DISCLAIMER: Rainbow Brite, Rainbowland, and all
characters contained therein are the property of
Hallmark, Inc. I do not own them and I am not receiving
any profit. This work of fiction is intended solely for
the enjoyment of fans of this wonderful show.
Author's note: this story takes place about a year or
two after the TV series ends. "Speech," ~thoughts~.
Every ending is also a beginning...
FORKING PATHS
A Rainbow Brite Fan Fiction
by Cyanne
Patty O'Green skipped down the Color Castle stairs,
humming a cheery tune, a pair of skates slung over her
shoulder. She and her best friend, Rainbow Brite, were
going roller-skating today, and Patty could hardly
wait.
"Good morning, everyone!" she greeted the rest of
the Color Kids, most of which were busy loading their
morning batch of Star Sprinkles into the Color Console.
"Morning," they chorused back. Red Butler, an
adorable but arrogant little boy, performed a sweeping
bow. On cue, Lala Orange giggled. Patty ignored Red's
antics. ~All he ever does is show off~ she thought with
disgust. ~I don't know why Lala thinks he's so funny~
Patty found Buddy Blue infinitely more tolerable,
though she almost never spoke to him. She looked across
the room at another boy who was utterly absorbed in
bouncing a basketball: Buddy Blue, the only other male
Color Kid. Patty pursed her lips thoughtfully. Buddy
was hard to figure out sometimes. Sports, sports,
sports, was all Buddy thought about. The only time he
acknowledged anybody was when they mentioned sports,
and the only time he invited conversation was to
lecture them about the importance of eating healthy
food. Yet there was something about him that calmed
her, though she could never figure out what it was.
Maybe it was because Buddy never panicked; she'd never
seen him get mad like Red Butler did sometimes. And he
always got along well with everybody, even Krys, who
gave Red some heavy competition in the arrogance
department.
As if sensing her gaze, Buddy suddenly looked up,
surprising Patty. Automatically, she averted her eyes,
sitting down on the floor to put on her skates, even
though Rainbow had yet to arrive. She began gliding
around the room, practicing the new spin she had
learned. Around and around she went, just narrowly
missing the rest of the kids, and almost tripping over
Red's cape. When she smiled back at their surprise, she
forgot to look where she was going, and stumbled over
Buddy's basketball, just barely missing him.
"Ow!" she cried, landing on her already scabby
knees. "Keep your stupid ball out of my way!"
Buddy, who had grabbed his ball and was examining
it for damage, retorted: "Well, you should look where
you're going."
Patty scowled. "You're not supposed to play ball in
the Castle!"
"You're not supposed to skate in the Castle," Buddy
countered coolly.
Patty paused, trying to think of a suitable reply.
"Well, you..." she began, feeling her cheeks flush.
Just then, Twink, Rainbow's second-in-command and
favorite among the sprites, rushed in, breathless.
"Attention, please!"
The Color Kids stopped what they were doing. Twink
looked flustered, but that was hardly unusual. "Where's
Rainbow?" Red asked.
Twink stood importantly in the middle of the room.
"She's not here. There was trouble on Earth and she and
Starlight had to leave."
An "awww" of disappointment travelled around the
room.
Twink continued: "She said to keep the Color
Console running. Make sure there are enough Star
Sprinkles."
"She always says that," said Canary Yellow,
smiling.
Twink drew himself up straight, like a general.
"Now, everyone, get to work!" With that, he was gone.
The Color Kids laughed. Twink was so funny. He was
so concerned with pleasing Rainbow that he sometimes
forgot to do anything but fret.
Red Butler cleared his throat. "As the leader of
the Color Kids, I command that everyone make sure that
their section of the Color Console has enough Star
Sprinkles. Now get to work!" he said, imitating Twink.
Lala giggled again.
Patty rolled her eyes. Then she regarded her skates
with disappointment. No skating today. ~Oh, well~ she
thought, ~Rainbow will be back by lunchtime, and we can
eat together~
But Rainbow was not back by lunchtime. Patty,
sitting on the steps of the Color Castle, sighed
impatiently. There was nothing to do, and it looked
like Rainbow was going to be gone all day. Bored, she
got up and wandered outside to see what the other kids
were doing.
Canary Yellow and Indigo were jumping rope.
Ordinarily, Patty would have joined them, but today she
wasn't in the mood. Shy Violet was sitting under a tree
reading. Red and Buddy were kicking around a soccer
ball. Lala was sitting in the shade of another tree,
painting her nails. After a moment's consideration,
Patty approached her. "Hi, Lala."
Lala looked up. "Hi, Patty. Want some nail polish?"
Patty shook her head. "Can I sit down?"
"Sure." Lala moved over to make room. Patty sat
down with a sigh.
"There is nothing to do," she said.
"I know," Lala replied, scanning the area.
Suddenly, she sat up. "Hey, I know what we can do!"
"What?" Patty asked, interested.
"Come on!" Lala jumped to her feet, pulling Patty
with her.
"Where are we going?" Patty asked. Then she saw
where they were headed. Lala was pulling her over to
where Red and Buddy were playing soccer.
Lala stopped about six feet away from the boys.
"Let's watch the boys play, Patty."
"What for?" Patty asked. "They're just kicking a
ball around."
But Lala wasn't listening. She leaned close to
Patty and whispered, "Don't you think Red's cute?"
"Cute?" Patty repeated, incredulous. "Red?"
"I think he's cute," Lala sighed. "Ooh!" she
squealed, as Red kicked the ball past Buddy. "Yay,
Red!"
Red turned at the sound of her voice. Grinning, he
bowed again. Lala sighed.
Patty regarded Lala as if she'd grown a second
head. "Lala, this is boring. Can we go now?"
Lala, of course, didn't hear a word Patty said. She
was smiling at Red. "You're a really good soccer
player," she said.
Red's grin widened. "I know." Suddenly the soccer
ball hit him in the foot. Patty turned to see Buddy
regarding the scene with a level of impatience akin to
hers. Red gave it a swift kick back to its owner
without missing a beat. "Do you want to play, Lala?"
"Red!" Buddy exclaimed. "Girls can't play soccer!"
Patty decided to take back her decision that Buddy
was preferable to Red. "Who says!" she snapped at him.
Red ignored them both. "I'll teach you to play," he
said to Lala.
Lala looked like she was about to melt. "I'd like
that, Red Butler."
"Lala!" Patty exclaimed, at the same instant that
Buddy exclaimed, "Red!"
"Lala," Patty suggested, "let's go roller-skating."
For the first time, Lala actually looked at her.
"Don't you want to play soccer with the boys, Patty?"
"No, I want to skate."
"Then go skate," Red told her. "Lala's staying
here."
"Fine." Patty tried to keep the anger out of her
tone, but it seeped out anyway.
"You should watch your temper, Patty," Lala said
primly. "It isn't ladylike to get mad."
Patty glared at her, wishing that Rainbow was
around to settle this. ~She'd back me up~ Patty thought
with confidence. But Rainbow wasn't here, and there was
nothing Patty could do. Smug as he might be, Red was
still the leader of the Color Kids, and she couldn't
give him a piece of her mind without getting in
trouble. And Rainbow would certainly hear about it, and
be disappointed in Patty. So Patty swallowed her anger,
and turned to walk away.
Just then, the sound of horse's hooves pierced the
air. Patty stopped and looked up. Rainbow was coming
back! She and Starlight were galloping along the
rainbow toward the Castle. Patty ran with the rest of
the kids to form a circle around where Starlight would
land.
Starlight leapt off the rainbow, onto the roof of
the Castle, and leapt off that to land right in the
circle of Color Kids. Rainbow, her blond ponytail
swinging, greeted the kids cheerily: "Hello, everyone!"
"Welcome back, Rainbow," everyone chorused.
Rainbow dismounted. "Thank you, Starlight," she
said, patting his nose. "You did a good job." Then she
noticed Patty tapping her shoulder. "Hi, Patty!"
