speak of the devil

Meredith nodded and shrunk into jacks arms. she clamed her mouth shut with her hands

this time she wasn't going to ruin it or get them killed. she looked up at jack softly thinking of jack jack

A herd of bunnies, maybe around 14 of them, hopped out into their pathway. Normally this wouldn't be seen as a threat, but this place was full of surprises. Jack had the other two stop. He studied these new creatures. They were black, but smoky. Red eyes. These bunnies looked like frosty black doom. Jack unsheathed his cutlass.

"I have no idea what these things are but-"

"Aaaaaah! RUUUUUUUUN!!!" Fritz yelled as the bunnies bared their fangs and charged them. Their shrieks were intolerable. The bunnies hopped at them, wildly snipping at them. Jack killed a handful, but they just had to run the rest of the way up the mountain.

Meredith ran with jack hilding his free hand. she looked at him when they stoped

" im tired." Meredith wined. her legs hurt and her whole body was sore. she was sick of running on and off

"You have to run!" Jack yelled. A shodow bunny bit Merediths leg. Jack swipes his sword and kills it. They reach a safe place. Fritz takes a look. The wound is festering.

"Not good." Fritz says softly

Meredith began to cry from the pain. " it hurts!" she wailed

she put her head on jacks chest. "jack.." she whispered beforeblacking out.

how could a bunny do so much damage back home bunnys were cute and harmless. but here they are all eveil

"If we don't fix this, she could die." Fritz said, watching the restless Meredith. Even blacking out was still painful. Jack lifted her up, trying to think of what to do.

"We need that water." Jack said to Fritz. "The ocean water, we need it." He said.

"Do you want to go get it, or do you want me to go get it?" Fritz asked.

"I'll do it. If I am not back by tomorrow, just go home with out me." He said, just before running off.

merdith woke up on and off. gaining cosiousness then losing it again.

" jack? jack?!" she said she looked around fraticly not seeing him " JACK!" she screamed

"Sh!" Fritz hushed her. "Stop with the noise. Jack has gone to get some water from the ocean. We can't think of anything else to fix you."

Meanwhile, Jack was bruised and beaten. He had traveled as far as he could to the shore. At the moment, he was limping to a safe area. Running away from more gremlins took it's toll on him. It would take a few more hours to get to the shore. Even more time to get back. Also, what was he going to put the water in?

Meredith " no! he'll die!!" she complained trying tostand up

" we can meet him half way!"she said but as soon as the wordsexcaped her lips she collapsed uncousious again

jack wasrunning down the slope, towards the waterwehn he sawthe shaddow creatures. he wondered if it was worth going down the rest of the way. meredith was in trougble.should he do it? of course! jack was ike a his own shadow. he snuck around, a light breaze carried his sent. assoon as they caught it, they all snapped their heads to him. jack was wideeyed. it wasa moment of silence, then-

' shiiiit!''' he yelled, running wldly to the water. he had enouvh time to snatch up a dead sea turtle shell, scoop up a bit, and spin of his heels to meredith's direction.

" crap!" jack fled. he dropped alot of watwr as he ran

--

" sh, quiet meredith!" fritz was darting his eyes around. what if something hears her? comes up to kill them?

(ooc-had to wirte quick, sorry. kids all arund, grabbing at laptop.might happen again...)

Meredith woke up again.looking around hse grabed at fritz. she began to giggle

" you look funny!!" she declared. she was seeing things the once chubby tan pirate now was purple with wings. she kept giggling trying to grab at his imaginary wings

" fritz I want wings too!" she said her words slured together.

of course what she was seeing wasn't true. she was hulicinating from the wound on her leg that was getting worse by the second. would jack make it on time or even at all?

Fritz was unable to respond with an answer. She was just lolling around now. In a haze it seemed. The day drew on and darkness came. Just as things seemed to be turning for the worst, Jack comes to save the day.

"Here..." He said, breathing heavily. He poured the water onto her wound and all was well.

"You alright Mere?"

Meredith grabed onto jack

" I thought you died..." she whispered she was still a little shocked from what had happened

" are you really here?" she asked touching jacks face

"Yep, you're fine." They headed off on up the mountain again. The next two days were dreary and soon they entered a fog. This fog would span a whole day. When the three broke through, they were amazed to see milky white clouds all around them. The sunlight glancing off the water droplets of the sea of clouds. As far as they were, they were not done yet with their hike. Still a day more to go.

"When I get home, I am going to a tavern. Then a hotel." Jack muttered, referring to his achy feet. "But I will miss this view."

The three were have a day up, when they turned a corner and say the gleaming Castle of the Sky. Wherein lies the fountain, and the way home. It was so real. It was so...far away.

"Don't worry, lads and lassies." Fritz smiled at them. "Just a flight away."

"Yeah, right." Jack grumbled. "Let's eat the deer we cooked last night."

"Here..." Fritz setup a fire and turned to Meredith. "When you were hallucinating, did you know what you were saying?"

Meredith shook her head

" I don't rember anything after I got bit." she said and snuggled close to jack softly

" to be honest im glad I don't rember"

"For the best, I'm sure." Fritz was glad. That meant she doesn't remember saying he had wings. A pirate doesn't want to be thought of like a pansy.

