Chapter 10: Complicated Heritage
Gabriel and Margareth casually walked into the elevator, Margareth wore a smile while Gabriel was nervous, "Everything will be fine Gabriel, all we are doing is asking our parents to come visit," Margareth tells him.
The elevator door closed as it went up, "I know but I haven't seen my parents in years, and what if your parents don't like me," Gabriel said freaking out.
Margareth giggled, "You are overreacting, my parents already like you, they just don't know we are engaged or were even dating," Margareth told him in a joking manner.
"But I don't even know where to start with my parents, if he doesn't know then I am screwed," Gabriel groaned.
The elevator dinged as we reached the top, "Well, let's hope this," Margareth said hopefully as the door opened.
We walk out to see Ryder using his Pup-pad, "Hey Ryder, can you call Spyro, I need a favor from him," Gabriel tells him with a smile.
Ryder looks at at us, "Sure, what is this about though?" Ryder asked as he scrolled to find Spyro's number.
"It's about finding my Parents, he is the son of my dad's brother so one of them must know where to find them," Gabriel tells him.
"And I thought we might as well invite my family over to celebrate our engagement," Margareth tells Ryder with a smile.
"Sounds good to me, just let me know when they are coming," Ryder tells the pups as the big screen flashes to show Spyro, "Hey PAW Patrol, need something?" He asked with a smile.
"I need a favor from you Spyro, I am sure you heard me and Margareth got engaged," Gabriel tells him.
"Yeah, I did, good for you two, must be exciting," Spyro tells them.
"You don't know the half of it," Margareth said lovingly and leaned on Gabriel.
"Anyway, since you know my dad's brother I thought you might know how to find my parents," Gabriel tells him.
Spyro sighs, "I am gonna be honest Gabriel, it is not the best time, Hunter is gonna be on his first mission today."
"He must be excited," Margareth said with a smile.
"He is, anyway I don't think this is the best tim–" Spyro was cut off, "I got this Spyro, you go and find his parents, besides, we have been through this a thousand times," Raven tells him butting into frame.
"If you think you can handle this go right ahead, I am not gonna stop," Spyro tells her.
"Then it's settled, you go find his parents, I got Hunter," She tells him with a smile.
"Okay kid, I will find your parents, what time do you want to see them by?" Spyro asked.
"Probably around 4 or 5, " Gabriel tells him.
"Then I will go track them down for you, tell me if anything changes, and I will keep you guys posted," Spyro tells them with a smile.
"Thanks, Spyro," Gabriel says and hangs up.
"Well, let's hope he can find them," Gabriel says.
"I am sure he will, anyway, let's call my parents," Margareth says with a smile,
Okay, I have a few things to do, I will be back in a bit," Ryder said right before pulling up a call with Nicholas and Veronica as he left through the elevator.
"Hey little Miss, Gabriel, how have you two been," Nicholas greeted, and Margareth rolled her eyes at her father.
"Hey Dad," Margareth says.
"And what do we owe the pleasure of my daughter and her Boyfriend," Nicholas said jokingly.
They both blushed at his comment, "Well, he is a bit more than that now, we are engaged," Margareth tells them with a small blush much to their surprise.
"Wait, you guys were dating? When did you guys start?" Veronica asked.
"Around five months ago," Margareth answered her with a shy smile.
"And you didn't think to tell us, wow, I feel so unappreciated," Nicholas said with joking sad eyes.
"Well you know now, anyway I thought you might want to come over to celebrate," Margareth tells him.
"Sounds delightful, when do you want us over?" Veronica asks with a smile.
"Well, Gabriel's parents should be here around five, you can probably come around anytime before that," Margareth explained.
"Sounds good," we will see you guys soon," Veronica said with a smile and hung up.
"Well that went well," Margareth tells Gabriel with a smile.
"Yeah, let's just hope Spyro can find my parents," Gabriel sighed.
Margareth giggled at him before walking up to him slyly, "I think I know a way to calm you down."
She walked up to him before and kissed him. Gabriel accepted the kiss and wrapped his paws around her and pinned her to the ground. Margareth softly moaned as Gabriel's tongue entered her mouth. Gabriel fought for control over Margareth's tongue as they moaned lightly, after a few minutes Gabriel gained control over her tongue as he displayed dominance over her.
Gabriel then lightly bit her tongue and pulled it out of her mouth, "I got your tongue," Gabriel told her with a seductive smile as he let it go.
Margareth let out a giggle at his comment, "That you did."
Gabriel then collapsed onto her as he snuggled up to her, "So what now?" Gabriel asked her with a smile while lying on her belly.
"Well, we have a few hours before they arrive, how about we go see what the other pups are up to," Margareth tells him.
"But I don't want to move, you're too comfy," Gabriel complained.
"There will be plenty of time for us to snuggle later, right now we should go see how the other pups are," Margareth said as she started to get up and Gabriel fell to the ground.
Gabriel groaned before getting up and following after her. They walked into the elevator as it closed. As it went down Gabriel decided to stretch, his wings and tail flailed out and folded back in as he finished.
Margareth chuckled, "You like those wings?"
Gabriel smiled, "Eh, I have no idea how to use them yet, but they are nice to have, I wish Spyro would tell me how to use them."
"I am sure he will teach you at some point,' Margareth tells him.
The elevator opened and we walked out to find no one inside, "I think they are outside," Gabriel said and they walked outside to find most of the pups playing a game of tag.
"Tag, you're it!" Marcus yelled as he tagged Zuma and ran away.
"Ah man, I sweaw, what's up with you and Mawshall being fast!" Zuma yelled and ran after a pup.
Sebastian watched from the sidelines with a small smile. Chase noticed us and walked over, "Hey Gabriel and Margareth, want to play tag with us?"
Gabriel looked around, I noticed that Everest Snowcat was parked at the Lookout she stayed over after she found out about our engagement, but the husky was nowhere to be found, and a Dalmatian was noticeably missing, "Were are Marshall and Everest?" Gabriel asked.
"Marshall ran back into the forest, and Everest followed him in after she noticed he was missing, I swear she only came over to see Marshall, she follows him around like a lost puppy," Marcus tells them with a little laugh.
