#26

Nearly a day more had passed before the rainbow came upon a world that wasn't crumbled.
"Rainbow, wake up," Starlight said gently as he slowed to a stop just past the dimensional cross.
She slowly sat up straight, rubbing her eyes, then let her gaze focus on the world presented before them. "What is this place..." she said under her breath to no one.
The world looked like a giant geode, rocky and desolate on the outside, with various entrances that revealed jagged crystals of various pale colours.
"It looks so empty," Starlight said. "Do you think it was poisoned?"
"I don't think so. It would have crumbled, and it's not in the path anyway. Come on, let's check it out."
Starlight picked up a canter as the rainbow led them down to one of the openings. There was barely enough room for Rainbow to get more than five feet in, let alone Starlight.
"Better find a different one," Rainbow said as she pulled ehrself back onto Starlight's back.
They checked a few more entrances, before Rainbow noticed something in the distance. "Look at that. It looks like a light's coming from inside. The crystals are brighter." Sure enough, one of the entrances on the horizon appeared to be glowing compared to the others.
"You're right," Starlight said. He didn't need any telling to hurry up, at once breaking into a gallop towards the entrance. It was clear once they reached it that there was a path big enough for the both of them. Rainbow stayed mounted as Starlight slowly moved into the cavern.
"Hey, Starlight...do these crystals look familiar?"
He glanced back at her, then looked closely at some of the crystals as they passed. "You don't think..."
"They look like colour crystals."
"But they're so big, and pure!"
"This whole world is like one, big, colour cave..."
"Well, at least we're on the right track, right?"
"I guess that's true. She fell silent as they drew deeper into the cavern. After only a few minutes, the path grew narrow, and the ceiling sank until it was too low to ride through. Rainbow slid down off of Starlight's back and began to walk in front of him, one hand keeping contact with his chin. His head drooped lower and lower as the path narrowed, until they came to a point where he couldn't move any farther.

#25

"Is there nothing that can stop this poison?" Lala asked in exhasperation as she stood with the others on one of the castle's balconies overlooking Rainbowland.
"We can't even stop it from spreading," Buddy said softly.
"Maybe we're in over our heads this time. We just don't have the power or resources to fight something like this," Violet analyzed.
"We need Rainbow," Twink said quietly.
"Yeah, well," Krys said with a much stronger voice. "Rainbow's not here. She's out there, trying to save the rest of the Universe, alone, like she always is. She asked us to do one thing, just one: Keep Earth and Rainbowland intact until she gets back. Because she will come back; she always does. She cares too much about everyone here and on Earth to let anything stop her. The least we can do is what she asked. The least we can do is throw anything and everything we've got at this mess, and hope that we stall anihilation long enough for her to get back with salvation."
Everyone grew silent during that speech, watching him with slight amazement as well as a deep guilt for wanting to give up. Dismal especially looked surprised.
"She does all of that?" he asked with a hint of doubt. "I thought you brats just made the world colourful."
"Colour's more important than you think, Murky," Brian said. It was a surprise coming from him, and all eyes turned to see what he had to say. "Sure, it makes people happy, and makes things beautiful, but without colour, there would never be joy. Our hearts would never be touched by the coming of spring, or given hope in the promise of a beautiful sunrise. I never knew how much those things meant to me before I met Rainbow, and saw how much work goes into keeping the world bright and beautiful. If we didn't have colour, if it all disappeared, I don't think we could survive."
Dismal's brow furrowed in thought, before slowly looking away. "I didn't know that. Or maybe I did, once... But I'd forgotten. All I ever wanted was to make things black and white."
"Well, black and white are coloures, too," Moonglow piped up.
Canary glanced up at Lurky who stood beside her, smiling cheerfully to him. "Brown, too," she whispered to him, which made him smile.
"The most important colours," came a voice from behind them.
They all turned to look back inside the castle, and Twink was the first to recognize him. "Orin!"
"What do you mean, 'the most important'?" Krys asked.
"While you, Murky Dismal, may think of black and white as the extreme absences of colour, they are also the extreme presences of colour. White light can be broken down into each colour of the rainbow. And to make something black, every pigment must be combined. So you see, all colour comes from white, and all the coloures brought together make black."
Krys contemplated that, while the others gathered around Orin.
"Did you see Rainbow?" Twink asked first, looking hopeful.
"I did. She's asked me to tell all of you that she's safe, and knows now where she needs to go."
"Where is she going?" Red asked, his arms folded over his chest.
"To the Beginning." He held up his hands to stop their questions. "I haven't the time to explain. There are others I must warn of this disaster. Your Rainbow will be fine. She is strong, and soon to be in good hands." Before they could respond to that, he approached Red. "I will be needing some colour crystals to refuel my ship."
Red frowned, but nodded. "Of course."

