He was part of my dream, of course -- but then I was part of his dream, too

(Through The Looking Glass)


Darkness turned to light very quickly for Sam, when she opened her eyes a sudden jolt of pain shook her, and then was gone. A moment and it was over. Her memories were rather jumbled around and she couldn't remembered what happened, almost as though she'd blacked out. She looked about her to see her only means of transportation laying in a mess of twisted metal and smoking debris.

Some accident.

It was silent, the silence was unbearable. Sam found it strange, very strange that it was so silent. There had to have been a crash, she must've lost control, she never lost control. It was troubling that she couldn't recall the crash. And yet here she was amongst the wreckage and lost in the silence, that damn silence. Looking around she knew she was in the Ghost Zone, the eerie dead black sky told her all.

Sam paced, she paced because she was frustrated, she paced because her feet didn't make a sound when they stomped on the ground. The Ghost Zone was a whole new realm, she realized this, and things were going to be very different from the way they were back home. Sam would come to terms, she would, she'd need to in order to find Danny.

"Oh what a mess, what a mess." A tisking voice resounded from behind her, Sam whipped around and saw no one standing behind her.

Her violet eyes darted around the strange twisted dead forest she'd landed in. The strange green glow that lit the Ghost Zone was her only source of light and it was very effective it acted much like the sun, if the sun gave off a slight greenish tint. Still she saw no one and stared awkwardly and frightened amongst the menacing shadows. Something was near her, something was watching, and she couldn't find that something.

Luckily, the utility belt that held a few weapons was still snug against her waist and everything seemed undamaged, she prayed they were just as fine as they appeared. She fingered the Jack-o-ninetails nervously, if that thing spoke again she'd find it and get it. A shadow moved from tree to tree then disappeared. Maybe it wouldn't bother her again.

"Alright Sam,"She started."You're in a whole new world now, there's bound to be unimaginable, sketchy things. You can handle this."

Sam began walking away, she couldn't stand in that small clearing all day, or night, or whatever. She wasn't sure whether time mattered here or not, she wasn't really sure what did matter here. The only thing she decided that was worthwhile was just searching, endlessly if needed. Danny had to have been seen here within the past three years.

This was a forest, she decided that this patch of land was forest-like, if theses twisted black shapes with sharp dead branches that jutted out into the sky could be considered trees then she was in woodland area. If she could remember right, the Ghost Zone was composed of many lands that floated separately; most of them were dominated over by certain ghosts.

Her biggest challenge would be changing to another plateau. She might need help with her transportation destroyed, but she would cross that bridge when it came. Oh how much easier it would be if there were actual bridges, but given the idea that the Ghost Zone is supposed to be for ghosts, she guessed bridges wouldn't be all that useful.

Another problem would be the many enemies of Danny who resided here, who knew if they held a grudge against her? What could be better than striking down an old foe on your own turf? Sam knew she'd be a tempting target and was probably in great danger just by being here. But she needed to be, for Danny.

"Okay, I don't know where I'm going or where I am. If I can just find familiar land then I'll be set." Sam sighed taking cautious steps that still made her uneasy since she couldn't hear herself walking.

A grotesque looking wolf darted out in front of her. It looked as though it had just been torn apart, deep yellow lifeless eyes stared into hers for only a moment before it continued into the deeper shadows of the trees.

Sam found it rather peculiar that things could cast shadows without any sunlight, or that the entire sky was black but the entire place was lit in a greenish blue glow. Perhaps their sun was invisible, but she would never really know. Above her a few random ghosts floated along through the empty abyss that was the Ghost Zone sky, they looked very lonely.

Many things skittered and floated around her and she learned to let them pass, as long as they did nothing to her she would do nothing to them. After all, they were living things once and she respected them still, dead or alive. Hell she'd been in love with a ghost boy for most of her adolescent years.

Danny, the thought returned, she had to find him. But as Sam remembered she was suddenly struck with a new problem. Should she attempt to call his name, would he even hear her? Did voices carry in the Ghost Zone, footsteps didn't. And yet she heard herself talk, there was so little she knew of this place that it drove her mad.

She wondered how many of the laws of physics even applied here, if any did at all. Perhaps maybe they Ghost Zone had it's own set of rules. Oh the probables and improbables.

That was it; she would lose her mind doing this. The natural path she'd been walking on had neither winded or disappeared it seemed to continue endlessly. Sam wished desperately that she knew more about this realm before coming, but the idea reminded her of all the impossibilities that the thought came with.

