Rocky layed on the cold floor for a while with Chase in his arms. He could feel that the bramble had cut through his wings and back, and the impact with the ground had shattered a few of his bones. Slowly, he unraveled his wings to check on Chase. Every bit of movement hurt, but he wanted to make sure that Chase was okay. He scanned Chase for any signs of injury, as well as checked his pulse and whether or not he was still breathing. Chase still had a regular breathing pattern, and his heart rate was not out of normal, which indicated that Chase was okay. Rocky gave a sigh of relief and slowly and painfully set Chase next to him. Unlike Chase, Rocky was extremely injured. Tears and cuts were everywhere along his body, causing him to bleed out. He had landed on his back, causing massive injury to his spine and ribs, and Rocky could feel that he had broken his back. Rocky, however, was not too concerned. He moved a few paces away from Chase and lied down, curling up into a ball. Slowly, a visible transparent spherical bubble formed around Rocky. Rocky drifted off to sleep as his wounds slowly closed.
Rocky yawned and stretched as he woke up from his sleep. His wounds he had before had closed up, thanks to his bubble. He evaluated the situation from here. He remembered that the Duke had taken his tag and cursed. Inside his tag was a small magical crystal that concealed his dragon form. One reason he was hesitant to give away his tag was because, after parting with it, his dragon form would start showing. His plan was to get Chase to safety before flying off to a more concealed place, but Rocky did not expect the Duke to drop Chase. However, by being in his dragon form, Rocky was able to access his hidden spells, one of which was his healing bubble that allowed him to recover.
Rocky took one step towards Chase, who was still unconscious, and grimaced as pain shot up his back leg. He turned back and noticed that the cuts on his broken back left leg had shrunk, but had not healed completely. Rocky also had noticed that his wing was still torn and shredded from the fall. Rocky cursed after realizing he was still injured. He deduced that in the bramble there must have been some Dragonsbane growing amongst it, which is a vine-like plant that secretes a waxy-like substance. To normal pups, Dragonsbane has no effect, and even has a pleasant smell, allowing some to use it in many beauty products. However, dragons like Rocky are fearful around the plant. If the wax gets rubbed on or in them, a large area of that part is unable to be affected by their magic. Thus, Rocky's healing bubble could not heal the wounds on areas where Dragonsbane had touched. The effects of Dragonsbane can last up to a week before its effects go away, but Rocky did not have time to wait for its effects to pass. While the wounds had closed slightly, he knew that it would only be temporary and needed to find something to bandage his leg before it reopened.
While foraging around and looking for something to bandage his cut leg, he saw out of the corner of his eye that Chase was starting to stir. Chase shook himself away from his drowsy state as the tranquilizer left his body. He blinked a few times as his vision regained focus. Looking up, he saw a figure about his size staring at him. Rocky called out Chase's name, but no words came out. Instead a loud roar boomed throughout the cave.
"Aaaaaaaah!" Chase screamed as he ran away from the pup sized dragon. Chase's scream caused Rocky to scream in response, roaring even louder than before. Rocky quickly realized that he could no longer communicate to Chase through words. Chase was huddled up in a corner of the cave, making himself smaller than usual as though attempting to hide from the dragon. Rocky could see the immense fear in Chase's eyes and tried to approach him. However, each step caused Chase to flinch even more. Rocky stopped in his tracks and sat down, trying to get Chase to relax.
"A-are you gonna eat me?" Chase stuttered, tears slowly formed in his eyes. Rocky opened his mouth and almost tried to respond before realizing that he couldn't speak. Instead, he looked down at his paws and, after considering what to do, raised them up to signify that he wasn't.
"S-so you don't want to eat me?" Chase asked, slowly uncurling his body. Rocky shook his head and Chase seemed to calm down a bit. Chase took a few deep breaths as he regathered himself to his situation. He slowly approached the dragon and took a few sniffs at him. He looked at his wings, one of which was torn, and looked upwards. He could see the hole that peeked a bit of sunlight, and realized what might have happened.
"Did you save me?" Chase asked. Rocky nodded.
"Thank you, mister dragon. You look hurt, let me see if I can find anything for your wounds" Chase offered. Rocky only shook his head, and pointed at Chase while giving a low growl.