"Hi, Rainbow! Want to go roller-skating?"
Rainbow's grin faded a little. "Oh, I can't, Patty.
I have to go up to the Color Cave. Can we do it
tomorrow?"
Patty looked disappointed. "Just for a little
while?"
Rainbow shook her head. "I have a lot to do, Patty.
I'm really sorry."
Patty wanted to argue, but she knew that Rainbow
was the leader of Rainbowland and had a lot to do. But
sometimes, Patty thought to herself, it seemed like
Rainbow _always_ had something to do. Abruptly she
realized that Rainbow was looking at her expectantly.
"Tomorrow?" she offered.
"I promise," Rainbow grinned. Then she was off to
the Color Cave.
Patty watched her go, wondering what to do with
herself. She looked around. Red was pushing Lala on the
swing set. Patty wrinkled her nose in disgust. Everyone
else had gone inside, except for Buddy, who was
absently kicking around his soccer ball. Patty looked
off toward the Color Cave, wishing again that Rainbow
wasn't so busy all the time.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something
move. It was Buddy's soccer ball. Automatically, Patty
stopped it with her foot. Buddy saw where it had gone
and motioned her to bring it back. Remembering Buddy's
comment about girls playing soccer, Patty decided to
teach Buddy a lesson. She put the ball down and gave it
a good hard kick in Buddy's direction.
Instead of being caught off guard, as she had hoped
he would be, Buddy expertly stopped the ball with the
side of his foot. He regarded Patty with surprise.
"Good kick."
Patty met his gaze evenly. "Can I play?"
Buddy looked even more surprised. "Okay. I'll go
easy on you."
Patty bristled, but Buddy seemed not to notice how
tactless his comment had been. When he kicked the ball
toward her, Patty returned with an even harder kick.
As the game progressed, Buddy appeared to lose his
superior attitude. Sometimes he actually looked
impressed. Patty realized with surprise that she was
enjoying herself.
Absorbed in the game, neither of them noticed
Rainbow watching them until she cleared her throat.
"Oh, hi, Rainbow," Patty said, stopping the ball
under her foot.
"You're a pretty good soccer player, Patty,"
Rainbow complimented. "I never knew."
Patty shrugged modestly. "Want to play?"
Rainbow shook her head. "It's time for dinner."
It was then that Patty noticed the sun was setting.
She and Buddy had been playing for a long time. A quick
glance around told her that she and Buddy were the last
Kids to come inside for the evening meal. "Oh, sorry
Rainbow," Patty said sheepishly.
"It's okay. Come on, Buddy," Rainbow said.
"Right behind you." Buddy caught the ball Patty
kicked back at him and shifted it under his arm. Hand-
in-hand, Patty and Rainbow entered the Color Castle,
with Buddy trailing behind them.
As promised, Patty and Rainbow went roller-skating
the next day. Patty proudly showed off her new spin,
then taught it to Rainbow. They skated as fast as they
could around Rainbowland. They passed the field where
Buddy and Red were playing soccer again. Patty looked
around for Red's number one fan, but Lala was nowhere
to be seen. Red actually looked like he was absorbed in
the game.
Patty slowed down to watch. Red was good, she had
to admit, but Buddy was better. She watched as Red
faked left, then darted right. Buddy blocked him
expertly and stole the ball. Patty giggled.
The two boys looked up at the sound of her voice.
"Hi, Rainbow. Hi, Patty," Red said in his usually suave
way. Buddy mumbled a "hey."
"You guys having fun?" Rainbow asked. They nodded.
Red added:
"Want to play? I'll teach you."
Rainbow raised her eyebrows, smiling. "That's not
necessary, Red. I already know how to play soccer."
"Oh." Red looked slightly embarrassed. "Hey Patty,
do you want to learn?"
"I already know how to play, too," Patty told him.
"Right, Buddy?"
Buddy nodded at Red. Somewhat flustered, Red
shrugged, trying for nonchalance. "Okay, then. Have fun
skating."
Patty and Rainbow exchanged a conspirational
giggle. "Well, Patty, let's go," Rainbow said brightly.
"Oh, Red, Buddy, don't forget that there's singing
practice tonight. Meeting room, seven o'clock."
"Oh, yes, of course. Thank you, Rainbow," Red
replied, with his old self-assured confidence. "We'll
be there, won't we, Buddy?"
"Sure, Rainbow," Buddy replied, absorbed in the
game again. Patty and Rainbow skated off.
Fifteen minutes before rehearsal, Patty and Lala
were sitting on the floor of the meeting room, talking
about the upcoming Sprite Fair. Patty was insisting
that the roller-coaster was going to be the best ride,
and Lala was arguing in favor of the Ferris Wheel.
Red and Buddy entered the room, and Lala stopped
mid-sentence and squealed: "Red! Buddy! Come sit with
us!"
As the boys approached, Lala whispered to Patty,
"Doesn't Red look handsome?"
~Not this again~ Patty thought wearily.
Red performed his sweeping bow again, and Patty
couldn't help rolling her eyes in disdain.
"Red," Buddy whispered, within earshot of the
girls, "I wish you could see how dumb you look when you
do that."
"Shut up," Red shot back under his breath. He sat
down in front of Lala, yanking Buddy down with him.
They were now sitting in a square, boys on one side and
girls on the other. Lala was blushing and couldn't seem
to stop laughing.
"Do you like the song we're singing?" Lala asked,
giggling.
"'A Color Symphony'? Oh, yeah, it's great."
Buddy raised his eyebrows at Red. "That's not what
you told me."
Red shot him a reprimanding look. Buddy grinned
back.
Patty caught Buddy's eye. She nodded toward Red and
Lala and made a "can you believe these two" gesture.
Buddy shook his head in response.
Lala giggled at something Red said. "You're so
funny, Red."
Patty made a gagging motion with her finger. Buddy
grinned and made a "crazy" motion toward Red. Patty
smiled and giggled, surprising herself.
Then Buddy did a surprising thing: he moved over
and leaned against the wall next to her. Patty realized
with a start that she and Buddy were actually having a
conversation that didn't have to do with sports or
health food.
"Is Lala always like that?" Buddy asked. "Or just
around Red?"
Patty considered for a moment. "No, she's always
like this. She gets dumb around boys."
"Red's the same way with girls," Buddy sighed,
disgusted. "All that bowing and stuff. I think he looks
ridiculous."
"Me too," said Patty, wrinkling her nose. "How do
you stand him?"
"He's a cool guy," Buddy replied loyally. Then he
took another look at his friend. "Well, most of the
time."
Across the room, Rainbow watched Patty and Buddy
with curiosity. When had they become such good friends?
She knew they got along, but then again, Buddy got
along with everybody. Patty, on the other hand...well,
Rainbow knew what Patty thought of Red Butler. Rainbow
herself had noticed that he could be a little
overbearing at times. Still, Rainbow was happy that
Patty had other friends to play with while she was
away. As she heard Patty's laughter float across the
room, Rainbow was surprised to feel a tiny pang of
jealousy. ~That's silly~ she told herself. ~Patty's
still my best friend. Nothing can change that~
From then on, whenever Rainbow was off on
"business," as she called it, Patty spent her time with
Buddy. They got to be good friends. Patty discovered
that there was more to him than sports and Buddy seemed
to lose some of his initial shyness around girls. He'd
confided in her that he was mystified by girls like
Lala, who giggled at batted their eyelashes at boys
like fools, and Patty agreed. They played soccer and
sometimes basketball, and Patty taught Buddy to skate.
Patty was surprised at how much she and Buddy had in
common: they both loved to be outdoors and hated
sitting around doing nothing. Patty found Buddy
surprisingly easy to talk to, for a boy. There was
something about him that...well she couldn't describe
it, but it made her feel good. Often, she was almost
glad when a meadow on Earth lost its color, and Rainbow
and Starlight rode the rainbow to save it.
