Chapter 4: Down Came The Rain

Not too long after the Rainbow King had issued his orders to evacuate the Rainbow Kingdom, Zee was up in the Wishing Tree solemnly getting his things together.

"I can't believe it's come down to this." said Zee sadly. "I never thought I'd be forced to leave the only home I've ever known, especially under these conditions."

Just then, Ecks, who had his own things packed up and ready to go, came in.

"Hey, Zee." he greeted. "You ready to go?"

"Almost." said his brother. "Just let me say one last goodbye to the old place."

"Sure." nodded Ecks. "Just be quick about it, okay?"

Zee nodded as Ecks left the Wishing Tree. Zee gazed at the Wishing Tree's glowing branches, and the Wishes that resided in them. He closed his eyes as he lowered his head in sadness.

"Goodbye, old friends." he sighed.

Zee then grabbed his things and left the Wishing Tree for the last time. He soon met up with Ecks, who noticed how down in the dumps his brother was.

"Feeling down about leaving the Wishing Tree, huh?" asked Ecks.

Zee just nodded. Ecks put a comforting arm around Zee.

"Don't worry, little brother." said Ecks. "Look on the bright side. We're going to a new home in Ambientalista, and to a new life too. And the best part is, we'll be together, just you and me."

"I know." sighed Zee. "I just wish there had been another way to get the fire under control so we wouldn't have to leave our old home."

At True and Bartleby's house, True and Bartleby had just finished packing their own things and were meeting up with Tobias and Trinity.

"Are we all packed up?" asked Tobias.

"Yes, Mr. Dad." replied Bartleby sadly.

"Then let's not keep His Majesty waiting." said Tobias.

With that, the family began making their way to Rainbow Harbor as True looked again to the burning Rainbow City.

"I guess this is it, Bee." she sighed. "As of today, the Rainbow Kingdom won't be our home anymore."

"Don't remind me." said Bartleby. "In fact, it doesn't even feel like the Rainbow Kingdom anymore. It feels more like the Fire Kingdom."

True just nodded before looking up at her parents.

"Mom? Dad? What's going to happen to us?" asked True.

"I don't know, honey." replied Tobias. "I mean, we will find a new home in Ambientalista, but beyond that, I'm not sure."

"Still, I wouldn't worry too much about it." said Trinity. "The Lord will provide."

Eventually, they arrived at Rainbow Harbor with the other citizens, including the Yetis. The Rainbow King, along with True's paternal grandparents, Trevor and Tara, plus young Captain Twain and his ship, the Lady Anna, was waiting for them.

"Good, you're all here." he said. "Alright, everyone, split up into two groups. One group will go with Trevor and Tara in their boat while the other group goes with Captain Twain and his crew on the Lady Anna."

"And due to the circumstances, no one who goes on my boat will be charged anything." said Twain. "Your fares are all on me."

"Okay, everyone." said the Rainbow King. "Please choose your ships."

Among those who made Trevor and Tara's boat their vessel of choice were True, her parents, Bartleby, Zee, Grizelda, the Grizmos, Ecks, Urg, Snick, and the Yeti triplets Floof, Grock, and Yerck. The Rainbow King and the Rainbow Castle Guards, along with the rest of the Yetis, were among those who chose the Lady Anna. Just as everyone finished choosing their vessels, they heard a deep rumbling sound.

"Hey, what was that?" asked True.

"I don't know." said Zee.

At that moment, Bartleby felt something wet hit the tip of his tail.

"Yikes!" he gasped.

Bartleby then jumped into True's arms.

"True!" he cried. "Something wet just hit me!"

Grizelda also felt something wet hitting her as Bartleby was saying this.

"Hey, me too." she said.

Zee looked up and saw that the sky was starting to grow dark as another rumbling sound was heard.

"Is it just me, or did that sound like thunder?" he asked.

"I heard it too, Zee." said Ecks. "Did anyone else hear that?"

