"It seems that Clockwork was mistaken."

Side by side floated the Observants. Their lair was dark and black and formless, expanding in all directions for eternity as an endless void. There were but three objects within this plane; the twins, and their mirror of time. On it was the sight of Danny Phantom flying away from the lair of Katou.

The one seer continued. "The tragedy of the master has divided him from his apprentice."

"As the prophecy foretells," remarked the other. "And now, with Clockwork still not to be reborn for weeks, who is left to act? We cannot break the Oath."

"But this is Tá eagla orm," the first spirit noted. "What are we to do? Summon the Observant High Council?"

"No. We were assigned to represent the council in horology, and that we shall do. We must find a spirit who will act for us."

"But if we do not act, then we can only present the problem. We cannot lead him to the proper course of action."

"But we must give him a task. We cannot simply say that Tá eagla orm is imminent. We must find one who can retrieve the relics and bring them to us! Only then will they be safe, and the prophecy avoided."

"But who to send on the hunt? He must be able to find Katou's home on his own."

The same name reached their minds together, and they turned to face the other.

"He is in the employ of Vlad Plasmius," the second scoffed. "And he is meant to follow the artefacts."

"But he is loyal only because of reward."

"Can we be sure of that?"

"He is a hunter, brother. Such a way of life – like ours – leads one to realise that emotion and compassion are illusions. And he has been with Plasmius only as long as he has been rewarded."

"True. And he fears Pariah. But if he is to perform our task, then we must provide superior compensation." They bowed their heads together, ponderous hands placed at the bottom of their eyes.

"A hunter would value knowledge of when his prey will be at a certain point," the first offered.

---

Against the wall sat the samurai, his trembling hand clenched over the thin scar over his right eye. Slowly he breathed in and out in heavy takes. He felt a rattling in his chest and a quivering on his lips. He was cold. And yet he had no will to warm himself. There was no drive to rise up from where he had fallen nor an urge to pull himself together. All of it felt too heavy, and it all felt well deserved. At the same time, the look in the ghost-boy's eyes when he struck out was all too familiar…and all too painful.

Katou let his head hang low. He refused to let his hand lower. And he refused to turn towards Sam and Tucker.

The girl's voice met his hears first. "Why didn't you – "

"It's as I said!" Katou cried, throwing himself prostrate on the floor. "Vlad wasn't the same man then. And how could I have told Danny? Look at what Vlad's become! How he connects to Danny! What was I to say?"

"So finding out this way is better?" Sam said with contempt as she folded her arms.

"I know!" the sage barked. He pulled himself up and fell against the wall again. "I know," he sighed, shutting his eyes tight. "I know."

"So why didn't you tell us about Tá eagla orm?" Tucker asked, though he too sounded bitter.

"For myself," Katou sighed, "I feared the piece that Sam asked about. It connects to Plasmius and myself. But please understand about Clockwork – his reasons are better than mine. He speaks often about how one can choose. How time is a parade seen from above, with all the possible twists and turns. He has never revealed every aspect of a situation to those he comes to. They must discover on their own and make their own decisions. With something like Tá eagla orm, he is doubly careful about revealing the full prophecy. If the players in the drama knew what the script called to happen, they may accept it as inevitable. Sam, you must have read the entire piece by now; you know what it predicts."

The samurai sighed again, long and hard. "And perhaps it is inevitable now."

He could feel the two children glaring at him. He couldn't turn to face them. Again he covered his one good eye with his palm.

Why?

He sighed once again, preparing to ask the two to leave him. But before he could open his mouth, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and he turned to see. It was Tucker's, and he held out his other hand as if to help Katou up.

"Let's go find Danny," he sighed.

"What?" Katou stammered.

"Oh, don't think you're off the hook," Sam said. "But we know this isn't over. And Danny needs to know that too."

Lightness came to Katou's head, and disbelief to his heart. Was this true?

"Well?" Sam asked.

For a brief moment, a slight grin tugged at the corners of Katou's mouth. He took Tucker's hand and rose to his feet.

