Rainbow Faded

"So... that's what happen..." Earthy Touch said sitting next to Monochrome and Petal Wind. The foal has told them almost the whole story. "I never thought that such a strict control over the clouds would exist..." He scratched his chin.

"Dear... I don't think that the clouds were the main problem..." Petal said a little worried. "the officer was more concern about mono going to flying classes, after all he's a pegasus..."

"I know dear... But as far as I know these classes are not really a MUST for every pegasus foal..." Earthy said looking to his wife

"You sure dear?" She said a little worried.

"Yes, I'm... I have pegasus friends that told me that once... Even one of the Wonderbolts never attended to those classes. He simply learned how to fly with his father and the rest was on his own." The yellow Stallion said. "But maybe you are right... Maybe the main problem is that mono never went to any flying class."

The foal did not like the direction that the conversation was taking.

"And... Will I have to?" Monochrome said a little worried that he would be separated from his foster parents.

"I think that this is a good idea actually..." Earthy said. "I can't teach you anything about flying and I Petal here can't too..."

"But dad, I already know how to fly" Monochrome complained.

"Yes, you know the basics..." The yellow stallion spoke with a patient tone "But there is much more than the basics for a pegasus."

"But if I'm gone... who will bring rain for the crops?" Monochrome argued trying to convince his father that this was a bad idea. But he forgot that the couple have been taking care of the farm long before the foal started to bring clouds around.

"Don't worry about that Mono..." Earthy said with a soft smile "We can take care of things here... We just need you to take at least a few months of teaching in Cloudsdale."

"MONTHS!?" Mono felt his stomach fall in a deep abysm and started to choke the words. "but... but..."

Petal approached the foal and rubbed her muzzle on his neck.

"Shh... Relax Mono... we are still going to be here when you come back... Besides, it's important that you have some pegasus friends." She said and kissed his head.

The foal didn't answer back, but it was clear that he was very nervous about all that.

The next day, Earthy send a letter to Cloudsdale, signing Monochrome in a semester of flying lessons. The flying school soon replied saying that in a few days someone would come to pick the foal and bring to Cloudsdale, much to the foals dispair.

Three days later, Monochrome was on the fields looking at the sky... The day had finally come. He and his foster parents were waiting for the instructor to arrive. The foal was really nervous about that... especially after the previous meeting he had with that guard from Cloudsdale. He simply didn't know what to expect and feared the worst. It's funny how a foal's mind works. The same way they can overlook a huge problem as if it was nothing, some small issues our bad situations could grow in epic proportions.

A silhouette started to approach the three ponies on the ground and Monochrome gulped. A grayish green stallion landed in front of them with a smirk.

"Look who we have here..." He said staring to the Monochrome. The foal's eyes widened for a second and he jumped behind Petal Wind so fast that one could swear that the young pegasus was standing on a brazier. Mono was face to face with the same pegasus that chased him few days ago. "So, he was your son after all" The stallion chuckled.

"Oh it's you!" Petal said stepping closer to him and ignoring her son that was using her as a shield. "You are the officer that told us about the foal that went in Everfree forest!"

"Yes, I didn't know that he was your foal. This little guy here gave me a scare when he dove in the forest like that…"The officer spoke with a grin. "And I'm impressed that he made it out on his own. When the search team couldn't find him we gave up hopes. It's a relief that you are alive and well." The stallion smiled to Monochrome.

The dark purple foal hat stepped behind his foster father, since his mother showed to be a poor pony-shield. Earthy looked at him and chuckled at how shy the little guy was.

"Come on now Chrome... Don't need to be afraid of him." The yellow stallion said, encouraging his son to step forward… It took almost a whole minute, but the foal stepped closer to the instructor, still very hesitant… The instructor chuckled lightly before speak.

"I don't think that I need to test your skill in flight... You already showed what you are capable off when I was chasing you. Also, the fact that you came out of the forest on your own is really impressive. I'll have you in the intermediate class. I know that maybe you are capable of more so, but let's not put the carriage in front of the ponies here ok?." He said looking at Monochrome.

"Ahm... ok..." Monochrome said still very nervous.

"Don't worry... we will work out this shyness of yours too" The stallion said rubbing a hoof over the foal's head and messing his mane. "Shall we go then?" the stallion said lifting on the air.

Monochrome approached his foster parents and all three hugged each other. If the foal could, he would but both in saddlebags and take them with him… The whole idea of being all alone in a strange place was terrifying Mono.

