I originally wrote the story in italian, then I tried to translate it in english.
I have to thank my beta BballGalKaitlin who helped me with grammar, spelling errors and who gave me her support.

I hope you like it.


Once upon a time, in a small, red planet named Vulcan, there was a young officer.
While being the son of an important ambassador, he lived in a modest home. As dictated by their costumes, in his house there were no rooms nor furniture used for recreational purposes, but this didn't mean the house was a dark, poor one. It was composed, like all the other houses on the planet surface, of a dozen rooms, each of them dedicated to a particular use. Among those which can not miss in every Vulcan house, there was the meditation room, in which our officer's father used to spend most of his time, when he had not to do otherwise at the embassy. The whole house, as the rest of the planet, possessed an aura of stillness and solemnity, and this room was its fulcrum; the drapes hanged on the walls, the candles on the floor and the smell of incense made each soul which entered there to calm down immediately, allowing the mind to rule every action and to enter that state of meditation so dear to every living being on the planet.
The house's peculiarity, which distinguished it from all the others in the surrounding area, was the presence of a green, luxurious spot: a small garden. It was rich of plants and even bigger was the care given to them. Our officer's mother, the only human being on the planet, used to dedicate his entire day caring for her flower bed, finding a way to pass the time. After having married Sarek and having been transferred on this desert planet, she had to adapt to its costumes, which imposed a rigid discipline and an absolute control over emotions. And for a human is not simple to repress his own feelings and change his own habit; but she did it, for her husband's love. And for this, he gave her this small spot.
This is exactly where our story begins, in the shade of a weeping willow. It was, like every other day: a saltry, dry day lightened by the strong rays of the sun.
While usually following the costumes of his planet and his father's teachings and orders, Spock allowed himself, when Sarek was not at home, to keep company to his mother in her green spot, sitting on a bench and studying the latest discoveries made by his contemporaries at the Vulcan Science Academy.
"Your father will be back soon. It's better for you to go, now." Amanda said, approching and sitting next to him.
"I can stay a few more minutes, Mother. Sarek will not be home for another 7.85 minutes." Spock replyed, putting aside his studies. "I can't comprehend your preoccupation; the peace that I find here is the same as the one I find in my own room. I can assure you my concentration is not affected by your presence."
"Spock, you know how much I love having you here, but we both also know how much your father disapproves."
"I don't understand his reasons."
"You know how he is; he thinks this place is too... human." she cleared with a benevolent, comprehensive smile on her lips.
"Mother, I myself have chosen to follow my Vulcan heritage, but this doesn't imply my human half is gone: as I try to suppress this part of my nature, there will always be something human in me. Although my father tryes to hide it."
"He wants only the best for you, and you know it. He doesn't show it, but this is the truth." She said, while reaching out to carress softly his son's cheek.
"Yes, I know." He said briefly, standing still to his mother's gesture, but looking at her with a veil of sweetness in his eyes. After some seconds, he went back home.
Precisely at that moment the main door opened, and Sarek entered the house.
"Father," Spock welcomed, raising his hand in the greeting Vulcan gesture.
"Spock," he replied, doing the same. "Where is your mother?"
"She's in the garden."
"Go to call her; I have something for you both to read."
Spock retraced his steps and informed his mother, who still was where he had left her a while ago.
The three of them went to the paternal study and turned on the computer to read the announcement. More or less it wrote so:

Starfleet is pleased to announce the end of its work. As predicted, the new Starship Enterprise of the Constitution class has been ultimated and is ready to embark for its first mission.
To celebrate this event, upon request of its new Captain, we invite all young officers to take part in a refreshment on board the said starship, which will be held tomorrow evening at 19:00 hours.
In the absence of a Science Officer, this event will be used as a test. Captain James Kirk himself will choose the one who will be joining him during his five-year mission.
P.S. Masked ball.

