The five of them left the house, once again wrapped in the dull cloaks. It was after noon, now, and fairly hot. No breeze blew, and activity was at a minimum.
Leaving town they headed for the copse of trees behind the hill where they had left the others. They stepped into the clearing, but nobody was there.
"Hello? We're back!" called Rainbow. There was no answer.
"There's On-X," said Krys, and ran over to him. He was still in the same spot where he had landed.
"What happened here?" Krys asked. There was no movement, and no answer from the robot horse.
Troy walked over, tears running from seeing his old friend again.
"Something's wrong," said Krys. He stabbed several of the buttons that made up On-X's mane. Nothing.
"On-X?" said Troy, looking him in the eye.
"He's been drained, even the emergency reserve," said Krys.
"You're right," said Troy, "But how?"
"I don't know... but we'd better find out."
Krys raised the saddle, which gave him access to the horses' inner workings. "Look at this," he said, holding up an object. Examination proved it to be a Starsprinkle. But it was black and lustreless, completely dead and useless.
Rainbow, Indigo, and Mist, in the meantime, were walking around the clearing, trying to find some clues. The dull greenish-red grass was trampled down in spots, and several bushes had been uprooted to one side, but that was all. The Kids were gone, and their packs as well.
"Any ideas?" Rainbow asked Indigo.
She shook her head. "Not a clue. Mist, could a local animal do this?"
"Yes, there are some rather large and dangerous ones on this world, but we aren't in their normal area. Nothing seems to match what I know."
"Rainbow," called Krys, "May I have a few Starsprinkles? On-X is completely drained of power."
"Sorry, Krys, I used all of them I had to recharge my belt. Indigo, do you have any?"
"I gave you what I had on me. I had more in my pack, but it's gone like everything else."
"Darn it," said Krys in frustration, striking his fist on the saddle, "He may be able to tell us what happened, but we can't recharge him without Starsprinkles."
A sudden rustling in the brush caused all five of them to turn.
Patty O'Green slowly crept from her hiding place, face full of fear.
She brightened when she saw Rainbow and Indigo, and she ran over to them. "Patty, I'm so glad you're safe! What happened?" asked Rainbow, hugging her tightly. Indigo murmured agreement, and wrapped her arms around her friend.
Patty looked around fearfully, as though expecting to be eaten at any second.
"We were waiting for you to come back, and suddenly we were attacked by something I've never seen before. There were many of them, several to each Color Kid. They just sprang up from the ground, and attacked us. They were black, with wide red mouths and narrow eyes."
Rainbow and Krys looked at each other. "Slurthies!" they said together.
The others looked at them in confusion.
"The Princess used them as guards in her castle. Anyway...?" prompted Krys.
"Anyway I was off in the brush examining plants, and I guess they didn't see me. I heard the noise of the attack, and came back in time to see them overwhelm the Kids and jump together to become one large creature. It lumbered away that way." she gestured to where the plants were ripped up.
"That way is towards Sorrell's castle," said Mist.
"We have to go and rescue the Kids, and get those books back from Sorrell," said Rainbow with resolution.
Patty seemed to notice the strangers for the first time.
"Who are you?" she asked.
They pulled back their hoods, and she gasped. "Yes, it's us, Patty," said Mist.
She ran over and hugged them, crying.
"I don't believe it! I thought you both were long dead! When we found the Color Belt, but no other trace of you..."
"Patty, I'm sorry, but we have to go, now," said Krys, "You can catch up later."
"What do you want us to do, Rainbow?" asked Troy.
"Stay here and guard On-X. He's completely helpless. There's no point in being secretive now, Sorrell knows we're here. Indigo, you stay as well. You'll be our last defense, if it comes to that. Patty, you come with us."
Indigo didn't like it, but she nodded and didn't argue.
"Come on, we've got a fight ahead of us." She and Patty and Krys turned and followed the trail of broken plants.
"Good luck," cried Troy and Mist, "May the rainbow shine brightest when all is darkest!"
Indigo waved. "Be careful, all of you..." she said.
For some time they followed the trail the Slurthie had left, and the sun slowly began to sink towards the horizon. Ahead they began to catch glimpses of Sorrell's castle, and finally stopped just inside the trees where the trail ended.
The castle was a modest one, made of brown and white stone, with windows here and there. There was no moat, and the path from town passed in front of them winding to the double wooden door to their left.
There seemed to be nobody guarding the place. They crept up to the door, and Krys opened it slowly, peering inside.
"Seems to be okay," he whispered.
They slipped inside, cautiously closing the door behind them.
The courtyard was filled with native plants, kept up in a careless fashion. They slipped through to the door to the inner part. "Do we rescue the Kids first, or confront Sorrell?" asked Krys.
"Let's rescue the Kids. We may need their power. Krys, you stay here. Patty and I will look around."
"Okay, but be careful!"
Rainbow smiled at her friend. "Don't worry! See you shortly."
The girls went in opposite directions, dissappearing around corners. Krys was examining the Prism, making sure it was ready for use, and didn't see the Slurthie rise behind him.
Several minutes later Patty and Rainbow met at the door, but no Krys. They looked at each other, but didn't speak because they knew what had happened.
