//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5: End of the Hunt 
// Story: Tales of the Amalgam'verse: Mirror Image 
// by thatguyvex 
//------------------------------//


Chapter Five: End of the Hunt


Long ago in Carrea...

Wind sighed a whispering tempo through the trees, whose branches swayed and sent a pallet of autumn leaves flickering over a stream that cut a winding path down the gentle hill slope. At the stream’s banks a kirin just entering the fresh years of adulthood drew water into a pair of buckets balanced upon a bamboo pole to take back to his village up the hill. White of coat and dark of mane, he wore a plain robe of white and blue over his lean and lanky frame.

She’d been observing him silently from the treeline, sniffing the air to sample his scent on the breeze. Having circled the village several times she’d counted how many mortals dwelled there in the lairs of wood and thatch compared to when she was in this region last, far more turnings of the moon ago than she considered worth bothering to count. Not that that was a very high number to begin with, and since she’d recognized some of the scents of those dwelling in the village she knew some of the Yon family from her last time here were still among living. But they didn’t interest her. There were new Yon’s to watch and play with, the way mortals tended to sprout more of their kind.

Nothing special about this particular kirin of the Yon family had stood out or drawn her attention. It was simple chance that he’d wandered away from the village to gather water not long after she’d arrived that made her decide to follow him first to play her games. Often that was what she did with the Yon’s, for unlike many mortals this family seemed to accept her presence and would play along with her games. As interesting as she found mortals it was aggravating to deal with most of them, but the Yon’s were an unusual exception that didn’t treat her as a threat. Perhaps that was why she kept coming back, generation after generation. She’d never done that with any other family of mortals.

Grinning to herself, she lay in wait as this young Yon filled his water buckets. She wasn’t fond of water, but as long as she didn’t get too close it wouldn't be a problem. Just when the kirin had his buckets full and had balanced them upon his back, starting to turn to trot up the path back to his village, that was when she sprang from hiding.

One bounding step and a leap took her soaring over the kirin’s head like a gray gust of wind, and her tails flowed behind her like a blanket of mist. She didn’t actually touch the kirin at all as she sailed over him and the stream both, but he’d seen the streaking gray something passing over his head and reacted like anyone would; with a great deal of sudden, yelping flailing which sent him spinning into the stream.

It wasn’t a deep stream, but it was deep enough that he flopped about with water up to his shoulders as she let out a giggle like wind chimes and vanished into the trees on the opposite shore of the stream. She wondered how many times she could get him to fall in the water before he gave up and returned to the village? Or perhaps he’d stomp around the forest looking for her? Hiding herself and preparing to spring out once more, she paused and blinked.

Where had the kirin gone? He suddenly wasn’t anywhere in sight. That was strange. Curious, she slowly exited the tree line, sniffing the air for where his scent might have gone. Her ears perked forward and her nine, glossy tails swished behind her as she looked around for the kirin stallion.

Suddenly the water of the stream rippled and before she could blink the kirin jumped up from the water with his hooves raised in a comical approximation of a supposedly frightening pose and bellowed out, “Bwahaha! Beware vengeful water spirits!”

Caught entirely off guard she went leaping up the nearest tree like a spooked cat. Any other situation she might have swiped at the object of such a sudden startling, but she hated getting wet so her instinct was to get distance. Hence the tree. Sitting up there perched on one of the lower branches, partially hidden by the leaves that still fell with autumn's swift arrival, she peered at the kirin as he stumbled out of the stream and looked up in her general direction. She was mostly hidden in the leaves, save her glittering blue eyes.

“Uh... hi there?” the kirin asked with a boyish mix of uncertainty and earnest curiosity. “Sorry if I startled you. I was just trying to prank the prankster. Who are you?”

She stayed silent for a moment, staring back at him with a slowly tilting head. “I am me.”

“That’s descriptive,” he said in a bemused tone, “Do you have a name?”

Right. Names. Mortals had an obsession with them. Everything had to have a name. She’d never had a mind to give herself one, but the Yon family had always used titles in the past that while not like normal names were as close as she knew to what one was. “Your family sometimes calls me Watcher in the Leaves. Or other things.”

This got the kirin to widen his eyes and he balanced his buckets of water across his back, then more closely approach the tree, craning his neck to try and get a better look at her. “That old story? Grandma used to tell me about how when she was a filly there was a fox spirit who watched over our family, helping us Yons even as she liked to play tricks on us for amusement. Is that really you?”

Gradually she poked her muzzle out from behind the leaves to gaze down at the kirin. “I watch. I play. I do what I please. If that makes me what I am, then that is what I am.”

“Well you certainly talk in circles like grandma’s stories say.” The kirin let out a warm, if confused chuckle as he rubbed his head. He then just shrugged with another chuckle and bowed his head to her in  a gesture she recognized mortals used, but never really understood. Bowing seemed to signify anything from a mere greeting to a display of subservience. She might like the later, but she didn’t smell any submissiveness in the kirin, so she doubted that was what he was doing.

“I am called Cho Yon. Since Watcher in the Leaves is a bit of a mouthful how about I give you a name? Would that be alright?”

Her ears twitched and she impulsively leaped down from the tree, causing Cho Yon to quickly hop back from how close she suddenly was. She sniffed at him, licking her lips as she peered at him like he was some manner of oddity. In all the long time she’d toyed with mortals, even among the Yon family, none of them had ever suggested giving her a name. Mortals seemed to value their names greatly, so perhaps it would be interesting to have one.

“I will take this name.” she said with a hungry look of anticipation, “What is it, Cho Yon?”

He rubbed his chin, pondering. Then with a satisfied nod of his head he said, “Let’s keep it simple, but hopefully accurate. I’m going to call you-”

----------

Destroyah watched as the illusionary scene went still, like someone had paused a movie. The image of Jeog and Cho Yon from what she could only imagine was many years ago stood utterly silent, the babbling brook frozen in mid burble. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were both looking around in bewilderment.

“Why did you stop, Jeog?” asked Diamond Tiara.

The real Jeog, who’d turned invisible during the illusionary replay of memory, shimmered into view. Her nine tails were dropped flat to the floor and her slim, sharp features were cast in pained shadows. “The rest of that day isn’t important. Only that I met Cho Yon. He was different from the other Yons. They all accepted me, but only he acted without any fear or reverence. He treated me like other mortals treat each other. I found it interesting, so I spent more time with him. I didn’t grow bored like I usually did.”

“But why stop just before this Cho Yon named you?” inquired Ditzy Doo insistently, leaning forward. One of her wings was dexterously holding a quill poised over a notebook where she’d been furiously scribbling. “We already know your name, do we not? It seems a strange thing to hide.”

Jeog’s body tensed, and Destroyah hardly needed to be an expert to read that the gumiho was highly agitated by Ditzy’s questioning.

“I do not hide anything! Jeog is my name now. The other name is no more, for Cho Yon is no more.”

That sent a slight chill across the room, the two fillies exchanging worried looks while Ditzy made an uneasy notation with her quill. Destroyah decided to quickly try to smooth things over. She was used to playing mediator, having plenty of experience being the diplomatic one among Xenilla’s often times ragtag band of protector kaiju back on Terra. Of course her diplomatic skills were helpfully backed up by her ability to administer appropriate doses of butt-kickings when necessary. Nothing like the looming threat of a micro-oxygen burst to the face to encourage others to listen to reason. In this case, however, she just wanted to calm Jeog down so this jaunt into the past could continue without getting derailed.

“It’s okay Jeog, if you don’t want to tell us about your other name that’s fine. Ditzy and the rest of us are just curious.”

“Well it isn’t mere curiosity,” Ditzy said with a self-conscious adjustment to her glasses, “It seems a pertinent detail if she’s trying to intentionally omit it from the story.”

Destroyah gave Ditzy a look. Ditzy coughed politely and glanced away, “Of course I can retract my question for a later time, when Jeog feels more comfortable discussing it. Ahem, please Jeog, continue.”

“Yes, I’m curious what happened next,” said Diamond Tiara, “What kind of family were the Yons? Were they all kirin? I’ve never met one before.”

Jeog appeared to settle down more with Diamond Tiara leading the questions, and her tails perked up slightly with a steady wag as her foxfire hovered in flickering motes over the backdrop of illusions, changing the scene like a bleeding watercolor painting.

“Kirin are just like other mortals. All different. All strange. Like you ponies, but not as often breaking out into random singing. The Yons were a tribe apart from other mortals. They lived near a large collection of dwellings, like this Ponyville place, but they were still separate. They lived in the forests near town, and only rarely went there. Except for Cho Yon...”

----------

The pair of guards at the gate to the town waved with friendly, relaxed smiles to Cho Yon as he passed through. Behind him she followed with casual ease, cloaked entirely with illusion that all but rendered her invisible. Perhaps one of the guards may have seen a brief stirring in the air that he would have associated with a passing gust of wind, but that was it.

While the streets were relatively busy that morning it wasn’t hard for her to slip around passing kirin, having no difficulty keeping pace with Cho Yon. The town was far from the largest collection of mortal lairs she’d seen, but it was large enough that she started to get bored very quickly as Cho Yon winded his way through the streets, eventually reaching an open market district where numerous storefronts were open.

She amused herself by snatching up any shiny or interesting object she spotted among the merchant wares, easily keeping her actions from view with a little illusioncraft. She acquired and discarded various trinkets, keeping half an eye on Cho Yon as he spoke with one of the merchants. She wasn’t paying much attention, most of her mind focused on finding ways to keep herself from getting bored. Spotting a particularly colorful garment hanging from the next door store’s front racks, she silently padded over there and slipped the dress off the hook. The fabric was soft, and consisted of numerous bright, warm color tones. It was perfect for shredding to make something comfortable to sleep on.

She was about to grab several more similar garments, when a crash behind her riveted her attention back towards Cho Yon. The kirin stallion was laying on the ground in front of a massive and beefy muscled creature that had apparently bumped into Cho Yon while he’d been talking with the merchant across the way. She didn’t recognize the minotaur for what it was, she only saw a tall, bipedal bovine creature wearing a loose cloth bandoleer and carrying a huge gourd in one meaty fist from which he took a huge swig of alcohol.

“Hhheeeey, ya need ta watch where you stand little guy,” the minotaur said in a deep, drunken slur, jabbing a finger towards Cho Yon, or rather about half a pace to the left of Cho Yon. “It's impolite ta be standin’ where I can trip over ya.”

Cho Yon, calmly standing up and brushing himself off bowed his head apologetically and said, “I’m sorry sir, I didn't mean to be an obstacle. Perhaps you’ve had a bit too much to drink, if you’re finding yourself stumbling into folk so readily?”

The minotaur’s irritated confusion turned swiftly to drink enhanced anger, “Ya take that back! I’m not too drunk. I’m exactly as drunk as I want ta be! Its yous standin’ in the road all swirly and four of ya's that’s the problem.”

While this exchanged was happening she had quietly but swiftly started to edge around behind the minotaur. She’d seen what that sharp smelling drink did to mortal minds. It made them dumber than they usually already were, and a lot more aggressive. Normally she’d have her fun with a drunk like this, but with Cho Yon present she didn’t like the idea of the small kirin getting squashed. She wasn’t done playing with him yet herself, after all. She extended her claws, eagerly grinding them into the ground as she pawed around behind the minotaur, still completely invisible. All anyone would hear or see would be a quick scream, some blood, but none would know it was her...

“I think it's probably for the best if you sit down for a moment, sir,” said Cho Yon, moving suddenly closer to the minotaur before she could act. She cocked her head at him as Cho Yon shifted his legs into an unusual stance.

“Sit this down!” the minotaur said, taking a drunken swing.

She moved to stop it, claws ready to swipe, but she blinked as the whole minotaur went stumbling suddenly to the side, tripping over himself, it seemed, and crashing to the ground with a hefty thud. Cho Yon was revealed standing where the minotaur had been, still standing in that unusual looking stance with his weight mostly transferred to his hind legs and his fore legs cocked in a position almost like a bird with spread wings.

“Uhhh, wut?” the minotaur mumbled, his drunken daze hefty as he teetered upward. Blurred, but still angry eyes locked on Cho Yon and the miniature mountain of muscle barreled towards him.

Once again before she could act to intervene Cho Yon seemed apt to defend himself, yet not by striking the minotaur. Instead it was almost like Cho Yon gently assisted the minotaur to sit down, only he did so by pivoting on his hind legs just enough to move out of the brunt of the charging bull, and with a sweep of his forelegs appeared easily flip the minotaur from a headlong charge into a stiff but ultimately non-bonebreaking slam to the ground that knocked the breath from the minotaur's lungs.

Cho Yon, clearing his throat, said, “Please, sir, you should rest. You really must sleep off all that drink.”

“Mmmmfffzzzzzz...” the minotaur mumbled something incoherent for a moment, tried to lift the gourd of alcohol to his lips, then simply passed out into snoozing right there in the street.

The merchant kirin that Cho Yon had been speaking to gave the sleeping minotaur a faintly disgusted look before giving Cho Yon a grateful bow. “I see the Yon family’s technique is as sharp as ever. The whole town may well thank you for hopefully knocking some sense into this loud and unpleasant outlander.”

“I sincerely hope his head clears by the time he wakes.” Cho Yon said, returning the merchant’s bow. “Now, about those construction materials?”

“I can have them delivered to the temple by next morning, and just for giving me such an enjoyable show I’ll go ahead and slice ten percent from the price,” the merchant replied, and with that Cho Yon’s business appeared to be concluded and he started to make his way back towards the town gates.

It wasn’t until he was out of town and easily more than halfway to the forest covered hills nearby that she dropped the illusion cloaking her form and hopped ahead of Cho Yon.

“I was bored until the large horned thing showed up. You took it down too fast, Cho Yon, I was going to help!”

He slowed his pace slightly, rubbing the back of his head in what she knew to be a gesture of embarrassment from him. “I just hope I didn’t hurt the poor fellow. That was the first minotaur I’ve ever seen. I heard they were large, but-” he paused, cocking his head as he looked her over. “Where did you get that dress?”

“I found it.”

Why did mortals always smack their hooves to their faces like that? Didn’t it hurt? Cho Yon dragged the hoof down his muzzle and sighed heavily. “Remind me to instruct you on the finer points of personal property sometime. I don’t suppose I can convince you to return it to where you ‘found’ it?”

She frowned, claws sinking into the dress as she clutched it tight. “Its mine.”

“According to the law its the shopkeeper's, and you ought to return it.”

She snorted. “If the law wants me to return it the law can come take it, but since I don’t see or smell any ‘law’ it must not exist. Therefore the dress is mine.”

“And to think my family considers you a guardian spirit. I don’t think guardian spirits are supposed to have kleptomania,” Cho Yon said with a heavy sigh, although she noticed he had a strange smile on his face as he said it. “I’ll just have to donate an appropriate amount of money to the shopkeeper to compensate for the dress. I swear, I will figure out a way to teach you conscience someday.”

She had no idea what that was, but maybe it was edible? A lot of what Cho Yon said didn’t make sense, but that was part of what made him so amusing. Bundling the dress up and curling one of her nine tails around the bundle, she walked alongside Cho Yon to the edge of the forest. She rarely followed him all the way back to the small village nestled in the forest, or to the old temple hidden even further up the hills. Today, however, she was curious.

Idily batting her paws at passing crickets, she asked, “What was that power you used on the big horned thing?”

“Minotaur,” he corrected, “And it wasn’t a power. It was just my family’s martial arts, the Way of the Open Heart. I’m not even particularly good at it.”

She wrinkled her nose, sounding out the odd combination of words. “Way of the Open Heart? You didn’t open up the horned thing’s heart at all. It’s chest was entirely intact. Where’s it’s heart?”

“And again I get reminded how easily you misinterpret things,” he said with chuckle, to which she gave him an uncomprehending look. Cho Yon stopped his walk and held out his hoof as if holding something, although she couldn’t see anything in his hoof. “I’m not talking about a muscle pumping blood in the chest. I’m talking about something you can’t see. Something that only exists here, between people.”

She sniffed at his empty hoof, giving him a suspicious look. “I don’t smell anything. Is this another strange mortal head trick? Like those silly ‘laws’ that say I can’t take things I want?”

“Not everything that exists is something you can see or smell. Some things you just have to feel,” Cho Yon said, and she just tilted her head at him in bafflement.

“How can I feel a heart?”

To that Cho Yon gained a contemplative look on his face, “I’ve been asking myself that all year since I met you. Hmm, perhaps... yes, maybe... do you want me to teach you the Way of the Open Heart? I don’t know how good a teacher I’ll be, but I can show you what I know.”

“Will be be boring?” she asked, making a face. One thing she couldn’t stand was if something was boring. Still, she thought of how easily Cho Yon, so plain and small, had easily handled the giant horned ‘minotaur’ thing and thought perhaps it might be fun to learn.

“I hope not, but only one way to find out. I need to do some work at the temple today, so how about we meet at the clearing on the hill this evening?”

