Chapter 36: Travels
Standing in the solar wing before sunrise, Captain Frost bowed to Princess Celestia and removed her helmet.
“Sorry to wake ye’ up early yer’ majesty, but ye’ did say that ever since the kaiju showed up you wanted any suspicious activity reported immediately. Think this counts.”
“That I did, Captain Frost. Proceed.”
Blueberry Frost nodded before pulling out and passed the dried kelp parchment scroll to Princess Celestia, the latter furrowing her brow after reading through the note.
“From the Mako Mermares? It’s not common for them to chime in unless Leo got them involved… Stray ship found. S.S. Mermare. Nopony on deck. Boat ran aground at Mako atoll.”
“Accordin’ to charter, the S.S. Mermare was s‘pposed to have at least four dozen passengers and a dozen crew on board. Not a soul in sight when the seaponies and mermares found it.”
“Is there any indication of what caused the disappearances?”
“Nothin’ the fishtails could find. Ship’s intact so a dragon or maybe kaiju attack isn’t likely. Pirates maybe.”
Princess Celestia shrugged, rubbing at her temple as she pursed her lips. On one hoof the fact that the ship was found and in one piece indicated something climactic like a seastorm or monster attack hadn’t occurred. At least she could hope so. On the other hoof, several dozen ponies were missing out of the blue with agonizingly little detail or even a clue as to what happened. At the very least she took solace in the lack of reports of blood onboard, which gave hope that the passengers were abducted.
-If Frost’s pirate suggestion is sound, it could be for a ransom attempt. They might be waiting for an announcement of payment offered.-
The alicorn’s nostrils flared and her expression darkened momentarily.
-Whoever or whatever took my little ponies won’t be getting away with this. I may need to remind them of who I am… First things first however, the finding and safety of the missing.-
Celestia rolled the scroll back up and turned to Captain Frost, nodding to her as she put her crown back on.
“We’ll need the ship up close to assess for clues.”
“My thoughts exactly Princess, only problem is Mako’s got weird currents and is surrounded by storms an’ fog.”
“Yes, the first queen put The Shroud up some years before Equestria was founded to keep away windigos. Now it’s for keeping out passing dragons and pirates.”
“An’ it makes sending a boat to tow the S.S. Mermare back complicated. Can they drop the cloud wall?”
Captain Frost muttered, weighing through her options and being forced to do so again when Princess Celestia shook her head.
“The Shroud is older than I am and is ingrained to the atoll itself by now. Such effort would require a small army of experienced mages and probably myself and Luna working alongside the locals to try and open a hole in it after probably a week of work. Unfeasible given timeframe and effort.”
“Plus, that much magic in one spot puts out a lotta energy. Might as well be ringin’ any kaiju in the area’s dinner bell…”
Blueberry Frost groaned with a wince, shrugging her shoulders, flummoxed.
“So, can’t go on a boat an’ they probably can’t tow the boat out any easier. Can’t get through The Shroud. Now what?”
Princess Celestia paused, leaning back in her seat while tapping her hooves together in tandem with a clock’s second ticks to hone her mindscape and focus. Thankfully a moment of clarity wasn’t far behind, for she remembered the first fundamental rule of magic taught at the unicorn school that bore her patronage. If one can’t go through a path, then there must be a method around it; one only fails for lack of trying.
The alicorn clicked her hooves back together, using her magic to draw up a quill and waterproof parchment before writing away and addressing the captain.
“Captain Frost, I have a solo mission detail for one of your own. The more infamous new recruit.”
Blueberry Frost’s head snapped up slightly and she straightened up, but was unable to stop from raising an eyebrow.
“Ye’ sure Princess? Boat’s in one piece so I don’t think it was a kaiju attack. Ain’t he s‘pposed to be guardin’ you and Princess Luna?”
“That he is, but this should only last for a day if he leaves immediately. We are close enough to Ponyville to call upon Rodan, Anguirus, or Mothra Lea’s services if need be.”
Princess Celestia noted, nodding to herself and the captain as she put her seal on the scroll and levitated it over to Captain Blueberry Frost’s awaiting hooves.
“Be sure he takes this with him. The Gifted Unicorn school is taking a trip to Baltimare on the fast train. They should be there by sunrise and the train is leaving in the hour. Have him accompany them and enact the shift once they reach the coast.”
“Well alright then! Junior might enjoy a leg stretch. But if I could ask what had ye’ come up with this idea?”
“Storms and fog chiefly affect only the surface, not what’s under it.”
===================
Godzilla Junior had dealt with youngsters before. Some of the psychic research children would visit and play with him at Kyoto Institute during his own childhood, he once had to very carefully play keep-away with a school bus during a fight; and of course there were a few very young kaiju he’d interact with like Gorgo. What he had not experienced was sitting in a speeding train surrounded by tots with half of them either stuck staring at him wide eyed, one half asking him rapid fire questions about magic he didn’t even begin to understand; and one particularly persistent little filly asking him for hoofprints and autographs.
Mariner Chi Bi Moon was talking fast enough to impress Rodan, sitting in front of and looking at the stationary Godzilla like an eager puppy trying to get the big hounds’ attention.
“SoWhyAreYouHere?!”
“Princess Celestia dispatched me.”
“AAAAAH! IsThereAKaiju?!YouGonnaFightIt!? CanIWatch?! CANICOMEANDHELP!?”
It took a solid constitution for Junior to not look completely baffled at the insane request.
“Wha- Nevermind. No and if it was so, no!”
He had to alter his point of focus as in the span of a half second, the pink-maned, cream-furred filly had teleported on top of Junior’s head and was looking at him in the eyes upside down. Hardly the first time she teleported into him either, a minute earlier she was in his mane. As they talked he slowly began reaching up to try and grab her before she could teleport again and risk flying out of the train.
“HowDoesYourMagicBreathNotBurnYourTongue?”
“Not magic, and I’m heat proof on the inside.”
“OhReally? BecauseICopiedItOutOfMyHornEarlier!”
Junior’s tone took a noticeable deadpan.
“Yes, I remember.”
“WannaSee?! PinkSugarHea-”
“No!”
Junior attempted to grab the filly before she could fire, only for her to disappear in a poof of pink colored magic and reappear on his chestplate.
“HeyYouGotLuna’sSymbolOnYourArmor.”
“I’m her bodyguard.”
“WhyIsn’tSheHereThen?”
“She’s a heavy sleeper, I checked on her before leaving.”
“IThinkShe’sBestPrinces-Wait! InHerBedroom?! YouGotInHerChambers?!”
“Yes. Slept there too."
Mariner Moon’s eyes lit up so much one could swear they turned into stars. It wasn’t the only thing glowing on her, as in a more literal sense her horn spirals were beginning to light up again for another teleport.
“AreYouTwoDat-”
With speed and precision one wouldn’t expect from something his size, Junior’s hooves reached up and snatched the filly off his head and held her out in front of him. He took extreme care to be gentle and not hurt the eager fangirl, but he didn’t hesitate to use his other hoof to push up on her lower jaw to keep her mouth shut. Mariner “Chibi” Moon blinked at him a few times as the train’s hissing machinery and lack of rumbling showed they’d reached their stop at Baltimare. Junior shook his head slowly.
“No more of that, please.”
The eager filly nodded, moving her entire body up and down given Godzilla was holding onto her head. Still ever hyper, even if she agreed to stop her normal antics, Mariner Moon had one last act for her idol before he could leave. Reaching behind her back, she pulled out a large ink stamp pad and parchment sheet; before looking up at Junior with sparkling eyes and a wagging tail.
Junior shrugged, snorting his nose and putting her down on the floor.
Several minutes later and after a large magic shot by the Gifted School teachers, anypony in Baltimare was scrambling for their cameras once they were alerted to something happening by a massive flare of light. Taking note to enter the river and sea slowly in order to avoid displacing tonnes of water so quickly he might flood the shore, the titanic true form of Godzilla Junior waded out to sea with scores of school children’s cheers pursuing him. Mariner Moon joyfully bounced up and down on her hind limbs, clutching an inked hoofprint autograph to her chest. Her typically bemused teachers however soon found themselves diving for cover when the magic prodigy got so excited she started firing heart shaped, pink deathrays into the air while she spun around on her hoof.
