The next evening after another day of training, Dani and Jackson were lying on the grass watching the stars, they both smiled and laughed at all the shapes they could see in the stars.
"Hey you see that one? That one looks like a baby rabbit" Dani pointed out.
"Yeah. Hey! That one looks like a couple of ghosts fighting it out with each other" Jackson laughed. "I've never done this before"
"Really? My dad and I used to do this all the time when I was a kid" Dani said. "He once told me, that all the great kings of the past are up there, watching over us and if I ever needed them, they would be there to guide me"
"Do you think Vlad Plasmius is up there?" He asked in wonder.
Dani looked at him unsure what to say, he sighed sadly and then got up and stood under a tree looking down. Dani sat up and then walked over and stood beside him.
"He wasn't my father, but he was still…part of me" He said quietly.
"My father says that there was a darkness inside Vlad that he couldn't escape" Dani said. Jackson then sighed, "Maybe there's a darkness in me too"
"Well before my grandmother passed away, she told me that there's a darkness inside everyone but we can defeat it. But only if we want to" Dani said and then she gave him a comforting hug which he fully accepted.
They were both unaware that Danny was watching them invisibly from the air, he was so confused about what to feel about Jackson. He flew to an open area away from them and changed back to his human form, he then looked to the sky and hoped that his father was listening.
"Dad I am lost. Jackson is one of them, Plasmius's heir. How can I accept him?" He asked.
He then heard from behind him, "Danny"
He turned to see it was Sam, she walked up and stood beside him, "What are you doing?"
He gave her a warm smile and answered, "I was seeking council from the great kings"
"Did they help?" She asked. He shook his head, "Silent as stars. I don't think my father would never allow this"
She immediately hugged him and said, "Danny honey, you want so much to walk the path expected of you, perhaps Jackson does not"
"How do you know that?" Danny asked.
Sam smiled and said, "I can see them down there just as easily as you can. Just get to know and see"
She then started heading back home, Danny looked back at Dani and Jackson and thought about what his wife just told him. He then started heading home himself.
Jackson then sighed more and pulled away from her comforting embrace. She asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. It's just that I've been trained my whole life to…Uh nothing. I gotta go" Jackson said and then began walking away.
"Jackson wait" Dani said. He looked back and saw her concerned eyes, he just looked down and continued to walk away when suddenly Clockwork appeared in front of him.
"And where are you going?" He asked. Jackson answered, "Uh nowhere"
"Ha! That's what you think" Clockwork said and then disappeared.
"Okay who was that?" Jackson asked. Dani laughed nervously and answered, "That's Clockwork, a friend of the family"
Clockwork then appeared in front of them and said, "Just follow me. I know the way"
"Know the way to where?" Jackson asked in confusion.
"Just follow me and you'll see!" Clockwork said as he flew away from them heading past some hills.
Dani laughed as they changed into their ghost forms and flew after him, they suddenly stopped in front of a waterfall where Clockwork disappeared.
"Where's he taking us?" Jackson asked.
"To a place in your heart called…Upendi" Clockwork said as he appeared above them and then gently held their heads and then nudged them together, making them kiss each other.
They both pulled back and then blushed at what happened.
A few second later they found themselves in a canoe being steered by Clockwork.
CLOCKWORK
There's a place where the crazy moon
Makes the monkeys sing and the baboons swoon
And the sultry scent of the lotus bloom
Will carry you away
As they went downstream, they noticed many different couples sharing a romantic evening with each other. Kitty and Johnny 13 were sitting under a tree, looking at each other romantically while some hippos swung on some jungle vines.
Where the hippos swing from the jungle vines
And the rhino rhumba in a conga line
And the pink flamingos are intertwined
As the stars come out to play
ALL
In Upendi
Where the passionfruit grows sweet
Clockwork gave Dani a passionfruit which she ate and then sighed at the taste of it, he then offered one to Jackson but he politely refused it.
And it's so divine
That you lose your mind
As it sweeps you off your feet
In Upendi
Without a worry or a care
It just takes two
To make it true
Your heart will lead you there
Dani giggled and asked, "Where is it?"
"No place you don't take with you" Clockwork answered.
CLOCKWORK
You better watch your step because the path is steep
Better hold your breath cause the water's deep
Clockwork made them fall off the canoe and then they fell off a small waterfall and into another canoe, they both laughed as they fell on top of each other. They both blushed and sat back up.
It's a long way down over Lovers' Leap
But falling's half the fun!
ALL
In Upendi
Where the passionfruit grows sweet
Jackson actually tried a passionfruit but started to panic when he began to choke, Dani noticed and then kissed him on the cheek, which somehow miraculously made him swallow and he smiled at the taste of the fruit.
And it's so divine
That you lose your mind
As it sweeps you off your feet
In Upendi
Without a worry or a care
It just takes two
To make it true
Your heart will take you there
All the couples then began to do the conga, Dani and Jackson then faced each other and accidently had their faces up against each other again, but instead of pulling away they smiled and blushed at each other romantically.
CLOCKWORK
You can beat the bush like there's no tomorrow
From Tanganyika to Kilimanjaro
But you'll find Upendi wherever you are
Oh underneath the sun
"Upendi means love doesn't it?" Dani asked.
"Welcome to Upendi!" Clockwork exclaimed.
Dani and Jackson jumped out of their canoes and joined in the conga line with all the rest of the couples.
ALL
In Upendi
Where the passionfruit grows sweet
And it's so divine
That you lose your mind
As it sweeps you off your feet
In Upendi
Without a worry or a care
It just takes two
To make it true
They both held each other's hand as they slid on a waterfall and then jumped in the air changing into their ghost forms and then flew around looking at each other romantically. Clockwork smiled that Jack's plan seemed to be working.
Your heart will take you there
Later that evening, they returned back to Pride Rock not letting go of each other's hands. They both landed in front of Dani's house and changed back into their human forms, they both then embraced each other.
"Good night Dani" Jackson said.
"Good night Jackson" Dani replied.
As Jackson headed back to his spot to make his tent, he sighed in bliss and glanced back at Dani romantically. Dani did the same thing and then went back inside, Danny noticed this and then went out and saw Jackson making his tent. He then thought again about what Sam said to him and smiled, maybe it was time he gave him a chance.
Before Jackson entered his tent, he saw Danny standing before him but was confused when he saw he wasn't angry.
"It's kind of cold tonight huh? Come on in" Danny said gesturing to his house.
Jackson smiled gratefully and began to follow him inside, unaware that Penny was watching them invisibly from a distance near Pride Rock.
She grinned and whispered, "Get him!"
Her smile then dropped into confusion when she saw he wasn't attacking Danny. She then whispered, "What are you waiting for Jackson? Get him!"
She then watched as he went inside the house. She growled and then flew off to report back to Spectra, once she told her what she saw she was furious, she blasted at the ground with an ecto blast.
"You're sure?" Spectra asked. Penny nodded and said, "Affirmative. I saw it with my own eyes"
Spectra growled, "No. Jackson cannot betray us!"
PLEASE REVIEW!