Fallout Equestria: Tales from Stable 9
Colours: The Colour Green
“Look down upon this winter wheat, and be glad that you have made
Blue for the sky, and the colour green, which fills these fields with praise.”
-Gloria in Excelsis from Canticle of the Sun
“You need to get out more, Candlelight,” the chartreuse pegasus mare chided softly, her eyes filled with concern. “I know it’s been hard for you, moving from Stormshadow to the Stable, but you need to do something.”
Candlelight Sonata stared listlessly at the dark purple walls of Heartshine’s office. The resident heartmender of Stable 9 made the place inviting enough. But it was still just an office. Still just a building. Still just a place where ponies poured out their hearts and souls to a mare whom, in Candlelight’s opinion, gave more than those ponies actually deserved.
“Is getting out going to bring them back?” Candlelight asked, her mismatched eyes turning away from the wall toward the chartreuse mare. She shook her head and glanced away again. This heartmender had nothing to offer her.
The pegasus frowned slightly, her ears canting backwards. “No, Candlelight. It won’t bring your family back. I never said that getting out and…” she shook her head. “And I don’t know what.”
The frustration in the heartmender’s voice got Candlelight’s attention, and the dark grey adolescent batpony faced the pegasus again, one ear skewed to the side in puzzlement. “You don’t know what? What? Run out of platitudes and tales of green fields for me?” She spat bitterly, tossing a purple and black pigtail behind her ear with a shift of her head. “Maybe it’s a good thing your office is purple. It darkens the place, and certainly helps my mood. Just makes me wish that both of my eyes were that colour. At least purple has a quality to it.”
“And what quality is that?”
“Depth. Depth of thought. Depth of feeling. Depth of longing for something I can no longer have!” Candlelight shouted, her wings flapping open with a leathery snap. “Why do you want me to go out and meet ponies!? I want my family! But they’re….” she trailed off, unable to complete the sentence. Candlelight squeezed her eyes shut, and let her head droop.
“Because you have a void that needs filling with something, Candlelight Sonata.” The heartmender said, concern evident in her voice. “You gave your family everything and they knew you loved them dearly. But now that they can’t be with you, I can feel the crushing weight of emptiness, and how heavily it weighs on you.”
Candlelight couldn’t disagree with the mare, knowing a heartmender’s empathic sense. She mentally cursed the mare for being able to know exactly how she felt.
“We took in a colt your age, and the reason why I want your help is because he is just as lost as you are. Or, perhaps more so,” She explained quietly.
Candlelight looked up at the heartmender. “What do you mean, Heartshine?”
Heartshine sighed, brushing a bit of red mane behind her ear. “His name is Biscuits. He was rescued from a slaver caravan a few days ago. But… he’s a rather special case, and I need somepony I can trust to help him.”
“Why me?” Candlelight demanded. “Aren’t there loads of ponies with nothing better to do with their lives? I mean, Goddesses Luna and Cadence, Heartshine. Just let me stay in my room and stare at the wall. Why do you think you need my help?”
Heartshine never pursed her lips in frustration. That is the most maddening thing of all. Candlelight thought to herself. She sees everypony else’s emotions, and never lets anypony see her own.
“You have experience with… ponies who learn differently,” Heartshine explained. “Biscuits needs some extra help that we simply lack the resources to provide. If times were better or we had the resources, we could help him to our fullest extent, but…” the mare trailed off and sighed.
“What’s wrong with him?” Candlelight asked, huffing.
Heartshine’s face fell. “Candlelight, Biscuits is blind.”
Candlelight Sonata felt her mind grind to a halt. “But… implants? Don’t we have those? And shouldn’t his inner magic be able to help him?” She asked.
Heartshine held up a hoof. “Ordinarily, yes, save two problems. One, Biscuits has a rare type of blindness that has left his optic nerves severely compromised, so implants are not an option, even if we had them. As for his magic…” The mare shook her head, letting her ears droop. “The slavers took his horn.”
Candlelight covered her mouth in horror. “But… that means…”
“See what I meant when I said he may be just as lost as you?” Heartshine asked.
Candlelight looked down at the ground, the nodded. “I’ll help you,” she whispered. “He… he sounds like he needs somepony right now.”
