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Post by Belchic on Nov 6, 2008 15:14:41 GMT -5
That sure was a fun chapter!
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Post by LoneWanderer Raiden on Nov 6, 2008 16:08:43 GMT -5
Yep, sorry if it seems like I haven't read and replied to your fic, Flo. But I've just now read this chapter and I have to say, excellent writing. Keep it up. ^^
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Post by Flowgli on Nov 11, 2008 11:57:24 GMT -5
Chapter Five: Patch Gets Angry
***
Back in the farm that night, Patch was in the pond, washing off all the grass that were thrown at him by the dogs in London. When he was finished, he got out of the pond, shook himself dry, and headed back to the barn to go to sleep. He heard Rolly calling him before he could set foot in the barn.
"Patch, wait, we need to talk to you--" said Rolly.
"Leave me alone, Rolly!" said Patch angrily as he sharply turned his head to look at his family. "I don't want to talk to anyone!"
"Please, Patch! Quitting your job with Thunderbolt was a big mistake you made!"
"Thunderbolt is your best friend, Patch," said Lucky. "He's been nice enough to help you become a better one-of-a-kind wonderdog. He's even been supportive enough to help you work on improving your voice to do his bark."
"Yeah," said Freckles, taking sides with Lucky. "Ever since you took the job with Thunderbolt, trying to improve your voice for that bark has been the most important thing to you. Now, how are you gonna get your voice improved for that bark?"
Patch remembered very well about the promise his siblings forced him to make after they said that they could not support him on improving his voice for Thunderbolt's heroic bark, just because pups do not have the voice to do that kind of bark. The thought of his family not supporting him on improving his voice for Thunderbolt's heroic bark was bothering him more than ever.
"Well, I have you guys, don't I?" snapped Patch. "You're my family, and you can support me, right?"
"Wrong," said Pepper, and this made Patch angrier. "Look, we're sorry if we're making you mad, but we told you before that we can't support you because we are just pups, and pups will get laughed at for doing that bark because they don't have the voice for it."
That did it for Patch. He now started to lose his temper with his siblings.
"HOW COULD YOU?!" Patch shouted. "You guys are supposed to be my family! Now, you're gonna be like those dogs back in London and laugh at me when I try to bark like Thunderbolt instead of support me, just because pups don't have the voice to do that bark?!"
Patch's siblings tried their best not to let his anger scare them.
"Now, Patch," said Rolly, shaking, "we're not trying to be mean to you like those dogs back in London did. You should be grateful that we didn't laugh at you at all for doing Thunderbolt's bark ever since we made you promise not to do it while you're still a pup."
"And you're not going to laugh at me for that, now," said Patch. "In fact, you're not going to laugh at me for that...ever! You know why? Because I'm gonna work on it right here at home! And you're all gonna support me, whether you like it or not!"
"But Patch, you promised not to do that bark while you're still a pup unless you're at work with Thunderbolt!"
"That is only because you guys made me promise that! I'm gonna break that promise! I had enough of my own family telling me that they can't support me on trying to get my voice right for that bark! It sounds like you're saying that you don't even care about me!"
Rolly shook even more, letting Patch's anger get to him.
"Take it easy, Patch," said Rolly. "Don't think of us as your enemies. We really do care about you."
But Patch was not going to listen to anything else that any of his siblings had to say to him. He was very fed up with not getting any support from his family on something that was part of his career. He now became angrier than he had ever been in his life.
"YEAH, RIGHT!" Patch thundered at the top of his voice to all his siblings. "NOT SHOWING ME ANY SUPPORT IS NOT SHOWING SOMEONE YOU TRULY CARE ABOUT ME! I MEAN, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS SUPPOSED TO BE?! NOT MY FAMILY! YOU ARE ALL THE MOST PITIFUL BROTHERS AND SISTERS THAT ANYONE HAS EVER HAD YET! AT LEAST I WAS BRAVE ENOUGH TO DO THUNDERBOLT'S BARK, UNLIKE YOU GUYS! YOU'RE ALL AFRAID TO DO THAT BARK BECAUSE YOUR VOICES MIGHT EVEN SOUND WORSE THAN AS IF SOMEONE SAT ON A SQUEAKY TOY; THEY MIGHT SOUND AS IF SOMEONE RAN OVER IT!"
On the emphasized words of the last thing he said, Patch violently swept dirt at his siblings with his front right paw, causing it to get in their eyes and sting them in the process.
"Ow!" Rolly yelled in pain. "My eyes!"
"Patch, what did you do that for?" Lucky complained as he and the rest of Patch's siblings rubbed the dirt out of their eyes.
All the other pups are now making complaints about Patch sweeping the dirt in their eyes.
"You all deserved that for not supporting me!" boomed Patch. "None of you care about me, but everyone at work did! They are my true family, not you guys! Unlike you, they showed me a lot of support! But I'm not going back to that family until I become big enough to actually do Thunderbolt's bark correctly! In fact, I'm not going back to that family at all!"
All of Patch's siblings were now shocked at what he just said to them.
"Wait a minute," Lucky gasped. "You're not saying that you are--"
"That's right, Lucky," said Patch, scowling. "I'm never returning to my job. It's all over. I'm quitting my job for good."
All of Patch's siblings became even more shocked, and now very disappointed in him.
"Patch, no!" Penny pleaded. "Thunderbolt's your best friend. He did whatever it takes to help you succeed. He really cares about you. You can't quit your job."
Patch now confronted Penny, their faces almost touching each other's.
"Don't you dare tell me what I can or can't do, Penny," Patch said through gritted teeth, and he pulled himself away to face his family. "That goes for the rest of you! I don't want anyone to tell me what to do about my job! I'm through being an actor, and I'm through being a hero! Actually, I never should've even rescued you guys from Cruella in the first place! After what happened on our last night at the flat, I should've just left you locked up in those cages at the warehouse in London and let Cruella and the Baduns turn you all into a fur coat!"
Patch's anger was now scaring his siblings even more.
"Patch, don't say things like that!" Lucky cried. "You don't really mean all that!"
"Yes, I do!" Patch roared. "If you all just showed me some support, I wouldn't be this angry with you, right now!"
He turned away from his siblings and sat by the pond, so that he could calm himself down and think things through. As he did so, his siblings heard him mutter something under his breath.
"What did you say?" Pepper asked Patch as she approached him.
"I hate this," said Patch softly, his temper starting to rise again. "I hate having the worst bark. I hate being laughed at for that. I hate being laughed at by all those dogs in London. And I hate that my own family won't support me."
Pepper then took a few steps back from Patch to avoid getting him angry again.
"Do you know what I hate the most?" Patch asked his siblings, trying hard to keep his temper under control. "Being a pup."
All of Patch's siblings felt hurt and even more disappointed in him. They all then saw Pongo make his way to the pond and sit next to Patch to talk to him.
"Patch, I heard everything you just said to your brothers and sisters," said Pongo.
Patch now had a feeling that what Pongo just said was used to make him feel guilty, and it really did.
"Do you even know what was the one thing you said to them that surprises me the most?" Pongo asked calmly. "It wasn't you quitting your job for good."
