Horizon guided his fellow guard into a landing outside the gates of Sweet Apple Acres. “You doing all right there, Fox? You sound kind of winded.”
“I forgot how tough a long flight with full armor and kit was.” Fox examined the farm’s apple trees. “I can see why the creature comes here. The apples look delicious.”
“Thank ya kindly!” A blond maned earth pony mare said as she came up the path from the homestead. “You must be the guards that Luna wrote to us about. We've got everythin’ set up for you in the barn.”
Horizon gave a brief bow to the mare. “Thank you for your hospitality misses…”
“I’ve gone and forgot my manners, sorry about that.” She opened the gate, stepped through, and then shook hooves with Horizon. “I’m Applejack, no need to add a miss, ma’am, or else anything like that.”
“I’m Dark Horizon, pleasure to meet you.”
“You’re one of the Elements of Harmony!” Fox said with awe.
Horizon and Applejack turned to Fox, Applejack with a slight blush and Horizon with a wince.
“I sure am. Well, I used to be. The Elements are back with the Tree of Harmony now.” Applejack offered her hoof to him.
Fox eagerly took it. “I’m honored to meet you! You've done so much for Equestria!”
Applejack’s blush deepened. “It’s nothin’ to make a fuss about. Without my friends I wouldn’t have been able to do much of anythin’.” She withdrew her hoof from his. “Beggin’ your pardon, but I still don’t know your name.”
He snapped to attention. “My name’s Flying Fox.”
Applejack glanced to Horizon.
“He's serious. Fox is an expert on bats.”
“I volunteered as soon as I heard about what was going on.” Fox grinned widely. “Thanks to Horizon telling me about the problem, I have the opportunity to help one of the Elements of Harmony and get a chance to see a new species.”
“I take it you two are friends?”
Fox put a foreleg around Horizon’s shoulders. “We’ve been buds for a while. We went through training together.”
“Sis, Is that them?!”
Applejack called back towards her home, “It’s them!”
A red maned filly wearing a bow ran up to the guards. “You're bat ponies!”
Fox laughed. “We certainly are. I'm Flying Fox and this is my buddy Dark Horizon.”
“I'm Apple Bloom.” She looked Horizon over. “You're the guard that was with Luna the other night.”
“How did you know that?”
“Big Mac told me about that you nearly caught the creature.”
Fox gave Horizon a surprised look. “You didn't tell me about that. Is that why you volunteered, to get another shot at bagging it?”
“That's part of it.”
“Sis, can I show them, please?!”
“Alright, you can show them.” Applejack patted Apple Bloom on the head. “Don't bother them any after that. You hear me?”
“I won't.” She turned to the two guards. “I came up with the idea of where you could stay. Would you like to see it?”
Fox nodded. “We'd be more than happy to.”
Before Horizon could make a move to follow them, Applejack put a hoof to his chest. “You weren’t quite honest with your friend.”
“I admit, I didn't tell him everything.”
“Why didn't you?”
“I was asked not to.”
“By Luna?”
“Yes.”
Applejack considered him for a moment and then dropped her hoof. “You're not tellin' me the whole truth either.”
“No, I'm not.”
“My family means everythin' to me. If you...”
“What I'm not telling will not put you or your family in danger.” He looked directly into her eyes. “I swear if I even think that not telling what I know would put anypony in danger I will tell you everything as quickly as I can.”
“Now you're bein' honest!” She smiled and motioned him to move on. “Get goin'. You don't want to keep my sis waiting.”
*****
Apple Bloom waved a hoof towards the barn’s cellar doors. “Ta-da!”
Fox tilted his head. “You wanted to show us the cellar doors?”
“It's what's in the cellar that I wanted to show you.” Apple Bloom pulled open the cellar doors and gestured for them to follow her. “Since you guys live in caves, I thought we'd make you a room down here.” Without looking back, she started down into the cellar.
The pair of armored ponies followed Apple Bloom down the stairs.
After reaching the bottom, Horizon looked around the cellar. “You didn't have to go through all this trouble for us. We're used to roughing it.”
Fox put his saddlebags on the bed on the left side of the room. “Sure beats the bunks in the barracks.” He started unpacking his things from his saddlebags a nearby chest. He paused when he got to his mess kit. “I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but where do we cook?”
