The Seer

Operation Raven
File: 12
Time Dedicated: 15y 8m 16d
Name: Spectra (Last name unavailable)
Age: 21
City: Manehattan
Info: Little known about target. Unusual physical features, most noticeably the right eye. Records show suspicious behavior in social life. An outcast since Elementary School; when surveillance was initiated. Home records are the only other connection to case. She is currently unaware of surveillance.

Suspicion Level: 3

(Three years before surveillance)

A young light yellow coated filly sat beneath a tower of blocks. Her eyes were wide with pride. She pushed on the bottom block, and watched as the tower shifted and rebalanced itself. She giggled when she watched the tower give up and tilt further. The blocks tumbled off the stack and onto the smooth tile floor. She started to restack the tower, from the foundation left behind. Using her wings to steady herself while she reached for other blocks.

“She looks fine, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” The mother whispered to the stallion across from her.

“It doesn’t work like that. She’s going to look the same the entire time. That doesn’t mean this isn’t as serious, though,” The stallion said.

“But what if you’re wrong? She doesn’t seem to be having any problems,” The mother said.

The young filly placed a hoof over her right eye as she stacked the last block on the top. Her balance shifted, and she fell back onto the floor. The mother gasped and went to wipe the tears off her daughter’s eyes. The stallion leaned back and wrote onto the clipboard he carried.

The mother returned, having comforted her child. The filly was now playing with her mane. The Dark blue mane just long enough to cover her eye. When she was bored again, she turned back to the blocks. The doctor handed the mother his recommendations and prepared for an outburst.

“You want me to what?” The mother asked almost immediately.

“You’ll need to teach your daughter Braille. She needs to start preparing for the worst,” The doctor said.

“But she’s so young, won’t she have time later to learn this?” The mother asked.

“It’s hard to tell exactly, but the infection is spreading fast. She’ll have only a few years before she loses her eyesight. First it’s the infected eye, and then the other. It’ll be gradual, but she needs to be prepared from the beginning,” The doctor said.

“So, she’ll be blind the rest of her life?” The mother asked, tears starting to form from the corners of her eyes.

“I’m afraid so, there’s not enough research to figure out how to cure the disease,” The doctor said.

“Then… one day you’ll be able to help her?” The mother asked.

“Only time will tell. Until then, keep the idea in her head, but let her enjoy herself. It’ll only get harder when the time comes,” The doctor said.

“Okay, I’ll try…” The mother said, watching her daughter giggling at the block tower.

(One year before Surveillance)

“Mom… Dad, look what I made!” The filly handed the yarn necklace to her parents.

“That’s lovely, where did you learn to make this?” The mother asked.

“I saw my teacher doing it, and he showed me how. It’s not that hard,” The filly said.

“Well, why don’t you show some of your classmates?” The father asked.

“Well… they never ask me to show them,” The filly said.

“Spectra, you need to be friendlier. Have you talked to any of your classmates?” The father asked.

“Um, no. But I talk to the teacher, he’s really nice,” Spectra said.

“What makes him different than your classmates?” The mother asked.

“He doesn’t care that I can’t see that well,” Spectra said, lowering her voice above a whisper.

“Spectra, do the other classmates pick on you?” The father asked, his voice getting deeper.

“No… but sometimes… never mind,” Spectra said.

“What is it?” The mother asked.

“Well, when I trip or cover my eye, they laugh,” Spectra said.

“You know, nobody’s perfect. Don’t let it get to you,” The mother said.

“I know, the teacher always makes them stop, and sometimes gets them to forget about it,” Spectra said.

“Well isn’t that nice of him? We haven’t even met him before; do you think we can meet him tomorrow?” The mother asked.

“Yeah, he won’t mind. Let’s get there before school starts though, he doesn’t like to spend a lot of time away from teaching,” Spectra said.

Spectra pushed open the doors to her school. The sound bounced off the walls of the hallways. They looked like they were the only ones there. Spectra guided her parents through the halls and in front of her classroom. The door was partly open, and they could see he was inside, writing on some papers.

“Mister Klein, my parents wanted to meet you,” Spectra said, opening the door and looking to her teacher.

Spectra smiled as her teacher looked up to her. He nodded and mumbled a welcome before turning to the figure across from him. Spectra watched as her teacher held out a file into the air. A hoof stretched out of the shadows and gripped the papers. Spectra watched as the pony materialized in front of her. A shadow hid his face from view, but he looked older than her teacher nonetheless. The pony walked past Spectra and her parents and left without a word.

“Ah Spec, it’s good to see you here early. And your parents too, marvelous,” Klein said.

“It’s good to meet you Mr. Klein, our daughter has told us what a wonderful teacher you are,” Her mother said.

“She’s too modest, she helps me as much as I help her,” Klein said.

“What do you mean by that?” The father asked.

“Well I don’t know if she told you, but I’m also an engineer. I create little knick knacks. It keeps me busy, now that I’m stuck inside due to old age. Your daughter is really special, she helps me with putting them together. It’s like she was born to create,” Klein said.

“She never told us any of that,” The father said, looking over to Spectra.

“What? You never asked…” Spectra said.

“Well anyway, she gave me this great idea for a project. It was a… what was it again?” Klein asked Spectra.

“A Microglass. It lets you see things that are really small. And you can change it to look between small and big things,” Spectra said.

“Oh yes, she’s been working on everything, I’ve just been supervising. She works fast though, just yesterday she almost had it working. All it needed was the correct part,” Klein said.

“She sounds like she’s doing more than school work, when is all this going on?” The father asked.

“I see her working on it during my lectures, and at lunch sometimes. She learns while she works, and it’s amazing. She aces every test I give the class, and I think some of her classmates are jealous,” Klein said.

Spectra looked away from them as Klein continued.

“It’s hard to believe she has bad eyesight, with all the focus she has. She’s really gifted if you ask me,” Klein said.

“Gifted in what way?” The father asked.

“Like I said earlier, she’s got a knack for making new things. I think she can really get somewhere if she continues to learn and practice,” Klein said.

Spectra couldn’t stop the tear from rolling off her cheek. She felt their eyes land on her.

“Spec, what’s wrong?” Klein asked.

“She’s… she’s going blind,” The father explained, understanding why his daughter didn’t mention this before.

“Oh dear… that’s awful. I suppose I’m not going to sound very convincing, but that shouldn’t stop you,” Klein said.

“I don’t think you should get her hopes up, Mr. Klein,” The father said.

