The Cupid's Arrow
Disclaimer: I don't own The American Dragon: Jake Long.
A/N: It takes place after the Ski Trip episode.
"One gold coin and no more!" A leprechaun tried to bargain for the Cupid's arrow for the lowest price possible. However, Cupid had none of it.
"No, we agreed on five gold coins," the Cupid argued.
"Why do I need to give you five, when I only need one arrow."
"Because, they're very valuable, besides I already gave you a discount."
Neither of them realized they had been watched by the Huntsgirl. The Huntsclan had been tipped off about this bargain, and had sent her to steal all the gold coins from the leprechaun. They didn't care about the Cupid's arrows, though. Huntsgirl smiled under her mask on the memory, when troll had been hit by the arrow and had fallen in love with the Huntmaster. It had been fun watching him running away from the troll. From that moment, the Huntmaster had forbidden his huntsclan from using those arrows. Your enemy should fear you not love you. Well, he had a point, but those arrows could be useful too, if one knew how to use them.
Huntsgirl focused on the leprechaun and the Cupid. They still argued about the price. Cupid reluctantly agreed to lower the price to four gold coins, while leprechaun offered two coins. It was now or never. Huntsgirl jumped between them and directed her spear towards the leprechaun. "Hand the money now, leprechaun!"
"Never! I'll never do it."
Huntsgirl shot the laser from her spear towards the leprechaun, who jumped aside just in time.
"Err, Huntsgirl?" She turned towards the Cupid with her eyes narrowed. "Instead being all hateful, you could use some of love. Here, have one of my arrow for free." Cupid handed his arrow out while grinning at the Huntsgirl.
"You better fly off before I'll break all of your arrows!"
Cupid drop the arrow on the ground in fear, and flew away as fast as he could.
Huntsgirl turned to the spot where she left leprechaun, but...
"Where did he go." She grunted. The Huntmaster wouldn't be happy with her. Most likely he would punish her for falling the task.
She looked around and focused her eyes and ears on any trace of the leprechaun, but she found nothing, only the single Cupid's arrow laying on the ground. She picked it up, not sure if she would need it, she hid it in her uniform.
She jumped on some building to have a better view. However, she still had no luck. No, she couldn't give up now. She would find that pesky leprechaun. She jumped from building to building while watching the ground, but still nothing.
Red-yellow dragon flew few metres away from the Huntsgirl. "We meet again." She smirked.
As the Huntsgirl jumped closer to the American Dragon, she shot the laser from her spear towards the said dragon.
"Hey!" The dragon dodge it just in time, before it could hit his ear.
"Prepare to be slain, dragon!"
"Such a pretty lady like you, shouldn't be on a date?"
"Maybe you'd like to join me. We sure could have fun together." She kept shooting at the dragon from her spear while it avoided her each attack.
Mention of the date reminded the Huntsgirl of the boy from her classroom – Jake. She really liked him and felt bad that she couldn't spend much time with him during the ski trip. Stupid Brad had had to interrupt her time with Jake, though he wasn't the only one.
Her life as a Huntsgirl also came in the way between her and Jake. She wished she could be honest with him, but she probably would scare him off, if she would tell him that the innocent girl like herself was born to slain dragons.
The Huntmaster also didn't want her to be involved in a serious relationship, because it would be to distracting for her. He was right, just thinking about Jake, made her lose her focus, and the dragon was even farther from her than before. She still could see him, though. Huntsgirl increased her speed.
Something was weird about the American Dragon. It usually would fight her straight on, but he actually avoided her. Also the way he teased her, there was something sad in his eyes. Something he regretted. No! She shook her head. She couldn't waste her time on worrying about the dragon's feelings. She had to catch up to it and slain that dragon. But even then the dragon would most likely find a way to get away. As it always did.
A Cupid's arrow! She could use it against the American Dragon. It would be a dirty trick, but maybe it would help her to kill the dragon. She just hoped it wouldn't end up like with the Huntmaster and the troll.
As she was getting closer to the dragon, she took out the arrow. She estimated the distance between her and the dragon, and jumped on it.
"Hey! What're ya tryin' to do?" Before it shook the Huntsgirl off its back, she pierced the arrow in its back. The dragon turned and looked at her. According to what she had learned about the Cupid's arrows, the American Dragon should fall in love with her right away.
