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Eyes Without a Face.

By Psalm
Created: 2025-11-02 18:32:10
Updated: 2025-11-02 22:05:36
Expiry: Never
anonanonstallion

  1. 1.
    Chapter I
  2. 2.
    >1995.
  3. 3.
    >New year, new you.
  4. 4.
    >Or at least an idea of a new you.
  5. 5.
    >Nobody keeps those resolutions for more than a week.
  6. 6.
    >You sit up on the roof of your 1983 Ford Ranger.
  7. 7.
    >It’s a beater, but it’s better than nothing.
  8. 8.
    >The fender is barely holding on.
  9. 9.
    >A headlight is out.
  10. 10.
    >And the windows feel like you have to crank a boulder on a jack to open them.
  11. 11.
    >Probably should fix the headlight though.
  12. 12.
    >Might get pulled over for it.
  13. 13.
    >19 year old in a traffic stop sounds like a horror film for college students.
  14. 14.
    >You shake your thoughts away about the car, and refocus on the cliff you’re parked on.
  15. 15.
    >Or what’s in front of it.
  16. 16.
    >The view of Biloxi was pretty up here.
  17. 17.
    >Felt like the only pretty city in Mississippi, right on the beach.
  18. 18.
    >Everywhere else was okay, but this was a gem.
  19. 19.
    >The casinos looked real pretty, though the memory of getting thrown out of that one when you were 14 muscles it’s way to the front of your mind.
  20. 20.
    >Think of something else.
  21. 21.
    >Housing was surprisingly cheap for the area.
  22. 22.
    >Well, no intriguing thoughts are popping up.
  23. 23.
    >Might as well sleep.
  24. 24.
    >You remember it’s new year’s night.
  25. 25.
    >Neighbors would either get drunk or blow out backs.
  26. 26.
    >It’s probably both.
  27. 27.
    >Sleeping in the car suddenly gets way more appealing.
  28. 28.
    >Jumping down and opening the door, you crawl into the backseat.
  29. 29.
    >Locking the door behind you, another thought comes to mind.
  30. 30.
    >You remember that you did lock your apartment, and your 2 seconds of panic subside.
  31. 31.
    >Before you sleep, your hand instinctually grabs the box of VHS tapes you have.
  32. 32.
    >Even when you were a kid, VHS was always such a cool thing to you.
  33. 33.
    >Recording memories and see Tom Cruise?
  34. 34.
    >Absolutely amazing.
  35. 35.
    >With your hand firmly protecting your precious treasure, your eyelids grow quite heavy.
  36. 36.
    >Least it was easy to fall asleep tonight.
  37. 37.
    <>
  38. 38.
    >”Who is he?”
  39. 39.
    >”He just showed up on the side of the lake, I genuinely don’t know who he is.”
  40. 40.
    >By instinct you start to speak and try to get up.
  41. 41.
    “I’m sorry officer; I’ll mo-“
  42. 42.
    >You fall right back onto your back.
  43. 43.
    >Are your hands covered in butter or something?
  44. 44.
    >You inspect your trusty righty.
  45. 45.
    >…
  46. 46.
    >That’s a hoof.
  47. 47.
    >What.
  48. 48.
    “Is this some elaborate prank where y’all stuck me in a horse suit or something?”
  49. 49.
    >The blurry white and pink blob slowly comes into focus.
  50. 50.
    >Some sort of…
  51. 51.
    >What.
  52. 52.
    >Horse?
  53. 53.
    >Wearing a nurse hat, and it looks like a she.
  54. 54.
    >“You’re not in a tailored suit, but confusion is normal when somepony unconscious wakes up.”
  55. 55.
    >Using your newfound limbs, you sit up on the hospital bed.
  56. 56.
    >At first the equine nurse instinctively tried to stop you.
  57. 57.
    >But she let you get up and leave the bed.
  58. 58.
    >It’s hard to walk with four legs, but it’s easy enough to figure out.
  59. 59.
    >After falling once, you spot a mirror on the side of the bed.
