//------------------------------//
// Chapter 14: Ecstasia 
// Story: Shy and Aggressive: Book 2 
// by Johng117 
//------------------------------//

King Gareth sat upon his throne with a stoic look. He scratched at the beard on his chin with a hum.

"You say it was an attack, perpetrated by the Dogomites?" asked Gareth. He gazed upon Rainbow Dash, as she stood next to Prince David.

"Yeah. I saw them myself. Based on how they were talking, i thought I should come here to warn you. But I guess I took too long trying to find my way," said Rainbow, awkwardly.

"Hm. Do you remember where they were camped?" asked Gareth.

"Uh... yeah! It was somewhere around here," said Rainbow as she drew out her map and approached the throne. She pointed to a general area in the jungle, near the edge of Sacramentonian territory.

"Apparently they're waiting for reinforcements to be sent their way," said Rainbow.

"Lady Rainbow Dash, you just provided vital information," said Gareth.

"Oh, sweet. Wait, 'Lady'?" Rainbow muttered to herself.

"We must act quickly and eliminate this camp before they can strike from under our noses," said Gareth as he drew out a personal map. A man presented a tray with ink and a quill, allowing the king to mark the area. "This treacherous attack will not go unanswered."

"We thank you, for we are in your debt," said David.

"Ah it's no biggie. Just doin' what a hero's gotta do. Yep!" chuckled Rainbow, holding a cocky tone

"Why were you in that area by the way?" asked David.

"Ah. Well, I've been looking all over for my friends. The ones I got separated from. Not the ones in Elsinore," said Rainbow.

"Of course! That reminds me, the one called Gojira mentioned being acquainted with you," said David. Rainbow's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Yeah! That's one of them! You saw them?" asked Rainbow.

"Yes, during my search of allies to stand against the Dogomites. He and others were dwelling with the Iwi tribe," said David.

"In the 'Roaring Jungle', right?" asked Rainbow.

"Indeed," answered David.

"You wouldn't happen to have time to show me where, would you?" asked Rainbow. David had a look of regret on his expression.

"I'm sorry. Given the revelation of this news, I have to lead an assault on the camp and catch their reinforcements off guard," said David.

"Can't someone else go? I mean, you're the prince. Sounds pretty dangerous," said Rainbow.

"And the jungle isn't?" asked David with an amused look.

"Right," said Rainbow sheepishly.

"We have priorities, Lady Rainbow Dash. Unless you were willing to assist on this attack, perhaps my son can spare time to guide you," said Gareth. David sent his father a glance, while Rainbow grimaced. She remembered Twilight warning her constantly about getting involved with this world's affairs. Even if it was just for a quick assist, Rainbow thought it'd give these people the idea that she was willing to fight in the war.

"I think I can manage on my own. Thanks anyway. I-I should be going," said Rainbow as she began to walk out of the throne room.

"Of course," said Gareth. Once Rainbow was out of earshot, David turned to his father.

"You know that she was going to refuse," said David.

"Hmm. I had hope she would have a change of heart," said Gareth.

"Father, she's a foreigner. We have no right to involve her into our war," said David.

"I know. But my son, we may not have a choice if it goes on like this," said Gareth, his tone solemn. David grimaced in response.







It was early morning. The sky was partially lit up as the sun began to rise over the horizon. Citizens of the village were in the process of repairing damage that had been done to their businesses. Some even began to harvest what remained of the dead Giga-boa that lied dead in the street.

Junior sighed as he quickly picked up the basket and wore it over his shoulders. He sported the clothes that were provided to him by the Inn Keeper. He thought that he might as well keep it. It wouldn't hurt to have an extra pair of clothes. He stepped outside of the room, with Angirasu and Rodan following.

"Oh! One more thing!" said Junior, returning to the room. He picked up a familiar heavy book and placed it in his pack.

"Why're you bringing that?" asked Rodan.

"Because I want something to do on my down time," said Junior as the three power walked through the hall. They met up with Adagio, Sunset, Dwan and Mosura. Adagio and Sunset sported their normal clothes, which had been washed. Mosura was sporting the night skirt still, along with a pair of sandals. Dwan wore her leather bikini, with a robe covering her body.

"Let's go," said Junior as he took point.

"Right when I was starting to get comfortable," said Dwan, with a sigh.

As the teens made their way to the lobby, they found the Inn Keeper to be standing behind the front desk, writing into a large book. Junior held a finger to his lips as he sent his friends a look. He began to casually but sneakily walk by the desk, making his way to the front. The rest of the group followed him. The Inn Keeper still hadn't noticed them.

