American Dragon: Haley Long (Season One)
Chapter/Episode 16: Lu Dog's Funny Felony
It was a rather chilly night, for a June night, and the moon was high in the sky as Haley Long turned around a corner, holding a leash in her hand that was connected to Lu Dog's collar. Lu Dog had a tennis ball in her mouth, and her tail was wagging as she pulled at the leash, trying to drag Haley to the park. "No, Lu!" Haley ordered. "Heal! Stop! We're not playing tonight! It's too late at night to do so! Lu Dog, stop!"
When the young golden retriever still didn't seem to listen, Haley growled and she gave the leash one tight yank. Lu Dog yelped in surprise, and once she had recovered from the yank, she turned and returned to Haley, a pout on her face.
"We can't play tonight, Lu..." Haley told her. "It's late. I need to get you back to the shop so I can get home..."
The dragon and the dog returned to the sidewalk and they continued down the sidewalk, until they passed a dark alley. A gloved hand suddenly reached out of the alley and grabbed hold of Haley by her hair; as the hand pulled her into the alley, another gloved hand came out and was placed over Haley's mouth, making it so that she couldn't yell out as she was pulled into the alley. As Haley was pulled in, she let go of the leash, the leash dropping to the ground, getting the attention of Lu, who dropped her tennis ball on the ground.
"Haley?" she asked, turning her head, only to see that the girl was gone. "Haley?" Lu repeated, walking over to the alley; peering in, Lu Dog gasped. Haley was being slammed against the wall by a person wearing a dark grey sweatshirt with a hood. "Give me all your money!" the person demanded in a male's voice.
BLACKOUT; PLAY THEME SONG
BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW
Lu could only stare, frozen in fear as the mugger forced Haley away from the wall, only to slam her against it again, only harder this time. "Where's your money?" the mugger demanded. Haley started to open her mouth, but she soon shut it when the mugger reached into the pocket of his sweatshirt and pulled out something; Haley's eyes widened when she realized what it was...it was a gun.
"Lu!" Haley decided to try shouting for help. "Lu, help me!"
"Shut up!" the mugger tried to threaten, and he tightened his grip on her, but Haley managed to turn her head to Lu, who looked terrified.
"Lu, help me!" Haley shouted. "You're an Animal Guardian! It's your job to help me when I need help! Lu!" But to Haley's shock, Lu's tail was between her legs, and her eyes were wide; Lu Dog finally just slid down onto her stomach, not moving.
"Oh, so much for man's best friend..." the mugger chuckled, cocking the gun as he put it up to Haley's temple. "Now, I ask you again: where is your money?"
Haley's shocked look on her face quickly faded, and was now replaced with a look of anger. "I don't have any money!" Haley nearly shouted. "And you just picked the wrong girl to mug, punk!"
"No, I think you picked the wrong kid to be mugged by..." the mugger growled, putting his finger on the trigger. The mugger was about to pull the trigger, but before he could, a bright pink light consumed Haley. Shocked, the mugger let go of Haley and backed up. Then, the light faded and the American Dragon towered above him.
"You...You...You're a... dra...dragon!" the mugger stuttered.
"I told you that you picked the wrong girl to try to mug..." Haley grinned victoriously. "So, how about I end this here. I'll drop you off at a nice jail for you to spend a couple of months or so at, and then I'll go home..."
"I don't think so..." the mugger had seemed to get over his shock, and he was now raising his gun, getting ready to fire. However, Haley was also ready; shooting her tail at him, she wrapped it around his torso, pinning his arms to his side and making his drop the gun. Haley then pulled, forcing the mugger to his knees.
"Oh, I think so..."
LINE BREAK
At Canal Street Electronics, Sun and Haley stood in the back room as Fu was on the couch, laughing hysterically as Lu sat on the other side of the couch, a look of shame on her face. "Oh, this slays me!" Fu laughed. "The puppy couldn't do her job! And I got fired!"
"Fu, just stop it!" Haley snapped. "She got scared, that's all! It's happened to us all before! So, just give her a break..."
Sun shook her head sadly at Haley's words. "Haley, may I speak to you privately in the front?" she asked. "This is important..." When Haley saw the serious look on Sun's face, she simply nodded and followed her dragon master out to the front, where Sun sat down at the counter. "Please sit, Haley..."