  60. 60.
    >At this point the nurse is just watching you get acclimated to your environment.
  61. 61.
    >Finally, you can see how to get this suit thingy off.
  62. 62.
    >It feels pretty real though, a bit too expensive for a prank.
  63. 63.
    >You try and pick up the hand mirror on the bed stand next to the hospital bed.
  64. 64.
    >After fiddling with it, you rear like a horse and try to grab it.
  65. 65.
    >The nurse seems to look away, her face a bit redder than before.
  66. 66.
    >At this point the nurse is just watching you get acclimated to your environment.
  67. 67.
    >Finally, you can see how to get this suit thingy off.
  68. 68.
    >It feels pretty real though, a bit too expensive for a prank.
  69. 69.
    >You try and pick up the hand mirror on the bed stand next to the hospital bed.
  70. 70.
    >After fiddling with it, you rear like a horse and try to grab it.
  71. 71.
    >The nurse seems to look away, her face a bit redder than before.
  72. 72.
    >Not knowing what she is worked up about, you try to see how bad of a suit they put on you.
  73. 73.
    >Finally, you get the mirror facing your face.
  74. 74.
    >…
  75. 75.
    >That’s not a suit.
  76. 76.
    >Your face, it’s a horse.
  77. 77.
    >You blink your right eye, and your reflection perfectly answered you.
  78. 78.
    >No.
  79. 79.
    >You don’t believe it.
  80. 80.
    >A soft voice behind you brings you out of your spiral.
  81. 81.
    >”Are you okay?”
  82. 82.
    >You almost forgot she was here.
  83. 83.
    ”Am…Am I actually a horse?”
  84. 84.
    >The nurse laughs a bit at your genuine question.
  85. 85.
    >…Would she be considered a nurse or a vet?
  86. 86.
    >Minor questions for later.
  87. 87.
    >She responds in a voice of patience and slight tinge of normality, like she is used to hearing this.
  88. 88.
    >”Of course you are, but with that kind of question you should lay down again.”
  89. 89.
    >Looking around you only see photos of Horses.
  90. 90.
    >Colorful, and not like the ones you remember seeing.
  91. 91.
    >You try and get back into the hospital bed. This is probably a dream anyways.
  92. 92.
    >”What’s your name?”
  93. 93.
    “Anon.”
  94. 94.
    >”…Interesting name, I’ve never heard that before.”
  95. 95.
    >You look around for anything familiar.
  96. 96.
    >The mare catches on, and taps your shoulder, if it could be considered that.
  97. 97.
    >”Oh, If you’re worried about your book and those strange black boxes you had, Dr. Hooves wanted to look at them. He said he’ll dissect them for study. Just thought you’d want to know.”
  98. 98.
    >What.
  99. 99.
    >Dissect?
  100. 100.
    >NOT TOM CRUISE!
  101. 101.
    >You spring out of the bed in a panic.
  102. 102.
    “Where is he?”
  103. 103.
    >She looks a little worried now.
  104. 104.
    >”A-Anon calm down-“
  105. 105.
    “WHERE IS HE?!”
  106. 106.
    >She points to a group of ponies outside,
  107. 107.
    They all seem to be discussing something over your box.
  108. 108.
    >The hospital passes in a blur as you gallop to the entrance.
  109. 109.
    >You didn’t know you’d get used to walking on all fours this fast.
  110. 110.
    >Not now, Top Gun was in danger.
  111. 111.
    >You charge through the entrance, and see a pony about to carry your precious VHS tapes away.
  112. 112.
    >You remember what your father taught you.
  113. 113.
    >Shoulder charge.
  114. 114.
    >Ramming into the brown Stallion, he’s sent flying back about 15 feet.
  115. 115.
    >You take the box and put it behind you, standing guard to your stash of magnetic strips.
  116. 116.
    >”What the buck are you doin’?!”
  117. 117.
    >Orange and yellow mare is yelling at you.
  118. 118.
    >She walks up to you first, but the others move to help the poor Stallion on the ground.
  119. 119.
