//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 | Explanations and Tensions // Story: Legends of Equestria: The Elementals // by Grey Pen //------------------------------// The blackness seemed to be internal, but it finally wavered. I slowly began waking up from my "reading" session to the shouts of someone speaking. "Seeker! Come on damnit wake up!", a voice shouted at me. I concluded it was Professor Trot due to his accent and the fact that he was the only one that ever called me Seeker. I grunted as I finally opened my eyes and raised my head from the table at where I was sleeping. "Trot you can stop shouting in my ear I am awake..", I grunted at him as I recovered back to my hoofs. He looked worried as I finally managed to get my eyes over to him. "Seeker you been asleep for the entire party, was the book that boring to you?", Trot asked still worried. I shook my head no and finally stabilized my self. "No its not that Trot, it was pretty much the opposite of exciting and boring. In all sense it was confusing and abnormally interesting.", I replied to him. Trot looked confused at my response since all he saw was my sleeping when he got in. "How could you find it interesting if you were asleep Seeker? Last time I checked you can't read while sleeping.", Trot said. I knew if I explained what happened I would be seen as insane, but maybe Trot would believe me? "Well its hard to explain Trot, and I am sure you won't even believe what I saw.", I replied to Trot. He seemed to hesitate and think, but finally he gave me the motion to keep going. I took a deep breathe a moment of time and finally spoke once more. "I was knocked out when I opened the book, and when that happened I saw what seemed to be a memory spell. What I am saying in a sense is that I was viewing through a older being then us.", I finished saying. Trot seemed to just stare in disbelieve and shock at what I just said. Finally though after around 2 minutes of awkward silence he spoke. "Well, that sure is something. Are you sure that is what happened, cause if your wrong this could be a big blow to you just after finding this.", Trot said to me. Trot clearly had some thin in his voice even if he did kinda believe me, and really I would've reacted the same way. Trot asked about what I saw and explained it all to him, and he asked occasional questions as I did so. Finally after three hours of explaining someone walked in as I finished the story, it turned out to be the mare that Trot spoke to before. "Oh sorry Dr. Seeker, was I interrupting something?", She apologized. "No its fine, What is it you need anyways um. What is your name again I do believe I never caught it.", I asked the mare. "Its Paper Note, and anyways I heard talking in here so I was just curious. I will right away now if you need.", Paper told us. I shook my head no and motioned for her to stay and said, "Please do stay, we need more then one pony to be in here to keep Trot from rambling at least." Trot gave me annoyed look. "Oh so says the one who spent all day yesterday going on about how much you liked Saddle Arabian culture.", Trot countered. "Hey who would not be interested in the culture of this area, it use to be the hub of all tech until Equestria united. Heck you even gushed over it a bit, don't you refuse that.", I told him. He rolled his eyes and motioned for me to at least pay some sense to our new guest instead of fighting over who talks too much. The Mare just waited there patiently as we finally finished. "So do you two always bicker on like that? Kinda foalish don't you think?, Paper commented on our behavior. Trot just began laughing for no reason of I knew why, but in any way I responded to her comment. "Well we may act serious sometimes, but really its nice to bicker on about things like we are still foals as break isn't it Trot?", I said to them. Trot chuckled a bit and finally recovered to speak, "Indeed it does mien friend, it can get tiring to keep a straight face sometimes while working.", Trot responded. Paper nodded and accepted the explanation for now. "Anyways you must have another reason for coming here yes?", I asked Paper. She nodded and spoke, "I was sent down here to tell you that some Vale representatives are being sent here." That news was shocking and not expected at all. Vale was a faction of scientist that tried to take over Equestria, luckily for us they signed a treaty and united back into Equestria as a ally. Ever since they been helping us gain up our tech, that is so far the only reason why we even have the ability to even do all this research we been doing. Finally Trot spoke, "Well that was unexpected wasn't it Seeker, seeker ye awake?" He poked me and I finally broke out of my shocked face. "Paper you mind telling me if you know who the lead of the team is they are sending? I rather know who I am going to be speaking with yes?", I asked. "Yes Doctor that is probably a good question, and well the minister of their science wing is leading team.", She told us finishing. Now the fact that Vale was coming to visit our facility was surprising news, but the fact that their minister of tech and science was coming was even more shocking and a honor to have happen. After what felt like at least a few minutes of silence and thought, Trot broke the silence. "Well then, Does the rest of the facility know of this?", Trot asked. She shook her head and responded, "No I had not told anyone else yet, I thought it would of been a better idea to tell you first." "Well thank you for the info Paper Note, go ahead and tell the rest of the facility over the radio.", I said to her. Paper nodded and headed out the room towards the central control room to announce the news over the facility's radio system. The