Under Construction

o/ Did we take the time, to really discover

how little we know about each other...o/`

Less Than Jake - All My Best Friends Are Metalheads

Frontline

I paused for a moment, the phone held tight against my ear as I turned away from the noise in the apartment. “I’m sorry, boss. Could you repeat that again?” I asked, feeling a single bead of sweat form on my brow.

“I need you to come into work, Jer. There’s a major water main break downtown, and we need guys that know what they’re doing.” Of all the problems that could have arisen today, this was the LAST thing I counted on. With the terrible trio being as troublesome as they were, I knew Autumn wouldn’t be able to handle whatever they came up with alone. I searched my thoughts, trying to find a way to get out of having to leave her alone with them.

“Well... what about Mikey? He’s lower on seniority than me. Did ya try him, yet?” I heard Wally let out a sigh on the other end, already crushing my hope.

“I called Wilkes, already. Little prick won’t answer his phone. That leaves only you on the list.” I could tell Walt was a little pissed off. He only refers to people by their last name when he’s really aggravated. “Look, I know you like your time off. So do I. But this is the nature of the job. Now, get to the garage in half an hour, or you’re getting written up. Savvy?”

“Yeah... yeah, I savvy. See ya then.” I heard Walt hang up on the other end, leaving a lump in my throat. He seemed really pissed off, meaning he would really write me up without a second thought. He must not have been able to get anyone else to come. Which means... I was S.O.L.

“Jeremy, is everything OK?” I looked over my shoulder, finding Autumn standing behind me with a concerned look on her face. Oh, man...

“No, everything’s NOT OK. We need to gather up our buddies. Come with me.” I motioned to her as I walked over to the kitchen area where Rocky was currently chatting it up with Tammy. The earth pony had that smug, self-serving smile on his face. I walked up behind my old friend and placed my hand on her shoulder.

“Tams, come with me. We need to talk.” I motioned to my bedroom and continued over to the living area to grab Max and Crystal. No, seriously. I grabbed them both by the arms and drug them away from their conversation with Ariel on the way to my bedroom. “You presence is required in my bedroom, Punk Rocks. Now.”

“Not without dinner and a movie, sailor.” Maxwell said, jokingly. Too bad humor was lost on me at the moment. As soon as Tammy, Autumn and the gruesome twosome were in my room, I shut the door, turning to face them all.

“Alright, people. And... Autumn.” I said nodding in her direction. “I have an announcement to make. I’ve just been called to work.” The three humans looked at me like I was crazy, like this was no big deal. Obviously, they didn’t get it.

“Um... So? What’s wrong with that?” Crystal asked, brushing her pink hair from her eyes.

“What’s wrong? WHAT’S WRONG?! I gotta leave those three alone, that’s what!” I said, feeling individual grey hairs slowly popping out of my scalp as I spoke. “They’ve been wrecking my apartment since they got here! They almost burned the whole building down, just because I overslept an hour! And now I gotta leave for God know how long?! Guys, I...” I stopped a moment, catching my breath as I felt the weight of my predicament pressing down on me. Oh, Lord, help me. “... I need your help.”

“Jeremy...” Autumn looked at me with worry in her eye. I can’t blame her. Up until now, I’ve been putting on a brave front in the face of this unusual situation. But for the first time, I was actually worried about something truly... ‘bad’ happening. I turned to Maxwell and Crystal, looking into their eyes as I tried to sound as serious as possible.

“You two... I know we don’t really know each other that well, so you can tell me no if you want. However, Autumn liked you, so that’s more than enough for me.” I really wasn’t lying about that part. She may have not been an Alpha native, but in the time I’ve known her, I knew Autumn was no fool. If she liked these two, there must be a reason. I turned then to Tammy, hoping my old friend would come through for me, even though she really had no reason to. “Tams, you and I go back a long way. We been through a lot, which is why I feel confident in asking this of you.” If only I was as confident as I sounded...

“I need you three to help Autumn watch our guests.” I waited a moment in silence before continuing, hating that I even had to ask for this. “I trust Autumn, maybe even more than I ever did anybody else in my whole life. But these three have caused one disaster after another since they’ve arrived. Especially Rocky and Ariel. Even Thunder, as mellow as he is, doesn’t know his own strength. And as capable as she is, she’ll need back-up.” I looked over at my little orange friend, breathing out a heavy sigh. “So... Can I count on you guys?”

“Sure, you can.”

“Yeah, why not?”

“Sounds like fun.”

Well... not the answer I was preparing myself for.

“Wait, you’ll... You’ll do it?” I asked, still unsure I heard right.

“Hang out with three more beings from another world? Hell, yeah!” Crystal answered with a bounce.

“Of course. Sounds like a blast.” Max said, echoing Crystals sentiment. Great, that’s two down. Now, the only one left is Tammy. I felt a little worried for a second, until I noticed the smile on her face.

“Sure thing.” She said, smiling over at Autumn. “I was hoping to hang out with the both of you, but I really wanted to talk more with Autumn about her home. I guess I’ll just do that till you come back, then.” Autumn looked up to her, returning the happy with her own sweet smile.

“That sounds like fun, Tammy, And I’m sure I know three beings here who won’t have ANY trouble telling you about their homes, as well.” The two laughed as  Max walked past me to my bedroom door, Crystal following close behind.

“Well, I’m gonna go talk to the minotaur. I wanna know how much he can bench.”

“Me, too. I wanna go meet that griffin girl.” As the two teens left, Tammy followed close behind, giving me one last grin before she walked out. I turned to follow, but suddenly felt something gentle and feathery wrap around my hand.

“I know why you asked for their help.” Autumn said. I looked down, finding the end of her wing holding onto my hand. “You’re more worried about me than the apartment, aren’t you?” I chuckled at the accusation, waving off her wing as I avoided eye contact.

“Well... heheheh. Maybe. I just don’t want anymore surprises today, that’s all.” I contested. The grin on her face let me know she didn’t believe my answer, but she let it go at that, none the less.

“Fine, then.” She said, reaching up and taking the bedroom doorknob in her hoof. “I’ll leave you to change, then. Have fun, Jeremy.” As she closed the door behind her, I breathed out a long sigh. Fuckin’ work... Damn it all to hell, why did I have to be called out today, of all days?! This was just another roadblock in completing my gift for Autumn on the roof, too. I’m sure I’ll get around to it, sometime this century.

I made a mental note to give Agent Syth a call on the way to work. I didn’t really see a problem with leaving Autumn and her friends alone with the trio for a couple hours, but I figured he’d like to know I wasn’t going to be here. Really, this was just a courtesy call. I walked over to my closet and grabbed my jeans, hi-viz shirt and boots. If I had to go out today, I would just have to hustle and get home as fast as I could.

***

Work. Fucking. SUCKED!!!

It wasn’t a water main break. Oh, no... it was a sewer line. Apparently, a line decided to break right in the middle of one of the busiest intersections of the city, half-flooding the street with waste. Or, as my experienced co-workers call it, 'fresh clam chowder.' The Sanitation Authority was there trying to figure out what caused the break, blaming the disaster on the old failing terracotta pipes. However, in my opinion, I blame that monster-sized deuce Thunder left the night before. That was enough to gag a skunk.

My part in the repair process was simple; cutting out and replacing the burst section of pipe. After my fellow Street Boys turned of the flow and used the suck-truck to clean out the crater left by the break, Bob, Kenny and me all worked like dogs to finish up the repairs and get the hell outta that shit-skinkin’ hole.

And, of course, the call to Syth didn’t go like I wanted it to, either. I called the number he gave me and got the god-damned machine!!!

‘Hi! This is Secret Agent Henry Syth of the Bureau of Extraterrestrial Affairs. I’m off talking to some aliens right now, and can’t answer my phone. Just leave your name and number, and we’ll have you under satellite surveillance in a matter of moments. Thanks. Beep!’

Seriously, WHO LEAVES A MAILBOX MESSAGE LIKE THAT?!?!?!  I gave him the just of the situation; I was called out to work, and Autumn, her friends from the mall and my old school mate were keeping an eye on the home front. Simple and to the point. I didn’t currently have the time to worry about what he’d think. I still had to keep my day job.

***

As soon as the break was fixed and the road repaired, we headed back to the garage and hit the showers. After cleaning off the dookie stink, I was out like a shot. Half because I was in desperate need of some relaxation, half because I was anxious to see what the terrible trio did to my the apartment. Between the old arcade cabinets, the broken dirt bikes I was repairing and all the other items I salvaged working on the city, they had enough stuff around the place to keep any of them occupied. I just hope They didn’t destroy the building in the process.

I arrived home to find the building still standing. Good, the battle’s half-won already. I went in and took the service lift to the apartment, expecting a catastrophe. In reality, the gate opened up to something far worse.

Complete silence.

For a moment, I just stared into the vacant space before me. No fires, no overturned furniture, no broken glass. Silence. And a cat. When my mind finally caught up with reality, I walked into the living area, giving a quick shout to anyone within earshot.

“Hello? Autumn? Tammy? Max? Anybody?” No answer. I ran over to both mine and Autumn’s bedrooms. Empty , as expected. I ran out the door leading to the roof, expecting them all to be there, maybe having a party or something. Again, I found myself alone, the rising sense of panic my only companion.

Alright... Think it’s time to panic now.

I immediately took out my phone and called everyone’s favorite spy, hoping he might have had something to do with my friends’ disappearance. After three rings, I actually felt a rush of relief as the mysterious bastard answered.

“Bureau of Extraterrestrial Affairs, Secret Agent Henry Syth speaking.”

“WHERE’S MY ALIENS?!?!?!” I shouted into the phone. Ya know, under any other circumstances, I would sound crazy for saying that.

“They’re not with you?” Syth asked calmly. “Well... This isn’t good.”

“OF COURSE, IT’S NOT GOOD!” I screamed into the phone. “Four aliens are running around Boston on a Saturday night!!! How can you be so calm right now?!”

“Well, first of all, this is the first I’m hearing of it. But on top of that, shouting won’t solve anything.” Henry said, calmly. “I’m a little disappointed you let them get away from you, but-”

“I was WORKING!!! YOU NEVER ANSWERED YOUR PHONE!!!” I retaliated.

