'Hiding' In Plain Sight

It felt as though it had all happened just hours ago.

The cold was brutal and the wind fierce, but no elemental force could compare to the pain that racked her soul.

Onyx winced as the memory struck her suddenly, reopening the emotional wounds that had yet to fully heal.

"You clearly are not ready for this, my disciple. You lack the stomach for it."

She saw herself standing face-to-face with her Master, whom had revealed himself to be a stallion of raw darkness and malice. His eyes burned with disappointment which hit her harder than any magical spell ever could.

"You are strong with the darkness, but refuse to embrace all of its teachings. Until you do, you will never ascend. Not even with.." He raised a hoof to the mare's neck, upon which sat a pendant of black and white. "This...thing."

Onyx's pupils constricted as the presence returned, then dilated to their normal slender slits as her mind settled. Frowning, the unicorn placed her own hoof on her pendant and raised it up more to her eye level. She stared into the one black and one white eye of the twin unicorns, whom represented the balance of good and evil. At one point, she had attempted to corrupt the good in order to obtain more dark power, but it had utterly failed in the end.

He was right about this. I won't ascend with this. I tried learning how to use the light with it and failed. Turning it dark did the same. Her brow furrowed with frustration. If I ever wish to ascend and become the Guardian I want to be, it'll have to be without any fancy artifacts.

She forcefully removed the necklace and carried it along with herself across a black marbled floor over to the far wall, which was one large glass sheet that overlooked Manehattan's famous park. Her red eyes cast down upon the tree life and ponies alike. Again, her vision waded and was replaced with memories of the past.


"You were always my favorite pupil. Your potential is limitless. The only thing standing in your way, is this..conscious of yours." Dreadsteed looked away and stood stock still against the chill of the blizzard. Though he seemed unfazed, it was clear he was wounded under the surface of his facade. "I suggest you spend some time alone to think this over." The stallion's eyes moved back onto her, but nothing more budged. "Until you decide to be willing to learn everything I have to teach, you'll never succeed. And you'll always have peons like them keeping you at bay."

Their attention turned in sync across the barren frozen wasteland, to where an armored unicorn and rather energetic pegasus were. Indeed, those two (more of the former than latter) were a thorn in her side, but she lacked the will and courage to rid herself of it. This is not what I want. I never desired this.

"And I still don't." With a sigh that momentarily clouded the glass, Onyx turned from the window and ventured back into the living sun room's center. It was decorated with the finest of plush sofa, loveseats, and single plump chairs that were as black as the floor. Along the walls hung paintings done by various high-end artists, while the room itself was lit by enchanted crystals, hung from the ceiling as splendid chandeliers. While she could surely admire the fancy finesse of it all, knowing how much it all cost made her stomach churn. It wasn't that she didn't have the funds- it was merely sickening to see how much some had and other lacked.

Exhausted with the burden upon her shoulders, Onyx placed her pendant onto a rectangular glass coffee table before settling on one of the sofas. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to do something about him. His ambitions are so high..I can't allow him to ruin all of my hard work.." She sighed heavily into the cushion beneath her. "But..how can I make him see that our magic doesn't have to be used to harm others? It needs to be respected, not feared.. He's unraveling everything.."

You know what's interesting?

He had told himself that the voice was the mere figment of nightmares, a relic of a more desperate time. He had told himself so often and so strongly that he almost believed it.

We will meet again.

Not only that, he was very much a different pony now. Then, Grey Wing was merely an ambitious dreamer on the frontier of the badlands, crawling among the scum of the earth. Now, after a couple strokes of luck, and one or two minor infractions on the concept of decency, Grey Wing was a prominent member of Manehatten's Nouveau Riche, shaking hooves with the best of them.

And next time we meet...

Then she appeared.

...you will die.

It was impossible! Some psycho pony from the Badlands, no something formed the very depths of Tartarus itself, couldn't just be strolling around Manehatten, inquiring about the price of oranges! That monster that killed the entire camp like it was nothing, only leaving him alive with that most dreadful of predictions couldn't be real! She only existed in nightmares! She had to be.

But in the very depths of his heart he knew otherwise.

His hoof hovered over the door, hesitating. His contacts had told him that the pony behind it was possibly one of the only ponies in Equestria that could help him against a spectre of death that was her. Such ponies by that very fact alone should be avoided as much as possible.

