Blind

by GjallarFox

A Candle in the Abyss

"So I guess this makes us a couple..." she murmured warmly, walking close enough to touch as we headed back to the library from The Teapot. Though her voice suggested she was thinking deeply, I could feel her smile's warmth. Her soft wings brushed against my side often due to our proximity, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

"I guess it does..." I returned with my own warm smile. "I'm going to have a tough time wrapping my head around this."

"Oh? And why is that?" she asked as we turned the corner.

"Because the pony who showed the most kindness and compassion to me... is now my first marefriend," I answered, praising her. "I feel undeservingly blessed."

Her wing reached up from her side, remaining in constant contact with my side, gently moving up and over my back. The softness and warmth of her wing on my back made me feel... safe, like I was wearing armor that no arrow could pierce, nor any sword hack through. She pulled me close as we walked, bringing a pleased smile to my lips. I couldn't help but feel happy at her touch.

We reached the library all too soon, an abrupt stop making me realize I'd have to leave her warm embrace. But we lingered there, just standing in front of my home in the cool night's breeze. If I remembered my calendar right, it was almost a full moon. The romantic glow I'd read about was probably shining down on us from Luna's heavens, making the scene that much more beautiful for her. The occasional distant chirps of crickets and the tiny squeaks of mice in the library walls made the night feel serene and peaceful. All felt right with the world for that split moment.

"It's getting late... I should... um... get home..." she hesitated, not quite lifting her wing from my back.

"Yeah..." I replied, not quite paying attention.

"I'll... see you tomorrow?"

Eagerly, I answered, "Of course."

There was another moment of pause. Crickets chirped away, mice padded around in the walls of the library, and the breeze blew past lethargically, but we did not stir. We remained, transcending time, defying the pulls and pushes of Fate and all his friends. We remained there, in front of the library that I called home, relishing in each others' warm silence. I smiled. She smiled and pecked my cheek one last time before pulling her wing back to her own side.

"Good night, Twilight."

"Good night, Fluttershy."

I listened to her trot away, light as air, never really landing on the ground so much as tapping it just enough to comply with gravity. I smiled happily, lightly, just enough to be noticed. But though it was not nearly the grandest smile I'd ever worn, it was certainly the most genuinely happy one. When I could no longer discern her position, I headed back into the library, where the air was slightly warmer, but less alive. I could feel the mice padding around in the walls, waiting for me to go to sleep so they could come out to find food.

The feelings were fresh as baked bread, warm and sweet, melting my heart like butter into a goopy mush that made my knees weak. Thoughts of the pegasus I'd successfully asked out were kneaded by my hyperactive mind. I bumped into the table I knew was there but wasn't paying attention enough to avoid, briefly interrupting my bliss with a small jab of pain. But my mind moved back to thinking of Fluttershy, the soft, gentle, kind mare.

I climbed up the wooden stairs, counting each one as I went at a brisk pace, the percussive tocks of my hooves echoing quietly in the library I assumed was dark. When I reached the loft, I proceeded to my bed, hopping up the four-step landing. The soft, cool sheets met my fur abruptly, the two competing for space. As I pulled up the blanket with my magic, I yawned. Within seconds, I was sound asleep.

--

I awoke to a dream, where I could still see in light and dark, and differentiate shapes from each other by sight, though I could not name them. It was nighttime, and the stars were above me in full view.

There will come soft rains,

I looked around the open field of soft grass and wide open space. A few trees stuck out of the ground, towering above the flatness. Darkness hung from their branches, the moonlight not reaching beneath the trees' boughs. From the dark, I could see eyes glimmering. Something was watching me.

From the heavens above.

The eyes closed, and the feeling of anticipation left. All was calm, though the darkness was beginning to creep outward from the trees. Up above, clouds expanded, blocking moonlight before it could reach the ground.

And when the rain stops,

Lightning struck the tree closest to me, setting it ablaze with light and heat. The sonic boom slapped against me roughly, assaulting my sensitive ears with a sudden shockwave.

So, too, will the pains.

