//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Once Upon A Cloud // Story: Letting Go // by RoccoRoccs //------------------------------// The cool fall breeze nipped at my nose as flew among the falling leaves in the early evening hours. A peaceful calm surrounded me as I watched them dance to the ground in perfect harmony with every light gust my wings made. Say what they will, it's cold at times sure, but I love this time of year! The gentle rustling of branches, the amber and gold hues that paint the world around me in warm inviting colors, just begging me to fly. There has always been something that called me to the air the moment the first leaf would fall, something that told me I should be out here. Even from a young age I had always been compelled to take to the air at any chance I got, even if my parents insisted on moving from Cloudsdale to Ponyville, effectively severing my friendships and grounding me. My father had finally decided to chase his dreams and in doing so crushed mine. Sure it was a lofty dream to be a Wonderbolt, come to think of it, I'm pretty sure that was every young pegasi's dream at some point or another. Where I knew such a thing was impossible, it was the last dream I had that I was holding out hope for. After we lost mom, things at home became... chaotic. Dad spent his days in the garage refinishing old furniture, while I on the other hoof found myself doing the only thing that brought me any joy. Flying. We moved here so that dad could start up a business in reclaimed furniture, but it felt less like a new adventure and more like a escape. Where I was deep in the throws of depression, my father was drowning in denial, trying his best to forget the past as best that he could by working with his hooves. I on the other, found myself fighting to make new friends and stave off the never ending cycle of waking up, going to school, coming home, eating, sleep and repeat. It was a lonely life as best as I could describe it, filled with missed chances to make a funny joke, share a interesting story or even find somepony who was interested in the same things as me. Being the new buck in school was never easy, but being the new buck in a Canterlot school was a nightmare! There were few if any pegasus ponies my age there, leaving me as the odd-pony-out. At least back home I had a friend, here I was segregated into a pony of one. I guess that is why I am out here, why I always take the chance to fly off and be alone. Because if I was going to be alone here, I might as well be alone somewhere I felt happy and not so... rejected? Cast off, even? I let my wings push me higher above the treetops as I began my long circle back home before it got too dark to find my way back. This area near the Everfree Forest was still too new to me to feel sure of myself enough not to get lost. Above me scattered like pillows on a bed of golden silk, the clouds seemed to call my name. They just looked so inviting the way they would wander about the sky here, forever adrift on a sea of air that could not be tamed by pony's with wings. "Why not... It's not like dad is coming home anytime soon..." I mumbled to myself as I picked what looked like the fluffiest one and pointed my nose towards it. Go home and be alone, or go watch the sunset alone... six feathers of one or a half dozen of another, same thing. I let the gusts of wind guide me to the near my resting spot for the evening and slowly let my hooves test the almost cotton like cool texture of the pillow like mass. How long had I been out here? Hours? All just flying around lost? My wings ached and my back was sore from the relentless going that lead me here. I slowly trotted to the far edge of the cloud as to get the best view when Celestia lowered the sun on yet another long day. Finding myself a soft spot... as if there were any lack of one, I rested my tired body and squinted into the waning light. I let my mind wonder as it often like to do so on thoughts of flying back to Cloudsdale. I could do it, it wasn't THAT far after all and I could make it on my own, I had already been doing pretty much that for the last three years now. I could make on my own, couldn't I? Who am I kidding. Nopony is going to hire a sixteen year old buck with no home. I rested my tired eyes to the thought of yet another day that would come and great me soon enough in my prison of waiting to be old enough to be truly on my own. As much as I hated the thought, it was beyond my control at this point. Just the thought of sleeping on the streets with no safe place to hide when the night got cold sent my body to sway in fear. Swaying, I was actually swaying. Wait... I am swaying back and forth. Great, I must have some kind of sickness that is going to kill me that manifests itself in the form of me swaying... I peeked an eye open to no longer see the sunset, but a massive black hole staring back at me. My body locked up and began to shiver. What was this!? A nightmare come to life!? What is going on!? Fearful I was now spending my last moments on this cloud with nothing less than my own oblivion, I cautiously opened my eyes further. Blue, black and blue. Ok, now I'm confused. Before my brain could shift into whatever thing it wanted me to feel next, they blinked. The sudden movement made me jump nearly out of my own feathers. Falling backwards my eye shot open to see a set of blue eyes staring back at me as they made their way closer. "What! Who?" I stammered as the eyes came closer, and more into focus. Then a hoof came into my vision, bright and white. It was only then I realized that I had been scared by a young mare who had also picked this cloud to watch the sunset. I must have not seen her at all! With her brilliant white coat and near matching light blue mane, it was no wonder. It hid her perfectly. "Oh! Sorry! I didn't know this cloud was taken. I... I'll leave you be." I said as I took her hoof to help me up and pastured to fly back home. Great job, Kade... You were so upset about being alone that you bothered somepony with your aloneness. Before I could open my wings, I felt a hoof on my back tapping me for attention. I looked over my shoulder to see her motioning for me to come... with her? I turned and trotted to her side where she tapped a hoof on the clouds next to her, I guess wanting me to sit? If she wanted me to sit, why did she not just ask me? I mean I know I interrupted her evening and all, but this was just getting awkward. The friendly silent treatment? Why not just tell me to scram or please, come sit here, I don't mind? Curiously, I approached her side and took my place near