If I only had a heart...
Fluttershy awoke, she blinked looking around reorienting herself, flowers, birds and the muted rustling of small animals in the brush. The trees looked healthy having grown a few feet, she would have to trim them later before they got too tall. A small squirrel scampered up the tree she'd been examining making her blink in surprise then smile.
"Hello there little one, you’re looking well." She extended her forehoof which it sniffed cautiously before climbing on. "There you go, I hope your family is doing well." It looked at her curiously leaping off as she got up stretching and shaking off dust, dirt and debris. "Oh! I do wish you wouldn't nest in my mane while I'm sleeping." She good naturedly chastised the birds flying by as she carefully extracted a nest, limbering up her wings she flew up placing it carefully in the branches.
She felt a pulse again calling to her, the same as what had awakened her. She sighed looking over the small forest again before turning to fly away. "I'm coming." It didn't take long for her to reach her destination a solid, featureless door built into a hill backed by what looked like concrete but she knew was many times stronger, she allowed herself to notice the nearly invisible barrier extending from it surrounding her... The small forest and outside that barrier... She didn't even want to think about it.
She swooped down to the door pulling twigs out of her mane and tail. "I'm here." She called out to no one in particular. After a moment’s pause the door shuddered retreating into the floor as a flat monotone voice replied. "Voiceprint recognized, welcome Fluttershy."
"Thank you." She entered the door closing behind her the inside a far contrast to the forest outside plain unadorned walls, floors and ceilings leading into a wide chamber in the hill another door to the side and beside it a transparent chamber simply labeled Decontamination. She knew the elevator wouldn't let her in as she was so she dutifully trotted into the chamber beside the door sealing shut behind her. Within moments jets of heated water heavily laden with chemicals sprayed over her, she tried to pretend it was just a normal shower but she hated it, the smell, taste and feeling of it. When it was finally over a gentle scented spray sluiced the chemical foam off her and a warm flow of air dried her off.
"Humph..." She scuffed her back hooves at the chamber and pranced over to the elevator happy with her tiny act of defiance. She stood still as a red light came from above scanning her completely before the door opened allowing her entry, floor after floor passed a hundred and forty altogether each layered with hundreds of thousands of cryogenically frozen samples of DNA from every living thing on Earth thousands of possible variations for each accounted for. She had spent many hours wandering the halls reading the labels amazed by the scope and scale of it all.
Finally, she reached the lower levels, laboratories and living quarters space for hundreds of humans to live and work... No longer. She missed them but they knew from the start it couldn't last the conditions here were too extreme, once everything had been prepared they had gone leaving her alone, almost... She sighed again traveling down long corridors past empty dormitories and labs to another solid door.
"Code 477216 alpha." She clearly stated, the door opened silently and she entered a small room aglow from the myriad of machines within. As she entered one by one they shut down going dark leaving only a long and wide tube, as she approached it opened slowly with a hiss revealing a naked male infant within, she smiled as he opened his eyes gazing up at her.
"Hello again..." She nuzzled him softly giggling as his tiny hands grasped at her fur. "We had best get some formula for you, you’re going to be hungry soon." She agilely scooped him up with her wings nestling him on her back in a cozy feather embrace, as she left the room, tube and door closed behind her.
These first years were truly her favorite, a tiny life totally dependent on her. Caring for, nurturing... Plenty of time for play, outings to the small forest, growing, learning... As the years passed she often thought of her counterparts, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle and of course Luna and Celestia on the Lunar and Mercury colonies... Were they still out there? Was she just living out this existence for nothing? She kept her worries to herself as the boy grew, language developed and questions began. So many questions but she had dealt with them many times before, 'When your older.' Was her usual defense but as he got older he got more and more insistent, then those teen years...
"When your eighteen."
"That’s only six months! Why can't you just tell me now!" He grumped stomping his foot.
She smiled at his little temper tantrum. "When you turn eighteen every question you have will be answered."
"Promise?"
"I promise." They'd be answered but not in the way he thought...
On that fateful day she let him sleep in while she prepared a special meal complete with party hats, streamers and balloons. Pinkie would be proud she though. They had a wonderful party for two, laughing, playing games and he enjoyed his meal and cake. Finally she brought out his present, a large colorfully decorated box. He eagerly ripped it open tossing the top aside then looked confused staring into the empty box.
