//------------------------------//
// Chapter 42: Past Trouble 
// Story: Shy and Aggressive 
// by Johng117 
//------------------------------//

It was the evening. Angirasu sat at a table across from his mother. Aiko bore a neutral expression as she looked through the menu that was provided to her and her son in this restaurant. However, she would occasionally peek from her menu and at her son, his eyes were down cast onto the table. Aiko cleared her throat.
"Do you... Do you know what you want to order?" asked Aiko. Angirasu was knocked out of his quiet state and quickly picked up the menu.
"S-Sorry. I'm still deciding," said Angirasu.  Aiko frowned to herself as she went back to reading. Soon, the two had made up their minds and placed their orders. The two were now lacking the menus to distract themselves from the others' presence.
"So... How is school?" asked Aiko, hoping to break the silence.
"It's alright. I have some good friends," said Angirasu.
"And how are your grades?" asked Aiko.
"They're fine. I have mostly B's and one A," answered Angirasu. Aiko gave a small nod of approval.
"That's good. Are you staying out of trouble? Away from a bad crowd?" asked Aiko. Angirasu was beginning to grow worried. He had forgotten that he had joined and familiarized himself with a group of rogue Transmutants.
"Of course," said Angirasu as he kept a calm tone, though he avoided eye contact with his mother.
"Though, I have been close to death a few times lately due to the Purists," said Angirasu. Aiko lightly clenched her fist as she looked down at the table. Just being reminded of almost losing her son angered her.
"I'm sorry," muttered Aiko in a soft tone.
"It's not your fault. No one saw it coming. I was just lucky to have some friends that had my back," said Angirasu with a smile. Aiko merely gave a short hum.
"And... That friend of yours, Gojira Takeshi II. Has he been causing you problems?" asked Aiko. Her son looked at her in confusion.
"I'm sorry?"
"You do know that boy is the top delinquent in your school, don't you? Everyone talks about him, and he even has a record of getting into trouble," said Aiko with a deadpanned look.
"Mom, he's not causing me trouble. He's my friend!" said Angirasu. Aiko sighed as she rubbed her brow.
"I'm just worried about you. I can live with that boy who has a perverted mind since you are smart enough to ignore him. But with Takeshi, it worries me. Why would you befriend someone like him? His father is the reason why MONARCH is fighting Transmutant terrorists by helping start a militia group decades ago," said Aiko. Angirasu shook his head.
"I know how he may seem. Gojira is rough around the edges; he may be aggressive and has a reputation at our school, but I wouldn't be friends with him if I hadn't seen what kind of person he really is," said Angirasu as he sat up straight.
"While Gojira fights, he's not a bully. He always keeps himself from throwing the first punch in a confrontation. He only fights to defend himself or others. He even helped me when I was confronted by a real bad crowd of Transmutants," said Angirasu. He smiled to himself as he recalled his experience around his friend.
"He may not excel in some of his classes, but he works hard to study and does his best. I've seen him work himself to near death to prepare for a test," said Angirasu with a chuckle.
"He cares a lot for his mother. He always does the best that he can to 'not disappoint her'. The two have a good relationship, despite living without his father around," said Angirasu. Aiko's expression slightly softened.
"He offers an...interesting view of the world. Granted, it tends to be negative, but is capable of seeing the positive. You just have to be there long enough to hear him. He puts things in perspective from what I think what most people are afraid to say," said Angirasu.
"He's also a good friend. When you're in trouble, hurt, or in need of someone to talk to, he'll be there. There's just something about him that I find inspiring. He's someone that you want to count on to have your back. And I'd return the favor," said Angirasu. Aiko slightly nodded.
"I see..." said Aiko. "Well, he seems like an alright character. Just be careful."
Angirasu nodded with a smile. He was thankful that his mother wasn't berating him or trying to force him to stop being friends with Junior. As the two sat, Angirasu noticed three familiar faces being seated at a table that was just across the room.
"No way," said Angirasu as his eyes widened in surprise. Aiko looked at him curiously and looked to where her son was looking. She realized that he was watching the Dazzlings, who noticed Angirasu and waved to him, while Sonata bore a giddy look.
"Angirasu!" cried Sonata as she rushed from her table and over towards the Transmutant. She wrapped Angirasu into a tight hug, causing him to blush in embarrassment. His mother looked on in surprise, but her eyes slightly narrowed in suspicion with the girl's sudden act of affection.
