//------------------------------// // Chimera 1: The Topaz Queens // Story: The Chimera // by Scarheart //------------------------------// Book Two of the Prince of the Changelings Trilogy The Chimera Twilight Sparkle held her son close to her as she felt Flamespyre all around her, darkness everywhere. Her coat shivered from the evil she felt, seeping through her skin, her flesh, and her soul. There was no way to tell if she was up or down, which direction she faced or if she was moving or still. The only sensation she seemed to be allowed was the ability to feel and hold her colt. Star Journey clung to her, terrified. Unable to hear, she could still feel his chest as he breathed and the occasional shifting of his hooves. He was alive and that was all that mattered to the lavender Alicorn at that moment. She wondered what happened to Silent Wing. She would forever remember those haunting screams from the colt, his back arched almost to the point of breaking, the contortions. Those golden eyes burned through the pain and she saw a refusal to give up in them. Silent Wing had clung on his will to live. His thoughts must have been focused on something else, something worth holding on to. For as long as she could remember, Twilight Sparkle had organized everything in her mind and in her life to the point of even being obsessive. Even if she had just organized the library, she would on the same day the next week take everything down and reorganize it, usually with little change to how everything was arranged to begin with. She could have the most disorganized room when researching, even forgetting where certain books were (she still had this issue), but she could analyze what she could remember with remarkable accuracy. Right now, she was analyzing her enemy, trying to understand him. Flamespyre was sadistic, cruel, prideful, and obsessed with power. He loved displaying his strength and taunted his opponents. Another obsession he seemed to have was with Alicorns, though the reasoning behind this was unclear. Grimly she understood he had one now, picturing herself undergoing experiments and tortures. The thought of it filled her with terror. She found comfort in clutching her only child. Then there was the sensation of solid ground beneath her. A stone floor. The darkness faded. Twilight gave her violet eyes a moment to adjust to her poorly lit surroundings. Lifting her head, she flared the tip of her horn for light. Star Journey opened his own his, huddling close to his mother as she stood on all four hooves. Without moving, she took in her surroundings. It was a vast, circular room with a domed ceiling overhead. In the center were what appeared to be a pair of cushioned slabs of stone with trays of fruit, bread, and vegetables carefully set upon it. There were pitchers of some sort of beverage and bowls set out as well. It was a feast especially set for ponies. The marbled floors were polished black, ancient. The mare thought it to be from a forgotten age, judging from the carvings on the white marble walls and columns.. She did not recognize the reliefs carved into the walls. Strange bipedal creatures, hairless and clothed in robes were decpitcing different things. She noted four entrances, possibly from the four points of the compass coming into the room. They were unguarded for the moment. The passageways themselves were tall, at least twenty five feet from her best guess and ten to twelve feet wide. The domed ceiling bore four different murals, each on divided by a protruding carving of what appeared to be tree branches stemming from the columns. The four murals were of the four seasons; spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The subjects of the murals appeared to be... ...Twilight Sparkle had to rub her eyes and brighten the intensity of her light. She almost flew up to get a closer look, but Star Journey was probably not going to let her go too far from him. She could not blame him. "Are you all right?" she asked him gently, kissing his forehead and brushing strands of his hair from his eyes. The pudgy little colt stared about with wide and fearful eyes, his curiosity slowly beginning to reveal itself. "I'm sorry, mommy," he said suddenly, his wonder disappearing as his mind recalled everything that had just happened. He began to cry, feeling as though everything was his fault. All the bad things had happened because of him. All his fault! Everything! "Shh! It's okay. Don't cry. I'm here and I won't let anything happen to you." She lifted her son's chin and smiled at him, giving him another peck on the end of his nose. "Can you smile for me? Can you be brave?" Mutely Star Journey nodded. "Ah, mother -" purred a soft feminine voice. "- and child. -" followed another with a slightly higher pitch, perfectly adding to the sentence of the first speaker. "How touching." It almost was the voice of Chrysalis, but with a higher pitch. Twilight Sparkle spun on her heels, keeping Star Journey close. "Who's there?" she demanded, flaring her wings and draping one protectively over her colt. "Show yourself!" "Welcome to the Topaz Kingdom, Twilight Sparkle