"Be strong there, ok? There are only a few months and then you will come back." Earthy Touch said. The small family exchanged goodbyes and then Monochrome took off too.

X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The trip to Cloudsdale was relative short. Only fifty minutes of flight and then the foal could see the sky city made of clouds. They approached the city and then the grayish green stallion did a quick turn to the left. Monochrome followed the adult that started to do quick twists and turns in the air, as if he was trying to miss the foal. Monochrome was doing his best to keep up, but he was getting tired really fast with that way of flight. The foal simply didn't have the stamina to keep up with that for too long.

After only a few minutes of small stunts the adult landed in front of a big house made of clouds. The foal crashed on the fluffy ground, exhausted.

"Heh, nice work boy. I didn't think you would keep up with me." The stallion said smiling to the boy. "Let's start the tour." He said and started to walk. Monochrome forced how himself to stand up and walked right behind him.

The Stallion showed him the flying tracks where some pegasi were racing against each other, achieving such a speed that made them look like only blurs. There was also a place where some were training in moving clouds or clearing them… That place took the foal's interest since that was his work at the farm …

Finally they arrived on a big empty area, a place where some older ponies were doing dificult spins and stunts. Among them, Monochrome could see a filly that already had her Cute Mark and her mane had a few strips of different tones of gray, something that he assumed should be very colorful. She looked a bit younger than him, maybe a year or so... Monochrome was almost 13 and she looked like 12 or so... but was already training with older ponies and looked better than most of them. There was also a creature that purple foal never saw before: a griffon. She was laughing at some random pegasus colt that had just crashed against a cloud and looked a year or so older than Mono.

After a while walking, the instructor stopped at the door of a big building made of clouds too.

"This is the dormitory that you will be staying. Tomorrow morning the classes will start so, I suggest you get some rest for today." He said looking at the tired foal.

Monochrome simply nodded and walked inside. It had several floating beds, all made of clouds... he went to the end of the building and jumped in a lower bed in the most discrete place of the whole room he just wanted some peace now.

The foal felt his wings burn a little after following the instructor in those spins and speed. Not that Monochrome was weak. He was used to the everyday work in the farms, but most of the work there was on the ground, and drag clouds around was not that hard, since they were so light. His strength was on his legs and not on his wings. He folded the cloud over him, like a blanket, and before he knew, he fell asleep in that comfy bed.

He woke up hours later when the sound of others pegasi entering the room got too loud. At first he couldn't see a thing but a white mass in front of him… he was completely covered by the cloud. Slowly he opened a hole on the cloud to see the outside. Many colts with different ages were chatting and flying around. It was extremely annoying... back in the farm, when the moon rose, only the soft sounds of nature were audible... it was so peaceful... but here was the completely opposite.

He could see from the window that it was already night but the colts didn't shut up. After a while, the dark purple foal gave up on sleeping again and opened a hole at the back of the building. He left in silence and closed the hole behind him. It should be pitch dark for most of ponies around but he could see without any problem. The purple foal flew slowly to a higher cloud to escape the noises from the dormitory and have a better look at the moon in the sky.

"Out for a night fly too? Be careful to not get caught or you will be in trouble." Monochrome heard a female voice next to him. As he looked to the side he could see the young female griffon from before. She was lying in a cloud with a simple smirk on her face.

"Thanks for the warning..." Monochrome said and landed in a cloud right next to her, turning his face to see the moon again.

"Heh, didn't I scare you? Most ponies here would freak out to see me in the middle of the night." The griffon said still looking at him.

"Well... sorry I guess... But I already saw worst things to be frightened by you just because you are different." He said and smiled at her.

At first the griffon frowned at him... "Are you saying that Im not enough to take you down?" She said defiant.

"Oh no!" Mono hurried to say "Is just… Why would I fear you just because you are different? It wouldn't be fair at all." The foal was remembering how he feared Nevarius on their first encounter, but found out that the horned creature wasn't bad at all… he was just crazy.

"Really? Heh, that's cool..." She said with a smirk and looked at the moon.

"I'm Monochrome... what's your name?" Mono said looking at the moon too.

"I'm Gilda... But you can call me 'G'" She chuckled and both stood in silence, admiring the night.

X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The months passed without any serious problem and Monochrome was really assertive on the activities, especially in weather control. He was definitely not the best flier around… he wasn't good at stunts or other complicated moves, but the foal had developed a good strength on his wings and was able to move clouds two times the size of a regular one without a problem and lift heavy weights from the ground. After all, he was not there to be the acrobatic type... Monochrome had on his mind that he was there to improve his skills to work on the farm.

