Chapters I'd like to show you around
II:
Ponyville was close to home, but also a comfortable place in which she has visited before. It wasn’t too big so that she’d be out-of-touch with everything, but not too small where she would feel confined like she does now. Crescent began hearing voices as she walked, and it broke her concentration. She walked toward the voices to see if she recognized any of them. As she approached, the voice became more distinct. It was a lively and somewhat annoying voice.
“Oatmeal!? Are you crazy?”
Then, all Crescent heard was laughter. She didn’t recognize any of those voices either, but she knew she needed help. She walked slowly closer until she was noticed.
“Hey! Who’s that pony?” the same voice shouted.
All the laughter ceased, and even though she couldn’t see, she knew they were staring at her.
“Hey! New pony! Over here!” the same voice shouted once more.
Crescent remained silent and walked toward the sound. She made her way there slowly, so she wouldn’t run into them.
“Hi!” the voice blurted. Crescent was almost nose-to-nose with the pony. “What’s your name?”
“I’m… umm… Crescent.”
“Well, Howdy-do Crescent!”, said another voice from behind the first. This pony had a distinct southern dialect.
“I really like your mane! It’s so… uhh… straight! Not like mine, but I still like it! My name is Pinkie Pie.” said the first.
A third voice with a sort of snooty tone, “Oh, as do I! I say, Miss Crescent, was it? What do you call that color?”
“I… I don’t know” Crescent said so softly, she was almost whispering.
“You don’t know? How do you not know? Didn’t you learn your colors?” said a fourth voice from the sky; a Pegasus for sure.
Crescent shut her eyes to avoid crying and took a step back. She felt herself run into somepony. Then, a fifth voice even softer than her own:
“Oh, I’m sorry Crescent. I didn’t mean to walk behind you...”
Crescent began to say something like “that’s alright”, but was interrupted by yet another new voice.
“Who are you talking to, girls?” said the voice.
“A new pony!” Pinkie shouted back.
“A new pony? I think that Celestia would have written to me about that…”
Crescent sat down in the grass. She didn’t know where she was or who all of these ponies were. She was afraid.
“My name’s Applejack, nice to meet you. You gonna be here long?”
“I… didn’t really plan on it...”
“Oh…” Applejack sat down.
“Well, hmm… I really must be going, Crescent. My name is Rarity, by the way.” Rarity began walking the opposite direction.
“Oh, I just remembered. Angel needs his lunch! I’m Fluttershy, see you around.” She trotted to catch up to Rarity.
“Well, Crescent, I am Twilight Sparkle. Where did you come from? What are you doing in Ponyville?”
“I’m… in Ponyville!?” Crescent stood up quickly.
“Why? Is that a problem?” Applejack said with an irritated voice.
“Oh, not at all. I wanted to end up here.” Crescent said with her head aimed in the direction of Applejack’s voice.
“End up? What do you mean end up?” Pinkie chimed in.
“Well, I… I didn’t know exactly where I was going. You see, I came through the woods from my hometown.”
“What’s your hometown?” Twilight asked softly; purposely trying to not bring back any bad memories of Crescent’s home. Twilight sensed that she wasn’t here on a happy vacation.
“Trottston; I’m from Trottston.”
“You walked from Trottston?! That’s just at the foot of Canterlot! How long have you been out?” Twilight was now fully engaged in learning about Crescent.
“All night, I guess. What time is it now?”
“It was nine ‘o’ clock when I left the library and came here.”
“So, yeah, all night. I’m exhausted.” Crescent sat back down.
“Oh, well if you’re planning to stay for awhile I have a spare room in my house, unless you’d rather sleep in Applejack’s barn.” Twilight suggested.
“Hey! I have a nice barn!” Applejack protested.
“I’m sure you do, Applejack. But really, Twilight? You mean it?”
“Sure thing! I’ll have Spike make a bed for you. Be right back.” Twilight walked off back to her library.
“Spike?” Crescent asked.
“Twilight has a baby dragon as an assistant! His name is Spike. She’s a student of the Princess herself.” Pinkie said in her ever-so joyful voice.
“Yup, Twilight is a real smart pony. She’ll take good care of ya.” Applejack patted her on the back and stood up. “Now, I gotta get back to my apples. See ya around!”
“Bye, and thanks!”
“Well, it seems it’s just you and me, sister!” Pinkie put an arm around Crescent. “Since you’re the newest pony in town, I’d like to show you around!”
“Pinkie, I’m not sure that’s such a good idea…”
“Why not!?”
“Well, I…”
“Oh! You wanted to wait for Twilight to come back. Good thinking!” Pinkie sat down uncomfortably close to Crescent.
They sat in an awkward silence for a few moments until Pinkie stood up.
“I’m bored! Let’s play tag, you’re it!” Pinkie slapped Crescent on the shoulder.
“But Pinkie, I…” Pinkie ran off. Crescent began walking in the direction she heard Pinkie’s hoofsteps, but stopped and sat back down.
After a few minutes, Twilight returned.
“Hey, Crescent. Spike is preparing everything for your stay. Would you like to walk back with me?”
“Sure, but… Pinkie ran off and I can’t find her.”
“She’ll be fine. She probably got distracted by cupcakes or something.”
“Okay… lead the way, Twilight.”
III:
The two ponies began walking to Twilight’s library. Crescent was purposely hiding that fact that she was blind from the other ponies. She didn’t want to burden them, but more importantly, she wanted to prove to herself that she could go about life independently. Crescent made idle conversation with Twilight as they walked so that she could follow the sound of her voice. Even though she did this, Crescent still bumped into the occasional market stand or loitering ponies. She apologized accordingly and recovered herself in these situations. Twilight would occasionally look back and ask if Crescent was alright.
