The Tale of Colors: Part 7-Violet
Part 1: Click Here
Part 2: Click Here
Part 3: Click Here
Part 4: Click Here
Part 5: Click Here
Part 6: Click Here
45 Minutes to Twilight
“Ugh, these twigs are so itchy…” I complained from behind a tree, tugging at the roots and branches that had been stabbed into my skull by Indigo like a fork to bread. Despite the fact that The Neutrals weren’t going to be present at the Color Colosseum, Indigo had insisted that we wear these ridiculous mud masks and leaves to blend in with our surroundings.
“Be quiet, will you?” Indigo shushed, popping her head from a blueberry bush, as she surveyed the surroundings of the grand Colosseum, which for all its magnificence, looked rather boring in the dull moonlight, “I can’t find the Color Managers or the Rainbows, and they were supposed to be here five minutes ago!”
“Probably eating some of Yellow’s famous lemon cake…” I mused, dreaming of the fluffy creamy cake. With all the rush, Indigo and I hadn’t had any time to eat, and I was starving.
“Can you ever just be…NEUTRALS!!!” Indigo yelled, tackling me into the blueberry bush, causing me to collide face first with more mud.
“Indigo, they’re not even coming,” I started getting up and wiping the dirt off my face, only to be quieted by the sound of stressed footsteps, coming toward us.
“Oh no, oh no, no…” Indigo started, looking around desperately, “What are we going to do, Vi? We can’t make a run for it…”
“They’ll catch us for sure.” I agreed, trying to stay calm, “We could send an SOS to Red. But,”
“As if we have that much time!” Indigo fretted, voicing my exact thoughts.
The footsteps got louder, The Neutrals quickening, as we cowered in the bushes, unable to do anything but wait for the inevitable…
“Sorry we’re late, Purples.” said a familiar cheery voice.
I looked up, shock and relief hitting me like a club.
“What did you need to tell us that you couldn’t tell over the Color Communicator?” Yellow asked, floundering beside Indigo and I in the bushes, revealing the rest of the Rainbows and the Color Managers.
“A lot.” I admitted, mentally reminding myself to never listen to Indigo’s paranoia again.
30 Minutes to Twilight
“Wait, so The Neutrals aren’t showing up?” Green shrieked, covered in moss and mud like the rest of the Rainbows, who’d realized that some form of camouflage would likely be necessary for the plan to work.
Even the Color Managers had joined in, covering their crisp suits and pearly badges with tree roots and dried leaves caked in mud. By the end of it, we looked more like a group of ragtag swamp dwellers than the elite Colors, which had brought color to the world for centuries.
“Well, that’s what they told us,” Indigo explained, for the third time to still bewildered eyes, “But they could be lying. We really don’t know.”
“But we do know is we have evidence.” I added for also the third time, holding up my Color Communicator which still had the recording of our talk with The Neutrals. I played the recording for the Color Managers and Rainbows letting them listen to the horrific words.
“They must be caught.” The gold badged Color Manager proclaimed, “This kind of behavior cannot go unaccounted for.”
“But we will negotiate, right?” Indigo pressed, “I mean, we do still need them.”
“Need them?” Red scoffed, “The only thing we need is for them to be gone.”
“For once I agree with Red.” Green added.
“Neutral colors are so dull anyway.” Orange agreed, “They make me feel so…blue. No offense Blue.”
“None taken.” Blue assured, “The Neutrals have done nothing but hurt us. They need to be dealt with.”
I looked at Yellow, the only one who stayed quiet. I glared at her fervently, begging her to say something. To change the minds of her friends. They’d listen to Yellow in a way they wouldn’t to her.
Yellow caught my gaze, and opened her mouth to speak, before closing it and giving me a weak look of apology.
I held in a sigh and put my hand on Indigo’s shoulder, “We’ll figure out what to do with The Neutrals once we have them.”
I looked out at the grand Color Colosseum, one of the few projects we all worked on together. The tall marble spires looked like majestic multicolored hands, reaching into the night. The structure was so awash with so many shades of color that I almost missed it.
At the bottom, seeping into the intricate carvings wrapping around one of the many windows.
The smallest inkling of black.
20 Minutes to Twilight
“You sure you say it, here?” Red questioned doubtfully, eyeing the window of the Colosseum where I had caught a sight of the black paint.
“Positive.” I replied.
“Looks fine to me.” Orange yawned.
A Color Manager with a white badge peered closely at the window. Then she whipped out a spray bottle, and sprayed some water onto the carvings around the window, before wiping it on her sleeve. Black paint oozed out, followed by flecks of brown and white paint, obscuring the rainbow colors behind it.