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Mako Atoll
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Electra had been on patrol for hours circling the large circumference of the atoll, having swum herself in circles ever since the boat showed up and the letter had been dispatched to Canterlot. The queen put her on border watch in an attempt to put the mermare’s nerves at ease by exhausting her after Electra turned down “shore leave” to relax. She was on the lookout for any sign of a response by Canterlot while brainstorming solutions to the current problem of the beached ship. No response courier from Canterlot had arrived yet, leaving her to presume that the landponies were also still trying to figure out how to get their boat back and the S.S. Mermare wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
She’d just begun trying to think of a way to tow it past the reefs when a magnificent flash of light got her attention. It came from the waters inside The Shroud, the dark waters under the storms and mists masking the cause from sight. At this point not knowing what to expect, Electra swam closer to investigate and quickly felt a curtain of unnaturally warm water radiating forward before going cold again. Pressing on, she squinted and looked over her surroundings. Movement below and off to the side gripped her visual focus. When she first saw the outline the mermare felt a momentary sense of illness and dread, thinking it to be a sunken body of a drowned landpony being moved around by the undertow current. That theory was quickly sunk when she saw its legs moving, and rather than in a panicked, swatting manner of a drowning soul trying to get to the surface; but in a controlled, almost casual walking cycle. When it passed under her without giving the mermare any notice, Electra quickly figured out the pony’s lack of reaction to drowning wasn’t the only oddity about them; for they were about twice the size and mass of a typical landpony.
Utterly perplexed, Electra took a moment to break from a stupor and rang up the grotto on her shellphone. The conch clicked and the composed, mature tone of the young monarch, Queen Maui, came through.
“Electra was it? Why have you called upon me?”
“Your majesty I found a landpony just off the atoll!”
“Oh?... Hm, perhaps a dispatch by Princess Celestia or Luna. What manner of a ship are they on, I’m surprised they made it through The Shroud.”
“No ship, they’re in the water or.. under.. the water actually.”
“Alone? Are they using a gill-spell like Celestial’s apprentice did to try?”
“Not that I can see, your majesty.”
Queen Maui's tone grew a noticeable edge to it, both annoyed and frantic in detail to the manner it caused Electra to wince.
“Then why didn’t you start with saying they’re drowning? Stop talking and get them out of the water!”
“That’s just it, they’re not drowning! Somehow they, it's a he I think, is walking on the bottom- Hang on there’s an angry dolphin getting a bit too curious.”
Electra put the conch away for a moment and reached a fin to her necklace. Just as she was about to sing a melody to drive the large bottlenose away before it might try ramming into the intruder, she saw something that left her eyes nearly popping out of her head. The not-drowning stallion glanced over at the dolphin and after a moment of looking more annoyed than anything else, spewed a bright ray of blue plasma from his maw that matched the glowing colors of his mane. Despite not being hit, the male bottlenose didn’t need a second warning shot, screeching in panic as it swam off into the blue beyond. Godzilla Junior cut the beam and energy charge off, snorting glowing bubbles out of his nose before casually looking up at Electra with a tilted head; having finally noticed her.
Electra had to force her jaw up after it dropped, fumbling to put the shellphone back to her ear.
“What’s going on? Is the dolphin acting up or did the pony drown?! Electra can you hear me?!”
“... Your majesty, this is not a normal pony.”
=======================
The royal grotto at Mako was truly a sight to behold and one not known to many who tread on land. Accessible only by an underwater cave in the interior of the atoll, it was located inside the central island’s extinct volcano. During the night especially it was in possession of a beauty to rival King Leo of the Seaponies’ coral estate or Canterlot Castle’s main chamber, sporting a volcanic glass ceiling that would refract and rain sun or moonbeams down into the grotto. Half submerged and half above the waterline, the cavern was approximately circular and ten meters across. Queen Maui reclined on her partially submerged throne, her tail laying off the side of the smooth, carved sandstone. She wasn’t what one would expect for her species, being actually a bit below-average in size. Or at least that was Godzilla’s guess given that Electra and some of the other mermares he passed on the way in here as well as those guarding the queen seemed up to a fourth larger. The queen herself was fairly vibrant in color, black and white patterns coating her form in a manner that reminded Junior of an orca or Maui dolphin appropriately enough, with a long white mane that obscured half of her face. She definitely had the look of a leader with her piercing rose-red eyes and shell crown, composed and domineering in a way much like Princess Celestia or Luna when they were being serious. It said a lot without being verbal, something the kaiju knew well and appreciated. Certainly was better than the weird looks and wide or fluttering eyes he was getting by the other mermares on the way here.
Queen Maui managed not to stare at the newcomer who turned many flummoxed heads on his way through the atoll and into the grotto, instead holding up the note he brought with him and instantly recognizing the solar emblem.
“Dear Queen Maui of the Eastern Sea Mermares and ruler of Mako,
I took the precaution to seal this note in a canister and used waterproof parchment and ink, so I trust this message is still legible. If not the intent can be gleaned from my compatriot I have asked to give you this letter. I appreciate your haste in alerting myself to the situation with the lost boat, the fate of her missing crew and absent passengers is of the utmost concern of the Canterlot Diarchy. While I trust you and your resources’ assessment of the contents, given the nature of the alien incursions and general chaos of this type of scenario; I wish to bring the boat back to Equestrian harbor to investigate. No doubt you and I both know of the problems undertaking such a regard, which is why I have sent the one who ferried this letter. This is King Godzilla Gojo Junior of the Terran kaiju. Yes, he is the same giant entity who aided in the defense of Canterlot some weeks ago. Do not fear, for if treated well he is a gentle giant whom I call a friend. In his true form both he and I believe him to be large enough and strong enough to physically lift and carry the S.S. Mermare through The Shroud and out to the open sea, where he can bring it to calmer, clearer waters to be towed to shore. All he will require for this action is burst of benevolent magic to return to his true form and a bubble spell to ensure all items on the ship stay aboard while he’s carrying it.
I hope we can continue this cooperation and get to the bottom of this mystery in good time. Additionally, the back of this letter contains an invitation to the upcoming gala being hosted in celebration of the Crystal Empire royal couple’s first pregnancy as a form of a state babyshower. You are more than welcome to come if you please.
Sincerely and with good will,
Princess Celestia Alexandria Alicor
Queen Maui re-read the letter in silence before passing it off to an aid who was poking her head out of the water next to the throne. Straightening herself up, she looked upon the silent kaiju stallion before her.
“How soon can this transformation be done?”
Junior shrugged.
“Magic is not something I know well. But according to a friend of mine who does know well, there is a waiting period before forms. One duration was long enough for me to make it almost the entire way here from Baltimare; so only one other charge will be needed to do the change. My best guess is it will be nightfall when it can be done.”
“Very well. Your track record at Canterlot and Princess Celestia vouching for you speaks enough. You may stay here as long as it takes to pull this plan off. As fellow royalty, I wish you well during your time here at Mako. Go and speak to Electra, I’m pulling her off border watch and assigning her as your guide here.”
“As you wish. My own home back on Terra was an island and I lived in the sea often. I think I’ll do just fine here.”
Junior and Maui shared a nod, the former turning around and beginning to walk off the sandstone platform he’d been standing on when the mermare monarch’s voice called over him. Junior gave her an over-the-shoulder glance.
“King Godzilla.”
“Yes?”
“My kind have been one of isolation since The Shroud was put up, and often with good reason. Windigo attacks in ancient times, pirate or unscrupulous sailor crews trying to kidnap mermares for a variety of reasons in historic and recent times, sea dragon attacks; and more. However, I have considered working towards opening a hole in our stormy wall, allowing guests beyond the seaponies into this domain.”
“And you wish me to be something of a tester for your capital.”
Queen Maui’s brow raised somewhat, showing a hint of surprise.
“You think fast for one who doesn’t seem to talk much, I respect that. And yes. You’re about as much of an outsider as one could call upon in this age. So tell me what you might think of the atoll before you depart, if you please.”
Godzilla Junior remained silent for a short time, before flicking his ears and giving the mermare a slight nod.
“The ponies of this world are friends of mine, and under my protection. If you wish the share the first label with them, I’ll keep their interests in mind best I can.”