“Wow, Crescent, you must really be tired. You’re stumbling into everything.”
“Um, yeah. I’m really tired.”
“Well, we’re almost there. Do you see that large tree over there?” Twilight pointed her hoof in the direction of her library.
“Umm, yes I see it.” Crescent lied.
Twilight lowered her voice a little and looked at Crescent sympathetically.
“Crescent, you didn’t even look up…”
A tear fell from Crescent’s face and fell to the grass. Twilight put an arm around her to calm her.
“So, you know?” Crescent asked as another tear fell.
“I had guessed. I didn’t mean to--” She was interrupted.
“It’s fine. Just don’t tell anypony else.”
“Why not? If you’re… you know… you’ll need some help.”
“I don’t want to talk about this right now. Can we just go inside?”
“Yeah, sure thing; straight ahead”
They both began to walk forward. Twilight kept her arm around Crescent to guide her. They came up on the library’s front door and Twilight removed her arm from Crescent’s shoulder and opened the door. Crescent stepped inside and took a deep breath.
“Is this… a tree we’re in?” Crescent asked.
“Yes, it’s my home and a library, built into this tree.” Twilight stated proudly.
“I could smell it.”
“Does it smell bad?” Twilight sniffed the air.
“Oh, no. It smells like a tree. I like it. Three sides of Trottston is a huge forest.”
“I guess you’re right. I’ve lived here so long I’ve gotten used to the smell, I suppose.” Twilight laughed a little. “Would you like me to walk you to your room?”
“Oh, would you please?”
“Sure thing.”
Twilight guided Crescent across the room and into a door way. She took Crescent’s hoof and placed it on a bed.
“Here’s your bed. Spike sleeps in my room, so you won’t have to worry about any disruptions.”
“Thanks for all of this, Twilight. I mean, you didn’t have to do this for me. You don’t even know me.”
“I know I didn’t have to. But I could tell that something was wrong when I saw you with the others.”
“Well, thanks again. I’m going to go to sleep. I really need it.”
“No problem. I’ll just shut this door.” Twilight began to leave the room. “Let me know if you need anything, okay?”
“Okay.”
Twilight shut the door softly as Crescent crawled under the blankets. She was asleep as soon as she set her head on the pillow. Twilight went back to her study and pulled a thick, purple book with the image of an eye printed on the cover off the shelf and began to read.
Then prove to them, you shall
V:
Crescent was awakened by the sounds of voices outside the room. She felt around to learn her position on the bed. She put her hooves on the floor and walked around the room, feeling the wall for the door. The doorknob made a click when her hoof tapped it, and she began to open the door. Two ponies were talking as the door was slowly pushed open.
“I love it, Rarity! It matches my mane. It’s perfect for my meeting with the Princess.” The voice was Twilight’s. She was talking to Rarity about something.
“Oh, I do hope that Celestia will like it. I worked all night to make sure it would be fabulous.” Rarity replied.
The door was almost all the away open by the time Rarity and Twilight noticed Crescent standing there.
“Oh, Miss Crescent, good morning! We did not disturb you, did we?” Rarity stepped closer to Crescent.
“Oh, no. I was already awake.”
“Well, that’s good. I really would not want to be the cause of your unrest.”
“It’s quite alright. What time is it?”
Twilight chimed in, “It’s eight in the morning. I have a meeting with Princess Celestia this afternoon and Rarity made a dress for me.”
“You know the Princess!?”
“Oh, I never told you. I came to Ponyville on the Princess’ suggestion. I am her star student!” She said it in a sort of flashy way, but rightfully so.
“That’s so cool!” Crescent’s face lit up. “I’m guessing you’re a unicorn, then?”
Rarity looked puzzled. “Crescent, sweetheart, you’re a unicorn too. You should know that all unicorns like us have horns, right? Surely you must.”
Twilight put a hoof over Rarity’s mouth. “Sorry, Crescent…”
“No, it was my fault.” She aimed her head down to the floor, “I wasn’t paying attention. I’m so used to everypony already knowing.”
Rarity’s muffled voice came from under Twilight’s hoof, “Knowing? Knowing what?”
Twilight sighed heavily and uncovered Rarity’s mouth, “Crescent is blind.”
Rarity’s eyes began to widen, “Oh, darling!” She gave Crescent a big hug. “Why ever did you hide that?”
Crescent hugged Rarity back and Twilight walked up behind her.
“Allow me to explain, Rarity.” Twilight sat next to them. “Crescent left her home town due to family issues and wandered into the woods. She ended up here when she showed up at the edge of the forest where you and the others were talking. I don’t want to pry into her reasoning, but Crescent doesn’t want anypony to know.”
“It’s true,” Crescent said. “Twilight, you have proven to me that I can trust you. I’d like to tell you why I hide my condition the way I do.”
Rarity and Twilight sat next to her and listened intently.
“Back at home, in Trottston, my parents decided to sit me down and talk to me. You see, I’m nineteen years old now and I need to live my life independently. My parents don’t see it the same way. They feel that my blindness handicaps me to the point that I need to have somepony watching me at all times. So, they set up a room for me with an old childhood friend, Skyward. Sure, I like Skyward and I would love to spend my life with him,” Crescent looked up and smiled, “But I still need to prove to them all that I can live on my own.”
Rarity put an arm over Crescent’s shoulders, “Then prove to them, you shall.”
