Reviews:
Alder Hill: I honestly agree with you. I don't think it fits and you're right, Octavia probably wouldn't be okay with it, but a lot of people seem to want it. That being said, in the unlikely event that I did do it, it would be pretty damn small, like two or three girls at most. That way I could actually give them all proper development.
BoredKing: Yeah, that's one of my biggest concerns with the whole idea.
Akakiru: You didn't know there was a vote? I thought I had made that pretty clear in previous chapters... I'll put a note at the end of the chapter to make it even more clear.
Clockwork was in his lair monitoring the flow of time as was his duty. He saw everything that had happened, was happening, and would or could happen in every realm and every possible timeline all at once. On Earth he saw individual families living happily or not so happily, politicians scheming behind closed doors, wars being fought, and the establishment of a new sub branch of the Guys in White called "D.H.O.R.K.S." which was being formed to deal with demonic activity on Earth detected by the main organization.
The Guys in White wanted to keep their focus strictly on ghostly activity so this new organization was deemed a necessity now that they knew demons existed as well and were different from ghosts. Unfortunately the organization would have a fairly rough start as no one but the higher ups in the Guys in White would believe them and thus they would have less funding than the main organization. That would be until they would eventually capture two imps who, along with another Imp and a Hellhound, would use Stolas' book to assassinate individuals on Earth. Their capture of these imps would lead to them getting video footage of all four demons and later Stolas himself, thus giving them sufficient evidence that they would start being taken just as seriously as the Guys in White. Then they would be broken off from the Guy's in White command structure entirely and would operate as their own equally funded organization with just as much government authority.
In Heaven he saw angels guarding the Crown of Fire and Ring of Rage, Vlad Plasmius' ill fated invasion as he attempted to reclaim the crown and ring, and god himself watching all of it just as he was without intervening or even so much as offering guidance to the angels having isolated himself after Lucifer's rebellion. Clockwork disagreed with this. In his opinion, the creator never should have cut himself off. He saw timelines where the creator still intervened and they were almost all better than the current timeline in his opinion. But it wasn't his place to question god. His job was to protect the timeline, nothing more.
In Hell he saw demons beating, raping, murdering, and cannibalizing each other, sometimes all at once, while others were just trying to live their lives like any human on Earth, and he saw Danny and Octavia speaking to Frostbite. The leader of the Far Frozen offered to help the boy leave Hell using the Infi-map. Danny refused on the grounds that he wasn't old enough to rule over the Ghost Zone and even if he agreed Clockwork would intervene and take the Infi-map. He wasn't exactly wrong, Clockwork couldn't allow him to leave Hell just yet. But his sentence to Hell was never meant to be permanent, though Clockwork had tried to make it seem like it was for the Observants. In fact, the boy would eventually develop the power to create portals to the Ghost Zone at will just as his evil alternate self had and thus it would become impossible for Clockwork to keep him contained in Hell forever. But the boy would indeed stay there for quite awhile so the timeline Clockwork had in mind would come to fruition.
In the Ghost Zone he saw the Avatar of Nature approaching his lair. The mother of both Vortex and Undergrowth, two ghosts Danny would have encountered in Amity Park in one possible timeline had Clockwork done things slightly differently. Those weren't her only children, of course, but they were just the first that came to Clockwork's mind at the time. And he foresaw all of the infinite possible paths that his conversation with her could take. He chose one to set one in particular into motion as it suited his plans for the future the best.
"Hello, Natura." He said as she phased through a wall into his lair, causing vines and flowers to start growing on the wall she passed through. Turning around he looked at her.
Natura, the Avatar of Nature, was wearing clothes made of still living grass, leaves, seaweed, and vines with flowers blooming all over it. Her skin was the same green color of chlorophyll rather than the ghostly green of ecto-energy. Her hair looked like gray clouds, indicating her mood. When she was happy or neutral it would be white and fluffy like normal clouds, when she was angry it would turn black and start emitting electricity like storm clouds, and when she was sad it would be gray and emit sprinkles of water like rain clouds. And her eyes shone like two miniature suns, but could turn color and start emitting radiation to look and behave like other stars, up to and including emitting intense gamma ray bursts that could destroy an entire major city in an instant or even becoming like black holes and sucking in all forms of matter or light depending on what she desired. She carried a staff in her hand made of wood but with a crystal ball at the end filled with what looked like a miniaturized version of the ocean complete with tiny waves. She was truly the embodiment of nature in all its forms from the biological, to the meteorological, to the cosmological and was just as temperamental.