#24

"Ha-ha! I think it's working," Violet yelled over to Kris and Dismal. They'd just emptied their canisters of gloom onto the head of that bird. It was beginning to slow down and drop towards the ground.
"I think you might just be right, Violet," Stormy said in a slight shock. "Look, he's not even bracing for impact!" Sure enough, feet lazily dangling beneathe it, it drew lower and lower, before finally crashing into the ground and coming to rest lodged into a hillside. "I can't believe it. It actually worked!" After a round of cheers, they headed back down to the ground.
"We should refill and take this stuff to Earth," Violet said as she looked at the fueld gauge on the gun.
"Why don't the kid and I take them? You should stay here and keep working on a cure for that poison," Stormy said to Violet.
Violet nodded and glanced over at Dismal. "What d'ya say? Wanna help make the world beautiful for once?"
His face turned gloomy. "Do I have a choice?"
"Of course. Help, or we can tie you up."
He sighed heavily and thought about it. "Fine. I'll help."
Violet smiled and gave a nod. "Good."

"What kind of person do you think 'The Beginning' is?" Rainbow asked. Starlight was back in his comfortable gallop, this time with a slightly more developed idea of where he was running to.
"Old, I'd suspect."
Rainbow chuckled lightly. "How could he be the start of all of us?"
"Maybe he was the first defender of the Universe?"
"Then why not call him our founder? The wording seems too strange. Do you think the 'End' is a person, too?"
"I'm really not sure, Rainbow. If Orin doesn't know, then I'm not sure who would."
"Yeah, I guess that's true." She suddenly glanced down at him, reaching a hand down to feel his chest. "Are you alright, Starlight? You've been running for so long now. Don't you need-"
"I'm the most magnificent horse in the universe; I don't need a break," he responded quickly, his head held high. But he slowly dropped his head afterwards, and glanced back at her. "I'm alright. I'll run forever if you need me to."
Her eyes widened slightly at that as she slowly sat up. "Starlight..."

#23

Yet another crumpled wasteland was passing by as Rainbow and Starlight continued on their aimless search.
"How many does that make?" Starlight asked. All of this time, and his gallop had yet to tire.
Rainbow, however, was having a great deal of trouble keeping her spirits high. "Six, I think. Oh, Starlight, what are we gonna do? At this rate, by the time we find anything helpful, Earth will be just another pile of dust! We need something now, here, not eight dimensions over!"
"It'll be alright, Rainbow. We'll find something. You'll save Earth, and the rest of the universe, just like you always do."
"I'm not so sure, Starlight. We've been looking for days, and still nothing." She looked off to the left, while Starlight tilted his head to the right.
A few minutes passed, before Starlight's ears perked forward. "What's that?"
Rainbow turned her head to look as Starlight slowed to a stop. "What's what?" She followed his gaze out beyond the last crumpled remains of the planet. Something glinted as they rubble rotated and floated along. "Let's check it out," she said, though with little hope. She veered the rainbow around and it began to maneuver around the debris. Starlight quickly chased after it, while Rainbow kept her attention on the out-of-place bit of rubble.
As they drew closer, hope suddenly popped back into Rainbow's heart. "It's a ship," she said as she sat up. Starlight's gait extended at those three little words. In no time, the rainbow reached the little ship, and Starlight moments later. Just as Rainbow peered inside, a little face appearing in the window. "Orin!"
Starlight backed up a couple of steps as the old sprite opened the ship's hatch. "Rainbow Brite! Bless my soul, little lady, am I glad to see you. I was afraid I would never reach you in time."
"In time?" Rainbow asked. "You know of Earth's poison?"
He motioned around them. "It would only have been a matter of time before this horror reached you. It has come then?" he asked glumly.
"It has," Rainbow said softly. "Is there nothing that can be done to stop it?"
"not as you are," he replied in the typical Orin fashion. "But there is something."
Rainbow and Starlight both perked at that. "What kind of something?" Rainbow asked.
"These creatures do not come on their own, but the one who sends them..."
"Don't you know?" Starlight asked in a slight frustration. Rainbow gently patted his shoulder to calm him.
"I know only that the cause is far bigger - no, older - than myself, or you, Rainbow. The only way to stop him is to travel to the beginning, then seek out the end."
Rainbow frowned. "On-X said you looking for the beginning. What does that even mean? The beginning of what?"
"The beginning of you, and of all of us who watch over the order of the universe."
"Does such a thing exist?" Starlight asked, with only slightly less frustration.
"Oh, yes, he does," Orin said matter-of-factly.
"He? The 'Beginning' is a person?" Rainbow asked with intrigue.
"He most certainly is. And he's waiting for you, Rainbow."
"Then you know where he is? Will you take us to him?"
"I can only point you in the right direction. There are other I must warn."
"If you pass by Rainbowland, will you tell the others that I'm safe, and that I know now where I have to go?"
"Of course I will."

