Chapter 3: Time's Out
Seeing the familiar green glow of the Ghost Zone was oddly comforting to the halfa. He wasn't sure when it began, but recently this other world was beginning to feel like a second home. However, considering that he literally had one foot in each world, it was to be expected.
Clockwork was waiting for him near a floating island Danny had never seen before. They were in some part of the Ghost Zone that Danny had yet to finish mapping with his friends. Drifting over to the time master, he was slightly surprised to see an old friend.
"Hello, Great One," a furry, yeti-looking ghost with an arm made of ice greeted him. "It is unfortunate that we keep meeting in such unfortunate circumstances."
"Frostbite?" Now Danny was really confused. "What're you doing here?"
"I, unfortunately, have another matter to attend to," the old time ghost said. "Frostbite will lead you on from here." Giving a small nod to the ice ghost, he transformed into his baby form, and with a wave of his staff, disappeared.
"Come," Frostbite ushered Danny forward. "We must hurry."
"Why? What's going on?" Danny asked, slightly annoyed. "Would someone just tell me what's going on?"
"I will explain on the way, Great One," Frostbite promised. "Now make hast. We have much to travel and little time to dawdle."
"Where are we?" Danny shivered, looking around uncomfortably as the usual eerie green glow of the Ghost Zone melted away to pitch black. Had it not been for the natural glow that came from their ghost forms, the two would have been swallowed by utter darkness.
"A vile place, Great One," Frostbite replied grimly. "One that is as old as time itself."
Still confused, and more than a little annoyed that he was only being answered in riddles, he visibly shuddered as they passed an island that oddly resembled a cage. Although the top itself was open, there were several pillars that stood on the outer edges, almost as though they were there to hold something in. "Why are we flying through such a scary place?" he mumbled, half to himself.
"I apologize," Frostbite said sympathetically. "These are the catacombs. This area is only reserved for especially dangerous ghosts. Ancient evils that have the power to destroy both worlds."
"But what does that have to do with me?" Danny asked, flinching as he heard a screech somewhere in the distance. "Shouldn't I be worrying about Dan right now?"
"Ahh, yes," the ice ghost nodded. "Do not fret, Great One. Your future self will be caught in time."
"He is not my future self," Dany snapped back. "He was, but not anymore. There's no way I will turn into that. Ever."
Frostbite gave him a strange look. Danny couldn't tell what it was, but it almost looked like pity. Before he could ponder over it anymore, his furry friend solemnly announced, "We're here."
Danny landed next to Frostbite, staring at the giant wall before him. He wasn't sure what it was supposed to be. It looked like a giant door, built to contain something seriously big inside. There were multiple cracks and impact craters along the front, as though someone had been throwing comets at the stone. One particularly big crack was split near the top, allowing just enough space for a smaller person to fit through. Danny didn't even want to think about going in. Whatever was inside was almost radiating off bad vibes. He could feel it through the thick stone wall.
"What is this," he asked nervously, looking around cautiously. The feeling of being watched was back.
"This," Frostbite replied somberly, "is Ragnarok."
"Ragnarok?" Danny scoffed incredulously. "Like the Norse dooms day?" He knew listening to Sam when she was researching Norse mythology for a school project would come in handy some day.
"Yes," Frostbite confirmed. "At least, that is the tale in the human world. In our world, he is a fearsome beast of a ghost that can destroy half the Ghost Zone with a single sweep of his hand. Some say he is older than the Great Time Master himself."
"So why am I here?" Danny pressed. There was really nothing he could do to ensure that this almighty ghost could remain enclosed behind those stone gates if it was really as powerful as Frostbite made him out to be. Besides, he had more pressing issues on mind at the moment. "And why's the gate look so busted up?" he wondered out loud.
"For that," the yeti-like ghost growled, "we have your future self to thank."
"Dan," the halfa snapped. He didn't mean to sound rude, but he really wanted nothing to do with his would be future. "His name is Dan. He's out of the time stream, so there's no way I'll turn out like that."
"Yes, well... Dan," Frostbite sighed, "escaped a few nights ago. We have yet to make sight of him, as he has kept himself hidden quite well. However, we do know that the moment he escaped, he came here and tried to release Ragnarok."
"If this ghost is really as bad as you say he is," Danny said carefully, "then why would Dan try to release it? I mean, he's not stupid, he knows when he's taking a risk, and this is beyond the usual level of risky he would cross." Whoa. Thinking like him. Not good.
"You are right," the ice ghost agreed. "This has us all baffled as well. As you can see," he gestured to the cracks and damages on the wall, "he succeeded in breaking down some of the gate that seals Ragnarok in. Fortunately, Ragnarok still sleeps, but the damage has allowed the smaller ghosts that make up the seal to escape."
