Do You Know What I See?

It was, by my count, about another week or so before I yet again met this mare. This... ever so indescribable mare.

I was walking through the many paths of Ponyville, my walking stick at hand as it continually tapped the earthen ground below me, a soft smile on my face as I enjoyed the calm and peaceful surroundings that encircled me.

Ponyville, in its entirety, felt as though it were a village made to simulate the serenity of the park that I would so often visit back home. The occasional tittering animal, the sounds of singing birds, and a placid wind, not unlike those of autumn, blowing against me.

ShimmerSky wasn't with me at the moment, having finally been convinced by me a few days ago that I could find my way around. She was reluctant in letting me go on my own, of course, but she allowed it nonetheless, on the condition that I would be careful, and that I wouldn't stray too far from the house.

She had also made it so that I return before dark. I mean, I wouldn't really know if its dark or otherwise, but, having been aware of that, ShimmerSky had quickly added that the towns clock tower would start to chime whenever an hour would pass. If it rang seven times, it would be needing to head back.

Having agreed to these terms, I now took my usual stroll along Ponyville, occasionally passing by what I had learned to be the market area, and receiving the familiar greetings of vendors from their various stands. I had always found it interesting how similar some of the things here were to some back home.

In fact, were it not for the fact that I knew that I was surrounded by ponies, and that I was in a new land, I would have likely thought myself to still be back home, simply taking a new path, outside of my usual.

As I walked, eventually finding one of the many spread about wooden benches of Ponyville and easing myself into the seat, I eventually was met by the growing sound of hoofsteps, my attention drawn to the approaching pony, and a smile coming to my face as I heard the sound of a familiar, silken voice grace my ears.

"Good Morning, Eugene." Closing my eyes for a moment as I found myself enjoying the new addition to the natural symphony around me, I let out a breath as I turned to where I presumed the mare to be.

"Good Morning, Octavia." I returned politely as I continued to listen to her approach. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine." She responded, her voice practically filled to the brim with a friendly nature to it. "And you?" She then asked.

"The same, I suppose. I'm simply enjoying the day, is all." Furthering myself against the back of the wooden bench, I let out a content sigh as I closed my already unseeing eyes, reentering the zen of my state of relaxation.

"Oh... Would you mind if I join you?" Chuckling at this, I wordlessly moved myself to the side, opening up what I believed to be an open enough space for her. An even greater sense of contentment flooded through me as I felt the wooden seat I was on slightly bend and creak to the new weight, still holding itself strong as it accommodated the two of us.

She and I remained silent for a moment or two, sitting next to one another as we took in the beauty of our surroundings... Though, I felt as though, ironically enough, she wasn't the one truly seeing it. At least, not like I do.

A knowing smile on my face, I continued to sit calmly where I was, a breath entering my longing mind and lungs, before then being expelled in speech. "Octavia?" I began, to which she gave a soft hum. "Are your eyes closed?" I asked.

The bench shifted slightly, and I felt a small bit of her fur brush against my arm as she likely turned to me. I imagined a face of questioning on her. "Um... No, but, why would-"

"Close them." I said simply, the smile on my face not yet wavering, despite her, now obvious, confusion.

"I... I don't understand why-"

"Just... Trust me... Okay?" She went silent at this, the movement of her shifting herself again being felt and heard by me with ease, before she then let out a sigh.

"... Okay, they're closed." I gave a mental nod as I once again drew myself into my thoughts, and this time, attempting to bring another along with me.

"Good... Now listen..." She didn't say a word. I wasn't able to prove it, but somehow, I just knew that she was doing as I asked of her. I knew that I could trust her, despite only knowing her for a short amount of time. Soon, another breeze of wind came, myself welcoming it as it began to whistle softly against my, and Octavia's, ears. "Do you hear that?" I asked.

"The wind? Well, yes, I hear it." Again, I chuckled. She was getting closer, but she still wasn't there.

"Do you though?" I continued, drawing a questioning hum from her. "Listen closely... And, instead of focusing on the fact that you can't see, focus on the fact that you can hear." Another moment of silence from her. The chair below us shifted slightly, and I heard her take a breath in, and out. Perhaps she was trying to focus herself?

Nonetheless, as the wind continued to blow, I felt the smile on my face grow as the sound of singing birds joined in, adding to the continual rush of the breeze. "And so, the first instruments arrive..." I uttered aloud absentmindedly. I wasn't able to see, nor even hear this time, Octavia's reaction to what I had said, as I was already too far gone into my thoughts to do so. Though, I feel like she didn't react at all, instead silently listening along. Like I had hoped.

