A very strange..."friendship"
"Sugar, you don't need to worry, it's an island of no war-importance - a territory without meaning in battle, unless there will be huge swings on the front line - it won't even see any military, AND - it's far from the land, so it will take a lot of time time to even get here, and if something happens - we will have time to flee. I remember it from the meeting where we were discussing the strategy of defences and attacks at the round table in our base, I specifically asked the commander about this place because I thought it will be safe for you," said Steel Screw,an old,well-built unicornstalion with some saggy skin on his still-tough muscles. He was an Engineer,preparing the armor and the weapons before the battles in an engi-nearing to his limits mental state, was ting to get back to his family as quickly as possible.
After one of the missions he was cleaning the weapons, until he heard the siren wailing through the building. Their base of defences were flanked and a huge group of changelings started pouring in. His group was fighting tooth and screws, protecting the base, but only to flee at the end, loosing most of their numbers. Steel was able to survive only due to the fact he wasn't an actual soldier, so he was on the back line. Thou there was a good part. While everyone where dragging the fight out - he managed to hide the explosives in secret places all throughout the base, and once they fled and got far enough - he blew up the base, ending the attack forces and not giving them the ammunition and weapons they had. Was it pure luck that out of fifteen percent that survived - he was one of the lucky few who did, and one of four of them - who managed to only get away with scars and bruises? Yes. He can admitit - yes it most likely was. Of course those who were left got a medal and a huge allowance for the rest of their life, but he didn't care. He barely managed to survive, so he retired and got back to his family. He want's to spoil his grandkids!
"I know gramps, I just...I just worry about River," with a little concern answered the sun colored pegasus.
"Honey, now that's just nonsense. River is a tough cookie. Don't worry - she will get to us and everything will be a-ok. And we will have enough time to prepare the house before she gets there," said Steel, getting with his family on the ship of his friend, patting Berry on the head, which cheered her up a little.
While they were sailing the beautiful picture of wast and grand ocean blue, seeing some fish jumping out of the water - Berry was unusually quite for her normal self, but it seems that a good picture of a sunny weather on the waves of the ocean washed away intrusive thoughts and helped her to get her head out of the sky back to the...water. An hour or so later they finally got to the place they wanted - pretty big island, far away from the land, with coconut trees seen from far away, golden sand laying close to the water, inviting them to touch it's warm beauty with their hooves. They could even see their home from there, which finally made Berry's mood go back to her usual cheery-self
~-~
At the same time, a family of changelings were just getting on the ship of their "Allies" Deer's to get on the same island. Some changelings for great achievements in war could've gotten themselves a vacation here. Changlings knew that Ponies used this island as a resort, and it had no importance in war. So theywere using it as a resort as well, blending in with the ponies and having some "fun", eating on resting ponies and resting as well. Grey Abdomen, being close to a general position, known for his strategic skills, even got an entire house for him and his family, so in his years he wanted to just peacefully live his last years with his family and rest on a peaceful earth. Or should he say sand? Thirty years of studying and years of strategic work for the hive finaly paid out and he can finally live in peace and calmly enjoy life without fear of being sent to the frontlines and possibly never see his family again. He wanted to play with his granddaughter until he can and not sit with other old changlings inside the headquarters, shouting each other in the face and decide, which group goes where and how many will be lost in the process. He was sick and tired of this mind-game, he wanted to actually have some rest after so many years!
And now, even thou they were temporarily in a disguises - seeing his son being his usually lazy-self, getting a tan, while his wife plays with his granddaughter made old changeling hard and serious expression relaxed for a while, enjoying the fact he can finally rest. After they passed the security check - their family got to fly the rest of the way, because ship had to go back on it's track. Their luggage was already sent to the island, so they just had to get there. And because little Mandy couldn't fly, AND she wanted to play in the water - she had to be put in a floaty, while Grey volunteered to push her all they way to the island with his own hooves, as she was having fun in a water, which made him make a mental note to be like his son usually is - and go resting.
