Instead of the Sky Carriage taking them back to Canterlot, Chris brought them to New Humansville after Artex called him on the crystal. Artex had already sent a letter to the Princesses through Chris and they knew they might have to leave again, perhaps as soon as a month. They entered New Humansville not an hour after breakfast in Cha'rheid.
As soon as Darryl bid them good-bye, an E.U.P. Guard landed in front of them, "Message for Artex Rias, Royal Emissary of Canterlot."
Artex rolled his eyes as he adjusted his shoulder bag. Behind him, Rose, Oriana, and Razor Wit were looking particularly glad to be back. The man took the scroll from the Guard and unrolled it. He read the contents and sighed violently and unhappily, "Hey Ori, looks like we're going to see your family. We're leaving..." he looked back down at the scroll, "Tonight around midnight is when the Sky Carriage will be here."
Rose's eyes bulged, "Already? We only just got back from Gryphonvale! I have to report to the Captain..."
The Guard retrieved a second scroll from his saddlebags, "No need ma'am. The Princesses have already made preparations for you to continue accompanying the other staff members. You have been recognized as the official bodyguard escort of the Emissary and staff members."
Razor shook her head sadly, "Looks like I need to tell my parents that it'll be a while before I can come back. I really wanted to see them again."
Artex turned his head toward her and his whole body followed. His expression softened as he knelt down in front of her, "I'm sorry Razor. I know this meant a lot to you."
The tan mare shook her head, "No, don't apologize Artex. The lives of your people are at risk. I have no place whining about not seeing my family for a few more months when people could die."
Artex pulled her into a tight hug, "That doesn't mean I have to like it, sweetheart."
Razor hugged him back, sniffling lightly, "I know Artex." The other mares all joined in on the hug.
They stayed in the same posture until the Guard cleared his throat, "I apologize for interrupting, but I have other things to attend to for the Princesses and I cannot leave until I am dismissed."
Artex waved his left hand absent-mindedly toward the Guard, "Dismissed."
Artex nuzzled and kissed each of his mares before he broke the hug. He paid special attention to Razor Wit since she was the one who was upset. An idea suddenly popped into his head and he decided to vocalize it, "You know girls," he began, "Our house should be done by now and we already paid for the furnishings... why don't we go see it while we're here?" He planted a gentle kiss on Razor's fore head, "Come on girls, let's go see where we'll spend the rest of our lives."
* * *
The house was all they had hoped it would be, from the outside anyway. Their plot of land had been maintained nicely, though none of them had any idea who had been responsible for the upkeep. There was a three Fathom wide, covered porch which encircled the entire house and a slightly smaller structure, similar to a colossal dog house sat to the side. The front door of the house was painted sky blue and was dutch style so that the top half could be swung open while the bottom stayed closed. Six windows sat on either side of the door on the first floor, three on either side, and eight windows faced the front of the house on the second story. The exterior of the house was painted eggshell white with thick functional window shutters of a light shade of magenta. Two thick chimneys, one on either end of the house, rose a single Fathom above the slanted roof.
Artex stood with his mares on the cobblestones which had been laid from New Humansville to their front door. A brick mailbox sat away from the house and was apparently already full as indicated by the letters poking out of the front.
Always the practical one, Artex walked up and began pulling letters out of the mailbox. He mumbled to himself while he flipped through each one, "Notice of structural completion, notice of energy system installation, notice of sewage system installation, notice of delivery of furnishings, notice of insulation installation, notice of delivery of personal effects, Mayor election notice..." he opened it and scanned the contents, "Hey girls, New Humansville has a Mayor! Mayor Veronica DeLaCruz. It has a nice ring to it." He went back to thumbing through the accumulated mail, "Quarterly Bank Of Equestria account statement for the amount of-of..." his eyes grew huge as he read the bank statement, "T... two thousand!? In addition to the two hundred Bits I get per week from the crown?" He looked closer, "In the first MONTH?" He felt as if his knees had turned to jello.
Rose came trotting up to him quickly while Razor Wit and Oriana continued gesturing to their new home, "What's wrong Artex?"
