Author's Note: I am so pleased to say that ilovedracoDH had made an 8tracks playlist for this story! Please go and check it out - it is absolutely awesome!

Please Note, the changes in this chapter are in response to issues and plot-holes from the original episode that have been pointed out by WatcherOfThe2000s in his review of Jackie Chan Adventures on youtube.

Special thanks to InsanityisReality for being my beta

The Book of Ages

"ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Shendu screamed as electricity seared through his soul, his spirit form writhing as he tried in vain to duck away from the torture. But Tchang Zu was not so forgiving, his claws flashed as he sent another piercing bolt into the dead dragon, making him scream again. In his delirium, Shendu could just make out all the faces of his siblings, each one curling their lips with sadistic pleasure as they watched him suffer.

The electricity died, and for a moment, Shendu had the brief and idiotic thought that he would have a respite. But that thought was quickly vanquished when Bai Tza doused him in freezing cold water. If he already didn't like water because of its complete oppositeness to his fire, then he certainly didn't like it when it reacted with the lightning still clinging to him, setting the torture to an entirely different level of pain.

He'd been suffering for hours, or it could have been days, or years, he wasn't sure anymore, the pain was all he could comprehend. He flinched back away from their powers, though there wasn't anywhere he could escape to, as his siblings surrounded him and wouldn't let him off easily. He collapsed onto a floating rock, though he didn't physically need it as he was a spirit. But he couldn't take any more, and so tried to grab their attention.

"Ah – Stop!" He pleaded, and to his astonishment, the torture ceased for a mere moment, allowing him to regain precious moments of relief.

"What is it now, Shendu?" Hsi Wu asked testily.

Shendu merely lay there for a moment, panting, trying to regain his composure from the hideous agony that left even his spirit trembling from its effects. "A-Admittedly…" He began pathetically, curled up on the rock. "I have failed you, my siblings – ARGH!"

He shrieked when Tchang Zu sent another quick bolt at him, but he knew he had to keep their attention. He knew grovelling wouldn't save him, and he had nothing to barter with. The plan had failed, and so Shendu was left with only desperate hopes and plans that he would never normally consider in his wildest dreams. But he couldn't go through this torture for all of eternity, and so desperately tried to speak through his pain.

"But, I may yet save you as well – we can all regain our freedom!" He told them fiercely, and felt a little relieved when he caught the interest in their eyes. "And even reclaim the centuries wasted in this void. If… you allow me to pursue one last recourse."

"Ha! And that would be?" Po Kong laughed condescendingly.

Shendu just stared up at them all, silent for a moment, before his red eyes hardened and he spoke with ominous slowness: "The Book of Ages."

The reaction was immediate.

"Ludicrous!"

"Madness!"

"It's not possible!"

"He cannot be serious?!"

"Fool!"

"Even we never dared to tamper with that!" Hsi Wu's voice rose above the gasps of the others as he shook his head, having gone pale as he looked at his brother in horror.

"You risk destroying the very fabric of reality!" Bai Tza shrieked.

Shendu was no fool. He knew exactly why this plan had never been the original and why his siblings were so shocked at the very suggestion. The Book of Ages was one of the most powerful artefacts in the universe, the sacred book where all of history was magically recorded. And as his siblings would suggest, tampering with it in any way could alter the very world around them. In fact, it was said that if too many inconsistencies were made, or if the book became damaged by interference… as Bai Tza said, then the fabric of reality itself would be destroyed. The Book was a great gamble, not only with its power, but also in getting to it. It was said to be guarded by great spells and a secret guardian, all of which could kill the one who dared to use the book for ill purposes.

But Shendu knew how much his siblings wanted out of their prison. They may have been fearful in using the Book, but they were so desperate that it wouldn't take much to persuade them. And he knew that out of all the demon-sorcerers, Bai Tza was the one who hated this place the most; being a creature of the water, a dry and hot place like the netherworld was her worst nightmare.

"Am I then to assume that this reality pleases you, sister?" Shendu asked, driving that point home. Bai Tza went quiet, and he saw the need in her eyes, and turned to the others, seeing the exact same look in their eyes also. "Rest assured, my siblings, I know of what will await me. I will ensure that we all escape this place, and my meddling will not endanger us. We must either dance with death, or live it in this eternal pit."

"Hmmm…" Po Kong was the first to speak as his words affected each of the demons. "These are desperate times…"

"Then I will make things right," Shendu had to refrain from purring in victory, for he could see his siblings were once more right in the palm of his hands. "All you need do, is allow me to once more depart from this realm and possess a human. The right human." He added the last sentence with a growl as his eyes narrowed dangerously.

