Chapter 23: Eye of the Beholder

"Come on, kid." Fu Dog whined. "That TV antenna won't fix itself."

"What's the big deal about that, Fu?" Jake asked as he finished fixing the antenna. "You never cared before."

"It's the Miss Magical World pageant, kid." Fu happily explained as he finally had a clear picture. "Now there's some fine-looking lassies!" He exclaimed.

"Fu, I may be a magical creature but I believe fine-looking lassies shouldn't have more than one head." Jake commented.

"Kid, you're blocking my view." Fu complained.

"Big women, big dreams!" The TV host announced. "Who will Mr. Pandarus choose?" He asked while Pandarus was examining the contestants.

"Eli! Eli! Eli! Eli!" Fu cheered.

"Wait." Jake asked. "Is that Eli Excelsior Pandarus, the same one who stole gold from leprechauns?"

"Yeah, he's sponsoring the pageant, holding it on his private island." Fu explained.

"He must be up to something." Jake suspected.

"Kid, with your Dad being who he is, you should be no stranger to rich people sponsoring big events for publicity." Fu commented. "Besides, the guy who organized the first magical beauty pageant can't be all bad."

"Think again, genius." Kara Oracle replied as she and her twin sister Sara showed up.

"Hey, the Oracle twins!" Jake exclaimed. "What's going on?"

"Pandarus is indeed up to something as you expect, Jake." Sara happily said. "Something unspeakably horrible."

Lao Shi then showed up. "Fu Dog! Have you been messing with the antenna again?"

"No way, Lao Shi." Fu replied as he tried to kick Jake away but the American Dragon blocked it. "Nice try, Fu." Jake said.

"So, did either of you predict anything specific?" Jake asked the girls. He already knew they couldn't choose what to predict.

"No, Jake." Kara answered. "We just know something bad is gonna happen but we don't know what. It's not an exact science."

"Whoa, look at those heels. She's gonna have a tough time running for her life in those." Sara commented.

"Enough!" Lao Shi exclaimed. "We must go to Pandarus Island."

"But how?" Jake asked. "He won't allow anyone in there other than contestants and their helpers." He then looked at the Oracle twins.

"Not a chance." Kara said and crossed her arms.

"Don't worry, kid." Fu reassured his friend. "I know a friend in Magus Bazaar."

"And I might know of two other girls willing to do their part, assuming they're not too busy with other magical emergencies." Lao Shi added.

"Fu, for your information, event sponsors usually want to promote products several people buy and the only reason these products wouldn't be mentioned in the event is that they'd have tobacco and, the last time I checked, Pandarus doesn't work with that." Jake told Fu.

LINE BREAK

Later on, Jake was at some harbor waiting for Lao Shi, Fu Dog and whoever they were planning to enter into the pageant. Fu was the first one to show up. "Kid, remember Ve-Ve-Ve-Veronica?" He asked.

"The girl with a spider-like lower body, right?" Jake asked.

"Yes, American Dragon." Veronica answered while walking away from a crate, revealing her spider legs.

"Nice to see you again, Veronica." Lao Shi politely said as he showed up along with Mira Black and Camille Cooper.

"Mira! Camille!" Jake exclaimed. "Weren't you too busy with some demon portals? By the way, did you have time to enjoy the baseball game?"

"No, we didn't." Mira answered.

"Jealous because your Dad arranged the dugout seats but didn't invite you?" Fu teasingly asked.

"I understand it was for a magical emergency and I was busy with Hobie the Giant, Fu." Jake replied.

"Back to the trouble in question, please." Lao Shi sternly stated. "Veronica will enter the pageant as Miss Magical New York City and the Elemental Dragon Girl will enter as Miss Magical Paris."

"What about me?" Mira asked.

"We can't have two Miss Magical Paris and you can pass as Camille's stylist." Lao Shi explained. "Jake, Fu and I will be Veronica's."

"Do we have to take Fu?" Jake asked with worry. "What if he does something to offend the contestants?"

"Hey!" Fu protested.

"Would you rather leave him in charge of the shop?" Lao Shi asked.

"Point taken, Grandfather." Jake sadly replied.

They then went to Pandarus Island. "Pandarus reminds me of Stefano." Camille commented.

"Who?" Jake asked.

"A wealthy wizard from Italy and my boyfriend Marco's Uncle." She explained. "Take away all the evil and rudeness and you'd never notice the difference."

Fu was proving Jake right. "Yo, Cerberus Lady, would you like three dozen dog biscuits?"

"Get lost, creep." She replied.

Someone approached Veronica. "Miss, you'd better keep your helpers under control or you'll be disqualified for disturbing the other contestants."

"Yes, Sir." Veronica apologized.

Veronica eventually introduced herself to the audience but tripped on her legs and was too injured to continue. Pandarus reassured her and her team she'd have all medical assistance she needed… outside the island. Not wanting to leave the island with Veronica, Jake, Lao Shi and Fu joined Camille's.

"Look at that, Monty." Pandarus commented to Monty Hall. "As soon as she's out of the game, her team joined another contestant. They're smart."

"I certainly hope Miss Magical Paris does a better job keeping that dog in line than Miss Magical New York City did." Monty commented.

"What for?" Pandarus dismissively asked. "Those girls should have known something like that would happen when they enter pageants."

