Waking up without an alarm is such a nice feeling. Having the freedom of finishing your sleep truly is incomparable.
It was Saturday! No school!
Sure, school started not that long ago, but still.
Sleeping in. 'Nuff said.
Danny woke up somewhere around 9 AM, got ready for the day and went downstairs.
He ate breakfast and began to think of what to do.
The teen doesn't really have plans for today. That means the half-ghost can visit a certain time ghost for more details.
Informing his parents while walking towards the portal, the boy received requests to "be careful" and "come back safe".
With a quick flash of light and jumping in the swirling green abyss, Phantom arrived in the Ghost Zone, also known as the Infinite Realms.
The flight wasn't that long and in no time, he was in front of the lair of the time ghost
The doors opened like they were welcoming an old friend and in a way, they did.
"Daniel. Welcome. Did you inform all your family and friends?" Clockwork stood in the middle of the room, time screens or whatever the hell they're called playing in the background.
Voices were everywhere, yet nowhere. It was silent, yet too too many were speaking at the same time. The sounds of war, of happiness, of sorrow surrounding the blue ghost.
Time.
Such a complicated concept. The half-ghost watched a lot of movies pertaining to time travel, Back To The Future being one of them.
Humans theorized and imagined and created and they are no closer to finding the key to time travel.
Yet here he stands, in front of the Master of Time, Clockwork.
"You already know the answer to that, Stopwatch. So, can I ask a few questions about the King stuff?" Smiling, Phantom sat on a chair in front of a table, both of which are floating a few inches from the floor.
Father Time joined him, chuckling and pouring some green tea which glowed slightly, reminding the white-haired teen of his mother's cooking.
Danny prays it doesn't taste the same.
"Indeed. And you do have the capacity to ask me questions. We'll see about answers, though," winking, the now-child picks up his tea cup and takes a sip.
"Ha ha. Who knew you had a sense of humor?" The teenager tastes the tea and hums in contentment.
"I guess your visits are rubbing off on me," the red-eyed ghost places the cup in the saucer and looks across from him, waiting for his apprentice's questions.
"Ok, so I get why I'm supposedly King, but why now? And about this coronation, does this mean I'm like a Prince now? What did you mean about the "everything and everyone will die if you don't take the throne" since, as I gathered, I'm already King?" The rapid fire questions didn't deter the all-knowing being.
"In order, there are multiple timelines, a few where someone else becomes King/Queen, a few where Pariah wins and the world is thrown in complete chaos, a few where you never find out that you are ghostly royalty, even where you never enter that portal, but someone else does.
"The ones where someone else enters the portal, for example your friends, Sam and Tucker, they die. You have been exposed to ectoplasm your whole life and your body was already slightly contaminated with ectoplasm.
"Your sister, for example, did survive the accident in a timeline. She became the Phantom in your place. But Jasmine was not like you and you are not like her. Although she fought smarter, you fight stronger. Your sibiling didn't take that many risks and in the end, against Pariah, she suffered greatly and the tyrant won.
"The old king was ruthless, driven mad by power. He paved the path towards catastrophe. And you, young Phantom, stopped him," Clockwork paused to sip tea while his young protégé stared at him in wonder, probably at the fact that he was willingly offering so much information.
The ghost continued his explanation.
"Now there are timelines where you are told earlier about your role or you are never told.
"If you were informed earlier, say, right after your battle, things would not have went well. You still did not know much about your abilities, your life was barely hanging together. Your parents still hunted you. Your friend, Valerie, was still your enemy," Danny looked in the glowing green of his tea, thinking back to times where life felt like it was a constant battle.
Against his family, friends, hell! Even himself, with his developing powers and core.
Ha, simpler times when he still believed his core was just an ice core.
"In a timeline where you were informed shortly after your battle with the alternate future fusion of your ghost half and Vladimir's, you were too afraid of more power, too scared to hold the throne, to have sway over armies. It... didn't end well for everyone involved.