Crescent’s face lit up with joy. She realized now that she was making new friends; ones that will support her, but allow her to help herself.
“Thank you both for being such good friends. It means a lot to me.”
“Not a problem. I have to get going to see the Princess. Rarity, maybe you could hang out with Crescent for today?”
“Well I did have some work to do, but if Crescent would like to come to my house that’s fine with me.” Rarity looked at Crescent and back at Twilight, “I have an idea! Crescent, I shall make you a fabulous dress! I know that you can’t see it, but, trust me! I’m a professional.”
Crescent smiled such a wide smile that the other two ponies couldn’t help but to smile too. “She’s right, Crescent. Rarity is the best fashion designer in all of Equestria!” Twilight said.
“Well, in that case, I’d be honored to have an outfit made for me.” Crescent stood up and walked to where she remembered the door to the outside to be. “Shall we?”
Rarity and Twilight followed Crescent out the front door and onto the grass. Twilight said her goodbyes as she made her way to the train station, but not before yelling back at them, “If I’m not back and you want to stay at my house again, I’ve already told Spike to stay here with you!”
“Thanks Twilight!” Crescent called back. She waved at Twilight and could only assume Twilight was waving too. Rarity guided Crescent to her home, where she would begin working on her dress.
VI:
Back in Trottston, Skyward was preparing to go on a search for Crescent. He reassured her parents that he would find her, no matter what. That night, he sat up in bed wondering where he’d begin his search tomorrow. He thought about Canterlot, but decided that’s the last place Crescent would run off to. She never liked a lot of busy ponies in one place. It frightened her and made her feel nervous when she heard hundreds of voices at once. He had run just about every possible location through his head before coming to his conclusion. He would walk through the woods that she had gone through, and go to Ponyville.
VIII:
“Oh Rarity, it’s so comfortable! I mean, I’m sure that it looks lovely, but, you know…” Crescent began twirling in circles.
“Be still, silly pony! I still have to sew one last thing on.”
Crescent stopped. “Sorry…”
“Not a problem.” Rarity was focused on finishing this dress. She put final stitches on it and took a step back and gazed upon her work. “Finished! And might I say, it is simply amazing! You look stunning.”
Crescent’s face lit up with extreme happiness. “Thank you so much, Rarity. It means a lot to me!”
“It’s no trouble at all.” Rarity was smiling an enormous smile. She was happy with her work, but even more pleased that it had made Crescent so ecstatic. “Twilight should be back any time now. It’s getting late.”
“I should get back to Twilight’s library. Thanks for everything today, Rarity. You’re such a great friend.”
“But, Crescent, shouldn’t I walk with you? I don’t want you to get lost.”
“It’s fine, Rarity. See?” Crescent’s horn began to glow a shade of bright cyan. “I had almost forgotten that I had this spell. It’s one of the only ones I know, but I haven’t used it since I was a filly and didn’t know my way around Trottston.”
“Oh? What does it do?”
“It allows me to return to anywhere I have been before. Using my own memory with a passive spell I put on myself years ago, I log my location at all times. So, when I use the path spell, it triggers a ‘sixth sense’ sort of thing that makes me just able to know how to get somewhere I have logged in my mind.”
“That is extremely intricate. Does it work every time?
“It has never failed me before. Watch this.” Crescent opened Rarity’s front door and stepped out. She began walking on the dirt path without trouble. “See? I can walk back to Twilight’s library with ease!”
“That is rather impressive! By all means, do your thing.”
“Goodbye Rarity, thanks again!”
“Anytime.”
Crescent stared her walk down the path to the Library. Rarity continued to watch her through her window. Crescent’s spell appeared to be working well. She made every turn on the road necessary to reach her destination. Rarity let out a yawn, went up to her bedroom, and fell asleep with a smile on her face.
XI:
Twilight woke up with her face buried in the book. It was light outside. Spike was not in his bed, so she had no concept of what time it could be. She rose from her incredibly uncomfortable position and stretched. Twilight marched down the stair into the library. No pony was there. She thought about her plans for today and had concluded that there were no special events that required her attendance, so she decided to stay home and read. She looked out her window and saw Spike and Crescent sitting in the grass talking. She could only make out a few words, and it seemed they were talking about Rarity. Twilight smiled at the fact Spike and Crescent were being friendly. She turned around and walked back up the stairs to continue her reading.
She sat in bed with the book using the sunlight from the window to see it. Where was I?, she thought to herself as she flipped through the pages surrounding the one she had woken up on. She had turned two pages back from there and started reading. After a few minutes, she sat the book down and stood in the middle of her bedroom floor. She strained a little as her horn began to glow the faint purple that it does when she casts a spell. The dim violet grew into a deeper and more vibrant color as it produced a flash of light. Her horn’s glow diminished as she panted to catch her breath. I think I can get it to work, but how could I test it? She thought to herself. She drew in a deep breath; I have to find somepony that will allow me to test it on them. But to do that, they’d have to be blind as well. There’s a spell in here to inflict blindness too. She sat and pondered her options. Maybe Crescent’s parents would, or would know somepony that would, let me try. On that thought, Twilight decided to travel to Trottston to find Crescent’s parents. She packed her book and some paper and quills and stepped out the door.
“Where are you going Twilight?” Spike asked.
“I won’t be long. Keep Crescent company, will you?” She replied.
“Sure thing, Twi.” Spike said as he waved.
“Goodbye Twilight!” Crescent shouted happily. Twilight smiled as she noticed something; Crescent’s voice and tone were much happier now than they were when they first met. Twilight understood the stress what Crescent must have been dealing with, but she was glad Crescent was showing pleasant emotions.