Right now her hair was gray but was on the verge of turning black. So she was upset but not quite to the point of turning truly angry just yet. She was glaring at him disapprovingly.
"Hello Clockwork… I assume you are aware that Heaven has been waging an active war here in Purgatory and has stolen the Crown of Fire and Ring of Rage." She said in a cold tone.
"Obviously, though it wasn't a war so much as it was a single large battle. And another battle is being fought in Heaven as we speak as Vlad Plasmius and his army tries to reclaim what was stolen. And as you know, I can see every possible path this battle could take. In one Plasmius reclaims the Crown of Fire and Ring of Rage, thus triggering an all out war with Heaven and the start of armageddon. In another Plasmius dies and all of his knights are imprisoned thus resulting in Daniel Fenton's death and ultimate destruction as Heaven sends another assassin to kill him and destroy him once he became part demon. In this timeline Plasmius will survive but he won't claim the Crown of Fire or Ring of Rage, however his ecto-acne will return as a result of him being so heavily weakened by spending too long in the armor he is currently wearing. But you know I can't tell you what's going to happen next because I know you would probably do something to try to change the outcome." Clockwork explained.
"I will admit I don't have nearly the same perspective as you or even your sister Kosm. I can't see all of space or time. However, I have been paying attention to what has been happening in my own way. Be it through plants or the eyes and ears of insects. And I think things are going too far. From what I have seen, a new war between the realms seems inevitable. We need to do something, and honestly I'm on the Phantom's side at this point. I have seen through the natural insects that inhabit Hell that he is trying his best to not become the monster you and the Observants saw in the future. And based on what I've seen I can't imagine he will." Natura said, continuing to give Clockwork a disapproving glare.
"No. Interfering now would be absolutely disastrous. I know why you're here, Natura. You wanted to make sure that you wouldn't be causing the apocalypse if we interfered. Well, I'm telling you now, we would be." Clockwork stated. He sighed and shook his head. "But I know you are going to do something anyway. So, let me offer you a suggestion. The Phantom's life is going to be in grave danger come the end of the year. However, he will eventually become as powerful as any of the three kings even without the Crown of Fire or Ring of Rage and is thus fully capable of learning just about any ghostly abilities that exist. And that includes ours. So if you want to help him, wait a few days then go to Hell and start teaching him how to use some of your abilities. However, there is one thing you should know before you go do so."
"And that is?" Natura inquired impatiently.
"He won't be able to learn how to use most of what you can do to begin with. However his core is extremely adaptable. All he needs to do is absorb some of your ecto energy signature over a period of time before his core fully adapts and he gains the abilities permanently. This can be done through something as simple as having him create a barrier of ecto-energy then striking it with some lightning. And he is more in tune with technology than nature so he will have a lot more trouble with plants. Also your cosmological abilities such as your gamma ray bursts are too dangerous and would outright kill him in his current state. Thus I would recommend starting with weather based abilities first. And it will take quite a bit of time before he can truly master what you have to teach him. However, what he learns could very well save his life at the end of the year."
(Danny)
Vlad's ecto acne had returned. Danny had checked on him the day after Fright Knight had brought him back from their invasion of Heaven and his face was covered in horrible acne and he was still unconscious. So Danny had done the only thing he could think of and hired a nurse to take care of him and keep him alive until he recovered. If he ever recovered.
In the meantime he started taking apart the broken remains of the ecto-skeleton and tried to learn how it worked so he could fix it. Of course this was no simple matter as it was quite possibly one of if not the most advanced and powerful piece of technology his parents had ever created.
It was the evening and Danny was working on figuring out the Ecto-Skeleton when his ghost sense went off. He had trained his ghost sense not to go off in the presence of ghosts he was around frequently such as Cujo, Vlad, or the knights that were guarding him so he knew it was someone else.
Stepping away from the ecto-skeleton he grabbed his exterminator sword off the table and tore it from its sheath. Seeing him do this, the three knights who were currently guarding him all drew their own weapons. "An assassin, my prince?" One of the knights who was wielding a spear inquired.
"Maybe. I don't know yet. Be on guard but don't attack unless we're attacked first." Danny stated.
