Title: Before the Rainbow

Title: Before the Rainbow

See chapter one for disclaimer.

Author's note: Italicized paragraphs are dream sequences, the color kids are thinking or dreaming about their past lives.  This applies to the previous chapters as well.

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Chapter 4- Revelations

Violet was the last to enter the dining hall. She sat in her seat and looked around the table. All the kids were as bubbly as usual, discussing their days with each other. All except Patty and Buddy, who were sitting together silently.  Dinner was uneventful, except for Pink's scheduled milk spilling.  (For some reason, she seemed to do that at every meal.)  Canary noticed the awkwardness at the table, but didn't question it.  She feared that Patty and Rainbow had fought again.

After the plates were cleared away, Rainbow stood up at the head of the table and quieted the room.  She asked that only the Color Kids remain in the dining hall, and all the sprites cleared out.  Rainbow looked around the table.

"Kids, we've made some startling discoveries in the past few days and I want to have everyone involved.  The question of where each of you came from has been asked more than once, but none of you knew the answer.  You all seemed satisfied thinking you were created simply to maintain your respective colors."  Rainbow paused and looked at the Kids.  They didn't seem to understand where she was going with this.  Rainbow looked at Violet, but Violet looked away.  She clearly wanted no part in this.  Rainbow continued.

"Well, that may not be the case.  Buddy has mentioned regaining memories of his life before Rainbowland.  Patty, as well."  This caused a stir in the Kids and they looked over at Buddy and Patty.  Canary leaned over to Buddy.

"Is it true, Buddy?"  He nodded at her and she gasped.  Violet cringed.  She knew this was wrong, but now it couldn't be avoided.  Violet stood up and cleared her throat.  Rainbow sat down.

"It's true."  She told the Kids.  Violet repeated what she had told Buddy, Patty, and Rainbow in the library.  There were mixed reactions.  Lala was horrified, but Indigo and Canary seemed excited.  Red looked extremely worried.  Pink didn't seem to understand what was going on.

"So what you're saying," Canary asked, "is we weren't created just for our colors?  Could there be more like us?"  Violet shook her head.

"I don't know, but it's possible."  She told the yellow Kid.  Red spoke up next.

"How can we remember our pasts?" He asked.  Buddy answered him.

"I remembered when I got hit on the head, but Patty remembered when I was talking about it.  Violet says that she's known for a while now.  It depends, I guess."  Red scratched his head and went deep into thought.  Violet sat down and folded her hands on her lap.  The room grew deathly quiet.  Rainbow let everyone retire to their rooms for the night, and they left in silence.

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Lala stood on her balcony and held her favorite teddy bear.  She had changed into her pajamas and was getting ready to climb into bed.  She let a tear escape, and it slid down her cheek.  She had a family!  Where were they, what were they like?  She had no idea how to remember that far back, but thinking about it helped a bit.  Indigo had told her, many years ago, that she believed she had a mother.  Lala had listened to her, but never believed her.  Indigo had been very insistent about it, but she eventually stopped talking about it.

"Why can't I remember?" She asked her teddy bear.  She was answered by a knock to her door. 

"Come in." She called to the visitor.  Red came in.  He was in his pajamas as well, black pj bottoms and a white shirt.  Lala smiled and dropped her bear on the bed.  He scooped her up in a hug.

"How're you doing, Lala?" Red asked as he smoothed her hair.  She sobbed into his chest.  Red kissed the top of her head.

"Don't worry, baby, everything will be alright.  We're in this together."

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Indigo was in Canary's room, and the two were giggling like school girls.

"I can't believe it's true, Canary!"  Indigo jumped onto the bed and lifted her arms into the air. 

"I knew it!" She exclaimed.  Canary tackled her to the carpeted floor, and the two exploded into another fit of giggles.

"You've been saying that for the past hour, I think all of Rainbow Land's heard you by now!"  Canary smashed a pillow over Indigo's head as she stood up.  Indigo lay on the floor, and stared up at the ceiling.  She had known deep down inside for so long, and now she knew the truth.  She felt like she should be mad at Violet for not telling them all earlier, but she wasn't.  How could she be?  She was about to find her family!  Indigo decided to spend the night over Canary's room that night.  Canary was her best friend, and had been for hundreds of years now.  They had a bond, closer then sisters.

Canary wasn't as excited as Indigo, she was afraid that some of the Kids would want to leave Rainbow Land when they found their families.  Indigo just might be one of them, and Canary didn't want to lose her.

"Indigo?" Canary asked, "are you going to leave Rainbow Land if you find your family?"  Indigo smiled and stood up.  She walked over to her best friend and hugged her.  But she never said anything.

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Buddy couldn't stop thinking about everything.  He was laying on top of his bed, arms folded under his head.  He wasn't tired as all.  He tried working out, but couldn't concentrate on anything.  This was tearing him apart.  Buddy felt like he was out of control of his own life.  Tears formed in his eyes, and he tried to blink them away.  Buddy hated crying, it served no purpose in his mind.  But, his sadness overtook his willpower.  He turned and buried his face into his pillow, to muffle the sound and dry his tears.

Buddy thought about his mom and dad, and his little sister.  He wanted to find them, and find where he had come from.  But, what if he did find them.  He couldn't leave Rainbow Land!  This was his home.  His thoughts drifted to Patty.  He couldn't leave her.  Thinking about Patty calmed him down a little.  He took a deep breath and willed the tears to stop.  He decided to try to get some sleep then, and snuggled under his sheets.  Hugging his pillow, he fell asleep thinking about Patty.

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Rainbow and Patty sat on the roof of the Color Castle, looking up at the stars.  Rainbow tried clearing her head using a meditation technique Violet had taught her, it wasn't working.  She was tired of thinking, and just wanted to relax.  Patty looked at her and smiled.

"Wisp," Patty was the only one who called her that, "you shouldn't worry so much.  You're going to get wrinkles."  Rainbow smirked at her.

"I can't help it, worrying comes with my job."  Patty laughed.  Rainbow looked at her best friend.

"How are you doing, Patty?  We haven't talked for a while."  Patty shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm alright, why?"

"What about Buddy, is he doing alright?"  Patty blushed and looked away.  Rainbow smiled, she knew something was going on between them.

"Actually, he's not taking this family thing very well.  He hasn't said much of anything, but I think it's really getting to him."  Patty looked back at Rainbow and saw her smiling.

"What?" Patty asked her.  Rainbow shook her head, but couldn't wipe the grin off of her face.

"You really like him, don't you." Rainbow finally said.

"WISP!  I…" Patty stammered, she didn't know how to respond.

"It's ok, I won't tell anyone.  You know that."  Rainbow thought about making the "scout's honor" symbol with her hand, but didn't think Patty knew the Earth symbol.  Patty smiled.

"Well, Buddy and I have been friends for a long time now.  I never thought of him as anything else until about a month ago.  He took me on a surprise picnic near the falls.  He had everything fixed so nice, and made all the food himself.  He told me that I meant a lot to him, and he's never been happier in his entire life."  Patty paused and looked at her feet.

"Wisp, what if he decides he's happier with his family?  What if any of the Kids wants to leave?"  Rainbow looked around at Rainbow Land.  She knew this was where she belonged, but she knew about her past and kept in contact with her family.  The Color Kids didn't have that luxury.  Rainbow gently touched Patty's shoulder.

"If Buddy decides to go, we can't stop him.  But something tells me that he won't."  Rainbow told her friend.  There was a long pause while the two became lost in their thoughts.

"I knew you liked him!" Rainbow told her, breaking the silence.  Patty grinned and blushed again.

"Yeah, yeah.  Just keep quiet about it."