Dangerous Duplicate

[Chibi Rachy]

All right, so this is the story I mentioned having an idea for after seeing the fanart piece of Rainbow dressed as Murky Dismal. It's taken some thinking (and distraction with work on other stories), but I've developed a first chapter for it, one that I'm rather pleased with. I would love to continue this story and so am only going to post chapters here until I get a solid feel for where I want it to go. It won't be put onto ff.net until the time is right. Feedback would be appreciated!

Disclaimer: I do not own Rainbow Brite, the fanart that this idea came from, nor do I own the idea of a stingbulb, which is from the Fablehaven series and the work of Brandon Mull.



Chapter 1 A Conniving Plan

Murky couldn’t believe his luck at what he held in his hands before him. He’d heard the legends of course, but they were merely legends, right? He hadn’t believed that this had actually existed in any capacity, until now. It was in his book on the various plants that could be used for potions, poisons, and concoctions, but had been listed as a rare find, marked down to legendary lore. The significant trouble this thing could cause in a few days time was exponential. An Earth version was rumored to also be legend, but had been used recently, which had led Murky to seeking out this one. Earth’s version of this plant lasted only a few days at a time, potent enough to put things into motion, but not durable enough to be used over a lengthy time. This one, however, could last for up to a year, plenty of time to put his newest plan into action.

He placed the pod back into the hole in the wall he’d carved for this purpose. It was his version of a safe, and the best way to guarantee that Lurky and his clumsiness wouldn’t interfere. The hole was in his room, right next to his bed. Over the hole hung a picture frame of his favorite gloom gun variation so far, the most effective one on any creature in Rainbow Land. It certainly wasn’t fool proof, but it was idiot proof and that was all Murky needed to keep Lurky away.

Crossing his arms, Murky observed his handiwork. It blended in nicely, and only he knew that anything was behind the silly picture in the first place. He turned, his cape swishing in the sudden breeze. It was time to finalize the plans he had in mind, for the Sprite Fair was soon to arrive and everything would begin there. He was going to make sure that Rainbow Land became his this time. Unlike before, he wouldn’t need to take Rainbow out to accomplish this goal. No, the only thing he’d have to do is begin with one small pod.

Murky had almost reached the bottom of the stairs before Lurky came bumbling in from outside. “Murky! Let’s go to Rainbow Land!” he cried.

“What?” asked Murky.

“It’s almost the Sprite Fair! There’s always rides and food and games!” cried Lurky happily.

“Lurky, normally I’d call you a bozo-brain, but for once, you’re going to get your wish. We will indeed be going to the Sprite Fair.”

“Oh boy!” cried Lurky.

“We will be playing a game though,” said Murky, quickly thinking of a way to get Lurky to obey his wishes and still feel like he’d won an argument.

“What kinda game?” asked Lurky, wide-eyed.

“A hiding game. You’ll try to hide and not be seen by Rainbow Brite.”

“Oh I love hiding!” clapped Lurky.

“Good. We have to hide from Rainbow, all right? If you can hide really well, you can go to the Sprite Fair,” stated Murky.

“I’m a good hider, Murky.”

“Well then go practice. You’ll need to be a very good hider to go with me,” replied Murky, grinning. This was all too easy at times. Almost too easy to enjoy the art of manipulation. He watched as Lurky ran off, presumably to practice. This would be all too easy.

His thoughts drifting back to his treasure, Murky knew he still had to figure out how to start his plan. His treasure would work perfectly, of that he had no doubts. However, he had to be able to get Rainbow involved in his plot without ever knowing it was his. She had to be just as unsuspecting as Lurky, and that would be hard to tackle. Murky walked to his laboratory, still considering his options. A sprite would be a perfect accomplice to his plan, but how to get one on his side was the question.

Murky looked over to a nearby corner, where a recent gloom experiment was stored. A pile of darts lay on the table, a jar of inky liquid next to them. Murky had been wanting to expand over his usual lot of gloom variants and use the gloom to manipulate unsuspecting victims. It was essentially a mind control liquid, but one that had its flaws. It still kept the victim depressed and dreary, something Murky did not want for his plan. The sprite had to keep the same personality. Of course, he could use more of his precious plant. He’d originally acquired more than just the one, but he also didn’t want to waste the expensive plants. However, the need for his plan to work was great; it would be something to consider in the end. Using an extra plant on a sprite would be of little significance if everything worked out. There was no room for failure this time around.

The days and months passed slowly. While Murky formulated his plan, the inhabitants of Rainbow Land prepared for the Sprite Fair. Typically, the sprites stocked up well on star sprinkles the week prior to the fair. There were many preparations to be made before the fair could start, and it was easier to complete everything on top of the usual tasks. The week prior was a week of vacation for the sprites while they prepared, culminating in the big event. It was indeed an event that any sprite looked forward to, no matter what the age.

Rainbow, Twink, and the Color Kids typically supervised all the necessary preparations, sometimes helping set up various booths, tents, or rides. Shy Violet always led the team of sprites in charge of building the various rides at the fair, as she was the only person with the mechanical knowledge to do so. Sprites followed her every instruction, always building elaborate rides every year.

By the time the eve of the fair rolled around, everyone was exhausted from all the hard work. Rainbow walked back toward the Color Castle, eager to clean up and head to bed. It had been a tiring day, especially since she’d helped some of the farmer sprites cart their prized fruits and vegetables to the display tent. There were quite a few large crops this year, and it had taken the Color Kids’ help to get them from field to fair. Now she was covered in soil and sweat, but feeling good about her work. Tomorrow’s fair would be great, even better than it had been in the past. There would only be a few signs and banners to be hung before she’d have to prepare for the grand horse race at the end of the day. She chuckled to think of how Twink would run about, worried that nothing would be ready in time. Starlite would also be in fine form, worried about being ready for the race even though he still had nothing to worry about. He and Skydancer still had their friendly rivalry, but Starlite never failed to pull ahead in the race every year. There had been plenty of close calls; these had frustrated Stormy more than anyone else. She didn’t mind losing, but she hated losing so close to the finish line.

