"Get back here!" Claw shouts, stomping his paw on Spark's back. "Get him!!"
Sparks rolls his eyes as he misses a flaming burst of energy. The dragon clearly didn't care if Claw won.
Claw grits his fangs. He had to get him. He had to destroy Chase. His life was everything Claw's wasn't. He had a person who forgives him, friends who wouldn't abuse him, and most importantly he was the knight Claw wanted to be.
I hate him!
Sparks missed another flame burst. Claw groans. "Are you even trying?" he whines, smacking his paw on Spark's back.
Sparks huffs a response, rolling his eyes as he misfires again. He points with his claws at Chase; he was as fast as ever, dodging fireball after fireball.
How is he so fast?! Ugh! Claw slams a paw on Sparks' back.
"Hurry up!" he complains through gritted, whining like a spoiled child. He hits Sparks a couple more times.
He edges near the end of his seat, peeking over to see Chase just barely dodge a fireball. He looked tired.
This is perfect, Claw thought, eyes dilating as he focused on the Shepard with intensity. You're going down, Replacement Pup. He waited a little longer until Chase's body was closer to Spark's maw.
"And, now!" Claw roars, hitting his paw against Sparks.
Sparks roars, shooting out a flame that hits Chase's paws, knocking him against an overlarge rock nearby.
His body lay, unmoving.
Claw pumped his paws in the air. "I did it!" he exclaimed. Though a smile adorned his face, his eyes seemed unsure, worrying.
Wait is he dead?
Claw's paws lowered. "Sparks, let me off," he ordered.
The dragon huffed in annoyance, going down. He didn't put his claws on the ground to let Claw off. He jerked his upper half up and lower half down, and gravity did the rest.
Claw screamed as he fell, hitting the ground only moments later on his rear end. "Ow!" he cried, glaring up at the giggling dragon. "That isn't what I meant, Sparks!" he cried.
His gaze travels to his rival's body and he freezes. He had something else to be concerned about. He wasn't expecting his dragon to actually hit Chase. It was more fun to watch the other knight run away while he had his dragon blast fire at him.
Claw bounded over to the unmoving body of the shepherd, prodding at him. When he didn't wake, Claw tilted the head and put his muzzle closer to Chase's. Soft breathing assured Claw his kind rival was still alive.
Claw sighed with relief. He wiped sweat off of his fuzzy forehead. He wouldn't know what he would do if he actually killed him.
Maybe these dangerous games aren't the best way to prove who's the best knight. Claw pondered, sitting down by the police officer's side.
If I can't best him with fireballs, then how can I safely defeat him? Claw puts a paw on his chin, rubbing it in thought.
Maybe I should ask Chase. He probably thinks I do want him dead. He hung his head, feeling guilty for once. He didn't feel this heart pang when he tried to murder Skye. I don't want him dead. I just want to be the better knight. I want to show the Princess she's wrong and that Chase and these pups aren't good knights. They don't have the proper training like I do—at least, not Skye and those other pesky pups.
Claw sighed again.
I hope he wakes up soon. He curls up next to Chase's and falls asleep, hearing his dragon fly off to who knows where.
I'll worry about finding Sparks later.
Claw don't know how long he had been asleep. He was startled by a paw shaking him. "Hey Claw, wake up!" The hissing sound of his rival startled him awake.
"Huh?" he inquired, lifting his head to meet the warm mahogany eyes of his rival. A smile adorned the shepherd's face. "What's with that smile, dunderhead?"
He tried to bury the worms wiggling around in his stomach. They thrashed violently, his ears warming at the stinky breath tingling them.
"You, uh, didn't kill me," Chase remarked happily.
Claw looked away, trying to hide his eyes and ears; they would betray his emotions. He hated feeling this way.
"Uh, yeah. You're welcome!" Claw affirmed, managing to force himself to look back with a rather boastful look. "I am the better knight after all!"
Chase's expression changed. Confusion lit his face. "What do you mean by 'better knight?'" He leans forward, closing some of the gap between them. "The point of a knight is to protect and serve. Not be better than anyone else."
His voice lowered. "I would think by now you would realize this. Your aggressive actions don't help keep Barkingburg safe."
Claw looked away. He knew this already. "But I'm the best," he whispers.
