Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Never saw it coming

The dark dragon didn't like what Jake had done. He was a foolish boy. A foolish boy who had outwitted him and who needed to learn a lesson in betraying him. Then a thought came to his head. He had one more vile, and he was determined to leave with at least one of the goody goody dragons on his side. Who better then Jake Long himself?

The dark dragon laughed evilly. "Well, I think I have another idea, and another mind control potion." He brought Jake who was trapped in his tail up to him and pulled out the vile. Jake's eyes widen when it came towards him, understanding what he was trying to do.

"Woah woah woah, why do you want me?! I have already shown that I will keep fighting you, why the heck waste it on me?" Jake complained. The dark dragon mearly chuckled.

"Yes you have, but its like the saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer!" He chuckled. "and I'll make sure to keep you closer from now on."

Jake wiggled and tried to break free the best he could but it was no use when the dark dragon held his face and forced the potion into his mouth. He tried to spit it out but he kept his mouth close until he had no choice but to swallow. There was a collective gasp when he swallowed and the dark dragon let go of him, letting him fall to the ground. His family tried to help him but Cho Lu wouldn't have any of that.

"You won't get near him, that potion had the essence of the dark dragon himself... Not even Jake Long will be able to resist it. The American dragon belongs to us now. I think its time we take our leave." She announced.

Jake was getting up, glaring at the two and trying to spit out the taste of the potion.

"Yes I think it is. Jake, come with us." It was a simple command but as soon as Jake heard it a new dark fire lit up within him. He had to go with his master. He tried to fight it, but it was a short battle. It took over his mind like a second nature. He opened his eyes to have a darkness show in them that was never there before. He smiled and flew up to be with his master, where he belonged.

Everyone screamed at him, some of the council even jumped on him and started to restrain him, but his master was stronger then them.

"You fools, muwhahaha, did you really think I would go empty handed. With all of my efforts and planning today, I will take a small victory from all of you." He got Jake free again and they flew away with Cho lu's last words, "You will all eventually join us, just like Jake you will all eventually see it our way."

They all sat in silence as the dark trio disappeared in a black cloud. The humans thinking about Jake their friend and family member, and the council members thinking that it could have been them if Jake hadn't tricked the dark dragon. He was always a good kid, reckless maybe but good. It couldn't been the end of the world as they knew it if Jake hadn't been so clever. This act of saving them even though risking his grandfathers safety showed one thing very clear, the American Dragon was a real protector. They all honestly expected great things from him. But this, none of them ever saw coming. They never imagined he would save them all, and then be punished for it by being forced to be the dark dragons slave.

Everyone human and dragon alike were thinking different thoughts when they left the temple, until a crack of dark lightning went through the sky. It signified that this war against the dark dragon was far from over. And even though they were all different, all of them were thinking the same thing, how do they save Jake?

Chapter Text

What does it really do?

As Chang lee paced around trying to figure out how to stabilize the effects, Jake hissed at her from his cage and continued to tell her that she was 'wack' if she thought he would truly turn against his family. He reverted back after they landed, but she couldn't figure out why. DD figured it was because the original order was carried out, so his normal conscious took hold again. He had no real orders to give him right now due to the change in plans so he just locked him up for the time being. Jake struggled to try to even touch the Sphinx haired bars, but it was no use; he was stuck in his human form and weakened in his cell. All he could really do was sit up against the wall and glare mostly. Maybe try to annoy them too.

"Perhaps this situation isn't all that bad." DD stated, making Chan Lee give him a wry look. "If we had succeeded then this would have no doubt happened to the council as well and there would have been hope for them still. At least now we know the drawbacks and can work on perfecting this potion." He looked at Jake and Jake gulped; he knew he was going to be the guini pig and he really didn't have a choice. It would all come down to his will power, which he already showed back at the temple was clearly not strong enough.

DD figured what Jake was thinking so he shared his thoughts on the matter.

"Do you know why you weren't strong enough to fight my potion Jake?" He waited for Jake's snarky combat, but to his surprise the boy stayed silent. He grinned to himself. "Well well, looks like you think you know why. But let me inform you that that assumption isn't entirely true. Maybe only 40% of it is. The other 60% is because of my essence." He waited yet again for the remark, but only got a raised eyebrow in return, so he went on. "You see Jake every dragon, every being for the matter, has a dark side. They have darkness in them that can take over if provoked. Most of the time it doesn't take an actual personality of its own like people like to think it does, therefore most beings just think they are good. But every living being has some evil in them. It is a simple fact of nature as I'm sure Roshi taught you. The only thing that keeps them separate is what you decide to act on. What do you pull your power from? What is your first instinct? What we choose to do determines if we are good or evil. Don't you agree American Dragon?" DD walked away after that, going to talk to Chang Lee while letting his young captive mule over what he just said.

Jake knew he was trying to get inside his head... though it didn't help that he literately was kinda already in it. He thought back to the time when he accidentally make an evil clone of himself. DD was right, unfortunately, it all depends on your drive. That drive can change depending on the situation sometimes. If he wanted to protect people then it was good. But if he wanted revenge then it was bad. He sat up straighter all the sudden and shouted a question from across the cave.

"Hey DD, what does your potion have to do with my inner drive?" Jake shouted, letting it echo until the older dragon turned around with a satisfied smile on his face. He walked back over to Jake and replied in the simplest way he could.

"The potion I gave you had some of my essence in it. My essence is pure evil and when engulfed, it can bring the natural evil in anyone out and amplify it. That and the mind control potion was all that vile had in it. So you see it had nothing to really do with you not having enough will power to fight it, but more of how much evil did you already harbor inside of you when I had given it to you. That part of you merely doubled and became obedient. Which makes me curious what your scale was beforehand, if so easily overcame by my power, then you must have been pretty even. It makes me wonder if with the right circumstances, if you would have ended up joining me of your own free will at some point." DD chuckled maniacally at the young dragons face that was mixed with so many emotions it couldn't make up its mind on what to look like. The DD just went back to the other side of the cave again, wanting Jake to really let it all sink in. Chang Lee was smirking too. She knew Jake couldn't argue with it anymore, and by Jake's faces he was realizing the same thing.

Jake felt it hit him, that he had to have been more even with his own yin yang scale then he thought, because that potions effect took hold so easily, and it still felt like him. Like he was getting revenge or something, it was satisfying to fight. He knew that part of it was due to the mind control effect but when fighting your family feels good, you know your on the wrong side of the tracks.

He let out an angry roar from his human throat, which utterly surprised Chang lee at how fierce it was. Full of emotions he didn't know what to do with, he tried to just focus on one thing, though it was a struggle to do so. It took about three more hours of letting out rage roars and thrashing in his cell to finally find it. The one thing that he finally decided to relapse on and answer to himself was this: If something were to have happened would he really have joined the DD of his own free will?

It scared him when he thought of the different scenario's that could have happened at any point in time that could have brought such a change of heart for him. The more he thought about it, the longer the list of things became. And the more sure he was that the DD was right again, he had more evil in him then he thought. Though that didn't mean he intended to switch sides now. He was confident he was more good. But with the DD's essence in his veins now he couldn't be sure that that would win out anymore. Which arose another set of important questions : Would the DD's essence effect his normal decision making even when he wasn't under command? Would this all end up making him turn completely evil at some point if it went on long enough? And his last thought to ponder on before falling asleep that night was this: Would he be saved in time?