It was December. Hearth's Warming was here in Ponyville. Most people were out and about for last minute holiday shopping while a couple of certain Sirens and Transmutants were present inside of an arcade. Aria and Sonata looked around the area in curiosity while Junior stood beside Rodan and Rainbow Dash as he looked through his watch.
"Hey, how long are we going to hang here? I should get to the store soon so I can buy some gifts," said Junior.
"You should've done that sooner, dude," said Rodan with a deadpan stare as Rainbow began to show the Sirens to the arcade consoles.
"Yeah, but if you wait till the last minute, you can get some pretty good deals," said Junior. Rodan shrugged.
"OK, fair point. We'll be here for like an hour or so. If you need to get going sooner then go ahead," said Rodan. Junior nodded as he and Rodan followed the girls deeper into the arcade.
"This looks interesting," said Aria with a smile as she looked at the screen of the console, which displayed characters that look as though they were photographed with all their movements and edited together to make them appear as they were moving in real time. Sonata bore a look of reluctance.
"Eh I don't know. It seems really bloody," said Sonata with a gag as she watched a blue ninja rip the head of another character from his body along with his spine.
"I know," chuckled Aria as she looked at the console and read through the directions that were present on how to play the game.
"Damn, when did video games get this violent?" asked Junior as he scratched his head in surprise.
"I don't know, but it's hardcore!" said Rodan. He took a bit and slid it in the slot and pressed the start button.
"OK Aria, you just need to move that joystick around to select your character. When the cursor is highlighting the character you want, you press the punch button to select him or her," said Rodan as he pointed to the screen. Aria hummed to herself as she analyzed all the characters that were present. She chose the blue ninja, instantly being attached to the character once she had seen him pull a finishing move.
As the game began, Aria proceeded to move the character. She hit the punch button, but the attack was blocked by a blonde woman with a short tank top and green leggings. As Aria continued to hit buttons, the character blocked and dodged each attack. The opponent sent an uppercut towards Aria's character, causing a third of his health to go down. Aria grunted in annoyance as she hunched over the console while staring intensely at the screen. She gasped as her character was defeated.
"It's alright, first time's always tough. But you still got one more round left to beat her. Give it all you got!" said Rainbow. Aria furrowed her brows as she made her character send a couple punches towards her opponent. She then ducked under a kick from the woman and then sent an uppercut. As she prepared to attack again, the woman got back up and sent some kind of energy towards her from her fists. Aria's eyes widened in response as her character was harmed and staggered back. The woman came back strong, sending multiple kicks and then swept the leg of Aria's character.
"Are you kidding?!" said Aria in frustration. With that, Aria was defeated again. She growled in annoyance.
"Tough break," said Junior as he crossed his arms.
"Wait, let me go again! I can beat it this time!" said Aria as she jiggled the joystick around. Rodan shrugged as he popped another bit inside, allowing Aria to start again. As she fought her opponent, she found herself being beaten almost effortlessly.
"Damn it! Are you serious?!" yelled Aria in frustration. The group flinched in response as Aria grumbled while trying to fight back.
"Come on you bitch! I'm gonna- What the fuck?!" shouted Aria, drawing the attention of multiple people in the arcade, even children.
"Ah crap," said Junior with a grimace while people looked at them in disapproval.
"Alright round 2! Yeah, you're gonna get it, you piece of shit!" said Aria as she began to mash buttons.
"Yeah! Yeah! You like that?! I got more for ya!" said Aria as she beaten her opponent for the second round.
"Aria. Aria, calm down," said Rainbow with an uneasy chuckle.
"Nah I got this! Yeah, come on you- What?! That's- Ergh! Fuck off you maggot!!" screamed Aria in frustration as her character was knocked back effortlessly. Junior leaned over to Rodan with a grimace.
"Hey, I'm just gonna go now to the store. See you guys later," said Junior as he began to walk away. However, Rodan grabbed his arm and sent him a pleading expression.
"Take me with you," whispered Rodan. Junior pulled his arm away.
"Nope, you're on your own," said Junior as he briskly walked out of the arcade while Aria raged on the arcade console.
Onyx was sitting in his office with a neutral expression. He remained seated staring out his window, finding the snow to be covering the land around the Alpha base. His eyes stared off to the distance as snow fell to the ground. It was the holiday season, meaning that the troops would be enjoying a bit of R& R for the day assuming that Transmutants didn’t stir trouble. Fortunately, he wouldn't have to worry about that, knowing that Sombra and Thanatos had them under wraps in the far north. He leaned in his seat as he looked at a picture of himself when he was just a boy, with a woman that held an arm around him. He took the picture and stared at the photo. He sighed as he placed it down on the desk.
"It's been so many years since then. So many years since she's been gone," said Onyx as he stared back out the window. He reached into his desk and found a black crystal that had the text, 'Hail to The Crystal Empire'. At the end of the crystal was a chain necklace. This was something he had received many years ago, something that he and others who were loyal to the Shadow's Hand bore.
Many Years Ago...
The sky was dark above. A solemn atmosphere was present as Onyx, as a young boy, stood over a tombstone. There, he read the name of his mother and the date of her birth and death. Onyx lowered his head, lamenting how he lost his mother to a carriage accident. They had said that she went over a hill's cliff when a horse was spooked by something, resulting in her tumbling down the cliff with the carriage. He was an only child, with no father, and only grandparents to look after him. As Onyx mourned his mother, a figure stepped beside him. Onyx turned, finding a figure in a black cloak. This ominous figure looked like Death himself, roaming the grave yard that bore the remains of the souls that he had harvested. Onyx felt as though this creature had come to take him as well.
"Who do you mourn?" asked the figure in a slightly rasped voice. Onyx nearly jumped as the figure spoke to him.
"My... My mother. She died in an accident," answered Onyx in a small tone.
"I see. Unfortunate, dear boy. These things tend to happen," said the figure as he stared at the grave. Onyx deeply frowned as his sniffled.
"But why do they have to happen? Why do people have to die?" asked Onyx.
"One of life's greatest mysteries. The world can be so cruel when it takes those we love away. Some try to play it off as just a natural occurrence that comes with life. They try to find a bright side to it by merely stating that without death, new life can't fully appreciate the world if it is to be overcrowded. But really, death is a cruel tool to have us be submissive," said the figure as he crossed his arms. He glanced at the boy, allowing him to see his wrinkled face and red-orange eyes.
"But it doesn't have to be that way," said the figure. The boy wiped his eyes as he looked at the man in confusion.
