• Published 11th Feb 2015
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The Eyes Are Blind - Fe94Knight



A colt, with a broken mind, and a gift he sees as a curse more often than not. A mare, looking for a companion, and willing to help him pull the pieces together.

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Chapter 2

Chapter two

Present day.

A pair of golden eyes snap open at the rush of cold air past a pair of bat like ears that remain exposed in the wind. Dangling from the branch of a tree. A single pony resides via his tail holding him up in the air while the leather wings of the nocturnal kind wrap around him in an attempt to keep him warm, while the cloak that drapes over his body tries to keep the wind out.

‘Well I could have at least tried to pick a tree with at least some sort of leaves left on it to keep out the wind.’ The odd pony thinks back in hind sight, and is left silently cursing his decision to not look further.

Though at the same time glad that he at least found some place to roost for the night that would hold his rather large frame. Twisting down, and unwrapping his tail from the branch. The Pegasus colt lands on the ground on all fours. Standing a couple heads taller than many of the ponies he has run in too during his travels. Midnight flexes out his legs, after hanging there for the few hours of sleep that he managed.

Cracking his neck at the uncomfortable position of having his head dangling out from the enclosure, and left to swing in the wind. Midnight swipes some of the short cut black mane that he dons with the neon green highlights running down it, out of his face. Matching the tail in every way, both run along his crimson coat. The colt grasps the extra layer of the cloak even closer while another breeze makes its way through the forest. Just as it passes, the slit eyes peer in to the night sky, and through the foliage in front of him as he tries to judge a new place to hold up at. While on top of that attempting to find out how much time he has till day break, and to continue his journey.

‘About…four? No. Five hours till dawn,’ He determines from the moon, and estimates how long he has been out, ‘Well, I’m not going to find any place to settle in for the night from down here,’ Midnight realizes as he puts the hood back over top of his head to cover his features.

Stretching his wings out after being wrapped up for the last few hours. Midnight takes a few deep breaths to fill his lungs as his protruding ribs from his well-nourished sides, sticks out even more so. Before flaring out his immense leathery wings to his sides from under the shawl, and using their power, lifts himself up in to the night time sky. Up, and over the largely vacant trees that have lost all their leaves.

A clear sign to anypony who has lived for any amount of years, that summer is long gone. Fall is starting to take a back seat, and winter is coming about sooner than the warm hearted residences of Equestria could hope for. The barren trees below showing this even more so, as the lonely Pegasus finds himself traveling further and further north than he would have wanted.

One night, that’s all I want,” Midnight is left shaking his head, “One night to have a good bed once again, and not worry about whether I’ll hurt another pony, or if I’ll be chased away in the middle of the-.” The heart wrenching scream of another pierces the night air, and his thoughts. As the colt soars through the still skies gracefully, “I should-” Midnight pauses for a second as a minor sting shows up in the back of his head, “I should see what is wrong?”

‘No, no… you don’t need that right now,’ The strange inner voice calls out in a raspy tone, almost sounding like hooves on a chalk board, ‘What you have to worry about, is you.’

“And I wasn’t talking to you,” Midnight grinds out behind clenched teeth for the other to hear.

‘You are always talking to me because I am always with you, Remember?’

Sadly,” the colt groans on at that painful aide memoire.

‘Awe. Come on now,’ Midnight can almost hear the fake tears falling down his companion’s face, ‘Is that any way to treat an old friend?’

Humph.” Midnight huffs. Almost laughing to even consider the voice talking to him to be a friend. Having been there for him for many years. It is the only companionship he has had in a while. Even giving him an odd sensation in his head while he sleeps. Almost like there is another there with him, “Whenever you come to mind bad things follow you know that right?”

‘That’s why I’m here after all,’ the sickening laughter of the voice surrounds him as he tries to think of a way to shut it up for the night.

The next yelp punctures the conversation as Midnight glides through the air to save his energy as he makes up his mind whether, or not to help another that could be in danger.

“If doing something, that may turn out to bite me later, even has the chance of getting you out for the night. Then that is a risk I am more than willing to take,” He finalizes. Flapping his wings harder towards the sounds of a scuffle.

‘So be it. When it blows up in your face. Let me know, would you?’ the voice finishes off, allowing Midnight to follow his own mind for the time being.

A single unicorn colt and mare rummage their way through the forest in an attempt to find a few pieces of fire wood, just to take the edge off of an evening like this. After a night of gathering wood out in the forest, and almost winding up lost several times. The pair make their way back to the trail and soon find themselves headed towards the quaint little cottage that they share with one another to warm up.

Ugh, why did it have to be tonight of all times to have a cold chill in the area?” The mare groans over having to hull several things of wood over her shoulders.

“Here you go, dear,” He levitates some of the larger branches on to his back, to take some of the load off of his mare.

