I can't believe I still have this... · 7:05am Jan 21st, 2013
A few years ago, I wrote a fairytale for an English class. The goal was to recreate the standard formats and motifs of traditional fairytales, including symbolism, the usual tropes of fairytales, and the like. With my assignment, I went against those traditions a bit and took a few risks, but I feel like it paid off in the end with a better experience.
That, and I got the highest grade in the class. Some of the other turnouts were...less than desirable.
It was written entirely by me, but it references quite a few characters that I am quite fond of. It won't be hard to figure out who, if you know me at all. I admit, it's got a few quirks to it. But hey, it's a fairytale, it ain't supposed to make sense!
I was going through my old documents not too long ago, and as it turns out, I still had a copy of the story lying around! Seeing as it technically isn't related to ponies in any way, I can't post it as an actual story on FimFic. But instead, I'll just put it in this blog post for those who wish to read it.
So, without further ado, this is...
The Lunar Artist
There once was a man known by the name of Moon Mender. He lived his life simply, and struggled to get by. As the only farmer in the small town he lived in, you would think he would have a great income.
The land, however, was quite infertile. Crops suffered in the rocky fields, and any produce was highly sought after. Boulders and other debris dominated the ground, providing little space for any crop to grow.
It was a wonder Mender could put food on the table for himself. With only a small portion of his income coming from his line of work, on might wonder just how Mender could get by.
You see, Moon Mender had a very unique ability. He preferred the night, and for good reason. Moon Mender had the power to manipulate the stars themselves. He would use this ability to gain a bit of extra money for himself.
The townsfolk would come to Mender with special requests of his ability. They would ask him to paint beautiful images, or portray special messages in the night. Some villagers would ask him to help confess love to someone close to them. Others would simply ask for unique images for their own leisure.
Mender's power was not known far and wide. Though he was proud of his unique ability, he asked those he helped to not go boasting about it. He was a humble man, after all.
The knowledge of his abilities was mostly reserved to the small town in which he resided. Though the town rested in a very large kingdom, it wasn't exactly the most popular, and didn't serve as much more than a simple stop for incoming outsiders.
This kingdom which the town was part of was ruled by a very wealthy family; a king, a queen, and their daughter, Princess Varinia.
Varinia was very well known throughout the entire kingdom for many reasons. She was very social, and spent much time with her subjects. She would travel to all the corners of the kingdom personally just to keep in touch with those she ruled over, and was greatly respected for it.
Her most notable quality, however, was her beauty. Her long, golden hair cascaded down her features, and her sleek physique was unrivaled by any other. Her voice had been compared to the singing of angels themselves. Her eyes were a striking aqua-marine.
These eyes, however, held a somewhat reserved fact. In truth, Varinia was completely blind. She had been ever since birth and she had never known the joy, or possibly curse, of sight. Despite her proactive nature amongst her subjects, not many people knew of this fact.
One day, Varinia decided to take a trip. She was taking a trip to a smaller town on the edge of the kingdom. A town where a certain farmer resided.
Stepping out of the small transport she had used to get there, she felt a simple presence. With no eyesight, she had grown to be able to judge environment around her through a sort of intuition. Call it her "sixth sense," if you will.
Her guide began to lead her around town. As she would have trouble making her way around on her own, as would be expected of a blind person, she always had an escort. To keep up appearances, she had villagers believe it was for protection purposes. She IS the princess, after all.
Across town, Moon Mender was working on tilling the land for what little crops he would most likely grow this year. The dreary land was a depressing sight. No grass, no trees, no form of any life besides the worms in the dirt beneath his feet. He wondered if he would ever be happy in this existence.
It was moments like this when he remembered he had an amazing gift. He had used this gift to bring untold amounts of joy to others, and even perhaps gained them the one true love they would ever have. He only wondered if this gift could ever do the same for himself.
Thrusting his rake into the ground again, he looked up to wipe the sweat off of his brow. It was at that instance that he saw her. He was left speechless before the sight that graced his eyes. The beautiful Varinia was in his town!
He didn't know what to do. How do you approach the princess of the kingdom herself, let alone when she clearly is uninterested in you? He clearly saw Varinia glance in his direction, yet she paid no attention to him. Should I be surprised, he thought to himself, I'm just a lowly farmer, why would she ever fall for me?
