“Hmm…” Rain Shine began in thought, looking over Leonard’s shoulder and down upon a sheet of paper that looked like someone had been going to war against it as the stallion sat at a rectangular-shaped, beech-wood table in the living room.

The table itself wasn’t particularly tall. Quite the opposite, in fact. Its 3-foot height, if he recalled Radahn’s unit of measurement correctly, allowed one to sit on the soft carpet comfortably, thus making the need for any accompanying chairs unnecessary.

“I can’t tell if that’s supposed to be a mistake or…” She tilts her head, squinting, “Art.”

Leonard whinnied a hearty grumble, ears twitching as a pencil—he learned it to be called—was ‘held’ in his forehoof. Seriously, does she expect him to be a master at this? He’d only just learned how to hold onto something with his hooves. Hooves. Specifically, his forehooves.

Take it from a horse, that shouldn’t even be possible. He was used to the good old-fashioned biting onto something, maneuvering it with his lips, or simply nudging it with his head. But this? It was an entirely new experience for him.

It was difficult to describe, but it felt like an invisible force existed around his forehooves, yet that force was absent from their hind counterparts. And although he could now understand the kirin’s language, Qinese, that potion he drank seemed to have one major flaw: It didn’t extend to written language.

That was where their problem for communication now lies, save for his ability to answer questions with head movements. The original plan was for him to write down any of his thoughts, but that only led to the current state of affairs. A slight oversight, Mulan had jest.

Speaking of which… An intoxicating aroma suddenly meets Leonard’s nostrils, causing him to flare them and greedily intaking what was undoubtedly coming from the kitchen.

“Breakfast is almost ready!” Mulan’s voice declared from beyond the circular-shaped doorframe, of which Rain Shine’s weapon, a Qinese Kwan Dao or naginata, was leaned up against. “How’s he holding up, Rainy?!”

“His hoofwriting is that of a newborn pup’s, but we may very well have an artist in our midst.” She chuckled, looking back to the stallion.

Leonard shook his head joyously at her before returning to his writing practice. She wasn’t exactly wrong, but if she considers this art, he’ll take that compliment! At least, he thinks it’s one.

“Something to note, saddle arabian,” Rain Shine began as she rested a cloven hoof onto the paper, Leonard raising his head to meet her eyes. “Written Qinese is not based on an alphabet or a compact syllabary. Instead, Qinese characters are glyphs whose components may depict objects or represent abstract notions…”

Her words slowly faded into existence as Leonard began to block out anything else that was said at that point with reddened cheeks due to being entranced by those eyes…

“Saddle arabian?”

Those beautiful, amaranth windows to her soul…

“Hello…?”

By Radahn’s might, he could get lost in them for hours…

“Are you even listening to me?”

He’d never seen any other mare, kirin or not, nearly as beautiful as-

[KTHUMPT]

Rain Shine abruptly slams her hoof on the table and roars in Leonard’s face with narrowed eyes, jolting him out of his trance and making him drop his pencil onto the table as she gives him a fine view of her omnivorous features.

They had revealed their dietary nature earlier when they offered him food, but to actually see it for himself…yikes.

“Do I have your attention now?” She growled.

The stallion nods his head rapidly with wide eyes.

Rain Shine smirks but maintains her bared display. “Good.”

“I heard that! What’s going on in there?!” Mulan shouts, poking her head into view from the kitchen, Leonard and Rain Shine looking at her. “You’d better not be bullying him while I’m not looking, Rainy.” The dark-gray kirin accused, wearing white chef attire with a strange green ‘serpent dragon’ design coiling itself around its wearer.

Come to think of it, that same serpent dragon was depicted in many arts, pictures, and banners that littered the home. If Leonard were to hazard a guess, it was perhaps a symbol that held special meaning to them, similar to the red-maned lion insignia of the Redmanes.

“I was simply performing my task as instructed until he ignored me out of nowhere,” Rain Shine answered, glaringly glancing at Leonard, whose ears folded against his head.

He hadn’t meant to ignore her… It’s just…

Mulan sighs as she fully presents herself in the doorway. “He’s clearly been through a lot, Rainy. Let’s just try to be a bit more understanding here. He probably didn’t mean it like that. You do recall how I found him, right?”

“Yes, yes, a beam of light that conveniently set him down on your lawn in the dead of night.” Rain Shine turned to face Leonard. “But that is exactly why we must teach you how to write Qinese until we can make you talk. We know that you mean us no harm—for now, anyway, but it would be most beneficial if we could converse more clearly.”

