The Unseeing

"Ether!" shrieked a feminine voice from what sounded like downstairs. The cry shocked more more than i'd like to admit,  making me sprawl under my covers and make a general mess of things. Luckily I didn't make the blind mistake of hitting a limb on something from my flailing and adding to the confusion, rather, my brain pulsed in pain from the headaches I all too dreaded.

"Yes Mom, what is it" I croaked, giving her an awkward vocal mess, should've cleared your throat, my subconscious nagged, shut up, I thought back. The thought process led me into movement, and I slowly dragged myself out of bed and to my door, ready for what my mom need of me.

"Sweetie, I need you down here with me if were going to talk about this," She replied back. Making my way downstairs I asked her again what she wanted but all she told me back was to "get down here" as always.

Inching my way down the stairs to her, enjoying the carpet under my feet, the automatic movement to the kitchen was halted as I saw mail in her hoof, making my heart lurch as what I dreaded suddenly unfolded.

The moment my eyes laid on the envelope I knew it could only get better from here. My grades were nothing to be proud of, even with the bountiful help of Rose, my best friend. School was never my strong suit, but I could manage to pass. Unfortunately, passing wasn't the goal my parents hoped for me to achieve. The policy was: grades before sight. If I begin to fail my classes, I am to give up my sight and become one of the masked, thus beginning a new learning process and giving me a chance to start again.

Thats my world everyday, I have to fear over my blessing from the goddesses because of my incompetence in school. To other ponies this would mean nothing, school is either an easy task or they didn't want to see to being with, leaving them to become one of the masked.

There is nearly nothing I value more than my sight. To see the glory Equestria holds is beyond compare. With the entirety of adults blind you'd think building would be plain, tasteless, barren, and it may be that way for some of them, but those architects who make the ones that strive to please the young with our privilege are the most amazing ones. Sculptures, shaped windows, and extravagant rails are only a few of the objects made unique.

Murals cover the walls of many buildings, and how I love to see new ones blot out the dull grey walls. Many talented young consider them canvases and nothing more, and with the limitations of echolocation that our elders rely on, many of these works of art will mark its building for months until an adult sore enough feels a bit of chipped paint and reports it. Worst of all painting is considered a rebellion against our inevitable fate, a sport only the young can partake in as a way to support and motivate each other.

All of the great paintings Id seen inspired me, but not the way my parents wanted me to be. Both of them had chosen at an early age, to become one of the masked.

My head hung, slowly and with dread I approached my mother.

"Do you know what you've done?" asked my mother, with a stern voice. "You've wasted your education entirely without a concern fo-," she stopped mid sentenced as she realized that I was failing to make eye contact with her. "Ether!" she yelled at me, using her hoof to direct my hung head towards hers, but ended up pointing it the other way instead, providing me some humor as she didn't realize and failed to correct it. "Your grades have gone completely out of hoof for the last time."

Frustrated, she stomped her hoof, turning away from me as she made her way towards the kitchen, opening a drawer, and taking out a long cloth from it. The cloth could only mean one thing for me, "You're taking away my sight!" I exclaimed very loudly, in a panicked state. My breaths became shortened, and my heart beat faster as what felt like lightning struck me. I began to step backwards, and fell on my flank, making a loud thump as pain spread through it.

"Don't you run from your mother!" my Mother screeched, halting my movement entirely. "Starting today, and from now on, you are going to wear this until I can get you something proper to cover your eyes," she said, placing the cloth in my hoof as I looked her in the eye with hate. "Honey know that I love you and that I'm not doing this without good reason, but we've talked about your grades before, and had this same conversation more times that I want to remember. You know why this needs to be done, right, Ether?" she asked.

"Yes mother" I said, practically chocking out the words, as I shakily held the cloth.

"Good," she replied, "Now I want you to go to Rose's house and have her tie the cloth around your head, make sure she knows she's responsible for guiding you to and around school today. Tell her specifically that Im requesting she does this, Rose is a good friend of yours, right?" I told her yes, "Than she should have no problem with this. Im going to write to the school and request that your education be changed and you become one of the masked, when the school counselor asks you if you want to you will say yes" my mother finalized, walking away from me before I could protest my absolute hatred of the situation.

My head swayed and throbbed as I processed all that had happened, the headache growing worse and more painful. Dreadfully I stood back up and retrieved my bags, clenching the cloth in my hand as I shoved it in them crazily hoping that if I were to bury it deep enough, it might just disappear.

With each passing second I became more and more angry, shoving the door open and slamming it behind me, hearing a shout from my mother, followed by loud stomping. In a fit of rage and self pity I kicked our mailbox, snapping the wood but not separating it, and then sprinting away from the house, my eyes beginning to water as I heard shouts from my mom.

After I had cooled down enough so my face wasn't the color of a tomato, I turned a corner and arrived at Rose's house.

A little shakily I knocked on knocked on her door and a few moments later she opened it. I gave a half smile and a short wave as she stepped out, already with her school bags.

"Hey Ether," she greeted me with a smile, making my spirit lift a little, "I was about to head to school in a moment anyways, good timing though right? she said enthusiastically, until she saw my obvious nervousness. "Oh-no, Ether whats wrong," she asked with legitimate concern, almost like a mother to her child.

Hastily I recapped on everything that had happened, my voice shaking as I told her the series of events with a grim tone.

"Oh, should I get th-,"

"No!" I yelled back with a ferocity, interrupting her and making her flinch back. "Sorry Rose," I quickly said, "I didn't come here to have you put a cloth on my head and take away this glorious gift from me, I would never ask a friends to do that, or anyone for that matter. My sight is something I never want to lose, no, I didn't come here to have you do that, I came here to ask you could help me."

She stared blankly at me for a moment, then put a hoof to her head and told me, "Guess your winning the bet so far."