//------------------------------// // Paradise // Story: Shut The Blinds // by The Rainbow Blunderbolt //------------------------------// Chapter four: Paradise She was blind. That thought echoed through Rainbow Dash’s mind relentlessly. She was blind. That meant she couldn’t see. To fly you needed to see, and she couldn’t do that anymore. Her whole life was in ruins. In the split second that she had jumped in front of Fluttershy everything had changed, and it seemed that those changes could not be undone. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew that no amount of wishing, wanting, dreaming, begging, or hoping could ever bring her sight back. What would she do now? She wasn’t able to do her job, she wasn’t able to get to her home, hell, she doubted she would be able to hover without any help. In short, she couldn’t do anything anymore! Now, all she was going to need was help. Unless she magically started seeing through her hooves, she was going to have to be led around for the rest of her life. For someone as independent as she was, that was the absolute worst thing that could possibly happen. She grit her teeth as every little detail started to pile up on her. It was beginning to make her dizzy, and she felt herself grow numb from the rest of the world. The only thing she felt was an unbearable anger burning within her. Ponies were going to start pitying her now. If there was one thing she couldn’t stand, it was when she was pitied. She didn’t need any pity! She was Rainbow Dash! The awesomest pony in Equestria! Or at least she was, until this happened. No, she was still as awesome as ever, no little case of sight loss could stop that…right? She lifted her hooves in an exasperated manner, desperate for something to do, and desperate for something else to think about. As she slowly moved her hooves across the blanket that lay across her abdomen and chest, she was surprised at how detailed it felt to her. It was almost like every little fiber of the sheet jumped out at her, and the small strands that stood out of place brushed against the bottom of her hoof. She also felt something else. But unlike the blanket, it felt like it was sticking into her. Curiously, she raised her right hoof up to her left. To her surprise, there was a small tube poking into her. She didn’t waste any time wondering what was in the tube though. Interested in what her hooves could now feel, she took a large inhale through her nose and reached both of her hooves up to where her unseeing eyes lay. Underneath her hooves she felt a large bandage. She followed the bandage’s path with her hooves and found out that it covered her eyes and wrapped around her head tightly. Great. Just another thing to remind her of her problem. Flinging her front legs back down to her sides, she let out an irritated sigh. What was her life worth living now? What was SHE worth now? She couldn’t do anything now. All she would be to her friends was a burden. Maybe if would be better for all of them if she just dropped off the face of Equestria. Wait a second. She thought back to her last hospital visit when she had broken her wing. Wasn’t there a lamp on the table just beside the bed? Curious, she reached a hoof outward to the right, feeling around while doing so. It was weird to not just see the lamp that was supposedly just sitting there, but she was determined to find it with or without her sight. Finally, her fumbling hooves came across a cold, spherical object. Satisfied, she moved her sensitive hooves slowly up the object. Suddenly she came up to a burning heat that sent her retracting her hooves away from the lamp quickly. Hissing in pain, she quickly grappled the body of the lamp and felt around. As she came across a large button in the center, she pushed it and earned a small “click” after she did so. Cautiously, she moved her hooves upward again. Luckily, she didn’t feel the burning heat soak into her skin. However, there was still a dim lick of warmth radiating from the bulb. But she could tolerate that. She kept her hoof hovering over it for a few minutes, contemplating things. It was one of the only times in her life she had ever sat down and actually THOUGHT. Then again, she had a lot of time, and a lot of things to think about now. As she sat there, pondering about her life, another click was heard. She quickly reverted back to her original position and flung her front legs back down to her sides. “Hello, Rainbow,” Twilight’s voice said. She let her muscles relax. “Hey, Twi,” she said wearily. “My, my, I never DID get used to these curtains,” she heard Rarity’s voice comment. “Hi, Rarity,” she muttered quietly. “Hmmm…perhaps I should – oh, hello, darling. How are you feeling?” Rarity asked as her hooves made a clicking sound as she stepped against the tiles of the floor. “Just great! Considering, ya know, I can’t see ever again,” Rainbow Dash grumbled bitterly, crossing her front legs over her chest. “Ermm…yes, of course,” the unicorn said awkwardly. “I’m terribly sorry about that.” Rainbow Dash sighed. “Ah, forget it. It’s fine,” she said. The pegasus could feel the uncomfortable feeling in the air radiating throughout the room. Was this going to be how it was from now on? Awkward and uncomfortable to even have a simple conversation with her friends? “Um…” Twilight’s voice wavered. Rainbow Dash could