Chapters “Honey! Come on, get up, it’s time for breakfast!”
Palette rose from her bed, rubbing her heavy eyes and stretching her hooves to the sky. She sat still for a moment, letting the chirping of the robins outside her window fill her ears. Her eyes were open, but her vision was pitch black. With a breath, she sniffed the surrounding air, getting hit immediately with the aroma of her favorite breakfast. Her mouth twisted to a smile, the image of the batter sizzling as it touched the hot skillet made her stomach growl.
Relax tummy. We’ll get there soon. Leaping off the bed, she carefully trotted a few steps at a time. She ran her hoof on the smooth wallpaper that covered her room. Her mother had told her that the wallpaper depicted trees of a bright sapphire shade, though her mind couldn’t imagine such an odd combination of colors and objects. All she could imagine was a dull grey that was plastered all over her room. Not that it would have made any difference, considering that she could neither see it, nor would anypony else besides her mother trot into her room.
She soon found her hoof extending forward effortlessly. “Finally,” Palette whispered under her breath, trotting through the doorway she had just found. Using her straightened hoof as her guide, she found one of the dining room chairs and sat down on the cushioned seat.
“Had a good sleep darling?” A cheerful tone rose Palette from her post-wake blues. The voice was practically singing to her and the sizzling of the skillet was her melody.
“Y-yeah. The usual.” Palette brushed a few strands of her yellow mane away from her face and tucked it to the side, sighing softly as she did so.
“Oh? No dreams again?”
“No,” she starkly replied, letting a beat of silence pass through the two mares before continuing. “It’s fine though.”
It wasn’t. Palette craved being able to dream once more. To see the colors of the world before her, stories interwoven with an array of visuals that, even though she would forget mere hours after she woke, her heart yearned for. Now, sleeping had just become another chore, like walking. She has and had only seen black in her mind, a color that had long overstayed its welcome but she knew it had no intention to leave for the rest of her life.
“Well, then these pancakes should cheer you right up!” Palette heard the sizzling stop as the clank of metal hitting porcelain rang out throughout the house. Before she had time to react, the scrumptious smell of breakfast intensified just under her muzzle. Her stomach growled, almost sounding feral as time went on. Grabbing her fork, she dived in, eating the meal hurriedly, ignoring the snickers that came across the table.
Only when she had devoured her meal did she hear the voice speak once more. “Well, I’ll be off soon. You’ll be alright?”
Palette’s ears twitched slightly as the sink turned on. “Always have been…”
“Good!” The sound of running water halted suddenly. Palette heard dampened hoofsteps approach her. As if she knew what was coming, she lifted her head upwards, feeling a kiss on the top of her forehead. “Now, I’m fine with you venturing out, but I don’t want you venturing—”
“— too far. I know, mom. I know,” she replied, folding her hooves.
“Well, just stay safe. Love you!” A high-pitched creak signaled to Palette that the main door was being shifted open.
“Love you too.” She threw her head back in the chair, rubbing her eyes once more.
Everyday the same routine. What will change? Palette rose from her seat, taking steps towards the direction where the main door stood. Nothing. That’s what. Go to the park. Nap. Come back. She scanned the door with her right hoof, finally feeling the wooden doorknob just in front of her. Twisting it slightly, she pulled the door open as it creaked like a bridge that had a thousand years of wear. Who knows? Maybe today’ll be different. She trotted out and lightly pulled the door close.
But I doubt it.
Chapter 1: The Painter's Strokes
Palette started her trot on to the streets of Ponyville, her destination already crystal clear in her mind. She couldn't see the place, but knew every turn to make and every shop with every step. She knew the shopkeepers that operated those stalls, but not the other way round. The strides Palette took were small and meek, doing everything in her power to shrink herself down, to make herself so insignificant that hopefully the judging eyes of the ponies she couldn't see would glaze over her.
"...Three bits please!" The booming voice of a stallion reached her ears.
Honey Comb. Probably selling another bottle of his home-made honey candy again. Palette didn't pause for a moment, moving slowly towards her destination.
On the way, Palette heard a discord of voices just ahead and as she walked further, it shifted to her right. Judging by the volume, it seemed that a large portion of Ponyville had gathered outside wherever it was, wishing or arguing for whatever it was. When suddenly, the scrumptious aroma of freshly baked treats hit her muzzle. She rubbed it slightly, feeling as if the smell itself had just punched her. The smell made her pancake-filled stomach growl once more. She didn't even need to guess what the fuss was about now.
Sugercube Corner's morning bake. Of course. Palette gave her tummy a small rub, wishing she could trot over and join the crowd that was shouting in a chorus of demand for the crunchy muffins and decadent cupcakes. However, that would mean joining a crowd. And once they lay eyes on me, the cheering would stop. They would leave and I'll be blamed for chasing away business. She sighed, stopping for a moment and orientating herself to look at the direction of the yells. As swiftly as she turned her attention to Sugercube Corner, she shifted away and continued her journey. As usual.
The rest of the walk was uneventful. At least nothing she wasn't used to. There was the typical construction noises of another home in Ponyville. To Palette, it just meant another pony that she wouldn't get to see. The quill shop had its usual morning bustle, no doubt from many fillies and colts scrambling to get enough supplies before the first schoolbell rang. She also trotted past the weather branch of Ponyville, the last landmark before she reached the coverted end of her walk. The shouting of commands and many gusts of wind from launching pegasi gave the branch away even without sight. Long ago, she would stop to make out the conversation but only heard terms she didn't understand, like "L.T." or "R.U.". As such, she simply left the shouting as the incoherent nonsense that it was.
When the clopping of hooves on sand changed to gravel, did Palette knew she had arrived. The smell of crisp air, the sound of rustling leaves and snapping twigs. Chirps from robins, sparrows and other species of birds she never tried to identify told her she was finally here.
Ponyville park. She changed her walk to more of a stride, and then to a gallop. She moved past the whispering couples and found her hooves touching grass and dirt once more. To many it would have indicated that they had strayed off the path, but to Palette, it merely meant she was on it. She raced forward and heard the ghost of rushing water. Almost...
When the echo of a speeding river grew twice as loud, did she know she had arrived. Raising her right hoof, she tried to extend it. It went almost straight but was stopped by a thick object. She felt the rough nature of the item in question, running her hoof up and down its coarse grain. She followed one line until it curled into a circle, intertwining with another before it swirled back around and down to the base. Nice to see you again, Sprout.
She was sure that if anypony was watching her, they'd think her insane. Placing her hoof on the bark of a tree, one that stood isolated at the very edge of the park, just in front of the rushing rapids of Ponyville's river. But she knew that wouldn't be the case. She loved this spot as it was far away from the stone and gravel path that everypony else trotted on. Out of sight from the couples that occupied the benches whispering words of love and gossip into each other's ears. Past the entrance and exit. She knew nopony would disturb her here for nopony dared to venture off the beaten path.
Pressing her back against the tree, she slumped down to its base, feeling the cool air wash over her face. It felt as if a spirit itself had dragged a finger past her cheek. Each small wisp of wind that crossed her face calmed her down. It brought her a simple comfort to know that in this spot, the world was disjointed from her own little island. In this spot, she never needed to worry about somepony trotting up to her to ask for directions, before quickly apologizing once they had spotted her cloudy eyes and slinking far far away. She always knew the way to whatever landmark they were looking for, but they never gave her anytime to answer. Everypony was sorry for her and eventually, she felt the same as well. However, here was where none of that mattered. It was a pleasure she expected nopony to understand, and she preferred it that way.
Leaning her head back, Palette felt it touch the trunk of the tree and simultaneously, she could see the thoughts from her previous days come together and rest in the middle of her mind. They were never different. Every day was the same routine. She wanted to change it up but didn't even know where to start. She felt like a machine programmed to do a few things in order. Nothing more. Nothing less. To change her routine would be to change the size of a gear. And she found no reason to. Why should she risk breaking down and being more useless than she already was? She was designed to do a routine and she performed it to the tee.
The thoughts had basically sorted themselves out. Everything in her mind was exactly where it needed to be. Every emotion and thought slid into their respective folders. Order. Satisfied that she had gotten another subroutine in her life down once more, she allowed her mind to empty and drift far away into the darkness of sleep. She wasn't tired. After all, she had just woken an hour ago. However, Palette found little else to do than to rest. Her body had also gotten used to it and so the mare with the bright yellow mane slept up against the tree. Her mind, like her sight, empty and dark.Just the way she was used to it being.
The next thing Palette knew, she was being shaken awake fairly violently, a distant voice echoing in her still dark mind.
