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 2

The following day after school, Jake exited the school building and noticed Rose talking with her friend. He remembered daydreaming about them together, from running across the park, ice skating in the arena, and hanging out at the top of the Empire State Building as Rose leaned into his chest romantically. This time he also imagined them relaxing together on a sandy beach while having ice cold drinks with them.

Jake was just about to approach Rose when Trixie called out, "Aye, you Jake! Where are you going?"

"To talk to Rose?" Jake inquired.

Trixie frowned. "Don't tell me you're still crushing on that Rose girl again. She's so far out of your league, you don't even know."

They were approached by Spud. "Yeah bro, she's like a tiger burning at the eighteenth pebble beach, and you're like nine plodding a windmill at Coney Island Mini Golf," Spud said lazily while Jake gave him an odd look.

"Yo, forget her, we got some serious business. They just reopened the fourteenth street skatepark. We gonna hit that," Trixie said excitedly as she fist-bumped Spud.

Jake remembered when he did take up on their offer to skate at the skatepark. It resulted in his grandfather getting captured by the Huntsman and Huntsgirl due to his failure to show up on time.

"Sounds like a lot of fun, Trixie, but I have to get to my grandfather's shop as soon as possible," Jake replied sadly.

"Working in the shop again Jake? Come on, man! That must be like at least four times now you have passed up on having fun with us," Spud said as he counted with his fingers.

"Wake up, Jake! That old dude is like stealing your youth, dude!" Trixie exclaimed.

Jake rubbed his neck, contemplating what to say next to his friends. He would have to reveal to them about being a dragon eventually. However, Jake was still unsure how he could do it without revealing it to anyone else.

"Listen guys, I cannot join you today, unfortunately," Jake said sadly.

"Alright them, but I'm telling you Jake, you are seriously missing out," Trixie shrugged as she and Spud skateboarded away.

A small blue pixie fluttered toward Jake after his friends left with a clipboard. "Sign here," the pixie said. Jake signed his name, and the pixie handed him a tiny envelope and disappeared in a puff of dust.

He tore it in half and saw the familiar stern face of his grandfather. "Hurry up and get to training! Must use dragon teeth to scoop sludge out of Grandpa's rain gutter!" he yelled urgently before his smoke message vanished in thin air.

Getting rid of sludge sounded just as disgusting as the other tasks Jake did with his grandfather.

Jake looked over and saw Rose heading home. Knowing what was to come next, Jake immediately made his way to his grandfather's house, desperately hoping he would get there before the Huntsman did.

On the rooftop, Lao Shi and Fu Dog waited for Jake to arrive for training. Sure enough, Jake landed on the rooftop in his dragon form.

"Perfect timing, young dragon," Lao Shi praised. "Shall we begin?"

"Yes, Gramps," Jake responded. "Let's do this."

As Jake predicted, getting rid of the sludge from the rain gutter made him feel sick on the inside. Nevertheless, Jake saw how important these training exercises really were, and he was determined not to let his grandfather down.

An hour later, Jake had finished removing the sludge from the rain gutter.

"Well done, young dragon," Lao Shi said with a nod of approval. "You are done with training for today."

Fu Dog's stomach was growling like crazy. "Excuse me, guys," he said before he held his stomach and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him.

"Thank you, Gramps, but I'm thinking we should train a little more before we call it a night," Jake said, anticipating the Huntsman and Huntsgirl would show up at any moment.

"A young dragon must have his rest, but if you insist," Lao Shi replied.

Before Jake could say anything else, a bright green flash appeared and right on cue, the Huntsman and Huntsgirl appeared right in front of them.

"Dragon, we meet again," the Huntsman greeted sinisterly as the Huntsgirl jumped over and stood behind them.

"You want another fight, Huntsman? Bring it on!" Jake exclaimed as he entered a fighting stance. Lao Shi entered his dragon form, also entering a fighting stance.

Jake and Lao Shi launched fireballs at the Huntsman. The Huntsman used his staff to block the fireballs. Huntsgirl leapt at the dragons. Before Huntsgirl could jump onto Lao Shi's back, Jake was able to stop Huntsgirl from subduing his grandfather.

"It seems you have been taught better than we thought," Huntsgirl praised sarcastically.

"You want to get to my grandfather? Well, you will have to go through me first!" Jake replied determinedly.

"Glad you asked," the Huntsgirl answered as she attacked Jake.

No matter how hard Huntsgirl tried, Jake was able to block every blow she threw at him.

As bad as Jake wanted for this battle to be over, he knew he had to keep his guard up at least until the Huntsman surrendered.

Jake's eyes widened when he saw the Huntsman fire a net, pinning his grandfather to the wall as he groaned and felt himself growing weaker.