The American Dragon narrowed his eyes ad clenched his paws. Huntsgirl took the step back. Something in his look made her uncomfortable. She wasn't sure if that how in love person, in this case, dragon, should behave.
"I so look forward to burn you to death." The dragon hissed.
"Huh!" Huntsgirl widened her eyes as big stream of fire was blown at her. She avoided it before it could burn her.
She didn't understand. Why the American Dragon suddenly showed its hatred towards her more explicitly than before. The arrow should make it to fall in love with her. That what she learned during her time in academy. Don't tell me. She also learned that you shouldn't use the Cupid's arrow at someone who is already in love with you, because it would have an opposite effect. But then it would mean that... No way. The America Dragon couldn't possibly be in love with her. That stupid Cupid had to mess up with the arrow. That's what happened and it wouldn't stop her from slaying the American Dragon.
She charged at it with her spear. Unfortunately, the dragon kicked her away with its tail making her spear hit the ground. She didn't have a choice but to use her hands and legs to fight the dragon, but it occurred to be more difficult than she had thought at first.
Every time she tried to kick the dragon or hit it, it dodged her attacks. What's more it landed few attacks on her. She grunted in pain, when the dragon punched her stomach. She barely stood on her shaking legs. She hated to admit it, but the American Dragon had an advantage over her. She had no choice but to retreat. She found her balance and jumped down on the buildings.
"You're not going to run away from me!" The dragon roared.
Fortunately, for the Huntsgirl, she did runaway, though she still could hear its shouts. It passed at least thirty minutes, before she didn't hear it anymore. She tightened her fists. She would get him next time.
"Ugh! I almost had her."
"Who're you talking about, Jakie?" Trixie asked. She, Jake and Spud drove on their skateboards to the school.
"What do ya mean who I'm talkin' about? Rose, the huntsgirl, of course. You don't believe how close I was from burning her." His voice full of hatred.
Spud and Trixie stopped their skateboards, dumbfounded.
"Wait a moment, what happened? Yesterday, you were lamenting about Rose being your mortal enemy, and the girl you love at the same time," Trixie pointed out.
"Yes, you even wrote a long poem about the tragic love between you two," Spud said. "It was so sad." He wiped the single tear off his eye.
Trixie shook her head and turned toward the Jake. "Ok, Jake, tell us what happened?"
"You should better tell me. What about this rubbish love thing you talkin' about. I don't love Huntsgirl. I hate her." He hissed.
"Okay, okay, but you cannot suddenly hate Rose, when just yesterday you lo-"
"There she is." Jake pointed towards Rose who was walking to the school. "Now, I'm going to kill her." His hands turned into dragon's paws.
"Huh! Here?" Both Trixie and Spud exclaimed.
"You don't want Rose to find out that you're a dragon." Trixie said.
"It doesn't matter since she'll be dead in few seconds later."
"Okay, but what about other students around us, huh?" Spud shouted. "You don't want to be exposed, do you?"
"Hey Spud, calm down. People start to look more oddly at you than usual," Trixie said.
"Oops, sorry."
Rose approached at them, bright smile on her face, while she glanced at Jake. "Hey, I was wondering if you wouldn't like to go out – on a date?"
"With pleasure. Let's go at the back of the school and discuss the details of our date."
Spud and Trixie exchanged worried glances.
"Okay, but I think the classes will start soon, and our first period is with Professor Rootwood. And you know how he doesn't like his students to be late, especially you."
"Who cares? Let's go." Jake pulled Rose by her hand.
"Let's follow them!" Trixie said.
"Are you sure, Trixie? It seemed for me that it's a personal thing between Jake and Rose. I don't think we should interrupt."
"Unless we want Jake to kill Rose and regret it to rest of his life!"
"That definitely would break his human's heart. Or is it a dragon's heart? Hey, Trix, which heart do you think, Jake has?"
"There's no time for it."
"Hey, don't pull me so hard!"
"So, I was thinking we could go to Skate-park and then go to eat ice-cream?" Rose suggested.
"Or maybe, we could do our date here."
Rose raised her eye-brow. Something was weird about Jake's behaviour. She couldn't help, but think that she had seen that kind of expression on someone else before. Expression that shook her to the bone.
