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Pretzelparty

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Posts posted by Pretzelparty

  1. At the description of Feng as a 'Concubine' Hanabi's tail bristled. It still stung to hear. All the time she had spent and he still he chose the empress. The vulpine chef choked down her feelings and stifled a frustrated growl. After a millisecond to gather herself she would speak up to answer Yin's question, "I am his former imaginary friend: The fox from the forest that played with him. Now I work as the palace chef to keep and eye on your brother and perhaps serve some kind of penance for kidnapping Yu Yue's Ancestor to attend a past emperor's banquet." 
     

    In a flash of green flame her real shape was revealed before she began to stroll around the apartment. It felt a little cramped now with all the space her tails took up. With her demonstration over, she clapped her paws and returned to the Ryuma guise she'd arrived in. 

    "Your brother desires my skills to make his mission easier... And sadly that is all." 

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    This had gotten so serious, so suddenly. With a book now in paw, Yanhua's eyes bounced between the tome and the increasingly tense face of the princess she'd been called in to serve. Eventually they settled on twilight as the tension in the air become thick enough to cut and the princess made her way back to the throne. "I have so many que--" And then the palace was gone, "Wh-whuh?" 

    Once the scene had changed back to the entrance of the palace, she blinked as a feeling of Deja Vu sank in. Appreciating it any longer was not an option as the pair of doors burst open and for the second time (or perhaps the first?) An orange pony collided with her. The tumble was a tad more painful with the addition of the book between the two, and once they were propped up against the pillar Yanhua was still left dizzy: in part from the collision and also from whatever malady had befallen her. To her annoyance, Yanhua still couldn't find the energy to shift back into her qilin form. 

    In the hopes of getting through the madness quickly, She growled and hopped up on her feet. The Fox whipped around to face the mare and asked in a voice she could only hope sounded familiar to the farmpony, "How much do you remember?"
     

     

    • Apple 1
  3. "Ugh... " Groaned the chef, "Perhaps I truly am coming down with something, Miss--- Huh?" She coughed once and looked around the now empty hallway. This didn't bode well. The princess would probably not be happy to hear her friend had disappeared. If the princess commanding phenomenal magical power got mad or angry... well that could be catastrophic. Yanhua was a tricky creature by nature, so a cover story would be easy enough to concoct. She simply went off to use the little mare's room. Sure. That would work. 

    Hopefully. 

    The chef sniffed a few times at the air to see if she could catch the barest hint of Rarity's scent... or Applejacks. There was the barest hint of Applejack's but for the time being the princess's' magical scent  still saturated the air. With an exxasperated sigh, Yanhua levitated the  dish beside her while she made her way down the halls. Remembering the last words of the pony beside her, she looked back to her hind quarters and finally noticed the swell of her tails fanned out behind her. Yet another annoyance to deal with. The fox centered herself and tried to re-apply her glamour... only to find she couldn't. Now, she was starting to worry. if she couldn't disguise herself, she'd have to start trying to hide in this maze of magical mishaps!

     

    She couldn't let herself be distracted though. That was in the future. The near future most likely, but what needed to be handled now was the princess's meal. With a determined huff, Yanhua made her way to the largest door, where she could easily pick up Twilight's magical signature and push it open. She cleared her throat, "We are currently restocking... but I was able to put together a snack that might ease your malady."

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    The qilin looked over Rarity with a mix of concern and curiosity. In her short time in this palace she'd seen many a spatial anomaly, Just down the hall she thought she may have glimpsed herself walking the other direction. There was no telling how long the princess' friends had been exposed to such chaotic confluences of raw magical energy. Perhaps the unicorn before her had attained some kind of magical fore or hindsight via exposure. If not for Hanabi's less than ideal state, she might have sensed it clinging to the pale mare's innate magic. It seemed there was much to do in this castle after snacks were served. 

     

    Despite whatever was affecting her, Rarity seemed more than willing to play her part in prettying up the dish for presentation. In all honesty, it looked incredible: Even more aesthetically pleasing than what the chef could come up with.... by a bit.  If Hanabi had more energy than surely she could have put more effort into it. Energy was still proving to be something she lacked today. In the short moment Rarity was arranging the plate she was starting to doze off only to be brought back to the waking world by a pleasant voice asking if she was ready. 

