Lost to the outside world, snug in a protective cradle of youth and immortality, years pass away over Rainbowland, or rather around it. The seasons change, colors fade and brighten, work ends and then begins all over again. It's the continual cycle of color and life and it is felt by everyone, everywhere.

Everywhere but here.

Ageless, immortal; the passage of time had little effect upon the inhabitants of the Color Realm, except in their keeping of the colors. Then something happened. Something that was not normal. Something different and strange. Something that would change everything.

Time caught up with them…

At least to an extent…

It had started slow, slow enough that they hadn't even known that it had begun until they could no longer deny the truth. They were changing. They were growing…

Red Butler had been Time's first victim.

A year ago he had woken up with his feet peeking out from the end of his blanket and his hair straying into his eyes. From then it had continued, gradually increasing day by day until now he was a full 5'10" and his hair, which refused to stay cut, hung down just below his shoulders, it wouldn't grow any longer nor remain any shorter. It seemed to have taken on a will of its own and finally he had simply given in, contenting himself with tying it back with a red leather thong. Wide of shoulder and narrow of hip, he was as far from the child has he imagined he could become. Even his freckles had faded slightly, lingering only dimly, a reminder of the boy he had once been.

It had been exactly like that for the others. Denial against the slow, unnoticeable things that progressed continually, each one of the kids becoming physically different.

Lala Orange had been next. A week after Red she had woke up, fainting as she looked into her mirror. The left side of her hair had shortened to rise up above her ear. She carried on for three weeks, her hair never growing anymore, that someone continually cut her hair in the middle of the night. Like Red, she was eventually forced to face the truth. She was changing. Now 5'4" with a cascade of flame orange hair that fell straight in a diagonal line from above her ear on her left side to just above her shoulder on her right side she set out to make the best of it. It really did compliment her after all. Elegant and sleek with her petite frame. Her height would have been a disappointment if it hadn't been for the curves that her body had taken to forming into. If she had been an Earth woman she would have described herself as voluptuous.

Canary Yellow came three weeks after her and the way her hair had grown had made Lala pleased that her hair was so unique. Canary's hair had grown simple, falling straight all the way to her mid-back with just a slight curl to the ends. If she had felt that her hair appeared less than Lala's, Canary took pride in the fact that she had a full two inches in height over the other, ending up at the satisfactory height of 5'6", with an athletic frame that she felt outmatched the Orange Mademoiselle's figure.

Three months pasted away without any other color kids changing, but eventually Time struck again. Patty O'Green stretched and yawned as she swung her legs over the end of her bed. It didn't even register that her feet met the floor fully until she ran a hand over her hair. Startled eyes had shot open. No tightly bound bundles of hair. No pigtails that had been there yesterday. No ribbons. Her hands had explored her hair hesitantly. There was hardly any hair there! Jumping up she had run to Lala's vanity and bent down to look into it. Bent down? What time she had lost in those two months she had made up for in one night. She was a sturdy 5'7" with a short, uneven mess of hair that stood out at odd angles around her face. It had taken some time to get use to but once to adjusted the change wasn't that bad after all. Besides, Buddy soon joined her.

Buddy's transition had been just as quick, a change that had taken place while he slept. After Red's change, he had been waiting for his own, curious as to how he would look. Patty's transition left him anxious and anxious he had stayed for two weeks until his turn. Morning came finding his arms and legs sprawled over the edges of his bed, one of his feet actually touching the floor. He had taken to the change in a way that none of the others had; with pleasure. He was just a little over 5'9" and unarguably shorter than Red (not that he didn't argue anyway), but his hair he deemed better. Shorter and stiffer, his once shaggy waves now stuck out in spikes at odd angles and some in the front was slightly longer than the back. With his usually sweatband wrapping his head he thought that it looked better this way and was glad that his hair hadn't turned out long like Red's, he had been worried about that. Red wore it well, but he didn't think that he could have handled it. His body may have been slimmer than Red's and his shoulders not as square, but it was well defined with the muscles of the athlete that he had always been. It could have been worse right?