One morning several weeks later, Patty woke up in
happy anticipation. Today, Rainbow had promised that
her day would be free. Of course, she had no way of
knowing when some color catastrophe would happen, but
spring was well on its way, and Murky and Lurky had
been quiet for a long time. Patty had no idea what she
and Rainbow were going to do that day, but she knew she
couldn't wait. It had been an awfully long time since
she and Rainbow had done anything, just the two of
them, and as comforting as her friendship with Buddy
was, Patty still missed her best friend.
That morning, Patty pranced down the stairs to
breakfast, her braids bobbing. "Good morning,
everyone!" she sang.
"Morning, Patty," they chorused.
Patty took her seat around the round table, between
Canary Yellow and Buddy. "Morning, Canary. Morning,
Buddy!"
"Morning," he answered. "Hey, Patty, do you want to
play basketball later?"
"I can't. Rainbow and I are going to do something."
"Oh." He looked disappointed. "What are you going
to do?"
Patty shrugged happily. "I don't know." She heard
the sound of footsteps in the hall. "Here she comes!"
All of the kids regarded the door in anticipation.
But to their surprise, instead of Rainbow, Twink
emerged.
"Everyone!" shouted Twink. "I have an
announcement!"
"What is it, Twink?" asked Red Butler.
"Murky and Lurky built a blimp and flew to earth
with Murky's gloom machine. Rainbow and Starlight left
this morning. She said to tell you to carry on with
your duties, and she'll be back as soon as she can."
A murmur of concern rustled around. Murky Dismal!
How awful!
Patty felt like she was about to cry. But it wasn't
because Rainbow might be in danger; she knew that
Rainbow was perfectly capable of taking care of
herself. What stung Patty was that Rainbow had broken
her word. She had promised! Patty sensed she was being
irrational, but, Murky and Lurky or not, Rainbow had
_promised_.
"Oh, and Patty?" continued Twink.
Patty answered softly, "What?"
Twink lowered his voice respectfully. "Rainbow said
to tell you she's sorry."
Patty felt her lower lip begin to tremble. She
pushed away her cereal. Suddenly she was aware that
everyone was regarding her curiously.
"Patty, are you okay?" Canary inquired, sounding
concerned.
"Patty?" Buddy asked.
Patty felt like she was going to explode. Abruptly,
she pushed back her chair and ran out of the room.
She kept running until she was outside. In the
clear morning air, she could breathe again. And that
weird feeling in her chest, like someone was standing
on it, went away. Patty took deep breaths, to make her
heart slow down. She couldn't stop thinking, ~It's not
fair, it's not fair!~ And then that weird feeling in
her chest came back. Patty sat down in the shade of a
tree to make the feeling go away.
Suddenly, someone emerged from the Castle. Patty
looked up curiously, and was surprised to see that it
was Buddy. What was he doing out here? Probably looking
for his soccer ball, she decided. Then she noticed that
he was walking over to her. Puzzled, she silently
watched him approach.
"Hey, are you okay?" he asked.
"Yeah," Patty said guardedly. What was this? This
wasn't like Buddy at all. "What do you want?"
Buddy shrugged uncomfortably. "I don't know." He
seemed to hesitate for a moment. Then: "Just--just
wanted to see if you were okay," he finished quickly.
Patty sniffled and looked up at him curiously. He'd
come all the way out here to--wait a minute. "Did Red
tell you to come out here and check on me?" she asked
crossly. "Because I can take care of myself, and I'm
FINE."
Buddy shook his head emphatically. "No, no one told
me." Suddenly, he flushed, and shoved his hands into
his pockets uncomfortably.
Patty, even at this young age, was pretty
perceptive. She knew then that she had made a friend
for life.
Patty woke up one morning a month and a half later
anticipating a hiking trip with Buddy in the mountains
that surrounded Rainbowland. Rainbow was out of the way
because a huge forest had burnt down on Earth, and she
had announced yesterday that she would probably be gone
at least two days. Of this Patty was glad, because
lately, a new tension had developed between her and
Rainbow. Rainbow was absent from Rainbowland almost
every day, and Patty had ceased to expect their old
camaraderie on the seldom occasions when Rainbow had a
free moment. She now spent almost all of her free time
with Buddy. Patty was so comfortable around him that
she sometimes found it hard to believe they'd only been
close friends for a month or two.
Patty did not know what Rainbow thought of her
friendship with Buddy. But Patty had seen a flash of
hurt in Rainbow's eyes more than once, though Rainbow
had yet to comment on the matter. Patty might have felt
guilty, if not for the still-fresh memory of her own
hurt and resentment at being shoved aside whenever a
frog's left leg on Earth lost its color.
That morning, Patty skipped breakfast in order to
pack for the trip. When she was finished, she slung her
bag over her shoulder and skipped down the Castle steps
to where Buddy was waiting for her by the door. "Took
you long enough," he grumbled good-naturedly.
"Be quiet and let's go," Patty replied, with equal
cheer. She strode out the door, and froze.
Rainbow was standing there, arms crossed and her
face sad.
Patty stared, unable to speak. Behind her, Buddy
asked, "Is something wrong?"
"Buddy," Rainbow said evenly, "Can I talk to Patty
alone, please?"
"Sure," Buddy said, bewildered. He went back inside
the Castle.
Patty was unsure of what to do. "Is something
wrong, Rainbow? Do you need me to help you?"
"No, I just got back early. Do you want to roller
skate?"
Patty hesitated. "Well, Buddy and I are going
hiking today."
"Tomorrow, then?"
Again Patty hesitated. "Well, tomorrow's the Sprite
Fair, and I kinda told Buddy I'd ride the roller
coaster with him."
"I see." Rainbow looked at her feet. "It seems like
you're spending a lot of time with Buddy."
"Well..." Patty decided to tell the truth. "You're
almost never here, Rainbow. You're always out with
Starlight, on Earth or with Brian or with Krys, or
fighting Murky and Lurky. And when you are in
Rainbowland, you're always at the Color Caves or at the
Color Console or working on something with Violet. What
am I supposed to do when my best friend is never
around?" Deep hurt and buried resentment crept
unintended into her tone, but she faced Rainbow
bravely.
Rainbow looked hurt as well. "I'm sorry I'm not
always here for you, Patty," Rainbow said quietly,"but
I have--"
"A lot of work to do, I know," Patty finished. "You
_always_ have a lot of work to do, Rainbow."
"Patty, I have a responsibility--"
Suddenly Patty was tired of listening to Rainbow's
excuses. "Well, maybe if you have responsl--responslib-
-whatever you have, you don't need a best friend!"
"I do need a best friend! But best friends are
supposed to understand! Patty," Rainbow rationalized,
"I had to work hard to get where I am."
"Oh, yeah," Patty spat, "I almost forgot that
you're the great Rainbow Brite, but you're also _my_
best friend!"
"I know that! But Rainbowland means so much to me
that sometimes I have to be Rainbow Brite, not Patty
O'Green's best friend!"
Patty's eyes widened. "You mean your work is more
important than me?"
"Of course! No, wait, I mean--it has to be! Don't
you under--"
Patty interrupted angrily. "I understand, all
right!"
"Patty, there is a tremendous responsibility in
being me!
Patty was beginning to lose control. "You think
you're so perfect." Her tone became mocking. "Brave,
heroic Rainbow Brite, saved Rainbowland from
darkness--"
"You have no idea what I went through--" Rainbow
began hotly.
"I know _exactly_ what you went through," Patty
snapped, "because I was LIVING in that dark, horrible
world before you even got there!"
Temporarily subdued, Rainbow paused for a moment.
"But I was chosen--" she stammered.
"By who?" Patty challenged. "You're not even _from_
this world, Rainbow! I was already living here--and so
were the rest of the Color Kids--when you came. We'd
been living here for centuries! Nobody asked _us_ if we
wanted some strange girl from a faraway planet to
rescue us!"
"But you needed me! This world needed me!"