But he had no choice, did he?

Rat-at-tat-tat

There came a soft thumping somewhere off in the distance.

Onyx jerked up to the sound, uncertain whether she had in fact heard something, or that her mind was plaguing her with crude tricks. The latter seemed most likely, concerning how lost she had been this afternoon in her thoughts, and the fact that nopony would ever come looking for her without poor intentions in mind. Sure enough, as she craned her neck to look over and beyond her cushioned seat, the door down the hall, at the end of another spacious room, was still intact. How strange.

It could be a trap. A little voice whispered in her erect ear. But the wards haven't reacted. She countered. With curiosity pressing to the point of suffocation, the mare slipped off from her perch and softly planted her bare hooves on the marble. Every step echoed loudly, and for once, she was glad she hadn't donned her armor, which would have only amplified the noise. Each pump of her legs synced with her throbbing heart and pulsing arteries, which were flooded with epinephrine, keeping her alert.

As she breached the greeting room, she paused midway to give herself time to examine the wards in question. Mounted on four white and black mixed marble pillars were large red crystals that hovered in place and glowed with a light of their own. To those who listened, they even hummed a low vibration, hinting at their power. Onyx used crystals such as these for many different spells, but their specific purpose was to detect hostility or other such threats. No. They mean no harm. And yet.. She could sense a deep dread seeping through the door. Something is clearly wrong.

With a sigh of knowing how foolish it was, the unicorn cast a small amount of magic to undo the door's many thick locks, then had the essence concentrate around the diamond knob. With a mere twitch of her head, it turned and the door slowly pulled open..

As time went on, his knocks became more frantic and desperate, pausing only when he looked over his shoulder for death herself. He had the right place, hadn't he? This was the residence of a powerful mage, whose ability rivaled the Princesses themselves, right? He wasn't crazy! Oh, suns and stars, tell him he wasn't crazy...

He kept knocking, as if his life depended on it, for it wasn't far from the truth at all. Even as he heard a spell being cast and the sound of many, many locks unlocking, he kept hitting the door until-

"Please help me! Oh suns and stars, she's after me, I need your help!" he blurbled through the open doorway. He spared not a single thought for dignity and poise as he rushed inside, to where it might be safe. As he did, his utter panic failed to cease "They're all dead! Heavy Tread thought he might be going mad, but he wasn't! They found him with his throat slit in the bath! Sky Rider was hanging on the chandelier by her neck and she's a pegasus! And I'm the only one left!"

Grey stared at his sudden host with wild eyes. "You're the great mage, right? The commander of both light and darkness? You're the only one that can help me! I've been cursed with the most vile of magics, and now she's after me, and won't stop til I'm dead! I've got a pregnant wife and child, and I'll do anything! I've got bits, lots of bits! Just...please, help me."

Quote :

"Please help me! Oh suns and stars, she's after me, I need your help!"

Well. That was a nice start.

Onyx wasn't quite sure what to make of the situation, to be honest. The stallion before her was clearly either out of his mind or truly in peril. Before she could even try and make a decision, he barged on through and nearly plowed her over in the process- a quick jump to the side narrowly avoided such a disaster. At least her reflexes were still up to par.

Quote :

They're all dead! Heavy Tread thought he might be going mad, but he wasn't! They found him with his throat slit in the bath! Sky Rider was hanging on the chandelier by her neck and she's a pegasus! And I'm the only one left!"

She quirked a brow. Normally, when one was confronted with such a tale of horror, fear would grasp their soul as well. But for Onyx, the mare whom danced with death on a daily routine, seemed rather...calm. Since somepony clearly needed to keep things under some semblance of sanity, she cautiously closed the door behind her with a rear hoof and magically propped all of the locks into place. Her eyes steadied within the stallion's own as he continued to panic.

Normally, I'm the one getting myself into these situations. This is rather..unusual.

Quote :

"You're the great mage, right? The commander of both light and darkness? You're the only one that can help me! I've been cursed with the most vile of magics, and now she's after me, and won't stop til I'm dead! I've got a pregnant wife and child, and I'll do anything! I've got bits, lots of bits! Just...please, help me."

The unicorn opened her mouth to respond to the first inquiry, but found herself silenced by his second, and even shamed by it. She looked back down the hall, through the rooms' thresholds, to where the glass coffee table resided, and upon it, her pendant. Sighing to herself, Onyx steadied her footing and took a deep, calming breath.

