//------------------------------// // Chapter 20 // Story: Hegira: Eternal Delta // by Guardian_Gryphon //------------------------------// Earth Calendar: 2117 Equestrian Calendar: 15 AC (After Contact) March 20th, Gregorian Calendar "Ma'am? The Tower has cleared us. We'll be landing in a few moments." Celestia tore herself out of her mental isolation, and conjured her best diplomatic smile, and tone for the soldier. "Thank you..." She glanced quickly at the nameplate over the left breast-plate of his glossy black armor, "Thank you Lieutenant Anders." The man returned the smile, and tipped a salute as he turned to leave the compartment. The monarch sighed, and turned her gaze to the nearest of the aircraft's massive ovoid windows. She liked to sit just forward of the wing on diplomatic flights. The position gave her a wonderful view of the ground below during takeoff and landing. She could, of course, obtain such a vantage point naturally using her own wings, but she seldom got the chance to risk flying so high on Earth. Security was, and always would be, a paramount concern and a major restriction. Celestia had heard that Vancouver was draped in a nigh-omnipresent blanket of rain clouds, but she had assumed the stories were largely hyperbole. The view from her window suggested otherwise. As the aircraft's engines began to spool down, and the vehicle canted forward for final approach, the clouds finally parted. The first impression that struck Celestia was an overpowering sense of impending gray and silver shapes. The sensation was not unfamiliar. Most of earth's megatropoli, so called, left her with a similar feeling. She always felt a warring sense of awe, and melancholy. The lack of plant life and sunshine gave Earth a bleak and desolate atmosphere. At the same time, the staggering displays of ingenuity present in Human cities kindled excitement within her. Not for the first time, she found her mind wandering towards visions of what Humankind might accomplish in Equestrian form. As the enormous mega-skyscrapers fell away to the rear, the plane dipped even closer to the ground, and banked sharply. The distinctive double-strip pattern of runway lights rushed upwards from the fog, and within another few moments there was a slight 'thud' as the aircraft touched down. The engines flared to full throttle once more, and Celestia winced as her sensitive Equine ears were subjected to a deeply unpleasant barrage of high frequency whines. The sensation passed as quickly as it came, and the aircraft began to make its sharp braking turn onto the taxiway. The cabin filled with orange, blue, and red flashes as military and police vehicles took up station under both wings, escorting the craft to its final resting place near a row of hangars. As soon as the craft came to a complete stop, Celestia found herself mobbed by the attentions of her four Royal Guardsponies, and their four counterparts from Earthgov Special Forces. The eight soldiers boxed her in, as per usual, and walked in perfect synchronization with her to the airstair. She made a mental note to pass on her thanks to General Lantry. In the past, her Human guards had worn standard blast-proof helmets with opaque visors. The overall effect of their faceless presence had always left her feeling isolated and unpleasant. This time, it seemed her honor guard had been issued armor with clear plates that made their faces entirely visible. Celestia never liked to think of soldiers as faceless, nameless, emotionless units. She preferred constant reminders that she was surrounded by real, thinking, feeling flesh-and-blood beings. The aircraft's door swung inward to reveal a strip of pavement bounded on either side by rows of JRSF combat troops. A score of Humans, a few Ponies, and seven Gryphons in full assault gear. Celestia immediately recognized the seventh Gryphon, as well as the two Human officers standing beside her. As she descended the stairs, the Solar monarch noted that there was no press to be seen anywhere on the tarmac. Indeed, it seemed she had been routed to a military installation. It wasn't the first time security had been so high for one of her visits, but it was the first time in more recent memory. General Lantry couldn't keep a hint of familiarity out of his smile as he proffered a formal salute, "On behalf of the United Earth Government, welcome to Vancouver." Celestia inclined her head in response. With formalities dispensed, she offered both Humans, and the Gryphoness, a wide smile. "General Lantry, General Sorven. Neyla. It is good to see you all again." Sorven smiled nervously