"That doesn't give you any right to boss everyone
around!"
Rainbow stared at her in shock. "What are you
saying, Patty?"
"I'm saying I've had enough. Forget your
responsbli-responsilb--your duty, Rainbow Brite and
FORGET YOU!" ~What am I doing?~ Patty wondered
absently. But there was no stopping the flood of
emotions that had taken her over.
Rainbow had turned white. "Are you--are you...is
this...?"
"You're not my best friend anymore, Rainbow. Buddy
is. I don't want a best friend who has no time for me."
Rainbow's outraged pallor was softened by the tears
shimmering in her eyes. "I can't believe you're saying
this. But if that's how you feel..." Without finishing
her sentence, Rainbow stalked past Patty into the Color
Castle.
Patty felt as if she were carved from ice. She
could hardly believe what had just come out of her
mouth, but she knew she believed it; she just hadn't
realized it. She really _was_ tired of Rainbow always
having her way, and always pushing her aside in favor
of Starlight and the rainbow and her "duty." Patty
realized that these feelings had been laying dormant
inside her mind for a long time. She felt years older.
Dazed, she sank to the ground. How had a simple fight
with a friend turned into rebellion? Because that was
what this was, Patty realized. There was no going back
now.
Shaking and near tears, she hauled her backpack
onto her shoulder from where it had fallen recklessly
on the ground. Then she remembered Buddy. Had he heard
all that? She turned quickly, but he was nowhere to be
seen.
Patty stood at a loss for a moment, then walked
back into the castle, carefully considering her next
move. She had no idea where Buddy was, and if he had
heard--he might take Rainbow's side. Patty froze with
the horror of that thought. Buddy, her friend--her
_best_ friend, she amended--just _had_ to be on her
side, didn't he?
Before Patty went to dinner that evening, she
carefully prepared herself. No doubt the story had gone
around Rainbowland, and who knew what the other kids
would have to say about it. She knew she had to hold
firm to her position, however daring, because Patty
hated someone who went back on their word.
The dining room sparkled with its usual
conversation. But as soon as Patty entered, it abruptly
ceased. As she strode to her usual seat, Patty could
feel six pairs of eyes staring at her. A quick glance
around told her that she was in bigger trouble that
she'd imagined. The other Kids' gazes were shocked and
accusing. Suddenly afraid, Patty considered leaving
again, but somehow could not make herself do it. She
looked at Buddy, but he wouldn't meet her eye.
"Hi, Canary," Patty said as she took her seat.
No response.
Frowning, Patty turned to Buddy. "Hi, Buddy."
He looked intensely uncomfortable. "Hey," he
mumbled.
Patty suddenly felt as if she was about to cry. She
looked around the table. "Hello, everyone."
Silence. ~I will not cry~ Patty admonished herself,
~I will NOT~
Rainbow entered the room. Everyone but Patty
chorused a "hello." Patty sat up straight. She no
longer felt like crying. She felt strong and proud.
~She can't make me take it back~ Patty thought, ~I
won't let her~
Rainbow, instead of sitting down, continued to
stand, as if she was about to make a speech. Patty
jumped when she heard herself addressed:
"Patty?" Rainbow said coldly. "Have you thought
about what you said to me earlier today?"
Patty looked her in the eye. "Yes."
"Do you want to take it back? I'll forgive you."
Patty fixed Rainbow with a cold stare. ~You can't
intimidate me~ she thought. "No."
A gasp of shock from the rest of the kids.
Rainbow looked at a loss for a moment. Then, with
determination: "Fine. Then I am hereby placing you on
probation."
"What?!"
"For my power to work, I need all of the Color Kids
behind me. You made it clear this afternoon that you
are no longer willing to support me. Therefore I'm
suspending you from your duties until--"
Buddy burst out: "You can't do that!"
Rainbow stared at Buddy in surprise. "Buddy, not
you, too," she said in dismay.
Buddy hesitated. "I'm not saying I agree with what
Patty said, but...you can't kick her out of the Color
Kids. She's a part of us."
"I'm not kicking her out," Rainbow explained. "I'm
placing her on probation. Someone else will take over
her duties until she changes her attitude. I need all
of you to work as a team, and as long as Patty
continues to behave like this, I can't count on the
support of her color, and my power is weakened.
"Most of you think my power is based on myself, but
that's not true," Rainbow continued. "My power depends
on my friends, and their faith in me. While it's true I
can't use my power unless I believe in myself, I can't
believe in myself if my friends don't believe in me."
Patty felt her stomach sink. She hadn't thought of
it that way, that her personal rebellion might disrupt
the collective harmony of the rainbow. She began to
understand just how seriously her actions had affected
Rainbow and the other Color Kids. But still, she'd
meant what she'd said, and she believed she'd had the
right to say it. ~How can I support Rainbow and deny
own feelings?~ she wondered.
Then she became aware that Buddy and Rainbow were
still arguing. As she listened to the exchange, she was
stunned. Buddy was defending her!
Rainbow's cheeks her flushed. "As Rainbow Brite, I
have a responsibility to maintain harmony in
Rainbowland. I'm doing this for the good of the
rainbow. Patty just needs time to think about what
she's done, and how it affects our work. I'm sure
she'll see things my way, and we can forget this whole
thing. But until then, I have to teach her a lesson,
and," her voice softened, "I am sorry, Buddy, but
there's nothing you can do about it."
Patty stood up from her seat. "I'll never see
things your way, Rainbow Brite, not if you put me on
probation for the rest of my life!" She stomped proudly
out of the room.
What happened next the Color Kids would remember
forever. Hesitating only half a moment, Buddy stood up
from the table and announced: "If Patty goes, then I go
too!" With that, he was gone.
The silence around the table was deafening. No one
could believe what they had just witnessed. How dared
Patty! And how dared Buddy!
"Well, Rainbow," Red asked carefully, hoping she
wouldn't blame him for Patty's outburst. He was, after
all, leader of the Color Kids and responsible for their
actions. "What are we going to do now?"
Rainbow's eyes were red with unshed tears. "We're
going to sit here and eat dinner," she said quietly,
controlling her tone with noticeable effort.
"But what about--" Indigo began.
"Let them go," said Rainbow.
Patty stood out in the hall, leaning against the
wall to catch her excited breath. She'd stood up to
Rainbow Brite! She felt as if she could do anything in
the world.
She heard someone else in the corridor, coming
closer. Buddy came around the corner, slightly out of
breath as well. He stopped as if unsure of what to do.
"Hi," he finally said.
"What are you doing out here?" Patty asked.
"I left," Buddy said nonchalantly.
Patty's mouth dropped open. "Why?"
"I don't think what Rainbow did was fair."
Patty could hardly believe her ears. "You
left...for me?"
Buddy looked suddenly uncomfortable. "Uh,
well...yeah," he finished, almost defiantly.
Patty hesitated. "Did you hear what I said to
Rainbow earlier?" Half of her hoped that he hadn't, the
other hoped that he had.
Buddy looked at his feet. "Yeah, I did."
Patty prepared herself for the defensive. "Do you
think I was right?"
Buddy continued to stare at his feet. "Well, I
wasn't sure at first. I mean, you just don't tell off
Rainbow Brite. But..." he trailed off.
"What?"
Buddy shoved his hands into his pockets. "I don't
want her to kick you out of the Color Kids," he
finished self-consciously.
Patty looked at her feet, too. "But she did," she
said, allowing sadness to creep into her voice.
"No, she didn't!" Buddy exclaimed. When she looked
up in surprise at his forceful tone, he stammered, "I
mean..." he sighed. "I don't want you to leave."
Patty smiled again. "Friends?" She extended her
hand. "Best friends?"
Buddy took it. "You bet."
"Yes!" Patty cried. "You are the _best_ best friend
ever!" She threw her arms around him and hugged him.
He pulled away in embarrassment. "Aww, knock it
off." But he was smiling. "Hey, am I going to regret
this?"