Haley complied, sitting down at the stool beside Sun. "Sun, what is it?"
"Haley, it's Lu Dog..." was all Sun said.
"Sun, not you too..." Haley sighed. "Sun, Lu just made a mistake. She got scared. Fu's done it, and you never got mad at him. I've made mistakes, Jake's made mistakes..."
"Yes..." Sun replied quietly. "But this isn't working out. Lu Dog has gotten into too much trouble..."
"So has Fu..."
"You're defending a dog that doesn't even want to be here?" Sun asked, raising an eye at her pupil. "I'm not trying to punish her, Haley. She never wanted to do this in the first place, and it was never fair to Fu Dog..."
"What are you going to do?" Haley asked.
Sun took her time answering. "Tomorrow..." she said. "I'm going to go to the Island of Draco, and I'm going to talk to the Council. I'm going to get them to release Lu Dog..."
LINE BREAK
The next morning, it was pouring down rain. Haley exited the back room to find Sun putting on her raincoat and standing up. "Alright, Haley..." Sun said. "I appreciate your offer to watch after the dogs and the shop..."
"It's no problem..." Haley shrugged.
"Alright, I won't be gone very long..." Sun started to walk to the door. "Only a few hours. You'll be okay for that long, right?"
"Of course, Sun..." Haley answered, smiling slightly. "Of course, Leah is kind of..." But before she could finish speaking, the bell over the door rang as the door opened and Haley's friend, Leah Belden stepped inside the shop. Leah immediately pulled off her raincoat, which was soaking wet.
"Whoa!" Leah exclaimed. "Whoever heard of it raining like this in June?"
"Hello, Leah." Sun greeted her. "Well, you two girls behave..." Then, the Korean Dragon transformed into her sky blue dragon form, stepped out into the pouring rain and flew off.
Leah watched as Sun flew off, and then she turned and smiled at Haley. "In case you're wondering, yes..." Leah reached into her pocket, pulling out a couple folded papers; Leah unfolded the papers and walked over to her friend. "I brought them...the list of colleges that will take you."
LINE BREAK
In the back room, Lu Dog lifted her head off of the couch when she saw Fu in front of a decently sized box with a static image coming from it. Fu jumped to the top of it and he started to chew on one of the wires on it, pulling it back until an image appeared on the screen. Satisfied, Fu jumped down, walked over to the couch and jumped onto it on the opposite side of Lu.
"Fu, what is that thing?" Lu asked.
"What, you've never seen a television before?" Fu asked her, Lu shaking her head. "Really? Wow, I'm surprised. Well, a television is a box that plays movies and television shows. Oh come on, I'm sure you've seen a television before. This one's just old. So maybe you just don't recognize it..."
"I'm 200 years old..." Lu replied in a bored tone. "If I had seen one before, I think I would remember..."
"Sheesh..." Fu shrugged. "Talk about having no life..."
"Well, what's playing now?" Lu asked, staring at the television. On the screen was a black and white film that was cutting between a uniformed police officer and a man all in black with a bunch of terrified people behind him. They seemed to be talking to each other on an old looking telephone.
"You're gonna get me what I want, copper..." the man in black yelled. "If you don't, I can't be responsible for what just might happen to these fine people..."
"Now, now..." the police officer replied on the other end of the phone, his voice smooth and calm. "There's no need for any unnecessary violence. I'd be more than willing to negotiate with you...Just tell me what it is that you want..."
"I already told you what I want!" the man in black yelled back, the film switching back to him. "I want a car so I can get out of here with my men!"
"This?" Fu asked, chuckling slightly. "This is a classic from 1958. It's a stand-off thriller. Robbers have just robbed a bank, but now they're trapped inside. They've taken everyone inside hostage, and now they're telling the negotiators their demands."
"Really?" Lu asked, thinking this over, looking at the television set, watching the film. "So...you mean to tell me that the cops will see to the demands? They'll make them come true?"
"Well, sure..." Fu answered. "But it usually comes crashing-" However, Fu was cut off as the young golden jumped to her feet, a wide grin on her face.
