The Neutral Color Crystal
A/N: This is where the plot kicks in, and that's all I really need to say about this chapter. Also,
reviewers, I love you guys dearly, but to hear my story called 'cute' is a pet peeve of mine... it
doesn't get very cute from now on. XD But I still wuv you alls! Also, the key in this chap - The
Key of Time- is by no means the title key... it comes later. Sorry this is such a short chappie,
but I ran outta ideas!
---
Rainbow was quite friendly with Niji after the Canary-almost-drowning incident. She cheerily showed
the younger girl around, letting her follow her throughout the day and helping her with her work.
Niji was surprisingly good at sorting and mining color crystal, and separating the colors of star
sprinkle.
" Where did you learn to be so efficient? " asked Rainbow, amused, as Niji quickly separated orange
and blue sprinkles into neat piles.
Niji shrugged. " I don't know. Maybe wherever I came from. "
" Oh, ok, " said Rainbow. She had expected an answer like that. " Come, let's go mine some more. "
She led the way deeper into the caves, holding a star sprinkle to provide light. They turned a few
corners, and in five minutes of walking and turning, came upon a small clearing which walls were
lined with-
" Black color crystal. " said Rainbow, shocked. " Grey color crystal. " she examined the walls
closer. " And white color crystal. Neutral colors. "
Niji turned white. She found herself speechless, remembering what she and her friends had discovered
in her time...
*Flashback*
" Come, let's go explore in the caves. " Daisy had said, looking at Raspberry, Niji, and Jade.
" I'm so bored. "
The other girls had agreed. And so they set off, wandering, chatting, not paying attention to where
they were. Suddenly they found themselves in a long, narrow sort of hallway with room-like clearings
attached to it.
Jade raised a green star sprinkle. " ...Why is there black color crystal here? "
" Not just black. " said Raspberry slowly, her eyes on the walls. " Grey and white, too. "
" I've never seen color crystal like this, " said Niji, staring at the walls. The whole hall and the
rooms attached were filled with the neutral color crystals. " I just know it's going to be a bad
thing... "
" Let's get your mom. " said Daisy. They headed back, and when they returned, it was with Rainbow
Brite, Red Butler, and Buddy Blue.
" Oh, my... " was all Rainbow could stutter.
Red Butler looked frightened. " This is a very, very bad thing. "
" You don't understand how bad this is, " said Rainbow.
" I'll take them back. I'll call the others here. The kids have to stay out. " said Buddy Blue,
motioning for the girls to follow. " You guys have to stay in the castle while we figure this
out. "
Rainbow looked like she wanted to cry and scream at the same time. Niji looked at her and felt the
same way as she was led out.
*End Flashback*
So the neutral crystal had been here previously... but it only filled one cave in the past... in the
future it was a whole section...
Niji had left two weeks after the discovery. She really wanted to stay, to find out what had happened.
But all that had taken place was lots of worrying by the adults. They were confused as to why neutral
color crystal would grow. Color Crystal only grew in the colors of the kids.
" I... I don't know what to say. " said Rainbow. She looked as scared as she did in the future.
Niji looked up at Rainbow, fearful. Was it the time to tell her who she was? Should she? " I...
n-need to tell you s-something... " she stammered nervously.
" Yes? " asked Rainbow, looking down at her curiously.
" You're my mom. "
Rainbow cocked an eyebrow. " Are you stressed out or something? "
" No. You're my mom. In the future, I'm your daughter. "
" ...What? " was all Rainbow could manage.
" It's hard to explain. I'm from the future. Your future self decided to send me to the past to be
trained, gain experience. I wasn't supposed to tell, just follow my orders and go. But this color
crystal... "
" You're lying. "
" I am not. Ever wonder why I look like you? Because I'm your daughter. "
Rainbow took a step back and brought a hand to her chest, nervous. " I need proof. " she said softly.
Niji extracted the key. " This is what I used to get here. "
" The time key! " shrieked Rainbow. " You have it?! "
" Your future self found it. "
" ...I've always wanted to see this thing. Violet told me about it, said it was a myth in Rainbowland.
You can change what happens? "
" As long as I have the key. "
" And you're my daughter. And you do have your memory. " Rainbow paused. " ...Niji, who's your father? "
Niji looked flushed. " ...Starlite. " she said meekly.
" STARLITE?! " shrieked Rainbow. " STARLITE is your father?!?! "
" I thought he was one of us, a human type. I never knew he used to be a horse until I came here.
Of course, I never knew him that well. " said Niji softly.
" Why's that? "
" He died. When I was five. "
" You can't be serious. I would never... not with Starlite... " said Rainbow, looking shaken.
" But you did. And you got me. "
" This is so much information to get. " said Rainbow, confused, and sitting down. " I'm sorry, I
don't get how Starlite could become a human figure. "
" You never told me. "
" That sounds like something I might do. "
" I'll tell you more about future Rainbowland later. I only told you who I am because of this color
crystal. Or anti color crystal. "
" What about it? "
" We thought we had discovered it for the first time in the future. "
" It was here in the future? " asked Rainbow, bewildered.