Everyone else said that they had heard the thunder as a few more drops of water fell on them from above. It started out as a slight drizzle, but it wasn't long before it began to rain heavier and heavier. The Rainbow King beamed as he watched the rain fall.

"Rain!" he cried happily. "It's a miracle!"

The Rainbow King then blew another Face Bubble from his scepter that connected him to Prince Jimbo again.

"How's it going, Rainbow King?" asked the prince.

"Instead of telling you, I'll show you." said the Rainbow King.

The Rainbow King then showed Prince Jimbo the falling rain through the bubble. Prince Jimbo smiled when he saw it.

"I guess you won't be needing my help after all." he said.

"It sure seems that way." said the Rainbow King. "Sorry if I wasted any of your time about this whole thing."

"You're fine, Rainbow King." said Prince Jimbo. "To tell you the truth, I had a hunch things were gonna end up working out in the end for you and your people in any case. Still, I'll be coming with some of my men over to the Rainbow Kingdom to help with the investigation into what caused the fire."

"Fine by me." said the Rainbow King. "On that note, I will let you get to that while I update my people on the matter at hand."

"Alrighty then." nodded Prince Jimbo. "Goodbye, Rainbow King."

After saying goodbye to the prince, the Rainbow King popped the Face Bubble before looking back at that crowd with a wide smile.

"Citizens of the Rainbow Kingdom, I hereby decree that as of now, the evacuation order is rescinded!" he said. "The Rainbow Kingdom is saved!"

Everyone rejoiced upon hearing the news, so much so that True even kicked off her socks and boots and began running barefoot through the rainy streets, with Zee and Grizelda following suit. Even Bartleby decided to join in the fun, and he followed his friends, running on all four of his paws.

"I may not like being wet, but I guess here I'll make a special exception!" he grinned.

As True and her three friends splashed around in the rain-soaked streets, the Rainbow King and Ecks took a look around, and they noticed the rain was working wonders on the fire, as one by one, the flames began to finally die down for good.

"Look at that, Your Majesty." said Ecks. "Things are finally looking up."

"Indeed they are." smiled the Rainbow King.

Just then, the two were joined by the guards, whom the Rainbow King had dispatched to check on the forest.

"Great news on the forest, Your Majesty." one of the guards said. "The fire is almost completely out."

"Excellent." said the Rainbow King.

It wasn't long before both fires were out completely. Just as the last of it died out, the sun began to push through the rain clouds, causing a double rainbow to appear in the sky, which True and her friends noticed.

"Wow." gasped True. "I've never seen a double rainbow before."

"Me neither." said Zee. "Matter of fact, I don't think there ever has been a double rainbow in the Rainbow Kingdom."

"Well, it sure is beautiful." said Grizelda.

"That it is, Grizelda." agreed Zee. "But not as beautiful as someone else I know."

Zee looked smugly at True as he said that, causing her to blush slightly and giggle.

"Oh, Zee." she grinned.

By this point, the Rainbow King and Ecks, flanked by Tobias and Trinity, were also coming on the scene, and they too saw the double rainbow.

"Well, would you look at that?" smiled Tobias as he put an arm around his wife. "What a sight to see, especially considering what just happened."

"You said it, dear." agreed Trinity.

"But you know, this really begs a question." said Ecks. "The rain wasn't supposed to come until tomorrow. What changed?"

"I believe I can answer that." said an unfamiliar voice.

Everyone looked and saw a small-bodied stranger floating over to them. The stranger looked strikingly similar to the Rainbow King, except he wore a light blue cape, and his head appendages took the form of a periwinkle cloud on top and two yellow lightning bolts, one on either side. In his hand was a golden scepter that was topped with a cloud. The Rainbow King was pleasantly surprised when he saw the stranger.

"Leaping lime green!" he gasped. "It's you!"

"Hello, brother." the stranger greeted with a friendly smile.

The Rainbow King then turned to those with him.

"Everyone, I would like you all to meet my brother, the Sky King." he said.

