Disclaimer: I'm sure you're all wondering why I decided to wait until this season to introduce Rubble, and I figured I'd address it now, since this is the first chapter that'll have him as a major focus. To sum it up, I didn't know what to do with him in the first two seasons. Hopefully season three will make the way worth it for any Rubble fans who felt like they were missing out on their favorite pup. I actually got inspired by the FF7 Remake Intermission DLC for one of these conversations. If you've played it, you'll know.

Also, I don't own Paw Patrol

Paw Patrol X

Demon Defense arc Episode five: Getting A Bigger Picture

It was nighttime on the day after the ceremony, and Flare was shown entering the bathroom in his and Marshall's room at the motel hut. He turned the light on, and then closed the door after realizing he forgot to do that. Good thing Marshall was a heavy sleeper. The young pup then looked into the mirror and saw what he described to Marshall: A Dalmatian like him, with a different appearance than his own. "Yep. Same different look." He still didn't know how to make out what this whole dilemma was about, and sighed as he thought about it more deeply.

Flare looked away from the mirror and turned on the sink, trying to make sense of this whole thing for a bit. "Should've asked Paleclaw if they knew anyone in town who went through this." After splashing his face with water to ease his anxiety, Flare heard a knock on the door and went to open it, feeling it was Marshall. "Hey Marshall. You need to go?" It was Marshall. And he was holding Princess Chocolate.

"Not really. I just sensed that you were in deep thought again." Marshall admitted, hoping Flare had a bit more to say about it. "Any new thoughts on your mind this time?"

Flare nodded his head no, confirming that he was still having the same thoughts about his internal crisis. "I know we're helping Chase investigate the demon attacks and what could've happened to Charm, but I just can't shake it off my mind that my new reflection is trying to tell me something."

Marshall wanted Flare to know he would be ready to help him look. He put a paw on his shoulder, which helped him see so thanks to his supportive smile. "You want me to help you look tomorrow?"

Flare smiled and nodded his head yes, being grateful for the offer to help. "That'd be great. Thanks Marshall." Flare then realized that there was something he hadn't shared with Marshall yet. "Actually, there is one thing I just remembered. For some reason, I think I might... like this new reflection more than my old one." That caught Marshall off guard, but not in a way that disgusted him. He just figured that was leading to a bigger picture of something. "Maybe that's why I've been seeing it lately."

"It could be." Marshall replied, bringing up a suggestion on how to help Flare after showing him Princess Chocolate. "I think we should find a therapist or psychologist for this kinda stuff."

Flare accepted his teddy bear and hugged Marshall, being ready for whatever help he could give him with his dilemma. "Works for me." Marshall wrapped his arms around Flare, glad that he was on board with his idea.

Rocky and Zuma were getting ready for their day off with Zuma cuddling Rocky's arm as Rocky gave some notes to Ryder in the living room. "Before we go Ryder, I forgot to tell you about the stuff I learned yesterday." Ryder got a look at the notes Rocky made, finding what he found to be quite interesting. "They have to be more than coincidences. Especially Paleclaw having their name carved on their chest after they turned into a demon."

Ryder nodded in response, deciding to show this to Richie before the two of them started investigating. "Thanks Rocky. I'll see to it that Richie and I use this new knowledge the best we can. You two enjoy your day off."

Rocky smiled in response as Ryder walked off to find Richie, leaving the half wolf to call to Rubble in the hallway. "Hey Rubble! You almost ready!"

"Yeah, yeah; I'm coming!" Rubble informed Rocky, going into the dining room while scratching his butt as he asked what they would be doing today. "So what're you dragging me and Tracker into today?"

"Flare should be coming by with a list of places we can go to relax." Rocky explained, and then he looked to Zuma, hoping they could make another stop that day. "I also wanna go through with asking my dad about Charm. If that's okay."

Rubble seemed interested in the mention of Charm. He didn't really know much of anything about him. He started to think about that as Zuma told Rocky it was okay. "It is, of couwse, but I do wanna spend time with you on at least one thing before we do."

"Coming through!" Flare called down from the hallway, signaling Rubble to dodge as the Dalmatian ran up to Rocky with a list he made. "Here you are Rocky. All the hot spots I learned about the other day that could help you relax!"