The spot he was talking about was a place he went to often, she’d noticed. A field of tall grass atop the hill the Yon family’s ancient temple was built upon. She didn’t mind meeting him there, as it was far from prying eyes. Still, she eyed him curiously as they resumed their walk back to the forest. “You keep spending time in that temple. Why? Your family doesn’t lair there anymore.”

Cho Yon gave a solemn nod. “True, we haven’t used the temple as our home in several generations. Not since the family grew too large for it. But I want to renovate the temple to make it larger and restore its old glory.”

“Why? Your current village lairs are enough, aren’t they?”

“Its not simply about having a roof over our heads. It's about the town,” Cho Yon said, glancing over his shoulder at the now distant collection of buildings behind its short walls. “My family barely goes there anymore. We’ve become reclusive. Just a bunch of monks and shamans living in the forest. But once we had travelers coming to our temple from far and wide, and the townsfolk visited all the time. I want to restore the temple so my family and this town become... connected again.”

“I don’t understand why that’s important,” she admitted with a frown.

“I know. Maybe once you understand the Way of the Open Heart more, then you’ll understand why it matters so much to me,” he said, and while she had her doubts, she didn’t question him. Whatever he was trying to teach her, at least she didn’t feel bored around him. Maybe, after so many long and countless passings of the seasons, she’d found a mortal who’d help her understand what made them so strangely fascinating.

----------

“You wanted to understand mortals better? That’s why you spent so much time around the Yon family?” Ditzy Doo asked, scribbling down in her notebook.

“Mortals don’t make sense to me, but I kept finding myself drawn to them. Then, and now,” Jeog said, giving Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon a meaningful look. “Even after what happened to Cho Yon, I couldn’t stop myself forever. Too much boredom. When these two wandered close, in danger, I revealed myself to them.”

“Saved them from Timberwolves,” Destroyah said with an approving nod, “Gives us something in common. Whether you did it to relieve boredom or not I don’t much care, I’m grateful you protected these fillies.”

“Grateful...” Jeog said the word as if it tasted strange on her tongue. Her fox-like features looked at Destroyah unscruitibly. “I think you would not say that word if you knew the danger of the Hunter. A part of me still thinks I should go, but for Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon I stay.”

“And I really appreciate you’re willing to trust us,” said Diamond Tiara, “We just need to understand, is all. Everything that happened, and why this Hunter is after you.”

“True,” said Ditzy Doo, glancing out the window, where the daylight was growing dimmer. “But we’ve been here for some time already. I think it’s best we take a break for today and get back to this in the morning. Destroyah, if you’d be so kind as to escort Miss Jeog back to her domicile, I will begin compiling my notes so we can go over them upon your return.”

“Guess we have been chewing the scenery for awhile,” Destroyah said, rising from where she sat and stretching, “Not that the HD, full surround sound trip into Memoryville hasn’t been interesting so far, but yeah, I think we all need to recharge while me and Ditzy bump brains on a few things. Jeog, you got any objections to getting back to your story tomorrow?”

The fox gave her a rather reserved look, allowing the illusions she’d constructed to fade away like melting oil paintings. “No, I don’t.”

Diamond Tiara raised a hoof, “Could I, um, maybe come with you to Jeog’s home? Just to talk a bit more?”

Destroyah took a deep breath, putting an understanding look on her face but also keeping a certain firmness to her tone. “You’re still grounded by your parents, Diamond Tiara. I don’t think they’d appreciate me going over their heads on that. It’s best that you and Silver Spoon go home for today, but I’ll come by and have a talk with your parents in the morning and I think they’ll agree to letting you continue to help us here.”

“O-okay...” Diamond Tiara said, ears drooping, but Silver Spoon gave her an encouraging bump on the shoulder with a hoof.

“We’ll see her tomorrow, DT.”

Diamond Tiara gave a shallow nod, and it was clear the filly was still very apprehensive about the whole situation. Diamond looked at Jeog and Destroyah could see the worry there. She wished she could give the kid some more assurances, but it was still too early to tell exactly how this was all going to pan out and she had a strict rule about not blowing sunshine up anyone’s tail no matter how much she wanted to wrap them up in a big comforting hug and tell the it was all going to be okay. So instead she did her best project a relaxing presence for the two fillies as she led them and Jeog out towards the door while Ditzy Doo started going over her notes.

Jeog paused at the door, a flicker of her azure foxfire flowing over her. Destroyah saw the fox’s form begin to change into that of a filly, but she held out a hoof and said, “Don’t bother, Jeog. Its best to let the townsfolk see you.”

The way Jeog looked at her Destroyah might as well have suggested walking down the street naked, were they human. The gumiho curled into herself, her tails coiling around her and her eyes going frightfully wide. “It's not good if they see me.”

Diamond Tiara was quick to say, “Um, Lady Destroyah, with everypony being on edge about her maybe it’d be better to let Jeog have her disguise?”

“Actually I thinks Lady Destroyah is right,” said Silver Spoon in a calm, measured tone. She turned a questioning glance to Destroyah, “You want everypony to get used to her, the same way they got used to you.”

Destroyah remembered well, with a certain fondness and embarrassment, her own first few days in Ponyville. Unlike Jeog she’d had no way to hide her unusual appearance, and while the arrival in Equestria had changed her from her true kaiju form into something more equine, she’d certainly stood out to the townsfolk. It had taken some getting used to, being on normal folk’s level and getting gawked at so directly, but she’d found the ponies of Ponyville had had adjusted to her remarkably fast.

“That’s right Silver Spoon. The more they see Jeog’s true form the faster they’ll get used to her. It’ll go a long way to easing everypony’s tension and getting them to see her as normal. Or at least as normal as it gets around here,” she said with a short smirk. Looking at Jeog she let her tone soften, “Trust me. They might stare, but they’ll get used to you quick if you don’t try to hide.”

Jeog seemed hesitant, but then Diamond Tiara patted one of her tails and said, “You can trust Lady Destroyah. She’s a friend.”

Contact with the filly seemed to drain out Jeog’s unease and she uncoiled, wrinkling her nose and swishing her tails. “Okay, let’s go.”

Outside there was still plenty of daylight, but it was turning into that faded, deep blue wash of evening light as the sun went lower and lower towards the horizon. This was actually Destroyah’s favorite time of day, when everything was winding down. That nice, slow transition from a busy day to a quiet evening had a certain appeal to her, mostly because she rarely got to take breaks herself.

As expected there were already a number of ponies out and about, either trotting home from their places of work, or heading out to one of Ponyville’s two or three drinking establishments or more numerous restaurants. They got plenty of stares as they walked down the streets, and Destroyah could practically bounce her wings and achieve lift off from the nervousness radiating off Jeog. The gumiho walked with her tails dragging and her ears flat, eyes darting around at each pony who openly gawked at her passing. Couples whispered, and a few parents ushered curious foals back indoors. Destroyah wanted to sigh, but she’d figured it’d be like this for the first time, but she imagined after a few more days this would fade.

“I don’t like this. It's so much easier to just be invisible or change into something that blends in,” Jeog muttered.

“Keep it steady girl. They’ve never seen anything like you, but they hadn’t seen anything like me either and once they saw I wasn’t a threat, the starring stopped,” Destroyah said.

Before long they reached the point where Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had to go their separate ways home. Diamond didn’t hesitate to give Jeog a through hug, which seemed to confuse the gumiho more than anything else, as if she didn’t know how to respond to a tiny filly clinging to her.

“See you tomorrow,” Diamond Tiara said.

Jeog nodded awkwardly, “See you tomorrow.”

After the two fillies had departed and Destroyah and Jeog resumed their walk. Destroyah was letting Jeog lead now, even though from both Diamond Tiara and Ditzy Doo she knew more or less where the gumiho’s cabin lair was. She just figured Jeog would be more comfortable taking the lead now that they were out of town, and she did notice just how quickly the unusual fox seemed to grow more and more naturally at ease the further they got from mortal civilization... even through Whitetail Woods was hardly wild.

“I’m kind of surprised you chose Whitetail to set up home, rather than the Everfree,” Destroyah said, “I would have thought the more wild and isolated forest would be a better spot if you were looking to hide.”

Jeog didn’t respond immediately, silently padding along through the underbrush and moving with smooth and sinuous motions now, like she belonged in the forest. All of her rigid and stiff motions while being stared at were gone now and Jeog seemed as light as mist, transparently slipping between bushes with predatory ease. Destroyah wasn’t sure whether to be impressed, or reminded that this creature might still prove to be too dangerous to be allowed near the ponies of Equestria.

“You’re right,” Jeog said eventually. “It would have been smarter to stay in the darker, big forest. I would have belonged there more. I wanted to be closer to the mortals, and the lair I found in this thinner forest was nice.”

“Did you go into town before meeting the kids?” Destroyah asked.

“I did. Hidden, unseen. I didn’t have...” Jeog paused, licking her lips and grimacing in frustrated thought, “Reason to reveal myself until the wood dogs attacked Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.”

Destroyah didn’t miss a beat, “Why’d you do it? Helping them would have put you at risk, if staying hidden was your goal. So why take the risk?”

Destroyah kept her tone neutral, hiding the fact that obviously she approved of what Jeog had done. Yet this question felt like it was at the crux of why she was here, assessing Jeog. Even a wild animal can, through sheer accident of instinct, do something ‘good’ for another. And some animals could be incredibly intelligent, even show emotions like sapient people while still being fundamentally creatures of instinct. So the question was if Jeog was just a very smart, articulate animal, but still too controlled by her instincts to be fully trusted around normal people... or could she understand and be taught the importance of moral choices?

Had she saved Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon because it was the right thing to do, or because some instinct detached from morality had driven her to it?

Jeog let out a confused growl, reminding Destroyah almost of how Xenilla sounded sometimes when he was vexed by a particularly frustrating puzzle or problem.

“I did what I wanted to do. That’s...” another vexed growl. “That’s all I do. I wanted to save them so I did. Why does that not make sense to mortals? You, Cho Yon, Diamond Tiara, always asking me why and showing me things that never make sense!”

The frustration was there in her voice, clear as a brush fire, but underneath it were the embers of doubt, pain, and something like longing. She sounded to Destroyah like someone desperately trying to grasp at something abstract. Destroyah could relate. She’d been raised by humans, while being about as far from human as one could get. Grappling with trying to learn so many things that didn’t seem to fit who and what you are, it was the kind of frustration that not many might understand. Jeog’s species, whatever their purpose or origin was, clearly shared little with mortal kind. Yet Jeog seemed drawn to mortals, despite that massive gap in how she viewed the world from the way other creatures did.

Destroyah could see how a cognitive dissonance might form from that, and it seemed a miracle Jeog hadn’t been driven outright insane by it at this point. As it was, she might not be far off from it. Was there a chance to reign her back in? Bridge the gap?

“Believe it or not, I understand how you feel,” Destroyah said, “I grew up among people who didn’t look anything like me, and had to learn how to be a ‘person’ myself from scratch. I mean, it's not like my adopted family had a manual on how to raise something that looked like a cross between an H.R Giger painting and a dish served up at Red Lobster. Took Azumi months to teach me I shouldn’t dissolve the walls with micro-oxygen bursts every time I wanted a snack. I don’t know how my family survived until I learned object permanence and that trying to eat the local cat population was wrong. Mrs. Yamane never got over that cat, either, no matter how many times I said I was sorry later on.”

Jeog was looking at her with a stare so confounded Destroyah may as well have started a lecture on string theory and gotten the same expression.

“Why did this ‘family’ raise you if you were nothing like them? Why did you stay if you did not belong?” Jeog asked plainly, slowing her pace somewhat, ears perked towards Destroyah in equal parts bafflement and curiosity.

How to even begin to explain? Destroyah was not born like any other being. She’d evolved rapidly from a combination of a precambrian era crustacean-like creature and the power of Dr. Serizawa’s Oxygen Destroyer. It was a technology nearly identical to what was discovered by a young scientist named Kensaku Injuin. Dr. Injuin’s “micro-oxygen” was a near mirror image to the Oxygen Destroyer that mutated the microscopic lifeform that Destroyah started out as, and she’d started to grow in size in an aquarium in downtown Tokyo at the Telecom Center. A nighttime security guard had found her munching on the local fish, and because he’d been married to a biologist he’d managed to coax the small, juvenile Destroyah into a cat carrier and take her home with him. Needless to say the guard’s wife was shocked to have a such a unique specimen brought home, but a scientist to the core she leaped at the chance to study  Destroyah without government interference. It helped that Destroyah quickly bonded with the family’s daughter, Azumi.

It was a strange beginning to an even stranger life, where Destroyah knew nothing of what, or who, she was, and had to figure out the world one step at a time.

Destroyah remembered distinctly being filled with as much curiosity about the strange creatures around her, these ‘humans’, as they were curious about her. Those early years had involved a lot of learning on both her part and her family’s. She’d had to learn from square one the complexities of social interaction and the emotions that came with it, and not all of it had been smooth. In fact very little of it had been smooth, yet even during her worst... tantrums, her family had never given up on teaching her, especially Azumi.

One of Destroyah’s most vivid early memories was when she’d been following Azumi to school, keeping hidden, when a group of bullies had accosted the young girl. Enraged, Destroyah had attacked to protect her family, but before Destroyah could injure anyone Azumi had thrown herself between Destroyah and the now terrified bullies. It had been a painful learning experience in when not to go too far, when instinct had to be controlled. Still, Azumi had made the decision then that Destroyah had to grow up away for humans, and had insisted on ‘releasing’ Destroyah into Tokyo Bay. It wasn’t a pleasant thing to remember, but Destroyah understood why Azumi had done it.

For months after Destroyah survived in the bay, raiding fisheries along the docks and food stands near the beach areas to get food. It was around then, after a few scuffles with the police that in Destroyah’s juvenile mind at the time she viewed as “games”, that Dr. Injuin learned of her existence and contacted G-Force. He became attached to the team send to contain, capture, study, and if need be destroy her. There had been some close calls with G-Force’s more specialized forces, but during those scuffles Dr. Injuin had realized just how intelligent, and ultimately non-aggressive Destroyah really was. Probably helped that her family came forward about having raised her at that point, and G-Force along with Dr. Injuin agreed to leave her be as long as Destroyah allowed them to study her in her “natural” environment in the bay.

She’d enjoyed those times, before everything got crazy with Godzilla. Dr. Injuin had been more interested in studying her for raw science than necessarily caring about her the way her family did, but he wasn’t a cruel man, and after the incident where Godzilla attacked Tokyo and Destroyah evolved to her full, adult form to battle him, it was Dr. Injuin who gave her her name. Dr. Injuin had seen her to be something more than what the sensationalist news had later named her. Not a indiscriminate “Destroyer”, but a protector, one who only “Destroyed” the things that threatened the world and the sanctity of life. Just as Dr. Serizawa’s original Oxygen Destroyer had been used to protect the world from the first Godzilla, so would this new “Destroyah” be a force that could protect it from the current one. Serizawa’s Legacy.

It was a role she took to eagerly and seriously, but she would never have been able to if she hadn’t had people to teach her what the differences between right and wrong were. If she’d just been let loose into the world with no guide, no teacher, just her instincts to follow... who knows how she might have turned out?

“It might be hard to understand, but while my family might have taken me in out of curiosity at first, the reason they kept me around even when I became a pain in the ass was because they cared about me. Not like a pet science project, but as part of the family. And I stuck around not just because I was curious about the people trying to raise me, but because I just didn’t want to not be around them anymore. I didn’t want to be alone.”

“Alone...” Jeog said the word with a cold shudder, “That is a word I understand. Going to Diamond Tiara, following her... I didn’t want to be alone either. Even knowing it was foolish and dangerous. It was the same with Cho Yon. I was so tired of being alone. Which is strange. I’ve always been alone, since the earliest moons I can remember. It felt right, back then. It was only after I started being around mortals that being alone stopped feeling right and instead started to... hurt.”

“That’s kinda part of what caring is, Jeog. The other part is knowing not to hurt those you’re around.”

“Like Diamond Tiara?”

“Like anyone!” Destroyah said, perhaps a bit forcefully. “Don’t get me wrong, sometimes you have to put the smack down on someone to protect others, but the whole point of being around other people is so you don’t have to hurt anyone and make their lives suck a little less each day. In return, you find your own life gets better.”

Jeog made a sniffing sound, still looking like she was trying to mentally chew on concrete and not having much luck. The forest ahead cleared a bit and a short, one story log cabin appeared before them. Jeog went up to the door, pawing it open to enter the dark interior. Inside she turned around and peered back out at Destroyah, blue eyes unblinking.

“Your words are like Cho Yon’s were. Strange, without scent or touch, but I can hear them and they feel like a light just out of view, but no matter how I turn my head I can’t see it. But... I want to.”

Destroyah managed a sighing smile, shaking her head, “That’s better than nothing. We’ll keep at it tomorrow. I want to know how things ended between you and Cho Yon.”

“I am not so certain you will like what you learn,” Jeog said, lowering her head to stare at the ground. After a moment she said, “You say that one should try to make the lives of those they care for better, yes?”

“I’d say that’s one of the basics of being a good person, yeah,” Destroyah said. Jeog just kept staring at the ground, clearly in deep thought.

“I see. Diamond Tiara has troubles with what mortals call ‘money’.”

