Jake Long III (Season Five)
Chapter/Episode Nine: All of Our Memories Part 2
In her dragon form, Demetria neared Central Park. Diving down, she finally landed a few moments later. Seeing no sign of her Dragon Master, Demetria looked in both directions. "Master?" She asked as she turned her head back to normal. "Master, are you here?"
Unbeknownst to Demetria, from behind her, Ebony, in her dragon form, swooped down and landed, just as Demetria asked again: "Master?"
"Master?" Demetria asked yet again as Ebony started to sneak up behind her. "Maybe I'm too far off..." Demetria thought to herself as Ebony got closer and closer. "Maybe-" By this time, Ebony got right behind Demetria, and she quickly tapped Demetria on her shoulder.
Yelping, Demetria jumped forward and spun around, seeing her Dragon Master cross her scaly arms. "I'm on time, right?" Demetria asked.
"Yes." Ebony replied. "You are. You're right on time."
"So, what are we going to do for training today?" Demetria asked.
Ebony smirked as she dropped her scaly arms to her sides. "Oh, you'll see." She said. "You will see..."
BLACKOUT; PLAY THEME SONG
BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW
Together, Ebony and Demetria were walking through Central Park. "So, can you tell me now?" Demetria asked. "We've been walking for at least five minutes. Couldn't we have just flown?"
"Yes."
"Yes, what?" Demetria asked, turning her head to the side. "Which of those questions were you saying 'yes' to?"
"Both of them." Ebony replied. "Yes, we could have flown, and yes, I'll tell you now."
"Okay."
"A leprechaun has lost some of their gold." Ebony replied.
"This sounds more like a mission than training, Master." Demetria turned her head back to normal.
Ebony rolled her eyes and sighed. "It is training, Demetria." She said. "A leprechaun hasn't really lost their gold. It's fake. I planted it. Do you have to have everything spelled out for you?"
"How exactly is that training?"
"I will be timing you." Ebony told her. "You made it here from school within fifteen minutes, so now we'll see if you can find the fake gold I have hidden in two minutes."
"Two minutes?!" Demetria quickly turned her head to the side. "How can you expect me to find something in two minutes when it could be anywhere in Central Park?! I have no idea where it could be!"
"Calm down, Demetria." Ebony said in an annoyed tone. "I'm going to tell you where it is."
"Oh." Demetria, relieved, smiled as she turned her head back to normal. "So, where is it?"
"There." Ebony extended her scaly arm as she stopped walking, Demetria stopping with her. Staring straight ahead, Demetria could see a lake a few feet away.
"In that lake?" Demetria asked as Ebony lowered her scaly arm.
"That's right." Ebony smirked. "The fake gold is somewhere in the water. You'll have two minutes to find the gold." After saying this, Ebony started to walk even closer to the lake, leaving Demetria alone, until she started to follow her Dragon Master.
A few moments later, Demetria stopped by the lake, right at her Dragon Master's side. "As I said, you will have two minutes." Ebony said, crossing her scaly arms.
"How much gold is down there?" Demetria asked, turning her head to the side.
"Maybe about ten pieces." Ebony answered. "Maybe fifteen."
"Are they scattered around the lake?"
"No." Ebony said. "The fake gold is in a sack. You only have two minutes, after all."
"What happens if I don't make it in two minutes?" Demetria asked, turning her head back to normal.
"You'll keep trying until you do." Ebony lowered her scaly arms to her sides.
Sighing, Demetria got ready to dive into the lake, but before she could, another dragon emerged from the lake with the sack of fake gold, flying into the air as both Demetria and Ebony reacted with shock. As the dragon, who was female and Flavescent-colored with black hair, took the sack in both of her clawed hands, opened it up and looked down inside of it, grinning once she saw what it was, Ebony (she and her pupil looking up at the dragon that had just emerged from the lake) narrowed her eyes and growled with anger.
"What is that dragon doing?!" She demanded.
"She's taking your fake gold." Demetria said.
"I can see that!" Ebony said. "Demetria, do me a service and get it back!"
Up in the air, the Flavescent-colored dragon had stopped ascending higher into the air, and was now reaching into the back, using her clawed hand to sort through the fake gold. "I wonder how much is in here..." The dragon said to herself.
"Hey!"
Upon hearing Demetria's voice, the Flavescent-colored dragon lifted her head up, seeing Demetria reach her, stopping right in front of her. "Yes?" The Flavescent-colored dragon asked as she pulled her clawed hand out of the sack of fake gold.
"Not to be rude or anything..." Demetria started to say. "...But you can't keep that."