"I don't know," she answered honestly.
FIN
characters contained therein are the property of
Hallmark, Inc. I do not own them and I am not receiving
any profit. This work of fiction is intended solely for
the enjoyment of fans of this wonderful show.
Author's note: this story takes place about a year or
two after the TV series ends. "Speech," ~thoughts~.
Every ending is also a beginning...
FORKING PATHS
A Rainbow Brite Fan Fiction
by Cyanne
Patty O'Green skipped down the Color Castle stairs,
humming a cheery tune, a pair of skates slung over her
shoulder. She and her best friend, Rainbow Brite, were
going roller-skating today, and Patty could hardly
wait.
"Good morning, everyone!" she greeted the rest of
the Color Kids, most of which were busy loading their
morning batch of Star Sprinkles into the Color Console.
"Morning," they chorused back. Red Butler, an
adorable but arrogant little boy, performed a sweeping
bow. On cue, Lala Orange giggled. Patty ignored Red's
antics. ~All he ever does is show off~ she thought with
disgust. ~I don't know why Lala thinks he's so funny~
Patty found Buddy Blue infinitely more tolerable,
though she almost never spoke to him. She looked across
the room at another boy who was utterly absorbed in
bouncing a basketball: Buddy Blue, the only other male
Color Kid. Patty pursed her lips thoughtfully. Buddy
was hard to figure out sometimes. Sports, sports,
sports, was all Buddy thought about. The only time he
acknowledged anybody was when they mentioned sports,
and the only time he invited conversation was to
lecture them about the importance of eating healthy
food. Yet there was something about him that calmed
her, though she could never figure out what it was.
Maybe it was because Buddy never panicked; she'd never
seen him get mad like Red Butler did sometimes. And he
always got along well with everybody, even Krys, who
gave Red some heavy competition in the arrogance
department.
As if sensing her gaze, Buddy suddenly looked up,
surprising Patty. Automatically, she averted her eyes,
sitting down on the floor to put on her skates, even
though Rainbow had yet to arrive. She began gliding
around the room, practicing the new spin she had
learned. Around and around she went, just narrowly
missing the rest of the kids, and almost tripping over
Red's cape. When she smiled back at their surprise, she
forgot to look where she was going, and stumbled over
Buddy's basketball, just barely missing him.
"Ow!" she cried, landing on her already scabby
knees. "Keep your stupid ball out of my way!"
Buddy, who had grabbed his ball and was examining
it for damage, retorted: "Well, you should look where
you're going."
Patty scowled. "You're not supposed to play ball in
the Castle!"
"You're not supposed to skate in the Castle," Buddy
countered coolly.
Patty paused, trying to think of a suitable reply.
"Well, you..." she began, feeling her cheeks flush.
Just then, Twink, Rainbow's second-in-command and
favorite among the sprites, rushed in, breathless.
"Attention, please!"
The Color Kids stopped what they were doing. Twink
looked flustered, but that was hardly unusual. "Where's
Rainbow?" Red asked.
Twink stood importantly in the middle of the room.
"She's not here. There was trouble on Earth and she and
Starlight had to leave."
An "awww" of disappointment travelled around the
room.
Twink continued: "She said to keep the Color
Console running. Make sure there are enough Star
Sprinkles."
"She always says that," said Canary Yellow,
smiling.
Twink drew himself up straight, like a general.
"Now, everyone, get to work!" With that, he was gone.
The Color Kids laughed. Twink was so funny. He was
so concerned with pleasing Rainbow that he sometimes
forgot to do anything but fret.
Red Butler cleared his throat. "As the leader of
the Color Kids, I command that everyone make sure that
their section of the Color Console has enough Star
Sprinkles. Now get to work!" he said, imitating Twink.
Lala giggled again.
Patty rolled her eyes. Then she regarded her skates
with disappointment. No skating today. ~Oh, well~ she
thought, ~Rainbow will be back by lunchtime, and we can
eat together~
But Rainbow was not back by lunchtime. Patty,
sitting on the steps of the Color Castle, sighed
impatiently. There was nothing to do, and it looked
like Rainbow was going to be gone all day. Bored, she
got up and wandered outside to see what the other kids
were doing.
Canary Yellow and Indigo were jumping rope.
Ordinarily, Patty would have joined them, but today she
wasn't in the mood. Shy Violet was sitting under a tree
reading. Red and Buddy were kicking around a soccer
ball. Lala was sitting in the shade of another tree,
painting her nails. After a moment's consideration,
Patty approached her. "Hi, Lala."
Lala looked up. "Hi, Patty. Want some nail polish?"
Patty shook her head. "Can I sit down?"
"Sure." Lala moved over to make room. Patty sat
down with a sigh.
"There is nothing to do," she said.
"I know," Lala replied, scanning the area.
Suddenly, she sat up. "Hey, I know what we can do!"
"What?" Patty asked, interested.
"Come on!" Lala jumped to her feet, pulling Patty
with her.
"Where are we going?" Patty asked. Then she saw
where they were headed. Lala was pulling her over to
where Red and Buddy were playing soccer.
Lala stopped about six feet away from the boys.
"Let's watch the boys play, Patty."
"What for?" Patty asked. "They're just kicking a
ball around."
But Lala wasn't listening. She leaned close to
Patty and whispered, "Don't you think Red's cute?"
"Cute?" Patty repeated, incredulous. "Red?"
"I think he's cute," Lala sighed. "Ooh!" she
squealed, as Red kicked the ball past Buddy. "Yay,
Red!"
Red turned at the sound of her voice. Grinning, he
bowed again. Lala sighed.
Patty regarded Lala as if she'd grown a second
head. "Lala, this is boring. Can we go now?"
Lala, of course, didn't hear a word Patty said. She
was smiling at Red. "You're a really good soccer
player," she said.
Red's grin widened. "I know." Suddenly the soccer
ball hit him in the foot. Patty turned to see Buddy
regarding the scene with a level of impatience akin to
hers. Red gave it a swift kick back to its owner
without missing a beat. "Do you want to play, Lala?"
"Red!" Buddy exclaimed. "Girls can't play soccer!"
Patty decided to take back her decision that Buddy
was preferable to Red. "Who says!" she snapped at him.
Red ignored them both. "I'll teach you to play," he
said to Lala.
Lala looked like she was about to melt. "I'd like
that, Red Butler."
"Lala!" Patty exclaimed, at the same instant that
Buddy exclaimed, "Red!"
"Lala," Patty suggested, "let's go roller-skating."
For the first time, Lala actually looked at her.
"Don't you want to play soccer with the boys, Patty?"
"No, I want to skate."
"Then go skate," Red told her. "Lala's staying
here."
"Fine." Patty tried to keep the anger out of her
tone, but it seeped out anyway.
"You should watch your temper, Patty," Lala said
primly. "It isn't ladylike to get mad."
Patty glared at her, wishing that Rainbow was
around to settle this. ~She'd back me up~ Patty thought
with confidence. But Rainbow wasn't here, and there was
nothing Patty could do. Smug as he might be, Red was
still the leader of the Color Kids, and she couldn't
give him a piece of her mind without getting in
trouble. And Rainbow would certainly hear about it, and
be disappointed in Patty. So Patty swallowed her anger,
and turned to walk away.
Just then, the sound of horse's hooves pierced the
air. Patty stopped and looked up. Rainbow was coming
back! She and Starlight were galloping along the
rainbow toward the Castle. Patty ran with the rest of
the kids to form a circle around where Starlight would
land.
Starlight leapt off the rainbow, onto the roof of
the Castle, and leapt off that to land right in the
circle of Color Kids. Rainbow, her blond ponytail
swinging, greeted the kids cheerily: "Hello, everyone!"
"Welcome back, Rainbow," everyone chorused.
Rainbow dismounted. "Thank you, Starlight," she
said, patting his nose. "You did a good job." Then she
noticed Patty tapping her shoulder. "Hi, Patty!"
