W nervously glances around, pulling the hood of their cape lower over their face. Well, the lowest they can without obstructing the vision in their third eye too much. They raise their head and observe a scene that happens much too commonly these days, just a little ahead of them on the path. " No, no, no, no, no... Please don't hurt them! They didn't mean to - " The Exonian Law Enforcer points their plasma-ray at the Life Creator, who's shielding their child. The young alien is bawling, clenching onto four or five Exonian Dollars in their hand. W speeds up and away from the Law Enforcer and the two Exons. There's only one law enforcement organisation and one set of rules on Exon, unlike on Earth where each country, province or even city can have their own. Those who work for the Exonian Law Enforcement Agency, commonly called ELEA, are one of the few who are allowed to travel between the Capital Cities and the only beings who can carry technology on the MoonSide. Normal citizens can cross the Forbidden Desert if they feel like it, but it's a useless risk if they aren't physically gifted. When X and them got separated, she managed to visit them. They could never show such strength and bravery... Hence why their sister was chosen to explore Earth. Even if they were stronger or more skilled, and they'd never admit this to anyone, W's blood turned to ice at the mere idea of leaving Exon. Making sure no one can see them, they enter a tree cavity. Their feet make way too much sound against the hollow wooden flooring that is used all over the hideout, B would definitely have heard them sneak in. Luckily for them, the alien is playing loud music in their room, which covers all other noises in the tree. All structures designed by the Minds are built inside tree trunks, mountains or hills, sometimes behind waterfalls or in the centre of a large stone... Overall, they're always carved out of a piece of nature. Building over the ground with rough materials like metal or cement is seen as disrespectful by the inhabitants of the MoonSide.

The driver of the red Chevrolet Fleetmaster brakes abruptly behind her. Repeatedly hitting the honking device of his human transportation machine without getting any reaction whatsoever from X, the young man inside finally gets out. She turns around, hearing an automobile door slam. From the look on his face, she can tell he's annoyed.

     " Excuse me Miss, but you shouldn't walk like that in the middle of the road! You'll get hit! " His dark brown eyes scrutinize the alien from head to toe, his hands tucked away inside the back pockets of his damaged denim overalls.

She smiles at him. " I'm very sorry, but no one ever hit me with their vehicle before, why would it happen now? Even you stopped before causing a regrettable accident... "

     " Even me? What's that supposed to mean?! "

     " I simply deduced from the color of your car, along with its spotless state, that you are quite the enthusiastic driver... Sir. " He cocks an eyebrow up when she adds that.

     " What brings you out here on Begonia Road, anyway? "

     " Work... Do you know the Beaufort Orphanage and Educational Institute? "

     " That's where I work, actually... My name's Dustin. Dustin Millicent. " He bows ever so slightly, awkwardly pinching the brim of his navy fedora to tip it.

     " Yes, you sent me the letter! " She gleefully shows him and he glances at the piece of paper, apparently taken aback by her cheerfulness.

     " Xarya Pepper... "

     " Still delighted to make my acquaintance, I hope! "

     " Of course. Let me give you a ride, Miss Pepper. " As he motions toward his automobile with his right hand, X notices that his skin, as well as being tanned, is also heavily injured around his fingers and especially near his palms.

     " Well, thank you. " She follows him, pulling her suitcase along.

While getting onto the passenger seat, she scans his mind to make sure he is who he says he is. Fortunately, this human is trustworthy, for now. Back home, her Life Bearer always used to tell her she believed too much in people's honesty and good will. " Us Exons may not be able to express cruelty or have physical desires, X, but we aren't all selfless. If you forget that, it will do you much more harm than anything. " Life Bearers bear their offspring whereas Life Creators create their children by inseminating a Life Bearer. Unsurprisingly, the Minds only believe in natural insemination whilst the Brains swear by their artificial ways. Her Life Givers were both Half-Breeds who lived on the MoonSide, so the chances of them producing a Brain or Mind child were infinitely scarce. Dustin drives in silence until they reach the end of the paved road. Trees go on and on from there, only a narrow dirt path to their right can take them any further. The human parks his vehicle and then rushes around to hold the car door open for her. Xarya steps out, hauling her baggage.

     " Let me carry that for you, Miss. "

     " I'm well able to do it myself! " Without even waiting for his directions, X instinctively starts skipping towards the trail, even if she's wearing heels. Her lace head scarf flows behind her as she does so and her luggage bounces off the ground at a regular pace. After a mile or so, they make it to a massive and seemingly unbreakable stone wall, halfway covered in vines and other kinds of foliage. In the centre of it, lined up with the end of the pathway, stands a dramatic looking metal gate. Not a single leaf disturbs its shiny insurmountable appearance. 6768 Begonia Road is carved deeply and neatly into a mailbox that seems to have been bolted into a nearby tree trunk and is at least the size of a bookcase. The doors hinge open without the slightest creak onto a slim, fierce-looking young woman. She has long strawberry blond hair, tied up in a high ponytail. Her overalls are the same color and style as Dustin's, except she wears hers over a violet blouse.

     " Hello, Dustin. Is that her? " The female human's ocean blue eyes, which almost look purplish since she's wearing navy and violet clothing, move up and down the Exon.

     " Yeah. " He turns to the newest staff member. " This is ... "

The young woman interrupts him:

     " I can introduce myself. My name is Helen Woodward, welcome to the Beaufort Orphanage and Educational Institute. I teach average-level mathematics, and he's our handyman. "

     " I'm primarily a security guard and the head of the maintenance department. "

     " Yeah, since you're the only caretaker. "

By the looks the two Earthlings are exchanging, X can tell they're close. Although, she isn't sure if they're romantically involved or not... Whether they are, or not, they seem very professional. The establishment is known for its high standards, after all. Luck won't get anybody a job there. Only expertise. Dustin wanders back into the woods as Helen brings her inside the wall. The alien gasps in amazement, not without causing her new colleague to raise an eyebrow. Before her arrival on Earth, she read every book she could about, well, Earth. That's how she knew to choose Canada as her new home country. Even then, there was still so much to learn, to see, to experience... What is positioned before her is unlike anything she ever saw. It reminds her of those castles from Earthling fairy tales. Large taupe colored bricks build up the magnificent structure and the roofs, curved inward while pointing at the sky, are made of a dark material that seems to almost reflect the light from the sun.

     " The entrance is in the South Tower, all its tiers are for the administration's offices. To your right, the South-East Wing. That's where half of the classrooms are, the other half is situated to your left... "

     " In the South-West Wing? "

     " Yes... Don't interrupt me unless you have a question, an important one. " X nods vigorously, smiling. Helen goes on and she follows her. " The West Tower is where sport and physical well-being classes take place and the North-West Wing is where you will find the bathrooms and storage rooms. The students' dorm rooms are situated in the North Tower. Until you get to know them better and they're used to your presence, you should refrain from calling them orphans, alright? Respect is a two-way street, you know. "

     " Got it! "

     " Good. The cafeteria fills up the whole North-East Wing and the East Tower is divided between the library and the chapel. "

     " What for? " asks the extraterrestrial, wondering what this "chapel" thing might be.

     " That's how it was built? "

     " I meant, what's the chapel for? " Her guide spins around and stares at her with genuine disbelief, trying to clutch the tiny golden cross hanging from a thin chain attached around her neck.