Rainbow smiled as she noticed a familiar face exiting the Color Castle, catching her mid-yawn. “Good evening, Moonglo,” she called cheerfully.

Moonglo waved back at her. “Everything ready for the Sprite Fair?” she asked.

“Almost. There are only a few small things to do tomorrow. Then we’ll be ready.”

“That’s great. I can’t wait to attend,” replied Moonglo, covering her mouth with a hand to hide another yawn. “I need to take care of the sky, but I’ll be back in plenty of time to get a good sleep before the fair!”

“See you then!” called Rainbow as Moonglo continued on her path, heading for a nearby tree where Nite Sprite waited for her with his bag of nite sprinkles. She watched the two prepare for their nightly task before they faded away into the shadows. She continued on her path, intent on soaking sore muscles and tired limbs.

As Rainbow sank beneath the scented bubbles and sighed happily, a knock was heard. “Rainbow! Rainbow!” called the shrill voice.

“What is it, Twink?” answered Rainbow, looking toward the door.

“The sprites have taken care of the rest of the tents. Are you sure Murky won’t show up tomorrow?”

Rainbow smiled to herself. “I don’t know, Twink. Murky’s been pretty quiet lately. He may have some plan in mind. We’ll all have to keep watch.”

“What if he tries to take the horses again?” asked Twink in a worried voice.

It was one of Murky’s plans quite a few fairs ago. He’d tried taking Starlite and On-x, but ended up failing miserably in the end. He’d been stopped by Starlite in the end, but it had put a damper on the day. Ever since, sprites and Color Kids alike had always been worried once the horse race had begun. They were nervous that Murky might ride up once more on his robotic horse and release a cloud of gloom around the track. Of course, sprites had now been posted to keep an eye out for Murky so that he wouldn’t crash enter the horse race, but it still made everyone nervous. “We’ll keep watch. Murky won’t enter the horse race without us knowing. We’ll all be fine, Twink.”

“If you say so, Rainbow,” replied Twink, accepting that she was nothing less than optimistic. If Rainbow had everything under control though, he couldn’t deny it. In the end, it was her duty to protect them all.

Rainbow crawled into bed that night feeling warm, clean, and exhausted. She was excited for the Sprite Fair, and didn’t doubt every resident in Rainbow Land was also excited for the events that would take place the very next day. The idea of food, rides, and fun was appealing to anyone, and a day off was truly deserved.

Elsewhere, plans were being finalized for what Murky considered the most effective attack on Rainbow Brite as of yet. It was late at night, but this did not bother him. He could rest tomorrow after making sure the plans were set in motion. Tonight, however, he had a very special trip to Rainbow Land to make. All it would take is one sprite and everything else would fall into place. He’d already fetched one of his prized plant possessions and had it lying carefully on the table. “Lurky!” he yelled.

Moments later, Murky entered the laboratory. “Yes, Murky?”

“You’ll need to get the grunge buggy ready. We’re going on a little trip tonight.”

“Oh boy! I love trips. Hey, what’s that on the table?” asked Lurky, suddenly changing topics.

Murky looked over at the lump on the table. It was purple in color, much like an egg plant. However, it wasn’t brightly colored at all, more so faded as though it’d been left in the sun too long. The shape reminded him of a potato. On one side of it was a needle, much reminding him of a cactus. “That, Lurky, is a stingbulb seed pod. It’s going to help us tomorrow at the Sprite Fair, but it will help us tonight too.”

“How’s it gonna do that?” asked Lurky, scratching his head.

Murky knew the process was too complicated to explain to someone like Lurky. He tried to think of a simple way to explain it. “It copies things.”

“It does?” asked Lurky, still confused. He kept looking to the stingbulb and then to Murky.

“Yes, it does. Don’t worry about how. Let’s just say that if I wanted to make a copy of Rainbow Brite, I could.”

“Oh boy! We’d have our own Rainbow then!”

Murky smacked his forehead. It was pointless to explain his genius idea to this lunk head. “Just get the grunge buggy! Now!” he ordered. Lurky scampered off to do as told.

While Lurky was fetching the grunge buggy, Murky wrapped the seedpod in a grey fabric, careful to keep the needle away from him. One accidental prick on something and it’d be all over, a waste of money and effort. He could not afford that in the least, especially with the limited supply that he had. There were barely enough to cover his plan, let alone fix any mistakes he might possibly make. This was his chance to destroy Rainbow Brite once and for all.

Carefully, Murky made his way outside where the grunge buggy coughed and sputtered. “All ready, Murky!” called Lurky cheerfully.

Murky climbed into the side passenger seat very carefully and cradled the stingbulb in front of him. “Drive carefully! We don’t want to wake anyone in Rainbow Land!” warned Murky. It was only partly a lie. The truth was that he didn’t want to be accidentally stung from being jostled about in the grunge buggy. Lurky was the best driver and could maneuver the vehicle twice as well as Murky, but his idea of control was bouncing over every branch, pothole, and who knows what else that lay in his path.

“Gotcha!”

The grunge buggy crept slowly out of the Pits as the moon rose higher into the sky. The ride was silent except for the engine noises of the grunge buggy. Murky would not allow himself to be distracted this night. The crossing into Rainbow Land was uneventful. Murky noted with disgust that the moon shined directly over the Color Castle, no doubt due to that brat Moonglo. Murky had hated that Kid almost as much as Rainbow ever since she’d escaped his trap. She was more trouble than the other Color Kids. The moon that shone brightly seemed to be mocking him, taunting him that he couldn’t do the job this time around. “Go to that sprite house,” he instructed. It was one of the houses farthest from the Color Castle, which would make for an easier escape. Even if Rainbow did end up alerted, they’d have nothing to pin on him!