“No, really… my son, he was born blind. He learned to deal with it, though. I’m sure Spec here could do the same,” Klein said.

“I think that’s enough…” The father said.

“Wait… where does he live?” Spectra asked, wiping away the tears from her eyes.

“He lives with me, he’s still learning some things,” Klein said.

“Do you think… he could show me how, so I’ll be ready later?” Spectra asked.

“I’m sure he wouldn’t mind, but it’s up to your parents,” Klein said.

“Mom, dad?” Spectra asked.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” Her mother asked.

“Yes, I want to be useful when I go blind,” Spectra said.

“You’ll be useful either way, don’t think you need to see to be important,” Her father said.

“I know,” Spectra said.

“Okay then, if you’re sure,” Her father said.

“Great, you will not regret this. My son will be helping your daughter after school for an hour a day. He has a lot of tricks that help him know where he’s going, and I’m sure Spec will catch on quickly,” Klein said.

“I’m glad she has a teacher that cares, her mother said.

(One week before surveillance)

“Focus, you need to listen and hear,” Collin said.

“But you keep talking, I can’t hear. Besides, that’s the same thing,” Spectra said.

“Then you need to feel and touch,” Collin said.

Spectra stopped trying to argue, and took in a deep breath. She had her eyes closed, towers of books surrounding her. She lifted up her front leg and slowly placed it back on the ground. The vibration she felt from it comforted her. She could feel the objects surrounding her, but she couldn’t place what they were or how big.

“You need to relax. This needs to come naturally, because you don’t want to have to stop all the time. Don’t force it,” Collin said.

“I’m trying Collin, this is complicated though,” Spectra said.

“Come on S, don’t try and picture anything, let the picture come to you,” Collin said.

Spectra let out her breath and relaxed her muscles. She could feel the warmth coming off the books around her. The temperature mixed with the vibrations created a type of sonar. She felt her body tingling with magic. The room suddenly became clear. Her eyes were still closed, but she could feel what was around her.

Spectra took a step forward, and then another. She stopped before she touched a pile of books, and stepped around them. She stepped over another book and ducked underneath a tower of books. Her eyes never opening, and her smile getting wider.

“You did it, see it wasn’t too bad,” Collin said.

“I think I can get used to that,” Spectra said, opening her eyes. She was hit with a wave of nausea, and leaned on a pile of books.

“Easy, you used up too much of your magic,” Collin said.

“I’m not a unicorn though, why can I use magic?” Spectra said.

“Everypony has magic, but only unicorns can use it whenever they want. Pegasus like you and I only have a limited supply, and Earth ponies only have a little,” Collin said.

“Then why can you do this all the time?” Spectra asked.

“Well, I was born blind. So my body doesn’t have to use up so much energy to see everything. I have more magic to spare. You’ll see when you… you know,” Collin said.

“Yeah… I think the only reason I could do this at all, is because I can’t see out of my right eye anymore. Unless I squint really hard, everything is too blurry,” Spectra said.

“What about your left eye?” Collin asked.

“I don’t see any different, the doctor said I’ll lose one eye at a time,” Spectra said.

“Well, I think that’s all for today. Let’s wake up Klein before his snoring wakes up the dogs outside,” Collin said.

“Hehe, yeah,” Spectra said.

Spectra walked over to the sleeping teacher, and nudged his shoulder. His yawn lasted almost ten seconds. He raised his eyebrows at Collin and Spectra. Spectra helped him up, and he started to stretch.

“That was a good nap, any progress on your end?” Klein asked.

“Yeah, she learned to walk now, maybe tomorrow we’ll get her to read and write with her eyes closed,” Collin said.

“I’m so excited…” Spectra said.

“Would you rather learn Braille?” Klein asked.

“I’m good, I just don’t like relearning these things again. It’s so different when you’re blind,” Spectra said.

“You’ll get used to it,” Collin said.

Klein led them out the door as he turned around to lock it behind them. He fumbled for the keys, while Collins sniffed the air.

“What’s that smell?” Collin asked.

“This place hasn’t been cleaned in weeks. It’s probably mold,” Klein said.

“No, it smells like… smoke,” Collin said.

“What’s that?” Spectra asked pointing down the corridor to the light at the end.

“Haha, very funny,” Collin said.

“Sorry, but it looks like a light,” Spectra said.

“Is it… a fire?” Collin asked.

Spectra looked down the corridor. A glint of light was coming from the end of the hall. It looked like it was from the window, but now she could see that it was actually on the door. The glint turned into a bright light as the fire came into view. Spectra turned to tell the others, but she noticed something behind them. At the other end of the corridor, there was another bright light, brighter than the first.

“It’s in both sides of the hallway, where do we go?” Spectra asked.

“What? I didn’t hear what you were talking about. I should really label these keys better,” Klein said.

“There’s a fire, is there another way out?” Spectra asked.

“Oh, my. Well I suppose we’ll need to climb out the windows, let me open the room again,” Klein said.

“I would hurry; I can smell the smoke everywhere,” Collin said.

“Just a second, I think I remember which key I used,” Klein said.

Spectra watched as the first fire engulfed more of the hallway. It was rapidly making its way in their direction. The door clicked as the key turned. She backed into the room as the fire inched three yards away from her. She closed the door after they were all inside.

“We need to get out of here, that door won’t last long,” Klein said.

“Let’s get out the windows then, we’ll have to call the fire department after we get out,” Collin said.

“But what about all of our work?” Spectra asked, glancing at all of the unfinished metals lying on the table.

“We have to think about our lives first, we can always remake them,” Klein said.

“But I was almost finished with my Microglass; I just needed to make the stand,” Spectra said.

“Then hurry, get it out of your case before the fire gets inside. Watch out for the metal, it’ll heat up with the fire around,” Klein said.

Spectra ran to the wall of the room where the fire would enter. She grabbed a wooden case in which she held her personal project. She could hear crackling as the smoke entered underneath the door. She focused on the lock that she used to keep the case safe. The combination lock was a simple three tumbler, but she could feel the sweat rolling down her face.

She placed the first number on three, and then started to change the second. There was a creak and a groan as the glass on the door shattered and sent the door flying inward. The wall was turning grey as the fire spread outward. She turned the second number to nine and hurried to change the last. The sweat was starting to cover her eyes, and the heat was almost unbearable.

“Hurry, before you get caught!” Klein said from his position at the window.

