Six gets thrown into a new world, in a new body, with a chance for a new life. But will she be able to escape her past?
Six, at a very young age, has suffered a life full of hardships and dangers. After escaping the radio tower, she finds herself somewhere she doesn't recognize.
With a new body, and in a new world, Six has a chance for a new life, and is ready to face any challenges ahead. Starting with solving this hunger.
(FiM x Little Nightmares)
This story is based on the Little Nightmares games, and takes place directly after the ending of Little Nightmares II, with the events of the first Little Nightmares interrupted (because it's a prequel). I will try my best to write this story to make it easier for people who has no idea what Little Nightmares is, but without knowledge of both games, many things may not make sense.
A little girl in a yellow raincoat stared down at the black void, watching a dark speck quickly fall from her vision. The speck was her friend, once. But not anymore. He would likely be dead once he reaches the bottom of whatever this place was. She didn't care.
Without a second thought, she turned around on the walkway, facing the glaring static of what she compared to the televisions. Her way out.
She walked slowly forward to the exit, shielding her eyes from the increasingly glaring view of the static, feeling the remains of the path crumble and fall to the abyss behind her. She didn't look back.
The sun shone brightly overhead, casting a warm glow over the peaceful town of Ponyville. The air was filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers and the gentle hum of ponies going about their daily routines. And things were no different for the Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle. Amidst shelves stacked high with dusty tomes and scattered scrolls, Twilight stood engrossed in her latest experiment. A tangle of wires, circuit boards, and copper coils littered the workbench before her, as she tinkered with an unusual contraption.
Just as Twilight was about to connect a delicate wire to a gleaming metal box, a gentle voice interrupted her concentration. "Hey, Twilight, what's going on? You've been cooped up in here for hours." Spike, Twilight's faithful assistant and friend, peeked into the room, his scales glinting in the soft light that her horn emitted. He looked on in curiosity as he took in the scattering of electronics and diagrams strewn about the room.
Twilight carefully set aside the wire, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Ah, Spike! Come see what I'm working on. It's going to revolutionize the way we consume information in Equestria!" She beckoned Spike closer, her voice barely containing her enthusiasm.
Spike's eyes widened as he approached the workbench, taking in the array of components and diagrams scattered before him. "What is this thing, Twilight? It looks like a cross between a crystal radio and a magical artifact!" He pointed a claw at the metal box, adorned with glowing runes and a small, glass screen.
Twilight beamed with pride. "This, Spike, is a television! Or, as I like to call it, the 'Watch Box'. It's a prototype from a new company called New-Tech Industries. They asked for my help in testing it, and I couldn't resist the opportunity to explore this innovative technology." She turned on device, and the room was filled with a soft hum as the Watch Box sprang to life.
Spike's eyes grew even wider as he watched the screen flicker, displaying a test pattern of colorful shapes and patterns. "Cool! How does it work?"
Twilight's horn glowed with excitement. "The Watch Box runs on magic to produce animated images, Spike! It's an incredible feat of engineering. Just imagine being able to share knowledge, entertain, and connect with ponies all over Equestria like a Radio, but with visuals!" She stepped back, admiring her handiwork, as the Watch Box continued to hum along, its magic resonating through the air. "I'm actually trying to figure out a spell to copy creative thoughts, or even dreams, into a disk which can be saved and played back whenever you want. We got the theory down, but in practice its a bit difficult."
As Twilight continued to marvel at the Watch Box's test pattern, she began to sense a faint, unusual magic interference. It was a subtle, almost imperceptible drain on the ambient magic in the room. At first, she thought it was just the device's natural magical resonance, but as she focused her attention, she realized it was something more. The magic was being siphoned off, slowly but surely.
Twilight's curiosity got the better of her. She decided to experiment, pouring a small amount of her own magic into the Watch Box, trying to compensate for the mysterious drainage. The hum of the device grew slightly louder, and the test pattern on the screen began to shift, as if responding to her magic. The princess's horn glowed softly as she monitored the flow of magic, intrigued by this unexpected development.
Twilight's eyes widened in alarm as she realized that her attempt to compensate for the magic drainage had only made things worse. The interference grew stronger, and the hum of the Watch Box increased in intensity. The test pattern on the screen began to warp and distort, as if the device was feeding off her magic like a ravenous beast.
