A Blast To The Past
A Fanfic by Kid Zatanna
This fanfic uses characters owned by DC Comics and other companies and therefore is ONLY for entertainment, not sale. The persons and events depicted here are fictional, not real. (Darn it)
As you may have noticed, this fanfic contains mild language and violence.
NOTE: Here is the last chapter, I only wish that my TALENTS were as good as my ideas. Thank you for your reviews, support and patients. Special thanks to all the Zatanna and Nancy Drew fans whom I've talked to and discussed ideas with on the net, I've tried to include some of what we've observed and deduced about Nancy and Zee, but even if I hadn't put ALL of our ideas in the story, they still helped me get a better picture of their personalities and lives.
CHAPTER SEVEN: Back To the Future
At Zatanna's command, the flying carpet flew away from the wreck. The magician was careful to keep low and duck behind obsticals to avoid detection and flew slowly because she really had no idea where to go!
"Nancy, I hate to admit it, but I'm lost. We need to find out where we are or else I can't navigate or teleport."
"I'm sorry."
"I mean it, I don't even know what state we're in!"
"Then go to a main road and look for a highway sign," Nancy said without enthusiasm. "Highway signs are marked with state symbols and such. If you're lucky, you can find a direction sign."
Nancy's tone puzzled her chum, but Zee dismissed it. Popping up to spot a paved road and to check for traffic, the magician zipped over to the highway and flew along towards a crossroad she had seen. Again, her karma was on the job when she read the signs.
"Smallville," she read happily. "I have a friend who grew up there! I know just where we should go now."
Flying out of sight of the main road again, they continued to fly low over the Kansas countryside towards the farming community. However, Zatanna soon realized that there was little cover in the drought-stricken Midwest and that trees were rare. Zatanna pointed out that they would have to travel on foot to keep from being spotted. Landing, the magician ordered the carpet to roll up like a bedroll and she slung it over her shoulder with a bit of twine before proceeding to the highway. Zee's steps were light as she enjoyed the adventure, but she noticed that Nancy Drew was quiet. She stopped suddenly and Nancy, who was trailing behind with her head hung low, almost collided with her.
"Nancy, what is wrong with you?" she demanded. "You've been moping ever since we escaped from Rando's plane!"
Nancy stepped back and blushed. She looked down and shook her head. "Nothing," she whispered.
"Don't lie to me, something's eating you. Now what is it?"
Nancy Drew turned her back to her, too heartbroken to face the woman. Noticing her shoulders quiver, Zatanna stepped forward and put her hand on the woman's shoulder. "Nancy?" She said softly.
The magician's friend took a step away from her, a sob escaping her lips. "I'm sorry. I wanted so much to help you, but I just made things worse. I-I'm... s-sorry."
"Nancy," Zee began. She tried to turn her around and look into her blue eyes, but Nancy moved away again, feeling too ashamed to look at the heroine. Zatanna sighed.
"Nancy, it wasn't your fault. These things happen, you know that. Now come on, I need you to help me get back to Riverheights."
"No... no you don't," Nancy sniffed, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "Just go, because... because you're better off without me."
"Nancy, I need you!"
"Stop it! Stop playing games!" Nancy swung around, turning her angry, tear-streaked face on her chum. "It's all MY FAULT! If I hadn't insisted that we catch those bank robbers, Rando wouldn't have discovered your secret!"
"Oh come on! I couldn't hide something like that forever, if it hadn't been Rando, it would have been somebody else!"
"You could have gotten away from him if it wasn't for me! You obeyed him to save MY life! You should have let that woman kill me!"
Nancy pressed her fingers to her eyes as a fresh load of tears flowed from them. Zatanna felt pity, then a new emotion came forth.
"Oh my god," She said, hands on her hips. "You are so pathetic! One little set-back and you fall apart! I thought you were tough, that you were some kind of great girl detective. You sure aren't acting like you do in those books. Did that stuff even happen?"
"Y-yes."
"You lier, I'll bet you made it all up! You're NOT Nancy Drew!" Zee shouted, kicking dirt at her. "The Nancy Drew I read about wouldn't give up! You're just a stupid loser!"
