Chapter 2: A Journey
A few years had rolled by. It felt as though time had gone as soon as it came. Now, what was once a foal became a young stallion. Gojira was resting on his belly on a flat rock that was just a mile from the main land. The kirin allowed the sun to bathe on his back, as the sound of the ocean filled his ears. His tail was tucked close to himself, away from the edges of the rock. He breathed in softly as he rested on this rock like a seal. He then heard water being breached as if something was emerging. He suddenly felt a weight on his back and his fur being damped again. He looked back and found a teenage Sonata bearing a toothy grin as she lied on his back.
"Hi Goji!" greeted Sonata. Gojira lightly smiled in response as he moved to the side, allowing Sonata to plant herself on the rock next to him.
"Hi, Sonata," greeted Gojira, with a bit of an accent. The time he had spent with the Sirens had allowed him to be able to understand their language. Now they were fully able to communicate with each other. Sonata had placed her hooves under her chin and held them up as she glanced at the kirin.
"Whatcha doin'?" asked Sonata.
"Well, I was relaxing," said Gojira, glancing away. He could feel Sonata staring at him, oblivious to the hint that she had interrupted his relaxation.
"That's great! Hey, do you have any plans?" asked Sonata. Gojira raised a brow at her.
"Um... No, why?" asked Gojira.
"Dagi wanted to know if you wanted to hang out with us. You haven't really been around these past couple of days," said Sonata with a slight look of disappointment.
"Sorry. I've just been exploring land a bit more. I didn't have the guts to do it when I was a foal, but things change," said Gojira. Sonata giggled.
"I'll bet! Did you know you've gotten pretty big? You're bigger than most of the boys in the sea!" said Sonata with a laugh. This was true as Gojira had grown to be a larger young stallion compared to the male sirens that were nearby. Gojira rolled his eyes.
"How could I miss that?" asked Junior. Sonata shrugged.
"I don't know. Do you pay attention? Wait, what were we talking about, again?" asked Sonata, feeling like she had forgotten something.
"You were asking if I wanted to hang out," said Gojira.
"Oh right! Will you?" asked Sonata. Gojira nodded as he affectionately rubbed his hoof over Sonata's head. She responded with a giggle.
"Sure, silly filly," said Gojira.
"Hey, that rhymed!" said Sonata. Gojira raised himself up and stretched his limbs. He gave a relieved sigh.
"Lead the way," said Gojira. Sonata nodded as she pushed herself off the rock and back into the water. The kirin followed after her. The two swam through the water towards the ocean floor, where the reef was present. The two came across an area where Aria lied on her side near some kelp as she moved around an empty clam shell. She caught Gojira in her peripheral vision and gave a wave.
"Hey, Gojira. Where you been?" asked Aria.
"Surface. On a walk to check out the area," answered Gojira.
"Nice place?" asked Aria with a look of curiosity.
"It's alright," said Gojira with a shrug. He then heard a gasp.
"Goji?" called a slightly deep, feminine voice. Gojira turned and found a familiar light gold siren bearing a bright smile.
"Hey," greeted Gojira. Adagio swam over to Gojira's side and greeted him with an affectionate nuzzle. Gojira lightly flushed in embarrassment.
"You haven't visited us in a couple of weeks. I thought you were beginning to forget about me," said Adagio as she spoke to him in a soft tone with half open eyes. Gojira cleared his throat as he felt her rub a hoof on his shoulder and looked away.
"No, I was just exploring," said Gojira. Adagio smirked as the male kirin avoided eye contact with her while bearing red cheeks.
"Is the surface really all that better than being down here with us?" asked Adagio in a mocked hurt tone.
"Of course not. The air is too dry for my taste. My gills get irritated if I'm on the surface for too long," said Junior as he rubbed his neck with a foreleg. It was such an irritating sensation to have drying gills. It was like his throat going dry, but much more sensitive since his gills were external. Aria swam over to join her sisters and Gojira.
"So, what was it that you had in mind today, Adagio? You said something about doing something interesting," said Aria with a raised brow. Adagio smirked as she swam over to the side and pointed to surface.
"I say we go topside and explore the land nearby," said Adagio. Everyone's except Gojira's eyes widened.
"Wait, you want to go on la-?!" Sonata was interrupted as Adagio planted a hoof in her mouth, while sending her a silencing glare. Adagio quickly looked around, making sure that no one had heard.
