Chapter 10: Peace

                                    

                                          

                                 -Chase POV-
I couldn't see anything anymore,
My eyes were full of tears seeing skyes lifeless body on the ground. I wanted to believe this wasn't real and that it was some kind of dream. But it isn't. Skye is dead, her body sits cold on the ground. Paramedics arrive and take her away to the Katie's to try and get her to come back, I was filled with shock, hate, and sadness. I saw the other pups cry. Marshal was next to me crying, Zuma and Rocky were hugging each other while crying, rubble was hugging Ryder while they both cried, and Everest was on the other side of me crying. We all lost her. She meant more to us than anything. Every hour one pup would leave that spot until it was only me alone, I started at the now empty spot on the ground where my Skye once laid.
Gone. My Skye was taken from me, not by life itself, not by choice, but by jesters hands. I hated jester. I wanted him dead, but I knew jester being dead would bring Skye back or make me feel better. I just sat there with a hole in my stomach, I felt empty. I didn't know what to do next. I was stuck here glued to the ground. Tears never stopped falling. I failed, I broke my promise, I was useless to this world. 
"I promised to keep you safe" I said to nobody in particular. "I tried so hard to keep you safe." I cried. "WHY COULDNT I HELP YOU. WHY COULDNT I SAVE YOU, WHY WASNT I FAST ENOUGH TO GET TO YOU, WHY DIDNT I FIGHT HARD ENOUGH TO REACH YOU" I yelled.
It was night now and I had nowhere to stay. All the residents of adventure bay gave the team a place to stay for now. But I wanted to stay here, I didn't want to leave where my alive Skye once was. If there was a chance her soul was here I didn't want to leave it. My eyes like clouds continued to pour down tears. 
I knew I had to leave or I would freeze out here at night. But I couldn't. I had to stay with my Skye. I continued to argue with myself before ultimately deciding to go find a spot to rest. Mr porter took me in, I slept in his living room on the couch. Rest didn't come easy that night, everytime I did fall asleep I woke up shortly after with the same recurring nightmare that was jester slamming his cane down on Skye. 
I decided to go with no sleep that night because it was clear I wasn't going to get any anyways. 
The next day Ryder called Mr porter and told him to let me know that Skyes funeral was going to be tomorrow, he asked if I wanted to carry her casket along with Everest, Jake, and himself. I took the offer and prepared for the hardest walk of my life. I wanted to make a speech in her honor, so I started working on it. Paper after paper got thrown away until I finally perfected the speech to her.  
I also took the liberty of going to shop for a suit to wear. I picked a dark blue suit that had a black tie, I also went to the flower shop and picked out a singular pink flower to wear in honor of Skye. 
The day felt endless as nothing happened all day, I watched out of Mr porters window the construction workers getting rid of all the debris to build us a new tower. That's all I did that day. Nothing special. Just watching the tower get cleaned, spacifically watching the spot where Skye was killed. I teared up as the image of jester with his cane towering above Skye came to mind. I continued to ask myself "Why her? Why not me? Why did they take her? WHY WASNT IT ME"... it should've been me. The night came and I had yet another restless night. The nightmares came back as if the gods wanted me to keep watching the scene over and over again. Eventually I found myself sleeping after what felt like forever of constant nightmares.
Today was the day, Skyes funeral. I looked at myself in the mirror as I dawned my newly purchased suit and flower. I dreaded the walk over to the area where Skye would be buried. It was on a cliff near the lookout, it was filled with flowers. Her favorite spot to watch the sky. 
Once I arrived I saw the whole town including the citizens of barkingburg and adventure city. It was an incredibly crowded spot, I walked over to my spot by the casket. Then with a push we all lifted the box that held Skye. My eyes watered with each step I took towards the hole in the ground. Once we reached the hole we slowly put her casket inside. 
I watched as they filled the hole with dirt, I then moved my eyes up and looked at the tombstone. It was labeled
"Skye:
Hero, Member of the greatest team around, daughter to Ryder, and lover to Chase"
I began crying again as I read the last part, Ryder saw me and walked over hugging me. I couldn't stop staring at her tombstone.
"I'm so sorry Chase" Ryder said hugging me tighter. "I have something for you, I grabbed it before the paramedics left with Skye. I was going to burry it but I figured you'd want it more" he said holding out his hand. I lowered my eyes to see and nearly burst out crying, more than I already was. 
It was a small pink collar with a white and pink tag that had helicopter propellers on it.
Skyes collar.
I held my paw out without a word and Ryder dropped it into my paw. I just starred at it, tears began falling on the tag as my eyes continued to rain tears. I looked at the Skye trying to hide my tears when I saw a plane fly through the clouds. It reminded me of the first day Skye got her flight pack, she immediately mastered it and flew through all the clouds in the sky.
"We now ask if any loved ones would like to have a word to Skye and the audience" Ryder said standing in front of the audience.
In an instant I made my way to the front, I then turned to face the crowd with my prepared speech in one hand and skyes collar in the other.
I took the pink flower from my suit and placed it on top of the tombstone.
I closed my eyes and took a breath. Go time, I opened my eyes to see the teary eyes croud.
"Skye was, well she was my best friend, she was also my new lover. It feels like just yesterday we were laying under the Skye telling each other how we felt and sharing our first kiss. It was definitely a moment I'll never forget, but even before these recent days she's helped me with more than anyone could've. More than she knew she did" I said looking down at her collar once more. 
"When she got lost in the storm and me along with the paw patrol had to look for her. It was easily the most scary day of my life up until recently. I'm sure most to all of you knew about my feelings for her, and it took a while to get used to it and realize what I was feeling. Months later she told me how sad she felt that she wouldn't feel loved, like a boy loves a girl. I told her how much I love her and we had one of the greatest nights of my life. 
We all lost someone today, a friend, a family member, a daughter, a lover...
We all lost something to us. And if there's one thing I know for sure. It's that Skye would be proud of all of us now. I'm sure she would've loved for us to look up in the sky and see her fly through the clouds one last time. But if there's one thing that I promise you all..."
It was at that moment I saw a butterfly, but not just any butterfly. 
A pink butterfly with a white stripe.
It fluttered and landed right in front of me on the pedestal.
"It's that she's with us right now"