The Beginning of Rainbow Land - from the Rainbow Brite Treasury
compiled by Hilda Young
Chapter One
Wisp's Quest
Long, long ago, there was a dark land where there was no color at all. Little
creatures called sprites who lived there were always in fear of being
attacked. Terrible
birds would sweep down at them, or great monsters would chase them over the
gray
mountains. And there was someone else whose name they dared not even
whisper...
One day, as several sprites were sheltering in a deep cave, they watched
in horror
as a sprite called Twink ran past, chased by a terrible monster. He stumbled
over the
crags and rocks, just managing to keep ahead of the monster, until he found
somewhere
to hide.
On the rugged mountain pass a few cold, pale-colored sprites toiled on
against the
biting wind. Suddenly, one gave a cry of fear. A brightly glowing star,
like a comet,
whirled nearer and nearer, growing brighter and brighter. It was heading
right for the
mountain pass, but slowed and hovered just above the ground.
A soft, sweet voice said, “Do you still want to save this colorless
world, little
Wisp?” And another voice replied firmly, “Yes, I do!”
The star gleamed even more brightly. Then it was gone, and in its place
stood a
little girl, clutching a suitcase in her hand, looking very bewildered. Her
pale blue dress
was the only color in the land.
The soft voice spoke again. “Find the light and color of this land and
set it free.
Then the darkness will disappear.”
“Where do I start?” asked Wisp.
“Look for the Sphere of Light,” replied the voice.
A moment later the little girl was alone in the strange land. As she
looked
nervously around her, Wisp saw a fearsome bird hovering above her hand.
“Have you
seen a Sphere of Light?” she called. “I need it to make your world a
beautiful place.”
To her dismay the bird tried to attack her, and Wisp was forced to hide
behind a
rock until the bird flew off. When it had gone, Wisp came cautiously out and
started to
walk along, jumping over cracks in the ground and stepping carefully over the
rocks.
Then, with a shock, she realized that she had stepped onto a long, low,
centipede-like
creature with a zillion legs, a barbed tail and jaws like a crocodile!
“Oh...oh,” cried Wisp, trying hard not to scream. She quickly leapt off
the
creature's back. As it snapped its jaws savagely at her, Wisp fled to the
safety of the
tangled trees in the forest ahead.
“That was a near escape,” she sighed. But now the trees were acting in
a very
strange and frightening way. They had ugly faces and branches like arms
which tried to
hold her tightly. The little girl tried to free herself, turning this way
and that, and in her
haste to get away, she didn't see someone running towards her. It was Twink!
They ran into each other and both fell to the ground with a bump. In a
trice,
Twink was on his feet again. “I wouldn't hang about here, if I were you,” he cried.
“I'm looking for a Sphere of Light,” Wisp explained, struggling to her
feet.
Twink looked astonished. “Sphere of Light?” he muttered. “Great. See
you
around.”
As Twink turned to go, Wisp said rather crossly, “You might at least tell
me where
to start looking.”
“Don't look...start running!” he shouted. He pulled Wisp behind a rock
as an
ugly-looking monster galloped past.
“I hope it won't come back,” cried the little girl.
“It won't,” said Twink. “They never do. They just keep coming. They
go to the
castle. That's where the Sphere of Light is!”
“Let's go there, then,” cried Wisp eagerly.
“I'm not going that way,” said Twink, and he started off in the opposite
direction.
So Wisp set off along, bravely walking into the shadowy mountains. Thunder
crashed
overhead and vulture-like birds began to circle around. Wisp felt very alone.
Then she heard a small voice. It was Twink, who had followed her after
all,
much against his better judgment. “Everyone goes to the castle but no one
comes out,”
he said. “There are monsters there and the Evil One! He makes snow and
lighting and
makes mountains fall on you and...”
“I still have to search for the Sphere of Light,” insisted Wisp. Then
she told the
little sprite her name.
“I'm Twink,” he said, “and I'm sure I'm making a big mistake!” He
sighed as he
lead Wisp towards the mountains. They didn't know what they were being
watched by
strange flowers which seemed to spy on them with their eyelike markings.
It grew darker and darker as they neared the castle and suddenly there
was a flash
of lightning, followed by a bubbling sound. A large bubble of lava was
forming right
underneath them. Poor Twink found himself on top of the lava bubble being
bounced
along. He was just about to jump, when the bubble finally burst, dropping
him with a
bump at Wisp's feet.
Twink decided that he had enough. “I've just remembered,” he said
weakly, “I
forgot to make my bed this morning. I'd better go home.”
“Oh, Twink, we must be brave and go on,” said Wisp. She set off again
and
Twink reluctantly followed her.
They stepped onto a narrow, jagged bridge which had bubbling, steaming
lava on
both sides. Twink peered over at the lava and almost fell in, but Wisp
pulled him back
just in time. They passed a boulder shaped like an evil face which hissed
out murky fog
at them as they ran by. A nasty mist whirled around them and the two friends
tried to
clasp hands so that they would not lose each other.
“Goodness, you're cold!” they gasped together. They began to walk off
again and
it was then that they realized that they were each holding the hand of an
ice-cold sprite
statue. They let go quickly and found each other's hands the next time.
“This isn't really a statue!” stuttered a very frightened Twink. “This
is what
happens to those who go too near to the castle. They turn to ice!”
Just then a little sprite came running towards the castle, zig-zagging to
avoid the
lightning flashes. “We must help him,” Wisp cried. But before she could
move, the
sprite was solid ice.
“His name was Lucky,” sighed Twink.
“We must keep going,” cried Wisp. “Come on, Twink!”
“I can’t. It gets worse!” he cried. “Oh, Wisp, my legs are beginning
to turn to
ice!”
“Twink, believe you can walk, and you will!” cried Wisp, holding his hand
tightly. “You must try to believe, Twink.”
“I am trying!” muttered Twink, as thunder crashed around them and
lightning
flashed, just missing them. The ice began to rise up to his body and soon he
even found
it rather difficult to speak. But slowly he managed to move forward. A bolt
of lightning
struck the ground just in front of him and he slithered about, trying to keep
his balance.
