Wounded tears trickled down the Husky's face as she quietly slips away from Marshall's area without breathing a single word at him.

          To his horror, the Dally had only pinned himself against the wall and dropped onto the side with pure disappointment in himself.

          His head was pounding with; his airway constricts and his sight blurs and doubles in vision. He figured he was truly walking between the contorted path of reality and fantasy — the horizon where the wound just worsens and confusion persists.

          Nothing made sense to him as all he completely saw was the caliginous vast expanse that was no foreign to him.

          As he was suspended between two worlds that yet has to be painted in front of him, the crackle of fire came to his senses and alerted him greatly.

          Quickly, he looked from left to right in search for it, but for only to feel his eyes closed subconsciously. His eyes began to hurt in attempt to open his eyes. He knows that they're open, why can't he see anything otherwise, though?

crackle.. crackle..

          The sounds of the flame dancing around him invisibly became unbearably loud and oppressive.

          Before he knew it. He found himself leak liquid emotions out of his system, dampening his cheeks covered in fur. It ran hot and stale. He couldn't feel himself cry, but he knew he looked like a fool — a statue crying.

          Unknowingly, he found his paw reach for a certain familiar object, the tips of his fur shivering at the sensation of it. It was something brown, furry, with black beady eyes, and a mouth that were stitched especially to smile at him.

          Every carress bear a heavy and wounded soul, along with its painful and sour sentiment.

          "Teddy.." He whispers to himself at the discovery — voice almost dissipating into nothing. He grasped it with his own two forepaws and embraced the sentimental object close to where he continues to live — it beats steadily, lively and lonely within that cage of his that has yet to see the outside world.

          Lugubriously, he laughs at the bear with a pinch of reality in his smiles — visions all distorted.. He tells himself that,

          "This is stupidly pointless of me being in this situation.. But—"

          Painstakingly slow and quiet, he whispers to the bear that withholds no capacity to articulate such emotions nor opinions; with its beady eyes looking at his very alive ones, he tells him.. 

"I miss my mom.."

          The morning rush was busy as bees; Ryder and Jake were preparing a meal for both the pups and themselves. Everyone's still unable to walk out of the tower due to the persisting downpour occuring outside.

          According to news, it was a hurricane that decided to take a visit in 'ol bright Adventure Bay. Everyone concluded that they may or may not have overlooked this situation.

          "I had no idea it would rain this long," Ryder began as he opened a sack of pup food and took a deep plunge to retrieve the scoop "If this doesn't stop, I can't buy food supplies for the pups. My quad bike can't withstand the harsh weather."

          "I know, freaky right?" The older boy replies as he oscillates his hands dry.

          As the duo natters away, the same energy bursts into the other side as all the pups began to share nonsense topics, just to keep the bright mood ongoing.

          There is no doubt everyone was still tired from yesterday's stressful event, but everyone had an unofficial (and a plausible) agreement that they have to keep the vibe afloat.

          Without incertitude, everyone's aware that nobody needs a burden of a somber atmosphere when everything's already as bad as it seems.

          Everyone too, were visiting Chase every so and then; taking turns to go up and cheer him up, and the latest news has it that he's been feeling better — fortunately for everyone.

          But not everyone is having a good morning though. In one corner, Marshall amuses himself by nugatorily sorting the kibble into unspecified groups.

          "What are you doing there?" Skye questions, plopping onto the pillow beside him. The Cockapoo had just finished consuming her breakfast.

         "Doing pointless stuff." He bluntly tells her, avoiding to meet her gaze for fear she'd read him in a moment from one look in his eyes.

          "I heard you and Everest got into a fight last night." Skye immediately says without hesitation.

           The Dally almost choked in his own saliva at the sudden reminder of what happened last night — an event he wants to forget.

          Muted like a statue, he avoided her remark and decided to eat his meal to have an excuse of remaining quiet.

          But the Cockapoo had only raised her brows in await for his response. She knew too well that he is aware of her eyes upon him.

          "You do realize you are miserably failing at avoiding me, right?" Marshall continued to eat his meal, maybe not-so in peace, and pretended as if she were not there to constantly remind him of his mistakes.

          "Marshall." This time, the female's voice was more firm and serious. The formula of her voice consisted of something that may seem aggressive (for answers) at first, but within those multiple laps of aggression lies a plethora of utter concern.

          "It was nothing Skye. It has been a stressful day last night, probably why things had gotten out of control." Sighs the dally as he attempted to provide her his slice of locution anent to last night's incident.

          Her eyes seeped clear expression that she was not convinced despite of his half-truths. As of the moment, it irritates and unsettles him that he is being interrogated at such an early notice, with a pair of magenta eyes piercing right through him; he hasn't rebooted properly yet to entertain this, as embers from last night were still lingering in his mind

          The weather doesn't help him in any given circumstance.

          "You and everyone else knows despite any stressful event, at the end of the day, you're the one who's smiling. Unless of course, there is something that's on your mind."

          Completely having enough of the nag, he stood up and excused himself to see the German Shepherd himself, considering the fact that everyone's downstairs but Chase, he might as well take himself up there in case the canine needs any assistance.

          Without another single thing said between them, the Dalmatian had slipped away from the crowd and placed himself within the retractable tube that ascends and descends whenever you wish.

          Punching the up button. His view veered downwards until he saw the top floor of their look-out.

