A/N: MAN! I NEVER thought I would get this chapter posted! I was sick this week, my beta was sick this week, and, of all things, my COMPUTER was sick this week! But two of us are better and I wish my beta was one of those two. But she's a real champ to help me in spite of being a sick puppy. What a great friend! Thanks, pearl!

But now, it's time to get back to the story. And are you panting in fear as much as I am? I'm dreading what's going to happen next! So, let's get right on to Chapter 53 after the 'IDNOAC' thing! And this is one of my fav chapters, too. Well, really to the very end! There is some intensity here, too, so I just need to warn ya about that, OK? So, here is Chapter 53. Enjoy!

TrueHeart—Chapter 53—Desperate Measures

Tucker and Valerie and the two enchanted animal ghosts headed straight to the same ghost boulder on the same ghost shelf behind which they had first hid on their first visit to Spectra's lair. Once they were all settled, they peeked around the boulder and toward the shadow ghost's floating lair. They could plainly see that the entire lair was just as dark and seemingly empty as the last time they were there.

Tucker and Valerie quickly scanned the area with their instruments, this time looking specifically for Bertrand's, Spectra's and Danny's signatures. But they came up empty. But, of course, they wouldn't have detected their ghostly signatures now that Bertrand had been sure to activate his 'ghost-signature scrambler' device once he had returned to the little room under the lair.

"Now what?" Valerie asked in exasperation after pulling herself behind the boulder once again. She was totally confused as to why the lair seemed to be uninhabited when all of them had supposed that Bertrand had come back here.

"I don't know," Tucker answered, biting his lip when he rechecked his PDA. It still could not detect any ghosts within the lair. "I didn't detect even a trace of Spectra's, Bertrand's or Danny's signatures on the way here. Maybe they're in a totally different hideout after all. That's definitely not good."

Valerie, meanwhile, recalibrated her instruments and scanned a wider area beyond the lair. She then frowned in frustration. The readings were still jumbled! She pushed another button and rechecked them, only for them to show that her device was just as confused about her command to tell her something—anything—as she was in trying to read whatever data her device could display. She narrowed the scanning range around the lair again and then gasped. She saw another energy reading that confused her even more. It was fluctuating oddly…and it did-and really didn't—look all that ghostly. As she studied these new readings, she noticed another wave of that same energy appear. She immediately pushed a button to record it on her instruments.

She finally looked up at Tucker, who had already noticed when she had gasped and had been watching her check her instruments.

Knowing by that look that he wanted to know what she found, the girl then said, "Well, I can't be certain, but there is some kind of activity in the lair; but I don't know what kind or exactly where it is. But one thing I can tell you: it is some kind of powerful energy. And I can also tell you that Danny's ectoplasmic energy signature is not here."

"Yeah, I can confirm that," Tucker muttered. But I didn't pick up anything else in there. Then, what do you think that weird energy you're reading means?"

"I don't know, Tucker," she sadly said before falling into silence.

They looked in silence at each other, trying to encourage the other not to panic as they wracked their brains on what they should do next.

In the meantime, once the dove and the lynx had learned that they and their companions were at a dead end once more, they began to converse between themselves in secret—again…

"I cannot explain it, Derek, but I have an overwhelming feeling. I am certain that Sir Danny continues to be in grave danger..." Sarah insisted before pausing slightly. She then added, "And I cannot help but feel that Spectra is nearer than we think. She must definitely return here."

Derek looked to his enchanted wife and saw how serious she was. He did not doubt her and replied, "I agree, Wife, but we do not know, of course, of the exact time when she will return or if we need to continue to look heaven knows where. But, perhaps with our two human companions, we can secure some kind of indication on what we should do next."

"I pray you are right, Husband, but I also hope we are not too late! I just cannot bear the thought that we may have failed," the dove replied as she felt her tears press outward.

Derek was moved by her great concern and determination. He smiled weakly and softly said, "I have not told you often enough how much I love you and how I am honored to have you as my wife."

