Hey all! Sorry for another long wait for an update. It's been hectic around here with school and all. I really like this chapter. It was really fun to write. I think it may be my favorite so far. Anyway, hopefully it won't take me as long to update the next addition!

For my wonderful reviewers:

CelloSolo2007—Thank you so much; you're so sweet! And about your hunch, I guess you're just going to have to wait for another update to find out if you're right or not. :)

Worker72—Thanks for reviewing! I think maybe one or two of your questions that you asked previously was answered in this chapter, but your other questions will hopefully be answered soon. :)

KrazieShadowNinja—Thanks! Yeah, I can see how updating can be challenging with a schedule like yours. Band takes up a lot of your time; I would know. :) My band's uniforms were about the same, but my uniform changed every year. I was in the color guard, so I didn't really play an instrument. I've always wanted to learn how to play the snare drum though. It seems like a lot of fun. As for band shirts—I have seven; two every year until my senior year when we only received one. I'd be here for a while explaining them all to you, and I'm sure you would rather read the next chapter. I'd love to read what yours looks like though. :)

horseluver101—Thanks for reviewing! Here's the next chapter. :)

Chapter 5

Jake and Nic walked out of the shop with scowls on their faces. Neither of them said a word to each other, but already Nic was beginning to grow on Jake's nerves. The boy had no idea where they were going yet he insisted on leading, and he did it effortlessly too because of his much longer legs. Jake did find some satisfaction, however, watching the pretentious boy make all the wrong turns and have to retrace his steps back to Jake, because the young dragon refused to tell him otherwise. After about the fourth time of this happening, and Nic discovering a smug expression on Jake's face when he found him again, Nic finally broke the silence between them.

"Listen…uh, what was it? Jake?" Nic began rather rudely. Jake's expression hardened while Nic sneered. "I realize you don't like me, for reasons I'm sure your naivety has affected you, but I'm the one in danger so do you think you could do your job and make sure that I don't get hurt—or lost for that matter."

"Man, whatever," Jake replied in a voice just as vicious. "You aren't hurt yet, and as for getting lost, if you would take your nose out of the clouds and follow me since I actually know where my house is, maybe, just maybe, you won't get lost." The boys glared at each other for a moment until Jake finally took a step in the direction of his house.

"Besides," Jake added over his shoulder, "I knew where you were every time you wandered off, so don't give me any of that 'do your job' crap."

Nic stood there and watched Jake walk a good distance ahead of him before he started to follow him. When he saw Jake walk up the steps to one of the similar looking houses that surrounded them, he sped up so he wouldn't be locked out. As he walked up the same steps Jake had, he heard Jake's voice through the slightly opened door.

"We're here, mom. I'm going to bed." Nic slipped inside the house to see Jake's back disappear around the right corner of the upstairs. Nic looked around the room of what seemed to be a sitting room unsure of what to do. He noticed that the larger sitting place had blankets and a rectangular white thing on it.

Suddenly a woman, presumably Jake's mom, came into the room.

"Hi!" she said warmly. "Well, come in, come in. I'm sorry we don't have a guest room or another bed to make your stay more comfortable, but I've made you a bed on the couch." She smiled and gestured towards the blankets and the sitting place.

"Oh, don't worry about it, Mrs. Long. I usually just sleep on the ground."

"Oh, right, of course. I forgot," she said, a little embarrassed at her ignorance. "So, can I get you anything?"

"Um… well, I kind of… uh, need to be… taken outside?"

"Oh! No, we use toilets, and now that you're human, you will have to use one too. Come on, I'll lead to the bathroom."

"You use a room where you bathe to… go?"

"We don't use that area of the room. The toilet is usually on the other side. It's just what the room is called," she explained as she led him to the door. "I'll be in the kitchen, and don't forget to wash your hands." Nic looked at the strange objects in the room and then gave Mrs. Long a confused and helpless stare. She pointed around the room of what everything was, told him to pull down on the handle to flush the toilet after he was finished, and then to turn on and off the water from the sink by twisting the right knob with a 'C' on it. She didn't want him to burn himself with the hot water.

"Then, just put some soap on your hands, rub them together, rinse them off, and dry them with this towel," she concluded as she closed the door leaving Nic to do his business. When he came back into the sitting room, he found a little girl around age eight or nine with her black hair in pig-tails sitting on his bed.

"Who're you?" she asked.

"Uh… Nic," he replied hesitantly.

"Nic what?" she inquired.

"I don't understand the question."

"Oh," she said as if she understood the problem. "You must be one of my brother's friends. He's not very smart either."

"Excuse me? My mentality surpasses your own on many levels. It's in my blood to know as much as I possibly can."

