#sprout skyline gang

[geminiamethyst]

Skyline Gang: Fears (Sprout)

1shot stories list: click HERE

Fears Summary: click HERE

Trigger warning for implications of verbal, mental, and emotional abuse.

This was also inspired by a short that I’ve seen on YouTube.

“You’re coddling him.”

“It’s not coddling if he’s afraid of them. It’s okay, honey.”

“Son, hold out your hand. Just hold it out.”

“Dear!”

“He’s going to have to learn to not be childish!”

“He’s three years old! He’s allowed to be a child for goodness sake! We’re going to Carla’s trailer! You can’t do this to him!”

Sprout’s eyes snapped open. Why did he have to be disturbed? He was having a nice nap. After not having a good sleep the night before, he thought that it would be refreshing to have a nap for an hour or so. Then he had that nasty dream. Though, now that he thought about it, that wasn’t a dream, it was a memory. One of many that he’d be happy to trade for. At least he’s making better ones everyday since those bad times now. How long has he been asleep for? He’ll need to get up…

On the other hand, he can get away with sleeping for a little longer. Yeah! He can sleep a bit more! He can get away with that! If someone asks for him, he’ll just say that his alarm didn’t go off (even though he didn’t have an alarm).

Wait! What’s that?

Crawling on his arm?

Sprout’s eyes drifted to his arm that was outstretched on his pillow.

———————————————————————————

“Excuse me.” She politely said as she walked up to Bud. Once he stood aside, she crossed over to the bed. To Bud and Rainbow, she was simply scooping up the spider into the glass and trapped it with the paper. To Sprout it was like he was witnessing her battling a dragon. “Safe and sound, mate.”

“Not until you get that thing out of the house!” Sprout shouted. He might have calmed down a little since the spider won’t touch him anymore. However, his heart was still like the wings of a hummingbird.

“Already on it.” Pip grinned confidently as she left the room. By this point, Misty joined in on the what was going on. She entered the house as Pip went back upstairs with the glass and paper. At first she thought that it was for an arts and crafts project or something. However, when Pip strolled out of Sprout’s room holding the glass and paper together, she got a little curious.

“What’s going on?” She asked with a sigh. What ridiculousness has Sprout come up with this time? This either going to make her roll her eyes or be a catalyst for her next plan of mischief making.

“Sprout’s arachnophobia kicked in upon seeing the specimen that Pip is escorting out of the house.” Bud explained quickly, almost going too fast to register what he was saying.

“English?” Misty grumbled.

“Don’t answer that!” Sprout retaliated. Bud willingly complied with that and before Misty could demand her request a second time, he gently shoved her away. It allowed Sprout to calm down on his own with Rainbow. He was tempted to go back to sleep again. However, his nerves were whizzing so much that his body might as well be a pinball machine. He might as well just get moving. Just quickly get dressed and get ready to do something in the Skyline. Just anything to take his mind off what happened.

“Sproutie, are you okay? You look very pale.” Candi asked when Sprout emerged from his room. Like Misty, she wasn’t in the house when Sprout found the spider. So she wasn’t aware of any of the drama.

“I’ll be alright…” Sprout tiredly responded. Why was he tired? Must be from the shock of that eight legged monster.

“Are you sure?” Candi asked, not quite believing his words. Sprout nodded. Just don’t think about it. Just don’t think about the spider, and everything will be just fine.

———————————————————————————

Later on, Sprout had pretty much forgotten about the spider. And why shouldn’t he? He was having the time of his life in the Skyline. Playing games, pranking any of his friends or Redcoats, having a laugh with everyone. What else to make him feel better than having fun? He loved every second that he had here. He didn’t care if it drove Misty around the bend if she was unlucky enough to get caught in his sights. It was all just fun and games. No harm was meant to be done.

Such as the case when he was joking around with a group of kids. Hearing the laugh and get excited was the greatest thing for him to listen to. Music to his ears. He always enjoyed playing with the kids, it was just a great time for him. So when the kids suddenly started pointing behind him and shouting, he thought that it was a game that they were all playing with him.

“A what? What are you all talking about?” Sprout jokingly asked, turning around. He thought he saw a flash of something behind him, but assumed that it was another kid. He rolled his eyes at the group in front of him. However, when a kid let out a playful scream, he froze up. Something felt…off…was there something on him or something like that?! “What is that?”

“Spider! It’s on your hat!” A kid shouted, pointing right up at Sprout. Spider? No. This has to be a joke right? Sprout hesitantly reached up, already shaking. There can’t be a spider on him. He refuses to believe it. It’s just a joke. However, when his hands made contact with something on his hat that shouldn’t be there, he couldn’t stop his panicking. He let out a loud scream, the toy spider on him flying to the ground. The kids started laughing at him as he ran away. However, Sprout was far from a laughing mood.

“Candi!” He let out a loud desperate shout. He climbed up to grab on one of the pillars in the pavilion. Misty (who he realised was standing behind him that entire time) had picked up the toy spider, and started going towards him. “Get it away from me!”

Misty didn’t listen, she just chased after him, holding out the toy spider like there was nothing wrong. It didn’t matter if it was a toy or not. A toy spider is still a spider! It’s still horrifying to Sprout. Sprout ran away with Misty chasing after him. At least he can play it off as a game to the kids once he loses Misty. The last thing he wanted was to scare them.

However, Misty didn’t stop chasing him, no matter how much he begged. He kept shouting for Candi, but it was like she was nowhere to be seen. Maybe he can lose Misty in the men’s bathroom. She wouldn’t go that far to chase him, surely. The odds weren’t in his favour. He couldn’t find anywhere that he could go to hide. Instead, he was backed into a dead end. Misty meanwhile, despite painting heavily from the chase, was still holding out the toy towards him.

Nighttime…

Kind hold…

Cruel hand…

Spider deposited into a terrified, small hand…

“DAD! STOP! PLEASE!” Sprout screamed at the top of his lungs. His body automatically curled up into a tight ball, tears running down his face.

“Dad?” Misty repeated. She’s not his dad. Why did he say that?

“Misty!”

The fun and games have stopped with absolute certainty now. When Misty turned around, she spotted Candi and Bud running over to her and Sprout. Bud looked calm, but something told Misty that he was wearing a mask. Candi was extremely worried, which intensified once she saw Sprout on the ground. She rushed right past Misty, crouching down to her brother.

“Sprout, it’s okay.” She spoke softly as Sprout remained still. She cautiously wrapped her arms around him. She half expected him to push her away in a panic but he didn’t. “You’re alright.”

“Misty, take that arachnid away. Please!” Bud ordered, immediately catching sight of the toy in Misty’s hand.

“Okay…” Misty rolled her eyes. Bud was going to continue his scolding, but she took off running. Find her later. Sprout is a priority right now. Bud scanned the area. It was staff only and thankfully quiet. Honestly the less guests that see Sprout like this, the better. He was about ready to call out for Rainbow once he was back in the main body of the pavilion, but then stopped. The orange dog wasn’t in the Skyline at this current time. What a time for Pip to take Rainbow down for a stroll on the beach!

“Sprout? He’s fainted!” Candi shouted in alarm. Bud re-diverted his attention back to Candi. In her arms, Sprout was slumped over. All the blood had been drained from his face, which was smeared by green and white face paint from his tears. He was completely limp like a rag doll. It was easy to determine that he won’t be waking up anytime soon. At least he didn’t have any physical injuries.

“Stay calm.” Bud calmly advised, guiding Candi to take deep breathes. The last thing that was needed was her flying off into a panic too. “Stay with him, I’ll be right back.”

Candi responded with a nod before Bud departed from the siblings. He hoped to catch Misty but she was long gone. Focus. Get Sprout to a safer area, somewhere more comfortable and safe for him to wake up in. Bud scanned the pavilion and his brain sang a chorus of hallelujahs when he spotted who he was looking for.

“Dude, how strong are you?” He asked as he ran up to his blue friend.

“Pretty strong. Why?” Dude asked after being stunned for a moment.

“You might need to help us with some lifting.” Bud stated, grabbing ahold of Dude’s wrist.

“Why? Bud, what’s happened?” He asked as he was instantly dragged by Bud. Bud didn’t give him an answer. He just dragged Dude right back to where he left Candi and Sprout. Once they hit there, Dude immediately understood the situation. He ran over and knelt down in front of Candi. She was holding onto Sprout, who was still unconscious. She was barely holding herself together to keep from crying.

“Is he okay?” Dude asked. Now he can see why Bud was asking for him.

“Fainted from fright. We’ll explain later.” Bud stated. Fright? Why? What scared him? Focus. Get Sprout to a safer area. Quick.

“I’ve got him, Candi. I’ll be gentle, I promise.” Dude gently spoke, rubbing Candi’s back. She hesitated, not sure if it was a good idea to let Sprout go. However, he can’t stay here. Once she pulled away from Sprout, Dude gently lifted him up off the ground. Without another word, the three left the area.

A few minutes later, Sprout was lying down on his bed. Candi put herself in charge of looking after him. She occupied herself with cleaning away his make up. There was this gut feeling that after Misty’s “prank”, he wouldn’t want to go around other people for today. Candi honestly wouldn’t be too surprised if Sprout decided to shut himself in for a few days as a matter of fact, not even to go out in the garden for fresh air.

“Tell me what happened.” Dude demanded as he and Bud stood in the doorway of Sprout’s room.

“Misty scared Sprout with a toy spider.” Bud sighed, wishing that there was another way to explain this. His mind still can’t get rid of the sight of Sprout literally running for his life while Misty was chasing him. Same thing goes for how scared he sounded while he was shouting for help. “She chased him until he reached a dead end. He screamed at her just as Candi and I got her to leave him alone.”

Misty? What was she thinking? She loves pranking people, everyone always has to be on their toes around her. But scaring Sprout to the point where he passes out? That’s going too far this time around.

“Dude?” Candi suddenly piped up. She had temporarily departed from her spot next to Sprout for this. There was something deeply troubling her. If she kept it in any longer, she’ll burst like a balloon.

“What’s up?” Dude responded patiently.

“There’s something that Sprout screamed at Misty and I’m really, really worried about it.” Candi fidgeted.

“What did he say?” Dude asked again.

“He screamed “Dad, stop, please”. I think…” Candi muttered before looking at Bud for confirmation. He silently nodded, also recalling that horrible scream. Dude was confused for a minute. His dad? That didn’t sound right. What did Sprout mean? If his dad wasn’t a good one, Candi would’ve said something too, since-

Wait…

“That’s right. I can’t believe I forgot; your family adopted Sprout after he was abandoned.” Dude sighed, kicking himself for not remembering such an important memory for the Gang. It was the saddest turned happiest moment in Sprout’s life. He was happily dancing around the house when he and Candi delivered the news of his new found family. How could Dude forget something so special? Not to mention, Sprout had mentioned his biological dad before, more than once. How could anybody forget about someone like that?

“That’s right. I think that his fear has something to do with his dad. The mean one, I mean.” Candi concluded, shoulders tensing up from pent up anger. Stay calm. Think of pink and puppies. Pink puppies! That’s actually a nice thought to have!

“It’s possible.” Bud muttered, rubbing his chin a little. “From what Sprout has told us before, it was verbal, mental and emotional abuse that he’s suffered from. It wouldn’t surprise me if what Candi said is true.”

“I’m not usually one for starting a fight, but if I ever meet Sprout’s biological dad, I’d give him a good punch.” Dude grumbled, crossing his arms.

“Violence is never the answer Dude.” Bud reprimanded. He knew that Dude wasn’t being serious about what he said, but still felt the need to say something.

“I know, I know. I just needed to say it before I do or say something worse that I’ll end up regretting.” Dude sighed. Why did he need to say it out loud again?

“I understand.” Bud reasoned.

“I’m surprised that you’re so calm, Bud.” Candi observed, curiously tilting her head like a cat.

“On the outside I am. But on the inside, I’m the equivalent of an erupting volcano.” Bud stated, crossing his arms. Candi tilted her head even more, a little confused.

“He’s angry.” Dude bluntly explained. It caused Candi’s face to light up a little in realisation.

“Might as well be Mount Vesuvius at the time of its last eruption.” Bud sighed heavily. This whole situation was just not pleasant to know and/or witness. As if to break the tension, the front door opened and closed with a slight bang. Dude quickly went to investigate. If it’s Mimi, that’s okay. If it’s Pip bringing Rainbow back from their walk, that’s even better. Rainbow could help support Sprout emotionally once he wakes up. However, instead of either of the three, Misty was downstairs instead. She looked like she was going to sneak into another room without being caught. However, she didn’t notice that she was caught already.

“Misty. Come here.” Dude ordered. Misty froze to the spot for a second. Once she realised that it was Dude calling for her, she had an inkling as to what it was about. As she agonisingly went slowly up the stairs, Bud and Candi went back into Sprout’s room to keep an eye on him. Better leave Dude to handle this anyway.

“How’s Sprout?” Misty asked. She didn’t look but she did actually feel a little guilty about the whole thing.

“Currently unconscious. He’d fainted.” Dude said. Stay calm. Just don’t lose his composure right now.

“Then he should be fine.” Misty shrugged. Sprout’s just sleeping. He’ll be fine when he wakes up.

