Chapter 1: Blinded from birth
Chapter 1: Blinded from birth
"Maybe a walk in the forest will calm me down a little..." Celestia sorrowfully says.
It was a cold night in Equestria. The first snowfall was coming in a week and the Pegasi were making sure to pile on those clouds. The crisp, cool air was enough to make the princess shiver. As it blew through her mane, she found herself looking into the sky. The moon was able to send some light through the dense cloud cover and onto the land. The stars were unable to been seen, however. Celestia shook the thoughts of the clouds off and continued to travel towards the forest. She walked the distance, taking note that it was dangerous to fly at night when it's this cold out. Plus, she did enjoy strolling through the capital city. Canterlot had a shine to it that no other pony could see. Though the unicorns are sometimes stuck up and snobby, they get along really well with one another. Around the city, business was booming due to the fact Hearths Warming was approaching at a rapid pace. The ponies of Canterlot, Ponyville and even sometimes Manehattan would come to the shopping district here to get their presents for family members and friends. This holiday really brought the ponies together.
As she trotted through the streets, she noticed that one shop was still open, despite the time and the weather. This confused Celestia, as the Pegasi told everyone to stay in their homes and wait for the storm to die out once it hit. She approached the shop and noticed a small, worn sign labeling 'Crystal Clear's Optometrist' in faded black, cursive writing. This intrigued Celestia. Though a storm was about to come, an eye doctor still decided to keep his store open? She decided to shake this off as well and turned back to the path heading to the forest. A lot of the times, a walk in the wild forest would cheer her up. It was always so calm between the trees and since not many other ponies went into the forest, she could be alone to clear her thoughts.
But this wasn't the only reason she entered the forest. Inside the forest was someplace she always loved to visit. A small shrine was located in the deepest parts of the forest and it was a beautiful sight to behold. Whenever she got the chance she would either fly or walk over to it and just lay down to relax. It gave off a calm vibe to Celestia, mainly because the shrine was dedicated to an Alicorn from ancient times who has said to of passed away. In the middle of the shrine stood a statue of the Alicorn. He stood proud and held his head high. Not only could she be there to calm down, but she could take to time to wonder who this stallion was. A lot of the time she thought it as some legend that was believed by many back then, but she sometimes imagined herself meeting this stallion and learning about him.
Alas this wasn't possible. She could only be there to relax like she always did. This didn't make a difference to her because she loved being at this shrine. And on a night like tonight, it was just what she needed. Only problem is that she would need to remember the path she took to get to it every time. It was a very dense forest so it was hard to make out exactly where you needed to turn. But one way or another, Celestia was determined to find the shrine like she always did. It shouldn't be to hard, after all the times she had visited it before. But with the cold air breezing though her, it could break her concentration.
As she arrived at the edge of the forest, she slowly looked around to see if anypony had been following her. This was a precaution she had to take so that she wouldn't be bothered during this time. When she confirmed that nopony was following her, she started off into the forest. Every step she took was loud due to the sheer amounts of leaves of the ground. This didn't bother her though, because she was expecting the sounds to be made, but since nopony else was around, it didn't matter how much noise she made. Around one tree and around the next, Celestia started to wonder if she was going to find the shrine soon. It was taking longer then she had expected.
But as quickly as that thought came, it went again. She noticed moonlight flickering into a clearing ahead. The shrine must be up ahead. Her face managed a smile as she started slowly making her way through the trees and towards the clearing. But, as she was walking, she started to hear something. It sounded like a voice, giving a short prayer. This confused Celestia. She thought no one ever came into this forest. Granted it has been over 3 months since she had visited it, there still wasn't a reason that somepony, other than herself, would be in the forest this late at night. She slowly approached a boulder near the clearing and ducked behind it. As she peaked out over it, she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
In front of the statue was a colt. His coat was a deep gray that seemed to resemble volcanic ash or a stone color. His mane was black and red striped with a short tail just the same. As he turned his head to his right, she noticed that his eyes were almost pure red. This was very odd for a colt to be out in the forest this late. But as that thought started to trail off, she noticed the wings on his back. A Pegasus? This was an even less likely scenario. A pegasus colt, out in the forest in the middle of the night. Not just that, but he seemed to be crying a little. What was he doing out he-
Celestia's train of thought hit the wall as the colt turned his head again. Only this time, a key detail was shown. Along with his wings, something special also sat atop his head... A Horn! How could this be? An Alicorn colt, in the middle of the forest, crying at a shrine, in the middle of the night, during near winter. This couldn't be real! This must have been an illusion. There was no way she was seeing another Alicorn right before her eyes. But there he was, clear as anything. His wings started to flap a little as he barely lifted himself off the ground. He tried several times but couldn't get higher than a few feet. As he decided to give up, he started to hum to himself. After a good 15 seconds of humming, he started to sing a little.
Father...
You left without a single sound.
Mother...
You always let me hit the ground.
Now my life...
Is nothing but a living hell.
As I wait...
For me to pass away as well...
He broke down into tears after singing the last few words. Celestia couldn't handle this anymore. She walked over to the colt, trying not to startle him. She approached him slower and slower until she was about halfway and not moving at all. At this point, the young Alicorn was turned to face her. He was showing a confused look on his face. She didn't know what to say or do at this moment. Should she keep approaching him? Should she ask him a question? Celestia was so confused at this moment, not knowing what to do. A few seconds passed, then the little Alicorn spoke up.
"Who is approaching me?" He spoke, still puzzled about the sound he heard.
Wait, why isn't he asking who I am? The only reason he would ask what he did is because... No, it couldn't be.
"I am Princess Celestia. Who are you little one?" She asked with a motherly tone in her voice.
"My name is Midnight Storm." He replied, confidently.
"Do you know what you are?" Celestia asked, wondering if he understood what he was.
"I'm not an earth pony, because I have wings" He starts, "but I'm not a Pegasus because I have a horn... what am I?"
"You do not know?" He shakes his head, "You are an Alicorn. One who possesses attributes from all three types of ponies."
"Am I a freak?" He asks, looking down.
"No! You are very special. Alicorns are very rare and are usually royalty." She says, coming closer.
He starts to wobble forward. He seems to be a bit tired, but still able to move himself. Every step he took was very cautious.
"You said you were a princess..." He looks up, "are YOU an Alicorn?"
Celestia chuckles a little at his comment, "Yes, I am."
This brings a small smile to Midnight's face. This pleased Celestia very much. Not only did she just find another Alicorn other than herself, Luna and Cadence, but she found one that she could take under her wing if he chose to. It was true that she did have Twilight Sparkle as her apprentice, but to train another Alicorn would be like raising a child of her own, which was a dream she always wanted to have come true.
"Why are you out here, Midnight?" She asked, concerned.
"I have no where else to go... I have been out here for a month now..." He says, looking down.
She couldn't believe it. This colt has been out in the woods for an entire month, by himself. How could he have no where else to go? Celestia decided it was time to give this Alicorn colt a place to stay.
"Come with me, Midnight." She says, taking his hoof.
"Where are we going?" Midnight tilts his head slightly to show his puzzlement.
"Back to my castle. You will stay with me and my sister. You need a place to sleep that isn't the forest." She said, with genuine concern for this colt.
"Ok." He smiled a little as Celestia lifted him onto her back and trotted out of the forest and back to Canterlot.
