Oh boy. That Paw Patrol movie... might need to write a review to that.

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…
Azure was near the café, same one where the van crash happened.
This was the presume spot that that evil general clown Eddi appeared first. Even if there weren’t as many leads here, they could at least scan for some residual energy. Perhaps they left a trap or a curse, or such like. For the most part, Rose seemed to get nothing.
Azure, while waiting, continued to check around the restaurant himself. At that moment, it seemed to be open. The main lady of the place, an owl, and a builder, a beaver, were talking about fixing the wall of the café, as well as the front. It would only be possible to do so around spring, she was told, which disheartened the owl-lady.
The spirit sighed, sympathetically. They had decided to finally engage against the generals and go to their secret lair. One they had yet to find, mind. But, while it was true the kids showed progress, and they had grew into a good number, as of then, they still had just as many flaws plaguing them.
Perhaps it was too early. They can’t simply leave it to children to solve their problem. So their course of action would be, logically, to wait. But if Kage has said to be true, that his powers are in fact growing stronger, then that may…
“You seem deep in thought, Azure.”
He looked to Rose. Then grimly returned to starring through the distance.
“The problem isn’t simple, I am afraid.”
“What do you mean?” Rose asked, her tone friendly and light.
“They are growing strong. But they do need to be stronger.”
Azure expected Rose to understand what he meant, and she did exactly that. They had already followed same discussions before, many times since they came back to Earth. And yet, she chose to shake her head and blithely move herself next to Azure.
“That may not be possible by simple training them,” she said.
“What…do you mean?”
“Our bodies, once they transform, are based on ourselves as we died, and nothing more. Physically, these forms are nothing. As such, they cannot possibly become stronger or weaker. They are simply what they are.”
Azure thought on it and checked his own hand again. Even though he could see it, there was nothing. At some point, he could tell that it wasn’t real, that light would pass through it, that the air was already occupying the same space as he was in that spot. It was only when they merge that he felt a faint feeling of his original body. But it was fait.
“However,” Rose followed, getting back his attention away from his hand, “that is not to say they cannot get stronger. I think. I have talked with Kage, and Zamarad too. There seems…to be a way to do so.”
“But…how would that be possible? If we are nothing more than what we already were?”
“I’d say the manner would be to grow them as people.”
Azure demeanor changed a bit as he took in this information. It went from curiosity, to a mix of hope, to then despair that came from realization and exasperation.
“So…you are saying we should babysit?” he asked, weakly.
“Just like with Taja.”
Azure groaned.
So, it seemed as if nothing was to change. They are stuck with children, hoping that they would mature themselves enough to use their powers properly. Or perhaps, maybe they had in fact found a solution to their unending problem. And the solution was to change an approach. Azure went back to watching the restaurant owner. Rose accompanied him, standing right next to him.
The restaurant owner was now talking with someone else, a young badger. While Her Highness didn’t know, Azure came to learn quite a bit about the owl owner when the latter talked with the construction worker. First of all, they were both friends. Second of all, she earned her position after few years of diligent work. She appeared to be native of the town, taking a job at the café business made for outside. She also, apparently, wanted to leave her town too. The dangers of attacks seemed to have spooked her quite a bit, as much as any other, but her family was still here, and she didn’t want to leave them alone.
He then watched the young badger suddenly hand over some sort of an apron. It was common for the workers to wear these, and he appeared to be one of them. Or at least was, and now chose to quit. The manager’s face contorted a bit, trying to hold back any sign that she felt hurt. Her large eyes drooped when the young badger left without looking back or saying goodbye. When she went inside, all Azure could see was apparently one other single employee, on her phone, texting.
“Rose…”
“Yes?”
Azure tried to collect his thoughts.
Thoughts….
“How…how do you manage this?”
“You mean?”
“We cannot do anything but ‘think’,” Azure said, in the same manner someone would if they wanted to spit out a fly, “And the more we stay here in this realm, the more damning it feels. It is as though I could turn into a ghoul and haunt the passersby just to alleviate my own frustrations.”
Rose tilted her head and looked up the sky. While her form was prim and proper, her reactions seemed to come across almost as if she was ready to laugh.
“You find this funny?”
“Not quite,” Rose replied, returning to her collected face. “I just believe…I have became quite used to it by now. A frustration, true, but nonetheless part of what we are, now. We cannot change anymore…I slowly myself am realizing it.”
At that moment, her light disposition somehow changed in weight. And then, they heard a call from somewhere.
“Your highness! Azure! Come quick!”
The two found Zamarad, quickly making her way to them.
“Zamarad, have you found something?” Rose asked. “Wait, is it an attack?”
“You must come quick,” the latter replied curtly. “You may not believe what you might, but it is quite a problem…”
…
Tom yawned once again. His mouth went so wide, Chester felt like he could unhinge it at any moment.
“You look pretty tired,” he commented. “Have you been up late?”
“Yeah…” Tom sloppily rubbed his eyes with his paw. His steps were getting heavier, and not just due to having his large assortment of baggage again.
“Why?”
“Just…was busy with a personal project,” he put his paw in front of his mouth and yawned again. That was the seventh time, Chester counted. “Mom usually would put me to sleep at nine. But yesterday I went at around midnight.”
“Wow…must’ve been totally hard for you,” Chester exaggeratedly said. Then looking back to Fotia, who was playing (or training?) with a large stick, said, “Bet you never want to do that again.”
