The Halfa Prince (Book 1) *RE-MASTERED*

Chapter 2: Welcome to Phantom's Keep

Third Person POV

Danny slowly floated to the ground, his mouth agape and his eyes nearly popping out of his skull. Did he just hear that right? He was the new King of the Ghost Zone? How is that even possible?! Questions were running rampant through Danny's head, yet his mouth formed no words.

"Is he just going to keep flapping his mouth like a fish or is he going to say something?" One of the Observants said, his tone annoyed. Another Observant shot him a dirty glare, his eye narrowing dangerously, as if warning his companion not to speak another word.

Danny whirled around to face Clockwork, utter disbelief on his face. "This has to be a joke, right? There's no way I'm King." Danny frantically scratched his head while he felt his core pound in his chest.

"You're not the King, Danny." Clockwork told him as he shifted into his toddler form. Danny let out a sigh of relief and visibly relaxed. "You're the Prince." The Time Master finished.

Danny froze once more and he felt his core sink into his gut. He ran his gloved hands through his snowy white hair. "That doesn't exactly make me feel any better, Clockwork." He dragged a hand down his face, pulling on his jaw. "There has to be a mistake. There are probably thousands of other ghosts more qualified to be King or Prince or whatever." He threw his hands  in the air. "Why don't you ask Dora or Frostbite or Pandora! Or literally anyone who isn't me!" Danny cried, a tad bit exasperated.

Clockwork sighed once more. "Danny, you are the only one who can take the throne." The wise ghost informed him. He shifted back to his middle aged form as he placed a hand on the panicking teen's shoulder. "You must calm down now."

"But why me? Why now?" Danny asked, gripping his hair. "The Ghost Zone has gotten along just fine without a King for a long time. Why does it need one now? And why is it me?!" The teen shook off Clockwork's comforting hand and floated back and forth in the air, still surrounded by Observants.

"You were the one to defeat Pariah Dark in battle." The Observant floating behind Danny answered. He appeared to be the one in charge as he seemed to be doing a lot of the formal talking, along with his attire being slightly different as he had a gold sash around his waist instead of the typical black one. 

Danny tilted his head. Yeah it was true, he defeated Pariah Dark, but he had a lot of help in doing so. His ghostly enemies and, even though he hated to admit it, Vlad all played an important part in Danny winning the fight while also keeping his own life. 

Before Danny could voice this, the head Observant spoke up once more. "The Ghost Zone has thrived for a very long time without a King, that fact is true." The Observant floated closer to Danny and the young halfa discreetly floated closer to Clockwork. Something about having a giant eyeball staring you down wasn't exactly the greatest feeling in the world. "Yet the Observant High Council has decided it would be best to try and reinstate the monarchy to control the spiral of chaos the Ghost Zone has fallen into." The Observant finished.

Danny turned to face Clockwork, but the Time Master remained silent and his face was void of any emotion. The young boy began to feel a little bit dizzy and started swaying back and forth. Clockwork put out a hand to steady the boy and faced the Observants. "I believe that is more than enough for today." Clockwork warned, pulling Danny close to him, "I have some matters to discuss with the young Prince and it would be best if you left your future King in peace for now."

The Observants didn't move. "I'm afraid that is not possible." One of the lower ranking Observants stated, "We are under direct orders to bring the boy to the castle at once."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Clockwork held back the urge to make a smart remark as he shifted to his elderly form. "If it is of such importance that the young Prince should arrive at his castle tonight, I will escort him there myself." The Time Master answered sternly.