Chapter 8: Brightening Hopes
"What has happened to my people," the creature repeated, its wings slowing to a stop as it landed and knelt next to its still corrupted comrade.
The party exchanged glances again. "I don't know," Rainbow said, slowly. "But if I were to guess, I'd say that they were near one of Shadow Weaver's darkness crystals. For too long... much, too long."
"One of you helped me," she said, slowly. "Can you do it again? Can you help her?"
Rainbow once again touched the star on her belt, and again, the rainbow emerged. The scene repeated as the darkling was enveloped, the corruption enveloping the being stripped away.
The creature watched the rainbow, holding its breath. It took a few seconds before the colorful cloak was removed, revealing another sprite like creature, much like the first. The first of the creatures gave a loud cheer, waking the second, promptly enveloping it into an airborne hug.
It took Brian a second, but he was able to tell the two apart, the second was a bit taller, and its eyes was a sea green instead of a sapphire blue.
"If you'll pardon the interruption," said Bow, slowly, "what are you?"
"As you might guess," the second said, also in a feminine voice, "I'm a faerie." Brian raised a eyebrow slightly.
"I'm glad to see your ok," She-Ra said. The others nodded.
"Tara," the second one began. "We need to figure out what happened to our queen."
"You're right, Lana," replied the first faerie.
She-Ra realized the opening. There was no need for her power, now. While the other three were talking with the faeries, she crept away, to return to her Adora form. Otherwise, if they realized Adora was missing, and went looking for her...
"We'd be happy to help," began Bow, but he was cut off.
"This is something we must do for ourselves," huffed Lana.
Tara pleaded with her kin for a moment. "Trust me," Tara said, "if we need your help in finding her, restoring her, we know where the rebellion can be found."
"But we have no ability - or wish - to fight the Horde," put in Lana.
"You would just give up," Rainbow said, amazed. "If you do that? Who would help the rest of your people?"
"Our people," said Tara, "is something else. We will find the darklings, and will restore them."
The three humans exchanged glances. Then they did a double take.
"Where did She-Ra go?" asked Brian.
"For that matter," whispered Rainbow, suddenly speculative. "Where's Adora?"
The two faerie fluttered to the front, and out of the cave. Brian looked at them, having the sudden feeling they'd see them again, and soon.
The three humans proceeded to the the cave, and were rewarded with Adora, lying in a crumpled heap next to a large rock. Rainbow's eyes narrowed angrily at the sight of one of Shadow Weaver's Crystals.
Bow moved to make sure Adora was all right, and seeing that she had come to, awoke her. "Are you all right?" Brian asked.
"I think I'm all right," Adora said, accepting Bow's help to stand. She staggered a bit, as she put her weight down on her legs. Rainbow's eyes were drawn to her legs. There was no evidence of the of the nasty wound the darkling had put to her.
"So that's what is causing the damage?" Adora asked, diverting Rainbow's attention.
"Yes," Brian said slowly, "we saw one when Rainbow was captured."
Bow steadied his weapon, fitting an arrow, and fired it at the crystal. It was deflected by the same dark shielding they'd seen before.
"That's my cue," Rainbow said, activating her belt. The rainbow emerged, and began a brief war with the crystal. This time, however, without Shadow Weaver nearby to reinforce the shield's magic, it was quickly overcome with the rainbow's light.
Brian leveled his firearm, and popped a shot at the crystal. It glowed yellow momentarily, then burst into a few thousand fragments. Bow nodded, then looked at the others. "Well, the cave's clear. That should earn Donovan his reward. And we need to get out of here before Shadow Weaver realizes her crystal has been destroyed."
Brian nodded. He stooped, and took a few of the crystal shards before leaving. Maybe Light Hope would want to see them.
Bow had led Donovan to the cave, and he agreed. The rebels would let him take the credit, and he would let them take Spirit.
The mood was jubilant when the group reunited in Whispering Wood. Adora was quite clearly feeling whole for the first time since the rescue. Madam Razz welcomed them warmly, and listened intently to the tale Bow spun.
