All episodes summary
These summaries are solely written by @Tarba-Yelemel.
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Personal disclamer: obviously, this page contains spoilers.
I advise you to read the episodes before their summaries.
No further warnings will appear, so you will not be warned if a summary contains a massive revelation - I expect readers to have read the episode beforehand.
Summaries are generally updated up to a few days after the episode's publication. I will try my best to add them as soon as I can.
-
Personal disclamer: obviously, this page contains spoilers.
I advise you to read the episodes before their summaries.
No further warnings will appear, so you will not be warned if a summary contains a massive revelation - I expect readers to have read the episode beforehand.
Summaries are generally updated up to a few days after the episode's publication. I will try my best to add them as soon as I can.
The story begins in media res with little explanation about the location, intention, and context, all slowly introduced as the episode advances. This episode's main objective is to introduce both main characters - Lewis and Kiersten - to establish their relationship and purpose.
Summary
The story opens with a stylized, generic-looking kelpie jumping out of water - the episode is introduced with Lewis' monologue explaining the situation as he and Kiersten are advancing in the snowy mountains on their way to find a place for them to settle, a place that would accept them. They are visibly struggling with the harsh weather and rough path. The two kelpies need to cross through the Great Mountain to get to their destination.It is rapidly implied that Kiersten is, as they try to cross the mountains, pregnant, making the whole trip even harder and stressful for both.
Though feeding the need to rapidly get out of here - a snowstorm is raging and would be too tiring to go through endlessly, both agree it is time to find shelter nearby.
Kiersten promptly catches an intriguing scent not far away, and they decide to follow it to see where it will lead. They end up in front of a cave and decide to enter it - not smelling any inhabitants. The cave is welcoming, with plants across its floor. The couple has a quick, optimistic conversation about how close they're getting to achieving their expedition - the lack of water has weakened them, and the need for a place to welcome their incoming foal is rushing them. The Crater is mentioned as their final destination.
But the rest is only for a short time for Lewis, who has to get out of the cave already - it is time to hunt. Kiersten stays in the cave by herself to catch some rest, while Lewis leaves to catch some prey.
The episode closes with Lewis stepping outside, facing the mountains, determined to find something to bring back.
Trivia
*This episode is named after a piece of the mountain range bordering the Crater.*On April 29, 2024, the episode was edited to add a new first panel - representing a sort of mural of a kelpie, which is quite reminiscent of the logo.
*The episode's icon on Webtoon has a slightly different rendering from the panel it's taken from.
Kelpies are carnivores - hunting is a big part of their lives, and their techniques are to be shown throughout the episodes. After promising Kiersten he would come back with something to eat, Lewis is in search of food out in the snowstorm again. But the hunting expedition won't go as planned...
Summary
The episode opens shortly after the end of the previous one - Lewis is braving the storm and looking for something to hunt. Thanks to his sharp sense of smell - he scents blood nearby and decides to follow the trail.After some walking, Lewis spots an injured creature below, from which the blood smell came. He runs and jumps to her, not giving her any chance to escape. But as he gets ready to strike, the creature begs to be spared, and another creature of the same species jumps in between them, also begging Lewis to let her go in exchange for a small prey he has caught.
The two creatures are woolies - after some negotiations, Lewis agrees to let them go and take their prey instead, though it's a small one. The wounded woolie - Englbehrt, thanks Lewis and shows empathy for his situation, which isn't appreciated by her brother, Guthard, fearing that Lewis would change his mind by not running away quickly.
Englbehrt mentions the Crater, claiming she knows the way to get to it, and that she's willing to guide Lewis if he accepts to protect the two siblings.
Lewis agrees to the deal, though not the most enthusiastic about it, he recognizes that helping each other is the way to success in such harsh conditions. The two woolies begin to follow Lewis, who's walking back to the cave in which Kiersten is waiting for Lewis to come back from his hunt, carrying the frail prey he got from Guthard.
Trivia
*It's the first episode featuring Englbehrt and Guthard, as well as mentioning the woolies.*The prey given to Lewis isn't from any real species - though looks like a mammalian creature (a mustelid?) with a reptile-like tail, covered in scales.
After encountering Guthard and Englbehrt while looking for prey to catch, Lewis, now in good company, goes back to the cave in which Kiersten is waiting and resting. It is now time for her to meet her mate's new guests..
Summary
Following the previous episode, an ellipsis skips Lewis and the woolies' journey back to the cave. He is now reunited with Kiersten, who has been worrying about his long absence. She is surprised to see him come back with travel companions instead of simply bringing back food.While feeding on the small prey Lewis brought her, Kiersten discusses with Englbehrt. As she told Lewis previously - the woolie knows the way to The Crater and is willing to guide the kelpie couple to it. Englbehrt quickly mentions a former herd she and her brother used to be part of, and how they all used to go to the Crater times before.
Guthard and Lewis then join the conversation - everyone agreeing that, though their species don't generally mix, times make it indispensable for them to help each other, and that trust is the key to survival.
But time is running out, and they should get through these mountains as quickly as possible. They leave the cave, brave the storm again, and Englbehrt leads the way while supporting and motivating the group. Guthard has a light-hearted discussion with the kelpies, but is cut off by his sister and Lewis sensing something ahead.
Heavy footsteps resonate between the mountains as a massive creature approaches - with hooves and long fangs coming out of an otherwise toothless mouth. The eyeless creature, standing in front of the now small-looking group, begins screeching menacingly as the episode ends.
Trivia
*It's the first episode featuring The Mountain King, though unknown for now.*The episode's icon on Webtoon is mirrored compared to the panel it's taken from.
On their way to The Crater, the group, now led by Englbehrt, comes across a terrible discovery - their way is blocked by a massive and unknown menacing creature.
Summary
The episode starts where the previous one ended - with the creature screeching menacingly at the group.The kelpies hiss back at it, baring their teeth aggressively. While they do so, the two woolies run away as fast as they can, far from the still-screeching beast. Its scream is so loud and irritating that Kiersten's ears start bleeding - pushing her to jump at it and attack.
Biting hard into the creature's arm, she distracts it enough to let Lewis take his turn running at the beast. Charging at it, Lewis pushes it with all his strength to make it fall. Now on the ground, the creature kicks Kiersten to get rid of her - she crashes painfully on the snow.
As the beast tries to get up - Lewis charges again, grabbing one of its large antlers in his teeth and pulling hard on it. He successfully manages to tear it off, and the creature stands in shock. The stallion threatens his opponent, joined by Kiersten. Defeated, keeping its head low, the beast leaves - letting the kelpies know the Great Mountain is ''its'' kingdom.
Lewis rushes to his mate as he worries for her after her fall - Kiersten is okay and mentions that the creature was a noctule.
The two woolies run back to the kelpies - but are greeted with anger by Lewis as they left them behind to go hide. He is mad that Englbehrt did not warn them the noctule was coming, she apologizes, is defended by her brother, and is excused by Kiersten.
Trivia
*A quote from the episode was changed from "and it looked like it was undead" to "and it looked almost lifeless”. Changes were made for clarity, so readers would not believe The Mountain King is an actual zombie-like entity.*It is the first episode that mentions the noctules; it also explains how the two apex predators hunt at different times.
*The episode's icon on Webtoon has lighter colors compared to the panel it's taken from.
The journey is now over - thanks to Englbehrt leading them, the couple has reached the Crater, and it's time for them to get a territory.
Summary
Contrary to the previous episodes, this one is narrated by Kiersten. It opens with her, underwater, showing a foretaste of the episode's content.Back to the group, finally finishing their travel through the mountains - all of them looking down at the gigantic crater in front of them with admiration. This side of the Crater is full of green and large forests, and lots of water.
Kiersten explains why she had to flee her past territory: the water was polluted by gasoline and chemicals, and the disturbance caused more and more deaths everywhere.
An ellipsis skips some months - she and Lewis are now well-established in their new territory and are frolicking happily through the plains, forests, and, more importantly, in the water that is finally pure enough for the kelpies to thrive.
But the biggest change in their lives is the birth of their son - Wilbur. The newborn foal is hidden and resting in their nest, which was made in an underwater cave. Kiersten is shown spending some time caring for the foal.
The couple then rests on the surface of the lake, with Lewis talking to her while Kiersten is lost in her thoughts. He was asking her about naming their territory - and then waits for her to think of something that would remind them of it - Kiersten's choice goes for Pleasance, and Lewis approves the name.
The couple gazes lovingly into each other's eyes as the episode ends.
Trivia
*A unicorn skull can be seen when Kiersten talks about her past territory. It's the first apparition of something related to the species.*The episode features the first apparition of both Kiersten and Lewis' abyssal forms in the webcomic.
*Wilbur's design was revised and reworked before the final version of the episode was published.
Raising a baby is a tough task for all parents - but raising a kelpie foal brings all kinds of additional worries that can weigh on them. Wilbur is an adventurous one - his parents better be prepared!
Summary
The episode opens with an ellipsis showing how Wilbur grew up from a newborn to a foal. The kelpie couple is well-established in Pleasance and takes care of their baby together.This day marks the first day out of the lake for Wilbur, accompanied by his mother supervising his journey. He is shown to be highly curious and energetic, but making the first step out of the water is not as easy as he thought. Kiersten reassures him before he carries on with his discovery.
