Sam's heart hammered against their chest as they followed Riley through the towering doors of the Great Library.
The massive crystal building stretched toward the clouds, its walls shimmering like captured stars. Inside, floating books drifted between shelves that climbed so high they vanished into misty shadows.
"Nobody ever comes to the Ancient History section," Riley whispered, her silver wings folded tight against her back.
"We can research without anyone bothering us."
Sam pulled their cover closer. Even here, surrounded by dusty old books, they couldn't shake the feeling that someone might find their secret.
The rainbow wings beneath the cloth tingled with nervous energy. Riley led them past tall shelves filled with leather-bound books. Their footsteps rang in the silence.
Finally, they reached a forgotten area where cobwebs draped between the shelves like forgotten curtains.
"Here," Riley said, pointing to an area marked 'Forbidden Histories.'
"These books are so old, most people think they're just fairy tales." Sam's eyes widened.
"Forbidden?"
"Not forbidden like dangerous," Riley explained, pulling down a thick book bound in midnight-blue leather.
"Forbidden like... lost. Nobody believes these stories anymore." The book's title glowed softly:
The Chronicles of the Rainbow Guardian. Sam's wings shook beneath their cloak.
"Riley, I don't think"
"Trust me." Riley's green eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Remember what Alex said yesterday? About stories being real? Maybe we can find answers." They settled at a secret table behind the tallest shelf. Riley opened the ancient book, and golden letters appeared on the yellowed pages as if written by unseen hands.
"Listen to this," Riley whispered, running her finger along the glowing letters.
"Long ago, when darkness threatened to swallow the sky, a guardian appeared with wings of every color. They could fly faster than lightning and shine brighter than the sun." Sam leaned closer, their heart racing. The words seemed to dance on the page. Riley continued reading.
"The Rainbow Guardian held magic unlike any other. Their wings could heal the sick, protect the innocent, and bring hope to those who had lost everything. But the greatest power came from their heart—a heart that loved without boundaries."
"That's impossible," Sam breathed, but their wings pulsed with warmth beneath the cape.
"Is it?" Riley turned the page.
"Look at this picture." Sam gasped. The image showed a person with magnificent rainbow wings spread wide, standing between a golden-winged knight and a silver-winged healer. The three figures held hands, their combined light pushing back a wave of darkness.
"They look like..." Sam couldn't finish the thought.
"Like us," Riley whispered.
"You, me, and Alex." Sam's hands shook as they touched the page. The moment their fingers made contact, the illustration started to move. The rainbow-winged figure turned toward them, and Sam saw their own face looking back.
"Riley!" Sam jerked their hand away.
"The picture it moved!"
"I saw it too." Riley's voice was barely heard.
"Sam, what if you're—"
"Don't say it." Sam stood up quickly, their cloak flowing around them.
"Don't even think it." But Riley was already flipping through more pages.
"There's more. Listen: 'The Rainbow Guardian's greatest task was not the darkness they faced, but the fear in their own heart. For they were different, and being different in a world that demanded sameness was the hardest fight of all.'' Sam felt tears prick their eyes.
"Riley, stop."
''But love conquered fear,'' Riley continued, her voice getting stronger.
''Love for friends, love for family, and love for someone special who saw past the colors to the heart beneath.''
A warm feeling spread through Sam's chest. They thought of Alex's golden eyes, the way they looked at Sam like they were seeing something wonderful and rare.
"There's something else," Riley said, pointing to a section near the bottom of the page.
"The Rainbow Guardian could only use their full power when they stopped hiding who they were. When they let their true colors shine." Sam sank back into their chair.
"But what if everyone hates me? What if they're scared?" "Then they're idiots," Riley said strongly.
"Sam, you're the nicest, bravest person I know. If you have rainbow wings, then rainbow wings are amazing." Before Sam could reply, a cold shadow fell across their table. They looked up to see a tall person in a dark cloak standing between the shelves.
"Well, well," the stranger said, their voice like ice scraping against stone.
"What do we have here? Two little birds reading fairy tales?" Riley quickly closed the book, but it was too late. The stranger had seen the glowing sheets.