Then a huge fireball erupted in front of them and he and Wisp had to dive for
cover
beneath an overhanging ledge of rock.
They jumped up and began to go on, but then Wisp suddenly stopped. There,
right in front of her, stood the last statue between her and the castle. But
it was not a
sprite. It was a magnificent ice horse, poised as if ready to gallop, but
frozen in mid step.
Wisp gazed at the horse in wonder.
“He's beautiful!” she gasped. She
let go of
Twink’s hand and walked up to the statue.
“Take care! It might be a trap!” shouted Twink. “What we need right
now is a
plan...yes...a plan! We'll come back when we've got a plan. What do you
say?”
But Wisp scarcely heard him, and she did not appear to notice the steep,
drop to
floor of a canyon as she gently touched the horse's neck. Just then, the
clouds above the
castle exploded and from their depths, the biggest bird they have ever seen
swooped
down, straight at Wisp!
Twink stared at the bird in horror as Wisp crouched down at the side of
the horse.
She pressed herself against it's body, hoping the bird would not see her. It
was then that
she heard a strange sound. It was a heartbeat!
Using the horse as a shield from the bird, she knelt and looked up at the
horse's
face. He blinked.
“You're alive!” she cried in delight, hugging him tightly. As she
hugged him, the
ice began to crack and shatter into dust that was blown away by the wind,
revealing a real
live horse dazzling white from mane to tail. It was Starlite.
The bird attacked again, and although Twink threw a stone at it, it flew
straight
toward the little girl. Starlite reared up like a gallant charger, attacking
the bird as it
swooped down. But he slipped on the rocks, teetered for a moment on the edge
of the
cliff and then fell over, skidding and tumbling down, taking bushes and rocks
with him.
The bird returned to the attack, making Wisp and Twink step back until
they fell
over the cliff too. Wisp braced herself for a heavy landing. But suddenly
she heard a
voice say, “Hang on!” To her surprised she discovered that she had landed
on Starlite's
back. She clung tightly to his mane, scarcely able to believe her eyes -- or
ears!
“You can talk!” she cried.
“Talk? Of course I can talk. I'm Starlite, the most wonderful horse in
the
Universe!” he retorted.
Twink landed on Starlite's back, behind Wisp. He clung tightly to his
friend as
Starlite galloped swiftly towards a gap in the rocky wall ahead, away from
the castle.
Twink sighed happily, glad to be out of danger, but Wisp turned around and
gazed at the
castle until it was out of sight. Soon she would have to return -- to find
the Sphere of
Light!
Chapter Two
The No Return River
A fearful storm was raging outside the castle walls. Inside, Murky Dismal
and his
assistant Lurky were stuffing themselves with food from a large platter
served by several
terrified sprites.
“Where is my pudding?” shrieked Murky. “Hurry up!”
“I'll get it for you, Murky!" cried Lurky. He reached for a large
covered dish.
“Cor, just look at this cream pie. Doesn't it look good?”
“Be careful, you clumsy...” began Murky, as Lurky picked up the pie and
leant
towards him. But the warning came too late! Lurky’s chair toppled over and
Murky got
the pie right in his face!
“Why you bonzo-brained...” shouted Murky, trying to wipe the cream from
his
face. But he stopped as the walls began to shake and all the objects in the
room started to
rattle about.
Murky and Lurky cowered beneath the table in terror as, from a
sinister dark
space like a mirror on the wall, came the voice of the Evil Force.
“There is a pure heart loose in this land!” it screamed. “On your feet!
You've got
to stop her!”
The voice was so loud that things started to rattle and shake.
“This is what she looks like!” said the voice.
A ghostlike image of a little girl in a blue dress appeared in the room.
“Now get after her!” the voice shrieked, and a flock of vulture-like
birds that had
been hiding encircled the room in panic.
Safe for the moment away from the castle, Wisp and Twink slid down from the
back of
Starlite.
“Am I glad to be away from that castle,” muttered Twink.
“It's all in a day's work for the magnificent Starlite,” grinned the
horse with a
little bow.
Wisp now had time to introduce herself, saying, “My name is Wisp and this
is
Twink. I'm looking for the Sphere of Light. It's at the castle.”
“But there are some places you just don't go -- if you're sensible,”
said Twink.
“There is a way into the castle,” said Starlite thoughtfully. “There is
a legend,
mind you it is only a legend, that there is a very special belt -- a Color
Belt -- which helps to
overcome, well, you know who!”
“But where do we find this Color Belt?” asked Wisp excitedly.
“Well, the legend says it's in the river!” muttered Starlite nervously.
“The No Return River?” gasped Twink, turning quite pale with fright.
“So the legend says,” repeated the horse. “The Evil one threw it there
a long time
ago.”
“We must go and find it!” cried Wisp quickly. “Come on!”
“But even if we get there, we'll probably never come back,” said
Starlite. “No
one has ever come back!”
“Well, we've at least got to try,” insisted the little girl. “Just look
at this dull gray
land. Don't you want it to be bright and beautiful and full of life?”
Twink and Starlite looked sheepishly at each other, but they hesitated as
Wisp
walked off alone.
“Oh, very well, if you insist,” said Starlite with a sigh. “Come on.
If you're
going, you might as well go on the back of the most magnificent stylish horse
in the
world!”
“I just knew you'd both come with me,” said Wisp, smiling, and Twink
climbed
up behind her on Starlite's back. But none of them noticed the spyflower
stretching up
like a periscope to peer after them.
Meanwhile, back at the castle, the spyflower had transmitted all it had seen
onto a screen
in the laboratory. Lurky and Murky were busy at work pouring sinister,
bubbling liquids
into a container.
“What are you actually doing?” asked Lurky, curiously.
“I'm making sure that interfering little girl will never want to see
colors again,”
Murky sneered.
Lurky peered at the bits of green in the bottle. “Colors!” he said
happily, but
then a cloud of smog came out of the bottle. In his terror, Lurky leapt into
Murky’s arms,
knocking him over.
Murky scrambled up and grabbed the bottle. “Come on, we must hurry,” he
said. Then he saw Lurky had picked up his Gloom Gun.
