The Two Students

by RainbowSnow

Chapter 3 : Attempt and Hope

`Chapter 3: Attempt and Hope

“'One needs not the use of the eye to truly see, for I see your defeat is near, Kuni Kage.' The Blind Samurai-pony says to the evil Ninja pony. ' You over-estimate yourself dear Shoti. You really think you could beat ME?' The evil unicorn says as they begin an epic battle! Shoti draws his katana lightning quick, holding the handle in his teeth. The Ninja leaps at him using his magic to pull two kunai from his saddle bags. The two clash and...” Umbra acts for her brother, reading him his favorite comic.

She stops as Princess Luna walks in the room; they were taking a break from today's lessons because Luna says their skills have progressed so much in the past five days. Lucis had improved much faster despite his condition. it was actually Umbra herself was shocked by how fast he could do, yet it seemed scary in a way.

'He can concentrate the light into a spot light, illuminate the room and his body, even absorb the ambiance out of a room into his body! He hasn't really learned much else other than magic that involves light. I can use a good many regular spells, unlike Lucis at the moment.' She thinks proudly. 'I have learned so much these past few days; I have learned to negate light and can counter part of what my brother can do.'

“Princess Luna!” Umbra calls as she stands to helps Lucis up.”Has Dr. Kitt said anything yet?”

Luna looks through the dark window into her night sky, following the moon as it nears its peak. “We have heard he hath found all he needs. He shalt return shortly, and with luck Lucis may be cured.” She says with dissipating hope.

“Is something wrong?” Lucis asks, his mood slightly dampened by his teacher's lack of faith.

“Of course not, well...We are just unsure if thy treatment will go well.” Luna says with a voice laced in care, the care of a mother worried she may hurt her child more than help it. “We don't want you to get hurt, nor do We wish to give you false hope.”

Umbra looks to her surrogate mother. Something she feels to be true since she had never known her parents, let alone any other that cared for them as much as Luna. 'Aunt Celly is nice and she loves us, but nowhere near the to extent Luna has grown to love us.' Umbra thinks, 'To think only a month or so ago I was a little tiny filly without a care in the world. Now here I am, with a loving mother and brother, and my blunders are hurting them both....'

“Don't worry Tea... Mommy. I'll get better you'll see. If Doctor Kitt can't help me, than I'm sure Twilight can!” Lucis says, he thoughts going to her promise. 'She'll be able to help me. I'm sure of it! She's so nice...if only I could put a face to that caring voice... Well, with her help I will be able to! There is no way that neither of them will not be able to help' Lucis thinks, his head full of unyielding confidence.

Luna looks to her student, no her son, she corrects. She has grown so close to these two over the past month and it's quite frankly astounding. she looks at her student with love and hope. 'Maybe he will be able to see again. Maybe this is what our sister wants us to learn, love, care, and tenderness.' Luna thinks bubbly.

“Alright, well time to practice for a little more this night” Luna says gently. 'Wait, did he say Twilight will help?' Luna thinks puzzled.

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“Uggghhhh” Twilight groans, closing yet another book. She had found nothing all day, and the night was proving just as fruitless. The library was desolate, and dimly lit. The mountain of books next to her was all she had to show for days and a few nights of research. 'There is absolutely no material relating to his symptoms, nothing even close.' Twilight thinks exasperated. She looks down at the table, only a few books left, an empty note pad, multiple quills and ink wells. Sighing, she looks out the window to the clear sky; its stars painted upon a magnificent canvas of blues and blacks. The moon is just nearing its peak, she feels the need to go to bed soon.

“Working hard as ever it seems, Twilight.” Celestia says, breaking into Twilight's thoughts. Celestia walks up to her with her usual grace, despite looking rather tired. “Have you found anything useful?”

“Princess Celestia, I...I can't. You caught me just as I was about to give up and go to bed. It's just not in any of these books that I've read so far.” Twilight sighs, “His symptoms are so strange, there is nothing even close to it. I just don't know what to do... There must be some way to help him”

“Perhaps that way is to present no illusions of regaining his sight.” Celestia says softly, with sadness in her voice. “To lead him along thinking he can regain his sight, while we know there is no way, is just cruel.”

Twilight looks at the princess with shock, how can she give up so easily? 'How can Princess Celestia, the wisest pony around, give up like this? There must be a way to help him...I just don't know where to find it' Twilight thinks. 'But... she may be right. Maybe he won't be able to reclaim his sight, and adjusting to this new lifestyle would be best...'

“I know you wish to help him, I know I do, but there really may be nothing we can do.” Princess Celestia says. She looks to her student, hoping to reach some sort of conclusion to this. “You need to rest my student, you've been at this for the past five days.”

“Well, I have had adequate sleep for my schedule... but you may be right. Bare minimum doesn’t cut it in the long run” Twilight admits. She stands, and the Princess and her student walk through the gloom and go their separate ways to reach the peaceful embrace of sleep.

