//------------------------------// // Bright Eyes // Story: I AM DEATH // by Ravenwood11 //------------------------------// A/N: Once again sorry this is a week late from what I said but life gets in the way. Hope you had a good Valentines; I’m here to ruin it. This story, as with all others, takes place before chapter one. I know it's weird, but I never expected this to become what it has. Once again feel free to point out any editing mistakes I missed and enjoy! ################################################################################################ BRIGHT EYES The weak pre-dawn light glows orange on the horizon against the dark purple sky. Stars still blaze across the heavens like diamonds and the moon is just touching the edge of the world, like an eye closing for sleep. Mist rises from the trees below me, thousands of emeralds reflecting the dying rays of the moon. An ebony lake rests a thousand feet beneath my home, its black waters reflecting the tiny pricks of light in the sky and turning it into a sheet of shining satin. All this I see from my mountaintop home as I step out of the door. The sight would stun any other creature into silence through its beauty, but to me the sight has become mundane. After millennia of seeing the same sight each morning it does not inspire me as it once did; instead it mocks me, for how can I take pleasure in a sight I rob so many of every day. My thoughts about the sunrise I quickly push away. It shall not affect me, I must begin my work. From under by cloak I pull a heavy stone tablet, thick and raw. The unpolished obsidian seems to absorb the frail light of the morning filtering through the low lying clouds, but the blood red words on it, engraved deeply in the stone, shine out. The slab is heavy in my hoof as it always has been. Its weight, while uncomfortable, is welcome as a constant reminder of my duty. The mysterious red letters which magically change by themselves day by day are uncompromising, unyielding. Final. I do not understand how the tablet works, or where the names come from. I only know I must obey, and I do. I check the location of my first job, and then fly off into the fledgling dawn. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ The tension in the room is palpable, hanging like smoke in the air, choking the resolve from her body. The grey pegasus mare with the yellow mane sits next to a dark blue unicorn stallion, his stark white mane contrasting with his body; a chef’s hat cutie mark matching his mane rests on his dark flank. Ditzy tries to swallow her nervousness, but her dry mouth won’t let her. She opens and closes her mouth several times, willing the words to come out, but they do not. Across from the pair sits an elderly pegasus, his obviously once mighty white frame now sags around him, as does his golden hair which has lost its once lustrous shine. However the pride in his eyes and his stiff posture seem to ignore what age has done to him, defying the inevitable. In the corner of the living room, decorated with medals on every square inch of wall, shines a polished set of Royal Guard armour, immaculately cleaned and waxed. His obvious distaste for the pair is evident from his glaring eyes and downturned mouth. Ditzy wishes to look away but her eyes are held in place by his piercing steel blue gaze. Finally, seeing his partner cannot speak, the blue pagasus breaks the silence. “Hello Mr. Doo, it’s good to see you again.” The old pegasus’ stern look shows he does not agree. “We have some important news to tell you about us that-” He is interrupted by the older pony stomping his hoof down. “If it’s so damn important then why don’t you let my daughter tell me! Or have you lost the nerve to tell me yourself?” His strong, commanding voice belies his age as her barks at his daughter. “N-no sir.” She squeaks out. She breathes in and exhales deeply. The blue stallion beside her gives her a gentle nudge and a smile. “Um, well, we are, that is to say-” She stops as she is interrupted the same way her partner was. “Spit it out girl or I’ll die of old age first!” The former guard growls. “Midnight and I are getting married in the spring, four months from now in April!” She blurts out looking at her fore-hooves. The silence is palpable, laced with fury and fear. After a tense minute the seething pegasus speaks. “So this is it, is it? You’re final insult to me before I die?” “What? No, papa I’m not trying-” Her words are cut short again by an angry hoof. “Not trying? Not trying to what, exactly? Spit in my face before I go? Ruin the family’s honour, as well as your own, by marrying this, this lowlife UNICORN?” He rages, practically screaming the last word. “Papa I love Midnight! He has a good job and owns a