“Bring it over here, we’ll help you get it out,” Collin said.

Spectra knew that she wouldn’t be able to carry the case out in the time it would take the fire to spread farther. She landed the last number on six and heard the click. She flipped the box open and looked at the glowing yellow and orange metal piece inside. She grabbed it into her mouth and made a run for the window.

Spectra’s teeth were burning from the heat of the metal. She let go when she couldn’t take the heat anymore. Her immediate break to try and get the metal object backfired and caused her to trip over a table leg. She skidded face first on the tiled floor. Her right eye was filled with pain as hot metal burned into her skin.

Spectra reached up to take the metal object from her eye, and felt the flames around her. She pulled the object from her eye, and decided to keep it closed. She tried to get back up, but the fire was burning her leg. She looked down to the flames that were quickly surrounding her. Before she was trapped, Klein lifted her off the floor and placed her on his back. He turned back and ran to the window he came from.

“Collin’s getting help, let’s get out of here before we need it,” Klein said.

Klein was coughing the entire time he ran. The only time he stopped was when he reached the open window. He motioned for Spectra to go first, but the fire caught up. It alighted Spectra’s tail, and she stopped to put out the fire. That was all the fire needed. It burned the rafters above and caused an explosion of wood and fire. Klein pulled Spectra down as the wood fell.

Spectra watched Klein’s face distort into pain as the fire caught on his back. She pushed away from under him, and gave him time to roll out the fire. Spectra turned towards the window, but wasn’t aware that she’d lost her sense of direction during the explosion. She turned towards the inside of the fire, and was instantly struck.

A piece of flaming debris the size of a small rock had been falling from the roof. The debris hit Spectra on her bad eye and instantly singed her eyelid. The pain caused her to grip her eye in agony. The force of the hit knocked her down, next to Klein. Klein looked down at her after finding her on the ground. He grabbed her and launched her out of the window. She landed in a bush outside, falling into unconsciousness. Klein followed after, breaking through the window next to the open one. He landed on his side. The last thing he saw was a firefighter’s uniform standing on top of him, before he passed out.

(Three days before surveillance)

There was a white ceiling; it was hovering above Spectra’s bed. She tried to focus on the ceiling, but there was something off. She couldn’t open her other eye. No, it wasn’t that. She couldn’t close her eyelid. She could see the figure of her mother above her though. She tried to smile, but her mouth was numb.

“How you feeling, sweetheart?” Spectra’s mother asked.

Spectra couldn’t open her mouth to respond. Her mouth didn’t move like it did before, and she was surprised that she couldn’t feel anything anywhere else in her body.

“She’s still under the anesthetic, you’ll need to wait a few minutes before she can respond,” The doctor said, from the other side of her mother.

“You may feel a little pain, but you’re going to be okay. You’re lucky, the fire didn’t do too much damage to your body. Your eye on the other hand…” The doctor said.

“Can you please tell me what you found out?” The mother asked.

“Very well, her left eye is perfectly fine. Her right eye, however, had its eyelid partly burned off, and the eyeball is burned partially. She won’t see anything more than five feet away with that eye. But there is some good news,” The doctor said.

“What could possibly be good news in a time like this?” The mother asked.

“The condition she had before, the one that was going to make her go blind, is gone. The fire must have destroyed the virus, so her right eye is completely healthy,” The doctor said.

“But what good is one eye?” The mother asked.

“It’s better than no eyes,” The doctor said.

There was a knock on the door, and they both turned towards the sound.

“Come in,” The doctor said.

Klein walked into the room, his limp noticeable. The bandages covered most of his body, but left his face visible. He walked up to Spectra’s bed, his eyes red. A smile crested his face, but there was worry in his eyes.

“What are you doing out of bed?” The doctor asked Klein.

“I wanted to see Spec after she woke up,” Klein said.

“Well she won’t be able to move for a while, so come back later,” The doctor said.

“Can’t I stay and offer my opinion on… the matter?” Klein said.

“You need to get back in bed, your burns are still healing,” The doctor said.

“Can’t you let him stay a little while? I’m sure Spectra would be glad to see him when she wakes up,” The mother said.

“Alright, as long as he keeps his hands off the equipment,” The doctor said, turning to Klein who was watching the heart monitor.

“I’ll look, I won’t touch,” Klein said putting his attention back to the doctor.

“Okay, well then. We still have the issue of what to do with her eye. We have to treat it, but we don’t know how. The best thing we can do right now is cover it up and hope the eyelid heals quickly,” The doctor said. Right now, there’s nothing like that we have available,” The doctor said.

“Come look at this, then,” Klein said, motioning him to look at Spectra’s eye covering.

“Yes, they’re bandages, I’m sure you’ve seen them before,” The doctor said.

“But look at the indent,” Klein said.

The doctor leaned in to the white paper covering her eye. There were small ridges made from the bandage covering. It created a diamond shape outline around her eye. The doctor leaned even closer to inspect the smaller ridges in the space between. He turned to Klein.

“What are those?” The doctor asked.

“I think it’s from during the fire. I remember seeing her fall, so she must have landed on something. I only know one thing that could have done that. You might not know this, but the last thing she was working on was a small glass that could let you see smaller things. It was like a microscope, but it was smaller and easier to move. The outer edges made a diamond, and the smaller design was a nice blend of lines and shapes,” Klein said.

“I thought the marks were from burning wood, I didn’t know she was burnt by metal,” The doctor said. “So what are you thinking?”

“Well, if only the outside of the eye was burned, then the glass part must have been where her eye was. So then if we cover her eye with the glass where it’s indented…” Klein said.

“That’s not a bad idea, but that doesn’t help the fact thatshe’ll only look forward. It’ll be more uncomfortable than covering it,” The doctor said.

“I’ve already thought about that. I’ve adjusted the glass a little bit during my hours alone. And I included a blinking and a moving feature for the glass,” Klein said.

“I thought we took away your tools yesterday,” The doctor said.

“Collin found them, but that’s not the point. I’ve been thinking about the pros and cons, and I think that it could work. The glass she used was already strong enough to resist the heat, and the metal indents give the best way to cover her eye,” Klein said.

“We’d need to get consent from Spectra and her mother before we can try something like that,” The doctor said.

“Um, I’m still here…” The mother said.

“Oh, sorry… do you understand what we’ve been talking about?” The doctor asked.

“Most of it, and I think that I’ll go with what Spectra wants,” The mother asked.

