//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: The Eyes Are Blind // by Fe94Knight //------------------------------// Chapter four Northern winds bear gale force against a soft crimson face as the broken Pegasus tramps his way through the snow. The knee high cold mess around him almost halting his advance as Midnight finds this trek becoming harder, and harder the more he makes it. Though even through the frozen embrace, he continues to push further. Getting as much distance between him and the mare he left alone in the woods, never knowing what her demise might have been, and wishing himself only to push that part of his mind out to the darkest corner he can find. For now, Midnight just focuses on the path he takes, one that he has made for many, many years. ‘When was the last time we were out here anyway?' The dark voice asks in his head. “Why are you still here Shard? Don’t you ever sleep?” ‘What? And miss our good old fun conversations that we always seem to have, while you are making things harder than they need to be?’ his constant companion replies. Midnight is reminded that the voice inside does make a point far more often than he gives credit to, “There is a simple spell that could melt this cold rapture that surrounds me.” The loud clapping of hooves rattles his fragile mind, while Shard picks up, ‘See now that’s the spirit!’ “But I won’t!” the Pegasus seemingly argues with himself, as he takes some of the frustration out on the snow below him. A small spark of magic flows out from his hooves as it contacts the ground, leaving a clear spot that encircles his form from where the snow is lifted up in a wave, and tossed away in a massive heap. Heavy panting following suit, as Midnight’s forelegs hit the ground, and he only hears the snickering of his off companion. ‘Oh you don’t want to use it. Than you go, and do this? Seriously you need to make up your mind.’ “Oh you aren’t helping,” Midnight shakes his head as he picks himself up from the spot, and continues onwards down the memorized path. ‘It really has been some time sense we saw the Empire hasn’t it?’ The eerie humming of the darkness inside rings about his noggin as it pries for a conversation. Submitting just to give himself some peace for only a moment, it oddly helps to pass the time. “It really has been a while. I would say what? Two? No, no,” Midnight thinks long about his many travels through Equestria, and several of the other nations around in the world as he worked to keep himself hidden for the most part. If not to protect himself, but others from him, “Three hundred years I would have to say.” ‘We did take that stop through the Griffon Kingdom after all,’ the sound of the near gasping colt in his head fills Midnight’s ears, ‘Oh the females there were just marvelous!’ “You are a voice in my head, Shard,” He takes great pride in being able to throw something back in to his gift’s face whenever he can, “I’m the one who felt that pleasure.” ‘Oh and you only got one, or two while there, you sad excuse for a stud,’ Midnight can only picture that which makes him, him, rolling his eyes at himself as it tries to follow up with his insult, ‘You were there for at least a few decades, and only nabbed a few slutty females? Griffons aren’t fond of many ponies. That said, one with wings they can dig quite often, and will happily partake in many, many acts with you. Yet you didn’t indulge.’ “Hmm I guess that was just me trying to keep you out of the loop as well,” Midnight starts to chuckle. ‘Prude.’ “Pitiful justification for a conscience. Besides I don’t like having a three way with you when I can help it.” Midnight wanders through the snow as he gets the closest thing to silence that he can manage. Knowing full well that hurting Shard’s ego will get him to shut up far easier than trying to fight back, or feed from another creature. In his silence the odd colt is left to do some personal wandering of his own. Thinking about his travels, and some of the fun marks that he has made. While several times more the bad ones that have almost gotten him killed flow to mind against his better wishes. Every so often though, Midnight does get a memory that brings a smile on his face. Just like the one he is having now. ‘Oh that was a good one,’ the voice trails over the memory that Midnight brings to his thought flow, as they watch it like a movie while he walks. “A-a-a-a-and he’s back,” Midnight drones on. ‘Don’t sound so enthused, but come on we have a while to go before getting there. Might as well let me have my fun, and pass the time while watching a home movie.’ ‘If it gets him to shut up. Then I guess so,’ Midnight thinks to himself, more or less. ‘I heard that you know.’ “I know you did, but let’s watch. Shall we?” he falls in to the memory as Shard seems to bring it to life even more than he could have thinking of it to himself. The setting, a bar in the Griffon Kingdom. The time, is close to midnight. The drink of choice that he indulges in, potato vodka straight. The female, just happens to be a petite griffon by the name of Sycila. The date from his best guess… Is about four hundred years ago. __________________________ “Reload,” Midnight pushes the shot glass forward on the bar counter to the keep. Draped over in a long cloak to hide some of his features, while a hood covers his head, and the wings remain folded up underneath. Only dropping down a few bits to cover the charge, as the bartender does his purpose, and fills up the glass for him nearly as fast as the colt downs it in one go all over again. “By this rate, you might as well pay for the whole bottle,” the bartender chuckles while holding the rest of the bottle in one of his eagle talons. Perking his eagle head up at the sound of a dozen bits hitting the counter, he turns around to see the strange smile of the colt that has been there for more than an hour. Obliging his customer, the griffon places the bottle in front of him so he can tend to the others there. By others though, he means none, considering that for the most part, Midnight is the only one at the bar. The few griffons, and even the one other pony there, sit in either a booth or at their own table while a few waitresses take care of them. Leaving only the colt before him to talk to, “You aren’t from around here, are you?” ‘What gave you that idea?’ Midnight ponders the obvious fact before deciding to remain polite for now, “No. not really from anywhere. Just passing through for the night.” “Well if you are looking for some place to hold up, and get some sleep,” The bar keep passes through his head going over a mental map of the relatively small town, “There is a hotel only a few streets down from here, The Nightly Cot, its name be.” Nodding slowly under his vale. Midnight remains in the same position as he came in, “Thank you for the help sir, but I am used to sleeping out under the stars.” “What? Mom and dad gave you the boot once you grew up?” the bartender asks out of curiosity, “Nowhere else to go?” He pauses to down the next shot of aqua vitae. Mulling over his response first, “Let’s just say I haven’t had that great of experiences with others when I come in to town.” The griffon on the other side of the counter raises a curious brow to his strange customer. Considering this is the most he has gotten out of him sense he walked in, “You aren’t, Well… Running from the law are you?” A pair of golden eyes look over the shot glass before downing it. Knowing full well that if he was a criminal, which by some extent he is, why would he tell another creature that? “No sir, just running from a past.” “You say that like it’s nothing,” The griffon wonders intently. Already having his curiosity raised by the colt, “Bad past?” “Don’t really know much of it,” Midnight tries to push out from his head what he can. Going deeper, and deeper in to his memories, but drawing only a painful pinch in his head as a migraine comes on him, “If I did then I’d-” The sound of a small bell ringing announces the entrance of another customer to the bar. Also signaling a few eyes to turn, and give the figure a long gaze as she walks in to grace them with her presence. A swept over set of black feathers drape, and cover half her face as the griffon takes a seat up at the bar on her well sculpted flank. While a long, graceful lion’s tail runs down, and around the stools legs as it flips left, and right. The steely colored coat extending down to her toned hind lion legs, and up to her athletic build while the feathers of her glorious wings take on the same shade. At the same time her eyes giving a wonderful contrast of color, with them being a lighter jade hue, and her beak remains almost a near silver. “Ahh, Sycila! You are going to make an appearance here tonight,” The bartender smiles warmly to his frequent customer. “You know I can’t resist that honey mead that you brew so well,” Her beak starts to have a few drops of drool, at even the thought, run down to the end of her beak as her tongue laps it up, “Do you have-” The tender brings up a pint glass with some already poured in it just as he anticipated her arrival, and thrusts it to the thirsty griffon. “Well you know me all too well,” She gladly accepts the beverage, bringing it to her beak. Sycila allows the cooling drink to slither across her tongue while the bee’s work shows and leaves the wonderful sweet after taste she so much adores. Though as she puts it down to take a breath of air, the griffon finally eyes the colt there with her, leaning in to what one would guess has been a longtime companion of hers. She points with one of her claws down the bar, “Who’s the new guy?” “Odd fellow that one,” He motions over to the pony that sits at the far end from her, “Though seems nice enough. That pony has been in here only