"Dear, who is this?" asked Aiko. Angirasu cleared his throat as Sonata released him.
"Mom, this is my friend from school. Sonata Dusk. The other two are Aria Blaze and Adagio Dazzle," said Angirasu as he pointed to the girls at the table.
"Hellooo~," sang Adagio in a friendly tone.
"This is my mother," said Angirasu. Sonata gasped.
"I know! We actually already met at the school! Ma'am, it is very nice to meet you again! Love your hair by the way," said Sonata as she looked to Aiko's spiky shoulder length hair.
"So... How long have you known each other," said Aiko with almost cold eyes. Angirasu gulped. He was too familiar with the look in his mother's eyes. This was a look that showed that she is on the verge of disapproving someone. The hug must have caused this, mainly due to how overtly friendly the girl was.
"Oh, for at least over a month now. Or was it two? Um... It hasn't been that long, Mrs. Riku. We just started coming to Ponyville High," said Sonata.
"I see. My son says that he is doing well in school. Can you vouch for him?" asked Aiko.
"Mom," whispered Angirasu in disapproval. Sonata smiled brightly.
"Mrs. Riku, he is totes awesome! He's incredibly nice for someone as tall and strong as him! He is so brave, even when he saved me from those Purists in Goji's neighborhood!" said Sonata. She then giggled to herself as she pulled on her ponytail and lightly began to run her fingers through it.
"Did I mention how cool he was? He's also a good looking guy. You should be proud of giving bir-" Sonata's mouth was covered by Aria.
"OK. Um... Ma'am, sorry for disturbing your time. We'll just be going back to our table," said Aria as she began to drag Sonata away, who gave muffled protests. She then moved Aria's hand from her mouth.
"See you at school, Aangirasu!" waved Sonata. Angirasu gave a weak and embarrassed wave in response. He then looked to his mother and found that unnerving look in her eye to be gone. She just bore a poker face.
"She seems nice," said Aiko.
"She is. Uh... I'll be back. I need to use the restroom," said Angirasu as he quickly got up from his seat and left the table. Aiko softly sighed to herself. From her seat, she noticed a familiar face to have entered the restaurant. The young woman walked in with a coat, a hat, skinny jeans and boots. She made her wag over to Aiko's table and took a seat across from her.
"Lieutenant Riku," greeted Inoue. Aiko nodded.
"Private. Status?" asked Aiko in a whisper. Inoue leaned closer.
"Well, Gojira is still staying out of trouble. The sergeant and I recently made sure he got back home. He's still over there keeping watch while I came out here. What's your status?" asked Inoue.
"My son is fine. He has yet to display any non-human traits or aggression. We're just having dinner. He's in the bathroom at the moment," said Aiko. Inoue nodded.
"That's good. How lucky for you? Being deployed on a mission to watch over your son. You must be happy," said Inoue with a smile. Aiko sighed with a small look of uncertainty.
"But I'm afraid that he might be hiding something. I can tell that there's some kind of negativity coming from him during our conversation," said Aiko. Inoue rested her chin on her hand.
"Permission to speak freely, ma'am?" asked Inoue.
"Granted," said Aiko with a raised brow.
"I think that maybe you're being too authoritarian with him. It's gotta be making him uneasy and must make it hard for him to have a proper conversation, "said Inoue.
"I just want to know if he's doing well in school and if he is friends with the kind of people. I'm worried for him. I haven't been around during his teenage years. I don't know who he grew up into," said Aiko with a sigh.
"Ma'am, with all due respect, I think you should lighten up. You're his mom, not his drill sergeant. Don't interrogate him, learn about him. He'll feel like you don't trust him otherwise. Ask him if he has any hobbies, if he has a crush on a girl, or what he wants to be when he's older. Just be a mother," said Inoue. Aiko sighed heavily.
"You're right. Thank you, Private," said Aiko.
"Sure thing. I better get out of your hair before he gets back," said Inoue as she made her way over to the front of the restaurant where she sat at one of the seats near the counter. Aiko turned and found Angirasu to be returning where he took his seat.
"Washed your hands?" asked Aiko.
"Of course. That would be disgusting otherwise," said Angirasu.
"I'm kidding," said Aiko with a forced smile.
"Oh. OK?" replied Angirasu as he adjusted his seat. Inoue groaned as she face palmed from her seat.
"I didn't mean to fail at humor," muttered Inoue. Aiko cleared her throat.
"After dinner, why don't you and I walk around town?" suggested Aiko.
"Sure," replied Angirasu in a nonchalant tone.



