Chapter 1: Revelation

A/N: So, I'm going to be honest. This show, and more specifically, the story of Jake and Rose's relationship wrecked my younger self when ADJL season 2 first came out way back in 2007. I recently came upon the episodes again (specifically, YouTube videos highlighting the ups and downs of their relationship) and rewatching led to feeling those same emotions from so many years ago. They did ultimately have a happy ending…but it always seemed to me to be very abrupt; where we as an audience couldn't process everything and were all left hanging a bit. Rose regaining her memory was a very profound moment that seemed to be brushed by quicker than I would have personally wanted. But such is the reality of trying to fit a complex story into a 20 minute-ish window of a cartoon. I had always hoped a 3rd season would be greenlit so that the writers could finish Jake and Rose's story better - just with a final bow on top. Honestly, all it would have taken is another single episode to do that but alas, this will never happen. So with me needing some closure on this I figured it's finally time for me to write this ending as well as a better build up to the final moments of HKL. It will be from Rose's perspective as I think her psyche is fascinating to explore. I don't know how long this is going to be or how far I will go into post-HKL events. And I don't know if writing this will temper some of these old emotions - that's the goal at least. I'm not a writer by any means; shoot I haven't really written anything like this since I was in high school. But I had to get this off my chest. So here we go.

"Rose, wait! You have to remember me! You have to! Please!"

Rose stood there in silence; confused and deeply troubled as the police dragged Jake away from her parent's apartment. She had done the right thing, right? Her mind was racing with a million thoughts: why did he look so familiar? He said they knew each other from school in New York, right? But even if that was where her recognition came from, that didn't explain his reaction here? He was clearly convinced they were more than just acquaintances.

As they had neared her house moments ago and she had continued listening to his pleas for help, she wondered if her initial judgment of Jake had been made in haste - deciding it best to call her parents with the intention of duping him into being arrested. He had seemed like a nice enough guy who had come across as genuine, despite his outlandish tale. She had a little more resolve about her decision though after she saw her parents. This was home after all, and her family was all that mattered to her.

As thoughts continued to relentlessly tumble around in her head, she began to feel her heart ache within her. What was going on? Why was she feeling this way? Obviously he had powerful delusions that needed to be dealt with. He said he was a dragon for crying out loud!

But how did he know about her strange birthmark? What were the odds of having a birthmark in the shape of a dragon, only to have a stranger approach her on the street claiming to be one? Had he seen it while they were in New York? Was that what led him to his delusion?

Her parents could never give her a satisfactory explanation for the birthmark on her right hand, even after asking countless times during her childhood. It was extremely unique; one that each doctor she showed had never seen before. She had always wondered if it meant something more; if it bore some type of meaning or fate for her that was yet to be revealed. If the mark had been like, say, a cloud: having a slight resemblance that could have multiple interpretations. Now that would be one thing she could easily write off as coincidence. But this might as well have been a tattoo with how detailed the marking was. That's what most assumed it was when they saw it wrapped around her wrist, creeping up toward the top of her hand.

This whole ordeal was too much for Rose. She continued to stand there, not sure what to say. Her mom approached her from behind and put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay, honey?" Her mom's words whipped her back to reality. Rose sighed. "Yeah. I think I am."

But her parents weren't convinced. They could see the distraught look plastered on their daughter's face. Her dad chimed in, "Rose, you did the right thing calling us. You can't trust creeps like that. When you encounter a stalker like that, you turn the other way and don't look back. No questions asked."

"Your father's right, dear. Unfortunately, it is something women have to deal with from time to time. It has happened to me before. Stay strong and put it in the past. It's over now."

Rose nodded slowly, still staring out their doorway into the now empty hallway. Something familiar. It was near impossible to rip her mind from the events that had just unfolded. There was indeed something familiar about him. But why? It couldn't have been just from seeing each other in passing at their school in New York. If that were the case, his interactions with her earlier well exceeded that of an innocent reconnection.

Rose, look at my eyes. Somehow you have to remember me.

That was a very odd thing for Jake to say. It was probably the only thing he had said during their conversation on the sidewalk that had left a lasting impression on her. It made her stomach twist in all sorts of directions. His eyes? Former acquaintances don't talk like that. Unless he had formed an obsession with her at their previous school. She didn't know what she was going on about - he could have made the whole thing up for all she knew.

Still, her father had a point. Perhaps he had just been a stalker who had a secret infatuation with her and created this delusion in his mind in an attempt to be with her. The thought made her body quiver and she quickly discarded it before sulking on it any longer.

