//------------------------------//
// Chapter 9: Itsy Bitsy Spider 
// Story: Shy and Aggressive: Book 2 
// by Johng117 
//------------------------------//

Things had gone smoothly. Twilight was looking down at the several bandits that they had captured. All bounded together by rope. They took the bait as expected.

"Needs work," said Leon as he stood next to the girl.

"Pardon?" Twilight looked to him in confusion.

"If you're going to be taking on quests for the King, it'd be wise if you refined your combat skills. You only succeeded due to speed, numbers, and surprise. Not every enemy is easy to catch off guard as these fools," said Leon as he pointed to the bandits.

"We're right here," deadpanned a bandit.

"Oh shut up," said another bandit in annoyance.

"Right. We'll keep that in mind. Thanks again, Leon," said Twilight with a smile.

"You can pay for lessons if you ask around. Whether it’s how to fight from local mercenary guilds, or for spells that you can't learn from a book. But experience will be your greatest asset," said Leon.

"You wouldn't be willing to teach me a few moves, would you?" whispered Twilight.

"Sure, for some coin," said Leon.

"I thought you said that you owed us," said Twilight in disappointment.

"And I paid my debt, by making sure none of you were killed on your first quest," replied Leon. He raised his hand. "The protection of a family of 4, repaid by the protection of friends of 5."

"Fair enough. I guess..." Twilight crossed her arms with a pout.

"You can afford it. After all, you have all of the bandits, alive that is. The bounty on their heads will be worth the trouble," said Leon as he turned, finding knights riding onto the scene, as a 'prison carriage' was towed along.

"Alright, scum bags! Your chariot awaits!" Rainbow clapped as the knights arrived. One of the knights approached Twilight and Leon.

"This is all of them? I certainly had to see it to believe it. That five young girls took down these troublesome bandits. Remarkable," said the knight as he looked to the bandits.

"Try, 'totally awesome'! You should've seen it! I was like, whoosh! And AJ was like, wham! And Twi was like, whap! Hey, Twi, you were a little too into that whip," said Rainbow, looking to Twilight with a smirk. Twilight stiffened.

"Wha- Shut up!" said Twilight in embarrassment.

"In any case, Lord Salem has provided you your pay for the quest," said the knight as he handed over a hefty purse full of coins. Twilight felt her arms slightly weighed down from the weight. It was about as heavy as the coins that Grunge had provided to them before.

"Thank you," said Twilight, as the knights began to round the bandits up into the prison carriage. Twilight began to dig through the coin purse, drawing out 10 coins.

"As agreed, 10 silver for one bandit," said Twilight. Leon took the coins and pocketed them.

"A pleasure doing business. If you need my services again, you know where to find me," said Leon as he began to walk off. Twilight was joined by the rest of her friends.

"Only 10 silver?" Rainbow asked.

"Yeah, he said he'd accept the amount offered per head. Since he took down one, he gets 10. Besides, it's not like we're ripping him off. I'd pay him more if we didn't need to save up for ourselves" said Twilight.

"Man, this is nothing like currency at home. I don't know the value or anything here in this place. All I know is a piece of gold is probably like 100 dollars to us or something," said Rainbow as she scratched her head.

"I think it might be a little more than that. But in any case, we can study the economics a bit," said Twilight. Rainbow groaned.

"You're gonna have us do homework here in this world?" asked Rainbow in dismay.

"It's a good idea, Dash. Just so we don't get ripped off if we're trying to make a purchase," said Twilight. She then noticed Rarity to be standing in front of a knight, looking herself over at her reflection on his breast plate.

"I look quite divine, don't you think, sir knight?" asked Rarity as she adjusted her indigo hair.

"Miss, I really ought to go," said the knight as he began to walk away, while Rarity moaned in dismay.

"You know that you have to give that stuff back, right?" asked Twilight.

"Give it back?! But it looks gorgeous on me! How can you ask me to part with such fabulous jewels and clothing?!" asked Rarity in shock.

"Rarity, we got you an outfit, remember? I mean, it's not as pretty, but I think it looks good on you," said Twilight.

"It's just a white tunic with violet leggings and boots! It's no different than what the rest of you are wearing!" said Rarity.

"I'm not going to wear a dress, 24/7. Rares! Besides, it wouldn't be good to maneuver in. At least this outfit is more freeing," said Rainbow as she kicked her leg freely.

"Come on, let's just head back! I think we need to celebrate our first successful quest!" said Pinkie as she grabbed her friends and held them close.

"Yeah!" the girls cheered in unison.







The sun was shining higher in the air. Junior was crouched near a pond, where a small waterfall poured down into. The water was teal in appearance, what with their reflection of the sky, sunlight and surrounding trees. The teen narrowed his eyes as he held up a spear, scanning the water. His breathing was quiet, and his body was still.

With a thrust, Junior sent the spear plunging into the water. A smile crept on his face as he raised his spear. He drew out a brown fish that was impaled by the tip of his spear. He turned and found Ann next to him, nodding in approval. Junior held out the spear to her, allowing the woman to take the fish and to hook it onto a line of thread. She then allowed the fish to slide along the thread, back into the water. There were a few other fish that had suffered a similar fate, waiting dead in the cold water.

"You think that's enough?" asked Junior.

"I think so. Good work today," said Ann.

"I tell ya, it's a pain in the ass to wait, but it is damn satisfying to catch one," said Junior as he pulled out the fish and carried them over his shoulder.

"I'm just glad to see you focused on other things. I could tell that you were stressed over your friends," said Ann.

"You have no idea," said Junior as he followed the blonde away from the pond. He then looked down in thought.

"Hey, Ms. Darrow," called Junior.

"Call me Ann," said Ann.

"Ann. What do you think about Kong?" asked Junior. Ann stiffened. She looked away as she cleared her throat.

"Wh-What do I think?" asked Ann.

"Yeah. You think he's a hard ass or a guy with delusions of grandeur or a guy that smoked a bit too much trees during a primitive religious ceremony?" asked Junior. Ann looked at him oddly.

"Where's this coming from?" asked Ann.

"Ah. Sorry, I'm being a dick. Forget it," said Junior.

"No, now you have me curious. What is your problem with Kong?" asked Ann, stepping in Junior's path.

"It's not him necessarily. It's more of what he says or thinks," said Junior, with a shrug.

"What could he have said that's gotten you to say stuff like that?" asked Ann. Junior sighed.

"Yesterday, Angirasu had us 'train' with Kong to control our mutantism. If you can call it that. He just gave a dumb lecture on how our inability to control ourselves stems from us not accepting ourselves or something. It was more like counseling mixed with spiritual crap," said Junior.

