Fire burns, water flows
Nature learns, nature grows
Ryder woke up early in the morning to find Bella curled up beside him. She snored softly in her sleep. Ryder smiled as he reached over and started petting her. She groaned and rolled on her back. He stood up and got dressed as he thought about what he was going to do for the day.
He walked downstairs and found that Neo and Rocky were still asleep. He didn't see Jacob around so he started filling their bowls. The bright sun shone through the front doors of the lookout. One pup immediately realized that he chose the wrong place to sleep. Neo yawned as he woke up. He saw Ryder preparing and ran excitedly over to him.
"Morning, Ryder," Neo greeted as his tail wagged quickly.
Ryder laughed when he saw his excited pup. "Good morning, Neo."
"What's for breakfast?"
Ryder smiled. "It's just regular dog food this time. Sorry, buddy."
Neo frowned. "Are you sure there isn't anything else?"
"I've been busy lately and haven't been able to buy anything. I know something that'll make you happy, though."
Neo tilted his head. "What?"
Ryder leaned down and whispered in his ear. "Bella's gonna be awake soon."
Neo's tail started wagging faster and a wide smile spread across his face. A groan could be heard. They looked over to see Rocky waking up. Rocky stood and shook his fur out before heading out the door. Ryder was about to go after him but heard the elevator coming down. Bella arrived in the elevator looking tired and trying to keep her eyes open.
Neo's tail wagged faster as he ran to the elevator. He tripped and rolled to the doors. He landed belly up at the doors and looked up to see Bella staring down at him. She looked unimpressed with his little stunt.
"It's too early for this," She grumbled as she walked over to her bowl.
Neo swiftly got up and ran back to his bowl that was now full of food. They ate quietly while Ryder walked outside. He stood at the door and looked around. He spotted Rocky sleeping in his pup house. Ryder walked over and kneeled down in front of the sleeping puppy.
"Rocky," He said as he tapped on the side of the pup house. "It's time to wake up."
Rocky turned away. "Five more minutes."
"How are you feeling?"
"Tired," He said.
"Did you get enough sleep?" Ryder asked.
Rocky turned to face him. "I couldn't sleep so I went to check on the stones. I watched them for a while before going to bed."
"You shouldn't be down there, Rocky. Those things are dangerous."
"I know," He said. "But I have to make sure they're still there. Lives will be at risk if they escape."
Ryder reached out to pet him. "I know, buddy. Jacob's trying to keep them contained. All I know is that it's working. Those stones won't be hurting anyone."
"I hope you're right," Rocky said as he curled into a ball.
"Sweet dreams, Rocky," Ryder said before heading back inside.
Ryder walked in and saw Neo was watching TV. Bella was nearby on a beanbag chair. Jacob still wasn't there but Ryder didn't worry about it. Jacob could take care of himself. Ryder went to a beanbag chair and sat in it. He pulled out his pup pad and loaded up one of his games.
Bella stood up and stretched. Despite the recent events, she was in a good mood. She went up the elevator to grab her pup pack and went outside. She walked over to her pup house and opened the back panel. The wiring inside was a mess since she didn't get the chance to clean it up before the stones arrived. She growled in annoyance. She disconnected the power and started sorting through the wires. She moved the wires and organized them neatly. She was almost done but got shocked by one of the wires when she reconnected the power.
"Fuck!" She said as she held her paw.
"Language," Said a voice behind her.
Bella turned and saw Rocky walking towards her.
"Don't tell Ryder," She growled.
Rocky smirked. "Wouldn't dream of it, short stuff."
Bella scoffed. "I'm not short! I'm just younger than you!"
Rocky chuckled. "Whatever you say, shortie."
Bella growled and was about to give him a piece of her mind but saw Ryder walking towards them. She remained silent and glared at Rocky while Ryder approached them.
"Hey, pups," He greeted. "How's it going?"
"Everything's going great," Rocky said with a smile.
"Is everything alright, Bella?" Ryder asked with a worried look.
"Everything is fine," She said.
Ryder smiled. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting anything but I got a call from Jake and he needs someone to come up and fix his generator. I'm going to need you for this Rocky."
"Why can't I go?" Bella asked.
"I would take you but I want you to take some time off," Ryder said.
Bella pouted and walked back in the lookout. Ryder watched her go while Rocky scratched his neck. Ryder turned to Rocky.
"You should go get your pup pack," He said. "We need get there soon so they can have power."
"I'm on it!" Rocky said before running inside.
