(SO glad I could get this out. More on that at the bottom.)

Zuma nudged Rocky with a paw. "Come on, wake up, dude! I scavenged some food for us, I thought you might be hungwy." The sleeping pup waved his paw around and mumbled something unintelligible before going still again. Zuma shook him a little harder

"Go...away…"

"No, Wocky. You can lie there all day..." An annoyed growl began rising in Rocky's throat. "...and don't you dare gwowl at me." The noise died abruptly. "You need to keep your stwength up. Just eat something and I'll let you go back to sleep, okay? I need to check on you anyway."

Rocky muttered a few phrases he was lucky Zuma didn't catch and stirred, opening his eyes slowly. Everything felt too heavy, like there was a weighted blanket over him that he couldn't push off. Still, he tried to sit up. Rocky sat on his haunches shakily, feeling like he could collapse at any point. I just wanna go back to sleep… Zuma nudged his friend a piece of meat, unaware of his current struggle.

Rocky moved his paw to take it from him and immediately fell flat on his nose. Zuma's snout cycled through confusion to worry.

"Are you okay, Wocky?" The eco pup didn't answer.

Zuma quickly checked his vitals. The mix tried to protest but wasn't even able to push Zuma's paws off him. "Your heawt rate is too fast, and your bweathing is way too shallow." Zuma mumbled. "These are the same symptoms you had when you were…" Zuma stopped and looked directly into Rocky's eyes. "No, not again...Wocky, I thought you were over this! I knew you weren't eating but I didn't know you weren't eating at all!" Rocky tried to look small, but it was kinda hard to do when you were looking straight into the eyes of your pissed off boyfriend. He smiled nervously.

"I'm...I'm sorry, okay?"

"You're sowwy? Oh, well, I guess that fixes everything, now, doesn't it?" Zuma spat in a dangerously soft voice, words dripping with sarcasm. Rocky tucked his paws under him.

"I didn't mean to do it this long, but it just made me feel better!"

"Of course, I'm sure you'll feel just peachy when you go into organ failure and die of disease! And you'll feel even better after I finish slapping some sense into you! We've been over this!"

Rocky rolled onto his back and looked up submissively with eyes that clearly said 'pleasedon'thitme'. Zuma's eyes softened and he sighed.

"I'm sorry...I'm just weally fwustwated wight now." Rocky couldn't help but smile at Zuma's adorable triple mispronunciation. Then his stomach growled and he winced in pain. "Wocky, please talk to me. You have to end this! I know you've been struggling with this since we left, but I didn't know you would let it go this far!" Rocky whined sadly.

"I didn't mean to..." Unshed tears shone in his eyes. Zuma gently picked him up and kissed his nose. Rocky looked like he was trying not to break down in tears. Zuma hugged his boyfriend securely.

"Y'know, if you need to cwy, I won't…" His boyfriend totally lost it after that, and cried freely into the labrador's chest. Zuma closed his eyes, and a few tears hit the top of the mix's head. I hate it when you cry.

"I'm sorry…!" Rocky sobbed. "I'm sorry…"

"Wocky, I need you to tell me why you're huwting youwself…" His voice cracked. Rocky shook his head and gripped into Zuma as tightly as his weakened muscles would allow him. "Yes, Wocky, you have to…" Zuma sighed and pushed Rocky's head back and looked into his goldeny, sunset-colored eyes. "We don't keep secwets from each other. Besides, it looks like you need some help with something." Rocky looked at him for a split second and all his feelings just spilled out in random order.

"It's that I've caused so much pain and turmoil for everyone! I never should've involved you guys and now you're left with a permanent scar! Literally! And it's all my fault. I thought it was over. I thought I was free! But I'm not! I've finally realized this! THINGS WILL NEVER BE OKAY FOR ME AGAIN! I'm never gonna be normal, not since I've been cursed with this power I NEVER ASKED FOR! I just wanna be normal! And as long as I'm living, someone will always be after me! Do you have any idea how hard it is to know you're never safe?!"

Rocky's eyes glowed and Zuma felt electricity shoot up his spine. It was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. An overhead light shattered as the electrical current surged. Zuma very quickly pacified his boyfriend before the entire building blew up.

"So?" Zuma asked gently.

"So I may have started punishing myself...again. At first I didn't eat because I didn't want to, but then I stopped altogether because I don't think I deserved it. It hurt a lot, and it helped me feel justified for hurting others." Rocky admitted shamefully. "And you can't pin the blame on anyone but me. If I hadn't been so hasty in trying to save my friend, none of this would've happened. I've tried to do the right thing, but I always seem to fail! And… I don't think I deserve to live anymore."