"Grandpa!" Jake exclaimed worriedly.

"Don't worry about me, young dragon! You must continue the fight without me!" Lao Shi called out, trying to encourage his grandson.

Jake then remembered that the nets consisted of sphinx hair, which was a dragon's weakness. Once caught in a net, dragons would be rendered powerless.

"One down, one to go," the Huntsman chuckled evilly before he then fired a net at Jake.

Jake was ready. He effortlessly dodged the net.

"Missed me!" Jake taunted as he kept dodging the nets the Huntsman launched at him.

The Huntsman grew increasingly frustrated as he began to madly launch nets at Jake. At one point, the Huntsman lost his grip on the weapon. That was all Jake needed to gain an advantage. Jake charged at the Huntsman and delivered a powerful punch, knocking him out cold.

Fu Dog opened the bathroom door and saw the battle taking place before him. Seeing how serious things were, he hid back in the bathroom. Unfortunately, Huntsgirl heard the door close and rushed towards the door.

"Alright, who's in there?!" Huntsgirl demanded as she turned on the locked knob.

Jake saw what Hunstgirl was doing and flew over to stop her from reaching Fu Dog. "Hey! You leave him alone!" Jake shouted.

Huntsgirl turned around and glared at Jake. She leapt at him and attacked. Jake blocked every blow she threw at him.

Huntsgirl then looked in another direction, which confused Jake. However, Jake's eyes widened when he saw her looking at his defenseless grandfather.

"Say goodbye to your grandfather, dragon," Huntsgirl said as she charged towards Lao Shi.

"Grandpa!" Jake exclaimed as he flew as fast as he could to defend his grandfather.

Huntsgirl was just about to strike Lao Shi when her attack was blocked by Jake. She tried attacking Lao Shi again, but Jake parried every attack she attempted.

Realizing she would not be able to land the killing blow on Lao Shi, the Huntsgirl ceased attacking, glaring at Jake.

Jake stared fiercely at Huntsgirl. "I will not let you harm my grandfather."

Huntsgirl leapt back to the Huntsman, who had regained consciousness and was now on his feet.

"This isn't over dragon! Soon you will meet your end!" the Huntsman declared before he and Huntsgirl teleported in a green flash out of sight.

Jake flew up to free his grandfather. He used his claws to cut through the net and get Lao Shi out of it. Once his grandfather was free, Jake helped him get back to the ground safely.

Upon landing, Jake transformed back into his human form.

"That was an impressive display, young dragon. I didn't know you packed such a powerful punch," Lao Shi praised.

"I appreciate it, Gramps. If I hadn't showed up though, I feel like things wouldn't have ended so well," Jake responded.

"Probably," Lao Shi stated in agreement. "Where is Fu Dog?"

"He is in the bathroom," Jake replied.

They made their way over to the closed bathroom door. Jake knocked on it.

"That better not be you, Huntsman!" Fu Dog called from inside.

"Fu, it's me, Jake!" Jake responded.

Upon hearing Jake's voice, Fu opened the door to see Jake and Lao Shi.

"Where is the Huntsman and Huntsgirl?" Fu asked, looking around.

"They have retreated, Fu. You are safe now," Lao Shi responded.

Fu sighed with relief. "Thank goodness. I was stuck in here with Huntsgirl attempting to break in and attack me." Fu Dog then thought of something. "Were you still planning on tracking down Rose's real family tomorrow?"

Jake nodded determinedly. "Rose deserves better. Nothing would make me happier than for her to be with her real parents and twin sister."

"Rose has a twin sister?" Fu asked.

"Yes. Her name remains a mystery to me though, as does the name of her parents. This time, I will make sure to know their names," Jake replied. "Is there a way you guys can come up with something for me to find Rose's family?"

"Come after school tomorrow, and we can figure something out," Fu replied.

"Thanks Fu. Good night you guys!" Jake exclaimed.

"You're welcome, kid. Safe travels home," Fu said with a smile.

"Good night, young dragon. We will see you tomorrow afternoon," Lao Shi stated with a nod of approval before Jake waved goodbye and made his way home.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Jake returned home, finding his mother and sister in the kitchen.

"Evening, Mom!" he greeted.

"There you are, Jake!" Susan said before she gave her son a brief hug. "Hurry and clean up. Dad's clients are already here."

"Yeah! Sure Mom!" Jake replied as he went to take a shower and get some fresh clothes on.

Susan held out a plate of food towards Haley. "A little help please, Haley?" Haley shifted her mouth into a dragon's before she breathed fire to keep the food hot and fresh.

