Darkness, the only thing Charcoal could actually see was the color black, it kind of sucked in a way, but not really, he didn't have to worry about what his mane looked like in the morning, or judging somepony about their appearance. The bad part was the not seeing, but he didn’t mind. When he came to this new school(Ponyville High School) from Hollow Shades, people thought that his pale blue eyes were originally that color though it wasn’t true when he went blind, the disease had masked the light blue eyes. He got the disease when he was at least 3, he couldn’t remember even though it was only 13 years ago, his mother had told him that he had the most stunningly beautiful eyes in the whole world, he sighed. His mother was a beautiful white mare, with stunning blue eyes, she had a beautiful gray mane that always seemed to get in her face. His father on the other hand was a handsome dark gray stallion with a gray mane to go with it, he had awesome light eyes, which he could never tell what color they were, they changed color a lot, which freaked him out as a kid.
He was trying to get to first period which happened to be history, he loved history, it was one of his favorite classes. He clicked his tongue, sensing where everything was suddenly around him, a strange method of seeing, echolocation, just like a bat, except with a pony. Somepony in his class was leading him to the door. He felt something stick to his chest, following with a bunch of laughter, he continued walking as he went through the door, he clicked his tongue again, his desk was in front of him, he sat down and waited for everypony else to come in, a mare’s voice said something. He heard hoofsteps come to his desk,”Chat there’s something on your chest.” He recognized the voice, it was Orange Sunset, according to her description she was and orange mare with a yellow mane that was always in a ponytail (besides sleeping) she had a cutie mark that showed a sunset, he felt his chest, there was some paper taped onto it it, he pulled it off and handed it to the general direction of Orange.
It says "You can't see how ugly you look fag." She crunched it up and threw it away. She sighed before saying, "I'm sorry Char, it's just the other colts." Even though Charcoal couldn't see, he could tell she had a frown on her face. "It's fine Orange, don't blame yourself for it, besides at least I don't have to know what they look like, so I could make them as stupid as I want them to look.” He said with a smirk on his muzzle. She laughed at that, she patted my shoulder and trotted to her seat.
The bell rang, Mr. Hoof came in with somepony following him, he had never heard this pony's hoofsteps before. "Okay class we have a new student, so please give a warm welcome to Shining Star." Mr. Hoof said. Shining looked around, he saw an empty seat next to the dark grey pony, he trotted over and say down. He held out a hoof, the pony didn't shake it. "Hey, is something wrong?" Shining asked.
"Nothing, why?"
"You aren't shaking my hoof."
"I'm blind." That shocked Shining, a blind pony? That's why his eyes are so pale like that. "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you." He added hastily.
"Naw it's fine, lots of new ponies do that, nice to meet you Star." He held his hoof to the general direction of Shining. Mr. Hoof didn't see their quiet conversation.
"Sorry, I didn't get your name." Shining said while shaking the pony's hoof.
"It's Charcoal Dust, though most ponies call me Char." Charcoal liked this pony, he seemed friendly enough, and didn't ask questions about being blind and stuff. Char settled in his seat as history class began.
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"You guys have homework on the Equestrian Government tonight, pages 294-297."
Mr. Hoof said while the bell rang. "Have a nice day class."
Ponies filed out of the room. Shining caught up Charcoal.
"Char?"
"Yes?"
"What's your schedule."
"History, Math, Science, Language Arts, Gym, Language, and Glee."
“You do Glee?”
“Yeah,
"Oh, you have the same schedule as me, besides Glee." Shining was surprised, there must've been a lot of ponies here to have almost the same schedule as somepony you just met. The rest of the day was uneventful, classes rolled by, and boredom reached it’s highest peak as per usual. Then it was 1:55, everypony grabbed their stuff and headed to their individual classes. “What’s you 7th period, Shining?” Charcoal asked. Shining pulled out his schedule, looked at the 7th period class, “I don’t have a 7th period class?”
He looked quizzically at Charcoal, then back at the paper. “What do you mean you don’t have a 7th period? That can’t be right.” Charcoal responded while using the walls to guide himself out of the classroom. “Hmm, if you don’t have 7th period would you like to come to Glee with me?” Shining thought for a minute, he shrugged, “what the hay, why not?”
He followed Charcoal down the hallway, he reached and elevator and reached out his hoof and felt the dots under the second floor button. He pressed it, then waited for the elevator to arrive. “You read braille?” Shining asked. Charcoal gave him and “are you kidding me” face. The elevator arrived with a ding. They trotted inside, letting Charcoal press the button, they waited for the elevator go down, “Hey Shining?”
