Everest POV
It began the day that they found me in the cold arctic. How I got there I don't even know. Maybe I was born there, forgotten, abandoned, perhaps my parents died, I don't know. But the first thing I remember is cold. I remember waking up alone in an igloo surrounded by white, wrapped in a blanket covered in my frozen urine. I squirmed in my small blanket begging to be freed but it was days before I finally managed to escape my prison. I don't remember much except that I found crates full of liver buried in the snow below my home and that I lived on the penguin's migrational march. I lived for endless weeks alone without a soul to talk to or to listen to. I would have ended it all had I not been found by Jake. He's the father that I never had and I'd give my life for him in a heartbeat. The moment I met him, he was one of the best. Only one pup comes before him in my life. When I met him I finally knew what it was like to be in love. From his soft brown fur, to his golden hues, and even his and even the unique way he says my name.
"Evewest" Yes, I was in love with Zuma. I suppose it was love at first sight but the more I got to know him, the more I wanted to have him. But just when he was in my reach, he was snached away from me by another pup.
I was driving through Adventure Bay towards the largest building around for miles. I couldn't wait to see him, to play with him and hear that unique voice that's been drilled into my memory. However, today was something more. It wasn't just some usual day! No, today was the day that I would tell him exactly how I felt. As I drove down the well structured bridge, I felt the bay's cool breeze fly through my fur and across my face. I smiled.
Once at the Lookout, I parked my car and proceeded to walk into my home-away-from-home with a confident smile on my face. What could go wrong? I had been preparing for this moment for weeks. Best scenario; he says yes and tackles me to the ground shoving his tongue against mine, letting his paws roam free, reaching lower and lower- anyway the worst scenario; He says no and we stay friends. I cleared my throat and yelled out.
"Guess who's here?"
"Everest!" I hear two pups call out and in a flash of brown and gray I was on the floor in a pup-hug.
"How have you been?" Rocky asked. I smiled and nodded in response as Zuma, being a lab, began asking a thousand questions at once.
"So Evewest do you want to play? I got this really cool new tug toy, unless that isn't what you want to do. If not then we could go for a swim, no wait Rocky doesn't swim. Well maybe we could play vollyball- no we could play frisbee! What do you think we should do!?"
"Zuma, can me and Everest have a moment alone?" The mix suddenly asked in a harsh tone. I glanced over at him and then back to Zuma who just looked hurt and confused. After a few moments Zuma nodded sadly and dragged himself out the room as I felt something go up my spine. Something I haven't felt for ages. Actual, genuine, loveless cold. My eyes followed the small brown pup out of the room when I heard a whimper behind me.
"Whats up with you?" I asked not bothering to turn around as I heard a single drop of water hit the tile floor. I turned around slowly as my eyes took in the form before me. Rocky was sitting with his head drooped so low his nose was almost touching the floor. His body was quivering was shut eyes and clenched teeth as a single tear hit the floor.
"Hey are you okay?" I said trotting up to him not wanting to see my friend hurting. He took a deep breath in.
"Do you think Zuma hates me now. I was pretty rude after all. I didn't mean to hurt him." I shook my head.
"Hey it's okay. You and I both know Zuma. He couldn't hold a grudge even if he did have thumbs. He'll be okay." Rocky took a deep breath in.
"Thank you I feel a bit better now."
"Now, is this what you wanted to talk about?"
"No actually, the designated conversation is a little bit more... awkward." I tilted my head in confusion.
"What do mean by awkward?"
"Do you have a crush on Zuma?"
"What makes you say that?" I asked instantly putting up my defences.
"Let me put it to you straight!" Rock said in almost a cruel tone.
"Zuma is mine! Either back off or I'll kill you!"
"Who do you think you are?" I said giving him a dirty look. "It really isn't up to you now is it!? Besides, who in their right mind wants to love a know all who doesn't share his past with anyone! Also, I'm a Husky, one of nature's most handsome dogs. You know what you are Rocky?"
"I'm a mixed breed?" Rocky asked confused.
"You're right! But you and I both know that 'Mixed breed' is just a fancy word for a mutt. And you know where mutts go when push comes to shove? The pounds, the dumps, and breeders. Never to be loved. So either you back off, or I'll get rid of you!"