“You're not going to cook. Granny Smith and Applejack are going to do the cookin'.”
“We can't eat your food!”
“Why not? Granny's cookin' is really good.”
“Horizon, help me out here.”
Horizon placed his saddlebags on the other bed. “How about this, we'll eat with you and your family if you allow us to do chores and help around the farm.”
“Sis isn't goin' to like that. You're guests and guests don't do chores.”
“We’re here on official Lunar Guard business, so we’re not guests. What your family has already done for us is far too much.”
Fox turned his head towards the cellar stairs. “Somepony is coming.”
As soon as McIntosh stepped in the cellar, Apple Bloom ran up and hugged him. “They really liked the room! Thanks for helpin’ me get it set up.”
He returned the hug. “No problem, Sis.” McIntosh looked at the two guards. “There anythin' you need down here?”
Horizon shook his head. “No, you've already given us much more than we needed. Thanks.”
Fox looked up at McIntosh. “I see the apples aren’t all they grow big here.”
“Eeyup." McIntosh shook hooves with Fox and introduced himself. “We're getting everythin' set up for dinner and the meetin'. I thought you two ought to know.”
“We'll help you get things ready. Come on, Fox, we'll get our stuff stored later.”
Horizon, Fox, and Apple Bloom followed McIntosh out of the cellar.
McIntosh looked over his shoulder. “I'm goin’ to warn you two, Granny Smith can be a bit odd at times. I don't rightly know how she's goin’ to take to having two bat ponies around.”
“Does she have a problem with bat ponies?” Horizon said.
“Eenope, she just gets a little worked up over new things.”
Fox shrugged. “It's alright; my grandmother is like that too.”
As they made their way into the house, Fox sniffed the air. “Dear Luna that smells good!”
“Nice to know my cookin’s appreciated!” an elderly voice called from deeper into the house. Granny stuck her head out from the kitchen.
Her eyes went wide as she looked the guards over. “Big Mac, what did you do?!” She shook a wooden spoon at McIntosh. “I told you not to stay out so late at night! Now you've gone and gotten yourself into a heap of trouble!”
Horizon put himself between McIntosh and the spoon-wielding matriarch. “The name is Dark Horizon, ma'am. McIntosh hasn't done anything wrong. Flying Fox and I are the guards that Luna sent to help you with the creature.”
Granny blinked. “Oh, that's right. I plumb forgot about that for a moment.” She motioned for Horizon to follow her into the kitchen. “You've come right when I needed ya. You can help carry the vittles from the kitchen. There's goin' to be a lot of hungry ponies comin' for dinner tonight.”
Apple Bloom said, “But we haven’t got the big table set up yet.”
“Then they can help with that too!”
Fox chuckled. “Yep, just like my grandmother. You're a stranger one minute and the next it’s like you've been a family friend for years.”
Horizon and Fox helped McIntosh set up a long, wide table on the front lawn and laid out the place settings.
Fox finished placing the last of the silverware. “You were right; there will be a lot of ponies here tonight.”
“I can’t believe all this fuss over a critter.” Granny shook her head. “In my day, you just ran them off with a broom; you didn't make a big to-do about it.”
“They're here!” Applejack called.
“Is that who I think it is?!" Fox said.
Horizon sighed. “Don't fancolt out on me, please.”
Twilight Sparkle put her saddlebags down and gave Granny a hug. “How have you been?”
“Pretty dog-gone good, considering I'm old as the hills.”
Twilight looked over at Horizon and Fox, who both immediately bowed. “No bowing! I'm just Twilight. Treat me like you would any other pony.”
Fox quickly pulled himself up and nodded vigorously.
As Horizon stood back up, his eyes met with a sky blue pair.
As soon as she made eye contact with him, Fluttershy squeaked and started to back away from Horizon.
A mare with a rainbow colored mane put a hoof around Fluttershy's shoulders, stopping her retreat. “No you don't! You're staying right here. They're just new ponies, not dragons.” She smiled at the guards. “I'm Rainbow Dash and this is Fluttershy.”
Horizon broke his gaze away from Fluttershy's. “I'm Dark Horizon and this is Flying Fox.”
Fox stared at the pair of mares. “You’re the Elements of Loyalty and Kindness!”
Rainbow grinned. “Yep, that's us.”
“You won the Best Young Flier’s Competition not too long ago!”
