Hey, everyone! It's time for the fourth and final installment of this fic. I know I said the last one was the last, but... I screwed up. Oops. So, I hope at least SOMEONE got the little "puzzle" right, and congrats if you did! So, here is the last (Really, this time) chapter! Enjoy!
"The Many Tails of Mamas Lyoli: The Revelation"
YFWE
Grandpa flew quickly toward his victim. What was it? He knew. He flew past the bull... the pig... the stallion... towards... the hyena. Grandpa ran full force into the hyena, knocking it a few feet backwards. It had not been prepared. Suddenly, all the other animals disappeared, and the hyena changed back into Mamas Lyoli.
"How... did you... know?", she struggled, out of breath after being dealt such a huge blow.
Grandpa smiled. "You thought that I wouldn't figure it out eventually? It was easy, once that I knew what needed to be done." And so he explained it. (Just as I shall do now, in case if anyone has no clue how this happened. Ok, we'll use the bull-giraffe matchup as an example. Take the first and last letter of bull. You get "B", and "L". Now the next part is something I just learned this year in freshman math 1. B is letter number 2 in the alphabet. There are 26 letters in the alphabet, and each letter gets the number that corresponds to its place in the alphabet. Now, in coding, there's always a coding process. This one's is "add 5." Add 5 to 2, and you get 7. (Very good!) What is the seventh letter in the alphabet? "G". Now, take the "L". The code here is "subtract 7." L is number 12. Subtract 7 from 12, and you get 5. The fifth letter in the alphabet is "E". So you have G and E. This is where it might've got confusing. An animal name who's first letter and last letter matches that is "giraffe". And bingo. That's how I did it. Try it with any of the others; it will work. The only thing I can say is, if you have, say, the letter "Z", which is 26, and you add, then you simply begin back at the beginning after you get past 26, and vice versa. Ok, I hope that cleared things up and I hope that you are not to confused to continue reading.)
"Very good, Lao", said Mamas, straightening herself up, "I was definitely hoping that I could hold off a little longer, but you can't always get what you want. Ah, it matters not, for I am sure that Natalie has found the stone already, and the shapeshifter dynasty shall soon be reborn!"
"That is what I am afraid of", Grandpa whispered under his breath. "Jake, please tell me you've found Natalie."
(End)
"Damnit, where is she?" Jake had not found her yet. He had been looking for a raven. Was she still in raven form, though? The other end of the spectrum was what concerned Jake. Could she have become another animal? It was likely. She would've known that at least someone would try to find her. Why make it easy?
"So, what are my options here?", Jake asked himself, "I could... keep looking, go home, or try and remember where Mamas Lyoli had said that the stone might be at." He tried to think. "Think, man, think. Where'd you see her last?" He had seen her... flying away from them, towards the streets. It had been right by Spirits, the nightclub/disco that his parents sometimes went to (and also the scene of the fight against Jake and Harry Jefferson in "The Friends My Dad Had"). But why would Natalie be going to Spirits? No kids under 18! He quickly flew off in its direction.
Spirits was closed. As it usually was during a Saturday afternoon, as they got ready for their big party hosted by DJ TerraNova(heh, sorry, I had to put someone's name in there, so why not:D) from 94.5. Jake peered inside. There were many people in there, but no Natalie. Tired, Jake leaned against the stone wall. As he did so, he carefully observed his surroundings. There seemed to be no place that would be housing any stones out in the open, let alone a magical one with an "S" on it. All but admitting defeat, Jake turned to walk back down the street. Maybe Grandpa had better luck.
"Woof, woof", barked an obnoxiously obese dog from beside him. Jake, although not exactly an animal lover, decided to pet it... maybe to make him feel better. He did, and the dog simply walked away.
It was an awkward moment.
Jake watched the big dog walk away, and then caught a glimpse of... the sewer lid. It was partially open. Which was common, except for two things. One, there were no cones around it to tell drivers it was open. It was a wonder no one had run over it yet. And two, there was a single black feather, one that seemed to belong to a bird such as a raven, lying on top of the lid. The sewers led to... well, actually, Jake had no clue. But with clues like this, there was no way he could pass it up. So, making sure no one was able to see him, he slipped under the lid, closing it as he went.
(End)
Jake seemed to fly for hours through the damp and dark sewers. He was in dragon form now, as he did not want to have to walk through the grimy water. But soon enough, he reached the end of the tunnel. He was outside. Looking around, he noticed that he was quite a ways from New York. Looking ahead, he saw a small island. He'd heard about it before. Something like... Columbus Island. Could this be where Natalie had gone. He soon knew the answer. All over the island, was scattered many different stones, of all shapes and sizes. This was it.