Once Lurky had pulled up to the house, Murky climbed out of the grunge buggy. “Stay here,” he commanded once more. Lurky said nothing for once. Murky peeked into the window of the sprite house, noticing that only one sprite, a blue one, dwelled there. As luck would have it, the sprite’s bed was right under the window and in it was the sprite, snoring away. Murky grinned evilly and pried open the window with one hand; it wasn’t latched. The window swung apart noiselessly, a nod to the well-oiled craftsmanship. He climbed onto the window sill and unwrapped his stingbulb. Now was the time to set things into motion.

Slowly, he lowered the stingbulb, needle side pointing at the sprite’s side. The needle pricked the sprite, who called out in his sleep. Murky recoiled quickly, hopping down from the window and ducking beneath it. Seconds ticked by slowly, but there was no further cries or yelling from within. Murky was pleased with his luck; the sprite wouldn’t ever know what had happened and Rainbow would never know he had visited Rainbow Land on this night. It was too perfect! He hopped back into the grunge buggy. “Back to the Pits!” he told Lurky, who sped off as carefully as he could.

The stingbulb was placed back onto the laboratory table. All Murky had to do now was wait patiently for it to hatch. The instruction sheet that he had been given had directions scrawled onto it in a barely legible script. The estimated time was a ninety minute wait. Murky had no way of knowing how long a period ninety minutes was, but it seemed as though time dragged on. He tried to watch the stingbulb to discern when it would begin looking more like a sprite, but it was a very slow change. He took to pacing around the room a few things and then checking on the stingbulb. Slowly it expanded and began to take on the round shape of a sprite. The outside still remained purple and the material that composed the stingbulb did not seem to stretch to a breaking point. Every part of it appeared solid and thick.

Nevertheless, time did not seem to pass by any faster. It was frustrating and infuriating. Things seemed as though they were almost complete, yet nothing happened. Nothing came out of the stingbulb. Murky placed an ear against the outside of it. He heard nothing from within. Just when the waiting seemed to be at its most unbearable, a cracking sound echoed throughout the laboratory. Murky quickly turned back toward his stingbulb, watching with anticipated eagerness. This was it. This was the moment he’d been waiting for. A tiny sprite hand emerged from within and was pushing its way out of the pod. Murky watched as the sprite slithered its body away from the pod, finally emerging with a pop! The sprite, identical to the one Murky had pricked, stood beside the pod and began speaking, but in sprite language. Grabbing the paper with the instructions, Murky read through the next step, which told him that the new copy would ask for instructions from its master. He turned to address the new copy.

“I can’t speak your language, but I know you can understand me. Your instructions are simple. Tomorrow you will carry another stingbulb with you. You will pretend it is a vegetable to be entered in the garden contest, and ask Rainbow Brite for directions to that tent. You’ll get Rainbow to prick her finger on the needle at the very end. You know who Rainbow Brite is, don’t you?”

The sprite nodded in confirmation. Murky had recalled that the instructions stated that the copy would share the memories of the original. “Good. Once you get her to prick her finger, you’ll sneak away with the stingbulb and return it to me. I’ll be waiting outside the fair, near the forest. I’ll show you tomorrow. You will tell no one you’re working for me. If anyone asks you what vegetable you carry, it’s an eggplant. Nod if you understand my instructions.”

The sprite gave a reply in sprite language, and nodded his head. Murky studied him closely, and couldn’t tell he was a copy. He looked very much like one of Rainbow’s sprites, which would be perfect for tomorrow. Every sprite would attend the Sprite Fair, and Rainbow would never know that there was an imposter in her midst. “You will sleep here tonight and not leave this room. Rest up for tomorrow, sprite,” cackled Murky as he turned to head for his room. Things were looking up for him after all!

[Chibi Rachy]

All right, so I couldn't resist another chapter. It was too fun not to write. I think I'm really enjoying this story and it's fun to contemplate. I'm just updating the chapters as I finish them, just cause I'm not officially posting it on ff.net just yet. It will be if things turn out as I want them too. For now, it's back to working on Lost Storms for a chapter or two. I've not only figured out the "big bang" part of that story, but also how to tie it in with that V-day story I did awhile back. Is perfect. Anyway, enjoy this!



Chapter 2 Setup

Daybreak dawned quietly, but Rainbow Land was already beginning to stir and rise with the new day. Sprites were finishing up last minute preparations or preparing to work one of the tents or booths at the fair. Families were preparing for the long day, letting baby sprites sleep in just awhile longer before they were woken up, full of energy.

The Color Castle was flourishing with activity as each of the Color Kids rose and made their own preparations. Head sprites were cooking in the kitchen, a mixture of a hearty breakfast and treats to share at the fair. Tickled Pink was directing them, making sure things weren’t too crazy. Mostly she sat back and watched, allowing the sprites to complete their own recipes. She looked up when a sleepy face entered the kitchen, and smiled.

“Enjoy the night, Moonglo?” she asked, dodging a tray of sugar cookies that Lucky and Champ carried to a table nearby.

Moonglo yawned. “It was beautiful. Sometimes I forget that I must be home by sunrise.” She looked around the kitchen and saw the bustle of activity and all the food. Her stomach grumbled. “I guess I worked up an appetite,” she stated, covering her stomach with her hands.

Tickled Pink looked around the kitchen for something to give Moonglo. “Just a snack before bed?”

“Yes, that would work,” replied Moonglo.

