If there was ever a moment in Jake's life where he wanted to bury himself below the surface of the earth,today was one of those days.Yang was wasting little time with his attempts at what Jake had perceptibly concluded was him trying to show him up and make him seem corrupted.Though this was a new direction for the sinister side of himself to take,it wasn't what made Jake riddled with burning curiosity,it was how he had found out about personal stuff like Haley and Sun being dragons also or how he managed to find out what school Jake went to.Almost there,he thought with little if at all relief at the promise of what he might find,as his eyes fell onto the eaves of his grandfather's store and he retroflexed his wings to make a pushing descent down.

"I hope I'm not too late..."Jake muttered to himself as he proceeded through the front doors,his vitals welted in fear for the fact the cloned dragon may have even done a worser deed this time."Yo,"he announced audaciously,making a cartwheeling arrival into the shop and bringing his hands up in a martial art pose."I got you're game right-"

His ebony eyes were appraised by the average setting of his grandfather skimming a worn,red book on the front counter and Fu Dog stacking some of their pawn shop and thrift store purchased merchandise on some of the shelves to the side.But they had ceased their activities at the grand entrance by Jake,which mad the daring inclinment he had worked up to disseminate on the spot and leaving him to feel slightly akward.

"...here."He finished with a slight weakness to his tone.

"Jake?"Laoshi inquired with some strangeness to his tone,though he didn't seem like he was angered or offended as would be an obvious sign of Yang's exploit."Why are you standing in the middle of the room?I thought you had just gone to the restroom."

At the sound of this,Jake once again adopted a determined grit and clenching both of his fists,charged passed his bewildered mentors and into the back room.You flippin' no-good life stealer,he thought with some bitterness growing in him,as his lunged his hand out and jerked back the door."Alright,Yang!Hope you're ready for a can of..."

The words once again fell flat as all he foundwere normal soft yellow wallpapered walls and the bit of green apple potpourri scenting the somewhat otherwise stale air.Nothing seemed to be out of place and the only new addition to it was the still visible molding rigids of where Jake had flamed multiple holes through the wall about a week and a half ago.

"Is there something troubling you?"His grandfather's voice sounded behind him and startled him in to turning around,where he saw the older man's countenance was now marked by catechism."You're acting rather unusaully today,were you absolutely sure when you agreed to these final exercises?Because we only have three days be ready."

Suddenly,an idea of his own formed,if he stuck around and kept guard then he would be ready for Yang Jake's next assault.Haley was safe training with Sun Park and his parents were still working for another hour or so,which meant that the best thing for him to do would be to remain where he was and knowing that Rose would avoid him in public anyways,the fourteen-year-old allowed a willing,dogmatic smile.

"I'm fine,Gramps.But if were gonna be ready for anything,we need to get to trainin'."

But as the two went back to the front to pick up where they had left off on the mind control avoiding and some minor telepathy lessons that Jake would practice in future lessons,the dark vinaceous dragon that had latched itself above on the ceiling,snaked down onto the ground after they had returned to the front and made his way over to where Fu Dog's laptop was resting on a stool and picking it up,began to type with an amazing amount of dexterity.His eyes charcoal eyes scorching their terrible flames as he managed to hack into the a few different programs.

"Let's see what an impregable computer virus and a few threatening E-mails stir up."

Later that night in Jake's dreams...

Jake was still feeling apprehension,as he entered his dereism realm in which he found was taking place once more in Central Park,the common place where him and Rose met up.But something was different this time around,he felt as though he were being watched,as if large,exposing eyes were penetrating his back and he whirled around in the midst of walking down a hill into some bushes.

Examining his surroundings warily as he did,the fourteen-year-old started to walk backwards,his eyes now darting very unsurely in the shadowy leafage clustered above him and was nearing the base when he heard some sounds of blasting coming from the other side of the bushes.

Flashing back to face forward,he shifted into his tall,moderately brawny red self and took air all the way out to where saw to his amazement;Rose dressed fully in her Hunts attire and using her staff,succeded in shooting off several old coke cans that had obviously been assembled by her in different places of varying height for target practice.

"Remember when you asked me how you're aim was?"Jake inquired her flippantly and when she turned her blue eyes onto him,continued without change to his tone."I would really like to restate that lousy sentence and tell you you're aim's improved since you've been gone."

