Future Dragon: Rose Long (Season Six)
Disclaimer: I don't own Am Drag. Just my OCs and the storylines.
Chapter/Episode One: Lono
Rose and Cherri were both facing each other, standing in their human forms around the corner of Lono's building. "Should I be nervous?" Rose asked as she slowly brought a hand up and brought it through her hair.
"I can say that I was nervous when I first met him." Cherri shrugged. "But maybe that was because I didn't know how he'd react to a dragon that was supposed to be locked up in a cell on the team."
"I was a dragon slayer." Rose replied with a small smile.
"Relax, Rose." Cherri smiled. "You have nothing to be worried about. Lono is a very nice guy."
"Hope so." Rose said, just as Savannah turned around from around the corner.
Putting her hands inside her pockets, Savannah smiled and stared at Rose and Cherri's discussion for about five seconds before she spoke up: "The boss man doesn't want to wait all day!" She said jokingly, causing Rose to turn around as quickly as she could, Cherri stepping up at her side.
"In all seriousness, Rose..." Savannah said. "...Lono's a great dragon. You'll love him."
A few seconds later, Savannah stepped into the building, shocked to see that the lights were on. As Savannah walked to the center of the room, Rose stepped inside, followed by Cherri, who then stepped up to Rose's side.
"Rose, meet Lono." Savannah said as she stepped to the side, allowing Rose to see the back of a chair, which quickly spun around, revealing a male Redwood-colored dragon who smiled at her. There was nothing too extraordinary about Lono's appearance; the only thing that stood out was around his neck. He wore a medallion like the others on the team, only it was bigger and looked fancier.
"Hello, Rose." He spoke in a kind tone.
"Hi, sir." Rose said politely.
"Savannah..." Lono glanced over to his side and Savannah. "...Cherri..." He looked at Cherri. "...Please leave. I want to talk to Rose alone."
"Yes, sir." Savannah said politely as she turned to face Rose, walking toward her and then passed her as Cherri turned around and started toward the exit.
"Come closer, Rose." Lono said.
A little nervous, Rose gave a stiff nod and started to slowly make her way toward Lono, finally stopping in front of him.
"You look like you're ready for a workout." Lono smiled.
"I was before all this happened."
"Yes, about that..." Lono continued to smile as he crossed his scaly arms. "...Naturally, I want this scumbag to be found."
"That's why I was kidnapped, yes." Rose gave him a small smile.
"I hope that wasn't too hard on you." Lono replied. "Were Cherri and Joel a little too rough?"
"It's in the past." Rose told him as she took a slow step back. "What matters now is that I'm here."
"That's what I like to hear." Lono smiled.
"Is this what you wanted to talk about?" Rose asked curiously. "Savannah said that you wanted to talk to me."
"In fact I do want to talk to you." Lono said, Rose taking another slow step back as Lono slowly stood up. "And there is something I do want to talk to you about. There is a precise subject."
"What that?" Rose asked.
"Your work today." Lono smiled. "You've been here long enough to realize that I haven't really been around for my team."
"Uh, what exactly do you mean by that?" Rose asked.
"I haven't been showing my face, Rose." Lono said. "I haven't been around. Savannah has been taking care of everything."
"She's your second, right?" Rose asked. "You're her boss, but she's the boss of everyone else, right?"
"Pretty much." Lono nodded as he smiled. "But the fact is, Rose..." He continued as his smile vanished. "...There is a reason why I haven't been showing my face."
"And that reason is?"
"I've been very down lately." Lono said as he crossed his scaly arms. "But today, you really cheered me up."
"I did that just by catching someone who tried to get the dirt on me?" Rose raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, because that is an accomplishment!" Lono told her. "A lot of the time, things don't get done here."
"You can say that again." Rose replied.
"You got something done, Rose." Lono smiled. "You may have caught someone who knows about your the murder of your parents."
"But now I'll never know." Rose said. "The prisoner is dead. I can't interrogate her now. I don't understand why you're so happy. We've accomplished nothing. The whole day was wasted if you ask me."
"Trust me, Rose." Lono smiled. "Something good will come out of this. Now..." He said as he turned around and stepped back over to his chair, turning back around to face Rose and sitting down. "...I think we've had our little meeting discussion. We'll pick this up during dinner."