The birds almost seemed to coalesce with the wind, their tweets and cries being given motion and life as they flowed with the river-like breeze, through the air and to us. Slowly, I began to incorporate more into this orchestra of sorts.

"Now, add the trees, and grass." The rustling of these plants began to come clear through, providing a serene upbeat and emphasis to the wind, growing loud and soft, depending on how it was asked to do so.

"And even the smallest of noises." To me, I chose the movement of fallen leaves upon the ground, the scraping and tapping sounds that they created more resembling those of another instrument, rather than just movements caused by nature. In fact, there was no longer nature at all. Instead, there was-

"It's... Almost like a sinfonietta..." Octavia's voice finally rang through as she finished my thought aloud, a placid and distracted tone to it. I gave a mental chuckle as I realized her to finally be seeing things the way I do... And as her voice was added into the symphony, the word 'perfection' spelled itself out in my mind as these sounds all came together, providing me with the most wondrous of 'performances' that I had heard yet.

Like any good performance though, it eventually had to come to an end. The wind began to die down, little by little, until it reached an untimely, yet well deserved, end. It's various instruments began to disperse and disappear, returning to their previous doings and natures as they lost the leader of their harmonious union.

As for Octavia and I, we sat there for quite some time after, reveling in the pleasantry. Sitting slightly forward, I made to speak to her again.

"So, how was it?" I asked, a knowing smile now plastered on my face. It took her a moment to answer, but, eventually, I imagined her opening her eyes again, restoring her sight of the simple surroundings around us.

"... Wow... Is... Is that how you-"

"Pretty much." I told her, already aware of what she was going to ask. "Though I can't see, I'm more than able take things into perspective."

"Yes, but... How?" I chuckled at the question.

"Think of it this way. Everything that I 'see', I see it differently. Sounds, tastes, touch, smells; All of these work as if they're instruments, or paints. I may not be able to see things individually, but if I put it all together, I create something even better." Again, I felt the bench shift slightly.

"So... You 'see' life as-... As art." Octavia concluded, drawing a nod from me.

"Essentially, yes. I-" Before I could continue though, I was stopped by the sudden, and amusing, sound of rumbling and growling, followed shortly after by what I guessed to be an embarrassed squeak. More than likely, that was Octavia's stomach. A laugh fought against me to escape as I heard this, myself chortling behind my currently closed mouth. "Well, I suppose that counts as an instrument too."

A light shove from Octavia, which I of course took in good spirits, followed by a light chuckle of hers showed that she also saw the amusing nature of the matter.

"Hehe. Sorry about that. I haven't had lunch yet." I nodded at this.

"You aren't the only one. Frankly, I'm fairly surprised my stomach wasn't the one to speak out." Bells filled the air again as she let out another giggle.

"Well then, I suppose we have an issue here, don't we? Two hungry ponies, and nothing but free time on our hooves. Whatever shall we do?" I have a quick roll of my eyes at this, easily recognizing the ironic tone in her voice. I decided to play along.

"Hmmm... I'm not really a pony, nor do I have hooves, but that is a good question. If only there were some way we could feed ourselves and pass the time. But how?" I pictured her smiling as she noticed me acting along with her.

"... I've got an idea!" She said dramatically, drawing another chortle from me. "Why don't I take you out to lunch?" I blinked my eyes a couple of times at this. It was odd, but, though I knew that the question was coming, something about it just seemed... Unbelievable. Giving a soft chuckle, I nodded my head in response.

"That would be nice, actually."

The bench yet again shifted. It creaked forward slightly, the sound of four hooves hitting the earth floor following shortly after. Smiling at this, I grabbed hold of my walking stick and stood myself as well, a part of myself looking forward to the upcoming meal. Before I could take another step though, my walking tool already beginning to tap against the floor, I felt a hoof gently stop me.

I raised a questioning brow at this, as I faintly heard Octavia step to my side. The hoof that had previously been in front of me moved to my arm, gripping it between the other hoof as she carefully guided it elsewhere. My eyes slightly widened as my palm was met by the soft and warm texture of her fur, the movement that came with it, such as the shifting of muscles and nearby joints, leading me to believe that it was her back.

Her mane cast slightly over my hand as my mind momentarily paused itself in disbelief, before quickly setting itself to work on creating some sort of image of the mare. The image that I had so long been missing.

I heard her tell me that 'this would make things easier', before she asked me to keep next to her, receiving a polite, if not distracted, nod from me.

In my head, I could already sense an image beginning to form, though it was extremely faint, and somehow lacking. Hopefully, I would be able to at least make an outline with this.