When had that cropped up during the filly’s time with Jeog, Destroyah wondered? It was unfortunate that Diamond Tiara’s family were a bit on the struggling side of things, but honestly the economy of Equestria was so strong that their situation wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been. Destroyah wanted to help the filly too, but had learned that Diamond Tiara wanted to fix her family’s financial issues herself, and without any handouts. Given how bright Diamond Tiara was, Destroyah didn’t doubt that once she got through higher education and into running a business that the money problems would rapidly evaporate. Still, that was a number of years off from now.

“That’s not really the kind of problem you can just fix for someone, other than being supportive. Diamond Tiara’s already doing all a filly her age can to turn things around for her family, and its not like you can just drop a bunch of money on her to solve it.”

Jeog just blinked. “Why would I drop money on her?”

“Exactly. Glad we’re on the same page. Anyway, see you at the library. First thing in the morning.” Destroyah said, waving once with one of her massive wings, and turning to trot away. As she headed off through the forest, she didn’t hear what Jeog said next in a confused and wondering tone...

“I’m just going to give all the money I’ve found to her. That makes so much more sense than dropping it on her. I swear, these morals are so strange sometimes.”

----------

Hoof traffic became more frequent on the roads as they drew nearer to the heart of Equestria. Ponies pulling wagons of goods, or traveling in small groups, or even alone would become more common to see as Ki Seong and Battra, still quite disguised as unicorn mare, traversed the countryside. They passed a number of small towns and villages along the way, most remaining modest in size when compared to cities like Manehattan or Fillydelphia. It somewhat surprised Ki Seong how rural the heart of such a prosperous nation seemed, when stacked against the clearly modern cities that dominated the coastline.

She and her companion drew little attention. Ponies were a friendly and trusting sort, and the worst of the travels wasn’t anything like suspicious stares or having to answer questions to guards, but rather enduring the endless amiable attitudes of practically every pony they passed by. Ki Seong had to fend off more friendly conversations than ever had to in her life, and it only soured her mood every time she had to sternly made it clear she wasn’t interested in talking to anypony who happened to be sharing the road with her.

This included Battra, but the insufferable kaiju in pony guise was singularly adept at not only ignoring Ki Seong’s attempts to avoid conversation, but seemed to derive perverse pleasure in continuing to pick upon her.

“Dusk draws near, it’s time to rest.” Battra declared as the sun started to wane below the horizon. Ki Seong turned annoyed eyes towards her companion.

“I am far from tired, and I know you must have reserves of endurance as well. We continue.”

“Hmm, no, I think I’m hungry and that we’ve crossed more than enough ground for one day. We rest. Unless of course you think you can track your Jeog without my help now?” Battra’s voice held a tone of acidic honey as she fluttered her eyes innocently at Ki Seong. She then proceeded to trot off the trail and over a thick copse of trees with low hanging branches that sat a few dozen yards off the road. Ki Seong growled out a sigh and followed.

Underneath the trees’ boughs there was a firm, dry patch of ground where Battra, with a conjuring of magic, easily shuffled together some kindling and broken branches, which then were ignited into a bright and warm campfire. Ki Seong noted that Battra looked upon the flames as they ate up the wood with a kind of hungry, loving gleam in her eyes that made Ki Seong feel cold inside.

As both mares settled down Ki Seong mechanically went about removing her crossbow and started oiling its more complex moving parts. Battra watched her, settling down on the other side of the fire. Ki Seong did her best to ignore the kaiju’s staring eyes, focused entirely on her weapon maintenance. Inevitably, however, Battra broke the silence.

“You must be, what, in your mid or late twenties now? Yet I suspect you were much younger when this journey of vengeance began. It's quite a long time to dedicate oneself to killing one particular creature. And not once did you ever consider giving up. That’s a special kind of hate.”

“Why do you insist on badgering me? Analyzing me? My motivations should mean nothing to you,” Ki Seong responded bitterly, knowing she wasn’t going to get to pass a quiet night.

“Oh, but how can they not?” Battra smiled, her unicorn form showing fangs, and for a moment a hint of her more monstrous form flickering across her features. “What I became when I was pulled into this strange new realm is what some call a Changeling Queen. Interestingly, this species can taste emotions like others taste food. I’ve become something of a connoisseur in my short time in Equestria, and I do so enjoy finding new flavors. Yours in particular is one of the most intense, dark, and utterly delicious hatreds I’ve tasted yet. Why I dare say it reminds me of one of my... compatriots. His hatred drew me to him as well. Yours is different, but no less potent. You can hardly blame me for being curious how such a hatred came to be.”

“The more I learn about you, the more I question this alliance,” Ki Seong snorted, finishing work on her crossbow and moving on to her other weapon. She removed the wooden token that hung from her neck. For a moment she looked at it’s simple wood surface, engraved with such plain letters. She ran a hoof over it, then with a sigh she touched the token with her magic.

A faint fog emerged from the token and rapidly took shape as the magical seal opened and disgorged Ki Seong’s true and dearest weapon.

The spear was of the 'woldo' style, short in shaft, no longer than Ki Seong’s own body, but bearing a broad and curved blade with twin teeth rising from the back. The etching of a dragon’s head could be seen reflected by the firelight on the blade’s smooth iron surface. Ki Seong set the talisman down and gently cradled the spear in her magic, removing an oil rag to polish the blade’s surface.

Battra looked on curiously. “An interesting piece of magic. I sense the magic of the talisman isn’t yours, however. Someone else enchanted that object to hold the spear. Hmm, I wonder who?”

Ki Seong’s eyes flickered towards Battra with a flash of anger, but she then resumed focus on polishing the blade of the spear. Battra chuckled dryly.

“From the way you looked upon it I can take a guess. I can’t read the writing, of course, but why do I feel as if it contains some message of affection? ‘Take care, my love’, or ‘Forever yours’, something to that effect?”

Abruptly the spear was thrust across the flames of the campfire and its blade stopped a scant inch from Battra’s face. She show little concern for it, other than to smile at Ki Seong across the iron edge’s length as the kirin glared at her. The flames of the fire didn’t so much as heat the spear’s shaft, a faint glow of magic besides Ki Seong’s own gleaming slightly off its surface.

“You. Know. Nothing.” Ki Seong spat.

“I don’t? Yet it was him, was it not? Cho Yon was the one who gave you that talisman, if not the spear. It seems he cared for you deeply.” Battra raised a hoof and while it seemed a gentle motion, a monstrous strength pushed the spear away from her face. “One must wonder how this gumiho became so close to him for it to be able to kill him, with you also around, ever vigilant.”

Ki Seong surged to her hooves. Like writhing snakes of shadow strands of her mane flowed around her head, poised to strike. Her eyes grew red with rage, and it took every ounce  of self discipline she had not to leap across the campfire and attack Battra right then and there. Instead her voice was a almost unnaturally distorted growl as she shouted, “It wasn’t my fault!”

Her breathing was ragged, and her mind bubbled with flashes of memory that she wanted to batter away like motes of fire. Fire like the flames that had consumed the Yon family temple. Her hooves shook as she remembered the heat of that fire, harsh and choking the air with smoke. She remembered all of the anger and hurt she’d felt, discovering Cho Yon with that... thing.

“I couldn’t protect him, from either Jeog, or himself,” she said, as if to herself, practically forgetting that Battra was there. Her magic shook, the spear hovering in an unsteady pattern near her. Her eyes trailed to the talisman on the ground, the simple piece of carved wood, which she carefully picked up. Looking at it calmed her, gave her focus.

“It was all a mistake. He was under that creature's spell, that’s all. It wasn’t his fault, or mine. It was hers. It. That monstrous thing. It ruined everything. Brought him to ruin, and me as well... heh... but she couldn’t kill me and fled. But there’s nowhere in the world she can flee to I won’t find her. I’ll correct the mistakes. I’ll make it right. When the gumiho dies, everything will be right again...”

With something almost akin to desperate reverence she ran a hoof over the talisman, and the same faint mist from before emerged and coiled around the spear, both spear and fog vanishing into the talisman within seconds. Ki Seong then slipped the wooden ornament carefully over her head once more. Her eyes slide back up to Battra with sharp focus.

“That is all you ever need to know.”

Ki Seong then sat down and proceeded to stare into the campfire, and Battra may as well have ceased to exist for all the attention the kirin paid to her after that point. As for Battra herself, she continued to observe Ki Seong with a faint glimmer of satisfaction in her eyes. During that outburst of emotion Ki Seong had forgotten just how easily Battra could read surface thoughts, and the kaiju had gleaned much from that brief exchange.

Not everything had been clear, but Battra had seen enough to put most of what she hadn’t seen together, regardless.

She wondered just how much of it Ki Seong herself believed was true, and how much was the ever shaky filter one sees the past through?

For Ki Seong, the memories felt clear as glass, and sharp as the broken edge of a mirror. While Battra watched her, Ki Seong’s mind delved backwards, remembering...

----------

She had always performed her duties with respective diligence and pursued training with heartfelt determination, but over the past few weeks many within the Seong family compound noticed a slow but distinct change in their prodigal daughter. Ki Seong woke up at the same time each day, an hour before dawn, taking to her chores and training regimen with an almost glowing passion. She smiled more, laughed louder, and her mother took note that on more than one occasion Ki Seong would take more time to brush her mane and tail than usual, until the black strands were smoother than silk.

Of course most could guess what this meant; that the courtship with Cho Yon was going well. The marriage was to be at the cusp of summer, and it was now mid-spring. As if Ki Seong’s mood was contagious the usual serious air of the Seong compound grew lighter and even some of the more dour members of the family of monster hunters couldn’t help but crack smiles themselves, seeing the happiness that Ki Seong would radiate through the quiet halls.

That morning the sun had barely been up an hour but she’d already finished laundry, carrying water from the stream, and performing basic weapon maintenance in the armory. She was out in the main training yard, going through the motions of her spearwork. Body, magic, and spear all moved as one, her swept back horns gleaming with a magical aura that also coated the broad bladed spear that floated at her side. The Iron Flower style was one of perpetual motion. The warrior never stopped moving either their body or their weapon, combining devastating hoof strikes with an ever spinning blade and spear shaft. It was an aggressive style, one her mother had taught Ki Seong well. Whether against one opponent or many, the Iron Flower was a flurry of strikes, a relentless rain of punishment that few could defend against. If it had a weakness it was only that the form relied on that aggression to carry the warrior through to defeating her opponents, since it lacked a meaningful defensive technique. But who needed defense if you left no opponent standing long enough to attack you?

She was thoroughly sweat soaked and panting by the time the sun climbed another hour’s length into the lightening morning sky, but felt  little of the fatigue. A dozen training dummies were left cleaved around her and her muscles had a nice, enjoyable burn in them as her heart pumped loudly in her chest. She’d just like to see a Yokai try to best her style! Now if only there was something to hunt. The last time the family had dispatched hunters had been the previous year. She’d been part of that hunt, tracking down a dreaded mountain spider. Her father may have struck the killing blow, but she’d set it up by severing the beast’s legs out from under it. Terrifying and thrilling both at the same time. She loved what she did, and if there was one concern she had with this arranged marriage it was that she worried she might not be sent on any hunts for a time, if she was stuck at home with a foal on the way...

Granted that was a matter for later, after the bond of husband and wife was sealed in the marriage bed, but it was a worry that nagged at her. However she couldn’t find it in her to mind even that worry. Cho Yon had thus far shown himself to be a good man, who seemed to care for her beyond the simple matter of doing his duty to family. He talked to her freely and with an ease that she found relaxing. She appreciated his quick wit and inquisitive manner, and it didn’t hurt that he wasn’t too hard on the eyes and far more fit than his appearance might suggest.

But perhaps most of all she just enjoyed his company and felt at peace with him around. She had no idea if that was love or not, but if it wasn’t, well many an arranged marriage happened without love but in time grew into it. So while she couldn’t say with certainty that she loved Cho Yon, she certainly believed she could grow to do so, and in a fittingly short time. All in all, things could be far worse.

“Good morning, Ki Seong.”

Cho Yon was standing on the open hallway that ran alongside the training yard, smiling at her. She hadn’t even heard him come out through the doorway into the house’s main interior. Either too focused on her training or too busy daydreaming. She shook a briefly bewildered expression off and smiled back at him.

“Good morning to you too, Cho Yon. I’m sorry you have to see me in such a disheveled state. I usually train until mid-morning,” she said, blushing with a brief gleam of red as she looked at her dusty, sweat covered state, with her mane and tail wild from her vigorous training session. She’d always ensured to see Cho Yon only after a through bath and some time spent sorting her mane and tail out, and now he was seeing her at probably her most disarray state.

Yet Cho Yon’s smile only deepened as he stepped out onto the training grounds, quickly trotting up to her. She noticed he had a small box wrapped up in green cloth printed with white lillies balanced on his back.

“I probably should have announced myself, but I wanted to see you train,” he said, gesturing around at the grounds with its broken training dummies, “This is a part of your life, and worth learning about just as I try to teach you some of my family’s ways. And if it isn’t too bold to say, you look just fine.” He coughed, turning a tad red himself, “More than fine, actually.”

She laughed, planting her spear in the ground next to her and started to go through the ritual of her stretches, a necessary part of training the muscles after heavy exertion. She didn’t mind that it gave Cho Yon even more to look at. “Oh? So you like seeing me covered in dirt and sweat? Perhaps I shall skip bathing today if it pleases you so.”

She also enjoyed teasing Cho Yon to no end, a fact that surprised her when she discovered it, but had embraced fully. She grinned as Cho Yon held up a defensive hoof, laughing as well.

“No, no, you mustn’t let my odd tastes preclude you from attending to hygiene. Otherwise I may be tempted to join you in skipping bathing, and then what will the town say? There goes Ki Seong and Cho Yon, the dirtiest couple in town, and not for any of the fun reasons we could be called so.”

She idly picked up a small pebble with her magic and tossed it at him with a smirk, “Behave.”

He caught the pebble and tossed it up and down in his hoof, wagging his eyebrows, “As you wish, my lady.”

Cho Yon approached her as she finished her stretching and gave her a warm, heartfelt embrace. She felt her face redden against as she returned it, “It is good to see you, Cho Yon. You’ve never come to the compound before.”

“I thought it was about time.” He looked around at the place, at the numerous squat and simple buildings of dark wood and slopped, gray tiled roofs. “It's a bit... grim. There’s literally a weapon stand every other room I passed through, and I don’t think I’ve seen a splotch of color besides gray since I passed the front entrance.”

“Well, my family does what it does very well, and frivolity is not often part it,” Ki Seong said with a note of defensiveness, “We hunt monsters. Bright colors don’t seem appropriate.”

“I suppose so,” he said, licking his lips. She sensed a slight nervousness in him, but it passed quickly. “I imagine if my family was in the same business the village might seem more grim as well. I suppose we’ll both have things to bring to each other’s family once we’re wed.”

“Your family’s connection to spiritual matters is admirable, and also partly the reason for our match, but you do seem to have a preoccupation with venerating strange beings,” Ki Seong said, and hesitate a moment before going further, “Like that Watcher in the Leaves, for example.”

She had been unsure how to question Cho Yon on this, or indeed if she should even bring it up at all. Cho Yon’s family were shamans, spellcasters with a strong spiritual connection to not only the land, but the realm of spirits beyond. That in and of itself was neither unusual or a bad thing. Carrea was a magical land, filled with strange and fantastic things. Mystical beasts dwelled in the high mountains, deep rivers, and dark forests. Spirits roamed moon cast nights, and haunted ancient ruins and temples. A few were benevolent towards mortalkind, many more were at best neutral... and entirely too many others were malicious and monstrous.

Ki Seong had spent her whole life training to deal with the monstrous ones, the Yogoe, and even some of the more neutral spirits if they ever turned hostile towards innocent mortals for one perceived slight or invasion of territory. Yet shamans like those of Cho Yon’s family were known to have more direct and positive contact with such beings, even if infrequently. In the many times she’d visited Cho Yon in the past few weeks she’d been noticing some unusual things.

At first it was just the sensation of being watched. An ever present feeling at the base of the back of her neck that warned her of eyes upon her. It only happened when she was with Cho Yon, strolling through the forest, or spending time in his family’s village. Ki Seong could never spot anything or anyone watching her, however.

However she’d also started to look for deeper signs of something amiss, and in several instances had managed to find unusual tracks following alone where she and Cho Yon went. Fox tracks. It was then that she’d started paying more attention to the Yon family’s history and legends, learning from those that the family had long held to the notion that they had a ‘protector spirit’ who would watch over them from the forest. A fox spirit, referred to most often as the Watcher in the Leaves.

Now the Yon family was hardly the only one in Carrea to claim to have some guardian spirit. Many old family’s had legends like that dating back centuries. Nine times out of ten it was just simple superstition. But in Carrea, that tenth time often meant a Yogoe was involved.

The question was, what kind? In her extensive studies there were only a limited number of spirits and beasts that bore any resemblance to a fox. None of the ones she knew of were particularly friendly towards mortals, and the worst of them were outright deadly.