Later that evening, Angirasu and Aiko were walking alongside each other through time. The winter season was wrapping up soon. In the next few months, it would be spring.  Right now, it was still winter on middle of December, where snow had begun to pile up. The two moved through the snow in silence as the town lit up the dark night.
"Son, tell me a little more about school. Have you done anything fun or interesting?" asked Aiko, taking cue from Inoue's advice.
"Um... Oh, I actually went to the Fall Formal with my friends. I'm in a club, and I'm practicing with Gojira, Rodan and Mosura to perform at a musical showcase that the school is doing," answered Angirasu. His mother looked at him in surprise.
"I didn't know you played any instruments," said Aiko. Angirasu chuckled.
"I don't. We just got roped into it by Rodan. He's expecting us to learn how to play by the end of next week," said Angirasu.
"I'll have to watch you guys then," said Aiko. Angirasu grimaced.
"Alright, but I doubt we can pull it off," said Angirasu. Aiko softly smiled in response. She then heard the sound of tires screeching. She immediately whipped her head to the side, finding a car slipping a bit on its turn on the icy road. She then began to find herself lost in a green cloud of smoke, surrounded by people that cupped their mouths from the gas. She started to breathe quickly as a look of panic filled her eyes. A man standing in the clouds of smoke coughing as he looked to her with a glare.
"Mom!" called Angirasu. Aiko gasped as she jumped. She suddenly found herself in town, with everything as normal as can be. She turned and found her son looking at her worriedly.
"Are you alright?" asked Angirasu. Aiko didn't respond. She found her son holding her hand firmly. However, the woman shakily pulled her hand away.
"I-I'm fine. Let's go home," said Aiko as she walked down the side walk. Angirasu watched as she briskly left. He then looked to his hand that was rejected. He gave a small sigh as he followed his mother.



Rodan sighed as he placed down an old beaten up guitar down on a work table in a garage. With him were Angirasu, Mosura and Junior were currently moving in a busted drum set and a bass into the garage as well.
"OK. You guys got the materials?" asked Rodan.
"Materials?" asked Junior. Rodan looked to his friends in disbelief.
"You guys didn't bring the stuff we need to restore these?" asked Rodan. Angirasu shrugged.
"I thought you had it covered since you never asked," said. Angirasu. Rodan groaned.
"Damn it. Alright, alright. I'll just go run and get some. You guys, just start learning some stuff on how to restore the instruments until I come back. Ask my mom for the WiFi," said Rodan as he briskly left the garage.
"I'll go ask," said Angirasu as he left the garage while Mosura drew out her laptop while Junior drew out his phone.
Meanwhile, Rodan found himself wandering through town, stopping at a variety of shops that may hold the materials necessary. Currently, Rodan was present in a shop that was dedicated to music equipment. Right now, he was looking over a roll of string for the bass and guitar.  He hummed to himself as he compared the price with another roll of string. The boy merely shrugged as he picked one and began to wander about more in the shop. He then noticed a familiar girl to be standing a set of instruments.
"Eliza!" called Rodan. The girl jumped with a start and turned to find Rodan waving to her. She greeted him with a smile and wave as she approached him.
"Good afternoon, Rodan. I was not expecting this encounter," said Eliza with a warm smile.
"Yeah, I was in the neighborhood. Just shopping around for some materials," said Rodan as he held up a separate bag filled with contents.
"What are you doing here?" asked Rodan.
"Oh. I was just looking around here. I was curious to see what sort of instruments that this establishment sold," said Eliza as she looked around.
"It's wondrous. I have never seen so many different instruments in one place. To think that seemingly simple objects can create beautiful sounds," said Eliza with a sigh. Rodan softly chuckled.
"I never really thought of it like that before," said Rodan as Eliza looked around in fascination. He never met someone this easily fascinated by these things or even romanticize. He found it rather endearing of her.
"Um... Hey, Liza." Eliza looked at him with a raised brow.
"Wha... 'Liza'? It's Eliza," said Eliza with an amused smile.
"Huh? No, no. I called you Liza because it's short for Eliza. It's a nickname," said Rodan.
"A nickname...." Eliza muttered to herself as she held a thoughtful look. Rodan cleared his throat as he bore a worried look.
"Sorry, is it a problem? Geez, sorry. A girl I know hates it when I call her by a nickname. If you don't like it..." Rodan sighed to himself, hoping he didn't offend this girl.
"No... I like it," said Eliza.
"Really?" asked Rodan in surprise. The girl nodded to him with warm cheeks.
"People use nicknames as affection, right?" asked Eliza. Rodan rubbed the back of his head.
"Well... Yeah. Sometimes it’s the opposite but I never use nicknames for the opposite purpose," said Rodan. The girl's almost naive nature mixed with her soft tone, and her gorgeous eyes were proving to be too much for him.
"Oh. I'm glad," said Eliza with a pleased look. Rodan cleared his throat as he briefly looked away to regain a level head.
"So, I'm heading home right after this. Wanna come over and hang out? Goji and the others are gonna help me restore some old instruments. We're going to practice when they're restored," said Rodan. Eliza bore an eager look.
"I think that would be wonderful!" said Eliza. Then, her expression turned to disappointment as she looked away.
"But... I don't know if that will be wise," said Eliza. Rodan bore a small look of disappointment but hid it by a forced look of confusion.
"Why not?" asked Rodan.
"Well... I am supposed to be... Studying for class. And I fear that I may forget all about it throughout the weekend," said Eliza.
"Oh. If studying is your issue, why not come over anyway? My friend Mosu is smart. She might be able to help you out. What is it you gotta study?" asked Rodan.
"Biology," answered Eliza.
"Oh. Then yeah she might be able to help. Come on, what do say?" asked Rodan as he leaned close to Eliza as he bounced his eyebrows. Eliza held in a laugh as an amused grin appeared from under lips, but she held her hand over her mouth to hide it.
“Heh. Anyone ever tell you that you have a gorgeous smile. Those are whitest teeth I've even seen. I swear they'd sparkle," said Rodan with a wink.
"Well... Flattery will get you far, Rodan. Very well, I'll visit you," said Eliza with red cheeks. Rodan smiled brightly in response.