"Don't… Don't say that, Wocky boy… You do deserve to live. You've brought the Paw Patrol and I so much happiness over the years. Think of all the people you've helped, all the people you saved. You're my best fwiend, my hero…" Zuma blushed and licked Rocky's scared neck. "... and my soulmate. I know you are now more than ever." Rocky's snout brightened a bit. "I plan to make you mine soon…" The joy left Rocky's face and a look of guilt replaced it. "... but for wight now, you being beside me everyday is enough. So even if evewything is your fault, and that is highly debatable, the good you've done outweighs everything else. You saved everyone from a nightmare, and you gave your blood, even your life, for us. We are the ones who don't deserve you. And what? Are you just gonna stop living because you're huwt? Are you gonna give up without a fight? You're not a failure Wocky, you've just been confused sometimes. You internalize negativity so often that you huwt yourself. But you don't have to do that anymore... why can't you see all the good in yourself? You are perfect just the way you are. No one does everything wight, but the reverse is true as well. You are special, and I wouldn't want you any other way.""Do you really mean all that?" Zuma's warm breath blanketed his snout, filling him with good feelings.

"Every word. We are lucky to have you." Zuma brushed their whiskers together. Rocky immediately started laughing.

"Stop it, stop it, that tickles!" He tried turning his head but Zuma was too quick for him.

"Be a little quieter, will ya? Someone might hear us!" Zuma said, smirking devilishly. He finally stopped torturing Rocky and gave him a kiss. The mix immediately relaxed and Zuma leaned his friend against the pillows. "Are ya hungry?" Rocky nodded his head quickly, and his friend gave him small pieces of food to chew on. The mix licked it out of his paw, and Zuma giggled.

"Do ya have anymore?" Rocky asked a little later.

"Yeah, but I'll let you have more later. You need to slowly weintroduce youwself to food so you don't use up what remaining energy you have left too quickly." Zuma looked at him pointedly.

"It's not that bad." Rocky complained.

"Oh yeah? Tell ya what, if you can sit up straight, I'll let you have some more."

"Of course I can sit up!" Rocky got as far as lifting one of his paws before he became too tired and fell backward again. Zuma was trying to keep himself from snickering. Rocky looked crushed.

"It's okay, boy, you'll get better!" Zuma nipped his ear. "And I'll stay wight here until you do." He pulled the fairly light pup onto his chest and ran his paws through Rocky's fur, sighing contentedly. "You're the best, dude. As stupid as you act sometimes, I still love you." Rocky felt a bunch of butterflies in his stomach and blushed. "I want you to wemember that. No matter how hawd things get, I'll always go through it with you. You're all I cawe about now." He gave Rocky a long lick up the back of his neck and the eco pup felt tingles go up and down his spine, and new energy spread through him like a warm glow. "So...how do you feel?"

"Much better now, thank you." Rocky replied. "You're making me care about myself more, and the negative things I've believed for so long are starting to leave me."

"So you don't blame yourself anymore?" Zuma asked eagerly.

"I wouldn't say all that...I still blame myself for what's happened, but you've made me realize there is nothing I can do about that. Whatever decisions I've made in the past, I can't change. But I can amend my mistakes now. I think it's time I ended this sad chapter of my life." Rocky's eyes glowed a bright green, then slowly changed to a warm gold color. He turned and looked at Zuma, who immediately became captivated by them.

"What are you suggesting?" Zuma asked.

"Every time I've been captured, it's because I was powerless to stop it. But I'm not anymore. And because of you, I've finally achieved peace in myself. Michael told me I'd never be able to control my power if I couldn't control my emotions first. But as long as I have you, I can! I can feel it now...all the power I've been given. So I think it's time I stopped hiding and running like a pathetic coward. Since Jason wants a fight, I'll let him have one." His eyes abruptly stopped glowing and he touched his stomach, wincing in pain.

"Whoa, hold on there tiger, you're not in any shape to go fighting anyone just yet. Tell ya what, we'll stay here until we both get better, we find our friends, and the end this war. How's that sound?"

"If you give me some more food and a kiss I'll agree." Rocky replied.

"You aren't allowed to have anymore...but I'll kiss you and take you outside for a bit. There's a really lovely park near here."

"Deal."

"Hey, Wocky, now that you're like...in tune with your spiritual self or whatever, do you think you could let our friends know we're okay?"