and son," said the strange, disjointed voice. It was familiar, yet also was clearly unique. Hoofsteps echoed off the stone floor. A pair of orange harlequin eyes flared like the embers of distant infernos on the horizon, softly glowing in the darkness as a large, no two speakers appeared. "You will be -" "- our guest -" "- for the foreseeable future." Again they had split, then became one. At first the lavender mare thought it was a rather large changeling and somehow misshapen, until the eyes split too far apart from each other and two more eyes flared open, similar to Queen Chrysalis, but less vibrant, even duller. They were both queens, though smaller in stature to Chrysalis and lithe, moving as a pair of snakes. Both wore their manes in identical small braids beaded with silver strands and assorted gems interwoven with their pale cream hair. Upon each head they wore identical crowns, far more elaborate than the tiny thing Silent Wing's adopted mother wore. They appeared to have been made from ivory, carved into a line of changelings encircling both sides to a single queen holding aloft a topaz carved in the shape of a heart. Indeed, their coloration on the exoskeletons were similar to the hue of the precious jewels surmounting their crowns. Both changeling queens appeared as though each one was the mirror reflection of the other. "My name is Queen Tappis," purred the queen to the left. The monarch on the right silkily included, "and I am Queen Tappaz." "You must be exhausted -" "- so our master commanded -" "- we extend to you -" "- our hospitality." They finished together. It was so hard to tell which one started and where the other picked up. "We expect one more to join you." The two came around either side of the center seats and paused, smiling and sweeping each a hoof towards the offered food and refreshments. Twilight considered her options and wondered if she could take on two changeling queens at the same time. Certainly they would not approach her with this confidence it they at least did not know about her. Were they being watched? Was Flamespyre lurking around somewhere? She shivered, inadvertently looking about her surroundings and seeking out threats, real or perhaps imagined. She was not sure. Another figure blinked into the room. It was a Unicorn mare with golden eyes and a beautiful burning red mane in a single lovely loose braid. She observed her surroundings, tossing her head as she saw the two queens, Tappis and Tappaz. They curtsied before her and smiled, practically fawning over her. "Lady Draccaria!" Tappis, Twilight Sparkle noticed always spoke first. "You have arrived -" "- early. I trust -" "- everything went well." They always finished together as well. "Majesties," Draccaria smiled at them with a genuine fondness. "I have brought something for the two of you." "A present -" "- for us?" "You shouldn't have!" Like a pair of fillies, they eagerly trotted over to the mare. Draccaria pulled something dark from her back and held in front of her a small form the lavender mare recognized. It was Crown Princess Atalanta. "She's -" "- beautiful!" "Who is she?" "Atalanta!" Twilight cried out. "Indeed," Draccaria chuckled as the princess woke up. "Ah, she is awake." "The daughter -" "- of Queen Chrysalis -" "- makes the game dangerous, -" "- Lady Draccaria." Both queens mirrored apprehension. "She is the most powerful of all the changeling queens." The princess yawned and saw a changeling form near her hovering in the shadows. She did not see the mare holding her. She thought it odd when two topaz eyes came together, glowing "Momma?" she yawned again. "You look funny." All three mares surrounding the little princess squealed in delight. "I'm sorry, Princess Atalanta," Draccaria said, leaning forward and gently into a now startled changeling filly's ear. "Something bad happened to your mother, the Queen. You had to be brought here for your own protection." Gently she set the princess down, stroking her mane. "Where's Momma?" she squeaked, completely confused and realizing she was not in a place she recognized. "Where am I?" "Adorable -" "- little changeling -" "- should listen -" "- to Lady Draccaria." "Atalanta!" Twilight called out to her again. The little princess finally saw a friendly face, though she still did not know the lavender Alicorn that well, her mother did introduce her to the princess. She thought something was wrong not seeing Princess Twilight smiling when she saw her, but looking very scared. Was that Star Journey with her? He looked really unhappy and was hiding behind his mother. Why was he looking at her with huge eyes? Had she grown a third eye? He screamed when she started to approach. "Keep her away from me!" he bawled. "She turns into a monster!" Draccaria laughed uproariously. Oh, this was rich! Her changeling queen companions shifted their attention from her, to the chubby prince, and then back to Draccaria. On an unspoken cue, all three of them shimmered and transformed, shrinking with fanged smiles as they all became Atalantas. The real one spun and watched, scrambling away as they approached, all wearing