"Again? I swear if I find out he is working himself dry," Margareth frowned.
"Relax, Everet is with him and I am pretty sure she won't let him do anything crazy, let's just have some fun," Gabriel reassures her with a smile.
"Okay, let's have fun," Margareth said with a smile as she tagged Gabriel, "You're it!" She yelled and ran off with a smile.
"Hey! Not fair!" Gabriel yelled and ran off after her.
In the forest, a Dalmatian was again in his training spot, before his little throwing range. Marshall had his special Pup-pack on with his sword out. He focused on the target infront of him, a log like before.
"Come on, focus, I need to hit this," Marshall tells himself before throwing it.
Marshall took Everest's advice and threw it with less spinning, hitting it and shattering the log into pieces, "YES!" Marshall cheered.
Marshall was jumping for joy at the small accomplishment, he was happy for a moment but then it hit him, it wasn't enough, simply throwing a sword at someone wouldn't save anyone. He needed more training and more weapons, he wasn't enough.
Marshall felt the weight of the mental pressure and fell against a tree, he started to wail and whimper. Marshall let out the stress he had been bottling up. "What can I do?" Marshall asked himself.
"Marshall, we can't keep doing this," Everest said as she appeared through a few bushes.
She walked and laid down next to Marshall in comfort, "I thought we talked about this, you don't need t worry about those dreams," Everest consoled him.
Marshall still let out tears but Everest's comfort made him smile a little, and a slight blush, "You don't understand, they aren't dreams, that I know for sure now," Marshall told her.
"What do you mean? What makes you so sure they aren't just dreams?" Everest asked concerned.
"A lot, I came to get my swords last night and someone was here, waiting for me, she was watching us the entire time, and she told me things, things I can't un-hear," Marshall said with a whimper.
"Is she watching us now," Everest and became more alert and protective.
"No, she hasn't come back, I still can't believe I didn't hear them, I am normally good at those kinds of things," Marshall told her with a sigh.
"What did she tell you?" Everest said being more cold, she was mad.
"She told me what I suspected, they weren't dreams, and told me to tell my parents about it," He told her.
"How would she know they aren't just dreams? This is just crazy," Everest said with frustration.
"Because she knew who Spyro was, that isn't something most people would know, she knows things I don't, I need to talk to my parents about this," Marshall said and got up.
"And how are you gonna do that?" Everest asked curious.
"Well, I don't know, normally they would come see me," Marshall said with a blush of embarrassment.
"Well, I bet Margareth knows," Everest tells him.
"Yeah, she probably would know, I will go ask her," Marshall said and smiled at her.
Everest got up and brushed up against him in a comforting way, "Just please stop beating yourself up over this, we don't even know what this is about or if they aren't dreams," She tells him with a comforting smile and a blush.
"I don't think I can stop worrying, these dreams aren't dreams, they can be a reality," Marshall tells her with a whine.
Everest looked into Marshall's eyes, they looked tired like he had been up all night, pained, she knew this was affecting him a lot. All this was too much for one pup to handle, she needed to help him, but how?
Everest decided she needed to do something to help his nerves so she pushed him to the ground and pounced on him, this made him yelp in surprise but not from pain, she held him in place so he couldn't move, and she looked into the dalmatian's eyes.
She couldn't lie to herself, she wanted him. But this wasn't the time, he was broken right now, and she needed to help him, "Listen, Marshall, Please, you need to stop overthinking this, it is hurting you," Everest looked at him but he couldn't look her in the eyes and small pink blush on his cheeks.
"Everest, I can't," Marshall says sadly.
"Marshall," She said and shook him a little, "Look at yourself, you can't even function right now," Everest told him worried.
"I know you have a big heart, but you need to stop worrying about this," Everest tells him.
Marshall thought about it, still not daring to look at her, "I-I will try," Marshall tells her.
"Okay," Everest said letting her grip over him go.
"Just please promise me that you won't tell anyone about the dream," Marshall tells her and gets up.
"Marshall, you can't keep this all inside, you need help," Everest begged.
"I will tell someone, my parents, they are the ones that might understand," Marshall tells her.
"But what about the other pups? They will notice that you are acting different," Everest tried to tell him.
"I can't!" Marshall yelled surprising her.
Marshall noticed he yelled and saw Everest's surprise, he let out a few tears, "I am sorry, I didn't mean to–" Marshall tried to say but Everest cut him off.
"Stop," she tells him and he does, "You need help, seeing you like this hurts me, you need help," She says.
Marshall sighed, "You're right, but I don't want them to worry about me, so please, don't tell them about the dreams," Marshall begged her.
"Fine," Everest relented, "But I don't want you to bottle this all up, you need to talk to someone about this, someone who can help you," Everest tells him fiercely.
Marshall didn't think she would back down without a fight but she did, he didn't understand why but he was glad she did, "I will, I just need to find my parents," I tell her.
"Okay, then let's head back, no need to worry the others," she says with a small smile as they both walk back.
Marshall and Everest walked out of the forest to find the other pups playing tag.
"Marshall, I see you run off again," a voice from behind Marshall said as Marshall jumped.
He looked behind him to find Margareth staring at him with a malicious grin.
"O-oh h-hey M-Margareth," Marshall said with a little fear and Everest giggled.
Margareth started to walk towards him slowly, like a predator cornering her prey, "Mind telling me what you were doing out there?" Margareth asked with a dark smile.
Other pups noticed them and watched, "W-well, y-you know," Marshall said through stuttering before Margareth was face to face with him.
"What were you doing in the woods?" She asked him with a vicious smile.
"I-I, uh," Marshall tried to get the words out but couldn't.
"Relax Margareth, I was watching him, he didn't do anything stupid," Everest tells her, pitting Marshall suffering.
Margareth sighed before smiling, "Thanks for watching him, Everest, but you need to stop running off," Margareth told them.
"I am sorry, I just have a lot on my mind right now," Marshall tells her.
Margareth looked at her little brother, she could tell something was wrong, he looked tired, "Marshall, Did you get any sleep last night? You look tired?" Margareth questioned
Marshall thought about telling her why but he knew that he couldn't, all the pups were watching, listening, even if he was alone, he wasn't willing to make his own sister a target, he had already done that with Everest, he wasn't gonna do that again, "I couldn't get much sleep last, that's all," Marshall tells her.