Suddenly plants seemed to appear from nowhere and start growing across the walls and floor. The perfumy scent of blooming flowers started to fill the room. Danny found this extremely unsettling as the plants did not look even remotely native to Hell.
Moments later a female ghost floated through the wall and into the room.
"Natura…" Growled one of the knights. "Are you here to kill the prince for Heaven and overthrow the new King as you and the other traitors did to Lord Pariah?"
She frowned at the Knight. "Hardly. If I was, then they would both already be dead. No, I'm here because I wanted to meet the boy. I have heard a lot about you, Danny." Natura said, giving Danny a friendly smile.
"You're one of the ancient ghosts who overthrew Pariah Dark originally?" Danny asked, setting his sword back down.
"Yes. There was me, Clockwork, Kosm, and three others. But he really left us no choice. We tried to give him a chance to stop what he was doing, but he refused, the arrogant fool. I'm actually the one who came up with the idea of the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep to keep him imprisoned for eternity. But enough about Pariah and my role in his original downfall. I know about your current situation and, unlike Clockwork, I want to help you." Natura offered.
"Why?" Danny asked suspiciously. "Why would you want to help me? What do you gain from this? Or more importantly, what do I lose? Sorry, but given my experience with Clockwork I'm not really inclined to believe any of you would genuinely want to help me."
"First, let's establish something. I am not Clockwork. I disagree with a lot that he has done, I think this entire situation could have been handled better, and because of the way it's been handled things are starting to get out of hand. And I'm aware of the gist of what you went through. I am sympathetic towards your situation. So I will admit I have been watching you and I know you don't want to become like the version of you that caused the apocalypse. Thus I want to help because I genuinely feel sorry for you. And because I think Heaven is going way too far and is at risk of causing the apocalypse themselves if things continue on the way they have been." Natura explained.
Danny still didn't trust her, but he sighed and said, "Fine. So how is it you plan on helping me exactly?"
"By teaching you." Natura stated.
"Teaching me? How? I already have the knights teaching me how to use my ghost powers and how to fight." Danny stated, motioning to the three knights behind him, all of whom were glaring at Natura.
"Perhaps, but I can teach you how to use abilities that they are incapable of using or teaching you how to use. For example, manipulating the weather. That would just be the first thing as I believe it would be the easiest form of nature for you to learn how to control. I believe you would have a harder time with plants considering your affinity for technology." She motioned to the Ecto-Skeleton. "And creating what are effectively much smaller scale cosmological events such as solar flares or gamma ray bursts is beyond you at the moment. But I intend to teach you those eventually as well, just not yet. So would you like to start learning?"
"Like, right now? Uh… Sure, I guess. Just give me a few minutes to put my tools away." Danny requested.
Alright, since some people apparently had no idea there was a vote taking place for who would win between Vlad and Lucifer. There IS a vote taking place, though the poll itself has been taken down because I thought the gap between who wanted Lucifer to win or lose was too large. The vote now stands at 4 votes for Vlad winning, 5 votes for Lucifer winning, and 6 votes for neither of them winning (I.E. Danny using the ecto-skeleton to win.) Adding together Vlad and Danny's votes, that's 10 votes against Lucifer winning. So if you want a different outcome, just leave a review or P.M. me.
Since I took the last poll down there is now a poll up for Danny getting a harem. So, go ahead and vote.
Now, in the new poll I said I'd explain my idea for the harem. Well, the rough idea is that at some point Heaven decides they can't kill Danny so instead they try to force him into a political marriage to ensure peace between the Ghost Zone and Heaven. So that's basically just two girls but I suppose political crap could force him to get a ghost wife as well so a "true" ghost instead of a half angel or demon can inherit the throne if something ever happens to him. That's three. And that would pretty much be it. He would be against it at first but would slowly come around to the other two girls through story development. That's pretty much my entire plan right now.
Also, uh... I think I might need ideas for the last two ancient ghosts who helped seal Pariah Dark away. There's Clockwork, the ghost of Time, Kosm, the ghost of Space, Natura, the ghost of Nature, and maybe a ghost of technology? I have no idea about the last two. I was thinking a sort of Grim Reaper like being but there's already an angel of death so that won't work... Also, the six ghosts who sealed away Pariah are like the other six members of the seven deadly princes, excluding Lucifer who is Pariah Dark's equivalent.