//------------------------------// // Chapter 71: G-Fest // Story: Shy and Aggressive // by Johng117 //------------------------------// The air was chilling on this evening. Rodan was pacing about anxiously. His hands were clammy from the stress that he was under. Meanwhile, Fluttershy and Mosura were sitting on the sidewalk as Junior leaned against the wall of a building, his arms crossed. Junior could feel himself growing a bit stressed himself just by watching Rodan pace around. But he couldn't fault him. Junior looked at his phone, searching through the web. He found an updated article that was keeping tabs on the invasion, the best a journalist could at least. So far it seemed that the invaders' ships were all brought down, ending their air supremacy against the Equestrian air force "They're here!" said Fluttershy, jumping to her feet. The group turned and found the rest of the Main 7 to be making their way from a street corner. "Finally!" said Rodan in exasperation. "Hey, you guys saw the news? We're being invaded!" exclaimed Rainbow. "And here I was hoping that I could throw a 'Welcome to Earth' Party!" said Pinkie in disappointment. "Well apparently we might have just stopped it," said Junior as he held up his phone. "I still can't believe it. It's crazy how we just had a conversation about this recently," said Sunset, looking to be disoriented. Junior could see that she seemed to be a bit rattled. In fact, all of the girls were. But that's expected considering the events. "What's going on? Why did you call for us?" asked Twilight. "Hold on, not everyone is here yet," said Junior. He looked ahead and found three familiar girls approaching. The Dazzlings approached, with Aria waving. "What are they doing here?" asked Rainbow in annoyance. "Play nice," said Junior. He made his way to Aria. "Thanks for coming," said Junior. "Yeah. What the hell's going on? I think we should be packing food and stuff. You do know there's an invasion right?" asked Aria, pointing to a van, where a man was frantically placing groceries and other items into the van. "The military has that under control. Right now a friend is in trouble," said Junior. Sonata perked up. "Aangie?" asked Sonata. Junior raised a brow at her. "No. I meant Eliza," said Junior. Sonata shrunk back. "Oh..." said Sonata in a disheartened tone. Junior couldn't help but feel some discomfort welling up inside as he noticed the Dazzlings seeming a bit gloomy. "Did something happened with Aang?" asked Junior worriedly. Sonata was about to answer but Aria quickly stepped in front of her. "Don't worry about that. You mentioned the weird girl right?" asked Aria. "What happened with Eliza?" asked Twilight. Junior turned to Rodan. "Want me to tell them or-" "Eliza's actually an alien and was trying to save her race by using Gojira's DNA but now she's mutated into some kind of monster!" said Rodan quickly. Junior was taken aback while the rest of the teens bore shocked and confused looks. "W-Wait, hold up. I think I just had a stroke," said Rainbow as she shook her head. "Wait, as in the aliens invading now?!" asked Applejack incredulously. "But she turned on them! She gave the government information on their technology!" said Rodan frantically. He couldn't lose them on helping him find Eliza. He was sweating more as he trembled in panic. Junior placed a hand on his shoulder and patted his back. "It's alright buddy," said Junior as Rodan began to calm his breathing. Aria's brows raised. "I thought something was up with her. Hell, her cousins seemed weird too!" said Aria. "She always seemed unusual compared to most girls," said Rarity. "So all this time... Eliza was an outsider," said Sunset, looking to Junior. The boy looked away. Why was he looking away? This thought crossed his mind. "She said that they were studying Gojira's DNA to figure a way to regenerate themselves. They succeeded, but it turns out that it was mutating her. Now she's on the loose with MONARCH on her tail," said Mosura. Junior clenched his fist. Again, he felt a growing weight on his shoulders. "We have to find her and stop her. Before she turned, Eliza managed to create a serum that can wipe out her alien genes and keep the human and mutant genes inside to help her," said Fluttershy. "Wait, why would she want to wipe away the alien part of her?" asked Adagio. "For one, she can't survive in our atmosphere. That's what this whole invasion is about. Second, my genes are apparently rebelling inside her body and are trying to convert her into something. She thinks that if she gets rid of her alien genes, she can live life like one of us," said Junior. "This is a lot to take in," said Rainbow. Rodan looked to the girls pleadingly. "Guys, please. She needs our help. I can't lose her," said Rodan. The teens all looked to each other, as Rodan bore a desperate look on his face. "Let's do it. That's what friends are for," said Twilight with a nod and determined smile. "Yeah! Let's go save Rodan's girlfriend!" cheered Pinkie. Rodan forced out an embarrassed chuckle. "We'll need to be careful. Her mutation has made her dangerous," said Mosura. "We should split up into groups. Whoever finds her first has to call the rest of us. Together, we can use our abilities to slow her down," said Twilight. Junior held the vial that contained the cleansing serum in his hand. "I don't think we can penetrate her hide with a needle. We might have to force her to drink it," said Junior. "Her hide? What the hell did she turn into?" asked Aria. Erika was sitting alone outside of the lair of the Guardians in silence. She stared up at the sky as the moonlight shone down upon the chasm that she was in. She sighed to herself as she held her cold arms. She felt a blanket draped over her shoulders. She turned and found Thorn and Zip to be standing over her. "You looked cold," said Zip with a friendly smile. Erika cleared her throat as she held the blanket over her shoulders, allowing it to drape around her legs. The two girls took a seat beside her. "You know, I can't help but envy you," said Zip. Erika glanced at her. "I mean, you have friends that care a lot about you. You get to see them every day," said Zip. Erika sighed. "I guess. But there's no place for me there anymore," said Erika as she lowered her chin to her knees. "Says who?" scoffed Thorn. Erika glanced at her. "Don't tell me that you're still hung up about being a Transmutant," said Thorn in annoyance. "Why shouldn't I? It's nothing but pain for us," said Erika with a huff. "Pain? Erika, life's a pain," said Thorn, standing up. She walked around, gesturing to the chasm. "Living here in a cave is a pain. Being isolated is a pain. Hell, despair is a pain!" said Thorn. Erika raised herself, taken aback by the girl's tone. "Listen, I'll take a lifetime of people hating me because I'm a mutant and having the chance to live a life with people I love, than to be sulking here alone and feeling sorry for myself," said Thorn. "You wouldn't say that if you experienced it," said Erika with a scoff. "Wanna bet? All I know is that nothing goes smoothly in this world. It's full of ups and downs," said Thorn in annoyance. "She's right, Erika. You can't just despair when things get hard. If you do, then how are you going to move forward?" asked Zip. Erika's eyes slightly widened. 