She tried to cut off the flow of magic, but it was too late. The device had already developed a momentum of its own, drawing in her magic at an alarming rate. Twilight's horn glowed bright red as she struggled to regain control, but it was like trying to hold back a torrent of water. The room began to feel heavy with magic, the air thickening with an almost palpable energy.
"Uh, Twilight? Is that supposed to happen?"
"Spike, stay back!" Twilight warned, her voice sharp with concern. She raised a hoof, and a shimmering barrier of magic erupted around the room, a last-ditch effort to contain the escalating situation. The air seemed to vibrate with the pressure, and Twilight's heart raced with the fear of a magical explosion.
Just as she thought the situation couldn't get any more dire, a sudden shift rocked the room. The drainage of magic seemed to stabilize, and Twilight sensed a strange, unfamiliar connection – a link to somewhere else, she could sense a direction, but at least it wasn't here. Her eyes locked onto the Watch Box, and a plan formed in her mind. She would try to redirect the magic drainage into this mysterious link, hoping to prevent a catastrophic release of energy.
With a deep breath, Twilight focused her magic, redirecting the unpredictable energy into the mysterious link. The room seemed to hold its breath as the magic surged, and then, miraculously, the drainage slowed, finally coming under her control. The hum of the Watch Box ceased, and the test pattern on the screen flickered back to a standstill.
Twilight let out a sigh of relief, her horn dimming as the magical tension in the room dissipated. She turned off the Watch Box, her hooves shaking slightly as she detached the device from the magical leash she had created, turning it off in the process. Spike, who had been watching in stunned silence, approached her cautiously.
"Twilight, what in the world just happened?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.
Twilight's expression was a mixture of bewilderment and curiosity. "I have no idea, Spike. But one thing is certain – I have a lot more research to do than I initially thought." She gazed at the Watch Box, her mind already racing with theories and hypotheses.
After a minute or two to calm down, she looked over the Watch Box for any damages, and sure enough, there was a crack in the screen. Chuckling softly out of nervousness, she levitated the Watch Box and packed up the rest of the equipment. She would be bringing it back to the New-Tech center for repairs. "And I just got this from them, hopefully they won't be too mad."
Twilight thought about what had happened once more, but she was at a loss. She decided to put this event to further study after it is repaired on her checklist.
And with that, she walked out of the room, Watch Box in tow.
Steel Score trotted down the halls, heading towards his office. He wore a white lab coat along with black protective hoofwear. On the front of his coat resided a gold nametag that read "Director Steel Score".
He passed many ponies wearing similar attire, as was required by standard procedure - procedure that was set by himself of course. The only ones who stood out were those wearing the black and blue security barding. Instead of a nametag, they wore a smaller badge of the New-Tech Industries logo. And one such pony was headed straight for him.
"Good morning, Director! Here are the incident reports for the past week, as requested." The security pony spoke, showing the related documents he was carrying.
Steel sighed, pressing his hoof to his eyes in annoyance. "Strong Hoof, I thought I told you to put any and all papers on my desk. That means everything, including incident reports. I told you this last time."
Strong Hoof coughed into his hoof. "Uh, yeah. My bad."
Steel levitated the papers anyway and continued on his way. "For the love of Celestia, at least try to listen next time." He said without looking back. "I swear, I'm surrounded by idiots."
Finally reaching his destination, and having glared at one too many ponies for standing in his way, Steel released his magical hold on the papers on his desk and let out a sigh in the comfort of his chair.
And then the intercom on his desk went off.
"Director Steel Score, Princess Twilight Sparkle just dropped off the Watch Box for repairs, said she damaged it on accident." A bored sounding voice reached his ears.
"Oh for the love of-" Steel growled as he scooted over to reach the intercom, before pressing it. "Well then get somepony to fix it. I'll have the Princess pick it up later."
With that out of the way, Steel slumped back in his chair. "Damaged the Watch Box... wonderful. Simply wonderful." Steel sighed and rested his chin on his hoof. This was going to be another long day.
A lone pony walking down the hall was whistling a marry tune while holding the Watch Box in a blue magical glow. He saw nopony else as he made his way past multiple doors with various signs, few were allowed in this section except for specifically selected researchers for various projects that were in the works.
