A/N: Hi, fanfics! I hope everyone has a great Mother's Day, and I have returned with a new chapter. It seems that I kept everyone waiting long enough to know who this shapeshifter is, and frankly, you might be surprised, so enjoy the story.

Disclaimer: This is my sign: I do not own Killer Instinct or Carrie.


Carrie and Jago stared at the beast approaching them. Was this creature stalking them in the forest and meadow? While keeping Carrie close, Jago pointed his sword at the majestic beast. The Snow Lion stopped, blinking. To their surprise, it pushed the blade down with its right paw. While it sniffed at them, they shared blank stares.

Carrie furrowed her brows. "What's it doing?"

"I don't know." Despite the initial caution, Jago sensed no aggression. A distinct glimmer of intelligence shone within its amber eyes. What are you? Before he spoke, the Snow Lion turned towards some nearby thicket.

A fearsome snarl escaped its throat, its fur-covered back bristling. Once Carrie and Jago turned in that direction, branches rustled, and horses neighed.

Within minutes, hooded men on horseback emerged with a gargoyle-like symbol.

The lead cultist sneered. "Ah, there you are!"

Jago squinted, tightening his grip on the sword. Dammit! The cult bastards followed us!

Snorting and whining, the horses stepped back.

"What's the matter with them?" one cultist said until he spotted the Snow Lion. "What is that?"

"Who cares? Let's grab them!" another said.

Jago raised his sword, preparing for a fight. Carrie stayed behind him, frightened. Before either side could attack, the Snow Lion stepped in, growling at the zealots.

"What the hell?" a subordinate uttered. The Snow Lion's eyes gleamed while inhaling air. With no warning, it unleashed a massive fire stream. "By the gods!"

Jago and his ward stared in shock as the Snow Lion produced a dense fire barrier. Startled, the horses squealed and bucked. Some dumped their riders while fleeing.

After distracting the extremists, the Snow Lion focused on the duo. In a soft growl, it gestured its back to them. After exchanging puzzled glances, they relented and climbed aboard. Once the lion arose, it galloped into the forest. Trees whizzed past as they held on.

The peace didn't last as fanatics pursued them. One follower attempted to reach Carrie, but Jago threw a fireball at close range. The man screamed while tumbling off his mount.

Carrie glanced over her shoulder, focusing on one rider. An unseen force lifted the man, hurling him into two other riders. They fell off their horses and into a nearby tree. One tried crawling back up, but the charging horses trampled him.

Carrie recoiled from the horror. "God, they didn't stop to see if those men were alright!"

"What makes you think they care?!" Jago shouted.

The zealots pursued their quarry through the woods, whipping their horses to spur them on.

Jago checked back. "Those bastards are too close! We need to lose them!" As though agreeing with the monk, the Snow Lion quickened its pace. His eyes narrowed while watching the zealots split. "They're encircling us!"

Without warning, the Snow Lion flashed a blinding light. Its passengers shielded their eyes from the brightness. Behind them, the horses whinnied, and the riders swore; some stumbled from their mounts.

Once its light vanished, the Snow Lion veered right, resulting in the remaining members crashing into each other. After repelling the sect members, the Snow Lion fled with its riders.

When they reached a clearing, two cliffs faced each other with a gap between them.

Several minutes later, the cultists emerged from the forest.

"What should we do?!" Carrie asked. "If they catch us, they'll take us to their master!"

"Don't worry. Everything will be okay." Jago examined the cliffs. Despite its distance, the far end was their only hope of escape. After telling Carrie to hang on, he leaned into the lion's ear. "Tapā'īlā'ī kē garnu parcha."

Nodding, the Snow Lion sprinted towards the crack in long strides until it leaped forward. Neither Carrie nor Jago glanced down until they landed on the other side. As the big cat skidded to a halt, it roared at its pursuers, who stopped at the opposite edge.

"We can't let them get away!" the lead cultist shouted.

A subordinate stopped him from continuing the chase. "Our horses won't jump that far!"

The lead cultist glared at his targets while cursing under his breath. As if sensing his frustration, his mount snorted.

Carrie, Jago, and the Snow Lion stared back; their nerves jangled from their leap. They fled, ensuring the zealots wouldn't follow them.

"DAMN!" The leader's voice echoed off the chasm.

"What are your orders?" another subordinate asked.