    >There’s a fire in her eyes you can’t describe.
  120. 120.
    >”Why did you go up n’ hurt this poor pony?”
  121. 121.
    >Sadly the fire wasn’t interest in you.
  122. 122.
    >Looks like some explaining is due.
  123. 123.
    >Least you know it’s not a dream.
  124. 124.
     
  125. 125.
    Chapter II
  126. 126.
     
  127. 127.
    >The brown stallion stands up.
  128. 128.
    >He’s not looking too happy about what you’ve done.
  129. 129.
    >That should’ve been obvious from the outset.
  130. 130.
    >You think of solutions and excuses out of the problem.
  131. 131.
    >He DID touch your stuff without permission.
  132. 132.
    >Then again that doesn’t warrant a shoulder charge.
  133. 133.
    >Can’t bust a cap in a thief back home.
  134. 134.
    >Well you probably could back home actually.
  135. 135.
    >But that logic wouldn’t work here.
  136. 136.
    >An idea creeps into your panicked brain as the Doctor speaks up.
  137. 137.
    >“The cost of my injury is yours to pay, not mine.”
  138. 138.
    >Orange mare with cow…mare? Hat tries to comment with him.
  139. 139.
    >“You better-“
  140. 140.
    >Cutting her off, you insist probably one of the hardest deals you’ve made time wise.
  141. 141.
    “I’ll make it up to you doctor, I-I’ll make more of these.”
  142. 142.
    >”What would I need with these if they only just contain a roll of funky paper?”
  143. 143.
    >Wait these horses don’t know what a VHS is.
  144. 144.
    >That encyclopedia better come in handy.
  145. 145.
    “You use them for watching things, when you put them in a machine, it can show you moments someo- somepony captured and put into them.”
  146. 146.
    >Well said, Anon.
  147. 147.
    >“Well, what will he want with yer boxes that let you see other horses?”
  148. 148.
    >The Doctor’s love of science gets the better of him, and he can’t resist listening to you now.
  149. 149.
    >”You mean you can see things that ponies in different places saw and how it exactly occurred?”
  150. 150.
    “Yes.”
  151. 151.
    >You coolly reply.
  152. 152.
    >Though, bargaining for forgiveness of a debt for VHS tapes, a player, and a TV sounds darkly poetic.
  153. 153.
    >How the hell do you even make a VHS player? Nevermind get it to play?
  154. 154.
    >You’ll figure it out somehow.
  155. 155.
    >The Doctor is literally jumping for joy, against the Orange Mare’s wishes.
  156. 156.
    >”I’ll forgive your transgression if you can make me one of these little things and the means to use them in a week.”
  157. 157.
    >What.
  158. 158.
    >A week?
  159. 159.
    >How does he expect you to make all of this in a week?
  160. 160.
    >To be fair, he didn’t even know this tech existed until around 2 minutes ago.
  161. 161.
    “Alright, I can do that. Should I also- wait Nevermind.”
  162. 162.
    >Not going to make more work you can questionably complete for yourself.
  163. 163.
    >”I’m Doctor Hooves by the way, nice to meet you.”
  164. 164.
    >Why is your first friend here someone who you’ve basically sent to the hospital?
  165. 165.
    >Is the next friend you make going to be someone you almost drown?
  166. 166.
    >Nope, don’t jinx yourself.
  167. 167.
    >With the situation solved, the Orange Mare backs off.
  168. 168.
    >Though she discreetly makes a “Eyes on you” gesture with a hoof.
  169. 169.
    >The Herd dissipates, and you release a breath you forgot you were holding.
  170. 170.
    >Taking your precious box, you depart to find any sort of lodging, only to forget you don’t have any money.
  171. 171.
    >So, you look around for at least some way to help yourself.
  172. 172.
    >1 week to make a player, and a TV.
  173. 173.
    >Lord have mercy on your soul.
  174. 174.
    <>
  175. 175.
    >Apparently word got out about your little project, and now Hooves has been getting thousands of letters of mail.
  176. 176.