He finally reached his destination, stopping in front of a door not different from any other in the hall. The sign above the door simply read "Project #6".
He unlocked the door with his master key card and stepped inside briefly to levitate the box on the floor next to a few storage crates. And with that, he turned to leave and closed the door behind him.
The pony paused for a second, and looked back, confused. He could have sword he heard an echo when the door closed shut, was that always the case?
He shrugged, and continued on his way. He had other things to do.
As the pony walked further out of sight, the Watch Box suddenly came back to life with loud static, but only for a moment. The cracks grew, and the screen shattered into many pieces only seconds later.
And another long day it was. The director, with tired eyes, looked at the pony who brought the news that would only make his day much more difficult. "What do you mean, shattered?! I said have it repaired, repaired! That's the complete opposite from being repaired!"
"W-well, it was intentional, smashed by a no good criminal who snuck in, I assure you! We have the pony responsible in holding as we speak. They are... unconscious."
The director could only sigh in exasperation. "Ugh... who is responsible? The princess will be very unhappy when she hears of this."
The security pony shifted nervously. "A... filly. In a yellow raincoat."
The director's staring caused the security pony to feel rather uncomfortable.
A little filly in a yellow raincoat stirred on the cold sheetless bed, only now waking up from her slumber. Even then, the feeling of waking up on something that resembles a bed was unusual, but welcome. She did not remember the last time she had a good night's sleep.
But that wasn't the only thing that was unusual. She felt... strange. Sure enough, she was unable to move any of her limbs correctly, and the limited view of her appendages did not reveal much as they were covered by her yellow raincoat. Instead, she opted to sit up slowly and carefully, managing to push herself to an upright position through the strange feelings of her new arms.
The filly tried to recall what led her to the present. She had just escaped from the strangest place she had ever seen, though barely, leaving him behind as she did. Just before that was hard to remember, but that did not matter. What mattered was that she was safe now. Or, that she was captured.
Only now realizing, well, not realizing where she was, she began to scan the small room she was in. It was a bare, dull light-grey. There was a single door opposite from her, and two large windows bordering the sides of it, though they were too dark to make out anything on the other side. The only object within the room was the bed she resided on.
Not wanting to wait and find out what will happen if she stayed here, the filly began to try for the door.
And then she remembered her limited movement... that will have to come first.
After a few minutes, the filly was able to stand on her hooves and take slow steps forward without falling on her face. It was blatantly obvious that she wasn't human anymore. She could still speak just fine, she found out after whispering quietly to check just that. She was some kind of animal. But she didn't know what, not that she knows many animals. The new legs would take some time to get used to, and the tail would just get in the way.
The TV place must have changed her in some way. But, that wasn't what was important now. Safety always comes first, and she did not think she was safe here.
With a few steps, she was in front of the door. She tried to carefully push on it after seeing it had no handle, but it did not budge. She tried again, and again, grunting with the effort of more force but to no avail.
She looked up to the windows, but quickly discarded the idea of breaking them as they were too high up to reach. Doing so would also serve to alert anyone who might be nearby to her presence, so that wasn't an option.
With nothing more to do, she looked back towards the bed, another plan forming in her head.
"I'm positive, sir. She must have snuck in during the shift change. Not sure how she broke it though, she don't look too strong even for a pony her age."
The hoofsteps of the three ponies echoed loudly in the hall with their increased gait, Director Steel Score leading the way, flanked by two of the site's security.
Said Director growled in annoyance. "I will deal with your incompetence later. I swear, what is the point of hiring you fools if nothing you do actually matters?"
The one who had been talking before simply cleared his throat in response, but otherwise said nothing.
"Nevermind snuck in, how exactly did she get inside."
"The door must have been unlocked somehow, maybe the janitor forgot to lock it?" The other one responded.
Soon enough, the group paused in a smaller hallway extending from the main one they were in. Doors lined the walls without pause until the path would lead to a dead end, each door marking each room with a sign above it, labeling "Holding Cell A, Holding Cell B", etc.
"Which Room?" Steel Score asked nopony in particular.
"Holding Cell A, sir." The talkative one responded.
Steel rolled his eyes at himself. Of course, It's not like we have anypony else in holding.