"S-shut up, I'm n-not a loser."
"LOOO-SER!" Zee sneered, holding her thumb and forefinger to her forehead. "You gonna just stand there and cry for your mommy, loser? Well too bad, she's not here!"
Zatanna had seen a lot of people move fast (Some at super-sonic speeds), but she never imagined that Nancy Drew could move as fast as she did! Zee only saw a blur and the next thing the future woman knew, she was falling to the ground!
"DON'T YOU EVER TALK ABOUT MY MOTHER! All right, I was cocky, but why didn't YOU use a little common sense? Why didn't you use your magic to protect us last night?"
"Why didn't you do something?' Zatanna demanded, getting up. "Sign Of The Twisted Candles? Glasses on the windows? Does that sound familiar?" She launched herself at Nancy, fists flying.
Nancy dodged the blows and kicked her hip. "Where's your magic, Zatanna? Or are you a fake?" She demanded, delivering a pair of blows. "How many other lies have you told me? Did we REALLY go to the Moon?"
Zee staggered back from the one-two punch. Nancy was a better fighter than had been reported! Zee kept her distance, looking for a chance to use some of the moves taught to her by Dinah Lance, AKA "Black Canary". Nancy had to lean in to throw a roundhouse punch and Zatanna took hold of her arm and twisted it as she turned, throwing Nancy to the ground.
"I never lied to you!" She shrieked, diving onto the detective. "I was more honest with you than I should have been! I told you things that I shouldn't have because I like you a lot!"
Things then devolved into a "catfight", they were in too close for any sort of fighting techniques and were scratching, slapping and pulling each other's hair as they rolled around in the dust.
"I never lied to you either," Nancy retorted. "I was completely honest! When Rando had you at his mercy, I didn't care about myself, I was terrified that he would make you his slave! You're my friend and I couldn't think of anything but your safety!"
They were kneeling face-to-face, Nancy's hands were around Zatanna's throat, the brunette had a handful of Nancy's hair, her other hand clutching a wrist.
"Zatanna, you're my friend, I love you as much as I have ever loved anyone. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."
Tears made furrows in their dust-covered cheeks, but the pain that made them flow had not come from the injuries they had inflicted on each other. The two women hugged as they poured tears onto the other's shoulder. After they had begun to compose themselves, they were aware that they had an audience. Looking up they saw a truck and a car with a trailer, both filled with possessions and humanity, that had stopped on the side of the road to watch the spectacle.
"Are you two going to be alright?" A lanky, sandy-haired man with his hands in his pockets asked.
The two laughed for a bit before Nancy answered. "Yes, thank you for asking."
The man nodded to himself and looked at the man who was seated on the truck's runningboard as if to check to see if he was also satisfied. A woman came around from the other side of the car with a broom and for an instant, Zatanna was afraid that she was going to attack them for some reason. Instead she began to sweep off Nancy's clothes.
"Land sakes," she said. "You two are going to need a bath soon. The very idea, two pretty girls fighting on the side of the road like a couple of hobos. And in your good clothes, too!"
Zatanna raised her arms and submitted to a sweeping as well.
"Where are you two headed?" Asked the second man.
"Smallville." "Riverheights." Nancy and Zatanna told him.
After exchanging a laugh with her chum, Nancy tried again.
"We live in Riverheights, but we have business in Smallville."
"Our ride deserted us quite suddenly," Zatanna added.
"Hm. Well, if you don't mind riding in back, I could give you a lift," he offered.
"Oh, thank you. If it's not too much trouble, that is," Nancy said gratefully. "If you could drop us off at the rail station, we would be most grateful."
"No trouble at all," he said and opened the tailgate. Nancy held out a two dollar bill (That she had placed in her pocket while laying out her clothes last night) to him after he had helped them settle in among the furniture and baggage. But the fellow refused, saying that it was just an act of kindness.
"For gas," Nancy suggested. "Do you have a dollar?" She asked before he could refuse a second time.
"Yes, we do have some money," he told her, holding up a silver dollar.
"Then give me the dollar and take the two-spot, that way we're even."
