"It's so dark. we've been walking so long.. Ohh. another sign. beware of monsters. I'm hungry. I need to go to the bathroom. I'm tired .are we there yet?" Usagi was tempted. very tempted but decided discretion was the better part of valor. "We need to find a house built by a tree." She stated ineffectively for about the hundredth time. "Hmm. like that one?" Leorio with a newfound burst of energy leapt up the steps to the door and knocked. "Hey! Anyone home? I'm coming in!" "Hahahahaaaaaah." Stated the monster which currently had a young woman in a headlock. A man that looked to be a similar age struggled on the floor to stop him. Usagi drew her weapon on instinct but didn't have time to counter before the monster barged pas and out the entrance with its captive, bounding off into the night. "Leorio! Take care of him!" Yelled Usagi not waiting for a response as she followed Gon to chase the monster. "Gon. can you see it?" Usagi peered desperately into the darkness but couldn't make out anything. "There!" Yelled Gon triumphantly indicating toward an apparently unoffending patch of darkness. With no better lead Usagi followed, amazed at Gon's acute senses and speed. "Hey! Hey!" Yelped Gon excitedly, dropping back a bit to talk to Usagi. "He can talk!" "Of course. an animal capable of using the human language." And how did I know that? Wondered Usagi. not too much though. information had been accumulating in her brain for weeks now. past memories, she supposed. "It's a rat-fox. he can metamorphose into a human too so be careful." Yup. A regular font of knowledge. "So we can try to reason with him then, huh?" Gon didn't wait for a reply, bounding forward again he exchanged words with the rat fox before bringing a fishing rod down on the monsters head, temporarily stunning it, making it drop it's cargo. Usagi easily caught the woman at Gon's prompt. Usagi burdened with the woman regretfully couldn't follow when the monster ran off again with Gon in pursuit, but she had a fairly good idea the kid could look after himself. "Are you alright?" She asked the visibly shaken woman. "I'm. okay, but. my husband?" "My friend is taking care of him. He should be fine." Fibbed Usagi, unsure on the man who had looked badly injured. "I. I beg of you, take me too him!" She raised one hand to clutch at Usagi's tunic in desperation, revealing an unusual tattoo. "Oi! Serenity, are you alright?" Called Leorio stepping out of some bushes. "I'm fine Leorio. Gon's still chasing the monster though." Damn. something about that tattoo. what was it? "Is her husband okay?" Husband? "He should be fine. His wounds were less serious than they looked. He's taken a sedative and was sleeping when I left." "What? No Leorio-san?" She asked curiously, pretending to examine the woman. "Eh?" She bought the weapon around, hitting Leorio with the flat in the face. The exposed rat-fox looked startled but quickly disappeared into the forest on discovery. "So maybe. you'd like to tell me what's going on?" Usagi asked the now genuinely startled woman, bringing her weapon to bare.

"So. the walking text book here figured out something was up and the little brat did his part." "..and you were totally clueless the whole time." Usagi finished for Leorio. "But he did give excellent first aid." Pointed out one of the Sumi clan graciously. "Well I am practically a doctor." Leorio stated. ".shouldn't you have known they weren't real wounds then?" Asked Gon innocently, much to Leorio's chagrin. "We decided to take you to the testing site!" Grinned one of the larger monsters.

"Girl." Asked the rat-fox carrying Usagi. "Are you a monster too?" Usagi looked up alarmed a little. Deciding she was far enough from the others to speak openly without fear, "Why do you ask?" "You're not a human. you don't feel like a human." "I know. I'm in disguise right now." "Oh." It replied comprehending. After all, a metamorphosing monster had no right to contend with the rights of others to disguise themselves. "You do not feel like a monster either, I do not know what you are. You know things about the Sumi tribe which humans long ago forgot. You honor us with this knowledge - we will not mention such things to your companions if you do not wish it." "Thankyou." Usagi was freezing. Flying around between the legs of a giant flying fox in the middle of the night wasn't exactly fun. except maybe to Gon, whose excited squeals still made her ears ache. "We will reach Zaban shortly." Finished the monster, detecting the sleepy tone in Usagi's voice. "Good luck with the rest of your journey, little rabbit."