She didn't like his answer, she knew he was hiding something but she knew there was a reason behind it, Marshall never lies to her so what was he hiding, but she knew this wasn't the time, she could ask him about it later, "Okay, want to play with us, we are playing tag," Margareth tells him with a wagging tail.
Marshall and Everest smiled, "Yes," they both said with joy and joined in on the fun.
This was just what Marshall needed, some fun got his wandering mind off his "dreams". They all played until they got tired, and we were all now on the grass relaxing, "I missed this," Marshall said with a relaxed sigh.
"Looks like someone has been lonely," Marcus joked.
Marshall blushes from his comment, "Shut up," Marshall says from embarrassment.
Marcus laughed, "Come on Marshall, you are the only Blaze pup on the team without a girlfriend, are you scared of them or something?"
"Girls aren't the first thing on my mind right now," Marshal tells him with a sigh.
"Come on, they must be some pup that you like?" Marcus asked him.
"I can think of a few," Margareth laughed as she side-eye Everest and Everest gave her a death glare.
"If there is you wouldn't be the first to know," Marshall said, trying to avoid Marcus's comment.
"Come on Marshall, you can't hide your feelings forever," Marcus taunted him with a grin.
"Leave him alone Marcus," Gabriel tells him, "Besides, he isn't the only one without a girlfriend, most of us don't."
Just then, Ryder rolled back in with his ATV, he got up and greeted the pups, "How have you guys been?" Ryder questioned as the pups roared with excitement and he was met with happy faces and wagging tails.
"Okay, when are your parents coming over Margareth?" Ryder asked to the surprise of the others.
"I don't think it will be too long from now, they said they would be here when they could," Margareth tells him.
This surprised Marshall, what were the chances he could figure this out so soon? "Our parents are coming over?" I asked her.
"Yeah, so are Gabriels, hopefully," Margareth tells him.
"So this is for your engagement?" Skye asked with a grin.
"Yup, isn't it exciting," Margareth squealed.
Just then, the pups heard an engine running and it was slowly getting louder. a sliver jet arrived at the Lookout and landed near the other pup-house's. The cockpit opened to reveal a small white pup and jumped out as the jet transformed back into a pup-house.
The pup was met with surprised looks and suspicion, Chase, Margareth, and Sebastian were on edge at her arrival but not all were tense at her arrival, "Hey Sweetie, long time no see," Skye greeted with a smile.
Sweetie smiled at that, "Hey Skye, good to see you again."
Chase looked at her with suspicion, "What are you doing here Sweetie?"
Marshall was quick to defend her, "Leave her alone Chase, she didn't do anything wrong,"
This surprised Chase, Everest, and Sweetie, "He's right Chase, plus I called her here," Ryder tells the shepherd.
"What is it about?" Gabriel asked curious.
"It is about her job, anyway, me and Sweetie need to talk about a few things, you guys can do whatever," Ryder tells the pups as he and Sweetie walk into the Lookout.
"I wonder what that was about?" Marshall asked.
"I could care less," Chase said with a shrug.
We all knew that Chase still didn't trust Sweetie, most pups couldn't fully trust after all that had happened, and no one really understood why Skye and Marshall treated her nicely but the idea of Marshall being nice made Everest gag.
Sweetie and Ryder arrived at the top of the Lookout, they walked over to the big screen as Sweetie pulled out a thumb drive and put it into the computer, "So how has the investigation going," Ryder asked.
She wore a smile, "Better than I hoped but still not good enough," she said as things popped up on the screen.
Two Symbols, one with a Purple H and one that was a full moon that was crossed with a fang and Lightning bolt, Ryder knows who these Symbols belong to, Team HOPE and Canine Global Security Watch Force, "So, what did you find?"
"Well, A lot, but nothing about the people you are looking into, the Dragon was telling nothing but the truth, he doesn't know anything else but he didn't tell you everything he knew about Marshall and Gabriel, it wasn't a coincidence that Marshall got attack and not Gabriel," Sweetie tells them and pulls up a file.
Inside were two pictures, on the pictures there were rocks, ones that looked like they were carved into, what looked to be writing of some kind but one neither understood, "What are those?"
"Those are the prophecies that they speak of, I am sure you heard the first one, when one shy and timid Chow-Chow and Werepup mixed breed overcomes his own Timidness and shyness by growing out from his own shell of Insecurities, he will make his mark on the world by howling and clawing his way to his true calling and when he grows out of his deepest fears, the once shy and timid Chow-Chow and Werepup mixed breed will make his place in the world by turning villains into good guys while making the world dissolve the pain and misery and bringing an age of everlasting peace" Sweetie tells Ryder
"Yeah, a few times but what is the other one about?" Ryder asked her
Sweetie became tense, "This one is about Mashall supposedly, one Blaze pup with the purest heart needs to let go of the shame of his past with a certain Locksmith pup due to the Locksmith pup being harassed by him, this pup with the purest heart when he decides to let go of his past and the shame involved in it, he will start to make his emotions go ablaze and the huge fire of his emotions will start to attract the White Moth and when the Blaze pup with the purest heart decides to let his dreams guide him instead of fighting his dreams when the Blazepup with the purest heart go on a huge battle with the fate of the earth and his best friend in it, the emotions of the Blaze Pup with the purest heart go soo huge that summon a fire in him, the White Moth fuses with him unlocking his White Flame," Sweeties tell him.
Ryder nodded, "I can see why they think it is Marshall, that sounds like it is him but this is a lot to take in."
"Ryder, from what you told me, it looks like two people are after Gabriel and Marshall," Sweetie warns him.
"But what can I do, I can't fight either of them," tells her letting a bit of his stress out which Sweetie noticed.
"You have a few options, depending on who you trust the most, a menacing Dragon that seems to have the pup's safety in mind or two agents you have already at the Lookout," Sweetie tells him.
"Speaking of them, did you find anything on them?" Ryder asked as she giggled.
"I used to steal crowns, a little information on a secret organization is nothing she said and pulled up some files.
