This fanfic was heavily inspired by Forever Am Drag by The Last Letter and American Dragon: Jackie Long Season 1 by BAhorses0805. Be sure to check them out!
I would like to thank Jessica Jayme Bell, Amber Skye, brycewade1013, ASP AUS, misari kaito, and DragonMaster9521 for beta reading and helping me improve!
I am always open to feedback.
Disclaimer: I do not own American Dragon: Jake Long. American Dragon: Jake Long is owned by Jeff Goode.
Chapter 1
It was nighttime in the dragon temple. Councilor Andam raised his goblet as the fully eclipsed moon could be seen through the open roof.
"Now, we toast," Councilor Andam announced. "To another one thousand years of peace and prosperity throughout the magical world."
Sun and the other dragons present drank from their goblets.
Jake was about to do the same, but he hesitated.
A flash of lightning speared down from the clouds, followed by a clap of thunder as the Dark Dragon appeared, Chang and Bananas B. beside him.
"Greetings, my dragon brothers and sisters. Allow me to propose another toast; to dragons ruling the world!" the Dark Dragon declared.
The council and the other dragons morphed into their dragon forms, ready for battle.
The Dark Dragon laughed in response. "Fools! Resistance is futile!"
Chang stepped forward with Bananas B. and added, "The Dark Dragon speaks the truth. You all are now under a mind control spell you cannot resist."
Councilor Andam's eyes widened in shock as he exchanged looks with the other dragons.
"You can thank the American Dragon for slipping the surprise into your drinks, yo!" Bananas B. sneered.
Sun looked at Jake in disbelief. "Tell me that is not true, Jake!"
Jake hung his head in shame. "I had no choice. He has Grandpa."
"Go ahead, Double D, make them do something!" Bananas B. exclaimed, jumping up and down.
The Dark Dragon swelled in size as he pointed a hand at Sun.
"Very well. Korean Dragon, I command you to eliminate Councilor Andam!" the Dark Dragon demanded.
Sun's face contorted. Just as it looked like she was going to obey the Dark Dragon, two huge donkey ears came out of her head. Sun the replied, "Yeaahhhh, no. Why would I do that?"
A look of confusion formed on the Dark Dragon's face.
Bananas B. cocked his head, surprised. "That is not exactly what I had in mind, yo."
The other dragons had something similar happen to them as well. Some of them had bunny ears sprout from their heads, bunny tails from their behinds, or different kinds of tails, ears, and wings.
"What is the meaning of this?!" The Dark Dragon demanded, enraged.
Jake morphed into his dragon form, flying up to the Dark Dragon to fight him.
"The meaning is simple, Dark Drag. I ditched your potion and gave them a little local specialty instead; Transformation Tea," Jake smirked.
That only made the Dark Dragon angrier. He raised Grandpa into the air as lighting and thunder swirled around him like a tornado.
"I tried to give you the chance to join me in ruling the world. Instead, the American Dragon has just sealed your destruction," the Dark Dragon responded furiously.
Jake bravely stood his ground as the other dragons recovered from the effects of the drink and gathered around the American Dragon.
"We would rather choose destruction than join you, Dark Drag," Jake declared.
"Then so be it! That is exactly what you will get. Starting with your own Grandfather!" the Dark Dragon hissed.
The Dark Dragon was about to swipe at Grandpa when a burst of fire sizzled through the net, dissolving it and freeing Grandpa. Grandpa then morphed into his dragon form and joined his grandson.
Jake and Grandpa were about to attack the Dark Dragon when they turned to see Haley, also in her dragon form, soar in. Trixie, Spud, Mom, and Fu soon raced in behind her. Trixie and Spud were holding the Huntstaff in their hands.
Haley started, "Sorry, tall, dark, and ugly…."
"...but if you want them….," Trixie added.
"….you will have to go through us, too," Mom finished.
They all moved aside to reveal to Jake that Dad was with them as well.
"Every single one of us," Dad declared.
Jake's eyes widened in astonishment. "Dad?"
The Dark Dragon snickered. "If that is how it is going to be, then so be it. You had your chance to join me in victory. Instead, you shall all …."
"Uh? Excuse me?" Spud interrupted as he turned to the dragons with a raised hand. "Yeah, sorry to interrupt. How about we skip the rest of this dude's villain banter and get right to the cool kung fu fighting. Well, hmm anyone?"
Councilor Andam nodded in agreement. "I second the mortal's motion! Attack!"