"What do you mean?" asked Onyx.
"I am searching for the key to eternal life, my dear boy. The key to living forever, where you never grow old, weak and frail, but where you can live as a strong, young individual. This can stop death itself from reaching us with its cold embrace," said the figure as he held up a hand, producing an aura of dark magic, startling the child.
"Can... Can that really happen?" asked Onyx. The figure nodded with a small smile.
"Yes. There is also the key to restoring the dead," said the figure. Onyx's eyes widened in shock.
"Think about it. The power to return those who have passed on here, restored as if they were never gone. Resurrection and eternal life. Both can be obtained!" said the hooded figure. He then knelt beside the child.
"I would like you to take part in my search," said the figure. Onyx's eyes widened in response.
"What?" asked Onyx.
"Yes. You see, I'm searching for those with great potential in magic to assist me on my quest. I already have some helping, both young and old. I would like you to take part in this grand mission, for I have seen potential in you," said the figure with a smile. He pulled out a sheet of paper out and handed it to Onyx, whose eyes widened.
"These are my grades from magic school," said Onyx.
"I'm impressed, child. You have potential to be a strong wielder at magic and I can help you grow stronger, much like my master has done for me. And together, we can choose when we wish to die and bring back those we hold dear. Perhaps, you already have someone in mind," said the figure as he glanced at the tombstone. Onyx looked back at it as well, and then looked at his grades. He closed his eyes as he thought of his decision. He then opened them, bearing hard eyes.
"What do I call you, teacher?" asked Onyx. The figure smiled from beneath his hood.
"Call me, Master Thanatos," said the figure.
Present Day...
Onyx stared at the black crystal in his hand, staring at it. He closed his eyes as he recalled the times that he met with Thanatos to train during his youth. He learned the arts of dark magic, which Thanatos had learned from King Sombra over a thousand years ago. He had grown strong over the years, but not as strong as his teacher. However, he had taken a career in military affairs. When MONARCH was formed, he eventually worked his way up the ranks, as both a soldier and a strategist thanks to his combat experience earned from following Thanatos and the Shadow's Hand. With this knowledge, he was able to take them and bring them about in a modern way, which MONARCH used to its advantage to supplement its advanced technology. Now, the time for resurrection of the dead was near. Once they opened the portals to the spirit realms, Onyx may possibly be able to bring back his family. All he needed to do was play his part long enough till MONARCH was no longer of use to the Shadow's Hand. Onyx placed the crystal down and looked back outside of the window with a small smile.
It was evening. The Transmutant Four, the Main Six, Sirens, Erika, Sunset and Spike were all present in the lair of the Transmutants, where the main house was. Hearth's Warming decorations were present all around, much nicer compared to the broken lights that the Transmutants had to use the previous year. Junior was sitting beside Twilight as she leaned against him with a cup of punch in her hand. Rodan was conversing with the girls about one of the many adventures that he and the other Transmutants had been on the previous year. Fluttershy huddled next to Angirasu as she bore a look of fear as she listened, while Rainbow bore a look of awe.
"So, this huge sea dragon with flippers and a rocky looking body came out of the ocean, roaring at us with his sharp teeth bared at us!" said Rodan.
"The sirens had drawn the people away from the beach, leaving us to fight the beast in our beast forms! I flew towards the dragon and pecked his eye out!" said Rodan. Rarity gagged while some of the girls bore unnerved expressions.
"Yeesh. Isn't that a bit much?" asked Applejack.
"It's not like I ate it. Besides, he was huge, so we had to make him struggle to fight," said Rodan.
"So, what happened next?" asked Spike as he sat by with a look of interest. Twilight cupped her hands over his ears with a disapproving look shot towards Rodan.
"He's too young to be listening these kinds of stories!" said Twilight. Spike grumbled in annoyance as he crossed his arms while blowing a puff of smoke.
"OK, I'll tone it down to PG audiences. So, we tried to attack him from all around, but his scales were too tough. He was spitting boiling hot water at us as he grew more annoyed! He swung his tail, knocking Mosura from the sky! She was down for the count!" said Rodan as he made dramatic movements. Most of the girls gasped as they heard the story. Mosura bore a look of confusion.
"It's not like I died," said Mosura.
"Shhh! No spoilers!" said Pinkie. Mosura looked at her in confusion while Rodan continued with the story.
"We were throwing everything that we had at him. But then, the dragon ate Gojira whole!" said Rodan. Everyone, excluding the Sirens and Transmutants, gasped in response.
"Yeah, it gets worse," said Junior as he sipped his punch.
"What happened next?" asked Erika.
“Right when Aang is about to take the dragon head on, the dragon starts crying in pain, thrashing in the sand! Then, a blue stream of flames bursts through him!" said Rodan. Gasps erupted from those who were not present on that night.
"It was a stream of concentrated radiation," deadpanned Junior. Twilight bore a look of annoyance as she held her hands over Spike's ears, who remained in a sour mood.
"And out from the dragon's body came Gojira! Soaked in his guts," said Rodan.
"Eew!" the girls all gave sounds of disgust as they looked at Junior with a cringe.
"Hey, think how it was for me to be covered in it while getting some in my mouth. Besides, it was either him or me," said Junior as he crossed his arms. The girls gagged.
"That was the most intense thing that I've ever seen in my life," said Aria as she recalled the night.
"Then what happened?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"Oh. Umm that was when MONARCH showed up the next night," said Rodan. Erika coughed as Sunset bore a small look of discomfort.
"Next, we end up getting into a fight with the Revolutionaries, leading to us all being separated and for Goji to be a one man rescue squad that broke us out of the Vault!" said Rodan.
"Wow. That all sounds intense," said Rainbow.
"Indeed. Everything just seemed so hopeless from what we heard," said Rarity.
"We get by," said Junior with a shrug as he drank his punch. He glanced to the side and found Sunset staring off into space again. As he was distracted, he felt his sleeve being tugged at. Junior looked down and found Spike tugging on his sleeve.
"Hey, what was Mexicolt like? I heard that's where you guys went afterwards," said Spike.
"It was hot and there were a lot of mosquitoes where we were at," deadpanned Junior with a shudder.