"Me? I'm fine, I think. I have a small headache, but nothing too serious. Are you sure you don't want me to find something for your wing?" Chase asked again. Rocky nodded in response. Rocky knew that his wing would be fine, and he didn't want Chase to worry about him. What Rocky was really concerned about was how to get out of the ravine. The bramble above was extremely thick, blocking out all light besides from the hole they came crashing through.
"Well, I guess I can see if I can find something to eat. I'm guessing that you can't fly with that wing in that condition. Why don't you rest for a bit" Chase suggested. Rocky wanted to refuse, but he knew Chase wouldn't take no for an answer. He huffed and sat himself down and set his head on the floor to rest. On one side of the ravine, there was more bramble that had grown down which looked like it was blocking something behind it. Chase slowly and carefully clawed his way through it and found on the other side a small cave system. Just past a curve in the tunnel, he could see a light. Chase quickly ran over to the light source and, while there was no exit, he found a sizable patch of grass with bushes of wild berries growing in the light. Along the wall, he could see vines that could possibly make a good cast for the dragon.
Chase grabbed a few branches of berries in his mouth first and brought it back to the resting dragon. The dragon looked pleased and started munching on the berries. Chase then brought back some of the vines that were growing along the wall. To Chase, they had an appealing aroma coming off of the leaves. As soon as the dragon noticed Chase coming back with the vines, he roared and backed away from Chase. Confused, Chase ran up to the dragon, vines still in his mouth. The dragon backed into the wall more, and Chase spat the vines on the ground.
"It's okay, I just found some vines to help wrap up your injuries" Chase soothed. The dragon roared once more, his eyes staring at the vines in fear.
"What's wrong? They're only vines" Chase asked. "Are you afraid of these vines?"
The dragon nodded in response, and Chase, still confused with his reaction, tossed the vines away to the other side of the ravine. If the dragon doesn't want those vines, then what else can I use to help him, Chase thought. Chase once again through the bramble and into the cave system to look for something else to bandage up the dragon's wounds, but to no avail. After giving up, Chase grabbed a few more branches of berries and brought them back to the main ravine. The dragon had once again returned to his spot next to the previous batch of berries and was slowly making his way down the branch. Chase lied down next to the dragon, which gave him a very familiar yet different feeling. He took a bite into one of the berries and almost spat it out. They were very bitter with a tiny bit of sweetness. Chase choked down a couple before giving the rest to the dragon who chuckled and finished off the berries.
Looking up at the sky, Chase could see that it was approaching night as the light shining in through the hole dimmed to black. While Chase could not see through the pitch black cave, Rocky was able to see clearly. Rocky watched as Chase felt his way towards a comfortable position and lied down to sleep. Rocky made his way up to Chase, growled a good night, and curled up next to him. During the night, Chase slowly wiggled his way up to Rocky's warm body and snuggled in between Rocky's body and wing in his sleep, and Rocky instinctively wrapped his paws and wing around him.
In the morning, Rocky woke up first feeling extremely hazy. His mind was very foggy and he felt extremely dizzy. As Rocky unwrapped his paw around Chase to stand up, he could barely get on four paws. A burning sensation raged in Rocky's leg, and after turning around he could see that his wounds on his injured leg had reopened and was now bleeding. It had reopened sometime during the night, as there was a small pool of blood underneath and dried blood running down his leg. Rocky's magic had run out to keep his wounds closed, and needed to bandage them up quickly before Rocky lost too much. He painfully crawled towards the cavern behind the brambles and towards the lighted path. At this point, he could feel his back legs giving out and turning stiff. Frantically, Rocky crawled onto the grass patch, and glanced around for something to bandage up his wounds. However, the cave was barren with nothing but the grass, the berry bushes and vines of Dragonsbane. Rocky gave a grunt of despair and made his way to the dragonsbane vines. At this point, Rocky's magic was too weak to help and he needed immediate treatment. He could feel his legs becoming heavier as a shade of gray slowly crawled up his paws and legs. 'No, not here,' Rocky thought. Rocky's vision slowly blurred and he barely could keep his head up. 'I'm sorry Chase,' Rocky thought as he collapsed in front of the vines.
Chase yawned and stretched as the light from the hole landed on his face. Chase rubbed his eyes and looked around. He couldn't see the dragon anywhere around. Perhaps he went to find something to eat, Chase thought. After getting up, he noticed that he was standing in a thick liquid around his back paws. Turning back, he saw a red pool where the dragon used to be. Chase gasped and called out to the dragon, but no response was given. He could see that a trail of blood led to the cave entrance, and Chase immediately ran down through the bramble and into the cave. There, found the dragon unconscious underneath the vines he had attempted to collect before. He could see that the dragon's leg had massive open wounds and a small pool forming under him.
