Who Am I? Chapter 5: Cloud Families and Sunflowers, a trolls fanfic

Chapter Five - Cloud Families and Sunflowers

The travelers moved to another tree where they could be safe. The next morning, they had breakfast and talked about their plan. Sir Tandeth took his guarding duties seriously, and showed such seriousness by patrolling their immediate perimeter and then reporting back that nothing dangerous was nearby.

Ash looked at the map. "We're clear of the Fearsome Forest. We're also kind of in the middle of—"

"Nowhere?!" Gris asked, nearly choking on his water.

"Everywhere, I guess." Ash chuckled. "The Wing Troll Kingdom is in that direction. New Moonlight Kingdom is over here. The mountain trolls are up here. The Western Woods, which we will never enter, are right there. Granted, each of those locations are so far away that it'll take anywhere from a few days to a week to get there."

'Why don't we just wander?' Prowlus suggested. 'After all, we're out here to do things to find your colors.'

"Prowlus is right." Harper agreed. "Archer had a good point about exercising parts of yourself. Let's try nurturing a different side of yourself. Maybe that will bring your colors out."

"Okay, sure." Ash nodded. "Bravery was a bust—"

"But the way you took on that lizard was awesome!" Gris pointed out.

"Okay, sure, but let's try something else." Ash suggested.

"Friendliness!" Gris offered. "You're so compassionate. Go be kind something not normally seen as nice."

"Like what?" Ash asked.

"What about that?" Sir Tandeth pointed a short distance away to them, where a black-furred, muddy creature with buggy eyes strolled past.

"It looks a little creepy, but mostly harmless." Harper said. "Go ahead and try, if you want."

Ash shrugged and walked over to the muddy creature. He stopped just behind the creature and cleared his throat. The creature spun around and glared at him, making the child jump.

"What?" the creature growled.

Ash chuckled nervously. "Uh…hi…" He cleared his throat. "Um…want a hug?"

The creature blinked. Ash blinked. Then the creature shrugged. "Yeah, sure."

When Ash returned from cuddling with the now-smiling creature, he was covered in mud. "Okay, I don't think that worked like we thought it would."

Gris used some of the water from his canteen to wash Ash off, revealing grey skin and black hair still. "Well, we could try survival skills."

"Why bother?" Harper asked. "Branch was the master of survival. He surely taught Ash all he knew."

'Speaking of Dad, perhaps Ash should exercise his magical side.' Prowlus suggested. 'Magic is in your blood, after all.'

"Worth a try." Ash reached into his backpack and pulled out his book of spells. It was a scrapbook where Ash compiled his favorite spells, along with the spells Branch deemed most important. "Which spell? Something powerful? A bunch of simple spells?"

"Let's do something with a purpose." Sir Tandeth suggested.

"Any requests?" Ash asked. Nobody spoke up, shrugging in complacency. Ash glanced to Steve, and he lit up with an idea. "I got it! I'll fulfill Steve's dream of flying!"

"How do you know Steve has always wanted to fly?" Gris asked.

"Because he's always staring at the birds. He's fascinated with them." Ash said.

"Maybe he wants to eat them." Sir Tandeth suggested.

"Oh, no." Gris corrected. "I've seen Steve try to fly before. He broke his foot and his tail."

"What do you say, Stevie buddy?" Ash asked the crocodile. "Want to fly? Fly? Like a bird?"

Steve's tail wagged like a happy puppy.

"The only problem is I don't think I have a spell for that." Ash said.

Prowlus rummaged through his own bag and pulled out another book. He handed it to Ash. 'This is Dad's gift for your adventure.'

"This is one of his spell books." Ash flipped through it, and his eyes widened. "This is one of his advanced spell books that Nonna wrote!"

"You called?" Eclipse popped into existence.

Ash searched the book. "Let's see…how to make a crocodile fly…."

"Be careful with some of those spells, Ash." Eclipse warned. "Stick with a transfiguration spell. Those are universally applicable."

