Duality of Perception: Black and White

by sweeT2010Tooth

Rating: teen
Tags: Dark, Rarity, Changelings, Fancypants, Slice of Life, Zecora, Sad, Applejack, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 4988

Perceive the world through a young zebra filly's eyes in search of his father.

This story is told through the journal entries of a young zebra colt in search of his father. What we perceive the world to be is everything. Should that change in gaining new experiences? Is one person's perception always wrong while another's is always right? In the end, does everything we experience boil down to what is Black and White?

Published 2013-01-29 08:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2013-01-29 08:00:01 UTC

The Bright Lights

Dear Journal,

Mama doesn’t want me going outside at night. She says it is too dangerous. I spend my days playing with my friends in our little village. We don’t have a whole lot, but we make the most of it. At night, I watch the world outside my window and would wait for the bright lights to shine on the horizon. Oh, they are beautiful mama! I wonder if papa is at the place those bright lights are. If not, maybe he sees them too every night. I miss papa, mama! You said he went away and wouldn’t be coming back. I’d ask and ask but the answer was always the same, “Baby, papa left us a while ago. In the same way free leaves blow.” After watching the bright lights for a while, I laid my head down to sleep.

In my dreams, papa was waiting for me at where the bright lights shown. He raised his hoof beckoning me to come. Should I go, mama? Is papa waiting for me? The bright lights would shine and papa’s smiling face would be inviting, but there were other things in that dream too. Where the bright lights did not shine many eyes would follow my every movement. It scared me to move, mama! But I managed to start moving to the bright lights. I started out in a slow walk with the eyes following. One or two pair of eyes would seem to move with me. My slow walk got faster until I was running in a full gallop. Mama, the eyes were following at the same pace! The only thing that kept me going was papa’s smiling face…but then he and the bright lights disappeared. I screamed for him to return only to find the shapeless forms closing in on me.

Almost every dream was like that mama. I’d go to school and play outside only in the day like a good colt. But I miss papa. I know understanding how an immortal made us zebras only rhyme in speech and not thought is important, but wasn’t finding papa just as much? School days were spent looking out the window hoping to see the bright lights. This was silly because they only shown during the night. They made me think of papa. After school, my friends and I would play outside the same as we did any other day. That is until a mysterious zebra shaman came to our village.

All the children ran up to this mare asking where she came from. We don’t get many visitors much in the same way few of us leave the village. She let us know of lands far away that made us look on in amazement: cities with huts that stretched to the sky, cities that never slept where most everypony went out at night, cities with a majestic and eloquent flair, and small ones – such as ours – that lived out their days in happiness. Just as quick as she came, she started to leave. I watched her trot off as my friends went back to their homes whispering excitedly about what she said. This was my chance to find out about papa! I caught up with her and asked if many zebra like my papa were in these ‘cities.’

“I have seen far few and almost none. There’s a reason for this young one. However, it is possible your papa might be there. If he is, I would not know where. In your heart, he has always remained. It is there we keep memory of loved ones retained.”

With that said she left. I watched her go, looked back at the village, and back to where she stood. I couldn’t hold back my feelings of longing anymore, mama! If papa was out there, I needed to find him. It was already getting dark so I decided to make a journey to the bright lights tomorrow. Mama never wanted me to go out at night and I wanted to be a good colt.

That night I had a different dream. I saw papa smiling and the bright lights. I saw the eyes following my movements. But, before I could walk forward, a hoof held me back. I would be scared, mama, but it felt familiar almost like papa’s touch. Then I heard papa’s voice, “Please don’t go there son. Chase the rising - but not the setting - sun.” I woke up and saw it was still dark out. Looking out, I saw the bright lights but also something else. In the dark, I couldn’t make it out but it looked like monsters in the darkness. They started to look at me, mama! It was like they were laughing! I hid under the blankets until morning.

When morning came, I gathered materials up and put them in my school sack. I didn’t go to school though. Instead I headed out of the village to where the bright lights were. I needed to find papa. Mama…I hope you understand.

Mama used to say not everything is Black and White. But, Mama, all I ever see is the darkness and the light.