Lewis joins them and proudly cheers at his son. While observing the grass, Wilbur spots a small aquatic feline-like creature that quickly hides. Not knowing what the creature is - his father explains they are called jaguoons, but also that they are quite defensive, as shown by the scratches on his face.
The family keeps walking - spotting a doe, a dragonfly, and that is when the fun suddenly stops.
Kiersten and Lewis smell an intruder on the territory. While Wilbur is protected by his mother, Lewis goes chasing after the young kelpie. However, the other kelpie does not show any sign of aggression and is simply looking for some food. Lewis is not amused by his little speech and rushes towards him since the trespasser does not seem to understand - successfully scaring him off.
Wilbur is perplexed by the whole scene, not understanding why his parents refuse to share food, considering he is a kelpie too, and they are not starving. Kiersten warns her son that other kelpies, and most other creatures would not show any kind of pity for the little foal and that it is important for him not to trust strangers.
Trivia
*This episode is the first that introduces the jaguoon species.*While the trespasser is the first kelpie shown that is not part of the family - he was already introduced on Instagram and is even featured in the freshwater kelpie guide!
*The title is written in French typography, hence the space before the interrogation mark.
*The episode's icon on Webtoon has brighter colors compared to the panel it's taken from.
Being a kelpie involves being able to hunt, and this art has to be taught to foals at a young age. Kiersten is in charge of showing her son how things are done respectfully.
Summary
A mural conducts the start of the episode - showing a kelpie hunting a deer in the water, illustrating that kelpies were made to be predators, and that is the rule of nature.Wilbur is following his mother in swampy water; she is guiding him to his lesson of the day: catching prey. The colt is hesitant about the whole situation but has no choice but to watch and listen. Kiersten explains how it is not an option for any kelpie, but that it is done according to precise rules.
As they walk and look for a trail of some kind - Wilbur notices hoofprints on the ground. He is congratulated by his mother, and they start to follow the trail left by the deer.
After some walking, the deer is spotted. Wilbur is impressed and worried about the size of the animal and its antlers, but the hunt is already on as Kiersten dives into the water to get closer to it. Her son watches in fear without a move - but as he tries to warn his mother, the deer hear them and run away.
Kiersten has no choice but to use her kelp to catch it before it is too late. After trapping the deer, she jumps out of the water and bites it at the neck, killing it instantly, while apologizing to show her respect.
She comes back to the shore, carrying the prey. Wilbur is saddened about the deer's fate, but as his mother explains how things work, whistles cut off their conversation. Kiersten freaks out hearing them and jumps into the water, taking her son with her.
Two pegasi fly above the hunting spot, noticing the deer's body and identifying the species that killed it. They leave as quickly as they arrive, showing disgust at the idea of water demons being around.
Once gone, Kiersten and Wilbur come out of the water. The colt is in awe at the sight of their wings, while Kiersten shows rage towards them. She warns her son about the pegasi and unicorns - but Wilbur looks at the wings on her head with incomprehension - which angers Kiersten even more…
Trivia
*The hunting scene is reminiscent of an older, very short comic showing Kiersten catching a deer before Wilbur's eyes.*It's the first time kelpies' growing vines abilities were shown in the webcomic.
*Kiersten says she was taught how to hunt by her mother - implying her mother must be a kelpie.
*This episode's end highlights Kiersten's mixed genes and shows her reaction to it being pointed out. Details about her past and parents are still very unclear.
Kelpies are far from being the only inhabitants in the Crater - though the cohabitation with some species might be quite complicated. The pegasi are all gathered in their part of the territory and plan for their survival as well.
Summary
Following the previous episode's end, the story follows the two pegasi who spotted the kelpie's hunt.They traveled back to a snowy place in the Crater, a giant carved unicorn's head decorating the mountain's flank. They land in a place full of pegasi interacting and working around - they land in their territory. The light-colored pegasus frees her traveling companion and climbs the steps to get to the inside of the nest, by a cave entry.
A long aisle guarded by a line of pegasi and decorated with murals of unicorns and kelpies fighting led her to the resting Enchantress.
The pegasus bows down before her, asking where she can find the Vicereine - but the Enchantress is the one replacing her for now and asks to be informed instead. The light-colored pegasus explains what she has found during her patrol and the new kelpies they spotted within the Crater. Lacking more information, the Enchantress turns to another guard to look for more evidence and precise details on the kelpies' presence. Standing on her pedestal, revealing the hole in the cave wall that lets the moon align with her stand, she looks menacing, though most of her body is masked under a kelpie hide.
The orders are simple - if the guard spots a kelpie foal, he knows what to do. As the pegasus, now on a mission, leaves in a hurry, the little Vicereine appears and is immediately acclaimed by the other guards. Heimdall climbs to get to her mother, questioning her choice of words and the orders she gave, though the Enchantress is confident in what she asked for.
The filly seems puzzled by her mother's stance on the kelpie's presence. She tries suggesting alternatives, but is quickly reminded about how kelpies would not hesitate to attack and kill if they had the occasion to catch one of her peers, and how no one can ignore the other one in these conditions.
Trivia
*This episode is the first one not focusing on the kelpies; it introduces new characters with the first appearance of the Enchantress and Heimdall.*With Kiersten being mixed between kelpie and pegasus, Heimdall is the second mixed character - her mother being a pegasus, though she bears the horn and colors of a unicorn.
*Though not learning more about the disappearance of the unicorn in the episode, it is made clear by the cave's paintings that the pegasi still carry on their memory and legacy.
*On the outside of the Nest, two Tarba’s pegasi cameos can be seen - Vaughan and Mikołaj.
Wilbur is a curious colt… maybe ''too curious'', but this world is still new to him and there are so many things he still doesn't know about and wishes he could discover. His parents will not let him leave the territory yet, so he has to find other ways to learn more about the creatures around him.
Summary
The episode opens with Kiersten lying in the grass, plucking her feathers away with a mournful expression - she is being watched by Lewis from afar. There is not much he seems to achieve with her at the moment, and he decides to leave her alone. Wilbur is not in sight, and the father worries about him.Diving further down the lake, Lewis spots his son nearby, but he also hears another voice and notices the presence of another kelpie, interacting with his baby. That sight infuriates him, resulting in his transformation into his abyssal form. Yet, despite his rage, he stays quiet and continues observing the two while hiding in the kelp.
The kelpie talking to Wilbur is Vasco - the stallion caught on their territory some time ago and who seems to have come back for some company. Vasco tells the young one about the other kelpies - the saltwaters - since Wilbur was not yet aware of their existence. The little colt is quite shocked by the discovery and is more curious than ever. In a succession of visual depictions, Vasco goes on telling about the herds of saltwaters and then the pegasi. The kelpie compares his sad, lonely life to the pleasure it must be to be living with your kind. Wilbur is a bit puzzled about why he is so alone. Vasco thus explains how freshwaters do not spend their lives with their parents and pals. Though sad for his friend, the colt is still very curious about the pegasi and asks for more information.
Drawing one with his kelp, Vasco tells the kid about the ''bird horses'' and their huge wings. He describes their tendency to reach for the skies in times of storms - and their fascination with the moon and how the head of their species seems related to it in some unknown way for him.
Wilbur's interest is slowed down by everything his mother has told him already - how the pegasi despise his kind. Vasco thus continues by explaining why the pegasi would carry such hate towards the kelpies - because of the cycle of life. Kelpies hunt, and pegasi get hunted. Which leads the conversation to unicorns - the pegasi's guardians.
Unicorns are described by Vasco as ''killing machines'' having a symbiotic relationship with pegasi - and therefore sharing their hatred for kelpies. Wilbur is intrigued by that description, but their discussion is cut short by Lewis' intervention.
Lewis comes out of his kelp hideout to add about the unicorns' disappearance and push away Vasco. As he intimidates the stallion - Wilbur steps in to come to his defense, to tell his father about how he taught him a lot and is actually nice to him, and not trying to hurt him in any way. Though not delighted, Lewis stops trying to violently chase off the intruder and instead gives him a last warning about Kiersten before letting him leave by himself.
Wilbur is saddened by his new friend's retreat and goes on to tell how he enjoyed his company, which makes Lewis rethink his decision. He agrees to let his son meet his friend again, but with specific conditions and with him being present. Wilbur rejoices, happy to get to see Vasco again someday - however, both agree not to tell Kiersten about this.
Trivia
*Lewis' transformation is shown as triggered by anger, most probably because fighting his opponent underwater in the abyssal form would give him the advantage.*Unicorns make their first appearance (not counting the skull seen in Episode 5 and the murals from Episode 8) as living creatures - though it is stated there are no living unicorns left.
*The Stranger was the first to be split into two parts to change the posting schedule.
*The Episode 9's icon on Webtoon shows a version of the panel with kelp missing in the foreground - deleted for clarity on the icon.
*The Episode 10's icon on Webtoon is mirrored from the panel it's taken from, has brighter colors, and shows a version without speech bubbles - all for clarity.
*Episode 10 contains foreshadowing of Archie's death - the pegasus being killed by a kelpie in Vasco's story was obviously meant to look like Archie.
Kiersten has been unwell for a while now since she saw those pegasi while hunting with her son. It is obvious her being a hybrid has to do with her recent breakdown…
Summary
After an episode narrated by Lewis, this one opens with Kiersten. She's outside, most likely in a plain near her lake, watching a raging thunderstorm and its flashes of lightning hitting close to the area. The wind is strong, and the rain is heavy, but she is captivated by the sight of the storm.Being a kelpie, she should typically be afraid of such weather - but her dual origins make a huge difference in that situation. Her pegasi side is taking over her kelpie instincts - she's attracted to the storm, because, as what has been told by Vasco previously, pegasi love to fly in storms. She is seemingly concerned by her own feelings, but has a hard time fighting them.
