Getting the fires put out took hours. Calling the Sprites who had escaped back was difficult, and they were confused and unsure because the ones who had attacked were now helping. But the Color Kids reassured them, and slowly they came back and helped restore order.
Over the next several days the full extent of the damage to Rainbowland revealed itself. The Color Castle was a smoking ruin, but the Color Crystal processing machinery on the lower floor was intact. All the Kid's personal possessions were gone. It would be months before the Color Signal could be broadcast again, and much of the color would be gone by then.
Many of the Sprite houses were burned to the ground, and some of the Sprites suffered injuries. A few were still missing, but none had been killed. That had been part of the plan, since they were needed as labor in the mines for the Princess. The ones she had turned to crystal were restored when the Jewel was destroyed.
The remaining Slurthies had fled into the forest when the King had vanished, and were not seen again. The few Glitterbots that had not been destroyed were set to work gathering wood for repairs. The Palace Guardsmen and Builderbots also helped.
Rainbow used the communications equipment in Plock's ship to call Doris on the asteroid, and explain what had happened to her surrogate in Robot Brite. It saddened her, but she had most of the robot's experiences stored, so little was actually lost.
Everyone was checked, and declared free of any Slurthies.
A few days later a large sphere of light arrived. It burst upon touchdown to reveal Troy and Mist. A joyous reunion ensued.
It broke their hearts to see Rainbowland so torn up. It had been colorless and gloomy when they had fled on On-X so long ago, but not destroyed.
They were aware of all that had happened, and had been sent to help.
They dug through the rubble of the Castle, and finally uncovered a section near what had been the front door. Mist pressed down on a barely-visible plate, which popped up to reveal several star-shaped controls.
She pressed them in a sequence, then advised they all leave, and quickly. They gathered on the other side of the moat, as creaks and groans came from the ruins.
Suddenly a blinding light burst from it, taking on the colors of the rainbow. Like a fountain of color, the rainbow suddenly reached for the clear blue sky. When it faded away, the Castle sat,
restored.
Rainbow and Violet looked at Mist for an explanation.
"This is how we set up the Castle in the first place," she said, "It also removes most maintinence problems."
Inside, they found the Color Console restored. But everything they had owned was still gone.
"A small price to pay to keep the colors going," said Rainbow.
Violet was checking the monitor controls.
"But a lot of color was lost, especially in the outer reaches of the Color Signal's range," she said, "You now have a lot to do."
Rainbow smiled. She was glad to hear it.
The sight of the restored Castle was a great comfort to the Sprites, who redoubled their efforts to restore their houses, and return things to normal.
And slowly, they did.
Troy and Mist reported that, despite a year's investigation, nothing had been learned about how the Books of Dal were taken from the home world. Rainbow feigned disappointment, but had decided not to tell what she had learned about it from Lord Dark. Not because Troy would have gotten into trouble; he wouldn't when the story was learned, but to spare him the embarrassment. He had been through enough already, and didn't need a new burden of guilt.
The manufacturing machines had not been damaged, and were running full-time now to make new furniture for the Castle and Sprite houses.
Rainbow sent a message to Brian and his family to postpone their next visit. She promised to give a full account of the story to them, when they did come.
The day arrived that Rainbow had secretly dreaded. Krys was now the Prince, and had to leave with Zombo and the army to restore order to his native planet.
The army had done a good job of restoration, and now it was a matter of letting nature heal the wounds, and that would take a very long time.
But before they left, they gathered into formation to watch a ceremony.
Color crystal had been put into the hopper, processed, and delivered to the despensers on the main floor. The Kids, with the help of their favorite Sprites, loaded Starsprinkles into the Console,
and watched as each color climbed up the column and made the globe glow.
The Kids sat around the Console at their stations, and smiled at each other. When everything seemed ready, they all pressed their activation buttons together.
Outside, the star atop the Castle flashed, and the rainbow lept from it, as it always had, and arched over the mountain where the mine was, disappearing into the distance.
There was loud cheering.
Rainbow turned to Krys. "Goodbye, Krys," she said, "Thank you for your help."
"Any time, and always, Rainbow," he answered.
A tear appeared in the corner of her eye. "I'll miss you," she said, "Prince Krys."
He turned red.
"If you need me, don't hesatate to call," he said.
"I won't," she assured him.
"And when I need you, I will call you," he whispered to her.
"Always, my friend," she answered.
The new Prince's troops turned and marched to waiting ships, and within minutes, they took off, and headed for the Throne World.
Wajah was taking Orin back to Spectra, to finish the trip that never really got started. But at least instead of getting help, they would have a happy report to make.
The old Sprite wiped a tear from his eye. "Goodbye, Rainbow Brite," he said, "I will miss you."
"We will always be friends, Orin, and I'll see you soon."