He came out a few minutes later with his pup pack. He transformed his pup house while Ryder got his ATV ready. They got on their vehicles and began their journey to the mountains.
Meanwhile across the bay
Katie was having a rather normal day. People came with their pets and she was more than happy to care for them. These people had various animals but nothing she hadn't seen before. She had just finished giving a goat a bath and was about to send it on its way.
A female farmer was waiting patiently to take the goat. "Thanks again for the help, Katie. I don't know how she got in the mud."
"It's no problem, Yumi," Katie said with a smile. "I'm always here to help."
"See ya later," Yumi called over her shoulder as she left.
Before she left, she stopped to hold the door open and another animal stepped into the parlor. It was a German Shepherd that was wet and covered in mud. Katie originally thought it was Chase but this dog was smaller and had a different pup tag around its neck.
"Hi there," Katie greeted.
"Hi," The dog said with an annoyed look on her face.
"Do you have a name?" Katie asked. "My name is Katie."
The dog walked up to her. "I know. As for who I am, you already know."
Katie was about to ask what she meant but the dog's pup tag started glowing green. There was a flash of light and a bronze trident was laying on the floor. Katie quickly put the pieces together and figured out who this was.
"You look different," Katie said.
Lucy rolled her eyes. "That's obvious. I'm trying something new. I thought a new form would help clear my head."
"Did it work?"
Lucy shook her head. "It did but it didn't help me in a fight."
Katie started putting some stuff away. "Who were you fighting?"
Lucy growled. "I was trying to track down the aquamarine but it kept using the water to pull me in the ocean. Then it pulled me through the mud. I hated every second of it!"
Katie giggled. "Do you need a bath?"
Lucy looked away. "I would do it myself but I really don't feel like it."
Katie nodded and finished putting her stuff on the shelves. She walked over and started filling up one of the tubs. Lucy stood behind her while she did this. She stood still as mud dripped off her. Moving would just make a bigger mess and she didn't feel like cleaning that either.
The bathtub finished filling and Katie turned the water off. She bent down to pick up Lucy but found that she wasn't there. She stood back up and nearly jumped out of her skin. Sitting in the tub was a smug looking pup.
"Did I scare you?" Lucy asked with a smirk.
Katie laughed. "A little but please sit still. I need to get you clean and I can't do that if you keep disappearing."
Lucy disappeared from the tub once more. Katie groaned and attempted to find her. She took a step back to get a better look and nearly slipped. She looked down to see that she stepped on something. Lucy looked at her tail that was now trapped under Katie's foot. She looked more annoyed than in pain.
She looked up at Katie. "Really? It's annoying for only one part of me to be in pain."
Katie quickly moved her foot. "I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?"
Lucy sighed. "No, I've felt worse. I shouldn't have been in your way."
"Well, are you going to get back in the tub?" Katie asked.
Lucy turned away with a huff. "I don't think I need a bath."
"Please don't start this," Katie said with a groan. "I get enough of this from Rocky."
Lucy turned back and smirked. "What are you gonna do? If you want me in the bath, then you're gonna have to catch me first."
"Why are you doing this?"
"I'm just having a little fun."
An idea came to Katie and she quickly bent down and picked Lucy up. This sudden movement startled Lucy and she tried to escape but found herself caught.
Lucy growled. "No fair! I wasn't ready!"
Katie had a smug look on her face. "You didn't tell me I had to wait. It's your fault for not explaining the rules. I won and now you're getting a bath."
Lucy pouted but let Katie put her in the tub. She sits still as Katie cleans her. It takes a bit but the mud is soon out of her fur. Katie pulls her out of the tub and she shakes her fur out.
"Don't you feel better?" Katie asked.
Lucy ignored the question. "I'll be back later. I'm going to the lookout to tell them about my experience with the aquamarine."
Lucy walked out the door to begin her long walk back to the lookout. There are faster ways but walking is always enjoyable.
Meanwhile at the mountain
Rocky and Ryder finally arrived at the lodge. They found Jake kneeling at the generator with a bag of tools. Everest was digging in the snow nearby. Ryder got off his ATV and approached Jake.
"Hey, Jake," He greeted. "How's it going?"
Jake stood up. "The generator's busted, man. Hasn't been working right since that snow storm a week ago."
Rocky was shocked. "So you're telling me that this hasn't been working for a week and you're just now calling us about it?"
Jake shrugged. "Sorry. I guess I've been busy. It hasn't given me any problems till now."
Rocky huffed and started working on the generator. Ryder and Jake stood nearby as they watched him work.