“Misty!” Dude was aghast. How can Misty not see how serious this is?! That’s it! He’s putting his foot down properly this time around. Before Misty could push him away, he grabbed the strapped of her dungarees and started dragging her to his room. Candi and Bud didn’t need to hear this conversation. “Come with me.”

“Hey! Let go!” Misty protested, trying to pull away. However, Dude was much stronger than her. Once they were in his room, he slammed the door closed. She tried to make a break for it, but her way out was blocked.

“We’ve told you before that phobias aren’t something to joke about.” Dude immediately cut to the chase. “You yourself have one, and you don’t see us making fun of you for it.”

“Sprout’s fear is ridiculous!” Misty scoffed, hands on her hips. “They’re spiders! They’re harmless! He doesn’t need to be afraid of something that is harmless!”

“¡Por el amor de Dios, Misty!” Dude sighed in irritation. Misty suppressed a flinch. While Dude doesn’t do it often, she knows that when the Spanish comes out, that’s when he is starting to reach one of rare his breaking points. “It doesn’t matter if the spiders in this country are harmless or not. Sprout is deathly afraid of them! Why did you scare him half to death?”

“I knew that he didn’t like spiders.” Misty shrugged carelessly. “So I thought that it would be a funny joke.”

“That’s crossing the line of being a joke Misty.” Dude seethed, trying his best to hold back from saying something that he might end up regretting, even if the words were to be in Spanish. “You literally backed him into a corner from what I’ve heard. You have no idea what could’ve happened if Bud and Candi hadn’t intervened. For all you know, he could’ve hit his head. He could be in the hospital right now. According to Candi and Bud, it was a miracle that he fainted while he was sitting down. You scared him enough to have a flashback to his abuser.”

“Abuser?” Misty echoed. Whether she knew it or not, all the colour drained from her face.

“His biological father. You know about him.” Dude gently reminded.

“I…I almost forgot about him.” Misty spoke out loud without meaning to. So that’s why Sprout screamed “Dad” at her. She recalled the news that she received when she was told that he was going to join Candi’s family. She was quite upset about it since she’ll be living with Candi too. Being stuck with Sprout more than she already was is bad enough. However, when she heard the reason behind it all, she actually felt a small trace of pity for him. “Sprout and Candi have clicked so well as siblings that they may as well be blood related.”

Dude won’t scold her for forgetting. That would make him a hypocrite since he fell down the same rabbit hole. However, that doesn’t excuse her behaviour. Just lay down the punishment before Dude is somehow moved from what he had in mind.

“How many of those spiders do you have?” He asked, hands on his hips.

“Lost count.” Misty muttered after attempting to count with her fingers.

“I’m confiscating them. All of them.” Dude said, bracing himself for her tantrum.

“What?! Until when?!” She shrieked, stamping her feet like a toddler.

“Until I say so. And once you’ve apologised to Sprout.” Dude ordered, standing firm. Misty opened her mouth, wanting to scream her protests at him. However, she had a feeling that he won’t back down from this issue.

“How do you say “fine” in Spanish?” She finally asked.

“Bein.” Dude said. A little of the blue, but he had a feeling as to why she asked.

“¡Bein!” Misty repeated with ferocity. She pushed Dude out of her way and went to her room like a storm cloud. Well that left a bitter taste in Dude’s mouth. Truth be told, he hated telling anybody off, not just Misty. It was one of the things that he never liked doing as the leader. But if he’s going to at least try to get Misty to behave, then he’s going to have to learn to step up.

“How did it go?” Bud asked as Dude exited his room.

“As well as you’d expect. How’s Sprout?” Dude asked back.

“He’s just woken up.” Bud said, gesturing to the joker in question. Best news that Dude has heard for the past fifteen minutes. He observed Sprout as he was now sitting up in his bed, a little slumped in his posture. In his shaking hands was a chilled water bottle that he was taking small sips from. Candi was rubbing his back as soothingly as she could. Might be a good idea to let him have the day off. After the fright he had, he might not want to be around crowds for the rest of the day.

“Hey Sprout. How are you feeling?” Dude asked, carefully stepping into Sprout’s room. Honestly it was like playing a reverse version of the floor is lava with the amount of mess that Sprout had scattered around. He can scold the joker about it later. The last thing he wanted was to be told off as well.

“A little dizzy…” Sprout muttered, placing the water bottle on his bedside table. “Candi just told me that you carried me here. Thanks. And thanks to you and Candi, Bud. For stepping in.”

“You’re welcome.” Bud smiled a little.

“My only complaint…” Sprout suddenly said, becoming a little serious. Everyone else expected him to make a joke out the situation like he normally would. However, they were met with surprising words of advice instead. “When someone is unconscious, you turn them on their side. Don’t have them lying on their back otherwise there will be a risk of them swallowing their tongue.”

“I’ll remember that for next time. You really know your first aid.” Dude grinned after overcoming his own astonishment.

“Perks of growing up in a circus.” Sprout smiled back. However, his smile faded as he remembered what happened to him before his world went black in that room. “What’s happened with Misty?”

“Grounded. I’m taking away all those spiders that she has. She won’t be scaring you with them for a while.” Dude grumbled, wondering if he should quickly check on Misty. There was one of two possible outcomes: she’s either packing up all her spiders like he asked her too, or she had escaped out of her bedroom window. Either way, he’s taking those spiders. Sprout meanwhile looked horrified. By the sound of it, Misty had more than one of those horrible toy spiders. She’s going to scare him to death again, he knows it. Dude immediately took in the pale look on Sprout’s face and sat down on the bed beside him. “Sprout, are you okay?”

Tears suddenly started leaking from Sprout’s eyes again as he started to shake. Eight legs, eight eyes, webs…just keep it all away from him. After two scares already, he can’t handle another one this soon. He’ll literally have a heart attack! It’ll be just like back then! Before he met the others and gained his sister and new family!

“Oh Sprout.” Candi whispered, wrapping her arms around Sprout. He melted into the hug, sobbing his heart out.

“Sprout listen to me.” Dude gently said, rubbing Sprout’s shoulder. Puffy eyes met his, wondering what was going to be said next. “Whatever happened between you and your dad, that no longer matters. You’re safe, and you have a family that loves you. And I don’t just mean Candi. We’re all family here.”

Sprout had a bittersweet smile on his face. He pulled Dude into the hug as well, as if he was hugging an older brother. Bud awkwardly joined in by rubbing Sprout’s back. Sprout relaxed even further into the group hug. This was nice. Really nice. Suddenly all the scares that he endured seemed to have been forgotten. Just enjoy this time that he has with this dysfunctional family while he can. It’s just another precious core memory that he can have to replace the bad ones.

Arachnophobia- fear of spiders

Artwork was done by me.

This is genuinely the one that I feel most bad for writing because I also have a fear of spiders. Just not as extreme as I’ve written here. Sorry Sprout.

[eclipsefangirl]

Skyline Gang photos from my Butlins holiday this week

Misty from the Skyline Gang took these not me, Sprout is in the background for the last two

Haters and body shaming will be banned immediately

[playgroundpinwheelz]

Could I please request a mood board for sprout from the skyline gang? Or just the skyline gang in general? Tysm!!!

here you go!!! i hope you like it !!!^_^

[algebralianism]

Winter's Equation Link

I have the prologue and Chapter 1 done. I will give updates about the fanfiction when I finish chapters. Please sure Winter's Character Notes (link in the Doc) before reading it. (And maybe look more into Skyline Gang before reading this as well.)

[magicspyglass-self-ships]

The Skyline Gang!!! First off Rainbow is a cute good boy as ususal. Dude, Candi, and Sprout are just vibing, Mimi is looking at something (MAYBE trying to get me to come in frame??) And Pip is looking beautiful as ever!! Not to mention Bud, who is SO HANDSOME,,

[geminiamethyst]

Skyline Gang. Chapter 3

Prologue: click HERE

Chapter 2: click HERE

Chapter 4: click HERE

Finding the kitchens were easy enough. All that everyone had to do was jump over the counters and go to where the kitchens were. Finding food was even easier. Every fridge, freezer and other storage spaces were stocked full to the brim. They all grabbed what they could and started cooking their chosen meals. During that time, no one else came to stop them. No member of staff or anyone else for that matter interrupted their small quest for nourishment. The air smelled heavy of different foods and everyone unanimously agreed that they were grateful that they could eat. Whoever wanted them here clearly wanted them to live longer than a month. Since there was such a stockpile of food, there wasn’t a worry about running out of food anytime soon. But everyone silently agreed that they shouldn’t take what they want recklessly.

“I guess we got lucky that this food was here!” Sprout giggled as he finished putting together his meal.

“And still in date somehow!” Bud added, subconsciously making sure that the items of food on his plate were separated from each other. No one spoke as they ate after that exchange. They joined a couple of tables together so that they could all be at one table. Despite the extra company, each one of them felt alone, isolated even. They were all ripped away from the places they knew and the people that they cared about. Did anyone even know that they were missing? Someone had to know by now. Their disappearance was too sudden to not be suspicious. At least that’s what they believed. It’s what they want to believe so that they can have something to hold onto. The only thing that they can find solace in was that they were all in the same situation.

Once everyone had finished their meals, they all gathered in one kitchen to start cleaning up. A couple of the others brought what they used form the other kitchens so everything could be done at once.

“Hey! Where’s Sprout? He was meant to help with cleaning up!” Pip suddenly asked, looking around for the green clad boy. Everyone scanned the kitchen, noticing that he really had gone. Guess he decided to back out of helping to clean up.

“I hope he hasn’t tried those doors again.” Dude muttered, remembering how awful it was to witness him nearly being pulled outside the building.

“I’m sure he’s not that stupid.” Pip grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of her neck. There was the sound of fast feet before there was this small crash. Judging by a small groan that followed, Sprout was rushing to the kitchen and possibly slipped on something. After a few seconds, he appeared at the doorway, panting heavily. No one rushed him or started to tare into him about avoiding a simple chore. They just let him catch his breath. As soon as he could speak properly, he pointed wildly down the hall.

“Hey! Hey!” He shouted excitedly.

“What is it?” Candi asked curiously.

“Found something here!” Sprout beamed before he ran off again. Thinking that it was a clue as to where they were or a way to communicate with the authorities, everyone else followed him. Sprout seemed to be faster than he looked as he disappeared down a corridor that was blocked off by an employee only door. He’d often pause and wait for the others to catch up a little before he continued to run. The group dashed up a flight of stairs and down a corridor. Sprout suddenly stopped. He stopped so abruptly that Dude almost crashed into him.

“Rooms! Our rooms!” Sprout beamed as he pointed ahead of him. Everyone gathered around. They frowned for a moment before spotting the doors in front of him. Each one was a different colour. Red, yellow, green, blue, pink, purple and grey. And the doors had nameplates on them. Each name of everyone here was printed on a door. Only the grey one didn’t have a name. As if this day couldn’t get any stranger. Or creepier.

“Sprout, how did you find this?” Mimi asked, hands on her hips.

“When you all went to the kitchen without me, I noticed that the door was open slightly. Thought that I should take a look.” Sprout shrugged, looking quite pleased with himself. He didn’t stop to answer any questions as he dashed over to the green door. He opened it widely and went inside. He could be heard humming a little in satisfaction. Slowly, Pip did the same thing with the purple door. She opened it and peeked in, looking surprised.

“Someone really wanted US to be here. But why?” She asked after inspecting the room from the doorway.

“My brain is too drained to think. I’ll let you know in the morning.” Bud muttered, rubbing his sore head. He didn’t wait for anything else as he just strode into the room with the red door.

“Can’t believe that I’m this tired this early. Goodnight everyone.” Mimi yawned as she stepped through the yellow door. No one stopped her as they started to feel tired as well. This day has been more than draining to say the least.

“I’ll put the dishes through the dishwasher!” Candi volunteered and skipped away before anyone could stop her.

“I’ll go grab our bags.” Pip sighed, heading back to the stairs.

“I’ll give you a hand.” Dude offered, suddenly remembering that everyone had left their bags among the tables and chairs. Because of Sprout suddenly announcing his discovery, no one thought to grab their bags. It just happened too suddenly.

“Hey. Sorry that I’ve been short tempered when you were just trying to help earlier.” Pip suddenly spoke up as she grabbed a red laptop bag (Bud’s), a fluffy pink backpack (Candi’s) and purple shoulder bag (her own). Dude looked at her curiously before he remembered her outburst at him from before. “I’m not a fan of being put in certain situations.”

“It’s new for all of us.” Dude smiled reassuringly as he grabbed his rucksack along with Mimi’s and a green backpack (Sprout’s).

“I’ll make it up to you all. Count on it!” Pip vowed before doing a rock on gesture with her hand. Dude couldn’t stop smiling at that. Pip definitely seemed like someone to rely on. In fact all of them did. They didn’t give him a reason to not trust them so far. No one has turned on him, so that’s a good sign. Candi caught up to them as they made their way back to the rooms. The unclaimed bags were left outside the closed doors. After say Goodnight to the two girls, Dude finally stepped into his designated room.