"But I found it." The Flavescent-colored dragon smirked.
"Yes, but it's not yours." Demetria told her.
"If I found it..." The Flavescent-colored dragon replied. "...That means that it's mine."
"No, it's...it's mine." Demetria said. "That's my leprechaun gold."
"Hmm..." Demetria put a clawed hand to her chin. "...You do look and sound like a leprechaun, even though you're a dragon. Maybe it is yours."
"I'm not a leprechaun." Demetria narrowed her eyes. "I may be short, and I may be Irish, but I'm no leprechaun."
The Flavescent-colored dragon laughed. "Those two things make you a leprechaun, but you know what that means?"
"What?" Demetria growled.
"It means that I can't keep this from you." The Flavescent-colored dragon replied. "Here you go." She said before she tossed the sack, Demetria easily catching it.
"Thanks." Demetria said. "You wouldn't have wanted it, anyway."
"Why's that?"
"It's fake." Demetria told her.
The Flavescent-colored dragon laughed again. "What's so funny about that?" Demetria asked. "I don't get it."
"Aw, you don't have to possess fake gold to feel like a leprechaun..." The Flavescent-colored dragon teased. "...You already are one!"
"I'm not!" Demetria insisted. "Can a leprechaun be a dragon?"
"I don't know." The Flavescent-colored dragon shrugged.
"I seriously doubt it." Demetria put her clawed hands on her hips.
"Well-" The Flavescent-colored dragon started, but before she could continue, she was forced to stop when a woman's voice called from several feet away:
"SOCORRO!" Quickly spinning around, the Flavescent-colored dragon looked around the area as she heard the voice again: "SOCORRO, WHERE DID YOU GO?!"
"Socorro?" Demetria asked as she hovered over to the Flavescent-colored dragon's side. Upon reaching her side, Demetria turned her head to the side. "Your name is Socorro?"
"Yeah." The Flavescent-colored dragon turned her head to the side to look Demetria in the eyes. "So? So now you know my first name. So what? It's not like you know my last name."
"Harris?" Demetria guessed.
Her eyes widening, the Flavescent-colored dragon turned and used one of her clawed hands to gently shove Demetria's side so that Demetria was forced to turn so she could face her. "How do you know who I am?" Socorro asked. "I've never met you before in my li-Wait..." Her eyes widened. Putting her clawed hands on Demetria's shoulders, Socorro started to study Demetria's face. "Wait, maybe I have." Socorro said softly. Actually, now that I think about it, you sound kind of familiar. Speak."
Demetria chuckled. "You do know me, Socorro." She said. "It's me. Demetria. We sit together in history class and we sat together at lunch, too."
At that moment, Socorro's Dragon Master, San Alazne, arrived, stopping in front of the two dragon-formed girls. "Socorro!" San said sternly, making both Socorro and Demetria turn to face her. "Socorro, I was looking for you for at least ten minutes."
"Sorry, Master." Socorro apologized.
"You were supposed to stay in my line of vision." San put her clawed hands on her hips. "Why did you go off so far, Socorro?"
"I could still see you when I came up to this lake." Socorro replied. "I saw something under the water, so I went under to check it out."
"That wasn't what you were supposed to do, Socorro." San said, crossing her scaly arms.
"I'm sorry." Socorro apologized.
San sighed, lowering her scaly arms. "Just be more careful next time." She said. Then, she noticed Demetria. "Who's this?" She asked, pointing at Demetria.
Socorro smiled. "Friend from school." Socorro said, putting a clawed hand on Demetria's scaly shoulder.
"Demetria, what are you doing?" Came the sound of Ebony's voice from behind Demetria and Socorro. In response, both Socorro and Demetria turned around to see Ebony hovering in the air. "Did you get my gold?" She asked.
"Yes." Demetria replied before she tossed the sack over to her Dragon Master, Ebony using her tail to catch it. "Why are you wasting your ti-?" However, before she could finish, San swooped over Demetria and Socorro and cut her off. "Are you this dragon's Dragon Master?" Ebony asked, indicating at Socorro.
"Yes." San replied. "Are you this girl's?"
"I am." Ebony said.
"They know each other, apparently." San said.
"So?" Ebony asked.
"You're training her, right?"
"Yes."
"Well, seeing as our pupils know each other and are on good terms with one another..." San started to suggest. "...What do you think about us training together?"
END FLASHBACK
Back in the cafeteria, Demetria continued to talk as Haley, Jake III, Dynean and Phoebe sat with her. "So, now I knew that Socorro and Dynean were dragons..." Demetria said. "...I still had yet to find out that Phoebe was one."
