> NOTE: This fic is supposed to take place after "Mystery of the Amazon" and > before "The Lost One" Most other fics will have references to this fic, so > if you don't read this one, not much of my other fics will make > sense.WARNING: this fic is slightly gory. > > DISCLAIMR: l do not own JQ characters, and am making no money off of > this. l am not worth suing for the five cents l own. > > ARCHIVRS: Go ahead. > > > "The Real Adventures of Jessie Bannon" > 'Darkfire' > By Jade Falcon > > > It all started with that stupid curse. The curse that changed my life. > The curse that supposedly couldn't be broken.....easily. > Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself...... > My name is Jessica Anne Bannon. Friends call me Jessie or Jess. > It all started, and ended, about a week ago. > I was sitting in algebra class, struggling to stay awake through the most > boring lesson I had had in my life. My head was on my desk, one arm hanging > over the edge, the other arm struggling to support an extremely tired hand > struggling to take notes. > I glanced across the room at Jonny, who seemed to have long ago given up > the struggle. his head was down on his desk and he was fast asleep. He woke > up when the bell rang. > Guess who's gonna have to borrow my notes tonight? > We went to our lockers to get our books for next class, when I noticed > something unusual in my locker. A small black box no bigger than a match > box with a blue mark in the middle of the top. I reached in and took it > out. On the back was an inscription that said: > > 'Bearers of this object, beware, > This box is from The Dragon's Stair. > If you should touch it, or place it in your purse, > Beware, for you now bear > The Dragon Curse' > > "What's *that* supposed to mean??" > "What are you talking about, Jess?" > I held the box up so Jonny could read the inscription on the bottom. He > read it out loud, and shrugged. He didn't know what it meant, either. > After Jonny had read it, I felt a small shock go through me. I must have > reacted to it, becase Jonny asked me what was wrong. > I said it was nothing, and shrugged it off, trying to ignore it. > But, somehow, I couldn't ignore it, so I just stopped thinking about it. > I really, really shouldn't have. > > ********************************************************** > School went along normally that day. When I went home, everything was > still perfectly normal. > When I went to bed that night, things got weird. Really weird. > *He* appeared in my dreams that night. *He* was a wizard, or at least he > looked like one with his long black robe decorated with embroidered gold > and silver dragons, his metal staff with an ornately carved wooden dragon > perched on the top of it. He had long grey hair and a beard to match. > "Who...who are you?" > "I am Merloch of The Dragon's Stair," he said. "And I am here to complete > a work in you that you started." > "Work?? What work?" > "You touched a small black box, did you not?" > "Yes." > "That box carried a curse that would go to anyone who touched it. Now, > the curse is dormant. But I am here to make it active." > I was starting to get a tad annoyed at this Merloch character. "You're > invading my dreams!" I practically screamed. "Get out of my head!" > "I will. As soon as my work is complete." > "No one's completing any 'work' in *me*." I turned and ran from him. He > uttered some Latin words I couldn't understand. I understood one: the word > "Draco," which I knew meant "Dragon." > For some reason, I turned back to look at what Merloch was doing, and > immediately regretted it. The wooden dragon on his staff had come to life > and was chasing me, so I did the only thing I thought to be sensible at the > time. > I ran. > I was fast. It was faster. It circled me a few times and flew away. > "The curse is now active." > "It is??" > "Yes." > "Is there any way to break it?" > "Yes. You must give your life to save another's." > "That's it?" > "Yes." > "What exactly does this 'curse' do to me??" > "You will know." > "How??" > "You will know." He repeated, then disappeared. > > ******************************************************************** > I woke up soon after that. I felt a little strange. I went to my mirror > to see if anything had happened, and if I was really visited in my dream, > or if it was just another one of my insane dreams. > When I looked in the mirror, I found out. > Everything looked perfectly normal. My hair, my eyes, my hands, my face, > my feet, my body, my tail...........? > Waitaminute. My tail?? > I looked behind me. Sure enough, I had a tail. > Terrified, I turned back to the mirror. I was now covered from head to > toe to....tail....in dark bluish black scales that shone like the inside of > a "Mother of Pearl" shell when light shone on them. I looked perfectly > human except for my scales and tail. > My eyes were the next to change. I watched as the irises of my eyes > seemed to