Heartshine smiled sadly at the young batpony. “Thank you dear.”
Candlelight allowed herself to be led by the pegasus to Stable 9’s medical centre. It wasn’t a long walk. Her office was situated on the second floor of the stable’s atrium. The sights and sounds of Stable 9 assaulted her senses as she followed the heartmender out of her office. The two pegasi leapt from the railing on the second story and glided down to a trot in front of the medical bay.
Heartshine pressed the switch next to the door, causing the door to open with a swish. Candlelight lay her ears flat against her head. The Stable was always too loud. At least Stormshadow was… muffled. She followed the mare’s swishing red and blue tail into the infirmary, and was grateful when the doors slid shut, sinking the healing centre of Stable 9 into relative quiet.
“Ah! Heartshine! Good of you to come! I see you’ve brought young miss Sonata along today!” A stallion’s bright tenor voice rang from the far end of the infirmary. “Tell me, have you brought me any new pipbuck tags for some delightful, strong stallions, hmm?”
Heartshine chuckled. “I’m afraid I haven’t, Doctor Brightwork. But as I told you before, if I meet any stallions in need of your… special attentions, I’ll be sure to send them your way.”
Doctor Brightwork smiled, nodding his head to Candlelight. “Oh, please do. Now, I assume she’s here to help with young Mr. Biscuits?” He asked, looking her over. “I must say dear, I still do love your eyes.”
Candlelight did her best to not frown at the caramel coloured unicorn. “Everypony says that. I think they’re lying.” She said, looking away from the stallion.
“Why do you say that, Candlelight?” He asked, sounding genuinely confused.
Candlelight gave him a level glare. “Most ponies who have two different eye colours are usually seen as freaks.”
Brightwork chuckled. “Aha, well, here in this Stable, we love novelty. And if you haven’t noticed, I am a bit off myself.” He added with a grin. “Most stallions don’t want other stallions. I do.”
Heartshine rolled her eyes and batted at the unicorn with her wing. “We know, Bright, you horny sod. Now, if you’d like to introduce us…?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes yes, work work work…” Brightwork said, waving them to one of the infirmary’s rooms. He rapped a hoof on the door twice, then opened it.
Candlelight poked her head in, and found herself captivated by the creamy blue eyes of the adolescent stallion who sat within the room. He looked in the direction of the opened door, but the mare could tell he wasn’t seeing them at all. His coat bore the strangest array of chestnut and cream, blended so it looked like he’d been splashed with chestnut coloured paint. His long legs also betrayed his youth, still not quite matching the thin proportions of his upper body as they would were he an adult stallion like Brightwork. Candlelight found herself blushing as she gave the colt a once over.
“Biscuits? I have somepony I’d like you to meet.” Brightwork started.
The colt nodded his head. “Yes sir? I can hear Heartshine, so I was wondering who else was with her.”
“Candlelight?” Brightwork asked.
Candlelight squeaked shyly and ducked her head out of the doorway. “Are… are you sure, Heartshine?” She asked.
“She sounds adorable,” Biscuits replied, his soft tenor voice carrying easily. “Wish I could see her.”
Candlelight frowned and trotted forward. She reached out a hoof and set it on his. “I’m Candlelight Sonata. Heartshine says you… uh, well,” She stopped herself, unsure of what to say. Unsure of anything really. She looked down at the colt’s hoof in hers.
“Biscuits, though I’m sure Bright and Shiney both told you that,” He said, looking past her. Or rather, he would be, if he could see. “Can I ask you something weird?”
“Uh? Sure?”
“Can you direct my hoof to your face? I can’t get an exact picture, but at least I sorta know who I’m dealing with.” Biscuits asked simply.
Candlelight looked to Heartshine before stepping closer to the colt and lifting his hoof to her face. His touch was surprisingly gentle, and Candlelight closed her eyes as it slowly traced her features. He stopped a moment when he reached her ears.
“Are you a mule?” He asked.
Candlelight snorted. “NO! I’m a batpony!”
Biscuits took a moment stroke the tips of her fluffy ears, causing the mare to blush. “Oh! I’m sorry. I couldn’t feel the earfluff. Makes more sense now.”
Candlelight continued to blush. “I… sorry. This is sorta new for me.”