"How do you know it's not a valid reason?" asked Ann.

"You aren't actually taking him seriously, are you?" asked Junior incredulously.

"He hasn't steered me wrong before. Kong is smarter than you think, Gojira." Ann began to walk on, with Junior following.

"It might not be anything scientific, but there may be truth to what he's saying. If there wasn't truth to ideas, religions, or philosophies, people wouldn't believe in them. Don't think of it as hokum pokum. Think of it as another point of view," said Ann. Junior shook his head.

"Whether it's true or not, it doesn't apply to me," said Junior.

"Not accepting yourself?" asked Ann.

"That's right," answered Junior. He noticed Ann looking at him with an analytical look. Junior felt some discomfort from her intense stare.

"If you say so," said Ann, shrugging as she walked on. Junior felt a pit beginning to form in his stomach. He quickly pushed that aside and walked on.

Eventually, the two made it back to the village. Junior passed off the fish to one of the natives, who then took the fish to be prepped for cooking. As Ann went off onto her own business, Junior began to look around. Again, he found Rodan conversing with the youth of the Iwi tribe. Mosura, Sunset, and Fluttershy were in the process of learning to make baskets from scratch, with the use of long grass and wood. Angirasu was nowhere in sight, likely training with Kong.

"Hey, Goji," greeted Aria as she passed by. Sonata followed after her. The siblings carried baskets full of berries and other fruits, while Dwan passed by as she held a bow and a quiver of arrows. Junior looked around in confusion, finding that someone was missing.

"Hey, where's Adagio?" asked Junior. Aria stopped as she looked around in confusion.

"Huh. Where is she? I swear she was just with us," said Aria. Junior noticed a familiar color of orange curly hair disappearing behind a hut.

"Ah. There she is," said Junior as he began to jog over.

"Um, Goji I don't think-" Aria fell silent as Junior had already ran out of ear shot.

Junior sneaked over to the hut and peeked over the side. However, Adagio was nowhere in sight. He stepped out of cover and looked around. In his peripheral vision, he found Adagio running off behind another hut.

"Adagio?" called Junior as he ran after her. He stopped as he lost track of her again. He then heard foot steps passing by. He turned and found Adagio running off towards more huts, lugging a basket of fruit.

"Hey!" called Junior as he began to chase. "Why are you running?!"

"Stop following me!" cried Adagio, looking over her shoulder. She yelped as she suddenly tripped, dropping the basket to the ground and falling flat on her face. Junior gasped as he picked up the pace. He stopped near the girl, who painfully got up, groaning in dismay.

"I'm sorry! Are you OK?" asked Junior, worriedly, kneeling next to the girl. He held out his hand to her. Adagio bit her lip before standing up to her feet, dusting herself off.

"I-I'm fine," said Adagio in a small tone. She began to pick up the basket she dropped and began to gather the fruit she dropped. Junior began to help.

"You didn't say hi. In fact, I'm pretty sure you were hiding," said Junior as he handed Adagio the fruit. The girl looked away with a grimace.

"Is something wrong?" asked Junior.

"I..." Adagio glanced to the side. She began to step away.

"I gotta go!" said Adagio, turning and making her way out into the open in a rushed pace. Junior bore an odd look.

"What's with her?" Junior asked himself.







Twilight found herself in the dining room with her friends. The girls were eating the meals that were prepped for them after their successful quest. Twilight sighed in bliss as she took a bite of her food. It was stew that was mixed with potatoes, vegetables and beef. It was wonderful being able to have a hot meal such as this again after being forced to survive the jungle in their short time.

"If the other quests are as easy as that one, then we'll be making bank in no time! I bet we could buy an entire country!" said Rainbow, still giddy from earlier.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, sugar cube," chuckled Applejack.

"Well, I hope the next quest doesn't involve any degenerates like the one earlier," shuddered Rarity, now sporting her white tunic and leggings.

"Speaking of which, what's the next quest?" asked Rainbow. Twilight drew out a stack of parchment papers.

"Well, there's a couple that doesn't involve danger. They seem to be more like errands. I was thinking we could split up and take care of those before tackling the more risky jobs," said Twilight.

"Ugh. They said they weren't going to send us out into the war, but they'll still have us take on dangerous quests," said Rarity as she sipped her water.

"What're the dangerous ones?" asked Rainbow eagerly.

"There's a bounty for a thief, considered armed and dangerous. There's also an 'extermination' job to get rid of an infestation for a roach nest," said Twilight.

"Ewww!" Rarity exclaimed.

"That one doesn't sound so dangerous," said Pinkie in confusion as a handmaid filled up her glass.

"If I may interject, it may be likely that the roaches are of the 'giga' species. Meaning they grow to the size of dogs, making them dangerous, especially in large numbers," said the handmaid.

"Please, anything but that quest," whimpered Rarity.

"Oh. Here's something interesting," said Twilight as she looked through one of the quests.

"Apparently we need a permit for these 'Delivery' quests by local businesses," said Twilight.

"Why?" asked Rainbow.

"Hmm. It looks like the kingdom has certain standards in regards to delivery services. Mercenaries or people like us looking for quick work are required to show a permit in order to get the job, to protect businesses from theft. Guess they're worried about non full time employees robbing their goods," said Twilight as she read the quest.

"Ugh. Sounds boring. But let's get that one over with. I wanna do the fun stuff later," said Rainbow.

"Alright. After lunch, we'll head on over to the... 'Elsinore Administration Hall'." said Twilight, reading over the quest.








Later...


Twilight and the gang found themselves walking through the streets of the city. As usual, the day was busy.

Citizens were going about their daily lives, not paying any mind to the five teenagers. This was good, considering that this meant the girls were blending in with the crowd. Before, their clothes from back home drew unwanted attention to them. These new outfits were helping in more ways than just one.

"Salem said that the Administration Hall should be around here somewhere," said Twilight as she looked through a local map.

"He was rather adamant about telling us, don't you think?" asked Rarity.

"I didn't notice anything," shrugged Pinkie. There was a sudden sound of tooting in the air. The teens stopped and found a man strolling along the street, carrying a kazoo. The man marched with a toot, as he sported a pot on his head.

"Huh." Twilight raised a brow. She then noticed a woman running down the street, her arms folded against her sides, positioned like chicken wings. She gave squawking sounds as a man chased her, wielding an axe.

"Good heavens!" Rarity cried in alarm, as a pair of guards tackled the man to the ground. Then, a man passed by, crawling on his hands and knees as he wore a leash around his neck. He barked as a dog chased after him.

"What's with the weirdos?" asked Rainbow.

"Oh, they must've been in the place of madness," spoke a man as he stopped by, lugging a sack over his shoulder.