    >You as well, but to a lesser degree because you only just got this small house.
  177. 177.
    >Mayor heard of your plight and organized you into a home.
  178. 178.
    >Some sort of disadvantaged pony program.
  179. 179.
    >What was it called?
  180. 180.
    >Section 8?
  181. 181.
    >Awfully familiar.
  182. 182.
    >Normally you don’t like to take handouts, but it’s not like you have a choice right now.
  183. 183.
    >It’s not a particularly bad house.
  184. 184.
    >One story, a few bits of furniture here and there, fridge, and a bed.
  185. 185.
    >Has a pretty cabin-like structure to it.
  186. 186.
    >Wait.
  187. 187.
    >There’s a fridge?
  188. 188.
    >There’s manufactured goods in here like canned…
  189. 189.
    >You don’t even know what vegetable that is.
  190. 190.
    >How have these ponies not figured out how to record things yet?
  191. 191.
    >Or how to use electricity to a higher degree.
  192. 192.
    >This place is weird, man.
  193. 193.
    >You’ve been spending your time now cramming the encyclopedia that (Luckily) came with you in the box when you left.
  194. 194.
    >It’s the one your father gave you when you were 7.
  195. 195.
    >You loved how you could just correct anyone in a room with it.
  196. 196.
    >Then got endlessly insulted, but that never really bothered you much.
  197. 197.
    >Good times.
  198. 198.
    >…Why didn’t your other items come with you?
  199. 199.
    >Why specifically only the ones you had some sort of connection to?
  200. 200.
    >You didn’t know, but that wasn’t your main focus yet.
  201. 201.
    >Back to cramming.
  202. 202.
    >After a whole 10 seconds of study you’re done with it.
  203. 203.
    >Old habits die hard
  204. 204.
    >Someone knocks (Kicks?) at the door.
  205. 205.
    >Is it that Orange Mare?
  206. 206.
    >Looking through the peephole, it’s covered in dust but you can see a purple blob.
  207. 207.
    >Opening the door, it’s a purple mare with…wings?
  208. 208.
    >What.
  209. 209.
    >”Hi uh…”
  210. 210.
    >She’s struggling to form a sentence.
  211. 211.
    >”I heard about what you’re doing, and I learned that you’re using a book with all knowledge, or that you said it had advanced knowledge. I wanted to see for myself.”
  212. 212.
    >You’re half tempted to just dismiss her, because you’re done with study for the day.
  213. 213.
    >But then again she could help you be productive.
  214. 214.
    >By some grace of god you select the second option.
  215. 215.
    “Uh- Sure yeah it’s over here.”
  216. 216.
    >Directing her to the blue book with the knowledge you’ll need to not lose your house, the mare frowns when she sees it.
  217. 217.
    >”This is just an encyclopedia!”
  218. 218.
    “I did say it had all knowledge.”
  219. 219.
    >She seems to get annoyed at your answer.
  220. 220.
    >”But that’s no- a- Gdl-“
  221. 221.
    >There’s not a way for the mare to counter your argument, and she stutters excessively before finally speaking a language you understand.
  222. 222.
    >”I meant new knowledge! Like the thing you’re making with those weird boxes! Not stuff we already know.”
  223. 223.
    >You get annoyed and open to a page on internal combustion engines.
  224. 224.
    >She suddenly jumps backwards in fear, and you instinctively flinch and turn your head towards the Purple Mare.
  225. 225.
    “What?”
  226. 226.
    >”What’s that creature?! It’s freaking me out!”
  227. 227.
    >You’re confused.
  228. 228.
    “What creature?”
  229. 229.
    >She points to the image next to the diagram.
  230. 230.
    >It’s a mechanic working on a-
  231. 231.
    >Oh.
  232. 232.
    >Ohhh…
  233. 233.
    >You search your mind for excuses.
  234. 234.
    >At this point, it’s just automatic when you’re a student.
  235. 235.
    “Just a creature that’s from the place I came from. Just ignore it.”
  236. 236.
    >”…Okay…”
  237. 237.