Yet the Yon family seemed happy and safe. No horrible shape-shifting fox demons preying upon them that she could see. Just the constant feeling of being followed, and the occasional mysterious track.

Could she really just be imagining things? Perhaps she was being too paranoid and overprotective of her new fiancee and was merely getting worried over a few normal fox tracks and a neck tingle.

But she wanted to see how Cho Yon reacted to her question, and to her surprise his nervousness from before came back, though he tried to hide it.

“Oh, heh, well that old tale goes way back, with my family. Many generations, in fact. I wouldn’t say my family venerates her so much as just recognizes that our fortunes are tied with her’s on a karmic level. According to the legend she came to us to learn mortal ways, and in exchange for that knowledge she has helped the Yon family in times of need.”

Ki Seong’s eyes narrowed slightly as she idly started to clean up the remains of the training dummies. They were simply affairs, packed with straw and shaped in rough facsimile of traditional Yogoe. One of them happened to have a fierce vulpine appearance, with a snarling fox head. Coincidentally. Ki Seong didn’t even remember specifically picking the dummy out for her training, but now that she looked at it, head severed cleanly from the body with straw strewn about everywhere, she felt an odd pang of satisfaction.

“I see.” she said, tossing the dummy’s head into a nearby wastebasket, “And in what ways has this spirit aided your family? It is my own family’s experience that such favors usually cost more than the mortal is aware they’re paying.”

Cho Yon gave her a guarded look, perhaps the first time she recalled him being defensive around her. “Spirits don’t see the world the way we do. Sometimes even the help they give isn’t always obvious, even to them.”

“Or the danger they represent.”

“Ki Seong, I know your family has trained you to hunt the kind of creatures that would threaten mortal lives, but surely your training has also taught you that not every non-mortal being that inhabits our land is dangerous.”

Her eyes flashed with momentary anger, sharpening her voice, “I am not a fool. I know that some Yogoe are not inherently malicious. But they are, one and all, unpredictable. Not a one of them is harmless, and you’re right, they don’t see the world as we do. That’s what makes them dangerous. I...”

She stopped herself, realizing how much she was raising her voice. Taking a calming breath Ki Seong looked at Cho Yon with softened eyes. “I’m only worried about you. I’ve... noticed things, at your village, and in the forest. As if when we are together there we are being followed. Watched.”

He stared at her for a good long moment, then slowly nodded his head, “I understand.” With a careful brush of his own magic he lifted the box that he’d been balancing on his back and floated it towards her. “I can’t explain everything quite yet, but I want you to know that I’m not in any danger and that despite our differences I do support what you do and who you are. That’s why I brought this.”

She took the box in her own soft glow of gold magic, and looked it over curiously. “For me?”

Cho Yon nodded, “Yes. To show that I’ve been thinking of you.”

With a faintly bemused smile she opened the box, her magic lifting off the lid as she peered inside. With a curious look she floated out the contents, a smooth token of dark wood edged with silver, with a red strip of cloth through it so it could be hung from the neck. The wood was carved with a series of complex kanji lettering, part of which she recognized as a shamanic seal. She could feel the warmth of magic flowing through the token. It took her a moment longer to read the inscription.

“...’My heart is always with you’. Cho Yon, what is this?” she asked, not understanding, although she felt warm just holding the token.

Cho Yon smiled and gestured at her spear, “Touch the token to your weapon. You’ll see.”

Curiously she did so, and let out a small gasp as the spear shimmered and transformed into a light mist that swirled into the token. As she looked at the token in amazement Cho Yon came up to her, putting a hoof on it. “Anytime you need to retrieve an item from the token, just run your hoof or your magic over the inscription. I thought that since I can’t likely ever join you on your hunts I could at least make it easier for you to carry your hunting gear.”

“You made this yourself?” she asked, and Cho Yon chuckled.

“Mostly. Had a little help from my grandfather, who’s far better at enchantment than I am.” He looked at her with an uneasy smile, “Do you like it?”

The warmth she’d been feeling seemed like it might spill out like an overflowing teacup and in response she took the token and slipped it on over her neck. She then leaned forward and nuzzled his cheek and whispered, “What do you think?”

They shared a quiet moment together, eyes meeting with galvanizing heat. On the surging impulse of the moment she pressed forward, her lips meeting his. He didn’t resist, and seemed to sigh into her. For a few seconds Ki Seong forgot all about her duties to her family, fears for the future, and any concerns over mysterious Watchers in the Leaves. She just enjoyed being there, with him.

The moment passed entirely too quickly and the two were left looking at each other, each seeming to blush more than the other.

“So, um, will I be able to see you later today?” Cho Yon asked.

“I have a lot of work to do around the compound,” Ki Seong admitted, “I don’t know if I’ll get it all done before evening. Maybe tomorrow?”

“I’d like that.” Cho Yon said, and he paused curiously, a mischievous look coming over his features, “And perhaps by then I can arrange a more complete answer to your questions about my family’s mysterious guardian. I think I’ve put it off long enough.”

“Oh? Well, I’ll look forward to it.” she said, reaching out and giving him a final, affectionate touch on the cheek before letting him go. She watched him leave wistfully, then got back to cleaning up the training yard.

That took longer than she’d have liked, and she knew she had quite a few other chores that needed doing. However before she’d even gotten them half done her mother passed by Ki Seong cleaning one of the interior dojos. Her mother was a shorter, more compact version of Ki Seong, with the same jade coat and white scales, with a mane of dark hair. Her mother kept her mane and tail cut short in a more warrior-like fashion, but kept it just as well combed and smooth as Ki Seong did.

“Whatever are you doing wasting time with cleaning up an already near pristine dojo, child?” her mother asked with a wry grin. Ki Seong just paused in patting out dust from one of the practice mats and blinked at her mother.

“I always do this, mother. It's part of my regular duties since I was eight.”

Her mother laughed, “Yes, well, I think we can start making exceptions when its such a nice day out and you have more interesting things to occupy your attention with.”

The elder kirin nodded towards the token now hanging around Ki Seong’s neck, “I saw that fine young man give that to you. He seems a good fellow.”

“H-He is,” Ki Seong said with a heated face. Her mother approached her and nudged Ki Seong with a sly wink.

“As much as I love your father, I always did somewhat regret not taking more time to enjoy just getting to know him before we sealed our vows. Arranged marriages don’t always have to be between strangers, my little iron flower. Go, take the rest of the day off and spend more time with him.”

“B-but, I already told him I’d be doing chores all day. He wouldn’t be expecting me.”

Her mother’s smile grew positively devilish. “Surprise him. Perhaps while he’s bathing?”

“Mother!”

“Oh don’t give me that look, child. You were already thinking it before I said it.”

“...I was not.”

Shaking her head ruefully her mother nodded towards the door with an encouraging smile, “Go.”

Finally taking the hint Ki Seong set aside the practice mat she’d been cleaning and took a few minutes to clean herself up and pick out a dress to wear. She had few to choose from, almost all of them plain, but she didn’t think Cho Yon would mind. Satisfied that she looked somewhat presentable, and already eagerly anticipating the moment of surprising Cho Yon with her sudden visit, she was practically skipping out of her family’s compound and down the short streets that led out of town. She knew the route to Cho Yon’s village by heart now, and made good time up into the forested hills.

A quick inquiry at the temple was all it took to discover Cho Yon had gone further up into the hills. Not unusual for him, and she figured he’d be at his seemingly favorite spot at the hilltop clearing that overlooked the valley. She went that way with a bounce in her step, not even bothering to look for any signs of being followed or watched like she usually did. Whatever Cho Yon was hiding concerning that family legend, he’d tell her in due time. She didn’t even want to think about it today, and instead just enjoy her time with him.

She hadn’t been paying much attention to her surroundings, but she didn’t have to in order to hear Cho Yon’s voice speaking in the distance. She also heard another voice, this one female, replying to him. She couldn’t make out the words, but the tone was... joking and familiar.

Ki Seong instinctively slowed her pace and went silent, ears perked as she listened. The voices were still indistinct, so she silently crept forward, moving off the forest trail and hiding herself among the thickly packed trees. Her heart started to beat faster as she got closer to the clearing. Who was Cho Yon talking to?

Slowly, with every shred of stealth her skills and training could muster, she reached the edge of the clearing. Staying hidden behind the trees she watched with ever widening eyes at the unfolding scene.

Cho Yon was standing beside a large, fox-like creature. The fox had a light gray coat of fur with a slightly blue tint, its slim body ending with a massive fan of nine fluffy tails. Ice blue eyes were looking at Cho Yon with altogether too much fondness for Ki Seong’s liking as the fox took up a two legged stance that Ki Seong recognized as identical to the stance Cho Yon used when practicing his family’s martial art.

The way Cho Yon was carefully adjusting the fox’s stance and speaking in a quiet, encouraging tone suggested he was teaching the fox. He took up the same stance and worked through the motions of several forms, the fox awkwardly mimicking him. When the fox stumbled she let out a frustrated growl, and Cho Yon laughed merrily as he tried to show her the proper stance again.

Ki Seong was too shocked to do anything other than keep watching, her blood pounding in her ears.

She still couldn’t hear the specifics of what was being said, but Cho Yon’s friendly manner and the fox’s relaxed ease seemed to say plenty in Ki Seong’s reeling mind. Then when the two moved on from practicing forms to actual sparring Ki Seong felt her teeth start to clench. From one perspective it might have looked like awkward sparring between a teacher who didn’t know what he was doing and a student not very adept at learning. To Ki Seong the playful back and forth between the two looked entirely too intimate.

Especially when the fox managed to pounce on Cho Yon and the two tumbled to the ground, laughing. The fox ended up on top, and said something to Cho Yon. Ki Seong couldn’t hear Cho Yon’s response, but she saw the fox move in and kiss her fiance.

The sight made her blood turn cold as winter. She turned and vanished back into the forest, unable to think clearly, and only wanting to be away from that place as fast as possible, her mind turning end over end.

She’d been right. There was a dangerous creature stalking Cho Yon’s family in the guise of a friend. Whatever it was, it was using Cho Yon. Had him under some sort of spell. That was the only explanation.

But what could she do about it? She couldn’t tell her family what she’d seen! It’d ruin any chance of the marriage going through if they found out. She’d have to save Cho Yon herself, and put an end to this monstrous creature quickly. She just needed the right opportunity.

The first night she spent in study, pouring over her family’s records and manuals until she found the obscure entry on “gumiho”. The second night she received a letter from Cho Yon that was almost too perfect for her plans. He wanted to meet her, alone, at the temple on the next sunset. He wanted her to meet a ‘friend’ and that he’d explain everything.

Good. The perfect chance to free him from the gumiho’s spell.

On that night she’d left town with Cho Yon’s token still around her neck.

----------

When Ki Seong awoke she felt a hot dampness on her eyes and with a angered grunt she wiped away the offending tears. She was beyond the pain those memories brought, or so she told herself vehemently as she got up and looked around the camp. She couldn’t quite remember when she’d drifted off to sleep, but the night had passed and the horizon was starting to brighten with the coming dawn.

Battra was nowhere to be seen. With a soft grumble Ki Seong retrieved her possessions, threw on her cloak, and set about searching for her wayward partner with a glower on her face. It had been awhile since she’d dreamed about the details leading up to Cho Yon’s death. Perhaps the prospect of the hunt possibly coming to an end was making the memories surface. Battra’s incessant badgering on the subject certainly wasn’t helping.

Ki Seong just wanted this all over with. Cho Yon’s soul deserved to rest peacefully, and she...

...She didn’t didn’t know what she’d do when it was all finally done. For the longest time she’d convinced herself returning home with the gumiho’s fox beads would be enough to earn her way back into her family’s good graces, but after so long she wasn’t certain she even wanted to return. Things would never go back to how they were. She couldn’t go back to what she’d been. Not after absorbing the essence of so many Yogoe in her long, long quest for vengeance.

Even now she was reminded of just how far she’d strayed from being a mere kirin as her nose sniffed the air and her sharpened senses picked up Battra’s scent nearby. She didn’t even need to follow the trail the kaiju left to discover her in the field around the bend of one of the nearby hills. Not even bothering to don her unicorn disguise, Battra was standing tall and proud in her dark form that resembled a cross between an alicorn and a monstrous insect. She was just finishing the ritual for a magical spell, lines of magical energy flowing across the ground around her in a circle, when Ki Seong came upon her.

“Ah, awake at last. Did you have pleasant dreams?” Battra asked in that honeyed voice that made Ki Seong’s blood feel poisoned.

“My dreams are none of your concern.”

“Oh but I’m so close to helping you fulfill one of them.” Battra cooed teasingly, her magical ritual completing with a flash of deep orange light. The kaiju smiled, displaying pearl white fangs. “This last tracking spell has finally zeroed in on our prey.”

Ki Seong tried to control herself as her heart leaped in sudden, hungry excitement. “She’s close?”

“Very close.” Battra said with assurance, “The spell didn’t pick up her old trail this time, but instead a fresh sign of this gumiho’s unique magical energy. She’s within ten miles or so west of here, give or take. Pinpointing her exactly will have to wait until we’re right in the vicinity, but we’ll reach that by this afternoon if we move fast enough.”

A feral look entered Ki Seong’s eyes as she turned to start trotting for the road, “Then let’s not waste time.”

“Don’t be too hasty, my eager friend.” Battra said, easily catching up and keeping pace with Ki Seong by using her large, butterfly-like wings to fly beside the kirin.

“Don’t even think of getting in my way, now that we’re this close!” Ki Seong snapped, but Battra just laughed lightly and shook her head.

“I can see how this Jeog has escaped you so many times in the past, if you get this rambunctious every time you get close to cornering her. A wise hunter does not rush their quarry, but waits patiently for the right moment to strike.”

Ki Seong knew Battra was right, but it still irked her all the same. Taking a deep breath she said, “Yes, yes I know. If I know how the monster operates she’ll be hiding among the people. There’s a town nearby, isn’t there?”

“Ponyville, if the maps are accurate. We should take our time and survey the town before making our move.” Battra licked her lips, “But do not fear, you’ll soon have what you hunger for.”

Ki Seong said nothing, eyes fixed forward as she marched down the road. Battra resumed her pony disguise, following along behind with a knowing smirk.

Soon, one way or another, the hunt would end.

----------

Diamond Tiara woke up earlier that morning than she could remember in a long time. She’d simply been too restless during the night to sleep very well. In her heart she knew that she shouldn’t be so worried. Destroyah was not only a good pony-er, kaiju, but she had Diamond Tiara’s complete trust that she’d judge Jeog fairly and make sure everything turned out okay. It was just... Diamond couldn’t help but be afraid for her unusual fox friend.

Part of it was that the way that book had described gumiho seemed so contradictory to the Jeog that Diamond Tiara had grown to know, yet in some ways she could almost see how the book’s entry had come about. Jeog wasn’t normal in how she saw the world around her, at least not in regards to things like conventional ideas of right and wrong, or any social norms that ponies like Diamond Tiara took for granted.

It’d be easy for anyone who didn’t want to look any more closely at the strange fox-like being to see nothing but a dangerous nuisance at best, or a complete monster at worst. Diamond was convinced that Jeog was no monster, but it was impossible to deny her mind didn’t work like a pony’s did. Even so, over the past week Diamond Tiara had seen Jeog have fun, get scared, be sad, and smile. The differences between them couldn’t be that insurmountable.

But Diamond Tiara was still worried. She trusted Lady Destroyah’s judgment, but if Destroyah and Ditzy Doo decided Jeog was too dangerous to stay around ponies... well, Diamond wasn’t sure what she’d do.

On top of all that there was the looming shadow of the “Hunter” that Jeog was so frightened of. The gumhio seemed convinced this Hunter was still out there, and might find her, especially now that she’d revealed her true form to the ponies of Ponyville. Diamond wasn’t so sure. From the story Jeog had shown them so far of what had happened in Carrea it seemed this had happened a long time ago. It seemed crazy anypony might chase Jeog for years, across oceans even. Still, if there was truly a threat from this mysterious Hunter, Destroyah was here. Diamond Tiara couldn’t imagine anyone or anything strong enough to take on Lady Destroyah. Even that horrifying Godzilla fellow, although Diamond had to admit she’d never seen this supposed “King of the Monsters” in the flesh before.

Her thoughts carried her through her morning routine, and she entered the kitchen to grab a quick breakfast, only to blink at the presence of a large crate tucked into one side of the kitchen. Her mother was humming away in the kitchen as well, preparing some toast with what looked like the last of the jam from the sparsely populated cupboards. Diamond pointed at the crate and asked, “Hey mom, what’s this?”

Spoiled Rich glanced over her shoulder and smiled at Diamond Tiara, “Oh, good morning dear. I’m not sure what this crate is about. I found it delivered on our doorstep and just sort of hauled it inside. It is rather heavy, so I assume it's more parts your father ordered for one project or another. You know how he gets when he’s on a roll.”

“You didn’t look inside?” Diamond Tiara asked, tilting her head.

“Oh no, dear, I don’t mess with your father’s things. Some of the parts he uses are delicate. Wouldn’t want to break anything,” her mother said, still smiling as she finished filling up plate with jam covered toast and offered Diamond Tiara a slice. “Eat up. I suspect Miss Doo will be keeping you and Silver Spoon busy again today.”