“Being around somepony who’s blind?”
“Yeah,”
“Yeah, it’s weird as hell for me, too,” He said simply.
Candlelight found herself chuckling brightly. “Well, it’s… it’s good to meet you, Biscuits.” she said, turning her head to look at Brightwork and Heartshine. It appeared the adults had taken the moment to leave the pair to talk. She blushed as Biscuits continued to stroke her ear. “Um… could… you stop doing that?”
“I’m sorry. They’re so fluffy…” he said, a blush crossing his own cheeks.
Candlelight nodded. “Well… let’s get you out of here. I’ll warn you, the Stable proper is kinda loud, and there’s not much to see.”
“You don’t say?”
Candlelight facehooved. “I… give me a bit. I’ll stop sounding like a complete nincompoop in a few hours.”
“Well, you never know,” Biscuits said, not moving from the bed he lay on. “Maybe this time I’ll see a big light blur instead of a big dark blur.” He waved a hoof in front of his face. “Or not.”
Candlelight frowned. “Here, take my hoof. I can at least help you off the bed.” She said, taking Biscuits’ hoof again. The colt shuffled himself off of the bed, his hoof never leaving hers.
“Thank you,” He said, orienting himself toward her. “But uh, I can’t hold your hoof all the way around the Stable.”
Candlelight nodded, then shook herself as she realised he wasn’t going to see the gesture. Instead, she extended a wing. “How about I put my wing over your back. Guide you that way?” She asked, standing next to him.
Biscuits chuckled. “I love pegasi. They make this so much easier.”
“Batpony.”
Biscuits frowned. “Doesn’t make you not a pegasus.” He said simply. “Just means you don’t have feathery wings. And you’ve got the fluffy ears thing going on.” he said as she led him from his room.
Candlelight smiled at Heartshine and Brightwork as they passed. “Um, it’s gonna get kinda loud when I open the door.”
“I got that impression when I was first brought in here,” he replied, nodding his head slightly. “Lots of ponies live here?”
Candlelight paused them, and reached a hoof up to cycle the door open. Again, the cacophony of Stable life assaulted their ears. Candle yet again paused before trotting them out into the Atrium.
Above them stood the three levels of Stable 9, and a multitude of ponies and their shops that filled the small space. Candlelight realised with some new appreciation, that there was a lot to see and describe about her new home. She spent a few moments trying to orient Biscuits.
“We’re outside of the infirmary. That’s sorta self explanatory. On it’s left is the armoury, on the right is the main cafeteria. We’re in the Atrium of the stable. If you take a right, you head toward the door and the trade centre. Take a left, and you head deeper into the stable, where our quarters are, as well as the farms.” She said, chattering away for a few moments.
Biscuits himself seemed to be listening quietly, though his ears swivelled constantly. He seemed to twitch under her wing fairly frequently.
“Are you alright?” She asked, turning to face the colt.
The muscles of his neck tightened, and his ears lay flat back against his skull. “It’s… can we go back into the infirmary?” he asked.
Candlelight nodded and turned them around, her hoof slapping against the door controls. They stepped inside, the door swishing closed behind them.
Biscuits let out a sigh. “Sorry. Just…” he trailed off, frowning.
“Too loud?” she asked, leaning her head against his.
“Actually? Yeah. How’d you know?”
Candlelight wiggled her ear against his. “Fluffy ears mean good hearing. There’s a reason I can echolocate in the dark. Just comes at a cost, sometimes.”
The colt nodded in understanding. “I apologise, though. I’m used to being around activity. Just… not that much of it.” He said, his hoof reaching to sit on hers.
“Everything alright you two?” Brightwork called from the other end of the infirmary. Candlelight looked up, noting that the doctor and the heartmender were watching them with concern.
“It’s too loud out there right now,” Candlelight said, hoping that explanation made sense.
Heartshine consulted her pipbuck. “Oh goodness, it is close to 5pm. I’m sorry Candlelight, I didn’t think of that when I introduced the two of you.”
Candlelight waved her right hoof. “It’s ok. Just… think we’ll wait until the after shift rush ends and it gets quieter to go outside.”