"The 'place of madness'? What's that?" asked Twilight.

"It's also known as the Elsinore Administration Hall," said the man. Twilight perked up.

"That's where we're going! Do you know where we can find that? We need to obtain a permit to take on quests that involve delivery services," said Twilight.

"Certainly. The Administration Hall is just down the street," said the man, pointing to a large building. It appeared much like an ancient temple, held together by bricks and stone, with tall pillars along the sides. The building stood several stories high.

"Thank you! Come on!" said Twilight as she jogged on ahead.

"Good luck, for you will need it," said the man as he walked off.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Applejack. The man didn't respond and kept walking away.

"Anyone else getting weird vibes?" asked Rainbow as the girls followed Twilight.

"Yes, why would anyone say something like that?" asked Rarity.

"It's probably nothing," said Twilight.

The girls made their way up the steps of the building. They entered through the building, finding themselves in a great lobby, decorated with stone sculptures. The sculptures were depicting unfamiliar figures. The teens admired the lobby, as Twilight made her way over to a counter, where an old man stood.

"Excuse me, sir," called Twilight.

"Eh? What do you want?" asked the old man, his voice carrying a cranky tone.

"We want to obtain a copy of... permit number A 58," said Twilight, looking over the quest sheet briefly.

"You want to register for a Galley? They've sent you to the wrong place! You must go to a settlement located near the sea side! Elsinore is land locked. I recommend the port in Molusk Harbor," said the old man. Twilight looked at him in confusion.

"What? No, we don't want to register for a galley. We want a copy of permit A-58," said Twilight.

"The port in Molusk Harbor! I've already told you!" said the old man. Twilight began to grow annoyed.

"No, we don't want to go to the port. We want a copy of permit A-58!" said Twilight. The old man held a hand near his ear as he leaned close.

"A?" The old man questioned.

"A-58!" yelled Twilight, causing the elder to recoil.

"No need to shout! Such manners!" said the old man indignantly. "Head to window one, located in the left corridor, last door on the right. Got it?"

The teens proceeded to make their way in the corridor. They passed several doors, making their way to the last ones.

"Um... There's no door on the right," said Pinkie as she found a wall.

"Hm. He might've been mistaken. Let's try the one on the left," suggested Rarity. Twilight opened the door, opening it to find middle aged man sitting in a room alone, stroking a cat.

"Who told you to come in my office?!" demanded the man.

"We're trying to find window 1." Twilight replied, eyeing the man.

"Consult with the floor plan on the 4th floor. And closed the door! I'm playing with my pussy!"

"Phrasing," deadpanned Rainbow as she closed the door.

The girls spent the next few minutes climbing the stairs of the building. Their legs began to tire out, climbing the steep stairs. Eventually, they made their way to the 4th floor, finding the Floor Plan on the wall. It was a crowded plan, requiring discerning eyes to decipher it.

"There's a lot of rooms and stairs in this place," panted Pinkie.

"Hmm. According to this, window one should be... in the first corridor, the last door on the right!" said Twilight. The girls began to rush back down to the ground floor. They had an easier time getting down compared to climbing up. The gang soon made their way to their destination, finding two windows side by side. One was marked as "One".

"What is your business?" The older woman at the window asked.

"We just want a copy of permit A-58," panted Twilight.

"You've been misdirected. You'll have to apply at window 2," said the woman.

"The one next to you?" Asked Twilight, finding another woman seated behind the next window.

"No, that one is window 8. I don't recall where they moved number 2. Consult with the front desk," said the woman. Twilight slumped her shoulders.

"But... ugh." The girls groaned as they began to head back to the lobby. Rainbow slammed her hands on the front desk, an annoyed look on her face.

"Where is window 2?!" demanded Rainbow, startling the old man at the front desk.

"I've already told you, the port is in Molusk Harbor!" Responded the old man. Twilight scoffed.

"I've told you, we don't want the port! We want-" Twilight was interrupted.

"Please settle down, some of us are trying to work," spoke a man, dressed in a silk suit, with graying hair. He arrived at the scene as the voiced echoed into the lobby. "May I ask what the problem is?"

"I've no idea, Mr. Zane. They keep jabbering a bunch of nonsense," said the old man, while the girls scowled.

"We're looking for window 2," said Twilight. Zane hummed to himself, scratching his chin in a thoughtful manner.

"Window 2. Where did they put that one?" Zane asked himself.

"Last time anyone saw it was somewhere on the 3rd floor, corridor b, door 6, Mr. Zane," answered the old man. Zane bore a pleased smile.

"Well then, there you are ladies. There was nothing to get so worked up about," said Zane.

Later, Twilight and the gang were making another round walking up the stairs. Their legs beginning to tire out from all of their walking.

"At least we're making progress, right?" asked Rarity.

"Mm. I'm not feeling too confident," said Twilight in dismay. The teens soon found themselves at their destination. They found two windows, where two young women conversed on the other side.

"So she decided to purchase materials from a Niemite Trader to redecorate her bedroom," said the woman of window 2.

"And that's where she got those obnoxious curtains?" asked the second woman incredulously.

"You know her, she likes to show off. Even if it looks terrible. Mind you, she can't even afford to keep a handmaid to do the house work," said the lady window 2

"Um... miss?" Twilight called, awkwardly. However, the woman ignored her.

"She even went as far to save face by claiming that she likes to do the house work herself, but I know her husband's financial situation-"

"Excuse me." Twilight spoke up.

"Oh can't you see I'm busy?!" snapped the woman, startling the girls. "Where was I?"

"The financial situation," answered the second woman. The teens just stared incredulously.

"Oh yes! Poor Damien. You know he worked up-"

"EXCUSE ME, MISS!" Twilight snapped, startling the two women.

"By Providence, how rude people are these days! What do you want?" asked the first woman in annoyance.

"Permit A-58," growled Twilight.

"Have you filled in the blue forum?" asked the woman. Twilight stiffened.

"Blue forum?" asked Twilight.

"Yes! How else do you think you'll get permit A-58?" asked the woman.

"OK, where do we get the blue forum?" asked Twilight, hesitant.

"Window 1," answered the woman. The girls sighed in exasperation.

"We were just there!" cried Applejack. Again, the gang proceeded to back track their steps to window 1. But when they got there, the window was covered by a sheet.

"What the-" Twilight grew red with frustration.

"She's at lunch. You can apply at window 35. Ask them down at the desk," said the woman in window 8, knitting.

"I hate bureaucrats," said Rarity as she scowled.






30 minutes had gone by. Twilight and the gang had been backtracking their steps, moving through different corridors, climbing up and down endless stairs to countless rooms. Every time, they were required to go back and obtain a colored forum from another room on a different floor. All of this just for a simple delivery permit. By now, the girls held over a dozen different colored forums and were nowhere near reaching their goal.

