Resting in the Garden [Dead]

[PumpkinPie]

    Alkaline Atom shifted from hoof to hoof as he stood beneath the shade of a poplar tree. He was anxious to get back to the lab as he knew his interns would need him soon. They were all highly intelligent ponies and were very dedicated to the research, but they were still fairly young. And their work ethic left something to be desired as well. Gotta let them have a little fun, I suppose. Atom thought with a smile. He recalled when he was just a young foal working in Professor Bubble's lab. Bubbles was no easy mare to deal with, but she taught him all he knew about chemistry. 
    Atom glanced up at the leaves on the tree dancing like small green figurines in the wind. The sun periodically lit up dark veins branching along the inside of the leaf and reaching out to the edges in intricate arteries. This place is gorgeous. Atom thought. He came to the garden often to soak up the beauty that fell from each tree and bush and bird. It was so calm and quiet here without another pony in sight. It was his private sanctuary where all was right and he didn't have to worry about the pressures of messing up or being wrong. Everything here was just so right.

    "What a day to be outside."

    Atom murmured aloud as the wind picked at his mane and rustled the knots and tangles that matted it down. He just didn't have the time to groom himself when there was so much else to see and do and experience. Why would anypony want to miss it for something as simple as grooming?
    Atom allowed himself to feel the grass beneath his hooves. It felt so fresh and soft and alive. He too felt life flow through him. Atom closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling each scent flow through his nostrils and into his head. He was exactly where he wanted to be. 

[Dark Star]

The weather in Canterlot that afternoon was simply gorgeous; clear skies, pleasant warmth, even a cooling cross-breeze coming in from the west. A loud yawn could be heard as Dark Star trotted through the area. She had just finished her work in Canterlot that day and spent the rest of her time exploring the garden, trying to find a moment of inner peace after so much work throughout the week. 'It's a good thing they allow citizens to explore the castle grounds easily, I really could use some time to relax' she thought as she walked along the path. She yawned once again and levitated a small vial from her bag. She found some shade just under a poplar tree and took a sip of the vial's contents, making her horn and eyes glow brightly under the leaves.

After placing the cap back on and putting the vial back into her bag, she looked around the tree and was surprised to see another pony on the other side of it. Without so much as a noise, she ducked behind the tree once again and only peered out to see if she had been noticed. As luck would have it, she managed to avoid being spotted by the other pony, something she was relieved to know about. She took a few quick glances while making certain to watch her footing. This pony seemed to be seeking a form of relaxation on this day the same way she was. She almost thought about joining him, but merely stayed just out of sight. She sat down on her haunches and started to think about her next course of action.

[PumpkinPie]

Atom allowed the breeze to tossel his mane gently as he say beneath the tree. There was a certain peace here that he had trouble finding in the hustle and bustle of the city streets. He loved Canterlot, there was no doubt in his mind about that. But sometimes he just needed a breath of fresh air and being out in the Garden was the fastest and most beautiful way to escape all that. He was starting to reflect on the lab and how the day so far had gone when he caught a whiff of something that smelled somewhat familiar. But not entirely familiar, more like something other than nature. Could there be another pony coming here who enjoyed the garden in the same way he did? Atom lifted his nose again to test the air. The smell was gone. Maybe he had just imagined it and he was alone here in the garden. Atom shy rugged to himself and returned to basking in the sun.

[Dark Star]

Dark Star was still behind the tree, breathing slightly heavier. She had almost been noticed by the dark gray stallion and became nervous about her next course of action. If only she were like Slipstream; being able to take to the skies almost instantaneously without even making any noise. She thought about simply teleporting away since there was nothing else she could do, but she pushed that thought aside as a certain somepony's words came to mind.

'Don't just run away when things look bad, stay in there and think about other ways to win' Slipstream told her in her mind. Dark Star gained an intense look on her face as she stood and trotted over the side of the tree as quietly as she could. Her eyes burned in a red glow as she observed the other pony from afar. She'd have done much better this time compared to her previous attempts. Her eyes darted all around her surroundings, carefully moving with as little noise as possible.

She was absolutely certain that he was part of the higher society in Canterlot, yet she didn't have a proper angle of his face or even his cutie mark, so there was no way she could've known exactly who he was.

[PumpkinPie]

((I apologize for my earlier post! I was on my phone!))