The group entered the holding hall and with a few more steps, reached the indicated door. Steel activated the device on the wall directly besides the door with his magic, the door itself sliding open directly from the middle soon after, with both halves of the door sliding off into a section of the wall on either side. He stepped inside and took a look around, and noticed quite quickly of the lack of an elephant in the room.
"Nopony. Is. Here."
The filly was laying down stock still, daring not to move. She heard the voices before they came in, and she reasoned there was more than one. She had no reason to trust them, and so she had no reason to show herself rather than being completely hidden and safe. Well, as hidden and safe as one can be while hiding under a bed. To be fair, more than a few of the "people" she had run into so far hadn't been bright enough to check under small places where she could fit.
A few moments had passed, and she could no longer hear any noise as the silence of the room returned. She didn't think they had left yet, but the lack of noise was unusual if they were still looking. Did they leave?
Her thoughts were proven wrong however, as the bed she was laying under suddenly shot up in the air, leaving her exposed to the light and the open air. A loud "Ahah!" was heard in close proximity.
With no time to think, the filly acted on the spot and did what she did best: ran.
"Hey- get her!"
She had little time to judge her surroundings or who had found her, the only thing she knew for certain was the general direction of the door. On instinct alone, the filly dodged to the side when one of them jumped in front of her, sliding with her landing directly under another one that had tried to flank her. She found the door with a quick glance and was relieved to see it open. With her path now clear, she made a run for it.
And then tripped on her own unfamiliar hooves. She groaned soon after she met the ground with her head. Confusion replaced pain as a blue glow surrounded her, and she felt herself lifting from the ground. She struggled and panicked all at once, trying to escape whatever was holding her while also trying to figure out where it was coming from. The answer was soon clear as her vision was replaced by two large, blue, angry eyes.
The filly in the yellow raincoat was sitting down on a stone bench, with the lead "person" - Director Steel as he called himself, on the opposite side, separated by a small table. They were alone in the small room with a single light shinning down above them.
The filly, for her part, was conflicted. For one, she was afraid of what the animal thing wanted from her. Well, she supposed she was an animal thing too, but wasn't sure.
"How did you get in here?" The Director was glaring down at the filly, waiting for a response.
The filly, for her part, didn't know what to say. She felt some comfort in the raincoat she wore as it obscured her face, so she didn't have to look directly into (his?) eyes. Instead, she took a look around the room for what felt like the 6th time, but just as she concluded the other times, there was nowhere to go or hide.
The director sighed and muttered to himself. "Right... ahem. You are not in trouble, miss. I can have it repaired easily. What's your name?" His glare disappeared and he spoke gently.
The filly focused back on him, and a few seconds more passed. She didn't trust him. And she didn't trust herself to speak.
"Do you have any parents?"
The filly continued to stare.
"How old are you?"
A few more minutes passed, with nothing changing. The director left soon after, groaning in annoyance, which she didn't mind. She continued to sit there, taking everything new in.
She was in an unfamiliar place, in an unfamiliar body. The people she had met weren't significantly larger than her and appeared less threatening, even if they had captured her for some unknown purpose.
She hopped off the chair, and laid herself down in a corner of the room to rest, and wait. She had no idea what the future held in store, but she hoped... no. She told herself she would never hope again. To hope is to let your guard down and expect for the worst to not happen.
Six's eyes fluttered open, and she was greeted by darkness. She lay on a wooden floor, surrounded by the faint scent of old wood and dust. A lantern on a small table cast flickering shadows around the room, making her feel uneasy. The air was stale, and the silence was oppressive. As she sat up, the creaks and groans of the wooden floorboards beneath her made her jump.
Disoriented and confused, Six looked around, taking in her unfamiliar surroundings. The room was small, with no windows, but multiple doorways led out of the room. She had no idea where she was or how she got there. Panic began to set in as she scrambled to her feet, her yellow raincoat rustling as she moved.
Desperate to escape, Six moved from doorway to doorway, but each one only led to more corridors, more rooms, and more questions. Her heart raced as she called out, "Hello? Is anyone there?" But only the creaks and groans of the old wooden floor responded.
Just as she was starting to lose hope, Six heard the faint sound of laughter in the distance. It was a warm, carefree sound, drawing her in like a beacon. Following the noise, she made her way through the winding corridors, her hooves echoing off the walls.