    >She’s skittish near the book now, but quickly gets fascinated by the principles mentioned.
  238. 238.
    >Obviously this is not a field you specify in, but at minimum you know SOME of how a car works.
  239. 239.
    >”That’s so cool! It uses compression of hydrocarbons with an electric spark to enable an explosion to generate mechanical power! But where can we-“
  240. 240.
    >You’re lost.
  241. 241.
    >You know nothing about cars now.
  242. 242.
    “What?”
  243. 243.
    >She just continues rambling like she hadn’t heard you.
  244. 244.
    >Least you’re somewhat productive.
  245. 245.
     
  246. 246.
    Chapter III
  247. 247.
     
  248. 248.
    >Yknow, this girl- mare, is actually quite smart.
  249. 249.
    >Though from experience, you at least know smart and dumb aren’t opposites.
  250. 250.
    >You try to think of a way to rope her in without being rude or manipulative.
  251. 251.
    >Idea.
  252. 252.
    “Hey uh, what’s your name?”
  253. 253.
    >She pauses her assault on your eardrums and blinks.
  254. 254.
    >“Sorry, I tend to get a bit obsessed with things like this.”
  255. 255.
    >She’s perfect.
  256. 256.
    “Oh no worries, I think that’s pretty cool.”
  257. 257.
    >Her cheeks flush at your words, she probably never received compliments about that.
  258. 258.
    >”Thanks…Oh! Yeah my name, it’s Twilight.”
  259. 259.
    >You raise an eyebrow.
  260. 260.
    >Twilight? Was this some kind of preferred name?
  261. 261.
    >She notices.
  262. 262.
    >”Do you not like it?”
  263. 263.
    >The mare has a lot of insecurity behind that sentence.
  264. 264.
    >Well that’s not good.
  265. 265.
    “No no, it’s a good name. I just don’t hear it much.”
  266. 266.
    >She has a silent sigh of relief, though it felt more like releasing a held breath.
  267. 267.
    >Wasting no time, you execute your plan.
  268. 268.
    “I need a bit of help to create the project I’m making. Could you help me understand this, and I’ll let you read the book?”
  269. 269.
    >She says nothing for a moment.
  270. 270.
    >Then jumps for joy, circling around like a dog.
  271. 271.
    >Wait no the floor-
  272. 272.
    >*CRACK.*
  273. 273.
    >…
  274. 274.
    >You look down in worry.
  275. 275.
    >Schrödinger’s crack.
  276. 276.
    >It’s nothing terrible, just a single board has a decent sized crack in it.
  277. 277.
    >Twilight is looking guilty, not looking into your eyes.
  278. 278.
    >”Sorry…and yeah I’ll help you.”
  279. 279.
    >Guilt and joy lead to her helping you?
  280. 280.
    >Sounds kind of messed up to say but…good?
  281. 281.
    “Thanks, I really appreciate it, and don’t worry about that. I can just go buy some wood glue for it.”
  282. 282.
    >Dad taught you well.
  283. 283.
    >Or at least tried to teach you until around 15 when you actually started to need it.
  284. 284.
    >Whatever works, works.
  285. 285.
    >Twilight nods, though she’s suppressing a smile over the book.
  286. 286.
    >Plus the occasional glances towards the blue weapon are becoming harder to ignore.
  287. 287.
    “Here, I’ll show you what I need help understanding.”
  288. 288.
    >Walking (Trotting?) over to the book, you finagle with the pages until your hoof rests on the VHS player.
  289. 289.
    >Immediately your purple assistant activates like a sleeper agent.
  290. 290.
    >”Oh! So it takes the tape in there and reads the magnetic state it’s in?”
  291. 291.
    >You did actually know a thing or two about VHS.
  292. 292.
    “Mhm, though it’s hard for me to get how the parts solder together to compute for that.”
  293. 293.
    >”Solder?”
  294. 294.
    >You sigh.
  295. 295.
    >You’re forgetting this tech doesn’t exist here, Anon.
  296. 296.
