"Rox, hold on a minute!"
Roxanne, who was on her skateboard and about to set off for her dad's shop, turned her head to see her best friend speeding towards her.
"Matt, if this has anything to do with my argument with Jasmine, I'm not interested" she said flatly just as he pulled up beside her.
"Come on, Rox. I just want to know why you guys always have to fight"
"I don't know, ok? Something in her just makes me feel so… angry. Period" the blond replied dismissively, once again getting on her skateboard.
Matt did the same thing, getting on his skateboard, that is. The two started on the path Roxanne was going. "But that doesn't make any sense. Jasmine is a really nice person, why can't you give her chance?" he said, trying to be reasonable. "Besides, you didn't have to be so harsh on her earlier, you might be able to cope up without your mom beside you but other people find it difficult to do that"
That just increased Roxanne's frustration, which hadn't quite worn off after the dispute in the classroom. She clenched her fists. "Why are you taking her side?! I thought you were my friend!"
"I am. But Rox-"
"Save it" she said, going ahead of him.
"Roxanne-"
"Go away"
"Come on-"
"I said LEAVE!" she yelled.
Matt stopped his skateboard, placing a foot on the ground. His eyes were wide with shock and hurt.
"I've already got enough problems to deal with without my best friend going against me so leave me alone!"
With that, Roxanne turned sharply and dashed out of his sight.
--
Fu entered the room, carrying a big bowl of chips and three opened cans of soda, balancing all of them in his arms as he whistled tunelessly to himself. He was about to sit himself on the couch when the front door of the shop opened and-
SLAM!!
Roxanne came into view to see her animal guardian covered in a pink sticky substance with a bowl on his head. Not to mention, chips on the floor mixed with the fallen soda.
"Fu, that's disgusting. Clean your mess up" she said.
"Oh, sure, blame it all on me" Fu said. "I mean, not like it was the fault of someone who just barged in and slammed the door"
The young dragon's face softened. "Sorry, Fu. I didn't mean to take it out on you. I've just been having a rough day"
"At least you're not soaked in cherry soda" the gray dog replied as he sniffed himself. "I bet I'll smell like this for a week"
"Sorry"
"It's cool, kid. What's wrong, anyway?"
The blond shook her head. "Forget it. Let me just help you clean up" she said. She grabbed a mop from a nearby closet and started on the floor. "By the way, where's dad?"
"In the back room. He's been there all day actually"
"What? You mean he left the house early this morning to go there? Why?"
"Beats me. I've tried asking him which you know, is kinda hard when there's a door between us"
Roxanne rolled her eyes and placed the mop back at its proper place. "I'll go talk to him"
"Doubt that's gonna work. Trust me, I know Jake. When he's busy, he's busy"
"We'll see. Besides, it's dragon training time. There is no way that he's going to let me miss that"
--
"I can't believe he let me miss dragon training!" Roxanne said, coming from the back room. She sat next to Fu on the couch which had been cleaned up, as well as the floor.
"Told ya, kid"
"But it's dragon training and he's… well, dad. He never lets me miss a single- Hold on" she suddenly said, getting up. "Ear of the dragon"
One of her ears turned pointed and blue. At a distance, she could hear something.
"Someone's in trouble. I've gotta go" she said urgently.
"Wow, you're sure a lot sharper than your dad when he was your age" Fu replied, impressed.
Roxanne merely stared at him. "Whatever. Tell dad, if you see him that is, I'm going to the park" she said. "DRAGON UP!"
--
"Are you sure she's going to come, Huntsmistress?" Huntsgirl asked.
The woman beside her nodded. "Of course. No dragon would ignore the cry of a pixie" she said, holding a small cage into view. In it was a tiny human-shaped being with butterfly-like wings. It was flying around desperately, trying to get out. The two, by the way, were standing on a bridge in Central Park.
"But why do we need to purposely draw this dragon out? Isn't it usually them who find us?"
"There's something I need to see. Remember the red dragon you said you saw? That would have most probably been her master; I would like to personally meet him"
"But why?"
"I-"
"Hey! You guys leave the little pixie alone!"
The two looked up to see the American dragon floating over them. The Huntsmistress frowned.
"Where is your dragon master?" she demanded.
Roxanne raised an eyebrow. "What do you need him for? I'm good enough to beat you!"
Huntsgirl laughed. "Yeah, right. Just like what happened last night"
Roxanne glared at her. "Shut up!" she yelled before diving towards the elder Huntsclan member who merely stepped aside, leaving her to zoom past them and hit the ground.
Huntsgirl laughed even harder.
The Huntsmistress narrowed her eyes. "If she won't bring her master out, we will" she said, putting down the cage and setting the pixie free. It immediately flew out of sight. "Attack and capture" she ordered.
Huntsgirl nodded and took out her staff.
--
Jake walked in the room to see Fu watching television, carrying a red book.
"Fu"
The Shar-Pei jumped in surprise. "Jake! I didn't expect to see you so soon. Found whatever you were looking for?"
"I wasn't looking for anything" he replied. He held up the book.
"Hey, isn't that…" Fu said. "Why now all of the sudden?"
"I'm suspicious. Would you call it coincidence when a girl named Jasmine enters Roxanne's school and a new Huntsgirl appears? Both who seem to appear out of nowhere?"
"Well, the odds are 2,759 to one but who's counting?"
Jake raised an eyebrow.
"Um… I don't know where that came from"
The dragon shook his head. "I think it's about time I tell Roxanne the truth. And speaking of Roxanne, where is she?"
"Oh, right. She left for the park a couple of minutes ago. Said there was someone in trouble"
"WHAT?!"
--
"Man, that hurt…" Roxanne said, groaning as she once again flew up.
"Hey, dragon!"
Roxanne turned, only to evade a green blast fired at her which she did, barely. "You just wait until I get a hold of you…" she muttered under her breath.
"What's wrong, afraid?" Huntsgirl mocked.
"You wish" Roxanne replied, charging at her.
The Huntsgirl flipped out of the way. "AIYA!" she screamed, landing a hard blow on the blue dragon.
Roxanne was sent flying and landed in the river with a splash. "This is just not my day" she murmured to herself.
"Looks like someone got weaker when we last met" the Huntsgirl, smirking. "Of all the dragons I've met, you're the most pathetic"
Roxanne growled in anger. "You are getting on my nerves!" she shouted. Without realizing, her golden eyes had glowed blue. The water around her started to rise. At first, forming straight lines then twisting with each other. Soon, there were dozens of double-helix figures around Roxanne. She yelled and before she, or anyone else, knew it, the water started to attack the Huntsgirl.
The Huntsmistress moved quickly and grabbed the Huntsgirl, evading each water attack.
Somewhere above the fight, Jake Long was flying in search for his daughter and of course, was about to find a big surprise waiting for him.
Make that two big surprises…