Two families trying to find a safe space from the loud explosions and the threat of death in a little peaceful paradise. Who knew their hell in heaven will start on the first day of getting there?
Afterfamilies got on the island - they got into their homes under the guidance of the family's oldest members, settling in the new two-story tall house's, unpackingtheir things out and getting comfortable with some fruity drinks in a hot weather.
~-~
"Maybe you are right dad, not hearing any explosions outside of your window...this is really almost heavens~," Berry Cream told to her father, relaxing on a kitchen with a iced mango juice.
"Told you, let's just relax and have fun. We can also go to a beach to have fun with my little grandkids"
"I think they would love it dad, but let's do it a little later, they need to settle in the house"
~-~
And while Berry Cream and the Steel Screw were having fun — in some other place Wasp and Grey were arguing:
"Dad, do we really need to be here? We are both far from the hive and it's incredibly hot here," said Wasp to his father.
"Of course, maybe this place is not the best - but at least it's peaceful. And I would prefer it that way. I did not work overtime for months to let my granddaughter wake up from the sirens and explosions" Coldly answered Gray to his only son. Of course he wasn't that cold usually, but he didn't like when his son whined, even if that doesn't matter now. "Get yourself some ice and get used to it, we will go to beach towards the dawn if you don't like the sun so much"
"Okay, okay dad, I'm just saying. Just to have a conversation. We rarely talk to one another."
"Don't worry, we still have time for that, now that we will live here"
"I guess you're right. Allright, I'm sleeping on the couch if I'm needed, our bed is ocupied with Moth's clothing. Plus she is choosing what to wear to beach. It seems Mandy liked the water, so she said we are going here later," said Wasp,after making himself a milkshake with ice and a mix of Love in it, for it to be as delicious as it is cooling.
"Oh...how charming…" Said Grey, while his spine noticable cracked in protest, telling him to at least go and rest with his son once he finishes his special changeling-tea. The receipe is the same as the normal one, just instead of boiling water - you boil love. Grey loved the Carcade tea with love. "I guess I'll go with you"
"Wow, that's rare, usually you just say I should do more and move around more often"
"I would...but I'm kinda tired right now. I will do it next time"
"I will take my rest from your schooling any day of the week. So I'll be enjoying every moment of it," said Wasp, falling with his drink on a couch, while Grey sat in one of the chairs, which was really soft comparing to the one in the officer headquarters where he was planning attacks and defences, making him quietly moan in delight and shortly after - go into a peaceful sleep until he was woken up and reminded about about the beach.
~-~
"But are you really sure everything will be alright with River? I mean - she is just a little mare! And there is so much danger on the way! What will we do if something happens?" Asked Berry, while the family was eating.
"Of course it will be. She will be there in a couple of days. Don't worry so much, muffin, she is from my family. We are not known for our history in giving up. I'm assuring you - she will get back to us even without half her hooves!" Answeed Steel, feeling more stoic in his opinion
"GRANDPA!"
"What? I don't mean it literally. Don't need to be so emotional about it, Berry"
"Like father, like daughter" Said Sunlight Blaze, while muching on some salad.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Asked Stell unhappy with such a comparison, though Berry was not pleased as well.
"You already forgot how you reacted, when she first introduced me to you?"
"It was long ago and you are lying!"
"Of course I do, and the balloons were full of green and black paint accidentally, and you screaming that I am a changling was absolutely not planed" A new bickering startsbetween Sunlight and Steel, which Berry always found extremely cute and entertaining. Grandkids's though - not so much, deep-fried bacon and an omelette and sandwiches with melted cheese and tomato - looked much more entertaining to them. Or to their stomach's at least.
