Author's Note: I am such a ninties nerd. I loved this show so much.
This takes place as they are entering high school so there's a bit of a timeskip between Hong Kong Nights and this. Maybe about a year and a half. I loved plotting this out and will enjoy writing it even more. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
There were flames surrounding him. Molten vines wrapped around his ankles and wrists, keeping him wide open. The raging fire around him sang a tune very familiar to him—it was one he danced to when in flight, after all.
But all too soon, the red vines loosened and he found himself facing his dragon form. The crimson dragon reared back as the flames circled him, altering his appearance. The dome of fire spiraled away and Jake found himself merging with the altered dragon. In the reflection of a rippling blue lake in the valley below, Jake caught his reflection.
Scaly lips pulled back to reveal long, sharp fangs and a forked tongue. Before his eyes, his scales expanded, creating a pattern between his green spines, red back and yellow underbelly. His claws and spines became dark emerald, flashing green under the full moon. His crimson scales became ruby red whereas the creamy yellow scales on his underbelly became a striking gold. They glimmered and sparkled like the metal itself.
Jake knew that sometimes dragons obtained a pattern between their dual-colored scales but never did he expect his form to look as epic as it did—or at least he would.
If he survived his transition, that is.
When he woke up, he slapped his forehead and groaned, "Aw, man!"
"What's a transition period and why does it qualify signing him out of school completely?" Jonathan asked.
Jake groaned. "It sounds like a bedtime story, I'm telling you." He glared at Nigel who had begun laughing. "Quit laughing."
"Sorry, snake eyes, I can't help it. I remember how horrible my transition was and I can't help but wonder how bad it is for a dragon."
"Bad enough that the council has called in the only dragon I've fought against and lost to keep me in check." Jake said, his eyes flashing crimson as his blood began to heat.
Nigel winced. Jake was usually mild-tempered and had patience that out-lasted even his own but he had seen him lose his temper. A dragon's wrath was a terrifying thing to witness.
"Is that why you want me there?" Nigel asked.
"Dragons are pack creatures. We don't quarrel amongst ourselves." Hayley said in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone.
"Meaning what, home girl?" Trixie asked.
"Meaning we may be all fangs and claws but we aren't really bloodthirsty unless pushed to that point." Jake said casually.
Nigel snickered. "They're more feline than reptile." He started to laugh. "They even purr."
A dull flush spread over Jake's cheeks when Hayley fell out of her chair. "How do you—you know what, I don't want to know." Susan rolled her eyes and strolled into the kitchen.
"I'm curious, though. We know dragons purr because Jakey transforms in front of us all the time but how do you know?"
"He's the British Dragon's lifemate." Jake drawled.
"Lifemate?" Spud asked. "Is that anything like soul mates?"
"That's the technical term for it, yes." Sun said. "Lifemates are important because they are the only ones that can carry the genetic trait required for a dragon to shapeshift."
"Meaning…?" Jonathon trailed off.
"Meaning those born to a human are not supposed to be able to change at all. Both of mom's parents were dragons. I'm classified as a half-breed because I'm not a full blooded dragon. Mom had a lot of suitors from the Isle of Draco. The council was furious when she married outside of magical circles. They were even more furious when gramps became my dragon master out of fear of the Dark Dragon's return.
"The council is out dated and full of hot air. I uncovered a coup d'état that still operates within their ranks today. I think it's time that those old windbags loosen up a bit—especially since I've already requested permission from my packmates to include Trixie, Spud and Nigel in my transition."
"Packmates? Since when do you have packmates?" Hayley demanded shrilly. "And why haven't I met them?"
"I'm going to bring them to the next family reunion now that dad is in on the loop." Jake said, grinning as his eyes flashed amber. "For now, you can meet them tonight—Spud is closing his family's resturaunt tonight so there's going to be a lot of leftovers from the meals and there are going to be four very hungry dragons there."
"If you aren't there to get firsts, you won't be getting seconds." Spud grinned.
"If you don't mind me asking, who all is in your pack?" Rose asked.
"Freddrick Nerk, the Australian Dragon, Emma Rose, the British Dragon, Sarah Claus, the German dragon and Caelum Violette, the Italian Dragon—two guys and two girls, in case you couldn't tell by their names.
Rose cleared her throat. "Are all dragons attractive?"
Jake laughed and she turned scarlet. "Yes but Emma and Sarah are together."
Rose blinked. "Oh."
"Yeah."
"What about Nerk and Violette?" Susan asked.
"Nerk is the only one that could even begin to think about dom-ing me and Violette is straighter than a pencil."
"'Dom-ing'?" Rose asked.
"I was being polite. I could have said—"
"I know but it's strange to hear you talk like that."
"I'm only half-human, Rose." Jake said, giving her a look that she mentally labeled 'snake-eyes.' "I may have been raised in the human world but I am as much magic as the mark on your palm. I have pools of power underneath my nails—power that can cut through gold the same way a hot spoon melts through butter. I'm a predator—a natural born killer. The only reason I didn't tear shreds out of the hunstmen's rear is because I don't like the smell of human blood being shed over a needless feud that only began because the Dark Dragon didn't want the riders to have complete power over the dragons to begin with."
