70 The Quick Way Down

Chapter 70 The Quick Way Down Is everybody ready?' asked Peanut, standing right next to the opening she'd made in the walkway's barrier. 'YES!' replied Little-Bit, Rockwell, Doodle, Woodhouse, Leo, Mum and Dad in unison. Each of them was holding a beautifully illustrated skateboard. 'In that case, MOUNT YOUR BOARDS!' shouted Peanut as the wind blew through her topknot. Everybody put their skateboards down and stood on them carefully, holding onto each other for balance. Then Peanut

held the can of spray paint in front of her, pointed it just ahead of her board, and pushed the button. A wide blast of rainbow- coloured paint came flying out of the nozzle, creating a length of runway in front of them that was angled downwards like a ramp. Confidently, Peanut dropped onto it and began skating. One by one, each member of the group followed, some more confidently than others. As they descended, Nerys floated above them in the colourful bubble now being towed by Dad. She looked thoroughly dejected. This wasn't Peanut's first rodeo. As she sprayed the curved runway circling the Spire, she remembered the first time she'd descended it in this fashion. Today, however, things looked very different. As Chroma rotated below them, the incredible views were made even more breathtaking by the effect that Leo's colour explosion was having on the city. A multicoloured cloud radiated out from the Spire, restoring happiness and life to everything that had been mono-ed by Nerys. The Ink District, The Strip, The Light District, Vincent Fields, Dalf Die Brücke, Modernia, The Grid, Cubeside, Warholia, Point West and The Green Valleys all looked brand new once the cloud had passed over them. Iridescent, colourful, splendid. The North Draw showed the biggest change, since it was the first district that Nerys had targeted and, therefore,

the worst affected. Peanut stared in wonder from her bird's- eye view as the magic moved slowly over the bleak snowfields, leaving lush, green meadows in its wake. As she led the group down towards the ground, Peanut's thoughts were filled with every single adventure that Rockwell, Little-Bit and she had had since they first arrived in Chroma. She smiled to herself. Even though many of these adventures had been quite scary at the time, she knew that she wouldn't change a thing. Well, maybe she'd rethink the whole falling out with Rockwell part, but aside from that. With perfect timing, a loud fluttering sound and a sudden rush of air signalled the arrival of some old friends. The three magnificent kaleidoscoppi that she'd set free from Mr White's cages during their first visit to the city had arrived to accompany the gang on their final descent. 'What beautiful creatures,' said Mum, awestruck. That was their cue. The three birds began to sing, in perfect harmony, the most bewitching melody that any of them had ever heard in their lives. In that moment, Peanut knew one thing for sure: that she had grown to love this city more than she ever thought possible. And that whatever happened in the future, no matter where life took her, she would always carry a little bit of it with her. Right there. In her heart.