Chapter 26 - Haley

Haley's face was deadpan as she sat outside leaning against a tree. “Bring back the dead,” she whispered to herself, after having overheard the private conversation Fu Dog had had with Yan Yan. Or should she say Tui and La?

Haley knew the tale of Tui and La well, but she had thought it had just been a bedtime story, a myth, or even a fairy tale. She had been at the library, doing research for an up-coming project, when she had stumbled upon a strange looking book that seemed somehow out of place. She picked it up and was immediately intrigued by what seemed to be a love story.

Tui and La were of the Spirit World, destined to be opposites in all that they did. Tui was the Spirit of the Water and La of Moon. They had given up their immortality to live in the mortal realm. Each lifetime, one would die and the other would soon follow, only to be reborn, and so their cycle was never ending. Each lifetime they would have to search for each other, for they had an internal need to always know where the other was, to always have balance.

But then something had changed. La, in the form of a koi fish, had given part of her soul to a dying baby girl. That little girl would grow up to become a princess named after her savior. The princess had fallen in love with a young warrior from another tribe. Their love was pure and innocent, but not without hardship. The princess's hand had been promised to another. Each wanted to do the honorable thing, so they tried denying what they felt for each other. But soon war approached and in the midst of that battle La, the koi fish was lost.

Tui did not understand why he had not followed, his beloved was gone, but he couldn't seem to follow her into the next life. He grew angry and aided his allies against the ones who had slain La. But then a miracle happened, and La was brought back to him by the girl she had once saved. He was overjoyed, but it wasn't until the next lifetime that he realized something was wrong. After finding each other, La seemed to still be on the hunt. Searching for something she couldn't quite recall. It would take her several lifetimes before she realized, she was looking for a soul she had left behind.

Haley's brow furrowed, that was all of the story she remembered, but then she realized she had just watched its conclusion. Within Fred was the soul of this warrior, the love La had to leave behind long ago and apparently Tui was not happy with the discovery.

And though their story was intriguing, it wasn't what struck Haley the most. What did was the fact that Fu Dog had the power to bring back the dead. “Mom,” the young girl whispered sadly to herself. But then her sadness evaporated and turned into anger. If he had that power, why had he not brought back her mother? Why did he idly sit back as he watched their family slowly fall apart?

Haley pushed herself off the ground, ready to confront Fu Dog and demand an answer. She stormed into the newly rebuilt cabin and made her way down the hall towards the only close door in her vision. She was so blinded by her anger that she did not notice the bright light that was escaping from the crack underneath the door. “Fu!” she yelled out, as she turned the doorknob and opened it wide, only to be blasted off her feet before striking the wall behind her.

As she landed on the floor she closed her eyes and covered them with her arm. “Fu!” she screamed, fear in her voice, as she wasn't sure about what to make of the unearthly light. Haley could feel it all around her. It invaded her senses right down to her very core. Then it was as if she was looking through eyes that weren't her own. All she could see was white, but it had structure and a form. . . it was snow.

The next image was harder to place. It was blue, and it made Haley feel warm and safe. They were eyes, followed by a smile, and then a face. It was a boy. And somehow she knew his name was Sokka, and that she was loved. And then suddenly, everything went black and she shivered in the coldness of it. She was submerged deep in the ocean, with no sense of what was up or down. She felt alone. She felt abandoned.

Haley then began coughing and surprisingly, air filled her lungs. She breathed heavily as she lowered her arm and looked into the bedroom. “Fred!” Yan Yan jumped onto the bed and landed on Fred's chest, where she laid down her head and began to sob openly.

Weakly, Fred lifted his hand and placed it upon Yan Yan. “I'm okay,” he replied hoarsely, a soft smile on his face as his eyes remained close. “Don't cry, Yani.”

“Don't ever leave me again,” she begged of him through her tears.

Haley's eyes then drifted to Fu Dog on the other side as he watched the interactions of the two before him. He was no longer needed here and so he slowly lowered his head, a pained expression on his features, that he didn't know had been noticed, before walking out of the room. He seemed tired as he finally noticed Haley sitting outside the door. “Come on, kid,” he tried to sound cheerful, with a job well done, but the dulling light in his eyes, made it unconvincing. “Let's find some Krylock venom and go home.”

Haley only nodded. Moments ago, she had been so angry, and now the only thing she could feel was her aching heart for her animal guardian, bound for eternity to love one who loved another. The story of Tui and La was anything, but a fairy tale.

“Happy birthday, boy.” Was the last thing Haley heard Yan Yan say to Fred as she caught up with Fu Dog down the hall.



“It's been rumored that Jake may be in this part of the world,” Haley informed Fu Dog in the kitchen. “I want to find him,” she said softly as she watched him pour Krylock venom into the potion that would take them home. “I want to see Jake.”

Fu Dog frowned at the request. “I don't think that's a good idea. You're not ready to face him.”

Haley returned his frown. “Do you really think Jake has gone bad?” she asked. “Do you think he really wants to fight me?”

Fu Dog turned to her. “Look, it's not my call to make. And I don't want to make it. I just want to go home!” he yelled. “Okay?” he said softly. “I can't be here anymore,” he admitted. Haley said nothing more as she only looked at him. She then sighed before turning around and going to see the recovering dragon.

Fred smiled at her as she poked her head around the corner. “Don't be shy,” he told her. “I don't think we've officially met," he greeted her as he slowly sat up. “I'm Alfred Nerk, but my friends call me Fred. I'm the Australian Dragon.” Yan Yan purred as Fred continued stroking the length of her body.