    "MNn?! Oh. Yes." She nodded quickly and stretched out before approaching the door beside the fashionista, " Let us bring the princess her snack and perhaps I can begin dispelling the many spells lingering throughout the halls." With that, she and Rarity made her way through the increasingly strange corridors of the palace. Thanks to all the magic warping the dimensions, the walk was taking longer than either of them likely expected and there was no need for a paddleboat like Applejack took to make her exit. After a minute or two of strolling, 'yanhua' felt a strange tickle in her muzzle. Before she could even remark on it she could feel her chest tensing up. Quickly, the chef handed off the meal to Rarity to protect it from any developments. 

    The second she had, the qilin whipped her heard around and sneezed harshly, producing a gout of green flame over the length of the hallway. Then came another and another and another. Each one seemed to shake her form and after each, a vulpine tail popped into existence after the first overtook her qilin one. After eight forceful sneezes, the chef was huffing and rubbing at her muzzle while a sizzling sound overtook the hallway. While Yanhua dealt with whatever illness had befallen her, the green flames she produced burned away some many enchantments, dissipating a multitude of ambient magic and returning the hallway to how it looked before all this had happened. 

     

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    Yanhua had to admire how this Applejack managed to keep a cheery disposition despite all this magical chaos surrounding her. The bulk of the apple clan was still asleep in a pile on the floor. They did wonderfully in the face of this incredible magical scale, putting on a performance worthy of applause were any of them awake to hear it. The chef's hoofs weren't available at the moment to give any sort of ovation just yet either. She was still looking about for any other remaining scraps that she might be able to use to cobble into something appetizing. After only a few seconds of sniffing she let out an exasperated sigh, "Either my nose is in worse shape then I had thought or we truly are working with nothing left." 

     

    With nothing to do but wait, She looked to Rarity. "Sneeze?" stealing a moment to think, "I haven't sneezed since I go here... I did a few times when I got off the train but I don't recall any sizzling sound." After a bit of thought she did realize that after that brief fit she had at the train station she'd caused some minor magical mishaps. Nothing terrifying. A couple auditory hallucinations and a couple doors flinging open. At her age, Yanhua was capable of a bevvy of magical feat but she was practiced enough that magical slips like this were near non-existent. Was there really something going on with her?  This would be the worst time for some magical malady to befall her on such an important mission. 

     

    The disguised fox rubbed her muzzle to deal with an itch, "But, yes. I am allergic to Goldenrod. It's not too debilitating unless I'm right beside some."

     

     

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    "Really about anything heavy in carbohydrates or takes time to digest." The chef covered her mouth as a yawn escaped her, "Green beans, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, Any sort of grain but I'd prefer noodles of various types as that's what I'm used to working with." A sizzling sound caught her attention, so she turned back to face the stove and alter some of her flame's properties. The spices were levitated over and then applied in measurements that might look chaotic at first, but to the chef were perfectly measured. 

    She paused once she felt the hoof on her shoulder and heard the concerned tone. "Truth be told, I'm not at my best. It's not the first time Equestria has disagreed with me. I think the doctors in Long guo said I was allergic to something here. I think it was called goldenrod." That wasn't all there was to it, as much as Yanhua wished it was. She'd experienced some fatigue on her last visit to Equestria but she'd not felt quick this... weighed down. Perhaps the close proximity to the princess was throwing her magical balance out of sorts? "At worst I'm coming down with a cold I'm sure. Surely that's all it is. Besides, if your orange friend--er, Applejack's experiences are true: any illness I may experience can wait until this palace is no longer a maze of mirrored pathways and fractured portals." 

    Once a few moments had passed, the chef pulled the snacks off the burner and inhaled the flames of the stove. After they went back in, Yanhua stiffened up and went into a quick fit of coughing. Despite her discomfort, she managed to still hold the pan steady and deposit the meal onto a plate. Once she had collected herself, the chef would clear her throat. "Pardon me." She pulled in a breath and then allowed the food to cool, "Give them a minute or two to cool and we can give these to the princess... it should at least calm her magic to a more manageable state. If I need to I can try and help dispel some of the more troublesome enchantments in the halls."

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    The kitchen was in a worse state then she thought. If the occupants were not so clearly equine, she'd be tempted to call it a pig sty. Flour was strewn across tables and over bodies, cupboards had been stripped bare, and cookingware was left all over the place. Yanhua sauntered by the pile of passed out apple ponies and over to a counter. "For starters we'll need to restock." She began in response to Applejack's query, "There's only so much even a chef as skilled as I can do with a mostly empty larder." 

