Chapters written by Teniserie

The jungle had brought him peace. It had always brought him peace. The young, small chihuahua couldn't piece together what it was about the jungle that eased him of any worries that dared made itself present. Was it the gentle breeze that grazed his fur, cooling the tip of his nose where he last licked clean? The audible brush of the leaves as the branches danced in the wind? The trickle of the creek as the water continues its incessant journey down the bend? He had to assume it was all of the above.

He could bask in all of this all day, he could stand here and let himself be taken by the tranquility of the jungle. But of course, he had some chores to tend to, though he wasn't complaining one bit. If there was one other thing he loved other than living in the jungle, it was taking care of it and all of its inhabitants.

The distinguishable voice of his paternal figure broke through the silence, though this sort of silence was one that consisted of a variety of sounds all at once. Any distinct noise was quite atypical to this kind of "silence." But at the same time, it was one and the same with the forest, for it was his father who had introduced him into the beautiful wild in the first place.

The runt who went by the name of Parker spun around to face the chihuahua who approached him and bounded forward for him, plowing right into his chest without forewarning. Tracker, however, had anticipated this and braced himself for impact--for it was Parker's known gesture of affection--and returning it with a tight bear hug, a steel grip in which Parker still had yet to figure out how to break free out of.

"Papaaaa..!! You're crushing meeee!!!" The pup whined, trying to wriggle himself free but to no avail. Drats.

Tracker emitted a soft laugh in response before releasing him "into the wild" as he'd usually say. "Sí, sí, Mijo. You're up rather early."

"I like to listen to the jungle before the sun rises. Like you said, the early bird gets the...worm?"

Tracker gives a small nod of his head. "Got that right, P.K. Though I remember quite well, since my memory hasn't started failing me yet, that you enjoyed sleeping in before."

"I changed my mind! And don't grow old yet, Papa, I still need you.." Parker's cheeks flush a little, having made that impromptu statement that sounded more along the lines of a plea. "Th-The forest needs you too..!"

Somehow, this small display of flusteredness and reluctance cracked his heart down the middle. For some reason, it pained him to see Parker feel agitated over the fact that he was dependent on his dad. It...should be natural for a young pup to cling to their parents. There was even a term for being excessively anxious without the presence of a parent. Yet Parker here was acting far from being susceptible to something like that. Something laid beneath the surface, some underlying pressure trying to buck up from below.

Tracker brought his paw up and over the pup's back and pulled him closer to him. "It's nothing to be ashamed of to be needy. Maybe I've placed too much responsibility on your shoulders, Mijo?"

"No!- No." Parker vehemently shook his head, "It's not that. There's just something that's got me thinking..."

His boy had something on his mind, this alerted Tracker and he was more than willing to be todo oídos, instantly focusing the entirety of his undivided attention on him. "And that is..?"

A small pause. "The world you told me about. Outside this jungle. I think back to the adventures you told me, and the PAW Patrol. I know I said before that it sounds scary, but I'm thinking that it's scary because it sounds different," his eyes tracked a trail of ants marching across the dirt. "I...I want to go see it for myself."

Parker's head drooped a little, laden with the guilty presumption that he was disobliging his father. Which was quite ironic considering how they never traveled outside of the forestry due to his own reluctance in doing so. But now that he wanted to, so...why did his heart feel heavy? Maybe it wasn't even the former, but the latter. He expected rejection.

Tracker, however, felt ecstatic hearing those words coming from Parker. About time! Though, he restrained his display of excitement seeing his son's demeanor, his ears drooping to boot. He leaned forth to take a good look at Parker's face, quick to take notice of the uncertainty evident on his face.

It was an anomalous sight to see. Parker was not one to be this indisposed. He was always ever so inclined to speak his mind and or wishes. This, this was a first. Tracker usually managed to see right through to him, reflecting the same enthusiasm when it came to anything they were one good terms with—which was a majority of the time. But right now, it was like looking into a mirror beclouded with a coat of fog.

He wiped it down with a paw running over Parker's back and pulling him close to his side, the pup's coat so impeccably smooth that he had no need for a groom. Ever.

"Of course you can."