Rocky happily accepted the list, thanking Flare for the help on finding some good spots for them. "Thanks Flare. Good luck on your ongoing investigation. Assuming you're still doing that today."

"I'm sure we'll find the time for it." Flare informed Rocky, heading off to see what Chase and Marshall thought they should do. "Enjoy your day off guys!"

"Thanks Flawe dude!" Zuma called out, and then he looked to his loving boyfriend to see if he was prepared. "Shall we?"

"Indeed we shall." Rocky responded, walking off with Rubble, who was ready to see Tracker again so they could play some more.

With their pup gear on, Flare, Marshall, and Chase were in Wolfland as Marshall started telling Chase about a side project he and Flare had going on. "Oh, and Chase, do you think we could also find the time to look for a therapist or something?"

Chase wasn't sure what Marshall was getting at, hoping he wasn't suffering from anything right now. "Sure, but you know you can talk to me too Marshall. Is something on your mind?"

"No, it's for Flare's identity cri-" Marshall then realized he was saying too much and covered his mouth with a yipe.

Flare laughed a bit, being okay with letting Chase know. "Don't worry Marshall. If we're gonna be working with Chase, he might as well know what's going on with me." Flare explained a little more so Chase could be caught up. His smile faded as he did, showing that this was taking a big toll on him. "I've been having a lot of weird thoughts since my tenth birthday. Marshall figured we could find someone in Wolfland who can help me."

Chase figured that wouldn't be too much trouble. After all, Flare's situation needed assistance too. "Not a problem. In case we don't have the time though, you should text Snow and see if she can look."

"Already on it!" Flare, Marshall, and Chase looked to find Snow walking up to them. Snow smiled as she handed Flare some kind of card. "I looked around yesterday and found you someone to talk to, since you were focused on your investigation." Flare accepted the card gratefully and put it away as Snow stated more. "Dr. Paw-shell is busy right now, but you can still make an appointment if you find the time to call her." Snow then got worried that her doing this without asking Flare was a bad thing. "You're not upset I did this behind your back, are you?"

"Of course not! Come on Snow; we already said I was looking for one anyway!" Flare reminded Snow, who realized she was being irrational over the time she slapped Flare again. Flare happily hugged Snow, who wrapped her arms around him while hoping she could continue to help him. "Thanks Snow! You're the best companion ever!"

Snow pulled Flare away and smiled to him so he could focus on the mission. "No, you're the best companion ever. Now go learn more about our enemies!" Flare and Snow hi pawed with Chase and Marshall thanking her as they walked off. Snow walked off as well, and she started thinking about the promise she made to Flare again. 'Come on Snow. Finding someone who can help him isn't gonna start 'hurting' him. If anything you're doing the opposite." Snow sent a text to Skye and Everest, figuring she could use a Girls' day with them to clear her head.

Rocky was at a lake near Wolfland with Zuma, Rubble, and Tracker, and Zuma was quite excited for what they were about to do. "You two are gonna get a weal kick out of this. Fishing stawts off pwetty slow, but once you get a catch, it gets super exciting!"

Zuma cast the first reel, hitting a spot that looked like it was pretty well populated by fish. Rocky started helping Rubble cast his as Zuma set his rod down on a spot to hold it. "And once you have a good enough grip on the rod, cast it out."

Rubble did as instructed, casting the rod out and allowing it to land in a different spot from Zuma's. Despite feeling he could've done that without help, he smiled when looking at Rocky. "Thanks Rocky, but I think I could've figured that out on my own."

"Maybe. But I can tell by your face that you enjoyed the help." Rocky replied with a caring smile, making Rubble confused as he started focusing on his reel. Even though Rubble wasn't Rocky's blood brother, Rocky still felt good about being able to help him out. Rocky and Zuma then noticed Tracker trying to catch the fish with his paws as they jumped. "Yeah, that's another way to do it."

Tracker tried to catch another fish, but failed to do so before almost falling into the water since he wasn't paying attention to how close he was. "Guau!" Zuma reacted quickly and caught him, making him smile as the Chocolate Labrador set him down. "Gracias Senor Zuma!"

