Guest 1: Thank you! I try.
Guest 2: Thanks! Reviews like that make my day!
Disclaimer: I don't own PAW Patrol. If I did, they'd be my own personal army of cuteness and death. All my enimies beware!
Chapter 5 -
After discovering the good news, Chase and the others head back to The Lookout. They're all still scared for Zuma, but mostly happy that he's alive. When they got back, all the pups went out to play while Ryder played some games on his pup pad. There were unexpectedly no missions that day and at 6:00 Ryder went out with a bag of kibble to feed the pups. " Pups! Dinner time!" Ryder shouted. Immediately, all the pups looked up from their game and rushed over. But Rocky followed more slowly. His head low and his tail dragging on the ground. Marshall noticed his friend's position and rushed back over to him. "Come on Rocky!" He yelped, crouching low in a playful position with his tail wagging. "You're gonna miss dinner!" Rocky just glanced up at him and whimpered. Marshall sat up and tilted his head to one side. "What's wrong?" He asked. Rocky sighed and sat up. "I miss Zuma." He confessed. "I mean, what if Chase was wrong? What if Zuma wasn't rescued? What if he was EATEN! What if-." He was cut off by Marshall placing his paw over the mixed breed's mouth. Marshall turned to Rocky and locked his gaze with his. For once in his life, Marshall looked serious. "Stop thinking like that Rocky. Right now." He growled. "Zuma isn't dead. All the strays we've met that come from that forest are healers. And the bad ones we've always chased out." Then his gaze softened. "Tell me this, if someone was going to eat or kill Zuma, why not just do it on the spot? Why would they waste that time and energy carrying him farthur into the forest if they were going to harm him?" He took his paw away from Rocky's mouth. Rocky looked up at Marshall and smiled at him. "Thanks Marshall." He said. Marshall smiled back.
"Your welcome. Now, let's go eat! I'm starving!" Rocky nodded, his tail beginning to wag again.
"Let's go! Race ya!" He yipped and too off.
Marshall growled. "No fair! You go a head start!" He yowled and took off after his friend.
Scene Changer: Zuma's Badge
The next morning, Zuma awoke to find Crescent and Sasha still asleep. He g=slowly got up and stretced before heading over to the stream in the den o get some water. He bent his head down but went to far and sucked water up his nose. Then he erupted into a sneezing fest. His loud sneezing had roused Sasha. "Zuma?" She asked. Then yawned. She got up and stretched as well. "What are you doin' up so early?" She asked walking over to him. "Couldn't sweep." He said. Sasha smiled at him. "Well, as long as your up, I might as well give you your meds." She said, walking over to the tunnel at thee back of the den where she kept her herb store. She came back after a few minutes with a bunch of plants and a honey-filled coconut shell. She dropped it next to him and dunked them all in the honey before laying them down on a palm frond she'd brought out. He quickly gulped them up. "How ya feeling?" She asked him after he ate the plants. "Better. But I still have a massive headache and my thwoat huwts a bit." He said and coughed. Sasha nuged the coconut shell closer to him. "Here. Drink the rest of this, it'll help your throat." He nodded and began to lap up the honey. Meanwhile, Crescent had woken up and was sneaking up behind Zuma, motioning for Sasha to keep quiet. Sasha winked at Crescent and she creeped closer. When she was right behind him she tapped him on the shoulder. "BOO!" She growled. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Zuma screamed and spun around. He quickly grabbed the sticky coconut shell and threw it at Crescent before he could recodnize her. "Hey! Zuma! What gives?" She asked, the shell face down on her head, the golden sticky liquid dripping down her face. Zuma looked at her and sighed with releif. "Oh, Cwescent. It's just you." Zuma breathed. Then he giggled nervously. "Sowwy about that." He cuckled. Sasha was laughing her tail off. "Wow Crescent." She said between laughs. "That coconut shell looks good on you. The honey really brings out your eyes." She said, sitting up and batting her eyelashes. Crescent glared at the pair for a minute, but then the three erupted into laughter. Crescent shook off the shell. "Well, thanks to this honey, I gotta go rinse off in the river. Wanna come Zuma? You said your a water rescue pup." She invited him. Zuma glanced at Sasha. She looked unsure. "Do you think your well enough to go?" She asked. Zuma nodded. After a moment's hesitation, Sasha nodded. "Okay. But if you start to get too cold or tired, get out of the water okay?" Zuma nodded. "Good. And try to bring back some food well your at it. I'm starving." Sasha rubbed her belly as it growled. Crescent nodded. "Will do. Come on Zuma. Let's see how fast you can run." Her eyes sparkled mischiviously. Zuma ran over to her. "Aw yeah. Prepare to eat my dust husky." He snarled.
Crescent rolled her eyes. "We'll see about that coco." She teased. He growled playfully at her.
"Alright. On three." Crescent said. "One."
"Two."
