//------------------------------// // Picnic In The Park // Story: Spike’s Dog Tale // by Phantom-Dragon //------------------------------// With the first ray of sunlight streaking across the horizon, Spike wearily opens his eyes, stretching his legs out as he lets out a yawn, emerging from his garbage can shelter. As he took the moment to bask in the morning sunlight's glow, Spike looks at his surrounding to see the puddles left behind from last night's rain shower. The morning dews on the bright green grasses were all shimmering colorfully in the sun's light, as if they were little specks of beautiful jewels. One of the most astounding features that Spike has from his enchantment was that he can see colors, unlike normal dogs. *See Reboxing w/Spike where the young dog can see his slippers were encrusted with Amethysts. The little dog wearily walks over to a puddle of water, where he dips his head down for a drink. Though it's not as clear or refreshing than the clean waters he was given from Twilight, it's better than nothing. A dog needs his refreshment after all. And unlike what others would say, Spike isn't the type of dog who would drink out of the toilet. After that, he set off to look for his next meal, by following the hiking trail he had found last night. After what felt like hours, Spike grew tired of walking on the hiking trail, which went on for what seemed like miles ahead. "Phew, I should've gone to the park more often," Spike panted heavily. "My paws are killing me. WHOA!" he shouted, dodging to the side, as a biker nearly ran him over. "Get out of the way ya mutt!" the biker said in disgust. "HEY! I'M WALKING HERE!" Spike barked in irritation, much to the biker's surprise. The biker was so bewildered at the sudden encounter of a talking dog that he didn't look where he was going, and drove off the trail by accident, and a scream was heard, "Yaaah-hoo-hoo-hoo-hooey!!!" *SPLASH* "Ouch," Spike winced, before he looked to the sides and whistled innocently before he was on his way. However, conscience kicked in as Spike hesitated and stopped to look back at the biker, who was soaking wet, and covered in several bruises he'll be having in the coming days. Without a doubt, he could be terribly hurt. Spike looked up at the way the hiking trail leads, then back at the biker. Instincts tell him to go home, but something was holding him back, as if he was latched onto by an invisible leash, telling him to help the biker. But what can he do? He's just a little dog. 'I have to get back home to Twilight,' Spike thought. 'But...I can't leave this guy behind. Can I?' The dog didn't have to think for long, when he looked up and saw an incoming biker, a woman in her 30s. Spike almost wanted to call out to her, but after the previous biker's early reaction of a talking dog, Spike decided against it and simply barked like a normal dog, stopping the woman. "What the–" she exclaimed, screeching her bike to a halt, before she got off. "Hey, what's a dog like you–" before she could finished, however, Spike held a paw up and pointed to the side, directing her gaze to the other downed biker. "Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed as she ran down to help her fellow biker up. "Are you alright?" "Yeah, I'm fine," the man groaned as he got back on his legs, with his arms around her shoulder. "Thanks." "Don't thank me. Thank that little...dog?" when the two bikers looked up, Spike was nowhere to be seen. After clearing his conscience with the bikers, Spike resumed his journey on the path. He doesn't know where he'll go, or how long the path is, but for him it didn't matter. Instinct was compelling him to get back home to Twilight. Knowing that he was still in the woods, Spike turns his head to the side, looking from the left to the right, alert and keeping a lookout for any wild animals, especially wolves. That last thing he needed was for a wolf to jump out at him. For what felt like hours, Spike's feet felt more sore with every steps he took, and his stomach growled louder, reminding him how hungry he is with every passing seconds. Thankfully, his long journey soon paid off, when Spike looked up to see an opening with a beautiful ray of sunlight shining through. With that, the young dog sprinted forward, chasing the sun, leading him through the opening of the forest, which became the exit and he smiled in relief at the sight of a more welcoming area. Before him is a large RV park, populated by an entire herd of RVs, with families of people and dogs all out