Not daring to say more lest he lose control completely, Orin turned and went up the ramp into the waiting saucer. Many of the Sprites had come to see him off, and they cheered for him. At the top of the ramp he turned and waved to them.
"Good bye, Rainbow Brite," said Wajah, shaking her hand. "I had a great time visiting."
"Goodbye, Wajah," she answered, "I'm sorry you had to be involved in the war, but grateful for your help."
He ran into the ship, and he and Orin waved as the ramp withdrew and the hatch closed. A moment later, the saucer lifted off and flew away.
"I need to get home as well," said Sorrell, who was standing nearby.
"I understand," said Rainbow, "Thank you for your help."
"No thanks are necessary. You helped make me a better sorcerer, and that's a deed beyond thanks."
"I didn't do much," said Rainbow.
"You kept showing me friendship, even in the face of my rudeness, and you saved my life, and the lives of everyone. I hope I can," he smiled, "Grow up to be like you."
Without waiting for her to answer, he turned and climbed into his ship, and a minute later was gone.
A month later, Rainbow once more stood in the parapet of the Color Castle, looking out over her realm. It was a beautiful day, and much of the damage still visible was from burnt vegetation that even the Color Belt hadn't been able to restore.
Twink's hammock had been returned to the new rings imbedded in the wall, and he was enjoying living in the Castle.
Things were the same, and yet they had changed. The experience of having a Slurthie within had matured the Color Kids somewhat.
They had not been children for a long time, but Rainbowland had kept them all "young at heart". Now their outlook was more adult.
Twink ran up to her. "Rainbow, there's a message for you!" he said, all excited.
"Thank you, Twink," she answered, and slid down the fireman's pole to her room. That was always fun.
The message was sitting on her new desk, folded neatly. It read:
Rainbow,
Am sending for you and the Color Kids. Ship will be arriving within a day to bring you all here. See you soon,
Krys
When they arrived on the Throne World, a female figure was standing next to Krys on the edge of the landing pad.
"DORIS!" shouted Rainbow, and hugged her friend. Then she looked at Krys. "How?" she asked.
"We found the diagrams in Count Blogg's rooms. After we rebuilt her, we contacted Doris, and she downloaded the robot's memories. Very little was actually lost."
Three days later, they all attended the coronation of Krys as Prince. It was a stately, elaborate, and solumn ceremony, nothing at all like the simple and happy ones held on Rainbowland. Afterward,
Prince Krys addressed his people, his ministers, his officers, and his friends.
"I thank you all for accepting me as Prince. I will try my best to be a good leader. I have seen the abuses my sister inflicted on you all, and want you to know they will cease."
There were cheers.
"But I would not be here now if it weren't for my friends from Rainbowland," he continued, "I want to introduce to you all, Rainbow Brite."
Gasps from the throngs outside. They had heard rumors of a person by that name, who was giver of color and happiness. But it was only a wistful rumor. Nobody like that could actually exist,
but it was a pleasant fantasy. But there she was, a small-statured blonde female who looked like a child.
"I am very happy for my friend Krys to have finally found his world and heritage. I know he will be a just and wise ruler, and a friend to all," she said.
"As a token, the Color Kids and I will give you all a present. It will be a sign of friendship between us all."
"Now it's our turn," said Red Butler, and the Color Kids stepped up close to her, and once more she touched the star on the Color Belt. They all soared up as they had on the planet in the Rainbow Nebula, and began activating colors. The bright colors brought delight to the crowd.
The new colors were still rather dull. The crowd was delighted, however. Rainbow and the Kids were shortly over the horizon from the castle, doing what they had done on the planet in the Coal Sack nebula. When they were finished, they went toward the dull grey sun.
They came back down from the sky, and landed neatly among the people. The crowd cheered for the show, and gave them some room.
"Don't look at the sun," she warned, and the people wondered why. The sun had always been grey, though it gave off enough light and heat for them to live.
Suddenly, the light blazed up, and they couldn't look at it. They looked around in wonder. The deep shadows had retreated, and the sky was now a beautiful shade of blue. The activated colors were now bright and eye-catching.
"Your world has now joined the many others with color and light, a new day has dawned here," she said to the crowd.
The cheering grew louder.
"How long will this last?" asked a child about Brian Jr's age, and the question spread over the noise of the crowd. As the word spread, the partying paused to hear the answer.
Before answering, she looked around. Up on the balcony, Prince Krys stood in the sun, face upraised and eyes closed, enjoying the sensation.
The Color Kids, knowing the answer to the question, were grinning. The people were still examining things, and enjoying their first tastes of bright colors. There was wonder on their faces, mixed with anxiety that it was all just a dream, and tomorrow things would be as they've always been, dull and dreary.
She looked at the boy, and grinned.
"Forever!" Rainbow Brite answered.
The noise of the crowd's cheering was deafening.
The End