Back at Rodan's home, Junior, Mosura and Angirasu had watched several videos that they felt could help them in restoring the instruments that were present with them. They had been jotting down notes for themselves while sending Rodan texts for what they may need.
"Alright. I think we might be able to pull this off," said Mosura in an optimistic tone.
"I hope so. I rather not spend money I don't have for a drum set that I won't ever use again," said Junior. He then looked to Angirasu, who appeared to be day dreaming.
"Hey, Aang," called Junior. Angirasu immediately directed his attention to his friend.
"Hmm?"
"So how was your night with your mother?" asked Junior.
"Yeah, I'm curious to know as well," said Mosura as she adjusted her seat. Angirasu looked to the side in response.
"It went well. The food was good and we talked," answered Angirasu.
"Anything else happened?" asked Mosura. Angirasu looked to his hand, recalling the previous night. He then hid it in his pocket out of his sight.
"We just walked around town for a bit. That's all," answered Angirasu. Mosura and Junior shared a glance at Angirasu's half-hearted responses. This brought on worry.
"You wanna talk about anything?" asked Junior.
"Really, I'm fine. But I appreciate the thought," replied Angirasu.
"OK," said Junior in reluctance. He could sense that there was something bothering Angirasu. Though he wasn't one to pry and wished to respect his privacy, he was also willing to hear him out if asked. He only hoped it wasn't anything serious. The door to the garage opened, prompting the teens to direct their attention towards it. They found Rodan walking in with a couple of bags.
"Yo!" greeted Rodan as he entered the garage with Eliza following with a bag of her own.
"Oh, Eliza. Hey," greeted Mosura.
"Hope you guys don't mind that I invited her over," said Rodan.
"Your house. Come on, let's put this stuff together," said Junior. The teens spent the next couple of hours using the tools present in the garage along with the supplies that were needed for restoration. Junior was kneeling next to the drum set as he held the set with his one hand while Angirasu replaced screws for the mostly restored drum set. Meanwhile, Eliza was standing next to Rodan as he replaced the strings in the guitar while Mosura repainted the bass.
"Rodan, can I ask you a question?" whispered Eliza.
"What's up?" asked Rodan in a whisper. Eliza glanced at Junior, who only wore his shirt while his sweater rested on a chair. She found that he was missing an appendage.
"Why is it that Gojira has only one arm? And why does his stump look like that? Is he sick?" asked Eliza in worry as she found Junior's stump down to his tricep to have been dark and rough, nothing like mammalian flesh.
"Oh. Yeah, Goji recently lost his arm during a shooting on our school. You've heard of it, right? I'm actually surprised that you and your cousins transferred here after what happened. Some students actually transferred out," said Rodan.
"It was the closest school in our area. So, the school was attacked?" asked Eliza in shock. Rodan sighed.
"Yep. By Purists. One of them dismembered Goji's arm," said Rodan as he glanced at Junior as he held the drum set in place.
"That's horrible," said Eliza with a frown.
"Yeah. But don't worry about him. It'll grow back. Hell, I wouldn't have wasted time trying to carry his arm around to give it back," said Rodan with a chuckle. Eliza turned to Rodan with a puzzled look.
"Grow back? How is that possible?" asked Eliza.
"Oh. Cause like the rest of us, Goji is a Transmutant. But he's special compared to us, so he can heal from nearly anything," said Rodan. Again, Eliza bore a look of confusion.
"What are Transmutants?" asked Eliza. Rodan bore a look of surprise.
"You don't know?" asked Rodan. Eliza shrugged, but she bore a worried look.
"No. Should I?" asked Eliza. Rodan cleared his throat as he scratched his head.
"Well... It's kinda common knowledge. But I guess there's a first time for everyone," said Rodan. This girl must have been sheltered to not have heard of Transmutants.
"Well, Transmutants are... It's kinda complicated for me to explain since I'm not into the whole science part and the theories of our origins. I'm more familiar with religious interpretation," said Rodan.
"Please, explain the best you can," said Eliza with a look of interest.
"Well, Transmutants are basically just humans that have super strength, speed, and we're more durable compared to normal humans. But what's crazy is that we can change into crazy creatures. Us guys here turn into dinosaurs and Mosu.... Hey Mosura, what is your classification for Transmutants?" asked Rodan in curiosity. Mosura raised her head at attention.
"Insectoid class. A moth," answered Mosura.
"Really? That's kinda lame," said Rodan in disappointment. Mosura scoffed in offense.
"It's not like owning the best car, Rodan!" said Mosura indignantly. Eliza bore a dumbfounded look.
"Surely you all must be joking," said Eliza.
"I'm not! Goji, show her your stump!" said Rodan. Junior sighed in annoyance.
"Why? So you can see if she's squeamish?" asked Junior as he stepped over to the two.
"Nah. She doesn't believe me that Transmutants can transform. Show her your scales," said Rodan. Junior rolled his eyes as he held out his stomp for Eliza to see. She closely looked around the stump and near the elbow area. Dark plates were sticking out of the skin around the arm. Eliza bore a look of shock as she saw this, previously thinking that his skin was dark due to some infection. But now she sees that they were scales sticking out.
"Incredible," whispered Eliza as she ran a hand over the scales. Junior lightly flushed as he looked away.
"I don't hear that often," said Junior.
"This is amazing! How is it that humans possess these abilities such as yourselves?" asked Eliza.
"Some believe that it's a natural step in human evolution. Others think aliens may have had something to do with. As for the religious interpretation as mentioned by Rodan, it’s believed that either God, the devil, or other deities may have had a hand in our origins," said Mosura. Junior scoffed.
"Yeah. But I have to wonder what kind of a God would make people like us? And why?" asked Junior as he went back to the drum set. Eliza looked to Rodan in confusion.
"Why does he hold such disdain for the last theory?" asked Eliza.
"Ah. Because we are pretty much discriminated against by non-Transmutants. You might be fascinated by us, but some people hate us because they see us as closer to dangerous animals," explained Rodan as he looked to Junior.
"I guess he feels screwed over if there was a deity involved. You can't really get mad at nature's natural occurrences, when it has no sentience," said Rodan. Eliza lightly frowned as she looked towards Junior with a look of pity. She couldn't imagine what it was like to face what Transmutants faced on a daily basis.



