"We need to talk." There was Queen Novo. Unlike Celestia, the hippogriff had no issue visiting directly despite access to the Internet, and she had. "We've tried to 'be good neighbors', we have, but as neighbors go, you are insufferable!"

President Stein considered the regal creature before her. "Queen Novo, nice to meet you."

"You haven't personally done anything," started Novo. "But my people have been under attack. Your ships, they seem peaceful enough, from above." She angled her fingers downwards with a little wriggle. "But from below, they are floating platforms of death and pain."

Stein did not immediately piece together what was happening. "What are they doing that's bothering you?"

"My people... They, the boats." Novo let out a slow gust of air. "They scream louder than anything has the right to do so. Why do they even do that? It's loud enough that some have been outright killed." Her beak clenched a moment. "I know humans consider that a high crime, murder."

That was enough to put it together. "Sonar hurts your people? Can't you just stay away from the ships?"

Novo looked at Stein with renewed incredulity. "You're joking. They scream loudly enough to shake our bones from miles away. And you have quite a number of those screeching metal rafts." She brought her hands together. "I am not here to make unreasonable demands. Were the positions swapped, I feel certain... You would say the same. Nothing that killed and harmed humans would be suffered to continue. We are friends, are we not? Friends do not hurt friends."

Stein could guess the gravity of the topic was more the reason Novo had paid a personal visit instead of making a polite call. Novo even knew the idea of ambassadors and took to it better than Celestia. But her people were being harmed, so one got the queen directly. It was understandable, really... A pity Sonar was so useful...

Still, if word got out that America was killing creatures, especially after being told what was causing it, it would be a major blow to America's global image, and that image was very important. "Allow me to explain why they are screaming as they are. Then... let's take action."

Novo raised a finger. "To be clear, I actually don't much care why, just that it stops."

"The why is important," argued the president. "That sound you describe allows the boats to see into the depths. They tell us how far from the bottom we are. They tell us what fish are under us. They tell us if any other boat is nearby, even the kind that swim beneath the surface." She left off that submarine technology had allowed them a stunning array of counter-sonar techniques. "You are asking them to close an eye."

"If that eye petrifies all it lands on, then yes." Novo nodded firmly. "I am asking the cockatrice to close its eyes. The question remaining then is if you and your people are better behaved than a wild cockatrice."

Stein brought her fingers together. "I can silence most of them. The others will require greater action. Queen Novo, we are friends and allies. Hurting your people is not our intention." She could already imagine the political blowback from this, but she couldn't immediately think of an alternative that would avoid international scandal. "I will begin that process."

"Since we're taking suggestions." Chrysalis stepped closer with a wry smirk. "I know someone deserving of feeling our first blow."

Grogar snorted softly. "It wouldn't happen to be the one that sent you back to us with a new hole to add to your collection?"

Chrysalis scowled at that. "That isn't funny."

"For you, perhaps." He turned to regard a sizable pod, more of a great cocoon really. "Where are they?"

"America." Chrysalis sat and brought her hooves together in a steeple. "I can show you precisely the way."

"No." Grogar glared at her with renewed fury. "You would have us prod the beast to start things? Why." It wasn't a question. "We will draw their attention soon enough, but, by that time, we will already be in motion." He waved a hoof at her with a loud scoff. "No wonder your schemes never amounted to anything."

Chrysalis glared at him as he strode away, but her eyes slid to the cocoon. "You're still going to be a runt," she snorted derisively, lashing out at the person who couldn't attack her back, pupating as they were.

"In other news." A window sprang open, displaying a long line of sea ponies spread from one side of a beach to the other, in the water, holding up signs that read 'Thank you' and other similar missives. "The president has issued an executive order banning all use or sales of sonar equipment."

The window collapsed, allowing another that showed Stein at a podium. "This is not the replacement for a lasting law, but our allies are dying, and that can't wait. This is a stopgap until the senate can finalize a lasting solution."

A new window replaced that, showing a frowning man at a new podium. "The president is attacking our very right to exist." Being a spokesperson for a company deeply involved in Sonar, Raytheon. "Sonar is completely safe so long as the protocols are followed."

"That could have been me." Mobile Coral flicked the television off in favor of leaning against her hubby. "If I hadn't come on land, I'd be out there, swimming the water, looking for things, being screamed at by boats."

Tim squeezed her gently with one arm. "Instead you came on land and almost got eaten by worms."

Mobile burst into little giggles. "You're not wrong, I suppose. I was destined to have an interesting life either way, but I can imagine that, just... swimming, then screaming... Pain..." She shook her head slowly. "Ugh, forget that for now. I'm glad they're stopping it."

"Been meaning to ask."

"Mmm?" She nuzzled her beak against the bottom of his ear. "What's up?"

"What happened to your friend, Stream?"

"She's also your coworker." Mobile looked amused at that, smirking faintly. "She's making a splash in her own department."

