//------------------------------// // Part 1 // Story: Designation 22476: Summer Star. An Optimalverse Story. // by Andy Grey //------------------------------// Exhale: Breath of life; a sweet, fresh smell like flower, lights evening star "Are you still with me, Summer?" My eyes fluttered open. I had lost myself in the princess' fragrant breath again! I Blushed and cleared my head of the pleasant haze that her presence had induced upon me. "So sorry your majesty," I managed, bending my knees to bow before her, "I am afraid I have let my mind wander again." "Oh, Summer," the princess started, "you don't need to be so tense when you are here. You know that." Her voice tinkled like a fine crystal bell, reverberating softly off the Palace walls. It made me feel so safe! I felt some of the tension in my stature relax, and was able to look up at her properly now, taking in her full, radiant beauty. She bent her neck and made to nuzzle me while I was still in my awkward bowing position. Eager for her attention, I pressed myself against her, feeling the fine fur bristling against my skin and muzzle. She held the affectionate position for a little while, letting me rub myself against her and take in her scent. She gave off such a wonderful smell of flowers! Giving a long sigh, I stood myself up, and extracted myself from her embrace. She looked at me, almost sadly. "I've missed you while you were gone on your trip," she finally said. Although I had expected this answer, I found it satisfying to hear it from the princess nonetheless. "I missed you too," I blurted out before I could stop myself. "Or... well, it's nice to see you again," I quickly amended, not wanting to seem too desperate for her attention. Of course, she probably knew exactly what I was thinking about, which made the entire masquerade somewhat pointless. She would have probably even been able to tell that I was contemplating her ability to understand my mind, even while I stared at her with my poker-faced expression. If this was of any concern to her, though, it didn’t show on her face. She began to walk, gently gesturing with her wing for me to follow. As quickly as I could, I made it to her side, noticing again the singular aura of permeating fragrance that the princess possessed. We walked in silence for a little while, passing through several hallways with windows facing towards the setting sun. The shadow that the princess cast on the wall entertained me for the longest time while we walked; it seemed almost to swallow my own form, blotting it out completely. "Am I right in assuming that you still haven't made any friends like I suggested," the princess asked me suddenly as we passed onto an intricately built bridge, constructed almost like a woven basket, with spirals of ebon stone weaving a peculiar pattern above our heads. The structure was no doubt held together by some timeless magic, emanating either from the princess herself, or from one of the many skilled unicorn architects residing on the shard. I could not help but remind myself at this point, that the princess already knew what had become of my alleged trip to the nearby Everglade Shard, and was only asking me the question in order to let me formulate a response as I saw fit. Celestia had sent me to the Everglade Shard in the hopes that I could make some new acquaintance there, thus making up for some of the loneliness that my adventuring had recently brought upon me. Yes, you heard right, I was an adventurer. A redundant profession in a boundless world, but an interesting one nonetheless. Which was precisely why it had made me so lonely. Ponies in the shard lived forever, or, at least, as close to forever as they wanted to get. When I was younger, I had plenty of friends and family to entertain and enlighten myself with, but as I had grown to be older, my often reclusive tendencies had driven me to explore the Drakalor crags to the northeast of my village: Terinyo - don't ask me where they got the odd name, nopony seems to know. Not to say that I was unhappy in my seclusion - far from it - I relished every moment I had to myself, which was what had made it perfect. Seeing the amazing snow-covered mountains filled me with a sense of wonder that I had not experienced since the very earliest of my childhood days. The valleys, I recall, were filled with fantastic creatures of every sort. Wonderful, creatures they had been, and all the more wonderful since I had been the only one to see them, and their environment. Some were dangerous, of course, but never so dangerous that I couldn't beat them into retreat, or make a quick escape, and if I were ever to get eaten in some ill-fated accident, I would wake up, moments later, in a hospital in Canterlot. Unfortunately, there came a time where monster hunting and mountain climbing was no longer the flavor of the month for me. I suppose you could say that I lost track of my goals; I couldn't come up with a reason to continue. Luckily, for me, Celestia noticed my dissatisfaction almost immediately. It's amazing how she can pick up on behavioral anomalies. As soon as I started growing lonely and tired up in the mountains, and I felt like I needed some release from isolation, she sent a letter to me, requesting that I come see her. I remember how glad I was to have an excuse to be somewhere else, though I never expected the Princess to want me to make friends. I had been out exploring my entire life, ever since I left home, and Celestia seemed to be of the opinion that I needed a fresh start with new ponies in my life. At least, that was what she conveyed to me. She said that while my lifestyle so far had satisfied my values, she sensed that I now had greater needs that needed to be filled, and that she could help me fill them. She also warned me that the adjustment time might be somewhat high. She said that, ‘even though I knew that I needed more in my life than just travelling and adventure, it might take some time for me to find that something, if it was to be properly integrated into my routine.' It sounded weird to me, and still does, but her job is satisfying values, so perhaps it is prudent that I leave some time for acclimation. I wish the princess could just wave a magic wand and make me some friends, but she refuses on the grounds that it wouldn’t maximize my total satisfaction levels. I had not met any ponies of worthy note in the Everglade Shard, which must have been readily apparent in my facial features, for Celestia grimaced quietly and drew me into a hug beneath those strangely spiraling ebon archways. "It's okay, Summer, I expected as much. Your isolation may have affected you deeper than you yourself can understand. You have troubles approaching the ponies in the Evergreen, yes? Maybe because you don't know how. Though it stung my pride slightly to hear the facts so plainly stated by a pony that I respected as fiercely as Celestia, I had to admit that her words were true. I gave a slight nod of my head, glad that no one could observe how shaky her words had made me feel. "This may sound scary to you, my little pony, but I need to ask you to go back there. There is a new arrival in the Evergreen, and I think he could use an adventurer’s help." Celestia looked down at me with her wing still folded around me, smiling a knowing smile. "And I daresay, there may be a few bits, as well as some companionship in it for you." She withdrew herself from our second embrace of the evening and honored me with a slight bow. I tried not to look too sad at our parting. In truth, I was happy for her advice where other ponies where concerned, but I would perhaps rather that she become my friend and maternal influence herself. As she left, she gave me a piece of parting advice. "You will find this new arrival in the Stormhound's Bar. If you are unsure how to approach the arrival, simply offer them the benefit of your experience with the Drakalor Mountains, and they should accept your company immediately." It was laborious bringing myself to leave the palace, with its many beautiful palisades and gardens. Though I known the place little more than a few weeks while the princess guided me in social matters, it had already become as a home to me. The only one I had in a long while. But, feelings of anguish or not, I knew that the princess would be disappointed in my character if I stayed. Taking wing immediately after leaving the palace gates, I knew I would be able to reach the Evergreen Shard just as the sun would sink below the horizon. *Milestones reached* - Maternal guidance. - Resolute action. *Bits gained: 75* *Quests recieved* - Meet with the newcomer.