“Mis…”
Palette tried to focus on the source of the voice. Maybe she was having a dream? She smiled at the thought. It would’ve been the first one for as long as she remembered!
“Miss!” the sudden shout shattered any hope she had into small fragments. Palette quickly rose her head groggily and rubbed her eyes. Who in the…
“Miss? Miss, you have to get to shelter right away!” the frantic voice of a stallion called out again, even louder this time.
“S-shelter?” Palette shook her head, tilting her head up to the source of the voice. “What in Equestria is going on?”
“Miss, didn’t you hea—”
Silence. Palette didn’t need to guess what the stallion had just noticed. Her heart sank deep down past her chest. Here we go again.
“Yes.” Palette stood up on her hooves, dusting herself off. “Yes I am what you think I am. Now mind explaining why you’re here?”
“Miss, I’m Hilt Guard, one of the weather ponies here in Ponyville. I need you to find shelter immediately!” the voice only repeated the same few words, causing Palette to question whether this really was a dream.
“May I ask why?” she asked in an agitated tone, wanting to continue her day like she always had.
“You didn’t hear about the thunderstorm clearing?” Hilt asked in disbelief. Before she could answer, she felt a droplet of rain fall onto her shoulder, sliding down her back. Followed by another. And another.
“Oh no. Come on!” She felt a hoof grab hers and whisk her form away from the spot.
“Hey! Hey, where are you taking me!?” The calm comfort that had been in Palette’s heart had transformed into quickly escalating fear. She tried to pull her hoof away from her captor but found his grip was far too strong. “S-stop! Help! Help!” she yelled as wind whizzed by her ears. The drizzle had turned into a full-blown storm. Rain cascaded down from above, matting her coat and soaking the ground beneath her. Thunder had started to roar louder than any she had ever heard. Her hooves squelched and splashed in puddles of mud and dirt and still she was being dragged along like a leashed pet. Her hooves ached and cried out for her to stop. Just when she could take no more, she felt the vice-like grip release her hoof, giving her back control.
Run! This is your chance! the voice in her head begged. Palette braced herself, ready to take off back home. All she needed to do was turn right from Ponyville park and… where? Where was home? Where was she?
Before she had time to carry out a decision, a hoof grasped onto hers once more and tugged her to the right where the torrent of rain had ceased. Something slammed shut behind the way she came and Palette stood in silence, shivering as ice-cold water continued to drip down from her body.
“W-where...w-where am…” her teeth clattered as she spoke. She could feel the warmth in her body sap away with each ticking second, making it impossible for her to speak more than a few shaky words. Fear had all but consumed her heart. She had been kidnapped by a stallion she didn’t know and brought to an unknown place somewhere in Ponyville. I...I’m not going to make it out of here.
Just then, Palette felt something thrown over her body as a hoof curled itself around her shoulder. The object was slightly rough but it was quickly absorbing the water on her coat, granting her a little respite for the biting rain. She felt herself being guided slowly to a chair, where she was seated.
“I’m...I’m so sorry Miss. I didn’t want to drag you like I did, but you would have frozen to death if I let you stay out there,” the voice’s tone had calmed significantly and now, Palette could sense the care behind each word. She still didn’t trust him though, and summoned all the energy she could to ask the nagging question.
“W-where...where am I?”
“The weather branch in Ponyville, Miss.” the voice replied deftly, though this time, he was much softer. Not due to volume, Palette could tell, but due to him being farther away than before. Her ears caught the clanking sound of spoons and utensils, drawers opening and closing and the whistle of a kettle. “Is hot chocolate okay with you?”
Palette wrapped the towel tighter around herself, trying to calm her still shaking form. Her mind was racing, trying to maintain her composure over the sudden jolt from her daily routine. For once, something different had happened and she didn't like it one bit. The darkness in her eyes seemed even blacker than usual as the patter of rain on the windows and roof filled her ears.
“M-Miss?” the voice called out once more. Palette barely managed to separate it from the chaos that was in her mind.
“I-I have a name. P-Palette,” she spoke through trembling lips.
“Alright then. Here you go Palette.” The sudden increase in volume caused Palette to jump in her seat, picking up the heat that was radiating from something in front of her. A strong sweet smell also overcame her senses. “I hope you don’t mind hot chocolate. I...umm...asked, but...you know, you didn’t answer and all.”
For the first time, she could sense hesitation in his voice. The quick, confident tone had broken just ever so slightly. She tapped the table in front of her, trying to find the drink he had spoken about. Right now, a warm drink was akin to diamonds after what she had just been through.
After several aimless taps, she felt a hoof land on hers, lightly guiding it to the handle of the cup. Palette’s face flushed bright red and her mouth drew into a frown. She silently gripped the cup and lifted it to her lips, the rising steam hitting her muzzle. Tilting the cup bit by bit, she soon felt the almost scalding liquid touch her mouth. She sipped a little and sat it back down, feeling the warmth slowly spreading to the rest of her body.
“Palette’s a nice name.” The confident tone had returned to Hilt’s voice. She didn’t reply. “We’re kind of stuck here for a while. Storm’s not scheduled to stop for another hour at least.” She turned away, trying to let the rain and thunder drown out his voice. She knew what he was focusing on, those cloudy white eyes of her. No doubt he only had one question in his mind, one he was too afraid to ask. “Well, if you’re not going to speak, this is going to be one awkward hour.”
The frankness of his words grew her attention. That, coupled with his laugh, made her unsure if he meant it as a joke or whether it was meant to be taken seriously. Just keep quiet. There’s nothing you can say to make this better. He’ll just judge you, like the rest. The thoughts continued to flow endlessly. Palette took a breath, unsure why she was going against her thoughts now.
“Why is it so quiet?” she asked, immediately regretting after she had finished.
“Probably the others have found ponies still out and about and guided them to the shelters we have stationed around Ponyville.” The chair across her squeaked softly. “While others are carrying out the storm.”
“Then why not bring me to one of those shelters?”
“Because, this was the closest place from Ponyville park.” Again, Hilt’s reply was instantaneous. “And the other shelter don’t have hot chocolate.” Palette could practically feel the mischievous glint in his eyes as he chuckled at his own joke. She found herself smiling a little as well, but hastily forced it back down into a frown.
“Well, we should find something to do to pass the time,” suggested Hilt.
Don’t entertain that request. Her mind urged her. “Like...like what? Me being the way I am, I don’t think you’ll find many things I’ll be able to do,” she paused.
“Well, do yo—” Hilt was about to throw in a suggestion, but was quickly cut off by her once more.
“No, I don’t want your pity,” she crossed her hooves, looking downwards.
“Al...alright?” His tone had changed to one of utter confusion. “I...I was just going to ask you what you see.”
The atmosphere thickened considerably, weighing on Palette’s shoulders. A sudden barking flame had been sparked within her when she heard that question. He’s insulting you. Making fun of you. Told you he was no different. “What...what is that supposed to mean?” she asked, agitated.
“Well, you...here let me try something. Close your eyes.”
The last three words struck a harsh cord in Palette’s heart. She turned her head up, scowling at the stallion across her. “I’m sorry, what?”
“Just...trust me on this.”
She had every right to just stand on her hooves and stomp out the door. I don’t need to take this kind of— But a sudden crash of thunder reminded exactly what was waiting on the other side. There would be no warmth of hot chocolate if she did exactly that, neither would there be a towel wrapped around her. Even so, Palette knew he was probably not going to let her go into the raging thunderstorm alone, which, when compared to just closing her eyes, seemed like the worst option for miles.
She slowly did as he instructed.
“And...what do you see?” Hilt’s innocent and oblivious voice as he spoke those words caused Palette to grip the sides of her chair with all her might to suppress her rising anger.
“Guess,” she sarcastically asked through clenched teeth, her patience wearing paper thin.
“Well, what do you want to see?”
She allowed the question to ring in her head for a few seconds. She thought she knew the answer to this question in a heartbeat. Oh the places she would go to! To see the lush green leaves of the trees that lined Ponyville park! Or the river that she could hear so crisply when she would lay at that spot!
“P-Palette?” Only after Hilt called her name did she realize she had been sitting in silence after he had posed the question to her. Not like she could’ve helped it. For the first time since, well, as long as she could remember, she saw images flash through her eyes. They were fake, yes, but being able to see the spectrum of colors from places she long forgot made her heart tingle ever so slightly.
“...A-a cliff. Overlooking the ocean,” she blurted out. Palette didn’t understand why she chose that location. After all, with so many familiar places to pick, she was sure it would be the hills of Appleloosa or maybe the bustling signs of Las Pegasus. However, a cliff? That bit she didn’t understand. But she didn’t want to question why. That would only make her stay here longer.
