Future Dragon: Rose Long (Season Four)
Chapter/Episode 10: The Mark Lives On
Flapping her wings, Savannah flew beside Rose in the night's sky. Turning her head to the side, Savannah looked at Rose, who continued to look straight ahead as she flew for several seconds. Finally, Rose realized that Savannah was a looking at her, so she turned her head to the side. "Yes, Savannah?"
"Well?" Savannah pressured.
"Well what?"
"I'm serious, Rose." Savannah told her. "What happened? What did that devil woman tell you?"
Sighing, Rose turned her head back to normal. "Okay..." She said, making Savannah turn her head back to normal as well as they continued to fly. "...I have good news and bad news."
"What's the good news?"
"Mrs. Jenkins showed me who killed my parents." Rose told her, putting a fake smile on her face.
"Then what's the bad news?"
"What she showed me..." Rose's smile vanished as she continued. "...Didn't show his face. It was completely covered with a hood."
LINE BREAK
Rose and Savannah continued to fly, heading back to Mermaid City. However, as the two of them passed by a tall building, they were completely unaware that standing on the roof, staring down on them was a Peridot-colored dragon, wearing the team medallion.
"Hmm..." As they passed, Joel looked back up as his living Huntsclan mark started to walk up to him from behind slowly. Putting his claws to his chin, Joel began to ponder out loud: "...I was just run out of the team earlier today. Will they be expecting my return?"
Lowering his claws as the living Huntsclan mark reached his side, Joel turned to the side to face the creation. "What do you think, my creation?"
LINE BREAK
Back at Mermaid City, there came a ding as the elevator doors slid open, the now human Rose and Savannah stepping out. "Well, goodnight, Rose..." Savannah said as she turned to the side to face Rose.
"What about what happened today?" Rose asked, turning her head to the side. "We still don't know enough about the murderer to go out looking for him."
"Don't worry, Rose..." Savannah said in a rather tired manner as she slowly brought her hand up and running it down her hair. "...Don't worry about it tonight. We'll discuss it in the morning..."
"Okay..." Rose told her softly, slowly turning her head back to normal.
"Well, goodnight." Savannah said again before she turned back to normal and started to walk off, leaving Rose alone.
LINE BREAK
In her dark room, Cherri was in her human form, lying on her side under her covers with her eyes closed as she slept peacefully. However, a few seconds later, the door to her room opened and Savannah stepped inside. The light switched on, causing Cherri's eyes to snap open about two seconds later, allowing Cherri to watch as Savannah started to walk over to her bed.
"You're back?" Cherri asked sleepily as she pushed herself up so that she was sitting up as Savannah reached her bedside. "Did Rose learn anything?"
LINE BREAK
On her own, Rose was passing by Cherri's room, passing by the open door, only to stop as she turned her head to the side and see Savannah in the room. Turning to the side, Rose watched with wide eyes as Savannah spoke:
"Apparently..." Savannah said, putting her hands on her hips. "...Rose got a look at every part of the murderer's body...except his face."
"How are we going to find him then?"
"I don't know, Cherri..." Angela said as she once again brought her hands up to her head, running them through her hair, only this time using both of her hands. "...I'm tired. I'll think about it tomorrow..." She said as she lowered her arms.
"I think I already know what you're going to do about it." Cherri said, a small smile on her face.
"What?" Savannah returned the small, playful smile.
"Savannah, I know you." Cherri replied, still smiling. "You want to catch this guy. You're not going to give up. You'll keep going, just like you did before today."
From outside, Rose took in Cherri's words, taking a deep breath. Turning to the side, Rose continued on as from inside, Savannah turned around and started to walk toward the door.
LINE BREAK
Back on the building, Joel sat with his scaly legs dangling over the ledge as he stared out into the night, deep in thought. After a few more seconds of sitting on the ledge of the building, Joel narrowed his eyes, grunting as he reached up with his foot, placing it on the ledge. Doing it with his other foot, Joel grunted as he finished standing up.