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Umbra awoke with a lightness she hadn't had in awhile.'Today Dr. Kitt will make Lucis all better and everything will be ok.' She thought in a happy yawn. The sun was high in the sky, showering her room in a warm light. Her bed was quickly made with magic, as she walked over to her dresser to fix her mane.

“Today is going to be a good day” she says joyfully.

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Lucis awoke feeling amazing. 'Today is the day. I know there is no way all of these plans can fail.' Lucis though happily. 'Soon this veil will be lifted and light will return to my life.' He jumps out of bed and turns to the door, opens it with magic, and trots happily only to meet the wall.

“Ow...” Lucis grumbles as he backs away, moves to the left a few feet, and walks out the door. 'So glad I won't have to deal with THAT any more...' He thinks happily.

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Twilight looked down at yet another book. She never thought that a book would be this sickening to her, how many had she gone through already? She looked at the growing pile of useless books. 'Too many' She thinks. 'How can NONE of these books have anything useful?'

Her day had started crummy and these books were not helping. The looming thought of telling a young colt she couldn't help him was horrible. 'But that may be the only way...just like the Princess said.' Twilight thinks sadly. 'How can I do this? How can I tell him the colors of the world are lost forever?'

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Breakfast, or lunch to most ponies, had much lighter feel today. 'Dr. Kitt should be arriving any time now' Umbra thinks excitedly. She almost seems more exited than Lucis. She looks to her brother, who is still wearing the blindfold she had made for him, to see a small grin on his face.

After looking around the study, for what felt like an eternity, the bookshelves, books,scattered chairs, and desks did not get any more interesting. But none of those things mattered when a knock came from the other side of the door. Excitedly, Lucis gets up to go to the door, only to knock over a chair. As Lucis picks himself up off of the the fallen chair, Umbra giggles and canters over to the door. When she opens it, she finds her teacher and the doctor waiting on the other side.

“Oh good! Now all of this can be sorted out!” Umbra squeals with glee, jumping up and down. The doctor looks at her with an unamused frown. Umbra stops her jumping and backs away, back to her spot by Lucis. Luna and the doctor enter the room, the doctor leading. Luna stops by a bookshelf and leans against it. The doctor walks up to Lucis slowly.

“Raise your blindfold please” Dr. Kitt instructs. Lucis does as told eager to have his sight back “Hmm they've gotten brighter, well if you will follow me we will see what we can do.”

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“Ugghhhhh” Umbra groans as she wanders about the enormous castle. It had been eight hours since Dr. Kitt and her brother had gone to try to heal his eyes. The anticipation, and hope to right her wrong, were killing her. She looks at the stained glass window she had stopped in front of, the moon behind it caused it to cast a faint color barrage everywhere around her. It's depiction showed six ponies defeating a wicked looking black Alicorn with blue armor.

“I wonder who that is? I've never heard anything about this, maybe we'll learn about it sometime.” Umbra thinks aloud, not looking too closely at the window as she continued her wandering.

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“AGHHH” Lucis yells as he feels magic start pulling on his eyes again. 'Is he TRYING to pull my eyes out? How is this going to help me? THIS SPELL HURTS!!' Are the only thoughts that repeated in Lucis's mind. The last several tests had helped none, no herbal remedies had either, there appeared to be no medical way to even try, and all the spells hurt. 'This sucks' Lucis thinks, 'but one of these HAS to work.' The pain in his eyes slowly fades.

“Is that any better?” Dr. Kitt asks, “Can you see anything at all? Any light?” Luna looks down at her student with concern and hope 'Hath this one worked?' she thinks hopefully.

Lucis opens his eyes, and sees...nothing. A fog of shadow that he now feels may haunt him forever. “No” he says flatly. 'Wait, there is still hope! Dr. Kitt probably has more tests! And there is still Twilight to count on!' He thinks, regaining some hope.

“I have one final spell I could try,” Dr. Kitt says gravely, “ But I fear it may not work, it may damage your eyes even more.” Dr. Kitt shifts on his hooves, awaiting an answer form somepony. Lucis's head shifts in his direction from his position on the operating table.

“Do it” He sighs.

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Luna left the room, she couldn't stand to see her surrogate son hurt and disappointed, only to regain hope and be disappointed yet again. 'There must be something We can do' She thinks as she begins wandering down the hall, fighting the tears that threatened to fall. She wandered the dim, yet elegant halls for a few minuets. Stopping at a window, a familiar window. A stained glass window that depicted Nightmare Moon's.....no her defeat. She had kept her past self a secret from her children, for she did not wish for them to fear her.

'Not telling them is the best option,' Luna thinks, looking out the window as the moon slipped past the top of the window causing the colorful light to shorten upon the floor. 'If they knew our past, We would only frighten them.' She thinks. 'And then they would learn nothing, and would hate us.'