No! he snapped to himself. You just have to prove your worth her attention, worth her praise...worth her heart!
He began to devise a plan. If he couldn't talk with her directly, perhaps he could have the stars themselves do it for him! The castle which she resided may have been far from his little town, but the stars have no restrictions. They easily extended over the entire kingdom, all he would have to do is place them a little differently.
And that's exactly what he did. Each of the following nights he would paint a new image in the sky. Not for a young man attempting to confess his love, nor for a small child who merely wanted the image of a puppy to look at. No, he painted for her. The light of his gloomy night. He painted for Varinia.
He would paint and create incredible imagery, more stunning than anything he had made before. He made certain it would be just as noticeable in the castle as in his little town.
Unbeknownst to him, however, his artwork was falling on blind eyes. Though he received all sorts of praise from his fellow townsfolk, he heard no news from the princess, or anyone from the castle for that matter. He figured he would at least get a letter, or something.
Just as he was about to admit defeat, and accept that fact that she would never go for him, he was approached by a figure. A dark, mysterious, and somewhat imposing figure. Despite the dark blue cloak this figure was wearing which obscured his face, Mender knew all too well who it was.
It was none other than the wicked sorcerer, Vergil. His misdeeds and wrongdoings were known far and wide. As the self-proclaimed "King of Chaos and Disharmony," he aimed at nothing other than the suffering and unhappiness of others. Despite his reputation, he managed to do that rather well. He had the gift of the gab, and he knew how to use it.
Approaching Mender, he lifted the hood off of his head, to reveal a head of solid white hair and a pair of cold, gray eyes. Giving a somewhat chilling smile, he began to speak.
"Afternoon, Moon Mender." Vergil started. Mender didn't question exactly how this man knew his name. He was known for being incredibly smart, after all. "I see you've been busy with the paintings, lately."
"Get out of here, Vergil." Mender retorted. "I have no intention of falling for your tricks."
"Hey, hey, I'm here to deliver a message!" His voice carried a hint of sinister enjoyment in it.
"I've got a message for you too if you don't leave, I know what you're up to."
"Oh, come now." Vergil replied. Despite Mender's protests, Vergil didn't sound the least bit aggravated. "At least humor this old man. I merely want to help you!"
"Ugh, fine," Mender conceded, "but if you try anything, I swear you'll regret it."
"I promise nothing will befall that pretty, little head of yours. Now then, I have some information for you." Vergil pointed to the sky. "These little paintings you have been creating out of the stars? The princess has seen them."
"R-Really?" Mender questioned. "What does she think of them?"
"Oh, she's rather unswayed, actually. She doesn't pay them a second thought after she sees them."
"No..." With the wind taken out of his sails, Mender didn't know what to do. All his work was for naught. All the weeks spent toiling the night sky, it all meant nothing.
"It's a shame, really." Vergil started. "I thought your little paintings were beautiful. She just doesn't share the same sense of beauty as you do...but perhaps she could."
"What do you mean?" Mender questioned.
Reaching into a pouch tied around his waist, the sorcerer pulled out two necklaces with small, red jewels embedded in the center. "I have here a pair of necklaces. These necklaces have the ability to make her see in you, what you see in her."
"...What?"
Sighing, Vergil continued. "Simply put, if each of you wear one of these necklaces, you two will fall madly in love."
"How can I trust you?" Mender was skeptical, as he should be.
"Perhaps you can't, I'm not sure." Vergil began to wave the pair of jewels in front of Mender's eyes. "But then again, would you pass up an opportunity at the love of your life? At the heart of the princess herself?"
With this possibly being his only chance at this, Mender succumbed to the persuasions of the sorcerer. He agreed, and Vergil gave him the necklaces. He instructed Mender that all he had to do was be wearing one necklace at the same as the princess was wearing the other.
With his work done, Vergil slipped back into the night. Mender was skeptical, but he felt it may be his only chance. He sent the other necklace with a messenger to the castle.
Upon his arrival. the messenger took the gift to the princess. Entering her bedroom, he left it in the princess' hands and took his leave.
She had received gifts before, sure, but never a piece of jewelry. Though she couldn't see it, and most likely would never know what it looked like, she was grateful for it nonetheless.
