(Rewrite) Transdimensional Troubles

Chapter 14: The keep

Danny wasn't sure what he felt. The gaze of the princess was piercing his skull, but it didn't hold anything hostile. She didn't show any signs of being pissed at his misfortune, that mistake and ignorance was his. She was just...looking at him. Phantom leaned back in his leather chair. The point is, he didn't really want the throne, come to think of it. Danny needed it only to repay his debt to Azula, he could just live in Far Frozen with the cheerful yetis. Or even here, in Dora's. He didn't have to take everything just now. He was safe and that's all that mattered. Still...he had to at least try.

Phantom looked at Azula, waiting for her reaction.

"What?" She asked. "You did tell about this long ago."

"I did?" Danny blinked.

"While you had a lively chat with father," Azula shrugged.

"Wait...if you knew that then why go through all of this?"

"Because I know what there is to do," the princess looked at Dora. "So he is unable to get it because some rules prevent this?"

"Oh, ehm..." the queen tapped on the table. "It's not exactly written anywhere, per say. The legends say that that was the demand of the...crown itself."

"Are you actually saying that that thing is alive?" Azula asked in befuddlement.

"And why would it want someone who is of the specific age?" Added Danny.

"I don't know. Maybe it needs an experienced person to wield its tremendous power. Then again, how much of an adult in terms of mind is the eighteen years old? All the kings except the first one were much, much older than that. Sir Phantom, you are the first one in many millennia."

"Huh. I feel special. Maybe we should ask the witness of that event?" Phantom smirked.

"Are you speaking of the Time Master?" Dora's eyes widened.

"Unless he somehow pops up out of nowhere!" Danny raised the octaves of his voice, shouting into nothingness. "I know you are watching old man!"

Nothing came. Of course, why would the omnipotent and all-knowing being pay attention to the very confused heir to this entire world? Everyone just stared at him.

"So, no one is going to object if he tries?" Azula kept prying. She was not going to let go of this opportunity so easily.

"I don't think so, many lords don't even pay attention to traditions and legends. Not me, certainly," Dora smiled, looking at Danny. "My loyalty is to you, my lord. At my times your age was widely accepted for the kings."

"At your times people died from things as simple as constipation, Dora, not to offend," Phantom noted.

"Maybe. But with us, beings who don't even remember how old we really are...I don't think much of it."

"Let's get going, then," Azula urged impatiently. "We won't know unless we try."

She was right, and her hurry was understandable. The clocks were ticking, if they didn't get back in time it would be gruesome. And she didn't even know how long it would take to get there. For all she knew the distance could be so long that they would be late for the Day of the Black Sun. And everything would come crashing because the Fire Nation was threatened by this attack. If her father was found without her command of the fight then the results were too unpredictable. Danny understood it, so he heeded to her request. They decided to immediately move on and go to the castle which was rightfully his, king or not. And that was currently a place held by one ghost of Halloween. Until then the message was to spread around the nearest domains about his miraculous return.