her. Wow, ok. Now that she was not back dropped by cloud cover, I could see all of her. Her flowing mane and tail, her eyes and her facial features. Apart from her blue eyes, her light blue freckles where the only things that gave away thing more than the two shimmering blue pools I had first seen. It was like sitting next to a ghost, a very cute looking ghost! "Umm... Hello." Good one, mares love the unsure hello, gets them every time! I looked to her with my best smile I had and... nothing. She just sat staring off to the sun. I leaned forward closer to her line of sight and tried again. "Hi, my name's..." But I was silences with a hoof tip to my lips. Being as this was the first time a mare had ever touched me, I feel as though I took it well. Frozen once more, I could only look into her eyes as she smiled back to me and shook her head. Oh, I get it, that is my cue to shut up and just enjoy her company. So I did just that. I kept my mouth shut as the sun fell from the sky and left us with a lavender glow that enveloped everything around us. We watched as the stars began to come to life and take over the endless blanket of blue above before being over shadowed by Luna's moon. I was nearly as breath taking as the mare sitting next to me. Try as I might, with every passing moment I could not help but feel more and more wanting towards this mysterious mare. I found myself trembling at the thought of somepony wanting me to be around them, let alone one this... pretty. Seeing that the celestial show had ended, I braved the silence once more to try and start a conversation. "Beautiful, yeah?" I said, looking to her. My reward for my selfless bravery was a smile and a nod. "You don't talk much do you?" I said trying to fake my best playful expression. Again, she only shook her head slightly with a face that said 'not really'... Or it could have said 'I don't talk to bucks like you', hard to tell when she REFUSED TO TALK! As luck would have it, I found somepony that was willing to acknowledge my existence and they didn't want to talk at all. Whatever... A win is a win and this is clearly a win for me at this point. "Sorry, is it me? I can go now if you want me too." I said as I stood up. Her hoof caught mine and halted my retreat as fast as it had started. "Look, if you want me to stay, all you have to do is say so." I said in near frustration. As much as I didn't want it to get to me, I did not like being toyed with like this. It was... humiliating. I watched as her eyes darted around as if to be looking for something before she began digging at the cloud around her. Even better, she's a lunatic. No wonder she wanted me to sit near her. A mare would have had to of been nuts to want to spend time with me. "Ok... I best be getting on my way then..." I said in a playful voice to try and hide the fear I was now feeling. But again, her hoof lurched out and caught mine. She stood and trotted to me with a woeful look on her face before motioning with her hooves to her mouth, then shaking her head. It took me a embarrassing amount of time before I figured out the cruel truth. She was mute. "You... can't talk?" I asked as politely as I could. I watched as her head shook back and forth. "But you CAN hear, right?" Again, no words but she nodded. Never in my life had I ever seen a more apologetic face before, well, maybe if I could have seen mine right now. Talk about feeling low. I really made a fool of myself this time, AND I was rude. "I'm... sor-" The words didn't even make it out of my mouth before she stopped me. She pointed to where we had been just sitting, crossed her hooves as if she were hugging herself and smiled. "Ok, bare with me here, I don't know hoof-sign." I said as I sat down. "Thank you for sitting with you... I mean me? Is that what you are saying?" I asked as I shy'd away from my own words. She nodded her head rapidly in approval. "Oh! Well, it was my pleasure! Really! Uh... Thank you for letting me sit with you?" I said as I watched her start looking around for something she must have hidden. Before long she had found a set of saddlebags and pulled them from the cloud and thrown them over her haunches. She turned to me and waved as if to say goodbye, but I was having none of that mess! "Hey! Are you just going to leave like that? What if I want to hang out again sometime, huh?" I said with a smirk. She trotted closer and pointed to me and then back to herself. "Yes, me, you, cloud, wherever. Would you like to hang out sometime?" Even if she didn't speak, at least she was somepony to be around. I mean, beats sitting quietly alone, right? She began chewing on her lip as she seemed to be thinking over the options in her head. "Oh com'on! Do I stink or something? I know I have been flying all day and all, but I couldn't have-" My words were cut short by her wrapping her hooves around me in a hug. I was so taken by the gesture that I once again froze in place... Well that and the fact that I had never been hugged by a mare before... My heart fluttered as I felt my cheeks turn red when she pulled away. She nodded her head and pointed at the cloud we were standing on. "Here? When? Like tomorrow?" She nodded again and waved once more before taking off. Well... That was weird. Fun, but weird. I took note of how dark it had gotten before finally deciding to head back home myself. But just as I stretched my wings out, I saw something lying among the cloud pile where she had pulled her bags from. I reached for it and pried it from the fluffy grip of the white matter. I was a history report? On pre-Nightmare Moon at that. More importantly, it was written on the same paper that they issue out at Canterlot High. The same paper I had in my bags. Why had I never seen her before in school? I know the place is big and packed with ponies, but I would like to think that I would at least recognize her. I tucked the page in my bags and made a mental note to try and track her down at school tomorrow to return it. If nothing else, maybe it could lead to having somepony to not talk to with. Talk about your match made in heaven... I fastened the clasps on my bags and set off for home, all the while replaying the days events in my head. Sure I had plenty to think on, but that all too fuzzy feeling of being hugged was stuck in my mind. I had never been hugged by a mare beside my mother. Dad wasn't the affectionate type either, so it stands to reason that the last pony to hug me... was mom. Even though thoughts of my mother usually brought with them me getting all sad and depressed, it was having a hard time fighting the new emotion I was feeling now. happiness.