melt, making my entire eye green and as the pupils melted out > vertically and became reptillian. I vowed right then and there that if this > ever happened again, and I knew it would, I would never do it in front of a > mirror. > Then came the claws, My fingernails and toenails hardened, grew outward, > and became long, dark green, thick claws. > My face changed next. It bulged out and became long and narrow, like a > horse's. My nose slid forward and became two forward-facing nostrils on the > end of my snout. I grew horns, two large ones on my head, one smaller one > on my nose. Both were the same color as my claws. > My gums and tounge itched horribly, and I opened my now fully-transformed > mouth to see what was going on. What I saw made me snap my mouth shut > again. My teeth were growing long and sharp and my tounge was dividing into > two sections, becoming long and forked, like a snake's. > I grew six retractible spikes on the end of my tail, three on each side. > My arms, legs, and body thickened,and I became topheavy. I fell to the > floor on all fours. My neck stretched to about three feet long, and long > decorative scales appeared on my head. > Last came the wings. They were huge in comparison to my body, and were > bluish black in color, just like the rest of my body. > I was now a miniature dragon, and had to get out of there, fast, because > I was growing. Fast. > Luckily, I was still small enough to fit through my window. I stepped out > onto the tree that grew right by my window (I had always used it to sneak > out when I was little). I tested my wings. One flap, and I was six feet > above the branch I stood on. I flapped my wings repeatedly and flew to the > roof of the lighthouse where, after about fifteen minutes, I stopped > growing at thirty feet tall, fifty feet long, and with a wingspan of at > least two hundred feet. > I suddenly realized I had powers: the ability to know what time it is, > the ability to use magic, I had eyes that were at least a hundred times > more powerful than an eagle's, I had telepathic ability, my ears were at > least ten thousand times more powerful than a wolf's, and I could fly at > 1,000 MPH. > Part of me, the sensible part, was terrified and didn't have a clue of > what to do. There was another part of me, though, the rebellious and > nonpractical side of me, that was just saying, *This is so cool!* > I just sat there on the roof, thinking. Was this just a night-type thing? > Like Werewolves? Or was it permanent? Would I ever change back? Was this > just another one of my insane dreams? No. It was too real. > At about half past midnight my fine-tuned and sensitive dragon ears > picked up the sound of a door shutting. I instinctively jerked my massive > head in that direction and focused my lazer-vision eyes. It was Jonny, > walking out of the Compound's boundaries. I noticed a small piece of paper > on Jonny's desk in his room. I focused my eyes to read it. > > Can't sleep. Gone to Downtown Rockport for a walk. Be back by morning. > Jonny > > My senses jumped. Downtown Rockport? At 12:30 am? Mugger and gangster > paradise! > I decided to follow him, just in case. Downtown Rockport was at least > five miles away. I knew I could get there with my speed in a few seconds, > but I had to go at Jonny's slow human speed to stay with him. > About half an hour later, we arrived in Downtown Rockport. Jonny took the > bus. I flew. > Jonny headed for the park and wandered around there for a while. I > settled down in a small thicket where no one could see me and kept an eye > on him. > As luck would have it, he walked right in front of my little hiding place > before a small gang of about five teenage boys and one bimbo blonde stopped > him. > "Hey, Blondie. Where ya goin'?" > "None of your buisness." > "Oo," said the blonde. "He's a tough one." > "Yeah," added one of the boys. "Maybe he can even fight." > My heart stopped. I knew more than I needed to know about Jonny's > pride.*Please, Jonny,* I thought to myself. *Don't answer them. Just walk > away.* > I was dumb to even assume that. > "As a matter of fact, I can. Who's first?" > I groaned inwardly. > The leader stepped forward. "That would be me." > He landed a hard punch to the side of his face. Jonny fell to the ground, > stunned. The gang leered over him. > That did it. > I leaped out of the thicket, landed between the gang and Jonny and let > out a roar that shook the ground and even scared me. > The teenagers were frozen in fear. So was Jonny. > I changed my voice to a low, venomous growl. > "Leave. Him. Alone." > "H-he-hey, no problem." > I wasn't finished with them yet. "There's a police station about two > blocks that way," I jerked my head in a certain direction. "Why don't you > go turn yourselves in?" > They all nodded. > "Good choice." I growled. "Now *BEAT IT*!!" > They were gone before I could even blink. > I turned to Jonny, who for a while, was too scared to move. He