He loves my daughter very much
XII:
Twilight had decided to walk to Trottston from Ponyville. It wasn’t too far, and she hadn’t exercised much lately. Plus, it would provide her the time to think about what to say. After almost an hour, she stepped out of the woods onto a road with directional signs on them. She sought out the one with Trottston on it and followed the direction it said to go. Not another hour later, she could see Trottston from the road. She thought about why it took Crescent all night to get to Ponyville when it had taken her just a couple of hours. Twilight had three good explanations: Crescent could have been so upset that she lost track of time. It could have been later than she had thought when she left her house. But after all, Crescent was blind, so she may have wandered and meandered from the road.
As Twilight approached the small village from the road, she noticed its size. It was about half the physical size of Ponyville, and had nearly a quarter of the population from what she could tell from the amount of buildings. There were a few ponies out and about. The races were varied and the town seemed rather quiet. She came up on two ponies having a conversation outside what appeared to be a shop of some sort. She waited for them to finish speaking before she went to talk to them.
As she entered the dusty shop, she treaded carefully. Places like this were great for information, but were ripe with the wrong kind of pony. After peering from the outside, she noticed a relatively civilized red-orange unicorn with a flaming wheel for a cutie mark. She slowly approached him, careful not to disturb the other ponies inside.
“Excuse me, Sir?” She called out, humbly. “My name is Tw-“
“Twilight Sparkle,” he stopped stirring whatever it was he was cooking in a pot hanging just over a fire. Twilight thought the blaze was far too big for just some sort of stew. He continued to speak. “You looking for that blind mare?”
“How did yo-” Twilight was flabbergasted that he knew that easily. Apparently, she did come to the right place.
“I make it a point to know everything worth knowing in this town. That happens to be one of them.” He leveled his black sunglasses as they were about to fall off of the bridge of his nose. “What would you need?”
“Would you happen to know directions to where her parents live?”
“Down the street, ‘bout a quarter mile or so.” He pointed out the window to a tall tree in the distance. “Right under that tree. They’re probably still there.” He took a sigh that spoke of some remorse, and then continued. “They haven’t really been doing much since she left. Been too bummed out, I guess. The fact that the princess gave an official mandate not to go searching for her hasn’t helped. If you’d like a lil’ bit more perspective on the matter, you might want to try her friend, Skyward. He lives just down the street from her. Been friends since they were knee high.”
“Thank you so much, Mr…”
“Summer Blaze, Ms. Sparkle.”
“Well, thank you, Mr. Blaze.”
Twilight marched out of the building swiftly. She saw the large tree that Summer Blaze had pointed out. She began walking that way, but not without stares from the other ponies. Since Trottston was a small town, everypony probably knew each other; and they all knew that Twilight was an outsider. She walked for no longer than ten minutes before she was able to see the tree’s trunk and the house below it. The house was very large; yellow walls, red roof, at least three stories tall. As Twilight walked up the path to the front door, she looked behind her. Summer Blaze had told her that Skyward’s house was directly across the street. It indeed was, not quite as large, but by no means small, Skyward’s house was ideal for a young adult Pegasus. She turned back around and continued on the path. She got to the door and raised a hoof to knock. After three hard, but not obnoxious, knocks, she heard movement inside. She waited for a few moments, but soon heard hoofsteps coming to the door. A tall, brown stallion opened the door and stared at Twilight.
“Can I help you?” He said coarsely.
“Umm, yes sir. My name is Twilight Sparkle. I’ve come with-” She was cut off.
“Twilight Sparkle!? You’re Celestia’s student, right? The one housing my daughter?” He instantly perked up.
“Yes sir. I’ve come with a proposal.”
“Later. Where is she!?” He looked at the surrounding area for his daughter, but did not see her.
“She doesn’t know I’m here. Crescent is back at my house in Ponyville. Now, if I could just tell you my idea to help Crescent out…”
“Leave my property” His voice got stern. “And don’t come back without my daughter.” He began to shut the door.
Twilight got frustrated and raised her voice. “Sir! I have a plan to help you get your daughter to want to come back home and live happily. You want that too, don’t you?”
“Of course I do.” He let out a sigh. “I’m sorry I reacted that way…” He opened the door wide. “Won’t you come in?”
Twilight stepped inside and Crescent’s father closed the door behind them.
“How did you find my home?” He asked as they walked in.
“Summer Blaze. A Unicorn that works at the shop at the edge of town.”
“Ah, yes. I know Summer. Nearly ten years ago he tried to rob me.”
“Rob you?”
“Yes, it was payday and I had a pouch of bits on my way home when he and few of his goony friends jumped out at me.” He removed his glasses. “They took my pouch, and just before they ran off I said, ‘Hey, you there!’ and he was the only one to turn around and come back to me. He said, ‘what do you want now, old man? Should we take your suit and tie too?’
“He did come off as having a bad past.” Twilight sat down on a chair.
“I asked him his name and he told me. I said, ‘Son, you have two options. You can either take my bits and run off with your friends and deal with the world of trouble you’ll inherit from it. Or, you can give me what’s mine, ditch these idiots you’re traveling with, and I’ll make it worth your while.”
“What was his choice?”
“He took one look at his friends, then to me. I could see it in his eyes that this isn’t where he wanted to be. He dropped the pouch of bits and helped me up from the ground. I stood up and grabbed my money and told him ‘good choice’.” He looked at a photograph of himself much younger standing next to Summer Blaze in front of the store that Summer works at now. “I bought him a store.”