    “To take electronic parts and weld the metals together-“
  297. 297.
    >”So they can transfer electricity? Cool!”
  298. 298.
    >…
  299. 299.
    >How does she fully get this the first time?
  300. 300.
    <>
  301. 301.
    >After having to explain the fundamentals of soldered analog electronics, she started to explain how it worked to you.
  302. 302.
    >You explaining to her actually helped you understand the next part.
  303. 303.
    >”And that’s how it’s able to encode the signals to the TV.”
  304. 304.
    >Thank god you don’t need an MOCVD Machine for this.
  305. 305.
    >Whatever that is.
  306. 306.
    >She explained it really well actually, feels like she could explain quantum physics to a group of 5th graders and they’d get it.
  307. 307.
    >But then you have an important question.
  308. 308.
    “Where could we get the materials for this?”
  309. 309.
    >She thinks for a bit.
  310. 310.
    >”There isn’t any sort of mine nearby, but I do know of a hardware store.”
  311. 311.
    >What.
  312. 312.
    “We’re going to a hardware store for metals?”
  313. 313.
    >She laughs a little at your misunderstanding of her nefarious plans.
  314. 314.
    >”No, we can use the metal hardware for metal by melting it down.”
  315. 315.
    >This mare is a genius.
  316. 316.
    “That’s pretty clever of you.”
  317. 317.
    >She doesn’t say much this time, but she doesn’t stare you in the eye.
  318. 318.
    >Guess that’s a good and bad sign now.
  319. 319.
    >Trotting over to the door, you open it for her.
  320. 320.
    >Time to try out metalworking.
  321. 321.
     
  322. 322.
    Chapter IV
  323. 323.
    >This is not like any sort of hardware store you’ve ever been in.
  324. 324.
    >There’s generic tools, hammers, saws, what have you.
  325. 325.
    >But the handles are all weirdly shaped to fit hooves.
  326. 326.
    >It’s pretty convenient, but that doesn’t make them look any less like torture devices.
  327. 327.
    >Apparently Twilight had told you it was a hardware store because she read it out of the encyclopedia.
  328. 328.
    >Everyone else just calls it “McColts’s tool store.”
  329. 329.
    >Ignoring the obvious thought of a famous symbol of America, it’s a pretty human sounding name.
  330. 330.
    >Yeah, you really do miss home.
  331. 331.
    >Walking in, it smelt like wood, metal, and sweat.
  332. 332.
    >A stallion is at the checkout desk, and he looks like a blue collar worker.
  333. 333.
    >If the only blue part on him was his hair, the rest of his coat is purple with a well worn Mechanic-like gray shirt.
  334. 334.
    >He’s probably McColt.
  335. 335.
    >…
  336. 336.
    >Huh, guess they do wear clothes sometimes.
  337. 337.
    >He greets you as you hold open the door for Twilight, and she gleefully goes to the metal tool section.
  338. 338.
    >You make your own greeting before trying to catch up with the Mare going twice your pace.
  339. 339.
    >She’s awfully excited about this, guess you should’ve expected that.
  340. 340.
    >You both start to scan the tool section, trying to find good ones that melt down.
  341. 341.
    >Twilight is discounting a lot of these, you assume they don’t have the right materials in them.
  342. 342.
    >McColt is trying to read some sort of newspaper. You think to ask him, but decide it’s best not to bother him.
  343. 343.
    >Twilight is really focused on a certain hammer, almost like she’s trying to burn through it with her eyes.
  344. 344.
    “Is that one a good one?”
  345. 345.
    >She doesn’t respond, but she acknowledges you with a hoof held up to you.
  346. 346.
    >That’s the equivalent of a finger for “Let me think” you assume.
  347. 347.
    >”No…it doesn’t look like it has enough silicon.”
  348. 348.
    >How does she just know that by looking at it?
  349. 349.
    >This mare really is your only lifeline to combat The Doctor’s challenge to you.
  350. 350.
    >Thinking of that just weighs you down with an invisible 400lb weight.
