#28

"Tell me, Rainbow Brite, what is your name?"
Her brow furrowed and she turned her attention back to him. "What do you mean? My name is Rain-"
"No, my dear. Rainbow Brite is your title. What is your name?" When she continued to frown at him, a sad look came over his face. "You cannot remember, can you? No wonder."
"No wonder?" she asked curiously. When he didn't answer, she shook her head and turned herself to face him. "Who are you?"
He suddenly looked worried as his gaze travelled to the pathway she'd fallen from. "You didn't come here alone, did you?"
"No...why?" Befoer he answered, a piercing whinny could be heard from that path. "Starlight!" She leapt to her feet, the blanket falling from around her shoulders. The young man was a step behind her. Just before she reached the water, she called forth a rainbow from the handful of starsprinkles she'd had in her pocket. It created a path from the island to that opening. Without hesitation, she ran up the rainbow, with the young man still following on her heels.
"What is it?!" she cried back at him.
"They're crystal crabs! They're the ones that made these paths, and they don't like anyone else in them!"
"Great..." she muttered to herself as she moved as quickly as she could through the path. Another stressed whinny and the obvious sounds of a struggle caused her to move faster. "Starlight!"
"Rainbow!"
"Run! Get out!" She sent the rainbow on ahead with the wish that it would clear a path for Starlight. And, as the rainbow always did as she asked, she could hear him running father down the path a few seconds later.
Not more than a minute later, the young man grabbed her arm and dragged her to a stop, pulling her behind one of the crystals jutting out into the path. "Keep quiet," he whispered into her ear. Slowly, and without a sound, he maneuvered her back into a corner and stood in front of her. He was facing her, one hand on either side of her shoulders, though he was looking over his shoulder.
She blushed rather deeply when she found herself in that position, but her attention was quickly drawn away as something scuttled down the path. It was huge, about half the size of Starlight, and looked to be a cross between a crab and a spider. It had two large, jagged claws, and fangs that dripped with what was most likely venom. Eight eyes were placed around its head, and its shell was made of the crystals in the caverns.
Her heart began to pound as it slipped past, followed by three others, one of which was dragging a bashed claw, most likely from the fight with Starlight. As the last one passed and got a ways down the path, the young man took her by the hand and picked up a run in the other direction, following Starlight.
She didn't see any blood on the way, so Rainbow began to breathe a little easier in the hope that Starlight was fine. As soon as they broke the surface, he let her hand go and they both slowed to a walk. Rainbow hunched over as she stopped, hands on her knees as she gasped for breath.
Starlight lumbered over to her, reaching his muzzle down and tucking it under her arm. "Are you alright?"
She lifted her arms up around his head, resting her cheek against his neck. "I'm alright. Are you?"
"I'll be fine." His eyes drifted open and he caught sight of the stranger. "Is that him?"
She slowly let go of his head and looked back at the young man. "I think so. Will you tell me who you are now?" she asked a little louder.
He simply smiled and approached them. "Only when you both tell me yours. Until then, you can call me Alpha."
"Then you really are the Beginning," Rainbow said softly.
"Yes, that's right. Now, I believe you have a problem, one that cannot afford any wasted time."
They both looked at him oddly, but Rainbow nodded. "That's right. I'll explain on the way." She swung up onto Starlight's back, and pulled Alpha up behind her.
"I'm afraid we can't go back to your home just yet. There is one place we must stop at first." Before they could protest, he insisted, "I assure you, it is of the utmost importance."
Rainbow glanced back at him with a frown, but turned back around as Starlight began to move. "If you say so. Just tell me the way." She called forth a rainbow, and Starlight took them up off of the world's surface.