'Move forward...' a familiar voice filled Erika's memory. "I see..." said Erika. She slowly stood up, with the blanket falling off of her shoulders. Erika had a blank expression on her face as she stared at the ground. "Erika?" called Thorn. "I have somewhere that I need to be," said Erika as she began to walk off. "W-Wait, you shouldn't leave! It's late!" said Zip in alarm. "It's fine..." Erika began to move on. Later, the girl found herself strolling through the forest in silence. Not a change in her blank expression, nor the change of pace of her heart rate. She ignored the chilling air that nipped at her skin and blew against her hair and her mind began to wander. Erika found herself standing in a hospital room. Her eyes were welling with tears. Before her was her father, sitting on a chair right next to a hospital bed. In the bed lied a woman with long beautiful hair, green like the Earth. The woman was pale, sickly, and looked to have been withering away. It seemed that every passing day, she grew worse. The heart monitor nagged her, reminding her of the tragedy known as mortality. "Erika... Come here," said the woman. The girl approached, sniffling. The woman gave her a warm, loving smile. "You look so beautiful..." said the woman, her voice soft and tired. Erika wept as her mother caressed her cheek. "You promised that you'd be coming home. You promised!" cried Erika, her tears flowing down her cheeks. "I know. I'm sorry. But don't worry. They said I might be able to come home in a couple of days," said the woman reassuringly. "Mama... What if..." Erika stuttered as she shed more tears. "You have to have faith, Erika. Don't despair. It won't change anything," said the woman as she ran her fingers through Erika's hair. "But mom... What if you die?" asked Erika. "Erika, don't think of it being gone forever. Think of me being in another room," said the woman as she held Erika's hand. A soft smile was on her face. "That's what Heaven is, Erika. It's what God promised," said the woman. Erika sniffled as she nodded. "I want you both to remember something," said the woman, looking to Genshiro, whose eyes burned with his own tears. The woman took both of their hands and held them firmly. "No matter what happens, don't despair. Always move forward. It'll be hard, but you can do it," said the woman softly. Erika sniffled as she nodded. The woman turned to the side of the bed and pointed to the side. "Genshiro... Can you take the head off of one of those roses for me?" asked the woman. Genshiro took a rose from the glass vase that sat by. He grabbed it by the base of the head and the tip of the stem. With a careful twist, he tore the rose head off and handed it to his wife. "Erika, come here," said the woman. Erika stepped forward. The woman took the rose head and took a clip. From the back of the rose head, she placed the clip on and began to clip it onto Erika's hair. She smiled warmly. "My little rose, could you sing to me? Like you do in Church," said the woman. Erika nodded as she took a breath. Erika found herself walking out of the Everfree forest, snapping out of her memory. She continued to walk on through the blistering cold as her expression remained blank as she walked on. She began to make her way into town, ignoring any cars that were driving off, filled with supplies and luggage. The girl soon stopped, looking up at a church. The girl made her way towards it and pushed the doors open. It seemed that it was left unlocked. However, Erika did not question this. The girl walked down the aisle and to the altar, where she found a cross to be standing in the back. Erika stood still, the air silent. She found the empty seats all around her. Erika ran a hand over one of the pews, feeling the smooth oak against her palm. She closed her eyes and opened them, finding a lonely coffin to be lying in the center of the church. She remembered such a coffin. Erika stared, her expression not changing. "Could you sing to me?" The woman's voice echoed. Erika took a breath. "Amazing Grace, How sweet the sound~ . That saved a wretch like me~. I once was lost, but now am found~. T'was blind but now I see~." Erika sang. Her eyes began to shed tears. Her voice echoed throughout the church. "T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear~. And Grace, my fears relieved~. How precious did that grace appear~. The hour I first believed~," sang Erika. She dropped to her knees, allowing her tears to drop down to the red rug on the floor. She wept to herself. "Lord, help me..." whimpered Erika. Inoue was sweating as she held her rifle tightly. She and the squad that she found herself stuck with were moving through an empty park. The chilling air howled and their boots rustled the grass beneath their soles. The young woman's heart was beating like a drum in her chest. "Stay sharp. This thing could be anywhere," said the C.O. The soldiers continued to move in their formation, with a couple of soldiers watching the rear and the others scanning their surroundings. Their rifles' lights shone through the darkness, illuminating their line of sight. The group noticed that the lampposts were knocked over, leaving the entire park in darkness. Trees stood tall, ominous in the darkness and putting the soldiers on edge, including Inoue. The air was filled with heavy thuds, prompting the soldiers to frantically look around. "What was that?!" exclaimed a soldier. "Steady! Keep your pants, Jones!" said the C.O. The soldiers began to search the area, their lights moving through the area. Inoue was trembling as she was panting. She could make out the faint sounds of grunting and heavy footsteps. They seemed to get closer, while also growing further away. It was hard to make out where the target was. "The damn thing is messing with us!" said another soldier. "Everyone hold your fire," said the C.O. in a calm tone. The air was filled with the panicked pants of the soldiers, along with the rustling of grass and their