His room was almost perfect. It was blue: walls; carpet; curtains; bed covers; light shade and lamp. Posters hung on the walls of basketball teams and marine life. On a desk was an encyclopaedia with marine conservation magazines. There was a mini basketball hoop on one of the walls with a mini ball sitting patiently under it. There was a chest of draws that could store his clothes. After looking at another door, there was a small en-suite that was filled with everything he needs. The room was almost ideal for him.

There were only a few things that he didn’t like about the room. One of thing things was the window. It was still showing this blackness. He didn’t dare to try to open it. If it was going to be like the door that Sprout opened earlier, he knew that he’ll be sucked right outside and no one would be able to help him. Another thing that he didn’t like about the room was the lack of clothing. He found two sets of blue pyjamas and a duplicate of the clothes that he was wearing right now minus the cap and trainers.

Guess he’ll need to try to find where laundry can be done if everyone was in the same situation as him.

Feeling drained Dude showered and got ready for bed. He checked his phone again. He wanted to try calling again, but he had this sinking feeling that it still wouldn’t work. He didn’t even know if his family tried to call. They must have done after realising how long he had been gone for. He thought that maybe trying to send a text won’t hurt. There might be a chance that it’ll get through to the outside world. He didn’t know how to explain it all, but something simple will do:

Hi Mum and Dad

You’ve probably realised that I’m missing by now.

I don’t know where I am, but I’m alive. I’m going to find a way home.

See you soon.

Holding his breath, Dude hit send. However, a few seconds later, the text failed to send. Deflated, he placed his phone on the desk. He just didn’t know what to do. He felt like he needed to keep everything together. He might be able to for a few days maybe but after that? He wasn’t sure. It was almost like a ticking time bomb. He’ll just put up a front until a rescue comes. There had to be a rescue. Right?

With that resolve in mind, Dude finally drifted off to a restless sleep.

[geminiamethyst]

Skyline Gang. Chapter 2.

Prologue: click HERE

Chapter 1: click HERE

Chapter 3: click HERE

“He’s waking up!”

“Are you okay?”

“Hey! Maybe a joke will help!”

“I don’t think that’s how jokes work!”

Dude felt like someone had pounded on his head with a brick. The first thing that he heard when he started to feel again were these voices around him. Were they directed at him? Probably? He started to get more feeling back as he felt like he was on a hard floor. He tried to move, but his body felt almost completely numb and heavy, like someone was purposefully weighing him down. He could smell something quite fragrant, like perfume. He could sense people around him. No doubt that was where the voices were coming from.

When they finally felt less heavy, Dude lifted his eyelids. He was met with a bright light at first. He noticed shapes as well but he couldn’t notice anything distinguishable. The light was too bright at that moment. He closed his eyes again to try to clear his head a bit more. He felt something touch his shoulder. It felt like a gentle hand. That’s what caused him to open his eyes again. This time his vision was clear. Dude’s body suddenly jolted as he was met with these faces looking down on him. Five different faces. Two boys, three girls. Dude was trying to move away from them to get some space, but he felt incredibly dizzy and almost immobile. His body could move only a little.

“It’s okay! We won’t hurt you!” One of the girls spoke gently, keeping her hand on his shoulder.

“You’ll feel a little dizzy for a few minutes.” One of the boys added. Dude’s eyes darted between each individual. He checked around again, making sure that he had counted right. Still three girls and two boys. They all seemed to be around about his age. He carefully sat up, feeling a couple of hands help him sit up. He took in those in front of him. The girl closet to him had blonde hair that reached past her shoulders. She was wearing a yellow shirt with blue jeans and a pair of yellow boots. She was the one that had her hand on his shoulder, which she had now carefully removed.

Another girl had her pink hair in a bob. She was wearing a pink sweater and a long pink dress with with pumps. She almost seemed like she was trying to look like cotton candy with the amount of pink on her. She seemed overly bubbly to Dude as she had quite a bright smile on her face. Maybe she’s trying to see the bright side of this unusual situation.

The last girl had short black hair that was partially held back by a purple headband that had a bow. She wore black jeans and T-shirt with a purple jacket and boots. She also had a black chocker around her neck that was studded. She didn’t seem overly concerned, just a bit more laid back than everyone else.

One of the boys was also sitting by him. He had reddish brown hair with freckles on his face and appeared to be quite lanky. He was wearing a green shirt and green shorts with white trainers.  He was bouncing a little, as if he had some energy that was itching to burn off.

The last boy seemed to be a couple inches taller than Dude. He had short black hair and wore a large pair of glasses. He wore a red shirt that had a molecule printed on it with pale blue jeans and brown shoes. He was fiddling with a watch on his wrist. It looked like one of those high tech digital watches. He was more concentrated on that than anything else.

“Where am I?” Dude finally asked after taking in all of these appearances.

“Wherever we are, it is proving difficult to triangulate precise coordinates.” Glasses spoke in a monotone voice. He was still focused on his watch but was coherent enough to what was around him.

“What?” Dude asked, still feeling groggy.

“What he’s trying to say is that we don’t know where we are.” The blonde answered, rolling her eyes a little.

“We all woke up here, same as you.” The girl wearing purple added. She gestured to the space all around them. That was when Dude finally took in his surroundings. This building was odd. The ceiling was white and looked like it was made out of some kind of canvas. There were some points that sloped upwards in a cone shape. It was almost like an incredibly large circus tent. It seemed to have three points of entry by glass doors. It was incredibly spacious as well. It held a large stage at what Dude presumed to be the centre. There were numerous tables and chairs set in front of it for people to occupy when watching any shows. There was another stage that was designed for puppets. There was an arcade area with a prize counter. There were different restaurants and a cafe as well as somewhere that might lead to some shops. There were other doors that presumably leads to another part of the building and for employee access only.

Stages, an arcade, cafes along with some restaurants, shops, public toilets, tables and chairs…it all looked like some kind of building that is used for holiday parks or some kind of entertainment. The only problem was that while the lights were on and some of the arcade games were active, this place was empty. The only people that were here were the six teenagers. Where was everyone else?

“Don’t go too fast.” The blonde said as Dude started to move to stand. She offered a hand, which he gladly accepted. And appreciated as he realised how wobbly his legs felt. Once he was able to stay steady on his feet, the blonde offered a hand to shake. “I’m Mimi. You?”

“Dude.” Dude smiled a little as he shook Mimi’s hand. The boy wearing green suddenly snickered as he heard the name.

“No, seriously! What’s your name?” He asked, trying to contain whatever laughter he had in him.

“Dude…” Dude repeated, already annoyed for what’s to come next. Same old routine.

“Seriously?!” The boy wearing green laughed out loud. He was laughing hard enough to start holding his stomach. “Who gave you that name? A surfer?”

“Good question!” Dude answered through clenched teeth.

“Can’t be worse than mine.” Greenie panted after his laughing fit and wiped his eye. He stood up straight and put on an incredibly wide smile. “Name’s Sprout.”

“Sprout?” Mimi repeated with a raised eyebrow.

“HI!” Sprout yelled enthusiastically, waving his arms in an over exaggerated manner. Okay, this guy really did have a lot of energy to burn. Maybe some rounds on the arcade machines might calm him down a little. Dude might have to challenge him later. That thought was gone when Dude felt his shoulder being tapped lightly. Beside him was the pink girl, waving so fast that her hand was a blur.

“I’m Candi! I am so glad that I’m not alone here!” She smiled brightly, jumping a little on the balls of her feet.

“You’re very pink…” the final girl stated before blowing a bubble from some purple coloured gum she was chewing.

“Of course! It’s the best colour out there!” Candi beamed as she twirled around.

“Whatever you say! I’m Pip.” The final girl said, lifting up her hands a little. Glasses hadn’t said a single word since the introductions had started. He was still transfixed on his watch, looking like he was slowly getting frustrated. He seemed to look quite fidgety as well, rocking a little bit.

“Are you okay there, bud?” Dude asked. Glasses suddenly snapped his head up so quick that he gave the illusion that it was going to come off. His eyes were wide in mild surprise as he glanced at everyone, before his gaze transfixed on Dude.

“How did you know my name?” He asked, pushing his glasses back up his nose. “I never offered it so you shouldn’t have known it.”

“What?” Dude asked, more baffled than anything to answer.

“The correct term is pardon. But my name is Bud. So how did you know it?” Glasses (or rather Bud) asked again.

“I didn’t. It’s what some people say when they get someone else’s attention.” Dude explained, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. Bud looked baffled for a moment before he broke eye contact with everyone and looked a bit uncomfortable.

“Oh…my mistake. I’m sometimes not great with social situations.” He muttered, scratching his arm.

“No problem.” Dude offered a smile. The problem was that as quick as he was distracted, Bud went back to looking at his watch.

“Anyway, I’m having some technical problems.” He informed, going back to fiddling with the device on his wrist.

“What does that mean?” Candi asked, tilting her head a little.

“Well, obviously there’s electricity here, but something seems to be jamming any signal that I’m trying to omit.” Bud explained, once again sounding monotone.

“Where’s the cream and scones then?” Sprout smiled.

“Cream and scones?” Bud repeated, taking his eyes off of his watch again.

“Someone mentioned jam!” Sprout giggled. Everyone suddenly caught on that he was trying to make a joke.

“Not that kind of jam!” Bud shouted, waving his hands dismissively. “I’m trying to connect with a radio signal to try to find out where we are. But nothing seems to be working.” Mimi blinked for a moment before reaching into her pocket. She pulled out a phone that was in a yellow case. She tapped at it carefully before putting it to her ear. Everyone watched her with anticipation.

“My phone doesn’t seem to work! I can’t call anybody!” She finally said, pulling her phone away from her ear. Right away, everyone went to their own belongings to find their phones. They tried the same as Mimi, hoping that one of their devices would work. But nothing. Not even trying to dial 999 seemed to work. Dude glanced around, looking at the doors. It was dark out. Pitch black. Dude glanced at the time. 17:15? Dude watched his phone for a moment and saw the minute change after a few seconds. So his phone wasn’t malfunctioning with time. But it was almost summer. It shouldn’t be that dark out at all. Maybe someone pinned those blackout screens on the windows.

“What about the doors?” Dude asked, pointing at them.

“We haven’t tried them yet.” Pip shrugged as she tossed her phone back into her rucksack.

“Okay then! I’m out!” Sprout exclaimed before he started running to the doors.

“Wait!” Bud shouted, looking like he was about to panic if Sprout took another step to the doors. But Bud’s warning came too late. Sprout had already pulled hard at the door, swinging it wide open. He suddenly let out a scream as his feet were whipped off the ground. He latched onto the door handle as he felt like he was the victim of a vacuum cleaner.

“Sprout!” Candi shrieked as this happened.

“HELP!” Sprout yelled at the top of his lungs. The others rushed over to what was happened.

“Grab him!” Dude shouted as he reached out to grab Sprout’s wrist. Pip snatched at his other one as both pulled to bring Sprout back inside. They fought back as much as they could, leaning back carefully, but dared to try not to move their feet in case they were swept up too.

“Shut the door!” Pip shouted before Bud braced himself behind the door. Mimi and Candi stood beside him. As soon as Sprout was pulled in far enough, the door was pushed shut. With the vacuum feeling being gone, Sprout was suddenly catapulted forward, falling on top of Dude and Pip as they fell back. The sound of the door banging shut echoed around the building, mixed with the sound of everyone panting.

“What was that?! It didn’t look cheerful at all!” Candi whimpered, trembling like a leaf.

“Black abyss! Couldn’t see anything out there!” Sprout stammered, getting off of Dude and Pip. He was extremely pale, his eyes were wide like dinner plates, and he was shaking just as much as Candi. “Normally I’d come up with something funny…but I’m too shaken up, like a maraca!”

“So we can’t leave?” Mimi asked, looking back outside.

“It would seem to be that way.” Bud muttered, adjusting his glasses.

“No way! It’s got to be like a fun house!” Candi exclaimed in denial, shaking her head furiously. “Maybe that was just a trick of some kind!”

“That’s some trick!” Sprout spluttered, mixed with fright and anger, staggering to his feet. Could anyone blame him for being upset? He was nearly sucked into an abyss after all.

“Maybe it’s like an escape room! We just need to find all the clues!” Bud offered, trying to keep the peace. Unfortunately it didn’t help. Everyone started to shout at once. Their voices were a messy mixture and the echoing didn’t help. No one could keep up what anyone else was saying.

“Everyone! Calm down!” Dude suddenly shouted, his voice was louder and echoed around the building. He hadn’t said a thing since Sprout was pulled back in. Now that there was this chaotic mess, he felt like, he needed to end it. Everyone else went silent as the echo died down. Dude took a deep breath to keep himself level headed. “Look, we were all taken right? Someone will be looking for us. We just have to wait.”

“Wait?! Are you insane?!” Pip exclaimed, waving her arms in a frustrated manner. “We don’t even know where we are! So how can anyone find us here?!”

“Um…” Dude started, but lost his nerve very suddenly. How was he expected to answer a question like that.

“He’s right!” Candi smiled hopefully, standing beside Dude almost instantly. “The police will find us, we’ll be home, and everything will be just right!”

“But we don’t know how long that will be! I might never have a beef burger again!” Pip moaned desperately.

“We might starve!” Sprout added in a panic.

“Not immediately. The average human takes about 30 days to starve.” Bud stated rather nonchalantly.

“That doesn’t help…” Mimi grumbled, wringing her hair nervously.