house here in Trottingham. He won’t dishonour me!” The mare argues back, he voice growing to match her father’s but their eyes still do not meet. “Won’t-won't dishonour you?” He stammers, incredulous. “He already has dishonoured you!” He barks, pointing at her distended belly which she had been trying to keep out of sight behind her hooves. “It’s bad enough you’re carrying his spawn, but now you’re going to marry him!? A BAKER!?” His voice nearly cracks at this, but he continues none the less. “Our family are PUREBLOOD pagasi! We go back over a thousand years! Our family has always served the Princesses as their guards, and you want to BREAK that by marring a UNICORN, and a BAKER AT THAT?!” He finally stops, unable to go on-his throat hoarse from yelling. “YES BECAUSE I LOVE HIM AND BOTH THE PRINCESSES CAN GO BOTH BUCK THEMSELVES FOR ALL I CARE!!!” She screams -voice full of anger and hurt- at him, but her eyes are locked onto his hooves. The old guard glares daggers at her, his voice now venomous and low. “If you’re going to insult the goddesses, at least have the decency to look me in the eyes when you do. Oh right, you can’t! They’re all crossed and derpy!” He smiles maliciously as indeed her eyes have once again gone crossed from the stress of their argument. One glances at the floor while the other looks to the ceiling. She wilts in shame as her shoulders sag in defeat. “ENOUGH!” Midnight yells, startling both pegasis. Suddenly his horn begins to glow bright white and the bitter pegaus in front of him rises in the air. He struggles and tries to fly away, but disuse and arthritis have betrayed his once proud wings and he just ruffles them uselessly. Midnight steps off the couch he had been sitting on and walks forward, coming face to face with Ditzy’s scowling father. “Now you listen to me and you listen well. You can insult me all you want, but if you insult our child again I will break your wings off. You insult my fiancé again-” he says as he gestures with a hoof towards his crying partner, “and I will END YOU.” The last words he nearly whispers but with enough force to make his foe cringe. After a few more seconds of glaring the unicorn gently sets the old stallion down far away from his weeping daughter. Midnight walks over to Ditzy and whispers some comforting words in her ear. The two get up and begin to walk toward the door, neither looking back. The ex-guard knows he has lost the battle but he cannot let it go at that, being so soundly beaten. He clears his throat to deliver once last barb. “You walk out that door, you better never come back you hear! I won’t pay for a cent of your dowry! You aren’t my daughter anymore!” He smiles smugly at their retreating flanks. Midnight turns around one last time. “Enjoy the company of your medals old colt. I hope they are a fitting replacement for her.” And with that last retort they both walk out. A white aura surrounds the door and it slams with enough force to crack the plaster, knocking many medals and trophies off the wall. The white stallion simply walks towards the medals, picking each one up delicately and putting them back in turn where they belonged. He notices a small picture of Ditzy as a foal has fallen on the floor as well. Without giving it a second glance he grinds the glass beneath his hoof and then gets back to setting up his fallen medals. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ The doors of the Veteran’s Retirement Home swings shut as Ditzy Doo and Midnight exit it lobby. A few strained minutes pass as the two walk back to their home. Midnight, silently fuming, keeps a comforting hoof around the shoulder of the waddling mare as tears pour down her eyes and she silently cries. Eventually the flow of tears stop and her eyes dry. Salty diamonds are all that remain of their passing. The small bakery where the two live comes into view as Ditzy ceases crying and Midnight breathes a heavy sigh. Together they walk inside. Midnight, having calmed down, decides to break the silence. “I know he is your father, but please don’t let his words get to you.” The blue stallion asks, concerned for the shivering mare who has taken a seat on the couch. He retrieves a blanket from the closet and throws it over her. “WAS my father you mean. You heard what he said. He doesn’t want to see me again. Ever.” She feels a new rush of tears threatening to spring from her eyes. “H-he disowned me, and I couldn’t even look him in the eyes as he did it.” Tears again brimming in her eyes, Ditzy hangs her head in shame. Midnight, now right in front of her, begins to lift up her chin but she pulls her head away to her side and hides it under her wing, eyes shut tight. Even after all the time they’ve shared together, years of