At night he usually went to bed few hours after all the other colts were sleeping. He liked to watch the moon with his new found friend, Gilda. During the day he saw her spending most time with that rainbow maned filly that already had her cute mark... but during the night they usually were together to watch the night and talk. They had many things in common, for example, both hated how the other students were so noisy when they were gathered at the dormitory.

Aside from his skills in handing clouds and strength, the Monochrome had grown quite a bit in a few months. Now he was almost as big as an adult but still was a blank flank. Of course that he had some problems with bullies but he knew well how to handle them. The foal found out that, as long as he didn't took any word that they said to the heart, it simply didn't hurt at all. Making jokes about himself was a good strategy too and enough to keep most of the bullies at bay because it was simply not funny to tease someone that stole all your jokes. For those that actually tried to attack him physically... Let's just say that it helps a lot when you are friend to a griffon with razor sharp claws.

"Are you sure that it doesn't bother you?" Gilda asked after swallow a piece of a fresh killed rabbit. The moon was high and bright in the sky, bathing both in a spectral light, but Monochrome was able to see perfectly and so was Gilda.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I mean... who am I to judge you for something you cannot control?" He said while looking at the griffon. One of the reasons that she was always up till late was that she was something that most ponies wouldn't really understand: A carnivore. She used the nights to dive in Everfree forest, a thirty minutes fly from where they were, and hunt for food. Real food as she once told him.

"Heh, you are a nice guy you know... not even half cooler than me or Rainbow Dash, of course, but still a good company." She said and cut another piece of the dead rabbit with her sharp beak. Monochrome looked at the scene and remembered the time he got lost in Everfree forest and almost got attacked by a pack of branch wolves. If not for that weird horned creature the dark purple foal would probably be like that rabbit.

"R.D. Almost threw up when she saw me eating the first time" Gilda chuckled. "Can't blame her... I can imagine how gruesome it can be for prey to see a carnivore eating." She said while taking another piece of the rabbit.

"Prey? What do you mean by that?" Monochrome asked arching an eyebrow

"Is the term we use for those that don't eat meat. For us, griffons, every other creature that don't eat meat is prey. Not that we would actually hunt ponies... but you get the picture." She explained to him.

"Oh..." Monochrome sighed in relief. "Good is only a term... because I would hate end up like this rabbit." He said waving a hoof to the torn up corpse that the griffon was eating.

"You don't look tasty enough." She chuckled and the dark purple foal laughed a little too.

Gilda grabbed what was left from the rabbit and then threw it up in the air. He saw the rabbit spin once before landing in the open beak for the griffon that swallowed it all at once. Monochrome clapped his hoofs and Gilda bowed as if she was thanking a crowd. They both chuckled lightly and turned their head to the moon.

"So... you girls are leaving in a week and half right?" He asked to her.

"Yeah... Don't know how RD talked me into it though... I mean I don't want to enter the Wonderbolts or do anything like this... but she said it would be a nice experience for me." She shrugged.

They were talking about the Summer Flight Camp. A place where young flyers would learn some more advanced moves and train their skills as acrobats.

"Yeah, maybe it will. Shame I won't be able to go too..." he sighed.

"You know is not late to sign in right?" Gilda said looking at him.

"I know... but if I go it would be at least two more month that my parents won't have me around to help in the farms... Besides... I miss them" he smiled to her lightly.

"Yeah... I know the feeling..." Gilda sighed looking back at the moon.

"Hey G... don't worry ok? I know your father will understand your feelings some day." Monochrome said reaching his hoof to her claw.

Gilda once told him that her father was totally against her sign in for the Flight Academy. He didn't liked ponies at all. He actually hated them. On his mind it was an absurd that a bunch of preys could have it own land to live.

The older male griffon had an accident right after Gilda hatched and was unable to fly like it should be. He could make short travels but couldn't hunt or do any kind of things that he was suppose to teach his daughter and so, Gilda's mother was then burden with the task to hunt for the three of them and didn't really had the time to teach her daughter more than the basics. As a solution, when Gilda was old enough to actually hunt easy preys, like fish or other slow creatures, her mother signed her for the flight academy in Cloudsdale, so she could have proper flight lessons. Of course that her father was against it, and it was really hard to make Gilda's father to accept that she was going and he couldn't do anything to prevent that.

"Yeah, I hope so too..." She smiled at Monochrome.

