The rainbow road stopped at the gate of a familiar house. Rainbow knew this
house. It belonged to Brian. The first and only Friend Rainbow had on
earth.
She straightened her dress and walked up the steps to his house and knocked on the door. She had never done such a thing before, but knew he had to be home. The door opened and Rainbow almost lost her balance on the steps.
She hardly realized how long it had been since she had seen Brian. No longer the insecure little boy she remembered, there in front of her was an older insecure boy.
"Oh my!" She whispered to herself. Brian seemed puzzled to look at her. Did he not recognize her? They had lost touch over one summer a few years back.
He had left for school Rainbow had not known of and the thought of him had slipped her mind. until Wisp had come to remind her.
"Rainbow?" he said astonished. He was taller, still young but different. It had to have been at least 5 or so years since they had seen each other, but she knew those brown eyes anywhere.
"Brian?" she replied.
He knelt down quickly and picked her up. She had forgotten how tall he had been when they had met, and now he had much more height on her. Despite her age and maturity she had gained in her battles to preserve color, she had remained the small little girl she was the day she arrived in Rainbow Land. Now Brian was hugging her, and she wished she could have had those 5 or so years back.
"So this is why." She thought to herself. "This is why I never bonded with anyone from earth. It is too easy to become separated."
Brian, now in his mid teens, smiled at her as he realized how long he must have held on to her.
"Can I come in?" She asked. He nodded and let her in. They walked in to his bedroom and Rainbow looked around. Posters of baseball stars hung on his walls, his old baseball glove sitting on his desk with a worn baseball in it.
"I thought you forgot me." He said suddenly.
"There seems to be a lot I forgot, Brian." She replied. "I didn't know who else to talk to about this. I know I can trust the Color Kids and Starlite, even Twink, but. this is just too bizarre."
Rainbow continued to tell Brian about the girl in the mirror, about how she came to Rainbow Land, about how long she had been there, and how seeing Wisp in the mirror reminded her of all she had forgotten.
"You mean Rainbow Land was not always Rainbow?" He said when she had finished.
"No," she replied. "The Evil One ruled, until I came to power and defeated him with the 'Sphere of Light'. But now. why after all this time am I seeing myself then? Why is Wisp in my mirror? I was ever really from Rainbow Land, and I want to know. if that is so why is Wisp in my mirror."
"Were you from earth?" He asked.
"I don't remember." Rainbow said with a sigh. "I don't remember being here, but then again, until this morning I forgot about you."
Brian reached in to the messy drawer next to his bed and pulled out the once brilliant now tarnished "Key to Rainbow Land"
"I never forgot you." He said. Rainbow smiled, tears in her eyes. For so long she had been brave, but now like the Wisp in the mirror she was afraid. What else had she forgotten?
Starlite and Twink were still on the rainbow when Rainbow returned with Brian by her side. They looked astonished at the young man in front of them, but still remembered who he was. "Brian!" Twink said happily.
"Oh my" Starlite said looking at the tall boy who now stood in front of him. "Your much to big for me to carry all of you!" Brian laughed. The most magnificent horse he may have been, but he was not made of steel.
"I'll walk Starlite" he said and began to follow as they made their way back to Rainbow Land, and this time Rainbow made the confession that she had made to Brian to them. Her fears that something was stealing her memories, that her own image was trapped in her bedroom mirror, and what It may all mean now that she could remember most of what she had forgotten.
Back at the Color Castle, they stood in front of the mirror in Rainbow's bedroom. The Color Kids stood back and gazed at their reflections, but nothing changed. Violet walked around the glass and tapped the surface curiously.
"The prognosis of my research warrants nothing abnormal beneath the frame, however it doesn't rule out some molecular disturbance the glass itself." She said looking back at the curious eyes behind her. Violet grinned shyly. "I mean, it doesn't rule out a spell or hex made on the mirror."
"Murky and Lurky?" Canary said curiously. "But how would they have gotten in the palace with out our noticing?
Rainbow nodded. "Why the mirror? Why not just kidnap me in my sleep?" They all shrugged.
Brian walked closer to the mirror and knelt to its size. "As much as I would wish it were them, I don't think it is. This palace has been here for as long as all of you, this mirror as well I would guess. Do you know if it were here, Rainbow?"
Rainbow thought deeply. Her memory was like Swiss cheese, and remembering back that long was so difficult. Had that mirror always been there?
"It's been here for as long as I can remember." She said.
"I say we pay Murky and Lurky a little visit." Krys said strongly.
Red nodded in agreement. "Krys is right, we can't just sit back and let them get away with this!"
"But we are not sure it's them" Brian pleaded. "To run into the Pits, and demand and explanation would just not be right."
