Dark watched the 24 year old halfa look over the cliff in his ghost form. The boy's white hair was seemingly being blown by a nonexistent wind, and his ruby red eyes were trained on the ground beneath them. He'd finally grown taller, 4 years ago, and no longer looked like a teenage boy, but a fully healthy 20-something. Now the boy would cease aging in appearance, not that the halfa really cared anymore.
"What are you thinking about, Daniel?" Dark asked, watching as the boy surveyed his old town. They hadn't been back for years, what with Dark training Danny and making himself stronger, and all.
The boy then smirked, arms folded as he watched the ghostly civilization that now inhabited Amity Park. Well, the one's who were good to and, or, obeyed the ghost boy anyhow. It was still his town after all. "Just thinking back to old times, Clocky."
The dark master of time frowned. "I thought I told you never to call me that, Daniel."
"And I told you to never call me Daniel, but we both see how well that's going." Danny responded, glancing at his mentor before turning back to the city. "Still… it's so hard to believe. 8 years ago, I would have killed to keep this from happening. And yet, here I am, watching it all play out like a comedy movie. It's funny how fast people can change with the right push."
"I suppose it is… So, how long will you be gone?" Dark questioned.
The boy shrugged. "You're the one with all the answers; I'm not sure. It may be a few weeks, maybe years. It's not like I'll be running low on time anytime soon. I just want to get out there, into the world, properly. With you, I've seen the past, present, and future of so many variants of the Ghost Zone. Here… well, I'd like to take in Earth slow. Plus, the ghosts have mostly stuck to Illinois and, you know…" Danny chuckled, earning a look from Dark.
Said look was very Vlad-like. "You know, I may not be fully Vlad, but I still don't like that you destroyed the mansion."
Danny just laughed, seeming eerily like his younger-self for a moment. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, Fruitloop."
Dark shook his head, ruffling the boy's cold hair with a fond smile. "I'll be in my tower, Daniel. Have fun in your travels, and remember what I taught you."
"There is no good, nor evil, only obsession." Danny recited in as robotic a voice as he could muster. "Got it. Later "Master Dark," and tell Concave he can have my room while I'm gone. The guy deserves a break; maybe let him kill some people for me. He's got some serious anger he needs to release."
Dark chuckled. "Yes, Daniel."
With that, the man disappeared, teleporting to his home with a swish of his cloak, the only sign of him being there were the quickly disappearing sparks from the flaming clock he'd left with.
Casting one last glance at the ruined city, Danny couldn't help but let the memories rush through his head. Deciding to take one last fly over the city, the halfa followed his old patrol route, weaving through neighborhoods while waving at the ghostly inhabitants, though many remained cautious due to the ever-present instability in the boy's eyes. Finally, he landed at the Nasty Burger, where he used to stop to grab snacks in between patrols as a teen.
He smiled fondly, running a hand over the fallen neon sign. This place had seen so many sides of Danny, ones that exist, and ones that ceased, and yet more that now harbored different forms. He chuckled. "Well, it seems you didn't have to exist for me to turn into you, Dan. Though it's not quite what I expected, it turns out you really were inevitable, and I don't mind nearly as much as I thought I would… Actually, I don't mind at all."
Giving one last smile to the ruined establishment, Danny flew away, while Dark watched him do so from his tower. Amity Park was destroyed, Danny, the only ghost who could've stopped him, was by his side, he was all powerful, the Observants served him, and the rest of the world was about to face their hero turned rotten.
Leaning back against his couch, Dark took note of the countless other timelines, none of them quite like this one, and yet they blended beside it so seamlessly, as though it belonged there. Sighing in content, Dark cut off the screens, before floating onto the roof of his tower. The majority of the immediate area was in shambles, but beyond it the ghosts flourished, each of them taking part in the sadistic ventures Dark placed within them.
"All is forever as it's supposed to be."