An eerie creature appears around her, speaking to her mind as she tells. The creature bears the skull of a pegasus and invites her to go fly in the sky... Which she's unable to do. Another creature appears, though only the tip of what seems to be a kelpie skull is shown - this one asks her about her foal, reminding her she wandered afar alone in the storm. Kiersten brutally snaps back to reality, completely terrified about her foal.
The episode then switches to Wilbur, alone by the lake bank, puzzled by the bad weather and worried about not having any of his parents nearby since he walked out of the nest by himself.
His thoughts are interrupted by the apparition of a pegasus - the one sent previously by the Enchantress, as shown in Episode 8, to get rid of any youngling he could find. Therefore, his intentions are clear.
Screeching in the storm, the pegasus scares the poor colt, who tries to run away but is quickly stopped - the pegasus has stepped on his tail to prevent his escape.
Wilbur falls harshly to the ground, horrified. The pegasus swiftly gets to him, once again pushing him to the ground and asking the moon for its forgiveness as he lifts one hoof over the face of the foal, placing it on his snout as he justifies himself.
Fortunately for Wilbur, that's when Kiersten comes rushing towards them. Without giving it a thought, she jumps onto the pegasus, reaching for a wing and grasping it violently before shredding it in the blink of an eye.
She looks down on him as he falls and begs for mercy. But his imploring is quickly interrupted as Kiersten pounces again - this time reaching for the throat, killing him on sight, the poor Wilbur witnessing the whole slaughter, watching in distress.
Kiersten urges her son to get to the nest while still firmly biting the pegasus. The foal reaches the water immediately, and the mare is left alone with the body and snaps back - discovering what just happened as she drops the pegasus, shocked and overwhelmed, breaking down and unable to move...
Trivia
* With this episode, it is made clear that hybrids, though often resembling one species more than the other, still get instincts from both their origins, sometimes conflicting with each other.*Though only defending her foal, Kiersten showing immediate remorse for killing a pegasus illustrates how hard they refuse to kill other ''talking creatures'', as told by Lewis in Episode 3, ''unless they don't have the choice''.
*The episode 12's icon on Webtoon shows a rainless version of the panel it's taken from.
Though the threat was avoided just in time, the killing judged unnecessary by Kiersten is weighing on her sanity. Hopefully, her family will help her keep up…
Summary
Starting where the last episode ended, Kiersten is completely breaking down mentally. Because of her rampage and how she left her foal alone. As she is visibly struggling to fight her thoughts, Lewis appears, returning from a hunting session. He is immediately struck by the sight of Kiersten gasping for air, covered in blood, and the obvious pegasus corpse at her feet. He quickly gets to her, letting his prey down, worrying about the foal. He urges his mate to get to the nest with their son while he offers to dispose of the body. He grabs the pegasus and runs away, leaving Kiersten with no choice but to go to the lake.She dives in, the guilt taking over, alone again with her mind. The eerie creature previously seen in Episode 11 takes shape - the kelpie skull-faced one alongside the pegasus skull-faced other. Both retell her how she failed - as a kelpie, as a mother. Kiersten tries to fight back her thoughts, literally, as she tries defending herself and standing her ground. The Mind Monster - as its name is revealed by the episode's title - keeps blaming her until its body is fully revealed: the two heads share the same body, marking the embodiment of her dual nature. As the Mind Monster calls Kiersten a ''freak of nature'', she bolts out of her thoughts and arrives at the nest.
The guilt and sadness settle in as she calms down - and joins her foal. Awaiting alone in the nest, Wilbur is shaking, in shock, and tired from everything that just happened. She lies down beside him and tries comforting him - assuring him that the monster is gone - as the Mind Monster is still peaking in her own mind…
Trivia
*Though previously seen in Episode 11 - this episode focuses on the Mind Monster, revealing both its name and full design.
While the kelpie family has been battling against life-shaping issues lately, the pegasi continue their lives in their mountains, facing their own struggles.
Summary
This episode focuses on Heimdall, and opens with some curious plants. She approaches a tuft of Kelpie Mouths, one head biting her at the cannon. Lowering her horn towards them, she excretes poison and spills it on the plants, burning them instantly.While grabbing a few to eat, she is congratulated by two pegasi who have asked her to help with the kelpie mouths. Evoking how she cannot manage to eat all of them ''alone”, the two others continue praising her and the effectiveness of her poison. A poison that will surely come in handy when fighting their enemies, according to their words, but Heimdall does not seem so flattered.
Ellipsis - dusk has fallen, and Heimdall pays a visit to the cemetery close to the Nest, all alone. Having walked among the pegasus and unicorn skeletons, she stops by her father's. Opening up to him emotionally, she confesses her struggles about how she is having a hard time meeting her clan's expectations, as a Vicereine, and as a semi-unicorn. But not long after starting her confession, it appears someone has followed her and is approaching - she turns to the newcomer as he addresses her.
Pet naming her ''Heimy'', the pegasus happens to be her cousin, and he tracked her so that he could stop her from worrying alone. Trying to comfort her, Heimdall belts up instead. But the pegasus has another idea in mind - claiming he has made a curious discovery, he asks politely if she might want to see, and starts flying off without waiting for her answer, to encourage her. Then, taunting her jokingly, she eventually agrees to follow him to his special finding, and both fly off from the cemetery.
After a short trip, Teo enters a cave and finally lands. Pleased with himself, he mentions a "they" of which Heimdall should be aware. She looks around her all across the cave - but not a soul in sight. Not until Teo whistles to the pitch-black cavern - and pairs of eyes light up from every corner, whistling back.
The pegasus looks excitedly at the bunch of noctule fawns coming to him - with their big eyes glowing and watching back with curiosity. A little female fawn in particular comes closer to him, seemingly happy to see Teo here. But Heimdall is not so fond of the whole thing - especially how her cousin whistled to call them.
A short duo of illustrations explains how the pegasi use their whistles to communicate over long distances - but how noctules can interfere with the communication by mimicking and luring the poor pegasi expecting to meet their own kind.
Meteora reassures his cousin - he did not teach them, they were already mimicking the sounds they probably heard due to their nest being located in the pegasi mountains. As he speaks, the fawn is climbing all over him, amused. Above their head remains the open noctule nest - similar to a stalactite.
Another fawn kindly offers his catch to Heimdall - she declines and the noctule instantly mimics what she just said. She is dubitative - her mother, the Enchantress, insists on getting rid of demons, and while she does not want to snitch on her cousin's discovery, the noctules represent a direct threat to pegasi, especially this close to their nest. Meteora looks down on the adorable-looking fawn, explaining how he believed he could lead them elsewhere so they do not cause harm to his kind.
Heimdall is divided - as the Vicereine, she is missioned to protect her people, but Teo explicitly asks for her help to protect the ''demons'' instead. She agrees to help him when the time is right, and he is thankful for her decision - but Heimdall herself doubts the choices she just made, and makes.
Trivia
*Kelpie mouths were shown for the first time in this episode. Their name refers to the head of the plant resembling jaws with pointy teeth, and their tendency to bite things that come too close to them. They also happen to display similar colors to kelpies (reddish to purplish hues).*While the cemetery mostly seems to be a unicorn cemetery, some pegasi skulls can be seen.
*Meteora makes his first appearance in this episode.
*After the Mountain King's appearance in the prologue, this is the first time noctules are introduced, with more information given about them.
*The episode 15's icon on Webtoon has a slightly different background from the panel it's taken from, for clarity on the icon.
Meteora tried his best to cheer his cousin up. But now, it is time to return to the Nest, where Heimdall's duty will quickly catch up with her.
Summary
This episode still follows the side of the pegasi. Heimdall and her cousin, Meteora, probably just came back from their little incursion to the cave, but their return is quickly troubled by a loud crowd dominated by the Enchantress.The large crowd seems preoccupied and under pressure, every pegasus screaming and panicking until a specific one comes into focus - the mother of the pegasus killed by Kiersten in Episode 12. Archie's dead body is lying on the ground, visibly decomposed already. The distraught mother cries over her deceased son while the other pegasi speculate on the cause of death - though the wounds are giving it away. The crowd continues panicking as the Enchantress calls for her daughter to come speak up.
Heimdall comes to her, doubtful, as Teo watches, as unsure as her. Asking for attention, the Enchantress silences the pegasi, and the Vicereine starts her discourse. She is under pressure and gives a talk to both reassure and confederate the clan. Heimdall condemns the killing of Archie and paints a flattering portrait of who he was. And not only does she condemn that slaughter - but also boldly calls for revenge against water demons. The crowd is seemingly satisfied with the spoken intervention as they cheer in agreement. Conversely, Teo looks pained, turning his back to the crowd and his cousin.
Finally, Heimdall's mother coldly congratulates her talk, though she does not want to keep it all bark no bite, and asserts she will honor her daughter's words.
Trivia
*It is explicitly explained that ''Teo'' is a nickname Meteora uses so commonly that people around him are not even aware it is a nickname.*The ''crowd'' being made out of black figures, while helping not to spend too much time drawing each pegasus' design, also emphasizes their existence as one - the clan of pegasi being a unified and hive-minded entity, especially when facing such events, in which it's not a specific person's opinion that matters but the ''species'''s reaction instead.