“Thank you, my love,” She gives him a light peck on the cheek, “at least I know I won’t have to sleep cold tonight…”

“I don’t want you to freeze, either of you,” The stallion places a hoof on her belly, and feels a small kick from the foal that he is to call his own in the next few months.

After trying so hard. The young couple was overjoyed to be able to say that they are to have their first child on the way. Taking extra care now to ensure her heath. It was upon the mare insistence to help her stallion with the wood to keep them, and their future child, warm for the night. Plus she didn’t want him alone out here at night.

Having the heightened maternal instincts. The mother to be, picks up on the crack of a tree branch in close proximity to them. As her hooves burry themselves in to the ground in a stance, and her ears perk up at the sound while they twitch about trying to detect it further.

“What was that?” Her head swivels about around the darkened area. Wishing that she had learned a little more magic, than the simple spells she would use to help around the house.

“I didn’t hear anything?” Her husband does the same to see if there really is anything to worry about, “I do believe we are the only ones out here right-”

All of a sudden his nostrils are filled with the fowl stench of what he could only make out as rotting meat and foliage mixed together as his mouth snaps shut. Putting himself in front of the mare he loves. The stallion tries to think of anything he can do in the department of combat. Having about as much experience as his wife in magic. Though he has lived out here in the wilderness away from town far longer than his mare, and knows a thing or two when it comes to other creatures to be wary of.

Namely, ‘Timberwolves.’

The name of the horrible smelling creatures of the forest. Made up of the woodland itself. Barley gets through his mind as he now sees what his nose could only tell. A small pack of four that have wandered the forest about as much as the young couple have, makes their way to encircle the ponies. Each one snarling at the meal to be, with delight for fresh meat as the mare with foal, and her stallion back themselves up in to one another.

AGghh!” The mare yelps you while she tries to look for an exit, “Dear what do we do?!” She starts to whimper.

The thought of her husband getting injured, or even the life inside of her is placed in the forefront of the soon to be mother’s mind. While her own safety takes a place on the back burner. The stallion does what he can, as his horn lights up with a simple levitation spell, and breaks off a dry branch to bring to his side. Lighting it up in a blaze with the same spell he would have used to light the fire they had hoped to have back at home.

Get back!” He yells at the slowly approaching creatures of the forest.

Waving the flaming branch back, and forth in front of them. A single wolf takes the first move, and lunges towards the couple with his fangs held open, only to get a branch to the side of its face. Tumbling over on to the ground with a few seer marks on its temple. The others hold their place for a second while they wait for his spell to die down and the fire to burn out.

“Go ahead.” The stallion’s voice calms down as he tries to hold his own. “Try me.”

Hun please do something!” Her teeth grind together as the flame on the branch slowly starts to die down, and so do their chances of getting out with their lives. All the while, both ponies soon have the sound of several branches breaking filling their ears. Only to assume that it’s more of the wolves coming in for the meal from the forest.

Or so they thought.

A single form lands on the wolf that the stallion sent to the ground as it tries to get up. Crushing it under a pair hooves in one go as it fall to pieces all around the colt, while the others in the area take notice instantly at the new hidden figure joining them. Midnight rises up from his kneeling position with sap from the kill over his legs to face the attackers head on.

Well… what are you waiting for?” he taunts the creatures, looking at them with his golden eyes through the darkened hood. Glad that the bait worked while they see the obvious threat, and seek to take him out before turning their attention to the original meal. Midnight closes his eyes, as time seems to slow down around him in an instant. Calming all his nerves to the point that the only thing he can hear is the beating of his heart in the trance.

‘Come on don’t fail me,’ Midnight persists, ‘You have to hold yourself together.’

Hearing the wooden paws upon the ground getting louder until the last second. The colt slams his hooves in to the ground. Instantly the veins in his legs start to glow with energy and a split second later the forelegs become wrapped up in a green aura of magic that shrouds them in a sort of shield, lighting up the ground around him slightly in their glow. The two unicorns present try to see their savior for who he really is. Though the cloak and hood that he wears, hides any trace of the colt’s features.

The magical charged hooves pound in to the first wolf that tries to attack him. Barely making contact, but it still has the desired effect. As it loses some of its power while sending the small surge in to the creature, and blowing out a lethal amount of wood from the wolf while sap from the material starts to drip down, and around the now lifeless form on the ground as a hefty chunk remains missing from its side. Not even taking the time to look at his first kill in a long, long time. The strange colt eyes the two there waiting still, though all is not well with him.

Midnight starts to feel the falter on his own part, while the creepy voice comes back with every use of his gift, ‘Did you really think you could keep me at bay?’

“I was hoping so!” Midnight yells out seemingly to no one. At least what it would seem to the others there, ‘Just a little more, that’s all I need.’