and tried to avoid fidgeting. She and Celestia had only ever met in passing, and certainly never under formalized diplomatic circumstances. Lantry, as ever, seemed to be doing his best to keep his emotions behind a façade. And as ever, he seemed to be failing spectacularly, in a way that made him feel genuine and understandable. Neyla was more difficult to read, but Celestia thought she sensed a hint of wistful preoccupation behind the warrior's welcoming smile. The Alicorn glanced up at the sky and sniffed delicately, "I do believe it will rain soon. Shall we?" Lantry nodded, "We've arranged transport. Council sessions begin at ten-hundred tomorrow, so you have some time to get settled and be briefed." Celestia smiled, "I appreciate that." As the party turned to enter the hangar, surrounded by the most well equipped and well trained contingents on Earth, a peal of thunder rumbled in the distance. Earth Calendar: 2117 Equestrian Calendar: 15 AC (After Contact) Fourth Month, Twenty First Day, Celestial Calendar "That... Would explain a lot." Fyrenn shook his head slowly as his words died away, trying to process the scope of the information IJ had just revealed. He wouldn't have thought it possible a moment earlier, but the sheer gravitas and urgency of the news outweighed the recent revelations about the origins of Changelings. No one else in the group seemed eager to break the silence. Most had cast their eyes downward to the dimly lit path beneath them. To Fyrenn's eyes, they all seemed to be lost within their own worlds, trying to understand the scale of what was potentially going to occur. Predictably, Carradan managed to form cogent words next. "So what are we all standing around here for if something like this is going to happen within the next two days? We oughta be out of here and halfway back home by now!" IJ's voice issued back from the head of the line. "There is something here that you still need to see." Kephic raised an eyebrow, ducking swiftly to avoid a stalactite as he spoke with a mild hint of incredulity. "Something so important that it's worth delaying news of an imminent attack?" By way of an answer, IJ stopped and gestured forward with one hoof, "See for yourself." As the group filtered out of the tunnel, Fyrenn found himself at a complete loss for words. He blinked twice, then tilted his head to the side, abandoning himself to the pursuit of taking in the chamber's beauty. The room was nearly four stories tall, and easily over a hundred yards long. The walls were vaguely ovoid, and the roof curved up into a series of vaulted arches as a result. The chamber would have been unremarkable but for the staggering optical phenomena generated by the rock. The surface was lined with millions upon millions of precisely cut light refracting mineral veins. The patterns danced back and forth, entwining, circling, then separating again as the wove their way across the basalt. The room's primary source of light seemed to be an upside down dome of bioluminescent fluid attached to the roof's highest point. The illumination passed through the mineral veins, causing them to glow as if lit by their own internal fires. More astonishingly, the crystal patterns threw off a series of breathtaking aurorae. Unlike their natural counterparts, the glittering illusions were sharp-edged, precise, and highly intricate. Holograms. Fyrenn realized, with a jolt, that they were images. Impressively, the holographic murals seemed to morph and progress as the Gryphon moved, based on his perspective. If he walked forward, they progressed like a stop motion film. If he moved sideways towards a specific image, it dissolved into a series of related, more detailed renderings. Skye appeared to be completely enamored, brushing one hoof up into an aura and watching as the light flowed over her. Carradan, for once in his life, seemed to be completely speechless. Even Varan's normal stoicism seemed to have given way to an unabashed expression of awe and wonderment. IJ stepped towards the center of the room and flared her wings slightly. "No creature, save for the Hive Queens, have set foot in a chamber like this in over a thousand years." Fyrenn shook his head slowly, whistling through his beak, "What is it, exactly?" The Changeling Queen glanced around at the ever-changing luminescent murals, "History." Varan stared up at the chamber's light source, speaking softly as he examined the blue-green luminescence. "I was under the impression that Changelings stored their historical recounting within the Hive." IJ nodded, "Yes. But would you think it wise to rely only on