"You can't do that. Ryder loves me!" He retaliated trying to sound confident, but his fear portrayed through his voice.
"Does he? Well maybe he does love you more but I can get him to hate you."
"Not without you making him hate you too!" He shot back proudly.
"What do think I have Jake for?" He dropped as his counter crumbled into pieces.
"You see I have something with Jake that only Chase has with Ryder. Were the first dogs! We are the favorites, and will be fought for to the grave because we'll fight for them till the grave. So like I said; Stand down." He nodded sadly but somewhere in his eyes, I could see he was up to something.
"I guess since you and Zuma are becoming a couple, I should tell him your past, eh?" All muscles in my body tensed. Rocky was the only being alive I had ever told my past to.
"Well maybe we should tell him your past then, hm?" I through back. Me and Rocky have never been that close but when you've no one to talk to once your owner leaves you put your trust into someone sworn to secrecy. In my case; Rocky.
"Zuma already knows my past. You know the difference between mine and yours? I had horrific stuff done to me, you were the one doing stuff!"
"You and I both know I had no choice!"
"Does it make you feel better? Telling yourself that?" I stared at him for a moment.
"No. Not a day goes by that I don't think about it. My parents were good dogs and didn't deserve what happened to them, but it was me or them."
"You and I know both know that's not true in the slightest!"
"I was starving to death!"
"What about the crates of liver?"
"I found those 2 months later!"
"Okay, so let's put it out there." Rocky said in an extra loud voice, "You and your family get stranded in the desert of Antarctica. So instead of starving to death, you and your parents eat your younger brother. And to make sure they don't eat you too, you kill them in your sleep!" Something in me snapped. I had put my past in the past. I had left it in the Antarctic the day I told Rocky.
"So yes I'm a mutt but I ain't a murderer!"
"You're right," I said in the same extra large voice. "You're the mutt who thought it was normal for your master to sexually abuse you! The one who can't have kids! The one who rapped every dog on his block, and the one who dreams of mating with his best friend! Cause, you know, that's totally normal to do all those things! Eat your heart out!"
"Die!" Rocky growled and leapt at me, teeth bared, claws drawn and fire in his eyes. I dove under him, grabbed his tail and, like a whip, slammed him to the ground. Once his back hit the floor, I leapt on top of him, pinning him to the floor baring my teeth in his face, letting drips of drool touch his face. I felt the terror surge through his veins. However, just before I closed my jaws on his throat, I felt a pain on my side. I turned to see Zuma lying on the floor, grabbing at his head.
"You're heavier then you look you know!" I chuckled seeing his cute face all wrinkled up.
"Are you okay?" I said getting off of Rocky to see how he was doing. After a few moments, Zuma sat up and looked me in the eyes.
"So that's why you hate going to the South Pole?" I dropped my head and nodded. I heard a growl beside me to which uncased my razor teeth to.
"Everest." I turned my head to be met nose to nose with Zuma. My eyes went wide as he connected our lips. After a moment, I kissed back letting my paws wrap around his neck, deepening the kiss. We stayed like that for a moment before he broke off of me and walked over to Rocky, and gave him a single peck on the side of his muzzle.
"Rocky, you are my very best friend. I would give my life just to see you smile but although I love you, its not in a romantic way." Rocky growled at me when Zuma directed his attention back to him. "Rocky look me in the eyes and tell me exactly how you feel right now."
"Hurt, empty, enraged." he looked up at me as he said the last word. Zuma shook his head.
"Eyes on me. Why do you feel this way?"
"I love you! The only real reason I stuck around was because of you! I've devoted my whole life towards you! I couldn't give a care how much garbage ends up in landfills but I pretended to care for you." Zuma shook his head.
"You pretended to care for you. You are the one who didn't want to lose me. You are the one in love with me. You didn't make sacrifices so I didn't lose you. You made sacrifices so you wouldn't lose me! I could never love you romantically and not just because of Everest but because, you are so much more than a crush, you're my brother." Rocky smiled sadly and held his brother in an embrace. After a few moments of Rocking back and forth in eachothers arms, Rocky released Zuma and nodded. He then turned and walked towards me.
