Welcome back, here's chapter 4!
I tried to stay my distance away from everyone else; I stayed in my room, and only went out after I was sure that every pup was done with breakfast so that I could get a bite myself. I decided to catch up on sleep, but I couldn't sleep at all. I was too nervous about what Ryder, the other pups, or Skye would do or say if they found out about my statement. 'It's Skye, it can't be that bad, she's usually calm headed and logical with…' I thought when suddenly a loud thud sound came from outside my door. I gulped as opened the door, hoping it was anyone but Skye. When I stepped out, I saw Rocky on the ground, unconscious. I frantically looked around, knowing that Skye was here, and, considering what she did to Rocky, was definitely not happy with me. I quickly dragged Rocky into my pup house, closed the door, and laid him onto my bed. I needed Rocky to wake up, but he was out cold.
"Rocky! Wake up!" I shouted, shaking Rocky to wake him up.
"He won't wake for a while, Chase" a voice rung behind him. My blood froze as I heard her voice, and slowly turned around, ears back and cowering down, fear showing in my eyes. I saw Skye standing there, and, even though she did not have her power active, her glare pierced through my soul.
"While you're waiting for Rocky to wake up, why don't you try to explain yourself?" Skye spat in a blood chilling manner.
"Uh, explain what?" I lied, trying to inch away towards the door to make a run for it. Angering the strongest pup in the building was not the way I wanted to spend my morning. Heck I hadn't even had breakfast yet!
"Don't play dumb with me! You know exactly what you said to Rocky! And the thing is that he tried to fend me off when I came here! What a fool, he knows that he can't beat me." Skye scoffed, looking at Rocky.
"Then would you please refresh my memory?" I stalled, trying to find the switch that opened my door. After fumbling around for a bit, I found the button. I quickly hit the button and rushed towards the door. Skye growled and her eyes started to glow a bright green and the door immediately closed, pinning me between her and the door.
"Something tells me you know exactly what you told him. So why don't you tell me before I break something, like you" Skye growled, practically right in my face.
"I didn't say anything!" I tried once more, hoping that she would move away as she got closer and closer.
"Fine. We'll do this the hard way" Skye growled. The door flung open behind me and I found my opportunity to escape. I attempted to rush away, only to be dragged right back. I tried again, only to be dragged back once more, as if an invisible leash kept me from leaving the area. Skye was using her powers to keep me here!
"Now then. Why don't we have a little battle here?" Skye growled as a smile formed on her maw. Another fight? I couldn't win against Skye, even if my life depended on it. My powers have their strengths, but in such tight corridors and against Skye's magic, I was practically helpless. A lamp sitting on my desk slowly rose and hurled towards me, forcing me to jump out of the way. The force of the lamp was so massive that it crashed right through the wall and landed outside of my room. After giving a glance at the destroyed lamp, I looked back at Skye with a scared look. There was no chance that I could beat Skye after that feat, and I knew that she knew that I couldn't. She could've easily crushed me with her magic, but it she isn't crushing me like most pups who challenge her. After a few more objects launched at me, I realized that Skye was toying with me. After Skye threw another tabletop object, I needed to think of a plan fast, one that didn't require my powers.
"Give up Chase?" Skye teased, picking up more artifacts around and flinging them at me. I frantically looked around my room for anything I could use to either protect myself or fight with. Suddenly, I realized that Rocky was still here. Even if he was unconscious, a two pup battle against Skye would surely overpower her. I just needed a way to wake up Rocky. I saw Skye yawn, which didn't help in the slightest. Every pup knows that if she got bored during a fight, she would end it right then and there, and in my case, most likely my life.
"I will never give up! In fact, I dare you to land a hit!" I yelled at Skye, and Skye's expression suddenly perked up.
"Now this is getting interesting. I want to get a taste of what you can do!" Skye cheered. She suddenly raised sheets of paper on my desk, and one by one, they folded into sharp points and daggers, all of them targeting me. I gulped, and narrowly dodged a dagger fly by me. Even though they were paper, the sheets stuck into the wall as if it were made of solid steel. Regretting my decision, I quickly grabbed a bottle of water sitting on my desk while paper flew at me. I turned the cap on the bottle and splashed it onto Rocky. Rocky woke up suddenly, coughing.
"Wha? Water! Wet!" Rocky coughed.
"Watch out!" I yelled at him as a paper dagger flew towards him. Rocky hopped out of the way, but not before it clipped him on his back leg.
"Ow! Skye! Stop it!" Rocky hollered.
"After what Chase did? No way!" Skye yelled back, sending more shards of paper towards them. This time, Rocky was ready, zooming out of the way with his electricity, but also ran right into the wall with a thud.
"Ow! Speed in close quarters isn't the best idea, is it?" Rocky laughed as he rubbed his head. I nodded, dodging a few of Skye's origami creations myself.
