Destination:Madagascar,off the southeastern coast of Africa.

Spud stood behind his self-appointed station as he crafted together the new extra zestful and spiced salsa for his taco chips.The concotion bubbled a bit as he added a pinch of pepper before gathering the bowl right up into his arms.

x.x.x.x.x

Electronic game noises filled the main controls hub as he entered through the door and up to the game's interactor in an occupied bolted down swivel seat.With a quiet eagerness to prove his theory true,he didn't speak a word.

Jake gave the glopped mound of red one look and sent him a look that was somewhere between suspicion and disapproval.Only when Spud began to show his lower lid did Jake consent to being his first and only test subject.

Though not without reluctance.

Taking the saused chip unknowingly of it's contents,Jake bit it in half.As he was tasting it Spud waited paitently,grinning widely with anticpation which only grew when Jake gave him a thumbs up indicating the success of Spud's salsa.

No sooner had he done so did his cheeks blaze red and his eyes commenced watering.Transforming and putting his claw to his mouth,Jake unleashed a giant bursting of flame up into the ceiling to swoop out and down to a river below.

"HOT!HOT!HOT!HOT!HOT!HOT!"

"Guys,we just found out where-"Fu stopped mid-announcement as he and Rose entered the room."Where did Jake go?We can't do this without him."

Trixie gave them a wry look over her shoulder from the controls."Well,from the looks of things let's just say that Jakey is just a little bit water-logged currently."

x.x.x.x.x

Meanwhile,the red dragon sighed with relief after dunking his head into the large body of water.Giving his mane a good shake,he prepared to re-board the aircraft when he heard a low moan and looked at the still water under his feet.

"Uh..."he swallowed hard."Hello?Who's...?"

Moments later the surface broke and out lunged a crocodile with rows and rows of pointed teeth.Jake waned at this and began rotating his wings back.

"Hey,I'm just like you.Were both reptiles,cold-blooded,scales.That sorta stuff."

The large lizard flared it's nostrils once in reply and took another bite for him only to receive a brash fist instead of a meal.Jake grinned as it retreated away.

"Later,gator."

He turned to see that they had already landed by the smooth flowing river and went to re-join,unaware of the pair of pink eyes that followed him as he went.

x.x.x.x.x

As they walked away from the deciduous forest and river,cultivated land that would otherwise be eroded dirt appeared above the harbor.People that were of more then African descent,dressed in khaki and burmuda rushed all around.

"Excuse me?"Jake inquired a man sitting by a thatch hut with a lap-top.

He looked up in irritation."What is it?"his accent was native.

"Dude,you don't have to be rude.We were just wondering..."

"Where the Talisman piece is,"Came another voice and a boy a bit older then them appeared out of a tent."Hello,I'm Dakarai.Don't mind my brother.He's been up all night locating the chip.Please,come so that we all may start now."

"So,I'm guessin' your the African Dragon."Trixie guessed as they proceeded.

"Yes,I am from Kenya with my uncle."he said and added in a small attempt to impress."You may also know that he is from a member of the Dragon Council."

"You say that you've been researching to find the Talisman piece,how long?"

Dakarai gave Rose the once over out of the corner of his eye."Two weeks."

"And it's location is...?"Jake asked quickly,wanting to find it and leave."It's not that I need technology but I could use a new battery for my hand-held game."

"Those things will rot your mind."Rose told him.

"She's just jealous because she's not as game savvy as the rest of us."Fu joked.

"You're not either."He reminded him.

The grey dog frowned."Okay,I'm going to pretend I didn't just hear that."

The African Dragon stopped at the edge of a barren hill that lead out into the beginnings of a small desert and turned to them with soberity in his dark eyes.

"Three choosen dragons of the Dark one are awaiting your arrival that are out in a glade."he told them,almost sadly."They instructed us to send you to them."

Fu Dog's ears drooped."Their holding you all hostage."

"Until they get what they want,"Rose put in and exchanged looks with Jake.

