The sky above was an emerald sea of pure light as Tag collapsed onto the cold pavement, completely lost in her own despair. Only minutes had passed since Colby had vanished, yet to her, each second stretched into an endless eternity. In her grief-stricken haze, she barely registered the glow of the aurora overhead that shifted like a living entity. Instead, her mind was consumed with thoughts of Colby – his gentle smile, the love in his eyes, and the future they had once dreamed of sharing.
She recalled the promise of “someday” he’d made her, and the quiet moments together that now seemed like distant echoes. Every vision of a shared tomorrow, every hope for a life filled with laughter and light, slipped further away with each heartbeat. The future she had imagined with him now lay shattered like her heart.
In that dark moment, the world around her faded into silence. She could not see – nor did she care about – the subtle transformations in the sky as the aurora slowly began to recede and collapse on itself over Pawston. All that existed was the ache in her chest and the relentless absence of the one she’d fallen in love with. The empty space beside her was a constant, painful reminder of what she had lost.
Scooch rested a paw on her shoulder, but she didn’t even feel his presence. Time had lost all meaning. She knelt there, her eyes distant and unfocused, her thoughts circling around memories of him and the life they had been destined to share. Each little recollection was bittersweet – a tapestry of even the once mundane moments that both warmed her heart and deepened her sorrow.
“Colby…”
She whispered his name into the emptiness, not expecting an answer, but clinging to it as if it were a lifeline. In her grief, Tag no longer noticed the atmosphere’s subtle shifts; her entire being was dedicated to the silent, unyielding pain of losing the one who had given her life its light.
When the aurora above Pawston finally collapsed in on itself, its once-shifting green radiance gathered into a singularity. In that moment, like a new star being born, a canine form was remade from the gathered energy. The remnants of his being coalesced into a searing bolt of green plasma lightning that struck the earth.
There, in a flash of incandescent green light, Colby was reborn. His newly formed figure radiated an otherworldly glow, his body defined by the vibrant power of the cosmos itself. For a moment, time seemed to hold still as Tag’s tear-streaked face turned upward in disbelief. The air hummed with the resonance of his rebirth – a silent, triumphant declaration that even in the wake of devastating loss, hope could always ignite anew.
There was a brief, suspended moment of silence as Tag stared at Colby, hardly believing her eyes. For a heartbeat, the world around them fell away, and all that remained was the shimmering, reborn figure standing before her. Then Colby’s lips curled into a gentle, knowing smile, and he chuckled softly.
“Are you really that hopeless without me?” he said with a light laugh. “I’ve only been gone for what, five minutes?”
Hearing his words, Tag’s sorrow dissolved into exuberant relief. She dashed forward on all-fours, leaping up into his arms. In true canine fashion, she began happily licking his face with happy whines, her tail wagging like a blur behind her as her body wiggled uncontrollably.
Tag’s breath trembled as she tried to steady herself, her mind still reeling from the impossible sight before her. Colby stood there, solid and real, his fur ruffled from the wind, his green eyes warm and alive. Her paws clutched at his bright yellow fur, afraid that if she let go, he might slip away again.
She had so many questions. Too many. How was he here, standing in front of her, grinning like he hadn’t just sacrificed himself in a literal supernova?
She swallowed hard, her voice barely above a whisper. “H-how…?”
Colby exhaled through his nose, his lips curling into a familiar, lopsided smirk. “I told you to keep the engine warm for me, didn’t I?”
Tag let out a startled laugh, half a sob, gripping him tighter as her tail wagged furiously behind her.
“Colby!” she barked, swatting his arm with a shaking paw. “That doesn’t explain anything!”
He chuckled as he set her down, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah… I guess it doesn’t, huh?” His gaze drifted upward, finally noticing that the entire town of Pawston stood gathered around him and Tag, a sea of wide, awestruck eyes... Every dog stood frozen in place, their stunned expressions unreadable.
Colby’s stomach twisted as he realized…
They saw.
They all saw.
There was no covering it up now, no excuse that could explain away the streaks of green lightning, the scorched craters left in the pavement, the undeniable proof of what he was.
For so long, he had hidden this part of himself, afraid of what might happen if anyone knew. And now, in one explosive moment, his secret was out.