"Fu Dog!" she exclaimed. "I have an idea!"
"An idea?"
"Yes!" Lu confirmed. "I have an idea. Finally, I'm going to be able to go home!"
BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK
BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW
"Oh no..." Fu just stared at the golden, not wanting to believe her words. "You're not telling me that..."
"Yes!" Lu jumped down from the couch, her smile still not fading. "I'm going to hold you and Haley hostage! Of course, I'm not really holding you hostage. The Council will just think I am. It's perfect, Fu!"
"Oh, no!" Fu himself jumped off of the couch and he got into the golden's face. "Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you'd get into? Have you lost your little puppy mind?"
"I won't get into any trouble..." Lu's smile widened. "That's what is so perfect about my plan! They'll give in to my demands, and then I'll be out of all of your lives! I won't get into any trouble."
"Think again, puppy!" Fu tried to force her to see the truth. "Life ain't like the movies! The Council members aren't like cops! So, even if they did let you find your family, they would hunt you down..."
"No they wouldn't..." Lu scoffed.
"You know what?" Fu expression suddenly changed from anger to a kind of determination. "You're right. They aren't going to hunt you down, because you aren't going to pull off this stupid stunt. I'm going to tell Haley right now..." Fu then started to run for the front room, but he stopped in his tracks when he heard Lu Dog calling him.
"Oh really?" Lu smiled as she stared at him with a wide smile. "You're going to give me away and lose the chance to resume your role as an Animal Guardian? Just like that? Fu, that surprised me. I thought that was why you were even helping me in the first place; you wanted me to get fired so you could have the job back. Don't you want to be an Animal Guardian again?"
"A...A...A...Animal Guardian?" Fu asked, turning his head to Lu.
"Yep..." Lu smiled as she walked over to Fu. "You can have your old job back if you just help me this one last time. And like I said, we're not really taking Haley hostage...We don't even have to tell her that we are doing this."
Fu seemed to think about this for a second, and he stared at Lu Dog's confident look. Finally, he nodded and said: "Alright. I'll help you. But this is the last time. So, what do you want me to do?"
"Well first..." Lu seemed to think about this. "I need to find a way to make the Council think that I mean business..."
"That's easy..." Fu muttered, and the dog walked over to the cough, putting his paw under it, pulling out a Huntsclan staff a few seconds later. "I don't know why, but we always kept one of these things. Anything else?"
"I need you to write a script..." Lu added. "This needs to be convincing. We can't just improvise...And, isn't there an old typewriter in the bathroom or something?"
"Actually..." Fu corrected her. "We got rid of it years ago. We could use Sun's computer..."
LINE BREAK
Lu Dog stood, waiting impatiently as Fu Dog sat on a stool in front of the old computer, quickly typing on the keyboard. Finally, Lu Dog decided to break the silence. "Is it almost done?" she asked.
"Puppy, would you just give me some time?" Fu snapped back, surprising Lu. "Have you ever tried typing with paws? Let me tell you: it's HARD! So, unless you want to type, I suggest that you just let me work! Alright, I'm done."
If Lu was shocked at Fu's outburst, she was even more shocked that he had just finished the script while yelling at her for asking him if he was done. Trying to get over her surprise, Lu said: "Let me see it..."
"Be my guest, puppy." Fu said as he hopped off of the stool, allowing Lu to jump up.
Lu Dog scanned down the pages of the script that Fu Dog had written. Everything seemed to be good until Lu Dog skimmed one of the sentences, her eyes widening. "What?" Fu asked when he saw the look in her eyes.
"You wrote that I'm supposed to-" Lu cut herself off. "Fu, I don't want to hurt you! That's mean!"
"Don't sweat it, puppy..." Fu rolled his eyes. "You won't be hurting me. I've taken much worse. Besides...anything to help you get to your family..."
Lu just stared at the shar-pei for a moment before she smiled and nodded. "Alright, if you say so. Now, it's time to put my plan in motion!"
BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK
BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW
When the Enchanted Elevator that Sun was travelling in popped out of the grass, and the doors slid open, Sun was relieved to see that it was not pouring down rain on the Island of Dragon. Thanking the goblin on the inside of the elevator, Sun walked across the grass, heading for the main hall.