    Her eyes fell closed again and the qilin shaped yokai tipped her head back and started to probe the air. A few audible sniffs managed to catch the attention of some not fully passed out members of the apple clan, though Yanhua was unlikely to bother elaborating. With the headache she'd been nursing focusing her senses was becoming a trial. Even with a nose working at half it's best, the chef could scent out some ingredients in the spacious kitchen beneath the melange of culinary scents left over from the princess' staff's previous attempts. Seeing as those most important were informed about her true nature and the rest of present company were likely used to stranger occurrences. Yanhua got down and followed her nose not unlike a bloodhound. 

    After a bit of searching, She located some spices, carrots, and a pan. 

    Getting back into her normal posture, The chef yawned and levitated the pan over to a stove and used that breath to exhale green flames that began to heat up the metal. She gathered up some other fixings: Maple syrup, Olive oil, some hoisin sauce. 

    "Do you think you can get some help to restock the cabinets? Right now, I'm making a quick and easy snack. The princess seems to need it sooner rather than later." Once she heard the sizzling of oil she turned an eye back to the stove but continued the conversation, "It's nothing fancy, but with my flames on paw I can give it a special treatment that should balance her magic and metabolism."

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    Between the resizing of space, the wild dancing color, and the wings engulfed in flame... Hanabi was a tad overwhelmed. She'd seen things like this before in her childhood, but never to these incredible extremes. It was obvious now why this princess had such a reputation with magic. With all that was flowing through her she could pass for a yokai of multiple millenia. This job was far more intimidating than the empress let on. Complicating matters further, was that Princess Twilight somehow knew about this royal chef's true nature. Did the empress tell her? Had the princess been in the stalls or in the background of the Iron Pony event so long ago? Did Twilight have access to some kind of scrying spell?

    There were so many possibilities that the princess' guest would be mulling over, but first thing's first: She had a job to do. Yanhua pulled in a deep breath through her nose and looked over to Applejack and... what was her name? Rarity? Out came wisps of green flames and in unison was the full opening of the chef's eyes. Her pupils were not that of a pony's: They were slitted ,catlike. "At this point, I'm not sure how much my secret matters anymore." The chef strolled forward and looked Twilight over, "I can definitely cook for you... though, from what I can see the food may not be the primary issue. It's been so long since I've had to make use of any magical knowledge. I just wish It had come on a day where I'm not so under the weather." 

    As if on cue, the yokai coughed a few times and then rubbed a fetlock to her muzzle. She sat herself down on the ground and shut her eyes in thought, "I should warn you. While I've seen things like this, it has mostly been in other foxes like me... though, none were quite as gifted as I. But, you seem in a similar situation as them. I think the issue is not so much what you are eating, but more how you are processing it." 

     

    Walking to one of the many breaks in reality and magical anomalies, she waved a hoof in a gesture towards them and then back to Twilight, "All of these wayward spells are sapping the energy you would get by eating. Fortunately for you, I happen to have made meals for family going through such fits -and in preparation for my last tail- to make it easier. " The shifted yokai would tap one of the nearby doors to see if it was real, "... If you show me to the kitchen I believe I can make something that might not solve the problem, but will ease your aetherial processes long enough to think clearly and... perhaps not sneeze your friends out of doors."

    • Apple 1
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    This was not at all what she expected. With each step into the palace, Yanhua couldn't help but feel that this task was less suited to a culinarian and more in the realm of an exorcist. Despite her concerns, some of the passing sights seemed oddly familiar. In the several centuries she'd been wandering tales of this sort of spectacle would reach her ears and in one case she'd been near the center of one. Her thoughts of the past were pushed from her mind as the 'qilin' detected a whiff of chicken on the air. How long had it been since she'd had poultry? At least fifty years by her recollection. Such an old hunger was brought to the fore of  her mind as she and her guide sauntered by a pair of headless chickens serving as guards. 

     

    A similar desire came up when she glimpsed the multi-colored rabbits. Thoughts of rabbit meat had to wait though. The state of the princess was of much more significant import. 

     

    As a yokai, the chef was very in tune with magical energies. By the studies of neighponese scholars, beings such as her were almost entirely composed of magic. As far as a traveling chef and ancient practitioner of her kin's unconventional forms of spellery could say: such scholars were correct. Being entities entirely of magic came with a few perks. Her senses were better attuned to detect anomalies of an arcane nature, she could better understand the weaving of spells, and it allowed for her to alter and shape her own form with ease. The first perk in that list was proving the most necessary right now. The entire palace smelled like the princess, or more specifically the princess' magic. To the visiting chef, Twilight's indigo horn was giving off an intense aura of chaotic and conflicting signatures and similar scents pervaded the entirety of the halls. 