“Alright, then think that you’re standing on a cliff staring at the sea.” Word by word, Palette saw the world start to form together. As if somepony was fixing a jigsaw puzzle and she was part of it. She soon saw the cliffs form beneath her hooves and just below that was the faint blue of the ocean.
Blinking several times, Palette tried to focus once more, but noticed that the colors she could see appeared bleached. She could barely tell what the colors were. The grass on the cliff, that she swore she could feel under her hooves, was a faded green, reminding her of a dress she used to own when she was younger. How, after many many trips to the washer, the colors seem to sap away. The ocean, too, looked as if somepony has drained the very idea of water out of it. It didn’t looked nearly as lively as she remembered and found that the waves that danced on its surface were tame, not vicious or angry as she would have preferred.
Tilting her head up, she saw clouds being painted against a grey sky. Though it was there, it looked more like a dull painting where the artist had ran out of colors. Nothing seemed alive and the lack of sounds and smells only confirmed it.
“You see it, don’t you?” Hilt’s voice boomed softly into the world Palette stood. She felt like there were two of her. One sitting at the table, sheltered from a raging thunderstorm and listening to the stallion and another standing on the cliffs, overlooking a basically dead world. Right now, she didn’t know which one she’d rather be in.
“Yeah but everything’s so...colorless.” Palette furrowed her eyebrows closer together. She looked behind her, only spotting more grass that sprawled forward before stopping on the border of a white unknown. It resembled an artists’ canvas when he or she had not finished painting the piece. Though currently, she didn’t like what she had already painted in front of her.
“Well, what color is the sky?” She craned her neck, managing to catch the slightest blue swirled in with all the other depressing colors.
“Blue? I...I think.”
“Blue? Well, that’s boring. Let’s make it...pink?”
Palette recoiled her head in shock, unable to find a suitable reply to what she had just heard. “P-pink? Skies aren’t pink,” she reasoned.
“Well, no. In my world, skies aren’t pink.” She didn’t know why Hilt was referring to the world they both lived in as ‘his world’. Palette wanted to interrupt and ask, but bit her lip in fear of extending this dreary stay even longer. "But in your world, the skies can be any color you want it to be. Like..."
"...Pink." Immediately after Palette muttered that word, the once dull sky filled with a vibrant magenta. Bit by bit the color crept up from the middle to the edges and far beyond. Each second that ticked by, the skies seemed to come alive. The once motionless grey clouds started to move against the new backdrop, parting to reveal a bright sun that bathed the cliffs and the water in a glittering brilliance. Despite shivering cold, Palette could feel the warmth of each ray of sun and the comfort she felt was second to none. She closed her eyes to savor this moment, almost certain she could never get it back once it passes.
"So?" asked Hilt Guard. His deep voice was closer now and Palette knew he was leaning forward in his wooden chair.
"...It's... It's pink alright." She smiled, watching the world start to take shape. Though, when compared to the skies she had just reanimated, the rest of the world looked even more lifeless than it was moments ago. "But the grass on the cliffs..."
"...are golden." Hilt's voice carried such confidence she was wondering if he had told this to other blind mares, though that thought was quickly replaced by another.
"What?" Palette instinctively asked not a second after he had finished his sentence.
"The grass. Color them a shining gold!" He repeated once more with much more gusto, his command resonating through the world.
Golden. And sure enough, the grass beneath her hooves exploded in an array of bright yellow. Small bits of shining amber from the initial eruption fluttered upwards and flew in individual directions, like butterflies that had just been released from captivity. Palette took a small leap back away from the creeping yellow, gasping as it swiftly spread past the black grass. Almost fearful that the honeyed grass would overtake her as well, she tried her best to move to places where the color had not infected. However, that soon proved to be impossible as it painted through to every single blade.
Gazing at the fields now, Palette noticed the grass has started to reflect the pouring sunlight back upwards, creating a huge field of sparkling yellow. This simple sight filled her with awe, making her smile grow ten, no, twenty times its size. She had not seen colors this bright, this vibrant in ages. But now, the sea’s grey water truly looked dreadful.
“The sea. What color do you want it to be?” questioned Palette as she stared down at the water, straining her eyes for the non-existent waves.
“Me? Palette, what color do you want it to be?” Hilt threw the question back at her. She was prepared to do the same but judging by how quickly the stallion replied, she knew they would be throwing the question back to each other for hours to come.
“I want it to be.” Running through a myriad of colors in her mind, she sorted through those that would fit the rough seas. However, only shades of blue remained in her thoughts once she was done. She tried again, ending up at the same conclusion. Not blue. Blue...blue wouldn’t fit. Never in a million years would Palette have thought she would be living a moment when blue was the wrong color for the ocean. She recalled all the pictures she used to love, the sceneries she used to see when she was younger. The oceans, they were all blue. Light or dark, cyan or aqua, they were blue all the same. And yet now, here she was, able to dye the waves with any color she could imagine. She turned up to gaze at the blushing sky, then behind to the shimmering grass under her. Returning her attention to the sea, she gave a smile.
“Emerald. Like the trees in the park during spring.”
And so it was.
A brilliant green crawled from beneath the surface. It wasn’t obvious at first, but Palette knew something was rising. Sure enough, a geyser shot upwards in the distance, spitting out green water that gleamed under the light of the sun. Her ears quickly caught the rhythm of a loud crash just under the cliff she stood on. Waves! She glanced down and sure enough, the water that had been enlivened with green had begun their assault on the cliff. It was only a wave every few seconds at first, but soon, the entire sea had been dyed green and the waves’ continuous metronome of splashes brought a full grin to Palette’s mouth. She took a deep breath and smelled the seawater she missed so much. Memories of spending time at the beach with her friends, her family came flooding back to her much like the ocean she had just animated.
She took several slow breaths to steady herself, matching each inhale and exhale with the waves. “You see it?” Palette didn’t answer Hilt’s question, closing her eyes to better take in the sounds and smells of the odd place all around her. However, nothing compared to the feeling of true happiness when she opened her eyes and the world was still there.
It was no dream. This world was hers and she could see once more. Her mind wondered how the inert, lifeless world she saw a time ago had transformed into such a wonder. For the first time, the world had started to live and breathe.
And for the first time, Palette felt as if she had just started too.
Chapter 2: The Snap to Reality
“You see it, don’t you? All of it.”
Palette took her first step on the grass, trying her best to soften the landing so as to not damaged the beautiful blades under her hoof. However, no matter how light she made it, the grass crunched beneath the weight. She sighed, but her smile swiftly returned. “It’s...how did you do this?”
“I didn’t. You did. All I did was suggest.”
She took another step forward, followed by another. Before she knew it, she was sprinting up and down the cliffs, gazing at the pink sky smiling down on her and the green ocean swishing and swirling below. On the inside, she wanted to laugh so loudly the entire world would hear her joy. Everypony should feel this way right now . The feeling she felt was as close to pure, untarnishable elation as she might ever feel. However, a sudden thunder strike dimmed the bright sky and darkened the sun. The world jolted to black for a moment and reality struck down on her harshly. She realized that in the other world, she must’ve been sitting in her chair, smiling and giggling like a crazy mare. The very thought that Hilt saw that made her blush and shrink her body in humiliation.
“Whoa, hey. You alright?” Hilt’s comforting tone once again found a way to warm her once more. “What’s wrong?”
Palette took a deep breath to strengthen her composure. The darkness was still woven in her vision, blocking her view from the world she had already started to miss. “Just...just startled.”
“Good.” Another swift reply. “So, how’s the world looking?”
Strand by strand the darkness parted. The pitter-patter of rain had gotten softer and softer. Each passing second granted Palette a clearer vision of the world once more and before she knew it, she could hear the crashing of the waves again. She turned her head, trying her best to get a good look at the scenery around here. Only now did she realize something was missing. Or more precisely, somepony else.
“Hilt?” she spoke. Are you crazy? You have this world to yourself! You don’t need anypony else!
“Yeah?” The squeak of the chair signaled to Palette that he had leaned forward closer.
“This world…” Don’t you do it. It’s fine as it is. You know what happened last time. Palette felt a strand of mane fall in front of her face. But this time, she allowed it to stay. “It seems...well…” No turning back. “...empty.” Why?
“Oh? What’s missing? A house? You could imagine a log cabin. Always wanted to visit one of those.” Hilt’s speaking pace had started to increase. “Oh! Oh! What about...a...a beach? Sand so white that you spot a speck of dust a mile away!”
Who...who is this? Palette continued to listen to Hilt sprout more ideas. His voice was more animated than any voice she had heard before. And the more she heard his passionate ideas, the wonders that she could create, the warmer her chest got and the brighter her smile, and world, became.