Atom's mind wandered to the university and all the work he had yet to do before tomorrow. He had stacks and stacks of papers to grade and he still hadn't prepared a lesson plan about tomorrow's topic of protein synthesis in ribosomes. He had so much to prepare for! Thinking about all his tasks he needed to accomplish, Atom decided he would probably not be able to sit here in the garden anymore and relax. Standing up, he shook his coat and took one last glance around the glenn he was standing in before trotting around the tree he was sitting against. There, crouching behind the tree, was a dark horse lurking in the shadows. She appeared to have been watching him while he was sitting in the glenn and Atom was immediately surprised by her presence there.

"Um...hello? Were you watching me?"

Atom asked, tilting his head to the side and staring at the pony crouching behind the tree. He couldn't figure out why this pony would be watching him without just walking up to him and seeing what he was doing there.

[Dark Star]

Dark Star froze up immediately after getting discovered by him. She noticed that he was getting up and turning around, yet for some reason, she hadn't even considered moving out of sight. Perhaps some strange part of her mind wanted to get discovered, maybe there was some thrill in the idea of watching others and then getting discovered? She shook her head and pushed those bizarre thoughts as far away as she mentally could as she stood up and introduced herself "H-hello...sorry I was watching you. I was just a bit nervous from the sight of you is all, Professor" she explained.

She called him professor due to the sight of his cutie mark, this made it obvious to her that he was a scientist of some sort, so she should've called him using the proper honorific for it. "I came here to the garden to relax and I noticed you sitting here. I wanted to know who you were, b-but I didn't want to do or say anything to interrupt you" she explained to the gray stallion. "I hope you aren't mad at me..." she said softly as she looked down at her hooves. A lot of thoughts were rushing through her mind, mostly about what could happen next, but she tried to be strong and take her actions in strides.

[PumpkinPie]

Atom turned his head to the side out of curiosity and watched the filly for a moment. It was quite odd that she had called him professor as he was hardly ever adressed by that formal title. Most of his students just simply called him Atom and he was unaccustomed to such reverence. He also noted the ponie's obvious anxiety and smiled warmly at her, hoping to calm her down a bit. It would never be his intention to come off as frightening to any pony he met.

"I am not mad in the slightest. You are not interrupting me at all! I was just enjoying this gorgeous day in the garden. It's my favorite place in Canterlot to just get away for a bit. But you must tell me why you called me professor. That is quite an odd sentiment for me to understand as few ponies ever address me with such formality!"

Atom was quite intrigued by this filly that was observing her. He was not unimpressed by her skill at remaining undetected and if he had not gotten up to roam around a bit, he surely would not have noticed her for quite some time. It was truly a useful skill to have and Atom was very interested in how this pony had acquired it.

"I'm Atom by the way. No need for the professor part."

Atom chuckled to himself as he introduced himself to the pony. She should at least know my name so she won't have to call my professor! Atom thought to himself.

[Dark Star]

Dark Star relaxed a bit as the Professor she had encountered was actually very nice, more so that he was willing to look past such an incident without feeling mad. She listened to his explanation and gave a small smile when she found out his reasoning for being in the garden that afternoon. He had introduced himself to her as Atom and then questioned why it was that she referred to him with the title she used. She looked him straight in the eyes and began to explain. "You're one of the professors at the university, so I presumed you preferred going by that same title. I suppose I was a bit wrong though" she said as she looked up at the tree.

"My name is Dark Star, by the way. I'm sort of a researching assistant from the university; I turn in my research to the astronomy director, Professor Specks. Today happened to be the day that I submit my research and, since I had nothing else to do this afternoon, I thought I would take a stroll through the garden. I felt a bit tired, so I came underneath this tree and rested for a bit. I noticed you on the other side of the tree and tried to find see who you were" she explained. She looked him in the eyes and smiled awkwardly, her eyes darting to either side of her line of sight as she wondered what it was this pony was thinking, assuming that she would seem like some bizarre stalker of sorts.

[PumpkinPie]

Atom raised his eyebrows in surprise when he realized the filly was from the university. It shouldn't have been much of a surprise to him to see one of the students out in the garden. They probably enjoyed escaping the hustle and bustle of Canterlot as much as he did. But it was a surprise anyway and Atom was pleased to meet a student he hadn't met before.

"Ah Professor Specks. Good pony."

Atom chuckled to himself as he recalled the astronomy professor Dark Star reported to.

"I'm glad to have met another student; and a research student at that! How wonderful! This tree is indeed a good tree to rest beneath. My favorite one in the whole garden! But I didn't mean to disturb you if you were taking a break from your studies. I wouldn't want to impose on your free time."