"The little man seems stressed," Jake said.
Ryder nodded. "We all are. The team is in pieces and a monster tried to attack the lookout."
Jake took a deep breath. "That's rough, man. I hope you find the others."
"I do, too."
Grunts could be heard as Rocky attempted to get the generator working. After a few minutes, the machine shook before turning on. Rocky watched it for a few minutes before deciding that it was fixed.
"There," He said. "The machine is fixed."
Jake was delighted. "Awesome, dude. Thanks for the help."
Ryder smiled. "No problem. If you're ever in trouble again, just-"
"I'm sure he gets it," Rocky interrupted. "Can we get going now? We have more important things to do."
"I know that, Rocky," Ryder said. "But the job comes first."
Rocky sighed. "I know but we have to save the others."
"Hey, man. It's cool," Jake said. "If I knew the other pups were missing, I would've fixed the generator myself. Go save them. I'll let everyone else know what you're doing."
Ryder breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Jake. We've been going through so much and the job doesn't exactly help."
Jake put a hand on his shoulder. "It's fine, man. I'm sure people can handle their problems while you get the team together."
"Thanks, Jake."
Rocky was getting bored of the conversation. He walked over to his recycling truck and attempted to start it. It shuddered before going silent. He tried again and got the same result. He groaned before hopping out and opening the side panel. He barked out a flashlight and started looking inside.
Everest walked up to him. "Hi, Rocky."
"Hi," He said without looking away from the machine.
"What are you up to?" She asked excitedly.
"Busy," He said.
She rolled her eyes. "But what are you doing?"
Rocky grunted as he pulled a piece of metal from the engine. It was bent and there was a hole in it. He growled at it before opening the back of his truck and grabbing a replacement. He quickly put it in and started his truck. It started smoothly without any problems.
"Wow," Everest said. "You're really good at that."
Rocky smirked. "It was easy, it's just a broken part. I'll fix it properly when I get home."
Everest smiled. "Good luck fixing it!"
Rocky just smiled. Ryder soon came over and started his ATV.
"Come on, Rocky," He said. "Let's get home."
Rocky nodded and got in his truck and they started the long road down the mountain.
Neo was quite bored. He spent all morning playing and ran out of things to play with. He glanced over at Bella who was sound asleep on a beanbag chair. Neo walked over and tapped her paw. She opened her eyes and groaned.
"Why are you bothering me?" She asked.
"Play with me," Neo said.
"No."
"Why?"
"I'm trying to sleep."
Neo rolled his eyes. "You sleep too much."
She glared at him. "You're annoying."
He glared back. "No, you're annoying."
Bella huffed and turned away. Neo poked her again but she didn't answer. He considered pushing her but decided against it. He looked at the clock and saw it was noon. He made his way outside and saw Jacob standing at the edge of the cliff, watching the sea. Neo walked over to speak with him.
"You shouldn't stand so close to the edge," Neo told him. "It's dangerous."
Jacob laughed. "Not much is dangerous when you're immortal. Have you seen Ryder around? I need to talk to him about some stuff."
Neo thought for a moment. "He took Rocky with him to go help Everest and Jake. They should be on their way back if they didn't have any problems."
"That's good."
Neo sat and watched the waves. He was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that the universe was a lot bigger than he thought. Several questions filled his head but one was constantly bugging him.
"Why doesn't anyone know that there are other dimensions?" He asked.
Jacob thought for a moment. "People used to but some things are forgotten over time. Humans used to travel across the dimensions but it was forgotten at some point in history.""
"How could they forget something like that?" Neo asked in disbelief.
Jacob shrugged. "It just happened. No one is entirely sure why contact between dimensions stopped."
"So, what made the dimensions?"
"A being of creation known as the Source."
"But what is it?"
Jacob smiled. "You sure have a lot of questions. Sometimes it's best to keep some things secret. I'll tell you one day."
Neo frowned as he thought about that answer. He had so many questions but something told him that Jacob wouldn't be spilling any secrets. He considered asking again but Jacob spoke first.
"I'm heading to the top of the lookout," He said. "Tell Ryder I want to talk to him."
Jacob didn't wait for an answer and walked into the lookout. Neo sat there as he thought about his friends. Most were still lost and he just didn't know what to do. He turned and nearly jumped out of his skin.
"When did you get back?" He asked.
Rocky laughed. "Just now. You need to relax."
Neo laughed nervously. "I didn't hear you walk over here."
"I get that a lot," Rocky said with a shrug.
