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

Chapter 8: Happy Birthday Pt. 2

Third Person POV

Danny stared silently at Clockwork's weakened formed as he took in the information he and Fright Knight had shared with him. The halfa looked up at the ghost knight in question and Fright Knight simply shook his head. 

Flashback

"Fright Knight, have you ever heard of a ghost called, Vizier?" Danny asked. 

As soon as the teen uttered the name Fright Knight turned whiter than a sheet. He seemed to tremble at the mere mention of the name and his hand went to his sword as he used his other hand to grip Danny's shoulder. "How do you know that name," Fright Knight hissed.

Danny has never seen the ghostly knight so serious, not even when they had been enemies. "He was just here and introduced himself to me as an old adviser of Pariah Dark," the teen admitted honestly.

Fright Knight's head whipped back and forth and his eyes landed on the clock next to Danny's bed. "It is late, you must rest now. In the morning I will take you to see the Time Master. He will explain everything," Fright Knight said, releasing Danny's shoulder. He floated to a corner of the room and drew his sword, as if waiting for an attack.

"But-" Danny started to protest.

"Sleep my liege. When morning comes, you will know everything," Fright Knight interrupted. 

Without another word Danny closed his eyes and tossed and turned about in his bed, falling in and out of sleep. Fright Knight never moved from his spot in the room. 

End Flashback

And now here they were, in Clockwork's Tower with the Time Master sunk into a sofa in his library processing all that he had just been informed. Danny was a little surprised that Clockwork wasn't already aware of this since apparently the all-knowing ghost had been keeping a close eye on Danny's timeline.

"Time Master, I cannot apologize enough for my error," Fright Knight said suddenly, falling to his knees in repentance. "I am to guard our Prince with my life, yet I was not there to protect him at this time."

The silence that followed was deafening. Clockwork finally stirred and rose from the sofa. "No, this is all my fault," he said sadly. Fright Knight and Danny looked to Clockwork in surprise. "I should have known the risks of trying to reinstate the monarchy and taken more precautions. I have grown cocky in my years," Clockwork sighed, floating silently out of the library and in the direction of his chambers.

"The ghost you met last night, Vizier, is in a sense 'my other half'," Clockwork continued as Fright Knight and Danny followed after him. "To tell you the whole story behind my words would take far longer than any time we have at this moment in our paths, so I will be brief."

The three entered Clockwork's chamber where the Time Master floated over to his viewing screens and an image of Vizier flashed upon them. Clockwork's appearance changed to that of his older self and for the first time ever, Danny noticed Clockwork's eyes look tired. "Vizier is known as the Elder Guardian of Space whereas I, his counterpart, am the Elder Guardian of Time," Clockwork began, "Many years ago he committed a great sin and was imprisoned in Darsphage, a prison dimension of sorts for powerful spirits. Though it could not contain him forever it seems."

Clockwork floated over to Danny and lifted the teen's hand that housed the Ring of Rage. "Due to his connection to this ring, he used it as a beacon to ripple space in order to escape his prison. That is the cause of all the tremors lately," Clockwork explained.

Danny felt like his head was spinning in circles. "Wait, so this Vizier guy escaped a prison dimension pretty much designed for ghosts or spirits like him all because of the ring?" He tried to summarize which caused him to receive a nod from Clockwork. "Then let's just get rid of it!" The teen added. Danny glanced down at the ring on his finger and attempted to pull it off, but it didn't budge an inch.

"Unfortunately, you cannot remove the ring," Fright Knight said as he watched his young sire started to use his teeth to try and pry the ring off. "It is bonded to you until your coronation as a protective measure."

Danny spat out the disgusting taste of metal and looked frantically at the ghostly knight. "Then let's just have the coronation now, get rid of the ring and send Vizier back to his prison!" He cried out, slightly proud of himself for thinking of such a good plan.

"That cannot be done either," Clockwork added as he shifted to his toddler form. 

Danny bit down on his tongue to prevent himself from cursing. "And why is that?" Danny asked, trying his best to not sound exasperated.

"In order for you to be properly recognized as the Ghost Zone's new ruler we need to hold a proper ceremony in your castle, which is currently in shambles, and the Crown of Fire, which is in the possession of the Observant Council; despite my protests," Clockwork explained, fiddling with his staff all the while.

Danny groaned. This was probably the worst day of his life. "So what are we supposed to do now?" He asked. "I can't take off the ring, I can't be crowned in order for me to take off the ring, am I just supposed to wait until Vizier shows up again and steals my soul or something?!"

"Vizier does not have the ability to steal souls," Clockwork said, shaking his head, "that is utterly ridiculous."

"Not the point, Clockwork," Danny growled.

The Time Master sighed, "Until I can figure out a way to recapture Vizier, Fright Knight is to increase his time spent guarding you. He will never leave your side even if it means revealing himself and, by consequence, revealing your status as the Prince-In-Waiting." Clockwork then turned away from the pair and placed a hand on the scar on his face. "We cannot let the past repeat itself," he whispered.

With a slam of his staff on the floor, a portal appeared. "Go now, I have other business to attend to," Clockwork demanded.

Danny opened his mouth to say more but closed it after Fright Knight's gloved hand gripped his shoulder gently and shook his head. The teen decided to drop it for now but swore he wouldn't let Clockwork off the hook so easily next time as he and Fright Knight disappeared through the portal.

As the portal faded Clockwork shifted to his elderly form and sank down on the couch in his library, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Seems like you've been quite busy these days," a voice cooed from the shadows.

The Time Master sighed, "And I bet you're enjoying watching me suffer."

"Well, I'd be lying if I said it didn't please me a little bit," the voice shadow replied, emerging from its hiding place and coming to stand in front of Clockwork.

"So, what brings you here, Nocturne?" Clockwork questioned, rising from his seat.

The horned ghost smiled, his starry body shimmering every so elegantly. "I thought you'd never ask."

A/N: I am so sorry I have been gone for so long. I know I made an announcement a while back that I would be returning but so much has happened in my life that I kinda forgot. But now I have a new determination. I miss writing so much and coming back onto Wattpad and seeing everything that I have missed re-lit the fire in my heart. I swear that this time I am here to stay. Updates may be slow at first but I promise they will get out. I may even have some new books planned so keep your eyes peeled and don't be afraid to request something. That's all for now, see you in the next one

Love, Phantom ;)