> Freeport Venture: The Hunted
>  by Chengar Qordath
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Monster in The Dark
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

This one has always enjoyed evenings in Freeport. While it is far too young to take part in the city’s famed nightlife, there is something enticing about the thought that there is an entire new world which emerges once the sun goes down. This one would often open its window late at night, when it was supposed to be asleep to watch the city. It always regretted when its family’s business required it to go to the clan-held islands. Much as it enjoys spending time amongst its kin, the Doo clanhold does not come alive at night the way Freeport does. 

In particular, this one enjoyed watching the city when troubling itself with difficult matters. Tonight, this one struggled with the question of how best to approach its parents on the matter of the Shimmer-mare. It hoped to take lessons in the magical arts from Freeport’s new magus, but was uncertain how to broach the subject to its parents. While changeling magic (whether Free Mind or drone) is not identical to unicorn magic, there is much the Shimmer-mare might yet teach this one. A changeling could hardly imitate a unicorn without appearing to copy their magic too, after all. Not to mention magical fields like alchemy and runes functioned regardless of the caster’s species.

However, this one’s parents had not even met the Shimmer-mare yet. All they truly knew of her was that this one had spent several days in captivity due to being her friend, which did not dispose them favorably towards her. This one feared that they might consider her a ‘bad influence’ despite this one’s assurances that the Shimmer-mare was brave, heroic, and brilliant.

As this one stared out into the night and pondered its problems, it spotted a cloaked form moving up the street. It watched with idle curiosity until the figure passed near a lamp, and this one saw light glinting off black carapace. This one’s breath caught in its throat as the figure drew nearer and nearer its home until at last it trotted up to the front door, reaching into its cloak and drawing out keys.

This one immediately rushed down the stairs to the front door, positioning itself to the side. Then it waited, stilling its breath and doing nothing that might give away its presence as the locks clicked and the door slowly creaked upon. When the cloaked figure entered this one’s home, this one pounced at the newcomer.

The figure immediately snatched this one out of the air, spinning it about and pinning it to the floor. An instant later there was a blade at this one’s throat. This one stared at the weapon, its limbs turning leaden from shock and sudden fear.

The cloaked figure stared down at this one for a long moment, then blinked and pulled back, hastily removing the knife from this one’s throat. “Kukri? Don’t do that! This one thought you were—” She shook her head, quickly putting away her weapons and shutting the door behind her, locking it and shaking her head. “Sorry. This one is sorry, sister. It did not mean to frighten you when you merely sought to welcome it home. Where are Mom and Dad?”

This one rose to its hooves, still trembling from its brush with death. Its sister had sparred and playfully wrestled with it before, but it had never seen her employing the full extent of her skills. It is one thing to know that one’s sister is an assassin, and quite another to nearly find oneself on the sharp end of her blades. This one would certainly never attempt to surprise hug its sister again.

This one took a moment to calm itself, then answered its sister’s question. “This one apologizes for startling you. Our parents are—”

The rest of this one’s response became moot as it heard hooves striking the ceiling, or rather the floor of its parents’ bedroom. This one surmised that it and its sister were making enough noise to have disturbed them.

Kunai grabbed this one, shoving it behind her and placing herself between this one and the stairs, one hoof resting over her sheathed weapon. She chanced the barest of glances back at this one before returning her attention to the stairwell. “Please tell this one that our parents are upstairs.”

This one stared at its sister, quite bemused by her question. “Who else would be in their bedroom at this time of night?”

Kunai grimaced and said nothing. Moments later, this one’s mother descended the stairs, a brown foreleg rubbing at her eyes and brushing back a sleep-tousled red mane, her wings tucked against her sides. “Kunai? I thought I heard your voice. When did you get back?”

Kunai untensed, removing her hooves from her weapons. “Just now.” Her eyes flicked up the stairs, her voice deadly serious. “Has anyone else come here already? Where's Dad?”

This one’s father came down the stairs in his natural changeling form, right behind Mom. “This one is right here. What's going on?”

“You're in danger.” Kunai quickly circled the room, ensuring that all the windows and doors were locked and the blinds were drawn. This one’s mother began to light a candle, but Kunai trotted over and blew it out. “As soon as it’s daylight, you need to head back to clan territory. Preferably the main compound out in our islands.”

Dad blinked in surprise, then grimaced. “What happened? Did something go wrong with your job?”

“In a manner of speaking.” Kunai sighed and removed her cloak, trotting to the kitchen to retrieve a bottle of rum. After using her fangs to remove the top, she took a long pull from it, then sighed. “This one's mark suspected that he was being hunted, and had hired a bodyguard. From the Strikers. This one was unable to reach its mark without going through the Striker, and she refused to stand aside or acknowledge her defeat in an honor duel. This one had no choice.”

Mom’s eyes widened in shock. “You killed a Striker?”

Kunai nodded, then drank from her bottle once more. “This one had an obligation to fulfill its contract. It took every reasonable measure it could to do so without slaying a pony from our clan’s closest ally, but she refused to give ground. If this one did not slay the Striker, it would have failed in its mission.”

Dad groaned and ran a hoof along his face. “Damn it all. This one supposes your pay from the mission will have to go to the Strikers as blood money then.”

Kunai sighed and shook her head. “This one offered as much, but Cold Striker refused to accept it. He called this one a liar when it claimed that it had done all it reasonably could to spare his sister’s life while fulfilling its contract.” Kunai began pacing about the room, inspecting the doors and windows once more. “The only witness to our battle was my target, and this one left him in no condition to testify. This one only had its own words to offer in defense of its actions, and Cold would not hear them.” Her pacing brought her to this one’s side, and she placed an insectoid wing over its shoulders. “This one can almost understand his reasons. If this one’s sister were slain, it would not wish to believe she had brought it upon herself.”

This one pressed against Kunai’s side, wrapping both its forelegs around one of hers. “And now you fear that the Striker wishes to kill you for revenge?”

“Refusing to accept blood money would indicate as much.” She paused a moment, then bared her fangs and glared out the window. “But this one does not fear that he will strike at it. Rather, it fears that he will strike the rest of you.”

Mom grimaced, but Dad quickly put a hoof on her shoulder, shaking his head. “The clan leadership would never let that happen. It would be the start of an all-out blood feud. It could even destroy the alliance between the Doos and the Strikers.”

“The Striker mater advised Cold to take the blood money,” Kunai grunted. “He refused her advice. And even if he acts without any further support from his clan, a single pony can still do far too much damage with a knife in the dark.”

Mom nodded grimly. “And the Strikers won't imprison one of their own just for being angry at the death of a family member. They’re probably hoping that after a couple days he’ll calm down, accept the blood money, and everyone will just move on and forget about it.”

“Perhaps so,” Kunai allowed. “Or perhaps she simply agrees with his doubts in this one’s version of events, and thus sees little reason to risk her clan’s anger by imprisoning him.”

Dad’s hoof cut through the air, ending the conversation. “It hardly matters why the Strikers aren’t locking Cold up—the important fact is that he might be out for revenge.”

“Exactly.” Kunai agreed. “Freeport is not safe. The city’s condottieri are too easily paid to turn a blind eye, and he could even hire them to do the dirty work for him. He might be a rich, fat merchant I could take apart in five seconds in a straight fight, but he has enough gold to be above the law.” She grimaced and shook her head. “Not to mention that there’s no law against him hiring several thugs and having them all walk up to your front door. Even if the condottieri all did their jobs, they’d be minutes away in a situation where seconds count. This one would feel much more at ease if you were within the clanhold, where the guards care more for honor than coins.” Kunai’s eyes darkened. “Not to mention that he would have to be mad to attack a Doo on Doo territory. His own clan would hardly be able to ignore such a crime, and nobody would be foolish enough to believe any claim that he was not involved.”

Dad took a breath, then slowly let it out and nodded. “Better safe than sorry. This one will arrange for us to go back to the clanhold on the first ship in the morning.” Sister was about to object, but he held up a hoof to cut her off. “Finding passage to the isles this late at night will not be easy, and wandering Freeport’s streets in the wee hours is more dangerous than remaining in our home.”

This one could not remain silent as plans were made around it. “But this one was supposed to see Sunset tomorrow afternoon!”

Mom sighed patiently. “Staying safe is more important than visiting your friends, dear.”

Kunai nodded sharply. “If she is truly your friend, she will understand that. And there is no reason she cannot come to the clanhold and visit you.”

“This one supposes that is true...”

Kunai dropped to her knees, looking this one in the eyes. “This one will make it up to you. Promise. As soon as this is over, it will take a week off of work, and you can introduce it to all of your friends. Okay?”

“Okay,” this one reluctantly agreed.

“Good.” This one’s sister pulled it in for another hug. “This one loves you, little sister. It will be back before you know it.”

This one returned the hug, clutching its sister almost desperately. It did not wish for her to leave, not when it knew that there was a pony out there who would stop at nothing to see its sister dead. “Be safe, Kunai.”

“Of course.” She grinned and poked this one in the chest. “And don’t get in any trouble while this one is gone, grub.”

“This one is not a grub!” it protested vehemently. “This one is eleven and a half years old!”

“You’ll always be a grub to me, grub.” She slowly broke the hug. “Just stay safe, okay?” Her head fell slightly. “That is why this one must leave so quickly. It would prefer to be far away from its family when Cold seeks it out for vengeance.”

Without another word, Kunai slipped out into the night, locking the door behind her.





This one could not return to sleep after Kunai’s visit, even though it was many hours before this one would normally awaken. This one’s sister was in danger. How could it sleep knowing that she might be fighting for her life at that very moment? This one wished it could do something to help keep her safe, and its heart was all the more burdened because it knew that there was nothing it could do.

This one does not like being a child, and would enjoy reaching adulthood as soon as possible. Then it could spend all day with its sister or the Shimmer-mare instead of obeying its parents, and would be better able to aid all of them.

And so this one could do nothing but stare out its window at the city once more, vainly searching for some sign of its sister. It did not truly expect to find her—Kunai was very hard to see when she did not wish to be seen—but what else could it do?

This one cannot say how long it stared out the window, worrying about its sister while sleep eluded it. It could only think that it should have hugged its sister one more time before she departed, or mention that it loved her. If only this one had...

This one’s ears shot up. The room was silent, the outside world sealed out by the window. Dad had fixed the cracks in the caulking last year after a long wet season, so the odd flutter of its curtains in the wind had long ago stopped. The sheets were still, but something was … off. It had almost convinced itself that its feelings were nothing but misplaced concern for its sister when a ghost of a whisper drifted into the room, so gently that this one could have mistaken it for nothing more than the usual nightly noise.

“Kukri...”

This one’s eyes shot open, its ears perking up and vainly turning about in an effort to find the sound’s source. When several further seconds passed with no more noises, this one dismissed it as nothing but a trick of its half-asleep mind.

“Kukri Doo...”

The sound was much clearer now. Too clear to be mistaken for anything else. This one pulled its covers tighter around itself, trying to convince itself that the sounds were nothing more than its imagination, even though it knew otherwise.