The only one who could have a chance at guiding her through the Ghost Zone would be an actual ghost. And she didn't really know any ghosts, except maybe Danny or Clockwork. Sam shook her head, she swore, and confirmed that she would never utilize the time ghost for an exit strategy.

Because he wasn't, she realized now it was wrong for them to ever think that a ghost so generous should fall to their needs because they couldn't except reality. He'd saved her life twice through Danny that she knew of and if everyone got a second chance she figured she was in debt by now.

There was a strange sense of loneliness that took hold of her, doubled over with another feeling that she was being followed. The two sensations were almost unbearable in their strange blend to the point where she doubted her very existence. She wondered vaguely if this wasn't the only thing she'd come to doubt during this search.

Sam was overwhelmed to call for Danny, he'd always come when she called for him, it never failed.

And yet she knew somewhere within her that those days were over. She knew if she screamed for him he wouldn't come blazing forward from nowhere and stand before her ready to defend and protect her. She'd never appreciated that before, that he was so ready to lay his life down for her, and it killed her that she'd taken his willing self-sacrificing ways for granted.

Like it or not, she hadn't been as able as she'd loved to assert. And Danny respected her on that but he also made sure, damn sure, that she was always safe. And then one day he was gone and everything he'd ever done for her suddenly mattered, it took her so long to see how much he cared about her and maybe even loved her.

But Sam wasn't going to jump to conclusions that fast that was a leap probably a stretch even for her. But none of that matter because Danny was, after all, dead. She wasn't here to find him alive or get him to return in triumph to save the day with life in his body. She also wasn't here to find out if he loved her or not. No, she was here to prove that he was dead.

That was different, so much different then looking for someone alive. She figured thoughts of him still being alive were simple delusions of a teenaged mind, something she was much too old for now. The more adult thing for her to do was to accept that he was dead but since she was also very stubborn, she needed to see him or at least be told he drifted around here permanently.

And this didn't make her crazy, even though she knew she'd get an ear full from Tucker once she got back. Perhaps a lecture from Jazz and probably one from the Fenton's for stealing their equipment, again. But she knew they'd be, in their own way, glad that she'd gotten the truth for them. After all closure is best for everyone it'd be much easier to put Danny in the past that way.

"This isn't for me." She whispered. "This is for everyone."

"Is it for anyone?" A voice resounded back, the same one she'd heard when she arrived.

Sam paused, the hair standing on the back of her neck. There it was again, and it had been following her the whole way. Sam picked up speed walking faster and faster until she stumbled and landed upon something sharp. Upon further examination she realized in horror that it was metal, it was the debris from the Specter Speeder.

Had the path led her back to where she started? Was that even possible? This had to be an awful illusion played out by a malevolent ghost.

"This is a trick!" She screamed at the voice. "Stop now, if you don't want me here I'm trying to leave. But you have to let me." Sam wasn't entirely sure what she was yelling at and what it would do. In fact Sam was beginning to wonder if yelling at it was such a good idea at all.

Regret was abundant on her part, perhaps a side-affect of being in a place where the dead thrive. But like the ghosts and lonely wraiths that lived here, she would have to deal with her decisions and feel the sting of their consequences. Even if it meant being possibly devoured by an angry ghost.

"I simply asked a question." It replied rather benevolently, still Sam was going to take head with this. "Is it for anyone?"

Sam stayed a good distance from the trees and scanned the area vigorously with her eyes, she'd answer and keep it occupied and as soon as she saw it, she'd attack. "Look that isn't any of your business; please I'm just trying to find my way. Could you let me go?"

"Well I could, the question I suppose is if I would. But then again, what is your way?"

Sam paused and again her fingers brushed against the Jack-o-Ninetails, she wasn't sure if this was a threat. "I'm not sure exactly of the way, but I'm looking for someone, who isn't here particularly."

The trees rustled for a moment then stopped. "If you don't have a way then it doesn't really matter which way you're going. " It chuckled happily. "I wouldn't follow the paths, they never know really where they're going. To be quite honest I don't think they really care." It spoke as though it was actually gossiping about paths.

"So I would go down, since there's only one other way to go from there and that's up."

She blinked, even more confused at what it said. She wondered at what this creature was, this very jovial but deranged creature. "What are you talking about? There's no down."

"Well of course there is, if you jump off the ledge." It responded in a matter-of-factly way.

Sam's mouth hung open and her face twisted in a distorted fashion. She snorted at the trees knowing the creature was in there. "Are you mad?" She scoffed.

"It's quite possible."


Since tomorrow is friday and you're all super, I might be able to upload the next chapter tomorrow. But don't quote me, things do happen, but I'm certain. So questions, comments, well that's what reviews are for.