She pulled her mask up to her forehead and in turn told him with a hint of slyness to her words."I thought you would have been keen enough to realise by now that that misfire was intentional and you still bought it."

"Um...the falling bricks sort of scrambled my memory."He lied briefly,placing a claw to his head meekly to as if he still felt their thumping."So,"his began with his voice and eyes becoming marked by good-natured inveiglement towards the making of his discovery."What's with all this anyways?No ones around making you do it."

"Well,unlike some people,I like all the extra practice I can get."Rose explained with an calm air about her,the attitude she represented back at the Academy similar to the one she showed at the moment as she went over to begin collecting the fallen targets."I've been doing this for years but it's mostly only when I really wanted to perfect a move in privacy."

Jake felt an understanding fall onto him,a reminder of how much difference there was between them."Hey,"he voiced up with some slight eagerness to cheer her up edging his words."Ya know,I always did wonder how you guys managed to run and get the whole baton-twirling thing with those Hunts stick things down.Care to let me try?"

"Only if you think you can handle it."She replied back in the same one-sided manner and yet she went to work at placing some undented cans from the knapsack she retrieved that was hanging from a broken off branch."It's the same concept as batone or flag twirling but we had to learn to keep it up while still performing certain moves.The everchanging multiple routines are really tricky to get on the first try,in other words."

But he merely scoffed at that."You happen to be talkin' to a particular dragon that is about to be flyin' solo pretty soon."he ceased his boastful words,awaiting her reaction.

"Solo,really?That's an accomplishment."Rose told him with a pleased note in her voice and yet she didn't seem as thrilled as she could have been,finishing the final touchs to setting up the cans and even a half jug that had once been a milk container."But..."she began with a little bit of remonstrance to her words,as she walked up to tell him up closer."You're not exactly the world's most coordinated dragon in case you haven't noticed.Maybe I better give you a few basic lessons before we start,then at least you'll get a better idea of what it's like."

"Un-coordinated?"Jake's jaw dropped a little and his eyes filled with a little disbelief,as he countered back swiftly."I bet I have more coordination in one claw then you have in you're entire body.In fact,"he went on,grinning haughtily to himself."I put the hard core in the..."

"You've fallen down two flights of stairs,tripped off you're skateboard and on that bowl of jerky you offered me once,walked right into an open locker door,have flatulented flames a couple of times and nearly blew up an entire first year class of dragon slayers."she smiled a rather knowing smile and brought the staff up in her hand pointing upwards,inquiring him in a bit of an ickle sweet tone."Oh...what was that you were saying about coordination?That you had so much more then me or something?"

Narrowing his blackened eyes,he snatched the staff from her hand and moved over to the first target.With a deep and concentrated breath,he drew back his upper body and then gave the staff a good spin between his dark claws but just when he thought he had it;it had vanished.

Looking around in confusion,Jake only glanced up momentarily but much to his displeasure of having it's curved front clock him on the top of the head as it fell.But shaking a claw precludingly in her direction when she started to come over to assist him,he got into an almost cross pose and emitting a brew of smoke from his snout,Jake flounced forward but with moving the staff with his eyes on it every little twist and turn of the way.

Though afterhe had then slipped on his tail and had managed to take out a straggly limb,he flusteredly tried quite a few more times before Rose chuckled under her breath and caught the sceptre's middle as he had accidently flung it backwards.

"It's all in the wrist movements."She explained to him clemently,moving her sapphire eyes up to where he was balanced on his tail and had claw tauted out as he had very much so originally intended for it to go at least forward,then turned to face forward."If you try too much at doing different moves,you'll lose focus of what it was you were suppose to do in the first place but if you try to overdo one move,it could easily lead to pulling something or in the least straining you're arm for a day or two."

Jake rolled his sable eyes,before nodding and watching for the next few minutes or so whilst she broke down the fundamentals for him.After a time,she handed it back over to Jake and though he was more tentative with his moves this time,after half an hour he had succeded in four nearly flawless spins and had even managed to hit one small upper right side of a crinkled rootbeer can.Some more time had passed after they had cleaned up and they both had walked together hand-in-hand to where they came to rest on edge of a huge,deep grey stone fountain in the park's center.