“Don't use that!” shrieked Murky. But the gun went off and Murky was
enveloped in a big dark cloud. “You great bonzo-brain. Come on, we've got
to hurry.
Get the Grunge Buggy,” ordered Murky from the depth of the gloom.
A few minutes later, with a great backfire, the Buggy roared out of the
castle
tunnel. Lurky was at the wheel and he steered the Buggy alongside the lava
moat.
Suddenly, there was a loud noise, and the drawbridge crashed down onto the
Buggy and
Murky’s head! Oblivious to the damage he had caused, both to the drawbridge
and to
Murky, Lurky drove across the bridge. “I love trips,” he sang happily.
“Can't you stay on the road?” snarled Murky as the Buggy zip-zagged all
over the
place.
“But the Grunge Buggy can go anywhere!” protested Lurky.
“The road goes where they're going!” snapped Murky. “Get back to it!”
Starlite and his friends were trying to find the river, without much success.
“Are you sure you know where it is?” cried Wisp, beginning to have
doubts about
the existence of the river. There was no sign of it where Starlite was
looking.
“Of course, I'm just taking care that we're not being followed!” said
Starlite.
“I'm sure it was right here before,” he muttered under his breath.
Unknown to the three of them, Murky was watching though his spyglass.
Suddenly he heard the voice of the Evil Force calling to him. “Stop them
before they
find the river!” it thundered.
Quickly, Murky ordered Lurky to fetch his new weapon from the Grunge
Buggy.
“Hurry!” he shouted.
But Lurky tripped over a rock in his eagerness, and dropped the weapon.
“Careful!” yelled Murky. But it was too late.
On the opposite cliff,
Wisp and her
friends heard a noise which got louder and louder!
“It sounds like an earthquake to me,” said Starlite calmly.
“An earthquake?” screamed Twink, and he and Wisp gazed at each other in
alarm. The earth began to shake, and Twink was sent sprawling to the ground.
“Hang on to me,” cried Starlite as the ground cracked open. But even
Starlite
had difficulty standing, and soon all three were bumping and rolling from one
rock to
another. Twink continued to fall and bounce towards a deep chasm, while Wisp
managed to fall on Starlite, and clung tightly to his mane.
“It's a good thing I'm so splendidly graceful -- even in times of
danger!” Starlite
cried.
He landed at last at the bottom and Wisp looked up. “Starlite! Do
something!
Twink is going to be bounced off those rocks onto...” began Wisp. But
Starlite had
already swung into action, and as Twink fell, Starlite was beneath him -- but
not quite in the
right place! Wisp held her breath as Starlite's foot caught in a crack in
the ground,
kicking up a spray of water. He skidded wildly, right under Twink who landed
neatly on
his back behind Wisp.
“I'm really magnificent. No other horse could have done that,” said
Starlite
smugly.
All of a sudden, Starlite, Wisp and Twink were drenched with water from
one
side as if someone had thrown a bucket of water all over them! They turned
in surprise to
see water flowing from a waterfall, which rushed though the rocks. The water
flowed
faster and faster and soon it had formed a little riverlet which reached up
to Starlite's
ankles.
“It’s the river! We've found it!" cried Wisp in delight.
“Yes, but let's get out of it. Its rising fast!” muttered Starlite.
But as he tried to
swim to the bank, the water rose higher still, and no matter how hard he
tried, Starlite
could not reach the bank.
Then Wisp called out, “Starlite, look! A bridge! If we can get up
there, we'll be
able to see everything in the whole of the river! We'll be able to find the
Color Belt!”
“Then what are we waiting for?” cried Starlite, and bravely he charged
forward
though the raging waters.
Chapter Three
The Color Belt
Speeding along in their Grunge Buggy, Murky and Lurky were convinced that
they had
seen the end of Wisp and her friends. But then Murky got a message on his
walkie-talkie
telling him what Wisp and her friends were doing.
“Change course,” he then hissed to Lurky. “They're heading for the
bridge!”
As Lurky turned the Grunge Buggy, Starlite was still swimming gallantly
towards
the bridge.
“Come on, Starlite, you can do it!” encouraged Wisp as she clung to the
horse.
Twink shut his eyes and clung tightly to the little girl. The swirling water
now reached
almost to the top of Starlite's legs and Twink felt very frightened!
As Starlite made a great final effort, Murky and Lurky arrived at the
bridge, just
as it began to pour with rain. They were armed with a number of tools, and
unseen, they
started to hack away at the support at one end of the bridge.
Lurky did all the hard work, while Murky issued his orders. Suddenly,
Lurky
caught Murky with the end of the saw by mistake, pushing him over the bridge.
Murky
crashed against the flimsy railings which splintered as he fell, but he was
saved from
falling into the river by his cape which caught on the end of the railings.
As he dangled
over the edge, Murky called out, “You stupid great oaf. Help me! Lift me up!”
Obediently Lurky rushed to his aid, but in his attempts to free Murky, he
kept
hitting him on the head with his saw. Poor Murky’s head was spinning as Lurky
managed at last to get him safely back onto the bridge, but not before he
dropped the saw
and it disappeared far below into the river.
“I wonder why it doesn't float?” thought Lurky as he peered into the
swirling
water.
“Don't waste time. Get back to work!” ordered Murky, trying to think
clearly in
spite of a very sore head!
Lurky hammered away at the bridge while Murky went into the middle and
gazed
into the distance. “Hurry up, I can see them coming!” he yelled.
The whole bridge suddenly started to shake violently. Murky fell through
the
bridge but just managed to hang on with his fingers and toes. “Lurky, come
here!” he
yelled. But Lurky, blissfully unaware of what was happening, carried on
banging.
As Starlite neared the bridge, Twink suddenly felt something bite his
toes.
Looking down, he saw lots of strange evil-looking fish. One tried to bite
Wisp's toes and
it leapt up out of the water. Twink hit it smartly on the nose and it swam
away.
But more came, and more, and more, and soon the three friends were
fighting a
fierce battle with the fish. Starlite thrashed out at them with his hooves,
while Twink and
Wisp slapped and smacked them as they attacked.