~-~
Everyone already remembered the placement of their new rooms, that had enough space for everyone, with only room being left - being the one River will live in
The house's of both families looked pretty similar, though distinct enough. Steel's family had a house with a more pastel tones, shades of blue and yellow were predominant outside, white and more light-blue on the inside. Because of the two little tornados that are running around the house - decision was to not get the house with a hanging chandelier. Overall the home had a lot of light in it and was deffinetly made for positive and bright pony's, which fit perfectly with the family. Grey's house had more of a grass-green with the grey outlining on the outside.A chandelier was handing from the roof, though it was not on. This house also had a lot of light bulbs, but they were mostly off, because Changlings eyes didn't need so much light. Overall outline inside of the house was deffinetly more expensive and Grey distinctively didn't do a half-ass job of decoring this place, making it so that his little princess can live surrounded by beautiful drawings on walls and stunning decorations.
Some time later - both families have gone to a sunny beach. They both parted their ways by about an hour, not meeting one another while they were going here, because Wasp slept through an hour of preparations for the beach, making them late. Screw's grandkids's were playing with a beach ball, Sunlight and Screw set up a grill and started betting on who of the two fighting crabs a little bit in the distance will win in a fight for a woman, while Berry decided to relax from all the past stress of the war and get her mind at ease, while River is getting there. Ignoring a sunbed - she laid straight into a golden sand, that was giving her a lot of heat to comfortably lay on it and was weirdly satisfying to lay on, like a mini-massage. Of course she will have to get the sand out of her hair afterwards...but she can worry about it later. Sun was perfectly positioned on the perfect blue sky, filled with vocational clear-white clouds. The Sun was giving her a perfect tan, being just low-enough to not hit her in the eyes through the sunglasses. Sand was flying everywhere from kids playing, waves were just barely touching her hooves...she felt like she's gone from hell to heaven in one fell swoop, and all it took - is to allow herself to relax, while her husband and father are making food for everyone.
"Grandpa! Can you get the ball? I punched it a little too hard and it flew into the bushes," asked one of the grankids, running closer to Steel, who finished preparing the food for the grill, leaving Sunlight with it, and decided to sit in a sunbedto relax beside his daughter. Btw - Screw's crab won, and he used every opportunity, to shove it in Sunlight's face. You can say whatever you want - but apple doesn't fall far from the apple tree. Or should I say a berry?
"Ha! Knew you're my nephew! Little boy but already such a stud!" Said Steel, beaming with happiness, brushing his mane with his hoof, making the little boy "pfff" in embarrassment. Steel got up from his sunbed, going to bushes with the fake coughs and complains. He may have been old, but he was a military engineer, sohe's much stronger than most ponies even now, in his age, so his "old man grunts" was actually an act, and he was still a perfectly capable man.
~-~
"Gran' Grey, wha' was that soun'? Is tha' some mons'er?!" Asked little Mandy, who's pronunciation was a little lacking due to a young age, but she was trying, despite being scared, making them stop their game with Grey.
"Ha? Don't worry Mandy, that's just some little creature fell from the tree, like a bird or something like that, the sound was quite so it's not something big."
"Can you go and check? Pwease?" Asked little girl, opening her eyes to their max, with some tears on the side, striking Grey right in his heart.
"Sweet Chrysalis, no need for big guns, I would've done it if you just asked!" Said Grey, playfully showing like he was "defeated" with the "heavy weapon",after which he gave her a little kiss on the forehead and got up,going to the bushes to see what was the noise that interfered with their games.
~-~
Soon, a silent, tense moment between two old man's and one beach ball occured…
One more moment - and both of them are trying to beat eachother in the face with the hooves ina charged strikes straight into the chin,but abruptly stop in the middle, remembering that this fight will alarm their family and it may get very messy is that happens, so they stopped and put their hoofs on the ground, looking eachother in the eyes.
"What in the fluff are you doing here, you Vermin?"
"I have the same question for you, mid-night snack. From what I know - the only ship that was going to come here - should've been tomorrow, and even that one was canceled."