"Evewest." Zuma said holding the side of my head with his paws. "You awe beautiful and have a gweat pewsonality. Since I met you, you've been in my dweams. I've always dweamt of holding you close while we talk for houws about our dweams, or the things we love so all I would end up talking about is you! You awe the one that I want mawwy. The one I want to have kids with, and the one that I want gwow old with and the one I want to hold for all of eternity. I love you, and there's nothing that'll change that, ever." I smiled when he head butted me. I staggered back, holding my muzzle in pain.
"What was that for?" Zuma turned.
"Wocky what's the big idea?" Rocky just punched him again.
"That huwts!"
"Oh it huwts? Well guess what? My heart hurts. You literally just killed my on the inside. Why I thought someone as stupid as you would be a good mate is beyond me." I could see the fear in his eyes and I could hear it in his voice. Whenever Zuma gets angry or sad his pronunciation goes down the drain.
"Withen. (listen) Wocky, I'm thowwy (sorry) but I don't wove you wike dat. You my fwiend, an' bwofew (brother) not my mate." Rocky grabbed him by the throat and held him to the floor by his neck.
"Quit talking like that! Poow wittwe (little) Zuma who's too stupid to talk normally. I know that if you concentrate you can do it now either talk like a regular human being or you get a face full of fist. Now say 'Rocky'!" Zuma's eyebrows went serious as his lips quivered.
"R-r-rwocky..." Rocky slammed his fist into Zuma's jaw, causing the said pup to let out a yelp on impact. Rocky drew his fist back and smiled cruelly.
"Again." I watched as Zuma struggled to properly pronounce the r in Rocky's name.
"R-rrrrocky!"
"Good now say really."
"Pwease- ow."
"Please is not spelt with a w." Zuma took a couple breaths through his nose and out his mouth, calming himself down.
"Please buddy. I said- no I apologized to you I didn't mean to… damage you. Can't we just talk about this?" Zuma received another punch in the face slamming the back of his head into the floor.
"Say 'really'!" Rocky screamed in his face.
"R-weawy." Zuma looked up at Rocky motafied. Rocky shrugged and slowly rose his fist.
"No Wocky! Pwease stop dis! I'm s-" Zuma was cut off by Rocky putting pressure on his throat. Gasping for air Zuma struggled against his friends bonds. The pressure was increased as Rocky began to draw blood from below the lab's fur. Zuma punched Rocky in the chest causing the mix to release pressure for about 3 seconds.
"Everest help!" I snapped out of my trance as Rocky pushed on the labs throat punching him in the face multiple times. I charged and grabbed Rocky by the throat. I pushed him to the wall and held him above my head as he gasped for air. I heard Zuma painfully coughing and breathing in.
"E-evewest. Put him down!" I looked over at him confused.
"Put him down as in kill him or put him down as in let him go?"
"Drop him." I looked up at Rocky with hate in my eyes. I pulled him closer to me and whispered in his gray, floppy ear.
"You're lucky. Cause I would have ripped you to shreds." I dropped him on the ground as he gasped for air.
"Wocky awe you okay?" He nodded and got up. He looked up at me and threw me a glare. I growled at him but Zuma just calmed me down.
"What the hell did you do dat fow. Were you twying to kiwl (kill) me?" Rocky looked over at Zuma and shook his head.
"Kinda." I suddenly felt a pain in my leg I looked over and saw a small dart. I reached over to take it out But I just ended up collapsing to the floor. I couldn't feel anything.
"Paralyzing agent." Rocky said simply slowly approaching.
"Wisten. Wocky? We-we can discuss dis."
"Oh so you're considering being with me instead of her?" He looked over at me wearing a sad smile.
"Never! I love her too much to give up! She's everything I have! I love you Everest!" I looked at him as worry filled my eyes. Rocky lunged at him and pinned him to the floor, as he began pounding his fist into the face of the lab. Rocky grabbed the sides of his muzzle and lifted his head up and slammed it down to the floor. He hit him over and over again but no matter how many times his head hit the floor, or the countless times his throat was met with a painful impact, Zuma's eyes were always connected with mine. His muzzle wore a painful smile as it was hit with hit after hit. He never fought back. Never showed pain. Never asked for it all to stop. He just sat there taking it all. After countless minutes vesicles were heard outside as feeling in my front right leg began to return. Rocky's head jerked up as I saw his anger and hurt be replaced with fear. He looked down at the pup below him.
