Violet allowed the waves to propel her gently toward the shore. When she felt her hooves touch the bottom, she stood up and waded the rest of the way onto the beach. She paused to shake herself vigorously to rid herself of much of the seawater that had soaked into her coat before proceeding further. She settled down with a sigh of contentment under the shade of what passed for a palm tree on this world. That had been a most enjoyable swim in the relatively warm water of this semi-tropical island. A fine way to end her first day in her new home.

The sun was lowering toward the horizon and would soon be blocked by a ridge of hills that sheltered the beach from the prevailing westerly breeze. Ponies young and old were still making the most of the remaining daylight. She did not see any griffons but they were not generally known to enjoy bathing in saltwater. She did see a couple of morphs though. Birds cruised around looking for a meal, calling to each other in strange voices. The sun’s rays reflected off a ship entering the bay around which the colony was being constructed. Beyond, Violet saw glinting from the communications tower perched on the highest point of the surrounding hills. It all seemed very peaceful – not bad for a place that had been founded for the purpose of fighting a war. But why this island in particular? Official documents had been a bit vague beyond listing its uninhabited nature at the time. The mare intended to do some research into this in her spare time but, right now, she had a new hometown to explore.

Getting back to her hooves, the unicorn headed toward her accommodation. She passed some nice homes along the way, owned by the fortunate beings who had arrived here early enough to claim some prime real estate for their dwellings. Violet considered herself lucky that the barracks that had been converted to apartments for new immigrants were in the same area. Then there was the small group of shops that serviced this subset of the larger colony town. She had bought a hat there when she found out just how strong the sunlight was In New Horizon. Back at her room, she took a long shower to thoroughly rinse all the salt out of her coat before applying some conditioner. She spent the time needed to dry off making a mug of tea with the ingredients that had been thoughtfully provided in the small pantry.

While sipping the steaming beverage, she considered how to deal with her luggage that had been delivered a bit over two hours after her arrival. No – correct that. It was about an hour and a half in Chakonan hours. She would have to start getting used to the local time measurements. Anyway, some of it could be stored in the wardrobe while the equipment that she needed for her work could be stacked in a corner out of the way. Not the most elegant solution, but what more could you expect from free lodgings? Deciding to put off starting that task until she had eaten, Violet made her way to the cafeteria downstairs. It was always open, perhaps another concession to the wildly varied tastes and needs of the creatures it served. However, some items were only available at certain times of the day. This being the normal dinner hours though, most options were available.

While it was a sit-down restaurant, you had to pick up many items at a buffet counter and put in any special orders with the staff there. The poached mikuriya looked tempting after the violet changeling behind the counter explained that it was a local type of fish similar to salmon. The ’ling was a little surprised at the unicorn’s choice but served it up for her. Violet projected gratitude at him and he nodded and smiled in thanks. After charging the meal to her immigration credit, the mare took the fish, salad, rice pudding, and milkshake she had chosen and looked for a place to seat herself. As it was a busy time of day, there were no empty tables, but there were a few with only one occupant. Recognizing a griffon from the starship that had brought them to Chakona, she asked, “Mind if I sit here?”

The hawk-beaked griffon looked up, his eyes widening in recognition. “No – go right ahead.”

Levitating her items to the other side of the table from the cat-bird, Violet settled into a seat opposite her acquaintance. The griffon eyed the food, an eye ridge rising in curiosity.

“I don’t see too many ponies eating fish, and they are usually pegasi,” he commented.

“Family quirk,” the mare responded. “We all love it.”

“Fair enough. The name’s Lightning Lance.”

“Violet Woods.” She held up a forehoof which Lightning bumped with his balled-up talons. “So, what brings you here?” she asked before taking a gulp from her milkshake.

“I’m a biologist. I was drawn by all the new science to be learned here. Never-before-studied flora, fauna and ecosystem? Count me in!”

“With a name like yours, I would not have picked you for a biologist,” the mare said with a grin.

The griffon chuckled. “Neither did my parents. They were most disappointed with my choice of career. How about you?”

“Geologist. I had some of the same reasons as you to come here, but some were a bit more personal. Frankly, I’m trying to re-start my life with a clean slate.”

“I won’t pry then, although I am very curious why your family likes fish so much. You are very obviously enjoying yours.”

Violet nodded but finished chewing the succulent morsel before replying. “Blame my great-grandfather. He was a pegasus and he introduced it to his unicorn wife. They served it to their foals and it’s been a family staple ever since.”

“It’s really surprising more ponies don’t eat fish. It’s a good source of protein and low in fat.” The skin under his eyes crinkled and he winked. “Better than all that sugar you eat.”

Violet giggled. “Ponies have a weakness for sugary stuff, I admit. I try to keep it in moderation though.”

The conversation lapsed as both concentrated on their meals. Lightning Lance bade the mare a friendly good night before departing. After the mare finished her dessert, she returned to her room and finished putting away the last of her gear. Then, with a tired groan, she threw herself on the bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

#

After breakfast in the cafeteria the next morning, Violet headed into town. While there were plenty of electrically powered single passenger vehicles at her service, she preferred to trot the distance. She needed to keep fit for her job and she had spent far too much of the previous day either sitting or lying down during her travels. Besides, it saved the bits that she had put aside for special occasions. Some of those bits were spent almost as soon as she hit town, drawn by the irresistible aroma of freshly baked goods coming from a shop in the main street. She munched on her warm fruit buns as she walked around her new hometown, getting the lay of the land. She noted where various shops were located (with the bakery on the top of her list!) and found the office where she would have to report for work. That could wait for next week though.

During her travels, she encountered a few more of the non-Equestrian species that lived there. The Caitians reminded her a lot of the Abyssinians but there were no equivalents to the many other morph species. She found the equine morph to be a little unsettling, to be honest. Ponies belonged on four hooves, not two!

Tourism was not a thing here yet so she had difficulty in getting some general information about the area. Undoubtedly, she would receive a lot from her workplace when she reported in, but she did not want to do that so soon. She had her own side agenda and did not want to explain her need. One thing she prioritized was updating her comm service. While the nature of magic-based communications technology meant that her comm worked anywhere on Equestria, she didn’t expect it to do so light years away. After locating the office of the local service, it took only about a quarter-hour to open a new account and have her comm activated.

With all the essentials completed, Violet decided that she might as well make the most of the remaining day. She practically galloped to the beach again. This time, she spent some effort meeting the locals and managed to get invited into a volleyball game. It was both fun and a good workout. When it was time to go back to the apartment, she was a very tired but happy pony.

After dinner at the cafeteria, Violet laid out the equipment that she needed for the next day. Now that she was fairly familiar with the township, it was time to get a good look at the whole area. And what better viewpoint than the communications tower that overlooked the entire settlement and more? Tomorrow, she would hike up there and see what she could see. And, who knew? She might even get a head start on solving the riddle of this island.

Author's Note

Next episode - The Meeting!

Violet has settled in now, so it's time to get things rolling and we'll meet the next major player in this tale.

The map will be updated as the story progresses. If you're curious about a map of Chakona, you can find it HERE. By the way, if anyone is good at drawing interesting maps, contact me please.