"My friend from the Navy had one of the ships all to himself for the weekend's while he was preparing it, so he decided to help us out under the excuse of "does it works". The good question would be - why in the name of Celestia is there a bug-scum on an Equestrian territory?"
"None of your business, but I am here on my earned vacation, so be a dear and seize from my eyes."
"Oh, you think I will just let you walk around an island around my family and don't do anything about you?!"
"You know - I can say from a single look that you are bad at keeping secrets. Like, really bad. Not very good quality for a soldier, but none of my business. But I will say this - you are not the only one with the family here. So pretend we didn't see one another - and we'll just forget about eachother existence for a while."
"Grrr,only for no-" At that moment - a beach ball that Steel put his hoof on, and was stomping stronger and stronger through out the dialogue - couldn't handle the pressure and exploded. Grey's family didn't notice it, playing in the sand, while the Steel's family was already going here.
Both old man's were thinking in their brains how to explain it. If Grey Transforms - it will be good, but they may notice his family, and it will start a battle anyways, and he would need to reveal himself. He can't say to transform to his family, because they would need a reason, and the reason may scare them and start a fight, and he can't just straight-up attack, because it will, once again, start a fight. Every possibility in the Grey's head was resulting in the fight, so he was subconsciously preparing for it, until Steel unexpectedly...hugged him with one of his forelegs, which made Grey confused AND on the verge of punching him
"Hey,grandpa,what was th-WHY IN ALL OF EQU-"
"tssssss!!!" Steel's daughter wanted to scream, but Steel quickly used some magic to gently close her mouth, while the kids hide were behind the father. "Berry,don't scream from no reason.It's just…"
"Grey", answered a confused, old changeling
"Yes, Grey! When we were in the army - we met once on one of the investigating missions, and he left me alive after discovering me, allowing me to get back under the promise to not reveal his base."
"Oh...So you are friends?" Asked Berry, once her mouth got free
"Oh, em, I don't think that this is exactly the right word~cough cough~" Grey tried correcting her, but after a sneaky, "light" punch to the guts from Steel — stoped,
"Yes, yes, we are. Coincidentaly we meet here - isn't that curious? I'm interested myself, how?" Said Steel, looking at Grey, while Grey understood - he was cornered. If he was his "friend" - he needs to explain how he got here. This old geezer is not as stupid as he looked initially.
"Nothing much. That not some important place, so if you are changling - you just have to show to security you have no weapon, and pay some additional fee, and not reveal to anyone your identity - and you are safe basically," explained Grey. Years of work with strategy amongst other officers gave him a lot of skills, like mimicking his own emotions and needed expressions, so he looked very convincing.
"Oh Celestia, y-you all can do that?" Asked Berry, clearly a little scared
"Oh, no, of course not, only a couple of those, who have high achievements can get here, and most - only for a couple of days, so it's basically harmless for both sides."
"Oh, well, that's a relief. So what did you do to get here, Grey?"
"I would prefer not to talk about my work. I may be more neutral towards pony's, but it doesn't mean I will betray my own hive's secrets," answered Grey with completely straight face. In this question - there was no option to get more from him.
"Oh, sorry, I was just a little curious. So, Grey, are you here alone?"
"I am-"
"Father, can you hurry up? Mandy want's to built some sand castles!" At this moment the voice of Wasp was heard.
"Not."
"Wow, so you are also here with your family? That's amazing!" Berry was...and is a really friendly pony. The very moment she knew that there was no threat from neither Grey nor their family - she was already on her way to make friends with them. Literally - she didn't even wait for either of the old man's to answer and was already going towards Grey's family. Who, unsurprisingly, was momentarily on alert, protecting Mandy.
"Stop it, everycreature, there is nothing to fear, this is our...friends," Grey said, going behind Berry, explaining to them. With difficulty, but he managed to say "friends" convincing enough. "While I was still in the lower ranks - I saved one of them to save some secrets, and now we are somewhat of a friends...I guess. So no need to panic."