A brief flicker of concern and unease crossed Spoiled Rich’s face as her smile faltered, “And just like yesterday I expect you to come straight home afterward. You’re still grounded, and... um, well just come straight home. No dallying around with Silver Spoon or, uh, your other friend.”

“She has a name, mom,” Diamond Tiara said with a slight huff, going to the table and munching down her toast, her eyes still drawn to the mystery crate. She thought about taking a peek inside, but like her mother she wasn’t eager to screw around with any of her father’s work. Still, it was strange. He usually didn’t order parts in bulk. Maybe he had a big project in the works? Diamond Tiara could only hope. Perhaps the new invention, whatever it was, would finally sell well.

Spoiled Rich joined her daughter at the table, still looking uneasy. “I know she does, dear. I really do wish you’d told us about her. Not like it would have been any stranger than when you brought Lady Destroyah into town.”

Diamond Tiara sighed, ears drooping to either side of her head, “I know, mom. And I’m sorry. I was just worried getting adults involved would scare Jeog off and... I was being selfish. I guess I wanted the mystery all to myself.” She gulped, “I just hope she’ll be allowed to stay.”

“I think it’ll be okay,” her mother said, managing an encouraging smile on her weary features, “A part of me might feel dreadful thinking what might have happened to you or Silver Spoon this past week, considering what almost happened with poor Scootaloo, but it seems to me that if this Jeog had really meant anypony any harm then something would have happened much sooner. And I’d like to think I raised a daughter who knows how to pick her friends. If you trust your new friend, I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt.” Spoiled Rich paused, taking a bite of her toast, “You’re still grounded, though.”

“I know...” Diamond Tiara huffed again, but there was a bit of an accepting smile behind it. She quickly finished her own toast and said, “I better get going to the library. Did you want me to pick up some jam on the way back?”

Spoiled Rich hesitated, a momentary look of shame coloring her face, “Oh, well, we’re a bit short of bits for that at the moment. I’m sure we’ll be able to get some more next week.”

Diamond Tiara took that with a simple nod, voice subdued as she said, “No problem, just thought I’d ask.”

She went around the table to give her mother a quick hug, “Love you, mom, see you when I get back.”

With quick steps she trotted out of the house, only giving the strange crate one last look before leaving. She didn’t realize that the reason the crate seemed so out of place to her was that, unlike every other crate or package delivered by Ponyville’s mail service, there’d been no address stamp.

----------

Diamond Tiara had yet to arrive at the library and Jeog was getting antsy. She paced around the library’s main floor while Destroyah looked on from the table where Ditzy and Silver Spoon were already seated, both of the ponies with their gray noses buried in books. Jeog was mildly curious about what the pair were trying to learn from the books, despite thinking that the books themselves were strange. Scratching something down with ink onto a dead plant, trying to record what should be experienced, seemed to her like a hard way to learn. If you wanted to know something, you had to feel it, smell it, taste it, rip into it with your own claws and teeth. All the things she’d ever seen in books looked as dead as paper it was written on. But then again, mortals kept building things and continued on existing, so maybe there was something to it?

Following her curious impulse she poked her snout over Silver Spoon’s shoulder and peered at the book the filly was reading, “What are you trying to read-learn?”

Silver Spoon jerked, startled, as Jeog hadn’t really made her presence known until she spoke, and the filly adjusted her glasses with a flat frown. “I’m going to get a bell to attach to you one of these days. Ahem, I’m trying to learn more about... well, not your ‘kind’ exactly, but just about Carrea’s strange beasts in general.”

Jeog tilted her head to eye the filly, then looked at the book, which had a page open to a picture of a huge, hulking humanoid creature with deep blue skin, an unbelievable musculature, twin horns rising from its brow, and carrying a huge spiked club. Jeog couldn’t read any of the writings, but she knew the creature in the picture and she snorted, “Mountain oni. Big, easily fooled, fun to play with. Got a whole pack of them to chase me for a week, once, before I got bored of them trying to squash me. Why do you care about these things?”

Silver Spoon looked down at the page with a thoughtful twitch, “I guess just like Diamond Tiara I’m just trying to understand what you are better. Heh, besides, there’s all sorts of neat stuff in here. Like I’m kind of surprised at how many weaknesses some of these beings have. Like you’re allergic to iron, but I’ve ready in here about creatures that freak out at mirrors, or get poisoned by jade, get warded off by certain kinds of incense or salt. I could whip up a decent anti-critter arsenal from half the stuff in Ditzy Doo’s kitchen.”

A few of Jeog’s many tails swished about, “Planning to go hunting?”

“No, just satisfying curiosity,” an odd look crossed Silver Spoon’s face, both yearning but faintly sad, “I mean, I won’t be able to look out for Diamond forever. We’re gonna grow up one day, and if things go the way she wants she’ll start doing business stuff... but I don’t think I’ll be joining her.”

“I don’t understand,” Jeog admitted, and Silver Spoon offered a small smile.

“That’s okay, I’m not so sure I do either. Just been thinking a lot lately. Don’t worry about it.”

To Jeog’s own surprise she was worried about it. Diamond Tiara may have been the one to occupy the center of Jeog’s attention, but Silver Spoon had been an enjoyable presence as well and Jeog didn’t like seeing the filly seem so unsure of herself. It seemed very unlike Silver Spoon, uncertainty.

Before she could consider the matter further the door to the library opened and Diamond Tiara trotted inside, giving everyone present a wave while smiling apologetically, “Sorry if I kept you waiting. Kinda surprised you all got here first, I thought I’d woken up pretty early.”

“Your idea of early is still most other ponies idea of regular morning, Diamond,” Silver Spoon said, earning a sardonic smirk from Diamond Tiara.

“Oh be quiet, I wasn’t built for mornings.”

As Diamond Tiara trotted across the room, greeting Destroyah and Ditzy Doo in turn, then turning a smle towards Jeog, the gumiho watched the filly carefully. She’d left her gift out in front of Diamond Tiara’s family lair, but hadn’t stayed beyond watching Diamond’s mother take the crate into the house. Knowing just how much Diamond Tiara cared about ensuring her family had that silly ‘money’ thing, Jeog was hoping that no matter what happened, even if she had to leave and never see Diamond Tiara again, that at least she’d make the filly’s life better by giving her the thing she wanted. She hoped to see some excitement on Diamond Tiara’s face, but the filly seemed normal. Happy, but no more so than usual.

Had they not opened the crate yet? Jeog wondered if perhaps she should have opened the crate herself and dumped the money on Diamond Tiara, like Destroyah had mentioned? She suppressed  frustrated whine and resolved herself to wait. Diamond or one of her family members would discover the money eventually, then she could enjoy Diamond Tiara’s reaction.

“You okay?” Diamond Tiara asked her as the filly sat at the table, “You look distracted.”

“It’s nothing,” Jeog said, having no desire to spoil the surprise and instead just quickly changed the subject, “Now that you’re here, we can finish what was started yesterday.”

“You’ll be able to get through it all today?” asked Destroyah, moving her sizable bulk over to the table as well, plopping down heavily opposite where Jeog sat.

“Yes, there isn’t much more to show,” Jeog said with a heavy nod, feeling an unpleasant and cold weight settle over her as she was reminded of what she’d be doing, of the memories she’d be revisiting. All of the old pain and fear threatened to bubble back up and make her want to flee the library, but she took control of herself, looking at Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. She was doing this for a reason. They should know what happened, so they’d understand the Hunter, the threat she represented, and possibly be better prepared for her if she did track Jeog to Ponyville. And maybe more than that, by telling this story, showing what happened, Jeog wouldn’t keep feeling weighed down by it.

“Well, no reason not to begin then,” said Ditzy Doo, closing up the book she’d been reading, “I believe we’re ready when you are, Miss Jeog.”

Jeog nodded nervously, and glanced down as she felt a hoof patting one of her front paws. Diamond Tiara was giving her an encouraging look, “Go ahead, I’ll be right here.”

With the filly’s look helping temper Jeog’s resolve, she tapped into the magic inside her and summoned forth the azure glimmer of her fox fire, and meticulously began to craft the illusions that would paint the library in the sights, sounds, and smells of the past.

----------

It was a beautiful day, with the sky clear and painfully blue, with the warmth of spring tempered by a freshly cool mountain breeze. The clearing atop one of the many steep foothills was covered in tall grass that swayed like the waves of an ocean under the wind. Jeog wasn’t particularly taken with the splendid weather, instead too focused on her frustration. She could mimic Cho Yon’s form all but perfectly, her hind legs forming the correct stance, her paws spread in a manner akin to a sweeping crane’s wings. Her nine tails made balancing even easier than it was for Cho Yon, all nine lashing around in the air as she went through the motions Cho Yon was showing her. He stood right beside her, his own kirin body managing the oddly bipedal stance expertly and swiftly moving from one stance to the next with a smoothness akin to a flowing stream.

Yet she knew something was missing from her own motions. A hesitance or lack of ease that couldn’t quite match Cho Yon’s, no matter how precise she was in trying to mirror his form. Whether it was stance practice, or in their sparring matches, she just couldn’t match him, and it made her hair bristle and her lips pull back in an unconscious snarl.

“This is boring!” she declared, still maintaining her stance, but halting her motions. “I don’t understand this. I move like you do, but you always are faster, and always win when we play fight!”

Cho Yon halted alongside her, switching his stance to one that was at rest, yet still staying on his hind legs as he looked at her with a smile that said he sympathized with her frustration, but still found it amusing, which just made her bristle even more.

“We haven’t been doing this too long. You’re not going to master the Way of the Open Heart in a week. Honestly I’m shocked at how far you’ve come already! You’re a natural at the forms, you just lack... the proper perspective.”

She blew out a snort, dropping her stance and sitting on her haunches in front of him, tails swishing about lazily as she licked a paw and looked at him sidelong, “More silly mortal talk. Perspective? I see you just fine, and do exactly like you do. Why then do I not understand this Heart Way you speak of?”

He sighed, and while his smile didn’t fade she had the impression she’d disappointed him somehow.

“Because you have to do more than just perform the motions, you have to feel them. At the very core of the Way is the idea that we’re all connected, right here...” he held out his hoof between him and her, as if holding something. Just like the other day outside town. And as before she sniffed at his hoof, and glanced at him as if he were soft in the head.

“There’s nothing there.”

The young kirin shook his head, “No, there is, you just haven’t learned how to see it, yet. I know there’s something there because I can feel it, clear and bright as the sun in the sky. I think it's that you’ve spent such a long, long life never looking anywhere but inside yourself that you can’t see what can form between you and another.”

“And what is that?”

Cho Yon’s smile deepened, “A heart.”

Now that was confusing. She tilted her head, vulpine ears flicking as she put a paw on her chest. “Those things in here that pump all that hot blood that can flow out so easily?”

He laughed, but it was a sighing laugh, helpless yet somehow filled with an endearing fondness, “Only you’d take something like that so literally. I don’t mean that muscle. I mean... heh, well its hard to explain. It’s something you feel between yourself and another. A warmth and pull that draws you to each other. A heart isn’t a thing, its a feeling. Makes you want to be around that person, protect them, see them smile.”

That just baffled her even more. A warm feeling that caused one to do all that for another? She’d never experienced anything like that before in all the many passings of mortal years she’d existed. It sounded so strange. So alien. Yet... not unpleasant sounding either.

“I don’t understand,” she said, looking at him intently, “But I don’t mind seeing you smile. Is that close to what you mean?”

“It's a step in the right direction,” he said, rubbing the back of his head, “And I’m thinking if I can get through to you, I can get through to her.”

She didn’t have to ask who ‘her’ was. She’d been following Cho Yon closely these past weeks, watching as he became closer and closer to a particular female from the town. With a wry smile she licked her lips and she looked at him coyly. She was not unfamiliar with mortal courtship and mating habits. She’d been watching them long enough to know what kind of things they did with one another to produce offspring. She found it amusing, and had even played around with such things when the whim had taken her in the past, and she knew many mortals found the whole process oddly embarrassing. It meant teasing them about it was very easy, and equally fun!

“Oh, by her you mean the jade colored female who you want to mate with?”

As expected his face colored red. How easily mortals got flustered by such a silly thing!

“Hey, knock it off, I don’t just want to mate with her you know. There’s more to it than that! Ki Seong is a very good mare, and I feel lucky I’m getting the chance to get to know her before...”

“Before the mating,” she said with a thick grin, to which Cho Yon snorted at her.

“You’re impossible. I won’t let you embarrass me anymore. Nope, fun’s over,” he said, only half seriously as he turned his nose up, “I’m officially activating my ‘unflappable’ mode. Impossible to be embarrassed now.”

Oh yeah? That sounded like a challenge to her. While he was busy looking up and away from her in mock snootiness, she licked her lips and readied herself to spring. A moment later she pounced on him, and the two of them went rolling across the grass, both laughing. She ended up on top of him, pinning his chest to the ground with her paws, her snout a bare inch from his muzzle. She could feel his breath tickling her nose, and the rapid patter of his heart muscle beneath his chest, and the pleasant warmth radiating off his sweat coated body under her.

“O-okay, I think that's enough fun for one da-” Cho Yon started to say, but she halted his words with her lips locking onto his.

It was just an impulse. She wanted to think it was just for the fun of embarrassing him further, all part of the game. Yet as she kissed him there was a strange and unfamiliar stirring inside her. She’d done this before with morals, even gone much further than mere kissing, but none of those instances of meaningless fun had caused such an unusually warm stir within her. She found herself growling, but not in anger, but in hunger for more of this feeling.

But she felt firm hooves pushing on her chest, pushing her back and forcing the kiss to end. She ended up staring down at Cho Yon’s face, and while it was red as a rosy dawn, his expression was less amusing. He looked, if anything, uneasy and a little sad, his ears drooping and his voice soft.

“That’s enough. Please get off me.”

In times past she might have pushed things further, toyed with the mortal some more, she may even have liked making them uncomfortable and ill at ease. Yet now something in Cho Yon’s tone had her scrambling off him quickly, with a distinct sense of pain in her chest that she didn’t like one bit. She hid the feeling by putting on an aloof face as she watched him pick himself up.

“I was just having fun,” she said, “You mortals take things too seriously.”

Cho Yon cleared his throat, face still flushed red, “That may be true, and I’m not angry or anything. We just can’t... do things like that with each other. Playing around is one thing, but I can’t do that with you.”

She cocked her head, “Why not? Is it broken?”

“What!? No! I’m, uh, a fully functional stallion. That’s not the problem.”

He seemed to flounder for words, his face scrunching up as he opened his mouth in a few silent false starts as he tried to choose his words. She just watched him with a mixture of bewilderment and a bit of relief. True to his word he didn’t appear mad at her for kissing him, just flustered and struggling to explain what weird mortal hang-up he had over the issue. Eventually he blew out a sigh and shook his head helplessly.

“I don’t know how to explain this. I care about you, but not in the way that would make laying with you right.”

She felt a stab of resentment, although she wasn’t sure why, “But it would be right with that other female?”

“The way I feel about Ki Seong is... different. Similar, but different. I don’t think I can explain what that difference is with words. You’re just going to have to trust me when I say that difference matters, and that it doesn’t mean I don’t like you, it just means I don’t feel right doing, uh, you know...”

“Mating,” she provided, assuming he’d simply forgotten the term. Did mortals just forget their own language when they got embarrassed?

“R-right, that. Even if you don’t really understand this yet, I hope you at least get that this is important to me. And it should be for you too. You should wait until you find someone you feel really... strongly about, to do that with. Not just for fun, but for showing them how you feel.”

He was swiftly delving back into explanations that made no sense to her, but she supposed this was just his way. Her resentment was fading fast with the resurgence of boredom, and it was hard to remain irritated with Cho Yon’s oddly earnest and trusting face. Besides she was glad he wasn’t mad at her, so she could allow him to keep having his strange talks about feelings, although this particular talk was certainly turning out odder than most.

“Your words still don’t make sense, but they remain amusing. I think you make things more complicated than they need to be, but if it makes you feel better I won’t do that again,” she licked her lips, flashing fangs, “Even when I want to.”

He gulped, “Thank you for that.”

She saw him visibly relaxed, which pleased her, but his next words caused her to stiffen up.

“You know, I think it's time I had you and Ki Seong meet.”

A shivering tickle went down her back and made her tails bristle. “I don’t like that idea. I’ve tracked around her and her kin’s lair. It is... guarded against me. They know how to hurt me, and those like me. I can smell the death hanging over that family. They are hunters.”

Cho Yon looked surprised for a moment, but then a youthful and charming smile of enthusiasm came over his face, “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised you’ve checked them out. Ki Seong told me she’s felt like she’s been followed a few times. But you don’t have to worry, she’s a got a good heart and I don’t think she’ll misjudge you as long as I’m there to explain things. She’s going to be a large part of my life soon, and the thing is, you are too, so its best to have you both meet so we can all move forward together.”

