Artex explained the situation to the sisters of Alicorn while they helped him put away the folding tables and cushions. After they finished he leaned against one of the empty crates and crossed his arms, "Any thoughts?"

Luna shook her head, "None I'm afraid."

Celestia seemed to agree, "Luna is correct. We..." Celestia paused and took a deep, slow breath, "We want to try to step back on the decision-making. We have... both made plenty of decisions regarding Humans and... we have come to the understanding that we should... step away from the process of solid decisions. We will offer ideas and possibilities, but the decisions should have been up to your people... from the beginning. We cannot change the past, but we can do better in the future. As of now, my best advice is to always try to do what is best for the baby and your people."

Luna nodded along then added, "It is not our place to force you to do anything, but perhaps you may want to live closer to your people if you are to present their best interest."

Artex threw up his arms in exasperation, "Well no feces!" He stopped and decided that the figure of speech did not translate very well, "Nevermind." he grumbled, "I already had that idea myself. So you two are really not going to help here?"

Luna shook her head, "We will offer help and as much wisdom as we can. Granted it will come from an outsider perspective. We have no intention of abandoning you, but the final decision must be yours. You were the decision maker regarding the interviews and adoptive family. We should never have made so many decisions for your people. You governed yourselves back on your home and you should have the right to do so here as well."

Artex cocked his head, "Do you mean to say that you're going to allow New Humansville the option of annexing from Equestria? To be its own... micro-nation within Equestria's borders?"

Celestia nodded, "We never had the right to keep you from doing so in the first place. We will make the announcement of the vote soon and your people will chose when and where they will take the vote... no... we don't have the right to decide when the announcement is made, that is up to you as well. The entirety of the decision is yours... no that isn't fair to you as a person Artex, it sounds like we're saddling you with the responsibility for all of New Humansville." Celestia chuffed, blowing air out through her nose harshly and shaking out her mane, "It is so much more difficult fixing mistakes."

Luna placed a comforting hoof on her sister's shoulder, "Let's make the announcement the last thing we decide for the Humans."

Celestia nodded and closed her eyes, "I suppose that would be for the best." She opened her eyes again and regarded Artex carefully, "My promise of boons is still valid and I will keep to them. Likewise will we have out workers finish all of their construction projects before we go. Land grants and so forth will be discussed later. For the moment, do you wish us to give you any more advice?"

Artex shook his head and planted his fists against his hips, "No, I need to walk around the town and talk to some people, plus I need to check in with Razor and Oriana."

Luna pursed her lips, "Very well then. I have an appointment to keep with my psychologist." In a flash of light she was gone.

Celestia smiled, "Would you mind if I walked with you for a few minutes? I have somebody I need to speak with."

Artex let his hands drop and walked over and held the door for the Alicorn, "Right this way." he said with an exaggerated hand wave and a bow.

* * *

A knock rattled against the oak door of an office, the name plate declared the office as belonging to one Captain Joyner, "Come in." the aforementioned man yelled from beyond the door.

Celestia opened the door and entered the office, closing it behind her. It was not an unusually spacious office, but it was large enough for her to stand in front of the mahogany desk with room to spare, "Good afternoon Captain." Celestia addressed cordially.

Captain Joyner, seated behind his desk, smiled at the Alicorn, "Good afternoon Princess. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Celestia planted her rump down against the floor and sighed lightly, "I am afraid I am not here simply for a friendly visit. I am coming to you today with some news and an offer." She ruffled her feathers and took several deep breaths, obviously nervous, "I fear that a foe, long thought to have been vanquished, has reappeared. I know you remember the Diamond Dog attack." Joyner nodded silently and Celestia continued, "The Diamond Dogs have finished their investigation on the source of the disease and as we feared, it was magical in origin. They also said that if we were to believe that the virus is destroyed, we would be fools. They believe the virus was a weapon. And it is believed to be a weapon that was merely tested, not truly unleashed."

Joyner leaned against the back of his chair and folded his hands in front of him calmly, "And what was the source? That is the real reason you are here, isn't it." His words were not a question.

Celestia nodded sadly, "It pains me to say it, but the 'test' seems to have served a dual purpose, by our best guess. One was to test the virus' effects and efficiency, the other was to test Humans. It seems too coincidental that the only Diamond Dog city to be affected was the one closest to New Humansville. We believe the perpetrators had knowledge of the location of New Humansville."