Her entire avian face lit up with his words, but she quietly replied, "I feel the same about you, my love. You have done me nothing but honor these many centuries; and by your noble actions now to do what is right, you have now saved me from impending despair. Even if we need to be doomed to our sad state for eternity, I am content with the knowledge that our love will sustain us through it all, and I will share it with my husband in strength and hope anew."

He smiled at her words, but then grew more serious as he said, "You honor me again. But we must first find a way to finish our task here."

He looked over to Tucker and Valerie, who were rechecking their instruments again, still uncertain of what plan of action they should take at this point.

He then turned back to his enchanted wife and said, "But it looks like our young friends over there are as much at a loss as we are at knowing the whereabouts of Sir Danny. Nevertheless, until such a time as Sir Tucker and his Lady form a new direction for us, we still have the duty to destroy the evil concoctions that still exist in the laboratory of that wicked sorceress who resides over in yonder lair. For once, and even though it has been late in coming, fate has finally granted us her favor. And now that the opportunity has been presented to us, I wish to destroy the laboratory here as deftly as we destroyed her servant's."

Sarah glanced over to the Tucker and Valerie before looking at her husband again. "I agree that we have more time than we had thought, Husband. And it may be safe to do our task after all. It would also give me peace to know that the vile Spectra will not be able to use her black arts on any other ghost. But let us make haste in secret. We must be ready in our oath to help Sir Danny before our young companions command otherwise from us."

Now that they were in agreement with their own timely plans, Sarah flitted up upon her husband's head right away and pecked him gently. He flicked his ear; and in the next instant, the ghost couple turned intangible and invisible. Derek then hurriedly and silently soared toward Spectra's lair.

Valerie and Tucker had been so caught up in their own conversation once more that they had not had noticed what the animal couple had done—again.

But when the humans had finally decided to confer with the ghost animals, several minutes had already past. And when Tucker and Valerie saw that the ghosts weren't there, they both groaned, "Not again!"

"Do you think…?" Tucker began, only to be interrupted by loud crashing sounds emanating from Spectra's lair.

"Does that answer your question?" Valerie replied.

They both nodded to the other, no doubt of having the same hunch.

Without needing to say anything more, Tucker grabbed Valerie's waist just as she pressed the button on her hover-board with her boot. They quickly soared over to the darkened lair. And just as they neared the front door, one of Valerie's weapons shot forth from her hand and she took aim at the door.

But just before she could blast it open, they heard the bone-chilling shattering of a nearby window!

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Bertrand, who had been knocked senseless by Sam's attack, was jolted back to consciousness by the next loud crash. He groggily, yet anxiously, scanned his surroundings, trying to make sense of what might be causing such a ruckus. He turned his ghostly ear toward the melee and then gasped. That was enough to fully clear his mind.

"What is that?" Spectra cried, looking upward toward the trapdoor as the noise increased in the next few moments.

In the meantime, Sam was also suddenly jolted back to reality at the next loud crash since it shook the ceiling of the underground room. She moaned at her still-spinning head, as she had yet to recover from Spectra's blows. Nevertheless, she then startled again at the next set of crashes and through her blurry vision, made herself look upward, wondering what that could be. But she really didn't care. Whatever that was, it was distracting Spectra. Her vision clearing a little more, she glanced over to her boyfriend and could see that he was still out of commission. That was all she needed to see to know that she had to concentrate more intensely now. But her dizziness would not give her that option; and in spite of her grit, the girl succumbed and fell unconscious again.

Meanwhile, growling in even more frustration that her plans look to be unraveling, Spectra glanced at her assistant. And seeing that he was finally awake, she called his name and pointed upward toward the trap door.

He really didn't need any of her prodding in the least this time, as he just knew that the sounds they were hearing were coming from yet another of his pride and joy—his lab here! He quickly bolted upward, pushing the button to deactivate the shield masking their energy signatures and opening the trap door without losing any speed. He soared out of the hole in the floor, and didn't take the time to close the spring-loaded door. But in his anxiety to hurry to investigate the noise, he knocked over a nearby lamp once he was in the upper living room and sent it loudly crashing to the ground. Still, he headed toward the laboratory.

