Blindsided

“Cirrus!” Lazuli called from the kitchen as she trotted in through the small doorway separating it from the living room, holding a plate perfectly balanced on her tail. “I made snacks!”

Cirrus was sitting down on the sofa, fiddling with a needle and feeding it through the fabric of a blue dress she was working on. At Lazuli’s call she looked up, a wide smile growing on her face as she saw her marefriend approaching. “I was wondering where you trotted off to.” She snickered.

“What, you didn’t smell it?” Lazuli put down the plate on the coffee table in front of her. The snacks were just simple brownies, but Cirrus eagerly picked one up and bit into it.

“Maaaaybe.” Cirrus smirked, giving an exaggerated Mmm at her first bite. “These are great, Laz!”

“Came from a box.” Lazuli’s ears flattened. “I just followed the instructions.”

“Aw, shush.” Cirrus gently nudged her with her elbow. “Still meant you had to make them! Don’t get all down.”

Lazuli took one as well. “So uh, who’s the dress for?”

“Oh, this one? It’s for my friend Pearl, actually.”

“Pearl? The one from accounting fourth year?”

“No, Home Ec.” Cirrus corrected. “You’re thinking of Petunia.”

“You knew a lot of P’s.”

“Still do!” Cirrus just smiled, wiggling back in her seat and turning to face Laz, leaning up against the back of the couch. “Sooooo.”

“Uh…soooo?”

“What’re you planning?”

“P- uh, planning? What do you mean?”

“You made snacks, you’re actually talkative for once, obviously you’ve got something planned.”

“Well I- uh…” Lazuli’s eyes darted from side to side, trying to find something to distract her from her attempt at fibbing. “No, I was- just uh…in a good mood today.”

“Yoooou’ve got something, I know it.” Cirrus sniffed at the air, leaning in closer. “You smell suspicious.”

“Oh, stop it.” Lazuli gently pushed Cirrus’ muzzle away.

“C’moooon, tell me! I wanna know.”

“It’s a surprise!”

“No surprises! Your last one ended up getting me all worried.”

Lazuli crossed her hooves over her chest. “It’s a surprise, and I know you’ll like it.”

“I know I will tooooo, but see now you’ve got me thinking I won’t, so tell me!”

Lazuli stood up, stretching her wings a bit. “Okay, fine. You wanna see what it is?” She slipped back out of the room, coming back with a slip of paper held on her tail, but too far away for Cirrus to read.

“Whassat?” Cirrus tilted her head.

“A deeeed.” Lazuli smirked, waving it from side to side.

“A deed for wh- wait, you aren’t- did you find us a house?”

Lazuli nodded excitedly.

“And is it really in-“

“Canterlot?” Lazuli grinned even wider, eagerly shaking her hips back and forth. “Damn right it is!”

Cirrus responded with a sound that was less like a scream and more like a high pitched squealing, hopping off the couch and knocking Laz down on the floor with an excited tackle-hug. She eagerly pressed her lips against her lover’s, holding her down and only pulling back a few seconds later. “I can’t believe you were gonna keep that from me!”

“W-well I was gonna save it for our anniversary next month…” Lazuli smiled nervously. “We uh, we actually can’t move in for another three, it’s still being set up.”

“Set up? What’cha mean?” Cirrus tilted her head, still holding Lazuli down.

“They’ve got to install the hot tub, the pool, the airship hangar…”

“…Okay I know you’re joking but if that house has a pool I’m gonna freak out, Laz.”

“I was lying about the last one.” Lazuli smirked cockily, her confidence only rising as Cirrus squealed again, burying her muzzle in Lazuli’s neck with an excited, high-pitched whining noise.

“I’m gonna never stop kissing you now, you know that?”

“Jeez, I knew you wanted to live in Canterlot, but c’mon.” Lazuli teased her, pushing at her chest. “Now off, don’t you have a dress to make?”

“And you wanna watch buckball, I get iiiiit.” Cirrus rolled her eyes, getting off of Lazuli and letting her stand up, both of them returning to the couch and flicking on the TV.

It was times like these that most ponies would fall back on family or friends to figure out what to do. Lazuli didn’t have either of those, though, so she fell back on herself and spent the next hour and a half sitting in the cafeteria trying not to break down.

Normally she would have gone back to something that someone had told her years ago, something reminding her of some advice she had forgotten or some pony she had ignored, but again, she had nothing of the sort. Foster parents had only told her so much, and her actual parents had hardly been around with all of the activism they did – on some level she hated them for it, but the memory of how they had died kept her from fully recognizing it.

The sound of hooves approaching her made her look up from the table, especially with the addition of one of the hooves sounding metallic. Looking to the side, her ears shot back her pupils narrowing and her teeth bared slightly in a snarl, her tail lashing angrily behind her at the sight of Kiama – though for a split second she had almost thought it was Ayize. The zebra looked battered and bruised, bandages covering various parts of her body and her hind legs supported with a metal exoskeleton that looked almost like it was stuck into her spine. Her metal leg had been replaced with a much cruder, less advanced prosthetic. She was instantly suspicious, given how Steel had described her as nearly dead only two days earlier.

Kiama stopped as Lazuli snarled at her, bringing a hoof back and nervously taking a step backwards. “U-uh- I was- hi, Lazuli…”

“What do you want?” Lazuli let her guard lower slightly, but not completely, as Kiama limped her way over and sat down across from Lazuli, having to physically lock the exoskeleton in place as she properly transferred her weight off of it. “You look a lot better.”

“I…was pretty beaten up, but not a lot of broken bones…I saw you were here, and…I wanted to say thank you.”

“For what?”

“For saving my life. If you hadn’t shown up, Ayize would have killed me.”

“I didn’t show up for you.” Lazuli growled.