When Sun finally reached the main hall, she pushed the doors open and walked in, finding that the only one sitting inside were Councilor Fachtna, Councilor Ulixes and Fred Nerk, who were drinking tea. Just as Councilor Fachtna brought the glass to his lips, he noticed Sun walking up to their table.
"Master Park..." Fachtna greeted her, lowering his glass and standing up. "To what do we owe the honor of your presence today?"
"Councilors..." Sun started out slowly. "I came here to ask you for a great, big favor..."
"Well, why don't you tell us, Master?" Fachtna sat back down. "Perhaps we will be able to help you out...What do you need?"
"I request that you release Lu Dog from being Haley's Animal Guardian..." Sun stated. As she expected, Fred Nerk did not seem bothered by this, but both Ulixes and Fachtna looked enraged.
"Absolutely out of the question!" Ulixes slammed her fist down against the table. "The American Dragon must have her as her guardian!"
"Councilors..." Sun tried to explain. "...I do not wish to question your judgment, but I care about Haley's safety. Last night, someone tried to mug Haley while she was walking Lu. Lu did absolutely nothing to help her..."
"You mean just like Fu Dog?" Ulixes laughed. "Yet you still defend him. What is the difference?"
"The difference was that Fu tried to help..." Sun answered, a determined look on her face. "Lu Dog did nothing. Look, I think we all know how much Lu Dog does not want to be an Animal Guardian..."
"She doesn't have a choice!" Ulixes laughed.
"Well, I think that's wrong." Sun replied. "I'm asking you, release her. She has caused much trouble, all because of what you are forcing her to do. She wants out, and she'll do just about anything to get out. I'm asking you, let her out before she does something really stupid..."
LINE BREAK
"Are you ready, puppy?" Fu Dog asked as he stared at Lu, who nodded at him. "Alright, but first you need to put the force field up, just to prove that you're serious to the Council when they get here. It's been fixed..."
"Alright..." Lu said, rushing over to the stool, using her head to push the stool to the wall. Once the stool was against the wall, Lu jumped up onto it and used her teeth to open the door revealing the switch. After using her paws to flip the switch, Lu hopped off the stood and rushed over to Fu.
"Alright, let's do this..." Fu said, looking down at the communication device at his feet. Using his paws, Fu Dog slowly started to dial a number.
LINE BREAK
The Council seemed to consider Sun's words, and Sun was hoping that they would change their minds; Sun even had a small, hopeful smile on her face. Unfortunately, the smile faded when Fachtna leaned forward in his seat and spoke:
"I am sorry, Master Park." He said. "Lu Dog is not leaving the American Dragon's side. And rest assured, we will handle it if she ever does something foolish..."
No sooner had those words left Fachtna's mouth, when a ringing came from Sun's raincoat pocket. Reaching into her pocket, Sun pulled out her beeping communication device; Sun pressed a button, and the image of Fu Dog appeared.
"Sun!" the shar-pei said in a hurry. "We've got a serious problem!" As Fu spoke, Sun noticed that Fachtna, Ulixes and Nerk had gotten out of their seats and were now walking over to her.
"Fu, what's going on?" Sun asked. "Is everything okay?"
"Everything isn't okay, Sun!" Fu nearly shouted. "The puppy's gone-AAAAHHHH!" The next thing Sun knew, a blast of plasma hit Fu, knocking him away from the communication device in the shop, just as Lu Dog stepped up, a huntstaff in her mouth.
Dropping the staff, the golden retriever looked right into the device, smiling. "What Fu Dog was saying before I cut him off..." she said. "...Is that I have taken him and the American Dragon hostage..."
As Lu said this, Sun gasped as Ulixes ripped the communication device from her hands, holding it in her own as she yelled at the golden. "Bad choice, dog!" Ulixes roared. "We'll hunt you down, you mutt! And this time you won't be so lucky! We'll lock you up in a cell for the rest of your miserable life! Better yet, WE WILL EUTHANIZE YOU!"
By now, Lu Dog looked quite frightened. "Councilor..." Fachtna said in a very calm voice, reaching out and taking the communication device from her. "Councilor, there is a better way of handling this..." Fachtna told Ulixes. "Lu Dog..." he spoke into the device. "Please just listen to me..."