Tickled Pink disappeared behind the mounds of food that were piling up and returned with a pancake on a plate. She’d taken some maple syrup and drizzled it in a star shape over top of it. “Breakfast,” she called cheerfully.

Moonglo took the plate from her and disappeared from the busy kitchen. It was presumed that she’d eat the snack before heading to bed for a few hours. Moonglo missed much of the fair, but she never missed the horse race, which was in the late afternoon. It gave her plenty of time to catch a bit of rest.

Soon, the next face entered the kitchen, and Tickled Pink, who was now stacking cookies on platters, turned to greet them. Stormy stood before her, grumbling to herself and walking about in a half awake state. She was not a morning Kid, and never would be. She was always grouchy when she first woke up, and would cheer up immensely once there was some food in her belly. Wordlessly, Tickled Pink handed over another plate with a pancake and star drizzled in syrup. Stormy took the plate and moved to a clear corner of the room, where she sat and began munching on her breakfast.

Color Kids began filtering in and out of the room, and Tickled Pink made sure that all were fed and full before sending them on their way. Some of the Kids were grumpy, much like Stormy, but most were cheerful and morning Kids. The excitement that was abuzz in the kitchen was very evident. Rainbow was the last one to enter the kitchen that morning and she looked embarrassed. “I didn’t mean to oversleep!” she apologized.

Tickled Pink glanced out the window and saw that the sun was getting higher into the sky, just after sunrise. Usually, Rainbow slept beyond this time on a daily basis, but not on a fair day. “It’s all right Rainbow. There’s still plenty of food left to eat, and plenty of time to take care of everything,” replied Tickled Pink with a smile.

Soon, every Color Kid was ready for the Sprite Fair. Twink was bustling about the crowd at the Color Castle, making sure everyone followed his instructions and got things ready on time. He had no idea what they’d do without him to keep him on schedule. “Come on! We’ve gotta get these treats to the baking tent,” he called urgently.

The other head sprites tried to ignore his banter, used to it by now. They were already taking load after load of treats in the cart that Red Butler pulled, making Twink’s instructions repetitive. He continued anyway before finding something else to dash off to do.

Meanwhile, Rainbow was off on the main grounds of the Sprite Fair, inspecting things before the event officially started. She walked along the dirt paths that had been created, checking to make sure each tent or booth was ready to go, and that all the rides were in place and tested. She came upon Shy Violet, doing some last minute tinkering to the Ferris wheel that had been set up the previous day. It had been the very last ride built, to ensure that it would be able to show riders the view of the entire Sprite Fair from high above. “Good morning, Shy Violet,” called Rainbow cheerfully.

Shy Violet made a few last screws with the wrench she was holding and then looked up at Rainbow. “Morning, Rainbow. Everything’s almost ready for the fair.”

“Are all the rides inspected?” asked Rainbow, concerned about the safety. She knew how some of the sprites felt about the rides, and wanted to squelch their fears as much as possible.

“Affirmative,” replied Shy Violet with a nod. She then went back to work on the inside of the Ferris wheel. Rainbow could guess that it was the motor she was working on, but then again, she really didn’t know too much when it came to the inner workings of a Ferris wheel.

Rainbow started on her path again and continued to stop and talk to various groups. There was no way that any sign could go left unhung, or any tent not completely set up for the day. She passed the other Color Kids many times, all taking part in various duties. Stormy was nowhere to be seen, which was expected. Each year, she and Skydancer snuck off, presumably for some sort of pep talk or last minute training session. Starlite had disappeared into the woods, bent on keeping calm and relaxed before the race. Rainbow couldn’t blame him; he always got so nervous about the horse race. The only other face that didn’t appear was Moonglo’s, but that was also expected. Rainbow turned as she heard someone catch up to her on the path. She grinned when she saw it was Twink.

“Rainbow, we need help hanging this banner,” he gasped, out of breath.

“Where do you need it hung up?” she asked.

Twink pointed to a post on either side of the path. “Between them. We can’t find the ladder and it’s got to be hung up!” he exclaimed.

“Calm down, Twink,” soothed Rainbow. “We can find the ladder and hang it up. I can’t reach the tops of the poles on my own.” Rainbow began looking around, trying to spot the ladder from her higher vantage point. “Do you know who was using it last?” she asked.

Twink shrugged his arms. “I don’t know. It was over by the vegetable display tent earlier, but now it’s gone.”

Rainbow tapped a finger on her chin. “I bet it’s still around here somewhere, Twink. We just need to look for it.”

“But we need to hurry!”

Rainbow giggled. “Don’t worry, Twink. Everything will be ready in time. I promise.”

The two began searching the immediate area for the missing ladder. Twink went one way while Rainbow looked inside tents as well as along the path. The last tent in the area to check was the vegetable tent so she peeked inside. Sure enough, there was the ladder. The sprites had been using it to write information on a board. Rainbow noticed the board was hung high off the ground, so that many could see it. However, it was also hard for any sprite to reach without assistance. The sprites working on the board noticed Rainbow and called out a happy greeting.

“Good morning to you too,” she replied. “Are you almost done with the ladder? Twink wants to use it to hang a banner outside.” The sprite on top of the ladder, writing on the board with a piece of chalk spoke up. He pointed to the board, and then back at himself. “As soon as you’re finished,” explained Rainbow once more. “We don’t need it right away. Can you bring it outside to me when you’re done?” asked Rainbow. The sprite considered the answer, looking down at his partner, who was holding the ladder. His partner nodded, and the sprite replied that he would.

Rainbow returned to the pathway outside of the tent just as Twink rounded a corner. “Rainbow! I can’t find it!” he cried, waving his arms around frantically.

“It’s all right, Twink. I’ve found it.”

“Where is it?” asked Twink, confused. If Rainbow had found it, she should have it with her.

