//------------------------------// // Chapter 17 // Story: The Eyes Are Blind // by Fe94Knight //------------------------------// Chapter seventeen Having only seen her sister last night when she was grilling up her kill, and that certainly not being the best case to run in to one another. Considering all that, among other things, gives the solar princess a reason to knock on her younger sister’s door other than just to wake her up the next morning. Or in this case, afternoon, as the clock strikes one while she enters. “Luna?” Celestia looks around the room not hearing a single thing at first. Though it becomes apparent that the only reason Lulu has slept in is because she didn’t get much sleep the previous night to begin with. Several dozen books are stacked high on the floor around the bed as several more are scattered across it. Note books lay written out that look they have been in use for centuries, and some even look like they haven’t been touched in the same amount of time. Though on top of this her bed is only occupied by the material, and not the actual pony that should have been using it. “Of all the places that one could occupy to get a restful night’s sleep,” Celestia shakes her head while walking over to the desk that has even more material along with the resting form of her sister, “For some reason a desk does not seem like the best place,” She rests a careful hoof on the younger ones shoulder shaking her a bit. “Come on sleepy head,” ‘you look like you had a long night, and I’m eager to hear it.’ “Ugh… no five more minutes…” Luna shuffles about while shaking her head a bit as she scoffs. “Do you have any idea how cute this is?” Her horn lights up, as Tia uses her magic to grab the blinds, and fling them open. Almost blinding the mare of the night as she falls out of the chair, and on to the ground, “Seriously you just reverted back to when we were going to school still.”’ “Ahh!” Luna’s wings unfold, and wrap around her face to shut out the piercing rays as they launch a full onslaught against her eyes, “It burns!” “Oh now you’re just being melodramatic.” “I am the night!” Luna declares with a hoof raised to the sky. “You’re delirious,” Celestia scoffs at her while Luna rubs her eyes from the intrusion. “In my defense, I recall you acted the same way when we were young,” Luna teases right back at her while coming to her feet. Peeling off a piece of paper that sticks itself to her cheek after the puddle of drool got to it, “For one that raises the sun, you used to hate it so much too.” “As you hated the night at one point. Though you look like you have had quite a night yourself,” Tia notes the scattered remains of a hard study time that even her own student would admire. “Late night test taking?” “In your dreams.” “Well actually you are the one that handles that area of ponies mind.” “And you are the one that usually will handle being a pain in my flank,” Luna ridicules while fixing her mane a bit in the mirror to get it back in the normal wavy order for the day, “Though if you must know I did get about an hour of sleep. Then had an epiphany in the middle of a rather lovely dream, and woke up to do a little research.” A pile of books falls over on to the ground breaking the conversation at first for a moment. Though the older alicorn in the room picks it up before Luna can continue, “I don’t know if this all qualifies as a little research. Though I am curious if this dream involved a particular stallion that just so happens to be named after your time of the night?” Her eyes can’t lie while the growing flustered nature of the sibling tells Celestia all she needs to know without even saying a word. “No!” Luna tries to say in her pitiful excuse of a defense. Clearly her cheeks don’t feel the same as they betray her true colors in a wonderful shade of crimson, “Okay yes it did, but so did the research!” Luna picks up a tomb to try and back her findings. Also to change the subject to save her skin at the time from the ever persistent nature of her sister. Flipping to the desired page, she tosses it over to her familial. Before going in to her own explanation, “What do you, myself, Twilight, Cadance, and Midnight have in common?” Celestia doesn’t even have to take a shot in the dark to guess here. Glancing over the section in the book, it makes it painfully obvious what Luna is getting to. ‘Dark magic and those that control it,’ Tia reads, “Well if I had to make a guess here, I would say all of us have the use of dark magic.” “Very astute observation, sister.” “You know it…” Celestia, and Luna bump their rumps in to one another playfully while the latter goes over to a few more notes to check herself for a second, “… Though he doesn’t have as much control of it as we do.” “This I know, and I am getting to that…” She takes a deep breath. Prepared to go in to a full lecture on the inner workings of the colt’s mind, “While Midnight, and myself were engaging in a rather pleasant talk after dinner. Followed by a walk around the gardens last