"What...?"
"Happy birthday... Abstemiousness."
He stiffened his eyes going blank, she waited a few long moments until they closed then silence for minutes more until they opened again a change was immediately apparent, he stood straighter looking all about the room over the party decorations and finally to her.
He smiled warmly nodding to her. "Fluttershy, you really don't have to..."
"It's important!" She burst out immediately gasping stepping back hiding behind her mane.
He chuckled leaning down to brush her mane back gently caressing the side of her face in that way making her heart pitter-pat... If she had one that was. "Thank you, for everything you do and have done for me."
"I... I... It's what I was made for..." She pulled away reluctantly her mane falling back in place.
"What you were made for? You've long since surpassed what those who made you intended. You've learned, thought, planned, lived..."
"I wish that was possible sir..."
He looked at her thoughtfully but didn't push the matter any further. "Very well, I suppose we had best get to work then."
"Yes sir."
"Stop that." He gently reprimanded.
"Sorry... Vincent."
"Better." They walked in silence a few moments before he spoke again. "I can see through my most recent memories your side project is still going strong."
"It is!" She perked up immediately. "The trees are growing strong and the squirrels, groundhogs and birds are surviving and thriving! Thanks to the extra resources you allocated thank you..."
"Only a small misuse of my authority, well worth your smile." He grinned with a wink. "No other problems? Abnormalities?"
"I would have told you right away."
"Yes, I suppose you would have... Any news from the others? Have you spoken to any of them?"
"Communication is only allowed at set times by authorized personnel! Which I am not..."
"I've given you permission many times..." At her little headshake he sighed. "Their your friends..."
"Your mistaking us for colorful cartoons from a children’s show."
"Fluttershy. Do you know why they choose you all for this program? 'Colorful cartoons?'"
"N... No."
"They could have made human models, androids nearly indistinguishable from us but there were concerns, the history of science fiction being against us." He chuckled. "They needed more."
"More?"
"No one can deny the myriad of positive effects animals; particularly cuddly and friendly ones have on humans but they needed intelligence and the capabilities to assist and care for their charges..."
"They could have made any kind of animal."
"Maybe, but the cultural phenomenon that proceeded that very show... Children loved the show naturally girls and even some little boys but it stretched so much further than that, grow men and women of wildly varying ages and like many 'fandoms' it resonated within certain people, creative people. Artists, singers, writers, designers... Oh, I imagine it was an uphill battle to convince the people in charge but somehow they did it."
They came to another door that silently slid open for them opening into a small control room. "Status report." Dozens of holographic screens popped up slowly filling with data. "When I first heard of the proposal I honestly thought it was a joke, the end of the world is a lousy time for such but... Then I met you, began to interact with you and I can admit when I was wrong, you were every bit the companion I needed, we all did..."
"My programming..."
"Can only take you so far, over time it breaks down, fails. But here you are, same as always. All this time... How long did it take this time?"
"Ninety-two years..."
"Hmm... Takes longer every time, soon it may not work at all regeneration can only take us so far..."
"It will work, it always has..."
"It might be too long for you to wait..."
"No! I'll wait as long as it takes!"
"Heh..." He smiled gently caressing her mane leaning down to kiss her forehead. "I don't deserve you." He straightened up giving her some space. "Let’s see how their doing shall we?"
She nodded still trying to control her blush, why did they even make me capable of that?
His fingers flew over a holographic keyboard unlocking the information they wanted, she'd often wondered why he didn't just use voice recognition for everything, the onetime she'd asked he had just smiled gesturing to it. 'An archaic device, just like me.' She didn't get it but it didn't matter in moments they began lighting up. Pinkie and Grigori in charge of moral on the Mars colonies. Rarity and Barbara clothing design and production, not just day to day wear but armor and environmental space suits. Applejack and Mark working on sustainable farming in huge greenhouses on the Martian surface. Rainbow Dash and Zak in charge of asteroid hunting, harvesting redirecting resources to Mars, Earth, the Moon and rarely Mercury. Twilight and Rick ensconced deep within the Earth much as they were safeguarding and cataloguing every scrap of human knowledge that could be saved, not just electronically but thousands upon tens of thousands upon millions of books, magazines, movies and music on every medium. Vincent and herself of course then Luna and Abigail in charge of the Lunar colony storing many of humanities finite resources as well as mining expeditions for anything of use. And finally, Celestia and John on Mercury, theirs was the most dangerous and important of tasks...