“I’ll do it,” Spectra managed to say. Her throat was still rasp and the numb feeling was gone.

“Are you sure? This will make you look different, you should give it more thought,” The doctor said.

“I’m sure, nothing could be worse than having only one eye,” Spectra said.

“Of course… could you excuse us for a second?” The doctor asked.

The doctor looked at Klein and gestured towards the door. They walked out of the room, and the doctor made sure there weren’t any others that could hear them. The doctor shut the door and looked at Klein. He let a sigh come through before talking.

“I’m only considering this method because you’re a good friend of mine. But if anything goes wrong Klein, it’ll be on you. Don’t think that she’s just another subject for you to experiment on. The last time you tried something on one of my patients…” The doctor let his gaze drop and awaited a response.

“It won’t be like that. I told you I was finished with that line of work; don’t you trust me, Syrin?” Klein asked.

“Of course I trust you, but I think I’d be more comfortable if we did the procedure together…” Syrin said.

“Very well, let me know when you’re ready to start. I’ll be in my room. I think I need to lie down…” Klein said.

“You need to let those wounds heal, you weren’t as lucky as her. The last thing we need is for you to pass out during the procedure,” Syrin said.

“I can take care of myself. I’m trained in the medical field, remember?” Klein said.

“What you learned is the wrong kind of medical training. I’d be surprised if you could tell what a blood bag is,” Syrin said.

“Haha, I’ve filled enough of those. Just be lucky I’m too tired to fight back right now. I’ll see you later,” Klein said.
Klein turned towards the direction of his room. It was three doors down from Spectra’s, but the rooms in between were large in size. He hugged the wall, knowing Syrin would watch him until he entered his room. A look over his shoulder confirmed his thought. When he passed by one of the open doorways, he hid his cough by pretending to stumble on the new wall.
Klein made it to his room, and opened the door. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He didn’t even turn on the lights. They were set to dim lighting, and he felt his way over to the bed. Sitting down, he grabbed the case that was underneath the bed. He sat it out on the sheets, and opened it.

“So that’s what you’ve been working on,” Collin said.

“Yeah, Spectra’s going to love it,” Klein said.

“Are you sure about that?” Collin asked.

“No, but I’m never sure about anything these days,” Klein said.

“So why would you take the chance?” Collin asked.

“I wanted to do something good, is that too much to ask?” Klein said.

“You’re asking the wrong pony,” Collin said, opening the door and stepping out.

Klein looked down at the metal in his hoof. The black stains from the fire and the yellow marks from the original coating were creating a mix of gold and grey marks. The outside gradually went from black to yellow, and the glass piece itself had a yellow tint to it. The newer metal that he added to cover the glass was a dark grey. The glass he added on the inside to secure the eye was a clear surface.

“There’s one last thing I need to do…” Klein said, getting out his tools.

(Six hours later)
“Thirty minutes before the anesthetic wears off, are we finished yet?” Syrin asked Klein.

“Almost, have you gotten the sides burned in?” Klein said, turning his head to cough to the side.

“I just finished… anything else?” Syrin asked.

“I think that’s everything…” Klein said.

“Let’s get some ice on this before the anesthetic wears off, it’s going to hurt badly,” Syrin said.

“And when she wakes up, get her a mirror. We need to know if there’s anything we need to change before she leaves,” Klein said, uncontrollable coughing coming afterwards.

“Someone get Klein some water and take him back to bed. His coughing is getting worse. We need to test him for liver problems,” Syrin said.

“No, I’m fine… but water would be nice,” Klein said.

“Everyone get the equipment out of here, we don’t want the chairman to see it,” Syrin said.

“Get the mother, I think she’d like to see the results before Spec,” Klein said.

The scalpels and rags were the last things out of the room as the mother walked in. The doctor had stopped in front of Spectra for an unveiling. Klein was in the room three doors down, while he waited for his glass of water.

“So, how is she?” The mother asked.

“So far, it looks like she’ll be fine. We’ll need to check up on her for the next 24 hours before we’re sure. We also want to know what you think of her look,” Syrin said.

Syrin stepped out of the way to show Spectra’s mother the results. The mother tried to take everything in that she was seeing. The eyeball was almost completely hidden by the metal, and it was closed like an eyelid. What really caught her attention was the yellow and black design that the fire made. It looked more like a fashion statement than a disaster. Her smile appeared as Spectra’s eyes slowly opened.

Spectra blinked her left eye, and then her right eye. She could feel the added weight, but it was only slightly heavier. What gave her a little worry was that the right eye could only see her mother clearly. The wall behind her was a blur of colors. She kept her right eye open though, because she could focus better with her left eye.

“How are you feeling?” Her mother asked.

“I feel a little weird,” Spectra asked.

“That’s probably still the anesthetic; it’ll be a few minutes before it wears off. Be sure to tell us if you feel any pain after that,” Syrin said.

“Um, okay. Can I see how I look like?” Spectra asked.

“Sure… just don’t freak out…” Syrin said.

Spectra grabbed the mirror that Syrin held out. She slowly passed it by her left eye, and continued to her right. The first thing she noticed was the color. Black and yellow mixing together, and then she saw the actual eye piece. She opened and closed her eyes in succession and watched as the metal eye reacted like a normal eye. The glass in the center was definitely the same she used.

Spectra noticed something on the very right side of the eyepiece. There was a switch that looked out of place. She reached up her other hoof to see what it did, but the doctor stopped her.

“Klein said that you shouldn’t touch the eyepiece until it healed,” Syrin said.

“Okay, can I talk to him soon?” Spectra asked.

“Maybe later, he’s not feeling very well,” Syrin said.

“Well thank you for everything, doctor. When do you think she’ll be healed fully?” The mother asked.

“I’d give it three days before she can be let out of the hospital. After 24 hours, she’ll be able to walk around, and get used to the new eye. She should practice, it might feel different to do things like walk or fly,” Syrin said.

“Thank you, I need to get going. My husband is probably going crazy not knowing every little detail,” Her mother said.

“That reminds me, I suggest that he goes to a psychologist for that phobia of his. It’s unusual, and I’d like to know what caused it. But more importantly, something tells me that he’ll want to get over it soon,” Syrin said, looking at Spectra while he did.

“I’m sure he wants to be rid of it, but he says it won’t be as easy as finding out what caused it,” The mother said.

“Very well, I’ll keep you informed on her condition, feel free to stop by anytime though,” Syrin said.