Both armies charged towards each other, clashing together.
Jake and Grandpa blasted the Dark Dragon with fireballs, only for the Dark Dragon to block them with ease.
Chang flew to a high vantage on a ledge and started blasting streams of fire at the dragons. However, Sun spotted Chang and swiftly scooped up Grandpa's sphinx hair net, tossing it up to Haley.
"Haley!" Sun exclaimed to get Haley's attention.
Haley caught the net and swooped down to wrap Chang in the net while reverting her to human form. Haley then tossed the villainess out the temple doors.
Jake's parents tried throwing punches as Shade minions rushed at them, only for their blows to pass harmlessly through the creatures.
"I have another question. When they turn into dragons, what happens to their clothes?" Dad wondered.
Mom locked her eyes irritably with her husband. "Can we talk about this later?"
Trixie leveled the staff at a group of approaching Shades while Spud worked furiously, attempting to cock the device.
"Spudinski! Would you get this darn thing to shoot already?" Trixie demanded.
"Taste this, shades!" Spud exclaimed as he hit the trigger. Unfortunately, a harmless broom folded out of the staff and began sweeping the floor.
"That is a handy feature. Not really what I had in mind, but…." Spud started before Trixie cut him off.
"Spud!" Trixie exclaimed, dismayed.
OoOoOoOoOoO
Jake and Grandpa continued to battle the Dark Dragon. The dragons fought and tangled with the Dark Dragon's Shade minions. Grandpa swiped his tail at the Dark Dragon, while Jake bit the Dark Dragon's wing.
"I think I am just gonna wait outside, yo. I'm against violence," Bananas B. said as he attempted to make his way to the entrance. Before he could reach the entrance, however, he ran right into Fu's fist. Bananas B. went tumbling out the door as Fu blew on his fist.
"Really? Because I am all for it," Fu responded.
Trixie and Spud spun the staff around to keep the Shades at bay.
"Let me try this one," Spud suggested as he hit the button. Water sprayed him in the face, leaving his hair and face soaking wet. "Sorry! My bad!"
Jake's parents were surrounded by Shades. Dad quickly skimmed through the magic tour book trying to find anything that could help them defeat the Shades.
"Let's see here. Shade demons. Weakness…light. Honey!" Dad exclaimed as he withdrew his camera from his fanny pack and tossed it to his wife. She then hit the Shade minions with the camera's flash. They subsequently sizzled and vanished. Dad looked up to see the lunar eclipse coming to an end. The moon reemerged from behind the shadow of the sun. Moonlight began making its way into the temple, striking the center of the stone table.
Dad leapt onto the table. Using his fanny pack's strap like a bullwhip, he hurled it, snapping it around the jewel-encrusted jug and yank directly into the path of the moonlight. Moonlight shot out in every direction, sizzling through the Shade minions and making them disappear.
"Looks like your Shade minions just got their butts kicked by my Dad!" Jake declared proudly.
"You are unaware of my dark powers!" the Dark Dragon responded angrily. He then doubled in size before he shot black lightning at Jake and Grandpa, sending them crashing through some pillars.
The other dragons tried to help Jake and Grandpa, only to be blasted backwards with more black lightning.
"This is too easy. With all this power, you are no match for me!" the Dark Dragon sneered.
Everyone scrambled for cover.
"You might be winning, but the evil laugh is still a cliche, so there!" Spud shouted.
Jake and the other dragons continued to be pelted by black lightning.
"He is not kidding about the dark power stuff. Yeesh," said Fu.
"It is no use," said Grandpa.
Councilor Andam winced as a chunk of debris narrowly missed falling on his head. "Even all of us together are no match for him."
The Dark Dragon rose closer to the ceiling as the lightning became more intense. "Are there none who can face me?"
Jake peered over the edge of an upturned table, looking for any way to get an attack off in between the blasts of lightning. To his astonishment, a familiar figure crouched in the rafters, just above the Dark Dragon's head.
Rose launched from her hiding place, landing hard on the Dark Dragon's face and driving her heels into his eyes.
"Argh!" the Dark Dragon thrashed.
Everyone watched in awe, especially Jake. Jake was astonished Rose had come to help them after all. He could not help but wonder what got her to change her mind. Jake figured they needed to defeat the Dark Dragon first before they talked about it.
"It is a slayer!" Councilor Andam said.
"How? Who on Earth is she?" Councilor Kulde wondered.