armor. Inoue could swear that she could hear the pounding hearts of her comrades. "Hit the deck!" cried a soldier. A merry go round suddenly came flying towards the squad from the darkness. The soldiers all dove for cover, as the merry go round slammed into the earth. The soldiers shot up, hearing heavy foot steps to be rapidly approaching. "Weapons free! Fire!!" shouted the C.O. The soldiers began to raise their rifles to where the merry go round was thrown from. They began to fire off their weapons. The muzzle flashes from the barrels of their rifles illuminated the night. They found the mutated Millenian to be charging towards them. The flashes gave the beast an almost ghost-like appearance, distorting in and out of their vision. Eliza roared as the bullets bounced off of her hide, failing to slow her down. She lunged for the soldiers, who all dispersed before she could slam her fists onto the ground. Inoue panted as she scurried back. Her light shone on the back of the mutation, who snarled. More bullets peppered the mutation. A soldier was screaming in panic as he sprayed his bullets in a continuous fashion. Inoue yelped as she heard the sound of a bullet whizzing by her head. She dropped for cover as the bullets flew through the darkness and a soldier crying out in agony as he dropped to the ground next to her. Inoue gasped in horror as she found the cold face of her comrade as his forehead bled from an open hole. "Check your fire, you fucking idiot!" cried a soldier as he peppered off some shots at the back of Eliza. "Oh my God!!" cried Inoue, cupping her mouth in horror. She felt herself pulled to her feet by the C.O. "Stay with me, Private!" said the C.O. "He's fucking dead!" cried Inoue, pointing to the dead soldier on the ground. "Shit! Everyone, pullback! The area's too hazardous to take this thing on without night gear!" said the C.O. The soldiers rushed away from the Millenian, while peppering some shots at her. However, one of them stumbled in the darkness, allowing Eliza enough time to lunge for him. She wailed as she slammed the human to the ground. The soldier screamed as he crushed by the massive fists of Eliza. Inoue was panting as she sprinted along with the remaining soldiers, her eyes running with tears. The face of her dead comrade was burned into her mind along with the agonized cries of the other. Soon, the soldiers found themselves far from the park. They heard the wails of Eliza from the safety of a street corner. The soldiers were panting. Inoue panted as she stood hunched over, feeling her rifle weigh down her arms. She dropped her weapon and lunged for one of the soldiers. "You fucking idiot! You killed him!" screamed Inoue as she began to beat her fists against the soldier. The soldier raised his arms to defend himself from her strikes. Another soldier quickly grabbed Inoue and pulled her back. "You bastard!!" screamed Inoue as she attempted to break free. "Hey, enough!" barked the C.O. He found the soldier that Inoue had just exploded on to be sitting on the ground, with his face buried into his face. He found Inoue panting, red with rage as her eyes burned with tears. "Their deaths are on me. I led you into an area that we were not equipped to handle," said the C.O. Inoue gritted her teeth. The C.O. approached the girl with a hard expression. "Get your shit together, soldier. This isn't the time for tears. Put that rage into the objective," said the C.O. Inoue pulled away from the soldier that held her back and wiped her face. The C.O. placed a hand against his helmet, activating the COM. "The objective is holed up in the park. We aren't equipped for the darkness and we've just had two casualties. Requesting backup," said the C.O. "Negative. Pull back for now. We're ordering a mandatory evacuation for the whole town," said a voice over the COM. "Mandatory evacuation? It's just one! We just need explosive ordinance to take this thing out!" said the C.O. "There's more bogies like it that are approaching," said the voice over the COM. Inoue's eyes widened as she heard this. Sunset found herself grouped with Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie. The four were making their way through town in silence. They felt their phones vibrating, prompting them to draw them out. Sunset's eyes widened. "A mandatory evacuation?" asked Sunset in confusion. "I thought Goji said that the aliens were beaten," said Pinkie in confusion. "Well it can't be good. We should talk to the others and see if they had any luck," said Applejack. "Or we should evacuate with our families," deadpanned Rarity. Sunset groaned. "This can't be happening," said Sunset. She then noticed a nearby church, with its doors wide open. "Hey, look," said Sunset, pointing to the church. "Phew. Thank the Lord. We may have just found her," said Applejack as she made a removed her hat and held it against her chest. The girls began to rush towards the church, hoping to find Eliza. However, once they entered, they found Erika to be sitting in the pew alone at the front row. "Erika?" called Sunset in shock. Erika looked back briefly and turned back forward. The girls stood by anxiously, while Sunset bore a worried look. She began to walk down the aisle. "Gee. Churches are kind of spooky at night," said Pinkie as she looked around with a gulp. Sunset began to make her way to the front pew. She stood and found Erika sitting with her hands in her lap. Her eyes were cast onto the ground. "Erika?" called Sunset. "I thought I'd come here. I haven't really come back since... You know," said Erika. Sunset took a seat next to her. "I felt like God abandoned me. When people started turning on me and called me a monster. I got scared, I felt lost. I felt like my whole world had ended," said Erika. Sunset frowned as she heard this. Guilt began to well up inside. If only she had been there more for Erika. She was so focused on her nightmare premonition and her abilities that she neglected her personal life. She neglected her best friend. "But... I remembered what my mother said to me before she died. She told me to not despair and to always move forward," said Erika. She turned to face Sunset with a teary smile. "I hate being angry at my dad. I'm tired of crying. I want to go home. I want my friends by my side," said Erika with a sniffle. Sunset's lips quivered. She wrapped Erika into a tight hug. Erika returned the hug, hearing Sunset's sniffles. After what felt so long, Erika felt that the world seemed to have grown a bit brighter. Meanwhile, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie watched with warm smiles. Albeit, Rarity was shedding some tears at the