'So far so good,' thought Junior as he reached the door. There was a sudden loud knock at the door, prompting the teens to freeze in place.

"Oi. Aren't you gonna answer?" asked the Inn Keeper in annoyance, her eyes still on the book. Junior looked back incredulously.

"Uh..."

"Well go on! Answer it! Sounds urgent," said the Inn Keeper. Junior grimaced as he reached for the door and opened it. He went pale as he found that at the door were a couple of armored men.

"Uh oh," said Mosura. From behind the guards, an older man stepped in. He appeared to wore formal apparel. His tan robes made of a fine silk, with yellow patterns running along the form.

"Ah. My Lord. What brings you to the High Moon? A drink perhaps? Maybe breakfast?" asked the Inn Keeper, stepping away from her desk. The teens stepped back once the Lord and his guards entered the building.

"I have no doubt that you heard what happened the previous night," said the Lord.

"I'm a heavy sleeper. Please enlighten me," said the Inn Keeper.

"Very well. There was a Giga-boa that attacked our village. It scaled over the walls and caused much damage," said the Lord.

"My, how awful!" said the Inn Keeper in shock.

'No way she fell asleep through that. Even I woke up,' thought Junior with a grimace.

"A spiked dragon suddenly appeared and killed the beast. We thought we were doomed until we learned that it changed. Into a man," said the Lord.

"A demi-Titan?" asked the Inn Keeper in shock.

"Indeed. And eye witnesses testify that he retreated into this Inn," said the Lord.

"Nice knowing you Aang," whispered Rodan.

"Shut up!" hissed Angirasu.

"He was described to have dark hair, prickly like thorns," said the Lord, glancing at the teens.

"Who might it be, I wonder..." said the Lord. Angirasu sighed.

"It was me," confessed Angirasu, raising his hand.

"Dude!" barked Junior.

"Oh? I wasn't even sure if he was among you," said the Lord, surprised.

"Aang!" exclaimed Sunset.

"Too late. Already admitted to it," sighed Angirasu. He stepped forward, keeping a brave face.

"I was the one. I didn't mean to cause any disturbance. I just reacted when I saw that thing attack," said Angirasu, bowing his head apologetically.

"We are in your debt," said the Lord. Angirasu raised his head in surprise. He found that the Lord and the guards were bowing their heads before him. The teens were in shock and confusion.

"You have saved our village, Noble Guardian. If there is anything that you desire, I shall grant you your wish if it is in my power," said the Lord.

"Really?" asked Rodan with a grin.

"Heh. if I knew you were traveling with a Noble Guardian Demi-Titan, I wouldn't have given you kids a free room," said the Inn Keeper in a joking tone.

"Well, I think there's something you can do for us," said Angirasu.

"Name it," said the Lord.

"How about supplies for a long journey? Maybe enough for us to reach a city called, 'Elsinore'?" asked Angirasu.

Later that morning, villagers for miles had gathered to the edge of town. Here, there were certain citizens hauling over supplies to the teens. These ranged from food, clean water, new clothes, donated coins, and even a large wagon to carry them and their supplies pulled by the healthiest domesticated triceratops.

"Wow. You guys went all out," said Angirasu in surprise.

"Tis the least we can do for thee, noble Guardian," said an old man. A large man stepped over, holding out a heavy iron mace. It bore a long handle, with a spiked oval shaped tip.

"I offer you one of the finest weapons I've forged. This mace will assist you in battle," said the black smith. Angirasu took the mace, looking it over with a smile.

"Ah now you're just spoiling him," said Rodan, crossing his arms.

"Thank you, all. This is more than enough," said Angirasu graciously. The people bowed their heads in respect to the boy. Junior slightly narrowed his eyes at this. The teens soon piled into the wagon, along with their newly gifted supplies. Angirasu and Junior sat at the front of the wagon, with the former taking the reigns.

"Just follow the path on your map and you should reach your destination. Be sure to stop at other settlements to resupply along the way," said the Lord.

"Thanks! Bye!" waved Angirasu, before prompting the triceratops to start moving. It towed the wagon along, as the villagers bid the teens farewell on their journey.

"Well that was nice of them, huh?" asked Angirasu, glancing at Junior.

"I can't believe what I just saw," said Junior in a flat tone. Sunset poked her head through the cover sheets on the wagon.

"I know. It totally went well," said Sunset.