"You, however, dealt with growing more powerful with time and accepted the fact that you are not, in fact, Dan or Dark Danny. He was a possibility, one of many. And you learned. You grew. I am proud of you," the smile on the adult looking ghost- sorry, old looking ghost was genuine and full of warmth, which was unusual for the stoic ghost.
Well, the fact that he's divulging so many things at the same time is also unusual, so he's not complaining.
Danny offered a smile in return. Clockwork cared for Danny and Danny cared for Clockwork. His mentor helped him a lot over the years.
"If I never told you about your role, everything would mostly be fine, except the ghosts' in-fighting would grow with time with no leader. Eventually, the destruction of the Infinite Realms happens, piece by piece chipped away until... The End. You would think the Infinite Realms are infinite, and it is, but the ghosts, the citizens of this world, would fade. And with it, their home," a faraway look crossed the blue ghost for a brief moment.
"Won't the flip-side, earth, go along with it? How do I stop that?" The thought of the end of the world as he knows it is not pleasant.
"You won't have to worry about that. That happens across more than one millennia. In the timeline where you were never informed," the elder gets a thoughtful look on his child-like face before he straightens and continues his tales.
"At this time, it is the most beneficial action to bring forth this information and help you towards a brighter future."
Danny looks at his finished cup of tea and, yeah, okay, it makes sense.
"More tea?" Holding up the tea pot, Clockwork fills up his companion's cup after his nod, as well as his own.
"I apologize in advance for my falsehood when I informed you of your role, but the Ghost Zone will not get destroyed if you do not have a coronation-"
"I'm sorry, what-"
"-and that in the eyes of the Zone, you already are King, but for the citizens, you are still a Prince who has not accepted his right yet."
Ah, the expression on the boy's face is priceless, Clockwork smirks behind his cup.
"By having a reason not to refuse the throne immediately, you thought over the implications and now you have more of a clear head and the answer isn't just a definite 'no'."
"I never want to lie to you again, but for a better outcome, this was necessary. I hope that with me being open with answers to your questions, I redeem myself in your eyes," the determination was also unusual in the Time Master.
Danny did feel like he was taken advantage of, but this was Clockwork.
"Alright, that makes sense. So, let's say I go to the coronation- when is it, by the way?- and what's next? Do I have some... responsibility towards ghosts or something? What in Ancients is next?" He looked at the red-eyed ghost, sipping his tea.
"The coronation should take place as soon as possible. I recommend next Saturday. It does seem soon, but everything will be fine. The sooner, the better. And after your coronation, you will be the ruler of the Infinite Realms. Your responsibility will be to protect your subjects. To guide them.
"To make you feel better, the ghosts have been independent entities for a long time now. You won't have to become a full-ghost for the throne. Your life won't change much at the start. Although, some lessons are in order," said Clockwork, amused.
"...lessons?"
A/N: I'm alive! Well, I am sorry for the long wait. Excuses coming right up!When I started this story, I wasn't fully motivated. Just curious, more than anything. See, I've been in this phandom for more than 3 years and my most dedicated phase was in the first year. Now, I read some fics when I'm in the mood, stay in touch with the fandom, look at some art and what-not. I'm not as in the phandom as I was.But still, one day I wanted to write my own version of Ghost King!Danny. And another day, I posted that little chapter. I continued it from there, things I had in my head but never put down. This is my first official fanfic. I wanted it to be good, but I'm writing on fumes. During this break, I was thinking of abandoning this, but it didn't sit right with me. I don't want to abandon my first story. So, I decided to continue it. I will write new chapters and I will write an ending. This fic will remain simple. No ships, no big fight. I don't have enough patience for that.But I will finish this.The updates might take more time, might take less time. Depends on how motivated I am. And how much time real life will take from me. Apologies in advance.I am grateful to every Follower, every person that Favorited this fic and the peeps that comment? Honestly, you make my day!Everyone, please be safe with COVID-19 and I wish all of you a great day!