Mimi opens the kitchen cabinet to a loud bwaaack sound as a chicken falls into her arms in a mess of sharp claws and equally sharp beak.
"Chen!"
Holding the chicken by its talons like a bag of dog droppings, Mimi is long past niceties as she yanks open the door to the child's room.
"What is this?!" Mimi cries, the chicken trying to bite her with its beak.
"Lunch?" Chen suggests, hopefully.
"Ohh ho ho ho," Mimi laughs angrily, punctuating each ho with a wave of the chicken.
"This is stealing! We can't steal from the people who are hosting us!"
"But it's a chicken," Chen looks helplessly at the beady-eyed beast shaking with loathing.
"We are not beasts!" Mimi throws the chicken at her, "take it back where you found it."
Mimi runs to her bedroom and closes the door. An hour later, Mimi checks on her sister and discovers her sitting on the floor with three more chickens pecking at the ground.
"I can't help it!" Chen cries, staring at the chickens with undisguisable hunger.
"Yes, you can!" Mimi tries to calm down and shifts her gaze to the chickens.
"Look, I was a young fox spirit once too. And though I didn't steal chickens, I was very attracted to shiny things," Mimi glances at the claws on her hands, on reflex.
"Okay," Mimi takes a deep breath, "I shouldn't have yelled at you. I am sorry," Mimi grits these words out as if she were trying to break a jawbreaker.
"We need to get these back to the coop asap," Mimi looks at the night sky, "You are also going to be running two more laps around Cloud Recesses, young lady."
"Why?" Chen whines, her eyes still on the chickens.
"I figure if your too exhausted at night, then there will no sneaking out to steal chickens," Mimi self congratulates this critical thinking as an excellent parent.
"Dumplin is already settled in, and I have wards all over this house. I will be notified if something happens or she wakes. Let's move."
Shoving the monstrous feathered fiends into a picnic basket, Mimi and Chen shift into fox form. Not trusting Chen with the basket, Mimi grabs the handle, and off they run into the shadows. Appearing beside the chicken coop, they are surprised to see the stout cook talking to the turnips and radishes.
They wait an hour and a half in the shadows.
Grimacing, Mimi asks, "Is she done?"
Chen, who is watching the woman with some amusement, says, "Nope. She's talking about her third husband now. You would think she planted him in the garden the way she complains."
"I am not waiting until morning," Mimi snaps, "Watch closely, cub. I am going to show you how to cast a mind illusion."
Twitching her tails to the sides, Mimi stares at the woman. A minute passes before the woman slumps to the side and falls to the ground.
"What is she dreaming of?" Chen asks, looking around carefully before moving out of the shadows with the basket.
"Burying her third husband in the turnips and radishes," Mimi quips, observing for intruders as Chen shifts back into a human.
"She looks happy," Chen comments leaning over the large woman to get to the lid.
"Okay, Chen, I want you to put the chickens in the coop one by one and think about why it is bad to steal chickens," Mimi says, waving her tails and draping the chicken coop in further darkness.
"You should lecture," Chen grumbles sarcastically.
"Look, I am new at this parenting thing," Mimi says, "I am trying here. Just put the damn things back."
"It's locked!" Chen complains.
"How did you get in the first time?"
Chen glances down at the large hole in the side of the coop, "I must have dug in."
Looking into the coop, Mimi realizes that it is empty.
Sucking in a breath, Mimi prays for strength, "Do you remember how many chickens were in there?"
"I don't know, it was dark," Chen is starting to look ashamed of herself.
"Erm, okay. I have an idea. Give me your hair ribbon," Mimi shifts into human form as Chen pulls out her hair ribbon.
"Keep a lookout," Mimi orders as she makes a loop in the ribbon.
Mimi throws out the ribbon and laces it with a bit of foxfire, "Now we wait."
"What is it gonna do?"
Shushing her sister, Mimi watches the feathery shadows march towards the ribbon.
"Why are they doing that?" Chen asks.
Mimi sighs, "Chickens are evil beings attracted to demon light. That is why they taste so good."
"No, really."
Ignoring her sister Mimi notes seven chickens collecting near the ribbons. They wait another ten minutes, and it appears like no other chickens were arriving. Like a patient fisherman, Mimi carefully reels in the ribbon. When the chickens were in reach, Mimi awkwardly pounces. Grabbing ahold of as many chickens as she can and shoving them into the hole Chen had made.
Opening the basket, she shoves those chickens in as well. She pushes the dirt into the hole and patched it up as best she can.
They are heading back when Mimi realizes she has forgotten the turnip and radish woman.
"Go on, cub, I need to go back and at least prop up the radish woman."
