Spyro II: Legend Fading

Backstory: Aquaphobia

Note: This entire chapter is dedicated to the backstory of one specific character. Nothing else will be written here.

Shimmering Shores, 3 years ago
Pearl's POV

My original name was actually Maya. I was born with white scales, alongside silver horns and undersides, living by the beaches of the Shimmering Depths. I was told it was a magical place where special dragons lived.
My younger self was so dazed by things like this.

I was 12 at the time. My sisters and I loved playing on the beaches: Making cool little structures with sand, playing tag, even splashing around in the water. From youngest to oldest it went: Me, Bailey and Summer. We spent all day messing around, all fun and games.

One day, Bailey suggested that we go swimming. I had never properly learned how to swim, so I was sceptical at first. I ended up hopping around on the rocks above the surface, following them around while they were actually in the water.
I never really liked the water. Something about never really enthused me. Perhaps it was because I was told there were dangerous creatures, like sharks and jellyfish. I'd be better if I was told that these things were only deeper in the ocean.

As I carried on hopping around, they kept insisting that I jumped in and joined them, but I consistently refused. They did eventually get me in, though I stayed very close to them the whole time. However, after a while, I grew to like it. I was beginning to teach myself how to swim too.
I remember dipping my head under the water once, and I remember seeing how beautiful it looked. I got my head up and took a breather, then swam back down and just began admiring it all.

I went to surface myself again, but this time I stopped halfway. I looked down, and my rear leg was stuck in something; I couldn't move it at all. I twisted and turned it in every direction, but it wasn't budging.
I started to panic, flailing my arms, hoping that one of my sisters would help me out of there, but none of them were anywhere near me. They'd already gone.
I struggled further until a small pain came over my chest. I clutched it and welled slightly underwater, letting out a small chunk of air. I held my mouth shut, not letting any air out.
Pressure began to build in my throat rapidly. It burned like a fire. Through my hands, more air was escaping. The pain got so bad that I released my hands from my mouth, exhaling in the water and releasing all my breath.

I held my neck in agony, once again desperately trying to resurface, but I wasn't rising. All I could do was try and fail.
Air was steadily getting out through my gritted teeth, the burning in my neck becoming more and more violent. At that point, I was guttering and coughing under the water, my breath draining with each one.
Then I held my throat again, stopping my movement entirely. I froze, floating lifelessly in the water, still attached to the thing I was stuck in.
I remember slowly sinking, trying to breath in, and getting nothing but water filling my lungs.
My grip on my throat loosened, and my vision faded to white.

Somehow, I regained my sense of sight. After I opened my eyes, I was still in the water, lying flat on the sand at the bottom, yet it was night time by now. Realising this, I immediately stopped my own breathing and flailed my rear leg, but I was able to move it now. I frantically swam up and began gasping for oxygen, coughing up a large group of water.

I looked around me. Nothing, and nobody, was here. I looked at my own hand, but it looked blue, light blue. I examined the rest of my body, and the rest of my body was also blue. My tail had even changed, now shaped like a fish's tail.

A mass of confusion and uneasiness came over me just then. I didn't know what happened to me, or how I was alive, but there I was.
I ran over to the home where my family lived, but as I burst through the door, there was nothing but silence. I couldn't find anybody in there at all. There was only a sign saying 'Rest in Peace Maya: 12 years old' and a tally on the walls counting months since my 'death.' There were over 36 white lines.

3 years. I'd been in that water for 3 years.

Depressed to my core, I wandered back outside and walked towards the water. I saw my reflection staring back at me. The only company I had was my own.
Trying desperately not to shed a tear, I ran up and jumped into the water. I swam directly down, placing myself underneath any solid object I found and stayed there. I held my breath for as long as I could before I began to struggle once again.
This time, instead of choking, I breathed in normally. Then I breathed out, normally.

Whilst trying to place myself where I should be, I found out what this god forsaken ocean had given me.

From then on, I travelled to the Shimmering Depths and found a small island with a volcano on it. There, I found two older dragons who took me as their own.
They trained me and cared for me, showing me how to use my abilities for good.
It's a shame. It would only be a few weeks before they were taken from me too. I should be grateful that Spyro came to help a few days later.

You know the rest of my story from this point onwards.

----------------------------------------------------

I didn't like writing this one, won't even lie to you.

It's been ya boi,
-Razer