Neo watched as Rocky turned to leave. He didn't see anything strange until he looked at Rocky's paws. The grass seemed to cling to him as he walked. Shaking his head, he walked back to the lookout and straight to Ryder.
"Jacob wants to talk to you," Neo told him.
Ryder looked down at him. "Are you okay? You look troubled."
"I don't know," He said. "I thought I saw something weird but I'm not sure if it was real or if I'm just seeing things."
"Don't think about it too much," Ryder advised. "It's not healthy to obsess over something for too long."
Neo took a deep breath. "Something just seems… off about Rocky. He just doesn't act the same anymore."
Ryder thought for a moment. "Maybe he's stressed. Things haven't been easy since those stones arrived."
"But he doesn't look stressed," Neo protested.
Ryder kneeled down to his level. "Everyone deals with stress in different ways. Someone may not look stressed but they could be dealing with some difficult stuff."
Neo nodded and walked inside. Ryder was about to do some maintenance on his ATV but remembered what Neo told him. He walked in the lookout and went up the elevator. He immediately spotted Jacob standing in front of the large monitor. He was about to speak but Jacob beat him to it.
"We still have two more stones to get," He said.
"Don't forget about Chase, Rubble, and Skye," Ryder reminded him.
Jacob shrugged. "Until we find a way to track them, we should focus on what we know."
Ryder looked at the map and saw that Jacob was right. There were only two stones left on the map. Marshall moved slowly through the forest while Zuma was speeding around the bay. He didn't know how to get to them but that's not what scared him. He was still missing three of his pups and he didn't know if he could even get to them.
Suddenly, the map disappeared and was replaced with a familiar face. Ryder quickly put on a smile.
"Hi, Mayor Goodway," Ryder greeted. "What can I help you with?"
"It's awful, Ryder!" She cried. "The town hall is burning! We need the Paw Patrol!"
Ryder's heart stopped. "I-I'll be there as soon as I can."
"Hurry!" The mayor said before ending the call.
Ryder stared at the blank screen. Out of everything he thought would go wrong, this was the one thing he didn't plan for.
"What am I gonna do?" He wondered aloud.
"It's just a fire," Jacob said. "You've dealt with them before."
"I don't have Marshall with me this time."
Jacob glanced at his trident that was leaning against the wall. "I could help you. I'm good at putting out fires."
"But what will they think?" Ryder asked. "If they don't see Marshall, they'll think something is wrong. Seeing the pups gives them hope. I can't let them down."
An idea came to Jacob. "I'll do it."
Ryder turned to him. "You're not Marshall."
"No, but I can be," Jacob told him. "Do you have anything of his?"
Ryder looked around the room and saw Marshall's helmet laying on the ground. He walked over and grabbed it before giving it to Jacob.
"Will this work?" He asked.
Jacob looked inside and smiled. "Yeah, this will work."
Jacob reached in the helmet and pulled out a piece of fur. Ryder was about to ask what he was doing but that's when the change happened. Ryder watched as Jacob began to glow a bright white and he began to shrink. The light was too much and Ryder was forced to cover his eyes. He opened after the light died down and couldn't believe his eyes.
"You look just like him." He said.
Jacob observed his new form. "Yeah, I'll explain it later. We should probably hurry. I'm not sure how long they'll be able to keep the fire from spreading."
Ryder almost forgot. "We gotta hurry! Go down the elevator and get his pup pack, I'll see you at the bottom!"
Ryder ran to the pole and slid down it. Once he got to the bottom, he got on his ATV and heard an engine start. He looked up and saw Marshall's firetruck slowly making its way towards him. It stopped a few meters away.
"Are you okay?" He asked as he watched Jacob glare at the controls.
"I'm fine," Jacob said. "There's just a lot of buttons."
He looked and sounded like Marshall but the confusion in his eyes as he stared at the controls reminded Ryder of who it really is. He started his ATV and sped down the driveway to begin crossing the bridge. As he was crossing, he kept looking in his mirror to make sure Jacob was following him. Just as he expected, Jacob was keeping a close distance between them but what he didn't expect was the constant swerving.
"Are you okay back there?" He called.
Jacob pulled up beside him. "Yeah, it's been a while since I've driven a car."
"How long?" Ryder asked.
"A few decades," Jacob said.
Ryder's grip tightened on the handlebars. "Wish you told me earlier. Just keep the wheel straight and try to stay on the road. Slow down if you need to."
Jacob nodded and they continued driving. The ride was quiet and would've been shorter if Jacob didn't slow down. Ryder nearly had a wreck of his own when he saw the amount of smoke pouring into the sky in the distance. The scene was enough to make him wish he had.
