Three Years Later…

There she is master", purred the young male as an image of a sleeping girl came into view from the water's reflection. "It's the guardian of the jewel". The phantom eyes of Paula sparked with interest. "Ah…so she's awakened". Her voice growled when she spoke.

"As a reincarnation of the former one no doubt", she whispered, clicking her claws together.

"From what I have heard", her subordinate told her, "The guardian keeps the jewel within her heart. It glows when a sign of danger approaches it". Paula rubbed her chin with a low thoughtful growl. Of course", she mused. "The guardian would keep the jewel within her heart, since it was the place where I shattered her trust in the dragon. Or should I say…Hiromi's trust in my brother Kohaku, the amber dragon".

"I've never heard of you having a brother". The young male said, frowning slightly at his master. "You said she fell in love with a dragon but I never guessed he'd be related to you".

Her countenance darkened. "He was a fool". She sniffed, glaring at the young guardian's image. "That pest was no brother of mine Michael."

Her claws angrily slashed at the image in the water, splashing her follower (He yowled in surprise at her sudden attack) in the process. "He had a weak heart for those human creatures", she murmured coldly, "A weakness that made him a disgrace for our brethren. He had to be punished".

He glanced at her briefly from his drenched hat, squeezing the water from his robes. "So you…"

A sinister spark came to her eyes at Michael's blankness. "Let's just say…I did what I had to do". She clicked her claws together once more, her teeth glinting with malicious delight. "After all, were it not for me…this girl would not have been born as a reincarnation of that Hiromi brat, An existence that will soon end in death once I remove the jewel from her body".

"Yes", agreed Michael with a brief nod. "But there is still the matter of the American Dragon master. How are we going to overcome that obstacle?"

Paula chuckled. "That is no issue. She will take care of him." As she said this, she held up a fragment of what appeared to be a piece of a jewel. It became a radiant green in her hand. "Um…Master"

Paula Sighed. "What is it now Michael?" She asked, impatiently. Michael looked curious. "If…you knew about the jewel in advance, why didn't you attack her then? Why couldn't you have stolen the jewel from her heart while she was vulnerable? Why did we have to wait three years to get it now?"

All these questions made her thoughtful for a moment.

Then she shrugged. "She wasn't in any danger. Plus, she wasn't of age yet. When I attacked Hiromi, she was sixteen. This one was only thirteen. I had to wait for the jewel to ripen to its full potential".

"Then it was a good thing the Huntsclan didn't last that long," Muttered, her sidekick, kicking dirt, "Otherwise we would've been in trouble".

Paula shook her head. "Those human fools didn't know anything about capturing her properly".

"They nearly succeeded the first time", he pointed out. "They almost were this close to defeating us. It was a sure way to destroy all in its path besides the crystal skulls of course".

"Yes…But they didn't capture her the correct way". She said smoothly, fingering the shard in her claws. "You saw the way they reacted from the water's image Michael…they were afraid to touch her because they knew what she was capable of". She stared at the fragment in her hand, squeezing it slightly. "I gave you three years child." She whispered, glaring now at the reflection in the water of the girl sleeping under a tree where she had been once conceived. "On your sixteenth birthday, you will wreak havoc, just like you did fifty years ago."

Paula's grin revealed her teeth. "And I will take it from your heart once you've destroyed everything in your path".

- - -

Meanwhile…at the shop, Fu Dog was watching the night sky, looking unusually pale. He rubbed his wrinkly forehead wearily. "It's been three years since the kid took that girl to safety, and even so…I still feel that something terrible will happen here, but I don't know what".

He hadn't forgotten what Lao Shi had told him about the guardian's birth before Jake sent her away for protection, or what Rose had said to Jake through her dream charm that day.

"The Huntsclan was the least of our problems", he muttered, rubbing his tired eyes as he realized how late it was. "I don't think it's over, not by a long shot".

Fu Dog had no idea how right he was.

TO BE CONTINUED

Author's Note

I apoligize for making you wait this long XP I'm sorry. It's just after Rose lost her memory I didn't know how to come up with a good chapter after that episode.

She came to Jake's rescue in the end though and I'm happy about that. :) I figured after looking through an old diary of a rough draft that I finish what I started and sadly end it here. :( Again I apologize for making you wait this long.

If I get everything right I MIGHT make a story following this, maybe not. It depends on what mood I'm in.

Till then, I'm glad you enjoyed this story even though it kept you hanging since God knows when.

And this wouldn't be the first story where I left a cliffhanger either XP

It'll probably be more on Jake and Haruki (Not romantic) But she'll be telling Jake and Rose (This is After the last episode of the final season) About how she was born and who her former self was fifty years ago.

And it'll be on her sixteenth birthday.

And I'l introduce those characters from this chapter too a little better because the Huntsclan, like Fu said, was the least of their problems.

Once again I apoligize :(