She let out a soft growl, lashing her tails, “I still don’t like this. I may play with mortals, but I stay hidden from all but your family for good reasons. Mortals have tried to hunt me before...”

It didn’t happen often, but she had been hunted by those mortals trained to combat those creatures like herself. Most of those times she simply fled from their iron weapons, magical talisman, burning fires, and strange chants. If Cho Yon wanted to lay with a hunter, she didn’t really care, but to openly meet with one?

Cho Yon gave her a reassuring smile.

“It’ll be fine. Ki Seong will understand. Despite her family’s teachings there are things that go deeper than old hatreds and grudges, you’ll see.”

This caused her to look at him curiously, “What things? Tell me of these things.”

He chuckled, “Oh, well, things like love. That can surpass any barrier of hatred. And while I tink Seong and I are still learning to love each other, it’ll come, with time. As will her understanding of you.”

“Love? I have heard this word. It isn’t edible. Or touchable. I can’t smell it. I still wonder if it is real, or something you funny mortals keep telling me of as a joke.”

Cho Yon’s smile was wide and genuine, “Hah, it is very real. My family has had you with us for so long, but I don’t know if anyone has really tried to show you what it means. I’ll do my best to show you and Seong both. Trust me...”

----------

The images froze there, the illusions halting in place with perfect clarity with Cho Yon’s youthful face split in an energetic smile that radiated confidence and warmth, while the illusion of Jeog looked at him with equal parts native curiosity, haughty immortal overbearingness, and a shade of genuine trust that surpassed her clear unease at the prospect of meeting Cho Yon’s female friend.

Diamond Tiara looked around at the still images, unable to see where the real Jeog was, but assuming the gumiho was still seated next to her. “Why did you stop, Jeog?”

The fox’s voice spoke quietly, but somehow it carried like an echo over the illusionary field.

“I don’t like what happens next. I have to show it to you, but I know it is going to hurt. There’s nothing but pain in this memory, the memory that made me Jeog. I’ve run... run for so very, very long from it.”

The illusions melted like wax, churning into a pastel mess of mixing colors until they flickered away in motes of azure foxfire. Jeog sat next to Diamond, face a flushed, wide eyed mask of distress as even the fox’s breathing became fast and uneven. Ditzy Doo gave Destroyah an uneasy glance and the kaiju turned pony nodded and turned a comforting gaze towards Jeog.

“There’s no rush if you need time to think about this. I’m already getting an idea of what went down, so if you don’t want to show us-”

Jeog abruptly shook her head, all nine of her tails seeming to ignite with flames of purest blue as she closed her eyes and growled out, “If I do not do this now, I will always run, always be alone. It will hurt, but I will show you. I don’t want Diamond Tiara or Silver Spoon to feel this pain, but if they have watched until now, then they should see it all.”

Jeog turned pained, ice blue eyes to Diamond Tiara, “You said you wanted to know me. So be it. Then see me. The Jeog.”

As if afraid she might change her mind if she waited a second longer Jeog’s hesitance seemed to vanish as her foxfire blazed and the library was once again drawn over by a illusionary world, only somehow now it was harsher in its reality, more tangible yet shaded with a dark gray coating that left Diamond Tiara feeling cold inside.

The scene showed a great temple in the forest, its vast stone steps leading to a huge set of gates flanked by statues of deities Diamond didn’t recognize. It was night, with a clear sky above affixed with a brilliant silver moon. Cho Yon walked up the steps practically brimming with nervous energy. The kirin’s smile was encouraging as he glanced over his shoulder at the nine-tailed form silently padding up the steps behind him.

“Now remember, let me ease her into things first. Just keep quiet and hidden until I can talk to her and let her know what’s going on. Once I call your name, you can come out-”

Diamond Tiara frowned in wonderment as Cho Yon’s mouth moved at the end of the sentence, but no name came out. Jeog had purposely been avoiding letting Cho Yon ever actually speak whatever name he called her during these days, and this time seemed no different. It was as if that name, along with these memories, was something Jeog had wanted to bury and forget. But if Jeog was willing to show them this final, clearly painful memory, then why still hide the name Cho Yon gave her? She kept her peace, however, and allowed Jeog to keep painting the memory for them.

“Hmph, easy to stay hidden, but it's what comes after I worry about,” Jeog said, keeping easy pace with Cho Yon. She had played inside this temple many times over the many years of on and off visiting of the Yon family. It had mostly been a disused ruin in decades past, but through Cho Yon’s efforts it was becoming restored, including a vibrant courtyard garden that had many hiding places from which she could easily conceal herself from Cho Yon’s prospective mate.

Why that thought still made her feel oddly irritated continued to elude her, but perhaps once she got over this first meeting with Ki Seong and got used to her that feeling would go away. Perhaps this female would prove just as interesting as Cho Yon was?

Within the temple’s courtyard Cho Yon chose a spot near one of the ponds to turn and observe the gate, which he left open for when Ki Seong would arrive. Meanwhile Jeog swiftly became a part of the shadows enshrouding one of the thicker patches of bushes on the opposite side of the pond. She didn’t like being near the water, but this was the best spot to hide in the courtyard, with the shadow of the main temple building looming behind to obscure the bushes from the moonlight. She added a layer of invisibility illusion around herself, just in case. She knew Ki Seong and her kin were dangerous for mortals. She wasn’t going to take chances, no matter Cho Yon’s enthusiasm.

Minutes passed, but it was not much longer than that before a shadow appeared at the mouth of the gatehouse. The kirin female strode into the moonlight, tall, statuesque, like a carved jade statue kissed by the moonlight. Jeog instantly felt a nerve wracking sense of unease upon seeing this female. She wore a simple green and black lined tunic that hunt loosely around her slender frame, and a wooden charm hung around her neck from which Jeog sensed a hint of power. As she sniffed the air she caught a whiff of the female kirin’s scent and her hackles stood on end. It was a sharp, angry, and desperate smell coming off this kirin, yet she moved with controlled grace and when she spoke it was in a smooth tone of false calm.

“Cho Yon, you’re here.”

Cho Yon didn’t seem to sense the danger wafting off the mare, and Jeog wanted to burst from the bushes to bark some sort of warning, but she trusted him and he’d insisted she let him talk to Ki Seong first. Instincts that had guided her all her long existence warred with unfamiliar yet strong feelings for Cho Yon, and those feelings momentarily won out and forced her to remain hidden and still as Cho Yon smiled at Ki Seong and waved.

“Yes, just as I’d said I’d be. I’m glad you came, Ki Seong. I know this may be unusual, calling you out here in the night, but I felt it best we do this somewhere where it will just be us and we can talk. You see, there’s someone I want you to meet, and I... are you alright?”

Ki Seong wasn’t looking at him, but instead her eyes, like golden lanterns, were scanning the rest of the courtyard. A feverish edge entered her tightly controlled voice, “I’m fine, Cho Yon. My mind is clear, and I know what needs to be done. I came here to protect you, even though I know you can’t understand me right now while under it’s spell.”

Jeog’s whole body tensed as she saw Ki Seong’s attention turn towards the bushes she was hidden in. Meanwhile Cho Yon, shaking his head in confusion, took a step towards Ki Seong, also interposing his body between the female kirin and where Jeog hid.

“Ki Seong you’re not speaking any sense. Protect me? Under whose spell? Ki Seong, I asked you out here because you’re right, my family does have a connection with a... guardian spirit of sorts, and I want the two of you to meet.”

“Oh, I’m sure that’s what it wants you to think,” Ki Seong said, her voice dropping to a cold, sharp hiss, “I’m certain it’s filled your mind with all manner of illusions and charms! I scoured my family’s archives for information on this thing, and trust me, gumiho can poison the minds of even the strongest willed individuals, twisting them to their sick ends. Cho Yon, you’re under its spell! Why else would it have had you bring me out here in the dark of night, save in hopes of trapping an ambushing me?”

Cho Yon looked aghast, his eyes wide pools of disbelief, his voice turned to a shocked stammer, “Am-ambush!? Ki Seong, wait! You don’t understand at all! She isn’t controlling me. We’ve been friends for a long time and I’ve been trying to teach her how to understand mortals-”

Ki Seong’s voice turned into an enraged snarl, “Oh I saw you understanding it! Kissing it! Only a spell could have corrupted your mind enough to make you do such a thing! Well, I won’t let it take you!”

Jeog only had a partial view of Ki Seong, but she could still catch the kirin’s serpent swift motion as she reached into her loose tunic, easily loose enough to conceal all manner of weapons, and fling out a clay jar at one of the trees across the pond near the bushes Jeog hid in. The clay jar burst over the tree, and a light cloud of metal dust spread out under the moonlight. The moment the dust touched Jeog’s body she howled in agony. Iron dust! Little flecks of iron, all too small to truly do much damage, but more than enough to hurt and strip away Jeog’s invisibility.

“There you are, monster!” Ki Seong shouted, and surged past the shocked Cho Yon, rushing across the shallow pond. She touched the charm on her neck and Jeog saw a magical mist form briefly before turning into a long, heavy bladed polearm. Jeog instantly recognized the thick curved blade as being forged from iron and survival instincts kicked into full, heated gear inside the gumiho’s mind.

With a snarl Jeog darted with lightning swiftness away from Ki Seong’s first swing, the thick blade of the spear severing bushes and trees in neat cuts that took a second before the tree fell apart diagonally.

“W-wait! Ki Seong, stop!” Cho Yon shouted, trying to rush towards the unfolding fight, but Jeog was already rushing for fresh cover amid another set of bushes like a gray streak of mist while Ki Seong bounded after her with all the speed and prowess a youth of training had granted her, her spear twirling within a glow of her golden magic.

Jeog rushed into the next set of bushes, struggling to get her illusions to form while the iron dust coating her back still burned. Puffs of azure smoke and fire spurted from her tails, creating half formed mirror images of herself, but the illusions were incomplete and failed to distract Ki Seong’s dogged pursuit. The kirin made a sudden leap, spear raised above her and coming down like a stroke of thunder. Jeog barely rolled aside, the spear gouging the ground she just occupied a split second earlier.

Springing with unnatural agility, Jeog kicked off the ground, swung around the trunk of one tree, and flung herself upwards at another, intending to gain enough height to make a jump for the temple wall. Once up there surely this crazed kirin couldn’t chase her up-

Ki Seong moved with unreal swiftness, another weapon emerging from the thick folds of her tunic. This was a crossbow, smooth and dark wood reflecting in the moonlight. Hardly a normal weapon, it was covered in clockwork mechanisms and was fed by a disc shaped clip of bolts attached to the top. Ki Seong aimed and fired in one smooth motion, the bolt flying from the crossbow while magical script on the shaft ignited it in flame.

The fire bolt hit the tree Jeog had been intending to leap from and exploded in a ball of fire, shattering the tree and clipping Jeog with sheets of fire. Jeog screamed in pain, rolling to the ground as embers licked at her body. Her danger senses screamed at her and she dodged without thinking, another bolt of explosive magic fire striking behind her as she fled among the bushes.

“You won’t get away!” Ki Seong’s voice chased Jeog as bolt after bolt smashed into the bushes and flower beds of the temple garden, Jeog barely able to keep one step ahead of the fiery trail of destruction. The flames started to spread, consuming the easy tinder of the garden, and soon the whole courtyard was bathed in a hellish orange glow, reflected in the golden eyes of a bloodthirsty kirin.

Finally Jeog’s mind twisted from mere flight to fight. Fear of the flames filled her, but so too did sudden anger and a need to strike back. Turning hard, her paws scrapping the courtyard as she changed direction, Jeog turned blazing blue eyes towards Ki Seong and azure foxfire filled her right paw. With a howl she flung the ghostly flame at Ki Seong, but the kirin swung her iron spear before her like a barrier. The bolt of azure flame impacted the spinning spear and the iron of the blade split apart the foxfire, sending the blue embers to land amid and set ablaze more of the garden.

That was merely a distraction, however. Jeog had recovered enough from the iron dust to make better use of her illusions, and she leaped, hissing, upon the kirin. Ki Seong’s spear flashed and pierced the gumiho’s chest, only for the fox’s form to vanish into a puff a smoke, the illusion vanishing just as the real Jeog rammed into Ki Seong’s side with raking claws.

Ki Seong twisted with the blow, her reflexes born of years of training saving her from any serious injury as Jeog’s claws merely tore the cloth of her tunic. Jeog snarled, but had to quickly leap back as Ki Seong’s spear spun in a deadly pattern of retaliatory strikes, so fast that the gumiho could barely keep up with the furious series of blows. Even as she made a final leap of a dozen feet to get some distance she howled in pain as the iron spear’s sharp edge cut a horrid wound on her chest.

“You can’t have him. He’ll be free of you, no matter what it takes,” Ki Seong promised darkly, advancing on the wounded gumiho, who was backing away, snarling in equal parts pain, anger, and growing fear. The courtyard was now a phantasmal scene, coated in fierce orange and blue light as the fires started in the garden began to rage outward, consuming the walls and licking upon the temple’s main building. Shadows danced and the air was filled with a growing sheet of choking smoke.

From the billow smoke Cho Yon’s form leaped in between Ki Seong and Jeog, his eyes desperate and resolved, “Stop this now! Both of you! The flames will kill us all. Please, Ki Seong, put up your weapons! We have to flee this place!”

“We will,” Ki Seong’s eyes blinked in concern, but hardened in determination, almost crazed, “But not until I finish this beast and free your mind. I can’t let it live, Cho Yon. Please, stand aside.”

Cho Yon shook his head, tears that had nothing to do with the stinging smoke in the air clouding his eyes. “I can’t do that. You’re... not yourself right now, Ki Seong.”

He reared up on his hind legs, fore hooves spreading out in the Way of the Open Heart stance, “I can’t let you hurt her.”

For a second it looked as if Ki Seong might have backed down. There was an instant of shock and doubt in her golden eyes, as equally streaked with tears now as Cho Yon’s. But soon rage and denial crept into those eyes and she brandished her spear and crossbow both, her golden aura of magic so thick it now seemed to coat Ki Seong’s whole body.

“Her...? Her!? That thing is an it, Cho Yon! A monster that’s perverted your mind! And I’m ending it, NOW!”

A raw burst of pure gold, magical force exploded from Ki Seong, flowing like a wave towards Cho Yon. Even the nimble young kirin couldn’t evade it in time and he was flung aside like a doll, tumbling to the ground. Jeog froze, caught between conflicting instincts. She wanted to go to Cho Yon, but she also wanted to tear into this foe in front of her, while at the same time the towering flames and oppressive heat around her was making her flight instincts howl for retreat.

For an instant she was too confused to know what to do, and it would have spelled her death then and there if Cho Yon had not acted first. Still picking himself back up, he shouted with all his might, with all his conviction. He screamed her name, and even Jeog, in the present, in the library in Ponyville, felt the memory so vividly that she couldn’t suppress the name.

“Chingu, RUN! Get away from here!”

His voice cut through her confusion and doubt just in time for her to narrowly avoid the crossbow bolt Ki Seong fired at her, the dart exploding on the wall behind where Jeog, where Chingu, had just been. Though there were parts of her that still cried to either go to Cho Yon or keep fighting Ki Seong, Cho Yon’s voice had been filled with such conviction that it had pushed all that aside. So she ran. She turned and made became a gray streak for the gates out of the temple.

Ki Seong pursued doggedly, her crossbow firing bolt after exploding bolt, creating a trail of flaming explosions in Chingu’s wake. Until she ran out of bolts that were enchanted with the flames, and she had to reload with a set of conventional iron bolts. Still enough to kill the gumiho, but she’d have to strike a vital point now. So when she reached the gates herself, with Chingu all but flying down the vast temple steps, Ki Seong’s eyes narrowed in focus as she began to aim.

Meanwhile Chingu had reached the bottom of the steps, but she could still feel the heat of the flames consuming the temple behind her. Fearing for Cho Yon, she turned in time to see Ki Seong, silhouetted like a dark wraith amid the backdrop of the burning temple walls, aiming her crossbow. Instinct and fear for Cho Yon drove Chingu to summoning her own fire, the ghostly azure foxfire sparking to life amid her sweeping nine tails. Even as she did so she knew she'd never be able to strike Ki Seong before the kirin would let fly with her bolt, and Chingu was in a poor position to dodge. 

Ki Seong saw the gumiho's tails alight with its demonic magic, but knew she had the beast dead to rights. 

She'd almost never missed her target a long as she had a second to aim, and the gumiho had turned around from its flight, making itself the perfect target. Ki Seong’ eyed down the crossbow, took a deep breath, and started to squeeze the trigger.

Cho Yon had never moved so fast in his life. He reached the gates and hurled himself between Ki Seong and his fleeing friend.

Ki Seong saw him appearing in front of her, but too late stop herself from pulling the trigger.

The black bolt of iron flew, and found its mark in Cho Yon’s chest.

The young kirin staggered, eyes wide, and for a split second he stood there, staring at Ki Seong. Sadness blossomed in his eyes and he opened his mouth to say something, but only blood came out, and he collapsed. She was just fast enough to catch his falling body, her crossbow clattering to the steps by her side, her spear forgotten back in the burning temple. Ki Seong stared into his face, now slack and lifeless, and then turned a look of pure, hot hatred towards Chingu.

