//------------------------------// // Chapter 55: Alone // Story: Shy and Aggressive // by Johng117 //------------------------------// It was early morning in Ponyville High. Adagio Dazzle was giggling to herself as a group of students surrounded her. They were staring at her with longing, and gave her praises of her beauty. She turned to face all of her adoring fans. "Hey, I ought to be going guys. I want to get some last minute studying in," said Adagio. The students gave groans and moans of disappointment. "Sorry. Toodles~!" Adagio left the group of students alone. As she walked, she quickly rushed to the bathroom, where she made her way over to the mirror. She hummed to herself as she looked herself over the mirror. Adagio brushed her fingers through her curly hair. As the girl focused on herself in the mirror, she noticed something moving on the ceiling from her reflection. She turned around, finding nothing. The girl looked around in confusion, but then shrugged. She returned her focus on the mirror, where she continued to check herself over from the reflection. As she adjusted her sweater, Adagio heard quick breathing. Adagio stopped and bore an odd look on her face. She slowly turned as she heard the breathing seemingly to have grown faster "Hello?" called Adagio in confusion as she made her way over to the stall, where the breathing seemed to be coming from. She knocked on the stall door, and the breathing suddenly stopped. "Hey, is someone in there?" asked Adagio as she knelt down and looked under the stall, expecting to find someone's feet. However, nothing was there. Adagio stood back up as she bore a quizzical look. The sound of the bathroom door slamming caused the girl to yelp with a start, causing her to whip around. She was expecting to find someone to be standing at the door, but no one was there. Adagio's heart settled, but an uneasy look was present on her face. "Is someone here?" asked Adagio as she began to look under the stalls that were present. Still, no one else seemed to be present here. The bell suddenly, rang, causing the girl to jump with a start. "Oh shoot," said Adagio as she quickly rushed out of the bathroom with her grip tightened on her back pack's strap. However, the pop star accidentally bumped into someone on her run through the school hall. She grunted as she rubbed her nose. She then stiffened as she found Junior in front of her, who bore a look of surprise. "Oh. Hey, Adagio," greeted Junior. Adagio's expression soured. "Hmph!" Adagio walked past the Transmutant, not even gracing him with a greeting. "Adagio, wait! Come on, let's talk!" said Junior as he turned to find Adagio leaving. But, the girl ignored his calls. Junior sighed heavily. "I bet if I were some handsome looking douche from a shitty boy band, she'd respond," muttered Junior with an annoyed look. "Hey!" called a familiar voice. Junior turned around with a raised brow, finding Rainbow Dash to be standing down the hall with narrowed eyes. Her arms were crossed over her chest. "What?" asked Junior, annoyed with Rainbow's tone and expression. It felt like she was ready to accuse him of something that he didn't do. "You've noticed it, right?" asked Rainbow as she made her way closer to where Junior was standing. "Noticed what?" asked Junior. "That Adagio is using her freaky power," whispered Rainbow. "Oh that? Yeah, I've noticed," said Junior as he adjusted the back pack on his shoulder. "Well?" asked Rainbow with an expectant look. Junior shrugged. "Um... 'Well', what?" asked Junior in confusion. Rainbow scoffed. "Aren't you going to convince her to stop?!" asked Rainbow incredulously. "Me? What the hell am I gonna do?" asked Junior. "Besides, it's not my business." "Yeah it is! Come on, she's making a lot of the boys and girls act all lovey dovey with her. Can't you just tell her to stop? She'd probably listen to you," said Rainbow. Junior sighed in annoyance. "If I can get her to talk to me, I would. I doubt she'd listen," said Junior. Rainbow groaned. "This sucks. We're here trying to keep this stuff a secret but she's going around-" Rainbow grumbled to herself as she left the area. Junior shook his head as he walked off. The cold air howled in the woods. The morning sun hung over, casting its light onto the snow, brightening it up. From under the fallen trees, Xenjira emerged from his hole with the dead wolf. He winced as his muscles and bones continued to ache. The Transmutant began to look at the bizarre crystals that stuck out of his flesh. "What the hell is all of this?" asked Xenjira as he felt a crystal on his shoulder. As he felt it, he began to realize something bizarre. It wasn't like cold, dead stone. Rather, it felt warm, and almost alive. As he lightly pulled on the crystal, he grunted, feeling as though he was pulling on bone. The Transmutant then looked down to find the dead wolf that provided some warmth for him. Its carcass was frozen, along with the bloody wounds. Xenjira brought the wolf close to himself and sank his teeth into it, tearing flesh and fur from the dead beast. His face was stained with blood as he sank his teeth into the wolf. Neighpon. 15 years ago... It was a late noon. Xenjira, at the age of seven, was sitting on a bench as he sank his sharp teeth into an apple. He bore a bright smile as he munched and crunched on the juicy fruit. He sat beside his mother, Kaname Yamashita. The woman bore a warm smile on her face as the child ate. By her was a basket of red apples, as luscious to the human eye as can be. The two wore clothes that were covered in dirt. They were ragged, and they themselves were a bit dirty. As was every other day that they lived. "Good, huh?" asked Kaname as she took and apple herself and began to eat. Xenjira nodded as he gave her a toothy grin, as his lips dripped with the juices from the apple he ate. "Yeah!" said Xenjira as he went back to eating. Kaname chuckled as she ate as well. She then gasped as she heard faint shouting. The woman slightly narrowed her eyes as she quickly stood up. "Uh. Time to split Xen," said Kaname as she gestured for her son to stand with her. The boy immediately stood up as he bore a slight nervous look. The two quickly took off down the sidewalk in the town they were in, passing by pedestrians. From behind them, a man dressed in a white apron, running with a police officer with him. The two continued to rush through the crowd in their way, as Kaname held her son's hand as she pushed through the crowd. Soon, the two made a quick turn into an alley, where they hid behind a dumpster. Kaname remained close to the dumpster, ignoring the foul stench and focused on her hearing. She heard the officer shouting as running steps passed by the alley, where they then disappeared. Kaname sighed in relief. "Mommy," called Xenjira. His expression filled with worry. "Did you steal again?" asked Xenjira. Kaname avoided eye contact with her child as she bore a look of regret. "Stealing is bad, isn't it?" asked Xenjira. "That's right. Mommy just... Has a problem," said Kaname with a heavy sigh. She then ruffled her child's