Colby could feel his pulse pounding in his ears as his mind raced through every worst-case scenario.
Were they angry?
Did they blame him for the destruction?
Did they think he had brought Noctyrax here?
That this was all his fault?
…Would they even be wrong if they were?
And then, before he could speak, someone in the crowd clapped.
Then another. And another. And before Colby could process what was happening, the entire town erupted into cheers.
The sound hit him all at once, a deafening wave of joyous barking, howling, and celebratory shouting. Every dog in Pawston, from the tiniest pups to the oldest hounds, was cheering for him.
Colby barely had time to react before they all sprinted forward, closing the distance in seconds. He stumbled back slightly, his eyes wide as a hundred paws reached for him, patting his shoulders, tousling his fur, grabbing his paws, hugging and squeezing him from every direction.
“You saved us!” someone barked.
“I knew you were special!” another voice howled.
"That was the coolest thing I've ever seen!"
“You’re our hero, Colby!”
A lump formed in Colby’s throat as the reality of it sank in. They weren’t rejecting him. They weren’t turning him away. They accepted him. All of him.
Tag beamed beside him, laughing as she was caught up in the overwhelming group hug.
“Welcome to Pawston,” she said, nuzzling him.
Colby exhaled, his tense shoulders finally relaxing as the warmth of the crowd surrounded him.
He was welcome.
* * *
Tag nudged a small pile of ash with her broom, watching as the wind carried away the lighter bits. The streets of Pawston were a mess—cracked pavement, fallen signs, shattered windows – but everyone was working together to fix it.
Across the way, Cheddar Biscuit and her fellow clowns balanced on each other’s shoulders while juggling broken pieces of wood from the ruined doorbell store, turning the cleanup into an impromptu performance. Nearby, Sgt. Pooch barked orders as officers heaved chunks of debris into carts, their tails wagging in determination.
Colby worked silently beside Tag, sweeping dust and ash into neat piles. He was alive. He was here. She could still hardly believe it.
She glanced at him, then at the sky where the green aurora had once shimmered. The battle was over, but questions still lingered in her mind.
Tag swept dust into a growing pile, her ears twitching as she stole glances at Colby beside her. He was working quietly, methodically, his plasma-charged body now just as solid as any other dog’s. It was like he had never left.
But he had left.
And he had come back.
She couldn’t let it go unanswered any longer.
“So,” she said, breaking the silence, “you never really explained it. How did you come back?”
Colby paused, resting his broom against his shoulder. He exhaled slowly, his gaze drifting toward the sky where the aurora had been. It was clear now, a perfect blue stretching endlessly overhead.
“There’s still a lot about my life that I haven’t told you yet,” he admitted, turning to meet her curious gaze. “And it’s about time that I do. The whole story.”
Colby smiled as he looked to the sky again, the weight of his worries lifting from his shoulders. Noctyrax was gone. The battle was over. His past no longer had its claws in him. For him, Marcus Colburn was dead… but Colby Barker was here to stay.
His future was here.
And he was ready to embrace it.
"Do you remember my promise of… “someday”?" he asked softly.
Tag’s heart pounded. Of course, she remembered. She had held onto those words for so long, clinging to the hope that someday would come.
"Yeah," she breathed.
Colby took a step closer, reaching for her paw.
"With everything that just happened... I think ‘someday’ might be today." He squeezed her paw gently. "Tag… will you marry me?"
Tag dropped her broom. She threw her arms around him, her tail wagging so fast it was a blur.
"YES!"
* * *
And so they did, and it was a celebration that brought all of Pawston together. In the coming years, once Tag reached an age where Colby felt they were ready, they built a family just as large and loving as Tag’s own. The Barker home was forever filled with playful barks and the endless energy of pups who had inherited both their parents' adventurous spirits.
Tag eventually secured a coveted place in the Doggy Book of World Records like so many racers dreamed, though it no longer mattered to her. Racing had only ever been about the thrill, the wind in her fur, and the love of the sport. And that was more than enough. She took over Sam’s role as leader of the Race Cadets and spent years inspiring young racers, teaching them not just how to drive, but how to believe in themselves.