Patch looked up to face his father.
"Was it me wishing that I had never rescued my brothers and sisters from Cruella?" Patch asked curiously.
"Oh, no, son," said Pongo. "It was you saying that you hate being a pup. Please, tell me what's bothering you about being a pup."
Patch really did not want to discuss anyone with anything right now, after all the anger he had let out to his siblings. But since Pongo was kind enough to ask Patch why he hated being a kid, Patch had no choice but to explain.
"It's just tough being a pup," Patch began with a sigh. "When a pup tries to do a powerful, heroic bark like Thunderbolt's, they end up getting laughed at because their voice is too squeaky. I really hate it when pups like me have a squeaky voice, and can't do a good bark like Thunderbolt's because of that. Pups like me are too little to do those big dog barks. I hate being little, and I hate having a squeaky bark. That's what I hate about being a pup."
Patch turned his head away from his father after he had finished.
"Is that it?" Pongo scoffed at Patch. "Come on, Patch. You may not like being a pup, but you must understand that it's important that you enjoy being a pup while it lasts."
"I don't see how being a pup is so important or enjoyable," said Patch, staring at the pond.
"Well, while you're a pup, you have a lot of energy in you. And you use that energy to learn new things. You try to learn as much as you can to become a big, strong dog like Thunderbolt. And if you just sit there and let your life as a pup go by, then you'd be missing out on a lot of amusing things in life. Please, don't let your life as a pup go to waste. That won't help you be the dog you want to be. I know how getting your voice right to do Thunderbolt's heroic bark is important to you, but something like this takes time and can't be rushed. You've probably been trying too hard on that since we first met Amber, and that's why your voice had been getting worse lately. So, why not rest your voice every now and then? Give it time; it will come out right, just like you want it."
After hearing what Pongo had to say, Patch sadly turned around to face him.
"Okay," said Patch tearfully, and he dropped himself on one of Pongo's front paws in sadness.
"Don't worry, son," said Pongo gently as he pats Patch on the back with his other front paw to cheer him up. "Your voice will soon sound as great as Thunderbolt's. Trust me. You're gonna do just fine. Now, when we see Thunderbolt in London tomorrow, you two are going to work things out together as friends, and you'll forget about quitting your job with him when you get your problems solved."
Patch got back up in shock after he heard that he had to go back to London to face Thunderbolt again. He did not like the sound of that, after what he said to Thunderbolt that caused his feelings to get hurt. Another thing that bothered Patch about going back to London was that he might have to once again face the group of dogs that have been laughing at him for the way he did Thunderbolt's heroic bark, but he already had been pretty well fed up with them and could not stand them anymore.
"What?!" Patch gasped. "See Thunderbolt in London tomorrow?! No, I can't!"
"I'm afraid you have to," said Pongo.
"No, Dad! Thunderbolt will be mad at me for quitting my job if I show up in London tomorrow to talk to him! Besides, those dogs that have been laughing at me for the way I did Thunderbolt's bark will be there to laugh at me again!"
Patch's siblings, who now got over the fear of Patch's anger, stepped in.
"Patch, Dad's right," said Lucky. "You've got to go back to London tomorrow to work things out with Thunderbolt."
"Not with those laughing dogs out there, as well!" said Patch sharply as he turned away from his siblings to make his way inside the barn.
"But you and Thunderbolt are best friends," Rolly begged. "You don't want your friendship with him to end, do you? Patch, you have to come with us on our next walk in London."
Patch turned his head to glance at his siblings before he can enter the barn.
"I TOLD YOU, I'M NOT TAKING ANOTHER WALK IN LONDON WITH THOSE LAUGHING MUTTS OUT THERE!" Patch yelled at his siblings. "SO, YOU GUYS JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"
Some of the other pups tried to grab Patch and hold him back from going inside the barn to talk some more sense into him, but he spanked them all off him really hard, causing them to fall flat on their backs in pain.
"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Patch shouted. "I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO TALK TO ME FOR THE REST OF THE NIGHT!"
Patch stormed off into the barn and climbed onto a hay bale to get some sleep.
"Pongo!" Perdita called as she went over to Pongo and Patch's siblings. "I heard what's been going on between you, Patch, and all our other pups. Things didn't go too well, did they?"
Pongo shook his head glumly.
"Things didn't go well at all," said Pongo, feeling depressed.
"Maybe I should try talking to Patch," said Perdita as she was making her way to the barn to talk to Patch, but Pongo stepped in front of her to block her.
"Don't, Perdita. Now is not the right time to talk to him; it'll only make him even more upset. He's already angered enough, and we can't risk making things even worse for him by trying to talk to him any further."
Perdita sulked in disappointment.
"Look, Perdy," said Pongo. "Even though Patch said that he's not coming with us to London tomorrow, he's still going to. Whether any of us want to go for a walk in London tomorrow or not, that's up to our pets, not us. So there's a better chance that Patch and Thunderbolt may have all their problems worked out. Now, let's all go to sleep."
The entire Dalmatian family fell asleep in the barn a few minutes later. Patch was the only one who was still lying awake, thinking over what he had done to hurt Thunderbolt; that thought caused him to forget his anger with his family. After realizing that quitting his job with Thunderbolt was the biggest mistake he ever made, he stared at the ceiling of the barn in regret, picturing how things would turn out when he would meet Thunderbolt in London again the next day.
"Oh, no," Patch said quietly, feeling ashamed of himself. "What have I done?"
Patch finally fell into a deep sleep after shedding a couple of tears. While asleep, he was trying to think positive about what would happen when he and Thunderbolt would meet each other on their next walk in London. Hopefully, Thunderbolt would not be too angry with Patch when they would see each other the next day, as they were best friends.
***
End of chapter five.
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Post by Belchic on Nov 14, 2008 1:27:26 GMT -5
d**n! That was powerful!
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Post by corgi on Nov 17, 2008 17:35:18 GMT -5
Hey! I've read the three first chapters (I haven't read all them yet because to read all them in English can be hard for me, even when your languaje is clear and quite easy to understand ) and I like a lot how you write about feelings like Patch insecurity or Thunderbolts new discovers about friendship. Tomorrow I'll read more. Thanks for share your version of the continuation of 101 dalmatians 2. This is one of the great things of fandoms: we can have very differents versions of how can continue an story, all them good I'm desiring to see how continues (and I admit it, I'm desiring to read some episodes more, you know, but I'll be patient )
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Post by Flowgli on Nov 21, 2008 12:38:06 GMT -5
Glad you like my fanfic, corgi. I'm now working on the sixth chapter, and it'll take a while for me to get done.
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Post by Flowgli on Nov 25, 2008 23:00:00 GMT -5
Chapter Six: Bank Robbers
***
The next day, the Dalmatian family were taken out for a walk in London, much to Patch's dismay.
"Dad, I can't believe you talked me into coming back here to London!" Patch complained to Pongo.
"Sorry, Patch," said Pongo, "but whether any of us wants to come here today or not, it was up to our pets, not us. That's what I said to your mother yesterday. Besides, this is the only way to keep your friendship with Thunderbolt from ending."