“Wait, he tried to rob you and you bought him a store!?”
“Crazy right? Everypony else thought so too. But here he is, ten years later, still owns the store. We don’t talk much anymore. I don’t know if he has a family or anything now. I just know that I changed a colt’s life for the better.”
“Wow…” Twilight didn’t know what to say.
“What is this proposal of yours?” He sat on one of the three couches in the large entrance room.
“As you know, I am Princess Celestia’s own student. My magical capabilities are far more honed than most unicorns in Equestria, especially ones of my age.” She used her magic to pull the large book out of her bag and turned to the page with the blindness cure spell. “However, no matter how powerful a unicorn’s magic is, as you know, we can’t simply master a spell the first time. We have to do it at least once.”
“If you haven’t noticed, I’m a unicorn too! I know these things, just get on with it.” He folded his arms.
“In this book I have, there is a spell that can cure blindness. However, if it fails, it could make things far worse…”
“What do you mean ‘worse’?” He drops his head. “Actually, I don’t want to know. Why are you proposing such a thing!? Do you honestly think I’ll let you try this on my only daughter?”
“Of course not, sir.” Twilight opened the page to the spell to make a pony blind and shows it to him. “You see, there is another spell that allows me to inflict blindness as well. What I need is somepony who is willing to let me test both spells on them. To make them blind, then to cure it.” She closes the book puts it back into her bag. “I know it’s asking a lot. It’s asking you to trust somepony you’ve never met. But will you, or do you know anypony that will, allow me to do this.” She looked at him with glassed eyes. “For your daughter?”
“I… I run a very big business. I can’t risk losing my sight. My wife would feel the same.”
“Where is your wife?”
“In bed. She’s not feeling well.”
“Oh, okay. What about Skyward?”
“Skyward? Oh, I don’t know. He loves my daughter very much. I suppose it couldn’t hurt to ask him.”
“Then that’s where I’ll go. Don’t worry, sir. Crescent is safe with me. Is it not proof enough that I came to you before trying anything?” She stood up to leave.
“I was just about to point out the same thing. Good luck, and report back to me please.”
“I wouldn’t think not to.” Twilight smiled at him as she stepped out of the door. She started the short trot over to Skyward’s house.
XIII:
Twilight stepped up onto the raised platform that led to Skyward’s front door. Just as she was about to begin knocking, something caught her attention. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a Pegasus slowly circling a tree to the side of the house. As she looked up to see him, their eyes met, and he fluttered down to her.
“Can I help you?” He asked politely as he landed in front of her.
“Are you Skyward?” She asked.
“I am. Is there something you needed?”
“Yes, actually. I’m Twilight Sparkle.”
“Oh! I see. This is about Crescent, right? Shouldn’t she be with you?”
“I left her back in Ponyville at my house. She’s safe, don’t worry. She doesn’t know I’m here. I’m on a sort of mission to help her. Wait… How does everypony in this town know me?”
“Celestia told us not to go looking for her because she’s been with you. So we’ve been pretty much stuck doing nothing but waiting.”
“Celestia told you that!? She didn’t tell me…” Twilight was shocked.
“Yeah, here’s the letter.” He handed Twilight the message from the Princess.
“She didn’t tell me she would tell you all. I suppose it doesn’t matter, I came here on my own terms. Like I said, I’m on a mission to help Crescent.”
“So, what part do I play in all of this?”
On that question, Twilight explained everything that she had explained to Crescent’s father; the book, both spells, and the consequences if she were to be unsuccessful. Twilight was one of the most talented ponies in all of Equestria, but that fact does not dismiss the chance of failure. Skyward thought for a few minutes in silence as they stood at his front door. He closed his eyes and thought to himself, I love her . He could think nothing else. Anytime he tried to reason or use logic or think of something that could do what Twilight wanted to do other than the method that was being proposed, he just thought, I love her.
Skyward drew in a breath. “I’ll do it.”
“What?” Twilight was caught off-guard.
“I said I’ll do it.” He released the breath.
“You trust me that much?”
He paused for a minute and took another deep breath. Twilight could tell he was thinking hard about all of this. “You are Celestia’s star pupil, right? An experienced Princess such as herself wouldn’t choose just anypony for that title.”
“I suppose you’re right. Honestly, I expected more reluctance.”
“By no means am I excited for this. I just feel that it needs to be done. When and where?”
“Here and now, if you wish. If not, you choose. I wouldn’t want to pressure you.”
“The quicker it’s done is the less I’ll think about it.”
“Alright, tonight?”
“That would be best. Meet me back here in a few hours.”
Twilight nodded once and stepped down from the place they were standing. Skyward flew up and began to circle a treetop. As Twilight walked away, she thought of how much stress and pressure this experiment would put on Skyward. She went back down the road the way she came. She stopped at the store that Summer Blaze owned and peered into the window. He was still in there, sitting at the counter, sipping some sort of beverage. Twilight walked in but he didn’t seem to have noticed. She spoke up and struck conversation with him. She filled him in the same way she had explained to Skyward the situation. Summer Blaze had agreed to let Twilight stay in the store after hours so she would have a place to hang out while she waited on night to come.
XIV:
Dusk was settling in over Trottston and Skyward was becoming increasingly nervous. His wings were tired from all the flying he had done today; circling the tree in his yard for hours out of anxiousness. He paced back and forth through his entrance room hallway waiting on Twilight’s knock on the door. Fifteen minutes go by before that knock came. It wasn’t loud, but it was abrupt, and it startled him. He walked over to the door, deviating from the path he was pacing in for the first time in an hour.
