Chapter 6: Interlude 2
It was dark and cold and she was wet. The wind blew right through her soaked clothing and she shivered, hugging herself to try and keep what warmth she still had. Not for the first time she called out, "Please, I want to go home."
She was too young for this. She had wanted to help, but it was too much for her. This land was too far gone.
Wisp looked about hopefully, waiting for Lady Brite to take her away from all this. But the air around her remained silent. There was no one here for her. She was alone.
Stepping further away from the No Return River, the river that had carried her to this rocky bank, Wisp gasped in surprise as she almost stumbled over something small and swaddled in a white blanket. "A baby.." she whispered, carefully kneeling down to take the child into her arms.
Incredibly the pink haired, fair skinned baby was contently sleeping, seemingly oblivious to the cold wind that was still billowing against them both. Unaware of what a dangerous place she was presently in. Wisp wondered to herself who on Earth could leave a baby out in the open in a place like this. And as she looked down into the innocent, defenceless face any thought of her own problems and worries disappeared. She couldn't abandon this land. More specifically, she couldn't abandon this child.
"You'll be alright." Wisp said softly, bringing the baby's cheek up against her own and holding the small child close to her. No matter what happened she would protect her.
Suddenly the world spun and changed around Wisp. The bank of the No Return River was gone and instead she was standing atop of the King of Shadow's castle. Up here the wind was even colder. So cold it seemed to chill her right to the bone. The black, tattered robed form of The Shadow King loomed before her and in his clawed hand he held the baby.
Lightning crashed behind The Shadow King and he began to advance on Wisp, his glowing yellows eyes glowering at her beneath his dark hood. Then, miraculously, the baby within his hand began to glow and change shape. One minute the evil one held a tiny, pink haired baby, the next he held Tickled Pink.
"No.." is all Wisp could say. This wasn't how it was meant to go. The baby was meant to change into the Sphere of Light and give her the power she needed to change this terrible dark land into something better. This was all wrong.
"Rainbow!" Tickled Pink screamed from within the Shadow King's grasp, "Help me!"
Wisp reached down to the star on the buckle of her Color Belt and tried pressing it to activate a rainbow. But nothing happened. Without the Sphere of Light she was powerless. She could do nothing. She had promised to protect the pink haired child.. and she had failed.
Tickled Pink cried out again and all Wisp could do was watch as the King of Shadows loomed over her, reaching down to seize Wisp in his other hand.
As his withered, clawed fingers closed around her Wisp's vision faded to black and Rainbow Brite awoke from the dream within her bed in Colour Castle, awash in sweat.