    When the eyes of Twilight fell upon her, The disguised fox gulped audibly. At least her host still addressed her as a chef. "Um... greetings, Your highness." A cough escaped her as she felt a strange tingle run through her, "I see that today is quite eventful for you and your friends." Her ears perked to see if she might hear where that tiny voice from earlier might have come from. 

     

     

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    Apparently, what was going to greet her was a blur of orange and yellow. That was all she could gather in those precious milliseconds before impact. Sent tumbling, everything else became a blur until the chef and the mystery pony collided with a pillar. Despite her desire for decorum, an undignified yelp came from Yanhua as she hit the column. With an undignified fall, Yanhua fell back down onto the ground face first. 

    She whipped herself back up and spat out blades of grass and soil that found their way into her mouth. A few coughs and sputters later she shook herself out and brushed the dust off of her coat, "Sledgehammer? What is going on in there? I wasn't called to supervise some sort of renovations was I?" glowing wisps of magical flame accompanied a frustrated huff then would proceed to pull the qilin's luggage over to her. Her frustration at this less than ideal welcome took a back seat as she noticed the pony was still dizzy from their tumble. 

    "... Are you alright?" The curious chef would lean in to get a closer look at the pony, "I'm sure I've seen you somewhere before-- oh." A glance over to the side revealed a hat knocked away and off to the side. With a clap of her cloven hooves, Yanhua brought the accessory over to her and then offered it to the pony. "I believe you dropped this. Do you know the princess? I was requested to come by here to help with some culinary issues."

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    This was such an exhaustive trip. Good will mission or no, traveling back to equestria was not the royal chef's idea of a nice time. Granted, she did have quite a filling meal in her last visit here what with that Iron pony tournament so long ago. However that same event had proven much more stressful than she anticipated. Having her cover potentially blown in front of a crowd and having to hide away until her friend's found her... well, that wasn't going to make  her stay at all comfortable. All the same, Empress Yue had said that in the name of good diplomacy she needed her chef to cook and train some fresh faced culinarians in the castle of Princess Twilight Sparkle. 

    Normally, Yanhua wouldn't make a fuss or complain but the yokai couldn't help but feel like something was very off. It wasn't just the smell of the air in these lands and its unfamiliar foliage, nor was it the odd looks of the locals when she passed by. It was something deeper. At first she'd entertained the possibility of a voyage to clear her head but still this odd haze of uncertainty hung over the chef as she made her way through the streets of Canterlot and to the entrance of the castle. That, and an annoying cough. 

     

    One truly concerning thing, was that according to the empress, the princess had asked for Yanhua by name. As far as she could recall she'd never formally met the new ruler of Equestria. How on earth did she know her name? Rumors the chef had heard spoke of Twilight Sparkle as being a skilled weaver of spellcraft among her kind. That was indeed quite an achievement. Especially for beings with such a tangential connection to magic. 

    Whatever the ulterior motives for her requested visit... the royal chef was confident she could outfox any trickery that could be thrown her way. 

    After one deep breath she brought her hoof to the door of the castle and knocked. Waiting for someone to open and invite her in.

     

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  12. Toboe had perked up a moment as she noticed a change in the air, as if the ominous scent was drawing nearer to her and Nensho. Her hackles raised, and a snarl threatened to overtake her visage as it grew nearer. Then, she felt an intense jolt as her sense of smell was assailed. Hou's hoof passed through mer muzzle and all at once the yokai was hit by a horrific melange of macabre scents that brought tears to her eyes. Primarily, they were alchemical it seemed. A mix of multiple chemicals such as mercury filled her nostrils, but beneath the horrid odours she could trace the barest scent of citrus and some type of flower that, in her olfactory agony, she couldn't place. 

    An undignified yelp of pain escaped Toboe's maw, despite her attempts to keep her composure. She retreated backward several steps and brought both paws to her nose as if trying to shield it from some airborne toxin. The only silver lining she could find was the hope that maybe Nensho wouldn't have it as bad, she did have the better nose between them by a moderate margin. This intense shock to her senses were more than enough to distract the wolf from the (from her perspective) one sided conversation the princess was having with some unseen apparition. After what had just happened, Toboe couldn't deny that something or somepony was here and whatever it was held a sickening presence. 

    After a series of hacking coughs and rubbing of her eyes, Toboe growled and got back up to look first to Nensho and offer to help her old friend up as well. "Well... I guess at least we've got a scent to track." Not that she was looking forward to the idea now, "Are you alright?"