"Hi, Rainbow! Want to go roller-skating?"
Rainbow's grin faded a little. "Oh, I can't, Patty.
I have to go up to the Color Cave. Can we do it
tomorrow?"
Patty looked disappointed. "Just for a little
while?"
Rainbow shook her head. "I have a lot to do, Patty.
I'm really sorry."
Patty wanted to argue, but she knew that Rainbow
was the leader of Rainbowland and had a lot to do. But
sometimes, Patty thought to herself, it seemed like
Rainbow _always_ had something to do. Abruptly she
realized that Rainbow was looking at her expectantly.
"Tomorrow?" she offered.
"I promise," Rainbow grinned. Then she was off to
the Color Cave.
Patty watched her go, wondering what to do with
herself. She looked around. Red was pushing Lala on the
swing set. Patty wrinkled her nose in disgust. Everyone
else had gone inside, except for Buddy, who was
absently kicking around his soccer ball. Patty looked
off toward the Color Cave, wishing again that Rainbow
wasn't so busy all the time.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something
move. It was Buddy's soccer ball. Automatically, Patty
stopped it with her foot. Buddy saw where it had gone
and motioned her to bring it back. Remembering Buddy's
comment about girls playing soccer, Patty decided to
teach Buddy a lesson. She put the ball down and gave it
a good hard kick in Buddy's direction.
Instead of being caught off guard, as she had hoped
he would be, Buddy expertly stopped the ball with the
side of his foot. He regarded Patty with surprise.
"Good kick."
Patty met his gaze evenly. "Can I play?"
Buddy looked even more surprised. "Okay. I'll go
easy on you."
Patty bristled, but Buddy seemed not to notice how
tactless his comment had been. When he kicked the ball
toward her, Patty returned with an even harder kick.
As the game progressed, Buddy appeared to lose his
superior attitude. Sometimes he actually looked
impressed. Patty realized with surprise that she was
enjoying herself.
Absorbed in the game, neither of them noticed
Rainbow watching them until she cleared her throat.
"Oh, hi, Rainbow," Patty said, stopping the ball
under her foot.
"You're a pretty good soccer player, Patty,"
Rainbow complimented. "I never knew."
Patty shrugged modestly. "Want to play?"
Rainbow shook her head. "It's time for dinner."
It was then that Patty noticed the sun was setting.
She and Buddy had been playing for a long time. A quick
glance around told her that she and Buddy were the last
Kids to come inside for the evening meal. "Oh, sorry
Rainbow," Patty said sheepishly.
"It's okay. Come on, Buddy," Rainbow said.
"Right behind you." Buddy caught the ball Patty
kicked back at him and shifted it under his arm. Hand-
in-hand, Patty and Rainbow entered the Color Castle,
with Buddy trailing behind them.
As promised, Patty and Rainbow went roller-skating
the next day. Patty proudly showed off her new spin,
then taught it to Rainbow. They skated as fast as they
could around Rainbowland. They passed the field where
Buddy and Red were playing soccer again. Patty looked
around for Red's number one fan, but Lala was nowhere
to be seen. Red actually looked like he was absorbed in
the game.
Patty slowed down to watch. Red was good, she had
to admit, but Buddy was better. She watched as Red
faked left, then darted right. Buddy blocked him
expertly and stole the ball. Patty giggled.
The two boys looked up at the sound of her voice.
"Hi, Rainbow. Hi, Patty," Red said in his usually suave
way. Buddy mumbled a "hey."
"You guys having fun?" Rainbow asked. They nodded.
Red added:
"Want to play? I'll teach you."
Rainbow raised her eyebrows, smiling. "That's not
necessary, Red. I already know how to play soccer."
"Oh." Red looked slightly embarrassed. "Hey Patty,
do you want to learn?"
"I already know how to play, too," Patty told him.
"Right, Buddy?"
Buddy nodded at Red. Somewhat flustered, Red
shrugged, trying for nonchalance. "Okay, then. Have fun
skating."
Patty and Rainbow exchanged a conspirational
giggle. "Well, Patty, let's go," Rainbow said brightly.
"Oh, Red, Buddy, don't forget that there's singing
practice tonight. Meeting room, seven o'clock."
"Oh, yes, of course. Thank you, Rainbow," Red
replied, with his old self-assured confidence. "We'll
be there, won't we, Buddy?"
"Sure, Rainbow," Buddy replied, absorbed in the
game again. Patty and Rainbow skated off.
Fifteen minutes before rehearsal, Patty and Lala
were sitting on the floor of the meeting room, talking
about the upcoming Sprite Fair. Patty was insisting
that the roller-coaster was going to be the best ride,
and Lala was arguing in favor of the Ferris Wheel.
Red and Buddy entered the room, and Lala stopped
mid-sentence and squealed: "Red! Buddy! Come sit with
us!"
As the boys approached, Lala whispered to Patty,
"Doesn't Red look handsome?"
~Not this again~ Patty thought wearily.
Red performed his sweeping bow again, and Patty
couldn't help rolling her eyes in disdain.
"Red," Buddy whispered, within earshot of the
girls, "I wish you could see how dumb you look when you
do that."
"Shut up," Red shot back under his breath. He sat
down in front of Lala, yanking Buddy down with him.
They were now sitting in a square, boys on one side and
girls on the other. Lala was blushing and couldn't seem
to stop laughing.
"Do you like the song we're singing?" Lala asked,
giggling.
"'A Color Symphony'? Oh, yeah, it's great."
Buddy raised his eyebrows at Red. "That's not what
you told me."
Red shot him a reprimanding look. Buddy grinned
back.
Patty caught Buddy's eye. She nodded toward Red and
Lala and made a "can you believe these two" gesture.
Buddy shook his head in response.
Lala giggled at something Red said. "You're so
funny, Red."
Patty made a gagging motion with her finger. Buddy
grinned and made a "crazy" motion toward Red. Patty
smiled and giggled, surprising herself.
Then Buddy did a surprising thing: he moved over
and leaned against the wall next to her. Patty realized
with a start that she and Buddy were actually having a
conversation that didn't have to do with sports or
health food.
"Is Lala always like that?" Buddy asked. "Or just
around Red?"
Patty considered for a moment. "No, she's always
like this. She gets dumb around boys."
"Red's the same way with girls," Buddy sighed,
disgusted. "All that bowing and stuff. I think he looks
ridiculous."
"Me too," said Patty, wrinkling her nose. "How do
you stand him?"
"He's a cool guy," Buddy replied loyally. Then he
took another look at his friend. "Well, most of the
time."
Across the room, Rainbow watched Patty and Buddy
with curiosity. When had they become such good friends?
She knew they got along, but then again, Buddy got
along with everybody. Patty, on the other hand...well,
Rainbow knew what Patty thought of Red Butler. Rainbow
herself had noticed that he could be a little
overbearing at times. Still, Rainbow was happy that
Patty had other friends to play with while she was
away. As she heard Patty's laughter float across the
room, Rainbow was surprised to feel a tiny pang of
jealousy. ~That's silly~ she told herself. ~Patty's
still my best friend. Nothing can change that~
From then on, whenever Rainbow was off on
"business," as she called it, Patty spent her time with
Buddy. They got to be good friends. Patty discovered
that there was more to him than sports and Buddy seemed
to lose some of his initial shyness around girls. He'd
confided in her that he was mystified by girls like
Lala, who giggled at batted their eyelashes at boys
like fools, and Patty agreed. They played soccer and
sometimes basketball, and Patty taught Buddy to skate.
Patty was surprised at how much she and Buddy had in
common: they both loved to be outdoors and hated
sitting around doing nothing. Patty found Buddy
surprisingly easy to talk to, for a boy. There was
something about him that...well she couldn't describe
it, but it made her feel good. Often, she was almost
glad when a meadow on Earth lost its color, and Rainbow
and Starlight rode the rainbow to save it.