He looked around. He didn't see anyone. He just saw... stones. He sulkily remembered when he had to lick the peanut butter off all the easter eggs to find the gryphon egg, (see episode "The Egg") and hoped that this wouldn't be the same. But unfortunately, it looked as if it would be that way.
So Jake figured he'd better get looking. But there were thousands of them! And darkness was coming. He only had about an hour. "Oh, why does Grandpa have to hate shapeshifters so much?", he asked himself, "I mean, how do I know that these are the right stones? Natalie had been headed this way, but..."
"How'd you know I was here?", asked a mystified voice behind him. It was Natalie, of course. And in human form. "You didn't follow me to begin with; how'd you know?"
"I found a raven feather leading down to the sewers", Jake said, proud of himself. At least he knew he was in the right place.
"Well, that's cool. Now if you'll excuse me", she turned toward the island, "I have a stone to find."
"Even if it will take a while for you to find it anyway, I still can't let you find it".
Natalie sighed, "C'mon, Jake! It's not like I'm gonna do anything! Mamas says as soon as we get the stone, we're leaving this city. It's not like we'll be any threat to New York!"
"Sorry, Natalie. Gramps's orders. It's not like I hate shapeshifters. Which reminds me", he continued, "How long have you been..."
"With these powers?" Only about two months. About a week after the whole mixup with Brad and thinking he was the dragon... when all that time it was you...", she stared intently at him, "Why DID you save me that night?"
Jake mildly laughed. "Kinda my job. Usually I just protect magical creatures. But this time... it was just too hard to pass up! I mean, Huntsgirl wasn't letting you out of that building, and as much as I don't really hate her (as I should... I hate this), she's my enemy. As you are now, I guess.":
Natalie sighed again, "You know... as much as I like these powers, maybe... it isn't all worth it. I mean, my life was just fine before Mamas came... and I found out I was a shapeshifter. I'd miss the life I have here at home. I'm not so sure if...", she looked up at Jake, "Jake, I know the stone's here! Let's find it, and then you can take it and give it to whoever you need to. I can live without these powers. I know that it might not sit well with Mamas... but it's not like she's the only shapeshifter left in this world. So, are you with me?"
Jake was surprised. Natalie was actually going to go against her grandmother's wishes... and not keep her powers? "Y'know, I smell a fight comin'", Jake said, "But until then, let's do this."
(End)
"So you see, Lao. Natalie will have found it by now, and the legacy will be reborn!", exclaimed Mamas Lyoli, "Your boy Jake... he doesn't stand a chance! He has no clue where she's gone!"
Grandpa growled. "I wouldn't be so sure, Mamas. How about you take me there, and we can settle this one on one? Winner keeps the stone. Loser... doesn't mess with the affairs of the other. Ever again. So what do you say to that?"
Mamas thought about it for awhile. "Hm, yes, I guess that it would be fitting...", and she changed into a raven again. "If you trust me, follow me!" And she flew away.
"I don't trust you", Grandpa whispered, "But it seems I have no choice."
(End)
"Well, this sucks", said Jake as they continued to search for the stone, "Are you sure it's here?"
"Positive", Natalie said, "Wait, is this it?" She stepped back, so she wouldn't touch it. Jake came over to it, and picked it up. "That looks more like a "Z"", he said, pointing to the small mark on the stone, "Maybe it's a decoy?"
"What? That's an S!", Natalie exclaimed, "Can't you... oh yeah. Never mind!" They both sighed. This could take a while.
Suddenly, they heard the faint calling of a bird... a raven?
Yes, a raven. It was Mamas Lyoli. And behind her... a dragon. Grandpa.
"Mamas! And your Grandpa! What're we gonna do?", asked Natalie in fear, "I can't just tell her that I'm not gonna obey her!"
"I'm thinkin', I'm thinkin'!", Jake yelled. But he had no idea what to do. Unless if Grandpa and Jake could fight her, and get Natalie to help as well...
"Natalie!", called Mamas as she reverted back to human, "Tell me you've found it!"
"Uh...", Natalie stuttered, "Not really..."
"Then what are you waiting for? Hurry!"
Grandpa landed beside Jake, kicking up dust and a few stones as he landed. "So... has it been found?", he whispered. Jake shook his head. "Wait, is this it?", Grandpa asked.