Turning around, Joel started to walk over to where the living Huntsclan mark was lying on its "side". Stopping several inches away from it, Joel put his scaly arms behind his back. "I've decided..." He said. "...That tomorrow...is the day we go back to Mermaid City."
LINE BREAK
The next morning, in Mermaid City, Rose in her human form, fully dressed and with her medallion around her neck, made her way to the dining hall. Stepping into the room, Rose was surprised to see that Gilda, Arkadi, Lista, Maverick and Lexy were all sitting at the table in their human forms, with their medallions around their necks, and all looking agitated. Cherri, also in her human form and with her medallion around her neck, was standing at the end of the table, facing the door and Rose.
"What's going on?" Rose asked.
"Savannah isn't here yet." Lista said, turning her head to the side.
"And Cherri's not telling us where she is..." Arkadi added in his Russian accent, also turning his head to the side.
"Not to mention that Angela isn't here, either." Lista added.
"Do you know where she is, Cherri?" Rose asked.
However, before Cherri could open her mouth, Rose heard the sound of Savannah's voice from behind her, making her eyes widen. "I'm right here."
Turning around, Rose could see Savannah, in her dragon form and with her medallion around her neck, walking into the dining hall room. "And I apologize for being late..." She said as she stopped just a few inches away from Rose. "...However, breakfast will not be served until later." Savannah said as she crossed her scaly arms.
"What?" Rose asked. "But why?"
"I want all of you to come with me..." Savannah said, lowering her arms. "...There's something important that we all must take part in."
BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK
BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW
Outside the dining hall, the still dragon Savannah was leading the team, followed by Cherri. Following Savannah and Cherri, Rose walking alongside the still human Arkadi, Maverick, Lista and Lexy, while the frowning Gilda walked behind them with her arms crossed.
"What's going on?" Arkadi asked.
"How are we supposed to know?" Gilda demanded from behind, lowering her arms and clenching her fists.
As she said this, Savannah started to lead Cherri and the rest of the team down the side of a building, leading them to a much darker area of the city. As soon as Savannah reached the back of the building, she turned around and started to lead the rest of the team to a large opening in the ground, a stone slab moved to the side.
"The crypt?" Lexy asked after she, Rose, Arkadi, Maverick and Lista turned around the corner. "What's down there?"
However, Savannah said nothing, and instead started to walk down the stairs, down into the crypt, followed by Cherri.
"What's going on?" Maverick asked.
"There's only one way to find out..." Arkadi said as he took a step ahead of the others.
LINE BREAK
Down in the crypt, Savannah stood beside Cherri in front of a dug grave. Cherri turned around in time to watched Arkadi walking down the stairs, followed by rose, then Lexy, then Lista, then Maverick, and then finally Gilda.
"What's going on?" Arkadi asked as the others lined up beside him.
Clearing her throat, Savannah turned around to face the rest of the team before she put her scaly arms behind her back. "As Arkadi probably told you all, Joel went against the entire team. He murdered Coen. So...before breakfast...I think some respects should be paid..."
"You couldn't have waited until after?" Maverick asked.
"There is more, though." Cherri spoke up before she turned her head to the side, indicating for Savannah to continue.
"Also..." Savannah took the opportunity, who stared right at Lista, whose eyes started to fill with worry as Savannah continued: "...We lost another..." Taking a deep breath, Savannah continued: "...We thought that Angela had returned to us for good, but...it...wasn't meant to be."
LINE BREAK
Up above the surface of the water, Joel hovered right next to the living Huntsclan mark. Turning his head to the side to look at the creation, Joel smiled.
"Remember..." He spoke to the living mark. "...Rose is the target. If you can, avoid contact with any other living organism down there."
Without saying a word, the living Huntsclan mark nodded once; satisfied, Joel smiled as he turned his head back to normal.