"Dinner is almost ready, sweetie."

Her mom was now in the kitchen working away at the stove while her father had retreated to his office. He generally spent his weekday evenings answering emails from work; this new position that forced their family's relocation was a great opportunity that he refused to squander. Rose admired her father greatly for the sacrifice he endured to support their family. His time with them had been cut down considerably since the move, which had been hard on all of them. But he assured them it was only temporary. Rose hoped so. If she was being honest, she was still upset about the decision to move here to begin with.

"Mom, where's Rach?" Rose suddenly asked. Throughout the whole situation with her stalker, Rose had completely forgotten about her twin sister Rachel.

"I think she mentioned something about a big exam tomorrow. She had plans to study at the library tonight with friends."

Rose's eyes widened. The exam. Shoot. This was an important test that was imperative she pass. Her and her sister had quickly realized after moving to Hong Kong that study groups were absolutely necessary to do well at school. The language barrier had been tough but most students here knew English and could help bridge the gap with new material they were learning. Like her sister, she had also made plans with classmates to study tonight at the library but it had completely slipped her mind since talking with Jake. She had planned to go home briefly and pick up some study materials before heading back out again. Just as she turned to let her parents know of her similar plans for the evening, something caught her eye by their front door.

A red jacket.

Oh no, Rose thought. That's Jake's. Fear suddenly crept into her mind. She was going to have to see him again. She was going to have to hear about his absurd ramblings of magical creatures and dragons and dragon slayers all over again. She shook the thought out of her head. No, there had to be another way around that. I'll just leave it at the police station on my way to the library.

She settled on the idea and made the decision that that's what she was going to do. When she approached the jacket, however, she noticed something on top of it. A photograph. That's odd, she thought. How did this get here?

She picked it up and looked at it with horror. It was her! It was her in a dress interlocking arms with…with Jake! She dropped the picture backing away slowly; her mind now racing again, feelings she didn't know how to explain beginning to consume her. Suddenly there was a sharp pain in her head; a piercing kind of pain that sent ripple effects throughout her whole body.

She grabbed her head hoping to squeeze the pain out; wincing severely as she clenched her jaw. What was happening?

But then, she remembered.

The floodgates opened up and in poured hundreds of memories of a life long forgotten. A life from a broken past in which she was the victim over and over. Sparring sessions that left her battered and bruised beyond repair, reading literature on magical creatures of all shapes and sizes for hours on end, memories of weapons training with technology well advanced beyond things she'd ever seen in her current life. Memories of past friendships in the Huntsclan; of brutal nights in which she trained so hard she would feel like her legs were beginning to fall off.

Memories of escaping into numerous fictional books and stories when she had free time as a way to cope with her demanding schedule berating her day after day. Memories of begging the Huntsman to let her attend a normal school despite his reluctance to such an idea. Of proving herself worthy to join him in the field; and then enrolling in a school and making friends with non-Huntsclan kids her age - which felt like a breath of fresh air. But most importantly, she remembered him.

She remembered Jake.

She remembered meeting him for the first time by pure happenstance when he bumped into her on his skateboard knocking all of her books out of her hands. Oh my bad I'm really sorry about…hi. Hi yourself. She remembered having to sit alone by herself at a table during her first, normal-school dance; ditched by her date for another girl and the utter embarrassment of it all. But then there was Jake, offering her his hand to join him on the dance floor. Come on. I want to dance with the prettiest girl in the room. She remembered getting their picture taken together at the dance shortly after that, as if the wrong dates they had chosen to come with never happened. And she remembered ordering the picture from the school so she could keep that precious memory forever, on her night stand as a glimmer of hope amidst her dreary life.

She remembered their awkward interactions while rehearsing together for the school play; the feelings she got when they would lean in for the kiss in Act 4 Scene 15 only to have something interrupt their moment. I think I know why we're struggling with Act 4 Scene 15. We haven't earned it. See, Antony and Cleopatra have been through so much together. But we haven't been through anything together. She remembered their first date and building a snowman together before an untimely page from the Huntsman ended it prematurely. Jake! How did you… that's awesome! Not as awesome as the real thing.

She remembered when Jake first revealed himself as a dragon to her, completely flipping her whole world upside down and then some. Everything she thought she had known couldn't be trusted anymore. Rose, no! What…what did you call me?