Chase took a step forward. Claw notices this. His ears twitch and he steps back; this only encourages Chase to follow suit.
"Is that important? Your rash decisions have terrorized Barkingburg. Are you truly the best if you're terrorizing the town you're supposed to protect?"
"Well you're no better!" Claw snapped, jerking his muzzle closer to Chase's. His lips parted in a snarl. "Your 'PAW Patrol' doesn't have any elite training like I have."
Claw's paw stomped on Chase's, although Chase didn't react. Claw's face furrowed.
"..." Chase nodded his head at Claw, indicating for him to continue.
Is he agreeing with me? Shocked, Claw jerked his head away from Chase's for a moment before locking eyes with the soft German shepherd again.
"Uh," he starts. "You don't know how to protect the Princess all the time since you're always going on those other missions. There's no way you can be a better knight than me if you're negligent in your duties." Claw nodded with his eyes closed. "So, there. I might be a terrible knight because I failed to keep the Princess safe, but you're no better even if you do try."
Claw's face furrows with confidence. "And who's the one with the dragon?"
Chase rolls his eyes. "I guess that's true, but you can't deny that you betrayed the Princess, joined up with the Duke, and nearly destroyed Barkingburg." Chase sat down, tipping his head knowingly. "Now that makes you a terrible knight."
Claw pounces on Chase angrily. "I'll make you eat those words!" He presses his paws on Chase's chest, showing him teeth and drool.
Chase wasn't phased. "Right, and how are you going to do that?" Chase uses his four legs to kick Claw onto his back before swiftly pinning him down with his own paws. A smirk formed on his face.
Claw was about to respond, but Chase then presses his nose against Claw's, making Claw's mind go blank for a couple of moments.
"Eh?" he remarked unintelligently.
The two stayed in that position. They look deeply into each other's eyes—this got Claw thinking even further about what he was doing.
Was he wasting his life attempting revenge on someone who always ignored him anyway? Who cared if the PAW Patrol were terrible knights? Was killing Chase even worth it?
Clearly Claw didn't want him dead despite telling Sparks his orders.
Claw's eyes blinked rapidly, dialated eyes going back to normal. He rapidly smashes his head against Chase's regretting hurting him, but wasn't sure how to escape otherwise.
"Get off of me!" he cried, scrambling to his paws. Panting, he stared at Chase. "This isn't going to work," he blurted, ears burning.
There must be a less deadly way to beating Chase. A competition perhaps?
Chase's ears twitched. "I think not. You can't prove—"
"How about a competition?" Claw barks, leaning toward in eagerness. He could prove he's a better knight that way.
It wouldn't hurt to play fair. After all, Chase has been playing fair this whole time. It almost frustrated Claw that he was now on Chase's level, but he ignored it.
Chase tilted his head. "I'm listening."
"To prove my merit, I challenge you to a bunch of games. Whoever wins is named the best knight." Claw bowed, not letting his weary gaze leave Chase for a moment.
Chase chuckles. He sounded confident. Claw smiled, trying hard to keep a straight face at his proposition.
"How about a wager?" Chase grins, tongue protruding.
Claw straightens. "A wager? Don't we already have one?" He tilted his head. What was Chase up to?
Chase looks at the ground, drawing circles uncharacteristically. "Yeah, but I thought I'd add something to this wager."
Claw stared at him. What was he thinking? I hope it's nothing embarrassing. He closes his eyes, gritting his teeth, regretting asking, "well, what is it, you pup?"
The darkness was soothing to him, giving him a space of nothingness as he waited for what the dingus had to say.
"If I win, you stop trying to cause trouble."
Claw's eyes widened, popping open. "Do I have to stop flying around on Sparks?"
He started shaking. He knew the dragon wasn't fully in his control, however they had an undeniable bond. One that Claw wasn't sure he could live without.
His stomach churned at the thought: not being able to climb on his friend and soar in the skies as Claw looked down on the tiny people and animals as they went about their daily lives, not being able to feel the wind in his fur, no longer having some form of friendship when he was lonely—I'm not sure if I could handle that!
Chase noticed his shaking. A frown formed on his face. "No, but I don't want you using him to destroy things anymore."
Is that all? Claw was shocked. No punishment or anything? Just no longer causing trouble. I can do that.
