The rain had finally come to a stop as dawn came. At first, everything seemed peaceful and quiet…..until it was broken by the sound of Lionel shouting at the top of his lungs, "CHARGE!"
On his horse and in armour came Dash charging down the castle training ground. In one hand was his shield and in the other was his lance. Danny was turning the wheel on the dummy knight, making it look like it was moving.
"LEAN FORWARD! KEEP YOUR LANCE STEADY! STEADY I SAY!" Lionel kept shouting as Dash was clumsily holding his lance and shield.
Dash charged faster and closer until he completely missed his target and the lance of the dummy knight, hit him right in the chest and sent him flying right off his horse. Lionel groaned and slapped his face in agitation.
Dash flew in the air and crashed right at the bottom of the tower were Clockwork and Jason were currently residing. Lionel shouted as the tower shook a bit, "HEADS UP!"
The shaking of the run down old tower was enough to wake Clockwork and Jason. Clockwork however seemed to still be half asleep.
"Jason? J-Jason, where are we?" Clockwork asked tiredly.
"In a tumbled down old tower….." Jason began to answer as he climbed out his fallen birdhouse. "In the most miserable old castle in all of Christendom that's where!"
"Castle? What castle? What are you talking about?" Clockwork asked, still half asleep.
"Can't you even remember the boy?" Jason asked in annoyance.
Clockwork was about to answer, but then heard the sound of Lionel shouting, "CAN'T YOU REMEMBER ONE BLASTED THING?!"
Clockwork glared, thinking it was Jason who said that but then stopped when he heard Lionel's voice again, "Tight grip on the lance."
Clockwork climbed out of bed and walked over to the window where Jason had perched himself. They both watched down below as Lionel was helping a bruised up Dash get back on his also bruised up horse.
"Loosen the saddle, knees in tight, weight forward and stay on target." Lionel continued to instruct as he finally managed to get Dash back on his horse. "You keep losing your grip son and that will cost you the tournament."
Dash sat down hard on the saddle, causing the horse to neigh in pain from the impact. The horse snorted in annoyance. Ghostwriter held out Dash's helmet for him and advised to the young knight in training, "It's not a mere matter of muscle son. Jousting is a fine skill for any knight to know. In fact, it's a highly developed science."
Dash said nothing and simply put on his dented helmet. Clockwork chuckled a little bit and then said in annoyance, "Science indeed. One dummy trying to knock off the other dummy with a stick. I hardly call that science at all."
Jason then gestured to Danny who was resetting the training dummy once again for Dash and said, "And it seems Danny is just as hot board as the rest of them."
Clockwork smiled at Danny as he could see was putting everything he had into his work, trying to show Lionel that he definitely had what it took to be Dash's squire for the tournament.
"He certainly is. That boy has got real spark and lots of spirit." Clockwork said. "I mean look at him as he works. He puts his heart and soul in everything he does and that's really worth something. He just needs to be turned in the right direction."
"Fat chance of that." Jason laughed.
"Oh just wait Jason. I do plan to cheat of course." Clockwork said with a smirk. "I plan on using magic. In fact I'll use every last trick of the book if I have to, if it means giving him an education and showing them all what he's worth."
Later that day in the afternoon when Danny had some free time on his hands, he and Clockwork were going for a walk outside the castle walls just near the moat that surrounded the place.
"You know Clockwork, I'd give anything to be a knight. I'd go around slaying dragons and saving people from things like griffins and man eating giants."
Clockwork chuckled at his enthusiasm and asked, "Well, why don't you?"
Danny looked down in disappointment and answered, "That's the thing though. I can't. I'm just an orphan and to become a knight, you have to be of noble birth. I guess I can only hope to be worthy to be Dash's squire. I guess that's an important job too."
Even though Clockwork didn't think being a squire was an important job, he decided to go along with it for now and said to Danny, "Oh, indeed, yes, yes. I would say almost impossible. Well, now then. When I said that I could swim like a fish… I really meant as a fish."
Danny then asked in amazement, "You mean you can actually turn into a fish? Really?"
"Yes of course! After all I happen to be ghost wizard." Clockwork said with a smile.
He then got an idea and said, "In fact, I can turn you into a fish."
"That'd be amazing!" Danny said with awe.