And then she remembered, shortly after the jarring discovery, sparing Jake's life. Cutting away his bindings while self-reflecting how cruel it was that they were forced to live out a real life tale of Antony and Cleopatra. She remembered the immense grief she felt having to leave him and her school to return to the Huntsclan Academy. And then wondering if she would ever see him again; or if he would ever feel the same way she felt about him now knowing the truth of her double life. You can't save me Jake. It's too dangerous.

She remembered sharing their first kiss in the cruelest of circumstances right before they planned to fake his death; and vibrations of blissful joy pulsating from it starting at her lips and working their way down through the rest of her body. The kiss had slowed everything down for her, centered her amidst the gut wrenching angst in her heart over the situation. I hope you know what you're doing. Any last requests? Just one. She remembered the feeling of outright relief when both her and Jake left the Academy unscathed, that his plan had worked and she had escaped performing an act she would have never forgiven herself for.

She remembered helping him on covert missions against the Huntsclan while being a double agent; betraying everything she was taught growing up and having an incredible amount of resolve in that decision. She remembered being engulfed in paranoia over their secret being discovered and the constant whiplash of their relationship, trying to decide whether it was even safe to simply spend time together or not. Us spending time together right now. It's just too risky. She remembered hating the Huntsclan more than anything she had ever hated in her entire life.

She remembered their dream dates; oh did she remember their dream dates. She remembered feeling like it was the first time someone else in this world understood her on a completely new level; a level no one else had before. Understood what it was like to have to balance a life filled with duty and responsibility, and hide it from the rest of the world. Understood her deepest desires, her deepest fears, and most of all her deepest regrets. Listen, Jake. I'd never have the courage to tell you this in the real world, but I…

It was in those precious moments, by way of the dream charms, that her feelings deepened for Jake in a way that had never happened before for her. She had had crushes before, but this was different. She remembered debating inwardly if this was what love felt like.

She remembered having to break off her romantic relationship with Jake; and the devastating heartbreak that came with doing the right thing for his safety despite her strong feelings for him. I'm sorry Jake, but I don't think this is going to work out. Rose, don't say that! I should have trusted you, I… From now on I think we need to keep our relationship strictly professional. She remembered crying herself to sleep that night of the infamous Love Cruise. She remembered the weeks that followed, catching Jake peak glances at her with eyes that longed for something more than "strictly professional" and it ripping her heart out. She remembered him rescuing her from Homecoming photo shoots so that they could have a ball of their own. She remembered him promising her that he would help her find her family.

Her family.

She had been taken away from them by the Huntsclan as a baby. But now she knew them! And it was all thanks to Jake because he…

And then she remembered her final memory of a life she had never lived and had long forgotten about. She remembered herself using the power of the Aztec skulls to wish for the destruction of all Huntsclan.

She remembered the look of horror on Jake's face, realizing what she had done and what it meant would happen to her, as each member of her tribe of slayers were slowly lifted one by one into the air against their wills and vanished from existence. She remembered telling Jake one final goodbye as he refused to let go of her hand. Thank you, Jake. For everything. I'll never forget you. Until, finally, he begrudgingly released her to her fate. She remembered looking out over all of New York with tears in her eyes, the lights of the city glimmering in the distance and outlining the tragedy that was her life.

She had done the right thing. She had kept him and his family safe. She had saved an entire race of people, creatures, and beings from genocide by enacting justice - even if it meant her own demise. Even if it meant breaking the heart of the one person she loved more than anything else in the world. But Jake would understand. It had been what they always talked about: balancing the responsibility they had to their cause with the love they shared for one another. The only regret Rose had was never telling him that she truly loved him. Oh how she wished she had those moments back…but her other wish had made it too late.

She then remembered…nothing. Everything went blank after that. She racked her brain to see if there was anything else. How strange, she thought. What had happened after that? How was she here now with a family who loved her and supported her? Why wasn't she destroyed with the rest of the Huntsclan? Jake had to have done something - it was the only thing she could reason. He had to have been the one responsible for her current life. She marveled at this unknown act of his, contemplating all it meant for them; all that he gave up between them for her. But no sooner had she had this wonderful thought, she was thrust back suddenly into her present situation.

She looked around her apartment to see her mom still cooking and her dad still in his office on his laptop. She smiled at them; but immediately dread and unhinged worry entered her mind. Jake was in trouble.

She shifted her focus to the conversation they had had on her way home from school, trying to remember the specifics of his ramblings. Just minutes prior, his story had made her feel distraught, creeped out, and violated. But now she found herself clinging to every detail that she could recall, hoping to decipher a path forward. She obviously couldn't share any of this with her parents. Not yet anyways. That time would come.

