//------------------------------// // Chapter 16 // Story: The Eyes Are Blind // by Fe94Knight //------------------------------// Chapter sixteen The starry skies fill the night time domain of the lunar mare as she prances out of the castle on a side archway out in to the open space. Lined with many small lanterns that dot the area, it gives a wonderful lighting to the already lit up space from the moon she provides. The smell of all the flowers, while even though winter is coming, still wafts its way through the air and fills her nose as Luna takes it all in to her own pleasure. This is one of the many gardens that surround the castle, giving it almost a warm welcoming atmosphere to the place she calls home, and not just a stronghold. Leaning down, and smelling a patch of daisies, they lose only a few of their peddles while the cold air of the season changes. Though the still strong aroma brings an ever growing smile to her face, while the seemingly oblivious mare forgets that she is actually escorting another in her presence. Not that he minds though. Midnight just stands there, and holds back his intrusion on her serenity while allowing his mind to wander on its own. Something that is rather lost on him over many occasions considering his unwanted cohort likes to invade the privacy he hoped to have over the years. ‘A princess well over a thousand years old, one of the rulers of Equestria, and still able to act like a young filly without a care in the world,’ He laughs on the inside to avoid her attention while instead watching the princess he speaks about prancing over to a rose bush that for some reason, remains in full bloom, ‘It’s actually quite-’ The thought process he was hoping to contort in to some sort of action or words, falls apart as the moon that she was aptly named after, more or less shows its true colors on the princess. Her flowing starry mane catching the moons rays as they shimmer in the night, and reflect it against his eyes as Midnight admires the princess leaning over, and bringing her muzzle to the end of a rose. Luna’s smooth, and sweet features radiating from her, just as much as her hair does at the moment. While both speak silent volumes to the colt who, although he may be the one named Midnight, can see why this poetical mare is duly named ‘The princess of the night’. “Magnificent,” He mutters under his breath. Hoping that it was actually in his mind as the one word snaps her out of her trance. “Oh… sorry for me going about here in my own little world,” She starts to blush hard realizing that she in fact did forget about him for an amount of time that the mare can’t quite put a hoof on. Catching only a momentary view of his utter bafflement, Luna fights her best to keep that under wraps to her knowledge alone. Motioning him along as the colt now takes a place beside her, they both walk further in to the garden. Slowly but surely, the two reach a spot that doesn’t have much to mark it at all. Down along a narrow path, barely big enough for the two to walk side by side. They come across an open circle in amongst its own floral arrangement, of a peculiar sort. Surrounding the couple, are solid onyx flowers of all different varieties, while their darkened shimmer still holds the same fragrant aroma shared by their vibrant counterparts. Set away from the rest of the garden with nothing more than a bench in the center, and no lanterns of any sort. The lunar light alone providing what she needs, as Luna goes up to one of the flowers there on display. “This part of the gardens usually doesn’t attract all that much attention to the ponies that would come here. Preferring to pick a few flowers from the more colorful areas,” She starts to play with the stem of what looks like a pitch colored tulip, but this one having many thorns that run up, and down the stem to protect it, “Many of them don’t find these magically made Nocturnal flowers as attractive, or as breathe taking as I do. They only look at the dark nature of them, and not what it may hide,” Luna leans down once more, taking in the almost honey like fragrance that drifts off of it only a short distance. “They ignore the beauty that is only skin deep in them,” A small green aura wraps around the edge of the one that she is enraptured in. Cleanly slicing off the thorns, and plucking itself from the rest of the stem. The princess turns around to see Midnight with a hoof extended, as he guides it to her. Now finding a neat little home at the edge of her ear, “…The eyes are blind. You have to look with your heart.” With one final twist, the flower is firmly in place. Luna does her best to remain upbeat while Midnight’s little act of putting one of her favorite flowers in her mane, leaves the mare speechless. All the while she has to fight with her legs at the moment as they try to bring her down from the sudden weak feeling running up, and down them. ‘Seriously?! Flattery…’ Luna becomes well aware of the fire rising up in her soft cheeks, ‘I can only be thankful that Celestia isn’t out here with a camera.’ Before she can fall flat on her face. Luna eyes the bench, and tries only to canter over, and not full fledge launch herself at her support structure. Midnight calmly takes a seat next to her. At first thinking that, for the most part, his little act didn’t bring any sort of joy to the princess. Until she manages to clear her mind enough to speak clearly for once. “That was a beautiful quote,” She tries with some simple small talk, though the fighting in her chest only causes more, and more blood flow to her cheeks as they warm up to a near second degree burn, “Where did you hear of it?” “I can’t remember honestly,” The same battle rages in him. While Midnight thanks his lucky stars that it’s the middle of the night, as he is sure his coat wouldn’t be enough to hide his face’s true colors, “Just over time, I guess I picked it up.” “Well no matter its origins. Thank you for your kindness, Midnight,” Luna responds while attempting not to giggle like a filly that just got asked to prom, “in all my years I never thought of putting one in my mane like this… it looks-” “Gorgeous,” He cuts her off, respectfully holding a hoof out to answer for her, “Me and Twilight had a chat or two between the various tests she was running, and she told me about how you had issues ‘fitting in’ when you returned from your banishment.” The memories of being cast aside by those subject she wanted to hold dear, still haunt Luna to some extent even after all these years. Though having him around, one that chose to be alone for what sounds like most of his life, does make it easier to explain even more so why she wanted to come out here. “That was needless to say, a trying time, I will admit. This place used to be my refuge,” She motions to the little circle of solitude created by the surroundings of the thorn ridden, almost protective, nocturnal flowers. “I used to come here many times in the years leading up to my banishment, and just think on things that were troubling me. Rather easy to do when no pony is around, or awake to stumble upon you. I still find myself coming here every so often. Though now it’s simply because it’s just downright peaceful.” “Oh that much I have to admit, it is calming,” Midnight takes in the sights once more before getting his attention drawn back to the mare that is fiddling with the flower in her ear. “I know what it’s like to be ignored by so many others,” She uses the flower as a vessel to keep her mind off of him for a little bit, so she can talk straight with the colt, “Many ponies feared me upon my return, because they thought I was still Nightmare Moon.” “Just like myself, why I avoid so many others,” Midnight responds as he sees the connection between two ponies who have gone through something similar in their past. “Yet another reason I bring you here Midnight. I knew the feeling when you said you came back in to town to be around others… no matter how long you may be alone, and how used to it you may get. A little company is eventually looked for,” They both nod to on another in a moment of understanding. Though the princess decides it’s time to change the subject to something else on her mind entirely. “So… Mister Midnight,” A light hoof toys with the peddles still, “You don’t remember much of an upbringing. Though you have to remember something seeing as you still act as such, and follow a moral compass.” “Well…” Midnight shrugs off. Remembering that they do have this to talk about, and not just the ramblings of him, and a loving mare out in the gardens, “Considering it was a few centuries ago. From what I can remember I was raised by a Pegasus. Though I know not his name… sadly. The passage of time, and having Shard play with my head, will do that sort of thing,” he silently curses his counterpart before continuing on, “He helped me from what I can remember. He even knew a unicorn mare that helped to teach me about magic. Eventually I just called them Mom and Dad, because that’s all I knew them to be.” The mare rests a gentle hoof to her breast, “Awe that’s so sweet.” “It is…” a brief but truthful smile graces Midnight’s lips for a moment, “As was he from what I remember. He helped raise me on his own with the help of his unicorn friend. Who, from what I recall, he ended up marrying and having kin of their own.” He takes a deep breath. Ready to launch in to the full story from what he can bring to mind without straining himself, and possibly hurting her in the process, “The Pegasus taught me manners, how to