Indigo knew that she would be next because Shy Violet had noticed the pattern after Canary Yellow's change. As time passed between Canary and Patty they hadn't been sure, but with Patty's transition her hypothesis was confirmed; they were changing in the order that they appeared in the order that their colors appeared in the Rainbow. Indigo was logically next, then her, and, if she were correct, when the Rainbow's colors were complete, Rainbow Brite would be next. Violet had never been wrong before and she wasn't going to start now. That was exactly how it played out.

Indigo's and Violet's changes were slower than those right before them, but they had been prepared for what would happen. It had been a week since Buddy's change when Indigo had started to notice that she was steadily getting taller and her hair was beginning to wave and crimp and would grow no longer than the base of her shoulder blades. Watching her hair change she began to experiment with new hairstyles. By the time she had finished her change she had a style that suited her. At just below 5'9" her hair was tied to fall in various cascades over her head, framing her face.

Violet's hair had been her first change two weeks later, she had woken up to find that it had fallen out from the neat bun that she had kept it in. It wasn't unusual, it had happened before, but now it was too short for her to put it back up. She had been forced to leave it down. Her bangs began to take a rounded diagonal cut to the left of her face, but other than that her hair remain straight with a length that just reached her chin. Unfortunately for Lala, Violet grew to a height of 5'5", stranding her as the shortest of the kids unless Rainbow proved to be shorter.

Rainbow Brite and Stormy watched the others change; Rainbow wondering when it would be her turn and Stormy wondering if she would have a turn. She wasn't a Color Kid or part of the Rainbow exactly, in fact, she had always been unsure about where she stood when it came to the events of Rainbowland. Like the others she too was immortal and a guardian of Earth, her duty being to the weather and the change in seasons, but where exactly did she stand?

Rainbow also held uncertainties. She was worried. Everyday her powers faded, everyday the Color Kids were forced to double their efforts because their control over the Color Crystals was weakening. If the problem was, as Shy Violet hypothesized, because of the change that was taking place in the Color Kids, then what would happen if, or when, she changed? Would the power and control that helped them care over Earth slip further? Or would it return? Many places on Earth were already beginning to fade. Lala and Red had all but lost their ability with the Crystals and Canary was facing the same problem. But why?

It was a little over five months before either of their thoughts were answered. Their change was different. Unlike the kids it took place during the day, it was instant and… it was simultaneous.

Stormy had made it a habit to visit Rainbow everyday, if only for a moment, to see how she was, whether there had been any changes in her yet. After three months the expectation began to fade; it was still there, how could it not be with the color kids towering over her and Rainbow, but the unease slid away and her visits just became a chance to be in company of someone who still viewed the world from her short stature. The fact was that no matter how much she appreciated the wonders and security of solitude, she was lonely. She'd never admit to it and if you ever suggested such an absurd notion she would be the first one to prove you false; one way or another.

Still she came…

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Skydancer's muscles rippled beneath her, the air around her teasing her hair behind her as Skydancer touched down before the Color Castle. The air was different today, it was tense. Their was a waiting in it, all nerves and expectations. It reminded Stormy of the air that danced just along the edge of lighting. It should have thrilled her, it always did during a storm, but now, now it unnerved her, leaving her anxious. Unconsciously, she tightened her grip in Skydancer's mane as they crossed the bridge over the moat.

The feeling was getting stronger.

"Do you feel it?" She whispered to Skydancer.

The horse tilted it head slightly, snorting softly in the affirmative.

Stormy let one of her hands caress his neck as he stopped and she slid down. "Stay alert, 'kay?"

Skydancer shot a look to her and snorted in indignation.

Stormy smiled and stroked his head in apology, "Sorry, I should know better."