"Rocky, it would really help if you could use your power to help. I can't do anything here" I asked, hoping Rocky would assist him.
"What am I supposed to do?! Everyone knows that Skye is the strongest!" Rocky hissed back, giving a glare towards me.
"Just do something! Anything!" I shouted. Rocky huffed and sent a jolt of electricity towards Skye. Unfazed, Skye knocked the bolt away without much effort, directing it towards me.
"Chase, just tell me why you lied! Then all of this would be over!" Skye growled, inching towards me.
"Skye, just because you're the strongest doesn't mean you can bully him for not fighting!" Rocky defended, jumping between me and Skye.
"Who said anything about me bullying? I would never do such a thing! Chase is lying!" Skye argued, her eyes slowly dimmed and stopped glowing.
"Chase would never lie!" Rocky yelled back. The two pups were neck at neck arguing about me. I couldn't take the fighting that was occurring because of my fib, and finally stepped in to stop them.
"Skye, Rocky, I admit it. I did lie" I admitted. Rocky had a stunned expression on his face, which slowly turned into a scowl. I soon felt myself getting slammed and pinned onto the wall by Skye's power. The two pups walked up to me with one question on their mind.
"Why?" both of the pups asked at the same time. I held my muzzle shut, not wanting to reveal anything.
"Chase, why did you lie to me about your nightmare? What actually happened?" Rocky growled, which made me flinch back even more. I refused to speak, even with the two pup's constant pushing. Soon, the two realized that they were getting nowhere with their aggressive approach to force out an answer.
"Chase, I know nightmares are tough, but if you don't tell anyone, it's only going to get worse." Skye soothed.
"I realize that, but I can't say the truth. It's too personal to me." I replied, calming down a bit.
"And it speaks" Rocky joked, which forced out a laugh from me. "Chase, if you don't want to say it, we aren't going to force you, but it would benefit you and your health if you would say something about it, even if it is the tiniest bit."
"Well, let's just say that me and you aren't so different in a way" I replied to Rocky. Skye looked over, slightly confused.
"What? What was that supposed to mean?" Skye asked, cocking her head to the side. Rocky huffed in response, and turned to Skye.
"It's nothing really. Chase found me in a nightmare, and I told him what it was about. Nothing much." Rocky clarified.
"You had a nightmare too? What was it about?" Skye questioned further.
"I'll tell you later, let's first help Chase" Rocky dismissed. At that point, it was almost mid afternoon, and I hadn't even eaten breakfast yet. My stomach whined loudly as I let out a sheepish laugh, embarrassed.
"Oh no! I forgot you haven't had breakfast yet! I'm so sorry Chase!" Skye apologized, quickly rushing me over to the cafeteria. After Skye practically dragged me out of my room and to the cafeteria, Ryder was already present clearing out my bowl for lunch.
"Oh, hey Chase! You didn't have your breakfast yet, are feeling okay?" Ryder asked, concerned.
"Yeah, I'm fine, just got held up by the other pups. I am pretty hungry though" I replied as my belly grumbled again.
"Well, I'm serving up lunch soon, so why don't you pups wait here?" Ryder invited, starting to fill up the bowls with some kibble. I nodded and sat down next to where my bowl usually was, and waited for Ryder to fill it up.
"Hey Chase, since we're waiting, why don't you tell us the truth about your nightmares" Skye suggested, sitting down next to me.
"Um, does it have to be now?" I asked nervously. If I ever revealed what my dream was, I wouldn't want any other pup to hear. "Can we do this later? I'm pretty hungry"
"As long as you promise to tell the whole truth, then yes" Rocky agreed. I sighed in relief, and nodded. The two pups smiled and walked away to their own bowls. Ryder went out to call in the rest of the pups for lunch. It turned out that without Skye or Rocky, the others got nothing done. The other pups were coated in mud, and needed a bath badly.
"What happened?" Skye asked the other pups.
"Well, it was raining outside, so we decided to have a small fight outdoors" Zuma replied sheepishly.
"A small fight? It seems as though a war went on!" Skye laughed. "Come on, after you finish your lunch, let's go down to Katie's for a bath. You pups really need it. Rocky, you gonna come?"
"And have the possibility of getting wet? No way!" Rocky retorted, getting back to his food. I snorted and laughed inside, knowing that, even though Rocky hated water, he was able to control water. After taking my time with my lunch, I quickly rushed back to my room, hoping to avoid Skye or Rocky.
"Where do you think you're going, Chase?" Skye called.
"Uh, back to my room?" I responded hesitantly.
"You aren't going to turn back on what you said, right?" Skye asked, giving Chase a glare that didn't take no for an answer.
"Of course not! I just thought that… that if you were going to Katie's, then I would wait in my room for you to come back." I answered, hoping to delay my confession.
