The Halfa Prince

Chapter 2: To the Castle

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.