The Pause [Adopted Book]

Festival

Steves of all colors,

You are hereby invited to attend the Second Annual Rainbow Festival.

For those who aren't familiar with this tradition, it was established to honor the legacy of Rainbow Steve.  This year, it will also honor the other heroes who saved our realm from The First Curse.

The festival will take place at the Rainbow Kingdom Citadel from noon to dusk.  Feel free to come and go as you please.  There will be plenty of food for everyone, but you can always bring more!

Hope to see you there,

-The Colorless Guard

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The Red Kingdom is buzzing with excitement.  There is an extra skip in my step as I make my way down the cobbled streets to Innovative's house.  Just for tonight, I've decided to ditch my fancy leader's cloak for my signature brown one.  Call me ungrateful, but I like it better.

"Oh, I'm so excited!"

"How many colors do you think will be there?"

"They won't stare at us, will they?"

"Do you think they'll have cookies?"

Everyone seems to be talking about the festival, happy and a little nervous, too.  I cast the anxious-looking steves reassuring smiles, and they seem to relax.  I'll know plenty of steves at the party, and they're all pretty nice.  My kingdom should have nothing to fear.  Besides, the Colorless Guard will be there to handle things if someone gets out of line.

I think back to a few days ago, when Innovative and I made a stop at the contingency base to discuss things with the Colorless Guard.  They had been very friendly, and, to my surprise, most of them had their helmets off the whole time.  It might have been weird, being the only Red Steves in the room, but it was also kind of nice to see their faces.  Yellow explained to me that they didn't usually wear their helmets if they were off-duty, which they technically were.

We had talked through the safety procedures they had in place, and Innovative got his first view of the Rainbow Citadel, which was already half-decorated with streamers and lights.  I was impressed with how much had gotten done in such a little amount of time.  Thanks mostly to the Yellow and Orange Steves, I guess.  I spent most of that time talking with Happy and Yellow, going over Yellow's plan, as well as planning to meet up at the party.

I smile, turning back to Innovative's door.  I ring the doorbell, and the eager young steve opens it immediately.  He's already dressed in a button-up and vest, balancing a pie tin in one arm.  He insisted on baking something for the festival.

"I can't believe it's that time already!"  he trills, darting out of the doorway.  "Do you think I can speak with some of the Colorless Guards before the party starts?  I hope so!"  I laugh at his enthusiasm.  A few steves his age rush toward us, crowding around.

"Party time!"

"Oooo Innovative, you're bringing your pie?"

"This is gonna be awesome!"

Innovative talks with his friends for a few moments, holding the pie carefully out of reach, before looking to me.

"Red Leader, do you mind teleporting us there?"  The others' eyes go wide.  They must not recognize me without the leader's cloak on.

"Oh- um- your majesty?"  one tries.

"No need for that."  I tell him quickly.  I remember acting similarly around the old Red Leader during the beginning of my apprenticeship.  I had quickly broken the habit under his request.  'His majesty' was the title the old Red King used, and he hadn't been around for a very long time.  No need to be too formal anymore.  "And of course I don't mind!"