"Me? You mean it? I thought you'd send me home." he answered.
"Your father was always a good luck charm for us, and I'd bet he passed that on to you. Also, humans have certain advantages over us when it comes to color-related subjects. Will you go?"
"Uh...sure!"
"Wonderful! Thank you! We need to get you ready, then. Let's go back to your room. Some of your father's things are still there."
In the closet they found a uniform similar to the one Krys wore, but without the red sunburst around the neck. It fit Brian perfectly.
"Wow! This is great! I didn't think it would fit, though," he said, looking at himself in a mirror.
"The uniform fits itself to the wearer," said Rainbow. "Your father could still wear it, if he tried it on."
"How does that work?"
"I don't know. Ask Violet to explain it to you."
He put on the helmet, and lowered the visor.
"Spectra is very bright," said Rainbow, "You'll need to keep that visor down when we get there, or you'll be blinded."
"Okay, I'll remember," he answered.
"I need to make my own preparations," said Rainbow, "You don't need to take your backpack with you. You won't need it there. Come back outside to the Crossroads when you're ready."
She left for her room, and Brian found himself alone.
He turned and looked out the window and over the beautiful landscape. The trees shaped like a five-pointed star looked odd, but somehow fitting to this place. He was having a real adventure, like his dad had years ago.
He left the room, running down the stairs and out the front door of the Color Castle. Buddy and Patty were securing the Color Console for while they were gone.
Half an hour later, they all met on the other side of the moat at the junction of several paths.
"Are we all here?" asked Rainbow. She looked around. The Color Kids were in their work clothes, wearing their back packs, and their Sprites were with them, also wearing packs. Krys and On-X were off to one side, looking anxious.
"Shy Violet and I.Q. here," said Violet.
"Indigo and Hammy ready," said Indigo.
"Buddy Blue and Champ set to go," said Buddy.
"Patty O'Green and Lucky ready," said Patty.
"Canary Yellow and Spark here," said Canary.
"Lala Orange and O.J. packed," said Lala.
"Red Butler and Romeo standing by," said Red.
"Tickled Pink and Dee Light here," said Pink.
"Moonglow and Nite Sprite here," said Moonglow.
"Let's skip the roll call and get going," said Stormy. She was not taking Skydancer on this mission because she had to ride on the rainbow with the rest.
"Brian here," said Brian.
On-X took off with Krys aboard, and a rainbow formed under the Kid's feet and they followed.
Count Blogg stood on the edge of the Pits, and looked at the Color Castle through binoculars. There was a lot of activity, and there was that Rainbow Brite, and Krys...no, the uniform was different. Another warrior? It didn't matter. Ah, there was Krys, climbing on that robot horse. They were getting ready to go, it looked like. The sooner, the better, as far as he was concerned.
He and his small troop had landed in this dismal area of the planet in secret, as part of the plan. They headquartered in Murky's old castle, now even more dilapidated than it had been when it was still occupied.
Blogg had found some books and records of interest, but they were decaying rapidly, like everything else did in the Pits. He ordered them loaded on the ship, and scans made to preserve them.
Turning to the waiting commander, he said, "They are about to leave. Ready the Glitterbots."
"Yes, sir," said the General, and pulled out his communicator microphone from his helmet. He gave some orders, and said, "They are moving into position and will be ready, Count."
"Good. We'll move in as soon as they are safely gone, and the Sprites have gathered together."
He looked through the binoculars again.
"...six, seven, eight...nine...ten. It looks like all of the Color Kids are going, too. They're even taking some Sprites. That's fine. You all go ahead, and defend Spectra. Don't worry about Rainbowland. It won't be harmed...yet."
He watched as the robot horse and Krys took off, closely followed by the rainbow holding everyone else. The upper end of it disappeared rapidly into the heights. A few moments later and the bottom of the rainbow faded away.
"Good, they're gone. How close is it to lunch, locally?"
The General checked a readout on his communicator. "A couple of hours, sir."
"Sigh. Very well. The orders are understood?"
"Yes, sir. Everything is ready."
"Very good, General. Let's go back to the castle and wait."
For a while they looked in the dusty nooks and crannys of the deserted castle of Murky Dismal. Nothing of interest came to light until they found a secret laboratory underneath the main floor.
A journal was found, along with a supply of crystal that was various shades of black and grey. Some of it looked like Starsprinkles, only colorless.