The Big Apple

Dear Journal,

Finding my way to the bright lights was impossible since I couldn’t see them during the day. I didn’t want to go outside at night, though, because of those monsters I saw. I headed in the direction of the bright lights in hope of finding one of those ‘cities’ the zebra shaman mentioned. It had been hours walking now and my hooves were hurting. I was also getting hungry so I decided to get a snack out of my sack. As I ate, I thought about papa and whether I was making a good decision. I hope you’re not angry with me, mama.

Finishing my snack, I saw the sun was setting. I had to quicken my pace as I didn’t want to be outside alone in the dark. It was too late, mama. The sun went down but, as it did, I started to make out where the bright lights were so that is where I headed. I was closer than I thought but not close enough. Even though the bright lights were shining, all around me I could not see. I continued on but thought I heard movement behind me. I would stop in my tracks only to find whatever was following me stopping as well. Then, I heard it. It was some sort of animal growl. It made me scared, mama. The noise stopped followed by rapid movement in my direction. I ran mama!

My heart was racing the whole time. What was following me? Spotting some shelter, I hid hoping to get away from whatever this was. It didn’t take long before - what sounded like hoof steps - closing in on my hiding spot. Being very close, the sounds of movement stopped. For a moment, there was silence then a familiar laugh was heard like from one of those monsters outside my window. After a while, it left. I didn’t want to be caught out here with that thing so I waited a little longer and quietly crept away from my hiding spot. As the sun began to rise, I came upon the place where the bright light came from: a big ‘city’ with huts stretching to sky.

Nopony welcomed me when I entered the city. They all seemed too busy racing about here and there. It was strange because my village welcomed anypony that came along. There was so much noise too, mama! I couldn’t hear myself think. Also, it was hard to breathe like the air was not fresh or something. How could anypony live like this? I’d walk around trying to ask anypony if they had seen a zebra but they seemed too busy to notice. There were so many ponies, mama! But none of them cared to take notice of me and, when they did, they called me a ‘filthy beggar.’ I don’t even know what that means, mama!

The only ponies that responded to me looked dirty in old rags. They asked me for bits I could spare but I didn’t have any. I asked if they saw any zebra come by but, sadly, they didn’t. I spent some time talking to a few of them and they seemed nice, mama! Some expressed concern to why a little colt would be travelling alone and that the ‘city’ was not a very safe place for me. I needed to find papa though! I asked them what the ‘city’ was like and they said it was a way of life. They told me of their day-to-day struggles and how invisible they were to society. I asked them if they ever thought about the lands outside the city but they responded that every place was the same. Some were happy with their place in life and some were not. I suppose some saw only darkness while some only saw light.

Papa wasn’t here and, if he was, there was no way I could find him. The ‘city’ was too busy, too noisy, and the air was thick. It was a beautiful ‘city’ mama, but it made me feel like one single pony didn’t matter at all. Most everypony was so busy walking here and there to notice the beautiful ‘city’ in which they lived.

I started to take my leave when, among all the moving ponies, I noticed one that seemed to be following me. He had a greyish coat, white mane, and black eyes. This pegasus pony came up to me smiling which was unusual because every other pony looked serious. He asked what a lone little zebra was doing in a big ‘city’ and offered me assistance to get back to my village. I couldn’t put my hoof on it but his presence scared me mama! I declined to which he tried to grab me so I ran. I was so scared mama! I outran him in the crowds but, fearing his approach, I quickly made my way out of the ‘city.’

At the exit, I had to catch my breath so I stopped. What was I going to do now? My thoughts raced along and I was never so scared in my life. The sun was setting and I began to see another beam of bright lights in the distance. I couldn’t head back now when I was so close to finding papa!

As I headed in the direction of the new set of bright lights, I thought about the ‘city’ I was just in. It was beautiful, wonderful, and inspiring with its towering huts. However, the ponies there seemed to not take notice of this at all. They even ignored some of their own left to rot away in the streets. Why were they so busy, mama? What were they after that - being so important - they couldn’t take care of their own? The village wasn’t like this. We didn’t have nearly as many ponies but we welcomed everypony. We also took care of our own. If onepony was sick, everypony made a visit including the village elder to make sure proper care was provided. It made me miss home. I made my way toward the bright lights with thoughts of loneliness creeping into my mind.

Mama used to say not everything is Black and White. But, mama, all I ever see is the darkness and the light.

Author's Note

I was going to put Broadneigh in but figured there was no place for that joke.