‘Don’t worry, I’ll be here when you need me. Ta-ta,’ it calls out while he goes about keeping himself alive, as he stumbles from the mental break.

The second one takes the opportunity, and jumps up to his side. Biting down hard in to Midnight’s ribs, while tearing out a small chunk of flesh as the blood runs down the side of him. Though Midnight doesn’t have time to think about this, as he focuses on only ending the wolf, and not his own safety. Boxing the second one in the head with both hooves, it shatters much like the first one did as its skull is crushed, and hits the ground without even a struggle. Tearing the cloak in to shreds and off the colt in one go, revealing his form to the ponies there.

“One more,” The colt notes as he watches the wolf start to circle around him. Closing his own eyes though, Midnight snuffs out the magical aura around his hooves to give it some incentive.

The final Timberwolf leaps forward when it seems he’ll have the advantage, and holds its claws out in front ready to tear in to the colt that has his eyes still clenched shut. Though as the distance starts to close between the wolf and its prey. The winged pony’s eyes snap open, not with the golden eyes that the wolf has seen, but an envious green. A ray of pure energy blasts from the colt’s eyes, as it tears in to the wolf. The magical spell doing its job and cuts through the foliage that makes up the creature, splitting it in two, leaving the two halves to pass harmlessly by either side of Midnight. Though as impressive as this may appear to the couple there to witness this, the colt responsible isn’t all that proud as he feels the use of his gift tearing in to him, causing his mind to waver back and forth between light and dark.

“I can’t slip, I have to beat this,” Midnight mutters under his breath. Not even hearing the sounds of the hooves from the husband slowly approaching to check on him, while he converses with his other self.

‘And how would you beat me? I am you after all. Your very heart and soul. How can you beat what you are?’ The fragile mind snaps back at the colt, after feeling itself grow stronger from the dark magic flowing in and through the colt’s body. It feels strong, it feels so good. Though Midnight knows that feeling all too well, having gone through the same thing more times than he would care to admit.

“It feels like it’s tearing in to my heart,” He clenches his chest. Before watching as his vision starts to fade on in to the night, ‘No, not again!’

Midnight’s mind goes blank in a flash as the darkness takes over. The familiar shine on his golden eyes lost as they find themselves filled with nothingness. Only a darkened void after they glass over in black. Giving sight, but seemingly without a soul in them, while they stare down to the ground like an empty void.

“You better believe again,” His voice changes to a raspy, almost growl. While the other colt present halts his advance after hearing his mutter. Not knowing at all what is going through this strange Pegasus pony’s mind.

“Sir? Are you okay?” The husband looks at the wound on his savior’s side, not even questioning at the time how this colt made what he knows is magic, without a horn. Pushing it off to the side for the time being, so the wounds that have been sustained can be attended to, “You’re hurt, sir. Come with us, we’ll get some help for you.”

Oh-h-h,” An evil snarl stretches across Midnight’s face while he almost purrs, “You can’t help, what I have.”

A pair of dark onyx fangs glint off of the remaining embers of the branch, showing their sheen to the husband while it takes a second or two to process exactly what he is seeing. That sight turning out to be the last thing he sees, before Midnight buries them in to the colt’s neck, and brings the soon to be father down to the ground. The only sound in the still night, being the blood curdling scream of the mare, while Midnight’s form gulps down the life fluid from the kill. While his own gaping flesh wound along his side, starts to patch itself up in record time.

‘Why!’ Midnight yells at himself from inside his own head, ‘All I wanted to do was help. Why do you keep doing this to me?!’

‘Oh? Because it’s just so much fun, of course,’ the voice answers back at him while the body does what it does. Tearing out a chunk from his neck, and swallowing it whole, “Ahh, and you taste so good!” he answers to his dead prey.

The crazed pony dives in to the now long dead colt’s chest. Tearing out cut after cut of red meat, devouring the portions in one go while they slide down his gullet. Filling himself up just a bit. He lets the rest of the meal down on the ground, as the soft cries of the mare for her lover fill the void between them. Resting backed up against a tree, she can do little in her position. The soft kicks of the child inside her only giving the mare more, and more pain in her heart. Striking down every thought of leaving her husband’s body with this monster. Soon enough though with her sobs, it draws the attention of a pair of hollow gloomy eyes, devoid of any sort of remorse glaring back up at her. While the mare tries to scoot further in to the tree without gaining any head way.

“Please! What do you want?” The mare yells at what once was their savior, now her terror, “You have already taken my love from me! What more could you ask for?!”

Midnight’s form leaves the colt’s body be as he slowly walks towards her, “That I could answer with so many things.”

Every step tears more and more away from the mare, as the colt grinds his teeth at his prey. The blood from the colt laying on the ground still around his mouth, and even dripping down along the fangs and his coat. Almost blending in with the red fur he wears. Only being seen now when a small shimmer catches the moon light just right. Now only inches away from her face. Midnight’s breath matches that of the wolves almost. Just not nearly as putrid from the rot, as he traces his muzzle down her neck. Running the tip against her coat, she can feel her skin start to crawl underneath.