*As foretold by Vasco in Episode 10, Heimdall claims that, as the Vicereine, she is the incarnation of the Moon.
*The episode's icon on Webtoon has a slightly modified background compared to the panel it's taken from, and Heimdall wings' bases were raised to fit in the format.
Wilbur is severely shaken after all the recent events he went through, the latter deeply affecting his mother, too. As the whole family was recently taken aback, making peace with oneself is not the easiest part…
Summary
Now back to the kelpie family - the episode opens with Kiersten eating from a deer, seemingly at the same location as in Episode 7. Wilbur stands by her but can't get himself to eat; he looks in shock, seeing his mother's mouth and teeth covered in blood, just like how he saw her as she attacked Archie in Episode 12. She invites her son to eat, but he simply looks away as she hopelessly notices.Kiersten recalls how harsh the current times are since the killing of that pegasus. She's biting and ripping her shoulder and back to tear off her feathers, causing a bloody mess. The Mind Monster materializes with her thoughts and worries, echoing her inner struggles. The two giant heads watch over her as she aches, both from the injuries she inflicted on herself and her tormenting, spiraling ruminations. Though she tries to stop thinking by harming herself, the complete opposite is happening.
After an ellipsis, Kiersten is back at their nest, with Wilbur sleeping by her side. She's licking her scarred shoulder - the bruises have started healing. Lewis arrives at the nest, carrying Kelpie Mouths, which he gifts to her. With a slight smile, she thanks him - as he inquires about how she feels, evidently worried about her. She shares her fears of the pegasi targeting them again now that they have been identified, especially in case of another storm. Lewis reassures her, and they both try to get over the accident, aware that they will not let something similar happen again. They express remorse about the killing of Archie, though it was necessary to protect their son and place.
Kiersten goes on with her worries about telling Wilbur about her dual origins. Again, Lewis reassures her, though on that matter her concerns are much tougher. Just as shown at the beginning of the episode - Wilbur has been traumatized by the killing and is reminded of that when he sees his mother biting anything, which is evidently distressing to her, watching her son being troubled around her. However, Lewis believes communication could help them both overcome it and successfully convinces Kiersten to tell their son about her nature. She agrees to have a talk with him later, in a place she has already chosen.
Trivia
*Wilbur's tail was left broken by Archie's attack in Episode 11. It's the first time it's noticeable.*The same jaguoon as in Episode 6 can be briefly seen swimming in the lake.
*When the Mind Monster previously appeared, its words were clearly separated from Kiersten's, shaping her deepest conflicts. But in this episode, rather than telling her what she tries to suppress, it voices her current thoughts. Reinforcing both how the Monster is rooted in her mental, and how her self-harm reflects her deepest fights winning over her at that moment.
*While pegasi called the plants Kelpie Mouths, kelpies apparently call them ''nibblings'' instead. A much cuter name, though also referring to their ability to bite.
*The episode's icon on Webtoons shows a speech-bubble-less version of the panel used.
Kiersten is afraid of her son's opinion of her, but needs to let him know what is going on. Though it is a tough subject to approach, Wilbur is an intelligent kid and is ready to listen…
Summary
As she decided at the end of the previous episode, Kiersten takes her foal out to show him a new location and have a serious chat with him.The new place consists of vast, pink hills, home to the herd of woolies, as Kiersten makes her son notice. They stand beside a pink-leafed tree, seemingly a rare one as none other is in sight, watching the herd peacefully occupy itself.
Wilbur stares at them in awe, before his mother calls him to have a sit and talk. She warns him she has to talk about her parents, but Wilbur stops her, claiming he already guessed - probably the first time he saw pegasi in Episode 7 and mentioned his mother's head wings.
Though taken aback, Kiersten congratulates her son for his cleverness. Although he already speculated about his mother's origins, Wilbur wonders how that could happen - he was only taught how pegasi despise kelpies, and even saw it in action.
His mother, therefore, goes on to tell the story of her father, Oro.
With illustrations paired with her anecdote, Kiersten portrays her young father - a golden pegasi. A rare occurrence, considering male pegasi have dark coats. His unusualness had the whole clan in awe - the clan at that time still being a mix of unicorns and pegasi. He was loved, cared for, and grew up supported by his peers. Consequently, he decided to learn to be a healer, so that he could, in return, help and support his clan too.
With an acute knowledge of plants and healing concoctions, Oro would travel and fly around to collect everything he needed - carrying his stuff with a belt and collar.
But some plants are harder to acquire than others, and Oro had to wander farthest away from his clan to find them and leave their territory. This means he had to cross other territories to forage - and not all landowners like their property trespassed...
One of the plants he had to find was one blooming underwater. As he is seen floating around in a lake, the panel reveals a kelpie hiding underneath, within kelp, and ready to strike the unknowing pegasus...
Trivia
*Within the wooly herd, the silhouettes of Guthard and Englbehrt can be noticed, meaning they successfully joined the clan after entering the Crater.*The mention of the ''outer wilds'' is a fun allusion to the game Outer Wilds - a major inspiration to the Water Demons universe.
*The episode's icon on Webtoon has a slightly different background from the panel it's taken from - for clarity.
Continuing to look back on the story of her parents, Kiersten goes on to present them to Wilbur. After describing her father, Oro, it is time for her mother to come into action.
Summary
Starting where the previous chapter ended - Oro is dragged underwater by an unknown kelpie. Grabbed by the wing and caught by surprise, the poor pegasus has no choice but to surrender to the jaw's strength of the demon. However, it only takes a few seconds for the kelpie to realize she is biting onto feathers, letting go of her catch once she understands.Kiersten introduces the kelpie as the two glance at each other - it was her mother, Deinos, who jumped at her father. While Oro stares at her with fear in his eyes, Deinos looks back at him with a certain curiosity and a soft gaze, yet Kiersten mentions a nickname given to her: Deinos ''the Terrible''.
As she lets go of him, they return to solid ground, Oro coughing up water, catching his breath. His wing might be injured, but other than that, he is now safe. Deinos inquires about him, genuinely hoping she did not cause any bad harm. She claims she only attacked him because she thought he was prey, hinting that she does not consider pegasi as such. She comes out of the water to take a better look at him, her eyes still full of eagerness.
Warning him that the water is dangerous for pegasi, he informs her that he is not just having fun in the water - he is actually on a mission looking for some specific plants, drowned beauties, which grow underwater. Now knowing about his intentions, Deinos offers him some help. He's at the right place, and she knows where to get those flowers; she would kindly let him pick some as needed.
With trust and some determination, Oro gets back into the water, guided by the kelpie. She successfully leads him to a part of the bottom of her lake, where skeletons of past prey rest, host to many pretty flowers the pegasus is here for.
Back to seeing Kiersten and her son, she seems perplexed after telling all of that. Wilbur, on his end, is absolutely delighted and amazed. Staring at her with eyes sparkling with excitement. He exclaims his awe, but is quickly stopped by his mother. She warns him that the story ends badly and that she does not tell him to paint a perfect picture of species coexistence.
Her son disagrees. The story may not be perfect, but it led to his mother's existence. Comforting her, they hug as Kiersten tears up from his kind words.
Trivia
*The white flowers, having two names, ''drowned beauties'' and ''soul flowers'' sheds light on the gap between species.*Kiersten reuses the expression ''wicked world'', reminding of Episodes 11 and 12’s titles, and therefore their events.
Wilbur still has a lot to learn growing up. Left with more insights into his mother’s origins, the colt can only imagine the rest of the story for now, and he’s still full of youthful hope…
Summary
Unknowingly how long after the previous one, this episode opens on a sand drawing made by Wilbur, featuring his grandparents, Oro and Deinos. The foal is peacefully playing while lying on a rock, thinking about the positive portrait his mother painted of her father.Unexpectedly, his thoughts are interrupted by a bird flying and cawing by. The rustling of the feathers and the sight of wings are enough to terrify Wilbur, who rapidly jumps onto the water while screaming in fear.
Catching his breath, the foal has joined Vasco in the lake. The young stallion inquires about why he would abandon his drawing for a simple bird, to which Wilbur replies that he would not be scared of a bird if he did not mistake it for a pegasus. Vasco seems surprised he could fear pegasi. Before he gets the time to mock his friend, he gets cut off by Lewis, who was supervising the whole scene lying nearby.
Wilbur reveals to Vasco the pegasus incident from Episode 11, claiming it was far from the friendly description he made of them in his different species presentation. While reacting humorously to the news, Vasco lets slip that he noticed Kiersten’s head wings - which automatically triggers Lewis's anger, hissing at him to keep out instantly.
Brushing it off, Vasco wonders why Wilbur is not taking his abyssal form to go diving elsewhere and chill in the lake, and reacts stunned to him not knowing how to yet. Lewis defends his son, claiming he is too young for that anyway; however, Vasco adds to it, asserting he learned at a younger age than that. Lewis surrenders, asking his son if he would feel ready to.
Lewis, paired with a stylized illustration, tells the importance of the abyssal form for kelpies, their “true colors”. Vasco jokes around while the father reassures his son; however, Wilbur is puzzled about how to change shape. The young stallion takes the initiative to show it off - morphing effortlessly into his true colors - green, which flabbergasts Wilbur.