The contestants started readying themselves for the pageant. Suddenly, one of them noticed something about Mira. "Is that just me, or does that Mira girl who works with Miss Magical Paris have a Huntsclan birthmark?"

"Yes, she does." Another contestant asked. "What's a slayer doing here?"

"I've heard of her." A cyclops girl commented. "The Huntsclan failed to recruit her."

"It's still a risk." The Cerberus Lady replied and then addressed Camille. "Miss Magical Paris, aren't you afraid she'll slay you?"

"I'm not worried at all." Camille replied.

"We should tell Mr. Pandarus to do something about her." Someone suggested.

"Don't mind her, Mira." Jake told her. "She's just wanting to diminish our chances of winning."

Before anyone had a chance to reply, Pandarus and an ogre showed up. "I just wanted to wish good luck before the finals." He said.

"Mr. Pandarus, one of Miss Magical Paris' stylists is…" The Cerberus Lady tried to report Mira but was interrupted.

"So good some people see her as Miss Magical Paris having an unfair advantage." Jake intervened.

"Beauty has no price, Cerberus Lady." Pandarus said. "It's not her fault you didn't think of bringing professional help." He said and then left with the ogre.

"Definitely not Stefano." Mira whispered to Camille.

That night, Jake, Fu, Lao Shi and Mira tried to spy around to find out what Pandarus is up to. They eventually managed to eavesdrop on a conversation between Pandarus and Monty. "Is everything ready?"

"The secret altar is under the stage just like you asked." Monty answered.

"Excellent." Pandarus commented and stated how he'd become the most powerful wizard in the land.

After Pandarus and Monty left the heroes alone, they went to the aforementioned altar and looked around for clues. "Grandpa, look." Jake called as he found some ancient writing. Lao Shi recognized it as the Prophecy of Koolubius, which stated that 'he who weds the fairest creature of them all at the stroke of midnight, on the day the planets align, shall become the mightiest wizard in the land'.

"Really?" Jake skeptically asked. "All of this because a prophecy says he can become the most powerful by marrying the fairest one during specific circumstances? He's crazy. It might as well be some fortune cookie prophecy like 'Danger looms in your future'."

"Regardless of the prophecy's true power, we must stop Pandarus." Lao Shi said and they agreed.

"Easier said than done, old man." Pandarus said as he and some ogres appeared. The dragons and the ogres fought to a standstill. Pandarus tried to shoot a sphinx hair net but Mira grabbed him. "Aren't you a dragon like the others?" Pandarus asked as he noticed the net didn't harm her.

"What I am is the key to your defeat." Mira bragged.

"A mere damsel like you?" Pandarus asked. "Impossible!"

"Mister, you need a serious attitude adjustment." She commented.

During the next day, the contestants were waiting for Pandarus to show up so the finals could start. Instead of him, two dragons showed up. "I'm terribly sorry for interrupting, ladies, but Eli Excelsior Pandarus started this pageant as a way to find and marry the fairest one so a prophecy would make him the mightiest wizard." Lao Shi told them.

"But what if whoever wins doesn't want to marry him?" Iris the Cyclops asked.

"He doesn't care if the winner wants." Jake explained.

"Thanks for warning us, American Dragon." Camille replied.

"That's the American Dragon?" Cerberus Lady warned. "Thanks for warning us about Pandarus but there's a dragon slayer in the island."

"Don't worry about Mira." Jake reassured her. "She has the birthmark but she's not in the Huntsclan. You may ask the Elemental Dragon Girl here."

"You're the Elemental Dragon Girl?" Another contestant asked in surprise.

"Yes." Camille answered. "The American Dragon's Dragon Master asked for my help because a pair of oracles predicted Pandarus was up to something. Now that his plot has been exposed, I withdraw from the contest." She said and then threw away her contestant number.

The other girls did the same and the dragons returned to Mira, Pandarus and the tied up ogres. "It's all over, Pandarus." Camille told the villain. "The contest is off because all entrants left."

"Not so fast." Pandarus replied and turned his attention towards Mira. "Girl, I know you're not an entrant but, now that there aren't any, I can proclaim you the fairest one. Marry me and I'll give you one million dollars."

"No deal." Mira replied.

"Two million dollars?" Pandarus asked.

"No!"

"Ten million?"

"NO!"

TIME SKIP – Epilogue

Jake was talking to his sister and his parents via magical mirror. "Really?" Jonathan asked upon hearing about his son's latest adventure. "Honestly, I've seen a prophecy like that inside a fortune cookie."

"Told ya." Jake told his grandfather.

"Now, son, are there any chances you'll have a day off this weekend?" Jonathan asked. "I'm planning a camping trip for us."

"The four of us?" Jake excitedly asked.

"Actually, Jake, Mom and I are having a SPA day." Haley explained.

"I'm still liking the idea." Jake commented and then talked to Lao Shi. "May I, G?"

"I'm not sure, young one." Lao Shi uneasily answered.

Sara suddenly showed up. "Jake, you'll be needed at New Jersey."

"It's a good thing your Dad's already taking you there." Kara commented.

"How did you know?" Jonathan asked with genuine surprise.

"It's an oracle thing." Jake replied with an annoyed expression.

End chapter.

Author's Note: Like Mira and Camille, Stefano was created by D. J. Scales.

Author's Note 2: I apologize for previous mistakes I made while describing Stefano.