His host was in for a very nasty shock…

Valerie sat on her bed looking at her hands, her knees pulled up close to her chest. Her hair hung around her face, hiding it in the already dark hotel room. The sheets were itchy beneath her, and her back was aching from sitting against the headboard for so long, but she couldn't be bothers to shift positions. She wasn't even crying, just sitting there. She knew she looked a pitiful state, but she felt pitiful.

After the argument between her and Jade, it had been awkward among the group to say the least. With nothing better to offer, Jackie offered that Uncle and Valerie should check them into a hotel, whilst Tohru and Jackie took Jade to Moose World – seeing as they were standing outside the front gates. Valerie had never felt lower in her whole life. The rejection of her friends stung in a place she hadn't known existed. She'd been quite the entire time her and Uncle had been looking around for a reasonably priced hotel – that was a feat considering how much Uncle moaned about the prices. But finally they'd found a place and Valerie had texted Jackie where they were. Later that afternoon, Jackie had come by in cab to pick them up, as they were going to visit Jade's parents. Valerie had quietly declined, which now left her alone in the hotel room.

She honestly couldn't blame Jade for being mad at her, after all she had purposefully kept a secret from the girl, one that she had no right to keep. But she'd thought she'd been doing it for Jade's benefit. As she sat there, Valerie's mind counted up all the secrets she withheld from her friends, and the sheer weight of it all was suddenly staggering. She didn't mean to keep secrets through malicious intent, nor because she didn't trust the Chans – she trusted them with her life! But it was just automatic. And now the secrets were coming back to haunt her, and she despised it. She wanted to cry, but knew she didn't deserve to feel sorry for herself.

As Valerie sat there wallowing in self-pity, she was completely unaware of the little wormhole morphing behind her as something forced its way through the barrier between realms. Shendu slithered his way into the physical realm of Earth, grateful that its soothing aura banished the last of the pains of torture from his spirit. Red eyes scanned the room until they locked onto their target, glaring balefully.

The demon hissed, unheard by his prey, as he loomed over her, ready to strike. With a snarl, he leapt forward and plunged himself into her very heart.

Valerie's eyes suddenly bulged, her body freezing, her mouth opening in a silent scream as she felt something invade the core of her being. It filled her with a burning rush, and she felt her stomach flip as bile rise in her throat. And then, every nerve felt like it was set on fire, something deep and profound filling her until she thought she would burst from the pressure.

Shendu felt Valerie's body swallow him up, and once more felt that second of claustrophobia as his soul was cramped along with hers inside of the body they now shared. His siblings had not cast the same binding spell as before, but they did not need to, for as Shendu had predicted, something else decided to shackle him to his host. Now buried within her very soul, their chi's were surrounded by each other, and couldn't resist but join together in a chaotic storm of power so great that Shendu thought they would both combust from the force. Their chi's melded together, snapping and intertwining and wrapping around each other until Shendu could feel his very being become a force of nature. He knew Valerie was feeling the effects also, but he was powerless to help her as he too adjusted to this sudden overwhelming power within them.

When she could take it no more, Valerie let out a shrill shriek, her eyes burning until she felt tears bubbling out and dripping down her face. But then, just when she thought the pressure would become so much she might die, it vanished, and settled somewhere deep within her. Exhausted, out of breath, the woman screwed her eyes shut as she collapsed to the floor with a pained groan.

"You need to apologise." Jackie said sternly as they all walked down the corridor towards their room. They'd only just gotten back from Jade's parents' apartment. Jackie wanted to pick up Valerie to bring her over for dinner with Jade's family, it was unfair to leave the blonde so isolated and pushed out. So they'd all come back in order to 'talk things over'.

"No way!" Jade snapped vehemently. "Val lied to us! She lied to me! Am I supposed to just forgive that?!"

"Yes." Jackie snapped back.

"Valerie is your friend, Jade," Tohru, ever the peacekeeper of the group, tried to sooth the child.

"I thought so too." Jade grumbled, and Jackie saw the way the girl's eyes became downcast and her lip trembled. She was hurt by this, but stubbornness got in the way.

"We're sure she did not mean to do it to hurt you." Tohru tried to reason.

"Jade forgets Uncle needs his shop assistant and does not want shop to feel awkward!" Uncle yelled at the girl, which caused her eyes to harden as she snorted. Deciding not to let Uncle ruin the mood further, Jackie knelt beside Jade, placing his hand on her should to give it a reassuring squeeze.

