With Great Power comes Corruption

"Daniel?" Clockwork's voice called through my hazy thoughts. "There is something you need to know." My eyes found him. At some point, he had joined me on the floor.

We probably looked ridiculous. The hero of Amity park, High King's Bane, Savior of Two Worlds and the Keeper of the Past, Conqueror of the Present, the Seeker of the Future, sitting on the cold dusty stone floor of a nearly deserted clocktower. But as I may have mentioned before; I couldn't bring myself to care!

"Now that your powers are coming in, I cannot predict your future."

"What?" I asked in a small voice feeling very cold and very alone.

Clockwork took a literal breath, as if this was hard for him. "Your powers are interfering with my sight. When I look into your future it is constantly changing, shifting; sometimes I can see ten different paths at once. In the next second I see ten brand new ones. It was so disruptive I had to block the effects or I wouldn't be able to work." Clockwork laid a hand over mine. "I can't see what is to come for you."

And now I am completely and utterly lost. One of my handholds had crumbled and I was in danger of falling off of the cliff face of life into the raging current of the unknown below, where I would be swept away and never be seen of again. Yes, I know I am being dramatic, and no, I DON'T CARE! I don't even care that I have no idea who I am talking too while speaking with my thoughts!

A hand landed on my shoulder. I looked up meeting Clockwork's eyes that were calm and understanding. "It will be okay Daniel. Just because I can't see your future doesn't mean I cannot help you."

I gave a weak smile. "I thought you were the Master of Time not the Master of I-insanity." I shuttered at the word. "How can you stop this? You couldn't stop yourself from going mad." I never brought up Clockwork's past but it never really mattered before.

"I think all of the Ancients working together should be able to keep a single teenage halfa on the right track." Clockwork paused then gave me his kind and calm smile. "They assisted me when I succumbed to madness in my early years."

"How did you regain your sanity?" I asked trying to focus on my curiosity and the hope that was growing stronger inside my chest.

Clockwork settled beside me. "It took a long time. And I never would have made it long enough for the Ancients to find me without the Observants."

I threw Clockwork an unamused look at the joke. While I was glad for the distraction of getting me out of my funk, that was not funny. The Observants were nothing but a bunch of corrupt, greedy and power hungry politicians .

The time master chuckled. "It sounds far fetched but a millennia ago they were actually good guards and good people. While I most currently was not."

I knew the basics of Clockwork's life before but a part of me just assumed that he got over his madness when he died or something. I was now fully focused on my curiosity. I'll deal with my growing problems later. Right now I wasn't on a metaphorical cliff but in a classroom learning something new from a friend.

"When the Observants formed as ghosts they imminently went searching for me. With the power that my children gave them, their military tacticians, and the element of surprise, they overpowered me. I was so thoroughly imprisoned that the only thing I could do, the only way I could get free was by mastering my powers and thus time itself. It was a long road and so many times I tried to maneuver time to ensure destruction and chaos. It was only the ever vigilant Observants that stopped me."

I refused to allow my mind to wander down the path of 'if Clockwork were evil'. Focusing instead on his words and story as if it was just another odyssey.

"Bit by bit I gained my control of the time stream but my sanity was still rather vacant. One day the Observants allowed me a visitor. This visitor came regularly; and slowly, with words, techniques, and therapy I regained my senses and my mind. My visitor taught me how to channel my sight through objects instead of it all staying in my head. They helped me discover how to plan ahead and choral the timeline to where I wanted it to go with the slightest of nudges. And finally, they had me watch the time stream not just the things I wanted to see but the actual time stream as a whole. As I watched the people of earth, my children, and other gods I began to change. For the first time I began to understand the contempt of morals and right and wrong. Through tutorage I came to understand the way of the Universes."

I had never seen Clockwork like this. He looked so burdened and yet enlightened. His voice filled with passion, for the time stream, for his role as an Ancient. He spoke as a happily married man spoke of his wife.

"I had a new purpose and with this new purpose I became content. It was only then I learned the true identity of my visitor. A being with just as much power as I, a being committed to the safety of all and the preservation of the Universe, like I now was."

"The Ancients." I whispered without realizing it.

Clockwork nodded. "They asked if I would join their ranks, at the time I refused."

Confusion swept through me.