"I do not know who you are, or how you've heard of me, but your information is only half-right. I am no master of the light side of magic, though the dark I am." Onyx took a moment to look him up and down as well as to choose her next words wisely. "If it is a Curse, or any other dark essence that stalks you, I can and will help."

It seemed as though Fate decided to aid her in fulfilling her true Destiny. This was the perfect opportunity to use her knowledge of the dark arts for something good. She gestured towards the sun room with a hoof for him to follow as she started towards it herself. "You're going to have to give me a bit more information. Who is this mare? Are you aware of what the curse is called? Any little details about her or the magic will help." Upon entering the massive room, Onyx maneuvered them towards a pair of chairs that faced one another across the coffee table. Taking a seat in one herself, she motioned for him to mimic the gesture in the other.

Glancing to her pendant, she cast a levitation spell upon it, encasing the necklace in a brilliant red glow. She had it hover and lower to the arm rest beside her before sending a spark of her magic back onto the table. Upon its smooth, clear surface, an archaic rune formed. An instant later and with a flash, it was replaced by a complete set of tea- recently brewed and still steaming. "Please, have some. It will ease your nerves."

"I...of course, of course..."

Grey sat down, looking around, twitching.

"Have you heard of the Murderina? It was before my time, in a way. It was a story from the Badlands, the fuzzy border between Equestria and the buffalo tribes. There was a town that was attacked by a buffalo tribe but what was different, what was different, was that the buffalo tried to target and attack the little fillies of the community. Apparently, the tribe believed the town hosted this ill omen, a 'Murderina', a filly that curses all that sees her with imminent death. The town managed to strike back and almost wipe the tribe out, with only the chief escaping...only to be found dead with a dagger in his neck."

He sipped the tea, catching his breath.

"The town initially dismissed the Murderina as Buffalo nonsense. You can probably figure out what happens next. Soon, they begin seeing the Murderina themselves, which caused all sorts of internal strife. The town ends up burning itself down."

He looks out of the window at the dark grey clouds, contemplating.

"And where I come in is when we tried to rebuild the damn place."

"Our leader was some Canterlot bigwig, sent from Celestia herself, Restored Design. Pretty good fellow for a noble, honestly, if a bit obsessive. He knew how to defend the rebuilding from bandits, Buffalo tribes and the like, and had great plans for the town. Unfortunately, he was the one who ran into the Murderina first.

'Not a small filly', he described her, 'a young mare with a smirk, like she knew all your secrets.' She predicted that Design would die on a certain date, lo and behold, he falls off a scaffolding."

Grey put his head in his hooves. "Without Design, we fell apart. The savagery of the Badlands had gotten to us. I...did things that I am not proud of. All the while, the Murderina would appear and death would follow soon after. I swear that she was responsible for half the deaths, until that day..."

He hid his eyes and started tearing up. "The first time I saw her, she, she, slaughtered so many ponies that I knew forever as if it was nothing! We tried to stop her but we couldn't! It was something from nightmares! And then there was just three of us left. And then she said, 'We will meet again. And next time we meet, you will die.'"

He gasped through sobs, trying to continue.

"I thought it was far behind us. But Tread and Rider are dead. And in Manehatten, last night...I saw..."

Quote :

"Have you heard of the Murderina? It was before my time, in a way. It was a story from the Badlands, the fuzzy border between Equestria and the buffalo tribes. There was a town that was attacked by a buffalo tribe but what was different, what was different, was that the buffalo tried to target and attack the little fillies of the community. Apparently, the tribe believed the town hosted this ill omen, a 'Murderina', a filly that curses all that sees her with imminent death. The town managed to strike back and almost wipe the tribe out, with only the chief escaping...only to be found dead with a dagger in his neck."

She thought back to a time long, long ago- a thousand years in fact. Back then, she was a humble studious student with a teacher she trusted with her life and cared for dearly. Her lessons involved mostly magic, but she was allowed to do her own research between them and one of the things she enjoyed doing most was reading. Alas, the mare could not say that her countless texts and tomes had ever crossed such a place. The Crystal Empire was still young and arrogant back then, choosing to keep to itself mostly. I believe the only contact they did share was with Canterlot. They would never have turned their 'prestigious' eyes upon such a desolate region.