"Valerie made a mistake, as we have all made mistakes." He told his niece softly.

"But if she'd just told me…" Jade tried to say quietly, her eyes imploring her uncle to believe her.

"I know." He murmured. "But why don't you just hear her out. I'm sure she's just as upset about this as you are."

"Uh, fine." She sighed.

They finally arrived at their room, 666, and using the key-card Jackie unlocked the door, though waited for Jade to open it for them. Bracing herself, the girl slowly went in, peeking into the dark room.

"Hey Val, we need to –"

Jade gasped when she saw that Valerie was on her hands and knees on the floor, shaking, her hair clumping together with sweat, and her shirt clinging to her back. Instantly, the girl's anger vanished to be replaced with worry as she ran across the room towards the woman. The other's came in after her, and she heard their gasps of shock as they saw Valerie as well.

"Val!" Jade exclaimed with worry, kneeling beside the woman and placing her hand on her shoulder. "Val? What – argh!" Jade shrieked as Valerie suddenly flung out her arm and threw Jade across the room. The girl was caught by Jackie, and the all looked up in horror as Valerie slowly stood, rolling her neck as a sickening crack split through the air like a gunshot.

"Valerie cannot hear you…" Came a hissing voice as the woman slowly turned to face them, and they all recoiled when they saw the blazing red eyes and the wicked grin that did not belong to Valerie.

"Demon!" Tohru yelped in fright.

And then, the demon-possessed-Valerie began to laugh, a wicked and terrible sound filled with no mirth, a laugh that Jade recognised – Shendu. There was hum that filled their ears, the air seeming to be electrified all of a sudden as sparks danced down Valerie's arms as she continued to laugh. Jade's mouth opened in horror when the woman began to slowly levitate an inch or two off of the floor, her red eyes continuing to glow ever brighter.

Jackie leapt across the room, his arms outstretched as if he meant to wrestle Valerie out of the air. But the woman snapped her head to glare at him, her laughter instantly vanished to be replaced by a snarl. Shendu held out Valerie's hand, and suddenly an explosion of light and flame and sound erupted between them. Jackie was thrown back with a scream, and Tohru snatched Jade up and sheltered her inside his massive arms as the explosion rocked the very building around them.

Dust filled Jade's nose and she thought the earth was erupting around them. But then, just as quickly, it vanished, and the group slowly opened their eyes to see what had happened. And Jade felt her heart sink.

A huge hole had been blasted through the wall, opening out onto the city of Hong Kong, the wind sweeping into the scorched room. Valerie was gone, possessed by Shendu. Jade felt the hopelessness sweep through her. What had she done?

"Valerie…" She whispered.

Shendu knew that having so much energy was dangerous.

As he walked around in Valerie's skin, there was too much temptation to use the unbridled power now coursing through their veins. But the more he used it, he knew the more it would generate until the body exploded under the pressure. This was not how Others should be united. The bonding ceremony was used as a way to stabilise the flow of Chi from one soul to another, with Shendu currently inside Valerie, it was all of his chi against all of hers. In this state it would take too long to reach the balance that the binding ceremony could create instantaneously.

So he now had another reason to get to the Book of Ages. He needed to get out of Valerie's body and give them both a chance of survival. But she was central to how this would work. So he had to endure it.

Valerie's consciousness had been rendered into a state of sleep when he had first possessed her, and that served him well now as he quickly travelled to the Hong Kong airport. The shock had completely overwhelmed her, but he doubted she would be so inactive for long. So he made as much ground as he could, hoping that Chan wasn't following too closely, keeping himself in dominance over her mind.

But as they came to the airport, he felt her stir. He tried to wrestle for control, but her instinctive panic and fear was so forceful that it rivalled him. Her turbulent emotions aroused the storm of power swirling within them, and Shendu was forced to surrender, or else the storm might give off a bolt of magic in the physical world that would draw too much attention to them. He felt Valerie take back control, and watched from the back of her mind as she looked around in confusion at her surroundings.

It only took one look at her reflection in the window of a passing car to realise what had happened. The instant she saw Shendu's demonic face over hers, she shrieked, causing a few people to look at her. The woman was already sweating even as she ran to the nearest payphone. Sensing what she was about to do, Shendu tried to wrestle for control, but she resiliently defied him long enough to deposit a few coins in the machine before dialling a phone number with shaking hands.

"Valerie?!" The voice of Chan answered on the second ring.

"Jackie!" Valerie almost hysterically sobbed into the phone in panic. "I'm at the airport!"