With a gigantic leap, Starlite jumped out of the water. He started to
shake
himself dry, completely forgetting that Wisp and Twink were still on his
back! They
clung on desperately until Starlite remembered them and stopped.
“Thank goodness we're safe now,” gasped Twink when he had got back his
breath. Then he gave a squeak of dismay. “Oh dear, the water's getting even
higher. Do
something!”
With a calm smile, Starlite started to move up the bank, quite unaware
that Lurky
and Murky were still on the bridge nearby.
“Get me out of here at once!” shouted Murky. “They're coming!”
“Did you hear something?” said the little girl as Starlite moved
cautiously
forward along the river bank. Starlite stopped, so that he and Twink could
listen, but
they could not hear anything.
Lurky could not see Murky, and could not hear him shouting above the roar
of the
water. So he picked up his tools and moved off toward the Grunge Buggy. But
Murky
was still hanging onto the bridge as Starlite stopped to inspect it.
“It looks a bit shaky to me,” he said. “You test it, Twink!”
Rather reluctantly, Twink stepped onto the bridge and began to jump up and
down. Each jump shook Murky more and more!
“I think it's safe,” Twink called out. He hurried along the bridge, and
Starlite
followed with Wisp clinging to his mane. With every step they took the
bridge shook and
creaked.
“I think we'd better go back,” cried Twink.
Starlite nodded, but Wisp cried, “We can't. Twink! Starlite! I must go
on with
my quest!”
Starlite looked back at the way they had come. “I don't think we can
make it
back,” he said.
He was right. The bridge began to sway violently and the three friends
were
thrown helplessly from side to side. When it eventually collapsed, they
found themselves
back in the river, being tossed about by giant waves. As the bridge
collapsed, Murky fell
into the river too, but he struggled out and, muttering under his breath, ran
off to find
Lurky.
The thunder clouds roared overhead and lightning flashed as Wisp and Starlite
searched
the river for Twink. Wisp had been forced to let go of Starlite's mane, but
after a
desperate struggle she and the horse were reunited. Poor Twink battled on
alone. He
kept bobbing up in the water and then disappearing below the waves.
“We'll never find the belt in a storm like this!” cried Wisp in despair.
As she
spoke, a giant wave swept over them. Wisp tried to grab Starlite's tail but
couldn't reach,
and soon he was swept away. The little girl was alone, swimming for her life!
Tossed and bruised by the waves, Wisp saw two big ugly fishes swimming
towards her. “Oh, go away, please go away!” she pleaded. But on they came.
Out of the
air, a giant bird of prey swooped down and carried away one fish. Another
fish with
giant fins appeared underneath Wisp. She grasped its fin and it leapt up out
of the water.
Then, without warning, the fish dived, and Wisp found herself being carried
along under
the water.
Poor Wisp held her breath as the fish sped along, passing lots of weird
fish, and
strange, menacing plants which tried to grab her with their twisting
tendrils.
Just as she
felt there was no hope of staying out of their reach, the fish surfaced
again. Another
giant wave pushed the little girl across the water, and the fish disappeared
under the
waves.
Wisp looked around anxiously for Starlite and Twink as she was pushed
backwards and forwards by the waves, but there was no sign of them. She felt
very alone
and very frightened. Tears filled her eyes and she began to cry.
“Please,
help me! You
sent me here, but now I want to go home!”
For a moment, nothing happened. Then Wisp was washed onto the bank where
she saw a small bundle. “A baby,” she murmured softly. “What's a baby
doing here?
There, there, don't be afraid, little one, I'll look after you.”
Wisp held the baby close to her, protecting it from the waves which
splashed up at them.
Then she heard a shout behind her. Turning around, she saw
Starlite swimming
towards her with Twink behind him. They both managed to reach the bank and
struggle
out of the water.
“Starlite, Twink! Thank goodness you're safe! Look what I've found. A
baby!”
“A baby -- that's all we need!” cried Starlite.
“The baby needs us,” restored Wisp firmly.
Twink and Wisp climbed on Starlite's back and he started to walk away
from the
river. After a while they found themselves outside a cave.
“Let's get the baby inside out of the rain,” cried Wisp.
“But they may be monsters in there,” cried Twink, hanging back.
“Well, at least they'll be dry,” said Starlite. He marched boldly
inside, followed
by the others.
The cave was very dark and gloomy. They all shivered and the baby
started to
cry.
“The baby's cold. We need a fire,” cried Wisp.
“Pick up those branches
and
logs, Twink.”
“But how are we going to light it?” asked Twink.
“Stand aside, my friends,” replied Starlite with a grin. He raised his
hind leg and
kicked it against the rocky wall of the cave. A spark from his hoof shot out
and ignited
the wood. Soon a fire was burning away merrily.
Wisp left Starlite guarding
the fire as
she wandered around the cave. Then she stopped and picked up something from
the
floor. “Look, a belt. The river must have washed it up. It's old and
colorless now but
once it must have been beautiful!”
“But it's not magic, is it?” cried Twink in disappointment. “It looks
like
something Murky Dismal would wear!”
“We'll just have to keep looking,” replied Wisp, as she buckled the belt
around
her waist. But suddenly the cave filled with dazzling light and the belt
shone with all the
colors of the rainbow!
“This is it ... we've found the Color Belt!” cried Wisp. “So we needed
the baby
after all, Starlite! She found the belt for us. If it hadn't been for her,
we would never
have come here!”
“You are right,” agreed Starlite and Twink together. “Color has come at
last!”
“Yes, only a little but soon it will spread as we search for the Sphere
of Light,”
cried Wisp happily. “Then we'll make the land bright and colorful!”
Chapter four
The search for the Color Kids
As Wisp and her friends were planning their next move, back at the castle the
Evil Force
was learning from his spyflowers how the Color Belt had been found.
Thunder and lightning flashed around the castle as he raged about. “I
want that
belt. Find it!” he commanded Murky Dismal and Lurky.
“Yes, Your Excellence...Your Majesty!” He ordered Lurky to push forward
his
latest invention in the hope of avoiding his master's rage. “This is our new
weapon. The
Super Gloom Machine! It will make that little meddler and her friend so
gloomy that
they won't care what happens to them!”
