Loving and Learning

Inner Struggles

Back in the Dalmatian house, Dolly and Dylan were just about done putting all the pups to bed. Delilah, the mother of the family had returned shortly after Doug and was scanning all the pups to make sure all was asleep, with the obvious exception being Dante, who hadn't returned yet.

Dolly walked in the bedroom to help, she looked all over and noticed Deepak was still awake, looking down. She walked up to him.

"Hey buddy, you feeling better?" She quietly whispered.

Deepak shook his head, he looked sad.

"Not really, I mean I'm not anxious anymore, but I feel guilty." He admitted.

"For what?" Dolly asked.

"For shooing Dante away after he acted off." Deepak said.

Dolly shook her head.

"Look bro don't feel bad, you got scared, I mean Dante was acting crazy and made you feel upset for helping." Dolly said, hugging him.

"Still I believe it's not on purpose though, I feel there are things he struggles with, things we aren't understanding, and he did try to apologize, oh Guru Meow forgive me. Deepak said, crying a bit.

"Even still, he does need to get it under control, but I think we'll figure it out." Dolly said, hugging him tighter.

Meanwhile just outside, Dante had returned and scanned his paw on the scanner and walked through the dog door, only to be greeted by Dylan with a suit and helmet on and his paw sticking in front of him.

"Halt Dante." Dylan ordered.

Dante immediately stopped.

"What is this about?" Dante asked.

"First of all, your late, it's past bedtime, you should have been back earlier and second, you've been around cats, you know how allergic I am, now go only to the bathroom and take a shower and go to bed please." Dylan instructed.

As much as Dante as hated being treated like a younger pup he did as he was told and began to heading to the bathroom.

"Also Dante." Dylan said.

Dante stopped to listen.

"I told mom and dad what happen today, they said they want to talk to you tomorrow after they're done with work, I don't know what they are gonna do, but I'm giving you a heads up." Dylan said.

Dante let out a sigh and proceeded to the bathroom.

"Great it's not even tomorrow and I have something to not look forward to." He grumbled.

Dante turned on the shower, the water was cold, no doubt everyone had their bath earlier and used up the hot water; regardless he sucked it up and scrubbed himself hard to remove as much of any traces of cats on him. After about ten minutes he stepped out and dried himself off and went straight for the bedroom, where all his siblings were long asleep.

Dante quietly passed him siblings and found a empty spot in the corner. He grabbed a pillow and made himself comfortable. As he looked around, he noticed Deepak up in his bed asleep, but unlike everyone else he didn't look at peace.

Seeing Deepak made the feelings of guilt crawl right back at him. Dante curled into a ball and closed his eyes, hoping to fall asleep, but he felt uneasy and voices began to ring at his head.

"What kind of brother are you, do you want your family hurt?" A voice rang out in his head.

"N-N-No of course not." Dante said, responding to the voice.

"Then why do you get so excited when disasters happen, is being right more important to you?" The voice asked.

Dante tossed and turned, trying to get his thoughts elsewhere, but the thoughts consumed his mind.

"I-I just was happy cause for once I was right, I know now that wasn't right b-but..." Dante stuttered.

"Regardless your need to feel validated almost got you captured......and your family."   The voice said.

"M-my family?" Dante took a moment to think back when Hunter returned, he thought about when he ran out towards to hug his leg, and then it dawned on him. He lowered his ears upon realization.

"Had Dolly and Dylan failed to stop Hunter, not only would they have been captured, but so would the rest without them protecting them, and you know what would have happen next?" The voice kept going.

"N-no" Dante said, knowing full well what would have happened.

"You're family would have been brutally killed by that woman Cruella De Vil, and it would have been your fault, all cause you were to caught up in being right." The voiced said.

"No......no." Dante said, his heart felt like it dropped to the pit of his stomach, but he knew that whatever this voice was, it wasn't wrong, and at the moment he could feel nothing but dread towards himself.

"Oh come on now, quit beating yourself up." Another voice said, one Dante recognized.

"Nobody got hurt in the end. So you lost yourself a bit, but who could blame you? You're family always brushes you off and treats you like a joke, so no wonder you got a little happy. The other voice added.

Dante confirmed, this was the same voice from his dreams from earlier.

"Doesn't matter, I shouldn't have lost it, my family could have been hurt." Dante said back.

"You just gotta practice keeping yourself under control, ha ha ha. Come on now, do you wanna be ignored cause you have nothing else to contribute to your family?" The voice asked.

Dante shook his head, not even responding anymore. For so long, he wanted to feel he had purpose in his family, like he was doing something and contributing, but were his "predictions" the only way for all that? He didn't know anymore and he closed his eyes again trying to go back to a happy place again, hoping he soon fall asleep.

But with all these thoughts and feelings going on, he doubted that was going to happen and he braced himself for a long night.