White
Colors of Equestria
Chapter 1: White
A soft moan escaped my lips as I slowly exited my dream and reentered reality. With a sudden jolt of my senses, I jerked myself out of bed and quickly looked at the clock. 11:30 already?! Crap!! I’m gonna be late! I quickly dashed out of bed and into the bathroom. I went over my mental traveling checklist one last time.
Toilet break? Well, the train probably has a toilet anyway, so check later.
Mane? I don’t think trains have complimentary manebrushes, so… I grabbed a brush off the sink and ran it through my mane. I swept it into its usual spiky bowl cut. The blonde locks always seemed to control easily. I looked in the mirror. Check.
Teeth? Well… My toothbrush was already packed… I popped in a stick of mint gum. Check.
Ticket? I looked over at my two suitcases on the sofa. A blue rectangle of paper lay on one of them. Check.
Ferret? I looked over at my brown and peach colored pet ferret, Dreads (guess why he was named that. Hint: he has very odd, long, droopy ears.). He was lying on top of the other suitcase, awake and ready to go. Check.
Bird? I spotted my messenger bird, Peabody sitting on his perch, nibbling away on a nut. Her wore a cute little backpack full of quills, ink jars, and paper (don’t worry, they’re breed for heavy loads). Check.
Shower? I was already running late. I looked in the mirror again. It was quite easy to tell whether I was clean or not. My bright white fur was just that- bright white. I looked over my cutie mark. It was that of a quill drawing on a piece of paper. It didn’t seem dirty. I had taken a shower the night before anyway… Plus, it’s only a three hour train ride to Ponyville from Canterlot. I looked clean and smelled clean.
Sketchbook? That was the first thing I made ABSOLUTELY sure to pack. Check.
Done.
I grabbed my two suitcases and let Dreads climb onto my shoulder, as he always does. Peabody perched himself on my other shoulder. I threw one suitcase over my back and skillfully wheeled the other one behind me with my tail. I ran out the door and locked it.
I had to take a little… vacation to Ponyville through work complications. I worked with the weather crew. I specialized in snowfall and winter things. But seeing as though it was August… I hadn’t a whole lot to do with the Canterlot Weather crew. They figured the local head in Ponyville could find something for me that suited my… particular talents. I hadn’t even met her before. They told me her name once… but I couldn’t quite seem to remember.
I ran full gallop to the train station. The train was scheduled to leave at 12:00 sharp. It’s a 20 minute run to the train station from my house. By the time I got to the station, the last few stragglers were getting on. I ran in, showed the counter-mare my ticket, got it stamped, and boarded the train with a mere two minutes to spare. A long feeling of relief washed over me as I sat down. The seats were much larger than I thought they’d be.
The train began to move right after the final passenger boarded. She was a very light green. Her cutie mark was that of a small harp. Her mane was a lighter green with a nearly white streak in it. Finding no other open seat, she made her way to mine. She asked if it was cool if she sat there, and I happily agreed, moving my suitcase out of the way. She sat down in what looked like an incredibly uncomfortable position. The majority of her back was on the horizontal part of the seat, leaving her neck arched at an incredible angle. Her rear legs hung off the seat and her forelegs lay limp. She looked over at Dreads, who had become comfortable in my lap.
“Hey, cool ferret! What’s his name?” the mare asked.
“Name’s Dreads,” I said, looking down at him. His button-like eyes looked up at me and then to the mare curiously.
“I love animals. Is he half rabbit?”
“I think so. I found him in a box that said ‘free’ about a year ago.” The mare looked up at me.
“I’m Lyra,” she said, extending her hoof to me. I politely shook it. The train was now picking up its pace.
“Nice to meet ya. I’m Graphite.” Peabody was still perched firmly on my shoulder. He bent over to look at Lyra.
“Whoa, is that a messenger bird?” I looked over at Peabody for a moment. He had red and black feathers and a slightly orange beak.
“Yeah. You’ve never seen one before?”
“Not too many times. They’re common in Canterlot, but in Ponyville, they’re a rare occurrence. Not too many folks can afford one there.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. You been to Ponyville?”
“Not yet. I’m takin’ a little vacation. Work business… y’know.”
“Don’t I know it. Heads up, though, Ponyville’s a bit… humdrum if you know what I mean. If you can make it in Canterlot, you can more than make it in Ponyville. You stayin’ with anypony?”
“Cousin.”
“Ah. I live there. I was stayin’ in Canterlot for a couple days with m’family.” I nodded a kind nod. I looked out the window. The train’s speed had greatly increased and we were now flying toward our destination. The edges of the city could no longer be seen and all that was visible were wide open fields. Dreads stood up and started to sniff Lyra’s foreleg. Lyra giggled a little bit. “He’s friendly,” she said through giggles. I smiled.
“He’s a cuddler.” With precision timing, Dreads curiously crawled onto Lyra’s stomach, eliciting another giggle from her. She started to pet the ferret lightly.
“And my friends wonder why I love animals,” she said as Dreads crawled around her stomach and chest. I chuckled a little and reached for my suitcase. I pulled out a small bottle and retrieved a piece of a cookie.