hair. "Let's go home," said Kaname. The two left the alley and cautiously moved through town. This continued on until they came to an apartment. As they came to the door, Kaname quickly tore off a sheet that seemed to have been taped to the door. "Garbage," said Kaname as she cleared her throat. She crushed the sheet into her palm until it was a crumbled ball. The two entered the apartment, where there was a small living space. A kitchen was just next to the living room, which bore two mattresses on the ground. Just on the left was a tiny hall to where the bathroom was present. The two went their separate ways, with Xenjira sitting at the coffee table, where he colored in a coloring book. Kaname made her way to the kitchen, where she sat at the table, uncrumbling the sheet that was on the door. She sighed heavily as she bowed her head and shook it. This was something that Xenjira had noticed lately. Sometimes, he and his mother would be forced to run and hide from an officer or some angry store owner. They would come home, with his mother looking and sounding stressed. Kaname always said that it was a problem she had, but Xenjira was not so gullible. Just by taking in his surroundings, he knew that the issue was much bigger. The boy deeply frowned as he stopped coloring. Kaname made her way over to her son's side and knelt beside him. "I love the colors for the dinosaur," said Kaname with a warm smile. The page in the coloring book depicted a tyrannosaurus roaring, coated with dark red crayon and light dark blue stripes. "Thank you," said Xenjira. The two sat together in a long silence. "I heard you arguing with the land lord yesterday..." said Xenjira. Kaname bit her lip. "Is he gonna kick us out?" asked Xenjira with a sad look. "Oh, honey," said Kaname as she pulled her son close and hugged him. "Don't worry. We're gonna get through this together. Besides, when we get enough money, we can move to Equestria. And who knows. We might find your dad. We can be a full family," said Kaname with a reassuring smile. "I wish he was here," said Xenjira. "I do too. But one day, we'll see him. I know it," said Kaname. "Can you tell me the story on how you met again?" asked Xenjira. Kaname merely smiled. Present... Xenjira remained seated under the fallen trees as the cold air froze him. His eyes were hard as his face was stained with the blood of his meal. The Transmutant sighed as bowed his head until he noticed a buzzing sound. He raised his head and looked around. The buzzing grew louder, but it was impossible to pin point. An object suddenly whizzed through the air in sight, startling the Transmutant. He quickly got up and looked around, tensing. He heard the buzzing again, and through the thick cold air, Xenjira saw saucer-like objects moving through the air. Xenjira quickly broke off into a sprint away from the area. He was breathing hard as his body ached from his pain. All the while he heard high whines and buzzing in the air, hot on his heels. From in front, a saucer suddenly appeared in his way, rushing towards Xenjira's path. From under the miniature saucer, a rod appeared From this rod came a beam of yellow energy that struck Xenjira in the chest. "Agh!!" Xenjira was shot back in the chest by the beam, falling onto his back on the ground. His chest smoked as it bore burns. There were suddenly four saucers circling the Transmutant, taunting him with their glowing rods. Xenjira panted as he clutched his chest. He inhaled deeply as his belly boiled hot. He opened his mouth and spewed forth a blue stream of concentrated radiation, striking the saucers over him and causing them to burn and to disperse. Xenjira quickly lunged for the closest saucer and slammed it on the ground, causing it to buzz and spark from the claws digging into it and impacting a boulder close by. Xenjira grunted as he hid behind a boulder while clutching his chest. He shot up and attempted to spew his atomic breath but all that came was a blue spark and smoke that made him cough violently as he clutched his stomach. He returned to hiding before another saucer slammed into his head. The Transmutant panted as he found the metallic saucer buzz as it swerved passed a nearby tree, rounding about it and making its way back to Xenjira as it fired a beam. He quickly ran away from his cover as the beam scorched the boulder, causing bits of it to break off. The Transmutant made his way deeper into the woods, jumping over logs and rocks, and brushing past snow covered branches. The remaining saucers buzzed as they flew after him, firing the yellow beams at him. Xenjira zipped from side to side as the beams came from behind him, narrowly avoiding the blasts that blasted holes through trees and caused patches of snow to burst. He continued on until he came across a river bed, where ice and snow floated down the cold water. Without thinking, Xenjira dove into the icy cold water, as the saucers hummed as they flew in a circle, searching for the Transmutant. They then began to randomly fire shots into the water, causing bursts in the river and steam. The saucers then quickly flew away from the river, making their way back from where the chase had begun. They made their way over towards a man in a hazmat suit, with a bulbous, metallic case that was covered in black markings. The saucers landed themselves into the slots that decorated the case, causing lights on the case to change blue. The man in the hazmat suit drew out a silver object that briefly flashed and beeped. The figure then turned and walked away from the area. As he made his way through the snow, four figures came his way, clad in white armor. They were armed with bulky guns that were bore glowing yellow lights. Back in the river, Xenjira's neck bore gill flaps that took in the oxygen from the cold water. He remained submerged as he allowed the river the carry him along. He then swam towards the icy land, crawling out as he panted. He shook violently as the water on him froze against his skin. He furiously shook himself, causing the frozen ice to fall off of his skin. The Transmutant felt his burned chest, wincing as the wound was slowly regenerating itself. Xenjira then heard the sound of humming in the air. He turned and found four figures in the air, seemingly floating in midair. "What the-" Xenjira was interrupted as one of the figures aimed their weapon at them, firing a large yellow bolt. Xenjira quickly rolled away as the blast came his way, narrowly avoiding the concussive blast that was caused on the ground. He then found one of the figures dropping behind him, aiming their weapon at his back. The figure fired a barrage of yellow bolts that made a sci-fi esque sound. He cried out in pain as his back was burned severely from the bolts and fell to the ground. The rest of the figures dropped around him with their weapons drawn on him as they approached. Xenjira panted as he looked up to one of them. The figures themselves were tall. They appeared to be around seven feet in height, with oddly shaped helmets on their heads. They were like misshapen ovals that ran in the