A World without Color
By: Silent_Witness
A shrill sound woke Grey Cloud from his slumber, just as it did every morning. He silenced his alarm, and as he climbed out of bed and stretched his wings, he looked out to the clear skies outside his window. Such a beautiful would have brought happiness to any other pony… but it brought none to him. With a sigh, he put on his work vest, and left his small third-story apartment on the upper east side of Manehattan.
His flight to the weather factory was a short one. Grey Cloud groaned as he looked at the postings for the day- he was on cloud patrol. Which on a clear day like this meant a lot of flying around and doing nothing.
As he turned to begin his shift, he happened to pass a mare with a golden mane, a dark green coat, and a cutie mark made up of several wavy lines that she once said represented the wind. She smiled at him. He gave what he thought was a smile in return before continuing on his way.
He knew that mare- her name was Spring Breeze, or something along those lines, and she was part of the group that directed the winds. She always smiled at him when he passed. He always tried to smile at her in return, and sometimes even thought about speaking to her more, but always thought better of it. He was certain that she was simply kind to everyone, and that she already had a colt- or fillyfriend.
Grey Cloud was so certain that he was right that he never noticed that he was the only stallion Spring Breeze smiled at that way.
Before long, Grey Cloud was flying high over Manehattan. He was supposed to break up any stray clouds he came across, but as there were no clouds, he simply drifted aimlessly across the sky.
Unlike most of the ponies in Manehattan, he preferred winter. At that time of year, he was almost always on the production line, making snowflakes. He liked to make snowflakes- it was one of the few things he considered himself good at. And even when he was sent out on patrol, there were so many clouds that needed to be shuttled across the city that there was no time to think about anything else.
But not today. The skies were clear, leaving him alone, with only his thoughts to accompany him.
And before long, that question crept into his mind- a question that seemed to plague him every day since he had come to this city:
Why are you unhappy?
Grey Cloud didn’t know. He certainly could be worse off.
He had a roof over his head, and he wasn’t living on the streets. But the homeless ponies still seemed happy. They had their friends, the charity of others, or they could retreat into the sanctuary of their own imagination.
His parents were still alive. Sure, they lived in Las Pegasus on the other side of the country, but they touched base with him often enough. He’d thought about going back home more than once, but always decided against it, afraid to disappoint them by turning his back on the things he had accomplished so far.
He wasn’t unhappy with is job. Far from it- he’d dreamed about having this job ever since elementary school.
And he had his health. He had no major physical or mental disabilities. At least, none that he knew of.
So, why was he unhappy?
On this day, as always, the answer eluded him.
The day seemed to drag on forever. But mercifully, it ended, and he returned to the factory to punch out. As he left though, he passed a mare and a stallion kissing by the front entrance. The stallion he recognized as a coworker, but the mare he did not- no doubt she was his fillyfriend or wife.
He frowned and looked away. It must have been nice, he thought, to have someone who loved you. Who could give you strength and support when you thought that you had none. But he didn’t have anything like that. He was certain that even his own family didn’t care for him, that they would abandon him without a second thought if given the chance.
Grey Cloud shook his head vigorously. He knew that that wasn’t true- that his family did care for him. At least, his mind knew.
But his heart refused to listen.
Grey Cloud never had plans after work. Sometimes, his coworkers might invite him along to something, but he always turned them down. He only rarely visited any bars- he had no love for the taste of alcohol, nor the drunken rowdiness. So, he did what he always did- he wandered the streets, taking in the sights. And before he knew it, he found himself on Bridleway. There were others there, of course- Bridleway was Manehattan’s largest thoroughfare. But everyone else had company, it seemed- friends and loved ones to share the sights with.
He was the only one who stood alone.
He hung his head and trudged along, no longer mesmerized by the tall buildings and flashing signs. He did not look up again until he heard a clamor up ahead, quite different from the usual hustle and bustle of a large city.
It was then that he saw them.
There were six of them walking down the sidewalk towards him- all mares- laughing and talking amongst themselves. He’d never seen such a diverse group before- there was no way they could be locals. And did that lavender unicorn have wings?
He stepped aside and let them pass- as they walked by, he heard one of them say to the others, “…and you simply must see the Manehattan Bridge at night, darlings- it’s nothing short of magnificent!”
For several moments, he looked on after the group. He lifted up a hoof, preparing to follow, perhaps to show them the things he had found… but then set his hoof down once more. He had no right to insert himself into the affairs of other ponies, especially not a group of friends as close-knit as that one.
Friends…
The last time he could remember having friends was back in high school. He’d tried to make new friends here before- at work, at bars- but every time, he backed down at the last moment, wondering to himself “What could I possibly offer these ponies that they don’t have already?”
No matter how many times he asked that question, Grey Cloud never found an answer.
Saddened, he spread his wings and flew home. The trip took longer than usual, as though the weight in his heart were slowing him down. But eventually, he unlocked his front door, and stepped into an empty apartment. In the darkness, he made his way to his bedroom, took off his vest, and climbed into bed. As he lay, he looked out the window- outside, skyscrapers glinted, bathed in the light of the moon.
Equestria. Some would call it a paradise on earth. A land where nopony was found wanting. Where anypony could have anything their heart desired. A land where everypony was happy.
So why?
Why was he still so sad?
He could remember a time when things hadn’t always been this way. A time when the world was still bright, and shining, and beautiful.
But after coming to Manehattan, the dark clouds in his heart fist set in, and now those days seemed so far away, as though they had been nothing more than a dream.
As though he had always lived in this dull, colorless world of his.