“You heard about that?”
“Of course I heard about it! You made the Canterlot Times’ headlines with your performance! You're amazing!”
Rainbow's grin widened. “Nice to know somepony appreciates how awesome I am.” She glanced at the yellow pony at her side. “You all right there, Fluttershy?”
“I think I need to go home.”
“We just got here! You don’t want to miss out on the food do you, especially when they went through all the trouble of making it.”
“Well, no.”
Horizon took a cautious step towards Fluttershy. “Is it because we’re here?”
Fluttershy hid her face behind her mane and softly squeaked an unintelligible response.
“We’re just here to help. We have no intention of causing anypony trouble.”
She turned her head just enough for one eye to come from behind her mane. “You promise?”
He gave her a warm, comforting smile. “I promise.”
Luna landing nearby turned the heads of the gathered ponies.
The dark coated princess scanned the group. “I’m pleased to see that most of the ponies that will be involved in this endeavor are here.” She turned to Twilight. “I take it the other Elements had duties to which they had to attend.”
Twilight nodded. “Pinkie had to watch the Cake twins and Rarity had to finish up an unexpected rush order. I told them that you would understand. Pinkie told me to tell you ‘hello’ and Rarity deeply apologizes for her absence.”
“While their presence would have been welcome, it should have no impact on our discussions.”
Granny Smith put an apple pie on the table. “Y’all can have your discussions later. Dinner comes first.”
Applejack tilted her hat over her eyes. “Granny, you’re talkin’ to a princess.”
“So? She needs to eat too. You can’t have a good talk on an empty stomach.”
Luna tilted Applejack’s hat back up with a hoof. “I do not take umbrage at her words. She is correct, planning for encounters with an enemy should not be done while suffering the pangs of hunger.”
Horizon cleared his throat. “Princess, I don’t mean to overstep myself, but I don’t think the creature is hostile.”
Luna raised an eyebrow. “Why do you think thus?”
“It had the opportunity to attack me when I grabbed its tail and pulled it to the ground the other night, but it didn't. If it didn't attack me then, I doubt it's going to go after anypony.”
She regarded him for a moment. “That is true, but I would still be wary.” She turned to McIntosh. “Has the creature ever menaced anypony?”
“Eenope, it flies off the moment it sees anypony.”
Granny banged a fork against the edge of one of the serving dishes. “Eat now, talk later! The food’s gettin’ cold!”
*****
“That’s it! I surrender! No more!”
Apple Bloom poked a plate towards the groaning stallion. “Come on mister Fox, you can eat one more slice!”
“I've already had two slices! I don't have room for another, especially with ice cream on top!”
A blue aura of magic surrounded the plate. The pie rose, floated down the table, and then landed in front of Luna. “I shall take his slice. It seems that he has reached the limits of his capacity.” She took a bite and hummed in satisfaction. After two more bites by the princess, the pie was gone.
Twilight grinned. “Perhaps we should discuss what brought all here, now that dinner is over.”
“Rightly spoken, Twilight.” Luna stood and drew herself to her full height. “There is a new creature that has been drawn to Sweet Apple Acres by the bat sanctuary. What its nature is has yet to be discovered. However, this night we have an expert that may provide us with some insight.”
Fox fidgeted a little as the eyes of everypony fell on him. “The creature seems to be much like the common vampire bat in that it sucks the juice out of apples and leaves the rest of the fruit and the seeds behind. Thanks to the efforts of Horizon, we also know that the creature is fairly non-aggressive even when threatened.”
“If that’s the case, what’s the big deal?” Rainbow leaned on the table. “I don’t see why we should lose sleep over an overgrown bat that’s eating apples in a bat sanctuary.”
“There have been pouches of bits left in the trees to pay for the apples.”
“Alright, then it's a pocket picking bat. The girls and I can take care of something like that. There is no reason to get Luna and the Lunar Guard mixed up in this. We take care of worse monsters all the time.”
Twilight lightly poked Rainbow in the ribs. “Think about it. The bits in the trees could indicate a couple of things. The first being is that the creature has somehow been getting bits, knows what they're used for, and is intelligent enough to try to pay for the apples itself. The second is that there is a pony that has known about the creature, has not told anypony about it, and has been helping the creature by putting the bits in the trees to make up for the lost apples.”