“Are you ready?” Twilight asked softly; noticing that Skyward was still, if not more than the last time they had met, upset.
“As I’ll ever be…” He was breathing hard. Twilight almost wanted to try and comfort him, but she knew that what she was asking of him would take this toll. Skyward walked out his door, past Twilight, and inhaled a breath of cool night air.
“This way” he said. She followed him to the side of his house. “We’ll do it here. What will you have me do?”
“All I need you to do stand still and tell me if it works.” Twilight was getting uneasy.
“Just… go.” He braced himself slightly, unsure of what to expect.
“For Crescent.” Twilight said as her horn began to glow the light purple that it does.
“For Crescent.” Skyward repeated in a whisper.
An orb, no larger than an apple, formed in front of Twilight. She remained focused; she understood the importance of concentrating on this spell. The orb drifted toward Skyward. His eyes were closed, but he could see the light brightening from the inside of his eyelids. His eyes shot open as the orb dematerialized and entered his pupils. He felt darkness beginning to shroud everything, until even the moon above him was black.
“My… my eyes are open. But I see nothing.” Skyward said as he put a hoof in front of his face.
“You’re okay, right?” Twilight replied immediately.
“Yeah, just… blind.” He felt around at the ground. “This is how Crescent lives?”
“Every moment of her life…” Twilight flipped open her book to the other spell. “Are you ready for the other one?”
“Yes. I’ve experienced as much of this as I can bear. To think a filly could grow up into the mare she is with a disability like this makes me rethink a lot of things. She isn’t weaker than us because she’s blind; she’s stronger for that very reason.” He took a step back. “Go for it, Twilight.”
Twilight closed her eyes. Her horn began to emit purple light once more as another orb formed before her. This one was nearly twice the size of the first, and in turn, Twilight was having twice the difficulty keeping it together. The ball of pure magic drifted toward Skyward. It didn’t matter if he had his eyes open or not, he could not see; but he was terrified. The orb shifted its shape into that of a pony as in engulfed Skyward. He tensed up violently as the magical material entered him through his pupils just as the other spell had done. Twilight kept her eyes closed to keep focused on completing the spell. Skyward was in pain. His eyeballs felt as if they were on fire. As Twilight was finishing the spell, Skyward let out a quiet, but deep scream from the pain. He fell to his knees on the grass of his lawn, panting. Twilight rushed over to his side.
“Are you okay!?” She helped him up.
“I’m fine.” He was breathing heavily as he rose with his eyes still closed.
“Can you see? Open your eyes!” Twilight was staring him in the face. His eyelids lifted open slowly until his pupils were completely exposed. He looked right into Twilight’s eyes. “You can see…” she sighed. “It worked.”
“What worked?” Came a voice from behind.
XV:
“But Twilight, we were worried!” Spike stood next to Crescent on Skyward’s lawn. “You didn’t tell us where you were going or how long you'd be.”
“I’ll ask again. What worked!?” Crescent asked in an aggressively curious tone.
Skyward and Twilight stood up and faced them. Skyward ran up to Crescent and hugged her tighter than he had ever before.
“I’m sorry guys,” Twilight looked down. “I should have told you I would be here.”
“Why are you here anyway? Spike, what’s going on?” Crescent’s voice dropped into a depressing tone.
Spike began to speak, but Twilight interrupted. “Let me explain.” She sat in the grass next to Crescent. “I have this book on spells involving the sense of sight. I traveled here, to Trottston, because I needed to be sure that they would work.”
“I don’t understand.”
“After meeting you, Crescent, I felt some sort of need to want to help you. I researched spells to cure blindness.”
“So, it’s this again?” Crescent said rashly.
“Excuse me?” Twilight was confused.
“I left Trottston to get away from people trying to help me, and that’s all I’ve found. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate your concern, but I do not need anyone’s help. I’ve been this way for so long…” She stopped talking and began crying. “I’m sorry… I should be grateful, not rude.”
Skyward walked over to them. After a few moments of no other sound but that of a crying mare, Twilight spoke up again.
“Skyward here allowed me to make him blind momentarily so that I could practice curing it.” Twilight stroked Crescent’s mane. “The spell is dangerous and fairly advanced, even for me.” Crescent just faced the ground with tears running down her face. “…Because he loves you.”
Crescent stood up. “Skyward?” She called to him.
“Yes?” He answered.
“I’m sorry about all of this. It’s all my fault. I couldn’t see…” She chuckled a little at her wording. “I couldn’t see that all of you just wanted to help.” She rested her head against him, still crying.
“You heard us. It worked, you know.” Twilight told her softly. “If you would like me to do it…”
“Funny thing about that is,” Crescent smiled despite the tears, “I don’t even want it.”
“What!?” Twilight and Skyward said simultaneously.
“Nineteen years I have gone living with blindness. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if I could see. Plus, if it had not been for it, I would have never met you, Twilight. I would have never run away to Ponyville. And most of all, I would have never learned the lesson that I have learned tonight. That sometimes what seem to be a pony’s greatest weakness, can turn out to be her grandest strength.” She paused and hugged Twilight and kissed Skyward. “I would never have understood like I do now that you’ll do anything for me… And that you’re all my very best friends.”
The heavy emotion was weighing down on all of them at that moment. Skyward was silently holding Crescent tight in his arms. Even Twilight’s eyes were becoming glassy. They remained quiet for quite some time. With nothing to say, they let the pure magic of their friendship do all of the talking.