"Ancient magic," the figure continued, stepping closer.
"How... interesting. Especially when the kingdom is having so many strange problems lately." Sam's wings began to glow beneath their cover. They couldn't help it fear always made their magic stronger. The stranger tilted their head.
"You're glowing, little bird. How odd for someone who claims to have weak wings."
"Leave us alone," Riley said, standing up. Her silver wings spread slightly, sparkling with defensive power.
"Oh, I don't think so." The stranger reached out one pale hand.
"I think you two know something about the dark clouds forming at our borders. Something about the magic that's been disturbing our peaceful land."
Sam's cloak began to slip as their wings reacted to the growing danger. A band of rainbow light peeked out from beneath the cloth. The stranger's eyes widened.
"Impossible. Rainbow wings haven't been seen for a thousand years."
"You're wrong," Sam said, trying to keep their voice steady.
"There are no colored wings. It's just a skin problem."
"Liar." The stranger's voice turned deadly soft.
"Do you know what happened to the last Rainbow Guardian? They died fighting the Shadow King. And now he's back, and you..."
The stranger lunged forward, dark magic crackling from their fingers. Riley screamed and threw up a shield of silver light, but the stranger's power was too strong.
"Your rainbow magic will make him unstoppable!" the stranger snarled.
"I won't let you doom us all!" Sam's cape finally tore away completely. Their magnificent rainbow wings burst free, filling the entire library section with bright, swirling colors. Books fell from shelves, and the old crystals in the walls began to sing.
"There it is," the stranger breathed, their dark power faltering in the face of Sam's radiant light.
"The Rainbow Guardian returns." Suddenly, the library's great doors burst open. Alex flew in, their golden wings blazing with urgency.
"Sam! Riley! I felt the power from across the kingdom" Alex stopped mid-sentence, staring at Sam's revealed wings in surprise. The man spun toward Alex.
"Perfect. The golden heir comes just in time to witness the beginning of the end."
"Who are you?" Alex ordered, landing between the stranger and their friends.
The stranger lowered their hood, showing a face marked with strange dark symbols.
"I am the Shadow King's herald. And I bring a message."
The temperature in the library dropped. Ice began forming on the windows, and the flying books crashed to the floor.
"He knows about the Rainbow Guardian," the herald continued, their voice booming with unnatural power.
"He knows about the forecast. And he's coming to finish what he started a thousand years ago." Thunder crashed outside, though the sky had been clear moments before. Dark clouds spun around the library, and Sam could hear something terrible approaching wings like torn leather, voices like breaking glass.
"The shadow army rises," the herald said with a terrible smile.
"And this time, there will be no rainbow light to save you." The herald dissolved into smoke and shadow, leaving only the sound of cruel laughter behind. Alex rushed to Sam's side.
"Are you hurt? Your wings they're beautiful, but how"
"There's no time," Riley interrupted, grabbing the old book.
"Don't you see? The Shadow King is coming, and Sam is the only one who can stop him."
Sam's rainbow wings shook with fear and newfound power.
"But I don't know how to be a Guardian. I don't know how to fight."
"Then we'll learn together," Alex said, taking Sam's hand. Their golden wings glowed brighter as they touched Sam's rainbow ones.
Outside, the darkness grew darker. Something was definitely coming something that had been waiting a thousand years for payback.
"We need to warn the Queen," Riley said quickly.
"If the Shadow King is really returning" Her words were cut off by a sound that froze their blood.
From somewhere in the growing darkness came a roar that shook the very roots of the floating kingdom. Sam's rainbow wings blazed with scared light.
"He's here." The Great Library's crystal walls started to crack, and through the spreading fractures, they could see shapes moving in the darkness outside. Shapes with torn wings and bright red eyes.
"Run," Alex whispered. But as they turned toward the exit, the library doors slammed shut with a sound like thunder.
They were stuck, and the Shadow King's army was coming. Sam's rainbow wings pulsed with power they didn't understand, while somewhere in the darkness, an ancient evil stirred to life, hungry for payback after a thousand years of waiting.
The real fight was about to begin