Skydancer nudged her cheek with his muzzle as he looked over her shoulder. Stormy eyes followed his and she smiled when she saw Rainbow standing in the doorway of the Color Castle. Stormy watched as the same sense of foreboding drained from Rainbows eyes, leaving them clear and sparkling as they always were. She had felt it too.

"You feel it don't you?" Stormy stated, not one to beat around the bush. Especially, when the subject left her feeling jittery inside.

Rainbow's smile never faltered as she walked toward Stormy. "Well, hello to you too."

The slight sarcasm that Stormy detected in Rainbow's voice had her lips curving slightly. "Fine. Hello…"

The smile that hadn't reached her eyes suddenly brightened and poured laughter into the warm blue pools. "Hello, Stormy. You didn't visit yesterday." Rainbow countered, deliberately skirting the issue Stormy had shot straight to.

Stormy scowled slightly, "You're not off the hook yet, but we'll put the subject off for a little while yet. Sorry about yesterday…" She didn't know why she was apologizing, it wasn't as though she was obligated to visit. She could come and go as she pleased. She always had before…

As if on cue, Shy Violet, Red Butler, and Canary Yellow walked outside to greet her, Red ducking to keep from bumping his head on the archway.

Before the change, Stormy's thoughts ended as she turned back to Rainbow. Rainbow had glanced back too and Stormy could see the worry in her eyes as she continued. "I was held up with work yesterday and by the time I returned it was late and I was irritable and tired. Besides, the lights were all out at the Color Castle. You all have been exhausting yourselves with work lately, I didn't want to bother you."

Something darkened in Red's eyes as he remembered his useless efforts to work the Color Crystals. Yellow's cheerful smile faltered; her efforts hadn't been much better than Red's. Violet just chose to study the ground, her power was draining fast.

Rainbow watched her friends with concern. "The lights may have been out, but I don't this any of us were asleep until late last night."

Stormy to the time to look at the four before her; their eyes were hazed and shadowed with lack of sleep and the growing feeling of despair. Stormy was glad that she hadn't told them that her own powers had been weakening lately. It had taken all her efforts last night to finish her work, the Rainforest hadn't had near enough rain last night before exhaustion had claimed her.

Stormy looked to the other three as she turned back to Rainbow, "So, back to my question." Rainbow stiffened and glanced back at the Color Kids, but Stormy wasn't to be deterred this time. "You felt it too, didn't you?"

Rainbow stood slight for a moment and was saved from answering by another voice.

"Feel what?" The deep, soft voice questioned as Buddy Blue stepped out into the sunshine followed by the rest of the Color Kids.

The four Color Kids walked over towards the other three as all seven of them looked back and forth between Stormy and Rainbow.

Rainbow looked along the line of her friends and then back at Stormy who grinned, know that she had Rainbow trapped. Sighing Rainbow looked to Stormy and nodded, "I did feel it."

"Feel what?" Buddy repeated with curiosity.

Rainbow turned around, her back to Stormy as she smiled at her Color Kids. Suddenly her eyes grew wide and then laughter filled them as she ran her gaze along the line of friends. Did they do it on purpose or was it just an ingrained habit, she wondered. The were lined in a semicircle around her and Stormy, in the order of their colors.

As the thought struck her music filled the air. It wasn't vocal or animal but it was beautiful and full as it filled the air around her. Turning she looked at Stormy, her eyes were narrowed as she looked around as if trying to find something. She could hear it. Behind Stormy, Rainbow caught a flash of white and looked to find Starlight watching her with awe and a hidden knowledge in his eyes. His eyes shifted to a point beyond her and she turned back to her Color Kids and her mouth fell open.

The were glowing, shimmering, shining. Light was flowing off them, from them. The wind was teasing their clothing and hair, wrapping them in their color of light.

Stormy had turned back to the line of Color Kids as she caught the swift movement of Rainbow's head. She watched in awe at the brilliant colors that began to fill her vision. Suddenly the wind picked up, surrounding her, drowning out the music she had heard with a melody all its own. Powerful, gentle; swift, slow; it dipped and swirled around her. Her hair was being teased, and she could feel the strong but gentle caress of the wind on her face. She could still she Rainbow and she watched with the same fascination that she felt from the wind.