“I could go with a second feeding, of a different kind at least,” The seemingly tormented Midnight wraps his fore hooves around the mare and flips her down on to the ground. Using his powerful wings to push down in to her, while his hoof muffles her screams from escaping in to the night.

Now, now my dear. You don’t want to alert any other wild animals out here, now do you?” he responds while her eyes look around in terror. The crazed colt holding her with all his might, and herself now having no possible way to get out of this even if to just run.

‘You. Can’t. Take. Her. Too!’ Midnight yells out between lapses in thought. The newly revitalized body from the feeding, fights back against the minds inner workings, and attempts to push out the darkness.

“What are you going to do?” The voice taunts back at the body’s real owner, as he seems to talk to no one but himself to the mare, “Do you expect to save her?”

‘I can certainly try!’ The flow of his own emotions does a mental sock to the face of the darkness with in him as Midnight tries to separate the good from bad, and take control. Even if for just a moment, ‘The nourishment from the kill of what seemed to be this mare’s significant other, is patching my head up just as it did by side… and you know what that means.’

With one final push Midnight moves back in to his own mind, and snaps back to reality as the darkness is pushed out for now. The glimmer in his eyes returning as everything is set back in to place. Lifting up his wings, and pulling back the hoof from the mare’s mouth. She uses what strength she can to punch Midnight in the jaw, and send the colt off to the side. Giving her enough room to get up on her hooves, as she runs up to her husband’s dead form. Pieces of his body missing never to be returned, the face of death on him as his eyes stay peeled open gazing in to her own, and blood now drenching her coat while it continues to seep from his very body.

How could you!?” she yells at the colt, who remains in a trance it seems, “He was trying to help you after you saved us, and you killed him! You bucking killed him! Our child is going to grow up without a father now, and it’s all because of you!”

That last line strikes some sort of nerve with in the night time colt. A rush of emotions in the back of his head, that he can’t place in his long existence as to why they would ever be there, start to fill the very front of his mind. As a few tears of his own start to make their way in to his ducts, Midnight is flushed with a sudden grace of sorrow, and despondency. More so than the normal feelings up guilt he would have gotten from the killing of an innocent pony out in the woods. Not the first time that has happened in the attempt to do the right thing, and certainly not the first time he has been hit by the random assortment of emotions. This one though is far more potent, as he has yet to understand why.

Spreading his wings out as wide as they will physically allow. He ignores the mare’s pleads, and cries as he takes to the air away from it all, ignoring the remains of his cloak there on the ground in tatters. Easily avoiding any, and all trees, or other obstacles in his path thanks to the adapted night time eyes he has. The now bloodied colt that matches his coat breaks in to the air, and flies to where ever he can manage with what strength he can muster. Only landing a mile, or two away, half way up the north mountain that he saw in the distance. Though after he lands, Midnight takes a moment to turn around, and look back in to the forest.

Hanging his head down low at what he did. Midnight can still hear the whimpers of the mare, even from this distance, with his sharp ears, “I’m sorry, ma’am,” He whispers while trying to think of all the trouble he caused the, now, widow, “I-I-I’m not myself.”

‘You’re right. You aren’t.’

“Not you again,” He stomps his hoof in the light snow covering that surrounds him in the cold, which he tried to avoid sense he woke up, “Is there no end to you?” Midnight asks as he starts to walk up the mountain. Trudging through the snow however he can.

‘Well you have had me for your whole life. It was just a matter of unlocking your gift, and using it more, and more to let me free,’ the slow sound of hooves clapping fills his mind as the voice continues, ‘Though I will give you props for what you managed to do. Oddly enough the thing I did when it came to food, you used against me, and won. For now that is,’ the voice grows softer, and softer with every word spoken only to Midnight, as his mind gets some of its strength back to silence his thoughts, ‘We’ll. Be. In. Touch.’

The sound of nothingness fills his inner mind, as Midnight has a reprieve for the first time in a long while. Almost to the point of nearly forgetting what it’s like to have your mind, to yourself. The colt savors that thought as he treks on in his journey, reminded exactly what makes him who he is, sitting there right on his plot.

My gift?” Midnight looks back at his flank to his cutie mark.

Viewing the grey shield that graces his rump with a green flame dancing in the center. It has been there for as long as the colt can remember. Though at heart, no matter how much he may try. He can’t recall when he got it, or what he was doing when it appeared. All he knows is it has to do with his special little gift, one that he would much rather be without at this point in life.

“Try my curse, I hate you… Shard,” Midnight shakes his head, while the strange stallion trudges through the snow, and onward to where ever he can go.