Pinkie gave a high pitched scream, startling the rest of the girls.

"I can't take it anymore! It's a mad house! A mad house!!" Pinkie screamed, pulling her hair. She began to giggle manically as she dropped to floor. She began to spin on her side as she kicked her legs in a running motion, making an incoherent whooping sound like a Stooge. Her friends looked at her in shock and alarm as the girl had broke down into an incoherent mess. Pinkie rolled onto her sides as she gave unnerving giggles.

"Pinkie! Pinkie, calm down!" said Twilight, pulling Pinkie up to her feet, shaking her furiously. Pinkie froze but then began to break down crying.

"I hate this place! I hate it! There's nothing fun about it and we keep going back and forth! If I keep doing this, then I'm gonna explode!" cried Pinkie.

"Pinkie Pie, get a grip!" said Twilight, shaking Pinkie again.

"She has a point. This place sucks! And these people aren't any help!" said Rainbow.

"Now we know why they call it the place of madness," said Rarity, rubbing her temples.

"What're we gonna do, Twi? If people went crazy from being in here, then we might be falling into that as well," said Applejack. Twilight turned to her friends as Pinkie sniffled.

"No we won't. We're gonna get that permit, and no incompetent bureaucrat is gonna stop us! I have an idea. We'll turn their own incompetence against them. Watch!" said Twilight.

Later, the girls found themselves back tracking to window 2. As they reached the window, Twilight cleared her throat as the woman at the window was fixing her hair.

"Excuse me, is this where we can get permit A-59?" asked Twilight.

"Don't you mean, A-58?" asked the woman in amusement.

"No, what I want is A-59, as stipulated in the new circular B-65," said Twilight, as the rest of the gang looked to each other in confusion. To them, Twilight just spoke a whole other language.

"In the new circular B-65? One moment," said the woman as she looked to the one neighboring her.

"Have you heard of circular B-65?" whispered the woman. The woman next to her hummed to herself, stirring a cup of tea.

"Circular B-65... The one about permit A-59... No, not me," said the second woman with a shrug. "We should have to find out from the other filing systems of 'materials not yet coordinated'."

"Is he in the fifth floor, staircase zed, corridor B?" asked the first woman. Twilight was smirking as she looked to her friends, giving them a thumbs up.

"No, his office is on the second floor, staircase H, corridor M. Shall we go?" asked the second woman. The first nodded.

"Yes, we should," said the first woman. The two quickly exit from the door on the side of window 2, making their way down the hall and up the stairs. Twilight nodded.

"And now, we wait," said Twilight.








Later...


The entire Administration Hall was filled with cries of mania and despair. Employees filled the halls, crying out and babbling incoherently. People rolled along the floor, whooping, twiddling their lips while their eyes spun in their heads. People ran through the halls, carrying files, maps and parchment papers. Crying out for the whereabouts of A-59, and why no one had informed them about this new 'circular'.

Twilight and the gang stood by silently as they watched as the incompetent workers were driven to madness by their own system. Truly, it was a devious idea to turn the tables against these people. In search of a permit that Twilight just made up from the top of her head. The A.H. was so bloated that its workers were scrambling to others to find the nonexistent permit. It was shocking, to see how it was all crumbling before their very eyes. Twilight felt almost bad for bringing this on these people.

"You think we went too far?" asked Pinkie.

"Eh. Not really," shrugged Rainbow. Twilight smiled as she found Zane walking onto the scene, as the bureaucrats panicked.

"Quiet! Everyone, settle down!" shouted Zane. Twilight stepped over to the man and cleared her throat.

"Please, sir," said Twilight.

"Can't you see I'm busy? We're dealing with a Code 9, 'Employee Madness'! What is it that you want?" asked Zane.

"Permit A-58, please," said Twilight.

"Very well. Now kindly leave. Some people are trying to work!" said Zane as he handed Twilight a small parchment paper, filled with black text. The girls began to quickly run off from the scene. Zane sighed heavily as he watched the scene of his mad coworkers.

"I need to find a new line of work. Oh well," said Zane as he drew out a kazoo. He blew into it and began to diddle his lips. He gave a manic laugh as he joined the crowd.

Twilight and the gang exit out of the Administration Hall. Meanwhile, men and women dressed in white came rushing towards the building. They appeared as medieval nurses. The girls stepped aside as they entered.

"Agh, not again!" said a man in annoyance.

"I'm telling you! This place is cursed!" said another man as he entered the building.

"Someone needs to talk to Lord Salem about raising our pay for treating mad bureaucrats!" said another man.

"Maybe that wasn't such a good idea," said Twilight with a grimace.

"Eh... I'm sure they'll be fine. We should probably do those other quests," said Rainbow uneasily as the girls moved away from the building.







Junior was sitting alone on a log. He looked to the natives as they were gathered for their feast on this day.

It was here that Junior realized that he was by himself. It seemed that some things never changed. He'd often find himself alone in his days. As of now, his friends were going about a different routine. Whether it was daily chores or learning a new skill.

At the very least, Junior was happy that the others were managing to fit in some way or another with the Iwi. Especially Angirasu. However, he thought back to how Rodan was complaining about how the natives built Aang his own hut. At first, Junior didn't think too much of it at first, nor did he complain. But something about the Iwi's favoritism over Angirasu was off. Though Junior thought he was being envious. Still though, it was weird how Angirasu has been eager to 'train' with Kong.

It might've been Junior's imagination. Still, another thing on his mind was his interaction with Adagio earlier. It was all too familiar, though instead of her hating his guts, she was avoiding him like he had a disease. Junior took one last bite of his cooked fish and tossed the bones into the grass.

"I should probably talk to her." Junior said to himself, standing up. He began to walk passed the gathering, his eyes scanning the village for the Dazzling. The boy scratched his head as he searched his surroundings. He noticed Adagio carrying a bowl, filled with chopped fish meat, mixed with some berries. Junior went into hiding near a hut, finding the Dazzling to be walking over behind another hut, taking a seat. Junior emerged and made his way to her position.

"Mind if I sit here?" asked Junior casually. Adagio jumped with a start as she heard him. She turned to find him standing over her.

"I-I uh..." Adagio attempted to stand, but Junior had already sat down.

"Thanks," said Junior with a sigh. Adagio grimaced as she kept her eyes at her bowl.

"Those berries any good?" asked Junior. Adagio silently held out her bowl to the boy, while avoiding eye contact.

"I'm good. I just wanted to know if they taste good," said Junior in amusement. By looking at the girl's body language, he could tell Adagio was acting off. It was like she wasn't comfortable.