Clockwork seemed to sense my unspoken question and shuffled. "I didn't trust myself. Now that I was sane I could see all that I had done, all I tried to do. I didn't believe I deserved to be among such pure beings."

Rolling my eyes and bumping the gloomy Ancient I spoke. "You came to your senses. Better late than never."

My ghost guardian smiled. "I suppose." Then cleared his thought. "Although I was not an official member I did assist the Ancients the best I could. I searched for others, Beings that would come in time. Those with powers and goals on par with the Ancients."

Clockwork's eyes were far away. I wondered if he was actually looking into the past and seeing it now, or just in his mind's eye like normal people. Maybe they were the same thing for him.

"I couldn't help as much as I would have liked but I was still imprisoned by the Observants so my hands were tied. Sometimes I was able to push future members to people that could help them or send messages of sorts. It continued that way for quite some time. I was fine with my role, I was content with managing the time streams to the best possible outcome, I was fine with assisting the Ancients whenever I could, I was fine being imprisoned."

A troubled, almost sad look crossed the Time Master's face. It was odd seeing so many emotions on him. He was usually so blank, untouchable. I had to fight to see anything, not now though, now I saw everything.

"But it was then that the Universe decided to teach me, and no doubt others, one of its lessons; Absolute power corrupts, and corrupt power must be torn down."

"There are people on earth that don't become corrupt." I interrupted. This was one argument I always face as a ghost hero. Even when people start believing I am good, they still worry I will somehow become evil.

"Yes, but all humans die at some point and are forced to leave whatever could corrupt them, and/or what gives them power. Ghosts don't, and if they are left alone long enough all will eventually succumb to corruption." I fell silent at that. My mentor to continue his story.

"It wasn't until High King Pariah Dark became hopelessly corrupted that things for me began to change. As you know, just like the Observants, Pariah Dark was not always bad, like them, it took years upon years of complete power to corrupt and taint him into who he is known as today."

"Everything in the zone steadily became worse and worse, as King Dark ate up more and more power, and turned away as his people spoke of their fears and wishes. Eventually the Ancients once again offered me membership. Seeing that the timeline hinged on my acceptance, I agreed. Together we approached my guards with a proposal. The Observants would allow me more freedom which would make my job as one of the Ancients easier, in return, we would all get the High King out of the picture. The Observants were very much against the idea but even they were having a hard time keeping King Dark out of my prison after word reached him of the abilities I held."

Clockwork seemed to tense slightly.

"My guards eventually came to the conclusion that they did not have much to lose. If things continued as they were High King Pariah Dark would eventually free me anyway. Despite how evil the High King had become the Observants were strongly against killing him and made that their only term in the agreement." I threw him a skeptical expression and Clockwork explained. "Some in the Zone believed he could still be saved and become the great ruler he once was."

I shook my head. "And yet they tried to kill me over a test."

"They were different people back then Daniel. The guards I knew would never have even considered such an option." Was it just me or did Clockwork have an almost wistful or nostalgic tone when he said that?

"With the deal made our small band attacked and subdued High King Pariah Dark, locked him away only for him to escape a thousand years later forcing you to face him aswell."the time ghost's eyes were becoming distant no doubt reviewing the past or a scrapped timeline. I nudged Clockwork. His eyes cleared and he returned to the topic. "As you know, that left a hole in power. No one was too keen on having an even more powerful being on the throne but the ghosts needed some form of rule over them. So they turned to the once who had 'ordered' the Anchents to act; the Observants. At first my guards wanted nothing to do with the politics."

"Hold up, the Observants turned down the opportunity to rule?" I clarified before slumping in confusion. "They really were different back then, huh?"

Clockwork nodded but besides that ignored my comment. "They were convinced to take the position and became the new rulers of the Zone. Over time I required less of their attention and thus could focus their attention on the Zone. I took the liberty to warn the Observance of their inevitable fall into corruption and they created a counsel in hopes to keep each other in check. And it worked. For a thousand of years they ruled successfully and justly. But all those with power fall to its seduction eventually. About four hundred years ago they began to slip. Not by much but enough to set off warnings. I intervened the best I could without destroying the timeline, and I managed to slow down the decline but they declined all the same until they became the horrible beings we see today."

"Those with too much power will fall to corruption and will need to be torn down." I spoke thinking back to what Clockwork said after that hero group 'visited' a couple of weeks ago.