"Riders?" Rose asked.
"The riders were a group of Fey that gave dragons their ability to shapeshift. They were also responsible for building the portals that connect our worlds." Nigel explained. "The legend goes that the children born between the fey and the dragons could take the form of both with the exception of one part of their body which would forever hold the mark of a dragon. In a fury, the dark dragon rose up and slayed the Fey Elders that built the channels within the children after they were born. The humans took the children and fled to all parts of the globe but a dragon's instincts are to protect and so they became guardians of the magical world.
"To this day, the magical world looks to dragons for guidance and for one to invite you into their pack—well, that's an honor that no one in the magical world can claim."
"Don't listen to him. He's still high that I showed him my human face a fraction of a second after I found out he was a wizard."
"You may think that it's a game but the rest of the magical world doesn't think so lightly of you." Sun said casually.
"The magical world loves me and hates me by turns. Don't bite me in the ass if I have a following."
"That following has saved our lives more times than I care to count." Susan said, running her hands through her hair. "And watch your mouth."
Jake winced when she smacked him with the rolling pin. "All I'm saying is ever since Chang has been cut off from her resources, the council has been letting me get by with a lot of things that were otherwise outlawed."
"But of course. You only saved our entire race from being controlled and manipulated against one another." Sun said. "If that doesn't give you some leeway, I don't know what will."
Jake sighed. This transition period was hard. His first transformation had felt like his bones were melting. "I get that it'll all be worth it but can you make sure I don't wind up with any visible scars?"
"That all depends on you." Sun said gently. "If you have the self-restraint to prevent yourself from scratching, then you won't have any scars to show."
"Scars?" Rose asked in a small voice.
Jake sighed. "Rose, have you ever wondered why dragons are so hard to find?"
"The huntsclan taught us that young dragons rarely lived past their teens. A little known fact is that a majority of the dragons slain were on the verge of their maturation when they were cut down. Beyond that, I only have numbers."
"Yeah? What are their numbers exactly?" Jake asked tightly before he shook his head. "Ignore that. I don't want to know." He sighed. "Our transition period is painful and, in a lot of cases, fatal."
"Fatal?" Rose asked meekly.
"We claw ourselves to death." Hayley said bluntly. "The transformation process is dramatically slowed down. Our first transformation is painful—I was lucky. I never actually had to feel the fire change my body because I learned partial transformations at a young age."
"It's true." Jake added. "She's the youngest female to ever achieve even a partial transformation." He shrugged. "My problem was that I could never hold onto my dragon form for extended periods of time."
Rose snickered. "I remember."
Jake flushed. "Anyways," He said, his voice cracking. "Two half-breeds breaking one record after another is enough to rile anyone up. Hayley, if any of the older dragons start barking down your throat, remind them who your brother is and kick their butts into the sand."
"Have you decided who your extended pack is going to be?" Hayley asked.
"Trixie, Spud, Rose, Nigel and you." Jake said. "That should be enough to give you a permanent place on the council ranks. No way am I dealing with those old windbags without a sidekick. While we're on the subject, have you decided who your magical partner is going to be?"
"I was hoping for someone… human." Hayley said hopefully. "A witch or a wizard, maybe."
"Well, I can always introduce you to my little sister." Nigel said. "I have my hands full with that one or I'd offer to do it myself." He said, nudging Jake with his knee.
"How?" Hayley asked dryly.
Nigel offered an indulging smile. "Who do you think heals the wounds he obtains when he faces those that outsmart him?" He asked lightly.
Sun stiffened. She had been on the front lines with Jake a lot of those times. While she had a healer, she had never thought to ask if Jake had one. What a heartless move on her part.
Oh well, she'd kick herself later.
"Since the council has already accepted Rose as an ally, are you going to ask about a mating ceremony?" Sun asked, biting her lip to keep from laughing when Jake sprayed his tea over the countertop.
"Let's not be hasty." He said, his voice cracking in embarrassment. "I haven't even shown her the island. Ask me again in about three weeks—after she gets a taste of what it's like on the Am-Drag's home front."
"You mean this isn't home front?" Jonathon asked.
"Yes and no. I consider this mine, yes, but I don't necessarily think that it's necessary to hide this from the magical world now that you're in on the loop. The Isle of Draco, however—now that's personal. It's all dragons, all the time. They don't really know about my home life outside of work and Rose." He shot her a heated look. She shuddered.
"Get a room." Nigel drawled.
"What is the island like?" Hayley asked. "I haven't been there—we'll be going to the Dragon Summit but…" She shrugged helplessly.
"There's caves of gems and metals of every kind. Underneath the volcanoes, by the pools of lava, there are deposits of white gold—all I have to do is heat it up and cut and I have a chain worth more than the Queen's gems." His face lit with amazement. "Diamonds the size of walnuts sit within hands reach—and it's not just diamonds. There's gems of every kind—rubies, sapphires, emeralds, you name it.
"But none of it can ever leave the island unless the mating ceremony is preformed. It's… a cheap way out of a painful transition." Jake shrugged. "I've had offers—but…" He shrugged.
"Offers? Wait… what does this cheap way out include?" Rose asked.