Meanwhile, Sunset stood up and made her way over to the bathroom. As she was inside, she slightly stumbled against the wall as her head pounded, causing Sunset to grunt as she clutched her head. Before her, she saw a dark amulet with a red gem in the center, just sitting on the sink. Curious, Sunset reached for it, but it suddenly vanished into thin air, causing Sunset to recoil. She panted as her heart raced as she looked around, finding a statue of a golden dragon remaining perched on the counter. Its green gem in its gem glowed brightly. As Sunset shakily reached for this mysterious object, the dragon suddenly turned its head to face her as it snarled, causing Sunset to yelp and to stumble back, slamming against the wall. She dropped to the ground and moaned in pain as she rubbed the back of her head. As she looked back at the counter, the dragon was gone. She shakily stood up, just as a knock came at the door.
"Sunset, you alright?" called Mosura from the other side.
"Y-Yeah. Just uh... Just a spider in here," said Sunset with a forced laugh. She then heard a frightened gasp from behind the door.
"G-Get rid of it! Get it out!" cried Mosura as the sound of her footsteps fled from the bathroom door. Sunset bore a forced smile in response, but then looked down at the ground in response as she thought back to what she had saw. Lately, she's been having headaches, but now they've seemed to be getting worse and she was even hallucinating. Sunset sighed heavily as she left the bathroom.
Five Days Later...
Sunset found herself alone in a dark void. She nervously stepped through the darkness as she searched for any source of light. Sunset noticed a glint of light in her peripheral vision, where she turned and spotted the same amulet with the red gem. She cautiously stepped over to the amulet that hovered in the air like a phantom, wanting to touch the only source of light in the darkness. However, the amulet was suddenly engulfed in darkness, leaving Sunset in the dark again. She panted as her heart raced in her chest, causing her to frantically look around for light. She began to run through the dark void, with every step that she took began to echo.
The sound of ominous howling filled her ears, sending fear inside of the elf. She began to whimper as she thought she had seen shadowy figures racing through her sight, swarming around her. Sunset stopped and began to look around, finding the shadowy figures flickering in and out of existence as they stared at her with their red eyes. Sunset backed away fearfully, but then she stumbled and fell back. Sunset was on her rear, panting as she began to crawl back from the shadows that were in this void with her.
As she stood up and ran away, Sunset found a soft glimmer of green light, prompting her to sprint towards the light. The source was the golden dragon statue with the green gem in its chest. With it being the only source of light, Sunset lunged for the object, not wanting to be left alone in the darkness again. She fell to the ground with a grunt. Sunset slowly brought the object up to herself to see if it was in her hands. Much to her relief, it was. The emerald in the dragon's chest gave a soft glow of warmth towards Sunset. It was her lantern in the darkness, and she dared not let it go.
However, a shadowy figure stood over Sunset, causing her to shoot her head up. She gasped in fright as she found Sombra standing above her, with his form like a flaming shadow as he stared down at her with red and green eyes. Sunset closed her eyes tightly as she prepared for the shadow elf to grab her and drag her back to his lair, but she instead felt her only source of light taken away.
"Mine," hissed Sombra with a dark chuckle as he took hid the light within his shadowy form, much to Sunset's horror.
"No! No, bring it back!" cried Sunset as Sombra fled from her sight. She heard a demonic chuckle from behind, sending chills down Sunset's spine. She slowly turned around, only to find the demoness of her dreams, bearing a wide wicked smile.
"I'll be your light," said the demoness in a sinister tone. She lunged at Sunset as she gave a shrill shriek, while Sunset screamed in terror.
Sunset shot up, panting. Her eyes watered and her body was drenched in sweat. She trembled in place as her heart pounded in her chest. Sunset looked around, recognizing where she was. She was back in Twilight's library in the guest room. The scholar was kind enough to allow her to stay here with her for a while. Sunset wiped her eyes as she held her head against her knees. The dream was the most bizarre of all. Again, she had seen those mysterious objects. However, there was something about them that seemed to be of great importance. Even Sombra was involved in her dreams, who had taken the gems from her, leaving her in darkness. Then there was that creature that had haunted her.
"What were those things? They have to mean something," said Sunset as she held her head as her heart began to settle. She gave a heavy sigh. She had a feeling that the dream was more important than she would let on. She needed answers, and she needed them now. Sunset shot up out of bed and began to make her way into the main room of the library. There, she found a bunch of books stacked on shelves, waiting to be examined. Sunset hardened her eyes as she levitated a candle over to herself and set it aflame.
It was the next morning. Twilight stirred awake in her bed. She rose up and yawned, stretching her arms. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as she got out of bed and made her way over to her dresser, where she began to comb her hair.
"Time to get up, Spike. We've got a busy day ahead of us," said Twilight. Spike stirred in his basket as he yawned, stretching his stubby limbs. The little drake lazily got out of his basket and fell on the ground with a moan.
"Five more minutes," said Spike with a muffle as his face was planted on the floor.
"If you don't move around Spike, you'll just stay tired," said Twilight as she finished combing her hair. Spike sighed in disappointment as he began to walk down the steps and made his way down stairs, allowing Twilight to get dressed. As she had finished placing her clothes on, Twilight made her way downstairs, only for her eyes to widen at what she saw. In the center of the library, Sunset was sitting on the ground as she looked through the books of the library, levitating them all around herself as she quickly read through them. Sunset was still in her pajamas, and her hair was a mess.
"What the- Spike, what's going on?" asked Twilight.
"How the hay should I know? I tried calling her but she's not answering. Reminds me of those times where you studied for something," said Spike as he glanced at Twilight.
"Except I took my time to read the books." Twilight made her way over to Sunset's side and tapped her shoulder. Sunset gasped as she bore a startled look, resulting in her to drop the books to the ground.
"Sunset, what in Equestria are you doing?" asked Twilight. Sunset gave a heavy sigh, obviously exhausted.
"Sorry. I woke up too early and I couldn't go back to sleep. I thought I'd try looking for something in one of these books since I was up," said Sunset as she rubbed her eyes. Twilight looked at her curiously.
"What were you looking for?" asked Twilight.
"Well... I don't know. I'm not even sure if it exists. You see, last night I had a dream of some kind of amulet. Here, it looked something like this," said Sunset as she quickly levitated a note pad to herself and a pencil, and proceeded to do a quick sketch. After a minute, Sunset showed the sketch to Twilight, who analyzed it carefully.
"Wait, you said you saw this in your dream?" asked Twilight. Sunset nodded in response.
"Yeah. There was also this other object similar, but it was a miniature statue of a dragon with a green gem embedded into it," said Sunset.
"Sunset, this thing in your dream. It looks like the Avatar Amulet!" said Twilight with wide eyes. Sunset looked at her in confusion.