LINE BREAK
After exiting the crypt, Maverick, Lexy, Arkadi, Gilda and a sad looking Lista all started to walk away, while when Rose reached the top of the steps, she only took one more step before she turned around, watching as Cherri and Savannah walked out, side-by-side.
"Go with the others..." Savannah said softly.
Nodding in understanding, Cherri started to walk away from Savannah, walking up to and past Rose, who turned her head to the side to watch Cherri leave before she turned her head back to normal, watching Savannah walk up to her.
"You're not going to go get breakfast?" Savannah asked.
"I'm not that hungry." Rose replied. "I guess I'll just go back to my room."
"That sounds good..." Savannah said as she slowly put her hands into her pockets. "...But...why don't you come with me? We'll go for a flight..."
"Any reason?"
"How about searching?" Savannah replied as she cocked her head to the side slightly.
LINE BREAK
Savannah and Rose were both silent as they made their way across the grass. As they neared the elevator, Rose sighed as she turned her head to the side. "Savannah, can I ask you something?" She asked.
"Sure." Savannah answered as Rose turned her head back to normal.
"Maybe we should come up with a..." As she tried to explain, Rose brought up both of her hands to her chest and clenched her fists. "...A plan, you know? We can't just keep randomly searching New York. We've tried that and it hasn't gotten us anywhere."
"But we haven't even finished searching Manhattan yet..."
"We've searched the entire neighborhood where my parents were murdered." Rose replied.
"That's why we're going to move on to the next city." Savannah told her as they finally reached the elevator doors. Smiling, Savannah turned her head to the side to look at her. "Maybe we can get the entire next city accounted for by the end of the day..."
Just as she said this, the two doors dinged as they started to slide open, making Savannah turn her head back to normal, only to see that both Joel and the living Huntsclan mark were both inside, Joel in his dragon form.
As Savannah and Rose both gasped, Joel's eyes widened, causing him to quickly lash out with his tail, which hit Savannah right on the chest, making her grunt as she fell back, her back and head colliding with the ground, making Savannah grunt again.
"Get her!" Joel demanded, extending his scaly arm, pointing at Rose with his index claw.
As the living Huntsclan mark grunted and started to charge quickly at her, Rose's eyes widened; as the living Huntsclan mark got close enough, Rose bent her knees slightly and grunted as she jumped into the air, just as the living Huntsclan mark stopped right in front of where she had been standing and swiped at the air with its claws.
As she flew into the air, a bright light engulfed her entire body, and when it faded, Rose was in her dragon form. His eyes wide and his teeth clenched, Joel looked up to see Rose hovering. "You're going to have to come after me!" She shouted. Then, in a flash, she turned around and started to fly away.
"Follow her!" Joel shouted, making the living Huntsclan mark start to flap its wings, taking off into the air. Growling, Joel stepped out of the elevator and started to flap his own wings, taking off into the air, leaving Savannah alone on the ground.
LINE BREAK
Grunting as she gave a mighty flap, Rose looked down at the ground, seeing several mermen and mermaids as she flew passed them.
Looking back up, Rose turned her head to the side and gasped as she saw that the living Huntsclan mark was right behind her. Turning her head back to normal, Rose grunted again as she flapped her wings harder than she had before.
Rose lowered herself to the ground slightly as she reached the building that would lead her to the crypt just as soon as she turned around the corner.
Turning around the corner, Rose continued to flap her wings as she made her way over to the entrance to the crypt. However, above her, on the roof, Joel growled as he swooped down, slamming face-first into Rose's back just as she started to enter the grip.
Both Joel and Rose grunted as they lost all momentum and both started to roll down the stairs that lead to the crypt. Grunting, Rose hit the floor first, and Joel rolled off of her, continuing to roll across the floor until he came to a halt.
Grunting, Rose picked herself up with her arms, only to gasp and turned her head to the side when she heard the sound of more flapping wings, allowing her to see the living Huntsclan mark flying down the stairs.