memory for your history? Besides that, a safeguard must exist to protect against cataclysm. In the event enough of us die at the same time, in the same place, information can be lost from the Hive." Skye grinned, spinning slowly in place as she spoke. "I would kill to have a few weeks alone with this room. The amount of information you're storing here, and the way it's accessed... This would change the Archive Project in ways I can't even begin to describe." IJ glared, "We don't have time for doe-eyed childish fantasy." She snorted, and walked briskly to one side of the chamber, near the entrance. The group followed hesitantly, with Fyrenn taking up the lead. He watched the images wind backwards as he stepped back towards the entrance, centuries passing with each yard like a tapestry in motion, yet eerily reversed. Finally, as he reached IJ's side, she inclined her head towards the wall. Fyrenn blinked, waiting for an explanation. When none came, he stepped forward tentatively. As he neared the wall, what seemed to be a specific decade of history sprawled out before him. It only took him a fraction of a second to realize that the imagery was full of Gryphic figures. He gaped silently, doing his best to intuit the meanings of the images. It was blatantly obvious that the mural depicted a vast war in which Gryphons, Ponies, and a few others, had fought off an invasion of horrifying and breathtaking scope. As he leaned closer, the images sub-divided once more, and he caught his breath sharply. The invaders were clearly recognizable. Desiccated bone welded to desiccated bone in an unholy and sickening approximation of an Equine form, bound together by a mesmerizing deep blue and purple and blue energy, eyes glowing as red as magma. Carradan stepped up beside him, and nearly choked on his own shock, "Holy bukkin'---" "Wisps." Varan stated the obvious, in a tone so flat it might as well have been the recitation of an item on a shopping list. The other Gryphons knew him well enough to know that it was one of his ways of expressing surprise, and concern. Skye tilted her head, "When did this happen, exactly?" IJ sighed, and shook her head slowly. "A very very long time ago. Near the time when this chamber was constructed. This was a little over a century before the Times of Chaos, and Discord." Kephic nodded slowly, "That would certainly explain why it doesn't appear in historical records. Pony, Gryphon, or otherwise. Nearly everything of the times before Discord's ended up lost or destroyed in the ensuing war of Chaos." Fyrenn exhaled sharply, speaking in a breathless undertone as he scanned the mural yet again with his eyes. "What we know about that time period, collectively as all Equestrian kind, could fill, what? Maybe three pages of a book?" Varan shook his head slightly. "Less." Skye chuckled, again spinning in place as she spoke. "And all this time, it was right here. Answers to some of the most pressing questions our historians have ever asked." Fyrenn swiped his claw towards the murals as he voiced his thoughts aloud. "This... This would mean that the Wisps have been here for a very very long time." Kephic waggled his head back and forth as he chimed in. "I'm more interested in the fact that we've fought a war with them once already. A war no one remembers." IJ inclined her head, "I told you, this is worth taking a moment to examine. Considering what we saw during our time in the north." Fyrenn stepped closer once more, and a final set of images subdivided before his eyes. "It looks like this has all happened before. And its about to happen..." He paused, then trailed off entirely, as one of the final images caught his eye. He shifted position, rotating to bring the panorama fully into his vision cone. He reached out and brushed the image with one claw, stricken speechless once more by what he was seeing. The vista depicted a Pegasus, a Unicorn, a Dragon, a Minotaur, and two Gryphons, standing together on a rocky mound. The Pegasus and Unicorn both had ornate gem studded peytrals that seemed oddly familiar. The Minotaur was holding a massive war horn to his muzzle, loosing what must have been a deafening blast from the filigree inscribed silver instrument. The Dragon had just let fly an immense leaf-bladed spear; The weapon had already begun to carve a vast and astonishing path of destruction through the enemy hordes. As for the two Gryphons, the female cradled a powerful looking crossbow in both claws. She was kneeling beside her partner, dispatching a withering storm of quarrels to protect him from the rising tide of enemies. Lastly, the