Rainbow's heart was pounding. The air was thickening again, pressing in on her and she turned to see Stormy once more. She could just make out Stormy's wind blown figure beyond the swirling barrier and for the first time fear crept up her spine, but something in her pushed it away. She could feel no danger from what was happening.

Brilliant white light flashed around the nine figures standing before the Color Castle. Skydancer and Starlight watched from the other side of the moat, guilt and wonder reflecting in their eyes. They watched as the figures of the Color Kids disappeared into pure color that shone fiercely and the shimmering barrier around Stormy swirl faster. Simultaneously, the colors and the wind shot up into the air arching in a way that had the colors forming a brilliant rainbow with the shimmering wind racing beside it. Twisting and arching again the rainbow and the wind sped downward toward the two small figures that watched them with wonder. From the edge of the moat Starlight smiled to himself, knowing that Skydancer was smiling as well, as the rainbow flowed over Rainbow and the wind crashed down on Stormy.

The colors swirled around Rainbow, mixing and overlapping before seeming to flow into her…

The wind dancing over Stormy's skin, playing in her hair just before it seeped into her skin…

Starlight and Skydancer met each other's eyes briefly, relief and pleasure echoing through the gaze…

They had passed…

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Blue eyes fluttered open to stare into the mirroring blue of the sky. A cloud slid effortlessly across her vision and she blinked as she sat up. She looked out across the moat as blonde hair fell across her vision. Reaching up she discovered that where her bangs had been there now a thick section of hair that fell smoothly in an arch to the right side of her face ending in a soft point a little below her chin. Testing, she let her hands explore her hair. It was still in a pony tail, but… she let her hands follow the curling strands of her falling hair… it fell all the way to her lower back and even doing that it shouldn't have been as long as it had felt. She wasn't that tall after all.

Lowering her gaze she glanced down to find that her feet were further than they should have been and instead of her rounded out rainbow boots, the boots that covered them now were slimmer as the covered her calves with waving diagonals of color on a background of white and silver, black laces zig-zagging up the sides. Pulling her knees to her she braced herself and stood up. The soft rounded skirt that she had always worn didn't drop down to her knees, instead she looked down and found herself looking down on a skirt that was made of seven different pieces of clothe, each one a different color of the rainbow. The skirt cut diagonally, front and back, ending just above the top of her right boot and was held at her waist by her color belt. Beneath the skirt was what a pair of what she had heard Bryan call 'shorts', they were tight and black but, taking a step, she found that they moved easily.

Walking slowly, she approached the moat and kneeled down looking into the clear water. Her top was made of the same light material as her skirt with the same seven colors flowing around her. The shirt was held by two thin straps over each shoulder, the shirt ending just above her navel. Looking at her arms she found that on each arm was a silver piece of clothe that was held just above her elbow with a strap of black leather and opened up as it fell to her wrists. Standing up once more from her reflection she turned to find Stormy standing a few feet away from her looking, as she had done, into the moat's water.

Stormy's hair was in wild disarray, uneven strands falling in subtle discord, accented here and there by thin braids. Stormy's clothes were far from what she had wore before and completely different than Rainbow's. Where Rainbow's gave off a loose, flowing air of complex color, Stormy's was tight, simple, and dark in color.

Looking down at her reflection, Stormy studied her outfit. It clung to her like a second skin, but it was restricting. It felt natural. It appeared all black at first but, looking closely she found that it actually shifted in colors. Blue, black, purple, there was even a deep red to it; all of them were dark, but they were different. The outfit slashed across her chest, leaving one shoulder and arm entirely bare. The rest of her body was covered in the tight darkness of her outfit to her ankles, which were covered by a pair of black boots similar to Rainbow's, except hers had varying lighter shades of her outfit. The darkness that covered her left arm ended in a sharp V at her middle finger. Around her waist hung a light purple belt with a gold and silver lightning bolt in the center.