“Fine, fine. Just keep calm and stay put.” Syth said in a calming voice. “I’ll see if I can track them down. In the meantime, just stay there and wait for them to come back. I’ll call if I need you, OK? Goodbye.”

I hit the end button on the phone and slipped it back in my pocket, feeling a lump in my chest. I wasn’t here. I practically left her to the winds with a bunch of lunatics and strangers to watch over, and somehow hoped against hope that things would just work out? No... It’s worse than that. I screwed up, big time. And I’m gonna have to fix this.

I went to my bedroom and threw my dirty clothes in the hamper. In a minute, I was ready to go in my best street wear. Blue short-sleeved button down shirt with a white tank top underneath. Faded blue jean shorts that stop in the middle of the shins. Black and white Converse (cause I rock the classics, that’s why). Leather band wrist watch with the large ball-chain necklace and matching wallet chain. Finish that off with my faded canvas cap and I was ready to go. If only I knew where I was going.

“Now...” I thought. “... If I was a group of wild and crazy college-age punks and trouble makers from another dimension, where would I go...?” Shit. If Erica let me out at all when we were thgether, I would know this without a second thought. Maybe turning into a shut-in after the breakup wasn’t such a good idea.

As I threw my boots in the closet and turned to leave, I noticed a small piece of paper, folded over and taped on my bedroom door. Walking over to it, I noticed my name written on the outside, almost as if it was done in a hurry. I took it off and read it.

‘Dear Jeremy,

Took the trio and our human friends out. Max and Crystal said they know of this place called ‘Steam Punk’s’ that they think we’ll like. Meet us there if you get home early enough. Don’t wait up.

Autumn.’

Today just keeps going from bad to worse. Of all the clubs in town... it had to be Steam Punk’s.

***

I pulled up into the parking lot across from Steam Punk’s Rock Club. I knew this dump well. It was the usual shitty ‘18 to party, 21 to drink’ kinda place. I could see a generous mix of young hipsters, punk rockers and wannabe homie Gs; the usual crowd of degenerates for a Saturday night. The marquee read ‘Final Frontier,’ the name of a pretty well known local band that did covers of famous punk and ska songs. Great. If they were playing, there’d be a sea of freaks I’d have to wade through to find my friends. If Autumn was really in there, I really had to get her out before she got hurt or in trouble. If the Terrible Trio was in there, then... Well, I might just let them in there until they wrecked the place enough to have it condemned.

I parked my truck and approached the bouncer at the door, catching all kinds of dirty looks from the crowd waiting as I cut to the front. I didn’t care, though. A hidden $50 passed to him via fake handshake bought me a quick entrance. A moment later, I was inside.

The interior of the club was much more impressive than the outside let on, and seemed much too good for the common riffraff that frequented the place. The entire facility was built around the machinery and systems left here when the industrial machine company pulled out a few years ago. As a result, there was a definite industrial feel to the decor; large gears on the walls, pipes across the ceilings, chains and pulleys over the bar, neon lights outlining the rooms and hallways. There was even en elevating stage built on top of several hydraulic lifts once used to raise the trucks that came here. With the flip a switch, and the stage rose, making diving from it all the more fun. However, the bar was just one of several large rooms in the facility. There were also three event halls, two outside deck areas and several offices and storage rooms and coolers scattered through, making it a very successful operation.

The Final Frontier blared a cover of ‘The Boys Are Back’ as I walked down the large main hallway, turning into the main hall area. If my posse was here, the band and bar area was where they would be. Turns out, I was right. I just wasn’t prepared for what I laid eyes on as I turned the corner. Instead of broken chairs, overturned tables and panicked customers, I found a room full of people and four Earth Omega creatures, having the time of their lives.

“There I was; Diamond Dogs to the left, a manticore to the right and the only thing between them and a group of lost, frightened colt and filly orphans and their burnin’ orphanage was yours truly.” At a table close to the entrance, I found Rocky Road, surrounded by some of the HOTTEST hotties I’ve EVER seen. Surprisingly, they seemed to be hanging on his every word as he spun an impossible yarn like he had to Autumn the day prior. Before I could approach him, however, my attention was caught by the slamming of shot glasses against the bar a little way down. I scanned ahead through the crowded, noisy club, finding Ariel smiling with a forepaw raised high, signaling the bartender.

“Yo, barkeep! There’s a problem here! You gave me an empty glass! Another hit!” Beside her, a guy that could have easily passed for a first-round draft pick linebacker swayed uneasily on his barstool, a look of dread on his reddened face. Ariel turned to him and laughed, a quick hiccup escaping her throat. “Oh, come on, brother! Don’t tell me I won, already!” The griffin girl gave him a hearty slap on the back, causing the obviously inebriated jock to throw his hands over his mouth. Seconds later, the big man rushed past me through the crowd in the direction of the little gentleman’s room. I turned back to Ariel, finding the mythical monster smiling at me from her stool. “JEREMY! How ya doin’? I KNEW you humans would be lightweights when it came to drinking, but I didn’t think you’d be THAT bad!” The female and a handful of patrons around her burst into a fit of laughter as I spotted a pair of horns from across the room, rising up onto the stage.

Thunder had made his way to the band and was now climbing up to join them. I hurried to get to him to get him off the stage, but was blocked by the mass of humanity writhing and churning before me. I was helpless to do anything as I watched Thunder close his eyes and turn his back to the audience. A moment later, the massive minotaur spread his arms and fell backwards into the crowd. For a moment, a held my breath, expecting the floor to shake with a loud ‘BOOM.’ Instead, I was surprised as the huge creature rose back up again, laying flat on his back as dozens of human hands carried him to the back of the room.

“Jeremy! Over here!” Over the din of music and the crowd, I barely managed to make out Autumn’s smiling face in the far corner. She was sitting at a large table near the back wall with Tammy, Crystal and Max, each smiling and waving me towards them. With the path clear, I hurried to the seat beside her, hoping to make some sense of this madness.

“Autumn! What in the name of sweet Jesus are you all DOING HERE?! I thought you were gonna stay in the apartment!” I shouted, half to be heard over the noise of the room, half to show my incredible displeasure with the current situation.

“There’s that ‘Jesus’ character you keep referencing.” Autumn joked, eliciting a laugh from Max and Crystal. “Sorry we didn’t give you more of a heads-up than a note, Jer, but we had to do something,”

“The group was getting kinda restless,” Max said, cutting in. “so we decided, since Autumn did so well when we meet her in the mall, this would be a good place to take them.”

“Yeah, and they’re TOTALLY fitting in, too!” Crystal chimed. “After some people got over the initial shock, these party animals mingled faster than I’ve ever seen anyone else.” I looked around the room at the trio once more, following as Autumn directed me with her hoof. The girls at the table where Rocky was sitting were roaring with laughter, the stallion in question with his forelegs around the girls at his sides. Back at the bar, Ariel lent hand (paw? talon?) to help the fallen patron back to his seat, while simultaneously beaconing for the barkeep’s attention. The loud clop of a pair of hooves drew my gaze to the audience before the band, the crowd finally managing to surf Quiet Thunder to the back. The minotaur rejoined the fans, wading slowly back to the front.

“They... They’re fitting in.” I said with equal parts amazement and shock. Autumn laughed as the end of her wing wrapped around my hand, pulling me to the table where my fellow humans now sat.

“Of course! C’mon, Jeremy; I’ll fill you in.”

***

I sat there, drinking my Red Bull as Tammy, Max, Crystal and Autumn explained. After I left, the trio ate lunch, watched TV, (the one channel they could, since Thunder broke the remote yesterday) and after that, got insanely bored. Sure, the Autumn and the humans offered to play games, go rent some movies, whatever. But in the end, the Punk Pair decided the activity. Since Autumn had such a good time in the arcade with them and their friends when they met, they would take the three to the most happening, hippest, grooviest place they knew. A quick ride over in Max’s van and here they were. Of course, they got the few expected odd looks from some people entering the building with them, but other than that, they were welcomed like V.I.P.s.

I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe that these three destructive, loud, clumsy creatures that, just hours ago, almost destroyed my home were now fitting in amongst total strangers. Not only that, it looked like they were having the time of their lives. It was about the time the band took an intermission that the three creatures in question decided to join us at the table. The exchange students pulled three seats from an empty nearby table and joined the conversation.

“Howdy, big fella!” Rocky hollered, placing a hoof on my shoulder and giving me a friendly shake. Not a violent gyration that shook me from my seat. Oh, no. A shake, like you’d give a friend upon meeting. Thunder seemed different as well. The clumsy, awkward, doesn’t-know-his-own-strength minotaur grabbed the chair from the adjacent table and spun it around. He threw his leg over the backrest of the chair as it slid forward, the large creature resting his arms on the back as he straddled it.

“Yo, miss! Bring us three rum and cokes, please!” Ariel shouted, waving at a passing waitress and getting a nod in return. “Can you believe it? The bartender comped our drinks for the night.” She said with a smile. “Autumn had him ‘Google’ the legal adult ages of Omega races. We’ve been getting drinks from the guy ever since!”

“Well, YOU guys have been drinking alcohol. Me and the others have been having soda.” Autumn answered. Ariel just laughed, throwing a foreleg around Thunder’s shoulder.

“What’s the difference?! Human booze is SO weak, we might as well be drinking dishwater!” The three laughed, with Max, Crystal and Tammy joining in. Autumn gave me a hopeful smile, the kind that silently asks those that see it to just drop their baggage and accept the moment. Falling to the warm look she was giving me, I abandoned my plans to drag the three visiting creatures out of the club by their ears, as well as my plan to lay into the three humans that brought them here. Instead, I took another sip of my energy drink, leaned back and decided to enjoy myself for the first time this weekend.

***

Ya know, it’s amazing what you learn when you actually sit down and talk to somebody. Not only about them, but about yourself. For the first time since they arrived, I actually sat down with the trio and talked with them. I forgot about all the trouble they gave me and all he broken items in the apartment and all the grief, and just talked to them like I would have anyone else. Turns out, that’s all I needed to do from the start.