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“What do you look like?” Shining was surprised at that question.
“Well, um, blue mane with silver coat and I’m a Pegasus.”
“Oh okay, thanks.”
“Your welcome?”
Glad to get out of the way, the elevator opened again and they quickly trotted out, Charcoal using the wall again, went to the outside wall of the rotunda, then got to a certain point, cut off and walked to the other side of the hallway, followed that wall then got to a glass case full of trophies. “Welcome to the club, bro.” Charcoal said, while opening a door to the right. A bunch of laughter and cheering came from the inside, Shining realized that Char had some street cred in here.
“Eh guys, Char’s here!” A pony’s voice called out. Woos followed by a bunch of ponies, Shining looked at the huge auditorium, there was huge wooden panels on the ceiling to direct the sound, there was a large amount of red blue seats. A dozen or so ponies were sitting on the stage, chatting absentmindedly, or testing their pitches, and one group was singing. A mare walked out behind the curtains, “Hello class, how are you doing all today, oh Charcoal I see you brought a friend along with you.” She looked rather young to be a teacher, she had a paleish yellow coat, with a brown mane to complete the outfit was red glasses. She had a cutiemark that showed a megaphone. “How about we make this new student feel jealous by showing off, oh and by the way I’m Ms. Major and your name is?”
“It’s Shining Star” Shining replied while watching Charcoal go to the stairs by the stage and then walk up them and go to the middle of the stage. “Are you guys going to sing a song?”
“DUH!” Everypony shouted, Shining cringed as he seated himself at the front row. “What song are we singing?” Somepony’s voice shouted out. Ms. Major put a hoof to her chin, then a bright grin lit up her muzzle. “I know! Lets do Safe and Sound by Capital Cities!”
A bunch of woos suggested that they were okay with this.
“Char, would you like to do the lead with Clover?” Ms. Major asked, Charcoal nodded his head in agreement while a light green pony stepped next to him. “Places Everypony!” Ms. Major shouted, everypony got up from their spots and filed into certain places on the stage. It was silent when everypony stood still in their spots, they all lowered their heads, Ms. Major came off the stage and sat next to Shining.
Suddenly a pony in the background made a low throated drumming noise,
a kick started and what sounded to be a synth also started, Char and Clover raised their heads, everypony slowly followed them, sompony made a second synth, then a third synth progressively got higher, then all the noise stopped, a single kick sounded. Charcoal broke into song. I could lift you up! I could show what you want to see and take you where you want to beee!
You can be my luck! Even if the sky is fallin’ down, I know that we’ll be safe and sound! A trumpet like noise sounded. Clover sang chorus. We’re safe and sound! Shining heard the drum noise again. Char sang again. I could fill your cup! You know my river wont evaporate, this world we still appreciate! You could be my luck! Even in a hurricane of frowns, I know we'll be safe and sound! Clover joined with chorus. We’re safe and sound! safeee anddd sounddd. We’re safe and sound! safeee anddd sounddd. We’re safe and sound! Holddd yourrr grounddd! We’re safe and sound! Safeee anddd sounddd.
The drum sounded again as all the noises stopped and everypony hung their heads down again. They waited a moment then raised their heads and cheered to each other. Shining had his jaw dropped, he was dumbfounded, he didn’t know Char could sing, or dance for that matter. Ms. Major took notice of this and whispered into his ear. “Amazing aren’t they? Charcoal especially, such an amazing colt.”
She stood up and walked to the stage, “alright, alright, that was good everypony, Harmony you need to work on your tempo dear, now, I think we certainly impressed our guest.” A few mares giggled as they saw Shining’s dropped jaw, “jealous yet, Shining?” Char asked with a smirk on his muzzle. “I’m surprised you could dance without falling off the stage.” Shining replied. Giggles went through the ponies. Char blushed at that, “well you see, I fell off a lot on stage, I didn’t get good at this by not practicing you know.”
Shining tried not imagining Char falling off the stage, as much as that was mean they were colts and colts laugh at each other and get stupid ideas, that’s what they do. The rest of the period was them working on a new song, which required a girl and a boy lead, of course it was Charcoal and this red mare. Shining had an epiphany, he realized Charcoal could see nopony’s coat or mane unless somepony described them to him, that must suck. He could never know if he had bedhead in the morning, or if he had a tuft in his coat. Shining sighed, this was going to be a long, long 6 months until the end of school. Well better get used to it, he looked forward to it, and his friendship with Char, he didn’t look like he had many friends, besides, what could one friendship do?