  351. 351.
    >It’s either you make the VHS player or live in crippling debt.
  352. 352.
    >Ah well, least you start with a friend to help you.
  353. 353.
    >Though, it feels like you’re about to miss a car payment, if that payment was going to ruin you financially.
  354. 354.
    >Actually, that’s not a far off comparison.
  355. 355.
    >Walking through the store is only making your nose feel drier.
  356. 356.
    >The wood smell is killing you, and may or may not be giving you lung cancer.
  357. 357.
    >Problems for later.
  358. 358.
    >About 20 minutes go by, and still no luck.
  359. 359.
    >This is taking way too long.
  360. 360.
    >You gave up on giving tools to Twilight because every time you did, they’d be rejected.
  361. 361.
    >Why is she looking for silicon in hammers anyway? Isn’t it not present inside tools?
  362. 362.
    >She probably knows better than you, so it’s best to trust her.
  363. 363.
    >A heavy sigh escapes your lips, your frustration and impatience escaping with it.
  364. 364.
    >The purple mare stiffens up when you do.
  365. 365.
    >You’re about to say something but she starts moving much more frantically, and much more out of your physical range of talking.
  366. 366.
    >Whatever works, though the change in behavior is very weird.
  367. 367.
    >Maybe she’s worried about something?
  368. 368.
    >Your empathy gets the better of you as you start to speak.
  369. 369.
    “Hey, you’re acting like you’ve got debt to pay, you okay?”
  370. 370.
    >She looks at you, a little confused.
  371. 371.
    >Oh yeah, people are way nicer here.
  372. 372.
    “You’re acting like you’ve got something to worry about.”
  373. 373.
    >She suddenly smiles and brushes your comment off.
  374. 374.
    >”Oh it’s nothing! No worries!”
  375. 375.
    >You’re not buying that.
  376. 376.
    “Are you sure?”
  377. 377.
    >She nearly cuts you off.
  378. 378.
    >”Positive!”
  379. 379.
    >You still don’t trust her, but you let her do her thing anyways. Beggars can’t be choosers.
  380. 380.
    >After forty minutes of walking around and Twilight quality checking all the hardware, you leave empty handed.
  381. 381.
    >You say sorry to McColt, and you can hear his annoyance through his voice when he says it’s no problem.
  382. 382.
    >But he still have you the benefit of the doubt, so it really was fine.
  383. 383.
    >You start to run down all the metals you need to build the VHS player in your head.
  384. 384.
    >Silicon, Lead…huh?
  385. 385.
    >Twilight suddenly looks extremely upset.
  386. 386.
    >Maybe she did have something to worry about, and you were right.
  387. 387.
    >Her head hangs lowly, and he walks like a kid who broke their mother’s vase.
  388. 388.
    >As your footsteps stop, she does as well.
  389. 389.
    “Hey, you look really upset. Everything okay with you?”
  390. 390.
    >Did her grandmother die, or someone she knew?
  391. 391.
    >…Okay that was an extreme comparison but the point still stands.
  392. 392.
    >She suddenly looks at you with teary eyes.
  393. 393.
    >Oh no.
  394. 394.
    >The dam bursts and she starts audibly crying but trying to hide it, to no avail.
  395. 395.
    >Confusion racks your brain as you try to understand what has suddenly upset the mare.
  396. 396.
    “Christ almighty Twilight, what has gotten into you?”
  397. 397.
    >Her voice barely breaks through her sobbing.
  398. 398.
    >”I w-wasted your time!”
  399. 399.
    >…
  400. 400.
    >What?
  401. 401.
    “What do you mean? You didn’t waste my time.”
  402. 402.
    >You’re about as confused as a high school movie bully when someone mentions anything other than sports.
  403. 403.
    >”I didn’t get the metals we needed, and I wasted your time, and now you’re upset at me…and you won’t let me see the book anymore and-“
  404. 404.
    >Your hoof goes over her mouth softly, you had to stop her from spiraling.
  405. 405.
    “Where did this all come from?”
  406. 406.