#22

Another dimension crossed, and another world in ruins.
"This is terrible," Rainbow mumbled from Starlight's back as he ran through the field of debris.
"Do you think they'll all be like this?"
"I don't know. I hope not. I truly hope not." She dropped ehr head back down to his mane, squeezing her eyes shut. "Do we even stand a chance?"
"You're Rainbow Brite," Starlight said simply, as though that explained everything. And maybe it did.
She smiled softly and touched her face to his neck. "Right. Stupid question. Think we'll find Orin first?"
"That would be nice. But look at our luck so far?"
She sighed. "You're beginning to sound like Stormy."
"And she was right, wasn't she?"
"Hm...that's a good point. I'll keep an eye out for him anyway, though, if it's all the same to you."
"Oh, sure, be my guest."
"Thank-you."
"You're quite welcome."

But the time Krys returned to Rainbowland, the Castle itself seemed to be losing its colour. There was little nearby that was near as vibrant as it usually was. As On-X touched down, Stormy and Skydancer landed with a frustrated clap of thunder beside him.
"Nothing's working," she said with a huff.
Krys looked up at her with a worried smile. "We'll find a solution. What are the others working on?"
"I don't know. I came back and dropped Brian off then got to work. All I know..." she trailed off with a dark look on her face.
Krys waited for a few moments, then urged her on. "What is it?"
"Dismal and the lug are here, they're not tied up, and I think they may be helping. If that's possible."
Krys' expression quickly matched hers. "Somehow, I don't see that happening."
The two exchanged another look before quickly heading to the Castle. Just as they crossed the last bridge, the castle doors flew open, revealing Violet and Dismal both in quite the get-up. Two canisters each were strapped to their backs. Dismal held his gun, while Violet held a rather nicer-looking replica. Hoses ran from the canisters to the guns, and they both had a pair of goggles on their heads.
"Oh, good, you're both here," Violet said with a simple smile. "Mind giving us a lift?"
"A lift?" Stormy asked in shock. "A lift to where?"
Dismal pulled his gun down off of his shoulder, pointing with it up towards that bird, which was passing unscathed through Stormy's clouds.
"We're gonna spray a little gloom on him," Violet explained as Krys got his first sight of their monster.
"You think that's gonna work?" Stormy asked.
"Well, we're sure gonna try. If you take us up there, that is."
"Of course," Krys said as he looked back over. "Gotta try something."
"Great," Violet said and walked over to Skydancer. Stormy helped her up behind her, and she adjusted the gun. Krys hesitated as Dismal approached, flashbacks of Dismal stealing On-X popping into his head. But a screech from that bird brought him back to the present. He had to let go. For now. He reached down and Dismal took his hand, rising up onto On-X with ease.
"Let's go, while he's still close," Violet said, one arm around Stormy's waist, the gun propped on her hip.
In the next moment, they were in the sky.

