This is was requested by Snowfalledits and jennypickle20.
Both of them sounded like it would be good to combine them together. Also I'm going to continue this as a mini series as a small experiment.
Enjoy!
This was one of the few times aside from the Christmas period and most other holidays that the Skyline was closed. This gave the staff time with their families, and the resident Skyline Gang to relax. On days like this they could do whatever they wanted. Sometimes they went out for day trips or just hung around the Skyline. They even had a whole day spent in their pyjamas as an over exaggerated sleepover party since the weather was that terrible. This time they decided to stay a little closer to home. It was time for a day at the beach. No need to go too far, just jump across the road, pick a spot and just do whatever they wanted. The best part was that they went quite early so the beach was mostly quiet. Just a few early morning swimmers and a couple of dog walkers.
Dude started off with a short swim, but then ended up being caught up in a splash war with Candi, Pip and Sprout. Bud was with Rainbow exploring different rock pools and documenting what their findings were. Mimi was tanning, refusing to get her hair wet and full of sand. Misty was just sitting under a parasol that the Gang set up for some shade. She stayed safely perched on a towel, refusing to come off of it unless it was on her own terms.
Beaches weren't really her thing. She loathed sand. It just gets everywhere. There was also something rather unsettling about it. It wasn't serious, but she just felt a little uncomfortable whenever she ran on sand and her feet sunk in it. She always shook it off very quickly though. You can't just fall through sand unless it was quicksand, right? Anyway, she was outvoted in what the Gang wanted to do today. She wanted to check out a haunted house tour, while Mimi wanted to go to the stupid spa and Bud wanted to go to some dusty, boring museum. Everyone else decided on the beach and got to a small compromise.
After a couple of minutes, the splash war ended. The four participants called a truce and decided to take a break. Pip sat next to Mimi to have a quick chat about nothing in particular while helping herself to a drink from the cooler that the Gang brought. Candi, Dude and Sprout had wrapped themselves up in their dry robes for a bit, just unsure what to do for a minute. Then Dude decided to check on Bud and Rainbow, curious as to what their discoveries were. Misty didn't understand why Dude was such a nut for marine wildlife. It was just a bunch of fish. Nothing special. Candi and Sprout didn't join him, finding what he wanted to do boring as well.
"Let's build some sandcastles! I can go look for some shells!" Candi suddenly proposed. She loved building sandcastles. If she was lucky enough, she'd sometimes find tiny pieces of driftwood to play pretend as dolls. Sprout suddenly glanced at Misty. She had been sitting there on that towel doing nothing. Time to drag her into some fun, whether she wanted to or not.
"I've got a better idea! Let's bury Misty!" He announced, getting to the spot between where Misty was sitting and where Mimi was tanning. It was a gap of a few metres so it shouldn't bother Mimi too much. Misty smirked at the idea. Okay, she'll play along for a minute. She still hated sand. So once Sprout buried her, she'll just burst out and chase him as payback.
Suddenly, as Sprout started to dig a small pit for Misty to lie in, her heart rate spiked! She started to sweat a little, but it wasn't from the heat of the day. Her pupils dilated a little as she found it hard to breathe. Something felt awfully wrong. Was she afraid? No, she can't be afraid! She's a mischief maker, she isn't supposed to be afraid of anything. Sure she's had a couple of scares before, but nothing this bad. It was like the only thing she ever knew was being afraid in just a split second.
"That's not funny Sprout!" Misty suddenly shouted, getting to her feet. It was like a bomb had burst inside of her. Her voice was loud enough to catch everyone's attention. Even Dude and Bud froze to the spot after having heard that.
"Take it easy, Misty." Sprout stammered as he looked up at Misty. He shook a little as she glared down at him, angry and scared. He didn't understand. One second Misty was smirking, then literally the next, she was like this. What was with her all of a sudden?
"Just stay away from me!" Misty shouted, and without warning, kicked sand at Sprout in retaliation. The kick was hard enough to spray sand at Sprout and nearly caught Mimi. Sprout raised his arms to protect his face. Thankfully none of the sand got in his eyes. Misty didn't wait for the scolding. She just turned and ran away. Everyone else was still frozen in a state of shock and being appalled by Misty's actions. Just like Sprout, they had no clue as to what was going on. Misty and Sprout have fought before, plenty of times. However, this time, everything felt different. Nothing in the air felt like it was in the past.