          The elevator politely chimed an announcement that they have arrived quickly to where Chase is resting. He already was sitting properly and was drinking water from his pup-bowl.

          Hypothesizing, he knew that his prelapse had providentially ended and places his body at ease.

          Calling his name as he greets, this caught the German Shepherd's attention and placed his gaze upon his best friend — someone who has been with him through thick and thin.

          "Marshall, " He greets back cheerfully, showing no signs of previous painful episodes "What are you doing here?" The Dally was pulling one of the scattered bean bags and dragged it closer to where Chase was.

          "I just wanted to check up on you since I've finished my meal early." He informs him, looking intently at him. What he notices though, was that his face droops immediately after his response.

          But before he could even begin to ask him, Chase began to speak.

          "I'm fine.. But, are you?" Silence enveloped the Dally as he remained on his seat, unable of what words he could use to respond to that query.

          "You seemed.. Stressed lately." He simpers before Marshall could again — begin.

          Chase chuckled lightly at his silence, an attempt to lighten the mood and warm his friend up "You can't lie to me. I know when you are upset, and you do too with me."

          "Alright fine. You caught me," He tells him, crumbling his defenses down against him "But why is it that, when it's me, I need to share. And when it's you, you don't tell me a single thing." The way he told them was firm and certain, despite it being constructed in a way that it is an interrogation.

          As Chase sighs, he places himself back into the same beanbag he slept on and says "I'm not really sure what made me think that way. But I'm really sorry for that; I should've trusted you years then. But I know I can't let you suffer from your own thoughts eating you up."

          The Dally flinched at his words at the realization that he've recently shared his own insecurities, and Chase had done the same thing to him as well.

          "I know but,"

         He was halted yet again by him; Chase sensed that he was about to protest against his idea, but before he could be bombarded with those, he knew he had to explain his side immediately.

          "Marshall," He mentions his name, braving a look to his eyes to pin him down and remain listening to what he has to say.

          "You were the one who told me that it was my nature to be secretive, and it was that that got us into a mess that I don't clearly remember. From then, everyone agreed it was better to share — especially if it's complicated."

          Closing his eyes shut — tightly — the Dally reminisced the time back before this chaos. Before Sweetie decided to attack; before Chase lost his memories; before misunderstandings weeded its way between ties.

          Remembering it, he knows how much of a thorn it was all for those who were included within it. Along that process, many were harmed, even in a way that isn't considered a major damage.

          What mattered was.. Many suffered the consequences of keeping that little secret from seeping through.

          Once Chase's monstrous thorn had fed off of the loneliness and burden he places himself, it went out of control and had affected him more and everyone else he loves.

          Marshall understands the concept very well; chopping off the extensions of Chase's own insecurities took months to repair before everyone could properly breathe and see the sunlight.

          It was never the same, as the disastrous event left a scar that taught everyone a lesson. Some understood it, but probably have forgotten about it. While some took the life lesson a harder way. Marshall, per se.

          "Chase, I understand your point. But what if I'm not ready to talk about it?" He quietly admits, pinning his gaze into the lime-green fabric that he's sitting on.

         "Like fire — it can be beneficial that it got you through those long and dark nights. But you can't just let it burn off of you and your place; naturally, you have to extinguish of most of them—" The German Shepherd took a brief glance at him to check if he were still listening, he was.

          "—Of course you can't take everything off since you need it for the night — just like our insecurities. It will never completely dispel from us; that's what makes us who we are today. Do you get what I'm trying to say?"

          Thinking of it long and hard, Marshall knew what he wanted to say, and appreciates the gesture his friend was making.

          What makes it better in his opinion, was that despite having understandably no idea (most) of his past, he was eager to correct it and endeavors to help anyone he loves from bulleting back to his exact situation.

          The Dally began to smile and gave in to his plea "Alright. I'll tell you. It's just that.."

         One, two, three.. He took steady breaths as he channels away his anxieties into carbon dioxide. Walking through these needled hallways as these lurid red eyes pierced right through all the things he's ashamed of, he attempted to perceive them as nothing but a pitch-black gust of wind.

          "Seeing you so hurt just.. Was just painful to look at. And Everest just had to add up to that." Silently admits the Dally, himself.

          Flabbergasted, he questions him "Everest? But she didn't do anything?"

          "That's the point!! She could've done something to save herself so you wouldn't have had fallen into that issue in the midst of a horrible weather." The Dally darts back in defense.

          Shaking his head, he pats the Dalmatian in an understanding and comforting way, which reassured the recently piqued canine from his previous confession.

          They both smiled as the raindrops faintly pounds to the ground like delicate, yet powerful drums. The wind no longer whistled violently, and it seems that everything from yesterday's predicament was about to come to an end.

          "But.. Why are you so upset about Everest though? She might be too shocked to move. Hadn't you considered that idea?"

          His ears perked at his presumption. Not in the world had the idea cross his mind that he'd ask that. Perhaps there was something that's barricading him from being so understanding.

          "Well. It's complicated because.. "

"NO. STOP STOP STOP STOP.. "

"THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING..! "

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          Blinking twice to take himself back to reality — where crystals do not possess magic; snow isn't helpful; holding and possessing fire as power doesn't burn the one who wields; pain is taken away by one kiss, he remembers that he was being asked.

          Looking back at him. He painfully smiles and says "It's because—"