Pretty proud of myself! Not only was I able to do that oneshot, but I also was able to finish chapter 10 this weekend too, and still complete my tasks for school. Things should get easier with school, once I get the hang of everything. Right now it's really hectic and crazy. Enjoy this chapter, and as always, let me know of any mistakes you find!
Chapter 7 Spritely Diversion
Stormy returned to the Color Castle by afternoon, frustrated after a long, pointless search effort. She had circled the perimeter of the Pits, watching for any action from Murky's lair. Upon finding none, she had worked her way through the cliffs and mountainous area surrounding the Pits, coming up with nothing. So far, Murky had covered his tracks quite well, and she could discern nothing out of the ordinary. She slid from Skydancer and wordlessly dismissed him until she needed him again. In silent anger, she marched into the Castle, searching out Moonglo. As she entered Rainbow's room, she spotted Moonglo, catching her in the middle of a yawn.
Moonglo quickly stifled her yawn when she spotted Stormy entering, noting that she appeared angry. Instead of speaking up, she simply watched as Stormy stomped over to her and then reached a hand inside her outer coat, pulling out a crumpled orange piece of fabric. Stormy tossed it to the floor and Moonglo quickly recognized it as Lala Orange's beret. She noted the specks of dirt covering it, the fabric that was wrinkled, and then looked up at Stormy.
"Found that on the ground. Nothing else! Nothing! He's made them disappear!" began Stormy, ranting.
"At least we know he is the one who took them for sure," inserted Moonglo, trying to spin things toward a more positive light.
"That doesn't matter. He shouldn't have taken them in the first place."
"We'll keep looking for them. Murky's always slipped up in the end."
"I don't know," replied Stormy, shaking her head. "Something tells me that he's not going to slip up so easily this time around."
Moonglo looked toward the door, noticing a ruffling behind the curtains. She caught glimpse of a white face peeking inside before the body followed. Another body soon followed. "Kitty Brite and Puppy Brite have been sniffing around outside, seeing if they could find anything." She looked at the duo, who had made themselves comfortable at the foot of Rainbow's bed. "Anything?" Both animals shook their heads.
"I'm telling you, Murky's pulled out all the stops this time. He got Rainbow, he got the Color Kids, and now he's going to get his wish for no color. Everything's beginning to fade; the brightness and beauty are gone. Soon we won't have any color in Rainbow Land if we don't do something."
"The sprites are going to try taking the places of their Color Kids. I don't know if it'll work, but Twink's trying to organize it all," began Moonglo, changing the topic a little.
Stormy turned and exited the room, no longer able to stand the positive twists. To her, it seemed as though it was all a futile effort. They needed a real solution, not a band-aid solution. She was going to rely on her gut feeling that Murky was indeed a more formidable foe and that he wasn't going to muck up any time soon. She knew what she had seen and that she had to do something. Her dream only added to the confusion; she wasn't certain if it was only a dream, or if Rainbow was trying to communicate via her dream. She was going to find out. She was going to fix Murky Dismal for the havoc he was creating in Rainbow Land. She exited the Color Castle, intent on heading to the mountains for a bit of a cool down.
Moonglo sighed as the curtain swung shut. She didn't know what to say to Stormy, but she wanted to avoid anything that would trigger her anger. None of this was settling well with her, and Moonglo didn't know what to do. She was trying to be positive about it, but Stormy would have none of that it seemed. Moonglo knew Stormy wanted answers, but there were none to give to her. Everyone was in the dark.
Evening settled on Rainbow Land, and its inhabitants settled down for a night of well-deserved sleep. Twink had spent the day with the mining sprites, encouraging them to mine excess of color crystal before moving on to the Color Kids' sprites to work out a plan to take their places. An argument had ensued among the sprites when they realized that none of them knew how to operate the Color Console, but I.Q. had quickly learned the technology and taught the others. By the time they had gotten the hang of the technology, the sun had begun setting, and thus, they would begin working with the Console and star sprinkles the next day. Stormy had patrolled Rainbow Land on watch after her cool down, while Moonglo had been left to sleep and watch over Rainbow. Puppy and Kitty Brite had taken guard posts outside of the room as extra precautions. Now that evening had come, Moonglo had left to complete nightly duties and Stormy had taken her place in Rainbow's room. All seemed quiet at the moment, but it wouldn't stay that way for long…
Murky grabbed his trusty gloom gun, checking that it was fully loaded before meeting Lurky at the Grunge Buggy. He hummed a tune to himself while aiming the gun at invisible targets as he passed. He climbed into his sidecar, waiting for Lurky to arrive. He had no idea what that bumbling idiot was up to, but it most likely had nothing to do with where he should be right now, which was driving the Grunge Buggy to Rainbow Land. "Lurky! Let's go! We won't have much time to get the Belt if we don't hurry."
"Coming, Murky," called Lurky from the doorway to the lair. "I was just checking up on the Color Kids before we left."
