The Beginning of the World (May May, Blagus)

a/n: In my head, the Ma-non are amphibians who throw great parties all over the universe. But sometimes you gotta have last call so you can start a new day.

The bit of official golden paper twinkled between Auld Blagus' thumb and forefinger. "You cannot do this," he said, waving it angrily over May May's pointed green head. "You cannot drive us from our homes."

May May craned her neck, trying to meet any of Blagus' six eyes. "We explained it in in in the eviction letter. We need to update the ship, and you'll have to move. At least for a few decades, do you get it?"

Blagus waved his burly arms to indicate the whole of the Ma-non's space ship. "This has become our only refuge. We cannot return to our home planet. We have no ship like yours, even if our planet were still free. For all we know, the Ganglion destroyed it as a parting poison gift to their former allies."

May May adjusted her goggles and waved up at the angry Prone. He finally noticed the distance and knelt down graciously. May May smiled bravely at him. "We Ma-non have had to be honest with ourselves, okay? We're stuck here too. We aren't giving up, but whatever is keeping ships within the bubble around Mira has continued to be a mystery. Our planet is as far away as yours, at least to us."

"So why drive away your friends? Isolation is no answer."

"Our ship isn't big enough to do everything we need safely. We'll be changing the atmosphere, the humidity, the temperature. It won't be healthy for your families, and it might be actually deadly for some of the other groups. I don't think Orphe handle that kind of wet heat at all well."

"You reject us all?"

"No! But the party is over, okay? We've loved hosting for the past eight years; that's what this ship is designed for, to to to have friends stay with us when we visit new places. If it were larger, we'd host for another eight years, but now we need that space."

"For what?"

Instead of answering, May May tugged her nose, a sign of distress or embarrassment that Blagus had learned to recognize. He spoke low and earnestly, a tentacle brushing May May's slight head crest. "If you have trouble, you will find no better friend than the Prone. We are not as skilled as you, but we are faithful and brave. Tell me the trouble."

"It isn't usually done on on on such a small ship," said May May in a thin voice, "but we'd like to make pools."

"For swimming?"

"For our hatchlings."

Blagus picked up the small alien and tossed her with delight. "Let me be the first to congratulate you. All of you." He recovered himself and set May May onto the floor and returned to his crouch.

May May was breathless from her admission and the acrobatics. "Well, yes, it takes years for our children to develop. We have decided we can't wait any longer."

"You cannot do it on the planet?" asked Blagus.

"And leave the pools exposed to predators and contamination? Worse, what if some fry escaped? They start very small, microscopic. If by some miracle they survived and developed and came ashore without anyone to support them ... our hearts would break to accidentally abandon them like that."

Blagus nodded his thick head. "I see that you are righteous in you actions, although it will cause a share of suffering for my people. I will tell them to begin packing. We will be gone by the end of the human month."

"Oh no, that wasn't what we meant," said May May, skipping slightly. "We just wanted to give you a warning of our plan. We won't begin building until everyone has a new home. If you want to move now, I'm sure the Nopon or Wrothians will host, but the apartment complex below the ship should be finished in the next year."

Blagus' laugh echoed down the hallway. "Then we shall have a going away party that lasts for many weeks, and every evening we shall toast our children's future friendships."

a/n: With luck the port of X onto System After Switch will happen and I will be reunited with my beloved planet.

Next up: Pick two of the above. Suggestions deeply appreciated.