Brightwork looked at the two ponies over a chart he was working on. “Well, take a seat in the waiting room. At least it’s quiet; knock on wood.” He said, pointing the chart toward the quiet sitting room that sat off to the right side of the infirmary.
Candlelight guided Biscuits over to a chair and sat them down. She made a point to sit next to him, her hoof quickly finding his again.
“I uh, is it ok that I keep sorta grabbing your hoof? So you know I’m there?” she asked, glad that the colt couldn’t see her blush slightly as she asked the question.
“It’s fine. It’s not necessary, but it’s fine. I can hear rather well myself.” he explained, but patted her hoof nonetheless. “Normally, I’d just use my magic to… what did you say you did? Echo find your path?”
“Echolocate. Using sound to get a mental map of what’s around you,” Candlelight replied. “Most Nocturnals can do it, but Batponies are exceptionally skilled at it. Though our earth pony cousins are able to do something similar with their hooves and the vibrations in the ground. It’s kind of cool.”
Biscuits smiled. “Sorta makes you want to go around stomping your hooves all the time, though,” he said with a grin.
Candlelight embarrassed herself with a giggle. “I… no… that’d be mean! I mean, ok, maybe I was tempted to do it to my little brother on occasion, but…” she trailed off, letting her head droop again. “Eh, nevermind.”
Biscuits tilted his head to the side. “Family troubles?”
“Just don’t ask.”
The colt nodded his head, his shaggy chestnut and cream mane flopping slightly. “You got it, miss.”
The pair talked about the Stable for a good hour as they waited out the dinner rush. Candlelight gave Biscuits a brief history lesson on the Stable itself, and learned a few things about him in the process.
“Wait, so you’re saying that your mom willingly crossed the ocean to get here!?” she exclaimed as he told his story. “What in the Sorrel Hells possessed her to do that?”
Biscuits didn’t blink, but surprise showed on his face. “Well, me, of course! Or rather my sight.”
Candlelight shuddered. “Around Stormshadow, you don’t want to go out in the ocean. There’s things there that will try to eat you as soon as you get close to the shoreline. Radseals, Orcas…”
Biscuits nodded his head. “I am under the impression that the journey was rather exciting. I’m afraid I can’t say for certain, because I was a very young foal at the time, and, well, I wasn’t able to see any dangers we came across.” he said self deprecatingly.
Candlelight frowned at him and poked his shoulder with a hooftip. “You always do that,” She said. “Put yourself down for your blindness.”
“It’s a way for me to joke about it. Everypony knows I’m blind as soon as they see me. I might as well make light of the situation, than deal with the fact that it’s terrifying to get lost in your own bedroom.” he replied. “So I make light of it, and occasionally use it to poke fun at dumb ponies who don’t know how to deal with somepony who’s blind.”
“Like me?” Candlelight asked.
Biscuits shook his head. “No, not like you. You at least tried first thing to figure out what you could do to help. I give you props for that.”
“Even if I did dumb things like nod in response to you?” She asked.
Biscuits stopped and made a slight choking sound before he laughed. “Well, you can do that, I don’t see the harm in it.” he said with a mischievous grin.
“Augh, sight puns…” Candlelight groaned, flopping her head onto his hoof.
“I’ve got a million of them. Gives me something to do when I have to wait for an unforeseen amount of time,” he said, patting her head. “I find them insightful myself.”
Candlelight groaned and batted softly at the colt’s chest with her hooves. Weirdo. Well, at least… at least I’m helping. Maybe Heartshine was right. She thought to herself, smiling at the colt. She found herself staring at the scarred over spot on the middle of his forehead.
“Does… does it hurt? Where your horn used to be?” She asked, gently poking the bridge of his nose.
Biscuits started at the poke. “Not anymore. Gave me a hell of a headache for two weeks though. Doc says I was lucky. Sometimes when unicorns have injuries like that, it can kill them or make them go crazy.” he shrugged. “Me? I miss just being able to use my magic to see.”
“You could see with your magic?” Candlelight asked, perking up. “How?”
“Well, not see, per se. But I could get a sense of what was around me. I could get vague images and shapes if I cast a sweeping spell across a room.” he explained. “I don’t get exactly how it worked, but when you were talking about echolocation earlier, I think it worked like that. Sorta.”