Ariel grew up in the griffin nation of Althera, an only child and the latest in a long line of mages. Yes, you heard me right; mages. As in the kind that cast magic spells and make potions and stuff. Well, unlike pony unicorns, griffin magic mostly comes from potions, crystals, drawing symbols and reciting incantations. Not only that, but only a chosen few griffins can actually use magic, and she’s in line to learn all the tricks of the family business. Unfortunately, she’s still weak in her knowledge of plant life and minerals required to properly combine into potions. You may find it surprising, friends; Ariel came to Earth Alpha to learn botany and chemistry. And yes, I’m just as stunned as you are.

Quiet Thunder, as it turns out, came to study engineering. Specifically, nautical engineering, of all things! Minotaurs are renowned throughout Omega for their superb shipbuilders and sea fairing skills. The mellow, centered giant came to study the early ship building history of humanity in hopes of taking back to his people new, faster, larger ships with which to carry goods. With much of the civilized societies on Omega already relied on them for the import and export of goods. With the Massachusetts Maritime museum and Boston Naval Shipyard so close, he picked a hell of a place to come to learn about shipbuilding.

Remember when Agent Syth mentioned to me that in Equestria, some ponies were still living in herds due to low numbers of stallions in some areas? Guess what; Rocky came from one of those herd families! Aside from his regular mom, dad and a sister, he also had a herd Dad, three other Herd moms, 6 herd sisters and 3 herd brothers. Holy SHIT, do they like to fuck in Equestria! He mentioned that their area, Mustangia, is like some states in the American southwest; very dry, with lots of desert and prairie lands. Rocky came to Alpha to learn of the different ways humans overcame dry growing conditions on our world. That explains his cactus cutie mark. The guy’s speciality was farming in dry, harsh conditions.

I even found out a little something-something about Max and Crystal while I was at it. As luck would have it, Max comes from a military family as well. His dad’s Coast Guard, and works out of the base on Commercial Street,  not far from my house. You wouldn’t tell by looking at the piercings and the dyed-blue fade the guy’s sporting, but he wants to join the Guard, too. His dad’s trying to talk him out of it, though. Get him to go to college for a while first. He’s already accepted to a few schools around here. All he has to do is say the word and he’s off. Hope he does take a little self-discovering journey for a while before he signs the dotted line. Crystal, on the other hand, is a FANTASTIC artist. Says she wants to be a famous tattoo artist when she gets out of school. She even grows her own ink from special plants in her parent’s greenhouse. Apparently, the idea of using plant enzymes instead of derivatives from animals is just as good, and doesn’t piss off Vegans. But seriously, that girl took out a pen and drew this anime-style portrait of me on a cocktail napkin as a demonstration. JUST LIKE THAT! I must admit, I was speechless. Now, I gotta go home and find a frame to hand a damn napkin in!

Together, me and Tammy shared stories from when we were younger. Autumn was particularly interested in stupid and often embarrassing stuff I did in grade school and junior high. Keeping with what I asked her when she first met Autumn, Tammy left out any stories about me and Erica. I knew the little orange pony held a lot of respect for me, and the feeling was mutual. However, I still felt apprehensive about letting her know how badly I was played. God damn, it even feels bad to say that... Anyway, back to the story.

Over the rest of the night, Rocky kept asking me tips on scoring with human women. DAMN, dude! You’ve been on this world for like, a week, and you’re already trying to score some puss?! Take it slow, amigo! Ariel pulled me aside and (get this, guys) actually apologized for acting like a bitch since we met. She told me it was mostly because she was really scared about being so far from home, but, because she’s a big, scary, tough griffin and all, she couldn’t really show it. I might not of believed it if she didn’t cry a little as she did it. Yes, the big, bad girl teared up a little. I felt it was appropriate to give her a reassuring hug to calm her down. Thunder’s only issue was making me promise several times during the course of the night that I’d help him find out more about the styles of music known as ‘rock’ and ‘metal.’ Sure thing, big guy. Anything you say.

With the disaster that was the missing Trio over, I resolved to relax with my friends as the night winded down to a close. I had no idea the real trouble was just about to start.

***

Come 1:00 a.m., the club finally closed. We all stuck around, mostly because I wanted to thank the bartender and the owner for being so nice to my charges. They both assured me it was no trouble, and that we were all welcome to come back anytime. I didn’t have the heart to tell them the Trio might never see Boston again after they were placed with new host homes. Also, maybe I just didn’t wanna say it out loud. You know, cause if I said it out loud, that would make it true. Maybe I was starting to not like that idea so much, anymore.

For a while, we just stood in the entryway, shooting the shit with the bouncer I bribed earlier. Ya know, if they REALLY appreciated the draw of three Omega Earth creatures in their club, the guy would have given me my money back. Turns out, as patrons of the club started tweeting and throwing up photos on different social sites, the number of customers doubled for a regular Saturday night. Apparently, EVERYBODY wants to see a real, live Omega Earth creature. Anyways, as the last of the club’s employees entered the building and locked the doors for the night, Autumn, me and the rest of the crew headed to the parking lot. It was getting late, and I expected Syth to contact me bright and early to take the Trio off my hands.

The area where both me, Crystal and Max parked was a long, L-shaped lot, the front half being between two tall buildings. The entry was in the front, with a set of spikes across it making sure any vehicle exited out the back way. It was just as our group entered the center of the almost empty lot that I saw the first of them.

Coming out of the shadows between adjacent vehicles, a single figure approached. He was dressed normal enough; sneakers, jeans, t-shirt, cap. I wouldn’t have thought anything of it, except for the fact that he was wearing a mask. The accessory in question was skin tight and white like Slender Man, the only difference being a red circle with a diagonal line through it. The sudden appearance of the creep stopped me in my tracks, more struck by curiosity than anything. One by one, we all stopped as the strange young man tucked his hands in his pockets and spoke.

“Evening, humans. We’ll be taking the Omega trash off your hands, now.” The statement was so direct and unexpected, it almost didn’t register. I stood for a moment as I tried to make sense of what he just said.

“Huh?”

“What did he just say?”

“‘Omega Trash?’”

I could the hear the murmurs of my friends behind me at the stranger’s words. Calmly, he stood in front of us as stepped forward.

“Um... Excuse me?” I said, raising an eyebrow.

“The quads. The aliens. We want them. Now. All you humans are free to go, but the Omega freaks are coming with us.” Alright, NOW the words hit me. Maxwell, Crystal and Tammy stood in front of the four as I clenched my fists at my side, eyeing up the weirdo.

“I don’t think me and my friends take too kindly to some son of a bitch calling them names on the street.” Max said, the large punk’s words spoken with authority from behind me.

“Jeremy...?” The concern was apparent in Autumn’s voice as I heard the clopping of her approach. An open palm directed at her behind my back stopped her in her tracks as I kept place between him and my friends.

“Well, you ain’t getting the ‘Omegas,’ buddy. So, I suggest you take your little Halloween outfit and get the fuck outta here before I turn the rest of your mask red.” Maxwell approached me from behind, standing just to the left of me as he cracked his knuckles. The stranger just shook his head as he looked towards the ground. Putting his hands up, he clapped twice before putting both hands back in his pockets. The doors on the car and van the man emerged from between opened, several other ‘gentlemen’ dressed similarly stepping out of them to join their comrade. They were all different sizes, heights and colors. I could tell by the skin of their arms or legs they were a good mix of white, tan, black and whatever shade in between. Their clothes differed from long pants and shorts, boots and sneakers, t-shirts, vests and tank tops. The only item showing they were together being the white, crossed-face masks. All together, there was at least eight of them, and despite not being able to see their faces, I could tell that they were all probably pissed off.

“I don’t think I made myself completely clear, human sympathizer.” The first goon spoke as his crew spread out, forming a rough semi-circle in front of us. The path back out of the parking lot was partially blocked as they took up position around us. “Those four freaks are coming with us, if we have to walk right over you to get them.”

“Guys... stay behind me.” I spoke over my shoulder, Crystal and Tammy standing close to the four aliens, trying not to take their eyes off of any of the creeps for too long.

“Think these guys will settle with just having their pictures taken with our buds?” Max asked, standing almost back-to-back with me as we looked over the group.

“I don’t think this is a really photogenic group.” I joked back, failing to get a laugh as we looked over our ordeal. We were outnumbered, facing people that wanted to hurt our friends for some God-unknown reason, leaving us with six lives to watch over besides our own. Looking over our approaching opponents, Max and I prepared for the worst.

That’s about the time we heard the sickening *THWAK*.

Near the back of the pack of goons, one of the biggest of the bunch suddenly left the ground and spun full-speed to his side. The large masked man hit the ground and rolled end over end until he hit the nearby building, crashing to a halt. All eyes in the lot suddenly turned to the sound as a tall blond man in a dark suit stepped through the darkness.

“If you want those Omega Earth citizens, you’ll have to go through me, first.” Agent Syth stepped forward from where the large thug was just standing, raising a leg and shaking his foot in the air. “Damn it. Why do assholes always have such hard heads?”

“Syth! What the hell are you doing here?” I shouted, watching in surprise as the G-man took off his coat, leaving only his white button-down.

“I followed the hits and photo-tags of you and our friends on Spacebook. Sorry I was late, though. Had some calls to make, meeting to set up. The usual.” Syth seemed like he had just swatted a fly, the rest of the masked goons looking back and forth between the new arrival and our little group. “Jeremy, could you and Mr. Wallace please escort your group out of the parking lot? I’ll handle these clowns.” His words were steady and confident, without any hint of doubt or fear. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Crystal and Tammy already waving Autumn and the rest out of the way, through the dark of the lot and back towards our cars. Maxwell took the rear of the train as I lagged behind to keep an eye on Syth. Seems knocking their friend out was the magic button to press, cause they were looking like they were ready for a fight.

“Sounds like we got us a bit of a dust-up here, fellas.” Rocky said, craning his neck till it cracked. “C’mon. Let’s send these jokers packin.’”

“NO!” All of us, including some of the attacking goons, jumped at the directness of Henry’s shout. The proper-looking agent pointed at us as he surveyed the gang before him. “Under no circumstances are ANY of you Omega citizens to try helping me. Understand? Just get the hell outta here. NOW!”