"Let's just say she is an old friend," Jake replied before he called out, "Rose! Heads up!"
Jake soared over to his friends before he used his tail to send the staff into Rose's hand. Rose blasted the Dark Dragon from behind with the staff.
The Dark dragon roared in pain.
Fu Dog looked up at the moon. With the moon getting close to being fully restored, the walls of the temple started shimmering and disappearing.
"We need to get out of here!" Fu yelled.
Jake and Grandpa immediately gathered everyone on their back to help get them to safety, the other dragons right behind them.
Everyone exited the temple. Jake looked back and saw Rose deflecting the Dark Dragon's black lightning. He anxiously saw the moon was almost completely restored.
"Rose! Get out of there!" Jake shouted.
The Dark Dragon swung his massive tail around, which caused pillars to collapse and bury him. Rose tried to dive out of the way, but a pillar pinned her to the ground. Rose attempted to pry the pillar off but was unable to free herself.
"Jake, it is too late. Let me go!" Rose told Jake with sadness in her eyes, not wanting him to get sucked into the vortex.
The moon was now fully restored. Jake watched as the temple began to vanish, the Dark Dragon and Rose still inside.
"Jake! No!" Grandpa exclaimed worriedly.
"I am not losing her again." He charged forward, dodging falling debris as he scooped Rose up into his arms and made his way towards the exit as fast as he could.
Before he could reach the exit, however, the Dark Dragon grabbed Jake by the ankle with his tail.
The temple crumpled and imploded around them.
OoOoOoOoOoO
Jake expected death to be painful. To his surprise, he felt nothing.
The Dark Dragon disappeared, and in a flash, Jake found himself standing on the roof of his grandfather's house.
"This is your territory, young dragon, and you alone are responsible for protecting the magical creatures living within it," Grandpa explained. "From the centaur herds of Highbridge Park, to secret leprechaun stock exchange, to the gargoyle next on top of the Empire State Building, to the mermaids of the East River."
"What happened?" Jake wondered. He just got sucked into the portal of the dragon temple. How on Earth was he back on his grandfather's roof?
"Are you okay, kid? You seem out of it," Fu Dog noted.
Jake sighed and looked out into the sunset. "I am not sure you guys will believe me if I tell you what I just went through."
"Went through what kid?" Fu Dog inquired.
"That is something I am trying to figure out," Jake replied. He then thought of something. "I know you would like me to do my dragon training Grandpa, but I think we should do something to look at my most recent memories. That way you guys can have a much better understanding with what I am talking about."
Grandpa gave Jake a slightly dirty look. He knew it would not be wise of his grandson to neglect his dragon training. Upon seeing the look on Jake's face, he relented. "Very well, young dragon. I think I know just the trick to unlock your most recent memories."
The three heading inside and Fu immediately went to search for something which could reveal what Jake was saying. Fu hoped to find a way that would not affect Jake in any way.
"Here we are, kid!" Fu exclaimed as he retrieved a potion bottle from the shelves of assorted potions. "The best memory potion ever brewed."
Jake accepted the potion and looked at it skeptically. "Will drinking this hurt at all?"
Fu raised an eyebrow. "Why would we create anything causing harm to you?"
"I guess you would not do anything of the sorts?" Jake replied sheepishly.
"Drink it, young dragon. We really must look at those memories you just experienced," Grandpa stated.
"Okay then. Here goes nothing," Jake responded as he removed the lid from the potion bottle and drank the potion.
Jake only felt the liquid run down his throat as a huge bubble formed above him.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Grandpa and Fu watched as inside the bubble numerous memories began to reveal a dragon temple located in Hong Kong. As they watched, they saw the Dark Dragon fighting Grandpa and Jake while other dragons in the temple attempted to fight the Dark Dragon's Shade minions. They also saw Jake's parents, sister, and friends assisting them with fighting off the Shade minions.
Grandpa and Fu were then surprised when they saw who they thought was Rose, a blonde-haired girl in a Huntsclan outfit. They watched as she helped Jake battle the Dark Dragon.
They gasped when they saw the Dark Dragon and Jake dragged into the portal after the temple collapsed and got sucked in with them.
The bubble above Jake burst. "You guys believe me now, right?" he asked.
"Yes, we do. I still cannot think of how you would end up in here of all places. What do you think?" Fu asked, turning his attention to Grandpa.