Realizing that he had collapsed not too long ago, Chase quickly ripped a mouthful of vines from the walls. They had a strangely sweet taste in his mouth and a pleasant smell, and Chase quickly wrapped the vines around the dragon's leg. While binding his leg with the vines, he could feel that certain parts of his leg were extremely still and hard, which worried Chase. He could see patches of gray forming throughout the dragon's body, which Chase took as a sign that the dragon was dying. After making sure his leg was secured and no longer bleeding out, he went to check the dragon's vitals. While faint, he could hear the dragon take shallow breaths and could feel his heart rate. Chase gave a small sigh of relief and turned towards the berry bushes to eat. All Chase could do was wait and hope that the bandaging was enough to save the Dragon. After a few hours of waiting and hoping, he noticed that the patchy gray spots slowly disappeared. The dragon's paw pads that had turned an off shade of gray had regained its pink color and, after giving the dragon a small poke, felt soft to the touch. Taking another vitals check, he noticed that the dragon's heart rate and breathing had stabilized and felt stronger.
Rocky awoke groggily, his head slowly lifting. He looked around, trying to remember what had happened. Suddenly, he jolted awake after realizing that he had been seriously injured before he passed out. 'How long has it been? Please don't be a few hundred years!' Rocky thought. However, Rocky soon noticed that his leg was tightly bound with vines and there were still traces of dried blood from him, indicating it was not too long after he had lost consciousness. Sitting in the middle of the grass patch in the sun was Chase, who took the time waiting to sunbathe. Chase heard Rocky roar and sat up, only to find himself getting tackled back to the ground by the dragon, the dragon pressed on top of him, his lips touching the dragons as the dragon gave Chase a kiss.
Rocky and Chase laid in the grass for a few seconds before Rocky realized what he had done. He quickly backed off and let Chase get back onto his paws. Rocky blushed a little, realizing that he had been overwhelmed with joy and accidentally kissed Chase. Chase saw the dragon was embarrassed and looked away from him, his cheeks a soft hue of red.
"It's okay little dragon, I should be used to it by now" Chase laughed. Rocky slowly looked back at Chase.
"I always thought that my first kiss would be with someone else, but at least it assures me about who I am," Chase explained. Rocky cocked his head to the side. Chase took a deep breath.
"I haven't told anyone, and I trust that you won't either, but I do have a small secret. I want to see other males. I recently came out to my leader, his name is Ryder, and ever since then, I had my eyes on a cute pup that's on my team" Chase admitted.
"His name is Rocky. Ever since he joined the team, I always thought he was charming, and every time he was bashful I thought it was cute. He's a nice pup that is always willing to help, even if he knows that it might be out of his field, and has a big heart for all of us. Recently we went on a vacation together and I was hoping to get closer to Rocky, and maybe even admit to liking him as a mate, but then this happened. I don't even know if Rocky's okay or not. I've been questioning whether Rocky is safe, or if he had been captured like I had. Maybe he's out there looking for me, but I'm stuck down here in a ravine. It's only been three days since we arrived and I already ruined his vacation by getting pupnapped and thrown down here. He probably hates me." Chase rambled, covering his eyes with his paws. Rocky giggled. Chase had confessed his love in front of Rocky without even knowing it.
"What's so funny?" Chase huffed. Rocky pawed back up to Chase and nuzzled his nose against his own. After, he gave Chase a long lick on his cheek, which made Chase blush hard.
"I-I'm sorry, but I-I don't want to get too attached. My heart's out for another pup after all" Chase stuttered, his face a bright red. Rocky rolled his eyes and started limping back towards the main cave room. Chase followed behind him, making sure that the bandage didn't fall off while he was moving around so much.