The entire Dalmatian family saw Thunderbolt arrive in London.
"Look, there's Thunderbolt, now," said Pongo, gesturing Patch to Thunderbolt. "Good luck, son."
Feeling guilty for deciding to quit his job with Thunderbolt, Patch swallowed hard and slowly approached Thunderbolt to talk to him. Thunderbolt was staring at the ground, looking very upset as he started talking to Patch.
"I'm hurt, Patch," said Thunderbolt in a low voice. "I'm hurt emotionally. I've been feeling this way after you, my best friend, decided to quit working with me. After you left yesterday, I had a very strong feeling that you're going to quit your job for good rather than quit until you become a big dog."
Patch gasped in shock. What he just heard from Thunderbolt made it sound as if Thunderbolt could actually read his mind. He sat down on the grass, sulking.
"You're right," said Patch gloomily. "I was thinking about quitting my job for good."
"I can't believe you're doing this to me," said Thunderbolt, now starting to get mad at Patch. "How could you? And why are you here? I thought you said to me yesterday that I won't be seeing you for a long time."
Patch now felt even more guilty about everything he said that caused Thunderbolt's feelings to get hurt.
"As your best friend, I did everything I could to help you become as successful as me," said Thunderbolt, his voice shaking with anger. "I gave you all a friend can give. I tried hard to be a good friend. How do you repay me? You walked out on me, bringing our friendship close to an end."
Patch was now getting the feeling that Thunderbolt had forgotten about the crowd of dogs that have been ridiculing Patch for the way he did Thunderbolt's heroic bark since the rescue from the dognapper.
"Well, what else can I do?" said Patch, trying not to let Thunderbolt's growing anger scare him. "I don't have a choice. I have to avoid getting laughed at by those dogs here somehow."
"But you know that I'm always with you," said Thunderbolt sharply, "especially when those dogs who have laughed at you are around. After I attacked them yesterday, they became afraid of me. And the more I stand up for you that way, the less they would want to laugh at you for the way you do my heroic bark; so, as long as I'm right by your side, you're safe."
Patch felt very terrible, now that he realized what Thunderbolt just said to him. He regretted quitting his job with Thunderbolt, and was now wishing that he never made his decision to quit working with his dear friend.
"Are you really mad at me?" Patch asked, shaking with fear and regret.
Thunderbolt forgot his anger, remembering how much of it he used while attacking the dogs that laughed at Patch, and how it scared Patch. He was very upset with what Patch had done, but he did not want to use enough anger to scare him again. Thunderbolt and Patch were friends, after all; no matter what problem they were facing, and no matter how big the problem was, it was their responsibility to work it out and keep their friendship from ending.
"Well," Thunderbolt sighed, his ears flopping down as he managed to keep his temper with Patch under control, "you see, Patch, I just want you to understand that--"
But before Thunderbolt could finish, he and Patch heard a commotion going on.
"Patch, Thunderbolt, come and take a look!" Lucky called.
Everyone in London was witnessing a bank robbery. Two men were carrying sacks full of money out of the bank and shoving it all into their car.
"Good thing there's no police around to catch us!" said the tall and skinny bank robber, closing one of the doors after he hauled the sacks of money in the back seats of the car.
"Yeah!" said the short and chubby bank robber, tossing two more sacks of money in the trunk.
After seeing the bank robbers put all the sacks of money in the car, Thunderbolt found a chance for Patch to finally get some respect from the dogs that have laughed at him.
"Looks like we'll have to talk later," said Thunderbolt. "We've got bank robbers. This'll be a good chance for you to get everyone in London to love you like a hero again. Let's go!"
Thunderbolt took off to stop the bank robbers, only to stop and realize that Patch is not following him to help stop them.
"Patch?" Thunderbolt called as he turned around to see Patch just sitting on the grass, moping.
Patch was worried that he might end up failing to accomplish this heroic deed and get laughed at for it, just like when he failed to rescue himself when Tower Bridge was falling apart. To avoid getting ridiculed again, Patch made his decision to stay out of the way by glumly turning his back on Thunderbolt. This caused Thunderbolt to feel upset with Patch again. Thunderbolt did not have any time to wait for Patch to come and help him stop the bank robbers, so he went off to stop them himself. He did his heroic bark at the bank robbers, causing them to stop hauling the remaining sacks of money in the trunk and turn around to face him without cringing in fear.
"Oh, look," said the tall and skinny bank robber dully. "It's the very famous Thunderbolt, trying to stop us."
"Ha!" the short and chubby bank robber snorted. "There's no way we're gonna let a TV star scare us. Since he's very famous and all, I think he's worth a whole ton of money!"
"You're right! He's absolutely valuable, and we can cash him in! Let's catch him!"
Thunderbolt growled at the bank robbers furiously and made a jump to attack them, but they pinned him down to the ground and got a few pieces of rope ready to tie him up.
"Hold still, you!" the tall and skinny bank robber snarled as he pinned Thunderbolt down even harder to stop him from struggling out of his grasps.
The bank robbers used one piece of rope to bind Thunderbolt's front legs to the sides, another piece to bind his hind legs together, and one more piece to tie his muzzle shut.
"There!" the short and chubby bank robber grunted as he tied the last piece of rope securely. "That oughta hold ya! Now, let's lock you up in the trunk!"
As the bank robbers carry Thunderbolt to the trunk of the car, Thunderbolt tried wriggling out of his bonds and making cries for help, but without success, for the ropes around him were tied very tightly.
"Stop your squirming, dog!" the tall and skinny bank robber growled as Thunderbolt continues struggling with his bonds.
After hearing Thunderbolt's muffled cries, Patch turned around and gasped in horror when he saw Thunderbolt tied up and thrown into the trunk of the bank robbers' car. As the bank robbers shut the trunk and locked it, Patch felt very miserable when his family glared at him for not taking any action the second the bank robbers caught Thunderbolt.
"Patch!" said Lucky, sounding disappointed. "Come on, don't just sit there! Those two blokes just robbed a bank, and now, they got Thunderbolt! You gotta do something!"
"Like what?!" Patch panicked, sounding as if he did not know that he is a real hero.
"Go save Thunderbolt, of course!" Rolly retorted. "You're a one-of-a-kind wonderdog, remember?"
"Not anymore," said Patch, his spirits now lower than ever. "I can't save anyone. I couldn't even save myself when Tower Bridge was falling yesterday. Those dogs were right. It would be better if the hero stuff is done by a big dog, not by some puny, pathetic pup with a squeaky bark like me."
All of Patch's siblings gasped in shock at what he just said.
"Come on, Patch," said Rolly. "We know that you're not the type of dog who gives up like that. We believe in you. We know you have the ability to save Thunderbolt. You have to stop those bank robbers before they get away!"
"I don't know, you guys," said Patch, feeling even less confident in himself. "What if I mess up while trying to save Thunderbolt from those bank robbers, and those dogs come over and laugh at me again? Let's face it. Nobody wants to see a little pup like me do any hero stuff. I can't do it."