“Some sprites in the vegetable tent are using it to write on a board. They’ll bring it to me once they’ve finished.”

“We’ll never be ready in time!” moaned Twink.

Meanwhile, in the Pits, Murky Dismal was happily preparing for the Sprite Fair. He’d woken early, even before Lurky, and spent a few hours of silence in his chamber before moving to his laboratory. He’d left the sprite clone there last night, on instructions not to leave the room for anything. The sprite had been eager to please it seemed, but Murky couldn’t understand the sprite at all. He supposed that was a good thing, as it meant he had a pretty good copy, but it was also frustrating to hear gibberish returned to you when giving instructions.

He spent the early morning hours in bed, considering what he was about to do. This plan could not fail. Of course, it did have a time limit for completion, but that could always be fixed in a dire emergency. A grin crossed his face as he thought of the destruction he was going to cause, much on the same level as the Monstromurk had over 700 years ago. This time, he’d be able to control what happened. The clone he’d create wouldn’t be so out of control, not so much that it’d threaten his well-being along with it. This time, he’d call the shots and the action. He’d sit back and watch as the tragedy occurred. Then, he’d be crowned as the ruler of Rainbow Land. It was such a beautiful image to behold.

“Muuurky!”

His image soon dissipated, leaving him behind with a blank slate in his mind. He tried to ignore the calling and conjure up the image once more. There he was, holding the Color Belt for all to see. Rainbow was shackled beside him, looking toward the ground dismally. She’d lost all hope…

“Murky! Come on! We gotta go to the Sprite Fair!” called Lurky impatiently from somewhere outside Murky’s room. Murky was beginning to regret ever having told the buffoon about going to the Sprite Fair. He should have just sprung it on him, and then he wouldn’t have had to deal with this.

“Coming!” called Murky gruffly. “Don’t you touch anything!”

Upon entering the laboratory, Murky could see that Lurky had followed instructions and sat patiently on a chair, waiting for instructions. It was a surprise, as Murky had expected to see him playing with the various beakers and vials on his table, or playing with the clone sprite. Then he realized that Lurky was playing with the sprite, and that he hadn’t seen it at first. A long dirty string was being pulled away from the sprite slowly, but the sprite did not move.

“I told you not to touch anything!” yelled Murky.

Lurky looked up. “I didn’t! I’m just playing with the sprite!” Lurky then pouted. “He won’t play back though.”

Murky snatched the string from Lurky. “He’s not going to play with you. He had instructions nto to do anything until I told him too. Now go fetch the grunge buggy!”

Lurky slid off the chair and took off. “Gotcha, Murky!”

Murky sighed and then looked to the blue sprite. “All right, time for your instructions today. You’re going to the Sprite Fair in Rainbow Land.” Here, Murky paused and looked around. He needed a picture. He went to his bookshelf and found one, tucked between two thick tomes. He returned to the sprite and held up the picture. ‘This is Rainbow Brite. You remember here, don’t you?” The sprite nodded and Murky continued. “Your goal is to find her and get her to prick her finger on this stingbulb.” Here he grabbed another pod off the table and showed it to the sprite. “You can tell her that you want to enter it in the vegetable contest and that it’s an eggplant. Just get her to prick her finger on it. You are to act like a normal sprite at the fair, as though you’re enjoying yourself. Do you understand so far?” The sprite again nodded and chirped in sprite language. “Once you get her to prick her finger, you are to disappear into the crowd and return it to me.”

It all seemed too easy. He wished that he’d come up with this plan years ago. It might have saved him the hassle of every other stupid plan, every failed plan, every plan that never made it past the planning stage. He heard the rumble of the grunge buggy and grabbed the stingbulb off the table, careful to stay away from the needle end of it. Now would not be the time to mess up. “Let’s go, sprite,” he called. The blue creature followed behind his new master, ready to complete the task his master had set before him.

“Oh boy oh boy oh boy!” Lurky said to himself as he waited for Murky to exit the lair. “I’m going to the Sprite Fair! I’m gonna see the horsey race! I’m gonna get… I’m gonna get…” Lurky could not think of what to add to his playful song. Food? A horse? He was saved from having to think of something when he saw Murky and the blue sprite.

“Get in the passenger car,” Murky instructed the sprite. The sprite obeyed, and Murky climbed into the now cramped car with him, still very careful of his stingbulb. “Let’s go, Lurky. And be quiet about it! We don’t want that brat to know we’re at the Fair!”

“But I thought we were going to the Sprite Fair to have fun?” asked Lurky, confused.

“We are, but part of the game is to stay away from Rainbow. If she sees us, she’ll make us leave. Do you want that?” asked Murky.

“No, Murky!” replied Lurky.

“Then sneak into Rainbow Land and she won’t!”

Lurky began a slow drive down the lone road that led directly out of the Pits. Murky was becoming impatient. He wanted to get to Rainbow Land as soon as possible and use the stingbulb. He didn’t want Rainbow discovering him before he had a chance to dispatch the sprite. If he were caught after the sprite had been released among those attending the Sprite Fair, it’d be too late for Rainbow Land. All the sprite would have to do is return to the Pits and to him. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Rainbow would prick her finger on the stingbulb. He had no worries.

As Lurky drove the grunge buggy into Rainbow Land, Murky was greeted by the disgusting array of colors and the faint sound of music coming from far off. The Sprite Fair was held in a field near the Color Castle, as it was every year. “Such disgusting colors,” remarked Murky.

“Where to, Murky?” asked Lurky.

“Let’s hide behind the sprite houses. Go park the grunge buggy there. We’ll do everything else on foot,” commanded Murky. “That silly Rainbow won’t know what hit her by the time today is over!”