"Well, I'm dam tired." Jack suddenly conked out. He lay snoring, splayed on the floor.

Morning was hard to deal with. Jack was exhausted and he barley could walk. Fritz had to hoist him up. The travel was slow. What should have taken a day, took two. They finally reached the top, and were face to face with a giant black dragon.

"Who goes there? State your business!" It screeched.

merdith looked at jack. she hadn't left his side sence he had returned. at the moment she was griping his hand with the tightest force her little body could manage.

the memorys of the pain from the bite were coming back. it hurt her to think about it and she had been having nightmares on the rare times she slept. she didn't tell fritz nor jack this because she didn't want to upset them or for them to give her special treatment. she was really beginning to like jack she hoped he liked her too. as for fritz he was like an elder brother. she kept to her self that she had rememberd the wing comment. she knew it would only upset him.

Meredith looked up at jack waiting patiently for him to speak to the mighty dragon. she of course wouldn't say anything it would probably get them killed if she tried speaking.

she had actually gone pretty much mute since jack returned every once in awhile she would whisper something but for the most part she stayed quiet and out of the way as much as possible with out disconnecting from jacks side.

"I am Jack, this is Fritz and Meredith." Jack was not afraid. He was sick and tired of being afraid. So he stood tall and locked eye with the dragon. It's great size dwarfed them all beneath it's shadow. The beast listened to Jack tell him all that they had gone through.

"So here we are. Will you take us to the castle, or not?" He asked him.

"Not." He spoke.

Meredith looked up at jack watching him. she squeezed his hand softly

" jack... I want to go home. " she whispered snuggling into his side once more.

" please dragon let us go home...." she said quietly looking down

"I will not fly you to the castle. I do not wish to be bothered." He turned his back on Jack, who picked up a stone and tossed it at the dragons head. The beast whipped his head around to meet Jack's gaze. No one had done that to him before. He was bewildered.

"Jack!" Fritz was wide eyed. "What the hell are you-"

"Take us to the castle, we aren't asking. I demand it."

Meredith grabed jacks hand

" jack he could kill us!" she said griping his hand to the side of his body she didn't want him to throw anything else. they had come so far if they died now all that effort and walking running away from what was thought of as mythical creatures. they had come way to far to just die like that.

"The girl is right, Mortal." The dragon faced them. "Would you strike a dragon?"

"I just did." He wrenched his arm away from Meredith, taking up another rock.

"Don't do it Jack!" Fritz took it away.

"I can't live here, I won't! There is no place here for me, I can't stay. So you can either fly us over there or get ready for a lot of rocks." Jack picked up another. But the dragon unfurled his wings and stepped forward. He grabbed Jack and pressed him against the floor.

Meredith screamed " jack!!!!"

she ran over to him

" dragon pl-please don't.kill him. you can kill me instead. he deserves to live more then I. ive only caused trouble on this trip." she said she watched jack carefully

"Your tears mean nothing to me, Mortal female." The dragon did not care to look at her, he cared not for the girl. "Jack..."

"What, you big ass freak?" Jack coughed.

"You are very interesting." The dragon cocked his head to the side.

"You are very interesting. As interesting as an ass!" Jack hissed. The dragon grinned.

Meredith " jack!" she wailed crying.

she felt fritz pull her away from jack. she sighed and cried into fritzes chest.

" don't let him kill him fritz."

"I will fly the the crying Mortal female and your friend, if you promise to take my place as dragon of the mountain, so I can spend five years in your world." The dragon told him. "When I return you will be allowed to go to your world. What say you, Jack?"

"Jack! Don't do it, you know dragons are snakes with wings!" Fritz said.

Meredith ran to jack and pulled him close to her

" no jack! don't do it. please!!" she said and kissed his face all over

" I refuse to leave with out jack! " she sid an griped his hand with all her strength

Jack sputtered in protest when Meredith kissed all over his face. He needed to look tough, not like a sissy. Then the girl tightened her hands around his. The unpleasant feeling of flesh and bone being squeezed was not helpful.

"Why not me?" Fritz offered.

"You aren't the one who impressed me." The dragon kept his eyes on Jack, ignoring the girl and her womanly tears.

"Am I supposed to take that as a compliment?" Jack bit.

"Yes."

"Hm...cocky much?" Jack thought the dragon wasn't so bad.

"I do not understand the meaning, but I can assure you, you will not regret being a dragon." The dragon smiled.

"Why not stay one then?"

"I have my reasons. Exploration is one of them." The dragon told Jack. "Will you do it Jack?"

Jack looked over at Meredith. She said she would refuse to leave. But this is their only chance. He sighed and nodded. Not like he can't just pick her up and toss her in to the fountain. She did not know this was what he was thinking. It was far from her mind that Jack would do that. After all they had been through. She thought he would have her stay then.

"Jack..." Fritz lamented. But Jack shook his head.

"It's Captain Jack to you. Go home. That's an order."

Meredith shook her head

" no I wont leave!" she said and pulled jack to his feet.

" im staying here. " she said and looked him in the eyes.