Mimi darts into the shadows and is stunned when she sees the woman being dragged off by a nag. Looking for the temple dogs, she rolls her eyes and attacks. Not wanting to strike the woman, she hits the nag in the back with a ball of foxfire. The nag drops the woman to the ground with a thud and darts its tongue out, trying to sense her location. Mimi strikes at the throat with her talons. Landing a death blow as the blood gushes out from the creature's neck. Hearing footsteps, she retreats into the shadows to watch. Knowing she had harmed the animal enough that it would die quickly. Lan Xichen and Lord Qiren rush out of the darkness. Obviously familiar with their attack styles, the clan leader and former clan leader struck the nag from all sides in beautiful synchrony. The clan leader is handsome in battle, she thinks, huddling in the shadows. The unbidden thought rushes through her mind as she watches his body move in a sort of dance. He shone almost ethereally in the evening light.
The nag drops like a stone. Mimi stares at the woman on the ground, swishing her tails back and forth, releasing the radish woman from the illusion.
She wakes up in fright, "Lord Qiren! You're not going to arrest me, are you?"
"Of course not! Why should we arrest you?" Lan Xichen asks gently.
Mimi lay down in the shadows to watch. This man's gentleness is irresistible. He lays a hand on her arm and helps her stand to her feet. She wonders if she perhaps she had left the woman in the illusion for too long.
"I buried my third husband in the radishes!" the woman starts sobbing.
"Your confused!" Lord Qiren states he had been studying the creature's wounds, "This beast was carrying you off!"
This stops the woman shortly before she starts wailing again, burying her face in the clan leader's chest, "It must be penance for what I have done!"
They did not believe her, Mimi thinks, flicking her tails in slight annoyance as the woman continued wailing into Lan Xichen's robes.
But he rubs her back, "You are okay. Everything is fine now. Why don't you take tomorrow off?"
Flicking her tails, she accidentally snaps a tree branch, drawing both the gazes of the clan leader and his uncle. Before they can approach, Mimi shrinks further into the shadows before disappearing entirely. Mimi reappears at the cold springs. There is no one in the pools, so Mimi sits near the water. Shifting into her human form, Mimi could see the remaining blood spatter on her hands and face. Curling up into a ball beside the pools, she knew she should return to the residence. Chen would start to worry. But she is so tired. The silence soothes her as she looks up the trail. The ancient one still tugged at her, cajoled her, pleaded with her to come, but Mimi still resists. Pressing her head to her knees, she nearly doesn't see the water begin to ripple.
Looking up, Mimi realizes that her reflection has floated up before her out of the water. Mimi brandishes her claws, she realizes abruptly that it is not herself, but Shun.
"You certainly know how to keep yourself hidden," the disembodied voice echoes softly within the water.
"Shun?" Mimi questions, watching the face ripple and convulse in the air.
"I do not have much time," Shun explains.
"What news do you have of the Shen Clan?" Mimi asks.
The face gives a rueful laugh, "What clan? Ying is dead. Yongrui is still missing. Father is still trying to find a necromancer to resurrect Yuanjun once again."
Mimi twitches, "He won't be able to resurrect Yuanjun again. I took all of his ashes."
Shun laughs unnervingly, "That is best. He was the best of us. Can you account for Yongrui?"
"Koi pond," Mimi says immediately with no regret.
There is no answer from the floating head as he seems to process her words.
"What happened to Ying?" Mimi asks. The fox spirit had threatened her and nearly fed her to an illusion of crocodiles. She could not find herself caring too much for this sibling.
"When you left, the manor imploded from within. It has been reconstructed, but I believe Ying caused the explosion by experimenting with dark magic. There was a great deal of blood, and her tails were found amidst the wreckage."
"Do you think it had anything to do with her realizing Yuanjun is dead?" Mimi can't help asking.
"Possibly. I must go now. Are the children safe?"
Mimi hesitates before answering. Shun had let them go at the manor, but she did not fully trust him.
"Yes. They are safe," Mimi watches ripples crisscross over the watery image, but . . . she could see relief there.
"Shun, can you tell me anything about the Golden Phoenix?"
Shun's head turns from side to side, contemplating her, "She died many years ago. Before any of us were born. She is a legend. Why?"
Looking up at the trail, Mimi feels a shiver run down her back; her claws begin to glow.
"I need to go," Shun finally says, realizing he is not going to get a response, "But I will try again."
"Alright. Stay safe, Shun," Mimi murmurs, shifting into her fox form.
Cautiously stepping up the trail, Mimi hesitates, the call growing stronger with every step. She trots carefully to the territory line of the barrier but does not go through. Digging her claws into the ground to prevent herself from going forward, she waits. Flicking her tails impatiently, Mimi begins to pace the boundary line. Enforcing the substantial barriers as she went. A flicker of movement appears in the shadows, and Mimi stops, growling challengingly at the intruder. The shadows draw closer but stop at the sound of her growl. Flaring her tails around her like a peacock, Mimi continues to growl, keeping the barrier between herself and whatever is out there. A soft golden light suddenly appears. Growing stronger and stronger, nearly blinding her with its glow. Warmth emanates from the light like a miniature sun. Terrified, Mimi pads away from the barrier, backing up until she hits a tree. But as suddenly as it came, the light dissipates. The pressure in her mind fades, and Mimi finds herself returning to the shadows. To return to her cubs.