[Chibi Rachy]

Decided to do another chapter after finishing chapter 11 on Lost Storms. Still not entirely sure where to head with this, but am getting better. Further explanation at the end over one concept. As always, I do not own anything.



Chapter 3 Betrayal

Lurky parked the grunge buggy without incident. The area around the sprite village was eerily empty; everyone was at the fair already. He would have no trouble getting into the fair. More accurately, he intended to stay hidden while the sprite took care of his work. Once the sprite had gotten Rainbow to prick her finger, then he could create a diversion while the sprite snuck away, never to be suspected of anything.

Murky looked down at his copy sprite with pride. “You know the drill. Here’s the eggplant you’re to ask Rainbow about. I don’t care how you do it, just get her to prick her finger on that needle. Do not let anyone else do so. I don’t need this stingbulb wasted on some random sprite. Once you’ve gotten her to prick her finger, you need to find a way to leave the sprite fair. I’ll create a distraction. All you need to do is make your way back to the Pits without being seen.”

The sprite nodded and gave a reply in sprite language. He shifted the stingbulb in his arms, making sure the needle neither pointed right at him or directly in front. He would guard it with his life, making sure that his master’s instructions were followed as given. He would not disappoint.

“Off with you then!” called Murky.

The sprite headed off in the direction of the fair, calling upon the original sprite’s memories to head him in the correct direction. He knew exactly what Rainbow looked like. She was the cheerful little girl who wore the Color Belt that protected all of Rainbow Land and beyond. Even if he had no idea which way to go to get to the fair, the noise and chatter in the distance would have led him there all the same. He shifted the stingbulb once more as it became heavy in the position he was carrying it in.

A flurry of sprites passed by him once he set foot on the main path into the fair. Sprites of all colors were everywhere, mixing and mingling together. The little blue sprite could see various Color Kids around as well, and watched as they too enjoyed the festivities among friends. A scan for Rainbow failed to yield anything. He did not know where she would be at this point in time. Scanning the original sprite’s memories once more, he noted that she would be wandering around the fair or talking to Starlite. Starlite was always nervous for the horse race in the afternoon.

He passed by a group of blue sprites, who called a cheerful greeting to him. Not wanting to appear suspicious, he called back to them, wishing them a good day at the fair. They were some of the original sprite’s closest friends in the mine, and they didn’t suspect anything different as he passed them with an eggplant-like vegetable. He did ask them where he might find Rainbow though. Without suspecting, they told him she was near the farmers’ tents, checking all the entries in the contests. He gave his thanks and sped up, wanting to arrive at the tents before Rainbow left and moved on to another activity.

As he rounded the corner, he saw her directly in front of him. She was talking to an older sprite, one who’d been farming all his life. The sprite was beaming at her compliments about his pumpkins. “I’d like to use some of them this year for baking pies and other treats,” he overheard her saying.

He moved closer, waiting patiently for his turn to speak with her. The stingbulb was getting heavy yet again, so he shifted position to relieve aching arms. She looked up and noticed his struggle, rushing over. “Let me help you,” she offered kindly, holding out her hands to take the “vegetable” from him.

He nodded to her, handing off the stingbulb, making sure the needle pointed directly at the pads of her fingers. He didn’t care where it touched, as long as it pricked her skin. He watched as the needle pricked her finger, and she pulled her hands back instinctively, moving to suck the injured digit, dropping the stingbulb in the process. It hit the ground with a dull thud. “Ouch! There’s a needle on that vegetable…I’ve never seen anything like it!” she cried as she sucked at the finger, the pain quickly subsiding.

The sprite, knowing that he could use sprite drama to his advantage, quickly took the dropped stingbulb and began apologizing profusely for what had occurred. Then he quickly scurried off in the direction that he’d come, pushing past any sprites in his way, acting embarrassed. When he felt he was far enough away from the commotion he’d caused, he slowed his walk, taking his time proceeding to the outskirts of the fair. His main task had been completed. Now all he had to do was make it back to the Pits without being accosted and his first mission for his master would be complete. He had every inkling that his master would indeed be pleased with his actions. Of course, it would never do to think so far in advance. He must complete the task first before allowing any celebratory feelings to interfere. With that thought in mind, he focused solely on his mission of returning the stingbulb to his master.

Rainbow looked about for the blue sprite that had come to her with the eggplant, but did not see him anywhere. He’d run off after apologizing for poking her finger with the needle that protruded from him. Do eggplants have needles? Or was that just a leftover part from cutting the vegetable? she wondered to herself. “That’s odd,” she wondered out loud. “Where did he go?”

“Where’d who go, Rainbow?” asked Twink, appearing at her side.

“One of the blue sprites. He brought me an eggplant and I took it from him because it was too heavy for him to hold any longer. I pricked my finger on it and dropped it. He apologized and ran off. Now I can’t find him.”

“It’s hard to find any sprite in this crowd, Rainbow,” commented Twink. He gestured to the constant movement along the path.

“Well, I’m sure if that sprite needs anything, he’ll come back, right?”

“Of course,” nodded Twink in agreement.

A cry rose from nearby and Rainbow instantly looked in the direction it had come from. More cries were heard, sprites were up in arms about something. Rainbow rushed to investigate, Twink close behind her. Up ahead, a group of sprites was cowering in fear from none other than Murky Dismal and his assistant, Lurky. Murky held one of his gloom guns, happily spraying it at any sprite near him. Lurky stood behind him, encouraging him.

“I should have known it was you!” Rainbow yelled over the din.

“That’s right, Rainbow,” replied Murky. “It’s me, here to ruin your Sprite Fair.” He pointed his gloom gun directly at her.

Rainbow quickly pressed a finger to her Color Belt. “Not today, Murky. You won’t ruin the Sprite Fair this time!” The star on the belt glowed and a rainbow beam emitted forth.