back, while bearing a more humanoid shape in the front. No face was visible from the helmet, but blue mechanical optics that whirred and focused on the Transmutant, like a camera. The figures were also somewhat lanky, not much of an ideal shape for soldiers. One of the figures spoke. It was a male's voice, speaking in a foreign dialect. Xenjira wasn't able to recognize this language, nor was he able to make comparisons to what he had once heard. One of the figures was speaking to the others, as he raised his weapon and aimed at Xenjira. The Transmutant growled as his body ached. He yelled as his arms sparked and made contact with the ground. Suddenly, crystals shot up out of the snow around Xenjira, creating a spiked crystal wall around him, just in time to catch all of the figures' shots from their weapons. Xenjira heard gasps of shock from the filtered helmets. One of the figures was speaking frantically as he continued to fire at the large crystals that shielded the Transmutant. Xenjira groaned as the crystal structure in his chest sparked and glowed an orange-red color. His body sparked as he raised himself onto his knees, crying out in agony. The crystals on his body and the ones around him began to glow and spark. The crystals then sent a wave of energy that blasted the figures away. Their weapons were destroyed as they burst from the energy that mixed with theirs, and their armor sparked and bore scorch marks. The crystals shattered as they fell apart, revealing Xenjira. The Transmutant stood up, clutching his chest as the white in his eyes became orange, creating a fiery look to his eyes. He stomped over to one of the down figures, who attempted to crawl away. Xenjira then stomped on his chest, crushing the breast plate. The figure groaned as he convulsed under Xenjira's heel. The Transmutant gave ragged breaths. He opened his mouth as the back of his throat began to ignite. A spark of blue flame shot of his throat but quickly dissipated. Xenjira coughed as he clutched his throat before once again inhaling deeply as the crystals on his shoulders began to flash and spark. He opened his mouth wide again and sprayed forth an orange beam, rather than flames. The beam appeared as sparking, twin beams of energy that twirled together. The beam scorched through the figure, who wailed in agony and was quickly silenced as his entire form was incinerated. Xenjira dragged the beam across the snow, scorching the snow and the earth beneath. The rest of the armored figures attempted to flee but they themselves were incinerated as the beams spiraled, twisted, and turned in such an unnatural way. It was as though they were being willed to change their trajectory. The beams scorched through trees, causing them to burn as they fall to the ground. Xenjira stopped and groaned as he clutched his chest, which sparked. He dropped to his knees and gave a loud cry. From outside of the woods, the man with the case stood by in silence. He reached into his pocket and drew out a phone. "Containment has failed," said the man. Discord sat on a chair as he stood staring into a large tank. Inside, the salmon hybrids that were inside had quickly grown. They were the size of adult salmon, which was completely abnormal. Genshiro made his way over to Discord's side as he stared at the creatures with him. "How did they manage to grow this much?" asked Genshiro. "It seems that the splicing has resulted in a mutation that caused them to grow much faster. They may not even be full grown adults considering the couple of months that passed," said Discord as he stood up and adjusted his collar. "You'll notice that their front fins have developed into paw-like structures, with claws. They may have originated from fish, but I am curious to see if their fins can be used for walking," said Discord as he looked to Genshiro with a smirk. Genshiro nodded. Soon, the two were in the room, with chairs and equipment moved to the side. The large tank top was open, and a mechanical arm pulled out one of the hybrids. The creature thrashed about as it hung over the tank, causing water to fall to the ground. The creature made grunting sounds as the mechanical arm whirred and lowered the fish onto the ground. The creature flopped itself against the concrete ground, like a common fish as its glassy, unfocused eyes rolled around. Discord and Genshiro stood by and stepped away from the creature as it flopped on the ground. "We should have placed it somewhere that it can remain moist. Like a small flooded room," said Genshiro. "Ah. But everything is filled up with important equipment and contents!" said Discord in annoyance. Suddenly, this hybrid grunted as it rolled itself onto its belly, opening its jaws as it appeared to be trying to take in water, as its gills flapped. "Oh. It managed to get itself onto its belly," said Discord in an impressed tone. "It won't survive on land for long. We should-" Genshiro trailed off as he watched as the creature stopped opening its mouth and its gills pressed against its neck, remaining flat. Suddenly, its nostrils began to flair, as it gave grunting sounds. The creature began place its fins on the ground as it positioned its short, stubby hind legs to stand. The creature then used its fins to scoot itself forward, sliding against the ground. It began to make its way towards the two men. "Ha! I knew it! It can survive on land! The creature must possess a way to be able to transition from breathing under water to land!" said Discord with a laugh. Genshiro gulped. "Yeah. And now it's coming our way," said Genshiro as he stepped back. The creature snarled as it began to flop itself on the ground and attempted to pick up its speed, baring its small sharp teeth. Discord chuckled as he knelt down. "Ah it's just a little guy," said Discord as he brought his metallic hand towards the creature as it came closer, but found it lunging for his wrist. The creature clamped its jaws down on the metal, causing punctures through the wires exposed by the gaps. Discord quickly yanked his arm away and flung the hybrid across the room, where it crashed into a bucket where chum spilled. The creature then quickly began to feed on the mess. Discord grimaced as he looked at his damaged robotic arm, where the fingers sparked and twitched. "Note to self, keep the fish in the tank," said Discord. Genshiro merely face palmed. During the early noon, the students continued their daily routine. Angirasu sighed heavily as he looked through his locker. From behind him, Rodan came and patted him on the shoulder. "Hey Aang. How ya doing?" asked Rodan. "Meh," said Angirasu as he lazily dug through his locker. Rodan cleared his throat. "So... Pinkie wanted to buy you lunch today to make up for what happened," said Rodan. "No, it's fine," said Angirasu as he continued to switch out books. "OK... But maybe you can tell her yourself? She feels bad about it," said Rodan. Angirasu didn't respond right away as he placed a book into his bag. "Why? She knows, right?" asked Angirasu in annoyance. "Um... No, she doesn't know that you're not mad at her anymore. Hence