Before she could do anything to defend herself, Rose grunted as the living Huntsclan mark slammed into her, throwing her to the side, where she grunted again as she hit the ground and started to roll across the floor, coming to a stop when she hit Joel's feet; Joel looking down on her with a cruel smile on his face, only to have his smile vanish and look up as Rose, in a sitting position, scrambled away from him.
"Give it up, Rose." Joel told her, crossing his scaly arms. "We've got you trapped. Now, personally, I'd like to see you fight my creation before you die."
Scowling at the Peridot-colored dragon, Rose finally managed to speak: "You might just get one..."
"I certainly hope so..." Joel told her. "...I'd like to see the skills that my creation has. And don't worry. After he kills you, you can rest in peace knowing that every ounce of your blood has gone on to create an entirely new generation of Huntsclan..."
Grunting, Rose slowly got up to her feet. "You seem..." She said as she started to lift herself and then finished as soon as she was completely standing: "...To trust in its abilities despite never seeing them in action." As she finished saying this, she continued to scowl as she put up both of her clawed hands up in a defensive position. "But I don't really care about that. Just know that you'll be getting one hell of a fight out of me..."
"That's what I want..." Joel smiled.
"And what I want to know is why." Rose asked. "Angela said that it seemed as though you were forcing Coen into service. You forced him into creating this...this thing and then you murder him. Why?"
"He brought it on himself..." Joel said as he lowered his scaly arms.
"I'd like to know how anything warrants cold-blooded murder..."
Joel chuckled. "And that coming from the former Huntsgirl..." He said as he lifted up his hand and claws, showing Rose his black Huntsclan mark.
Rose's eyes widened and she slowly started to lower her clawed hands, gasping as she started to recognize the black mark on Joel's hand.
BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK
BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW
Staring at Joel's black Huntsclan mark, Rose's eyes were wide. "The...The..." She stammered.
"The Mark of the Huntsclan." Joel smiled as he lowered his hand. "And this is exactly why Coen deserved his fate..."
FLASHBACK
A fourteen year old Joel sat alone at a lunch table at his school. Looking down with a lonely look on his face, he looked back up as he heard chuckling, and he could see a younger Coen standing in-between two other boys, one big and muscular who wore a football jersey and one who was shorter and had short red hair.
"Hey, guys." Joel smiled slightly. "Do you...ya know...sit here?"
"Like we'd really be caught talking to a dragon kindly..." The third boy said while the jock just smiled and Coen nodded quickly and repeatedly. Laughing, the boys turned around and started to walk away.
LINE BREAK
"So, let me get this straight..." Joel said as he and Coen walked side-by-side as they walked down a sidewalk, Coen's eyes narrowed as he turned his head to the side, looking out to check and see if anyone was going to see him while Joel continued: "...You guys will hang out with me...if I get a tattoo?"
"Hey..." Coen smiled as he turned his head back to normal. "...Who are we to question the thought process of fourteen year old boys?"
"Isn't that something you like to do?" Joel asked. "Aren't you like, the smartest kid in school."
"I'd like to think so." Coen said with a smile.
With a ding, the bell above the door that led inside the tattoo parlor rang out as Coen walked inside, followed by Joel. The two boys walked up to the front counter, where they found an older woman with short, graying hair.
"Can I help you boys?" She asked with a rasping voice.
"Yes." Coen smiled as he reached into his pant pocket. "My friend here would like to get a tattoo. He'd like it..." He continued as he pulled out a folded piece of paper and then unfolded it in front of the woman. "...To be on his hand a wrist and he'd like it to look something like this."
Sometime later, the woman stepped back from the chair that Joel was sitting in, allowing Joel to sit up and hold up his hand, where he saw the black Huntsclan mark on his hand and wrist.
LINE BREAK
Joel, wearing a black jacket that covered his arms and his hands with the extra long sleeves, sat down at the bench in the school quad. However, as he stared out at the rest of the students, he could see Coen's two friends, Coen walking up to them.
"Ear of the dragon..." Joel said, an ear appearing in the place of one of his regular ears.
