//------------------------------// // (49) Life: Light mist // Story: The nature of the beast. // by Kintra //------------------------------// Light and I were on our way into Ponyville when I was tackled by three furry bundles of hyperactive glee. “Eclipse! Can ah…Ah mean can we play with Light?!” “Yea! C`Mon Eclipse! Let us take light!” “Yea! Um…What they said!” I stared at the three little ponies and started laughing as light started pushing my face with his hooves “Come on! Let me go Puhleeezeee!” I just laughed a moment and picked the four of them up into a hug, they are so SMALL! “Go on you little troublemakers. Back by dark, light!” He nodded and they shot out of my arms heading to sweet apple acres. That kids gonna get in a lot of trouble, and I can’t wait. I stood back up as a laughing Rainbow dash descended to my height. “That kids gonna be a trouble maker.” I just laughed again as I continued walking. Rainbow kept pace as we walked through the town talking “So Rainbow dash. How it going?” She laughed. “How’s what going? My job? Full of long stories and thunderbolts. My life? All things considered, pretty good! I have great friends, a human, and a house!” I laughed at the human bit. “Oh yea? That’s pretty cool. I’ve got a town full of small ponies that rely on me for day to day life.” She laughed “Me too! Just not quite on such a grand scale. My jobs harder though!” “Yea, you got me there, my job is stupid easy. But aside from gloating, hows everything been?” “Not bad. Since I stopped pining after you, Thanks by the way, you yelling at us really put things in order for me. But, since I stopped stalking you I’ve been working on tricks and stunts in my down time, I may have finally finished perfecting buccaneer’s blaze!” Wait, she perfected a pirate’s smoke? “That’s cool, you are definitely gonna have to show me sometime, and any time you need me to yell at you for things to be put into perspective just ask.” Big word used, Eclipse gained +4 to egghead. “Sure! Next time we have a day off we can go do something together! For now though I gotta get started putting together a rainstorm over town, it’s gonna rain tonight, so be inside early!” With that she flew off, leaving me to wonder why she took the time to say hello if she’s so busy. Didn’t matter though, we had been standing in front of Misty’s store for a few minutes. I checked the door, it was locked, so I looked into the window to find misty restocking her shelves A few quick raps on the glass and she opened the door for me. “Hello Eclipse! What brings you here today?” … “Well, I of course was coming to peruse your shelves of goods. I of course had no intention of coming here to facilitate a conversation between myself and you.” She just shook her head at me. “Eclipse why not just say you’re here to talk to me?” I laughed as she led me inside. “Because that would just ruin the fun! Big words and stupid facts, those are my biggest things!” “Stupid facts?” I laughed. “Yes, Stupid facts, things that have no reason even being known.” “Oh, care to tell me a few?” “Sure, let’s see…A cat can make over a hundred noises while a dog can only make ten.” She looked at me a moment. “Really?” I laughed. “Told you, stupid facts. You don’t need to know them but they are interesting.” She smiled and went back to stocking the shelves. After a few minutes I started helping her, Just to be a nice guy. “Eclipse, Did you hear what I was talking to thorn about yesterday?” Oh…Dammit. “Uh, yea I did.” “Well, I mean. If you would like to… Do you want to get something to eat again?” Oh thank god. I can do a date, just no jumping straight in… take it slow… “Absolutely! I would love to eat out with you.” Sweet, Now just to make a stupid joke or ask a difficult question. “Oh good. I will be honest Eclipse, I thought after what you heard yesterday you may have felt a bit…Awkward around me.” ….AHA! Oh my god! Awesome! “No more awkward than usual, But If it helps I can ask you If your horn is sensitive to the touch.” She blushed hard. It was freaking adorable, and answered nicely. “Okay, good answer.” I went back to placing objects on the shelves while she excused herself, I didn’t mind much. When she did come back she asked if I was ready, since I had just finished, yea. Yea I was. “You know I’m paying right?” I asked as we turned the corner to her little café. “I wouldn’t have it any other way!” Hmm. Not sure if want… “Good, good. Now just to get a chair…” When the waitress came around to get out orders I asked for a chair. It wasn’t important to have a chair, but you don’t realize how nice they are till they are gone. “Okay, Chairs here, I’m sitting, you’re sitting, Suns…Kind of out, and as far as I know my son hasn’t exploded. SO what’s on your mind?” She looked at me a few moments before shaking her head and recovering. “I… Wow, uhm. Not a lot I suppose. I don’t have a