His mouth tightened as the lead cultist studied his surroundings. He gave one last look at their escaped quarry. "We'll find another way." He prodded his thigh into his mount's side and headed toward the woodlands. "This way."

His subordinates followed, unaware of a figure surveying them with a growl.

A thick fog engulfed the area as the cult members continued their trek. The horses swiveled their ears and nickered, weaving on their feet during the journey.

The lead cultist fought to regain control of his mount. "What's wrong with them?"

"Something is scaring the darn things!" a follower remarked.

Out of nowhere, a fire ring rose from the brushes. Spooked, the horses brayed, desperate to escape. While extremists sought to control their steeds, something knocked a rider off.

The man pleaded for his life while whatever ate him alive.

Then, another rider got tackled, digging his fingers into the dirt and screaming while something dragged him away.

The lead cultist surveyed his fallen men, his face damp with sweat. Adrenaline flooded the sect as they darted through the misty forest. Whatever haunted these woods picked them off one by one.

Men begged for their master's aid; some rebelled by calling out to Christ. Cries of terror-filled swearing continued until silence descended on them.

As the sole survivor, the lead cultist lost track of how long he fled. His steed glided through the silver mist, running from whatever chased them. Snarls, cries, and rasps punctured the air. Whenever he glanced back, he'd spot the outline of his pursuer, but it was so quick that it was difficult to tell.

As he peered forward, something slammed into him. The force knocked the air out of his lungs as he fell.

His horse galloped as if the Devil chased the poor animal.

Groaning, the leader checked what struck him. Upon closer inspection, he laughed. I can't believe it! A bloody tree branch.

As snarls reached his ears, he stiffened. He crawled forward until a clawed foot appeared. He froze once he looked up.

With solid, digitigrade legs, the creature was about six feet tall. Its yellow eyes glinted with wicked and ravening intelligence.

As if smiling, its lizard-like head possessed sharp teeth. The arms and chest were muscular and human-like.

The six-inch sickles on each toe emitted an eerie blue light. Throughout its body, a hexagonal pattern flashed between light blue and black.

An Ultratech logo appeared near its tail, which reminded the lead cultist of a scorpion.

The man remained still, his heart racing. Lord Gargos, have mercy. Please save your most faithful servant—

A roar erupted from the animal as it pounced on him. While its claws and teeth tore into flesh, the cultist screamed. An intense, searing pain wracked his chest and stomach during the attack. Blood filled his throat, drowning him.

With its prey's last gurgling breath, the RIPTOR Stalker clutched a chunk of the intestine.

After ripping the organ free, the raptor swallowed it whole.

With blood staining its mouth, the savage beast roared, claiming its domain.


As night covered the Earth, stars dotted the sky. The woodland and rugged land faded into darkness, leaving a chilling silence. Using the North Star as a guide, the Snow Lion galloped with two humans on its back.

Carrie checked if the sect was still after them.

"We cannot look back now. We must keep moving," Jago said.

"Where is this lion taking us?" the girl asked.

The monk fell silent, thinking the same question.

After hours of traversing in the woods, they arrived at a lake fed by a waterfall. Moonlight reflected on the falls, giving them an ethereal glow. Behind the gushing water, they entered a cave.

The Snow Lion gestured for the duo to hop off. Once they did, it moved back and forth, bringing dead logs, small rocks, and kindling. Afterward, it left.

"Where's it heading?" Carrie asked.

"Probably wants to ensure nothing else is after us," Jago said. "It also brought items for a campfire. Well, looking at it won't get things started."

Carrie created a rock circle and stacked the logs like a pyramid. Soon after, Jago placed the twigs on top and set it aflame. The fire started small but grew into a heat source.

While Jago blessed the offerings inside the alms bowl, Carrie gazed into the fire until the faces of her victims emerged.

Carrie pulled back, placing her hand over her heart.

"Carrie?" the monk called, his eyebrows drawing together.

The girl sighed. "I'm okay. That strange lion, why did it help us? The way it scowled at those cultists…"

"Perhaps it sensed danger and wanted us out of there."

"How did they know about my powers? So far, I've only told you."

"I might have a hunch. Do you remember our encounter with Omen?"

Carrie shivered at the demon's name. "What about it?"

"Did he say anything to convince the cult to pursue us?"

"Horrible things, including when he… heard…." She paused as the pieces came together. "Oh my… you don't think….?"

"I'm afraid so, although it's an assumption," Jago said. "Omen may have told Gargos about you after the fight. He then relayed that message to their followers."