Jake sighed contently as he let the cool water run down his body in the shower. He remembered how Fu Dog reprimanded him for failing to show up to training the last time. Since he showed up to training this time, he successfully prevented his father from being captured by the Huntsman. Jake had to feel good about that.

After washing his hair and body, Jake got out of the shower, dried up, put fresh clothes on, and went back to the kitchen.

"Who's ready for mushroom cakes?" Susan called from inside the kitchen.

Jake entered the kitchen and smiled. "I would like to have a mushroom cake, please."

"Of course, Jake," Susan replied with a smile as Jake got out a small plate and placed a mushroom cake on it with a pair of tongs.

As Jake ate, he realized Fu would not be coming out of the drain. It pained Jake that Fu had to hide in the sewers to prevent the Huntsman and his apprentice from catching him the first time. Jake also imagined how uncomfortable it must have been for him to climb up the drain.

Once he was done eating, Jake decided to start a conversation with his younger sister.

"How was school, Haley?" Jake asked.

Haley smiled. "School went great! I got the highest score of my class on today's quiz."

"That's what I'm talking about, Haley," Jake replied with a smile. Haley may have liked to brag about being the best, but that is what he liked about her. Jake felt thankful to have Haley as a sister. She did mean well, after all.

OoOoOoOoOoO

The Huntsman sighed in frustration at failing to slay the dragons. "I cannot believe this. That dragon is much more dangerous than we initially thought."

"We'll defeat him. I am sure of it," Huntsgirl replied as she bowed before the Huntsman.

"See to it we eliminate him before he becomes an even bigger threat," the Hunstman stated. "You are dismissed for tonight."

"Yes, Huntsmaster," the Huntsgirl responded as she left the room.

Upon exiting, she saw other Huntsclan members talking with each other. She became rather dismayed when she saw one Huntsclan member staring at her. He had red hair, brown eyes and was taller than her.

"I heard you did quite well out there. It seems the Huntsmaster has trained you well," the Huntsclan member told her, trying to impress her.

Huntsgirl, however, was having none of it. "We failed at accomplishing our goal, Damien Cruise, and that was to slay the dragons. As long as they are still out there, those dragons will continue to be a threat to the Huntsclan."

"Still though, your fighting abilities are rather impressive, if I must say," Damien praised with a grin.

"Thank you," Huntsgirl replied sarcastically. "Now if you will excuse me, I am going to get some rest."

"Hope you sleep well!" Damien called out.

Huntsgirl ignored him as she made her way to get some sleep.

OoOoOoOoOoO

The following day, Jake put his plan into action. While he was at it, he decided to reveal to Trixie and Spud his dragon abilities. He would just have to do it somewhere only Trixie and Spud would know. As much as Jake wanted Rose to know as well, it was not quite the right time for her to know. Jake feared things would not end so well if he revealed his dragon form to her too soon.

After school, Jake saw his friends head over to him on their skateboards.

"Hey Jake! What would you like to do today?" Trixie asked.

"Yeah dude. I hope you don't have to go to your grandfather's shop again. We've lost count how many times you have had to go over there now," Spud added.

Jake thought about it for a moment. A thought then came to his mind. "How about we hang out at my place for a little bit?" he suggested.

"Sure Jake! What would you like to do?" Trixie wondered.

"Why don't we play some video games?" Jake suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Spud replied.

They skateboarded to Jake's house. Jake effortlessly glided on some rails and Trixie leapt over a trash can. Spud slid onto an empty bench before he safely landed back on the ground.

Once they arrived at Jake's house, Jake set up his video game system and they played video games for a little while.

After they finished their game, Jake decided it was time. He closed his bedroom door, locking it to make sure no one could get in. "Hey guys? There is something I need to show you."

"What is it, Jake?" Trixie inquired.

"Is it a new game that came out recently?" Spud asked.

Jake shook his head. "Can you promise me not to freak out or anything? My father must not know about this."

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

"Why not, Jake? Don't tell me you are hiding something!" Trixie stated with a raised eyebrow.

"It's complicated, okay? You guys just need to trust me," Jake responded.

"Sure thing, dude. What is it?" Spud asked curiously.

"What I was meaning to show you was this," Jake said as he took a deep breath. He then transformed into his dragon form.

Trixie and Spud's eyes widened in shock.

"Dude! That is so sick! How long have you been able to do that?" Spud asked.

"My whole life I guess," Jake replied as he posed with his arms.

"Aren't you worried about what will happen when someone discovers this?" Trixie wondered.

"Yes, which is why you must not tell anyone," Jake pleaded. "Can you guys keep this a secret?"

"Secret? Why?" Spud asked.

"If people were to find out about me being a dragon, they would most likely freak out. Which is why no one knows about this. Please guys," Jake said with a pleading look on his face.

