AN: Hey guys, back again. The fight isn't going to be really too long. I honestly got serious writers block when doing it so I cut it short. I decided to make that up by showing you the upcoming villains of the next arc. I am getting back to watching the show again and I may have a one shot or two in the future. We'll see.
Disclaimer: I do not own Paw Patrol.
The moment the two dashed forward, both had aimed for the neck of their opponents. Rocky may have been male, and physically stronger, but Terra was quicker with her body so she was able to grab onto him first. Rocky winced as she felt the wolf's teeth grip into his neck, but he was able to counter by grabbing her own. The two growled shoving and pulling each other in different directions as each tried to get an advantage over the other. Small amounts of blood were drawn on the two's necks before Rocky finally got the advantage and threw Terra away.
The she-wolf quickly flipped to her four legs and ran forward again. Rocky took a deep breath and leaped to try and get over her, but Terra didn't seem phased by this. Rather she predicted this move and quickly grabbed Rocky's tail with her teeth. His expression showed surprise before Terra used her force to throw him hard into the ground. Not wanting to let the advantage end, Terra got on top of her prey and tried to aim for his jugular to end the battle before it began. Rocky, however, was not one to give up easily and put his four paws up to keep her from biting him.
Eventually, he managed to push her off and flipped back to his feet. The two glared at each other, circling yet never keeping their eyes off. To the side, the entire team waited in silence yet worried. Rocky took a moment to look at them before turning his attention back to Terra. He knew, deep down, he had to win this fight. Not just for his friends to avoid losing him, but also for the wolf's sake.
This time Rocky decided to move first and charged forward. Terra prepared herself, but what she didn't expect was Rocky so slide on his side like a baseball player. Such an orthadox move hindered her ability to think of a counter and Rocky quickly lifted his rear paw on his right leg to kick her chin up. Pushing upward, he then wrapped his legs around her throat and forced her down, pinning her with them as she gasped for air.
Gritting his teeth, Rocky did his best to hold on despite Terra's struggles. If he could get her to lose consciousness or give up then the fight was his. Terra thrashed around, feeling her lungs burning for air as she did her best to get out of Rocky's grip before she got an idea. She maneuvered herself so that her tail was in his face and, with great accuracy, poked him in the eye.
Yelping, Rocky was forced to leg go and skid back while trying to recover as Terra quickly got some air before launching her counter attack. Raising a claw, she striked Rocky in the face a few times before ending up giving a sharp enough blow to cause three deep scratches on his cheek that started to bleed. This ended up causing the others to gasp as Terra went for another blow, but Rocky was able to regain his focus, grab her arms with his own, and judo throw her across the field harshly on the ground. She got up, but when she turned around her head met with Rocky's running headbutt that sent her flying to a tree. Groaning, a trickle of blood dripped down her forehead that made her woozy but a shake of the head and she was fine.
"Damn, they really are going at it," Chase whispered.
"Yeah, she's trying to kill him but Rocky's not making it easy," Marshall replied.
Terra took a deep sigh and nodded to Rocky. "I thought you were only a good fighter because of those machines of yours. But I guess you do know how to fight with honor."
"I may not be as good a fighter as Chase and Marshall, but I know how to hold my own," Rocky answered back before smiling. "You fight pretty good too."
A brief smile appeared on Terra's face before she growled. "Enough, let us continue."
Terra charged forward and Rocky held his ground as she continued to wipe at him with her paws. Rocky quickly got on both rear paws and started blocking them with his forelegs, his speed training thanks to Pup-Fu helping him. Terra then tried biting onto one of the arms, but Rocky was quick enough to leap back before attempting to snap kick Terra who jumped to the left to avoid his blow.
The two seperated again before narrowing their eyes, calculating their next moves.
This is gonna be awhile, Rocky thought to himself.
Unbeknownst to any of the pups or humans at the fight, another group was watching them though not through any means one would call normal. In the darkness of a deepest part of the forest itself, a long figure wrapped in black and purple leaves wandered through the tree-like hallways that had been built ages past since before her time. She had been having the most interesting dreams lately during her meditations which showed her images that were alien to her. They were not the usual runic symbols she had been shown in the past, but these were definitely unique.
It showed what appeared to be a star, a flame, a strange tri-blade inside a circle, one of those tool things that humans used, a strange heavy looking object she believed was used again by humans for traveling the seas, and a green triangle with arrows. From these objects came out blood, a special kind of blood that her people valued and it was through this vision that she believed the ancestors of her pack had favored her.
But to be sure, she had to go to the Dark Mother to make sure that her visions were correct. Upon arriving at the end of the hall, she paused before the bright red fox furred skins that were the barrier between the sacred dark chamber and the outside world. Bowing before it, she whispered the holy sacred words. "Mother my Dark Mother. Sweet sister of the night. Grant me entrance. So that I may share my sight."
