Future Dragon: Rose Long (Season Nine)
Chapter/Episode 9: Too Good To Be True
Now, both Jake and Whirro were flying in the air, side-by-side. "You better not be leading me into a trap." Jake growled as he turned his head to the side.
"Please, Councilor Long..." Whirro just smiled. "...Personally, I'm insulted. You want to know where your wife is, so I'm taking you there. I'm doing you a favor."
"No, you're following my orders." Jake replied as he turned his head back to normal. "And after you take me to Rose, you're going to be heading off to jail."
LINE BREAK
Meanwhile, Lexy was standing on her feet and she was looking in both directions, wondering where she and Rose had been imprisoned.
Turning her head back to normal, her eyes widened in fear as she came to the realization that she and Rose had been left in a buried building in the middle of nowhere.
"What now?" Lexy whispered to herself.
"Yo, Lexy!" Came the sound of Jake's voice from up above her.
Gasping with surprise, Lexy looked up, smiling as she saw Jake and Whirro hovering above her. "You found us!" Lexy exclaimed. Then, she looked down as Whirro and Jake touched down on the mud, Whirro scowling.
"Wh...What is he doing here?" Lexy asked nervously, pointing at Whirro.
"He's the only reason I found you." Jake said.
"Huh?" Lexy asked, her eyes widening. "Wait, I'm confused! Is he a good guy or a bad guy?"
"He's most definitely a bad dude, Lexy." Jake told her while Whirro crossed his scaly arms while he continued to scowl.
"But he brought you here?"
"I forced him to, Lexy." Jake smiled.
"Yes." Whirro smiled himself, lowering his scaly arms. Taking a step back, he continued: ""And now that I've done that, I think I'll be going now."
"Oh no you don't, punk!" Jake said as he quickly turned around. "You're not getting away." Jake said as her stepped to the side so that he and Whirro were facing each other, Lexy slowly stepping up to Jake's side.
"Oh, please." Whirro just smiled. Then, he opened his mouth and blew out a torrent of fire. Lexy quickly dove to the side while Jake ducked and quickly lashed out with his tail, swinging it to the side, making Whirro jump back, closing his mouth, causing the fire to die away.
With the fire no longer a problem, Jake quickly stood back up and grunted as he spun around, lashing out with his tail, which hit Whirro in the chest, throwing him back and making him land back-first in the mud.
"You're going to jail and there's nothing you can do about it, Whirro." Jake said darkly as he started to walk towards his enemy.
However, Whirro quickly forced himself up into a sitting position. "Watch me do something about it." Whirro growled. He then opened his mouth and blew out yet another torrent of fire.
Quickly, Jake jumped to the side. However, rather than landing on his feet, Jake grunted as he landed on his side, just as the fire vanished into thin air. Quickly, Whirro got to his feet and turned around.
"We'll meet again." Whirro said before he started to flap his wings, taking off into the air.
Groaning, Jake rolled over onto his back, his eyes narrowing and a growl escaping him as he watched Whirro fly away. Meanwhile, Lexy walked over to Jake. "Need some help?" She asked as she reached his feet, offering her a dirty hand.
"Sure." Jake said before he reached up and grabbed Lexy's hand.
Grunting, Lexy stepped back, helping Jake to his feet. "Thanks." Jake told her as soon as he was on his feet, taking his hand away from Lexy's. "Um..." Jake added as he looked at his now dirty hand. "...You do know you're filthy, right?"
"I do." Lexy gave a small smile.
"You're happy about that?"
"Working on some issues." Lexy's smile widened. "What about Whirro?"
"We'll deal with him later." Jake said as he put his clawed hands on his hips. "Like he said, we'll meet again."
"Okay." Lexy said so Jake would know that she understood.
"Now, where's Rose?" Jake asked her, getting serious.
"She's still down there." Lexy explained, completely forgetting that she hadn't mentioned that she and Rose had be buried underground.
"Say what?" Jake asked, raising an eyebrow. "Down there? What's that supposed to mean?"
"Down there." Lexy said, pointing out to the side, at the hole in the ground.
"Whoa." Jake could only say after he had turned his head to the side, looking at the hole.
The two dragons then turned and started to walk towards the hole. "How deep is it?" Jake asked.
"Really deep." Lexy answered. "It was a nightmare burrowing through it."