Grandpa contemplated it over for a moment. "My theory is you were sent back in time to prevent a potentially apocalyptic future from occurring. That could be the reason why you are standing here instead of perishing."
"What?!" Jake gasped. "First, I lose to the Dark Dragon, and now I get sent back in time? How on Earth is that possible?"
"I am not sure how it could happen kid, but I think now you know of what is coming. Now you should make sure the dark future ahead never happens," Fu said.
"How can I do that? What if I correct one problem, and another one even worse arises?" Jake stammered.
"Time travel is a very strange thing, young dragon. I suggest you master your dragon training while you try to create a better future for yourself and everyone else," the old man elaborated.
Jake remembered how he thought the dragon training exercises were pointless the first time. Since he had that knowledge, the boy realized his grandfather was only trying to help him. Grandpa was making sure Jake used his abilities in the best way possible.
"I will not let you down, Gramps," Jake stated, a determined look on his face.
"Good. Then let you dragon training begin," Grandpa replied.
"Yes, Gramps," Jake responded as the three returned to the roof.
"Now, I assume you have a pretty good idea of how to use your abilities with the knowledge you have now, right?" Fu questioned.
"A pretty good idea yes, but I'd like Gramps to guide me, so I don't screw anything up," the boy insisted.
"Very good. I would like you to fly over to the roof of that building and back to start," Grandpa said.
"Dragon up!" Jake exclaimed as he transformed into his dragon form. He leapt from the roof and flew over the streets. "Those bad guys better watch out, as the American Dragon is in the house!"
Jake landed on the roof of the building across from where Grandpa and Fu were standing. He then transformed back into his human form.
"How was that?" Jake called.
The boy saw Fu give him a smile and a thumbs up.
Jake smiled as he raised his fist before yelling, "Dragon up!"
He returned to his dragon form once again. Jake then flew back to the roof where Grandpa and Fu were standing.
After he was safely on the ground, Jake reverted to his human form.
"Very good, young dragon. You are off to a great start," Grandpa praised.
"I appreciate it, Gramps. Those bad guys are gonna get their behinds kicked!" Jake said as he punched the air with his fists.
"Just because you know things ahead of time now, does not mean you can assume everything will run smoothly," Grandpa pointed out.
"Gotcha. This time travel thing sounds tedious," Jake replied.
OoOoOoOoOoO
Later in Central Park, the sun had set. The lights within the park were lit in the darkness of the night. Jake, his grandfather, and Fu Dog were walking down the pathway through the park.
Jake glanced around the familiar setting. This was where he had fought Rose for the first time, when he still only knew her as Huntsgirl. Jeez, they had been so stupid for so long, fighting without ever knowing they were in danger of hurting each other. Maybe this time they could avoid that. He could just show her, right away, who he was. Skip all the drama. Jake then realized, however, that they had yet to meet. The time would come for him to reveal to Rose that he was a dragon. He just needed to figure out a good time for it.
"Dragons are creatures of great magical power, young dragon," Grandpa elaborated as they walked a little further before stopping. "In order for you to unlock your potential, you must keep training to master the fundamentals."
"Such as dragon fire?" Jake replied as he blasted a stream of fire out of his mouth. "I also assume that no matter what, a dragon student must obey their master without question?"
Grandpa nodded. "Very good, young dragon. How did you know? Was it something I told you before?"
Jake nodded. "Yeah, and I thought I would be all over it. At that time though, I had no idea what I was doing. This time I'll do better," he added confidently.
"I hope you are, as long as you do as I say," Grandpa responded.
"Whatever you say, Gramps," Jake replied, nodding. "Any sign of the Huntsman yet, Fu?"
"Not yet," Fu replied as he was sniffing at the grass. As he did, an unpleasant smell got into his nose. "Ah! Blue cheese and sweaty socks. The Huntsman must be close by."
Jake shifted back into his human form as he and his grandfather approached Fu. He sprinkled some kind of dust, unveiling footprints on the grass as it glowed. "It is the Huntsman, alright. He must be here for a reason."
"It is you who must tell us why he is here, young one," Grandpa said with wisdom. "The footprints of the Huntsman are heading north/south on the night of a full moon."
"He was hunting unicorns last time," Jake said.
"Bingo, we have a winner!" Fu exclaimed.
Elsewhere in the park, the Huntsman Fu Dog mentioned before was stalking some unicorns drinking by the lake. He peered through a telescope behind the bushes.