A few moments of silence echoed in the darkness before the curtains were moved. Inside, the young wolf gulped before slowly entering. In the middle of the room was a burned tree of blackest night that was oozing purple pus that was seeping into the ground. Around the tree lay various ancient runes in dark purple that contained more power then she could ever dreamed. And there, meditating near the tree, was the Dark Mother herself, hidden in the shadows with just enough glow from the purple pus to illuminate her figure.
"What words do you bring me, child?" A hissing crone-like tone echoed like that of a razor blade in the wind.
Bowling, the young wolf whispered. "I have dreamed, Dark Mother. I have dreamed six times in the past six days in my meditations. This is no coincidence and I believe our ancestors have sent me a vision. A vision for the upcoming Sanguine Feast that will be here among us in time."
There was more silence before the Dark Mother whispered, "Continue."
The wolf told her of the dream. Of the symbols and the blood that came out of them. How it was so pure and innocent, and yet flowed like unending rivers. When she was done, she waited for the Dark Mother to give her thoughts.
"This is indeed a blessing," Dark Mother whispered with a chuckle. "A blessing indeed. I know what these symboize are meant to be and I know who these creatures are. Tell me, child. You know the rumors of the dogs and humans lurking in our home?"
"Yes, but I didn't know if they were real or not," the wolf answered, refusing to stop bowing.
"Oh, they are real. They are very real and are close. Closer than ever as I have gazed upon them in my sight beyond sight," The Dark Mother whispered. "These are young and vigilant souls that come to us. And their blood...their blood will make a great feast for us as you predicted."
"Then...shall we hunt them down?" The young wolf asked, rising to meet her Dark Mother's gazing shadowy eyes.
"No, we will make them come to us. When the time is right, and the night of the Sanguine Feast is close, then we shall strike and take them with us," The Dark Mother cackled. "And their blood shall spill just like your vision. Go. Tell the Shadow Hunters to watch and prepare."
The young wolf bowed before leaving to obey her superior. She didn't know who these six dogs were but all she could hope for was that they were tasty.
The fight had gone on for about an hour and the damage could be seen everywhere. Not just on the bleeding and bruised bodies of Rocky and Terra, but also the ground itself. Missing bits of fur and blood were in various piles everywhere as the Paw Patrol looked at the sight in both disgust and worry. It was taking all their willpower to not rush out there and stop this fight, but Rocky had made it very clear they were not to interfere.
Struggling to keep himself up, Rocky felt like he was about to pass out any minute now. He had used all his fighting skills against Terra and she was still able to match him blow for blow. Not that she wasn't undamaged. Her wounds were just as serious as Rocky's, including a horrible cut on her left cheek that was bleeding like crazy.
It was clear that both sides only had one more move left in them. Rocky bit his lip and tried to think of what to do. He had used every Pup-Fu move that he mastered under Sensei Yumi, and the ones he didn't master were only ever accomplished by Chase and Marshall. Much as Rocky hated to admit it, he wished he had their brawn sometimes compared to his smarts.
Or maybe...that's the issue, Rocky thought as a thought came to him. I've been going about this as if it was a physical fight, but duels are also mental too. Maybe if I applied a different way of thinking this...
He needed to treat this as if it was another calculation problem. Okay, it's clear that both of us are tired and ready to collapse. One good final move should end this fight over and quickly. So what do I do?
Offense was not Rocky's best style and he preferred defence. Meaning he needed to get Terra to attack him. That wasn't going to be a problem since Terra seemed the more offensive type. Okay, so she gets to attack me. How do I counter?
Rocky winced upon feeling every move that Terra had hit him with. Bites to his legs. Scratches to his body. Headbuts to his forehead. Gripping jaw cuts to his throat. She even pulled his tail before kicking him in the rear once. Truth is she can go after me in any direction.
So what if he was to catch her just off guard before she could attack? He tried to think of a means to do that. If he had his tools or objects he could make something or use them but all he had was trees.
Wait a minute...that might work! Rocky thought with a smile. Well, I hope it does, or else I'm done for.
Rocky slowly began to walk back as Terra, seeing him do so, began to move forward. Her predator-like eyes were focused on him, giving the sense that she was sensing weakness from her. This is exactly what Rocky wanted. To make her think he was weak when he wasn't. He continued to get closer and closer to the nearest tree behind him until was sure he was at the right distance. Doing his best to quickly do a few calculations, he prepared himself for when Terra was next going to attack.
Sure enough, it didn't take long for the wolf pup to charge forward as fast as she could with her teeth ready. Rocky leaned down and prepared for his next a loud howl, Terra dived forward with her teeth and claws ready to deliver the final blow. That's when Rocky sprang his trap.
With as much force as possible, he jumped up and backflipped in the air just as Terra reached his place on the ground. Within that flip, he landed all four paws on the tree and pushed it off as if it was a platform. Combined with the energy he was emitting from the push, Rocky flipped again and held his rear left leg out while unleashing the biggest "Kiya" he ever unleashed.