Senior was currently sitting in his cell, while Onyx was just outside. Again, the two were playing digital chess. The Director would sometimes drop by at the Vault and meet with the Guardian. While some may interpret this as him playing nice with his foe, Onyx felt the opposite. Just knowing that he has one of the most dangerous Transmutants locked up here was almost like a dream, one that seemed unlikely to happen in reality given how hidden he was and the strength he possessed. Onyx feared that if he didn't come by to check on him, he would receive a call telling him that the Transmutant escaped. However, this all gave him a chance to prod the Transmutant for information that may help him understand what he's dealing with and to learn more about his enemy.
"Gojira Takeshi II," said Onyx. Senior raised his head to meet Onyx's eyes. The mention of his son had him alert.
"Your... Well, your youngest son apparently," said Onyx as he glanced at Xenjira's cell.
"What about him?" asked Senior, slightly tensed.
"Why did you give him a name like that? You are a man that has made his mark in history and it's not pretty. I am curious as to why you would name him after yourself when it clearly puts him at risk with those who may know about you and have ties to Purists," said Onyx. "Someone as yourself must have a lot of enemies."
"My enemies mostly comprise of Purists and Revolutionaries. The former I made sure that they are unaware of my identity. The latter, I haven't run into one in years. Not everyone knows that I was a founding member of the Revolutionaries, only those who were there that day and the ones that are high in the hierarchy. Anyway, Junior’s name was not my idea," said Senior. Onyx looked at him curiously.
"Really?"
"Yes. My wife gave him that name. I was too busy to take part in his birth certificate at the time. So, she ended up naming him herself," said Senior. He then softly chuckled.
"I teased her for 'having a lack of imagination' when she named him. She got pretty mad at me for that," said Senior. He then sighed.
"If I may ask, does anyone know of me being here? And what about Junior's former charge?" asked Senior.
"I've kept your capture extremely confidential. No one knows who you are or that you even led a Transmutant group. Your family is safe, and we released images of your eldest son and information on his arrest to completely clear his name," said Onyx. Senior sighed.
"Thank you," said Senior.
"Don't. I just merely kept innocent, law abiding citizens from suffering because of your actions," said Onyx with a hard expression. Senior merely nodded in response.