Still, the story was quite interesting. Perhaps she should pay Canterlot's library another visit. Granted, her last frolic through the archives nearly left the place in tatters, but now that she had a better understanding about her powers, she'd be able to slip in and out undetected with relative ease. As she pondered the subject, Onyx had the tea pot pour some of its bitter contents into her cup, then added some sugar and a smidgen of milk as well the same way. As her essence brought the tea over, a spoon carefully mixed the brew into a more suitable drink.

Quote :

"The town initially dismissed the Murderina as Buffalo nonsense. You can probably figure out what happens next. Soon, they begin seeing the Murderina themselves, which caused all sorts of internal strife. The town ends up burning itself down."

"Curious." Onyx sipped soundlessly on her tea. "I wonder how a mere filly would be capable of slaughtering so many." She twitched as a bit of her own past sparked up in the back of her mind.

When she was young, her magic was stronger than most and almost uncontrollable. She could create great disasters based on her mood alone, which brought about great grief amongst her parents. As she was pulled deeper into her past, the mare found her breathing grow a bit labored as a pain stabbed at her chest. It was all my fault. I couldn't control myself back then. Her brow furrowed, the memories speeding down the years, through all the damage and chaos she caused. They tried to find help. They begged for it on their knees. Her tea cup started to rattle on its china plate. But they were refused. Those blind, heartless monsters threw us out. That's why..

It took the entire set shattering instantaneously to bring Onyx back to her senses. But before the mess could mark the marble floor or shatter the glass coffee table, each fragment froze in midair, having become suspended by her red magic. The fact that she could hear her own frantic breaths was quite alarming, more so than her shaking hooves. Get yourself together. She glared down at her chest. That will be resolved. But not now. This stallion needs your help.

With a sigh, the unicorn closed her eyes and sent the shattered set away with a flash and a pop.  

Quote :

"And where I come in is when we tried to rebuild the damn place."

Her eyes reopened and steadied upon him.

Quote :

"Our leader was some Canterlot bigwig, sent from Celestia herself, Restored Design. Pretty good fellow for a noble, honestly, if a bit obsessive. He knew how to defend the rebuilding from bandits, Buffalo tribes and the like, and had great plans for the town. Unfortunately, he was the one who ran into the Murderina first.
'Not a small filly', he described her, 'a young mare with a smirk, like she knew all your secrets.' She predicted that Design would die on a certain date, lo and behold, he falls off a scaffolding."

Celestia. How that name made her sick to the core. As sparks flew from her horn as a manifestation of her anger, Onyx was once again forced to calm herself with a deep, held breath. Releasing it, she began mulling over such a gift. Predictions were an ancient art, but one of reality nonetheless. There would always be skeptics concerning its genuine status, but the mare had studied beside those who practiced it first-hoof. But this sounded like something much deeper than mere foresight. And much darker.

Quote :

"Without Design, we fell apart. The savagery of the Badlands had gotten to us. I...did things that I am not proud of. All the while, the Murderina would appear and death would follow soon after. I swear that she was responsible for half the deaths, until that day..."

Anger threatened to grasp her again. But this time, it was towards the young mare in question. Clearly, this one possessed a dark gift and an even darker soul. Something had to be done about her. "The darkness has claimed another weak-minded fool." Onyx muttered to herself as she slipped off from the chair and started to pace. "It manifests in many forms. Seeks out the weak, the vulnerable." Her eyes steadied themselves upon the stallion. "It corrupts indiscriminately." At that, her steps froze.

Quote :

The first time I saw her, she, she, slaughtered so many ponies that I knew forever as if it was nothing! We tried to stop her but we couldn't! It was something from nightmares! And then there was just three of us left. And then she said, 'We will meet again. And next time we meet, you will die.'"

There was only one thing she could do. She had done it but once before, at a great risk to her own life, but there was no other option. She'd be damned if she allowed another helpless soul be devoured by the darkness, whom she declared dominion over. "So long as I'm here, you need not fear her power. She may well be able to predict these deaths, but she is the one initiating them, not Time or Fate. It's all her doing, her magic. And so long as she's of flesh and bone, it can and will be countered."