"What does that mean?" Gris asked as Ash looked for a good spell.

"That means transformation spells can be used on people, animals, or things." Harper explained.

"Very good, Harper." Eclipse praised. "You'd make a lovely enchantress."

Harper blushed. "Aw, thanks."

"Here's something that might work." Ash said. "It's not transfiguration, but it's a levitation spell. I can make him fly on my own." He approached Steve, who wiggled excitedly. "Levis lyf." At Ash's command, Steve began to float. The crocodile smiled, his tail wagging again, and he began moving his legs like he was swimming. Ash tried moving Steve around, letting him weave through the air and fly around everyone's heads.

"Go Steve! Go Ash!" Gris cheered, and everyone else clapped.

Then, Ash got distracted, and Steve ended up snout-first into a tree. "Oh geez! Sorry, Steve!" Ash called.

'Try something else.' Prowlus suggested while Gris got Steve down from the tree.

Ash looked through the book. "Okay, hang on. Back to transfiguration." He approached Steve. "Like an angel, in heaven they sing/ Give me a pair of wings."

Nothing happened to Steve, who looked a little disappointed.

"Uh, Ash?" Harper pointed to his back, and Ash realized the spell applied to him instead, giving him a pair of feathery angel wings.

"All right, next!" Ash canceled the spell and went to another one. And another one. And another one. By the time lunch rolled around, Ash had tried every flight spell and then some without success. Poor Steve put quite a bit of distance between him and Ash's spell books.

"Don't lose hope, my liege." Sir Tandeth said as Ash devoured his sandwich angrily. "You'll figure it out, I'm sure."

Ash finished his food first. "Yes, I will! I'm going to make Steve fly if it's the last thing I do!"

"Ash, this was supposed to help you exercise your magic and, hopefully, get your colors." Eclipse said. "No need to force it."

Ash looked through his book again. Steve started to back away. "Steve, stay! I'm going to do this!"

Steve visibly gulped. The crocodile shut his eyes.

"Ash, be careful." Eclipse warned. "Magic gets a little wonky when your emotions intermingle with it."

"I got this. I got this!" Ash stopped at a page, and this time the spell required no words. He launched a blast of magic at Steve, who began to glow. Everyone stared hopefully as Steve even floated a few inches off the ground.

With a pop, the crocodile transformed instantly into a brightly colored bird that resembled a duck. He still wore his collar.

"I did it!" Ash cheered. "I did it! See that? I'm the master of magic! I have transformed Steve into a bird!"

Prowlus tapped Ash on the shoulder. 'Ash, you transformed Steve into a bird that is flightless.'

Ash slapped the book in his hands against his face. "Dang it!"

"Calm down, Ash. This is the closest you've gotten." Harper said. "And that is very impressive! Maybe you ought to change him back, though, if he can't fly."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Ash opened his book again.

"Ooh, look!" Gris pointed upwards. "I think that's a wingdingle up there!"

Everyone glanced up, including Steve. When the bird-form Steve saw the wingdingle, he squawked and took off.

"Steve!" Ash called. "Steve, come back!"

"I guess the wingdingle is a predator of those birds." Harper groaned as everyone grabbed their things and ran after Steve. Unfortunately, Steve moved faster than they did, and he disappeared into some tall grass. The travelers spread out to find Steve. They ran into each other a few times and did several circles. When they all exited the tall grass field, they were completely separated. Prowlus found Ebony and flew up on her to gather his friends.

"Any sign of Steve?" Ash asked.

"Nope." Gris groaned.

"Nothing." Harper shook her head.

"I, too, failed to locate your scaly friend." Sir Tandeth sighed.

Ash groaned. "Great! Just great. How are we going to find him?"

'Ebony and I will get a bird's-eye view.' Prowlus spurred the dark phoenix into flight, and they soared up above the trees. The two of them scanned the area below for any sign of a colorful duck. But they saw nothing and had to fly down with disappointment.

