An Unsung Hero
Author's Note: I don't own Rainbow Brite.
It was a beautiful sunny day in Rainbowland. As I laid in the tall grass near the Color Castle, my mind wandered back to everything that had happened up until now.
My mind went back to a time long forgotten by most of Rainbowland's inhabitants. A time much like this one, the first Age of Color. Our previous ruler, the original Guardian of Color, was much like the one we had now. She was brave, compassionate, and spent her life maintaining the colors of the universe. Yet despite the sheer amount of time it took to do her job, she still found time to spend time with the rest of the inhabitants or her friends and assistants, the Color Kids. Everyone on the planet adored her. We held her in such high respect that we were willing to lay down our very lives for her. To this day, I can still recall the bright smile she always wore, one that could light up any room. She brought us so much happiness, that we never expected this time of joy would end.
Sadly, it did.
It began when the Evil One had invaded Rainbowland. His takeover had been slow at first, but with each area he gained control of, the stronger his power became. It wasn't long before we began to feel his presence. Our ruler took it upon herself to face the Evil One. We tried to talk her out of it, but she remained bound and determined to stop him. She left one day, determined to stop the Evil One's reign. Many days passed after that, with no word from her. Everyone was on edge, waiting for her to return. When the Evil One appeared that day, we didn't know what to expect. Then we noticed he was holding something in his claws. Our hearts sank as we realized what it was. The Evil One had the Color Belt. At that moment, we knew it was over. The original Guardian of Color had lost the battle and was gone forever.
Without our ruler, we were overcome with sorrow and hopelessness. The Evil One exiled the Color Kids to the furthest regions of Rainbowland and the Sprites scattered. He quickly got rid of the belt, in case anyone would try to find it. The entire land fell into chaos. Gradually, all of the color in Rainbowland vanished. Everywhere one looked, it was that same. Rainbowland, once alive and brimming with color, was now a dead, colorless world. Everything was monochrome; black, white, or various shades of gray. The Age of Darkness had begun.
Then, she came. A young, lemon-haired girl by the name of Wisp. She simply arrived in Rainbowland right out of the blue, with no warning. I honestly didn't know what to think of her when I first met her. She told me that she had come to Rainbowland after hearing about its fall into darkness. She also said that she had come save it. At first, I thought she had lost it. No one in their right mind would try to take on the Evil One. However, as she told her story, she mentioned something about finding the 'Sphere of Light'. I took full notice of that little bit of information. I had heard the Prophecy many times before. It said that a time of darkness would befall Rainbowland and that one from another world would rise to bring color back to the land. There was something about this girl. I wasn't sure if it was the hair, the eyes, or...or the smile. Yes, it was the smile. The same one that I had seen many times before on the original Guardian of Color. I realized that I could trust this girl. I had a gut feeling that she was the one, the one who would restore order and color to Rainbowland.
Later on, we found a baby in the middle of a cave. We also found something else, something I never thought I would see again. The Color Belt had survived. The Evil One didn't destroy it. Wisp took the belt and slipped it around her waist. To my surprise, it fit perfectly. If I wasn't sure she was the one before, I knew it then. She was the one we had been waiting for, the one who would defeat the Evil One and restore Rainbowland.
One by one, all of the Color Kids were rescued from their banishment and the Sprites returned. The baby had been taken by two low lifes, Murky Dismal and his clumsy assistant Lurky. Wisp went to the Evil One's castle to rescue her. All of the Color Kids, determined not to make the same mistake twice, aided her in the battle. We then discovered that the baby we had found was, in fact, the Sphere of Light. Wisp fought the Evil One with all of her might. Once or twice, we were worried that she would meet the same fate as the first Guardian. To our relief, she was able to gain the upper hand and, using the power of the Color Belt, was able to vanquish the Evil One. With his presence gone, his fortress crumbled and in its place stood the Color Castle, amazingly still in one piece. Wisp then used the Belt to restore Rainbowland to its former glory. Once more, the land flourished with life and color. The second Age of Color had begun. The Sphere of Light appeared before Wisp, renaming her Rainbow Brite, the new Guardian of Color and Ruler of Rainbowland.
As I brought myself back to the present, I sighed as I thought of the end result of the battle. So much had changed since then. Rainbow had turned out to be a very competent ruler, something that had surprised me. She became accustomed to the Belt and the usage of the Star Sprinkles much faster than I had expected. One could've sworn that she was the reincarnation of our original ruler. She was just as brave and compassionate as her predecessor, and she took just as much pride, if not more, in her job as the first Guardian of Color. Thanks to her, the universe no longer had to worry about losing its color. Rainbow made sure of it.
One would probably think that I would be envious of her popularity as the Guardian of Color, that I had every right in the universe to be jealous of her. After all, I work as hard, if not harder, to make sure she has enough power in order to maintain the universe's color and get no credit whatsoever. However, I am not. In fact, I am perfectly content with the station I have now. Many have said that I'm too fussy and I get all bent out of shape over some trivial thing. Maybe it's true, but as far as I'm concerned, it's my job to make sure everything is running as it should. I guess one could say I'm somewhat of a perfectionist.
I love Rainbow to death, and I would gladly risk my life to save hers. I see myself as one of her most trusted friends and confidants, regardless of what a certain horse would like think. She knows that I am always there for her, someone she can reveal her innermost thoughts and feelings to without worrying about others discovering them. Yes, life is grand.
"Twink!" called a familar voice.
Upon hearing the call, I was jolted out of my thoughts and back to reality. I jumped up and darted towards the castle.
When I arrived, I saw Rainbow waiting. She was wearing that same smile that she always wears. My eyes fell on the Color Belt. I am still amazed at how natural it looks on her. Starlite was standing nearby.
"Twink," she said, "There's a color crisis on Earth. Are you ready?"
I couldn't help but smile.
"Ready, willing, and able, Rainbow!" I declared giving a mock salute, getting a short giggle from her.
She summoned the rainbow that would take us to Earth, mounted Starlite, and pulled me up behind her. She then gave the command and we were off.