Unconvinced but ready to try, Wilbur takes his turn and successfully transforms. Vasco mocks him, yelling at his face that he is green too, before letting him know he is actually red.
Lewis congratulates his son, eager to let Kiersten know about it. Unable to wait any longer, Vasco swims away, diving deeper into the lake while joking again. Both father and son poke fun at his attitude, before diving to follow him - Wilbur ecstatic to use his freshly discovered abyssal form.
Trivia
*Wilbur is shown drawing the same way Vasco did in Episode 9 - using his kelp. It is clear the colt was influenced by his friend.*Lewis was already shown changing form in Episode 9, however, Vasco is the first full body transformation featured.
* The episodes’ title, Deep Dive, may refer to both the actual diving at the end - but also to a deeper look into kelpies’ abilities, true nature, and roots, both from the readers’ point of view and Wilbur’s.
*The Episode 20's icon on Webtoon shows a textless version of the panel it is taken from, and it is also angled slightly differently.
*The Episode 21’s icon on Webtoon shows a vertically swiped version of the panel it is taken from, the background is also slightly different, and the added glittering effects are missing - all for clarity in the icon.
The Enchantress has been a fairly mysterious mare since the story's beginning, yet with such strong motives and opinions. It is high time she reveals more about her past and what led her to that state…
Summary
With a grainy texture to the image to convey a flashback atmosphere, the episode opens directly on a pretty white and pink pegasus - the Enchantress, rocking her former feathers, which she has since lost.She hurries through the sky, then through the mountains’ snow, the unicorn engraving noticeable in the background, indicating she isn’t far from the Crater’s Nest.
A unicorn waits for her over here - turning around as she approaches. Out of breath from being in such haste, the Enchantress gets to the unicorn, whose name is revealed, Vif Argent. It is also disclosed that she is not yet an Enchantress, as she is under a former Enchanter’s mentorship, and is taught how to act as one.
Vif Argent is the current viceroy at that time, but most importantly, the Enchantress’ mate. Walking close together, he expresses his hopes for a better, safer environment, favorable to the unicorns and pegasi, a world in which he wishes for his daughter, Heimdall, to grow up peacefully. The Enchantress agrees and supports his faith, both preparing to spend the night calmly together.
The flashback ends with a blunt parallel - Vif Argent’s gentle smile turning into his very own skull resting in the cemetery. The Enchantress’s support, too, vanishes with the transition. Morphing into resentment and blame, though her motives are unchanged. It is heavily implied that Vif Argent and the unicorns died failing.
Back to the throne chamber, she passes the murals of their enemies, shadow and water demons, ready as ever to lead the pegasi to their deserved freedom, free from fear. Sitting on the throne under the moonlight, she hones her quills with her beak.
Trivia
*It is the very first time the Enchantress’ past appearance was shown, revealing her former coat.*Vif Argent is the first live unicorn to be shown in the webcomic, knowing that the ones shown in Vasco’s presentation in episode 10 are only imaginary.
*Purple is a color often symbolizing mourning and grief; this episode, from the flashback’s nightsky to the present’s cave lights, is of mostly purple tones.
*The episode’s icon on Webtoon is angled slightly differently from the panel it is taken from.
Now that Meteora knows about the baby noctules who hatched close to the Nest, he would not want them to face the pegasi’s hate and fear. But helping them is easier said than done.
Summary
Still focusing on the pegasi, the episode opens on a conversation between two pegasi, one newer to the clan.Chatting about the Enchantress, it is made obvious, though respected, that everyone around here does not praise her so much. Especially when it comes to her cloak - although all enchanters do wear them, using another creature’s pelt is far from common. However, their questioning is aimed towards her appearance rather than her methods - no one seems to know what she looks like under that hide, but the unknown is fairly daunting.
As one of the pegasi is about to tell the other what happened to the Enchantress for her to end up like this, Heimdall silently appears behind them. Interrupted and ashamed, they apologize as they face their Vicereine.
Not far from the rock they all stand on, Meteora hides in the dark. Benefiting from the pegasi being distracted, he can put into effect the plan he had - helping the noctules get to the forest so they can grow up away from the Nest.
Followed by the many babies and using his wings to hide them, he stealthily travels through the snow and mountains to lead them safely to their new territory.
Finally arriving, his plan was finally accomplished as all babies were successfully moved around, and it took more than one trip to guide them all. He probably went with smaller groups to make sure he could hide them all enough, rather than being followed by a large herd of noctules.
As he bids farewell to the babies, they all vanish in the blink of an eye, jumping behind trees and running away, not looking back. However, one of them is not gone yet. The same female baby who was already close and attached to him in episode 15. She looks especially saddened to leave him, and needs some words of encouragement to take off. Showing some support and care, Teo, saddened himself, motivates her to go and say his goodbyes. The little one looks back on him with a worried peek, not so impatient to fly away.
The sun goes up as Teo gets back to the Nest. Welcomed by snappy kelpie mouths, he struggles to land on a safe spot to join his cousin, seemingly restlessly waiting here. The kelpie mouth situation is desperate to her, as the pegasi would need her to get rid of them all by herself, which is impossible given the amount of plants flourishing around.
Meteora shares his satisfaction about the noctules being spared, but as he tries to thank Heimdall, she cuts him off coldly. She might have allowed him to save them, but she looks back on her decision with regret and has changed her mind since; she would have preferred to kill the shadow demons.
Her cousin blames her for talking like her mother rather than herself. But Heimdall adds more to that - first the death of Archie, then she recalls a tormenting event from her childhood: the Phantom. A series of stylized illustrations presents an all-white, albino noctule, with an intense focus on his eerie stare. Heimdall, as a foal, is shown to be terrified by the haunting creature, remembering he would use her father’s voice to lure her out and traumatize her.
Thankfully, the Phantom is dead, but the memory of his presence won’t leave her mind. She does not understand how he could defend them - letting slip that Meteora was, too, tormented by demons in the past. He reminds her he wants to be hopeful and that the demons he is helping are not the ones that harmed them. But it won’t fix their disagreement…
Trivia
*The pelt the Enchantress wears turns out not to be used only to hide her featherless body, but is part of all enchanters' distinctive signs, a ritual cloak. However, hers is particular.*Though only background characters, the two pegasi guards featured in episode 23 were first designed for an info sheet on pegasi dimorphism.
*The Phantom was already introduced on Child’O’s media before the webcomic, notably in a video illustrating noctules’ luring methods.
*Episode 24’s last line was changed from “mine died with the unicorns” to “my hopes died with the unicorns” to ensure clarity.
*Episode 24 was the first one to be released under Webtoon’s reward ad system. It was only available on the app for the first two weeks, then was normally released on the 25th of April.
*The Episode 23's icon on Webtoon shows a mirrored version of the panel it is taken from.
Vasco appears to be less and less of a wanderer and more and more of a frequent encounter in Pleasance... Which is fine, as long as he does not get chased away.
Summary
Now back to Pleasance, the episode opens on a low-angle shot of Vasco, revealing he's looking at three, seemingly complete, unicorn skeletons - there seems to be two adults, male and female, and a male foal.He gets interrupted in his thoughts by a voice coming from behind him. He spontaneously answers before startling; he turns around, Kiersten stands here, staring down at him. Shaking and looking at her with his eyes wide open, he wonders why she's not attacking him, for she's not supposed to know he's still coming to their territory.
She reveals she was indeed aware of his visits, because of the tracks, because they're not trying so hard to hide it. However, she willingly decided not to get involved to let them have fun, also to observe him and identify if he was a threat or not.
She goes on telling him, although sceptical about having someone get that close to her son, she's quite glad to see him sympathizing with someone. Uneasy, Vasco thanks her for sparing him.
As she starts to walk away, Kiersten questions Vasco - implicitly inviting him to follow her - and mentions the unicorns, since he was staring at some of them. The stallion doesn't know any details about their disappearance - though is glad they're not around anymore... Both jump in the water and transform into their abyssal forms; the mare doesn't agree with his rejoicing, their deaths are weird, and nature surely didn't plan for them to go missing. Plus, they used to live with pegasi, and Kiersten is in a position to say that the latter are going crazy without their "guardians".
Leading her to justify why she's not chasing him off their territory: there are bigger threats out there, and Vasco is not one of them.
Turning around with a smile, she kindly welcomes him among her family - even pet-naming him "frog", just like her son called him when he first saw his true colors. Pleasantly surprised and touched, Vasco thanks her wholeheartedly.
A plan change reveals that Lewis and Wilbur are both nearby - and are witnessing their discussion, though too far away to hear them. Therefore, thinking Kiersten is discovering only now that Vasco comes to Pleasance, they get scared she might decide to attack him. Lewis worringly swims towards them. Kiersten tells him she knew about it already and how she's quite disappointed she wasn't informed. Her mate apologizes, and their son defends him.
Proudly announcing he's allowed to stay on their territory, Vasco offers to catch their next meal. Kiersten grants him the right to hunt - she's fine with it, as long as he doesn't go against their rules. The young stallion, encouraged by his friend, quickly swims towards the surface, ready to please his new friends.
Lewis mocks how he's being invited to stay, and Kiersten mocks him in return for forgetting how he started his journey in the wild. Wilbur stands here, happy his friend can come see him freely.