"Oh, this is bad!" Gris gulped. "This is really bad!"

"I'll say." Ash sighed. "Steve's vulnerable as a flightless duck, and now he's basically a walking meal for whatever predator is out there!"

"And you failed to get your colors through magic." Sir Tandeth added.

"Not helping." Eclipse snapped.

"Okay, there's no need to panic." Harper said calmly. "Let's just take a deep breath and think this through. We're pretty smart."

"Nice thinking, Smart Tart."

'Who said that?' Prowlus asked.

"IT….." a male voice boomed.

"WAS….." a female voice echoed.

"Oh brother." Ash rolled his eyes with a small smile. "I know who this is."

"Us!" four cloud creatures popped up from nowhere: two white and two rainbow-colored.

"Hey there, Cloud Guy!" Ash waved. Like his father, he found Cloud Guy annoying, yet tolerable. Cloud Guy and Branch had become closer friends over the years, especially after Cloud Guy got married and had kids.

"What is up, Branch Jr.?" Cloud Guy greeted.

"You never call me by my actual name." Ash mused. "Don't you just call my sister, 'princess'?"

"It changes up." Cloud Guy shrugged. "I don't think I remember everyone in your party."

Ash pointed to each member of their traveling party. "That's Prince Gris. This is my brother, Prince Prowlus; and his girlfriend, Harper. That there is Ebony. And this is my loyal knight, Sir Tandeth. We used to have a crocodile named Steve, but I accidentally turned him into a bird and he waddled away."

"Well, that's a shame." The female rainbow cloud said.

"Poor crocky-dile." The other rainbow cloud said, this one a boy.

"Everyone, please meet my rockin' family." Cloud Guy introduced. "This is my lovely lady, Iridescence. This is my super son, Cloud Junior. This is my darling daughter, Wispa." Cloud Junior wore socks, like his father, and Wispa had her mother's eyes.

"Nice to see you guys again." Ash said.

'When did we see you last?' Prowlus asked.

"I think the holidays." Cloud Guy mused. "But enough catching up! What's this about a lost crocodile/duck?"

"My animal buddy, Steve." Ash explained. "I tried to turn him into a bird so he could fly, but I ended up turning him into a flightless duck and he scurried away at the first sign of a predator. We have to find him so I can change him back. He's a sitting duck out there, no pun intended."

"I saw a rainbow ducky!" Wispa raised her hand.

"Lead the way!" Ash urged. Everyone followed the young cloud girl through the forest. In minutes, they came across a calm section of river. There, an entire flock of colorful ducks built their nests, played and ate in the water, and a couple males displayed their long tailfeathers for the females.

"Which one is Steve?" Gris asked as they hid in the bushes.

"There! That one has a collar!" Ash pointed to a duck taking a nap by the water.

'How do we get to him without startling the other birds?' Prowlus asked. 'Those birds scare easily.'

"We can't even shout for Steve without scaring the others." Ash agreed. "We don't want to start a stampede. Steve isn't himself."

"You should go up to Steve and coax him over." Harper suggested.

"But there are so many of them. Spook one, you'll spook them all." Gris warned.

"Plus, I don't like the look of that one right there." Sir Tandeth pointed to one of the larger ducks, who circled the entire flock. "I believe that is an alpha."

"Which means that, as cowardly as these guys are, that one might fight back." Ash groaned. "My hair won't change colors. I need another way to get to him."

'I can help.' Prowlus offered. 'I can be pretty sneaky. What we really need is a diversion.'

"And that is where we come in." Cloud Guy said.

"Leave it to us." Cloud Junior gave two thumbs-up. The cloud family snuck off. They floated up above the flock, and Iridescence and Cloud Junior used the sunlight to illuminate their colorful bodies. The rainbow lights caught the attention of the ducks. Cloud Guy pulled a boom box bug from within his cloud self, and he began playing music for his family to dance to. The ducks were enraptured by the performance, including the supposed alpha.