Artex showed her the bank statement, "Two thousand Bits were deposited by Filthy Rich on the first of the month... and it says here that there is another... twenty-three hundred is pending in the account to be confirmed at the beginning of the month..." he blinked, "I never thought the telegraph would become so popular so quickly."
Rose smiled up at him and nuzzled his left thigh, "Mmm, a stallion who is snugly AND brings home the Bits? I think I'm in love."
Artex reached down and scratched the top of her head. Rose murred quietly and leaned into his fingers. Artex watched as Razor and Oriana trotted up and opened the front door. He smiled serenely, 'This is what life should be like. Standing close to our home with my loves waiting inside.' Artex tended to plaster a great many fake smiles on his face for the sake of others. The small smile which crept onto his face at that moment was neither forced nor faked, 'As much pain as this place has caused me... it's all worth it for this feeling.' Acting on a spontaneous impulse, Artex knelt down and kisses Rose on the lips. Her armor clanked quietly as she sat down and held her left forehoof to his face, since her right one still had her S.M.G. mounted on it.
They held the kiss for an eternity of seconds before they broke apart. Rose was panting and her entire face was flushed, "You really need to round out the herd Artex." She whispered, "I'm not getting any younger and I want time to enjoy myself with my husband." Her voice was low and sultry.
Artex chuckled and stroked her muzzle, "All in good time Rose. I have to meet the right mares first."
"Mare, singular." A feminine voice said from behind them, "And don't you dare leave Suey behind this time.
Artex and Rose both followed the voice back to its source. Vaiawa stood eight Fathoms away, staring resolutely in place with Suey by her side staring at the pair. Artex immediately noticed that Vaiawa seemed different. She had grown as tall as a grown mare for one. There was no mistaking the fact that she was an adult anymore. There was a surety and confidence behind her eyes that he had never seen before. She stood in place as if she owned the land and everything she saw. The almost submissive, demure and, humble Changeling he had refused before was gone and it was obvious, "You told me once before that I needed to think about why I wanted you Artex." She stepped toward him, her eyes shone with determination, "I can tell you now."
Rose cocked her head to the side but said nothing. To Artex' surprise, Suey did not jump into his arms. She merely trotted over to Rose and sat down next to her. Vaiawa had obviously been taking care of her while he was gone and the behavior change in the Great Pig was startling. Artex slowly let go of the minty mare, "I'll meet you in the house Rose. I need some time to talk to Vaiawa." Rose nodded and trotted away quietly on the grass, ignoring the cobblestones, Suey following along beside her.
Artex rose to his feet and gazed at Vaiawa with a neutral, though not unkind expression, "You have my attention."
"You." Vaiawa said simply. At Artex' perplexed expression she clarified, "If I want something, anything, I can get it for myself. The only thing I cannot obtain by my own work is you, all of you, your herd. I want to see if I will be a good fit with the herd. I want you for you and I want to be with Ponies who support and love each other. I'm not here out of any sense of obligation or guilt and I don't feel that I owe you anything that I need to repay. What you did for us was a gift and I won't sully that by trying to pay it back. I want to live the life we trained for back in the hive, but I want it to be real. I want to love and be loved, not for the power it brings me, but because I simply want to. Equestria is my home now and I have opportunities that were never available to me before. I want to embrace those opportunities and never let them go. I want to build a family with you and the others if you will have me."
Artex smirked, "Well then, let's go see the rest of the herd. This decision isn't mine alone you know." Vaiawa grinned and nearly leapt for joy.
Artex waited for her to reach his side before he turned toward the house, "Somebody has taken good care of the lawn while we were gone. Would you happen to know anything about that?" he asked with a knowing smirk.
Vaiawa held her head away from him, off to the side, "I just might."