"If you rather eat alone, I can leave. I just thought we could hang out," said Junior as he stood up.

"You don't have to." Adagio said, timidly. Junior noticed the sad expression on her face.

"Come on, talk to me. Why the long face?" asked Junior, kneeling back down.

"Well... how're you feeling?" asked Adagio. Junior raised a brow.

"How am I feeling?" asked Junior.

"Yeah. Do you feel off in anyway? A-Are you sleeping well?" asked Adagio, her tone growing a bit frantic.

"Honestly I haven't been sleeping great," said Junior. Adagio deeply frowned.

"I mean, I haven't been sleeping well since we were separated from the others. Not to mention that I'm sleeping out in the cold in a sleeping bag outside," said Junior.

"O-Oh," responded Adagio. Junior awkwardly cleared his throat.

"I was expecting more than that," said Junior.

"Huh?" Adagio looked at him curiously.

"Yeah, I was expecting you to say, 'Oh, well maybe we can sleep together tonight instead'. Something like that," said Junior, shrugging. Adagio gasped with a flustered look.

"Ah don't look at me like that!" Said Junior as he looked away, growing flustered himself. "I was just trying to break the tension."

Adagio blushed to herself. She softly sighed. She took a berry and held it out to Junior with a soft smile.

"These are actually pretty sweet," said Adagio. Junior was about to take it, but the girl held it close to his face. Junior instinctively opened his mouth, allowing Adagio to place it in his mouth. Adagio suppressed a giggle as Junior looked away, embarrassed.

"Seems that you've already bounced back," said Junior in annoyance. Adagio was slowly eating, still looking down in the dumps.

"Dwan giving you trouble?" asked Junior.

"Well... kinda," answered Adagio.

"I get it. There's always that one person in your life that gets under your skin. Sometimes you just wanna beat the shit out of them," said Junior. Adagio chuckled.

"Yeah, that's sometimes how I feel," said Adagio.

"Still, we can't always go off because of people like that. She's a bitch, I know. But it helps to not-"

"It's not just that..." Adagio interrupted. Junior looked to her attentively. Adagio looked away with a frown. "I shouldn't say."

"Just say it," said Junior.

"Mosura... kinda has it out for me," said Adagio.

"I've noticed," said Junior, thinking back to some of the last interactions the two girls had.

"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure she'd kill me if she saw me talking to you right now. All because of what happened," said Adagio, bitterly. The guilt of the past beginning to well up inside. Junior sighed.

"So that's what this is about. Don't worry about Mosu. If she has a problem with it, she can talk to me. Now's not the time for us to be at each other's throats," said Junior. Adagio smiled with an impressed look.

"You know, it's pretty cool how you can take charge like that," said Adagio.

"Ah. I'm not really taking charge. It's just a fact," said Junior, shaking his head.

"I don't know. Ever since we've been stranded in this world, you've been there to help keep us straight. Whether it was keeping me and Sunset from fighting, taking the lead of the group... It's admirable," said Adagio.

"Really, it's nothing," said Junior.

"It's not nothing. I think there's something in you that you don't even know was there," said Adagio.

"It's just situational. Everyone's scared and isn't sure what to do. I'm just more likely to fight than run," said Junior. "I don't do well in hierarchies. I mean, I'll follow the rules, I won't challenge someone over me, but I've never really fit in."

"I..." Adagio noticed a small frown on Junior's face. He quickly placed on a neutral expression.

"Enough about that. Don't be afraid to talk to me about anything," said Junior, smiling to the girl.

"Yeah... Same to you," said Adagio, absent minded. Junior was silent as he took in the relaxing air. Adagio was still fixated on what the boy had just said. She wondered where that had come from. All she was doing was singing praise for Junior stepping up to take control of a bad situation. Something about that last conversation was upsetting to her.

'You've never fit in?' thought Adagio, glancing at the boy.







Rainbow was running down the streets of Elsinore. She made sure to pace herself and to remain slow enough as to not plow through the town, but fast enough to be above the average speed of a person.

Rainbow had a satchel over her shoulder, containing items that were expected to be delivered. She stopped as she looked through the town map she had. The tomboy muttered to herself as she scanned the area, searching the landmarks and street names displayed via signs on poles.

Meanwhile, back at the house of Salem, the rest of the girls were going over their remaining quests.

"OK, so Rainbow's going to be making those deliveries with that permit we went through the trouble of getting," said Twilight. "While she's doing that, we can get one of these quests over with to earn more money."

"It should be something not too risky if it's only four of us. Maybe that extermination job," said Applejack. Rarity groaned.

"Do we have to?" asked Rarity. Twilight sighed.

"If you really want to set that one out, maybe we can trust you with something to do on your own while we're gone," said Twilight. Pinkie hummed to herself as she took one of the quests off the table.

"I don't think Rarity can handle it," said Pinkie.

"I beg your pardon?" Rarity cocked an eyebrow.

"You're too clean and refine to take on some of these quests. Could be dangerous for you to take on by yourself," said Pinkie. Rarity scoffed.

"That doesn't mean I'm helpless! I just don't want to kill giant bugs! I just got this outfit!" said Rarity indignantly.

"Well, this morning you were complaining about how it wasn't fancy," deadpanned Applejack.

"Maybe she doesn't have to take on a quest. Some of these may require us together, and we may need preparation," said Twilight as she began to use a quill and ink to write on a parchment. She handed the parchment to Rarity.

"How about looking through the markets and looking at more items. I have a list of things we could use," said Twilight. Rarity did a quick scan on the list.

"Armor, medicine, snacks, tools, and... steads?" Rarity looked at Twilight in confusion.

"Hey, you never know. What if we get a quest that requires us to travel?" shrugged Twilight.

"Oh! Find out how much it costs to buy a dinosaur to ride!" said Pinkie eagerly.

"We're not buying a dinosaur!" said Twilight in annoyance. She then turned to Rarity. "Don't actually buy anything."

"Window shopping? I can handle that," said Rarity with a nod.

"Good. AJ, Pinkie, let's head on down to the client," said Twilight.







During this afternoon, Rarity found herself strolling through town. She was looking through the stores, looking over prices for the items. Just your typical day of window shopping. Except Rarity never really window shopped before. When she went out, she planned to purchase something.

While she was glad to have gotten out of that particular task, Rarity felt a little guilty. She knew that her friends would've counted on her to help on that quest. But just the idea of the job gave the girl the shivers. She could only imagine these large creepy crawlies, scurrying on the ground, their multiple legs clicking and flailing, their antennae twitching, and their black eyes staring. Rarity shuddered in disgust as she imagined the giant roaches.

