//------------------------------// // Dreaming // Story: Don't need to see... // by Swift Swap //------------------------------// She was, at that time, in a strange, chaotic and multicolored world. Her entire visual range was invaded by colors, by hundreds and hundreds of amorphous colored spots, that bounced from side to side in her blurred world. But she couldn't grasp the movements of each color. They were too fast. And so, it seemed that almost every one of them was leaving behind a strange colored trail. And those trails remained imprinted on the world around her, constantly changing its shape and appearance. She seemed to be inside a crazy kaleidoscope. But for her, Anthea, it was all perfectly normal. Since she was small, all of her dreams had that absurd aspect. A confused heap of unrecognizable shapes and dull colors. And she knew that it couldn't be otherwise, because even when she was awake, the world looked like this to her. The difference, however, between the dream world and the real world, was that all of her nightmares were totally silent. In an absurd contrast to the restlessness and the mobility of the colored spots around her, none of them uttered a single sound. And it was that silence that disturbed her, and made her feel bad. Frustrated and scared, she tried to scream, to impose her cry upon the devastating silence around her. But it was useless. From her mouth not even a whisper came out. Or were her ears not working anymore? Probably the ears, because the spots seemed to respond to her scream, and surrounded her in a few seconds. Anthea, terrified, crouched down, and tried to escape the crowd of spots, but she couldn't. The stains had not only completely surrounded her, but they were further approaching, crushing her in a slow and dreadful death grip. She was more and more desperate. She felt crushed from all sides, and she couldn't breathe anymore. She began to cry, begging the spots to leave her alone. But those who were silent entreaties for her, for they were an incitement to persecute the helpless mare at their feet. But then, suddenly, she heard a voice. She couldn't make out the words it said, but she heard it, clear and distinct, opposing the oppressive silence that until then had reigned around her. And immediately, the spots turned away from her and dissolved, and with them, the colors of the world around her. She remained alone, in a vacuum that looked black, but it wasn't. It was the complete absence of colors. It was the blindness. But then she saw, standing out in the darkness, three figures. They were also stains, such as those before, but instead of moving chaotically, or advancing threateningly toward her, they, after having approached a little, stopped, expectant, a few feet away from her. She paused to look at the three spots. There were two, one white and the other green, who were a little further back, and another one, smaller and yellow, who stood in front of them. They were smiling. She couldn't say how she knew, since, like those before, these spots were completely amorphous. And also, since she had never been able to see one, she didn't even know how a smile looked like. But, somehow, she knew that they were smiling. And she heard it. Again she heard that voice. A soft, gentle and kind voice. For some reason, she still didn't manage to distinguish the words, but she felt that, whoever was talking, was comforting her. It was saying that everything was fine, and now they were here for her. But more than the meaning of the speech, it was the voice that struck her, because she felt that it was coming from the yellow spot, but mostly because, finally, she managed to recognize that voice. “MOM!” Anthea screamed, and finally, she managed to hear her own voice. But she didn't pay too much attention to the fact that she had regained her hearing, and ran to embrace the stain that, now she knew, was none other than Fluttershy, her adoptive mother. As she hugged the figure, she could see it a little better. She saw the flickering and fuzzy pink wave that was actually her mane, and the two blue spots of her eyes. Of course, she would have preferred to have, at least in her dreams, a clearer vision of her, a picture that she could carry in her heart when she saw her in the real life. But unfortunately, that would forever be the image of her mother in her eyes, and now she had accepted it. It was enough that she could hear her voice, and could touch her, and the way she saw her no longer mattered. Fluttershy spoke to her again, and although she had recovered hearing, she still couldn't understand the exact words, but also this time she understood the meaning of what she was saying. She was saying that she loved her, and she was happy to have her as a daughter. “I love you too, mom!” Anthea said, burying her face in the soft mane of her adoptive mother, and sniffing the sweet scent that Fluttershy was emanating. A scent of musk, flowers, honey and berries. Her mother smelled like a forest. And she, who already loved the forest, learned to associate that smell with a feeling of safety, protection and affection, that only she could give her. But then, she heard another voice. A powerful and masculine voice, who was complaining because he also had the right to embrace her. This time, she recognized the voice immediately. And how could she not? Throughout her life, she had met only one pony who spoke with such vehemence and energy. “Dad, is that you?” she asked, approaching the white spot, from which the voice came. Immediately, the white spot leaned toward her, and wrapped her in one of his typical bones-mincing hugs. Yes, it was definitely him: Bulk Biceps, her