Sitting on her mattress, she fumbled with the latch. After a minute or two, she managed to get it unlocked, and began to wrap it around her neck. The moment she secured the latch behind her neck, something horrifying happened.
She blinked her eyes several times. What were these things in front of her? They were fleshy, and had five appendages on them. She moved her hands, and these things in front of her moved in accordance with them. Then she realized, she was looking at her own hands.
The realization hit her like a truck. She could see! Years and years of blindness, suddenly gone! Having not expected this (after all, who would?) she let out a scream. Having never known eyesight her entire life, it was terrifying to finally see with crystal-clear clarity.
She could only question how this was happening. She took in the sights around her. Her bed, with a canopy hanging overhead and lace hanging off the sides. Across the room was a dresser with all sorts of decorations and other adornments. She had never expected her parents to keep her room so flashy, since she would, or rather should, have never been able to see any of it.
As she slowly spiraled into a world of fear, a calling from her window got her attention. She looked over to find a large owl perched on her balcony. It's gray and brown feathers covered an old, decrepit body. Its eyes, large and black, were full of wisdom.
"Princess Varinia," the creature called out.
"How do you know of my name?" the princess asked.
"That is not important," the bird replied. "What matters right now is your condition."
"What do you mean?"
"The wicked sorcerer Vergil is the one who did this to you. The necklace you have on your neck now is cursed."
"How so?"
"It is one of a pair. The two are set to swap the eyesight of whoever wears them. However, once they do, they will not swap the eyesight of the same two people ever again."
"But, whose eyesight did I take?"
The owl gestured for her to come to the balcony. She stepped out, and looked up into the night sky. The sight she saw was incredible. Images of all kinds filled the sky. Renditions of beautiful creatures were all around. Swans, eagles, lions, dolphins, and many other creatures known for their beauty filled the space above the princess.
"This is all the work of a man known as Moon Mender." The owl spoke up. "He has been trying to catch your attention for some time. He hadn't known you couldn't see, and had been painting these every night for several weeks."
"Oh no...Don’t tell me it was his eyesight that I took, was it?" The princess questioned.
"Unfortunately, yes." The owl answered. "Vergil had tricked him into using these necklaces. Now the man has your blindness, and can't see a thing."
Hearing this, the princess was struck with unbelievable guilt. The owl ensured her that she should not feel guilt, as it was not her fault this had all happened. She refused to let this go without penance.
She instructed the owl to go find Moon Mender and tell him to keep the necklace on. The owl complied, and flew off on his mission. Varinia had a mission herself. She quickly left her room and found a servant, asking him to lead her to the lair of the King of Chaos, Vergil.
The ride to the sorcerer's hideout was short. Varinia had her necklace stashed away in her pocket, along with a dagger. She instructed the servant to stay outside while she went in.
Walking through the corridors, she made her way through the dark and dank hallways. The place reeked of mold and dust, and was none too pleasant to be in.
At last, she made her way to the master bedroom. Slowly opening the door, she peeked in to find the sorcerer asleep, his chest rising with every breath. Slowly creeping toward him, she pulled out the necklace. Very, very carefully, she lifted the cold head of the man and wrapped the necklace around his neck.
Securing the latch, she realized she had no way of knowing whether or not this worked. She prayed the owl had stayed true to his word, and she pulled out the dagger. With a single thrust, she ended the reign of the King of Chaos and Disharmony.
Finding her way back out of the winding corridors, she found herself standing outside under the stars once again. She looked up into the night to find a new image had just been painted in the sky.
The stars spelled out the words 'I LOVE YOU, PRINCESS VARINIA.'
With tears in her eyes, she ordered her escort to take her to the small town on the edge of the kingdom.
The town where the love of her life resided.
The town of the lunar artist.
~*~*~
And that's it! This is the first true story I ever wrote. It's always fun to go back to your roots!
What do you think? Nice? Horrible? Cute? Dreadful? Let me know!
Cheers,
~Kody910
The buckin' feels man...
I would have given you an A+ for the whole entire year, if I was your teacher
734296
I actually did pass the class with a near perfect score. I was one of her better students!
[/smug]
Moon Mender...
Memory/Forgiveness pending 0.o
OC by the name of Moon Mender in that in case you haven't read it yet
Love the short by the way, right in the feels
734318
That's what I was referencing!