“Actually,” she interrupted, finally brushing the strand of mane away from her face. “I think this world is missing somepony else.”
Suddenly the chatter grinded to a halt. Not even a second had passed when Palette’s mind started to go quickly out of control. Stupid stupid stupid. How could you say such a thing? I was right wasn’t I? He is just like the rest. Just like the past.
“So, want some company?” Hilt reacted as if nothing different had been said, continuing to speak in his upbeat tone. “I would love to be there.”
She stood, frozen on the hilltops. Her mouth opened and her jaw moved, but no words came out. Her once organized thoughts had been thrown into a frantic disarray. They bounced off the sides of her mind, trying to rethink the words she had just supposedly heard. “I...y-yeah. Yeah, sure. I-I wouldn’t mind too.” Palette tried her best to play it as if he was the one that offered, though at the end of her sentence her faux confidence had shedded its skin and her voice cracked. After all, what’s a creation without its creator?
“S-so what do you look like?”
“A stallion.” Laughter soon followed, but only from his. Once he had noticed the mare across him had not joined in, his voice softened once more. “I have a silver mane. Short and spiky. Really spiky. My mom would tell me I could poke somepony’s eyes out with my mane alone!” And once more, laughter followed.
She had wanted to giggle as well, but all of her focus was on the empty spot beside her. She allowed the description to flow through her mind, entwining it with as vivid of an image as she could conjure. Slowly, she saw the grey outline of a stallion form from the ground up to her right. The faint lines grew thicker as the seconds ticked by. When it had been fully formed, Palette listened to the description of the mane he had given and sure enough, short and spiky hair had grown and rested atop the still empty stallion outline. Its silver shade glistening like moonbeams under the glow of the sun.
“I...I see it. I-I mean I see you. Sort of.” Palette was now at a lost. She had never had a problem with finding the right words for a conversation, even though she, at most, was only able to get a line in. Yet here she was, stumbling on the simplest of sentences to the pony that had created a world filled with color. She thought of words to describe her feelings to him. Grateful. Thankful. Indebted. Yet none of the words even came close to expressing how amazing she felt. Gratitude? No...no that’s worse.
A soft chuckle shattered her train of thought, clearing her mind as Hilt spoke, “my coat. Well, umm...light blue. Cyan, kinda. It’s hard to describe. Sort of like…”
And out came the examples. One after another Hilt listed objects which he thought would be the color of his coat. The color of a faded blue tulip. The color of his sky if someone had bleached it even lighter than it was. The color of the water in the river that was being cut by a rock as it flowed down the current. “That sort of blue.”
Her mind went blank for a moment, but slowly, she started to go through one of the countless examples he had given. A faded blue tulip. Several had sprouted around her, going through their entire blooming cycle in seconds until the flower stood tall and proud. As she gazed on the petals of the newly born tulip, she saw the faint cerulean blue that shaded each leaf and immediately understood what Hilt was trying to say. A splash of blue fell onto the outlined stallion, coloring him from head to hoof.
There we go. I hope it’s the right blue. Not like I would— Her thoughts were cut short by more words flooding her head. “Got it? It’s the best I could explain it.”
She gazed at the figure to the side, missing only his eyes and tail. “Y-yeah. Yeah. Now, your tail.”
“Silver with black.” The reply was instant. “Kinda unkempt. Some strands kinda just...are curving around. Guess that’s what you get when you’re a weather pony.”
A tail sprouted from the the stallion’s rear and, just like his mane, glittered almost hypnotically in the sun. Two streaks of jet black raced through the middle and trailed it all the way down to its end.
“Eyes?”
“Yes, I do have eyes.” The words, and the laughter that followed, tore a small wound into Palette’s heart. She didn’t want to be offended by such a comment. However, she couldn’t help it. It was almost instinctual after the many insults that had been tossed at her by other, less easygoing ponies. She took a breath and spoke.
“I-I mean, what color are your eyes?”
“Lilac.” Palette waited for more descriptions like the rest of his answers but a soft silence consumed them both.
Purple. Lilac. She continuously repeated those two words in her mind, staring at the pupils of the stallion beside her. Slowly, a bright purple had started to fill them from the brim to the top. And all of a sudden, the eyes blinked.
Palette leapt back a little, gasping. The once lifeless form had started to move its hooves. Its mane flowed in the wind as it gave its wings a spread. It shut its eyes tight, testing the grass beneath its hooves.
“I...I think I see you.” She muttered under her breath, almost afraid that he would have heard those few words. She continued to watch the stallion stretch and move its new limbs, eyes still shut. Approaching it slowly, she softly spoke. “H-hello?”
His eyes slowly opened. However, this time, Palette saw something that shock her to her soul. His eyes were cloudy, as if a faint white film had been pressed over his irises. She knew what this meant and it was only confirmed by the way he was aimlessly looking around. She stood idly by, a swirl of shock, horror and happiness bubbling within her.
“How do I look?” He asked with a smile.
This time, Palette gave a sympathetic smile. She lightly tapped her new friend on the shoulder, causing him to turn and face her. Gazing back at the emerald waters, she replied, “you look...like yourself.”
Hilt grinned , taking a few steps around the cliff. “Such a beautiful place really should be given a name, don’t you think?”
The gears in her mind had started to turn once more, churning out letters and names that would fit. “Chrome? Chroma?” she whispered under her breath. “Indigo? Or…”
“Spect…” Hilt started, but stopped midway. He tapped his hoof to his chin, turning his head up to the candy-colored sky.
Palette’s working mind stopped suddenly and a smile crossed her face. She turned towards Hilt, watching as the stallion was still racking his brain. “Spectrum.”
He turned towards her, his mouth growing into an even bigger smile. “That’s...that’s perfect!”
A compliment. She closed her eyes, hearing the thumping of her heart. A strange feeling had started to overcome her, a sort of warmth. For the first time in a long while, she felt like she was worth something. That she had contributed something, instead of sitting idly by at the corner of the world where nopony noticed her.
“Well, ‘Spectrum’ is yours now.” Hit blankly gazed out to the sea he could not see.
“It’s a little lonely for just me,” she sat down on the grass, huddling her hooves to her chest.
“Well, then.” Turning back to Palette, he gave a confident smile of his own. “Let is be ours .”
She had lost track of the events after he spoke those words. Time had seemed inconsequential, for the sun that hung never seemed to move from its spot. Not that she minded though. With each sip of the warm chocolate in her cup, the sunlight only grew stronger. He had begun to answer a few questions as they sat on the cliff's edge. Questions about his life as a weather pegasus. As a stallion in Ponyville.
"Haha, no. Nothing that serious. I had been scolded was test flying one of the prototype flight propulsion devices. Luckily I kept my job." He turned his attention towards his hooves. She watched intently as he twiddled them around one another. "Looking back, I probably should have lost it. No idea why they kept me."
Neither do I. Her head rang out the words, Palette opened her mouth to speak them. However, she quickly forced it shut, breathing a sigh of relief that she managed to control the horrifyingly cynical reply. How can you think of saying such things!? She started to reprimand her thoughts, as if talking to somepony else. After all he's done... You wouldn't be here in the first place if it weren't for him! The voice argued back, shocking her to her core.
"Palette? You've gone quiet again." Hilt's voice cleared Palette's head a little, enough for her to regain her grip on her conscious mind.
"Sorry, I was just... thinking. About... some things." She stuttered, hugging herself softly.
"So what do you like to do?"
"What do I like... to do?" Palette gave several blinks to the stallion beside her. Unsurprisingly, he did not do the same. His attention was still drawn to his hooves.
"Yeah! Like... Hobbies. I love flying for instance."
She remained silent, not a word exiting her mouth. Her mind tried to stave the rush of thoughts that threatened to enter her mind. Memories of learning to hold a brush, of learning the keys of a piano, the notes of a family tune and much much more. Her efforts were fruitless. The memories tore through her weak mental dam and flooded her mind.
"Palette, you've gone sile-"
"How's the rain?" She quickly shifted the topic, stifling her coming tears.
"Umm, a light drizzle now. We can go back to where you live. Who's with you?"
"My... my mother." She answered, turning away to wipe a stray tear. Spectrum had started to dissolve at that very moment. As if someone had cut the threads that created this masterpiece, the sky, sea and ground unravelled, fading into the darkness that once again consumed her sight.
"Well, we should get you home. She must be worried sick." The grating sound of Hilt's chair scraping against the wooden floor as it was pushed back resonated throughout the room.
Her heart paused for a moment once she had heard what Hilt had said. Mom... She had been so focused on her emotions and the fact that she could finally see, that she had completely forgotten about her mother's feelings. She must be panicking!