"I'll kill them..." Lu claimed, no one except Fu Dog knowing that her claim was the biggest lie in the world. "I'll kill them..."
"There's no need for that..." Fachtna told her in a soothing voice. "Please, just tell me why you're doing this..."
"You can't force me to be the American Dragon's Animal Guardian!" Lu nearly shouted. "I want out!"
"So, you'll let them go if we just release you from your duties?" Fred Nerk asked, speaking up from beside Fachtna.
"I want my family back..." Lu said after a moment. "You let me go and you reunite me with my family, and I will let them both go..."
"Anything else?" Nerk asked. "If there is anything else I can do..."
"I don't want you coming after me once I'm gone..." Lu Dog finished. "That's all I want..."
"Very well..." Fachtna nodded. "I am certain that we will be able to do just that. We just ask that you give us a few hours to find them. We also promise that we will not come after you once you have left with your family."
Lu Dog nodded, and then the image faded. With Lu gone, Fachtna finally allowed his real feeling to surface. Growling, Fachtna hurled the communication device to the ground before turning to Nerk. "I don't care about her family..." Fachtna growled. "But the only thing you will be fetching is all of the guards in the prison halls. We're going down to that shop, and we're going to get that dog..."
"Yes, sir..." Nerk nodded before he turned and walked out of the hall. With Nerk gone, Fachtna turned to Sun. "Don't worry, Master Park..." Fachtna said. "We'll save the American Dragon..."
LINE BREAK
As soon as the image of the Dragon Council members had faded, Lu Dog turned to look at Fu, who was slowly standing up after she had zapped him with the staff. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"Puppy..." Fu told her. "I told you...I'm fine. I can handle it. I've taken worse. Besides, if it helps get you out of my life, I'd do anything. So, what's next?"
"Now?" Lu asked, obviously meaning that she had not thought the process this far along. "Now...I guess we just wait..."
LINE BREAK
Haley and Leah sat out in the front of the shop at the counter. Haley and Leah were both looking at a piece of paper, which had the names of several colleges on it. "How about this one?' Leah asked, pointing to one of the names.
Haley looked down at the paper, looking down at the name. "Uh, I don't know about that one, Leah..." Haley answered honestly.
Leah sighed, shaking her head. "What's wrong with that college?" she asked. "It's a good one! Why don't you want to go to it? I'm certain that they'll take you!"
"It's not that, Leah..." Haley looked down. "I need to stay in New York. I'm the American Dragon. I'm needed here..."
"Oh!" Leah exclaimed, in a tone that made Haley think that Leah wanted to face palm herself. "I understand now, Haley. Alright, I'm sure we can find one here..."
Haley simply nodded, her eyes wandering over to the door and to the outside, only to gasp when she realized that there was a green energy surrounding the entire shop. "What the...?" Haley said to herself, but to her surprise, Leah heard her.
"Is something wrong, Haley?"
"What?" Haley snapped back to the thought of her friend. "Oh..." she realized. "Um, no. I don't think anything is wrong. Just let me check on the dogs..."
"Alright..." Leah said as Haley slid off of the stool and started to walk over to the back room. As Haley reached the entrance of the back room, Haley froze in her tracks; she could hear talking. It sounded like Lu Dog and Councilor Fachtna. Peeking her head in, Haley gasped as she heard the conversation between the dog and the holographic image of Fachtna.
"We are doing the best we can in the locating of your family..." Fachtna told her. "But so far, we are having no luck. We need a little more time."
"You have one more hour..." Lu told him in a falsely cold voice. "After that, I'm going to kill Fu Dog..." After saying that, Lu put her paw down on the button, and the image of Fachtna faded away. Lu then grinned and she turned her head to Fu Dog, who was lying in the corner. "We're doing it, Fu!" She exclaimed happily. "We're actually doing it! You're going to get your job back, and I'm going to get to go home! This is the best plan I've ever had!"
"Actually, Lu Dog..." Haley said, now revealing herself and walking inside. "This is the worst idea you've ever had. Yes, this is even worse than when you pranked the Council..."
"I'm not really holding you hostage..." Lu tried to explain.