"Not so loud!" hissed Adagio in annoyance as she removed her hoof.
"Adagio, is that really a good idea? I mean, what's so special about going on land when we have everything that we need down here?" asked Aria as she gestured to the ocean around them. She couldn't fathom why her sister would want to leave their environment.
"Yeah! There could be land monsters that we don't know about out there! We could be eaten! I heard that there are dragons that can fly out there!" said Sonata with a look of panic.
"Yeah, those are real," said Gojira as he glanced at Sonata.
"Come on girls! It'll be an adventure! Just think, we'll be journeying to where no Siren dares to journey! Hidden danger! Great Duress! And-" Adagio stopped as Aria planted a hoof on her chest.
"Let me stop you right there. I don't like the idea of risking our lives out there for thrills when the ocean has plenty of dangers beyond our clan's territory," said Aria. Adagio pouted as she crossed her forelegs over her chest.
"I was only joking around. We don't have to look for danger. But I do want to see what land is like. Gojira has been up there before!" said Adagio as she swam over to the kirin's side and leaned against him.
"But I've never went beyond the grass lands. All I saw was a forest," said Gojira with a shrug.
"And that's what's got me curious!" said Adagio.
"Curiosity killed the catfish, you know," deadpanned Gojira. Adagio waved a dismissive hoof.
"Bah. That's because it couldn't go on land. Unlike most life in the sea, Sirens can!" said Adagio. Aria bore a look of reluctance.
"Adagio, I really don't think this is a wise idea," said Aria.
"Yeah! Remember what mom said? We aren't allowed to go on land!" said Sonata.
"Until we're 18," said Adagio with a smirk. Gojira gave her a deadpanned stare.
"You're all fifteen though," said Gojira.
"Hush, so are you," retorted Adagio as she tapped Gojira's shoulder.
"Yes, but she isn't my mother," argued Gojira. Adagio sighed in frustration at how her friend and sisters were fighting her on her desire to visit the surface.
"Come on! What could it hurt just to take quick peak? We head to the surface for a quick look around passed those 'grasslands' you mentioned, and we head right back!" said Adagio. Aria and Sonata looked at each other in reluctance. Sonata was adamant to go against her mother's wishes, while Aria wasn't very fond of the idea of seeing what could be living on land. Gojira sighed.
"Well, I suppose that I can come along. It's not like I'll get into trouble. Besides, I think you may need someone who is land savvy," said Gojira. Adagio smiled brightly in response, while she looked to her sisters with an expectant look. Aria sighed.
"Fine, as long as we have an expert coming along. I'm game," said Aria. Sonata bit her lip.
"Um... A-As long as mom doesn't find out," said Sonata. Adagio nodded.
"Don't worry! I told her that we were going to the bay where the dolphins tend to be! She won't be expecting us until sunset!" said Adagio. Gojira looked up to the surface where the sun's light shimmered above.
"Hmm. Then we better be on our way while it's still morning. Who knows how long the journey will be," said Gojira as he began to swim away with the Sirens going after him. The group continued until they made their way over to the beach. Gojira planted his hooves on the sandy hill and began to climb up until his head came out of the surface. He folded his gills against his neck and took a breath through his lungs. The kirin stepped all the way out with the Sirens crawling out of the water, like beached fish. Sonata grunted as she flapped her tail against the muddy sand in annoyance.
"Sonata, you're supposed to use your magic when you're on land," deadpanned Aria as her gem in her chest briefly flashed. She suddenly began to levitate into the air above the sandy beach, with her scales dripping water. Sonata puffed a cheek out in response.
"Ugh. I knew that," muttered Sonata in embarrassment as her gem flashed. All of the Sirens were soon levitating in the air above ground, while Gojira shook his body off of water. His drenched fur appeared spiky, much to the amusement of the fillies. Gojira scowled in response.
"Alright, that’s enough gawking you three. You try having fur," said Gojira as he flicked his tail at them, sending drips of water at them. The four began their journey against the hot sand, much to the dismay of Gojira, where they continued onto a great field of grass. The Sirens stared in fascination at the green blades of grass that seemed to go on for miles. They all started to analyze it closely, while Gojira was still ahead. He sighed in annoyance as he found them gawking at the grass.
