Chapter 6

Sam stared at her.

"You're kidding, right?" she said in disbelief, even though she could tell that Emily wasn't lying. Emily was a horrible liar. Emily shook her head slowly, a teardrop falling to the floor.

Sam started pacing the floor restlessly, panic evident in her eyes. Tucker watched silently. Emily turned her back on her friends and started to sob.

"What do we do?" Sam said in desperation. Her step quickened as she paced the floor more furiously.

"We can't take him to a hospital, what if they take a blood sample? They'll discover he's half ghost!" she continued. "What do we do? What do we do!" Sam sank to the floor beside Danny's lifeless body, now beginning to cry just as hard as Emily. Tucker watched the scene unfolding in front of him, and fought the urge to laugh. Sam didn't cry. Sam never cried. Goth girls didn't cry.

But she was crying now. Salty tears flowed freely off her cheeks and onto Danny's red and white t-shirt. Emily had buried herself in a corner and her sobs were muffled, as she was facing the wall.

Tucker looked from one crying girl to the other, and then to Danny. He started formulating a plan in his head. Danny was still breathing, but just barely. If he kept standing here gaping like an idiot, his best friend would be dead within hours.

"Stop crying, already!" he yelled in frustration. The girls, obviously shocked at his outburst, quieted down and turned their tearstained faces towards him.

"Listen, I'm just as upset and desperate as you guys are, don't think I'm not. Danny's my best friend, and if he dies, I'm making sure he doesn't die on a cold floor of a church in the Ghost Zone! So, here's my plan. We just take Danny home, and put him in his own bed. We'll take turns watching over Danny, and trying to find out what that blast of red energy was. That was what knocked him unconscious. So, it only makes sense to research it. All right? Now pull yourselves together and help me get Danny out of the Ghost Zone."

Sam sniffled, and flicked a tear off her face. "Tucker's right." she said, wiping her eyes. She looked a mess, with swollen, puffy eyes, a runny nose, and black makeup running down her face. But the expression on her face was determined.

"Em?" Sam said gently. "You going to be okay?" Emily nodded silently, even though she was not at all sure if she could pull herself together enough to help her friends. But she was certainly going to try.

Tucker heaved Danny's body off the floor and cradled him in his arms. With the girls help, he carried his best friend out of the church and into the outside atmosphere of the Ghost Zone.

It was a long and slow journey through the Ghost Zone. Familiar enemies of Danny cackled in delight to see the famed ghost boy so helpless. But it was, for the most part, a smooth journey. Emily was looking like she was about ready to pass out herself when they finally reached the doors of the Ghost Portal.

Sam had hoped that they wouldn't pass Danny's parents as they carried him upstairs, but she was wrong.

"What on earth happened?" Maddie Fenton asked in concern as they passed on the stairs.

"Does it have to do with ghosts?" Jack demanded.

"Uh...Danny fell asleep at my house." Sam improvised quickly. "We thought we'd bring him home."

Sam sighed and shook her head as they struggled up the stairs. Danny's parents were always so obsessed with ghosts. How could she tell them that this one really was the work of ghosts?

They got Danny settled in his bed. Once he was supposedly comfortable, the three friends looked at each other.

"Well?" Sam asked expectantly. "What do we do now?" Tucker shrugged.

"I guess I'll stay with him for now." Emily said softly. Sam nodded.

"OK. I have to be getting home, myself."

"So do I." added Tucker.

Emily watched her friends leave, and then looked at the still-unconscious Danny.

"Oh Danny." she whispered in his ear, starting to cry once more. "I love you so much. I feel so helpless. Whenever you got yourself into a desperate situation, I was always there with my healing powers to save you. Now my healing powers are gone, and so is a part of my heart, the part that belongs to you. None of this ever would have happened if I hadn't been weak enough to let a ghost overpower me like that. It's all my fault." Just as she said that, she became intangible and slid through the seat of her chair, by accident. She flickered back to tangibility just before she hit the carpet.

"Ow." Emily said, rubbing her sore bottom. "Now my other powers are going haywire. I guess it's because you're not here to help me with my powers. Oh, dear God, what else could go wrong?" She buried her head in Danny's t-shirt and started to sob again.

Just then, a deep voice came out of nowhere.

"Silver Lining," it boomed. Emily looked up in surprise.

"How do you know my name?" she queried, hastily wiping her eyes.

"That is not important. I have an urgent message for you. The Ghost Zone is in disarray. The Ancient One has disappeared, and without his calm leadership and guidance, different groups of ghosts are fighting each other for control of the Ghost Zone, and eventually, the human world. You are the only one who can reunite the broken Ghost Zone."

"Who are you?" Emily asked in amazement. She saw the shadows flicker, as if the source of the voice was impatiently waving a hand to the side.

"You do not need to know who I am. All you need to do is find the Ancient One. He will take care of the rest."

"But why me?" Emily meant for that to be calm and intelligent, but it came out more on a squeak. The voice sighed.

"Because, you are the only trustworthy halfa. Danny Phantom is, of course, unable to do the job, and Vlad Plasmius is untrustworthy. You are, in conclusion, the only halfa left." An important question came to Emily's mind.

"Why should I help you?" There was a pause before the voice spoke again.

"Because, if you find the Ancient One, he will be the only one able to restore your healing powers. You can save your friend." Emily made up her mind right then and there. This was the only way she could save Danny.

"All right." she said determinedly. "I'll do it."

A/N: Wow, I'm on a roll with the chapter length. Two chapters in a row were more than two pages. As always, review!