Claw held out his paw. "Deal!" The two shook paws. Claw's tail wagged. "But I get to pick all the competitions." He lifted a paw. He could ensure the games they played were ones he was skilled in.
I'm very skilled at a lot of things! I can surely best him!
"Sure!" Chase agreed. The shepherd was smiling. The shepherd then playfully lowers the front half of his body. "But don't underestimate me. I'll be training for every possibility, every."
So will I. Claw thought, keeping a note to himself to train for these games.
"Just a few questions. One: how many?"
"Uh, five," Claw responds, figuring having three was too little. "We will have five." He puffs out his chest to appear more confident than he actually was.
What if Chase wins?
No Claw, you have the games in your favor. Just train and you will win.
Chase howls in excitement. "This will be fun!"
This surely will. Claw thought, smirking.
"Speaking of games, what did you have in mind?What sort of competitions were you thinking of?"
Claw stiffens. He hadn't gotten that far. But he was a quick thinker. "Obstacle courses, weight lifting, a mile-long race lap, soccer, and Trivia."
Claw was good at obstacle courses. He was quite fast too, so no doubt he'd win that race. He was also a quick thinker and knew he could easily best Chase in soccer and trivia. The only competition he wasn't sure about was strength. Chase did prove he was stronger.
It might've been because of adrenaline though. I'm definitely a strong dog. I could easily bite through his neck if I wanted to.
But Claw figured he wouldn't. He wasn't that evil. Just an egotistical maniac with a quick thinking brain.
Chase's tail wagged. "I'm very good at all those! I'm sure my friends will help me train!"
Ugh. Hearing the word "friends" reminds me of Skye. I hate her.
Claw grit his teeth at the memory of his humiliation by Skye. She had flown far better than he had on his dragon. How dare she!
Claw's lips rippled. "Grrrrr," he growled lowly.
Chase either ignored his clear hatred at his friends or was truly unintelligent when it came to other's hatred. He smiled at Claw warmly, ran to brush up against him lightly, and took off.
What the—Claw shook himself, refusing to let himself get distracted by Chase of all pups. I have a competition to win!
Claw trained hard. His heart was pounding at the idea of proving his worth. He saw red. Nothing would make him happier than embarrassing the Princess by beating one of her "new" knights at these games.
I have to win. I must win—these thoughts accompanied Claw as he trained, focusing hard on becoming better. Not for the sake of anyone else, but for the sake of proving himself. He needed to prove himself.
But who was he proving himself to? Surely not the Princess, right?
In his heart, Claw was trying to prove he was better than Chase to prove to Chase he was a worthy knight. The words Chase told him, hitting him like a freight train as he worked out and made himself mentally stronger.
The day of the competition was here. In the time Claw trained, Chase managed to convince a few of his friends to help start the competitions.
Claw commended Chase on his ability to convince his friends to help. Although...
Claw's eyes narrowed. There she was amongst Marshall, Rocky, Liberty, and Rubble—Skye. Claw had no idea who Liberty was, but everyone else there he recognized from trying to destroy everything with his dragon.
Everyone was dressed up in formal outfits for the occasion. Each had a whistle on their neck, held up by a chain.
Claw's face stayed neutral, although he was annoyed. Why? is all he wondered. Although having help to determine the competition winner was good, Claw didn't know why they needed one per game.
"Hello! I believe we haven't met. I'm Liberty." the brown dachshund in front of him said.
"I figured. I recognize everyone else here." He lowers his voice, praying no one heard the next phrase, "hopefully."
He didn't want Chase to bring his friends. This was a them only thing. His friends don't belong here. Especially not her. She's so annoying!
Liberty smiled. "Really?" she tilted her head, "You know the PAW Patrol?" She got excited. "How long have you known them?"
Claw sighed, feeling exasperated towards the dachshund already. Her sunny-side disposition draining his emotional battery already—what was left of it, that is.
Claw rolled his eyes, "Longer than I want to."
He huffed, wishing the games would start and that the annoying pests would stop staring at him. The pups' eyes bore down on him as each pup either glared at him or gazed at him with sympathy he didn't need.
"What are we waiting for? Let's start!" He bounces on his toes, feeling stronger than when he shot down Chase with Sparks fireball.
Chase and Claw didn't exchange words, only approaching the start. Claw dug his paws into the earth, realizing what was at steak.