Hippogriffs making splashes was fairly normal. Tim did smile at that. "Great. She should come over. I haven't seen her or her family in a while."

"That is a great idea," gushed Mobile, clapping her hands together tightly. "Why didn't I think of that?" She dug out a phone quickly and got right to dialing. "Stream? Stream! It's me, Mobile. Yes, I suppose that's true... Oh Stream, my husband had a good idea. You take that back! He has a lot of great ideas." She frowned, speaking animatedly to her friend. "Anyway, he wants to see you and your family. I'll bring mine. It'll be fun!"

"She hasn't changed." He relaxed in his seat just in time to hear a door in the back opening. "Swift?"

"Nope." It was Mike, though Swift came following after. "We're headed out."

"You two have fun." Mike had become a bit of a common occurrence. Clearly they had not had any huge fights. They were... doing what young people in love did, which was a thought he shoved to the side as not something he wanted to think about in relation to his adorable, innocent, daughter. "When will you be back?"

"Around six," promised Swift as quickly as her name. "We're gonna see a movie. Is it alright if Mike joins us for dinner?"

Mobile leaned away from her phone. "Of course it is. Mikey, you know you're the son I never had. You go have fun." She dismissed them both with shooing motions. "Sorry about that. Oh! You have to meet Mike. Human, yes. Swift's boyfriend!" She burst into giggles, gossiping with her fellow scientist.

The children were gone, Mobile hung up, and she was left grinning at Tim.

"What'd she say?"

"She said of course." She rolled her eyes. "What else would she say, but she said more than that!" She wriggled her clenched hands. "We both have vacation time built up, and she got a great idea to go on one of those, together, somewhere bright and sunny and with a great beach."

Tim perked up. "Huh..." He had never gone on vacation to such a place, but... "That sounds fun. Does the budget have room for that?"

She wrinkled her beak, an act that still confused Tim at times that hippogriffs, and griffons, could do. "I'll make room. Besides, vacation. We'll get paid while we're on it."

And thus it was settled. Their two families would go have a great time far away. Somewhere warm and near the water, so all members of both families could have a good time.

"Kwazenah Tah Lu Parenah Kah Du." The zebra nodded firmly, a satisfied look on her face. "An ancient greeting," she explained in Ponish. "Note the rhyming flow, what we try so vigorously to hold onto." Even if she was speaking without them at the time for the sake of teaching the shreds of her language to others. "It is that lyrical flow, the only certainty we know--" Well, she tried to keep the rhymes out. "--that ties us to our past."

The group in the classroom applauded, with hands and hooves and paws and talons. Crane rose to take his part at the front of things. "Honored guests, it is a delight and honor to see so much has happened while I was away." He transitioned smoothly to English, "That our roots be honored." And back to Ponish. "While we look to the future." The applause resumed, but he held up a hand to stop it. "I will be resuming a more active role. I also bring company."

The prompt given, about six grinning youths came rushing in, their thick tails wagging. All six otters looked up at Crane with wonder and clasped hands, awaiting his next word. "I present the youngest members of our organization."

A pony raised a hoof. When Crane nodded, he smiled. "Um, no disrespect, sir... But they look a little young to be learning linguistics."

"On the contrary." Crane set his hands down on the far shoulders of the lutrai most to the left and right. "Young minds are primed to learn and understand languages. For now, consider them assistants. They will help clean and organize, and they will learn. I expect, given time and education, they may become our best scholars, eventually."

Unsure but curious noises rippled across he room, considering the idea. Little helpful hands weren't a terrible thing to gain, ultimately. The zebra tilted her head at the young ones. "It brings joy to my heart, to see youth chasing the art." She extended a hoof and soon there was a lutrai standing before it, her nose quivering curiously. "Such a bright young face, Is it knowledge you chase?"

The little otter sow shook her head quickly and extended a pointing figure at Crane. "I'm chasin' him!"

The zebra chuckled softly. "Do you chase him as a hero? You've come from so far away, starting from zero."

She leaned in, whiskers uplifting. "Then I can only get better," she argued, looking so very certain of her logic.

"In this you may be correct. It is your sincerity that will be checked." The zebra spread both hooves to indicate all the lutrai. "I welcome these pups, strangers and lost. They come seeking greatness, despite the cost." A soft applause began anew, agreeing with the zebra and welcoming their youngest members.

With a wet splitting sound, she was born anew, ripping her way free of her cocoon with a low feral snarl. She kicked away the ichor and slime and shook herself out. "Finally!" Her voice was largely unchanged. "Oh, wow." But she had grown larger, much larger. She stepped towards a mirror laying forgotten in the corner.

It was there for Chrysalis, or maybe Tirek to admire himself in. Either way, it was just what Cozy needed to take in her new self.

Author's Note

Fun fact! This is a problem in the real world. It's just that the dolphins and whales can't send their queen to chew out the president about it.

Join the special community of folks who like my stories and/or get your own written here at atreon!

Join my discord to chat!