"Yes, you can. You've done a heroic deed very well before those dogs laughed at you the first time, because Thunderbolt was there to help you. And you made the premiere episode of your show a huge success, because Thunderbolt was there to help you through it. You see, Patch? You were able to succeed on those things, because Thunderbolt was always there for you when you need him. But now, you have to be there for him when he needs you. And he needs you, now."
"Rolly's right, Patch," said Pepper. "Thunderbolt just got caught by a couple of bank robbers, because he tried and failed to stop them alone; he really needs your help. You're not really gonna hold back just because you got laughed at for the way you did Thunderbolt's bark, now, are you? Sure, you've been laughed at for that, but you never let that stop you from trying to succeed in doing what you've dreamed of doing, right?"
"Uh, well," Patch said, feeling uncomfortable as he carefully thought over what his siblings just said to him, "no, of course, I haven't, now that you've mentioned it."
"Well, then, what's stopping you from saving Thunderbolt, now?" Freckles asked Patch. "Go on, Patch! Thunderbolt's your best friend! Ever since you started working with him, he has shown how much of a friend he could be to you. He cares a lot about you."
"Patch, we know you can do it," said Rolly. "You just gotta have confidence in yourself."
The entire Dalmatian family saw the bank robbers getting in their car and starting it to drive somewhere out of sight.
"Patch, you gotta go and stop those bank robbers!" Lucky pleaded. "They're getting away! You don't want them to do anything to Thunderbolt, do you?"
Patch closed his eyes for a moment and thought very hard over all the times that Thunderbot was there for him when he needed him.
"Patch?" Lucky said gently, waiting for Patch to respond to his siblings in some way.
Patch did not hear anything going on as he tried to fight out the bad times that he had been laughed at when he did Thunderbolt's heroic bark. As he tried to overcome those thoughts, he tried to remember all the good times that he made success when he did real life heroics and made the premiere of The Thunderbolt And Patch Adventure Hour with Thunderbolt's help. Finally, after getting through all those thoughts and everything his siblings just said sunk into him, he rapidly opened his eyes with a furiously determined look on his face.
"You're right, you guys!" Patch said to siblings with full confidence, his spirits high again. "I'm not gonna hold back just because of some dumb mutts laughing at me for the way I did Thunderbolt's bark! Thunderbolt has always been there to help me like a true friend; now, I'm gonna do the same and be there to help him. After all, I am a real one-of-a-kind wonderdog!"
All of Patch's siblings were now happy to see that he was feeling confident in himself again.
"All right!" Rolly shouted with glee. "That's the spirit! Now, go and show everyone the real one-of-a-kind wonderdog that you really are!"
"Thanks, guys!" said Patch, now feeling more confident than he ever did. "I'm gonna stop those bank robbers and save my best friend!"
Patch took off and chased after the bank robbers.
"Good luck!" Lucky called after Patch.
As Patch chased after the bank robbers, he ran as fast as he could to catch up, but his feet began to hurt after a minute. That did not slow him down from rescuing Thunderbolt from the bank robbers, though; he picked up the pace and managed to get even closer to the bank robbers' car. He then leapt onto the bumper of the car and climbed onto the trunk.
"Here I am, Thunder!" Patch shouted through the trunk of the car. "Don't worry, I'll get you out of there!"
Patch went up the roof of the car and jumped right onto the windshield to distract the robbers.
"Whoa, what in blazes--?!" the tall and skinny bank robber began in shock at the sight of Patch on the windshield as he turned the steering wheel around like crazy, causing the car to spin around and stop on the grass.
Patch jumped off the car as the bank robbers got out to chase after him.
"Try to stop us like that, will ya?!" the tall and skinny bank robber rumbled as he and the short and chubby bank robber chase after Patch in the junkyard.
Patch ran around the junkyard to find a place to hide. He found a van that has been broken down and hid under it to get out of the bank robbers' sight.
"Find that pup!" the tall and skinny bank robber said to the short and chubby bank robber. "He's around all this pile of junk somewhere, and I'm gonna kill him for stopping us like that when we find him!"
Patch shook in fear after hearing what the tall and skinny bank robber just said. Once the bank robbers are out of his sight, he stopped shaking and got out from under the van to have a good look around the junkyard. This is the junkyard where Amber lives, meaning that Patch could then be able to find her here, and she would help him attack the bank robbers and save Thunderbolt. He searched all over the junkyard to find Amber; but he did this as fast as he could, so that he would have less chances at getting caught by the bank robbers. After Patch had searched almost the entire junkyard, Amber was nowhere to be found.
"Amber?" Patch cried, now sounding worried. "Amber?!"
Patch waited for Amber to respond to him in some way, but nothing happened. Amber did not say anything back, nor did she show up anywhere in the junkyard.
"Oh, Amber!" Patch whimpered, feeling scared about getting caught by the bank robbers before Amber can show up to help him. "Where are you when I need you?!"
But before Patch can wait a few seconds more for Amber to respond, he saw the bank robbers heading towards him.
"There he is!" the short and chubby bank robber shouted.
"Don't let him get away!" said the tall and skinny bank robber.
Patch quickly looked around the junkyard to find something to stop the bank robbers. He found a large pile of old car parts and ran toward it. As the bank robbers ran after Patch, Patch rushed behind the pile of junk, kicked it as hard as he can, and quickly left the junkyard before any part of the pile collapsed on him. The bank robbers looked up in shock to see the pile of junk become unsteady and about to fall on them.
"This is not good!" said the short and chubby bank robber, staring wide-eyed at the falling pile. "Let's make a run for it!"
But it was too late. The pile of junk collapsed on the bank robbers, and they are knocked unconscious. Patch now has a bit of time to get Thunderbolt out of the trunk of the bank robbers' car. Patch hurried back to the bank robbers' car, took the keys from the ignition, and used them to pop the trunk open. Thunderbolt looked up in surprise to see that Patch had come to rescue him. Patch jumped into the trunk and used his teeth to untie Thunderbolt's muzzle.
"How are you doing, Thunder?" Patch said after he tossed the rope aside.
"But--but I thought--" Thunderbolt sputtered, thinking that Patch might not have been able to come and save him after what they have just been through.
"Come on, buddy!" said Patch brightly, pushing Thunderbolt's worries aside. "Don't you remember the show we did together? I always arrive in the nick of time!"
Thunderbolt brightened up in surprise after what Patch just said. He has a very good feeling that Patch did not give up on him completely.
"Listen," said Patch. "I may have decided to quit working with you after only one episode of our show, but that doesn't mean I have decided to quit being your best friend."
"Really?" said Thunderbolt, feeling a glow in his heart.
"Really. And even though I've been laughed at for how I did your bark and showing lack of courage back at Tower Bridge, none of that is gonna stop me from helping my best friend. Are they?"
Patch winked at Thunderbolt, showing him how much courage and confidence he gained in being a hero again after having the discussion with his siblings.
"Now, let's get you untied before the bank robbers get back!" said Patch quickly.
While Patch was untying Thunderbolt, the bank robbers pushed all the heavy car parts off them and got back up on their feet, still feeling the pain from being crushed by the large pile of junk.
