Future Dragon: Rose Long (Season Eight)

Chapter/Episode 7: Calvary of Dragons

Carter quickly walked along the sidewalk, heading towards the college. Stopping at the end of the street, Carter waited for the walk sign. Once the walk sign blared in front of him, Carter started to walk across the street, deciding to glance up into the sky, only to see a Wheat-colored dragon land on the roof of the building that was ahead of Carter. The dragon had long dirty black hair.

Immediately, Carter's eyes widened.

"We want to know if you have seen a Wheat-colored dragon." Rose's words flashed into his head.

"I have now..." Carter narrowed his eyes.

In a bright light, Carter then transformed into his dragon form, flapping his wings and taking off into the air.

Seconds later, Carter landed on the roof, seeing the Wheat-colored dragon facing him from where he stood, which was a couple of inches away, a surprised look on his face. "Who are you?" The Wheat-colored dragon asked.

"I'd actually like to know the answer to that question from you." Carter said, narrowing his eyes.

"My name's Dwight." The Wheat-colored answered, taking a step back. "And you?"

"Why are you backing away, huh?" Carter smiled knowingly. "It makes you look guilty."

"I'm not guilty of anything." Dwight replied.

"Really?" Carter continued to smile.

"Look..." Dwight took another step back. "...I have no idea what you're talking about. I didn't do anything. I'm leaving now."

"Wait!" Carter called after Dwight, but the Wheat-colored dragon just turned around and flapped his wings, taking off into the air.

Growling in annoyance, Carter clenched his clawed hands into fists before he flapped his wings as well, taking off and flying after Dwight.

As Carter managed to reach Dwight's side, flying side-by-side with him, Dwight turned his head to the side to stare at him with wide eyes. "What are you doing?" Dwight demanded.

"Following you!" Carter said as he turned his head to the side as well. "I'm not letting you go!"

"You better let me go, you freaky stalker!" Then, Dwight turned his head back to normal and grunted as he flapped his wings as hard as he could, trying to get as far as way from Carter as he possibly could.

"I don't think so..." Carter said as he turned his head back to normal. Then, he flapped his wings harder as well.

As Carter started to gain on him, Dwight once again turned his head to the side and shouted: "Just let me go! I didn't do anything! You're freaking me out!" Then, he turned his head back to normal, flapping his wings even harder, getting a little bit more ahead of Carter.

Narrowing his eyes, Carter grunted as he flew higher up into the air. Flying up so that he was directly up above Dwight, only a few feet higher, Carter then dove down, slamming into Dwight's back, both of them falling to the ground, heading down towards an alley.

LINE BREAK

Meanwhile, Rose and the others were still flying, waiting to fly over a place where they could search for Kerberos.

Suddenly, Rose heard a ringing sound coming from her belt, causing both Savannah and Jake to turn their heads to the side to watch as Rose wordlessly reached for her belt and pulled out her communication device.

Pressing a button on her communication device, Rose watched as a holographic image of Carter appeared. "Carter?" Rose asked. "What do you want?"

"You don't remember?" Carter asked. "You came to see me and asked if I saw the dragon that killed your parents."

"You saw him?!" Rose asked, her eyes widening.

"Where are you?" Savannah asked.

LINE BREAK

Seconds later, Cater lowered his communication device and then turned around, seeing Dwight lying unconscious on his back. However, only five seconds later, Dwight moaned as he returned to the world of reality.

Slowly opening his eyes, Dwight watched as Carter walked up to him, staring down at him.

"What are you?" Dwight asked weakly. "Some kind of serial killer?"

"No, that would be you." Carter narrowed his eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

"Okay." Carter admitted, rolling his eyes. "Maybe not a serial killer, but you killed two people."

"Um, no I didn't."

"Yeah, just go ahead and keep denying it." Carter said as he took a step back. "But your lies will be revealed soon enough."

"Seriously, I have no idea what you're talking about." Dwight stated as he picked himself up into a sitting position.

"Just wait." Carter narrowed his eyes. "You'll find out soon enough."

"Why wait?" Came the sound of Rose's voice from high above.

Gasping, Carter's eyes widened before he looked up and saw that Rose, Savannah, Jake, Lexy, Maverick and the members of the Dragon Council Agents were all hovering in the air. Surprisingly, only Rose lowered herself to the ground.

Carter turned around, watching as Rose touched the ground and also reached for her belt, unlatching her shackles from the belt. "He's right here." Carter said as he stepped to the side, allowing Rose to see the confused (and now surprised) Dwight.

