Hey guys

The dragon is back again. Sorry it's been a while. I've been really busy.

Anyways here's chapter 5.

When something is in Italics it means that it's someone's thought and when it's in (brackets) it means they're talking in Xarthian.

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans or Star Wars or anything to that effect.

Well I hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to all my reviewers.

Read&Review

Three days after the squid incident

Jake stood looking out of the window in his cabin. Amber entered the cabin.

"Good morning," she said with a smile.

"Morning," he replied.

"Feeling better?" she asked.

"Much," he replied. "In fact I think we can go deeper into the forest and explore it a little today. April's potions really are miracle working." They both chuckled slightly. "Come on. I think it's time the world saw my face again." With that the two headed up to the deck.

Jake and Amber stepped on to the deck to be greeted by the crew all working on the morning chores. April was in the middle of an argument with Angela who seemed to be refusing to help, due to the fact she didn't want to break a nail. Jake deciding he'd had enough of Angela while he was injured to last a lifetime led Amber towards the bridge where Demetri stood examining a map. He looked up and smiled as they approached.

"Good morning Captain," Demetri said. "Good to see you up and about."

"Morning Demetri," Jake replied. "Ready to go on a bit of an exploration?"

"You want to explore Nightmare Forest??!!" Demetri asked with a hint of fear in his voice.

"Why not?" Jake replied. "I mean it's just a garden that's got out of control." Demetri looked slightly doubtful, but the look on Jake's face was enough to tell him there was no point arguing. Besides they did need supplies.

An hour or so later

"Right," Jake said addressing the entire crew. "April, Amber and I will explore this forest. Demetri, Kai, Eliza and Jennifer try and find food, fresh water, wood and what not. The rest of you stay on the ship. No one is to wander off on their own. Understand?"

"Understood" answered several voices. Jake nodded and they all set off.

Jake, with Striker perched on his shoulder, Amber and April started to head inland while Demetri and the others followed the water looking for any little streams

An half hour later

Jake, Striker, Amber and April had gone pretty deep into the forest and found nothing.

"Guess there's no one who lives here," April commented.

"Yeah," Jake said.

"Hey guys look at this," Amber said suddenly. The two looked over at her. She was kneeling on the ground and examining something. They walked over to her.

"What's up?" Jake said.

"Footprints," Amber said pointing at a clear print in the ground. The others knelt down and examined the ground she had pointed at.

"It's a person's footprint," April commented. Jake suddenly stood up and walked a little bit towards the direction he had been facing. Striker had landed there and was indicating to something on the ground. He knelt down and started to examine the ground.

"This may be bad," he muttered. The two walked over to him and looked at the spot he was staring at.

"You can say that again," Amber muttered. There clearly visible on the ground was a GIANT paw print that no person could have made.

"That's a dragon's print," April said quietly. They all remained silent. The realization that there maybe a dragon here was enough to make the greatest of warriors run for their lives.

"We have to get out of here now," Jake said standing up. "If there's one thing I've learnt from my adventures it's never to mess with a dragon."

"Wait," Amber said. He looked at her. "There are people here as well. If there's a dragon they're in danger. We should help them." She looked at them both. Jake was quiet for a while before nodding in agreement.

"You're right," he agreed.

"Yeah, we can't just abandon them," April added. They all nodded and started to head in the direction of the footsteps. They kept walking until they reached a cliff. The cliff went down to a spot that had a cave.

"Now, that could be nothing," Jake said. "Or it could be a hiding place for the occupants of this place."

"Or it could be the dragon's lair," April pointed out.

"It is risky. But I think we might as well check it out," Jake said.

The other two agreed and they flew down the cliff and entered the cave. They moved quietly though the cave until they came to a spot where it broke into three separate paths. They decided to split up and they each went down a path. Jake followed his path until he reached a giant clearing in the cave. And in the center was a GIGANTIC dragon who was just waking up from its afternoon nap. The dragon stretched, roared and looked around. Its eyes came to rest on Jake. Jake got into a battle stance and Striker also prepared to help as best he could.