"Don't worry,"he approached the other dragon resolutely."We'll set you free."

"My life is of no major importance.It is the other magical researchers and my brother I worry for.We've tried fighting them but it isn't any use,even I haven't been able to stop them and I am recently graduated.Please,you must save us."

"We will."Jake promised.

As did the others.

x.x.x.x.x

"More on the ring finger,you wretch."Ava ordered nastily.

Gregory stifled a grumble as he re-dipped for the fourteenth time and went to work.While the tall,ebony-haired and well-tanned girl lounged on a lawn chair under the palmy shade of a tree,he sat inches away with the sun beating down.

"So,"he asked eagerly."Do you sense them coming?Can I use the Jake doll?"

The dragon blew on her nails."Any moment now and you can forget it."

Sighing,he looked on to the large grey dragon fiercely clawing his way through trees that either came out just shredded or not at all.The idea made him uneasy.

"Why is he here again?"

"You were told as much I was.But the way I figure is I'm the brains,"Eve took her camera phone out and flashed herself once."As well as the beauty.He's our mindless muscle and you're the annoying sidekick to take on the weaker links."

"Oh."he blinked once and then placed his hands on his hips."Hey."

"Zip your lip before I give your side a kick and paint faster,worthless stooge."

Greggory muttered once but did as he was told.

"Eve."Arden called out in his husky voice."They're approaching."

"So they are,"she grinned wickedly and picked up a doll resembling Trixie.

"What have you done to Jake's?"

Eve eyed the scrawny boy with thin patience."Burned his mouth with hot peppers."

"This girl is next."Arden pointed at the badly makeshift doll

"Of course."

"I knew those knitting classes would pay off."Gregory said proudly.

x.x.x.x.x

"They've had to of been a couple of days."Fu Dog voiced everyone's thoughts.

"At least.The important thing is to set things right here."Jake responded.

"You sure you're up for going against what's-his-name?"Spud asked unsurely.

"I dunno,"he sighed,walking a bit ahead of them."Maybe-"

"Ouch!"Rose said in surprise,rubbing her shoulder."Trixie,what was that for?"

"Whoa,hold up.I didn't do anything.I mean...I didn't mean to do it."

"Ye-OW!"Fu howled."Spudinski!I didn't even know you could stomp like that."

"Rose!"Jake wheeled back from her landing a punch at his chin."Watch it!"

"Sorry,"she shook her head cluelessly."It's like someone has a hold on me."

Horrified,he watched as her arm froze up and withdrew back forcefully slow.

"What-what's going on?"Jake tried to grasp her hand.

"What do you think?"A familiar voice snickered from behind."Were toying with you because we know how lame you are.It's so worth watching other people's squanders because it only adds to the grand such as I and so very few others."

"Put them down."Jake demanded.

"For mercy sakes,don't you have any class?Why don't we have a little fun?"

He ignored her and shot his cousin a look."You don't belong on this side.You might be a total thorn in the side but you're not evil.You should be helping me."

The dragon snort laughed."In your dreams,cuz.And with that magical thread I sewed into making these voodoo replicas,they're not going to help you either."

"If your wondering about the piece,American Dragon.Those imbociles you met back there have it,they just refuse to give it up and were growing impaitent with them.So we cut them a deal,if you could defeat us then the piece goes to them."

"Correction,your royal vainess.It goes to us."He pointed a claw at himself.

"Don't you want to know what would happen if they refused?"She taunted.

Jake narrowed his eyes."What?Cut off their satelite connection?"

She smirked in delight."We eliminate them."

"That will not happen."Dakarai challenged as he swooped in beside Jake."I will not let it.You have held us captive for three days now but you never will again."

"Impatient fool,"The light purple dragon scoffed."Arden,take the red one."

He cracked his neck from side-to-side and bulldozed right for Jake,completely ignoring Dakarai.The full ferocity of the dragon was proven when he gave Jake an immediate slash across the chest after he had been blocked for the first time.