night-” “I must correct myself,” Celestia cuts her off, “That is cute.” With only a smirk on her face. Luna levitates the memento of last night that Midnight had opted to put in her hair. Over to her while she puts it right back in place. Drawing a rather confused glare from her dearest sibling while Celestia tries to put together what happened between them. That becoming apparent enough to the youngest as she puts it together, and answers a few questions to ease Tia’s mind. “No, nothing like that happened. Don’t worry we’ll talk later, and yes… it was very sweet,” Luna’s desire to lose eye contact with the one that presses for details, forces her to turn around for a second to break off the stabbing gaze of her sister as the night mare gets back on topic. “While we were chatting, Midnight informed me of what Twilight had put together about him. The broken mind he exhibits is being brought on by some sort of event that probably forced his mind to block off that memory, and now results in a massive pain in the rump when he tries to remember. This has caused the colt to lose parts of himself, and lead to the less than whole stallion that you see around here now. Having lost the full control of his magic as a result, it seems to consume him from when he uses constantly. Leading to Midnight also to go partially insane as a result at the hooves of the magic taking over his form.” “Luna?” “Yes?” “Breathe,” Celestia exhales. Taking in a deep breath of air to recharge her lungs, and thankful that the blue tint to her coat probably held back the color from lack of oxygen from showing. Luna nods to the one that reminded her of the life giving action, as she picks up where she left off, “…Now that is his story. However, why is it that you, and I are able to use darker forms of magic on a whim, without even a worry?” “Well as much as a pony can keep it together after a thousand years…” Celestia brushes off her shoulder, “our minds have remained intact.” “Precisely!” Luna beams at the notion that her sister is putting it together to some extent, “Our minds are strong, and can hold against the forces of the corrupt magic wanting to devour us. Midnight’s isn’t, so therefore when he uses the gift, it does just that.” Luna starts to prance around the room, only leaving Celestia to make her own assumptions, “Judging by how much you are leaping about here like Ms. Pie after an overdose of sugar. I would guess you may have a way to fix him?” A single stomp to the ground answers Celestia. Though the cheery mare still can’t help, but shout it out like she just aced the test that Tia thought she was studying for, “You better believe it sister!” Her nerves settle down a bit as she continues, “If there is a way to patch his mind back together. Perhaps heal the damage that has been done, by unlocking that part of him that is blocked off and, more or less, lost. Than it could bring him back to normal, or at the very least, give Midnight some sort of control over his magic, so he doesn’t hurt himself!” “Then you two could live happily ever after!” Celestia leans in to her sister with the widest, even kind of creepy, smile on her face. Staring at her counterpart, Luna only silently raises one eye brow to Tia before giggling a bit, and walking off slowly. “…Perhaps.” “Was that admittance I hear?” Tia catches up with her for more info, “After all, usually you just stomp off in a tough with your tail between your legs.” “Okay I’ll admit that he is quite the gentlecolt like I said before, and handsome at that,” She, and Tia make their way out of the room, and start down the hallway in no particular direction, “Though I have only known him for a short while, so I will give it time. Besides I know not what he thinks.” “If that gift is any sign, I think I know who’s on his mind,” Celestia remarks to the flower in Luna’s mane. Before she caresses the younger sister with a wing, and brings her in closer, “Dare I say he is deserving of you, so long as he keeps his hooves to himself.” “For now that is,” Another giggle escapes her blue lips much to her sister’s demise, “Though I have to ask. Before coming to my room, and waking me from my unrestful sleep. Did you by happens chance encounter the colt himself?” Celestia ponders the thought. Thinking about how to best answer this question with some sort of tact, and sensitivity, considering what they just talked about. Throwing that idea out the window at the moment she realizes there really is no way to do that for her. “Well you could say I did. Midnight is currently playing magical games with Twilight,” Tia awkwardly grins, “Ironically something that we just were talking about having a detrimental effect on him.” The last thing Celestia hears is the flapping of wings as the mare next to her disappears in a streak of cobalt down the hall to try and make her way to the colt to check, and see if he will slip back in to the darkness. Ready to do her best to bring him back if she can. Ideally without knocking him out cold with another swift punch.