tell that the unicorn was trying to think of something to say. She knew it wasn’t all that fair, but she wished that they would spit out what they were thinking into the open where she could hear it. It seemed like they were trying to take it easy on her; they were PITYING her. Why couldn’t they treat her like they had before this whole stupid thing had happened? She didn’t need to be treated like a foal! She didn’t need everything to be sugar-coated for her! She didn’t need their damn pity! She didn’t need –! She stopped herself. Making indents in the blankets with her hooves, trying to control her temper, she stayed silent for a few moments. “So, how have things been going with you guys?” she asked, hoping a real conversation could be made. She swore she was going to be physically sick if this namby-pamby-oh-I’m-so-sorry-you’re-blind crap continued any longer. “Oh you should see-” Rainbow winced at the word “my new designs! They are absolutely marvelous!” Rarity gushed. By the sound of her voice, the white seamstress was completely engulfed in her own little world. “Rarity!” Twilight’s tone of voice made Rainbow Dash think that Twilight had caught onto Rarity’s little slip up. “What?” came the questioning reply. “Well, I’d love to SEE them, but I really can’t DO that,” Rainbow chuckled bitterly. “Rarity’s voice faltered as she realized her mistake a bit too late. “Oh…! Oh, darling, I’m so, so, so, so sorry!” she apologized rapidly. “I-I didn’t realize-!” “No…i-it’s alright,” Rainbow Dash sighed. “It’s…it’s just gonna take a while to get used to, you know?” She felt her lower lip quivering, but quickly sucked in a breath through her teeth. “Hey! I just got some new copies of Daring Do,” Twilight said quickly, breaking the grey mood that hung over the room like a storm cloud, threatening to rain over their heads. “Maybe I could bring one over and read it to you sometime?” she offered brightly. “Sure, Twilight,” she agreed. “That’d be great.” She couldn’t even read her favorite book series without help! The time marched on rather quickly as the three friends made conversation. It was less awkward than it had been at the start, but there were still a few questionable moments. Overall though, it seemed almost like any other day. Rainbow Dash felt herself relax considerably as time went on and, by the sound of their voices, Rarity and Twilight had as well. But even with the comfortable atmosphere that had formed, there was one thing she had to know. The thought gave her an uncomfortable feeling, but she didn’t think anything of it. “Hey, how’s Fluttershy doing anyway?” she asked. “I haven’t heard much of her lately.” Rarity didn’t skip a beat with her answer. “She’s doing just fine, dear. There’s no need to worry about that,” the unicorn said. There was something in Rarity’s tone that made Rainbow Dash not quite sure she was telling the truth. However, she didn’t question it at the moment, she would save her questions for later. But, at least the pony she gave her life and sight for was safe. Suddenly, that small prickle of feeling she had experienced earlier started making itself known in her chest. Was that what she thought it was? At the mention of Fluttershy’s very name the strong sensation had started, she just hadn’t seemed to notice until now. It felt like…no, of course it wasn’t that. She shook it off quickly. “Oh…that’s great,” she said slowly. “Umm…” She let out a long, fake yawn. “Hey, I’m really, really tired all of a sudden. Phew. I need to take a nap,” she said, stretching her front legs out exaggeratedly. Twilight started to say something but her voice seemed to die in her throat. “Well…um, okay,” she said uncertainly. “Are you sure you don’t need-” “Yes, I’m sure. You can go now,” Rainbow Dash answered a bit too quickly. “Of course. Come along, Twilight,” Rarity said. Judging from the sound, she must have grabbed Twilight by the tail with her magic. “Goodbye now, Rainbow Dash!” Rarity called out. “But, Rari-” The door slammed shut before Twilight could finish. Rainbow Dash let out a noisy sigh once she was sure she was alone. She thought back to the feeling she had experienced earlier. Every time she thought about Fluttershy, that same feeling bloomed in her chest. It made her grit her teeth together as she examined it more closely. She had felt it many times before, more than she would like to admit. However, she had never associated with one of her closest friends before. But it wasn’t like she wanted to feel that way about Fluttershy, she just couldn’t quite help it. As she tried to get her mind off the subject, her thoughts gradually reverted back to earlier, before Twilight and Rarity had come into her room. Were those really her thoughts? It seemed unreal to her. Then again, everything lately had seemed a bit unreal to the pegasus. Stubbornly, she turned onto her side and pulled the sheets over her head. As she lay there, and the more she thought about, she finally gave in and admitted it to herself. She blamed Fluttershy for what had happened to her. Why hadn’t she moved!? Why!? That was her only question. If it wasn’t for her none of this would’ve happened! If Fluttershy had just moved out of the way when she had the chance, she would still be able to see; she would still be able to live. But no! Fluttershy just HAD to be the scaredy-pony she always was