"Oh, my aching head!" muttered the tall and skinny bank robber as he and the short and chubby bank robber brushed the dirt off themselves. "He's really tough for a pup, but he's not getting away with Thunderbolt and all our money!"
The bank robbers rushed back to their car to find the trunk and back doors open. Thunderbolt was gone, as well as all the sacks of money.
"Too late," said the short and chubby bank robber as he found the three pieces of rope they used to tie up Thunderbolt in the trunk, and held them out to show the tall and skinny bank robber that Patch had untied Thunderbolt. "He already did."
The tall and skinny bank robber now began to lose his temper.
"GET THOSE MUTTS!" The tall and skinny bank robber boomed at the top of his voice.
Thunderbolt and Patch were now at the bank, returning all the money that the bank robbers had stolen. They have heard the tall and skinny bank robber's shout while getting all the money back in the bank.
"The bank robbers are on their way back here!" Patch said to Thunderbolt. "We've got to find a way to catch them!"
Patch took a good look around to find something that he and Thunderbolt could use to catch the bank robbers, until he found a power cord rolled up in a truck, whose doors were wide open. He looked at the power cord and smirked.
"And I think I've found it," said Patch.
Patch and Thunderbolt took the power cord out of the truck, unrolled it, and each held on to one end of it so that they can stretch it out as long as they could.
"Let's put the cord down here," Patch said to Thunderbolt, and they both laid the cord down across the road. "Here's the plan. In a moment, you and I need to get out of sight and keep an eye out for those bank robbers. When the time is right, we'll come out and use this cord to tangle their feet to make them trip and fall, just like we did on our show when we used some rope to stop Dirty Dawson from escaping after he robbed the gold mine. Ready?"
"Ready," Thunderbolt responded.
"Great. Now, let's go and hide so we can be ready for them."
Thunderbolt and Patch hid behind separate buildings and stood next to their ends of the power cord, waiting for the bank robbers to come their way. After ten to fifteen seconds of waiting, they heard the bank robbers approaching their direction on the way back to the bank.
"This should've been way too easy for us," said the tall and skinny bank robber angrily as he and the short and chubby bank robber were running back to the bank as fast as they could, "but thanks to that pup, we've got to rob the bank and catch Thunderbolt all over again!"
Patch and Thunderbolt got themselves ready to pick up the power cord as the bank robbers came even nearer to them.
"All right, here they come," Patch said to Thunderbolt. "They're getting closer."
Now was the right time for Patch to let out the signal to catch the bank robbers, since they were close enough to the power cord.
"NOW!" Patch shouted, and he and Thunderbolt grabbed the ends of the power cord with their teeth and jumped in sight of the bank robbers to wrap the cord around their ankles.
The bank robbers are beginning to lose their balance when they saw Patch and Thunderbolt binding their ankles together.
"Hey, what in blazes going on?!" said the short and chubby bank robber.
The bank robbers finally fell down to the ground. As the police came just in time to arrest the bank robbers, Patch and Thunderbolt rejoined the rest of the Dalmatians, and everyone in London cheered Patch and Thunderbolt for their heroic performances.
"Patch, you did it!" said Rolly cheerfully as he and the rest of the Dalmatian pups crowded Patch to hug him. "You saved Thunderbolt, returned all the stolen money, and caught the bank robbers! I told you you can do it!"
"You guys were right!" Patch shouted excitedly as he hugged his siblings back. "All this time, I've been worrying too much about nothing! Thanks for helping me gain back my confidence."
As Patch continued to feel better about himself by hugging more of his siblings, he heard a familiar voice calling him.
"Yoo-hoo! Over here, my little hero!"
Patch turned around to see that it was Amber calling him.
"Amber!" Patch gasped as he rushed over to Amber to hug her.
"Hey, there, little guy!" said Amber, hugging Patch back. "I just saw the whole thing. The way you saved Thunderbolt and stopped those bank robbers. That was terrific!"
"You did? You were here the whole time?"
"Of course, sweetie. I'm sorry I didn't come to help you when the bank robbers tried to catch you in the junkyard I live in. I just wanted to see how well you do on your own, and you did very wonderfully."
Patch smiled weakly.
"Yeah, I sure did, didn't I?" said Patch, still feeling guilty about what he did that hurt Thunderbolt the previous day.
Amber became concerned about Patch when she saw an expression of regret on his face.
"Patch, what's the matter?" Amber asked curiously. "Is something bothering you?"
Patch knew that what he did wrong to Thunderbolt was something that is bothering him. He did not want to discuss it with Amber, but had to. After all, Amber was Patch's friend, as was Thunderbolt.
"Oh, Amber, it was awful," Patch sighed in shame. "When I was walking with my family here yesterday, I was too scared to save myself when Tower Bridge was about to collapse on me. That's when I started to lose confidence in myself as a hero. And after Thunderbolt saved me, those dogs I rescued the other day laughed at me again for doing his bark and being such a coward. Then, I told Thunderbolt that I wanted to avoid those dogs, so I decided to quit working with him until I become a big dog like him."
Amber could not believe her ears. Her eyes widened in shock at this news.
"I knew my decision would hurt his feelings, but I didn't know what else to do," Patch went on shamefully. "And I made things even worse by telling him that I was thinking about quitting for good."
Amber became even more shocked when she gasped in huge disappointment.
"No, sweetie!" said Amber, sounding very worried.
"I know!" Patch cried. "And it was a very big mistake I made. But I wouldn't have made the decision to quit working with Thunderbolt if my brothers and sisters would just do the right thing and show me some support!"
Patch's siblings hung their heads in shame when Amber faced them.
"Is this true?" Amber said angrily to Patch's siblings. "Is it true that you pups, Patch's own family, haven't been showing him any support?"
"Yes," said Lucky softly. "We told him that we can't support him on improving his voice to do Thunderbolt's bark, because pups will get laughed at if they are heard doing that bark. So, we made him promise us to only work on improving his voice for that bark when he's at work with Thunderbolt."
"We thought that would work, but it only made him get angry at us," said Rolly apologetically. "We didn't know that it'll cause him to quit working with Thunderbolt for good. We'll show him support from now on."
Amber forgot her anger with Patch's siblings and faced Patch again.
"Do you hear that, Patch?" said Amber. "They'll support you, now, because they're your family; and families always show each other support, no matter what. Is that enough to get you to change your mind about quitting your job with Thunderbolt?"
Patch thought it all over as he turned around to look at Thunderbolt. He felt really sorry for making the decision to quit working with him the previous day, so now could be the right time for him to make up with Thunderbolt and keep their friendship from ending.
"Sure," said Patch, and he took a deep sigh. "I'd better go and talk to Thunderbolt. I hope he's not still mad at me for what I've done."
Patch cautiously approached Thunderbolt to talk to him, hoping that their problems would be solved without Thunderbolt getting mad at him.
"Thunderbolt?" said Patch in a scared voice. "I--I just wanted to say I'm sorry for deciding to quit my job. I just didn't want to face those dogs here in London again, and I couldn't seem to keep up on my career if my own family wouldn't show me any support. I really need my family to support me. I'd feel less confident in myself with those dogs around and without any support from my family."