“C’mon, Jer! Get a move on!” Autumn whispered harshly, grabbing my sleeve with her teeth and pulling me. I turned away from Syth just in time to miss the first few hits, the sounds of fists hitting flesh starting to echo in the vacant lot. Together, we reached my truck at the exit of the lot, all pausing to gather ourselves.

“Jeremy, this is insane! What’s going on?! Who ARE those guys?! Why do they want us?” Autumn looked up at me with panicked eyes, the Trio standing behind her in an equally terrified state. I listened to the founds of the scuffle through the darkness, my mind vaguely piecing together the hurried events since we left the bar.

“I called Syth when I came home and found only Merlin waiting for me. He must have seen pics of you guys online and came down here. As for those thugs... Guys, I don’t think those men are too keen on aliens visiting Alpha Earth.” I could see a good mix of emotion on all my friends’ faces; fear, shock, anger. What bothered me the most, though, was the look of realization on Autumn’s face. I warned her about fellas like this. I just never knew people would go to such extremes like this.

In the distance, I heard the sound of a trash can connecting with a body, followed by a grunt I knew must have come from Syth. In that instant, something in me broke. The pull of self-preservation faded to nothing as I felt my hands ball up to fists all by themselves. I don’t know if it was the anger I felt at the thought of them wanting to hurt Autumn or the ever-present need to defend her, but in that moment, I knew I had to turn back.

“Max, Tams, Crystal? Keep an eye on our friends, here. I’m going back.” I turned away, immediately feeling a heavy hand grip my shoulder. I looked down, feeling a set of heavyfingers holding me in place.

“Hold on, Jer. You ain’t going back there without me.”

“Forget it, Max.” I said, shaking his hand off. “Stay with the group, here. They’ll need you if I can’t help Syth and they come this way.”

“If they come this way, then...” Tammy said, pausing as she rummaged though her handbag. In a moment, she produced a small, black canister of pepper spray, pulling the safety pin from the side. “... I’ll make them sorry they did.” A clicking sound coming from Crystal caught my attention, long before the large blade she was holding did. In the dark, it was still easy to make out the shape of the butterfly knife she pulled out of her knee-length boot.

“WE’LL make them sorry, girl.” My eyes went wide as I spied the blade that the young punk girl seemed to know how to handle a little TOO well. Crystal gave me an uncharacteristically girly giggle as she swished the knife back and forth. “What? A lady’s gotta defend herself, right?” Crystal said with a grin. “We got this. Go get em,’ boys.” That was all the instruction we needed. Max and I gave each other a quick grin before turning and running back through the darkness to the front of the parking lot.

As we ran back through the night, my eyes focused on a sight I hoped they wouldn’t. Syth was now kneeling between two of the goons, his arms held on both sides as a third took carefully calculated shots at his face. The thick, packing sounds of impact only made me angrier as I ran harder into the group. As I approached, I singled out one of the largest of the attackers directly in front of me, readying myself to attack. Good, good, you son of a bitch... Just keep looking away.

As I got within a few feet of him, I jumped into the air, pulling back my fist as I shouted before my strike. The sound caused him to turn just enough to expose what my dad affectionately called ‘the sweet spot.’ With all my might, my fist connected on target; the area above the jaw line, just below the area between the ear and eye. The thug let out a hard breath as he spun on his feet before dropping like a stone, unconscious to the ground. Well, I’ll be... Dad was right. That really IS a knock-out shot!

Max took the moment of confusion to land a hard left uppercut to the one goon holding Syth, sending him to the ground as his buddies backed away from their new opponents. I moved quickly between them and the group as Max moved to help Henry.

“Corbin... I told you to get the hell out of here...” he said weakly as Max helped him to his feet.

“Couldn’t be helped, sir.” Max answered, helping Syth’s to his feet again as he straightened his mussed-up shirt. “Me and Jeremy just had to come down here and help even the odds.” The battered agent cracked his neck as he caught his breath from the beating, looking none the worse for wear. Of course, he had a few bruises and the shoulder of his shirt was ripped, but otherwise, he was ready to go again as soon as he caught his second wind. It’s a good thing, too, cause our remaining new friends weren’t going to let us have a second more than that. Granted, six on three was still better odds than seven to one, but we still knew this wasn’t going to be pretty.

“Fine...” Syth said, taking a fighting stance again. “Just don’t get yourselves killed. Less paperwork for me later.” With the option of going all at once at one opponent gone, the masked thugs now started gathering for the next move. With the only option being to try and take us all out before getting to Autumn and the rest, the six remaining thugs charged us all at once.

Now, I’m not gonna say we were Luffy, Goku and Ichigo, ripping apart a squad of enemy grunts. But let me tell you something movies, novels, games, comics and TV will never tell you:

Being in a fight, even if you win... HURTS!!! Granted, these guys didn’t much know what they were doing. Me, Max and definitely Syth handled them with better ease than I thought. By the holds and throws he was pulling off, you could definitely tell Maxwell put in a few years on the high school wrestling team. Henry, however... Wow. You could really tell he was properly trained. Every defensive gesture had a counter-attack. Every attack had at least three follow-up hits. You couldn’t tell by looking at him, being such a proper looking guy most of the time, but he could really tear it up. As for me, well... I learned to fight from my dad, just before he started his final tour. Of course, he taught me to fight with martial arts sparing gloves on. Fighting actually hurts a LOT more without them. A fact that the two guys attacking me would find out first hand.

The first of the pair, the larger guy, had a good six inches and hundred pounds on me. His buddy, hanging back and out of my immediate reach, was just about my size, in terms of height and weight. Neither had a set stance, so I figured they had no idea exactly what they were doing in terms of attacking me.

The bigger guy tried throwing a few random jabs my way, all of which I easily either dodged or blocked. Seriously, fighting hurts without padding on. I kept looking for my opening, the larger attacker seeming to get more desperate with each punch. Eventually, he lost his patience and lunged at me, trying to take me out of the fight with one strong hay-maker. There was my opening. He couldn’t have made his move any more obvious if he texted it to me hours earlier. I dodged his heavy left, landing two hard hits to the ribs before grabbing his shoulder. In one clean move, I turned the big man around, grabbing his right hand and pulling it up his back, almost to his neck. He screamed like I never heard a man scream before as I grabbed his belt by the base of his spine. Putting my weight into it, I lifted him up off the ground enough to manage a hard slam to the pavement, putting almost the full weight of his body on his neck and shoulders with a satisfying *CRACK*. I paused a moment, fighting against the rush of adrenaline as I gave his body a quick survey. He was out like a light, his leg twitching slightly as his chest rose and fell with each breath.

I looked over my shoulder at Max and Henry with a grin. Max had one of the goons on the ground under his boot, the other in a headlock so tight, I swear I heard bones breaking. Syth was already done with his pair, the two laying on top of each other as the G-man adjusted his tie. Good. Now, I only have to deal with the last idiot standi- “HEY, WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU GOING?!?!?!”

As I took my stance against the only remaining masked man, he turned tail and ran out of the parking lot and down the street. I should have stayed where I was and checked on Syth and Max. I should have raced back to Autumn and the rest and made sure they were OK. But, the mix of anger and adrenaline being as high as it was, I decided that little piece of shit wasn’t getting away without a severe beating. Disregarding my safety yet again, I raced after him. I gotta hand it to the little prick; he had some speed to him.

As I chased him, I barely heard Henry shouting for me to stop. All I had in mind was catching this guy and dragging him back to add to the bloody mess that was his buddies. He ran like a gazelle down the block, around the corner and through an alley, really giving me a workout before a convenient chainlink fence gave me the opportunity I needed. As he opted to take a running jump and try scaling the fence that way, I took the smart way, bounding off an overturned trash can and using a hanging fire escape ladder for an overhead handgrip. We both made it to the other side at the same time, however I had better footing. Reaching out as he turned away from me to run again, I managed to reach out my hand towards him, hoping to grip onto something on him and drag the guy to the ground. Amazingly, I managed to grab hold of the back of his mask. With one firm yank, I pulled the little shit down on his back, his white mask tearing off from the force of my hold. Before I managed to deliver a heavy hammer blow and end the fight right then and there, I caught a glimpse of his face. In the dark of the alley, under the flickering of a dying streetlight, I saw who I was chasing.

The guy I was chasing... was Mikey.

For a moment, we both just sat there, staring at each other. Was THIS why Wally couldn’t reach him when we had the job, earlier? THIS is what he was out doing; plotting to capture my friends with wackos? I never had time to ask him, or even speak. In the blink of an eye, Mikey turned, hitting me with a broken piece of wood from the alley floor. The trash broke into a dozen pieces, spraying me with splinters as I staggered back, fighting for my balance in case of an attack. By the time I regained my focus, however, Mikey was gone, the echo of his escaping footsteps ringing through the high walls of the alley. I looked around the dim passageway for any sign of him, but it was too late. My old friend had taken off into the darkness, leaving me behind holding his mask. I had little choice but to return to the club parking lot and check on my friends.

***

As I rounded the corner, I was greeted by the sight of a dozen police cars and just as many unmarked black SUVs. A good mix of local and federal law enforcement officers were kind enough to draw a few dozen guns on me before a shout from Agent Syth as he ran up to me.

“Jeremy! Excellent work out there, big guy.” Henry extended a hand to me in congratulation, holding back as he looked down at the torn mask in my grip. “Little wack-job for away from you, eh?” I nodded, handing him the remains of the mask as I walked past him, hoping he wouldn’t ask the obvious. “So... get a good look at the guy?” I paused, hoping my expression wouldn’t betray me as I looked back at him.

“Nah... it was just too dark.” I lied. Thankfully, he seemed to buy it, walking up and placing a hand on my shoulder in comfort. I should have told him right then and there. I should have mentioned how Mikey hated Autumn from the first moment he laid eyes on her, but I didn’t. Even looking back on it now, I still can’t say why I didn’t give him up to the BEA. Maybe I thought I could reason with him, still. Maybe it was because I still hoped he might forget all about his hate and come around. I don’t know.

Syth led me back to the beginning of the lot where everyone else was waiting. Thankfully, with the exception of Max, everyone looked like they didn’t see any action. Autumn, of course, seemed happiest to see me, galloping up and throwing her forelegs around me in a tight hug.