“Where’s she-Candi? Where are you going?” Dude asked as he noticed the pink clad girl skipping away from the group. She spun around to face the group, looking giddy.

“To find a kitchen!” She beamed gesturing towards some of the food ordinated spaces. “With all these restaurants and cafes, there’s bound to be food somewhere!” Without waiting for an argument, she started to skip away again, disappearing to enter a cafe.

“Logically speaking, she has a point.” Bud finally agreed. Everyone else muttered in agreement and started to move.

“Okay, but stay with someone else! Just in case there’s another door like that one!” Dude suddenly spoke up. Again, no one argued with that as they split off into pairs to search for food. As he walked away from the doorway of doom, Dude could only think of one thing:

What was going on?

[geminiamethyst]

Sibling Time!

1shot stories list: click HERE

This is a request made by one of my followers on Wattpad.

Enjoy!

What better way to spend a bright and sunny day? Spend it with a sibling that you care about.

Sprout and Candi love having days when they can just play around and not worry about anything. Playing jokes, playing games, just having fun, that was all the pair just wanted to do. Make everyday fun and enjoyable for themselves and the people around them. The day was vibrant with the sun, one of the final proper days of summer. Better spend it outside while the opportunity was there before the bad weather comes in. And what better way to play both in and outdoors than with a few games of hide and seek?

“Okay, I’ll count, Candi!” Sprout declared, spinning on his heels. Candi took a couple of steps back, ready to get a head start before her brother could start counting. “1…2…3…4…5…”

“And no having Rainbow help to find me!” Candi reminded, her voice growing faint as she started running away.

“That was the one time!” Sprout argued in a playful manner as he continued to count. Well…count as well as he could, considering that he got most of the numbers in the wrong order. Whether it was for a laugh or not for the guests around him was anybody’s interpretation. “…6…7…10…41…72…90…100! Ready or not! Here I come!” As he expected, Candi had gone into hiding. Time to start seeking! Now…where could she have gone? Last time they played she was hiding backstage, and Sprout ended up chasing her around like an improvised game of cat and mouse. She probably wouldn’t pick the same place on her first go of hiding. Still, there were plenty of places in the pavilion to choose from.

With that in mind, Sprout decided to search there first. He knew a lot of her typical hiding spots. Around the puppet castle? Nothing. The gist shop counter? Not a smidge of punk. The sensory room? Not a trace among the weighted blankets and tactile pillows. Sprout was about to check backstage, believing that she might have chosen that same spot after all, when something caught his attention. Now it wasn’t uncommon to find kids playing fancy dress as the Skyline Gang. After all, there were official costumes being sold in the gift shop. However, a congress of kids, both boys and girls, dressed up like Candi? Very suspicious…

“Hiya, everyone!” Sprout cheered, heading towards the group of kids.

“Hiya, Sprout!” The children cheered back excitedly.

“Have any of you seen Candi?” Sprout asked, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

“No!” The kids responded in unison, shaking their heads.

“No? Funny. I’m seeing a lot of Candis.” Sprout said slyly, scanning the crowd in front of him. All the children were grinning back at him innocently. However, the joker knew better. His eyes became sharp in concentration. He took in each clean and painted face.

“Found you!” Sprout suddenly announced, pointing at one place in particular. Candi grinned with him as she stood above the children where she was kneeling. Hiding in plain sight. Candi thought that she was quite clever gathering all the children that decided to dress up as her today like a flock of sheep. Especially when she hid among a few of those that were wearing pink wigs to camouflage almost perfectly. However, Sprout was still able to recognise her.

“Your turn to hide, Sprout!” Candi grinned, turning her back and covering her eyes. As she started counting, Sprout started running. However, he stopped short when he heard other voices joining Candi’s. He looked to see all of the Candi children doing the same thing as Candi. Did she ask them to join in when he wasn’t looking?

“Uh oh…” Sprout whimpered, stumbling backwards until he crashed into somebody. Turned out to be Pip.

“You okay, mate?” She asked, a bit baffled by his actions.

“She’s got an army! Run for your lives!” Sprout cried out in fake horror before running away. Pip looked over to see what he was talking about and started laughing herself. She should’ve known that the two siblings were up to their usual antics. Whenever there was a chance to play, off they go. Better leave them to their own devices.

Candi finished counting with all the children and said goodbye to them. That was sweet of them for helping her to hide, but if she needed to go into the backstage areas, she can’t allow them to come with her. Though she had a feeling that they’ll search around for him in the pubic areas anyway. It’ll just mean that Sprout will have to hide extremely well. The first area that Candi decided to check was where they stored all of their props, especially the magic tricks. Nothing in her magic closet. Or Mimi’s makeover box. How about this chest? There was a bunch of stuff scattered around it, as if it was emptied out in a hurry. And it was big enough for someone of Sprout’s size to snuggle in there nicely enough.

“Sprout? You in here?” Candi asked, lifting up the lid of the chest. An empty space. While closing the lid, Candi hummed quietly to herself in thought. Now where on earth is Sprout? Candi thought that he would be somewhere in here, but she was wrong. She’ll have to try another area. She pondered this as she almost delicately sat down on the chest. Suddenly she got the shock of her life when the lid abruptly moved, as if someone was trying to lift it.

“Hey! Let me out!” A muffled voice cried out from inside the chest.

“Oh! Sprout!” Candi exclaimed as she sprang to her feet. She helped to lift the lid up, revealing a bewildered looking Sprout. “Oh you silly billy, Sproutie.”

“Got you thinking though, didn’t it? Sprout grinned as he stood up. Candi helped him to step out of the chest. Suddenly, the game of hide and seek seemed to be forgotten. Aside from muddling and joking, Sprout loved magic. He could do a few good ones and even taught the others some good tricks for their magic show. It was all good fun, he really hoped to do something more magic on stage one day. Nothing wrong with exploring a little bit though. Like a stray cat, Candi followed him, just as curious as he was. With how magical the Skyline is, it was nice to allow it out to people everyday, adding more to it. She wondered how much magic everyone could share but make sure it doesn’t get out of line at the same time. After all, it wouldn’t be good if too much got out.

“Hey Candi! Think I can make it work this time?” Sprout suddenly asked, skipping over to a particular prop. Candi immediately recognised the small cage and sheet that Sprout had grabbed.

“Not again, Sprout. Remember what happened last time you tried to summon a tiger? You trapped Mimi instead!” Candi reminded, sounding a little like a mother telling off her child. And like most children, Sprout didn’t appear to listen. He draped the cage with the cloth. He couldn’t light a fire in here, too many flammables in one space. It won’t stop him from trying either way though. “I’m getting the others.” It wasn’t a threat. But if Sprout was trying to get a dangerous animal in here, he can’t be left alone with it.

Sprout, meanwhile, continued to ignore Candi. He was far too ecstatic for his magic trick to work. He didn’t hear Candi’s last words nor her leaving. Everything is all set up. Now he just needs to say the words, cross his fingers and hope for the best:

“Abracadabra!

Alakazam!

Bring me a tiger I command!”

Truth be told, waving his arms about made Sprout look and feel a little silly. But if the spell worked, then it’ll be worth it. He waited a couple of seconds. There was the sound of moment coming from the under the cloth, from within the cage. It worked!

“Ta da!” Sprout grinned widely, yanking the cloth off of the cage. However, instead of an orange and black stripped big cat, he saw the striking colour of pink! “Candi?!”

“You did it again, Sprout…” Candi groaned, not holding back her disappointment. At least it wasn’t Mimi again. Or a tiger for that matter. The Skyline absolutely didn’t want a tiger running around the place. Maybe now Sprout has learned his lesson.

“Sorry.” Sprout winced, opening up the cage and assisted in helping Candi out. “I’ll try again.”

“Like Dude once said, I think once is enough, Sproutie.” Candi rushed to say. The last thing that was needed, was someone else being summoned into the cage. It wouldn’t be nice. “Maybe we should stick to small tricks.”

“Yeah…” Sprout reluctantly agreed with a pout. He folded up the cloth and dumped it on top of the cage. Candi discreetly breathed a sigh of relief. Crisis averted. The door to the storage room abruptly opened. The siblings spotted Dude, who looked like he had ran a race.

“There you two are!” He panted in relief, wiping the sweat from his brow. “Come on! Our first show is in about five minutes!”

Where has the time gone?!

“On our way!” Sprout and Candi spoke in unison. They followed Dude as he started running towards the stage. Games are done for now. Time to work. Then they can go back to playing.

———————————————————————————

Fate hated the siblings at that moment. After the show was done and a quick meet and greet was over, Sprout and Candi had decided to go back to their game of hide and seek. Then five minutes later, the heavens decided to open. Everyone parted to the most convenient place of shelter. Most of the guests left to go home, while the rest decided to wait out the rain in the pavilion. Not too bad in all honesty. Some members of the Skyline Gang had gone back to the house to have a breather until their next show. Sprout and Candi were both in the joker’s room, bored out of their minds. Everyone else were more or less occupied in their own ways. Dude was downstairs, watching some sports game, with Rainbow curled up in his bed taking a nap. Bud had decided to do a puzzle. Or at least try to as Misty keeps pinching one or more pieces to wind him up. Pip was in her room, working on a song while listening to the potter patter of the rain on her window. Mimi was…actually, where is Mimi?

While the two siblings were mulling over how to relieve their boredom, they heard the front door open and shut. Curious, they looked out the window. Dude, now dressed in his blue raincoat, is making his way to the pavilion as fast as he could. This was most intriguing. Usually it was quite hard to tare Dude away from his sports. Did something happen that required his attention? Sprout and Candi exchanged a look, but neither of them could suggest an answer. Hoping that everything was alright, and it wasn’t anything too serious, they decided to watch and wait.

The world outside was just so miserable as they spied on it. Rain assaulted the house, lashed forward by the wind. Each pelt from the individual raindrops on the windows sounded like a tiny drum in a parade. The wind howled like a ghost billowing out its cry, powerful and eerie. Rivers on the pavement rushed to the nearest drain, sweeping away any leaf or small debris that was unlucky enough be caught in the currents. The day turned into the complete opposite of how it was this morning. Another sign that summer was ready to slumber and autumn was waking up. Sprout and Candi were anxious about when they could play outside again. They wanted more time to do so as it was the highlight of their day.

Finally, Dude came back about five minutes later. Only he wasn’t alone and his coat was off. Rather he had chivalrously given it to Mimi, who held it above her head as an improvised umbrella. Both were running in order to keep themselves as dry as they could manage. Mimi must have still been in the pavilion, waiting out the rain like most of the other guests. Instead of waiting for the worst to be over, she had sent out an SOS to Dude. It must have taken more than one attempt and to have sounded desperate enough for Dude to come save her. And after giving in, Dude had done just that. As the front door opened and closed, Sprout and Candi could hear Mimi complaining about getting wet, while Dude retorted that he was soaking from the lack of his coat.

“I can’t be the only one that thinks that those two should just try out a date.” Sprout suddenly blurted out with a sly grin.

“Well…” Candi spoke up hesitantly.

“Let’s start planning!” Sprout declared, heading to his cluttered desk.

“Planning what?” Candi asked as she watched Sprout riffle through his desk for something.

“To trick Mimi and Dude to go on a date of course!” Sprout grinned, pulling out a notepad and a green pen.

“Oh, okay!” Candi smiled. It was better than being bored at least. The siblings bounced on Sprout’s bed a little as they sat down excitedly on it. “We could pretend that all four of us were meeting at a cafe and then just leave them.”

“Too obvious.” Sprout frowned, wrinkling his nose a little. Candi shrugged, realising how cliched it felt too. Sprout scratched his head a little with his pen before he remembered a sleight of hand trick he had seen before. “Handcuff them together?”

“We could trick them that it’s part of a magic trick!” Candi agrees, catching on to what Sprout was suggesting.

“Won’t Dude get angry though?” Sprout suddenly asked, stopping mid scribble. Candi stopped grinning for a moment. Dude doesn’t usually get that angry. If anything, he’d probably get extremely annoyed. Possibly the same thing for Mimi. Sprout shrugged, seeming to read Candi’s mind. “We’ll work it out when it comes to it!”

And so the planning continued for a little longer. Each scheme that came out to be either more ridiculous or reasonable than the last. It kept the pair’s minds off of the bad weather and their boredom at least. For now.

———————————————————————————

The weather lightened up, but only just. The harsh rain was reduced to a light shower. The rain was stubborn to stay that way for a while. Not many guests stayed any longer and had departed to go home. Some remained for the last show of the day. At the very least, the Skyline Gang kept it as fun as they could until it was time to close up the Skyline. It was closed a little earlier than normal but mostly due to the low number of guests that were left. Close down procedures were done and the staff went home mostly satisfied with their hard work for today. The Skyline Gang could finally relax and recover from the day.

After a hearty meal cooked by Bud, the Gang started to wind down for the night. One by one, they all went to bed. Only Sprout and Candi couldn’t settle completely. So they asked Bud if they could borrow the portable DVD player that he had salvaged and repaired. They decided to have a Disney movie marathon until they fell asleep. They tried to have popcorn too but Dude politely told them that it wasn’t a good idea. The last thing that they would want is a stomach ache. Needless to say that was enough to convince them.