why you should tell her yourself," said Rodan. Angirasu groaned in exasperation as he slammed his locker closed. "Dude, what's with the attitude?" asked Rodan incredulously. "I'm just tired," said Angirasu. "Yeah? Well you've been pretty moody lately. You used to be real chill. Now you've been getting angry a lot lately," said Rodan. Angirasu looked at him in annoyance. "What's the issue?" asked Rodan. "None of your business," snapped Angirasu. "Hey, I'm just trying to help you out," said Rodan as he narrowed his eyes. "Well, I didn't ask," retorted Angirasu. Rodan scoffed in response. "That's such a 'Gojira' response," said Rodan. "Stop comparing me to him!" said Angirasu as he glared at Rodan. "I'm not, cause he doesn't lose his shit at the drop of a hat like he used to!" said Rodan. Angirasu shoved Rodan back. "Oh? So I'm too angry to be around? Huh?" asked Angirasu as he pushed Rodan back. "Dude, don't push me," said Rodan as he narrowed his eyes. "I'm just trying to look out for you." "God would you all get off my ass?!" shouted Angirasu as he pushed Rodan harder. The red haired Transmutant gritted his teeth and pushed him back. The two began shove each other, drawing everyone's attention in the hall from the arguing and physical contact. Suddenly, Rodan was socked in the nose by Angirasu and stumbled back. He growled as his green irises expanded and his pupils constricted. He grunted as he lunged for Angirasu, who grabbed him by the shirt and used his momentum to slam him into his own locker. Rodan hissed as he quickly kicked his foot against Angirasu's gut, knocking him against the wall. Students began to back away, some in a panic and others with their cell phones drawn out. Rodan panted as he backed away, but Angirasu quickly made his way towards him. Rodan hissed as the Transmutant came close, but was silenced as he was knocked to the ground. Rodan attempted to scurry away but Angirasu stomped on his hand. Rodan gave an inhuman screech of pain, which pierced the ears of students nearby. Angirasu grabbed Rodan and slammed him against the locker. Rodan attempted to free himself by scratching the larger Transmutant's arm but this only provoked him to slam him against the locker harder. Rodan gave pained squeals as he was slammed multiple times, while few students rushed away from the area. From the crowd of students, Eliza emerged. Her expression was filled with horror at what she was witnessing. "Rodan! Somebody please, help him!" cried Eliza as she attempted to force her way through the students. Before the violence could escalate, a couple campus security guards came rushing down the hall. The two came from behind Angirasu and pulled him away from the downed Transmutant. Angirasu grunted as he attempted to pull himself away from them, forcing the security guards to be rough with him. Aiko appeared by their side, dressed in her gym teacher disguise. She quickly jammed a gun-syringe into Angirasu's back, causing him to settle down and put up little resistance as he was hauled away. Students watched the scene as he was hauled away, while Eliza quickly got through the students in her way and made her way over to Rodan. The red haired Transmutant gave hard pants as he lied against the locker, bleeding from his nose and clutching the back of his head. His irises began to shrink, revealing the white in his eyes. "Ow! Ow!" Rodan yelped in pain as Eliza pulled on his nose. The girl bore an analytical look on her face as she pulled more, while Rodan winced and hissed. The two were currently in the nurse's office. Or rather, they were outside of the office, since the nurse was already dealing with those who came here before them. So, Eliza decided to get a jump start on treating the Transmutant. Eliza began to twist the nose. "Hmm. It doesn't seem broken. But it's too swollen for me to confirm. You may need to get it checked out by a doctor," said Eliza. Rodan crinkled his nose with a wince. "Great," said Rodan in a sarcastic manner as he sniffed. "Let me see the back of your head," said Eliza as she adjusted herself in her seat. Rodan turned around as told, revealing the back of his head. Eliza began to inspect his head, finding some bruises and bleeding from scratches. She took a cotton ball with alcohol and proceeded to dab it on the Transmutant. Rodan hissed in pain as his wound was burned. Unbeknownst to the two, Aria was strolling down the hall with her hands in her pockets. The girl quickly doubled back as she saw the two and hid behind the corner of the wall. 'Hmph. I'd bet money that this perv will scare her off,' thought Aria with a smirk. "I can't believe what I saw. What happened?" asked Eliza in confusion. "No clue. He just went nuts and wailed on me. He messed me up bad," said Rodan as he winced from the alcohol burns. "I don't get it. It's not like him to be that aggressive. It has to be because he doesn't have his inhibitor chip," said Rodan. Eliza nodded. "Perhaps..." said Eliza. Rodan softly chuckled. "You know, it's a pretty big pain in the ass to be born with Transmutatism," said Rodan, drawing the girl's attention. "They make us do more in gym class, there's always that asshole that wants to start some kind of race war, and it’s just a straight up pain," said Rodan. He chuckled. "In fact, it might be why I haven't been able to win any girls," said Rodan with a humorous tone. "I bet you if I were human, the ladies would be all over me," said Rodan. Eliza lightly chuckled in response. Aria had to suppress a scoff as she rolled her eyes. She was beginning to think that it was a mistake to eavesdrop on this conversation, at least until Rodan sighed. "But lately, it's gotten kinda tougher, ya know?" said Rodan. "People become more afraid of you when they realize that you don't have anything suppressing the more inhuman traits of us," said Rodan in a neutral tone. "And it's... Kinda scary. Knowing that you've become a walking target for either Purists or the government," said Rodan with a heavy sigh. Eliza's expression softened. Aria was glancing over the corner as she had her arms crossed over her chest, a look of a surprise on her face. She always took this boy as a fool, but despite his carefree and joking nature, he was being quite serious right now. "I'd love to forget my troubles. But it stays in the back of my mind," said Rodan. He then looked to Eliza. "Do you ever feel that way?" "Me? I... Sometimes. Or rather, a lot," said Eliza with a sigh. "What's up?" asked Rodan. "Well... I get homesick," said Eliza. Rodan raised a brow. "Homesick?" "Yes. I'm not from here. I lived with my family up north. But because of financial troubles, they had me live with my cousins. I haven't seen my family for a while. I miss them terribly," said Eliza. "You can always visit, right?" asked Rodan, hoping to cheer the girl up. "No. It's... It's complicated," said Eliza. Aria raised a brow at the girl's response. "How so?" asked Rodan. "My uncle is angry at them. There was an incident that led to them being on bad terms. But I guess he was compassionate enough to take me in," said