and stay there, scared out of her wits and, more importantly, her common sense. These haunting, anger-filled thoughts echoed through her mind like a drum, pounding against her subconscious. Fortunately though, even with these thoughts still very much alive in her mind, she drifted off into a fitful sleep. ~*~*~*~*~*~ “I still think we should have stayed with her,” Twilight grumbled bitterly, walking down the hospital hallway alongside Rarity. “Maybe so. But, it’s for the best. Beauty sleep IS essential for one’s complexion after all,” Rarity said, flipping her perfectly done mane out of her eyes. Twilight narrowed her eyes skeptically. She didn’t think for a second that wanting to catch up on sleep was the whole reason behind Rainbow Dash’s behavior, no matter how much the pegasus loved sleep normally. However, she didn’t voice her opinion at the moment. If she did, she had a feeling Rarity would turn back and barge into Rainbow’s room, looking for answers and that was the last thing she wanted to happen. Instead, she settled on saying something else. “Thanks for doing that earlier,” she said. “For doing what exactly?” Rarity asked, raising an eyebrow. “For saying what you said about Fluttershy,” Twilight explained, giving her fellow unicorn a thankful look. “Think nothing of it. I was just doing what was right at the time. That is its own thanks,” she replied. “But, you’re quite welcome,” she added, winking knowingly. They kept walking down the long hallway, and as soon as they stepped back into the waiting room, Nurse Redheart came up to them. “I’m sorry to bother you two, but has Rainbow Dash mentioned any immediate family she might have to you?” Nurse Redheart asked, looking concerned. “We went through her records but she has no contacts listed.” The two shared a look. Why hadn’t the nurse mentioned this to them before? “No…she’s never said anything to us,” Twilight told her skeptically. She saw the nurse narrow her eyes and look at the ground in thought. “Why?” Nurse Redheart let out a heavy sigh. “In the case of an unexpected emergency and we have to operate, we have to have consent from a family member before we are able do that,” she explained. Rarity nodded. “Of course. We’ll see to that,” she said, giving Twilight a small nudge. Twilight caught onto Rarity’s little hints. Casting a small glance at aforementioned unicorn, she added, “Yes, what she said.” “Thank you, girls,” Redheart said gratefully. After that, she turned and trotted away from them, most likely returning to her work. After she was gone, Rarity asked,” Do you think Princess Celestia will have any idea who Rainbow’s family is? Perhaps you could ask her the next time you send her a letter?” Rarity wondered, looking at Twilight pleadingly. "Well…uh…of course I could do that,” the lavender unicorn nodded. Speaking of which, she thought back to the letter she had sent earlier today. Why hadn’t Celestia responded with the speed she usually possessed when it came to Twilight’s letters? Did something happen? It wasn’t likely, considering the calmness of the day. Usually when a state of crisis was upon them...which wasn’t very often thankfully...some attention was drawn to it, but this day had been positively plain, save for a few small details. “Actually, I sent a letter to her today,” Twilight said. “But she hasn’t answered yet.” “Well, I’m sure that she will soon. You just have to be a little patient,” Rarity answered. Twilight reluctantly nodded. Rarity smiled. “Wonderful. Then we have nothing to worry about,” she said kindly. “Shall we be going then?” The magician nodded, eager to get out of the sterile hospital atmosphere she hated so much. She quickly trotted out of the hospital with Rarity following close behind her. As soon as she was past the doors, she breathed in the outside air and slowed her pace. She looked behind her and saw that Rarity was mysteriously gone. But wasn’t she – oh, wait, there she was. The white unicorn had already started walking in the direction of the town. Twilight followed quickly, catching up to Rarity in a matter of seconds. “Where are you going?” she asked. “I’m planning to stop by Sugarcube Corner to see how Pinkie’s doing,” Rarity explained. “Maybe I’ll purchase something to eat while I’m there.” She looked up, thinking about the items that she was bound to purchase. Sugarcube Corner was known for its delicious treats, and almost every pony went there. Even Rarity, who had a legendary streak for making her opinion of “fatty foods will ruin my figure” very much known around town, went there from time to time. “Would you like to join me?” “Maybe some other time,” Twilight said. “I’m still waiting for an answer from Princess Celestia on that letter and I don’t want to miss it.” “Of course. Well, you know where to find me in case you happen to change your mind,” she said in farewell, starting in the direction of the bakery and sweet shop. “Ta!” she called over her shoulder. Twilight waved her friend off, only stopping when the other unicorn was out of sight. Following Rarity’s example, she walked forward. She took her time walking through Ponyville, enjoying the sunshine that radiated down onto the dirt roads of Ponyville. Celestia had done a good job today. It wasn’t too hot and it wasn’t too bright. Another thing to reinforce that on the outside it was a perfect day. When