A Dragon's Crimson Cry
By: Tippi
A/n This chapter is rather long just bare with it.
Ch 67 The Talented Mr. Long
At the shop LS was pouring cups of tea and addressing the problem at hand.
"Well you know what you have to do, you must enter the talent show and win the chalice" LS said.
"But Spud's in it, you can't expect me to compete against my best friend" Jake said.
"Kid you got to do it if you don't magical creatures will be exposed and science wants answers, next thing you know unicorns are getting dissected in some lab" Fu panicked.
"You must enter the talent show and you must win, it is your duty as the American Dragon" LS said as the steam rising from the tea took the form of a dragon.
"Aw man" Jake whined.
Rotwood was in his room stamping F's on the papers when Brad came to stand in the doorway.
"Knock, Knock" Brad said.
"Who is it" Rotwood asked. Brad didn't answers see as Rotwood could see him.
"What no joke Mr. Funny how can you make a knock, knock joke with out a punch line" Rotwood said.
"You asked me down here but I can just come back later if you're busy" Brad said nervously.
"No, no, I asked you here to offer you an extra credit opportunity, to keep your status on the football team" Rotwood said. "Have a seat" Rotwood said mentioning to the chair. "I've been looking at your transcripts and I see you're quit the pianist, you've taken 11 years of lessons" Rotwood said looking at Brad's file.
"Actually 12 years" Brad corrected.
"O well 12 how about we discuss this further at the talent show" Rotwood said.
At the talent show auditions many kids were showing off their unique and maybe somewhat disturbing talents while Trixie, Spud, and Al waited off stage.
"Wow competition is going to be tough this year, here put this on" Spud said handing a sequence dress to Trixie.
"Do I look like a disco ball to you" Trixie said.
"Hey, guys" Jake said walking over with a case.
"Jake tell Spud here a lovely assistant can look just as good in jeans and a t-shirt I don't see him trying to put you in a sequence dress" Trixie said.
"Well actually" Spud said taking out another dress.
"Um about that I sorta gotta back out of Spud the Spudnifiacant act," Jake said rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm entering the talent show too."
"My bad but I thought I heard you say you're enter the talent show too but I know that's not what you said because if you take that trophy away from Spud you be crushing his dreams" Trixie explained.
"Now Trixie I'm sure Jake has a perfectly good expiation for stabbing his friend in the back, right jerk, I mean Jake" Spud said becoming less clam with every word.
"Right, yea I do if I did but I don't so I guess…" Jake gave into defeat of the situation.
"Come on Spud lets go" Trixie said leading Spud away.
"If it's any constellation I know why you're doing it" Al said staying at Jake's side.
"Still feeling back stabbing" Jake said.
"Now Jake will perform a ventriloquist act with his dog puppet" Derceto announced as Jake sat down and opened his case lifting out Fu who was dressed in a pirate hat and eye patch.
As Jake went on with his act Spud and Trixie watched.
"Dude, he's good" Spud said to Trixie.
"I trust you'll be better" Rotwood said to Brad.
As Jake walked off stage pass Brad, Brad knocked him in the shoulder.
"Admiral attempted Mr. Long, but I'm afraid you'll never beat my young piano prodigy with that, mangy puppet" Rotwood said.
"Who you callin' mangy there Molly McHair-piece" Fu said while still in Jake's hand.
"I bet your pardon?" Rotwood said turning around to Jake thinking it was Jake making the insult.
"Ahaha, take it easy Captain Ar-Ar" Jake said to Fu.
"Seriously, you might want to call an exterminator for that rat's nest you call hair. I'd like to introduce you to a new concept, it's called a comb!" Fu couldn't stop so Jake throws him back in the case.
"What can I say he's got a mind of his own" Jake tried.
"Yes hilarious you'll be laughing all the way to last place" Rotwood said. "Now if you'll excuse me I have a lovely concerto to listen to."
Brad sat down to play the piano and he played, horribly. Rotwood and any one else still around plugged their ears.
Brad was walking down the sidewalk when Rotwood pulled up along side him in his car.
"12, 12 years of piano lessons" Rotwood yelled.
"Hey I said I took them I didn't say I was any good" Brad defended.
"I you don't get me that trophy you'll fail my class and be removed from the football team" Rotwood informed.
"I may not be any good at piano but the Bradster's got other talents" Brad said.
"Like referring to one's self in the third person" Rotwood asked.