The journal indicated the substance was 'anti-color crystal, and Murky called it Misery Crystal. It would remove the effects of Color Crystal.
"Have this load of crystal taken to the ship," ordered the Count.
The General gave the orders, and several soldiers came and took it away, packed carefully in radiation-proof containers.
In another part of the journal, the Count found reference to a thing called a Monstromurk. A created monster capable of absorbing color from anything. A note indicated Rainbow Brite had captured it,
and had it locked away.
It seemed Dismal had created it, and it was effective against the Rainbow Brat's power. That could be very useful.
There were also schematics to a robot Rainbow Brite, and the magic formula for an evil rainbow. A note said it had been gotten from Sorrell. That was interesting; the report had not mentioned anything about Sorrell knowing Dismal.
A long entry told of a small-statured alien race Blogg was not familiar with who could absorb color from anything.
The General came in. "Count, it is time."
"Ah, good. Let's get started."
Back at his vantage point, the Count looked at Rainbowland. All of the Sprites had gathered for lunch in an open field near the foot of the mountain. As far as he could tell, all the Sprites were there. Ah, there was that white horse, as well. They had done this every day for the last several, apparently because of the excellent weather, outside the Pits. It was perfect.
"Begin, General," ordered the Count.
The General cave some orders into his mike. Hypnorays from several hidden Glitterbots flashed over the gathered Sprites. It had worked. All of the Sprites were hypnotised.
A flat, floating cart came up, and he and the General got aboard. It skimmed into Rainbowland, and came to a stop at the edge of the field. The Sprites sat or stood in various poses, waiting for orders.
Blogg addressed a violet Sprite who happened to be nearby. It was Orderlee, one of Shy Violet's Sprites.
"Do you know where a strange-looking Color Crystal is?" he asked.
She nodded. "Yes, in the laboratory," was the reply.
"What did it say?" asked the Count of the General.
"I don't know, sir," replied the General.
"Speak our language," he ordered.
"I cannot. Sprites with color have trouble speaking other languages." was the reply.
"Apparently it doesn't know how, sir," said the General.
"If you know where that Crystal is, take us there," ordered the Count.
Orderlee ran off, with the General and Count following on the sled. She ran to the lab, and pointed to the door.
"Very good. While I'm in there, order your men to load that Color Crystal on the carts behind the Castle into the ship. We might as well pick up some fuel while we're here."
"Yes, sir," said the General. He turned and moved off.
"You go back to the other Sprites, and follow orders," said the Count to Orderlee.
"Okay, I will," Orderlee said, and ran off.
Blogg went inside, and discovered there was no security to speak of inside. He found the Crystal in its case, and picked it up and put it by the door. He looked around and found the Monstromurk. "You'll be handy when the time comes, I don't doubt," he murmured. From somewhere in his robes he pulled out a small device, and attached it to the under side of the field generator.
The Robot Brite was standing in a corner, deactivated. He brought out another device, and placed it on the robot in an inconspicuous place.
There were other intriguing things in this lab, and he walked around looking. He thought for a second, then shook his head. Time enough to investigate when Rainbowland had been conquered. The King of Shadows had been right. Everything was just as he described it. The restoration of the Jewel, destroying Rainbow Brite, and picking up the pieces of the empire looked certain now.
The Count thought about what the King had told them, that the Rainbow Brat was a "Great Light of the Universe". Silly, of course. The Shadow King was just not used to those who lived in light. And the statement that he, Count Blogg, was an agent of the Dark, was even sillier.
"I am a good man," he thought, "All I wish to do is bring order and control to peoples lives, and that makes me evil. Hah!"
He picked up the case, and stepped back outside, into the bright sunshine and overly bright plants. Soon enough all this would be torn up in strip mining operations to get at all the Color Crystal.
Looking around he saw all the Sprites trekking up the hill and away from the village. They would find a safe spot and sleep for a couple of days, and wake up with no memory of what had happened.
"Sound retreat, General," said Blogg, "We have what we came for."
The General joined Blogg on the sled, then entered several commands on his communicator. The Glitterbots in the field turned and moved toward the Pits, and the waiting ship.
This would be a nice little puzzle for that Rainbow Brat. And by the time she figures it out, it'll be too late for her.
They retreated to the Pits, the Glitterbots following slowly behind. Finally everything was back aboard, and with a roar the ship took off. It passed over the meadow where the Sprites lay sleeping, innocent pawns in a struggle for power.