wicked little smiles. She began to cry, going for the only dubious protection she could think of. Her wings worked furiously and she darted straight up into the air. The three took off after her, laughing mirthless, cruel little smiles playing across their little fangs, wings droning up into the gloomy dome. "Leave her alone!" Twilight cried out, flaring her wings. The trouble was, it was impossible to see which one was the Crown Princess and which were the impostors. No, she checked herself, grinding her jaw and setting herself. She was the one crying for her mother and sounding genuine. The other three weren't interested in being her, just mocking the poor princess. "Overgrown bullies, all of them," she spat, her horn glowing. "I taste fear in the air," announced a voice to her left. Twilight spun to face it. There was Flamespyre, though in a much smaller form. He assumed the guise of an Alicorn stallion, though his body was still scarred and his right eye socket remained empty. He was black from the tip of his horn to the base of his hooves. He was till larger than Celestia. The back of Twilight's mind imagined he could never accept anything inferior for himself, save for some reason his eye. Then there were the scars. Badges of honor, perhaps? The dragon had seen a lot of fighting. "Ladies," he called up to the ceiling and over the voice of a panicking changeling filly. "Stop torturing the child. That is unbecoming." Not bothering to use his horn, he sought out and plucked Atalanta from the air and brought her over to Twilight, his face an unreadable mask. His lone eye flickered at the crying filly, who had not and could not quiet down. Draccaria landed and assumed her Unicorn mare form. Tappis and Tappaz followed suit and assumed their normal changeling forms. The two queens curtsied to the Dragonking and smiled coquettishly. Twilight found herself trying to comfort not only her colt, but the filly of a changeling queen she despised. Ata sobbed into her chest as Twilight was forced to sit down to accommodate both children. "They are very young, recently ascended to the throne they share," Flamespyre offered in a way of an apology, though the whole ordeal appeared to have been amusing. "They are...energetic and eager to have fun, or so my daughter tells me." The monozygotic twin queens giggled, hiding their smiles behind their pitted hooves. Draccaria flushed slightly. "Deposing the old queen was rather enjoyable," she said with a smile. "The Emeralds, however," she clucked her tongue against her teeth, her eyes flashing. "I've never encountered a group of stupider nobles than the flunkies of Queen Chrysalis. Of all the hives, that had to be the one where individualism evolved the most. Pity it did not accomplish the goal to which it was intended. Matriarchs gone wild, as it were." Despite having burning ears from the first half of the conversation, Twilight Sparkle could not help but suffer her curiosity. "Evolved?" she asked. Her hooves had managed to calm both Star and Ata. Colt and filly now simply stared wide-eyed and fearful at the adults. "I didn't even know there were other changeling kingdoms." "It was once a single empire," Draccaria said after getting a permissive nod from her father. She turned and began to move towards the center of the room, eyeing one of the trays of fruit with interest. "Bring the little ones and let them lay down. I'm sure they are exhausted. It's not every day a queen gets assassinated." Twilight sucked in a sharp intake of air, her hoof covering her lips. Her ears laid back as she immediately found Ata looking at Draccara with wide and disbelieving eyes. "Daughter," warned Flamespyre. She picked through the bowl and found an orange. "Oh, my apologies. Attempted assassination. Myzanum didn't bother to check and make sure the job was done right. I will say he did try. Left a rather large hole in her chest. Spear thrust. He was very thorough as he related to me exactly what happened." Draccaria peeled her treat, letting the rinds fall to the floor in one piece. She then began to pull the wedges off and popping them in her mouth. All this was done as she spoke. "So, there's no confirmation in regards to her demise at this time." Ata started crying again. Twilight Sparkle drew her closer in a comforting, yet futile hug. The little princess sought comfort where she could, bawling into the mare's furry chest. "Any word to Silent Wing?" asked the black Alicorn imposter. "Did he survive my first test?" He joined his daughter, helping himself to a drink. The twins followed quietly in his wake, both of them watching Twilight and the children with predatory eyes and their eerie and disconcerting joint stare. "Faring a touch better than his imposter mother," sighed Draccaria. "You should have let me kill him. There's this strange old white griffon who suddenly appeared and broke the control you had over Scarheart." He nodded, conversing as if there was not a lavender mare staring at him and his daughter with a calliope of emotions dancing across her face. "I was wondering when he'd show up." "Tseng Tzu?" Twilight asked, daring