"They're everywhere." Grogar scowled more than usual as he paced. "Why are the hippogriffs on such high alert? For all these setbacks, they weren't even affected." The idea that another nation would leap to action at the behest of another was foreign to him. Why?

"This changes the plans... Any report from Cozy Glow?" He sank to his haunches, his bell jangling in the motion. "I need some good news, for a change of pace."

"Nothing," reported one of the hulking figured. "Should I call her?"

"Yes!" It wasn't his fault he didn't remember that was even an option. Humans had brought countless toys and trinkets with them and were not shy about sharing them with any other creature that could pay them.

"Yellow." Cozy closed the door, confident the contents of the room weren't going anywhere.

"Cozy Glow," came a gravely voice. "Grogar wants to know where you are."

"I'm busy doing my job." Cozy tossed the phone from one hand to the other and brought it up to her other fuzzy ear. "All the dangerous humans are out of commission. I'm moving in on the ones they were guarding. I know how to get things done, unlike whatever happened to the others."

She couldn't hear what was being said, just muffled, and yet loud, conversation. Were they shouting away from the phone? Something was shouting back. "Is that Grogar?"

"Yes. He--"

The voice shifted. "Can you hear me?"

"Grogar, sir. What's up?" She flashed a bright smile despite the goat not being able to see her. "I'm doing what you sent me here to do."

"Thank you for not being a complete failure, unlike others. I don't know how news is spreading--"

"Television," cut off Cozy. "That little stunt at the beach is already being talked about across the world." It was a harsh lesson in how connected the world was becoming. "Basically the instant it happened. If you were trying to be sub--"

"I know that," roared the goat over the line. "This was not the plan!" He took a slow breath, calming himself. "Can you get back here?"

"Nope," almost cheerfully replied Cozy with a shake of her hips. "I don't even know where you are, remember? So, if you don't have some other plan, gonna keep doing what I'm doing. It's working just fine."

She heard a noise, a ring. But it wasn't her phone, she was holding that. She produced a second phone from her pocket. "Ugh, these guys were popular." She stuffed it away, having managed to quiet it. "Anyway, that it?"

"That is very far from 'it'. Stay wary. The enemy is on alert."

"Gotcha." She casually hung up on her boss and stuffed her own phone away. "Now back to..."

But her quarry had new company.

Three seals in military suits were standing in front of the gathered families. "We were just asked to guard you," explained the one in charge, indicating Paul. "Not sure why. You look safe." The other seals nodded in agreement. That was a safe and unharmed human if ever they had seen one.

Paul was examining that seal in charge, but also trying to look past him. "I... had a guard. Oh." He saw Cozy Glow. "Hey, where'd the guy you were with go?"

Cozy laughed, strained in tone. That wasn't the plan. "He's with his friend." Truth there! "They found a safe spot and sent me back to get you there." She trailed a finger through her curls as she came closer. The seals didn't seem to be stopping her.

The head seal put an arm between Cozy and Paul, ruining what had been an open path. "Sorry. They asked us to get him home."

"Home?" Paul slid to his feet.

"Home." The seal pointed out over the waters. "America?" He chuckled suddenly. "What a strange name."

One of the other seals leaned in and whispered to the one in charge, who pricked up. "Oh, sorry. Right. They said to keep you safe and if you want to go home, get you home now. If not, uh..." He scratched his cheek with thought. "Oh, Oh right. They're sending others, so we're just here for a little while I think?"

The other seals bobbed their head in agreement.

Cozy eyed the seal guards. She was tailor made to knock a human male right out of commission. They were male, but not human. They weren't falling for her charms passively, so far. "Aw, don't be scared." She fluttered her lashes at Paul. "Looks like all that scary stuff's all done."

And then she was poked, a small finger against her left hip. She scowled at the small kid that had done it. Half human, half... pony? "Need somethin'?" she barked before gathering herself back up. "You surprised me."

Swift had her arms crossed, glaring at the strange lady creature. "Are you a halfie?"

Tim waved at his daughter. "That's not a polite question."

"Sure it is." Swift thrust a hand out, thumb poking free, then directing it at herself. "I'm half." She pointed to her dad, then her mom. "Two halves, makes me. You look like a halfie." She gestured up at the bipedal nature of Cozy, then down at her hooves. Clearly not a pony, but also clearly not a human.

"Gosh, you're perceptive," half-giggled out Cozy as she sank in a crouch closer to Swift's eyes. "Guess that makes us related in a way, huh? Isn't that nice?"

Paul was in his own world, eyes shifting slowly, but coming back to Cozy. Falling for her? She hoped! "Can you tell them to come back here? Or give me a call?"

Swift put her hands on her hips. "Let me at them and I'll get them off their lazy butts!"

Cozy laughed at Swift's spirit. "You know, maybe you have a point there. Mind if I try that?" She stood back up fully. "I doubt anycreature could lay around with her there."

The creatures of that world all nodded, seeing nothing potentially wrong with the idea. Tim did not join them. "I'll come along." He started towards them. "Let's go fetch a Secret Services or two. Man, never thought I'd say that..."

And off they went, Tim, his daughter, and Cozy Glow leaving the area.

Paul was looking towards the lead seal. "Thanks, for responding as quickly as you did. I'm sure you'd normally have other things to do."