and about, enjoying the day. With a smile, the little purple dog happily strolled into the park. After a whole night spent in the forest, populated by wild animals and wolves, Spike was more than happy to be back among people and dogs. As Spike walk through the park, he looked around him to see many of the people were out for picnics with their friends and families. There were also a lot of other dogs playing with their owners, as well as some other dogs. From playing fetch, tug-of-war, to chasing squirrels, all the dogs were happy. This made Spike very said, because it all reminded him of Twilight and friends. "How could you leave me, Twilight?" Spike whimpered. "What did I do wrong? Was it something I said? I thought you were my friend. Am I not your friend anymore?" Spike sniffled. All the more reason he has to find his way home. To get the answers to his questions. Another growl from his stomach reminded Spike of his hunger, and he whimpered from the hungry sensation that beckoned him to beg for food, "Aw, you poor thing," a little girl said in sympathy for the little dog, dropping a half-eaten hot dog for him. "For me?" Spike wheezed. His hunger and exhaustion has made him too weak to talk louder than normal. After the girl had left with her family, Spike gladly took the food and dines into it, when he was suddenly surrounded by three large dogs. The first dog appears to be a large menacing doberman, with coats of moderate red fur with a pattern of vivid gamboge patches on his chest, paws/legs, muzzle, above his eyes, and underneath his short stubby tail, piercing yellow eyes, and wears a black dog collar with white spikes, and a license that has a fire emblem imprinted on the front. The second dog is a large muddy brown bull dog, with yellow eyes, and wore a spiky red collar around his neck. The third dog is a dark purple shepherd dog with long messy blonde yellow hairs that covered his face. "Well lookie what we've got here boys," the red doberman growled. "We've got ourselves a wild dog roaming on our turf!" "Wild dogs aren't allowed in these parts," the bull dog barked. "So why don't you just turn and go back to the woods where you belong?" "What?" Spike barked incrediously at the dogs. "Whoa, hang on! I'm not a wild dog. I'm a regular dog, like you guys!" "Yeah right," the red doberman barked in disgust. "I know the smell of a wild dog when I smell one. And you are definitely a wild dog. You're covered in that woodland smell!" "Maybe he's a wolf in dog clothings!" the third dog barked. "No, I'm not!" Spike continued to bark in his defense, but to no avail. None of the big dogs were listening. "Let's bite this mongrel!" with that, the three dogs were about to gang up on little Spike, only to be stopped by another dog. "HEY KNOCK IT OFF, WILL YA GAR-GAR!" the female voice of another dog barked ferociously at the big dog. The dogs all turned their attention to see a a medium-sized dog, bigger than Spike but smaller than Garble, running towards them and stood defensively over Spike. She appeared to be a cocker spaniel with a coat of brilliant gamboge furs, long fluffy ears of light gold with matching patches of furs on her chest, and moderate cyan eyes. Around her neck is a light blue collar, with a gold license. "Seriously? I can't turn my back on you for one minute just to enjoy a quiet meal, without you causing trouble!" the female dog barked, scolding the red doberman, now identified as Gar-Gar. "What's the matter with you guys? Ganging on up a puppy like him?" "Aw c'mon, Smolder. Give us a break," the big dog whined. "We were just having some fun with him, that's all," the bull dog added. "Besides, it was Garble's idea," with that, the red doberman snarled dangerously at the bull dog, who whined and cowered in submission, with his tail in between his legs. Breathing a long incredulous sigh, the gamboge cocker spaniel turned to Spike, "Hey, sorry about Gar-Gar," she apologized to the little dog in a more welcome tone. "He's just a big puppy and he likes to hide it with his whole 'top dog' appearance." "I am a top dog!" Garble barked in embarrassment. "Then why are you submitting to your sister then?" the purple shepherd dog snarked, before he was kicked in the snout by the doberman. "Ow." Shaking her head, the cocker spaniel started, "Let's try this again. Name's Smolder," she greeted with a wag of her tail, before she pointed her snout, "You've already met Garble," she pointed at the doberman, before turning to the bull dog and shepherd dog. "And