"But you haven't been here Brian." Red exclaimed, "You don't know how things work!"
"RED!" Rainbow shouted, he had attacked Brian for her own mistake. She had forgotten him, and she knew it was because of that mirror. "That's not fair. And he is right. We don't know if it is Murky and Lurky. We don't have a real plan and we need one, we need to.contact Wisp."
Red and Krys fell silent, Brian still in front of the mirror looked sadly at his shoes. He had wanted to come to Rainbow Land so many times, but let his own fear and insecurities stop him. The first time he had used it, it crumbled from beneath him, and the second time.it had not worked at all. Perhaps life itself got in the way, He didn't know. All he did know is was he was there now and was going to help any way he had to.
At that moment the room grew dark and the mirror began to glow. Brian looked up in to the glass to see a pale Wisp kneeling down and looking him in the eyes. He jerked away from the mirror and sat back on the floor looking up at the mirror. Wisps young watery eyes looked over at him. Her pale lemon hair cascading down the side of her face. Her cheeks were flushed pink with embarrassment. She realized that they could see her and stood. The Color Kids and Rainbow crowded the mirror.
"Don't be afraid, Wisp." Rainbow said. Like a frightened cat her large gray eyed darted around at the colorful children around her. A small tear rest on her cheek.
"Hiiiii." She said, an echoing distance carrying her little voice in to the room.
"Wisp." Rainbow called. "How can we help you?" Wisp did not speak. She just looked around the colored room and pressed her tiny hand against the glass. Rainbow stepped closer to the mirror and reached to the surface.
"Don't!" Krys yelled and pulled Rainbow back from the mirror. Wisp pressed harder on the glass, Rainbow fought Krys back and ran to the mirror, She placed her hands over Wisps, but the moment was lost, the glass tented back to normal and Wisp was gone.
Rainbow looked back, "she needs our help!"
"It could be a trick!" Krys explained. But the reality was too close to Rainbow, she was once the girl in the mirror, and she wanted that back. She wasn't sure why she so desperately wanted it, but she did.
Then the room went black, not merely dark, but pitch black. The mirror began to spark and they all stared back and saw Wisp still clutching the glass, and Rainbow sprang past her friends and griped too. The mirror beneath her fingers became like water and Rainbow realized she was touching Wisps hands. She gripped her hands and pulled, and out from the glass poured Wisp on to the floor. The room came back to light then, and all the Color Kids gasped, for two Rainbows now sat on the floor in front of the mirror. Wisps' lemon hair had fallen from the blue ribbon that had once held it, and her long locks fell down her back some curls fell in to her face, and still her cheek was blank. Rainbow's golden hair still pulled up, her cheek still star kissed and her clothed vibrant with color. It was these differences that the Color Kids where able to distinguish the two Rainbows apart.
Rainbow and Wisp looked at each other and cautiously extended their hands to touch. When the tips of Wisps hands touched Rainbow's outstretched hand the memories began to pour back in to Rainbows mind. Like a slid show of color and gray smoke the fog in her brain lifted, she saw her life in Rainbow Land as if it had been a second. The first time she had saw Rainbow Land, running in to Twink, the sound of Starlite's heard beat beneath the ice, the soft cry of the baby, rescuing the Color Kids. Murky and Lurky, the Evil one, the sphere of light, meeting Brian for the first time, coloring him with color, the Monstromurk. Taking on the evil princess in Spectra, meeting Krys, fighting with Stormy, and meeting Moonglo. All of these and more flooded in to her mind until she could no longer take it and she pulled back from Wisp's touch. She blinked and looked around at the friends and around her. Wisp leaned forward and touched Rainbow again, but this time, the visions had gone and Wisp was smiling. "Thank you." She said, the echo gone and her eyes shining with tears of joy.
Rainbow stood and helped Wisp up. They turned to the staring eyes around them. "Guys, this is Wisp, you may remember her." The Color Kids stood dumbstruck. Then as though she were someone they had not seen in centuries they all crowded around her in a deep hug. It was in this embrace that they all had their memories restored. Small things that they had overlooked forgetting flooding back. Then the ground beneath their feet shook. The trimmer started slow then became violent, the kids ran to the doorway and stood below the arch as pictures and vases fell from tables and shattered to the floor. Then as quickly as it had come it stopped.
The kids ran to the window and looked out. The sprites below were scattering from the color caves and out of their huts. They all seemed okay. They were squeaking excitedly to Rainbow. Then of in the distance she noticed what they were squeaking at, the pits, off in the distance seemed to have grown. The darkness and stone mountains looked as they were crawling toward them.
