Me: Whew! I didn't think I could make it, but I've done it-I've actually almost finished with a Jackie Chan Adventures story! Speaking of which, I don't own anybody from Jackie Chan Adventures.

Jade: So-are you gonna go with my idea or what?

Me: (groans) What idea, Jade?

Jade: The idea I gave you-a loooooooong time ago-about me and Jackie helping out the Tamers! Don't tell me you forgot already?

Me: For one thing, I don't know how I'd pull that kind of a crossover off-ow!

Uncle: (hits me in back of head) You heard her-have Jade and Jackie pulled through a portal and they end up in other world!

Me: And I thought life got easier as you grew up. By the way, I changed the name of the previous chapter.

Jackie: As I once reminded Jade, "one cannot turn back the hands of time."

Jackie Chan Adventures: The Ancient Prophecy

Chapter VII-The Search for Jackie

"His anger clouds his judgment." -Uncle

"I noticed." -Jade Chan

Jackie: Previously on "Jackie Chan Adventures..."

Valmont: I want to see the look on Chan's face when he discovers it was he who eliminated his own niece in cold blood!

Jade: Give my uncle back his body now!

Shendu: Only when I retrieve all 12 Talismans!

Uncle: When we all get down there, you all must do what you can to help Jade, but remember-she must face Jackie and the Demon alone-NO ONE CAN HELP HER TAKE DOWN THE DEMON!

Shendu: Only Chan himself was able to make a battle last as long as this one has, but now I shall regain my true form and with my brethren, we shall take over this world!

Jade: I figured you'd need at least one of the Talismans first before collecting the rest. So, how about this one? (slaps the Horse Talisman in Jackie's hand; Shendu and Jackie are separated)

Shendu: I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE, CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!

Jade: Jackie-catch!

(Jackie catches one Talisman and slips over the edge while retrieving the other!)

Jade: Jackie...no.)

Jade struggled to maintain her composure. This thin trickle of blood didn't mean that much-Jackie could've hit his head on a rock while falling. After looking around some more, Jade saw a rock protruding from the water covered with thick, fresh blood.

"I can't lose Jackie. Who else would put up with the things I do? Certainly not Uncle! If he was my guardian, I probably would've been shipped back to Hong Kong at the first sign of rebellion. Captain Black is a negatory response-I'd have Section 13 guards around the clock keeping an eye on me! Come on, Uncle Jackie-you're as tough as nails! At least, that's what I tell everyone at school about you if the subject comes up. No matter what it takes, I will find you!" Making a silent vow, Jade used the Rabbit and Rooster Talismans and flew off, following the trail of blood.

"JADE! Where are you?" Uncle's voice echoed over the canyon, but there was no response.

"Perhaps I should go down there and hunt down Jade and Chan, Sensei-ow!"

"How would that make me feel if I lost my nephew, my apprentice and Jade in the same day? While the thief and his companions go down and search, weeeeee will go back to the plane!" Uncle objected.

"Only because Junk monger's hands are too old to be climbing down rocks in the first place!"

Narrowing his eyes, Uncle turned to glare at Mama Tohru. "Yooooooooou are lucky Tohru's here...very lucky."

"Come on-I'll beat you like I did at Chinese checkers, and at mahjong!"

"You cheated! Each time I sneezed, you'd move a piece!"

"Sensei-Mommy. The search for Jackie and Jade should take presidence over-"

"GET IN THE PLANE NOW!" Uncle and Mama Tohru chorused heatedly. Sighing, Tohru headed toward the plane while his Sensei and his mother continued their dispute.

Jackie groaned while reviving a few miles downstream. The Snake Talisman's power had been deactivated, and his headache had healed.

"Which Talismans did Jade toss me? I know one was the Horse, and the other was the Snake. But, how did I-?"

Jackie's answer came when he pulled his left hand from underwater-the Dog Talisman was betwixt his ring and middle fingers, granting him immortality for a brief time.

"Jade sure knows which Talismans to get for me. Now where is she?"

Getting out of the river, Jackie came to a quick realization-he had no idea where he was at.

"And for that matter, where am I?"

"Big V, why are we down here in the first place? I thought you said we were gonna leave these Talismans alone!"

"I never said that-only that Chan would have to watch his back once Shendu was ejected from his body. If I saw what I saw correctly, then Chan should have at least three of the 12 Talismans-whereas the other 9 should be in his niece's possession. And, if he's incapacitated when we find him, we can help ourselves to some powerful magic once again." Valmont sneered evilly while looking back up into the blazing sun. "Now-find Chan, find his little accomplice and get me those Talismans!"

"Jackie! Where are you? Ollie-ollie-oxen free!" Jade humphed while slowing down. Literally speeding around on top of the river wasn't helping her out any-and neither was the Rabbit Talisman.

"Think, Jade! Jackie probably wants to know where he's at, so he'd go to the closest area around...if he knew where he was at, duh!"

Jade suddenly came to a screeching halt as Valmont and the Dark Hand appeared within eyesight!

"Hak Foo, show the others what you plan to do to Chan when we catch up to him?"

Narrowing his eyes, Hak Foo leaped high into the air, screaming out, "Angry Crow takes Flight!"

CRACK! Jade winced as she heard a rock break, then split itself in two right before her eyes. "Black Tiger crushes Chan." the Enforcer hissed quietly.