Zuma rubbed Tracker's head, glad that he was doing good at watching over him for Paleclaw so far. "Anytime Twacker dude. And, just Zuma is fine if you want." Zuma managed to catch a bite, grabbing his rod and starting to reel it in once he did. "Here comes the big one!" Zuma fought with this fish, tugging from the right and the left whenever the fish went off in the opposite direction. Rocky went over to help him when he almost fell over, proving this to be a big one. The two of them tugged hard as Zuma reeled the fish in, and they successfully caught a big salmon.

Rubble and Tracker got a good look at the fish, leaving Tracker to point out how big it was in amazement. "It's so grande compared to normal salmon! Amazing catch Zuma!"

"That's the way the game is played!" Zuma informed Tracker, and Rocky started to inspect the fish when he felt something off.

Rocky got a good look at the fish's belly and felt it, leaving Zuma to notice too once he did the same. "Hang on a second."

Flare was asking around Wolfland for anyone who might be able to tell the Paw Patrol more about the demons. He saw a wolf pup trying to reach his kite in a tree, catching his attention. He ran over to the pup to see if he could help. "You need some help there?"

The wolf pup looked at Flare, recognizing him as a member of the Paw Patrol and getting excited. "Flare Munroe!? Of the Paw Patrol!?"

"That's right!" Flare gave the wolf pup a thumbs up as he said that. He then got to the case of helping him get his kite down. "You want me to help get your kite down?"

"Yes please!" The wolf pup exclaimed, explaining why he was unable to do it himself. "I can't reach it since I'm not very good at climbing."

"Not a problem." Flare assured the wolf pup, running up the tree himself and jumping off to grab onto the branch next to the one the kite was stuck to. Once he was up there, he carefully grabbed the kite and got it free from the branches. Once he got it free, he slid down from the tree and handed the kite to the pup. "It may need a couple stitches, but after that, it should be good to go."

The wolf pup inspected the kite and thanked Flare for the help by shaking his paw. "Thank you Flare! My name's Benny!"

"You're welcome Benny. Glad I could help." Flare then saw an opportunity and decided to seize it, knowing he'd have a better show at asking someone who trusted him. "Oh. Before you go, I probably shouldn't get you involved in this, but let's face it. The Paw Patrol practically lives off of training puppies to save the world anyway." Benny got what Flare meant there with the Dalmatian then asking his question. "My friends and I are trying to learn more about why the demon attacks are happening. Do you know anyone in town who might know something about that?"

"Hmmmm..." Benny tried to think of a good lead for Flare, coming up with one as he snapped his fingers. "Yeah, I do! Dr. Cramden has been researching the demons since day one. He might be willing to share what he knows with you." Benny then pointed to where Flare needed to go. "His lab is that way, close to this really good burger place."

"Awesome! Thanks Benny!" Flare ran off to inform Chase and Marshall about this after hi pawing Benny, who couldn't believe what just happened.

Benny looked at Flare as he ran off, ecstatic that he just had this interaction with him. "I just got a hi paw from Flare Munroe!" Benny ran off to tell his parents about this. "Wait until mom and dad hear about this!"

Meanwhile, Rocky and the others were walking off to their next activity as Zuma boasted about how many fish he caught. "Ten fish caught by yours twuly. Don't feel bad dudes. Not evewyone can become a fishing pwo like Zuma Thowne."

"I doubt you were this good when you first started." Rubble responded, finding Zuma's boasting to be annoying as he then wondered what the group was going to do next. "So what do you guys wanna do now?"

Rocky was starting to feel better after the first couple days, looking to Zuma to let him know. "Well I think now would be a good time to go to my dad for answers." Rocky looked at Rubble and Tracker as well when they all stopped, hoping they were also on board with this. "If you guys are okay with that of course."

Rubble figured something like that would happen sooner or later. He knew Rocky wanted to do it however, so he just sighed when complying. "Fine with me. Just don't make it take too long."

"Si. There's so much I want to show you and your friends!" Tracker informed the other pups, moving his front paws up and down slightly due to his inability to sit still. "I also wanna show you some of the stuff my dad collected during his adventures!" Tracker then got a look at the fish crate Zuma was carrying and wondered how many fish he caught. "How many did I catch again?"

Zuma got a good look at the crate, not being able to guess an exact number. "About thwee I think." Zuma counted at least twenty five fish, meaning that Tracker caught the least amount of fish out of everyone. "Maybe we can have another fishing lesson tomorrow."