“Jeremy! Thank the stars you’re alright! How could you run off and fight those guys like that?!” I let the little orange pony squeeze the breath out of me, her reaction seeming to make the whole fight worth it.

“Heheh... Hey, I’m your guardian angel while you’re on Alpha, remember. All part of job.” I joked. I tried to keep myself composed as I felt a little stream of warm soak into my shoulder where she laid her head.

“And what a find job you did, Mr. Corbin.” Syth said as he placed a hand on Autumn’s shoulder. “Mind if I borrow your knight in dirty denim for a moment, Autumn?” The mare released her grip on me, then turned back to the Trio, already being interviewed by several Boston police and BEA agents.

“I could get used to that kinda treatment.” I joked, not getting any sort of response from the straight faced G-man. I guessed he might have been still mad at me for coming back and helping. Good. I was still mad for putting me in a position where I had to watch three crazy aliens for a weekend. That was water under the bridge, though. Right now, I had more pressing concerns. “Well,” I started. “you wanna maybe tell me what the hell just happened here tonight?”

Henry motioned for me to follow him as he walked to the back of an open hatch on a black van. Stopping at the bumper, he reached in and took one of the masks confiscated from the captured goons. Holding up the mask to display the crossed-out circle, he gave me a blank look and spoke just three letters. “The H.I.E. happened.”

“H.I.E.?” I said back, making sure I heard him correctly. Syth just nodded before throwing the mask back in the van.

“Humans for an Independent Earth. They’re a hate group exclusively targeting any extraterrestrial life on our planet.” Henry started walking to the front of the lot, making me follow him as he continued. “The group was formed before we knew there’d be two Earths in this little bi-dimensional world we live in, now. Back in 1988, Ronald Reagan made a speech to the U.N. commenting on how an alien threat to the world would unify the human race, effectively ending all war between humans and changing the course of the planet’s future, forever. Some saw this for what it was; a simple theoretical example used to display the barbaric, yet ever-preset concept of nuclear war. However, some read deeper into it. Some saw it as a subtle warning the president gave from some prior knowledge he had of extraterrestrials. That’s where the H.I.E. come in.” Syth continued walking past the several HIE members being loaded into a nearby police van, shaking his head.

“They mostly tried to get their ideals recognized as the official policy to follow in case there was ever contact between humans and a non-human race. They stayed mostly to UFO or sci-fi conventions, spreading the word that meeting aliens perhaps would NOT be something humanity wanted, after all. It wasn’t until the dimensional barrier was breached and Alpha and Omega became friends that their popularity really took off. Thanks to the social media, they’ve been able to spout their poisonous message and recruit more than ever before.” Henry led me back to the center of the police and BEA vehicles where the rest of my friends were waiting. Crystal was looking over some of Max’s bandages as everyone else either sat on curbstones or leaned against the wall. Before we got too close, I reached out and took his shoulder, stopping him out of earshot of the others.

“Syth. Or, um...  Henry, rather?” I corrected. “Why did you want the Trio to stay out of the fight? I know you didn’t want them hurt, but they probably could have taken those guys easily. Plus, none of them had weapons. I think they wanted them captured alive.” Syth grinned at me, then looked back to the three as they joked with a few agents taking reports.

“Since this was just a fight between humans, there’s really nothing too newsworthy about it. However, if there was some HIE member with a camera, taking pictures of a trio of Omega creatures tearing apart a bunch of men, THEN that would be something to see.” The three laughed, the merriment quickly spreading to Crystal Tammy, Max and Autumn. Even now, her laugh stood out from all the rest, somehow making me forget about my bruises and sore muscles. “And anyway, could you really put any of them in danger on purpose?” I chuckled lightly, his words making more sense right now then they would have just 24 hours ago.

“No... not anymore, I couldn’t.”

“Mr. Wallace! Miss Lockhart! Miss Kisaragi!” Henry raised his hand, waving the three humans towards us. After a moment, the three humans walked towards us, looking more than a little nervous. “I want to thank you for your service to both our dear Omega Earth citizens and your country. However, there’s some important issues about your involvement here tonight that we must discuss.” Oh, no. That didn’t sound good. As I stepped forward in front of the three, I could hear the soft clopping of Autumn coming up behind me.

“Hey, hold it, Syth. These guys were just trying to help out; both me and our guests. If you’re gonna hold anyone responsible for tonight’s craziness, then it should be me.” Syth looked at me and shook his head, waving a dismissing hand my way.

“Relax, Jeremy. They’re not in trouble. But still and all, I think you should take the whole gang back home for the night.” I looked over my three human friends, a slight look of concern on all their faces.

“Hey, don’t worry, Jer.” Tammy said, forcing a smile. “I’m sure it’s nothing. We’ll call you tomorrow, alright?” Max and Crystal echoed the sentiment, then all said their goodbyes to Rocky, Ariel and Thunder, the three looking as worried as I felt.

“Jeremy, I’ll send you a text soon instructing you where to bring these three for pick-up by their new host families. They’ll be leaving you tomorrow.” I suddenly felt like a cinder block hit my chest. In all the insanity since this afternoon, I completely forgot I was only watching these guys for the weekend. And by the look on their faces, it appeared my charges forgot that, too. “I’ll have one of the Boston police drive whoever back whoever won’t fit in your truck. See you tomorrow, Jeremy.” With that, Syth led the three humans away to a waiting van. As I walked away back to my truck, I tried not to make it too obvious I was looking back to see what was happening. I could argue that I tried to hide my curiosity to keep my friends from worrying, but in all honesty, nothing I could have done could have ruined their mood any more.

***

The ride home with Autumn and Ariel was a quiet one. I could only imagine how odd it must have been for the police officer as he drove Thunder and Rocky back, the two large creatures probably remaining as silent as their griffin companion was for me. As the lift opened on my apartment, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief. I was home. Autumn was home. Thunder, Rocky and Ariel... were just... here, too. This wasn’t their home. Not now. Never was. And it would never be.

I walked to the fridge and got a soda for myself and each of the others. I passed one can to each of them before sitting on the recliner. It took me a moment before I realized nobody was interested in their drinks.

“We really screwed up, didn’t we?” Thunder was the first to speak what the three were thinking, the large bovine beast resting his head in his hand.

“What? What to you mean you screwed up?” I asked, leaning forward in my seat. “You didn’t do anything wrong! Look, if this is about the fight-”

“It ain’t just that, big fella.” Rocky said, cutting me off. The macho, loud stallion’s ears folded back, his eyes staring at the floor as he sighed. “Back in the hotel in New York, the three us got be friends as we waited to see where we’d be goin’ to stay with. We got to talkin’ about our areas of study, why we came to Alpha... Ya know, none of us really wanted to come here.” Now, where have I heard THAT before? I placed my drink down and listened carefully, Rocky taking his first sip before continuing.

“We were all real nervous ‘bout comin’ here. We were all just in the hotel for a little under a week, and we were already all homesick. It was kinda a shock that all our host families got marked as unfit. When that happened to all of us at once... we all kinda took it as a sign. A sigh... that this was a bad idea.”

“Then we met you, Jer.” Ariel added, looking up towards me from her seat. “Sure, you were a little stiff at first. But that’s alright, ya know? We were trouble. All of us. You... you didn’t need that.” The griffin girl curled up a little tighter on the couch, sniffling a little as she tried to hide her hurt. “You didn’t need... us... here.”

“Tomorrow, I’m telling Syth to send me home.” Thunder spoke out, clear and determined. Ariel and Rocky looked over at him, in shock at first. Then, their expressions melted into painful realization.

“Me, too.”

“... and me, as well.”

My jaw dropped, the breaking of the Trio’s hearts being almost loud enough to hear. I looked over to Autumn, the astonished expression on her face telling me she felt the same as me. For a moment, everyone remained silent, the stillness finally being broken as Rocky’s hooves hit the floor.

“Well, guess we all better start packin’. No use in doin’ it last minute, tomorrow.” Thunder and Ariel nodded in agreement. Both stood up from their seats and turned towards their beds to retrieve their luggage. In a moment though, their path was blocked by a single orange pegasus hovering in the way only.

“Hold on a second! You... you can’t just up and leave! You just got here!” Autumn shouted, her forelegs out wide to keep the three in place. “What about furthering your educations, and learning more about your professions, and gaining new skills, and everything else we talked about tonight? That great time we had-”

“Before that gang tried to kill us, you mean?” Ariel interrupted. “Autumn, Jeremy... What you two don’t know is... even back at the hotel in New York...” She paused, her eyes closing tightly as she balled up her talons before her. “... we were scared. All of us. For the Source’s sake, I was nothing but a rude vulture to you since we met! And Why? Just so I could hide how frightened I was of being here?”

“None of us wanted to come here, guys.” Thunder sat back down, resting his head in his hands as he leaned forward. “The opportunity presented itself, and everyone we knew wanted us to come here, and everyone just kept telling us what a great experience it would be...” Without warning, the large minotaur sat up straight, pounding his fist once on the end of the coffee table before him. I jumped slightly as I felt the reverberations in the floor a good twenty feet away. “... And I’ve been so, so afraid of scaring humans with my strength, all I’ve been doing is breaking things since I arrived.” At that moment, Thunder looked up at me with the most accusing eyes I’ve ever seen. “We barely know anything about this world. We just don’t fit in, and tonight, that almost got us and everybody else killed. I think it’s best for everyone if we just leave.”

I couldn’t believe this. This was just like when Autumn first arrived from New York. SHE had the same fears and doubts these three have right now. Hell, it was worse for her, even. She was ready to throw in the towel after just a few hours here, but now? Now, she’s practically a native. So, what’s so different about this situation, now? Autumn came around pretty quickly, after me and her had a talk...

And there in lays the problem.

I never really talked to any of the Trio since they came here. I never even attempted to learn on my own WHY they were here. Ever since they arrived, since the moment Syth contacted me and wanted me to watch over them for the weekend, I treated this whole situation... no. I treated THEM like they were just a great, big inconvenience. It wasn’t until I thought I lost them, when I came home and they weren’t here, did I start worrying about them. Even then, I was more worried about the trouble I’d get into for losing them than their actually well-being. And it wasn’t until Max, Crystal and Tammy showed them some compassion and friendship did they open up and completely turn their attitude around. It was that moment that I realized two very important things. One: I realized... every problem I had with these three... was my own fault. And then Number Two: I got the craziest idea I think I’ve ever had in my life.