Palette shot up from her seat , scrambling to the door. "We need to go! Please, I live 96 Frost Road. I... I need help." She closed her eyes for a moment, not wanting to believe the last three words she had just spoken. However, the current situation left her little choice.
This is the part where he laughs at you. Her composure started to crack, her eyes shut tight as she braced for the coming impact.
“Come on then, I know the way.” She felt a hoof grab hers and lead her out onto the streets. Tiny droplets of water hitting her coat. “Just trust me.”
She allowed herself to be lead by this stranger she had met mere hours ago, her mind focused on the words he had just spoken. Trust me…
Before she realized, she heard two knocks on a door, almost immediately followed by the sharp creak of the hinges. Palette was sure they reached. “Palette! Oh dear! Oh no, I was terrified that something might’ve happened to you!” Her mother dragged her into a hug, tightening it the longer it lasted.
“I’m...I’m fine, mom!” She tried to gasp out, feeling the air sap from her lungs.
“Thanks to this stallion I presume?” Her mother released her grasp on her, letting her gasp for air just in time to hear Hilt’s chuckle.
“I just did my job, ma’am. Brought her to safety at the Ponyville weather facility. Other than being caught in a little bit of a downpour, she’s perfectly fine,” he explained.
“Well, that doesn’t change the fact that you saved her from being caught in the downpour. Thank you…”
“Hilt!” Both he and Palette shouted the name simultaneously. There was several seconds of silence and she didn’t need sight to know that they were both staring at her, bringing out a faint pink blush on her cheeks.
“Hilt Guard, ma’am,” he continued.
“Well, Hilt. Thank you again. If there’s anything you need, don’t you hesitate to find us alright? We...we can’t provide a lot, but—”
“It’s fine, ma’am.” Palette could already imagine him raising his hoof. “But may I ask a question?”
You just did. The cynical voice spoke once more in her mind. She quickly slapped the thought away, before it could reach her next breath of air.
“Certainly.” Her mother replied without hesitation.
“Did you not know about the Thunderstorm Clearing? We broadcast it on all newspapers, radios and more to households.” She felt a small burning anger inside her. She understood that Hilt did not know how personal that question was, but that didn’t change the fact that Palette already knew what the answer would lead.
“Sorry Hilt, but we don’t have radios or even newspapers delivered to our home any longer. We have enough for the rent and essentials but...that’s about it. Not two bits more than that.” Her mother answered in a slightly more sombre tone.
“I understand. You work as a…” Hilt lead the question, awaiting for an answer.
“Dance instructor, Hilt. Oh, oh my goodness. I have totally forgotten to introduce myself. My name is Pointe!”
“Well, it’s nice to meet you Pointe.” I bet he’s giving her that smile. Whether that thought was from bitterness or happiness, she couldn’t say.“I better get going. Need to meet up with the rest of the weather pegasi.”
“You’re welcome here anytime, I hope you know that.”
There was another chuckle. “I do now. Thank you for the offer.”
“Would you like a drink on the way back?” Pointe offered.
“No, no thanks. I have enough back at the facility.” Hilt politely declined. “I’ll see you soon ma’am. And you too Palette!” The door had started to creak, when she realized something important. She rushed up to the door.
“Hilt?”
“Huh? Oh, yes Palette?”
“...Spectrum it’s… it’s gone.” She blinked several times, but no color came into her vision. “How do I get it back?”
“It’s never gone, Palette. Just a little lost. Give yourself sometime, maybe at that spot at the park you like so much.” She shrunk herself down a little, hoping her mother didn’t hear that. “You’ll find it. I know you will.” With that, his hoofsteps got further and further, before disappearing entirely.
“Dear, what was that about?” Her mother asked, pulling her lightly inside as she closed the front door.
“Nothing, mom,” she lied, heading into her room and laying on her bed. She buried her face in the pillow, mumbling into it, “I just wish I could see again.”
“Honey! Come on, get up, it’s time for dinner!”
Palette rose from her bed, her hooves going up to her eyes to wipe the dirt from them. She swung to her left and hopped off, landing on the carpeted floor with a muffled ‘thud’. Giving her hooves a light stretch, she groaned, her ears picking up the soft sizzle of the stove just outside. With a deep sniff, her nose caught the aroma of something delicious, it didn’t even take a second for her to know what was being cooked.
Pancakes. Palette reached to her right, grabbing a small cane and lightly tapping it around as she trotted forward. Once she felt the smooth wooden frame of her doorway, she moved past it, the smell and sound amplifying immediately as she did so.
“Morning, Palette! Had a good sleep?” a voice chirped a small distance away. Palette lightly tapped the cane, finally feeling the chair she had been searching for and sitting herself down.
“I slept fine. Nothing different, as usual,” Palette replied with a shrug, setting her hooves on the table in front of her.
“It’s a great day today! Birds are chirping, winds are cooling the sun. Ponyville’s never looked so beautiful.”
Palette’s ears twitched when the sound of sizzling ceased, though the smell continued to linger in the air, even intensifying as she heard something get pushed towards her, hitting her hooves slightly.
“Fork is over here.” She felt somepony lift her left hoof to the metal utensil sitting on the table. “And knife is here.” The same pony repeated the process with her right hoof, setting it atop the other silverware.
“Thanks, mom.”
“No problem, dear.” Palette felt a kiss on her forehead, having already imagined the wide smile on her mother’s face. “Now, I’ll be off to work. You’ll be okay till night?”
Palette gave a tired sigh, lifting the tableware to her breakfast and starting to cut into it. “Always have been…”
“Good.” Feeling one more kiss to her forehead, she heard the front door swing open. “As usual, you can go out but don’t stray—”
“Too far. I know, mom. I know.” Palette lifted the fork to her mouth, biting into the fresh and spongy meal.
“I love you, Palette!”
“Love you too, Mom!” And with that, Palette heard the door close shut. She reached over a little forward, feeling the cylindrical shape of the cup before lifting it to her mouth, sipping the freshly squeezed orange juice.
Beautiful day, huh? Her thoughts raced in her mind as she inserted another piece past her lips. What will change? With a heavy sigh, she picked up the glass once more. Everyday the same routine. She pressed the glass to her muzzle, drinking the remaining juice. Then a trip to the park. Who knows? Maybe today will be different.
Palette continued eating and drinking until the plate and glass was clean. After setting down the dishes in the sink, she slowly stumbled her way back to her room, picking up her sling bag and tossing it over her shoulder. She slowly shuffled towards the door, placing her hoof on the knob before turning it and pulling the door open. A thought raced through her mind before she closed the door behind her.
But I doubt it.
[Old] Chapter 1: The Colors Alight
Palette tapped the long stick around, dodging any nearby obstacles as she made her way to the park. Even though she had lost one of her senses, she had honed the others to an almost terrifying degree, being able to separate environmental noises such as wind from the chats of ponies around her.
“My breakfast wasn’t that great.”
“The Weather team better not repeat the same weather again!”
“Ha! Yeah, right! Spitfire’s the best Wonderbolt!”
She continued to weave through the street effortlessly, before her stick stopped mid swing, the solid sound of it hitting reaching Palette’s sharp ear. She tapped it against the object a few more times before adjusting her walk a little to the left.
Wood. Must be the entrance to the park. After just a step forward, she felt the dirt texture underneath her hooves change to one of rocks. Another thing that told her she was right was the distant sound of rushing water and the smell of fresh air. Palette took a whiff before sighing, quickening her pace. Always a welcome smell.
After a few seconds, Palette trotted off the stone pathway and onto the grass. Mom would scold me to no end if she saw me doing this.
“Walk on the path, dear!” Palette feigned her mother’s voice as she felt the cooling winds increase in intensity. “Don’t stray off, dear! Listen for incoming ponies, dear!” She felt the ground softly incline upwards before levelling again.
I’m not helpless… Palette turned towards her left, where the sound was echoing from. She laid down on the warm grass, feeling the morning sun warm her body. I’m just… challenged. Resting comfortably, she shut her eyes, hooves placed on her chest. And there’s nothing wrong with a little challenge… Her mouth grew into a yawn as she smacked her lips. Challenges are... always...fun…
Muffled sounds lightly pulled her from her dream world, where she was on a cliff, overlooking the breathtaking sights of the environment and the ravine below. The loud sounds of the gushing river, the beautiful green that covered the entire cliff, the—
“...use… e” Palette gave a soft groan, lifting her hooves to her eyes. She just wanted to see the stained tangerine sky and—
“Excuse me, Miss!” the deep voice called out, finally breaking through the illusion in Palette’s mind. Groggily pushing herself up, with her hooves still placed on her face, she gave another soft groan.
