"i killed you already!" the Dark Dragon roared. The atmosphere in the room had changed, as if the Dark Dragon was almost scared by Jake Longs presence.
Jake however was now smirking with a sinister smile. the dark essence was taking a greater effect. "yeah, you did rather brutally to but as you see i came back for the sole purpose of sending you to hell" Jake replied.
"Jake?" Hailey piped up. She was looking at her brother but at the same time he was becoming a stranger. There was a lingering shadow surrounding Jake.
"i am proud of you Hailey you stood up to this creep even when you stood alone but this is where the fight ends. me and him" Jake snapped her chains his eyes only briefly left the Dark Dragon to look at Rose, and for that small moment his eyes flashed from red to their original green "free the others Hails, but nobody and i mean nobody is to interfere in this fight"
Hailey looked from her brother to her parents and then to the others. They were all staring at Jake in disbelief. "Jake-"
"i'm doing this alone Hailey now get a move on" Jake ordered. His eyes narrowed on his target as Hailey scurried over to her grandpa. Chang quickly charged at her but Jake intervened , his speed trumped hers with no comparison.
Chang froze on the spot her staff fell to floor, a trail of blood streaked from her mouth as her limp body fell to the floor. Jakes claws were soaked in blood "soft under belly, its messy but lethal, how about that the Huntspunk taught me something" Jake chuckled. Chang fell to the floor as Jake kicked her staff over to Rose,
"ok its about to get crowded in here, so lets take our dance to the sky" he instructed the dark dragon as he himself took flight. The Dark Dragon quickly in pursuit.
Hailey quickly freed her grandfather, then her parents and then Rose, who in turned helped free the dragons. Rose and Violet rushed over to their parents Violet broke to tears, the stress had finally taken its toll not that Rose could blame her. She was also scared, for Jake she wanted to help him but she also watched him strike down another Dragon.
"Rose?" Hailey asked "is Jake the bad guy?"
The night sky lit up with a brilliant blue flame spouting from Jake. His fire had changed color to a saphire blue. The dueling dragons circled the sky blasting fire, charging and dodging at one another. Susan watched her 16 year old son battling out with the most dangerous enemy of the dragon race but was left to wonder why nobody else was helping him.
"dad help him! Hes just a boy he shouldn't be handeling this alone" she cried.
Lao Shi however shook his head much to his own disappointment, he knew Jake would never allow help especially since he was the one who said it. "have faith daughter Jake can take care of himself"
"he changed color Luong! He killed another dragon what is happening to my boy!" Jonathan snapped.
Lao Shi remained silent and let his grandsons battle unfold. Jake had crossed a serious line when he consumed the dark dragons essence, even if he won the battle, he would lose so much more. Jake would be arrested.
The two dark dragons had taken their battle higher into the clouds, only the flashes of their flames could be seen from below. Jake dove quick grabbing the dark dragon by his wings then spun into a spiral "this won`t end the way you think boy even if you beat me the council has seen you as you are. You're the lost protector and banished guardian, you are fallen American Dragon!"
Jake broke the spin and pulled out from the dive throwing the Dark Dragon into the polluted waters of the east hudson river. But he didn't stay down for long. The dark dragon resurfaced with a flash of black fire forcing Jake to back away.
"Don't over estimate yourself boy I've been at this for far longer than you could imagine. my power is coursing through you it will corrupt you But it won't save you"
Jake fell into a backflip, narrowly evading the blast. Suddenly a sharp pain pierced his heart like a knife it forced a shift rendering Jake human again. He fell clutching his chest Jake lost a feeling in his limbs and his vison was starting to blur. Marty warned him about this, transforming and battling relasped his wounds. He failed. The Dark Dragon closed the gap and snatched Jake from the air letting him hang from his claws.
"you have lost, again." he sneered as lifted Jake to his eye level. He saw Jake was broken and a sinister smile formed on his face. "The living incarnation of the Dragon King crushed by my hand just like the King himself... Good bye American Dragon"
As the Dark Dragon released him Jake sprang to life swiping his now transformed claw at the Dark Dragons left ear leaving a shallow cut that caused them both to free fall down the shipyard. "Dragon...up" Jake groaned trying to transform "Dragon...u.." his world was swallowed in darkness but he never managed to shift. Jake and the dark dragon both fell with a thunderous crash into the water.
"Jake!" Rose cried out before racing to the waters edge. She had to save him, she was given a second chance to rescue him and she wasn't about to lose it. Rose ran with all the strength her body could muster ready to dive into the pollouted water when she was quickly grabbed around the waist.
"No! Rose i can't let you do this it's too dangerous!"
Her fathers voice echoed over the water and his arms constricted tightly. He would not let her jump after Jake.
"Dad let go! I have to save him!" Rose shouted and squirmed against her father with no luck of breaking his hold. Jake was doomed to die again it seemed.
The waves began to churn swirl as if a whirpool was forming. From the depths emerged Chang nursing her wound and supporting a man in a black leather jacket with a head wound. She muttered a few words then fell back into the swirling water, vanishing from site.
Lao Shi sailed into water diving for Jake he was down for a minute but it felt like hours when they resurfaced. Jake looked to be on deaths door. All his injuries were adgitaded and open again.
Rose dropped to her knees cradling his head in her lap.. "Stay with me jake " she pleaded.
"stand aside!" Ordered the Japanese Dragon as he drew his sword on rose " one dark Dragon is more dangerous then we handle i will not allow there to be two of them"
Before his stroke fell Rose sprang up at him folding his arm backwards forcing him to surrender his blade which rose immediately tucked under his chin.
"I will kill you if you touch him!" She snapped.
The blade sat in a lethal position any move would result in his face being opened. But lao Shi quickly rested his hand on roses arm gently guiding it down.
"Jake never wanted you to live with violence Rose but the very opposite that is why he wished you were never taken rather than simply freed" he explained "he's alive young one take that gift and be with him as it is you he needs at his side i shall deal with the other dragons"
Rose nodded and returned to Jakes side. He was turning pale so she huddled herself beside him. They were to exposed to remove his wet clothes so she hopped this would hold until they got him somewhere safe.
All the mumuoring and arguing sparked the debate of how to combat the Dark dragon, since he still lived and now Jake long was imbued with his darkness. They couldn't hope to fight off two of them.
"all of you shut up for five minutes!"
Marty had started pushing his way through the crowd.
"anyone attempts to harm Jake long will have their living sole reapped!" Marty quickly made his way to Jakes side "Damn it i thought the dark magic would be enough hold strong kid" Marty quickly walked over to Lao shi and Fu and whispered amoungst themselves.
Rose and the others watched in confusion as the conversation progressed Fu Dog occasionally went wide eyed and stare between the reaper and old dragon. Finally the three nodded and returned to where Rose was still cuddling Jake.
"don't worry kiddo Jakes not dying not permantly at least"
Before Rose even had a chance to speak Marty swung his Scythe along Jakes body.
Jake instantly turned cold and colorless as Rose turned on Marty Fu quickly stepped between them "No Rose wait" he said. With a sad sigh Fu took her hand in his paw "i promise you will get him back but for Marty needs his soul and honestly i need your help making a potion that will restore his body when he gets back"
Rose looked from her scared and tramatised family to the longs and then to Jake "everyone needs you to help bridge what happened here today your family just witnessed a huge turning point in magical history they will need help understanding what the saw. Scouts honor when Marty brings Jake back you can have him for as long as you want"
Rose simply rested her free hand on the shar pis head "you're not a scout Fu but i trust you"
"be safe Jake, i love you"
With those parting words Marty faded into the spirit world to meet Jake.