Something thumped down on the roof above it. Four thumps, each following so closely in succession that it might have been mistaken for a single sound. The voice returned, no longer a ghostly whisper but a deep, guttural growl letting out an almost mocking singsong. “Kukri, Kukri, Kukri Doo. I see youuuuuu.”

A tiny, frightened whimper escaped this one’s lips despite its best efforts to restrain it. It could no longer pretend that it was safe. There was a monster in its room. “Moh, Mom.” It gasped out, barely able to manage more than a whisper. “Mom? Dad?”

There was a mocking throaty chuckle. “Ah, little child. Your parents can’t help you now. I ate your precious little mommy’s liver five minutes ago, right after I feasted upon your daddy’s eyes. They were delicious. And now it's just you. And me. Alone. In the Dark.”

“Y-you're lying!” This one did not—could not believe the Monster’s words. Its voice rose up to a high-pitched scream. “Mom! MOOOOM!”

For a terrifying moment nothing happened, just deadly silence hanging in the air after this one’s frantic cries. Could it possibly be true? Was Mom really dead?

Then the door burst open, and Mom rushed over to this one’s bedside. “Kukri! What's wrong?!”

This one bolted out of bed, hurling itself into Mom’s protective embrace. “S-someone's here! Something's here and it's—this one needs to get out of here now, please! The Monster said it hurt you and—”

Mom held this one, her hooves gently and reassuringly circling along its back. “There there, sweetie. I'm sure it was just a bad dream. I’m okay, and your dad’s okay too. Everything’s just fine now.”

For a moment this one wondered if perhaps she was right. If this one had simply dozed off and had a bad dream. It certainly preferred to believe that was the truth. And so this one smiled at Mom as best it could. “Yes. Alright. This ... this one just had a bad dream.” This one hoped that if it said that enough times, it would believe it.

Mom sighed and slowly released the hug, patting this one on the back. “I suppose it’s no surprise, with everything that’s going on. But you’ll be fine; you don’t have to be scared of a silly little nightmare.”

Just as this one finally allowed itself to relax and believe that it really had just been a dream, the voice returned. “Oh, you do have to be afraid of nightmares. You really do.”

Mom’s eyes widened and she grabbed this one, all but hurling it out of its own bedroom. As soon as this one was past the door and into the hallway one of her hind legs lashed out, kicking the door shut behind her.

This one’s mother was alone in its room. Alone with the Monster.

“Mom! No!” This one scrambled back to its hooves then rushed to the door. The knob slipped out of its grip as it desperately tried to grasp it. “No!” 

An instant later this one’s father was there, grabbing this one and trying to pull it away from the door. “Dad! HELP! Something's in there with Mom! The Monster’s gonna get her if we don’t—”

The window banged open loudly enough that this one could hear it through the closed bedroom door. All this one could think was that the Monster had finally attacked. It had come in through the window and now it had gotten Mom. And after it would get Dad, and then this one and this one’s sister and...

“Mom!” This one squirmed, wriggled, and managed to worm its way free of Dad’s hold. It rushed to the door and threw it open. “Mom! Mom?!” 

The window hung wide open now, a thin shaft of moonlight lancing in while the curtains wafted gently in the night breeze. There was no sign of this one’s mother anywhere in the room. In fact, aside from the open window this one’s room looked precisely as it had left it. Yet now this one’s eyes lingered on every single shadow, wondering if the space beneath this one’s nightstand or the half-open closet door might conceal the hidden creature waiting to pounce.

A powerful arm grabbed this one from behind and hauled it backwards. “Aaaarrrr—”

“It’s me, Kukri!” Dad hissed under his breath.

For a moment this one was relieved, until it noted Dad’s odd choice of words. ‘Me.’ Not ‘this one.’ Was Dad being imprecise in the midst of a tense situation, or could it be something else? What if the Monster had gotten Dad? What if it was pretending to be Dad now? Such things were possible—this one is a changeling, after all.

“No!” This one’s hind leg lashed out, catching Dad—or the thing pretending to be him—in the stomach. “Let go of this one!”

Before this one could free itself there was another thump on the roof, and this one froze. It was on the roof now! It had Mom, and now it was on the roof! Dad’s hold tightened on this one, and this one no longer tried to escape him. There was another thump, then another, and they continued until it seemed as if they were right over this one’s head, pounding down as if the Monster intended to smash down through the roof and snatch this one up through the hole.

Then the sounds shifted away, growing fainter as whatever was on the roof began moving down the slope. This one almost did not realize what was happening until it noticed that the thumps were slowly moving towards the open window. This one knew it should rush to the window and slam it shut to keep the thing from getting in, but even if Dad were not holding it still, it could not have forced itself to move. It was paralyzed as efficiently as if it had been bitten by one of the poisonous snakes that lived on some of the outer islands.

There was a final thump, then a rustle as a shadow-cloaked form swooped in through the open window. This one screamed, shutting its eyes in a desperate attempt to block out the Monster before it struck.

“Whoa! Easy, Kukri, it’s just me.” This one slowly opened its eyes, and found Mom standing before it once more. She gave this one a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. “Whatever it was, it’s gone now. I chased it off.”

This one clung to Dad’s leg, still too frightened to let go of him. “M-Mom? Is that ... y-you're okay, right?”

“Fine.” She smiled reassuringly, though it did not reach her eyes. “I bet whoever it was, they were so scared when I came out after them that they’re still running. We both know that nopony’s would mess with your Mom, right?”

This one tried to answer her, but all it could do was choke out a sob of relief. It flung itself into Mom’s grasp, desperately clutching her while its hooves checked her body for any wounds despite her reassurances. “Muh-muh-moooooom...”

Both of this one’s parents held it while it cried, gently stroking its mane and reassuring it that all was well. However, this one could not help but notice that Mom’s hooves never strayed far from the dagger at her side, and her eyes lingered on the same hidden corners that this one had watched earlier.

This one’s parents were lying to it. It was not safe. Not at all.

As they both held this one, Dad whispered to Mom “Do you have any idea what it was?”

“No.” Her hold on this one tightened, and a furious snarl entered her voice. “But it's never coming anywhere near my daughter again.”

This one wiped at its eyes and tried to express itself. “Puh, please, this wuh, this wuh, this ... I ... this I wants to go. Please.” This one whimpered, its eyes turning to the open window as another breeze made the curtains waft again. “Please, please, pleasepleaseplease, Mom, Dad please.”

Dad nodded sharply. “To hay with waiting for sunrise, we're going to the islands now.”

“Damn right we are. I want to be somewhere with proper military patrols.” Mom quickly grabbed a few things from this one’s room and hers while Dad never loosened his hug. Once we were ready to leave they placed this one between the two of them, with each one wrapping a wing protectively around it. Right before we went out the door Mom paused and declared, “We move fast. We move quiet. And we stay close.”

This one nodded, trying to pull their wings more tightly around itself as it trembled, and not because of Freeport’s warm tropical air. “M-Mom? Dad? Could this one sleep with you tomorrow night?”

“Yes,” Dad answered instantly.

“You're not leaving my sight after that,” Mom agreed.

This one nodded, sparing one last look up at its bedroom as they departed. It did not think it would ever be able to sleep there again.
> The Monster in The Bedroom
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

This one remained on the top deck of the ferry for the entire ride out to the clan’s compound. This one did not wish to be below deck, or anywhere with shadows. It was a bright, moonlit night and this one could see for miles across the open water. This one much preferred that over going into the cabin, where it would not be able to see an approaching Monster until it pressed its face up against the porthole.

This one’s parents remained with it the entire time. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that it remained with its parents. This one did not wish to be parted with them at all. Not after what it had experienced. When Dad needed to step away for a moment to use the facilities, it could not sit still or relax until he returned.

The sun was just beginning to rise when the ferry finally arrived at Doo’s Defiance, the island upon which our clan’s central compound was built. As befit the clan’s status, it was a fairly large island with a good natural harbor. The clan’s merchant and mercenary interests did keep its port quite busy, and ships from all across the world came to Doo’s Defiance to do business. 

Most of the compound’s buildings were made in the classical style of Old Pegasopolis, or at least the closest approximation that could be managed with local building materials. Architectural styles intended for clouds did not always lend themselves well to building with lumber and bricks. However, the large columned buildings remained impressive regardless of how they were made, and the many olive-clad clan soldiers marching about the compound’s training yards and barracks would impress those who had more practical concerns.

This one’s parents immediately led it towards the clanhold’s headquarters, located in an especially large and impressive structure supposedly modeled after the Ephorate’s meeting hall in Cloudsdale before the clan left Equestria. This one certainly found the wide entrance and soaring columns covered with intricate decorations most impressive, though part of that might have been because the building was so large and this one was so small.

Mom and Dad led it through the building towards a large open room decorated with old war banners, suits of armor, and trophies of the clan’s many victories. In addition to that, there were several of this one’s clanmates standing guard in the room, all fully armed, armored, and vigilant. This one’s trembling finally subsided as its parents led it to a seat in the well-lit room. There were no places here for a monster to hide, and if one tried to come in all the soldiers would stop it long before it could hurt this one. This was a safe place.

Mom spoke with one of the guards, then joined this one and Dad. This one yawned loudly and leaned against Mom’s side, closing its eyes as its cheek rested against her warm side. She gently wrapped a wing around this one. “Tired, sweetie? Go ahead and take a nap, then. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure nothing happens.”

This one nodded and tried to go to sleep, only for its eyes to snap open when it heard hooves scuffing along the carpet. The sound was only one of the guards walking across the room. This one closed its eyes and tried to relax once more, only to be disturbed by a hushed murmur of conversation which for a moment made this one fear that the Monster was speaking to it again.

After trying and failing to nap for some time, Mom gently nuzzled this one. “Sorry, sweetie, but it’s time to get up. The pater’s ready to see us.” This one reluctantly rose to its hooves and followed its parents as they led it into the paterfamilias’s office.

The Paterfamilias of the Doo clan was an elderly grey stallion, his mane nothing but a few short wisps of white hair valiantly clinging to the back his scalp. Despite that, his dark green eyes radiated a calm, reassuring strength that relaxed this one. It knew that its clan’s leader would not allow anything bad to happen to it. 

The pater shuffled a large stack of paperwork to the side, holding a large mug of tea in his free hoof. He sat behind a solid, massive desk of dark brown wood set up in front of a large set of bookshelves lined with hundreds of massive tomes. The shelves themselves were subtly carved with a pattern of vines and leaves that drew this one’s eyes in, endlessly fascinating it as it traced each individual vine from beginning to end. That seemed far better to thinking about what had happened to it last night.

Mom saluted the pater while Dad nodded respectfully. As the clanpony in our family, Mom was the one who told him what happened. “Pater Vigil, something was at our house last night. It skulked around, tried to sneak in, and threatened Kukri.”

The pater groaned, slowly running his free hoof up his cheek and to the back of his neck. “Let me guess: you think it’s connected to Kunai’s current troubles?”