(1 day and several hours later)

Klein sat above the parchment and quill. His hooves hovering above the paper. He slowly lowered his tip, and felt something rise in his chest. He turned his head and coughed onto his arm. The dots of red sprinkled his coat.

“You need to tell the doctor,” Collin said, from his position near the door.

“If he didn’t already know, that’d be a great idea,” Klein said.

“So why don’t you get help?” Collin asked.

“I’m not sure I can be helped right now. There’s someponies who are looking for me… if this doesn’t kill me, then they will. It’s best if I go out quietly,” Klein said.

“Who’s looking for you? This isn’t about the… accident, is it?” Collin asked.

“Unfortunately, it is. I’ve seen them around town, and it’s only a matter of time…” Klein said.

“So, what does that have to do with what you’re doing right now?” Collin asked, his eyes dropping.

“Before I go, I wanted to make sure you’d be taken care of… You need to be watched over just as much as I do…” Klein said.

“I’m sure I could handle,” Collin said.

“Maybe… but I don’t want to take the chance. I decided that the safest place for you to go, is inside the organization. I’ve arranged a deal with them. You’ll be staying in their headquarters… I’ve heard it’s not a bad place…” Klein said.

“What if I don’t want to go? I’m capable of handling tough situations,” Collin said.

“No, that’s only part of the deal. I’m giving them back something that they’ve wanted for a while now…” Klein said, looking down at the paper.

“What did you take…? I thought you said it was an accident…” Collin asked.

“It’s best you don’t know… but I already gave them the offer. They said that they’ll give you your space, even make you a member if you want. All I want before I go is to leave on a good note… that’s what I’m writing here,” Klein said.

“It’s not too late…” Collin said.

“For me, it is. But you have a long life ahead of you, don’t let it go to waste,” Klein said.

“When…?” Collin asked, his voice wavering.

“They’ll come to pick you up at the funeral, so dress nice,” Klein said.

“Who’s funeral?” Collin almost didn’t want to ask, but he did.

“I’m sure you know,” Klein said, his voice solemn and his face without emotion.

Collin opened the door and stepped out. He kept his face hidden as he walked out of the hospital and into the dark night. The tears slowly streaming down his cheeks, his eyes clouded with the liquid. He stopped at a bench outside and sat down. He let the tears flow freely, as the night air blew unto his face. He looked up to where he suspected the moon to be and prayed to Luna that Klein was wrong.

There was a knock at the door. Klein had pushed the bad memories away, and was finishing his letter. He almost didn’t hear the second knock that came soon after.

“Klein, it’s me Spectra,” Spectra said, on the other side of the door.

“Ah, Spec come in my dear,” Klein said.

The door opened to reveal Spectra with a smile on her face. She bounded into the room like it was a dream. She went up to Klein’s bed and had to steady herself before she hit the side of it.

“Still getting used to the balance thing, huh?” Klein asked.

“I’m getting the hang of it. Maybe tomorrow I’ll try to fly like this,” Spectra said.

“Oh, it looks like you’re taking this fine. I’m glad to hear it. You’ve always been talented in learning new things,” Klein said.

“Well you’re a great teacher. I don’t think I would be very great at creating things if you didn’t show me how,” Spectra said.

“Now Spec, you need to take more credit. You’ve done better as a student than I’ve seen before,” Klein said.

“It was nothing really, I just concentrated on the work,” Spectra said.

“And what did you lose because you only concentrated on the work?” Klein asked.

“Well, my parents said I need to make more friends, but I’m alright,” Spectra said.

“Do you know why I call you Spec?” Klein asked.

“I thought it was because you couldn’t remember my full name…” Spectra said.

“No, I’m not that old,” Klein said.

“Yeah you are,” Spectra said.

“Haha, very funny. What I wanted to say was that I call you Spec because you remind me of my daughter. She was a lot like you. She was a fast learner, and she had lots of potential,” Klein said.

“Had? What happened to her?” Spectra asked.

“She… isn’t with us anymore. It was when she was six. She had a dog, and they were the best of friends. One day, she followed the dog into the woods, and she never came back. That’s about all there is. The last thing she said to us was that she was going to find something special. I didn’t know it when she left, but she planned to find it in the forest,” Klein said.

“So, she just disappeared?” Spectra asked.

“Yes, we sent out a search party, but they never found her. I decided to just move on with my life… and then I met you,” Klein said.

“What did I have to do with your daughter?” Spectra asked.

“She said that she was looking for something special. I call you Spec because I think that you’re special. Because I lost my daughter, I decided that I’d help you. You act so much like her, and I see her sometimes when I see you,” Klein said.

“I… I didn’t know,” Spectra said.

“Well, It’s selfish of me to help you only because you remind me of my daughter, so tried to learn more about you. Find something that could make you different somehow than her… But the longer I watched, the more you started to even look like her. The fire sealed the deal, her haircut was just like that. She thought it would help her make some friends…” Klein said.

“So, that’s why you call me Spec?” Spectra asked.

“Yes, that’s right,” Klein said.

“Then… what was her name?” Spectra asked.

“Solstice, her mother gave it to her. It was because she brought a new meaning to our lives,” Klein said.

“That’s a nice name,” Spectra said.

“Thank you,” Klein said.

Klein kneeled down, his hoof on his chest. His violent coughing sending shivers down his body. He wiped away the blood, only for more to drip from the corners of his mouth. He kept his face away from Spectra as she knelt down to see what was wrong.

“Spectra, I don’t have much time. I need to tell you about what you have on your eye,” Klein said.

“You’re going to be okay, I’ll go get the doctor,” Spectra said.

“No, wait a second. I need to tell you about what I did… The switch on the side of your new eye… it’s something I added when I found out I wouldn’t be here long. If you practice, you’ll find out what you can do with it,” Klein said.

“I’m getting the doctor, wait here,” Spectra said.

Spectra jumped towards the door and ran out. Klein tried to call out to her, but the coughing began again. He pulled himself to the letter he had been writing. He managed to pull it down. His mouth shook as he wrote, but he managed to add one last line. He felt the shock of another cough coming. With one last force, he coughed out a spray of blood. He looked down to the stained letter, a smile across his face as he landed on the floor.

Within seconds, Syrin opened the door. His eyes landed on the letter next to Klein. Making sure no one was following him; he entered and shut the door. He walked up to the body of Klein. He picked up the letter and read the words. When he read the last line, he sighed. He took a key from Klein’s bag and walked out of the room.