After that day, Chase and Rocky cuddled every night, Rocky digging his muzzle into Chase's chest fur, until Rocky had healed back up. Chase didn't mind, and wrapped his paws around Rocky. While the vines on his leg prevented the use of magical healing on it, his wings were unaffected and were able to heal. After four days of waiting and healing, seven days after the two arrived at Barkingburg, Rocky could feel the effects of the dragonsbane wear off on his wings. Chase watched as Rocky created another bubble around himself, and his wing slowly reformed. After giving his wing a few flap tests, Rocky attempted to fly around the ravine. He was slightly rusty on flight as it had been a year since he had to fly, but soon he grew more confident in his soaring capabilities. Chase watched in wonder as the dragon flew around, encouraging and cheering on the dragon as he did tricks and loops in the air. Soon, Rocky landed, slightly winded, and beckoned for Chase to hop on his back. Chase hesitated, as the dragon was about the same size as him, and wasn't sure if he could carry him. Sure enough, As soon as Chase got on the dragon's back, the dragon collapsed to the ground in a grunt and could barely take off.
"How about you try to find my friend? The one I was telling you about. He must be worried sick." Chase suggested. Rocky thought about it, and nodded. Chase hopped off his back and Rocky lifted off once more, spiraling out of the hole in the brambles. Rocky was finally free in the open air, gliding across the blue sky. Rocky took a deep breath of fresh air and stretched his legs out a bit. It was nice being outside in the light instead of inside a confined cave.
Rocky had a plan to get Chase out. First, he needed to find his and Chase's collar. The Duke had attempted to use the collars to get the princess to give up the throne, however, he didn't realize the fact that not only did he need the collar, he also needed a good impression, which he did not have. After failing numerous times, the Duke gave up and returned back to his kingdom. Rocky flew to Flappington and found the Duke, casually lounging about, playing around with Chase's and Rocky's collar. After seeing the Dragon fly in through his window, he let out a scream and threw the collars at Rocky in self defense. Rocky caught them in his mouth and flew out where he entered. 'I guess that one good way of using the collars' the Duke thought to himself, pleased.
After picking up some rope and climbing supplies, Rocky flew back to the entrance of the ravine, on the cliff right above the hole. Rocky quickly attached his collar back onto his neck, and suddenly he could feel himself changing back to his regular self. He gave his voice a quick test, making sure they weren't grunts or growls, and peeked over the hole.
"Chase? You down there?" Rocky yelled down into the ravine.
"Yes! Rocky! I'm here!" an excited Chase replied.
"Hang on! Let me send down some rope, make sure to hang on tight!" Rocky yelled back, throwing the line down. He wrapped it around a rock closeby to gain leverage and as soon as he heard Chase yell back, Rocky pulled with all his might. Slowly but surely, Chase was lifted out of the ravine and back onto the cliff face. Tired, Rocky fell to the floor, panting.
"Rocky! I can't believe you found me!" Chase exclaimed. Chase looked around almost as though he was looking for something.
"Is something wrong?" Rocky panted.
"Oh, uh, it's nothing I guess," Chase replied sheepishly. He was trying to see if the dragon was around, but he was nowhere to be seen. The dragon definitely had to have found Rocky to guide him here, but he was now gone.
"Here, here's your collar back" Rocky panted, handing back Chase's collar. Chase promptly put his collar back on.
"C'mon, let's head back to the beach." Chase suggested. Rocky nodded and guided Chase back down the rocks and onto the beach. At this time, the sun was setting and it was getting late. Ryder had told them to come back by the end of the day, but the trip back would take a few hours, well past midnight. In addition, Chase had something else on his mind. Rocky and Chase sat back down on the empty beach, the sun setting past the water's edge.
"Hey Rocky, I have something to confess" Chase mumbled quietly.
"What is it, Chase?" Rocky asked, pretending to be oblivious.
"Um, I'm not sure if you noticed this past month, but I wanted to get closer to you" Chase continued. Rocky raised one eyebrow.
"Okay?" Rocky replied, slightly more curious. Chase took a deep breath.
"Ever since you joined the team, I always had a crush on you. Only recently have I accepted who I am and finally built up enough courage to ask you out. I guess what I'm trying to say is, will you be my mate?" Chase blurted, his cheeks flushing up and looked away from Rocky. Rocky sat there in shock, staring into Chase's eyes. Soon, a slight smile formed on Rocky's mouth.
"I already knew, Chase" Rocky replied with a smile. Chase looked back up at Rocky, his mind trying to comprehend what Rocky had said. Without notice, Rocky went up to Chase and nuzzled him on the nose and licked him on the cheek. Chase was at first confused, but then suddenly his face became a brilliant red.