"Yes, sir." Rose said politely.
Rose then slowly turned around and slowly started to walk toward the door. As soon as Rose had exited the room, Lono's smile once again faded. Sighing, he dropped his head so he was looking down at his lap.
"I wish I could tell you more, Rose..." He muttered.
BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL
BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW
Later that night, Rose was sitting on one side of the dining room table, now wearing her normal clothes, while Savannah and Cherri sat on the other side. As Rose toyed with a fork, Savannah asked: "So, how was your meeting with Lono, Rose?"
"It was nothing special." Rose said honestly as she set down the fork.
"What, you didn't like him?" Cherri asked.
"He was a fine enough guy." Rose said. "It just wasn't an amazing talk."
"What did he talk to you about?" Cherri asked.
"How about I talk about that during dinner?" Came the voice of Lono from the doorway.
Quickly, both Savannah and Cherri turned their heads to the side while it took Rose a little longer; they both could see the smiling Lono standing in the doorway. Then, Lono walked into the room and walked around the table, passing Rose from behind and making it to his seat, sitting down.
"So, Rose..." Lono said as he leaned into the table, placing his scaly arms on the table. "...There's something that I-"
"Hold that thought." Rose said as she slowly started to get up from the table. "I have to wash my hands before dinner." Rose said as she slowly walked passed Lono, making her way toward the kitchen. "I'll be right back."
"Has she been hanging out with Lexy a lot?" Lono joked.
"No." Cherri said as she and Savannah turned their heads to the side to look at him.
"Is she gone?" Lono asked. "Is she doing her business?"
"Yeah." Cherri answered.
"I want to ask you two something." Lono said. "There's something I really want to-"
However, before Lono could finish talking, he was cut off as the sound of Lista's voice rang through the room: "Lono?!"
Lista was standing in the doorway in her dragon form, her medallion around her neck and her eyes wide. "Lono, what are you doing? You haven't eaten with us since Rose came here!"
"I know, Lista." Lono gave the youngest member of the team a smile. "But I can promise you now that I am back."
A short time later, everyone was sitting at the table in their human forms, even Lono, eating their dinner. "So..." Lono said as soon as he swallowed the food that was in his mouth. "...I met Rose today and I was telling her just how proud of her I was."
"Why would you be proud of her?" Gilda asked in a deadpan note as she lowered her fork.
"The rest of you probably haven't heard..." Lono said, smiling. "...Maybe Savannah just didn't get around to telling you..."
"Yes, it's all my fault..." Savannah said sarcastically with a small smile on her face as she held up her drink. "...I apologize, everyone. You can execute me for the high crime of treason after dinner."
"...Anyway..." Lono broke back in as Cherri, Arkadi and Rose both chuckled at Savannah. "...You probably haven't heard that Rose, Cherri and Savannah arrested someone today. They actually did something. They actually went out and did something."
"That's the only way that you'll be able to get out and find a crime to solve around here." Cherri said as she turned her head to the side.
"Yeah, it's too bad that we don't have resources like the Dragon Council." Savannah said in a sarcastic tone as she set down her drink. However, unlike the last time she spoke, which was in a joking manner, these words came out as bitter and hateful, making Rose pale slightly.
"We're getting off topic here." Lono said after he had swallowed his food again. "The fact of the matter is that something has been accomplished."
"You said that already." Gilda turned her head to the side.
"Unfortunately, we'll never know now that the prisoner has died..." Lono said. "...But maybe, just maybe...we've moved forward and are one step closer to catching the one who killed Rose's parents."
LINE BREAK
After dinner, Savannah was lying on her bed with her hand on her stomach, her eyes closed, her medallion removed from around her neck and the light off. However, as the door creaked open, Savannah slowly opened her eyes and turned her head to the side, seeing Lono stepping inside.
"Yeah, Lono?" Savannah asked.
"I wanted to ask you something." Lono said as he took another step inside. "I wanted to ask you this before dinner, but Lista came in before I could."
"Why didn't you ask it during dinner?"
"It's not something you can ask at the dinner table, Savannah."
"Okay..." Savannah replied, confused.
"I need to tell Rose something, but I don't know how." Lono said as he crossed his arms.