Unimaginable pain exploded from my eyes, the likes of which I hadn't felt in over a decade. I fell to my knees, clenching my eyes shut. My forehooves reached up to cover my eyes from what felt like hot coals being jammed into my skull. I screamed in agony, my voice hoarse and dry. I immediately regretted screaming, as a boiling hot liquid dripped from my eyes into my open mouth. It tasted of iron and copper, disgustingly so. Rain, boiling hot against my coat and skin, washed over me in searing torrents. I dared reach out to taste it. The same metallic flavor as the liquid from my eyes greeted my mouth harshly. I willed myself to awaken from this terrible nightmare. I tried every known tactic any lucid dreamer would know, but none worked. All I could do was lie on the grass, clutching my eyes as the blood-rain drenched me in pain. Silently, I whimpered prayers to Luna to help me, but somewhere deep down I knew she could not help me. All I could do was wait.

--

"Dammit, Twilight! Wake up!" the worriedly raspy voice of Spike sliced through my ears. I could still feel the pain in my eyes, dully throbbing with waves of fire-like heat. I relaxed my clenched eyes, another quick stab of pain shooting through me, but I managed it. A few seconds later, I tried to open my eyes to let Spike know I was finally awake again.

Tried.

The instant my eyes opened even halfway, what felt like freshly forged railroad spikes were driven straight into my eyes. I bit my lip to muffle my scream, hard enough to draw blood. Spike kept talking, trying to help in any way he could, but I couldn't discern anything over the torment. I must have been down for twenty minutes, but it felt like a month. The pain seemed like it would never end, but it began to dull. A familiar warmth wrapped around me, blanketing me from the agony. The soft wing of Princess Celestia had deemed it worthy to grace me, as did her magic. Slowly, I felt the pain die away, leaving me shivering like a rain-soaked kitten.

"My faithful student... Whatever ails you?" her soft voice greeted me. I could feel the concern in her breath, making her breath just slightly colder than it usually was.

"I had a nightmare last night. All there was was pain..." I told her, feeling tears in my eyes which I kept shut.

"A night-terror... Was anything said in the dream?" my mentor asked, her wing gently stroking my back. She knew I would always calm when she did that. Even when I still had my sight, that touch was always a soothing feeling that I could never get from my parents.

"T-There will come soft rains... from the heavens above..."

"And when the rains stop, so, too, will the pains," the alicorn finished. "I remember that one... It seems your blindness is not what we first assumed."

If at any point I had been relaxed, I was no longer so. I had been told when I was still losing my sight that it was the direct result of my over-charge during the entrance exam to Celestia's Academy for Gifted Unicorns. The doctors called it magic-induced restrictive nervosa. They told me that my own magic was too strong to be withheld by my body, and was now restricting my optic nerves, making me unable to see. It was painful, and scary, and very stressful for the young filly I was. I remembered breaking down into a sobbing heap on multiple occasions, often running off crying before slamming into a wall or a door, or even a guard.

"So it... it isn't restrictive nervosa...? Were the doctors wrong?" There was hope in my voice. A faint subtlety of hope that hinted at warmth in my voice. It flickered like a fire's heat. It quivered like a book page in the wind, or a leaf in a tree.

"Oh, it is restrictive nervosa," she answered. "But this kind is more specific than just magic-induced. The reason we couldn't do anything about it is because we never knew what kind of magic was interfering with your eyes. But now... I'm sorry I must depart so soon. The doctors in Canterlot must be notified at once. We may be able to give you your sight back."

I was soon alone, the comfort of my mentor gone with no trace but the warmth I still felt on my back. Spike stood next to me, though I could tell he was just as incredulous at the possibility of me regaining my sight as I was. It was quite the news. Over a decade of thinking that I would be blind for the rest of my life, and now I had hope. Hope I hadn't known since before the entrance exam. Spike hugged me tightly, happy tears staining my coat.

But that left me to wonder. How would I learn to read again? How would I learn the rainbow, or even the alphabet? What would all of my friends look like? Would I find Fluttershy attractive? Would I find somepony else more attractive than Fluttershy? Questions like those began swarming my mind, each one demanding my attention over the last. For some reason, I felt as though I didn't want my sight back. My blindness made me who I was. It defined me. Who was I without it?

Author's Note:

Sorry this took so long. School started, depression came back, and all sorts of shit. If it feels forced, it was.

</3 DarqFox

Comments

[Rough_Draft]

Even with the sad tone, it's still one of the better stories out there. And TwiShy makes everything better!

[BerryBurd]

Yay! I was really looking forward to this. Don't know why it didn't show up in my feed, it says the chapter was updated in July, that might have something to do with it. A date glitch? I don't know, but excellent work as always! I wonder if Twi will actually accept her sight back...