" Except it didn't just fill this cave. It filled this whole section we're standing in. " Niji
shook her head.
" What does it mean? "
" I have no clue. "
" I don't think we should tell any of the color kids yet. But I think it might be ok to tell Shy
Violet- we'll get her to run some tests. " said Rainbow, her breathing slowing. " Let's go, we
can talk as we walk, there's a lot I want to know. "
They began to exit the cave and Niji filled Rainbow in on everything in the future. Rainbow's face
relaxed and she appeared calmer, though clearly still extremely confused about Starlite.
" Shy Violet? " they neared the opening of the cave and found the purple-haired girl talking with
some sprites. She looked up, said something to the sprites, then came over to them.
" Yes? " she asked calmly. Rainbow and Niji explained all that had happened in the cave, including
where Niji was really from. Violet wasn't as calm after that.
" Are you serious? Is that scientifically possible? May I see the evidence? "
Niji showed her the key. " The key of time. " she said.
" Now I believe you. " said Shy Violet. " What is it you want me to do? "
" Conduct some tests on the crystal. See what it's about. Heaven knows you can figure it out. " said
Rainbow. " And we should stop it right away if it's something bad. "
Violet nodded. " Where was it? "
Niji told her the directions and she ran off, calling, " I'll be back! " And a few minutes later
she had returned with samples of all three colors. " Let's go to the castle to study this. " she
said.
The three headed off and when they went inside they found Patty at the generator. " Patty, do you
mind leaving for a bit...? " Rainbow asked awkwardly.
" Sure! " Patty smiled and left, and Violet set down the crystal on a tray. She headed for a cabinet
and pulled open a drawer, bringing out a book and a magnifying glass. She dragged a chair over to the table
and held the magnifier to a piece of grey color crystal.
" Hmm. " she said after a few minutes, then consulted the book. Looking up, she said, " It seems
to be made of the same components as any old color crystal, Rainbow. Just... they're neutral. "
" But *how* did it get there? " cried Rainbow, exasperated. " You *know* that color crystal only
grows in color kid colors! "
" Ever thought there might be more color kids? "
---
^_^ Whee! Plot finally begins! Trust me, it gets more complicated later, but you'll find out how...
next week! Ja! xoxo KK
A/N: This is where the plot kicks in, and that's all I really need to say about this chapter. Also,
reviewers, I love you guys dearly, but to hear my story called 'cute' is a pet peeve of mine... it
doesn't get very cute from now on. XD But I still wuv you alls! Also, the key in this chap - The
Key of Time- is by no means the title key... it comes later. Sorry this is such a short chappie,
but I ran outta ideas!
---
Rainbow was quite friendly with Niji after the Canary-almost-drowning incident. She cheerily showed
the younger girl around, letting her follow her throughout the day and helping her with her work.
Niji was surprisingly good at sorting and mining color crystal, and separating the colors of star
sprinkle.
" Where did you learn to be so efficient? " asked Rainbow, amused, as Niji quickly separated orange
and blue sprinkles into neat piles.
Niji shrugged. " I don't know. Maybe wherever I came from. "
" Oh, ok, " said Rainbow. She had expected an answer like that. " Come, let's go mine some more. "
She led the way deeper into the caves, holding a star sprinkle to provide light. They turned a few
corners, and in five minutes of walking and turning, came upon a small clearing which walls were
lined with-
" Black color crystal. " said Rainbow, shocked. " Grey color crystal. " she examined the walls
closer. " And white color crystal. Neutral colors. "
Niji turned white. She found herself speechless, remembering what she and her friends had discovered
in her time...
*Flashback*
" Come, let's go explore in the caves. " Daisy had said, looking at Raspberry, Niji, and Jade.
" I'm so bored. "
The other girls had agreed. And so they set off, wandering, chatting, not paying attention to where
they were. Suddenly they found themselves in a long, narrow sort of hallway with room-like clearings
attached to it.
Jade raised a green star sprinkle. " ...Why is there black color crystal here? "
" Not just black. " said Raspberry slowly, her eyes on the walls. " Grey and white, too. "
" I've never seen color crystal like this, " said Niji, staring at the walls. The whole hall and the
rooms attached were filled with the neutral color crystals. " I just know it's going to be a bad
thing... "
" Let's get your mom. " said Daisy. They headed back, and when they returned, it was with Rainbow
Brite, Red Butler, and Buddy Blue.
" Oh, my... " was all Rainbow could stutter.
Red Butler looked frightened. " This is a very, very bad thing. "
" You don't understand how bad this is, " said Rainbow.