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Dwight was sitting about a foot or so away from Rose, a mixture of confusion and surprise on his face. "Um, hi Agent Long." Dwight said.

"Um, Carter..." Rose said.

"Yeah?" Carter asked as he stepped back into view, blocking Rose's view from Dwight.

"...This isn't the dragon." Rose told him.

"It's...It's not?" Carter's eyes widened.

"No, this isn't him." Rose said, putting her shackles back onto her belt.

"But...But you told me that it was a Wheat-colored dragon."

"There are plenty of Wheat-colored dragons in the world." Rose told Carter. "Just like I'm sure that there are plenty dragons in the world that have the same color scales as you do."

"But...But..." Carter could only stutter.

"There were many Wheat-colored dragons that we had come to the Island of Draco before we found our matching dragon." Rose explained. "To your credit, Carter, he was one of them."

"But he's innocent?"

"Completely." Dwight spoke up.

"The dragon who killed my parents is named Apep Kerberos." Rose said, crossing her scaly arms. "This dragon's name is Dwight Poirier."

"Dang..." Carter moaned before he slowly turned around. "...Sorry about all this."

Dwight said nothing as he picked himself up onto his feet. Without a word, he walked passed Carter and stopped right in front of Rose. "Still haven't found him?"

"No." Rose narrowed her eyes. "We found him in Central Park yesterday."

"He evaded capture?"

"He murdered one of my agents and knocked me into the lake."

"I'm sorry." Dwight replied, seeming genuine.

"Anyway, Dwight." Rose quickly changed the subject, crossing her scaly arms again. "I'm sorry about this. Carter didn't hurt you, did he? I know he meant well-"

"I'd rather just forget what just transpired ever happened." Dwight cut her off, holding up one of his clawed hands.

"Very big of you." Rose said as she took a step back. "But once again, I am sorry about what Carter did."

"Like I said-" Dwight started, but Rose cut him off.

"Yeah." She said, slowly turning around. "Well, I guess it was a rather pleasant surprise to see you again." Then, once her back was towards Dwight, she flared her wings.

"Wait!" Dwight called, reaching out to Rose.

"What?" Rose asked, turning her head to the side and lowering her wings.

"Remember that offer I made?" Dwight asked.

"To help me?" Rose responded.

"That's the one."

"It still stands, doesn't it?" Rose asked before she turned her head back to normal. "Well..." She quickly decided. "...If you're coming, hurry your tail up."

Smiling, Dwight walked over to Rose as quickly as he could, Carter no longer behind him.

LINE BREAK

As all of the dragons flew in the air, Dwight by Jake's side. "So..." Jake said as he turned his head to the side. "...Rose accepted your offer?"

"Yep."

"But what can you do to help?" Jake asked. "You don't know what Kerberos looks like."

"We didn't either." Maverick replied as he turned his head to the side as well. "We only first saw him when Rose spotted him in Central Park."

"See?" Dwight said without turning his head to the side to look at Jake.

Without a response, Jake started to turn his head back to normal. However, when Dwight spoke up again, he quickly turned his head back to the side: "Well, I can get more dragons to help."

"You can?" Jake asked.

"Yeah." Dwight finally turned his head to the side.

"How?" Jake raised an eyebrow.

"See..." Dwight explained. "...While we were all on the Island of Draco, all of us dragons started to talk to one another. This, of course, was after we were all cleared."

"Yeah, so?" Jake asked.

"Well..." Dwight continued. "...Turns out that I know how to get a hold of them. They just might be willing to help, too."

"What do you think, Rose?" Jake asked as he turned his head in the other direction so he could look at his wife.

"Well, I-" Rose started, slowly turning her head to the side. However, when she heard a ringing coming from her communication device, she quickly turned her head back to normal. "Hold that question." Rose told Jake as she reached to her belt and grabbed her communication device.

"Who could that possibly be?" Jake asked as Rose brought her communication device to the level of her face.

"Maybe the others caught your doppelgangers." Savannah suggested as she turned her head to the side.

"We'll find out." Rose replied right before she pressed the receive button. About two seconds later, the holographic image of a dragon formed Jules appeared, smiling at Rose.

"Hello, Agent Long." She said.

"Jules Rooney, right?" Rose checked.

"You have a very good memory." Jules complimented, giving a nod.

"Can I help you?" Rose asked.

"I would be most grateful if you could come down to my house." Jules said. "Remember, it's in Albany."