scene. Pinkie cleared her throat. "Well, now that we have one friend hack, we still need to find Eliza!" said Pinkie. "Wait, what?" asked Erika in confusion. Suddenly, the group heard a distant wail. The girls tensed in response. "What is that?" asked Rarity with a gulp. The girls began to rush out of the church and looked outside. The wail came again, seeming distant. The girls suddenly heard a loud crash, prompting them to yelp and turn. From the church wall at the altar, a large alien beast appeared. It snorted as its sights locked on Erika. It gave a wail as it opened its mouth wide, splitting its neck opened and revealed a gaping cavity as teeth stuck out. The girls cried out in fright as they stumbled away from the church. "What the heck is that thing?!" exclaimed Erika. "That must have been Eliza! She's an alien and mutated!" said Sunset. Erika looked at her incredulously. "Wait, what?! What did miss?!" exclaimed Erika. "Oh just a bit," said Applejack nervously as the beast came stumbling out. It snarled as it slammed its fists onto the ground. "Pinkie, call Gojira. We'll have to wear her down before they get here with the serum," said Sunset as her hands illuminated. Pinkie drew her phone out but froze. "Um... we may have run into a bit of a snafu," said Pinkie. The girls turned and were shocked to see another alien mutation emerging, this one with a large hunched bulging back. It snarled and drooled onto the ground. "Where did this one come from?!" asked Rarity. "The real question is which one is Eliza?" Said Applejack as the girls huddled. The creatures roared and began to charge. The girls dispersed and narrowly avoided the beasts. Applejack elbowed a Millenian in the head, causing it to stagger back. It wailed as it lunged for her but slammed face first into a diamond wall projection by Rarity. Sunset grunted as she shot her hands forward and fired a magic beam, burning the other mutation's hide. As it cried out in pain, Pinkie picked up a rock and threw it at the feat of the beast. The rock exploded into shrapnel that wounded the beast's legs. "Be careful! One of them could be-" Sunset stopped as she saw the beast's wounds regenerate. "Uh oh," said Pinkie with wide eyes. The creature wailed as it charged towards the two. The girls dodged its charge but found it heading to Erika. The girl yelped as she stepped away. Meanwhile, the second Millenian smashed through Rarity's shield and backhanded Applejack to the side. As the blonde fell to the ground, the alien charged towards Erika as well. "Leave her alone!" yelled Sunset, firing bolts of magic at one of the mutants. The mutant began to chase her as well, while the other still stalked towards Erika. It swung a fist while Erika tensed and braced herself. However, she found that the fly trap-like tendrils shot from her arms and began to lock onto the alien. The heads began to sink their teeth onto the head and neck of the mutant. The creature wailed while Erika's pupils constricted. She suddenly felt all fear gone from her. Erika grunted as her jaw began to split and unhinge. With a hiss, she sprayed a yellow green bile from the back of her throat. It sprayed like a stream, catching the Millenian's hide. The creature wailed as the bile ate away at its flesh, creating a grotesque smell in the air as the flesh decayed. Erika forced the beast to the ground with her tendrils and released it, allowing it to writhe in agony as its hide was eaten away at. Erika turned and found the other Millenian charging towards Sunset, who's magic bolts had little effect. Erika lunged for the alien and clung to its back. Her arms and hands were covered in vines and bark that was formed like scales long sharp claws had sprout from her fingers. Erika gave an animalistic cry as she dug her claws into the back of the Millenian, drawing blood. The beast shrieked and thrashed in its attempt to shake her off. Erika reached for the head of the mutation and dug her claws into it. However, the Millenian curled its neck back and stretched almost like a tortoise. It bit down on Erika's arm, clenching its jaws with all its might. Erika screamed in agony while the rest of the girls watched in horror. "Erika!!" cried Sunset. As she shot her hand forward in attempt to fire a magic bolt, a bolt of fire was launched instead. The bolt smacked the beast's neck, causing it to wail. With a twist of its neck, Erika's arm was snapped off. She was then thrown off of the Millenian's back and to the ground. Erika shuddered as she landed on the ground, clutching her dismembered wound, which bled a red orange blood. The girls quickly rushed to her side, in horror at her wound. "S-she's bleeding a lot!" cried Pinkie, beginning to blubber like distressed a child. Applejack quickly removed her jacket and began to wrap it around Erika's wound. Meanwhile, the Millenian held her dismembered arm in its mouth. It began to swallow the arm whole. Its skin along its neck flashed yellow. The creature began to grow in size, its body sprouting more rough scales and its spine began to protrude. "Wha-Whats happening?" asked Rarity. The Millenian snarled as it opened its jaws wide, unhinging. From its mouth came fleshy tendrils that wiggled through the air. The second Millenian rose up, sizzling from the acidic bile that it was sprayed by. Its flesh began to regenerate as it glared at the humans. "We need to get out of here!" cried Sunset. The girls helped Erika to her feet and fled from the area. The mutations shrieked as they began to pursue the humans. "This is a mandatory evacuation! Move in an orderly fashion!" A soldier spoke over a bullhorn. Armored trucks were parked around a street. Soldiers were armed to the teeth, standing guard in the area as civilians were walking along a sidewalk in the hundreds. The evacuation had recently began to pick up, while MONARCH's nearest base had deployed soldiers into the town. For now, they were to get as many civilians to shelters as possible. Then, they were to eliminate the mutations that were converging. "We need to pick up the pace. Already a couple of those aliens were sighted in the outskirts of town," said a soldier. "We'll have a squad stall them and draw them away from the evacuation route. That's the best we can do for now," said the C.O. A howl filled the air. Everyone looked to the sky and found a winged figure to be soaring in the air. "Ah shit," said the C.O. as he saw the serpentine form of the beast. Suddenly the street began to crack. From the asphalt burst a charcoal grey marine iguana hybrid. The creature snarled as it climbed out of the pit. It gave an ear piercing shriek. In almost an