"YOU don't know how?" Savannah asked, completely confused. "You of all people...don't know how to tell someone who works for you something. What's she going to do? I mean, no offence to Rose, but have you seen the way she moves?"
"The way?"
"The speed at which she moves." Savannah said as she rolled over onto her side. "She's like a snail. She won't be able to hurt you, if that's what you're thinking."
"That's not what I'm thinking at all." Lono said.
Sighing, Savannah picked herself up so that she was sitting up, kicking her feet over the edge of the bed and setting them down on the floor. "Then what are you thinking?" She asked.
"It's just a sensitive subject." Lono replied. "I'm afraid at how she'll react."
"What's the subject?" Savannah asked as she stood up. "What are you going to tell her?"
"It's sensitive, Savannah."
"Well..." Savannah said as she put her hands on her hips. "...It really depends. I would honestly just come out and tell her what you need to tell her."
LINE BREAK
The next morning, Rose, who was wearing her workout clothes, grunted as she was on the floor, slowly going down on her push up. However, before she could push herself up, she slowly lifted her head up and slowly turned it to the side as she heard the first of five knocks against her door.
"Just a second!" Rose called in an annoyed tone as she slowly turned her head back to normal.
Grunting, Rose slowly got up to her feet and then slowly straightened up. "Hold on!" Rose called as she slowly turned to the side, another three knocks hitting her door.
Making it to the door, Rose opened it and slowly stepped back as she saw that it was Lono, in his dragon form, at the door. "Good morning, Rose." Lono smiled at her.
"Good morning..." Rose mumbled back.
"There's something that I want to tell you." Lono took Savannah's advice and got right to the point as he took a step inside, Rose countering by taking a slow step back.
"How long have you needed to tell me this?" Rose asked.
"Well..."
"You could have told me this last night, huh?"
"Yes, I could have." Lono said honestly. "I just-"
"Did you really have to wait until this morning?" Rose asked as she took a step forward. "I'm in the middle of something important. You can tell me at breakfast. If you'll excuse me, I need to finish my workout."
"That's it?" Lono asked, smiling. "That's what's so important?"
"Yeah..." Rose slowly put her hands on her hips. "...Yes, it's important."
"Well, why don't I just come with you?" Lono replied. "We can work out together and I can tell you what I need to."
LINE BREAK
Sighing, Rose walked alongside Lono, the two of them slowly walked along the grass. "You know, this could have waited until breakfast..." Rose said. "...Shouldn't the rest of the team hear about this, too?"
"Actually, Rose..." Lono said as the two of them stopped walking forward, turning his head to the side so that he was looking at the side of her head. "...This is just going to be between you and me."
"Why?" Rose asked as she slowly turned her head to the side. "Why are you keeping this away from all of your subordinates except for me?"
"It doesn't apply to them, Rose." Lono said.
"Is it about my parents?" Rose asked as she slowly turned to the side.
"Yes, yes it is."
"Then I don't understand why this just applies to me." Rose told him right before she slowly turned back to normal. Then, with a grunt, Rose slowly started to jog off, making the now surprised Lono turn his head back to normal.
"Hey, wait!" He called as he started to jog after her, finally catching up to the now panting woman. "I need to tell you-"
"Please, no disrespect..." Rose told him. "...But can I just finish my run in peace?"
This comment surprised Lono so much that he unconsciously stopped running, standing still while Rose continued to slowly jog away. "Thank you!" Lono could hear Rose call as she got farther away.
"Yeah, well..." Lono shouted at her. "...If you would just let me tell you what I need to tell you, you wouldn't need to tell me to go away! I'd just leave you alone! I'd go away!"
BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL
BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW
A short time later, Rose, who was now wearing her normal clothes and who was moving with much more ease after her morning exercise, made her way toward the dining room.
Stepping in through the doorway, Rose found that everyone, including Lono, was there. Even more, as Rose stepped inside, they all looked at her.
"Sorry for being late." Rose said.
"It's okay, Rose." Lono told her.
As soon as Rose sat down at her place at the bench, she looked down at her breakfast, which was starting to get cold. However, Rose ignored this as she looked up. "You can tell me whatever you need to now, Lono." She said.
"I told you that it only concerns you." Lono narrowed his eyes.