"Hey, let's get moving! We don't have all day!" said Gojira.
"What is all of this?!" asked Sonata as she poked at the grass with a hoof, feeling the texture.
"Um... Grass?" said Gojira.
"Grass. Ooooh!" said the Sirens in fascination. Gojira rolled his eyes. Despite the silliness of being fascinated in something so abundant, Gojira could understand why the Sirens would take an interest to it. After all, they've never been on land before.
"Girls, come along. There is plenty of grass on land ahead. We have to keep moving," said Gojira. He then heard Sonata give a high-pitched scream, causing him to recoil and to turn with a startled expression.
"What is that?!" cried Sonata as she pointed a shaking hoof at a blade of grass. He found a familiar red, tiny beetle with black spots on its back.
"Oh, that's just a ladybug," said Gojira as he knelt down in the grass next to Sonata as she shook.
"I-Is it dangerous?" asked Sonata. Gojira snorted as he brought a hoof over to it and picked it up.
"If it was, I would be shouting for all of you to get away from it," said Gojira as he held it. The beetle remained perched on his hoof, while the Sirens had gotten a closer look.
"It's beautiful," said Adagio with a smile. Sonata had relinquished some fear and had gotten the courage to look at it, finding its bright red carapace reflecting sunlight.
"There are much prettier bugs out here. Like butterflies," said Gojira. The Sirens looked at him in confusion.
"Butter... Flies? I've heard of butter and flies. But are they flies covered in butter?" asked Sonata with a cocked head.
"No, they're uh... Hmm." Gojira pondered how he could explain the insect to these Sirens in a way that they could get a clear idea of.
"Um... Think of them as bugs with long bodies. They have six legs, and large wings with different colors and patterns on them," said Gojira as he tried to visualize a butterfly himself. Sonata bore a look of confusion as she tried to visualize it.
"So... Skinnier than the lady bug?" asked Sonata.
"Uh... Sure," said Gojira with a forced smile. The lady bug suddenly took off into the air, startling the Sirens. The insect made its way over to Aria's muzzle and perched itself on her snout, causing her to go stiff.
"Wh-What do I do?" asked Aria in a slight nervous tone.
"Just... Blow it away or something. It'll leave," said Gojira. Aria quickly blew a puff of air at the insect, causing it to fly off her snout. The insect then took off into the air, leaving the group alone.
"OK, let's keep moving," said Adagio as she and Gojira took the lead. The group continued their journey, uncertain where the trees ahead may lead.
It has been over an hour since the journey. Gojira and the Sirens were currently in the middle of a green forest, where sun light beamed down through the leaves and made patches of light on the ground along the way. The girls were fascinated by the tall trees that made up the forests, never seeing anything like them. How their leaves were such a bright green as the sun's light beamed down on them, and how woodland critters from birds to squirrels and chipmunks made their homes in these trees. The ocean dwellers were reminded of how certain sea creatures lived in tight spots of reefs and rocks. As they continued, Gojira's stomach began to growl. This went noticed by the Sirens, who glanced at him.
"Sorry, I missed breakfast. Maybe we should've brought some food along," said Gojira as he rubbed his stomach.
"Is there anything that we can eat here?" asked Adagio.
"We can catch and eat squirrels and other woodland creatures," suggested Gojira. Sonata looked at him in shock.
"We can't eat these cute animals! You're horrible!" cried Sonata with a look of disapproval.
"Just throwing it out there," shrugged Gojira. Aria rubbed her chin with her hoof.
"Hmm. Tempting," said Aria.
"Hold on," said Gojira as he sniffed the air and caught a tantalizing smell. He began to trail after the scent as he sniffed the air. The Sirens looked at each other in confusion and followed him. Gojira came across a couple of bushes that had yellow berries on them. He smiled to himself as he gestured for the Sirens to come to him.
"See these here? These are called, 'berries'. Which kind, I'm not sure. But they can be eaten," said Gojira as he took one and ate it. The sweetness danced in his mouth, causing him to sigh with satisfaction. He then pointed to a bush that was further ahead.
"But I must warn you, don't pick berries out carelessly. Some of them can be poisonous," said Gojira. The Sirens' eyes widened at the idea of bright looking fruits being toxic.
"Wait, how do you know that one isn't poisonous?" asked Sonata in worry.