"You! You did this! You made him stand in the way of that bolt! Monster!"

Chingu stared in mute shock and uncomprehending denial of seeing Cho Yon's fallen form. The rage in Ki Seong's eyes, matching the growing heights of the terrible flames from the temple, made Chingu take a hesitant step back. She didn't know what to do for a moment, but Cho Yon’s words still echoed in her mind. Just as Ki Seong was reaching for her crossbow once more, Chingu wove a shimmering illusion of invisibility around herself, loose and weak but enough to obscure her. Wounded, terrified, confused, and feeling pain beyond the mere gash in her chest, Chingu turned to flee into the night.

And following her was a single word, screamed from the throat of a broken kirin mare holding the body of her loved one. A word that would be repeated in her mind over and over again, across days, weeks, months, then years as the Hunter pursued her. A new name, that slowly had replaced the one she'd received from Cho Yon that fateful day by the river bank. 

“Jeog!”

----------

The library was deathly silent for a solid minute before Destroyah’s voice broke the quiet.

“Well... crap.”

“Language, Destroyah,” Ditzy Doo said as she let out an explosive sigh, adjusting her glasses, “Is that all you have to say to... to what we just witnessed?”

Destroyah shook her head, rubbing her face with a hoof, “No, but it sure sums it up succinctly.” She shifted her look to Jeog with sympathy coating her face, “I’m sorry you had to show us that. I suspected, but to see it play out...”

She cast a look towards the fillies in the room, “How are you two holding up?”

Silver Spoon had a pale expression, like Ditzy Doo seeming to adjust her glasses out of nervous habit as she looked down quietly, “I never imagined something so terrible could happen so easily. All that, over a misunderstanding.”

A sniffle filled the room as Diamond Tiara teared up, and flung her hooves around Jeog, “I... I had no idea you went through something like that! And I just made you live through it again. I’m so sorry!”

Jeog’s head tilted curiously towards Diamond Tiara, her own voice subdued, “I don’t see why you’re sorry. You didn’t do anything to hurt me. You wanted to know, so now you do. I am Jeog. The Hunter’s Jeog, who she pursues because I took from her Cho Yon...” Her expression fell, “I caused his death.”

“What?” Diamond said in bafflement, and Destroyah let out a sigh.

“Right, survivor’s guilt. Seen plenty of that. Do you seriously blame yourself for what happened that night?” Destroyah asked seriously, meeting Jeog’s eyes evenly. The gumiho looked back with a pained, but challenging air.

“Had I not been in his life, he would not be dead. Is this not true? I play with mortals for fun, and so often they get hurt. Cho Yon was merely the first who’s loss hurt me as well.”

A bitter note entered her voice, “And I still couldn’t stay away from mortals. Not very smart of me. Cho Yon would have been happier if I had not entered his life.”

Destroyah snorted, “You’re right, you’re not very smart.”

“L-Lady Destroyah!?” Diamond Tiara looked at the kaiju in dismay, “Don’t say that!”

Destroyah leaned her bulk forward, not taking her eyes off of Jeog’s, and for a moment Jeog could see a conviction and strength there that mirrored Cho Yon’s. “Do you really believe that Cho Yon didn’t want you in his life? That he would’ve been happier if you hadn’t shown up? He died for you, not because of you! I didn’t know the man, but I know a man who loves without regret when I see it, and he put his life on the line for someone he cared about! For two people he cared about! Are you really going to disrespect that by assuming he’d have been better off never even knowing you!?”

To that Jeog was left blinking in confused silence, trying to process Destroyah’s strange words. For all the time she’d spent fleeing the pursuit of the Hunter, of Ki Seong, she’d always had this hollow, empty spot inside her where Cho Yon’s presence had been. It had only stood to reason if she hadn’t wanted to feel this way, she shouldn’t have let herself get so involved in a mortal’s life. Ki Seong only attacked because Jeog had been there, and been playing with Cho Yon... only because of her.

“I... I was there, and didn’t belong. Isn’t that why the Hunter attacked? Isn’t it why she’s pursued me for so long? Because I don’t belong with mortals. I cannot understand you. My being with them only eventually hurts them, right? Because... because I am Jeog.”

“No, you’re not!” Diamond Tiara said, shaking her head, “I heard what he called you. Cho Yon had another name for you. Chi-”

Jeog shook her head fiercely and snarled, “No. I am not that anymore. Cho Yon is dead. So is that name. Jeog is what I am. The Hunter may be a mad predator, but she knows what I am and sees that much clearly. Why can’t you? Why can’t...”

Uncertainty crawled into Jeog’s voice as she flattened her head against the table, tails lashing behind her in frustration. “Why can’t I go back? To long ago, when I felt nothing of this pain and confusion? It was so easy before, but now I keep feeling pains inside me. Pain because Cho Yon is gone. Pain because I don’t want Diamond Tiara or Silver Spoon to be gone. Pain because I’m afraid I’ll be the reason why mortals die again. I didn’t feel that pain before, but now...”

“Yeah,” Destroyah said solemnly, “That’s called having emotions. Guilt. Remorse. Loss. It's part of being a person.”

“I don’t like it! Why would mortals choose to be this way!?” Jeog shouted.

“We don’t choose it. It’s just how we are. And... it sounds like its something you are now, too, whether you understand it or not. Which definitely makes you dangerous,” Destroyah sighed, then let out a small laugh, “But no more dangerous than I was when I was first figuring all this stuff out too. You’re actually really lucky, Jeog. I get the impression you’re one of the few, if not only gumiho who’s developed feelings like this by being around mortals for so long.”

The fox turned a deep frown towards the kaiju, “I don’t call this lucky.”

“Well, let me ask you this; was all the time you spent with Cho Yon, or Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, painful?”

Jeog’s face screwed up in thought, and mild bewilderment, “No, there were many times that felt good. But that doesn’t meant it won’t hurt again, too.”

“That’s part of life. Good times, and bad times. Living like you did before you spent time with Cho Yon, maybe you didn’t feel all that bad, playing around with mortals, sometimes hurting them, sometimes not, just doing whatever your instincts told you to do. But you didn’t really feel good in the way Cho Yon made you feel, did you? Not the same way Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon here make you feel, right?” Destroyah said insistently, clearly trying to drive something home to Jeog. Again reminding Jeog of Cho Yon and the way he spoke of the heart.

Yet Jeog had such a hard time grasping the meaning of these words. Yes she felt better around Cho Yon, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon than she could ever remember feeling. But so, too, was the pain so much worse. Cho Yon’s loss had haunted her, turned her into an animal that only fled and hid until the loneliness and boredom forced her to try to be around mortals again.

She couldn’t see what drove mortals to exist this way. So much intense pain and joy mixed together, wouldn’t it drive any of them mad? It certainly seemed to drive the Hunter mad, and Jeog wasn’t certain it hadn’t driven her mad, too.

“I think that’s enough for now,” Ditzy Doo’s voice cut in with its calm, measured weight. “We’ve all had a long day, and it’s already well past time for lunch. I believe we should take a break here and let our thoughts collect. Jeog, you may be confused right now, but rest assured I appreciate your willingness to open up so much to us, and this all will help me make an informed decision regarding your status here in Equestria. Whatever doubts you may have, I do hope you continue this level of cooperation.”

“You’re talk makes my head hurt, strange pony,” Jeog said.

Diamond Tiara patted Jeog’s shoulder, “It's alright, Ditzy’s just saying thank you in her own way. So, do you want to go get some lunch?”

Food didn’t really appeal to Jeog right then, but anything seemed better than sitting around to mull over her confused thoughts. She was about to say as much when there was a pounding knock on the library door, followed by a hoarse shout.

“Ditzy Doo! Lady Destroyah! Please come out, we must speak immediately!”

Jeog’s ears twitched at the voice’s harsh, even hysteric tone, while the ponies in the room all exchanged glances.

“Who could that be?” Diamond Tiara asked, while Silver Spoon rubbed her chin,

“That sounds like Sweetie Belle’s mother.”

Destroyah rose from where she sat, face growing calm and steady while also carrying a hint of wariness that was reflected in her voice, “Best see what she wants. Sounds serious.”

Ditzy Doo nodded her agreement and both of them went to the door, the towering pony shaped kaiju standing aside to allow the far shorter Ditzy Doo looking foal like next to Destroyah as she opened the door. Beyond the threshold stood not only the pink form of Sweetie Belle’s mother, practically shaking in place, but there was a whole mob of ponies wearing faces of clear distress, worry, or outrage. The moment Ditzy Doo had the door open a flood of angry shouting washed over them.

“Quiet down please,” Ditzy Doo said over the shouting, somehow making her placid tone carry over the din with weight. “Quiet down and somepony speak one at a time.”

As the crowd grew quieter Ditzy Doo nodded in approval and glanced at the hefty pink mare wearing a red blouse, her purple mane done up in a beehive bun. “Good. Now, Cookie Crumbles, perhaps you could enlighten me as to what this particular gathering is about?”

Cookie Crumbles gulped and nodded, “Of course, but you may want Lady Destroyah to guard the door so that... guest of your’s doesn’t cause any trouble. Any more trouble. Now, Filthy Rich, Spoiled Rich, would you please come forward so you can help explain what’s happened?”

As both of Diamond Tiara’s parents shuffled nervously out of the crowd, both wearing jittery looks tinged with an element of shame Diamond Tiara herself came to the door with Silver Spoon following close behind and Jeog curiously padding behind the two fillies.

“Mom? Dad? What’s going on?” Diamond Tiara asked, poking her head out from around Ditzy Doo.

“Well honey, um, you remember that crate in the kitchen this morning?” Spoiled Rich said, rubbing the back of her head in a flush of embarrassment as she looked around at the irate citizens of Ponyville around her, which Diamond Tiara now noticed consisted of quite a number of the merchants who worked the stalls in the marketplace.

“It wasn’t filled with anything for my work, pumpkin,” said her father. Filthy Rich was a frazzled looking stallion, with a light brown coat stained with various bits of oil or glue from his inventing. His darker brown mane was slicked back and a tad messy, and he still wore a pair of magnifying goggles he usually had on when he was working. He had a worried frown on as he looked at Diamond Tiara, but also cast a glance towards Jeog.

“The crate was filled up with a whole lot of bits.”

At this point Ditzy Doo shared a querying look with Destroyah, who shrugged, and both of them emerged from the library to face the crowd. Diamond Tiara made a move to follow, but Destroy looked back and shook her head, causing the filly to stay in place. Then the kaiju turned her attention to Diamond Tiara’s parents.

“Just how many bits are we talking about here?”

Filthy Rich glanced at the crowd with unease, “I didn’t count it all up, but it was quite a lot, all separated into different pouches or lockboxes. Um, the kind local merchants use to keep their profits in.”

“We were so confused,” said Spoiled Rich quickly, “We’d heard about some of our fellow Ponyvilians being stolen from, so it dawned on us this money had to belong to them. But, well, when we went to tell the Mayor-”

“Which is where I was there to hear the whole thing!” Cookie Crumbles declared, “I was speaking with the Mayor concerning safety precautions we could take concerning... certain individuals in our midst and Mr. and Mrs. Rich came in, all flustered and talking about having found all the money that’d been going missing these past few days. I heard all that and knew who must have been responsible!”

There was a chorus of agreeing cries from the gathered ponies, many of them now turning angry eyes towards Jeog, who remained lingering in the library. By now Jeog had comprehended, at least in part, what was happening. Clearly her gift to Diamond Tiara’s family had been discovered, although none of these ponies seemed particular happy or grateful about it. Even Diamond Tiara had a look of distress on her petite pink features as she looked back at Jeog. Still in the library next to the fox, Silver Spoon let out a groan.

“You didn’t? Did you? Seriously?” Silver Spoon didn’t sound angry, just exasperated. Jeog held her head up, not at all sure why she should be getting all this weird looks!

“I don’t see the problem. None of these ponies were using their silly pieces of metal, just collecting them in bags and hiding them, poorly, under shelves or floorboards. I just grabbed a few to give to Diamond Tiara, because she said her family needed them. What’s wrong with that?”

Several sharp cries of anger rose form the ponies, but Cookie Crumbles rose above them as she pointed with an accusatory hoof, “See!? She admits it! This creature thieves from us, injures our foals, all while pretending to befriend our own. Miss Doo, Lady Destroyah, surely you see the danger she poses now?”

A low growl filled Jeog’s throat, but it was tempered by the memory of having accidentally clawed Scootaloo. She wanted to shout at these ponies that their rules made no sense. Why would some ponies keep so many metal coins they didn’t need while ponies like Diamond Tiara had to make do without them? Why were the coins so important to begin with? Mortals were crazy!

But she kept her mouth shut, her tails and hackles bristling as she glared.

Destroyah sucked in a breath and spoke in a loud, authoritative voice over the din of the angered crowd. “Everypony settle down! It's obvious that this was done in misunderstanding. Jeog is still figuring out the rules here, and made an honest mistake.”

“Oh, like little Scootaloo’s injury was an honest mistake?” shot in Cookie Crumbles, sweeping a hoof out at the crowd, which did have a few foals in it who were keeping close to their parents. “How many ‘honest mistakes’ does it take before she does something that can’t be reversed?”

“That’s why we’re evaluating her and working to acclimate her to our ways,” said Ditzy Doo, “Are we ponies of Equestria not a people whose lives are built upon tenants of acceptance, friendship, and building harmony between others? While I understand your concerns this display of anger is unworthy of citizens who not so long ago accepted our Lady Destroyah with open hooves, despite her own unusual appearance and origins.”

“M-Miss Doo, begging your pardon,” said Spoiled Rich, “I know what you’re trying to say, and given its my daughter who’s spent so much time with... um, Jeog, I think I have more riding on her learning our ways than most here. Its just, while Cookie might be getting a bit alarmist, I can’t say she’s wrong.”

Spoiled Rich looked at Jeog with shockingly frank and level eyes, “I know you might not understand our ways, and that you and my daughter are managing to get along despite that. But can you understand why, with things like this, I’m scared? Scared that, even if you’re not some evil monster, you might still accidentally end up hurting somepony, including my little filly?”

“Mom, that’s not fair! Jeog would never do anything to hurt me or Silver Spoon! She doesn’t mean to hurt anypony. She just needs to be taught what is and isn’t right to do, like with the bits-”

“Stop.”

It was Jeog’s voice that cut off Diamond Tiara, and the filly looked back at the gumiho, along with everypony else who’s attention turned towards the strange, foreign creature as she exited the library with her head low to the ground, ears flat, tails dragging.

“Jeog?” Diamond Tiara blinked.

“I don’t want to cause you more trouble,” Jeog snorted, “I thought I was giving you something you wanted, but it just causes problems. I’ll go.”

“Wait, you don’t have to do that!”

At Diamond Tiara’s cry, Destroyah held out a wing, stepping towards both the filly and the fox, leaning down so her massive form was more at eye level to the pair. Destroyah’s eyes were earnest as she looked at Jeog.

“I trust you’re not planning to up and leave entirely?”

“No, I will not leave. I still wish to find a place here, even if I fear what may happen,” said Jeog, “But too much noise today. Too much trouble, and I still don’t understand mortals enough to not be trouble. Stupid metal coins. I just wanted Diamond Tiara to have as many as she wants, and nopony seemed to be using them...”

Destroyah sighed out a laugh, “Economics suck, no matter the world. Still, got to teach you the importance of private property, girl. A lesson for tomorrow I’m thinking. So you’re heading home to your cabin?”

Jeog nodded with a gloomy but accepting expression, “If I stay there will just be more anger and shouting. At least the cabin is quiet.”

Diamond Tiara looked crestfallen, and Silver Spoon came up beside her with a comforting pat on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, this will blow over once everypony gets their bits back and they have a chance to simmer down.”

“Indeed,” said Ditzy Doo, eyeing Cooke Crumbles and the crowd, “I trust that nopony objects to me overseeing that the money is all returned in the proper amounts to the appropriate owners? Assuming I can’t convince our Mayor to leave her office for a few minutes to help-” Ditzy Doo’s voice turned to a momentary mutter, “-for a change of pace.”

Cookie Crumbles didn’t looked particularly satisfied, but she, along with the crowd, appeared to be calming down now that Jeog had declared that she was leaving the town limits for the day. Many still gave the gumiho nervous stares.

“That’s fine by me,” Cookie Crumbles said, “As long everypony gets back what belongs to them and your ‘guest’ is kept from causing any more mischief.”

“We’ll keep an eye on her as long as you don’t stir up any more mobs,” Destroyah said in a flat, purely no-nonsense tone, “Ditzy Doo is right, Ponyville isn’t the place for this kind of thing.” She gestured with a stern hoof at the crowd, and to most of the gathered ponies credit many of them looked at least somewhat ashamed.

As the crowd started to disperse, Spoiled and Filthy Rich looked at their daughter and Jeog, both looking only marginally more relaxed. Filthy cleared his throat and said, “Well, the minor heart attack I suffered upon finding a small fortune in stolen bits in my kitchen aside, I’m grateful you seem care so much about my daughter, Miss Jeog. Perhaps when you’ve gotten a bit more used to pony life you might drop by for dinner sometime?”