Dad scowled and nodded. “Nothing can be proven or even known, since the prowler got away before either of us got a good look at him. However, this one believes it is unlikely to be a coincidence that somepony was skulking about.”

“I’m afraid you’re right.” The pater sighed and grabbed a blank sheet of paper and a quill. “I was hoping Cold Striker wouldn’t cross the line from talking about revenge to doing something about it. I already sent Kunai on an out-of-Freeport contract for the next couple months to keep her out of sight until tempers have cooled and the scandal’s blown over, and Diamond Striker was planning to do the same thing with Cold. I’d hoped that would be enough, but...”

This one could not constrain itself at word of its sister. “Is she okay? Please, sir—this one does not know where she is or if she’s safe! If the Monster goes after her...” This one’s sister was very brave and very strong, but even she had to sleep. 

The pater smiled gently down at this one. “It's alright, dear. Your big sister is very good at taking care of herself.” He shifted his gaze back to this one’s parents. “Tell me exactly what happened. All the details, no matter how small.”

Dad nodded. “Kunai came to see us a bit before midnight, and told us about what happened with her job, as well as warning us about Cold. She only stayed long enough for that, then left. We decided to go back to bed and take the first boat to the clanhold in the morning. Around one thirty Kukri started screaming. This one’s wife thought it was just a bad dream and went in to check on her, then heard the prowler.”

Mom took over from there. “I heard the voice quite clearly, so I thought they were either already in the room or just outside, on the roof or next to the window. As soon as I heard the intruder I got Kukri out of the room and tried to find them, but whoever it was they got away clean. I didn’t see so much as a tail hair.”

The pater scowled. “Definitely not a coincidence, then. A prowler fast enough to get away from you isn’t going to be some random troublemaker. I’ll send one of our investigators over to your place to check for any evidence your intruder might have left behind. In the meantime, you’re welcome to stay in one of our secure apartments for as long as you need. I'll have Glaive assign a security detail to you.”

Mom nodded and smiled gratefully. “Thank you very much, pater.”

“You’re family,” the pater answered matter-of-factly. “I imagine you remember where Glaive does his training. If you’ll excuse me, I need to go talk to Diamond again.”

“Very good, pater.” Mom put a wing over this one’s back. “And thank you. Again.”

This one’s parents led it out of the office and back into the main hallway of the building. As we walked, this one noticed a pair of large and well-armed stallions, one in front of us and the other behind. It was most reassured by the guardians. At least, until this one realized that its sister would not have any bodyguards. “Dad? When's Kunai coming to join us?”

Dad paused for a moment, then sighed and put his wing over this one as well. “When it's safe for her.”

This one swallowed and quickly rubbed at its eyes to prevent any frightened tears from forming. It did not like the idea that its sister was in danger.

Mom and Dad took this one out to the training yard, where dozens of its clanmates of various ages were hard at work practicing with everything from lances and spears to exotic weapons like wing blades and meteor hammers. Some of the ponies training were the same age as this one, yet they had received and would continue to receive far more martial training than this one. This one’s parents did not intend to train it in anything more than basic self-defence, as they hoped that it would grow up to be a merchant, trader or ship captain. Not a soldier like Mom, or an assassin like Kunai.

This one was uncertain if it wished to avoid the martial path. Trade was honorable, but this one wanted to grow up to be a hero who stopped pirates and monsters, like Kunai and the Shimmer-mare did. That was why this one hoped its parents would allow it to take lessons with the Shimmer-mare; even if it did become a trade captain, it might at least have opportunities to fight off villains that tried to steal its goods or sink its ships. And perhaps if it became a powerful magus like the Shimmer-mare, its parents would allow it to be a warrior instead of a merchant.

After crossing the yard, this one’s parents approached a large brown-and-white painted pegasus stallion with several battle scars which this one recognized as one of Mom’s friends. He smiled at us. “Been treating my cousin well, Codex?”

Dad nodded, while Mom smiled back and shook her head. “I keep telling you, Glaive, I’m your third cousin once removed.”

“That just makes you my baby cousin,” he returned. “Besides, do you really want me to go to all the trouble of specifying exactly what kind of cousin you are every time I call you my cousin?”

“Maybe you have a point.” Mom smirked and nudged him in the side. “Why not just call me your baby cousin who saved your sorry flank on more than half a dozen different jobs?”

“Like I never watched your back when we were working together,” he grumbled, though he was smiling while he did so. “Word around the compound is that you had some trouble last night. Somepony skulking around where they shouldn’t be.”

Dad blinked. “We just got here. Word travels fast.”

Glaive chuckled. “Oh, you know how soldiers are: a bunch of gossipy old hens whenever we don’t have something to kill.” He turned back to Mom, raising a single eyebrow. “I’m surprised you didn't carve up whoever was messing around your house. I thought Cold was supposed to be a soft little merchie. Don’t tell me retirement and motherhood made you so rusty a civilian can outrun you.”

Mom smirked and shook her head. “Whoever it was only got away because they ran for it as soon as they realized they were messing with my daughter. And it definitely wasn’t a merchant.”

He grunted and nodded. “Well, they won't get past a squad of my best. I can promise you that.”

“Good.” Mom’s wing around my shoulder tightened slightly. “If your ponies are as good as you say, I’ll mark it in our tally. Of course, that still puts me at saving your a...” She paused, glancing down at this one and grinning. “Saving your flank four more times than you’ve saved mine.”

“Two” Glaive insisted. “That mess in Gryphonstone was your fault to begin with, and we both know that you didn’t save me from that pirate—you just stole my kill.”

Mom snorted and shook her head. “You keep telling yourself that.”

“I will.” Glaive and Mom grinned at each other for a bit, then his eyes dropped down to this one. “Well look at you, little Kukri. You sure are growing up fast.”

“Yes, sir,” This one answered dutifully. While it was not part of the clan’s military, it still tried to be respectful towards those who were high-ranking soldiers. That was what its Mom and Dad taught it to do. “Sir? Could this one ask for a favor?”

Glaive smiled down at this one and pet its shoulder. “What's that?”

This one swallowed and took a deep breath. “Could this one's room have a small window? The Monster came in through it last time. And...” This one was about to ask for a night light too, but then it remembered that it was speaking to a soldier. Soldiers would probably think that only silly babies needed night lights, and this one was eleven and a half years old. “And that's ... just a small window, please.”

Glaive squeezed this one’s shoulder. “There won't be any windows in your bedroom. We’ve got you in one of our special secure apartments. No windows and only one door, which we’ll have guards on all day and all night. Nothing and nobody gets in without us checking it first.”

“This one tha—” This one yawned, cutting off its sentence. “Sorry. This one thanks you.”

Mom’s friend smiled reassuringly. “Don't you worry. You'll sleep safe and sound tonight. That’s a promise.”





Far too swiftly, it was nighttime again. This one privately wished it could speak with Celestia and ask her to keep the sun high in the sky for several days. Such a thing might even have been possible. The Shimmer-mare surely had a means of contacting the White Pony if the matter was urgent enough. Unfortunately, this one doubted that the distant ruler of Equestria would alter the movement of the sun merely to calm a single frightened changeling.

However, this one had every reason to believe it would be far safer tonight. Now it rested within the clan’s central compound in a specially secured building whose only entrance was guarded by a pair of well-armed clanponies. No monster could possibly get past them. And like Mom told this one, the Monster was in fact not a monster at all—just some goon hired by a stupid pony named Cold Striker, who would soon be captured and punished for his crimes.

And yet ... this one did not feel safe. While everything about our new living quarters was supposed to be secure, none of it felt like a home. It reminded this one of one of the hotel rooms its family had taken it to during vacations, except this place somehow felt even more barren. Even with a hotel, the staff at least made an effort to make the place seem welcoming. Our special secure quarters lacked even that touch of hospitality. They felt almost ... sterile.

This one’s room had been its room, its own personal space which it had filled with its prized possessions and treasures. A few old toys it was still fond of, a photograph of the last time its extended family had gotten together, a few books it borrowed from the library, and of course, an ice sculpture of a hammerhead shark crossed with a barracuda. A hammercuda.

Except that now this one’s room was no longer truly its place. The ... intruder had violated the sanctity of it. This one’s place of rest and safety was no longer restful or safe. It did not know if it could ever truly feel at home there again.

It would seem this one had no safe harbor anymore. Its old place of safety was gone, and the new one provided to it did not feel safe at all. If anything, all the safety just reminded this one of the danger.

Mom and Dad made this one its favorite meal, grilled shrimp and zucchini with breadfruit on the side, but this one could not truly enjoy the dinner. It knew that after dinner it would not be long before bedtime. Lying in a strange bed in a pitch black room in a strange house.

The bedroom was as stale and featureless as the rest of our new living area, though the bed itself was quite large and comfortable. Perhaps the pater had heard that this one wished to sleep with its parents, and had ensured there would be a large enough bed for all of us.

This one clambered into the bed, lying in the middle while each of its parents took one of the sides. This one wished it could find being held by Mom and Dad reassuring, but it did not. All it could think was that if Cold broke into our bedroom now, all three of us would be in one place.

Dad tucked the covers around this one, and Mom wrapped a wing around it and pulled it against her chest. This one pressed against her, comforted by her warmth and the strong muscles it could feel beneath her skin. Glaive said that this one’s mother was a mighty soldier, and Mom said that if the intruder had not fled she would have dispatched it easily. Surely this one could never be harmed while its Mom was protecting it.

Then Dad turned out the lights.

This new bedroom was dark. Very dark. In its old room, this one had a large window that let the light of the moon and stars drift in. Even after the lights went out there was a sort of gentle, silvery illumination. In this new windowless bedroom there was nothing at all. Once the lights went out, the room was pitch black.

This one did not feel safe anymore. It pressed against Mom, reassuring itself that she was still there now that it could no longer see her. The one regretted not asking one of the soldiers for a night light. It no longer cared if wanting one made it silly or a baby. This one was stuck in a dark room, and everyone knows that the darkness is where monsters hide.

It was reminded of the time when its sister told it a story one Nightmare Night about an invisible monster that hid under the bed and grabbed naughty little children if they ever misbehaved by causing trouble for their big sisters. This one suspects that Kunai had an ulterior motive in sharing that particular tale. However, this one had been younger and more gullible back then, and had believed everything that Kunai had told it. For some time afterwards, it had been nervous about going to bed, especially if it had any form of discord with its elder sister that day. Even after this one was old enough to realize that there was no invisible monster hiding under its bed, it preferred to remain covered by the bedsheet so that the monster could not grab it.

This one reluctantly rose from the bed, then after a long moment of hesitation hopped down to the floor and stumbled through the darkness to the bedroom door. After several seconds of fumbling with the knob, this one managed to open it, quietly slipping out into the hallway as one hoof blindly felt along the wall. Finally, this one found the lightswitch.

This one let out a sigh of relief as the darkness vanished. It slowly and quietly walked back into the bedroom, leaving the door cracked open so that a thin sliver of light fell into the room. It was still dark, but no longer dark enough for a monster to hide completely unseen.