to speak up. "The one and only. Strange he would go by that name." Flamespyre offered Twilight a drink. "Very good. Grown locally, or so my daughter tells me." With a compelling smile to the identical queens, the slid forward with seductive little smiles playing over their fangs. "Ladies. Would you mind taking the two little ones to a place where they might have a nap? They must be having so many things going through their little heads right now." "Of course -" "- we would love -" "- to have quality time -" "- with such -" "- delicious morsels." The two queens cooed and chortled, giggling in their humorless mirth, flaring horns taking on a apricot glow like large lit wicks. The first thing to happen was Atalanta and Star Journey suddenly became sleepy. They were then gently lifted even as Flamespyre held the Alicorn still with his sheer will, his eye locked firmly upon hers. "Do not harm them. Do not feed upon them. Let the children sleep." His gaze never wavered from Twilight. "We adults need to talk. Off with you." "Yes -" "- Dragonking -" "- as you command." They took a moment to decide which would carry what colt or filly, floating the sleeping forms between them. It was an odd dance as the two queens grinned to each other, making a game of it. They trotted away, still trying to decide who would get what as they played with their new sleeping toys. When they spoke to each other, there were no spoken words. One simply knew the other's thoughts the moment they thought them. Hearing each other speak since they learned their first words had always given them comfort, the familiar sounds lending strength to each other. Though they seemed to Flamespyre and Draccaria to be bubble headed fillies, combined their magic was formidable as they could cast spells twice as fast considering two minds as one thought. "This Silent Wing. We should get a look at him," noted Tappaz as she used her mane to weave a sort of hammock for Star Journey. Though he was asleep, she nuzzled him, ignoring her master's command to not feed. It was just a taste. Just a lovely taste. In return she whispered sweet dreams into him, chasing his fears away. Love tasted its best when all negative emotions were chased away. It made for a better feeding experience for both host and parasite. Queen Tappis patiently waited for her sister to have her taste. In the meantime, she nuzzled Atalanta affectionately. Changelings did not feed off of other changelings without permission, though there was pause as both twins wondered if Topaz changelings could feed off those of the Emerald kingdom. It was agreed since they were both queens, then there was a very distant family relationship somewhere in there. Technically Crown Princess Atalanta was a cousin many, many, many times removed. The twin queens merely shrugged the technicalities. Tappis did as her sister conducted upon Star Journey, bestowing upon the little sleeping filly the sweetest of dreams as she savored the taste of love. They carried themselves on their wings, trading hosts at some point and repeating their feeding. Tappis and Tappaz were very good at what they did and loved being subtle in their actions, even if it meant defying the orders of the master to not feed on the children. He knew nothing of the five thousand years of changes. Changelings rarely fed with their fangs anymore, save for some of their more elaborate rituals. Of course, there were the disturbing forced feedings where a changeling would simply hold down a victim and literally suck the love out of them, though that was considered rather messy and barbaric these days. There were five changeling kingdoms (or independent clans, depending upon whom was asked); Emerald under Queen Chrysalis, Topaz under Queens Tappaz and Tappis, Ruby under Queen Rubanza (every queen ascending the Ruby Throne assumed this name), Diamond under Queen Alzaera, and Broken (United, if one asked its citizens) Sapphire (the result of Flamespyre's experiments having reduced them to a confederation of numerous matriarchal family groups under a disturbing new system of government called a 'republic'). There had been a sixth kingdom, but it was believed to be completely destroyed by the Alicorns and their allies. It would have been the Jade Kingdom. For the sake of ease, they had been labeled after the gems they represented long ago and it had stuck, though outsiders unfamiliar with changeling society would not know of this. The pair and their little hosts hummed into their private chambers, a room where everything was shared. With reluctance, they set the filly and the colt on their bed, taking care to make sure they were tucked in. Despite their fearsome reputation for crushing those who displeased them or went against their will, Tappaz and Tappis were very gentle when it came to foals, young colts, and young fillies. Topaz queens had always been like that, yet they also preferred feeding upon the young. It simply tasted better in their minds. In Equestria, they would have been viewed worse than vampires, preying simply on the helpless children. "Why do you suppose Myzanum failed?" Tappis asked her