     

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  13. "... If only." Spoke the chef in a brief break of character, "But this is um... actually a business based visit. May we come in?"

    Hanabi didn't need to be told that they were related. Her demeanor alone was very reminiscent of the mischievous young feng before he was possessed by some deep drive of duty. Besides that they had a very similar scent that was easy for the yokai's magic sense of smell to pick up. The contrast between the two ponies' personalities was incredible though. Would Feng have ended up like her if he'd not discovered his drive to join the watch? That thought would linger in the back of her mind while she looked over the apartment with an apprehensive eye. 

    Behind the tattooed qilin, she noticed piles of magazines, clothes, and disorganized shelves of books. The kitchen probably wasn't in much better shape but if she got inside, The chef could probably put together something better than what they'd had upon arrival to tide them over. "Ahem." She cleared her throat and put a hoof forward, "Mind if we come in? It has been a long voyage and I believe we all are suffering from Airship-lag."

     

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    Rongyu's honeyed words managed to coax out a subdued blush from the disguised fox. It was nice to actually curl up with someone again and given her new friend's cold blooded nature she was probably enjoying the shared warmth. Her declaration of protection was just as endearing, though Yanhua knew that she was in little need of protection unless things went truly awry. Still, the gesture earned Rongyu a sidelong hug that brought her closer to the chef's fluffy warmth. "Oh undoubtedly." She smiled and looked between the two warriors, "I'm truly fortunate to have such mighty bodyguards."

     

    After some more time on the vessel, the horn had sounded off: It was time to head out. 

    Disembarking was an easy enough task. Staying in character as well was, on the flight she figured to truly try  and avoid sticking out. She stuck close to Rongyu as if she were her personal guardian and changed her demeanor to appear more meek and nervous. On the flight here she remembered a pastel yellow pegasus with a subdued presence back in ponyville who seemed like the perfect choice for a wallflower based guise. "Bao's" force of personality was probably enough to draw enough attention for the group while and so it did to breakfast. 

    The dumplings they'd offered the group were... satisfactory. It took all her willpower not to jump into the kitchen and show the chef how it was done, but the mission took precedence. Hanabi swallowed it down though to her pallet it merely registered as 'edible'. 

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  15. The now longmafied fox blushed faintly at Rongyu's suggestion, "One on one Training... I've not been a student in ages. This should be quite the experience." Her last time getting training was back in neighpon. Her family back home always made sure to train their kits thoroughly in the use of their magic and shapeshifting and always stressed the importance of conditioning and practice. It was only recently she had been slacking in such fundamentals: Running the palace kitchen was a busy affair, and that wasn't getting into her need to check every dish in case of tampering.

    Training would probably help her keep her mind off the growing disappointment in her dear friend and crush as he threw himself into his work. Thankfully, it did on the ride on the sky-junk. She'd ridden one of these contraptions not too long ago on their journey to Equestria to attend those games. Even now she felt very nervous on the trip so high in the sky. Rongyu's stoicism in the face of such high altitudes was impressive, Hanabi was visibly nervous on the way and kept her distance from windows or the edge. Magic or no, Foxes weren't meant to fly and seeing the ground so far down was unnerving for the chef: even with her freshly shaped wings. 

     

    "Is there anything I should be wary of once we get there?"

     

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    "I've taken this form a couple times in the past so I can fly in it ... well, not so much fly as I can glide." She stretched the wings out a few times and flapped them, "perhaps I could wither the muscle down somewhat to make them look weak, or smaller?" A fox of Yanhua's age was beyond mere illusion when it came to their disguises, hers was tried and true shapeshifting. The occasional caveats were inescapable quirks that originated in her true shape that could be shared by creatures of the shape she borrowed, For example: Her allergy to goldenrod flowers.  If exposed to some on this job she would react the same as she would if she were in her normal shape. Thankfully that flora native to the west was unlikely to show up on this job. 


    Feng got to work helping Rongyu put together her disguise... or rather a clever loosening of existing deceptive spellcraft. Yanhua would stroll over to get a look at Rongyu from a couple angle, "If needed I could lend some aid. I might need to stay close but I could put a sustained glamour to alter one or two features... but I doubt it will be necessary."

    "As for Feng's Sister... I doubt she'll be a problem... and if she is I'm sure I can keep her out of the way for a while until she can get whatever justice the court will decide." Not that Yanhua trusted Long guo's judicial system in the least,but she had promised to play nice with the empress for both her own and Feng's good. Whatever may come the fox would do her best to keep things running smoothly.