"No. That's a Z, not an S."
"Oh. Sorry."
Tired, Jake stared at the ground. There was no way it would be found. And they hadn't even looked at the spot where Mamas Lyoli was. If she found it... wait, a second! What was that? He looked at one of the stones Grandpa had kicked up. "Grandpa, look", he whispered. It was the stone. Small enough that someone might overlook it. The S, that is.
"That's it!", Grandpa whispered as soft as he could, "Now we must..."
"Grandpa! Before we get outta here... I just wanted to tell you... Natalie is kinda on our side now! She wants to turn against Mamas!"
"Really?", Grandpa exclaimed, a little too loud.
"Really... what?", asked Mamas, "Hey, what's that you've got there?" She walked over, and upon seeing the stone, her eyes widened quickly. "There it is!", and she quickly became the raven, and snatched it away before Grandpa or Jake could do a thing.
"Haha! Finally! Thanks for your help, Lao. But I must be off! Come, Natalie!"
"But you said... we'd fight for it! Winner take all!", exclaimed Grandpa.
"Well... sometimes, you've got to make some bargains, eh? Natalie, come on!"
But Natalie was frozen in place. "No... I'm not coming."
Jake smiled. She'd finally gotten it out of her system. Unfortunately, he knew that this was not going to sit well with Mamas Lyoli.
"You... what?", she yelled, "After all I've given to you, all we've been through, you're going to leave it all? And not touch the stone?"
Natalie shook her head, although not looking up at her grandmother.
"Oh, oh, you will touch the stone! I will personally see to it that you will!", and she flew towards Natalie, who tried to duck out of the way. Unfortunately, the stone barely touched the side of her hand.
"No!", cried Natalie. She fell to her hands and knees. Everyone watched as she was surrounded by a brilliant white glow, and then suddenly began changing shapes rapidly. One second, she was herself. Next, a raven. Then a wolf. A horse. She must've changed shapes a hundred times. Finally, she stopped.
She still looked the same. Only she was breathing heavily. And the white glow that surrounded her now resided in her eyes.
"It is done", Mamas said, smiling wryly. "Now our legacy shall continue, forever!"
"N-no...", Natalie struggled, her eyes losing its brightness. "I won't. Just because... I have these powers forever, doesn't... mean I'll use them... for what you want."
"Oh, but see that's where you're wrong", Mamas said. She became human again, and reached into her pocket, and pulled out Pancho's Ivermase wand. "Ivermase... their kind are so... incapable. Incapable of knowing what they could really do. What their full potential with these wands are. And I, for one, happen to know what some of that "Potential" is." She raised the wand, pointing it at Natalie. "Novako!", she yelled. (Heh... that's the name of my band director: with an extra "o" added. :) ), and a beam of dark energy shot at Natalie. Jake, later on, said that he would've dived, but figured he'd miss anyway, because that happened often. (See "Friend My Dad Had") Natalie fell to the ground once more, shutting her eyes, before opening them again, this time to reveal darkness instead of light. She stood up, and faced Grandpa and Jake. She seemed to have no life in her. She was like...a robot.
"Heh heh, this is wonderful", Mamas snickered.
"What did you do to her?", exclaimed Jake, taking a step toward Natalie. But he figured it was for the best to stay away.
"Novako...", Mamas started, "It is such a deadly weapon. It is, in effect, the only magic I really like to use. It, when directed at a certain person, makes that person completely under the control of the person that first said it. I was wondering if Natalie would try to turn against me, as have two others when I attempted to put them through this. One happened to be her mother. Unfortunately, I was never able to close the deal with her. I figured if her mother had pulled this, she might too. And now", she continued, "If I can control her long enough to get into her head that this is what's supposed to be done, then she will continue our family! And as my first order of business, it will involve... destroying you! Natalie! Forward!"
Natalie, this time, obeyed. She began walking toward the two, eyes blank, no emotion.
She was getting closer. "Grandpa... what do we do?", Jake asked. He didn't want to have to fight Natalie, but... what could he do?
But Grandpa didn't seem phased by this. "Simple", he said, "Natalie, although controlled by Mamas Lyoli, is still a novice when it comes to fighting and shapeshifting both. You take Natalie. Do not hurt her. Much. I will go for Mamas. We have... unfinished business to settle. Plus, if we can't defeat her, then Natalie will no longer be under her control. Now, let's do this. "Newlyweds" will be on tonight, and I would rather not miss it."