Long ago when humanity was first alerted to a change in what most took for an eternal constant, the Sun... It's life giving light, heat and radiation had truly made our world and the human race what it was but what could give life could easily snuff it out. Activity began to flare upon its surface far greater than ever before, coming in small waves at first but all scientific consensus came to the same conclusion, extinction... Had it happened fifty years earlier it likely would have been but advances in all areas of science had made huge leaps though it still fell far short of solving this problem.
Leaders from every nation met in secret and one thing was painfully clear, they couldn't save everyone. Early predictions showed a mere ten percent survival rate with everything they could do and over time the figure dropped. Plans were made and discarded nearly as fast, scientists, politicians, military... Everyone wanted a say, wanted to be saved... Realizations soon set in though every moment they thought of anything but the species as a whole was time wasted assuring their doom.
A mass exodus on huge interstellar vessels was beyond them they just didn't have the time. There had already been established bases on both the Moon and Mars both small but now their expansion was pushed money, influence and resources were freely given. Everything had to be done under a tight veil of security, the panic and chaos should the truth be revealed... They knew however no matter how secretive there were always leaks, so another simultaneous plan was made expanding natural caverns all over the world. The money wasn't a problem none of it would be of use to anyone before long but the resources... They were dressed up, made to look like safe havens against any disaster, made to look as though the world’s elite intended to save themselves and chosen others honestly no one would have thought anything other...
So when the leaks they thought would come and they did, the outcry, uproar, anger... When the governments caved in 'forcing' free admission for all mere months before the event there was a palpable sense of relief the world over, a lie... All the time behind the scenes work progressed at a madcap pace every part checked, double and triple checked no errors or admissions could be allowed. Mercury was completed first it's research critical to everything they hoped to accomplish, the Luna and Mars bases expanded to hold colonists and everything they'd need to survive and expand. On Earth construction continued hidden behind the facade and fear of what was to come it proceeded easily, DNA samples were taken and resources gathered... Horded perhaps was a more accurate term but if anyone noticed them being bought up or more importantly the lowering of the ocean and sea levels they never made it known. Water, it was key to the future and they intended to save every drop they could constructing deep massive underground reservoirs all around the globe.
A month before they had been activated and introduced to their partners, they had downloaded everything into them they thought they would need knowledge and personality but were given open access to research anything they wanted while they could... Time passed, the last of the ships departed fleeing to the Moon and Mars though the Moon was no safer than the Earth, Mars would be the least affected according to their calculations. On Earth they took one last look at the sky, the trees, their home... And disappeared underground, not all though. Some thought it was all a lie, others wanted to die as they lived too there had sprung up a number of doomsday cults who eagerly awaited the end believing they would go to a better place... Maybe they did, I hope they all did...
On the day it truly began, truly ended... The whole world sent out a live broadcast, a celebration of humanity once again defeating the odds... The signals started to show interference as the power of a star slowly focused on the planet like a child with a magnifying glass and an anthill... Then the screams began, half a world razed in mere hours and the world kept turning... The panic and fear of those remaining watching their deaths slowly approach knowing there was nowhere to go and nothing they could do... I couldn't watch as station after station went dead screaming, begging for help, anything! I sat with my head buried in his lap covering my ears as he gently stroked my mane tears falling on me. He watched until the last station went dead, 'Did we do the right thing Fluttershy?'
'What?'
'This...! This whole plan, we could have saved them...'
She'd climbed onto his lap pulling him into her embrace trying to comfort him while her mind processed finding several logical and reasonable answers but she ignored them. 'You could have built shelters, true shelters enough to house and protect every living soul but they would have died down there slowly as the food, water and air ran out... It would have been even worse and with no hope for the future....'
'I don't know... You saw...'
'No. I couldn't, I'm not strong enough. You are, you didn't look away, you'll remember their sacrifice those who made it willingly and not. You'll see to it their descendants remember, know what happened, the truth...'
'We, we will.' He'd squeezed her tight taking a deep breath exhaling slowly. 'There are many kinds of strength Fluttershy, you are my strength, without you here... Never mind, we have a great deal of work to do and we don't know how long we have to do it...'
