Cherish || A Chase x Sweetie Fanfiction ||

(S1-C15) • Part 1: Resurgence •

The night was a bright mist of aqua and paleness, such as supposed events within roofless places. Darkness couldn't completely steal their time of gaining territory, secured by all the shiny and colorful decorations. As one young'n announced, "Mom, this place is flamboyant!" he kid not, especially with a sight to behold in the center, the pup continuing to beautify her home even during the final minutes of preparations.

She kept glancing back and forth from her work and to a specific tower, pacing from the mental strain from the thought of a specific someone's well-being after hearing his lack of existence where he should've been—in his room—until the clock struck ten.

Out of the corner of her eye, she gave full attention to a brush of brown, led by a quadruple of helmless knights, and her worry shifted into a less favorable expression.

"Have you gone mad?! I took an eye into your den and you were gone!" She walked with a ferocious aura, only unnoticeable to the pack of people due to their noises in the air. Chase, however, caught every syllable even with the distance and the few legs that blocked their view from one another.

"You won't be right as rain once I get my paws on you!"

"Sweetie!" A pup zoomed in as a barricade, becoming an immovable object against the fuming train, who stared into her eyes, asking for her purpose in a solemn tone unlike towards the Shepherd. "May you lend me your ear for a quick one-on-one?" Maria asked, pulling the pup by a paw and leading her inside the castle walls, giving Chase a breather.

"What was that all about?" he asked.

"You see, Sir Chase..." A knight took a knee, with a face well familiar to everyone.

"Sir Smith?" Chase admired the bulky and plump build of the eldest knight, who's brown, bushy beard danced shyly with the wind. His large figure made him the biggest among all the protectors, but his honest smile and soft eyes told Chase he was much more of a gentle giant if anyone.

"Princess Sweetie ordered us to patrol the whole castle to find you after learning about your disappearance. I noticed she lost a bit of her... composure, if I might say."

"Sweetie was worried?" Chase made sure, earning a nod. He wouldn't let himself fall into the pit of the fool, everyone knew that. Yet, he had a feeling that Sweetie was different. At least based on what he had observed from her lately. Whether he should believe her modesty was all on him.

Minutes flew by until Maria came back humming with a bright cheer, Sweetie visibly grumbling to herself behind her. The Shiba Inu was wearing a crimson dress and makeup currently designed for her facial figure. Her eyelids were glittering vaguely and her lips were a deep shade of red, lashes appearing long and flirtatious. Her look was unbelievable enough that even Beatrice, upon arriving with a skip in her step, almost fell from her stance as she had her jaw dropping from the boldness.

"Sweetie is amazing when it comes to makeup, no matter what style one may prefer," Maria praised quietly with a wink, reserved as she was, the mentioned pup turning away with an awkward reply: "I'm glad you like it."

Truly, the work was art. Maria's demeanor became invisible from how aggressively beautiful she looked, catching the eyes of the crowd and workers. However, the calm ocean of eyes she had remained an everglow to who she was inside. Not a tough and daring attractor but a mother-like friend who's life's purpose would seem to revolve around taking care of her unrelated sisters and her new sole brother.

"My, my. What do we have here?" A pup amongst the crowd of people appeared, donned in fabulous clothing and a smaller crown without the arches, a coronet, was at his head.

Eagerly, he and two other males that snaked out the crowd, also seeming to be of high position, headed towards Maria, the first who spoke licking his lips.