Deep violet eyes meet crystal blue as Stormy turned to look at Rainbow. Suddenly without thought Rainbow's smile fluttered to life as a giggle burst from her lips. Stormy smiled as she looked over Rainbow.

Relief filled Stormy. She had changed. She had change. She was a part of things in Rainbowland. She had changed… and she had change with Rainbow Brite.

Gasps and shuffling came from toward the Color Castle and both Stormy and Rainbow turned to find themselves looking, practically eye level with their friends.

The Color Kids appearances hadn't changed, but like Rainbow and Stormy their outfits had…

Red Butler still sported a cape, but its deep red material draped over a red poets shirt, pooling on the ground around a pair of almost black red pants and pure black boots. The edge of the poets shirt was tucked into the top of his pants, a red belt hanging slightly diagonal on his hips with a shimmering red star sparkling against silver triangle.

Lala Orange stood admiring the soft orange dress that clung easily to her bust then fell away draping her hips to fall and pool lightly at her feet which were entrapped within a golden orange pair of high heels. The straps of her dress crisscrossed over her chest to wrap around the back of her neck. Around her waist ran a then golden chain with a orange star against a silver triangle.

Canary Yellows smiled cheerfully at everyone, pleased with her own outfit. The yellow tank top was snug, ending just above a pair a dark yellow jean shorts held with a yellow belt fastened with a buckle of a yellow star against a silver triangle. Beneath the shorts a pair of tights, the same color as her top, covered her legs, ending beneath a pair of white socks and yellow striped tennis shoes. On her wrist were yellow and white athletic bands.

Patty O'Green fiddled with tattered hem of her cut off, khaki-green shorts. They laced up and she found that interesting. Her top was similar to the top of Stormy's outfit, cutting across the chest, but hers ended at the shoulder in a strap rather than continuing down her arm. It was snug and a deep green. Her shoes were low cut hiking boots, the same color as her shorts. A bright green belt hung low on her waist with her green star against the silver triangle.

Buddy Blue was holding open a loose, light blue, short sleeve button up shirt and looking at his undershirt with uncertainty. It was a dark blue color and clung tightly to him, the straps looping over his shoulders, but it wasn't the material, the make or the color that had him questioning it, it was the fact that the shirt was rather short. Shorter than any of the girl's shirts, it left most of his torso bare. Below that he wore a pair of dark blue jean shorts, a belt with a blue star against a silver triangle, short white socks, and a pair of blue tennis shoes.

Indigo's outfit was all the deep color she was named for, thought the shading shifted slightly it was all rich and dark. Her top was simple, loose and strapped over the shoulders, like Rainbow she had a piece of cloth held just above her elbow which fan out has it reach her wrist on her left arm. Her pants hung low in a V on her waist, the indigo star against the silver triangle decorating the tip of the V. From her hips the pant legs flowed out, the material becoming see-through, until it ended tightly around her ankles where a pair of delicate silver sandals wrapped her feet.

Shy Violet smiled softly at her outfit, the light color of it, trimmed with deeper shades. It was simple and elegant. The style was one she had once seen in Japan while learning the color of the mountains. The high collar was stiff, the opening running from the center diagonal across her right chest and down with delicate black thread buttons. The dress cut off just below her knees, slight gashes at the side, but nothing indecent. Practical sandals fit her feet as she shuffled them around.

They had all changed and they looked around at each other's clothes, assessing and smiling. Rainbow stood just a hair shorter than Buddy, much to his relief, but to the shock of both him and Red, Stormy out matched them in height being just a fraction taller than Red.

Rainbow took a moment to look around at everyone. There was almost a celebratory air to things, but her heart dropped and fear began to weigh at her heart as she caught sight of the Color Caves.

What would these changes mean in their work?

Putting on her smile she commented and joked with the others though her mind was focused on the beautiful crystals that would need their attention.

If they could control them…