Queen Maui smirked briefly, letting her eyes rescan the individual in front of her.
“Thank you, your majesty. Enjoy your stay.”
Junior elected to ignore how weird being called by royal titles still was for him, choosing to just go forth with it if it helped smooth matters out as he returned it in kind.
“I trust I will. Thank you for your accommodations, your majesty.”
Queen Maui’s brow raised a bit more and the edges of her lips curled up a bit when Junior turned around and almost comedically dove into the water like he was walking off the edge of a pool.
-Huh, for a reptile in form of a land stallion; not shabby looking.-
Junior just kept looking around at the bustling mermare-filled reef and underwater town after he stepped out of the tunnel that led to the grotto, Electra flanking him while he didn’t at all notice the looks a lot of the mermares were giving him as he walked by.
-Wonder if I can find something for Luna or the Imperial infant here? First thing’s first, inspect the ship.-
============================================
It was barely a moment past dawn when Seong, still levitating a lit candle and having half a dozen needles stuffed into her hoof bands and saddle bag, sprinted across town towards the forest’s edge. The focus of her mission was singular, even if she kept frantically looking around to check and make sure there was no sight or sound creeping up on her. Making it to the spot she’d memorized, the kirin pulled back some shrubs and rolled away a few stones to get at where she remembered putting a small lock box. Only when she found what she was looking for, half of said box and the rocks around it were gone. Not moved or shattered, but completely gone like something had caused half of the ironwood and rocks to vaporize in an instant. When she’d have a greater moment of clarity, Seong might realize what had happened to her ward; but now was not that moment. Now was the time she could feel her heartbeat between her ears and her skin crawl from a frigid cold; terrified. Seong looked at the destroyed puzzle box, a handcrafted, intricate design that took days to make. There was a fruitless hope it could be repaired, one that was quickly dashed when the loss of half its structure caused the interwoven wooden planks to fall to pieces.
-That’s how she found me. The seal must have been broken during the baby destroyah rampage by a stray shot!-
Seong frantically looked around, pulling out some iron needles and holding them before her in a magical grip like a weapon. She slowly started to back away from the trees, trying to get back in the open where she might not jump at every creak or tap coming out of the woods.
-With the ward destroyed, the seal was broken. She must have picked up my trail again and was now able to cross the boundar-!!!!-
The kirin heard a creak and darted her eyes upwards just as she got back into the meadows surrounding the town. There was a pair of little blue birds sitting on the branch above her, quietly chirping and looking at her in a curious manner. They hopped up and down the branch they stood upon, tilting their heads at the crazy kirin. Letting the dead air free of her lungs, Seong shrugged and started to turn around to head back to town with her mind alight with plans on what to do. But before she could get far however, an odd noise passed by her ears. It was the birds again. Only this time Seong noticed something about their chirping. They were squeaking in unison without fail, making it sound slightly off putting. The kirin glanced back and saw that the two song birds were now on a closer branch, hopping one right after the other like they were in some sort of pattern while moving their heads and eyes in perfect synchronization.
A cold chill drowned Seong’s mind behind her widened eyes and she acted quickly, hurling several needles that embedded themselves in the tree branch just before the birds. In an image comparable to one painting being half painted over by another, the space from the branch itself and upwards a short distance morphed. Gone was the steady branch and four bird legs, replaced instead by a branch clearly bent under a decent weight with a pair of hand-like paws gripping the bark with oversized claws, flanked by lean, vulpine hindpaws. Despite the visible space above the wrists still looking like a pair of song birds, a very un-avian giggle slipped through the air. Seong quickly lifted a large paving stone with a fist of magic and heaved it at the predator which had gotten so close to her. The heavy stone crashed into the tree branch and split it with a loud snap, but the vulpine monster nimbly jumped back several meters and landed in the forest thicket. Seong panted, arming herself with more iron needles that now surrounded her as she stepped backwards away from the woods; step by step. Folktales from her parent’s bedtime stories replayed in her mind as she glimpsed multiple fluffy tails slip out of view and dart away.
-She’s come for me and she’s not leaving.-
Seong glanced at the town behind her and went pale.
-I need to get another box…-
===============================
Gentle Leaf was so confused. She didn’t know why Auntie Seong was so scared last night. She didn’t know why Seong was up so early. And right now she was confused why her aunt was in her guest bedroom frantically packing her saddlebags and a small suitcase.
-Why is she packing my stuff already? We just finished unpacking!-
The little filly waddled over to the kirin, evidently taking the latter by surprise due to how much Seong flinched and spun around. Instantly Gentle Leaf knew something was very wrong. Seong’s mane was frayed and she was sweating heavily under heaving breath. Still, Seong did make an attempt to look and sound presentable as she brushed a few bangs away from her eyes and kept her voice down despite it shaking.
“Oh h-hello sweetheart! Didn’t mean to wake you.”
Taking her little chalk board she carried around out, the filly scribbled and held up a message.
-”What’s going on Auntie? Why are you packing?”-
“Oh I just need to head out of town for a day.”
-”But I just got here! Why?”-
“I n-need to take care of something, something very very important.”
-”Why?”-
Seong’s eye twitched as she zipped up the now loaded saddlebag.
“Because something unexpected came up. I promise I’ll spend lots of time with you when I get back. I just need to take a day trip.”
Gentle Leaf’s eyes beamed as she gave a little gasp, coming to a logical if faulty conclusion.
-”Oh! So you’re packing my stuff so I can go with you! I wanna help I wanna help!”-
Seong’s response wasn’t nearly as joyful as Gentle Leaf expected. It was actually exactly what finally convinced the filly something was very, very wrong. Ki Seong shouted at her.
“ANI GENTLE LEAF!”
("NO GENTLE LEAF!")
The kirin roared with a stressed snap, causing Gentle Leaf to cower down and quiver. For a minute the only sound in the room was their labored breathing. Seong didn’t even bother to fix her bangs again when she saw how scared and saddened her beloved neice’s quivering eyes were; even if it was the kirin’s eyes which were stung with the salt of stressed tears. She slowly moved forward, controlling her breath as she pulled the filly into a tight embrace. Feeling her aunt’s warmth and heart beat, Gentle Leaf’s panic slowly waned away. She returned the hug, wrapping her hooves around Ki Seong’s collar and neck as she wondered why Seong was hugging her like she thought it would be their last.
“I’m so sorry. It’ll all be okay, I promise… I won’t be gone long.”
Gentle Leaf looked up at the kirin, hiding the choking sense of dread gripping her.
====================================
It was an hour later and a now much more composed Seong and Gentle Leaf were at the front of Sweet Apple Acres after a hurried walk out of town. The fact Seong seemed apprehensive about some passing birdies and a townspony was more than a bit confusing for the little filly. Still, she seemed to think her aunt must be doing better. After all, why else would she give Granny Smith a pretty kitchen frying pan as a gift the moment they saw the Apple Matriarch?
Seong inwardly breathed a huge sigh of relief when she saw Granny Smith touch the iron skillet without any signs of illusionary failure. Keeping a jovial appearance, she beamed and snickered when Granny Smith plopped the skillet onto her head like a hat.
“Yeeeeep! This ‘ere pan will do nicely! Been needin’ a new one.”
“Thank you so much for this Missus Smith, I’ll pay this back double in time!”
Granny Smith just smiled and waved at Seong, albeit in the direction of Gentle Leaf given she couldn’t see with a skillet on her head.
“S’only for one night deary, no need to jumper y’erself up ‘n down over. ‘Sides I’m sure my granddaughter and her lil’ friends would love to have her join in on the jam makin’.”
“Still, next two dinners in town for your family are on me!”
Seong chirped, clicking her hooves and bowing to the matriarch while Gentle Leaf did the same.
“Oh, just checking. Your family owns a dog, yes?”
Granny Smith, still talking to Seong while facing Gentle Leaf, pointed on towards the barn house.
“Why yes, Winona. Good pooch, never bites. Why ye’ ask, missy?”
“Oh, just curious. Been meaning to get one myself. Take care, I’ll be back soon!”
