Sempiternal

Over the course of the next few months of intense rehabilitation in the hands of my alien friends mostly Fluttershy making a full recovery by early Spring. In that short span of time I had worked on my manners and common courtesies with help from Rarity and built a solid rapport with the mane six who I was beginning to grow fond of their company. Also I had gotten myself a job in Ponyville as a farmhand in the Southern hayfields to help Fluttershy out of gratitude for her expenses in the animal care business she ran.

One day I was on my lunch break sitting in the shade up propped up on against an old Oak tree. My hair now completely covered my face and shoulders over a slightly more muscular frame than before from the couple of months of toil in the blistering heat of the dusty fields. Sitting quietly and munching on some Celery taking in the beautiful scenery listening to the songbirds who have just returned for the Southern lands filling the air with sweet music. It was then I saw Twilight and some strange pony I've never seen before approaching from a few yards away.

They get within a few feet if me and sit down on their haunches in the soft grass. Twilight clears her throat and in her usual polite voice and asks " Sorry to bother you at work. Are you busy at the moment Koba?" Her companion a tall and slender light Brown Pegasus mare with long smoky Gray hair and blue eyes that bulged out of her big Black framed glasses. Her feelings was of awe and disbelief like her mind was playing tricks on her as her eyes stuck to me like glue not saying a single word and breathing very heavily.

I just nod and reply back to her with a small grin. "No what's up Twily? Who's your friend?" Twilight looked over at her and she still just had that blank stare before she said. "Digger this is my friend Koba he was hoping you could shed some light on what happened to the rest of his kind and why he's here."

She slowly gets up and approaches me getting within a foot of me when she lifted her front hoof and extended out towards me. I was a bit confused at this gesture and stared at the appendage before it clicked in my mind her friendly intention. Grasping her hoof I shake it gently up and down as a sign of peace. She shrieks wildly startling me and turns back to her friend Twilight who had the biggest cockiest grin on her face as she exclaimed.

"Twilight this is incredible!!! Never in a million years thought I would ever have a face to face meeting with an actual breathing Sapient!!! This could be the discovery of a lifetime!!! Do you know what this means for my studies??" Twilight nods her head no almost as confused as me and surprised by her reaction as much as I was. She turned her attention back to me and with a much more calmer and subtle tone explained. "I'm sorry about that usually I don't get so hyped up over my work but just wanted to say I've been obsessed with your species since I was just a filly. When Twilight told me about you I just thought she was drunk or something but here I am talking to an actual living member of this great Sapient race that was lost to time. It truly is an honor to meet you Mr Koba."

After she finishes her rant I smiled and responded back politely brushing the hair out of my face with my hands so she could see my face more clearly. "I truly am flattered miss McClean. Twilight has told me you have extensive knowledge of archeology and quite frankly I'm Impressed by your intelligence so far. What have you discovered so far? Where did they all go?"

Her eyes turn down to the dirt and a moment later she replied when she looked up again. "I really don't know Mr Koba what happened to them. It's like they just vanished into thin air 2000 years ago. I have explored ancient ruins of your race before in my travels all over Equestria but it hasn't shed any light on their sudden disappearance."

She could see the look of disappointment on my face but reassured me by saying. "I'm sorry but if you want would you like to be my partner in research for awhile? There are still some mysteries with my most recent discoveries and who else other than you to help me. We can find the answer together."

I nod and replied with a smile with the small glimmer of hope that she could provide me. "Well the cut here is done for now. I have a few weeks of downtime until the next one is ready. If you want there is the cavern in the Northern mountains I still have yet to finish exploring if you want to tag along tommorrow."

Her eye's widen almost exploding at the request and immediately she squealed back at me. "Are you kidding!!??? I would love too!!! All my things are packed at Twilight's library ready to go just meet me at the Everfree junction at sunrise. I don't want too miss a second of this monumental opportunity to help you."

Her eagerness and foresight into planning this venture showed her unrelenting tenacity and unbreakable passion for knowledge. Even if I had said I didn't care to find out what happened to the Humans. She still would leave no stone on that mountain unturned in her quest for answers.

In compliance and nodding I said back to the eager Pegasus. "Meet me at Sweet Apple Acres tomorrow at the crack of dawn and bring what ever you'll think need. I would pack light if I were you it's quite a walk to get there." She nods and replies. "You're on!! See you then I'm going too let you get back to work see you in the morning."

Twilight says goodbye and they both make their way out. I could over hear Digger's voice even though she was a fair distance away as she talked Twilight's ear off about tomorrow. After they left I motivated myself back to work and within a few hours was on my way walking back to the cottage. Fluttershy was still at work so I started making the preparations for the journey packing some essential items into my ruck.

Fluttershy got the drop on me in the middle of it when she walked and startled me when she said. "Hey sweetie how was your day?" I froze and turn my head back at her like she had caught me doing something very bad. She had the most confused and concerned look on her face and asked me. "What are you doing?"

I sit down to get to eye level with her and said. "Twilight and her friend Digger came by work and seen me today and we talked about visiting the cavern for a few days. I'm going back to the mountains tomorrow to do some research with her and to find out what happened to the rest of my people."

She surprisingly gives me a smile and said. "That's wonderful too hear. What time are you leaving tomorrow?" I figured she would have had a stroke to hear that and it really caught me off guard but responded back swiftly. "Right before dawn." She gasps covering her mouth with her hoof and exclaimed. "Such a short time!!! I'll get dinner started right away and make you some snacks to take with you just in case you get hungry. And you should really get some rest too it's going to be a long day."

I smile brightly pleased by her reaction and thoughtfulness and replied. "Thank you so much. I'll help you fix dinner after this just give me a minute."

She walks off into the kitchen and I finish up a few minutes later and proceed to help her cook up a fantastic feast of all my favorite foods. We talked over dinner my plan and very soon after I helped her clean up was off to bed eager to start this venture. My excitement made sleep difficult but after tossing and turning for an hour I finally drifted off into slumber.