“So can you see colours?”
Biscuits’ face screwed up in confusion. “Colours? What are those?”
Candlelight opened her mouth, then quickly shut it as she tried to figure out how to explain colours. “Well… they’re… they’re colours? Like…”
Biscuits stared in her direction. “I don’t see anything.”
Candlelight’s muzzle formed an ‘o’. She huffed, blowing a bit of mane out of her face. How do you explain colours to somepony who’s never seen them?
“They’re like… well… you know how sounds have different timbres?” She asked, whistling a series of soft tones.
Biscuits nodded. “Like how your voice is immediately distinguishable from Heartshine’s, or any other mares in the area?”
“Sort of? It’s kind of like that, but with light.” Candlelight said. “There’s some complicated science that I can’t remember, but basically it means we can see these… visual timbres, and it helps us distinguish between, well, like different kinds of apples or a pony’s coat colours or…” she trailed off and sighed. “Am I making any sense?”
Biscuits shrugged. “Sort of? Though I rely on touch as well as sound. Giving me sounds for colours only explains a part of what they are.”
Candlelight bit her lip, “I… hmm… well, there’s more to it than that. Like how some voices blend well together and others don’t. Colours that starkly contrast each other seem… dissonant, so to speak.”
“Like how you don’t want to taste soap and chocolate?” Candlelight gagged, eliciting a chuckle from Biscuits. The colt smiled impishly at the filly. “Just saying…”
Candlelight shuddered. “That sounds absolutely disgusting, but… yeah, I guess like that.” She frowned. I wish I had a better way of explaining them. “Colours sorta… well, they sorta have feelings associated with them.”
“They do?”
Candlelight suppressed a nod. “Yes, they do. Like… well, an easy one is the colour red. It’s fiery, passionate, angry, and kind of intense. Ponies who are hotheads make me think of the colour red. It’s that…” she trailed off. “It’s probably me being stupid.”
Biscuits scrunched his muzzle. “Why do you say that? Feelings? Those I can understand. I may not get the whole colours thing, but I can get emotions that go with them,” his hoof wandered up her foreleg to her cheek. “I like the explanation of colours as feelings. Feelings of light. That’s… honestly rather beautiful.”
Candlelight closed her eyes and put her hoof over his. “It’s just… I don’t know how to explain every colour that way. Not every colour I can think of has… has a feeling. I just don’t want to mislead you.”
“Mislead me from what? Seeing something that’s not there? Oh, that’ll work great.” Biscuits replied bitingly. “Honestly, I’ve spent my whole life blind. You’re the first pony to actually try to explain colours to me in more than just ‘this is a thing that we seeing ponies get to enjoy but you can’t.’ More than just shape or direction or function or ‘Oh don’t put that in your mouth.’”
Candlelight blinked as she stared at the colt. “Nopony tried?” She asked quietly. “Why?”
Biscuits shrugged. “You got me. I spent most of my life thinking the only thing I’m missing is seeing the asshole who cut off my horn. But you’re telling me there’s more out there?” He shook his head. “Shit, makes me wish that the implants could work for me. At the very least, I want to see what you look like. You feel soft and sound pretty. It would be nice to be able to see these… light feelings you speak of. I bet your blend of colours is spectacular.”
Candlelight giggled. “I’m nothing special,” she said, removing her hoof from his.
“Don’t say that.”
Candlelight started at the anger in Biscuit’s voice. “Don’t say what?”
“Don’t say you’re nothing special. That’s a lie and you know it. Heartshine would not have asked you to help me if she didn’t feel something in you. I would not have warmed up to you so quickly if you hadn’t been so gentle and honest when we first met. So don’t tell me you’re nothing special,” he said, frowning. “Because you are. Besides,” he grinned. “I kind of want to know what colour-feelings you are.”
Candlelight found herself blushing and looking away from Biscuits, even though she knew he couldn’t see her facial expressions. Is he hitting on me? Or just being honest? How do I tell? “I… ok. You’ve got a deal. I’ll not put myself down, and I’ll try to explain more colours to you, but-” A grumble from Biscuit’s tummy cut her off. “Dinner first?” she asked.
“Dinner first.”