"Sebastian, a Werepup, a secretive agent meant to spy on higher-ups, most likely meaning the government but as the Dragon said, he quit but the details behind it are unknown," She read off the files for Sebastian, "There is a bit more but let's move over to Marcus,"
She pulled up another file, "Marcus, Dalmatian, an agent that was sent to spy on the PAW Patrol, still in progress and still sending updates," She said with disgust, "An update from him says Gabriel Marshall is likely candidate for their prophecy but could not confirm it."
"Do I want to know how you got all this?" Ryder asked her.
Sweetie laughed, "When you ask for sensitive information, you don't ask where they got it, it like 101 for this kind of thing."
Ryder sighed, "Fine, just don't go around breaking the law, it doesn't help with your reputation in the PAW Patrol, most still don't trust you," He warned her.
"I only did what I because you needed it, I am a changed pup and of all people and pups you should know that," She growled a little.
"I do, that is why I asked you to do this, I am disappointed, I am telling you the consequences of such actions, if you were caught they would just let you off the hook like we have, this world isn't the same as the one in Barkingbrk," He tells her.
"Oh, I-I, I understand," she sighed.
"But my point still stands, you need to protect those two, Crimson Star will find them and it looks like they are willing to kill them," She warns him.
"I know but I know people are watching them if they come after then they will have a hard wall to break," Ryder tells her and pats her head.
"Now, how about you go talk to the other pups, I know most aren't exactly happy about you joining but I think most with come around, if they don't, I can see Skye and Marshall are willing to be friends with you," Ryder tell her as they walked into the elevator.
They walked out of the elevator to find that most of the pups moved inside onto the couch infront of TV, the Switch Marshall got Gabriel for his birth and was plugged into the TV. Gabriel was looking for the right game to play.
Gabriel, Margareth, Marshall, and Chase were on the couch while the other pups were scattered around the room on bean bags, "About time we use this thing, took a long time to make these," Gabriel said, referring to the controller in his paws.
The controller in question was made to fit in paw hands rather than human hands, "Who wants to play first, we can have up to eight?" Gabriel said and heard a roar of yes's.
Gabriel handed out the controller to everyone who wanted to play, they were Gabriel, Marshall, Margareth, Chase, Zuma, Rubble, Marcus, and Skye were up first. The others were on the sidelines for another game.
Gabriel decided to play Super Smash Bros just like he saw the members of Team HOPE play and Marshall was right about Gabriel owning the game. They started playing as Sweetie walked over and sat down quietly beside Skye.
the game raged on with the pups learning how to play but through it all, they had a lot of fun, Ryder just watched his pups play with a smile.
They played for twenty minutes before Margareths parents arrived, Margareth was the first to notice their arrival and got up to greet them. Nicholas, Veronica, Mariana, Matthis, Austin, and a new face were at the door.
The new guy is human and African American, he has short red hair, probably dyed like Hunters, and a black mustache and beard, and he was wearing a black shirt and red pants but his shirt had a logo on it, it was a white flame crossed with a sword and a hunter's crossbow, and over his shirt was a red vest with a flame pattern on it, he had a belt with a 1911 pistol on it.
"Guys, you're here, welcome," Margareth greets her family happily.
"Good to see you, little miss," Her father says to her as she rolls her eyes.
"Now where is your soon-to-be husband?" her mother asked with a smile.
Gabriel heard that and walked up to them, "H-hi, I'm G-Gabriel, nice to meet you," Gabriel nervously said with a small smile and blush.
The two parents couldn't help but giggle at his response, "Son, we have already met," Nicholas tells him.
"No need to be so nervous, if Margareth chose to be with then I think you are the right one," Veronica tells him but she and Nicholas notice something.
They noticed his small wings, scruffier fur, longer muzzle, and pointed tail, "What happened to you?" Veronica asked confused.
Gabriel looked confused before she pointed to the wings, "Oh, that. That is a long story, maybe Spyro could explain to you but I am part dragon now," Gabriel tells her with a smile.
A sigh of relief came over Nicholas as he heard his explanation, he was holding breath when he saw the looks of Gabriel, no one understood why. "Why would you do something crazy like that?" Veronica asked.
"Again, long story, I hope this isn't a problem," Gabriel said again with a nervous smile.
"Are you kidding! That is amazing, how does it feel?" Mariana asked with excitement.
Gabriel smiled at her excitement, "It is so cool but I still don't know how to use these wings," Gabriel said flapping his wings.
"Aw, that sucks," Mariana tells him.
"Anyway, I think we have a few new faces here, mind introducing yourselves to everyone?" Margareth asked her brother Mattias and the man.
Matthias looked at Gabriel, with a smile, "I am Matthias, one of Margareth's brothers."
"And I am Pedro Blazious, the bodyguard of the Blaze family," the man said casually much to some of the other's surprise.
"Hold, you guys have a bodyguard?!" Zuma asked surprised.
"Yeah, he used to follow us everywhere," Marshall rolled his eyes.
Marshall isn't a pup to act callous towards anyone but to this man, he seems to have some sort of grudge against him, this did not go unnoticed by Chase, Everest, Marcus, and Sweetie.
"He's not that bad, but yeah, he keeps us safe, or used to in me and Marshall's case," Margareth explained.
"Why would you guys need bodyguards, isn't that for rich people?" Rubble asked innocently.
"Well, we kind of are," Margareth said with a bit of hesitation much to the other pup's surprise.
"What!" most of the pups said.
"Yeah, but I don't think it matters," Margareth shrugged, "Anyway come here guys, come sit down," Margareth said and dragged her family over to the living area.
Marshall quickly got up from the couch and decided to stand instead of sitting on a beanbag, close to Everest and Sweetie, Chase also moved onto a beanbag near Marcus and Skye. Margareth, Gabriel, Austin, and Mariana moved to the couch. Nicholas and Veronica sat on a beanbag near the TV while Mattias moved to be next to Marshall. Pedro was standing next to Ryder, just watching everyone to make sure nothing went wrong.
Mathias saw the look in Marshall's eye, just like Marshall he was good at seeing others' feelings but mostly just distress, "What's wrong Marshall?" Matthias whispered in his ear.