Rainbow leaned back with a contemplative expression. “So we have a mystery on our hooves as well as a new beastie we need to take care of.”
Fox nodded. “Since the creature is bat-like in nature, and a fruit eating one at that, I don’t believe that it's a threat to anypony. However, I would advise caution if you do try to capture it. We might not be as lucky as Horizon was when he surprised it. Fluttershy may be the only one of us that can interact with the creature safely without subduing it first.”
Fluttershy almost ducked below the tabletop. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to talk to it. I had a hard enough time understanding the vampire bats.”
Rainbow chuckled. “You should be able to understand them now, especially since you went all batty yourself.”
Applejack tilted her hat back. “Now that I think about it, this creature sounds a might bit similar to what you were when turned into that monster. You haven’t been sneaking into our orchard at night and eatin’ our apples have you?”
Fluttershy squeaked and sunk below the edge of the table.
“Applejack, that's just ridiculous. The creature is acting completely differently than Fluttershy did. It’s not attacking anypony, it’s very deliberate as to when it comes to the orchard, and she can’t have sucked the juice out of the apples since I cured her.” Twilight gestured towards Fluttershy. “She also doesn’t have any bat characteristics like membrane wings or pointed, fuzzy ears either.”
Applejack chuckled. “I was just joking. Fluttershy wouldn’t do something like that anyway.”
Luna rapped the table with a hoof. “I ask that everypony refocus on the matter at hoof. These two guards will be staying with the Apples until the creature is captured or driven hence. We shall rotate our nightly vigils.” She looked around the table, making eye contact with everypony. “There shall never be a solitary pony on lookout. If I hear of such foolishness, I shall not be pleased. The creature has not given the appearance of being fierce, however that does not mean we should lower our guard.”
“I can make a schedule so that nopony is ever alone,” Twilight said. She began pulling parchment, ink, and quills from her saddlebags.
“That would be prudent.” Luna stood and nodded her head slightly to Granny. “I thank you for the meal, it was most delightful.”
“You’re welcome! It's not every day that we Apples have royalty coming for dinner.”
Luna smirked. “Perhaps that should change.” She turned and pointed a hoof at McIntosh. “You shall help us construct the schedule.”
“What can I do, Princess?”
Luna looked to the youngest Apple. “You can help Horizon and Fox clear this table.”
“But that's not really helpin'!”
“Where else could the Elements and I prepare the schedule? Any other location would be too constraining.”
Apple Bloom perked up. “We’ll clean this table in no time!”
*****
Fox bumped Horizon with his shoulder. “I don’t know what our schedule is going to be tonight, but I want to talk to you before we hit the rack.”
“I understand. I owe you an explanation.”
“So there is something going on. I thought you’ve been acting strange about all of this.” He gave Horizon a clean dish. “You better have a good reason for holding out on me, or I’ll get the big red guy to rough you up.”
Horizon dried the dish with a towel. “It’s hard to take you seriously when you’re wearing that apron.”
“What are you two doin'?!”
Applejack’s shout almost caused Horizon to drop the plate. He turned to her and calmly replied, “We’re helping with the dishes.”
“You’re guests! You don’t do dishes!”
“We’re here as Lunar Guards so we don’t really qualify as guests.”
Applejack narrowed her eyes. “That don’t matter, you’re helpin' us with a problem.”
“You’re family went through the trouble of fixing up a special room for us, you’ve fed us, and you’ve made us feel at home. It wouldn’t be right for us to not repay your kindness.”
Applejack took the plate from his hooves and put it up. “You’re not doin' chores!”
Fox held up his soggy hooves. “Please don’t argue! We’re going to be together for a while. Let’s not start off on the wrong hoof.”
Applejack looked over at Fox, stifled a bit of laughter, shook her head, and turned back to Horizon. “There’s not goin’ to be an argument, you two aren’t helpin' around here.”
Luna stuck her head around the doorframe. “Applejack, is something amiss? I heard your displeasure from outside.”
Horizon bowed. “Princess, I’m afraid there is a bit of a dispute.” He explained the situation to Luna, who listened with an amused expression.
“Applejack, if you insist on giving my guards lodging and food, they shall help you with your daily tasks. I do not want them going soft or taking unduly from your family.”
“Yes, Princess, but it still doesn’t feel right.”