"I can pick out subtle scents of these berries. The ones over there have a bit of vile and bitter scent to them makes my throat kinda tight. Here, these smell fine. I can't detect any toxins," said Gojira as he handed Sonata a berry. "Besides, I would be either dead or throwing up, depending on the poisonous berry."
"Well..." Sonata eyed the berry in reluctance. She then glanced at Gojira, who appeared to be healthy as a horse. She shrugged and popped the cherry into her mouth, while Adagio and Aria bore looks of panic, knowing the potential of the fruit being poisonous. After a few seconds of Sonata ingesting the berry, she smacked her lips.
"Mm! It's so sweet! Gimme more!" cried Sonata as she dove for the bush and began to eating all of the berries that she could. Gojira joined her, wanting to satisfy the hunger that he was feeling. Aria and Adagio shrugged in response and began to pick some berries. After a minute, the group was back on their journey, with Sonata licking her lips of the juices that remained.
"That was good!" said Sonata.
"Just don't go eating any berry without me around. I wouldn't want you all to get poisoned," said Gojira. Sonata gave him a salute as the group continued their walk through the forest. Aria sighed in annoyance as she looked around.
"How much further does the forest go? I'm starting to get tired at just looking at trees," said Aria in a bored tone.
"This is the wilderness Aria. It could go on for miles," said Gojira as he glanced at the sour faced Siren.
"Oh look! We're at the end of the forest!" cried Adagio.
"OK, maybe it was a small forest..." Gojira trailed off as he turned ahead and found the end of the forest. Ahead, he saw a sight that made his stomach tighten. The Sirens stared in awe, while Gojira felt his knees beginning to lock at the sight. Before them was a village down a hill, where wooden and stoned houses remained by a river.
"Oh wow! Look at those structures!" cried Sonata.
"Hey, I heard of this. Uncle Finn was talking about this. He called them uh... Agh. It started with a 'V'," said Aria as she tapped her chin, attempting to remember what her uncle had told her.
"Village. It's a village," said Gojira in a dry tone.
"Yeah, that's it! Thanks Go- Goji?" called Aria with a raised brow. The Sirens looked towards the Kirin as he bore a hard expression on his face. Adagio made her way over to his side in worry as she tapped his shoulder.
"Gojira?" called Adagio. Gojira snapped out of his thoughts and looked to Adagio.
"Huh? Oh, sorry. Ahem. We've seen what's out here, now why don't we go home?" suggested Gojira as he turned and began to walk away. Adagio scoffed as she pulled him back by the tail.
"No way! We're already here, so why not explore? We should meet the local ponies!" said Adagio. Gojira bore a grimace.
"Ah. I don't know if that's such a good idea," said Gojira. He knew that ponies were similar yet different compared to kirins, considering how some were present in Neighpon while he was there. They pretty much treated him the same way as the kirins did back in Neighpon. Just the idea of going to the village, a place he always tried to steer clear from, made him agitated. But, he looked back and found Adagio's pleading eyes, yearning to learn about the surface. Gojira gave a defeated sigh.
"Very well. But stay close you three. We can't trust these ponies," said Gojira as he took the lead. The girls began to levitate after him as they headed down the hill. Gojira's muscles were tensed as they made their way down to the village, where they found several ponies strolling about on the road of their village. The sound of their hooves clopping against the earth filled the air as the four misfits entered this village. Soon, the local ponies noticed the strangers. Gojira tensed as he felt their eyes all on him. The stares were piercing through his soul, while the sirens were calm and collected. They were merely too fascinated at the wooden and stone structures that housed the land dwellers.
"This is all amazing!" said Adagio. Suddenly, the siren caught a pleasant smell in the air. She sniffed the warm smell, which caused her stomach to growl.
"Do you smell that?" asked Adagio. Her sisters nodded in response, while Gojira was cautiously looking around. He had failed to notice the sirens moving towards a small building, where smoke flowed out of a chimney. They peaked through a window, finding a unicorn stallion levitating a tray of baked rolls out of a stone oven. As the smell of the baked goods reached the noses of the sirens, their mouths watered as they eyed the enticing treats with longing. The stallion jumped back with a start as he just notice them staring through his window. He began to relax as he found them staring at what he had just taken out of the oven. He made his way out of the bakery and stood by his door.