Syrin turned the corner before the emergency ponies came and inspected the body. He frowned as he looked at the key he had taken. Engraved on the key was The Seer. Syrin walked out of the hospital and towards the house of Klein. When he entered, he found what he was looking for. A box was in the corner of the room, completely visible.

Syrin looked around, and found the tripwire placed on the back of the box. If it was moved or opened, it would trigger and set off an explosion. He expected no less from Klein. Now the question was how to remove it…

(Day of first surveillance)

“We are gathered here to mourn the loss of an esteemed individual. Professor Klein has achieved much since coming here, and we need to remember that. Even until the end, he fought a battle against diseases. Unfortunately, he lost. Even the greatest of minds have an equal, and some could say that he was his own equal. But in the end, he died protecting a filly. This filly has a few words to say,” The Pastor stepped down, letting Spectra up to the stand.

“When I first started school, I didn’t have any friends. Klein was the first real friend I had… he’s the only friend I had. Even when he died, he gave me a parting gift. It’s the best thing I’ve ever gotten. Because of him, I can see better than I could have dreamed of. I want him to know, if he can hear me, that I’ll be thankful for what he did the rest of my life,” Spectra said.

Spectra stepped down, and was met with a light applause. Several more speakers went on, but Spectra didn’t recognize any of them. They spoke like they knew him personally, and other than Syrin, they said a lot more than Spectra knew. She could feel the service ending, and the last of the dirt was thrown on the grave.

The ponies in attendance started to leave. Only Syrin and Spectra were still sitting. When almost everyone had left, her parents tapped her shoulder. She nodded and stood up, her gaze landed on Syrin who had his head down in sadness. He was whispering something, but Spectra ignored it as she walked back into town.

Syrin heard the faint whistle, and stood up. He walked up to where the grave was, and looked down. He could feel the seconds tick away as he counted under his breath. When he hit thirty, there was an explosion far away. He bit his lip, this wasn’t the first time it went off without a hitch. He heard hoofsteps behind him, and turned around.

“Well done… A professional indeed,” The pony in the middle of a group of covered ponies said.

“I told myself I wouldn’t be doing anything like this anymore,” Syrin said.

“But…” The lead pony said.

“I owed a friend a favor…” Syrin said.

“Does that favor mean you have something of value to us…?” The lead pony asked.

“Yes,” Syrin said.
Syrin held out the box and key that went with it. He handed it over to the bigger built pony on the side. They all had dark uniforms on, but Syrin knew what they really were. They were magically enhanced cloaks that allowed you to move quietly and quickly through the night. The Equipment of the Assassin’s Organization.

“Perfect… we’ve been looking for this a while…” The lead pony said.

“Now about our end of the deal…” Syrin said.

“Of course, call him out and we’ll get him escorted,” The lead pony said.

Syrin whistled three times, and heard one whistle back. He waited as Collin stepped out of the shadow in the corner. His eyes still closed, but inspecting the others. He waited for Collin to respond.

“I’m here, does that conclude our deal?” Collin asked.

“No,” Syrin said.

“Certainly not, we require the other half of the set,” The lead pony said.

Syrin pulled the cloak from the bag he was carrying. He tossed it to them, and they smiled.

“We’ll be on our way now. Keep up, recruit,” The lead pony said, motioning Collin over.

Collin followed them away from the cemetery, and then out of the city. Syrin watched until they were out of sight. He knew one thing. The Assassin’s Organizations never went back on a deal. Collin was in good hands. He was more worried about somepony else the Organization had their eyes on.

(Present day)

Spectra walked down the street, keeping her eyes on the ground ahead and her hair falling down on her right side. The rain was falling softly, and the wind drove a chill up her spine. Looking around, she could make out where she was. Other ponies also met her gaze, and she turned before she saw their reaction. A crowd up ahead startled her, and she lifted her head up. She heard a gasp come from the crowd, followed by a whisper. She shuffled forward quickly, until she turned a corner. They all gave her a glance before she turned back ahead. She turned a corner, and looked up to her house. The warmness beckoned to her. She walked a little faster. The door was in front of her, and she pushed it open.

The inside was dark and just as cold as the outside. Spectra rushed to the fireplace and lit a fire. She closed the door and set her groceries on the table. She dried off her hair next to the fire, and wiped off the metal with a nearby towel. She warmed herself up before unpacking the groceries. She hummed a tune as the fire crackled and brought a safe feeling to her home.

Spectra was in the middle of her tune when she heard a knock. Turning to the door, she slowly went over and opened it. She was met by two wet ponies that resembled her parents. She was too surprised at first, and forgot to let them in. She stepped aside and let them enter. She closed the door to the storm brewing outside.

“I like what you’ve done to the place,” Her mother said.

“I didn’t change anything…” Spectra said.

“Well, it just gives off that warm feeling, you know?” Her father said.

“It’s a fireplace… I think it’s supposed to do that,” Spectra said.

“Well, I see you bought groceries, any special reason why?” Her mother asked.

“I was starting to get hungry? Would you count that as special?” Spectra asked.

“Well, no I suppose. I was just wondering if you were having company over,” Her mother said.

“You’re here, does that count?” Spectra asked.

“Listen, we just wanted to stop by and see if you were interested in coming with us to the ball in Canterlot tomorrow. Unless that is, you’re busy,” Her father asked.

“You just want me to get out of my house, is that it?” Spectra asked.

“Well that’s not a bad thing, is it?” her mother said.

“Look, to you, it’s not a bad thing to go out in public, but I’m different,” Spectra said.

“What makes you different from us?” Her father asked.

“For one, you don’t have to hide your face to get groceries. Second, you’re not the one who’s talked about in town,” Spectra said.

“You don’t have to bring this up every time we ask you to go somewhere, we understand it’s hard for you,” Her mother said.

“No, you don’t. You think you understand, but it’s different,” Spectra said.

“I think you’re taking this too far. Calm down. A simple no is a good enough answer,” Her father said.

“Look, I’m sorry okay? I just don’t like being treated like an outcast by my own parents. I had enough of that in school,” Spectra said.

“You’re 21 now, you don’t have to worry about school anymore,” Her mother said.

“That doesn’t help the fact that school was the worst part of my life,” Spectra said.

“You don’t need to worry about it now, though,” Her father said.

“It still scarred me,” Spectra said.

“Just drop this; you’re going to be fine. You look beautiful the way you are,” Her mother said.

