"I should probably start off by saying that Drago took Katherine's death much better than I did...Nevertheless her death

was devastating to both of us...But since I was the father, I had to be stong for both our sakes. The first month was the

hardest. But I'm digressing...It was just after Drago's sixth birthday, which as I said, was three months after her death."

"I thought it was five..." Drago muttered to himself, inaudiable to the others, "oh well..."

Shendu continued, not having heard him.

" It was late afternoon, and Drago was watching the blasted Power Rangers show he use to like so much..."


Drago stared at the TV, watching the Red Ranger fight one of the monsters. Shendu sat at the Kitchen table in the

next room. He rubbed his temple, his head throbbing.

"Drago, Would you turn that thing down?!" He asked, snapping.

Drago looked over at him from his spot on the couch, suprised by his fathers tone. He sighed and turned down the

volume, drawing his legs up to his chest, his tail curled around his feet.

"Sorry, dad..."

Shendu sighed, he stood and walked over the couch, taking a seat next to Drago He put a hand on his shoulder. Drago

looked up at him, not quite wanting to meet his eyes.

Shendu squeezed his shoulder, "I apologize... I don't mean to be short with you boy, it's just-"

" I know..." Drago said , "I miss her too...It's lonely without Mom..."

Shendu studied Drago for a minute or two, he seemed deep in thought.

"Drago..."

"Yeah Dad?"

"I think you need a companion...How would you feel about...getting a pet?"

Drago's eyes widened a bit "A pet? Really?"

"I don't see why not...you're old enough, I think..." Shendu said the corner of his mouth twitching upwards a bit at

seeing the little glint in his eye.


"Of course getting Drago a pet proved to be easier said than done... I first tried getting him a goldfish. Something simple.

unfortunately, he accidentally ended up boiling the thing...

"Then we got a Cat... I won't tell you what happened to the cat... The dog was...a little more successful...Up until Drago

caught the Flu..."

Jamie winced. Dozens of pictures forming in her mind of what THAT could mean. Drago scratched the top of Gary's head.

"Look who's talking, Turtle eater."

"Turtle eater?" Tchang Zu Asked, raising an eyebrow.

Shendu cleared his throat,"Yes well...After the dog I got him a turtle. Everything went splendidly, until-"

"You stepped on him," Drago said with a frown, "And then you cooked him in soup!"

"Well, there was no point in wasting good meat, turtle is a delicacy," Shendu said matter of factly. It was obvious they had

gone over this subject a lot.

"Anyway," Shendu said, "After the initial failures...I decided to get him something more suitable for someone with demon blood

running through their veins..."


Shendu skimmed through a large book.

"Mmm...No, not that...Grr, not that either..."

He closed the book, placing it aside, growling frustratedly, "There's got to be something that-"

he looked down at his hand as he felt something tickling the skin of his human disguise. It was a house spider. He raised up his hand,

bringing it close to his face. Up close, it appeared very reminded him of something...

Suddenly, his eyes flashed as an idea popped into his head

"That's it..." he hissed to himself, a smirk on his lips, he glanced at the spider again, "congraduations, you've just won the right to keep

scurrying around rather than be steped on..."

000000ooooo000000

Shendu made a few phone calls. And After a few threats and paying off a few indiviuals whos names were quickly forgotten, Shendu

managaed to obtain what he was looking for. He opened up the glass box it has been stored in. A little blue glass box with intricate

gold designs, and reached in. He held up his rat talisman as he looked at the shriveled, round object in his hand. "Life to the lifeless...

motion to the motionless...."

He squeezed the talisman, focusing the flow of power into the little orb, which swelled and softened, becoming as round as an orange

and with nearly the same texture. He smirked again

"Perfect...Drago, come here."

Drago, who had been in the other room poked his head in

"What is it?"

"He held up the object, "Here."

Drago looked the little object, " what is it?"

"A zhī zhū egg. And I can guarantee you that there is no conceivable way that the creature in the egg can be killed by fire or your strength."

Drago looked doubtful, but very carefully took the egg from his father.

"Trust me," Shendu said, "When I ruled China, there were quite a few of those things, and I can vouch for their endurance."

Drago inhaeled deeply, "Alright Dad...if you say so. I trust you."


"So...Drago hatched it? what'd he do, sit on it like a bird?" Hsi Wu asked, laughing

Drago rolled his eyes, "No, genious, I used a heat lamp like normal people...well, except for the time the bulb blew out and I had to

use my hands to keep it warm..."

Shendu gave a small smirk,"He was a very caring, doting caretaker of that egg from the moment he got it."

"Oh, shut up..." Drago said facepalming as Tchang Zu snickered

"Hmm, what a suprise..." Bai Tsa said, "Continue with the story Shendu."


Drago placed the egg in a cardboard box, layering the bottom and sides with socks, and a blue t-shirt. He pulled his lamp closer and

shone it right on the sat there and watched it.

000000ooooo000000

4 weeks later....

000000ooooo000000

Drago lay on his bed, taking a nap, as he always did in the evening. The egg in it's box shifted, moving just a fraction; a scraping noise came

from inside.

Drago sat up, yawning. He looked over, catching the egg wiggle again. He scrambled out of his bed, jumping over to the box sitting on the

top of his dresser. The egg wiggled again, Drago bounced with delight as it began moving back and forth repeatedly, it's movements faster.

"DAD! QUICK! IT'S HATCHING!" Drago yelled excitedly.

Shendu entered the room calmly, he glanced at egg and stood next to Drago, " Alright, alright, I'm here," he said as Drago pulled him over

to the dresser to watch the egg hatch. Drago leaned forward expectantly.

The egg rocked back and forth violently, cracks appearing, moments later a thin hairy leg broke through the shell, followed by two others.

there was a chirping sound and the whole creature broke free of it's confines, damp and trembly. It was a spider about the size of a goliath

bird eating tarantula, only with longer legs.

Drago stared at it for a moment

"Cool!" he said, bursting into a grin.

Shendu picked up the over-grown spiderling and examined it

"Let's see..."

He stretched out iit's legs one by one, flipping it over onto it's stomach

"It's male...it's legs are average for a newborn, it's eyes are properly developed..."

Shendu was unprepared when the creature panicked, shooting silk in his face, covering it like extremely thin silly string.

Drago bit his bottom lip, trying very hard not to laugh. Shendu stiffly handed the zhī zhū out to Drago

"Here," he said, wiping the webbing off his face in mild annoyance.

000000ooooo000000

The baby zhī zhū relaxed the moment Drago took it. Drago stroked it's back, the fuz coating it was very soft. He even turned

the spider over and stroked it's underside. He noticed the peculiar g-shaped reddish marking.

"So, What are you going to name it?" Shendu asked once he'd rid himself of the last of the silk clinging to his face.

Drago studied the little marking a moment loger before letting his new pet roll back rightside up.

"I think I'll call him...Gary."

Shendu made a face almost like a wince

"Gary?" he asked.

Drago looked up at him questioningly, "WHat's wrong with 'Gary'?"

Shendu shook his head " Nothing...it's your pet...you name him what you wish..."

Drago smiled and turned back to his pet

"Gary it is then " he said proudly, He beamed up at his father, "Let's go find something for him to eat!"


Shendu cracked his neck. "Drago had Gary for nearly three years. By then Gary was about the size of a large dog. We kept him

strictly indoors until one day Gary accidently got out an open window...We searched for him for nearly three weeks. I even used

a locater spell, but all we found was the dried up remains of an exoskeleton. Until today, we never saw him again..." Shendu said

ending the story

"The End" Hsi Wu added.