//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: Lesser Light: My Time in the Limelight // by soothsayer //------------------------------// It all happened too fast. Her mind didn't register the white blur rocketing towards her or the hoof falls that rang out like thunder. All she knew was she was falling and that she was surrounded by incomparable warmth. Hitting the warm spring grass wasn't unpleasant it was like falling into a firm mattress. The world ceased to exist as she embraced the strange and comforting warmth, greedily hording it and holding it like it was hers to protect. The two fillies lay their hugging under the lazy sun enjoying a moment of innocent bliss. Sweetie snuggled against Narci's chest as she rested her muzzle in the crook of her friend neck. Narci wasn't one for any kind of affection, but she had to admit to herself that this was nice. "Hey Sweets?" she asked her voice still cracking. "Hmm," "Why are you hugging me?" "You looked like you needed a hug," giggled Sweetie. "I guess I did," replied Narci. The moment came and went as Sweetie let go and rolled off of Narci. Neither got up, they just laid there side by side enjoying the evening. A green aura captured Narci's glasses and then made its way to it owner. They gently found their way on to the bridge of Narci's muzzle, "I'm sorry and Thanks," Smiling Sweetie replied, "No I'm sorry. I know this is hard on you. Here you are in a new place and you have to stay up all day. If I had my schedule turned around I would be cranky too,". "How do you know that my schedule is all screwy?" "Cheerilee taught us about all the pony races a couple of months ago and I remember her saying that night-pegasi are nocturnal." replied Sweetie in a matter of fact tone. "You really are a dictionary," said Narci flatly. "How did you-" squeaked Sweetie. "Ahem, How did you hear that?" she finished a full octave lower. Laughing Narci looked over at Sweetie, "When you can't see all that well you find ways to make up for it. I've learned to be a really good listener,". It was Sweetie's turn to laugh, "Well this time I'm not a dictionary. I'm an encyclopedia. And just from time I spent with you during lunch and recess I know that you don't stop talking long enough to be a good listener." Crossing her forelegs across her chest she blew a raspberry at Sweetie. Laughing Sweetie thought of several things she that didn't make sense, "If your blind how did you see Cheerilee's desk or which seats were empty or how did you know Silver had a cutie mark?" Reaching down Narci plucked a particularly long blade of grass and stuck it in her mouth. Sweetie had seen Big Mac do the same thing loads of times but she couldn't help but giggle at Narci as she rolled the blade across her lips. "I'm not blind, I am legally blind. There is a difference you know. It's like if I look at stuff with my glasses off everything is blurry and I can't tell a pony from anything else. If I put my glasses on, everything clears up. Instead of big blurry blobs I see more clearly although everything still looks fuzzy but, I can tell if something is a pony or not." she explained. "That explains how you knew Cheerilee's desk was a desk and which desk were empty but not how you could see Silvers cutie mark." Narci stuck her hoof against her chin as she thought about how to best explain it. Her face started to twist as she franticly searched for a easy way to explain it. She soon gave up on explaining it and settled for just showing Sweetie how it was done, "Go and fetch your social studied book and then bring me mine from my saddle bags." Giving Narci a funny look she obeyed. The sound of two books landing on the grass tickled at Narci's ears. She grabbed them and placed them side by side and then opened them up to the same page, "Ok, Look at your book and then look at mine." Immediately Sweetie spotted the difference, her book was written in modern equestrian where as Narci's book was a neat collection of arcane symbols. Turning the book around to get a better look at it she place her hoof down on the first line. "The pre-classical age was a time of political unrest and-" heard Sweetie as the words reverberated inside her head. "WOAH!" exclaimed Sweetie wide eyed as she realized the book transposed the magical glyphs into modern equestrian in her head. "Cool huh," said Narci excitedly. "Very, but that still doesn't explain how you saw Silvers cutie mark." "All ponies can channel magic through their hooves. A unicorn can also channel energy their horn and a pegasus through her wings. Anypony can read a book like mine just by feeling with thier magic through their hooves. A cutie mark isn't just an ordinary mark, it is magical. If you spend enough time working with glyph magic you can also see another ponies cutie mark using the same method. I can't know a pony has a cutie mark unless I feel for it. When Silver called me a bland flank, I knew that she already had her cutie mark and I went from there," answered Narci. "I didn't know you were an egg head?" said a voice from behind the two fillies. Slowly they both turned around to see Scootaloo sitting in the grass behind them. "How long have you been listening?" Sweetie asked Scoots. A wide smile crossed Scootaloo's face, "Long enough to want to get a look at that book!", she said as she snatched up the glyph ridden text, "Oh, and Cheerilee said to hurry up and get done so she can go home."