"Ah yes, the unicorn horns are always a valuable quantity at the magical black market," the Huntsman sneered as he spun the telescope around, shifting it into a staff.
He sliced the bushes away and charged towards the unicorns with his devilish eyes glowing red, hungry for their kill. Jake, his grandfather, and Fu were watching the whole thing from behind some bushes nearby.
"I suppose it is time for me to crack a can of smack-a-daddy on the Huntsman?" Jake asked confidently.
Grandpa nodded his head. "Yes, young dragon. This is your first test with your dragon abilities. As I will not be around forever, I would like for you to continue your training you did before. I assume it went well the first time?"
Jake shook his head. "No. This time it will though," he replied with a smirk as he jumped from the bush.
"Make it quick, kid. I am calling Ernie and laying fifty biscuits on you," Fu said.
"Now is not the time to be thinking about that. I must stop the Huntsman first," Jake muttered as he walked toward the Huntsman.
Fu pulled out a drinking cap and a cheer clap glove from seemingly out of nowhere. He got his phone and dialed in a number. "Hey, Big Ernie. This is Fu. I need to make a bet."
Near their hiding spot, the Huntsman inched closer and closer to the unicorns. Jake was following him from behind. He peeked from behind the tree as the Huntsman stalked the two unicorns. Their heads were bowed as they drank from the lake, unaware of the danger.
"Now, give him dragon fire!" Jake's grandfather whispered to him.
He recalled what happened last time and was determined not to let history repeat itself. Jake summoned a fireball and fired it at the Huntsman. It struck the Huntsman, knocking him over. "Gah!" the Huntsman cried.
Seeing the Huntsman frightened the unicorns and they neighed madly before galloping away and disappearing into the night.
Jake entered his dragon form as the Huntsman stood up and turned around.
"Dragon. I should have known," the Huntsman growled, lunging towards Jake.
"You want a fight, Huntsman? Bring it on!" Jake exclaimed as he entered a karate stance.
"Say goodbye, dragon!" the Huntsman yelled as he swung his staff at Jake.
Jake effortlessly dodged the staff, ducking under it before he parried the staff with his fist. He then remembered Huntsgirl was about to strike him.
Sure enough, Huntsgirl appeared and tried to kick Jake. Jake was ready this time, however. He blocked the blow as Huntsgirl continued to attack him. It really pained Jake he had to fight the love of his life again. Jake would make sure she knew about his identity sooner this time around.
Huntsgirl had another one of her blows blocked by Jake, before flipping backwards and landing on her feet next to Huntsman.
"Have I taught you nothing, Huntsgirl?" the Huntsman demanded coldly.
Huntsgirl shook her head before bowing respectfully. "No, Huntsmaster. It will not happen again."
"Well then, attack the dragon!" the Huntsman ordered.
"With pleasure," Huntsgirl replied as she made a move to attack Jake again.
Jake was ready. Huntsgirl threw a punch at him, but Jake blocked it and flew over her before landing in front of Huntsgirl.
"It would seem you have been trained well, dragon. Not good enough though," the Huntsgirl replied as she lunged at Jake.
Jake dreaded having to do this. He continued to block every blow Huntsgirl sent his way. Jake could not bring himself to hurt the love of his life.
"That is it, dragon. Prepare to die!" the Huntsman hissed as he charged at Jake.
Jake and the Hunstman traded blow for blow until at one point, Jake was able to dodge the Huntsman's staff attack and land a swift punch to his face.
The Huntsman staggered before attempting to attack Jake once more. Jake then breathed a fire wall to prevent the Huntsman from reaching him.
"This is not the last you will see of us!" the Huntsman declared before he and Huntsgirl teleported out of sight in a green flash.
Jake was disappointed he did not say Rose's name to convince her to leave the Huntsclan. Nonetheless, he would get his chance to help Rose leave the Huntsclan and be with her real family.
"Not bad, kid," Fu Dog praised as Jake shifted back to his human form. "Much better than it went last time, right?"
"Oh yeah. Much better," Jake replied with a smile.
"You have done well with your first test, young dragon. We shall step up your training after school tomorrow. I expect you to be at rooftop by then," his grandfather stated as they walked across the park as a group.
"Alright, Grandpa. I will be there," Jake replied determinedly. He was going to make sure he mastered everything at a much faster pace this time. It could prove useful for him to learn these skills sooner.