Jake looked at Grandpa funny, shrugged his shoulders, and began toward Natalie.
"DRAGON UP!", he yelled, and once he was a full dragon, hesitated. Natalie was still human. He couldn't attack her! Somehow, she would have to make the first move.
Meanwhile, Grandpa and Mamas had begun to go at it. Mamas had taken the form of a bengal tiger.
"Mamas", Grandpa exclaimed, "This is not right! Do not keep her against her will! Even if she ill always have her shapeshifting powers, that does not mean that she needs to use them for evil!"
"Oh, but that is entirely what she will use it for!", replied Mamas. (It was strange to see a tiger talking, by the way) "Our legacy will continue! It must!"
Jake was watching this whole fight, as Natalie didn't seem to be doing anything. Why? He didn't know. But what Jake didn't understand was, why wouldn't she be? Unless if... oh wait, that was it! Natalie needed an order from Mamas! Maybe she wouldn't give an order, and there wouldn't be a fight!
Unfortunately, a few seconds later, Mamas called out, "Natalie! Fight him! Wolf!" And Natalie obeyed, becoming a wolf. She was a little more colorful as a wolf, snarling before leaping at Jake.
The fight was on.
(End. There's a fight between this, but I'm lazy and I suck at writing about fighting. So, I'm gonna skip all that. Ok.)
After a while, everyone was at a draw. All tired, no real clear winner.
Grandpa was breathing heavily. How could he beat Mamas? Then he had an idea. He looked beyond Mamas... and saw Pancho's wand. That was how she was controlling Natalie. If he could get it, then the three of them could team up against Mamas.
It could work. It would have to.
"C-come on, Mamas...", Grandpa coaxed, "Too tired?"
The tiger that was Mamas growled, and leapt toward Grandpa. With amazing grace, he jumped over her, and toward the wand. "No!", screamed Mamas, and started toward him. But she was too late, as Grandpa picked it up... and snapped it in half.
"NOOO!", Mamas screamed again. Natalie, in wolf form, was suddenly taken aback, falling to the ground (damn... this girl falls a lot, don't she?). She reverted back to human form, and revealed that the darkness in her eyes was gone.
"Natalie... you okay?", Jake asked, concerned and hopeful she wasn't under Mamas's control anymore.
"Let's.. get... her", she mustered up. Jake smiled. Finally.
"Mamas!", Grandpa yelled triumphantly "It seems that you are outnumbered! So are you ready to turn yourself in?"
Mamas seemed to think about it, but soon said, "Yes. I'd like to end this now."
Everyone seemed to be very glad for this.
(End)
"So... where is she now?", asked Fu the next day. All of them, excluding Mamas Lyoli, was back at Grandpa's house.
"The Council is looking into a punishment. They've been looking for her for years. Fu, do you remember Sharon Reynolds?"
"Your business partner that disappeared a long time ago? Sure."
"Well, that was Mamas. She's been on the run for a while now. But now they've finally caught her", and he turned to Jake and Natalie, "And we couldn't have done it without either of you. Thank you!"
"No problem", Jake said. "Natalie, do you think... you need to be getting home?"
"Well, yes. They probably figured I've just been with my grandma (which, in effect, she had ), so they shouldn't be too mad."
"That's cool. And what about... you know, knowing that I'm a dragon and all... you won't..."
"Tell anyone? Of course not! As long as you don't tell anyone I'm a shapeshifter!"
"Deal", Jake said. They shook on it.
"Well, goodbye, Natalie", Grandpa said, "I hope you may help us one day."
"Yeah... maybe. We'll see. Thanks for everything, Lao." And she and Jake left.
"Wow, I am so tired", Grandpa yawned, "Think I will turn in". But before he could, his phone rang.
"Aw... who could that be?", he asked himself as he picked it up. "Hello?"
"Lao Shei? Hello. Pancho here, from the department store. Was inquiring about a wand that was stolen from me. Any idea what happened to it?"
END CHAPTER
Whew. Finally finished it. Took a while, but I'm glad. Now I get to focus on my new "Dragon in Paradise" story! Maybe we'll see Natalie again sometime... but I can tell you that Mamas Lyoli will unlikely be seen anymore. Okay, R&R, and look for an update on Paradise soon.
YFWE
The characters Mamas Lyoli, Natalie Portman, and Pancho are all owned by YourFavoriteWriterEver. Do not use these characters without the consent of the author. The same goes with storylines.