Eliza. "However, he has been having high expectations of me with my studies. It's stressful and makes me fear disappointing him," said Eliza. "Aw 'Liza," said Rodan with a sympathetic look. "It's worse with Harold and Chris around. They are such workaholics, as you say. If I am just taking a minute relaxing, they berate me for not taking my studies seriously. It's infuriating," said Eliza as she hardened her expression. "I'm sick of all of them." Rodan merely patted the girl on the shoulder as she slumped in her seat. Aria merely bore an inquisitive look on her face as she remained by the wall. If she wanted, this girl could just tell off her cousins so she can unwind once in a while. Aria found it annoying how Eliza would just accept it and just whine to Rodan about it. If it was her, Aria wouldn't stand for it for a minute. And she questioned why this girl would just simply allow her uncle's personal gripes prevent her from seeing her folks. Eliza just seemed too timid and too inactive. That annoyed her to no end. Even to the point that she wanted to rush over there and give her an earful. "Hey, don't let that stop you from doing what you want," said Rodan, catching Aria's attention. Eliza looked at the Transmutant with a curious look. "So your cousins are kinda dicks and your uncle may be pushing you. But you are your own person, 'Liza. If you aren't happy, why not come out with it. Your happiness should matter more to you," said Rodan as he gave Eliza an encouraging look. Aria nodded to herself as she smirked. 'That's the smartest thing I've heard left your mouth' thought Aria. It was as though the Transmutant had read her mind. Though much more calm than what she was thinking. Eliza bit her lip as she looked away. "But what if I'm just being selfish? I have an obligation to move forward on my studies." said Eliza. Aria nearly scoffed at the girl's response. "The fuck?" muttered Aria. She wondered why this girl would feel this way for a shitty family. "Sounds to me that you rarely ask for anything. And who says you're obligated to do these studies? I thought it was your dream to learn," said Rodan in confusion. Eliza slightly stiffened as Aria raised a brow. "I-It is. But of my own free will, if that makes sense," said Eliza with a slight stutter. "You're being forced?" asked Rodan incredulously. "No! Not exactly. It's complicated," said Eliza. Aria bore a suspicious look as Eliza sounded as though she were panicking. "Eliza, you can tell me if something is wrong," said Rodan with a look of concern. "No, it's nothing. I promise," said Eliza. As Rodan bore a reluctant look, she looked to the side. "It's just that this is something very important. But one day, I'll be free to learn and to do as I please," said Eliza. Aria rubbed her chin as she slightly narrowed her eyes. Aria merely left the area, leaving Rodan and Eliza alone. It seemed weird. Eliza was oddly flip flopping in hating her situation in life or being content with it. To be obligated to study something for her family, and to be constantly harassed by her cousins from slacking or even wanting to relax. How she doubled back on her being 'forced' to study. Aria was seeing red flags with that girl. Something was obviously not right at home. As Aria continued through the hallway, lost in her thoughts, she found Chris and Harold to be standing by a locker. Aria quickly stepped back behind a corner as she recognized them. Her eyes narrowed. "What are you monotone freaks really like?" muttered Aria as she watched the two. "I can't stand being here much longer!" said Chris in an infuriated tone. Harold nodded in agreement. "Indeed. The air reeks, and it burns my throat," said Harold with a grunt. "And to think we must remain here until further notice. I tire of the people here with their incompetence. Can you believe that fossil fuels are still relied upon? They have access to nuclear power but fear it to utilize it in masses," said Harold with a scoff. Aria bore a confused look at the boy's rant. "Bah. They're mere savages. They focus on militaristic might rather than enlightenment. They kill and destroy one another instead of unifying like us. The sub humans are no better, and may in fact be worst," said Chris with hard eyes as he drew out a test tube from the chemistry set that sat in the locker. "Sub-humans?" whispered Aria to herself. These rants sounded that of an entitled youth that believed that he knew everything about the world and condemned everyone else. Aria gagged. It sounded like the Transmutants weren’t safe either. 'This must be one of those freaks on the internet that would kill the entire human race to 'save the planet'.' Aria shuddered at the thought. She found those types to be more frightening than any Revolutionary or Purist. At least the two factions planned on keeping some alive that aligned with their own. Chris sounded like he wouldn't spare a single living person if he had such power, though Aria could do without any of these lunatics around. "You know, we might not be able to develop it. We may fail," said Harold. Chris glared at him. "No. We will not fail. There are many kinds of organisms inhabiting the planet. One of them must hold the key," said Chris as he began to drop a blue liquid into a test tube in his locker. "But if we fail, there's a contingency. One of the scientists brought it up," said Harold. "If it can't be developed, we may still be able to save our legacy" said Harold. "How?" questioned Chris. "Interbreeding with them," said Harold. Chris bore a look of disgust. "Never!" shouted Chris, causing Aria to jump with a start. Chris turned to Harold and jabbed a finger against his chest. "I would never taint our gene pool with these... These animals!" said Chris. "It may be our last option. We can't breed with each other! There's not enough of us to sustain a diverse enough gene pool! Our descendants will suffer until there is nothing left!" said Harold. Aria bore a dumbfounded look. "What the hell?" whispered Aria to herself. "I rather us to die out then to lose our pure genetics to them!" said Chris as he jabbed his finger against Harold's chest again. Here, Aria noticed that Chris's index finger to be swollen. It was as though it was something wanting to bulge out from being overstuffed. Aria bore a look of disgust at the deformity. She then began to quietly walk off. "Jesus. Eliza is related to some kind of eugenic freaks. That fucking kid must be a product of relatives loving each other too much," said Aria with an unnerved look. The wounds of Xenjira stung. His back was covered in severe burns. His wounds were in the process of regenerating, where the burned flesh will soon be replace by a new coat. But still, he was far from any known civilization. The Transmutant didn't even know where in the world that he currently was. However, he knew that he couldn't afford to remain in one place as his attackers may well still be on his heels. The Transmutant staggered through the snow and leaned next to a frosted tree. His body grew heavier from the pain that he felt. The Transmutant just wanted to lie down