Chapter Two
The five troll girls went back to the grill and table, preparing for lunch. While Onyx, Ruby, and Sapphire set the table,
Amethyst went to the grill. Topaz went to get the condiments.
"Hey, Ruby," she called, "The fire's dying. Where's the other bag of charcoal? This one's empty."
The redhead slapped her forehead. "I left it at home!"
"I've got it!" said Sapphire. She plucked a blue bead from her bracelet. It was a spell bead, used by troll girls to cast spells. The bead was like a potion in solid form. The gem in the girl's bellybutton channeled her inner magic to it, and a rhyming incantation activated the bead.
"We need more fuel to cook the cow, bring that bag of charcoal now!"
She tossed the bead and it landed by the grill. There was a loud PUFF! of blue smoke, and when it cleared the wanted item was there.
"Thanks, Saph!" said Amethyst, opening it.
"Did ya see that, Murky!" exclaimed Lurky, pointing.
"Yeah, that's pretty impressive. We need to get some of those beads..." he answered.
"Can we get some burgers too? I'm hungry!" said Lurky.
"Maybe later," Murky replied, the smell was making him hungry as well.
They continued to watch as the five troll-girls enjoyed their day, occasionally using magic to do something, such as taking them to the top of the Fallz, so they wouldn't have to walk the long way around. They would hold hands and jump over the Fallz, grinning and yelling all the way down.
"Gee, Murky, that looks like fun!" said Lurky, "Can we do that?"
Murky rolled his eyes. "Did you bring a bathing suit?"
Lurky deflated. "No."
"Then you can't do that," answered the colorless villain. "Besides, I know something that will be even more fun. Getting that Magic of the Five from those trolls."
"How we gonna get it, Murky?" asked the furry sidekick, scratching his head.
"They're going to GIVE it to us! That's how!" he hefted the gloom pistol.
The BFFL finished swimming and changed into their clothes. As they approached the grill for a snack, Topaz suddenly froze in place. Her eyes grew wide and she shivered.
"Tope? What's the matter?" asked Amethyst, putting her hand on the blonde s shoulder.
"W-we're in danger!" said Topaz quietly, looking around.
"She having a vision?" asked Onyx.
"Apparently so," answered Sapphire, waving her hand in front of the unseeing amber eyes.
"Huh? Is it a fire? I don't see any smoke..." said Ruby, scanning the tops of the trees.
"No, not a fire... someONE, not someTHING," said Topaz. Suddenly she gasped and pointed at the bush where the villains were hiding. "They're right over there!"
Realizing they were busted, Murky hid the gloom pistol behind his back and jumped out of the bush, followed by Lurky.
The five trolls gasped.
"Who are you?" asked Amethyst.
"I'm Murky Dismal," he replied.
"And I'm Lurky!" said the other with a grin.
Onyx raised a black eyebrow. "Murky... and Lurky..." she crossed her arms and frowned.
Amethyst laughed nervously. "Okay, I'm Amethyst, and this is Sapphire, Onyx, Topaz, and Ruby." She gestured at each one in turn.
"Hi, nice to meecha!" said Lurky with a smile and wave while Murky narrowed his eyes a bit.
"Um... you too..." Amethyst snuck a glance at Topaz, who hadn't moved beyond staring at the visitors. She still looked scared, and the pink-haired troll had to agree; Murky was giving off a bad vibe. Lurky not so much.
"So, what can we do for you?" asked Amethyst, giving a wan smile and taking a step forward.
"Can I meet Billy Goat Gruff?" asked the furry creature, eagerly.
The troll girls looked at each other. "Who?"
"Never mind that!" Murky growled, and pulled out the gloom pistol. "What you can do for me is give me the Magic of the Five!"
"I knew it!" cried Topaz, breaking her paralysis.
"Oh, we'll give it to you, all right," smirked Onyx.
Moving as one, all five plucked a spell bead from their bracelets and held them up. Their tummy gems flashed and the beads answered.
Murky turned his head away briefly at the sudden bright colors.
"Pretty colors!" said Lurky, clapping.