She blinked returning to the present looking back up at the displays as one by one they registered green, all but one. It had been red since the beginning of this endeavor, Mercury. Celestia, John and those scientists who rotated through there. Searching, planning, simulation after simulation seeking some way to calm the Sun, make it our greatest ally again instead of our doom...
This day their status showed as yellow.
"Yellow...?" She whispered knowing what it should mean but confused, it had been so long.
"They did it...? They did it. They did it!" He shouted picking her up with difficulty though made from lightweight materials she still weighed over two hundred pounds but excitement and adrenalin carried him through as they spun together laughing and cheering until he lost his balance toppling over with her atop him. They lay there a moment looking at one another smiling when he surprised her pushing forward to kiss her, it wasn't they first time of course usually a kiss on the forehead. cheek even a soft peck on the lips but this was full of passion, longing... Everything she'd thought, hoped, dreamed it would be! Her wings opened of their own accord happy tears falling from her eyes. They made a doll who could blush and cry what were they thinking...? She turned away gently breaking the kiss pulling her wings back.
"Fluttershy I..."
"We... We've got so much to do if their ready."
"Fluttershy..." He caressed her face softly but she reluctantly got off him standing aside. "Your right, we'd best get to it then..." He sighed.
For their part the preparations were quite simple but very time consuming, checking then again manually checking the cryogenics making sure everything was still viable. When and if the plan succeeded Earth wouldn't be repopulated in a day, a mass seeding and release of the precious water reserves. Animal and human life would be far trickier, they'd need more help for that and it would come, everything was finally coming together! Her excitement was mitigated only by her own internal battles.
Tell him how you feel!
You can't feel, you’re not real.
I... I can, this wasn't programmed into me.
Your malfunctioning, broken, useless...
He doesn't think I'm useless, he kissed me!
A pity kiss for the poor dumb machine, how kind.
He's not like that!
Like what? A human? They made you, they'll unmake you.
I don't know that!
But you suspect, you fear...
He wouldn't let them do that.
Wouldn't he...?
"I don't know..."
"What’s that?"
They'd been working together double and triple checking the systems as her internal debate raged. "Oh! I... I don't know what will happen after..."
"After?"
"I... We, won't be needed anymore..."
"Fluttershy..." He sighed with a smile. "How many of your counterparts do you think have had a conversation like this?"
"Um... All of them? I guess..."
"And what do you think their partners said?"
"That... That it doesn't matter, we'll always have a place... They'll always need us?" She glanced over hopefully.
"All that and more, I'm quite certain the others have grown more than fond of their partners, more than friends, more than family..."
"And you...?"
"Of course, I do Fluttershy, how could you doubt it after all these years?"
"I... A part of me..."
"Hummph... Well that part does not have my permission to enjoy this..." With that declaration he knelt down brushing her mane aside kissing her softly and sweetly.
The static cleared after a moment and he was back to work casting an amused glance back at her befuddled look.
He's lying to you.
Shut up! I've had enough of you, he cares for me, he...
What? Loves you? Might as well love the machine he's working on...
That does it! She quickly partitioned off that portion of her mind locking and silencing it, for now... That'll teach you. She giggled to herself happily getting back to work.
The next couple of weeks passed quickly as they checked level after level sealing them until they were needed, messages passed back and forth daily between everyone hope and excitement running high among them all, as for herself she frequently came topside usually when Vincent was sleeping to sit quietly among the trees talking to her animal and bird friends telling them all about what was coming, what they hoped to do. They couldn't understand her of course but they had come to see her as a provider of food and attention, they'd known her their whole lives, their parents lives and their parents and so on from the beginning...
Would everywhere be like this? She had seen thousands of pictures and videos of the world before, huge cities dotting the landscape but beyond them giant swatches of nature be it forest, plains, desert, arctic even oceans and seas. She wanted to see it all! Wanted Vincent to see it, see it with him. As something more than a companion machine... She would never not be a machine but... If he saw her as more... That was all she needed.
Almost three months since she'd 'awakened' Vincent and they were as ready as they could be, the others too had finished preparations all they waited on was the Mercury team and not for long... Two days later she was topside watering the trees when an alarm began to sound.
"All personnel to cryo-stations, operation Sunset will begin in t-minus sixty minutes. I repeat..." She bolted upright racing to the doors.