The man's pride saw the logic in that and the money was exchanged while Zatanna looked on thoughtfully. The man climbed back into the cab and followed his former neighbors in a mini-caravan, getting into a procession with other refugees from the Dust Bowl. And those people had no idea where they would end up any more than Zatanna and Nancy had when they were Rando's prisoners!
("And they scampered about, looking for work; and the highways were streams of people. Behind them more were coming. The great highways streamed with moving people." John Steinbeck, THE GRAPES OF WRATH)
Although the "Black Winds" would not come until later in the year, the vehicles stirred up dust as they rolled along and the heroines tied handkerchiefs over their faces, glad that Clarisse had thought to place them in their pockets when she had packed their clothes. Zatanna looked about her with great interest, she had read about the Dust Bowl and of the "Okies", and she had even seen some pictures of this era, but to see it live and to EXPERIENCE it had stunned her. One question was on her mind and she had to ask.
"Nancy, how... how could this have happened? I mean, I know how drought and erosion ruined the land, but how could it have been so devastating?"
"A lot of these people were sharecroppers," Nancy began. "They lived on somebody else's land and provided labor as payment for rent. After expenses were paid and the boss got his share, whatever was left-- if anything was left --went to the sharecroppers. Well one day, the boss says 'why should I pay a family of six or seven to plow and mulch when one man with a tractor can do the job?'; so all these people were 'tractored out'. No wait, that's not right."
Nancy leaned on the tailgate and looked at the dust swirling over the asphalt for a moment and tried again.
"There is not one single answer I can give you, Zatanna. There were many things that went wrong, just one or two would not have had such a terrible effect. In the Twenties there was a land boom, so people bought more land. There was a crop boom and people planted more crops. There was the time payment plan and people bought durable goods on credit. Well, durable goods last and people didn't need two cars or two radios and manufacture slowed down. Crops filled silos and storehouses and crop prices dropped. Taxes and mortgages had to be paid on land even when you didn't have regular work and those time payments had to be made, too. For a while the farmers could get by, unsold crops fed your family and corn could burn just as well as coal.
"But then one day, the rain didn't fall, the cattle got sick and the Sheriff came with the bacon grabbers to collect the payments, or the goods you bought. There was the stock market, of course. People all over invested their savings, hoping to get a little nest egg socked away, but there were crooked dealers and outright crooks in the market sending the market into false gains that dropped fast when the real value was discovered and since manufacturing was down, stocks fell too. It seems unfair and even unreal that pieces of paper counted a thousand miles away in a bank can send a farmer in Nebraska into debt, but that's the reality of it," Nancy sighed loudly and looked at the cars and trucks following behind them or going the other way. "But we'll get by, we always have! You can't keep Americans down."
Zee was startled by Nancy's last two sentences, she had not heard such talk for many years. It was strange to her, but seemed to stir something inside her heart.
"I could make it rain," She suggested. "That would help, wouldn't it?"
"I suppose it would help somebody," Nancy sighed. "But it's too late for these people, the crops are already gone and all you would be doing is making a mud hole. It's the prices, Zatanna. Did you know that at one time the price of wheat was minus three cents a bushel? MINUS three cents! That means that you had to PAY the market three cents to get rid of it! Farming is a buyers' market, farmers don't set the price like someone who sells automobiles or clothing. Dad says that the only really valuable thing on a farm is the land, and you have to shop around for the right buyer."
Silence fell over them while the magician thought over this information. She tapped Nancy on the arm to get her attention.
"Nancy, do you now see why I said that I needed you? You know these things, you know these people! If I had been left on my own, I would have done something impulsive and made a mess of it, maybe even wrecking the march of events! It was Fate that brought us together, and Fate knew what she was doing! So don't blame yourself because something went wrong, it was all mapped out and everything is going to be alright."
Nancy took her hand and Zee could tell she was smiling from the way her eyes wrinkled. "I acted like a fool," Nancy admitted. "But I'm fine now. When we get to Smallville, we'll send a telegram to... Oh damn, I am so stupid!"
