+Mimic+

Chapter 2.

"And if I already have them?" Nevada retorted, he knew he shouldn't say it, but he was running off rage right now, there was nothing holding him back in this moment, nothing out of the question of conversation.

Ridga scoffed, "If you had them the world would be in rubble, the cause of a catfight between two dogs with the same mind, then that would be a terrible day for everyone. Neo, do not pity him, remember what we said, he could no longer be trusted, he's about as stable as his father. You saw him speaking before! Cold and psychotic, with little to no effort in his stance, it was unnatural!"

"Dad!" Rio barked furiously, rising to Nevada's defence, but Nevada barely heard her as she screamed at the two kelpie's opposite them. His paws felt rooted to the spot and he forced the tears out of his eyes. He swallowed hard and blinked hard before he finally forced the lump out of his throat and opened his eyes. He jumped when he realised Rio was curled around him.

"It's ok Vada," She whispered into his ear, her dark brown fur was soft, and he allowed himself to sink into her embrace. When he looked at her parents they were glaring at Nevada and he felt his heart break a little, the only support other than Rio and Indi he'd ever had and here they were, so openly hostile and hateful.

"You never thought," He hissed at them, "That I would protect Rio in every way possible, she is the closest friend I have, I would die before my father could lay so much as a hair on her. I would kill everyone in this kingdom before I would let them hurt you two, and I would destroy every connection I have to save my world. You never believed that the coldness might be an act?"

"It's too well portrayed, you're so relaxed, you're not even trying!" Ridga snarled, "you would have needed real world experience to do that, admit it's your natural state!"

"It's not!" Rio roared, she lunged onto the table, her claws skittering on the black marble surface. "I've seen him so sad I would have broken, and yet there was nothing threatening about him. I've seen him sleep," Her voice broke as tears swam in her eyes. Nevada leapt up beside her as she continued, "He has never had a peaceful night's sleep since he disappeared." Nevada stiffened at the same time as Neo and Ridga.

How does she know that? He never told her that, he would never tell her that.

"Rio," Ridga started, "He didn't disappear, you know that right? He ran away, everyone knows that." Rio just bared her teeth.

"That's what you tell yourself to make the fact that he was gone for a whole week not matter." Rio grabbed Nevada, knocking him to the ground easily, and spread the long fur around his flank, revealing a thick jagged scar. He met her eyes and he read the message in them, the look of apology was unmissable, but he still felt betrayed.

"What in the-" Neo jumped up to meet them, trying to see better, Nevada squeezed his eyes shut. That memory was far too recent to be brought up casually.

"Do you really think he did that running away?" Rio asked, Nevada flinched as he felt someone's claw brush the skin.

"What happened?" Neo's voice was barely a whisper, Nevada opened his eyes slowly, he tried to sit up, but Neo's paw sat firmly on his shoulder, the 8-strength serum that ran in her veins from the days of the Experiment Trials gave her certain "powers." Super strength was among them and she held him down with ease. He glanced at Rio as she sighed.

"I don't know, but I think-"

"Rio please don't," Nevada interrupted, he searched her blue eyes but she was avoiding his gaze, looking at her paws instead.

"I think it has something to do with-"

"Rio! You know what will happen, you know it won't be safe! I should never have told you, you'll be blamed, he might hurt you!" He felt a tear run down his cheek as Rio finally looked up.

"But you'll never get better." Her voice wobbled and she sat down. Nevada flipped, throwing Neo off of him, briefly meeting her eyes, sending all his anger through his gaze, then he was there, wrapping his forepaws around Rio and holding her close.

"I have lived with it for 3 years. I am fine, it will not be nearly as bad as losing you. And if, when I'm king, it still hurts me, I will get help." He breathed an internal sigh of relief as Rio nodded, she pulled away from him and rested her forehead on his.

"Rio, what do you think it's from?" Neo asked, stepping in closer to her daughter.

"It's not my place to say, not today, anyway." Rio replied, prying herself from Nevada and facing her mother, Nevada stood up and held his head high, he realised with a start that in the last six months he had grown phenomenally, he stood a full head higher than Neo now, despite her being at least forty years older than him.

"Rio, I'm no longer asking as your mother, I'm asking as your superior. As a Crown, I am more powerful than you will ever be. I have never seen anyone so desperate to keep something secret before." Neo glanced at Nevada nervously, "And three years is a very long time to deal with something that haunts your dreams."

Nevada's blood froze, does she know of the Dreamwalker? As a pup he'd researched Dreamwalkers, they were said to be a curse, something that plagues a dog, slowly growing louder until it drives them clean off the rails. Their only aim is to create psychotic puppets. Every dog known to have one has been executed, or killed themselves. Nevada shook himself, what nonsense, no-one knows about that, not even Rio, she couldn't possibly have found out.

"Neo, how do you know I didn't just hit a sharp stick, it's nothing, do not worry about it" Nevada reassured, though reassuring his tone was not kind.

"I know scars pup," The black and tan kelpie retorted, her alien blue eyes developing a stormy, sad look, "That was the work of a dagger, though was used either carelessly, or with the purpose of extreme pain, I'm guessing the latter. Judging by the scar, I'm guessing it was deep, probably so as to drain blood, weakening the enemy." Neo and Ridga shared a sheepish look, "to torture, you."

Nevada looked into her eyes and tried to cover the panic that he felt rising with contempt, "You're wrong," He laughed, hoping upon hope he sounded convincing as he made his way towards the door. "I tripped while hunting one day, and fell onto a sharp stick."

He burst into the hallway as the tears started falling. He ducked into the closest door, he knew it to be a spare bedroom, for those who visited the tower for a meeting and had to stay the night. Nevada curled up into a tight ball on the soft wool of the bed, breathing in the musty scent of dust. He breathed deeply, pushing back as hard as he could at the memory that was trying to burst into his thoughts.

***OOOOHHH Damn! Told ya this one'd be more interesting!
Sorry it's late, was v busy lately!

Luv Breeze***