suddenly > realized what was going on, screamed, and tried to scramble away. I barely > even fluttered my wings and was on him in one-tenth of a second. I reached > out and grabbed him. He was, to me, about the same size as a G.I. Joe. > He started to scream. My sensitive dragon hearing was not having fun at > this time. > "*SHUT UP*!!!" I roared in a voice that even scared me. > Jonny shut up. > I sighed. "Look, sorry I yelled at you, but your screaming was getting on > my nerves. But I don't want to hurt you. I'm a friend." > That seemed to calm him down a little. A little, as in he went from > screaming and shaking like a leaf to just shaking like a leaf. > "Look," I said. "I'm going to let you up now. Run away, if you want, or I > can take you home." > I lowered him to the ground. He didn't run. He just asked me if I had a > name and, if so, what it was. I couldn't tell him my real name!!! I quickly > tried to think of one. A name just popped into my head. I didn't know why, > but I took it, anyway. > "Darkfire." > "That's your name??" > "Uh-huh." > "I'm Jonny Quest." > *I know,* I thought to myself. *I live with you.* > He cautiously took a step forward. > "You said you could take me home??" > "Yes, I can." > "How??" > I lowered my head. > "Hop on." > "You're gonna fly?" > "Yep." > "Cool." > He grabbed the horn on my nose, and used my nostrils as footholds, which > made me want to sneeze, and as soon as he had climbed onto my head, I did. > "Gusundhiet." > "Thank you. Hang on!" > I flapped my wings a few times to gain altitude, then used all the speed > the dragon could use. My wings were moving as fast as a dragonfly's. It > took exactly five seconds to get back to the Compound. I dropped him off > and turned away. > "I'll go now." > I immediately regretted what I had just said. I said it in my human > voice! > Jonny looked up at me with an expression on his face he always gets when > he's pondering something. > "What??" > "You.......sound like someone I know." > "I do?" > "Yeah. You sound like Je- Oh. never mind. Thanks for the ride." > "Don't mention it." > "Wait, Darkfire. When will I see you again?" > *Next time you see Jessie.* I thought sadly. But all I said was, > "Tomorrow night. The roof of that lighthouse there." > I then took off into the woods behind the Compound and fell asleep. > ************************************************* > When I woke up, the sun was out, my vision was limited, and I felt a > whole lot smaller. Were dragons only good for night?? > Then I realized what had happened. I was human again. Was it all just a > dream? If so, what am I doing out here?? Totally confused, I slowly got up > and climbed back up the tree to my room. > When I reached the window and climbed in, I looked at the clock. Four > thirty. Good. At least I had some time to sleep. > Which, after a night like that, was exactly what I did. > ************************************************* > I woke up at eight and went downstairs for breakfast. Jonny was there, > reading the comics and eating corn flakes. Everything, even me, seemed > normal. Maybe it was all a dream. > I wasn't that lucky. > Jonny glanced up at me. "Hey, Jess. You're never going to belive what > happened last night." > Compared to what? "Try me." > "Last night, a dragon saved me from a gang!" > My heart stopped. It wasn't a dream. It was real. It was real. > Real. > I had actually turned into a dragon. > "You okay, Jess? You look a little pale." > Yeah, Jonny. You would, too, if you had changed into a dragon, thought it > was a dream, and then, you wake up the next morning, and your friend tells > you the exact same story you remember. > "I'm fine." > "You sure?" > "Yes." > He looked at me skeptically, but, thankfully, he shrugged it off and went > back to Dilbert. > I got a small breakfast, changed clothes, and went for a walk. As sheer > luck would have it, I ended up downtown. I stayed there all day, when > somewhere around 7:00, the same gang that had stopped Jonny the night > before stopped me. > "Where do you think you're goin'?" > I was tired, I hadn't eaten since breakfast, I was crabby, I didn't feel > like dealing with these bozos, and it was getting dark. > Waitaminute. It was getting dark............... > IDEA! > "Didn't I tell you jerks to turn yourselves in?" > "Nice try. The only person who told us that was a dragon, and you don't > look like no dragon to me." > Right. I don't. At least not right now. I turned and ran for the park. > They followed me. I dove into the thicket I had been the night before. They > didn't follow me in there. > "Go on in there!" one of them yelled. "You're as good as dead, with that > dragon livin' in there!" > I felt myself changing already. When I was half dragon, I realized the > dragon was hungry, too. I also knew that one unlucky teenager out there > wasn't going to last much longer. > "Actually," I said, my voice a disgusting mix of the dragon's and my own, > "I *AM* the dragon!" > I burst out of the thicket and struck out my head fast as a cobra, grabbed > the leader in my teeth, and swallowed him. > Now I wasn't so hungry. > Remembering my promise to Jonny, I took off for the compound and landed > on the roof of the lighthouse, just as I had promised. > Jonny came out about five minutes later and began looking for me. I used > one of the dragon's abilities to remind him. >> Telepathy. > Of course, he couldn't answer me, but he glanced up at where I was, but > he couldn't see me. > Duh. I was black. > I spread my wings. They caught the moonlight and lit up like a beacon. I > quickly shut them, not wanting to attract too much attention. > He seemed to see me now. He ran to the stairwell of the lighthouse, and I > dove off the roof. Literally. I jumped headfirst off the lighthouse, > spilled the air out of my wings, and spread them to catch air at the last > minute. > "Where to?" I asked him. > "Huh??" > "Where would you like to go?" > "Oh. Uh... Downtown?" > "Hop on." > I lowered my head and he climbed onto my head. I took off, not knowing > that I was not exactly being the smartest dragon alive. > I slowed to a coasting speed and made a few lazy circles over the park, > not knowing of what was on the ground.......... > ************************************************ > The first thing that hit me was a giant searchlight. I recoiled, let out > a growl of frustration, and shot a fireball out my nose into the > searchlight. I suddenly realized why I had chosen the name "Darkfire." My > fire was black. > The searchlight shattered and exploded. > I was glad for my nightvision just then, as a potpourri Of crossbow > arrows, bullets, and two other objects I couldn't identify flew towards me. > I plucked one of them out of the air. A three-foot-long tranquilizer dart. > I grabbed one of the other objects and gasped. A wooden harpoon about three > feet on diameter with a twelve-foot-long metal tip. I quickly threw it > away, not wanting to look at it anymore. > The bullets just richocheted off my scales, but I had to dodge the darts > and arrows. The harpoons I just burned. > I screeched as a sharp pain seared through my tail. I glanced back to see > an arrow poking out of the base of my tail. > "Jonny!" I screamed. "Can you get that arrow out of my tail?!" > A few seconds later, the pain was even sharper than before, and then was > gone. Jonny had pulled the arrow from my tail. > I heard helicopter rotors, and turned. A helicopter was after me, now. > They really must have wanted me dead. It came at me, and I turned towards > it, turning my back on the ground. > Big mistake. > Another harpoon was launched off the ground. It hit its mark. > More specifically, it hit me in the back of my head and came out my > mouth. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't. Dragons don't scream. I wanted > to roar or spit fire, but I couldn't. > I was too busy coughing up blood. > The helicopter came back one last time. Using the last bit of strength I > had, I plucked Jonny off my head and held him out to the pilot. The pilot > took Jonny into the helicopter through the open side door, and I stopped > flapping my wings. > I landed on my back in the middle of the park. The impact sent the > harpoon out my mouth and into the ground next to me. I watched the > helicopter go off to the police station and land on the helipad behind the > building. > It hadn't hit me until now. I realized I was going to die. Had I given my > life to save another's? I got Jonny into the helicopter away from the > harpoons and arrows, hadn't I? But I got him into that trouble. I just > wasn't sure if I had broken the curse or not. > It hurt so bad to even breathe. I blacked out. > I don't know why, but it was like....I don't know, like....like my spirit > wouldn't leave my body. What was also weird was I could see in all > directions. It was weird. I could see, I could hear, I could smell, but I > couldn't feel or react to anything. > The police, Coast Guard, and even a S.W.A.T. team gathered around me to > see if I was dead or not. > What happened next was even weirder. I heard Merloch's voice. > 'THE CURSE IS BROKEN.' > It must have come from the sky, or something, bacause that was the > direction everyone looked in. > I became surrounded by light, and they all backed away from me. When the > light was gone, I was human again, but still dead. > A bolt of lightning snaked down from the sky and struck me, and I opened > my eyes and sat up. Alive. Merloch spoke again. > 'THE DRAGON CURSE IS BROKEN. SHE WILL NEVER AGAIN BE ABLE TO CONTRACT IT. > SHE WILL STILL TRANSFORM INTO A DRAGON, BUT ONLY WHEN *SHE* WANTS TO.' > I stood up, concentrated on the dragon, became surrounded by light again, > and when it disappeared, I was a dragon again. I flew to the police station > and picked up Jonny. I flew back to the Compound with him on my head. > > THE END (c) Jade Falcon 1998