Murky successfully dodged the beam the first time, expecting the reaction. He didn’t expect that Rainbow manipulated the beam to curve and turn back on itself, returning in the style of a boomerang. It coated him and Lurky in rainbow colors.

“Oh Murky! Look at the colors!” beamed Lurky as he twirled about.

“Can it you fool! Let’s get outta here!” cried Murky, starting to feel the effects of the color coating. He did not like the feeling of innocent happiness that was starting to wash over him. He forced himself to focus. He dashed off, heading away from the Sprite Fair. He didn’t have to check behind him to know that Lurky also followed. He glanced back after a minute or so, and saw that Rainbow did not follow him. She presumed he would head directly back to the Pits, which was his plan. She would have no idea that he was only doing as expected because he’d already beat her without her ever knowing.

They made it to the grunge buggy without any further trouble. Murky hopped into the passenger side car while Lurky started the vehicle. “Pedal to the metal! Let’s get out of here!” cried Murky.

“Sure thing, boss,” replied Lurky as he floored it. The two disappeared in a cloud of exhaust fumes that choked the air around them. No one pursued them, no one was around to see them off. Everyone else was back at the Sprite Fair, enjoying the events. They all knew that Murky and Lurky’s plots were easy to put to rest as of late. There was nothing to worry about.

Murky was impatient during the ride back to the Pits. In his mind, Lurky could not drive fast enough. There was planning to be done and things to be seen to. Speed should not be of any consequence. He made a random note in his mind to work on a device that would allow him to transport from the Pits to Rainbow Land and back within an instant. Then he wouldn’t have to deal with waits like this one. Time was of the essence.

As soon as Lurky braked to stop, Murky leapt from the sidecar and rushed into his laboratory. He wanted to see if the sprite had indeed followed orders and returned to the Pits. He had not seen the creature on the drive back, and so hoped that he had not been caught in Rainbow Land. His eyes did not deceive him when he saw the sprite standing in the same pose as the night before, stingbulb at his feet. Murky grinned wickedly. The sprite had followed his orders and returned as asked. Now to interrogate him and make sure he completed all orders as instructed.

“Did you get Rainbow to prick her finger on the needle? Just nod yes or shake your head no.” The sprite nodded to Murky and pointed at the stingbulb. Murky took a closer look and noticed that the stingbulb had begun to change shape. It was becoming slightly more elongated. It was not a change that was happening quickly, and Murky hated having to wait for his new creation to hatch from the stingbulb.

Murky looked back to the sprite. “Nod or shake your head for this question. Did anyone suspect that you were not the original blue sprite?”

The sprite again shook its head, and then gave a reply in sprite language. Murky rubbed his chin, wishing he could understand what this impudent creature was saying. He never had learned the language, which could have been a valuable tool for his plans this time around. Again, he looked to the sprite, and an idea came to mind. “You know, I had planned to make a copy of Twink, but that would be a risky chance… you might make a better companion for the girl that will hatch from that stingbulb. After all, you know the common sprites and their daily lives better than he would. Twink’s not necessary to have, and I would be saved a stingbulb for later on.

It was at this moment that Lurky chose to run into the laboratory unannounced. He’d finished putting away the grunge buggy and then taking his own time getting back to the laboratory. “I’m back, Murky! Ooooh… can I play with the football?” He began to move toward it to pick it up, but Murky rushed into his path.

“No you string bean bulb! That’s not a football! It’s not even a toy!” Murky pushed on Lurky’s stomach, forcing him to back away from his current pride and joy. He had more strength than he let on.

Lurky screwed up his face in confusion. “But Murky, it looks like a purple football. I just wanna throw it around!”

“Grr… no it’s not a football. That’s the stingbulb I told you about before. It’s growing and soon something will hatch from it, just like that blue sprite did.”

Lurky scratched the top of his head. “The stingbulb didn’t look like that!” he protested.

Murky ran his hand over his face. Sometimes, Lurky could be so dense. “Look, just don’t touch it, all right? It’s not to play with.”

Shrugging, Lurky replied, “All right, Murky. If you say so.”

Murky breathed a sigh of relief. Some days, like today, he wished that Lurky’s denseness didn’t almost cost him his most genius of ideas. “Just sit back and you’ll see.” He hated waiting. If only he could speed things up, it wouldn’t be so bad. Of course, his patience was bound to pay off in the end, and that was what mattered.

Back in Rainbow Land, the big horse race had just begun. As usual, the stands were packed with sprites and Color Kids alike. It had been years since Murky had entered on his robot horse, but everyone still watched the starting line with baited breath, waiting for that strange metallic hopping that had occurred so long ago. Three contestants had entered, as always. Without Murky to interfere, the race had gotten off to a peaceful, yet competitive, start.

Krys had decided to visit Rainbow Land for the yearly fair, and to enter the race. In recent years, he’d been giving both Skydancer and Starlite a run for their money. On-x had had a few upgrades to his systems, and that included his racing capabilities. This was partly due to Krys’ newfound job as a space cadet for an elite task force. He’d never told Rainbow much about it, but he still took time out to visit every so often. He’d grown quite a bit since they’d first met, but he was still the same boy underneath it all. Now he was what humans called a teenager, and well on his way to moving up in the task force ranks.

“Come on, Rainbow! You can do better than that!” he called back to her teasingly as he began to edge out in front. “You too, Stormy,” he called, looking her way.

Stormy frowned, not liking the teasing one bit. She focused on the track in front of her and spurred her heels into Skydancer. “Don’t let him talk to us like that, Skydancer! You can pass him! I know you can!” she urged.

Rainbow, on the other hand, didn’t appear to be paying attention. She held loosely to Starlite’s mane, and didn’t seem to have heard Krys’ taunting. She wasn’t focused on the track ahead like Stormy. It was as though she was daydreaming.