"Like eliminating the competition" Brad said cracking his knuckles.
Jake was in the shop with Fu as Fu was trying to get Jake to practice the act with him.
"Come on kid get with the act, your timing is off on the empi-ar state building bit" Fu said before Trixie walked in.
"Yo that puppet is ill, it just so real" Trixie said grabbing Fu from Jake. "So where do you put your arm" Trixie said turning Fu around "do you just stick it…"
Jake quickly grabbed Fu and stood him off to the side.
"So uh Trix what's going down" Jake asked.
"I could ask you the same thing" Trixie answered "Spud's really upset about this whole thing. His big ol' Spud heart is just crumpling.
"Trixie I just… I have to do this" Jake said.
"Don't give me that, you're really putting a hurting on Spud" Trixie said. "I'm asking you to drop out as a friend."
"I can't" Jake said dropping his head in defeat and shame.
"Okay you do what you got to do, I just hope you know what you're doing" Trixie said leaving.
Jake kicked some heavy boxes in frustration and anger but all he did was hurt his toe.
"The pot which boils over every day is soon empty" LS said coming out from the back.
"I know gramps but this is so messed up" Jake said.
"I know young one but as the American dragon you will have to make many difficult decisions" LS advised.
"So what do I do" Jake asked.
"We are faced with many roads on our journey but we can't always choose the easiest to travel. Sometimes we must make sacrifices. Why do you think Grandpa's only friend is a 600-year old Shar-Pei?" LS said mentioning to Fu.
"What can I say? I'm great at parties, whoo-hoo!" Fu said putting a lamp shade on his head.
Jake just sighed in response.
It was the night of the talent show and tension ran higher.
As the contests went on something went wrong with every act thanks to Brad.
"Now all I need to do is get rid of Jake" Brad said to Rotwood behind stage.
"What about this Spud the Spudnificant" Rotwood asked.
"Don't worry prof, I don't think he'll be a problem" Brad said pointing to Spud failing to pull a rabbit out of the hat.
"Has any one seen a little white rabbit" Spud said looking around.
"Man, that's like the third rabbit you lost," Trixie said turning around "the things I do for that boy."
"Listen" Brad said coming up to Spud and putting a hand on his shoulder. "It just you, me and puppet boy left in the show so how about you and me get rid of Long and make this a fair contest?"
"No way Jake's my best friend" Spud answered.
"Fine good luck with your talent magic boy" Brad said walking off.
"Hey that's magic man to you" Spud shot back as a rabbit popped out of his hat.
"Listen kid I know you're bummed about this but… trouble off the starboard bow" Fu said pointing to Brad coming.
"Hey Jake principal Derceto wants us to wait upstairs till our turn" Brad said.
"Why" Jake asked.
"I don't know if I could read her mind I'd be like a mind reader" Brad said. "You coming or not."
Jake followed Brad up the stairs but once at the top Brad grabbed Fu and threw him into the bathroom, Jake dove after him.
"Next Brad Morton" they could hear Derceto announce from down stairs.
"There's my cue to bad you'll miss yours" Brad said shutting and locking the door.
"Like a lock door can keep in the American dragon" Jake said.
"Uh kid got a problem" Fu said his butt stuck in the toilet.
"O gross Fu" Jake said.
"Yeah like I planed to make my hinny one with the pluming. Will you get me out of here" Fu said.
Jake made a great effort to pull Fu from the toilet.
Brad finished his bad playing and Spud was up next.
"Trixie I can't go on I can't find…" Spud was saying when Trixie pulled the rabbit from the top of Spud's hat.
"My rabbit" Spud said putting the rabbit on top of his head and under his hat.
Jake was still upstairs trying to dislodge Fu. He finally got Fu free and transformed into dragon but his tail knocked the porcelain bowl free and it hit him on the head knocking him out.
"O man dragon down" Fu said as water flew from the pipes flooding the floor.
What no one knew is that water was leaking through the floor, dripping from the ceiling and falling into the chalice sitting on the table down below.
"Where's Jake" Al thought to ask out load as he watch Spud go on. Al decided to head up stairs to find his bud.
"Come on kid wake up, some animal sidekick I am letting the American dragon get bested by a toilet" Fu said trying to wake up Jake.
The door was unlocked by Al and he walked in to the scene.
"What happened" Al asked.
"No time, help me wake Jake" Fu said.