" you cant make me leave. if I don't want to then I wont." she said and kissed his cheek gently.

The dragon nudged Jack forward and pressed his nose to Jack's face. Suddenly the man double over in pain. He clenched his hands and rolled over. His skin became tough and leathery. Then scales formed. Soon he looked more like a dragon then a human. Jack sprouted wings and increased in size. His neck elongated and he screeched like a beast. When the transformation took place, he looked down at his comrades. His eyes still blue.

"Whoa." He breathed. Jack swept into the air, doing barrel turns. When he landed back down he flexed his wings in a display of awesome. "This is brilliant."

"Wow, Jack. You- You're a DRAGON!" Fritz was flabbergasted.

Meredith " I knew you wanted me dead!" she exclaimed. " y-y-you said you liked me jack... but you really don't care do you?"
she asked

she hugged fritz softly " fritz...." she said crying softly. she had thought jack liked her or was at least starting too. but now she was as confused as ever. he hates her. that's the truth. he would never love her. especially now that he was a dragon. why would he have taken the dragons offer.

The Dragon that had bestowed this gift transformed too. He stood for them too see, dressed in fine clothes and he was devilishly handsome. He walked up to Fritz and Meredith, giving a short bow. Then he turned to Jack. He had Jack carry them all to the castle. A fountain was in the middle. Just before the man walked on in, he faced Jack.

"Jack, I thank you. It has been long since I became a dragon." He smirked. "Now you were dumb enough to fall for it. I will never return and you will stay what you are. HA!" The man jumped in just before Jacks fire could torch him.

"What now Jack?" Fritz was sad to hear this. "What now?"

"Take Meredith home." Jack felt so stupid. "She doesn't belong here, it's too dangerous. Meredith..." Jack lowered his eyes onto her. "I'm sorry this happened to you..."

"I love you. Go and live a happy life."

meridith crossed her arms. " no." she stated and looked up at jack. it was weird looking into those beautiful blue eyes they belonged to jack but the dragon body made no sence.

" jack I want to help you. I don't want to leave." she said and touched his dragon chest softly

" please jack let me stay." she said sadly

Jack sighed. His deep breath resonating through them. He dipped his head and brushed his face against hers. Then grabbed her around the waist and tossed her into the fountain. Fritz protested, but Jack shoved him in it to. Peering in the water, he could see them. They were on the shore of a lake. Fritz looked into the water of the lake, seeing Jack look back at them. He tried to go back, but the lake was no portal.

"Jack! Jack, don't do this!" He yelled. But all he saw was the dragons sad blue eyes.

Meredith cried. and threw a rock into the water.

" jerk! I loved you!" she said and ran off. she ran till her legs woudnt move anyfurther. she plopped down against a tree. hoping that frit wouldn't be able to find her

Jack sighed. He could only see Fritz peering back at him. Where did Meredith run off to? Should he mouth words to Fritz, to tell him to find her? Jack looked over his shoulder. What was waiting for him in that world? What adventures would he have? As a dragon, it seemed like a boring thing. No one would mess with him. Jack grumbled and looked into the water again.

"I miss her." He sighed. But what was he to do? Not like he can go to Earth as a dragon.

"Hold a second." Jack thought that over. When did he give a dam about the rules? Diving in, he burst forth from the water. Fritz stumbled back, wide eyed.

"J-jack, but, but you can be here! What do you think your doing? They might kill you! What do you think you are?" Fritz stammered.

"Pirate." Jack, the dragon grinned. As if saying that solved all problems.

Meredith leaned against the tree. wondering if she should climb it so it was harder to find her. she knew she was no good at climbing though. once when she was younger she had tried to clib in a tree after jack she had fallen and bruised her knee. she looked up at the tree thn sighed deciding to just stay on land insted

"Where is Meredith?" Jack wondered.

"Ran off, what do ya think? You made her upset Jack." Fritz said as Jack sniffed the ground. Catching her sent, he followed it deep into the woods. Noting being able to fly, Jack had to stomp on through, none to quietly. Then, he saw her. Sitting against a tree.

"Meredith!" Jack called to her, face to face with the girl.

Meredith turned away.
" you shouldn't be here. dragons don't exist here and either dose jack." she said " here jack is dead. he was lost in a magical land that no one knows about. but we'll just say he drowned that day that way no one has to rember all the pain he put them through." she said and didn't look at him she crossed her arms over her chest her back to him. he had really hurt her. and she could exactly explain what she was feeling. she loved him or she thought she did but now she wasn't so sure. jack was supposed to be smart he wasn't supposed to trade his life for hers. he was a pirate. and pirates didn't care about other people. she knew that much. she wanted to hate him for throwing her into the fountain but she couldn't quite bring herself to that level of hate. she was frustrated yes, but could she say hate when just minutes before she had said she loved him? did she still love him? or was what he had done to much for her?

"Hm." Jack tilted his head. She was upset still. "Dragons don't exist here? So...how do you know about them? What to call them?" Then he chuckled at what she said, about him bringing others pain.

"Pirate." He told her. As if that helped it all.

"Also, people die at sea all the time. I don't need to tell anyone anything. I am free here. Where is here?"