They reached the front door, which Artex held for her, and entered the house. Razor, Oriana, and Rose, who had already changed out of her armor, were all waiting for them in the foyer just beyond the door. Artex took a good look at the foyer to make sure the construction Ponies had followed his directions, 'If they followed the directions for this part, it's a good guess that they did the same for the rest of the house.' The stairs were three Fathoms away from the front door, set against the right wall. The foyer was six Fathoms deep and five Fathoms wide, just like he had specified. In addition to the proper dimensions, somebody had already hung up the colorful floral pictures that Oriana had ordered. She had said she thought would look good for the foyer and nobody had argued. Unlike the paper wrapped pictures and other articles he had anticipated, nothing seemed to still be wrapped, it had all been distributed and placed tastefully. A sly look to his side indicated who he imagined was responsible for the assembly of the house furnishings.
Vaiawa swallowed audibly and hesitantly approached the other mares, "I wish to join your herd. I'll tell you the same thing I told Artex. I have enough Bits to buy what I want for myself. What I cannot buy is love or a herd and I want those things. I don't feel that there is anything for me to pay back to any of you, even though you helped Artex make some of his decisions. I've seen how you all work together and contribute to the entire herd. I want a place with you. I hired a gardener with my own Bits and I unwrapped and assembled the furniture, though I didn't touch any of your personal property. I hung the pictures, washed and put away the dishes... and I had one of the C.W.G. officers here with me each time so she could vouch for me that I didn't steal anything. I will contribute to this family if you'll let me. I want to make a life for myself with all of you. None of you have ever been cruel to me. Razor Wit, Oriana, you were both there when I came out of the woods for the first time. Neither one of you said anything cruel or mean to me, you just accepted that I would be living here and let me be. For that I thank you. Rose, you were there when I told Captain Joyner that I wanted to help with the Bloodmages and you never said anything against me. Thank you all for letting me make my own way here. You gave me a chance before and I'm asking for a chance again now. May I join your herd?"
Razor barely had to think about her answer, "Looks like you're buying dinner tonight, Vaiawa."
* * *
"You really couldn't have chosen a better time to join us." Razor said as the her walked toward The Melting Pot with Suey in the lead, "We're leaving tonight around midnight. There are apparently a lot of Humans that we haven't found yet and we apparently have a lead that some might have ended up in the Zebra lands."
The five herd members walked down the street, line abreast. Artex stood in the middle with Rose and Oriana on his left and Razor Wit and Vaiawa on his right. As they made their way through town Humans, Ponies, and Changelings greeted them with waves and warm words. The town was expanding again and the trees all around the perimeter of the field had been pushed back again to make room for the additional crops that would be needed to feed the inhabitants. Town Hall had been painted shining ice white and was festooned with flags on either side of the front doors and on the roof. Weather Pegasi flew here and there, pushing clouds and monitoring the conditions of the town. The Community Welfare Guardians walked all around in pairs, one Pony or Changeling and one Human. Artex noticed a great many more Changelings than he could ever recall ever having seen before. The vast majority of them were very quiet and seemed reserved, at least until they saw Vaiawa. Many of them boldly came up to her and gave her hugs or an almost tearful 'thank you' before trotting away again. Artex also saw something he had never seen before, little Changelings. There were not many, but those he did see were playing and laughing happily with several foals under the watchful eye of Rifin who lay peacefully in Town Square. Artex hid a chuckle, 'I dare anybody to mess with those kids.'
They reached The Melting Pot and Artex held the door for his mares. The place was packed almost to capacity. As soon as Artex set foot in the door, he was met with a standing ovation, cheers, and whistles. He blushed at the attention and out of not knowing what else to do, he bowed himself at the waist to even more thunderous applause. Inspiration hit and he held out his hands, gesturing to his herd. The applause and cheers rose to a crescendo. Artex held his hands up and the applause died down, "Thank you. Thank you all, but our work isn't done yet. We've recently received word that another group of Humans might have landed in the Zebra nation. We're going to be leaving again tonight at midnight and we may be gone for a long while.We all thank you for your appreciation and support, but we would like to have lunch." A smattering of laughs met his final statement as an Earth Pony waitress emerged form between the tables and motioned for them to follow her.