instant, the street fell into chaos. The civilians screamed in panic as they began to run, pushing against each other in panic. "Open fire!!" cried a soldier. The soldiers present began to run to the street to confront the hybrid. The air was filled with gun fire. The soldiers kept a medium distance as they fired at the iguana. The bullets bounced off the armored scales of the beast. As citizens fled, another pit in the road was made. From the pit, a salmon hybrid lunged out, covered in sewage. This beast had grown to be the size of a lion. Its tail flapped as its short finned limbs grabbed the edge of the street. The creature clamped its jaws on the leg of the closest human. The human screamed as he was dragged into the pit, disappearing under the sewage water. From the streets, more and more genetic hybrids began to emerge, filling the air with their horrific cries. The soldiers in the area quickly found themselves overwhelmed as the hybrids began to encroach on their position. Their guns had little to no effect on the monsters. Citizens found themselves picked off by the hybrids that bothered to pursue for sustenance. The pack of hybrid dogs began to swarm at the human soldiers, tackling them to the ground and proceeded to maul them. The soldiers screamed in agony as flesh was ripped from their bones by the powerful jaws of these mutated canines. The air was filled with the blare of a siren. The sound echoed throughout the town, reaching all within the town Junior was looking off to the distance to the town, beyond the suburbs. He could hear the faint pops of gunfire. The howls and wails of abominations echoed, filling those who heard it with dread. Junior found himself with Rodan, Mosura, Fluttershy, Twilight, and the Dazzlings. The group split off from the others in hopes of covering more ground. However, they've had little luck as they passed a neighborhood. "I don't like the sound of that," said Aria anxiously. "They're not bombing us... are they?" asked Mosura worriedly. "I think that emergency text would have mentioned it if they were planning to," answered Twilight. Suddenly, multiple different cell phone ring tones filled the air. Junior drew his phone out and noticed that Rodan, Twilight, Fluttershy and Aria had all drawn out their phones as well. Junior stepped away as he answered. "Junior! Where are you?!" Miwa frantically spoke on the phone. Junior could hear the others beginning to speak on their own phones, likely speaking to their own parents. "I'm out looking for a friend. She's in trouble," answered Junior. "Junior, Amber told me everything that happened! Get home right this instant! Are Mosura and Fluttershy with you?" asked Miwa. "They are, but mom-" "Get home immediately! Fluttershy's mother is worried sick! We have to get to the shelter!" said Miwa. "No, I'm not coming home until I've found her!" Junior turned and found Rodan fuming on the phone. His lips were trembling as he held the phone against his ear. Junior sighed. "I can't. Not yet," said Junior. "Wha- Junior!" "I'll come home when I help Rodan! Love you!" said Junior. "Junior, don't you dare-!" Miwa was cut off as Junior removed his phone from his ear, hanging up. He turned and found the others beginning to hang up shortly after as well. Twilight looked at Junior with a grimace. "Yeah, my parents are not too happy about me being out at this time of night," said Twilight. Aria scoffed. "Hey, that's nothing compared to what our aunt is feeling," said Aria as she crossed her arms. "Great, she's gonna ground us for life now," said Adagio with a scowl. Fluttershy cleared her throat. "Goji, my mother is with yours and Amber. They sound really worried," said Fluttershy. "I know. I know. As soon as we find Eliza, we can all head home," said Junior. He found Rodan to be rejoining the group, taking a breath. "We good?" asked Junior. Rodan nodded. "Yeah. It's just that I'm pretty sure that my dad is gonna beat my ass after this," said Rodan with a chuckle. "Hey, it's for your girlfriend we're saving. A few beatings have gotta be worth it," said Junior with a smirk. Rodan grinned in response. "Then let's get going!" said Rodan. The group began to make their way through the area. They could hear the gun fire escalate into explosions, causing the teens to jump at the sounds. The distant roar of chopper blades was in the air. During this, Rodan began to grow more anxious. For all he knew, the military could be shooting at Eliza. Their endeavor to find and cure her would all be for nothing. Before Rodan's despair could settle in, he took a breath, closing his eyes. 'No. Can't think like that. Gotta have faith,' thought Rodan. The teens yelped with a start as a light armored vehicle drove by in front of them. They quickly stepped away and onto the sidewalk as the military vehicle drove by, making its way to the park. It was followed by a couple of armored jeeps and a squad of foot soldiers. "Move! Move! Move!" shouted a soldier. The platoon began to make their way over to an area leading out to the town. The vehicles stopped, as Deutalios crawled down the street. The beast gave a roar as its ears erected. The teens backed away in shock. "What the hell?!" exclaimed Aria. "Is that Eliza?!" asked Sonata. "Hell no! That's something else entirely!" said Rodan. The soldiers fired upon the beast. The teens covered their ears as the loud pops from their rifles filled the area. The LAV turned its M242 Bushmaster cannon and began to fire off its 25 mm rounds. The cannon shot in bursts, with short delays in between each shot. The loud booms caused the teens more pain from the sounds. The rounds from the cannon peppered Deutalios, who wailed in agony. "Light 'em up!!" shouted a soldier as the mounted turrets on the jeeps began to fire upon the hybrid. A gunner on the LAV even took point from the mounted machine gun and began to fire off as well. The teens began to retreat from the area, while Deutalios made a mad dash for the closest jeep, slamming into it. The soldier on the gun cried out as the jeep was flipped over, with him falling to the street. Before he could flee, the hybrid bit down on his upper body and swung him around like a rag doll. While the soldiers were preoccupied, the teens retreated towards another street, some blocks away. However, they could hear the wails of the beast and the agonized cries from the humans. Fluttershy had her mouth cupped in horror as she heard this, on the verge of tears. "We're way over our heads! We should get to safety!" said Aria. "You guys can go! I'm gonna find Eliza!" said Rodan as he took off running. "Rodan!" cried Mosura in alarm as the boy sprinted