she got to the Library, she found, to her surprise, that Spike wasn’t there. She raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Spike was almost always here, except if he was at Rarity’s (who was probably at Sugarcube Corner by now) or out doing his own business. “Spike!” she called out. No answer. Anxiously, she quickly trotted up the stairs, hoping to find the dragon in the upper level of the house in a tree. But as she opened the door, it wasn’t Spike who she saw standing there. In her bedroom was Princess Celestia, standing in all her majestic glory. She had a thoughtful look plastered on her graceful features that made Twilight unsure whether she should be concerned or scared. Or maybe both. When she saw Twilight, however, that look turned into content calmness. “Princess Celestia?” she exclaimed, looking surprised at her mentor’s sudden appearance. It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen the princess in the Library before, it was just that Princess Celestia usually gave her a little bit of warning before popping up like this. “Hello, Twilight Sparkle. I received your letter,” the princess answered. She nodded her head, gesturing Twilight to come over. Twilight obeyed, walking up to the alicorn and taking a seat beside her. The princess sat down on a purple colored cushion lying underneath her. “I’m assuming you know why I’m here,” Celestia said as she sat, a serious look crossing her face. Twilight nodded. “Yes, princess.” Celestia smiled in satisfaction. “Good.” Taking a deep breath, she began her explanation. “I’m quite sorry about Rainbow Dash’s loss, and I offer her my sincerest condolences. It’s quite a shame for any pony to lose their sight, especially under the circumstances that occurred. But, for Rainbow Dash I could imagine that it can’t be easy to adjust to, or to accept.” She raised an eyebrow as Twilight looked down, but continued regardless. “However, since Rainbow Dash is the bearer of the Element of Loyalty, this is rather concerning.” Twilight could see the alicorn’s point. The Elements of Harmony were Equestria’s first line of defense. If one of the bearers was unable to use their Element and some devastating event happened suddenly, like Discord returning, then there could be some serious problems for all of Equestria. “But, I’m sure that Rainbow Dash will still be able to use her Element,” Twilight argued, frowning. “Perhaps…” Princess Celestia thought for a few moments. “But how loyal can you be to others if you aren’t loyal to yourself?” she whispered, dropping her voice so low that Twilight could barely hear it. Twilight stayed silent, her mouth gaping open as she tried to form her thoughts into words. “I suppose you would like to know where Spike is?” Celestia asked suddenly. Twilight blinked. “Er…yes, where is he?” she asked in concern. “It seemed he had an errand to run,” Princess Celestia answered. Twilight lowered her eyes in confusion. Why hadn’t Spike mentioned this to her earlier? Or maybe he had, but with everything going on lately, she must have forgotten. That seemed plausible. “Oh…” she trailed off. Celestia wrapped one of her wings around the unicorn, leaning down and nuzzling her gently. “Do not worry, my faithful student. Everything will be fine,” she told her comfortingly. Twilight sighed pessimistically. “I hope so, Princess.” She leaned into the loving embrace of her teacher. It seemed that the hug was all it took for the barriers of denial and emotion she had so carefully built up to shatter into a million pieces. Tears started leaking from her eyes one by one, and she made absolutely no effort to stop them. However, her tears weren’t hysteric sobs of pain, they were simply her emotions flowing out of her in a rather organized manner. In a sense, she was almost glad to release her emotions all at once. She didn’t think it would be good for her health if she kept them in any longer. All of a sudden, she felt the wing wrap around her tighter than before. The princess must have felt the tears drip down onto her coat. Twilight was happy for the comfort. It made everything else seem less…scary, she guessed she would put it. They stayed like that for a long time, but Twilight could care less about that. All too quickly, Celestia removed her wing, causing Twilight to jump in surprise. “I’m sorry to say this, but I must leave now, Twilight. There are things I need to attend to that can’t be avoided,” Princess Celestia said sadly, standing up. Twilight nodded. “Yes, I understand,” she replied, standing up as well. As she did so, she remembered something that was asked of her not too long ago. “Oh! I almost forgot! Do you know if Rainbow Dash has any immediate family around? Like her parents or a grandparent, by any chance?” she asked. Celestia thought about the unicorn’s question for a moment. “I can’t name any off the top of my head, but I’ll be sure to check.” “Thank you, Princess,” Twilight answered gratefully, taking a step back from the alicorn. “You’re quite welcome, Twilight.” With that, she walked to the balcony and hopped on top of one of the railings. “Now then, I’ll be off.” She turned her head back towards Twilight and gave her a small smile. “Goodbye, my faithful student,” she said in farewell. She spread her wings in a flourish and just like that, she was only a small speck in the clear blue sky.