"The airport?! Why?! What's going on?!" Jackie demanded.

"Argh–!" Valerie gasped when Shendu sent a bolt of electricity through her that made her wince in pain, the lapse in self-control enough to allow him to dominate her as he took over.

"You will find out soon enough!" He snarled into the phone, before letting it fall and stalking away.

"Valerie? Valerie!" He heard Chan's voice calling worriedly from the phone, but paid it no heed.

He only managed to make it to the entrance doors to the airport, before he felt Valerie wrestle with him for control. He fought against her, but such a battle was costly, as well as him just standing there twitching as he tried to keep himself still from her influence was drawing attention. So, with little other options, he ducked into an alley that was tucked away and out of sight of others, more than likely where maintenance kept their supplies behind one of the locked doors he came across. Shendu slumped against the wall, now safely hidden from prying eyes as he tried to combat his host.

"Forget it!" Valerie hissed as she managed to get control long enough to wrap her hand around the handle of a door to anchor herself in place. "I'm not doing anything you want!"

"Oh, yes you will!" Shendu snarled back viciously. "I have little time or patience for this, Valerie. So you will do as I command or –"

"Or what?!" She shot back.

"I'm inside your mind. I can look into any memory or thought I wish." He told her darkly. He'd anticipated this, and so resorted to the perfect threat to enforce her co-operation. Such anger had been eating away at him, he was so furious at what she had done that he had no regrets for what he was about to say. "I could discover where your loved ones are hiding, then I'll go to each and every one of them and kill them slowly. Imagine the looks of horror on their faces when it is you who turns out to be their murderer. Then I'll let you have control long enough to see the betrayal in their eyes, right before I split open their skulls!"

There was a deathly silence. Valerie's mouth fell open, and he felt the horror and fear growing within her as she comprehended what he had just told her.

"You… you wouldn't…" She whispered.

"Do as I say and no harm shall befall them." He said sternly.

There was a long pause as he gave her back control, more to see her answer but also to calm the magical storm that had swelled with their battling emotions. Valerie was still for a while, tears burning her eyes, and Shendu heard her sniff, feeling her despair and guilt in her heavy heart. She then carefully stood tall and let go of the door handle.

"Ahhh. There's a good girl." He purred condescendingly in her mind, and she shivered in revulsion. "Now, buy us a ticket for the first plane to Australia. Immediately."

Without a word, Valerie bit back her tears, her shoulders slumped as she walked back out to the main complex and entered the airport. With the last of the cash that was stuffed in her pocket, she bought a ticket for the first plane-ride to Australia. Shendu felt her nerves as she looked around fearfully, eyeing the security officers as well as the many cameras surrounding them. Shendu paid it no mind, and when they walked through without incident, he was satisfied.

They boarded their plane twenty minutes later, and Shendu was pleasantly pleased at their timing. The odds were surely in his favour. They thankfully were alone in their seating at the back of the plane, and Valerie huddled by the window, her misery so great that it almost choked Shendu. He almost felt guilty for what he was doing to her. But the anger quickly choked such remorse.

"Why are you here? What do you want?" Valerie asked him quietly once they were up in the air and on their way. She looked at her reflection on the glass of the window, so that she could talk to him 'face-to-face', as it were.

"With the portals closed I have had to resort to drastic measures." He told her bluntly in her mind, though his reflection moved as if he were speaking.

"I suppose there's no point in me saying 'get out'." She muttered with bitter sarcasm.

"I couldn't even if I tried." He said curtly.

"Your siblings bound you again?"

"Oh no, it is something far worse than that." He murmured.

"What do you mean?" She whispered, and he didn't miss the spike of fear as her heartbeat quickened a little.

"You do remember that we are Others, yes? Our Chi's constantly wish to form together, to be bound as one, to be completed. Well, as a spirit in your body, our Chi's now have absolutely no barriers between them. They are slowly morphing together even now as we speak. The longer I stay in your body, it will soon become difficult to know where you end and I begin, and then it will become almost impossible to separate us."

"No!"

"Think of it as an extra incentive." He added. "I would like my own body, not to become an extension of yours. Do as I say and we will be separated."

"Why me?"

"You are the key for completing my plans." He said, before adding with a slight growl of anger before he could stop himself: "And think of this as a little retribution for your betrayal."

"I've not betrayed you! If anything, you're the one who's betraying me!" She retorted fiercely, her eyes glistening with tears.

"What was it you said? You'll think about forgiving me if I bring back the child?" He sneered. "I did as you asked! And then the Chi Wizard banished me!"