City hall wasn't in the best condition. Fire was coming out of every window, the walls were scorched around the windows, one of the pillars had collapsed, but the worst thing, in his eyes, was the terrified expressions of the dozens of people who were trying to put it out.
They quickly pulled up towards the building and got off their vehicles.
"Quick, um, Marshall," Ryder said. "Use the hose on your ladder to put out that fire!"
"I'm on it, Ryder!" Jacob said before searching the various buttons.
Eventually, he found the one marked with a ladder and pushed it. At first, the ladder started rising but things quickly went bad. The ladder stopped and a clicking noise was heard coming from beneath it. Sparks jumped out from beneath it and the ladder suddenly stopped moving entirely. Jacob growled and pushed the button again but nothing happened.
"What's going on, Marshall?" Ryder asked with a panicked tone.
"It's not working," Jacob said without taking his eyes off the buttons.
Jacob stared at the buttons before trying the ladder button again. He kept pushing it but nothing was happening. The only thing he succeeded in doing was causing a wisp of smoke to come from beneath the ladder.
"Marshall?" Ryder called.
"I'm trying!" Jacob yelled.
"You don't need to, anymore."
"Huh?" Jacob said as he turned to look at the building. His jaw dropped when he saw it.
The fire was gone. The walls were still burned and the pillar was still in pieces but the fire was completely gone. Even the smoke that was previously in the sky was suddenly gone. It's like the fire just disappeared and took the smoke with it.
"What happened?" Jacob asked. "The fire was just there!"
"It just disappeared," Ryder said in astonishment. "It was sucked in through the windows and was gone. Did you do this?"
Jacob shook his head. "What happened to the smoke?"
"It went in with the fire."
Jacob stared in disbelief at the building. He couldn't believe that the fire would just disappear. He considered the many possibilities of what happened and only one seemed likely. He jumped out of the truck and started running towards the back of the building. Ryder saw him and started to follow him but Mayor Goodway stood in his way.
"What happened, Ryder?" She asked. "How did the fire just disappear?"
"I'm still working on that," Ryder said with a smile. "Don't worry, the Paw Patrol will handle this."
Not waiting for a response, he ran to the back of the building and saw Jacob sniffing the ground.
Ryder walked up to him. "What are you looking for?"
Jacob looked up at him. "Something's not right. Look at the ground and tell me what you see."
Ryder bent down and looked at the ground. At first, he only saw dirt but then he realized what was wrong.
"The grass is gone," He said.
Jacob nodded. "It smells burnt and there's small black pieces of grass in the dirt. Look at where it leads."
Ryder looked and saw that he was right. The patch of dirt was actually a trail. One end led towards City Hall and the other end led to somewhere else. Ryder stood and followed the other end of the trail with Jacob following close behind him. The trail led to the forest and continued into it. They stopped at the edge of the forest.
"That's not normal," Jacob said. "You should check the map."
Ryder took out his pup pad and took a look. "It says Zuma is still in the ocean and Marshall hasn't moved."
"Something made this path and I'm going to find it."
"Don't you need your trident?" Ryder asked.
Jacob shrugged. "I'll get it when I need it. You don't have to come if you don't want to."
Ryder took a deep breath. "I need to go. I have to find out if this thing started the fire or stopped it."
He started down the path without checking to see if Jacob was following. He had no idea what he was going to find and he didn't care. He wanted answers and he was tired of waiting for something to happen.
One long walk later
The trail kept going. They had been walking for nearly an hour. The trail led them deeper into the forest and kept twisting and turning. It was the same trail of plain dirt with bits of blackened grass in it. Jacob didn't seem to notice how long they've been walking but Ryder certainly did.
"We should take a break," He said as he stumbled over a rock. "I don't think my legs can take it anymore."
Jacob sighed. "Fine."
They walked over to a rock and Ryder sat on it while Jacob sat beside it. They sat there while Ryder caught his breath. The forest was quiet but Jacob was still on edge. Ryder quickly noticed this and was soon rubbing his head.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
"I'm fine," Jacob said.
"Are you sure?"
Jacob stood. "We should get going."
Ryder stood and stretched. "Fine but you're gonna tell me what's going on with you later."
They started down the path once more but it didn't take long for them to find what they were looking for.
Jacob's mouth fell open. "What the hell?"