"Okay then. We will not tell anyone. If I may ask, what do you use your dragon abilities for, anyway?" Trixie demanded.

"To protect the magical creatures of the world. They are constantly being hunted by a group called the Huntsclan," Jake explained.

"This Huntsclan sounds like they are trouble," Spud said.

"They are, which is why I need to keep the magical creatures safe," Jake replied. "There was something else I needed to tell you guys as well."

"What would that happen to be Jake?" Trixie wondered.

"Rose is a part of the Huntsclan," Jake said.

Trixie and Spud's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. "Why would you fall for someone who is a part of the group trying to kill all the magical creatures?" Trixie demanded, sounding impatient.

"You don't understand, guys. The Huntsclan are not her real family. She was taken away from her real family shortly after she was born. I was going to head over to my grandfather's house to help her find her real family," Jake elaborated.

"How are you going to do that, dude?" Spud asked.

"That is where you guys come in as well. I would like for you guys to help me out with this," Jake said.

"How can we help?" Trixie wondered. "There are millions of people living in New York City. How on Earth would we know who Rose's real parents are?"

"I think I might have an idea," Jake said.

They heard a knock on the door. "Hey Jake? Dinner is ready!" Haley called.

"Coming!" Jake responded before he turned to his friends. "We will figure it out after dinner."

OoOoOoOoOoO

After dinner, Jake and his friends went over to his grandfather's shop.

"Ah, young dragon. I see you have brought your friends. What brings you over here at this time of night?" Lao Shi inquired.

"You remember when I said I would help Rose find her real family? I was hoping you could help us find them," Jake replied.

"Certainly, young dragon. However, how can we be of help?" Lao Shi wondered.

"In the first timeline, I remember something about dream charms, which is how I found out about Rose's real family in the first place. Without them, I felt like we never would've known about them," Jake explained.

"Timeline?" Trixie inquired. "Do you mean like time travel?"

Lao Shi nodded. "Yes. Young dragon was sent back in time to prevent a potentially catastrophic future from occurring."

"I find it hard to believe. Time travel is science fiction!" Trixie exclaimed.

Jake sighed. "If you don't believe me, then we can show you it is true."

"How did you travel through time, if that's even possible?" Spud wondered.

Fu Dog went to retrieve a potion just like the one from when Jake first arrived from traveling through time.

"This should do the trick. It will relive Jake's memories from right before he was sent back in time," Fu Dog explained.

Jake drank the potion and a gigantic bubble formed above Jake's head.

Trixie and Spud watched as they saw a dragon temple located in Hong Kong. They saw Jake and Mao Shi fight the Dark Dragon and his Shade minions. Trixie and Spud saw themselves helping them in the fight.

They then saw Rose appear to assist Jake with fighting the Dark Dragon.

Trixie and Spud then had depressed looks on their faces as they watched the Dark Dragon drag their friend into a portal as the temple fell apart and got sucked in with the two dragons.

"You guys believe me now, right?" Jake asked anxiously.

Trixie and Spud nodded. "We are just glad you didn't die, bro. It looks like you could've been killed in the whole thing," Spud said.

"I thought so too, until I suddenly saw myself on the balcony here. It was a bizarre feeling, to say the least," Jake responded. "Now that I know what will happen if I fail, I will make sure things are much better this time, not just for Rose, but for you guys as well. That Dark Dragon will not win this time!" he exclaimed confidently.

"How will you know how to defeat the Dark Dragon? He sounds very dangerous!" Trixie exclaimed.

"I will have to take it one step at a time. As Gramps said, time travel is a complicated thing," Jake elaborated. "Now that I know what could happen, I will take my training much more seriously. We need to get as much potential out of me as possible."

"How is it coming along, bro?" Spud asked.

"Good thus far, but I still have a long way to go before I am ready to face the Dark Dragon. Right Gramps?" Jake asked, turning to his grandfather.

Lao Shi nodded. "Indeed, you do, young dragon. You still have much to learn before you are ready for anything."

Jake nodded before turning to his friends. "I would like for you guys not to tell Rose about my dragon form just yet."

"Why not?" Trixie wondered.

Jake sighed. "Due to the Huntsclan despising any magical creatures, it is not the right time to reveal my identity to her. I will get my chance."

"Were you thinking after you reunite her with her true family?" Spud asked.

Jake nodded. "Yes. I figured that would be a good time."

OoOoOoOoOoO

The following day, Jake, Trixie, and Spud approached Rose as she was talking with her friend.

"Hey, Rose," Jake greeted.

"Hey yourself, Jake," Rose replied with a smile.

"May I introduce you to my friends?" Jake inquired. "This is Trixie and Spud."