Al used his water bending to spray a massive amount of water in Jake's face waking him.
"Huh, what, we need to get out of here" Jake said.
"I'm ahead of you" Al said.
Jake went back to human and grabbed Fu running back downstairs followed by Al.
"Jake Long did I miss my turn" Jake asked the three Judges then seeing the chalice over flowing.
"No" Jake yelled kicking the chalice off the table and into Spud's hat.
"This won't end well" Al said.
"Watch as Spud the Spudnificant pulls a rabbit out of his hat" Spud said as he reached into his hat but gripped the Djinn's hair and pulled his head out. Then a blast of green and black erupted expelling the rest of the Djinn.
The Djinn started to fly around shooting off a green beams.
"What kind of rabbit is that" Trixie asked.
"The magic kind" Spud responded. "Behold the magic of Spud the Spudnificant" Spud yelled and the crowd cheered as the Djinn flew over their heads.
The Djinn kept firing green blasts at Spud and Trixie which they dodged.
Behind the curtain Jake transformed and was fighting the djinn giving it all he had while every one just enjoyed the show.
"O magical creatures" Rotwood said pointing at Jake and the djinn. "There are magical creatures on stage."
"Well Rotwood it is a magic show" Derceto said.
"No not magic magical creatures, real living breathing…" Rotwood's hair was set on fire that he quickly batted out "fire breathing for that matter."
"O please it's all done with a slight of hand and pyro technics" Derceto said.
"Pyro technics my eye, I'll prove it" Rotwood yelled. "Every one look at…"
Rotwood was cut off by a sand bag falling on him burned from it rope during the fight.
Jake flew forward toward the djinn but it grabbed him and threw him over the audience by his tail. Jake did a u-turn and headed back toward the djinn but he punched Jake in the face sending him into a wall knocking Jake back to human.
The djinn turned to Spud as he desperately waved his wand. All the on lookers had a freighted expression on as it wasn't working. Then Spud recited the magical words his great-grandfather gave him and the djinn disappeared back into the chalice.
"Put your hands together for Spud the Spudnificant" Trixie said.
Everyone cheered and clapped.
"I guess we know the words of the long lost incantation" Fu said.
"Go super gramps" Jake added.
"We should write that down should any future generation over flow the chalice" Al informed.
After the cheering died a little Derceto announced it was Jake's turn.
"Okay kid let's win us a chalice" Fu said.
"Hey good luck out there and watch out for Brad he was talking about getting rid of you" Spud said as he walked pass Jake.
"Kid what are you waiting for" Fu asked.
"Sorry Fu but I got to do what I got to do" Jake said walking on stage. "I with draw my self from the competition" Jake announced.
"In that case the winner of the talent show is Spud the Spudnificant" Derceto said.
Spud took the trophy and raised it above his head and said "this is for you super gramps."
Jake, Fu, and Al were walking outside the school.
"So I guess you have to steal the trophy from Spud now" Al said.
"Hey Jake" Spud said running out to Jake with Trixie.
Fu jumped into Jake's arms to keep up appearances.
"Hey Jake I just wanted to thank you for everything" Spud said.
"Nuh, I should have never entered the talent show in the first place" Jake said. "No one can beat Spud the Spudnificant."
"Personally I glad you ditched the ventriloquist act. That puppet is creepy the way his eyes keep following you around" Trixie said.
"What can I say sister I'm full of surprises" Fu said.
"Seriously creepy" Trixie said.
"Here man" Spud said handing the trophy to Jake "I know you dropped out of the competition because of me, I want you to have this."
"You sure" Jake asked.
"Totally" Spud said.
"I mean it Jake give that tired old thing to charity" Trixie said.
As Trixie turned her back Fu made a face at her. Trixie turned just missing it
~At the shop~
"Aw you should of seen Jake as he was fighting off that djinn" Fu said.
"I know what you're going to say gramps; I picked the wrong road…" Jake was saying.
"You may of picked the wrong road for the American dragon but you picked the right road for a friend" LS said. "Now let's put the chalice somewhere safe."
Both Fu and Jake looked at each other.
"I thought you had it" Jake and Fu said at the same time.
"You had it at school" Jake said.
"Yeha well you had it on the subway" Fu said.
"The subway both" said in a panic.
"At least we know the incitation not a total loss" Al tried.
On the subway fat woman got up with the chalice wedged between her butt cheeks.