"That's why you're so dirty, huh?" Jake asked, his eyes filling with worry. Had that monster buried his wife alive? It looked like it. Did that mean that Rose was suffocating under all the pressure? Being crushed under the weight? What if it was too late?
"Don't worry." Lexy said as she turned he head to the side. "Rose and I were together in a room. She should still be safe. All you have to do is go down there." Lexy said, finally turning her head back to normal as soon as they reached the hole.
"You're sure she'll be down there?"
"She was too weak to come with me."
"Too weak?" Jake asked, turning his head to the side.
"I'm afraid so." Lexy answered softly.
"Why was she too weak?"
"Whirro tortured her."
"How bad?" Jake asked.
"From what I saw before I was hit from behind, it was pretty bad."
"Alright." Jake growled as he turned his head back to normal, clenching his clawed hands into fists. "I'm going down there. You stay here and wait for me to return with Rose."
"Got it." Lexy told him. "Oh, and by the way..." She added, making Jake turn his head to the side to look at her once again. "...As a warning, it's filthy down there."
"I think I can tell." Jake said as he turned his head back to normal.
"It's worse than you think." Lexy said right before Jake jumped into the air and dove into the hole.
A few seconds later, Jake flew into the room and landed, the motionless Rose to his side. "Rose?" Jake asked, turning his head to the side, only to see Rose lying on her back, her head rolled to the side. Her eyes were closed and she wasn't moving.
"Rose?" Jake asked again, turning to the side to face her.
Still, she did not move or make any sounds.
"Rose?" Jake asked for a third time, his eyes starting to fill with worry. After five seconds had passed, Rose still had not made any movements or sounds. "Rose?!" Jake panicked.
With his wide eyes, he ran over to his wife and quickly sat down on his knees, taking the side of Rose's face and turning her head upwards.
"Rose, please." Jake pleaded. "Talk to me! Rose! Please..."
BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK
BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW
On the Island of Draco, the door to the hospital room was thrown open as several dragon-formed Dragon Council Agents all rushed into the room, carrying the now human formed Rose above their heads.
After the Agents ran in, Jake walked in, still in his dragon form, while the also dragon-formed Lexy and Councilor Rin stopped in the doorway.
"Can you tell me what Whirro did to her?" Rin asked as she crossed her scaly arms.
"I didn't see all of it." Lexy said softly.
"How much did you see?"
"Only the end of it." Lexy answered. "Kerberos knocked me out and I only woke up because I heard her screams."
"He made my Rose scream?" Jake growled with anger as he walked back over to them, the Agents tucking Rose into a hospital bed. "What did he do to her, Lexy?" Jake demanded, putting his clawed hands on his hips. "What did you see him do?"
"I saw him..." Lexy struggled to say. "...I saw him stab h...I mean, cut her with a knife. That's...That's why her legs were all wrapped up."
"Anything else?" Rin asked as she turned her head to the side.
"It looks like she was branded." Lexy said.
"I can see that." Jake growled.
"What about you, Dragon Feara?" Rin asked as she turned to the side.
"What about me?" Lexy asked as she turned her head to the side.
"You're filthy, Dragon Feara." Rin said. "I think you need to rinse off."
"With all due respect, Councilor." Lexy gave a small smile. "I think I'm feeling okay."
Rin did not look very pleased at this statement. Nonetheless, she didn't say anything except: "What about your wound? I think it should be cleaned up."
"It...It doesn't hurt that much anymore."
"That may be true, Dragon Feara." Rin told her, crossing her scaly arms. "But you are filthy."
"You already said that." Lexy said.
"It could get infected." Rin told her, narrowing her eyes. "Ever think about that, Dragon Feara?"
"No." Lexy said softly. "I didn't really have all that much time to think of something like that, seeing as both Rose and I were buried alive."
Sighing, Rin shook her head, once, lowering her scaly arms. "Come with me, Dragon Feara." She said as she turned and walked out the door. Jake stood still and watched as Lexy followed Rin out of the room.
"Councilor Long?" Jake heard the sound of an Agent's voice from behind him.
"Yeah?" Jake replied as he turned around, seeing all of the dragon-formed Dragon Council Agents behind him. "What's up?" Jake crossed his arms. "Is she going to be okay?"
"We gave her a healing potion." The Agent said. "And right now, she's fast asleep. She should be fine."
"Good to hear." Jake said.