“Are you kidding!?” Tom exclaimed loudly. “This is great!!! I never got to stay up so late, and I got to do so much stuff while I was up. Actually, I think I’ve come to enjoy being up all night. I should do this more oft-”
Then another yawn suddenly overtook the boy. Then without meaning too, he stumbled on the road, nearly tripping.
“Yeah, how about you take it easy on yourself?” Chester laughed.
Tom didn’t react to the remark. Instead, his line of sight seemed to have aimed at right behind Chester. And, there was a signs of fear in his eyes.
“There you are.”
Chester felt himself get pulled backwards by his backpack.
“Hey, what the-?”
“What did you tell ‘em you dweeb?”
Chester was locked from both sides by a pair of kids. In front of him, was Russell, the bear kid from before.
“Let me go you stupid-“ Chester struggled, but the other two held an iron grip on him. Despite his efforts, it was a surprise attack of two kids on one, he was outmatched. And worse off, Tom stood there, afraid, and Fotia…
“Unhand them you villains!”
Russell looked at the bird holding a giant stick to his face.
“What…are you doin’?”
Fotia spun the stick and took a stance. “Prepare to meet the wrath of-“
Russell pulled the stick in and broke it with single hand. Fotia looked at one-third of his weapon with a disappointed look.
“Children are far more perceptive at times.”
Russell, with the second half of the stick in hand, pointed to the trio. This was his show of dominance, and Chester could tell, they were all outmatched at that moment.
“Which one of you said that I was the one who did it?” Russell demanded.
“What said?” Chester asked.
“That I was the one who vandalized that weird girl’s place!”
Chester took a moment to stop struggling and soak that in.
“None of us said anything like that!” Chester revealed. Maybe I thought of it before, he admitted to himself, but I never said that to anyone!
“Don’t lie to me, pincushion,” Russell snapped.
“Honest! Maybe they finally got you for bullying others, hmm? Have you thought about that?”
“Then why am I in trouble according with school about that thing according to my Mom and Dad?”
Chester once again felt befuddled.
“B-B-But that’s…” Tom suddenly interjected. Everyone turned to him, making the poor kitten shake even more. “I-I-I-I-I-I-It was that girl M-M-M-Mandy! And her friends!”
Russel then turned back to Chester. He looked straight at his eyes, his head above the latter.
“Then why did you tell them it was me?”
“I didn’t say anything!” Chester exclaimed and struggled a bit more. Sadly, they still wouldn’t let go of him. Heaving a sigh, he then said, “Flora came forward about it to everyone! They are the ones who did that! We know you aren’t guilty!”
Russell starred at Chester. He then looked at his stick, and lifted it up to his chest.
“You are lying.”
“No I’m not!” Chester shouted in shock.
The bigger boy started approaching. The hedgehog watched as the bear started to hold the stick like a weapon. Tom was frozen in fear completely, unable to help. Chester, knowing what will happen, just closed his eyes and hoped it will be done quickly. And yet still, he couldn’t help but whimper a bit.
“Young man, is it truly alright for you to pick on the weak?”
Russel turned around to “Pierre”. The young crow stood like a teacher does when seeing a child misbehave, arms folded and an eyebrow raised. To say the bigger bear was taken aback would be an understatement.
“What did you say beak face?”
“You are strong for your age, why pick on others? Surely you wish to use your powers for good?”
“…You want me to hit you in the face right now?” He tapped the stick against his hand. “Cause I can. With your stick.”
“Of course you could. And what shall it do for you? A small bit of happiness? A fleeting reprieve of power you may feel that comes from showing your superior strength?”
Russell tilted his head.
“What the heck are you-?”
“You believe that your abilities and strengths impresses people, truly?” Fotia asked, his voice stern. “But the reality is that it is fleeting. Once you grow up, all of that body muscle shall be nothing more than a single facet through which you will fulfill your duties to your community. That is of course, if you will consider to using them as such, and not for personal gain. In which case, you are more than likely to be thrown off into the wild, and be fed to nasty monsters that lurk within each tree.”
Fotia slowly and steadily started walking up to Russell. The boy tried to scare him off with the stick by sticking it to his face. But, Fotia didn’t flinch, but instead, moved fast enough to pass the range of the stick and almost arms’ length to the boy. Chester watched it all happen in silent, subtle awe.
“Ironically, a meager one that facet is, ‘strength’. If I were to compare you, the girl who used you as a scapegoat for her crimes is far more powerful. And in the future, while you may find other scapegoats for yourself to toy with, the fact that you know naught but to lash out, show how powerless you truly are. A resolve and will that are not strong will be the biggest of downfalls to the man, and yours are weak. Because you choose to bully those you see too meager to fight back. You may feel reprieve for now in your physical prowess, but in the future, it may not be so.”
Russell, standing there with a stick, couldn’t help but mutter, “…W-W-What…did you say?”
“Clean your years boy.”
Fotia then walked up to Chester. He grabbed one of the two boys holding the hedgehog, who was just as much as Russell got enamored by speech, and pushed him off. With Chester, they were able to get the kids away.
“Y-Y-You think this is that easy, huh?”
“Get your act together, young man,” Fotia said. Both Tom and Chester were standing right behind him. “Whatever you may wish to do, it may not amount to anything, at all. If you keep being like that, your future is sealed to be doomed.”
He then turned around, and walked away, Chester and Tom in tow.
The boys were not being chased by those bullies, despite how Chester could hear them saying they probably should. But every time he looked back, Russell looked more and more lost.
“My, I feel famished!” Fotia declared. “When is this ‘lunchtime’ that your school offers? Hmm?”
Chester shook his head, while Tom was quiet.
In a way, that felt weird.
To be willingly helped by an adult.
…