Hey people! *ducks to avoid a veggie pelting* No, you're not seeing things, I FINALLY posted a new chapter! I'd like to thank Mike and Anna for their help, and they helped alot with this chapter (Mike actually wrote most of it). So, Thanks guys! :D Let me know what you think, and here's hoping my next update won't take over a month....

Fireheart

Chapter 11:

Jake's Return

One hour earlier....

The moment that Lao Shi stepped through the door to his shop, he knew there was something out of place. All but one light in the shop had been turned off, casting the entire room into deep shadow. A sudden chill crept down the old man's spine, the hairs on the back of his neck standing straight up. There was defiantly something wrong here...

Gramps slowly made his way into the room, tense and alert. It was only after he'd shut the door behind him that he noticed the pair of glowing red eyes that stared out at him from the darkness.

"Show yourself." he growled.

"Come on now, Gramps, is that anyway to greet your Grandson?" said a voice. Jake Long stepped out of the shadows.

A sneer crossed the boy's face as he registered Lao Shi's disbelief, the look vanished as quick as it came as Jake's body was engulfed in blue flame. In only a second, the boy, now a dragon, lunged at his grandfather, going straight for him...

As Jake came at him, the elder Dragon's instincts took over. He went full dragon and dodged to one side just as Jake landed right where he'd been a moment before. Jake came at him again, but this time he was ready, he blocked the young dragon's attack and knocked him backward with a spinning kick. Jake went crashing into the wall, but was on his feet in an instant.

Jake sidestepped cautiously, looking for a weak point in his Grandfather's stance. Lao Shi countered by sidestepping himself, careful to keep the most distance possible between them. All the while the look of disbelief grew ever more evident on his face. "Jake," Gramps asked pleadingly, "Why are you doing this? What has happened to you?"

Jake spat a fireball in reply. In one swift motion the old dragon spun and swatted the flame away with his tail, ignoring the singe marks it left. Jake seized the opportunity and moved in, claws raised, but the elder was quicker than he thought and he reversed the spin just as Jake reached him, catching his claws and locking the two combatants in a deadly test of strength. "I have a new master now, old man!" he laughed. "I guess you could say I've seen the light, in a manner of speaking."

"No!" Lao Shi cried, out of both sadness and anger.

Jake's larger Dragon form was overtaking his Grandfather's now. Lao Shi struggled against the weight, groaning as he was pused closer and closer to the unforgiving floor. "Oh, yes. My master is an old friend of yours, actually." Jake continued the taunt, "In fact, he wanted me to give you something..." Jake's head tilted back as if he planned to headbutt Gramps, but Lao Shi knew what was coming, and when his Grandson's head came into view again a torrent of flame burst from his muzzle.

The elder dragon retaliated with a blast of his own fire, still careful to avoid harming his student. But Lao Shi knew he was growing weaker, he only had one chance. Being careful to isolate his head so as not to lose his fire powers, Gramps rapidly returned to his human form. The change in weight and size was enough to throw Jake off and the boy stumbled head-first to the floor. Just as quickly, the old man was a dragon once more, but feeling weak, and knowing that his Grandson would be up in seconds, Lao Shi leaped for the relative safety of the rafters above.

"Where are ya' Gramps?" Jake called in that same malevolent voice minutes later, "Are you scared of your wittle bitty Grandson?" he taunted.

"I'm right here." growled a voice. Jake whirled around, to see Gramps standing behind him. But before the old dragon could move, a blast of fire shot from Jake's mouth! Lao Shi ducked, barely avoiding the blast. A blood-curdling roar came from over Jake's head, he stopped flaming and quickly looked up. Gramps had jumped out of the rafters and was coming down head first and claws outstretched, straight at Jake.

Jake's look of surprise quickly turned into a sneer. He didn't try to dodge as the elder dragon fell towards him. Instead he raised his claw so that it was facing Gramps palm out, and as he did so, electricity crackled around it. A huge lightening bolt shot from Jake's upraised claw! It struck Lao Shi square in the head, but the old dragon shimmered and vanished in a wisp of Chi energy. Too late, Jake realized his mistake and whirled around to find Gramps almost on top of him. Jake quickly blasted a fireball at the old dragon. Caught off guard, the blast struck Lao Shi in the chest and knocked him backwards. Jake followed through with another lightening bolt that blasted his grandfather into the back room and into a supply shelf.

Lao Shi dropped to the floor, winded. Before he could recover, another blast of lightening struck the self over his head, sending it crashing down and pinning the old dragon where he lay. Jake entered the room as Gramps struggled to free himself. The young Dragon's body was again engulfed in blue flame and replaced by that of a teenage boy, though he made sure to retain his deadly dragon claws as he stalked toward the old dragon.

"How'd you like me now, old timer?" sneered the boy. He held a claw up to Lao Shi's face as lightening crackled around it. Jake seemed pleased at the look of shock on the old dragon's face as he stared at that claw.

"How- how did you?..." Gramps couldn't believe what he was seeing. His own grandson, wielding lightening. Gramps had certainly never taught him that.

"Like it?" asked Jake, mildly amused, "It's a little something I picked up from my new Master, and soon I will have even greater power! The Dark Dragon has promised that I will rule at his side once his plan is complete!"

"If you truly believe that." said Lao Shi, sternly looking Jake straight in the eyes, "Then you are a fool. He is only using you to gain power. Once you have served your purpose he will destroy you!" He stared hard into Jake's eyes, praying that his grandson would see reason and come out of this madness. In desperation, Lao Shi clutched weakly at the sleeve of his slayer, of his grandson.

The boy's sneer only grew more prominent as he watched the old man beg. He held the crackling claw poised over his victim's chest. "Goodbye, Grandfather" he whispered, and pressed the claw hard to Lao Shi's chest.

The old man's body seized and convulsed violently as electricity surged through his veins. His hands clenched and unclenched involuntarily and tore free of their hold on Jake's sleeve. Jake Long never blinked as he watched the old man die, but when it was over he knelt only for a second to admire his handiwork before reclaiming his Dragon form and leaving behind the place that had, for so long, been a home to him.