"Well then, let's get to it then!" Clockwork said and was about to cast the spell, but then stopped as he realised he had forgotten what the spell exactly was that could turn people into fish.
He turned at the tree Jason was sleeping in and poked him with the end of his staff asking, "Jason, what was that fish formula? The one that turns people into fish?"
Jason yawned and glared in annoyance before answering, "Uh let me think….Aquarius Aquaticus Aqualitus."
He then flew over to another tree and laid down with a huff as he grumpily said, "And now if you don't mind, I say good day to the both of you, if you please."
Clockwork whispered to Danny with a smirk, "When he stays out all night, he's always tired and grumpy the next morning."
Danny laughed a little and suggested, "Then he must stay out every night."
Clockwork suddenly burst out laughing from that and said, "That was very good!"
Jason heard that and asked in offence, "Huh? Who? What? What?"
Clockwork cleared his throat and began to tap Danny on the head, slightly hard with the end of his staff as he began to cast the incantation, "Aquarius, Aquaticus, aqualitus, quum. Aqua digi tarium!"
In a flash of light instead of Danny the human, he was now a very small red fish.
"Woah! Am I fish?!" Danny called in shock as he was flapping around.
Clockwork tried to hold onto him, but he kept slipping out of his hands as he said, "Yes you are, but if you don't stop flopping around and get in the water, you won't last long!"
Finally, Clockwork managed to get a good grip on him and held him over the water as he instructed, "Stay right here in this part of the water and I'll be with you in a moment."
He then dropped Danny in the water. Danny couldn't believe it! Here he was, from a halfa to a fish now underwater. He was so excited that he couldn't wait to try out his new fins, however he couldn't seem to quite get the hang of it yet.
He tried to flap one fin at a time, but ended up just going to the side. He then just tried using his side fins, but ended up getting his head stuck in the sand below. Clockwork finally came into the water as a blue and purple fish.
He chuckled as he saw Danny struggling to get himself out of the sand and teased, "So, you thought you could take off like a shark did ya?"
Using his mouth, he grabbed Danny by his tail fin and pulled him out. Danny began to float upwards, past a curious frog as he asked, "Well, I am a fish aren't I?"
"You merely look like a fish, that doesn't mean you can swim like one. You don't have the instinct." Clockwork answered as the frog pushed Danny back down with its webbed foot. "You'll have to use your brain for a change. Right now, you are living two plains now. Somewhere between the ceiling and the floor. There's lots of ups and downs, like a helicopter."
"Helicopter?" Danny asked, really confused.
Clockwork then remembered that it wasn't the 21st Century. Deciding to try a different way of explaining, he just decided to demonstrate as he swan around him using his tail fin, "Every flick of the fin, creates movement."
"Now we'll start with the tail fin." Clockwork said and demonstrated.
Danny concentrated hard and began moving his tail fin very quickly, causing him to bump right into Clockwork. Clockwork chuckled and said, "That will give you the forward thrust. Now let's get a rhythm going."
CLOCKWORK
Right, left
Right, left
Right left
They both slowly swished their tails right and left, moving them forward. Danny began to smile as he was finally getting the idea on how to actually swim like a fish.
One, two, left and right
By day and night
That's what makes the world go round
Danny watched as the frog lazily swam around him in circle. He shook his head and followed his teacher through a log.
In and out
Thin and stout
That's what makes the world go round
For every up, there is a down
They passed by a turtle, who suddenly got scared and hid in his shell.
For every square….
Danny looked at the shape of the turtle's shell and guessed, "There is a round?"
Clockwork smiled and nodded, confirming that Danny had the right idea about where the lesson was going.
For every high….
"There is a low?" Danny then guessed as he went underneath Clockwork.
Clockwork nodded once again and continued his lesson as he swam left and right.
And for every to, there is a fro
To and fro, stop and go
That's what makes the world go round
Danny suddenly saw a water bug sitting on the surface and suddenly felt hungry. He swam up to it and swallowed it whole. His eyes widened in complete shock and he said in disgust, "Clockwork! I swallowed a bug!"
Clockwork merely laughed a little and said as they continued to swim, "Well nothing wrong with that, since you are a fish and it's just instinct."
"But I thought you said I had no instinct." Danny reminded him.
Clockwork stopped and merely said, "Well that's not what I meant, but never mind. Remember…."