"Let's go." Ash whispered to Prowlus. The brothers tiptoed around behind the flock. Prowlus lengthened out his hair and turned it green like the grass. He and Ash hid under the now-green locks, shuffling through the grass and going for Steve. The ducks didn't notice them. Prowlus and Ash stopped just behind Steve, and Ash poked his head out of the hair.

Steve heard someone behind him, and he turned his head to see Ash. He let out an excited squawk, which drew the flock's attention to the trolls.

"Uh oh." Ash gulped.

The ducks began squawking fearfully and running about in a panic. The alpha ran right for Ash and Prowlus, who leaped onto Steve and latched themselves to his collar. Thankfully, Sir Tandeth came in to fight off the alpha. Startled, Steve jumped into the water, carrying Prowlus and Ash with him.

"Prowlus! Ash!" Harper shouted.

Sir Tandeth backed up to the water, still facing the alpha bird. Then, he heard something burst from the water, and he turned to see Steve the crocodile on the edge of the water, snarling at the birds. The alpha squawked fearfully and ran off, which caused the rest of the flock to scatter.

"We did it!" Cloud Junior cheered.

"Sorry about that, Steve." Ash said as he and Prowlus hopped to the ground. "Hope you didn't have too much trouble while you were a bird."

Steve nuzzled the boy, indicating there were no hard feelings.

"Now that was awesome!" Cloud Guy laughed.

"Thanks for your help, Cloud Guy." Ash said.

"No problem-o, little amigo." Cloud Guy said. "What brings you folks out in the wild woods, anyway?"

"Ash is trying to find his colors." Harper explained.

"Did you lose them?" Cloud Junior asked.

"I was born without them." Ash corrected. "I'm hoping that I'll get them to come out."

"Couldn't your parents help?" Iridescence suggested. "They can't be nearly as annoying as Cloud Guy claims his parents to be."

"I never said my parents were annoying." Cloud Guy said. "I said they're molly-coddlers. Dumb Molly kissing up to Mom and Dad."

"Dad spent so much time being grey, but he found his colors through Mom." Ash said. "I was born like this, but I know I'm not supposed to be grey forever."

"Might I offer some advice, Grey Guy?" Cloud Guy suggested.

"Sure." Ash nodded.

"Fair warning," Cloud Guy and his family produced instruments from nowhere. "I give all my advice in song."

'Of course, he does.' Prowlus grinned. Cloud Guy and his family started playing. The travelers, although a little bemused, soon got into it with them.

There are times in our lives
When we want to go it alone
Don't need no one else
Just gotta make it your own

The road ahead is full of wonder
Never know what you might see
Just don't forget to look back behind you
That's where they'll always be

"Who?" Ash asked.

"Your family! Duh!" Cloud Guy rubbed his knuckles into Ash's wild hair.

The road of the future may be looking bright
But you never know what'll keep you up at night
The paths of the past take you to your family
Waiting to see what you'll do, what you'll be
No matter where you go, don't forget to look back
Always remember the paths of the past

"All right, Cloud Guy." Ash laughed. "Explain yourself. Musically, if you wish."

"Oh, gladly. And my wife and kids shall help as they normally do." Cloud Guy said.

Take a look back in your family tree and what do we see?
A hardcore magic warrior and a majestic pink queen
Your grandparents are pretty cool, too, don't you know?
A king, an enchantress, some rebels, and a gal on a crow!

'It was a phoenix.' Prowlus corrected.

Explore the history of your family's paths
The journeys they took through their lives
The adventures they had, the memories they made
It's all there to inspire you and help you fly!

"Very interesting." Sir Tandeth mused. "Strange musical number aside, I think I see the cloud creature's point."

"I think so, too." Ash nodded. "So, I need to explore the adventures of my family to find my colors?"

"Any advice is good advice, right?" Cloud Guy shrugged.