"Wh- How- What? B-But you, wait- it can't be!" Chase stammered, realizing that the dragon had done the same when Chase had confessed in the ravine. Suddenly, Rocky shook his fur, blue dust flew off his gray body, and the dragon appeared in place of Rocky. Chase stood in shock.
"Sorry for shocking you, Chase. I was the dragon that saved you last week" Rocky admitted.
"B-But, you can talk!" Chase stuttered, still in complete shock.
"It's a bit complicated," Rocky replied. He unlatched his pup tag and inside Chase could see a glowing crystal.
"This crystal gives me the power to change between my dragon form and my pup form, as well as allowing me to communicate between the two. Without it, I couldn't talk. All that would come out would be roars and growls." Rocky explained.
"Then, that means that I confessed in front of you!" Chase realized, covering his eyes and snout with his paw in embarrassment. Rocky patted his head.
"It's alright Chase. You still confessed to me in the end anyways, right?" Rocky asked. Chase nodded, paws still in front of his eyes. Rocky nuzzled Chase in the cheek and waited for Chase to calm down a bit. Soon, Chase finally lifted his paws off his head and looked at Rocky.
"So, do you want to be my mate?" Chase asked. Rocky frowned and looked off into the sunset in deep thought.
"Chase, I don't want to break your heart, but I'm afraid of falling in love. I'm an eternal dragon, meaning that I will live on forever. I'm afraid that even after you are gone that I'll have a hole in my heart. That's why I left Sweetie. Our pups would have pups who would have more pups. I witnessed generations passing, centuries of war and peace. I don't know if I can take being alone after all that." Rocky admitted, looking down at his paws. Chase licked Rocky on the cheek.
"Even if I leave you, that doesn't mean you should be scared. There will always be someone there for you, if not me, then someone else. Just know that I will love you no matter what, enough so that it will last centuries after I am gone." Chase soothed. Rocky smiled and looked back at Chase.
"That's very sweet," Rocky admitted, putting his paw on his.
"I know it might be a lot to consider. I won't force you to be with me, but I will always be willing to love you unconditionally." Chase told Rocky. Rocky nodded and looked out at the sunset.
"There is one last thing I want to show you, Chase," Rocky said, getting up. "It's just a flight away from here"
"Last time I checked, you couldn't carry me on your back," Chase laughed. Rocky opened his mouth and then closed it, a small wave of embarrassment flushed to his cheeks.
"How about you drive your police truck and I'll fly above to guide you?" Rocky suggested. Chase nodded, agreeing with the plan. Chase made his way back to his truck, which was still parked close to the beach from a week ago when they first arrived. Thankfully no one touched it when they were gone. As Chase drove towards Rocky, Rocky took off, flying along the coast of the beach, down the opposite direction of the cliffs. As Chase followed Rocky, he admired the grace and elegance Rocky had when he was flying. He could see Rocky had a peaceful look on his face and enjoyed the currents as they blew past him. Soon, the sun had fully set and Rocky took a turn off the coast and into a forest. Barely being able to navigate around the trees, Chase did his best to follow Rocky as he flew above the trees. Finally after what seemed like miles, Chase made his way out of the forest to the base of a snow capped mountain.
"We're almost there. I think I should have enough strength to at least help you climb up. It's too steep for your truck to ride up." Rocky offered. Rocky proceeded to grab a length of rope that was left in Chase's truck and made sure to securely tie it around Chase's waist. As Rocky pulled with all his might and Chase gently boosted himself off of the side of the mountain, they made great progress up towards the snow cap. Rocky eventually slowed down and landed in what looked like a cave in the snow. He could barely see it from the angle he was looking at, the only indication there was something there was the rope that wrapped around the ledge. Rocky pulled one last time and heaved Chase over the ledge and into another cave. This one, however, was strangely lit and had a snake-like trail. After winding down the small path, Chase and Rocky entered a huge cavernous area that was lit with a calming blue glow. At the center, Chase could see the source of the light: a sizable gem.
"Welcome to my real home" Rocky proclaimed, letting Chase take a few steps into the cavern.
"This is your real home? It's a bit … repetitive" Chase noted. Rocky huffed with disappointment.
"This is where I stayed before I lived at the castle and joined the PAW Patrol," Rocky explained.
"What's this crystal here doing?" Chase asked, about to poke it.