Candlelight led them out into the Atrium. The Stable had quieted significantly as the hour approached 9pm. She guided Biscuits to the right, toward the cafeteria. The room, set up like an old time diner, was relatively empty, save for a few ponies who were picking at various meals. Candlelight directed Biscuits into a booth, and sat opposite the colt.
“I always pictured myself being the one ordering dinner,” Biscuits quipped as Candlelight took her seat. “This is happening way too fast, doll.”
Candlelight blushed and glared at him. “You can’t see my face, but I assure you it’s rather grumpy.”
“Aww, our first fight. And me not being able to see it,” he replied with a laugh.
“I can’t tell if you’re serious or joking.”
Biscuits smiled. “I’m joking, mostly because it’s flustering you and it’s sort of fun.” He began tapping his hoof across the table. “In all seriousness though, you’re either going to have to read me the menu, or tell me what’s good.”
Candlelight slid him a fork. “Um, usually I just ask Blunt Force what the special is.”
“Blunt Force?”
“GOOD EVENING YOUNG PONIES! I AM TO BE HONOURED BY YOUR COMINGS TO MY RESTAURANT!”
Biscuits nearly vibrated out of the booth as a basso profundo voice echoed across the cafeteria.
“Blunty, it’s not a restaurant,” a soft soprano voice called from the kitchen.
“NONSENSE, MINE DARLING. IS STILL RESTAURANT IN MY EYES! JUST DOES NOT PAY WELL. BLUNT MAKES THE FOOD. BLUNT GIVES PONIES THE FOOD. BLUNT… gets stipend from Stable government. Very Trotsvian…”
Candlelight laughed brightly, eliciting a chuckle from Biscuits. “I was just wondering what the special was this evening, Mr. Force.” She raised a hoof toward Biscuits. “The poor dear across from me has had naught but what they have in the infirmary for… how many days?”
“Eight days,” Biscuits replied. “If only I could have seen the awful things they put in front of me,” he said melodramatically. “Damn my eyes!”
Candlelight snorted. “What have you and Trillium been cooking up lately, Mr. Force?”
Blunt merely stared at Biscuits. “You are telling me that you have been stuck eating hospital foods? How are you not horribly faint?”
“It’s really a mystery,” As if on cue, Biscuit’s stomach rumbled again. “I am rather famished though.”
“AH! I shall be bringings you best special dish. You’ll love!” The massive earth pony said before stomping off toward the kitchen, yelling words in a language neither young pony spoke.
“Huh… that was different than I’d expected,” Candlelight remarked as soon as the pair could hear again.
Biscuits rubbed a hooftip in his ear. “How were you expecting it to go?”
“Lots of menu reading, banter, you quipping something about making a mare order for you,” Candlelight said, smiling. “And I hope that the special is what I think it is.”
Biscuits frowned. “What do you think it is?” He asked.
“I’m hoping tonight was breakfast for dinner, because that means it might be blueberry pancakes!” Candlelight exclaimed, clapping her hooves together.
Biscuits laughed. “You… alright. Here’s hoping for pancakes.” He tilted his head. “So… you never did answer me.”
“Answer what for you?”
“What colour you are.”
“Oh…” Candlelight looked down at herself, and frowned. A dark grey coat with light grey freckles, and a bit of purple in her mane. Then there were her eyes…
“You uh, you aren’t blind too, are you?” Biscuits asked as Candlelight contemplated herself.
“No, I’m not. I just… I’m rather bland. Like most batponies I’m dark grey. Sort of the heavy feeling of a rainy day, mixed with a bit of melancholy. But I have these… freckles. Spots on my coat that are extremely light. Um…” she bit her lip, struggling to place an emotion with the colour. “Maybe a bittersweet happiness?”
Biscuits listened quietly. “Any other colours?” he asked.
Candlelight swallowed. “Well… my mane and tail have bit of purple in them. It’s… a deep colour. I always associate it with brooding thoughts, but the kind of thoughts and feelings that tell you who you really are, and what you’re supposed to do in the world. My eye-” she cut herself off, then continued. “My eyes are both that colour as well.”
Biscuits stared in her direction, not speaking. “Why would you lie about your eye colour to a blind pony?” He asked.