As the three sat back down in their seats, Autumn continued the conversation, still attempting to talk them out of leaving. I quietly slipped out of the living area back to my bedroom, silently making my way to the closet door. Opening the door, I looked over one dusty, old case on the floor, half-covered by clothes and blankets. Hell, if it wasn’t for Rocky looking for these blankets, I would have forgot this thing was in here at all. God help me, I hope I’m not making a fool of myself.

Reaching down, I took the case by the handle, pulling it up off the floor. Behind where it lay, I reached back a little farther and pulled a small Fender floor amp out by the handle, rolling it across the floor on its wheels towards my bedroom door. Rolling it out the door into the living area, I pushed it with my foot to the one spot on the wall with a power outlet. I sat down, crossing my legs under me as I opened the guitar case, pulling out my old Kramer Pariah. As was expected, all six strings were just as I left them, needing only the slightest of adjustments as I hooked it to the amp. One by one, I noticed as each of the four stop and turn to me, each pair of eyes making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up a little more. I sat on the floor, giving the classic instrument some last second adjustments before I relaxed, and let the song play itself.

o/` Well, I won't back down... no, I won't back down

You could stand me up at the gates of hell,

But I won't back down.

Gonna stand my ground... won't be turned around

And I'll keep this world from draggin' me down,

Gonna stand my ground and I won't back down...o/`

“Jeremy... what are you...” Autumn’s question trailed off as I looked up slightly, giving her a small smile. To my great relief and surprise, everything came back to me like I never stopped playing. The finger positions, the timing, the appropriate pressure needed for each note. I actually surprised myself. I expected to sound much worse than this after almost twelve months of not even picking it up.

I played that song as well as I ever remembered playing anything. Keeping it at about half-speed that it was usually played gave it a seemingly magical sound to it that I hoped wouldn’t be lost on the group. As far as I knew, none of them played anything. No matter. Right now, I just wanted them to sit there and listen.

o/` Well I know what's right... I got just one life...

In a world that keeps on pushin' me around,

But I'll stand my ground...

and I won't back down. o/`

Hey baby... there ain't no easy way out.

Hey I... will stand my ground.

And I won't back down. o/`

As my voice rose and fell with the lyrics, I tried to sing out from my diaphragm like I was taught long ago. Damn it, I hope my voice doesn’t crack. I had no time to warm up for this. It was just a spurt of the moment idea. Doesn’t matter, I guess, as long as the message gets across.

o/`Hey baby... there ain't no easy way out.

Hey I... will stand my ground.

And I won't back down... o/`

I ended the song, turning off and disconnecting the amp from the wall before unplugging the guitar from it. I took the guitar and cord and placed them back in the case, placing it on the floor against the wall near the amp. Finally, I had no other choice but to look up to my audience. My first audience, really, at least since I got with... Erica. I’ll never forget the looks on their faces.

Smiles. Nothing except smiles. Thunder was sitting back in his seat, arms folded across his broad chest as he rested with his eyes closed, apparently enjoying the tune immensely. Rocky stared at me with a vary satisfied grin, looking as if he wanted to clop his hooves at the performance. Ariel seemed the most touched of all, the normally loud, proud griffin girl sitting with her eyes covered, a steady stream of tears freely rolling down her face from behind her claws. Autumn just sat with a warm smile, her eyes glistening in the dim light of the living room. I figured at least now I had them ready to listen.

“Look... I’m sorry.” I started. “I looked at this weekend hosting you here as nothing but a long, inconvenient hassle. I never considered how you might have felt. Not only that... I never considered making friends with you. I see now how wrong I was. You...” I looked over them all, noticing that I had all of their attentions for once. “... are all amazing. I’m sorry I never gave you a chance. I hope, someday, you can forgive me for that. Hell, I may not be able to forgive myself for it. But if nothing else... I hope you don’t give up now.” I felt a lump form in my throat, pausing for a moment to swallow it down, hard. What had started as a simple apology had quickly turned into a heartfelt plea for them to carry on with their quest.

“As long as you’re here, you’ll always have me and Autumn right there for you. No matter where you go, we’ll always be a cell call or a skype chat away. Besides that, I’m sure Crystal, Max and Tammy would be willing to offer the same courtesy. Please, don’t take the easy way out. I know the task before you all seems like this giant, looming storm on the horizon, but you can’t let it scare you off. You’re all too incredible to just cut and run and leave your dreams behind. You’re all capable of so much good here. And besides that...” Now I was feeling that old, familiar sensation welling up in my eyes. I tried to hold out as long as I could. “... this world will be just a little bit poorer without you guys in it.”

I gave them a moment for the words to sink in. Surprisingly, Rocky was the first to respond, standing up and walking right over in front of me.

“Do... you really mean that, Jer? Ya really think we could make it here?” he asked, extending a forehoof to help me up.

“I meant every word. If you guys keep acting like you did at the club tonight, if you keep true to yourselves and stay strong...” I reached out, taking his hoof and rising back up to my feet. “... then there’s nothing you can’t do.” I looked over the three, quietly watching as something new seemed to wash over each of them. A new resolve, perhaps? That, or maybe... hope?

“Well, I guess it would be pretty foolish for me to leave now, what with such a ringing endorsement like that, and all.” Thunder finally spoke with a grin.

“Yeah... I mean, I’m still a little...” Ariel gulped down her emotions, seeming to choke on her next word. “... scared, but not as much, now. I guess... I’ll give this whole trip another shot, too.”

“Well, dang it, then.” Thunder said, standing up from his chair. “I can’t leave these two animals alone on Alpha. I don’t think your world could take them both. Guess I’m staying, too.” Autumn and I both breathed a sigh of relief, another crisis averted for at least the time being, if only by the narrowest of margins. Figuring I tempted fate enough for one night, I breathed in a deep cleansing breath, letting it out with most of the remaining tension still inside me from my performance.

“Look... I’m sure we’re all exhausted right now. How about we all hit the hay for the night?” The group all agreed, for once, the Trio heading over to their government issued beds one last time. With a heavy heart, I turned and picked up my guitar case and amp, putting them just inside my room as I turned and watched Autumn enter hers. I could hear the sound of hooves and claws scuffle across the floor as my guests got ready for bed. However, just as I was reaching for the door knob to close it for the night, the door opened, pushed by my first other-worldly visitor.

“Jeremy...?” Autumn said, ears folded back as she poked her head in. “That... that was beautiful. Why didn’t you ever tell me you could play music like that?” I just scoffed, shaking my head as I looked towards the floor.

“That’s a story for another time, pony girl. For now, let’s just get some rest.” Just then, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, the chirp emitting from it indicating a new text message. Autumn watched with piqued interest I pulled the cell out and read the message out loud.

‘Jeremy, bring the Trio to the Boston Public Library tomorrow at 7:00.

-Henry

“Seems like we’re on a first-name basis with everyone’s favorite secret agent.” I joked, connecting the phone to its charger for the night. I looked back to Autumn, feeling a hollowness in my chest. Now, it seemed, we were only mere hours away from losing our new friends.

***

Sleep was uneasy and dreamless. It was the kind of sleep that seemed over the same moment you closed your eyes. Surprisingly, getting the group up was a lot easier than I thought. They all seemed almost... eager, you could say, all ready to bravely face whatever was coming their way. A proud march to the gallows, I suppose. In no time, we were all up, and ready, the van packed and primed to deliver them all to their uncertain future.

The ride to the library seemed to be over a lot quicker than any of us would have liked, the van as silent as a tomb the whole way. The streets even seemed more devoid of traffic than usual, never mind it being a Sunday. That changed, though, as we pulled into the parking lot of the library.

The Boston Public Library on Boylston Street was a beautiful old building, looking worthy of being a vast depository of knowledge and history. I haven’t been in it since they renovated more than ten years ago, but I still got the feeling of being very small compared to it. For a second, we all just stood outside the van and marveled at the place before going through the front doors. Seemed like a pretty fitting place for our three friends to start the new leg of their journey.

“Morning, Jeremy. Glad you could make it.” Standing just inside the main entrance was Syth, looking none the worse for wear from the night before. Sure, the black eye was partially visible behind his dark sunglasses, but otherwise, he seemed perky and happy. Made me wanna punch him again. “Rocky, Ariel, Thunder; why don’t you all go ahead into the commons room, over there?” Syth directed them to the left of the doorway, towards a room I don’t remember being there back when I was just a kid visiting the place. Must have been a new addition. “Oh, and Autumn? Could you go with them? Me and Jeremy have something to discuss.” Autumn looked at him in surprise, then back to me with a hint of worry. The request seemed innocent enough, so I had little to protest against as she and the Trio headed in through the large double doors of the room. As they started filtering inside, Syth motioned for me to follow him deeper into the library.

“Jeremy, I want to apologize.” Henry said, slipping his hands into his pockets as he stopped and leaned against a bookcase near the history section. I took one of the chairs from a nearby study desk and spun it around, sitting on it backwards as I gave him time to explain. “The decision to place Thunder, Rocky and Ariel with you was mine, and mine alone. Half of it was because of the success you’ve been having with Autumn. That, being a gamble in and of itself, has paid off for everyone involved in spades.”

“And what was the other half of the deal, Henry?” I asked, making sure to put a hint of arrogance in my voice.

“The other half was just to see if you could pull it off, again.” I felt like jumping over the chair and choking him. Was this some game to him? It may have taken me most of the weekend to figure it out, but these were people’s lives we were playing with here! I may have stormed out of there right there, if not for what Syth said next. “Truthfully, I like you, Jeremy. Really, I couldn’t think of anyone I trusted more with such a monumental task as this.”

“Wait... what?” I asked, feeling my jaw slack at his words. “You... like me? That’s why you dropped those three in my lap for the weekend?”

“Why else?” He said, matter-of-factly. “Do you realize what were trying to do, here? I mean...” Syth paused, rubbing his temple with his thumb and index finger. “... we’re treading in uncharted waters here, Mr. Corbin.” He looked down at his watch, nodding slightly to himself before walking away, back to the main entrance. “C’mon. I think you should see something.”