One morning several weeks later, Patty woke up in
happy anticipation. Today, Rainbow had promised that
her day would be free. Of course, she had no way of
knowing when some color catastrophe would happen, but
spring was well on its way, and Murky and Lurky had
been quiet for a long time. Patty had no idea what she
and Rainbow were going to do that day, but she knew she
couldn't wait. It had been an awfully long time since
she and Rainbow had done anything, just the two of
them, and as comforting as her friendship with Buddy
was, Patty still missed her best friend.
That morning, Patty pranced down the stairs to
breakfast, her braids bobbing. "Good morning,
everyone!" she sang.
"Morning, Patty," they chorused.
Patty took her seat around the round table, between
Canary Yellow and Buddy. "Morning, Canary. Morning,
Buddy!"
"Morning," he answered. "Hey, Patty, do you want to
play basketball later?"
"I can't. Rainbow and I are going to do something."
"Oh." He looked disappointed. "What are you going
to do?"
Patty shrugged happily. "I don't know." She heard
the sound of footsteps in the hall. "Here she comes!"
All of the kids regarded the door in anticipation.
But to their surprise, instead of Rainbow, Twink
emerged.
"Everyone!" shouted Twink. "I have an
announcement!"
"What is it, Twink?" asked Red Butler.
"Murky and Lurky built a blimp and flew to earth
with Murky's gloom machine. Rainbow and Starlight left
this morning. She said to tell you to carry on with
your duties, and she'll be back as soon as she can."
A murmur of concern rustled around. Murky Dismal!
How awful!
Patty felt like she was about to cry. But it wasn't
because Rainbow might be in danger; she knew that
Rainbow was perfectly capable of taking care of
herself. What stung Patty was that Rainbow had broken
her word. She had promised! Patty sensed she was being
irrational, but, Murky and Lurky or not, Rainbow had
_promised_.
"Oh, and Patty?" continued Twink.
Patty answered softly, "What?"
Twink lowered his voice respectfully. "Rainbow said
to tell you she's sorry."
Patty felt her lower lip begin to tremble. She
pushed away her cereal. Suddenly she was aware that
everyone was regarding her curiously.
"Patty, are you okay?" Canary inquired, sounding
concerned.
"Patty?" Buddy asked.
Patty felt like she was going to explode. Abruptly,
she pushed back her chair and ran out of the room.
She kept running until she was outside. In the
clear morning air, she could breathe again. And that
weird feeling in her chest, like someone was standing
on it, went away. Patty took deep breaths, to make her
heart slow down. She couldn't stop thinking, ~It's not
fair, it's not fair!~ And then that weird feeling in
her chest came back. Patty sat down in the shade of a
tree to make the feeling go away.
Suddenly, someone emerged from the Castle. Patty
looked up curiously, and was surprised to see that it
was Buddy. What was he doing out here? Probably looking
for his soccer ball, she decided. Then she noticed that
he was walking over to her. Puzzled, she silently
watched him approach.
"Hey, are you okay?" he asked.
"Yeah," Patty said guardedly. What was this? This
wasn't like Buddy at all. "What do you want?"
Buddy shrugged uncomfortably. "I don't know." He
seemed to hesitate for a moment. Then: "Just--just
wanted to see if you were okay," he finished quickly.
Patty sniffled and looked up at him curiously. He'd
come all the way out here to--wait a minute. "Did Red
tell you to come out here and check on me?" she asked
crossly. "Because I can take care of myself, and I'm
FINE."
Buddy shook his head emphatically. "No, no one told
me." Suddenly, he flushed, and shoved his hands into
his pockets uncomfortably.
Patty, even at this young age, was pretty
perceptive. She knew then that she had made a friend
for life.
Patty woke up one morning a month and a half later
anticipating a hiking trip with Buddy in the mountains
that surrounded Rainbowland. Rainbow was out of the way
because a huge forest had burnt down on Earth, and she
had announced yesterday that she would probably be gone
at least two days. Of this Patty was glad, because
lately, a new tension had developed between her and
Rainbow. Rainbow was absent from Rainbowland almost
every day, and Patty had ceased to expect their old
camaraderie on the seldom occasions when Rainbow had a
free moment. She now spent almost all of her free time
with Buddy. Patty was so comfortable around him that
she sometimes found it hard to believe they'd only been
close friends for a month or two.
Patty did not know what Rainbow thought of her
friendship with Buddy. But Patty had seen a flash of
hurt in Rainbow's eyes more than once, though Rainbow
had yet to comment on the matter. Patty might have felt
guilty, if not for the still-fresh memory of her own
hurt and resentment at being shoved aside whenever a
frog's left leg on Earth lost its color.
That morning, Patty skipped breakfast in order to
pack for the trip. When she was finished, she slung her
bag over her shoulder and skipped down the Castle steps
to where Buddy was waiting for her by the door. "Took
you long enough," he grumbled good-naturedly.
"Be quiet and let's go," Patty replied, with equal
cheer. She strode out the door, and froze.
Rainbow was standing there, arms crossed and her
face sad.
Patty stared, unable to speak. Behind her, Buddy
asked, "Is something wrong?"
"Buddy," Rainbow said evenly, "Can I talk to Patty
alone, please?"
"Sure," Buddy said, bewildered. He went back inside
the Castle.
Patty was unsure of what to do. "Is something
wrong, Rainbow? Do you need me to help you?"
"No, I just got back early. Do you want to roller
skate?"
Patty hesitated. "Well, Buddy and I are going
hiking today."
"Tomorrow, then?"
Again Patty hesitated. "Well, tomorrow's the Sprite
Fair, and I kinda told Buddy I'd ride the roller
coaster with him."
"I see." Rainbow looked at her feet. "It seems like
you're spending a lot of time with Buddy."
"Well..." Patty decided to tell the truth. "You're
almost never here, Rainbow. You're always out with
Starlight, on Earth or with Brian or with Krys, or
fighting Murky and Lurky. And when you are in
Rainbowland, you're always at the Color Caves or at the
Color Console or working on something with Violet. What
am I supposed to do when my best friend is never
around?" Deep hurt and buried resentment crept
unintended into her tone, but she faced Rainbow
bravely.
Rainbow looked hurt as well. "I'm sorry I'm not
always here for you, Patty," Rainbow said quietly,"but
I have--"
"A lot of work to do, I know," Patty finished. "You
_always_ have a lot of work to do, Rainbow."
"Patty, I have a responsibility--"
Suddenly Patty was tired of listening to Rainbow's
excuses. "Well, maybe if you have responsl--responslib-
-whatever you have, you don't need a best friend!"
"I do need a best friend! But best friends are
supposed to understand! Patty," Rainbow rationalized,
"I had to work hard to get where I am."
"Oh, yeah," Patty spat, "I almost forgot that
you're the great Rainbow Brite, but you're also _my_
best friend!"
"I know that! But Rainbowland means so much to me
that sometimes I have to be Rainbow Brite, not Patty
O'Green's best friend!"
Patty's eyes widened. "You mean your work is more
important than me?"
"Of course! No, wait, I mean--it has to be! Don't
you under--"
Patty interrupted angrily. "I understand, all
right!"
"Patty, there is a tremendous responsibility in
being me!
Patty was beginning to lose control. "You think
you're so perfect." Her tone became mocking. "Brave,
heroic Rainbow Brite, saved Rainbowland from
darkness--"
"You have no idea what I went through--" Rainbow
began hotly.
"I know _exactly_ what you went through," Patty
snapped, "because I was LIVING in that dark, horrible
world before you even got there!"
Temporarily subdued, Rainbow paused for a moment.
"But I was chosen--" she stammered.
"By who?" Patty challenged. "You're not even _from_
this world, Rainbow! I was already living here--and so
were the rest of the Color Kids--when you came. We'd
been living here for centuries! Nobody asked _us_ if we
wanted some strange girl from a faraway planet to
rescue us!"
"But you needed me! This world needed me!"
"That doesn't give you any right to boss everyone
around!"