-Hope to your forerunners that you do Seong…-
With that Seong and Gentle Leaf turned to face each other and embraced, both fighting frowns as they bumped foreheads and Seong kissed her niece on her brow. Seong brushed aside Gentle Leaf’s bang that bore Anguirus’ quill, casting a bittersweet smile when she looked into her niece’s confused eyes. Ki Seong nodded, her body language saying enough as Gentle Leaf reluctantly nodded back. While the filly may not have known it, her aunt was committing the sight of her to memory. Just in case she didn’t get the chance to see it again later.
Ki Seong rose and bowed to Granny Smith, clicking her hooves before turning and sprinting away.
=============================
It was an hour later at the orchards and Gentle Leaf was settling in decently despite the dark sense that seemed to loom over the filly like a storm cloud. Eager to help out in the jam process, she was waddling back and forth between the kitchen and tables to set up the sorting jars for Granny Smith to use. She had just set down a third set of jars, smirking in victory after having balanced one on her nose all the way from the kitchen, when something caused her smile to vanish. A breeze from the forest on the far side of the settlement filtered in and she froze.
Gentle Leaf didn’t know why, nor did she know exactly what caused it; but something wasn’t right with the air. An equine’s sense of smell wasn’t the greatest, but she could just barely make out that something, some scent, was staining the air and making it seem wrong. She didn’t quite know whether to be afraid of confused, but something was making her extremely curious. She wanted to investigate. Turning away from the jars, Gentle Leaf almost unconsciously started walking towards the forest. The sweet scent was getting stronger, like sizzled sugarcane. Gentle Leaf smiled as she got close to the shrubs, the quiet giggling she heard infecting her.
Had a blur of brown and white not sprinted up in front of her, she might have walked right into the forest in a trance. Winona did not share Gentle Leaf’s jovial attitude as to what was in the forest. The ranch dog was snarling rabidly and gnashing her fangs as her ears were perked up straight, growling viciously at the danger she sensed instinctively. Winona didn’t know what it was but she could tell it was evil and had no business being near her family. Her rapid-fire barking snapped Gentle Leaf out of her stupor.
From the point of view of the shrouded predator whom was less than two meters away from Gentle Leaf when the petulant dog interfered, each of Winona's high pitched barks was multitudes louder. Every bark was like a gong crash in both ears.
Gentle Leaf nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the vulpine shriek coming out of the woods and glimpsed something large and covered in pale fur bound away. Winona didn’t pursue, instead staying by the filly’s side as Gentle Leaf fell on her back and scrambled away from the woods. The mute’s eyes were getting wet and her heart was beating between her ears. There was so much she didn’t know but there was almost as much she knew. She knew something terrible was out there and almost got her. And simple deduction screamed at her that Auntie Seong knew about this ‘thing’ as well and that was what had her so scared.
-I have to get help! Auntie Seong is alone! She could get hurt or- or!-
Gentle Leaf would have screamed if she could. She flew up to her feet and sprinted back to the farm to find anypony, any adult. Someone had to go and help Ki Seong! By sheer coincidence and a matter of happy fate, she ended up slamming into what could easily be the best possible result. Even as she flopped back on her rump and shook her dizzied head to clear it, Gentle Leaf recognized the gruff tone addressing her.
“Well, what are you doing here? Your aunt with you?”
Gentle Leaf opened her eyes to see the tilted head of Anguirus looking back down at her. Her chest pounded and her nerves were shocked back to excitement as she sprang up and began motioning rapid-fire sign language while pointing to the forest where Winona was still barking.
“Winona will you cut that racket out!”
Applejack barked while she trotted up to her dog but stopped where Anguirus and Gentle Leaf were. Raising a brow at the filly, she nudged Anguirus while the latter watched Gentle Leaf shrug and run over to the table.
“What’s she doing here?”
“Granny Smith says Miss Tea Song dropped her off.”
“Dropped her off? That’s not like her, Gentle Leaf here just got in town yesterday. Last I heard Seong and her had plans for today.”
“Maybe somethin’ came up?”
The adults turned back to Gentle Leaf when the filly ran back to them with a notebook and a pencil held in her mouth. One page had several quick notes written in shorthand talking about goings on the night before and then what happened several minutes prior, along with a single phrase written in large print on the other page.
-”SEONG’S IN DANGER! HELP!”-
=====================
Anguirus and Applejack skidded their hooves to a halt, having sprinted all the way from Sweet Apple Acres into Ponyville proper right up to the front of Ki Seong’s diner and house. It was still very early in the morning and few other townsfolk were awake, let alone out and doing rounds, leaving them alone in front of the shop. The moment he got close, Anguirus could feel his hair and quills bristling, curling his lips back at an unfamiliar scent that was irritatingly faint, but just strong enough he could tell it wasn’t familiar and he didn’t like it. As such he put a hoof out in front of Applejack to stop her from entering the restaurant front door, which was still cracked open slightly.
“What’s eatin’ ye’?”
She whispered, not oblivious to Anguirus’ reaction to the place which clashed horrifically with how eager he was usually to be there.
“Something’s wrong.”
He whispered and growled back. Applejack eyed the ground near the door, thinking she could see something disturbed in the dirt and grass bordering the house. The mare elbowed Anguirus slightly, nodding her head to the side of the house.
“Think ‘Ah see something fishy around the sides. Might be tracks and in a weird spot for them to be.”
“You check the sides then, I’ll check the interior. Be careful.”
“On it.”
The duo split off, flanking and entering the restaurant. Logically they had little cause for caution, after all their reason for coming here was to find Ki Seong and ask what the hay was going on. But the encounter at the farm and the eerie quiet of the restaurant was setting both of their nerves on edge.
Applejack quickly discovered her hunch was correct. The grounds all around the building had been disturbed and recently, the isolated nature of the depressions showing it wasn’t something being put down or dragged across the ground that pushed the grass and dirt aside. Instead she could practically place her hooves in the depressions and walk along them in a trail, indicating they were prints lefts by something of comparable or greater mass to be enough to push the dirt and grass down like she could.
-Tracks look fresh. Not like someone to go snooping around somepony’s house like this in middle of the night and nothing here for Seong to pace like this.-
Perplexed, Applejack’s confusion and intrigue only grew when she noticed something above a set of tracks leading right up to the outside wall. Some of the paint on the restaurant's wooden walls had been scratched in thin, parallel lines that dug into the wood slightly. She recognized it from the scrapes Winona left on some of the tables when she was a puppy and liked climbing, just on a much larger scale. She could put the edge of her hoof on one scrape and the other edge of her hoof would touch the other outermost scrape.
-Big dog.-
Applejack let her focus pitch upwards higher and higher, seeing a second set of scrapes, then a third, then a fourth. All along the side of the wall going all the way to the roof as indicated by a notch cut out of roof tile. Applejack’s eyes widened, seeing the numerous claw marks crisscrossing the wall like something had crawled along the wall and tried to claw its way into one of the windows the numerous trails lead to. She shook her head slowly in growing disbelief.
-Okay, not a dog.-
“Anguirus! Think ye’ might wanna see this!”
Anguirus had stepped through the front door, saying nothing while he glanced around. The restaurant looked eerie without the numerous happy patrons or the ever present Seong telling stories or humming old Carrean songs while she prepared the food and tea. Yet it looked clearly like someone had been through here. The needle wedged into the doorway had been torn out, something Anguirus noticed when his hoof bumped into it on the floor and sent it rolling away. Several chairs had been knocked over, candle lamps blown out, and the doorway leading to the upstairs was swaying open. The last part clearly a big red flag in Anguirus’ mental checklist given he’d been here over a dozen times and never saw that door open during the day.
As he stepped further inside, Anguirus did not see a pair of reflective, blinking eyes looking down at him from the rafters.
Applejack’s voice called out from outside.
“Anguirus! Think ye’ might wanna see this!”
Anguirus, looking over to a knocked over table and seeing a scratch mark going across the edge, leaned in while throwing his voice.
“Be there in a minute! Something funny going on, you better check the other walls.”
“‘Kay!”
Hearing Applejack’s hoofsteps outside circle the house, another set of hoofsteps on the restaurant's wooden planks caused Anguirus to whirl around with his teeth bared and quills bristling. His eyes locked onto and quickly relaxed upon seeing Ki Seong halfway out the door to the upstairs room. She was clearly frantic in manner given her near hyperventilating breath and frayed mane.