---

Hours had passed since the samurai had left with the ghost-boy's allies. The lights in the basement had all been put out. A few glows came from the bottles and vases on the table, but the room was largely still and dim. The relics of Pariah were kept in a far corner, all six set together neatly. The seat of the throne held the chest and the bow, and the sceptre was draped atop them, the pendant hanging from its end. On top of the throne rested the balance. The luminescence from a nearby vase allowed the gold of the pieces to just faintly glimmer.

The hunter in the room rubbed his hands together at the sight of them.

Plasmius's tracking device had worked well. He was right at the site. Now, he was to retrieve the relics and destroy the lair.

But Skulker had been approached by two most peculiar beings that had given him an interesting proposition. And now, with the prize in sight, the hunter pondered – who to deliver the goods to?

The ghost was not pleased at all with the notion of Pariah returning to life. And he still wondered just how successful Plasmius and his new Knight would be in carrying out their plans. Yet he found himself reluctant to betray the half-ghost. They'd been partners for years. And while 'friendship' may not have made for the most accurate term to describe their relationship, it had moved beyond the simple mutual needs of employer and worker.

But the Observants offered knowledge of the whereabouts of any prey at any time, forever; Danny Phantom included. Such knowledge Skulker had desired for many a year. And a small delivery aside, he needed to give them nothing.

Who to turn to?

Still he pondered that question as he became tangible and reached for the pendant.

---

"You have done well, Skulker," an Observant noted.

"My pleasure," the hunter bowed.

The twins and the spectre were now floating before the Observant High Council. In the room of hearings they were, thousands of seer ghosts around them. The six relics of Pariah rested on the floor, by Skulker's feet. From the ceiling lowered several orbs, the faces of the Highest, the six leaders of the Observants, within them. Slowly they dropped until they had reached the desired level.

"Observants of horology," the Speaker boomed, "you have done well. And your request for the reward for your friend Skulker shall be granted. Thanks to you, the world is saved from Tá eagla orm!" At that, cheers and huzzahs erupted from the crowd. All the while the twins basked in the glow, radiating with pride. And why should they not? At last they were vindicated over Clockwork and his beliefs in "choice." And they had prevented the greatest of all crises.

The Speaker raised his hands, calling for silence. The noise faded, but the feelings did not. And they distracted from what Skulker was saying.

"Yes…about that…" the hunter hit a button on his wrist.

A blast of violet flame tore through the walls, immediately scorching all in its path. That which was not incinerated was soon cleared away by the great black form that pushed its way within the hall. That form, a terrible dragon, let loose more fire and began to snap bite away at the now panic-stricken crowds. Over the beast's head flew the flaming Fright Knight, who began to swipe away at fleeing members of the council with his Soul Shredder. The twins looked on, aghast, as ten green ropes of energy slithered inside, grabbing up those that moved and throwing them out into The Ghost Zone. Controlling those ropes was Clockwork's responsibility – the future self of Danny Phantom.

And up from the floor, in front of the twins, rose the devil-haired spectre, Vlad Plasmius.

"So sorry," the nosferatu sneered and bowed. "But I have need of those relics too, and it seems that loyalty has overruled compensation." As if to drive the point home, Skulker placed a hand on Plasmius's shoulder.

The quivering twins had scarcely begun to back away when they felt spectral ropes sliding around their waists. They prepared for inevitable doom when the Knight severed the ropes. This brought Phantom flying down, steaming. The pair glared at each other, each ready to strike the other. Plasmius moved between the two, facing the future spectre.

"We have need of these two," he purred. "Why else did I have us wait all this time?"

The seers turned to one another, the dawn reaching them together as the mayhem continued about them.

How could they not have foreseen this?

---

From within a bed, the lord shall send

His minions to bring about the End

Of Peace for One who once beat Him Past

And though that Soul shall move fast

Tragic Pasts of Mentors 'Round

Shall Bring Good's Knees to the Ground.