Derek's sharp ears heard the crashing lamp above the noise he and his wife were making and he immediately hissed to the dove, "Someone is coming!"

His wife's eyes widened but she grabbed the next glass vial with her feet nevertheless and hurled it to the floor.

"It might be our companions; but be ready, my love, in case it is not!" Sarah replied as she continued in her task. But when she saw the label on the next vial, she had an idea rush forward in her mind. She grasped the flask with her feet and flew over to the lynx to show it to him. "This one might be of service to us!" she said, before adding, "I will also be ready if you need it of me!"

But just before she prepared herself, she glanced to another part of the lab and jolted in surprise and confusion. There was a pouch full of Sir Danny's glowing black pheromones here? She frowned. She was sure that the pouch they had already found and retrieved before they began destroying the other lab was safely with Sir Danny's friends... She gasped. This must be yet another such container! Her ghost throat hitched in dread. She just knew, then, that those evil ghosts were surely inflicting dangerous injury on the boy.

She silently gulped when she suddenly recalled some of Bertrand's words in one of the many conversations she had overheard between the wicked Spectra and her servant….Something about reminding Spectra to wait for the machine if she wanted more…what was that word that Sir Tucker had said? Now she wasn't sure. But their name didn't matter. Sarah had never heard of 'pheromones' before, and could not imagine what they would be. But she did know from what she had observed all the time she and Derek were prisoners of Spectra and her evil servant that these...things…had to be given to others through some kind of machine, unless they belonged to that same person. And she also now knew that these vials had to hold those very same things that the evil ghost and her servant had wanted to take from Danny, and that when doing that, they would be hurting him very badly, with the dark purpose of maybe even killing him!

These had to be the very same things! She sighed in frustration when she looked over the glowing containers once more. If only she could get them back to the boy and help him! But she knew she couldn't, and could only do what she could right now. Then tightening her hold on the vial of the brownish-green substance she still held within the grasp of her feet, she braced herself for whatever might happen next.

Derek smiled with pride at his brave wife. And he understood her plan. He flew near the doorway, hiding on its left and in the shadows. He waited anxiously, praying that it was their young human friends. But he was ready if it were their enemies. A split second later, Bertrand came into the lab and Derek reacted at once and pounced upon him, pushing the shape shifter to the ground, their momentum almost pushing them out of the lab's entrance.

Though taken by surprise, Bertrand was just as quick to react. He threw off the wildcat, sending him deeper into the lab, before he instantly morphed into his wolf form. Derek rebounded almost instantly afterward, and baring his claws and fangs in anger, charged at the wolf.

As black and green wrestled aggressively in mid-air, Sarah flitted close by with her makeshift weapon, desperately looking for the opportunity to help her husband. All of the sudden, Derek then pulled away, giving his wife a chance to act. But before she could, Bertrand's large paw hooked itself around Derek's hind leg and pulled him downward.

But Derek took advantage of the situation. He aimed his claws straight at his attacker as the momentum of that downward yank slammed Derek right into the shape-shifter's body. Bertrand shrieked in pain as liquid green seeped around those black claws, but answered that blow right away with a hard, sharp punch.

Derek groaned at the insult, but did not relent. He thrust his body at his enemy once more and in their struggle, they tumbled right out of the lab and into the next room.

Sarah pursued after the grappling male animals with the vial still secured within her avian feet. But then, as she reached the new room, she noticed light streaming out of the floor nearby. She turned toward it and gasped. A trap door! A hidden room! That is where Spectra was holding Sir Danny, she just knew it! "Derek!" she anxiously screamed. "They have Sir Danny down below the floor in a hidden room!"

But even though he heard his wife and had seen some blurs of an unexplained light from the floor somewhere to his left as he wrestled with the green wolf, at the moment, of course, the wildcat didn't have a chance to do any more than fight with Bertrand. Even still, his wife had inadvertently distracted him enough for the ghost wolf to take full advantage of it.

Bertrand, who was now on his back and under the wildcat, threw his paw upward toward the lynx's belly this time. His green claws dug in and lifted the wildcat with the intent of thrusting him across the room.