The herd sat down at a booth and ordered their drinks before picking up their menus. Artex' eyes bulged at the addition of several different varieties of meat to the selections, 'Imported From Gryphonvale' it read. Artex ordered a steak with a baked potato and coleslaw. Rose ordered one of the most popular items on the menu, the Garden Garbage Special. Oriana ordered the Stout Salad, while Razor Wit ordered the Hummus Sampler Platter. Artex ordered the Omnivorous Pet Lunch for Suey, 'Who knew they catered to pets here?'
The herd talked about local news and there was plenty to know. Captain Joyner had apparently been seeing the tall, blond pediatrician and rumor had it that they were pretty serious. Andrew Masonette had finally proposed to Kaneesha Edwards and the two were to be married in less than two months. R.J. Brinsin had packed his bags and said his farewells, then left for parts unknown and many were wondering where he had gone. Jason Campbell had begun dating one of the young ladies from Argentina, but there was no word on how serious the relationship was yet. One of the bigger pieces of news was the integration of the Bloodmages into the community and the new local laws regarding Blood Magic. By far the biggest piece of news was the secession of New Humansville from Equestria. The vote had been close, but in the end the decision had been accepted. New Humansville was declared a protectorate of Equestria.
The town was protected by Equestria, but the larger nation held little to no sway in the political goings on and every day life or even the local laws. Ponies had the choice to stay citizens of Equestria or to change their citizenship. The Bloodmages were offered citizenship of Equestria but most had turned it down in favor of citizenship of New Humansville. Other significant news revolved around the national announcement of Princess Luna starting a herd with Chris Vacca. The nobility of Canterlot had been upset with the admission, but they had no choice but to accept the decision of their Princess and new Prince Consort. The Changeling Confederation had accepted an alliance with Equestria under the guidance of Alana, who was engaged to be married to Bobby Jewel. Steady Hoof had been released from her confinement in the Hospital and had returned to work. Fancy Pants and Fleur De Lis had welcomed their baby boy with joyful tears and the residents of New Humansville had accepted the event openly. The Bloodmage orphans had been adopted by couples in the town, as Fancy Pants and Fleur De Lis had apparently given an impassioned speech about any other town or city being dangerous for them due to their background. The rich couple had even adopted one of their own as well, a certain filly who had managed to only warm up to the warmhearted Unicorns.
The Sorcerers were nearing completion of their place of learning, The Grey Tower they were calling it. Night Flare had begun a courtship with Tina Pho and the two had already enrolled little Merlin as the first Pupil. The Sorcerers were recognized as a side branch of the C.W.G. and as aids of the citizens. The School For Gifted Unicorns held the Grey Tower was a sister branch of magic instruction in New Humansville and had even asked Night Flare to come and give a presentation to speak about Human magic. Having seen the repercussions of having a promising student turned away, Arch Magister Catalyst had ensured it became well-known fact that ALL species were welcome to learn at the school. Midnight Haze had been brought out of her coma and was being punished by having a Rectifier implant the memories of every single one of the victims who had been killed in the ambush she had set up, as well as the memories of those who lost their lives in the raid on the Bloodmage safe house. according to rumor, she was given a single set of memories every day and spent the entire day screaming tearfully.
Starburst's family herd had been located and had enjoyed a happy, tearful reunion with their son. Midnight Haze had been disowned by the entire family. They claimed no knowledge of any filly named Midnight Haze and instead claimed that their daughter Morning Mist had disappeared some years prior. They said they would never stop searching until they found her. The family had moved to New Humansville so they could be close to their son. Supposedly, when they found out about Catalyst and Full Spectrum they had been more than a bit leery and that particular situation was yet to be brought to completion. There were plans to have a festival honoring New Humansville, but the plans were being kept quiet for the time being. What was public knowledge was that somebody had called in a boon from Princess Celestia and had ten of every kind of musical instrument shipped to town so as the start up a musical program for the festival. There was little other news aside from the world wide announcement of the call for a new team of Peace Makers to be assembled. There were few details about it, only that it was not going to be controlled by any single nation was was to be its own entity. Everybody agreed that it was an exciting time to be living in Equestria.
After lunch was finished, the herd headed back to their home to pack. There was still much to be done.