“I'm Haley Long,” she hesitated. “The American Dragon.” The title still didn't feel like it was truly hers.

“It's nice to meet you.” Fred then gestured to a nearby chair. “Please, sit.” Haley nodded her thanks before sitting down. “Please, don't see this as rude, but I have to know. What terms are you on with your brother?” he asked.

Haley looked at him curiously. “What does that matter to you?”

“Just answer the question,” he requested.

“They're training me to hunt him down,” she confessed sadly, not noticing Fred's displeasure at this knowledge. “But I don't think I can do that. We've had our differences, but he's still my brother, and I don't care what the council thinks, he didn't leave his station because he's decided to turn against the Magical World. He's protected it too long to turn his back on it.” Haley then thought of Fu Dog and how desperately he needed to get out this cabin. “I think Jake left because his heart was hurt and he needed to repair it,” she hypothesized.

Now it was Fred's turn to look at her curiously. “You know about the Huntsclan?” he asked, wondering how much she knew about Rose.

Haley only looked at him for a moment. “Wow, that's a word I haven't heard in a long time,” she told him. “What about the Huntsclan? They've been gone for years.”

“You're treading on dangerous waters,” Yan Yan warned Fred in a harsh tone.

“I know what I'm doing. Trust me,” he whispered back before returning his attention back to the other dragon in the room. “The Huntsclan has returned,” he said, revealing the truth. Seeing that she didn't believe him, he continued. “Your brother is searching for them.” Haley was speechless. “He's contacted me, we spoke-”

“You've spoken to him? So does that mean you know where he is?” she cut him off. “Where's my brother?” She stood as if demanding that he answered.

“Here, in Australia,” was his simple reply.

“Take me to him. Please,” she begged of him. Fred thought over her request. “It's been over seven months since I've seen him. He's written me a few times, but it's not the same,” she tried to explain, but his expression had not changed. “I guess, I can't expect you to understand,” she lowered her head in defeat.

“I'll take you to him,” Fred finally announced. Haley looked at him in shock, thinking that she wanted to hear those words so badly that she had imagined it. When she realized his words had been true, there was a feeling of joy so strong within Haley that she couldn't help but throw her arms around him and squeeze him for all that he was worth. Fred returned her hug, but with a warning. “Don't make me regret this decision.”



“frack!” Jake yelled as he tossed down a map of the place he was temporarily calling home. “This is getting us nowhere!” he cried out in frustration.

Daisy sat calmly off to the side in a chair as she sipped her drink. “Settle down, Jake. Acting like an idiot won't help our situation. We have to be patient,” she advised him.

“Patient?!” Jake looked at her in disbelief. “It's been over half a year and we still haven't found any trace of the Huntsclan.” He flopped down on the bed inside his hotel room. He sighed heavily before saying in a murmur, “I'm starting to think this was all a big mistake.” He then closed his eyes, but then only moments later he felt water being dumped on him. “Hey!” he yelled as he bolted straight up and found Daisy standing over him.

“If you want to give up, fine!” she yelled. “I don't need you here, so just go back home.”

“Home? Home to what?” Jake asked her as he stood and wrung out his shirt. “To my wife and kid?” He looked at her. “Because she ain't there waiting for me. She left me the night I decided to come here with you.”

Daisy's eyes grew wide with Jake's words. “I- I didn't know,” she stuttered.

“Of course you didn't. You're so busy caught up in your own world, you don't realize that I am slowly going insane,” he informed her as he realized his shirt was beyond repair. He quickly pulled it over his head and tossed it to the floor before pulling a clean one out of a drawer.

Daisy opened her mouth, closed it, and then opened it again before she spoke. “It almost sounds like you're blaming me.”

“Ding, ding, ding, ding! Someone give the lady a prize!” Jake then sat back down. “I was finally starting to forget about her. I was finally ready to let her go. It was a slow process,” he suddenly remembered his first kiss with Trixie, “but I was getting there.” He then looked at Daisy. “Then you came along and you reopened an obsession and it consumed everything.” He then lowered his head into his hands. “I've lost so much.”

Daisy only wrapped her arms around herself. She had no words to comfort him and so she treaded slowly. “I didn't hold a gun to your head, Jake. If you think you've lost everything, it's because you've willingly let it go.”

Jake softly gasped at the truth. “Get out,” he told her with his head still down, anger clear in his voice.

“Fine, I'll be in my room.” Daisy walked towards the door and stepped out, going to her hotel room across the hall.

A moment later, there was a knock at the door. Jake wasn't in the mood to hear anything Daisy wanted to say. She had touched a nerve and knowing her, she probably wanted to push on it. Jake then stood up, drawing out his claws and baring his sharp fangs. He didn't want to hurt her, he just wanted to scare her enough so she would leave him alone for a few days. He whipped the door opened and growled furiously.

He heard a soft gasp, before he finally made out the person who stood before him. “Haley,” he whispered to himself as he watched her turn into her dragon form.

“I didn't come to fight.” Her face was stern. “So please don't make me.” Haley couldn't help but wonder if she had been wrong about her brother turning his back against the Magical World.

She jolted back as his claws slowly came towards her, but as they did, they turned back into a human hand. He grabbed the back of her head and she froze in fear. It wasn't until her head was against his chest, that she realized he had pulled her into a hug. Tears fell from her eyes as she changed back into a young teenager and returned her brother's embrace, before hearing him speak for the first time in over seven months. “I've missed you. . . Haley.”

To Be Continued. . .

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