Solgell. 1974.

It had been over a year since the battle for Solgell and the rest of the chain of islands began. The war was fought and won by the Transmutants, who had united against all odds and conquered. Now, Gojira and Destoroyah were present aboard an abandoned aircraft carrier, with their own men behind them, armed to the teeth. At a table in front of them was the president of Equestria, who was signing a paper, while a camera crew filmed him and soldiers remained behind him, armed as well.
"The island chain under Equestria is now recognized for its sovereignty. The Equestrian government hereby recognizes the Transmutants of The United Islands as free men and women," said the president.
"And as agreed in this document, if all human citizens are spared, Equestria will cease sending its forces and relocate the citizens onto the Equestrian mainland," said Destoroyah. The president and Destoroyah shook hands, then Gojira did the same. After a year of fighting off any attempt to take back the islands and negotiations, the Transmutants had finally gained their freedom and the sovereignty that they dreamed of. But, there was still no peace in Gojira's heart.




Two months later...

The city was undergoing some restoration in certain parts after the war. There weren't many Transmutants in the city, making it feel empty without the humans to inhabit it. It was likely the same for the other islands. But none of that mattered to Destoroyah as he looked over the city from a great building that stood in the center. This was their island, their nation. The Transmutants had successfully taken back their lives and took their own islands. Destoroyah dreamed that one day, they would become great and prosperous, and will give rise to generations of Transmutants in The United Islands. Right now, Gojira approached from behind, entering from two doors.
"The future is just on the Horizon, Gojira. Soon, we will watch as our people grow prosperous. We will lead a nation that will stand strong in the face of adversity," said Destoroyah with a smile as he stared out the window. Gojira merely sighed.
"But you and I are just soldiers, Destoroyah. We aren't politicians. We have no idea on how to run a country," said Gojira.
"There is nothing that can't be learned, Nakama. We will set up a governing body to lead the small population under us, and we'll do what we can to survive. While we're at it, we will study what we can to properly govern our people," said Destoroyah.
"And who will be comprised of this governing body?" asked Gojira.
"You and I of course. Along with a few other worthy Transmutants from the other islands," said Destoroyah. Gojira sighed heavily.
"What troubles you?" asked Destoroyah. Gojira shook his head as he found a flag with a familiar DNA helix with a spiny embryonic-like creature depicted on it, flowing through the wind as it hung from a rooftop.
"I can't help but wonder if this was all worth it," said Gojira. Destoroyah looked at him in confusion.
"What do you mean?" asked Destoroyah.
"We freed ourselves of enslavement and have gained ourselves the island chain. We have hundreds of Transmutants who follow us. But at what cost?" asked Gojira as he placed a hand on the window.
"No doubt that we have made a world's worth of enemies."
"No enemy would dare to face us after what we had done to Equestria's military might! They'll know not to challenge us!" said Destoroyah. Gojira scoffed at Destoroyah's arrogance.
"A show of great strength incites challenge. We hold islands in the Pacific are perfect for use for either the Hooviet Union, the United States of Equestria, and any other nation during this cold war. It only takes one of them to do something more drastic to take these islands or to rid of something they feel threatened by," said Gojira. Destoroyah sent him a glare.
"What happened to you? You were willing to lay down your life for this dream! Why is it that you feel regret?!" demanded Destoroyah.
"I wanted revenge for what was being done to us and demanded freedom. But after getting I wanted, I feel empty. I feel no peace. Just fear and regret," said Gojira.
"Now that we have freedom and our own nation, we have no one to call allies," said Gojira. He then turned and made his way to the doors.
"This was a big mistake," said Gojira. He then walked out the doors and closed them. Destoroyah clenched his fist and growled.