and die so that he wouldn't have to put up with his agony any longer. But his basic instinct of self-preservation urged him to continue on. Aside from that, Xenjira had goals that he still wanted to reach and new ones to add at that. The Transmutant had enough motivation to press on through the pain and cold that tortured him. 14 Years ago. Xenjira was panting as he clutched his sides. His eyes lightly watered as his skin bore a dark, greyish-blue rash-like coating on his arms. His mother, Kaname, was holding the boy close to herself. Her expression was filled with distress for her child, who whimpered in pain. "It's alright, sweety. They're just growing pains," said Kaname. "I hate them," muttered Xenjira. Kaname planted a kiss on his forehead as she rubbed his shoulder in comfort. "Oh I know. But they're just a sign of you becoming a big boy. It won't last, I promise. How's your arms?" asked Kaname. "Itchy," said Xenjira as he scratched at the scales that appeared as patches on his skin. Lately, Kaname noticed that her child seemed to be experiencing pain from his body. He even started sprouting claws from time to time as well as growing patches of scales. It was troubling for her, knowing that this was happening to her child, who was born without an inhibitor chip like herself. Kaname feared her son being seen like this, knowing that no good could come out of it. She sat with him in a tent that was roughly set up, bearing some dirt stains from the outside. A lamp was in the center of the tent by the sleeping bags, offering little light in the dark night. This was their state now after a year. The two were now living in the woods just away from the city but near a small town. It was more the kind that was out in the country area, where mostly miles of wilderness surrounded the region. Farms, houses, and small department buildings and a hospital resided nearby, but the two steered clear from there. They were homeless, because of Kaname's failure to keep up with paying rent in her apartment while simultaneously trying to take care of her child. "You have to sleep it off. Can you do that? Be mommy's strong little man?" asked Kaname. Xenjira lightly nodded with a sniffle. "Yeah." Xenjira got back into his own sleeping bag and was kissed on the forehead by his mother. Kaname caressed his head. "I'll get you something to take care of those soars in the morning, alright?" said Kaname. Xenjira nodded. "Thank you, mom," said Xenjira. Shortly after, the lantern was shut off and the two slept the night away in their tents during the cold night. But during this night, Kaname's eyes shot open as she heard rustling. She shot up and found that Xenjira's sleeping bag was empty. "Xenjira?!" whispered Kaname in a panic. She quickly stumbled out of the tent with a frantic look as she searched around for her son. "Xenjira!" called Kaname. Her stomach dropped from the dread that she was feeling. She then noticed on the ground a trail of wide clawed foot prints. Kaname's expression grew more fearful as the trail began by the tent, leading down through the woods. She quickly followed the tracks with the lantern lighting her way. She heard faint animalistic cries in the air, prompting the woman to pick up her pace. "Xenjira! Xenjira!" called Kaname as she came across the edge of the woods. The tracks went on to where the town was present. Her eyes widened in alarm as she saw a large creature to be standing in a close alley. It was a grayish-blue in color and bore large red eyes. It stood upright at over six feet tall in height and was covered in scales with hardened lava-like textures and formation. Its dorsal plates on its back were stubby, along with the rest of the proportions of the creature. The creature was digging through an open dumpster in the alley, causing a ruckus in the night. Kaname pulled her hair in panic as she looked around, finding lights of nearby buildings beginning to turn on. The woman quickly rushed down to the alley and forcefully pushed the creature into the shadows. The creature gave grunts and yips like a pup as it stumbled into the darkness with Kaname, as a couple of residents peeked their head out of their windows, looking for the source of the sound. Kaname held the creature's muzzle close against her chest as she took calm breaths, while the creature attempted to pull itself away. Kaname tightened her hold around the creature's neck with a glare. "You stop that, mister!" hissed Kaname as her irises became more reptilian. The creature gave a small whimper as it relaxed. As the few nosy residents closed their windows and returned to their slumber, Kaname relaxed as she released the creature. "Xen, honey, we need to be quiet. Let's go back to bed," whispered Kaname as she attempted to usher the creature out of the alley. Xenjira merely grunted as he remained close to the dumpster. Kaname sighed in frustration as she got behind the reptile and began to push him. However, Xenjira merely stood his ground as he swung his weight against his mother, causing her to fall on her rear. Kaname hardened her expression. She stood up as her face grew light traces of scales as she bared her teeth, which had grown sharp like a predator's. She gave a throaty growl that caused Xenjira to shrink and whimper. Kaname stomped close to him as her growl picked up volume, causing Xenjira to crouch with his head hidden beneath his chest. The young Transmutant raised his head slightly and began to waddle out of the alley with Kaname walking close by his side, having displayed her parental dominance. The two quickly retreated from the open street and headed for the dark forest that housed them. However, a woman was hiding behind a wall in shock and horror as she watched the two. She stumbled away from the wall and ran. It was the next day. Kaname was busy sweeping dirt onto the wide tracks that covered the ground. She was breathing anxiously as she quickly swept the dirt to hide the foot prints that were left behind the previous night. "It's OK. No one saw us. Just hide the evidence," said Kaname to herself as she finished hiding the tracks. She quickly ditched the broom into nearby bushes, and anxiously walked in circles. "We can't stay here. We gotta leave as soon as possible," said Kaname to herself. While she was fairly certain that no one saw her and her son from the previous night, it was still an issue that needed to be noted. What happened to her son the previous night was something that would surely put them at risk. Kaname peeked inside of the tent and found Xenjira to be lying in his sleeping bag, with a pair of fresh clean clothes to be folded right next to him for when he awakens. Kaname knew that what happened was a part of Transmutant's life when growing up, at least those who never had an inhibitor chip. It was essentially another symptom of puberty common for Transmutants. They would experience a surge of animal instincts take over. This would include random transformations. Kaname knew that what occurred last night could have turned out a lot worse. If word had gotten out about what happened, she