"Prepare for it, Rose, because you won't forget that date. Dragon up!"
Rose watched as flames covered Jake and in few seconds his human form changed into a dragon form. She could feel every muscle being paralysed in her body. Jake was the American Dragon. Her mortal enemy. Now she understood why he had acted so strange after the ski trip. It had to be difficult for him to find out that she was the Huntsgirl. But even then he avoided from hurting her. He had even saved her. Wait, if he hated now, then it meant he actually...
"Rose, duck!" She heard Trixie's scream. Just in time, because as soon she hit the ground, the flames flew above her.
"Are you crazy, Jake? What if someone will see you?" Trixie said.
"Don't worry, as soon as I burn the Huntsgirl to the ashes, I will turn back."
"What if someone would look out of the window. Like some bored student who cannot stand the teacher's yapping, and he would see you and he would be like, 'Aaaahhhh! Dragon!' and then other students and a teacher would -"
"Okay, Spud, I think we heard enough. The point is, Jake, that you don't want your secret to be exposed. What's more you don't want to kill Rose, even though she is a Huntsgirl."
"Yes, I do."
"Ugh! I'm losing my patience with you, Jake," Spud shouted. "One day you love Rose, even though she's your enemy, and then the next day you hate Rose even though she's your enemy. Wait, actually now your behaviour makes sense, but wait you loved Rose, so... I'm totally lost."
"It's a cupid arrow," Rose said.
"Say what?" Both Trixie and Spud said in unison.
"I shot Jake with the cupid's arrow while he was in his dragon form. I thought if the American Dragon would fall in love with me, the Huntsgirl, then I would have an easier shot of killing him. However, now I know his true identity, I changed my mind." Rose stepped closer towards Jake. "Listen Jake, now I know it's you I won't hurt you. I'm not going to try to kill you."
"Too bad, because I definitely will try to kill you!" While Jake prepared to burst his flames out at Rose, Spud and Trixie jumped in front of her.
"Stop it, Jake!"
"Spud, Trixie, move."
"Listen, Jake, you don't want to kill Rose, and even if you would, doing here would be the dumbest thing you would ever do!" Trixie shouted.
"And what if someone, like Rootwood, let's say, would actually look out of the window, and see you? Your secret would be totally exposed!" Spud added.
While Trixie and Spud tried to convince Jake not to kill Rose, she used the opportunity to get away from him. She took the few steps back, and started to run as fast as she could.
"Hey, where do, ya think you're runnin' to?"
"Jake, let her go!" Spud and Trixie tried to hold Jake, but he just pushed them away.
"Jake, think about your secret being exposed. You'll be in serious trouble, if that'll happen," Trixie said.
For few seconds, Jake mused, before he turned back to his human form, "Fine, let's go to the class."
Spud and Trixie sighed in relief.
Rose walked the street down, while she thought about the way to return things back to normal. She knew how to do it, though it would be difficult.
"Hey, Rose!" She turned and saw Spud and Trixie running towards her.
"Guys? I thought you would be with Jake at school."
"We found an excuse and send him alone to the class," Trixie explained.
"Okay, so how we can revert Jake back to normal?" Spud asked.
"Jake needs to be shot by another Cupid's arrow, so the process will be reversed."
"And then what?" Spud asked.
"What do you mean?"
"What're you gonna do after? Are you gonna try to slay Jake again?"
"No! I meant when I said I won't hurt Jake. I wouldn't, because," Rose paused for a moment, "I feel the same way he feels about me, before he was shot by the arrow."
Trixie and Spud exchanged the glances, They could see sincerity in Rose's eyes.
"Besides, now I know it's Jake, I can see that the huntsclan is wrong about magical creatures. And I'll help him to stop them."
"Okay, girl, we believe you. We need to find a cupid, so he can give us arrow."
"But I don't know where we supposed to look for him,"
"Don't worry, Jake's gramps may know." Trixie smiled.
Rose's pager started to ring. "Sorry, I need to take it."
She pressed the button and the Huntsmaster spoke, "Huntsgirl, I came up with your punishment. Meet me at the headquarters."
"Yes, Master."
Rose hanged up and turned to Spud and Trixie. "I'm sorry guys, I guess I cannot go with you."
