“In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration.”

Ansel Adams

This is my first story that isn't a total comedy about me and my friends. Hope you enjoy the fic, constructive criticism and suggestions are highly appreciated.

-Vespi

The most beautiful moment in any day was the sunset and the sunrise. Two moments North Star never missed, the small farm he lived on was perfect for this hobby. North Star would commonly sneak up onto his roof to view the yellow orb come up and down. The beautiful terrain in the foreground added to the scenery, large and lively green trees formed a sort of barrier in between the farm and the trail leading into town. He couldn’t help but smile at the thought of heading into town at that time, on some sort of a spontaneous adventure. Of every hobby he had tried, adventuring was his favorite. The feeling of exploration was a great feeling, every time North Star entered a strange location he felt his heartbeat, he felt a strange sensation that couldn’t be quenched unless he explored more, and more, and more until he was done.

Here was the big moment! The sun finally peaked its yellow head over the horizon, steadily coming up little by little, until it became definitely visible. It was a beautiful sight, something that couldn’t be replaced by anything on the planet. It was a type of beauty that would never die natural beauty. North Star sat there for a few moments, mainly because he didn’t feel like moving but eventually he willed himself to stand up and stretch a little bit, after all he would have to begin to do his chores soon.

“North Star can you please come down here and help me!?” His father asked

“Hang on I am coming Dad!” North Star said, he deftly got off the roof, without a single scratch or cut. When North Star began sneaking up on the roof before breakfast he would constantly scrap a knee, or hit his head or some other minor problem. After 2 years of experience of the rote procedure North Star had just plopped down from the roof when his worried mother came by.

“North Star I told you I don’t like it when you go up on the roof!” She scolded

“Come on mom” Our Earth pony said “It isn’t that dangerous”

“I know mister; I just don’t want you to get all dirty before you even start your day!” She replied, North Star’s mother, Aventine, may be the type of pony to have a heart attack over some dirt in the house but either way she cared about her foal, and her husband or that matter.

“Okay Mom if you excuse me I have to help Dad” North Star said, trying to get by his over bearing mother.

“I remember the first time your father asked you to help him” Aventine said, gazing off into the days of old “You are so grown up now”

North Star hated it when his mother tried this trick on him, but he had to admit he had grown up right. He was a dark crimson red Earth Pony, just like his mother. North Star had spiky blond hair and a wavy blond tail. He looked a lot like his mother, besides the unicorn part of course, but got almost all of his personality traits from his father. His friends constantly called him things like bold, energetic, and most importantly adventurous.

“Sorry to pop your bubble Mom but can you step out of my way please so I can help Dad?” North Star squeaked, Aventine trotted out of the way and headed back inside from which she had just came from, probably to give his brother and sister breakfast. North Star would get his own breakfast eventually, after he helped out his father.

“Hey there son thanks for helping me!” His father said with his customary good cheer. Of all of North Stars heroes his favorite was his father. His father, Compass Rose, was an ex-explorer who returned back to Marefields to raise a family and work the farm. He was a blue pegasus with wavy brown hair. On top of his hat was his favorite coon skin hat, North Star remembers the story like the back of his hoof, it had to do something with killing a Ursa Major with his two bare hooves.

“Hey Dad what do you need help with?” North Star asked casually

“Can you run into town for me and get me some seeds for the crops? You know where the seeds are, right?” His dad handed him a list and a little bag of bits

“Sure thing Dad” North Star said, he began to head towards the gate where the property ended when his father called out for him one last time.

“Also please don’t go on any stupid adventures alright!?” The aging farmer joke with a wry chuckle

North Star gave his own perky laugh and gave his Dad a nod. He wasn’t going to go on some crazy adventure for no apparent reason! Well he probably would, but not today at leastly, and definitely not while doing his father’s bidding.

North Star opened the gate and closed it gently behind him, being circumspect about the notorious clanging the elderly metal door gave when misused. North Star took out the list and studied it carefully for 5 minutes or so before heading into town.

North Star lived in the small and quaint town Marefields. The town was basically a farming community that was said to be started by his own family! The town itself was no massive metropolis full of gleaming sky scrapers and city folk, it was just a small town basically used as a supply depot for the parents and for the foal a hub for activity.