Atom was very warm in welcoming this pony. He loved the university dearly and all of its bright and talented students. Dark Star reminded him a bit of himself when he studied at the university. She seemed like a hard-working pony, but he was glad she was getting a bit of a chance to relax and enjoy nature on such a splendid day. He tried to hold his lectures outside on the lawn in front of the university whenever he could so that his students wouldn't feel so cramped in the dark windowless caves that were considered classrooms. Atom watched Dark Star curiously to see if she indicate he should leave her in peace.

[Dark Star]

Dark Star smiled and looked away for a moment when Atom began his speculation of her. Calling her a student was taking a serious step in the wrong direction, but there was no way she could explain things properly. How could she explain it? She was a free-lance astronomy researcher turning over a profit in a university she didn't even attend. The only reason she even knew about Atom being a professor is because of how Professor Specks had told her about the other faculty members. Trying to find an answer, she looked at her feet shyly and chuckled in a manner most uncomfortable. 

After a minute of silent thought, she managed to build up enough courage to answer. "Prof-err...Atom, I think you may have the wrong idea about me; I'm not actually a student of the university. I just do free-lance work researching astronomy and submit my findings to Professor Specks for a profit. I'm really more like a part of the staff than anything else. I've watched and attended a few lectures before, but only when no-pony else could even notice my entering or exiting when it was over" she explained with her head lowered in shame. She knew right away that she couldn't take back anything she had just admitted to, so she kept her head lowered and braced herself for the incoming lecture she was bound to receive.

[PumpkinPie]

Atom turned his head quizzically as Dark Star admitted that she wasn't a student but a free-lance researcher; staff of the university just as he was himself! Atom was instantly curious about the ponie's background and wondered how he should approach and ask her about it without coming on too strong and scaring her away. He had heard f independent research at the university a few times but he had never met a pony who performed such work. Professor Speck had never mentioned having such a student either. He wondered how such a position was chosen and why Professor Speck would hire someone outside of the university. Atom knew there was only one way to find out.

"Wow, that's brilliant! You must be quite the well-studied filly then! You must tell me what your background is and how you became involved with Professor Speck! And why haven't you wanted to take classes at the school? Have you passed all your classes already?"

Atom was worried he had overstepped his bounds and made the filly uncomfortable. He had no intention of sending the inquisition after her and he back-peddled as he wondered how he could make himself feel more approachable for the pony. He also wanted to encourage her to take classes as he knew how useful and exciting the classes could be. He knew a smart pony such as Dark Star would thoroughly appreciate the classes that the university had to offer and it could certainly improve her own research and skills base.

[Dark Star]

Dark Star had stood perfectly still as she spoke with Atom. She wanted to be brave, even though many of her instincts were shouting at her to run away. She thought to herself 'What would Slipstream do?' and found her answer. 'I'd stick around and shove my greatness in his face' Slipstream said to her in memory. Unfortunately for her though, boasting was never something Dark Star actually did, much less liked seeing, so she stood still in thought an listened as Atom complimented her accolades. He seemed as if he was very excited to talk to her; saying he wanted to know about her background, her meeting Professor Specks and so much more. There was so much information being asked that her head nearly spin. Her eyes glowed slightly in the shade on the tree and she shivered momentarily until he was finished.

"I...I" she stuttered under her breath. This event had happened to her a multitude of times, but this time felt different for some reason. She felt as if she could just cry, right there in the garden, but held them back as she stood tall in front of the scientist before her and took a deep breath. She let out a loud sigh and looked Atom in the eyes, her own eyes glowing profusely from all the emotional distress. "In order; I come from a land known as Nocturne's Valley, located north-east of Canterlot. I left there a little over a year ago when I wanted to share my love of the stars and the universe with every pony I could find. I started out in Canterlot, where I met Professor Specks at the University. He had known my grandparents, both of which were excellent astrologists in their day and gave me the chance to exchange my research work for a small profit every week, gaining a steady bonus for making any new discoveries that I had come across" she explained quickly as she began to breath heavily. 

Next came on of the more difficult questions that he threw her way earlier; why it is she didn't attend classes, followed by questioning if her classes were already finished. "Though I may not look it, I'd only be the age of most college sophomores" she started. "However, I don't have any time to myself to focus on an all-night job and morning classes at the same time. As you can probably imagine, I'm almost completely nocturnal, so I really don't have the time to attend morning or afternoon classes. I may have attended a few magic lectures, but that was only because I sneaked my way in moments before the lecture began and blended in with the others" she explained in a slightly uneasy tone. After she was finished explaining, she bent down slightly and fought to catch her breath. Hopefully now, Atom had all he wanted to know from her.