Skyline Gang One Shots and Short Stories

Fears: Rainbow

Quick trigger warning for implications of animal abuse and neglect

Rainbow had always been a happy dog.

Ever since he gained his human friends, he couldn't be more happy. They're his human, his family. He loved them. And they loved him.

I mean, that's what he believed. They would always include him in shows as best they could. They would always give him the best food (and treats, especially juicy bones). They would take him on their adventures. They would walk him around the best places. They would play with him everyday. He would always be there when they needed him, especially Bud. They gave him a home. They did nothing that would make him think that they had never loved him.

So why did he have that nightmare?

No. He knows why.

Today was normal. Wake up, eat, join the Gang as they walked around the Skyline, meet and greet guests, do a couple of shows, play, eat some more and then wind down for the evening. Candi and Sprout played with him a little more than usual today. He played a bit of hide and seek with them. All three each took turns in seeking and ran about the Skyline to find the hiders. A couple of kids even joined in with hiding. The last time before the last show of the day was Rainbow's turn to seek. He trotted around as happy as can be. His nose picked up the siblings instantly. Sherlock Hound mode was activated. He was on the trail of Sprout and a couple of kids that he was hiding with, when he stumbled upon some teenagers. They weren't doing much, just standing around chatting. They were complaining about his friends. Not a big deal, he and the Gang were used to it. From making a mockery of Dude's name, to Sprout not being funny. However, one of them said something that made him feel down.

"You know what I think they should do? Get rid of the stupid dog. What worth is he to them? He's better off at a shelter or something."

Words. That's all they were. Just words. They meant nothing. Those humans didn't know what they were talking about. They didn't even know that Rainbow was there at all. He shook them off easier than fleas.

However, when the night came, and the Gang went to bed, Rainbow had the most awful nightmare. Rain, a storm. A car driving off. The words of those teenagers repeating over and over. The Gang having their backs to him, walking away into the darkness. Rainbow tried chasing after them, but it was like being on a treadmill. He tried to call out their names, but his voice was gone. Then he fell.

That's when he woke up!

He tried to sleep. That worry was just in his head.

But were the Gang still in this house? Or did they leave while he was sleeping?

———————————————————————————

Dude had been sleeping peacefully, just like everyone else had been doing. After a full day of work, he just crashed as soon as his head hit the pillow. In all honesty, that's a good thing. It meant that he would get a full night's sleep and feel refreshed for the morning ahead. Then something woke him up. It was quiet, so he tried to ignore it. Maybe it was something from outside. Just go back to sleep. However that noise persisted to keep him awake. An eye opened, starting to become annoyed. In a daze, he started to listen more carefully. A scratching noise? Dude let out a groan as he sat up. That had better not be rats or mice. The last thing that this house needs is a family of rodents taking up residence in the walls somewhere.

Dude listened more carefully. Maybe if he pinpoints where the noise was coming from, he could scare the rodents away by banging the specific spot. His grandma has done it before when he was a kid once. So maybe it'll work for him too. However, as he got to be more awake, he found that the noise wasn't coming from the walls or ceiling. It was coming from his door. The scratching started to become more persistent, more panicked even.