male Gryphon held aloft a great two-clawed sword, its swooping blade set aflame by the dying rays of the sun. Fyrenn's eyes fixed immovably on the final figure. His feathers were a shade of golden-brown not uncommon amongst Gryphons. There seemed to be few other distinctive markings across his body, save for one. A Blue streak crossed the bridge of his beak, flourishing out into a wave-like iridescent feather patch on both sides of his head. The red Gryphon clenched his free claw into a fist, and squinted. The image was maddening, like hearing the tiniest strain of notes from a song that he knew, but couldn't remember the words to. His chest began to heave as his breath shortened. He clenched his eyes shut for several seconds, shaking his head periodically. At last, as if shaken loose by the internal rattling of his thoughts, a memory flashed into existence. "I'm here to tell you something important. To deliver a message as it were..." Fyrenn staggered back, gasping for air. He narrowed his eyes and exhaled sharply, whispering to himself as a name attempted to burrow its way out of some hidden compartment of his mind. "Why are you so familiar?" The red Gryphon stiffened as Kephic placed one claw on his shoulder, relaxing only as the present began to flood back to his senses. The speckled Gryphon raised an eyebrow, "Who? You look like you just saw---" Fyrenn nodded, "A ghost? Yes. Though perhaps not so much a Ghost as an Angel..." Skye's eyes widened as she trotted around to face her friend, staring up into his eyes. "You remembered something important. Didn't you." Fyrenn nodded once more, swallowing and collecting his thoughts, before beginning to speak hesitantly. "Well, you know that while I was... 'Out...' I think I experienced something. And now I don't really have any memory of it, except for these moments of deja vu... Well this is like that, but more. An image. Some sounds. A voice." Carradan huffed, and raised an eyebrow, interjecting with more than a little frustration in his tone. "Well we sure 'experienced something' when you came to spouting your little rhyme there." Fyrenn shook his head sharply, his crest-feathers becoming very unkempt in the process. Under the lurid glow of the chamber's blue-green light, it made him look slightly manic. "No no no... I mean I think something very real happened while I was comatose. Something I can't entirely account for... But *he* was there. That I know." As if to drive his point home, he reached out and tapped at the image with one talon. IJ snorted, "Forgive me if I withhold my confidence... But are you implying that you saw some kind of vision? Of someone who has been dead for nearly two thousand years?" Fyrenn sighed, and pinched the bridge of his beak between two talons, his tone conveying a strong mix of conviction, frustration, and exhaustion. "Yes." The newly minted Queen chuckled harshly. "That is not possible." Before Fyrenn could respond, Kephic stamped one claw against the ground angrily, coming to his brother's defense with his customary irritation and swiftness. "It's not probable, no. But since when have any of us even been on speaking terms with 'probable?' " Fyrenn exhaled slowly, sweeping his gaze back and forth across the holographic tapestry. "I wish we had time to stay. I feel like there might be answers here..." Kephic tilted his head to bring his gaze into line with his sibling's, his tone becoming more comforting with each word. "We've already discovered so much! You said it yourself; What is about to happen has precedent. Just knowing that is a huge advantage." Carradan chuckled, "I'm just happy to know we won last time." The group stood in reverent silence for nearly a minute, drinking in history. IJ finally spoke, "This room is not going to vanish after you leave, as I'm sure you're aware." Fyrenn shook himself, forcing his speeding train of thought to the back of his mind. "True. We're under the gun now, and what you've told us has even wider reaching implications than today, or tomorrow." Skye shivered, "Well if we're too late, tomorrow might not matter all that much." Earth Calendar: 2117 Equestrian Calendar: 15 AC (After Contact) March 20th, Gregorian Calendar Minos grinned as he surveyed the room. The structure of the warehouse was on its last legs, caked in rust and grime from years of disuse. The roof supports had already begun to cave in, electricity was spotty, and the floor had a tendency to sweat when the temperature rose. Minos was more concerned with the building's newest tenants than its imminent demolition. He chuckled inwardly. Looking out at the dozens