has a crush~ Pity he doesn't like to be touched, hmm?"
"Why are you rhyming?"
"I thought you liked a little rhyme," the shadows snicker-hissed.
Ghost Writer shuddered.
"But…I suppose this game must end…"
The room dimmed, darkening steadily as Shadow's lilting, shifting voice lowered with a bit of sadness. Ghost Writer turned, clutching his book tightly. He swore for a minute that he saw swirling green eyes.
"…after all I've come to collect what you owe."
"What I owe?"
Pearly white teeth flashed for the barest of seconds.
"Oh yes…what you owe…."
Ghost Writer grimaced.
A price for saving Clockwork….
"….I need you to do something for me, okay?"
The world plunged black.
From the living room of the Fenton's home Danielle Phantom dozed against her father Danny Phantom. She shifted in her sleep, mumbling a bit under her breath. Not even the reemergence of Clockwork into the room, or the hushed and sharp tones spoken between him and Danny woke her up.
Although in the shadows of the Fenton home swirling green eyes narrowed lightly on little Danielle's form. A slight grin tilted at shadowed lips as eyes curled up in almost amusement. Slinking and slithering around the twin brothers peripheral a tiny sliver of a shadow sneaked its way onto Danielle and vanished.
The shadowed face disappeared.
She was confused. Confused and scared and a whole bunch of other things. Mostly confused, though. The world was a strange static-y grey and black, twitching like a bad television set.
She didn't really know what that was but it's what came to mind.
Her Uncle Writer was there although he was tossing book after book off of the shelves they were on, skimming titles and text before declaring it junk or unneeded. He looked frantic, scared.
That scared her most, seeing Uncle Writer so frightened.
"Grah! Fucking Pa… damn it! Where the … is … Cremet…ium?"
She huddled in a corner, unseen, eyes wide. The shadows of the room—library, she thought, it's Uncle Writers library—twisted and turned and as if held by them a book floated up, tauntingly, before Uncle Writer.
"Looking…this?" someone chuckled. Danielle could make out eyes and teeth wrapped beneath the shadows, just barely. Uncle Writer whirled around and lunged for the book.
It floated back.
"Uh uh uh…want the book must…deal for it," the shadow continued teasing.
"I don't have…games you…understand me?" Uncle Writer snapped. "Clock…dying!"
Danielle whimpered softly. She didn't want to remember her Uncle Clock's near brush with death and she didn't doubt that this was what Uncle Writer was talking about.
The book stilled its taunting swing as the shadows reared up and hissed, "Don't think…know that foolish…ing ghost? Take…and save him!"
Uncle Writer snarled, his hands sparking pink in color. She recognized it, a bit, as his quantum abilities. Pink was the color of his still damaged keyboard, right? After a second the sparking faded out entirely and Uncle Writer sighed, turning his head away. Broken he muttered, "Fine."
The book was tossed at him, the shadows vanished, and Uncle Writer left.
She sat in the corner, whimpering slightly, wondering if this was the end of this weird place or not. So caught in her own confusion she hardly noticed the soft pitter-patter footfalls until a pair of lavender booted feet settled down just before her.
Hesitant she raised her gaze, wide eyes trailing up the form before her, amazed at the color in a colorless world. The pants – or were they tights? – were a monochromatic black. She felt her cheeks heat slightly and quickly pulled her gaze up past his waist.
They hugged this beings equipment rather well, after all.
He was obviously well muscled, if judging by his lavender shirt which, if she was seeing correctly settled over a tighter sea-green long sleeved shirt. He had on lavender gloves too and some weird half-cape thing. Well…it looked like a cape and a mixture of those strange coat-tails Danny and Harry wore. Dress robes, she thought her Uncle Harry said they were called? Well whatever it was this being's cape resembled it, in part.
Her gazed dashed up his neckline, taking in the blue-tinted skin (a ghost, she figured now, nothing else really had that shade of blue skin) an almost wide and wry grinning mouth was settled on his face. His nose was small-ish, his eyes wide and his pupils a swirling green. A thin, yet long, red glowing scar trailed down the right side of his face. His hair was black and curled up in a mess of strange half-flames, the rest falling down gently like normal bangs.
One of his ears was long and pointed, settling up through his hair. Three earrings were settled into that ear. His left ear almost looked as if someone had taken a big bite out of it nearer to its base and then tore off the pointed, elongated tip. Two studs with a connecting wire settled between the serrated points.