"Don't be afraid little one," the dragon said in a calm voice. Jake stared up at it with his mouth hung open.

"You…you can talk…" he stuttered stupidly.

"That I can little one," the dragon replied. "That I can."

"I'm not little," Jake muttered.

"Most things are little compared to me," the dragon said. The dragon looked at Striker and made a soft growling noise. Striker flew to the dragon who raised its paw in the air. Striker perched on one of the gigantic fingers and the dragon gently stoked him with its other hand. After a while Striker flew back down to its Master and perched on Jake's shoulder.

"So what brings young Master Jake here?" the dragon asked.

"How do you know my name?" he asked. The dragon seemed to smile.

"I have certain skills that allow me to know such things," the dragon replied. "And I have skills that allow me to give adventurers help on their journey."

"Are you going to help me?" he asked. The dragon nodded.

"Firstly my name is Galaxy," she said. "And yes I'm going to help you. One of my skills is seeing into the future. I can't see exactly what will happen rather I can sense what will happen. So let's see what you have to look forward to."

With that the dragon raised her paw and placed it in front of Jake. Striker flew off his shoulder and landed on rock. Out of nowhere a magical gust of wind appeared and surrounded Jake and Galaxy, forming a whirlwind around them.

"Just stay calm and open your mind." Galaxy said calmly. She had her eyes closed and was focusing only on his mind.

Jake tried to do as she told him. He felt a bit nervous being trapped in a whirlwind with a giant dragon, but for some odd reason he felt he could trust her. Then suddenly she started to talk. She spoke as if she was in some sort of a trance.

"I sense lives in danger," she said. She whispered it, but he could hear her. "I sense love being revealed Love that has been kept hidden for a long time finally being revealed. I sense a loved one in danger. Mortal danger. I sense darkness. Great darkness. Unbearable darkness." Her voice was quivering slightly. The wind around them turned into a gale. Suddenly the mighty dragon was sent hurtling backwards into a wall. The wind disappeared and Jake too fell backwards.

"What happened?" he said sitting up and rubbing his head.

"Forgive me," Galaxy said getting up again. "It seems the darkness was a little too much for me to handle. Well it seems you have quite a…interesting, I think I'll call it, journey ahead of you. But I urge you to keep this meeting a secret. I doubt many people want to run head first into such a great force of darkness that just sensing it fully can send me hurtling into a wall." Jake nodded.

"Thank-you," he said. She smiled.

"No problem," she replied. She then pointed to a small chain lying on a nearby rock. It had a dragon on it. "Take that." Galaxy said. "Any time you want to have a chat just hold it up and say 'Lead me to Galaxy' and it'll teleport you to wherever I am." she told him. Jake walked over to the chain and picked it up. He put it around his neck and tucked it under his shirt.

"Thanks again," Jake said smiling up at the dragon.

"You better go before your friends get worried," Galaxy said smiling back at him. She was already feeling rather fond of him. Jake nodded.

"Bye" he said and headed back the way he had come. Galaxy watched him leave.

"The spitting image of his father," she said to herself. "But he's inherited his mother's mysterious and loner like nature. Someday I really must tell him how I met those two." With that she yawned and settled back down to finish her nap.

Jake raced through the cave and arrived at the fork at the same time that the other two did.

"Hey," he said. "Find anything interesting?" he asked wondering if there were anymore talking dragons in this cave.

"Nope," Amber said. "Mine lead to a dead end. What about yours?"

"Mine was a dead end as well," April replied. "Jake?"

"Same here," he replied, lying through his teeth with practiced ease. "Come on. Let's head back to the ship." The other two nodded and they quickly made their way back to the ship.

Once they had reached the ship

Jake, Amber and April climbed on to the ship. Demetri and the others seemed to have already returned. Jake looked around at them and finally his eyes came to rest on five people who weren't on his ship that morning.