     

     

     

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    "Just a moment! Just a moment!" Came a muffled voice from behind the door, "I've almost... Got i-- Uhoh." then came a ticking sound like a metronome. After five ticks the sound of an explosion could be heard behind the door. It couldn't have been a very big one seeing as it was muffled by the door. Then came the sound of coughing before hoofsteps made their way to the door and it opened. A wave of multicolored smoke flowed out and engulfed the two ponies before being dispersed by the gentle breeze. In the frame stood bevel, her mane looking especially frizzy. 

    "Mon Dieu! My apologies... I was just working on an alchemical spellbrewing process." She coughed up a few more multicolored clouds and laughed, "Zebras make the process look so easy." The machinist's eager golden eyes bounced back and forth between her visitors and quickly she zeroed in on Rose, "Rose! It's positively Mangnifique to see you again! Have you brought some new fancy ideas for me to try and tackle? Oh! And you brought a friend!" In a flash she was up in front of Aloe with the mare's hoof already in a vigorous shake, "Bonjour, I'm Bevel Gear! My friends call me, Bev. I'm pretty sure you'll get to call me that too! Why are we standing out here in the bright spring weather. Come inside!" 

    The peppy inventor cheerfully pranced back into her workshop, spinning her tail to fan away any lingering magical essence in the air. Once the pair came, Bevel would dart from window to window to air out the workshop in her vessel. 

     

     

     

     

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    "Yes, yes." Nodded the fox with smirk, "Back to business and all that." 

    While still a bit let down by all the build up earlier, the chef was looking forward to a bit of trickery. It had been ages since she'd properly toyed with someone who -in her opinion- honestly deserved it. In those halcyon days of early long guo she had gotten under the skin of all sorts, corrupt nobles, exploitative merchants, even the occasional bandit. Taking on an organized criminal organization? Now that was a challenge that she could cut her teeth on. With a big stretch that went all the way down her back, Yanhua once again took her seat to actually listen to this bizarre briefing. 

     

    At first, She was content to curl up and listen to stallion explain the operation... but the sound of a box being opened and mane gel being applied brought her attention back to Feng. As soon as she got a look at him in his guise she had to hide her muzzle and stifle and bout of laughter. Yanhua had known bits and pieces of feng's history, including his time as a troublemaking prankster colt. Seeing him looking like one of those wild wannabe triad stallions and mares on the street just was too amusing. Having known the stallion for so long she couldn't picture him as anything besides the lovestruck guardian who strove to keep his nose clean. This "Bao Lee" guise may as well be like putting on a fake mustache, but she could see how someone unfamiliar could accept this ruse. 

    Feng's little pun at the end broke her restraint enough that her laughter escaped in the sound of an undignified snort. She was quick to try and regain her composure and look up and down the guard, "Hmm... A new disguise? It has been a while since I've made one." She strolled around Feng in a small circle, inspecting his appearance to get a sense of the fashion. Once she felt she'd caught the thread Yanhua stepped back and conjured up her flames to engulf him like a dressing room curtain. Her silhouette could be viewed through it as it shifted back into a more equine shape. When she stepped out she looked similar to her usual appearance at least in shape but there were a few alterations. Her mane was now a neon green that matched her fire and seemed to be styled into something more punkish. She'd also produced a pair of wings to pass herself off as a longma.

    "How does this work?"

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    A sly chuckled escaped the fox's muzzle, "It's nice to be noticed for once.Thank you, Rongyu." It had been a long time since she'd run into one of the stronger variations of her kin, onikuma or gyuki. She had to dip deep into her memories to recall that last time she'd seen one in person. The former brought to mind lurching mountains of muscle and fur, while the latter conjured thoughts of charging horns propelled but mighty sinew. A little shiver ran down her spine, "I think I much enjoy your serpentine company rather than an ursine or bovine presence." 


    There was good reason that Feng had never seen his friend in hostile situations: She often avoided them. Yanhua was no coward, but if there was anything to know about the foxes of Neighpon it was that they never fought honestly if they could help it. Even with tooth and claw, Magic was the weapon they always brought to bare and theirs was a deceptive and confusing magic. Illusions, hypnosis, pranks, tricks, and contracts, these were Hanabi's favored means of defense. That wasn't to say she couldn't protect herself without magic... but if someone more skilled in hoof to hoof fighting got close she would rather not dirty her paws of teeth. If it came down to it she could always cover an assailant with foxfire. 