Even still, her friends were doing what they could for these quests. The more Rarity thought of her own selfishness, the more disappointed she became. She had to make up for this somehow. Rarity began to make her way down the street. By a stand, there was a man holding out a cloak to another.

"I tell you, this will be help you out there on the road. This material is resistant to flames, and is thick enough to provide warmth for the cold climate up North," said the salesman. Rarity stopped in her tracks and watched curiously.

"I'm looking for something more like armor, but more light. Don't you have anything like leather or something?" asked the customer.

"Ah. Actually, I have something you might like," said the salesman as he reached beneath his stand, drawing out a long sleeved piece of dark clothing.

"Is this a joke?" asked the customer in annoyance.

"I assure you, it's not. This was made from a number of materials, primarily spider's silk," said the salesman. Rarity's brows rose as she heard this. She began to approach.

"Spider's silk?" asked the customer with a snort.

"Yes! Only the best and richest silk, from the healthiest arachnids in the land! It's not easy to come by, let alone produce," said the salesman.

"Why would I want silk outfits? I'm not one of these fruit nobles!" scoffed the customer.

"Excuse me, sir. May I see that?" asked Rarity, stepping to the stand. The salesman handed the top over to the teen. Rarity hummed as she inspected it, feeling the fabric at her finger tips. She began to gently tug at the fabric.

"Come now, don't be afraid to be rougher with it," said the salesman with a grin.

"Lady, if you tear that, you're the one paying for it," deadpanned the customer, shaking his head. Rarity gave a harder tug.

"Incredible! I've never felt material like this before!" said Rarity. She began to turn it over. "It’s a bit elastic, yet durable!"

"As it should! Spider's silk is quite strong, but this particular silk comes from large ones. That multiplies the strength of common spider webs by ten times! But that also makes it harder to harvest," said the salesman.

"What are the limits?" asked Rarity.

"Well, this is just a top. It's better for insulation and offers minimal protection. It's meant to be worn under these additional armor pieces," said the salesman as he drew out a pair of thick leggings and new armor pieces. Rarity noted that the vest almost looked similar to kevlar armor. It was thicker compared to the shirt. There were also shoulder pieces, thigh pieces, and fore arm pieces of armor. Rarity began to inspect the armor. While she was mainly into fashion, she was trained to have an understanding of the different materials and fabrics. This was nothing she's seen before. The armor pieces were light, but they were thick and solid as steel.

"Wearing this, you might be able to take on a single raptor dragon with minimal damage to yourself. That is if you're a skilled warrior," said the salesman, looking to the customer with a smirk.

"This must be expensive, what with the materials and time needed to make this," said Rarity.

"I won't lie, the price is steep. 10 gold pieces. But you won't find an armor set as light and durable as this," said the salesman. The customer hummed as he drew out a knife. Rarity gasped as he suddenly jammed his knife over the armor set. He began to quickly stab every inch of the set. No damage was done.

"See? But be warned, you'll get nasty bruises if you allow someone to try and stab you like that," chuckled the salesman.

"Very well. You've convinced me," said the customer, putting away his knife. He drew out a coin purse and began to place ten gold pieces on the counter.

"I'll take it," said the customer.

"Excellent choice, my friend! May you be safe on your adventures!" said the salesman, taking the coins while the customer took the armor set. As he left, the salesman looked to Rarity with a grateful smile.

"I must thank you, miss. It's not easy to convince people to purchase something like that," said the salesman.

"Oh, not at all. But is it really difficult to make something like that?" asked Rarity.

"Extremely. The spiders that produce such silk dwell in cold dark areas, usually caves or trenches. Not to mention they are quite dangerous. So you can imagine harvesting enough silk to make the thread is risky," said the salesman as he placed a hand on the counter top. "Even if you manage to successfully harvest enough, it takes days to weave it into something. That entire set took me over a month to put together."

"Do you happen to have any left?" asked Rarity.

"No, that was the last one. I only made two. It's unfortunate. Even though it's a long and tedious process to work on alone, I enjoy it very much. Besides armor, I've had a few other ideas to make use of the thread," said the salesman. He sighed in dismay. "But my last trip was uneventful. It's actually more expensive to hire mercenaries for an escort than it is to make the products."

"What if... What if I could help," said Rarity. She spoke without thinking. She was admiring the man's passion that she couldn't stand the thought of his potential limited by a lack of access to materials. It reminded her of herself, whenever she wanted to do a project but lacked the funds or materials to do so.

"I can't ask a young lady such as yourself to do that," said the salesman, shaking his head.

"But sir, that silk could be good business for you," said Rarity.

"It's not worth endangering lives over mere coin. I can make due with my common products," said the salesman.

"Still, think of the lives you'd be saving with such material. And all of the uses the silk could provide. Isn't that worth a little danger?" asked Rarity. She then smiled kindly. "I wouldn't be offering my help if I wasn't capable of defending myself."

The salesman hummed to himself, thoughtful.

"I can't promise that I'll be able to pay you right away," said the salesman.

"No need, darling. We artists must do what we can to help our talents bloom," said Rarity.

"Then perhaps you wouldn't mind helping me now?" asked the salesman. Rarity recoiled in surprise.

"Sure, but what about..." Rarity looked to the stall.

"I've just made ten gold today. I think I can afford to take the rest of the day off," said the salesman as he began to put things away. "I know the perfect spot just near the town. Meet me back at this street in an hour. I have to prepare!" Said the salesman as he locked up his stall and began to place the remaining products on display into a crate beneath, locking it up tightly. Then he closed the cabinet the crate was inside, locking it as well.

'If I knew that I was going to find myself facing off against giant bugs anyway, I'd have joined the girls,' thought Rarity in dismay.








Later...


Rarity found herself following the salesman in the outskirts of the town. They were a couple miles from the city walls and were at a vast field of green. The salesman was dressed in leather clothes, with leather based armor covering his arms, shoulders, thighs and chest. He also was wielding a wooden club.

"You're certainly prepared," said Rarity.

"With how dangerous things can be, it's wise for any man to be clad in armor. Had I known you had nothing, I'd have lent you something," said the salesman.

"I'm fine. I don't rely on weapons or armor," said Rarity, though that sounded more like bragging than a statement of a fact.

"Then are you a mage? That may explain your confidence," said the salesman.

"You can say that," said Rarity. Truth be told, she wasn't too confident in her abilities. She's still learning to wield her power and has never used it on her own like this, but she trusted to rely on her instincts and what Amber had taught her.

"We're near the trench," said the salesman. Rarity's blood ran cold as the two stopped. Ahead, they found the ground littered with strands of silk, which glistened in the sun. There was a deep trench ahead, reaching fifteen feet below ground. More thick webs littered the walls and ground of the trench. There was an inclined steep hill that led down into the trench, and ahead were multiple burrows that were large enough to fit rabbits. Around each burrow were sheets of web covering the dirt.