All of them were confused, but were not "ready to attack" anymore, which made Berry more at peace. Afterall she never seen Changling before...outside of TV. Wasp dragged Grey away from everyone to have a little talk. "What can be a secret big enough for YOU to decided not to kill a pony?"
"I can't say, but this is one of the reasons why we were able to drag out the war for so long." Of course it was a lie through and through. They never met before, so there just was no secret. The war was so dragged out because there was a lot of changelings to start using a meat-wall tactic when resources was cut-short. Even Gray might've been sent to the frontline if it wasn't for him retiring in time and going far form hive. Wasp only noded, going back to his wife, while Grey turned around...to see his Mandy playing with the kids of these pony's!
Grey leaped back to them with the vigor that could be envied by ponies and changelings in their prime, hardly containing himself from sending two young brats flying straight to his hive with hard-swing of a hoof, asking his little girl if she is okay.
"Gran' Grey, everything is okay! We are just talking"
"Ok, ok baby, just tell me if you don't like something, and I will teach these little-"
"~cough cough~ Mister Grey,maybe we should introduce eachother first?" asked Berry, hiding a smile while looking at it. This Changling was not scary at all, compared to what she was told.
"Hm? Oh, yes, yes, excuse me my...unvelcoming behavior. My name is Grey Abdomen. This is my son - Poison Wasp, his wife - Silver Moth and my granddaughter - Strong Mandibles"
"You can call me Mandy!" Unlike Grey, who was being polite, but still kept being a "Chengling Officer", even though he run away to not become a general and go on the frontline - Mandy was friendly, being very young and not full of propaganda yet. She heard a lot about how good is Hive, but didn't have hate for Ponies yet, unlike others, so she just waved at them with her cute little hoof.
"Ohhhh,you are such a treasure~!" Berry said, getting lower to hug and squish little Mandy's cheeks, while she was laughing from this little game. Her father was a little weirded out from this scene, and Grey was using all of his self control not to punch the woman away from his child. The only thing keeping him away from violence was the fact that Mandy liked it. Her mother though - was much more at ease, enjoying and even finding the scene cute.
"Uh, Berry, dear, maybe you shouldn't cuddle others kids so much?" Steel was also not very comfortable with the scene, especially after looking at Grey, so he tried getting his daughter away from the child of this abomination, making Grey...hate him a bit less.
"Mmm, but she likes it!"
"Honey, don't worry, you will have enough time to cuddle her" said Moth, smiling at it, making Grey look at her like she was a traitor to the family.
"Yea, it's not like we are going anywhere," said Sunlight, laughing a little at this scene
"Oh, you too?" Asked Moth at these words.
"Huh?What do you mean? " Asked Berry, looking at her potential new friend
"Oh, yea, you don't knoooow!" said Moth, face-hoofing "well, uncle Grey retired from his job, and so we moved in here, to live away from war, explosions, fear and everything else. You know, the usual"
"REALLY?! THAT'S AMAZING, WE DID THE SAME! WE ARE BASICALY FRIENDS MADE IN HEAVEN!!!" Berry was ecstatic, jumping on Moth and hugging her, while Moth, much more calm and contained - laughed a little,hugging her with one frontleg in return.
Two old man, Grey and Stell, who, at the same time, were thinking about blowing up the ship of the "insufferable bug" and "chew on some snacks" - almost fall-flat on their head while standing still, understanding that both of them will be here not for a couple of days, but moving in!
"Oh man, your in for a wiiiild ride. Belive me - she won't let you go without becoming best friends forever now, our previous neighbors won't let me lie," jokingly said her husband with a wide smile "Sunlight Blaze, and this hyper-friendly and hyper-active mare is my wife - Berry Cream. Our grandpa - Steel Nail, now you know him, and these two young bloods are Roast Beef and Sour Snack"
"Pfff, I could've introduce myself...myself!" said Berry, trying to sound mad, but the fact that she was lost in her words from her emotions - only made her look cuter.