Trivia
*Unicorn skeletons can be easily gendered by looking at their teeth - just like real-life horses, males usually have canine teeth behind their incisives, females, on the other hand, rarely develop them (and when they do, they're generally smaller).*Teeth aside, it's easy to guess the three unicorns were a family because of both the foal's presence and Vasco's reaction to it.
*The episode 25's icon on Webtoon shows a slightly different version of the panel it was taken from: textless and with an unbordered background, both for clarity.
*The episode 26's icon on Webtoon also has a modified background from the panel it was taken from, again for clarity.
*Although previously revealed outside of the webcomic, it hasn't been mentioned before in the story that Lewis wasn't born in the wild, making it the first hint of it.
A promise made is a promise kept; after announcing to the family he would catch something big, Vasco is on his way to find some prey outside.
Summary
After seeing Vasco leave to return to the surface at the end of the previous episode, the story focuses on him as he jumps out of the water.He proudly stands on the bank and starts snuffling around him before realizing, a bit too late, that he hasn't switched back to his terrestrial form. Therefore, he chokes on the air he cannot breathe and quickly transforms. He mockingly scorns himself for forgetting and walks away from the lake.
As he struts through the forest, he wonders about what he could and should catch to both impress his new mates and feed everyone correctly.
He stops abruptly when he hears some rustling in the vegetation, trying to identify the source of the noise by sniffing towards it. Two shiny eyes pierce through the shadows of the bushes, before the figure impudently steps out of the shrubs to approach him, revealing who's there: the Enchantress.
Vasco stands, trying to understand what he's looking at, for this pegasus is a rather atypical one. As she's eyed at, the Enchantress stays unfazed. The stallion first notices she lacks feathers and is covered by a pelt - a skin - a kelpie skin he spots - an unsettling sight.
After taking a second to think about all of that, he starts baring his teeth to intimidate her, warning her he won't tolerate any pegasi coming to Pleasance due to what happened to the family. He springs at her, throwing her to the ground, hitting her with his hooves. Yelling while perched over her, she remains unbothered.
With rage, Vasco strikes - his mouth wide open, he goes for a bite but is brutally stopped.
A shot to his eye reveals he has been interrupted before he could attack - blood runs down his throat, with quills piercing through his skin. The Enchantress gazes at him before ripping her wing from his neck; he falls to the ground, choking.
Now freed, the pegasus gets up and looks at her work. With disdain, she scoffs at the habits of kelpies of underestimating her kind. She stomps on his head as he stares in fear and confusion, slowly agonizing. Putting her weight on his head, she first claims they're both miserable - before changing her phrasing to make him the only miserable one - after all, she can kill kelpies and he missed a frail pegasus.
She therefore calls herself a kelpie hunter.
Blood begins dripping from Vasco's mouth, the Enchantress commands him to give in to death. Looking up to her Majesty of the Night, she professes that the Moon will sort things out for him and hopes she will spare him from rebirthing as a kelpie again. Stepping over his body, she starts to walk away, leaving him agonizing here.
The focus then switches to Lewis and Wilbur as the sun goes down over the lake. A barn owl is perched on Wilbur's back, which unsettles the foal due to his fear of birds. His dad reassures him as the owl calmly sits. Fighting his fear, Wilbur looks at the bird and exclaims it shows he's not that afraid of them. Gently joking, Lewis approves of his son.
Stepping out of the water, they recall that Vasco should already be back from his hunt since the moon has already risen. Lewis, therefore, invites his son to train his tracking senses by following their friend's scent. Wilbur is uncertain, but his father encourages him to try, and so the foal does...
Trivia
*The title "The Quarry" is voluntarily misleading: one would assume it's about Vasco's hunt; however, it soon appears that the hunter truly is, as she even claims herself, the Enchantress.*In Episode 21, Vasco jokes that he already forgot to switch back to his terrestrial form when leaving the water, making his neglect a recurrence for him.
*When the Enchantress appears in the bushes, with only her glowy pupils showing, it highlights a rather predatory stare: front-facing, already hinting at what's next.
*In Episode 22, the Enchantress was honing her quills while contemplating getting rid of demons, showing she was indeed preparing to strike.
*The two episodes acidly both begin with Vasco choking.
*The Enchantress' speech reveals that pegasi believe in reincarnation; the Moon will choose in what creature the soul of the dead will go next.
*The bird on Wilbur's back being a barn owl is not a random pick; owls, and most specifically barn owls, are perceived by many cultures as an omen of death. It is believed that if an owl crosses your path, it means a relative is going to die soon - in their case, Vasco is about to die. On a lighter note: barn owls also are Child'O's favorite birds, with her pegasus-sona being barn owl-based.
*The episode 27's icon on Webtoon shows a vertically swiped version of the panel it is taken from.
It's been a while since Vasco left to keep his promise, an abnormally long time - and now that he's part of the family, he won't be left out. Therefore, Wilbur and Lewis are on their way to find their friend.
Summary
The episode's start is a direct continuation of the previous one - with Wilbur now tracking Vasco's scent. Though a beginner, it appears he succeeded in following it without his father's help. Walking his head down to smell the ground, the foal proceeds through the forest, asking his father for his approval, which he gives him. A weird smell comes to their nose - blood. Though the two kelpies are not surprised, after all, Vasco was supposed to hunt; if there's blood, it means he probably did catch something.However, their smiles quickly disappear as Lewis looks up and notices something off. Vasco is lying there, in the middle of the grass. After a second of shock, Wilbur turns to his father only to discover he's looking at their friend with great distress.
Without further ado, the foal runs to the stallion, his father following him, trying to stop him. As he approaches, Wilbur realizes the situation: Vasco is agonizing and is close to the end. He urges his friend to get up, but understands he's too weak to do anything. The foal turns to his father as Vasco appears on the screen - more blood has dripped from his mouth and his eyes are already fogging up, he seems to battle to stay aware of his surroundings.
Wilbur begs his father to help him by bringing him to the water - but while the foal screams and tries to find a solution, Lewis walks to his friend with a grave expression, getting his head down to him. Smelling around his wounds, Lewis uncovers the scent of a pegasus and notices quills that broke in his throat.
With great sorrow, the father announces to his son that they won't be able to do anything to help Vasco out: it's too late. Wilbur breaks down in tears.
Gathering up the little strength he still has, Vasco manages to let out a few words, thanking his friends for being around him.
Desperate, Wilbur lies down by his side, pressing his head against him as tears run down his face. Lewis joins them, tearing up as well, silently supervising his son and friend as they watch over him through his last moments.
Trivia
*Vasco dies at the same place he was first introduced: in Pleasance.*In Episode 9, Vasco said he felt he might die alone; he did not.
Pleasance is not that close to the Nest - it's a long travel from one another, especially for a creature who cannot fly. However, now that her task is accomplished, the Enchantress is more than determined to show her clan what she has just done.
Summary
Leaving the kelpies aside to get back to the Nest - the episode opens on a pegasus guardian watching over the borders of their territory. As she notices someone approaching, she whistles to alert the clan - the Enchantress is back, probably after days of absence.All pegasi start to gather, adults and foals, to welcome back their Enchantress. She walks through the assembly, and lots of pegasi have already formed a crowd around her path. In the foreground, a few of them exchange some words about their returning leader - about how exhausted she looks, but most importantly, about the blood they smell. Though, they don't get much time to discuss it before the Enchantress speaks up.
With her quills and wing still stained with the blood of her victim, she orders pegasi to come smell it, as to prove to them what has happened while she was gone. As she asked, some pegasi approached to get a whiff of the blood.
Climbing on the Nest's rocks, she then follows with a speech praising the abilities of pegasi when they're not giving in to their fear of the demons; how they'd even be able to kill the demons that torment them so much. She brags about killing Vasco, but also previous ones - referencing the hide she's wearing, claiming the kill as her own.
Walking up higher to overlook the clan, she carries on saying it's high time for them to come together all and face their enemies - unicorns might be gone, but demons won't win over them.
In a theatrical manner, she pursues her ascension until she stands before the Moon. Presenting herself to the whole clan, she dispenses her true message: "Enough with the fear", which is repeated by pegasi across the flock. They all scream and let out their desire to win over the kelpies - however, two specific ones are keeping away from the crowd.
After noticing them on a rock above, we get a closer look at Meteora, accompanied by an older pegasus, who clearly doesn't agree with the Enchantress - even claiming she tells lies in the name of the Moon. The stallion appears to be bitter and has resentment towards their leader. Teo, as he already has shown, disagrees as well, though he sounds less offended and more concerned, especially about his cousin, Heimdall.
Talking about Heimdall - she's actually standing near her mother, a bit set back, looking at her as she listens to her people's cheers. The filly is perplexed about what she's witnessing - she stands in silence and observes.
It turns out the older pegasus is Meteora's father, as he invites his son to leave the assembly, for obviously, they are not part of the rejoicings.
Trivia
*It's the first apparition of Gotty, Meteora's father, in the webcomic.*It's the episode that, as for now, features the most pegasi.
The last Enchantress' speech was a call to arms - which isn't appealing to everyone in the Nest. This point of view is not shared by Meteora and his father, who retreated to their home to process all that had happened.
Summary
The pink sky of the previous episode finally turned bright red due to a storm forming. Pegasi have dispersed from the crowd and are now flying and spiralling all over the sky and above the Nest, both celebrating their enchantress' announcement and the tempest.Still, Teo and his father are not part of the honorings and have decided to return to their own nest. Walking back to their place, they pass before a smiling mare, who greets them kindly. She is just as perplexed about the previous speech, and mentions that Gotty used to train to be an enchanter too, but wasn't picked by their previous one. The father walks away, exasperated about the whole situation. She therefore turns to his son, asking if he will participate in the storm's festivities, which he politely declines.