Dear Princess Celestia,
It’s only been a day or so since we last spoke, but I feel the need to inform you of the events that occurred. After Crescent discovered my plan to cure her blindness, she was initially upset, but soon realized something great. She learned that weakness means giving up, not being disabled. She learned that her blindness was her biggest strength and that without it, she would not have been able to recognize what she had. In a sense, I would say she could see more than any of us could during the whole thing. At the end of the day, after all that had happened, she came out with new friendships and retained old ones.
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle.
I:
Sunlight is the greatest shade of all. Under the light, you see something for what it is, and scrutinize it accordingly. But in the shadows, in total blindness, you are forced to go deeper than that, exploring beyond the restraints of the mind that this world has created for you. A unicorn filly named Crescent was born in a small town just off the foot of the mountain that suspends Canterlot. As the daughter of a business Unicorn colt and his Pegasus teacher of a wife, she grew up comfortably, but she was not happy. She had all the bits she could ask her father for, she had friends that loved her unconditionally. But still, she was not happy. She was not happy because she could not see the look on her mother’s face when they hugged. She could not read the books all of her friends talked about. Sure, they read to her, but it was not the same as doing it herself. Crescent was born blind.
At first, her blindness did not bother her. In the first year of her life she did not know that seeing was even a thing. It didn’t take long for her mother and father to realize that she was vision impaired. After trying to teach her to read, and noticing that she never looked into their eyes, they took Crescent to a doctor. The doctor confirmed that the tiny filly was completely blind. Devastated, Crescent’s mother and father did all they could to help her understand the situation. Surprisingly, as well as to their relief, Crescent never showed much interest or even care that she couldn’t see.
This apathy lasted a few years, until Crescent was ten years old. By that time, she understood her blindness and was using strategies to help her live and cope with it. Now, at age nineteen, her education is over and it is time she learned to live on her own. A local stallion of the same age by the name of Skyward was always attempting to court with Crescent. Skyward had been a family friend for years, and on many occasions offered to take care of Crescent when the time came. Many discussions took place between her parents, and they decided that Crescent must be the one to choose what to do with her life. After they presented the idea to their daughter, Crescent sobbed and stormed out of the house. She knew her village like her own hoof, and she knew the best hiding spots from countless games of hide-and-seek with her fillyhood friends. Of course, all she ever did was the hiding. A small patch of forest, not far from the town itself, is where she ran to. She sat under a familiar tree and wept. It was dark, everypony was asleep, and she could hear Skyward and her parents calling for her in the distance.
She heard the calls getting louder and louder and knew she would be found soon. Crescent debated internally on whether or not she should run deeper into the woods, or allow her parents to find her. She could feel her warm tears running down her cold face. For years she had waited on the day that she could finally be on her own, but in the back of her mind she knew she could never be fully independent. Until recent years, she had always relied on her friends and family. Now that reality was staring into her amaurotic eyes, she wished she could see.
Never once in her life did she utter the words. Not once in her nineteen years did she speak the phrase “I want to see”, until today. Surrounded by Luna’s loving moonlight and cloaked in the shade cast forth by the large tree, she opened her mouth to say it.
“I want to see.”
Then, a voice she recognized,
“We all want things we cannot have, Cres.”
It was Skyward. He had told Crescent’s parents to wait at the house if she were to return as he continued his search. Immediate memories of finding Crescent in various locations when they played in their youth brought him to look in each of those places. Eventually, he gazed into the grove of apple trees that, after some distance, turned into a thick forest. He quietly approached her so she wouldn’t run. He waited a few meters back from her to think about what he would say, but he didn’t have to. She said what she did, and his response was instantiations.
“I never wondered why. I never questioned it…” Crescent sobbed.
Skyward was convinced she wouldn’t run again, so he sat beside her and wiped the tears from her face.
“You’ll figure it out, Cres. You’ve always been a strong pony; it’ll all work out in the end.”
Crescent stood up and aimed her head in the direction of his voice.
“I just need some time to think… Alone.”
She began walking off. She heard Skyward rise and begin to follow her. After a few steps, she turned around and shouted,
“If you love me, you’ll leave me alone for awhile!”
Skyward just stood in the cold in shock. Crescent trotted away swiftly as tears fell from her face. Skyward hung his head and started walking back to Crescent’s home. As he walked into the door, Crescent’s parents rushed up to him. He explained that she ran again, and claimed she needed time alone. They were not happy with not having their daughter back at home, but they understood Skyward’s position. After all, Crescent was a big pony now and is allowed to do as she pleases.
Crescent marched through the woods, running into the occasional limb or branch. The crying had stopped, but her thoughts were more overpowering than ever. Was she a fool for wanting to be independent like every other pony? Was she too harsh on Skyward? He had never done her wrong, yet she raised her voice at him like he had. He only wanted to help.
In her lament, she had lost track of where she was. She must have been out far longer than she had expected, for she could feel the warmth of Celestia’s grand star on her back. She stopped and listened for voices, but heard none. She decided to turn back, and begin walking in the other direction.
With every rough tree her thigh scraped against, and every bird she heard chirp, and each sweet apple she tasted along the way back home, reminded her of the inevitable. She would have to come home and face her parents and Skyward. But more than that, she would have to make a decision that would affect her life. Crescent thought long and hard about what to do and she finally came to a conclusion. She planned to leave her hometown to live in Ponyville.