“Watch this,” I said. I tossed the cookie into the air. Dreads jumped for it, caught it, stuffed it into his mouth, and did a small combat roll across my lap. It ended with him innocently munching on the cookie. Lyra smiled a wide smile.
“That’s so cool! All my cat can do is roll over and shed.” I chuckled. Lyra’s hoofwatch beeped. “Well… if you don’t mind, I’m gonna catch a little snoozle.”
“Sweet dreams,” I said in a sarcastic tone. Lyra let out one final chuckle. Dreads crawled up my chest and onto my shoulder. He rolled up into a ball and started his nap. I sighed a little bit and pulled out my sketchbook. I looked up at Peabody, who was digging for a quill and inkwell already.
“Please. Thank you,” I mouthed as the bird handed me the quill and inkwell. I dug into a pouch in the suitcase and grabbed a small cracker. I broke off a piece and tossed it up. The bird caught it in his beak without trouble. I smiled and scratched his head. If birds could purr, I’m sure he would’ve been.
I folded out my sketchbook. It was a special make. It could fold out to hold an inkwell without trouble, like a cup-holder. I dipped the quill into the ink and began to draw.
Drawing was my passion since the day I could hold a quill. Besides making it snow with the weather crew, I helped design clouds. Most of my casual drawings were either of buildings, cartoons, my pets, or the VERY occasional flower. For right now, I figured I’d draw my little ferret.
The second the tip of the quill touched the paper, I pulled back. A thought had flashed through my mind. As I thought about work, I thought about my reassignment. I thought about my new boss. The Ponyville head of the weather crew. I suddenly remembered what her name was.
Rainbow Dash.
How did somepony like Rainbow Dash end up in a town like Ponyville? Why was she in a job like the weather crew? And on a much less formal note… I’m going to see Rainbow Dash again!!!
Wait… Would she even recognize me? It’s been 11 years since I last saw her. Would I recognize her? And for that matter, would she be the same pony? Perhaps she’s changed, for better or worse. Either way, it’ll be a surprise. Maybe it’ll be a pleasant one, maybe it’ll be hell. Who knows?
And then there was my other best friend. My eyes widened and a smile spread across my face as I remembered Fluttershy. She was my first friend. We had sleepovers, attended each other’s birthday parties, and all that. I wonder if she got over her shyness? Maybe she’s outgoing and strong. Or maybe she’s the same old Shy I know. I wonder what she’s up to? Where does she live? Does she live in Ponyville too? Or is she still in that two-bedroom house she used to live in? Once again, who knows?
13 years ago…
“Graphite!! Wait up! I can’t keep up!” I laughed loudly and slowed down just enough for my friend to catch up a little. A smile spread across her face and she leapt at me. Her hoof brushed along my back. “Ha! Gotcha!”
“I knew you could catch up, you liar!” She ran away and I ran toward her. I flapped my wings hard, but couldn’t lift myself up off the ground. I paused for a bit when I saw her run to my backyard. I smiled a devious smile. I ran to the other side of the house and waited in a bush. When I heard footsteps running toward me, I jumped out. A loud gasp came from my friend as I tapped her shoulder and landed hard on my back. I heaved my chest and laughed. “…Gotcha back, Fluttershy…” She began to laugh as well and lied down next to me. She was upside down from my perspective. We both watched as a large cloud rolled by.
“Just give me… a minute… please…” she huffed. I breathed heavily as well.
“Stop saying please all the time, Flutter!” I said in mock scolding. She raised her shoulders and pointed her nose down.
“I’m sorry…”
“It’s okay. I was only kidding.”
“Oh… sorry…” I rolled over onto my stomach and sighed. I tore a piece of cloud from the ground and let it float into the air.
“D’you think tag is getting boring?” I said, my mouth in the cloud.
“No… Why, do you? I’ll stop playing if you want,” she said in her extremely squeaky voice. She slowly brushed her long
pink mane out of her face. It often covered one of her large teal eyes.
“It’s not that, it’s just… I think tag needs an upgrade. I heard Rainbow talking about hide-and-seek tag. It’s like… a mix of two games, y’know?”
“Rainbow? Rainbow Dash? You’re friends with Rainbow Dash?”
“Yeah! She’s in our school.”
“I know, but… isn’t she super popular?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Oh… no reason… Hey, Graphite? We’re still friends, right?”
“O’course we are! Why d’you ask?”
“Well… If you’re friends with Rainbow Dash… you’ll become one of the really popular kids and… and popular kids don’t
really talk to kids like me…”
“Nah, Fluttershy! We’re friends forever!” I grabbed her hoof and squeezed it slightly. She giggled and sat up. We
performed our ‘secret handshake.’ We jerked our hooves up and down three times, clapped twice, let our hooves circle each other, and finally slammed both of our hooves together, making a very loud CLAP!
We bursted out in childish laughter. “Nice handshake!” I heard a voice say. I looked up to see who spoke to us. It was none other than the most popular six year old in my class- Rainbow Dash. “We don’t have one, Graphite. We need one, man!” I stood up and ran over to her.