The path led them to a large circle that was the same as the path. It was void of plants. The only difference were the twelve pillars that formed a circle in the large patch of dirt. Each one was made of obsidian and ended with at a point. They were 7 feet tall and had symbols carved in them. Jacob took a closer look at one of the pillars and saw one symbol that was bigger than the others. It looked like a leaf.
"What is this place?" Ryder asked.
Jacob backed away from the pillars. "I don't know but we should go. We shouldn't mess with the pillars."
Before Ryder could ask why, the area suddenly heated up. The sudden rise in heat nearly caused Ryder to pass out. He put his hand out and leaned on one of the pillars. Jacob backed away as the ground began to crack. They watched as lava started to pour from the cracks and begin to rise.
The lava clumped together and started to form a vaguely human shape. A thin head formed, followed by a slim torso. There was a pool of lava where the legs should be. Slits opened on the head to reveal white eyes. Ryder first thought that they were made of light but quickly realized that the eyes were made of white fire. The pool of lava lifted the figure until it was eye level with Ryder.
"You shouldn't be here," The creature said. The male voice seemed to come from the lava itself.
"I could say the same about you," Jacob said.
The creature looked at him. "You're not Marshall."
"How do you know that?" Jacob asked as he backed away.
In response, the lava fell into a large pile and hardened into obsidian. They watched as cracks quickly formed and the obsidian began to crumble. It quickly became a pile of dust and blew away. The only thing left was a small Dalmatian with blue eyes.
"I'm Marshall," He said.
"Don't listen to him," Jacob told Ryder. "It's probably some trick."
Ryder studied the pup that was in front of him. It looked and sounded like Marshall but Jacob did, too. The recent weeks had taught him many things and one of them was that looks can be deceiving.
"How do I know it's you?" He asked.
"It's… complicated," Marshall said. "I am Marshall, but at the same time I'm not. It depends on how you look at it."
"But what about the pup tag?" Jacob demanded. "We're far away from it and you definitely had it because it was moving around the forest."
"Actually, we're not that far from it," Ryder said as he looked at his Pup-Pad.
He turned it around for Jacob to see and it showed that Marshall's pup tag was only a few feet away. Ryder looked around and saw it hanging from the top of one of the pillars. Just like the others, this pillar had symbols carved into it. The only symbol he recognized was a large flame that faced the center of the circle. Marshall noticed his interest in the pillars.
"Don't worry about the pillars," He said. "They're not going to hurt anyone."
Ryder was about to ask what he meant but Jacob had other ideas.
"Did you start that fire?" Jacob asked.
Marshall looked offended. "I would never start a fire to hurt someone. I was only there to put it out.
""Well, how did you put it out so fast?" Ryder asked.
"I absorbed it," Marshall said simply.
Ryder still didn't know what to think. Every part of him wanted to believe him but he just wasn't sure.
"Maybe you should come to the lookout," Ryder said.
Marshall glanced at the pillars. "Are you sure? I kinda already had plans to go somewhere else."
"Please?"
"Maybe but I—"
He suddenly stopped and looked in one direction. He looked worried and visibly upset. Ryder and Jacob looked but didn't see anything. The only thing they saw was the countless trees that surrounded them.
Ryder turned back to Marshall. "What's wrong?"
"It's them," He said. "They need to be stopped."
Ryder opened his mouth to ask what he meant but Marshall was already running in that direction. Soon, he was out of sight. Ryder turned to Jacob who looked equally confused.
"Should we follow him?" Ryder asked.
Jacob thought for a moment. "Yeah, I think we should."
Ryder grabbed Marshall's collar from the pillar and they started running in the direction that Marshall went moments before.
A few minutes later
Ryder and Jacob quickly found themselves back in the city. The sun was still high in the sky. They found Marshall standing across the street from the beach but it didn't look like him. They found themselves staring at the same fiery creature that greeted them earlier. Ryder would've questioned it but something else caught his attention.
He stared in disbelief at what was in front of them. "That's not possible."
The fiery creature shook his head. "It's very possible. I just didn't think they would have the strength to do something like this so soon."
The beach itself was normal but things quickly changed beyond it. Standing taller than some of the smaller buildings that stood behind them, was a wall of water. The wall was completely flat and stood at the edge of the sand. The wall was perfectly still.
"Is there anyone around?" Ryder asked the fiery creature.
"Only one," It said as it pointed to the only creature standing on the beach.
Ryder looked to where it was pointing and saw Rocky standing on the beach, staring up at the wall. He looked for cars before running across the street and straight to Rocky.
"You shouldn't be here," He said.
