FRIDAY 10 AM

Danny fidgeted with the cape in his hands. He held the emblem to the light, watching it scatter across the surface. It weighed heavily in his hands.

He'd had to let go of Sam at one point, she needed to get dressed and so did Danny. She was reluctant to leave when they hadn't talked about what had bothered Danny, but he assured her he could last until after the ceremony without her. And to be honest, he wasn't quite sure either. But whatever it was had come tumbling out of him.

The rest of the ensemble had already been assembled. He wore a pair of slightly poofy black pants, which disappeared into turquoise heeled boots. Across his torso was a dark seafoam tunic with white trim, and the icy armor that Frostbite had gifted him. It radiated cold, something Danny quite enjoyed.

Danny debated just not wearing the cloak. It'd change Clockwork's remonition, so that'd be a big plus. But he'd gotten so used to wearing various capes and cloaks over the past week that he would feel naked without it. Maybe a different cloak, then? But this one had been made especially for him. He couldn't just pass it up, could he? Danny was at an impasse.

"Let me help with that," Said the spirit of time. Danny started, whipping around and blasts charging in his closed fists without a second thought.

Clockwork floated in open air behind him, a bemused look on their face. Danny glared at him. The spirit simply took the cloak from Danny's hands and bade him to turn back around. Danny looked uneasily at his and Clockwork's reflections.

"This day does not need to be a turning point. It is more than a tragedy." Clockwork said. He undid the clasp and set the cloak on Danny's shoulders. The fabric hung heavily upon him, but it was a comforting weight. Danny was practically drowning in the furry hood. His hair, which had been pulled back into a low ponytail, disappeared into the fluff. He felt strange looking at his reflection. Danny thought he looked like a child playing dress-up. That's certainly what it felt like.

"You'll be a grand King, Danny." Said Clockwork with a small smile. They looked wistful. Danny took a grounding breath.

"I think that's the first time you actually said my name." Danny looked in the mirror, catching his gaze.

"A final kindness." They replied. Danny didn't like that word, 'final.' It felt like a bad omen. Danny thought of something to say as the moment dragged on. Clockwork made the first move.

Time warped, and Danny now stood before a grand set of doors. Damn it, Clockwork. He hated when they did that.

Time to face the music.

FRIDAY 11 AM

Core buzzing. Nerves buzzing. The crowd was buzzing. Everything was buzzing. Part of Danny wished everything would just stop. (Everything but his heartbeat, that was).

A faint sheen manifested ahead of the doors and they swung open. Danny's breath stopped in his lungs as he caught sight of the crowd. Ghosts of all types, some known and some not. The throne room seemed almost larger than it had the last time he saw it. It had to be, to fit the sheer number of people in the room. There were a few rows of seats, but most either stood at the edges or floated high in the air. Up at the very top, near the ceiling, were a bunch of blobs. They zoomed around happily, and because of their sheer numbers then cast light across the room.

Danny realized he had been standing there for a while, and that it was almost bordering on an awkwardly long time. Social convention spurred him forward. Danny walked across the room. His footsteps echoed in the cavernous room, despite it being filled with bodies.

Clockwork floated next to the thrones. Thrones?

There were three, now, where before there had only been one. That one was still there, in the middle. It was taller than the other two. Their occupants were both expected and unexpected at the same time.

On either side, Sam and Tucker stood in front of the small thrones. They were both watching him, and shooting him smiles. How had they even organized this? Did they go to Dora? Briar?

Regardless, Danny straightened his back and held his head high. He couldn't be getting distracted. It was so important to show that he could do this right- that he was strong, reliable. That he was powerful. He had to earn the respect of every ghost in the room.

Danny reached the throne. He walked up a step, then kneeled before the throne. He looked down at the rug, which had trailed through the middle of the room from the door. It was dark blue, studded with stars. He was glad no one could see his face.

Clockwork cleared their throat.