"The what?" asked Sunset. Twilight quickly made her way over to a shelf and began to scan through the spines, looking at their titles. She then pulled out the desired book and turned to the desired page. She then showed the book to Sunset.
"The Avatar Amulet. Recently, an elf named Trixie came to Ponyville and used its power to try to take over the town. The power of this artifact corrupts the user as they continue to use it," said Twilight. Sunset looked at the page and her eyes widened at a depiction of the amulet, which indeed bore a striking resemblance to what she saw in her dream.
"Where is she and where is the amulet now? We gotta find them!" said Sunset in urgency.
"Trixie doesn't have it anymore. We managed to get her to give it up but the Revolutionaries and the elves that kidnapped you took it away," said Twilight. Sunset grunted in frustration.
"Damn it!" said Sunset. She sighed as she held her head, trying to remain calm.
"What about that golden dragon statue that I mentioned? Do you know anything about that?" asked Sunset.
"Well... No, not really. But we can try looking it up," said Twilight. Sunset sighed with a look of worry. Judging by how her dream went, she felt that it wouldn't have mattered on trying to search for the artifact if Sombra had gotten his hands on it. He already had the amulet, yet she couldn't help but feel that there was something very significant about them, besides the amulet granting a boost of power.
"Alright, that sounds good. Listen, I may have to take a rain check. I remembered that I had some errands that I wanted to run," said Sunset as she ran to the guest bedroom.
"Um... OK?" answered Twilight as Sunset emerged a few seconds later, fully dressed and in the process of combing her long crimson hair. She tossed the brush back inside of the room while Spike held out her jacket to her. She took it.
"Thanks, Spike," said Sunset as she ran out of the library, leaving Twilight and Spike alone. The two looked at each other in confusion.
"You think she'll be OK?" asked Spike.
"Yeah. Yeah, but let's keep an eye out for her just in case," said Twilight as she began to pick up the books that were scattered on the ground. She wondered how exactly Sunset knew about the amulet if she had no prior knowledge to it. It didn't make sense for a dream to be what had given her the knowledge of it, but she dismissed it as something that she was familiar with at one point but had forgotten about it. Regardless, she did wonder what she was going on about a golden dragon statue. It sounded like something that would be worth looking into.
Meanwhile, Sunset was walking down the snow-covered streets of Ponyville with a hard expression. She has been having these visions for days now, and it was starting to bug her to no end. It was as though they were prompting her to investigate what was going on. Sunset reached for her sides, feeling a holster that held two pistols. Sunset felt the need to get some answers, and she knew who to ask. Though it won't be easy tracking him, nor will it be safe. It would be wiser to bring back up, but she couldn't ask Junior to help her. This was a problem that she felt that she needed to do. She felt she had no right to ask for his help, despite him forgiving her for her past deeds.
Canterlot...
It has been a couple of hours. Sunset had recently disembarked from a train from Ponyville to Equestria's capital city. She was currently outside of the castle doors, where a couple of guards had stopped her.
"Wait! My name is Sunset Shimmer. I'm Princess Celestia's... former student. I wish to seek an audience with her," said Sunset. The guards glanced at each other, with the older one nodding to the other. One of the guards left and entered the castle. Sunset mentally sighed heavily for coming here, but it was the only lead that she had to be able to find someone who may know more about what she had seen in her dreams. The one who could answer her question wasn't the princess despite what she claimed to the guards. A few moments later, the guard had returned.
"You may enter. The princess shall meet with you in the throne room," said the guard.
"Thank you, sirs," said Sunset. She was escorted through the castle by one of the guards. Funny how she was coming back here after all that has happened. She felt uneasy that her stomach began to turn and her heart raced in her chest. As she was taken to the throne room, she was relieved to see that Celestia was not yet present.
"Please wait here. The princess shall be here shortly," said the guard as he left and closed the door. Sunset sighed as she remained alone in the throne room. She looked around, finding it to have hardly changed. Aside from the newly added stain glass windows depicting Nightmare Moon's and Discord's defeat by the Element Bearers, and the Canterlot wedding, nothing had changed. Sunset began to have nostalgic memories of the throne room, where she was summoned by the princess. The summoning was sometimes different compared to her being given an assignment. She remembered how Celestia called her to just have a conversation with her. Sunset softly smiled to herself as she saw herself standing before Celestia as she descended from her throne to meet with her. Such fond memories that she had long forgotten due to her bitterness. Sunset sighed as she held her arm and looked down solemnly. She then shook her head and furrowed her brows. Now was not the time to dwell on ancient history. She wasn't here to meet her former mentor.
Sunset quickly made her way to the doors of the throne room and peaked outside. She found that no guards were in the hall. Sunset made her way out of the throne room and navigated through these familiar halls, making her way to the statue garden of the castle. It was unlikely that who she was looking for was present here, but it was the only lead that she had. Sunset looked around the area, hoping to find her target. She then sighed.
"Discord! Discord, where are you?! Come out here!" called Sunset. She sighed in frustration as he was no one where in sight.
"Discord!" yelled Sunset. Suddenly, the spirit of chaos spawned in front of her with a white apron on and a chef's hat on. He bore a look of annoyance as he sliced and diced carrots and tossed them into a floating boiling pot.
"Yes, yes. What do you want? I'm in the middle of making lunch," said Discord, closing the pot. His eyes widened as he recognized Sunset and his face turned to interest.
"Oh! Rebecca Shoicet!" said Discord. Sunset looked at him in confusion.
"Who?" asked Sunset.
"Oops. Beg your pardon my dear. Just wanted to see how long the joke can be milked," said Discord as he banished his cooking items. "Now, what brings you here?"
"I need your help. Do you happen to know anything about the Avatar amulet or any item that may be similar?" asked Sunset. Discord hummed in thought as he tapped his chin.
"Meh. It's of no interest to me," said Discord. Sunset sighed.
"So, you don't know or are you just messing with me?" asked Sunset.
"No, I know about it. I just don't care for it," said Discord. Sunset sighed in annoyance.
"But I care about it! Just tell me everything you know about it," said Sunset. Discord groaned.
"Why? It's not like you can use it for yourself or you'll be corrupted by its power. Besides, you got enough power to even rival Celestia herself already," said Discord as he brought up a mirror and showed it to Sunset. She gasped in horror as she saw a reflection of her demonic form. She immediately threw the mirror away and sent Discord a glare.
"That's not why I want know about it! It was taken by those elves that kidnapped me and I keep having visions of it!" said Sunset. Discord rubbed his chin as he looked up in thought.