Marshall looked at him and asked the question, "Do you know what the White Flame is?"
Matthias was surprised by his question and he showed it well, their conversation went unnoticed by everyone but Everest and Sweetie as they were in earshot.
"H-how do you know about that?" Matthias asked concerned.
"Tell Mom and Dad I will be outside in my training spot, we can talk when Spyro gets here," Marshall said and walked outside.
The others noticed Marshall walked away and everyone was confused, "Why did Marshall leave?" Nicholas said aloud.
"I don't know, I have never seen him like that before," Margareth said concerned.
"Marshall has been stressed lately, I think he just needs space," Everest told the other.
"I will go check on him," Pedro said and started to walk outside.
"Don't, you will only make things worse," Nicholas sighed.
"Anyway, who wants to play?" Gabriel said with a smile.
They played for about an hour before Spyro walked through the door, Gabriel was quick to notice and ran up to him, "Did you find them?" Gabriel with his tail running.
"Yes, your Parents are outside, and a few of your siblings but are you sure you are ready to face them, it has been a few years since you have seen any of them," Spyro told him and went down to Gabriel's level and scratched his ear.
"I think so, plus I know there will be someone by my side the whole way," Gabriel said as Margareth walked up to him.
"Always," Margareth tells him and nuzzles him with a smile.
"So, are you ready?" Spyro asked him and Gabriel nodded.
"Okay, then they are right outside," Spyro tells them and points outside.
Gabriel and Margareth walked outside to meet his parents. Outside were four dogs, all Werepup and Chow-Chow mix, except Carolina, a Werepup, and Samuel, a Chow-Chow.
First, Samuel was a smaller dog but not small because of his breed, he had messy brown fur and green eyes. Carolina was a lot larger than Samuel and towered over most pups, she had neat, well-kept black fur but had a few tufts of fur poking out of her chest, top of her head, and tail, and had purple eyes.
Next was one of their daughters, she was still a pup but was quite a few years older than Gabriel and had the height to prove it, she had black and brown fur, and she held the looks of both her parents with the small tufts of fur like her mother and her father unkempt fur.
And last was one of their sons, he looked younger than Gabriel and was a bit smaller then him, but unlike the others, he had weird and unheard-of fur color, he had gold, messy fur. Green eyes, and had braces on his teeth.
Gabriel recognized all of them but one.
Samuel looked at Gabriel and held a soft smile, "It has been a while kid."
"You look different, I guess that happens after about five years," Carolina tells him with a nervous smile.
"P-please, tell me you came back to be a family again," Gabriel said with teary eyes.
"If you let us, we didn't want to leave you, it would take a lot to explain," Coralina says shyly.
"I am sorry," Samuel said with a tear coming out of his eye, "For everything," Samuel said and let his tears flow.
Gabriel knew how hard it was for his father to say, he was always so serious about everything and was extremely stubborn. Gabriel couldn't take the emotional pressure and lept into his mother and father's arms.
They gladly exempted the hug as they let out the years of absence and distress out as they hugged their son. It was a touching moment for them as the tears of all three of them were shed. Spyro could not help but smile, he may not be on good terms with his parents but still, he felt it was nice.
Ryder walked out and looked at them, "So, is this good?" Ryder asked Spyro quietly.
Spyro only shrugged, "Who knows, all we can do is see what happens."
"It could work, he started with an apology, it's a good start," Nicholas said walking out with Veronica close behind.
Most of the pups stayed behind to play on Gabriel's Switch but Matthias did come out.
Gabriel broke the hug, "Why? W-why did you leave me?" Gabriel said through sobs.
That one question has been bothering him for way too long, he once thought that they hated him, and then he thought it was because it was for the best. But now, he didn't know the reason.
Carolina looked at her son with teary eyes, "We didn't want to but we couldn't help you the way we were, it wasn't an easy decision for either of us but we knew you would be safe, there was always someone watching over you."
"Like your sister, she has been watching over you ever since we left you, she couldn't bear to leave you unprotected," Carolina said and pointed to the female Werepup and Chow-Chow mix.
The pup in question smiled shyly, "She has been watching you, ever since you left home," Carolina tells her distraught son.
"Is it true, have you been watching me, Natassha," Gabriel asked his sister.
She walked up to her brother and pulled him into a hug, "I missed you, Gabriel, I wish I could have just stayed with you, I am sorry," She said and hugged him with a few tears.
Gabriel hugged her and let out a few tears, "I missed all of you," Gabriel said with a smile.
The other pup looked at them and hugged, then Gabriel stopped the hug and looked at him, he had never seen him before, "Um, hello, who are you?"
He smiled, "Hi, I am Bastion, I am your little brother," he said with a smile.
Gabriel was surprised to hear this, he was an older brother. So much time has passed, "I am an older brother?"
"Yes, I have heard so much about you, from your being very smart to you joining the PAW Patrol," he tells Gabriel with a smile.
"A lot has changed, for better or worse, either way, we are here now, that is, if you will have us?" Samuel tells him.
Gabriel wanted just to tell him yes and jump into his parent's arms but he knew he needed to get a few things off his chest first, "Mom and Dad, first, you abandoned me, left me alone to fend for myself, do you think I can just forget that?" Gabriel asked them.
"No, and I am not asking for forgiveness, there is no going back from that, but what I can do is try to make it up to you," Samuel tells his son seriously.
"You can blame me for everything and I wouldn't blame you, but don't blame your mother for my mistakes, I was the one who was hard on you, I was the one who yelled at you, I was the one who decided that to leave you," Samuel tells him.
Gabriel could tell Samuel was serious about this, he was trying to do better than he did years ago, was it enough?
"This is your second chance, I am willing to try again," Gabriel told them with a smile.
That made his parents tear up and they all hugged again. They broke it off with a smile.
Margareth was mainly just watching before Gabriel put his paws around her, "This is my Fiance, Margareth," Gabriel said with a smile.
"It is nice to meet you," Carolina greeted the Dalmatian.
"Hello," Margareth said with a smile.
"How about you guys come inside and you guys can talk more there," Ryder offered.
"That sounds nice," Carolina said as they all walked inside.