"What have I done?" He said shaking full of fear. He jumped off of Zuma and looked at me then back to the brown pup as I crawled towards him.
"Z-z-zuma?" Rocky shuddered looking at his brother's disfigured face.
"I stew (still) wove you Wocky." Rocky collapsed on his chest.
"I'm so sorry."
"This is all my fault." I said covering my face with my paw.
"E-evewest. This is not youw fault. This is between me and Wocky."
"I went overboard and I'm sorry." I heard footsteps approaching as Rocky shook his head and took off running away from everything he knew. I dragged myself up to Zuma who just lay there motionless, staring into the darkness that Rocky had run into. I dragged myself to his side and put my head on his chest. I felt his body shake as his tears began to fall.
"Everest?" I stood my head up.
"Yes?"
"Help." he wispered before passing out.
"Zuma? Zuma!" I shook his small body trying to wake him up. I heard the Lookout doors open as I placed my pw on his neck trying to find a pulse. I was suddenly pushed to the wall with a flash of brown.
"Ryder!" Chase called out pinning me to the wall as Marshall put his ear to Zuma's chest.
"He has a pulst and he's breathing."
"Ryder!" Chase screamed again as the boy ran into the room.
"What happened?" Ryder said picking the lap up into his hands.
"I don't know sir. All I do know is that I came in to Everest with her hand on his throat."
"I was checking for a pulse."
"You don't check for a dog's pulse at its neck." Marshall said looking at me with hurt in his eyes.
"How could you do this?"
"I didn't do this!" I screamed. "Ryder?"
"Ryder just looked at me not with anger but with disappointment."
"Until further proof is brought up. I have no further choice but to suspend you from the Paw Patrol."
"What!?"
"If proof is brought up claiming your innocence then you will be reaccepted but if evidence says otherwise, you will be permanently removed from this team."
"But that's not fair! I didn't-"
"Do I make myself clear?" I nodded as I heard a scream from upstairs.
"Rocky!" we all said at once. We bolted to the elevator and rode it up to the top. The glass doors opened and we stepped out. There in front of us lay the gray pup holding his throat, gasping for air with a blood covered blade beside him. I ran up to him hoping I could maybe stop this.
"Rocky? No you can't die! No. Please!" I begged him to stay alive but in mere moments, he died in my arms.
"NO!" I screamed surprising everyone behind us.
"I'm sorry for saying all those things to you! Come back! You can have Zuma if you want!Just come back home. Please?" His body lay there limp as I cried into his chest.
"R-rocky..." I whispered slowly raising my head looking at his cold, lifeless face.
"E-evewest?" I heard from behind me. I turned around as Zuma limped his way over to my side.
"Did you..." I shook my head.
"So he..." I nodded.
"Oh. Why would he do that?" I let out a sigh and answered.
"Escape... maybe? Escape from life, from his actions, or maybe just escape from you." He nodded.
"I don't want him to leave. I weally need him! Is thewe any way to bwing him back? I need him Mawshall. Pwease." The spotted coat just shook.
"Zuma. He's dead. I'm gonna miss Rocky to. The way he laughed. How he hated water. His eyes lighting up when you walked into the room."
"I-I can't g-g-go on w-w-without him." He cried as he buried his face into my chest. I held him close shushing him like a small child.
"It'll be okay. I'm here now."
A few days later we had a funeral for Rocky. We buried him on a hill that ended in a cliff, overlooking the bay. I sat in my seat next to Zuma as a pastor said some nice words about him enjoying his life.
After the funeral, Zuma hopped out of his seat and walked to the edge, looking at the bay shimmering in the setting sun.
"Zuma-"
"No." Chase said stopping me with a paw on my chest.
"Give him time." I nodded and began to pick up the chairs that dotted the hillside. Once the cleanup was finished, I walked up to the brown dog who sat emotionless on the grass. I walked to his side and placed a paw on his back. He turned and sat in front of me.
"Zuma-" He grabbed my collar and connected our lips. I smiled and wrapped my paws around him when all at once, it happened. He slipped out of my grip and pushed himself away from me as he hung on the edge of the cliff for about two seconds.
"Goodbye Everest." He fell. His stomach facing me as I stared over the cliff. Everything went into slow motion. I stared at him with worry filled eyes as his ears flapped in the wind. He only sent me one thing in return.
A smile.