Chapter 11
After Tucker's stunning announcement, the group gathered around Danny's motionless body became strangely silent as they all tried to figure out what to do. Normally Emily would be the person of choice to turn to in a situation like this: with her extraordinary healing powers, she had saved Danny's life many times before. But with her healing powers apparently gone, the only logical person to turn to was Danielle.
"Why are you all looking at me?" she questioned nervously. Sam was the first one to answer.
"Don't you have healing powers? I mean, you have practically every other power in the universe." Dani shook her head.
"No, that's one power my idiot father didn't give me. He couldn't. That power can only be distributed by-"
"Isabelle, the Healing Ghost." Sam finished for her. "We know." Dani looked surprised but said nothing. For a minute, things were silent as they all watched Cujo licking Danny's motionless face.
"Speaking of Isabelle..." Emily's voice trailed off until everybody was looking at her. She cleared her throat and continued.
"Shouldn't we go to her? I mean, she is the Healing Ghost. If anybody can heal Danny, she can." The group was silent as they all pondered this. Finally it was Sam that spoke.
"Let's do it." she said, staring straight ahead with determination. Dani, who had put Emily down by this time, looked at her friend with concern.
"Somebody has to carry Danny. If Emily can walk to Isabelle's lair, then I can carry Danny. I think I'm the only one strong enough to carry him." There were mutters of agreement all around the group.
"Can you walk, Em?" Sam asked gently. She knew how hard it was for Emily, especially when she got tired.
"It's not that far to Isabelle's" added Danielle. Emily looked all around the group, then down at Danny, and nodded.
"Yeah, I can walk. I just hope I don't slow you guys down." Everybody shifted uncomfortably. They all knew that Emily probably would slow them down. But nobody was about to say that in front of her. But Emily noticed.
"Let's just go." she said quietly, fighting back tears. She would slow them down. It was unavoidable. But she was used to it. She had been slowing people down all her life. Only Sam seemed to notice this, as she put an arm around Emily's shoulders in an unusual act of kindness. Danielle hoisted Danny easily into her arms, and they were off.
"I cannot heal him." Isabelle said, looking sadly down at Danny's lifeless body. "I'm sorry."
"What?!" all three girls yelled together. Tucker just looked angry. Outraged yells bounced off the cave-like walls and echoed throughout the lair.
"But you're the-" That was Sam, but she was drowned out by Emily, whose voice had gotten significantly louder and higher, a sure sign that she was mad.
"What do you mean-" Dani interrupted.
"But you have to!" And then, all three girls together.
"You're the Healing Ghost!" Isabelle did not seem fazed facing three angry hormonal teenage girls-and Tucker. She just looked miserable. Isabelle had helped Danny many times before; and it pained her not to be able to help him now.
"This curse was put on Danny by the Ancient One." she explained carefully, not wanting to anger the girls even more. "The Ancient One is the most powerful ghost in the Ghost Zone. He controls everything. A curse of this magnitude can only be lifted by him."
"But...the Ancient One is missing, right?" Emily asked, recalling her conversation with the ghost who had tried to kill her. Isabelle gave an affirmative nod.
"That is why you must find him." A new sound echoed off the glowing walls-if they could be called walls-of Isabelle's lair: a harsh, sharp, bark of laughter. And it came from the most unlikely person: Emily, who had sank down to the floor during their conversation and now was sitting with her legs pulled tight to her body, and her arms wrapped around her knees.
"Find the Ancient One?" she echoed incredulously. "And, what? Is he just going to appear magically out of thin air just when we need him?" Isabelle smiled slightly at Emily's sarcastic humor.
"No. But he will give you clues along the way-that is, if he wants to be found."
And what if he doesn't want to be found? thought Sam. But before she had the chance to ask, Isabelle suddenly flickered and when she reappeared, she was translucent, not completely transparent, but almost.
"What was that?" Danielle asked in confusion. Isabelle sighed.
"I was afraid of this. The Ancient One is the one who keeps everything in order in the Ghost Zone, and regulates each ghost's power to make sure we are in balance. Without him, the Ghost Zone is in disarray, and each every ghost's power is slowly dwindling."
"But I thought your power came from your necklace." pointed out Tucker, causing all three girls to look at him in surprise. None of them had ever thought that Tucker ever remembered these sorts of things.
"What?" he asked, noticing everyone staring at him. "Every once in awhile I do remember things that don't have to do with technology!"
"Anyway..." Isabelle continued, raising her voice above them. "My power comes from the necklace, but it is the Ancient One who regulates the amount of power in the necklace. As a result, my power is dwindling, just like every other ghost in the Ghost Zone."
"And...what happens when your power runs out?" came a very small and frightened voice. Danielle had sat down next to Emily, and the two of them were looking scared out of their wits. Sam was momentarily stunned. Sometimes she forgot just how young Dani was. She was twelve, for god's sake! A twelve year old shouldn't have to deal with these things!
"If it runs out completely, there's ghost death, which can only be reversed by the Ancient One. But long before that, we will be weak enough to be easily taken over by the Purists or another ghost faction." Isabelle told them.
"But aren't the Purists losing power, too?" questioned Emily, speaking for the first time since her sarcastic outburst.
"They are," Isabelle agreed. "But they are in a group. A group of ghosts has more power than one ghost, do they not?" Small murmurs of agreement followed. "So they share and exchange power amongst themselves, such that the rate of power loss is slowed down. At this rate, they will still have enough power left to establish an empire in the Ghost Zone. And then once those ghosts are too weak to maintain control, others will take over. The Purists and other ghost factions have human followers, you know."
"Yeah." said Sam, shuddering, thinking of Vlad. "We know." Isabelle suddenly fixed the four teens with a somber look.
"Do you realize the turmoil that the Ghost Zone is in at the moment? Different factions are fighting each other for control. The Purists are by far the strongest of all of them, so if they don't put the others into ghost death with their war, the uncontrollable power loss will do it for them. After that, we're doomed. If the Ancient One ever brings us out of ghost death, we will awake to a world ruled by Purists. Can you imagine what that would be like?" The group was silent as they pondered that horrifying thought.
"The Ghost Zone is headed into dark times, my children. And you four are the only ones who can save it. You must find the Ancient One, and fast. The fate of the Ghost Zone lies in your hands." Emily was the first one who spoke after that.
"Yes." she said firmly, though her face was white with fear, and her arms and legs were trembling. "We'll do it."
A/N: Well, I hope that wasn't a confusing chapter for you, it was a bit confusing to write. Took me months, but its finally done! Please review, for all my hard work. While you're at it, also review my new story, Flame. Thanks!