Something about a dark dragon needing to be slain, she remembered. And… Victoria Peak! She knew where that was. Okay, she thought. A plan was beginning to formulate in her brain. She knew the Peak was one of the preferred tourist destinations of the area. You could see the whole city of Hong Kong from the top. It had breathtaking views, hiking trails; visitors from all over the world would come to climb its heights while taking pictures of the beautiful landscape and the city below.

Her family hadn't gotten around to checking it out yet due to her father's busy schedule. They weren't going to go without him. But it would be easy enough for Rose to get there. Every taxi driver knew the way and she had just enough money saved up in her room to make that happen.

"Hey Mom, Dad. I'm so sorry, but I just remembered I also made plans to study tonight at the library. I have the same exam Rachel does tomorrow. It must have slipped my mind after everything…I have to get going right now if I'm to salvage some study time."

Her Mom turned slightly from what she was doing and looked at her fondly. "It's ok Rose. You've had quite the afternoon. We'll save the leftovers in the fridge for when you get back."

Rose smiled back at her, nodded, and rushed to her room grabbing Jake's jacket and their picture along the way. Okay, parents are taken care of. Gotta text Rach. Her and her sister both had cell phones - something their parents had gotten them soon after moving to Hong Kong. Their demanding school schedules required it.

Rose: Heading to the library now. I may be later than expected, something came up.

She clicked send. Rose hoped the vagueness of her text would buy her some time with her sister or their parents if and when they asked questions. She would deal with the consequences later if they caught her in her lie though. This was Jake's life after all. He had sacrificed so much for her; more than she could even fathom right now, she surmised. Breaking some trust with family members was the least of her worries at the moment.

Now what in the world am I going to wear?

She obviously didn't have her Huntsgirl uniform or any of her gear with her. The idea of going into battle without them made her feel naked. But she was losing precious time; she had to make a decision and fast. No time to go to an abandoned Huntsclan outpost. She knew there was one in Hong Kong somewhere, recalling from memory, but it would be too out of the way. It was decided; she would have to rely on hand to hand combat for this fight and hope for the best.

Rifling through her closet, she grabbed what she thought were the most skin tight clothes she had. Nothing that could get caught on something away from her person during battle. She started braiding her hair, her fingers swiftly following the muscle memory of her mind from another life. Her brain shifted to whether she was physically capable of doing what needed to be done. There's no way I'm in the same shape now as I was with the Huntsclan.

Thankfully, one of her recreational activities growing up had been gymnastics. She was drawn to it at a very early age and her parents saw it as an opportunity for her to make new friends. It was something she had been passionate about for a long time and she dedicated much time to the craft during her formative years in elementary school right into middle school. There was even some interest in her talent from the U.S. national team when she got older though she never returned it. She hadn't done anything of that nature, though, since moving to Hong Kong. She hoped any stamina she still possessed from it would come in handy tonight. I just hope I'm not too late.

She threw on some boots and gloves she had stuffed away previously in the back of her closet, grabbed enough money for a cab, and then paused. She looked again at the picture of her and Jake; the catalyst that had triggered so many euphoric memories of him and their adventures together, smiling at it.

It was the same picture she had bought, what now seemed, so long ago. Capturing one of her favorite moments of them together. The same picture that she would look at every night before going to bed. And the same picture she left for Jake after having to transfer away from their school. At the time, she had figured she would have to move on from her feelings for him. That she would never see him again. That she would not be able to bear the pain of seeing it constantly.

It was remarkable to her that this picture had survived everything they had been through. It had inexplicably survived this new present reality she was in. How? With a quick motion, she tucked it in the left pocket of her pants. Jake would want to know how she regained her memories, after all. She hurried out their front door wishing her parents a quick goodbye; hoping they wouldn't notice her without her school backpack. It was now hidden in her room underneath her bed along with Jake's red jacket.

As she opened up the door of her complex building to head outside, she looked up at the sky and noticed the moon. It was a lunar eclipse. Her school had mentioned one was happening tonight in the morning announcements over the intercom. Something in her gut told her that it played a significant part in tonight's events. A gut feeling that, she concluded, must have been her Huntsclan training beckoning back to her across lifetimes. She was going to need to trust her gut over her mind tonight, she decided.

Her hand went up, waving down a cab nearby and as it zoomed to a stop, she hopped in and pointedly stated to the driver, "Victoria Peak. Hurry!"

I'm coming, Jake.