"You would find that out the very next day." Phoebe said with a smirk.
FLASHBACK
The next morning, at her high school, Demetria was waiting outside her history class, waiting for Dynean to arrive. As luck would have it, Dynean and Phoebe were arriving at the classroom together. Upon seeing Demetria, they stopped.
"Hey, Demetria." Dynean said just a second or two before Demetria turned to face them. She smiled. "Are...you waiting for us?"
"I'm waiting for you." Demetria told her.
"But not for me?" Phoebe asked, feigning hurt feelings.
"Dynean, I have something I need to tell you." Demetria said.
"What is it?" Dynean asked.
"It's about Socorro."
"What about her?" Dynean asked.
Demetria opened her mouth to respond, but before she said anything, she glanced over to Phoebe, who waited to hear what Demetria had to say. Closing her mouth, Demetria turned her attention back to Dynean and stepped forward, reaching out and grabbing her arm.
Dynean reacted accordingly. "Demetria, what are you doing?"
"Can we talk?" Demetria asked. "Just the two of us?"
"Well-" Dynean started, but Phoebe cut her off, putting a hand on Dynean's shoulder.
"It's okay." Phoebe said. "It really is. Maybe the classroom is empty. You can talk in there. I'll wait out here." As Phoebe said this, Demetria removed her grip from Dynean's arm.
"Do you know if the classroom is empty, Demetria?" Dynean asked as Phoebe took her hand off of her shoulder.
"No, I don't." Demetria replied.
Dynean sighed. "I don't see why this has to be so confidential." She said. "Why can't Phoebe hear this?"
"Because it has to do with us." Demetria replied. "She may not...understand..."
"I don't see why she wouldn't understand." Dynean told Demetria, not quite understanding what Demetria was trying to tell her.
"She wouldn't understand it because she's not a dragon." Came the sound of Socorro's voice from behind Dynean and Phoebe. Both Phoebe and Dynean reacted and turned around to see that Socorro had arrived for class. Having been behind them for long enough to hear Demetria trying to get Dynean to come with her, she had a smile on her face and her hands on her hips.
"Um, what?" Dynean asked as Demetria walked up to her side.
"Good morning." Socorro greeted them. "And a special 'good morning' to my leprechaun."
"Socorro, what are you talking about?" Dynean asked. "Is Demetria trying to tell me that you are a dragon?"
"Well, I would think so." Socorro replied, crossing her arms. "After all, I met her yesterday in Central Park. She looked like a fire-breathing reptile. I should know what fire-breathing reptile looks like, seeing as I am one, as well."
"Demetria, is this what you were trying to tell me?" Dynean asked, turning her head to the side. Demetria just nodded in response.
After staring at Phoebe's face for a few seconds, seeing that Phoebe did not seem shocked or horrified, Socorro's smile faded as she lowered her arms and put her hands on her hips. "Now, from what I can see, leprechaun, Phoebe understands. Now, there is one thing that I fail to understand."
"What?" Demetria asked.
"Why would you want to tell Dynean, on the second day that you've known her, that we're dragons?" Socorro asked. "Big news for that kind of relationship. I'd think that you'd want to wait a little while longer before you opened up and told her what our biggest secret is. I'd wait-I don't know-at least a few weeks, maybe even a few months."
"How much did you hear?" Was Dynean's reply.
"I heard most of the conversation." Socorro smirked.
"Did you hear me tell her that it had to do with us?" Demetria asked.
"Why, yes, I did." Socorro crossed her arms again. "But I don't understand why that's such a bi-" Before she could finish, she stopped, her eyes slowly starting to widen.
"That's right." Demetria put her hands on her hips.
Socorro smirked upon Demetria's reply, and then, a split second later, she was hunched over, laughing hysterically as her three friends stared at her in shock.
"Oh, this is just beautiful!" Socorro declared as she straightened up, the three others girls continuing to watch as Socorro wiped her left eye. "It must be destiny." She decided, putting her hands on her hips.
"Um..." Was all Phoebe could say.
"Hmm, sorry Phoebe." Socorro said as she put her hands on her hips. "It looks like you're the off one. You're the lone human in our little group of four."
"Well, um, actually-" Phoebe started to say, but before she could finish, the first bell rang. It was time to get to class.
"You were saying?" Socorro asked.
"Nothing." Phoebe said. "We'll talk about it more at lunch."
With that, the four friends turned and walked into their history classroom.
LINE BREAK
A few hours later, the bell for lunch rang out through the school. After getting her food, Phoebe sat down along with Socorro as Demetria and Dynean sat together on the other side of the table.