"Nice to meet you guys," Rose greeted as she shook their hands.

"Rose, we are going to head over to my grandfather's shop. Care to join us?" Jake asked.

Rose hesitated. "I am not sure if that would be a good idea. My uncle would prefer I not be out and about for too long."

"This will not take too long. Please, Rose. This is very important," Jake insisted.

Rose thought about it before she nodded. "Okay then. If you say so."

Rose, Trixie, Jake, and Spud arrived at Lao Shi's shop.

"Ah, it seems you three have another guest with you. You must be Rose?" Lao Shi inquired.

"Yes," Rose replied before she wondered how Lao Shi knew about her. "How did you know?"

"That is something Jake can explain to you," Lao Shi responded.

Rose turned her attention to Jake.

Jake closed his eyes a took a deep breath. He knew he would have to word this just right, or risk losing it all.

"Listen, Rose. I know you are a part of the Huntsclan," Jake began.

Rose's eyes widened. "What? How did you find out?"

Jake placed a hand on Rose's shoulder before he continued, "The birthmark on your wrist is the reason why the Huntsclan took you away from your real family. They have been lying to you this whole time. You were led to believe your family died shortly after you were born. Turns out the Huntsclan has been lying to you the entire time. They are still alive and live here in New York City."

"I have a real family?" Rose asked, awestruck at the news. "I am wondering how you found out about all this."

Jake tried his best to stay calm. He was hoping Rose would believe what he was about to tell her next. "I was sent back in time after losing to the Dark Dragon in Hong Kong. You did your best to help, but unfortunately, you were unable to save me."

Rose contemplated for a moment. "Let me get this straight. You were defeated by the Dark Dragon, and you did not die? How is that even possible?"

"I am trying to figure it out myself. After failing to defeat the Dark Dragon, I was ready to die. As the dragon temple was getting sucked into the portal with the Dark Dragon and I, I felt like it was truly the end for me," Jake explained.

"Instead of dying, you are standing here right now," Rose pointed out.

Jake nodded. "Now that I know what is coming, I can ensure a better future for everyone, including you."

Rose smiled at that. "I appreciate that, Jake. How are you going to find my real parents though? We have no idea what their names are, nor do we know what their address is."

Fu Dog felt the need to enter the conversation. "That is where I can find something, Miss Rose." He subsequently went through the potion bottles and retrieved two of them, one for Jake and one for Rose.

"Jake mentioned something about the dream realm from the previous timeline. These potions should bring up any dreams you two had from the previous timeline," Fu Dog elaborated.

Rose and Jake opened their potion bottles before Jake said, "Well, here goes nothing."

They then drank their potions.

"How do you feel Jake? Are you feeling funny at all?" Spud asked, concerned.

"Yeah! I hope it doesn't feel like you guys got poisoned!" Trixie exclaimed.

"No. It actually feels like ice coursing through my body," Jake replied.

"Me too," Rose added.

Two huge bubbles appeared above Rose's and Jake's heads.

Trixie, Spud, Lao Shi, and Fu Dog viewed the images appearing above their heads.

They saw an image of Rose's mother holding her and her twin sister in her arms, and her father beside them.

"I see a medical chart," Spud said before he squinted his eyes to get a better look. "There is a date in the top right corner of the chart."

"October 11th is the date," Trixie added.

"I was told my birthday was in April," Rose said. "Seems there are many things the Huntsman lied to me about."

"It would seem he did not want for you to have any real information to go on in case of you becoming curious about your family," Jake stated.

Rose nodded in agreement. "What else do you guys see?"

"The patient's name is Patricia Keating," Trixie responded.

"Keating? I never knew that was my last name. What about my father and sister? Do you have their names?" Rose wondered.

"Let me see," Spud went back to seeing if he could get more information. "Russell is your father's name. Lily is the name of your sister."

"Lily? That is a lovely name," Rose said, smiling.

"Yes. She looks just like you," Jake added, placing a hand on Rose's shoulder.

"Let me see if I can get their current address," Trixie stated as she and Spud inspected the images further.

Upon looking at the medical chart, they noticed the current address of the Keatings.

"I think the address for your parents is there, Rose," Spud said. He then told her what the address was for Rose's family, and Jake's eyes lit up.

"I know that street! It is not even a single mile away from my house!" Jake exclaimed.

"I cannot believe it. They lived close to you and your family, and I never even knew it," Rose said with wide eyes.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get you back to your real family!" Trixie exclaimed.

Jake, however, was unsure. "I am not sure it would be a good idea right now."

"Why not, Jake?" Rose asked.

"Well, I was thinking of waiting until October 11th to reunite you with your parents. Not only is that your birthday, but it is also the day they lost you to the Huntsclan. That way it can be the day you also return to them, which would make your birthday much better for both you and them," Jake explained.