     

    Feng's compliment seemed flummox the vixen. Did she hear that right? Impressive? If showing off magical skill was what could catch this stallion's attention, what on earth did she spend all this time in kitchens for?

     

    "To create wondrous cuisine" was the answer. Still, to hear a compliment so authentic was enough to get all eight tails swaying in delight. "Well." She cleared her throat and puffed out her chest, "It's about time you noticed my talents... As for your questions. It can burn the magic of enchantments and constructs as well. It gets easier depending on when the enchantments were set and the skill of who set them. If you wish me to burn away the magical lock of some wizard... depending on wizard it could take an hour. Lucky for you, I'm quite a finely aged creature and there are few mages who could give me trouble. If one is nearing I would smell it on their magic as soon as they're near."

     

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  20. Yanhua let out an undignified snort as she bore witness to Feng's spanking. The little sparring match went about as well as she assumed it might. Feng was a skilled warrior in many respects and had even fought magic wielding opponents... but as far as she knew he had little experience actually dealing with Yokai magic. A hint of nostalgia came to her as she remembered her days in the past toying with warriors unaware of her illusive nature. Back then she couldn't make herself immaterial like Rongyu could, but with almost a millenia worth of experience under her belt, Yanhua was sure there weren't many problems she couldn't tackle. 

    "A hebi is a serpent yokai, Feng." She grinned at Rongyu, "It should be obvious in hindsight, Such creatures are all muscle and Rongyu is the picture of strength with a splash of cunning." 

    The fox thought for a moment, trying to decide where to start with her abilities. "Well, the most obvious assets I posess besides a lovely coat and skills at disguise..." She pulled in a deep breath and then exhaled several motes of flame from her nostrils, "Would be my Foxfire... It's a unique flame I can produce from my breath, or off my tails. It isn't terribly destructive beyond making someone feel like they're on fire if I wish them to. I've found them most useful in disabling and damaging other forms of magic. If I were to cover you in it Feng, you wouldn't actually be burning but you may feel as if you were... in addition to feeling it burning away your magical reserves until you're exhausted." 

    "Beyond that... I have a few spells that are simple to activate and sew confusion." She sat back on her hind legs and raised her paws, "This is one of my favorites." 

    A clap rang out across the clearing as the fox's paws met. In the span of a blink of an Eye, Feng would find himself sitting where Yanhua was earlier. The vixen in herself was now sitting where Feng had landed seconds prior, "If something has a magical presence that I'm aware of and isn't too large... I can swap places with it."

     

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  21. Some part of the yokai wanted the sky to move faster. It wasn't everyday that she got to see the moon be moved after all. In the time she was waiting beside Nensho something changed. A shudder seemed to run down the wolf's spine and every inch of her fur bristled. Something was in the air... a heavy, ancient odour that she was the first to notice between the two wolves. in a flash, Toboe was up and running up hill towards the princess' position. When she within earshot she heard a spell go off, and it smelled like a potent one too. When she first picked it up she almost gagged from the sulfuric stench.

    "Kaen! Something's here!" 

    'Shiranui' came in just to see the plant turn to stone and a furious looking princess. Besides that was nothing else she could see. Her nose was telling her that some foul magic was lingering here... and it was coming from where luna's gaze rested. 

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    initially, Hanabi was impressed at Feng's history of undercover work. It explained all those long absences he went on that he couldn't talk about. Any admiration she had was swiftly replaced by a fierce frustration. That remark directed at Rongyu meant that he did in fact notice all her hard work. All the time she spent primping and prepping for a special night... and it had no affect at all? Back in rice fields all those years ago a long would have been knocked dead by her radiance if she showed up looking like this. The vixen visibly bristled as this realization sunk in an irritated huff finding its way out her muzzle, "... At this rate I'll need to cause a lot of chaos to blow off this steam." 

    To say he mood had soured was and understatement, would be more apt to say it had pickled.

    If Feng was going to be this dense then he surely wouldn't notice just how far under her skin he'd gotten. With a little huff, The fox sat down off to the side as Rongyu and Feng got into position. Seems the scaled warrior wished to show off, this would be an interesting sight. Over a century had gone by since Hanabi witnessed the magic of a snake yokai in person. Back when she first saw spells conducted through mist she was a kit who could barely control a mote of flame. Now, she had several centuries worth of magical experience and knowledge in her head that she could bring to bear. Maybe tonight she could show Feng and Rongyu why she was venerated as a guardian deity of the rice fields in ancient Long Guo. 