“Looks to be some cheap potion.” The Color Manager murmured “Clearly made to hide the fact they’ve been vandalizing the Colosseum.”
“And the paint looks fresh too.” Blue pointed out, dabbing the paint with her fingers, “Looks to have been painted on just a few minutes ago.”
“By someone who clearly doesn’t paint often judging by this piece of work.” Indigo mumbled, shaking her head disapprovingly.
“Well then we better hurry.” Red warned, as Indigo pulled out her bag of nets and handmade weapons.
“Just in case,” she insisted, to the baffled Color Managers.
“C’mon everybody!” Yellow shouted lifting her share of Indigo’s supplies triumphantly into the air, “We’ve got this! Spread out and let’s catch the Neutrals!”
With that said, I grabbed Indigo and dashed down the left side of the Color Colosseum.
“Where are we going?” Indigo yelled, the wind muffling her voice.
“To find The Neutrals!” I yelled in response.
“How do you know there here?!!”
“I — I just do.” I muttered, trying to focus on the deep black of the night, searching for any sign of The Neutrals.
Then I caught a glimpse of it in the far distance, an outline of three figures, hiding in the shadows.
“Shh!” I hissed urgently at Indigo pulling her behind a long vermillion column while quietly gesturing towards the shadows of The Neutrals.
“Oh my gosh!” Indigo shrieked, clearly still rattled by the call with The Neutrals earlier that day, “Did they — ”
“No they didn’t see us.” I confirmed, peeking out from the column, “We need to tell the others.”
As if on cue, Indigo whipped out her Color Communicator, and snapped a photo of The Neutrals.
“I said call the others.” I snapped.
“I am.” Indigo assured, punching buttons in on her Color Communicator, “But I also have to make sure we have enough evidence. You know, just in case.”
I held my breath, I had always been rooting for The Neutrals to face their crimes, but now that it was so close to actually happening, I couldn’t help feel just a hint of remorse.
I shook my head, grabbing the net and the long sharpened stick from my bag of supplies, “I’m going in.”
“Now?” Indigo’s eyes bulged, “W-what about the Rainbows? Or the…”
But I was already off, dashing towards The Neutrals. I knew I should wait for help, but we had never been a real team with the rest of the Rainbows. I know we had to start somewhere, but it still didn’t feel right. Suddenly accepting an apology after all these centuries.
I hadn’t needed them then.
So why would I need them now?
10 Minutes to Twilight
“Hey Neutrals!” I yelled, watching The Neutrals whipped their heads backward, only to be hit in the head with my giant stick.
“OW! YOU HIT ME!!” Black screeched, angrily rubbing his head.
I took the opportunity, unfolding the net and throwing it over The Neutrals.
“Oh no you don’t.” Brown hissed like a viper, shooting a blob of brown paint in my eyes.
“Ow my eye!” I wailed, stumbling backwards, and tripping on a long blade of grass, “Violet!” I called, still rubbing my eyes.
Suddenly the net landed gently on my face like a blanket, realizing what was going on, I struggled, trying to get out, only tangling myself further. When I finally opened my strained eyes, I was face-to-face, with the smug smiling Neutrals.
Twilight
“Ha.” White cackled face smug, “You really thought you could — ”
“BEHIND YOU!!” Brown and Black yelled at the same time.
But by the time White could even register what they were saying, Red had clubbed her in the head with a walking stick.
The rest of the Rainbows, Indigo, and even the Color Managers joined along coming from all sides to tangle The Neutrals in nets.
“Hey.” Red smiled, untangling me from my own net, and helping me up.
“T-thanks, Red. I don’t know what to say” I stuttered, still confused about how to act around her. On one hand, she seemed so bossy, but on the other…
“You don’t have to say anything.” Red replied warmly, “We’re a team now, and even though I haven’t been the nicest, I’m going to try and make amends.”
“We all are.” Indigo added, putting a hand around my shoulder, as The Neutrals struggled in the nets.
“So what are we going to do about The Neutrals?” I asked, voicing the question that everyone had.
“Well, we were thinking of asking you.” Blue answered, addressing the Color Managers, “Do you have any ideas?”
The Color Managers huddled together in a circle, whispering for several minutes before the silver badged one spoke.
“You caught the Neutrals, so it is up to you, all. What do you think we should do with them?”
Red looked over to the rest of the Rainbows, who all nodded, as if they could read her thoughts.
“Oh, we have some ideas.” Red grinned.
Part 8: Click Here
