Chapter 21: Reforming Rose

A few days after that eventful Halloween, Jake Long, Luong Lao Shi, Haley Long and Fu Dog went to the Isle of Draco to report events from that day. The Dragon Council had five frowny faces. "Deliberately using your dragon form and fire-breathing in front of random humans to make them give you candy? What were you thinking?" Councillor Chang angrily asked.

"Uh, that they would dismiss it as an impressive special effect?" Haley meekly asked.

"Not so impressive if those apples are any sign…" Fu commented until he noticed the adult dragons glaring at him. "Uh, never mind."

"I didn't think you would mind, Councillors." Haley lied.

"Dragon Haley, if what you say is true, how do you explain this?" Councillor Andam asked while conjuring an image.

"Aren't you worried about the Dragon Council?" Jonathan asked.

"What they don't know doesn't hurt them or me." Haley commented.

"Do you have any idea of what's like getting no Halloween candy?" Haley tearfully asked.

"Candy is candy." Councillor Kulde answered with no sympathy. "You can always buy more later."

"Even your brother knew better than that and he's irresponsible enough to let humans know his identity." Chang added.

"Master Luong, until now, we were entertaining the possibility of making you a Dragon Master to both the American Dragon and his sister." Andam commented. "However, after your failure to talk her off using her powers to entertain random humans, we decided to stick to the original plan to make Dragon Park her dragon master."

Lao Shi lowered his head in shame. "I understand, Councillors."

Sun Park then entered the Council Room. "Dragon Park, we expect you to do a better job with Haley Long than Luong Lao Shi did with her brother." Chang stated.

"I won't disappoint you, Councillors." Sun Park.

"Good." Kulde commented. "Dragon Haley, consider it your first and only warning. The next display of inappropriate behavior will likely result in a power suspension. And Master Luong, if you cannot keep your grandchildren on line, your career as a dragon master might be a short-lived one."

"Now that's settled, it's time to discuss the Huntsgirl known as Rose." Chang said with a face of disgust. (Partly because of how she felt about humans and partly because she's no beauty herself.) "She turned out to have been taken from her real family and, for once, the Huntsclan didn't even bother with changing her given name. Hers is really Rose."

Jake let a sigh of relief. "What do we do now, Councillor Chang?"

"We, and by that I mean you, your Dragon Master, the Elemental Dragon Girl and me, will interrogate the slayer to see if she's willing to renounce her Huntsclan ways." Chang declared. "We'll take our dragon forms."

Four transformations later, they went to the dungeons to see Huntsgirl. "Came here to gloat, American Dragon?" Huntsgirl asked with a frown.

"Slayer, If I had my way, you'd be rotting here forever or quickly executed for your crimes against the Magical World but the others in the Dragon Council take into consideration the fact you were abducted from your family as a baby." Chang replied with disdain.

"Nice try, dragon." Huntsgirl rebuffed. "You don't really expect me to fall for this, do you?"

"I don't personally care." Chang answered. "We can always ask that boyfriend of yours. Jake Long, I believe his name is."

For a while, Huntsgirl felt scared. "You'll be wasting your time, dragons. He has nothing to do with the Huntsclan."

"Then you won't mind whatever we do to him until we're convinced you're not lying to protect him, will you?" Chang maliciously asked.

Huntsgirl would rather lose her life than her pride to a dragon but that didn't mean her pride was more important to her than her beloved one's life. "No, please! Don't hurt Jake!" She pleaded. "He doesn't even know magical creatures are real!"

"Or so you say, Rose." Jake replied. "Do you really love that boy more than you hate dragons?"

"Yes, you filthy dragon." Huntsgirl angrily answered. Even she was surprised at how easy it was to answer that question.

"That's what I wanted to hear." Jake replied and then reverted to his human form. "Rose."

"You?" Rose asked in shock. "That's impossible! Dragons are evil! Jake is…"

"It's time to face the truth, Rose." Jake replied. "I know what's like. Believe me."

"How long have you known?" Rose asked while wondering if Jake ever loved her or if it was an act all along.

"I started suspecting when I found out it was you who lost the ski pass I found during that ski trip, Rose." Jake explained.

"Oh." Rose replied in acceptance of the possibility that it was what clued Jake. "But where did you dragons come up with the idea that I was taken from my family? Even if the Huntsclan lied to me about my parents having died back when I was a baby, and I'm not ready to accept that possibility, how would you know?"

The four dragons looked at each other and decided to let Camille be the one to tell. "A cousin of yours is the new Canadian Dragon, Rose." The Elemental Dragon Girl explained. "Her name is…"

"Don't tell her, Elemental Dragon Girl!" Chang commanded.

"Oh, yeah." Rose commented. "I remember hearing about her predecessor being slain by strigoi."

"Oh, so the Huntsclan's American branch knows about that?" Chang teasingly asked.

"The Huntsclan is a worldwide organization and a dragon's death is something a branch would inform others." Rose explained. "But you still didn't explain how you found out the Huntsclan took me from my family."

"Your cousin is so identical to you she could pass as your twin, and you do have a twin." Camille explained.

"Enough family talk." Chang replied and then zapped a magical beam at Rose's head.

"What was that?" Rose asked.

"A way to make sure your fellow slayers won't find you through dream charms, Huntsgirl." Chang explained.

"It's not like we don't trust you, Rose…" Jake said but Chang interrupted him.

"Speak for yourself, American Dragon."

"So, am I Canadian?" Rose asked. "Is that another thing the Huntsclan lied to me about?"

"No, Rose." Camille answered. "You and your sister only have Canadian relatives."

"You're kinda nice for one of the few dragons powerful enough to scare the Huntsclan into using special hunting tactics." Rose commented to Camille. "Then again, the only other dragon to do it is the Dark Dragon. When I showed worry about hunting in the open during Halloween, he said you and the Dark Dragon were the only ones who'd make him rethink his strategy but he wasn't worried because the Huntsclan hasn't had news of the Dark Dragon ever since the Seventies and you normally only appeared in Europe."

"Your time is up, Huntsgirl." Chang said as she took the other dragons away with her. "So, what happens now?" Jake asked.

"We'll wait to see how far we can trust her, American Dragon." She stated.

"Hopefully on time to see Miranda perform the tests." Jake commented.

"That's wishful thinking, American Dragon." Chang arrogantly dismissed his hopes. "Well, I have Dragon Council duties to attend to. The three of you may feel free to enjoy the rest of your stay but don't ever return to the slayer's cell without authorization."

"Moments like these make me suspect she's the traitor." Camille muttered.

"What?" Jake asked in surprise.

"The Oracle Twins predicted I'd find a horrible truth about one of my dragon masters and the Dark Dragon knew a secret known only to Councillor Chang, Councillor Kulde, Councillor Andam and me." Camille explained.

"My Grandfather already suspected there was a spy back when the Dark Dragon showed up for my tests." Jake replied. "I hate to think it was someone in the Dragon Council even if it's Chang."

"That goes double for me, Jake." Camille stated. "They are my dragon masters."

"Some pains must be lived with, young dragons." Lao Shi advised them.

End chapter.