Derek roared with pain and Sarah screamed in fear for him.

But then, Derek violently arched his back, successfully pulling away from Bertrand's spikes. He then twisted violently back down with a roar onto the wolf, retaliating with all four sets of his claws and his fangs.

This time, it was Bertrand's turn to howl with the sharp throb. The fury of the smaller ghost animal was still impressive and unpredictable enough to throw the larger beast off guard. Still, Bertrand was quick to return the lynx's blow with one of his own.

The ghost dove looked anxiously on as the two males fought on. She wished she could help her husband, but since they were so entangled with each other, she still had no opportunity to do so! Her eyes frantically searched the area for some other way to help, but then they came to rest upon the open trap door. And then she knew how else she could help.

She quickly darted toward the lab. Once there, she carefully put down the vial of her makeshift weapon that she still clutched with her avian feet. She hurriedly and anxiously looked among the tousled shelves. There it was! Without hesitating, she flew to it. She scooped up the glowing pouch needed for Danny with her beak. She then turned it and herself invisible and intangible, and quickly soared out of the lab, heading back to the room containing the trap door leading to the secret room below.

And just as she returned to the room where her husband and Bertrand were fighting, she saw Bertrand raise his angry paw upward. She felt her ghostly throat hitch. It took everything within her not to drop the pouch and scream when she saw that awful servant's claws come downward toward her husband. Still, she concentrated on her task.

Derek felt his body being angrily thrown across the room with Bertrand's blow. He slammed into the furniture there as if he were a bowling ball striking all of the pins at once.

He groaned, but pulled himself upward. He wasn't going to give in yet.

But then, it looked like Bertrand wasn't going to do that, either! The green wolf had charged right after the lynx even as the black wildcat was plowing into the loose furniture. In an instant, Bertrand was nearly on top of the lynx.

But Derek saw him and was barely able to escape the wolf's next angry blow. He darted upward, trying to gain some time to rest a bit. He knew he would not be able to fight much longer against this much more powerful foe. Still, he would not stop at this point. He couldn't. Just then, he spied another small lamp in a darkened corner. And he knew what he might be able to do.

In all this while, the two grappling males had been so busy in their struggle that they never noticed when the invisible Sarah and pouch had soared past them and plunged downward into the bright hole in the floor…

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Down below the floor, Spectra had been waiting anxiously, wondering about what was happening when Bertrand had left to investigate all that noise.

Then, there was a slight break in the noise; and in that tense silence, she couldn't help but keep her eyes glued to the hole in the floor above her. But then she growled when she suddenly heard what was obviously a struggle…between snarling animals! And one of them was definitely Bertrand!

That was enough to bring her back to the matter at hand. She turned back to the two senseless teens. Her mind instantly screened out the ruckus above as a dark smile crept onto her lips. It was time to deliver the final blow to them both.

She began to float toward them when she suddenly spied the pouch full of Danny's glowing pheromones , the ones that they had just obtained from the hybrid since they had taken him to this room. And when she looked at their glow, another thought unexpectedly ensnared her mind. Here they were, all that power—all that agelessness—all just for her taking! She just knew they would make her young virtually forever! And once she had all that, she would be invincible… She smiled. This moment could not be more delicious: she didn't have Bertrand here nagging her to share them with him…

But then, she gritted her teeth, perturbed at her next thought. She couldn't have their full effects unless she had that blasted machine! And that girl had destroyed it! Her eyes narrowed in hate as she began to turn back to the teens again. But then, she stopped. Her tense jaw relaxed as she licked her lips in anticipation at her next idea: neither she nor Bertrand could get their full effects unless they had the machine. And that would only mean that only one of them would benefit from them. And that 'one' might as well be her.

That was all she needed to give in to her greed. She glided right over to the pouch and began to inhale all of the vials.

All the while, the evil shadow ghost ignored the sounds of the obviously violent fight just above her. And she was not aware of a small invisible and intangible ghost who had just entered the secret room and had narrowly missed running into her just as the shadow ghost had begun to move toward the vials.