'Sin' City

Dear Journal,

These new bright lights didn’t seem as far away as the first ones. However, it was dark out so I made haste only stopping to grab a snack from my sack. I didn’t know how far the monsters were willing to go to catch me, but I wasn’t going to take any chances. In my hurry, I still could hear movement behind me. Mama, why am I being chased? What did I do? Once again, I hid from my followers in a nearby shelter. It was there, under cover, that I saw what looked like hooves passing me by. So ponies were following me? Why mama? I waited until the followers left and crept away toward the bright lights.

This ‘city’ was not only bright but much brighter than the other. Mama, I never would have imagined a ‘city’ could have these many lights. It was true that nopony slept either. I walked down a street brighter than the sun in amazement. It was so much to take in! The ponies here were strange though. They seemed excited when entering the huts but came out angry. Once in a while, a pony would come out jumping up and down in excitement only to enter the next hut. I decided it was best to continue my search for papa.

These ponies were rude and very weird, mama! I found out the hard way not to ask the angry looking ponies any questions when one spat in my face. What did I do? Some said some nasty words like I made them ‘have a losing streak.’ What does that even mean? Nopony would look me in the eyes either…not even the calm ones. They kept talking to themselves about their winnings and losses. Winning and losing what, mama?

I continued down the street in dismay of finding papa in a ‘city’ like this. Three ponies approached me and asked where I got such a fancy sack. I told them my mama made it to which they laughed and knocked me to ground. They took my sack, mama! I’m sorry! Ponies in official uniforms came by soon after to ask what happened so I told them that some ponies took my sack. They told me it was most likely my fault in thinking it wise for a little colt to come to this place all alone. They offered me a ‘ride’ to a local ‘station’ to get home. I thought about it for a moment but somepony behind me spoke up.

“He’s with me,” is all that the strange earth pony said. I tried to speak up for myself, but these official ponies wouldn’t hear any of it. Satisfied, they left me with this strange pony. They left me mama! They did nothing to help me get back my sack and left me with a stranger! The earth pony with a black coat, light red mane, and white eyes had a wide smile on his face. Before he could say anything, I ran. There was something unsettling about him. I took off into one of the huts and knew he was close behind. I soon lost him in the crowd of ponies that crowded tables and played cards. Forgetting my pursuer, I noticed that ponies were continuously throwing bits down before playing cards. The ones that lost became upset and the ones that won kept throwing bits they won back down. Was this winning and losing, mama? As I was about to leave, I noticed the same three ponies that attacked me earlier come in. I ran up to them and demanded that they return my sack. They laughed again and knocked me down. One even threw a bit down at me and said, “There’s your mama’s sack!”

Mama, I don’t like this ‘city.’ I left as quickly as I could before anything else could happen to me. On the outskirts of the ‘city,’ I looked back at it confused. It seemed like all the ponies here only reveled in darkness with no concern of seeking the light.

I walked as far as I could from that ‘city’ to escape with my health intact. Mama wouldn’t want to see her son bruised and with a bleeding muzzle. I looked up to the sky and noticed the sun coming up. The most beautiful pony I had ever seen flew across the sky with a flowing mane. It was as if she was raising the sun. Mama, was this the Princess of Equestria I heard about in school? It was so beautiful watching her glide across the sky in a graceful manner. I noticed she headed in the direction of a ‘city’ on the side of a cliff. Maybe papa would be there? Mama…papa…whatever happens to me on this journey know that I love you both…

Mama used to say not everything is Black and White. But, mama, all I ever see is the darkness and the light.

Canterlot

Dear Journal,

This ‘city’ was unlike any other I had seen so far. It wasn’t too flashy or even too crowded. The streets were clean and everypony had a certain presence that made the ‘city’ glimmer even more. But I was treated no different than the other ‘cities’ I visited. Some ponies ignored me and some called me nasty names such as ‘zebra filth’ or ‘gutter trash.’ I asked if anypony had seen other zebras come by. I was rather exhausted in my journey and really wanted to find papa as soon as possible. Almost everypony turned their head up in disgust and walked away.

One pony came up to me and asked where I came from. I turned to him and saw the gentlest eyes gazing back. He introduced himself as Fancypants. I told him I came from a village far away seeking my father. He found curiosity in this and offered assistance although I was one of the few zebra he had ever seen around. He offered me a place of shelter to heal from my wounds and eat to which I readily agreed. I was starving mama! After a whole day, he came back later to inform me that no such zebra was found.