Together, we walked back towards the main doors, passing them on our way back to the new commons room. Syth walked to the double doors, taking the knob in his hand as he motioned me closer. “Come on, take a listen.” he said, ushering me closer. Cracking open the door, I could see inside just enough without being seen. And what I seen inside... took my breath away.

Children.

The room was occupied by about two dozen preschool aged children, all laughing, running around and generally making a huge commotion over Autumn, Rocky, Thunder and Ariel. And as for the four citizens of Earth Omega? They seemed to be loving every minute of it.

“So, there I was; surrounded by a pack of devious diamond dogs, ready to fight off the WHOLE LOT of em’ too save the lost little filly and take her back to her family.” Rocky pranced around the room with two giggling children on his back and a group following behind him. The little scoundrel was entertaining them with the same pick-up line he was using in the club last night, only this time, he was INTENTIONALLY trying to be funny.

“Alright, I think I can take a few more here. Just be careful of my horns, kids.” On the floor, Thunder was laying flat, about a half dozen kids standing on his back and two more sitting on his shoulders as he prepared himself to do pushups. “All ready?” he asked, looking slightly back. The kids cheered a happy ‘Yes!’ as he started a set of ten, all eight of them giggling as they bounced with his movements.

“Alright, who’s next?” Across the room, to my GREAT surprise, Ariel was leaning down, allowing a little boy to climb on her back. Once the kid had a firm grasp around her neck, Ariel spread her wings and hovered up above the room, gliding into a slow flight in a circle over the tables and bookcases scattered throughout.

Closest to us, at a table near the doors, was Autumn, being fawned over by a trio of girls as she talked to a member of the library staff. The little pegasus sat still and proud as the three children brushed her blue mane and placing ribbons and bows along it’s length.

“What’s... what’s going on here?” I managed to whisper out. I felt Syth’s hand on my shoulder as leaned in closer to me.

“I arranged this little meeting to prove a point to you, Jeremy. This is a daycare service, provided by the library free to working families. What’s going on, Mr. Corbin, is a glimpse into the future. Just look at the natural instincts of Omega species when put into a situation they didn’t expect. Do you think humans would react the same way if placed into a similar situation with a group of alien children?” His voice was clear and strong, his tone unwavering as he cracked the door a little more, allowing me a better view inside. “It was often said among scholars that, if we should ever meet extraterrestrial life, we had better hope they were stupid enough for us to conquer. The Omega Earth’s policy towards meeting life from a world not their own? Try to make friends with it. Now tell me; which one of those policies sounds better to you? Could it possibly be that... humanity has been getting it wrong all this time?”

I wasn’t surprised. I’ve seen enough sci-fi movies to know that old theory. What struck me, though, was that I never considered it in terms of the Omega Earth creatures before. Thinking about it now, that policy really does seem pretty barbaric.

“Look at them, Jeremy. Just look.” Syth said, his voice sounding suddenly softer. “The way those children are acting is such a far cry from those thugs in the alley the other night, no? That’s because hatred of that variety isn’t inborn or inherited. It’s taught. I mean, just look at the faces on those kids.” I looked out across the room, scanning the children as he asked. He was right. There wasn’t a single child in the room that seemed frightened of the four Omega creatures. Every one of them was laughing, smiling or otherwise having the time of their lives.

“Powerful men from around the world a lot smarten than the two of us decided long ago how to handle the first meeting between our people and a race from somewhere else out of time and space. However, they never considered the new would we would meet would be so accommodating and willing to learn and share with us as the creatures of Omega Earth. We’re standing at the brink of a new era, Jeremy. A pivotal moment in the histories of both our worlds. Over the course of the next year or two, both Alpha and Omega will be importing and exporting ideas, materials, technologies and citizens back and forth across the dimensional divide. We need humans willing to go far above and beyond anything that has ever been asked of any human before. Humans with impeccable integrity, honor and near limitless compassion and bravery to make the merger of our two worlds work out in the best interest of not only our world, but theirs as well. Beings like Autumn, Thunder, Ariel and Rocky are terrific examples of that from Omega Earth, coming here like representatives of their cultures. Now, I’ve met a lot of people willing to try and take on the task at hand for our Earth. But, Jeremy...” Henry closed the door quietly before taking me by the shoulders, turning me so we looked eye to eye. “... I believe you to be one of the humans who could actually pull it off.”

I would be lying if I said he didn’t surprise me just then. This monumental task stretched out before both our worlds, requiring only the best and strongest of us to make it happen, and Syth thought I had what it takes? Suddenly, this entire weekend from hell made sense. Syth didn’t drop the Trio with me because this was some kind of joke or he was abusing his position. He sent me to take care of them because he knew I could pull it off. Maybe, at the time, I WAS the only one that could pull it off.

Together, we walked back to main entryway, stopping to sit on a bench near the doors. For a while, neither of us said a word. I kept quiet mostly because I truly didn’t know what to say. Syth, I believe, was just giving me time to let it all sink in. However, I don’t think the next words I spoke were the last thing he thought would come out of my mouth.

“...I’m sorry.” The G-man raised an eyebrow at me, leaning forward slightly to get a better listen.

“You’re sorry? What, for last night? Water under the bridge, my good man.”

“No... not just because of that.” I corrected. “I... really hated you for the last two days. Since Friday night, I thought you handed those three off to me because nobody else wanted them, or maybe because you wanted to somehow set me up to fail. Sorry, but I’m not used to having that much responsibility on my shoulders. I’m definitely not used to having anybody trust me. I started to hate those three, but mostly, I started hating you.” The words felt stale and hard, and hurt to speak. Thinking back at how I felt just a day ago made me feel ashamed in a way I don’t think I ever had before. “But now, looking back on it, I see that their arrival in my home was a blessing. They’re some incredible friends, and I can’t imagine not knowing them now that they’re here. I’m proud that I know them. Just like I’m proud...” I extended my right hand towards Syth, looking up to meet his eyes once more. “... to consider you a friend, too.”

For a moment, I don’t think Henry knew what to do. He just stared at my hand, as though the act of shaking it was foreign to him.

“Ya know, in my line of work, I can’t afford many friends.” he finally said, a grin slowly spreading across his face. Soon, the small grin turned into a broad smile, then evolved into a chuckle, then a roaring laugh. “It feels good to finally have found one to assist me in my work!” Agent Syth grasped my hand, squeezing it and giving it a firm shake. “Consider us friends, then.” I sat there, shaking hand with a man I now considered a friend, when just the day prior, I was starting to hate. Life’s funny that way some times, I suppose.

A small chiming from Syth’s coat pocket brought an abrupt end to the moment of comradery, the well-dressed agent releasing my hand to grab his cell. He pulled it out and called up the message, looking it over before returning the phone back to his pocket.

“Well... looks like the new host families for the Trio are here.” he said, a hint of foreboding in his voice. I know he must have seen the look of disappointment on my face as he reached over and patted my shoulder. “They’re waiting outside the main doors. How about you go get your friends? I’ll bring in the families.” I nodded silently, then stood up to head to the commons room. Every step I took felt like it was weighed down with lead as I approached and reached for the door handle. Slowly, I pushed it open, four pairs of inhuman eyes falling on me as I stepped inside. From the way their expressions dropped, I could tell they knew exactly what time it was.

“Alrighty, buckaroos, time for us to skedaddle.” Rocky said, leaning down for the riders on his back to jump off. Ariel landed, doing the same as Thunder stood up from the floor, stretching after his workout. Autumn gave the group grooming her mane a hug as she got up and trotted over to me, looking up with sad eyes.

“Well... guess it’s time, huh?” I nodded to the little pegasus, then looked up at the three.

“Yep. Sorry, kiddies, but we gotta be heading out, now. Say bye-bye to your new friends.” All at once, the four creatures were mobbed by groups of children, all whining and moaning as they hugged their big, fluffy friends. Pleas of ‘See ya later!’ and ‘Don’t go yet!’ rang out as the four waded their way towards me, passing me as I held the door for them to enter the lobby. As I gave the room of children one more wave, I closed the door behind me.

“So, this is it. We’re shippin’ out, then.” Rocky said with a gulp. Beside him, Thunder stood silent and still as a statue as Ariel almost visibly trembled in his shadow.

“Hey... remember, guys; you can do this.” I reminded them. “You three are capable of doing anything, so long as you stay true to yourselves and never quit. Besides, you’ll always have me and Autumn there for you, no matter what.” I could hear Ariel sniffle slightly at my words, the tough-as-nails griffin on the brink of breaking down. I reached in my back pocket and pulled out my handkerchief, handing it past Thunder to her. Surprisingly, it was the minotaur that took the cloth, sniffling as he held it to his nose and blew. Loudly, I might add.

“Sorry...” he said, composing himself. “Here. Thanks.” He held it back for me to take, the thin material visibly weighed down with the massive being’s nasal discharge.

“You keep it, big guy. Consider it a gift.” I said, leaning back away from it and causing the all to laugh.

“Are we all ready?” Agent Syth asked, the front doors to the library cracking open slightly as he leaned in from outside. We all stood at attention again as I nodded yes. With that, Syth opened the doors and stepped aside, allowing the new host families to enter the building. Together, we held our breath as they walked inside.

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“SURPRISE!!! MISS US?!?!”

A familiar female voice broke the relative silence of the library as Crystal ran inside, arms up and open in a flourish. Behind her, the blue-haired brother Max stepped inside, wearing a knowing shit-eating grin. Finally, mousey little Tammy stepped through the door, thanking Syth for holding it open as she did. Alright... what in the actual fuck the hell I don’t even THE FUCK AM I LOOKING AT?!?!?! Max, Crystal and Tammy entered the main foyer, followed closely by a group of older ladies and gentlemen that could have only been their parents.

“Remember what I told you last night about not getting to the club sooner? I needed to make some phone calls and meet with some people? Well... surprise!” Syth stepped forward, giving me a mock salute as he stood beside the group of humans. “Right after you called and told me the gang was missing, I started going through some phone and web messaging records. I found out where our friends Max, Crystal and Tammy all lived and phoned to see if our wayward wards were at any of their homes. Naturally, they weren’t, but that gave me another idea; The Trio and Autumn must already be friends with our three humans, here. Why else would they all go out with them? After a little chat with each of their parents, I managed to convince them all to give up their spare rooms to further the cause of inter-dimensional friendship.”