"Si! That'd be great!" Tracker exclaimed, showing that he enjoyed his time fishing with the others quite a bit.

Zuma then looked to Rocky, holding his paw with his free one so he could feel more comforted. "Come on Wocky. Let's get your answers."

"Of course. Thanks Zuma." Tracker hopped onto Zuma's back, surprising him a bit as Rocky then reached for Rubble's paw. "Cmon Rubble. Let's go." Rubble reluctantly held Rocky's paw, still finding it weird even after the past half week of knowing him. After the canines headed off, Rubble started to wonder if these answers Rocky was after would explain why he's so protective of him.

Flare, Marshall, and Chase arrived at the lab Benny told Flare about, and the youngest of the canines knocked on the door to see if Dr. Cramden was home. "Dr. Cramden!? Are you home!?" Flare knocked again, wondering if Dr. Cramden was trying to keep a low profile. "We're not gonna hurt you! We just wanna ask some questions!"

A grown up wolf in a science coat opened the door, showing that he was struggling to trust the three pups. "Just questions you say?" Dr. Cramden then recognized Flare, thanks to the song he performed in the cafeteria the other day. "You're the pup who motivated Wolfland yesterday. (Smiles) That was quite a show."

"Hehe. Thanks." Flare responded, glad that he was able to put on a meaningful show. "If you're worried about us being followed then don't worry. We didn't see anyone weird or suspicious on the way over here."

Dr. Cramden looked at Chase and Marshall, the former of whom brought up something that he felt would motivate him to speak. "I'm sure you know that Paleclaw brought us out here to help with the demon attacks." Dr. Cramden did remember that, and Chase gave a concerned look as he made sure to cover his trust. "They transformed into a demon two nights ago. They didn't say to come to you, but if you know something that can help us, I'm sure they'll be proud of you."

Dr. Cramden saw what Chase was getting at and started to laugh. The canines looked at each other with concern before Dr. Cramden pointed out Chase's actions. "Ya know, the funny thing is, I know you're playing me... but you know what you're doing." The three canines smiled at each other as Dr. Camden signaled them to come into his lab. "Come in, come in! See what might interest you."

The canines did as instructed, and Flare instantly became amazed when he saw all the stuff on the walls. Some of it was about demon blood, while some of it was also about the science behind the magic of other creatures like dragons and unicorns. "Wow!" When he saw a purple dragon flaming a strange dinosaur like creature with a mage's robe, he had to grab it and ask about it. "You went back to the first purple dragon ever conceived for your research!?"

"I sure did." Dr. Camden responded proudly, glad that Flare took a liking to his research. "Is that what you came for?"

"Actually Dr. Cramden, we came to see if you know anything about demons." Marshall informed the scientist, picking up a book with a demon in an odd pose on the cover as he tried to make out the title. "Maybe this weird looking book is a good start?"

Dr. Cramden snatched the book out of Marshall's paws while chuckling nervously before suggesting something else. "Not quite. I can offer a better place to start. Perhaps one that involves ALL of the Paw Patrol." Marshall looked confused, since he couldn't read the name of the book.

At Slash's office, Rocky was standing outside with Zuma putting a paw on his shoulder for support. "Don't wowwy honey. If he doesn't have anything to hide, then he won't mind answering your questions."

"I know. Thanks Guapo." Rocky told Zuma happily, and Tracker smiled at the sight of Rocky knowing Spanish like him. Rocky knocked on the door, and after Slash said 'You may enter!', Rocky looked to Zuma with a nod. Rocky and Zuma shared a kiss on the lips before Rocky went in. "Keep Rubble and Tracker safe until I come back."

"I don't need-" Rubble started to say, and then he stopped talking when Rocky entered the room, leading to him sighing as he asked if they could do anything in the meantime. "Anything on your guys' paws we can use to pass the time?"

Slash was looking at a document of sorts before putting it away and addressing Rocky in a friendly manner. "Hello son. What can I do for you?"

"You know why I'm here dad." Rocky walked over to Slash's desk and looked directly at him as he got ready to ask his first question. "If Charm finds out about this action, the effects will be reversed." Slash gazed at Rocky upon mention of that, and Rocky had a feeling that he had him there. "I'm sure you know I wanted an answer to some things, and that's one of them. What happened to Charm that made him the way he is?"