You can't lose. You must not lose!
Hardened footsteps approached from behind, a canvas of black-and-white strut across Chase and Claw's vision. Marshall stood in front of them both with a nod of respect at Chase; he did the same with Claw.
The first competition was an obstacle course per Claw's request. In front of them stood the hurdles, labeled bright red for jumping.
I'm good at jumping and dodging things! Claw thought.
Chase smiled warmly beside him, gazing at him for a bit before speaking: "I hope you don't mind. You didn't say what specifics were in the obstacle course, so I decided to have my friends construct one. This obstacle course had been built thanks to my buddy, Rubble!"
Rubble brightened up from behind, screaming loudly: "Woo! Yeah! I did that! You're welcome! Go, Chase! You're one of the most athletic pups I know!"
Chase's smile expands. Claw doesn't know how he can be smiling from ear to ear. This is a competition! We don't have time to buddy-buddy—
Chase turns around. "And you're the strongest pup I know, Rubble! I can't wait to have you spotting the two of us during the power weightlifting competition." Chase turns to Rocky who's neutral-bored face forms a smile. "And thank you for finding those weights, Rocky."
"Green means go!" Rocky cheered, going on his hind legs, excitedly trying to balance himself with his forepaws and failing.
He fell over and giggled, "whoops!" He scrambled to balance himself again, his hat crooked on his head. He adjusts it and sits back down. "Don't mention it, Chase."
Chase and the other pups smile. Ugh, let's get this over with. Claw flexes his claws. We don't have time to be annoying goody-two-shoes.
Though a part of Claw wished he was appreciated like that. He used to. But apparently stealing a dragon was "too far."
"Hurry up!" Claw growls, "We don't have all day!"
Hearing these praises for other pups upset him. He wanted to dig his claws into them and tear them to shreds.
Chase stares at him. "This competition wouldn't be possible without everyone, Claw."
Claw scowls. "Maybe not, but we still don't have all day."
Chase blinks at him, unbothered. "Might as well spend the whole day together," he remarks.
"Huh?" Claw was confused. Chase wanted to spend the whole day with him? Why? He didn't understand his rival's motives for wanting to spend the whole day with him.
It sounds annoying, he pondered.
"Ugh. Whatever," Claw remarks, lips peeling back in a snarl. How was he supposed to respond to that?
Well, I could be rude. But it would be a lie to say I don't enjoy our rivalry. But being rude can stir him up...
"It's not like your friends will win these games for you. I have a few tricks up my sleeve—er paws."
Claw straightens. He was planning on running through these games and races as fast as possible. He was a quick thinker, therefore he was bound to win. He just had to get through these fast enough.
"Really? You'rr not going to cheat, are you?" Chase asked, eyebrow raised.
Claw startled. I hadn't considered that. I said we'd do this fair and we will do it fair! Although, I could still cheat...
Claw raised a paw. "No! I said I wouldn't, but I do have a plan."
Chase tilted his head. "Okay."
"Are you two ready to start?" Marshall inquired.
Claw only aimed his head at Marshall. "Ready to win," he growled.
Chase beamed at Marshall. "Ready when you are, buddy!"
Marshall grins, lowering his underhalf. "On your mark," he began. Chase and Claw both ready themselves. Claw was prepared to zip at full speed.
Claw understood how fast Chase could be. That's why I timed myself. I ensured I ran faster than Chase. I've got this!
Adrenaline flowed through Claw's veins. He focused. Nothing could stop him now.
"Get set!"
Claw focused on the obstacle course in front of him, analyzing the best solution in the mere second of waiting for Marshall's timer.
"Go!"
Claw immediately kicked up dirt, springing over the first hurdle. He saw red. He had to beat Chase. There was no losing this. He would lose his dignity if he lost.
I must prove my point once and for all: the PAW Patrol are bad knights.
He jumped over the hurdles one by one, not looking back to see if Chase kept up. He heard rapid paw movement behind him; he had no time to look else Chase would be on his hide.
Go! Go! Go!
Claw could see the finish line. He hated towards it with incredible speed.
"Bokaw!"
What the fuck?!
A white hen casually strode in front of him, pecking at the ground. A bleeting sound followed, a goat following the chicken.
"Chickaletta! Garby! You're supposed to be in the audience front row, not in the race!" Liberty cried, racing over to help the two animals.