Thunderbolt did not show any sign of anger as Patch gave his explanation, but instead had shown an expression of concern.
"And I'm sorry I didn't help you stop the bank robbers at first," Patch went on sadly. "I was just afraid that I would mess up and fail, and get laughed at by those dogs again. But then, my family helped me gain back my confidence when they made me realize how much of a good friend you've been to me. You've helped me when I tried to do a heroic deed and do well on my acting career."
Patch's eyes are now filled with tears, showing how sorry he is for quitting his job with Thunderbolt.
"Well, now that I have my confidence back," Patch continued tearfully, "and now that I've saved you, I just wanted to tell you that I want to come back and work with you again."
He dropped down on one of Thunderbolt's front paws and started to cry very loudly.
"I'm sorry, Thunderbolt!" he said as he continued crying.
Thunderbolt started to show an expression of guilt while he took a moment to think over the time when he got Patch to do his heroic bark in front of the dogs they have rescued from the dognapper.
"Shh," said Thunderbolt gently as he pats Patch on the back with his free front paw to make him stop crying. "It's okay, little buddy. It's okay."
Patch sat back up and stopped crying.
"Look, Patch," said Thunderbolt calmly. "I'm not mad at you. In fact, I'm the one who should be sorry. If I haven't made you do my heroic bark in front of those dogs after we've rescued them, then we would've saved all this trouble. So, it was my fault you have been losing confidence in yourself. I'll forgive you if you'll forgive me."
Patch sniffed and dried off his tears.
"Of course, I'll forgive you," said Patch. "You're my best friend, and you're just doing all you can to help me be just like you."
Patch and Thunderbolt gave each other a warm hug.
"I have never felt so scared," Patch sighed. "I'm supposed to be a hero, and heroes are not afraid of anything."
"Actually, Patch," said Thunderbolt, "everyone is afraid of something. Even heroes are afraid of something. But if you can get the courage and confidence to do anything, you'll have the ability to overcome what you're afraid of with no problem."
Patch felt his sadness disappearing at those comforting words from Thunderbolt.
"Thank you, Thunderbolt," said Patch. "That makes me feel loads better about myself."
Thunderbolt smiled when he saw some photographers come over to him and Patch.
"And it should, little buddy!" Thunderbolt said with enthusiasm. "Because here come the photographers, just in time to take our picture for the newspapers!"
The photographers got their cameras ready to take pictures of Patch and Thunderbolt for the newspapers.
"There they are!" one of the photographers said to the others. "There's Thunderbolt and the Dalmatian pup that saved him!"
"All right, Patch, smile for the cameras!" Thunderbolt said to Patch.
Thunderbolt and Patch smiled handsomely and got their pictures taken. Their pictures made it to the newspapers, and everyone in London were amazed when they read them. The title on the front page for the newspapers reads "DALMATIAN PUP RESCUES THUNDERBOLT AND CATCHES BANK ROBBERS". Patch was happy to be with Thunderbolt again, now that he had gained back his confidence in doing heroic deeds and making success on his acting career.
***
End of chapter six.
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Post by Flowgli on Dec 2, 2008 21:12:47 GMT -5
Chapter Seven: Thunderbolt Sings "Try Again"
***
Back in the farm that afternoon, Patch's siblings were discussing his success on saving Thunderbolt and catching the bank robbers.
"That was fantastic, Patch!" said Penny excitedly. "You've got those bank robbers really good!"
"We're happy that you've got back your confidence in being a hero," said Pepper. "And we're happy that you were able to work things out with Thunderbolt."
"Yeah," said Lucky. "It's a good thing you changed your mind about quitting your job with Thunderbolt. And to make sure you don't make that decision again, we all wanted to say that we're sorry for not supporting you on improving your voice to do Thunderbolt's bark. I mean, it means a lot to you, and as your family, we should've respected that. We didn't mean to make you angry. We thought we were doing the right thing when we made you promise not to do that bark anywhere but at work when you're with Thunderbolt; we thought that would help you be safe from being laughed at, but we were wrong."
Patch was surprised at what he just heard his siblings say to him.
"Really?" said Patch.
"Yes, really," Rolly answered. "You really wanted to be just like Thunderbolt, and there's nothing wrong with that. We're sorry we made you make that promise. And we're sorry we didn't show you support; we didn't know that it would make you think about quitting your job with Thunderbolt."
"Please, forgive us, Patch," pleaded Freckles. "We didn't mean for that to happen."
At first, Patch did not seem to believe what his siblings just said to him, but he took some time to think it over. In the end, Patch was thinking about forgiving his siblings. After all, they did give him a sincere and heartfelt apology for what they have done to make Patch hurt Thunderbolt's feelings.
"Do you promise that you will support me and not laugh at me when I work on improving my voice for Thunderbolt's bark?" said Patch sternly, scowling harder than he ever did. "I don't see what's the point of keeping my job if my own family is not going to show me any support."
All of Patch's siblings looked scared and very sorry when they saw the angry look on his face.
"Yes, Patch, we promise," Lucky begged. "Please, don't be mad at us anymore. We'll support you, and we will never laugh at you for doing Thunderbolt's bark again."
He turned to face the rest of the pups.
"Right, guys?" he asked.
All the other pups agreed, then apologized to Patch and promised that they will never laugh at him again when he works on improving his voice for Thunderbolt's heroic bark. The look on Patch's face went from mad to sad when he heard his siblings made their promise to him.
"Oh, all right," Patch sighed. "I forgive you. Just don't any of you break the promise you all just made."
"Don't worry, Patch," said Lucky. "We won't break our promise like you broke yours. We were wrong to make you promise us something that caused you to choose to quit your job with Thunderbolt, we'll admit."
"Thank you, guys. That's all I wanted from you."
"So, you're not mad at us anymore?"
"Well, you guys did admit that you were wrong, so it's okay for me to say that I'm not mad at you anymore."
All the other pups sighed in relief.
"Oh, good," said Lucky. "Listen, Patch. We were thinking over what you said to us last night, and we have to say that you were wrong, too."
"About what?" said Patch.
"About us not caring about you, that's what," Rolly responded. "Just because we said we couldn't support you on improving your voice to do Thunderbolt's bark doesn't mean we don't care about you. But we just promised you that we will show you support on that, so we'll stick to it. And to show you that we really care about you, we're gonna help you learn how to defend yourself. That can come in handy in case those dogs back in London laugh at you for doing Thunderbolt's bark again."
Patch blinked and looked at his siblings in surprise.
"You'll do that?" said Patch.
"Yes, we will," said Rolly. "Now, do you remember the night before the move here when we laughed at you for the way you did Thunderbolt's bark, and stopped when you ignored us?"
"Yes, of course."
"Well, we're going to do that again."
Patch blinked in shock.
"What?!" said Patch angrily. "But you promised--"
"I know, I know," said Rolly, holding up a paw to calm Patch down. "But listen. We're not gonna laugh at you to make fun of you again. This is just to help you learn how to defend yourself in case you get laughed at again by those dogs in London, okay?"