I looked over each of the three groups before me, piecing together their relationships. Crystal stood with a well dressed middle-aged man and woman, regarding the punked-out girl before them with a look that could only be love. Beside her, A tall gentleman wearing a white uniform and service cap rested his hand on Max’s shoulder, looking like an older, much more mature version of the teen. Finally, Tammy stood with a tall, older woman, her hair and facial features matching those of the young woman beside her. As the three humans introduced their parents to the three Omegas, Autumn and I quickly moved over towards Syth. The agent smiled wide as the humans spoke together, meeting each other for the first time.

“Henry, you... you planned this, didn’t you?” Autumn asked, sounding just as shocked as I was. The G-man nodded, folding his arms across his chest.

“Yep.” he said with a chuckle. “Max and Crystal just graduated this year, and Tammy only with you. They all still live at home with their folks, so this works out great for everyone. All it took was an explanation of what was expected of them, and they were all actually glad to lend a hand. I didn’t even need to tell them about the stipend they’d be getting. This really turned out better than I expected.”

“So, um... wait. ‘Better than you expected?’” I asked, the situation making less and less sense to me by the moment.

“Of course! Didn’t you even ask the gang what they came here to study?” Syth asked, pointing to the group, still speaking behind us. “Mr. And Mrs. Kisaragi will be taking Ariel from now on. It only made sense with her studying botany and chemistry. She can grow all her supplies right in their greenhouse. They’re a perfect match. Thunder living with Max and his father is perfect, too. With Officer Wallace’s connections in the Coast Guard, the big guy should have near unlimited access to all kinds of historical records and blueprints of all kinds of ships. It’s a nautical engineer’s dream.” Hearing that, I was reminded of the conversations I had with them all in the club last night. Son of a bitch... this guy really found a way to pull this all together. Just then, though, I looked over at the two remaining friends, Rocky and Tammy, a hole appearing in Henry’s almost perfect plan.

“Yeah, but what about Rocky Road there, Mr. BEA?” I motioned with a thumb over to raucous stallion and the timid girl beside him, both her and her mother smiling as they spoke. “Tammy and her mom aren’t exactly scholars or well connected in any way.”

“Yeah, I know that. Her mom’s a secretary at a doctors office, and Tammy works for a grocery store as a cashier.” Syth explained. “They live comfortably, but they’re not really special in any big ways. I could tell that just by looking at her Spacebook account. Counting some family members, you and Autumn and some co-workers, she only has just under a dozen friends. That’s why I’m pairing her with Rocky. Poor girl needs some excitement in her life, and let’s face it; she’ll be good in calming down that wild stallion.” I was shocked. Who would have ever thought Agent Henry would be so good at playing matchmaker?

“Alright, has everybody had enough time to introduce themselves?” Syth asked the group, clapping his hands once to get their attention. A round of agreement rose from them, their positive looks verifying it to be true. “Alrighty, then. I want to thank you all once again for taking in these unique exchange students. It takes a very special person to open their home and their heart to someone in need. My friend Jeremy here can attest to that.” Syth motioned to me, looking over his shoulder. I couldn’t help but feel a little red as I picked up on his hinting. “OK, now that the meet-and-greet is over, let’s get you all to your new homes.” Waving for everyone to follow him, Syth led the way out the front doors. The group trailed close behind, me and Autumn bringing up the rear.

Outside, the final stage of this changing of the guard was quick and relatively painless. I helped load the bags from the van to everyone’s vehicles, making sure to meet everyone’s parents and thank them for help. It was only right, after all. These people were in for one hell of a ride. After that, Autumn and I bid a ‘see ya later’ to Max, Crystal, Ariel and Thunder, the newly formed families entering their vehicles and taking off, each promising to poke us online as soon as they were settled. Knowing that our new friends were just a across town from us made letting them go a whole lot easier. This way, we could still all get together whenever we wanted to, but I still got to keep my house in one piece. That way, everybody wins, especially ME! What? They’re all going to good homes, and it’s not like I’ll never see any of them again. For now, let me just be glad I got my house back!

After a few tight hugs and a firm handshake, Autumn and I bid farewell to Thunder and Ariel. The pair promised to get themselves cell phones and keep in touch. Hell, we were already making plans to get together again as soon as they were all settled. As Tammy and her mom busied themselves with a few last minute questions for Syth, Rocky gave me a firm pat across the back.

“Well, guess this is the end of our lil’ camp out in your crib, huh, big fella?” I grinned at the stallion, patting him on the back in return.

“Yep, guess so. I’m just glad everything turned out as well as it did.” Rocky nodded, looking over his shoulder at Autumn, then back to me.

“Yeah, yeah... say, Autumn?” he asked, catching her attention. “Mind if I borrow yer buddy here? I gotta tell him something in private.” The mare gave a slight look of surprise before nodding her approval.

“Sure, no problem.” With that, Autumn troted over to speak with Tammy and her mother, leaving Rocky to drag me away half way across the front of the library.

“Alright, Jeremy. This ain’t easy for me to say, to anypony, really, but... I’m sorry.” The tone of his voice combined with his folded down ears told me the earth pony was serious. Granted, he had a lot to be sorry for, helping to destroy my house and worry me half to death last night. Still, I wasn’t sure what the apology was meant for. I figured I’d guess what he was talking about and give him a way to clarify.

“What? What are you sorry for? I told you, that fight in the parking lot wasn’t your fault. Forget about it.”

“No, that not it...” Rocky turned away, shaking his head as he looked at the ground. “I might be a lot of things, but a scoundrel ain’t one of em.’ I really ain’t one to step on another stallion’s hooves when he’s sweet on a pretty filly.” Suddenly, Rocky’s meaning became clear. I looked over at Autumn with wide eyes, then back to the pony before me. He really thought... I mean... Did he...?

“N-no, Rocky, wait a sec. I-I don’t... I mean, I’m not a bro-”

“C’mon, now, Jeremy” he said, hopping up on his hind legs and throwing a foreleg over my shoulders, pulling me close. “The way you look at her, the way you talk to her, the way you got all defensive every time I spoke to her: all clear signs yer sweet on the girl. Ain’t no shame in that.” Rocky hopped down, giving me a wink. “Don’t worry, pal. I won’t flirt with yer filly no more. Sorry I didn't see it soon. She’s all yours.”

I couldn't believe it. He thought I was flirting with Autumn? I mean, really? Well, I guess she’s really nice, and we’re both single. But, you know... the while pony thing. But did he think I was one of those bronys, too? All weekend long, he annoyed me with how much he was hitting on Autumn, but that’s just because I thought he was obnoxious. I just thought he wanted to get her to bed. It’s wasn't because I really liked her... right? Anyway, I figured if that’s what he thought, I might as well go with it. Whatever the reason, that might keep him from hassling her in the future when we all got together.

“Um... guess I didn’t hide it very well, huh?” I said, not really knowing if I was lying or not. “Thank’s for backing off, Rock. That’s real gentlestallionly of you.”

“No problem, buddy.” Looking back, we was Tammy approaching, the young woman suddenly stopping as she waved her new house guest along. “Coming, lil’ lady! Well, Jer, be seein’ ya!” With that, Rocky trotted off, walking away along side my old friend. Just as they were getting in Tammy’s mom’s car, I heard him start another story.

“Ya know, Tams, I never really saved a bunch of orphans from a burning building, surrounded by monsters.” he said, opening the back door for her.

“Really? I would never have known.” Tammy said with slight condescending tone as she got into the car. Rocky entered the car and closed the door, but not before I heard the beginning his next tall tale.

“Actually, it was a bunched of injured animals from a veterinary hospital...”

***

After Syth thanked us once again and told us a driver would come by the apartment to retrieve the van, he bid us a good day. Together, Autumn and I watched as he drove off in his black, unmarked car before taking off ourselves. As we left the library, I realized just how much we had done in the course of just this weekend; helping three new Omega students settle in on Alpha, introducing them to their three new host families, me actually picking up my guitar again after almost a year. Not to mention the more... negative aspects of this weekend. I still never told Syth about Mikey being with those goons that attacked us. I decided that if anyone was going to take care of that little bastard, it was gonna be me. Also, I had a very, VERY bad feeling about that HIE group. If they seen me and Autumn together on Spacebook and such, would they know where to find us if they wanted to hurt her again? If so, I had more than a few ways of making them sorry if they tried. I might not be the biggest or the strongest punk out there, but ain’t nobody messes with Jeremy D. Corbin and goes to bed happy that night.

“So... why didn’t you ever tell me you played guitar?” Autumn broke me away from my deep thought with a real blockbuster, making me almost swerve off the road.

“W-what do you mean? That? That was nothing.” I lied. Too bad for me Autumn was getting good on picking up on that.

“Liar. You were fantastic. And your singing was... Just amazing. So, why don’t you play? I’ve been living with you for almost two months, and you never played in front of me, once.” I sighed, keeping my eyes on the road. I never told her about my being able to play. Then again, I never told her about Erica and how she hated me playing, either. Then again... how could I? How could I tell her how I was treated? How I was talked down to, and lied to, and stole from, and humiliated and...

... and abused...

“Look, Autumn... It’s complicated. Could I just explain it to you another time? It’s been a hell of a weekend...” I pleaded, hoping she would allow it. Thankfully, she backed of, giving me a soft smile as she nodded.

“Alright, Jer. You don’t have to tell me.” Thank God for that. But still, I knew she wouldn’t just forget it. Somehow, sometime, I’d have to let he know about that terrible time of my life. However, today just wasn’t the day.

“Good.” I yawned, looking up at the still early morning sun. “Because, right now, all I wanna do is go back home, kick off my sneaks, and crash until like... Thursday.” Autumn yawned after me, then laughed, her happy tone once again sounding like the chiming of bells in my ears.

“That’s too late to sleep. How about Tuesday?” she asked.

“Tell ya what; I’ll meet you halfway, and we’ll both sleep till Wednesday. Deal?” I reached over a hand, Autumn quickly taking it and giving it a gentle shake as we headed home.

“Sounds like a plan to me.”