After grabbing all the spare pillows and blankets that they could find, they created an improvised nest in Candi’s room, since hers was more tidy and spacious compared to Sprout’s. Nestled and ready to wind down, with a pile of Disney movies, the siblings began their marathon. Starting with the classics was a good call. Coincidentally enough, as they were watching Sleeping Beauty, Sprout and Candi finally settled down to sleep. As they were huddled up, they had their dreams to comfort them. Their day of playing might not have gone the way that they wanted it to, but that didn’t matter right now. They had each other. And they couldn’t wait to do it all over again tomorrow.

I am ashamed of this artwork that I did. I rushed it a bit too much. Maybe I’ll redraw it some other time and post the better version of it another day.

[geminiamethyst]

Not art or story related but this is the Skyline Gang merch that I got when I was in Butlins back in September. I wanted to get the other character keyrings but they didn't have Candi. It didn't feel right to get all but one of them at once.

[eclipsefangirl]

I had the most amazing holiday ever and I got the longest hug of Dude from the Skyline Gang at Butlins Minehead ever! Normally the longest hug I get off Dude is about 15 seconds when this hug lasted 25 to 30 seconds or even a bit longer but not too long

Sprout even rubbed my back whilst me and Dude were hugging… it was amazing 🤩 I’m coming back October 25th for Halloween

Sorry I haven’t been active much it was due to bad signal and poor WiFi

[geminiamethyst]

Skyline Gang HCs

These are my personal head cannons based on the Skyline Gang. Please understand that I am still new to the fandom, so I apologise if you don’t like any of them.

Bud has autism. I’ve watched a few shows and some of his behaviour makes me feel like he might be on the spectrum.

Bud has built tiny robots to help him with small tasks such as getting into hard to reach places for cleaning.

Misty is the cause of trouble 80% of the time for the Gang. The other 20% is either by accident or coincidence.

While Misty does cause mischief, she does secretly care about the Gang. She just either has a hard time showing it or chooses not to.

Pip uses rock or metal to let out any stress or frustration. She prefers to play the music on her own but doesn’t mind if the others watch and give her support.

Whenever Pip hasn’t had a burger for a certain period of time, she goes on a bit of a rampage to find one. Which can sometimes lead her into trouble.

Sprout’s family comes from a circus background which is where his love of practical jokes, juggling and magic comes from.

Sprout and Candi adopted each other as siblings. While I don’t know if they’re blood related in cannon, I like how in most fanfics, people have portrayed them as siblings.

Candi loves baking and sometimes makes sweet treats for the Gang. Especially for special occasions like birthdays, Christmas and sometimes Halloween.

Dude feels like he’s got a lot of responsibilities to look out for the Gang and it can lead to a lot of stress that he tries to not show to the others. One day it builds up so much that he gets sick.

A family member influenced Dude to have an interest in protecting marine wildlife.

Mimi has insecurities about her appearance due to always being compared to someone that was deemed to be better than her.

While Mimi wants to make it big in Hollywood, she has a back up plan to be a fashion designer and/or model should she not become an actress.

Rainbow acts like a self appointed therapy dog whenever any member of the gang is stressed out or when Bud is having a melt down. This was inspired by Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (I’m not going to say why just in case anyone hasn’t seen because of spoilers, but to those who have, you might know what I’m talking about)

[geminiamethyst]

Skyline Gang Headcannons Part 2

Again, these are my personal HCs. I hope that you like them.

For part 1 of my HCs, please click HERE

Dude can speak fluent Spanish thanks to his dad’s side of the family being Hispanic. This was inspired by a video I watched on YouTube of a Minehead Dude singing the Spanish part of “Despacito”.

While Sprout is the joker of the Gang, he knows when to stop joking around if any of his friends are upset and need comforting. This includes Misty.

While during shows, Mimi’s affection for Dude is exaggerated for laughs, she does genuinely care for him. It’s just toned down so that they can both have a healthy friendship.

Pip’s dads both inspired her for her love of art and music. One dad is a musician that specialises in rock, while the other is an artist that specialises in sculpting and sketching.

Candi is quite a light sleeper. Even the slightest of noises wakes her up almost instantly. If it’s too much for her, she’ll either go to Dude or Sprout for comfort.

If Bud gets overwhelmed by anything during the day, he immediately goes to his room. If he needs help, the Gang will guide him and even have Rainbow assist him.

Misty has an unusual obsession with spiders.

Being that they are opposites of each other, there is a link between Misty and Candi. They can sense where the other is almost all the time, and if one gets hurt so does the other.

[geminiamethyst]

Skyline Gang: Sky Crystal. Chapter 5: Chaotic Crisis

Prologue: click HERE

Chapter 4: click HERE

Chapter 6

A week has gone by and nothing out of the ordinary happened. Discussions about the Sky Crystal happened but nothing more. Dude had tried to speak to Mr Conjurer again, but no matter how many times a day during his breaks he came and no matter how loud he requested for an audience, he wasn’t pulled into the Sky Crystal. He hadn’t seen this magician at all. He figured that he might be recovering from whatever illness plagued him and the last thing he wanted was a visitor or two. Dude gave up trying on the third day. It was probably for the best. That crack in the crystal still concerned him though. Maybe that’s connected to the resident’s health? Trying to study the Sky Crystal felt like a crucial step. However, it was futile. Every time Bud tried to analyse the Sky Crystal, all of his gadgets would overheat and short circuit. Much like Dude, he also gave up after the third day of nothing but a long list of repair jobs. No matter what anybody did, the Sky Crystal just refused to budge and open up.

Business went on as usual during that week. Shows were running smoothly. Guests left feeling happy then when they arrived. Rides were up to standard and not had any mechanical problems. The restaurants and cafes had a steady flow of income, same thing with the gift shops. The young guests were back at or starting school, so the weekends were at the busiest time of the week currently. Visiting the Skyline was their way of unwinding from the stress of school, and it was nice for the Gang to see regular faces. They even allowed the kids to talk about any troubles that they might be having at school and offer comfort in any way that they can. There was just something satisfying about kids opening up to the Gang so easily. Maybe it was because they were teenagers and felt less intimidating than adults. Even Misty was being mature for five minutes when she recognised a kid being genuinely upset. Throughout the week, nothing felt out of place.

However, that all changed.

It was just another normal morning: wake up; have breakfast; do morning chores; let staff in with plenty of time to set up; run various safety checks; make sure that everything was in order and welcome in the guests.

The first show started to run smoothly. Music was perfectly loud and clear but not too much. Everyone remembered their lines and cues. Not one thing went wrong until halfway through the show. Loud feedback echoed through the speakers, causing Rainbow to whimper and Bud to cover his ears. The music has ceased to play. Mummers of confusion rose from the crowd of guests. Lights started to flicker, the video games in the arcade becoming glitchy. The rides suddenly powered down to the point where guests could safely dismount on all of them. Was this a black out or some kind of malfunction with the Skyline’s breakers. Bud was about to call for the engineers to help him investigate the issue when Pip suddenly stopped him. Placing a finger to her lips, she closed her eyes, focusing her hearing. Dude, Mimi and Misty motioned for the audience to be quiet as well, trying to allow the rock chick more of a chance to hear more of whatever her ears have picked up. For a few seconds, Pip kept her eyes shut. Then her eyes snapped wide like dinner plates, her skin growing pale.

“Run! Everyone! Get out now!” She yelled as loud as she could without the aid of her mic. Mummers came from the crowd again, confused and a little concerned. Then they felt the vibrations under their feet and the sound of rumbling slowly growing louder. Screams erupted into the air as the Skyline continued to grumble and groan loudly. They could barely run straight as they rushed to the exits. Redcoats and other staff tried to guide the guests safely. Bud rushed to the sensory room, ensuring it was empty. Sprout ran backstage and grabbed the first aid kit that was stored. Candi, Mimi and Misty rushed to help the Redcoats. Pip assisted with pushing a guest in their wheelchair as they got confused in the chaos. Rainbow barked at the assistance dogs that were there, helping them to remain calm and guide their owners to the nearest exits. Dude stayed on the stage, shouting orders as best he could to tell everyone to remain calm. He could not be heard over the stampede. There was too much panic as the rumbling got louder, the shockwaves of this sudden earthquake becoming stronger. Food, drinks, toys and even some mobile phones were left abandoned on the ground and at tables. People stumbled and tripped, doing their best to not feel sick. Main exits, fire exits were like floodgates being opened.

Something picked up in Dude’s vision. A little girl all on her own. How no one has trampled on her is a miracle. She was crying, looking around terrified. She was screaming something unintelligible but no one seemed to hear her. Dude sprung into action. If this place was doomed to crumble, she’ll get crushed! He pushed and shoved his way past people, fighting against a tide. Just get to her! Don’t let anything happen to her! The girl didn’t realise what was happening until Dude scooped her up. Small fists clenched at his shirt, fingernails almost ripping into the fabric. He ran with the crowd, noticing that his friends were all now swept up by the massacre of panic. As Dude got out, he thought that he could hear a loud bang, but he didn’t dare stop to look at where it came from.

As soon as everyone was out, the rumbling stopped, causing everything to fall still once again. Everyone had made it out safely. People were panicked and looking around for answers. They started to walk around, calling out for loved ones that they got separated from. Parents hugged their children tightly, the mothers crying while the fathers were just relieved that their failed were safe. Anyone with an assistance dog hugged their canine companions tightly. Some members of staff started to guard the doors, trying to prevent anybody from going back inside the pavilion. Not that anyone thought to do so any second now. Dude looked down at the little girl that he had picked up. She was still crying and trembling.

“You okay?” Dude asked, readjusting his hold on the girl.

“I dropped my Rainbow!” She wailed, her tiny fists rubbing at her face to banish her tears.

“I’m sure he’ll be okay.” Dude tried to smile reassuringly, rubbing the girl’s back. After all that happened in the pavilion, all that she was worried about was her toy? Maybe it was good that it was distracting her a little from the traumatic experience. “Are you hurt?” 

“No…” the girl whimpered, her tears slowly coming to a stop. Even more of a positive thing.

“Let’s go find your mummy and daddy.” Dude continued to smile. He looked around at the crowd. He can’t make out his friends but they could be on the other side of the Skyline for all he knows. He’ll just have to search better once this girl is reunited with her parents. Readjusting his hold on her again, he started walking through the crowd as calmly as he could.

“Are you two okay?” Mimi asked, her hands trembling as she looked at Candi and Misty. All three of them and a couple of Redcoats were caught up in the tide as they tried to help people out. They didn’t have any time to breathe or think during those few seconds.

“I think so.” Candi gasped, looking around blindly.

“Same here.” Misty sighed, looking relieved that the rush was over. All three girls were shaking from the adrenaline and confusion. The Redcoats appeared to be alright, trying to remain professionally calm despite the chaos that had unfolded. Some people were on their phones calling 999. Back up is on the way. “What happened? That was all too sudden.”

“I don’t know.” Mimi sighed herself, looking at how much her hands were trembling. Well at least her nail polish wasn’t chipped and ruined. Wait! What is she saying?! Now isn’t a good time for worrying about her looks! She can deal with that later. She scanned the crowd for any sighting of their friends. So far the indication she got of them were the kids that were dressed up as them. “Let’s try to find the others.”

Sprout stood on top of a picnic table and benches. Not really ideal, but it was the best that he had right now. He had an advantage point like a meerkat to spot the Gang. He thought that he spotted Candi but if it was her, he lost her in the crowd. Hopefully the others were okay and don’t need the first aid kit that he had grabbed. He didn’t know why he grabbed it, it was just instinct at this point. He still glad that he did though. You never know after all. He was proven right when someone suddenly sat at the bench of the table that he stood on top of. A young woman with someone who he assumed to be her boyfriend or husband. She was clutching at her hand and wincing a little.

“Are you okay?” Sprout asked, jumping down from the table.

“I think I hurt my wrist.” The woman winced. Well, Sprout had better use the first aid skills that he knows while he can.

“Let me take a look.” He offered opening up the first aid kit.

“You?” The young man asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I know a little first aid. Why do you think I grabbed the kit?” Sprout shrugged, offering up a kind smile. The couple exchanged a look and the woman allowed Sprout to have a quick examination. Sprout tried to be as gentle as he could, fighting back the urge to crack a joke right now. It wasn’t exactly the time or place. After examining the injury, he shuffled around the items in the first aid kit to find something. “It doesn’t look broken. You’ll probably have some bruising at the very least. I’m afraid that there’s none in this kit, but as soon as you see any paramedics, try to request for an ice pack or something for the swelling. And for a second opinion too.”

“Thank you.” The woman smiled gratefully. With that, Sprout took the first aid kit and started looking around the crowd. He still needs to find his friends, but maybe he can help some people along the way if they need it.

“Are you okay, Bud?” Pip asked, kneeling to Bud’s level. She didn’t know what to do right now. Rainbow wasn’t nearby as far as she can see right now. At least she’s here now by some kind of miracle. In fact, if it wasn’t for a guest finding her and leading her to him, Bud would probably be in a worst position. Bud had huddled himself up in a corner away from the crowd. He was shaking and rocking back and forth a little, sweat dripping down his face. He was trying to keep his breathing steady but everything was just too much of a blur right now. He can exactly go to the sensory room right now either. Where can he go right now?!