"I had no idea they would do that!" She pleaded.

His silence told her how he didn't believe her.

"So that's what all this is? Some form of punishment?!" She demanded.

"I do not suffer traitors well." He growled.

"They were right." She whispered quietly, suddenly emptying of anger only to be replaced with… regret? Shendu didn't know what to make of that. "I was an idiot. I thought you were different. But Uncle, Jackie, Jade… they were all right. You are a monster."

Her words stung him more then he would have thought. Did she truly think him a monster? Did he care whether she did? After everything that had happened between them, he found it strange to think that he had lost all regard with her. But he was supposed to be angry with her, for she had betrayed him after all, but her earnest way in defending herself made him doubt… Was she still his Valerie? Had he been wrong? Quickly checking through her memories, he saw that yes, she had no prior knowledge of the betrayal that had banished him back to the Netherworld, and he felt a little guilty for his earlier anger.

He knew this was hurting her, that this treatment was a form of betrayal, but he had no choice. He wanted to say something, anything, to show her that this was just temporary, that everything would be fine soon, to stop this swelling anguish he felt rising within her. He could not name the emotion he felt at that moment, for it was most strange to him, a burn in his heart that was filled with longing and passion but at the same time such bitter torture that twisted his metaphorical insides. But he knew nothing he said would comfort her, so he only hoped that his coming actions would make everything better.

The flight lasted seven hours. As soon as they landed, Shendu immediately found a map of the area, and knew where he needed to go. Getting a bus ride, they journeyed for hours into the back of beyond. When they had landed, dawn had just been on the horizon, but when they finally arrived at their destination, it was an hour or two past noon the next day. Shendu smirked with Valerie's lips as he got off the bus and looked into the distance at a large canyon.

"The Book is close at hand…" He murmured to himself.

He began the long trek through the barren waste that was the outback, as the native humans called it. It took an hour or two to reach the canyon, but the heat didn't bother Shendu, who relished it. But what did make him uncomfortable was the way this body began to sweat when the growing power of their chi's was starting to take its toll. Finally, they reached a cave in the canyon, exactly where Shendu had known it would be.

"This is it?" Valerie asked as she took back control for a moment.

"Yes…" Shendu murmured. "Now, when we enter, we will be tested."

"Tested?"

"What we are after is very powerful. You do not think that such a thing of power would be unguarded, do you?" He asked her as if such a thought was ludicrous. "There will be a guardian, and he will set before you three tests that you must pass."

"Any idea what these tests will be?"

"No. But I suggest you succeed, because if you don't the guardian has the power to erase you from existence."

"What?!" She gasped in horror. Shendu knew her reaction would be this way. The guardian was the reason that Shendu and his siblings had never tampered with the book before, and why it had never entered their minds to use the book instead of the Pan'ku Box to release them.

"Never mind that now." He tried to calm her, but with no such luck.

"Why can't you do this?" She asked.

"Because if he senses me, he will kill us. If I were in another host I would not be able to touch good-magic. But with our chi's blending together, I can now access any magic I wish, and will be hidden from his sight." He explained. "As it is, I can get us in, but you will need to pass the test so that we may get to our goal."

"I suppose I don't have much choice." She murmured bitterly as she began to walk into the cave.

"Valerie…" He said quickly, bringing them to a halt. He felt her consciousness attentively listening, but he found the words a little hard to form in his throat, until he softly said: "I'm sorry. I promise that the world I will build will make up for this."

Valerie said nothing, instead, just walked ahead further into the cave. When they came to a dead end, Shendu brought his hands together, touching his pointer, thumb and little fingers together as he closed his eyes. He only had to pull on the tiniest drop of the now endless magic that flowed between their two souls to perform the task.

"Kuai Kuai Qi Lai, Kuai Kuai Qi Lai, Kuai Kuai Qi Lai…" He chanted in a whisper.

Before them, a blue-green portal opened in the rock. Shendu withdrew his control, and gave Valerie her head, hiding within the deepest parts of her mind though still able to see through her eyes. Valerie took a sharp intake of breath in surprise at the portal, and hesitated. But then, she gathered her courage, and stepped through.

They were brought into what looked like a massive chamber of an ancient temple. Columns dwarfed and surrounded them, and they stood in what could arguably called an 'entrance-hall'. Shendu could see their goal at the back of the temple, but that was not what drew Valerie's attention. She was looking at the one who could only be the Guardian. But Shendu was shocked… this wasn't what he had expected.

