Chapter 3

Disclaimer: If I owned it, Danny would be mine! hehehehehe...ahem. on to the story!

That night, Danny wasn't planning on getting much sleep.

He had slept through most of his classes, and had enough energy to search for Ember, for awhile at least. Tuck and Sam had agreed to help out by looking online for information on where Ember's next show would be, while Danny searched for leads from the starry night sky.

He stifled a yawn as he flew over the city, his hair, silver in the moonlight, ruffling in the cool wind.

He'd been searching for 2 hours, and hadn't found anything yet.

"Danny," a voice crackled over his Fenton phones. He snapped back to attention.

"Yeah, I'm here," he said, looking down on the city lights passing by.

"We found something – Ember's going to be performing live tomorrow night! In Amity Park!"

Danny smiled grimly. "We'll get her then." He couldn't hold back a second yawn, and dropped slightly in the air as he lost concentration.

"Listen, I'm going to head back home," he told his friends, blinking blearily. "I'm not seeing any ghosts, and what I need to catch is some shut-eye."

"Har, har," came Sam's sarcastic voice in his headphones, making him grin.

"Understood," Tuck said. "Over-and-out."

"I'll be looking up some more info online," Sam said. "At least for awhile. I'm not that tired yet – it's only 11."

"Okay Sam, I'll let you know if I need anything," Danny said, turning around and heading back to his house.

Flying was one of the best things about ghost powers. There was no sound up so high in the air. The city slept quietly underneath Danny, and the stars twinkled silently above. It was just so peaceful.

Suddenly there was a burst of heat on his right shoulder, which sent Danny spinning through the air. His earphones fell out as he spun, almost passing out before he could right himself again.

He shook his head and floated in place, rubbing his shoulder. What had just happened?

Danny looked around him, but couldn't see anything.

"Looking for someone?" came a menacing voice above him. Danny looked fearfully upwards, his eyes sparkling in the moonlight and his hair glowing a soft silver white.

A female figure with long flowing hair was outlined against the moon, floating above him. Danny couldn't see who it was, but he had a good guess.

"Ember!" he hissed, still rubbing his shoulder. Whatever she had thrown at him, it had hurt!

"Still the clever one, I see," Ember laughed, pointing her guitar at him. "I won't let you stop me like last time! This time you won't even be able to stop yourself!"

With a cackle of glee, Ember adjusted her guitar dial to the highest love setting, and strummed a chord.

Danny covered his ears – the sound was excruciating – and flew away as fast as he could.

The blast barely missed Danny, going just over his head.

"Oh man!" he yelped, dodging lower. "Sam, Sam are you there?" There was no answer. It was then that he realized his earphones were missing.

There was another strum of Ember's guitar – Danny could hear it close behind him – and another blast that just barely missed him.

He couldn't fly that fast! He was getting tired, and Ember was catching up. His eyes were wavering from green to blue, and he could feel himself getting lower in the sky, although he tried to stay aloft.

Another strum, and Danny concentrated enough to go intangible. There! He was invisible too.

This time, the blast hit him dead-on, and Danny once again went spinning through the night air.

How did she hit me when I was intangible? He thought dazedly, before crashing into the ground so hard that it took his breath away.

In a flash of light, Danny Phantom transformed back into Danny Fenton – weak, defenseless, and unconscious.

Above him, Ember cackled with glee before moving on toward Sam's house.

"Danny? Danny are you there?" Sam was still talking into her earphones worriedly. Danny hadn't answered in some time, and Sam knew there was something wrong.

Frustrated and worried, she tore the earphones off and grabbed her cell to dial Tucker's number.

"Hello?" came a groggy voice on the other end.

"Tuck!" she shouted. "Danny's in trouble! We need to help him!"

Tucker woke up immediately. "What's wrong?" he asked. "What can we do?"

Sam sat down heavily. "I don't know, I'm not even sure where he is. He said he was going home, and then something happened. I heard an explosion or something. I just hope he's okay."

Suddenly Sam's bedroom window burst open, and she dropped her phone with a scream.

"Sam?" Tuck yelled from the other end. There was no reply.

Sam was looking out her open window with dread. Ember was floating right outside with her guitar, smiling wickedly at Sam.

"W-what do you want?" Sam stammered, wishing she could hide. She gasped, remember that she didn't have her earphones on anymore. She slowly reached backwards on her bed to grab them, but Ember whipped her guitar toward her menacingly.

"Don't. Move." She ordered, her eyes flashing red. "Or I will hurt you like I hurt your boyfriend."

The blood drained from Sam's face. "What did you do to Danny?!" she yelled angrily.

She had to try to keep Ember talking so she could get the earphones.

Ember smirked. "Concerned? Don't be. He's only unconscious in the park. Well, it could be worse, but who knows? You'll be with him soon enough."

Sam had heard enough. She dove for the earphones, managing to grab them before Ember strummed her guitar. And the last thing Sam remembered was a burst of warmth and the feeling of falling.

Ember sneered in disgust, flying in to the room to pick Sam up. It was pitiful how these pathetic mortals always tried to fight her. There was no way they could win in the end.

Especially once they're completely preoccupied with each other, she thought smugly.

She flew Sam out of her room and into the night, just as Tucker burst through the door with the Fenton thermos. He was too late. He ran to the window and watched Sam disappear, in the direction of the park.

"Sam!" he yelled into the night.