"Note to self-never make 'Foo' mad." Chow remarked.

"Ditto to that." Jade agreed, searching her pockets for the Snake Talisman. "Where'd the Snake Talisman go? I had it right-"

That's when it came to her-she'd tossed Jackie two Talismans earlier, and one of them must've been the Snake Talisman!

"Guess I'll just have to improvise then!" Jade declared while yanking out the Dragon Talisman and firing a beam of hot fire above the Enforcers' heads!

"Incoming!" Ratso yelled out.

"Quickly-everyone dive!"

While the Enforcers were busy swimming underwater, Jade sped right by them as easily as a jackrabbit would.

After processing that the others would be heading in his direction-with Jade undoubtedly in the lead, Jackie decided he should backtrack and head back to the cliff he'd fallen from. To take precautions against being seen, he used the Snake Talisman so he wouldn't be noticed by anyone unless it was either Jade, Uncle, Tohru or any of the J-Team members.

"If I was Jade, what's the most uncanniest thing I would do right now?" Jackie tried to wonder what his niece was doing at that moment and figured out two possibilities, eliminating the first and heading for the second choice-disregarding everyone's orders and trying to look for him on her own.

"I'd better find her before the Dark Hand does, since I know they're still in the area."

"Tohru, tell the pilot to land! I just saw Jackie vanish right under our noses. That means he must have the Snake Talisman."

"How could you see your nephew if he's invisible? Junk monger must be getting senile due to age."

"I am still young enough to mop the floor of this plane with that wig you call hair!"

While finishing off his grape soda, Tohru got up and headed up toward the cockpit, ignoring his Sensei and mother's argument for once.

"You may land here."

Jade sighed in relief. She'd finally managed to dodge the Dark Hand entirely, thanks to blocking the canyon with the rockslide. But now, she had no idea where to look next. The trail of blood had stopped long ago and she hadn't noticed while avoiding Valmont and his goons!

"Just great! Now I gotta start from scratch, and it's gonna be hard to find that blood from here."

"You won't need to backtrack any longer, Jade."

To Jade's surprise, Jackie reappeared in front of her, completely healed!

"Jackie!" A second later, Jackie grunted as Jade embraced him around the waist, releasing her tears of joy. "I missed you sooooo much!"

"I missed you too, Jade."

"Chan!" Narrowing his eyes, Jackie looked up and saw Valmont and his Enforcers with irritated looks on their faces.

"I see you're still around."

"That we are, Chan, that we are. The Talismans, if you please."

Eyeing Jade, Jackie activated the Snake Talisman once more and both uncle and niece vanished from view!

"Spread out! They can't be too far gone." Valmont demanded.

"Got it right on one. Hyah!!"

"Hyah!!"

WHAM! WHACK! Thanks to two well-placed kicks from Jackie and Jade, Valmont was sent back underwater.

"That was a mistake, Chan. Angry Crow takes Flight!!"

"Bwaaa!" Despite the fact that he and Jade were invisible, Jackie moved to the far right, inadvertently giving away their position by screaming, "Bad day, bad day, bad day, bad day, bad day, bad day!"

"Mad Monkey Kung Foo!!"

"Waaa!" Jackie suddenly deactivated the Snake Talisman's power and dodged the oncoming attack-barely!

"Elephant thrusts his Leg!!"

"And Dragon shoots a blast of Fire!" Jade retorted as she pulled out the Dragon Talisman, which indeed fired a quick burst of fire that scorched Hak Foo's head!

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! Bunny puts out burning hair!"

"And bunny gets to go night-night. Hyah!!" Jackie launched a successful kick that sent Hak Foo into the other Enforcers, knocking them all out, save for Valmont.

"Impressive, Chan. Can you defeat me in a round, without the Talismans, or your 'Gung-ho' niece?" Valmont sneered evilly.

"Grrrr..." Jade was about to launch an attack, but Jackie stopped her.

"Not this time, Jade."

"But, Jackie-"

"The only reason we're over here right now is because of some sort of prophecy, and so far, you've done your part of it-you managed to free me from Shendu, and I assure you, I will never forget that."

"Brothers, sisters..." Shendu smiled weakly as he found out that the seven other Demon Sorcerors were all awaiting his return, as they knew he would return empty-handed, each one preparing to torture him for all eternity. "...how are you doing?"

"But in this case, you cannot help me against Valmont. You do remember what happened when you tried to take on Shendu, right?"

Jade nodded in agreement, recalling Shendu's words that he knew everything that Jackie had known, therefore, he would be able to counteract her every move.

"Just be careful, okay?"

"I promise, Jade-I'll be exceedingly-ow!"

"Jackiiiiie!" To Jackie's surprise, Uncle was right next to him, whacking him on the head! The others were still on their way, amazingly.

"Since I do want those Talismans, by whatever means are necessary..." Valmont leaped forward and grabbed the Dragon Talisman from Jade's hand!

"Hey-give that back!" Jade demanded heatedly.

"Oh-I think not." In response, Valmont fired a blast of flame that brought more rocks down in front of the approaching J-Team members!

"NO!" Jackie cried out worriedly.

While pocketing the Dragon Talisman in his pocket, Valmont got into a fighting stance and replied, "If you please, Chan...let's begin."

To be continued...