Future Dragon: Rose Long (Season Seven)
Chapter/Episode 5: Savannah the Atoner
Late at night on the Island of Draco, in the room that Jake and Rose now once again shared, Rose lied on her side so that her back was against her husband's. However, even as she tried to sleep, her mind was not as peace.
"Rose, if you only understand the motive that Savannah-" She could hear Jake's voice in her head, right up to the point where she had cut him off.
"Rose, you don't know what you're saying!" She could then hear Holly's voice. "Savannah Rogers had something to gain from your abduction. She's not your friend."
"You don't know squat! Savannah Rogers has it out for this entire Council! She probably knew you were Mrs. Jake Long and knew that you vulnerable so she had Cherri Solorio help her get her sweet revenge by kidnapping you!"
Upon hearing what Holly had said in her memory, Rose gasped as she opened her eyes. "Savannah..." She whispered. Moaning, Rose then pushed herself up so that she was sitting up. As quietly as she could, she then put her feet on the floor and stood up. Then, she quickly walked off, using her Huntsclan training to be as silent as possible, leaving her sleeping husband alone in the bed.
Once Rose reached the door, she turned her head to the side to see that Jake was still fast asleep. Turning her head back to normal, Rose slowly reached out and took the door knob, turned it opened the door and walked outside, closing the door behind her.
LINE BREAK
Slowly, Rose walked down the dark hallway of the prison, slowly turning her head to the side to look into all of the cells.
Finally, Rose reached Savannah's cell, and she could see that Savannah was sitting in her dragon form, her wrists held above her and locked in glowing green shackles, her head lowered as she slept.
"Savannah." Rose said softly as she slowly brought her hand up to the bars and knocked against them four times.
This got Savannah's attention, for Savannah moaned as she slowly lifted her head up, squinting before she blinked three times. "Rose?" She finally asked. "Wh...What are you doing here?"
"I've been trying to talk to both Jake and Holly..." Rose said as she clutched the bars with both of her hands. "...I've tried to tell them that you're a friend and that you only wanted to help me."
"I don't think that's going to convince them, Rose."
"No, because they did tell me something about you." Rose said, narrowing her eyes.
"They did?" Savannah's eyes widened.
"I've been told that you're not trustworthy." Rose said, removing her hands from the bars of the cell. "At least, that what Holly and Jake say. Holly even said...that you want revenge..."
"Oh?" By now, Savannah was visibly nervous, something that Rose took note of.
"Savannah, was there some kind of ulterior motive that you had?" Rose asked bluntly.
By this time, Savannah's face was completely pale. "So..." Rose said with a sigh as she took a step back. "...They were right? I was wrong? You're a scumbag?"
"Okay..." Savannah said. "...Yes, I did have an ulterior motive. But...I do care about you, Rose. I do care about you getting closure with your parents' death."
"But you were still keeping secrets from me, right?" Rose asked, disappointment in her tone.
"Rose, you don't know the story..."
"That's exactly what Jake and Holly told me." Rose said as she put her hands on her hips. "Perhaps you'd like to tell me."
"It's...It's kind of a long one." Savannah said.
"Well, I'm not tired." Rose said. "And judging by those chains around your wrists, you're not going anywhere. So, why not tell me?"
"Then I guess that I'll start with the truth." Savannah said. "I've already stated it, but I'll do it again. Yes, I did have an ulterior motive. But I'm not a scumbag. At least, I hope I'm not. I do feel guilty for keeping this a secret, but I really do want you to get justice. But this isn't just about justice for you."
"Then who else is it for?" Rose once again crossed her arms.
"Rose, I grew up in an orphanage." Savannah said.
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"I'm getting there, Rose." Savannah said. "You see, I was born just five months before 9/11. My father was on one of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center. Not even a month later, my Mom just couldn't take it, so she served herself up a shotgun bullet for her dinner one night."
"Savannah, I-" Rose said in a shocked and saddened tone as she lowered her arms to her sides.
"So, I grew up in an orphanage." Savannah said. "Because, when I was only five months old, I was an orphan. I wasn't too popular to begin with, but just when the Magical World was revealed to the humans, guess who began to develop her dragon powers?"
FLASHBACK
In the back room of the orphanage, many of the kids were sitting around a TV, along with several of the orphanage workers, who were standing around as well, watching a news report. Savannah herself was sitting in the back of the room, all alone, watching as well.
"At this time, it has been confirmed that a dragon fell from a building by the NYPD." The news reporter said. "Uh, apparently there are more dragons out there, because rumor has it that dragon speakers are going to speak with the President. Uh, the rumor is that they are called 'The Dragon Council'. Once again, this is only a rumor. It has not yet been confirmed."