OoOoOoOoOoO
"Aww man!" Jake complained as he approached Millard Fillmore Middle School. He would have to deal with Professor Hans Rotwood and Brad Morton again. Professor Rotwood had just announced a pop quiz, and Jake was pretty sure it never happened the first time around. Was he forgetting things, or were events happening differently?
"I do not want to deal with this," he muttered.
Then again, he would also get to see Trixie and Spud again. Jake was unsure whether they would believe his story like his grandfather and Fu did, but he knew he would have to tell them about it eventually.
When Mythology class arrived, Jake saw Professor Rotwood drawing the same symbol representing a dragon. Jake did not like what Professor Rotwood said about dragons. It was inevitable though, that he would ask Jake about them again. Thus, Jake contemplated what to say.
"Which brings us to the topic of dragons," Professor Rotwood said. "Now, please turn to page two hundred thirty-seven of my groundbreaking, yet unpublished, scientific study of the magical creatures among us." He then walked down the aisle of desks, tapping his ruler on his hand as he spoke to his students. "Thus, what can we conclude about the size of the dragon's brain?" Professor Rotwood stopped at where Jake was sitting, studying the textbook vigilantly. He raised an eyebrow before he slammed his ruler on Jake's desk.
Although it made Jake jump a little bit like last time, at least he had his book open. "Well, I guess I can conclude dragons have rather small brains the size of a peanut."
Professor Rotwood raised an eyebrow before nodding. "Very good, Mr. Long. It seems you have been studying lately."
Jake felt the urge to smack himself in the head for that, but there was no other way around it.
"I would suggest you write it down, Mr. Long. It will certainly be on your final examination," Professor Rotwood said, grinning smugly.
Jake sighed before he saw Trixie raise her hand. "Hey, yo, Mr. Rot…"
"Professor!" he bellowed.
"Yeah, Professor Rotwood," Trixie said, shrugging his outburst aside. "This is Mythology class up in here, right? Therefore, how can you know about the size of a dragon's brain? I mean elves, unicorns; that stuff is not even really real, yo."
"Heh. Yo, yo. Yes, well, you know, this is certainly the prevailing belief now, isn't it, you know?" Professor Rotwood replied, laughing nervously as he tugged on his bowtie and walked to the front of the classroom. "However, some great minds have devoted the bulk of their careers and indeed their lives to proving otherwise!" He began to ramble random thing to himself. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, well, you know, of course, this... This kind of academic courage, you know, does not, you know, come without a price, of course. Not unlike being ridiculed by one's colleagues! Being banished from every respectable educational institution in the world! Even being... Help me...Or even being reduced to teaching in the public schools!" He fumed as he snapped his ruler in half. All of his students blinked and stared at him in confusion as they remained silent. When the bell rang, however, all of the students immediately made their way out of the classroom, eager to get out of there. "Oh, okey-dokey. Class dismissed."
OoOoOoOoOoO
Outside of the building, Jake walked out of the school entrance with his helmet on and his skateboard sticking out of his backpack. Jake was wondering if he should tell Trixie and Spud of getting sent back in time yet. He needed to find somewhere where he could tell them without anyone overhearing.
Soon enough, Trixie and Spud skated up to him.
"Hey, yo, Jake!" Trixie greeted.
"Dude," Spud said with a smile.
"What is crack-alatin', baby?" Trixie asked.
"What is up, Trixie? Spud?" Jake greeted as he gave his friends fist bumps.
"We are cruising over to Washington Park Right about now," Trixie said.
"We gonna shred some serious asphalt," Spud added.
"Last time we hit that place, Spud got a concussion!" Trixie said as he knocked her hand on her helmet to emphasize.
"Haha! No way! That was totally a case of subcutaneous occipital trauma," Spud responded, which earned a confused look from Jake. "No worries bro."
"Yeah whatever," Trixie said as she rolled her eyes and shoved Spud towards a trash bin before smiling at Jake. "Okay Jake, so are you in, or are you in?"
"Oh, I would love to join you guys, but I gotta work at my grandpa's shop today," Jake said reluctantly, looking down at the ground. It pained him he could not go skateboarding with his friends, but it was important he mastered his dragon skills.
"Again?" Spud replied with wide eyes. "Aw man. That is, like, the...one, two, four, twenty-three... No... Eleventeenth time this week, dude. What is up with that? It is stressing me out."
"Yeah, man, for real! Do we even have any kind of child labor laws in this city or something?" Trixie said, a bit frustrated by Jake blowing off their skating times together.