Neighpon. 1985...

It had been years. Years since the founding of the United Islands. Gojira was sitting alone at a counter at a bar. His hair had grown to be messy. He was dressed in a worker uniform, and his beard was scraggly. The Transmutant was slouched over the counter as he looked at the newspaper in his hand. The headline read, 'United Islands Nuked'. Gojira dropped the paper to the ground as he held his head with clenched fists. The islands were gone. Apparently, they were bombed by someone. The islands weren't assaulted by missiles, since no smoke trails from any rockets were seen. The Hooviet Union was suspected of being responsible, but they denied this. The world was tensed over who was responsible and feared who was next. Gojira took a drink of saki with a sigh.
"They're all gone. All of them," sniffled Gojira as he brought his cap down over his eyes. Ultimately, he felt responsible for this all. This all happened because they made the world fear them. Gojira thought if they were still living under human ruled Solgell, it would still be standing and no Transmutant would have been obliterated. And here he was, living in Neighpon alive because he didn't want to take responsibility for what he had done over a decade ago. Gojira took another drink as footsteps approached. A young woman took a seat beside him.
"Hey, can I get some saki?" asked the woman. A few short seconds had gone by while Gojira was wallowing in his sins. The woman glanced his way. She bore eyes like rubies, and shoulder length hair that was white. She had stood at five foot nine, taller than the average Neighponese woman. She wore a long sleeved shirt with a scarf, skinny jeans and boots.
"Why the long face? It's happy hour," said the woman. Gojira placed the paper to the side with a sigh.
"Just tired," answered Gojira. The woman noticed the newspaper that was placed at the male Transmutant's side, where she found the article, and the image of a mushroom cloud.
"Oh. I heard about this. It's terrible," said the woman in a soft tone.
"I often wonder what it could have been. It doesn't matter now," said Gojira with a sigh.
"If you don't mind me saying, you seem to have been hit harder close to home compared to most Transmutants," said the woman.
"Because I was there when it was a city filled with Transmutant slaves. I was one of them," said Gojira. The woman looked at him in surprise.
"Aren't you that veteran that sometimes comes by here? The barkeep says you're his best customer," said the woman with a small chuckle as her drink was slid towards her.
"I am," said Gojira as he finished his own drink. The woman looked at him curiously.
"You know, you don't look to be very old for someone who fought in World War 2," said the woman.
"That's because Transmutants’ physical appearance are kept in prime shape for at least a few centuries," answered Gojira. The woman smiled brightly.
"Wow. So I guess I've got something to look forward too when I get older," chuckled the woman. She then turned to the bar keeper.
"Hey! Another drink for my friend here!" called the woman.
"Oh. No, that is not necessary," said Gojira.
"Hey, loosen up! You fought for this country and for our kind. You deserve it. Besides, I think it would be kind to drink to those who lost their lives of the United Islands in their memory," said the woman as the barkeeper slid the drink over to Gojira. The veteran merely looked down at his drink and glanced at the woman, who bore a warm smile. He sighed.
"Alright. I suppose it couldn't hurt," said Gojira.
"Great! By the way, my name is Kaname Yamashita" the woman held her hand out to Gojira.
"Gojira Takeshi," said Gojira as he shook Kaname's hand. His spirits began to lighten.