“I order it be so.” Luna turned and started out of the kitchen. She paused at the door. “McIntosh and I will take the first watch tonight and you two will take the last. I have a task for each of you to complete before your patrol. Fox, I want you to escort Rainbow Dash home. Horizon, you shall ensure Fluttershy makes it safely to hers. Her dwelling is near the Everfree Forest, so remain vigilant.”
Fox said, “What about Twilight?”
“She has teleported back to the library. I expect you both to be at your best tonight. Your wards are dear friends of mine and heroes of Equestria.”
The guards saluted her sharply.
Luna’s eyes sparked with mischief. “By the way, Fox, you look quite fetching in frills.”
Fox blushed furiously. “I'm only wearing it to make sure my armor doesn't get wet!”
“That and he thinks it's a wonderful shade of cornflower blue,” Horizon deadpanned.
*****
McIntosh strode beside Luna through the bat sanctuary. He watched her scan the trees as much as he looked at the trees himself.
“You’re takin' this mighty seriously for a critter that doesn’t want to be seen much less hurt anypony.”
“I confess stationing my guards being here is as much to satisfy my curiosity about the creature as it is about protecting the realm. Creatures of the night, particularly ones that possibly have magical properties, have always fascinated me. I assure you had I thought that the creature posed a threat I would have a dispatched a whole battalion to subdue the beast.”
“I don’t reckon it will come to that.”
Luna smiled. “I believe there is something more going on here than what we know. Despite nearly capturing the beast, Horizon was scant with the details he gave me about the creature.”
McIntosh moved the sprig of hay he had been chewing on from one side of his mouth to the other. “Why would he not tell you somethin’ that might help?”
“I know not. He has always been one of my most reliable and trustworthy guards. His immediately volunteering for the assignment was also out of character for him. He vied with other guards over several weeks to be one of my personal guards and has rarely been out of rotation. His sudden willingness to leave his position is quite perplexing. Something profound must be motivating him for him to act so.”
There was a comfortable silence between the two as they continued their patrol.
Luna suddenly stopped, causing McIntosh to halt as well. “You’re mulling over this matter quite deeply. I would like to hear your thoughts.”
“Horizon seems a solid enough pony. He brought Fox here with him, so he must want to help.”
“Yet you believe he has another motive for being here?”
“I think so, but I can't figure what it is.”
“What would cause you to act in the manner he has?”
McIntosh paused for a moment, before answering, “To protect somepony would be the only reason that I wouldn’t tell somethin’. If that is his reason, who could he be protecting?"
Luna looked back towards the Apple’s home. “If your theory holds true, he must be shielding a family member or a dear friend to him.”
“Or somepony he likes.”
“What makes you reason so?”
“I’d do the same to protect you.”
Luna beamed and hugged him. “You do not have to do such a thing for me, but I am flattered you would.” She kissed his cheek, causing him to blush. “Sister may be vexed at me on the morrow, but we shall have a little more light.”
*****
Horizon chuckled. “I’ve never seen Fox so excited about an escort assignment. I hope he doesn't annoy Rainbow too much.”
Fluttershy did not respond and kept her eyes on the path.
“He spent hours looking over the information the Lunar Guard had on the Elements of Harmony before we came here. He’s wanted to meet you and the other Bearers since he became a guard.”
She remained silent.
“I know this is awkward, but we need to talk to each other.”
She looked at him but did not utter a word.
“Please say something. I want to help and I can’t do that if I don’t know what is going on.”
“If you try to help me you could get into trouble.”
“That’s better; I thought you were still mad at me.”
“Oh, no, I’m not mad at you at all. Why would I be?”
“I was a little rough with you the other night. Had I known who you were, I would never have done that.”
“You were just doing your job.”
“I tackled one of the heroes of our age! That's not 'just doing my job'!”
“It’s all right, I did something wrong. You had to stop me.”
“You were giving medicine to bats, that’s not doing anything wrong.”
“I took apples without asking.”
“You’ve been paying for them. In fact, you’ve been leaving too many bits for the apples you and the bats have been eating.” He grinned. “Think of it like this, you had already paid for the apples you used that night.”
“I snuck in where I wasn’t supposed to be.”
“You looked like a bat to me and I think it’s pretty much an open invitation to all bats to enjoy the apples in the sanctuary whenever they want. I don’t think you’ve done anything wrong.”