"Don't answer that." Iridescence said. "We're saying that each of your family members—from your sister to your great-great-great-great-great-grandfather—went through their own adventures. Don't let their accomplishments haunt you or make you feel like you have to live up to them. Rather, let those stories inspire you."

"You're gonna find your colors, someday." Cloud Junior said reassuringly.

"You'll be super-colorful!" Wispa agreed.

Ash chuckled. "Thanks."

"Now let's hear you say it." Cloud Guy nudged Ash encouragingly.

No matter what you're looking for in the path ahead
What do we remember to do every now and then?

Ash saw everyone staring at him expectantly. "All right, all right."

We look back to the paths of the past

Cloud Guy shredded a few notes on his keytar, and the travelers joined in the song.

Remember the paths of the past

The travelers parted ways with the cloud family, who wished Ash luck on his quest. They soon stumbled upon the Valley of Thorns, where they found a clearing with a pole in the middle of it. A note was attached:

To whomever stops in this clearing,

Welcome to the Valley of Thorns! Feel free to spend the night. But if you steal from my or my brother's homes, we will hunt you down and beat you into splinters.

Sleep well!

Tae Kwon Joe and Tae Kwon Kevin

"Okay, guys, you heard them." Ash said. "Make camp, but don't touch anything."

It didn't take long for them to set out their sleeping bags and settle in for the night. "Where do you think we'll go next, Ash?" Harper asked. "I've been thinking that maybe we can update our maps while we travel. Just in case there have been any changes."

"Definitely a good idea." Ash agreed. "I was just thinking about what Cloud Guy said about following the paths of the past. I'm trying to think about what Mom and Dad have done through their lives. What other adventures have they or my sister or grandparents gone on? I wish I could remember all the stories." He pulled his backpack over and rummaged through it. "I don't suppose you've seen what all my family gave us for this trip?"

"Prowlus and I haven't really taken an inventory." Harper admitted. "Besides, they're gifts for you. We didn't want to pry."

"Thanks." Ash paused and pulled out a scrapbook from his bag. "Funny. This looks like one of Mom's." He flipped it open, and Harper scooted over.

"Oh, I remember some of these!" Harper said. "Your mom's little adventures between the end of Trollstice and Rosie's birth."

Sir Tandeth took a look. "What great adventures she must've had! Ooh! That's the first time she and her Archer friend met me!"

"This is great!" Ash gasped. "We can use the book! Let's literally follow Mom's path!"

'I love Mom's stories!' Prowlus signed excitedly. 'I'm in!'

"Where do we start?" Gris asked.

"As Grandma likes to say, we start at the beginning, a very good place to start." Ash went to the first page. "First thing tomorrow, we're going to see the Sunflowers!"

Ever since Guy Diamond and his acting troupe helped drive off the snermit, the Sunflowers were happier than ever. They praised the trolls for their help, and were thrilled to have troll visitors.

"We remember your family well!" Pistil Pete said enthusiastically. "It's so nice to have the trolls visit us again!"

"It's nice to visit you guys." Ash said. "You have a nice little village."

"You preparing for a party?" Harper asked, pointing to the streamers and some of the villagers making flower crowns.

"It's our annual Rainbow Rave." Pete explained. "You should join us! We're going to have lots of fun. Plenty of music, dancing, and lots of rainbows!"

"Sounds like a blast." Harper said.

"Can we, Ash?" Gris asked.

"I don't see why not." Ash shrugged. "We could use a bit of a party after what we've been through so far."

"I think this looks to be a magnificent gathering!" Sir Tandeth agreed.

"Pete!" one of the sunflowers approached, looking panicked. "It's awful! It's terrible! It's the worst thing that's ever happened in the history of Sunflower-kind!"

"Is the snermit back?" Harper asked worriedly.

"Worse!" the Sunflower moaned dramatically. "The Rainbow Rave cake plate has shattered!" Every Sunflower in the vicinity gasped.

"You can't use a different one?" Gris asked.

"Of course not!" Pete groaned. "The cake plate is made from a plushroom! Only a wide, flat plushroom is suitable for holding the cake, keeping all the mess of the cake inside the plate."

