//------------------------------//
// The Eye and the Web 
// Story: Future Progressive: The Speedfics and Drabbles of Present Perfect 
// by PresentPerfect 
//------------------------------//

The Eye and the Web
by Present Perfect

"Blessings of friendship be upon you."

Zecora started.  Not only had she not heard whoever it was enter her hut, they were speaking her native tongue!  That could only mean...

"Bronze Bangle, can it be?  Many blessings also upon you!" She rushed toward the door, gently wrapping her hooves around the hunched form of her friend.  The aged, bent pony returned the embrace, and Zecora led her to a chair, where she sat with a whump and a tinkling of jewelry.  She fussed with her drab cloak while the zebra started water boiling in her cauldron.

The robes were bulky, weighing the old pony down and making movement difficult, but Zecora knew the reason why Bronze Bangle concealed herself so: the marking on her flank of an orb weaver's web, adorned in the center with a single, bloodshot eye.  It was a cutie mark that unnerved even the strongest-willed pony; its presence was not needed.

"How are you, my old friend?" Bronze Bangle asked, the tones of the zebra language falling effortlessly from her tongue.  "What news comes from the majestic Everfree Forest?"

"Ahh, not so much changes in the Forest, wild though it may be.  All of the news in this area comes directly from Ponyville."

"Ponyville, you say?"  Bronze Bangle lifted her cowl, revealing a face lined with time.  Her coat, once the color of her namesake, had faded to a dull tan.  Her mane had gone silver long ago.  Her left eye, the lens milky white from cataracts, bulged horrifically in its socket.  She grimaced, showing yellow, misshapen teeth, and worked herself around in the chair until she was comfortable.  "It so happens that Ponyville is my destination.  Is there anything I should know about the town?"

"If you are going to Ponyville, then it is a most joyous occasion."  Zecora smiled.  "Let me tell you about a unicorn named Twilight Sparkle..."





The trip into Ponyville was wet and slow.  Lightning and thunder marred the sky.  The downpour soaked Bronze Bangle to the bone as she shuffled slowly forward, hugging her crutch.  She walked upright, leaning against it, for only one of her back legs worked without pain anymore.

"Blasted pegasi asleep at their posts again."

She rued not having taken up Zecora on her offer of hospitality for the night; foals did not rest on their journey to be born, and neither could she.  But as the lights of the town came into sight, the rain lifted, and holes in the clouds revealed a starry sky.  Just a little further, and she could be in the warmth again.

The storm must have taken the townsfolk by surprise.  Everywhere she looked was debris and chaos.  The park was littered with downed branches.  Roofs were missing shingles.  From her position atop a hillcrest, she could see a group of ponies working to removed a downed tree atop a house.  She shuffled toward them.

Making her slow way into the center of the village, for she did nothing quickly anymore, she came across a silver stallion, no doubt rushing off to find more help.  She whipped her crutch forward, almost into his face, and he skidded to a stop.  Noticing her for the first time, he recoiled in horror.

"I am looking for a mare named Floret, recently expecting.  Where can I find her?"  This was not the time for pleasantries; enough had lapsed as it was.

The earth pony seemed at a loss for words.  She turned her head so that her clouded left eye was pointing straight at him, even though doing so filled her view of him with white milkiness.

"Where is Floret?"

"I... I dunno!  Uhh, a bunch of ponies took shelter in the library?"

She hmphed.  "Where?"

He pointed a shaky hoof southward.  She turned, unsteadily, and began to hump herself in the direction indicated.  But as she left the frightened stallion behind, she felt eyes on her back.

"Who is that?" came the frightened whisper.

"I've never seen a pony so... hideous!" said another.

"Don't you think it's strange?  That freak storms hits and suddenly she shows up out of it!"

"Yeah, I bet she's a witch!"

Bangle grimaced.  The best course was to ignore them, but the intoxication of numbers was likely to cloud their better judgment.  She spun around, as quickly as she could manage, the grimace of pain only adding to the fierceness of her countenance.  They shrunk back.

"Best to leave matters of the weird to those what understand them!  I suggest you go back to fixing that house, lest you wish to see what this old witch does to wayward ponyfolk!"

Cowed, they scattered, and she, feeling less than proud of herself, continued on her way.

With birth rates so low these days, it was likely none of them had met a Seer since their own births.  She could not fault them for their fear.  For their prejudice, perhaps, especially after what Zecora had told her about her own experiences with them.  As it was, that lack of new births preoccupied her, as she took in the sights of a town she had not been to in a very long time.

Few of the buildings looked familiar.  Certainly, they were in many of the same places, but they had been rebuilt or remodeled.  The one that looked like it was made out of cake and ice cream was a particular eyesore.  She had to ask two more frightened ponies for clearer directions, only to find out she'd walked past her destination.

"Who puts a library in a tree?"

She was certain it had not been a library the last time she'd been here, at any rate.  As she approached the door, she did not knock, but entered to find more than a dozen ponies stretched out wherever there was space.  Many had light wounds; ice packs and bandages were everywhere.  All conversation stopped as she stepped across the threshold.  Their weary eyes turned to examine her as she composed herself, impassive beneath their stares.