"Exactly. Their cycle will, thankfully, come to an end without any war or bloodshed. My children have removed the powers they had gifted to my guards so long ago. As of now the Observants are too delusional to see their end is coming. Eventfully the citizens of the Zone will come to realize their lack of power, break free and a new ruler will step up causing the cycle to begin again."

"Is there any way to… uncorrupt them?" I asked not just for the Observants' sakes but for mine as well.

"The Observants have a chance but once again it will take time. High King Pariah Dark on the other hand… well, there is a reason you recaptured him in the sarcophagus of forever sleep."

I nodded feeling sorry for the old ghost king, despite him attacking my home and trying to kill me. Corruption was sad. That train of thought led me back to what I was trying to avoid. Thankfully I didn't freak. "What about us?"

"Hm?"

"The Ancients. We're super-powerful too, doesn't that mean we'll be corrupted and torn down?"

Clockwork paused and gave a smile. "I only just told you of your future and you already consider yourself a member?"

I blushed and smiled at his teasing and elbowed the old ghost. "You know what I mean." I said before getting serious again. "If I am going to get the power you say I will, and if power corrupts over time then…"I let my statement trail off.

"All Ancients are well aware of the costs of our abilities." Clockwork spoke slowly. "We keep each other in check the best we can. If we must, we are prepared to… forcibly detain any member that may become corrupted until said member is rehabilitated." C looked very perturbed. "It hasn't happened yet, and we are all on lookout for the warning signs of the decline. The easiest way to avoid corruption , though, is how one views the job, or as we like to think, our purpose."

I turned again, I listened intently.

"The key is to not think of yourself above anyone. The Universe gave you this power and as we all know, the Universe can and will take it away. As powerful as we are, we are not in complete control and there is always someone or something more powerful than us somewhere out there. Instead think of it as a service. We have been given the tools to serve the uUniverse, and all creatures in it."

My mind did a full loop thinking back to what Clockwork always meant to me. How safe and reassuring the knowledge of his existence made me feel. A smile crept upon my face. If I could do that. If I could make someone else feel safe because I was watching over them, because I was watching things, then maybe this would not be so bad after all.

"Does that mean we have to wear a maid's uniform?"

The all powerful, Ancient, Keeper of Time, and Servant of the Universe burst into gut wrenching laughter. With so many emotions raging through me I could not help but fall into a giggle fit myself. I had never seen him laugh like this. After all he knew what I was going to say before I- wait no he didn't. I looked at Clockwork again. He didn't know. He couldn't see my future so he didn't know I was going to say that…I had surprised him!

A mysterious smile teetering on the border of ominous crept its way onto my face as I fixed my beloved guardian with innocent eyes. Said guardian caught my gaze and froze, almost looking slightly frightened. "I think for the sake of all, you should hold off any pranks until after you regain full control of your powers." Clockwork spoke quickly.

Imminently I slumped and frowned. My fabulous and hilarious plan would have to wait. My sanity came first. Damn it!

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For those I confused. This chapter references my other work 'Kronos' more then I realized, if you don't feel like reading that, here is my explanation:

Clockwork is the ghost of the Greek Titan Kronos from Greek mythology. Kronos was a messed up dude that controlled time and the father of six of the Gods of Olympus. His kids led a revolution to take his thrown and killed him (Kronos had it coming). In this story the Observants are the ghosts of a one hundred eyed giant (Argus) that worked for the Greek Gods and was also killed. I also tied the Justice League in because in some versions Wonder Woman is the daughter of Zeus.

You want more? Go check it out, it's only three chapters.

Is it weird that most of this came to be from some constructive criticism? The weirdest things inspire me, I swear. I knew I wanted the Observants to have this backstory but I couldn't really represent that properly in 'Kronos' because they popped up in the last chapter, for like two pages. Not to mention they were not supposed to make an appearance in that fan fic at all. That story was supposed to be a one shot. The only reason I added the last two chapters was because you guys kept inspiring me.

Anyway, thanks for the advice; 'Sin of justice' I hope this makes up for how the Observants were portrayed in 'Kronos'. They probably won't make an appearance in this but if they do, it will be too quick for us to learn anything so this is the only way you could learn their backstory and why/how they got to be such D!&#$.

And if anyone else wants to give constructive criticism and or advice, please share. It is called 'Review' for a reason.

I don't own 'Danny Phantom'