"Um... I don't believe I've seen you three around here before. Are you new?" asked the stallion. The sirens turned their attention to him as they heard his voice.
"No, we're just visiting," answered Adagio. Sonata turned her attention back towards the window as she planted her muzzle against the glass, her breathing fogging up the window with each breath.
"That smells so good!" said Sonata. The baker hummed to himself as he looked inside of his bakery. He then smiled to himself as he went back inside and came back out with the tray of the freshly baked bread.
"Here, go on and take some," said the baker with a smile. Sonata gasped with wide eyes while Aria and Adagio looked at him in surprise.
"You mean it?!" asked Sonata.
"Yes, go on ahead. It's on the house for you travelers," said the stallion with a smile. The Sirens smiled as they each took a roll. They each took a bite, tasting an explosion of creamy sweetness and cinnamon.
"Delicious! Thank you, Mister!" said Sonata with a bright smile.
"Yeah, not bad," said Aria as she took another bite. Adagio gave a hum of approval. She then looked to her side and found Gojira standing by stiffly as he eyed the area around himself. She took a second roll and began to make her way over towards the large kirin.
"Gojira, that kind baker just offered us these!" said Adagio as she held up a roll. Gojira looked at it and then glanced at the baker, who looked at the sirens with a smile.
"Oh. That's kind of him," said Gojira. Adagio levitated up to Gojira's muzzle and propped his jaws open with a hoof. She stuffed the roll in his mouth, which he recoiled from in response. He shot her a look of annoyance, while Adagio giggled in amusement. After a moment, the kirin began chewing as he tasted the flavor of the cinnamon roll. He swallowed and looked away.
"It's good," said Gojira. Adagio smiled in response but then noticed a couple of the local ponies coming out into the street with looks of curiosity. Adagio greeted them with a wave, prompting Gojira to look where she was waving. He slightly stiffened as he found a small group of ponies approach.
"Hello!" greeted Adagio.
"What are you?" asked a mare as she analyzed the two with fascination. She began to closely step up to Gojira as she looked over his rugged fur and armored neck and chest. Gojira bore a look of discomfort as the pony was in his personal space. The many stares were reminding him of a past that he wished he could forget.
We're sirens. Well, my friend here is actually a kirin," answered Adagio. The ponies muttered amongst themselves in fascination.
"What's a siren?" asked a stallion.
"And a kirin?" asked a mare.
"Well... I guess you can say sirens are kinda like sea ponies. But we can use our magic to survive on land!" explained Adagio as she swayed her tail, with her bright scales reflecting the sun light. Gojira suddenly found more ponies beginning to crowd them, wanting to meet the strangers. Gojira backed away, trying to regain his composure. Already, Sonata was dragging Aria over to meet with Adagio as she saw the crowd forming. While Gojira worriedly stood by, Adagio was enjoying the attention that the locals were giving her. They were asking her and her sisters all sorts of questions. Gojira merely stood by, hoping that they would get bored soon so that they could be on their way. As Gojira waited, he suddenly felt a tug on his tail. The kirin turned around and found a little filly looking up at him with big curious eyes.
"What do I have to do to be big like you?" asked the filly. Gojira couldn't help but smile at the little pony's question. He was quite larger than the average male stallion, but he must have looked like a giant to young children.
"Oh. Well, I eat a lot. Perhaps if you eat all your meals, you just might get almost as large as me," said Gojira. The filly bore an eager expression.
"Do you think so?" asked the filly.
"It could happen," replied Gojira. As the citizens assaulted the strangers with questions, Gojira glanced at the sirens. Aria appeared as though she was growing a bit annoyed from answering questions, though Adagio and Sonata seemed to be enjoying the attention. Gojira couldn't help but crack a small smile at the scene. Perhaps things were going to be fine with them among the locals.
It has been a couple of hours since Gojira and the sirens made their way into the village. It was mid noon, and the youngsters found themselves among the dozens of villagers. Gojira sat beside Adagio as she spoke with a couple of mares. Aria was busy looking at the flute that a stallion had. Meanwhile, Sonata was pigging out on the food that was brought by local cooks, eager to know what these strangers thought of it. Things had escalated to a social event to meet these new characters.
"Really? So, you ponies haven't been here for very long?" asked Adagio in surprise.