"There's no need to worry about them right now. They won't be escaping anytime soon, and Stormy won't be rescuing them either…she has no idea where they are." He had caught the distant sound of rolling thunder earlier in the afternoon as she had left the Pits, empty handed.
Lurky started the Grunge Buggy, and it roared to life. He shifted into gear and sped off toward Rainbow Land. "What's the plan, Murky?"
"Easy. You'll create a distraction that will draw Stormy away from the Color Castle. Moonglo should be taking care of the night sky, so we won't need to worry about her. While you're doing that, I'll steal the Belt from Rainbow."
"What sorta distraction, Murky?"
"Scaring the sprites in their houses of course," replied Murky.
"But Murky, that's awfully mean."
"That's the point, banana brain. If you scare them, it'll bring someone running to save them and keep them from finding me! Now take this tracking device. I have the remote that goes to it and when I need to find you after I grab the Belt, it'll begin to beep. It'll lead me to you, so make sure you drive off and escape. Got it?" He handed the small device to Lurky, who stuck it in his fur.
"All right, Murky, if you say so." They drove into Rainbow Land, making their way past the forest and the sprite houses. Lurky dropped Murky off at the bridge to the Color Castle before driving off to the nearby sprite houses. Murky quickly crossed the bridge, jumping into a bush just outside the Castle door. He waited for the fun to begin.
It didn't take long before a screech was heard from the sprite houses and Murky covered his mouth to contain his laughter. Soon, more screeches and shouts joined the foray and Murky watched the door impatiently. Someone would come running, and he hoped that it would be Stormy. It only took a few more seconds before he heard the pounding of footsteps and then the backside of Stormy as she took off across the bridge, Twink quickly following after her. "My turn…" he whispered to himself, sprinting from the bushes and into the Color Castle.
~Moments earlier~
Stormy yawned and stretched, forcing herself to stay awake this time around. She wasn't going to mess up again. She glanced around the room, noting that everything was in place. The Color Belt hung above Rainbow's bed, faded as ever. The landscape was beginning to match, and she knew that soon the color would begin to fade completely. Her eyes wandered from the Belt to its owner, who still had not waken. If only they could figure out what was wrong with her, then they might be able to figure out how to cure her.
She jumped when she heard Twink's excited chattering as he slid down the pole into Rainbow's room. "Stormy! Something's wrong with the sprites! There's all sorts of shouting outside!"
"Let's go then! If it's Murky and Lurky again, they're gonna pay!" She quickly stood and raced toward the curtain, quickly shoving it aside and rushing toward the sprite houses, Puppy and Kitty Brite chasing after. She didn't realize that hidden in the bushes outside the door sat Murky, waiting for his moment to swipe what he believed was his.
~ Present ~
Murky went straight for Rainbow's room, knowing that now was his only chance. He threw back the curtain and raced inside, eyes darting about the room for his prize. He spotted the Color Belt, still slung over the bed above Rainbow's head. He had gotten lucky; not even Puppy or Kitty Brite were in sight since they'd followed Stormy. Quickly, he grabbed it and stuffed it inside his helmet before darting from the room again. He wasn't going to celebrate just yet though. This had been much easier than he had thought, as he had wondered if someone else might still be about the castle. No one came to stop him, so he continued forward.
However, he stopped in his tracks, not being able to resist taking one look at Rainbow and how far she'd fallen. He stepped to her bedside, observing her face, which did not appear peaceful. He knew that the gloom shadow had worked well enough to be fused completely with the body. It would keep Rainbow from waking of her own accord, or anyone else's. Nothing could pull her from the slumber that she was in, and the only possibility he could think of involved the Color Belt. Now that it was in his hands though, that knocked that solution right out the window. Rainbow Brite was no more. Someday he'd add her to his collection, or better yet, he'd make her his own personal slave. She'd serve him, unable to do anything as he strutted about wearing the Color Belt. Such a lovely scene in his mind. He smiled and shook his head. There would be time for daydreaming later. Right now, he had to slip quietly away from the Color Castle and from Rainbow Land.
Peeking outside the door, he noticed that Lurky was still doing his job as rain and thunder began to fall over the houses. Puppy and Kitty Brite stood near Stormy, Puppy Brite barking and Kitty Brite hissing. Sprinting, Lurky crossed the bridge and detoured behind the houses that were farthest from the commotion Lurky had created. He tiptoed and snuck about, darting from house to house with ease. No sprites were nearby, and if they were, they were too scared to come out of their houses and face whatever was outside. As if to prove a point to himself, he peeked into the window of the sprite house he was hiding behind and saw a group of orange sprites hidden beneath the table inside, eyes squeezed shut. They were shivering and shaking, not knowing that someone was watching them through their window.
Grinning, Murky continued on, until he had reached the edge of the forest. He went deep inside, looking for the perfect hiding place. He soon came to a clump of bushes and jumped inside. No one would find him here. No one would realize what he'd done until it was too late. He pulled out the remote that would alert Lurky, and pressed the red button upon it. A low beeping began, sending a signal out across Rainbow Land. All too soon, he knew that Lurky would receive the alert and begin driving back toward the Pits. Absently, his hand tapped against his helmet as he waited for Lurky to return.