"Well, I guess that's true. Fine, but you better be in your room when I come back" Skye sighed. I nodded furiously and Skye turned and left. I took a deep sigh of relief, only to turn around to smack right into Rocky.
"So now that the pups are gone, why don't you tell me about your nightmare?" Rocky pushed, dragging me towards my room. Desperately, I tried to break out of Rocky's hold, but his grip was way to strong. "I know that you don't feel comfortable talking about personal things in front of others, and that's why you didn't want to talk in the cafeteria, but now that everyone's gone, speak up."
"Shouldn't we wait for Skye to get back? I mean, she would be pretty mad if I told you first before she found out." I reasoned, hoping that Rocky would wait.
"Well, you lied to me first, so I think I should be the first one to know, wouldn't you say?" Rocky argued. That was true, I did lie to Rocky, and I did feel really bad about it.
"Fine. It was about my family" I started. Rocky cocked his head and put up a confused expression on his face.
"Your parents? Why would you have nightmares about your parents? Unless they did something bad to you" Rocky rambled, and slowly his eyes grew as big as dinner plates. "Did they abuse you?"
"No, Rocky. It wasn't that. They were great parents, and I respect them. It was what I did to them that I have nightmares about" I quickly corrected. "I-I killed them. My mom, dad, and brother. Their blood stained my paws. I-I couldn't do anything about it" I bawled, tears pouring out. I leaned on Rocky, my tears staining his shiny gray coat. He set his paw on me and stroked my fur.
"I-I thought your parents were killed in an accident. That's what you've always told us" Rocky stuttered, trying to reason what I had told him.
"Y-yes they were. I was the accident. After what I did, I couldn't live with myself. Me and my powers" I cried. Suddenly, I felt a rush of cold water pour down my back. It was soothing, and my tears slowly started to stop.
"Chase, is that the reason you don't fight? Because you're afraid of you killing us?" Rocky asked, and I only nodded. "Chase, the other pups and I are much more resilient than you can imagine. We couldn't be taken down, not when we're together."
"But there was one other detail in my nightmare," I replied, slowly choking up the words to talk. "There was… there was an army worth of people behind my family, all fallen and killed." With this, Rocky was stunned.
"I-I don't don't know if it was you that killed them. To kill three pups is already pretty improbable, but to kill an entire army with just speed? There is no possible way that you could ever pull that off!" Rocky ensured. "It must be your brain overthinking what you saw. You were only a child after all."
"But it all seemed so real. I don't know that to think anymore" I replied, slowly sitting back up after laying on Rocky's shoulder.
"Chase, there is 100 percent no way that you could have ever pulled that stunt. Not even Skye could do anything like that!" Rocky persuaded firmly, which made me feel much better.
"Yea, it does seem kinda unrealistic. Thanks Rocky" I agreed, and smiled. Rocky smiled back and patted me on the shoulder.
"See? It wasn't that bad. Now you just have to tell Skye" Rocky recalled. I hesitated at the thought of telling Skye what I had told Rocky. Hopefully Skye wouldn't be back for the next hour, heck, the next week if possible.
"Hey pups! Oh, I see Rocky's already here!" Skye yipped happily. Her fur was gleaming beautifully after the trip to Katie's parlor. "I'm ready for the story - Wait, were you crying Chase?"
"N-no, I wasn't." I replied unconvincingly.
"Rocky! What did you do to him?!" Skye growled, and Rocky moved back and raised his paws in the air.
"I didn't do anything!" Rocky defended. Skye pounced onto Rocky and he yelped in surprise.
"Stop!" I shouted at Skye. "I told Rocky about my nightmare."
"What?! Without me?!" Skye exclaimed and lashed out at me.
I quickly dodged the swipe and attempted to calm Skye down by offering some water. After taking a big gulp of water, Skye finally calmed down. I told Skye what I had told Rocky, who had left after Skye calmed down, and pretty much told me what Rocky had said as well. While I know that Skye and Rocky mean well and are trying to help me cope with my nightmares, I knew all too well about what had happened that day. After Skye left, I remained alone for the day. After a bit of resting to catch up on sleep, I finally decided to dig up something from my past. I opened my drawer in my desk, and under a fat stack of papers I pulled out a torn yellow sheet. On it, the words stated:
Once upon a dimly night,
Lays a pup with blood red sight.
Be wary, for this pup will rise,
Which will cause the lasting world's demise.
The ones he loved that forbid his path
Will soon be destroyed by his wrath.
Though the blood of his enemies stains his paws,
His booming commands are his claws.
But do not worry, for this pup is young,
And his life has only just begun.
He will forge a bond so strong and true,
One that can only be matched by a certain few.
However, He may try to alter his fate,
But his bloodlust will return at another date,
So be wary of the dangers he may hide,
For the only true danger is the power inside.