“H-Hello…”
“Seong!”
Anguirus, dropping all aggression, rushed forward and put his hooves on Seong given she looked about ready to fall over. To his surprise though, she shrunk away from his grasp.
“S-Sorry. I didn’t want this to happen so quickly.”
Anguirus’ head recoiled back and his face contorted in confusion.
“Wh-What? So quickly? Seong what is going on?!”
“Pl-Please don’t shout. I don’t want… more attention.”
She whispered, shrinking back more into her corner and instantly deflating Anguirus’ volume. He relaxed, shrugged, and bowed slightly.
“Sorry. I-I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to shout, never at you. It’s just, something’s very wrong. You dropped Gentle Leaf at the orchards right after she shows up, run off and by chance I find you back here; and then the restaurant looks like a mess…”
Ki Seong sighed, raising back up to her regular height and shaking her head.
“I had… situations come up. It was best she was out of the house until I got it settled. I’ll make it up to her, not like we had plans.”
Anguirus’ expression flattened slightly.
-One.-
“Needed her out... For what? Granny Smith says she was sad and you were frantic when you dropped her off.”
“Oh, it’s a … private matter. One I’m… glad, you’re here for.”
She muttered in a slightly sly tone, walking past Anguirus and curling her tail around his figure as she circled him but just barely avoiding any touch. Anguirus’ eyes followed her around with each step.
-Two.-
“She says something tried to get her to walk into the forest and thinks it was tied to you.”
“Oh, poor poor deary. Probably just her imagination though. I’ll deal with it later, something more important now.”
“Which is?”
Seong giggled and shut the door with her magic, whirling around at Anguirus’ face and pushing her lips onto his. For a moment the kaiju felt paralyzed and it wasn’t from the suddenness of the action, giving lip to lip contact wasn’t indicative of his species even though he knew what a kiss was. No, he literally felt paralyzed in place, muscles locking up as Seong pushed them to the ground in front of the bar and got ontop of him. Even as she deepened the smooch, the kaiju held onto his dulling mind and held fast to the mana that pumped through his veins. If he had more power, a stylized “alpha” symbol might have flashed on his chest, but instead his body temperature just spiked with the burning mana searing off the Equestrian magic that had spread across his still form like spider web on a caught fly.
Freed, he pushed the kirin up slightly, still internally stupefied as to what was going on even as he kept a stoic tone in his voice.
“What’s my name? What did you last call me?”
Ki Seong seemed momentarily surprised he was able to push her off him but she kept the straddling pin, biting her lip with seductive eyes.
“Silly Quill Coat, I thought you wanted this-”
He stopped listening to “it” and narrowed his eyes.
-Strike three, my name's not Quill Coat and you’re not Seong.-
Anguirus snorted and growled, bracing himself against the bar behind him and launching the imposter off him just as he began to feel a set of claws try to dig into his stomach. “Ki Seong” yelped as she hit a table and knocked it over with a crash, rolling across the floor across the front doorway. Along the way she let out a vulpine yip and Anguirus glimpsed a glimmer of metal stick into her shoulder, the imposter having rolled ontop of and got stabbed into by the discarded needle Anguirus bumped into on his way in. When she sprung back to her hoof in a predatory manner, the kaiju-earth pony’s eyes expanded when he witnessed the visible space around said shoulder seem to fizzle and warp, removing the sight of Seong’s short green coat and scales while replacing it with long, light gray fur.
-An illusion!-
He growled and charged but “Seong” cracked an unsmiling, manic grin and nimbly jumped away and over him after she pulled the needle out with her teeth, giving Anguirus another glimpse of its true form with a momentary sight of carnivorous fangs clenching the needle between themselves before it was spat out. Smashing through an overturned table, Anguirus dug his hooves into the floor to turn himself around and face the creature. The imposter giggled in a disturbing fashion, tilting her head and speaking in a tone unfitting for the kirin.
“Oooh, you’ll be more fun than her last one. I’ll come back for you after I finish the main business.”
She cackled before bolting into the kitchen faster than Anguirus could close the distance again. It scampered through the room and rammed down the back door just as Applejack had walked past said doorway. The mare yipped and spun around just in time to see a blurry object with multiple long, furry tails sprint past her and head into the woods going eastward out of the town.
“What’n tarnation!?”
She looked back after hearing the crash of kitchenware and jumped back a bit on instinct when Anguirus, who’d slammed into a rack after sliding across the tile floor and was now sporting a rice pot on his head, jumped out onto the fallen door. Looking around frantically to see where his enemy was, the guardian beast only managed to glimpse something running off into the shrubs when Applejack pulled the pan off his head.
“Thanks!”
“What in the Samson Hills was that?!”
“Best guess, whatever tried to nab Gentle Leaf and spooked Seong.”
“Speakin’ of her, found the way she went. Look!”
Applejack barked as she motioned with her hoof to the ground in front of her. Leading away from the backdoor, away from town, and towards the forest was a set of cloven hoofprints. And now, running alongside or even in them in some cases, were sets of abnormally large, canine-like prints going the same direction. The words of the adversary replayed in Anguirus’ mind while his face went pale in panic.
-”Oooh, you’ll be more fun than her last one. I’ll come back for you after I finish the main business.”-
One could practically see the exclamation point shoot out from Anguirus’ head. He broke into a sprint, charging after Ki Seong’s prints as Applejack’s voice called out after him.
“Wait! Anguirus!?”
“It said it was going after her first! With any luck I can catch up!”
He was almost to the forest’s edge when he heard another pair of pounding hoof-falls come up alongside him. Applejack was booking it, managing to catch up to the stallion despite his fast pace and greater stride after a lot of practice doing such with Big Mac. Anguirus barked at her, concern giving his tone a sharp edge.
“No! Go get help!”
But the Element of Honesty just snorted and kept sprinting into the forest in pace with Anguirus.
“Nooo ti’me! That thang’s bearin’ down on Miss Song fast!”
She snapped back, eyes narrowed at the path ahead of her.
“By the time I got anypony ye’d be way outta ways and could lose the trail!”
“You don’t need to endanger yourself like this, AJ. I can handle it!”
“Ah’ve rustled my varmints more times than ‘ah can count! And if this thing thinks it can threaten mah friends and come on mah family’s orchard, then this bumpus has got fourteen bucks with her name on ‘em!”
Stubbornness was something Anguirus knew well and he knew when not to even bother. If this realm had any equivalents to Terra, it was the fact Applejack was just as bullheaded as he was when they got determined. He respected that on a day to day basis. And now with Tanaka-knew-what causing a mess, part of him was actually happy someone was on hand to help. He could already tell it was going to be one rough day.
==============
White Tail Woods
==============
Applejack and Anguirus, a very fit earth pony and mana-fueled kaiju, managed to keep sprinting down Ki Seong and her pursuer’s trail for hours; going over both gametrails as well as old dirt roads heading west out of town. The familiar surroundings for the pony and presence of a few sunbleached gyaos skeletons for the kaiju told them they were somewhere near or in Whitetail Woods, not far from where the marathon was held in the fall. The continued tracks along the path left the pair both impressed Ki Seong managed to run for so long as well as a looming sense of dread given the intruder’s prints were ever present as well.
They kept running down a forested path, jumping over a fallen tree trunk one of the gyaos had knocked over in its death throes. The woods around them had cleared somewhat and Applejack threw out a hoof to call them to a stop. Grinding to a halt, the pair surveyed their surroundings. The forest pulled back slightly, revealing a worn, small cabin or large shack just off the beaten path. The structure had two windows, both of which had a flickering light flashing across them to indicate a candle or small fire inside. Applejack let her eyes follow the hoofprints, seeing their trail lead directly towards the cabin.
“Seong’s trail leads in, not out. Bet my bottom bustle she’s in there.”
She whispered, raising up on her tippy-hooves to try and get a better look through the shrubs bordering the path they were on. Anguirus meanwhile had his eyes focused down, looking at the other trail of prints, the pawprints, that seemed to stop short of following Ki Seong’s trail to the lodging.