I thanked him for all the trouble he went through and wanted to leave so as to not be a burden to his charitable nature. He must have known what I was going to do and stopped me. He knew of a zebra in a neighboring town called Ponyville and thought it possible she knew where papa was. I was excited! I couldn’t believe how kind this pony was when so many I encountered were not.

He let me know that I should meet him at the train station in about an hour but had a few errands to take care of first. I agreed and watched him take his leave. Being much cleaner than I was before, I decided to take a walk around this ‘city.’ It was beautiful, mama! The ponies seemed to know it too…almost like they were exhibiting the very nature of the ‘city’ itself. It was like they didn’t see any darkness and only light. Is that a good thing, mama? You always told me that too much of a good thing was a bad thing.

It didn’t take long while wandering around to notice somepony following me. She was a unicorn with a white coat, pink mane, and purple eyes. At first it didn’t bother me, but I noticed the same smile from times before…the very same creepy smile. She followed me everywhere, mama! Panic was all I felt after a while so I rushed to the train station as fast as my hooves could carry me. She didn’t run after me though which was a relief so I slowed down when I was out of her line of sight.

When I arrived at the train station, Fancypants greeted me in his formal manner. Why couldn’t the other ponies be nice like him, mama? I boarded the train thanking him for all the generosity he had shown me. He said I should think nothing of it but I do. On the train, I thought about that ‘city’ and how wonderful it was! Sure the ponies looked high strung but they only displayed how they felt about their ‘city.’ Even better, at least some of the ponies helped their own and welcomed others with open arms.

Mama used to say not everything is Black and White. But, mama, all I ever see is the darkness and the light.

Journey's End

Dear Journal,

The train dropped me off at a town where one pony waited for me. She was so pretty and had a kind and eloquent voice much like the ‘city’ I just left. She introduced herself as Rarity and said that Fancypants had sent her a message concerning my arrival. She wanted to lead me to the zebra in the forest but didn’t want to go into that forest alone. We walked back to town and gathered things she insisted I would need. She expressed concern for a little colt being so far away from home and tried her best to make me feel welcome and safe. I thanked her but said I didn’t deserve all this generosity but she kept insisting on it.

We met a few of her friends: a pink pony that asked me too many questions to count, a purple unicorn who asked me just as many questions, and an orange coated mare that said I looked homesick. I guess I was a little homesick but I needed to find papa! The orange coated mare said she would take me to meet the zebra so I left the town with her. Everypony seemed so nice, mama! The strong feeling of belonging was similar to my village. It made me miss the village very much.

The forest was frightening, mama! I felt like it would swallow me whole at any moment. I felt safe, though, with the orange coated mare by my side. She made things seem pleasant in a home-like way. We arrived at the zebra’s hut and knocked on her door. When she answered, she immediately caught sight of me and recognized me from the village she had visited. She hurriedly rushed us inside and shut the door. The orange coated mare asked why she did that to which the zebra replied that I was in grave danger.

She dimmed the lights in her hut and sat us down to explain that zebras don’t travel far from home because of their disagreements with the Changeling Queen. This especially means little colts and fillies. After the attack on Canterlot, changelings won’t openly attack or raid pony towns/cities. However, zebra villages are fair game. Zebras have the ability to fight back but, without unicorn barriers, this is only effective during daylight when the enemy can be seen. She had made a visit to her own village to make sure everything was still fine while stopping by ours on the way back.

She asked if I was followed and I said no at first but recalled the strange ponies in my travels and told her of them. She seemed deeply worried as a colt would be a prime target and easy prey. I told her I was only trying to find papa. She told me that it would be a fruitless chase and fool’s errand at a time like this. At that very moment, we heard banging on the door. We all looked at each other and back at the door expecting the worse. Right now, the banging on the door is getting louder. Mama…I think they’re going to get me! I’m sorry for leaving!

*****

Dear Journal,

I’m hiding. Mama, I think I’m going to die! They took me from the hut and dragged me into the forest. There were so many that the zebra and the mare couldn’t simply handle them all while protecting me. I was dragged out into a clearing where I saw the Pegasus, Earth Pony, and Unicorn peering down at me with their creepy smiles. They simply laughed and hit me. I must have been unconscious because I woke up in a disturbing hut. There were monsters all around me much like those outside my window. Then, I saw the monster Queen herself.