But Lurky couldn't control the machine and it rolled on top of Murky,
knocking
him down and blasting him with a great fog of gloom which covered him from
head to
toe.
In the cave, meanwhile, Wisp was determined to find the Sphere of Light.
“But where do we start?” asked Twink anxiously, remembering the gloomy
castle. Before Wisp could reply, tiny flecks of color drifted out from the
buckle of her
belt -- one for each of the colors of the rainbow!
“What's happening?” gasped Twink, as the spots of color grew even
bigger. They
turned into seven transparent bubbles and hovered in the air in a rainbow
arc. In the
middle of each bubble appeared the image of a small child. Each child tried
to speak at
once:
“We're the Color Kids,” cried Red Butler.
“...the keepers of the enchanted Star Sprinkles!” added Lala Orange.
“...which the sprites mine in the Color Cave,” shouted Canary Yellow.
“...which will help the one who wears the Belt to make the world bright
and filled
with color!” added Patty O'Green.
Wisp looked at the others excitedly but the Color Kids had not finished
speaking.
“The King of the Shadows banished us...” cried wise Shy Violet.
“...to the seven corners of the land,” added Buddy Blue.
“...and the only one who has earned the right to wear the Color Belt can
set us
free!” finished Indigo.
“I'll find you and set you free,” promised Wisp. “And I will fill the
land full of
hope and happiness again.” She smiled confidently at the Color Kids as their
image
faded and the bubbles vanished.
“But where will we find them?” asked Twink. As Twink was speaking a
heavy
cloud of gloom filled the cave. Murky had fired the Super Gloom Machine.
“Will we get the Color Belt now?” asked Lurky hopefully as he and Murky
waited
outside the cave for the gloom cloud to take effect.
“Of course, they'll soon be begging for mercy,” laughed Murky Dismal.
Inside the cave, Wisp was trying to shield the baby from the gloomy mist,
but it
washed over poor Twink who felt its horrible effects immediately.
“Oh, what a terrible gloomy place this is,” he moaned.
As Wisp moved towards the cloud, Starlite barred her way. “Don't go
near. It
will get you too!” he warned her.
“We can't leave Twink like that. Take my hand, Twink,” cried Wisp.
Twink seized her hand eagerly but the gloom cloud now spread over Wisp who
began to look downcast too.
It did not last long, however, all was not well. The machine had given a
cough
and jolted Murky’s hand on the crank. The handle started to turn the wrong
way! The
gloom was being sucked back in and, as the cloud disappeared, Twink and Wisp
stared to
feel much happier.
“Let's go deeper into the cave,” cried Wisp, as Lurky chased after them
with a
butterfly net. In his eagerness to catch Wisp and her friends, Lurky ran
forward into
Murky and they both collapsed in a heap. The three friends hurried on,
pursued by the
remains of the cloud, while Murky and Lurky untangled themselves from the net.
Then Wisp let out a cry. Before them yawned a deep chasm. “How will we
ever
cross it? she moaned.
“Don't look at me,” muttered Starlite. “I may be the most magnificent
horse but I
don't have wings.”
The Gloom Cloud still followed them menacingly. Then Wisp noticed a
ledge in
the wall at the side of the cave, about halfway across the chasm.
“Starlite,
can you get us
all to that ledge?” she asked.
“I'll try,” cried Starlite bravely and, as Twink hid his face in Wisp's
shoulder,
Starlite jumped! He just reached the edge, and for a moment it seemed as if
they would
fall into the chasm far below. Wisp and Twink clung to Starlite's mane as he
leapt
forward again to land just on the edge of the other side. The Gloom Cloud
rolled away,
and Wisp and her friends were safe again.
“Well done, Starlite,” cried Wisp, hugging him hard as she slid to the
ground, the
baby in her arms. “What do you think? Shall we go on?”
“Well, we certainly can't go back,” replied Starlite, and he peered down
a tunnel
which led away from the chasm.
“Is someone else in the cave?” shouted Twink, and he jumped as an echo
repeated his words. He noticed some glimmering red crystals on the floor.
Twink picked
some up and put them in his pouch before scurrying after the others.
Around the next corner the friends found a boy dressed in red. He was imprisoned behind bars of stalagtites and stalagmites.
“I'll fight you!” shouted the boy, before he realized who it was.
“Why, it's one of the Color Kids!” cried Twink.
“And you're the one who found the belt!” said the boy.
“I'll get you out of here somehow,” promised Wisp.
“Stand back!” ordered Starlite, and with his hooves, he smashed the icy
bars and
the boy in red was free!
“I'm Red Butler and I'm in charge of the red Star Sprinkles. This Cave
is where
all the Star Sprinkles are mined by the sprites. The sprites follow their
Color Kid, but
you can't have all the colors without the Kids.”
“But I don't know where to look for them,” cried Wisp, scarcely noticing
that the
cave was shaking a little.
In a yellow bubble on her belt she saw a girl dressed in yellow trapped
in a tangle
of branches.
“Poor Canary Yellow. She's in the Tangled Forest!” cried Red.
“We must get her out,” cried Wisp.
As she spoke, the roof of the cave collapsed with a great rumbling noise.
When
the dust settled, they saw a light above them. There was a hole, open to the
sky -- a way
out!
Ordering Red to stay behind to gather as many red Star Sprinkles as he
could,
Wisp and Twink got on Starlite again and set off to find Canary Yellow. They
little
realized that their movements were being reported to the Evil Force by his
spyflowers.
“Get to the Tangled Forest before those meddlers do!” he ordered Murky
and
Lurky, and they set off at once in the Grunge Buggy.
Wisp, Twink and the baby were already riding through the forest on Starlite's
back.
“Well, it is scary, but not too bad,” said Wisp. “We'll soon rescue
Canary
Yellow.”
But a moment later a two-headed monster, a hydra with two long necks and
two
strange dragon-like heads, reared up from behind a bush!
“Maybe it won't be so easy after all,” murmured Wisp as they retreated
to the
shelter of some massive trees.
From their hiding place they saw Canary Yellow
imprisoned in the branches of a tree. They watched one head guarding Canary,
while the
other head gobbled up some branches.