After serving his sentence of community service, Sam Whippet returned to the world a humbled dog. The first thing he did was seek out Tag, not to make excuses, but to offer a sincere apology for his actions. Tag forgave him without hesitation. From then on, Sam dedicated himself to making amends, using his skills to properly help Tag coach up-and-coming racers and ensure no one else ever adopted the “winning mindset” he once had.
As the years passed, Scooch found love in an unexpected place: Kit Whiskerton, their sharp-witted feline friend from Meowbuquerque. Despite their biological differences, their bond deepened, and eventually, they built a life together. They couldn’t have kids of their own, so they adopted – proving that family isn’t about blood, but about love.
Wind Swiftly remained Tag’s closest friend, their friendship standing the test of time like the unshakable foundation of a well-built track. Even in their old age when they retired from racing, she and Tag never lost the thrill of speed, often taking their cars out for the sheer fun of it, laughing like they were still young pups chasing their dreams.
And as for Colby, he never left Pawston again. Noctyrax was forever gone, his past no longer haunted him, and he finally had what he’d always wanted – a home. No matter where life took them, no matter how the world changed, he and Tag would always have each other.
* * *
Colby drifted in an endless white void, weightlessly floating through a dream. There was no ground beneath his feet, no sky above – only an infinite expanse of nothingness stretching in all directions. Yet, despite the emptiness, he didn’t feel alone. All around him, countless glowing spheres hung in the air like stars, each one pulsing with an otherworldly light. As he turned his head, he saw them stretching into infinity – some small, some massive, each shimmering with its own unique color and energy.
But they weren’t just lights. They were worlds. Entire universes.
Colby narrowed his eyes, taking a brief look at some of the other spheres. Inside, he saw unfamiliar landscapes – towering mountains, sprawling cities, endless oceans. Countless other versions of himself existed within these universes, each one living a completely different life, walking a completely different path. Some canine, some human, and everything in between.
Then, a presence stirred behind him.
Colby turned, plasma flickering instinctively to his fingertips – but then he hesitated. The figure before him was not an enemy, but an old friend.
It was golden, its form shifting like molten light, radiating an energy both warm and overwhelming. It had no solid features, no true face, and yet – Colby knew it. He had seen it before, in dreams, in moments between life and death, in the spaces where reality blurred. This being had been watching him - all of him - for a long time.
The golden figure’s voice resonated without sound, more like a feeling settling into Colby’s mind. "You have walked a long road, Marcus Colburn.”
Colby stiffened at the name, then exhaled, shaking his head. “That’s not my name anymore.”
"No, no it is not. You have chosen to become something else. Something more.” It gestured with a fluid motion toward the vast sky of spheres. "You have seen what could have been. What you are. Countless possibilities, infinite paths. And yet, this one belongs to only you.”
Colby stared at the spheres again, their silent glow reflecting in his eyes.
“I used to think I didn’t have a choice,” he admitted. He clenched his fists, the familiar warmth of his plasma humming beneath his skin. “That destiny was set in stone.”
The golden figure inclined its head.
"Then tell me… Colby. What have you learned?"
Colby was quiet for a long moment. Then, he smiled. But when he opened his mouth, something peculiar happened. His own voice contradicted itself, overlapping all at once.
"Every end is a new beginning."
"No one is ever truly alone."
"The future isn’t written. You write it yourself."
"You don’t have to be born a hero to become one."
“Time heals all wounds.”
"Strength isn’t just about power. It’s about who you fight for."
“That love is the greatest power of all.”
Colby then felt the space around him shift, as if the void itself acknowledged his answer. The spheres pulsed, their lights growing warmer, softer.
“It’s all true at the same time.”
Then, just ahead, a door appeared – a simple wooden door, familiar in its red paint and ten unique doorbells. The Barker house.
Colby took a step toward it, then looked back at the golden figure.
“…So is this it? The end of my story?”
"That is for you to decide."
Colby chuckled. He turned back to the door, placing his paw on the handle.
He glanced over his shoulder one last time at the endless expanse of universes, the countless other lives he could have lived. Then he pushed the door open and smiled.
A warm light washed over him.
And Colby stepped forward.
![[Fanfic] Love is Driven - Ch. 10 - From Pawston with Love](https://va.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/5459/5459434_DeltaFlame_ch10_lid_title_noncustom.jpg "[Fanfic] Love is Driven - Ch. 10 - From Pawston with Love")