In perfect harmony, the trolls started a chant to activate the magic beads. "These bad guys really..."
Murky fired the gloom pistol and the charge landed neatly between them, releasing dark smoke that covered the area, making the girls cough and stop the chant. Then they made a sound between a groan and a sigh as the smoke blew away. Their hair drooped around their heads, something that happens to every troll when they are upset or tired, or in this case, gloomy.
"We may as well give up," said Amethyst.
"Yeah, we can't win against Murky," added Topaz.
"What's the use of fighting?" said Ruby,
"We'll do whatever you want," said Sapphire.
"I knew we'd lose all along," Onyx muttered.
They put the unused beads back on their bracelets as Murky grinned and rubbed his hands together. Lurky just looked concerned.
Chuckling, the villain went over to them, Lurky following closely.
"Gee, Murky, they're only as tall as Rainbow Brite!" said Lurky.
Murky looked up at his sidekick. "Yeah, they are. So what?"
"Maybe Rainbow and the Color Kids are trolls too!" finished Lurky, proud of himself for the logic.
"Look at them, tofu brain! Does Rainbow Brite have three fingers and a thumb?" he asked.
"Uh... no," answered Lurky after looking over the girls.
"Does Rainbow Brite have pointed ears?"
"No, she doesn't..."
"Well, that's because she ISN'T a troll! Get it?"
"But she has almost as much hair as they do!" protested the mutant sprite.
Murky slapped his hand over his eyes, then slid it down his face. "She isn't a troll!"
Lurky shrugged. "Okay, Murky, if ya say so!"
The villain, a foot shorter than the trolls he had captured, turned back to them. "All right, now, I want you to tell me all about the Magic of the Five."
To his surprise the answer he got was given in unison by his prisoners. "Any spell we cast together is many times stronger than if cast by just one of us."
"Do you have to use those beads?" he asked.
"Yeah, but once we could do magic without them," said Topaz.
"Then Simon took the ability back," added Onyx.
Murky made a mental note to ask about this 'Simon' later. "Give me one of those beads," he commanded, holding out a hand.
Ruby plucked one from her bracelet and handed it to him.
He grimaced at the red of the bead, but held it up and looked through it. Inside he could see dark specks that were likely to be the ingredients.
"How do I use it?" he asked.
"You can't," said Sapphire, "You have to be a female troll. Boys don't have magic."
Frustrated, Murky growled. He put the bead in his pocket for later study.
"Hey, Murky, let's eat before the burgers get cold!" called Lurky, who was using his huge nose to good effect at the table.
"You five come and serve us," ordered the villain, turning toward the food. He was really hungry now, and those burgers smelled good.
Murky and Lurky sat and ate noisily and messily while the girls brought them food and Trolla-colas. While he ate, Murky was lost in thought. This "Magic of the Five" was useless to him as it was, but there must be SOME way of taking advantage of it!
Suddenly the solution hit him! He sat up straight and grinned. Then he resumed eating.
"Did ya get an idea, Murky?" asked Lurky, shoving a whole pack of hamburger buns into his mouth.
"Yeah, I did! We're gonna use these trolls to bring Rainbow Brite here, and right into my trap. Then we'll go to Rainbowland and destroy all the colors forever!" he cackled.
"I knew it," muttered Onyx.
Once they finished eating, the villains left the mess and prepared to start the plan. Murky beckoned the BFFL over to a clear area near the Fallz.
"All right, here's what I want you to do," he told them, "Cast a spell that will remove all the colors from the world."
In unison, the troll-girls plucked beads from their bracelets and held them overhead. Their tummy gems flashed, causing Murky to close his eyes and turn his head.
They chanted: "Our Master says the colors must go, we want that too, so make it so!"
Five spell beads hit the ground and burst in a cloud of multicolored magic.
"YAY!" said Lurky, clapping and grinning with delight.
The dissipating cloud suddenly turned gray, as did the grass where the beads landed. The effect spread out around them, climbing trees and bushes, and causing animals to flee.
Murky cackled with delight as the girls shoulders slumped a little more. They were already gloomy, but now it was worse.