"Do you really think that matters?" Haley chastised. "Because I'm going to tell you that it doesn't. You're lying to the Council. You are going to be in so much trouble..."
"No I won't!" Lu said proudly. "The Council is going to find my family. Then, I'll be out of here, and Fu will be your Animal Guardian again. I'm not doing anything wrong, Haley. In fact, I'm doing something good. I'm making everyone happy..."
"Wrong, Lu..." Haley crossed her arms. "You aren't making anybody happy..."
"What are you talking about?" Lu asked. "I want out, Fu wants to be your Animal Guardian...Who won't be happy?"
"I'm not happy, Sun won't be happy, and the Dragon Council sure as heck won't be happy..." Haley replied. "You can't do this, Lu. This is wrong and dangerous."
"How is it dangerous?" Lu smiled innocently. "The Council is going to let me go home."
At this point, Haley could no longer control herself; she was shaking with anger, and she now yelled at the golden. "No they're not! Do you honestly just think that they'll let you go? If you do, then you're a fool! They will never let you go! Even after nine years, the Council won't leave my brother alone. The Council is the reason I haven't seen Jake in nine years!" By now, Haley was no longer yelling, and she now looked sad. "They will never stop hunting you, and they will eventually catch you. And I dread the day when the Council catches Jake..."
LINE BREAK
The three dragons were assaulted by the heavy rain drops as they flew side-by-side through the air. Sun listened as Fachtna addressed Ulixes. "Alright, Councilor..." he said. "When we get there, we will try to negotiate with the dog. Then, when Councilor Nerk arrives, we will take her..."
"Sounds like a good plan..." Ulixes agreed.
Sun just listened for another moment before she turned her head, looking down. She knew they were close to the shop; finally, Sun could see the shop in the distance, but she could feel her heart sinking as she realized that the green force field was covering the shop. "Oh no..." Sun muttered.
"What is it, Master Park?" Fachtna asked, looking at her before looking down at the shop. "Ahh, I see...Let's land..."
The three dragons landed on the ground right in front of the shop. While Sun and Ulixes remained in dragon form, Fachtna reverted to his human form; Fachtna reached into his robes and pulled out his communication device; Sun and Ulixes watched as Fred Nerk appeared in holographic form.
"Have you gotten the guards?" Fachtna asked.
"I'm in the process of it..." Nerk answered. "I'll try to get down there as quickly as I can..."
"I need you to do one more thing, Councilor Nerk..." Fachtna told him. "I need you to get a device that can get rid of a force field..."
"I'll do that..." Nerk answered after a moment, and the hologram disappeared. Fachtna sighed as he placed the device back in his robes.
"Now we wait..." he said. "It's all we can do..."
LINE BREAK
Inside the shop, Leah was sitting alone at the counter. Finally having enough of sitting alone, Leah got up, her eyes catching the sight of the three dragons outside in the rain. "Haley!" Leah immediately called, turning her head to the back room where she could see Haley talking to Lu. "Haley!" Leah called, walking into the room.
"What, Leah?" Haley asked, not looking away from the golden.
"There are three dragons outside..." Leah reported. "One of them is Sun. Haley, what's going on?"
"Oh, they must be here with my family..." Lu smiled, starting to walk out of the room.
"Correction, Lu..." Haley stated. "They're not here to deliver your mother and your brothers to you. They're here to arrest you. You've committed a major felony."
However, Lu didn't seem to listen to Haley, and she looked through the door. "Hey, where's my family?" she asked. "They said they would bring my family!"
Fu Dog was now at Haley's leg, and the shar-pei opened his mouth. "Well, puppy..." he told her. "I tried to tell you, but you didn't listen..."
"Tell me what?" Lu asked.
"That in those kinds of movies, it all eventually comes crashing down for the criminals..." Fu told her. "At the end, they end up getting captured...or worse..."
"Oh no..." Lu was now shaking her head. "No...no...no...no! This can't happen! I never hurt anyone!"
"You threatened to kill us all..." Fu muttered.