“It…it’s too much!” Bud gasped, his chest tightening as if he was caught in the coils of a snake.

“Let’s get you somewhere quiet.” Pip said, standing up and looking around quickly. “Redcoat Emily! Redcoat George! Give me a hand with clearing a path! Bud needs to be somewhere quieter!” The two Redcoats in question noticed how bad Bud was and knew that it would get worse if he wasn’t somewhere safer. As a path was starting to be cleared, Pip offered out a hand to Bud. It wasn’t easy to pull him to his feet, his legs like jelly, but she helped to support him as they started walking. The house would probably be the best place for him right now. It was better than being stuck in a crowd like this.

Dude kept scanning the crowd as he walked through it. Everyone looked like they were starting to calm down a bit more aside from some parents looking for or being reunited with their own lost children. He hoped that this girl’s parents will be just as happy once the family is brought back together. He wasn’t sure, but he felt like someone was following him. He looked back and it looked like a guest was following. However, he wasn’t exactly giving off the vibe that this was the girl’s dad. The girl wasn’t saying that he was her dad either as she was looking over Dude’s shoulder the entire time. A kidnapper? Dude tightened his hold a little more on the girl, just in case. 

“Poppy!”

Dude’s paranoia was brought to a halt as he heard the name. The girl was looking around more frantically too. A couple burst from the crowd, both crying from panic and now relief. The little girl, Poppy, reached out to them, almost falling out of Dude’s arms.

“She’s alright. She’s just had a nasty scare.” He smiled as best he could. He handed off Poppy to her mother. The mother held her daughter as tightly as she could, daring to not let go.

“Thank you.” The father sighed joyfully as he hugged his family.

“Are you okay, baby?” The mother asked, ignoring everything else that was happening around them.

“I dropped my Rainbow!” Poppy wailed again, fresh tears falling down her face.

“We’ll get you another one.” The father suggested.

“No!” Poppy wailed even louder. The thought of replacing something so simple looked to be too much for her to suggest. Maybe the reason why she was this upset was because it was a comfort toy for her. It would make sense since she doesn’t want a new one. Dude looked around, spotting a very familiar looking canine.

“If it helps, I’ll keep an eye out for him. In the meantime…Rainbow, here boy.” Dude offered before calling out to the canine in question. Rainbow perked up immediately and trotted right up to Dude, his tongue hanging out like a flag. Poppy watched tearfully as Dude made a fuss of him and made sure that Rainbow was alright physically. He then turned up to Poppy with a wide smile. “Why don’t you let Rainbow here help calm you down?” Poppy wiped away her tears again, looking more bright and alert. Rainbow’s excitement died down a little upon seeing the upset guest. He laid down on the ground, head between his front paws. He gave Poppy his big brown eyes look as he made himself look almost like a giant puppy. Poppy gave a smile and started wriggling in her mum’s hold. She was gently placed on the ground and she instantly wrapped her arms around Rainbow. Her mother joined in with stroking Rainbow, calming herself down too. A couple of other kids started to join as well, wanting some doggy therapy too. Poppy didn’t kick up a fuss as she was more concerned about being comforted by the soft orange fur. Rainbow didn’t mind, so long as he was doing his job in helping people emotionally.

“Thank you. She means the world to us.” Poppy’s father smiled at Dude again before he kneeled on the goring to join his family. Something positive out of all this to make anyone feel a little better. Now that mission was accomplished, Dude scanned the crowd again. He still can’t see the others but there wasn’t much that he can do right now. He might as well stay close to Rainbow. No point in separating right now unless the crowd starts to die down a little. Suddenly, Dude was grabbed harshly by his dungarees. His body was momentarily lifted off of the ground as he was spun. He was brought face to face with the man that had been following him. So he wasn’t a kidnapper after all?

“What happened?” The man barked, spit spraying Dude’s face.

“I…I don’t know.” Dude said shakily, trying to pull away. Onlookers watched, looking sacred by what they were seeing.

“You lead the Skyline Gang! You must know something!” The man shouted, shaking Dude a little. Rainbow had raised his head by this point. This didn’t look or feel good.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t-” Dude tried to calm down the situation before he could get out of hand. He didn’t get a chance to finish. A fist suddenly came flying out and connected with his face. It was so sudden that Dude was knocked to the ground. Did this guy seriously just follow Dude around for this?! And the only reason why he didn’t start a fight was because he was holding onto Poppy until now?! A couple of kids screamed in fright as they saw the blue one fall to the ground. Rainbow let out a small growl. The children that were giving attention to him backed off as he stood up.

“You dumb teenager! You must know something!” The man screamed, not caring about the crowd being drawn to him. Rainbow parked himself between the aggressor and Dude, not wanting another strike on his human friend. The man raised his foot, as if he was about to kick Rainbow, but he was stopped. Some members of security and even one of the other guests held him back. He thrashed about, still wanting to take his anger out on someone. “You put us all in danger!“ Dude watched wide eyed as the man was dragged away to calm down. Of all the…

The pain set in as Dude’s heart rate started slow down from the rush. He let out a groan as his hand went to his bruised cheek. That punch really packed a wallop. At least his jaw wasn’t broken or dislocated. The shock of it all still remained. He had dealt with his fair share of hate from people. It was all just words and nasty letters though. It never crossed the line of being physical. In all honesty, Dude was glad that it was him and not another one of his friends that took the hit, but it was still sharp like a knife. Sprout, who just witnessed the punch, comes out of the crowd.

“Are you okay?” He asks, offering a hand out.

“I’m fine…” Dude winced as he spoke. He gripped the hand offered to him and Sprout helped to pull him up. Rainbow whined a little and licked at Dude’s hand. After being given a reassuring pat on the head,  he returned to tending to the stressed out kids that were making a fuss of him before. A couple more joined the original three now after witnessing the fight. Again, Rainbow didn’t protest it. He needed the kids just as much as they needed him in all honesty. After allowing Sprout to quickly looked over the bruise on his face, Dude looked back at the pavilion. It didn’t appear to be damaged or on the verge of collapsing. Whatever that earthquake was didn’t appear to be coming back. Dude wondered why they can’t just have a normal day for once. Then he remembered that normal doesn’t really exist anymore.

He then wondered about the Sky Crystal. In all the chaos, he didn’t think to check on the gemstone. Then again, he was more focused on getting Poppy out of the pavilion. But even so, it didn’t cross his mind until now. There was also that loud bang that he heard. Was that connected to the Sky Crystal maybe? Or was it something else entirely? If anyone might have all the answers, it’s Mr Conjurer. As sirens could be heard in the air, he decided to check on the Sky Crystal later. It all had to be connected somewhere.

[geminiamethyst]

Skyline Gang: Sky Crystal. Chapter 2: “Trouble! Follow!”

Prologue: click HERE

Chapter 1: click HERE

Chapter 3: click HERE

Let him out! Let him go!

Rainbow’s frantic barking was all that resonated in this chamber. Just what was this thing?! Why did it eat Dude?! Everything was fine for a minute or two. Then Dude acted strange. Rainbow couldn’t see or feel it, but he knew that something was wrong. He had known since the start. No one ever trusts the dog whenever something is wrong! Rainbow continued to let out a tirade of barks, which resulted in nothing but echoes answering back. This crystal wasn’t answering him by spitting Dude out or showing any signs that he is okay. That’s it! Time to get the others, just as Dude had ordered! He should’ve done that the second the ghost started leading Dude down this horrible place! Why did he go with Dude when he should’ve gotten the others? Maybe then they could’ve stopped this!

Rainbow charged up the stairs. With dread filling his bones, he thought that the doors would’ve closed. However, they were still wide open, as if they were frozen. Rainbow didn’t understand it but he didn’t give himself to try to. Just find the others! They should still be asleep, right? As far as Rainbow is aware, no one woke up as he and Dude were leaving the house. The lights were off, making the house seem like an intimidating presence. Regardless, Rainbow howled and barked as loud as his lungs and voice box would allow. His sounds echoed throughout the night, causing him to wonder if his noise could be heard in the town nearby. A few lights flicked on almost immediately from his demands. He continued barking until the front door opened.

Bud was the one that came out first, his glasses almost lopsided from him tiredly putting them on.

“Rainbow?” He muttered, wondering how the dog was outside the front of the house.

“Rainbow! It’s 2am!” Mimi suddenly shouted, pushing past Bud and scaring him a little from her voice. She was wrapped up in her dressing gown, with her hair being a mess. “You better have a good reason for the racket!” The last thing anyone should do is mess with a fashionista’s sleep schedule, especially if her name is Mimi.

“Dude! Dude!” Rainbow barked. He’s got everyone awake. Someone had better make the connection.

“What about Dude?” Bud asked, glancing behind him. Everyone else had come down the stairs now at this point. Candi hugging her favourite pink teddy. Sprout looked a bit jittery as if he was woken up from a peaceful dream. Pip and Misty looked just as annoyed as each other. And Mimi was standing right next to Bud. Only one person was missing.

“Trouble! Follow!” Rainbow barked before turning on his paws and racing off. Someone made the connection, now he just needs to lead them to the Skyline and this crystal.

“Wait. What?” Candi yawned, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

“Rainbow! Come back!” Bud shouted, struggling to put his shoes on while keeping his balance. Mimi went on ahead since she had her slippers on. Not ideal for running, especially outside, but it’ll have to do. Candi seemed to understand since she was also wearing her own pink fluffy slippers. Everyone else struggled to get their shoes on before joining the chase. When they approached the Skyline pavilion, they noticed that the lights were on. There was no time to wonder about that with how fast Rainbow wanted them to be. What was Dude doing in the pavilion?

Rainbow wasn’t waiting around. Every time he stopped it was to bark at the Gang and then kept running. That was until he got to the doors. They all had closed behind him after he left. At least his human friends could open up the doors for him. Opening the glass door and the one that led to the Gang’s old bedrooms were easy enough for everyone to understand. It was that hidden door that stalled Rainbow. How did the ghost do it?! Rainbow reached up and started scratching along the wall. He was so desperate that as his claws scrapped on the concrete, they threatened to be ripped out.

“What is he doing now?” Pip grumbled, suppressing her shivering from the cold.

“Secret door?” Sprout giggled.

“Yeah right!” Misty scoffed, walking up to where Rainbow was scratching. “Where is it, Rainbow? Here?” Misty pressed her hand on a specific area that Rainbow was particularly stubborn on. However, her smile was wiped right off her face when the wall suddenly opened up. She would’ve fallen had Rainbow not gripped her sleeve with his teeth. She and the others had this baffled look on their faces. Rainbow didn’t skip a beat. With another commanding bark, he raced down the stairs. Mimi had taken out her phone (why would she have her phone in her dressing gown pocket anyway?) and turned on the torch. it wouldn’t be great if anyone fell down the stairs while looking for their missing friend. With Mimi taking up the front to shine her light down the stairs, the Gang followed the canine. Dude was down here? How did he find this place? What was he even doing? Was he hurt?

Rainbow led the others right to the crystal. Dude had not come back at all. The crystal still held him captive. Was it digesting him or something?! Just like Dude had, the humans were awestruck by the sight below them.

“Whoa! Look at that!” Mimi exclaimed, turning off her phone’s torch now that there was no need for it. Bud scanned the chamber, wondering how this hidden wonder was…well…hidden. Something like this under their feet was just astounding to see. Pip was similarly looking around, but was more interested in what the acoustics were like if she were to play music.

“Are you okay Candi?” Sprout asked, his awe put aside for a moment. Candi had a bit of a shaky look on her face as she avoided looking down. Her fear of heights was clouding all the awe that she would’ve felt if she wasn’t so terrified.

“Just trying to not think about how high up we are…” she gasped a little, squeezing her teddy bear for comfort. Misty would’ve rolled her eyes, but decided not to. She did have some sympathy for Candi after all. She wasn’t that heartless. Mimi looked around, but not wondering about the same thing as Bud and Pip. She noticed something on the catwalk. With a quick inspection, it looked like a small piece blue fabric that had been torn. And Dude was still missing.

“Wait. Rainbow, where’s Dude?” Mimi suddenly asked, immediately turning to Rainbow. The poor dog was pacing bac’ and forth, his eyes never leaving the crystal. “You said that there was trouble.”

“Dude! Crystal! Inside!” Rainbow barked with a small growl.

“Dude’s inside the crystal?!” Sprout exclaimed, his voice bouncing around the place.

“What is it with him and finding trouble?!” Misty scowled.

“We’ve got to get him out of there!” Pip declared, wanting to jump into action as quickly as possible.

“Anybody got a pickaxe?” Sprout asked, looking around desperately for any tools that could be used. Mimi as looking too, fear spiking within her. How was this happening? Why was this happening? Why did the crystal take Dude? When are answers finally going to come to her questions? Sooner rather than later would be nice!

“Wait!” Bud suddenly shouted, his voice causing everyone to pause in their panic and adrenaline. He peered as best as he could, trying to find any anomalies. He spotted it. A small, tiny, easy to miss part of the crystal had an odd glow compared to the rest of it. “What in the world is going on?”

———————————————————————————

“Dude? Can you hear me, son?”