"Get out of my way!" Claw roars, nodding to his side. "I have an obstacle course to win!"
"Chickaletta"—at least who Claw assumed was Chickaletta due to the name—seemingly glared him down; she stood in front of him with her legs spread apart. The chicken flew up briefly when Liberty jumped at her.
"Dang it!"
The chicken then started running at Claw "BOOOOKKK!"
At first Claw wasn't bothered; however as soon as her beak dug into his skin, he let out a howl of pain and dashed away from the finish line.
Nooo! Claw thought in agitation. He's going to—
Chase stopped running toward the finish line, instead running after Chickaletta and Claw.
"Hey! Chickaletta! Stop!" Chase called, barking at Chickaletta. He jumps in front of her, baring his teeth at her. "I SAID STOP!"
Chickaletta scurries to a halt, clucking in confusion.
"Thank you. Now go back to the audience where you belong. We must finish these games." Chase noses Chickaletta off the field, pushing her into her seat.
She folds her wings and scoffs, moving slightly. Her talons were in the air and she was glaring at Claw.
Claw sighed in relief. Although I'd prefer not to have any interruptions.
Claw heard Chase whiz past him. His eyes widened. That's right. Middle of a competition.
Claw hared after Chase, eyes blurring as he ran. Chase picked up speed.
What?! Claw was flabbergasted. Why wasn't he running like that back there?! Claw realized he might have underestimated Chase's actual speed.
Claw picked up speed as well, seeing the finish line with a focus. Garby was being herded by Rubble and Rocky, just barely getting out of Claw and Chase's way.
"And the winner is Chase!"
Chase leaps forward, chest puffed out. The other pups cheered as he smiles, clearly happy he's won. His gaze travels to Claw.
"Good job, I guess," Claw huffed. He should've won. That Shepard clearly cheated!
The obstacle course was left behind as the pups and Claw traveled to the beach. Laid out in front of them was weights.
Rubble bounded forward. "Is everyone ready?" he asked, looking anxiously at Claw.
Claw and Chase both nod. They get ready.
Immediately, Claw gets annoyed when Liberty comes over to him. "You'll need a spotter," she told him.
Claw was tired of the other pups being there. "Fine." At least I have a chance of impressing the ladies with these guns. He knew he was stronger than Chase.
Marshall bounds over to Chase. "I can spot you, bro." "Thanks!" Chase beams at him. "Not a problem!"
"On your mark! Get set! Go!" Rubble barked, bounding over in his excitement to watch the competition.
Claw immediately started rapidly pumping the weights. It started at five. Claw almost scoffed at it.
He lifted it a couple times before Rubble told him to move on to the ten pounder.
I've lifted up 100 pounds before, idiot. I'm winning this!
By the end of the second round it was clear who had won. Claw was beaming.
"The winner is...Claw!"
"Yes! Take that you unprepared fool! I won!" Claw grins, doing a small victory dance.
"Congratulations!" Chase compliments, approaching him. He held out his paw.
Claw stared at it for a moment. He rolled his eyes, deciding to humor the strange Police pup. "Thanks," he remarks, a warm feeling welling inside him.
Up next was the mile long lap. Claw was starting to tire psychically. Chase, meanwhile, was keeping his head up strong and proud.
Skye stood in front of them. Ew.
"Are you two ready to run?" she asked. She giggled slightly as Chase puffed his chest out. "Of course I am, Skye! I am the fastest runner here!"
Claw dug his claws into the earth. He mumbled to himself slightly.
"Hey!" Skye yipped. Claw quickly shielded his poor ears from the smaller dog's ear rape. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yes," he groans, wishing she'd stop talking.
"Okay then. Ready, set, go!!" Skye barked, happily doing a backflip.
I hate her so much!
Claw's eyes widened as he realized his hatred for Skye had ensured Chase's lead. Chase was already about a yard away.
Claw heaved as he began to run, trying to catch up. No matter how fast he ran he couldn't outrun Chase. Chase had won.
"And the winner is, not surprisingly, Chase!" Skye barked, although she had whispered the middle part; Claw still heard.
Hearing those words made Claw even angrier. It was her fault for riling him up so much. What did Chase even see in that cockapoo, anyway?
"Next games, guys! Chase might win!" Rocky declared.