Spyro, Nicholas, Veronica, and Matthias stayed outside. All three of them noticed that something was bothering Matthias, "So, what did Marshall say?" his father asked.
"He asked what the White Flame was," Matthias said bluntly surprising all three.
"How?" Veronica asked.
"I don't know but even I can tell he was mad, he didn't just run off because he was mad, he is waiting for you and Spyro," Matthias said referring to his father.
"This is not my day today," Spyro said with a sigh and stretched his body, "Well, come on, I know where he is."
Nicholas and Spyro walked off into the forest while Veronica walked inside but Matthias stayed outside. He just needed a bit of space, too bad he wasn't gonna get it, "So, were you avoiding me," Matthias heard someone say.
"Don't you want to go talk to your brother, this is the first time he has seen you in years," Matthias tells her and turns around to face her.
It was Natassha, "I can do both, do you think you can just ignore me?" She asked jokingly and nuzzled the Dalmatian, "What's got you so tense?"
"Where do I start, first you are meeting your little brother after years and now my brother somehow just found out about one of our family secrets," he tells her.
"Okay, I get it, you have a lot of problems," she joked, "Anyway, are you gonna come inside or sit here and mope?"
"Yeah, yeah, let's head inside," Matthias told her with a smile and walked inside.
Gabriel, Margareth, Samuel, and Carolina were talking.
Gabriel noticed we walked in, "Where are Spyro and Margareths Dad?"
Matthias sighed, "They went to talk to Marshall."
This confused both Margareth and Gabriel, "Why would Spyro go talk to Marshall?" Margareth asked.
"I don't know," Matthias told her.
Sure, Marshall liked Spyro but he couldn't comfort him, very few people could, Margareth could only name a few and Spyro wasn't one of them, 'What is going on?' she asked herself. But she knew someone might know the answer.
Everest has been by Marshall's side for the last day, she was the one who said he wasn't in a good mood, she knows more than she is letting on. Margareth knew she needed to talk to her, "He is probably in his training spot, why don't you go check on him Gabriel," Margareth told him.
"Yeah, I think I will," Gabriel tells her.
Gabriel started walking off before Samuel interrupted him, "I am sorry to say that I can't stay, so I will take my leave after you go look for your friend but I have something to tell before I go."
"Oh, Okay, what is it?" Gabriel asked saddened by his father's short stay.
"Don't Dive in the Deep End, if you Dive too Much in the Deep End that's When you will begin to be Surrounded by the Black Flame," Samuel said before walking out.
His message did not go unheard, it was very cryptic and confused Gabriel and Margareth, "What do you mean?" Gabriel asked but Samuel left before he could answer.
"Well, that was confusing," Margareth said before shrugging.
"Anyway, I am going to go check on Marshall," Gabriel said before walking off.
This left Margareth alone which is what she needed, she looked around for the husky but she noticed a few things, firsts two pups were missing besides the obvious, Marcus and Sweetie disappeared, and she didn't even see the pups walkout, 'why are there so many pups that know how to slip out unnoticed?' she asked herself.
She quickly found the said husky and watched the others play on Gabriel's switch, Margareth walked up next to her, "Hey, can we talk?" she asked her.
Everest looked at her hesitantly before talking to her, "Sure, but not here," She said and got up and led Margareth outside.
No one was around outside, perfect for them, "So, what did you need?" Everest asked with a smile.
"What is Marshall upset about?" Margareth asked her bluntly.
This did not surprise Everest, "It is best you ask him, he didn't want me to say anything," Everest said with a sigh.
"I am not asking Everest, what is Marshall upset about?" Margareth demanded.
She was always good about getting what she wanted and with the added fact that she was known for being a bit violent when it came down to her brother.
"Listen, why don't you just ask him, you're his sister," Everest tells her.
"I would but he isn't here right now so I am going to you, now what's got him so tense?" she asked with more force.
"Maybe if you weren't so focused on Gabriel you would have noticed that your brother has been depressed for two months," Everest snarkily replied.
"What did you just say?" Margareth with surprise and anger.
"You heard me, I am only here every so often and it was the first thing I noticed, how could you not tell has been suffering that long?" Everest prided on her.
"What are you talking about?!" Margareth yelled lightly.
"Just in the last 24 hours, I have seen him break down crying twice, how could you be so focused on Gabriel that you could notice your brother's pain!" she yelled back.
"Of course, you noticed, all you do is stare at him," Margareth barked out.
"So what, it is not a secret that I like Marshall, a lot of the pups know, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be able to see when your bother is suffering," Everest shot back.
"It matters because he doesn't like you," Margareth yelled out.
That one sentence seem to shake Everest, Margareth knew she messed up when she said that. Sure, it was true, well from as far as she lasted talk to him about it, but telling her this would probably break her and immediately she looked at her with a few tears in her eyes, "Everest, I-I–" Margareth was cut off, "Just go, you have done enough," she said and walked into her pup house.
Margareth just sat there, she didn't know what to do. She really messed up and she didn't know how to fix it.
Meanwhile, Marshall was resting on a red mat in his training spot in the forest. He had his eyes closed and was just sitting there. He was in the middle of meditating, which helped him with his ongoing stress, the sounds of the forest echoed through his ears.
He could hear every sound that went through the forest, even the footsteps of his father and Spyro. He knew he needed to talk to them but still didn't know how, before last night he thought he was going crazy.
But now he knows his parents know something about what he has experienced, and they are the only ones that won't call him crazy, sure Everest listened to him he could tell she didn't believe that they were real.
He could hear their footsteps get closer before he finally opened his eyes, but what was in front of him was not who he expected. Austin stood there looking at him with a reasuring smile.
"Hey, you doing okay?" Austin asked his brother.
Marshall and Austin have always been close, Austin and Margareth have always been the siblings he got along most with. It is not that he didn't like his other siblings, those two just seem to understand him like most can't.
"Yeah, never better," Marshall put on a fake smile but Austin saw right through it.
"Come on, Marshall, I am your brother, you can tell me," Austin reassured him.
Austin was known for being very quiet, he even got the nickname "Mute" from people who didn't know him well, most of the PAW Patrol didn't even know his name. That was his choice though, but his mute side didn't affect him around Marshall.