Set your sights upon the heights
Don't be a mediocrity
Don't just wait and trust to fate
Danny then practiced swimming in and out of the holes of the chain that connected to the drawbridge of the castle.
And say that's how it's meant to be
It's up to you how far you go
If you don't try, you'll never know
Danny swam until he stopped to a dark small cave that led to a field of tall underwater grass. Clockwork noticed his hesitation and simply smiled at him, showing he would go with him.
And so, my lad as I've explained
Nothing ventured, nothing gained
They both then travelled through and found that the grass was quite ticklish and began laughing hysterically at the sensation. They came out the other side and still couldn't stop laughing. They then swam back and went through the tall grass once more, laughing even louder as it began to tickle them once more.
Danny then continued to swim as he began to memorise Clockwork's lesson.
DANNY
For every to, there is a fro
For every stop, there is a go
And that's what makes the world go round
He suddenly found himself unable to swim further. He looked back and saw the frog was holding onto him by his tail, having some fun with him.
Danny however didn't find it fun and demanded, "Hey! Let go of me!"
The frog did as he was told, sending Danny crashing into a broken olg mug. He swam out of it and shouted at the frog, "You big bug-eyed bully!"
"Now Danny, come on. There's no sense in going around picking fights with bullfrogs. A fish has plenty of problems of their own also." Clockwork began to explain as they continued to swim around the moat. "The water world has its own forests and jungles as well. It has its own version of tigers and wolves…."
As he continued to talk, the three of them were unaware that a pike had begun to follow them. His eyes looked hungrily at its prey as it began to swim a little faster after them.
"Unfortunately, it is nature's way that upon the weak, the strong ones prey. It's also the same for both humans and ghost's life, the strong will always try to conquer over you unless you use your intellect…." Clockwork continued.
The frog noticed the pike and began to swim for its life. Danny turned to see what made the frog so scared and then saw it himself and realised the pike was coming after him. He quickly began to swim and follow behind the frog who hid in one of the holes of the brick wall. Danny quickly hid in there and the pike swam past.
The frog however then pushed Danny out of the whole and the pike had seen him. Danny immediately began to swim off in a fast pace and screamed as they went past Clockwork, "CLOCKWORK! HELP!"
Clockwork then saw what was going on. The pike was just about to eat Danny and he quickly grabbed the pike's tail and pulled it back just as it snapped its jaws at Danny, but missed thanks to the ghost.
Danny swam off with the pike following, it flicked Clockwork off its tail and sent him trapped in an old helmet.
"Uh Clockwork…..any chance of some magical help?!" Danny asked in a panic.
"No! No. You're on your own lad. Now's your chance to prove my point." Clockwork said.
"What point?!" Danny asked, suddenly panicking as the pike came charging at him.
"He's the brawn and you're the brain! You're powers of ecto-blasts and intangibility still work as a fish, so use them to your advantage." Clockwork said to him, but then Danny swam off. "Use your head and outsmart the big brute."
Danny continued to swim at high speed and saw the chain in the water and got an idea. He changed into his ghost form, which now made his fish colours black and white. He stopped and waited, before he turned intangible and phased through the chain, just as the pike closed his jaws at him.
The pike then found its mouth trapped within the gap of the chain. Danny then swam off and hid behind the wooden beam as Clockwork said, "Smart move! That's using your brain."
Danny remained hidden behind the beam as the pike managed to free itself from the chain. The pike then began to swim slowly, keeping its eyes out for Danny. Danny peaked out from behind the beam, not knowing that he revealed himself.
The pike glared and then suddenly, swam off in a different direction. Danny looked down at the bottom of the water floor and saw a broken arrow and picked it up with his mouth. He then swam to the other side of beam and looked to see if he could see the pike, but found it wasn't there.
However when he turned around, the Pike was now floating right in front of him, its eyes staring hungrily at him. Danny almost dropped the arrow in a panic just as the pike was about to attack and eat him.
Danny quickly put the arrow in between its jaws and then blasted it back with an ecto-blast, hitting in right in the face and sending it flying back right into the stone wall.
Clockwork cheered as Danny swam back over to him, "Bravo! Good strategy!"
"Is the lesson over Clockwork?!" Danny asked. "I get it now! Brain over brawn wins!"
