//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Lesser Light: My Time in the Limelight // by soothsayer //------------------------------// If anything happened that was remotely interesting Narcissus missed it. She spent most of the day trying to hide behind a book so Cheerilee wouldn't catch her sleeping. The day before she spent unpacking and getting to know Diamond Tiara's dad, Filthy Rich. He really didn't have much time for her. He spent most of his day in his either in his study or at the store he owned. Their butler was a kindly old stallion and several of the maids were nice enough. But they all had something in common, they were boring. And despite their warnings, she slept most of the day. That long nap was proving to be a real pain. Because of it she was up all night, which was still very normal for her seeing as Bat Ponies were nocturnal. The only thing she woke up for was when Apple Bloom woke her up for the welcome party they held in her honor just before school let out. If all the colts and fillies weren't enough to fill her up with energy, a shot of Pinkie Pie added to her adrenalin high. All of her classmates except for Sweetie Belle had gone home. Cheerilee had left the two of them to clean up after the party. "Why did I have to get stuck with Sweetie Belle? Apple Bloom or Scootaloo would have been more fun." she thought. Picking up trash Sweetie kept an eye on her workmate, "Uh, Narcissus have you thought about what me and the girls asked you about during recess?. "Huh?" questioned Narcissus. "About Joining the Cutie Mark Crusaders." "Oh. Well not really," replied Narcissus. "Oh, ok then," remarked Sweetie as she picked up another paper plate, "I think you would like it." Ignoring the little unicorn Narcissus started to remove and fold up the table cloths that were scattered around small area of the play ground that Cheerilee had chosen as ground zero for the party. "Narcissus?" asked Sweetie again. Face hoofing she eyed Sweetie menacingly, "Ok if your going to be asking me a bunch of stupid questions lets get one thing straight. The only ponies who call me Narcissus are my parents and maybe Mr. Rich. If want to call me something call me Narci ok." she said stifling a yawn. "Narci the narcoleptic," muttered Sweetie Belle. "What was that Squeaky Belle?" fumed Narci. Sweetie's laid her ears back and pawed at the ground in anger, "I said Narci the Narcoleptic!" In one leap Narci covered the ground between her and Sweetie Belle, charging into the unicorns side. The fell in a heap on the grass. "Ouch! Hey don't pull my ha-" screeched Sweetie, before her words where cut off by her mouth being pressed against the ground. Narci rubbed the unicorns hair in the dirt and grass for a moment before Sweetie threw her body to the side rolling out from underneath her. Loosing her footing Narci fell onto her side, "Oof" was all she managed to get out before the air was forced from her body. Sweetie rolled to her feet and gave the ashen filly a hurt look. The rational part of her mind told her to run away or run inside to get Cheerilee but that was all buried deep as her rage began to boil over. She wasn't going to trade a bully like Diamond Tiara who never went further than a few hurtful words for a bully that would actually attack. Narci had just started to breath normally when her the air was mashed out of her again as Sweetie slammed her body down on her prone form. The white filly pulled her self up and then sat down on the bat ponies chest, "I won't let you treat a lady like me like a punching bag, just because you don't like me. All me and my friends wanted was for you to be our friend. Bloom and Scootaloo wanted to make you a Crusader like me and you wouldn't even think about it." cried Sweetie Belle channeling her inner Rarity. During the altercation Narci had lost her glasses and being forced on her back the sun bored into her eyes. The rays felt like they were cutting into her brain. Wincing in pain she focused on the filly sitting atop her chest. She could barely make out Sweeties form. Without her glasses she was useless. Even without the complication of the sun her vision was bad. Her sharp ears caught the subtle sounds of sobbing. Warmth flooded her own eyes just before her own tears flowed down her face. Being laughed at was hard enough but being powerless was soul crushing. Swallowing her pride she muttered, "I'm sorry Sweetie Belle,". A slight smile stretched across the unicorns face as she moved off her friend. Sweetie ran a hoof through her mane trying to get back to its pre-scuffle state. "Hey uh, Sweets could you hand me my glasses?" asked Narci pitifully. After looking around for a moment Sweetie spotted them lying on the ground a few feet away. Scrunching up her eyes she focused on the glasses, she could feel tendrils of magic form. With the tendrils she reached out to the glasses and wrapped them up in her ethereal force and pulled them to her. Just as she started the hand them over she teased, "Why? Can't you get them yourself?" Raising up Narci looked in Sweetie's direction. Hearing Sweetie gasp; she gave the unicorn a pained smile. Sweetie didn't remember when Narci's glasses had come off in the fight and in the heat of the moment she hadn't noticed the color of her opponents eyes. Now she was admiring the soft pink hue of Narci's eyes, "Wow! Your eyes are so pretty!" gasped Sweetie. Wincing Narci let out a low sigh, "I would trade my pretty eyes for a pair of ugly eyes that work anytime." Cocking her head Sweetie tried to make since of the statement, "What do you mean by that?" Looking away Narci just sat there gazing off in the distance, "Have you ever heard the phrase; blind as a bat, Sweetie?" "Uh huh" replied the now curious unicorn. "Well for the most part it's a load of crap, but for me it holds true. I'm legally blind," slowly answered Narci, her voice slightly braking as she said the word blind.