Parker lifted his head up and there was a sliver of that said enthusiasm returned at his father's response. However, his eyes were still laden with doubt, a weight that drew his eyes back down onto the ground. "You mean, we can, right?"

There was that show of dependency again, which prompted Tracker to give the kid a reassuring squeeze along with an affirmative hum. It seems the provided comfort had done wonders for any trace of skepticism vanished and Parker tackled Tracker down into a hug.

For a pup so small, he was heavy! What on Earth was he eating nowadays, concrete?

The embrace sustained for hardly a few more seconds when it was rudely interrupted by the sound of what could be identified by the ear as the roar of that unmistakable jet engine breaking through the sky. However, the sound was approaching dangerously closer, which prompted Tracker and Parker to glance up to the skies that hung high above the treetops. There was a splotch moving across the light blue at such great speeds, one wouldn't consider it being nor a bird or a plane. But they were given no time to check who or what it was when they were forced to duck down as the figure barreling towards them went sailing over their heads.

The object had barely scraped the tips of their ears as it came tumbling onto the Earth, the force of its collision so strong that it would have shook the ground below their paws. What followed was a loud thud and the sputtering of a dying jet engine, or so it seemed. Smoke swirled out from the nozzle as crash residue.

Parker and Tracker unfurled from their protective embrace, removing their paws from the top of their heads and turned to face whatever it was that came falling from the sky. They would've been surprised. At least Tracker was.  "Well I'll be...Skye??" Tracker bounded over to the fallen pup's—who very clearly was no longer a pup but a full-fledged cockapoo—side.

She emitted a low, pained groan. How she managed to sustain a crash as such was a wonder to the both of them. As Tracker helped Skye back to all fours, Parker inched his way towards her with deliberate steps, eyes on the curious thing on her back. Was that what got her in the air? Aaaannnd...back down onto the ground?

The cockapoo's eyes peeled open, and more like flew open upon seeing Parker. "P.K!!!" She basically threw herself at the young pup with her arms wound about his torso in a tight hug. "Oh boy, I hadn't seen you in ages!"

Parker's confused expression was a far cry from Skye's excited demeanor, unfamiliar and suffocated with her presence, clearly. "Uh....hi? Need...air-"

"Oh! My apologies!" She finally let him up, brushing down his uniform that certainly added a charm to the younger chihuahua. "You probably don't remember me. It has been some time since you were a little sprout."

Still bewildered, Parker throws a cursory glance at his father. "Uhhh...Papa?"

Thankfully, Tracker made a quick save by chiming in, "She visited when you were first born." That's when the elephant in the room stepped in, and no not the one that was passing by the trio just now, unbeknownst to Parker. It was clear that Skye knew well of it too but her lips pursed together with a look that resorted to going along with Tracker's spewed white lie. Anything further on the topic would only dampen the evidently cheerful mood of an impromptu reunion of sorts. "Think of her as your Tía Skye!"

Knowing that he had family other than Carlos and Tracker had him beyond overjoyed, still confused, but happy nonetheless. "Oh cooool! So she's your sister?"

"Kind of like that. She's a very close friend of mine. Remember those missions with the PAW Patrol I told you about?"

"Sí, what about them?"

Skye and Tracker exchange knowing glances before he turns to face Parker—any tension from the prior conversation having dispersed—following an unspoken cue. "Well, allow me to introduce you to a fellow PAW Patrol member. Flight unit."

"Oh please, you're flattering me." Skye chuckles in amusement. "No need to overdo it."

"I always wanted to say that about at least one of you guys to P.K."

They were too slow to notice the pup's eyes boggling with brimming wonder, his gaze locked on the aviator cockapoo. "You're one of THEM???"

"Would I lie about that, kid?"

"That's awwweeesomeeee!!!" It was clear that he had taken childish glee into getting to meet one of his childhood heroes his father had talked about in his tales. As trivial as it seemed to Skye, it was like meeting a living legend to Parker.

The grin etched across her face would have reached her ears if he flattered her further. "Did Tracker tell you about us like we were some super cool superheroes or something?"

"You guys technically are. You're there lickity split when the city's in danger. Or town? I don't know the difference. Anyway, you guys have saved the day every single time."

