PAW Patrol | Christmas Collection 2022 ✔

20 | City of Dreams

There was always a reason that the glorious sight of the city nightlife was viewed as such a spectacle to those lucky enough to capture such a scene, and a white blanket of frozen powder covering every square inch made it just that much better. Even with the sun set, everything one could hope to see was still within eyesight. Especially at this time of year, there was hardly a building in sight that didn't have some sort of lights on them, whether they be decked out from the bottom of the ground up to the tippy-top of a skyscraper, or a simple, plug-in snowman out by the sidewalk.

Yes, this was exactly what she lived for! The city she had walked through since she was just a small puppy—the very place that she was once timid to even begin to explore, now her own personal territory that she knew just as well as the back of her paw. Who needed whoever the mayor was these days when she knew full well that she was the one and only ruler of these streets?

Nonetheless, everything around the Dachshund was covered from head to toe in colorful lights, all screaming festivity as the snowflakes in the sky danced to the sweet melody of carols. People were out singing songs without a care in the world and dancing with the loved ones that they held closest during the holidays, kids were setting out milk and cookies for the man himself, some were even trying to ice skate—and admittedly, most were failing horribly. Oh well, humans were durable, they could handle a fall or two.

The entire world felt like it was as alive and well as it ever could've been, not a single frown as far as her eyes could see. That was what this time of year was about, wasn't it? The joys of family, friends, loved ones, anyone that was deemed special to someone, being cuddled up by the fireplace with warm treats, stockings hung above the chimney, and the perfect story that could fit any and every tradition's needs. Quite frankly, it didn't matter too much what it was you were doing, just who you were doing it with.

That's what this sacred time of the year was supposed to be, after all, a time when all the worries of everyday life could just be buried away under the snow—where they were laid to rest for a limited time only (unless you were one of the unlucky few to procrastinate Christmas shopping, if that was the case, you kind of did that to yourself).

And yet...to put it in simple terms, for Liberty, it didn't quite feel as high and mighty as the Christmases that had come before. All things considered, not too much was different, in theory, she was spending her Christmas Eve the way she always would: enjoying the beautiful sights that the city had to offer until she either got too tired or too cold to keep going.

In fact, there shouldn't have been a reason for this year not to be better, now she actually had a place to stay since Ryder had oh so kindly given her full access to the Adventure City lookout. She had to admit, having a home with more luxuries than she could count on her paw at the tips of her claws was never something she would turn down, it was a lot better than having to curl up into a little ball with a dirty blanket inside the depths of the grimy city alleyways.

But in a strange sense, she almost felt less enthusiastic about this one. A roof over her head was great and all, sure, to some that would be considered the best Christmas miracle in the world. But as far as the whole Christmas spirit thing went, that was pretty much down the drain. Don't get her wrong, she still loved the holiday in itself, but the entire point of it was meant to be spent with family and all of those she held near and dear to her heart.

Once upon a time, she was okay with that, she had accepted her place and actually kind of liked her independence of the holidays—she could never miss what she had never known, never to the extent where it would weigh her down. But nowadays, she did know that there were other options, dogs and humans out there in this harsh world that truly did appreciate her and view her as a friend: an equal.