She really enjoyed these moments with him… Around Dash, Gilda had to always look and act cool because it was usually the time they were surrounded by other pegasus. Since R.D. didn't like to stay up till late, Gilda could only find comfort of being 'herself' around Monochrome, far away from the sight of others.

Day after day passed, and soon a week and a half went by. All those who were going to the summer flight camp were ready to travel. Monochrome had his saddlebags ready too, but he was heading home. Six months had passed since the foal leave the farm and he was eager to get back home now. Around him many colts and fillies were saying goodbyes and chatting excited about the summer camp.

"So... I guess this is good bye then..." He said to Gilda... a little sad that they were departing... he would surely miss their night chats.

"Yeah... I'm not good at this but... good bye... we'll see each other some other time I guess?" Gilda said scratching the back of her head and looking around, to make sure nopony was seeing her act like 'non cool'.

"Yeah... I hope so..." Monochrome said and stood in silence. It was an awkward silence that lasted a few seconds.

When Gilda was going to say something a cyan blur landed on her.

"GILDA! C'mon they are already leaving!" Rainbow dash said joyful at her friend.

"Damn Dash!" Gild cursed and stood up making the cyan pegasus fall. "We'll see you some day Monochrome... it was fun to meet you" The griffon said looking at the dark purple colt and then spread her wings.

"Yeah, good trip to your home" Rainbow Dash said and took off. Gilda flew right after her friend and both joined the group that was going to the summer camp.

He barely spoke to the cyan pegasus... they were friends, or sort of... she used to spend more time with Gilda during the day since both had more in common. Dash said something about another friend she had since she was really small, but this friend didn't lived in Cloudsdale anymore. She was a pegasus but lived near Ponyvile after an accident. Apparently this pegasus was not good at flying and she fell from a cloud. Since then she only returned to Cloudsdale once to sign off the flight academy. Gilda didn't knew this pegasus too. The griffon sign in a month after the incident.

He waved goodbye for both of his friends while they flew away and then he turned to fly too... Finally heading back home. But he wasn't in a hurry… Why? Because it was still morning and Mono would prefer to arrive at home near lunch time, of course. So he flew at easy, enjoying the wind on his mane... he kept himself really high in the sky until he was almost at his home... he wanted to do a trick that Rainbow Dash once taught him. The only trick that he could do actually.

He went higher and higher… When he felt that he simply couldn't go any further and he air became very thin, Mono simply closed his wings. For a second he just floated and then he started to dive. His wings close shut against his body as he was gaining speed in a free fall. The wind passing through his body at an enormous speed and the ground getting closer by the second… He got a hold of the fear that was starting to grow on his stomach… The time had to be perfect. As he was a hundred meters from the ground he opened his wings and tilted his body back just a little. He simply held his strong wings in that position and let the rest happen on its own.

His body recovered from the fall sending him in an inverse arch, his hooves almost touching the ground. The speed he had achieved during the fall threw him forward like a bullet and made a small amount of dust rise right behind him... The adrenaline filled his veins and he smiled widely, closing his eyes for a second, enjoying the moment. When he opened his eyes again, so he could adjust the height to not collide against the farm fence, he saw a net made of magic strains right in front of him. It was too late to stop now and he got all tangled on the net that held him floating in the air.

"Six months in the academy and you are trying to make tricks that dangerous young boy!?" It was Petal's voice sounding a little angry. She was standing near the fence that surrounded the farm fields.

"Hey mom... heh... missed you too." Monochrome said chuckling.

"Monochrome!" Earthy Touch called trotting fast to his son. He had just passed the entrance to the farm. "Petal, dear, put him down please." The earth stallion said chuckling at the sight of his son all tangled in the magic net.

The net disappeared and the dark purple pegasus fell softly on the ground. When he stood up Petal and Earthy hugged him.

"We missed you, you know boy?" The yellow pony said to the pegasus.

"I missed you both too... a lot." Monochrome said hugging them back.

Life for Monochrome was going to go back to normal now that he was finally with his family. And they would be like that for the next year... Monochrome always taking care of the weather in that specific place, always clearing the sky and making rain when the plants needed water... traveling to Ponyvile with his father to deliver the shipments of flour when needed too and once in a while going on his own to the nearby city to pick up some small supplies.

But of course, he hadn't forgotten a dear friend of him. Thought the days of that year were really busy, Mono managed to pass near Everfree forest to at least say 'Hi' to Nevarius… but never to actually visit him. That was something that was starting to bother the purple pegasus.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

A/N: Here we go, another chapter ^^ Hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing o/

Comments? They are always welcome! =D