734326
I actually somehow managed to miss that entire little bit about you referencing people...
Oops, My bad ~
jeez man. That's great! Can it be made into ponies if work was put into it?
Awesome work, my friend! You're truly a talented author.
its very nice.
it was great
I love it, Kody! I also love how you switch anything that is pony-related to human, just to avoid the oddness going on in the story in general.
Most of all, I have not expect a character to have a name of Moon Mender, great job!
That was pretty damn awesome.
It was beautiful, and I enjoyed taking the time to read this.
Absolutely amazing.
You deserve a grade higher than A+.
Not really sure how to start.
I really liked this story. You truly deserved the highest grade. Great job!
Also, I couldn't help but be reminded of Vergil from the Devil May Cry series by this story's Vergil. Even though I don't play them at all.
Was that one of the references?
735289
Eeyup.
Nice. It's always fun to go back through old work.
Well, fun/flabbergasting. 
I like the old-school fairy-tale feel of it, what with the stabbystab.
Well, this was definitely interesting! Can kinda see why you got such a good grade! Very sweet with a hint of sadness and love and other strong emotions may not be recalling.
Though I can't help but think of Discord when I read about Vergil being the King of Chaos and Disharmony... was that edited on purpose, like you claimed in this comment about using Moon Mender's name 734326? Instead of whatever it was in the original assignment; if I understood correctly, that is (if wasn't for the original, but you said a few years ago, yet at most, Memory Pending was uploaded a year ago, as I recall). I do feel maybe Varinia's love for someone she didn't even see personally was a bit sudden, but I know this is a fairytale and those are typically kinda quick and usually end happy for the main character(s). 
Anyway, wish I still had the first thing I ever wrote, but I don't due to losing it when didn't have it backed up somehow... God, it was quite awful, I remember that much.
But at least gotten somewhat better since then, even if haven't put it into practice much. //dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Trixie_lolface_2.png Well, thanks for sharing with us, Kody!
734318
Name made me think of that first as well.
765374
No, the villain's name was Vergil from the get-go. He is almost entirely inspired by Discord, however. He even borrows a line from him!
765610
I see... wasn't sure cause as I said, Memory Pending was only uploaded last year (and first episode with Discord only aired less than a year and a half ago) and not sure how long you've been around or if did some editing for the story (cause I'm sure that unlike current story that is still writing while uploads chapters every week, Kiroberos had it fully done before started even uploading, which probably took a while as it was), and sounded like was saying wrote this a few years ago, when MLP FIM hasn't been out that long. But eh, will just assume it was a slip of the tongue about when you meant. //dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Twilight_Sparkle_lolface.png Still lovely, though!
Ooooh, this is cool.
It's a very good story with lots of feeling to it. I fully approve, and am glad it got you a high score. 
Is Princess Varinia modeled after somepony too?
843329
Why thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it! And no, Princess Varinia is original. I can't recall any specific character I might have modeled her after.
Also, KIROBEROS?
24.media.tumblr.com/5d8a70e0d302f5b71f7d62a206ca7e56/tumblr_mf9tm7SCpT1r1059xo1_r4_500.gif
How'd you find little ol' me?
843638
*points up at your story* You have "Moon Mender" in your story. That made it show up with a Google Search. Further, before I peeked, I had been reading some of your stories and was pleased to find the connection. 
You're a good writer. A bit too hard on yourself, though. 
Actually, now that I peek at it, I've read a lot of your stories... Something About Her, Those Golden Eyes, Trix Tix, and Novelty so far. Looks like I have more to read, now that I've made the connection. 
Heh. You're Silly.
846833
Besides, I'm nowhere NEAR your level of amazing-ness! 
I'm still in love with Memory Pending, and am thoroughly enjoying Forgiveness Pending!
True, but I didn't think this post would show up on Google so easily...unless you did a more specific search or something.
And yeah, I know I insult my own stuff all the time. What can I say? I find self-depreciation funny, ah heh heh, heh...
If I can make a suggestion? Scorched is, in my opinion, the best of my works. Go with that one if you plan on reading anything of mine!
847301
I'm glad you're enjoying my stories, though. I shall take your suggestion and read Scorched as well. I do like AJ. 
I'm just a normal writer.