-It chased her this far, why stop now?-
He let his eyes retrace the trail, seeing it divert off the dirt path and towards a tree. Mentally replaying the path taken in his mind, he noticed scratch marks and bent or snapped branches going up the tree, and onto the neighboring tree; and so on. Just as he followed the path to the left of the trail, the breeze shifted and he smelled it. The same pungently sweet scent he picked up at the restaurant. And it wasn’t alone in what the winds carried, they also carted with them a sound. Hushed, eager, but disturbingly manic giggling.
“...Ah Daiei…”
“What is it?”
“Run... to the shack, as fast as you can…”
Anguirus’ slowly pitched his head up and saw what he at first thought was some dew glinting in the sunlight of some leaves blink at him, revealing it to be a set of eyeshine. The giggling grew louder.
“Now! NOW!”
Anguirus pushed Applejack forward and ran forward while keeping his head back to stare down the approaching monster. Applejack sprinted forward at top speed, scrambling into the clearing and towards the shack with Anguirus right behind her while the sound of heinous giggling and crashing branches called out behind her; growing closer at a pace so fast one would be hard pressed to guess whether they would reach the structure in time. Anguirus kept at the ready to do an about-face and charge forward to protect or buy Applejack time. Their pursuer had jumped down from the trees and was charging at them from the brushline. He was beginning to get a better look at just what this creature was. It was fairly large, slightly taller than himself or Ki Seong and much longer due to multiple long, fluffy tails trailing it. The creature was largely a pale color but seemed to have very bright, blue eyes and accents on parts of its body. Matching the tracks, it definitely seemed to be a fox or canine of some sort; likely the former given the fact it could climb so well.
They reached the door just before the creature was about to bound into the clearing, Applejack turning and bucking it open after the latch seemed to jam; ducking inside while yanking Anguirus in as well. They slammed the door shut, Applejack relocking everyone of its multiple latches before joining Anguirus in bracing her shoulder against the door to protect against a potentially bursting impact.
Except instead of roars of laughter continuing to chase them down and a large who-knew-what trying to ram the door down, the pair were given a near total silence. No footsteps, no giggles, no impact. Just tense, labored breathing behind them. Glancing at one another, Applejack and Anguirus slowly turned around while keeping their backs to the door. They weren’t alone in the cabin after all. A near hyperventilating Ki Seong, whom was clearly exhausted from sweat wetting her frayed mane and the twigs stuck in her hair, sat with her back to the opposing wall and brandishing a hot metal fire-poker.
The three stared each other down, shock, confusion, and uncertainty especially evident in each of their eyes given the suddenness of the situation leaving them all in a panic along with the fact they were dealing with a creature they knew could cast illusions, not wanting to even dare risk being fooled. Fearful tears stung Ki Seong’s eyes and she grimaced, shaking the rod.
“Give me your arm.”
“S-Seong?!”
“I SAID GIVE ME YOUR ARM!”
Anguirus and Applejack stole a moment to keep their nerve, assured by each other’s presence as they presented a forelimb. Ki Seong held her breath and levitated an iron sewing needle from a box resting on a shelf, moving it over and tapping each limb with it. Seeing no change, she finally breathed out in obvious relief.
"N-No change… it is you.”
Before either pony could speak, Ki Seong stuck the fire poker back in the small, burning fireplace and lurched forward to sling her hooves around their chests to bear hug the both of them.
The ten minutes had tension strong enough to strangle someone of a milder constitution. Instead they were spent with Applejack and Anguirus alternating on turns watching the windows to keep a vigil over the forest while Ki Seong tended to the fire. It was increasingly obvious this small cabin wasn’t a random stockade the kirin had dove into when being pursued. The interior was sparsely decorated with symbols and spell or prayer tags the newcomers recognized as Carrean in origin given they were identical to those back at the restaurant. Ki Seong had obviously been here before and was coming to it on purpose. The interior was largely devoid of any furnishings aside from a small table, single chair, and a set of saddlebags Ki Seong had evidently brought with her. Lining the small shelves were boxes of candles, jars of liquids, needles, a tuft of what looked like dog hair; and salt. While such might have seemed bizarre to Applejack, Anguirus recognized some of the items from his own place of origin. Oddly specific items, weird symbols, and tools to make fire if his guess as to whatever was in the jars being flammable was right. Tools for warding off something supernatural. He didn’t know what counted as supernatural in a world full of magical talking ponies and other species, but if he could make a guess an illusionary carnivore that could cause this amount of distress was a sound estimate.
After verifying their guest wasn’t making a move towards the small cabin, Anguirus looked to Applejack and nodded; both walking over to the working Ki Seong, who’d dived back into toiling at some mixture she was cooking up in the fireplace and hadn’t spoken since.
“Seong, what in the realms of Daiei is going on? Just what is that thing out there?!”
The kirin didn’t look up from her work, magically levitating over some of the dog hair and throwing it into the fire; magically grasping some of the resulting smoke and pushing it into a case of ink.
“Did you see it up close?”
“Well only for a moment. Tea Song what is that thing-”
Anguirus’ eye twitch and he barked, cutting Applejack off. He hated getting sharp with a friend and- whatever Ki Seong counted as, but he needed to snap the kirin out of work mode to get some answers.
“Up close?! The thing practically straddled me!”
Applejack’s jolted up in surprise and looked over at the kaiju incredulously; who just shrugged his shoulders and nodded. Ki Seong on the otherhoof got a more, enthusiastic response once she processed what he said.
“It followed me all the way fr- Wait WHAT?!”
She roared, whirling around with frantic eyes and her face half covered in smoke. Before one could make a joke about clingy females however, the true purpose for her fretting became obvious when she jumped up to Anguirus and lifted his forelimbs up to look at his torso.
“Are you okay?! What happened?! Oh thank McCarthy, she didn’t finish!”
“Finish what?!”
Ki Seong answered the question by lifting Anguirus up slightly to expose his lower chest. A set of shallow claw wounds were evident through the kaiju’s short fur, set just below the center mass where the ribcage ended and the liver was. Dried, black flakes around several of the marks showed they had punched through the skin and bled some; but thankfully not to any significant degree. Applejack leaned in closer, surveying the light wound.
“‘Ah seen this before, looks almost like a timber wolf attack. Claw wound.”
Anguirus glanced down, not reacting much to the injury given he’d had much worse.
“Thought I felt a sting when it tried to immobilize me while looking like you. Guess I’ve been too hyped up to have noticed it. What was it trying to do?”
Ki Seong went silent for a moment, bowing head down and shrinking away. Looking at Anguirus' wound was leaving her quivering in fear. It looked like she was about to go back to silence, but when she turned around to resume her work she didn’t stay quiet.
“It… She… was trying to rip your heart and liver out.”
“... You said it followed you.”
Ki Seong made herself seem smaller than before.
“All the way from home…”
She muttered, staring into the fire. Applejack looked to the kirin momentarily before taking another glance out the window. Storm clouds were being moved in from high above in the Cloudsdale jetstreams, darkening the land below so much it was almost like twilight.
“All the way from Ponyville?”
“All the way from Carrea….”
Steeling herself for a moment of contemplation, Ki Seong mixed the infused ink together and began to scribe symbols onto a scroll of parchment. They deserved to know. Time for a story she wasn’t fond of telling...
"She's called a gumiho."
=====================
Carrea, Some Years Ago
=====================
A younger Ki Seong paced down the street of her little town, hauling a load of groceries and ingredients for the family restaurant on her saddlebags as well as with a curtain of magic. Looking much the same then as she did in the present, except for being a touch smaller and her antlers not having grown the forward prong yet. The largest resemblance however was in demeanor, for she carried the same smile Ponyville would know her by every which way she went. Life had its troubles for sure. Learning the family business was tedious and her family was stable, though not particularly well off. And of course with her being of age, the countdown to a very specific date that once seemed so far away was now in the double digits of days away. Her wedding day.
It was an arrangement made between the Ki clan and the Cho clan lines a dozen years ago. By the end of next month she was to be married to Cho Yon. Seong, upon first taking active notice of the arrangement four years ago, resisted. She, like many kirin youths, had been influenced by an influx of Equestrian culture which had migrated to Carrea decades ago. She wanted to pick her husband, not be roped into an archaic arrangement organized several years ago. She did know Cho Yon, just not very well as she’d only met him a half dozen times and mostly just as another in their age group during big festivals or fairs. He was nice, but not a friend.