"Why would I go down there?" Rose asked.

"Well, because..." Jules replied. "...You're looking for the killer of your parents, right?"

"Right."

"Well, he's here." Jules replied, putting her clawed hands on her hips.

"You don't seem very freaked out." Rose pointed out.

"That's because I've taken care of him." Jules said.

"How did you find him?" Rose asked.

"I didn't find him." Jules smiled. "He found me. He broke into my house. Please Agent Long, come over to my house. The second I rendered him unconscious, I knew that he was your dragon, so I called the Dragon Council."

"What did you tell them?" Rose asked.

"I told them what I'm telling you right now." Jules answered. "They expect you to come here and pick him up."

"Alright, then." Rose quickly said. "Tell me your address and we'll be there as soon as we can."

"How many people are with you?"

"I don't know." Rose shrugged. "Over ten."

"Then perhaps it would be best if you...came alone..." Jules told her.

"Why?"

"You know..." Jules shrugged. "...Ten dragons in my house. That seems awfully crowded. Please, just come alone."

"Fair enough." Rose told her.

"Good." Jules smiled. "Now, for my address..."

LINE BREAK

It did not take long for Rose to arrive at Jules' house. Landing in the walkway that led to the porch, Rose reverted to her human form before she started to walk, walking up the four steps up onto the porch. Once she finally reached the door, Rose reached up and knocked twice. Then, she pulled her hand away and took a step back.

"Jules?" She called. "Jules, it's me!"

About five seconds later, the door opened and Jules stepped out in her human form, smiling. "Thank you for coming, Agent Long." She said.

"Is he still unconscious?" Rose asked.

"Surprisingly, yes." Jules said. "He's in the kitchen. I tied him up just in case he wakes up."

"Mind taking me to him?" Rose gave Jules a smile.

"Of course." Jules replied, turning to the side after you, she gestured to the door.

"Thanks." Rose said as she started to walk, entering the house.

"He's in the kitchen." Jules said as she followed Rose inside.

Seconds later, Rose stepped into the kitchen, freezing when she saw a chair pulled away from the table, a long coil of rope strewn loosely around the chair. Gasping, Rose's eyes widened. "Um, Jules." She called. "I think Kerberos got awa-"

However, before Rose could finish, she gasped as Jules' tail wrapped around her upper body twice, pinning her arms to her sides. Grunting, Rose fought briefly before she heard the sound of Jules' voice from behind: "He didn't get away..."

Angrily, Rose turned her head to the side, seeing Jules in her dragon form behind her. "...The rope's for you."

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

A short time later, the dragon-formed Jules finished tying Rose's wrists behind the back of the chair. Rose, who already was tied to the chair with rope around her upper body and who had each of her ankles tied to one of the front legs of the chair, grunted as she struggled against the ropes.

"Oh, stop." Jules told her prisoner after she had stood up and now she was walking around her, turning to face her. "Your bonds are enforced with unicorn horn. You're not getting free."

"Why are you doing this?" Rose wanted to know. "What have I ever done to you?"

"You haven't done anything to me." Jules said as she crossed her scaly arms.

"Then why would you come up with this elaborate lie just to hold me prisoner?"

"For the most part, Agent Long..." Jules admitted. "...I wasn't lying."

"Say what?" Rose asked, her eyes widening.

"Kerberos really did break into my house." Jules explained. "But instead of me capturing him, he persuaded me into helping him to kill you."

"How could you do that?" Rose growled, narrowing her eyes.

"See, I'm not perfect." Jules replied, lowering her scaly arms to her sides. "I told you that sometimes a dragon has to protect themselves..."

"You accidentally killed a goblin."

"Yes, yes I did." Jules put her hands on her hips. "See, Apep blackmailed me. He's a professional assassin and-"

"You paid him to kill someone?"

"I paid his employer." Jules grinned. "You see, Agent Long, these pesky humans were going to condemn my house. What was a dragon to do?"

"He has a boss?!" Rose's eyes widened.

Jules opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, she heard a knock against her front door. "That must be him." Jules grinned.

Then, Jules turned around and walked towards the door, leaving Rose to grunt as she started to struggle against the ropes holding her.

Meanwhile, Jules reached the door and opened it, seeing Apep in his dragon form, holding his bow and arrows. "I've got her all prepared." Jules told him.

Then, Jules turned back around and started to walk back towards the kitchen, Apep following her.