Onyx dipped down to scoop up her alicorn pendant with her horn and brought it over to him. "The light from this should act as a strong charm to keep you safe. Take it." In truth, she had no idea whether or not the pendant acted in such a way, but if it did radiate with light, there was a chance it could repel the darkness. Plus, it could provide him with an even stronger power: Hope.

Quote :

"I thought it was far behind us. But Tread and Rider are dead. And in Manehatten, last night...I saw..."

"Where did you see her? It's best that I find her soon."

Out on the Badlands, Grey saw many things, wonderful, terrible and both. He saw the stars dance in the cold desert night. He saw massive storms, whipped up by what the buffalo called 'the iron wind'. He saw vast caravans of metal, howling with the war cries of feral Diamond Dogs and the putrid smoke that their machines belched.

Despite this, he still was terribly uneasy when a powerful unicorn displayed her power. The destruction of the tea set served as a stark reminder of what exactly he had got himself into. A situation that even the brute force of Tread (a force that even the buffalo respected) failed to counter. He noticeably cringed every time this mage's, this Pariah's, horn glowed with its energy.

"Darkness?" he quavered, but inwardly he agreed. To what other realm would that spectre, legend throughout the Badlands, belong to? Certainly, none under Celestia's, or even Luna's, light. No, this unicorn was right.

The Murderina was a being of darkness.

Hearing such grand and abstract terms such as 'Time' and 'Fate' thrown about as if they were everyday things was both comforting and disturbing. Network was right, the mage was indeed powerful, but it was foalish not to fear such power, even if theoretically it was on his side.

"I didn't believe Sky Rider when she said that she saw the Murderina in Canterlot," he said slowly, picking up the pendant and examining it, "Nor did I believe Heavy Tread when he started seeing her everywhere, though he did believe it to be his madness half the time. It's far too late for them both now."

"I was walking in the market district when I heard her voice. It wasn't particularly loud, but the Murderina was already on my mind after correspondence from Rider and Tread. It wasn't a voice you readily forget. I didn't want to look, but something compelled me to..."

He looked at Onyx, despairing, "There she was. Older, but definitely her. Talking about-" He stopped, and looked at the ground, frowning. "She was talking to another, but I, I don't remember what? Another pony? Smaller? It's a blur...my mind was merely occupied with her."

Her eyes stared at the pendant she had so easily given over. There was a tinge in regret concerning her decision, but deep down she knew it had been the right choice. It was just an ancient artifact of untold power in the right hooves, after all. No big deal- it was a crutch and nothing more, as her Master said. And yet... It had been so difficult to acquire. Even harder to use. The pendant's power was a flirtatious thing of promise and desire, but never willing to relinquish it all so easily. It had been ages since she was challenged so greatly. Its secrets still needed to be unlocked.

Despite her silent musings, Onyx was thoroughly paying attention to what the stallion had to say. Her ear twitched. "Talking to somepony else?" Her muzzle wrinkled as she pondered it over. "Another 'premonition,' I suppose?" With a snort she walked over to the window and peered outside, down to the darkened lake that reflected the melancholy clouds above. "The longer she has free reign, the greater the threat. I won't tolerate it." Carefully, she pressed a hoof against the glass, being mindful not to crack it with any excessive force.

"Clearly, it would be foolish of me to rush into an encounter with somepony so powerful." Stepping back, the unicorn returned to the lounging area and settled before the coffee table. "But this might be my best chance of at least getting an idea about her abilities." Bowing her head, she conjured an array of red magic from the base to tip of her horn. Through focus and skill, she was able to materialize a series of three small red crystals, which began circling around her on their own accord. Once their orbit was established, she dismissed the essence and returned her gaze onto the pegasus.

"It's best if you remain here. But I will be in constant contact." With a wave of her hoof, one of the crystals broke away from the rest and remained hovering before his snout. "You'll be able to see me through this, and I'll hear you. These crystals are a part of my essence- our link won't falter." With a huff, Onyx began her solitary march across the room back to the main entrance. "I may need you to guide me to the spot you saw her last." At the door, she paused and looked back over a shoulder.

"You can reach out to me at any time. As I said before, my wards should be sufficient to protect you, so long as you remain here. But if you still feel threatened, tell me. Bravery will only get you killed."

"Oh, don't worry," Grey Wing shuddered, "I'm not a brave pony. I don't even want to know what she's doing now."

---

Meanwhile, in a manor not that far away...

"I don't even want to know what you're doing now."