She laughed and said it was so easy to lure zebra colts and fillies from their villages through their dreams. She said the other Princess pony was not the only one with the power. The rest of the monsters laughed at this. I screamed out for you mama and for papa. This made them laugh even more. I closed my eyes and wanted this nightmare to end and wished I could see papa or mama’s smiling face again. I love you mama and papa and should have never run away! I'm sorry for going against you and did not mean to disobey!

As I said this out loud on accident, she stopped laughing. “Love? What a ridiculous sentiment.” She raised her hoof to her mouth and pondered something. I asked what became of my zebra and orange coated mare friends. “That zebra is hard to catch with all her silly little potions. We’ll get her one of these days I assure you. As for you, let’s have a little game of cat and mouse. We’ll even be sporting and give you a head start.”

So, mama, here I am hiding from these monsters. I don’t know what to do. I can hear them getting closer. All I wanted to do was find papa! I’m trying not to cry, mama, for fear that they will find me. I love you mama! I love papa! I’m sorry for being a bad colt!

Mama used to say not everything is Black and White. But, mama, all I ever see is the darkness and the-

*****

The village was unnaturally quiet this night. One mother was fraught with the sudden disappearance of her son. This was happening more and more frequent in neighboring villages as well. It has something to do with the nightly raids. Every zebra simply hid in their hut at night hoping the nightly raids would stop. They never did. It only seemed to be getting worse. As the morning sun rose, the mother stepped outside to continue the search for her son. She saw that the changelings were right outside her door and, when she opened it, they simply laughed and flew away. They left behind a journal.

Peering down, she immediately recognized whose it was and let out a gasp. She picked it up and ran her eyes over her son’s words. Coming across the last sentence, she screamed in agony at losing her one and only son. Not only had she lost her stallion but now her son! The rest of the village came to life and rushed over to her hut to see what was wrong. They noticed the journal she held close to her chest while screaming that they took her son. This was the last straw! The nightly raids would not go unanswered anymore. Each zebra took up arms and readied themselves for the coming night.

The day was spent with much noise in the village. The only quiet one was the mother who never took her eyes off the journal. As the sun began to set, she wrote her own entry into it:

“Baby, papa is away much further than the bright lights. He died from illness when you were too young to remember. He loved us very much, baby. He said with his final breath that he’d watch over and protect us no matter what. I miss him too and didn’t want to cause you unnecessary pain. Baby…know that your mother loves you! I’m not angry. I just want you to come back home…I will always love you!”

Baby, I used to say not everything is Black and White. But, baby, all I ever see is the darkness and not so much the light.

*****

As night fell, the zebra stood guard from each of their huts awaiting the nightly raid that was sure to come. When it does, the changelings will wish they never had come to this village.

It never came.

The sun rose and the zebra cursed the changelings for their cowardly nature of hiding behind lies and shadows. A single silhouette appeared on the horizon. None of the zebras could make out who or what it was. Whoever this was seemed injured rather badly with a broken foreleg. It was the zebra colt coming home! All the zebra rushed out to meet him. The mother noticed the commotion when one zebra let her know her son had come back. She pushed through the crowd and hugged her son never wanting him to leave her sight ever again. After a while she let him go, long enough to get a good look at him.

He had a broken foreleg, many bruises and cuts, and one of his back hoofs was broken. Despite all this he wore a big smile across his face. He told every zebra present that the changelings hunted him down but he was saved. At first, he hid until they found him where he dropped his journal due to panic and ran. He ran for what seemed like an eternity through their desert wasteland looking for an escape. Once or twice they lost track of him so he hid some more behind what he could find such as rocks. As night fell, his chance of escape was closing. He remembered closing his eyes and wishing papa was there with him. The changelings found him easily in the dark and attacked him. The colt explained:

“In the end, don’t you see? It was papa who saved me. Don’t cry, mama, he said he always loves us both. He said, he would not forsake his loved son and break his oath.”

The young colt looked around at the gazing crowd and back to his mother.

“Mama, you used to say not everything is Black and White. But, mama, I saw the darkness and papa, love, and hope in the light.”