Beyond Blind Eyes

by Lunaric

The Grass Is

Sunny adjusted her right foreleg, lightly brushing against the little one. The squirrels are quite fortunate that they are able to take a break in the winter.

Sunny heard a sound from her close right. "Yeah, Sunny? You good?"

Sunny turned her eyes away from the nature around them towards Aqua. She hummed questioningly. "I am yes. Why do you ask?"

The filly suddenly had amusement showing on her face. "Ah, nothin'. Probably just you adjusting how you're sitting or whatever. I felt you move and wondered if you were good."

Oh... Sunny hummed an acknowledgement and nodded as she leaned back to get a better view of the filly.

Deciding to be playful, Aqua levitated the ball a bit away, still in her magical grip. She is improving quite well if she can hold the ball steady in the wind... Aqua leaned in, ducking her head and looking up at Sunny. "Nodding, are you? Without me..?" Aqua shook her head. "For shame, Sunny..."

Sunny began to stifle a giggle. Only a foal...

"I thought you were better than this. Better than nodding to a blind child." Aqua shook her head once more. "For shame..."

Sunny's eyebrows raised up. "You are perceptive enough to notice, little Aqua."

Aqua straightened out and beat her right hoof against her chest.

Sunny's eyebrows lifted further.

"Damn right, I am." Aqua smiled with an almost-fake wideness. "Hell, I'm even able to tell who's walking based on just the sound of them walking... Like their cadence or whatever."

She has adapted well...

"Or even just hear someone's breath and know who it is..." Aqua's face fell as her head drooped.

I understand your plight, little Aqua... Sunny changed her expression to one of concern. "Aqua? Are you... good?"

"I..." The filly's head twitched up before freezing. "Yeah." Aqua slowly nodded. After a second, she looked back up and grinned, "And hey, I noticed that!"

Sunny's pulled her head back slightly. What?

The filly was still smiling. "Glad you're starting to learn how to talk like the rest of us. Congratulations."

Oh... Sunny touched a hoof to her chin. I suppose. Sunny felt the corners of her mouth raise as she stared at Aqua. "It is a very slow process."

The filly animatedly put a hoof up as she leaned her body and head onto the larger pony. "Well, Let me help you with some tips." The filly's grin got bigger as her one of her eyebrows went up while the other stayed down. "The first thing to make you sound more hip-." Aqua giggled to herself and put a hoof to her mouth. "First thing to make you sound normal is definitely to use contractions..." Aqua turned to the side for a second and moved her hoof to her chin, "I think that's the word." She turned back to the direction of Sunny as her hoof went back up. "Anyway, the things you put between two words that become combined or whatever. Things like the word," She quickly glanced directly towards Sunny's neck with her head and hoof. "phrase, my bad" Back. "I am to the word I'm." The filly shrugged. "Like, in writing, when you use the apostrophe between the I and the m after it."

She seems quite passionate about language. Sunny put a hoof to her mouth and giggled. "I will endeavor to practice that." Sunny nodded once. "Do you enjoy the study of language, Aqua?"

Aqua shrugged dramatically and leaned away from the yellow pegasus. "Eh, not really. There's a thing here or there that I find interesting, but that's about it."

Sunny furrowed her eyebrows. Hm. "Are you able to think of one thing?"

Aqua looked straight for a second. "Oh. Uh..." Suddenly, the filly's eyelids drooped as her seemingly ever-present minor grin faded.

Sunny focused on Aqua's eyes. She may not be able to see, but she still moves her eyes as if she still could. Sunny grew a frown and leaned in further. Still did not get an answer about her past... Sunny suddenly heard giggling and mentally chided herself before listening to Aqua once more.

Aqua leaned to the side and covered her tiny smile. A second later, the filly shook her head. "Anyway, bed time came by and we'd do all the normal getting ready for bed stuff, but when it was actually time to fall asleep, we'd start to talk. Normally nothing of substance, but just talk. Talk in the way that siblings often do."

Oh...

Sunny suddenly felt a small hoof jab into her side. "You- you good?"

Sunny saw little Aqua was looking up at her with concern clear on her face. Sunny blinked and noticed that her eyes were wet. Sunny disguised her wiping her eyes with a wing before responding. "Yes. I am fine. Continue."