"So, you were about to say something this morning." Dynean brought the subject up again.
"Yeah." Phoebe smiled as Socorro turned her head to the side. "It's basically...just a response to what Socorro told me this morning."
"By all means..." Socorro smirked. "...Respond."
"Alright." Phoebe took the invitation. "What If...I told you...that I'm not just a regular human? What if...I told you...that I am also...a dragon?"
BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK
BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW
"What if...I told you...that I am also...a dragon?" Phoebe had said. While both Demetria and Dynean reacted with shock, Socorro laughed and patted her on the back, making Phoebe turn her head to the side.
"Are you serious?" Socorro asked.
"I am." Phoebe said.
"Okay." Socorro's smile widened. "I'm sorry, but this just has to be done. After school, I need to see you two as dragons." She said as she turned her head back to normal.
"Are you serious?" Demetria asked.
"Oh, yes." Socorro said with a laugh. "This just has to be seen to be believed, I think."
LINE BREAK
After school ended, and as all of the students going out the front entrance of the school walked across the street, Socorro, Demetria, Phoebe and Dynean waited in the quad of the school.
"Alright..." Socorro said as she started to walk forward. "...Show me..." Without a word, Demetria, Phoebe and Dynean started to follow her. Within seconds, they passed through the entrance and stopped on the sidewalk.
Socorro quickly took a step forward and turned to face the three other girls. "Go on." She said. "I really want to see this."
"Why don't you show us your dragon form first?" Dynean crossed her arms.
"If it'd make you feel better..." Socorro said with a smirk before she transformed into her dragon form in a bright light. As Demetria, Phoebe and Dynean continued to watch her, Socorro pumped her clawed hand into the air. "Oh, yeah!" She said, starting to show off. Quickly, she turned and kicked her foot into the air before she turned back to face the other three. "You're looking at the future American Dragon." She bragged, putting her clawed hands on her hips.
"Seriously?" Dynean asked.
"Yep." Socorro said. "My mother is the current American Dragon, and my Uncle was the first. I'm sure you've heard of them."
"You're part of the Long family?" Demetria asked.
"Uh-huh." Socorro nodded proudly.
"When are you going to become the American Dragon?" Phoebe asked.
"When are you going to show me your dragon forms?" Socorro responded with a question of her own. "You first, Dynean."
"Fine." Dynean replied before she took a step forward. Taking a deep breath, Dynean closed her eyes and squeezed her hands into tight fists. Then, she started to transform into her dragon form in a bright light. As soon as the light faded, Dynean was standing in her full dragon form. She smiled. "Happy now?" She asked.
"I am." Socorro smiled as she crossed her scaly arms. "Okay, you next, Phoebe. Oh, and while you're at it, leprechaun, turn into a dragon, too."
"Why?" Demetria asked.
"We'll go for a little ride together." Socorro said.
"Um, actually..." Demetria scratched the back of her head. "...I need to get to training. My Dragon Master won't be happy if I'm tardy."
"You won't be." Socorro assured her.
"I'd really rather not."
"Oh, just shut up and transform." Socorro told her.
As Demetria scowled, Phoebe transformed into her dragon form in a bright light. As soon as the light faded and as soon as they could see her in her dragon form, both Dynean and Socorro smiled as they walked over to Phoebe.
"Glad to see that you're not the only human in our group." Dynean said. "That could have been kind of awkward. I mean, can you just imagine, if you weren't a dragon, and we all just turned into dragons, leaving you the lone human? How would that feel?"
"Hmm..." Phoebe pretended to think about it, using one of her index claws to tap her chin. After a few seconds, she smiled, pretending to have thought up an answer to the hypothetical question. "...Ooh, I know! I'd feel really protected!"
Both Demetria and Socorro laughed at this. Seconds after she stopped laughing, Socorro addressed Demetria, who was outside her line of vision. "Hey, leprechaun! You in dragon form yet!"
Then, Socorro, Dynean and Phoebe all turned to the side to see that Demetria was still in her human form. "Come on." Socorro pressured. "You're not going to be late. Heck, if you just keep standing there, you will be late."
Demetria sighed. "Now that, you are right about." She said.
"We'll even make our destination Central Park." Socorro offered. "How does that sound?"
After taking a deep breath, Demetria turned her head to the side. "Okay." She said.
"Excellent!" Was Socorro's response.
Turning her head back to normal, Demetria transformed into her dragon form in a bright light. As soon as she had finished transforming into her dragon form, she turned to face her friends. "You ready for a flight?" Socorro asked.