[geminiamethyst]

Skyline Gang: Sky Crystal. Chapter 1: A New Discovery

Prologue: click HERE

Chapter 2: click HERE

It had been a few months since the Sceptre of Darkness was destroyed. Months since Dawn had been destroyed for good. It was turning into autumn now. Less visitors would come, the schools now welcoming back their students from the summer break. The green leaves started to slowly shift to a light orange. The wind went from refreshingly cool to bitterly cold. It was honestly a little refreshing for the seasons to change, especially after the last minute heatwave that ravaged the land. Days showed signs of becoming shorter, the sky becoming darker the closer it got to nighttime. The flowers slowly started to lose their petals, withering away to give way for the oncoming frost that was soon to come. Mist lingered longer than usual and the morning dew was more prominent. Birds have slowly started to migrate to warmer climates. Squirrels squabble over food and territory as they started their winter preparations.

The Skyline Gang similarly started their own preparations for the colder months. Dude (much against his will) needed to prepare everything related to finances and other major work related stuff. How the board members decided that he, a teenager, should do it all on his own is a mystery. They refused to help when he asked for it. Thankfully, Bud had volunteered to help and both of them were able to handle it smoothly. Everything else went as normal for the most part. Shows went on as normal, Pip’s arts and crafts spot remained to be popular, and the sensory room was well taken care of. The only thing that was different was the infrequent number of guests that would visit. Everyday felt different.

Nevertheless, everyone remained busy. So when the Skyline closed for the evenings, the Gang would just relax at home and not worry about much of anything. Just chill, eat a home cooked meal (or delivery meal depending on their collective fatigue), watch a movie or some TV and sleep. Things would circle around smoothly like clockwork.

One night, after one of these infrequent days, the Gang had settled down for an early start the next morning. Rainbow was curled up in his bed, occasionally kicking or licking his lips as he dreamed of chasing juicy bones. Misty, who was usually a night owl, had gone to sleep pretty fast. It was unusual for her, but it wasn’t unwelcome. Just meant a peaceful night for everybody. Bud had fallen asleep to the comforting clicks and whits of his robots before they went into power down at midnight. Candi snuggled into her mountain of plushies after feeling uncomfortable. The plushness helped to lull her to sleep after hours of tossing and turning uselessly. Pip had fallen asleep to humming her own music that she had made drafts of, trying to get a better fix on the melody. Mimi had drifted off to her dreamland, humming occasionally in bliss with a smile. Sprout had fallen asleep in one of the most awkward looking positions known to man, but he was seemingly comfortable like that. Dude had been pretty much knocked out the moment his head hit the pillow. It had been a draining day, one of many more to come, so sleep was gratefully welcomed.

However, it didn’t last the whole night.

Overtime, Dude had gotten sensitive to his surroundings as he slept. It made him a borderline light sleeper. It was rare for him to wake up unless a particular noise or even a presence disturbs him. Heck, there was one time when he felt someone sneaking in his room and caught Misty attempting to plant something in his desk. She didn’t after being caught thank goodness, but Dude almost woke up everyone because he had a burst of fight or flight response kicking in. Needless to say, she hadn’t tried again since. For now at least. So when Dude felt something in his room this time around, he almost opened his eyes completely. He turned toward it, getting ready to scold or hear out whoever this person was that came to his room. A blue light met his eyes. That wasn’t his. Did someone light up his room? Groggily, he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

“What the-?!” He exclaimed before quickly shutting himself up. With how light of sleepers Pip and Candi usually are, he didn’t want to risk waking them up. Before him stood someone bathed in a faint blue light. He was semi transparent, clearly showing that he wasn’t exactly alive. Dark hair that had been dipped dyed with azure blue shaped his face. He was wearing the blue dungarees and white shirt that Dude wore on a daily basis, with make up exactly like how his is done. The place where Dude’s name would be was blank, but Dude didn’t need a nameplate to tell him who this was.

“You…you’re the leader of the Skyline Gang…the one before us I mean. Danny, right? I thought that you were gone…” Dude said, proving it be futile in keeping the sorrow away. The ghost, Danny stared at him blankly. It was as if he wasn’t able to convey any emotion. It was truly quite eerie. Honestly Dude felt like he should be scared by a ghost just suddenly being in his room but he felt safe. He knows this ghost, he and the others aside from Misty had seen him before. It was during that encounter with Dawn that almost got them killed. Danny then showed up at the last second, seemingly protecting them. Then when Dawn had been defeated, he was thought to have moved on like his friends.

Danny just stared at Dude a little longer. It was quite unnerving of how his silence and lack of movement made the room seem frozen in time. If he was trying to catch Dude’s attention, he sure got it. Suddenly he started moving, walking towards the door.

“Wait! Where are you going?” Dude asked, still trying to keep his voice to a minimum. Danny didn’t listen, or maybe he couldn’t hear, because he just proceeded to phase through the door. “Hey! Wait for me!” Dude rushed to grab a blue hoodie and some slip on trainers that he had bought for his morning runs. Danny’s light was fading downstairs by time Dude got out of his room. The ghost was heading to the front door. Dude pondered getting the others, but with how quick Danny seemed to move, Dude was worried that he might lose the spectre. Especially considering how some of them, more particularly Sprout, were almost impossible to wake up at the best of times. Cautiously, he crept down the staircase, avoiding all the loud floorboards that he could. Rainbow was at the bottom of the stairs. He had sensed that something was different tonight, so naturally he was woken up by it. When he spotted the ghost, he was just as anxious as Dude was. Danny phased through the door again, not bothering to wait for Dude to catch up.

Hurriedly grabbing his keys, Dude followed, with Rainbow glued to his side. Dude shivered from the brisk cold of the air. He pulled his hoodie tighter around him, briefly wondering if he should grab a coat instead. However, Danny just continued walking. Was he unaware of what was going on behind him? Gritting his teeth, Dude continued to follow, opting to do a small jog to help him warm up. He envied Rainbow for having such a thick coat to keep him warm, even if it is a pain to maintain during the hot summer. Shaking off those thoughts, Dude realised that they were heading towards the pavilion. Did Danny want to show him something? What was Danny even doing back? Why weren’t his friends with him as well?

“Hang on. I need to grab my-” Dude spoke up as they approached the doors. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he often found locking up the Skyline a little creepy. A bright place during the day, but hauntingly silent and dark. Danny didn’t seem to react. Rather as Dude fumbled with his pocket, the door before them opened and the lights inside the pavilion lightened up. “…key? How did you do that? Wait!”

Danny continued to be ignorant to Dude and Rainbow being behind him. No look or word. Could he even talk? This was different from the warmth that everyone had experienced from last time they saw this ghost.

“Look I get it! You can’t talk to me!” Dude shouted, his voice bouncing around the pavilion. “But can you at least nod or shake your head when I ask you something?” This really was starting to get frustrating. If Danny needed to show Dude something, then at least wait and allow him to grab his friends. At least Rainbow was by him. It wasn’t exactly the same thing though. Just again, why was it only Danny that came back? None of this was making many sense. Dude and Rainbow continued to follow Danny, with Dude occasionally thinking if he should send Rainbow to go wake up the others. Probably something that he should’ve done at the beginning. Too late for regrets now.

Danny suddenly phased through another door. A rather familiar one. He knew this area. This was where the Skyline Gang’s old bedrooms are located up a flight of stairs. Before they had the house, before Misty arrived, this is where the Gang used to sleep. Now that they had the house, they rarely use those bedrooms. Dude often wondered if the others had forgotten about them. He also wondered if Misty had one too, recalling the spare bedroom that wasn’t allocated for himself or the others.

Dude watched Danny for a moment, expecting him to go upstairs. However, instead, Danny was feeling along one of the walls. He wasn’t phasing through it this time. Danny’s hand was solid, the sound of skin stroking the wall being extremely faint. Suddenly he stopped, as if he had found what he was looking for. It was like something out of a movie or TV show. There was a small click and the wall opened up like a door. Was that always there?

“Okay…secret passageways. This had better not be another Orb of Ra trope or something.” Dude thought out loud, earning a grumble and head shake from Rainbow. Danny started stepping forward again. This time, Dude wasn’t letting him go any further if he can help it. “Wait!”

Dude ran ahead of Danny, ending up standing on a flight of stairs. After stepping on a few steps, he turned to face Danny. Danny looked shocked, as if he were snapped out of a trance. Finally a reaction that Dude wanted form his voice and actions.

“Before we go any further, answer me this: is there anything dangerous down there?” Dude asked, refusing to budge. Even if Danny passed through him, he’ll just keep attempting to cut off the path until he got some answers. Thankfully he didn’t have to do that. Danny, with a hint of amusement twinkling in his eyes, shook his head. “Okay, we’re getting somewhere. Next question: did you do something to get us chosen?”

Danny seemed a bit conflicted for a moment. Did he have something to do with it? It would be nice to have some answers about that. After all, one minute Dude and his friends were at the lowest points in their lives, all of them complete strangers. Then the next minute they wake up in a strange place that was seemingly rules over by some dictator that acted like a catalyst for the events put in motion. Danny opened his mouth in an attempt to speak, but nothing came out. He really can’t speak after all. Danny then raised his hand, giving a so-so gesture.

“So-so? But you are partially responsible for it?” Dude continued to ask. He was hoping for more, but he’ll take what he can get. At least Danny is being honest with him right now. Satisfaction washing over him, Dude stepped aside. Danny continued his path, brushing past Dude with a sense of warmth in the air. Rainbow whined a little bit, as if he didn’t want to go down wherever the stairs were leading to. Dude looked back at him. He gestured for Rainbow to wait there if he was scared. However, as Dude continued his decent, he heard Rainbow slowly creeping down the stairs behind him. The air felt electric as they continued their journey downwards, almost all hairs standing on end. If it became more static, then Rainbow would end up like more of a walking fluff-ball than he already does. There was a faint glow at the bottom of the stairs where Danny had stopped to wait. Finally he decided to stop and wait. Maybe Dude stopping in front of him brought back a little bit of common sense or something along those lines. Once Dude and Rainbow reached the bottom of the metal staircase, Danny continued his strolling. He started walking along a catwalk being held above something. The light that can be seen pulsated under the catwalk, changing colours with each beat. The air now felt warmer, more welcoming from the cold outside, like a soft blanket. However there was something in the air that made it feel a little tense. It was something that Dude wasn’t sure if he should trust it or not. When Danny stopped and beckoned Dude to come take a look. The need for answers outweighed any caution that Dude had.

As Dude looked at the scene before him, he felt like he was in some kind of fantasy book or film. It was a mighty space, seemingly only half of the size of the pavilion above. Occupying the space, at least twice as big as the Skyline Gang’s house, garden included, was a crystal. There was no need for extra lighting, as the light from the crystal was more than enough. It continued to pulsate gently, changing colours each time. Dude looked above at the ceiling. No concrete or any other industrial support. He could make out some roots and even smell fresh earth. Aside from the metal catwalk hanging about the crystal, it was like being in a natural cave.

How could something like this be hidden under the park for who knows how long with no one even knowing about it? Danny knew about it though. Was that through his ghost? Or was it something that he knew about while he was still in the land of the living?

“Whoa! That’s…” Dude gasped softly, feeling a huge loss of words. He couldn’t describe the sight below him. He then observed the crystal more, he noticed a pattern in the pulsations. Something quite familiar. “Wait…that’s…it’s glowing like a heartbeat…”

But why was there a heartbeat? That’s impossible! No crystal should be able do that. Unless…

“The Skyline isn’t just a location. It’s alive. You didn’t choose us. It did.” Dude concluded, looking towards where Danny stood. However, all there was there now was a blank space. No ghost or body to be seen. Did Danny slip away somewhere? “Hey! Where did you go?”

“Dude?” Rainbow whimpered, tail tucking between his legs a little. Dude looked around a little more, hoping to see Danny again. Nothing. Maybe he’s moved on for good now that he’s shown Dude this big secret. He should be more at peace now. Hopefully.

“Let’s go, boy. We need to tell the others.” Dude finally sighed, becoming exhausted. Should he tell the others tonight? He can name a few of them that might be very upset at him for waking them up. Tomorrow morning then. However, as Dude started to walk away, something happened. There was this pull on him. It was so quick and sudden that he barely had enough time to grab onto the railing. “Hey!”

“Dude!” Rainbow barked, not knowing what was happening. He isn’t experiencing the same pulling as Dude is right now. Dude pushed back against the force that gripped him. It was like playing tug-o-war, expect his body was the rope. His arms shook as his muscles burned from the strain. He tried to use his feet as a pair of anchors until they slipped out from under him. His body was then flipped over, like those old toys where the clown or monkey would do the same. He gripped onto the railing even tighter. This thing that gripped him didn’t seem to like that like that. It was like it gave one more tug as Dude lost his grip. He fell for a few centimetres until he felt the cuff of his sleeve being grappled by teeth. Rainbow had slipped his head past the railing and grabbed onto Dude as tight as his jaws could manage.

“Rainbow!” Dude cried out. Rainbow tried to pull, his teeth starting to make holes in the sleeve. His paws desperately pushed against the force. However, whatever it was that had gripped Dude was much, much stronger. Dude started to hear fabric being ripped. Rainbow couldn’t hold on for much longer. “Get the others!”