She shifted on her bottom and looked up to the ceiling briefly before centering her attention back onto the Captain, "The Diamond Dog investigation revealed some broken sample jars and notes left behind in several of the abodes in the murdered Diamond Dog city. The notes were written in Bloodscript." Celestia shuddered at the word, "It is a language of codes invented over a thousand years ago by a species called the Balzak who were jealous of the Unicorns' abilities to use magic as they wished. They understood that magic flowed through the blood of all creatures and they attempted to harness that power through rituals and blacker arts than we have words for. They began their experiments by using their own blood as a catalyst and source of power..."

Joyner finished the thought, "But then they began draining blood from other races as well."

Celestia nodded, "The blood of Kavim is especially saturated with Thamaturgic Energy and it was for that reason that they began abducting Kavim and draining them of their blood to use in their experiments. They would keep somepony alive for years so that they had a ready supply of fresh blood. The biggest problem is that they were successful in their endeavors. Blood magic is an order of magnitude more powerful than regular magic and spells and Bloodmages used that power in a coordinated attempt to overthrow every country in the world. They had, in secret, raised a small army of Bloodmages and spread themselves all over the world. Even some Kavim joined them. The death toll was catastrophic and we were nearly destroyed. Our victory eventually came at the cost of an entire species. The Balzak, the closest neighbors of the Gryphons at the time, attacked and annihilated an entire Gryphon settlement. It was a mistake that cost them everything. The Gryphons, every one from every city, rallied in retaliation and descended on the Balzak. The destruction was beyond comprehension. The Gryphons hunted down and put to death every single Balzak in the world. Every male, female, and youngster were slain by the enraged Gryphons. The backlash from the World's Magic was harsh. The Gryphons, as a species, fell to the ground screaming. Once they recovered, they took the skulls of every Balzak and kept them in their own homes. For their crime of genocide, they swore themselves to the preservation of all species and innocents. They became the guardians of the world. They call it their, 'Eternal Penance'."

Celestia swallowed hard and continued, "Unfortunately, the knowledge of Blood magic did not die with the Balzak. It lived on in secret and five hundred years ago we thought we had collected the last of the texts about Blood magic. The only mortal Unicorn who has access to the texts is Arch Magister Catalyst. She is sworn to memorize them so she could know their weaknesses if they ever came back. Unfortunately it seems that they have."

Celestia paused and licked her lips, "This now brings me to the reason I'm here. You know that before New Humansville there was another settlement here. It was the ruins of that settlement which serve as the foundation of many of the buildings. The reason it was abandoned is because a calamity befell the town, a terrible disease. The source of the disease was never determined, but it seems too coincidental that two separate diseases, both of which ravished civilized settlements, occurred within such close proximity of one another."

Celestia straightened up and continued, "Granted there is a substantial time difference between the two events, but the Bloodmages have been around for a rather long time. If I may offer some advice Captain?"

Joyner nodded solemnly, "Please do."

"Take special notice if any of the residents here disappear, especially Unicorns. I fear the Bloodmages may be somewhere nearby." Celestia warned quietly.

"And what if we do encounter some of them?" Joyner asked, "How do we identify them and how do we deal with them?"

Celestia's eyes shifted to her right as she lowered her head, "The best way to deal with them is to take them out in the open where they cannot have traps waiting. If for some reason there is no chance of taking them openly, set a ward around a building they are in then go in, in force, and be ready for a fierce fight. Above all, do not let them use any of their magic, when battling Bloodmages use any means necessary. With Catalyst here, you will have a perfect opportunity to utilize her skills."

Celestia sighed and looked up seriously, "Above all, be extremely careful about who you tell and who has access to information about what I'm telling you. If the Bloodmages have an agent here, they will take steps to subvert your progress at every turn and they will leave a trail of destruction and dead bodies. Make no mistake Captain, if they get the chance, they would kill every resident of New Humansville and they would do so gleefully. The Balzak may be gone but their legacy of death remains."

Captain Joyner steepled his fingers together and hummed in thought, "If Blood magic is such a corruption of natural magic then why does it even work? Wouldn't the Natural Magic of the world neutralize it?"

Celestia nodded her head sadly, "Luna and I have pondered that same question for many a long year. Our most likely conclusion is that the Natural Magic allows it because we, the other species of the world, allowed the Balzak to be annihilated and it wants them to be remembered. We attempted to do so through appointing the Arch Magister to study Blood magic. We thought it would be sufficient. Apparently it is not. And now the Bloodmages have returned. They unleashed a terrible weapon against a city/state of innocent Diamond Dogs and nearly all of New Humansville as well. They must be stopped Captain. Wouldn't you agree?"