Aqua's eyebrows furrowed upwards and she quietly asked again, "Are you sure?"

Sunny spread her currently yellow wing over the filly before giving her a soft hug with it. She nodded. "Yes, little Aqua. I am fine."

The filly furrowed her eyebrows.

She has a good sense for lying.

The filly turned her head to the side and looked up at Sunny. Aqua slowly continued, "You really didn't sound fine, but alright... I won't pry." Aqua glanced down with her eyes for a second before speaking once more, "Do you want me to continue the story?"

It would be a good distraction. Sunny nodded. "Yes. I would like to hear it."

Slowly, Aqua continued, now looking at Sunny's side. "Alright... I think I was talking about me and my brother's late night talks..." The filly stopped talking and froze for a second. The filly nodded. "Okay, so we'd talk after bedtime, but when we were having an argument or a debate, whatever you want to call it, there'd be some misunderstanding. Sunny looked down, still listening. Sunny nodded as her eyes searched the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, Sunny could see Aqua rolling her eyes, shaking her head, and shrugging. "Like we'd be arguing about something about something, and like after wasting half an hour to an entire hour of us talking in circles, I'd realize that there'd be one critical word we'd completely misunderstand."

Sunny's eyelids drooped. More than a simple word for us two. She steeled her expression and forced herself to look at the filly.

"Not exactly that one of us had the meaning wrong in our head, though that was also sometimes true, it was a thing of I'd know the word to mean a certain thing and set of things connected to it that'd be adjacent or work in close to the same context... Anyway, I'd realize how we understood the word was different... I ended up finding that really, really interesting. But like only that. Pretty much nothing else about language really grabbed my attention. I just like knowing about those differences in word meaning to different people..."

Sunny leaned back as her eyes widened slightly, staring at Aqua. "I... Understand."

Aqua spoke up but cut herself off suddenly. "I- uh..." Aqua looked down to the side shakily. "You know what? Never mind." Aqua shook her head.

Sunny leaned her head down, watching Aqua from an even height. Is she..?

"Look, Sunny." The filly looked the other way before turning back to Sunny with a sympathetic look. Aqua leaned into Sunny's before the filly lifted a hoof. The filly put the hoof on the side of her barrel. After making contact, she looked up where Sunny's neck. Sunny moved her head so the filly would be looking at it. "There's something on your mind, and while I don't want to be pushy..." Aqua leaned in a little bit more. "Are you sure you're okay? Is there any way I can help?"

Sunny's eyebrows lifted. More than a little perceptive... Sunny looked towards her own wing lightly wrapped around the mostly-blue filly. Sunny's eyes moistened. Like we used to do. Sunny mouth changed to a sad smile as she looked up at the sky. Sunny breathed out heavily as she stared. Tonight. Shaking her head, she turned back towards the filly. Sunny nodded. "In the future, yes. But not now, Aqua."

Aqua froze before giving a subdued nod. The filly then leaned into Sunny once more. "Alright..." Aqua looked back up at where Sunny's head was with a somber expression. "Sunny just remember. We're friends," A quick glance to the side, "Even if fairly new ones. You can say what's on your mind to me. I promise that I won't tell anyone... And if I can help, even if it's only just listening, hit me up..." Aqua suddenly continued quickly, "While I'm not a therapist, my mom was one." The filly then flinched as if she were pinched. Aqua forced out a fake laugh and gave another sad smile. Aqua looked away before jerking her head back. Continuing, the filly spoke with an embarrassed tone. "She almost wanted me to become one. Last time I talked to her I think she still did..." Another look away and tear back. "Anyway, my point is that I picked up some insights, if you ever want to just vent."

Sunny looked at the filly and smiled. Hugging the filly closer, Sunny spoke up, "Maybe soon, Aqua..."

"Alright." The filly spoke uncertainly and nodded slowly.

Looking at the filly, Sunny waited for her to continue, but she didn't. The filly faced the pegasus for a few seconds before slowly looking straight ahead. Sunny could tell Aqua was thinking about her.

As Sunny stared at the smaller, blue filly, Sunny sighed. So much like Luna... Sunny faced the sky once more.