Leonard’s ears flickered at one particular part of all that as he began to look between them. Di-did he hear that right? Make him talk…?

Mulan giggled with a cloven hoof covering her muzzle. “Somekir- ahem. I mean, someone seems curious. We’ll talk more once-” Her ears suddenly shoot skyward, “Oh! Food’s ready! I’ll be right back.” She turns around and runs into the kitchen, disappearing from sight.

“I think we can dispense with the writing for now,” Rain Shine said while taking her place at the table to Leonard’s right. “Our food will arrive any moment, so please remove your art piece.” She teased.

The displaced horse nods and picks up his pencil and paper, setting them down on the carpet alongside him.

Rain Shine adjusts her sitting posture and puffs out her mane with closed eyes before quickly shaking it. The action’s effect immediately ensnared Leonard’s curiosity, which Rain Shine notices as she opens her eyes and spots him staring at her.

“It helps us to keep up our mane’s appearance and not let it look like a frantic mess.” Her answer seemed to satisfy his curiosity as he nodded in understanding. “We’re similar to the lions of Savanna in that aspect.”

Lions of Savanna… Was that another nation of beast folk? Do they have ties to Farum Azula? Hang on…would he be considered one of the beast folk now, too? And does the same apply to these kirin?

Radahn’s grace, he had so many questions…

Rain Shine lifts her forelimbs, sets them on the table, and clasps her cloven hooves together, pulling Leonard out of his thoughts and garnering his attention.

“So,” she began, “I’m curious about a few things. I’d like to ask you some questions under these more pleasant circumstances if that’s alright.”

Leonard nods and whinnies softly, resigning to push aside his earlier inner inquiries for now.

“Does the name Saddle Arabia sound familiar to you at all?”

He shakes his head and shrugs.

“Truly?” She questioned, surprise plastered on her face. “That is indeed quite shocking.
Do you mean to say you know nothing about your desert homeland?”

He denies it again with head movement. That’s just it; this Saddle Arabia never was his homeland. He hadn’t even known of the kirin’s existence until now, let alone a whole apparent nation or even that Savanna place she and Mulan mentioned.

He had only ever known the Lands Between. That was it.

The two sat in silence as Leonard looked down at the table while Rain Shine seemed lost in deep thought. “I must say…there’s something quite different about you.”

Leonard shot up at that.

“Nothing bad, I assure you,” she assured with a gesture. “It’s just…your spirit. It’s so unique, almost like it’s burning with life and power. Yet there’s a certain enigma to it, as well. It’s…hard to explain.”

She had his curiosity, but now she has his attention, and he eagerly awaits more.

Rain Shine’s ears fell flat, “N-never mind.” She yieldingly shook her head and closed her eyes. “Forget I said anything.”

Leonard shakes his head with a low neigh as if to inspire her to continue. But the kirin wouldn’t budge as she narrowed her eyes at him.

“It’s none of your concern. Drop it now, please.” Her hardened face said it all. “The fault is mine. I never should’ve mentioned it.”

He nods, eyes slowly falling to the table as an awkward silence takes hold.

“I’m sorry.” The kirin’s words gained his attention again as he noticed her face softening. “It’s just a personal matter for me. I hope you can understand that.”

He smiles and consents.

“Thank you.” She performs a bowing gesture and raises her head. “I’m sure that you have many questions for me, too. We can cross that bridge once we handle our means of communication. It’ll certainly be nice to know your name rather than just calling you by your race.

There is, however, another matter.”

Another matter? His current look practically asked.

Rain Shine immediately deciphered his look. “We mentioned it loosely before, but I’ll be completely transparent: we intend to introduce you to our village after breakfast.” She spoke proudly, raising her head and looking down at him with a regal-like aura.

As for Leonard, his posture and features with a dropped muzzle radiated one thing: say what now?

That is until realization dawns on him. Ah, that’s right. They did mention that this was a village—a whole village filled with kirin and who knows what else this strange place had in store for him. This will undoubtedly be a challenge in and of itself.

'Bring it on, then.'

“Breakfast is served!” Mulan declared as she merrily entered the living room while floating several bowls and platters with steaming hot food set on top, some of which catered to Leonard’s herbivorous needs, cups and pots filled with thirst-quenching liquids, eating utensils, and a basket filled with bread.

'Change of plans, bring on the food first. Then they can get to the meet and greets.'