"Yo, maybe next time, guys, alright? Holla!" Jake asked coolly. As much as he wanted to hang out with his friends, Jake needed to make sure he was on time to his dragon training. While he now had a pretty good idea of what to do, he could not help but wonder if there was anything about his dragon training he might have missed the first time.
"Yeah, alright. Holla at your girl," Trixie sighed, giving Jake a fist bump.
"Adiós, buddy," Spud groaned in disappointment.
Jake got onto his skateboard and made sure to ride it forwards this time. He almost ran into Rose again in the process but was able to stop himself this time.
"Oh, I am so sorry. I guess I need to watch where I am going," Jake said as his eyes met those of Rose. He remembered gazing into her icy blue eyes the first time. Even though she was the Huntsgirl, Jake knew Rose herself was not to blame. She always had that warmth in her eyes when she was not Huntsgirl.
"Hello. I am Jake," he greeted as he extended his hand.
"Hello yourself. I am Rose," she greeted back as they blushed while shaking each other's hands.
Jake then noticed her birthmark. "Hey, I like your birthmark."
"How did you know it was a birthmark?" Rose inquired.
Jake knew he needed to choose his words carefully. Otherwise, this meeting would not be as good as the last one. "I guess I had a feeling it was a birthmark?" Jake replied sheepishly.
He was expecting her to get upset with him, but to his surprise, she smiled. "Okay then. Thank you."
"I guess I will see you around?" Jake inquired.
Rose smiled. "Yes. See you later, Jake."
She then left and right on cue, Brad Morton walked right past him and gave Jake a dirty look.
Thankfully Brad just kept walking and said nothing to him. Jake then ducked into an alley to change into his dragon form without anyone seeing and flew to his grandfather's house as quickly as he could. He wanted to make sure he was on time. Last time he was late and got reprimanded by his grandfather. While his grandfather meant well, he was nonetheless scary when he was upset. Jake was going to make sure it would not be a repeat of that.
OoOoOoOoOoO
On the rooftop of Jake's grandfather, Lao Shi's building, he and Fu Dog were waiting on top for Jake's arrival. Fu counted down on his watch. "Three, two...
Before he could say the next number, Jake landed on the roof in dragon form. "I am here! Am I on time?" Jake asked with wide eyes.
"Right on time, young dragon," Lao Shi praised.
"Phew! I thought I was late like last time," Jake sighed with relief.
"Hey kid? When you were fighting the Huntsman earlier, I noticed you were holding back in your fight against Hunstgirl. What is up with that?" Fu Dog pointed out.
Jake hesitated. Huntsgirl was Rose, the same person he loved more than life itself. He was trembling at how Lao Shi and Fu would react when they found out the truth. Then again, they did eventually understand what she truly went through in her life.
Taking a deep breath, he said, "Huntsgirl is Rose, the girl who I care about more than anything."
Lao Shi and Fu's eyes widened in shock.
"Kid, why would you love someone who is a part of the Huntsclan?! They are trying to eliminate every magical creature in existence!" Fu fumed.
"Trying to win her over is a lost cause, young dragon," Lao Shi added in an irritated tone of voice.
"Guys! You do not understand! None of it is Rose's fault! The Hunstclan took her away from her real family when she was born due to her birthmark! That is the only reason she became a part of the Huntsclan in the first place! She does not like being a part of the Huntsclan!" Jake ranted, desperately hoping his grandfather and Fu would understand.
"Her real family? What do you mean by that, young dragon?" Lao Shi questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"The Hunstclan told Rose her real family died shortly after she was born. Turns out it was a lie. Her real family is still alive, and she has a twin sister along with her parents. I will find Rose's real family if that is what it takes for you to believe me," Jake replied determinedly.
"Where are you going to find Rose's real family, kid?" Fu inquired.
"They live here in New York City. Surely there must be a way to find them," Jake responded. "I was thinking of doing that the day after tomorrow."
"Why not tomorrow, young dragon?" Lao Shi wondered.
Jake remembered how the Huntsclan captured his grandfather the first time because he had failed to show up to training the next day.
"Because I need to be there to protect you, Gramps. The first time I failed to protect you, and the Hunstclan captured you. I would like to make sure they cannot get to you this time," Jake replied.
Lao Shi nodded. "You are catching on very quickly, young dragon."
"I got this!" Jake replied confidently. "I suppose is it time to continue my training, right? First, we begin in the bathroom."