The pony, who about twenty-five years ago was known as the Murderina, merely grumbled at the omelette. Or, rather, the smoking, charred remains of an attempt at a omelette. Her critic, a cook named White Woods, clicked her tongue and shook her head.

"Face it, Loyal. Cooking just isn't your thing. You are, quite frankly, the most untalented cook I've ever had the misfortune to meet."

The comment received a glare that usually accompanied a swift yet painful death. Its effect was minimal on the critical cook.

"Pardon me."

A small filly in a servant's uniform, a miniature of both Loyal and White's clothes, entered the kitchen. "Daylight Herald needs to see you, Loyal," she states, pausing for effect before ending with, "He's also wondering how you're attempts at dinner are going."

White hid her giggles behind a hoof, whilst Loyal simply glowered.

---

Grey shivered.

"Yes, I think I'll stay here."

Onyx merely nodded. "Very good. The crystal will do all the work for you- you need only pay it attention." Her red eyes fell to the two that orbited her still, then to the one that had been donated to the pegasus. As if sensing her thoughts, the three began to pulse in a slow rhythm, syncing with one another. "Hopefully, I shan't be long. Be at peace, friend. And feel free to take any nourishment this..place has to offer." A hoof was waved towards a smaller doorway than the primary, through which a kitchen could be found.

With a deep breath the unicorn crossed the threshold, exhaling only when she reached the main entrance. There, she briefly examined the state of her wards to ensure their strength, then closed her eyes and bowed her head in concentration. Upon the marble her hoof started slide, and as it did so, a red marking was left behind. Once the proper runes had been manifest, she ignited them with a spark of her magic. The runes amplified the essence and instantly caused a spherical mass of energy to expand outward and engulf her. Just as swift as it appeared, it imploded, leaving no trace of the mare behind.

With a brilliant red flash, the unicorn reappeared several stories down on the streets of Manehattan. Before her hoofs were the same markings she had conjured up, but since they no longer held any use, she dismissed them with a tap. Onyx did not want to squander any of her strength on anything miniscule, such as teleportation- which is why she used runes to do all of the work. Sure, it took a bit more time to perform the spell and not to mention hours of study (accuracy was the key), but the results were well worthwhile.

She again looked to her crystals and nodded to them. Uttering a short incantation, the air around them rippled and a moment later they faded from sight. With the cloak established, Onyx was free to begin her search.

There were many different sort of ponies wandering the streets, purchasing various items, loitering and engaging in conversation. Despite the gloom of the dreary sky above they seemed rather content. She nonchalantly walked amongst them, knowing well that her black coat and red mane stuck out like a sore thumb and drew their attention. At least I didn't wear my armor..Though I may regret that.. Mentally sighing, her eyes started to dart around, while she threw out an extra 'sense' to try and detect any dark magic at work.

Is the image coming through? Onyx projected her thoughts through her crystals and to her guest's own. Hopefully, the pair were broadcasting everything around her crystal clear (no pun intended).

"Yeah, nope, nope, no," Loyal said bluntly, when she read the paper that was in front of her, In my experience, the best way to deal with scary overpowered magic types is to rig the building they're in's foundations with explosives and demolish the sucker whilst she's inside."

Daylight Herald sighed. "Firstly, we do not necessarily need to kill Subject Pariah, secondly, even if we did, blowing up a building would not be an option, and thirdly, need I remind you that your life has been forfeit since you were executed for crimes against the crown. Despite the fact that you somehow lived through that." Loyal touched her neck with her hoof as the elderly guard continued. "All the crown needs is information on the subject, and you are expendable, being officially dead."

---

"Ah...yes!" Grey said, initially surprised at Onyx's magic crystals. He peered closer. "You seem to draw a lot of attention," he suggested weakly, not exactly sure what to say. "Wait...there. That ice cream vendor. She was talking to that stallion. She was...oh." His face went pale as his breath catches. "She was talking with a filly."

---

"Nameless! We're going out. Reconnaissance."

The young filly who was helping White Woods salvage dinner heard the order, nodded and followed Loyal.

"Apparently some bigshot unicorn has moved into town. Big enough for the Princesses to want to know how mortal this Pariah is. I would like to get this information without getting scary magic on us so we're going to need to be both discreet and swift. Have you heard of any private places being moved into recently?"