'Now is that really the truth?' a cool voice says in the back of her mind.

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Umbra found herself outside of the room where Dr. Kitt was helping her brother. The wooden door was painted many beautiful colors, flowing together in an indescribable beauty, like many things in the castle. 'And soon my brother will see them all again.' Umbra thought happily, 'My wrong will be corrected and all will be well.' Umbra turns as she hears hoofsteps behind her.

“Princess! I thought you were in there with them?” Umbra quizzically asks.

“Indeed we were, but we felt a walk was necessary.” Luna answers quietly, shifting on her hooves.

“Is everything going good? Is he going to be able to see?” Umbra inquires, leaning towards her mother.

“Dr. Kitt is performing one more attempt, but alas, We are unaware of the progress due to Our walk.” Luna says. As if on queue, Dr. Kitt opens the colorful doors with a somber look on his face.

“I tried all I can with my current resources,” Dr. Kitt sighs, Lucis walking out with his blindfold on behind him. “There is nothing else I can do really. I'm sorry...I...” The doctor looks down trying to find the right words.

“It's alright,” Lucis says quietly, bumping into Umbra who gives him a hug. “I still have Twilight, she can help me. I know she can.” Luna looks at her son with sadness in her eyes.

'He can have so much faith in a pony he only met once, and still have compete trust that she can help him' Luna thinks amazed.

'What else is there to do? When the light is taken hope is all that remains, until that fades as well, that is.' The cool voice says in the back of her mind. 'You hoped that some would appreciate your night, and gave up. Much like he will do when he learns Her precious student can't help him'

'Begone foul spirit, We are a Nightmare no longer,' Luna thinks. 'We love and are loved, we have no use of thoughts of back then.'

'I am not here to turn you,' The Nightmare hisses. 'I too feel as you do, and have no wish to go back to being hated. I merely warn of the inevitable.' Umbra looks to her teacher to see what the next step will be. Lucis leans against her, his face blank.

“To bed you two” Luna orders, “We shall see Twilight in the morn.” The two turn slowly and head off to their rooms, Luna turns to the Doctor. “Thou may take leave as well. Thou shall be called if your services are required. Thank you, truly, thank you.”

'Thou wish not to turn me?' Luna ponders.

'Nay, we are loved by our subjects and our children.' The Nightmare answers, 'I speak only to warn you of what may happen. Beware, he may follow in our hoofsteps' Luna begins walking torwards the balcony, where she may watch her moon more easily.

'Thank you, but we believe we can handle this.' Luna thinks smugly, as she approaches the main hall along the way.

'If thou do not wish to heed my warning then so be it. I shall not speak on the matter again.' The Nightmare retorts. 'I shall speak again only once. I pray that is to congratulate you on avoiding this looming disaster, not to deliver an “I had informed you this would happen” remark'

'We shall see Nightmare, but when that day comes 'tis thou whom shall be wrong' Luna thinks smugly, having bested the Nightmare, halting her advances yet again.

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Lucis looks about the room, or he moves his head in the motions at least. He desperately walks out of his dark room, avoiding the wall this time. 'I must find Twilight and end this. She can help I just know it. There is NO way I can end up being blind for the rest of my life, it can be cured. It has to be.' Lucis thinks frantically as he moves down the hall towards Celestia's guest rooms.

“Hehe, well it must be dark enough to where I couldn't see where I was going anyway” Lucis says jokingly. Lucis stops dead as he hears a noise from his left.

“Uh...Master Lucis? What are you doing up?” A Nightguard Pony asks as he looks at the sneaking student. The guard looks around to see if anypony else was with him. “Why are you traveling alone? Are you no longer blind?”

“Nay, I am as blind as I was when I awoke this morning.” Lucis says sadly, “But I am off to get it taken care of now!” The guard pony looks down at the alicorn, who only comes up to his chest.

'Forgot how fast these two have grown' The guard thinks amazed. “Taken care of?” he asks in puzzlement, “I thought Dr. Kitt tried earlier?”

“Indeed he did. But, nothing he tried worked... But that's okay because I still have a back up!” Lucis says “I still have Twilight to fix my eyes!”

“So you've talked to Twilight, huh? Well bothering her now will do ya no good kid.” The guard explains as he looks around in the dark. “She went to sleep not too long ago, it would be best if ya waited till tomorrow to talk to her.”

“Well.....alright.” Lucis says as he turns around. “I'll talk to her tomorrow.”

“Good night young one, I wish you luck!” The guard says after him. The guard turns and chuckles as he continues on his route. “Kids, never do like to give up do they?”

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“One needs not the use of the eyes to truly see, for life's beauty is presented in many ways. Love is life's purest beauty, and can only be seen with the heart.”

-Shoti, the blind Samurai Pony.