"No. Over 9 years ago, ponies were divided into three different tribes. The Unicorns, the Pegasi, and the Earth Ponies. We were divided by our differences, which led to bitterness to spread through generations. It even brought about the Great Freeze in our old land, caused by the Windigos," said one of the mares. Gojira turned his attention to the conversation.
"Windigos? What are those?" asked Gojira in curiosity.
"They're evil creatures that spread chilling winds wherever there is a lack of love and harmony. But thanks to our leaders from each tribe during their search for a new home, we learned to see past each other's differences, uniting us together in the land we call, Equestria," said the second mare. Adagio bore a look of fascination while Gojira looked off to the village, finding diverse ponies all around. Their ancestors had years of prejudice that had ultimately destroyed their old land, but they had come together and were now thriving as one tribe in the land. Gojira lightly smiled in envy at how these ponies were accepting of one another. Something he never experienced back in Neighpon. Despite them being all kirin, he was the odd one out. His thoughts were interrupted as he heard an instrument being strummed. He turned his head to the source of the sound and found a stallion strumming an instrument as Aria watched in fascination.
"That sounds great," said Aria with a smile.
"It goes better with a mare's beautiful voice," said the stallion. Aria looked away with flushing cheeks as she rubbed a fore leg.
"That so? My sisters and I sing a bit," said Aria with a small smile. The stallion smiled brightly.
"Then why not sing along?" asked the stallion. A few ponies that were nearby began to chant in agreement to hear their visitors sing.
"Sing! Sing a song!" said a mare, drawing more ponies' attention. Aria looked around in embarrassment, not comfortable with suddenly being thrust into the spotlight. Sonata looked to Adagio with eagerness, who smiled in approval. Gojira nodded as he looked at Adagio.
"Go ahead. They'll love you three," said Gojira. Adagio nodded as she quickly made her way by Aria's side, followed by Sonata. The two eyed Aria, silently pleading for her to join. Aria sighed.
"Oh, alright! J-Just give me a second!" said Aria quickly as she patted her hooves against her cheeks to mentally psych herself up. The ponies stomped their hooves in unison as they waited for the upcoming performance.
"Sir, would you mind giving us a note?" asked Adagio. The stallion with the instrument nodded as he strummed the strings, giving a soft tune. The sirens all analyzed the tune as they prepared their vocals to match the tone of the music. Gojira listened intently as he waited for the young mares to sing.
"Ooooh~. Oooooh~." Adagio took the lead while her sisters backed her up with their own voices.
"I can see the light in your eye~. A little glare that tells me that you're ready for flight~. Don't let the darkness or doubt snuff out your light. Just move on, to the dawn. Don't let anyone keep you on the ground. Just move on, to the dawn. Don't stop, until the promise land is found.~" sang Adagio, her chest beginning to illuminate a golden color as the gem in her chest sparked. Her sisters' chest gems glowed and sparked as well, while the citizens enjoyed their song. Gojira softly smiled as he closed his eyes, listening to the soothing voices of his friends. Whenever he found himself agitated, he always felt their singing calm his nerves, like the very ocean itself. As the sirens continued to sing, the ponies in the area were beginning to ignore their song as their eyes flashed green. From their bodies came a green mist that sparkled and flowed towards the sirens. As this happened, Adagio and her siblings began to feel themselves grow more energetic.
"Just move on, to the da-" Adagio stopped as she heard the instrument that was being played had suddenly ceased with an abrupt scratch. She turned and saw the stallion that was playing bore a look of anger as he threw his instrument on the ground, much to her shock.
"Curse this thing!" shouted the stallion as he stomped on the pieces. Gojira shot his eyes wide open as he suddenly heard the mares next to him arguing.
"You told me that my mane was beautiful!" said the first mare as she gritted her teeth.
"I lied! It's an atrocious shade of green and it makes you look like a weeping willow!" spat the second mare. Gojira's eyes widened in surprise at the harsh comment. He then noticed other ponies in the area were arguing with each other as well. They shouted, threw insults, and provoked one another. The sirens looked around in shock at this harmonious village suddenly being plunged into disharmony. They then noticed the gems in their chests glowing brightly as the green mist that filled the air.