"But I think the rest of the team should know if it has to deal with my parents."
"It does?" Savannah asked as she looked up. "It has to deal with our mission?" She asked as she turned her head to the side. "Lono, is this true?"
Lono, whose eyes were narrowed, mentally growled as he saw that every member of his team was now looking at him.
"Do you know something?" Lista asked.
"Why can't you tell us all?" Cherri asked. "I don't think it could hurt."
"It has nothing to do with any of you!" Lono finally growled as he slammed his fist on the table. "The only member of this team that it concerns is Rose."
"But maybe it would be for the better if we all knew." Lexy suggested.
"No, I don't think so." Lono said as he took his hand off of the table. "This is strictly between Rose and I."
Sighing, Rose turned her head back to normal and picked up her fork, preparing to eat.
LINE BREAK
Rose opened the door to her room and continued inside, closing the door behind her. However, before the door could fully close, there came a thud as something hit the door, making Rose turn around, watching as the door was pushed open, Savannah stepping inside.
"Yeah?" Rose asked.
"About breakfast..." Savannah said as she stopped walking inside, putting her hands in her pockets. "...And Lono..."
"Do you think he's mad at me?"
"Doubt it." Savannah said. "Lono's not like that."
"He doesn't lose his temper?"
"No." Savannah said. "For as long as I have known him, he has always been calm and passive. He gives me orders, but he's never been too strict. This is the first time I-any of us-have seen Lono lose his temper."
"I guess I just have the magic ability of changing people." Rose joked as she crossed her arms.
"Maybe." Savannah said. "Rose, his attitude changed the day that your parents died."
"Really?" Rose asked, her eyes widening.
"Since that day, he's been hiding..." Savannah pulled her hands out of her pockets. "...He kept away from us all. Then yesterday, he finally came out of hiding."
"That's very interesting..." Rose said as she started to walk backwards, heading toward her bed. "...But..." She continued right before she reached the side of her bed and sat down. "...I don't think you came here just to tell me that."
"You're right." Savannah said as she wrapped her arms around her stomach. "I wanted to ask you about Lono."
"What about him?" Rose asked. "I don't know anything about him. The only thing I do know is that he seems to have a bad habit of pestering me."
"Pestering?"
"He keeps on trying to talk to me." Rose said. "I mean, I know that he wants to tell me something that he deems important, but it's getting kind of annoying. This morning, he even wanted to go for a run with me so we could talk."
"Uh-huh..." Savannah said, listening.
"Of course, then he stops following me..." Rose said as she stood up. "...So I try to tell him that he can tell me what he needs to during breakfast."
"He didn't want to tell us." Savannah said. "Lono made it clear that what he needs to tell you is between you and him."
"Do you have any idea where Lono is?" Rose asked.
"He's probably out looking for you." Savannah answered.
"Well..." Rose said as she sat back down on the bed. "...I'm going to be in here for awhile. If you find Lono, can you tell him that I'll be in here? He'll know where to find me."
LINE BREAK
Savannah turned around the corner of Lono's building and made her way to the closed door before she turned so she could knock on the door. "Come in." She heard Lono's voice after the second knock.
Quickly, Savannah lowered her hand down to the knob and turned it, pushing the door open and stepping inside, finding Lono in his dragon form, sitting in his chair.
"Oh, it's you." Lono sounded disappointed.
"Expecting Rose, huh?" Savannah asked as she walked forward, finally stopping in front of her superior.
"I would be lying if I told you that I wasn't expecting and hoping you to be Rose, yes."
"She's in her room." Savannah said, putting her arms behind her back. "I was just there and I just finished talking to her."
"Will she be there?"
"She said that she would be there for awhile." Savannah answered. "So yes. Yes she will be there."
His smile returning, Lono grunted as he stood up from his chair. "Glad to hear that." Lono said as he took a step forward. "Oh." He added as he held up a clawed finger. "Before I forget, Savannah, I was in the middle of hatching up a plan for tomorrow when you entered."
"What kind of plan?" Savannah asked, interested. "Does it have to do with solving this case?"
"It can, but not necessarily." Lono told her. "How many times has this team gone out to look for clues so we can solve this?"
"A few times." Savannah answered.
