ENGINEERS CREATE THAT WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN

The engineer watched as a feathered mare approach. In comparison to his massive, muscular form, she was a little, porcelain dish with feathers. Tiny. Breakable. But, her attitude was decidedly larger than her body, and from the shape of her wings, she was fast and precise. Those skills could easily make up for her stature and gender, perhaps. Not much could make up for the female state of being and their general irrationality and child-spawning ways. This one seemed different, however. Instead of screaming in his face, she seemed almost calm.

Perhaps she was a male.

Her preface was simple and agreeable, so the engineer nodded simply to show that he did in fact intend to follow this rule. She was clever enough to catch him in the first place. The least he could do was cooperate.

Why did he seek out Cassiopeia? That was a good question. He did not necessarily do it for Psyche, but he had his own questions that had not been answered. The pegasus was annoyingly elusive.

"I wanted answers from a pegasus who was close to the gods, and perhaps, I was going to trade her for my own gains." The stallion answered honestly and simply. "Being an outcast has its disadvantages, but following Psyche to the Basin after the war for the World's Edge seemed more than just a little unappealing." Ulrik's expression soured ever so slightly, bronze eyes glinting with madness. "I am not one to follow those who abandon their own to spawn children they carelessly came to term with." The words were cruel, cold and brutally honest. In a way, they made sense if you took emotion and love out of the equation of making babies.

"But without a herd and a wise one to follow, I needed answers. I wanted to know where the gods were going to arrive next. I have plans, you see - with my abilities. But I am irritatingly bound to their whims. With Cassiopeia's connection to the gods, I assumed she would be able to give me insight into their plans so that I may make myself known." Ulrik also answered honestly. Though he had not had the chance to ask her such things himself. He had gotten distracted building a gate over caves in the Basin.

"After I gained information from her, I planned on trading her to the Aurora Basin, if they would take her. When I took her there, I got distracted. I cannot say they seemed entirely interested regardless. I am not one to observe facial cues, but Mauja did not seem comfortable with her presence there in a captive state." Ulrik glowered a little, having expected his former leader to praise him for his capture of the feather brained kinds. No, instead, he got distracted and built a gate. Of all the things. "I have a loyalty to my former leader. He stood at our side when we fought, and those who fight together are family."

Ulrik's sentiments did not exactly reach his metal heart, but the words seemed to ring in his mind as truth. In a way, logic was love for this strange, charcoal stallion. The curve of metal and smell of oil was lust. A perfect equation was bliss. "But I acted alone in taking Cassiopeia from you; I wanted answers, but she is too... Her head is in the clouds too often to answer, I believe." Feather brained. Cloud brained. What more did he expect from a female pegasus?

The engineer saw another rush up. She was a unicorn, which was intriguing. He thought this band only accepted the winged kind, but apparently he was wrong. Emotion seemed to shake her, and he rolled his eyes in utter irritation. How was a female pegasus more in control and sane than this unicorn? His species was turning into folly. She should be ashamed of herself.

He snorted sarcastically, bronze eyes leveling wildly on her. A twisted grin crossed his lips, and he tilted his head to the side. "What home? Wherever my hooves rest is where I call home..." he growled. "I am an outcast, and I know none by the name of Valentine. If he is taken from you, that was not of my doing, so go pester someone else with your petty problems." Ulrik shook his head, grunting while turning his stare back to the sane, winged one.

The world was mad.