I Dare Ya!

"Don't worry." Vitani replied, her cheeks turning red from embarassment when the event was mentioned "I learnt my lesson the first time."

As they reached the top of the hill Vitani saw the entrance to the caves and smiled. She remembered the beautiful cavern full of glimmering crystals that seemed to emit light. Her sapphire eyes flicked to Scamp, she remembered how determined he had been to get a crystal for Angel but now he was with her and this made the second trip even better.

(By the way when are we going to have Angel and Vitani talk?)

Mooch sighed. he was still a little burned from Penny and Anabelle's comments. Stupid dalmatians. Well not all of them were stupid, just Anabelle, Patch and Penny. He shook his head and walked into the mouth of the cave. He turned to Dolly.

"Stay close, we don't want you to get lost..." His voice was still rather grumpy and monotone.

Pepper nodded and walked up close next to Cadpig. SHe had butterflies in her stomach fromw excitement. "This is going to be cool!" she whispered, all disapointment gone. Pepper had only heard of the crystal caves.

Cadpig stops and takes deep breath. She was extremely worried about Hyenas. Cadpig did trust Mooch and the others but she was actually really scared.

Vitani looked at Mooch, she was worried about him...Penny had been overly cruel. Vitani brushed her sholder against Mooch's to try and comfort him slightly, she hated seeing him this angry. He didn't deserve that.

"Are you ok?" she asked him quietly

Mooch shuddered as Tani brushed up against him. She was his friend. He should have been able to tell her why he was upset. His eyes had been hardened, narrowed because of Penny and Annabelle's words. He peered at her slightly before responding.

"Stupid dalmatians," he muttered, "Nobody likes me over there. They think I'm...bad..." He hung his head following the dark path ahead of him. "I didn't even do anything to Penny! And Annabelle's just a brat! I didn't do ANYTHING to them..."

"Dalmatians are nothing but trouble - you don't need to listen to them!" Scamp returned. It was a conclusion he was just recently coming to. After all, Patch had 'stolen his girl' (even if Angel was no longer his girl anymore, the principle was still there); Dipstick had almost driven him and Tani apart for good - completely unintentionally, as well; and now Penny and this 'Annabelle' were picking on his best friend! It was enough to convince the young mutt that it was a fault of the breed more than anything else - or at least, of this family.

"Hey!! You take that back!!" Dipstick retorted suddenly. Materializing beside Scamp with a stony frown on his goofy face. He'd been following quietly for the most part, not really listening, looking at Rebecca more than anything. But Scamp saying Dalmatians were trouble? That was too much!!

"Dalmatians aren't trouble!! Th-that's like saying you....you mutts are nothing but trouble!!" Not much of a retort but it was all he could think of.

"Hey now wait a minute not only am I a dalmatian, but of this family. I never did anything to you or Mooch. So I calmly ask you to leave me, my family, and my breed out of this since I never did anything to you and neither did Pepper" Cadpig said motioning over to her sister. Cadpig wasn't trying to be rude but she took serious offense to Scamp's statement.

Mooch's eyes narrowed, maw raised over his teeth in a growl. Scamp was right. Dalmatians were nothing but trouble.

"I'm sorry, you never DID anything to me, runt?!" Mooch couldn't believe what she was saying. "Please, you and your little gang of pups were horrible to me! You agreed with Penny a time ago, Cadpig and don't you even try to lie about it!" Mooch growled, lifting his head foreward.

"I see the light, we should be reaching the cave soon," he said to Dolly, "And Dipstick...I didn't mean you...you and Wizzer were my buds...I didn't mean you..." He lowered his head again and started forward.

Pepper was also a bit taken aback. "Mooch, I never did anything to you. I..your're one of my bestfriends." Pepper added. She never did anything to hurt him, nor ever would.

Oops. Maybe he'd bitten off a bit more than he could chew with that statement. He thought of his friend Spotty back home - he'd never been any trouble the way these dals seemed to - and Scamp found himself regretting his words, if only to a point.

"Well, I didn't mean..." he tried to explain, before Mooch cut him off with his retort to Cadpig. Scamp simply shrugged uncomfortably, falling back to Tani's side, deciding to stay out of the conversation for a minute or so.

Cadpig didn't know what to say. "But, Mooch come on I thought we were cool now? That happened before I really got to know you I really thought you wouldn't hold that against me. How many times do I have to tell you I'm sorry for you to forgive and forget"? Cadpig whimpered sadly. She really did love Mooch and felt horrible ever since . "Mooch, just tell me what I have to do in order for you to forgive me for what I did" She said with tears in her eyes.

Mooch rolled his eyes. When Cadpig became so whiny he didn't know but he also didn't much care. Mooch liked hanging out with someone other than dalmatians for once. Minus Dipstick, he could have done without the rest of them. He didn't get why Cadpig and Pepper were being so whiny towards him.

Growling, he nudged Dolly's shoulder. "Come on! Let's go. You can bring back a crystal from the cave." He sped up ahead of the others. He remembered the path. He wanted to get away.

Cadpig sighs sadly. All she wanted was Mooch just to say just once is that he always loved her like a sister. Cadpig never hesitated to tell Mooch that she loved him like a brother. She had told him about 15 times since they got to the war. Cadpig didn't understand why Mooch didn't seem to like her.

She kept on trying day in day out to get Mooch to see she was a really nice girl and that she wasn't like Annabelle and Patch and all the other pups who made fun of him constantly. All she wanted was Mooch to love her. Why did Mooch hate her so much? What in god's name has she done other then that one time? Cadpig sniffles sadly. Why couldn't Mooch see that all she wanted was for Mooch just to say "I forgive you"?

She sat there sadly. She wanted to go to the crystal Cave with Mooch but apparently Mooch didn't want Cadpig going with him despite all this time through this war sticking up for Mooch.