This one settled back into bed, snuggling up with its parents. Mom murmured sleepily and wrapped her forelegs around this one once more. It pressed its face against her chest and tried to go to sleep once more.

It had nearly managed to do so when the reassuring blackness of this one’s closed eyelids suddenly became a light red glow. This one’s eyes slowly blinked open, and it saw that the door it had left barely cracked was now wide open.

This one swallowed and whimpered, staring at the open doorway. A quick look confirmed that this one’s mother and father were both still in bed with it. But if nopony had gotten out of bed, how could the door have been opened? The only answer this one could see was that someone ... or something else must have moved the door.

This one whimpered and pulled the covers over its head, trying to block out the very light that was supposed to reassure it. Then it tried to remain as still as possible, hoping that it would not be noticed and thus escape the danger.

It did not know how long it stayed hidden under the covers, waiting to see if the danger had passed. It had almost allowed itself to believe it was safe when the covers above it were suddenly and violently yanked away.

This one froze, too terrified to even scream. It could do nothing but wait for its doom, for the Monster to get it.

And yet ... it didn’t. The seconds ticked by, and no horrible beast snatched this one out of its bed. After a full minute passed with nothing horrible happening, this one dared to hope that perhaps it was wrong. Maybe there was no monster at all.

This one looked to side, studying its parents, and discovered a far simpler explanation for what had happened to the bedsheet. This one’s mother had stolen them from both it and Dad. It let out a nervous giggle. Mom was just hogging the covers.

This one trotted over to the bedroom door and pushed it back to being almost completely closed. Then it waited. After several seconds the hinges let out a quiet whine, and the door began to slowly open once more.

This one had just been jumping at shadows. It was being silly. There were guards outside, plus Mom and Dad were here. There were no monsters, just a single silly stallion that had probably already been scared off by this one’s mother last night.

This one went back to bed and finally went to sleep.





This one awoke early the next morning to the sound of its parents whispering above it. It slowly blinked its eyes open, its sleep-muddled mind trying to make sense of the words being spoken around it.

“...have to tell the guards right away!” Mom hissed at him.

“This one thinks we should remove Kukri first,” Dad whispered back. “It would not want her to wake up and see ... that.”

“This one is awake,” it dutifully informed its parents. “What’s going on?”

Dad hissed out a word that this one had only ever heard from some of the sailors it served with on the Venture and clamped a hoof over this one’s eyes. There was an edge of raw, barely concealed panic in his voice. “Don’t look at it, Kukri! Don’t look!”

“What is it?!” this one shrieked, instinctively struggling against the hoof blocking out its sight. “What’s happening? Is it the Monster again?!”

This one’s father refused to budge his hoof, but he was still in his natural form. This one squirmed and wriggled, and finally managed to line one of its eyes up with one of the holes in Dad’s changeling legs.

It immediately regretted that accomplishment.

The entire bedroom wall had been ... remade. Almost like some sort of sculpture. The plaster of the wall had a lifelike representation of this one etched into it. It showed this one on its side, and nestled between two lumps that were obviously Mom and Dad, but the only part of them that was more than a blur was Mom’s foreleg wrapped around this one’s chest. The carving was so intricate that it even showed small dimples in the blanket where it covered the holes in this one’s legs. 

That much detail would have taken hours to carve. Hours where this one, Mom, Dad, and all the guards hadn’t known anything was there.

This one screamed.
> The Monster in The Closet
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

This one trembled against Dad’s side, clinging to him almost desperately. It had not let go of him since waking, even though dozens of clanponies had been in and out of our temporary residence, searching for any sign of how the Monster had gotten in and carved our wall. Many of them stopped to talk to Mom and Dad, but this one did not pay any attention to what they said. It just wanted its father to hold it.

While this one stayed near Dad, Mom alternated between stalking around the living room and occasionally yelling at one of the clanponies investigating the scene and sitting on the couch across from us. The coffee table was covered with more than a dozen daggers, dirks, and other blades. Mom was spending a lot of time sharpening them, even though this one knew that she always kept her weapons in perfect working condition.

This one jumped in shock when something pounded against the front door. It was so nervous that at first it did not even realize that the sound was just somepony knocking. Mom picked up one of her daggers and quietly slipped it behind her back. “Door's open, come on in.”

The door opened up, surrounded in a familiar turquoise glow. This one’s ears perked up, and a second later the Shimmer-mare stepped in. “Hey. I came as fast as I could. Is Kukri alright?”

“Shimmer-mare!” This one nuzzled its father one final time, the hopped off his lap and galloped over to her. It latched its forelegs around her neck, burying its face in her chest fur and hugging her as hard as it could.

“Whoa, girl.” The Shimmer-mare gently rubbed and patted this one’s back, holding it reassuringly. “Easy there. I'm here.”

Dad smiled at both of us. “Thank you for coming, Magus.”

“Of course.” The Shimmer-mare let go of this one, though it remained close to her regardless. “Kukri, why don’t you introduce me to your parents?” She grinned, and her voice dropped down to a whisper for this one’s ears only. “I am kind of curious to see what kind of parents give their kids names like ‘Kukri’ and ‘Kunai.’”

Mom stepped forward first, offering her hoof. “Knives Doo. Kukri’s told us a lot about you, it’s a pleasure to finally meet.”

The Shimmer-mare blinked, then shook Mom’s hoof. “Right. I guess that ... er, it’s nice to meet you too, Mrs. Doo.”

Dad shook her hoof next. “Codex. This one thanks you for coming. This one... This one is sorry to say that this matter seems to be beyond us.”

The Shimmer-mare nodded gravely, the friendly smile vanishing from her face now that Dad had reminded her why she was here. “Right, let’s get down to business. I assume you want me to check for whether the intruder used magic to get past the guards?”

Mom nodded sharply. “This compound is one of the most secure places in Freeport. There were guards outside our residence all night. Whoever is after us just came in, spent a couple hours in our bedroom, then left without anyone so much as hearing a peep.”

“It turned an entire wall of our bedroom into a sculpture without any of us waking up.” Dad followed up. “This one cannot imagine such a thing is possible without some form of magic. Either that, or we are being stalked by a master artisan.”

Mom grunted and jerked her head back towards the bedroom. “I’ll show you where it is.” 

This one reluctantly detached itself from the Shimmer-mare as she followed Mom back to the bedroom. While it did not wish to be parted from the Shimmer-mare, it would not go back into that room ever again unless forced to. It certainly hoped that its parents did not expect it to try and sleep there tonight.

This one went back to Dad, joining him on the couch and hugging him while it waited. After holding this one for a while Dad said, “So ... the Shimmer-mare seems nice.”

“She is!” this one declared, quite eager for the distraction. “She is smart, brave, wonderful, and brilliant. This one is quite certain that she will be able to identify the Monster at once and capture it easily. In fact—”

Before this one could say any more, it heard the Shimmer-mare’s voice come drifting down the hallway. “...no idea what could be responsible.”

This one’s ears wilted, and it glanced sheepishly back up at Dad. “This one is quite certain that the Shimmer-mare will eventually succeed.”

After a few more minutes, this one heard Mom’s voice coming down the hallway once more, reassuring it that they were returning. “...Glaive's ponies are some of the go-tos for escorting VIPs and general protection work. And I’m a light sleeper. I can’t imagine anything with purely mundane abilities pulling that off.”

“I’m inclined to agree with you,” the Shimmer-mare conceded. “Assuming that’s the case, now it’s a matter of narrowing down what exactly we’re dealing with.” The Shimmer-mare rounded the corner into the living room, and this one immediately returned itself to her side. She wrapped one foreleg across this one’s shoulders and continued speaking. “I don’t have any solid evidence for it yet, but I’ve got a working theory about what we’re dealing with: I think it’s a phobophage.” She paused a moment, then sighed when she noted how confused this one and its parents seemed. “A supernatural predator that feeds on fear.” 

Dad frowned and shook his head. “This one is curious to know how the Shimmer-Magus came to that conclusion.”

“It’s just a theory right now,” she demurred. “But I think it’s a pretty reasonable starting point, at least. The thing is, the pattern of attacks we’ve seen so far doesn’t match something that just wants to hurt you physically. Why sneak into your bedroom and leave behind an artpiece when it could’ve just eaten you?”

This one swallowed a whimper, shivering and burying its face against the Shimmer-mare’s chest once again. It knew that she was trying to help, but the idea that there was a monster that might gobble this one up the next time it went to bed was not helpful.

Mom muttered several words that would have gotten this one into trouble if it said them within her hearing. “So how do we kill one of these phobophages?”

The Shimmer-mare grimaced and shook her head. “‘Phobophage’ is really more of a broad category of creatures. I can think of a dozen supernatural predators that feed on fear, each of which have different abilities and weaknesses.”

Dad groaned and massaged his forehead. “Is there any way you can narrow down exactly what we're dealing with?”

“Not unless I get more information.” One of her ears twitched. “Once I’m done here I’ll do some reading and see if anything comes up.”

Mom sighed, nervously drawing and sharpening one of her daggers again. “It's a start, at least. We can ask the Strikers if Cold has any known associates who would have the knowledge and resources to call up one of these phobophages.”

The Shimmer-mare nodded. “Yeah, anything that might help us narrow down what we’re dealing with is good. Most summoners have some kind of theme with the creatures they summon, so if we can get more information on whoever called this thing up...” She let out an annoyed huff and flicked one of her hooves, as though brushing aside an annoying insect. “In the meantime, while I can’t narrow it down there are some pretty common qualities across all types of phobophages. Most of them can shapeshift, though they usually go more for taking the form of their target’s greatest fear rather than imitation. No reason they couldn’t take someone’s form, but I doubt they’d be as good at impersonation as a cha...” She trailed off, her eyes awkwardly resting on this one and its father.

“Not as good as changelings,” Dad finished for her.

“Er ... yeah.” She cleared her throat, then continued. “A lot of them also have some supernatural method of getting around. Fetches can travel through mirrors, boggarts can teleport as long as their destination is a dark, enclosed space, popobawas can squeeze into impossibly small spaces, and so on. I’ll draw up a list, and we can lock out as many of them as possible.”

“Whatever it takes to keep our daughter safe,” Dad said, placing a hoof on this one’s back.

“So how do we kill it?” Mom growled, already sharpening her fifth knife.

“Most phages can still be killed the old-fashioned way if you hit them hard enough,” the Shimmer-mare assured this one’s mother. “They draw most of their power from causing fear, so as long as you don’t give them any fear to feed off of they’re beatable. If you go into a fight with one while you’re scared, it’ll use that to get stronger, and fighting a monster that’s too strong for you makes you even more frightened of it, until...”

“That won’t be a problem,” Mom snarled. “I’m not scared. I’m angry.”

The Shimmer-mare continued on as if Mom hadn’t interrupted. “Beyond just hitting them enough, it depends on what we’re dealing with. A fetch has the usual Fey weakness to cold iron, a popobawa will go ballistic if you say you don’t believe in them, and so on...”

Mom continued working with her blade, nicking her foreleg as her frustration boiled over. “Give me something I can stab, any day...”