The pike snapped the arrow in half and began to chase after Danny once again, while Clockwork was trying to figure out the spell as quickly as he could to change Danny and himself back into a human.
Danny jumped out of the water as the pike swam after him and shouted, "CLOCKWORK HURRY!"
The noise of the water splashing and the jaws of the pike snapping was enough to wake Jason. He looked around and then saw the pike trying to snap Danny in its jaws as Danny grabbed onto a ledge out of the water.
"WHAT IN BLAZES?!" Jason shouted and immediately flew towards Danny to help him.
"SOMEBODY HELP!" Danny shouted as he slipped off the ledge.
Danny was about to fall into the Pike's mouth as it jumped up from the water, until Jason caught him by his fish tail in his mouth and tried to hold the jaws open with his feet. The pike's jaws however closed and snapped onto Jason's claw, causing him to drop Danny back into the water with a yelp.
Jason fell into the water and swam back up to the surface and watched as Danny jumped over his head and blasted another ecto-blast at the pike, but it didn't do much damage this time as the pike jumped over Jason and slapped him back under water with its tail.
"JASON A LITTLE HELP PLEASE?!" Danny begged as the pike continued to chase after him.
Jason tried to grab Danny, but he slipped right out his skeleton feathered hands. Jason then suddenly found himself riding on the back of the pike as it began to chase Danny right back up to the surface of the water.
Jason climbed up the pike's back and swam in front of it, trying to grab Danny by his fishtail with his beak. As they broke through to the surface, Jason quickly shut the pike's jaws and grabbed Danny by his tail with his beak as they fell behind the pike's tail.
The pike's tail hit Jason hard, sending them skidding across the water. The pike chased after them as Jason continued to go as fast as he could. He jumped over the rocks as the pike tried to snap at them again, only this time hitting the rocks dead on and fell back under water.
Jason dropped Danny on the dry land as he slipped on the ground and crashed right at the bottom of a tree.
Clockwork finally emerged from the water in his elderly form and the helmet still on his head. He climbed out of the moat and removed the helmet as he said in annoyance, "What in blazes is a monster like that doing in a moat?!"
He grabbed his staff and said, "I'll turn that pike into a water bug!"
"Clockwork, over here!" Danny called out, catching the ghost's attention.
Clockwork turned and saw Danny flopping on the ground and quickly tapped him with his staff as he chanted, "Reverses revolve!"
In a puff of smoke, Danny was changed back to then changed back into his human form as Clockwork asked, "Thank goodness! How in the world did you ever get out of that mess?"
"That pike almost did swallow me, but Jason saved me." Danny answered, gesturing to the soaking wet Jason who was still at the bottom of the tree, spitting water out of his mouth. "If it hadn't been for him, I would've been that thing's meal."
Clockwork chuckled and picked Jason up, placing him back on the tree and said, "Who knew you had such kindness towards the boy?"
"Utter nonsense! I did no such thing!" Jason denied with annoyance as he shook the water off. "I intended to eat him. Fish is my favourite meal, you know that!"
Clockwork merely chuckled as he rinsed out his beard and then changed into his adult form. Danny was about to say something, when he heard his name being called by Lionel, "DANNY! DANNY!"
"I have to go but thanks Clockwork. That was so much fun and thanks Jason." Danny said with a smile.
"WHELP! HURRY UP!" Lionel shouted.
Danny quickly changed into his ghost form and began to fly back to the training grounds, not wanting to make his foster father grow more impatient.
"So Jason, why would half-drown yourself for a bit of fish after having such a big breakfast this morning?" Clockwork asked with a smirk.
"OH PINFEATHERS AND GOLLY FLUFF!" Jason said, still annoyed.
Danny was explaining the whole story of why he was late. Lionel and Dash however didn't believe one word of it.
"That's the biggest fish story I ever heard." Lionel said, calling Danny a liar.
"But it's true! It really did happen." Danny protested.
"True or not, that's three demerits for being late and three more for the fish story. Now get to the kitchen." Lionel ordered.
Not wanting to make his foster father angrier than he already was, Danny headed straight for the kitchen to get started with his chores.
Dash snickered and said, "I told you the whelp was looney."
Lionel shrugged and said, "Well he's either lost his mind or there's something mighty fishy going around and I have a feeling it's got something with that Clocky fellow."