"He might, but we shouldn't underestimate Claw. He's still very skilled." Liberty remarked, looking back at Claw.
Okay maybe you aren't too bad, strange dog I just met.
Claw followed Rocky. He could feel the smart dog's movements increase as he followed him. Chase followed closely behind.
"Is the trivia up next?" Chase called.
"Yep!" Rocky declared. "It's just up ahead."
Rocky bounded forward, leaving the beach as fast as possible. Claw followed, determined to outsmart Chase. He studied everything he could, but he didn't know what the smart pup would quiz them on.
Somehow...
Claw won.
I can't believe it! he thought, grinning. Now they were tied. I have a chance of winning. The last game is—
"Soccer! Wooo!" Liberty cried out, running ahead of the group with a gleam in her eyes.
Skye giggles. "You sure love soccer, don't you bestie?"
Liberty bounced up and down. "I sure do, buddy! Not as much as I clearly love beating Rubble in dancing, but it's still fun—Especially with everyone here."
Rocky grins as he runs up to her. "And I surely helped a lot too, didn't I?"
What a bunch of goobers.
Liberty's tail wagged as she nods. "Yep! I'm glad you challenged Chase to these games. It was fun to organize."
Claw didn't respond.
"Yeah. We are kinda hoping Chase would win this," Skye added, teeth grit. "You cause more trouble than you should."
Claw rolled his eyes. "Did Chase tell you—"
"He did. We can work on that, but you can't go around causing trouble. If you want to help us, you can train us. Maybe if you do, we could talk with the Princess and see if you can have your knighthood back."
Claw tilted his head. They can do that? His face furrows in thought. But why?
"Yeah. I mean, you rescued Chase. You're not the worst dog around," Liberty agreed.
"What kind of cockwomble are you?" Claw insulted. He looked away. He didn't want anyone knowing that.
That was embarrassing. He has nice eyes! Ugh! Why am I even thinking of that? So annoying. I need to focus.
"So, uhm, in order to play soccer, you're going to need a team," Chase explained.
"Huh?" Claw's eyebrow raised.
Chase walks beside him. "Do you have a team? I figured you did."
I never bothered. Sparks still isn't here, and I doubt Sweetie would agree to be my puppet as we play soccer of all games.
"No. I just figured we would be playing the game alone."
Chase pressed a button on his collar. "We have me, you, Skye, Marshall, Rocky, Rubble, and Liberty. Liberty will be the judge, so we have one, two, three, four, five, six pups. Three pups isn't enough to form a team. We need seven each. Hold on."
Ugh. I should've just—
"Yeah, Ryder? Can you call over Everest, Tuck, Ella, Rex, Roxi, Coral, Zuma, and Tracker?" Chase inquired.
"Sure, but why do you need—?"
"Soccer game."
"Oh. Are those games today?"
"Yes sir."
"I'll call them. Can't ensure they'll come. I'll see what I can do. Have fun, pups!"
"Bye Ryder!"
The call ended and Chase grins. "It's nice to have friends."
"Sure," Claw remarked, annoyed.
They waited. The wait was atrocious for a law. He just wanted to win, and take his win. I can smell victory. I am the best, aren't I?
Claw heard the sound of a horn honking. They are here! Finally!
Claw stood up; he had been sitting.
"You called for a team, Chase?" a beautiful husky inquires with a soft-and-shy smile on her face.
"Yep! Two teams." He indicates at Claw.
All the pups look at Claw annoyed. "Him?"
"We made a wager," Chase informs. "He promised he wouldn't cause any trouble if I win. We're tied so far."
After explaining the situation a bit further, they finally got the two teams assembled. Chase's Team: Chase—obviously, Skye, Rex, Roxi, Tuck, Zuma, and Ella. Team Claw: Claw—clearly, Everest, Rubble, Tracker, Coral, Marshall, and Rocky.
Claw felt bad for Chase. He got the dog with the wheelchair. Liberty decided the teams. Although Claw wasn't fond of having the smart pup and clumsy pup on his team.
Why didn't that idiot put Marshall on his team? Aren't they close buddies?
Claw shook it off as Liberty blew the whistle.
"You know the rules. The team with the most points at the end wins." Liberty remarked. "First to make it to seven wins."