sister, pulling from her mind to think for herself. Her sister nodded as they went to a darkened corner of the room where their scrying orb. Deep purple round pillows were haphazardly arranged. Both sisters seated upon their bellies, curling their holed hooves beneath them. Tappaz mentally summoned a servant, her horn glowing with a quick flash. A little pale changeling appeared from seemingly nowhere, silent as a wraith. It was indeed her name. "The two little ones on the bed," she began, adding her magic to the spell her sister was placing upon the orb. "Prepare for them a bath and bring common fare for their palates," finished Tappis. "Yes, my Queens," rasped the twisted thing in a voice like grating metal. Wraith did everything for the two Queens. She was hideously twisted thing, with one eye twice as large as the left, blazing madly. Her wings were massive for a changeling. Her hooves were not hooves as equines might know; they ended in pointed tips, three prongs on each end of each holed leg. Her tail was long, bare and ended like the tip of a whip. Her snout ended with jagged plates where fangs should have been. Her mane was nonexistant, the back of her neck smooth and unblemished, unlike the rest of her body. It was covered with criss crossing scars. Nopony knew how old she was. It was rumored she was a fallen queen. Wraith was their personal assassin. Despite her appearance, she was extremely cunning, more than willing to work alone, and absolutely devoted to her Twin Majesties. She waited, knowing there was something else. She had been a gift to the daughters of a pleased queen the day they deposed her twelve years ago. Mother always did say they loved taking the initiative. The orb was set upon an iron setting. Both mares finished the spell and spoke the name of the monarch they sought. There she was! "I don't know why this captain failed," snorted Tappaz as her sister beckoned Wraith over. "We should know why, but we cannot see reason. He failed." They were both speaking now. Respectfully, Wraith waited, watching her queens. "Love," they both said in unison, chuckling. They were both surprised when they were shown a vision of Chrysalis in the back of a wagon being pulled by a big red Earth pony. "There is your mark, Our dear Wraith," they said in a single purr. "Go and finish. Move quickly. Do not fail. Do not return until the last of her life spills across your fangs." Saying nothing but smiling in eager anticipation, an evil hiss came from Wraith. "You never have, dearest Lifetaker," Tappaz addressed the white changeling in by her title, mostly to stress the importance of this mission. "This will please our Master," Tappis noted, hovering a hoof over the ball. She scryed, noticing another dark changeling form lying still and next to the large body. "Ah, sacrifice." "The greatest thing a changeling can do for a queen." "Life for love, love for life," they intoned in one voice. They respected this, seeing this was the one responsible for giving the stricken queen a chance. "Too bad," Tappaz sighed. Tappis finished for her, "he was cute." "Go!" they commanded Wraith. The pale thing grinned, bowed, and faded into the darkness. "Finish her, or confirm her death should she expire before you can complete her life cycle!" Both queens sighed to each other. They waited. Wraith returned, bringing a large platter laden with food. It was set on the bed, the pale changeling observing Atalanta and Star Journey with little more than passing curiosity. With clicking sounds from the tips of her legs striking the floor, she skittered to the personal bath of the queens and soon the sound of running water could be heard. It was with practiced ease Wraith puttered around as a grotesque nanny, which had been her exact purpose for the two queens. What she was remained a mystery. Where she came from was even more so. But she did as she was commanded, without hesitation, without question. Wraith had followed the Topaz Queens for over six generations, passed along as a living heirloom. "All is prepared. I go," she hissed in her metallic voice. Without waiting, the creature was gone, not even leaving a wake of her presence to detect. "Silent Wing," they both said to the scrying orb. Both held a hoof over it, the light emanating from the enchanted crystal ball. It flared, shifted, swirled from within. They saw the image of a gray-yellow Pegasus with a strange muzzle and changeling legs. "Off-limits from our clutches, but it would not hurt to see what has the Master's attention." The looked at him, pondering, eyes unreadable. He was currently being held by a dark blue Alicorn, her magical aura surrounding his limp form. Silent Wing looked broken, shattered, and appeared a waste of the two queen's time. Instead, they studied the Princess of the Moon Luna, having never seen her before, gauging her from the impossible position of being thousands of miles away. They had to be cautious. Luna was a very powerful creature. It was said her magic was second to her sister, Princess Celestia's and her temper was quicker to flare. "Formidable." Tappis caressed the smooth