of ragged, dirt covered, huddled bodies, an uninitiated observer would have been tempted to write the entire group off as street urchins. No prospects, no life expectancy, and no value to society. And yet even one of them was theoretically capable of obliterating an entire squad of trained special forces troopers, while unarmed, and walking away unscathed. Minos smiled. In his estimation, the seventy two children spread out before him were the epitome of soldiering, distilled and perfected. They could pass unnoticed wherever they wanted. The wisest and most experienced of field commanders would severely underestimate them. They were conditioned above all to survive, and their obedience to their directives was assured. Topping that, there was a guaranteed failsafe. Minos valued that feature above all the others. It was why he felt comfortable standing in front of all seventy two children, with only four guards for backup. Total safety was only one command key away. "Good morning boys and girls!" Minos' tone was almost cheerful, an apparent reflection of his mood. Those among the children who knew him better recognized the emotion for what it truly was. Outright sadism. "The day is finally here. I'm sure many of you have taken time out of your busy days to wonder... 'Why?' Why are we expending all these resources to shape you, train you, and enhance you? Wonder no longer." Minos raised his DaTab, and casually depressed a key. Several of the children, April included, flinched reflexively. A large holographic display flared to life behind Minos, amid collective suppressed sighs of relief. He gestured with one hand as he continued. "This is the target for your first mission. Our intelligence indicates that a terrorist group is planning a major assault. Confidence is high, but we are the only ones with this intelligence at present." The holographic building spun on its axis, and pivoted, to provide a top-down view. Minos allowed his gaze to bounce from child to child. "That means it falls upon you to defend this asset against incursion, for the next forty eight hours. This mission is the real thing. You will be authorized and mandated to make use of lethal force." Minos held up one hand, jerking it backwards towards the display, "If any Earthgov personnel, or civilians, interfere with your mission, or discover your presence, you are obligated to terminate them. Immediately." Minos glowered down at his perfect little weapons, his tone dipping into a deceptively saccharine range. "Failure to protect opsec will result in expulsion from the program, and initiation of the failsafe. And trust me when I say that I won't shed any tears. Have I made myself clear?" Earth Calendar: 2117 Equestrian Calendar: 15 AC (After Contact) Fourth Month, Twenty First Day, Celestial Calendar "Sweet sweet air!" Skye turned her face directly into the rising sun, closed her eyes, and began taking in huge gulps of fresh oxygen. Fyrenn laughed, and stretched his wings as wide as they would go, allowing the first rays of the new day's light to warm his feathers. Several meters away, Kephic and Varan had likewise begun stretching, and checking their gear. Stan felt a strong compulsion to dash forward, and join Skye in breathing deeply of the cold mountain air, but IJ's voice stopped him abruptly. "Kephic told me. About how you risked yourself to defend me." Carradan raised one hoof, and opened his mouth, but IJ stifled his words with a glare, interjecting sharply. "Don't. You open your muzzle, and you're going to spout off some ridiculous pun, or evasion, or snide remark. Just shut up and let me finish." The salmon Pegasus sat down hard on his haunches, letting out a long, slow breath, as if venting his unspoken thoughts into the atmosphere. IJ moved to sit down beside him. Though she was not quite as large as an Alicorn, her new form still made Carradan feel uncomfortably outmatched. She stared off into the distance above Fyrenn and Kephic's heads, before finally continuing. "That's the second time in my life that someone has stepped into a situation on my behalf when they stood to gain nothing for themselves. It goes against every instinct of survival, of natural selection, and every single thing I've ever learned about what is best for the whole, versus the individual..." IJ turned to face Carradan, and he glimpsed something behind her eyes that he had only seen once before. Uncertainty. "Why?" The Pegasus blinked once, then twice more at the Changeling's words. She repeated herself firmly. "Why? When I first met you, I actually thought you might be more like me than any