#21

"Is it the monster?" Dismal asked, standing with the others, Lurky close by.
"I don't-" started Red, but was promptly interrupted by another clap of thunder.
"It's stormy!" Canary cried as she pointed up to a break in the clouds. Galloping down out of the sky was Skydancer, on his back Stormy and Brian. Just as they reached the ground, the rain began to pour.
Brian slid down off of Skydancer into the arms of a few of the girls, who led him inside out of the sudden monsoon.
Stormy looked down at Red, then noticed Dismal and Lurky. A snarl found her lips immediately. "You're lucky I've got a storm to conjure up, or I'd conjure one on your faces." She spat at their feet, then looked back to Red. "Hopefully rain helps this time." She wheeled Skydancer around and they took off into the sky again in the wak of another flash of lighting.
Dismal glared at her back, then just turned to head in out of the rain with everyone else, Lurky trailing along behind him. Surprisingly, Pink came over with a couple of towels, handing on to Lurky, then held the other out to Dismal. His brow lifted suspciously, and he hesitantly took the towel. "You didn't have to..."
"I know," she said gently with a smile. "But I did."
"Why? You don't hate me?"
"I don't like you much, but I don't hate you. You could have left us in the Pits to melt with your home, but you didn't. You saved us, even though you didn't have to."
He lowered his gaze and pulled off his helmet so he could dry his hair. "It would have been more work to unhitch the carts."
Pink chuckled lightly at that, hands resting on her hips. "Say what you want, Murky Dismal. You're not as evil as you think you are." With that, and another smile, she turned to get back to work with the others.
Meanwhile, Red had gathered Buddy and Patty, and they were getting ready to head out to track the progress of the poison that was now eating into their own planet. Dismal glanced over at them, then looked around for Lurky. Indigo was currently showing him how to make hot chocolate. He saw Canary continuing the attempt to hail Rainbow. At the Console, Lala and Pink were trying to keep everything working.
"Dismal, come on."
He blinked and looked over at the stairs. Violet stood there, his gun propped against her shoulder. "We've got work to do."
He tilted his head slightly in interest, then headed to the stairs, making his way up to her. She turned and led the way up, past Rainbow's room and up another flight of stairs. it opened up into a lab/workshop, in which Violet spent much of her time.
Dismal looked around as they walked through it to a mostly empty table, on which Violet set the gloomgun. "Impressive..."
"It is something. There's little use for it these days, though. Until recently, anyway." She glanced out a window at the sound of another screech, accompanied by a crack of thunder.
Dismal coughed into his hand. "Do you think the gloom will help?"
"We'll just have to see, won't we?"

#20

She switched the channel down to one, wanting to try just for herself. If she hadn't tried, and found out later it would have worked, she'd kill herself. "Rainbow!" She waited, but no answer. She tried again, "Rainbow, this is Violet." She knew that if Rainbow could hear her, she'd know who it was, but saying more might allow something to get through. But still nothing. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she felt her hope drain away. Her hands balled into fists and she slammed them down against the console. "Work!"
"She's not coming, is she?" came a voice from behind Violet. She turned slightly to look back. There stood some of the kids, and Dismal, who had spoken.
Violet slowly shook her head. "I can't get thruogh to her. Krys, Brian, and Stormy are on their way, though."
"What are we supposed to do?" Lala asked.
"I don't know. For now, we need to keep away from that...thing..."
"It's some sort of bird," Dismal said quietly. The others glanced over at him. He looked a bit defected, and understandable so. "It creates some sort of cloud while it flies."
"Poison," Violet said. "Another creature is poisoning the Earth."
"So that's what the fuss has been about..."
Red came to stand behind Dismal, hands on his hips. "Are you going to help us? Or do we have to tie you up and gag you?"
He scowled at Red. "I'll help. That thing destroyed the only home I've got."
That put a sympathetic look on the kids' faces.
After another screech, closer than the last, Dismal held out hsi goom gun to Violet, barrel in his hand to show he wasn't threatening her. "If this could help..."
She took the gun, pondering it for a time. "You are quite the inventor, aren't you? Perhaps we could come up with something."
Red, as Rainbow's right-hand man, decided to take charge. "Alright. Canary, keep hailing Rainbow. Violet, you and Dismal try to come up with something to hold off that creature." An idea popped into his head. "Moonglow, do you think you could get a signal to Rainbow through the stars?"
"Maybe, but she's changing dimensions so often, it would be difficult."
"Try, please." She nodded, and Red moved on. "As for everyone else, half of you should try to come up with something here, while the rest need to come with me. We need to keep an eye on that bird. If it comes near the Castle, we've got to make a run for it."
"Run where?"
"Anywhere!"
As he said it, a clap of thunder shook the whole castle, causing a few of the kids to jump. Red seemed a bit surprised as well, hand lifted to his throat. Once everyone was over the shock, they all ran outside. The sky was thick and dark, purplish clouds, and every few seconds, lightning streaked across the sky.