Candlelight found herself examining her hooves. “I… My eyes don’t match, ok?”
“What do you mean, they don’t match?”
Candlelight slammed a hoof onto the table. “I mean they’re two different colours. And it makes me look like a freak.”
“I’m a unicorn with no horn and I’m blind. When the hell did you think I’d judge you for something I couldn’t even know?” Biscuits countered with a frown. “That’s… pretty mean of you to me and to yourself.”
“I hate my eyes.”
“What?”
“I hate my eyes, ok?! They remind me of my family. Everypony in my family picked them up. They were a weird trait from home that both my mom and dad happened to have. But now they’re not here and I’m alone and I hate my stupid eyes.” Candlelight spat, glaring across the table at the blind colt.
Biscuits simply sat quietly, looking pensive. Candlelight found his quiet contemplation just as frustrating as Heartshine’s lack of emotion-showing. What was it with ponies and their inscrutable expressions? Everyone was supposed to show what they were feeling on their faces! None of this… stupid guessing games.
“DINNER IS SERVED!” Blunt Force’s stomping footsteps followed his bellow from across the nearly empty cafeteria. The massive earth pony delivered two steaming plates of blueberry pancakes, grinned at the pair, and stomped back toward the kitchen.
Candlelight glanced down at the pancakes. “I’m sorry.” She said, leaning down to take a bite of the deliciously fluffy breakfast food.
“I knew I wasn’t the one you were upset with. But your apology is accepted nonetheless.” Biscuits said, stabbing his hoof fork into a pancake. “By the way, these smell amazing.” he took a whole pancake and stuffed it into his muzzle. “MMM! ISH GOOD!” he said, chewing rapidly.
“Told you!” Candlelight replied in between bites. The pair chewed quietly through their meal, occasionally commenting on blueberries, the growing season in Stable 9, and the general plans for the evening.
“Well… do you know where you’re staying tonight?” Candlelight asked, using a napkin to wipe her muzzle.
Biscuits frowned. “No? The infirmary again? I don’t know. The doc cleared me, though, so… I thought I was getting assigned quarters.”
Candlelight facehooved. “And neither Doc Bright or Heartshine said anything to you?”
“Nope.”
“Well, I guess you’re staying with me. I wondered how long it’d be before they got me a roommate.” Candlelight replied, shaking her head. “I mean, um, if that’s ok with you. I could also go check with Bright….”
Biscuits smiled. “No, that’s fine. I wouldn’t mind not having to be alone.” He said, sliding out of the booth.
Candlelight slipped out and put a wing on his back. “It’s not too far. Just… actually, let’s just walk. I’m not sure I can give directions and walk at the same time.” She said, leading him out of the cafeteria.
A brief left turn and a few flights of stairs later, Candlelight pressed the button to unlock her room. It was a simple affair, two beds, two dressers, a lamp, and a bathroom. She walked Biscuits around the room, trying, she hoped, to help him memorise the room. “I’m not sure if I’m helping…” She admitted.
Biscuits tapped a hoof on the bed Candlelight wasn’t using. “I… I’m fine with just this. Besides, it’s a small room. I’m fairly certain I won’t get lost if I need to pee in the middle of the night.” He flopped onto the bed. “And I promise to put the toilet seat down after I’m done. I might even aim this time!” He said, chuckling to himself. He rolled about on the bed. “Are all the beds this uncomfortable?”
Candlelight shook her head as she stripped off her stable barding. “Yeah, pretty much. They’re rather old, what did you expect?” She asked, settling into her own bed, flicking the lights off with a flick of her tail.
“Hmm… well… I’ve slept on worse.” Biscuits reply came from the dark. “But… thank you, Candlelight, for letting me stay.”
Candlelight yawned. “It’s no problem, Biscuits. I’d do anything to help a friend.”
“...We’re friends?”
“Yep. Sleep well!”
“Yeah… you too.”
Candlelight started awake from a restful sleep as she heard a noise that, well… didn’t quite fit. She rolled over and flipped on the light with a tailflick, looking around for Biscuits. Her alarm grew as she realised he wasn’t in his bed.
A quiet sobbing sound came from the floor near the foot of her bed. Biscuits lay curled up with his face to the floor.