"You are right, Jake," Rose finalized in agreement. "We will have you guys reunite me with my family on my birthday."

OoOoOoOoOoO

Jake was able to master his dragon abilities at a torrid pace. Since he had knowledge of the future, he now had a much better understanding of how to use his dragon abilities to protect those he cared about most, as well as the magical creatures.

It was the night before Jake was to ask Rose to the school dance. Brad Morton had denied him the opportunity the last time he attempted to ask her. He was going to ensure things were different this time around.

Jake was snapped from his thoughts when he saw familiar creatures bursting from the sewers and running away as fast as they could. He, Lao Shi, and Fu Dog were in the streets of New York City.

It was nighttime in New York City. There was not a person or a moving car to be seen.

"This must be the place," Jake said as they walked towards the manhole the magical creatures got out of.

"Right you are, young dragon," Lao Shi replied as they heard a monstrous roar from inside.

Jake felt fearful the first time he encountered the sewer creature. Now that he knew what to expect, he was unfazed by anything the creature could throw at him.

Jake entered the sewers, stopped himself from splashing into the sewer water by entering his dragon form.

He heard roaring again. "Hey!" Jake called out. "Whatever you think you are, you better take your nasty business out of here!"

The creature attempted to tackle Jake to the wall. Jake dodged the attack as the creature ran into the wall, which made him smirk triumphantly.

The creature attacked Jake again, but Jake kicked it away and ducked when the creature aimed for his head. "Is that all you got?" Jake called out to the creature.

He began to perform various kung fun moves, taking care not to let his tail slash at any pipes. The last thing Jake wanted was for raw sewage water to splash in his face.

When the creature tried to attack him again, Jake punched it back with enough force for it to hit the opposite wall in the sewers.

Fu Dog raised his fist at how well Jake was fighting the creature. "Show it who's boss, kid!"

Lao Shi nodded, looking impressed.

The creature made a move to punch Jake in the stomach, but Jake blocked the blow and summoned a fireball at the creature. It let out a whimper of agony before it flew away and retreated back into the sewers.

"I will be ready for you when you come back!" Jake declared before he exited the sewers and changed back into his human form.

"Well done, young dragon," Lao Shi praised.

"You sure know how to kick some butt, kid," Fu Dog added.

"Thanks guys, but I don't think we have seen the last of the creature. Whatever it was, we must be prepared for whenever it returns," Jake explained.

"Right you are, young dragon," Lao Shi replied in agreement.

OoOoOoOoOoO

The next morning, Jake was riding his skateboard along with his friends as they made their way to school. He really hoped he would be able to ask Rose to the dance this time. Last time Brad Morton beat him to it.

"Hey yo, Jake! You know it is that time of year again, right?" Trixie sassed to Jake. "Time to make things right with the universe and do the charity thing!"

"The charity thing is the dance, right?" Jake asked, remembering the charity thing Trixie was doing actually was attending the dance with Spud.

"Yes sir!" Trixie exclaimed as she jumped over a trash can. "I will be taking Spud with me."

Jake reached out and was able to stop Spud from binding himself with his yo-yo.

"Whoa! Nice catch there, dude! How did you do that?" Spud wondered.

"I was just making sure the yo-yo would not cause you to fall off your skateboard," Jake replied.

Spud smiled. "Either way, thanks bro."

"No problem, Spud!" Jake winked as they approached the school. He saw Rose and immediately made his move. "Excuse me guys," Jake said before he made his way towards her.

Rose saw Jake approaching her and smiled. "Hey Jake."

"Hey Rose. How are you doing?" Jake greeted.

"I am doing good. How about yourself?" Rose asked.

"Just living the dream," Jake replied. His heart was beating fast. Jake then noticed Brad Morton approaching. He had to ask her, or else Brad would do it first.

"Hey, Rose?" Jake asked.

"Yes, Jake?" Rose inquired.

"I was wondering if you would like to go to the dance with me?" Jake asked nervously, though not as much as last time.

Rose beamed and nodded. "I would love to go to the dance with you Jake."

"Okay great!" Jake exclaimed. "I guess I will see you later?"

"Yes. See you around, Jake," Rose smiled as they shook hands before Jake went to rejoin Trixie and Spud.

As he walked, Jake noticed the furious look on Brad's face. He had a gut feeling Brad would probably beat him up for that. Jake made a mental note to keep his guard up in case Brad tried to do anything to him.

"Hey dude. How did it go?" Spud wondered once Jake rejoined him and Trixie.

"Rose said she would go with me to the dance," Jake responded with a grin.