ridicule and scorn have kept the grey mare self conscious about her lazy eye, even in front of Midnight. “Hey, look at me.” The gentle, caring voice of her lover causes her to slowly unfold her wing and bring her head up. Nervously she opens her eyes. Two golden pools of light stare into Midnight’s heron blue spheres, one slightly tilted up and staring at the ceiling. Ditzy, realizing her eyes aren’t aligned, closes her eyelids again and focuses on brining her rebellious eye on the pony in front of her. After a second she opens them, both eyes now facing the gently smiling stallion in front of her. “You showed a lot of courage facing him, and I’m proud of you for that. If ever you feel bad about your eyes again just remember this; I don’t care what direction your eyes are facing, as long as one of them is looking at me.” His genuine smile is infections and, despite herself, Ditzy smiles too. “That’s really corny you know.” She replies, sniffling a little. “Yeah, but I know you love it.” The subtle blush on Ditzy’s cheek confirms his words. “Now come on muffin, no more tears. I’ll whip us up something to eat.” The smile on the pegasus’ face grows wider at the promise of food. Still with the blanket around her, Ditzy follows Midnight into the kitchen. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ The sky is growing darker as the sun Celestia has taken as her own sets in the west. The sky is set ablaze as the sun makes one last effort to spread its light across the world and fight off the impending night. Stars will soon dot the sky again like diamonds in a sea of sapphire silk as twilight, mirroring dusk, sweeps across the world. Once again the beauty of it all is lost upon me. I move on to my next job, hardly noticing the majestic sky above. My concentration is focused on the modest bakery in front of me. Through the slightly open windows at the back drifts the smell of something being fried; a delicious mixture of grease and salt vainly tries to make my deadened taste buds salivate. I drift closer to the window. My gut wrenches as the uneasy of my time draws nearer. I peer inside the window and see two ponies, a dark blue unicorn and a grey pegasus. I can tell, despite her wearing a blanket, that the pegasus is with foal. Her belly jiggles as she saunters around the small kitchen, fetching dishes and cups for the table. The two talk amiably, but the mare’s smile seems a little forced at times. I wait outside the window in the gathering dark. These last moments I will not eaves drop on, they do not belong to me. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ “So what do you think it will be?” Midnight asks suddenly, changing the direction of the conversation which had once again begun to veer towards Ditzy’s father. Ditzy giggles. “I thought we’d had this discussion. I want a filly!” “No no no, I don’t mean gender. Do you think it will be a unicorn, a pegasus, or an earth pony?” Midnight asks while tending to the food frying in the pan in front of him. “Oh, well I don’t know, I mean, I haven’t thought about it. My mind’s been on ...other things.” She looks down at her hooves, but decides to clear her mind of such thoughts. “I guess I hope she’s a pegasus, like me. I may not be the best flyer, but I’d like to show teach her how to fly. It was something I really enjoyed doing with my mom before she passed away.” Ditzy smiles as she remembers happier times. “I suppose you’d like a unicorn?” Midnight chuckles at this. “Are you kidding? Taking care of baby unicorns is the worst! I used to baby sit my neighbour’s colt and his sporadic magical outbursts nearly burned the house down once!” The two share a laugh at this. “Mainly I just hope he or she is healthy. And I really hope they have your eyes.” He looks into her golden eyes again, causing her to look away sheepishly. “I don’t. My eyes are all...derpy.” She says looking at her hooves. “Don’t say that muffin. Your eyes are gorgeous. They’re the color of the sun, and just as breathtaking.” Once again his compliment causes her to blush. “Stop it! You’re embarrassing me!” She playfully retorts. The two work in comfortable silence for a few minutes, preparing their last meal for the day. A few minutes pass however and a worried look crosses the pegasus’s face once more. She turns to look at Midnight. “Do you...do you think we’re ready for this? Do you think we have enough saved up?” She asks, concern in her voice. “Of course we do. The bakery is earning a steady income, and is mostly paid for. Besides, we have enough bits in the bank to last us a good while.” He tries to comfort her with a smile but her worry persists. “Yes, but do you think we’re ready for the responsibility?” Her nervousness once again threatens to cross her