Glancing away from the TV, Savannah looked at all backs of the kids watching the news report. They were mystified, if not downright frightened.
As it was, Savannah herself didn't know how she herself felt.
LINE BREAK
Sometime later, Savannah entered the playroom, where she saw that a lot of her fellow orphans were playing. A couple girls were playing jump-rope while some boys were playing catch with a basketball, and others were doing their own things, like talking or reading or just getting some quiet time alone.
Silently, Savannah turned to the side and walked over to the wall where there was another girl, of about twelve or thirteen who had blonde hair and who was reading a magazine.
Once Savannah reached the wall next to the older girl, she turned around and slid down into a sitting position. "Hi." Savannah said shyly as she turned her head to the side slowly.
"Mmph." Was the uncaring response of the older girl, prompting Savannah to turn her head back to normal.
"Okay, I'll be quiet." Savannah said softly.
However, only five seconds after she said this, Savannah's nose wrinkled and her eyes widened, her lips also parting.
Hearing the sounds that a person made when they were about to sneeze, the older girl lowered the magazine and turned her head to the side, just as Savannah released a massive sneeze.
However, it wasn't just any sneeze. Fire shot out of her mouth in the form of a flaming ball and the young girl grunted as she was thrown forward, landing on the floor with wings sprouted out of her back and a tail sticking out of her rear. Both her wings and tail were Bondi Blue-colored.
Dropping the magazine, the older girl screamed with terror.
BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL
BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW
"So, what happened then?" Rose asked curiously as she reached up and gripped the bars again.
"Nothing good, Rose." Savannah said. "I was a lonely loner before this, but it was even worse after I sprouted wings and a freaking tail. Then, I became a monstrous freak."
"All dragons were like that up until only a few years ago." Rose said. "Many still are to this day."
"Anyone you know go through it, Rose?"
"My sister-in-law." Rose said. "It was pretty rough for her."
"Did the people around her act like she was going to either eat them or incinerate them with a fireball?"
"I don't know."
"Well, that's how they acted with me." Savannah said. "But that's not the worst of it."
"What was, then?"
"Because I was an orphan..." Savannah said. "...And because the humans there were so frightened, I was never able to train and develop my powers. In fact, I didn't even know that dragons needed to train until I was eighteen years old."
"Well, obviously..." Rose said. "...You got one, because you're a pretty impressive dragon..."
"I did get one." Savannah said. "I trained myself. Or...at least I tried to once I got the hell out of that orphanage on my eighteenth birthday."
"No one adopted you?" Rose asked.
"No!" Savannah said in an angry and annoyed tone, her eyes narrowing. "Think about it, Rose! I was in there until my eighteenth birthday because those people who ran the orphanage told any couple that would have been interested in adopting me that I was a scaly, fire-breathing monster."
"No magical couples?"
"Apparently not." Savannah answered.
"So..." Rose changed the subject as she took her hands off of the bars and took a slow step back. "...What happened the day you got out of there? I bet you were ecstatic."
"I was." Savannah smiled.
FLASHBACK
"Alright, Ms. Rogers..." the lady at the desk said nervously as she pushed a folder with a sheet of paper and a pen on top of it right in front of Savannah, who was sitting across from the woman. The woman at the desk had a very nervous look on her face as she spoke again: "...Just sign the release sheet. You'll be your own be-I mean dr- I mean pers-uh, I mean woman."
With an eager smile on her face, Savannah snatched the pen up and clicked it, placing the ballpoint of the pen to the sheet. "Just my name, right?"
"Y-Yes." The woman said.
Quickly, Savannah scribbled her name down and dropped the pen, quickly standing up. "See ya!" She said in an excited tone.
Walking out of the room, Savannah started to walk through the cafeteria, passing by the two tables where all of the kids sat.
Slowing down her pace, Savannah looked in both ways, seeing that those who were looking up at her had looks of terror on their faces.
Narrowing her eyes, Savannah turned her head back to normal and picked up her pace, hoping to get out of the orphanage as quickly as possible.
LINE BREAK
Opening the door of the orphanage, Savannah had a wide smile on her face as she stepped out onto the sidewalk.
Then, without any warning, Savannah ran out into the street, transforming into a dragon in a bright light as she ran. Before she reached the opposite sidewalk, she gave a mighty flap of her wings and took off into the air.
"Yeah!" Savannah shouted at the top of her lungs as she flew up into the air, pumping her fists up into the air.
"YEAH!" She repeated, only louder this time as she got high enough to not have to ascend into the air anymore. Instead, she just flew straight ahead, not knowing at all where she was going. All she cared about was the fact that she was...
"FREE!" Savannah shouted with glee as she flew on. "I'm finally free of that place!"
