The sound of CJ's breathing was the only thing keeping Danny grounded in reality at that moment. After learning of the prophecy, Fright Knight had suggested they end their lessons for the day and sent the three teenagers home. Sam and Tucker attempted to talk to Danny but he gave them a cold shoulder and returned home to shut himself away in his room.

He still couldn't believe it. That he was potentially part of a prophecy that spelled out the destruction of the Ghost Zone and with it, the world. "Maybe it really means nothing," the halfa mused to himself, "Maybe this prophecy is just some random Elder Spirit having a very interesting take on poetry." The more he mulled it over in his mind, the less sure he was about it having nothing to do with him. Suddenly, an idea struck.

"Clockwork!" Danny shouted, sitting upright in bed and startling CJ awake. The puppy yipped at Danny for disturbing him before the teen gave the dog a few scratches behind the ear and he settled down again. The teen felt the cool white rings wash over his body, transforming him into his ghostly alter-ego and phased through the floor to the basement. Without sparing a thought he flew into the portal, intent on finding the Master of Time. He knew the mission he was presented with was a near impossible one. If Clockwork didn't want to be found Danny could be searching the Ghost Zone for hours with nothing to show for it. 

Luck seemed to be on the halfa's side, for after a mere fifteen minutes of flying, he saw Clockwork's Tower emerge from the swirls of the Ghost Zone. Picking up speed, he made a dash for Clockwork's door. He dropped his speed as he approached the grand double doors, debating whether or not he should knock, seeing as though Clockwork was probably already aware that he was here. Before Danny could make a decision the doors to the tower opened automatically, a cold chill beckoning Danny to enter. The teen gulped as he flew into the tower, making his way up to the Time Master's main chamber. As he grew closer to the door, a faint conversation could be heard.

"Not only that, but he had knowledge of the Ancients that aren't in any writings not contained in the Codex. I'm beginning to suspect my plan has more side effects than I realized," a familiar voice exclaimed.

"I cannot say that you did not bring this upon yourself, Nocturne," Clockwork's voice said in response. 

Danny paused. Nocturne was here? And apparently deep in conversation with Clockwork. The halfa slowly backed away from the door to Clockwork's chamber as it swung open. Soon Danny's vision was filled by Nocturne's pale face.

"It seems we have a little fly on the wall," Nocturne purred, smiling at Danny. As the colour drained from Danny's face, Nocturne seemed to delight in the fact that he terrified the boy. He grabbed the teen by the arm, pulling him into the room and setting him down in front of a less than amused Clockwork.

"I didn't mean to listen in," Danny tried to explain, looking up at Clockwork who remained expressionless. "I thought you knew I was here, the doors opened by themselves so I kinda just... let myself in?" he finished by sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck with a gloved hand. He felt one of Nocturne's tentacles curl around his ankle, but paid no attention to it.

Clockwork sighed, shifting to his elderly form. "It is of no major concern, your arrival was expected after what you've learned today," the Time Master said, turning his back to his two guests. "I assume you're here to discuss what Nocturne revealed today during your lessons," he added, tapping his staff on the large viewing screen in front of him as an image of the three teens, Fright Knight and Nocturne staring at the prophecy rippled into existence.

Danny's eyes were drawn to the screen, staring at those floating words once more and feeling a pang in his chest. Nocturne's grip around Danny's ankle tightened and the halfa let out a tiny whimper of pain. The starry spirit looked to Danny in confusion as he noticed his starry tentacle around the young hero's ankle, and quickly removed it without a word before floating to the other side of the room, muttering to himself.

Turning his attention back to Clockwork, Danny opened his mouth to ask a question only for Clockwork to whip around and poke his staff into Danny's chest. "Yes, the prophecy is real," the Time Master said, keeping his eyes on the viewing screen. "And yes," he continued, glancing over his shoulder as he shifted to his toddler form, "it involves you."

Danny sank to his knees as he felt his heart drop to his stomach. He had been hoping with all his might that Clockwork would be able to tell him no, the prophecy wasn't real, it didn't involve him, it was just some joke. But if Clockwork said it was real, it must be true. A giggle escaped from Danny's lips as he slowly laid down on the ground. The giggle turned into a full belly-laugh as the teen covered his eyes with his arms and tears spilled over. "Of course it does," he said in between laughs, "of course some stupid prophecy that talks about the Ghost Zone being destroyed involves me! Because why would I ever have just a normal life?!"

As Danny's laughter died out and was replaced by quiet sobs, he felt something wrap around his waist and sit him upright. Danny removed his arms from his eyes and wiped away the blurry tears, looking down to see a starry limb around his stomach. 

"Humans are such emotional creatures, how ever do you all survive?" Nocturne's voice muttered from behind Danny. 

The teen turned to see Nocturne staring down at him, black streaks leading from his eyes marring his pale features. Had Nocturne been... crying? Before Danny could give more thought to that question, he was yanked onto his feet and thrown into a shimmering sofa that Nocturne materialized. The teen glared at the starry spirit, and noticed Clockwork shifting from form to form. When the Time Master finally stopped and settled on his middle aged form, he floated past Danny, reaching for his many bookshelves. From the stacks he pulled a blue, leather bound book. "That's-" Danny began.

"The Codex of Creation. I am aware that Nocturne has told you of it," Clockwork finished, slamming his staff into the ground. The staff stood in place by itself as the pointed sides expanded outwards, the clock usually held in place by those sides grew and morphed into a more rectangular shaped until the staff had turned into an odd bookstand. Clockwork placed the Codex on the stand, flipping through the pages until he landed on the one that contained the Phantom Prophecy. His eyes skimmed over the words multiple times, taking in each line. "It's quite obvious the Phantom Prophecy has you as it's centrepiece; all this mention of 'one who walks between life and death'," the Time Master mused.