"Wha... Who are you?"

The voice came from the second level, a purple unicorn mare leaning over the railing.

"I am the Seer, Bronze Bangle."

The atmosphere in the room suddenly relaxed.  That declaration gave her leave to impose herself upon them.  The convalescent returned to worrying about themselves, glad that her appearance was not meant for them.

"You must be Twilight Sparkle."

The unicorn, as well as three other mares on the second level with her, gasped.  They must be friends.  Such a display of "power" would no doubt keep them out of her mane for the time being.

Twilight was taken aback.  "You... know me?"

"No time for questions, girl, I've work to attend to.  Is Floret here?"

A soft, dulcet voice called from behind the unicorn, "We're up here, Seer."

She made her way carefully to the stairs and sighed.  Lifting her good leg, she put all her weight on it and mounted the first step.

"Please, ma'am," said Twilight Sparkle, "I can make it easier for you.  If you don't mind, that is."

"Such kindness." Bronze Bangle closed her eyes.  "Gently, dear."

The warm tingle of magic suffused her form, and her legs went slack as she was lifted gradually from the floor.  She opened her eyes to survey her ascent of the staircase, bracing herself for the landing.  Twilight impressed her by setting her down ever so gingerly, and the orange earth pony and rainbow-maned pegasus on the top level helped guide her safely to a standing position.

Bangle inclined her head graciously.  "Thank you, my dears."

Now was not the time to be impressed at manners, though she did note the obvious look of disapproval on the face of the fourth mare in the area, a white unicorn with purple mane.  Brushing past her, Bangle moved to the bedside, the other ponies in the loft watching her.  Atop the bed, nestled in a pile of blankets and pillows, was a light blue earth mare with forest green hair.  She moved a blanket aside to reveal Bronze Bangle's reason for being here: a tiny auburn unicorn cuddled up between her hooves.

Bronze Bangle cooed to the babe, who looked up at her with bleary eyes and an unsteady head.  The mother signaled her approval, while the younger mares looked on.  Gently, Bangle pressed her hoof to the colt's forehead, careful of his tiny horn, and closed her eyes.

The Sight showed many things when accessed.  From this moment, possibilities branched out.  The young unicorn playing on a farm.  Going to school.  Falling into a well and being unable to climb out before his family could find him.  Meeting a young pegasus filly in high school.  Being gored by a stampeding buffalo in his early adolescence.  Moving to Manehattan and falling in with a gang.  Getting dumped by his fillyfriend and charging off a cliff.  Falling out of a balloon.  Drowning in the ocean.  Crushed by farm machinery.

Bangle pushed further.  So much death; no one pony's future should have so much death.  She tried to weave the threads of fate into a column which she could traverse all at once, but in each instance, the result was the same: the column broke a short way up.  In every scenario, this colt either died young or died before he could find his talent.  His life was a blank; his existence meaningless save to bring pain and sorrow upon his family.

With a gasp, she broke contact.  She realized she was sweating profusely, and all eyes were upon her.

"The Sight, it strikes me hard these days," she lied.  Mopping her brow with a fold of her robe, she asked, "Do you farm?"

"Yes," replied Floret, "my husband and I farm vegetables."

Bangle nodded, swallowing.  "I believe you have some say over his naming.  Choose a name that will fit a farmer's child, one that will bring joy and happiness to all who meet him.  Raise him with love.  That is what my Sight has told me."

Smiling, the mare lay back on the pillows.  "I was thinking of Parsnip.  Maybe Parsnip Snap, that has a nice ring to it."

"Yes," Bangle wheezed, "that will do fine." Her breath caught in her throat and she forced herself to cough.  The force of the action sent her tumbling to her knees.  Twilight and the other mares rushed toward her with cries of concern, but she couldn't really understand what they were saying.  The floor spun beneath her and she blacked out.





When she awoke, she was laying on a soft bed.  Both Twilight Sparkle and a nurse pony hovered over her.

"She's coming to!" said a murky voice.  "Oh, thank goodness!"

She tried to speak, but it felt like her tongue had expanded to fill her mouth.

"Miss Bangle, please, don't try to move," the Nurse said, worry in her eyes.  "You had a nasty fall, and it looks like you might have caught a cold as well.  Just rest, everything will be okay."

A cold?  Blasted rain.  Blasted lazy pegasi.  She sank back against the pillow and squeezed her eyes shut.  She couldn't be certain how long it lasted, but she drifted in and out of wakefulness for at least a day; she could recall seeing the sun up at two different times, the second earlier than the first.  Nothing was said to her when she woke, but she caught glimpses of the young purple unicorn almost every time she awoke, looking concerned.

What a good girl.

At some point, she woke and asked for water.  Twilight was there, propping up her head and levitating the glass so that she could drink from it.  Bangle sighed, and felt the earlier tightness in her chest as a rattle of loose bits instead.  She coughed until some of it came out, then stretched her forelegs; painful, but no more so than usual.