door closed behind her leaving us alone once again. "Well you can join us when you need be Seeker, I better get back and tell the team early if I can.", Trot told me as he left. I waved bye and then looked back at the book. If I went back into it I probably had a high chance of facing what I faced in it again. So I shook my head and headed out the door to walk around the facility for now. As I exited I took one final look at the book and finally left it. The hallway and main working sections were heavily busy and thriving with busy researchers. Ever since news of the minister of science and research of Vale was coming it was a huge blow to our stability. Now we have most of the teams cleaning the place and making sure everything is nice before they get here. Of course we are talking about a team of archaeologists and researchers, not a team of janitors and clean up ponies. So the process of even doing so was going a bit slow even for the amount doing it. I spent most of the time writing down what I saw in my office though not wanting to get in the way of cleaning as I worked. The door opened and a Saddle Arabian walked into the room closing the door behind her. "Excuse me sir are you busy?", the Saddle Arabian asked. I stopped what I was doing and looked up then spoke, "No, what is it you need?" "Doctor Saddle's wishes to set a meeting with you later today, are you busy during that period Dr. Seeker?", She asked. I thought for a few seconds about the stone book and how I did kinda want to read it a bit more, but if Saddle's wanted a meeting it clearly had to be something important. "No I am not busy, you may go ahead and set it up with Saddle's help. Just tell me when afterwords.", I replied. She nodded and went out the door as it closed behind her. I took a deep breathe and let it out as I thought to my self. What could Saddle's possibly want to talk about, and why at a time like this? Right now there was only time to prepare and try to calm everyone down, but if he needed a meeting then it had to be important. So I finally stoping thinking to my self and went back to writing about what I saw. I finished writing after a while and set down the pen onto the desk. As I was about to get up my phone began ringing. "Who could it be at this time its around one in the morning..", I said to my self as I picked up the phone The phone made connection finally a familiar voice came over the phone, "Hello? Seeker you there its your dad. Hello anybody there? Is this even the right call line.." I have not spoke to my father for a very long time, and so now at this time and in this current busy phase. I did not really want or plan this to be when we talked again. "Yes hi dad, And what do you need? Its one in the morning for crying out loud.", I told my dad over the phone. "Yeah sorry for calling so late on your end, I just did not have the time or patience at the moment to check the time in your time zone. Anyways how are things going in Saddle Arabia?", dad asked. "Things are doing fine down here, and we made some great moves into discovering stuff. How are you and mother?", I asked. "We are doing well, and your mother misses you greatly. Say when are you going to come back home for a visit?", my father asked. "Um, it may be a while father. Right now I am across the planet from home and working on something very important. So maybe in a few more months at the least?", I replied hoping my answer was good anothe. "Well its good anothe I guess. Stay well ok Seeker?", my father told me. "I always do father, and say hi to mother for me.", I replied and then hanged up. I rubbed my forehead with my hoof as I knew I would probably never be back for at least another year or so. I got up finally from my seat and floated my journal along with me towards my room. When I reached the room I saw that the stone book was set on the night stand. It had a letter on it too, and I went up to it to read it. It read: Just incase you want to take more looks at this book go ahead - Trot. I looked at the book but decided not to look in it yet due to needing to go the meeting that Saddle's set up. I set down my journal and went out again towards the meeting room where Saddle's set up the meeting. After around five minutes of walking i finally made it to the meeting room doors. They opened as I walked in and saw that Saddles was already sitting down at the table waiting. He looked back at me and did not look excited but he did look very serious. He then motioned for me to take a seat and I did so. "It is nice to see that you came Doctor, the others I invited sadly did not have the same respect..", Saddle's told me. I nodded and replied, "Well if its this late it most of been important yes?" Saddles nodded and began talking again, "Indeed it is, and its about this discovery you made." "As you know this is in Saddle Arabian lands, so really its only fair that we get some credit yes Seeker?", Saddles finished and waited for me to reply. "What do you mean? It will indeed be listed on where it was found, but our teams discovered it.", I told him. He clearly was not satisfied with this answer but he nodded finally. "Fine then, and then that means this meeting is over. You may go now.", Saddles said to me as he got up and left the room. I got up thinking about what he said as I walked to my room. Saddles clearly was not happy with the fact at my answer. I noted that I would try to talk to him later but I headed back to my room for now. I sat on my bed and looked over at the stone book. It set me to asleep Trot said so maybe I could watch it as my sleep tonight? I sat there thinking about it for a while, and finally I decided to try it. I floated the book over and opened it, and then everything went black again.