son who is exploding. Although I feel I should be worried about it.” I smiled and leaned back in the chair. “No need to worry about it. So how did everything go yesterday, I noticed that your eyes have that lovely sheen back.” “Sheen?” “Yea, Pony eyes, when they are happy they reflect light in a very interesting fashion, when I first met you, they weren’t. Now they are all sortsa pretty, even the violet in them seems brighter.” She blushed. Not hard to make ponies blush is it? “That…Is really nice of you to say.” “What? That your eyes are beautiful? I only speak the truth.” And deeper. I love it! “Anyway!” She changed the subject. “As to how everything went, it went really well! As I said I was exhausted halfway through the day, thank you for that also. But it was very nice, to see so many ponies buying my goods.” She had a bit of an English accent. I had never noticed it till now. Or…Is it Australian? Shit…I’ve been away from earth so long I can’t even remember accents… I’m okay with this. “That’s good that ponies enjoy purchasing your goods, has anyone made an offer on you? I’ll place first bid.” I smiled as I said that and again she blushed. “You are… Dirty!” She laughed about it though. We ended up carrying a general conversation, just sitting there until a little after noon. That was when the cutie mark crusaders found me followed by light. Apple bloom was the first to talk. “Uh... Mister Eclipse? Ah think there’s something wrong with light… He says he can’t remember anything and he didn’t remember who he was.” Great… I looked at light. He just stared at the ground. He didn’t look hurt so that was good. “Light?” He looked at me. And my heart broke. There was no recognition; he looked at me like the ponies did when I first got here. In fear. “Oh man… Light come here… I’m not gonna hurt you little man.” He stepped forward slowly. I bent down to pick him up and held him to my chest. Moon mist asked if there was anything she could do to help, I just shook my head and stood. Beginning the walk back to my house holding a crying light. It hurt so much, knowing that he didn’t remember me, any of our conversations, his time as an annoying root, none of it. When we did get to the house I immediately went up to my room, Laid on the bed and just held him. What else could I do? I’m holding a crying colt with no recollection of anything, and the knowledge of...well, me. “Light?” He looked at me again “That’s your name, you know that right?” I wiped tears from his face as he nodded. “My name is Eclipse. I’m…I’m your dad, your care taker.” As if that was some sort of cue, His eyes watered up and a fresh flow of tears began soaking my shirt. I didn’t care though. This poor kid…What must it be like, to have no memory of anything, but to know what you do. Without knowing how you know it? It took him almost twenty minutes of crying before he fell asleep. I ended up following suit. Nothing you can do… When I awoke in the morning, it was to a very welcomed sound, Light was laughing. I sat up and noticed him at the end of the bed, playing with little Luna. Really it was more like he was pushing her around, and watching her come back for more, but still. The moment I sat up little Luna looked at me and flew up to my shoulder, still amazes me she can even do that. I smiled at light and he smiled back. “So you’re my dad right?” Taking it better than I would have I think. “Yea, in a way I am your dad. Got any questions?” He tapped his chin. “I do… Whens breakfast? I’m hungry!” Good kid. I laughed and picked him up carrying him down stairs I deposited him at the table, when I finished making him food I sat across from him again. “So…If you my dad why aren’t you a pony?” Ah…Damn, he is good. “It’s a pretty long story.” “Well, I don’t really have anywhere to be.” Oh thank god, he’s still a smartass. “Heh, alrighty kiddo, you were adopted.” He looked at me a moment. “That’s a long story?” I laughed. “Well, technically, you were adopted by me after I gave birth to you; I just figured the simple answer would be best.” Now he just looked confused. Then he shook his head. “Okay, you don’t want to talk about it. That’s cool. But why do I feel like everything you’ve said is true?” “Maybe because I can’t really lie to well.” “Like, you’re a bad liar, or you just can’t.” Best way to explain this one. “Okay, tell me a lie kiddo, you’ll answer your own question.” “Uh, Okay…Let’s see… I enjoy reading.” Suddenly his face scrunched up. “EW oh geez what is that taste!” I just smiled. “That’s why I don’t lie.” Turns out he’s a lot like me even after the wipe. “Oh that’s just… Oh that’s nasty… Oh my wow… I like talking…’ he waited. “I like girls.” He waited. “Well I don’t taste anything…” I smiled. “Can’t fool your subconscious kid, Say you like boys.” “I like boys.” And there’s the face. “What the heck!” This was going to be entertaining at least.