Chapter 4
The first thing Danny felt was movement. He was moving, somehow. Then sound started to add to the mixture. There was a soft brushing sound. What is going on? Danny wondered.
He forced his eyes open. He was still in the ghost zone, that was clear. Looming ahead of him was a sinister-looking brick-red cliff. It contrasted sharply with the deep purple sky of that particular area. Then Danny realized he was being carried. Looking down, he saw that the brushing sound was the tail of a ghost dragging slightly along the ground. Slowly he looked up into the face of his savior.
She was a young ghost girl, no more than ten or eleven. She had dark hair that rippled down her back. She wore a bright blue shirt with a long black skirt. Her eyes were nervous and worried, like the face of a naughty child who's about to get caught. Finally Danny spoke.
"I'm alive...but how?" The girl looked up, startled. Then she relaxed slightly.
"I saved you." she told him shyly. Danny smiled, but he was still puzzled.
"Who are you? And...why did you save me?" The girl smiled a thin lipped smile.
"My name is Miranda. And...I saved you because I thought killing you was wrong."
Danny tried to process this information. For a few minutes there was only silence. Then,
"Are you one of those...Purists?" There was a pause, then Miranda nodded slowly.
"I don't want to be." she said quietly. "But my parents are Purists, so of course they raised me to be a Purist. I think the whole thing is stupid. I don't care if humans take over the world. I'm happy here in the Ghost Zone. I didn't want to see you die. I didn't want to be forced into something I don't believe in." They had reached a small cave in the cliff. Miranda reached out a hand and gracefully traced a swirl shape into the air. The shape hung there, a bright green swirl. Miranda set Danny down gently onto the cool rock.
"That swirl is a porthole into the human world. It'll bring you right back to the place where you came from." she told him.
"Thank you." Danny said hoarsely. Miranda turned to go.
"Wait." Danny stopped her. She turned around.
"You saved my life. How can I ever repay you?" Miranda smiled slightly.
"Repay me by doing this, Danny Phantom: Get rid of the Purists and their stupid beliefs. I don't care about any of them anymore. Not even my parents." Danny nodded.
"I will." he said, his voice hushed with seriousness. Then he watched as Miranda left, her back to him, a small figure disappearing slowly into the distance. Then, he took a deep breath and stepped through the porthole.
He was back in Sam's hospital room. Danny glanced behind him, but there was no sign of the porthole which he had just come through. Sam lay on the bed, still unmoving. Her black manicured, long finger nailed hand lay gently on the mattress, contrasting with the white sheet. Danny took her hand in his. He squeezed his eyes shut and thought about how much he loved her, and how much it would hurt to lose her. Then he heard a faint moan. He opened his eyes.
Sam was stirring. Her indigo eyes opened slowly, then blinked a couple times. Danny enveloped his best friend in a tight hug and quick kiss. He knew who had blessed him with this miracle.
"Thank you, Miranda." he murmured.
A/N: There. I worked at it until the chapter was done. And yes, I did kind of model the Purists after Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Now, review!