"Is that right?" asked Discord. He thought that maybe he could have a little fun with the dilemma that the elf was in. He has been bored since Celestia has been keeping a tight leash on him and his use of his powers.
"Yes! I need to know about it!" said Sunset. Discord sighed as he leaned back in the air.
"I don't really enjoy giving exposition on something that requires a lot of detail on weekends. So, I'll just help you find one of those elves, who I'm guessing may know a good amount about the subject to do it for me," said Discord with a yawn. Sunset scoffed in response.
"Wow. Aren't you a lot of help?" said Sunset in a sarcastic tone. Discord licked his lion claw and held it up to the air as he hummed to himself.
"I'm locating the amulet's magical source. When I find it, I will send you to where you can get your answers and maybe snatch it if you want. That's what I would do," said Discord. Sunset crossed her arms.
"How? I just read that the damn thing can only be taken off by the wearer. Besides, it'd be suicide just to go where it is if those elves have it!" said Sunset. Discord shrugged.
"Sounds like an exciting mission. After all, you were a soldier. I see your weapons bulging out of your jacket. You obviously came prepared. Unless you were planning those to use them on me," said Discord. Sunset narrowed her eyes in response. She drew her pistols out and pointed them at Discord, who merely held a deadpanned stare.
"You're coming with me then," said Sunset. Discord snorted as he gave a mocking laugh.
"Do you think you can hurt me with your puny weapons? I'm Discord! Go ahead and shoot me and see how it works out," said Discord. The two held a short staring contest. Sunset sighed in defeat as she lowered her guns.
"OK, you called my bluff. Damn, you really must be stronger than I thought if you didn't even flinch," said Sunset.
"Tell me, why not ask Gojira and Twilight to help you if you're so reluctant to go alone? Or even Celestia?" asked Discord. Sunset sighed heavily as she looked away.
"I... I can't ask them. I've wronged Gojira. He may say that he's forgiven me, but I have no right to ask him to risk his life for something that's my problem. Not to mention that Princess Celestia and I... I can't face her," said Sunset. Discord sighed in exasperation as he rolled his eyes.
"Whatever floats your boat, kid. But there's this thing called, 'talking'. You should try it and save the drama for your mama," said Discord. Sunset looked up back at Discord in surprise. It sounded as if the draconequus was actually giving her advice, despite how much he seems uninterested in directly helping her. Discord tossed a small device with a red button on it to Sunset, who caught it with a look of confusion.
"Here. If things get too hairy for you, just push the big red button and you'll be sent to Ponyville. Don't lose it, because I don't plan on checking on you," said Discord as he checked his claws for dirt. Sunset scowled in response. Discord looked at her in annoyance.
"Hey, you wanted to take this mission on alone. You made your bed, now you sleep in it," said Discord. He then slashed his claws against the air, making a tear in space where a familiar dark temple hall was present. Sunset sighed.
"Fair enough," said Sunset as she hopped in the portal. It then sealed itself shut, leaving Discord alone. As he stretched his limbs, he found Celestia walking towards him as she looked around the garden in confusion.
"Discord, you wouldn't happen to have seen Sunset Shimmer around the castle, have you? My guards informed me that she wanted to see me," said Celestia. Discord shrugged in response.
"I have no idea what you are talking about," said Discord. Celestia looked at him suspiciously.
"Discord, I hope you weren't posing as her for your own amusement," said Celestia. Discord smirked as he looked away.
"Maaaybe..." said Discord. Celestia sighed as she looked at Discord as she crossed her arms and shook his head in disapproval.
"Discord, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't use your chaos magic for stunts as this," said Celestia.
"Goodness gracious, woman! Can't a spirit of chaos have a little fun! You remind me of this buzz kill that I know! Always on my back on when and how I can use my powers!" said Discord as he crossed his arms with a pout. Celestia rolled her eyes in response.
"I know it's in your nature to use your powers, but discipline wouldn't hurt. Also, you need to work on your sensitivity skills," said Celestia with a light frown as she left. Discord watched as she went back inside of the castle, leaving him alone. Discord smirked as he lied back.
"Egad, Celestia. Whatever, if your precious former student survives, that little thought I gave her just might sprout. Maybe then you won't be such a constant downer," said Discord. He could see how much Celestia lamented over the tense relationship that they had due to previous events. Discord didn’t really care about their situation, but he was tired of seeing Celestia's depressed expression during an hour throughout the day. Maybe later, her lighten up mood will give Discord a bit more freedom. Not to mention that Sunset's quest may lead to more interesting things. He then noticed a small figure in the corner of the eye, finding Amber just perched on a statues head.
"You're really awful, you know that?" asked Amber. Discord smirked.
"Amber? Is that you?" asked Discord.
"Do you realize what you've done?" demanded Amber. Discord shrugged.
"Hey, it's going to happen either way. I just sped up the process so we can get it over. It’s like tearing off a like a band aid," said Discord.
"Ugh! Of all of the things that you've- Agh!" groaned Amber in annoyance.
"Aww. What's wrong? You're going to tell daddy?" asked Discord.
"He already knows, you arrogant fiend! You're no better than Attar!" said Amber in disgust. Discord blew a raspberry as he gave a dismissive wave.
"At least I'm reformed," said Discord. Amber scoffed.
"Sometimes, it doesn't seem that way. Watch yourself, Discord, because if you aren't careful, you'll find yourself alone again. Try opening up to the humans," said Amber in a scolding tone. Discord rolled his eyes in response as Amber flew away.
"You always were an annoying brat," said Discord. He then gasped as his eyes widened.
"Oh no, my beef stew!" cried Discord, remembering his lunch that he was cooking.
Meanwhile in the Temple of Shadows
Sunset held out a pistol in her hand as she planted her back against the wall. She took small breaths, able to see them in the cold. Despite it being still winter back home, she was unable to cope with the freezing temperatures of this temple. Sunset began to navigate through the halls as she continued to search for either the amulet, or at least someone that she could demand answers from.
She gasped as she found a group of people approaching, causing Sunset to quickly take cover by a corner. As they passed by, Sunset peeked her head out to search for the coast to be clear. She wouldn't waste her time interrogating these elves for information. They may not even know enough. She needed was someone higher on the chain of command. Sunset continued on her navigation, searching everywhere. Her eyes widened as she spotted a hooded figure sitting alone in a room that bore nothing but a bed. Sunset hid by the corner, watching the figure. She was able to see the side of his face, recognizing him to be Thanatos.