“The Shimmer-mare can stop the Monster once she knows what it is and catches it, right?” this one asked.

“Of course,” she answered with a reassuring smile. “With creatures like this, identifying them is the hard part. Once you know what it is and what its weaknesses are, taking them out is usually pretty easy.”

This one sighed in relief and tightened its hold on the Shimmer-mare. “Could the Shimmer-mare stay with this one tonight?” This one paused, glancing towards its parents. “As well, it means?”

She did not immediately answer, glancing to this one’s parents before answering. “I ... I’ll have a lot of work to do. I need to go back to my tower to do most of it, and the boat ride from here to Freeport takes four hours, so...” This one whimpered as it grasped what she was about to say, but tried not to show its distress in front of her. The Shimmer-mare looked down at this one sighed. “So I better go back and pack up everything I’ll need right away if I want to make it back before sundown.”

This one beamed and hugged her tightly.





The Shimmer-mare made it back in time for dinner. By then the clan’s leadership had moved us to another secure residence, for which this one was duly grateful. While it was just as sterile as the last one, its bedroom wall was untouched. Though this one was still not sure if it wanted to sleep in bed with its parents or join the Shimmer-mare on the couch in the living room. Perhaps it could spend some time with both?

Dinner was candied yams and fried breadfruit, though this one took little pleasure in the meal. Its mind remained entirely fixed upon the approaching night, and the fresh terrors that would bring. Every time one of its parents left its sight, even for something as innocuous as a trip to the bathroom or when Mom stepped out for a while to talk to the guards, it could not help but wonder if they would come back.

To distract itself from such worries, it turned its attention to the Shimmer-mare. “What will you do, now that you’re here?”

The Shimmer-mare paused to swallow her current mouthful of food before answering. “I figure the first thing I’ll do is look around the house and close off anything that might help out the common types of phobophages. Make sure there are lights on in every single room, cupboard, and closet, cover the up mirrors, that sort of thing.”

“So we’re going to have to sleep with the lights on?” Dad grimaced, but nodded. “That’s inconvenient, but this one will sleep far easier in a brightly lit room where its daughter is safe than a dark one where she is in danger.”

“Exactly,” the Shimmer-mare agreed. “Anyway, after that I’ll work on setting up some wards around the apartment. I won’t be able to do that much for tonight—properly warding the place would take days, especially since I’ll have to protect against dozens of different creatures, each of which will try to break in a different way.” She sighed and ran a hoof through her mane. “I might have to go back to Freeport tomorrow to pick up more diamond dust.”

Dad grimaced at the mention of diamonds, shooting a look at Mom and then nodding. “Alright then, whatever it takes to keep Kukri safe.” He traded another look with Mom, then said. “Cost isn't an issue. We'll make it work.”

The Shimmer-mare waved Dad off. “No charge.”

Both my parents blinked in surprise, but Mom spoke first. “No charge? You’re using diamonds. That can't be cheap. Really, it's—”

“Kukri's a friend,” the Shimmer-mare answered simply. “No charge. I’ve still got plenty of money left over from some other jobs. Besides, diamond dust isn’t as expensive as you’d think; it’s not like I’m buying high-quality, expertly cut gems and grinding them up. So ... don’t worry about the money, okay?”

Mom thought it over for a moment, then nodded. “Thank you.”

“Yes, thank you.” Dad smiled, then added, “But this one will find a way to pay you back, even if you insist on working for free.”

The Shimmer-mare was silent for a long moment, then shrugged. “I suppose it would be rude to refuse too much.”

This one knew it should be hugging and thanking the Shimmer-mare for her generosity, but its mind was occupied elsewhere. When it noticed that the table had fallen silent and the Shimmer-mare was looking curiously at it, it finally knew it must speak its mind. “This ... this one does not know if it should remain here. The Monster is after this one, not any of you. This ... it'll leave you alone if this one isn't there.” This one turned to face Mom “When you locked this one out of its bedroom on the first night, it thought you ... that y-y-you...” This one sniffled and furiously rubbed its eyes, saying nothing more so that it wouldn’t risk crying in front of the Shimmer-mare. It did not want to look like a scared baby in front of its hero.

Dad immediately walked across the table and hugged this one. “You aren't going anywhere, you hear?” 

Mom joined him a moment later. “I’m never letting you go. Not until all this is over.”

The Shimmer-mare cleared her throat and said as gently as possible. “There's no guarantee Kukri's the main target of the attack. It might be...”

“We might be the targets,” Mom finished the thought. “It’s ... I can’t think of anything more terrifying to a parent than knowing that their child is in danger and not being able to help them. And if Kunai’s heard about this yet, I’m sure she’s worried sick.”

Dad groaned and rubbed his forehead. “It keeps coming back to the same problem. We don't know nearly as much as we need to.”

The Shimmer-mare nodded. “With any luck, I’ll know by the time tonight’s over. If nothing else, seeing how it handles all the new security I’ve set up should tell us a lot about what we’re dealing with.”

This one whimpered softly, trying to hide it by shoving some breadfruit into its mouth. By the time it had swallowed, it was no longer quite so scared when it asked. “The ... the Monster will attack us again tonight?”

“It has for the last two nights, so it would be odd for it to stop now.” The Shimmer-mare sighed. “Creatures like this are kinda like sharks: once they start feeding, they can’t stop until they’re full. The good news is it probably won't go past just trying to scare you for a while.” She reached down and squeezed this one’s shoulder. “You're a brave kid. I’m sure you’re not gonna let some big dumb monster scare you, right? Especially not when you know that me, your mom, and your dad are all gonna be right here, ready to squish that monster as soon as it shows its big ugly face.” She put her hoof under this one’s chin and lifted it up. “Nobody’s gonna get you while I’m around. You know I’d never leave you hanging.”

This one leaned against her, nuzzling her chest. “Buck no.”

Dad sighed. “Language, Kukri.” He shot an apologetic look at the Shimmer-mare. “This one is afraid that its daughter is going to have quite the mouth on her when she grows up.” He shot a playful glare at Mom. “Her mother doesn’t help with that.”

Mom shrugged. “I’m a soldier, not a society mare.”

Sunset grinned and shrugged. “For the record, I watch my vocabulary around the kid. Though she's probably a lost cause already after spending six months as a cabin filly: she probably already knows how to swear like a sailor.”

Dad sighed and shook his head. “The cost of learning a trade. At least this isn’t as bad as the time she tried her hoof at carpentry.”

This one’s eyes widened, and its jaw dropped in horror. “Daaad! Not in front of the Shimmer-mare!”

Said Shimmer-mare grinned and leaned back in her chair. “That’s funny, Kukri never mentioned she was a carpenter.”

“It is quite the tale.” Dad smiled and gently nudged Mom. “You were there for the best part.”

Mom hesitated for a brief moment, then grinned and nudged him back. “Yes, but you were always a better storyteller than me.”

Dad chuckled and nodded. “Alright then. This one wasn’t there for it, but apparently its daughter decided that it would be a good idea to line up a nail and hold it steady using the hole in her foreleg. The only problem was that she didn’t check whether the head fit through the hole.” He snickered and ruffled this one’s head-crest. “She came trotting in with half a birdhouse stuck to her leg.”

This one groaned and tried to swat his hoof away. “Daaad! Stooop!”

The Shimmer-mare clamped a hoof over her mouth, vainly trying to conceal her laughter, and this one’s groans redoubled. Now the Shimmer-mare surely thought this one a clumsy fool who was unworthy to be her apprentice. She smirked down at this one. “Guess it's a good thing I didn't ask you to help me with setting up my tower. You’d probably end up dangling off the side of it or something.”

This one slammed its face onto the dinner table.

Dad sniggered and gave this one a pat on the back. “Needless to say, after that we thought it was best to look into other careers for her.”

The Shimmer-mare grinned and squeezed this one’s shoulder. “Well, she's been a pretty good student so far.”

“This one knows.” Dad smiled at this one. “Ever since she met you, she’s been reading books just because you recommended them. Our little sailor is turning into a regular bookworm.”

This one looked up at the Shimmer-mare, smiling sheepishly but proudly. “This one has enjoyed its reading list so far.”

“Glad to hear it,” the Shimmer-mare declared. “Because if you’re serious about wanting to become my apprentice, you'll be reading five times as much as you are right now.”

Dad rubbed his chin, looking down at this one thoughtfully. “This one can imagine a far worse fate for its daughter than being a scholar.” He nodded, half to himself, then smiled at this one. “Why not? You’ve taken a try at being a carpenter and a sailor, this one sees no harm in adding magical scholarship to the list.”

This one’s ears perked up, and a huge smile split its face. “Thank you! This one would love the chance to become the Shimmer-mare’s student!”

“Then it’s agreed.” Dad said.

The Shimmer-mare grinned down at this one. “We can start right away. I wouldn’t mind a little help with inspecting the place and setting up the wards. I’ll have to do a lot of it myself, but you can fetch things for me and other little stuff like that.”

Dad smiled. “I’m sure she’ll enjoy that. Though she won’t be able to join you right away; first she needs to do the dishes and clean up the kitchen. Though you might think she’s a lost cause, this one is not quite prepared to give up on dissuading her from using bad language.”

This one’s face fell. “But Daaad!”

“Listen to your father,” Mom chided.

This one crossed its forelegs over its chest, grumbling several words that this one probably shouldn’t have used within Dad’s hearing.

Dad raised a single eyebrow at this one’s choice of language. “Are you sure you want to keep digging yourself deeper, Kukri?”

This one groaned. Life could be so unfair.





By the time this one finished with its chores and helping the Shimmer-mare, it was already near its bedtime. Despite this one’s nervousness at the prospect of attempting to sleep once more, it was quite tired and ready for bed. This one’s chores had seen to that. It suspected that had been part of Dad’s plan: make this one so tired that it would immediately fall asleep and sleep so soundly that no monster would be able to wake and frighten it.

Dad had already gone to bed, and the Shimmer-mare was setting up in a study that she had converted into a guest bedroom. Meanwhile, this one and its mother were in the kitchen, where mom surveyed the results of its work. Its first attempt at cleaning the kitchen had been rushed in an effort to finish the job quickly and spend more time with the Shimmer-mare. Mom had not been fooled, and once this one was done with the Shimmer-mare she insisted that this one do the job over. And then a third time, when she was still not satisfied.

However, after Mom’s third check she slowly nodded. “That’ll do. Go ahead and brush your teeth, then go to bed.”

This one nodded and trotted into the bathroom. It cleaned its fangs, washed its face, and attended to all its other pre-bed rituals. It was in the middle of flossing when it noticed the shower curtain twitching.

This one jumped in surprise, nearly hurting its gums. For a moment it was tempted to flee the room screaming, until it recalled last night. Last night, when it had been certain that the bedsheet being taken away or the door moving was a sure sign that it was about to be snatched away.

This one had nearly persuaded itself that the shower curtain was nothing to worry about when it twitched again. This one did not jump nearly as much, but it was still startled.