An old man crouched by a little fire on the floor. He was what the people of Australia called an 'aboriginal'. He was wrinkled, skinny, but tall and lean. The man had dark skin and a great bushy grey beard and out of control hair. His face was painted in whites and greys in an intriguing pattern, and he wore a red-headband. His clothes were little more than a loincloth made of weaved grass and hair, and he stood with the use of a long stick made into a staff. When the shaman's grey eyes glanced up to see Valerie, a gap-toothed smile broke across his features.

"Welcome, pilgrim." He said pleasantly. "It has been a long time since a face greeted me."

"Hello…" Valerie murmured nervously.

"You have come for enlightenment?"

"I do." She replied vaguely, and Shendu willed her to keep her control. She had to pass the test, or they were both doomed. No matter how nice the guardian might seem, Shendu knew of the wrathful power he could have.

"Then, good child, you must pass my tests." The guardian spoke ominously, and Valerie took a half-step back in fear, before the Shaman gave her a little wink. "Sorry. Those are the rules."

"Okay…" She said slowly, bracing herself.

"Take my hand." The Shaman said simply as he held out a worn and wrinkled hand to her.

"What?" Valerie frowned.

"Take my hand."

"Is this one of the tests?"

He said nothing. Just continued to hold out his hand towards her patiently. Valerie hesitated a moment, before she slowly placed her hand in his and gently grasped it. The shaman then let go of his staff – which held itself standing all by itself – and quickly touched his other palm to her chest. Valerie gasped in surprise, and Shendu had to restrain himself from growling possessively. But the Shaman did nothing but hold his hand flat against Valerie's chest, feeling the rapid beat of her heart.

"Good. Your heart is strong, even if a little timid. It will serve you well." The Shaman murmured, releasing her. Valerie seemed to have calmed, when the Shaman spoke again. "Now. What is this?"

He snatched back his staff, and held it out quickly to Valerie, where it changed right before her eyes it transformed into a grey snake with a golden underbelly. The snake hissed aggressively, coiling itself up in the air as it opened its jaws wide at Valerie, revealing the two venomous fangs, ready to strike. Shendu recognised it as an Inland taipan, an extremely dangerous snake to Australia. Valerie seemed to recognise it too, for she jumped back with a shriek of fear. The snake hissed again, and tried to launch itself at her, but Valerie quickly looked away so that her face was not as close. Shendu wanted so desperately to help her, but knew he could not. But then, Valerie seemed to become focused with something on the ground… The aboriginal's shadow, where he was holding nothing but a stick.

Valerie looked back at the snake, and gulped loudly. The snake seemed to sense her fear, and tried to strike her again, making the girl whimper. But still, the woman hesitantly took a step forward. The snake retreated a little, eyes blazing at the outrage of its personal space being invaded. Emboldened, she took another step forward, her hand reaching out. The snake retreated further, hissing loudly as a final warning, and Shendu hoped this gamble would pay off. But then, Valerie gathered what was left of her courage, and lunged forward snatching her hand around the snake… which turned out to be a stick once more.

"It's… an illusion." She murmured, a sigh of exhaustion leaving her as the relief swept through her – and Shendu.

"Good. You doubt, but your mind is sharp." The shaman smiled proudly, before sitting next to the fire and beckoning her to sit. "Now. Look into the fire."

Valerie hesitated only for a moment, before she sat on the floor opposite of the shaman and gazed into the fire. Shendu didn't know what she saw, for all he saw was flickering flames. Occasionally, a flame would almost take on a shape, or he thought he saw an image in the embers, but there was nothing else. But Valerie must have seen something, for all of a sudden her eyes watered and then, a little while later, he heard her gasp and felt her heart race with… elation? What had she seen?

"Many things do haunt your past. And many more shadows are cast in your future. But you saw through the fire. Your spirit is true." The Shaman told her in a mystical voice. When Valerie looked back up at him, he waved out a hand towards the rest of the temple, and the great book beyond. "Go onward child, and fear not the unknown."

Valerie looked at the Shaman for a moment, something rising within her like a word needing to be said. But then, she merely nodded, and walked forward towards the huge book and quill at the back of the temple. As soon as the shaman could no longer see her face, Shendu took control, the eyes turning red and a smirk of triumph spreading across his face.

After Valerie's phone call, Jackie had gotten in touch with Captain Black and the whole of Section 13 had made it their priority to track down Valerie at Jackie's urgent request. They'd managed to tap into the security footage at the airport and saw her purchasing a ticket, and then managed to hack into the database to find out that she'd purchased a ticket to Australia. Black had then sent them a jet and they'd flown as fast as possible to Australia, whilst Black and Section 13 continued to try and find Valerie through security footage and satellite surveillance to track her. They'd seen her get on a bus destined for the outback, and the group of Chans had quickly followed.