Demetria didn't say anything; instead, she just flared her wings. Then, she flapped them and took off into the air. Quickly, Socorro, Phoebe and Dynean did the same, trying to catch up with her.
"So, when are you going to become the American Dragon?" Dynean asked.
"Soon." Socorro replied with a smile.
"How soon?" Phoebe asked.
"Real soon." Socorro answered. "Let's just say, before the end of freshman year, I should be the next American Dragon."
END FLASHBACK
"So..." Demetria finished. "...We became really good friends after that. Like Socorro said, it was no coincidence that four dragon girls happened to sit together in their first class in high school. Socorro never did become the American Dragon, though."
Almost immediately, Haley's face contorted with annoyance. "Yeah." She said. "Tell me something I don't know." With that, Haley got up from the table and walked away, making Jake III turn his head to the side.
"Aunt Haley?" He asked, but Haley ignored him. She just kept walking.
"I think you upset her." Jake said, turning his head back to normal.
"I didn't mean to." Was Demetria's response.
"Why don't you go and check on her?" Dynean suggested.
LINE BREAK
Meanwhile, Holly sniffled as she walked down the halls of one of the buildings. Upon reaching the door to the room Storm and her children had been staying in, Holly stopped, standing alone for about ten seconds as she stared at the door, sniffling twice and once bringing her free hand up to wipe a tear from her hand. After the second sniffle, Holly put her hand up to the door and knocked twice.
"Who's there?" Came the sound of Stennis' voice as Holly pulled her hand away from the door.
"It's-" Holly started, but before she could finish speaking, the door opened and Stennis stepped out to greet her.
"-Me." Holly finished.
Stennis sighed. Clearly, he was in about as good a mood as she was. "What do you want?" He asked her. The tone of his voice told her that he just wanted to be left alone.
"I was wondering where your mother is." Holly replied. Stennis opened his mouth to respond, but Holly continued, making it so that he couldn't. "I'd like to talk to her. Can I?"
"I don't know where she is." Stennis admitted.
"Wh...What?" Holly asked, shocked. "You...You don't know where she is?"
"No." Stennis replied. "She's an adult."
"St...Stennis!" Holly started to rant. "She's...She's terminally ill! How can you not know where she is?"
"I don't know where she is." Was Stennis' simple reply. "She didn't want to stay in here, so she left. She told us she would be back soon."
"D...Did you at least make Carmela go with her?"
"What good would that do?"
"So, you didn't?"
"No."
"Then where is Carmela?"
"She's in here." Stennis told her. "Why, do you want to talk to her?"
"I want you to get her." Holly narrowed her eyes.
"Good, that way she can talk with you." Stennis said. "I'm sorry, but I'm not in the mood to argue with you. My mother has just accepted death..." He snapped his fingers. "...Just like that."
"I'm not happy about that, either." Holly said. "That's why you need to get Carmela."
Stennis just blinked. He had no idea what Holly was talking about. First, she wanted to talk to his mother, then she was berating him for letting her leave the room, then she wanted to see his sister, then she told him that she wasn't happy she had just accepted her grim diagnosis either, and then she went back to wanting to talk to Carmela. "Um, what?" He finally asked.
"Stennis, get your sister." Holly said, finally starting to elaborate. "We need to find your mother."
LINE BREAK
Meanwhile, Jake III exited the cafeteria, where he found Haley standing, her back to him, a few feet away. "Aunt Haley?" Jake asked, walking up beside her. "Aunt Haley, are you okay?" He asked as he stopped besides her.
Haley sighed before she turned her head to the side to look at him. "Sorry if I concerned you." She apologized.
"You concerned Demetria, Phoebe and Dynean, too." Jake told her. "Did they upset you?"
"Socorro upset me." Haley replied.
"I'm sorry." Jake said sincerely. "Wh...When are you going to face her again?"
"I don't know." Haley said as she turned her head back to normal. "But when I do, it will probably end the same way. I'll go in knowing that I have to put her and her sisters down, but I won't."
Jake just stared at her for a few more seconds before he turned his head back to normal. "So, do you want me to go back in there and tell them that it's all okay?" He asked.
Haley took a deep breath and exhaled before she turned her head to the side, Jake doing the same when he realized that she was looking at him. Haley managed a smile. "No need." She told him. "We'll go back in there together."
Jake smiled back at her. "That sounds like a good idea to me." He said.
Together, the two of them turned and started to walk back into the cafeteria.
BLACKOUT; END EPISODE
A/N: Please review. The series finale is up next, and it will be put up soon.