Jeog looked at him curiously, then quietly answered, “...Sometime.”

Diamond Tiara gave her parents a imploring look, “Mom, Dad, I know I’m still grounded, but would it be okay if I stayed at the library today, at least until dark?”

“Um, well I guess that’s okay,” Spoiled Rich said after exchanging a look with her husband, “But why?”

“I just want to read, and talk with Lady Destroyah some more, since its been awhile since I gotten to see her.”

“Hm, well that’s fine honey, if Miss Doo doesn’t mind.”

“That’s perfectly fine,” Ditzy Doo said, “I could use a hoof in recategorizing a few shelves.”

By now the crowd that had gathered was no entirely dispersed, and Jeog’s nose twitched at the departing scents of so many ponies. The air around Ponyville could be so thick with pony scent it was hard to discern anything specific. With a shallow breath she started to leave, only for her to feel a tug on one of her tails. She turned to see Diamond Tiara staring at her with hopeful eyes, Silver Spoon beside her with a more reserved by no less hopeful look.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?”

A moment passed silently, then Jeog’s lips twitched in the memory of a smile and she said, “See you tomorrow.”

----------

Destroyah let out a long held breath after Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were back in the library, working on organizing a few shelves of books at Ditzy Doo’s direction. The Element of Wisdom flew out to see the towering crimson kaiju watching the direction Jeog had departed from.

“Worried?” Ditzy Doo asked, alighting next to Destroyah. She couldn't claim to know the titanic being trapped in a pony’s form very well, but Ditzy wasn’t the holder of the Element of Wisdom for nothing, and could perceive more than her thick rimmed glasses might indicate.

Destroyah cracked a wry but subdued smile, “I had a few guesses about what had gone down back in Carrea, but what we saw went further than even I feared.”

“You believe this Ki Seong will be coming here?”

“Ooooh yeah, I’d lay money on it, if I had any,” Destroyah’s expression turned grave, “I’ve run into plenty of monsters in my time helping Xen keep Earth halfway intact. I’ve seen the kind that kill for fun, I’ve seen the kind that kill because of instinct and the need to feed...” she grit her thick, pointed teeth and growled, “And I’ve met one who kills out of pure, undiluted hate and rage. And he’s the most dangerous being I’ve ever faced. This Ki Seong mare, when she screamed Jeog’s name, well, that sounded a lot like the same kind of rage that boils inside Godzilla. So yeah, I’m worried. I’m thinking I need to get a letter to Xen and request he send Raiga here as backup, just in case.”

“Are you sure that’s necessary? Even if Ki Seong is still hunting Jeog after all this time, how could she track her down to this small village in the middle of Equestria?”

“Never say never, Ditzy. I’ll write up the letter and get it sent out tonight. I’d rather be wrong and bore the crap out of Raiga, than be right and not have an extra fighter on standby in case we need her.”

Ditzy’s otherwise calm face nodded in acceptance, “I suppose I cannot fault your caution. Very well, I’ll ensure the letter is sent first thing in the morning. Let us hope that your fears prove to be unfounded.”

----------

The pony village looked like one of any number of dozens she’d seen before. Homey little buildings with thatch roofs, all clustered amid the picturesque greenery of the Equestrian heartland. Fortunately forest bordered Ponyville in abundance, with numerous branches and copses of thick trees providing endless spots of cover for Ki Seong and Battra to hide in as they observed the quaint town.

For all of that agonizing morning Ki Seong’s eyes searched feverishly, with hawk-like clarity. Her nose tasted the air, all of her senses enhanced by the demon blood in her veins. For hours, nothing. Then her ears picked up the disturbance, angry shouts at the center of the village.

“Something’s happening,” she craned her neck, trying to get a better view, but there was no easy vantage to see deeper into the village from where she and Battra lay amid the trees.

“Ah, yes, the air does have a delicious tinge of fear and outrage to it,” Battra said, breathing in deeply with a savoring sigh, “I do believe there are some ponies in town who are quite upset about something.”

“Your spell says it’s in there somewhere... perhaps the residents have discovered it presence and intend to run it out of town?” Ki Seong surged to her hooves, “If it fights back we could sweep in and catch it while it’s distracted!”

“Oh do sit down,” Battra said chidingly, “I also sense that one of my enemies is within the town. Hmm...” she closed her eyes, sniffing the air, licking her lips with a long, forked tongue. “Ah, Destroyah. How... perfect.”

Ki Seong raised a dark eyebrow, “Destroyah?”

Battra let out a ravenous chuckle, “The strong right hand of my enemy, and his most valued knight on the board. Here. Alone. Heheh, this venture may prove more fruitful than I imagined. She is powerful, but a blunt, simple instrument.”

“Is she going to complicate matters? I’m here for Jeog, nothing else,” Ki Seong said firmly.

“Oh, not to worry. We can deal with your Jeog first, and if Destroyah ends up interfering then I shall be sufficient for dealing with her. I rather relish the opportunity, as she’s almost always attached to her master. Together they are too formidable to face by myself, but if she’s alone, I believe I can do for her...” Battra’s smile turned wickedly wide, “And oh how I’d so enjoy the expression on Xenilla’s face when he sees her broken corpse.”

Ki Seong growled out a sigh, once again starting to regret ever teaming up with this creature, but now that her prey was all but in sight, there was no turning back. Grumbling she said, “Let us find a better spot to observe from. I want to know what’s happening in there.”

It took a few minutes of slow, careful walking, avoiding exposing themselves to anypony who might be looking their way, but Ki Seong and Battra found a small hill, still covered in trees, that provided a more commanding view of Ponyville. Ki Seong’s keen eyes managed to spot a crowd of ponies gathered around a large tree near to the center of the town, a tree that had windows and a deck, as if it had been hollowed out to be a home. By the time she spotted the crowd it was already parting, ponies leaving back to whatever business they were doing and leaving only a small group by the treehouse itself.

It was then that Ki Seong’s eyes shot wide, her blood pumping hot inside her as her heart started to hammer.

She saw it, the light gray form with its thick, nine tails. A roar filled Ki Seong’s ears from her pounding blood and she nearly tore down the hill right then and there, but Battra’s hiss stopped her.

“Easy, Ki Seong. Look, see the tall, red one?”

Ki Seong did, and even through her deep anger and bloodlust a part of her was shaken by the sight. She’d never seen a pony anywhere near that size! The dark crimson form was head and shoulders a giant easily three times as tall as the average pony, and even at this distance Ki Seong could see the wide, bat-like wings and the massive orange, curved horn cresting from this “pony’s” brow.

“She’s... impressive.”

Battra laughed lightly, “You should see her in her true form. Such a shame she chose the wrong side. She’d have made such a beautiful destroyer of worlds. Now, I know you crave your prey’s blood, but a direct attack in the middle of town would be foolish. Let us wait a little longer...”

She hated it, but Battra was right. Ki Seong hissed out a sigh and settled down, but her eyes never lost their focus on the distant form of the grayish vulpine form of her enemy.

Her patience was rewarded sooner than she could have hoped. Ki Seong’s breath nearly caught in her throat as she saw Jeog leaving the village, swiftly padding across a grassy field outside the village limits and heading towards one of the thinner woods bordering Ponyville.

“There! It’s alone.”

“Hmm, indeed she is. Just a moment...” Battra’s horn lite up with deep orange magic, “This close I’ll need no ritual. I can track exactly where she goes.”

Ki Seong snorted, “Unnecessary. Now that it’s is in my sights, my own senses will track the beast to its lair. It won’t escape. Here, this day, the hunt ends.”

----------

Gentle Leaf had finished her chores for the day and left her parent’s restaurant to go explore more of Ponyville. There was still so many little alley’s and cul de sacs she hadn’t seen yet, and the town was deceptively larger than it seemed at first glance. Besides, walking helped clear her head. She was still feeling twisted up inside over what had happened with Scootaloo and Jeog.

She’d been so scared of Diamond Tiara’s friend when her true form had been revealed, and she felt bad that Scootaloo had been hurt. Yet she also felt bad for Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Both of them had gone so far out of their way to make Gentle Leaf feel welcomed in Ponyville, and she wanted to keep playing with them, to be their friend to pay them back for showing such consideration and kindness.

But she was afraid to be near Jeog now. So instead of going to play with her new friends, she contented herself with exploring the town alone, trying not to think about things too hard and still feeling bad about it.

The little filly was passing a street near the grassy field that led towards the Whitetail Woods when she caught sight of a gray form vanishing into the woods. Jeog? Gentle Leaf peered in that direction, too far away to be sure, but figuring that she must have just seen Jeog leaving town. Had Miss Ditzy Doo and that big mare, Destroyah finished talking with her for the day? Gentle Leaf had heard about that from her parents, who collected all sorts of gossip from the ponies who came into the restaurant. She found herself hoping that things turned out okay. She might have been scared of Jeog, but what happened had still seemed like an accident, and it was better when everypony could be friends, even when not all the creatures involved were ponies.

Sighing, Gentle Leaf was about to turn and head down another street, but her eyes caught a hint of motion amid the woods again. Turning and squinting, she thought she saw two large, dark forms moving amid the trees, heading deeper into the Whitetail Woods. Heading in the same direction Jeog had gone.

Curiosity briefly warred with caution, and as was often the case with the young, curiosity won out.

Gentle Leaf headed towards the woods.

----------

Her cabin was silent and dark as always, and Jeog laid on a pile of taken cushions and blankets, idly drawing a random design in the floor with a claw and trying not to sigh every two minutes. It had been a... tiring day. Reliving the pain of Cho Yon’s loss, discovering how little she still understood about mortals ways, she just wanted to crawl into her lair and sleep. What was ‘theft’ anyway? Would she have to give back everything she’d taken? How was she supposed to get things, then? Give the ponies pieces of metal? Where would she get those if she didn’t just take them when she saw them?

A horrible thought passed Jeog’s mind.

Would she have to get one of those... those... what were they called again? Jobs?

She shuddered at the thought. She’d just have to figure out a way to live among mortals without driving herself insane, or causing them trouble. It seemed such an imposing task. In some ways it would be infinitely easier to run away again.

An image of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon’s hopeful faces flashed through her mind, and Jeog let out a small but not unhappy sigh, her tails wagging slightly.

A difficult, perhaps impossible task, to understand mortals... but perhaps worth it to keep trying.

Jeog’s ears perked up at the sound of hoofsteps outside her door. They were quiet, light steps, but not coming from anypony who was trying to hide themselves. They were too light to belong to Destroyah. Ditzy Doo, perhaps? Or had Diamond Tiara come out to see her, despite being ‘grounded’ by her parents?

Jeog stood, taking a few steps towards the door to see who it was, when the unlocked portal swung open under a wreath of golden magic that Jeog recognized instantly, and felt every single nerve in her body freeze with utter terror as her nightmare stepped into the cabin.

“Jeog,” Ki Seong said simply, eyes burning pools of molten gold, a rabid predator’s grin splitting her face as her onyx mane started to writhe around her like a living shadow.

There was no other exit from her cabin, save the windows, and Jeog bolted for the nearest one without thought, just pure cold fear driving her flight. She leaped for the window, willing to crash right through it, but Ki Seong’s mane expanded and flew even faster. The unnaturally tough and strong strands wrapped around one of Jeog’s hind legs, halting her in mid-air just long enough for Ki Seong’s living, demonic mane to yank the gumiho back and swing her straight into the cabin wall with enough force to shake the entire structure.

Jeog howled as pain exploded through her, but she didn’t miss a single beat, scrambling up and bolting for another window. Ki Seong’s face twisted in disgust as she moved with lightning speed, leaping into a spinning hoof strike that caught Jeog squarely in the side of the face. This pushed Jeog’s head through the window in a shatter of glass, and she slumped down, but refusing to let the pain daze her Jeog’s foxfire boiled up in a puff of dense azure smoke.

Ki Seong didn’t let the smoke distract her, lashing out with a hoof at Jeog’s darting form, only to find the form flicker out as the illusion of the gumiho popped and the real Jeog appeared near the door, rushing outside.

Out of the cabin Jeog rushed headlong towards the treeline, eyes wild, mouth panting...

Only to slam headlong into a painful flash of magical light that sent her careening backwards. Yelping in pain she rose, looking with horror to see that the field of magic had been created by a series of papers pinned to the ground by iron needles, elaborate magical symbols flaring with power to ward against Jeog’s species. Her whole cabin was encased in these talisman, and she realized she was trapped.

She turned as Ki Seong stepped out of the cabin, the kirin’s face a mask of deep satisfaction and eager bloodlust.

“No more running. No more hiding. Finally, finally I have you, and you will not escape me again!”

Jeog, despite the fear burrowing like frozen worms through her body, readied herself to fight. She reared down, readying to spring, issuing forth a growl. Ki Seong’s smile of hot rage didn’t waver as the familiar wood charm around her neck summoned forth its mist and the kirin’s iron spear took shape in her ready magic grip.

However just then a new voice spoke, smooth, smokey, and filled with venomous intent.

“As much as I’d like to watch you two fight, I’d rather we not waste time we don’t have to, Ki Seong.”

Jeog suddenly felt pain rip across her back as a beam of thick, twisting orange magic lanced across her. She rolled away from the magic beam, struggling to stand again, only to have a large, dark form smash into her from above, pinning her to the ground with crushing force.

Looking up, Jeog’s eyes widened as she saw an unfamiliar creature standing above her, it's dark onyx beauty only matched by the raw menace and malevolence that radiated off of the black, instectile equine form of Battra Lea. Magic blazed from Battra’s horn, smothering Jeog in a thick, telekinetic grip even as her hoof pressed Jeog’s face into the ground.

“No need to struggle, although I do appreciate the entertainment. That said...” Battra leaned down, whispering with unrestrained mirth, “The real fun is just beginning.”

Ki Seong, scowling, approached and reached with her magic into the folds of her cloak. Out came a set of long iron needles, and Jeog’s eyes widened as she started to redouble her efforts to try and break free of Battra’s hold. It was useless. She couldn’t move. All she could do was watch as those long, thick needles of hateful iron flew on strands of gold magic around her... then stabbed inward. The iron pierced Jeog’s arms, the terrible metal burning the very fabric of magic that made up Jeog’s body. A howl escaped Jeog as the needles dug in deep, and strength started to flee her body.

“This should hold her while we work,” Ki Seong said flatly.

“So, how long to sever each tail? That is what is involved with harvesting her beads, yes?” Battra asked, and the words sent a fresh tremor of panic through Jeog. She tried to twist her head to bit at this strange onyx newcomer, but she could barely move. She tried to summon up any foxfire for an illusion or even a glimmer of flame, but the iron now burning inside her made such magical focus impossible.

Ki Seong stood over her, that look of disgust never flinching, “Years wasted chasing you. I want nothing more than to see your demise, but first I’ll take from you that which I need to salvage my honor, if not my life.”

It was becoming clearer to Jeog that there was no escape, and that her fate was as good as sealed. There was no point denying her fear, but surprising even to her was the fact that beyond the fear of her own impending death, she was scared most of all for what might happen to those mortals she’d come to know in Ponyville.

Struggling even to speak past the pain of the iron needles piercing her flesh, Jeog said, “Don’t... don’t...”

Ki Seong spat, “Begging for your life now? What a wretched thing you are.”

Jeog shook her head, “Don’t...hurt the ponies... just me. Just me... and not them.”

Her plea had a rather rapid effect. Ki Seong’s eyes briefly widened. A maelstrom of conflicting emotions shot across the kirin's eyes; crosswinds of confusion mingling with gusts of doubt... but then flashing with the lightning of utter rage. In an instant the jade flicker the kirin’s hoof smashed into Jeog’s face. The blow rattled Jeog, stars bursting to life in her vision. Then Ki Seong’s hoof battered her again, and again, in a relentless flurry of unrestrained anger.

Battra rolled her eyes and held out a hoof, stopping Ki Seong. At the kirin’s glare Battra said, “Do recall she must be alive in order for us to harvest the beads. Or am I misremembering your explanation of the ritual?”

With a hiss Ki Seong pulled her hoof away, looking at it, and Jeog's bruised face, with a momentary flicker of shame, which soon transmuted back to stony resolve. “Yes, I remember. This thing won’t die easily, but we’ve wasted enough time. Bring it into the cabin. We’ll get to work, and soon enough you’ll have what you want, and I’ll have what I need.”

Her black mane slipped around Jeog like a coiling blanket, the strands tightening around the gumiho’s body tightly as Ki Seong dragged her into the darkness of the cabin. Battra followed with an amused smile, and Jeog looked out from the cabin desperately as the doors closed on her, and any hope of escape.

----------

No more than thirty paces from the cabin, a minute after the door closed, a bush shook as a starkly terrified and horrified Gentle Leaf backed away from what she’d just witnessed. Her mouth worked in a silent attempt at screaming, but even she realized to make any noise now might spell doom for her and for Jeog.

With all the speed her tiny legs could muster Gentle Leaf turned and galloped back towards Ponyville.