Meanwhile, in the bed next to the one that Rose had been tucked into, Holly, who was in her human form and was lying on her side under the covers moaned as she slowly opened her eyes, seeing Rose lying in the bed next to her.
"Rose?" Holly croaked.
LINE BREAK
Rose was lying on her back in bed, wearing her pajamas. However, when she heard two knocks against the door, she moaned and opened her eyes.
"Rose, are you okay in there?" She heard the sound of her mother's voice.
"Mom?" Rose asked. Then, she quickly sat up, seeing that she was in her room at her parents' house. "What the...?" Rose asked, putting her hands up to her head.
"Rose?" She heard her mother's voice again. "Are you okay in there?"
"Yeah!" Rose called as she turned her head to the side.
"Good to hear your voice, sweetie!" Rose's mother called from the other side of the door. "You had me worried for a second there!"
"No need to worry!" Rose called despite the confused look on her face.
"I know, Rose." Her mother finished. "Now, hurry up and come down to breakfast!"
"Okay mom!" Rose called.
Hearing her mother's footsteps leaving, Rose slowly turned her head back to normal, her eyes wide. "What is going on?" She asked herself. "Am I dead?" She asked, holding up her hands and looking down.
LINE BREAK
Now dressed in a T-shirt and a pair of jeans, Rose opened the door to her room and quickly walked out, amazed at the fact that the chi inside her body wasn't acting up on her.
As soon as she reached the stairs, Rose turned around the corner and stepped down one step, only to stop as she saw her mother smiling up at her from the bottom of the stairs.
"Mom?" Rose said.
"Yes, sweetie?"
"I-"
"Why don't we talk it over during breakfast?" Her mother just continued to smile. "Your father and I cooked you your favorite."
Hearing this, Rose's eyes widened. "It must be true." Rose whispered to herself. "It's the only reasonable explanation. I really am dead."
"What's that, Rose?" Her mother asked, her eyes filling with worry.
Without saying another word, Rose narrowed her eyes and started to run down the stairs, finally reaching her mother and wrapping her arms around her, making her gasp in shock.
"Well, I must say that this is a pleasant surprise." Rose's mother said as she smiled and returned the hug.
"I'm so sorry, Mom." Rose said, her eyes filled with sadness.
"About what?" Her mother was shocked.
"I failed." Tears started to form in Rose's eyes.
"In what, Rose?"
"I managed to find two of the dragons that were responsible for your and Dad's murder..." Rose managed. "...But I failed to capture them."
"Rose, what are you talking about?" Rose's mother now looked disturbed.
"Instead I only succeeded in being captured and murdered by them." Rose explained, tears now rolling down her cheeks. "Can you ever forgive me for failing you?"
"Rose!" Her mother said sternly, pulling her daughter away from her so that they were staring at each other, eye to eye. "I have no idea what you're talking about, sweetie."
Rose sniffled before she spoke again. "You don't?" She asked.
"No." Her mother gave her a small smile. "Nobody killed us. Nobody killed you."
"But...But-" Rose could only stammer until she heard the sound of a flushing toilet. Gasping, Rose quickly spun around to see Daisy, still in her pajamas, turning and starting to walk down the stairs.
"Was Daisy killed, too?" Rose's mother asked as she stepped up to Rose's side.
"N...No." Rose managed.
"Okay, then." Rose's mother put a hand on her shoulder. "You must have had a bad dream last night. That's all."
Hearing this, Rose's eyes widened. "Ba...Bad dream?!"
BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK
BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW
"Ba...Bad dream?"
Just as Rose asked this, Daisy reached the bottom of the stairs, smiling. "Hey, sis." She said softly.
"H...Hey." Rose replied as she brought her hand up to her head.
"Rose." Rose's mother said turning to the side, making Rose turn her head to the side. "What are you doing? You should get dressed."
"Do I look naked to you?" Rose asked.
"I mean for work." Her mother said. "Jake is going to take you to that island after breakfast."
"Wait, Jake is here?"
"Rose, is everything okay?" Daisy asked, crossing her arms. "You're acting strange. Jake lives here with us."
"Oh, yeah." Rose smiled sheepishly as she turned her head back to normal. "I...I knew that. Pardon me, Daisy." Then, she moved around her twin and hurried up the stairs.
LINE BREAK
After eating breakfast, the door to the house opened and Jake, in his human form and wearing his Dragon Council robes stepped out and walked down the steps while Rose, who wore her Dragon Council Agent uniform, stepped out onto the porch.