"So anyone mind telling me who the five new members of my crew are?" he asked.

"We are inhabitants of this island," said one of the people who was obviously the leader of the group. "And you must be the mighty captain we've heard so much about. An honour to meet you," he stated bowing to them. "My name is Marcus. My troop and I found your crew members wandering around and after hearing they were adventurers in need of food and other such supplies we welcomed them to our palace. However they refused to go without their fellows and their captain. So I make you a formal invitation sir. Please do join us at our palace. It is easy to tell you are injured and in need of proper healing. Not something your apprentice made you…" April scoffed slightly at this. "…so do come with us." Jake remained silent Galaxy's warning burning in his mind.

I sense lives in danger. Is this lot going to help us or lead us head first into a trap? Jake remained thinking a little longer. He examined them carefully. They didn't seem to have evil faces or anything. Well one way or the other if they have a civilization here they could kill us if it was a trap whenever they wanted even if we didn't follow them. So might as well try and get some food and regain our strength before that happens if it does happen. "Alright, we'll come with you." Marcus smiled.

"Good," he said. "Now gather whatever you want and let's go."

Half of an hour later

Jake, Amber and the rest of the crew were following Marcus and his troop through the forest. April was walking at the back of the line with a scowl that could easily challenge one of Raven's best ones. During the last half hour Marcus had shown that he didn't really consider an apprentice much good to the universe. He had first asked her whether she'd be able to carry her pack. Next he'd told her it was quite a distance and asked whether she'd be able to manage. Finally he had stated that 'I always believed that if you need someone else to teach you everything you're incapable of managing anything on your own.' At this little comment Jake and Amber had had to physically restrain April from tearing Marcus to pieces on the spot. Jake was at the front speaking with Marcus.

"So are you all Xarthians?" Jake asked.

"Actually no," Marcus replied. "We're not Xarthian. We're some other race. No one's really sure where we came from. But we're definitely not Xarthian. We don't even speak Xarthian." Jake nodded. He saw April at the back with a scowl unlike any he'd ever seen on her face.

"You know if you keep your face like that all the time it'll eventually freeze that way," Jake commented joining her at the back of the line.

"I don't give a damn," she replied fiercely. Jake sighed and rolled his eyes. "Incapable," she said spitting out the word as if using it disgusted her. "Incapable my ass."

"So he's a bit rude," Jake said.

"He's only rude to me," April muttered. "Because he finds apprentices incapable of doing anything."

"So he has a thing against apprentices," Jake said. "The point is it's not true and we're just going to have to hang around him for a little while. Okay?" April nodded, but kept the scowl on his face.

"Well one more smart comment and I'll beat him to death with a sledgehammer and feed his remains to mad dogs. I'm not going to be insulted by a good for nothing…" And here she started swearing in a language only she and Jake knew. It was a language known only by her tribe and Jake only knew it because she had taught it to him. Jake lagged a little behind. If there was one thing five years with April as his apprentice had taught him it was to leave her alone when she was ranting. Amber joined him at the back after a while. She noticed he seemed to be lost in thought.

(What's up?) she asked in Xarthian. He was startled out of his thoughts. He smiled slightly. (What?) she asked seeing him smile again.

(It's just that it's been a while since I've spoken in Xarthian,) he replied. (April's the only one who knows how to speak it and we don't really talk in it so it's been a while.)

(That explains why your accent is off,) she teased.

(Hey!!) he exclaimed. (True Xarthians NEVER lose their accents.) Amber laughed slightly.

(I'm just teasing,) she said still chuckling slightly. (So what's wrong?)

(I just get this weird feeling in my gut that we're being led into a trap,) Jake replied.

(Well at least someone thinks so too,) Amber said. Jake glanced at her. (I've been feeling the same way. Well there's nothing left to do except be on our guard.) Jake nodded in agreement. Striker who was perched on Jake's hand made a soft cry.