When each of them finished reading, silence weighed on the room; mother and son were waiting for his father's opinion.
"Spock," Sarek started."As a Starfleet student, you are officially expected to this celebration. But, as your father, I forbid it."
"Can I ask you the reasons behind your decision?" Spock replied, having seen in the invitation the first and only opportunity to leave his planet and start to satiate his curiosity. You know, books can teach, but experience is done on the field.
"You've never been in contact with any other species beyond the Vulcan one, except for your mother. I myself have accepted your enrollment in Starfleet, but I made sure that you could study at home, on your native planet. You are not ready to participate to such a party of this magnitude, much less to be in contact with a so wide range of people. It would be unconfortable and this could compromise all the work you've done for all these years towards your Vulcan training."
"If I may, Father, I think I should be the one to decide if I can participate or not. I agree with you when you say that I've lived isolated on this planet, but exactly for this reason I believe this is the right moment for me to start being in contact with what is out there, as after all, is requested to a Starfleet officer. Moreover, as the announcement says, this could be a good opportunity to join a starship crew." The son replied calmly, but mantaining the erect posture and the gaze of one who is willing to follow his idea.
"As I've just said, I don't think you're ready to take such a step. If all you want is the possibility to find a place as an officer, that's not a problem. As soon as I'll believe the time has come, I myself will make sure you'll be taken as a Science Officer on board one of the finest starships. For now, this is my decision." He ended, motioning to his family to leave the room.
"Sarek, don't you think..." Amanda tried to speak, but instantly Sarek stopped her.
"My wife, I undestand your opinion and your doubts, but believe me; this is the best decision."
This said, he went to work on his computer, and Spock and his mother closed the door behind them.
"Don't worry, my dear." Amanda said, resting her hand on his son's shoulder. "I'll speak to him this evening during dinner, and I'll try to make him be reasonable. For years I've struggled against Vulcan stubborness and by now, I've understood how to comfront your father. Leave it to me."
"Thank you, Mother." Spock replied, turning to her and bowing his head slightly.
"If a mother can't do this for her own child's benefit, what else can she do?" She replied, smiling.

Sarek sat at the head of the table with his wife on his left, and his son to his right. Smoke was floating over the plates full of hot soup, the wax of the candle in the center of the table was dripping along the red rod.
When Sarek moved his hand to pick up the cutlery and start the dinner, Amanda stopped him.
"My husband, before starting I would like to bring again to your attention the announcement that arrived today."
"I thought I had already ended this matter." He replied, withdrawing his hand.
"I understand your motivations, but this time I want to be on our son's side."
Sarek stood momentarily interdicted, gazing his wife with surprised eyes (a little fault he acquired through the long coexistence with the female human). Then he roused and talked.
"Speak freely." He said to her, joining his hands and resting his elbows on the table as a sign of listening.
"I think Spock is old enough to make his own decisions. He'll have to do it sooner or later; and this seems to me the right time. Let him grow up, let him follow his own path. Trust him."
Sarek stood silent, gazing ahead of him to a point placed infinitely far. He was convinced his decision was the best one, that such an event would have done nothing but damage irreparably the stability his son has been able to reach with a lot of fatigue. But he also realized he couldn't ignore his wife's will, nor the one of his son; and he didn't want his son to think his father didn't trust him.
It was a complicated issue, more than he had previously calculated.
After some minutes of reflection, he turned prior to his wife, then to Spock.
"Son, I have to take into account your opinions too, and your's above all alse; only now I've come to realize you've reached an age which forbid me to give you any orders." And while saying these words, he looked rapidly to his wife. "However," he continued, bringing his attention back to the young officer. "I can not follow my own judgment. Therefore I believe to be appropiate to receive a demonstration from you, a sign that could show me that your Vulcan half is strong enough to endure all the pressions with which you'd come in contact aboard a starship."
"I understand and agree." Spock replied, opening his mouth for the first time during this conversation. "Tell me what I have to do."
"I don't need to prove your culture, nor your physical strength. I need to verify your mental strength. Therefore this is what I propose: a meld. If you'll be strong enough to escape my intrusion, that will mean you're also ready to live in contact with other spieces and remain immune to the temptations which could result from them."
Amanda opened her eyes wide in front of such a suggestion, preoccupied for the effort to which Sarek wanted to put their son.
"You can't impose such a test to him. Your mind is more controlled, and you know it. You could even damage him, if you don't dose your assaults!"
"My wife, don't worry. I've trained my mind, and I would never risk to cause suffering to our son. If his will is so great, then his mind will show it."
"I accept." Spock said firmly. "I only ask you to give me some time to meditate."
"Tomorrow morning, I'll test you, and from the result we'll understand your preparation."