down the street. Junior cursed under his breath as he began to run after him. "Rodan, wait!" called Junior. The rest of the teens began to follow after them, albeit reluctantly. As the teens ran on down the street, the serpentine hybrid burst through the walls of a store. The teens cried out in panic as it emerged in their path. The beast roared as it focused on Rodan, who staggered back in horror. "Rodan, get out of there!!" shouted Junior. Rodan panted as he began to sprint away, narrowly avoiding the snapping jaws of the beast. "Run!" cried Twilight. The teens turned and ran away from the hybrid, who hissed and crawled after them on its mutated limbs. The beast hissed as it began to gain on the teenagers. However, it was met with an explosion on its back. It turned back with a hiss, finding soldiers standing down the street with grenade launchers. The beast began to scurry after them as more grenades bombarded its hide. The teens panted as they hid by a street corner. Their adrenaline was spiked and their bodies were sweating profusely from the fear and all of the running. "Why are there giant monsters running around?!" exclaimed Aria. "Something about those things is familiar," panted Junior as he looked over the street corner, finding the serpent to be moving down the streets. His eyes widened as he saw familiar jagged dorsal plates on its back. "No way..." said Junior. The teens suddenly felt a rumble beneath their feet. They looked around anxiously as the tremors grew. From the street emerged a brightly green and orange colored iguana hybrid emerged from the street. It gave a shriek as it emerged. The teens cried out as they fled again, with the iguana chasing them. From the air, a helicopter was soaring. It hovered over Ponyville as the chaos went on. The copilot looked through his window seat in horror. Below, he spotted a diverse amount of hybrid creatures roaming through the streets. Creatures like dogs, rats, a great serpent, a land walking aquatic mammal, and two iguana-like beasts. "Jesus," said Kumonga in horror. "It's not looking good," said Koizumi. "Don't look now, we have more trouble!" said Vale, pointing from her side of the chopper through a window. Senior looked over, his eyes widening as he found a horde of mutated Millenians to be approaching the town. One of them in particular looked to be quite larger than the rest. "We need to get out, now!" said Senior as he made his way to the side door. "We're taking her down now! This street's clear enough from danger!" said the pilot as the chopper began to descend. Senior merely forced the door open. "What the hell are ya doin?!" exclaimed Koizumi. "I'm going to fight!" said Senior. As the chopper passed over a building, Senior merely leaped out, landing onto the roof. He drew out the rifle and began to run along the roof. Below, he found a hog-like beast. It was covered in scales. It was the size of a car. Its fangs protruded from its mouth along with long sharp tusks. It bore clawed cloven hooves and a curled tail like a whip. The beast snorted as it rammed into a moving jeep, causing it to explode on impact. Senior sprinted and began to fire upon the beast from the roof. The hog squealed as its hide was hit by the hail of bullets. Senior jumped off of the roof and onto the street. He fired his weapon off as the hog chased down a group of soldiers. The beast turned and faced the Transmutant. Senior tossed his rifle aside. "Come on. You think I need a gun?" said Senior to himself. The hog pawed at the street, glaring at the Transmutant with its burning red-orange eyes. It shrieked as it charged towards Senior. The Transmutant made a mad dash for it. As the two came closer, Senior slid onto the ground, catching the beast's tusk. With a swing from his right fist, he jabbed the beast in the throat. The hog choked as it collapsed, struggling to breathe. Senior grunted as he forced the beast away, backing away as it thrashed on the ground. He then stepped on the neck of the hog, holding on tight to its tusk. Senior yelled as he pulled on the beast as he kept his foot planted on its neck. With a loud pop, the hog's neck was snapped. The beast went limp as its tongue splayed out. Senior panted as he stepped away. He looked up to find the chopper passing over. "Holy shit," said Koizumi with wide eyes. "Heh. That man's a legend," said Baragon. Kumonga grunted as she leaped off from the chopper. "Hey!" shouted Koizumi in annoyance. Kumonga grunted as she landed on the roof of a building and bounded off to Senior's position. She winced as she held her side. "Agh. A little too high," said Kumonga. "Can I trust you to handle the area? I must find my family," said Senior. "Yeah, you can count on us," said Kumonga with a nod. Senior nodded as he took off running from the area. Kumonga looked around and gasped as she spotted a couple of more hogs to be trotting down the street. "Oh boy," said Kumonga, tensing. Miwa found herself speeding through the street in her car. In the passenger seat was her neighbor Posey, with Amber sitting in her lap. Miwa was filled with fury and dread. How foolish was her son to be out in a time like this. Her husband was nowhere to be found either. What was once an invasion had now escalated into a night of horrors. "The military has been deployed to Ponyville, engaging the creatures that have emerged. However, they're being overwhelmed. We have word that reinforcements are being deployed as soon as possible to combat the growing number of these creatures." A voice from the radio spoke, reporting on the news. Miwa's expression was grim. Nowhere were the kids to be found. They must have not have been in the area. That meant that they were likely in the area that was much closer to the attacks in the center of town. "So help me, God. When I found that boy, he's grounded for life! Even when I'm dead, he's still grounded!" said Miwa, gritting her teeth. "They might have gone to the shelter already," said Posey, her tone hopeful. However, she slightly trembled at the thought of the children being out there while those monsters were running around loose. Miwa yelped as she stomped on the brake to the car. Amber and Posey cried out at the sudden stop. The three gasped as they found a mutated Millenian to be staggering through the darkness. Its hide was a slight violet tinge with its grayness, and its back carried some jagged scales. It recoiled at the screech of the car and its bright lights. "Eeeek!!" the women screamed as the mutation shrieked at them. Miwa quickly shifted the gear in reverse and began to drive off, while the Milennian began to sprint away from the area. Miwa