Danny shrunk back, his blue eyes wide as he stared at Clockwork. He had just woken up in a strange place, met a ghost who was oddly enough, friendly, and now he was told that said friendly ghost had put a collar around his neck?
"Uh, uh, uh..." He stuttered as he backed away quickly. Too quickly, as his foot hit a gear embedded in the floor, and he went flying backward. Clockwork flew forward and caught Danny with his right arm. Danny jolted as he was pressed up against the ghost, the sound of tick-tocking loud in his ears, almost as loud as his heartbeat. Then, Danny was able to pull away and look down at Clockwork's chest. He'd not seen the ghost's body, as he was covered by the cloak, but now Danny could see the glass covering across Clockwork's chest. Behind the glass was what looked like a small grandfather clock, pendulum and everything, which explained the noise. Clockwork had on a light purple tunic, with gloves the color of his cloak and strapped to his forearms by several watches on both gloves.
"Are you alright?" Danny was startled to attention by his voice. "You need to be careful, the gear pieces go everywhere in this room." Clockwork set him down, smiling but with concern in his eyes which, having no pupils or distinction for the eyeball, gave him a vaguely creeped out feeling.
"I...I, uh... Thank you."
Clockwork sighed, his form changing again, this time to a toddler-sized infant form. "If you had just allowed me to explain. There are those known as Observants, who dislike every other entity except themselves. Even I am not exempt from their agitation." Danny nodded. "If they were to pop in unannounced, as they usually do, they would not only be displeased by your presence, they would also want you eliminated." Danny felt his blood go cold; he had a feeling Clockwork was being sugar-lipped when he said 'eliminated'. But, he also got the feeling Clockwork liked Danny. He seemed a little...protective of him, like Wulf was. "I made that collar to block out your energy signature. Even if an Observant shows up, they won't be able to see you. You're invisible to any who would wish you harm."
Danny fingered the collar, thinking over the info Clockwork gave him. A collar that let him be invisible to other ghosts? Very nice, indeed. "Okay, I guess. But you might've asked first."
The Time Keeper smiled and his hand once again fell upon his head. "If I hadn't, and an Observant had shown up while you slept, what would have been the reaction?"
Danny agreed. "Point." He looked around, before a window caught his eye. He walked over, and gaped at the scene outside. The zone he saw outside was dark, and reminded him of the zone where Pariah Dark's castle had been. There was broken things, floating around, and there weren't any ghouls around either. Ghouls were the tiny ghosts that had no humanity, no thought, no free will. They were the ones who simply flew around, moaning and breaking things.
"I don't recognize this part of the Ghost Zone. Where am I?" Clockwork floated behind him, before raising his arm, and pointing at the farthest point of the zone.
"That point in the distance is the edge of your Ghost Zone. Past that, in this realm, is known as the Dark Zone." Clockwork brought his hand down on Danny's shoulder. It was then Danny noticed how much Clockwork had been keeping his hand on his body; it was almost like Clockwork was trying to herd him. Without warning, a very loud noise that Danny recognized as a portal being opened sounded, and Danny was yanked behind the ghost, hidden from view by the cloak.
"Clockwork!"
Danny jumped as the harsh tone the Time Keeper was addressed by. He just barely peered around Clockwork's shoulder, and saw a very strange looking ghost. It resembled an eyeball, with a thin un-occupied costume hanging from it. The skin around the eye was green, like the eye itself, and the clothing looked regal, black, white, and gold. The figure, an Observant Danny guessed from the way he was being hidden, raised its sleeve, and a thin hand slithered out quickly to point at the Time Keeper.
"You have tampered with the TimeLine yet again! The one known as Danny Phantom was to be destroyed, to prevent that horrible future!" Danny held in his gasp. "Yet his LifeLine is stronger than ever! You've outdone yourself this time! If it weren't for Clockwise's words, I would have had you thrown out long ago!" Danny's hands clasped against the staff, his teeth gritting slightly.
"I am well aware of the deciding factor of Danny's future. However, no interference was needed for him to make the right decision." Suddenly, Danny felt a rush in his head as a memory resurfaced.
FLASHBACK
"The answers to the CAT?" Danny gasped as his eyes roamed over the envelope. Sam and Tucker both gave him a surprised look, which doubled as he took to the air.
"Danny! Where are you going?" He turned mid-flight to Sam.