"Don't touch that!" Rocky shouted, and Chase immediately pulled his paw back. "It's an ancient source of magic, one that I have guarded for centuries before finally leaving"
"Ancient source of magic?" Chase asked curiously.
"Yes. It wasn't always just Barkingburg and Flappington. There was once also another city named Dragonsdale. It was a city that coexisted with dragons. The dragons gave them protection while, in return, the people of the city raised their young and trained them to be strong. At the center of all of it, I was the eternal dragon of Dragonsdale. It was my responsibility to watch and protect everything. Many people and dragons respected and honored me for what I did, and I enjoyed their company. None, however, did I respect more than the City Elder and leader. He made sure that everyone was happy, both people and dragon so that both species could coexist. I could see the city grow as generations passed, and I admired their progress in development. However, the dragons slowly diminished. The city had gone from thousands of dragons visiting to hundreds and then to a few. Many believed that the dragons had moved on, and were able to be fully independent without Dragonsdale's help. I had stuck around and became the sole protector of Dragonsdale."
"However, in the city's time, they had made many enemies. Others despised how the dragons favored Dragonsdale, and wanted the dragons for themselves. They deduced that there must be some magic source that attracted the dragons to us. While there was a magic source from the Dragon's gem, it was simply a gift from the first dragons when the Dragonsdale was founded. It held no real power to attract dragons. To put it simply, it was a symbol of peace between humans and dragons. Once the dragons had left and I was the only one defending Dragonsdale, war broke out. Without the protection of the dragons, we had no defenses that could fend off the attacking sides. They had overwhelmed us and slaughtered thousands of innocents. I had fought in the frontline, but I couldn't hold off everyone by myself. Eventually, I was worn out by battle after battle, and finally while fighting, I had taken a fatal blow to the chest. My magic had diminished greatly and had collapsed on the field. On the same day, Dragonsdale was overrun by the invaders and everyone who remained either were killed or had fled."
"I don't remember much in my wounded state. All I seem to remember is that someone had picked me up and ran. I must have passed sometime after, and, when I reawakened, I found myself in this cave with the dragon gem wrapped up in my claws. I had no idea how I had gotten there, but I knew that whoever saved the gem bestowed the gem's protection on me when I awoke. I stayed here for centuries, guarding the gem. I constantly sat outside the cave entrance, gazing out on the world, secretly hoping that someone, anyone, would come and keep me company. I guess after a while, I longed to see the world and started to fly out occasionally. The furthest I flew was Barkingburg and watched from above as they grew from a small civilization to a thriving city.
"One day when I flew back to the cave after an outing I saw something sitting in the front of the cave. There was a necklace with a piece of the dragon's gem attached to it, as well as a neatly written note that read 'Explore the world'. I couldn't see any trace of anyone coming in or out of the cave, but I knew it was meant for me. Almost giddy, I put on the necklace, and instantly a magical powder formed around me, concealing my dragon-like features, and all that remained was a pup. That day, I found a new home in Barkingburg and soon after Adventure Bay."
Chase listened to Rocky's story and sat in amazement after Rocky finished his story. Rocky had a bittersweet look in his eyes while he stared at the gem, and gave a deep sigh.
"Did you ever figure out who could've left that necklace for you?" Chase asked. Rocky shook his head.
"At that point, I knew no one that could've possibly known about the gem, let alone known about how I wanted to leave" Rocky explained. The two pups sat and watched the crystal for some time, Rocky leaning his head on Chase. Soon, Rocky yawned.
"It's getting quite late. Why don't we call it a night" Rocky suggested, beckoning Chase to lay next to him. Chase nodded, and rested his head on his paws. That night, Chase could feel someone tapping his shoulder. Chase tried brushing it off with his paw, as he thought it was an insect. The tapping had stopped, and he suddenly felt someone pet his head. Chase slowly opened his eyes, and could see a figure standing in front of him. He jolted awake and went to wake Rocky, but the figure motioned him to stop. Hesitantly, Chase withdrew his paw and stared at the figure. He could see that he was a middle aged human with clothing that he had never seen before.
"Greetings, Sir Chase." the figure spoke.
"Who are you and how do you know my name?" Chase asked, after determining that he was not a threat at the moment.
"I am the Elder of Dragonsdale. I have become familiar with you through Rocky's memories." the Elder spoke once more.
"What do you mean through Rocky?" Chase asked, slightly curious.