Joyner nodded his head, "Absolutely." He paused and thought for a moment, "Out of curiosity, how were they stopped before now? Was it some sort of large-scale military operation?"

Celestia smiled fondly, "Military operation yes, large-scale no. It was something we called The Peacemaker Initiative. Scientists, researchers, and a combat ready task force; the best and brightest from every allied species around the world. The Peacemakers were not controlled by any sovereign or nation or government. They were under what we call a 'situational compulsion'. Every member of the Peacemakers had to willingly undergo a spell which forced on them the inability to take action against any entity other than Bloodmages. It was one of the most questionable things ever brought into existence, but it was the only way to bring in the other nations at that time. The Dragons and the Changelings were the only species that were excluded from the Peacemakers. The Changelings would have been invaluable in the effort to root out Bloodmage agents."

Celestia shook her head, "There has been no declaration of reinstating the Peacemaker Initiative yet, but I believe it will happen soon. When it does, do you believe that any of your people would be willing to volunteer?"

Joyner smirked, "Without a doubt. I know for certain that Hord would jump at the chance and likely Brinsin too, but Hord would without a doubt."

Celestia locked eyes with the Captain, "And what about you?"

Joyner quirked an eyebrow, "Me? No. No my place is here. I might be able to assist with a few operations but my work is here."

Celestia nodded her head, "Very well."

* * *

"So your suggestion is try to find a human that could live with the family to help them learn about raising one of us. And you are volunteering for that?" Artex asked.

Darryl Hord crossed his arms and nodded briskly as he leaned against the wall of the C.W.G. Headquarters, "Damn right Mr. Emissary."

Artex rubbed his eyes, "Look Darryl, you can't go volunteering for everything. You're already the trainer for the Fire Fighter program of the Community Welfare Guardians and you're a member as well. I appreciate the enthusiasm and the willingness but your expertise is needed more here." He cracked his neck and sighed, "I'll keep the idea in mind though. It's certainly better than anything else I've heard so far."

Darryl nodded and pushed off the wall, "I have a shift here in a couple of minutes, but it was good to see you." He reached around and took Artex into a friendly hug with two firm pats on the back, "You should come around more often. We miss you out here."

Artex fought against cringing, "Yeah I know. Hopefully I'll be able to in the near future."

Darryl smiled at the thought, "Good. Sorry to cut this short but I have to go. See you later." The two parted ways with a firm handshake and Artex hurried off to find somebody else.

It didn't take but a few minutes of wandering around the streets of New Humansville before he came upon the place he wanted: The Melting Pot. He pushed the doors open and inhaled the thick and savory aromas of cooking food. As the smells invaded his nose, he promised himself to bring Razor and Oriana to the restaurant that evening. There were only eight others in the restaurant at the time and they all looked like one family, mostly Earth Ponies. For the moment though, his attention was set for one specific person.

Artex walked up to the counter and sat down on one of the bar stools and a bright red Pegasus mare with a curly cerulean mane and tail trotted up to him from the far side of the bar, "Hello and welcome to The Melting Pot." she beamed enthusiastically, "Would you like to sample one of our signature dishes? We also have the only restaurant in the known world which serves native Human cuisine. What can I interest you in today sir?"

Artex hid a chuckle at the young mare, "I'm looking for Alex Ludwig. I believe he's the owner?"

The bartender nodded, "That he is sir. He is in his office at the moment. Would you like me to fetch him for you?"

Artex propped his right elbow on the counter and placed his chin in his palm, "Yes please."

The mare trotted into the back, which was accessed through a pair of wooden swinging doors behind the bar. While he waited, Artex took the time to really look around his friend's place of business. From the front of the restaurant to the bar looked to be fifteen Fathoms and from one side to the other it seemed to be the same. The left and right walls were lined with partitioned booths except for a four Fathom wide stage set into the left wall. The center area was filled with rectangular tables with a perimeter of chairs around them. The space directly in front of the stage looked to be a small dance floor and Artex wondered if any bands had played there yet.

"Hey there Dan!" came Alex' voice from beyond the bar, "What brings you here? We haven't seen you in ages."

Artex smirked as his friend stepped out from behind the bar and took the stool right next to him, "I need advice man. We've got a problem."

Alex chuckled as he leaned against the counter, "No shit. What else is new?" He tapped Artex on the arm, "Hey, do you want anything? It's on the house. I've made a killing here already."

Artex pulled his chin off his palm, "I'll take something strong. Kavim brew some weak stuff."