Skye took the weight of appreciation from his words and nodded her head once towards the pup's direction. "It is our job to serve and protect. Anything we can do in our power and beyond to ensure everyone's safety."

"Which makes you superheroes!"

Parker earned collective laughter out of the two of them merely in taking amusement out of his excitement. Skye had to admit, he wasn't wrong. She just never looked at it that way. "Thank you, Parker. Or as you say it, gra...cias? Is that correct?" The pause marks her uncertainty. Thankfully, Tracker is there to affirm her, and reaffirm her if need be in the near future.

"Now onto the important question. What happened exactly? Not an everyday occurrence for you to crash like that." The magic garnered from Parker's excitement wavered for a bit as an air of concern shrouded over it.

Skye seemed questionably unfazed, and it baffled the other two even more when she waved a paw out dismissively. "It was probably fuel exhaustion." In that same moment, her facial expression lowered in slight gloom. "However, this is the second time it's happened in the same month. I better inform Ryder and bring this issue up to him, have him check it out."

"Yeah. Would you need a ride back to Adventure Bay?"

Skye's eyes lit up with surprise at Tracker's suggestion that she certainly was unexpected. "O-Oh, I mean, if it's not any trouble. I.. don't really have any other way back except for walking. Though I could use the exercise."

Amidst in that split second of a moment, Parker saw this as the perfect opportunity. And what better chance to grab for it than this one?

As Tracker opened his mouth to reply, the pup intercepted the conversation, scrambling between the two like a divider. "Sure we can! Right, Papa?"

The look of approval on Tracker's face was enough to fuel Parker's joy–similar to a child receiving a parcel that contained nothing but the very thing their heart yearned for. Only his came in the occurring mishap that quite literally fell from the sky.

ꕥ~⚘~ꕥ~⚘~ꕥ~⚘~ꕥ

A collective grunt and a following thud is what came of the two full-fledged canines pushing Skye's jet pack into the trunk. Or more like sliding it down there. T'was a sloppy effort, but it was an effort nonetheless. They were rewarded with the joyous smile of Parker's as his head popped up from the front seat of the cruiser.

"Tía Skye! Is it true that the buildings can reach high above the clouds?"

A smile breached the cockapoo's face. "Not all, but there are some edifices that managed to scrape the sky. Henceforth, their given names being skyscrapers."

"Well, what about you? Oof!" The youth had flipped up and over the headrest, toppling into the trunk with his head sitting lopsided atop his head. "Would you be called a skyscraper?"

Skye readjusted his hat so it was back in place. "I'm what you'd call an 'aviator.' But I do take to the skies!" The girl made a motion with her paw ascending into the air, Parker's eyes following. It has been a while since he'd seen his youngling show this much childlike excitement since he began looking after the jungle alongside him. And he had to admit, he wished he'd see it more often.

"Are there any skyscrapers in Adventure Bay?" Out and out came Parker's incessant inquiring, each gasp of wonder aerating him further until he was lifting up onto the tip of his paws. He was practically growing lightweight. Like a balloon! Tracker took some profound amusement at this.

Skye hummed in thought. "No, not really. If I were to make a rough estimate, they'd be as tall as the trees here. Or maybe a bit taller."

Parker couldn't help the look of disappointment on his face no matter how much he tried to fight it. Child or pup, kids' faces were like a bare, white canvas. Any splotch of a distinctive colorful emotion was noticeable right off the bat. But that quickly wilted away like watercolor and what took its place was that returned anticipation of the trip to town. "Okay! We got everything, right?" And before Tracker could open his maw in response, the boy hopped back onto the front seat. In the driver's seat. "Alright! Vamanos!"

"Whoa, espera, espera! You're not allowed behind the wheel just yet." Tracker hoisted the young pup from the seat–his seat–by his collar and onto the cushion beside him so he was sandwiched between his father and Skye. This was going to be an interesting ride indeed. Tracker could see Parker's hat bob up and down in his peripheral. The corner of his lip lifted for the umpteenth time that day.

