Previous Chapter: Chapter 12

Chapter 21: A Quest

Going to bed that night in a room the villagers provided, Danny found himself torn. Part of him wanted to go back to the portal he came through, mainly because he knew what to expect there but that was also part of the problem. If he did manage to find that portal again and slip back into the Ghost Zone where would that leave him?

Still lost, still a long way from home.

This temple, though, and the portal inside it could send him directly home. He wouldn't have to wander for who knew how much longer through the uncharted areas of the Ghost Zone. He would be back and this whole mess would be over and done. Thinking about it as he lay in his bed, watching the shadows trail across the ceiling from the moonlight, Danny knew he couldn't pass up that chance no matter how slim it was.

So, when the sky was just lightening with the predawn, Danny slid out of his bed and made his way to the front gate. He didn't have to wait long before Jack appeared, carrying a bundled cloth tied with a rope over his shoulder and a blanket slung across his back. Several of the villagers followed him, some whom Danny just managed to recognize from the feast last night.

Jack smiled when he saw Danny there and bowed in greeting. Not sure what he should do, Danny gave a wave with an awkward bow back.

"So you will be coming with me on the quest?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, I suppose so," Danny said running a hand over the back of his head. "If you don't mind, that is."

Jack smiled again, "I would be glad to have the company. The villagers have been kind enough to give us some supplies." He lifted the improvised bag slung over his shoulder. "There's no way to know how long our journey will be since no one has been to this sacred temple in many years."

Danny looked doubtfully at the sack over Jack's shoulder. He didn't think it would last more than a few days and hoped at least Jack would know how to get food, or that there would be another village along the way. Danny didn't know how he was going to stay in his ghost form the entire time either. An ancient portal that could send him straight home sounded great, but traveling for days on end constantly in his ghost form didn't sound fun at all.

Looking at the cat people, Danny wondered if he could switch back into his human form and play it off as ordinary. The standard for "normal" in this world seemed to be a bit different so it might work. Plus, he didn't expect Jack coming to his home world and telling everyone anytime soon.

"Here you are," the voice startled Danny from his thoughts and he turned to find one of the cat people holding out a sack and blanket similar to Jack's. "Food and a blanket for your journey, we made it up in case you decided to travel with the Samurai."

"Oh, thank you," Danny said taking the two items and slinging them over his back like Jack had. The warrior was standing nearby making final farewells to the villagers present.

"You're welcome," the cat-girl said smiling, "Anyone who's a friend of the Samurai's a friend of ours."

"Well, we're not exactly friends. We only just …met" Danny started to say, but the cat-girl was already gone. "Ok, never mind," Danny muttered and shuffled closer to the gate, waiting to leave.

"Ready?" Jack asked after finally managing to send off the final villager. He looked up and saw the blanket and bundle of food Danny had. "They gave you some supplies, too? That was good of them."

Danny only shrugged. "They seem pretty grateful for what you did. I didn't really do anything."

Jack stepped out of the large wooden gate, pulling his straw hat over his eyes. "Aku has been terrorizing their village for some time now, through those robots you saw out on the field. Without the robots, there will be no one left to bother them, for now at least."

Following behind Jack, Danny stepped into the woods onto a narrow trail. "But what if Aku just sends more…robots to attack them?"

"That…will probably happen," Jack said, remorse in his voice, but it hardened again with resolve. "But it will take a while for any other army to make it out this far from civilization. By then they will have their defenses ready and be able to hold off the new attack on their own."

Listening to what Jack said, Danny could hear both hope and determination in his voice. Danny realized there wasn't anything more Jack could do to defend the town, shy of staying there his whole life, other than teach the people how to defend themselves. He thought of the line of villagers he'd seen with spears waiting for a chance to join the fight. It reminded him, in some ways, of Sam and Tucker, Jazz, his parents, even Val, learning to defend the town against ghosts as the need for them rose. It loosened some of the knot of worry in his chest for how much time he had been away and what would happen to the town. He was still determined as ever to get home and look after Amity, but maybe he wouldn't have to do it always.

The two of them fell into silence as they travelled down the narrow forest path. Jack wasn't very talkative, but Danny was grateful. The Samurai didn't ask questions and didn't make assumptions. Plus, the quiet allowed Danny time to think.

If this didn't work his best bet was returning to the cat-people's village and finding to the original portal that dropped him there in the first place. That would still leave him stranded in the Ghost Zone, but he wouldn't be any worse off than before, right? Danny hoped it didn't take too long to get to the temple. He'd lost track of how long he'd been gone from home, days? More than a week?

Had Jazz realized he was gone? Most definitely. He she told Sam and Tucker? Probably. Were his parents even aware? He honestly wasn't sure about that one. It was so easy to pull the wool over his parents' eyes, he could imagine Jazz, Sam, and Tucker coming up with a cover story that would explain his absence. For all he knew, his friends and sister could be canvassing the area for him alone or there could be a full Amber Alert issued with his name on it.

