A/N: Sorry for the delay. Everything's been crazy with returning to work and a second job. But I'm here. Enjoy.
A few hours later, Jade woke up in the nurses office. She had some tissues helping her bloody nose and an ice pack on her black eye. She groaned as she saw her principal standing before her with a concerned look on his face. "Principal Shepard...what happened?" Jade asked.
"You got hurt on the playground. The nurse said you'll be fine though. Just a few cuts and bruises." Principal Shepard said.
"Oh man, I feel like I got hit by a truck." Jade groaned in pain.
"Don't worry, Jade. I promise Drew won't hurt you again." Principal Shepard said. Jade's eyes went wide with confusion at that. Drew had hurt her? It couldn't be. It would be low for him to go that far. She tried hard to remember what happened on the playground during recess, but the harder she tried, the more her head hurt.
"Ow!" Jade groaned. "Principal Shepard, I-"
"Do not worry. Your uncle will be here to pick you up soon. I already told him you weren't in any trouble. Would you like anything?" Principal Shepard asked.
Jade wanted to try to tell him that Drew didn't do this to her, but it would be useless since nobody in the school believed her about the adventures she took with her uncle. "Can I have some water?" Jade asked.
"Of course. Just wait here." Principal Shepard said, leaving the nurses office to fetch Jade a drink. A few moments later, Drew walked in, wearing a seriously sad face.
"Drew?" Jade asked. "What happened on the playground?" She needed to know more. And since Drew was the last person she talked to before she blacked out, he might be a key witness.
"You really don't remember?" Drew asked with a scoff.
"No." Jade said, feeling sorry for her classmate. "Drew, I know we don't always get along, but I know you wouldn't hurt me. It's just too low."
"Try telling everyone else who saw what happened to you that. They think I'm the bad guy!" Drew said, his eyes welling up with tears. "I got suspended for three days! And when I get back, two weeks detention." Now Jade wanted to cry for Drew.
"Drew, I'm so sorry. Look, I need your help. Something's happening to me. And you might be able to help." Jade said with a serious face.
"Nice try, Jade. I'm not falling for anyone of your stories about ninjas and animals." Drew said, walking out of the room. Jade felt guilty as Drew walked out. It wasn't his fault that she was beaten up, all bruised and bloodied, but no one at school believed him. The Queen of Shadowkhan was making good on her promise. And soon everything and everyone she cared about would be in danger. Jade knew she needed help. But from who?
"Jade?" Jackie asked, walking into the nurses office. He gasped when he saw his niece's bruised face. "Are you alright?"
"Jackie..." Jade cried, tears spilling out from her eyes. Sensing his niece's pain, Jackie wrapped Jade in a tight hug, allowing her to sob on his shoulders. "I didn't fight anyone Jackie! I swear! I know I lied in the past, but..."
"It's alright. I believe you. I promise Drew won't bother you again." Jackie said.
"No! It wasn't Drew! Really! It's..." Jade said before sighing. She knew it was time to tell her guardian about what happened last night. "Can we talk in the car?"
"Of course." Jackie said, picking her up and carrying her to the van.
On the drive, Jade told Jackie about the nightmare she had last night with the Shadowkahn and their queen, then waking up in a dumpster. "You woke up in a dumpster?!" Jackie asked, shocked.
"I know. It was weird. Like I must have been sleepwalking or something." Jade said before turning serious. "But I know who really did it." Jade then showed her uncle the tattoo on her ankle. Jackie gasped, almost stopping the car before collecting himself. "I didn't do this. I swear! I looked and I saw it coming back. She's coming back, Jackie." She then trembled with fear as Jackie became concerned for his niece. "And she might be more powerful." She then sighed. "Am I grounded?"
"Jade, I'm not gonna ground you." Jackie assured as he parked the car near Uncle's shop. "You were honest with me. And I believe you when you said you weren't fooling around with magic. Why would you think I would punish you for being honest?"
"Well, maybe because of all those other times I fooled around with spells." Jade said sheepishly. "Like the time I made duplicates of myself."
"Yes, I remember. And just when I thought it was hard to keep track of just you." Jackie smiled. "Jade, if you just be honest with me and not try to get into mischief, everything will turn out for the best."
"Yeah, but…" Jade wanted to say before trembling with fear. Jackie sensed it and wrapped her in a hug. "I'm scared, Uncle Jackie. I don't know what to do."
"It'll be alright. Uncle and Tohru will know what to do." Jackie whispered before exiting the car, then picking up Jade and carrying her inside the shop.
Inside Uncle's Rare Finds, Jackie was on the phone with Captain Black while Jade, Uncle, and Tohru waited for Jackie to finish up. "I know it seems strange Captain Black, but Jade told me she woke up in a dumpster in downtown this morning. Could you please pull up security camera footage? I fear something bad might be happening to her." Jackie said.
"Well...OK Jackie. I'll try to get the footage. You just try to keep an eye on her." Captain Black said on the other line.
"Thank you. Goodbye." Jackie smiled before hanging up and approaching Jade, Uncle, and Tohru. "OK Jade, show them."
Jade then showed Uncle and Tohru the Tarakudo tattoo, making them both gasp with shock. "Ai-yah!" Uncle shouted. "The symbol of great evil has returned to possess Jade!"
"But how?! We got rid of her!" Jade pointed out. Tohru began to think before a theory came into his mind.
"It appears Tarakudo might have used his magic to make the tattoo come back to Jade's ankle." Tohru figured. Then, suddenly, the top half of the tattoo was filled with red, allowing Jade, Jackie, Uncle, and Tohru to gasp with shock.
"What's happening?!" Jade exclaimed.