"What's happening?!" cried Sonata. Gojira stumbled back as the mares next to him suddenly became physically hostile. They slapped their hooves at each other as they shouted. Gojira looked around and found the other ponies in this state. Suddenly, a wave of magic shot through the crowd, causing them to cease their discord. Gojira and the sirens quickly turned their attention to the source. In the street, they found a unicorn stallion with a long white beard. He wore a blue cloak with stars that decorated the ends, and a hat with bells on them. His horn smoked as he stared at the sirens with hard eyes. By his side was a young mare with a hood that bore her Cutie Mark as clover leaves. Gojira tensed as he saw the look in the elderly stallion's eyes. This grew once he saw a mob of other villagers armed with farming tools flanking behind these new unicorns. The villagers began to groan as they shook off their disorientation.
"It's Starswirl the Bearded!" exclaimed a stallion.
"Villagers! These creatures have bewitched you with their magic! They are no friends of ours!" said Starswirl as his horn began to glow. The sirens huddled together in fear.
"Wait! No, we didn't do anything!" cried Adagio. Suddenly, their audience turned on them. They began to shout condemnation to the sirens and their 'dark magic'. The farmers began to move up with their sharp tools pointed at them, while Starswirl and the hooded unicorn mare beside him advanced with their horns glowing. Gojira's breathing grew quick as he saw this. Old, hated memories from his childhood of being backed into a corner by sharp weapons and an angry mob came back to him. Now it was happening all over again, just as he feared. Gojira hardened his eyes as the villagers approached the cornered sirens. He immediately took off with swiftness and stood in their path with his sharp teeth bared. The villagers recoiled in response but began to press on again. Gojira swung his tail against a few farmers, knocking them back. He then turned to the sirens.
"Go! I'll hold them off!" shouted Gojira as he looked forward in time to see a farmer jabbing his pitchfork at him. However, Gojira moved to the side and bit down on the wooden handle, snapping it in half. He then slammed his hoof against the farmer, knocking him back. He turned and found the sirens fleeing from the area through the village. Gojira turned and found Starswirl moving towards him with a glowing horn. He fired a bolt of magic at the kirin, causing him to stumble back as his chest gave off smoke. Gojira winced as he gritted his teeth. He then snarled as he glared at a shocked Starswirl. Obviously, he was not expecting the kirin to still be standing from that attack. Gojira stretched out his neck as his fur became erect and his jaws opened wide. He let out bellow that rumbled the air, striking fear into the ponies. Gojira took the opportunity to turn tail and run as though the devil were on his heels. He heard shouts behind him as he ran, catching up to the sirens. They rounded a corner in the village, finding their path blocked by cooks armed with sharp knives. Gojira grunted as passed the sirens. He rammed his head against the closest cook, knocking him onto the ground, and then he quickly slammed his body against the second cook, forcing him against the wall.
"Come on!" shouted Gojira as he took the lead. They navigated through tight corners of the village, hoping to avoid as many ponies as possible. As they came out to the open, Starswirl suddenly appeared out of thin air in front of them. The sirens cried out as they halted, along with Gojira.
"Move!" roared Gojira as he rushed towards the unicorn. Before he could reach him, a beam of magic struck him in the ribs, causing him to cry out as he stumbled. He turned with a snarl and found the hooded mare standing on the roof of a house with narrowed eyes as her horn gave off smoke. Gojira gave an enraged cry as he charged towards the house, but he was struck by another beam of magic from his other side. Starswirl was the culprit this time. Before the kirin could lunge for him, the mare fired a beam at him again. Then Starswirl followed up with his own beam. Gojira cried out in rage and pain as he was struck by two beams at once, much to the horror of the sirens.
"Gojira!" screamed Adagio as the kirin dropped to his knees. Aria growled as she glared at the hooded mare. She quickly flew towards the mare's rear and pushed her off the roof. The mare yelped as her magic was cut off as she fell onto the ground. Sonata quickly looked around and found an abandoned pot on the ground. With a smirk, she swooped in and grabbed it, quickly making her way towards Starswirl's rear as he focused his magic on Gojira. She then swung the pot against Starswirl's side as she swooped towards him, causing him to break his concentration from his magic. Gojira stumbled back onto his hooves and then bit down on the stallion's cloak. He swung him around and threw him against a wagon of hay. Gojira gave a shout as he shook off the pain. He then felt a sting in his side. He found the hooded mare standing back up as she fired bolts of magic at him. Gojira snarled as he stomped towards her, with his claws digging into the dirt and grass. The mare stepped back as she fired more bolts at the kirin, but he pressed through the stings. The mare panicked as Gojira stepped closer with eyes that burned with anger. The mare gasped as she suddenly tripped and fell onto her back. Gojira was suddenly standing over her, with his teeth bared and his muzzle crinkled, making him appear as a mad dog.