"My my, first a kingdom, now a prophecy. It seems everything wants a piece of the little halfa," Nocturne chuckled, sliding closer to Danny.

His comment only caused the young teen to glare in response. "But I didn't become the King of the Ghost Zone. Fright Knight is the King-".

"King Regent," Clockwork interrupted. "He only is the King because he agreed to rule in your stead. Until you feel ready to take the throne. Which you will have to do someday." Clockwork shifted into his elder form and closed the Codex of Creation. The book floated into the air and slid into an open space on one of the many shelves contained in the room. "There is too much we do not know as of now, so all I can advise you to do is wait patiently," the wrinkled ghost said, turning away from Danny and floating to his observation screens.

Danny stood from the couch and zipped to Clockwork's side, a panicked expression on his face. "Hold on a second," he said, voice trembling, "what do you mean by 'too much we don't know'? You're the Master of Time! I thought you knew everything!" Danny voice rose with every sentence, his insides twisting in fear as he stared at his old friend awaiting an explanation.

"As I have said before, I view the timeline as a parade from above," Clockwork began to explain, tapping his staff on the large screen in front of him. An image rippled into existence of Danny and his two friends sitting around their table in the castle's library, laughing and discussing their books. "I see all the twists and turns it might, or might not, take. I cannot say for certain what this Prophecy holds in store for the future, or what you should or should not do to avoid it. That would be me directly interfering with the timeline, and I've already done that once for you," Clockwork finished as he shifted into his toddler form. He turned to look at Danny who was currently hanging his head.

The teen clenched his fists in anger. He knew that Clockwork was right; the Elder Spirit had already done so much for him, but couldn't he do something, anything? A hint about what threat may appear in front of Danny in the future, or a suggestion of how to face it. Even one of his convoluted riddles would be more than appreciated right now.

"Oh really old friend, even I think you're being much too cruel right now," Nocturne chimed in, as he slithered between the two. He leaned down to look Danny in the eyes, giving him what seemed like a genuine smile. "A Prophecy is a fickle thing. It is only a hypothesis of what is to come," the starry spirit said, standing upright. 

"A hypothesis?" Danny questioned, a feeling of hope rising in his chest.

"Precisely. Prophecies are made to be warnings of a potential future," Nocturne went on to explain, floating to the center of the room. He grew in size and raised one of his glittering hands and swiped it across the air, turning the ceiling into a starry night sky. "As my grumpy friend has neglected to explain it, the timeline he views is like a parade, but it is much more than that," Nocturne continued, looking down at Danny who was staring at the ceiling in awe. "Think of time as this star-filled sky. Each star represents a timeline. You may think that only these stars exist but look," Nocturne pointed to a blank spot in the sky just a shimmering light appeared, filling in the spot, "a new one was just born." Nocturne waved once again and the sky he had created disappeared. The starry spirit shrunk down until he was nearly a foot taller than Danny, "Prophecies exist to account for those unborn stars. They are merely warnings, something to inform us of a potential timeline that may otherwise have been unaccounted for. So that old coot over there doesn't faint if something in his precious timeline doesn't go the way he foresaw it," he finished with a chuckle. Though Clockwork didn't seem to be amused by his joke.

"I think I get it, but I also don't," Danny said, scratching his head.

"I suppose the point I am trying to make is; right now it is not important to worry about the prophecy, since we don't even know if it's going to come to pass," Nocturne explained, giving the teen a pat on the head.

Taken aback by the rare show of affection from Nocturne, Danny slowly turned his head to look at Clockwork. The Time Master had remained silent during Nocturne's explanation, but Danny was hoping he would chime in at some point to elaborate - or at least confirm - what Nocturne was telling him. Yet no validation came.

"Thank you Nocturne for that teaching moment, I can see why the Ghost King allows you to intrude upon his lessons," Clockwork said, though his tone was less than genuine. "As for you Danny, I suggest you return home, you have school in a few hours after all."

A part of Danny wanted to argue with Clockwork, to stay in the hopes that maybe with all of Danny's complaining and pestering he would manage to get a genuine answer out of the Time Master. It only took one look at Clockwork's stern expression for the halfa to understand that the best he was getting out of this encounter was Nocturne's explanation. Without another word, Danny showed himself out of the room and flew out of the tower. He would only have to trust in Nocturne's confusing explanation and hope that the prophecy was indeed more of a warning of potential events and not a message of what is to come.

Clockwork watched on his viewing screen as Danny flew away, shifting to his toddler form. "Would you please wipe that smug look off of your face," he groaned, feeling Nocturne's overbearing presence behind him.

A low chuckle escaped Nocturne's lips. "What? Was anything I said wrong?" he asked, his voice sickly sweet.

Clockwork didn't bother replying as he continued to watch the screen. He watched as Danny flew through the Fenton Portal and crawled back into bed, giving his puppy a few scratches on the head before lying down to sleep. He felt his core waver, wondering if he had been too harsh. Raising a gloved hand he touched the scar over his eye, and clenched his jaw. No, he was in the right. This was much bigger than him or the young halfa.

Clockwork watched as Danny's breathing evened out and the teen fell into a deep slumber. "My plan will come into fruition," he said softly, turning his back from the screen and disappearing into the darkness of his chambers.

A/N: Hey everyone. Sorry once again about the long disappearance. I can't promise regular updates on this story, my life is going through a major change right now but I can assure you that this story will be completed. It might just take a while to reach said completion. Thank you all for reading and I'll see you in the next one!