those guys are Clump and Fume," she introduced them respectfully. "Hey," the dogs all exchanged agreements. "Nice to meet you guys, I guess," Spike said. "I'm Spike." "Pleased to meet ya, Spike," Smolder smiled, before she sniffed him. "Ooh, no offense, but you do smell like a wild dog. You've got a smell that only wolves would like." "Well, I did just came out of the woods," the little dog admitted. "And it was not a good night in there, with those wolves, let me tell you." "You spent a whole night in the forest with wolves?" Smolder asked, with the other three dogs exchanging shocking expressions. "No dogs have ever survived a night with wolves before!" Smolder then looked down at Spike, "What were you doing in there to begin with?" "It's not like I wanted to," Spike barked. "I was left behind, by accident, and–" "Whoa, whoa, you were left behind?!" Garble barked, as he and his friends surrounded Spike, to which the dog answered by nodding his head. "Oh, I'm...I'm sorry." "Oh, it's alright." "No, no, no! We should've known," the red doberman continued to bark in sympathy. "Because we all got left behind, just like you are." "Whoa, really?" Spike asked. "Yeah," Clump barked. "My owner was a garbage man who took me in, after he found me in the junkyard when I was just a little puppy. But then he moved out and completely forgot about me. He just left me behind when I started growing up!" "That's nothing," Fume scoffed. "Before, it was just me and my owner, until he started dating this woman who couldn't stand dogs, especially me! And if that wasn't bad enough, as soon as the baby came, my owner took me further away from the house and left me there to fend for myself! I WAS KICKED OUT!" "Whoa," Spike barked, taken aback by the two dogs' story, before he turned to Smolder and Garble. "So what about you guys?" "Eh, our owners moved out," Smolder frowned. "They packed up, moved out, and were gone. So, it's just me and Gar-Gar." "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." "Don't be," Garble scowled. "I mean, that's life, little guy. As the humans say, it's a-dog-eat-dog-world." "Uh, that's not one of my favorite expressions, Gar-Gar," Smolder frowned. "Sorry," shaking his head. "Anyway, forget about owners. I mean, who needs them? We've got each other now. Besides, living the street life isn't so bad, once you get used to it." "Uh huh," Spike nodded uneasily. "Well, it's been nice knowing you guys, but I think I should be on my way," with that, the little dog turned around and proceeded to take his leave, only to be stopped. "Oh I wouldn't be caught wandering the streets alone if I were you, Spike," Smolder cautioned. "You ever heard of the dog catchers?" Spike froze in place as Smolder explains, "Once a dog catcher catches a dog, they take 'em to the pound where dogs never come out...ever." "You don't have to tell me twice," Garble shuddered. "The last unfortunate dog I knew was a strange mutt named Craggle." "Craggle?" Clump asked. "Never heard of 'em." "Exactly!" "Yikes," Spike whimpered. "Looks like this is your first day on the streets with us," Smolder barked. "Well, you're better off sticking us, Spike." "Yeah, join us little guy," Garble added. "We'll show ya all the best places to get some food!" At the mention of food, Spike's stomach growled, indicating he was still starving from hunger, "Well, I do need to eat and fast." "Great!" Smolder barked happily. "C'mon! Let us show you how it's really done." Before long, Spike and his new dog friends were moving from RV to RV, and Spike watched as Smolder barked loudly to get the people inside the mobile homes to come out, to see her putting on a pouting expression, with her ears flattened, and her eyes enlarged, to make her look cute. "AW!" the people cooed, before they gave her some food to share with her fellow dogs. "Yeah, Smolder!" Garble cheered for his sister as he and his dog friends dine in one their latest catch. "Now you try it, Spike," Smolder encouraged the young dog. With that, Spike barked loudly at the next RV, getting a man to open up the door. Looking to Smolder for advice, Spike watched as Smolder repeated the same pouty expression she did before, to which he copied, earning an affectionate adoration from the man. "Aw, look at that cute little guy!" the man cooed, before he gave Spike a hamburger to eat. For the next few minutes, or so, Spike and the dogs have been begging and pouting for food from all of the RVs in the park. This kept on going, until the dogs have all had their fill.