“There is no time to eat!” snapped the left head of the hydra.
“I'm hungry,” cried the right head and he bit his other head in a temper.
Leaving the baby with the others, Wisp ventured closer. “It is
lunchtime,” she
said.
“You see, you see!” snapped his twin. “Who's she, anyway?”
“We've had our lunch!” said Wisp.
“See! We've missed lunch!” cried one head crossly.
“What do you want?” snapped his twin at Wisp.
“Canary Yellow,” replied Wisp bravely.
“Never!” cried one head. It tried to bite Wisp, but in doing so, got
entangled with
its other head, tighter and tighter. Wisp ran over to Canary as the hydra's
two heads
started to unravel very quickly. Heads spinning, it shot out right up into
the air, over the
brambles, just like a helicopter taking off!
“You'll never get me out of here,” wept poor Canary Yellow. Wisp tried
to free
her but only succeeded in getting tangled herself. To make matters worse,
Murky and
Lurky arrived in the Grunge Buggy determined to give Wisp a present of a
Gloom Bomb!
“Here, you give it to her,” cried Murky as he handed Lurky the bomb.
“I love presents,” sighed Lurky, and he headed obediently towards the
helpless
Wisp, who was held fast in the branches. Lurky was so eager to deliver his
gift that he
failed to notice that the two heads of the hydra were just about to return to
Earth after
their unexpected trip in the sky. They landed with a bump and as brambles
snapped and
branches flew around, Wisp found that she and Canary were free. The blast
had opened
the cage!
Chapter Five
The search continues
As Starlite trotted on searching for the remaining missing Color Kids, the
baby started to
play with Twink’s pouch. She put her hand inside the pouch and drew out one
of the red
Star Sprinkles which Twink had picked up in the cave. It glittered brightly
and the baby
laughed as she tossed it into the air.
“Don't do that,” cried Twink rather crossly, and he looked up to make
sure that
he caught the Sprinkle as it fell. Immediately, something caught his eye and
he cried,
“Look, there's someone in that tangled nest, right at the top of that tree!”
“It's Patty O'Green!” called Canary Yellow.
“We'll never be able to reach her,” cried Twink.
“We'll find a way,” replied Wisp firmly.
As they discussed ways of rescuing Patty O'Green, a strange frog-like
bird flew in
and hovered over the nest -- much to the delight of Murky and Lurky who had
been
following them in the Grunge Buggy.
“That bird will take care of them,” said Lurky gleefully. “And she's
got to save
four more of those tiresome Color Kids.”
“And if she wants them alive she'll have to hand over the Color Belt!”
added
Murky, looking very pleased with himself.
But Wisp had another idea.
“If we try to bend the trunk of the next
tree, I’ll be
able to ride up and rescue Patty. Come on everyone. Push!”
The tree started to bend in half as they pushed. Patty and the bird
looked on in
bewilderment. Then the bird zoomed towards them in an angry attack.
“Let go of the tree!” yelled Wisp.
Somewhat surprised, everyone obeyed, and the tree came whooshing up
towards
the diving bird, hitting it far away into the distance.
“You are clever!” said Patty, as she climbed down to safety from the
nest.
“Thank you,” said Wisp. “Now let's get back to the Color Cave,” and
she set off
with the baby in a sling on her back.
Back in the cave Canary and Patty began to collect green and yellow Star
Sprinkles.
“The trees will soon look lovely,” cried Patty.
“My yellow Sprinkles will make flowers bloom and will ripen the corn,”
cried
Canary.
“We'll be back as soon as we can with the rest of the Color Kids,”
promised
Wisp. “And when I send the signal, you must all come running, with as many
Star
Sprinkles as you can carry.”
“We'll be ready, Wisp,” promised Red Butler, as he pointed to the
ever-growing
pile of red crystals in the cave.
“Off we go,” cried Wisp, and away Starlite galloped with Wisp, the baby
and
Twink on his back.
They had not gone very far when Wisp spotted the Grunge Buggy careering
wildly down a hilly slope. Tied to the back, wincing and coughing from the
clouds of
exhaust fumes, were three Color Kids -- Lala Orange, Buddy Blue, and Indigo.
“We must go after them,” cried Wisp.
“They could lead us into a trap,” replied Twink fearfully.
“But if we don't save all seven of the Color Kids, there will never be
any color in
the land. We must follow them!” insisted Wisp.
Murky Dismal looked back and was delighted that his plan was working.
“They're following us! I knew they would!” he said to Lurky with a smirk.
As Starlite galloped on, Wisp cried, “We've got to get ahead of the
Buggy.”
“Leave it to me. I didn't get to be the Wonder of the Galaxy by being a
slowcoach,” laughed Starlite.
Meanwhile, the Grunge Buggy and its occupants were in trouble. Lurky had
driven through a stream at high speed, drenching them all completely! When
it came out
the Buggy raced forward and hit a tree before sliding down a rock shaped like
a toboggan
run. Murky and the Color Kids cried out in terror, but Lurky thought it was
great fun!
As they sped forward, Murky could hardly believe his eyes. They were
running
into a snowstorm of twinkling color. Although it glowed for only a moment,
it filled
Murky with terror and the Color Kids with hope!
“Colors. Lovely colors!” chuckled Lurky happily. But Murky fired his
Gloom
Gun at the Sprinklestorm. The color started to disappear slowly but up above
on the rock
Twink and Wisp continued to throw down the Sprinkles Twink had picked up.
Thoroughly frightened by this unexpected shower of color, Murky hid beneath
the
Grunge Buggy, helpless, as Wisp untied the three Color Kids and led them up
the rocks.
“Oh, what a dramatic rescue,” cried Indigo, with her hand to her head.
“We haven't got time for dramatics now. We don't want to be captured
again!”
cried Lala Orange.
“I’ll show you the best way to climb these rocks,” said Buddy Blue.
“That makes six of you. Only one more Color Kid to rescue,” chuckled
Wisp as
they reached Starlite and Twink. Suddenly, Wisp stopped. “Oh! Where's the
baby?”
she cried.
“She was here a moment ago,” said Twink. “She can't have gone far!”