"Darklings," she repeated, quietly. "That is an ill omen." Rainbow was inclined to agree with her.
It was late, and after a simple dinner, the group sat around the fire, arguing about the rebellion's next move.
It was when they separated, and Brian ducked back into Rainbow's tent, that they discussed what they would really have to do.
"We found the guardian of Etheria," Brian whispered, keeping his voice down.
"And she left us just as quickly," Rainbow replied. Their eyes met, and though neither of the spoke, they both thought the same thing: the Guardian was in the camp with them, disguised.
Brian put first voice to it, "Rainbow... when I lifted the sword in the house of the farmer - Donovan, I felt something. That sword was looking for someone, and that someone wasn't me."
Rainbow nodded, "And She-Ra didn't come until Adora was taken by the darklings, and we didn't find Adora until She-Ra had slipped away, either." Brian nodded. "There was one other thing. During the fight with the darklings, Adora was pierced through the legs with the Darkling's claws. Where did that wound go?"
That settled it. There was no other explanation: Adora and She-Ra were the same person. In fact, Brian remembered Light Hope's words. "Return when you had rescued the guardians of Earth and Etheria..." he had rescued both Adora and Rainbow Brite.
"Without giving away we know her secret," Brian started slowly. "How do we get her to the Crystal Castle with us?" He thought for a moment, then answered his own question. "By telling her we are going to look for it. Even if we do know where to find it."
This was agreed to, and they turned in for the night.
Shadow Weaver's form floated along the ground, watching the siege of Brightmoon progress. The first real test of Brightmoon's defenses in months was occurring, when something tickled her senses.
She had sent someone to the disruption of the nexus network, and they had found nothing. There was something out there, now.
She turned back to the forest, away from the fighting, reaching out with her magic. "What are you?" she whispered, "I won't hurt you, child..."
The darkling, drawn by the magic of the Weaver's words, drew closer to the magi.
"There, child," she cooed, her hand touching the rough head of the the darkling. "Now this is interesting... yes, I find this very interesting. I believe we might be able to help each other."
By which of course, she meant, this creature would help her. And the others like it, the presence of which she now felt.
Brian awoke first, walking through the still sleepy camp to find Starlite, who was getting his own early breakfast. He explained the conversation of the night before. Starlite recounted his own experience with Adora, confirming both of their own suspicions.
"So, we'll return to Light Hope today?" Starlite asked. Brian nodded.
It took a few hours for everyone to be up, for Rainbow and Brian to stage their departure with enough aplomb to convince Bow that, while they were glad to help the Rebellion, they had their own task to perform. "We have to find the Crystal Castle," Rainbow said, "Orin said we had to find it to help this world."
Adora didn't miss the meaning. Kowl had told her that they had seen Light Hope, so they were not really going to search for it. They knew where the Crystal Castle was, and they were going back there. She-Ra had better be there to meet them.
Adora watched Rainbow and Brian clamber on to Starlites back, and ride away in the direction of the castle. Apologizing to Bow, she walked with Spirit away from the camp, and murmured again the Words of Power.
"Think she's coming?" Brian said, glancing behind them.
"She has to be," Rainbow replied.
"We're getting close, Rainbow," Starlite told her. "We need to get up to it."
She activated her belt, and Starlite galloped along the rainbows path, towards the 'needle' that the castle rested on. "Better than a swamp, I guess," Brian said, "But who builds a castle in a place like this?"
Just like last time, the gateway stood open, and dismounting they entered. Unlike last time, there were two others waiting for them. Brian's jaw dropped in amazement at the beautiful pegasus. Swiftwind nickered a greeting at Starlite.
"I see you have accomplished your task," Light Hope said, welcoming them back.
"I'm here," Rainbow shouted. There was no gloom here. Here, they were safe.
"And so am I," said She-Ra, emerging from the back of the room. "Light Hope has told me all about you, now, and what we have to do. We must find Castaspella, and rescue Glimmer. Working together, we should be able to reverse Shadow Weaver's spell using her own Nexus crystals, and return light to this land."