"What," Danny balked. "You're telling me… that Dan didn't break down the wall, but still managed to release a few other ghosts?"
"Not just a few, Great One," Frostbite warned, shaking his hand dismissively. "He released seven. These seven combined have the power to keep Ragnarok in his slumber, but now that they are gone, it is bound to be soon that he awakens."
"So you sealed up a ghost by locking him up with seven other sealed ghosts?"
"Correct."
"Look," Danny sighed, running a hand tiredly through his snowy locks, "Let's just get to the part where you tell me how to capture these guys, alright? I'll bring them back, then find Dan and make sure he gets thrown to the deepest pits of space."
"It is not that simple, Great One," Frostbite sighed. "The Seven that were locked are not just any seven ghosts. They are the worst and most violent of our kind."
"I had to battle Pariah Dark and face off against my jerky older self who decided to reign ten years of terror over the human race," Danny scoffed, crossing his arms. "I'm sure I can handle seven more."
"These seven cannot be bribed," the ice ghost warned. "They can only be sealed in special stones. And they will not come willingly."
"So who do I have to look for?" the half ghost smirked.
"The ghosts you are looking for," Frostbite looked down grimly, "are the original Seven Deadly Sins."
"Mom, I'm home!"
"In the kitchen, Sweetie!" Maddie called out, eyes not leaving the apple she was cutting into slices. She didn't need a cut on her fingers now, thank you very much.
Excited footsteps bounded towards the kitchen. Jasmine Fenton pranced into the room, dropping her bag by the table to give her mother a hug and a kiss. "How's everything at home? Any ghost attacks recently?"
"Ghosts?" an excited voice thundered from behind the two women. "Where! I'll tear it apart molecule by molecule!"
"There's no ghost here, dad, I was just asking a question," Jazz sighed.
"Oh, fudge," Jack Fenton sat down dejectedly. "I wanted to finally test out this baby," he pouted, patting the side of his newest gadget. "I call it the Fenton-"
"Honey, why don't you go wake your brother up for dinner?" Maddie offered quickly. "Jack, I made some more fudge for you, dear. It's in the fridge."
"FUDGE!" The burly orange suited man immediately forgot about his new invention.
"Yeah, sure," Jazz shrugged, grabbing her bag to dump in her own room. "Be right back." She bounced up the stairs to her brother's room, rolling her eyes at her father's ecstatic shouts of glee at the fresh batch of fudge her mother had made. "Danny?" she called softly through her brother's door, knocking gently on the old wood. "You awake? Mom says dinner is ready."
No response.
Jazz frowned. Sure, Danny was a heavy sleeper, but he usually woke up at the smallest sounds (blame it on his enhanced hearing after the accident). A small knock should have sent him scrambling for the door by now.
Twisting the handle of his door, she quietly opened it to enter his room. "Danny?"
"The Sins?" Danny scoffed and crossed his arms. "Like greed and pride and all that?"
"Do not take them lightly, Great One," Frostbite cautioned. "As little as they may seem, with their release, they can throw your human world into utter chaos. They can whisper into the ears of the weak minded, convince them to do deeds they would never do."
"How bad can they be?" Danny asked incredulously, rubbing his hands up and down his arms. He didn't like being here. There was something… off about this place. He wanted to leave. Now.
"Do you ever have a great want, an urge so strong, but you must hide it?"
"Of course, everybody does." After all, wants and needs are what make humans human.
"Well," Frostbite explained, "with the Sins loose, they can control those urges, make them follow their needs. If Greed gets a hold of a human's heart, he could manipulate them into taking any amount of item, regardless of the consequence. Envy can cause a jealous mind to cause mass destruction."
"Got it, so the Sins are actually super powerful and can destroy the world together," Danny muttered darkly. "Is that why they're used to seal away Ragnarok?"
"Believe me, Great One," Frostbite promised, "they do not actually want to cause harm. They are rather immature and only wish to play."
"Well, their play time is over," Danny said angrily. "What kind of rocks do I need to seal these guys up? No way I'm letting a bunch of old ghosts bother my friends and family." Besides, Dan was still out there. If he could fix the problem with the released ghosts quick, then he could spend more time looking for his past future self. Whoa… Past future self? That just sounded like a time paradox in Danny's head.
A shimmer appeared next to the two ghosts. Clockwork popped into view through his purple portal, a grim expression set on his face. "Time has run out," he whispered. Waving his staff, he gestured for Danny to go through. "It is not safe here, you must go."