It was easy to see that the adults were concerned for their friend's safety, but none paid attention to the torn expression of Jade. The girl felt absolutely awful, enough that her stomach was constantly rolling and threatening to make her hurl. Such guilt plagued her, because if she hadn't been so hard on Val, the woman would have been with them, and perhaps she wouldn't have fallen prey to Shendu. And then Jade couldn't help but think of the last words she'd said to Val, such words of anger and hate – what if they were the last words she would ever say to her?

No! Jade scolded herself. She couldn't think like that! Val was going to be fine, they were going to get her back, no matter what.

They managed to catch up with Val's trail to a canyon, and Jackie managed to find her tracks that led into a cave. Jade ran ahead of the group with Jackie close behind her, Tohru and Uncle trailing behind breathlessly. Jade gasped when she came across a portal at the back of the cave, but her shock was only momentary, before she bravely flung herself in.

"Whoa…" Her mouth fell open at the sight of the temple she beheld.

"Welcome, pilgrims." Said a cheery voice, and as Jackie and the others came through, Jade saw an aboriginal shaman sitting by a fire, staring at them, a broad smile on his face. "This is my lucky day! I have not seen pilgrims for many a century, and now I get five in one day!"

"Valerie!" Jade's eyes widened as she exclaimed when she saw the woman in question walking up to a huge book at the back of the mystical temple, picking up a quill before she began to write on one of the pages. Without thinking, Jade ran forward to go to her friend, but before she could make it out of the entrance hall, a staff thudded in front of her, baring the way. Jackie yanked her back to see the scalding look of the shaman before them.

"You cannot pass, young one. Not until you complete the tests." He told them, trying to be gentle but his tone was stern.

"The Book of Ages!" Uncle gasped when he saw Valerie at the other end of the temple. "Where all of history is magically recorded!"

"You are knowledgeable," The shaman said, a beaming gap-toothed smile lighting up his features. "It's been a long time since I had a decent conversation with any –"

"We have to stop her!" Jade cut in shrilly.

"She is a pilgrim." The shaman explained. "She passed the –"

"A demon's possessing her!"

"What? Impossible, child. A demon could not pass the tests." The shaman tried to tell her sternly.

"He's forcing her!" Jackie cut in, his hysterical voice filled with panic. "Please! We can't let them do… whatever-it-is they're doing!"

"If what you say is true…" The shaman said slowly.

"It is! Gotta stop them now – bye!" Jade said in a rush before she suddenly bolted past all of the adults and raced up behind Valerie.

"Jade!" Jackie called after her.

The girl paid them no attention. She launched herself at Valerie, clinging to the woman's back as she tried to wrestle her away from the giant book. Instantly Valerie fought against her, and the girl saw the glowing red eyes of Shendu in the woman's skull. Jade didn't know what Shendu was doing, or what he planned, but whatever it was, she knew it couldn't be good.

"History lesson's over, Shendu!" She said, but with a snarl, Shendu flung her off. Jade tried to keep her balance and snatched onto anything she could – which happened to be a page of the book. The corner tore away, and Jade fell to the floor with an undignified screech, even as Jackie came running to her. The shaman chanting furiously behind them all.

"So it is written… so it shall be!" Shendu spoke, and suddenly pulled away from the group as a light enveloped them all…

"Jade!"

Jade opened her eyes as the voices called her back into consciousness. Whatever she was laying on, it wasn't comfortable. Slowly opening her eyes with a groan as her memories came back to her, the girl was surprised to see a man and woman standing over her with worried faces. The woman had short brown hair and sophisticated features, whether as the man was well rounded with a balding head and a wide nose.

"Mom? Dad?" Jade asked, confused at why they were here. Upon seeing their daughter alright, Jade's mother hugged her.

"What are doing here?" Her mother asked worriedly as she pulled back.

"Uh… Hong Kong Moose World?" Jade tried to remind them dumbly. They'd only just talked about it this morning at their apartment, Jade had even showed them the cool Moose-World-watch Jackie had gotten her.

"Why aren't you at the palace?!" Her father asked in quiet hysterics.

"And where did you get those strange clothes?" Her mother added, motioning to Jade's orange hoodie.

"I was gonna ask you two the same thing…" Jade murmured, as her parents were indeed in odd clothes. Her parents were business-people, they liked to wear suits and other fine clothes, but now they were in… blue rags.