"What happened?" Pip asked, glancing back and forth between Sprout and where Misty was running to.
"I don't know." Sprout stuttered, shaking sand off of himself. "I was just joking about burying Misty in the sand, and then she just freaked out."
Candi watched the entire exchange in silence. The two shells that she had found dropped from her hand. One pink, one a greyish white. She was going to give the grey one to Misty. Aside from the colour, both shells looked almost identical. They were opposites of each other. Just like Misty was Candi's opposite. She felt like something was wrong before Misty had her outburst. It was sharp like a needle and spread like electricity. It was so sudden that she flinched from it. And a misty having such a moment like that, it was clear to Candi as to where it came from. She never had a feeling like this, but there was this instinct inside her. It told her what was wrong with Misty.
Before everyone could snap out of their stunned state, Candi started running after picking up her shells. She followed Misty's sunken footprints. She could hear Sprout shouting after her, but he was stopped by Mimi. Everyone was letting Candi handle the situation. They collectively believed that she can work her magic in helping Misty. Candi was grateful that she was trusted with this. If anyone can get to the bottom of this, it's her. She knows what's wrong, but she needs to gently guide Misty to tell her on her own. She can't force out the issue.
Candi continued to follow Misty to a rocky part of the beach. It was far enough away from the Gang where they couldn't be heard. Good, they'll have some privacy. That'll make everything easier. Candi searched around for a minute. So far she couldn't find Misty. Not to mention, Misty's footprints had vanished, she must have scrambled over the rocks to keep herself from being discovered. Candi refused to give up. She needed to find Misty.
"Misty! Misty, where are you?" She called out over the screech of seagulls and crashing waves.
"Go away, Candi!" Misty's voice rang out like a church bell. That didn't deter Candi. It only strengthened her searching. She used that voice and her connections to Misty like a radar. If Misty responded back to Candi, it meant that she wasn't too far away now. Candi searched a bit more, and found Misty at last. She was huddled against a rock, almost blending into it as she was in the shade. Her eyes were still wide like dinner plates, and her body was trembling as if she was a power tool at a construction site. She glanced up at Candi, unimpressed by her visitor. She curled up even more, as if she was trying to shrink herself to the size of a mouse.
"Misty? Are you okay?" Candi asked, remaining where she was standing. She can't crowd Misty too much. She needs to be patient.
"I'm fine. Nothing is wrong." Misty said. She tried to raise her voice, and wanted to order Candi to go away again, but she couldn't. It was like she was tired and too weak to say anything else. She shook even more as she was mad at herself. She held herself tighter, her nails starting to dig into her skin. Candi bit her lip. She knows that Misty was lying. This only fuelled her to stand her ground even more. She doesn't care if Misty pushes her away in the end. She'll just keep trying. Cautiously, Candi knelt down on the sand after softly approaching Misty a little more. Misty tried glaring at her, but the best that she could do was frown a little.
"Misty, don't lie to me." Candi stated, her voice becoming firm. Don't give up, but continue to be gentle. Misty's frown lessened a little. "We're opposites, we have a connection. I know when something isn't right. You were afraid, weren't you?"
Misty flinched as she sat up straight in surprise. Her frown was wiped away and was re0laced by a look of surprise. Waves and seagulls replaced the silence between the two girls. It was calming. Nature had that effect on anyone. Even Misty had to admit that nature's magic worked on her. All the tension that she had just drained away.
"Can't hide anything from you." Misty shrugged in the end. She had a feeling that Candi won't let this go that easily. "You might be ditzy at times, but you can be sharp when it suits you."
Was that a backhanded compliment?
Oh well. Candi will take it without complaints.
She ended up sitting next to Misty, remaining silent. Let Misty take her time. She will tell Candi at her own time. If they stay here until the tide comes in or it starts to get dark, so be it. Candi knows that if she forces the issue, Misty will most likely shove her away and never talk about it again it again. Just let Misty come to Candi. Take the time that Misty needed.
"When Sprout said "let's bury Misty" I thought that I should humour him. Let him have some fun for once before scaring him or something." Misty started, smiling a little as she remembered her origins, plan. However, her smile faded as her shaking body shuddered even more. She just felt that awful feeling as she recalled that second that Sprout started digging and how it led to her lashing out. "But then...I don't know...when he started to dig near me, I just...something really strange happened. I suddenly felt afraid. And do you know what the worst part was? I couldn't even get the words out...I couldn't say that I was afraid..."