They made their way into the bathroom. Like last time, the toilet water was disgusting, and he cringed at having to do all over again.
Then a thought came to his mind. "Before we begin, could I have a piece of candy please? That way it will not be as bad as it was last time."
"Very well, young dragon," Lao Shi said before he directed Fu to the kitchen where the candy was kept.
They returned with a cherry flavored piece of taffy, and Jake popped it into his mouth. Once he was finished, he used his dragon tongue to grab the toilet brush and began to clean the toilet.
While it was disgusting for him to have to do it again, the cherry sweet made it less revolting than it would have been otherwise. Jake remembered the circular motions his grandfather had taught him; clockwise and counterclockwise.
Jake was able to finish the toilets without any complaints this time, making sure the toilet would not need a touchup for a while. He then moved to sweeping the floors with his dragon tail and vacuumed up the dust into his mouth.
By the time everything had been completed, Lao Shi and Fu dog were smiling.
"Well done, young dragon. You are done with training for today," Lao Shi said before he sipped his tea.
Jake, however, was still willing to train a little more than last time. "Are you sure, Grandpa? There is nothing more I can do today?"
Lao Shi shook his head. "You have done well enough where you can have the rest of the evening off. I will see you tomorrow."
"Will do, Gramps. A seed does not question where the wind takes it, right?" Jake asked.
Lao Shi nodded. "Precisely."
OoOoOoOoOoO
Jake returned home to see his mother pulling food out from the refrigerator to prepare dinner for everyone.
"Haley! You can chop the vegetables now!" Susan Long called.
"Alright!" Haley replied as she ran into the kitchen to chop the vegetables.
Jake watched as his younger sister shifted her hands into pink dragon claws to chop the vegetables extremely fast. "Check out my Japanese chopping-yake technique!" she exclaimed.
"Uh Haley! Dad will be home any minute now. You might want to change back to regular hands before he sees you," Jake said.
Haley gave her older brother a dirty look, but she changed her claws back to human hands when they heard Jonathan Long enter the house, singing.
Once his father was done singing, Jake greeted, "Hey Dad! Did you land the Wholesome Heifer Account?"
His father nodded with a smile. "Yes! It is the largest producer of organic milk in New York City! The head honcho and his wife are coming over for dinner tomorrow night to seal the deal!"
"Congratulations, honey!" Susan exclaimed before she kissed him on the chin.
"That is awesome, Dad!" Jake added. He had forgotten to praise his father the previous time.
"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy! Look at the violin concerto I composed at school today!" Haley exclaimed as she showed him a sheet of music.
"Oh, peanut, that is so cute," he replied with a smile as he dragged her out of the kitchen, leaving Susan and Jake alone.
""Hey, Mom? I was thinking that…we should tell Dad he married into a family of dragons?" Jake asked.
"Honey, we have talked about this. Right now, it is not the best idea," Susan replied. At least that was a better response than last time Jake asked his mother the question.
"There is a spider on me! Get it off!" Jonathan quavered as he tumbled into the kitchen with his woolen jumper on him, but he calmed down after carefully inspecting and seeing it was only a harmless red fuzzy ball on his sleeve. "Oh wait. It is just a fuzzball. False alarm." He then walked out of the kitchen, slipping his jumper on as if nothing happened in the first place.
"See?" said Susan. "He cannot even handle an imaginary spider. I worry what will happen if he comes face-to-face with a real dragon."
Jake wondered how his father would react to seeing his dragon form.
After dinner, Jake brushed his long dragon tongue with a toothbrush and toothpaste to get rid of the toilet brush taste. It was one of the foulest tastes he could remember, but it was not quite as bad thanks to the cherry candy he had before he started.
His mother entered the bathroom with a look of comprehension on her face. "I know this might be difficult on you, Jake. Finding out you are a dragon."
"No worries," Jake replied. He now had to tell his family about going back in time. Along with his friends Trixie and Spud, he needed to make sure he told his family where no one else could know about what he went through. "It is a side of me I am willing to embrace."
Susan kneeled to her son's height. "I assume your training with your grandfather is going well then?"
Jake nodded. "Yes. I will master my dragon powers no matter what."
Susan smiled. "That is what I am talking about."
The two then embraced before Jake finished getting ready for bed. Once he was in bed, he was thinking about everything that happened in the last day. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he would travel through time. Now that he experienced it, he was going to ensure a brighter future for everyone he cared about, especially Rose.