It had an angelic child perched atop it and was spurting glimmering quartz jets of water in both directions.The two sat on a little ways apart and let their fingers loosen a bit,as they became entranced in looking at the gorgeous sculpture,crafted with meticulous,expert care and was now being portrayed in all it's glory;it almost made Jake forget it was all just a dream and looking down at her smooth,well-proportioned hand that rested lightly in his own and then turning to look at her as she continued to gaze thoughtfully upwards,sent a feeling he hadn't felt so strongly at this moment in his life and that feeling was that of a need to protect her.In the least bit,to put her on guard.She needed to know what was going on.

"Rose,there's something I need to tell you..."He began gently,not wanting to affright her with the news but didn't want to make it seem like the most lightest topic he could have rummaged up with."Its...well,it's kind of about me.Well,sorta me but with a different twist it's..."his words trailed as she turned patient eyes on him."...about an evil clone of mine named that I've sort of named Yang Jake and he's on the loose,trying to destory me life."

Her response was not what he had expected,as thought a rather dreadful expression did cross her face,the way she stiffened herself and looked a bit away left him alittle puzzled,until she finally seemed to relax after a brief second or more,then stared straight into his slightly confused eyes.

"Tell me what happened."she almost demanded in a steely tone."I want to know every last detail about what this Yang Jake has done so far."

Still wondering why she was all-out determined,Jake began from the beginning of the story and althrough out she listened to him with an intentness about her,nodding every so often when he paused to check if she was still listening and as always she was.Feeling a little winded from giving her more information then he had first planned on,he finished with a heavy sigh and cocked a brow as she thought over carefully what he said.

"You know,Rose.I didn't really want to launch into a huge story."

She didn't acknowledge him then,her golden hair fell over to conceal a part of her face,catching his eye that it had a little more sheen to it in the summery weather.But as she continued to ignore him,being obsessed with thinking something through,the gnarl of need inside of Jake grew.

"Listen,"he took her hand again so suddenly that it caused her to look up at him with surprise filtered across her pulchritudinous features."I didn't want to tell you this to worry you even more,I just wanted you to know."

Her eyes focused into his,searchingly;then a small smile parted on her puce lips."I'm not worried for myself but I do want to help you out."Rose told him,seriousness surfacing again in her words."I know were focusing on the Huntsclan but this is important to.Actually,"she breathed with some relief,fanning her hand a little as if to suggest she were hot."Considering all I've had to endure these last few months,it'd be nice for a new change of pace.All I've ever done is center most of my life to being Thorn anyhow."

"That means a lot.."Jake smiled back thankfully as they finally rose to their feet but then a qualmish look formed on his visage and he told her in a soild tone."You might not be able to tell who is who if he you guys ever meet...I-I don't know how you'll be able to pick out the real me if you-"

"You're eyes."She told him breezily,starting to run the small crystal of her dream charm in between her fingers."Remember when I told you they seemed familiar at the Grand Equinox Hunt...?"her words faded some as she had to think of another way to explain and a few seconds later turned back to him as he started to approach."Words can be the most deceiteful things that can ever pass through a person's ears,Jake,that's why I rely on what I see in someone's eyes to tell me the truth.With you,I know I can."

Jake gave her an odd,yet intrigued look."You can tell if someone is lying by looking into their eyes?Whoa,do you think you could show me that?"

"I already taught you one thing."she replied smoothly,hands on hips."I..."

Rose's show of nervousness as she trailed her words made him come up a bit more towards her."Hey,are you okay?If you do have too much on you're plate or something,it's fine.I only ever wanted to warn you so tha-"

"I'll see you tomorrow,Jake."She cut him off and clutching her charm very tightly,teleported away in a small,purple radiance but gave a small wave before she dissipated."Tell me more about plans to stop him at school."

As he watched her leave,it wasn't so much that she wanted to talk with him in school that was peculiar,as it was the way she was acting.But even so,she had told him she was going to help him with this and Jake did not doubt her for a second...as she didn't him.You're not going to win,Yang. he thought with a burning within,awakening him as the glow of the moon outside fell on his eyes.Some battles you've won but not the war.So I would find myself a real nice little hideaway for when I find you.

A/N:Wave you're hands in the air if ya'll want some one-on-one Jake & Yang action.Well,the showdown will be here before long.Stay tuned.ttyl.

LP