"Well, if you stay, you will find out soon anyway, I really don't want to have this conversation more than once," Marshall tells him with a sigh.
Then Marshall's ears perked at the sound of walking, he knew who they were, Marshall was still mad about his parents not telling him anything but he also didn't know the truth, he needed to find out what it was, "So, are you guys here to explain what the hell is wrong with my head?" Marshall asked casually.
Spyro looked at him with curiosity, "What do you mean by wrong with your head?"
"I mean for the last two months, I have watched my friends die over and over again in horrible ways for months and now I find out that you guys know why so please, tell me what the hell you guys have been hiding," Marshall said with obvious resentment.
"So, who told you about the flame?" Nicholas asked.
"Does it matter right now? Right now I am owed an explanation as to why you never told me anything, I don't even know what exactly I am asking but I know you know so tell me!" Marshall barked out.
"You aren't making this easy Nika," Spyro sighed before taking in a deep breath, "The White Flame is hard to explain for as far as I can tell but from what I know is that it chooses a user every few centuries, and that user seems to be you."
"What is it?" are these dreams just dreams or am I just going crazy?" Marshall asked them franticly.
"No, don't take those dreams lightly, I don't know how they work but what I do know is that it is showing you them, you might be able to stop them," Spyro said and sat down on a log, "So, who have you seen die?"
"I know you may not want to talk about it but I can't do anything if I don't know who they are?" Spyro asked him seeing the pain in the dog's eyes.
"Gabriel, Margareth, Mariana, Sweetie, and Everest," Marshall tells him with tears flowing down.
"Well, that isn't good but what do I do about it?" Spyro asked himself.
"We could lock down the Lookout and prepare," Nicholas suggested.
"I have only seen Gabriel die at the Lookout, the others were in places I didn't recognize," Marshall tells them.
"Well this is gonna be a problem, we don't even know where they will be?" Spyro says.
"You still haven't told me what the White Flame is?" Marshall tells the two.
"I told you what little I knew about it, this something you have to tell him," Spyro tells Nicholas and he sighs.
"Okay, the White Flame is like a voice in your head, think of it as someone living in your head, it guides you and protects you, those dreams our its way of protecting you and your mind," Nicholas tried to explain.
"Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?" Marshall asked hurt.
"Because I didn't know how, I didn't want you to change around the possibility of it being true," Nicholas tells his son.
"A possibility of what?" Marshall asked.
"A Prophecy, written by the last user of the White Flame, one that seemed to refer to you, I didn't want you to change around it, you always had this light that brought smiles to people around, I just didn't want that to change," Nicholas explained with a sigh.
"I think that's why it favors him," Spyro tells Nicholas with a smile, "I will tell Hunter about the Flame when I get back and hopefully he can help you with this," Spyro said and got up.
"How?" Marshall asked curious.
"He is the inspiration for your fighting style, he is also the person you are very close with, I can't think of a better trainer for you," Spyro tells him with a smile as Marshall's eyes light up.
"Really!?" Marshall asked.
"Yeah but I need to talk to Ryder about all this, so that is where I am heading," Spyro said and started to walk off, but then turned around to face the pup, "One more thing, don't tell anyone about the dreams, it is for the best if they don't know, they might think your crazy," Spyro joked which made Marshall giggle.
During this whole ordeal, Austin stayed silent, he didn't trust Spyro, he had only seen him a few times and something about him is off to Austin but he could place his paw on it but either way he stayed quiet.
"Yeah, but someone else already knows about it," Marshall said with a smile.
"Who?" Nicholas asked.
"I told Everest about it, she was the only one who seemed to notice and care," Marshall told him with a small smile and blush.
"A girl hu, any other reason you told her about it," Nicholas asked with a jabbing look.
"Stop it, Dad, it is nothing like that," Marshall groaned.
"Well, make that two more," Spyro said with a smile and shook the tree next to him as two pups came falling out.
Sweetie and Marcus groaned as they got up, "You two seem to have a knack for spying on your friends," Spyro said with a laugh.
Marshall couldn't help but giggle at the two pups in front of him, "What are you guys doing," he asked them with a smile.
"Just seeing what you were up to," Marcus said with a sly smile.
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay," Sweetie tells him and looks away from him.
"Well, next time just ask me what I am doing instead of spying on me," Marshall tells them both, showing no resentment.
Just then Gabriel walked in to see everyone, "What's going on here?" he asked with a grin.
"Just trying to cheer up Marshall," Nicholas answered with a smile.
"It looks like it worked, but what are you doing here Spyro, I thought you would be watch over my parents?" Gabriel asked him.
"Yeah, that was the plan, but things are known to change fast, I need to talk to Ryder so I would recommend you guys head back," Spyro said before taking his leave and walking back to the Lookout.
Gabriel looked around the forest with a smile, he still liked this place, Marshall really struck gold with a little clearing. Gabriel remembered the times he and Marshall would run off to this place, whether it was from anger, needing a break, or wanting to train.
"It has been a while since I have been here, but I see you haven't stopped," Gabriel says with a smile for Marshall.
"Yeah, I have been," Marshall said looking at Gabriel.
Gabriel could tell he was still upset about something but knew what could make him feel a bit better, "it has been a while, how about a friendly spar in Pup-Fu?" Gabriel asked him.
Marshall's ears perked at the idea, "Yeah, that sounds like fun!" he said as his tail wagged vigorously.
Both Marshall and Gabriel walked over to a grassy spot that marks the ring, Nicholas, Austin Sweetie, and Marcus sat down a began to watch the match that was about to unfold. Nicholas was excited to see the two spar.
Gabriel stood on one side and Marshall stood on the other, They didn't have the Pup-Fu uniforms but they didn't need them to practice. They looked at each other with grins.
"Do still remember the technique I taught you, you're gonna need it to face me," Gabriel said cockily.
"Oh, course I do but it is tricky to use," Marshall tells him.
"On the count of three, we start, ready?" Gabriel asked him.
"Yup," he replied with a smile.
"Okay, three, two one, GO!" Gabriel yelled before charging at the Dalmatian.