would surely be locked away and possibly along with her son. The Neighponese government was strict to the point of aborting infants in the womb from the result of being conceived by a human and Transmutant. Not to mention the social stigma against Transmutants in the nation. It was considerably worse off here than in Equestria, from what Kaname had heard, hence why she needed to get herself and her son out of Neighpon. Beyond this island that she called home all of her life, there was Equestria, where she may be able to save her son. Kaname rushed inside of the tent with her son stirring awake. The child stretched as Kaname drew out a coat as she grabbed a bag. "Sweetie, we're going to be busy today. I need you to get and get dressed," said Kaname. Xenjira gasped as he held the blanket over himself. His face was red with embarrassment as he looked away from his mother. "W-Why am I naked?!" asked Xenjira. "I'll explain everything later, sweetie. But right now, we need to get some supplies. We're leaving," said Kaname as she quickly stepped out of the tent with a couple of empty bags in her arms. Her son looked at her in confusion. "Where are we going?" asked Xenjira. "We're going to find your father," answered Kaname. A group of men were gathered together over a table. They were looking through a map together as the air in the room was filled with smoke from a cigarette. On the neck of one of the men was a tattoo that bore inked skull with a DNA helix on the forehead. This man pointed to the map, where a harbor was depicted. "Right here is where the cargo will be unloaded. We need to locate a container with the matching I.D. We should find the supplies provided from the States," said the man as he blew a puff of smoke into the air. "So are we gonna need a truck or are vans an option?" questioned the other man. "No vans. We're going to be using a truck from the Uehara gang. In case we get compromised, the police can't trace anything back to us," said the leader of the group. "Heh. Better for crooks to take the fall than for our own," said a younger man with a shaved head. Another man looked to him with a raised brow. "We're helping smuggle weapons into the country. I think we kinda fit the bill," said the man. "Shut up. We at least are contributing to the betterment of the human race. The Yakuza do not," retorted the bald Purist. The tattooed Purist crossed his arms with an annoyed sigh. "Enough. We'll need to take fire arms as a precaution. Silencers are required to reduce the chance of drawing more attention in case things go south. Are there-" The Purist was interrupted as a man came barging into the room, panting. "Kenji, we got a problem," said the man as he focused his eyes on the tattooed Purist. "Can it wait? We're in the middle of something," deadpanned the man with the shaved head. "One of our guy's sister apparently spotted two Transmutants. One of them was transformed," said the man with a pant. The rest of the men, excluding the tattooed Purist, bore looks of shock. "Oh shit," said the shaved Purist. Kenji crossed his arms as his expression hardened. "Change of plans. Some of us aren't going to be participating in the smuggling," said Kenji as he reached for the pistol lying on the table, and placed a clip inside. "If we have Muties able to transform in the area, then we can't ignore them," said Kenji with a hard expression. Kaname was lying in her sleeping bed, breathing softly. A clock sat beside her set to awaken her and her son very early in the morning. In the corner of the sleeping bag were a couple of bags that were packed with food and a change of clothes. This was all set up for when they would leave Neighpon and head off to the United States of Equestria. They would have done so earlier from the evening, but Xenjira had grown too tired from rushing to gather as much supplies they could snatch. This had led to a couple of chases unfortunately. So they were resting for the night, but would be moving out right when the clock rang. Kaname was dreading sleeping for the night given the incident from before, but right now, her sleep was currently blissful. However, her eyes immediately shot open. Her heart beat quickened as her ears picked up the sound of a distant vehicle stopping. She quickly got up, fully dressed in casual clothes. Kaname quietly made her way out of the tent and hide among the bushes. She crouched as she sneaked through the woods, spotting a van just near the dirt road leading into the woods. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw that these men were wearing skull masks, with DNA helix's on the foreheads. "No..." whispered Kaname to herself in dread. "Are you sure that she saw them heading in here?" asked one of the Purists as he looked to another man, who loaded up a rifle. "Positive," answered the second Purist. "Move out. The faster we take 'em out, the safer the town is," said Kenji as he led the group. Kaname quickly retreated from whence she came. As she did this, the bushes rustled a bit. Kenji noticed this and slowly glanced to the further side of the woods, where he saw the bushes briefly move in the darkness. Meanwhile, Kaname was running with all of the speed that she could muster. Not a care or worry of running into something deterred her. The real danger was behind her. Kaname quickly made her way over to where the tent was hidden and got inside. She shook Xenjira. "Xenny! Xenny, wake up!" said Kaname. Her son gasped as he shot up awake. His eyes were crusted but were wide and alert. "Wha-What's wrong?" asked Xenjira. Kaname handed him his bag as she took her own. "We need to go, right now. There are some bad people out there looking for us," said Kaname as she ushered her son out of the tent. The boy stumbled out, growing nervous as he saw how erratic that his mother was behaving. She was pale as a ghost and shook like a leaf. Her hands were all clammy as she held Xenjira's. The two quickly ran away from the camp site. Suddenly, a loud digital buzz filled the air. Kaname's eyes widened in horror as she looked back at the tent, where the alarm clock was going off. "Over here!" Kenji's voice echoed out into the dark woods. "Go! Go!" whispered Kaname as she ran with her son. The two rushed through the woods, passing through bushes and uprooted trees that were in their path. The sound of gun fire filled the air. They ducked as a stream of bullets penetrated a couple of nearby trees. Xenjira whimpered in panic as her mother pulled him along. "Keep running!" said Kaname in desperation. The two continued to flee from the Purists that pursued and continued to fire their weapons at them. The two Transmutants were forced to try and maneuver any way that they could to avoid being shot, but this only caused them to slow down as they back tracked from spots that made them easy targets. As they passed by a tree, Kaname quickly stopped and rushed to the tree as she released her son's hand. "Mama!" cried Xenjira. "Stay back!" said Kaname as she pressed against the tree. Her skin grew some scales as the muscles in her body began to slightly