eyes but she focuses on keeping them both looking at Midnight. “I don’t know if anyone is ever truly ready, but don’t worry. We’ll get through whatever comes our way together.” Ditzy weakly smiles at this, but the unicorn can tell her fears are still there. “Come on, dinner is almost ready, we can talk more after we’ve filled our bellies. I’ll just get the cheese out of the fridge. Can you turn off the stove?” He asks, already heading towards the fridge. “Sure.” Ditzy replies absentmindedly, mind still occupied by thoughts of her foal, as she walks towards the stove. Suddenly, losing concentration, her vision blurs as her eye once again goes off and looks off towards the ceiling. Her distracted mind is snapped out of its reverie as she stumbles forward, unable to see where she is going. All hell breaks loose. Her hooves trip on themselves as she crashes into the stove. The pan of frying food, full of grease, is knocked about on the stove. The oil spills out onto the confused mare and the gas stove. Both are immediately set alight as if struck by lightning. Midnight, having heard the commotion, turns around to see the stove in flames, his love lying on the floor, a fire raging on her back as well. “DITZY!” He cries springing into action. He quickly rushes forward and pulls her away from the fire with his magic. He begins to roll her over to snuff out the flames covering his fiancé when he realizes that only her blanket is burning. He throws it off towards the stove and then examines the pegaus. Only a few feathers are singed but she remains intact. Getting up Ditzy looks back towards the raging flames. “Oh no, oh no, oh no!” She cries. Frantically she looks around for something to combat the flames. On the table rests the cups which she had filled with water and set out for dinner. She grabs one between her teeth and flicks it at the flames. “DITZY, NO!” Midnight calls, but is too late. The water hits the grease in the pan, evaporating in less than a second. The quickly expanding gas caries the flaming grease along with it and a massive fireball erupts as soon as the water reaches its target. Midnight stumbles back from the stove. Half the kitchen is on fire now, the orange glow of the flames coloring the entire room. Ditzy stares on in horror. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know-“ Ditzy begins to explain but Midnight cuts her off. “Apologize later, you need to get out of here, NOW!” He cries at her. Ditzy remains still. “What about you?” She asks over the roaring flames. “I can put this out, just go! Keep our baby safe!” Seeing Ditzy frozen he uses his magic to levitate her out of the room towards the door. “GO!” he shouts one last time before he opens the door and pushes her out into the oncoming night. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ As soon as the fireball erupts in the kitchen I sit up. Less than a minute left to go. I see the grey mare being propelled out of the bakery. After a few stunned seconds she gets up as fast as her pregnant belly will allow. A few ponies have already noticed the strange orange glow and stop to stare. One eye still crossed the pegaus begins to frantically run around, trying to get anypony to help. A pink pegasus takes to the sky and soars off towards the fire hall. However the grey mare is not my target, so I refocus my attention on the unicorn, fighting a losing battle with the out of control flames which are quickly consuming the room. His horn glows bright as he tries to use magical frost to quell the fire, but it’s not very effective. His talent in magic is obviously not very strong and he has no chance against the hungry inferno. I silently urge him to run even as I know he won’t. My heart beats rapidly in my chest as the end comes closer. Only seconds are left. Finally the end has come. The fire has spread to the back of the stove and eats through the gas line which splits open. In the blink of an eye the rushing gas and flames spread through the whole shop, windows blowing out at the sudden pressure. Flames gush out of every window and smoke pours out, heavy and thick. A single scream pierces the night, but I do my best to ignore it. I walk through the wall of the house. It is time to finish this. The inferno that greets me would be unbearable to anypony else. The heat alone is strong enough to sear the walls and set fire to the wallpaper. The smoke chokes the air, the bright orange light blinds; the roar of the flames is like dragon’s breath. Undaunted however I march through the house which is already beginning to crumble. I find my target in the living room, thrown through the door of the kitchen by the force of the explosion. I close my eyes upon seeing him and turn my head. His fur is nearly