"Yeah, that's prolly a good idea, dude." Rocky closed his eyes and reached out with his mind. IT didn't take long before he found them. "I can't connect with any of them. Their energy is all twisted up inside, turned negative."

"Can't you just...I don't know, wait for it to turn positive?"

"It doesn't quite work like that." Rocky sighed and opened his eyes.

"Hey, what about Taja and Mawcus? Did you try them?" Rocky blinked.

"I don't think that'll do anything, but I'll try anyway." Zuma watched Rocky as he concentrated again. "Gotcha." Rocky yawned. "Okay, I'm done. I couldn't reach Taja but Marcus was surprisingly open. It was like a magnetic attraction. I've been feeling it ever since he saved Chase but it's gotten stronger. I don't know what it is though. What I do know, is that there's a lot more to him than anyone suspects right now. I can feel it."

Feeling a little lost without their teammates, the pups began looking through the scrapbook they'd been keeping and smiling at the memories of the two.

"I remember this day." Chase began. "Who knew Adventure Bay could get so cold?"

"That day was pretty awesome. Zuma even taught Rocky how to skate." Skye chipped in.

"They were incredible." Marshall flipped the page. "Remember when he had to fix Turbot's boat while it was leaking? Damn, he was not happy about that."

"I miss him." Rubble said.

"We all do." Skye agreed softly. "I wonder why he took Zuma with him...I miss that pup too."

"He didn't take Zuma with him, Zuma wanted to stay with him." Marshall corrected. "I mean, they've always had a special place for each other in their hearts so it's not really surprising." That and he's Rocky's boyfriend, but that's not important right now.

"I hope he's okay." Taja said. "He seems like he meant a lot to you guys. Zuma included." Skye and Marshall gave each other a knowing look. They'd known about Taja's crush on Zuma for a long time.

"They are both fine." Marcus said suddenly, with his eyes closed. "They are both safe and they will be here soon. He wants me to tell you not to worry. He's coming up with a plan, but for right now we need to stay put and wait for him."

"Rocky's talking to you?" Marshall asked, hopefully.

"Yep. It was really...weird…" Marcus said, shaking his head. "It was like he was talking to me, but I only heard the words in my head."

"Yep, that's Rocky alright." Marshall said, tail wagging.

"Ugh, why doesn't he ever talk to us?" Chase lamented. "That must be so cool!"

"It is." They both admitted.

"But the important thing is that he's safe. Whatever crazy plan Rocky has in mind, I hope it works. And we'll be right here to help if he needs us."

"And things can finally get back to normal!" Chase exclaimed, tail wagging. And just like that, the light of hope shown brightly once more.

While everyone was celebrating, Jason was having one of his own. "You are truly one of the most stupid pups I've ever met. You left your friends...all alone...while you hightailed it out of there. Well...now you're gonna pay the price. It's time I visited Adventure Bay one last time. Except this time, you won't be there to stop me."

Hi guys! Wow, my life has been pretty hectic since I was last here, but I'm back! I was gonna get this to you guys sooner, but a bunch of (unexpected) stuff has been going on for the past few months (including my birthday, which happened exactly a week ago. I'm a year older now! Where has the time gone?!) but it's okay, cause I got a bunch of ideas to finish this story with.

There's still a bit to go, so randomly throwing out a number before thinking about it I'd say there are less than four chapters left, maybe less. I'm actually coming to the end of this story. It was supposed to be short, seeing as to how it's the first story I've ever attempted to do, but it ended up getting a lot longer than planned. After I finish this I'm gonna work on my other story which won't be nearly as long. It's about 30% done as of present.

So Rocky is still clearly traumatized, but after he's vented all his feelings Zuma helps him let go of all his negative feelings, allowing him to achieve peace within himself. He's finally connected with his spiritual self, and some of the changes we've seen already include increased positivity, clear thinking, and a stronger connection to his powers. But the question is, what's the price of true, unlimited power. The world will soon find out….

Marcus's power still hasn't been figured out yet, but Rocky can tell there's more to him than meets the eye. I wonder how many of you will figure out that that change is before I tell you. ;) We get a short look into Jason's life as his efforts to destroy Rocky's spirit have not yet ended. Everyone believes they have the upper hand in this war, Rocky's allies and enemy included. But the price of war is steep. You must decide what you're willing to sacrifice...and who you are willing to lose. ;)

No idea when the next chapter is coming out, but it will! (At some point. And school is starting soon so...yeah…) To all those who had concerns, again, I never give up on my stories, so don't worry about it. Oh, also, I'm going to retire for a bit after I finish my second main story, but I'll give you guys more on that later. Until next time

Peace out!