'Perfect,' thought Sunset. She drew out her pistol and sneaked into the room, as Thanatos held his eyes closed as his head faced the wall. Sunset got behind Thanatos and cocked her pistol.
"Don't move," ordered Sunset. Thanatos slowly opened his eyes. He smirked.
"Sunset Shimmer. So, you've came back. Are you here to kill me?" asked Thanatos.
"Maybe. That depends on what you can tell me," said Sunset with a firm expression. Thanatos raised himself up, causing Sunset to flinch and back away.
"I told you not to move!" said Sunset. Thanatos turned to face her with a look of amusement.
"It is rude to not face someone that is speaking to you. Now, what do you want to know, my dear?" asked Thanatos. Sunset slightly trembled in place. She had seen the power of this elf, and she did not want to trifle with a dangerous force, but as long as she kept him at gun point, he wouldn’t do anything stupid. Still, his calm demeanor made her worry. Worse comes to worse, she can escape with the device Discord had given her.
"I want to know about the Avatar Amulet and a statue of a golden dragon with an emerald. I keep having visions of those things in my dreams and while I'm awake. What the hell are they and what do you plan to do with them?" demanded Sunset. Thanatos's eyes slightly widened in surprise. He then chuckled.
"Dreams, you say. Interesting. Very interesting indeed," said Thanatos.
"Start talking!" shouted Sunset.
"The Avatar Amulet and the Arum Dragon are ancient artifacts with great power. However, the artifacts themselves aren't necessarily the source of their power. Rather, it is the gems that are embedded in them," said Thanatos. Sunset looked at him in confusion.
"Gems? What's so significant about them?" asked Sunset.
"Eons ago, six gems were forged, with different aspects of power infused into them. They were known as The Gems of Genesis. These six gems are nearly impossible to find. However, two of them have ended up here on our world. The Avatar Element holds the Gem of Power, and the Arum Dragon holds the Gem of Matter," said Thanatos.
"I've never heard of them," said Sunset. Thanatos chuckled.
"Of course not. They have been lost and are almost unknown to modern civilization, but they are real. The Gem of Power grants the user the ability to enhance their magic or natural abilities while the Gem of Matter can restore matter, or changing it. Gas can be easily changed to liquid, liquid can be altered into solids. Wood can be changed into gold. Water can be turned into wine," said Thanatos. Sunset looked at him in disbelief.
"That's impossible," said Sunset. Thanatos chuckled.
"With the Genesis Gems, nothing is impossible," said Thanatos. Sunset glared at the old man.
"What are you going to do with these gems?" demanded Sunset.
"To awaken the spirits of the dead," said Thanatos. Sunset looked at him in confusion.
"What?"
"The Gems of Genesis are powerful items. A phenomenon occurs once every thousand years, where a dwarf star becomes violet. There have been many that have experience this changed, but only one is growing close enough for us. We planned on using your demonic power, our own dark magic, the power of the dwarf star and the Genesis Gems to open up the gate ways to the spirit worlds. Taratarus and Paradise," said Thanatos. "With them open, we can bring the spirits of the Kaiju to our world, making our allies stronger than ever."
"You people are crazier than I originally thought," said Sunset with a scoff.
"I'm not interested in your ghost stories. I've heard enough. Where are the artifacts?!" demanded Sunset. These gems sounded incredibly dangerous in the wrong hands. It was a good thing she came by, or else these lunatics would cause a great deal of trouble because of their cult's superstition.
"You deny what I say? Yet your very soul is tainted with the spiritual essence of a demon, a supernatural being. There are many things in this world that is far beyond the understanding of either of us, but some of us choose to seek to understand." Thanatos smirked as he immediately vanished from Sunset's sight, who gasped in alarm. She quickly turned around and found Thanatos behind her. She pulled the trigger of her pistol multiple times, but Thanatos had raised a magic shield, blocking the magic bolts from the gun. He then quickly brought down his shield and fired a bolt of non-lethal magic at Sunset, causing her to cry in pain as she dropped the ground, feeling a shocking sensation in her body that caused her motor skills to be weakened. Sunset panted as she reached for her pocket and pulled out the device given to her by Discord. Before she could push the button, Thanatos grabbed it with his magic.
"No!" cried Sunset. Thanatos analyzed the device, able to sense a great deal of magic radiating from it. He smirked.
"My, you must have a powerful ally on your side to come up with this. Unfortunately for you, we will have an army of powerful allies," said Thanatos with a dark laugh as he crushed the device with his magic. Sunset stared at the old man fearfully, regretting her foolishness to come here alone.
The sound of chanting filled the air. The chants that echoed ran across the Badlands. Jagged rocks stood up and trees rotted as they remained in the soil. A large group of members of the cult, 'The Shadow's Hand', had gathered around Sombra's shadowy figure. He turned his gaze up to the night sky, where he the stars illuminated the cosmos. With him was his loyal servant, Thanatos. The two stood by together as they watched the Shadow's Hand members force Sunset Shimmer down to the ground, bounded in black chains. Sombra smirked as he approached her and knelt beside her.
"It is good to see you again, my dear. We could never move on with our plan without your help," said Sombra as he held Sunset's chin up to meet his red eyes. Sunset glared at him and pulled away. Sombra rose to his feet and turned to find his loyalists chanting his name.
"Be silent! Tonight, we unlock the very power that will bring Equestria to its knees to serve the Crystal Empire!" declared Sombra. His followers gave cries of praise to their king, for he would bring glory upon the nation. They were raised in the ways of Dark Magic and in preparation for this day throughout the years. Now, they were going to accomplish what their ancestors yearned to see.
Sombra turned to the side and found his allies, The Transmutant Revolutionaries, standing out in the empty field. He nodded to Destoroyah, the largest and most grotesque of the group. The Transmutant leader nodded back to him and turned to face the dead field. Sombra held up the Avatar Amulet as well as the Aurum Dragon. The red and green gems glowed brightly as well as one particular star above the sky. The star gave off a violet glow, visible to the naked eye. Sombra's hands glowed with dark magic, which began to surge though the magical artifacts. They then burst into sparks, with only the gems remaining. Sombra levitated up the two gems above himself, while Thanatos waved his hands and summoned his dark magic. He placed a hand on Sunset's head and held it firmly. Sunset gasped as she felt a burning sensation in her soul. She grunted in pain as her eyes watered from the intense pain.