Everyone started to look for the baby -- but someone else had already
found her.
“Look what I've found...a baby!” cried Lurky, and he picked her up and
carried
her to the Grunge Buggy where Murky was already waiting.
“We must catch them!” cried Wisp.
“We can get her back when we have found the last Color Kid,” replied
Starlite.
“But we don't even know where Shy Violet is!” protested Twink.
“Besides, the baby needs our help now. We must go after her first,”
cried Wisp.
Guessing that Murky would probably go back to the castle, Wisp and her
friends
set off to follow him. Murky made sure that once they arrived they would
have no
trouble finding the baby. All over the castle he put up signs to show Wisp
the way. Up
at the window was a large sign reading BABY, while an arrow led the way to
another sign
which read WELCOME WISP! He also set up lots of Gloom Blasters, traps and
nets.
When he had finished preparing the castle he put the baby in the middle of a
mesh of
traps!
“I’ll give her back the baby, if she'll give me the belt!” he crackled.
“There now.
Everything's ready for them!”
Chapter Six
The Sphere of Light
After hours of searching, Wisp, Twink and Starlite found themselves once
again passing
through the strange shadowy field of ice statues. Poor Twink shivered as a
bolt of
lightning showed up the figures standing silent and still. But Starlite
galloped bravely on,
even though the lightning often only just missed him.
They were completely unaware that not far from them, Lurky and Murky
Dismal
were watching through a castle window.
Murky had climbed onto Lurky’s back
to see
better.
“They're heading this way,” he hissed. “They won't be able to miss my
sign!”
But he watched with astonishment as Starlite went right past the entrance and
kept on
going.
Murky leaned out the window as he tried to see where the white horse had
gone.
“Where've they gone?” he shouted.
“Bye, bye, folks!” cried Lurky happily, waving to them, completely
unaware that
anything was wrong.
Starlite was in the shadows of the rocks below. He galloped alongside
the moat,
with Wisp and Twink clinging on tightly. Without warning, he jumped
majestically
across the bubbling moat and landed neatly on the other side.
The stones outside the castle were very slippery and Twink clung in
fright to
Wisp as Starlite skidded wildly across the stone pavement. His hooves
churned as he
tried to get his footing. Then he galloped on -- right towards a solid rock
wall!
Twink buried his face in Wisp's shoulder and wished that he were a
thousand
miles away from this terrible place. Wisp held her breath, waiting for the
crash that
seemed unavoidable. But, instead of crashing into the wall, Starlite
galloped through a
narrow opening.
“Goodness, we're actually inside the castle!” gasped Wisp, looking
around her.
“Of course. I knew exactly where I was going,” replied Starlite,
loftily. Wisp
hopped down off his back, followed by Twink.
“Look, there's a stairway,” exclaimed Wisp.
“It looks rather dangerous to me,” whispered Twink as he gazed up at the
winding, narrow staircase which seemed to lead up into a blank darkness.
Twink stood
on the first step and a shower of black dust fell on him before he stepped
back in fright.
“Stay here if you want to, but I'm going up,” said Wisp firmly. Twink
hesitated
just for a moment and then followed her reluctantly.
“It's too narrow for me to climb,” cried Starlite from the foot of the
steps.
“Don't worry, we'll be back,” promised Wisp, smiling down at him.
Meanwhile, Murky, Gloom Gun in hand, was angrily searching the castle,
looking
for the intruders. Lurky was trying to help, but, as usual, kept getting in
the way.
Eventually Murky told him to go downstairs and, in his haste to obey, Lurky
fell through
a trap door! All that could be heard was a muffled yell as he fell further
and further
downwards.
As Wisp and Twink climbed the stairs they heard footsteps coming down
towards
them. Wisp managed to pull Twink with her through a nearby window before
Murky
stamped into view looking for Lurky.
A door in the wall opened suddenly and Lurky shot out, crashing into
Murky and
sending them both sprawling on the stairs.
“Hi, Murky,” said Lurky, cheerfully.
“On your feet, dodo. They're getting away,” Murky snarled, unaware that
the
barrel of his Gloom Gun had become bent and twisted in the fall.
As Murky and Lurky charged down the stairs, Wisp and Twink peered through
the
window and sighed with relief. At that moment Twink realized that he and
Wisp were
standing on a very narrow ledge outside the window. He was so overcome with
fright
that he would have fallen if Wisp hadn't grabbed his arm.
“This way, Twink. Follow me, and don't look down,” she said
encouragingly.
They inched their way along, until Wisp saw a circular window. “Let's
look
through here for the baby,” she whispered to Twink. They peered in and
there, in
Murky’s laboratory, chained to a little stool and crying helplessly, was the
seventh Color
Kid! Two great gloom machines were shooting clouds at her.
Twink and Wisp climbed in through the window.
“Turn the other machine off, Twink,” cried Wisp, as she pulled the huge
switch
down on the first machine. Soon, both of them sparked and spluttered to a
halt, and the
Gloom Cloud started to disappear.
But when the machines stopped they triggered a light which flashed on
Murky’s
helmet. He raced back up the stairs as an alarm went off with a great
clanging sound.
“Someone's turned off the misery generator,” he shouted to Lurky.
“Come
on!”
Wisp and Twink tried hard to make Shy Violet climb quickly through the
window. But Violet just wouldn't stop talking about the machine.
“It was
fascinating,”
she marveled. “There's some sort of random phase generator combined with a
meson
reactor that seems to...”
“Never mind that. Just get some Violet Star Sprinkles from the cave,”
interrupted
Wisp.
Violet hurried over to the window and climbed onto the ledge, but in her
haste she stumbled. Wisp and Twink tried to grab her, but she fell!
“I've got too much momentum!” she cried as she shut her eyes tightly.
The
others watched in horror, but then Wisp gave a little cry of relief. Shy
Violet had landed
on Starlite's back! He had galloped quickly to be underneath her as she fell.
“I’ll take her back to the Color Cave,” Starlite replied as he galloped
off.
“Now that Shy Violet is saved, we can look for the baby again,” Wisp
cried to
Twink as they both backed away from the window. At that very moment Murky
charged
in and aimed his Gloom Gun at them.