"Not nearly enough times." Lono's smile widened. "Why don't you come with me, Savannah? I'll tell you about my idea on the way to Rose's."
LINE BREAK
"So what's your plan?" Savannah asked as she and a now human Lono walked along the grass.
"Tomorrow, we're all going to go out as a team." Lono said with a smile. "And we're going to find a crime-any type of crime-and solve it. That's what we're supposed to do."
"I like it, Lono." Savannah said.
"Glad." Lono responded. "And maybe if we're lucky, we'll find something that will bring us closer to finding out who killed Rose's parents."
"We'll have to search far from here, Lono." Savannah said. "Rose has searched locally. We haven't found anything."
"Well, we'll be gone all day." Lono smiled. "Maybe we'll make it pretty far..."
By this time, they had both reached Rose's room. Walking up to the door, Lono grabbed the knob and turned it, pushing the door open and stepping inside, followed by Savannah. With Savannah now at his side, Lono looked into the room, his eyes widening as he saw that Rose was lying on her side, asleep.
"She's asleep?!" Lono asked in disbelief.
"Shh." Savannah said softly as she put her hand on Lono's shoulder. "Don't wake her up."
Sighing, Lono shook his head once before he turned his head to the side to look at Savannah, who in turn turned her head to the side to look at him. "Let's go." He told her.
Walking out of Rose's room, Lono spoke to Savannah: "Maybe that was for the best. You would have had to have left if she had been awake."
"You want me for something?"
"It's not that I want something." Lono explained. "I need you to do something for me, Savannah."
"What?"
"It's about my plan for the team tomorrow."
"What?" Savannah repeated.
"I want you to make a list." Lono explained. "I want everyone on this team to be broken into groups of two. I don't care who you team up with who, I only demand that you pair me up with Rose."
"So you can tell her what you need to tell her?" Savannah smiled. "Got it."
"I'm glad that I can always count on you." Lono said proudly while Savannah stopped in her tracks, her smile gone while Lono continued on.
"Lono?" She asked, making Lono stop and slowly turn around. Sighing as she put her hands in her pockets, Savannah continued: "Why don't you want any of us to know this one thing? Why just Rose?"
"Savannah..."
"Does it have to do with what you saw?" Savannah asked. "You saw it happen. Why don't you want us to know?"
"Savannah..." Lono took a step back. "...In due time. You will know in due time. I'm sure that Rose will tell you all."
LINE BREAK
Very early the next morning, Rose, wearing her workout clothes, opened the door to her room. Then, she slowly turned around and closed the door to her room.
As Rose walked slowly away from her room, she had no idea that Lono was in his dragon form, watching her from the roof of her room, a smile on his face.
However, when Lono heard the sound of flapping wings, his smile disappeared and he turned his head to the side, seeing Savannah land on the roof behind and to the side of him, a piece of paper in her clawed hand.
"I've got your list." Savannah said as she walked up to Lono's side, Lono turning his head back to normal, watching as Rose slowly started to jog.
"I'm not too late, am I?" Savannah asked.
"Why would you be too late?" Lono asked, his smile appearing again. "I haven't even told the team yet. Let me see the list." He said as he held out his claws, Savannah quickly and silently handing the list over.
"Good." Lono said after just a quick glance at it, lowering it from his face. "It's perfect."
"Thanks..." Savannah smiled sheepishly as she turned to the side. "I spent awhile working on it."
"You didn't have to spend so much time on it, Savannah." Lono said as he turned to the side, facing her. "It's just one team up for one mission. The first mission of many...I hope..." He added the "I hope" at the end as a mumble."
"I know that." Savannah shrugged.
"Have you gotten any sleep?"
Instead of answering verbally, Savannah just shook her head once.
"Okay, here is what I want you to do..." Lono said as he turned back to look over the edge of the building. "...I want you to go get some sleep, or at least try to. I'll come and get you in about two hours." He finished as he turned his head to the side to look at her.
"Thanks." Savannah smiled thankfully before she turned and walked to the edge of the roof on the opposite side of Lono and then took off with a flap of her wings.
With Savannah gone, Lono turned his head back to normal, narrowing his eyes as he continued to watch Rose.
"Big plans in store for you, Rose..." He whispered.
BLACKOUT; END
A/N: Please review!