"I'm gonna get you, sprite!" yelled Lurky, still running about as Stormy attempted to stop him. He bumbled about in no particular pattern, and this made it harder for Stormy to take aim. She couldn't predict his moves. Another bolt of lightning narrowly missed the top of his head.
"It's not working, Stormy," cried Twink from behind her.
"It will work. You watch and see!" yelled Stormy as she concentrated on her moving target.
Lurky dodged behind a house and began to feel a humming vibration from inside his fur. "Oh boy! Murky's ready to go!" He stopped chasing the blue sprite and ran for the nearby Grunge Buggy that he'd hidden behind a house. He hopped inside, and pressed his foot to the breaks, taking off for the Pits. This sudden change in plans caught Stormy off guard.
"Skydancer! Let's go!" she cried. She wanted to follow and hope that Lurky could lead her to the Color Kids. She could hear the pounding of Skydancer's hooves as he answered her call.
"Wait, Stormy! What about Rainbow?" called Twink.
Stormy, who was about to heft herself up onto Skydancer, stopped in her tracks. She debated with herself, deciding on what she should do. She knew there was the right answer, the one Twink would expect, and then there was another answer, her own stubborn way. She was about to go her own way when she realized that she hadn't seen Murky the entire time. Her heart sank into her stomach. Wordlessly, she ran toward the Color Castle, and directly to Rainbow's room. She threw back the curtain and quickly scanned the room. Rainbow was still safe in bed so Murky hadn't taken her captive. Her eyes then settled above Rainbow's bed, on the spot where the Color Belt was. Or rather, should have been. The spot was empty.
Rushing forward, Stormy quickly checked under the bed and behind it, making sure that the Color Belt had not simply just fallen from its post. She continued to search, knowing that with each passing minute, the Belt had been taken from the room. She knew, deep down, that Murky had been the one to snatch the Belt, and that he had created a trap which she had willingly fallen for. Lurky had been the diversion and she had run to take care of him, rather than stay behind, as she should have. Murky had expected she would leave and had easily gotten into the Castle with no one else around. She'd fallen into a trap, and had never even stopped to think that it could have been one.
She fell onto her knees, hands resting on the ground. Once again, Murky had struck during her watch. She had promised herself that nothing was going to happen as it had before, and once again Murky had made sure that she was made the fool, even if it was never his intention to do so. "I can't believe I messed up again… and this time I've lost the Color Belt. Without that, Rainbow's powerless. Murky'll wear the Belt, and he'll try to take control of Rainbow Land." She felt tears well up behind her eyes, but she wouldn't let herself cry. She had never let herself be so weak as to cry like some baby.
"What's going on, Stormy?" asked Moonglo as she walked into the room with Puppy and Kitty Brite following. "I was off in another part of Rainbow Land when I heard the commotion. Did something…" she trailed off as her eyes moved toward the empty spot where the Color Belt had set. She raised a hand to her mouth, complete shock written on her face. "The Color Belt! It's gone!"
Slowly, Stormy rose to her feet. "Murky took it. He created a distraction with Lurky outside. Twink came to get me and I went to take care of that. Murky must have snuck in and took it while I was outside. I fell for his trap. It's all my fault, again." She crossed her arms across her chest and looked down at her shoes.
"It's not your fault," replied Moonglo softly. "Anyone would have fallen for it, especially if no one else was left behind."
"But I don't fall for stupid things like that. I should have caught it. I should have come back when I didn't see Murky with Lurky."
"When we look back on our actions, there are always things we should have done. You can't change what happened, Stormy. We have to work on figuring out what to do."
"No. Not this time. I'm gonna go get that Belt back!" Before Moonglo could attempt to stop her, Stormy raced past and out the door. Moonglo shook her head. Murky was really messing with Stormy's head, even if he had never planned to. She had never seen her friend distraught before. Moonglo would have never said it to her face, but she had seen that Stormy had been near tears. No one had ever made Stormy cry and so seeing her so close to doing so worried Moonglo. She feared that Stormy would act rashly and get herself into trouble. They didn't need someone else taken down as well. Moonglo looked over at Rainbow and then back toward the door. Taking a seat, she decided to stick by Rainbow. She was the only thing that Murky hadn't taken for his plan yet. The night sky was barely decorated, but Moonglo decided that could wait. If things weren't solved soon, there wouldn't even be a night sky to look at, much less decorate.
"Rainbow, if only you could see what's happened… Murky might actually win this time around…"
Doesn't look good for Rainbow and the gang... is Murky finally going to get his way?
Author Note 1: A reviewer asked about Kitty and Puppy Brite doing guard duty, and while they hadn't been specifically assigned that night, I did realize they were absent from the scenes and wrote it in. They're supposed to be absent from the room at the time. If anyone else catches mistakes, let me know and I'll fix 'em!