Candlelight quietly got up and put a wing over his back. “Biscuits? It’s ok… it’s just a dream…” she said.
Biscuits turned his face toward her. “It wasn’t a dream. I… I got lost.” He said, turning back toward the floor and pressing his forehead against it. “I had to pee and I got lost coming back to bed.”
Candlelight started, then began petting the colt’s mane. “Shh… it’s ok.”
“No! It’s not ok! I just got here! It’s a small room! I shouldn’t’ve gotten lost or confused!” He shouted. “I’m sorry I woke you up.”
Candlelight leaned her head against his. “Biscuits, I’m sure it happens. And… we got in late and just jumped straight into bed. It’s ok.”
The colt sighed, still pressing his face into the floor. “Also, you sorta woke me up.” He admitted.
“I did?”
Biscuits lifted his head and pressed it against hers. “You were whimpering in your sleep.”
Candlelight looked down at the floor. Fascinating, the tile patterns. Maybe that was why Biscuits tried to examine it so closely. With… his face.
“I’m sorry I woke you,” she whispered.
Biscuits nuzzled her head. “I… I think I should get back in bed.” He said, standing shakily.
Candlelight nodded, standing with him. “Um…” she bit her lip.
“Um?”
“Could… could… would you mind just… sharing the bed with me?” She asked, looking down at the floor in shame and grateful that he couldn’t see her expression.
“I… I’d like that,” he replied.
Candlelight led him the few paces to her bed, and curled up next to him. She placed a wing over the colt, and sighed as she snuggled herself up next to his warm body. The pair said nothing to each other once their heads hit the pillow, and soon drifted off into an actually peaceful sleep.
Two days later…
“Hmm, that’s an interesting way to explain colours.” Heartshine said as she sat with Candlelight and Biscuits over lunch. “I’m proud of you for coming up with a way of explaining it.”
“Does this mean I get to say how I feel in colours, Shiney?” Biscuits asked, his fork plinking about his plate for hay fries.
Candlelight subtly switched his empty plate with hers. “I don’t think she’d follow what you meant if you said that you felt red or purple, Biscuits.”
“Oh, I might,” The heartmender replied, raising an eyebrow at Candlelight. “Colours as emotions is a rather old, but rather popular thing in heartmending. Sometimes it lets ponies relate to their feelings in a new way. Are red and purple the only colours you’ve discussed so far.”
“Yeah,” Biscuits said, swallowing another fork full of hay fries. “Mostly because Candlebutt here won’t tell me what colour her other eye is.”
Candlelight blushed as Heartshine gave her a firm look. “I… just hadn’t gotten around to it. You know I don’t like that it doesn’t match…”
“Which is why you should tell me what it is! Who knows? It could be my favourite colour!” Biscuits said, grinning.
Heartshine gave the batpony an amused smile. “Well, I’ll let the two of you figure that one out on your own. Until next time, you two,” she said, picking up her tray in her mouth and walking it toward its receptacle.
Candlelight watched the mare leave, and turned back to Biscuits. The colt still had the same grin on his face. “What?” she asked.
“So… what colour is your other eye?” he asked.
Candlelight sighed. “Green.”
“What’s green like?”
The batpony bit her lip. “It’s… the colour of grass, of new leaves, of spring. It’s… well, it’s supposed to be a warm, happy feeling that brings life and vitality to a room. It’s, well, apparently sometimes it’s that feeling you get when you’re excited to see someone you care about. That’s green for you.”
Biscuit’s hoof found it’s way onto hers. “Well, that’s good then.” He said. “I like that colour. It’s the colour I’ve felt since I met you.”
Candlelight didn’t even bother to hide her blush.
Author's Note
Author’s note: Well, this has been a fun adventure. I ended up writing this as just an idea, and it ended up growing into so much more than I’d planned. Hopefully you enjoyed it.
As always, thanks to Kkat for coming up with this amazing universe for us to use and play with, and, well, ultimately, tell stories with.
The quote at the beginning of the chapter is from “The Colour Green[Gloria in Excelsis]” from A Liturgy, a Legacy, and a Ragamuffin Band by Rich Mullins and belongs to whomever holds his stuff.
And if you’re interested, tune in next time for ‘The Colour Black’