of the others. Willing to do anything to survive and ensure your own safety and comfort. Then I realized that where I was brought up to serve first my Hive, and then myself, you were not." Carradan glared, and did his best to interrupt indignantly. "Hey---" IJ firmly planted one hoof on his muzzle, holding it shut as she went on. "Then I thought you must be exactly as the Hive had always described your kind. Selfish. Entirely concerned with your own needs at the expense of all else..." The Changeling let her hoof drop, and began shaking her head slowly. "And then I began to realize that deep down, you were like them." She gestured with one wing towards the Gryphons as she continued. "I began to discover that there are many among the singleforms who are willing to be selfless for a cause, or the many. But what still eludes me is why you would behave this way on behalf of the few, or the one." Carradan nodded slowly, finally getting a proverbial hoof into the door with his words. "And now you find out your pretty picture of a perfect Hive, and the good of the many, was a lie right from the get go. And now you're confused about the world, and the person you've become, and you're afraid of screwing up and throwing away the big chance you've just been given." IJ raised an eyebrow, "And what would you know about that?" Stan let out a sound halfway between a snort and a guffaw. "You forget that not so long ago I was tap dancin' around on two legs. I thought I knew how the world worked. How the game was played. Every man for himself, no free sandwiches, yadda yadda... Horse puckey." He smiled and stretched, "I went through something not so different from what you went through. I became something else. I met folks who spun my world end over end over end. I wasn't sure who I was, or what I was supposed to be anymore. And you can be darn sure I was scared to death of screwing it up." IJ shook her head, taking her turn to interrupt softly. "But that still doesn't explain---" Carradan grinned, and held his hoof up to her muzzle, "My turn." The Changeling pierced him with an expression that made Stan wonder if she was actually capable of killing him with her mind, but she remained still, and he thought he detected a tiny hint of amusement twinkling in the corners of her eyes. "The big secret I learned? The moment it all finally clicked and made sense? Was when I realized that there ain't no big secret at all. It's just exactly what it looks like on the outside. We all try to cover it over, the world tells us it isn't so, and we bang and crash around for huge chunks of our lives trying to sort it out, but in the end?" Carradan leaned forward, smiling, as his tone softened. "In the end, you crazy little insects were right. Mostly. Everything that makes anything worth anything for a living creature is about love. Love of family, or country, or species, or even self... But especially love of family." IJ sat perfectly still. Her face was the very picture of dumbstruck thought. At last, she took a sharp breath, and spoke. "But... Why me? I'm not technically part of your family, and---" Stan rolled his eyes, interrupting with a wave of his hoof. "Geez, you're almost as clueless as big red featherbrains over there." The Changeling tilted her head, and began to form the words to ask what Carradan meant. But before she could get them across her tongue, Stan abruptly leaned forward, and planted a long, slow kiss on her right cheek. For nearly twelve seconds, there was absolute silence, broken only by the clanging sound of metal on rock as Kephic dropped his sword, beak agape, and eyes wide with shock. If the speckled Gryphon seemed stunned, then IJ practically redefined the word into a category of its own. Her eyes were as wide as serving trays, her muzzle hung so far down that Fyrenn wondered if it was straining the hinge to her jaw. Her wings were both splayed wide in a reflexive gesture of surprise. Finally, IJ snapped out of her trance. With an audible 'thwack!' her right hoof connected with Carradan's side, doubling the Pegasus over and knocking the wind out of him to the point that he was forced to exhale the contents of his lungs. Before anyone could move, speak, or in any way react, IJ abruptly leaned forward and returned the kiss. Another stunned silence followed. Fyrenn sat down hard, and whistled. Skye began to laugh quietly, eventually falling face down into the scree, tears of mirth running freely down both cheeks. Kephic knelt to retrieve his sword, inclining his head. "Well... I'm not sure if they need wedding bands, medical kits..." Varan raised an