Still, time changed ordeals. Pre-arrangements had flaws, but selected unions had their problems as well. Sometimes folks pick themselves the wrong partner because they didn't know what they really wanted. Her parents and Yon’s certainly knew more about marriage than either of them did so leaving it to them while they focused on their skillset did have some logic to it. And the fact their parents’ had been adamant the two know each other more beforehoof caused a big shift in the last year. Cho Yon was a gardener and florist by trade, leaving Seong little to imagine who it was whom left her several white carnation flowers at her doorstep. The next set of flowers had a note on them with a request to meet. Her parent’s snickering after seeing her blush at the invitation indicated this was anything but a secret meeting.
More meetings came as the days went by. Sometimes they’d eat together, or rather eat what Seong brought as poor Yon was as clumsy with a pan as he was skillful with a flower; other times they’d just talk sitting down or on a walk. Cho Yon wasn’t a prince charming or character of a romance story, but lies were hard to keep up over such a long period of time with both Seong herself and her parents constantly giving Yon study. The truth was made known over time. He was a gentle soul, if a bit meek at times, dedicated; but always eager to please. A kirin Seong was confident she’d grow to love after marriage.
But a few pinpricks of trouble stirred on one such “date” three weeks before their big day. It wasn’t anything Cho Yon did to her, far from it. He was as kindly and quiet as always, even bothering to ask first before he did so much as touch her hoof. Rather it was at the confusion showing on the kirin buck’s face. He was utterly perplexed when Seong came running up to meet him at a small glade they’d come to multiple times.
“What’s wrong? I’m not that late.”
Seong muttered, tilting her head at her fiance. She had gotten held up at the restaurant, only able to leave at the time she was supposed to meet him and as such was ten minutes after time. Cho Yon’s brow raised and he looked between Seong and another path on the opposite side of the glade.
“But, you’re not late. I just saw you! Didn’t you just run off that way?”
He said, motioning to the path opposite the way Seong came.
“I thought you circled around after forgetting something, since you had to go in a rush and all.”
“Huh? But I just got here.”
“N-No I was just with you. You snuggled up beside me and were really affectionate for a bit, then jumped up and said you had to go.”
Seong’s head lurched back slightly as her face flushed red. True, the thought of cuddling up against Yon wasn’t a bad idea. He was a larger buck, smooth in scale, and sporting a longer than average white coat; something her mother told her made a great pillow as her father had a similar build. The problem was she’d just never asked for so much contact before.
-Yon’s a shy one, something like that could startle him; why you never pushed much Seong. Slow and steady.-
Seong slowly shook her head slightly.
“Yon, I just got here. There was a rush order at the shop and it held me up ten minutes overtime.”
“B-But you were just here. Bit more cuddly than normal but I swear you were!”
Yon belted, looking thoroughly flummoxed in a manner it seemed like he was half expecting to be the butt of some prank. Seong puzzled, not wanting to doubt her fiance as she looked down. Before she could ask if he’d been dreaming perhaps, another odd detail made itself known. Yon always brought her a small gift from his flower and garden shop. A few fresh vegetables for her cooking, a set of bamboo pins, and or a couple of flowers. He wasn’t trying to woo her with just such, as her father said it was just his way of showing affection; but he’d always done so since the first time they met after the arrangement. But this time, he had nothing. Her observation was vindicated when Yon traced her vision to the ground around him and conferred another claim.
“Y-Yeah! I brought you some of those sprouts you like and you gobbled them up before running off. Was half expecting you coming back to ask if I had anymore given you seemed ravenous!”
Ki Seong's face slowly sunk into a worried frown and she curled her tail around Yon's. She couldn't put her hoof on it, but something was very wrong with this picture.
========================
READER WORKS AND PSA
========================
The ever talented FallenAngel showing her stuff in both comission and free drawn format!
Kendell2 (GodzillaWolf) showing his take on a scene from the Mirror Universe timeline!
ShinGodzilla recruiting the talents of ScarisWolf and NorthernLights to display some Fan Kids and a certain couple!
Zeroviks showing off his stuff with an upgraded Irys and gender swapped X (and apparently bisexual Aria), as well as Junior's revenge thanks to an idea from Chance the NEO Warrior
Wolf2541 and FuyuStorm giving us what might as well be the icon couple for the fic! 
Pyrus displaying his stuff with a compilation mash up of Bridge and The Little Pony Legend by MaggieHeartLove
The queen of colored pencils TGBJerga excels with her semi-realistic artstyle on the always lovely Thalia!
And of course my friend and collaborator EvoWizard supplying this delightfully silly birthday present!
Got a piece of art, video, or writing I missed and want added? Hit me up with a PM or comment and I'll add it right away!
PSA - Wildlife Hospital and Sanctuary
Ever wanted to help an animal without an insanely sad commercial guilt tripping you and knowing your money is going to direct use? Here's your chance. Today I hit a major detour when I found an injured young bird in the parking lot being accosted by another bird. Nature can be cruel, but I'm not so I chased off the offender and gently collected the injured bird. He was pretty weak at first and I won't share the pictures I took of him for the shelter for content, but the next 5 hours was me running around trying to tend to it. Closing up some gashes on the back of its head, getting it some water, making a holding box with bedding to keep it secure as I drove through busy Orlando traffic to find a place to get it medical attention. I found that spot with Brevard Wildlife Hospital and Sanctuary. It's a small not-for-profit establishment on the coast of the Indian River Lagoon and it handles calls from all across the region. Wildlife ranging from squirrels to pelicans to snakes to eagles all get attention here. What this place may lack in size it more than makes up for with heart, effort, and being equipment savvy. They care for injured wildlife on their own time and without a profit out of it.
I know how stressful and worrying just caring for a single bird for 5 hours is, these folks do that with multiple animals every day. Funded by donations, you can donate directly to the hospital and sanctuary to provide medicine, keep the machinery like the X-rays running, and the supplies for recovery for multiple injured animals at a low price. You can also "adopt" an injured animal to sponsor it, be it one on the road to recovery or a permanent resident of the facility who can't return to the wild. I vouch for these people and I've already made my donations. So if you got some spare cash, give them a drop. They take PayPal.
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So....Succubus or Variation of Kitsune?
8060676
Check out Tarbtano -s blog posts. There is one about the creature.
Junior have the aura of a male anime character.
Every mare wants him
I wonder if Junior will be able to sense anything concerning Ghidorah's involvement with the missing ship crew and passengers? I mean, if Ghidorah teleported them off the ship, he wouldn't have left much of a scent, and its been awhile too, so any scent that was left would be pretty long gone.
And freaky fox demon is creepy, although I have to wonder if she's got any inklining to the fact that one of the "ponies" she's currently "playing" with is actually a kaiju? I'd almost say between the three of them they should be able to take the fox demon on, but Seong seems... a bit out of it, mentally at the moment.
Yeah, this backstory is not going to end pleasantly, is it? I'm sensing a fiancee who might be missing a heart and liver shortly.
8060676 A Kumiho. It's a Korean fox spirit. While Kitsune's are morally ambiguous at worst, Kumiho are set firmly to chaotic evil. And they have only one preferred diet. The hearts and livers of young men.
Whoa.... I'm Loving this Chapter
Just curious, are you gonna introduce another kingdom to the story? Since there were Yak representatives appeared in chapter 30 and the Deer Kingdom being..well.. Dead
“WhyIsn’tSheHereThen?”
“She’s a heavy sleeper, I checked on her before leaving.”
“IThinkShe’sBestPrinces-Wait! InHerBedroom?! YouGotInHerChambers?!”
“Yes. Slept there too."
For those who watches "If the Emperor Had a Text-to-Speech Device", I think Rogal Dorn would be Godzilla's equivalent
I see Godzilla still hates Dolphins, but seriously F*** those guys Am I Right!?
"I have no intentions to have a sexual intercourse with those dolphins"
Honestly I like how calm and cool Godzilla is here greatly contrasting is younger and cheerful self but
I can expect him to have an "Ah Sh**" reaction if saw that sketch of King Ghidorah
Well Jeog, you are one intimidating fox lady. She even got close to killing Anguirus (assuming Anguirus can't regenerate vital organs).
but from what i heard the Guardian Beasts all have a power-up that can be used in both their Kaiju and Pony forms, Raiga and Rodan had accessed it before and it seems Anguirus is next in line to show it. Jeog's weakness is fire and Anguirus is The Guardian Beast of FIRE...Jeog just picked the wrong opponent.