“W-what is it?” She rubbed her eyes, still trying to regain her composure.
“Miss, there’s a storm brewing. You need to get home,” the voice urged.
“What!?” Palette exclaimed, turning her head towards the voice. She dropped her hooves from her eyes, leaving her mouth hanging open.
“Yes, now please get ho—”
Palette didn’t need vision to know why the voice paused.
“M-Miss, are you…?”
“Yes,” she replied in a heartbeat. “I am.”
“Where do you live? I’ll escort you back post haste.” She felt a hoof on her shoulder. Grabbing it, she felt the pony pull her upright.
“I don’t need an escort. I’m fine by my own,” Palette replied, dusting herself off.
“Miss, the storm is going to be coming any moment now. At least tell me where you live.”
“Alright, whoever you are, just point me in the direction of Sugercube Corner and I’ll get going!” Palette felt two hooves on her shoulders before being spun 180 degrees around.
“Well, this is the direction to Sugercube Corner from the park exit but—”
“Thank you! Now, I’ll be heading back.” She started her trot down the hill, feeling the soft grass beneath her hooves. At the same time, her ears caught the sound of more grass being stepped on just a few centimeters to her left. “Why are you following me?”
“I’m just here to make sure you get back safely, miss. It’s my job,” the voice answered, still the same distance away no matter how fast Palette walked.
“Well, why don’t you make sure somepony else here gets home safely?” she snapped back.
“There is nopony else here, Miss.”
Palette bit her lip, quickening her pace. “Alright, just trust me. I’m not helpless, I know what I’m doing.” Tapping her cane around, she weaved past a large tree to her right, returning to the stone pathway.
“Impressive,” the voice complimented, his tone raising slightly.
This stallion just won’t leave me alone! Palette trotted forth, feeling her stick smack into another object. Feeling the intensity of the vibrations, she knew it was the park entrance once again and trotted through it. Her ears continued to pick up the sound of hooves on the dirt, the same distance away from her as they always had been. What do I have to do? Threaten him?
“Miss—”
“Okay okay, look,” Palette interrupted, turning to face the pony. “I appreciate all of this ‘accompanying to my home’ thing but I’m fine alright?”
“Miss I understand but—”
“Just let me go home by myself! I’ll be fine! I’m not helpless! I’m fine!” Palette threw her hooves in the air.
“Miss, please hear me out.”
“Just, leave me alone and don’t—” She paused, feeling a drop of water fall onto her muzzle. Before she even had time to react, she felt her hoof get grabbed and pulled, causing her to stumble to try to regain her balance. “Hey! What are you doing!?”
“Miss, I’m really sorry! Be mad at me later but for now we need to get you to shelter!”
“I said I can go home!” Palette felt more and more droplets of rain fall onto her, the harsh wind starting to pick up its pace. “Just let me go and I - Ah!” A sudden roar of thunder interrupted her speech.
The rain had started to pour heavily, drenching Palette completely. Although her hearing was consumed with the deluge, she could barely pick out the din of a door knob being turned before being pulled once more. However, she immediately felt the harsh rainfall on her coat cease and the noise decreasing following the slam of a door.
“Miss? Are you alright?” the voice asked in a concerned tone.
“Y-y-y-yes.” Palette shivered, wrapping her hooves around herself, cane still tightly in her grasp. “I-I-I’m f-fine.”
“Sorry about that. The storm was too close and the winds would blow anypony off their hooves.”
Nodding several times to acknowledge the voice, she turned towards him once again. “W-w-where a-a-are we?”
“Ponyville’s Weather Team Facility,” the voice replied before Palette felt something being pressed against her chest, something slightly rough yet mostly smooth. She reached her hoof up to grasp the object. “Towel. Dry yourself off, I’ll go make something warm for us.”
Palette was sitting at the table when she heard hoofsteps once again, before something aromatic was sat in front of her.
“Miss, I made hot cocoa. You’re fine with that?”
She nodded her head softly a few times, before reaching down to try to grasp the handle. After a few blind taps, she felt another hoof guide hers to the cup, allowing her to grip it and sip it lightly. Just my luck…
“Miss—”
“Don’t call me miss please. My name’s Palette Brush,” she spoke, setting the cup back down.
“Alright Palette Brush. I’m Hilt. Hilt Scope,” the voice replied, before the grating sound of wood scraping against wood echoed through the building. “Sorry. Old chair and older floors.”
The mare threw her head back and focused on her hearing, hoping to hear any other sounds but thunder, rain and wind, but none came. “Is this really the Ponyville Weather facility?”
“Yes? Why do you ask?” Hilt asked, before the audible sound of a sip reached Palette’s ears.
“It seems too quiet. I mean, shouldn’t a facility be bustling with other ponies?”
A light laugh was the answer Palette received. What? Is he mocking me?
“Sharp ears. Yeah, there’s nopony else here.” Another sip rang out from across her. “When we dispatch for a storm this big, everypony is involved. Some make the storm, others make sure nopony is out or in danger while its happening.”
“Like you?” Palette lifted her right hoof and gave her eye a small rub, still reeling from the chain of events.
“Like me.” Palette felt the top of the table descend just a tiny bit, knowing that Hilt must’ve set his hooves on the table as well. “I was dispatched the closest to the facility, so I could at least bring you back. The others are probably under one of the many designated buildings in Ponyville.”
Palette rested her head on the top rail of the wooden chair, shutting her eyes. “And how long is this storm supposed to last?”
“Oh… about two more hours.” Hilt didn’t even have a chance to finish his sentence before Palette released a long and heavy sigh.
“Perfect,” she exhaled, feeling both boredom and exhaustion taking over her form. And when I get home, all I’m going to hear it ‘Oh why didn’t you listen to me? You’re never going out alone again! It’s too dangerous!’ Palette continued to list off many other scoldings in her mind, each one causing her shoulders to drop lower and lower.
“Okay, Palette Brush, how about we pass the time?” Hilt suggested, causing Palette to lightly open her eyes and lean forward on the table.
“Okay, fine. What do you want to do? Read comics? Play board games? Oh wait, none of the choices are available,” she voiced out bitterly, throwing herself back in the chair and crossing her hooves.
While sitting in silence, Palette rubbed the side of her face once again, her heart even heavier than before. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be so—”
“It’s fine.” Palette heard the now familiar sound of Hilt’s sip. “Do you know colors, Palette?”
Palette looked forward with confusion. “What do you mean do I know colors?”
“Can you imagine blue, green, orange ,et cetera in your mind?” Hilt clarified.
Resting her left hoof on the table, Palette nodded.
“Alright, so I have a small game. Well, okay, not really a game. Think of it more as an...activity.”
Palette gestured her hoof forward for Hilt to continue.
“Okay, first things first, close your eyes.” Hilt’s request drew a spiteful gaze from Palette, who stared forward, mouth in a frown. “Just, trust me. I’m not here to make fun of you.”
Exhaling softly, Palette closed her eyes.
“Step two, I want you to imagine any place you want to. Maybe, the beach? Or a forest.”
“Got it.” Palette swiftly responded.
“What do you see?” She felt the table press down even further, Hilt’s voice a small bit louder.
“Cliff overlooking the sea.” And that was what Palette saw in her mind. A landscape in a dull, monochrome shade. Even though there was a sun in the air (or at least, what appeared to be one), it was just the same shade of grey as the sky.
“What color is the sky?”
“A...light blue?” She shrugged, ‘seeing’ the sky paint itself a generic shade entirely, even coloring the supposed sun the same.
“Why don’t we make it…tangerine orange? Like when the sun is slowly starting to rise over the horizon.”
Almost immediately, a rush of orange splattered the sky, consuming the previous color entirely. Palette turned her attention to the horizon, and sure enough, the sun was there, rising ever so slowly, sending out intense peace-colored beams that spreaded out throughout the sky and drenching the world in an apricot light.
“Got it?” Hilt’s voice shocked Palette back to reality, losing some focus of the scenery.
“Y-yeah,” she stuttered out, trying her best to focus on the environment and shutting out the thought of rain and thunder.
“Alright, and the color of the sea?”
“Dark blue?” she stuttered, unsure. Once again, the still grey waters started to color as cerulean slowly spread throughout. Even though the sea was colored correctly, the one shade and lifeless waves caused the sea to look as dead as a desert.
“Hmm, dark blue sounds a bit… bland. How about pink?”
“W-what?” Palette stammered, perplexed.
“Go on, give it a try.” Hilt coaxed.
The once turquoise sea was immediately saturated with a bright pink and, even though Palette had no idea why, the waves started to crash against the cliff, flowing like it should. The fuchsia ocean ebbed and flowed underneath the orange light, reflecting it off its surface.