"I managed to convince the dragon to get a dragon tattoo on his hand." Coen said with a smile on his face as he crossed his arms. "Now, he forever has the mark of the dragon on him. So, either people will think that he likes dragons...or realize the truth if they haven't already."
Hearing this, Joel's eyes widened and he gritted his teeth, growling.
"Nice." the third boy said, putting his hand on Coen's shoulder, while the jock chuckled. "Very clever."
"Yeah." Coen seemed proud of himself as he took a step back. "Listen I need to get going."
"Do you want us to walk with you on your way home?" The third boy asked.
"Nah, I'll be fine." Coen told them.
From where he was sitting, Joel watched as Coen turned and quickly started to walk away.
LINE BREAK
Running behind the back of the school, Coen stopped and turned to the side, turning his head in both directions to make sure that he wasn't being followed. "Dragon up." He said in a hushed voice, transforming in a bright light.
Unbeknownst to the transforming dragon, Joel, in his Peridot dragon form, landed on the roof, looking down as Coen finished transforming into a Carmine-colored dragon. With a flap of his wings, Coen took off into the air and flew away, making Joel look up with wide eyes.
"Why you two-faced..."
END FLASHBACK
"My parents were furious..." Joel told a scowling Rose as he lowered his marked hand. "...They told me that I now permanently carried the mark of the Huntsclan, a terrible group of people that hunted my kind. It was not until I did some research that I found that every single member of the Huntsclan was dead, except for one."
"Two." Rose told him. "Four of us managed to survive the destruction of the Huntsclan, but now I'm the only one left."
"Does that really matter?" Joel asked her with a shrug of his shoulders. "Back to my research. I found the idea of the Huntsclan...interesting..." He said with a grin. "...It was intriguing to say the least. In a way, I almost felt saddened that only one was left. The more and more I thought about it, the more and more I wished that the Huntsclan was back."
"Well, there is no way." Rose told him. "They can't be brought back."
"I know." Joel smiled. "That's why I liked the idea of my own Huntsclan army. One that I controlled. Fortunately, I had found a way to make that a reality..."
FLASHBACK
At night, Joel stood outside the window of Coen's room, watching as Coen slept on his bed, snoring softly. Taking a step back, Joel looked down at the small black box that was in claws. Opening the box, Joel reached in and pulled out the golden dragon device.
Slowly and carefully opening Coen's bedroom window, Joel flew into the room and landed on the floor. Tiptoeing over to the foot of Coen's bed, the Peridot dragon turned to face the bed, a cruel smile on his face.
LINE BREAK
The next morning, Coen opened the door to his home and started to walk way after he used his foot to close the door.
"Hey." Joel said with a smile on his face as he walked out from the side of the house, still wearing his black, overly long jacket, making Coen turn around to face him.
"What are yo-?" Coen started to say, but as he tried to finish asking the question, his voice cut off, grunts and wheezes instead coming from his throat. Closing his mouth, Coen tried again: "What a-?" But this time, he got even less out before his voice cut off. His eyes wide, Coen brought his hand up to his throat, rubbing it.
"Having trouble speaking?" Joel asked sincerely, Coen nodding.
"Hmm..." Joel pretended to think about this before he grinned and punched Coen in the face, making Coen grunt and hunch over, falling to his knees with his hands wrapped around his stomach as Joel took a step back.
"What did you d-" Coen shouted as he looked up at Joel, but once again, he was cut off.
"You might not want to speak so often..." Joel said as he looked down. "...Seeing as you're having problems with your voice. Oh, and by the way..." He said as his smile widened. "...I think I know why you can't finish your sentences."
"You d-?" Coen tried, but failed once again.
"Yep." Joel said as he reached into his pants and pulled out his detonator. " You're a dragon, you two-faced low-life. I followed you home and put a little device in your mouth." This news made Coen gasp as his eyes widened. "And if I press this little button, your life will end."
"No!" Coen managed in a panicked tone, trying to reach up and grab the device, only to have Joel quickly step back.