A broad shot reveals the small family's nest: a huge painting on the roof of the open cave represents a pegasus with the Moon, and the entry is decorated with pegasi hanging dolls.
Teo observes the sky and flying pegasi, pensive, while his father has picked up tools to indulge in his art, sculpting. He senses his son brooding and asks him what's on his mind. Teo worries about recent events and how the situation seems to worsen over time. Though his father agrees, he doesn't give in to pessimism and is confident that the Moon will not let them down, since he believes the Enchantress doesn't follow her advice and ways.
As his son wonders about his aunt, Gotty goes on clarifying the enchanters' duty: conveying the messages of the Moon and guiding the viceroy and clan through their actions. However, he believes their enchantress is deviating from the wishes of her Majesty to pursue her own modus operandi and impose her faith. But in spite of it all, the influence of the Moon will persist and eventually win over an unreliable enchanter, leading all pegasi to the right path in time.
Gotty advises his son to keep believing in his ways, and to follow the road he has picked already.
Teo gives his father a slight smile, thanking him for his words and claiming he would have made a great enchanter. Gotty brushes it off, accepting it was not meant to be if it didn't happen, hugging his son as he comes to him. They now face his sculpture: an impressive and accurate depiction of a noctule, as tall as the older stallion, definitely not presenting it as a demon but a majestic creature. Gotty introduces it as his representation of the love he has for nature and its lives, hoping it will help him carry his message instead of sharing it as an enchanter.
His son congratulates him on his work, it obviously was inspired by his recent mission of leading the young noctules away from the mountains.
Gazing at each other with tenderness, Gotty encourages his son to continue his adventures, for they inspirit him and his art, meaning he agrees with Teo's ways of doing.
Trivia
*The pegasus mare at the beginning of the episode is named Nora - her name first appeared before getting replaced with the mention "my friend". She was also originally pink and grey, but was recolored with brownish tones. These changes were made after the episode was read by Patreons, due to the confusion that Nora could be Meteora's mother - which is not the case and wasn't the intention.*However, the three dolls at the entrance of their nest most likely feature the whole family: Meteora, his father, and his mother in the center.
*During Gotty's explanations about enchanters, the first example of one has a star instead of an eye, representing its connection to the Moon. The Enchantress, though, still has her actual eye, showing she doesn't have the right relation with her Majesty of the Night.
*Child'O created a 3D model of the noctule's statue before using it to draw it accurately throughout the episode.
*This episode is an ode to the artistic side of pegasi - it features wall paintings, dolls, and sculptures, all located in the same spot.
*The episode's icon on Webtoon has a full background and is slightly angled compared to the panel it was taken from.
The Enchantress' last speech does not bring unanimous support, as shown with Téo's side of the family. But this disagreement, she can feign to ignore. However, her daughter's disaccord, she cannot brush aside...
Summary
The episode opens with a flashback showing both Heimdall and her mother joyfully playing in a cave pond. The Enchantress had not lost her feathers yet back then, and Heimdall seems fairly young as her poisonless horn shows.Heimdall is narrating this bit, recalling a time they were both happy, thus assuming they are not anymore.
The flashback abruptly stops with a panel showing the Enchantress' hide thrown on the floor, a chilling sight of that abandoned, lifeless skin. Accompanied by Heimdall's thought, it is implied that her mother used to be a totally different person before she had to wear it - the changes were both physical and mental.
Bathed in a pretty cave light, Heimdall comes to her mother, inquiring about her talking to the Moon. The Enchantress, washing herself under the cave's cascade, answers coldly. While the Moon didn't speak to her, she interprets the absence of conversation as a validation of her latest decisions.
Her daughter seems unsure, getting closer, she asks her mother if she's certain of her resolutions, reticent to the idea of mass-killing demons. As she approaches, a full view of the Enchantress is given, revealing what she looks like without her hide. Heimdall suggests alternatives to avoid having to hunt all demons, while not asking her mother to be fully pacifist, she wants to consider only defending the Nest and not proactively going after the ones living all across the Crater.
Rudely cut off by her mother, Heimdall is widely insulted for mentioning that topic. The Enchantress justifies her hostility by having to answer the same questions repetitively. As Heimdall appears uncomfortable and hurt by her mother's crude words, the Enchantress gazes angrily at her.
Further defending her decisions, she mentions Heimdall's father, claiming both aims were only peace for their kind.
Another flashback starts, briefly showing the Enchantress wandering near a forest. Litter is scattered all over the ground, implying the presence of humans polluting the environment by throwing garbage. This pollution has obvious consequences for nature, with the death of many animals and changes in the weather. The significant drop in pegasi populations due to environmental changes pushed the remaining ones to gather in the clan currently led by the Enchantress, to ensure their survival. She therefore has a lot of responsibilities in securing this fragile society, for the sake of their species.
Standing in the shadow, the naked mother stares down at Heimdall, culpabilising her for not thinking about the clan's safety, and valuing demons' lives over pegasi's survival. By describing demons as less than her kind, the Enchantress justifies once again her choices, comparing them to animals incapable of forming thoughts. Heimdall puts her head down, not even trying to speak a word against her.
After their conversation, Heimdall leaves alone, walking through the Nest network. Passing by stone sculptures of unicorns wearing past soldiers' armors, she looks up to them. She apprehends the moment she will have her own armor - the day she'll be the governing Vicereine, and therefore, the day she'll defend her clan.
Covering herself with her wings, trying to comfort her own mind, her thoughts win over her as she's alone, and her Mind Monster materializes behind her - in the shape of Mémoire, the noctule who traumatized her as a foal. With his big, terrifying eyes and expressive mouth, "Mémoire" exclaims his eagerness towards Heimdall fighting demons.
Trivia
*As already used in episodes featuring the Enchantress (ex: Episode 22), one of the dominant colors is purple - referencing grief.*The flashback of the Enchantress' witnessing humans litter is a parallel to the similar scene in Episode 5, in which Kiersten had her past territory's water polluted by human presence.
*With Kiersten's Mind Monster, "Mémoire" marks the second time one is revealed. Though both characters shown with one yet are hybrids - it is not probable that it is linked to that, since Heimdall's one doesn't physically refer to her dual origins, but childhood trauma.
*While Kiersten's Mind Monster is a made-up creature, Heimdall's takes the appearance of her abuser, showing the diversity in how Mind Monsters manifest; their body reflects the thoughts that gave them "life".
Left alone with her thoughts, Heimdall spirals down as "Mémoire" is eager to have a conversation with her about her latest doubts.
Summary
Starting where the last episode ended, Heimdall now faces her Mind Monster, embodied by Mémoire, a noctule she knows too well. What she knows too is that he is not real - yet that doesn't make his stabbing remarks less hurtful.Mémoire is aware of his death, but only because Heimdall knows he died, for it is clear he is not the Mémoire that existed before - only a memory of Heimdall that lives on in her mind, her fears and insecurities that materialized in the shape of her past abuser. Therefore, their dialogue is also an introspection of Heimdall within her deepest thoughts, and her subconscious reaching out to her through a Mind Monster.
The creature thanks her for sparing and saving the baby noctules (episodes 15 and 23) as shadow-like childish figures sneak through his arms, smiling sinisterly at the filly. One of them appears to grow and snap at her as Mémoire claims the noctules spared will turn out to be her future enemies. When she grows up, she'll have to become a warrior and fight the demons, slaughtering them with her poisoned horn. Being the last unicorn, she carries the hopes of the whole clan; she has no choice but to follow this path.
The Mind Monster calls it her "bright future"; however, as shown previously, Heimdall is scared of those responsibilities and doesn't think she's fit for the position.
Being her subconscious, Mémoire agrees. Building on her insecurities, he makes it clear that she still thinks of herself as a child and is not given the time to grow before being charged with a duty too big.
As her fears take over, Mémoire forces her to retreat by turning giant - her subconscious is crushing her mind. As she tries to distance herself from him, Heimdall bumps into a skeleton - a unicorn skeleton. Immediately recognizing her father, she looks up to him as the Mind Monster explains how she's all on her own now. Her dead father cannot help anymore, and he died knowingly, according to Mémoire.
Mémoire also puts into words what her mother let her think of herself: that she's weak, unfit, not up to expectations. Heimdall covers her ears as the unicorn skeletons multiply and all look towards her.
He confirms what she believes: she's not up to expectations and is not fit for the position of Vicereine.
As he finally lets her go and starts to fade away, he announces he agrees with her pessimistic views: it all can't end well.
Left alone with her thoughts, she cries all curled up - the skeleton of her father still watching from a distance.
Trivia
*It is important to understand that Mémoire is dead, and is not reincarnated - it's Heimdall who cannot forget about him because of the trauma.*Mémoire's name has two meanings: a play on his tendency to mimic the dead's voices to play with his victims, and the fact that he now subsists as a memory for Heimdall.
*Therefore, the same could be said with the episode's title; an allusion to both the character Mémoire and a glimpse of Heimdall's thoughts and memories.
*Heimdall being alone yet watched by her father at the end could represent how she lives in his shadow and can't decide how to act without comparing it to what her father would do or expect.