expand and harden. Her irises expanded as she growled. Kaname pushed the large, old tree as it creaked. It was uprooted and fell over in the path of the approaching Purists. The humans gave panicked cries as they dispersed to avoid being crushed. Kaname quickly took her son's hand and continued to run with him away from the area. The two arrived at a clearing, where a river was present. Kaname gasped as she saw open water at the furthest end of the river, leading to the ocean, but she heard the distant shouts from the approaching Purists. Then, she saw a small wooden building sat by the edge of where the river lied, hidden among the trees and bushes, and looking as though it had been taken over by nature through the years. The two Transmutants made their way over to the house and entered. It was dark, and reeked of a foul stench. Inside there was a desk covered in webs and dirt. Buckets lied scattered, labeled as 'bait'. There were even some abandoned poles around here. Kaname took her son by his shoulders with a firm look. "Xenjira, I need you to stay here. Alright?" said Kaname. Her son bore a panicked look as he was breathing quickly. "Wh-What are you gonna do?" whimpered Xenjira. "I'm gonna take care of them. We can't keep running forever. We can't risk running to the open water with their distance. We could be shot. That's why I'm going to get rid of them," said Kaname as she planted her forehead against her son's. "I love you, son," whispered Kaname as she broke off from Xenjira. "Mama, no!" cried Xenjira as his mother rushed out of the door and closed it. She quickly yanked a chair that was sitting on the porch and propped it under the doorknob, preventing her son from opening it. Kaname hardened her eyes as she sneaked into the bushes and made her way from the house, as the Purists were making their way near the river. Xenjira panted with fear as he attempted to open the door. His mother was all alone out there. He couldn't let her go and do something so stupid, but he gasped as he heard shouts. He rushed to a window and found his mother disappearing through bushes, while lunging for one of the men and slashing at his throat with her claws. She snarled as she drew a rock and hurled it at the head of another Purist. She quickly retreated as Kenji turned and began to fire his weapon at her. Kaname panted as she clutched her bleeding arm, having caught a bullet. Her eyes changed and her skin began to harden and darken. She then appeared from her cover and lunged for Kenji, pinning him to the ground. The Purist grunted as his rifle fired wildly as Kaname pinned him to the ground, snapping her jaws at him. Xenjira panted as he watched his mother attempt to bite the Purist. He noticed how his mother appeared to be changing a bit in shape, with her body slightly increasing in mass. Kaname gave animal-like snarls as her jaws came closer to reaching him. Her increasing size and change in physiology was crushing Kenji. The Purist struggled to hold his empty rifle against Kaname as he used his free hand to reach for his side, as the Transmutant crushed him under her increasing weight. He then drew out a side arm and aimed at the side of Kaname's head, as her face was transitioning into a reptilian snout. Xenjira flinched as he heard a gunshot. He stared at the window as his mother had Kenji pinned to the ground. Kaname then slumped and fell on top of Kenji. The Purist panted as his shoulder bled from a scratch. He pushed Kaname off of himself and staggered onto his feet. Xenjira's eyes were wide as he watched as his mother lied lifelessly at Kenji's feet. The Purist panted as he removed his mask, revealing his bruised and scratched face from the tree falling on him. He looked down at his dead comrades as they lied on the ground. "Damn," said Kenji as he held his shoulder. He looked around, expecting to find the second Transmutant that they were pursuing, but he wasn't in sight. Xenjira was safe in the cabin that was hidden among the bushes and trees in the dark night, having a clear look at the man's face. Kenji staggered off as he held his mask and quickly ran back into the woods, away from the dead. Xenjira pushed on the window, causing it to open. His eyes were blank as he climbed out, dropping to the ground. He quickly got up as he ran over to his mother, who lied on the ground. He knelt beside her and grunted as he attempted to turn her over. His eyes were wide as he backed away. His mother lied lifelessly with her eyes staring up in the air. Her face and body was stuck in a state of transitioning from a human to a beast. She was still fairly humanoid, but her face and neck was partially changed as her body had mass slightly built. Her blood stained the ground as she lied on the ground dead. Xenjira dropped to his knees as he broke into a sob. His sob echoed out into the night as his skin hardened into scales and his irises expanded. He clung to his mother and cried. Present Day Xenjira was panting as he stumbled through the freezing wilderness. He soon found himself entering a dark cave, bearing some shelter from the freezing cold. He dropped to his knees on the dirt ground as he coughed up blood. He spat on the ground and clutched his body that was experiencing such agonizing pain. He lied himself in the dirt as he panted. His eyes grew heavy as his wounds slightly sealed themselves. He closed his eyes briefly as he took calming breathes. He suddenly felt a soft, warm hand brushing against his head. Xenjira opened his tired his eyes, finding Kaname to be kneeling before him. "Mother..." said Xenjira. Kaname gave him a warm smile as she caressed Xenjira's face. The Transmutant closed his eyes with a sigh as he cracked a small smile. The warmth of her hand was like a camp fire, providing warmth in the cold. He reached out to touch her shoulder as he opened his eyes, but then he saw that Kaname was gone. Xenjira retracted his hand, feeling the cold still on him. He breathed softly as he looked to the ground. His breathing grew sharp as his expression hardened. Xenjira slammed his fist on the ground several times as he gritted his teeth until his gums bleed. "Aah!!" Xenjira yelled angrily as he held his face. He then heard a grunt. From the back of the cave, a burly bear grunted as it emerged from the shadows, bellowing in anger. It began to approach as it snarled, while Xenjira immediately shot up and slammed into the beast. Xenjira punched the beast in the face as it attempted to bite him. The Transmutant grunted as he punched the creature with all of his might, breaking bone and knocking out teeth. Xenjira panted as tears ran down his enraged face. He drew claws out and gave a savage cry as he began to slash at the animal. The bear's cries ceased as it lied slumped on the ground as Xenjira continued to slash at it. Xenjira continued to grunt as blood stained his body. Soon, the bear's head was an unrecognizable mess, with Xenjira falling off and onto the ground. He began to sob to himself as he held his hand over his face. His cries echoed out throughout the cave, faintly heard from outside.