"Ahhh!" screamed Sunset as a black aura was emitted from her body and began to swirl up into the air and surround the gems that Sombra had enveloped in his dark magic. Soon, all the cult members fired off beams of Dark Magic towards the gems, which enveloped them and made them to glow brighter. Sombra darkly chuckled as a purple aura came from the corners of his eyes as the white of his eyes glowed green. As all of the dark and demonic power fused with the magical artifacts, Sombra fired a large beam of his own dark magic into the gems, causing them to give a high-pitched screech. The gems suddenly zipped through the air as bright lights.
The Shadow King watched as the gems soared up into the heavens, where they passed the moon itself. The gems traveled with such speed that it merely reached their target in merely thirty Earth seconds. The gems soared towards a violet dwarf star that gave off its beautiful glow that could be seen from nearby planets. As the gems descended onto the surface of the star, a bright flash emitted from the star. It suddenly burst into an explosion, sending out cosmic radiation in a large radius. Two great violet beams bounced back from the dwarf star, but they did not comprise of radiation. The beams sparked as they shot through the cosmos. One beam headed further away from the Earth, extending far throughout the galaxy. It then spiraled into a great vortex, where a bright warm light was emitted. From this vortex, came beast-like spirits that soared through the cosmos and headed towards the planet.
The remaining beam that shot from the destroyed star was headed back for Earth. The beam passed the moon and was seen by many on the Earth's surface, who watched the beam soar across the sky from their homes. The beam forced everyone in the Badlands to shield their eyes from the intense light of the beam, which crashed into a small nearby mountain. The beam scorched a large area at the base of the mountain, revealing massive gates behind the rocks. The gates themselves were like massive stone doors with the carvings of dragon-like serpents coiling wrapping themselves on the pillars that held the gates together. The pillars were jagged, and the stone serpents held their jaws wide open as their forked tongues tuck out. The stone doors of the gates bore chains that kept them from opening, but these very chains began to melt due to the beam that came from the star. The gates were destroyed by the beam, which continued to whiz through, towards a dark world that smelled of death and brimstone.
Meanwhile outside of the gates, Sombra chuckled darkly, which elevated into a full blown maniacal laugh. Sunset stared in horror as ominous moans filled her hearing from the gates. The sound made Sunset feel as though gravity had greatly increased from the fear that she felt as she stared into the darkness passed Tartarus's gates. It reminded her of her horrible nightmares. From the destroyed gates, two transparent beasts emerged, standing at a colossal size. One was that of a three-headed dragon with golden scales.
The creature snarled as it displayed its wings while it gave a cry. Beside the dragon was a demonic looking crustacean-like beast that stood on two powerful legs, with a long pincer tail, two great bat-like wings, a skull-like head with a mouth full of sharp teeth, and a horn upon its head. The beast's small yellow eyes glowed in the night as its form gave an ethereal appearance. The beast gave a screeching roar as it stepped forward, prompting everyone to back away. However, the creature's foot step did not cause the earth to tremble. It was as though it wasn't physically there. Thanatos smirked as he looked down at Sunset, who trembled as she was unable to take her eyes off the titans.
"What was it you said before? You weren't interested in ghost stories? Well, you better start, my dear. You're in one," said Thanatos with a dark chuckle. Sunset continued to stare at the massive spirits as they stared down upon the mortals below. She felt so weak and puny just by being under their gaze. Never had she felt so small in her entire life and she never expected for the supernatural to turn her world upside down.
Ghidorah stepped forward towards the golden three headed dragon with a hard stare. Destoroyah did the same to the kaiju that he recognized to be himself from a past life. The creatures looked down at their reincarnated selves. The dragon roared as it disappeared as sparks and zipped towards Ghidorah, who grunted in pain as he felt the energy course through his entire body. He groaned as he felt the spirit merge itself with his very soul. Destoroyah's past life disappeared into a violet mist, which began to enter his nostrils and mouth, filling his entire being. Destoroyah groaned in agony as he felt the spirit bonding its power with him.
Meanwhile, several more spirits of kaiju descended over to the badlands, flying towards the Transmutants that were reincarnated after them. One by one, they fused with their hosts, infusing their power into them and making them cry out in pain. Megaguirus groaned in agony as she dropped to her knees and clutched her shoulders. Battra held her by her shoulders, struggling to stand the pain himself. Sombra laughed maniacally as more spirits continued to descend from the stars, spreading across the land.
"Yes!! Huaahahaha!!" Sombra's laughter Sunset snapped out of her distracted state and found that the Shadow's Hand was completely distracted by the Transmutants absorbing the spirits of the kaiju. She took the opportunity to use her magic to teleport half a mile away from the area. She would have gone the full mile, but she felt her energy siphoned from Thanatos and Sombra when they took the Genesis gems. So, Sunset decided to make a break for it for the rest of the way. Meanwhile, Thanatos turned and noticed that Sunset was gone. He growled angrily as he looked around.
"Master! The girl has escaped!" said Thanatos. Sombra bore a look of indifference. He then looked to the sky as more spirits descended down to earth.
"Leave her be. We accomplished what we came here for. Besides, soon I will be able to take any bride that I wish when Equestria is down on its knees," said Sombra with a dark smile. The Revolutionaries that were experiencing the pain from the spirits bonding to them suddenly dropped to the ground as the spirits burst out of their bodies, soaring back to the sky. Battra panted in exhaustion as he watched the black moth soar above, along with the rest of the spirits. Meanwhile, Ghidorah's and Destoroyah's spirits nearly burst out of their bodies, but quickly retracted back inside of them. Ghidorah chuckled darkly as he sighed in relief.
"Looks like you wish to remain in the world of the living. Don't worry, for we are one," said Ghidorah as he rubbed his chest. Destoroyah panted as he felt his chest, feeling the spirit completely bonding with his soul, as if nothing was foreign. He chuckled darkly as his eyes slightly glowed yellow. Thanatos stood by Sombra as they both looked up to the sky.
"What of the Genesis Gems, master?" asked Thanatos.
"The cost of using them to open the gates to the spirit worlds was that they would be scattered to a random location. Right now, they may just be drifting passed the stars," said Sombra. He sighed as he turned and walked towards the Revolutionaries.
"A pity. But, we have received a grand gift as a result," said Sombra. He stood before Destoroyah as he raised himself up.
"You will need a few weeks for your souls to fully adjust to the power. However, I can accelerate the process with the power I have left from the Avatar Amulet for only two of you to demonstrate to the world of what's to come," said Sombra. Destoroyah looked down in thought. He was tempted to volunteer himself, but he wished to wait a bit longer until he can command an army of Kaiju with him.
