A/N: Hey, first I would like to thank all of y'all for your awesome reviews! I now have 178! Thanks! Now I have something to say...night before last, I was getting into bed, thinking about how Choices was almost over, and feeling sad about that. :( But then I was struck with an awesome idea, and I won't tell you anymore about it, except: This story is not about to be over, there is going to be more romance, more wacky teachers, but most importantly, more action and adventure, there will be an unexpected twist, and a character will come in that you don't expect. You won't hear about him (or her) in this chapter, but all will be made known to you in chapter 34. But once more, this story is not about to be over...still more action to come! Yay me! Chapter 33 is in the hizzy!

Choices

Chapter Thirty-Three

The first thing I was aware of was the pain in my head. Then, as if by magic, the pain seemed to spread. My whole body was aching, from fatigue, extreme physical strain, and injury (from my fight with the Dark Dragon). Then I felt someone put a cold cloth on my head. I blearily opened my eyes. I saw my mom bending over me, looking more worried than I had ever seen in my life.

"Jake!" she exclaimed when she saw that I was awake. I could tell that she was relieved.

"What happened?" I asked in a hoarse voice.

"I don't know the details," she said, "but it sounds to me that you were in much worse danger than we thought. Your grandfather said that the evil dragon stopped time and that you barely got away alive. He also said," she continued, and I was amazed to see a smile form on her lips, "that you defeated him. Oh, Jake!" she said. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Thanks…"

I lay still for a moment, then all the earlier events came rushing into my mind. I remembered how I fought the Dark Dragon, gaining strength by dwelling on love. I remembered how he screamed as he disappeared for good in an enormous explosion. Then I recalled how suddenly all my strength was taken from me, as I turned back into human form, weaker than I had ever been before. I remembered the way that Rose protected me from her uncle…

"Rose!" I exclaimed. "Mom, is she okay?"

"She's fine. She woke up last night. She's still not got her strength back yet, but she'll be up and around in no time."

"Last night…how long have I been here?"

"Four days."

"Four days? Mom, I—"

I was cut off, however, by my bedroom door opening, and I saw a member of the dragon council walk in.

"He is awake?"

"Yes, thank goodness."

"Hi, Jake," he said, standing above me. "I want to congratulate you…it was a wonderful thing which you have done…something that I and the other members of the Council have been focusing on for many a year now. You are a hero."

A hero. I sat in silence, letting the words sink in. I was a hero. I had defeated the Dark Dragon. I had rid the magical world of the number one evil that threatened them.

"When you are up and about, there is a great honor which we want to bestow upon you…however, there are other problems we need to discuss with you. We shall, however, wait until you are well again. It cost you dearly, what you have done. You almost died for magical kind."

He then left.

"A great honor?" I said. "More problems? Wow, and just when I thought things were going to get normal again…"

There was another knock at the door which opened, revealing Gramps, Fu, Trixie, Spud, and…

"Rose!"

Rose walked into my room and took a seat in the computer chair next to the bed. "Jake…" she said softly. I took her hand. There was no other need for words.

I saw a frown beginning to crease Mom's forehead, and I assumed that she thought I was too young to hold a girl's hand.

"Daughter, please," said Gramps, and smiling proudly, he led her out of the room.

Trixie and Spud started to follow them, but Rose stood up and said, "You guys don't have to leave. I know you are dying to talk to Jake…"

We talked alright. The four of us sat in my room for hours, me lying on my bed, Rose in the computer chair, Trixie cross-legged on the floor, and Spud perched on the end of the bed. Rose and I recounted every bit of our adventure, telling of how I had defeated the Dark Dragon and Huntsman trying to kill me, but Rose stepping in.

After we had talked about our adventures, I told them what the Council member, Ansem, had said. All seemed intrigued. Rose suddenly looked worried, however.

"What is it?" I asked anxiously.

"Well, the Dragon Council doesn't know that I was Huntsgirl yet…and when they find out…they'll want to arrest me or…or worse."

"Surely not," I said. "I mean, after all the stuff you've done?"

"Jake…they are strict, you know that."

Boy, did I. One time, they had taken my dragon powers away briefly for just having a party. And I knew that Rose was right.

"Well, we won't tell anyone."

"Yeah, but they'll find out eventually."

"Then we'll protect you…just like you did me."

She smiled, and moved closer. I was almost positive that I was just about to have my first kiss when I heard a loud, "I did it! I finally touched my tongue to my nose!" We moved away from each other and saw Spud proudly touching his tongue to his nose.

I was a little disappointed, but when I saw that Trixie looked like she was relieved that Spud had broken us apart, I realized that we should wait until we were alone…

So our talk turned to other things. We talked about the Dragon Council, the Huntsclan, and when we ran out of things to say about them, we started talking about school, our favorite bands, and how Spud still picks his nose.

"No I don't!"

But we knew better.

We talked until Mom came in and ordered everyone out, saying that I needed rest.

For the first time in a long time, I went to sleep feeling relaxed and like all my problems were over. But I had never been more wrong in my life.

A/N: So how was it? The unexpected twist will start becoming revealed in the next chapter. Please read and review! I'll update ASAP, probably later today! In the immortal words of London Tipton, "Yay me!"

~Emachinescat ^..^