It took a deep breath and decided on a new course of action. It would pull back the curtain, just to reassure itself that there was nothing there, and it had no reason to be afraid. Yes. It would do exactly that, and then it would go to bed.

This one pulled back the curtain.

The shower stall wasn’t empty.

However, there wasn’t a monster hiding in the shower. It was Mom, bound and gagged.

This one stared at her, shocked and confused. A few moments later, this one’s mother—the one from the kitchen— walked into the bathroom behind it and closed the door. She spoke, but it wasn’t Mom’s voice that left her throat.

It was the Monster’s.

“Hello there, little snack. Much as I would have loved to drag this out for a few more weeks, your little magus friend might make that difficult. Though I really do hate to go through such a rich meal in a single sitting ... we’ll have to speed things up.”

This one tried to scream, but it could not make its throat produce any noise. It tried to run, but it could not make its legs move. It tried to fight back when the Monster grabbed it, but its muscles remained frozen.

And that was how the Monster picked up and carried this one away. She walked right past the guards for our quarters, telling them she was just taking it out for a quick walk before bedtime. This one should have shouted the truth to them, but it couldn’t. It couldn’t do anything, because it was too scared.

The Shimmer-mare was wrong. This one wasn’t brave.
> The Monster Revealed
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Monster carried this one out over the open water. At first it feared that the Monster would just drop it and leave it to drown, but instead we just kept flying. This one wished it could find comfort in that fact, but it knew that the only reason the Monster was sparing it was probably do something even worse than drowning.

However, that was not what truly scared this one. It was riding on the Monster’s back and could feel feel the way its body moved as it flew. The way it felt was ... wrong. Almost as if there was something else moving around underneath the Monster’s skin. Something hiding beneath Mom’s face. Something it truly did not wish to see.

The Monster carried this one to one of the many unoccupied islands in the archipelago. There were several buildings on the island, but all of them had been abandoned and many had fallen into disrepair. It carried this one to one of the buildings, opening a trap door in the floor to reveal a pitch-black basement. It casually tossed this one down into the room, then shut the door behind it, leaving the room almost pitch black. A few motes of star and moonlight drifted in between gaps in the floorboards, just enough that this one was not completely blind.

Then it was just this one, alone in the dark with a monster. At first it left this one alone, almost for long enough that it dared to hope it might have left. Then it struck, using a different method each time. Sometimes it would just cuff or trip this one, others it would ask questions. “Do you know why you’re going to die?” “How much will your parents miss you?” “What do you want to lose less: a wing, or a leg?”

Once, the Monster opened up the door, and when this one tried to climb the stairs to escape it grabbed this one from behind, pulling it down the stairs so hard that it cracked its chin on one of the wooden steps. 

But the worst torment of all came when this one heard a terrible, wet tearing sort of sound. When it overcame its fear enough to investigate, it found Mom’s skin, hollowed out and discarded like a wetsuit. Mom’s face folded in on itself, empty eye sockets staring up at this one; a small gust caused the entire mass to ripple, and it further congealed into a mass of fur and feathers and … and… 

This one ran further into the dark and threw up. But the image wouldn’t go away.

After what felt like hours, the trapdoor opened up once more. This one let out a sigh of relief as light entered the basement, driving the darkness back. The light was so bright that it had to be morning. That gave this one some hope—surely the Shimmer-mare and its parents would know that it was missing by now?

A portly blue stallion stepped down into the basement, clad in an ill-fitting suit of Striker clan armor. This one could only assume that it was Cold Striker. He did not carry his armor like one who was used to the weight, and his body had the softness of a merchant to it, not the hard, lean muscles of a warrior. This one supposed that his parents must have done much like this one’s planned for it and Kunai: one child a warrior, one a trader. 

The merchant cleared his throat loudly. “I got your message. You said you’d completed the job?”

The Monster spoke, its voice coming from so close behind this one that it could feel its hot, fetid breath against its carapace. “Excellent. Now we can finish our business with one another.”

“Right.” Cold strolled down into the basement, his eyes blindly trying to pierce the shadows. “So where’s Kunai? I’m gonna make her pay for what she did to my sister.”

The Monster chuckled mockingly, the sound seeming to come from the opposite side of the basement even though this one could have sworn that it had been right behind this one moments ago. “Kunai? Nonono, I have someone much better.”

Cold blinked, then frowned in confusion. “What? Who?”

A hoof suddenly slammed into this one’s side, sending it stumbling forward into the light. It tried to keep its balance, but wound up falling face-first into the ground in front of Cold Striker. The Monster’s voice was full of cruel satisfaction. “Kunai's sister, of course. It seemed ... fitting.”

Cold stared down at this one, his jaw gaping open. “Wh-what? Her—that's a kid!”

“Oh yes.” Fangs flashed in the darkness as the Monster smiled. “Kunai's kid sister. Her sole sibling. She killed your sister, and now you can return the favor.”

Cold stumbled back, his jaw working soundlessly for several seconds before he finally spoke. “That's not ... I didn't want to bring a kid into this! I wanted you to go after Kunai!”

“Tell me, what was it you told me you wanted me to do? You remember, don't you?” A single talon scraped along this one’s spine. “There was quite a bit of money involved.”

Cold shivered and nodded slowly. “I told you to make Kunai pay. That she had to suffer for what she did to my sister.”

The talons closed around this one’s throat and yanked it up onto to the tips of its hooves. It had to keep itself standing up as straight as possible, or else the Monster’s grip would cut off this one’s air. “And what better way to make her pay than to hurt her as much as you were?” The talons slowly slid along this one’s throat, never quite applying enough pressure to pierce its carapace. “A sibling for a sibling. Blood for blood. Appropriate, don't you think?” This one whimpered in pain as its leg muscles strained to keep it upright, and the Monster chuckled. “This is supposed to be your vengeance against Kunai, is it not?”

Cold stared at this one for several seconds before answering uncertainly. “Yes?”

“Indeed.” The Monster dropped this one, its legs collapsing bonelessly beneath it as it hit the dirt floor. Before it could pick itself up, a hoof pressed against the back of its neck. “And revenge is all about pain. Making the party that offended you hurt as much as you do.” The hoof pressed down against this one, producing a dull, deep ache that flared all the way down its back. “And then you pay back your pain with interest.”

This one tried to be brave, but then the Monster pushed down even harder, and it hurt too much. Despite her best efforts, this one started crying again.

Cold shook his head, staring at this one in horror. “S-stop! Leave her alone! I didn't want to bring a feathering kid into this! I didn’t want any of this!”

“I’m doing exactly what you paid me to do.” The Monster yanked this one’s head back letting Cold see its tear-soaked face as it sobbed. “I'm making Kunai pay. Pay deeply for killing your sister.” The Monster chuckled, whispering into this one’s ear. “Isn't it precious, Kukri? How this stallion you never met before is willing to pay to have you tortured and killed just to make himself feel better? He must really have loved his sister.”

This one sobbed in terror, desperately looking at the Striker. “P-please! This one is sorry that its sister killed yours! This one is sorry!”

The Monster laughed mockingly and petted this one’s cheek. “D'aw, don't worry. You didn't do anything wrong. Nothing to be sorry about. Little fillies die in Freeport all the time because some angry stallion thinks that someone has to pay for making him so mad in the first place. It's nothing personal; you're just going to die because of something your sister did to somepony you never even knew.“

Cold’s ears went flat against his skull, his head dropping down to stare at the floor. Finally, he let out a small, broken whisper. “Just ... just let her go. Job's done.”

Fangs flashed in the darkness again as the Monster smiled. “But I was already paid to do a job. You gave me all the money up front, which is a testament to my reputation. It wouldn't do to sully that carefully built reputation by letting everyone think I couldn't fulfill a simple job.”

“I'll tell everyone you did the job exactly how I wanted!” Cold shouted, desperation turning his voice into a frightened shriek. “Just let the kid go!”

The Monster clicked its tongue disapprovingly, like a teacher scolding a poor student. “Now why would I want to do that? Did you think I was a mere mercenary and nothing more? I enjoy hunting Free Minds. The Old Mind’s cast-out bastard children. I'm quite happy finishing this job.” A single talon stroked this one’s cheek in a foul mockery of a caress. “Slowly, of course. I want to savor every moment of her terror.”

This one whined in terror, despite its efforts to prevent itself from doing so. Cold’s voice took on a broken, almost pleading quality. “I paid you! I gave you a small fortune! Practically everything I could afford!”

“And I thank you for your business.” A talon closed around this one’s hind leg and began to slowly drag it out of the light. Back into the darkness, where the Monster was strongest.

Cold’s face hardened. “You can’t do this! You work for me! I'm ordering you to let her go!”

The Monster scoffed and tugged this one further back. “You can't tell me what to do. I don't belong to your clans. And if you wish to complain about this one's services, then you are more than welcome to try and sue me in court. I'm sure the Doos will love to hear about what you did to one of their children.”

Cold froze, and his shoulders slowly slumped. “Please ... I ... I didn't—this isn't what I wanted.”

The Monster laughed, cold and mocking. “Getting cold hooves? You never wanted revenge, not really. You’re just a sad, pathetic, silly little pony so wrapped up in his own pain that he wanted to lash out at the world. And now sweet, innocent little Kukri is going to die, just because you needed to feel better about yourself. I hope it was worth it.”
.
Cold’s knees quivered and finally collapsed as he slumped down to the floor, his face utterly expressionless.

A moment later the Monster’s hot breath brushed against this one’s ear. “Now, where shall I start with you, little one?” The talons closer around this one’s neck, hoisting it into the air. “Let’s make a game of it. Ask me for something. Anything.”

This one whimpered and sobbed as it tried to force the words out of its mouth. “P-p-p-p-p-please just let this one go.”

Fangs glistened in the darkness, and the Monster’s voice was rich with almost mocking cheer. “Very poor choice of words.” It dropped this one, sending a jolt of pain up its hindquarters as it fell to the hard floor. “Go ahead, make a run for it. Let’s see how far you get.”

This one whined in pain at its latest injury, but scrambled to its hooves and tried to run as quickly as it could. The basement was too dark for this one to see, so all it could do was stumble through the dark, desperately hoping to find an exit while there was still time. 

Then something caught this one’s leg, tripping it up and sending it face-first into the floor. The Monster’s mocking chuckle echoed through the basement. “Come on now, you're not going to get far if you trip and fall on your face like that.”

This one knew it should get up and try to keep running again, but it couldn’t. What was the point of even trying? There was nowhere to go, and the Monster was only letting it try to escape as some sort of sick game. Why let it have any more fun with this one than it was already?

The trapdoor flew open with a bang, the early morning light streaming through. Cold Striker stood in the doorway, catching this one’s eyes and frantically waving it towards the staircase and safety. “This way!”

This one picked itself up and bolted for freedom, darting past the Striker-stallion. The Monster’s voice trailed after it, mockingly singsonging. “Run, run, run, little Kukri Doo. The Monster is coming for you!”