Sarah was glad the strap of the pouch had gagged her gasp when she immediately spied Spectra and hurriedly pulled away from her, easily and silently gliding around her. She relaxed a little when she was successful in avoiding the evil ghost.

Still invisible and intangible, the ghost dove frantically searched the little room; and at first saw only a bunch of boxes stacked here and there, and other damaged boxes strewed about. Her bosom tightened in dread. She somehow knew a battle had taken place. She moved quickly around them, not giving up. She just knew he was here. She then spied a few more boxes sloppily stacked in the near distance, blocking her view of the far corner.

She didn't hesitate to peer around those boxes. It was then her eyes widened when she finally noticed Danny and saw his tattered black and white suit and his disheveled, partially-scorched white hair on his limp, bound body. What flesh she could see on him was not only wounded and splattered with green ectoplasm, but was extremely and dangerously pale.

Squelching her impulse to cry in remorse, the ghost bird steeled herself as she silently, but hurriedly, hovered near the boy before carefully lowering and then depositing the pouch right behind a small box that was right next to him. Then, she knew she had to return to the lab to retrieve the vial she had left, her 'make-shift weapon'. She needed it to stop that wicked sorceress ghost. But as she turned to retrace her path, she saw Sam! The stack of boxes had initially hidden her view of the girl.

This time, the dove unconsciously gasped at how injured the human girl was with her own cuts and bruises; and this time, Spectra heard it!

Chiding herself when she saw the female shadow ghost snap her head and glare in her direction, Sarah was even more thankful she was invisible. Still, this was not good news. That evil ghost might hurt those two teens right away from her carelessness! Now, she was desperate. She had to hurry. Time was of essence.

She flew upward in such great haste, that she phased right through the ceiling instead of going through the trapdoor. She had to save as much time as possible in order to reach the lab quickly and get that weapon.

But just as she reached the room where Derek and Bertrand were still fighting, she saw a small flying lamp coming right at her! She gasped; but then the lamp went right through her since she was still invisible and intangible! And the next instant, the lamp smashed against the side of Bertrand's muzzle.

Sarah ignored the chill of terror that went up her ghostly spine at the sound of Bertrand's panged and incensed howl. Instead, she steeled herself and flew back into the lab, now more determined to do her part to stop at least one of these two evil ghosts just as Derek was trying to stop Bertrand.

She secured that much-needed other vial within the firm grasp of her avian feet. Turning invisible and intangible once more, she bounded back into the room containing not only the entrance to the hidden underground room, but also, of course, the heated battle of the two male ghost animals.

She had arrived just to see Bertrand charging at her husband again! This time, Bertrand's large paw's aim was true and he delivered a powerful swat to the wildcat. He hit the lynx so hard that the smaller animal was propelled through the nearest window, its ghostly pane shattering like the haunting and eerie tinkling of many ancient bells.

Sarah was briefly stunned by the sight. But then, this only made her want to pressed on even more with her mission, even if she could strangely feel the painful vibrations of the shattering window echo within her. She knew that her husband would understand. And she no longer hesitated to plunge once again through the trap door in the floor…

And just as she did, Bertrand had bolted off the floor, right after he had thrust Derek out the window. But he was also now livid for having given the lynx an opportunity to escape. All he could now focus on was finally destroying that impudent little wildcat. Still, he was too big to pursue the lynx through that window without morphing. And if he did, the lynx would have the advantage against his smaller size once he passed through the window.

Trying to get his bearings, his lupine eyes darted around the room. He then spied the front door! Without hesitation and without a glance at the still open trap door, Bertrand twisted violently to his left and headed for the exit. As he charged out of the lair, bellowing his angry cry and soaring toward the direction the lynx would be, the wolf bared his claws and fangs in a furious counterattack.

He aggressively snaked around the corner toward the back of the lair, only to meet the barrel of Valerie's large gun instead—just moments before she fired…

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After having been thrown out the window, Derek immediately recovered on the outside of the lair, only to notice a presence right next to him. He reeled around, ready for a counterattack, when he saw Tucker and Valerie!

