I do not own Danny Phantom or Clockwork.

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Prolog—

"You were never one of them."

Danny shuddered from the memory. How long had it been since everything disappeared?

"I did this to protect you."

His whole world had fallen apart. No one remembered him. His family, Sam, Tucker, his teachers, even the school bully didn't recognize his favorite punching bag anymore, because they had never met.

"The time stream snapped back into the way it was supposed to happen before it was altered."

Time! Time had always been his enemy, now it was his bane.

"Things cannot go back to the way they were. I'm sorry Daniel, but you have no choice."

Everything had changed: his home, his life, even his appearance. He was still half-ghost, but he didn't look it. Black hair with pupil-less green eyes stared back at him in the mirror every day. The HAZMAT suit was gone, since it had never existed in the first place.

"Whether you like it or not, you are my blood. I know you hate me right now, and I won't make you call me anything except by my name. However, you're job is just beginning."

No longer Danny Fenton—he was never born; there were no birth records or social security number to say that he was. No longer Danny Phantom—he disappeared with Danny Fenton, but it would be easy to take up that name again, but it didn't seem right.

"You'll work with me. I need your help now more than ever. I'll also help you learn how to handle your powers, and, if it comes to it, take my place some day in the very long stretch of eternity."

All identity lost; having no choice but to start over. Danny choked on the lump in his throat as he finally let the guarded tears flow from his eyes.

"I'm sorry about all of this Daniel, but it is the truth. I can only tell you your origins, but as to who you are . . . that is something you must discover for yourself."

Starting over, discovering all over again after everything shattered so easily—like pulling apart tissue paper.

"I'll give you time to adjust, but I must put you to work soon. The Observants won't allow me to have someone just staying with me. This place is the only home you have now, and you must earn your keep to stay here."

The more Danny thought about it, the more right he knew it was. He had no choice but to live in the Ghost Zone and live as a ghost. The only question he had was if he could ever go back to the human world.

"Clockwork?"

The time ghost appeared beside him. The ghost looked regretful and full of pity for the boy, but it was sealed behind the wise mask he held for all ghosts he ran into. Only Danny was the able to look completely through it and see what the ghost was really feeling.

"Yes Daniel?" Clockwork asked.

"What do you need me to do?"

Clockwork smiled, but it didn't touch his eyes. He knew that the boy was still hurting, but he was relieved that he had come to terms with something. There was no way he could accept everything like that in one night.

Just take it slow, he'll come around, I hope.

"Come with me."

Danny did as he was told, and for the first time, he was starting the day—not as the son of Jack Fenton, or the Phantom hero of Amity Park—as simply Daniel, Clockwork's apprentice and son.

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Confused yet? This is just the Prolog after all so check out the first Chapter. It should make more sense after that.