When I "awoke" I realized that I couldn't see anything. I could, however, feel that it was warm.
"What's going on?" I thought aloud.
{'Answer: You haven't been born yet.'}
"Who are you?!" I queried in a panic..
}{'Answer: Consider me your conscience'(1)}
"Okay, I can't remember anything specific, aside from how to talk. What gives?"
['quote]{'Answer: You didn't take the Memory Retetention Knack, but you did get Star Pupil. You'll get bits and pieces here and there, but not the whole thing.'}"Oh. Okay. So... when do i get Born?"
quote{'Intuition: About five days. Give or take. We'll find out what gender you are are then. Suggestion: Get some rest. There's not much else to do.'So I proceeded to do just that.
-----------------
(Later...)
"Congratulations Miss Seafoam! It's a girl! What do you esnt to call her?"
"I think I'll call her... Airspray.(2)"
{You appear to be-}
'I noticed.'
I tried to speak to my mother.
"Ab'th'ipl!"
{'Intuition: Due to your age, you will have difficulty communicating.'}
'Apparently.'
My mother poked my "nose". "Look at you! Trying to talk already!"
"A'k'ta'ojk"
'No dice.'
{'Intuition: Considering your speech pattern, your effective age is 2.5 years'}
'Well, that's something.'
My mother said, "Since you're more... lucid than most foals, I think it's a good time to show you Seaquestria."
'Seaquestria?'
With that, she gave me a crystal pendant.
"This will let you shapeshift between aerial and aquatic forms."
{Artifact: Crystal Pendant; Allows shapeshifting ability.}
We went to a beach that was nearby and entered the shallows.
"Alright, Airspray, for now, tap the crystal twice."
I did so (with a little trouble) and changed form.
{Aquatic form assumed.}
Without further ado, we entered deeper waters.
""
I tried again. ""
"" Mom corrected.
'That's what I said.'
""
[quote{Notice: That's due to the Star Pupil skill.}'Remind me to go over my skills with you at some point.'
{Notification set. You may pen it at any time.}
My 'conscince' said with a bit of smugness.
So mom took my... left fin and we swam downward. Two thirds of the way down, I heard;
quote[]{Swimming has advanced to Level 1.}/quote]
I chose not to comment on that.
Getting deep enough, someone who looked appropriately regal swam over to us.
""
""
'Let's try this again.' "<Ke'in Na Va! H'wo! ]'"
"" Mom corrected.
'That's what I said!'(3)
"" my mother said, worriedly.
"" The queen said. ""
'I'm going to try this again. If nothing else, I'll seem cute, at least.' "" 'Not quite.'
"" Mo corrected.
'That's. What. I said!' I growled inwardly.
Queen Novo, for her part, seemed like she was about to roll over on the nearest available surface laughing. If she was a tinge less refined...
Anyway, for my benefit, she explained our history (Mom said that she loved this story). as I gained two more Swimming levels. I'll skip most of the details, but I will say that much of it went over some jerk called the Storm King. Apparently, he killed a bunch of our kind, but most of us were able to get away. We were in seclusion for an indeterminate amount of years, but some ponies came along. (Yadda yadda) they defeated the Storm King and he literally went to pieces. Good riddance. Our princess also helped the ponies get rid of the Storm King guy without permission, so she was grounded for a few weeks. Or sunk, i guess.
So apparently, this "Princess Twilight" pony opened a school of some kind. One of our kind, Silverstream (Which, yes, I mispronounced a couple of times, much to the queen's amusement) went there to learn about 'friendship' and someday i likely would too. The basic idea is that we were free to go where (and do what) we wanted we wanted (within reason, of course). Some of us even settled down in some of these pony cities. And they'll live happily ever after; the end. I guess.
Mom clapped, of course, and I actually got 'Queen Novo' right, eventually. So apparently in around ten (or 15) years it'll be my choice where (or if) I wanted to go to. if I wanted to be a northeast or southwest going type. After a long goodbye, Mom and I returned to the shallows. I tapped my pendant a couple times after that.
{Terran/aerial form reassumed.}
Mom decided to give me some flight lessons, though. I was only able to go a few feet in the air, but I think I did okay. After all of that, it was time to go to bed, after dinner, of course. I could only wonder what the next day would bring.
Author's Note
1: Not 'quite' the Sage skill, but similar.
2: As Trixie said a few times, "It's a working title". Also, Seabreeze was taken.
3: It's called a running gag, folks.
I was a victim of a multiple car pile-up. Fortunately, my parents survived. Unfortunately, It seemed that I wasn't going to make it. I managed to survive the trip to a hospital, at least.
"Let me just... say that... I'm sorry I... let you down."
"There's nothing to be sorry about. These things happen." My mother said, soothingly.
I'll say.
"Still, I... wish I could- could've been a bet-better son."
{Better attributes perk - acquired. As a result, any future attribute boost will be 50% more effective}
"Maybe more in-telli-gent too."
{Skill: Fast Learner - Acquired. (Fast Learner will evolve into Star Pupil.) Skill: Know-it-All - acquired (Know it all will evolve into Well Read Virgin)}
"Or a b-bet-ter judge of ch-aracter m-m-maybe?"
{Skills: Truesight and Stench of Guilt - Acquired.}
"I was nev-er a good art-ist eit-her."
{Skills: Perfect Partner, Photographic Penmsnship and Omnidexterity - acquired.}
I put my good hand to my head.
"Headache?" my father queried.
"No. Feel light-headed." I told him.
"You never liked heights anyway." my mother joked. "You weren't afraid as such, but still..."
"True." I said, nodding.
{Skills: Cat's Grace and Monkey Climber - acquired (Cat's Grace will evolve into Divine Balance and Monkey Climber will evolve into Spider Climber). Any height related fears removed. Also, amphibious form - acquired. As a bonus, due to cause of death, next form will be tougher and more hardy.(1)}
I shook my head slightly.
"Need something to help you sleep?" my father asked.
I waved with my good hand. "You know I c-c-can't stand the taste of al-cohol."
{Skill: Doin' Fine - Acquired. Sleep effectiveness doubled}
"And he inherited my genes, 'Mister Teflon'(2)." mom said, teasing my father.
{Alcohol tolerance boosted. Skill: Elemental Immunity - acquired. Also, recovery speed enhanced.}
"Qui-et." I said, wincing.
{Sound tolerance - enhanced.}
"You should rest." Mom said.
"Just In case - Good-bye."
And we hugged.
{Skills: Lasting Impression - Acquired}
Ten minutes after, I heard one last thing.
{Skill: Holy Fortitude - acquired. (Will evolve into Divine Fortitude and then add Inner Furnace later.)
Also, Perk: Minor Deus ExMachina - acquired}
And then... I died.
Author's Note
1: Believe me - There is a difference.
2: No, really - that's effectively my dad's nickname.
The protagonist is gaining more bonuses because he's dying more slowly.
