Legacy: Even Weeds Can Grow A Flower...

Five Months Later...

Waking to the sun's morning rays, a smile crossed Botanica's face. Today was the day that she would find out if her newest crop of bio-pod seeds were growing successfully out in the fields. Five months of work had resulted in her successfully cultivating a new strand of bio-plant that would grow at a faster rate, while also producing higher yields. The seeds had been taken out to the ponies working the fields a few weeks ago, and the results report was supposed to come in this morning.

Rising from her bed, she made her way across her room to the bathroom. Yes, it was five months of some of the most intense work she'd ever done! The bio-pod plants were not easy to modify, having been engineered by Vectin scientists with more advanced skills then she possessed. But trial and error, not to mention lots of patience, had finally paid off.

Or so she hoped...

While washing her mane, Botanica new that while much of the credit was hers, a large portion belonged to Zarkin. The Vectin guard had proven to be a skilled assistant, and was more then willing to provide whatever support he could. While his knowledge of botany was limited, she had discovered that he was a quick study, and was able to solve a few issues that had stumped even herself. She had found herself actually looking forward to seeing him each morning, surprising as it was. Imagine, she thought, what the others would think if they found that I was enjoying working with one of our oppressors?

Finally ready, she trotted over to the door, pushing it open. "Good morning, Zarki-"

The sight before her stopped the words in their tracks. It took a moment for her mind to point out that it was not Zarkin that stood in the hall, but a different guard, one who didn't have a different patch of color on his greenish-brown snout.

"You work now," the guard ordered, pointing down the hallway with his staff.

"Where is Zarkin?" she asked, pausing in the doorway. "Is he late?"

"Transferred to guard fields," the guard growled, gesturing once again with his staff. She stepped out into the hallway, and fell in step with the guard.

"Why was he transferred?" she asked, unable to stop her curiosity.

The guard gave her what she thought was an annoyed look. "Requested," he replied, before shifting his eyes away from her.

"Oh." So, that was the mystery solved then. Zarkin had requested to work somewhere else besides with her in the botany lab. Was it something I did, she thought, or was he hiding the fact he was interacting with his 'prisoner'?

The rest of the walk across the palace was quiet, as the guard was unwilling to speak more, and she didn't know what to say. They passed a few other Vectin guards, none of which so much as looked at her. But that was normal for them, as they believed they were above a simple pony scientist. Does Zarkin feel that he's above me as well?

They arrived at the doors to the lab, which the new guard pushed open. She trotted past him to enter, and got half-way across the room before realizing that he was closing the doors from the outside.

"Aren't you coming in?" she asked without thinking.

The guard looked at her with a blank stare, before pulling the doors closed, leaving her alone in the room. Alone, without anypony around for company.

Again.

"Well, better get started," she told herself, and stepped over to a table with small glass bowls sitting upside down over seedlings. "Hand me the soil tester please."

After a moment of no reply, her mind caught up with itself. I'm such a fool, she thought, sitting down on the floor, here I was thinking that we were working so well together. It didn't matter that he was a Vectin and I'm a pony. Looking up to stare out the window, she watched the clouds flow by, the sun raise itself in the sky. Why did he leave? I thought he wanted to become a botanist?

I thought he was my friend....

That final thought hit her like a lightning bolt. Here she was, a lone pony surrounded by enemies, and who was she missing? Her family? Her friends? I really miss him, don't I? I thought we had a connection, but I guess he was just using me to learn how to be a.... a grower. Tears formed in her eyes, as she realized the truth. I'm alone again. Alone, in a garden of weeds...

As the sun made it's way across the sky, she just sat there, wondering how to go on. Finally, with a sigh, she got up, and moved over to study some budding plants. Botanica's first love was plants, and it was to their comfort she turned to now, while allowing a few tears to drop free from her eyes. "Now then," she said, ignoring the water dripping down her cheeks, "where is that plant food I made the other day?" She reached for a small pouch, while newly fallen moister on the budding leaves glistened in the sunlight....