Slash wasn't about to reveal the answer to that one, especially not to someone like Rocky, who could use that information. "And why would I tell you?"

"Why would you feel the need to hide it?" Rocky asked, feeling that Slash would have no reason to defend himself now. "Charm shot you himself. You shouldn't want to hide this if you didn't have anything to do with it."

Slash knew this would be a hard topic for him to lie about. The fact that he and Charm worked together before the Paw Patrol saved Everest made that clear. "Charm's mental state was not that of a good conscience." Rocky wasn't buying it. He could just tell his father was acting. "Helping him was one thing I wanted to do for-"

"Then why did you never do that instead of encouraging his sadistic behavior!?" Rocky shouted, which caught the attention of the other three pups, who were getting ready to play cards outside. Once things got heated, Rubble started to listen by the door as Rocky's emotions were shown getting more intense. "If you felt there was a way to help him then why didn't you act on it!? I've been wondering why he was like this for years! And what were you talking about there? Did this suppress his sadistic urges? Make him more controlling? What was it!?"

Slash was having enough of this, not having it with being yelled at by his own son. "I don't appreciate this tone of voice from my own offspring Rocky! I never wanted Charm to go down such a horrible path!"

"Oh, and is that why you told me to join you when we saved Everest?" Rocky shot to Slash, who was unfazed by the insult, which allowed Rocky to bring up another point of his bad parenting. "It wasn't just enabling murder either! Or at least it was to you! I didn't even learn I was Autistic until I moved to Adventure Bay!" Slash started to growl, and Rocky then decided to ask his next question, breathing in and out to calm himself before he had a meltdown. "Okay, next question. Maybe you'll answer this one. Who were you talking to the day mom died?"

Slash didn't feel Rocky could use this information. He already gave the one he spoke to direct orders about this. And he knew he'd have to answer at least one to avoid complete suspicion. "Trickery." Rocky was stunned by this, but then he realized it made sense. Charm and Trickery were very close with one another. "Don't even think of asking him. I'm not in contact with him anymore, and even if I was, he wouldn't tell you for all the gold in the world."

Rocky sighed, knowing that one wouldn't be so easy. He decided to ask one final question, since things got heated with the first one. "Okay then. Last question." Rocky looked his father dead in the eyes after slamming his paws on his desk. "Is it possible to reverse the effects of whatever it is that could've made Charm this way?" Slash didn't answer, and this only caused Rocky's anger to grow. This time, Rocky couldn't control himself, and started a meltdown by throwing a nearby lamp at his father, who dodged it in time. "TELL ME!"

Slash stood up and slapped Rocky across the face, showing that he wasn't afraid to hurt his son. Rocky was unfazed, but what Slash said next got to him. "I don't have to answer anything in regards to your brother! If you have questions about him, then ask him!"

Rocky stood up after calming down a bit from his brief meltdown, knowing that he couldn't fight his father any further due to what the Paw Patrol were here for. "Don't forget dad. Wolfland trusts us now. If you get rid of us, you're turning away help, and that could make them skeptical." Slash did see Rocky's point, and Rocky turned around and walked off as he expressed his determination. "I'll find the truth on my own!" Rocky left and slammed the door, leaving Slash concerned. It appeared that Rocky was more determined to learn the truth than he thought.

Flare, Marshall, and Chase were at the local burger joint Benny told Flare about as they thought about what was going to come next from Dr. Cramden. Flare was quite excited himself, since he'd never been to something like this before. "This team lecture oughta be full of helpful info. Is this what kids in school feel like?"

"Not really. They usually hate going to stuff like this." Marshall informed Flare, taking a bite of his burger after doing so.

A young adult wolf wearing a t-shirt with an explosion on it, and no bottom wear, walked over to the table Flare, Marshall, and Chase were sitting at, and addressed the German Shepherd with a smug grin. "So. You're Chase Armitage, right?"

Chase looked at the wolf, setting his burger down as he addressed him confidently. "Yeah, that's me. You'll have to wait for autographs; sorry."

"Oh, I'm not here for that." The wolf informed Chase, getting right to why he was talking to him now. "My name's Harry. And from what I hear, you're quite the master of cutting some massive stink bombs."

Chase was definitely starting to get an idea on what Harry wanted from him now. "Let me guess. You wanna challenge me?"