They travelled most of the day, stopping briefly for lunch. Danny remained in his ghost form the entire time and by the time the sun had started to set he was exhausted with the effort. He walked, instead of floating he was so tired and he couldn't imagine doing the same thing on the second day. Telling Jack about his two halves seemed like a necessity more than ever, at that point.

Jack had stopped at a partially open area of the forest, walking over the ground with a careful step, testing it for softness and looking for rocks and roots. Danny had to stop, sinking down at the base of a wide tree in exhaustion. He could feel his body want to change back, the rings were there, just waiting to form and put him in his human persona to give his ghost half a rest.

From the corner of his eye, he could see a large fly, or bird flitting toward them. It wasn't until it came near that Danny realized it was a miniature elephant with butterfly wings and in an old fashioned dressing coat. He stared in disbelief at the…thing as it flew around him then moved away toward Jack.

Jack didn't pay it any mind, though Danny knew he saw it. The elephant-fly landed on Jack's arm and started climbing up his sleeve. The samurai just looked at the creature and brushed it of his clothes, continuing his search for a good campsite. Thinking back, Danny remembered Jack's ease with the cat-people and their strange food, despite his obvious lack of familiarity. Apparently, even though Jack was from old Japan, he was more than accustomed to the oddities of this future world.

Taking the gamble, Danny let the rings form around his middle and transform him into Fenton. Jack noticed the light and glanced toward Danny, throwing only a slight double take toward the now human boy.

"Do you have many different forms?" Jack asked, turning back to bouncing slightly on a leaf covered patch of ground.

"No, just the two of them," Danny answered, doing his best to remain casual. Pretend it's the most normal thing in the world, Danny told himself. He stood up, feeling better for giving his ghost half a rest, and moved by Jack.

Jack only hummed in mild interest before he pointed down at a spot. "We'll camp here tonight and move again at first light."

Danny gave an internal cheer at the lack of reaction. Still, he couldn't keep the huge smile off his face. "Sounds good to me."

They walked for days through the unending forest. The cat-people said the forest was filled with danger and they were right. The second day walking they ran into a group of robots that seemed to be slavers. The androids had various different creatures locked up and being led by a chain. The robots initially attacked Danny and Jack, firing nets and mechanized shackles to capture them. Danny simply phased through the chains while Jack sliced the nets with his sword.

In the end, the robots had no chance against Jack or Danny alone, much less the two of them together. Jack released the prisoners, a combination of other robots, alien-like creatures, and a couple humans.

"I've encountered these types of slavers before," Jack said as he examined the manacles when the last victim was freed and left for their home. "They kidnap people and force them to fight in gladiatorial combat. Thank you for your help in defeating them. You're quite an adept fighter."

Danny shrugged, embarrassed for the thanks. Most people just ran away screaming when they saw his ghost form. Of course, he never actually told Jack he was a ghost. "No problem, I have a little practice from home, my town's got a little of a problem with…unwanted trouble makers. Does that sword ever get dull?" He'd seen Jack cut straight through the robots, sometimes the full length of their bodies, and it didn't seem any worse for the wear.

"It is a magic sword," Jack explained after a moment's hesitation. "It was forged using righteousness. I inherited it from my father to fight Aku." Jack turned and proceeded to destroy the equipment the slavers had used, ensuring no others would be able to scavenge it.

"Magic sword?" Danny repeated to himself, impressed. Magic swords, time travel, robots, cat-people, no wonder Jack didn't find his unique abilities strange. For a moment, Danny looked around amazed at the fact that he had just fought a group of slave trading robots in a completely different time and place from his own world. It was surreal, almost to the point where Danny thought he might be dreaming. Then Jack called to him that they needed to continue moving and the impression shattered, proving to him that it was no dream.

As they travelled, Danny was thankful Jack clearly was familiar with that sort of traveling. The samurai never seemed lost. He always knew what direction to head in, where to camp, how to find food when their supply ran out, and how to find clean water. It made Danny nervous thinking of what he would do if there turned out not to be any temple or portal. He would never be able to find his way back to the village, not without Jack's help.

The thought nagged at Danny until he asked about it at one of their camp fires one night. "Jack," Danny began. He still felt a little awkward addressing the man. Jack was so naturally quiet, polite, but rarely one to start a conversation. "How do you know where to go? This temple could be anywhere in this forest."

"Well," Jack said, testing the bird they had caught and were roasting for dinner. "The old cat-man said the temple was directly north, by the largest bend in the river on the opposite bank. We've been traveling due north the last couple of days. When we hit the river we will try to determine which way the large bend is. If we can't tell, we'll pick a direction, try it, and then back track if it isn't right."

Danny felt his spirits sink. "So we're basically guessing?" he asked, a little disheartened. This sounded like it was going to take a while.

"It's not a guess that we're travelling north," Jack said with a brief smile, "but when we get to the river that may very well turn into a guess. You never know though, the temple may be visible from the riverside, then we can just head directly for it."

"This is going to take forever," Danny groaned. He had tried not to complain as they travelled. Jack never seemed to complain and Danny didn't want to be the only one whining all the way, but he couldn't help the grumbling tone.