The night was dark, with no moon and strangely quiet, as if to make as a frame and support to Spock, who with the same silence was immersed in a profound state of meditation. The whistling of the wind which was making the sand dance was the only feeble sound cutting through the lands; and it wasn't strong enough to dent in the shell in which Spock had confined himself, withdrawing from the world and immerging himself in his deepest thoughts.
Concentrated only on himself, he didn't notice the passage of time, the rays of the sun slowly peeking from behind the near hill and entering unobserved gracefully through the window.
Only when his internal clock signed him, it was time to wake up from his meditative state, Spock opened his eyes.
With mild fatigue, he got used to the light and stood up, stretching his limbs, his neck and letting his blood start to circulate again fluidly in his veins. He festened the belt of the robe to his waist and exited, directed to his destiny.
When he entered the meditation room, his father was already there waiting for him, sat on the satin cusion his wife had given him as a wedding gift and which he used whenever he was going to meditate. He had his legs crossed and his hands on his knees, his eyes where closed. He opened them only when Spock approached him and sat in front of him, imitating his posture.
"Are you ready?"
"Affirmative."
These were the only words spoken before starting the meld.
Meanwhile, Amanda was waiting in her garden, too preoccupied to observe firsthand, and convinced that her presence, in her agitated mood, would have affected her son's concentration.
The two figures were still in the center of the room, illuminated by the dim light of the candles in a circle around them. Sarek reached out and laid his fingertips on his son's face in the position he used so many times before.
Some light jolts hit Spock to that contact and suddenly all he could see was an infinetely extended space, totally wrapped by a white light. Peace reigned in that place beyond time. But suddenly there was another presence and the aura surrounding him, first benevolent, turned against him. The light changed colour and became dark red, so intense that Spock seemed to float in.
A sea of water. But, contrary to the low, rhythmic waves which, according to his readings, were usual in a summer day on the terrestrial shores, the ones which were assailing him were more similar to the ones of a stormy sea: high, restless, tempestuous, impetuous. Spock was repeatedly hit by the waves, and he found himself fighting against their strenght and ferocity, agitating his limbs and trying to reach the surface. But every action only served to make him sink more and more. The color was darkening, Spock was going deeper and deeper. And when he arrived to the point when the sea was almost totally black, so much that he couldn't see his own hands, he suddenly woke up.
Sarek withdrew his hand and watched his son, who was trying to return his heart beating and the rhythm of his breaths to normal level.
When Spock regained his control, he stood up and bowed his head.
"I didn't pass the test." He admitted.
"No," His father agreed. "You're not ready, but you'll be soon." He reassured his son standing up. "You're more prepared than I thought. Very soon you'll be able to get out of here, but this is not the time."
"I trust you will help me to improve in the shortest time possible."
"This depends only on you." He concluded.
They both got out of the room and immediatly Amanda heard the sound of the door and greeted them. There was no need to speak; his mother undestood at once his son's mood just looking him in the eyes. She approached him and carressed his cheek, struggling against her own desire to embrace him and hold him tight to herself to comfort him.
"My wife," Sarek spoke to her, interrupting the moment of affection. "It is almost lunch time, and we have to prepare. There's a celebration at the Embassy at which we have to attend. Spock'll stay home to rest."
"Certanly, my dear." She replied. Then she spoke to her son. "Sleep, you need it; I don't like these dark shadows under your eyes." She ordered with a smile on her lips.
"I'll do it." Spock assured her, who felt week and tired.
Then he went to his room and changed his tunic, lied down on the bed, and he closed his eyes and removed all thoughts of regret from his mind, and let himself be lulled by the sound of the wind.