He knelt down, staring at her, tilting his head slightly as if amazed by her. Like she was something special, different, new.
His wry grin morphed into a wide, amused smile.
He spoke, "Now aren't you an interesting little thing…." His lilting, oddly ever changing voice was a bit familiar but she couldn't place where she'd heard it before. He reached out a hand and poked her on the forehead, chuckling.
"I've got my eye on you, little clone Phantom…."
When Cedric stepped off of the basement stairs, heels clacking on the linoleum of the kitchen floor and fingers wrapped in his pleated skirts, Clockwork could feel him. When the ghost, wrapped in the blacks and whites of the maid's uniform, strolled purposefully into the living room, blue eyes glancing around Clockwork was already on his feet, fingers tightening around Danny's shoulder.
The green eyed teen glanced up, confused, as Clockwork and Cedric had a sort of strange stare-down. Then Cedric stepped forward and bowed, low at the waist.
"Master Clockwork," he murmured. "Young Master Phantom," he added with a slight incline of his head.
"Maid," Clockwork greeted coolly, fingers digging into Danny's shoulder. "You are here about the current situation?"
Cedric bowed his head lightly in acknowledgement.
"I have been told to suggest that Young Master Phantom and Young Mistress Phantom should seek solace in the Zone's Timeless Lands," Cedric uttered. "At least until all preparations are set up, Master."
Clockwork frowned and murmured, "Randal?"
"Yes Master."
The teen nodded his head in response, glancing down at Danny who was frowning, confused.
"Clock?"
Red eyes slid closed beneath pale blue lids as Clockwork sighed. He ruffled Danny's hair with a slight smile.
"I think Randy's suggestion is a good one, twinny," he murmured. "Just head towards the Clock Tower; Randy's liar will be the one just past that invisible line. You've seen it before…."
Danny's eyes narrowed, "But I—"
"Twinn, no." The teens mouth clicked shut. "It's only for a few hours. I'll come get you the minute everything is settled. I swear, okay? Please…just take Danielle and go."
Danny closed his eyes and nodded. One white glove wrapped around Danielle's shoulder and shook, gently. He murmured softly into the sleeping girls ear as she shifted, slowly waking. Blearily green eyes blinked open, and for the briefest moments they swirled unnaturally. No one noticed.
"Daddy?"
"Come on…Uncle Clock is sending us on a small vacation," Danny murmured, helping Danielle up.
Danielle yawned, "Where to?"
"We're going to see Uncle Writer's little brother," Danny continued. Clockwork watched as he led the little girl down into the basement. Silently both he and Cedric followed.
"Who is Uncle Writer's little brother?" Danielle asked, looking up at Danny in curiosity.
"Well…I've never met him either, Danielle," Danny stated. "It'll be an adventure."
"Danny." The teen turned to look at Clockwork, ignoring the pair of Ghost Hunters in the lab, watching the entourage. "Keep safe."
Danny nodded slowly.
"Remember, you've seen Randy's lair," Clockwork continued softly. "It's the Observants Tower. Stay there until I get you."
"Of course," Danny replied. "We'll be fine." He smiled happily.
Clockwork almost smiled in response, worry coursing through him. The Observants were in that tower too, and last time they wanted Danny dead. Hopefully Randy could keep the teen safe. He nodded to Cedric who raised his hands, a pair of closed tessen clasped between his fingers. With a flick of either wrist the fans snapped out and open.
A blue, swirling vortex came to life where the currently offline ghost portal was. Danny and Danielle stepped through.
The portal snapped shut and Clockwork sighed.
Time to prepare.
Right, end of this chapter :D Yes, it was fairly long. And yes…Shadow took over. He got punished for those stunts.
Spent a day stuck in his women form, Shadow did. Silly Shadow should know not to do such things. Granted apparently I have to punish him some more for some other things…and Clockwork's demanding a harem for that incident.
Believe me when I say that's…turning out to be interesting O_o Like…really interesting. As in…Ring of Rage = cockring interesting.
Shadow's shaking his fist at me now. I should probably go. I was debating for a while of making Danielle Shadow's love interest but now…? Nope. That's not what's gonna happen with her. She's got another role instead.
Poor Shadow, so unloved….