"Oh my..." Rarity gulped. She was beginning to have second thoughts.

"You see there, there's plenty of silk ready for the taking. Trouble is, those spiders will emerge from their burrows once they feel the webs tampered with," said the salesman.

"How did you harvest the silk?" asked Rarity.

"Well, the hired help killed a couple of spiders and we took a couple of egg sacs. But I don’t want to kill off the spiders here, so I have a new idea," said the salesman as he set his bag down from his back. He drew out a metallic canister.

"If we can just draw one of them out, we can knock it out, bind its legs and body. Then we can harvest as much thread as we please," said the salesman.

"How do we do that?" asked Rarity. The salesman showed her the canister.

"An alchemist claimed that this could knock it out. Do you know any spells that we can use to trap it?" asked the salesman.

"My abilities only revolve around forming constructs. It's not necessarily magic. But, I may be able to form an enclosure around it," said Rarity.

"Good. We'll draw one out and you trap it. Remember, keep quiet when we're down there," said the salesman. The two began to carefully walk down the hill. Rarity followed close behind, eyeing the burrows nervously. She had a feeling her friends were in less danger then she was, but it was too late to back out now.

The two made it to the bottom. The salesman motioned for Rarity to stay put. He looked to the ground, finding the sheets of web all around. He knelt down and drew out a small cage from his bag. He set it down and drew out a mouse. Rarity cupped her mouth, almost screaming in fright. The salesman took the mouse and tossed it to the nearest burrow. The mouse squeaked, scrambling up to its feet. It began to scurry away, its paws hitting the sheets of web surrounding the burrow.

From the burrow, a brown cat sized spider lunged out of the burrow, snatching the mouse with its two front legs and quickly dragged it into its burrow. Rarity whimpered as she flinched. That thing was about the size of the one that attacked Junior. It was quite fast as well.

"It's a female. Perfect," whispered the salesman. He took the canister he had and pulled the pin. He stepped closer to the burrow, just a few feet away. The canister hissed as the colorless gas began to spray. He threw the canister into the burrow and quickly retreated next to Rarity.

"Get ready! It might leave its burrow because of that!" whispered the salesman. Sure enough, the spider shot out of its burrow, twitching its fangs and smaller front appendages. The spider gave a hissing sound as it quickly scurried over to the humans' position, likely enraged.

"Eep!" Rarity barely registered its approach. She quickly raised her hands and trapped the spider in a crystal dome. The spider scurried around, attempting to escape its prison.

"Can you open the top? I have one more canister," said the salesman.

"Yes. I'll give you a small opening. Be careful," said Rarity, anxious. She focused, causing pieces on top of the dome to vanish. The salesman dropped the second canister inside. The spider twitched as it attempted to get away, but the gases began to overcome the oxygen. It slowed down and lied flat on the ground, its fangs slowly twitching.

"Is it out?" asked Rarity. The salesman tapped the dome, getting no response from the spider.

"Yes. Remove the dome. I only have a short amount of time to restrain it," said the salesman, drawing out cloth straps, large metallic nail-like spikes. He took two poles and carefully began to flip the spider onto its back. He then began to part its legs, laying them down splayed out in the dirt. The salesman then carefully placed the cloth strap over the legs on its left and hammered it down into the dirt to keep it secured. He then did the same to the legs on the right.

The salesman proceeded to set up a device, which bore a wheel. He then took a pair of tweezers and took a thin strand of web that stuck out from the spinnerets of the arachnid. He gently pulled the strand, which extended out from the abdomen and hooked it onto the bar on the wheel. The salesman began to carefully spin the wheel, which drew in more web.

"Keep an eye out. I'd hate for more to show up," said the salesman as he reeled in more web. Rarity anxiously scanned the area. She didn't know how long this man planned to remain here or how much silk he wanted to harvest, but she hoped that the arachnids would remain in their burrows until they left.

Fifteen minutes went by, and there were three wheels lying on the ground. The wheels bore miles worth of silk wrapped around them.

The salesman replaced his last wrapped wheel with another. He again grabbed a strand of silk from the spinnerets and hooked it to the wheel. The spider had regained its senses but was unable to move. Its fangs twitched as its black eyes stared off.

"Almost, done my dear. Just one more wheel," said the salesman. Rarity sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness," said Rarity.

"I was actually talking to the spider," said the salesman in amusement.

"Oh..." Rarity tittered.

"They may look frightening, but there's a beauty and elegance to them. As all creatures, they have a role to play," said the salesman.

"I'll take your word for it," said Rarity. "The last giant spider attacked a... friend of mine," said Rarity. She realized that she hesitated to finish that sentence. The girl wondered if after all that happened, 'friend' was an accurate description to call the boy on her mind.

"Oh. I'm so sorry," said the salesman apologetically.

"Don't worry, he wasn't hurt. Though I think he was traumatized," said Rarity as she thought back to the jungle. She suppressed a giggle.

"I shouldn't laugh. But looking back, his reaction was delightfully amusing. Poor dear. I rarely see him like that. He's normally stoic," said Rarity, almost nostalgic.

"I don't blame him. Do you remember what kind of spider it was?" asked the salesman.

"I actually don't know much about spiders. I do remember that it was brown and hairy. It apparently attacked him from the trees in a jungle," said Rarity.

"Hmm. Sounds like it could've been a 'Giga Hunter Spider," said the salesman. "They can leap several feet through the air and drop from the trees. They have a habit at jumping on men's faces whenever they happen to cross paths."

"That's exactly what happened," giggled Rarity. She then bore a pondering look.

"What does Giga mean?" asked Rarity.

"It's short for 'Gigantic'. It applies to creatures that happen to be much larger compared to normal sized ones. There are species of smaller hunter spiders as well," explained the salesman.

"Good to know that not everything is 'super sized'," said Rarity.

"Yes, but even the Giga members of the largest animals pale in comparison to a Titan," said the salesman. Rarity did a double take.

"Titan?" asked Rarity. The salesman looked at her strangely.

"You've never heard of Titans?" asked the salesman.

"I... can't say that I have," said Rarity.

"They're only the mightiest creatures in the world! Living god-like beings, with the forms of mighty beasts!" said the salesman.

"And... they're larger than Gigas?" asked Rarity.

"My dear, they are colossal. Their very bodies and power can break mountains, drown cities, and scorch land. While they are destructive, they are believed to be creators. Their power can bring about life after they trample land. They are Providence's representation of his majesty, his strength and wrath," said the salesman. Rarity felt some tension from this conversation.