"I have to return these! Lancer'll go ballistic if he finds out the test scores were taken by me. Er, by a ghost...I know what I mean!" He took off again and flew off to Lancers' home. He knocked on the door.
"I'm coming, and if you're just a punk, and not Girl Scouts, I swear I'm gonna-" He trailed off as he opened the door and saw the famous ghost-boy hovering on his doorstep. "THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES!" The teacher dove backwards, unaware that his door was wide open.
"Uh, dude. I just came to return this." The teacher continued to cower, until he finally looked up with confusion of not being attacked, and saw the CAT label on the folder being held out to him. He was sure it had been in his briefcase, but now he wasn't very sure about anything.
"Well, it's good to know human decency doesn't leave when you're dead." Lancer muttered wide-eyed as he took the folder from the famous ghost-boy.
"Actually, I... I've always been a good samaritan. It comes from how I was raised. My folks kept a close eye on me. " Danny fibbed; Jazz had been the one to plant morals in his head while his parents were off chasing ghosts. He straightened up. "Also, I'd like you to try talking common sense with your students." Danny almost felt the need to tell Lancer, to just have an un-biased ear to listen. But, he knew it would be a very bad idea. "I mean, common sense needs to be more, uh, common, right?"
Lancer gave him an odd look, before it melted into a smile, relaxed but still slightly on edge. "And just what interest do you have in my students?"
Danny floated up with a grin. "Well for one, I'd like them to stop throwing themselves in the line of fire just to talk to me."
Lancer rolled his eyes. "I assume you mean Miss Sanchez. Yes, she seems to have a rather dangerous amount of infatuation with you."
"Maybe you should try tying her to her seat." Danny said as seriously as he could, but a moment later both males cracked up at the thought.
"If only." Lancer murmured, and glanced up at Danny. "So, you really are a good ghost." Danny nodded. "I never thought I'd be sharing a laugh with the very specter I assumed was out to get the town. I misjudged you, Phantom."
For whatever reason, that statement made Danny turn red. It seemed like Lancer was... humbling him. "Yeah well, a lot of mistakes are made when people assume. I just wish more people would give me a chance like you did."
Lancer cleared his throat. "Sometimes you gotta give a rock a polish or two to see if it's a diamond." Danny gave him a confused look. "It means that you have to give a little time and effort to help move things along. If you keep doing small things like this, you'll be the Amity-Park hero in no time."
As Lancer turned and closed the door, Danny couldn't help but ponder the compliment given to him. 'A hero? Me?' He gave it some more thought. 'I think hero would be a nice title.'
END FLASHBACK
With a sudden rush Danny came back to the present, an angry Observant having finished yelling at the Time Keeper. Had that been the decision the green eyeball spoke of?
"Mark my words Clockwork. The council has seen your ideals for the future. They would end several much needed lives, and we will not allow Reality to be compromised!" With that, the Observant whirled about and left.
Clockwork sighed and turned around to stare down at Danny, who was crouched just below his elbow. "I apologize for that, Danny. Ever since you were made a halfa through that incident, the Observnts have fretted over your existance." He gave Danny a saddened look. "They believe you to be a threat."
"WHAT?-!" Danny shrieked jumping back and edging to where the Observant had stood. "How am I a threat? My pants phase off my body in public! I've sunk through solid stone into the girl's bathroom! I get stuck in the Fenton Thermos by accident!" Danny knew his voice was at a pitch uncomfortable to most, but Clockwork hardly seemed fazed. He was simply floating there, watching Danny pace and shriek, letting the halfa blow off the steam he had built up.
Once he'd stopped and fell to his knees, Clockwork hovered over to Danny and let his cape drape about the halfa's shoulders as he held the boy in a hug. "I know it doesn't seem fair, Danny. I have had to deal with the Observants' paranoia for, well, the beginning of time itself, but I vow I will not allow you to be harmed by them."
Danny sniffed. "Promise?"
Clockwork smiled. "Of course. Danny, I am your ally, your friend. If I must take up the task of being your guardian, I will."
The ghost tilted his head and pressed a comforting kiss to Danny's hair, making the halfa sigh with relief. At the angle he was at, Danny did not see the way Clockwork's eyes crinkled slightly at the corners, giving the vaguest impression of malice.
READ AND REVIEW! Well, now it's starting. Danny is in Clockwork's clutches, and has no idea what is planned for him. Keep an eye for the next chapter of Backwards Spring.