"Yea, yea, I know dear, guilty" said Sunlight, hugging her with one of the frontlegs "let's go get some food, our treat is ready"
"Oh my Celestia, already? Hey, new friends! Let's go to us, I'll give you some of our roast food!"
"Well, we don't actually eat pony's food that much" said Wasp,with a little embarrassed smirk, looking at his happy wife, who seems to find a new friend for herself
"Oh, yea, I forgot...well that's unfortunate...Oh, oh, then we can at least talk, and tomorrow can try cooking something that you will like!" Berry deffinetly wasn't contempt with giving up that easily.
"Berry, dear, please, let's go back home already, I think I need to rest a bit," said Steel, feeling eighty years older than he is.
"No Daddy! We came here to eat on the beach all along! Plus - I don't think Beef and Snack will agree with leaving without their treat"
In response two little foals nodded actively, making Steel and Grey sigh in defeat, and once they opened their eyes - they were already behind and had to run to the others.
"Meat!Meat!Meat!Meat!Meat!" Both Snack and Beef were chanting it in unison, sharing a single thought between the two of them, trying to enchant their father to give them their meat quicker, making them look like some magicians, even though both of them were just earth [onies.
"Eeee, I might not be the pony-, expert...but aren't your kind...like, vegetarian?" Asked Moth, clearly confused, while Wasp was already on a sunbed, using the smell of the cooking food as aroma-candles, relaxing and trying to sleep while everyone was busy, in which he was absolutely successful.
"Oh, well, you see...I don't like this story very much, but..." Berry was seen uncomfortable for the first time by her new friends, and this state was deffinetly not normal for her.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha, what is there to talk about? This bipolaric, two-faced, insane daughter of the sun and forest had the nerves to say that she does NOT want to stay with me while I'm protecting our family's life's work and possessions, as well as the family itself, and just wanted to run the moment everything started. We are not saints ourselves, we also fled in a dangerous situation, but I served my Equestria before this in it's hard times, and me and my family DESERVES this life!" Steel, who seems out of breath after running here, the moment he started talking about his ex-wife, was like he got a second youth back in him, starting to angrily insulting a mare that he deeply despised for many reasons. Grey was more concerned with the patriotic part of Steel's speech, which made him feel some sense...of keenship? But very brief, he was still just a snack in his eyes.
"Well, I'm glad that you've god at bad history with Kirins...but how is that conected?" Asked Moth, while the kids finally got their food, starting to enthusiastically chew on it, while Berry and Sunlight just fried themselves some vegetables in a grill with the leftover oil. Afterall they were not like their children, and beef didn't appeal to them, but the oil made the texture of the salad more refined.
"AH?! Ah, oh, yea, oh, sorry, I got a little carried away.~cough cough~ So, not very good known fact, but Kirins are omnivorous, and this BI-...polar undesirable aquintence in a relationships - definetly had some bear genes in her, because she was deffinetly outright carnivorous. So I feared Berry might have something to do with her tastes...but she turned out to be a normal vegetables-loving pony." Said Steel, emberased about his tantrum, almost starting another one, until he remembered that there were children.
"I prefer Berries and Fruits!"
"I know sugar cube, I'm just telling a story. So, I thought that her Gene's dies out without even chance to be born...until there to handsome young stallions were born, trying to munch their own hoof’s the moment they got into this world. Didn't notice their puffy and big mane’s? They are from her. We didn't know it at the beginning, but after some investigation - turns out that hybrids between Kirin and pony can also sometimes be omnivorous...though these little furnaces with forks deffinetly like the carnivorous part more," said Steel, puffing the mane's of the eating kids with his hoof, which didn't faze them at all.
"Wow, you look really pissed about this bitch," said Wasp, waking up from all the noise, which earned him a slap on the head from Grey for swearing before children, which, contrary to his expectation of protest and pain - was a little too hard and Wasp just fall back asleep.