     

     

     

     

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    Rongyu's immediate reaction caught the fox by surprise... How long had it been since she'd gotten an honest compliment that hadn't been platonic in nature? Years? Decades? She was a pretty face in the palace in her disguise but compared to the empress and many other nobles she may as well fade into the background. It was a welcome gesture though, judging by the smile that spread across her slender muzzle. "Relax, Rongyu." The fox sauntered up to her fellow yokai and waved her paw around at the mist swelling around the guard's fetlocks, "Feng already knows about you and still wishes to give you your chance to shine... In no small part thanks to me. I hope you'll forgive me but I still need to keep an eye out for the empress even if I'm not in the guard." She sniffed a few times at the sword baring mare, "... although, I suppose in this case it's more I had to keep my nose clear."

    Yanhua left her confession hang in the air for a moment before dipping her head, "I hope you'll forgive me for sharing that... if it makes any difference I did not tell him the details. Perhaps you'd like to share such things on your own terms." The fox tails shifted behind her and slithered down to start fanning away some of the gathering mist, "... and thank you for those kind words. At least SOMEONE noticed my efforts." If she was going to be dragged into Feng's mission, then she may as well try and be impressive in some other way. 

     

    Feng resumed his briefing and Yanhua listened with an unimpressed expression. 

     

    "The Triad? Really?" She asked with a tilt of her head, "I know my skills in disguise are legendary... though I still could have used some warning. Disguising myself is easier than disguising others with my magic alone. Well, Unless we made some sort of vow or Contract." She probably could managed to give Feng some sort of glamour that would befuddle most of the triad. It wouldn't take much energy but it would probably need to be done on the way to their destination. 

    "If we're going really do this I suppose I'll need to tell you what magics I can do besides illusions."

     

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    Toboe was content to lead Nensho lead the way to the clearing. In the hopes of making this trip go smoothly, she offered to carry a few things for the group that they were willing to trust her with. Doing so didn't just help the mission, it gave her a chance to show off her impressive strength as she hauled various supplies over to the clearing alongside the visiting ponies. She wasn't one to complain about hauling heavy loads, but she was rather curious about all the things they brought along with them. If they were hunting a sorceress was all this really necessary? 

    In partciular, she was curious about the decorations of some the tents. She was glad Luna made sure to keep the tent small but having markings of moons and stars on it felt maybe a little unwise... but Toboe wasn't foalish enough to walk up and criticize royalty. Once everyone was settled in and set up, the ethereal creature strolled up alongside nensho with a smile, "This has got to be an auspicious occasion... Never got to see the mare who moves the moon work before. Are you nervous?"

     

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    Yanhua kept her confused look as she was unceremoniously pulled up beside the giant of a mare. Of course he had to start his explanation with the empress. Of course he did. As Feng elaborated on this immensely important mission, his friend seemed to visibly deflate. That hint of a smile on her muzzle had faded into a neutrally flat line. For the first time in a while her eyes opened a sliver to reveal the slitted pupils and green irises. 

    There was a storm of emotion whirling around in her heart. Frustration at being deceived, self-loathing at how foolish she was, and anger at how Feng could be this absolutely oblivious. Still, he was sitting there with that adorable smile on his face with not a hint of malice in his soul. Why was she cursed to be so smitten with this thick headed guard? Rongyu wasn't the only one who failed to absorb the briefing. Yanhua was off in her own little world, trying to fight back the urge to just pounce on the stallion and shake some sense into him. Wanting to demand that he at least devoted a little thought to why she even looked like this right now. Eventually some words brought her out of her ponderings: words belonging to Rongyu. 


    "At least -somebody- noticed..." The qilin let out a huff, "Thank you, Rongyu." 

    The question that the guard asked though made her eyes widen and her tail(s) fluff out in shock. She turned around to see some of her true self had slipped through her disguise. Well, this wasn't going to be explained away. "Serves me right for getting my hopes up so high." With a heavy sigh she would look up to the tall mare, "Well, you were probably going to find out sooner or later." Yanhua backed away from the pair and took a deep breath through her nose. Her eyes snapped shut once again and a circle of green flames rose up around her hooves then rose up. Those green fires engulfed her body as if burning away a veil around her then revealed the creature beneath it. A pony sized orange fox stretched out where Yanhua stood, eight serpentine length tails flared out behind her before grouping up in swirled masses. 

     

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    "I guess now you can put together why I was sniffing at you when you first arrived." The magical vulpine sat down on the cool grass and smiled at Rongyu, "You're very skilled at shapeshifting, but there aren't many who can fool this nose." 

     

     

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