“How does it look?”
“Odd… but nice.” Palette smiled a little, her eyes locked on the unique scenery she was seeing.
“What about the grass?” Hilt wondered.
“Well, green, right?” Palette saw the turf she was standing on wash over over with a normal green. However, the grass didn’t move, simply standing straight as if they had been frozen.
“Why don’t you try a soft yellow? To compliment the sky? And let them move along with the breeze that’s about to roll past?”
Hilt’s words stained the glass a bright lemon and caused them to flow with the breeze. The orange light bathing across each strand made them glitter, almost like the gold on a bit. When multiplied a thousand times, it made the once normal grass seem like the stars that hung in a night sky, the rushing waters still filling Palette’s ears.
“So how does it look?” Hilt’s voice drew closer.
“It looks...strange, but beautiful.”
Hilt gave a chuckle as his reply.
“What is this place?”
“Hmm…” Hilt’s voice trailed off slowly, before continuing, “Spectrum. The world of Spectrum, and it’s yours.”
Palette took a few steps forward in her new world, breathing in the scent of the nearby ocean. She looked around and felt an uncomfortable feeling well inside her. “This place looks a bit too big for me.” Hilt didn’t respond, leaving Palette in silence. “What do you look like?”
“Heh, me?” Hilt repeated, not expecting such a question. “Well, lets see. I have a long, silver mane that goes around halfway down my body. It sorta covers half of my face.”
A form of a pony took shape beside Palette, though merely a mannequin looking object save was the argent hair that draped down from the top of his head and around his neck, obscuring almost half of its eyes.
“Tail’s the same, though shorter and a little more messy. My coat’s a… salmon shade. I think that would be the best way to describe it.”
Each description Hilt provided, the form took with ease. Its tail was now a slightly unkempt shape, small strands appearing out of place but all of them matching the color of its mane. Its coat was now colored a light orange, lighter than the sky which hung over them.
“I’m also a pegasus, so, wings, naturally. And I have these maroon eyes my mom says is special, but I just think makes it look like I’m a vampony.” Hilt laughed, but Palette was too engrossed in her own world to hear anything other than what she needed to.
The form sprouted a pair of wings almost instantly and two large eyes with alluring crimson pupils, still half hidden underneath the flowing hair. Palette watched it give several blinks, before turning towards her.
“Well, that’s about it.” Hilt’s voice was back a small distance away, the distinct squeak of the backrest of a chair slightly interrupted Palette’s vision, but not for long. “Do you see me?”
Palette smiled wide, watching the stallion in front of her look at the world they had created. “Yes, I see you.”
“Well,” the words she heard matched up with Hilt’s mouth perfectly as she watched him speak, “I guess this is our world now.” Hilt’s head turned towards Palette, opening his eyes which only caused Palette to look at him in shock and confusion. His eyes were a cloudy white, a sign of something she remembered all too clearly from her visit to the doctor.
The air grew still for a moment until Hilt gave a small smile. “Hey there.”
Palette grinned back, hearing the waves hit the walls of the cliff.
“...Hi.”
[Old] Chapter 2: Over A Meal
Palette trotted along the gold grass, listening intently to Hilt’s words.
“Being a weather manager has its perks. It’s fun to see fillies play in the snow you make, or for couples to run in the rain. It’s actually quite rewarding!”
Palette smiled to him, watching Hilt turn his head around several times. “So what’s around me?” he asked.
“Grass. A lot of grass.”
Hilt bowed his head as he chuckled softly. “Okay. Anything else besides grass?”
“Not really, no.” Palette gazed at the scenery around them, spotting nothing more than the pink water and the stunning yellow sky.
As Hilt’s words reached Palette’s ears, she immediately saw several trees sprout from the ground, bathing the two in some much needed shade from the scorching morning sun. “Now that you mention it…”
“What else is there?” Hilt asked once more, closing his eyes.
“There’s...a pond.” Her eyes focused on one point of the grass in front of her, seeing a hole slowly form and deepen before the same pink water that painted the ocean filled it to the brim.
“Ooo, sounds beautiful.”
“Looks beautiful too.” Palette leaned down and touched the water, watching ripples slowly form and move through the still surface. She turned up towards Hilt, watching him stand still, staring at a blank spot in the sky. “But...you can’t see it, can you?”
There wasn’t a reply for a small while, but Palette quickly grasped Hilt’s hoof, bringing him down beside her. “Alright, it’s down here, you’re squatting right in front of it.” As he tilted his head down, she saw his smile in the reflection of the pond. “It’s pink, like the ocean. And it has...fish. Small ones, they haven’t grown yet.” She stared down as well, spotting a few more ripples appear throughout the water, made by several moving silhouettes.
“Isn’t it odd for a pond to be on a cliff overlooking the ocean?” Hilt questioned, his gaze fixed to the pond.
“Not in Spectrum,” Palette responded in an instant.
“Your world—”
“Our world,” Palette swiftly corrected him.
“Heh, alright. Our world is really nice. It’s nothing like I’ve ever seen.” He spoke, extending his hindhooves to sit.
“Y-yeah.” Palette sat, staring down at the reflections, sometimes disturbed by the moving shadows. “Me...me either.”
Palette lost track of time, not that time in Spectrum even passed at the same speed as normal. She didn’t know how long they were just sitting next to the pond in silence, not a word shared between them for Celestia knows how long.
However, she didn’t mind. She felt...peaceful. The smell of fresh trees and the ocean, the sound of crashing waves, the heat of the sun on her where the shadow of the leaves above didn’t meet. She could’ve stayed there for all time, but she was quickly snapped back to pitch black reality by a voice.
“Palette?”
Palette turned her head upwards, having lost the sight of Spectrum entirely, now replaced with darkness.
“Storm’s stopped. We should get you home.” She felt a hoof on her shoulder. It took her several seconds before she raised her own and grasped it softly, feeling it yank her back onto her four hooves. “Where do you live?”
“F-fourth house from Sugercube Corner. Turn right from Carousel Boutique,” Palette stammered out, still reeling a little from the sudden pull back into reality.
“Alright. Come on.” The next sounds that crossed her ears was the soft trot of hooves followed by the squeak of a door turning on its hinges. However, Palette didn’t budge from her position, her mind desperately trying to fix the world back together again. “P-Palette?”
Palette shut her eyes tight, finally moving forward towards Hilt’s voice and trotting past him.
Palette gave the door several knocks, hearing frantic hoofsteps approach it before the squeak of the door on its hinges echoed to her ears.
“O-oh my gosh, Palette!” She felt herself being pulled into a tight hug, the warmth of a familiar pony giving her some much needed comfort. “Are you alright? Are you hurt?”
“No, mom. I’m fine. Thanks to Hilt over here.” Palette broke the hug and trotted into the house, finding a nearby chair to sit in.
“You’re the pony that managed to get my daughter to safety?” Her mother’s tone was filled with concern.
“O-oh, it was nothing, ma’am. Just doing what I was assigned to do.” Hilt replied nonchalantly.
“Why don’t you come in for a hot drink?” Palette rose a little at her mother’s words, hoping that he would agree.
“Sorry ma’am, but I’m going to have to decline. I have to continue making sure the storm did its job.”
Of course. Palette slumped back into her chair with a heavy sigh.
“Well, if you need anything please do find us. I work as a dance instructor in a studio just a few blocks away, alright?”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Have a good day, ma’am.”
“Wait!” Palette yelled, practically leaping off her chair.
“Y-yes, Palette?” Hilt’s voice was the first to reply.
“I...I urr… W-why don’t you come around one of these days?” she asked, face turned away. Even though she couldn’t see it, she was sure her cheeks were bright red.
“S-sure. If you would have me in your home that is,” Hilt answered.
“Oh we would be delighted to have you. Please come over whenever you are free.” Palette’s mother spoke with a warm tone.
“Okay then, I’ll take my leave.” Palette heard his hoofsteps get softer in the distance as the door swung closed.
“So, are you cold?”
Palette shut her eyes, trying once again to rebuild the world she loved so much, but found that should could only construct blurred images of Spectrum.
“J-just need a bath, mom.” Palette stood from her chair and dragged her hooves to her room.
“Alright...well, I’ll make you some of your favorite soup in the meantime.”
Palette pulled the towel off the doorknob to her room with a weak tug, shuffling off, a mind a conflict of emotions and ideas.
The intense aroma of fresh dough drifted past Palette’s nose, causing her to take a deep breath and rise up off the bed. Stumbling out of the room, cane in hoof, she found her chair exactly as where it had always stood and sat down in it.