True and the others wasted no time in getting themselves familiar with the Sky King. True, Zee, and Grizelda also apologized to the Sky King for not looking presentable due to their rain-soaked hair, clothes, and bare feet.

"Oh, it's quite alright." the Sky King chuckled. "I don't care that much for outward appearances, anyway."

"Well, now that we're all acquainted, brother, would you care to explain the change in weather?" asked the Rainbow King.

"Certainly." said the Sky King. "I could see what was happening in the Rainbow Kingdom from my castle in the Sky Kingdom. I could see that the fire was getting more intense by the minute, and when I saw the firestorm break out, I knew right then and there that the time for intervention had come. So, I had my Weather Guards start the rain a day ahead of schedule."

"Well, it's certainly a good thing you did." said the Rainbow King. "Had you not intervened when you did, all would have been lost. Words can't even describe how grateful my people and I are to you."

"Please, don't make a fuss over it." pleaded the Sky King. "I was just doing what needed to be done."

Just then, the group heard the sound of a helicopter. They looked up and saw a Boeing CH-47 Chinook tandem-rotor helicopter flying over them.

"I suppose that must be Prince Jimbo." said the Rainbow King. "Come, Ecks. Let's go greet them."

"Right behind you, Your Majesty." said Ecks.

"Mind if I tag along?" asked the Sky King.

"Be my guest." agreed his brother.

And so, the Rainbow and Sky Kings, with Ecks following close behind, departed to meet up with Prince Jimbo and his men, leaving True and her friends behind.

"So...what now?" asked Bartleby.

"Well, since the Rainbow King canceled the evacuation order, why don't we go ahead and unpack our things?" Tobias replied. "And while we're at it, we'll all change into dry clothes."

True, Bartleby, Zee, and Grizelda agreed, and after making a return trip to Rainbow Harbor to reclaim True, Zee, and Grizelda's footwear, they all returned to their respective homes.

"Boy, am I glad that's all over." said Bartleby.

"Believe me, Bee, me too." said True.

"Say, True, do you think they'll find out what caused the fire in the first place?" asked Bartleby.

"I'm sure they will, Bartleby." said Trinity, answering for True. "I'm also sure His Majesty will let us know when they do."

"But for right now, let's all just take some time to enjoy the fact the disaster is over." added Tobias.

"You are so right, Mr. Dad." said Bartleby.

True then looked at the charred ruins on a lot of the buildings in Rainbow City. Seeing those caused her to sigh.

"It's so sad that Rainbow City suffered so much because of the fire." she frowned.

Tobias noticed this.

"It's okay to be sad, True." said Tobias. "But remember, buildings are just buildings. What really makes a city is the people who live in the buildings."

"And another thing, the damage can be repaired." added Trinity. "Plus, the most important thing is that nobody got seriously injured or worse during the fire."

True did feel a lot better hearing her parents' wise words. They soon reached Mushroom Town, which, miraculously, was still untouched from the fire, apart from some small patches of soot and ash here and there, and it wasn't long before True and her family had unpacked all of their things and changed from their rain-soaked clothes and into some dry ones, with the wet clothes being hung up on the clothesline to dry in the sun. Inside the house, True and Bartleby were relaxing in their bedroom. Bartleby was curled up in front of the same electric fan he was in front of back in Chapter 1, only this time it was on its lowest speed. True, on the other hand, was sitting cross-legged on her bed reading a book.

"I wonder how Zee and Grizelda are getting along." she thought out loud.

Meanwhile, in Grizelda's castle, Grizelda was in her bedroom being fanned by her Grizmos as Frookie snoozed in the corner.

"It's so good to be home." smiled Grizelda. "It's a shame I still don't have my crown. Oh, well. I'm sure I'll be able to find it once the Rainbow King gives us the all-clear."

Little did Grizelda know, however, that she would soon be reunited with her crown in the least likely way she could possibly imagine.

End Of Chapter 4