"What's wrong buddy??" Jake muttered gently stroking the falcon who appeared extremely restless. "Why are you sooo restless?" he sighed. It worried him when Striker was restless because the bird had a way of sensing danger. Well there wasn't much they could do about it.

At the palace

"So milord we brought them here," Marcus said concluding his story. They were currently in the throne room and Marcus was explaining their presence to the king of this civilization. The king rose to his feet.

"Well any adventurer is more than welcome here" the king said cheerfully. The crew all smiled and voiced their thanks.

Later that night

Jake, Amber and the crew had all been treated to a huge banquet and had injuries attended to. They had all been shown to huge rooms and most of the crew was already fast asleep. Jake, Amber and April all remained awake each thinking about fairly similar things.

April

April was lying on her bed staring up at the ceiling. She couldn't get to sleep. Her mind was too restless. There was something about this place and about that Marcus guy. There was something about him that screamed evil. And it wasn't just the fact he had continued to insult her. There was genuinely something that bothered her. Finally she stood up and put on her weapon belt. She quietly snuck out of her room and started to make her way through the palace.

She crept quietly keeping to the shadows and hiding from the guards. She managed to make her way to the entrance to the dungeons. She entered the dungeons. There was a long hall with doors on either side. She sniffed the air. It smelt of blood. She glanced around. She noticed a red pool on the ground. She knelt down and placed a finger in it. She brought it up to her nose and sniffed it.

"Blood," she whispered to herself. "Fresh blood."

Suddenly she heard the noise of a door shutting ahead of her followed by footsteps. She stood up and tried the nearest door. Fortunately it was open and she hurried inside. She stood in absolute silence with her ear pressed against the door. She heard the footsteps grow closer. She tensed when the footsteps passed the door. She heard them dying away and finally a door shutting.

She sighed and turned around and was greeted by a completely empty room. The only thing was a table with a sword lying on it. She approached it. She examined it as closely as she could without picking it up. There was something awfully familiar about it. Then it suddenly hit her like a tonne of bricks.

"This is the sword that was stolen that day that…" she began, but before she could finish she heard the door open. She spun around to be greeted by a kick straight to the face. She was thrown backwards into the wall.

"Your parents and your entire tribe were killed," finished the cold voice of Marcus.

"You," April said and suddenly her mind cleared and she realized how similar Marcus looked to the leader of the people who had attacked. "You're the one who…"

"Attacked your island and killed your parents and stole that sword?" Marcus asked rhetorically. "Yeah I think I fit that description."

"You killed them?" April said her hand on the hilt of her saber. She had longed for who knows how long to come face to face with this monster and get back at him for what he had done.

"That's right," Marcus said. "From the second I laid eyes on you I realized you were the leaders of that pathetic tribe's offspring. I realized that you might recognize me so I used a flaw of your tribes against you. I made you sooo angry…"

"That my anger overclouded my mind and better judgment," April said finishing his sentence. Marcus nodded a cruel smile on his face.

"I destroyed all, but one member of that tribe and today I intend to finish the job!!" Marcus stated and with a roar raced towards April.

Jake

What did Galaxy mean by love revealed? Jake thought to himself as he lay on his bed. Did she mean Amber and me?? No it couldn't be She must mean someone else. I mean I can't tell Amber my feelings. I just can't. I mean the only thing that'll come of it will be our friendship getting ruined and me getting even more hurt. Well that's settled.

Now that darkness she was talking about. That's obviously Draconis and my grandfather. But according to Galaxy we've seriously underestimated them. Looks like we'll really need that weapon. As for that danger that she sensed. Well I'll just have to keep my eyes open. He sighed.

But what if she did mean Amber and me? What if I do reveal my feelings? She also did say love in danger. Maybe I reveal them cause she's in danger or something. Well I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens. Not much good hiding from fate.