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I suspect, once Junior sees a certain sketch made in haste and mentioned last chapter, we'll find out if he can out-swear Raiga.
As for the furry illusionist liver-eater... having been sealed away until very recently, she's likely never heard of the Kaiju, and even if she had, I doubt she's care.
So... Demon fox is trying to kill anguirus?
Ki, kick her ass.
King g kidnapped/possibly killed some innocent ponies?
Goji, kick his ass.
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Hopefully the sketch was left on board, or whoever found it mentions it to Junior.
I suppose that depends in how smart the fox demon actually is. Seems a bit scatter brained so far. Depending on what kind of supernatural senses she has she might notice something is up with the big pony with quills sticking out of him. Heck, the fact he shook off he kiss of death should be a bug red flag.
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Given GKG's usual MO, I can just see the following conversation between Junior and one of the princesses happening:
"The Bad News is they should still be alive. The good news is, if we're quick enough, they still will be when we find them."
"Just how is being alive Bad News?"
"Their being held by The King Of Terror. Trust me, being alive and in his clutches is very much a Bad Thing."
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This likely isn't the first time someone managed to slip from Her grasp; I expect She will be more intrigued then weary of the somewhat odd Earth Pony that got away. Further, not being from Equestria means She likely has no clue just how odd it is for an Earth Pony to be so, well, odd. A curiosity (and likely a tasty treat,) not a major threat.
She's wrong, of course, but from her perspective, Ki would be the greater threat at this time; after all, Ki is likely the only being within a thousand miles with any clue as to how to stop Her.
8060952 You are aware the Deer Kingdom was only killed in the Mirror Universe, right?
That was really clever why they sent Junior to Mako Island.
Can't wait for Jeog to get what's coming to her.
I'm going to say it right here and now: Someone will die. Five bucks says it'll be one of the main cast.
Well, I never expect Ki Seong to have been previously engaged before.
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Yes I'm Aware, I was referring to story as a whole which includes the "Midquel"/Spin-offs
Whoooooo, what a chapter! Nicely done
Hehehe, things are getting more interesting.
Welp, at least he had his first kiss.
Couldn't manage to leave a comment when it came out at 2:00 am due to dealing with a case of weird dreams and insomnia, but I thank you Tarb for this chapter as it helped me vanquish the weird dreams. I got to say that Junior having to deal with Mariner Chibi Moon was hilarious, especially with her excited personality and her habit of firing lasers. Likewise, I was laughing when Junior managed to get himself in a situation where he's being checked out by the Mermares, especially when the serious Queen Maui joins in on the scrutinizing the moment Junior finishes the conversation with her (seems like he still hasn't learned squat about flirting). The scene with the Jeong haunting Seong, Anguirus, AJ, and Gentle Leaf felt like a thriller story as the gitsune's use of illusions makes the stalking very intense. I laughed when Jeong kissed Anguirus while disguised as Ki Seong (really hope Faith makes a drawing of that) as well as Ki Seong's reaction to that. The last part of the story foreshadows a tragic turn of events as Cho Yon seems to be like a great guy/first love for Ki Seong and is about to be haunted by Jeong. Overall, I loved the chapter Tarb.
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A wild Kitsune, one of the kindest and yet at the same time one of the most dangerous of all Yokai.
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Gumiho actually. Not a nice bone in that kind of creature's body. The gumiho is an older Korean legend derived from Chinese mythology, the kitsune is a the more recent (arguably watered down and sweetened) Japanese version.
good chapter! i liked it.
atomic moon secondbest ship
Shorter than i expected, and left on a cliffhanger.
I still like it, but it wouldn't be in my top ten list of favorite Bridge chapters.
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*Points to author notes* preview is right there unless fimfic ate it
8061484 Strange, wasn't there the first time.
Well, this was fun. Looking forward to the next part once it's done.:)
THIS IS SO GOOD THAT I CANT COMPREHEND THE CHAPTER
Anyway is 37 going to solely focus on the Jeog arc?
Merciful emperor.... that was too close....
Ya know, seeing Jr with those young Unicorns makes me wonder if we're ever going to see him attempt to practice Equestrian magic like Xenilla
How much shipping can you put in one chapter?
8061460 Out of Curiosity what's the best ship in our opinion?
8061635 my favorite ship is xenilla x bladedancer aka crystal dance
Damn, a kumiho.
Godzilla sure his getting all the females attention. LOL
So a Gumiho. Funny how folklore change through country to country.
In Korea, the Gumiho is describe as purely evil, in Japan, the Kyuuby no Kitsune is describe either evil, trickster, guardian or lover and in China, the Jiu Wei Hu is describe as majorly good.
Oh it's fells good to read this Fic again. Finally caught up too. Keep up the good work.
Btw, Happy B-Day Tarb!
love your fic more and more with each update, you think Godzilla will find King Ghidorahs sent, he is like one of the most horrible kiaju ever and if Equesria learns of his existence there will be massive panic
I have to say that this is really well executed. It has a firm horror theme to it that I honestly wish I'd see more often being used like this. It really adds to the despair this Gumiho brings to the stage as well as how difficult she'll be to deal with given her abilities.
}
Also, cute sea pony mares have good taste~
Chuckled a bit with the dolphin. {Orcas are better anyways
Dat Gener Bent Monster X doe
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Oh Taaaaarrb...... 'member that conversation we had about Junior and the Alpha-male archetype? Oh, and Anime flavors? Because...
pics.onsizzle.com/imember-that-oh-yeah-member-7168184.png
More to come in the proper review, for this enticing chapter of The Bridge!
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I heard 'dat
And I'm having some LOLs in my set up for deconstruction/averting funsies.
So...this took a turn I wasn't expecting.
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I thought Seong's homeland had ponies in it as well, or am I remembering that wrong? I'd say its more that Anguirus' inherit magic is so foreign in nature, and literally burned the fox demon's magic away that should probably clue her in to his potential as a threat. It'd be like if I was a vampire, and took a bite out of a human, only to discover they have acid blood.
8062436 Just wait pal, it gets better.
The Hell Man, you left us on a cliff hanger it was just getting good
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Just to quickly clarify, X is in his normal form. Just shrunk to around 2-3 meters tall. It's due to the weakened barrier not causing him to be as affected as the original 6, Lea and Twilight speculated that could happen.
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Arguably, I would like to link you to this page for the argument against that. The Kitsune, like many Yokai can be both good or evil depending on the individual. One such example is Tamamo no Mae, a Kitsune so noterious that she is one of the Nihon San Dai Aku Yōkai, the Three terrible Yokai of Japan.
This is all you need to know about her.
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Oh I'm well aware of the kitsune having some truly monstrous incarnations in both legend and media. Thanks for the link. I was mostly reinforcing the notion because in mythology, benevolent or even neutral gumiho are extremely rare and are most often cases of myths being imported earlier on from China. Especially in modern media where the kitsune is (with a few exceptions) often characterized as benign tricksters at worst to prime "waifu" material commonly, I felt the need to firmly establish this was not some cute fox girl. This is a monster.
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The impression I had was that Ponies were about as common in Carrea as Dragons and Zebras are in Equestria, if not less so. As such, She (I refuse to type Her name, lest She appear) likely has heard of Earth Ponies, and even may have met one or two, but not enough to have a clear view as to the limits of what would be "normal" for the breed.
After all, if all a Pony knew about Mermares came from an unillustrated book, then upon meeting The Sirens, said Pony could reasonably assume the three were, essentially, fairly normal examples of Mermares.
As for Anguirus' magic throwing Her of, looking over the scene it seems it was his timing, durability and physical strength that threw Her off. If his magic had any effect, it was minor. Besides, She is described as a flesh eater, not a magic eater. Tirek may well notice a difference. She likely would not.
8062557 I told ya it gets better.
...Well this turned into a horror fic on a dime.
"Liver and heart are best parts."
-Strong from Fallout 4