“Had a good sleep?” Her mother asked in an upbeat tone.
“D-did he—?”
“No, Palette. For the fifth day in the row, he didn’t visit while you were asleep.”
“O-oh…” Palette hung her head low, closing her eyes.
“But I am making waffles!” Her mother chirped, the smell only intensifying with each passing second. Without warning, the sudden sound of a plate landing an inch away from her startled Palette, returning her mind to Equestria. “You alright, Palette? You just haven’t been the same since the storm.”
“Y-yeah. Just...just fine,” Palette lied through her smile while her mind whizzed away at trying to recreate Spectrum.
“Well, you should—”
Suddenly, the doorbell rang throughout the house, immediately setting Palette’s heart racing. She didn’t hear a word from her mother, only hearing the door being unlocked a moment later. “Morning, Hilt!”
Palette froze solid.
“Good morning Mrs Pointe. How have you been?” Upon hearing Hilt’s voice, Palette felt as if there was something in her chest trying to burst out. Her mind continued to run faster than ever, the colors slowly returning to the world she craved to see.
“I’ve been excellent. Why don’t you come in for a while?” Palette’s mother invited him warmly.
“I was actually about to get some drinks at a nearby cafe and I was wondering if you and Palette would like to join?”
Palette closed her eyes, trying to quell the rate of her breaths.
“I wish I could, but I have classes in less than ten minutes. Palette, maybe you would like to join?”
Rising from her seat, Palette snatched her cane from the nearby table and tapped it forward, finding her way to the door. “Y-yes please.”
“Well, alright then. Good luck with your class, Mrs Pointe.” Palette could already imagine the warm, kind smile her mother would be giving at this time.
“Thank you, Hilt. Have a good breakfast.” Feeling a hoof on her shoulder, Palette felt herself being led slowly down the road, away from the house, hearing only the few muffled words from behind the now closed door. “Oh dear, Palette didn’t even take a bite…”
Palette sat down in the soft, cushioned chair, resting her back on it. She felt a small gust of air accompanied with a small thud. Reaching her hooves forward, she felt a smooth rectangular object which only confused her.
“O-oh. She won’t...she won’t need a menu.” She heard Hilt hush to what she presumed to be the waiter.
“Huh?” There was a slight pauses, before the same stallion voice continued in an obvious embarrassed tone. “I’m so sorry.” Slowly, the rectangular object slid out from under her hooves.
“It’s fine,” Hilt whispered back.
The air around the two fell quiet, Palette focusing all of her effort to suppress the loud yells she wanted to shout to the waiter.
“Palette?” The voice snapped her out of her concentration. “You...you wanna order something?”
“J-just a hot chocolate, please,” Palette answered in a slightly rough voice as she turned her head to the side to cough lightly.
“Alright. Waiter!” She heard the increasing volume of hoofsteps, before they stopped. “Two hot chocolates and a side of hash browns please, thank you.” The hoofsteps slowly trailed off once again.
“So...Palette. How have you been?”
“F-fine,” Palette almost whispered under her breath, turning her head to the right.
“Well, how’s Spectrum doing? The waters still flowing?”
She closed her eyes and, as if by magic, small little pieces of Spectrum started forming, like a jigsaw puzzle being fixed together piece by piece.
And there it was. The flowing pink sea coupled with the almost glowing sky and golden grass. She found herself seated at plain brown table in front of the pond with Hilt settled just across her, the shadows of the trees providing ample shade.
“Y-yeah…” Palette’s eyebrows arched together, still not fully sure how it was working. “The table looks really plain though.”
“Table?” Hilt asked inquisitively. “What? A normal brown table?” Palette gave a single hard nod. “Well, that’s boring. Wouldn’t it be more interesting if the table was draped with a cloth?”
Just as his words reached Palette’s ears, a white sheet was suddenly present, appearing out of thin air. “W-what color?”
“Hmm, your favorite color.”
The white cloth was swiftly dyed a bright blue, like the afternoon sky on a clear sunny day. “It’s now a light blue.”
“Wow. Good choice. Blue should go great with the yellow grass.”
She turned her attention downwards for a second, seeing the blue matched up brilliantly with the grass, drawing a large smile across her lips. Turning up, she saw the wooden chairs dye the same color, complementing them perfectly. “The chairs are the same too.”
Hilt chuckled. “Perfect.”
Palette focused on Hilt’s cloudy white eyes for a second before looking back down at the empty table.
“Tell me about yourself.” Hilt sat deeper into his chair, resting comfortably against the back.
“Like what? What do you want to know?”
“Well, do you have any dreams? Of what you want to be?”
Palette hugged herself softly. “I...I had a dream. Always wanted to become a kind of artist. Be it a painter, a musician.” Bowing her head, she tightened the hug on herself. “W-well, I guess you see why that’s no longer possible.”
The chair across her squeaks forward, before she felt a hoof on her shoulder. Turning up, she saw Hilt leaned over the table, smiling towards her. “So you know how to play some instruments?”
“The piano, mostly.” Hilt sat back down in his chair, hooves on the table, listening intently to every word Palette speaks.
“Oh? Do you listen to other ponies play music?”
“S-sometimes. I like to listen to other really good ponies play music but...it just brings bad feelings when it ends.” Palette released herself from the tight squeeze, instead letting them drop to her seat.
A beat crossed between the two, before Hilt spoke,” so, one of these days, mind playing a song for me?”
Palette darted her head upwards, seeing the sincere expression behind the long silver mane. “I-is that a joke?” she blurted out without a second thought, only covering her mouth after she realized how loud the words were.
“No joke, Palette. Not an insult either. I’m genuinely interested.” Two small thuds resonated to Palette’s ears and immediately, two white cups filled with cocoa appeared on the sky blue table. “I was told playing instruments is like...riding a bike. You never really forget.”
Palette bit her lower lip, only letting her hoof wander to the cup she saw. However, her hoof merely phased through the drink. Reaching over, Hilt guided her hoof to a supposed empty spot just a few inches to the right, where she felt the procerline handle and with a few blinks, she saw the cup had repositioned itself to that exact spot.
“If you don’t mind me asking, where’s your...your father?” Hilt asked with a bit of caution in his tone.
Palette took a small sip, wincing at the heat as she sat the cup back down. “Travelling. Don’t know where he is now.”
“Travelling? He’s what? A business pony?” Hilt pushed a bit more, sipping from his cup.
“A mechanic. He makes business by going to towns and offering his services, then he moves on to the next.” Palette looked out to the sun reflecting on the moving pink sea. “He sends money back to us with a note, but nothing more,” she continued, her voice stoic and emotionless.
“When was the last time you saw him?”
“Years. Decades...I think. At least, that’s what my mum tells me. I don’t...really remember him.” Palette drank the liquid chocolate, lifting her right hoof to her eye as she sat the cup back down. “Can we talk about something else? I...I don’t feel comfortable talking about my father.”
“O-of course. Sorry I brought it up.” Hilt’s chair gave a sharp squeak as he adjusted himself.
Palette simply waved her right hoof in front away, as if swatting the topic away. “So then what about you?”
Hilt started to cut into his hash browns, lifting a forkful into his mouth. “Well, you already know some things about me,” he spoke as he chewed. “What else do you want to know?”
“What were your dreams?”
Hilt swallowed and chuckled, cutting another forkful. “I’m living it.”
Palette raised an eyebrow, leaning forward. “A...a weather pegasus? Wow. Most ponies usually try to stay away from that job. Most call it boring.”
“Well, then they’ve never seen the things I’ve seen as a weather pegasus!” Hilt lifted another batch into his mouth, smiling.
Palette turned her head to the side. “And your family?”
“My family..” Hilt stopped for a moment, chewing and swallowing before continuing. “My family is in Canterlot.”
“Why aren’t they here?”
“I guess they trust me on my own. Plus, they have their own jobs there anyway, wouldn’t… wouldn’t want to disturb them and all.” The usual sounds of Hilt’s clanking utensils suddenly disappeared. Looking at him, she saw that he was frozen at the other side of the table.
“H-Hilt?”
“O-oh, yeah! Sorry. Was just, thinking.” Hilt regained his movements, continuing to rub his utensils together as he cut and ate.
The noise continued for only a minute later, in which Palette remained completely silent, before it stopped once again. This time, she sat still, watching the fish-like shadows in the pond next to them swim around. Try as she might, she found herself unable to get a good look at herself on the reflection of the pink water.
Looking back up, she saw Hilt as still as a statue, the only sound she could hear was the crashing of the waves just a short distance from them. As she took the last few sips of her cocoa, her eyes caught the small movement near Hilt’s mouth as he called.
“Bill please.”