"Okay, I understand."
"Good. Now, what you have to do first is do Thunderbolt's bark. That's when we start laughing at you, but don't try to ignore us, because that's not gonna make us stop, this time. You have to do something about it. Attack us if you must, but do whatever it takes to defend yourself. Can you do that?"
"Sure, I can."
"Excellent."
Rolly faced the other pups.
"Are you guys ready?" Rolly asked the other pups.
"Yeah," the other pups responded in unison.
Rolly gently patted Patch on the back.
"Okay, Patch, whenever you're ready," said Rolly. "And imagine us as those dogs in London. Good luck."
Patch closed his eyes, imagining his siblings as the dogs who have ridiculed him in London. He then took a deep breath and did Thunderbolt's heroic bark as best as he could, causing his siblings to erupt with laughter. While his siblings are laughing at him, Patch thought very hard about all the previous times he got laughed at for doing Thunderbolt's heroic bark and did nothing about the situation. There was no turning back, now; Patch needed to concentrate on his siblings to learn to defend himself. He tried his best not to ignore them.
Patch now opened is eyes, looking angrier than ever when he heard his siblings laugh even harder. He charged at his siblings and attacked them the same way Thunderbolt attacked the dogs in London after the rescue at Tower Bridge the other day; he took huge bites on them, pulled on their ears and tails very hard to make them look as if he was about to rip them off, and grabbed one of them by the tail so that he swung them around and let go to make that pup fly at the rest of them, causing it to knock them all down to the ground. All of Patch's siblings were in a lot of pain, but were very amazed at the way he attacked them.
"Ouch!" Lucky yelled painfully as he and the rest of the pups got back up. "Wow, Patch! That was some attack!"
"Yeah!" Penny agreed. "The way you attacked us was very powerful! Now, that's what we wanted to see from you when you try doing something heroic!"
"And you did that attack with full power and confidence!" said Pepper. "How did that feel?"
"That felt very good!" Patch said with full of pride.
"And it should!" said Rolly cheerfully. "You did very good for a start on learning how to defend yourself. Keep up the good work, and keep working on improving your voice to do Thunderbolt's bark. You'll definitely become a big, strong, and heroic dog with an excellent heroic bark, just like Thunderbolt, and no one will laugh at you ever again!"
"You'll make a fine hero and become as famous as Thunderbolt if you just keep believing in yourself," said Lucky. "Now, what are you gonna do when you find yourself in danger and facing a villain?"
"I'm gonna tear his gizzard out!" Patch shouted with full confidence, and all of his siblings cheered wildly.
The music for the song "Try Again" starts playing in the background as Patch continues working with Thunderbolt at the studio in Kent the next day. While rehearsing for the next episode of The Thunderbolt And Patch Adventure Hour, Patch still had trouble concentrating on what he had to do, because he had been worrying about how the dogs in London will react if he keeps up with his career as Thunderbolt's sidekick on the show, and his dream as a hero in real life.
"Come on, little buddy, focus," Thunderbolt said to Patch. "I'm here to help you every step of the way, and I know you're gonna make it. Listen."
Thunderbolt now began singing to give Patch some encouragement:
"There may be days when things don't go right, And your shoes refuse to dance. To make the winds of fortune blow right, You might need a second chance. So, if you get one try, and that don't fly, Stop and count to ten, And if at first you don't succeed, Try again."
Days have passed as those lines were sung. During those days, Patch had focused really hard on rehearsing for the next episode of The Thunderbolt And Patch Adventure Hour. He now started to remember the script well, but he did not yet manage to memorize the whole thing. Also, just like Patch's siblings, Thunderbolt is supporting Patch on learning how to defend himself; not only did it help Patch learn to stand up for himself with his siblings supporting him, but it also helped him concentrate on working on making more episodes for his show with Thunderbolt supporting him.
"You almost have it, Patch," said Thunderbolt. "Watch me, now, and do what I do."
As Patch keeps working on learning to defend himself at work and at home, Thunderbolt continues singing in the background:
"Beginner's luck is overrated. Once you blink, it's come and gone. The only way to cultivate it Is to keep on keeping on. So, before you brag it's in the bag, Double check and then If at first you don't succeed, Try Again."
A few more days have passed as those lines were sung. At that time, he successfully managed to improve his defenses and memorize the entire script for the next episode of his show. His family and Thunderbolt were all very proud of him.
"Very good, Patch!" said Thunderbolt. "Now you have it!"
As the song continues, Patch had finished a few more episodes for his show, and they were all successful. Everything went all right for Patch after all those episodes he had done for his show were done, especially when he played with his siblings to keep up his ability to defend himself. The only problem he has now is trying to improve his voice to do Thunderbolt's heroic bark. One day at work, he tried his best to bark like Thunderbolt, but became very upset when he found that his voice still results in a squeak. Thunderbolt cheered Patch up and encouraged him to keep on working on improving his voice to do that bark by singing the next lines in the background with pride:
"Now, if you find your bat at zero, And a legend you are not, You can still wind up a hero If you give it one more shot!"
At the end of those lines, Patch tried doing Thunderbolt's bark again one day. After doing that bark, he felt very surprisedwhen he found that his voice became a little deeper. As of then, Patch no longer had any trouble with his voice and his career as Thunderbolt sings the last lines of the song:
"If you don't give in, you're gonna win! The only question's when? So, if at first you don't succeed, Try again!"
As the song comes closer to the end, Patch gained a lot of fame and success after making more episodes of The Thunderbolt And Patch Adventure Hour. On top of that, he and Thunderbolt did more heroic deeds together every weekendwhen they and Patch's family were taken out for walks in London. Patch had become the most famous pup in all of England when everyone were amazed athow he did his performance as a real hero. He would never forget the comforting advice that Thunderbolt had given him: everyone, including heroes, is afraid of something; but they will have the ability to overcome their fears with no problem as long as they have the courage and confidence to do anything.
The song ended on a Sunday afternoon when Patch and his family arrived in London to meet Thunderbolt there as usual. When they all met each other, the Dalmatian family noticed something different about Thunderbolt; he was wearing a blue and yellow striped scarf around his neck, which completely covered his usual red collar with a star tag.
"Hi, Thunderbolt!" said Patch as he looks at the scarf that Thunderbolt is wearing. "Hey, nice scarf."
Thunderbolt looked down at the scarf around his neck.
"Oh, this?" said Thunderbolt. "Thanks, Patch. I had this scarf with me for a long time. It's been a while since I've worn it."
"How did you get it?" Patch asked Thunderbolt.
Thunderbolt looked back up and stared blankly at Patch for a few seconds.
"Um, yes, well..." Thunderbolt chuckled. "You see, Patch, how I got it is a funny story. And, well, it's because I--"
But before Thunderbolt could even finish, he and the entire Dalmatian family heard someone humming very sweetly. They all turned around to see that the humming was coming from Amber. Amber was grooming herself in front of a mirror, which is being displayed at a window at the front of a store.