"THREE!" Crescent yowled and took off, Zuma just a pawstep behind her. They were neck-and-neck, leaping over boulders and dodging trees. Zuma had never felt so free in his life. Crescent glanced at him her tounge lolling out. "Bet you can't go faster!" She challanged. "I bet I can!" He yowled and picked up speed. "Try beating me now!" He howled and looked over his shoulder. But Crescent was no where to be seen. "Cwescent?" He yelped.
"Up here coco!" She yowled. Zuma looked ahead of him and his mouth dropped open. She was ten fox-lengths ahead of him!
"Come on! You can do it!" She howled at him.
Zuma narrowed his eyes in detirmination and doubled his speed, detirmined to stay tied with the husky. He manage to catch up with her and she nodded in approval. "Do you trust me?" She asked. Zuma nodded.
"Good than when I say jump, close your eyes, hold your breath, and jump."
Zuma nodded and they continued to race forward through the trees. "Alright. JUMP!" Crescent shouted. Zuma squesed his eyes shut, took a deep breath, and leaped. He heard a loud splash and felt his body hit the water. The warm water soaked through his fur and warmed his skin. He felt his rear bump the bottom of the river and he swam back up to the surface, taking a large berath as he got there. He saw Crescent dog paddling over to him. "Glad you trusted me?" She asked. He giggled and nodded. The two played in the river for hours. Splashing each other, having races, and playing Marco Polo. Crescent looked at the sky and saw that the sun was setting. She turned to Zuma. "We better hurry up and hunt before we head back." She said. Zuma nodded in agreement. "Well, Except, I, um, don't exactly know how to hunt." He said.
Crescent smiled. "That's okay. I can teach you how to fish." Then she crawled onto the bank and beconed him over with a swipe of her tail. He climbed up and sat beside her. "Alright. The first things first is to find a spot where there are lots of fish. There's a spot right up ahead. Come on." She said and took off. Zuma followed. They stopped at a spot about 100 fox-lengths up-river and settled down. "Alright. Time for step two. Look for the shadows of the fish under the water. Aim for the larger ones. The bigger the shadow, the bigger the fish." Zuma nodded and turned his attention to the water. He spotted mayy small shadows and after a few minutes, a larger one. "I found one." He whispered so he didn't scare it off. Crescent eyed the shadow and nodded. "That's a trout. Now. You wait untill it comes close to your paws. Don't let your shadow fall on the water. Aim for where it will be, not for where it is. When yourr ready to catch it. Scoop your paw through the water and dump it on the ground. Then you bite it's neck and eat it." She explained quietly. Zuma nodded and watched the shadow. He waited until it was right below is paws and then he scooped up te fish and dumped it on the bank. It bounced and flipped but Zuma quickly pounced on it and ended it's life with a bite to the neck. He smiled in satisfaction and wagged his tail. "I caught it! I caught it!" He yipped. Crescent smiled. "Yeah. Ready to catch some more?" Zuma leaped up. "Of course!"
Scene Changer: PAW Patrol symbol
Zuma and Crescent walked back into the den, their jaws crammed full of fish. Zuma was very proud of himself. He had caught so much fish! Sasha came out of the tunnel that lead to her herb store. Her eyes widened at the sight of all te fish. "Your back!" She yelped. Crescent set down her catch. "Yep! And guess what? Zuma here caught all that himself." She pointed at Zuma's catch with her tail. Zuma set down is catch and puffed out his chest, his tail wagging proudly. Sasha smiled warmly. "Great job you two. Now we feast!" The three all settled down around the fish, each grabbed a fish and tore into it. Zuma and Crescent started telling Sasha about their day and all the fun they had. When they were finished, Sasha looked at Zuma. "I take it your feeling better?" She asked. Zuma nodded. "Good. Then tomarrow Crescent can take you home. I'll give her some herbs to take with you for your head and throat." Then she turned to Crescent. "You'll have to stay with him for a few days though until he's completely better."
Crescent nodded and turned to Zuma. "So what'dya say Zuma? You ready to go home?"
Zuma wagged his tail. "Yeah. But I'm gonna miss you Sasha." He then walked over and hugged her. Sasha didn't know how to react at first, but then blushed and hugged him back. When she looked at Crescent, her mouth was hanging open. Sasha rolled her eyes.
"I'll miss you too." She said to Zuma. "But you can always come visit me." They released each other. Zuma looked up at her. "You mean it?" He asked. Sasha smiled. "Of course I do. Now let's get some sleep." Then she yawned. "I'm tired."
The three buried the remaining fish outside of the den and settled down to sleep.
"Night Crescent. Night Zuma." Sasha said sleepily.
"Night Sasha. Nigt Zuma." Crescent yawned.
"Night Cwescent. Night Sasha." Zuma said then fell into a deep sleep.
A/N: Just by the way, Crescent IS a husky-wolf. Zuma just doesn't know that yet. This is my longest chapter yet. Hope you liked it!