Prologue: Timeshift
~Far Beyond the Ghost Zone~
The Ghost Zone was a place where the boundaries of time and space ceased to exist, and within this ethereal realm resided many ghosts, however far and deep with in the realm separated from the flow of time and existence; a large ghastly dark clock tower, surrounded by various glowing green gears held an ever shifting and changing ghost, Clockwork, the omniscient guardian of time. His form shifted between his past, present, and future, a constant reminder of his dominion over the temporal flow.
Clockwork hovered in front of a large, swirling mirror, his eyes narrowing as he observed the countless threads of reality. His duty or his obsession was to maintain and regulate the ever shifting flow of time. The old ghost had viewed into many different timelines throughout his afterlife.
Among the myriad of timelines and universes he monitored, one particular strand beginning to form outside the influence of a certain timeline, caught his attention. It was apart of an anomaly, a deviation from what was known as the "prime" timelines. These being one's with the most connection to the Ghost Zone. Each timeline had it's own Ghost Zone. Due to him residing at the outskirts the Ghost Zone in a realm that wasn't connected to any timelines. It allowed him to exist as a singular being, beyond the limitations of time and continuity of the other Ghost Zone's.
The divergent timeline the all seeing being noticed was drastically different from the main timeline; which would always have a certain consistency to it. It had been closed off, and distanced from everything relating to the realm of the dead, but this time something happened. A change occurred, which led to a deviation being created.
"Hmmm...Yes! Seems as though the curse of the dead king has finally found it's time! It seems as though his birth has now finalized the chance of the bond once again being reconnected!" Clockwork mused, his voice echoing through the void.
"...It's a shame however..." Clockwork said, his echoing voice having a sadder tone from the amused one previously;
There was a lack of a certain individual that was ever so present in the numerous timelines he had viewed...Danny Fenton.
'In this world, the Fenton family never existed. No Danny Fenton, no Danny Phantom.' He quickly waved his staff, and the mirror zoomed in on a specific point in space and time.
The portal revealed a scene from Earth but specifically a place in the state of Michigan, Royal Woods, a suburban town bustling with life. Clockwork attention was then focused on a young boy with white hair, navigating through his chaotic yet loving household.
"Lincoln Loud," Clockwork murmured, watching as the boy interacted with his numerous siblings. "A world without Danny Phantom, yet it possesses its own anomaly..."
Clockwork's eyes glowed with a mysterious light as he saw glimpses of Lincoln's possible future. The master of time saw Lincoln's origins, his battles against formidable ghosts, the struggle of balancing a double life, and the forging of unbreakable bonds, but beyond all that, something more...something inevitable, as if it was what the old ghost was waiting for.
"...Yet all of this this is not certain...the choice of this rests on his hands. If he has the will to follow this path, there is no doubt this shall bring everlasting change to the Infinite Realms..." Clockwork opened his eyes wider as a smile appeared on his face.
"This timeline is about to get a whole lot more Loud," Clockwork said, a hint of amusement returning in his tone.
"For the first time, I witness a world diverging so significantly, yet converging towards an already written destiny."
Clockwork waved his staff again, and the mirror's view shifted, now showing Lincoln's timeline on the cusp of significant change. The young boy, unaware of the extraordinary fate awaiting him, continuing his life, oblivious to the supernatural world that loomed over the horizon.
"Lincoln Loud," Clockwork declared, "Your journey is just beginning. The threads of fate have woven a unique path for you, one that will test your courage and shape your destiny."
As the images in mirror slowly faded, Clockwork returned to his motionless stance ever so shifting between forms, his thoughts consumed by the unfolding events. The clock tower remained silent, but the ripples of time and space carried Clockwork's cryptic words to the farthest reaches of existence.
"The first of its kind," he whispered, "A timeline where new heroes rise, and the echoes of old legends give birth to new tales."
"Seems it's time to place the missing chess pieces once again...will you survive this time...?"
"Time Out"
End Chapter