However, Savannah's joy was short lived, for as she reached the middle of the street, her inexperience with her dragon powers took hold. Savannah's eyes widened as her dragon form reverted away.
"AAAHHH!" Savannah shouted with panic as she continued to fly forward. However, now that she had no wings to keep her in the air, she also started to descend, making it so that she was flying down to towards the window of a pottery shop.
Grunting, Savannah crashed head-first through the window, setting the burglar alarm off right before Savannah crashed into the back of a wooden shelf. The shelf toppled over and spilled all of the wooden pots onto the ground, where they shattered upon impact with the floor before the shelf fell over.
Moaning, Savannah got up to her feet as she listened the burglar alarm. Looking up, she then saw the broken window.
Her eyes widening, she gasped.
END FLASHBACK
"And then I did the worst thing possible." Savannah said. "I ran as fast as I could, as far away as I could. I wish I could have stayed and tried to explain, but the fact of the matter was that I was a dragon and the cops were humans. I had every right to believe that they wouldn't listen to a beast. I was scared, so I ran."
"I understand." Rose said. "I mean, at least you felt guilty."
"I still do, Rose." Savannah said.
"There's really no need." Rose tried to be helpful. "We all make bad choices."
"Yeah, but I felt guilty right away." Savannah said. "Fortunately, though, I met Lono."
"What happened after he met you?" Rose asked.
"I explained to him what happened." Savannah said. "And I told him what I did and how I wanted to make up for it, not to mention the fact that I was frightened of going to face the music."
"And then what did he do?"
"He told me that he had the perfect way for me to redeem myself without having to go to the police."
"Let me guess..." Rose said.
"He offered me a chance to join his little ragtag team." Savannah smiled. "I said yes. Lono himself trained me. I guess you could say he was my Dragon Master."
"Oh?" Rose smiled. "Is that why you were his second?"
"Yeah." Savannah's smile widened. "He was really impressed with me." However, after she said this, her smile slowly vanished. "I wasn't happy, though. Lono offered me a chance of redemption. It never came to me, though. Our team never amounted to anything."
"I can kind of see that..." Rose said nervously as she slowly reached behind her head and scratched. "...Then what happened?"
"You lost your position as the head of the Dragon Council Agents." Savannah said after sighing.
FLASHBACK
Lono, in his dragon form, and with his medallion around his neck, opened the door to his room with a smile on his face, but as he stepped one step further out, his smile vanished and his eyes widened as he saw that Savannah was standing in her dragon form, her clawed hands clutching the chain of her medallion.
"Savannah, what are you-?"
"Here." Savannah cut Lono off, holding out the medallion. "I'm leaving the team."
"But why?" Lono asked as he reached out and took her medallion. "Look, I know you're disappointed that you haven't gotten your chance to atone yet, but Savannah, it'll come."
"It has come." Savannah smiled sadly. "I just heard news that the Dragon Council has released the leader of their team of Agents."
"So?"
"They're looking for a replacement." Savannah said. "Lono, this is my chance."
LINE BREAK
The transparent submarine emerged from the water and the top latch opened, both Savannah and Lono flying out of the submarine and touching down on the wooden dock.
"Well, I guess this is good-bye." Savannah said as she turned her head to the side.
"I wish you the best, Savannah." Lono said as he turned to the side, reaching out and touching Savannah's scaly shoulder as Savannah turned her head back to normal. "I also just want you to know that you will always be welcome here. I'll always welcome you with open arms if anything should happen."
LINE BREAK
Jake, Holly, Callum and Rin were all sitting at the table in the Main Hall on the Island of Draco when the doors to the Main Hall opened and Savannah strode inside in her dragon form.
"Councilors!" Savannah said with a smile, making Hake, Holly, Callum and Rin all look up.
"Yes?" Holly asked.
"Can we help you?" Jake asked.
"I hear that you're going to replace your head of the Dragon Council Agents." Savannah said, still smiling as she stopped in front of their table, putting her clawed hands on her hips.
BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL
BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW
"Uh, Councilor..." Rin spoke up, staring at Savannah's confident posture. "...Who is this?"
"Yeah, that's what I want to know." Jake said. "I've never seen her before."
"You don't know who I am?" Savannah asked. "Lono told me that the Council knows every dragon in the world. All dragons are part of an order."
"Who's Lono?" Jake asked.
"Councilors, my name is-" Savannah started, only to be cut off by Holly.
"Savannah Rogers?" Holly asked. "Is that you?"
"Yes." Savannah's smile widened. "Yes, I am."
"And..." Councilor Callum spoke up. "...You say that you're here to replace our last Dragon Council Agent leader?"
"Well, try and qualify..." Savannah said. "...But yes. That would make my trip here worthwhile."