"Sounds like an excellent idea. Rokmutul! Tyrantdactly!" called Destoroyah. From the crowd emerged two male Transmutants that stood at attention. Destoroyah pointed to them.
"You two shall act as the first wave against the humans. I want you both to show them the wrath of the Revolution," said Destoroyah. The two bowed in response.
"It will be done," said Rokmutul, a rounded muscle Transmutant.
"Revolution," said Tyrantdactly, a lanky Transmutant. Sombra raised his hands and shot beams of magic towards the two, causing them to groan in pain. Their bodies began to glow a bright red, lighting up the night.
It was early evening. Junior was standing just outside of Fluttershy's cottage as he looked up at the night sky in silence. Recently, Fluttershy had invited him and the other Transmutants over for dinner for the night. The other Element Bearers were unable to make it, unfortunately. Adagio made her way over to his side and stood by him.
"Hey, what's up? Dinner is ready," said Adagio. Junior gave a small sigh.
"Nothing. Just admiring the night," said Junior as he looked to the stars. He pointed towards the sky as he found a star that caught his eye.
"Hey, you see that star up there? The one that looks violet?" asked Junior. Adagio bore a look of curiosity and looked to where her friend was pointing.
"Oh yeah. That's something you don't see every day," said Adagio with a look of interest.
"Yeah. Twilight's dad mentioned that he was studying this violet dwarf stare. Apparently, it's some kind of unnatural occurrence," said Junior as he crossed his arms.
"Reminds me of old times," said Adagio. Junior chuckled.
"Old times? Adagio, you make it sound like we've gotten old," said Junior. Adagio gave a short laugh in response.
"I just mean back in Saddle Arabia. We hung out under the stars at night. It was nice," said Adagio. Junior smirked.
"But we hated each other then," said Junior. Adagio scoffed as she crossed her arms.
"Only because you were nosy," said Adagio.
"Only because you were suspicious," said Junior in a teasing tone. Adagio rolled her eyes in response.
"Yeah, yeah. Well, after that silly hate relationship we had," said Adagio. The two continued to look up at the starry night sky. Adagio bore a sad smile as she held her throat.
"This would be a great mood for a song, you know," said Adagio in disappointment. Junior sighed.
"I'm sorry. I wish there was something that I could do," said Junior as he lowered his head.
"Well, you kinda kept me strong. I admire how you can press through troubles like it's nothing," said Adagio as she held her hands in her pockets.
"That's nice of you to say," said Junior. Adagio sighed in exasperation as she pulled her hair, causing Junior to raise a brow at her in response.
"Agh! This is killing me! So, I'm just gonna come out and say it!" said Adagio with flushing cheeks. Junior looked at her in confusion at Adagio's sudden flustered state.
"What do you mean?" asked Junior.
"Gojira, I like you. Like, a lot. You're the kinda guy I wouldn't mind if he were to suddenly steal a kiss from me," said Adagio as she crossed her arms and looked away. Junior bore a look of surprise, confusion, and embarrassment.
"W-Wait, what?" asked Junior.
"You heard me. It's your own fault for acting so cool when we got to know each other better and how you sweet talked about my home in the ocean," said Adagio as she crossed her arms and a look of annoyance.
"Sweet ta- I didn't sweet talk anything! You asked me what I thought of the ocean and I just gave my thoughts about it! I didn't even know that you were a Siren until the day after!" said Junior. Adagio placed on a pout lip.
"Foo! Now you're yelling at the girl that confessed her feelings to you? You're so mean!" said Adagio in a fake tone of hurt. Junior rolled his eyes in response.
"Oh, give me a break. It came out of nowhere. Besides, I'm already in a relationship, remember?" asked Junior. Adagio shrugged with a sigh.
"Sadly, I do. Just thought I'd get it off my chest. I did miss you a lot, you know. I'm not one to easily fall for someone," said Adagio. She then smirked as she stepped close to Junior and ran a finger over his chest.
"Hey, if it doesn't work out with little Twilight, I'll be there to catch you on the rebound~." Adagio winked at Junior, who scowled in response. He cleared his throat as he removed Adagio's hand.
"I'm flattered. But please don't try to seduce me," said Junior. Adagio gave a short laugh in response.
"Come on. Fluttershy and Angirasu slaved away on dinner for us and they want us all to try it," said Adagio as she began to wander back to the cottage. As Junior was about to follow her, he suddenly caught sight of a bright light in his peripheral vision. He quickly turned and found the light soaring through the sky as a beam.
"What the hell?" asked Junior. Adagio turned and her eyes widened as she saw the beam of light.
"What is that?" asked Adagio. Junior suddenly felt a tense feeling inside of himself as he watched the beam travel higher into the sky.
"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about it," said Junior. He suddenly saw a bright flash of light in the corner of his eye, prompting Junior to turn and find Amber flying towards him.
"Gojira!" cried Amber.
"Amber? What are you doing here? Do you know what the hell is going on here?" asked Junior. He suddenly noticed the beam of light headed for the violet star, crashing into it. A small flash of light came from the star, much to Junior's shock.
"What in the world-" Junior was interrupted as Amber landed on his shoulder.
"Gojira, it's time. The war has begun," said Amber. Junior's eyes widened.
"No. You don't mean..." Junior stared at the sky in shock as he found figures of light soaring over the land from the stars.
"Wait, what do you know about this? What war?" asked Adagio in confusion.
"Gojira, your soul is ready for the transformation, but you can only change once you have a great amount of natural energy absorbed into your body!" said Amber in urgency.
"Y-You mean like nuclear radiation?" asked Junior, attempting to keep his composure. Everything just seemed to be happening so fast that he began nearly panic.
"Yes, but that won't do! I've had a vision for the first attack in Manehattan, and you must be close. You must be in the Celestial Sea and absorb geothermal energy from the nearest source!" said Amber. Adagio looked back and forth to the Transmutant and fairy in confusion.
"Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?!" demanded Adagio in annoyance.
"No time. Adagio, tell the others that I'm going to be in Manehattan. Something is about to happen," said Junior as he began to run.
"W-Wait! Where are you going?!" called Adagio. She then groaned in frustration as she began to run after the Transmutant, while Amber was left behind.
"Oh boy. Looks like I must be the one to explain things. This will be the final test of your friendship with them, Gojira. How will they see you at the end of what's to come?" asked Amber in worry as she flew into the cottage.