"But you can't understand a simple question? Yep, you sound like a genius to me," she said sarcastically then added, "Good bloodline."

"That's enough, Hailey. You should be in bed, anyway," Mrs. Long scolded. Hailey smiled innocently and made her way back upstairs to her room. Mrs. Long turned to Nic.

"If you're going to school with Jake tomorrow, I suggest you go to sleep as well."

"Yeah, okay," he said as he climbed into the many blankets and closed his eyes.

XXXXX

Huntsgirl stood with her arms crossed as she gazed around the darkened room. She had been waiting there for almost a half an hour and was growing impatient. At long last, she felt a cold shiver down her spine indicating the arrival of the company she was waiting for.

"What do you want?" asked an irritated but clever voice.

"I need you to extract information from the American Dragon," Huntsgirl said determinedly.

"Am I actually allowed to kill him yet?"

"Of course not," she spat. "That task is mine and mine alone. The American Dragon and I have been through too many battles for me to just pass him off onto another. He has showed me up more times than I would have liked, and I want my revenge on him. Besides, with me killing him once and for all I will finally become an official member of the Huntsclan… and with you weakening him, I believe that I will get my chance at last."

"Fine, whatever, what kind of info do you need?" the disembodied voice asked in an annoyed tone.

"I want to know exactly where he is hiding a unicorn that has unfortunately escaped my grasp. I need to know as soon as possible, so be quick about it. Understand?" she asked.

"Very well. Do you have any idea how to lure the dragon to me?"

"Can you not think for yourself? I gave you the idea for the last encounter you had with the dragon. Be creative for once in your pathetic life!"

"Watch it, girl. I can be a very deadly enemy," the voice said dangerously.

"Save your threats for someone who cares. Now go, and don't you dare betray me," Huntsgirl replied fiercely. She felt the air around her grow warmer and knew that she was alone again. The armchair on her left looked inviting to her after standing there waiting for so long. As she slumped into it, she began thinking of her time in Central Park earlier that day.

.:Flashback:.

Huntsgirl gazed down at the directions she held in her hand. Huntsmaster did not have the best handwriting, which was not at all helpful when it was what she needed to depend on. She walked around the park for what felt like an hour before she finally came across the gap in the trees that was supposedly the entrance. Before heading in, she looked around suspiciously. Then, after deciding that there was no one around, she ventured forth stepping silently but swiftly. Once she was securely hidden behind a large green-blue bush with bright red and orange flowers, only then did she finally take in her surroundings.

The grove was—there was no other word for it—enchanting. It was positively drenched in vibrant spring colors, and the creatures that occupied it were fascinating. She had never in her whole life seen so many magical beings. However, the most surprising thing was that she viewed them not as how much they would sell for, but as how a young girl would react to a place like this. She smiled at the tiny fairy families fluttering by, the leprechauns by the various rainbows fighting over who had the most luck, and the nymphs dancing around the greenest tree she had ever seen.

Huntsgirl stood behind the bush for quite a while watching the creatures in their habitat until the sight of a bright white unicorn brought her back to her senses. It stopped just five feet away to graze upon the long green grass. She carefully raised her scepter and aimed for its brilliant pallid chest, but for some odd reason she couldn't bring herself to kill—or even injure—the innocent creature. Maybe magical creatures weren't just created to be sold or made as trophies like Huntsmaster had told me, she thought. Then she closed her eyes and thought about what Huntsmaster would do to her if she failed, which seemed to help clear her mind of the revolting thoughts that magical beings had another purpose. Determined, she opened her eyes—but what she found made her gasp in horror. Every one of the creatures vanished!

"Oh no!" she whined miserably.

.:End Flashback:.

Huntsgirl arose from the chair with sleep in her eyes. It was getting late and she had school tomorrow. She'll have to worry about the unicorn later because right now she had to finish a stupid essay that that imbecile "Professor" Rotwood assigned. It wasn't like her to put her homework off until the last minute, but she did have a very eventful weekend.

A couple wadded up papers and several hours later, she finally put down her pencil and headed for bed. As she changed out of her Huntsgirl uniform into her pajamas, she placed the uniform on her dresser next to her school clothes for tomorrow. As she looked from one outfit to the other she couldn't help but think: What I would give to be normal. Rose glanced down at her dragon birthmark that snaked around her right wrist and sighed heavily.

So, what did you think? Review, review, review!

Oh! I almost forgot. I have a question for you guys. Is Huntsmaster really Rose's uncle, or is that just a cover-up? Because the episode that I saw when she actually identifies Huntsmaster as her uncle, she was awefully shifty in the way she said it. Just a thought. :)