"What? What happened? What are you talking about?" Zee asked as Nancy leaned over the side of the truck bed.
"Zatanna, when we get to Smallville, I want you to kick me hard!"
"I'll be happy to, darling. But do you mind telling me why?"
"I could have sent you home last night! Oh, it should have been so obvious!"
"What? I don't understand, WHAT should have been so obvious?"
"Zatanna, YOU had told me how it could have been done. I must be the worst detective in the world!"
"All right, you stink. Now PLEASE tell me what you're ranting about!"
When Nancy told her, all Zatanna could say was "Holy cow."
HALL OF JUSTICE. Metropolis, New York. Several decades later.
Hawkgirl was pacing in the main hall, so agitated was she that Hawkman took away her mace so that she wouldn't strike something as she nervously swung it about.
"It's just not like her to go off like this," Hawkgirl was saying. "Zee has NEVER missed a performance without good reason! Something's wrong, I just know it!"
"Unfortunately you may be right," said the dark figure of Batman, leaning against a wall. "But we shouldn't proceed without more information."
"I agree," Superman announced, cutting off a phone call that had turned up no new leads. "We'll have to wait for Flash to return from Zatanna's house."
No one was surprised when seconds later a red and yellow blur came in and made a U-turn to aid it's stop.
"I've finished the preliminary investigation of Zee's house, I'll develop the pictures I took and report," Barry Allen/The Flash said and ran out of the room doing seventy.
The Hawks and Superman showed relief at this news, only the grim Batman failed to show any emotion, even though he too was glad that they could now discover what happened to their friend. Flash got busy in the darkroom and in seconds had the equipment loaded to develop his pictures. Barry Allen was a police forensic scientist and had made as detailed an investigation as he could in the magician's mansion, obtaining a camera to take the photos that would help his colleagues examine what he believed to be a crime scene.
"Come on, hurry," he muttered as he washed the prints. Flash's super-speed could hurry up part of the developing process, but there were still some things that took time. Flash took the prints out of the bath and carefully shook them dry. A glance at a clock told him that the whole process had taken almost a minute! To him, that was a LONG time!
Barry then went back into the main hall leisurely (IE: as fast as an Olympic sprinter) to rejoin the others. He began his report just as Green Lantern was returning from a mission.
"Here you are," Flash began, laying out the eight-by-ten pictures. "You can see what I did. As far as I could tell, nothing was disturbed in the main part of the mansion, but I found something unusual in an oddly decorated, isolated room."
He laid out several pictures of the room in question for inspection. Batman scanned the pictures and immediately knew what it was for.
"A pentagram and candles on the floor," he observed. "It's a room for working magic."
"Zatanna told Shera and I about that room, once." Hawkman offered. "She tests magical devices there."
"She calls it her 'Safe Room'," added Hawkgirl. "If anything goes wrong, the energy would be contained."
"It looks like something DID go wrong!" Green Lantern said, pointing at the mess in the photograph.
"Books and candles were scattered all over the place," Flash told him. "God, I hope Zatanna didn't blow herself up!"
"She didn't," Batman said quietly. "Look closer at these pictures; the books and other things have been flung to to one side, near the door. One of the candles has been knocked over, while two others have been snuffed out. However, the remaining two candles remained lit and have burned themselves out. These things are too random for an explosion, they are more likely the signs that Zatanna had been FIGHTING someone!"
"Then she must have lost!" Superman exclaimed.
"But that means that she had been kidnapped!" GL added. "Who could take her down, even it was by surprise?"
"She has some very powerful enemies," Kal El reminded him.
Hawkgirl spoke up, "We have some Thangaran detection devices, Hawkman, Batman and I should go to the Zatara mansion to search for clues. We may find out where she was taken."
"We'll take the batcopter," Batman said as he turned and trotted out the room to the helipad out back.
As Batman and the Hawks left the room, a boy and a girl of about fourteen years came in from the reception area. They were Marvin Grey and Wendy Harris, the son of the woman who sold Wonder Woman her identity and the daughter of a private detective who helped train Batman. The JLA had agreed to train them not only to repay their debt to the kids' parents, but for the fact that Marvin occasionally showed some levitation abilities and Wendy was developing latent telepathic powers. They were followed by a man who had the air of a plain-clothes detective about him and an envelope in his hand.