“What’re you doin’ here?” I asked, giving her a high-hoof. She was a year older than me, but I was still taller than her.
“My mom had to talk to your mom. Somethin’ about work… I dunno.” I looked back at Fluttershy, who had stood up. She was looking away, a slight blush on her face. I figured I’d do something nice for her.
“Hey, Rainbow. This is my friend Fluttershy.” Rainbow walked over to her.
“You’re from school, aren’t you?” Fluttershy’s blush increased as she slowly nodded. “Well, nice to meet ya up close!” She offered a hoof to her. Fluttershy whimpered a little and backed up a bit. Rainbow looked over at me with a confused expression on her face. I smiled.
“She’s a little shy,” I said aloud. As a five year old, I suppose it was against my judgment to say that quietly. “Just give ‘er time. She’ll warm up to ya.” Rainbow giggled a little. I walked over to Fluttershy and put my foreleg around her shoulder. “She’s a really good friend, though.” I could see a faint smile spread across her lips as her big teal eyes looked up into my golden eyes. We smiled at each other for a bit before Rainbow grabbed my hoof.
“C’mon then! I wanna show you a new game I learned!”
2 years later…
“Why do you have to move away?” Fluttershy said to me, a tear forming in her eye. I continued to look down at the ground, a solemn expression painted on my face. My parents continued to load the final boxes of trinkets and heirlooms into the Pegasus carriage. We were moving to the ground, to a city called Canterlot. My mother had to move their for work reasons, though I didn’t understand at the time.
“I don’t know,” I said quietly. I suddenly felt thankful that I had introduced Fluttershy to Rainbow Dash. Otherwise, she’d have nopony to play with or keep her company. The two had become good friends. I looked over at said blue Pegasus.
“I’m gonna miss you, Graph,” she said, a tear welling up in her eye as well.
“I’m gonna miss you too,” I said to both of them. We all embraced in a long hug. I couldn’t hold back my own tear now. It was now fully sinking in that I would probably never see either of them again. I would eventually forget them, and they would eventually forget me. My mother called for me. I pulled away from the two mares.
“It was fun,” I said with a bittersweet smile.
“Sure was,” said Rainbow.
“Goodbye, Graphite,” said Fluttershy quietly. I calmly grabbed her hoof and we solemnly performed our handshake one last time.
“Bye, guys. I’ll be back someday. I promise.” I slowly backed away and jumped into the back of the carriage. My mother rubbed my back as the carriage started to move away. I looked back at my house. That was the last time I would ever see that place. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash waved to me. I waved back, my tear finally rolling down my cheek. I had made sure to pack a picture of the three of us in my bag. I looked at it one last time. We had each gotten a copy of it.
I guess some things really are worth remembering.
Present…
It was then that I realized that I wasn’t going to be drawing anything on this ride. I folded up the sketchbook and stashed it into my suitcase. I handed the quill and inkwell to Peabody, followed by another piece of cracker. I looked out the window, letting my forehead rest against the cold glass. The afternoon sun beated on my face. My eyelids suddenly increased in weight. I closed my eyes and let the comforts of sleep take me…
“I’ll be back someday. I promise.”
You broke your promise. You didn’t return. You never went back. You failed…
“Last stop: Ponyville station!” I jerked my eyes open as Lyra pushed my arm a little. I thanked her for waking me up. There weren’t too many passengers left on the train. We slowly and groggily stood up. I could only assume that Lyra had just woken up as well. I felt Dreads’ teeny claws dig into my shoulder as he kept himself from falling off. I grabbed my two suitcases and exited the train. Lyra looked at me as we exited the station.
“I’ll see ya round sometime,” she said, sounding a bit less tired. I nodded and smiled.
“See ya later, Lyra.” She started to walk away, but spun around and leaned into my ear.
“By the way. If you see a pink mare bouncing toward you, walk the other way and pretend like she’s not there.” And with that, she trotted off. I looked around. What could that have meant? Oh well. The town didn’t look too large. In fact, you could see right through to the other edge of the village. Lyra wasn’t kidding when she said this place was humdrum. Lots of citizens were out, but they weren’t bustling around or shoving each other out of the way. In fact, I don’t think they could if they tried. The population here had to be a maximum of 150. Probably much less.
“Graphy! It’s been too long!” I looked over just as my cousin Brass Buttons attacked me with a hug. His coat was a brownish gold color. His mane was a light red. His cutie mark was a visual copy of his name; three round golden buttons. I patted his shoulder as he released me.
“Buttons! How ya been?” I asked while Peabody fluttered back onto my shoulder.
“I’ve been perfect! You need to tell me about your trip right this instant, mister! Oh! Oh! Never mind! Tell me ALL about Canterlot! What’s it like in the big ‘ol city, huh?”
“It’s… well, Canterlot,” I sighed with a smile. “You remember when you visited, right?”
“Oh. My. Gosh, that was… THE most cluttered city I’ve EVER been in. Mm. Mm. Mm. I do NOT know how you survive there. Oh, I’m so mean! Anyway, let me show you to my little home sweet home…”
Well… Let’s just say ol Brass Buttons wouldn’t be my first pick of a roommate.