LINE BREAK
Fachtna, Sun and Ulixes continued to wait, even as the rain poured down upon them. Finally, a yellow dragon nodded on the ground, followed by a bunch of armored dragons. Nerk held some kind of box in his claws, and he set it down right in front of the force field. Sun could see that there were wires attached to the box, and Nerk struggled to place the wires into the green energy, but once he had managed to, Nerk stood up and reverted to his dragon form, reaching into his robes and pulling out a remote.
"This'll do it..." Nerk stated, and he pressed the button on it; Sun watched as the wires sparked, and the next thing she knew, the force field faded.
"Alright, guards..." Fachtna ordered. "Follow Councilor Ulixes and myself inside." As Fachtna turned into a dragon once more, Ulixes walked over to the door and put her claws on the handle, trying to push it open, only to find that it was locked. Growling in annoyance, Ulixes clenched her claws in a fist and put them through the glass, making the alarm go off.
LINE BREAK
Back in the back room, Lu's eyes widened in fear as she realized what was going on. "No!" she exclaimed. "I can't go to prison! Haley, you have to help me!"
"What do you expect me to do?" Haley asked.
"I don't know!" Lu tried to think. "Put a hole in the wall! Please! I need your help!"
Back in the front, Ulixes finally found the handle, and from the outside, she opened the door using the inside's handle. Once the door was open, she and Fachtna rushed in, rushing to the back, followed by the guards, only to see a hole in the wall, and Fu Dog yelling as Lu Dog blasted him out of it with the huntstaff.
"Give up, dog!" Fachtna warned. "It's over! You're cornered!"
Lu turned around, the huntstaff in her mouth, and she rushed in front of the now dragon Haley, pointing the staff at her chest. "No, it's not over!" Lu stated. "Back off now, or I'll slay her..."
Fachtna and Ulixes both did not seem caught too off guard, by this, and they both reverted to their human forms after glancing at each other. "Now now, Lu Dog..." Fachtna tried to soothe. "You don't have to do this..."
"Pick me up, Haley..." Lu ordered softly. "And then fly me out of the hole...I'm not going to prison. I never hurt any of them..." As she spoke, Haley bent over and scooped up Lu in her claws, lifting off the ground and flying out of the hole, leaving the others alone.
"What do we do now?" Ulixes asked.
However, Fachtna wasn't listening to Ulixes; he was looking right at Leah, who looked very confused. "What just happened?" the girl asked as she started to inch away from where she stood. "I think I'm gonna go home now..."
"What are we going to do now?" Ulixes repeated.
"I don't know..." Fachtna finally answered. "I don't think there is anything we can do. We have no idea where the dog is taking Dragon Long and Fu. I think there is only one thing we can do..."
"...Hunt them down..." Ulixes said after a moment, a cruel grin spreading across her face.
LINE BREAK
Fu panted as he ran on the ground, trying to keep up with Haley as she flew down a dark alley. Fu skidded to a halt and turned, following the, only to stop once again stop as Haley lowered to the ground in front of a cardboard box. Haley set Lu down and then reverted to her human form.
"We can hide in this box..." Lu explained.
Haley nodded, and she bent down, holding open the flaps of the box, letting both dogs inside before crawling in herself. Haley then closed the flaps, and she pulled her knees to her chest, the three listening to the rain coming down onto the box.
"I'm sorry I got you all into this..." Lu apologized. "I didn't want it to go this far. All I wanted was to get out..."
"That was why Sun was gone..." Haley finally said. "She was going to the Island of Draco in order to ask if you could be released from the duty of being an Animal Guardian..."
"Really?" Lu asked.
"Yeah..." Haley replied.
"So..." Fu finally decided to change the subject. "What now?"
"Well..." Lu said after a moment. "How about once the rain stops, we go out and look for my family? Seeing as I can't go back to Sun and the Council..."
Fu didn't directly respond to Lu; instead, he looked at Haley for confirmation. "What do you think, kid?"
Haley sighed. "What other choice do we have?"
"So it's settled..." Lu finished, joy evident in her tone. The young golden then lowered her head and closed her eyes, falling asleep within seconds. With the young dog asleep, Haley sighed and looked at Fu, and together, they just listened to the rain outside, a reminder of the position they were now in.
BLACKOUT; END EPISODE
A/N: So, there it is. What do you think? Please review.