"Worst of all, we don't have a backup!" the Sunflower said. "We broke the backup, too!"

"I'm not even going to ask how." Ash said. "No worries. We'll find you a new one. You said they're made of plushrooms?"

"Aren't those found on Slippery Slope?" Harper asked.

'That place is dangerous, isn't it?' Prowlus asked.

"Sir Tandeth, Prowlus, Pete, and I will fly up on Ebony to get the plushroom." Ash suggested. "The rest of you guys stick around here and help the Sunflowers set up. We'll be back before the party starts at….." He looked to Pete.

"One hour before sunset." Pete said.

"Great. That gives us nearly all day." Ash said.

'Ebony will help us get there and past most of the obstacles.' Prowlus said.

"Let us be off, then!" Sir Tandeth called. "To Slippery Slope! And the plushroom!"

Ebony flew them to the top of the slope, but she couldn't fly down into the chasm where the plushroom was. Ash, Pete, Prowlus, and Sir Tandeth stood on the edge of the pit and stared down through the bubbles at the plushrooms.

"How do you guys normally get down there?" Ash asked.

"Well, we normally time it so the bubbles are less. But we don't have time." Pete said.

"Let me see what I have in my bag." Ash rummaged through his backpack.

Prowlus pulled some rope from his own bag. 'This ought to help. Wish I had a grappling hook.'

"What's this?" Ash pulled out a rod as long as his elbow to his wrist. The tag attached read, A tool for any occasion. From Grandpa Peppy. Ash found a button and pressed it. The rod extended to a staff that was Ash's height. "Whoa! This thing has everything!" Ash looked over the staff. "This button reveals a spear head. This is a knife! And here's a hook! This breaks the staff into nunchakus! Sweet!"

"I say we lower you down on the staff with the rope." Sir Tandeth suggested. "Then you can use the knife in your staff to cut the plushroom."

"Great idea, Tandeth!" Ash said. "Prowlus, Tandeth, and Pete, don't drop me."

"Promise." Pete agreed.

Prowlus tied the rope around Ash's staff, and Ash hook his legs over the staff to hang upside-down. Prowlus, Pete, and Sir Tandeth lowered Ash down towards the plushrooms. Ash was careful to avoid the bubbles, often blowing them away from him. He reached the bottom and pulled out his knife.

"You'll want to find a plushroom that's wide, flat, and really big!" Pete called.

"How about a plushroom that's wide, flat, and regular big?" Ash asked.

"That'll do!" Pete agreed.

Ash found just the right plushroom and cut it. He tucked the knife back into the scabbard at his hip and hugged the plushroom to his chest. His friends pulled him up to solid ground again, but not before a bubble popped right on his head.

"Are you all right, my prince?" Sir Tandeth asked.

Ash laughed as he sat up. There were suds in his hair. "That was awesome!" He held up the plushroom. "Let's get to the party!"

"That was easier than I thought." Pete said. "Maybe we have time to get some swampkin fur for the craft table?"

"Ebony, Prowlus? You up for a small detour?" Ash asked.

Prowlus and Ebony shared a conversation no one else understood, and Prowlus nodded.

Ebony flew everyone down to a small pack of swampkins living near Slippery Slope. The group were able to walk about the pack and collect tufts of swampkin fur on the shrubbery, where the swampkins would rub off their shedding fur. Ash used the suds in his hair to wash the fur in the creek.

"This is great!" Pete said as they filled a bag of clean swampkin fur. "This party will be amazing!"

"This party is a disaster!" Pete groaned dramatically.

Prowlus, Ash, Sir Tandeth, and Ebony stared in surprise at the scene before them. The Sunflowers ran about in pandemonium. Steve had somehow crawled up a tree and cowered there fearfully with Gris. Harper tried to beat back a grossum—one of many in the swarm that invaded the area—with a piñata bat. At Prowlus's command, Ebony flew over and retrieved Harper.