Shouting, lashing out and getting angry. That was the automatic defence that Misty used whenever she needed it. Lashing out sometimes works, even if she gets grounded by Dude in the end. No doubt he might do it again if she doesn't apologise to Sprout about kicking sand at him. But talking about her problems? She never thought to do so, because she thought that no one would listen to her. Especially with her track record of causing trouble. So to have Candi of all people to talk to felt nice. She felt better and almost forgot her troubles. Is this normal? Was she supposed to feel this uplifted? Whatever. She will ride this feeling for as long as she can, even if it lasts for a few seconds. Feeling Candi rub her back increased that feeling. Why did she never do this before again? Doesn't matter anymore. Just as long as she's not teased for it or something like that.
"Misty, it's okay to admit when you're afraid. There's no shame in it." Candi gently spoke, continuing to rub Misty's back.
"Not for me!" Misty shouted, throwing her arms up in the air. Candi backed off a little. Just let Misty shout. She kind of needs it. "I'm Misty the Mischief! I'm not supposed to be afraid!"
"That's not true. Being afraid, being scared, that's what makes you human." Candi smiled kindly and patiently. Misty stopped her rant. She couldn't spit out any other protest. She just looked at Candi with another stunned look on her face. Seeing this, Candi continued. "It proves to yourself that you're human, not just a being made up by magic. You're your own person Misty. We've told you this before. It's okay to be scared."
Is it really okay to be scared? From the second that she woke up into the world, Misty believe that she couldn't show that she was afraid. A couple of scares maybe. But the fear that she showed Candi and the others was different. Sometimes, Misty forgets that she's human because of how she was created. A being made up by magic like her can forget like that. So to be reminded that she's human felt nice. Just nice feelings like this, while it felt abnormal in a way, made her feel better. But as nice as this is, she can't get too soft now. She's got a reputation after all.
"Just don't tell Sprout. I don't want him to tease me." She said, trying to bring up the tough girl act.
"I don't think that's a good idea..." Candi sighed a little. Misty stayed quiet. Best let Candi say her peace. "If you want my honest opinion, I'm sure that he'll understand. Everyone will. We all have our fears, just like you."
Misty blinked twice at that. Would they understand? They're human, just like she's meant to be, right? Like Candi said, having something to fear is part of human nature. So they should understand. They've got their fears, so does Misty. There shouldn't be any problems.
Candi smiled widely before getting to her feet. She didn't hesitate in offering an open hand to Misty. The message was clear. Time to head back before the others get any ideas in trying to find them. Once Misty got to her feet, she was a little unsteady. Candi offered to help with balance but was refused. Misty took a few seconds, and finally she got a better centre of balance. Seeing that she was more steady, Candi continued to smile widely. She held out her hand, the grey shell in the centre of her palm. Misty hesitantly took it from her, knowing that she was being given this as a small gift. Usually, she wouldn't care. This time wouldn't have been any different. She changed her mindset when Candi showed her the pink shell. Both almost identical, just different colours. They were opposites of each other, just like Candi and Misty. Candi didn't stop smiling and pulled Misty into a big hug. Normally, Misty would shove Candi away. She wasn't big on hugs after all. However, for once, she allowed this. She honestly needed it. For the first time ever, she actually embraced Candi and her kindness.
After a few minutes, the two decided to head back to the others. Misty was calmer and just wanted to put this whole thing behind her. She snapped back to her normal self when she refused to hold Candi's hand while they walked. Candi wasn't put off by that like she normally would. It just told her that Misty was feeling better now. At least she didn't leave her shell behind. She just delicately put it in her pocket. The walk was calming and didn't have any more drama. As long as Sprout didn't try to force Misty to be buried in the sand, everything should remain to be okay. Hopefully.
So far, everyone didn't look upset. If anything, everything seemed to be normal. Bud was excitedly spouting out facts about the things he and Dude found in the rock pools to a very bored looking Pip. Mimi had moved to lie under the parasol now. She must have thought that she got too much sun. Dude was making a fuss of Rainbow. He had his dry robe off so he's probably going to have another swim or something soon. Sprout was still digging at that one spot. Misty felt her skin crawl. He was going to bury her! He's going to take revenge on her for kicking sand at him! He's going to bury her alive! He'll leave her to suffocate under the sand!