His words and tone only made Jack chuckle, though. "Yes, it may take a little longer than we thought. The river seems to be farther away from the village than the old cat-man said. You need to have patience. We will get there…or we won't and we'll find another way home."

Danny looked at Jack. Sometimes he found the samurai's zen attitude calming, sometimes annoying and frustrating. Tonight it was a combination of the two. "How long have you been looking for a way home?" Danny asked, suddenly curious.

Jack looked at him with weary eyes, then directed his gaze into the fire between them. "I've lost track of the time," he said, "but it feels like years."

Years, Danny thought, he hoped he wasn't gone from home that long.

It was another two days before they reached the river. In that time, Jack showed Danny how to travel in a straight line in the woods, tell where north was even on cloudy days and at night, set traps and snares for food, find clean water or filter it yourself, and what local plants were eatable. It almost seemed like a twisted version of Boy Scout camp, something in which Danny had never been able to participate. The one year he'd tried to go, his parents had insisted on coming to investigate the ghost stories told about the camp and the area by the campers. They'd been told in no uncertain terms not to come back.

Still, Danny was pretty sure learning from Jack was much cooler than learning from some balding scout master. Who else could say they got survival lessons from a real samurai, after all?

Plus, Danny legitimately liked Jack. Once he got used to the man's quiet and calm nature he enjoyed having the steady presence with him. It helped when he felt like screaming in frustration at being so far away from home with no immediate path back and only an old legend to rely on for guidance.

When they reached the river Danny flew high above the trees and scanned the area, searching for anything that could be a temple. He almost gave up when he saw a slight bend in the river and a vine covered lump directly across from it. Excited, he dropped near Jack, not bothering to land as he started floating in the direction of the temple.

"It's over here!" Danny called, pointing the way. "The bend is hardly large, but there looks like there's a large building right on the other side."

Jack followed him, moving along the river's bank. "Rivers grow straight over time. The temple may be old enough for the river to wear away at the bend."

They reached the bend in the river and paused.

"I could carry you across," Danny suggested looking down at Jack.

The samurai looked at the distance and the deep muddy water before nodding. "Better than getting wet," he agreed, securing his blanket, bag, and sword. He held out his hands and Danny grabbed each of his wrists and lifted them both up, flying the wide span of water.

Landing on the other side, Jack was immediately wary. He scanned the area, hand close to his sword and checked for any threats. "We need to be careful now that we're close," Jack said, face set with concentration. "We don't know what sort of traps have been set to protect the temple."

Danny nodded, curbing his excitement at finally finding the temple. He scanned the area the same way Jack had, but he doubted he would see anything the samurai had missed. With slow, careful steps, Jack pressed forward into the trees. They didn't need to walk long before they came across a large stone building covered with vines. Danny edged near it, floating well above the ground in hopes of getting a better look without setting off any traps.

"There's writing on it," he called back to Jack, who was surveying the area from a safe distance. The symbols were carved deep into the rocks, preserving them through the wear of time and vegetation.

Jack slowly moved forward, eyes constantly moving and ready until he came up next to where Danny floated. When he reached the very edge of the temple he focused on the writing, one hand cupped on his chin the other hovering just an inch above the symbols.

"This is a warning," Jack said after a few moments, brow furrowed in thought. "It says only the pure of heart may use the passage. All those who are tainted must remain outside the temple. To enter will incur retribution."

Danny listened to the warning with growing dread. He knew his intentions were good, but a part of him couldn't help but think of Dark Dan, of the potential for evil that was buried inside him. He knew it was there, he'd seen a future where he'd destroyed the world. What sort of retribution would the temple enact? It couldn't really be that bad, could it? Thinking over everything he'd experienced the last couple of days or however long he'd been in that world, Danny decided he didn't know what sort of rules governed this place. Yes, it could be that bad.

Looking down at Jack, Danny saw the samurai didn't have any doubts. Jack knew he would pass this test and had already started to move around the base of the temple, looking for an entrance. Danny followed hesitantly behind him, eyeing the temple nervously. Jack was muttering to himself, tracing over more symbols as he searched for the entrance. Danny could tell the samurai was eager, despite his usually calm exterior he knew Jack felt deeply about getting to his own time and rescuing his family and kingdom.

Another thought struck Danny as they circled around the outside. Did he have the right to jeopardize Jack's chance of finding a way home? If the temple decided he wasn't pure of heart, would that prevent Jack from using the portal, too? Danny wasn't sure, but he was torn. Yes, he had good intentions, and no, he hadn't committed any of the crimes his future self had, but that potential was still there inside him. Clockwork was even his parole officer, according to the Observants. To top it off another person's chance of getting home could also depend on his decision.

Following after Jack, Danny knew he had to make the decision quickly, he had a feeling they were getting close to the entrance.

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If Danny should enter the temple with Jack: GO TO CHAPTER 17

If Danny should not enter the temple: GO TO CHAPTER 23

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