"Harper? What's going on?" Ash asked.

"One of the Sunflowers was showing off his animal imitations and attracted a bunch of grossums." Harper explained.

"Arthur!" Pete complained.

"Heads up!" Gris called as a grossum ran for Ash. The boy took his staff and whacked the grossum away. Everyone from the travelers to the Sunflowers scurried up the trees to safety.

"Prince Gris, you're bigger than the grossums." Sir Tandeth noted. "Why do you not just smash them under your boots?"

"I'm scared of grossums!" Gris whimpered. "I haven't eaten my vegetables today, so I know they're going to eat my toes!"

"Is that another lie your dad told you when you were younger?" Harper demanded.

"They're going to destroy the party!" Pete moaned.

Ash looked in his bag again, and he found what looked like a Hug Time watch with a silver disk instead of a flower. This was Smidge and Milton's gift. Ash tapped the disc, and it fanned out to create a circular shield. "I'm on it!" he folded his staff and tucked it into his hair, and he slid down the tree towards the grossums. He used his hair and shield to smack the grossums away. Prowlus came down to help, but they were soon surrounded by the grossums.

"Guys, get out of there!" Harper shouted. Prowlus whistled for Ebony, who swooped down to save them from the grossums.

"The party is ruined!" Pete groaned.

"Can't you come up with something useful?" Gris asked. "Ash, what do we do?"

"Since when am I in charge?" Ash demanded.

"Since you decided to go on a quest to find your colors." Harper said simply.

"Good point." Ash pulled out his mother's scrapbook and flipped through it. "Grossums…..grossums…grossums…here! They can be calmed with music!"

"They're eating the musical instruments as we speak." Gris pointed out.

"Wait, Prowlus!" Harper called. "DJ Suki's gift for Ash!"

Prowlus reached into his bag and pulled out a mixtape.

"Thank you, Aunt Suki!" Ash cheered. "Prowlus, can you grab that boom box bug and use Ebony to lead the grossums away?"

Prowlus saluted to his brother. He mounted Ebony and the dark phoenix flew down to rescue the boom box bug before a grossum could eat it. Prowlus put the mixtape into the bug and pressed PLAY. The music instantly caught the grossums' attention, and the creatures followed Ebony as she flew into the forest. The Sunflowers cheered, relieved to see the grossums leaving.

"All right, Sunflowers!" Ash called. "Get down from those trees! Let's clean up this mess and prep for a party!"

Under Ash's command and Pete's advice, everyone worked together to set up the party once more, just in time for sunset. Prowlus and Ebony returned after leading the grossums to a new location. Once the Rainbow Rave started up, the travelers realized why it started at sunset. Sunflowers sprayed a water mist into the light of the sunset, creating a magnificent rainbow over the party.

"Let the Rainbow Rave begin!" Pete called.

The music started, and the colors intensified even when the sun fully set. There was dancing and plenty of food. Harper and Prowlus spent much of the evening dancing together.

Gris leaned against a tree, where Ash sat on a mushroom at Gris's shoulder level. "Great job, Ash! Any luck on the colors?"

"I thought I found my colors. Then I realized I was standing in the rainbow." Ash shrugged.

"We'll get there, Ash." Gris said. "And look at the great thing you did!"

"This definitely makes up for turning Steve into a bird." Ash glanced to the crocodile, who was getting a belly rub from some of the Sunflowers.

"We're having quite an adventure, Ash. Can't wait to see what else we'll see." Gris held up a book. "See? I'm even journaling!"

Ash looked out into the dark woods. "My colors are out here. This is fun. This is where I'll find out who I am."

"We're in this together, Ash." Gris assured. "No worries."

A/N: Origianl song feature here: "Paths of the Past." Hope you liked seeing Cloud Guy and his family! I'm updating again tomorrow because I won't be able to during Thanksgiving weekend. Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate it! Give thanks for what you have, and take a moment to appreciate it.