The seal waved that thought away. "We're happy to help. It was boring today anyway. Since you're here, maybe you could answer a few questions." And so the interrogation of human culture began.

Cozy had not planned on things going that way exactly, but, on the other hoof... She saw possibilities. Daddy dearest coming along? That was a bonus! He was nervous about her, good! He was exactly the wrong person to be watching her. She didn't go directly to where she had stashed the human guards, that'd be silly. She took them on a winding hike, watching as Tim faded slowly but surely.

"Are we almost there?" The kid, however, was neither male, nor exactly human? Her eyes were just as sharp. "I thought you said it was close?"

But having weaknesses? She didn't like that. Grogar said her powers would form as she used and tested them. "Almost there," Cozy half-sang, her tail giving a swish. "What was your name again?"

"Swift Swim." She hurried ahead a little on her rubbery horshoe-like, well, shoes. "So was it your dad or your mom?"

"Huh?"

"I'm guessing it was your mom." She looped around in front of Cozy, barring the way. "'Cause my dad was the human, and look at me." She gestured over herself. "You're different. Fuzzy all over." Her finger extended towards one of Cozy's hands. "You have hands though." She flexed her own. "Lucky there."

Cozy laughed at that. "You know what? You're right. Hands can be pretty... handy." She waggled her brows at her joke, even if it got an eyeroll from the kid. The ice was broken in a way. "So... half hippo, huh?"

Swift stuck out her tongue. "Only dorks call them hippos."

"Dorks like ponies, huh?"

Swift suddenly looked guilty, realizing she was speaking to that, well, half that? "Uh, sorry."

"S'alright." She patted Swift on the shoulder, rising to her full height, which wasn't that taller than Swift. Still, she was larger than she had been, and she was bigger than a kid. Score! "Kinda funny, us halfies. We're different halves, but we both got hooves." Cozy presented one.

"Bet you wish you had them." Swift thumped against her dad, but he just grunted as if distracted. "Are you tired or something? All this walking taking it out of you?"

Cozy slid between the two suddenly. "I bet he could use a drink." She pointed to a little cafe in sight. "Go on." With her command given, Tim began to wander off in search of a drink. Cozy set her eyes back on Swift, considering what to do with her. "Hey, nice pendant." She had spotted that shard that let the hippogriffs transform. "Does it work for you?"

"'Course it does." Protectively, Swift put her hand over it. "You know about it?"

"Who doesn't?" Cozy shrugged expansively. "At least anycreature that's heard of hippogriffs. Do you go full sea pony or something else?"

Cozy had Swift's attention, but the move after that she was still working on.

"You don't say." Chrysalis flashed a toothy reptillian smile at the one that had a fitting snout. "How cruel."

"Don't they understand?!" The reptile coiled around Chrysalis. "This was our space, all of it!" They directed not with a hand, which they didn't have, but their snout in a wide wave. "Suddenly these... These things..." They released Chrysalis. "If my grandfather could see this..."

"He would be appalled," agreed Chrysalis. "Muscling into space dragon territory like that. Why, these brutes have crossed claws with the land dragons too."

"They haven't?!" The long feathered snake of a creature fluffed up in affront. "You're lying."

"I would never dream of it," lied Chrysalis without shame. "Go on, ask them how well these humans fight."

"This is serious... Ugh. You'll be at the next meeting, right?" He gestured at... something? "They have to hear this, all of this. We have to act. We're going to lose space!"

"Unthinkable. But... I know a friend." She turned her snout to the bright marble that was their world. "Down there. They're fighting them, but they're outclassed. We have to team up to have a chance."

"They're that fierce?" The lizard came in close, one eye wide before Chrysalis. "This is even worse than I imagined. Poor little world, being conquered like that. Not the first time... But it is the first time they dragged us into the mess."

"For as warlike as they are." Chrysalis pointed with her snoot at a satellite flying past. "Those have no defenses, and they want them, badly. Throw them back down on the planet, don't let them have any, and they'll be so upset."

The other began to laugh at the idea. "Oh oh, that sounds delicious. I'll tell them. You going to be there? You look like you forgot where it is." He coiled about her and pointed. "Right there, that one. Fifth planet."

Chrysalis had no idea what he was referring to. "I'll see if I can... This has taken a lot out of me. If you don't see me, I'm counting on you to tell them. This is an everycreature situation."

"I will, promise." He released her, bobbing his head. She could feel something tasty. The poor little fool was emitting delicious love at her. He must have really like what he saw, or thought he saw. Perfect. "I'll tell them, and come back here. Why don't you rest there?" He directed his snout at the next planet along, some distance away, but far more visible than the stars many lightyears away. "Looks comfy and quiet."

"Oh, that does look nice." She had no intention of relaxing there. "Great idea. Alright, see you after the meeting."

"After the meeting!" And he flew off, not like a plane or rocket. Space itself folded around him. He was stretched to the limits of her sight, then he was gone, bypassing such tawdry limits as the speed of light by not actually passing through the intermediary space.

Oh, what good news she'd have to bring to Grogar. He'd realize her immense value and power.

Author's Note

I liked some of the twists given in this chapter. Things are moving. Had to call my army contact to check what exactly would they do in this situation. Calling in local support to help keep an eye on the target was high on that list, so here we are. Marine Seals! No, wait, not that kind. I think there was a typo on the requisition form.

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