"Have you ever seen one?" asked Rarity.

"Nope," answered the salesman, reeling in more silk.

"Then... how do you know if such creatures exist?" asked Rarity.

"They exist. Our ancestors knew them, and they knew us. They rest, only emerging when they please. I would much like to witness one someday," said the salesman as the wheel was completely wrapped. He then snapped the strand and set aside the wheel.

"I believe we have enough. No reason to press our luck," the salesman as he set the wheels into his bag.

"If only spiders could be domesticated. This would be easier to just take it with us. But I'd hate to remove its fangs. Oh well," sighed the salesman. Rarity projected a hook-like object, as she and the salesman climbed out of the spider trench. She levitated the hook to the straps that restrained the spider's legs and began to yank them off. The spider flipped itself over and scurried back into its burrow. Rarity sighed in relief, using her projection ability to retrieve the nails and straps.

"I appreciate this, Miss Belle. How can I repay you?" asked the salesman.

"Just put that silk to good use," said Rarity with a smile.

"I will. I hope that you are willing to assist me again another day," said the salesman. Rarity nodded.

"Yes! I'm staying as a guest in Lord Salem's home. I'm sure to see you around," said Rarity. She then just realized what she agreed to.







It was the late afternoon. Rarity sighed as she lied in a tub, soaking up in warm water. She had a content look as her nerves relaxed and her pores opened.

This was one of the few things that reminded her of home. A nice hot bath. It was great to say the least, considering her current situation. But Rarity felt an ache in her heart.

While Rarity knew what the plan was, she feared being unable to return to her world. If that were the case, she'd never see her family again. Never mind the modern luxuries that she left behind, as that was replaceable. She was also worried about the rest of her friends, whom they've been separated from.

After her bath, Rarity emerged with her body wrapped in a towel. She dried off her body, then wrapped her long wet hair up in the towel. The teen had dressed herself into a night gown. She then lied herself down on one of the beds of the room she was housed in. Rarity just stared at the ceiling, not saying a word. She kept thinking about her home.

'Mother, father, Sweetie Belle... Will I ever see you again? Oh foo, I forgot to buy more cat food for Opal,' thought Rarity. Her lips quivered as she began to tear up. She held an arm over her eyes, holding in her whimpers. There was a sudden knock.

"Lady Rarity?" A feminine voice called. Rarity quickly wiped her face as she began to compose herself.

"C-coming!" Rarity made her way to the door and answered. She found a young handmaid, carrying a package.

"A man claiming to have met you requested this to be delivered to you," said the handmaid. Rarity raised a brow as she took the package.

"Thank you," said Rarity. The handmaid bowed her head before closing the door. Rarity set the package on the bed and proceeded to open it. She softly gasped to herself. She drew out a single spool of silk thread. She found at least a dozen other spools inside. Rarity drew out a note that was left in the package.

"Oh. 'A percentage of the harvest, as thanks for your help. Do as you please with them'." Rarity softly smiled. She admired the fine thread that glistened in the light candle lights of the room.

The door suddenly opened. Rarity turned to find Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow and Pinkie to be walking in. They were covered in dirt and what appeared to be insect juice.

"No way! I totally smashed more than you!" said Rainbow indignantly.

"In your dreams! I smashed more! I'm covered in much more of that roach pudding than you!" scoffed AJ. Twilight sighed.

"Unfortunately." Twilight grimaced. Rarity gagged as she cupped her mouth.

"Good lord!" cried Rarity.

"Rarity, please tell me the bath is big enough for all of us," whined Pinkie.

"It is, but don't even think about cleaning yourselves in there! That's meant for relaxation! You need to scrub and rinse yourselves first. There's a reservoir of water meant to be scooped with a bucket in the bathroom," said Rarity.

"Ooh! Who needs help with scrubbing their back?" asked Pinkie. Rainbow sighed.

"Don't make it weird," said Rainbow.

"Rarity, would you mind putting our earnings in the chest?" asked Twilight, tossing a coin purse onto a bed. The girls began to make their way to the bathroom.

"It’s like a spa in here!" Pinkie's voice muffled from behind the walls.

Rarity proceeded to take the coin purse and knelt next to a medium sized chest that Salem had lent to them. Inside, she found a pile of silver pieces inside, which were originally from Grunge. Rarity began to pour the several silver pieces into the chest. It was just about half empty, leaving plenty of space for more coin.

Rarity heard the giggles and yelps from the bathroom. It seemed that her friends were enjoying themselves. The teen smiled to herself, having some comfort in knowing that she wasn't alone in this foreign world.







Junior was walking silently in the evening. His soles touched the cold grass with every step that he took. By now, the natives were beginning to turn in for the night.

It was funny. Every morning, Junior would stir, dreading that he would have to go to school. But once he registered the breeze, the sunlight on his face, and the chatter, he'd remember that he was nowhere near home. Though now, he would kind of wish that he was waking up to go to school.

Junior sighed tiredly as he made his way to his sleeping place, but he froze. There was a haunting howl in the air. He turned to the wall, which kept out whatever horrible beasts roamed in the jungle. The howl grew into wails and moans. This was causing some of the natives to emerge from their huts, frightened by the sounds.

Junior made his way to the ladder, scaling up the great wall. Once he reached the top, he began to look down to the other side. Nothing but the spiked obstacles stood in the field. The jungle was filled with a dense fog, making it near impossible to see through. However, Junior could see a lanky humanoid figure moving through the fog, clutching its head.

"Another," said a voice. Junior flinched, turning to find Kong looking down at the figure with a hard expression.

"Jesus! Don't sneak up on people!" said Junior in annoyance. Kong said nothing as he drew a spear out, raising it. Instinctively, Junior stepped aside, as Kong focused in on his target.

"Is that necessary? I mean it could-" Junior was interrupted as Kong threw the spear, impaling the figure.

"Never mind, psycho," said Junior as Kong sent him a look.

"That was no man," said Kong, leaping down to the ground below, leaving a heavy thump. Junior stared wide eyed.

"What kind of mutant is capable of dropping that far down?" asked Junior. That may seem like a dumb question, but Junior knew that Transmutants had a limit to their super human strength. At least from what he saw. But he never knew the extent a mutant can grow strong with a lifestyle as Kong's.

Down below, Kong inspected the humanoid that lied dead with a spear in its chest. The king confirmed that it was exactly like the creatures he encountered before. He didn't like this, considering how close it was to his territory. And it seemed that there were more out there. But Kong still couldn't figure out what they were.

There was a sudden distant shriek. Kong shot his head up, hearing birds flying off as they were startled. The shriek was like a screech that became a bellow. It was too familiar to him.