"That's right." Harry confirmed, bragging a little about his gas himself before starting. "I'm a pretty strong farter myself. Some have said one of the best, if not THE best, in all of Wolfland."

Chase got a good look at Harry and hoped he was joking about challenging him. "You sure you wanna do this?"

Harry laughed a bit, hoping that Chase wasn't thinking about declining his challenge. "What's the matter? Scaaared?"

Flare and Marshall giggled in sync in response to Harry's taunt. It was clear Harry didn't know what he was getting himself into. Chase decided to give in, if only to show Harry who was boss. "Fine. Hit me with your best shot." Harry did just that, standing up on two legs and pointing his butt right at Chase's face. Chase didn't feel the need to brace himself, and Harry wiggled his butt in his face for a bit before cracking...

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT

...a ripe thirty second fart from his vibrating butt, hitting Chase in the face with a green cloud of spoiled burger meat. This little fart contest caught the attention of everyone else as Chase then gave a smug grin, which caught Harry off guard. "Not bad. But my girlfriend can do better." Some of the wolves reacted to the burn, and Chase then offered his seat so he and Harry could swap placed. "You want a turn?" Harry scoffed, taking the offer with Chase then pointing his butt directly into his face. Chase looked back and wiggled his butt in Harry's face before unleashing...

PHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...

...A loud and booming fart that sent Harry through the wall with a yellow cloud of rotten eggs that made Chase's butt vibrate violently. Even after Harry was knocked out, Chase's fart continued as he told Flare and Marshall, who were covering their noses along with everyone else, what they should do next. "You two can go meet the others and tell them about the meeting. I'll cover the damage." Flare and Marshall nodded in response and did as instructed, leaving Chase to smile proudly over his victory. Even outside of Adventure Bay, he was a true master of farting...

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...

About an hour after that cringeworthy contest, everyone was filled in on the lecture from Dr. Cramden, and Flare was talking to the therapist Snow found for him on his bed. "Okay, yeah. I should be free then." Flare waited for the therapist to finish speaking before he bid her farewell. "Thanks Dr. Paw-Shell. I'll see you then!" Flare allowed Dr. Paw-Shell hang up before putting his phone away. He then sighed of relief over the thought of being able to figure out what was going on with him.

Flare got up and went to leave the room, and as he did, he saw Snow looking like she was deep in thought about something. "Hey Snow."

Snow snapped out of her thought trance and looked at Flare, who could tell right away that she was concerned about something. "Oh, hey Flare. Did you manage to call Dr. Paw-Shell yet?"

"Yep. I managed to fit in an appointment for next week." Flare informed Snow, laughing a bit as he realized they'd be staying for that appointment no matter the circumstance. "At least I know the demons will take care of the forcing part."

"You say that like it's a good thing." Snow snarked playfully, laughing a bit at Flare's joke herself.

Flare and Snow laughed a bit more as Flare then decided to ask about what Snow was thinking about. His worried expression made it clear to Snow that he was reading her pretty well. "Is there anything you need to talk about too?"

Snow wasn't really sure what to say, even to someone as good hearted and understanding as Flare. But she also knew that it would be dumb to hide this from him, because he clearly wanted to help. And she couldn't just predict that he wouldn't think it was his fault if she said no. She decided to ask him about it and see how that went. "You remember when we saved Adventure Bay from Charm?" Flare nodded his head yes in response, and Snow then got to another question. "Why did you forgive me so easily after you were so mad about it right before?"

"Yeah, I guess that would be pretty confusing." Flare admitted, feeling that he could've had a more consistent switch in emotion. "I wasn't as mad then as I was when it started. I just needed to get that off my chest so it didn't build up into something worse." Flare then started to feel bad for how he must've confused Snow back then. "Now that I think about it, I should've mentioned that when I started."

Snow did feel better about that memory after that. She just wished she could talk about it in it's entirety. "At least we know now." Snow started to blush a bit, covering it up with Flare noticing quickly as Snow made an offer. "Wanna see what's on TV?"

"Yeah, that'd be nice." Flare replied, glad to be spending some time with Snow. The two friends walked off to the living room, ready to enjoy the rest of their night. Snow only wished her memory of the slap didn't make it so hard to start acting on her feelings.