The girl shielded her face. The thought of that demon spreading the word about her existence left her anxious. "What will we do?"

"We'll figure something out. I won't let Omen or that cult near you."


After patrolling the woods, the Snow Lion returned to the cave, holding a bag in its mouth. However, sensing its presence, the monk stirred from his meditation. As it sat beside him, the beast handed the sack to him.

Perplexed at first, Jago opened the pouch, revealing slices of half-circled bread. Although the beast remained non-aggressive, he pressed his lips flat. "You may not understand me, but how can I be sure you're trustworthy?"

The Snow Lion slanted its head until it spoke, "Ma na'ā'ēkō bha'ē tapā'īṁ ra tapā'īṅkō vārḍa tī kalṭisṭaharūbāṭa umkanē thi'ēna."

Jago scooted back. "You can… talk?"

"Avaśya pani ma garchu. Kina chakka parēkō?"

"Oh, well… I… never mind. Forgive me if I acted skeptical. My ward and I had quite a day."

"Māphī māgnu pardaina. Tapā'īṁ sacēta hunu sahī cha. Timī du'ī janālē khānuparcha."

Falling silent, Jago grabbed a piece of bread and split it in half. After that, he nudged his ward, who rested her eyes, to wake her and offered her the other half. Before taking the piece, Carrie jerked back at the Snow Lion beside them.

"Easy, Carrie, it's our friend, I guess," Jago assured.

After a moment to collect herself, she bowed her head. "Thank you for saving us."

The Snow Lion mirrored the gesture. "Yadi tapā'īṁ du'ī luknakō lāgi ṭhā'um̐ khōjdai hunuhuncha bhanē, Gasa tapā'īṅkō mātra vikalpa huna sakcha. Yadi tī kaṭṭarapanthīharūlē tapā'īnlā'ī khōjna yati ṭāḍhā yātrā garē, kasalā'ī thāhā cha kati ā'um̐chan?"

Carrie gasped, glancing at Jago, who displayed an 'I had the same reaction as you' expression. "What did it say?"

"It talked about Gasa as a safe place to hide." Jago then switched to Nepali. "Kē tapā'īṁ kyārī ra ma saṅga ā'um̐dai hunuhuncha? Yadi cha bhanē, tapā'īṁ kō hunuhuncha?"

"Harē śiva. Kṣamā pā'um̐. Phēri, timīlā'ī thāhā cha ma kō hum̐." As the Snow Lion closed its eyes, a bright light enveloped it. Once again, the duo covered their eyes until the light faded, revealing a hooded figure. They froze when the figure removed its hood. The fire glistened on a woman's tan skin and night-black hair. Her lips curled into a sheepish grin.

"Pemba? What trick is this?" Carrie asked.

"Yō kunai cāla hō'ina. Masam̐ga yō śakti thiyō jabasam'ma ma samjhanchu. Yadi tapā'īṁ malā'ī viśvāsa garnuhunna bhanē, masam̐ga pramāṇa cha." Pemba revealed the bite mark on her shoulder.

The duo exchanged glances, recalling the shapeshifter receiving a bite from its battle against a demon in Thanza.

"It was you," Jago said. "So, everything you told me about being a street fighter was a lie? And that bite mark, is that recent?"

Pemba covered her scar. "Ma mērō śabdamā imānadāra thi'ēm̐. Mailē ākāra parivartana garnē bhāga mātra chōḍēṁ. Yō dāgakō lāgi, yō kēhi haptā aghi thiyō, tara dukhā'I lāmō thiyō."

"And the demon?"

"Tyō kurā bēkāra thiyō. Mailē yō jastō kēhi dēkhēkō chaina. Pāpīharūlā'ī bām̐can di'ēra sansāra kasarī jalnē hō bhanī bhanirahēkā thi'ē."

"What did she say?" Carrie asked.

"When I asked her about her life story, she was honest," Jago explained. "She only left the shapeshifting part out. When she fought that demon, it ranted about how the world would burn."

The girl swallowed. "Can you ask why she's here and not with her mom?"

Having the same thought, Jago asked Pemba in Nepali. The woman slumped before replying. Stunned, the monk turned away, his shoulder sagging. He combed his hair with his fingers.

Carrie sensed something was wrong. "Jago, what is it?"

The monk sighed. "Pemba informed me… that her mother is dead."