Author's Note:

I am sorry this is the chapter you got instead of the potential next chapter that I originally had in mind. But don't worry, you should end up being able to see it soon. Hopefully.

Though, this chapter is also important in it's own right. This chapter certainly is interesting due to... Well, you read it... :)

I am starting to fully settle in, but we shall see how long it takes before I resume a decent schedule.

I started editing this chapter from the previous one and kinda lost myself in it. I just looked at the word count and surprised myself. I enjoy when that happens.

I hope you all enjoyed and have a good day and night.

Comments

[Raiss Icewind]

I found the chapter really cute.

Also, welcome back!

But yeah, not much to say here, just some good dialogue. Looking forward to more, as usual.

[Veo Skride]

I loved this chapter.

[Ralanost]

Thanks for the update. Glad to see this again.

[Poparakelis]

Back from the grave

[TheWhisperInYourHead]

i wonder what celestia sunny means by saying that aqua will be able to help her in the future? she doesn't seem to be lying about this since we're getting this chapter from her pov, whatever it is i'm excited for whatever future may bring

[Vaguely Demented]

The meaning of words changing or having differing interpretations really is fascinating. Like how depending on region mad can either mean angry or insane.

[lordhufflepuff]

love to see it

[Lunaric]

Once again, sorry for delay in response(s). I'll also be attempting to respond in bulk.

11728941
Thanks for the kind words all around. I have never been as stressed as I have been this month, but I am slowly learning how to deal with it.
But nevertheless, do not think I am stopping.

11732662
Aqua does seem to notice some things more than others. It does not help that Aqua's presence and personality hits some vulnerable points for the mare in yellow.

11749548

Cliche's are an interesting topic. There are some that are heavily overused and nearly no one likes them. However, some are used far too often, yet people still enjoy them. I do not know why, but I find some of those interesting.
Endurance is a very, very useful trait in a living being.

11798122
11798191
Thank you both. I always love hearing enjoyment about my story. Makes my day a little brighter.
I wonder if staring at the sun would give the same result?

11798205
Cast Revivify the way I'm barely hanging on.

11798219
The mare in yellow obviously has a few problems in her life. I wonder which ones she may be referring to.

11798475
The topic really is interesting. Even between two people less than a mile away, who both have never moved in their life, can have majorly different understandings of a single word.

11820034
Sorry I'm not responding to each comment individually but,
Welcome to the story!

1: It's quite annoying how many words begin with 'Than'. Or rather, how few.
2: Aqua certainly hasn't led the more fortuitous life so far.
3: ;)
4: Hm.
5: Aqua cannot see,
6: but you already knew that.
7: Imagine having a conversation with Aqua? She would be a little frustrating, I imagine. Giving simultaneously a lot of details, yet little concrete ones. Weird.
8: The young can, depending on circumstance, have very peculiar personalities and tendencies. Who knows? Well, other than me. All things considered, it is definitely not a good sign of her development.
9: That phrase does seem to be a tell-tale sign in most stories. On a different note, I always found it interesting if Celestia learned that phrase from a different being.
10: Aqua has had unique choices of words compared to the others she interacts with.
11: A potential liar telling you they took a class to learn how to lie better? No way, they definitely are not a liar.
12: It really is. Very unhelpful, if you ask me.
13: Very good catch. What do you suppose that means?
14: It's weird. Unique may be a better choice of word, though. Why would a filly have longer hair than a fully-grown mare? Potentially due to not needing to see, there is no need to keep out of the face other than when eating, I suppose.

11824468
Indeed.
I am quite happy about this particular reveal. The execution of it, I mean.
I have said it before, but the story will be having a large development during the next chapter. So, I felt this being one of the best timings for this particular plot point.
Thank you, as well.

I hope you all have a good day and night.

[TheWhisperInYourHead]

11830575

Thank you both. I always love hearing enjoyment about my story. Makes my day a little brighter.
I wonder if staring at the sun would give the same result?

i find it that on a really foggy days, when looking at the sun directly dosent hurt, staring at it do make day a little brighter

[Lunaric]

11830985

Perhaps I shall then, given the correct weather.
It has been rainy recently...