"And what do you have in your hand?" Her mother asked.

Jade looked down to find an old torn piece of parchment, with black Chinese script written upon it. The girl looked over the words, unsure as to what it was exactly, but before she could read it properly, a loud horn suddenly sounded.

"Hurry, we must pay our respects!" Her father said as he quickly gathered his small family out of their hut-house (another thing that really confused Jade) and into the street.

There were dozens of people gathering on both sides of the road, murmuring and glancing down the road fearfully. They all wore the same strange blue rags as her parents did, and all looked scruffy and thin and undernourished. Jade was so confused that she had to stop herself from taking another step as she rounded on her parents.

"Respects? To who? What's going…" She demanded, but when another horn sounded, everyone in the street suddenly dropped to the floor, on their knees as they pressed their faces into the dirt. "…on?"

She heard a snarl, and looked down the street as two large green dragons crested over the hill and marched down the street towards her. The dragons snapped and hissed at the people bowing to them on either side of the road, making people quake and tremble in terror. The dragons tossed their heads and flapped their wings, but continued marching on.

"Jade!" Her mother hissed, awakening the girl from her frozen state as she grabbed her hand and pulled her down beside her to put her in the same position as everyone else. "It is forbidden! Get down!"

Jade pressed her forehead into the dirt, just as the ground trembled in front of her as a dragon stamped onto the ground as it made its way past. Jade thought she could hear the marching sound of many other pairs of feet, and risked a quick peek as she opened her eyes… and gasped.

Behind the dragons, at least two dozen humans marched as they carried a giant throne down the street. And sitting upon this throne, was a figure who Jade would never forget as long as she lived. A dragon like creature with a humanoid body, his green and bronze scales glimmering in the afternoon light. A crown of horns were upon his head, and his eyes glowed a malicious red, two symmetrical tattoos between his eyes.

"Shendu…" Jade whispered.

But it couldn't be! She continued to watch as the throne went past her, Shendu not glancing her way once, at the rear a second pair of dragons marching in formation, making sure the humans did not stir. Jade kept waiting for the moment when she would wake up for this nightmare, but it never came as Shendu's sedan was taken into the distance, and Jade saw the palace that she had seen before, now very much intact and casting its threatening shadow over all around it. Jade stood when the parade had gone by, her mouth falling open in horror, barely aware of everyone quickly leaving the scene behind her.

"Shendu's alive?!" She gasped to herself. "I gotta tell…" She turned, and low and behold, who should be at the corner of the street but the one she wanted to see. But… he was different. "Jackie?"

Indeed, it was Jackie, but… not. He didn't wear rags, but instead a pink and blue uniform like what would have been worn in ancient imperial China. He'd grown his hair out into a long braid until it almost reached his knees. He was sweeping up the… leavings of the parade. Jade ignored her own disgust as she quickly came up to her uncle, who looked down at her with a stern expression.

"What did you do to your hair? What are you doing?" She asked.

"Your job!" He said crossly as he gave her the broom.

"Sweeping dragon doo?" Jade's expression told of how unimpressed she was with this. "Never mind! Look, Jackie, something's wrong; we need to find Valerie and–"

"Shhhhh!" Jackie whispered furiously as he quickly covered her mouth with his gloved hand. He looked around frantically for anyone within hearing, before he let her go and glared down at her. "Do you want us both killed?!"

"What?" She snapped, now in a bad mood.

"You know it is forbidden to say her name!"

"What? Why?"

"You know why! But where have you been, Jade?" Jackie demanded. "Where is your uniform?"

"Um… why exactly do we have to wear uniforms?"

"Because it is required of all servants of the supreme ruler, his majestic highness, Lord Shendu." Jackie said with a flurry of hand movements and a bow.

"Are you telling me Shendu rules the world?!" Jade gasped, her eyes going wide.

"Oh, of course not!" Jackie snapped as if that were a stupid question. "Each of the Eight Emperors has his or her own domain!"

"Since when?!"

"Since the dawn of history!" Jackie said, before giving her a confused look as he walked past her, briefly touching her head as if she were a dull child. "What is wrong with you today?"

He left, but Jade's mind was already turning as she thought of everything that had happened.

"Hmm… History…" She murmured to herself, certain things starting to fit into place. "Uncle said that Book of Ages magically recorded history. When Shendu wrote in it… he must have rewrote the past, so he was never destroyed and the demons were never banished through their portals… and now…"

The girl gasped as she suddenly realised the horror of what she had stepped into.

"I'M IN DEMON-WORLD!"

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