"Madame Bangle, how are you feeling?"

She cracked a smile.  That was always a good sign.  "Better, child, thank you.  Have you been at my bedside all this time?"

"Well, this is my house..." The unicorn blushed.  "But yes.  I was very worried about you."

Bangle reached up and stroked the mare's cheek with her hoof.  "Such kindness and generosity have not been shown me in a long time.  You are a very special pony, Twilight Sparkle, and you have my gratitude."

The unicorn seemed to be considering what she would say next.  At length, she asked, "How did you know my name when you first arrived here?"

Bangle smiled.  "I hope that you were not too surprised.  The answer is simple: Zecora told me all about you."

"You know Zecora?" The mare's eyebrows rose.

"She's an old friend of mine.  She was very impressed by your ability as well as by your character.  I had hoped that I might meet you while I was here, but I had not counted on it."

The unicorn blushed slightly.  "I had no idea Zecora thought so highly of me."

"She and I both understand the fear of what is unknown.  You proved yourself in her esteem by your actions, once you had learned the error of your ways."

Twilight blushed deeper, eyes cast to the floor.  "It wasn't my finest moment."

"And yet, you learned from the experience and became a better pony for it." She lay back, relaxing momentarily while she recomposed her thoughts.  "Your talent with magic is most impressive."

"It is?"

"Don't be modest, my dear.  I was not Seer at your birth, but your cutie mark suggests great power.  You helped me mount the stairs with more grace and finesse than a pegasus in flight.  A unicorn with your skill... we could use somepony like that as a Seer.  A shame you were not gifted."

Twilight seemed to consider this for a few moments.  "What is it that Seers do, exactly?  If you don't mind my asking, that is."

"Not at all." Bangle coughed again, then relaxed after the fit passed.  "The Seer is a pony gifted from birth with the Sight.  It is a gift that does not depend on horn to be used; in fact, most Seers are earth ponies and pegasi.  It is a Seer's duty to use the Sight and see into the possible future for a newborn foal.  From the myriad images the Sight provides, the Seer then suggests a name that will suit the foal's eventual talents."

"What did you see in Floret's foal's future?"

Bangle shook her head.  "A Seer's first duty is to the future; to give it away is to pollute and damage it.  Each pony must find their way on their own.  But even were that not the case..." She sighed.  "The future is not always pleasant to see."

Twilight reached up and placed a hoof comfortingly atop hers.  "How does one become a Seer, then?"

"As I said, the Sight is gifted from birth.  The Seer of a Seer's birth creates two names; the first is whispered in the foal's ear, the second told to the parents.  When the young Seer realizes they possess the Sight, they will remember their true name, whispered to them so long ago, and get their cutie mark."

The unicorn nodded.  "I saw your cutie mark when we brought into the bed.  I've... never seen one like it."

Bangle laughed dryly.  "Frightening, isn't it?  I've met Seers with cutie marks that could drive a pony mad just by the sight.  That is why we cover them."

"Could you tell me your real name?"

"My cutie mark suggests it: Cobweb Hex is my true name, though none but other Seers would recognize it.  I have lived as Bronze Bangle for so long, I tend to think of myself with that name.  But never do I forget my true nature, my duty, or my gift.  The life of a Seer is a lonely one.  Our gifts tend to make other ponies fearful, and there are so few of us left these days, companionship is hard to come by."

"I'm sorry to hear that.  Why aren't there more Seers?  I'm pretty sure I've never met one before today."

"Low birth rates, child.  Life is good in Equestria, but foals are hard to come by.  Once, each town, no matter how small, could count on a Seer's service.  But these days... well, it seems that the Sight knows how much it is needed.  A pity, as it means I must hike this old body from town to town every day."

"Do you know who was Seer at my birth, by any chance?"

"Hmm, let me think...  You aren't from Ponyville, or it would have been me."

Twilight shook her head.  "I was born in Canterlot."

"Ahh, yes.  Judging by your age... I would think that was Silk Scarf, though she passed away a number of years ago." She chuckled dryly.  "That too keeps Seers lonely.  Including myself, there are only four active in the entire land, and all but the one in the Canterlot are old, as I am.  Our power is waning, my dear.  And that is why I say I wish we could have had someone like you to count among our company."

Twilight crouched low at the side of the bed and looked her in the eyes, her expression earnest.  "I'm going to make sure you get better, Bronze Bangle.  And if ever you're in Ponyville, you're welcome to stop by.  I'll even put you up if you need to stay."

"So kind, my dear, so kind.  A trait I am so unused to seeing in ponies." Her eyes brimmed.  She began to cough for nearly a minute, which took the fight out of her.  "Ugh, I must rest.  These old bones can't handle such trouble as they used to."

"I'll let you sleep.  Thank you, Bronze Bangle."

"What for, dear?"

"For telling me your story.  I'd like to learn more about the Seers, if you're willing to tell me."

Bangle smiled.

"For you, dear, I shall.  Ask me anything, when I am awake."

As Bronze Bangle, she closed her eyes.  As Cobweb Hex, she sank into darkness.