//------------------------------// // There Were Six // Story: Her Watching Eye // by InkHeartBrony //------------------------------// Knowledge. The world is full of knowledge. I have knowledge, I know things. I know how to count to 10. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10. I can count to 100, I can count to a thousand, I can count forever. I like numbers, numbers are in math. Where a number plus another number... equals a new number. Equals. 2=2 4=4 2+2=4 I like to read. I like to read the books of how we were built from two mind. I like to read big books. Big books, for big mares. I can be a big mare if I want. My favorite book, we read in class, was 'When the Sun dies'. It's sad. But it's very good. It's about how our society was created. How the four Rulers of old Equestria swore to destroy our society, our precious lives. The book follows the story of the youngest of the four, and how she tried to harm Mother. Mother, the individual who brought us love and equality. But She is no individual, She is us, we are Her. We are equal. We are together an individual. Teacher tells me I am 'special'. What does that mean? 'Special'. Teacher knows I am not called 'special'. I am called Gray. I am called by the color of my mane and eyes, the only thing that separates me from another, we all are. We all have white fur, the same, equal symbol on our flank, and different color manes and eyes. Every mane is one color, the same color as their eyes. Why then, does Teacher call me 'special'? That is no color, nor a word of Equish. I do not understand. Teacher is older, older than any of us. She knows many of things. But her tongue speaks strangely. She speaks words in class which none understand. Special, father, five, opinion. What is a 'opinion'? I read many a books but have never heard, read, or seen, 'opinion'. A word from old Equish, erased from our minds? Teacher speaks words of old Equish. She says we should learn it too, but if she says so, why are we not learning it then? If she says so, why does every pony not agree with her? Why does Mother not allow her? Is that, a 'opinion'? Or is a 'opinion' something different? Teacher says a 'opinion' is something very special, she says a 'opinion' is something we all have but may not see. Mother says a 'opinion' is the cause of evil, and the destruction of it as well. That two 'opinions' can destroy each other with the slip of the tongue. I do not understand. I have become close to Teacher. I have become close to her, that it is no longer rude to call her by name. Calling by name causes an imbalance in the world. You call them by title until becoming close with them. Teacher, Sister, Brother, Guard, Friend, Mother. These are the only titles, the most important things we must have memorized, every day of class. There is only one thing more important. Mother loves you. We write it over and over again with our cramped and aching hooves. Mother loves you. Mother loves you. Mother loves you. Mother loves me, an individual. I speak with Teacher outside of class sometimes.. I wonder about the things from old Equish. Teacher tells me of the adventure, the strange words she speaks, the ponies she loves. "There were 'five'." She says, but what is a 'five'. "Five is a number." She says. "'Five' is not a number I know." "That is because five is unequal. I am not required to teach you the unequal numbers, in fact I am forbidden to." "Un... equal?" I do not understand. "Another word from the past, I shall explain it to you later my Friend." "Are we not good friends? I asked you to call me by name, I do not think of it as rude anymore." Teacher smiled. "It must be a secret, Gray. Do not tell Guards or Mother of the way I speak with you. She will be angered, she does not like old Equish." "I am aware. I will keep our secret locked away." I saw her wince at 'locked away.' But thought nothing of it. "Hmm, well, I'll go on. There were five of them, but with me we're six." "You are saying five meaning four. Four adding an individual would be six. You are letting your tongue slip with old Equish Teacher." I laughed. She sighed. "You will learn someday." she mumbled, but I barely heard her, and joked. "You say you are our Teacher, but cannot count properly yourself?" "It was different back then. Numbers were different." "You are speaking with old Equish! Again and Again! This 'different'. What is this 'different'?" "It would be too hard to explain at this point. I think you must go, I would not want to get into trouble with Guards again, Gray." "Trouble? Oh, I apologize Teacher. Am I speaking too loud?" I asked with concern. She leaned forward and whispered, "I don't want you to get into trouble really. It's best to keep your voice down or you will have no voice at all." I nodded in understanding. I did not want to end up like my fellow classmate Blue. She smiled at me once again. "Thank you, Gray. I'm sorry, but I must leave. I have work to attend to at home." She began to walk past me and towards the clean white door, seeing only the black outline on the perfect white walls surrounding. "Are you still rereading 'When the Sun dies'?" She froze, and looked at me. I could see tears in her sparkling purple eyes. "Yes." Teacher continued to read that book. We were required to read it for class. The characters in the book had strange names. Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy. Rarity. Pinkie Pie. Applejack. Friends of the youngest Princess. There were 6. Princess Twilight was the first individual who vowed to destroy our society. She told the other princesses of it, and they worked to fight. It was not enough, they could never destroy the love Mother shared with us. The would never destroy our equality. Mother describes the Princesses as foolish and full of hate. When Mother says something, we all must agree. We always agree. Why would an individual, think differently than another? I find it strange. The four princesses were called 'alicorns'. Something we no longer have. The friends of Twilight were different. They had 'wings', and 'horns'. I wonder, I wonder what they can do. It says Rainbow Dash could fly. I have never heard of a pony who could fly, was she something of a bird? Only birds can fly, but then, I have never seen a bird, only read of them. It says Rarity could move things without touching them. Magic. Magic with a 'horn'. How can you do things, move things, with only your mind? It would make things easy, oh so easy. It says the 'alicorns', could do it all. They could do everything, they were powerful and strong, but not strong enough. They were foolish. Teacher will not stop reading the book. I ask her why, she says she is eager to learn more about the full story. Isn't reading it once enough? She weeps when she reads it. She weeps at the writing of Mother. She weeps with every book from Mother, but 'When The Sun Dies'. Must be the most painful to read. It marks the end of Princess Celestia's reign. It marks the 6 ponies separation, giving no clear say as to where they are, but, I quote- "The six mare's were separated and lost within the land of Equalestria. Where they are now is difficult to say, searching for them would be impossible. Their roles unknown. Their minds addled and confused. Their identities not known by even themselves. The six mare's are lost forever. Never to be seen again."