Still with his guard up, Derek hastily panted to the human teens, "Quickly! Your friend Sir Danny must be inside! In a secret room in the floor!"

Just then, they heard a very nearby wolf's aggressive howl. A few moments later, they then heard Sarah's distant pained scream.

All three companions tensed in reaction to both chilling sounds, especially when they could tell that the wolf's cry was outside.

Derek's quick hearing could tell that his wife's scream had come from the inside, but more than that. It had come from an even deeper place. And he had a hunch where. "Sarah is still inside and in trouble!" Derek then screamed before adding with apprehension, "And that wolf we hear close by is Spectra's evil servant! He is in pursuit of me!"

Tucker hurriedly told the lynx, "You go help your wife and we'll take care of this turkey!"

Derek bolted right back into the broken window out of which he had been thrown and searched for the light in the floor. Immediately seeing it, and just as instantly looking for and not seeing his wife, he unhesitatingly acted on his hunch. He thrust downward through the bright hole…

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As Sarah pushed herself downward further into the hidden underground room with her makeshift weapon still within her avian feet, she threw her fears aside. She knew all along that Spectra might be waiting for her. That danger couldn't wait to swallow her. But it didn't matter. She had to be here. She had to help.

Then, suddenly, Spectra was near! As soon as Sarah materialized enough so that she could use her entire energy and strength to hurl the vial at the evil shadow ghost, Spectra spied her and immediately jolted the bird with a powerful ray.

Feeling her body being electrocuted without mercy, Sarah screamed in agony, but all she could do at that point was to absorb the blow. Finally, after what felt like eternity to the ghost dove, Spectra extinguished her beam and the enchanted girl dropped to the ground, completely made helpless by the attack.

Spectra smiled to herself and wickedly cackled, "Looks like this is just my day! Just my day to wring your little neck, that is! But before I do, I'd much rather have the pleasure of inflicting lots of pain on you first!"

She was about to release more of her energy beam to attack the dove with when she heard a loud roar.

It was Derek, who upon seeing his Sarah crumpled upon the floor as he had entered the small, secret room, had immediately growled in anger and lunged at the shadow ghost.

But Spectra jumped out of the way, sending the powerful burst of purple energy she had intended for the dove toward the lynx as she did.

Derek gasped when he saw the beam heading right at him and jolted upward, barely missing Spectra's assault. He then pulled himself into a back bend just before soaring downward in a counterattack. He quickly dodged another one of the female human ghost's rays and bolted more aggressively toward her. He got close enough to attempt a swipe at her with his furious, biting claws. They made firm contact, digging deeply into Spectra's shoulder just as the lynx pulled away and headed toward the ceiling of the small room.

Spectra yelled as her ectoplasm oozed out of the new wound and she growled in rage. Her eyes were ablaze with fiery red frenzy as she leapt upward in pursuit of the small wildcat. She closed the gap before Derek could twist back around and downward for another swoop against the evil ghost.

Grabbing his tail, Spectra violently pulled him downward and the lynx yelped as he violently slammed into the floor. He lay momentarily in a daze, lights flickering before his ghostly eyes. But then, he snapped to attention when those lights were suddenly shadowed by Spectra's attacking claws and body, and the male wildcat ghost bolted sidewise, barely avoiding her.

This time, it was the female Spectre's turn to slam into the floor. She hadn't been able to slow her momentum when her victim had escape; and with the brunt of her crash landing, she, too, was left stunned.

Taking advantage of this small window of opportunity, Derek soared over to his wife.

Sarah was just rousing from the sting of Spectra's initial attack; and when the dove's vision finally cleared enough for her to see her husband, she hurriedly whispered, "Quickly, Husband! We must free Sir Danny and Lady Sam before more harm comes to them! They are over there!" She pointed with her wing, glancing fretfully at the two teens when she could see that they were still incapacitated. "I know how to help the boy. Please free his lady!"

"But…" her husband began, worried when he had seen that his wife had ectoplasm seeping from her other wing.