Terra, upon seeing his paw coming towards her, tried to react but it was too late. With a loud smack, Rocky's paw ended up coming in contact with Terra's face as she took the full blow. The others gasped but then cheered as Terra was thrown back and crashed into the ground a few times before her back skeeted to the ground. She tried to make an effort to get up, but one last gasp and she was down for the count.
Everyone waited with halted breath to see if she was going to get up, but when it was clear she was knocked out Rocky couldn't help but chuckle and then laugh. He won. "I won!" Rocky cheered as he then lifted his paws in the air. He laughed for a bit longer before he felt exhaustion finally hit him and he fell down on his back, eyes closed.
Once it was clear that Rocky had won the fight and passed out, Ryder and Marshall immediately went to give first aid to both Rocky and, reluctantly, Terra. The wounds were serious and it would require days of recovery, but both medics were able to stitch and bandage them pretty well. Since they didn't want to risk it, Ryder stated they would stay in the area for a bit until both pups were well enough to travel without risk of opening up their wounds.
Marshall looked down at Rocky's sleeping face and couldn't help but wonder what his friend was thinking when he did this. Still, he had won, and Terra had sworn to become their 'friend' but saying it and doing it were two different things. While Marshall was willing to give everyone a chance, the wolves of Bloodmoon Star had done nothing to prove that they were a bunch of killers and psychopaths who cared for nobody but themselves. He wanted to know what Rocky saw that made this Terra so different, but that was something they would all have to see in the days to come.
Speaking of which, Terra has been placed in a separate room for her while Chase and Skye watched over her. Both didn't trust her (then again nobody did) and wanted to be there when she woke up. Sighing, Marshall walked away from Rocky's bed to the same small room that Terra was waiting was sleeping in a spare doggie bed with a blanket covering her as Skye and Chase watched her with narrow eyes.
"Is she still out?" Marshall asked, looking inside.
"Yeah, and she's lucky," Skye whispered, shaking her head. "I honestly wish we would just dump her and leave."
"We made a promise to Rocky, Skye," Chase said, putting his paw on her shoulder. "That we would give her a chance if he won."
"Yeah but-"
"Ugh..."
All three of their eyes turned to Terra who slowly lifted herself up a bit and moaned. She winced upon feeling her wounds and quickly went back up again as Marshall hurried over. "Hey, you better not move. Your stitches and bandages are still fresh. It's best to just stay down for the next few days."
"Where...who...wait a minute," Terra looked at them with wide open eyes. "I'm...alive?"
"Yeah, is that a surprise?" Chase asked, tilting his head. "Rocky wasn't trying to kill you. You were trying to kill him, remember?"
"But...but I lost!" Terra asked in stunned belief. "You should have just killed me in my sleep! Ended my life! I am your enemy! That...why would you do this?!"
"Believe me, if we had our choice you wouldn't be here at all," Skye said as she stepped forward and growled at the wolf pup who shivered upon seeing her. "The only reason you're breathing and healing is because Rocky wanted us to help you should he have won. And guess what? He beat your sorry butt. So you owe him your life."
Terra looked as if the sky had turned upside down. "I...I lost to him...I lost to Rocky..."
"Yeah, so that means you two are...friends?" Chase asked but shook his head. "Unless you don't plan on honoring it..."
"...No, I have to," Terra whimpered as she lowered her head and, to the surprise of them all, she began to weep. "I...I made a vow and...I have to honor it...not that it matters. I'm dead if I even try to go back to the pack. Losing to a dog...I'd rather you have killed me..."
The three Paw Patrol dogs looked around at each other before Skye just huffed and left with Chase going after her. Marshall, looking down at the sobbing wolf pup, felt pity in his heart and gently nuzzled her. "Hey...Terra?" She looked up at him and his smiling face. "Look...I know this is awkward for all of us...but we're not going to hurt you. I promise. Just relax and let us get to know each other. The others will need time, but maybe things will work out? I mean, Rocky has to like you to want to keep you alive so whatever reason he sees I'll try to see too."
He then held out his paw. "I'm Marshall. A Dalmatian. Paw Patrol's Fire and EMT Rescuerer."
Terra looked at his paw for a bit before sighing and shook it. "Terra. Formerly of the Greenrose Pack. Then Bloodstar Moon Pack." She sighed heavily. "Now with you guys I guess."
Although he was curious about that first part, Marshall figured it was best to keep it under wraps for now. "Well, try to get some sleep. We'll bring dinner out in a few hours."
He was about to exit the room when Terra asked, "Marshall? Is Rocky going to be okay?"
Marshall turned around, smiled and nodded. "Yeah, he'll make a good recovery just like you."
Terra slowly turned away and buried her face in her blankets. "Good...that's good."
Marshall nodded before closing the door, leaving the wolf pup to her thoughts.