And worried for her safety
IV:
The ponies of Trottston have been frantically searching for Crescent for hours. Up and down the streets, in each home, and through the woods that surround the town, they looked; but they could not find her. Some ponies blamed Skyward for not following her. Others, like her parents, just wanted her back home. Skyward was upset that she had left, and worried for her safety, but he understood why she felt the need to do so. He was less than avid in the search for Crescent; instead, he prepared for her return. Skyward and Crescent’s parents prepared what they’d say to her, for they knew she would soon come home. They recalled a time when Skyward and Crescent were young. Without sight, it took years of practice and experience before Crescent got to the point where she could navigate through her town by memory. While she was learning, Skyward and some other ponies would play hide-and-seek with her. One particular instance that came to her parent’s mind was when Crescent had discovered a large, old structure, with a room just big enough for a filly her size to hide in. During a game of hide-and-seek, Crescent crawled inside and went as far back as she could. It was hours before anypony had found her in there. Her parents, her friends, and other citizens of Trottston had been searching for her, but she had fallen asleep inside the room of the building. It would be hours before she was found by Skyward and the others. They were so happy that they had found her, and even though she was confused, she felt loved.
VII:
Twilight had just arrived in Canterlot in her new dress and with her head held high. She would be meeting Celestia soon to discuss her progress in her studies. The entire train ride she thought of Crescent and Twilight planned to mention this to Celestia. As she reaches the palace doors, she saw Celestia waiting for her on her throne.
“Hello, Twilight Sparkle. How is my most faithful student?”
“I’m doing well, Princess. What shall we discuss first?”
“How about that abnormally large book you have in your bag, there?”
“Oh,” Twilight lifted the book with her magic. “This is a book of spells and sight and how the brain and eyes work together.”
“So then, tell me, why the fascination?”
“Well, you see, a pony from Trottston came to Ponyville yesterday. I let her have a room in my house for the night. She was having troubles at home because, well, she’s blind.”
“A blind pony?”
“Yes.” Twilight opened the book. “Her name is Crescent; she was born that way. I dusted this book off my shelf to see if there were any spells that could help her.”
“That’s awfully kind of you, Twilight. What does Crescent think of all this?”
“Well, I haven’t really told her. I want to be sure that I can perform the task before getting her hopes up.”
“That’s considerate. What have you learned so far? Oh, and where’s Spike? He normally accompanies you on these meetings.”
“Not much. There are a few assisting spells, but not one for a complete cure. And I told Spike to stay in Ponyville to help out Crescent while I’d be here.”
“You’re doing a good thing. Keep it up! I think your brother wanted to see you, he is in the courtyard. Report back to me in an hour or so and we’ll start our meeting formally.” She began to turn away, “Oh, and nice dress.”
“Thanks! Rarity made it.”
“I figured. Now, run along. I have a few things to do. See you in one hour.”
Twilight turned away and headed for the courtyard. As she left, Celestia got a quill and a scroll and began writing.”
From the royal city of Canterlot
IX:
Crescent’s parents and Skyward huddled around the message that the messenger from Canterlot had just delivered. All of their jaws dropped as they began reading it:
From the royal city of Canterlot,
It has come to our attention that one of your ponies has left your town of Trottston. We are sending you this letter to assure you that your daughter and friend, Crescent, is safe and is resting in Ponyville. My very own star-student, Twilight Sparkle, is housing her until she is comfortable enough to return home. We ask that you do not send anypony to retrieve her and allow her all the time she needs.
Sincerely,
Princess Celestia
They all sighed in relief that she was safe. They still missed her, but at least having a letter from the princess herself let them know that she is in good hooves. Skyward decided to cancel his planned search as the letter had asked, and switch focus on being supportive of Crescent’s parents. They have been distraught in recent days because of all this, and Skyward has been helping them the best he can.
Do you know what time it is?
X:
Twilight has just arrived back in Ponyville from Canterlot. It was late and nopony was stirring. She opened her front door and stepped inside to see Spike reading a book in the first room and Crescent in the doorway to her guest room.
“Is that Twilight?” Crescent asked Spike excitedly.
“It sure is. How’d it go, Twilight?” Spike ran up to her side.
“It went well. I’m exhausted. How did your day with Rarity go, Crescent?”
Crescent walked toward Twilight’s voice and stood next to her. “It went well. She is so nice!” Crescent twirled around once. “See the dress she made for me?”
“It’s very nice, Crescent. I know you can’t see it, but the color matches you so well. Rarity did an amazing job.” Twilight gave Crescent a tight hug. “Well, like I said, I’m exhausted. I’m going to go to bed now. See you all in the morning?”
“Goodnight Twilight.” Crescent had a huge grin on her face. She had never felt so warm and welcome in her entire life, even from her own parents and friends from Trottston. “Goodnight to you too, Spike.” She said to him as she walked back into the guest room and crawled into the bed. She stayed awake and let her thoughts take her wherever they would. She thought of her parents and how they were. She thought of all her pony friends, but especially Skyward. Crescent loved Skyward and he loved her. She had no problem with what her parents and Skyward had planned for her, other than the fact that they did not consult her until later. She only hoped that upon her return, she still would have the offer to live with Skyward.
Twilight had gone into her room, but did not go directly to bed. She removed the large book from her bag, lit a candle, and began reading more. An hour had passed and Spike had come up to sleep.
“What are you doing Twilight? Do you know what time it is?” Spike said, rubbing his eyes. He must have fallen asleep in the library room.
“I know it’s late, Spike, but I just couldn’t resist. I had just gotten to the part about how to perform the spell when I got off the train.”
Spike sighed a “whatever” as he yawned and slid into bed.