This one frantically scrambled up the stairs, smacking the base of its hooves against several steps in its haste to climb out of the basement. In the dawn light it could now see more of the island it was on. Moss had begun to grow up the abandoned old buildings, but many of them showed damage that hadn’t been the product of time. It could only assume that the island had once belonged to one of the many enterprising merchants or smugglers who claimed small outlying islands as their base of operations. Many of those bases wound up abandoned and ruined once the owner ran afoul of one of the stronger forces within Freeport. What better place for a Monster to lurk?

This one galloped through the ruined buildings, desperately searching for somewhere to hide, or maybe even escape. If it could find the docks, there might still be a boat it could use. Perhaps the Striker-stallion had not flown here? If only this one’s wings were strong enough to carry it all the way off the island...

The Monster’s voice echoed mockingly through the ruins. “Little Kukri Doo! I'm coming for you!”

This one spotted a small gap in the wall of what might have been a small warehouse and desperately dived for it. It had to lie flat on its belly and crawl, but it just barely managed to squeeze through the gap. It breathed out a sigh of relief once it was inside. This one had barely managed to fit through the hole, and the Monster was far larger than it. It would be safe in here.

The Monster’s voice thundered from outside, seeming to cut straight through the walls. “Kuuukrrri? Kuuukrrri? I can smell your fear!”

This one scrambled away from the entrance, desperately checking to make sure there was no other way for the Monster to get in. The only door into the warehouse was thoroughly blocked by a pile of collapsed boxes, and the warehouse's windows had all been boarded over. It placed itself as far away from the hole in the wall as it could, pressing itself against the wall and wrapping its forelegs around its hind legs, hugging itself for comfort as it whimpered in terror.

This one saw the light streaming through that small hole in the wall blocked by a massive shadow, and the Monster’s voice drifted in. “Now where are you hoping to run to, little one? Do you even have a plan?” It tsked at this one, as if it were this one’s mother and had caught it doing a poor job of its chores. “You’ve backed yourself into a corner. Such a silly little snack. I was hoping you’d last longer than that.”

This one didn’t know what it could possibly do now. It was trapped, and soon the Monster would find a way in and eat it. Then a sudden, desperate thought sprang into its mind as it remembered something the Shimmer-mare had said: that knowing what kind of monster she faced was the first step to beating it. “Wh-what are you?” 

“Hm?” Something slammed into the wall loud enough to make this one jump and scream. “I'm the monster that's going to kill you, Kukri. And I am going to enjoy it.”

“But what kind of monster?” This one asked again. “Are you a fetch? A boggart? A shadow demon? A popobawa?”

The Monster scoffed indignantly. “What an ignorant little fool you are. Do I look like a one-eyed bat monster? Did I hop out of the mirror to snatch you away? Did I shapeshift into your worst fear? Such crude, amateurish methods. You think me something as pathetic as that? If I weren’t already going to kill you, I would do so for the insult of comparing me to such creatures.” 

The Monster’s voice seemed to cut through the wall right behind this one. “Let me tell you the truth, little Kukri: there are things that hunt changelings. Monsters from the primordial times of changelings that think little changelings like you are so. Very. Delicious.” Something started scraping along the outside wall. “The Old Mind did her experiments back then, too. Dark, secret, horrible things that made monsters that ponies and changelings only talk about in whispers. Back then, she didn’t sup on anything so sophisticated as love. No, we feasted on simpler, more primal emotions. And we grew mighty, until the Old Mind cast us aside, believing her new children were closer to the perfection she sought.”

This one could scarcely believe its ears. “Y-you're a changeling?!”

There was an almost deafening crack, and a leg burst out of the wall, grabbing this one across the chest and yanking it until it was pinned against the wall. “Oh yes, and so much more.” A long, wet slimy thing that could only have been the Monster’s tongue slowly stroked the side of this one’s face, working down to its neck.

This one screamed and desperately tried to free itself. After frantically struggling against the iron foreleg pinning it to the wall, it finally managed to squirm its way free, running for the gap it had first entered the building through. It dove down and frantically scrambled underneath the wall, back into the sunlight.

The Monster was already waiting there when this one emerged from underneath the wall. This one immediately tried to reverse course and scramble back into the building, and whatever safety it might have to offer. However, it was halfway through the gap when it felt talons latched onto its hind leg, squeezing until hot pain flashed through this one’s leg and it could feel the wetness of its own ichor beginning to drip out.

It screamed. Not so much because of the pain in its leg as because it knew that the Monster had it now. What was happening to its leg was only the beginning.

Yet that very wound proved to be its salvation. As this one’s ichor splashed against the Monster’s talons and coated its leg, the Monster’s grip slipped. With a final desperate tug, this one managed to pull its leg free and quickly scrambled back to safety, clutching its wounded limb and sobbing in relief.

But the safety this one had found was nothing but an illusion. An instant later the Monster smashed straight through the wall, bursting through the old decayed material as if it were nothing but tissue paper. A single talon slapped this one out of the building, with the Monster following this one’s flight. Falling rubble from the destroyed wall fell on the Monster, ripping away strips of its flesh and allowing this one to finally see what lay beneath the mask.

The Monster beneath the mask of flesh looked like a changeling—but one from an age long lost to history. Its heavier brow ridge, longer skull, and more pronounced snout reminded this one of the pictures it had seen of the massive tyrant-lizards said to dwell in the depths of the Zebrican jungles. Serrated fangs overlapped its lower jaw to form a permanent, predatory smile that traced up to its coal-black eyes— cold, soulless and lifeless, staring at this one and past it and through it and a thousand miles away all at once, such that this one could never tell if it was looking at it or not. But it was. This one knew it always was. Everything about it seemed primal, ancient, and evil. Pure evil.

Its legs locked up in terror as it beheld the Monster’s horrifying visage. It couldn’t run any more, even if it wanted to. And it didn’t. It was tired, hurt, and knew in its heart that it could never hope to escape. All running did was let the Monster have the fun of chasing this one. The only thing this one could do now to defy it was to deny it the pleasure of the hunt.

This one lay down, ready to die.

In its true form, the Monster’s voice was a primal, feral snarl. “What's the matter, can't run anymore?” A hoof lashed out, striking this one in the face. “Good, that means the pain can start. I like this part. I like it a lot. It takes a lot of work to get to this point, you know. Like aging a fine wine. You really have to work to get fear this invigorating.”

This one curled up into a ball, wrapping its forelegs over its head to protect its face from any more blows. That was the only thing it could do.

“So how do you want to die, Kukri?” The Monster’s hoof slammed into this one’s side, knocking the air from its lungs. “Shall I just beat you to death? That’s so pedestrian, but sometimes it’s fun to get back to basics. But why stop there? Have you ever wanted to know what drowning feels like?” It casually ripped away the forelegs protecting this one’s face, leaning down until our snouts were practically touching. “Or perhaps I should suck the fluids right out of you?” The Monster’s tongue slid out and slowly ran across this one’s throat, its canines lightly touching the soft sections of this one’s neck. “But really, we have all the time in the world. Why limit ourselves? Let me show you a thousand possible deaths, until we find the one that provides you with the sweetest terror. I will—”

There was a bright flash of blinding turquoise light, and this one suddenly felt as though it were on fire. And yet, the fire itself wasn’t unpleasant. It a strange way it felt cleansing, almost purifying. As if all the pain, terror, and horror that the Monster had inflicted upon this one was being burned away, leaving this one safe and happy once more.

This one blinked several times, slowly recovering its vision. The first thing it saw was a pair of amber hind legs and a red-and-yellow tail, as well as fire and ice swirling through the air in a fierce, barely controlled maelstrom. The Monster itself was now standing far away from this one, his lifeless eyes just a touch wider than they had been.

This one lifted its gaze, confirming its hopes. The Shimmer-mare had come for it.

The Monster’s lips pulled back, showing its fangs. “My, my, what do we have here? I suppose I should have realized it wouldn’t be that easy to steal the little grub out from underneath your nose, magus. But no matter. That just makes the game more inter—”

“Burn,” The Shimmer-mare snarled, hurling a wave of fire at the Monster. The blast threw it back into the warehouse, which immediately burst into flames. 

“Burn!” The flames leapt up higher, shifting from yellow to blue. This one had to cover its face as a few blades of grass next to its hooves smoldered ominously.

“Burn!” This one staggered back as a fresh wave of heat shot out from the flaming structure as it collapsed into the growing firestorm.

“BURN!” 

As the new bonfire reached high into the sky, this one dared to hope that the Shimmer-mare had struck down the Monster. The fire was burning so hot that this one could see the nails in what remained of the warehouse melting. Surely not even the Monster could survive that.

But then it saw something moving within the flames. A voice rang, more guttural than before but louder—loud enough to be heard over the roaring fires. “Rudimentary creature, thinking fire can burn your nightmares away.” A figure rose from the inferno, fleshy strands dripping from its body; the creature’s outer carapace was cracked all over its body, and ichor hissed in the heat. Yet for every instant it stood in the fire, its wounds closed faster than they opened, though the skull-like muzzle locked onto this one, those dull, black eyes finding their target through ash and pain and flame.

This one moaned in terror. Not even the Shimmer-mare could stop the Monster.

The Shimmer-mare looked over her shoulder at this one, and her eyes widened. “Dammit! Get out of here, Kukri!”

“Yesss,” the Monster hissed. “Run away, while your precious little magus gives up her life in a futile sacrifice to buy you a few more seconds to escape.”

This one whimpered and stayed where it was.

“I said get out of here, Kukri!” 

Before this one could say or do anything else, there was another blinding flash of turquoise light. However, just as the pleasant heat of the Shimmer-mare’s spell washed over this one, something else slammed against it. A cold, wriggling sensation like dozens of frozen worms crawling over this one’s skin. When the light faded, this one was still standing exactly where it had been before.

“Now now,” the Monster’s voice sang out mockingly. “You didn’t really think I’d let you steal away my precious little snack, now did you? I want little Kukri to watch as I rip the flesh from your bones and suck the marrow from them.”

The Shimmer snarled in frustration. “Just run!”

The Monster chuckled. “She knows she's going to diiie, little Kukri Doo. And since she’s only here to save you, that means it’s all. Your. Fault.”

This one whimpered in terror as the Monster charged out of the flames, moving impossibly fast for something as badly hurt as it should be. The Shimmer-mare met its charge by conjuring up a thicket of icy spears that slammed into its body, pinning it in place. However, the Monster suddenly grew a tail out of the same material its mask of flesh had been made of, which snapped out quick as a snake’s bite, slamming into the Shimmer-mare’s chest and knocking her flying from her hooves.

The Monster pulled itself off the Shimmer-mare’s icy spears, its wounds closing almost as soon as the spears were removed. Its tail snapped around again, slamming down at the Shimmer-mare. At the last second before it struck, the Shimmer-mare surrounded herself with a globe of painfully bright fire which disintegrated the Monster’s tail the instant it struck. The Monster let out an ear-splitting roar of pain, staring at the charred stump of its tail.

A charred stump that, right before this one’s very eyes, began to grow back. “I hate magi,” the Monster snarled. “Thinking they're so clever and making my meals so much more difficult. But at least I can console myself with the fact that your death will increase little Kukri’s terror tenfold. And she’s already so very delicious.” 

