A Phantom Prophecy *DISCONTINUED*

Chapter 17: The Book and The Box

A/N: Hey-o peoples, I'm back. And (thanks to a brilliant suggestion) my new writer's room home base is in Antarctica. So now no one, not even my muses or the angry mobs, can bother me.

*Every single Danny Phantom character breaks down the door along with an angry mob*

Ember: That's what you think

Me: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Oh well, enjoy the next chapter everybody.

Clockwork's POV

I floated around my library, entirely annoyed. Books had been thrown everywhere, papers littered the floor and tables were covered in maps and ancient text.

And it was all done by my hand.

"Do stop that infernal pacing old friend. You'll wear yourself to the point where you are a wisp of smoke," Nocturne said from his seat in front of the fireplace.

I turned to the fellow Elder Spirit, "I can't stop. I am the Master of Time, my library holds infinite knowledge on everything in existence. How is it that I only have one book containing  information on the Phantom Prophecy?"

Nocturne sighed, "I do not know. Maybe it's because the Phantom Prophecy isn't real?"

I stopped pacing, "What? What are you saying?"

Nocturne rose from his seat and picked up the book holding the little information on the prophecy from the table in front of him, "What I'm saying is, this book was the one you found on the floor when that cloaked ghost attacked your tower right? Then a few days later a ghost shows up at Pavor's Keep and delivers said prophecy. Isn't it possible the prophecy was planted in the book?"

I shifted to my elder form, thinking over Nocturne's words. What he said made sense. No other information about it than in the book. Why I couldn't find any history on it. No location of another ancient castle.

"But what about the Dan Phantom?" I questioned as I floated over to him, "If you are right in this being a lie, why would the cloaked ghost steal his thermos and set him free?"

Nocturne placed a starry hand on his chin, "Hm.... possibly to sell the façade?"

I took the book from his hand and flipped through the pages once more, looking for any detail I may have missed. Pictures and text of ancient artifacts and events filled the pages. I flipped to the pages that detailed the Phantom Prophecy. How they mocked me and my lack of knowledge on their harrowing words.

I gripped the book tightly, then thew it at the wall beside the fireplace. It fell to the ground with a loud thump. I breathed heavily as Nocturne stared at me in shock. I am not one to lose my composure so easily. Taking in a few deep breaths, I calmed myself and floated over to the book resting on the floor.

Picking it up I glanced at the fire. 'No,' I thought to myself, 'I must control myself.'

I placed the book gently on the table and floated over to a seat. I sat down and allowed myself to relax slightly. Only for Nocturne to exclaim, "Clockwork!"

The Spirit of Mind and Dreams held a small key in his hand. "I found this in the spot where the book fell," he explained. I rose from my seat and floated to him. Nocturne handed me the key. The key was metal and it had a small carving of a flaming crown on the top. It's teeth were oddly shaped into the form of a diamond.

I felt like I recognized it. I picked up the book, 'Ancient Artifacts of the Ghost Zone'. Skipping over the pages that held the prophecy I stopped on a page holding a picture of a lock. No text or any other images were on the page, just the lock. The lock itself looked to be metal, with thorn designs covering it and had the same symbol of a flaming crown that was on the key.

The picture of the keyhole was in the shape of an actual key, and the teeth were shaped like a diamond. Despite it being a stupid idea, I placed the key onto the picture of the keyhole.

Nothing happened.

I sighed, as I had officially become desperate. "Maybe you are right Nocturne. This is all a-" I was cut off by a bright light coming from the book as the key sank into the pages. Nocturne and I shared a look before we both returned to staring at the book.

A small chest rose from the pages. It was red in colour with gold markings covering it. It held a seal on it. A flaming crown covered in black thorns with a blue diamond. I extended my hand towards the chest. Carefully, I opened the lid. Nocturne went around to the other side of the table and glanced inside the chest.

He reached in and pulled out a small folded piece of paper. He unfolded the paper and his eyes scanned whatever was on it. A frown appeared on Nocturne's face. He handed the paper to me. I began to read.

'To whom it may concern,

The time is coming. My warning to you is this.

The Lost One cannot be stopped. If the Lost One retrieves their Heart then the Lost One will become the Crown once again. Do not lose the Diamond to the Crown. The Thorn is the your only hope to stop the Crown. Protect the Diamond, protect the Life, protect the Light Castle. Destroy the Crown, destroy the Death, destroy the Dark Castle.

Only on Day of First Death will everything be revealed.

The Guardian,'

I frowned as well. I folded the paper and looked inside the chest, hoping for something else to explain the cryptic letter. I saw a small red stone on a golden chain. I gently grabbed it and lifted it from the chest.

The stone was in the shape of a heart and it appeared to be pulsing, almost like it was a beating heart.

"So the prophecy is real then?" Nocturne said, drawing my attention away from the odd stone.

I sighed and clutched the red heart-shaped stone tightly in my hand, it's gold chain spilling out from the top of my hand.

"Yes, and we now have more questions than answers on what is to come," I replied.

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed :) And I am reporting this from my new underground base.

Danny: It's kinda cramped in here.

Ghost Writer: I agree

Ember: I can barely fit my guitar in here.

Me: Really you guys?

Danny, Ghost Writer and Ember: What?

Me: *sigh* I guess I'll see you all in the next one.