From its depths the kids heard the most freighting sound they had heard. It was the thunderous malicious laugh.. of the Evil one.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
She straightened her dress and walked up the steps to his house and knocked on the door. She had never done such a thing before, but knew he had to be home. The door opened and Rainbow almost lost her balance on the steps.
She hardly realized how long it had been since she had seen Brian. No longer the insecure little boy she remembered, there in front of her was an older insecure boy.
"Oh my!" She whispered to herself. Brian seemed puzzled to look at her. Did he not recognize her? They had lost touch over one summer a few years back.
He had left for school Rainbow had not known of and the thought of him had slipped her mind. until Wisp had come to remind her.
"Rainbow?" he said astonished. He was taller, still young but different. It had to have been at least 5 or so years since they had seen each other, but she knew those brown eyes anywhere.
"Brian?" she replied.
He knelt down quickly and picked her up. She had forgotten how tall he had been when they had met, and now he had much more height on her. Despite her age and maturity she had gained in her battles to preserve color, she had remained the small little girl she was the day she arrived in Rainbow Land. Now Brian was hugging her, and she wished she could have had those 5 or so years back.
"So this is why." She thought to herself. "This is why I never bonded with anyone from earth. It is too easy to become separated."
Brian, now in his mid teens, smiled at her as he realized how long he must have held on to her.
"Can I come in?" She asked. He nodded and let her in. They walked in to his bedroom and Rainbow looked around. Posters of baseball stars hung on his walls, his old baseball glove sitting on his desk with a worn baseball in it.
"I thought you forgot me." He said suddenly.
"There seems to be a lot I forgot, Brian." She replied. "I didn't know who else to talk to about this. I know I can trust the Color Kids and Starlite, even Twink, but. this is just too bizarre."
Rainbow continued to tell Brian about the girl in the mirror, about how she came to Rainbow Land, about how long she had been there, and how seeing Wisp in the mirror reminded her of all she had forgotten.
"You mean Rainbow Land was not always Rainbow?" He said when she had finished.
"No," she replied. "The Evil One ruled, until I came to power and defeated him with the 'Sphere of Light'. But now. why after all this time am I seeing myself then? Why is Wisp in my mirror? I was ever really from Rainbow Land, and I want to know. if that is so why is Wisp in my mirror."
"Were you from earth?" He asked.
"I don't remember." Rainbow said with a sigh. "I don't remember being here, but then again, until this morning I forgot about you."
Brian reached in to the messy drawer next to his bed and pulled out the once brilliant now tarnished "Key to Rainbow Land"
"I never forgot you." He said. Rainbow smiled, tears in her eyes. For so long she had been brave, but now like the Wisp in the mirror she was afraid. What else had she forgotten?
Starlite and Twink were still on the rainbow when Rainbow returned with Brian by her side. They looked astonished at the young man in front of them, but still remembered who he was. "Brian!" Twink said happily.
"Oh my" Starlite said looking at the tall boy who now stood in front of him. "Your much to big for me to carry all of you!" Brian laughed. The most magnificent horse he may have been, but he was not made of steel.
"I'll walk Starlite" he said and began to follow as they made their way back to Rainbow Land, and this time Rainbow made the confession that she had made to Brian to them. Her fears that something was stealing her memories, that her own image was trapped in her bedroom mirror, and what It may all mean now that she could remember most of what she had forgotten.
Back at the Color Castle, they stood in front of the mirror in Rainbow's bedroom. The Color Kids stood back and gazed at their reflections, but nothing changed. Violet walked around the glass and tapped the surface curiously.
"The prognosis of my research warrants nothing abnormal beneath the frame, however it doesn't rule out some molecular disturbance the glass itself." She said looking back at the curious eyes behind her. Violet grinned shyly. "I mean, it doesn't rule out a spell or hex made on the mirror."
"Murky and Lurky?" Canary said curiously. "But how would they have gotten in the palace with out our noticing?
Rainbow nodded. "Why the mirror? Why not just kidnap me in my sleep?" They all shrugged.
Brian walked closer to the mirror and knelt to its size. "As much as I would wish it were them, I don't think it is. This palace has been here for as long as all of you, this mirror as well I would guess. Do you know if it were here, Rainbow?"
Rainbow thought deeply. Her memory was like Swiss cheese, and remembering back that long was so difficult. Had that mirror always been there?
"It's been here for as long as I can remember." She said.
"I say we pay Murky and Lurky a little visit." Krys said strongly.
Red nodded in agreement. "Krys is right, we can't just sit back and let them get away with this!"
"But we are not sure it's them" Brian pleaded. "To run into the Pits, and demand and explanation would just not be right."
"But you haven't been here Brian." Red exclaimed, "You don't know how things work!"