Alex laughed openly, "True enough." He reached around the counter and withdrew a bottle of dark amber liquid. The bottle was in the shape of an apple, "This is some of the best stuff right here." he said as he popped the cork, "Apple Nectar Amber Brew it's called. Produced at Sweet Apple Acres. I don't know where that place is, but those Kavim sure do know the good stuff. Apparently this Amber Brew doesn't sell very well because it's too strong. Here, we go through six bottles per day. I have enough of this stocked up to last me a month. The craziest thing is that it's only a little more potent than a particularly strong schnapps from back home." He reached behind the counter again and withdrew two glasses, "Still, it'll get you wasted if you drink enough of it."

Alex proceeded to pour two full glasses of the stuff then set the bottle down on the bar, still open, "Cheers." The two men clinked glasses and each took a big gulp from their respective drinks.

Artex was impressed, the liquor was strong enough to produce some heat on the way down, but it still wasn't enough to make him cough. He set his glass down on the bar and fingered the rim, "This whole debacle with the overlooked fliers is a royal pain in the ass." he spoke in American English, "So far most of the people agree only on two things: the baby has to go to a Human family, and nobody wants to volunteer to do so. It's about what I expected, but it's still a pain. Everybody wants to point out the problem, but God forbid they provide any sort of solution. Darryl had a good idea, but it would be putting the Kavim family out by doing so. I have an idea, but I wanted to get your opinion on it before I decide."

Alex finished off his glass then refilled it, "Go ahead, shoot."

"We're going to host more interviews but keep the Kavim family as one of the top choices. We'll review everybody and compare and contrast and then make the final decision." Artex explained.

Alex blew out an exasperated breath, "It's a sound enough solution, I just hope you expect people to bitch and moan about the criteria for adopting."

Artex smiled, "They wouldn't be Human if they didn't. No, I'm expecting a lot of people to get their panties in a wad about this, but the criteria are sound. Couples only, married is a strong preference but not mandatory and they have to be financially established and capable of taking care of a little one." he slung back the remainder of his glass and reached for the bottle, "Have there been any weddings yet? I heard that Kaneesha and Andrew were pretty close. They might be a good choice. Can you think of anybody else?"

Alex held up his glass and swirled around the amber liquid, "A few. Mike has been seeing that one tall, blond pediatric nurse Rachel, but I don't know how serious they are. Bobby and Alana are rumored to be an item, but I've never seen any solid evidence of that. Had a few others, but nobody really serious... well..." he trailed off and bit his lower lip, "There is one I've seen, but it's an odd one. Kolo has been in here with one of the lumberjack mares a couple of times. They seem pretty close, but I don't think it's any more than a fling. They're both lonely so they hooked up."

Artex shook his head, "Not likely. Kavim women have trouble... giving themselves to their partners. They have to be held down and apparently it's a bit traumatic if you're not careful. If it's just them two, I can almost guarantee they aren't sleeping together." He chuckled, "Hell, I watched a mare and a stallion kissing and she nearly had a panic attack. Kavim roll in herds for a reason."

Alex nodded thoughtfully and took another sip of his drink, "Fair enough I suppose. Not sure if they'll have an easy time of it though. Plenty of people are definitely not cool with the whole interspecies relationship thing. And in addition to that, romance between a Human and anything else will be hard enough to swallow, but polygamy on top of that?" he turned his head to the side, pursed his lips, and raised his eyebrows, "Oi."

Artex frowned, "What about you? What do you think about it?" he threw back the remainder of his drink and poured himself another.

Alex set down his glass, "Personally? I've got no problem with it, but my tastes run exclusively toward women."

"Human women you mean. Female Kavim are women too, just a different species. Hell, calling them mares is an insult if you think about it. Their words for their men and women actually translate fairly closely to our own. I mean, how would you like it if they called us dogs and bitches because we look kind of like Diamond Dogs, or if they called us bulls and cows because our hands and torsos are similar to those of Minotaurs? It's not really proper for us to call them mares and stallions just because they resemble ponies. We use the word 'Pony' because it's familiar, but to the Kavim that would be a colossal insult if they ever met one. It would be like comparing us to chimpanzees." Artex explained.

Alex laughed loudly, "Alright I can concede on that one, but the terms have stuck by now so I don't see anybody using the words 'men' and 'women' to describe Kavim. There really isn't a good comparison between Kavim and actual ponies, but like you said, it's familiar so we use it." he tipped back his glass, "And on THAT note, I prefer HUMAN women. Better?"

Artex smiled and held up his glass, "I'll drink to that."

Next Chapter: Chapter 50: Information Estimated time remaining: 11 Hours, 4 Minutes