"Now that is what I am talking about Jake!" Trixie said as he patted Jake on the shoulder. She then took a whiff of the air and smelled something funny. "Is it just me, or does something smell funny?"

"It is not me. I did shower this morning. Wait, was that today or yesterday?" Spud asked.

"I think it might be my breath," Jake said. "Thank goodness it did not start until after I asked Rose. She might have said no if she had to smell my breath."

"She would have said yes, regardless of bad breath or not," Trixie said.

"Are you kidding me? Who would say yes to a guy with bad breath when they ask her to a dance?" Jake asked before he added, "I do not think anyone would."

"You do have a point there, bro," Spud said. "When you ask a girl out, you want to make sure your breath is fresh, right?"

"Exactly. The moment I asked Rose was probably the last moment I had fresh breath before it took over," Jake replied in agreement.

Suddenly, Brad came over, grabbed Jake, and shoved him against the lockers. Students gasped as they watched what was taking place before them.

"You stole Rose from me, you little punk! How dare you!" Brad yelled, fury in his eyes.

"Says the guy who has no regard for her happiness and well-being," Jake retorted.

"Like you can do any better," Brad scoffed in irritation.

"I see Rose for more than just her beautiful looks. She also has a good heart, and besides, who is to say that if you were to ask her out, you would not dump her for another girl?" Jake hissed.

"I would do nothing of the sorts!" Brad exclaimed.

"Yes, you would!" Jake responded, unfazed about the position he was in.

Brad drew back a fist, ready to punch Jake, but Professor Rotwood stopped him.

"Brad Morton!" Hans Rotwood called with a look of disapproval on his face.

"What do you want?" Brad demanded.

"There will not be any of this rumpus under my watch. Now you had better release Jake Long this instant or you will be going to detention for the next week," Hans Rotwood said with a glare.

Brad groaned in annoyance before he reluctantly let go of Jake and took his hands off him. He breathed furiously before he stormed off.

Jake breathed a sense of relief. For once, he had to thank Professor Rotwood. Had he not shown up to stop Brad, Jake would be going to the dance with a bruised face.

"Jake! Are you okay?" Trixie asked, concerned.

"Yeah dude. Brad did not hurt you, did he?" Spud added, also concerned.

"I am okay, guys. Thank you for checking though," Jake stated.

"Anything for you, Jake. We always have your back!" Trixie exclaimed.

"Not matter what happens man, we will always be there for you," Spud said, smiling.

"Thanks, guys. Well, I will see you later?" Jake said.

"Yeah. Later dude," Spud replied as he and Jake did a fist bump.

"Have a great rest of your day Jake and have fun at the dance!" Trixie stated before she fist bumped Jake.

"You guys do the same. See ya!" Jake exclaimed with a wave as his friends waved before they made their way down the hallway.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Jake remembered when he failed to ask Rose out before Brad did. Not only did a girl shove breath mint into his mouth, but he also caused another girl to accidentally injure herself when she was trying to get away from him. Jake felt relieved there would be no injuries this time around. He never got the girl's name, but he still felt remorseful over the whole thing and was happy she would not have to go to the hospital again.

Jake also remembered asking a janitor and making her throw up because of his breath. Now that he had Rose to go to the dance with, Jake did not have to worry about it this time.

"Attention, students. Due to a mysterious odor, we will be evacuating the building until hazmat crews have located the source of the stench," an announcement sounded as the bell rang and the students left their classrooms and exited the school.

"Aww man! Not again!" Jake complained with a sigh. At least he knew what the source of his bad breath was though. It was due to the maturing of his fire breathing glands.

Jake arrived at his grandfather's shop.

"Hey Gramps. Could you and Fu work up something to get rid of the bad breath in my mouth please?" Jake asked.

"What do you need it for, young dragon?" Lao Shi inquired.

"I will be going to the school dance with Rose, and I would like to be as presentable as possible," Jake stated. "Please. I do not want to have Rose deal with any bad breath while we are dancing."

"Okay then, young dragon," Lao Shi responded with a nod before he turned to Fu Dog.

"I got just the thing for eliminating your bad breath, kid," Fu said as he led Jake deeper into the room to create the potion for Jake's bad breath.

"Crushed bat guano... Bang!" He tossed some pink sand into a bowl. "A little pinch of rosemary...Baboom! Then last but not least, a little eau de toad." Fu Dog grabbed a toad which Jake probably did not want to know where he got it from. Jake looked away as Fu Dog squeezed something out of the toad and mixed the ingredients until a flash of a bright shade of pink appeared. "Bingo!" He dipped a necklace with a small tube attached and placed it around Jake's neck. "As long as you are wearing this baby, bad breath will be a distant nightmare."

