SKYE blinked twice— no, thrice. To check if she was dreaming and hearing things, but to her dismay, it was all true and Chase already left to walk back to his pup house. Skye is now definitely confused, since last time she checked, he was searching for someone to help him in gaining his memories, and suddenly he dropped it altogether? But who would be teaching Chase who has enough knowledge about him like her? was what Skye thought to herself. But that train of thought was dismissed right away once she heard someone weeping not far from where she sat down. Skimming her eyes, to her surprise she found Marshall who's seemingly upset about something. Feeling a pang of sympathy hit her, she rushed to where he's at with no hesitation.

          "Hey Marshall. . . Are you okay?" She whispers as she places a paw on his back and rubbed it to calm him down. Luckily, it comforted Marshall as his weep became more and more quiet. He attempted to look at Skye but realized that his eyes might be bloodshot from all the crying he's been making, so he decided that maybe it's best if he remained that way "Oh. . . Hey Skye, what're you doing here?" He questions, his voice heavily muffled by the paws and arms that surround his face "I heard and saw you crying, so I came to check on you" She smiles, even though it was completely useless since the spotted-pup can't see her friendly gesture. "Oh. . . " He trails off "Weren't you supposed to be with Chase? Doing. . . The usual?" He continues to speak, but of course still hiding his face "Oh. . . Uhm, Chase said we should stop– A-anyway that's not the big issue here right now. What happened to you—" Before she could finish her sentence, Marshall bolted his face to look at her and somehow had forgotten the thought of concealing his face until the reddish-hue in his eyes disappear "What happened?!" Marshall exclaims, clasping Skye's face in shock. "I have no idea!!" She defends "And can you please let my face go now? You're kinda squishing it too much. Ow" As the rally realized this, he mutters a quick apology and had let her go.

          Once Marshall released her, a quick silence fell upon them, and it was enough for Skye to examine to how Marshall looked. His cheeks seem damp from the salty tears he's been pouring from his heart out, and tear marks made the evidence look more convincing as it lingers below his tears ducts - it was a noticeable darker hue than his natural white fur, and his eyes were still fairly powdered with red color, so he just cried recently. "Are you okay—" Not making her finish once more, Marshall replies immediately and sniffed away the remaining moments he had awhile ago "Yes, yes. I am fine," He starts off "But I'm concerned for you, and— well. . . Chase!" As he threw his paws in the air, emphasizing the name "Because, who would teach him? How will he get his memories back if he refuses to be knocked in some sense by you? I can't take your place! I'm. . . Just filled in with a few details" Skye rolls her eyes "Basically my thought as well. . . I have no idea what's going on with him anymore! He's so. . . Unexpectedly unexpected. Do you know what I'm saying?" Marshall just shrugged as he sniffs again.

          "I guess?" He says, trying his best to look understanding "Let's just hope he'll clear his mind up very soon. . ." Marshall remarks, sniffing again. Silence began to envelope them once more as the afternoon sun continued to radiate very hot temperatures. Skye was completely lost for words right now, the feeling was similarly the same to that one event she hated to remember so much – yet somehow, it would always come back to her. Everything in her life seems to be okay in a glimpse, and the more she lingers, the more she slowly sees things differently. Something she never knew that could really happen. It was like she had everything, and in one snap – everything's gone. Every single day, she would reflect – what did she do? Has she been doing a bad job of keeping her demons in the past? That resulted a chain of reaction that led to something greatly unforgivable, that somehow it was a horrible thing, her mind decided to forget it to just torment her in the future?

          In the midst of her almost breaking down to pieces "Skye!" Someone had finally called her name. Both her and Marshall darted their eyes to the mystery caller, and found a white and golden-fur Border Collie. He was walking around the area and shouted her name, he came across Rubble and Rocky and asked if they happen to know a Cockapoo named Skye- Rocky and Rubble simply points Flicker to Marshall's pup house. "M. . . Maybe you should take your mind off of Chase by talking to— whoever he may be. Having a conversation with someone's a great way to forget about stuff" The spotted pup began as his bright aura slowly flooded back into his recently drained soul. Skye, obviously not happy with the idea, gave him a look that says that that's a bad idea "Can't I chat with you instead?" She pleads, but before Marshall could ponder on her plea, Flicker had already reached them and tapped her shoulder. "Go ahead Skye, I'll be fine" The other pup reassures, as he tries to bring out his signature smile to stop her from worrying about him. Finally giving in, she sighed and looked at him "Let's go"

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          Adventure Bay was busy as bees, and each law abiding citizens were playing their part to sustain their economy that flourishes with the help of everyone. Cars, motorcycles, buses, trucks and all sorts of vehicles roam above the pavement of clean streets with the noticeable black color being smeared from far and wide. Adventure Bay's locally grown flora thrive there as well and as an addition, adds a great touch to finish off the city look. And it's fauna also plays to their part, whether be it surviving, or unwinding. But some prefer to remain quiet like Skye and Flicker. Both had so much to say, yet not one word spilled. It's been awhile since they've met again, and the last proper conversation they had ended abruptly - that none of them had gotten to properly say their goodbyes. It truly was one hurtful thing to remember, and both of them are trying to heal, and everyday, the wound seals up. Or at least for one of them.

          "Why're you so quiet, sis?" Flicker finally spoke, breaking off the icy-tension that had built up between them. Despite that, she still shuddered at the small shards that brushed the tips of her fur "Well. . . I thought I should wait for you to speak up first. Considering you're the one who dragged me all the way out here" She saltily replies as her pupils turn their attention elsewhere, Flicker – sensing a weird aura looking around her, sighs and says "Aw come on, shouldn't you be happy we're together again?!" Then he blocks her way that made her stop on her tracks and gave her a large and bright grin, in hope that he could infect her with the same happiness he contains within him. To his misfortune, Skye didn't smile even a little bit and still avoided his gaze. Seeming her emotions were much infectious, he couldn't help but frown at the sight that they couldn't even have a decent time together. "Something needs to be cleared" He thought to himself.