“My keen eye for fashion would like to differ. I look like a freak. The last time someone even talked to me was when you tried to set me up with that stranger,” Spectra said.

“He was a nice looking stallion, he said you looked fine,” Her father said.

“He asked me about my eye the entire time he was here. I wished he paid less attention to it, honestly,” Spectra said.

“Well what do you want? Not everyone’s perfect,” Her mother said.

“I just want a friend I can relate to. Everyone in this city has had a perfect life, with all their dreams come true, I want something like that,” Spectra said.

“You have to strive for success, it doesn’t just come to you,” Her father said.

“I’ve been trying to have a better life, but this… thing is always dragging me down. I was lucky to get hired at the saddle repair shop,” Spectra said.

“See, somepony knows that it’s not looks that matter,” her mother said.

“He’s blind, he said it’s better to have one eye than none at all. He’s always telling me I have it easy and puts me in charge of customers. No one ever comes in anymore, they’re all going to the old shop a few blocks away. I think he’s getting ready to fire me,” Spectra said.

“Look, you don’t know that for sure, sometimes you just see things you don’t want to see,” her father said.

“I’m looking at something right now,” Spectra said.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” her father asked, narrowing his eyes.

“I don’t remember you being this supportive when I was younger. You always said that it was nothing and I was imagining it, but now it’s obvious ponies are avoiding me,” Spectra said.

“Nopony is avoiding you, you just need to show them you’re not different than they are,” her mother said.

“Look, maybe you have a point. Some might find you a little weird, but…” her father began.

“But what? Maybe I’ll find the one pony that I can call a friend that won’t look at me differently? Fat chance. This town’s full of ponies that wouldn’t go near me. It’s all about the image, and mine isn’t very pretty,” Spectra said.

“Don’t blame the town for this, if anything, you should blame that professor of yours years ago. He’s the one who started this with his crazy idea,” her father said.

“I was already messed up when I met him, he tried to help,” Spectra said.

“A lot of help he did. He made you antisocial and gave you that eye. Is that something you’re proud of?” her father asked.

“He did his best. Something you didn’t do. When I was in the hospital, he was there to reassure me, what about you? What did you do to help?” Spectra said.

“You know I couldn’t go, but I would have stopped him from performing the operation if I knew,” her father said.

“But you didn’t. Your little phobia kept you away. Klein was a lot more of a father than you, and he died trying to help me,” Spectra said.

“He died from the damage the smoke did to his lungs. If he was really a better father, he’d be here right now,” her father said.

“I know he’s gone, you don’t have to bring it up every time I mention him!” Spectra said getting louder.

“Don’t yell at me, I’m your father and I demand respect,” her father said, yelling back.

“I wish you weren’t my father,” Spectra yelled as loud as she could before running past her father.

Spectra crashed through the door and took off immediately in flight. She could feel the water splash on her wings. The raindrops mixed with the electrical charge in the air warned her of the thunderstorm looming overhead. She didn’t care, as her altitude increased.

Spectra didn’t look back. She flew higher and higher, until she could almost touch the storm clouds. Her wings growing heavier with the water buildup. Eventually, she could feel herself start to slow down. With one last push, she gained an extra burst of speed. The burst spread through her wings, and then into her chest. Then she felt it over the rest of her body.

Spectra screamed into the air as the charge of lightning hit her wings. She fell towards the ground, her spasm from the lightning causing a distinct flashback. She could see the room Klein was in, although everything looked smaller. She almost couldn’t remember when this happened, but it hit her when she heard the conversation.
“Then… what was her name?” Spectra asked.

“Solstice, her mother gave it to her. It was because she brought a new meaning to our lives,” Klein said.

“That’s a nice name,” Spectra said.

“Thank you,” Klein said.
Klein kneeled down, his hoof on his chest. His violent coughing sending shivers down his body. He wiped away the blood, only for more to drip from the corners of his mouth. He kept his face away from Spectra as she knelt down to see what was wrong.

“Spectra, I don’t have much time. I need to tell you about what you have on your eye,” Klein said.

“You’re going to be okay, I’ll go get the doctor,” Spectra said.

“No, wait a second. I need to tell you about what I did… The switch on the side of your new eye… it’s something I added when I found out I wouldn’t be here long. If you practice, you’ll find out what you can do with it,” Klein said.

“I’m getting the doctor, wait here,” Spectra said.

Spectra felt a jolt, and she was knocked out of her memory. Raising her head, she felt something weigh her down. She looked up to the filly sitting on top of her. The filly noticed she was awake, and called to her mother.

“Mom, she’s awake,” The filly said.

“Oh good, are you hungry?” The mother asked from somewhere Spectra couldn’t see.

“No, um… where am I?” Spectra asked.

“I saw you fall in from the sky, so I brought you in. I’m Solana, and this is Cecil. I’m in charge of this place. I don’t suppose you would care for a haircut, would you? I don’t get very much business in this part of town,” Solana asked.

Spectra was about to deny, until she remembered what brought her here. She made a decision that things were about to change.

“I’d love one. And I wouldn’t suppose you could dye my hair while you’re at it?” Spectra asked.

“Yes, that’s my specialty. What color would you prefer? And what’s your name, I suppose I should have asked that sooner…?” Solana asked.

“My name’s Solstice… and I’d like orange hair,” Spectra said.

“Ticket please,” The pony asked.

Solstice pulled out her ticket and gave it to the pony. She waited while he looked it over and then let her board. She boarded the train and took a seat in the corner of the train. Waiting, she assessed everything she thought of on the way over to the train station.

First problem, her parents are probably worried sick, but she didn’t care at the moment. Second problem, she changed her hair color and used a fake name. It was really permanent dye, but it would wear out eventually. Third problem, she didn’t know where she was going, but she wanted a change of scenery. Fourth problem, her hair and name change couldn’t hide the fact that the eye was still showing. Anypony could recognize her instantly from that.

“Mind if I sit?” A stallion asked her.

Solstice was momentarily confused, but she decided that he was probably passing by town. She shook her head, and the stallion sat down next to her. She decided if she should say something, but he was already asking her questions.

“So, might I ask where you’re going?” The stallion asked.

“Anywhere really, I want to go somewhere new,” Solstice said, not really lying.

“Ah, might I recommend Ponyville? They certainly welcome new and unique ponies,” The stallion said.

“So you’ve noticed?” Solstice asked.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed about. A terrible accident, I presume?” The stallion said.