"Thanks a lot Fu. I appreciate it," Jake replied with a smile.

"Sure thing, kid. Just make sure you take care of that thing. Toad water will not be back in season until June," Fu Dog explained.

"Will do," Jake replied with a nod. He then turned to his grandfather. "Any word on the creature in the sewers, Gramps?"

Lao Shi shook his head. "Nothing yet, young dragon. Should it return, I will inform you immediately."

"Thanks Gramps," Jake replied.

"Of course, young dragon," Lao Shi replied with a nod. "I hope you and Rose have fun at the dance."

"Appreciate it, Gramps," Jake stated gratefully. A thought then came to his mind. "Hey Fu?"

"What is it, kid?" Fu Dog wondered.

"Could you perhaps take me to Magus Bizarre please?" Jake asked.

"Why do you want to go there, kid? Is it because you would like to know more about the magical creatures?" Fu Dog asked curiously.

Jake nodded. "I would like to know what creatures need my protection and I would like to know what they are capable of as well."

Fu Dog nodded. "Very well then. Follow me."

He led Jake to a familiar subway train station. They boarded the train and started to talk with each other as the train moved along. A child nearby attempted to tell her parents there was a dog that could speak like humans, but they paid her no mind.

"Are there any creatures in particular you would like to learn about?" Fu Dog asked.

"That is up to you, Fu Dog. I just want to make sure I have time to get ready for the dance later," Jake replied.

"Do not worry, kid. We will have plenty of time. Whatever you choose to wear, Rose will be impressed. I am sure of it," Fu Dog said.

"You know it," Jake responded with a wink.

The train came to a stop and the passengers exited the train. Jake knew better this time. He knew this was not truly the last stop. It was the express train to magicville. Therefore, he remained seated as Fu Dog winked at the director, who separated himself from his whole body. Jake was anticipating it this time. Thus, he was not surprised as he smiled.

The guy waved his cap at them as he turned into a dark shade of purple and his ears pointed. Jake smirked as Fu cackled when the train lifted itself up into the air until it stopped, and the doors opened. He smiled when he saw the familiar items being promoted and the entire other half of his world.

"Welcome to Magus Bizarre, kid!" Fu introduced.

"It is amazing," Jake praised. He decided he should stay close to Fu Dog. Last time he attempted to wander off. Jake wanted to make sure he knew what he was getting into first before making any attempts to talk to any magical creatures.

Fu Dog whistled through his paws. "Hey Veronica? You back there, sweetheart?"

"Fu Dog? You out of bat liver oil already?" A feminine voice said in surprise. She came into the light and revealed her brown hair and her violet eyes. Her body was slender, just like every girl would want.

"Not this time, Veronica. There is someone I would like you to meet. Veronica, meet Jake Long," Fu said.

Jake smiled and shook hands with her. "Pleasure to meet you, Veronica."

"Nice to meet you too, Jake," Veronica replied benevolently.

A guy pushed the cart separating them out of the way. Jake did not feel the life drain out of him this time when he saw the eight hairy spider legs making up the bottom half of Veronica's body.

"Well, I need to get back to work. It was great meeting you Jake. Come by anytime," Veronica said with a beam.

"Sure thing! Thanks Veronica," Jake responded, grinning.

"Of course," Veronica replied before Jake and Fu Dog moved along.

They met the oracle twins next.

"These oracle twins can see the future. How about that?" Fu Dog asked Jake.

"That is pretty cool," Jake responded.

"Hi! You sure are cute! Want to know the exact time and day you are going to die?" The cheery girl who Jake remembered as Sara said with a laugh.

Jake sheepishly smiled. "Uh, no thank you. I think I am good."

"You will be getting a Gamestation 3000 for Christmas this year," the other twin sister known as Kara said emotionlessly. Jake made sure to pretend to be excited for Christmas this year when he received the gift. Since he now already knew he would receive it, he wanted to make sure his parents got the correct reaction out of him.

"Okay, so Sara only sees the bad things in the future, while Kara sees the good things," Jake said.

"Exactly," Fu Dog confirmed with a nod.

Jake did not like it when he had to deal with the troll Herbert again. He made sure he would not harm Fu Dog in any way. Jake was able to keep him away from Fu Dog this time before he could pick him up and harass him.

The last magical creature Jake introduced himself to was Jasmine. He had not forgotten when she turned into a Nix when he failed to heed her warnings about needing to get back home before the moon reached the center of the sky. While it was great to see her again, Jake did feel bad about leaving her out of the dance this time. He was hoping he could maybe have her attend the dance with someone else, but after what happened last time, Jake decided it was not worth the risk. Jake wanted to make sure Jasmine was safe and sound back home when the moon reached the center of the sky.