Just as he feared, the sleeve of his hoodie ripped. Rainbow was launched backwards, hitting the railing behind him. As the canine was stunned, Dude was falling. His body was flipping backwards from the momentum of gravity, the kaleidoscope of colour and speed making him nauseous. Before everything went black, Dude could faintly hear Rainbow’s frantic barking.

[geminiamethyst]

Skyline Gang: Trial of Darkness. Chapter 33

Chapter 1: click HERE

Chapter 32: click HERE

The first adventure that the Skyline Gang has had outside the Skyline was almost a complete disaster:

They found an ancient relic, with still no clue as to whom left it in their attic and for what purpose; they travelled halfway around the world to return said relic; got lost in a jungle after being separated by an earthquake which turned out to be an illusion; Dude almost got stung by a deadly scorpion; being chased by a monster that was another illusion by Misty; Dude and Candi almost fell to their deaths; Misty betraying the Skyline Gang; Dawn being resurrected; Dude’s life force being drained out of him for the Queen of Psychopaths to live again properly; everyone almost dying because of Misty’s deception to them, and finding out the truth behind Dawn’s origins.

The only positive being it seemed that Misty changed sides and worked together with Candi to stop Dawn once and for all. There was no way it seemed to bring her back. Another thing was fortunate was that helicopter coming in at the right time. It was hard to spin a fake story. They had to convince the crew that was on board that they were given a tour and was separated from their guide who disappeared, abandoning the people he was meant to help. Given how ruggedly tired everyone looked, the team somehow bought the story. They gave the Skyline Gang a lift to the airport, where they were able to pay for tickets to finally leave.

There was no way that they could reenact the whole thing on stage. They even closed the Skyline for a few days to recuperate. Just a chance to finally relax in the safety of their house. Especially for Dude as nearly the entire journey home, despite everything, he couldn’t fully relax. He’s jumping at shadows and seemed to refuse to attempting sleep without some form of light on. What happened to him affected him more than he intended to let on. He thought about getting a nightlight but decided to wait until he was certain if he needed it.

Everyone was barely able to convince people that they won’t be doing a show because it wasn’t worth retelling this adventure. Everyone had just recovered from the horror that Dawn caused them. The last thing that they wanted was a tale of her returning and Misty being the cause of it. Dude refused to let history repeat itself. If people found out what she did, and tried to do, they probably might have tried to cast her out. Then the cycle might repeat all over again. Dude wasn’t prepared for that to happen, he might never be.

Finally, once everyone had freshened up, and settled down, Dude finally revealed everything. He couldn’t keep it in any longer. He revealed who Dawn was and how she came to be. He even revealed seeing her ghost as the fortress was coming down. No one stopped his story, they were too much in shock. It was just horrific to know that anyone could be consumed by the Darkness that loomed around this world. Even the Skyline Gang weren’t immune to it, Orange was proof of that. Candi was in tears by the end of the story. Sprout was giving her a hug to calm her down. Mimi was fidgeting with her damp hair, ignoring the fact that it’ll end up in a tangled state. Pip’s foot was bouncing up and down at an alarming rate, mixed between agitation and apprehension. Bud was calculating the scene over and over again in his head, wondering that if they had more time, if they knew, then maybe there was a chance to save that lost soul. Rainbow laid down at Dude’s feet, giving a long whine with a pair of sad eyes. Misty was confused and sad at the same time. The woman that she had seen was that small part of Dawn that refused to die. No wonder she just appeared out nowhere and was never seen again. At least that’s what Misty had concluded. She just had to know for sure though.

“Dude?” Misty asked after a long five minutes of contemplating silence.

“What’s up?” Dude asked back, just wanting nothing more than to crawl into his bed, only staying awake by three hours of sleep.

“Could you…tell us what she looked like? Dawn before she became Dawn I mean. If you know that too.” Misty asked again, pulling out something from her pocket. Paper? No one could tell. In all honesty, they were more concerned about her question. It was quite random, but curiosity was like a plague. It spread like wildfire among the others. Just wondering about what Dawn might have looked like might bring out more of her personality, a better way to try to remember a woman that they wished to know more about.

“I do actually.” Dude answered, brightening up a little from the memory. He tried not to think about the bad stuff. Just focus on the light and laughter that Orange had until her final moments. Her smile, cheeky laughter and seemingly mischievous attitude (Dude briefly wondered if that’s where Misty got her mischievous nature from). “She wore orange, had orange hair and a red necklace with these massive beads.”

“So, like this then?” Misty enquired, suddenly thrusting the paper that she was holding at Dude. Again, random, but a little bit more concerning. Dude took the paper, wondering if Misty had done a silly little sketch to try to brighten up everyone. It would be out of character for her, but then again, a genuine laugh doesn’t hurt anyone. It wasn’t a drawing, it was a photograph. Dude’s heart stopped for a moment as he studied it. Orange hair, orange dungarees, a red beaded necklace, ocean blue eyes that sparkled with fun and mischief.

“Yes! This is her!” Dude declared, leaping to his feet. He showed the photograph to everyone else, receiving quiet gasps and wide eyes. “How did you get this?”

“I found it in my pocket, after waking up…after killing Dawn.” Misty shrugged, her eyes darting to someone, anyone for an answer. She pondered if someone had slipped it into her pocket, but judging by everyone else’s reactions, they couldn’t have. “But I don’t know how it got there.” Bud suddenly offered to take a look at the photo himself. Dude obliged, trusting that Bud could see anything hidden better than he could. Bud readjusted his glasses, staring hard at the photo. He took in every detail of Orange, just as Dude did for those few seconds. Then he looked at the background behind her. His eyes sparked with familiarity. If this photo was taken in the Skyline, Bud would more than likely recognise where in the pavilion, or outside it, it might have been taken. His eyes widened a little. He traced his finger around one side of the photo, feeling it carefully.

“Wait. Wait, wait, wait!” He suddenly shouted. Just as suddenly, he ran off. He hated running as everyone was now aware of. He wouldn’t run unless he was in some kind of trouble. Right now he was running as if someone had set his clothes on fire. He was so fast that it took everyone a few seconds to realise that he had left completely.

“Bud?” Rainbow barked after Bud as everyone stood by the now open front door.

“I’ll be right back!” Bud responded, his voice urgent with purpose. His form disappeared, making a beeline for the pavilion. Misty picked up the picture, as he had dropped in in the midst of his run. She looked at the picture again, and even traced the side that Bud had to see what the trouble was. Oh, it was torn on one side. A bit weird but it didn’t tell her much about why Bud dashed off. Filing back inside, everyone else started to wonder about the same thing. Bud running off like that was bizarre in itself. He obviously figured something out. He saw something that no one else was seeing. They all gathered around Misty, trying to spot the clue, but it wasn’t doing much good.

The sound of heaving breathes and staggered footsteps can be heard. Bud had returned. His colour was drained from his face as sweat poured down it. Hands on his knees he struggled to regain his breath. He looked like he was ready to collapse into the nearest chair as soon as possible. No one could blame him. After all, even during the adventure, he had briefly mentioned his lack of athleticism, even joking about joining the gym.

“I don’t know how you do it Dude.” He panted, knees knocking together as he attempted to stand up straight.

“Do what?” Dude asked as his eyebrow raised in a little bit of amusement.

“Running…” Bud groaned in response, holding up a piece of paper in his hand. The amusement went away as Dude caught a small glimpse at it. A small bit of colour and what seemed to be a torn side.

“Is that what I think it is?” Dude asked carefully.

“Yes. Misty, could I have that picture, please?” Bud insisted, holding his hands up out. Misty was happy to oblige so long as they got answers. Bud laid out the paper and photograph of Orange on the table. All but Misty recognised what Bud had brought back with him. He must have gone back to his old room in the pavilion to retrieve the incomplete evidence that he has. From the first few days of the Skyline, when they were trapped in there, Dawn had unexpectedly given the Gang a clue. A photograph of the previous Skyline Gang. Like Bud had discovered with the photograph of Orange, one side of the picture had been torn, obscuring someone that was originally on the end. No one could work out who it was, what with everyone around them being very secretive and not saying anything of the past. Now it seemed that they had something valuable. Bud carefully brought the two together, being slow as if he were dealing with an explosive. Once the pair were together, a small light radiated from where the tare was. The photograph fused together, becoming one once again.

“The missing part of the photograph…” Dude finally stated the obvious as the light died away. At least some things appeared to be out to right. Orange was back where she belonged.

“Look! Their names!” Pip suddenly shouted, pointing wildly at the photograph. Everyone looked carefully. In addition to the photograph being put back together, the names of the Skyline Gang were finally revealed: Blue was Danny; Green was Sammy; Yellow was Melanie; Purple was Peppa; Pink was Charlie; Red was Bobby and Orange was OJ. Finally, a link, a true physical link to the past.

“Those weren’t there before.” Dude muttered, scratching his head a little.

“The photo was incomplete.” Bud concluded, tracing his finger along where the rip was. Nothing could be felt along that line. It was as if the photograph was never torn in the first place. “With so much that we still don’t know about the Skyline itself, I’d say that it has a hand in this.”

The magic that the Skyline seemed to hold, the magic that everyone could feel all around them everyday, it played an enigmatic hand in this business again. Nothing made sense but then again, did it really have to in this instance? With all the dark magic that they faced, it was pleasant to have some from the light for a change now that they were safely at home. Now they have names to go with these faces. The photograph that was missing so much was now finally complete, a true memory that deserved to be remembered.

“So what do we do with this?” Sprout asked, looking uncertain.

“I think we should put it up.” Dude answered right away. In all honesty, he always wanted to hang it up, complete or not. “Call me sentimental or whatever, but it feels wrong not knowing them or respecting them in some way. Even if OJ turned evil, it wasn’t her fault.”

“I’ll find a photo frame and give it a rockin’ cool design!” Pip jumped up, already racing up the staircase, with Rainbow nipping at her heels.

“I’ll help you look. Maybe there’s some in the attic.” Sprout called after her, his feet heavily pounding on the floorboards. A photo frame was a perfect idea. Decorating it might be excessive, but it felt like a nice idea too. Just something to make the past feel relevant.

“Who’s cooking tonight then?” Bud suddenly asked, wanting to break away from the awkward atmosphere.

“No one! Let’s just order a pizza!” Dude announced, just wanting to have an excuse to rest a bit more. The last thing he wanted was to cook or do anything for the next few days. Expect play some basketball of course.

“You know what? I’m throwing my diet out the window. Let’s go with that.” Mimi sighed, seemingly on board with it. Except for the beef burgers that Pip would make when it was her turn to cook, Mimi would rarely eat fast food. It was something about watching her weight or something like that. As Bud started to ask around about what everyone wanted, and as Dude made a move to the kitchen to find the number, Mimi’s eyes suddenly sparked as she remembered something. “By the way Dude, that spa day…”

“You weren’t joking?!” Dude exclaimed as Mimi followed him into the kitchen.

“Don’t worry. Considering what’s happened, I won’t go overboard.” She teased lightheartedly. Originally she had a longer list, but decided to cut down for Dude’s sake.

“What’s your definition of overboard then?” Dude fired back. Mimi’s joyous laugh filled the air, echoing around the house. Only Candi and Misty were left behind. Candi watched as her opposite picked up the photo, looking deeply at it. In a funny sort of way, because Dawn had played a part in her creation, Candi wondered if Misty beelined that she was looking at what could’ve been a potential mother figure. Potential to have a small family if things went the way that Dawn had planned (minus the possibility of Misty dying if Candi did too). Candi couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for Misty as she felt this longing and emptiness emanating from Misty. And confusion.

“Are you okay, Misty?” Candi asked, placing a hand on Misty’s shoulder. She half expected Misty to shove her away, like she usually would. Only she wasn’t. It was nice to not be pushed away.

“How come I’m still here?” Misty asked absentmindedly, putting the photograph down. How come she’s still alive? Maybe that’s what she meant. But Candi had a feeling that there was more to it than that. Misty looked back at her, green eyes dancing merrily with confusion and a little bit of fear. “Why bother keeping me around after what I’ve done to you all?”

“After stopping you know who, I think it feels right to give you a second chance.” Candi answered, smiling brightly. Honestly, she wanted to give a better answer. She wanted to offer more. However, something small and simple was just felt right to give right now.

“Even if I’m a mischief maker?” Misty asked, still confused.

“It would make our adventures more fun.” Candi smiled again, being brighter than the sun and all the stars in existence combined. She wrapped Misty up in a tight hug. Misty was stunned, not wanting to be close to anyone. She wanted to shove Candi away like she always did. She wanted to tease and run away. She wanted to cause mischief and trouble all over again. However, right now, that small part she often pushed back came through for her. Hesitantly, she returned the hug, wanting to feel like she belonged somewhere. She had a home. She had friends again. She finally knows where she can be and have a home. Even if she causes trouble for everyone, she had a feeling that they have her back whenever she needed them. And this time (for now) she won’t risk throwing it all away again. She won’t admit it, but she got a little bit of wisdom from this. She sighed in relief as it dawned on her that she was home at least. “Welcome back to the Skyline Gang.”

I hate writing endings…and this one just feels a bit bland but I couldn’t think of what else to write…

Hope you all enjoyed this sequel!

Epilogue: click HERE