“Thanks. That helps me not feel so bad.”
“I’m glad. Do you mind if I ask you a couple of things that might get a little personal?”
She shook her head. “I don’t mind.”
“Can you control the change?”
“I can a little, but not near enough to be comfortable with it. I can't help but transform when the moon is bright. I'm trying to get to where I can change or not change whenever I want.”
“So you’re a kind of were-fruit bat pony now?”
“I guess so. Twilight might know more about why that is.”
“Why haven’t you gone to Twilight for help?”
Fluttershy turned her head away from him, hiding her face behind her mane. “I didn’t want to bother her.”
“I don’t think she would be bothered. She seems like the kind of pony that would stop whatever she was doing to help a friend.”
She quietly said, “I don’t want to stop the change.”
Horizon’s ears shot up. “You don’t want to stop the change?!”
Fluttershy cringed. “Please, not so loud. Somepony might hear.”
“Sorry. Why don’t you want to stop it?”
“The change allows me to fly better, see in the dark, and makes it where my tail can hold me so I can talk to animals like bats and possums while they're upside down. It's nice.”
“There has to be something more than that for you to risk getting caught.”
She looked towards her hooves. “It makes me feel better than I usually do.”
Horizon frowned. “Sounds like an addiction.”
Fluttershy's eyes snapped up to meet his. “No! It's nothing like that! I'm really shy and nervous all the time. When I change, those feelings disappear. Since everypony else is asleep when I change, it's just the nocturnal animals and me. It's like I'm in my own little world and I can be myself.”
“I can see the appeal of that.”
Fluttershy looked down the path and towards her cottage. “One of the reasons I live this far out of town is so I can get away from other ponies. It's not that I don't like them, I just need time to myself.”
“You're much more of an animal pony than a pony, pony.”
She nodded and reached for the door. “I just wish it didn't turn me into a monster when I changed.”
“I'm a bit insulted.”
She dropped her hoof from the door handle. “Why?!”
“You don't think I'm a monster do you?”
“Of course not, you're a nice pony!”
Horizon spread his wings. “When you change, your wings are like a bat pony’s.” He wiggled his ears. “Your ears look no different than ours and your eyes change so they have vertical pupils, just like us too.”
“But they turn red, like a monster's!”
“So what? Other ponies have red eyes. The only differences between you and a normal bat pony, when you change, are your tail, your coloring, and your fangs.”
The moon brightened, bathing them in pale light.
Fluttershy looked at the moon, gasped, and then frantically tried to work the door's handle. “I've got to get inside!”
Horizon took her hooves with his. “Stop, you're going to hurt yourself flailing around like that!”
She started to breathe in short gasps and tears flowed down her cheeks. “Nopony should see me when I'm changed!”
“Relax! Take deeper breaths!” He gave her hooves a gentle shake. “I've already seen you when you're changed, remember?”
The transformation came over her slowly, making her appear much like a bat pony. She closed her eyes and took a shuddering breath. “You really don't think I look like a monster?”
He carefully brushed away her tears. “You look lovely to me.” He blushed as she opened her eyes and stared into his. “Sorry, that was inappropriate. I'm supposed to be protecting you, not flirting with you.”
“It’s alright; I’m not supposed to turn into a vampire fruit pony either.” She took her hooves from his. “You really think I look nice?”
He nodded. “I’ve never seen a bat pony with a yellow coat and pink mane, it's quite alluring.”
“You think so, even with these?” She opened her mouth and showed him her fangs.
“Even with those.”
She closed her mouth. “I’m glad you don’t think I’m a monster.” Her face creased with worry as she looked back towards the Apples' farm.
“Don't worry, we'll figure out a way to get you through this. If worse comes to worse and the others find out I'm sure they'll understand.”
“We'll?”
He rubbed the back of his neck with a hoof. “I got you in this mess with Luna and the Guard. I feel like I should help you get out of it.”
“You've already helped me, you don't have to do anything more.” She opened the door. “Would you like something to drink?
“I appreciate the offer, but I'm going to have to push it to make it back in time for my patrol as it is.”
“Oh, that’s right. I forgot you had to get back.” She looked down and shuffled her hooves. “Thank you for not telling anypony.” She gave him a quick hug and then bolted into her cottage, softly shutting the door behind her.
“You're more than welcome.”