[Master85414]

I am interested in how this will turn out. All the best for Twilight and Fluttershy. Also, please stay out of your dark corner! Smiles are the best things to have when you're down.

[I HV NO FEAR]

Well well well, look what we have here! The plot thickens my friend, the plot thickens. I do wonder what will happen next, and how this will pan out in the long run. Also, the romance thickens. This story is really starting to pick up right about now, and I wonder who this evil character/force is. It's good to see this story being picked up again. Overall, a bit fillerish, but still good chapter.

There was a problem with the publish though. It said July 16th, and that's not even close to correct. The problem was probably a date glitch, and there isn't much you can do about it.

[Next Gen Wonderbolt]

So I feel that this story, how should I put it...is awesome!

[Nightroad]

Once again, you blow me away with your prowess of description my friend.

I also loved how you tied in Twilight's magical over-charge as a filly into her blindness. It's just one of those things that others write off and never use but you... you were like, "Nah, I'mma do somethin' nifty with that." thus, blindness.

Reverse the blindness? Hmm....I'm gonna be "that guy" and hope that it doesn't happen. I mean, like the end of the story said, "Who was I without it?" I mean, I could easily see you going either way no matter what decision you made, but fingers crossed you keep her blind.

[GjallarFox]

3380998
You sadist bastard. Yeah. I'm not allowed to tell you guys things anymore. It's sad, but too much plot exists, and I can't say onething without spoiling the next. So I'mma shut up before I say something stupid.

<3 DarqFox

[WellKPony]

Darqy, my man, when did you update this? I was just coming back to read through it (again) and lo and behold, there's a new chapter. I didn't even get an e-mail or a notification or anything. This made my night!

As always, you weave a wonderful tale and this chapter moves the plot along very nicely. As if I wasn't intrigued enough already, you introduce another aspect to the plot in the form of a menacing antagonist (or possibly not antagonist, it isn't clear). This just gets better and better.

Also, I just want to compliment your narrative. Maybe I already did so before, but in this chapter, I really noticed it. You see a lot of first person narratives being all tell and no show, but not yours. Even without the benefit of sight, you are able to craft a scene that I as a writer can only envy. Fabulous.

It didn't feel forced at all. You often find that chapters designed to advance the plot feel forced when you've written them, but overall you have the balance of narrative and action just right. Also the juxtaposition of joy and pain, elation and torment, fear and hope: this chapter is full of the feels. I can't wait for the next update.

[GjallarFox]

3381717
This chapter was indeed meant to introduce that cold-creepy feel. A feely feel that feels... feely. It did have that contrast from warm-fuzzy to holy-balls-creepy in virtually no time. Hence, it felt a bit forced. The transition felt too quick, and when she woke up, I had no idea how to use Spike, so I had him call in Celestia. Because when you have a dragon that can send letters to the Princess just by setting them on fire, why not have him do just that?

Anyway, that's why you'll not see much of Spike. He and Pinkie are the two characters I can't write.

And yeah, there was a glitch with the update. No one got that in their feed. Kinda pissed me off because this chapter could have easily hit the Feature Box. DAMMIT FIMFICTION!

<3 DarqFox

[randomsurprise]

awesome update even if it was a bit of a shocker both in n' out of t story anyways lik a certain other said i kinda don't want twi to see but, then again i kinda do want her to see again eh, i'll lik how u do it either way so, can't wait to read moar

[Jatix]

MORE!

[GjallarFox]

3535525
Mhm. Threw it in for fun.

<3 DarqFox

[Phoenix Skyfire]

when is gonna be next update?

[GjallarFox]

3579567
No idea. I'm a bit busy with school. It's college app season.

<3 DarqFox

[Phoenix Skyfire]

3589611 awww.. i want update

[GjallarFox]

3590222
Working on it.

<3 DarqFox

[T4]

I don't comment much anymore, but I really enjoy the premise of this. So different to a lot of other shippings I've read (trust me I've read too many).

Definitely keeping an eye on this one

[Buzzard]

*fingers crossed* someday

[xxXFluttershyXx]

I would like for twily to see again. I would also like another chapter too.

[Lily Gingertail]

Oh this story is getting good.
Will wait patiently for the next chapter
~Tobben

[Tali_The_Lamia]

Is this gonna be one of those stories where The protagonists mentor has a way to fix them but the hero doesnt want to change their problem. Right?