Yeah it wasn't even close. Chase won because Marshall kept tripping and annoying Claw to where he got so distracted that Skye of all pups got the finishing kick.
Claw growled. He just wanted to prove he was the best knight pup around, and he got beaten. Embarrassing.
The weight of the wager sets into Claw's mind. Was he ready to give up being like this? Would people listen to him if he was nicer?
Claw had no clue. He didn't even know where to start. He felt his stomach twist and turn as he begrudgingly opens his mouth to congratulate Chase, figuring he could still be "knightly" in some way.
Before he could get a word out, Chase smiled warmly at him. "Good job!" he barks, tail wagging. "I hope this is the start of a brand new friendship."
"Friendship?" Claw tilted his head. "I'm not su—"
Chase throws himself on top of Claw. "Yeah!" His tail wags. He gets off Claw. "Clearly you don't have any friends." He looks at his friends and then back at Claw, tongue sticking out. "We can be your first friends." He lets out a couple of pants.
Claw wasn't too sure. Change was an odd thing to swallow. He wasn't sure how quickly he could not only quit being the chaotic pup he was—but also make friends with who he used to call "enemy."
"I don't know," Claw remarks, standing up. He shakes out his fur. "It would take a while for me to gain the trust of others—and it would be a big change for me."
Chase presses against him; he puts a paw on his own chest. "I understand. Time will only tell what will happen; however we will help you."
Claw's pounded. He tried to ignore how he felt, tried to push it to the side. No matter how many times he tried to tell his mind to hate his rival—his heart said otherwise.
"Why?" Claw asked him. Chase tilted his head. "Why are you so nice to me?"
Chase shrugged. "You're not a bad guy, Claw. You're not some rough, tough pup. You have thoughts and feelings like everyone else. You lash out at us because the Princess fired you. I'm being nice to you because you remind me of myself. I think we can be friends because you are like me."
Claw had no idea how to respond to this. He took a shaky breath. "You're right," he admits, hating the sound of those words on his tongue.
Chase's head lifted high, looking surprised.
"I'm not tough," he admitted.
He hated the looks the other pups were giving him. Some were mere strangers to him, yet they were hearing him pour his heart out. He especially hated Skye hearing this. Sure she was nice; however Claw didn't want her to know the darkness within him.
"I thought the Princess was too harsh on me. Dragons are cool, ya know?" Claw remarked hopefully, tail wagging. "I thought having an army of them would be better than just having a sole knight protect the kingdom. There's only so much I can do."
He paused, looking down. "Regardless, I understand what I've done has been causing the Princess and everyone else trouble. I'm not sure how soon I can make up for it. I don't have anything to do in my free time..."
"That's fine. You can hang with us," Chase remarks with a smile. "It'll take time, but I trust you."
. . .
Claw was still unsure.
"I'm going to get you! I'm going to get you!" Marshall shouts as he chases Claw. Marshall knocks him over.
"Be careful, Marshall!" Chase calls from his spot. He was just watching Marshall and Claw play.
"It's all good!" Marshall exclaimed, pulling himself off of Claw.
I'll never get used to this joker. He's still kind of a loser. But only just a little bit of a loser.
"I'm going to get you now!" Claw roars, bounding after Marshall playfully. It still sounded like a threat, but Marshall knew he meant it playfully.
Marshall ran away from Claw.
"Hah. You're so slow!" Marshall teases, looking back. He trips on his paws, falling over. "Oof!"
Claw didn't have enough time to stop. He tripped over Marshall, finding himself on top of Chase; their noses were touching.
Claw's ears angled slightly. "Marshall, you oaf!" Claw growled.
Chase gazed at him with wide eyes before a small smile appeared on his face. He didn't say anything, leaning forward and pressing his lips on Claw's nose.
Claw's face warmed up. He was about to say something before Chase grabbed his face, pulling his mouth towards his. Their lips connected in a kiss. Chase's eyes closed.
Claw's ears begun to burn. "Mmm!" His eyes widen, heart racing.
Was this real? Was his rival kissing him?
He didn't know how he should feel. One part of him wanted to pull away and shout—the other wanted him to give in, to kiss back.
For a few seconds Claw debated with himself, uncertainty in his eyes.
But despite his uncertainty, he couldn't deny that there was something about Chase he was drawn to. He gave in.
Claw kissed back.