Candi sensed Misty's distress immediately. She gently placed a hand on the mischief's shoulder, Misty stared t her for a minute. No malice or teasing. Just a kind, understanding smile. Candi understands the dread she feels. So the others should too, right? Just as she was thinking that, Mimi spotted the two, lifting up her sunglasses to get a better look.
"Everything okay?" She asked as the two got closer. It caused everyone to stop what they were doing. All were curious and concerned.
"Yeah. Misty has something to say to Sprout." Candi gently said, stepping away from Misty. Misty looked at her with wide eyes. Was Candi throwing her in the deep end like that?! Then Candi mouthed "apologise". Oh. That. Okay, this she can do somewhat easily.
"I'm sorry for kicking sand at you." Misty sighed, trying to sound as genuine as she could.
"So you should be!" Sprout said, getting to his feet. Dude, unimpressed by Sprout's attitude, elbowed him in the arm. It snapped Sprout out of his grouchiness within a second. "I mean...no harm done."
Well at least that's part was over. However, Misty's dread came back when her eyes fell on the hole that Sprout dug. It wasn't deep. Just by a foot. It was long too. That wasn't Misty's height. Then again, Sprout probably didn't think to check if it was accurate. He must have thought that as long as he gets her in there, he'll happily take his revenge.
"Who is that for?" Misty asked, trying not to shake.
"Me apparently." Dude muttered, scratching the back of his neck. So that's why Dude had his dry robe off and the hole was the wrong length. It wasn't intended for her after all. "But if you still want to-"
"No!" Misty shouted in fear. She can't go in that hole! She won't! Candi once again worked to calm her down. She tenderly rubbed her back, working her magic. Rainbow joined in as he sensed Misty's discomfort. Misty stroked his head as she felt everyone else staring at her.
"Misty, are you okay?" Pip asked first. Misty looked at everyone, scanning them. Concern. That's all she saw. And patience. No rushing, just silence. Seagulls crying out and waves crashing on the sand. There was the sound of a couple of families arriving and setting up their own spots. Even a couple of dogs can be heard barking. The scent of the sea made Misty feel much calmer. Candi rubbing her back and Rainbow's soft fur encouraged her. She can tell everyone, right?
"I...I don't want to buried." She said, abnormally meek. Everyone kept silent. Misty swallowed whatever pride she had left right now. "I'm afraid..."
"You're afraid to be buried?" Bud asked, readjusting his glasses. Misty can't blame him for wanting confirmation. This was the first time that she had ever admitted her fears to all except Candi. She braced herself for being told to not be silly or for the teasing to start. She knows it's coming. Just get it over with already.
But those expectations never came.
Two hands were gently placed on her shoulders. Misty looked up in surprise. Dude stared back down at her, a calm smile gracing his lips. It was genuine. Wondering if it was some kind of trick, Misty looked at everyone else. They all had the same expression. No bad feelings or intent on teasing. Just compassion. Even Sprout didn't seize the opportunity to make a joke out her.
"Misty, it's okay. We won't force you." Dude kept smiling, rubbing Misty's shoulders for extra support. "And that was very brave of you to tell us. Well done."
"Thanks, Dude." Misty sighed, feeling like the weight of the world was taken off her shoulders. That small bit of praise helped too. Then her face turned into a mischievous grin. "Now get in the hole."
"Hang on-" Dude started to back away, but his fate was already sealed.
"Sprout! Rainbow! Help me hold him down!" Misty ordered, grabbing Dude's arm before he could say anymore.
"With pleasure!" Sprout grinned, grabbing Dude's other arm.
"Oh no! Help! I'm being ambushed!" Dude acted out as he pretended to be dragged across the sand. Normally he'd put match the two in strength. But for the sake of the game, he allowed himself to be shoved into the hole. Rainbow assisted by placing a paw on Dude's chest. He didn't put his full weight down, just enough to keep him still. Only Dude's head and neck were above the hole so he wouldn't be completely buried (secretly much to Misty's relief). "This is mutiny! Mutiny I say!"
"Tell us where the treasure is!" Pip grinned as she and Candi joined in.
"Never!" Dude laughed as sand started to be thrown over him. All for the sake of fun, he'll allow this. Misty laughed along with the game. She glanced over at Candi, who gave her a wide smile. And despite her fears, after talking about them, everything just felt right.
Taphophobia -fear of being buried alive
Artwork was done by me.