Clasping the marks in pain,he gave a quick dip under his opponet and split into multiple copies of himself.Arden hardly had time to react as the dragon clones went to catch his wrists and the original delivered a swarm of flame to his back.

His ears perked at someone coming in from behind him as well as the swish of air come from another pair of wings.As he went on to fight Arden,the indigo dragon Dakarai faced off with ease against Gregory and then of course,Eve.

x.x.x.x.x

"You know,levitating here in mid-air against the laws of gravitity with nothing else to do really gives you time to reflect on all the good things in life."Spud said out of boredness as they remained air borne."Let's see sports,Stacey,television,Stacey-"

"As fun as that sounds,we need to find a way down from here."Rose commented as she stayed completely still."Or in the least we need to try and all stay together."

"It's not like were about to fly away or anything."Trixie disproved her worries as she did a couple of flips in the air."This would be kinda fun if it wasn't dangerous."

"Hmm,"Fu Dog rubbed at his wrinkled chin."For us to still be here why all of them are fighting,they would have to tie our voodoo dolls up with string or something."

"How do you figure they're voodoo dolls?"Rose wanted to know.

"How?I thought it was just an automatic given."

"Rose's hoverboard!"Spud exclaimed suddenly."The jet power circulating through it just might be enough to break us from this sort of suspended animation cycling."

"Wouldn't be such a wack idea if we weren't stuck moving in place."Trixie sighed.

Rose gave them a rest-assured look."It isn't a problem for me."

Changing the staff to board from the leather holster strapped to her back,Rose put it to her chest and she moved so that her back was now facing.One knob and she was propelled backwards,but not without being caught between fight,flee or free.

x.x.x.x.x

Eve leered at Dakarai as though were a traitor."I gave you orders to stay put until I said otherwise,I've been lenient about waiting and from now on I won't be so kind."

"Our definitions of kind are different."he told her calmly."I have complied with my end of the bargain to keep the people on this expedition safe,even going so far as to consider not warning these other kids.But no more,this has got to be stopped now."

"Agreed,"she dissolved away into nothing."My definition as to when things have to be stopped is when a pawn has the gull to develop the idea that he can be a player.

And you are no longer."Dakarai felt the wind knocked out of him and was actually sent sprawling to the ground by unseen forces."A worthy pawn,you pathetic scum."

x.x.x.x.x

"Jake,"Rose said quietly."Nothing good is going to come from just standing there."

When he didn't respond for several minutes,she went to talk with the others coming.

"Next time,be prepared or there won't be a next time."His voice still lingered on in the American Dragon's mind."You may have gotten the piece this time but we'll be ready to do away with you next.So get stronger,you are my only worthy rival."

Jake stood silently for the longest time,as the African sun set beyond the barren field of land and far out off the island.While Trixie and Spud had rushed back for help,he merely stood without looking down over the lifeless dragon that lay our before him.

A mingling of bitterness and reality incisioned within him.These dragons were just as willing to sink low to get what they wanted as anyone,even his own cousin now was.

He shuddered at the thought.When two people from the village came forward to see the damage,he still stood there.When they told him Dakarai was going to live he still stood there and even when the last light had filtered out from the sky,there he stood.

Not long after dusk had settled,he felt a hand on his shoulder."It's time to go,dude."

"It's so unbelievable,Spud."he sighed shakily."It's just incredible that there are people who are out there who would give their own life for anyone no matter what and there are people out there who couldn't give a flippin' darn for the people they victimize."

"What can you do?Things like this just happen sometimes."

"It just isn't right."His word came through clenched teeth."For guys like Dakarai who don't care what happens to them to end up like this.It just should never happen."

Without waiting for his friend to say another word,Jake moved away and headed for the stalled aircraft.The battle was only beginning and next time they had to be ready.

Jake knew he would be.

To be continued...

A/N:Send in those submissions.

LP