As she turned a corner, the laughter grew louder, and Six's heart skipped a beat. She quickened her pace, her hooves pounding against the wooden floor. The sound of laughter seemed to come from a doorway up ahead, and she burst through it, hoping to find a way out or at least some answers.
Instead, she found herself in a clearing, surrounded by towering trees that seemed to stretch up to the sky. The laughter had stopped, and an unsettling silence fell over the clearing. Six looked around, disoriented, and that's when she realized she was still within the complex – there was no sky above, no stars, no moon. The air was heavy with an artificial stillness.
The trees, though tall, seemed to be confined within the complex, their branches stretching up towards the ceiling of the enormous, enclosed space. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and growing things. Six's eyes scanned the clearing, searching for any sign of life, any indication of where she was or how to escape. But there was nothing, only the oppressive silence and the feeling of being trapped.
Her yellow raincoat seemed to cling to her like a security blanket as she stood there, frozen, trying to make sense of this bizarre, artificial world. The laughter, the trees, the silence – it was all so surreal, so dreamlike. Six's mind reeled as she struggled to comprehend her situation.
As she stood there, her eyes scanned the clearing, searching for any sign of life or any indication of where she was. The silence was oppressive, weighing heavily on her shoulders. She took a step forward, her hooves sinking into the damp earth. The air was thick with the scent of growing things, and the trees seemed to loom over her, casting long, ominous shadows.
Suddenly, a faint rustling sound came from the underbrush. Six's ears perked up, and she turned towards the noise, her heart racing. A small, furry creature emerged from the bushes, its large, round eyes fixed on her. It was a rabbit, but not like any she had ever seen before. Its fur was a strange, iridescent color, shifting and shimmering in the dim light.
The rabbit hopped closer, its ears twitching, and Six felt a strange sense of calm wash over her. She reached out a hoof, and the rabbit nuzzled it gently. For a moment, Six forgot about her predicament, forgot about the strange complex and the unknown dangers that lurked within. All she could think about was the soft, gentle touch of the rabbit's fur.
As Six gazed into the rabbit's eyes, she felt a sense of unease creeping over her. The creature's gaze seemed to bore into her soul, and its iridescent fur began to shift and writhe like a living thing. The rabbit's face began to stretch and contort, its features melting like wax in a furnace. Six's calm demeanor shattered as the creature's body began to twist and elongate, its limbs stretching like rubber.
The rabbit's eyes turned into black voids, and its mouth opened wide, revealing a bottomless pit filled with thousands of razor-sharp teeth. The teeth seemed to be screaming, their points glinting in the dim light. Six's mind recoiled in horror as the void seemed to pull her in, drawing her closer to the abyss.
She tried to scream, but her voice was frozen in her throat. The last thing she saw was the endless, gaping maw, its teeth churning in a maddening rhythm. Then, everything went black.
Six's eyes snapped open, and she sat up with a start, her heart racing. She was back in the holding cell, the cold, grey walls closing in around her. The memory of the rabbit's transformation still haunted her, and she couldn't shake the feeling of dread that lingered. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she looked around the cell, half-expecting to see the monstrous rabbit lurking in the shadows. Her worries were unfounded in the end.
The door to Six's cell creaked open, and something stepped halfway inside her cell. It was a large thing, wearing black and blue clothing in a almost uniform-like fashion. It looked at her for a second, then beckoned her to follow it out. "Time to go, kid. You're free to go."
Just like that?
Six was cautious. She had assumed she would be kept here, as a prisoner. But now that this creature was telling her to leave... it could only mean ulterior motives, right?
She wasn't sure if she should be following so easily, but she also didn't want to risk antagonizing it. She stepped out into the corridor, taking in the unfamiliar sights and sounds of the research center. The guard led her through a maze of corridors, each one filled with strange contraptions and ponies in lab coats hurrying to and fro.
As they walked, Six's curiosity got the better of her. She gazed around in wonder, taking in the sheer scale and complexity of the facility. Everything seemed so... modern, so advanced, and so clean. This place was so different from what she was used to, and she was eager to learn more.
Where is it... he... taking me?