an hour, and I can tell he isn’t that bad of a colt. Quiet, but polite, unlike some of those that come in here.” ‘Hmm a pony,’ The idea of it all fills her overactive mind as Sycila gets that same sultry look plastered on her face from when her brain starts to fire off the right nerves. “I know that face now Sycila, and I have to say I’m get rather tired of having to run males out of here when they come looking for seconds in the morning.” “Oh come on, I’m not that bad,” She teases with a playful punch to his shoulder, “Besides, you even said he was a nice colt.” “Mhmm I guess I did now. Though he said he isn’t staying long so I guess I can allow you to give him a go,” he says almost like a father to the young female. With her friend’s graces. Sycila picks up her glass, and heads down to meet the colt. Taking in all she can when given the very limited view from what he is hiding. Though one thing catches her soft eyes. The clear sight of two nubs poking up at the back from the cloak, tell her all she needs to know about what type of pony he is. Taking a seat next to him she glances over at him again, and tries to make any level of small talk. “So stranger…” She puts on her best introduction voice, “You’re a Pegasus?” “So far you state the obvious about as much as the bartender,” Midnight grins. Little to her knowledge being the fact that he overheard most of the conversation she just had. Deciding that if he is going to drink, and have another female interested in him for the night. Then he might as well show his true colors, and give them fare warning to what they are getting in to. Pulling the cloak off, and putting it over his chair. Midnight extends his leathery wings out after being cramped up for a while. At the same time shaking his head to let the hair out while running his tongue over his fangs to polish their darkened tone. The colt cracks his neck, before taking his seat once again and just finishes his next shot before giving them any attention. Only one golden eye looks over, and sees the almost star struck look on the bartender’s face as he nearly drops the glass that he decided to clean. Though that’s nothing to compare against the look that Sycila is giving him as her cheeks take on the same shade of Midnight’s coat even through her feathers, while her wings extend out to their fullest. Leaving the griffon fighting her best efforts to put them away, and hide her affections at the result of the wing boner that her kind, and Pegasus ponies alike get. “That pretty much shows your colors, from what you and the bartender talked about over there,” He points to her still very exposed wings. “Oh, ah you heard that?” The embarrassed griffon twiddles with her black feathers that cover her face. Trying to give her talons something to play with, while her mind is busy pulling itself back together. “More than you will probably know, my ears are rather… attuned,” he raises a brow to her as Midnight downs his last shot, and turns the glass upside down while tucking the bottle under his wing, “I never said I wasn’t up for it though, now did I?” The envious eyes of hers shoot open more than they were before as she realizes what he is insinuating. Almost instantly gulping down her glass, she tosses a few bits on the counter, while her fluttering heart races to catch up with her legs. “Here you go, Tapper, This should cover it,” Sycila almost bowls over herself at her fumble as the door swings open, and she heads outside while waiting for the stallion that she plans to ride, to follow her out. Midnight looks back towards the bartender as he watches the overzealous griffon take off. Her tail slipping right outside the door, as it seems to beckon him to pursue, “So, Tapper? What was the name of that hotel you mentioned earlier?” __________________________ ‘Oh come on now, why did you stop there? It was getting to the good part!’ Shard asks while the snow still enraptures them both. Midnight takes a note that time during their travels really did fly by while they reminisced on the memory. The corky nature of his other side, giving a face to why at first he didn’t care about having two in one mind. Especially when he was so young, and felt so alone at times. “We’ll just have to wait for that later. Besides, we’re here,” His eyes look onward to the wide open landscape as the clear glimmer of light shines off the top of a massive spire in the distance. A clear beacon to all who may find themselves lost. Whether they need a guiding light to help them find their way out from the wild, or to help them find their way out from inside themselves, and seek help. The Crystal Palace, the shining crown to those that inhabit the Empire, stands a pillar of hope to them all. With a heavy sigh Midnight saves his wing strength, as he trudges through the snow onwards to the boarder. “The Crystal Empire. How I have missed you at times like these.”