A/N As usual, thank you for your supportive reviews!

Song selection: "Come Sail Away"~ Styx

Chapter Forty-Eight: The Eighth Door (s2 ep11 part 2)

MACEY'S POV

Jackie's anxiety was already prominent when we met at the airport. He was fidgeting around in his seat; glancing around frantically. He jumped when I tapped him on the shoulder.

"Sorry," I said when he turned and glared at me, then looked relieved when he saw me. "You okay?"

"I won't be until we find Jade." Jackie sighed, his head falling against the back of the plastic chair. "I only turned around for one moment. If I had kept a better eye on her-"

"Don't beat yourself up, Jackie." I gently massage his shoulders. "It could have happened to anyone. Besides, Jade's an adventurous kid- I'm sure this is what she'll see this whole ordeal as; just another adventure. She'll probably just complain that we worry about her too much when we do find her."

Jackie allowed himself to smile grimly. "I suppose you're right."

Our flight number was announced, and Jackie and I stood, making our way to the gate.

Jackie turned to me. "You're scared of flying, yes?"

I found it endearing that he remembered something about me. Sometimes, I don't even remember me.

I shrugged. "Only when there's a bunch of thugs and ninjas in mid-air after you."

Jackie looked amused. "Fair enough."

We boarded the plane, shuffling down the aisle between the rows of seats.

"I call window seat!" I dove for the window seat and plopped down, folding my arms across my chest and grinning proudly. My action drew amused stares and even a few chuckles from passersby.

Jackie sat down in the seat facing the aisle and sighed. "You're immature."

"Thank you."

"It wasn't meant to be a compliment…"

The flight attendant spoke into the intercom, welcoming us aboard and giving us instructions about seatbelts and oxygen masks.

And soon after, the flight lifted off, the plane's wheels finally lifting off the ground and into the air.

*JCA*

Meanwhile, in the demon world, Hsi Wu delivered Jade- by flight- to his fellow demons, depositing her non-too-gently on the ground in front of the said demons. "Brothers and sisters," he announced triumphantly, "I bring you the mortal called Jade!"

Jade gasped in fear when she realized all of the demons' eyes were on her. She slipped behind Hsi Wu's legs in an attempt to hide herself, but to no avail.

Po Kong licked his chops, loudly. "Mmm, yummy!" he crowed, chuckling.

Jade wasn't doing a very good job of masking her fear, but she said anyway, "Uh, if you think you're all getting out, I hate to break it to ya, but Shendu's lying." A flicker of alarm flashed in the demons' eyes, and they began to murmur amongst themselves. "Only one of you can go through the portal," she stated matter-of-factly, remaining firm. "End of story."

Dai Gu stepped forward. "How do you know?" he inquired skeptically, his dark eyes never leaving Jade.

Jade stiffened under his ever-suspicious gaze. "Uncle told me." She slapped her hand over her mouth in horror when she realized she'd completely ratted Uncle out, but it was too late to take the words back.

"The Chi Wizard!" Bai Tza hissed in wonder, speaking up for the first time since Jade was abducted.

"So, Shendu did deceive us!" Tso Lan seethed, radiating nothing but fury.

"There's a surprise," Xiao Fung muttered bitterly.

Jade knew she was teetering on the edge. But she was conjuring up a plan. She knew she there was only one way for her to escape unscathed. "So, uh, which one of you is it gonna be?"

The demons glanced at each other, appearing puzzled.

No one knew how to respond.

*JCA*

Jade scanned her camera over her surroundings. "The Demon Netherworld," she narrated in a low voice, "where Demon Sorcerers go when they've been bad. Where no human has gone before…" She paused for suspense. "Until now." She broke character and switched off her camera. "My ratings will be huge," she murmured to herself, looking around. "If I can find a way out of here…"

In all honesty, the Demon World was pretty boring, so Jade had no choice but to eavesdrop on the conversation between the demons. Besides, it wasn't like they were exactly hush-hush about their little chats- if they wanted to be discreet, they weren't doing a very good job of it.

Jade leaned closer, peering over at Bai Tza and Shendu. Neither of the said demons appeared happy.

"Now, about the Eighth Door, Shendu…" Bai Tza began, her gaze never wavering. "It is the portal of your banishment. Only you may pass through it."

"That was once true, Bai Tza," Shendu argued, equally as stubborn as the other party, "but now that I am a spirit, my portal is vacant; waiting to be filled by others."

"You mean another," Tso Lan corrected. "Only one may pass through each portal."

"That is the rule…" agreed Xiao Fung tentatively, almost timidly.

"Do you think I have been dallying here?!" Shendu demanded incredulously, holding up a Yellow Pages phone book. "I have discovered a spell, uh, which will keep the portal open until the last of you is free! In fact, I was just preparing to journey to it when you called." He turned and glanced over his shoulder. "Hak Foo! Bring me-" Shendu's command was abruptly interrupted by his own gasp of horror when the Pan'Ku Box, which was slowly being lifted into the air, caught his eye.

"Shark catches bait!" Hak Foo leaped for the box. The said item was tugged from his reach, almost vanishing into thin air.

The other demons gawked at him, their eyes widening in awe.

"What shark?" Bai Tza asked apprehensively.

Xiao Fung was just as puzzled. "What is he talking about?"

Jade breathed a sigh of relief. "Jackie and Macey!" she whispered brightfully, her eyes widened. The said duo had somehow managed to successfully enter the Demon World.

*JCA*

I grabbed for Jade, pulling her against me and to safety.

"Jade!" I placed both of my hands on her shoulders and stared into her eyes. "Are you alright? Are you hurt? Do I need to call-"

Jade scowled and muttered something that sounded like "Jeez, you're worse than Jackie" before perking up and exclaiming, with a mischievous grin, "That was fun! Let's do it again."

"That was your definition of fun?!" Jackie cried dubiously, rubbing his neck.

"Jackie!" In the midst of the panic, Uncle managed to catch our attention. "There is more than one way to skin a cat!" he declared, loudly to be heard over the din, and tossed Jackie a silver-colored sword. "And two ways to open a portal!" He turned away and began chanting the incantation.

Shendu gasped at the sight of the sword. "The symbol of the mortal who defeated me!"

Jackie turned to me. "Let's do this together," he said in a low voice, and I nodded, stepping closer to him and grabbing hold of one side of the sword.

We sliced the sword through the air, and the portal finally closed, for good.