In Rocky and Zuma's room, Rubble was listening to Rocky explaining who Charm was to him. "The last time any of us had heard from Charm was when he tried to drain the life out of Adventure Bay. I thought that would be when I'd stop wanting to try and help him." Rocky clenched his fist, still having the desire to find out what happened to Charm. "But those thoughts have been brighter than ever since I found out my father was the leader of Wolfland."

Rubble didn't know much about Charm until today, but he could at least try to emphasize with Rocky there. "He's your brother, and you wanna help him. That's how I see it anyway. Anyone would want that."

Rocky saw Rubble's point there. It was just like the ones Marshall and Everest made before. Zuma backed up this claim by mentioning a possible outcome. "And you said Slash was unwilling to talk about it, wight? Even if he didn't mention anything specific, at least we know he knows something."

Rocky smiled and gained some more optimism thanks to Rubble and Zuma's support. "Yeah. I guess we do."

Rubble did have a question however, looking at Rocky as he showed a look of concern as he did. "I'm guessing you never got to be a big brother to Charm?" Rocky was surprised by that question, and how on point Rubble was about it. "Sorry, it just made sense to ask. He went from bratty to evil at such a young age." Rocky looked down at the floor as Rubble finished what he was saying. "I mean... four years. I can't even imagine."

Rocky and Zuma couldn't imagine it either. And Rocky was there the day it happened. It still broke his heart to this day. "The only sense of comfort from my mother's death... is that she didn't have to see what Charm did after that." Zuma wrapped his arm around Rocky for support as the half wolf kept talking about these thoughts. "The words I heard my father say on the day she died keep the thought of saving Charm in my head. (Clenches his fist) If there's even a slim chance I can save Charm, then I have to at least look for it!"

Rubble put a paw on Rocky's leg for comfort. This led to Rocky bringing up something that made him smile. Surprising Rubble, it was something he had in common with Charm. "Charm always liked doing things on his own. Pouring his milk, learning to read... I'm sure he would've trained independently too if he joined the Paw Patrol." Rocky looked to Rubble, who realized part of what Rocky was saying there. "It would've been nice to see that come to life."

Rubble saw the sincerity in Rocky's eyes, and saw that he really did want to help Charm be a good canine. Having learned why he was so brotherly towards him however, it made him feel even weirder about it than he did before. He didn't want to hurt Rocky's feelings, but he also didn't want to act like he was something he wasn't. "I agree." Rubble moved his paw, worrying Rocky and Zuma as the Bulldog reminded Rocky of one obvious fact. "But I'm not your brother."

Rubble stood up and started to walk out of the room, leaving Rocky to think about what he said. It was clear that he wished he could've had a genuine brotherhood with Charm. He should've checked first to see if Rubble was okay with that. He obviously wasn't, at least not now. Rubble then stopped at the door and looked back, finding a compromise that he felt would work. "That said, if you want my help finding out what's wrong with your REAL brother, if it's not just genetics... I'll be there."

Rocky smiled a couple seconds after that, and let Rubble know that he was grateful for the offer. "Thanks Rubble." Rubble smiled as well, but didn't let Rocky see for obvious reasons. "Let's make it happen. Together."

Rubble walked out of the room after Rocky and Zuma said goodnight to him, and he said goodnight back. Zuma yawned due to fatigue and looked to Rocky with a smile. "Welp, I'm weady to hit the hay. Goodnight Wocky. I love you."

Zuma lied down with Rocky while cuddling his arm, making Rocky smile as he covered them both with the blanket. "Goodnight Zuma. Love you too." And with that, the two canines went to bed, hoping the future of this mission would be easier for them.

Rock music played as Marshall started speaking in regards to what was going to happen with specific moments from the next chapter being shown. "So we're gonna be learning about demons today. Hopefully what Dr. Cramden knows can help us understand the demon attacks better. I can't blame Rocky for being interested in how demon blood works. Now if only I could read the words in this book. Darn it; why do so many books have to be made in fonts like this?"

Marshall finished the announcement with the words Paw Patrol in all blue with red outlines surrounded with a white border with Flare on the right, and Marshall on the left. "Next time, Demon Knowledge. (Everest was shown to be reading from a book on demons to Marshall so they could learn about demons together) At least we'll be more prepared for the next demon attack.