North Star headed right into the heart of the small town, passing by the school and the bakery towards the supply store or as it was called “Supply Zone”.

North Star waltzed right in, opening the door generously to let the chirpy golden brass bell clang for a few seconds to alert the store owners.

“Hey North Star what can I get you!?” Old Root asked. Old Seed was the oldest pony in the entire town, he owned his own farm starting when he was North Star’s age and had just sold it a few years before. For bits now a day he ran this store, giving out things like tools, fertilizer, and other necessities for any farm for cheap prices.

“Hey Old Root can you just get me a bag of corn seed?” North Star asked

“Sure thing North Star” The old pony said in his smiley manner. He walked behind into his inventory for a brief and terse second before coming back lugging a heavy looking bag of seeds.

“That’ll be 10 bits” Old Root said, North Star reached into the little purse his Dad had gave him and handed out 10 bits for the store keeper.

“Thanks Old Root!” North Star said, before exiting the store.

North Star lugged the bag to the school before sitting down for a brief break.

“Hey North Star what are you doing?” Apple Cider said, North Star turned around to see the apple farmer standing by him, his red cowboy hat hanging from his head.

“O hey there Apple Cider” North Star said “Just taking a break from lugging these here seeds”

“Need some help with them” Apple Cider asked; although Apple Cider wasn’t the strongest, or the smartest, or the prettiest pony around he still loved helping ponies. It was times like these when North Star wondered why Apple Cider’s cutie mark was an apple and not a peace sign or something.

“No thanks” North Star said

“Okay, hey North Star you like adventuring am I right?” Apple Cider asked

North Star just gave him an aggravated stare that was a no brainer.

“Sorry! Listen look over here! One of those fancy Royal Guards posted it” Apple Cider said pointing towards the wall of a store.

North Star was in no hurry, in fact that things would actually take longer, and he thought he deserved a quick break.

North Star got up and headed over towards the wall, on it was a lone poster.

“What the hay…” North Star said plucking it from off the wall, it read:

Greetings all ponies!

Do YOU like going to far off places?

Do YOU want to do something with your life?

Do YOU want to meet new friends and explore the world?

If you do we are accepting all volunteers for the Equestrian Exploration Corps or the EEC! Head researchers believe there is a land formation off of Equestria! If you want to explore a new world and see a new beautiful world then join the EEC by 1/30/12 and meet us at Fillydelphia harbor by 11/31/12! We are accepting all ponies that are strong, healthy, smart, and adventurous! Join the EEC today! Join the exploration!

“That sounds up your alley am I right North Star?” Apple Cider said

That did sound a lot like North Star. The ideas of wealth, of helping Equestria, and the ideas of exploration were surging through North Stars head at an alarming rate. Every bone in his body told him to say yes, to drop everything he was doing and head to Fillydelphia right this instant.

“Thanks for telling me this Apple Cider you’re a true friend!” North Star said, taking the poster and running back to grab his seeds.

“That is what I like to do” Apple Cider said, talking to himself as North Star bolted towards home.

North Star didn’t really know why he was running, all he knew was he wanted to get home quickly and tell his family.  He wasn’t a greedy pony at heart, in fact he always tried to act like Apple Cider and be friendly and think of others before himself, but this was something different. Equestria was believed to be the only landform on this planet, yet here there are scientists saying “I think there are actually other places we can live”!

North Star was about to collapse when he came towards the creaky black gate, he took a moment to control his panting and chose to sat down for a moment. He then hoisted up the brown seed bag and quickly opened the gate, sparing his ears of the painful squeaking the gate constantly emitted.

He stashed the seed bag in with the other bags before heading inside for some much needed explaining and an even more needed breakfast.

North Star walked inside the house and was greeted by his older brother and younger sister casually finishing up breakfast.

“Hey there North Star” Cavalier said, Cavalier was North Stars older brother. He was faster, stronger, and basically better at sports then North Star. If anything he would probably become the town guard pretty son, what with the fact that he could tear any pony in town a new one without even trying.