"Clover!" cried Starswirl as he struggled to get up. Clover whimpered as the kirin stared into her own eyes. Gojira raised a hoof in preparation to slash at his prey.
"Gojira, stop!" cried Adagio. The kirin stopped himself as he breathed heavily, while Clover stared up at him with wide eyes.
"Gojira, it's not worth it! Let's just go!" pleaded Adagio as she appeared in front of the kirin along with her sisters. Gojira panted as he gritted his teeth. His bottled-up anger from years of trying to forget what he had been through was gushing out uncontrollably. He then slammed his hoof on the ground by Clover's head and roared in her face, prompting her to clench her eyes shut. The kirin began to breathe through his nostrils as Clover trembled beneath him, on the verge of tears. Gojira gave a snort as he flared his nostrils.
"Don't follow us," said Gojira in a low tone. He then stepped away from the mare and walked away. The sirens panted from the intense moment that had transpired. They quickly went after Gojira, rushing away from the village and towards the forest. Clover broke into a light sob from the fear of nearly losing her life. Starswirl quickly rushed to her side and then glared at the creatures that fled.
The sun was setting over the land. The winds softly blew across the field of grass, where Gojira treaded with the sirens. The young mares bore frowns and heavy hearts as they trailed behind Gojira. Things were going so well, but then it all went wrong. Sonata made her way next to Gojira with a look of shame.
"Goji... Did we do something bad?" asked Sonata. The kirin glanced at her. He sighed.
"It wasn't your fault," said Gojira.
"Tell that to the village of ponies that we somehow made fight each other," said Aria in a bitter tone. Gojira lightly frowned. The sirens may have been taking this harder then he originally thought. Their first time on land had gone from wonderful and civil to terrible and dangerous. It all happened when they started singing. He was no expert on magic or siren magic, but he believed it was one of the reasons why Adagio and her sisters weren't allowed on land until they were older. None of that mattered now. As far as he knew, they were never setting hoof on occupied land again. Soon, the youngsters found themselves at the beach, just in time before the mother of the girls could notice that they were gone for too long. Gojira cleared his throat as he stood at the edge of the beach.
"I'll... I'll see you girls tomorrow," said Gojira.
"Goodnight Goji," said Sonata in a small tone as she dived in the water.
"See ya," said Aria as she dived in the water as well. Adagio placed herself in the water and was about to say farewell until she saw Gojira slowly walking away with his head lowered.
"Gojira?" called Adagio. The kirin stopped in place.
"Yes?" answered Gojira. Adagio moved closer to land as she rested her fore legs on the muddy sand.
“Can we hang out together a while longer?" asked Adagio in a soft tone. Gojira slowly nodded as he walked over to Adagio. He knelt and lied on the sand next to Adagio, as the waves gently splashed onto his hooves. The two lied together in silence, with only the sounds of the sea filling the air.
"It was so wonderful…being able to explore the surface for the first time, learning about the things that walked on this whole new world. It was even more wonderful to meet those ponies and learn a little bit more. But then they began to treat us like.... Like monsters," said Adagio with a light frown. Gojira's expression was soft as he glanced at the siren.
"Adagio, don't let that get you down. You and your sisters are not monsters. I'm the real monster here," said Gojira. Adagio looked at him in confusion.
"What? What are you talking about?" asked Adagio. Gojira sighed. He never really wanted to get into the details of his life, especially the darker parts of his origins, but it was time to come clean. Adagio needed to know, because she was far from a monster. He wasn't going to let those ponies get to her.
"Remember how I told you all that I was ostracized because I was different from other kirin?" asked Gojira. Adagio nodded in confirmation.
"Well, it's more than me having gills and having these abilities. Most creatures are born. Be it from an egg or the womb. I wasn't born. I was made," said Gojira as he lowered his eyes. Adagio shook her head as she still bore a look of confusion.
"I don't understand," said Adagio. Gojira nodded.
"Then I'll explain. It all began fifteen years ago," said Gojira, ready to pour out everything that he knew.