"It is on this day, the third of June, that the Council of Ancients declares Daniel Janus James Fenton-Phantom their rightful successor." There was silence. Danny's full, living name rang out in the room for all to hear.

"He bears a core of ice, and holds allied relations with the people of both the Far Frozen and Mattingly."

Clockwork's added more softly,

"This marks a new advent, the first halfa to be crowned."

With that whispers finally spread through the crowd. Though they were quiet, contained. Danny could feel their eyes upon him.

"The responsibilities of the King are simple. To guide the Core, and keep the very fabric of our world from unraveling beneath our feet. It is no light task, and bears a heavy weight to any who shall wield it." Clockwork continued, right on script.

"As with all previous monarchs, the time has come for a truth." Uh... what? Danny almost looked up at CW in his confusion, but kept his head down.

"As many know, I wield the power of mastery over Time. I see the past, the future, and everything within the realm of seconds. I see the infinite in any direction, and each branching path the stream may pass. I watch over time as though it were a parade, and from time to time I find myself guiding it along a different path. What can and cannot, they are all visible before me." They paused, as though to let the statement sink in.

"If Daniel is not shunted for his halfa status, he will become the greatest king yet. There is not a single being which has not suffered under the vestiges of Pariah's reign, and if given the chance Daniel will be able to right the wrongs left behind by those before him. There is a chance for peace, but only if he is first given the chance to rule as he sees fit." Said Clockwork. Danny was shocked. Clockwork wasn't one to simply state the future in such a way. He always played his riddles, used fancy words and danced around the subject. It was… unnatural.

"Daniel Phantom, what do you pledge?" Asked CW. Back to what had been practiced. Danny licked his lips nervously.

"I pledge peace. I aim to restore the Realms to their forgotten state. I shall do all in my power to maintain a just order, and to guarantee the best possible afterlives for all I reign for." A shuddering breath.

"Until my own core may fade." Danny finished with an air of finality. This was it. Everything til now had just been ceremony, but with his promise he had sealed his own fate. But it was what was right, and just. It was as it had always been meant to be. Even if it stung.

The room held its breath as Clockwork removed the ring and crown from their case. Danny stood. He was on a lower step than Clockwork, and thus only met their waist in height. It made him feel smaller than he had when kneeling, if possible. He felt minuscule next to such an important and powerful person. Unworthy.

Danny held out his right hand, which Clockwork took in his own. The ring slid comfortably onto Danny's right thumb. It was as though it had been made just for him. Danny was distinctly aware of his body but felt no change. He'd expected something, but felt no effects. It felt anticlimactic. But Clockwork was pulling out the crown next.

With the crown untethered and in such close proximity Danny could feel the raw power radiating off of it. It was intoxicating. He felt drawn to it. It was through sheer power of will that he stayed rooted to the spot. A bolt of anxiety ran through his chest. His conscious self wanted to run. To get away from the thing affecting him. But at the same time he was rooted to the spot. His human and ghost selves each drew him in opposite directions, which just left him frozen. Like a deer in the headlights. Danny's right hand lowered to his side and he stared dully at the base of the throne. It felt like his throat was closing up.

Clockwork reached out, sliding a gloved hand under Danny's chin to raise his head. If they noticed Danny's distress, they didn't indicate it. Or at least, Danny didn't see.

As Clockwork placed the crown upon his head, everything… shifted. Hazy, out of focus. For a horrible moment Danny's entire world was bathed in green. He held his breath, hoping for the moment to pass. And pass it did, though it sure took its sweet time doing so.

Some of the green faded, some remained. What caught Danny's attention first was the haze of a green aura around himself. It was not very different from his normal glow. Though this sheen was brighter at his core. So bright in fact that it hurt his eyes to look at it. His head swam as he tried to comprehend the strings that seemed to dance through the air around him.

"From this day, the artifacts shall be known as the Crown of Ice, and Ring of Justice." Clockwork spoke with a tone of authority. The room erupted in cheers and a stampede of applause.

Until Danny collapsed, that is.