"Don't worry, we take care of finding the Cupid's arrow," Trixie said.
"Okay, thank you, guys. I'll call you as soon as I can."
Spud and Trixie explained everything to Jake's gramps an Fu Dog.
"And are you sure the Huntsgirl is on our side?" Jake's gramps asked.
"Yes, we are."
"The love opened Huntsgirl's eyes," Spud said.
"If that's true, then we might find ourselves an useful ally. However, I don't know where to look for the cupid, either."
"Don't worry, I've got this." Fu Dog took out his cellphone and dialled the number. "Hey Cupid, it's me, Fu Dog... No, you don't need to shoot the three dog-ladies for me... listen it's not for me, it's for my friend and I only need one arrow. Can you fly to my place now?"
Five seconds later, Cupid appeared in Jake's gramps' shop.
"Wow, that was fast." Spud commented, impressed.
"Twenty cookies," Cupid said.
"Twenty? For one arrow?"
"Those arrows are very valuable."
"Just give him those cookies!" Trixie said, irritated.
"Fine. Twenty cookies, that kid owns me big time this time," Fu Dog murmured under his nose.
After the transaction was completed, Cupid left the shop.
"So, Rose needs to shoot Jake with that arrow or what?" Trixie asked.
"It doesn't matter who will shoot Jake. As long as he'll be hit with the arrow, then the effect of the first arrow will be reversed," Fu Dog explained.
"Okay, let's go back to school, Spud."
"Yes."
"Be careful," Jake's gramps said to Trixie and Spud before they left.
Unfortunately, Jake wasn't at school. He only was five minutes in Rootwood's class, before he left.
"Ugh, where he can be?" Trixie asked.
"I'm trying to call his cellphone, but he doesn't pick up,"Spud said.
Trixie's phone rang. "It's Rose." She pressed the button. "Hi, we've got the arrow. Unfortunately, we don't know where Jake's gone to... okay we meet you there."
Trixie turned to Spud. "Let's go meet with Rose."
"Yes."
After fifteen minutes of waiting, Rose heard the familiar voice. "I finally found you."
Jake in his dragon form was hovering above Rose.
"Jake, listen to me, you don't want to hurt me, and I don't want to hurt you. It's the cupid arrow that made you hate me."
"Nothing made me to hate you. I just do and always will, Huntsgirl!" Jake charged at her at his full speed. She jumped aside. Jake kept bursting his flames out at Rose, while she kept avoiding them, but it started to become tiring for her.
"Rose!"
She smiled when she saw Trixie holding the Cupid's arrow. Spud next to her.
"Don't get involved," Jake warned them.
"Come one, Jakie, relax."
"Yes, you don't want to do this."
"Yes, I do."
Trixie moved closer to Rose and passed the Cupid's arrow to her. Rose ran at Jake, jumping aside to avoid any of his flames. When she was close enough, she pierced the arrow on his side.
"Huh? Rose?" He looked at the arrow in her hand.
"I'm sorry, Jake, I didn't know you were the American Dragon. I used the Cupid's arrow on you, yesterday, because I thought it would be easier for me to slain you, but I don't want to do it anymore."
"I should be the one apologizing. I would never forgive myself if I would kill you. Never!"
"I don't understand, even though you knew who I was, you didn't hate me."
"Well, we can't help who we love."
"I guess we can't. If you hit me with the Cupid's arrow, then it would have the same effect on me as it had on you."
"Yeah. Wait, does it mean you love me?" A hope appeared in Jake's eyes.
"Yes, I do." Rose smiled. "Unfortunately, I need to go back to the Huntsclan's academy. It's my punishment, but don't worry I'll help you to take them down from the inside."
Jake grabbed her hand. "But then where will I see you?"
"I don't know. I need to go now." Rose kissed Jake on his lips. "Thank you, Jake, for everything."
"Take care of yourself, Rose, and be careful. I want you to be safe."
"Don't worry, I will, and you too."
After Rose gone, Spud and Trixie approached Jake. "I'm sorry, bro, I know it must be hard for you."
"We're here for you, Jakie."
"Thank you, guys, but I believe Rose will be fine and that I'll see her again."
A/N: Please, leave your thoughts.