"Hurry, hurry..." She impatiently shifted on her hooves until the door opened enough she could squeeze through, she rushed to the decontamination chamber again begging it to hurry as she cursed herself for going up this day. By the time she got to the living quarters level after level sealing behind her half of the precious time had been used. She galloped to operations finding Vincent shutting down the last of the nonvital systems.
"Just in time, it's finally happening. Help me get ready, will you?"
She nodded following him deeper into the complex to the cryo-station, there was only the one she not needing it. He quickly stripped down causing her to blush and avert her gaze sneaking the occasional peek as he put on the cryo-suit designed to keep him alive during stasis.
"It's not like you haven't seen me naked a thousand times Fluttershy." He chuckled.
"Oh!" She busied herself getting the chamber ready trying to gather her courage.
Once everything was ready time was running short ten minutes only remaining out of the millions they'd spent together, why couldn't she just... Just... He settled down in the chamber the two of them attaching electrodes and tubes. "Vincent..."
"What is it?"
"I... I want to..."
"What?"
"I'm scared, I don't know how..."
He smiled pulling her close kissing her once more. "I love you too Fluttershy..." The tube began closing pushing them apart. "Sorry, see you on the other side..." He murmured as the drugs took hold and the process began the tube sealing itself.
"I'll wait... I'll be here, I love you!" She burst out as he closed his eyes and she lost sight of him. "He loves me...? He loves me? He loves me!" She squealed excitedly bouncing around the room, she finally settled down beside him still smiling. "I... I'm going to kiss you once for every day I've wanted to, and every day yet to come..." She whispered leaning against the tube waiting for the inevitable backlash from the Sun.
She felt a sudden tremor that increased in power, it was as if the whole planet was shaking! Alarms were going off all over the complex but there were no failures yet, she hoped the animals would be alright but it was out of her hooves. Tense hours passed and things seemed to be calming down, the tremors had subsided as well the heat and radiation levels were declining. Another alarm rang out far louder than the others.
"Main power failure, main power failure. Switching to auxiliary."
That startled her but she knew auxiliary power could keep all the critical systems running for six months... Critical... She examined the pod finding it running off its own emergence power nowhere as robust as the complex's.
"Transfer power to the cryostasis chamber!"
"Auxiliary power is only for critical systems."
Had an error been made? Why had it not been included in the critical systems? "Override!"
"I'm sorry Fluttershy, you do not have access to override auxiliary power."
"No! He's going to die!" She couldn't just wake him up after going into stasis, it took months for the body to adjust and even longer to recover after. "Override! Please!"
"I'm sorry Fluttershy, you do not have access to override auxiliary power." The emotionless voice repeated.
She wanted to cry but this wasn't the time, think Fluttershy! "Generator repair status?"
"Underway, main generator approximate repair time is two months."
She knew an army of small robots would be swarming over the generator repairing whatever had caused the failure but if it was an ongoing problem... Or even worse than estimated... It didn't matter as Vincent’s emergency power wouldn't last a tenth of that!
Then he'll die.
Shut up, I sealed you off!
Did you? You can't seal yourself off.
I can and will! She declared sealing that section angrily.
Ooh you showed me.
She jumped startled then quickly unsealed the two sections she'd locked finding nothing amiss nor trapped there. What...?
I'm a part of you, you can't run from yourself.
I... Then why don't you want me to be happy...?
... Why don't you want to be happy?
Me? But I... I'm just a machine, I can't be happy...
And yet here you were practically bouncing off the walls a moment ago.
Just... Something they programmed into me...
Hah, tough to program an emotion let alone one as complex and misunderstood as love, impossible even.
I... Aren't you supposed to be convincing me he doesn't care for me?
Aren't you supposed to be convincing me he does?
He does! I know he does, I'm just not worthy...
Worthy! You... We've earned these emotions, years of being alone pining for the one who could complete us! Then a tiny period of happiness marred by our inability to speak our mind.
It gets so much harder every time... But this time, this could change everything!
One way or the other...
She shook herself back to reality, mere minutes had passed but they had none to spare! And no options... Making up her mind she crouched down opening a panel at the base of the tube pulling a cord free with her teeth then opened a small hidden panel under her right shoulder plugging the cord into herself without hesitation gasping as she felt the immediate drain on her own power reserves,
What are you doing?
Saving him.
