//------------------------------// // The Old Castle // Story: From Earth to Equus: An Utterly Impossible Oddesy // by CarmenColor //------------------------------// As we began our journey, I noticed how very dark the clouds were becoming. The rain was pouring down buckets. We were going to be lucky if one of us managed not to catch a cold. The wind was freezing and howled like a timberwolf. I shivered slightly, the rain and wind washing my hope away. Unbeknownst to me, the bright blue hues of some of my feathers were beginning to fade to the regular cyan of my coat. We arrived at the edge of the forest, with me a bit behind everypony else. I was sniffling profusely and I didn't want anypony to hear me. It seems that even immortals can get sick, but it just can't really hurt them. Nopony else seemed effected by the cold, dreary rain, except Celestia. Her coat was slightly grey, maybe nopony else could notice it. I suppose if color and rainbows are your special talent, you get better insight on such things. We entered the forest. Chance came back to walk by me, putting a protective wing over my back. I smiled, but hoped that the rain would drown out my sniffling. What would they do if they knew I might be getting sick? Send me back? Or maybe just make me go on anyway. It's not like it could really hurt me. Our little group had walked for what seemed like forever. How long was this going to take? We came to a river. The one from the show where the sea serpent had lived. Seeing as he wasn't there, we were forced to walk through the dark, cold water. On the other side, I felt even colder than I had before, and actually had to stifle several sneezes before going on. I didn't think anypony had noticed. As we walked, Chance at my side again, I had to stop once to sneeze. I smothered the involuntary action in one of my wings. Chance's hoof was on my shoulder. "Hey, you okay?" "Yeah," I sniffled, "It's just all the water's got to me." I sneezed again. "Are you sure?" I gave him a little smile. "Yes, I'm sure," I replied, "You don't have to worry about me so much, you know." I felt a blush creeping into my cheeks. "Alright, alright. I get it." We kept trotting a few paces behind the others. Finally, we came to the castle. Luna landed next to us. "She is here, sister. The inside of the castle is like a condensed thunderstorm. I do not know how we will penetrate it." Another level of despair hit me, and the green feathers in the wings began to turn blue. My coat grew a bit greyish in color. "I barely managed to escape our old home." She looked over at me, and her grave face turned to one of shock, then horror. "Little sister!" I jumped, startled. "W-what?" Luna approached me, concern lacing her face. She looked me up and down, before lowering her head. A sign of failure or defeat. What had I done? "Carmen, little sister, please unfold your wings." I looked from Luna's defeated face to Celestia, who's features showed concern. I was scared. Why did they want me to open my wings. What was wrong with them? I slowly opened my wings, noticing the lack of purple and green. There was blue, but it was the wrong blue. As fear filled my heart, my yellow feathers began to turn blue right before my eyes. My breathing quickened. "What's going on? What's happening to me?" I started hyperventilating. My head spun. I felt like I was gonna be sick. I had no clue what was happening to me. "Carmen! Carmen, breathe! Come on, come on! Just breathe! Please, Carmen, just breathe!" I did as the voice told me, but a haziness was already creeping over my vision. "Please, Carmen. Breathe..." The conscious world slipped away from me, and my wings lost their colors. The grey tinge in my coat deepened. _______________________________________________ "Wake up, Carmen. We need you. I need you." It was Chance's voice that brought me back to reality. He was pleading to me. My eyes fluttered open. Tears streaked his cheeks, his eyes were closed. What had happened while I was out? I opened my mouth to say something witty, like what you always see in the movies, but instead, I sneezed once. Twice. Three times. Chance's eyes flew open. "Carmen!" He nearly yelled, pulling me into a tight hug. "What happened?" "You let fear and depression take hold inside you and fester inside your heart. You lost your color. Celestia and Luna went in to fight Sam with the Element ponies. They haven't come back." I looked down at my blue grey hooves. What had I done? I stood up shakily, and Chance tried to help steady me. I pushed his hooves away. "I need to help. I need to fix what I did." My coat lost its grey. Though my wings didn't have their usual colors, my coat shined its bright blue. "Shouldn't you lay down for a bit? I mean, you did pass out." I spread my wings. "I can rest later. This need to be done now." I took off and circled the castle, trying to find a good way in. Chance followed me. "Well, at least let me come with you." "But--" "You are not going in there by yourself. Not after what's happened today." At that, I stopped and landed on a large windowsill. I raging torrent of wind and rain beat against the window. "What are you talking about?" As if to explain, I turned away from him and sneezed. "Well, that for one," he said, "Are you okay? And don't say yes if you're not." "Well...I could possibly have caught a cold...I mean it has been raining and stuff." "I knew it! Carmen, you need to tell us about this stuff! And even if you weren't sick, you still shouldn't be going by yourself after passing out and because you lost your color. I mean, how does that even happen? If something is bothering you, you need to tell one of us." He looked disapprovingly at me. A couple of tears stuck to my eyelashes. I knew I should've told somepony, but I hate to make them worry or feel a need to fuss over me. I'm not one to look for attention. That's why being a princess wasn't so appealing to me before. "I-I'm sorry," I stammered. His glare softened. He reached a hoof out to me and-- --got pulled thought the large glass window. The etheral wisps of Sam's mane pulling him along. I screamed and swooped into the castle after him. I was met with the full concentrated power of an force five hurricane.