stopped the vehicle, panting while Posey stood with a stunned look as her hair was a mess. Amber trembled as her fuzz and antennae were erected like a frightened cat. "Who taught you how to drive, woman?!" yelled Amber. "Shut up! That thing scared me!" cried Miwa. "Those things are running around?" asked Posey in dread. Miwa began to drive off. She made sure to take another street, away from where they had last seen that horrific beast. During this, Miwa found that they were passing a street, where rubble and destroyed vehicles lied. The women looked on at the destruction, finding it grow worse and worse the further that they went on. "My God," said Miwa. They passed a building, which was smashed in. The more time they spent in the area, the more dread they began to feel as they wondered just what could be so capable of causing this much destruction. A loud thud slammed onto the hood of the car. Miwa and Posey yelped in alarm. On the hood was a large rat-like beast, covered in scales. Its ears comprised of membranes on its skull, and sharp buck teeth stuck out of its mouth. The fur was missing from its body as its red eyes glared at the women. The rat hissed as it slammed its paws on the hood, as Miwa and Posey screamed in alarm. As Miwa was about to drive, another rat slammed into the window of her side. Miwa screamed as the vermin snarled and snapped its jaws at her. "Get my gun! It's in the glove box!" screamed Miwa as she lurched back. Posey frantically dug through the glove box, while Amber climbed onto the dashboard of the car, her antennae glowing. "Stand back!" said Amber as she fired a bolt at the rat that was attacking Miwa. The rat yipped as it fell back. Posey grabbed the gun from the glove box and handed it to Miwa. Miwa yelped as more rats began to appear from every side of the car. She took the gun and began to fire at the rats reaching through her car window, knocking them back dead. Miwa stomped on the gas pedal and began to drive off from the spot, leaving the cat sized rats behind. However, the car rocked. The engine roared and the tires screeched, but the vehicle had suddenly stopped. "What's happening?!" asked Posey in alarm, cupping her ringing ears. Miwa turned back and her eyes widened in horror as she found a furry mass behind them. The roof of the car was suddenly torn off, revealing an amalgamous beast made up of different species looking down on them. "Good evening, ladies!" said Discord, flashing a toothy grin. The women screamed in horror as Discord slammed his fist onto the front of the car, smashing the engine. The women frantically removed their seat belts and began to scramble away from the vehicle. Discord chuckled as he flipped the car over. Miwa quickly fired her gun at discord, but the bullets bounced off of his hide. "That's not very nice," said Discord in mock disapproval as he began to reach for Miwa. The woman screamed as she braced herself. As Discord swiped at her, Senior had tackled Miwa to the ground, away from the swipe. Miwa was panting in panic, thankful that all she felt was a scrape from being forced to the ground. "Gojira!" cried Miwa. "Are you alright? Where's Junior?" asked Senior as he quickly ushered Miwa away from Discord's paw. "I don't know! We were looking for him!" said Miwa as Posey and Amber joined their side. "Hohoho! Mr. Takeshi, so nice to see you!" said Discord as he dropped to all fours, facing the group. "Doctor?!" exclaimed Senior incredulously. "Just call me, God!" said Discord with a laugh as he pointed to the group. "Kill them, my pretties!" said Discord. The group turned and found the rats to be scurrying their way, snarling as their tails swayed. Miwa and Posey stood close to Senior, whose expression hardened. "Get to safety! These abominations are mine!" said Senior as his irises expanded and his skin hardened. "But what about the children?!" asked Posey. "I'll find them! Go!" said Senior as his body began to morph and change. Amber quickly turned to the rats and flew ahead. "Shield your eyes!" said Amber. As Miwa and Posey covered their eyes, Amber's body suddenly ignited into a great light, rivaling the sun. The rats shrieked in pain as did Discord from the blinding light. As the light died down, the creatures were disoriented, allowing the women to flee the area. Discord grunted as his vision failed. He heard low growls and heavy footsteps. As he regained his vision, he found Senior approaching in his other form. He towered over him by ten feet. Senior roared as he charged towards Discord and slammed into him, knocking him into a building. Discord roared as he lied on his back, with Senior standing on his chest. Senior began to stomp on him, snarling. The mere fact that this thing dared to hurt his mate drove him with rage. Senior reached down and grabbed Discord by the neck, strangling him. Discord squirmed and dug his claws into his thighs and shoulders. He then opened his mouth wide and sprayed forth a stream of venom. Senior shrieked in pain as he was blinded by the venom. He staggered back, rubbing his face against his arm. Discord took the opportunity to lunge for him. He coiled his serpentine body around Senior and drove his claws into his body. He then bit down on Senior's neck, who wailed in pain. As he struggled, Discord began to constrict his muscles more, crushing Senior. Kumonga, Baragon, Manda, Koizumi and Vale found themselves in the middle of the battlefield. Mutations were rampaging through the streets. They fired off their weapons at the remaining hogs to draw their attention from the civilians who were unfortunate to have been caught up in the chaos. Vale dashed towards a hog and leapt onto its back. She drew out her combat knife and began to drive it into the beast's neck, but it did no damage. It only angered the hog. The beast began to kick and squirm about, rocking Vale on it as though she were in a rodeo. She grunted as she began to slam his fist onto its head. A bulldog hybrid galloped through the street, slobbering at the mouth. The beast barked as it pursued a group of fleeing civilians. A child tripped and fell to the ground. The girl cried out as the dog locked its sight on her and barked. Her father suddenly embraced her as the beast approached. As it lunged for the two, Manda appeared out of nowhere and slugged the creature in the jaw. The dog whined as it was knocked over. It snarled as it shot up, while Manda tensed her muscles as her pupils constricted. She locked her arms around the dog and rounded behind it, holding it by its neck and kept its jaws away from her arm. "Run!" yelled Manda as she kept the dog back. The child and father