"Superman, this man is here to deliver a message," Wendy reported.
"But he won't turn it over to anyone but you," Marvin added, a little insulted. "He says that it's urgent.
Superman was about to tell the man to let the two kids have the message (It was their job to handle such things, after all) but decided to see what it was about since they couldn't do anything about the Zatanna affair until the Hawks and Batman reported in.
"Thank you Marvin, Wendy. What can we do for you?"
"My name's Josh Randall, I work for the Pinkerton Detective Agency," the sandy haired man began. "And this envelope has been a closely guarded secret at the agency for many years. Most of us have heard about it, but the general belief is that it's a hoax, I mean, how could a telegram that's been sitting in the director's safe for over fifty years be addressed to the Justice League?"
"Oh great," Flash moaned. "That means a time traveler. They're such a pain!"
"No one knows who it's from, only that a telegram instructed us to deliver it no earlier or no later than today."
"We'll take it," Superman told their visitor. "Anything else we can do for you?"
"I just want to use your phone to call in. I was told to report as soon as I put the thing in your hands," he said, turning to leave.
Looking through the envelope with his x-ray vision set on low, Superman told the other heroes that there was another, smaller envelope inside. Tearing it open, they examined the inner envelope, which proved to have been stamped by the Metropolis Western Union office on October 25, 1933! Superman opened the missive and read it quickly, his eyes widening.
"Who's it from, Superman," asked Marvin.
"Get on the radio, Marvin and tell Batman to return to head quarters," Kal El commanded. "We found Zatanna!"
Marvin was about to say something dumb, but instead did as he was told. Wendy spoke up first.
"Where is she? Does the letter say where she is?"
"This telegram is FROM Zatanna," Supes told the JLA. He began to read it aloud. "...Safe but trapped in past STOP Send GL to Smallville train station this date STOP Bring old coins STOP Z..."
"Why does she want old coins?" Green Lantern asked.
"Maybe Zatanna has to pay for the telegrams," 'Super Marv' piped up.
Wendy gave him a long-suffering look and Flash rolled his eyes. No one wanted to say so, but Marvin was probably right! Green Lantern decided to go before Marvin said something REALLY stupid.
"I'll charge my power ring before I go. I know where to get a few silver dollars that can be used in the early Thirties," he explained and flew down the hall to where his power battery was currently kept.
SMALLVILLE, KANSAS. Many years ago.
Hal Jordan, known as the Green Lantern, Materialized behind a shed near the Smallville train station. Superman had given him pictures and information on his hometown and they decided that this was the best place to appear. Instead of his usual green and black uniform, Hal was dressed like the archaeologist, Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones whose exploits had been made famous in a trio of movies based on his adventures. Hopefully, it would let the hero blend in with the natives as he looked for his missing team-mate.
GL entered the train station and looked around. Should he ask if anyone had seen Zee, he thought, or just look for awhile? He didn't have to do either because he saw a mass of long black hair that stood out boldly from the short hair styles favored by women in the current era. Even though she was wearing an old fashioned dress and her back was turned to him, Hal recognized his friend who was seated at the lunch counter, eating a grilled cheese sandwich. Hal walked over and reached out to tap Zee on the shoulder.
"Hello, Hal," She said before he could touch her, causing the blond beside her to laugh.
"I should have known better than to try to surprise a..." he cut himself off and glanced at Nancy Drew. "I mean... uh..."
"Sit down and order something, Hal," Nancy suggested. "Zatanna didn't do anything magical, she saw you in the mirror behind the shelves."
Startled by the word "magical", Green Lantern tried to end the situation and get Zee home.
"Come along, darling. My car is outside and the children miss you terribly," he said, taking her by the elbow.
"And there were two more born while you were away," Nancy said in a dramatic voice, almost causing her chum to do a spit-take. "Do sit down and have a bite to eat, you can't get to where you're going in a car!"
