Danny's POV

"No no no no no, this is nuts. You're joking right? Clockwork tell me this is a joke," I said facing the Master of Time.

He raised an eyebrow at me, shifting into his elderly form, "This is no joke Danny."

"It has to be," I practically shouted while pacing back and forth, "There is no possible way that I am King of the Ghost Zone."

"Prince," Clockwork said calmly.

I stopped pacing, "What?"

"You are not King, you are the Prince. You will become King on your 18th birthday," Clockwork said as he adjusted the time on the clock that was part of his staff.

I sighed and ran my gloved hands through my hair, "That doesn't make me feel any better. Why me? There has to be thousands of other ghosts that are more appropriate for this type of thing. Like Queen Dora for example! She has experience ruling or maybe-"

"Danny, no one else can take the throne but you," Clockwork interrupted taking on his middle aged form again.

"But why?" I asked as I began to pace again.

"Danny please calm down," Clockwork said floating forward to rest a hand on my shoulder. I stopped pacing and took a few deep breaths.

"Good," the elder spirit said patting my shoulder, "Now before I answer your questions we must get rid of the extra party." He finished off that last part with sarcasm and I had to laugh a little at that.

I had actually forgotten about the three Observants in the lab. No one knew how boring and annoying the Observants could be better than Clockwork. Turning his attention to the three robed ghosts around us, Clockwork said clearly, "Would you all be so kind to leave the future king in peace."

"I'm afraid we cannot do that," the Observant on my left said.

"We have orders from the council to bring the boy straight to his castle," added the Observant behind me.

"I have a castle?" I asked in astonishment.

"I must speak with him in private. If it is such a concern I will escort him to the castle myself," Clockwork said sternly. The three Observants looked as if they wanted to protest (if you could even attempt to tell their emotions from the eyeball heads) but they did as Clockwork wished. Once the last Observant exited through the portal, Clockwork actually seemed more relaxed as he shifted into his toddler form again.

"Every single one of those pompous eyeballs absolutely annoy me to no end," he said as he floated around the room. I let myself float up so that I was level with Clockwork.

"So, about my questions," I began.

"Yes you want to know why you of all people are the next King of the Ghost Zone," Clockwork said as he continued to float around the lab with me keeping pace beside him. I nodded and waited for him to explain, but no explanation came.

I opened my mouth to speak but Clockwork beat me to it, "Yes I am going to answer your question, but we must talk and fly else we'll be late."

He started towards the portal, "Late? Late for what?" I asked as I watched him. He gave me a sly grin and flew into the portal. I knew Sam was going to kill me for this, if she found out, but I flew in after him.

Somewhere in the Ghost Zone

"So, mind explaining this to me Mr. I Know Everything?" I said as the two of us flew through the endless green of the Ghost Zone. Not that I would ever admit this to anyone, but I actually preferred the Ghost Zone over the human world. Maybe it was just the ghost half of me, but there was a certain something about it that made it feel homey.

"There's no need for name calling," Clockwork said. He had shifted back to his middle aged form.

"Sorry," I said sheepishly, "It's just been a rough night." I glanced at my arm. I couldn't see the bandages underneath my suit but I knew when I transformed back to my human self, they would be there.

"Yes I know, which is why I advised the Observants to wait until tomorrow to tell you, but they could not be swayed," the older ghost said.

I looked at Clockwork, "Why was it so important to tell me tonight?" "You had passed your final test," Clockwork replied. I stopped flying, "What test?" Clockwork kept on flying so I had to catch up to him.

"Remember a few weeks ago during your training I asked you a question?" Clockwork asked. Almost directly after the Ecto-Acne incident with Vlad, I had begun training with Clockwork. It's really because of him that I have gotten so good at using and controlling my powers. I tried to remember the question he had asked me a few weeks ago.

I hit the target with a ball of ecto energy. Another target. Another target. "Ugh how many more targets do I have to hit?"  I asked as I fired ice shards at the next target.

"As many as I say you have too," Clockwork replied in his toddler form. I groaned but continued to shoot at the targets placed around Clockwork's Tower.

After about another 20 minutes of firing at the targets I was exhausted. I sank to the ground and once my feet hit the solid stone of the tower I let myself fall onto my back. The cool stone felt nice on my sweaty back.

"Finished already?" Clockwork said as he hovered above me. He offered his hand and I graciously accepted it. Once I was back on my feet Clockwork asked, "And now what did you learn?" 

I gave my mentor a confused look, "What do you mean?" "What did you learn," he repeated.

I shrugged, "That you like to tire me out."

Clockwork shook his head, "What did you learn," he said once again changing into his elderly form.

I wiped sweat off my forehead trying to think of any possible lesson that could come out of this. I looked up at my mentor, "I guess, don't waste your energy on small foes?" 

The Master of Time seemed to contemplate my answer, placing a gloved hand on his chin and closing his eyes in thought.

Finally he spoke, "For today that is correct."

"Today?" I said. Clockwork turned away from me and started to float up to his main chamber where Sam, Tucker and I first met him. It also has the Fenton Thermos containing my evil self. I shook those thoughts from my head and started after Clockwork, until my watch went off. I was going to be late for school! 

I watched Clockwork disappear through the ceiling. I frowned, as the Master of Time he probably knew that I would have to leave now thus being able to avoid my question.

I sighed, I wanted to go after him but I was already late 2 times this week. One more late meant Mr.Lancer would call my parents.

'This will have to wait until tomorrow I guess' ,I thought as I flew out one of the many windows in the tower.

"The question about what I learned," I said.

Clockwork nodded, "And what did you learn?" We flew in silence for a bit. "I learned a lot, from you, Frostbite, my friends, even some of my enemies," I said breaking the silence.

Clockwork nodded, "The fact that you learned from your friends and enemies proves that you would be a great leader."

"But I still don't understand why me?" I asked.

Clockwork sighed as he turned into his toddler form, "Remember your battle with Pariah Dark?" I nodded and Clockwork continued, "When you fought him, he had claimed it as a battle for the throne. Since you defeated him on your own, he lost his title as King and it fell to you."

I flew in front of Clockwork and stopped causing him to stop as well, "If I was the new King once I won, why am I only learning about this now?"

Clockwork frowned as he shifted into his elder self, "The Observants. They were not very happy about the fact that a child, let alone one that wasn't even a full ghost, was to be the next King. They wanted to test you first even though I had told them you would make a fine ruler."

Clockwork resumed flying towards our destination with me close behind. I smiled as I said, "You think I'd be a good King?"

He nodded, "You may be young and untrained but I have seen you, watched you, taught you. You have a pure heart and a strong mind," he said.

My smile grew wider, Clockwork really thought that about me? I did a loop-de-loop and sped up so that I was right beside my mentor. "So where exactly are we headed?" I asked.

"I may dislike the Observants but I am a ghost of my word," Clockwork replied. Before I could respond, my attention was drawn to the massive castle that we had just arrived at.

"Danny," Clockwork said gesturing to the castle with his staff, "Welcome to Phantom's Keep."