"Find anything?" asked Rainbow.
"Yes! I found Sorrell's laboratory. Maybe the books are there."
"Show me."
She followed Patty under an arch and into a tunnel. Down a long, dark corridor with several doors along the way. At one point a stairway went down.
As they passed it, Rainbow felt something drawing her attention to it. Gesturing to Patty they went down. At the foot of the stairs was a set of bars, and behind them were the Color Kids. All were unconsious, and Krys was among them.
"No help there," said Patty, "But at least they're alive."
"You're right," replied Rainbow "I'm not sure I have enough power left to take out these bars and confront Sorrell. I'd better not risk it." She turned back to the stairs.
As they passed another door, a faint gleam of light was visible under it. She tried the handle, and it was locked.
"There are Starsprinkles in there, but we can't get in," said Rainbow.
"I guess we'd better go on to the lab," said Patty.
"Do you have any with you?" asked Rainbow.
"No, all of mine were in my pack," said Patty.
They opened the door to Sorrell's laboratory slowly. It was vacant of any sorcerers, so they slipped in and closed it.
"Look for the books," said Rainbow.
They did so for several minutes, but came up empty. Other books sat on a bookcase in the corner, and a small computer console occupied part of the workbench.
"I guess we'd better start looking elsewhere..." said Patty.
She cocked her head. "I hear footsteps."
"Me too," said Rainbow, "You hide there, and I'll hide over here. When he comes in, you step out and hit him with a light beam. I'll bind him with the rainbow."
"Right," said Patty, running over to a dark cranny in the corner.
Rainbow hid in another nook by the books.
Sorrell came in, holding a small flask that glowed. Stepping over to the work bench, he held it up. One Starsprinkle of each color was in it, floating in a clear liquid. In his other hand he held the Yellow Volume from the set of books. He set it down and turned to look at a page near the middle.
"Sorrell," said Rainbow, stepping out of her hiding place.
He looked up. "Well, Rainbow Brite, there you are at last. I have to admit, I'm flattered. I'm not impressed, but I am flattered."
Seeing her confusion, he explained, "Your Color Kids. You brought all of them just to try and stop me." He laughed, "Though for all the help they've been to you, they might as well have stayed home."
Suddenly Rainbow's thoughts lept to a guess.
"YOU killed him!" she cried.
"Eh?" asked Sorrell.
"You killed Plock! You murdered that old man to get those books!"
Sorrell's surprise was genuine. "No, on that score you're wrong. He was too valuable to me as a source of things from your world. It's too bad he was killed, but not important now. With these books I've got what I need. And I don't need YOU!"
She felt a drawing in of power, with Sorrell being the focus. He raised his hands towards her.
"NOW, Patty!" cried Rainbow.
Patty O'Green stepped forward from her hiding place and, startled, Sorrell turned towards her. They stared at each other for several seconds, then both turned their attention back to Rainbow.
"Patty! What?"
Patty held up her hand. There was a terrible darkness in her eyes that brought Rainbow's heart up into her throat. Sorrell stood still, allowing Patty her moment. He was smiling. "I reject you, Rainbow Brite!" she said, "I break the rainbow! I commit my color to the cause of evil!" She began to glow, a bright but sickly green, like the glow-in-the-dark plastic "slime" that comes in a container. Brighter and brighter, until even Sorrell had to hold up his arm in front of his eyes.
"NO, not Patty!" thought Rainbow, stricken to the heart. "How can this be? What could have happened to her? Anyway, I'll have to defend myself from her."
Suddenly it seemed the light was sucked back into her. She slowly raised her hands toward Rainbow, and the light gathered in them to strike. Sorrell raised his hands as well, and electricity crackled between them.
She reached down and touched the star on the Belt, not knowing what to expect from a broken rainbow, and having little hope it would be able to protect her.
But the rainbow appeared, as strong as ever, with green in its proper place. Seeing that renewed her hope, and the rainbow grew brighter. It lept from the belt, and encircled Patty, who screamed and tried to stop it. It tightened around her, then moved to Sorrell, who shot the bolt at it. There was no effect, and it wrapped around him as well, trapping his arms against his sides.
Suddenly a black shape oozed from Patty's mouth, nose, and ears.
It took the shape of a Slurthie, who glowered and screamed something at Rainbow that was as horrible as it was unintelligible. It lept from its latest hiding place, and disappeared into the floor. Patty's head slumped forward.
The creature had bided its time inside Patty, waiting to take over when an opportunity arose to betray Rainbow and destroy her power. But though it could control Patty's actions and speech, it could not control her heart, which was as loyal to Rainbow as ever. Something was leaving Sorrell as well, something much greater.
Rainbow couldn't see it clearly, but it was like a black and toxic vapor. It drifted up towards the window, and at the last second turned and stared at her. The bright eyes were filled with malice and hate.
"I know those eyes!" thought Rainbow, "I saw them in that dream!"
Before she could direct the rainbow towards it, it was gone.
Suddenly the door burst open, and all the remaining Color Kids and Krys ran in. When they saw Rainbow was okay and in control, they quieted.
Sorrell had lost consiousness as well, so she laid them gently down in the now quiet room.
They had won.