Memento (Part 1 of 2)

By: MidnightzStorm

Author's Note: I know another unfinished story by me, but I promise to finish them all this winter break, once I get through exams. I wrote this months ago and have been sitting on my hands with it.

Disclaimer: I do not own American Dragon: Jake Long….. Everyone clear on that? Good, no one sue.

Ever since her family had moved to Hong Kong she had felt strange, as if a piece of heart was missing. For weeks she told herself that the feelings were the product of moving across the world, away from the city she was born and raised in. However, once she made new friends, got use to her surroundings and learned enough of the native language to get by, she knew she could not blame the move for the dull ache in her heart.

For the life of her she could not realize what she was missing. She had family who love her and everything that that she ever needed and quite a few things she wanted.

The feeling still haunted her all through school that day and even when she was studying with her friends at a local tea shop. She bid goodbye to her friend Park, when she turned a corner and spotted him.

"Hey," he said, his accent clearly American. He wore a red jacket and shorts and had way too much hair gel on his head.

"Hey yourself," she answered with a slight smile, but continued to walk.

"It's Rose, right?" a voice asked from behind her.

She turned away on the spot and questioned: "Do I know you?"

"You do or you did," the boy stuttered. "My name is Jake Long; we went to school together back in New York. It's complicated; can we go somewhere and talk?"

"Talk? About what?" She could think of what a boy she did not remember had to say to her.

"It's just... you won't believe me."

She was curious so told him, "I'm pretty open minded, give it a shot."

Jake gave her an apprehensive look and took a deep breath and began his lengthy explanation. "Okay, here it goes... The happy life that you are living now is an alternate reality that I wished for you. You're actually a mythical dragon slayer who was kidnapped by the Huntsclan and trained since birth to fight and slay dragons. I need you to come with me tonight to Victoria Peak to slay the Dark Dragon in order to save my grandfather and possibly the entire magical world."

She stared at him for a second; half wondering he is was hired by one of her siblings as a practical joke.

"Yeah, I'm not that open minded," she replied and started to walk away, however after a little while realized that he was still following her.

"Hold on," he said. "Look if you just let me explain." He seemed desperate for her to believe him, so much so that he couldn't be acting, he had to be crazy.

"Look just leave me alone," she told him. Her a dragon slayer? That was the most outlandish thing she had ever heard.

"You have to believe me!" he said.

"Okay if I'm some sort of dragon slayer that would mean that dragons are real, right?"

"Absolutely, we are the good guys actually," he said confidently.

"We?" was all she could ask.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot," he said and looked around for eavesdroppers. "I'm a dragon."

"I'm officially creeped out. Bye!" she said and once again walked away and once again he followed her.

"Look! Look, wait," he said and caught up with her. He grabbed both her elbow and wrist with both of his hands and showed her, her palm. However as he held onto her it was forceful, but gentle, if that was possible. "Look at the mark on your hand it's a dragon!"

She pulled her arm away and looked at him in disbelief. "How did you know about that?"

"Come with me some place private, I'll turn into a dragon and prove it to you," he said looking at her intently. "Rose, look at my eyes, some how you have to remember me."

She was torn, he seemed so sincere but she also knew that everything he had just said was completely insane. Jake was probably a nice guy who had played too much Dungeons and Dragons. People with those kinds of delusions could be dangerous though and he did not seem like he would be giving up soon.

She flipped open her cell phone and said, "Let me call ahead and make sure my family is not home, if you have any proof you can show me there."

She walked paces away so Jake could not hear her conversation. Thankfully her mother picked up on the second ring. She told her mother about the boy who would not stop following her and keep telling her that he knew her. Her mother told her to come home and she would call the police.

"Be careful, Rose, and stay in public places," her mother warned.

Rose walked back to Jake and told him, "Let's go."

Through the entire walk Rose tried not to make eye contact. She could not understand why she was feeling guilty about it.

"Do you miss New York?" he asked conversationally.

"Yes, but this city grows on you," she said looking around. She suddenly remembered the boy that she literally ran into during her last day in the United States. In school she had just a few selective friends, while the whole other world just seemed to fade away. Maybe they had a class or two together, it was possible.

She felt worse when they got to her building and he opened the door for her.

"Apparently, chivalry isn't dead," she muttered under breath.

The elevator ride was the most awkward that she had ever experienced. A nameless neighbor stood in front of them while the only sound was the steady humming of the elevator. Rose half wished that the woman was not there, that maybe the elevator ride was enough time for him to give her the proof. However, a second later she shook that idea out of her head, there was no proof, since he was not a dragon nor did they exist.

No, dragons were definitely did not exist.