Rose watched from where she stood as Jake transformed into his human form in a bright light. Once he was in his full dragon form, Jake smiled and turned his head to the side. "C'mon, Rose." He said.
Quickly, Rose walked down the steps and reached Jake's side, Jake getting down onto all fours. "C'mon, get on." Jake told her.
"I can fly myself." Rose said as she turned her head to the side.
"Uh, say what?" Jake raised an eyebrow. "Rose, you're not a dragon."
"Of course I am." Rose said. "Look, I don't know what's going on, Jake."
"Neither do I." Jake said. "You're acting strange."
"I'm a dragon, Jake!" Rose said as she turned her head back to normal. "I've been a dragon for three years."
"No, you haven't, Rose." Jake told her.
"After Fred Nerk was murdered..." Rose said as she turned her head to the side. "...His chi was transferred into my body."
"Okay." Jake sarcastically replied. "If you say so."
"Jake..."
"Fred was killed, but his chi was never removed." Jake told her. "Rose, that's just an insane thought. That's not possible at all."
LINE BREAK
On the Island of Draco, Rose sat against the wall of one of the buildings, hugging her legs against her chest, her chin resting on her knees.
"Psst, Rose." Jake said as he, in dragon form, peered over the side of the building, seeing Rose sitting alone.
Hearing her husband's voice, Rose lifted her head up and then turned her head to the side.
"Hey, babe." Jake smiled at her.
"Are you trying to make me feel better?" Rose asked.
"What are you talking about?" Jake asked, his smile vanishing.
"Why don't you believe me?" Rose asked. "This is just so strange. Why do I have all these memories of things that never happened?"
"Rose, what are you talking about, Rose?" Jake asked as he walked around the corner, reverting to his human form before he sat down at her side, Rose turning her head back to normal. "Want to talk about it?" Jake asked.
"I have memories of being tortured." Rose told him.
"Okay."
"I also have memories of my parents being murdered, me spending the last several days searching for their killer." Rose said. "On top of that, I also thought I was a dragon."
"Thought?" Jake asked.
"My parents are alive, I feel perfectly healthy and I'm not a dragon." Rose said.
"They are?" Jake asked as he turned his head to the side. "You do? You're not?"
"Jake, what are you doing?" Rose asked sternly, turning her head to the side as well, her eyes narrowed.
"Um..."
"Earlier today, you basically told me that my thought process is all screwed up."
"I never said that."
"My mom looked at me like I was insane."
"Um..." Jake truly had no idea how to respond to this.
Then, Rose sighed as she turned her head back to normal. "Is it possible that I dreamed all that stuff up?" She asked.
"Rose..."
"It just felt so real." Rose cut him off.
"Maybe that's because..." Jake said as he held up his arm, pulling back the sleeve of his Council robes while Rose turned her head back to normal. Around Jake's wrist, she could see a Dream Charm bracelet.
"...Right now, you're dreaming."
LINE BREAK
Meanwhile, Whirro, still in his dragon form, stood on the roof of his building. As he stood there, both of his ears twitched when he heard the sound of flapping wings. Slowly turning around, Whirro watched as Apep Kerberos landed on the roof a couple inches away, the arrows in his clawed hands.
"I got 'em." Kerberos said with a smile on his face.
"Good." Whirro responded.
"What now?" Kerberos asked, his smile vanishing.
"We're leaving." Whirro said before he flared his wings. "Follow me."
Then, Whirro started to flap his wings, taking off into the air. Stopping at a specific spot in the air, with Kerberos stopping at his side, Whirro looked down and blew out a torrent of fire, setting the roof of his home on fire.
A short while later, both Kerberos and Whirro stood in front of the house, which was ablaze with flames, the flames crackling.
"Why did you do that?" Kerberos asked as he turned his head to the side.
"Because..." Whirro said darkly. "...The dragons got away. They could come back. We cannot be here if they decide to come looking for us. They will automatically think to look here. We'd be sitting ducks."
"Good point." Kerberos said as he turned his head to the side. "So what now?"
"Now..." Whirro said as he turned to the side to look his assassin in the eyes. "...We look for a new hideout. Then..." Whirro narrowed his eyes. "...We come up with a plan to attack Rose Long."
BLACKOUT; END EPISODE
A/N: So, next up is the Season Finale. Until then, please leave a review.