"Uh, Dragon Rogers..." Holly said before she sat up. "...There's one little problem?"
"What's that?" Savannah asked, her smile fading. "Am I too late? Did you already select the replacement?"
"No." Holly said.
"We still haven't even replaced Fred..." Jake muttered under his breath as he crossed his arms.
"Because if you did, I could just try out to be a member of the Agents." Savannah offered. "I don't have to be the leader, I just want to-"
"No, Dragon Rogers." Holly repeated, louder this time.
"Then what's the problem?" Savannah asked, confused.
"You've spent your entire life in an orphanage." Holly said.
"So?"
"So, you don't have the training for a responsibility of this caliber." Holly said. "You've never had proper training. For all we know, you haven't even mastered your dragon form."
"Does it look like I haven't mastered my form?" Savannah asked as she indicated herself. "And yes, I have had training. I can fight. I can defend myself. I CAN do this."
"You may have had training, but not proper training." Holly said before she sat back down.
"Look, Dragon Rogers..." Callum said as he leaned forward. "...Each dragon has a specific time at which they start their training. Boys don't usually start to develop their powers until they are about twelve or thirteen. Girls start to develop them earlier, between the ages of seven and eight. Maybe even nine."
"I know, I was about seven when I blew my first fireball." Savannah smiled.
"But that is when they must start training." Holly said. "When did you first become a full dragon?"
"About eight, maybe."
"That is when you need to start training." Holly said. "Ideally, even earlier. You didn't do that."
"Dragon Rogers..." Rin finished. "...We're sorry. You don't qualify for this job. You don't even qualify for a dragon protector. We're sorry, but...you don't qualify for anything. We are sorry. Truly, we are..."
By this time, Savannah's confidence had vanished, and instead she now looked distraught. "But-"
"We are sorry." Holly said as she closed her eyes. There was genuine remorse in her tone, but there was also exasperation. Above all, there was a finality to her words.
Now, Savannah's eyes were narrowed, her fists were clenched and she was shaking with rage. "Yeah, sure you are!" She growled.
"Dragon Rogers..." Rin tried gently.
"I don't want to hear it!" Savannah told them as she spun around, starting to storm off. "Forget you guys! Some leaders of all dragon kind, you are! I'll show you!" She vowed as she turned her head to the side. "I'll show you all what I'm capable of!" She said as she turned her head back to normal.
Then, the closed doors of the Main Hall were blasted open as Savannah stormed outside, pulling her tail back. While one door flew back and slammed against the wall of the building, the other door was blasted off its hinges.
"Dude!" Jake said with wide eyes. "She took one of the doors clean off!"
"Don't worry, Jake." Holly said as she narrowed her eyes with suspicion. "We can fix the door."
LINE BREAK
Back in his room at Mermaid City, Lono, in his dragon form, was sitting in his chair, holding and looking at Savannah's medallion. However, when he heard the door open, his eyes widened and he lowered the medallion into his lap as he saw a saddened Savannah stepping into the room, still in dragon form.
"Savannah?" Lono asked with a smile.
"Hey." Savannah returned.
"Didn't get it?" Lono asked, his smile vanishing.
"No." Savannah said as she walked up to Lono, finally reaching him. "They say I don't qualify."
"Why don't you qualify?" Lono asked.
"Because the Council members are jerks." Holly said, slowly reaching out and taking her medallion back.
Lono watched with sparkling eyes as Savannah placed her medallion back around her neck. "Lono, I'm sorry for leaving." Savannah said. "But now I'm back. And I'm going to show the Council. I'm going to show them what I'm made of. I'm going to show them the good I can do."
By the time she was finished, Savannah had that confident smile back on her face.
END FLASHBACK
"Wow..." Rose's eyes were wide as Savannah finished.
"So, now that I've told you that I did have an ulterior motive..." Savannah said. "...The motive of solving this crime first to show them what I'm made of, I have a question of my own to ask you."
"Ask away."
"Do you hate me now?" Savannah asked.
Rose started to open her mouth, but before she could speak, she heard a steel door slam, followed by four sets of footsteps. "Rose?!" She could hear the sound of her husband's voice.
Gasping, Rose turned to the side as quickly as she could.
"Rose, I think you should go." Savannah said calmly. "Like you said, I have nowhere to go and I'll probably be here for a long time. You know where to find me. Come back any time you like."
Seeing Rose slowly nod twice, Savannah smiled, hoping that Rose understood her. Then, she saw Rose slowly start to jog away from her cell.
Now alone, Savannah's smile faded away. With a sigh, she slowly lowered her head.
BLACKOUT; END
A/N: Now you finally know why Savannah hates the Council and why the Council thinks Savannah is untrustworthy. I think I'm fairly proud of this one. Tell me what you think.