Rainbow stared at her in shock. "What are you
saying, Patty?"
"I'm saying I've had enough. Forget your
responsbli-responsilb--your duty, Rainbow Brite and
FORGET YOU!" ~What am I doing?~ Patty wondered
absently. But there was no stopping the flood of
emotions that had taken her over.
Rainbow had turned white. "Are you--are you...is
this...?"
"You're not my best friend anymore, Rainbow. Buddy
is. I don't want a best friend who has no time for me."
Rainbow's outraged pallor was softened by the tears
shimmering in her eyes. "I can't believe you're saying
this. But if that's how you feel..." Without finishing
her sentence, Rainbow stalked past Patty into the Color
Castle.
Patty felt as if she were carved from ice. She
could hardly believe what had just come out of her
mouth, but she knew she believed it; she just hadn't
realized it. She really _was_ tired of Rainbow always
having her way, and always pushing her aside in favor
of Starlight and the rainbow and her "duty." Patty
realized that these feelings had been laying dormant
inside her mind for a long time. She felt years older.
Dazed, she sank to the ground. How had a simple fight
with a friend turned into rebellion? Because that was
what this was, Patty realized. There was no going back
now.
Shaking and near tears, she hauled her backpack
onto her shoulder from where it had fallen recklessly
on the ground. Then she remembered Buddy. Had he heard
all that? She turned quickly, but he was nowhere to be
seen.
Patty stood at a loss for a moment, then walked
back into the castle, carefully considering her next
move. She had no idea where Buddy was, and if he had
heard--he might take Rainbow's side. Patty froze with
the horror of that thought. Buddy, her friend--her
_best_ friend, she amended--just _had_ to be on her
side, didn't he?
Before Patty went to dinner that evening, she
carefully prepared herself. No doubt the story had gone
around Rainbowland, and who knew what the other kids
would have to say about it. She knew she had to hold
firm to her position, however daring, because Patty
hated someone who went back on their word.
The dining room sparkled with its usual
conversation. But as soon as Patty entered, it abruptly
ceased. As she strode to her usual seat, Patty could
feel six pairs of eyes staring at her. A quick glance
around told her that she was in bigger trouble that
she'd imagined. The other Kids' gazes were shocked and
accusing. Suddenly afraid, Patty considered leaving
again, but somehow could not make herself do it. She
looked at Buddy, but he wouldn't meet her eye.
"Hi, Canary," Patty said as she took her seat.
No response.
Frowning, Patty turned to Buddy. "Hi, Buddy."
He looked intensely uncomfortable. "Hey," he
mumbled.
Patty suddenly felt as if she was about to cry. She
looked around the table. "Hello, everyone."
Silence. ~I will not cry~ Patty admonished herself,
~I will NOT~
Rainbow entered the room. Everyone but Patty
chorused a "hello." Patty sat up straight. She no
longer felt like crying. She felt strong and proud.
~She can't make me take it back~ Patty thought, ~I
won't let her~
Rainbow, instead of sitting down, continued to
stand, as if she was about to make a speech. Patty
jumped when she heard herself addressed:
"Patty?" Rainbow said coldly. "Have you thought
about what you said to me earlier today?"
Patty looked her in the eye. "Yes."
"Do you want to take it back? I'll forgive you."
Patty fixed Rainbow with a cold stare. ~You can't
intimidate me~ she thought. "No."
A gasp of shock from the rest of the kids.
Rainbow looked at a loss for a moment. Then, with
determination: "Fine. Then I am hereby placing you on
probation."
"What?!"
"For my power to work, I need all of the Color Kids
behind me. You made it clear this afternoon that you
are no longer willing to support me. Therefore I'm
suspending you from your duties until--"
Buddy burst out: "You can't do that!"
Rainbow stared at Buddy in surprise. "Buddy, not
you, too," she said in dismay.
Buddy hesitated. "I'm not saying I agree with what
Patty said, but...you can't kick her out of the Color
Kids. She's a part of us."
"I'm not kicking her out," Rainbow explained. "I'm
placing her on probation. Someone else will take over
her duties until she changes her attitude. I need all
of you to work as a team, and as long as Patty
continues to behave like this, I can't count on the
support of her color, and my power is weakened.
"Most of you think my power is based on myself, but
that's not true," Rainbow continued. "My power depends
on my friends, and their faith in me. While it's true I
can't use my power unless I believe in myself, I can't
believe in myself if my friends don't believe in me."
Patty felt her stomach sink. She hadn't thought of
it that way, that her personal rebellion might disrupt
the collective harmony of the rainbow. She began to
understand just how seriously her actions had affected
Rainbow and the other Color Kids. But still, she'd
meant what she'd said, and she believed she'd had the
right to say it. ~How can I support Rainbow and deny
own feelings?~ she wondered.
Then she became aware that Buddy and Rainbow were
still arguing. As she listened to the exchange, she was
stunned. Buddy was defending her!
Rainbow's cheeks her flushed. "As Rainbow Brite, I
have a responsibility to maintain harmony in
Rainbowland. I'm doing this for the good of the
rainbow. Patty just needs time to think about what
she's done, and how it affects our work. I'm sure
she'll see things my way, and we can forget this whole
thing. But until then, I have to teach her a lesson,
and," her voice softened, "I am sorry, Buddy, but
there's nothing you can do about it."
Patty stood up from her seat. "I'll never see
things your way, Rainbow Brite, not if you put me on
probation for the rest of my life!" She stomped proudly
out of the room.
What happened next the Color Kids would remember
forever. Hesitating only half a moment, Buddy stood up
from the table and announced: "If Patty goes, then I go
too!" With that, he was gone.
The silence around the table was deafening. No one
could believe what they had just witnessed. How dared
Patty! And how dared Buddy!
"Well, Rainbow," Red asked carefully, hoping she
wouldn't blame him for Patty's outburst. He was, after
all, leader of the Color Kids and responsible for their
actions. "What are we going to do now?"
Rainbow's eyes were red with unshed tears. "We're
going to sit here and eat dinner," she said quietly,
controlling her tone with noticeable effort.
"But what about--" Indigo began.
"Let them go," said Rainbow.
Patty stood out in the hall, leaning against the
wall to catch her excited breath. She'd stood up to
Rainbow Brite! She felt as if she could do anything in
the world.
She heard someone else in the corridor, coming
closer. Buddy came around the corner, slightly out of
breath as well. He stopped as if unsure of what to do.
"Hi," he finally said.
"What are you doing out here?" Patty asked.
"I left," Buddy said nonchalantly.
Patty's mouth dropped open. "Why?"
"I don't think what Rainbow did was fair."
Patty could hardly believe her ears. "You
left...for me?"
Buddy looked suddenly uncomfortable. "Uh,
well...yeah," he finished, almost defiantly.
Patty hesitated. "Did you hear what I said to
Rainbow earlier?" Half of her hoped that he hadn't, the
other hoped that he had.
Buddy looked at his feet. "Yeah, I did."
Patty prepared herself for the defensive. "Do you
think I was right?"
Buddy continued to stare at his feet. "Well, I
wasn't sure at first. I mean, you just don't tell off
Rainbow Brite. But..." he trailed off.
"What?"
Buddy shoved his hands into his pockets. "I don't
want her to kick you out of the Color Kids," he
finished self-consciously.
Patty looked at her feet, too. "But she did," she
said, allowing sadness to creep into her voice.
"No, she didn't!" Buddy exclaimed. When she looked
up in surprise at his forceful tone, he stammered, "I
mean..." he sighed. "I don't want you to leave."
Patty smiled again. "Friends?" She extended her
hand. "Best friends?"
Buddy took it. "You bet."
"Yes!" Patty cried. "You are the _best_ best friend
ever!" She threw her arms around him and hugged him.
He pulled away in embarrassment. "Aww, knock it
off." But he was smiling. "Hey, am I going to regret
this?"
"I don't know," she answered honestly.
FIN