dad. She was only three years old when he and Fluttershy got married. At first, she was simply thrilled just to have a dad, and what's more, someone so nice, that knew how to encourage her when she was feeling down, and who was always willing to help. Also, since she knew him, he had always been able to add a touch of excitement and adrenaline to her life that, having a mother like Fluttershy, she was often missing. But, when she was a little older, she began to wonder why, two very different ponies, had fallen in love with each other. And she certainly wasn't referring to their appearance, also because, as regards to the differences in their appearance, she knew just the color, the size, and what others told her about them. She was referring to their character. Fluttershy was quiet, gentle, sensitive and shy, while Bulk Biceps was hyperactive, impulsive, noisy and not at all afraid of being in the spotlight. They seemed so different from one another that it seemed impossible that they could like each other. So, one day, she tried to ask Fluttershy why she was in love with him. She asked her why, even long after the wedding, she had always been more attached to her mother. Not that she didn't love Bulk too, but Fluttershy was still her favorite. And she chuckled, and answered, “Don't you know the saying 'Opposites attract'? For me and your father this has been so. And anyway, you know, since I'm with him, I must admit that I've become much more confident in myself, while he's become more sensitive. You could say that we are mutually improving, together!” “However,” Anthea had said “it isn't always true that opposites attract! For example, you told me that your friend Pinkie Pie is married with Pokey Pierce, and they, instead, have a similar nature, at least from what you tell me about them. The same applies to Applejack and Caramel! Oh, mom, it's so complicated. Why does everypony choose their love in a different way?” At that point, Fluttershy had hugged her gently, and told her, “You're wrong, dear. We can't control love. Nor can love control us. Because love isn't a bad creature who controls the ponies as if they are puppets, to make them do what it wants. Love is something that unites two ponies, a bond that two ponies build without even realizing it, but little by little it unites them forever. Because, without that bond, life would sweep them away. But together, they are stronger, and can withstand any adversity. Love doesn't choose you. And you don't choose love. Love comes, and you welcome it!” Anthea had looked at her mother, straining her eyes to the maximum, in an attempt to catch her expression. But it was all in vain! “Oh, mom!” she had complained, “It's all so complicated. Why is love so hard to understand?” “You're wrong again.” Fluttershy had softly answered, “Love is simple, but for each of us it works differently. You'll see that, one day, you'll find it yourself, and then you will understand...” And in fact, not long after, she understood perfectly the meaning of that statement. And she had done it in the only way possible; Falling in love. For this reason, even before he uttered a breath, she knew it was him. The third spot of her vision, the green one. With that color, that size, and in that context, it could only be him. “T...” she whispered, leaving the embrace of her father, and heading towards the third spot. And she felt that he was smiling. And she heard his voice, whispering words of love. Turquoise Blitz. Or, as he liked to be called, just T. In a certain sense, they were similar, even though they were very different from each other, both in character and appearance. They didn't even belong to the same species, since he was a pony-dragon hybrid. But still, they were similar because they were different from everyone else. She still remembers their first meeting, at school. He was sidelined because he was unlike any other pony at school, and she was too, because she was almost blind. It seemed as if they were destined to meet. He had asked her if she found his appearance strange, and she had replied that she couldn't tell, because she couldn't see him. And so, in that way, so strange and unusual, their friendship was born. And, with the passing of years, she, one day, realized that the strong friendship that bound her to him was no longer such. Fluttershy was right. It all happened without her noticing. What previously was just friendship had turned into something much more profound and wonderful. She had fallen in love. And it had been everything except complicated. The most complicated part, rather, was to wait until he realized it as well. But since then, several years had passed, and they were the happiest of her life. It seemed impossible that she, who was once a daughter of none, now had a real family, and someone who loved her. Despite all of her problems, although she was different, she was like all the others, at least in that. She had a mom. She had a dad. She had a coltfriend.... Suddenly, she felt that something was changing. The void in which she stood was lighting up, while the three stains were dissolving. And she didn't want that to happen. She wanted to keep on dreaming. But, while the spots were fading, she saw something that caught her by surprise. There was a fourth spot. A spot with the color of butter, smaller than all the others, that until that moment she hadn't noticed because it was behind the others. She couldn't tell who it was. The light was too intense, and also the last spot was fading. But before that happened, she heard it speak. And this time, unlike before, she was able to understand the exact words it used. “Catch ya in a few, sis!”