The Monster’s fangs gleamed in a horrible parody of a smile. “Still, you would probably make it far too difficult to kill you if we continued this little dance, so I think it’s time I changed up the game.” 

The Monster turned to face this one, and a beam of sickly yellow-green energy shot out of its horn, aimed directly at this one. Time seemed to almost freeze as this one watched the blast of deadly energy slowly arc towards it, knowing that it could do nothing to protect itself.

The Shimmer-mare rushed in, placing herself between this one and the blast while conjuring up a shield of solid ice. The Monster’s attack slammed into the shield, causing cracks to spiderweb across the once-clear formation. This one watched in terror as more and more cracks spread across the plane of ice, wondering when the defenses would shatter and this one would be destroyed along with the Shimmer-mare. However, just when it seemed that the Shimmer-mare’s shield would shatter, the pestilential tide of the Monster’s magic ceased.

Despite its attack failing, the Monster didn’t seem annoyed. It threw back its head, barking out a laugh that pierced this one’s ears. “How amusing. It must be terrifying for you, Magus. To think how close your precious little Kukri came to death.”

The Shimmer-mare snarled defiantly, though this one couldn’t help but notice that she was sweating and breathing hard. “You think your stupid head games are gonna work? It’s no wonder you go after kids, because no adult would fall for such lame tricks.”

The Monster chuckled evilly. “So the prospect of poor, innocent little Kukri suffering means nothing to you? How heartless.”

“Shut up,” the Shimmer-mare snapped, lashing out with fire. The flames briefly scorched the Monster, but the damage healed so quickly that this one barely even saw the injury before it vanished. It countered with another beam, this one nearly snapping the Shimmer-mare’s shield in half before she managed to fend it off.

The Monster struck again, reducing the Shimmer-mare’s shield to nothing more than a collection of ice shards held together by the force of the Shimmer-mare’s will. “How long do you think you can last, Magus?” It chuckled throatily. “Tell me, do you want to die first, or do you want to watch the little one suffer for a while?”

The Shimmer-mare glared at it defiantly. “You spend too much time talking and not enough doing.”

“There’s nothing wrong with savoring your meal.” The Monster stalked forward, a predatory grin splitting its hideous face. “It’s just so much fun watching you squirm as you slowly realize that you're going to lose, that you're going to. Die. Terribly. And there isn't anything you can do to stop me. After I'm done with you two, I'll do this again, and again, and again. Like I have done for longer than you can comprehend.”

This one whimpered. “Sh-Shimmer-mare, just leave this one. The Monster only wants it, you can still get away.”

“No way,” she growled, shifting so that she was still standing between this one and the Monster.

The Monster threw back its head and laughed. “What pointless bravery! Really now, little magus. What made you think you could possibly defeat me all by yourself?”

The Shimmer-mare smirked. “Who said I was alone?”

A pair of knives hissed through the air, going right over this one’s head and burying themselves into the Monster’s chest. The Shimmer-mare smirked and looked back over her shoulder. “Took you long enough.”

This one looked back as well, and a relieved smile blossomed on its face. “Kunai! You’re here!”

This one’s elder sister landed next to it. “‘Course this one is. As soon as this one heard you were in trouble, it turned around and came straight back to Freeport. This one accompanied the Shimmer-mare when it learned she could track you.”

The Shimmer-mare snorted. “You could’ve followed me a little bit faster.”

Kunai rolled her eyes. “Some of us can’t teleport.”

The Monster snarled and brushed the knives out of its flesh, the wounds slowly closing once the weapons were removed. An impossibly wide smile creased its lips when its eyes fell upon this one’s sister. “Kuuunai, it's so good to see that you've joined us.” Its long, slimy tongue licked its lips. “I did promise to hurt you, after all. So you’ve come to die with your sister? Well, as they say, the family that dies together stays together.”

This one’s sister wrapped a foreleg around its belly, hauling it up onto her back. “Don’t worry, Kukri. We’re getting you out of here.”

This one sobbed in relief, clutching her neck like a life preserver. However, when its sister spread her wings and was about to take off, it realized something was wrong. “Wait! What about the Shimmer-mare?!”

“This one needs to get you out of here first,” Kunai insisted. “She can hold her own. This one will come back to help her once you’re safe.”

“But, the Shimmer-mare needs help now!” this one insisted.

The Monster chortled malevolently. “Yes, run away. That’s what you should do when you’re scared! Don't worry, I'll be coming for both of you as soon as I'm done with the magus. I’ll take my time with it. I know! We can begin the chase all over again! It will be a nice little bonding exercise between you and your sister, fleeing in terror as I hunt you down.”

This one swallowed, took a deep breath, and made its choice. “This ... this one doesn't want to leave the Shimmer-mare behind. It would rather face the Monster than abandon her.”

The Monster charged at the Shimmer-mare again. She tried to stop it, this time using a small, tight beam of fire aimed at its legs. The attack struck and charred through the Monster’s carapace, sending it tumbling to the ground.

The wounds didn’t close this time.

A moment later, this one realized what it had done. The Monster had been so powerful because this one’s fear empowered it. But now... “This one isn't afraid of you anymore!” it shouted triumphantly as the Monster fell.

The Shimmer-mare paused to give this one a proud smile. “Great job, Kukri!”

“Let’s not celebrate yet,” Kunai cautioned. “It might not be instantly healing anymore, but we still need to take it down.” She turned to the Shimmer-mare. “Got another round of firebolts in you?”

The Shimmer-mare smirked. “I’ve got something even better.” Her gaze shifted to the Monster. “Let’s see you heal this!” The fire that erupted from her horn this time was pitch black, and when it struck the Monster it clung to it instead of bursting out and spreading like normal flames. As the Monster shrieked, this one saw that the black flames weren’t actually burning it; they were making its flesh wither and fall away.

This one’s sister also joined the fight, sending a dozen of her namesake weapon through the air. Kunai was constantly in motion, flying at some points, and on the ground at others, never staying in one place long enough for the Monster to strike back.

Not that it stopped the Monster from trying. A dozen sickly yellow beams shot out at this one’s sister, several coming far too close but none of them actually connecting. It also tried to strike out at the Shimmer-mare and this one, but now that the Monster’s wounds were adding up, the Shimmer-mare seemed to have found her second wind, and the ice shields protecting us absorbed and deflected every single attack.

Then the Monster started to scream. It was a horrible, piercing sound that made this one cover its ears and scream as well, just so it wouldn’t have to hear it. It kept screaming until its throat was raw and its voice ragged, its hooves so tightly clamped over its ears that they were throbbing. Its eyes remained fixed on the ground, for it didn’t want to watch anything that could produce such an awful sound.

Finally, the noise stopped, and this one’s sister gently picked it up and set it on her back. Then she Shimmer-mare reached over and gently removed its hooves from its ears. “It’s over, Kukri. We got him.”

This one hugged them both, using one foreleg for each. Kunai gently rubbed this one’s back. “Let’s get you home, grub.”

“This one is not a grub,” it protested wearily. “It is eleven-and-a-half years old.”





Kunai carried this one to the island’s worn-down docks, where two sailboats were tied up. One of them was empty and waiting for us, but the other contained Cold Striker. The stallion was too focused on trying to free the boat to even notice our arrival.

Kunai stared at him for a long moment, then lifted this one off her back. “Excuse this one for a moment. It has unfinished business to attend to.” She passed this one over to the Shimmer-mare, then flitted up into the early morning sky, silently swinging around and homing in on Cold.

The Shimmer-mare stared at the stallion for a long moment, then glanced down at this one. “Is that Cold Striker?”

This one nodded. “He ... he did not want to hurt this one. He was angry with the Monster when he learned that it was attacking this one instead of Kunai.”

The Shimmer-mare stared at him for a long time as Kunai closed in. “He still set the Monster on you. None of this would’ve happened without him.” 

This one slowly nodded its agreement. It wondered if it should tell its sister how Cold had opened the door to help it escape the Monster. It wondered if that fact would change Kunai’s mind. It wondered if it wanted Kunai to change her mind. This one wasn’t sure if Cold Striker deserved to die, but it also wasn’t sure he deserved to live.

Kunai made her move, steel glinting in the early morning light as one of her throwing knives pinned his leg to the boat. As he screamed in pain, Kunai dove down on him, grabbing his head and slamming it against the side of the boat. This one turned its head away from the sight, but it could still hear the sound of his skull bouncing off the wooden side of the boat over and over.

When the sound finally stopped, this one looked up and saw Kunai dragging the stunned Striker out of the boat, dropping the stallion on the shore. She glanced back at the two of us. “Shimmer-mare, if you could get everything ready to go and see to this one’s sister, it still needs to conclude its business with the Striker.”

The Shimmer-mare grimaced. “He’s already down. What more did you plan on doing?”

Kunai’s eyes narrowed into a cold, heartless glare. “Cold Striker nearly caused this one’s sister to be horribly murdered. His punishment has only begun.”

The Shimmer-mare’s frown deepened. “So it’s about revenge?”

“No.” Kunai shook her head. “Justice.”

The Shimmer-mare sighed. “I bet he thought the same thing when he hired someone to go after you.”

Kunai scowled. “Are you going to try to stop this one?”

The Shimmer-mare was silent for a long time before finally saying. “I’ll take Kukri home. Whatever you do ... that’s on you.”

“Good enough for this one.” 

As the Shimmer-mare carried this one down to the boat, Kunai turned her back on both of us, advancing on the wounded stallion. “This one can understand your reasons for hating it. If its sister were slain, it would not forgive the killer either. It would not even have blamed you if you sought to kill it. Such a reaction is natural.” Another of her knives struck Cold’s remaining foreleg. “However, you crossed a line. Attacking this one’s sister. That, it cannot forgive.”

The dazed stallion blinked one hoof cradling his wounded head and his lips struggled to form a coherent sentence. “I ... I didn’t ... I tried to...”

Kunai closed the remaining distance, pulling out a set of chains and wrapping them around his wings so that they were pinned almost straight up, away from his barrel. Then she removed a gemstone from her saddlebag, setting it in the middle of the chains. “This fire gem’s on a random timer. It might go off in five seconds, five minutes, or five hours. You’d better hope it lasts a long time, because those chains are made of the best tempered steel money can buy. Without purpose-made tools, it would take you hours to break them.”

She pulled a dull, rusty blade from her saddlebag, then dropped it in front of Cold. This one’s sister smirked cruelly, then almost casually announced, “Did you know that if you place the cuts correctly, you can sever a pegasus’s wings in a matter of minutes? This one just thought it would mention that.”

This one’s jaw dropped, and it tried to think of what it should do. What this one’s sister was doing was—

An amber leg grabbed this one from behind, and the Shimmer-mare pulled it against her, burying its head in her chest. Her coat smelt of soot, blood, and things this one probably was happier not recognizing. “Don’t look, Kukri. You don’t need to see this.”

This one was still sobbing against the Shimmer-mare’s chest when a loud bang announced that Cold’s time had run out.