“You've walked right into my trap,” he cackled, as he pulled the
trigger. But
because the gun barrel was twisted, the cloud of smog went back into Murky’s
face! As
he staggered about Wisp and Twink took the opportunity to race towards the
door. They
cannoned into Lurky who grinned at them, thinking that they were all playing
a splendid
game of hide and seek with him.
“Hello, you've found me. Now it's your turn to hide,” he laughed.
Ignoring him, Wisp and Twink raced down the corridor, but somehow Twink
was
caught up on a large hook and swept back into the laboratory by an
evil-looking Murky
Dismal!
“Wisp!” called Twink in despair.
Wisp turned around to see Twink disappearing, but as she moved towards
him she
heard a baby crying! She looked back at the room where Murky held Twink, but
then the
baby started to cry again! She hoped that Twink would understand as she
moved away
through the dark and ominous hall towards a steep stairway. The cries seemed
to come
from behind a heavy door at the top of the steps.
“That's the tower where the Sphere of Light is supposed to be,” she
whispered to
herself.
“It is, but I'm here too!” cried the voice of the Evil Force.
“Yes, but someone has to stop you!” replied Wisp bravely, and she
touched her
belt gently. All the colors of the rainbow radiated from it in a soft mist,
spreading, fading
and then finally disappearing. They gave Wisp the courage to climb the
stairs!
Back at the entrance to the cave, Starlite and the Color Kids were
looking across
the castle. As they gazed at the dark clouds over the castle splashes of the
seven colors of
the rainbow appeared. Not a rainbow, just touches of color, which faded
almost
immediately! But clever Starlite knew what it meant.
“It's the signal that Wisp told us to look out for,” he shouted. “Come
on!”
He and the Color Kids rushed out of the cave and headed for the castle.
Inside the castle, Wisp was nearly at the top of the stairs. As she
reached out her
hand to grasp the heavy iron door-handle, the door opened. She stepped into
the pitch
black room and thought she saw smoke. Then she heard a baby crying.
She wanted to be brave but felt very alone, not realizing that the Color
Kids were
on their way, leaving traces of color all over the land as they rushed to her
aid. There
was red, yellow, green, orange, violet, blue and indigo foot-prints
everywhere!
Wisp jumped as the heavy door slammed behind her. She saw the baby
floating
in the air straight ahead and bravely walked towards it. But then she
realized that the
baby was actually being held by a huge dark figure in a hooded cloak. It was
the Evil
Force!
“Give me the belt!” he ordered.
"No!” shouted Wisp defiantly.
Then the Evil Force used all his powers of destruction. Wisp found
herself
standing on top of a rocky parapet with thunder crashing and lightning
flashing all
around. But she still bravely stood her ground. “I promised to make this
land beautiful
and I will!” she cried.
She rushed to grab the baby but before she could reach it the baby was
transformed. At first, a soft glowing light seemed to surround it and then
the light
enveloped it completely.
As Wisp watched, the baby seemed to fade away slowly and all that
remained was
a light -- a dazzling Sphere of Light!
Wisp knew that this was what she had been looking for. It could help her
to
defeat the Evil Force. But before she had time to do anything else she heard
a familiar
voice calling to her. Looking down she saw Starlite trying to reach her.
The Evil Force
saw him too and sent down a lightning bolt which shattered the rocks below
Starlite.
Wisp watched helplessly as Starlite started to fall, but the Evil Force
laughed mockingly.
Then a soft voice called out over the air, “You can save him, Wisp!”
Wisp touched her Color Belt and a beautiful rainbow shot out, sweeping
over the
parapet and under Starlite, breaking his fall. Thankfully, Starlite raced
along the rainbow
as the castle itself started to crumble.
Murky and Lurky rushed out in a great panic, followed by Twink. He saw
the
rainbow with Starlite on it. “Look, Starlite's flying!” he gasped.
The Sphere of Light was now just a glimmer of light high above the
parapet.
The
towering cloak figure of the Evil Force took one step towards Wisp. Wisp
reached for
her belt and, as she touched the star on it, a rainbow flashed out from it.
The rainbow streaked towards the Evil Force and wrapped around him. There
was a gigantic crashing sound in the sky above for several minutes. Evil
Force's cloak
floated slowly open, as if caught by a slight breeze. Wisp gazed in relief
as it floated
lightly down onto the rocks.
It was empty -- the Evil Force has been overcome and he had disappeared
forever!
On the ground below, Wisp saw that everything was ablaze with beautiful
color!
The Color Kids cheered loudly and all the sprites, each now in his own true
color, danced
up and down with excitement.
And, as she looked around her, Wisp saw that the castle had become
beautiful
too. It was no longer a place to fear. Now it glowed with color -- a real
Color Castle --
and all the land around it had become Rainbow Land!
As Wisp gazed around her in wonder and delight, the Sphere of Light glowed
brilliantly and a soft voice cried, “You have fulfilled your quest, Wisp.
You shall no
longer be little Wisp. From today you shall have a new name -- Rainbow Brite
-- and all
the beauty of all the lands is entrusted to your care. Protect it well!”
“I will,” promised Rainbow Brite.
She turned to Twink who gave her some Star Sprinkles from his pouch.
Rainbow
Brite touched her belt and out zoomed another rainbow arc, reaching the
ground.
“Ugh! Colors!” screeched Murky. “Jump, popcorn brain!” And, eager to
get
away from the shimmering rainbow, Murky leapt over the cliffs followed by an
obedient
if reluctant Lurky. They eventually set up a home in what was to become
known as The
Pits.
Rainbow climbed onto Starlite's back as the Color Kids and sprites
surrounded
her. She sent a rainbow swirling around Starlite and his mane and tail
became bright
with all the colors of the rainbow.
“Remember, Rainbow Brite, there are always those who make it dark,”
cried the
soft voice again. “This land needs you. You are its hope and light and
color. You'll
have to fight to keep the wonder in your world.
”I promise, I will,” cried Rainbow solemnly. “With the help of Starlite,
Twink, the
Color Kids and the sprites we will keep Rainbow Land and the world filled
with color
forever!”
THE END |