Back in the kitchen, Rose stopped struggling and watched as Jules stepped into the kitchen, followed by Apep, who reached Jules' side. Rose gasped as she saw the bow and arrows that Apep held. She immediately recognized the bow and the arrows as the weapon that had been used to murder her parents.

LINE BREAK

Meanwhile, everyone sat on the roof of a random building in their dragon forms, except for Savannah, who paced back and forth impatiently, her arms behind her back. She looked as though her mind was in severe distress.

"Yo, Savannah." Jake tried to calm her down. "Everything's okay. Just take a seat."

"Don't you think that Rose should have been back by now?" Savannah asked as she stopped pacing and turned to face the others.

"Not necessarily." Jake replied.

"You're just over stressed." Maverick told her. "I'm sure that Rose is fine."

"We're certain that Rose is fine." Jake said. "She can take care of herself."

"No." Savannah decided, shaking her head once. "Something's not right. She shouldn't have gone alone. I should have went with her or something."

"Jules told her to go alone." Dwight pointed out.

"Exactly." Savannah narrowed her eyes. "Dwight..."

"Yeah?" Dwight asked.

"...Here, use this." Savannah said as she reached down to her belt and pulled her communication device off of it, tossing it to him, Dwight catching it easily.

"You said that you have the contacts for all of those dragons..." Savannah once again narrowed her eyes. "...Call them. We're going to go get Rose."

LINE BREAK

Back at Jules' house, as Apep prepared his arrow, Jules smiled at the scowling Rose as she crossed her scaly arms.

"You know, Agent Long..." She said. "...You actually had me a little worried."

"Oh?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, I honestly thought you had me when you asked me why I wanted you to come alone." Jules explained. "But you fell for it."

"Yes, I did." Rose narrowed her eyes. "That doesn't make me stupid."

"No, just fatally gullible."

"Not even that." Rose spat. "Too trusting! That's what I am."

Before Jules could respond, however, Apep finished preparing the arrow and grinned as he took a step back and aimed the arrow at Rose's forehead.

"I recognize those." Rose said softly, accepting her fate.

"You do?" Apep asked, still smiling.

"Those are the arrows you used to kill my parents."

"I used just one." Apep explained.

"It's his weapon of choice." Jules said.

"He use it to kill those humans you wanted dead?" Rose asked.

"Indeed I did." Apep answered. "You should know this already, Jules, but you should leave."

"I know." Jules said before she turned and started to walk out of the kitchen. "But you better put out the fire before it destroys my entire kitchen!"

"I'll do my best." Apep grinned.

"Can I ask for a last request?" Rose asked.

"Ask away."

"How do those things work?" Rose asked. "How did they set fire to my parents' car?"

"Magic." Apep said simply. "And I find it wonderful that you're going to leave this world the exact same way that your parents did." Then, he closed one of his eyes to take better aim. "I guess that's what you get for getting into our business..."

Meanwhile, Jules quickly rushed down the steps to her porch and quickly walked down her pathway, only to freeze as Jake, Lexy, Maverick, Dwight, Ferne, Harley and Kelsey all hovered down towards her.

"What's up, Jules?" Dwight asked.

"Where's Rose?" Jake asked.

"Well, I-ugghh!" However, before Jules could come up with a lame excuse, she grunted with pain as Savannah's tail came down onto her head, Savannah lowering herself onto the ground from behind and quickly pulling her tail back.

Moaning, Jules' eyes rolled into the back of her head before she fell face-first onto the ground, Savannah standing behind her with an angry look on her face as she for her shackles that were on her belt.

"Was that really necessary?" Jake asked.

"Yes." Savannah narrowed her eyes. "You go in and get Rose. I'll take care of this sorry excuse for a dragon."

Meanwhile, back inside, Rose slowly closed her eyes as she prepared to meet her end. "Hey." Apep mocked her. "If your parents could endure burning to death, I'm sure you can too!"

"Rose!" Suddenly came the sound of Jake's voice.

Rose's eyes snapped open and Apep's eyes widened before he lowered his bow and arrow and turned around, seeing a very angry looking Jake in the middle of a line of dragons including Lexy, Maverick, Kelsey, Jake himself, Ferne, Harley and Dwight.

"Oh crap..." Apep muttered.

"Free my wife right now!" Jake demanded.

"Nah, I don't think so." The grin returned to Apep's face as he quickly took aim with his bow and arrow. "I think I'll just kill you all."

BLACKOUT; END EPISODE

A/N: Please review.