Taking the feeling in the very atmosphere itself, and the animated expressions on the faces of the beings here, Six did not feel like she was in danger. It was the first time she felt like this in a very long time. The people of this place, it was very clear to her. This was a community. An environment where all the people trust and help each other, because that's what communities do. So where did she fit in this community? She wasn't sure if it was possible, if they were willing to accept her.
She wasn't sure if she wanted to be accepted.
It wasn't long before her escort abruptly stopped. Six looked over to see what the guard was doing. His horn glowed a light blue color, levitating a keycard through a slot which opened the door. The same aura around the floating keycard pointed to the fact that the floating was his doing.
Magic?
They walked inside a bigger room, which Six took more interest in compared to the others. Not because of the large alicorn standing in the middle, but because of the tall glass window planes that designated the exit - the outside of this facility. She could see a blue sky.
"Twilight Sparkle, this is the... unusual pony we found with the broken Watch Box," the guard explained, before nodding at Six and retreating back into the corridor.
Six's eyes fixed on the pony standing before her. This was Twilight Sparkle, she assumed. Twilight's gaze was soft and kind as they met eyes. Six felt strange from the interaction.
"Hello, little one," Twilight said, her voice like music. "I'm Twilight Sparkle. I've been trying to figure out who you are and how you ended up here. Would you like to talk about it?" Twilight's eyes were full of genuine concern, but Six's instincts told her to be cautious regardless.
She hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. But there was something about Twilight's warm smile that put her at ease. Maybe it was the sincerity in her voice or the way her ears perked up when she spoke. Whatever it was, Six found herself wanting to open up to this pony.
Twilight seemed to sense her hesitation and changed tactics. "Why don't we get some lunch and talk about whatever you're comfortable sharing?" She gestured to a nearby table, where a delicious-looking meal was spread out before them. "I promise, no pressure."
Six's stomach growled at the sight of the food, and her resolve began to weaken. She nodded, and Twilight beamed with excitement. "Wonderful! Come, sit down. I would have wanted to go to that new café downtown, I've heard great things about their sandwiches. But the kind ponies here offered this meal for free, just for you!"
Six's eyes widened as she took in the variety of dishes on the table. Everything here looked delicious. Twilight smiled and gestured for her to sit down, and Six complied, her eyes fixed on the food.
As they sat down, Twilight began to serve herself a modest portion of salad and sandwich. Six, on the other hand, loaded her plate with everything in sight. She was famished, and the aroma of the food was intoxicating.
Twilight chuckled at Six's enthusiasm, but said nothing, letting her guest enjoy her meal. As they ate, the silence between them was comfortable, and Six found herself relaxing in Twilight's presence.
After a few minutes of eating, Twilight spoke up, her voice gentle. "So... do you mind if I ask you some questions?" Six looked up, her mouth full of food, and nodded slightly.
"Well, can we start by telling me why you snuck in here? You know, it's not nice to go in places your not supposed to be." Twilight's eyes were kind and non-judgmental, and Six felt a pang of guilt. Even though she didn't actually do what she's being accused of.
"Don't worry, your not in trouble. I just want to know why you did it?"
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to think of how to respond. And as she looked at Twilight, she felt a strange sense of trust. Maybe it was the way Twilight sounded, or the way she seemed to genuinely care about Six's well-being. Whatever the reason, Six found herself wanting to open up to this pony.
"I... I don't know," Six said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I was somewhere else, and then I was here. I don't know how I got here or how to get back." She looked back down, trying to avoid eye contact.
Twilight's expression was sympathetic. "We'll figure it out. I promise. But first, can you tell me why you broke the Watch Box? You know, the box with a screen on it, in project room number six."
"I didn't mean to." Six responded quietly.
Twilight kept up the same appearance for a few more seconds, before deciding to go back to her food. Six decided to follow along. The period of silence didn't last too long however.
"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't get your name." Twilight suddenly asked her.
"...Six."
As they walked out of the New-Tech Center, Six couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder. The sky was a brilliant blue, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers. She had never seen a place like this before. Everything seemed so... peaceful.
Twilight chatted amiably as they strolled through the streets, pointing out various landmarks and explaining the history behind them. Six listened intently, her gaze drinking in the sights and sounds of this new world. For the first time in a long time, she felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, she could find a place to belong here.