          Taking a really deep breath, he found himself taking a deep plunge to the past. It was quite dark at first as he struggled to swim back to the other surface, which to in most people's perspective is just an insignificant layer of an ocean. Soon enough, he found himself as he pops his head out. There, he heard a ringing voice and a statement he could never forget that would change both of their lives forever "Hey you two! We're going camping!" Olivia announces happily, Flicker's eyes scintillated in pure excitement at the thought of him and his sister running around the camp grounds, climb up mountains and breathe in the fresh breeze of the mountain tops that would cuddle them in comfort, and then by night, they would roast marshmallows together by the campfire they manually created. They'd be roasting there with their sticks clasped with their paws as they soak in the warmth of the hearth and never bother the growing cool the night would waft them all night long. "We just have to go now" We're the words that ran through his mind. "Skye! We can go chase around the camp grounds! And we can go on a mountain too!" He exclaims as he found his step-sister all giddy at the sudden – yet exciting news "And we can see cool views from up there!" She adds up to the thought. Flicker's cheeks and jaw we're aching from all the smiling, but he couldn't care less, because he'll be spending the whole vacation with her.

          Once Olivia caught their attention, she called for them to hop into the vehicle so they can get on with the trip. As Flicker and Skye's excitement couldn't be contained, they bounced their way into the car and once they sat there, anticipation played with their minds as their paws itched in full of vim. Seems like the time walked past them like a striking lightning, that they found themselves already there at the venue. The first thing they wanted to do was to race to the tops and see who could reach it first. "I'm gonna beat you shortie!" The Border Collie yells, challenging her; of course the Cockapoo who has the same energy as he does, didn't want to loose to him, so she yells back "Don't underestimate me Flicks!" In the process of reaching the top, along the way - pebbles flicker away from them and hopped about to another spot, and the grass just simply swayed once their paws lands and continues to run. Seems chaotic or quite an intense moment, but everywhere was peacefully quiet, and you could only hear the soft lullabies the birds him and the quiet whistle of the shy wind that passes by them.

          The race ended up with a tie and as soon as the step afoot on the very tippy-top of the mountain, both of them couldn't stop but awe at the beautiful view that's held before them. A view so beautiful that could make you she'd a tear with a million reasons, when he felt he'd seen enough, he told Skye he'll just be finding a stick for them play with- fetch. She seems to be in with the idea so she allowed him and he ran off to some trees in hope there were twigs or fallen small branches laying on the grassy ground. "Which stick's perfect?" He hypothetically asked himself once he found a bunch of it laying around nearby the foot of the trees. As he skims his blue-hued irises, he made a delighted sound upon finally finding the perfect stick they could toy with. Feeling satisfied, he picked it up and rushed towards Skye and to his horror, found Olivia— that one person he trusted the most aside from Skye – pushed his sister.

          Anger fogged his mind and nothing came into his senses but the thing that would happen to Skye. He feared that she wouldn't survive the great fall "HOW DARE YOU?!" He yells as he attempts to rescue her by trailing behind her and kept a lot of hope with him and prayed that she'll be alright. That she can survive and hopefully he'll find her soon, but seems like Olivia didn't like the idea so she immediately snapped a hook that hooks itself to an eye on his collar that refrains him from running off farther from her. He was helpless and he couldn't control himself, he wanted to bite her but he couldn't as she wittily carried him back to the car without getting bitten. Even he was surprised he didn't attempt to bite her; maybe he was driven by fear that she could potentially kill him, an event that could be far worse than what Skye went through. So for all the years he was alive, he attempted to escape home to just find her, but seems that bad luck was always clouding above him that every time he would attempt, Olivia's somehow a step ahead from him. He only recently was allowed to travel on his own when his own fire of determination and hope slowly died and turned into nothing but embers that would soon slowly turn into nothing as well. And when Olivia was sure Flicker wouldn't attempt to find her again, he was free.

          But Flicker feels otherwise. He's still drowning in the sea of memories he and Skye made. Her laugh haunted him to sleep, her face still visits him everyday, and her sweet affection she showered her brother with – up to that moment, he could still feel her ghost brushing upon him. Everyday he was struggling to surface up and couldn't think of anything but his missing sister. Trying his best to wipe all of his memory of her away from his mind. And the day of actually being mentally free soon came to an end and had finally accepted that she was gone and wished her a good life in the afterlife. Time went easy on him and continued it without Skye and then from third place, he became the champion in every contest Olivia entered him and dedicated every trophy and medal he earned to Skye as something to keep the memory of her alive.

          "So. . . You did try. . . " She whispered to the thin air, Flicker pulled her close to a hug "Yeah, so there's no reason to be mad, okay?" Skye began to weep in the midst of their hug, and made his chest-fur all soaked with the bitter tears she bottled a long time ago. Ancient tears she couldn't bring herself to unbottle and let it flow; the Border Collie couldn't careless if he slowly grew damp from her tears, what matters to him was the sun was still rising and setting, the moon still high above them, stars that kept scintillating in the darkest nights, and this very moment where he could finally hold her in his arms and replace all those voided days where all they felt was grief and loneliness. It wasn't long before Flicker himself gave in to the wave of emotions that wanted to rush out of him. As they stood there in the middle of a busy city, his tears poured down as well as he pulled her much closer to him.

"I'm so glad you're okay. . . "

This chapter is dedicated to
my dog. . .

Tagpi

"Once you have had a wonderful dog,
a life without one, is a life diminished."
                                            – Dean Koontz

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