act with a mare, but most of all… respect. The unicorn taught me a few good spells to keep close to hoof, and about controlling my magic, as it seems to have gotten out of hoof on more than one occasion,” He picks back up while shifting uncomfortably in the bench, after remembering that he basically threw a princess, “As I grew up I matured, and after hitting what seemed to be a cap limit. I stopped aging all together. Instead… I just watched those around me grow older, and older.” “I know that feeling all too well,” If there was any other that can share in this tragedy, it would be the regal sisters. Both Luna, and Celestia have seen their fair share of good ponies come, and go with the passage of time. Aging to the point of death, as they themselves watched the kin of those, go through the same process generation after generation. “Before he passed my ‘father’ said to me, to get out in the world. He knew in his very heart I was a special one,” Midnight looks over his oddly shaped wings, the protruding ribs from his side, the green hair that runs down his face, and even feels the fangs sticking out of the roof of his mouth. Special isn’t exactly the first word that comes to mind, but he certainly is the odd ball out, “He didn’t want me to see the other kids that he raised grow old, and go out the same way… so I left.” Judging from the obvious dam that he had built up in his eyes to hold back the several tears that piled themselves atop one another from the memories. Luna can tell that this is a touchy subject for the colt, as she tries to tip toe around it, so as not to burst the dam, “Sense then, you have been on the road I would guess?” “Eh, so it would seem,” Midnight rolls off his tongue all too easily. “Did you ever… well,” She scratches the bench with a hoof, “go back to visit?” “Only to risk tearing them apart after seeing what I have become, when it comes to almost killing others with my gift?” The all too telling expression on his face lets the princess know that was a rather dunce of a question. Though he knows she didn’t mean anything by it, “No I left, and never turned back.” “What you have become is quite the noblecolt. One of the best I’ve seen,” The sly grin on her face tells Midnight that there is more to follow behind that, “Well besides whenever Shard takes over, and I want to beat you upside the head with a two by four.” “Or your hooves for that matter,” Her face now flushes once more as Midnight giggles at the princess’s demise, “Twilight told me that bit as well as to why my jaw felt like it got hit by a train. You do have a mean right hook by the way,” The slight cracking of his jaw only justifies that the princess isn’t one to be toyed with when she is upset. “And don’t you forget it,” She responds in a tuff to him. Waving a wary hoof at the colt before jumping back at the subject, “But still… don’t you at least think about seeing them.” “Well of course I do, after all that Pegasus, and unicorn saved me. However, the memory of the place that I called home all those years ago is lost on me,” An odd cooling envelops his frame just from delving in to that thought alone. Though he still not knows why, as the colt explains what he can, “All I remember is being cold, and alone, but he was the one that brought me back from it. I know not what happened exactly… never the less, it was better than what I was dealing with at the time.” “That much…ahh…is for sure,” She yawns out openly. The vitalizing sensation of the kill leaving her body finally as Luna struggles to keep her eyes open, “Excuse me for that. Now I will say that it’s getting rather late.” “And now I can agree with you,” He suppresses the urge to yawn as well to follow hers while they both rise up from their seat. Both walking in tandem with one another to the archway that they entered outside from, and back in to the castle down the halls. Left to part ways soon afterwards as his quarters are in the opposite direction of her own, “Goodnight, Ms. Luna. Have a wonderful evening, and a restful sleep.” “Likewise, Mr. Midnight,” She pulls a curtsy to show off the thanks she has for the farewell, and the adornment in her mane that still remains, “And thank you again for this sweet gesture.” Without another word Luna canters off to her quarters. Beaming like a foal while tucking herself in bed, and levitating the flower in to a small vase on nightstand next to her. ‘Such a gentlecolt,’ she smiles at the flower the same color as the time of night he was named for, ‘Dealt a bad hoof in life, and suffering for it... A broken mind,’ the final thought passes through her head once more, before she drifts off in to her own domain. Soon enough finding herself staring at the image of a blood drenched stallion coming to meet her there as well.