*It could also show how she is not getting over the loss of her father, not being able to let him go after his death.
Vasco's death was as unexpected as gruesome. He may have been a wandering intruder at first, but he became part of the family once welcomed. Therefore, he won't be left behind...
Summary
The episode opens with Lewis lifting and moving some heavy rocks with his kelp. The effort seems tiring, even for a kelpie as strong as him, but he has to do it: he's setting up a grave to honor Vasco.As he arrives near Vasco's corpse, he sees a few ravens feeding on him. Instantly feeling his blood boiling, he charges at the birds, growling, to force them to leave. All tired and overwrought, Lewis breaks down before the corpse. He feels guilty for not shortening his suffering while he was agonizing, and doesn't want his son to come and find him in this state.
Gazing at his lifeless body, he hallucinates for a second that Wilbur died instead and sobs even harder. Tears running down his face, he apologizes for letting this happen and is distraught by pegasi's violence.
Back to Wilbur and Kiersten in their nest in the lake, the foal opens up about his grief, while comforted by his mother. As she tries to calm him, she tells him about the way of nature and how Vasco has been taken back by Nature and remains as part of it. A ghostly figure of Vasco appears above their nest, illustrating Kiersten's beliefs.
With a saddened yet soft look, she tells her son they will all go watch the dragonflies around the lake right after, since it's something he appreciates, which might help cheer him up.
Kiersten moves to go join Lewis, who's standing in a darker corner above, wearing a grave expression. She asks him about the making of the grave, and he says he's resting for a second before getting back to it. The mare goes on explaining how Vasco wasn't the initial pegasi's target, but was attacked when taken mistakenly for them, for Wilbur especially. To avenge Archie, and since they already spotted the family previously (episode 7). Lewis is in utter disbelief as to how a pegasus could have killed Vasco, but Kiersten isn't as surprised - she knew pegasi would adapt after the disappearance of unicorns to keep on defending themselves, but now to attack as well.
Lewis bares his teeth; she wants them to be cautious, but he doesn't want to change his habits to try to live peacefully: if pegasi come to hunt them, he will not take cover.
Trivia
*While pegasi believe in reincarnation guided by the Moon, Kiersten (probably kelpies as a whole) believes the soul lives on by becoming one with Nature.
Interlude marks the transition between the end of first part of the story and the beginning of the second.
Vasco's grave has been built - the family can now grieve the loss of their friend. Life has to go on.
Summary
Wilbur narrates this short interlude; however, his narration is an introspection, with him actually looking back to a moment that marked a shift in his mindset.He and his parents came to Vasco's grave, which Lewis has finished setting up. All three gaze silently and with heavy hearts at the rocks, on top of which a small tree was seemingly planted.
The family leaves, just as silently.
After that, Wilbur is shown diving into the waters - three versions of himself, slightly older each time, revealing his adult self in the third stage.
As explained through his narration, Wilbur has been deeply affected by Vasco's loss. He follows his mother's way of thinking: Nature is a cycle, a cycle in which no one is an exception. Though his childhood was shaken by pegasi's acts, he decided he would live his life fully.
Trivia
*As an adult, Wilbur is overall fluffier, obviously taller (and thinner), and has grayish hoof tips.*At first, the interlude transition planned was to show the tree on the grave growing. However, the final choice was to show Wilbur growing up, to emphasize his evolution over time.
*This episode is the first narrated by Wilbur.
Now that Wilbur is a full-grown kelpie, there's a whole unknown world waiting for him. It seems that his curiosity didn't shrink as he grew older.
Summary
The episode starts with two kelpie figures fighting roughly. Both growl, kick, and bite each other until one takes over the other, successfully making it fall onto the ground.It is then revealed that the two fighting were actually Wilbur and his father, and that they were only playing fighting, or at least training. Wilbur proudly announces his victory over Lewis, but while still lying on the ground, Lewis uses his kelp to catch his son's hind legs and make him stumble.
Lewis scolds him for being distracted as Wilbur grumbles about never being able to get to win. His mother reminds him that in a real fight, no one will "let him win", though Wilbur seems to prefer playing fighting rather than preparing himself to brawl.
Getting up, Wilbur informs that he's leaving - and it seems that he does leave frequently. Warned by his parents about being careful, he jokingly reassures them before running away enthusiastically while exclaiming he loves them.
Left alone, Lewis and Kiersten look at him vanishing with the obvious worry of caring parents. They trust him, but not the world outside...
With a tracking shot, Wilbur is shown galloping across several parts of the Crater as he narrates how he likes to explore while he can still return to his parents' territory. Arriving in the pink hills, Wilbur goes out looking for a woolie he already knows - Behrt. Who is surrounded by two lambs - revealing she had babies since joining the Crater with the family at the beginning of the story.
Behrt is excited to meet her friend; on the other hand, her lambs get startled by seeing a kelpie approaching. Calling him a "water demon", they are corrected by both their mother and Wilbur; Behrt then explains he helped heal them when they were babies, both having been sick in the past. Scared nonetheless, trying to comfort themselves by remaining close to each other, the lambs still thank Wilbur, who kindly tells them he has done what he had to do - no more than that. Behrt is undeniably thankful for his help - and looks up to him with soft eyes and a large smile. As she asks for news about his parents, Wilbur groans that they are too alert, but quickly changes subjects to try snatching some information from her.
The woolie knows a lot about the Crater and its creatures - where they live, what they do... Wilbur, though having explored many places around Pleasance, has yet to find saltwater kelpies - and he really wants to see some. However, Behrt refuses to reveal anything about salties to him - he doesn't seem to understand how dangerous a whole herd of them is to an intruder like him.
Now having caught the attention of the lambs, Wilbur tells them about his curiosity and how he knows their mom will help him since she's so nice!
Behrt gives up and describes the path to follow for him to get to the saltwater kelpies. Satisfied, Wilbur wants to thank her, but gets interrupted. The woolie warns him intensely: if he isn't careful, he'll make himself a target to the herd. The kelpie brushes off her worries, finally receiving the information he battled to get, he excitedly says goodbye to the lambs, who are now both very intrigued as to why they wouldn't seek the salties too...
Trivia
*Episode 36 marks the first episode with adult Wilbur, after the ellipsis from Interlude.*With the years that have passed, Lewis has gained scars all over his body, echoing with the hatred he had towards pegasi before the ellipsis and showing how he took action. The most notable scar he gained goes over his blue eye - which is now blind.
*It is not possible to tell the lambs' genders from their design: baby woolies have no dimorphism compared to their adult counterparts. Their names and genders were revealed on Patreon before the episode came out.
*It is revealed that Wilbur uses plants to heal other creatures, just like his grandfather, Oro, did as a healer for his pegasi clan.
*A month-long hiatus happened between the two parts; however, Child'O's other socials received news during that period. It's the first time the Webcomic had a hiatus.
Now that he finally knows where to find the saltwater kelpies he dreams of finding so much - Wilbur is on his way to satisfy his curiosity.
Summary
Immediately after being told by Behrt how to find the salties' herd, Wilbur left to track them. His search has been long, as he claims he has come across three other seashores before. Somewhat frustrated that it's taking him so long to find what he's looking for, his thoughts are cut short by a foul odor.Disgusted, but still curious as to what could smell that bad by the sea, Wilbur continues to walk along the sea until he comes across the body of a saltwater kelpie - the source of that rotting smell. Wounded and surrounded by flies, the corpse lies here, close to the water. More saddened than disgusted as he first was, the kelpie decides he has to try to do something to honor the poor soul who was left with no care, even more hurt from the fact that a herd could let down a member like that...
However, Wilbur doesn't get to think about what he could do to commemorate the dead, for the saltie wakes up and jumps, screaming, baring all its teeth at him.
Startled, Wilbur recoils and stares in utter shock. The saltie calms down, having only scared him off because of the contagiousness of her disease. Getting to look at her closer, Wilbur notices she's infected with mange - an advanced case of it.
The saltie laboriously gets up, though still has enough energy to snap sarcastically at Wilbur's questions. He doesn't understand why she is here, alone and sick, though he was told about huge herds of saltwater kelpies. She therefore explains the reason for her situation: she's too contagious to stay with others and was exiled. Although exiled, she speaks in the name of her herd to explain to him that he is not welcome on salties' territory.
As he tells, he simply wanted to see what their kind looks like, the saltie apologizes for being a terrible example for a first encounter, because of her bad condition. But Wilbur has a solution for that and offers to try treating her mange. His knowledge of plants and cures is enough for him to try out treatments - and he has helped others before, it is not a false promise...
The saltie doesn't rejoice; mange is not her only problem, her exile is something he cannot cure with plants. Wilbur still optimistically asks her to let him try, for they both don't know what could happen to her if she indeed gets better. So why not try curing her?
Surprised by his offer, the saltie doesn't understand the motives behind his kindness. He's just like that; that's his way of thinking, as he explains...
Trivia
*Though episode 38 marks the introduction of Esmée, she has appeared multiple times in videos from other socials and Patreon posts before.*Esmée suffers from sarcoptic mange (or scabies), caused by mites burrowing under the skin. It is highly contagious indeed.
*Due to her being away from her herd, she isn't feeding correctly, hence the loss of coloration in her teeth (from iron deficiency).
*With Wilbur proposing to cure her condition with plants, it is again reinforced that he has become a healer among surrounding creatures - regardless of their species.
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