quickly got up and began to run off. Manda grunted as she held the thrashing beast. Meanwhile, Vale was thrown off of the back of the hog. She grunted as she rolled along the street. The hog began to trample her, damaging her armor and cracking her visor. She found herself scooped up and thrown over into the air. Vale groaned as she sluggishly stood up. She gasped as she felt her body struck with a sudden intense pain. She screamed as she clutched her head and threw off her helmet. This caught the attention of Kumonga, Koizumi, Manda and Baragon. "Vale?!" called Koizumi. Vale screamed as she dropped to her knees, tearing off bits of her armor. Her hair began to fall out as her scaly flesh tore through the under suit. Her mouth bore sharp teeth as a short tail grew. She shrieked as her bones grew as her muscles, transforming into a feminine humanoid reptilian beast. She stood at over 7 feet in height. "What in the hell?!" asked Baragon incredulously. Vale snarled as the hog came charging back at her. She caught the beast and then dove for its neck. She began to maul its neck. During this, Manda grunted as she threw the dog she held to the side. She then rushed towards it and kicked the beast in the muzzle, causing it to whine and to retreat in pain. Manda turned and found Vale moving away from the dead hog, shrieking. "Vale?" called Koizumi. Vale shrieked as she began to rush towards the human. Before she could reach him, Kumonga tackled her to the ground. Kumonga grunted as she sent several punches against the new mutation. This woman was no longer in her right mind. She was now lost into a bizarre mutation. Vale kicked her away, sending Kumonga back several feet. Vale grunted as she rushed for her, but Baragon slammed into her. He groaned in annoyance as Vale faced him, looking down on him. "God, being short is a pain in the ass!" said Baragon as he dodged a swipe from Vale. He drove his fist into her side, causing her to hunch over. Baragon then swiped at her legs, knocking her to the ground. Vale snarled as she kicked him in the chest, sending him several feet and against an abandoned car. Baragon groaned as he fell to the ground, clutching his aching chest. In his pain, another bull dog hybrid began to stalk towards him, bearing its teeth as it growled. Before the creature could attack him, Manda locked onto its neck and held it back. "Baragon, are you OK?!" asked Manda frantically. Baragon attempted to sit up but slumped back against the car in pain. He panted as he winced. "I-I can't..." Baragon panted as struggled to sit up. Manda gritted her teeth. She grunted as she began to squeeze the dog tightly, causing it to frantically squirm. With a pop, the beast went limp. Manda panted as she released the dog to the ground. She then rushed to Baragon's side. "Can you breathe?" asked Manda. "It's coming back to me," said Baragon with a pant. He chuckled as he looked to Manda. "What are you crying for?" asked Baragon. Manda sniffled as she wiped her eyes. "Sh-Shut up!" said Manda. She then turned and found Vale to be stalking towards them. She gave animalistic grunts as she prepared to charge. However, she found herself showered in silk. Manda and Baragon found that Kumonga was spraying forth webbing, which showered Vale. The mutated Olympian shrieked as she found her movement restricted as the strands of webbing built up around her body. She then tripped onto the ground and was shortly mummified by the web. Vale struggled as she attempted to free herself, but it was no use. "Looks like this is what Gojira was afraid of once they started weaponizing his DNA," said Kumonga, wiping her face. "Shit. What do we do with her?" asked Baragon. Koizumi was about to reach for his holster but stopped. He watched as Vale panted, lying in her bounded state. He began to remove his hand away from the holster as he turned away. "Leave her. She's not going anywhere," said Koizumi as he reloaded his rifle. Things had escalated within the last hour. More and more monsters were appearing out of nowhere, plunging Ponyville into chaos. Sunset, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Erika and Pinkie Pie were moving through the dark streets frantically. They stopped by a street corner and took cover. Sunset looked over the corner, finding the mutated Millennian to be looking around with a snarl. It grunted as it swiftly looked to the side. It howled as the second Millenian appeared at its side. The two wandered off away from the area. "Good. They're gone," said Sunset in relief. She then quickly knelt next to Erika. "How're you feeling?" asked Sunset, worriedly. Erika winced. "I... I feel something," said Erika. She removed Applejack's blood soaked jacket, revealing a stump covered in an orange membrane. "Ew! What's that?!" asked Pinkie while Rarity cupped her mouth as she grew green. Erika grunted as the sound of popping filled the air. The stump grew in length. Erika began to pull at the membrane, while Rarity whined and cringed in disgust. "Stop! Don't pull on it!" said Rarity. Erika grunted as she tore the membrane, revealing a pale human arm covered in mucus. "It's grown back!" said Applejack in shock. Sunset stared with wide eyes while Erika looked over the pale newly grown arm. The girls flinched as they heard a distant screech. It was a familiar shriek and bellow. "We're not gonna have any luck finding Eliza. Maybe the others had already found her," said Rainbow. "I hate to admit it, but RD's right. This is more than we could handle." Applejack nodded in agreement. Rarity and Pinkie bore dejected looks while Sunset looked around the ruined area. They were right. This was more danger then with what they bargained for. "OK. Let's try to find a place of safety," said Sunset as she stood up. Suddenly, the girls felt heavy foot steps. They found a large Millenian mutation to be stomping through the street, making its way towards the center of town. It gave a wail as it followed the source of the familiar screeches. The girls began to stand up, watching as the beast dove for an unseen prey. It lifted up a rat-like hybrid up and began to devour it whole. The creature began to grow more, its body becoming rougher in scales and its mass increasing. The girls suddenly heard the sound of a familiar scream. "That was Fluttershy!" cried Rainbow. "Let's go!" said Sunset. The girls stood up and began to rush down the street. During this, Sunset found that the mutant Millenian had begun to feed on the carcass of another dead Millenian. Something was more off with that one compared to the others. She even wondered where some of these more animal hybrids were coming from.