"Please, my love! Just for me!" Sarah pleaded as she splayed her wings and pulled herself fully upward with one swoop. Ignoring the pain searing her injured wing with each movement, and now unable to become invisible due to her injury and her weakened state, she soared over to the pouch of glowing vials that she had hidden just before her failed attack upon Spectra. With great effort, she quickly pulled the pouch over and right next to the unconscious boy.

Hovering while she desperately scanned the area, the dove smiled weakly when she spied what she needed. Without hesitation, she flew over to it.

Meanwhile, Derek had flown over to Sam. Just before he grasped one of the clamps with his powerful jaws, he noticed that the girl's wrist was already injured. He growled under his breath, now livid at the shadow ghost who he was sure was responsible for the girl's multiple lacerations and injuries. But he didn't lose his concentration and clamped down upon Sam's metal bond, careful not to scrape or injure the unconscious girl's wrist any further when he did. Satisfied that it was time to pull on the clamp, he arched his back, ready to yank on them with all his might. But it was right then that his sharp ears heard Spectra stirring.

He gasped when the boxes that had been shielding him, his wife and the teens were blasted away. He immediately lodged his hind legs against the wall right next to Sam. Pulling himself tightly to the wall; and not unlike loading and then activating a spring, he pushed outward with his hind legs and soared toward Spectra. He didn't waver to pounce on her, even though she was still on the floor.

But before he could sink his teeth into her ghostly human neck, she grabbed him by his feline shoulders. Just as she lifted him high over her own shoulders, she drove a tremendous jolt of deep lavender energy into his body at the same time from both of her hands.

The lynx yelped in pain, helpless under her blow.

Certain that she had significantly hurt him, Spectra threw him away from her.

His body flailed uncontrollably in the air as he was hurled away from the shadow ghost. An instant later, Derek finally rammed right into the opposite wall. He groaned in pain as he slipped down the wall and onto the floor. At that moment, he lay too stunned to rebound.

Spectra looked in hate upon the lynx before suddenly spying what the dove was up to. The wicked ghost then caught sight of the pouch of unmistakably glowing vials and she gasped in instant recognition of the enchanted girl's plans.

The shadow ghost seethed, "So, you think yourself clever after all, Sarah? I don't think so! Your birdbrain plan won't work! Danny's strength is too far gone! In fact, since I'm now more powerful than even your little mind can possibly imagine, I think it's time for me to prove to you just how much he's hanging on for dear life—literally!"

Sarah gasped as the evil, overconfident shadow ghost floated toward the unconscious boy. But the enchanted dove didn't stop in her efforts. She struggled to lift the hammer she had spied and forced herself to fly with it in haste toward Danny.

Again, Spectra yelled with both cockiness and contempt, "I won't give you the satisfaction of seeing him have an ounce of a chance to recover, because your plan is futile! Rather, I'll let you have the honor—or I should say dishonor—of being the one responsible for his death—and his girlfriend's demise, as well—all because of your rash actions right now!"

Sarah gasped with dread at Spectra's words; and although her first reaction was to accept as true what the evil ghost said about Danny's not being able to benefit from what she was planning to do and just give up, she now knew better than to believe that ghost's lies. She pushed onward even when her effort was sapping her own strength rapidly away and even when she could see that Spectra was charging up a very powerful ray. A ray so powerful, it was slightly larger than the diameter of the dove's own body and now pulsating with such an ominously dark purple glow, it was as a famished animal, growling with its murderous intent. And the young bird feared, most certainly, that it would be a lethal ray to Danny.

And just as Sarah finally got close enough with the hammer to drop it on the pouch of glowing vials directly under it, the enchanted dove remained focused and righteously cried, "Have you no fear of God, you wicked demon? I will not allow you to hurt these two innocents again while I still exist!"

As soon as she said that, Sarah let the hammer fall; and as the heavy instrument plummeted downward, several things happened at once: Spectra released her fatal beam toward Danny; the hammer finally slammed into the vials, breaking them all open and releasing their contents; and Sarah threw herself in front of Danny, ready to absorb Spectra's terrible power.