"I had to come," Rocky said. "I saw the water rise and got over here as fast as I could."
Ryder looked up at the wall. "How tall do you think it is?"
"20 feet, maybe more," He said immediately.
There was a sudden rise in heat beside them and Ryder saw Jacob and the fiery creature coming towards them.
"Do you know what's causing this?" Ryder asked Jacob.
Jacob glared at the wall. "It's definitely the aquamarine. No other stone can do something like this. Though, another creature with the ability to control water could've done this."
"No," The fier creature said. "It's definitely the aquamarine. I can feel them… and now they feel me."
Just as he said that, the wall rippled and a large drop of water jumped out from it. It landed on the beach and formed into the lizard shape they met a week before. It stood on its hind legs and fixed its watery eyes on the fiery creature.
"First him and now you?" It said. "You should be helping me, Fission."
"This isn't the way, Delta," The fiery creature, Fission, said. "Let me help you."
Delta thought for a moment. "You're right. I shouldn't be using my strength to drown the town."
The wall of water fell back into the ocean but not before splashing the whole beach. The water immediately turned to steam when it hit Fission but the others weren't that lucky. They were all drenched from head to toe with the cold water.
"Now, you can help us stop the others," Fission said.
"That's not what I had in mind," Delta said. "I said I wouldn't drown the town but none of you are the town."
Faster than any of them could respond, Delta lunged at Ryder and started forcing water down his throat. He gagged on the water and tried to push Delta off him but his hand just passed through them. Trying to fight a liquid proved to be too difficult for him. He was about to lose consciousness but Fission touched Delta and caused them to let out an ear-piercing wail. They dissolved into a puddle and moved a few meters away.
"I can't let you do this, Delta," Fission said.
Delta reformed and rippled with anger. "Then, I'll drown you!"
They lunged at Fission and grabbed his neck. Fission grabbed them and tried to push them away but he was beginning to slow down. The ocean sent wave after wave at the grappling stones. With each wave, Delta's form became more solid and stable but each wave caused parts of Fission to harden before quickly melting back into lava.
Ryder would've stood there and watched them but Jacob grabbed his ankle and tried to drag him away.
"We have to stop them!" Ryder said as he pushed Jacob away.
Jacob growled. "It's not safe! We need to go before the storm gets worse!"
For a moment, Ryder was confused. Then, he looked up and saw that Jacob was right. A storm was quickly growing above them. Rain started pouring around them and the temperature continued rising. He looked at Fission to see the lava bubbling and glowing brighter. For a moment, Fission met his eyes.
"Go!" He told Ryder. "I can stop this but you need to leave!"
"I'm not leaving you!" Ryder yelled.
Fission looked at Jacob and nodded. Ryder looked down at Jacob in time to see him dissolve into black smoke. Suddenly, Ryder couldn't see anything. Then, he found himself standing across the street from the fight with Rocky and Jacob. He watched as Fission glowed brighter and exploded. He grabbed the lamp post as the shockwave and heat hit them. He fell to his knees and coughed. The wave of heat had immediately dried his throat.
"Are you okay?" Rocky asked.
"I will be," Ryder said, his voice hoarse.
He stood up and ran across the street. Laying in the sand at the edge of the beach were Marshall, Zuma, and a small blue stone. Ryder sat in the sand and sobbed with relief. His relief quickly turned to horror when a large wave crashed onto the beach and dragged Zuma into the ocean. He was about to jump in after him but Rocky beat him to it. Rocky ran to the water and jumped in. After a few moments, he came back out dragging Zuma by the collar.
"You save him," Ryder said.
Rocky shook the water off him. "Yeah, I guess I did."
Ryder looked at Marshall. He was moving and he was wet and cold. Zuma was the same. He picked them up in his arms and looked at Jacob.
"I'm taking them to Katie," He said. "Take Rocky back to the lookout. I'll be there soon."
He ran off in the direction of Katie's pet shop. Jacob looked at Rocky and saw that he was already on his way to the lookout. He didn't seem too concerned that Zuma and Marshall were hurt.
"What is going on with you?" Jacob questioned before following Rocky back to the lookout.
An hour later
Ryder was on his way back to the lookout with Marshall in his arms and Zuma walking in front of him. Zuma was walking slowly with his head hanging low and Marshall was sleeping with his head on Ryder's shoulder.
"I'm tired," Zuma complained.
Ryder sighed. "I know, Zuma. You can rest when we get home."