“Yeah, but I’m not very comfortable with it as you are,” Solstice said, starting to warm up to the new pony.

“Well, if you really want to hide what makes you special, I might have something that could interest you,” The stallion suggested.

“I don’t want to get rid of it, but what did you have in mind?” Solstice asked.

“It’s a mask, but not just any mask. It’s from a tale of legend. One of the Legendary Seven Masks,” The stallion said.

“A mask won’t cover up an eye,” Solstice said.

“Ah, but this mask is special. It’s like it was made for you,” The stallion said.

“What makes it so special?” Solstice asked.

“Here, let me show you,” The stallion said, looking through his bags.

The stallion pulled out an orange mask. The six lines of the mask curved from the single eyehole into the sides of the mask. Forming a sort of spiral illusion, it had a hole near the center for the snout. Solstice slowly reached her hoof out and took the mask. She weighed it, but it was virtually weightless. She was bringing it up to her head, when the stallion stopped her.

“Wait, you need to put this on before you put on the mask. Sometimes the magic won’t work if you don’t have this on,” The stallion said.

The stallion pulled out a dark grey cloak with a hood. The lining on the cloak was gold, and the silky texture made it completely smooth. Solstice didn’t hesitate putting on the cloak. She could feel a magic energy covering her body where the cloak was. She then reached back for the mask, and put it up to her face.

When her face made contact with the mask, there was a click of magic. She removed her hoof, and the mask stayed in place. The energy of the mask added to that of the cloak. She smiled behind the mask as her single eye focused on the stallion.

“Well, what do you think?” The stallion asked.

“It’s amazing, how much is it?” Solstice asked.

“Oh, it’s free of charge. I only ask that you try to wear it as much as possible. Also, when we meet again, I might need you to do something. Promise me that you’ll listen to what I have to say then, deal?” The stallion said.

“This is too much to take in. A few hours back, nopony ever paid attention to me, now they’re giving me things…” Solstice said more to herself than the stallion.

“Crazier things than this are sure to happen. But until we meet again Spectra…” The stallion said.

Solstice looked out the window to the destination the train stopped. She snapped her head back to where the stallion was once sitting. There was only empty space around her.

“How did he know my name?” Solstice asked herself while she walked off the train.

Solstice looked up to the place she was in. Ponyville, if she remembered correctly. She looked around, and remembered she still didn’t have a plan. But if what she remembered the stallion said, they were friendlier here. She turned to the left to walk down a path, but her hair entered and blocked her vision.

Solstice fiddled with her hair, until she decided it was best to move it off to the side of the mask. It was too hard to keep it away from her eyehole when she had it in front. Splitting it into two bundles of strands, she parted them to each side. When her vision was clear again, her eyes landed on a cyan ball in the clouds watching her. The rainbow mane and tail made her easy enough to see.

Solstice was about to shrug it off as a stare about her eye, but she remembered that her eye was covered, and this mask was nothing special to look at. She decided to confront the pony and decide if this town was like the stallion said.

“Um, hello there,” Solstice said loud enough for her to hear.

“Hey, you new here?” Rainbow Dash asked, lowering her cloud enough so they didn’t have to yell.

“Yeah, I just moved in from Manehattan,” Solstice said.

“Is that where you got that mask? I could totally use something like that for my next prank. But I want one with one more eyehole, I’ve got two eyes like normal ponies,” Rainbow Dash said.

“I’ve got two eyes…” Solstice said.

“Oh that’s good. I thought you were like a Cyclops or something. Not like that wouldn’t be cool, but I think two eyes are better than one,” Rainbow Dash said.

“I don’t know, I’ve used one eye for most of my life and I’m doing fine,” Solstice said.

“I thought you said you had two eyes? Are you lying to me?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“No, I just can’t use the other one very well…” Solstice said.

“How can you not use your eye? If it’s there, you’ve got it,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Look, it’s hard to explain, but my eye’s not the same as the other one,” Solstice said.

“Well can I see? It doesn’t look that bad, does it?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I’d rather you didn’t, my hometown didn’t want to talk to me after I showed them…” Solstice said.

“Come on, I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Rainbow Dash said.

Solstice reluctantly held her hoof up to her mask. She added a little pressure, and there was a click. She pulled away her mask to show Rainbow Dash her eye. The first reaction was a gasp, and Solstice lowered her head a fraction. When she lowered her head, she noticed a small inscribing on the inside forehead of the mask.
The Seer
“That looks awesome!” Rainbow Dash said.

“What?” Solstice was caught off guard by the statement.

“Wow… It’s like you’re a cyborg… I’ve got to hoof it to you, that looks badass,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Really? You don’t think it looks gross or scary?” Solstice asked.

“It looks scary alright, that’s what makes it cool. I bet I could use you for my next prank,” Rainbow Dash said.

“You think so? Do you think… maybe everyone else will think so too?” Solstice asked.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t they? And with those blue eyes, you could be… wait why are your eyes blue?” Rainbow Dash questioned.

“It’s the same as my… personality,” Solstice said, catching herself before she said anything wrong.

“Cool and blue, I like that. You and I should hang out more. I’ll have to show you around Cloudsdale later. But how about I show you my friends? I’m sure they’d like to see your eye. Twilight might even see how you work, but I’m sure you’ll fit in this town,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Sure, I haven’t even thought about what I’d do when I got here, glad I met you,” Solstice said.

“Glad to help, let’s look at town square first, I’m sure we can find somepony there to introduce you,” Rainbow Dash said.

Solstice put her mask back on and followed the hovering Pegasus. She hadn’t yet learned to fly with one eye, so she stuck to the ground. Solstice looked around as she got familiar with the town. Maybe she might learn to like it here. Well, she already liked it a lot more than her old town.

Solstice heard a gasp, and looked up. She realized that they made it to town square already. Then she saw what Rainbow Dash gasped about. Across from her in the square, was a masked pony. She turned to her left to see another masked pony. Then on the right, there was another. Solstice gulped. Something in her mind made her remember the words inscribed on the mask.

Author's Note

There could be a small break until the next chapter. If you’re enjoying this, leave some feedback. An author isn’t an author without his readers. This chapter is showing you just how long and serious I plan to make the next few chapters. I’m also still working on some images for the story pic. If you have anything relevant to the story you’d like to show me, go for it. I’m not very creative with digital art. Old fashioned drawings are more my style. :)
-Sly
Next Time: The Second Mask, Welcoming the Light.��