Kiama winced, looking down at her hooves. “Why are you so hostile?”

“You didn’t think it might have been important to tell us you had surveillance equipment in your leg?”

“I- I…I was worried about what she would do if-“

“Well she fucking did anyway.” Lazuli pushed her chair back, slamming both hooves down on the table. “And you got my wife shot.”

“Sh-she would have already had the f-footage from the party-“

“And you gave her more.”

“I-“ Kiama swallowed shakily. “I’m sorry…”

“You’re lucky she’s alive, or I don’t know what I’d do.” Lazuli gritted her teeth, starting to breathe more heavily as the full realization of Cirrus’ situation began to sink in. “Do- do you even know what happened?”

“I…heard…” Kiama whimpered softly. “And…I know she’s…”

“Never going to see anything again?” Lazuli leaned in closer, glaring right into Kiama’s eyes. The zebra just fearfully nodded.

“Y-yes…”

“And you know that all she ever liked to do, making dresses that you loved complimenting, she’ll never be able to do that again? She’ll never be able to make a dress, even design one, because she can’t fucking see it?” Lazuli was practically nose-to-nose with Kiama now.

“I-I…I’m…”

“Sorry? You’re sorry, right? That’s what you’re gonna say?”

“I-I…”

“Why don’t you tell her that? You’ll have to tell her who you are first, though. Actually, she might not even want to talk to you, since Ayize pretended to be you when she shot her.”

Kiama was shaking, her left hoof pulled up against her chest, her eyes closed as she tried to pull back. “I-I’m s-sorry…”

“You-“ Lazuli inhaled deeply, jaw clenched and eyes shut for a second while she collected herself. “You better be.” She finally said. “Because knowing her, she forgives you. Knowing her, she thinks none of it is your fault, that you’re the victim here. And maybe you are – but you were complacent. She’s a kind mare. She’d forgive you if you said sorry, but I don’t forgive that easily.”

Kiama was silent. She just sat there, quietly sobbing. Lazuli was suddenly aware that ponies were staring, most likely thinking she was some kind of monster for yelling at a crying, disabled mare.

“What are you all staring at?!” She yelled, against her better judgement. “This mare doesn’t deserve your sympathy, she got my wife shot!” Lazuli angrily tossed her chair aside with her tail, purposefully swinging her tail just above Kiama’s head before storming out of the cafeteria with an angry growl.

“Lazuli?” Silver’s soft voice got Lazuli to lift her head, sitting out in the hallway outside Cirrus’ room. As she looked up, she saw him stepping out of the room, a serious look on his face.

“Is she okay?” Lazuli scrambled to her hooves, wincing as her wings shifted. “Please tell me this is temporary.”

“It’s not.” Silver said bluntly. “I’m sorry if that’s blunt, Lazuli, but…she won’t be regaining her sight at all as she is now. It’s very likely that she’ll remain blind for the rest of her life, even with surgery…we can’t restore brain tissue that’s been completely destroyed. I will point out, though, that you’re…rather lucky this was the furthest extent of her injuries.”

Lazuli’s eyes watered, but she blinked it away. “Can- can I see her?”

“You can.” Silver nodded. “But I ask that you be…gentle. She remembers what happened, or the events leading up to it. She’s still shaken. I’ve recounted the events of the last week or so to her, but in a very…simple way. Try not to upset her – she’s very emotional right now.”

Lazuli took a deep breath as she stepped through the door with Silver, who announced her. “Cirrus? It’s your wife, she’s here now.”

“Lazuli?” Cirrus’ response was quick, her head turning in the general direction of the door, but not quite looking right at Lazuli. “Oh gods, at least tell me you’re okay…”

“I’m alright, Cirrus.” Lazuli hurried forward, sitting down on the stool next to the bed and taking hold of one of Cirrus’ hooves. “And I’m here. For you.”

“I…I-I can’t even see you…this…this is…”

“I know, I know.” Lazuli gently pressed her head up against Cirrus’ cheek, rubbing against her and planting a soft kiss on her chin. “It’s okay. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

“H-he said it was gonna be permanent…I’m…I-I’m…”

“Shhh…” Lazuli stroked her hoof up and down the side of Cirrus’ face. “I know…”

“I…I can’t…what am I gonna do, Laz?”

“You aren’t doing anything. We’re going to get through this. I promise.”

“But…but…how…?”

“I…don’t know yet, Cirrus, but I know you helped me when I was in need, and I’m going to help you. I’m not letting you go through this alone.”

Cirrus fumbled slightly with her hooves, but eventually managed to wrap them around Lazuli and hug her as tightly as she could with still sore muscles. “I-…I love you…”

“I love you too, hon.” Lazuli kissed her on the cheek, sighing heavily. “And whatever you need, I’m going to get it for you. I’ll help you as much as you need.”

“But-…but you need to work. I-I can’t, now…and if you don’t, we won’t have anything…”

“Actually,” Silver cleared his throat in the corner. “Your commander mentioned a possible three months of paid leave.”

“…What?” Lazuli looked back at the doctor. “Are you serious?”

“He said it would be unfair to not give you some form of income…given the circumstances. And he doesn’t expect you to go back to work sooner than that, Lazuli.”

“Okay…so there we go.” Lazuli looked back down at Cirrus and smiled, though seeing her eyes blankly staring at what was effectively the ceiling made her choke up a bit. “I-“ she shook her head. “It’ll be fine. You’ll be fine. We’ll be fine.”

“I…hope so…” Cirrus sniffled. It was only at this point that Lazuli realized her eyes lacked proper pupils – they were glazed over, the colour slightly lighter than the surrounding green.

“I know so.” Lazuli shimmied just a bit closer. “Now let’s talk. We’ve got to figure out what to do next before we do anything else.”