Jake turned his head away. Hayley leaned over. "Can I explain? It'll be easier coming from a girl."
"Go for it." He said tightly.
Hayley opened her mouth but what she said had Trixie and Spud inhaling their colas, Foo dog dying of laughter and Sun turning bright red. "Dragons are hornier than werewolves—those offers are one-night-stands."
Jake peaked a glance at Rose. Her expression was guarded. "Why haven't you accepted?"
Jake smirked and his eyes flashed. "I like humans." The way he looked at her made her blood heat.
"You know, I'm kind of offended you haven't asked me, reptile." She drawled, forcing away the urge to turn red.
"I do not want to hear this! Jake, Rose, go upstairs and don't come out until you've resolved that UST!" Susan said, herding the two out of the door and forcing them towards the stairs.
"Alright, alright, don't gossip about me while I'm busy!" Jake called into the hall.
"Use protection!" Nigel called up the stairs.
Trixie groaned. "Don't rip her bra!" Spud tacked on helpfully.
Jake was shaking with laughter when the two of them were left alone. Rose smiled. "Well, that was easy." She took her shirt off and pinned him against the door with her hands on his chest. Their time apart had made it so that he was almost a head taller than her and his body was fit with lean muscles and tanned skin.
On his back, however, there was a black pattern of scaled skin. It looked, at first glance, like a tattoo, but Rose knew it to be where his wings folded underneath his ribs. She pressed her fingers against the skin that sheathed them. Jake began to shiver and she felt his hot nails dig into her skin lightly.
"Rose." He said in a somewhat strangled tone.
"I'm really curious. Why haven't you asked me about this?" She asked quietly, trying to mask her hurt.
"Because it's not exactly private." He said. "We'd be having sex in front of Trixie, Spud, Nigel, Hayley and my packmates as well as gramps, Sun and the rest of the council—and…" He stressed. "I'll be trapped mid-morph."
"That matters to me how?"
"Things get… bigger."
"You aren't my first—I assure you, women have toys that can range in size."
Jake laughed. "Rose, my love, you are a gift to me, slayer or not."
"So about these female dragons… if you accept any of their offers, you know I'm going to ask to be present, right?"
Jake sighed. "The only female dragon that I would consider a mate is Emma and that's only because you and she bare a very striking resemblance."
"Good to know, dragon boy." Rose said in response.
Azula politely excused herself from the party thrown to celebrate her return. Her father had slipped out of the crowd moments ago and now it was her turn. He had asked to see her in private anyways. As the music faded into something upbeat, she slipped into an alcove and ducked into a secret passage that would grant her direct access to her father's study on the level below. It was one even her father didn't know about.
She beat him to the door.
"Tricky little tyke." He smirked. "You please me, Azula. Come in, we shall drink."
Firewhiskey. Azula loved it. The burn of cinnamon tasted like candy to her. One day, she dreamed of sharing a glass with Zuko and Iroh. She blew on the warmed liquor and took a sip. "How was your time abroad?"
"Fascinating." She said, a smile to her red lips as she ran her tongue over her upper lip. "I've learned much outside of these walls but it feels good to be home, even if only for a temporary amount of time."
"Indeed, and it is a pleasure to see how much you've grown."
Something about the way her father's eyes raked over her exposed figure made her shiver. It was like she was a piece of meat and her father was a dragon getting ready to devour her. Why did her blood run cold?
Before she could process, she was dodging hands that gripped for her gown which tore when she stumbled. "You've grown indeed, Azula. It is time for you to grow again." He grabbed her arm and threw her onto his desk. Before she could think, he was on top of her, trailing painful kisses down her back. His hands grabbed at the base of her neck before she felt them heat up and burn her flesh. She screamed in agony but her pain went ignored.
"Do not worry, child, I will turn your pain to pleasure."
And he was tearing past her sensitive walls and pounding into her flesh. Azula screamed, the agony of her hymen tearing and the aggravation to her sex creating a strange fire under her skin that made balls of light explode behind her eyes.
Violated.
Azula had heard stories of rape from the soldiers onboard but never had she thought she would be the victim of such an event. When her father left her, she tore through the palace and locked herself in her kept chambers where only her Keepers could get to her.
Feng stepped out of the shadows. "Oh child, I am so sorry." She whispered before she began to access the damage. Her touch was impersonal and professional but Azula still felt as though she was being violated all over again. Only the soft tones of Karra and Liao's soft string instruments kept her from losing herself to the inferno she wielded with a master's precision.
Azula choked, rolling onto her side and expelling the contents of her stomach.
Feng stroked her hair and whispered soft words in a foreign tongue. She stared down at her fingerless gloves and could mentally trace the blue arrows that lingered on the flesh underneath her black lace gloves.
"One day, child, he will pay for his crimes against you and my people. Today, however, he will wrong you once more."
Azula looked up in time to see her doors burst open.
That's right, she thought. This party was also her sendoff.
It was time for her fleet to set sail.
"Feng, I want you to accompany Azula on her next trip."
Azula had to turn her head into Feng's embrace to hide her smile.
Finally.
Her plans were complete.
To Be Continued...