"Ah, my apologies. I am only an apparition from the crystal. After I had saved the gem, I gave the gem to Rocky here before he turned to stone to guarantee its safety. I passed shortly after, and my soul became one with the gem. After becoming one, I could read Rocky's memories by the power of the gem, as he is connected to the gem, just like I am" the Elder explained.
"I'm sorry, turned to stone?" Chase asked.
"Rocky has not told you? Very well, as an eternal dragon, he does not die. Instead, his body turns to stone, staying dormant until reawakening decades later." the Elder elaborated.
"That makes sense. Nice to meet you, Mister Elder!" Chase greeted. The Elder nodded and continued.
"Now, the reason for my appearance. After viewing Rocky's memories of his recent venture, I could see that Rocky had strong feelings towards a specific pup for a while now, that pup being you." The Elder spoke. Chase blushed after hearing this.
"However, I could tell that Rocky has concealed his feelings, as he is worried about the future ahead. Thus, I have come with a proposition. I can see that Rocky has chosen you as his partner, and you have chosen him. I care deeply about his well being, and hate to see him suffer like that. I offer you the opportunity to become an eternal dragon and to be with Rocky for all eternity. However, I must warn you that you will no longer age, and will share the same fate of Rocky, watching generations pass by. Knowing this, will you accept my offer?" The Elder offered. Chase sat and thought for some time before giving his answer.
"Mister Elder, Rocky has suffered through centuries of loneliness to finally be given the chance to live his life. If all it takes is for me to become one of his kind to make sure he never feels that same pain again, then I will accept this offer and all it entails" Chase responded with confidence. The Elder nodded, and smiled.
"Then it shall be done. Oh, and tell Rocky that I grant him my blessings and best wishes for you two" the Elder requested and vanished in a blinding light.
Chase woke up to the daylight shining into the cave. He yawned and stretched and looked around to see if he could find the Elder, but he was nowhere in sight. Was it all just a dream, Chase wondered. As he stood up, he looked into the reflection of the crystal. He could see himself, slightly more furrier, and an extra set of wings stuck out of his back. Immediately, Chase turned and saw that he had been turned into a dragon, just like Rocky. Giddy, Chase hopped around and flapped his wings, attempting to fly with no avail. 'I'll ask Rocky later' Chase thought as he walked to Rocky to wake him up. He noticed that there was another object where he slept next to Rocky: a necklace with a chunk of the Dragon's Gem. Chase put his head through the loop of the necklace and watched as he turned back into his German Shepard pup form. He proceeded to place his paws on Rocky's back and rocked him back and forth, shaking Rocky awake.
"Wha?" Rocky grunted as he was forced awake. Rocky yawned with a roar and smacked his lips. "Oh, good morning Chase. I didn't realize you woke up."
"Good morning to you too!" Chase replied in a cheerful manner.
"You look a lot happier today. Did you have a good sleep?" Rocky yawned, rubbing his eyes with his dragon paws.
"I guess you could say that" Chase hinted, and walked out of the cave. There, Chase walked out of view of Rocky and transformed into his dragon form. Rocky followed soon after and looked around for Chase. Instead of finding Chase, he could see a brown furred dragon standing outside the cave entrance with his wings open. Rocky's eyes opened wide, smiled, and ran to Chase, pouncing on him. The two tumbled to the ground as the two embraced.
"You're a dragon now? But how?" Rocky exclaimed.
"Let's just say the one who gave you the gem and the necklace visited me in my dreams last night," Chase explained, getting bombarded with nuzzles from Rocky.
"Really? And you chose to become a dragon like me?" Rocky yipped with glee and placed his mouth onto Chase's before he could respond. The two dragons embraced for a while, kissing until both dragons came up for air.
"So, about my question before, do you want to be mates?" Chase asked, blushing.
"Yes! I'll be your mate for all eternity!" Rocky agreed and placed his head under Chase's head, nuzzling Chase's fuzzy neck.
"I guess that means that it's official. Can't wait to tell Ryder and the other pups the good news that me and you are now together." Chase laughed and smiled, wrapping his wings around Rocky.
"It'll be a shock for the other pups, but do you think the other pups will accept us?" Rocky asked, slightly concerned.
"From what I know about the pups, I think they'll be happy for us, and Ryder already knows and accepts me for who I am. After all, we are dragons and have all the time in the world" Chase assured, and Rocky nodded.
"Dragons, eternally."