“North Star you’re back!” squealed his litter sister, little Rose, who as it seems eyeing the remains of some lobotomized oatmeal. North Star couldn’t help but smile every time he saw his sister; she was so innocent so naïve, unlike his brother and himself who had been pre disposed to things deemed inappropriate from their friends.

“Hey there you guys are eating without me?” North Star asked with a smile

“What do you want us to do we were going to starve!” Cavalier said with his own laugh, getting up to give North Star a handshake.

“Did you two hear the news?” North Star asked, his siblings both looked at one another and then at their brother.

“What do you mean North Star!?” The two asked in unison

“You ponies didn’t hear? Look at this poster!” North Star said, presenting the two the poster

“Wow they found a new land place!?” Little Ross asked

“Yup, I think I am going to go help them and explore” North Star said

“But North Star, this poster says that this thing is in Fillydelphia, and it is overseas.” Cavalier said “Are you really going to do this!?”

“Of course” North Star said “Adventuring is my passion, you ponies don’t think it is a good idea?”

“You could get killed!” Little Ross squeaked before stop short by Cavaliers hoof

“What she means is… this stuff is dangerous” Cavalier confessed “And frankly we need you around the farm, shouldn’t you tell Mom and Dad before running off to join this EEC?”

“Don’t worry I will at Dinner” North Star said

North Star kind of hoped dinner would never happen and just be water under the bridge, sadly it came and North Star had to tell his parents about his idea. But fortunately his sister had told them first.

“You want to do what!?” Aventine asked “Are you insane! This could be dangerous!” she began, the last thing North Star and the rest of his family wanted to hear was a rant about family values and all that stuff.

“Relax Aventine” Dad said “He knows things could be dangerous, he knows he might get killed, he-“

“KILLED!?” Aventine squeaked like a frantic chicken “I DON’T WANT MY BABY COLT GETTING KILLED!”

North Star’s father gave him a sorrowful look “Sorry son didn’t mean to set her off”

“It’s okay Dad.” North Star said, he turned to look at his Mom “Relax Mom I am not going to get killed, relax. Besides Mom this is what I want to do in life, I want to explore.”

Aventine gave a long sigh “Are you sure about this? I don’t think they will just let you leave whenever you want.”

“I know Mom” North Star said “I think this is what I want to do in life. Will you guys get by without me?”

Every pony looked at one another and then finally at North Star

“We will son” Compass Ross said “Do what you want to do”

***

Things hadn’t changed much in the last week, North Star was still fervent about going to Fillydelphia and despite all of Aventine’s crying, all of Little Ross’s begging and all of Cavalier’s warnings North Star was surer about it than anything he had ever done. He actually felt like this was going to be his dream job, going around the world with the EEC.

The day North Star was going to leave for Fillydelphia was dogged with rain and wind, nonetheless almost the entire town headed towards the train station to wish North Star good luck, they had known him all of his life and he had known them all of his life, in a way they were all his family. The moment was obviously emotional, not making it any easier for North Star but it was something he had to do. Even Cavalier was looking a little teary when the announcer said North Star’s train was arriving in a short time.

“Good luck out their kid” Cavalier said “Try and not get killed”

North Star gave out a nervous laugh “Don’t worry pal I’ll be home as soon as I can”

“Good luck out there bud” Apple Cider said giving him a hoof shake “It’s been a pleasure”

“Thanks for your entire help friend” North Star said with a 2nd nervous smile. Things went on like this for another 20 or so ponies, always telling him good luck and giving him a hug or a hoof shake. The last pony in line was Compass Ross.

“You are a lot like me son, I’m really proud of you.” North Star’s father said removing a tear from his eye

“I love you Dad” North Star said

North Star finally saw the train come into the station and slowly walked towards it, he handed the pony in front his ticket and hopped aboard. Outside were his family, relatives, and friends; all waving their hooves wishing him good luck.

North Star returned the wave and smiled back. He wasn’t a small town farmer colt anymore, he was going out into the world. He was going to explore a new land.

The adventure had begun

Next Chapter: The Solstice Estimated time remaining: 51 Minutes