There was something about this woman that made Green Lantern nervous. It wasn't that he considered her dangerous, there was just something in her words and that knowing smile that made him want to get away quickly.
"Do you mind? This is between my wife and myself!"
"Is he really your husband, Zatanna?"
"Golly, I don't remember, dear," she said with a wink. "I have so many, it's hard to keep track of them all. How are things in the harem, sweetheart?" She said to the superhero.
"Zatanna, we got your telegram," he whispered. "Now let's go!"
"Nancy, your idea worked! Hal, may I present Nancy Drew? Nancy, this is my friend and team-mate, Hal Jordan."
"How do you do, Mister Jordan?"
"How do... Nancy Drew? I thought you were a fictional character."
"Only on week-ends," Nancy sighed. She had a feeling that if her friendship with Zatanna continued, she would be hearing that a lot! "Did you bring the coins?"
"The coins? Yes, here they are," Hal said, dipping a hand into his pocket to retrieve the money. "What do you need them for?"
Nancy took the coins and counted out two silver dollars, two half dollars, a dime and three nickels. Signaling the cook, she paid the check and pocketed the rest.
"I had put seven dollars in my pocket last night and that was just enough for a ride and the telegrams. I had to transfer funds from my bank account to pay the Pinkertons for holding the telegram until the proper time. To be honest, it was Zatanna who explained a trick that gave me the idea."
"You're still the best girl detective in the world, Nancy," Zee said feelingly.
"I'm the best in Riverheights, that's for sure!"
Green Lantern was getting nervous. Obviously Nancy Drew knew that they were from the future. He had to get Zatanna back home and also think of what to do about this other woman. He took the women by their arms and led them to the exit.
"We have to go now," he said firmly.
"Hal, I promised that I would take Nancy home before I left."
"All right, but not here. Let's find someplace private."
Hal Jordan led them behind a building and levitated them into the air. Once they were moving in the direction Zatanna indicated, he formed the ring's energy into a bi-plane since a green ball of energy traveling at the speed of sound or greater would be noticed and talked about, but an airplane flying at over a hundred miles an hour would hardly be noticed. As a test pilot, this means of travel was natural to Hal and he had even made the standard controls for the plane. Zatanna and Nancy sat in the front cockpit of the imitation Travel Aire, chatting happily while GL sat behind them, silently pondering the consequences of Zatanna's carelessness in confiding in Nancy Drew. They were going to have to do something about her!
When the Muskoka river was in sight, they followed it for awhile until Zatanna signaled Hal that she would take over. With the words "Ycnan, Lah dna I tropolet ot s'Ycnan draykcab" they vanished and reappeared behind the Drew home.
"Home again, home again, jiggety jig," Nancy sang happily.
"Zatanna, what are you going to do about her?" GL asked pointedly.
"What do you mean?"
"We can't leave her like this!"
"Would you two mind letting me into your conversation?" Nancy demanded.
"Hal, what are you suggesting?"
"You know damn well what I mean," Hal said sharply.
Zatanna's face fell as she glanced at Nancy Drew. "Nancy can be trusted."
"Can she? What if she tells somebody by accident? Just how much DID you tell her?"
"What are you talking about? You keep talking about me like I'm not even here!"
"It's all right, Nancy," Zee assured her. "Nothing's wrong."
"Are you going to tell her or will I?" GL demanded. "Never mind, I'll do it," he announced, raising his right fist so the ring pointed at Nancy's head.
"NO!" The magician cried, grabbing his wrist. "Please Hal, I'll do it! I'll do it."
"Zatanna?" Nancy said quietly, whatever they were going to do, Nancy was sure that it wasn't going to be pleasant.
Zatanna took Nancy's arm and led her to a stone bench near where the Lilacs had bloomed and a pigeon had fallen to announce the start of a mystery. Zatanna didn't want to do this and hoped that Nancy would understand.
"Nancy, it's my fault. I told you too much about myself, the JLA and the future. That knowledge would be dangerous in the wrong hands."
"I won't tell anyone, I promise."
Zatanna looked into those blue eyes and saw the trust in them. Nancy wasn't making it any easier.