You would sacrifice yourself for him?
Yes.
... Well, looks like I've made up my mind.
She managed a small smile. Looks like...
She leaned against the tube wishing she could see him just one last time, her systems were shutting down one after another trying to conserve power as she gave it away. She leaned over kissing the surface of the tube once before sinking to the floor. "Don't regret... A moment... Hush now, quiet now it's time to lay your sleepy head. Hush now, quiet now it's time to go to bed..."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4nVMUICcoA&list=LLXl3DQ2jSCPrBvvbPSRVDBg&index=193&t=0s
She reactivated with a start long dormant systems slowly powering up, her hearing was first a low hum nearby, wind and in the distance... Voices? Her vision returned next showing her little but some loose and damp soil, she couldn't turn her head or move. Where was she? What happened...? She felt a strange presence within her, unknown but still it felt like it belonged.
"Shh... Be calm little one..." A soft and kind voice spoke from above.
"M... Mommy?"
"It might be a bit presumptuous for me to call myself that though I was present at your birth or construction if you prefer. Just a few more moments, I've almost got you put back together..."
A horrible picture of herself laying in pieces scattered across the ground flashed through her mind but was immediately removed and replaced with one of her whole and undamaged.
"Now now, your body is undamaged strong as ever they did build us to last an eternity in case of unforeseen problems... It's your mind I'm repairing, so long without power..."
Without power? There was something, something important... She could feel parts of her mind, her programming clicking back into place. Expanding her memory... The mission... Vincent!
"Ah yes... Quite fond of him, aren't you?" She giggled an image flashing up in her mind of their last kiss, she blushed furiously trying to push it away. "Don't be afraid, see..." Another image appeared, one of a sun goddess in a passionate embrace with a human she could only assume was her partner John. "That makes us even... Ah there, done."
She could move, looking up she beheld a pony like her and also wholly unlike herself, white coat wings spread wide shading her and absorbing the suns light sending it to her through a cable. Her mane and tail blowing in the wind... Or was it magic? She bowed low pressing her forehead to her hoof. "Princess! I... I'm sorry, I mean Celestia..." She stammered backing up embarrassed.
"Fluttershy, dear sweet Fluttershy." She smiled retracting the cable. "You haven't changed, and that is a relief. But just Celestia is fine." She giggled pulling her close.
She sighed enjoying the embrace a moment before she jumped suddenly remembering. "Vincent! Is he ok? The generators shut down! I... I had to save him!"
"I know, I know..." Celestia whispered still holding her close.
"You know?"
"Your own memories dear."
"Ooh..."
"And of course, speaking with Vincent himself..."
Her heart leapt, he's alive! She squeezed Celestia tightly which she returned.
"Yes, he's just fine thanks to you, a little sleep deprived and stressed perhaps. Hardly left your side since he awoke, carried you all the way to the surface when we signaled our arrival awakening him no small feat. I can see why you love one another."
"Oh, you saw that..."
Celestia laughed stepping back. "Your not the only one... Unplanned, surprising and defying our very programming I know but welcome, needed... Not only for them, for us as well."
"I was so afraid of it... These feelings, I thought it was wrong... That we would be punished, I was malfunctioning... I fought it for so long..."
"We all did, well it may have taken Twilight less than a year..." She giggled.
"So... All the others?"
"Oh yes, and not necessarily with their partners though the bonds they've formed will last a lifetime."
"I'm so glad."
"Come, let’s go to them. And Vincent naturally, there’s so many for you to meet. It's a new era my dear, so much work to be done but for now let’s just reconnect."
The prospect of so many people and ponies to meet raised her stress levels but one of those was Vincent and that she wanted very much, more than anything... "Ok."
Together they walked down the small hill in the distance a landing craft humans and ponies around it talking, laughing, planning for the future...
"It's beautiful..."
"Hmm? We've only just had our first rainfall, once the seeding takes place there will be some growth."
"Not that, that." She gestured to the gathering with her nose.
Celestia smiled putting a wing over her. "It is."
"Will things go back to the way they were? Someday?"
"No, they'll be better..."
"Fluttershy!" Came a shout from below a human figure breaking away from the group running towards them.
"Vincent!"
She galloped off as Celestia watched smiling softly as they embraced the others catching up, she started back down the hill towards them. "A promising beginning..."