The engine of the vehicle roared to life, and so did that planted seed of excitement in Parker's chest. And before he knew it, they were off! He watched the jungle slide past his view as they drove forward, finding himself drawn to the notion that it wasn't them moving, but the Earth sliding below them. Kind of like a treadmill. Soon enough, the line of trees had disappeared and up came...something peculiar. They were relatively tall structures of sorts. And they didn't rock with the wind, unless you counted the crimson flag that was perched atop the bell tower of another building of off-white stone limned with mint—and not the one he plucked off of trees—color that brought quite the appeal to sore eyes. It was sublime to say the least. One that stood in the center of the town with some degree of grandiose elegance. To random passersby walking alongside the road in which they drove over, these were all trivial things that they wouldn't stop to take in at first glance. But to Parker, every sight was an attraction. One would've assumed they were driving through a carnival.

"Wow...!" His eyes caught sight of something interesting, and he excitedly pawed the canine sitting next to him. "Papa! Look! Is that a real golden chicken???"

Tracker briefly tore his eyes away from the road towards the polished statue of the mayor's beloved companion. "Why yes, it is. It's just a statue, though."

"Yeah, chickens aren't that big."

"Really? I had no idea." Tracker said with playful cluelessness. He earned an audible huff and a puff of air on his fur from Parker's expressed unamusement.

"That's Chickaletta! She's Mayor Goodway's "man's best friend." Or at least was..." Skye's tone dropped in somber.

"What happened?" It took him a moment, but once the realization struck Parker, his eyes were filled with sympathy for someone he hadn't even met. "Nevermind.."

"Yeah. Pretty sure you get the idea."

"It's sad to think chickens can live up to only five to ten years." Parker could feel the pull of an incline dragging him back so he was now pressed to the seat. They were coming up a hill, and a towering structure came into view. It was nothing short of baronial and every color popped out just right.

The cruiser came to a stop, and so did the conversation. Parker looked over the side of the vehicle to find not dirt, but rock solid concrete. He gingerly stepped out, laying one paw down. It was nothing like the floorboards or the dirt ground back at home. It didn't creak under his weight. He checked the underside of his paw, finding that his toe beans were not smothered with dirt.

Had he been living under a rock his whole life?

A boy seemingly no older than Carlos was making adjustments to what appears to be an ATV, wrench in hand and his helmet set aside on the table he propped himself against. "Hey, Skye! Glad you returned here safely!" No gaze could've been more welcoming than the young man before them. Parker knew that a pair of eyes were cast on him, but he refused to meet them. He was far too engrossed on the asphalt in which he stood on, and was enshroud with a degree of shyness. "And this must be Parker, right?"

The young pup was surprised he'd known him. Had this guy also stood by the cradle just when he was born? Just about how much did he miss out on? Like a turtle crawling out of the safe comfort of his shell, his head lifted so he was looking directly into those amber eyes. Eyes that were painted into a memory he didn't know he had until now. ". . .Yes."

He couldn't tell if it was purely his imagination, or he saw that kindly look falter a bit. Parker blinked, and it was back the way it was. Oooookay...? Perhaps it was just his imagination.

Ryder knelt down on one knee in front of the much smaller dog, prompting him to backstep towards Tracker, who stood like a pillar–a lodestone–of supplied courage that rubbed off on Parker, leaving a smudge of fearlessness. Ryder took heed to this and his expression softened further (if that was even possible). "Would you like to take a look around the Lookout?"

Ryder gestured towards the tower that seemed to take to the sky, even if it hardly counted as a skyscraper. Parker's eyes tracked to where his hand was pointing. Pause. Then he lulled his head so he was glancing up at Tracker, eyes seemingly looking for any disapproval on his father's face. But upon closer inspection, it wasn't consent he was searching for. It was that unfelt tug that pleaded the grown chihuahua to come with him. And Tracker had picked the notion up from the get-go and walked alongside Parker and towards the glass doors that slide open from any approaching presence, prompting the little runt to jump back in fright.

Boy, he really had been living under a rock this whole time. He felt like he'd traversed universes and failed to believe that this was the world that sat right outside the dense woodlands he knew full well of. Yet nothing of THIS world. There was much to explore. Much to see. Much to discover.