" I'll take them back. I'll call the others here. The kids have to stay out. " said Buddy Blue,
motioning for the girls to follow. " You guys have to stay in the castle while we figure this
out. "
Rainbow looked like she wanted to cry and scream at the same time. Niji looked at her and felt the
same way as she was led out.
*End Flashback*
So the neutral crystal had been here previously... but it only filled one cave in the past... in the
future it was a whole section...
Niji had left two weeks after the discovery. She really wanted to stay, to find out what had happened.
But all that had taken place was lots of worrying by the adults. They were confused as to why neutral
color crystal would grow. Color Crystal only grew in the colors of the kids.
" I... I don't know what to say. " said Rainbow. She looked as scared as she did in the future.
Niji looked up at Rainbow, fearful. Was it the time to tell her who she was? Should she? " I...
n-need to tell you s-something... " she stammered nervously.
" Yes? " asked Rainbow, looking down at her curiously.
" You're my mom. "
Rainbow cocked an eyebrow. " Are you stressed out or something? "
" No. You're my mom. In the future, I'm your daughter. "
" ...What? " was all Rainbow could manage.
" It's hard to explain. I'm from the future. Your future self decided to send me to the past to be
trained, gain experience. I wasn't supposed to tell, just follow my orders and go. But this color
crystal... "
" You're lying. "
" I am not. Ever wonder why I look like you? Because I'm your daughter. "
Rainbow took a step back and brought a hand to her chest, nervous. " I need proof. " she said softly.
Niji extracted the key. " This is what I used to get here. "
" The time key! " shrieked Rainbow. " You have it?! "
" Your future self found it. "
" ...I've always wanted to see this thing. Violet told me about it, said it was a myth in Rainbowland.
You can change what happens? "
" As long as I have the key. "
" And you're my daughter. And you do have your memory. " Rainbow paused. " ...Niji, who's your father? "
Niji looked flushed. " ...Starlite. " she said meekly.
" STARLITE?! " shrieked Rainbow. " STARLITE is your father?!?! "
" I thought he was one of us, a human type. I never knew he used to be a horse until I came here.
Of course, I never knew him that well. " said Niji softly.
" Why's that? "
" He died. When I was five. "
" You can't be serious. I would never... not with Starlite... " said Rainbow, looking shaken.
" But you did. And you got me. "
" This is so much information to get. " said Rainbow, confused, and sitting down. " I'm sorry, I
don't get how Starlite could become a human figure. "
" You never told me. "
" That sounds like something I might do. "
" I'll tell you more about future Rainbowland later. I only told you who I am because of this color
crystal. Or anti color crystal. "
" What about it? "
" We thought we had discovered it for the first time in the future. "
" It was here in the future? " asked Rainbow, bewildered.
" Except it didn't just fill this cave. It filled this whole section we're standing in. " Niji
shook her head.
" What does it mean? "
" I have no clue. "
" I don't think we should tell any of the color kids yet. But I think it might be ok to tell Shy
Violet- we'll get her to run some tests. " said Rainbow, her breathing slowing. " Let's go, we
can talk as we walk, there's a lot I want to know. "
They began to exit the cave and Niji filled Rainbow in on everything in the future. Rainbow's face
relaxed and she appeared calmer, though clearly still extremely confused about Starlite.
" Shy Violet? " they neared the opening of the cave and found the purple-haired girl talking with
some sprites. She looked up, said something to the sprites, then came over to them.
" Yes? " she asked calmly. Rainbow and Niji explained all that had happened in the cave, including
where Niji was really from. Violet wasn't as calm after that.
" Are you serious? Is that scientifically possible? May I see the evidence? "
Niji showed her the key. " The key of time. " she said.
" Now I believe you. " said Shy Violet. " What is it you want me to do? "
" Conduct some tests on the crystal. See what it's about. Heaven knows you can figure it out. " said
Rainbow. " And we should stop it right away if it's something bad. "
Violet nodded. " Where was it? "
Niji told her the directions and she ran off, calling, " I'll be back! " And a few minutes later
she had returned with samples of all three colors. " Let's go to the castle to study this. " she
said.
The three headed off and when they went inside they found Patty at the generator. " Patty, do you
mind leaving for a bit...? " Rainbow asked awkwardly.
" Sure! " Patty smiled and left, and Violet set down the crystal on a tray. She headed for a cabinet
and pulled open a drawer, bringing out a book and a magnifying glass. She dragged a chair over to the table
and held the magnifier to a piece of grey color crystal.
" Hmm. " she said after a few minutes, then consulted the book. Looking up, she said, " It seems
to be made of the same components as any old color crystal, Rainbow. Just... they're neutral. "
" But *how* did it get there? " cried Rainbow, exasperated. " You *know* that color crystal only
grows in color kid colors! "
" Ever thought there might be more color kids? "
---
^_^ Whee! Plot finally begins! Trust me, it gets more complicated later, but you'll find out how...
next week! Ja! xoxo KK