Suddenly he heard noises outside and a shout. Striker flew off his spot at the head of the bed and landed on his shoulder. The bird hadn't even attempted to sleep and this further worried Jake. There was a long pause and then someone started pounding on his door. He leapt out of bed, grabbed his weapon belt, raced to the door and opened it.

Amber

Amber sat in a meditation position thinking over everything that had happened that day. If there was one thing Master Obi-Wan had taught her it was never to take chances.

They seem nice enough, but it's just weird. She pondered. I mean some unheard civilization in a place that's known for having mysterious disappearances. And what about that dragon's footprint?? There's still no explanation for it. I don't get it. It's just weird… Her train of thought was interrupted when she heard someone doing something outside her door. She spun around just in time to see five armed soldiers walk into her room all with extremely sadistic looks on their faces.

"Ready to spend the rest of your life in a living hell kid?" one of the soldiers asked rhetorically.

"Well this actually answers a lot of questions," Amber said calmly. She was extremely thankful for staying in her Jedi clothes and keeping on her weapon belt. She then let out a loud shout so as to warn Jake who was in the next room and raced into battle against the soldiers.

Meanwhile with Rich and Raven

Rich paced back and forth across the length of the cell they were in. He had been doing this as long as any of them could remember.

"Rich you're going to run a hole through the ground," Raven said calmly. She was seated on the ground with her arms crossed across her chest. She looked perfectly calm, but Rich could tell even she was beginning to get pretty fed up with just sitting around doing nothing.

"We can't just sit here and do nothing," Rich said.

"I have to side with Raven on this one. Pacing up and down is pretty pointless," Cyborg said. Rich sighed and sat down beside Raven.

"There has to be a way out of here," Rich muttered rubbing his temple.

"There will be an opportunity," Eli said. "We just have to wait for it and hope to recognize it when it comes."

"I agree" Tony said.

"I guess you're all right," Rich said. "Patience brings the fire," he said using his favourite saying. "I just hope we can get out of here before Draconis and Trigon attack." There was a murmur of agreement from everyone.

"There is one way out," A guard said appearing out of nowhere. They all looked at him. "The master said that despite everything he is willing to let you join him." They all stared at him.

"NO!!!!" shouted several loud voices. The guard simply nodded and left the dungeons.

"The nerve of that guy," Rich said angrily.

"Maybe we can use this to our advantage," Raven said quietly. Rich nodded slightly. He glanced around the room and his eyes came to rest on Opal who was currently glaring at a smirking Ethan who was about to beat her at battleship. He smiled.

"Maybe we can," he said as he continued to stare at his daughter a plan quickly formulating in his head. "But even if we get out there's still the problem of beating Draconis and Trigon." He frowned slightly. He noticed Raven also staring at Opal lost in thought. "Rae it's really risky and dangerous."

"But it's our only chance," Raven pointed out.

"What about Amber and Jake?" Rich said. "According to your vision they're on their way."

"But we have to keep in mind that by the looks of my vision they're both badly injured. Also Draconis took down our most powerful troops," Raven said.

"And the only troops that will follow them here," Rich added. "But nevertheless Amber and Jake both have a naturally strong will and convincing nature. There is still a tiny chance." Raven nodded her head in agreement.

"That's true," Raven said. "But at the same time we shouldn't spend the next hundred years waiting for them. But this still has to be thought through."

"Right," Rich said. "Tell you what. If by the time we figure the whole thing out as well as get the opportunity to put it into action they haven't shown any sign of coming to our aid we'll put the plan into action."

"Right" Raven said before sitting back against the wall and shutting her eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too," Rich said as he seated himself beside her and shut his eyes as well. Raven placed her head on his shoulder. Rich kissed her forehead and the two sat in silence slowly formulating their plan.

I know I know.

I'm pure evil to put three cliffhangers in one chapter, but I couldn't resist. I'll post the next chapter in a few days.

I hope you liked this one. The next one's my personal favourite.

Read & Review.

Until we meet again.

Dragon. Out.