eyebrow, interjecting quietly to finish the thought. "Perhaps a relationship counselor?" Fyrenn let out a short, sharp, high pitched squawk. He shook his head and glanced up at his brothers. "All of the above. Though if those two are really in love, then I think we should be more concerned about *our* safety. Collateral damage is very much a thing in war." Varan nodded slowly, "Speaking of which. As much as I am loathe to interrupt something so... Fascinating, we are running very short of time." Fyrenn stood, and walked cautiously towards IJ and Stan. Both were smiling, staring at each other in a slightly awkward, but clearly affectionate silence. The red Gryphon stood as close to Carradan as he dared, and cleared his throat. "We... Uh... We have a very long, very tiring, very grueling flight and the sooner we get started..." Stan sighed, and glanced over his shoulder, "Yeah. Yeah, just give me one second, ok? Minute? Tops?" Fyrenn nodded, and turned to see to his gear. Their mission mandated speed and endurance. Lightening the load was now a top priority. Carradan turned back to IJ, speaking softly to keep the conversation relatively private. "What are we gonna do now? I assume you've got to stay here..." The Changeling nodded, "I didn't ask for this, but I won't shirk it." Stan sighed as he carefully phrased his response. "See... The thing is... I don't do so well underground. And just like you've got a responsibility to your new subjects... I've got a responsibility to our frie... Our Family." IJ nodded once more, her tone curt and non-argumentative. "Obviously." The Pegasus shook his head, "So what then? We say goodbye and see each other God-knows when?" The Queen rolled her eyes, chuckling slightly as she spoke. "Spare me. I can only take so much drama from you in one day before I start cracking ribs." Carradan winced. IJ snorted, and voiced her thoughts in a more obvious and specific fashion. "Are you implying that I intend to spend the rest of my live cloistered inside this rock? Because you're sadly mistaken. At the very least, I'm sure I'll need to make a journey to Canterlot relatively soon." Stan grinned, "I'd pay to see the look on sun-butt's face when she sees new you." IJ inclined her head, "Then be there." Carradan inhaled, and raised his hoof, as if he were about to object. Instead he sighed, and smiled. "You got it sweetheart." The Changeling promptly hoofed him in the ribs. More gently than before, but still with plenty of force. "Don't call me sweetheart." "You got it swee--- OOF!" IJ turned to Skye, who had finally composed herself, wiping away her tears, and the dust from her mirthful roll in the gravel. The Changeling raised an eyebrow, and proffered one hoof. Skye paused for a moment, but then grinned, and reached out to bump it with her own hoof, as she spoke. "You know? You keep it up and insects might not have such a bad rep anymore." IJ smirked as she responded. "Perhaps my negative opinions of unicorns were... Mistaken. Marginally." The mage chuckled. "Mhmmm. Keep telling yourself that, and you might wake up one day and realize that you actually have friends for a change." IJ's expression softened into a rare, genuine, pure smile. "Perhaps I already have." Earth Calendar: 2117 Equestrian Calendar: 15 AC (After Contact) March 20th, Gregorian Calendar 8703 North Drayton Street appeared to be exactly like every other high-wealth house in Vancouver; Sleek, large, and mostly comprised of modern steel and glass arches. Even the seventy five ton freight container in the drive was a normative sight. When wealthy families moved, they usually resorted to expensive measures to ensure their convenience and comfort during the process. The only thing that seemed truly unorthodox about 8703 North Drayton Street, was the fact that none of the neighbors had seen the new occupants, in spite of the fact that the container had arrived a day earlier. Cars had come and gone from the residence many times, but they always seemed to arrive at night, when no one was paying close attention. The only signs of life anyone had seen during the day consisted of a pair of security guards. The men wore gray and black uniforms with a beige stripe, and a generic red symbol. Everyone assumed that they were simply there to safeguard the contents of the crate until the home's new owners came to take up residence. The only point of contention for that theory was the fact that the men were armed with military-grade RACs. That, and the fact that if anyone had bothered to do a net search, they would have learned that 'Niose Security Services' did not exist.