crystal. "Dangerous." Tappaz smiled wickedly. They looked at each other, sharing their thoughts as they always did, smiling knowingly. They turned their attention back to Silent Wing. There had to be more there beyond the pitiful little form. They studied his eyes, his expressions. For a moment, they were distracted from his fangs, slightly longer than a normal changeling's, not as curved. More like a dragon's. Find this curious indeed, they noted his golden eyes, how they burned. There! This was what they had hoped to find. The flames of life burned fiercely. There was vengeance, anger, and of course pure hatred. "For the Master?" Tappaz tilted her head to one side, curious. "He is a chimera, sister. They all hate him. They all fear him. They all obey or they all die." Tappis frowned, squinting at Silent Wing's image before dismissing the scrying orb. Any longer and the Alicorn might begin to feel magical eyes upon her. "But he does not know the Master," supplied the other. They rose as one, bumping into each other affectionately and nuzzling. "He will learn. Or he will die." Slowly they turned their attention upon Atalanta, knowing her to be the sister of Silent Wing. They envied her, they discovered to their own surprise. "His desire to live is overwhelming, even broken." Their combined voice thrummed down upon the two sleeping children. They crawled upon the beds, each one taking up a youngster upon her front hooves, resting sleeping heads against their respective chests. "Awaken," a sister intoned. The other followed. "Awaken." Their words bounced back an forth softly, then joined again. "Feast, then bathe, then we shall learn about each other." This was spoken as little eyes fluttered open, each one covered over with changeling mind control magic, placed as the first layer when they had been bitten. They wanted their playthings to be obedient. "Are you hungry?" asked Tappaz sweetly, assuming a motherly tone. She had Atalanta in her grasp. "Yes," replied the filly, eyeing the tray of food. "Open wide!" Tappaz lifted a sliced piece of apple with her magic and steered it towards the eager and awaiting mouth. Piece by piece she fed the enchanted princess as if she were a foal, delighting in the feeling it gave her. Tappis critically touched her hoof and pressed against Star Journey's round belly. Giggling and looking up at her sister, she said, "Fluffy. Too fluffy. No royalty should look this way. We MUST do something about that, should we not?" Her topaz harlequin eyes rolled down, found his enchanted ones were trying to meet hers. Star Journey's face was crestfallen, but she fed him as her sister fed Atalanta, just not as much. They fed conventionally, simply breathing in the love even as they patiently fed their new toys as if they were living dolls. It could best be described as a pair of mares gingerly sipping on iced tea while reading a favorite novel. "How are you at magic?" asked Tappis to Star Journey when she decided he had eaten enough. He stared mournfully at the food still on the plate. "Bad," he said sullenly. "I hate studying." This made both queens frown. "This will not do," said Tappaz sternly as she played with Atalanta. "If you're going to be fat, then you could at least be an egghead." Tappis picked up after her sister, "You are getting exercise, young colt. You have too much potential to waste on stuffing your fat little face." Tappaz continued for her. "You're going to be here for a long time. Might as well adjust this learning deficiency you have." "And your weight must be brought under control. We have ways of fixing that...heh...little problem." The two queens giggled at each other. Atalanta, not really understanding fully what was said, laughed weakly. "What are you talking about?" she asked. Being in the hooves of a changeling queen gave her odd comfort, the magic enchantment over her mind partially telling her the queen...no...queens she was with were both Momma, yet this was not true. Her mind was a muddled fog. "Your future, little one," cooed Tappis from where she lay. She was tickling prince Star Journey's belly now. "The Master has given us the task of watching over you at the present as well as the foreseeable future." This stopped the chubby Unicorn cold. "What about my mommy?" This startled Atalanta from her enchantment. "Momma!" her eyes went wide. Irritated, both queens shared a look, their horns glowing as they brought little eyes up to their own and forced their collective will upon them. Her eyes glowed a dull topaz, the little princess uttering weakly, "Momma, momma...where are...you..." She whimpered as the enchantment renewed its hold over her little mind. "Fret not, little ones," both queens whispered in gentle tones, as if speaking to foals. "Your mothers are here. We are your mothers now. Nothing will ever, ever change that." Star Journey and Atalanta were compelled to believe, their little minds weakly fending off the lie as the will of the queens gently, yet firmly became the only thing that mattered. The first step to defeating the enemy was to win the hearts and minds of those who supported them. It was a good start.