"Now, now, no need to worry." Joel smiled. "As long as you help me, I won't kill you."
"Help y-?"
"That's right." Joel said as he lifted up his arm with the Huntsclan tattoo on it, the sleeve sliding down. "The Mark of the Huntsclan. You gave it to me, and now, as payback, you're going to help me create my own army of Huntsclan."
"Why me?" Coen managed.
"Because..." Joel's smile widened. "...You're smart. I'm actually quite thankful that you turned out to be a dragon. You can help me. You will help me, now that you have no choice..."
END FLASHBACK
"So, he did help me." Joel smiled.
"And then you killed him..." Rose responded with a scowl still on her face.
"The two-faced low-life was a liar." Joel shrugged. "He lied to all of those people to cover his scales. He was a hypocrite and he purposely marked me for life." Once again, he held up his hand that had the black Huntsclan mark.
"He was just a kid, Joel." Rose told him. "Kids can be mean. I would assume that after he saw how you were treated, he would act like a sheep and join in making you feel bad to protect himself. Besides, you were worse. You FORCED him into servitude and then you MURDERED him."
"Do you really think that I would have released him?" Joel raised an eyebrow. "He outlived his usefulness, as you have as well..."
Hearing this, Rose's eyes widened and she gasped in surprise as she saw Joel lift up his arm, his claws aimed at Rose. With a growl, he started to run toward Rose.
With her eyes wide, Rose could hear footsteps from behind her, the living Huntsclan mark running toward her with one of its clawed hands out, aiming for her back.
Narrowing her eyes, Rose turned to the side as quickly as she could and then jumped, hitting the floor belly-first just as she heard grunting coming from Joel. Slowly getting to her knees and then to her feet, Rose turned around to see that Joel and the living Huntsclan mark had failed to stop after Rose had jumped to safety.
The two were standing close to each other, the living Huntsclan mark's sharp claws planted in Joel's chest, while Joel's claws were also in the chest of the living Huntsclan mark. His eyes wide with shock, Joel opened his mouth and released two gasps/grunts before he fell back onto the floor, the living Huntsclan mark falling with him and landing on top of him, both slain.
LINE BREAK
Returning to where Savannah had been left in her human form, Rose found that Savannah was in her human form, sitting up with a human Cherri and a human Lista at each of her sides.
Finally reaching Savannah, Rose knelt down and sat on her knees. "Hey." Savannah said.
"You okay?" Rose asked.
"We found her unconscious." Cherri said.
"I know." Rose nodded once. "Joel knocked her out when he and his creation returned."
"Joel's back?" Cherri asked.
"Where is he?" Savannah asked.
"He's dead." Rose said. "They're both dead."
"Where is he?" Savannah repeated.
"In the crypt."
"Are you sure he's dead?" Savannah asked.
"They both have each other's claws in their chests." Rose said. "I think it's pretty safe to assume that they're both dead."
LINE BREAK
Sometime later, Rose was lying on her bed in her room, staring up at the ceiling, sighing. However, she turned her head to the side when she heard the door open, watching Savannah walk inside in her dragon form.
"What are you doing in your dragon form?" Rose asked.
"I think a better question is why aren't you in your dragon form." Savannah said with a smile on her face as she put her clawed hands on her hips.
"I'm...bored?" Rose suggested.
"Well, how about we solve that?" Savannah asked. "We were going to go searching before Joel attacked. You still up for it?"
Savannah exited Rose's room in her dragon form with a smile on her face, followed by Rose, who was also in her dragon form. "Let's go find that guy..." Savannah said encouragingly as the two of them started to walk side-by-side.
BLACKOUT; END EPISODE
A/N: Yeah, I know it's short, but I am so glad to be done with this season. This is definitely my least favorite of the seasons so far and it feels great to be done. Well, here's hoping that Season Five is much better. However, you'll be seeing the second Chinese Dragon "film" before you see Season Five. Oh, and please leave a review.