Ryder noticed that ever since waking up, Zuma's speech impediment had disappeared. They eventually made it to the lookout just as the sun touched the horizon. Zuma went to his pup house while Ryder took Marshall to the top of the lookout. When he reached the top, he saw Jacob standing there in his usual form with his trident firmly in his grasp.
"How are they?" Jacob asked.
Ryder took a deep breath. "Zuma's fine, he just needs sleep, but Marshall hasn't woken up since the explosion. Katie says he's fine and is just sleeping. If he doesn't wake up by tomorrow, I'm taking him back to her."
Jacob nodded. "Now that the stones in the area are captured, you should be fine on your own."
"Are you going somewhere?"
Jacob scratched his nose. "I'm just gonna see if I can find a way to track the other stones across dimensions. I figured if anyone knew how to do it, the 5th hero would."
"How long will you be gone?" Ryder asked.
Jacob walked past him to the elevator. "I'll be back sometime tomorrow. Try not to set the stones free while I'm gone."
"I wasn't able to find the stone Marshall had," Ryder said. "I think he still has it."
"As long as he's not putting anyone in danger, then it shouldn't be a problem." Jacob said.
Ryder watched Jacob go down the elevator and that would be the last time he would see him for the night. He sat on one of the bean bag chairs and pondered what to do next. Only one idea came to him but he didn't like it. He thought about it some more before sighing and going down the elevator. He passed the bottom floor and continued into the basement where the monsters were kept.
The basement had some new additions since the stones landed. A metal bowl full of fire sat on a metal stand. A quick look confirmed that the sapphire was still in there. 4 small safes sat on the floor and held the other four stones. He opened each one and saw that the aquamarine, lemon jade, and gold were still in their safes. He was about to open the last safe but a cold feeling suddenly washed over him. He ignored it and opened the safe.
His mouth fell open in shock. "That's not possible."
Several thoughts ran through his mind as he tried to explain what he saw but only a piece of advice gave him a logical answer.
"It's only as real as I believe it to be," He said.
He closed the safe and ran for the elevator, not certain he wanted to face what was waiting for him at the top.
Meanwhile
Zuma walked out his pup house and stretched. After a few tries, he gave up trying to sleep. He looked around and saw Rocky sitting at the edge of the cliff. He considered running to say hi but something Ryder told him when he woke up stuck in his mind. He quickly ran over to him.
"Hi, Rocky," He greeted.
Rocky continued staring ahead. "Hello, Zuma."
"I had a question."
Rocky sighed. "I'm sure you do. Ask away."
Zuma took a deep breath. "Ryder told me what happened on the beach."
Rocky rolled his eyes. "So?"
"He said you saved me from drowning."
Rocky stayed silent for a moment. "I didn't want you to drown."
"There's just a small problem with that, Rocky," Zuma said.
"And what's that, Zuma?" Rocky asked with a calm voice.
Zuma walked in front of him and stared at him. "You can't swim."
They stayed silent as they stared at each other. The only sound was the waves crashing at the bottom of the cliff. Zuma waited for Rocky to say something but only received silence. Suddenly, Rocky broke down laughing.
"Do you really believe that?" He asked.
Zuma was surprised. "Of course I do! You're scared of water!"
Rocky suddenly stopped laughing. "You always were too curious."
A vine sprang from the ground and grabbed Zuma's collar. It pulled him to the ground quickly. Zuma struggled to stand but the vine was too strong. He looked up at Rocky who was now staring down at him with solid green eyes.
"What are you?" Zuma demanded.
Rocky laughed. "That's not for you to worry about."
Zuma continued struggling. He couldn't lift his head off the ground. He looked back up at Rocky to find him still staring down at him. Movement from behind Rocky caught his eyes.
"Rocky!"
Rocky sighed. "Get back in the tower, boy, just forget you ever saw this."
He turned and saw Ryder standing less than 10 feet behind him. The boy looked scared but determined.
"You don't have to do this," Ryder said.
"I said I was going to save the others and that's exactly what I'm going to do. I just need to get the other stones and return them to their hosts."
Ryder took a shaky breath. "I can't let you do that, Rocky."
Rocky growled. "Fine, have it your way. If you want to stop me, then go ahead and try!"
Vines erupted from the ground around Rocky and Zuma and dragged them into the dirt.
A whole 9 months… It has been a very long time since I've posted a chapter and I have many reasons for why the chapter was delayed: school, lack of motivation, life, death, and several other things that needed to take priority over the story. I know there are very few people who actually like the story but I still feel the need to justify why I didn't post a new chapter. I'm gonna try to post chapters more frequently in the future.