Gabriel quickly rushed at Marshall, he ran as fast as lightning. He approached Marshall and tried to kick him but somehow dogged. Marshall's mind was running a mile a minute as Gabriel approached him. It was almost as if he saw the attack before it happened as he dodged it swiftly.
As he regained his footing and stood up with confidence tried to strike Gabriel with his right front paw. Gabriel quickly grabbed his paw and uppercutting him. Marshall fell to the ground but swiftly rolled back onto his feet.
Gabriel was always better at countering than attacking head-on, it was perfect for him since he wasn't known for being violent but he was also fast, the only pup known to be able to match Marshall's speed and energy. Marshall knew he could attack him like this, he needed to find a new strategy.
Austin and Nicholas watch Marshall very closely, watching his every move. Austin always knew Marshall was fast on his feet but he could tell Gabriel rivaled that speed.
"Seems like the time away hasn't affected your skills," Marshall tells him.
"Sometimes I wish it would, I still can feel the pain from exhaustion my father put me through," Gabriel tells him with a shiver, probably from remembering the pain.
"Well know that I haven't stopped practicing since you stopped, I have been learning new ways to fight," Marshall warned before racing towards him.
Gabriel was ready to counter him before he could Marshall jumped to the side, pushed into him, and knocked him to the ground. Gabriel groaned before getting up and shaking off the dirt on his fur.
"Yeah, I can see that, but let's see if you still know how to do the Counter Of The Swan Style," Gabriel and rushed at Marshall again.
Marshall could barely keep up with Gabriel's movement before he struck but again, he could see him but not with his eyes, it was almost like he could see him before he could land a hit. With this help, he could move out of the way of his attack quickly, kicked his side, and set him tumbling again.
Gabriel got up with a smile, "I see you have been training hard, I think that is enough for today."
Marshall let his muscles relax as he exhaled from exhaustion, he almost fell to the ground before Gabriel caught him, "Looks like someone is tired," Gabriel said with a laugh.
Marshall didn't understand why he was so tired, they didn't even spare for that long, there was no reason for him to be grasping for this much air.
Gabriel at me confused, "What's wrong buddy?"
"I don't know, I just feel breathless for some reason," Marshall tells him as he begins to regain his breath.
Nicholas walked over to the two with a smile, "Who would have thought that a Locksmith pup would want to marry my Daughter," Nicholas said with a laugh.
This surprised both Marshall and Gabriel, "How did you know my last name?" Gabriel asked confused.
"Well, you made it pretty obvious while using Counter Of The Swan, the signature move of any Locksmith," Nicholas explained, "But with that, you should know a few things about our family's reputation."
"What do you mean dad?" Marshall asked his dad curiously.
"The Blazes Pups and The Locksmith Pups are well known for our rivalry, we are always at each other throats," Nicholas tells them both.
"If it is true that you intend to marry my daughter, you must know that there will be conflict as soon as they find out both your last names," Nicholas warned.
"O-oh, I didn't know, but I l-love Margareth," Gabriel said frantically
"Listen to me, son, I am not disapproving of your marriage, I am telling you the consequence of your choice, I see how happy you make Margareth, as long as you make her happy, I will give you my blessings," Nicholas tells him with a soft smile.
"Really?!" Gabriel asked excitedly.
This made Gabriel jump around excited, he never thought he would be marrying the pup of his dreams and getting her father's blessings, but with that comes another problem, The Baze Pups and The Locksmith Pups have a rivalry, which will be a problem.
"Anyway, it is probably about time we head back, best not to worry the others," Nicholas tells them as they head back.
As they walked back Sweetie lagged behind, Marshall stopped, "What's wrong Sweetie?" Marshall asked with a smile as the others continued without noticing.
"Where do I start, first you can see the future and it is crap, then there is the fact every pup still doesn't like me," Sweetie whined.
"That's not all true, me and Skye like you," Marshall smiles reassuring her.
"Yeah but almost everyone else still holds a grudge against me, it is so frustrating," Sweetie tells him.
"It will take more time for them to be able to trust you, you have caused so much trouble, it is hard for them to forgive you yet," Marshall tells her.
"So when? Will they ever trust me?" Sweetie asked.
"Probably, you just need to show them that you want to change," Marshall says.
"Now, come on, let's not lag behind," Marshall says, grabbing her paw and leading them back to the others.
They caught up right before they exited the forest, the other seem to notice that they stopped but didn't say anything. As they walked out, Marshal quickly noticed that a pup house was missing.
"What happened to Everest, why did she leave?" Marshall asked out loud as he noticed her pup house was missing.
"I think she and Margarth were arguing about something before I left, I think I had something to do with you," Sweetie remembered.
Marshall made a mental note to ask her later. They all walked back into the Lookout. Most of the pups were around talking amongst each other, noticeably missing was Spyro and Ryder, probably talking at the top.
Veronica, Carolina, and Margareth walked up to them with smiles, "You guys are back, you feeling better Marshall?" Marshall's mother asked lovingly.
"Yeah, a little," Marshall replied with a hint of pain.
"That's good, anyway, when are you guys gonna be having the Wedding?" Veronica asked Gabriel and Margareth.
Gabriel didn't have an answer, it is not like he knew how to manage money for something like that, he was only a pup, "I don't know, this is still new to me," Gabriel admits.
"Well, I have something that might help you two with that," Carolina tells her son with a smile.
"Me and your father set up a savings account for all our children, you can't acces it until you are at least eighteen but I can give Ryder access to it," Carolina tells them.
"Really?" Gabriel asked surprised.
"Yeah, we thought you guys would need it for when you guys got older," she tells him.
"How much is it?" Gabriel asked curious.
"About five million dollars," Carolina said nonchalantly much to some of the other's surprise.
"You say what now?" Margareth asked flabbergasted.
"Yeah, that is a huge chunk of cash," Marshall tells her.
She shrugged, "Yeah, but Money has always been easy to get."
"Well with this, it shouldn't take too long," Gabriel tells her with a smile.
Just then, the elevator opened, and Spyro ran out in a panic.
"Spyro, what's going on?" Gabriel asked right before he went out the door.
"I gotta go, kid,"
"What got you so tense?" Gabriel asked him confused.
"Dragon DNA"