Krys looked over to her again. “Hey, Rainbow! Didn’t you hear me?” He was beginning to look concerned when Rainbow didn’t answer him a second time. He looked to Starlite, who didn’t appear to notice anything about his rider. That would be typical of Starlite when he was racing. He got so focused on racing that he blocked out the rest of the world.

Focus….can’t focus… what’s wrong… Things are starting to blur…oh but I must focus and help Starlite win this race… he is a magnificent horse… Krys keeps talking to me, but I can’t understand him… is he speaking a different language? Perhaps he’s trying to tease me again…why are the trees floating away? Trees don’t float away. They stay firmly rooted… oh the sky… what pretty clouds there are today… I feel sleepy… maybe I should take a nap…taking a nap in the middle of the race is all right…Starlite will do just fine… oh the clouds are so pretty today. Rainbow’s hands slipped from Starlite’s mane and she began to fall backwards, heading for the packed dirt of the racetrack.

Krys noticed Rainbow letting go of Starlite and quickly stopped On-x from progressing any further ahead. He turned On-x around, rushing to Rainbow’s aid. “Rainbow no!” he cried, fear in his voice.

Stormy brought Skydancer up short when she heard Krys’ concerned cry. She quickly turned Skydancer to see what had happened. She had edged in front of Krys, not knowing that he had slowed down because of Rainbow. She watched, frozen in place as Rainbow hit the packed dirt with a dull thud, causing a dust cloud to rise up around her. Krys had been too late to catch her.

A hush fell over the track as both riders slid from their horses and rushed to the aid of their fallen friend. Krys and Stormy looked over her as Twink rushed from his location on the field. No one knew what had happened to Rainbow. One moment she was fine, and the next she was on the ground.

Krys checked her pulse and then listened to her steady breathing. “She’s just passed out, I think,” he stated.

“She was fine before the race started. Nothing seemed wrong,” commented Stormy. She had remembered the playful banter they had shared before the race. It had been no different than any other year.

“What’s wrong with Rainbow?!” exclaimed Twink as he came upon the scene.

“She’s passed out,” replied Krys. “We don’t know why. She should be fine as long as we give her time to recover.”

“What do we do now?” asked Starlite, concerned.

“We get her back to the Color Castle and let her rest,” he replied. “Twink, get another sprite to help you and get that starting line banner down. We can use it to carry Rainbow in.”

Twink nodded. “Right!”

“Starlite, you and Skydancer will help carry Rainbow back. You’ll each need to carry a side of the banner in your mouth. It’ll create a hanging bed for Rainbow, but it’s the easiest way to get her back without jolting her too much.”

“Of course, Krys,” agreed Starlite.

Twink soon returned with the banner, Champ following him. They carried the banner bunched between them. The tension in the air was growing thicker. Stormy looked up and out over the crowds. “Krys, someone has to make the announcement. No one else knows what’s going on,” she whispered.

“You’re right. Twink, I’ll leave that up to you, all right? Tell them that everything’s all right and Rainbow just needs to rest. Have them go back to the fair. There won’t be a winner for this year’s horse race.”

Twink nodded. “All right, Krys.”

While Twink ran off to do as he had been asked, Krys finished making the necessary preparations. He laid the banner flat on the ground and then picked up Rainbow, placing her in the middle of it. With Stormy’s help, they gave each horse two corners to place in their mouths. Rainbow hung safely between the two horses. “All right. We just need to get her back to the Color Castle without too many bumps. I’ll ride Starlite so that I can carry her inside once we arrive.”

Stormy nodded and climbed aboard Skydancer. She looked down at her friend, who still wasn’t stirring. This had not turned out to be a good day at all. She tapped her heel against Skydancer, setting him off at a slow pace. Starlite copied Skydancer’s movements so that they moved in step. On-x began to follow, but Krys merely instructed that he keep an eye on the Sprite Fair. “Watch for Murky and Lurky. Report right away to me if they show up,” he instructed.

Of course, Krys had no idea that Murky and Lurky had no intentions of returning to Rainbow Land that day. They were more focused on another project. At least, Murky was. Lurky had gotten bored of waiting and left the laboratory awhile ago, presumably to do whatever it is he enjoyed doing. Murky had continued to watch the stingbulb through its slow growth progression. By now, the stingbulb had stretched and elongated. It was much bigger in size, and Murky estimated that it was almost time for it to hatch. The stingbulb now resembled a shape large enough to conceal someone of Rainbow Brite’s size. Murky rubbed his hands together in eager anticipation.

The hatching he had expected, didn’t occur right away. Instead, the stingbulb grew larger in size, larger than seemed necessary. Murky had no idea why it was getting so big. He only hoped that the sprite had not pricked a horse instead. A horse would be nice, but it wouldn’t be what he needed. Besides, he didn’t need Lurky going off about a horsey again.

He was about to interrogate the sprite when he heard a loud cracking noise. He spun around and looked at the stingbulb. Childlike fingers were poking through the tiny hole that had been created. First, only one hand was visible, but soon another hand popped through and both hands widened the hole. Murky watched in amazement as the hands disappeared inside the stingbulb and the top of a head covered high with yellow hair began to emerge. He could only gape as the mirror image of Rainbow Brite climbed out and stood before him, awaiting his instructions.

So if you've actually read the chapter, you'll have noticed that Krys has aged while everyone else has not. It was interesting to speculate on. Krys already appeared older than Rainbow in the Star Stealer movie, and it's never stated if Spectra is his true home or only a temporary home. Without any other inhabitants on Spectra that are human, it is hard to speculate whether someone in that environment would age or not. I took the path of Spectra not being Krys' true home, only the one he'd taken up with Orin. This is why he's now off training for an elite task force and why he's aged.