"Well, looks like someone's number one fan has shown up early today," muttered Thunderbolt, winking at Patch as he gestured towards Amber.
Patch chuckled. He then spotted a beautiful flower with pink and purple petals, picked it with his teeth, and went over to give it to Amber. Thunderbolt and Patch's family looked at him in confusion, wondering what made Patch want to pick a flower for Amber or any other female canine. They knew that Patch had shown some sensitivity at times, but he was not usually this sensitive.
Amber was surprised to see Patch the second she caught his reflection in the mirror she was looking at. She turned around to face him and smiled.
"Hello, Patch," said Amber, and she looked at the flower that Patch had picked for her. "What's that you got there, little guy?"
Patch placed the flower down in front of Amber.
"Aw, for me?" said Amber. "How very sweet of you!"
Amber took the flower and placed it on the right side of her head.
"You look beautiful with that flower on you," said Patch, blushing.
Amber looked at herself in the mirror again.
"Yes," said Amber, admiring her reflection. "I really do look beautiful with it on me, do I?"
"Oh, that flower makes you look gorgeous," came Thunderbolt's voice.
Surprised at the sound of Thunderbolt's voice, Amber turned around to face him and giggled at the sight of the scarf around his neck.
"And you look handsome with that scarf on you," Amber said to Thunderbolt.
"Oh, Amber," said Thunderbolt, grinning sheepishly.
Amber and Thunderbolt laughed together. This happy moment ended when they and the entire Dalmatian family heard the ridiculing crowd of dogs calling for Patch.
"Say, where is that spotted little hero?" said a sheepdog.
Patch and his family and friends pointed their ears up in surprise.
"I hear trouble," said Thunderbolt. "Those dogs are coming this way to make fun of you again, Patch. You want either me or Amber to take care of them for you?"
Patch now had a sneaky grin on his face.
"No, I have a better idea," said Patch. "I need all of you to get out of sight. I'm gonna see how well I can take care of those mutts myself. I'll call you back if I had successfully managed to defend myself against them."
"Right," said Thunderbolt, and he faced Amber and Patch's family. "You all heard Patch. Let's all get out of sight and let him deal with those dogs on his own."
Thunderbolt, Amber, and Patch's family ran out of sight and hid behind a building.
"Good luck, Patch!" Rolly shouted as he poked his head out. "Show those mangy mutts who is boss!"
"Rolly! Get back here and be quiet!" Lucky hissed as he grabbed Rolly by the collar to pull him back behind the building.
Patch saw the group of dogs now arriving in London.
"Hello, guys," Patch said to the dogs as he smiled smugly at them.
"What's this?" asked the sheepdog, surprised that Patch was not showing any signs of being miserable at the sight of the group of dogs arriving in London. "Are you really that happy to see us or what?"
"Looks like you're no longer feeling miserable when we come here to see you, are you?" asked a poodle. "What's going on?"
"I just wanted to let you all know that you're gonna have less luck making me miserable, this time," snapped Patch.
"Oh, really?" answered the sheepdog. "Why is that, then?"
"Because," Patch scoffed, "ever since I rescued Thunderbolt from the bank robbers, I have been practicing a lot on improving my voice to do Thunderbolt's bark. And just for your information, my voice actually got a little better."
"Ha! A little better? That's it? Just a little better is not enough to make your bark sound like Thunderbolt's, kid."
"Oh, yeah? Well, I'll show you!"
Once again, Patch took a deep breath and did Thunderbolt's heroic bark as best as he could. The dogs erupted with laughter again, despite that Patch's voice had actually sounded a bit deeper when he did that bark.
"Oh, sure!" said the sheepdog in a sarcastic tone. "A little better is good enough for you!"
As the dogs continued laughing, Patch tried to remember what he learned when his siblings helped him on how to defend himself. He growled furiously at the crowd and charged at them to attack them the way Thunderbolt did after the rescue at Tower Bridge the other day.
"Yeowch!" a poodle shouted painfully as Patch bit her really hard on one of her legs.
"Hey, get away from there!" cried a black Labrador as Patch pulled really hard on one of his ears.
Patch then grabbed the sheepdog by his tail to pull him off the ground and swing him around.
"Hey, let me go, kid!" the sheepdog cried as Patch continued swinging him around. "You're gonna make me sick!"
"All right!" Patch snarled, his teeth still closed on the sheepdog's tail as he kept swinging him around. "You asked for it!"
Patch let go of the sheepdog, causing him to fly at the rest of the crowd.
"WATCH OUT!" the sheepdog yelled at the rest of the crowd as he got closer to making a crash landing on them.
But it was too late. The sheepdog fell on the crowd, causing them to get knocked down to the ground. The entire crowd groaned in pain.
"Okay, everybody!" Patch called to his family, Thunderbolt, and Amber. "You can all come out, now!"
Amber, Thunderbolt, and Patch's family came out from behind the building that they were hiding and laughed at the injured crowd of dogs.
"It's really sad to find that you've been taken down all at once by a pup, isn't it?" Amber smirked.
Patch looked at the defeated crowd of dogs angrily.
"That ought to teach you a lesson for laughing at me just because of the way I did Thunderbolt's bark!" Patch roared. "Maybe the next time we meet, you'll think twice before you mess with the real hero here, and that would be me!"
Patch let out an angry huff and turns away from the crowd.
"Let's go!" Patch said to his family and friends as he went back to a good mood.
As Patch's family and friends walked out of the crowd's sight, Amber stopped and turned her head back to face the crowd once more.
"I warned you what would happen if you mess with him again," said Amber. "But you should be thankful that the attack didn't come from me. I hope you've all learned your lesson to show that kid some respect the next time he does something heroic. See you around, sickos."
Amber used one of her hind paws to sweep some dirt in front of the crowd and left with Thunderbolt and the Dalmatian family, leaving the crowd with guilty expressions on their faces in her wake.
***
End of chapter seven.
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Post by Belchic on Dec 3, 2008 0:57:50 GMT -5
Those last couple chapters were quite long, but still very exciting.
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Post by Flowgli on Dec 3, 2008 22:23:44 GMT -5
Yes, the chapters were quite long, all right. I just like to add some more detail when I post stories like these to make them a bit more understandable for the readers here.
Now, about the next chapter, it's going to be very special to me. You'll find out why after I get it posted up here.
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Post by Two-Tone on Dec 4, 2008 2:22:35 GMT -5
cool
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Post by LoneWanderer Raiden on Dec 4, 2008 7:59:06 GMT -5
Yep, detail in fics is very important. And great couple of chapters. Keep up the good work. ^^ And I can't wait until you put up the next one. I'm sure it will be very interesting.
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Post by dalmatianlover on Dec 4, 2008 8:48:00 GMT -5
I love it and love it can´t wait to number 6 Your very good
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Post by Flowgli on Dec 4, 2008 19:22:24 GMT -5
Thanks, dalmatianlover. Number six, if you mean chapter six, has been already up. And so has chapter seven. I'm working on chapter eight, right now.
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Post by Belchic on Dec 5, 2008 3:18:26 GMT -5
I can't wait to read your next chapter!
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