"Wait, but I still have questions," Danny argued. "How am I supposed to capture these ghosts if I don't even know what to catch them with."
"They can be sealed in a specific gems, Great One," Frostbite called to him as he was ushered through the portal. "You've saved the Ghost Zone before. You can do it again."
The Ghost Zone shimmered away as he passed through the portal. The dark sky disappeared in a flash of purple, and suddenly, he was back in his room. The cold feeling he had back in the catacombs was replaced with a feeling of comfort, of being home. He blinked and the purple portal vanished without a trace. Glancing at his clock, he was surprised to see that what felt like hours in the dark prisons was only twenty minutes at home. Of course, it could just be Clockwork, making sure no one realized he was missing.
Just then, he heard his name and the click of his door opening. Panicked, he quickly changed back to his human form and jumped in bed, lifting his covers over his head. The door slowly creaked open and somebody walked in. Breathing slowly to feign sleep, he felt that somebody stand next to him. "Danny, I know you're awake," an annoyed voice said.
"Oh, hey, Jazz." Danny stretched his arms out and faked a yawn. "Did you just get back?"
Jazz lifted her brows as she looked at her brother's enormous bags under his eyes. "Why didn't you wake up the first time I called you?"
Danny shrugged. "Must not have heard you. Is dinner ready?"
"Yeah, mom sent me to-"
"Great, thanks." Danny jumped out of bed and hurried out of his room in a flash. "Come on, I'm starving!" he called from the stairs.
The elder Fenton child rolled her eyes and sighed, closing the door to her brother's room. She would corner him and ask him question later, after their ghost hunting parents when to bed.
"Okay, spill."
After scarfing down his dinner, Danny had been relaxing in bed, just about ready to go to sleep, when Jazz burst into his room. It took everything in his power not to yelp and fall out of bed. Usually he would have felt her walking over to his room, but today, he had too much news swimming around in his head.
"What happened," she demanded. "Why didn't you wake up? Were you even in the room?" Her eyes widened. "Were there ghosts bothering you in town?"
"No, no, nothing like that," Danny reassured her. "It's complicated, Jazz, can I tell you in the morning? I'm kinda tired…"
Jazz gave her brother a quick look, and a wave of sympathy flooded over her. To say he was a little tired would be an understatement. Dark bags clung under his eyes and his shoulders were set in a permanent droop. His baby blue eyes lost their usual spark and were replaced with stress and worry. "Alright," Jazz finally agreed. "But don't think I won't keep pestering you tomorrow."
"I'll be expecting it," Danny chuckled back humorlessly. "Good night, Jazz."
"Good night, baby brother," she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and left his room, turning off the light before she left. She gently closed the door behind her as she went back to her own room.
A small smile twitched on Danny's lip. He wanted to get Sam and Tucker so he could explain to them all at once what their new mission was. Of course, he would keep the news about Dan to himself. He didn't want them to worry.
A shock went through his body as he felt someone's-or something's- piercing gaze from behind him. Spinning and creating an ectoplasmic ball in his hand, he raised it, ready to attack.
Nothing.
The glowing ball in his hand cast green shadows around his room. The usual comfortable look his room held was suddenly thrown into a status of disarray. The shadows looked like eyes and figures, haunting him, watching him.
Extinguishing his attack as quickly as he had created it, he wrapped himself up with his thick blankets, shivering under his covers. The invisible gazes made him feel cold, no matter how tightly he wrapped up in the duvet.
"Time out."
The still night froze. Danny's clock stopped ticking. The leaves drifting off the trees stopped in midair. Clockwork drifted out of his portal and made his way to the foot of Danny's bed. He dropped a small brown sack on the floor, making sure that it was in a position that the boy could see it when he woke up in the morning. The contents in the bag would explain everything in the morning. Flying closer to his troubled friend, He reached into his pocket and sprinkled some sleeping dust over Danny's eyes, courtesy of a favor from Nocturne. This would guarantee the child a peaceful night, deep sleep and no dreams.
"Time in."
The Time Master disappeared through another portal just as fast as he had appeared. Time resumed, the leaves finally drifting to the ground outside. Danny blinked and felt drowsiness overtake him. Rubbing his eyes tiredly, he tried to blink away the sleepiness. He could still feel the gaze on him, burning him with hatred. But the tiredness today was stronger. Giving in, he closed his eyes. He was asleep before his head hit the pillows.
I wasn't really sure how this story would do, tbh ^^ so I kinda forgot about it...
But here's another chapter for those who are interested~
Despite this being a pretty old cartoon, it makes me really happy to see that there are still so many people that follow it! My actual childhood OMG TvT
Favorite, Like, Comment please~~