all burned off. The remaining hair on his main and tail is coloured grey by soot and ash. Blood spills from his broken frame and instantly boils from the heat of the fire. His leg, snapped in half and with a piece of bone sticking out of it, is on fire. His mumbling voice reaches my ears over the flames. I kneel down beside him and listen to his last words. “R-run Ditzy. Run.” He whispers, his mind flitting between consciousness and sleep. His right fore leg twitches in a strained running motion. “Keep...our foal...safe.” He manages to breath out one last sentence. His heart is growing weaker and weaker by the second, the time between beats growing. I lift up my hoof, the ceiling groans ominously above. “I’m sorry.” I quietly apologize, knowing he cannot hear me yet. I gently touch his heart as the ceiling collapses on top of us. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Until that moment she had had hope. Until that moment she had believed Midnight would walk out of the house, singed and coughing, but alive. Even after the fire consumed the kitchen, even after the explosion rocked the bakery and blew out all the windows, she had held on to hope. And then the roof had caved in, and all hope she had collapsed with it. The fire ponies arrive, too late. She lays on the ground, numb. Tears stream out of her eyes, but she hardly notices. A fire pony wraps her in a blanket and guides her over to a paramedic who checks her over. She barely hears him as he tells her her injuries are superficial. My injuries aren’t superficial- she wants to say- you just can’t see them. A month on and she wishes the numbness could have lasted. Days of crying and weeks of worry have followed her relentlessly. The little money the two had saved up will not be enough to support her and her foal. Even the insurance from the bakery will not last long between the two of them. She doesn't even have a place to live and has been staying in a hostel night after miserable, lonely night. Her father won’t return her calls, won’t even see her when she visits. She is alone and all hope is gone. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ I stand outside my cave, a familiar scene playing before my eyes. A breath taking sunrise, a jewel encrusted lake, and an emerald forest. All these things are displayed before my ancient eyes, lost to me. I long for grey skies free of guilt; guilt at not appreciating the beauty before me. Despite my immortality I know I’m wasting something amazing and fleeting; something that, despite its repetition, is as uniquely awe inspiring as a snowflake. I cannot dwell on these thoughts however; I must attend to the souls of this Earth. I find whenever I feel contemplative it is best to focus on my work lest I find a way to ease the burden of my existence. I cannot let that happen, not ever. I pull out my tablet, heavy and final, and begin the day anew. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Ditzy Doo believed it was the end. She believed her life no longer had meaning, no longer had purpose. And then Dinky was born. And then everything changed. Three have passed. Three months of uncertainty, fear, and heartache. They crawled by, every moment a torment. Now however, cradling her infant daughter in her hooves, all those terrible times seem to melt away. Carrot Top, her friend in Ponyville who offered a place to stay while Ditzy was recovering, gently snores by Ditzy's bed, having spent the last several days in the hospital with her, making sure she was well. The gentle caress of Ditzy’s hoof on Dinky’s horn wakes her momentarily. She yawns and smiles contentedly before sleep takes her again. Before her eyes flutter closed Ditzy admires her golden irises and smiles. "Sweet dreams, muffin." Author’s Notes: First off, thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Second: I don’t really care if her name is “Derpy” or “Ditzy” but in my headcannon “Derpy” is just a cruel nickname. Also, I am holding an art contest for the cover picture of this story! The winner can commission me to write a chapter based on any character from the show or OC! I only have on entry! Check out here  for more details! http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/6907 Also also, if you like my stuff check this out  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-j2Le4Y0Xw. It’s a video me and my friends made! (and yes it’s pony related, worry not) So now that I’m done shamelessly plugging just let me say thank’s once again for reading. Please feel free to point out any mistakes and COMMENT! Good or bad I read ‘em all and I love to hear what you think from you guys! Edit: I have 'continued' with this Ditzy chapter with her own separate story! Check it out on my page!