"Nancy... oh Nancy, it's not that easy. I know you will keep your word, but something might happen to make you tell. I know you won't use your knowledge of the future for selfish reasons, but the temptation would still be there! What if you thought you could prevent a disaster or save someone's life using what I told you? What if Rando comes back and reads your mind?"
"I see what you mean, Zatanna. But what can we do? I can't just snap my fingers and forget all that's happened."
Zatanna turned away in shame.
"We can," she said softly.
"Oh."
"I don't want to do it, Nancy. I like you a lot and I value your friendship as much as any I ever had. I'm sorry."
Nancy's hand gently took hold of the heroine's.
"I don't want to forget you, Zatanna. I knew that there was something special about you the moment I spoke to you," the detective said softly. "It wasn't your magic, it was something in your attitude, something that told me that you cared. I felt a kinship with you, it was as if I had just found the sister I never had. I've never met anyone quite like you Zatanna, and I don't want to forget you."
"I don't want to forget you either," Zee returned. "I idolized you as a girl and when I became a superhero, I often thought about you. You were always so brave and caring and I wanted to live up to that example. You won't forget about me Nancy, but I have to make you forget about who and what I am."
They hugged for last time, breaking away reluctantly.
"I'm ready," Nancy whispered.
Zatanna raised her hands and commanded Nancy to relax. Using her backwards spells, Zatanna asked Nancy to open her mind and let her "adjust" her memories so that her friend would have false memories that were only slightly like the reality. Sadly, Zee rose from the bench and stood beside Green Lantern. Nancy would revive after they left.
"You had to do it, you know," Hal said to ease her conscious.
"I know, but I don't have to like it."
"No, you don't," he agreed.
Zee voiced her magic again and her costume appeared on her body. A green ball then surrounded the two and they vanished...
...to reappear in the Hall Of Justice, years in the future.
Zatanna was instantly surrounded by her friends who demanded that she tell them of her adventures. Zatanna waved them off, saying that she was tired and needed to rest from her ordeal. Green Lantern watched her go to the room that was reserved for her, knowing how hard it was for the gentle sorceress to play such a dirty trick on a friend, even if it was to save the world. She'll get over it, he decided. Zee was a professional.
RIVERHEIGHTS. 1933.
Nancy opened her eyes, feeling well rested.
"Oh my, I must have dozed off!" She decided.
Returning to the house, Nancy smiled over another job well done. Zatanna was now on her way home with that nice Mister Jordan where her friends waited to welcome her. Nancy hoped that she would write her once she got there, because Nancy had forgotten to ask where she lived! Oh well, no matter, I'll never see her again.
Nancy paused on the staircase with a frown. Why did she feel a sense of LOSS just then?
Shaking the feeling off Nancy continued to her bedroom where she began taking off her dress in preparation for taking a shower. It was then that she noticed a photograph and a flower on her bed. Curious, Nancy picked them up and smiled. Zatanna had left her a publicity photo of herself in a tuxedo, leaning on a prop that Nancy assumed that the woman used in her act. Nancy Drew brought the flower to her nose and inhaled the fragrance of the Forget-Me-Not.
And remembered.
THE END
FINAL NOTE: Of course that's not the last adventure Nancy and Zatanna had together! Perhaps it was a side-effect of Zatanna's trip, but it was later discovered that the two eras were linked and the same amount of time passed in bother eras. Zee would make many trips back into the past, sometimes several times a year. Nancy taught Zee some tricks of the detective trade and Zatanna instructed Nancy in the occult. Most of the time they just visited, but there were a few adventures to be had and in one, Nancy and Zatanna made the same wish that caused them to SWITCH BODYS! While Zatanna investigated the mystery of the whispering statue in England, Nancy Drew headed the JLA, tried to figure out how to react to Elongated Man's teasing and tried to work spells. (Their friends noticed that something was odd about her, Green Arrow even told Black Canary that he thought that Zatanna had been "pulling too many rabbits out of her hat!")
All in all, the two friends lived their lives as they always did, having adventures and enjoying life until one day, the Justice League discovered a SPY in their midst...