“I’ve got wontons and dumplings, some of which are filled with vegetables that I’m sure you’ll love, my good stallion,” Mulan said while heading over to the table where the stallion’s face displayed the awe now filling his form.

Rain Shine sniffed at the air and moaned, “Are those shrimp-filled dumplings I smell?”

“Girl, I made you a whole plate of ‘em.”

Rain Shine clapped her forehooves and held them together as if in prayer. “I love you.”

The chef-attired kirin beamed proudly. “There’s also some pork, egg, and beef variants of the wontons and dumplings. I have water, tea, and some freshly-baked bread, too. Oh! And a whole bowl of tossed salad for you, saddle arabian.”

Leonard’s stomach growled furiously at this point, his prayers having been answered as all of Mulan’s work was set down on the table in an organized fashion.

He was going to dig right in as Mulan had the courtesy of setting down the dumplings filled with veggies and his salad in front of him. But he stopped midway as Rain Shine cleared her throat to get his attention, his eyes trailing off to her direction as his opened mouth was mere inches away from his food.

Mulan takes her place across from Rain Shine while giggling at Leonard’s display while the larger kirin gives him a deadpan expression.

“It’s proper for us to give thanks to the great Buddha before eating,” Rain Shine comments with disappointment drenched in her voice.

He realized his mistake and immediately withdrew from his meal with apologetic gestures and expressions. The concept wasn’t alien to him as he recalled members of the Redmanes doing something similar for Radahn.

“It’s ok, saddle arabian,” Mulan comforts. “Everyone has their own beliefs and traditions, and I thank you for respecting ours.”

Leonard neighed a sincere ‘You’re welcome’ interpretation.

Mulan nods and turns to Rain Shine. “Why don’t you take over from here, Rainy.”

“Very well. Please, let us bow our heads.”

The room comes to a dead silence as heads are lowered in prayer.

“O Blessed One, Shakyamuni Buddha, precious treasury of compassion,
bestower of supreme inner peace, you, who love all beings without exception,
are the source of happiness and goodness, and you guide us to the liberating path.

Your body is a wish-fulfilling jewel, your speech is supreme, purifying nectar, and your mind is a refuge for all living beings.

With folded arms, we turn to you, supreme unchanging friend. We make this humble request from the depths of our hearts:

Please give us the light of your wisdom to dispel the darkness of our minds and to heal our mental continuum.

Please nourish us with your goodness, that we, in turn, may nourish all beings with an unceasing banquet of delight.

Through your compassionate intention, your blessings and virtuous deeds, and our strong wish to rely upon you, may all suffering quickly cease and all happiness and joy be fulfilled.

And may holy Dharma flourish forevermore.”

“And may we also have your blessing to kick Oolong’s sorry, scaly ass all the way down to the depths of Diyu,” Mulan chimed in nonchalantly. “Thank you.”

Leonard and Rain Shine are drawn out of their prayer at that moment.

“M-Mulan!” Rain Shine scolded while Leonard tried his best to fight back laughter. “Seriously?”

“What?” Mulan shrugged. “You were thinking it, too.”

Rain Shine double takes. “Y-yes, well.” She cleared her throat, “While I won’t deny that, it’s simply not proper to say such a thing during prayer.”

Mulan simply deadpans at the larger kirin, followed by a drawn-out sigh. “See, that’s why you’re still a virgin, Rainy. You’ve always got a stick up your plot. How about putting a nice long shaft in you for once?”

‘Rainy’s’ mouth drops in response, absolutely flabbergasted by that retort.

“Anyway, let’s dig in!” Mulan declared with outstretched forelimbs.

Leonard certainly didn’t need any motivation and dived in with ravenous hunger. As for Rain Shine, she maintained her floored stare on Mulan before finally snorting in annoyance.

“Little mogwai,” she muttered as she fired up her horn and floated a shrimp-filled dumpling into her mouth, chewing bitterly.

As they enjoyed their meal, Leonard couldn’t help but think back to that prayer. He had to wonder, if this Buddha indeed was a deity of these distant lands, could…could they, it, whatever the case may be, help him to reunite with his brother, Radahn? He’d be forever grateful if the Buddha would do that for him.

“By the way, saddle arabian,” Mulan starts, Leonard looking over to her with stuffed cheeks. “Earlier, we said that we'd make you talk. Remember that?”

Leonard nods his head while chewing.

“Then that'll make an excellent subject for our meal. I'll start by telling you about the vital component of that plan: the Stream of Silence.”

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