It had been a couple hours into the evening. The two Transmutants were two of the only few left in the bar. Their cheeks were red from the amount of alcohol that they had consumed. Gojira chuckled after finishing his drink.
"So we were trapped by the Equestrian troops. We were outnumbered and outgunned. But I went out there to draw them away so that my comrades could escape," slurred Gojira. Kaname finished her own drink with a look of amazement.
"Wow! All by yourself? That's sooo brave," slurred Kaname. She then giggled with a small grin.
"And hot," said Kaname.
"Yes. But despite all of the sacrifices that I made during the war, I was sold off by the government like the others! All of us became slaves after contributing a lot to the war!" slurred Gojira with an angry look as he slammed his fist on the counter.
"You can't trust these big government assholes, Kaname. Those mad men would've had every citizen fight to the death if the Equestrians chose to invade!" said Gojira with a hiccup. "They already had me do things that keeps me up at night. Ah! I'm fucking glad we lost! We should've executed all of them for not having us surrender before the second bomb!"
"Careful. The suits will get pretty mad," whispered Kaname as she looked around, searching for government officials that may be present.
"Then fuck them too! What have they done for us lately?" asked Gojira with a heavy sigh as he slumped his head onto the counter.
"I am under a lot of stress. I rarely let myself unwind like this. Thank you," said Gojira in a calm tone. Kaname scooted closer to him as she leaned against him. She traced a finger over his arm with her eyes glazed over.
"You know, I think I can do more to help you release that tension," said Kaname. Gojira raised his head as his brows were raised up.
Later, he found himself tossing Kaname onto the bed. The two gave animalistic growls as their eyes glazed over. Gojira tackled her onto the bed and began to kiss her passionately, while Kaname wrapped her legs around his waist. From outside of the house, their muffled cries of pleasure filled the air as the sound of crashing filled the air.




The following morning...

It was the morning. Gojira was enveloped in warmth, while bearing traces of a headache. He winced as he raised himself up, feeling drowsy as he raised himself sluggishly and found himself in a unfamiliar bedroom. He looked around in confusion, finding dressers that he knocked over and realized he was on a collapsed bed. The room was a complete mess. It was then that he noticed that his clothes were scattered on the floor. He had now realized that he was naked and his heart raced in panic. Gojira heard a small feminine moan, prompting him to stiffen. He slowly looked to the side and found Kaname to be lying in bed next to him naked under the covers.
"Oh my God," said Gojira in dread. Kaname opened her eyes and yawned as she stretched. She rubbed her eyes and was surprised to find Gojira in her bed. She then smiled.
"Oh, that's right," said Kaname with flushing cheeks.
"Ka-Kaname... I-I-" Gojira felt himself panicked.
"Last night was wonderful, Gojira," said Kaname. It was true, the two of them had sex the previous night. Gojira was overwhelmed with shame, knowing that he had taken advantage of this young woman in her drunken state. Despite her seemingly approving nature, Gojira still felt guilt for deflowering a woman that he hardly knew and quickly shot up from the bed.
"Oh God, no," muttered Gojira in a panic as he began to slip on his clothes. Kaname looked at him in confusion.
"Gojira? What's wrong?" asked Kaname.
"This shouldn't have happened! I shouldn't have done this! I'm sorry!" said Gojira as he roughly placed on his clothes and ran out the room. Kaname followed him out with her sheets wrapped around herself as Gojira ran out the door out of her apartment.
"Gojira! Wait, come back!" cried Kaname. However, Gojira ignored her cries. His conscience told him that he should go back and face her, but Gojira ignored it and kept running.




Present Day...

It was the late evening. Genshiro and Discord were both present in the hidden lab, where they were studying their mutagen and the effects they had. But what they were focusing their efforts on the most were converting currently grown specimens rather than early fertilized eggs into cross species.
"Given the severity of the pain that the specimens may endure during a forced transformation, it would be best to figure out a way to keep them from dying," said Discord as he looked over the G-cells that he was saving up to infuse into Moana's blood sample.
"Transmutants release a chemical that limits their pain for a transformation. Perhaps we can artificially do the same," suggested Genshiro. Discord smirked.
"By stoning the specimens to hell," said Discord.
"Just enough where they won't die from the pain," said Genshiro as he analyzed his own batch of G-cells. "But... We have to be sure that we can get this to even work."
"We can use the same method you've done for your daughter. Except instead of using Transmutant DNA in its human state, we use the DNA from the beast state," said Discord.
"Given with what we know, Erika is developing into a Transmutant. I have a theory that while she is experiencing some physical symptoms, she will still retain her human nature. But as for our specimens, we may change their physical traits much more drastically when using the beast state of the DNA. But as I said, it's a theory," said Discord. Genshiro nodded.
"Hmm. It's sound, given that the DNA is still that of Transmutant, just with more animal blocks. It may integrate with the specimens' genetics, while simultaneously adopting the metamorphosis information of Transmutations that might well in fact give us the desired results," said Genshiro. Discord chuckled.
"Then we better get to work," said Discord.