"Apparently Tarkaudo has used a different spell to not only make the tattoo reappear, but add color to it, making the possession much more stronger." Tohru figured quickly.
"What does this mean?" Jackie asked.
"The more the mark stays, the more Jade gets possessed. The change might even be permanent. A simple potion probably won't be enough to stop it, like last time." Tohru said, making Jade and Jackie gulp.
"But you can still get rid of her before it happens, right?" Jade asked with a hopeful smile.
"We'll have to try. But it'll take time." Tohru said.
"As long as Tarkaudo is out there, time is our enemy." Uncle said before Jackie knelt down to face Jade.
"Don't worry, Jade. We're not giving up on you." Jackie assured her. "Tarakaudo won't possess you."
"Yeah, but I hope I don't wake up somewhere else like last night." Jade muttered before smiling as an idea flashed into her brain. "But I have a plan to help with that." Jackie and Tohru looked at each other, a little worried about what idea Jade has come up with.
It was nighttime, and Jade was in her nightshirt while Jackie and Tohru worked together to tie Jade down to her bed to help her in case she had another nightmare. "Jade, I'm not so sure about this." Jackie said, uneasily.
"Jackie, if you were me and going through what I'm going through, would you want the Queen of Shadowkhan to control your mind?" Jade asked with an arched eyebrow. Jackie's mouth dropped open, as he knew Jade had a point before continuing to tie Jade down. "OK, Jackie, you can have the first shift. You'll stay here for 4 hours to let Tohru get some sleep. Then Big T, you'll do the same thing till morning. This is serious. If I'm having another nightmare, you have to wake me up."
"Don't worry Jade. We won't leave you no matter what." Jackie assured with a smile. Just then, a knock was heard from the front door. "I'll be right back. Tohru, finish up." Thoru nodded as Jackie went downstairs and answered the door to find Captain Black standing there. "Captain Black."
"Jackie, I found what you were looking for." Captain Black said, handing Jackie a disc. "Hopefully it'll give you some answers."
"Thank you." Jackie nodded as Captain Black left. Jackie then sat at a desk, got his laptop out, put the disc in, and watched the security footage from the camera in the alley that has the dumpster that Jade woke up in that morning. Jackie watched as two garbage men poured the trash into the dumpster when they spotted Jade in her nightshirt, floating towards them. Jackie gasped as he continued to watch. The garbage men screamed with terror, running away as Jade flew into the dumpster. "Clearly that's not sleepwalking."
Back in Jade's room, Tohru finished tying Jade down. "Perfect. Nice and tight. Thanks Big T." Jade smiled at Tohru who smiled back as Jackie entered the room.
"We're good." Tohru said.
"Thank you. I'll start my shift then you'll come after four hours." Jackie said as Tohru left the room, Jackie then grabbed a chair and sat across from Jade. "Are you OK?"
"I don't know. I'm kind of scared to go to sleep. She might come back." Jade said, trembling a bit. "Please tell me a story."
Jackie smiled at that. "Uh, once upon a time, there was a young boy who lived in a nice mansion with his parents." Jackie began. "Then one day the father gathered his son to take him for a drive. They hopped into the van and began driving along the road. They kept driving, and driving, and driving. They were driving so long that the father almost fell asleep and saw they were still driving."
"Jackie, no offense, but you kind of stink telling bedtime stories." Jade said. "Maybe it'll help if you add some twists to it."
"What kind of twists?" Jackie asked.
Jade tried to think of one. It wasn't long till she got one and smiled. "Maybe they ran out of gas." Jade said, making Jackie smile.
"Good one. OK, along halfway down the road, they then ran out of gas." Jackie smiled, making Jade smile. "The father then left the car with his son to try and find a gas station. Along the way there, they encountered a troll." Jade's smile grew wider at that. "He guarded the bridge that lead to the gas station. The troll demanded a toll, but the father then pulled a sword from a tree stump and began to fight him." Jade smiled at the story before yawning. She then closed her eyes and began to fall asleep. Jackie smiled as he kissed Jade on the forehead, making her smile in her sleep. "I won't let anything bad happen to you. I promise."
Jade was walking down the streets of San Francisco with a smile, wearing her usual clothes when she immediately felt the willies all over before gasping as she saw Tarakudo floating right in front of her, smiling evilly. "Hello my queen." Tarkaudo said.
"I am not your queen!" Jade said with a brave face.
"Oh, don't lie. I know you got the little present I left on your ankle." Tarkaudo said with an evil smile. "And I know my queen is still in there."
Jade trembled a bit. "No she's not." Jade's face then turned blue as the Queen of Shadowkhan came out.
"Yes she is." the Queen smiled evilly. Jade then gasped as her face turned back to normal.
"That's right. Soon she will be back, ready to rule at my side." Tarakudo said as darkness began to surround Jade's dream. "You see child, I can easily enter your mind and turn your sweet dreams into nightmares into horrific nightmares. And you know there's no escaping YOUR DESTINY!" Jade then screamed with terror as she ran away, trying to escape the darkness. "Run all you can't. But you know you can't hide."
Jade continued to run but darkness kept coming until she felt it grabbing her leg and dragging back to Tarakudo. "NO! LET GO OF ME!" Jade screamed. "JACKIE! SAVE ME!"
"Jackie! Save me!" Jade screamed in her sleep, twisting and turning in her binds as Jackie saw what was happening and immediately rushed to Jade.
"Jade! You're having a nightmare! Wake up!" Jackie shouted. But when Jade did wake up, the color of her eyes and skin changed, making Jackie gasp. "Jade?"
"Jade's not here right now." the Queen of Shadowkhan said with an evil smile.
Will Jackie be able to save Jade? Find out in the next chapter!