    >She quickly responds.
  407. 407.
    >”You sighed super frustratedly when we took a long time!”
  408. 408.
    >Oh.
  409. 409.
    >Guess it was louder than it should’ve been.
  410. 410.
    “I’m not upset at you Twilight, why would I be? It’s not like it was your fault they didn’t have what we needed.”
  411. 411.
    >Her crying stops, as she pays attention to you.
  412. 412.
    >Playing therapist wasn’t on your bingo card for today.
  413. 413.
    “It’s okay if this happens, you didn’t do this on purpose.”
  414. 414.
    >This mare has to be a massive people pleaser for her to think that you’d be ultra upset if a hardware store didn’t have a piece of metal.
  415. 415.
    >Though that only makes you think about what someone else had done to her to cause this.
  416. 416.
    >She nods at your statement, taking deep, sputtery breaths.
  417. 417.
    “Don’t be so worried, if I was upset with you I’d say it. Okay?”
  418. 418.
    >She nods again, wiping a tear from her eye.
  419. 419.
    >Thinking to change the subject, you try to divert her mind back onto the topic.
  420. 420.
    “Where else could we go for metals?”
  421. 421.
    >She starts to look through her thoroughly sharpened mind.
  422. 422.
    >Sometimes this mare just leaves you in the dust with her intelligence.
  423. 423.
    >”Probably the mines, or we could just ask around.”
  424. 424.
    >Punching rocks doesn’t seem like your forte. >Depressingly becoming a pony only really transferred your stats from real life, not improved them.
  425. 425.
    “Yeah, I’d rather slave away when we build it, not when we’re getting the materials. So let’s ask around.”
  426. 426.
    >”Whats a slave?”
  427. 427.
    >…
  428. 428.
    >The terrible realization hits you incredibly hard.
  429. 429.
    >That book, the encyclopedia, contains all the good mankind has to offer.
  430. 430.
    >But it includes all the terrible things humanity has done.
  431. 431.
    >These ponies have never even heard of such evil.
  432. 432.
    >And you’d be showing it to them, disgusting many but encouraging some. That could ruin this world, thousands would suffer because you simply let this information get out.
  433. 433.
    >The gravity of this choice of letting a simply VHS player enter this world feels like you’re the caveman who discovered fire.
  434. 434.
    >The man who unlocked such great things for humanity, at the same time the same man who caused billions to suffer so terribly, to die in torment, or live with great pain.
  435. 435.
    >You feel the thousands of ponies who would experience extreme suffering, all because you brought a book into this world.
  436. 436.
    >You can almost hear their screams, and you stare blankly ahead of yourself, unable to move because of what you’re thinking.
  437. 437.
    >You suddenly remember the things you learned in Sunday school, though you barely paid attention when you were there.
  438. 438.
    >The Serpent telling Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge. To bring evil into the world.
  439. 439.
    >His cunning and slick voice speaking to her in Genesis.
  440. 440.
    “Ye Shall Be As Gods.”
  441. 441.
    >Your mind spirals through what you are in this world.
  442. 442.
    >Are you Eve? The Serpent? The Tree?”
  443. 443.
    >What are you doing?
  444. 444.
    >This must be the inventor’s dilemma.
  445. 445.
    >”Anon?”
  446. 446.
    >You’re snapped out of your nightmare in the day (Daymare?) as Twilight looks at you to answer.
  447. 447.
    “Oh uh, it just means to work hard.”
  448. 448.
    >Lying through your teeth.
  449. 449.
    >”I see! Let’s go ask around then.”
  450. 450.
    >You smile back at her, but it feels like you’re going to shatter at any moment.
  451. 451.
    “Yeah, let’s do that.”
  452. 452.
    >You both walk to the residential area of town, but your thought presses on your heart like a lead weight.
  453. 453.
    >You whisper to yourself, and hope she doesn’t hear.
  454. 454.
    “Oppenheimer, I understand you now.”

Eyes Without a Face.

by Psalm

Eyes Without a Face.

by Psalm