"Oh that's an understatement of the century! She pissed me off with her Nirik form for most of the marriage, got scared, run away leaving me with a child, and also taken half of everything I own! That the most I was ever screwd up in a deal! [Marry a Kirin!] They said, [They can't talk and can't be mad to not trigger Nirik form] they said. Yea, this walking bear in a mare’s clothes didn't feel the need in restricting her anger! Yea, she couldn't speak, but she had paper, pencil, and when I wasn't reading what she was writing - she could've just thrown the house upside down!" Said Steel, trying to imitate a clumsy, specifically stopid-looking bear.
"But bears like berries and fruits, wouldn't a dragon be a more fitting thing to compare her?" Asked Moth between her laughs.
"Dragons are have sharp shapes of their bodies and they have their hordes of money! The only hord of money she had - was the one she got from me, and there was nothing sharp about her! She was like a walking, angry, hairy disaster! So a comparison to bear is more fitting. Plus bears are not the only species who like sweet stuff, so this argument is pointless"
"Fair enough. I can really see, how much you love her" said Moth with a smile and her frontleg under her chin. Sometimes you can see glimpses of a vixen that she is deep inside, and you understand why they got together with Wasp.
"Oh like Tratar I d-," and that how started a giant story about how he hates his ex-wife, that everyone was listening to with smiles, until it was time to go back home.
"Ok dad, we got it, but it's already a dawn, so we should go ahead and get back home" said Sunlight,stopping Steel's rant.
"Oh, but we just got to meet eachother! Can we at least go back home together?" Asked Berry, who was talking with Moth, because they had sunbed's right besides one another.
"Of course we can, who says we can't?" Of course the answers of everyone else didn't mattered, Berry just had to have a confirmation form Moth to keep the conversation.
Sunlight picked up sleeping Wasp, who refused to wake up no matter what, and they all collected their things, starting to go back to their homes.
"Hey, vermin? I'll say it only one time, so listen really, really fucking closely - because you will not cause trouble back home - I will not try and kill you. So don't go into my life and I won't get in yours, capiche?" said Steel, going a little to the side with Grey, whispering him into the ear.
"The same goes for you, old geezer. If I didn't want to spend some time with my family - I would've already tear you apart," said Grey,ssssscreaching him into his ear.
Both old men got back to their kids, talking and enjoying their time, until they heard a happy scream from Berry. Steel was immidietly on alert, ready to attack, until they both looked at what happened with dread.
"We live back-to-back! Our houses are back-to back! That amazing!" Berry couldn't contain her excitment, while two old men touched their chest with their hoofs, checking if their hearts are still beating. They did. And they were not sure if it was good.
"Well, it seems we missed one-another while we were dropping our things, so didn't noticed one another. This is pretty funny" said Moth with a calm smile.
"Yea, it seems you ladies will have enough time to enjoy each other's time," said Wasp waking up from Berry's scream and stending on his own hoofs, seeing a lot of screaming in the future...and it wasn't even from his daughter.
"Let's just get home already, until some other disaster happens..." said Steel in a whisper to Grey
"I will agree this time…"
It was one of the rare times these two genuinely agreed without gritting their teeth, so they both gone back to homes to rest after this crazy, crazy day, while Berry was thinking of how fun will it be to introduce River to their new neighbor's, being sure he will like Moth as much as she did. Hence beginning of a very fun neighborhood commenced, consistent of two old man who almost hate one another, their daughters who like one another, a workaholic Sunlight, a coach potato Wasp, and their kids who wanted to play with one another, despite the fact that Grey didn't want his granddaughter to play with pony's, and Steel just being cautiousof "pests"...so the two old men were giving eachother some half-playfull pranks that made each others live a little harder,to make themselves happier,resulting in an unending circle of two old man pranking one another.
So basically...it was a start of a new lives for two great frenemies.