"RED!" Rainbow shouted, he had attacked Brian for her own mistake. She had forgotten him, and she knew it was because of that mirror. "That's not fair. And he is right. We don't know if it is Murky and Lurky. We don't have a real plan and we need one, we need to.contact Wisp."
Red and Krys fell silent, Brian still in front of the mirror looked sadly at his shoes. He had wanted to come to Rainbow Land so many times, but let his own fear and insecurities stop him. The first time he had used it, it crumbled from beneath him, and the second time.it had not worked at all. Perhaps life itself got in the way, He didn't know. All he did know is was he was there now and was going to help any way he had to.
At that moment the room grew dark and the mirror began to glow. Brian looked up in to the glass to see a pale Wisp kneeling down and looking him in the eyes. He jerked away from the mirror and sat back on the floor looking up at the mirror. Wisps young watery eyes looked over at him. Her pale lemon hair cascading down the side of her face. Her cheeks were flushed pink with embarrassment. She realized that they could see her and stood. The Color Kids and Rainbow crowded the mirror.
"Don't be afraid, Wisp." Rainbow said. Like a frightened cat her large gray eyed darted around at the colorful children around her. A small tear rest on her cheek.
"Hiiiii." She said, an echoing distance carrying her little voice in to the room.
"Wisp." Rainbow called. "How can we help you?" Wisp did not speak. She just looked around the colored room and pressed her tiny hand against the glass. Rainbow stepped closer to the mirror and reached to the surface.
"Don't!" Krys yelled and pulled Rainbow back from the mirror. Wisp pressed harder on the glass, Rainbow fought Krys back and ran to the mirror, She placed her hands over Wisps, but the moment was lost, the glass tented back to normal and Wisp was gone.
Rainbow looked back, "she needs our help!"
"It could be a trick!" Krys explained. But the reality was too close to Rainbow, she was once the girl in the mirror, and she wanted that back. She wasn't sure why she so desperately wanted it, but she did.
Then the room went black, not merely dark, but pitch black. The mirror began to spark and they all stared back and saw Wisp still clutching the glass, and Rainbow sprang past her friends and griped too. The mirror beneath her fingers became like water and Rainbow realized she was touching Wisps hands. She gripped her hands and pulled, and out from the glass poured Wisp on to the floor. The room came back to light then, and all the Color Kids gasped, for two Rainbows now sat on the floor in front of the mirror. Wisps' lemon hair had fallen from the blue ribbon that had once held it, and her long locks fell down her back some curls fell in to her face, and still her cheek was blank. Rainbow's golden hair still pulled up, her cheek still star kissed and her clothed vibrant with color. It was these differences that the Color Kids where able to distinguish the two Rainbows apart.
Rainbow and Wisp looked at each other and cautiously extended their hands to touch. When the tips of Wisps hands touched Rainbow's outstretched hand the memories began to pour back in to Rainbows mind. Like a slid show of color and gray smoke the fog in her brain lifted, she saw her life in Rainbow Land as if it had been a second. The first time she had saw Rainbow Land, running in to Twink, the sound of Starlite's heard beat beneath the ice, the soft cry of the baby, rescuing the Color Kids. Murky and Lurky, the Evil one, the sphere of light, meeting Brian for the first time, coloring him with color, the Monstromurk. Taking on the evil princess in Spectra, meeting Krys, fighting with Stormy, and meeting Moonglo. All of these and more flooded in to her mind until she could no longer take it and she pulled back from Wisp's touch. She blinked and looked around at the friends and around her. Wisp leaned forward and touched Rainbow again, but this time, the visions had gone and Wisp was smiling. "Thank you." She said, the echo gone and her eyes shining with tears of joy.
Rainbow stood and helped Wisp up. They turned to the staring eyes around them. "Guys, this is Wisp, you may remember her." The Color Kids stood dumbstruck. Then as though she were someone they had not seen in centuries they all crowded around her in a deep hug. It was in this embrace that they all had their memories restored. Small things that they had overlooked forgetting flooding back. Then the ground beneath their feet shook. The trimmer started slow then became violent, the kids ran to the doorway and stood below the arch as pictures and vases fell from tables and shattered to the floor. Then as quickly as it had come it stopped.
The kids ran to the window and looked out. The sprites below were scattering from the color caves and out of their huts. They all seemed okay. They were squeaking excitedly to Rainbow. Then of in the distance she noticed what they were squeaking at, the pits, off in the distance seemed to have grown. The darkness and stone mountains looked as they were crawling toward them.
From its depths the kids heard the most freighting sound they had heard. It was the thunderous malicious laugh.. of the Evil one.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~