"I'm just shocked that they took the fact that Aang transformed and partially wrecked their town so well. I mean, they showered him with gifts and praised him as being heroic," said Junior.

"Well, maybe they were just appreciative of not getting eaten by the giant snake. You shouldn't judge people before you get to know them," said Sunset. Junior scoffed.

"Why not? People judged me all of my life," said Junior. Sunset frowned.

"We just got lucky this time. I bet you that if it were another village, we would've been locked up in a dungeon if not beheaded on the spot," said Junior. Sunset sighed, a disapproving look on her face.

"Goji, I just wish you'd say something positive for a change," said Sunset.

"OK. I'm positive that the next town will not be so welcoming," retorted Junior. Sunset rolled her eyes as Angirasu chuckled.

"OK, smart-ass," said Sunset.







Fluttershy found herself staring off at the Iwi village. She took in the morning air as the wind blew through her long rosey locks. She looked to the great wall that protected the village from the dangers of the wilderness.

The girl couldn't help but think about the rest of her friends that had went off. She hoped that they were well and safe. Fluttershy had begun to regret staying here instead joining the others just moments after they left. She felt helpless being here. Not to mention she felt that she hardly contributed to the group.

The Dazzlings had a range of abilities through their voices, Sunset and Twilight had magic, Applejack had super strength, Rainbow had speed, Pinkie could make things explode, and Rarity could project different objects like shields. All Fluttershy could do was talk to animals. She doubt that she'd be any use if she went on the journey.

Fluttershy sighed in dismay as she sat down in the grass.

"At least I could've had a chance to be with Goji," said Fluttershy to herself. She had started to regret not coming along when she realized that both Mosura and Adagio would be around him more. Knowing Mosura's feelings for him, Fluttershy thought she'd be a fool if she didn't assume that Mosu would try to make a move on the boy. Fluttershy moaned as she buried her face into her knees.

"How could I have been so cowardly? I was just a word away from confessing before!" whined Fluttershy. She sighed as she raised her head back up. There was nothing to do now and just hope for the safe return of her friends.

Fluttershy took notice of a low groan. She turned to find Jira, the mutant hybrid, to be curling into his self just down the hill. Fluttershy stood up and began to walk over.

"Hi Jira," said Fluttershy, sweetly. The creature didn't acknowledge her presence and just gave a small groan, as though distressed. Fluttershy frowned.

"What's wrong? Do you have a tummy ache?" asked Fluttershy, kneeling next to the reptile. Jira grunted.

"Oh, I see. I'm sorry that you're sad. Do you wanna talk about it?" asked Fluttershy. Jira snorted and brought his muzzle against the dirt.

"It's OK. I've been a little down today too," said Fluttershy, running a hand over the iguana's head. Jira softly groaned.

"I see. You're sad because the other one died while you two were out in the forest. I'm sorry," said Fluttershy, as Jira brought his head over her lap. The teen planted a kiss on him as she scratched his chin, causing a pur-like sound to come from him.

"I'll be your friend. You don't have to be alone anymore," said Fluttershy.







The carriage carried Junior and the gang during the high noon. Junior sighed as he wiped the sweat from his forehead, while Angirasu chugged down a gourd full of water.

"It's hot as hell today," said Junior.

"Just imagine being back there," said Angirasu, glancing to the back of wagon. While it was covered by a sheet that stuck to the frame, the heat was surely building up inside, especially with several teens in the back.

"Eew! Rodan, you're getting your sweat on me!" complained Dwan.

"You got your sweat on me first," retorted Rodan.

"God, I just wanna strip down to my underwear," moaned Adagio.

"Please don't," said Sunset.

Mosura suddenly poked her head from the back of the wagon. Her hair stuck to her skin, as her face appeared flushed.

"Guys, can we stop for a minute?" asked Mosura.

"I guess. I need to stretch my legs anyway," said Junior.

The wagon halted in the middle of an empty field. The triceratops crouched down and lied on its belly. The teens began to step out of the wagon. Adagio whined as she stood stiffly.

"Hey, did they happen to give us clothes for the heat?" asked Adagio.

"Yeah but let's save them for now. Ooh! This looks pretty," said Sunset, looking through a sack. A breeze suddenly blew by.

"Ah that's nice," sighed Mosura.

"Man, how much further to the next town?" asked Rodan, tugging at his shirt.

"We should get there by the next hour," said Junior as he looked over the map he had.

"I don't think I can handle another hour," groaned Adagio.

"Look, it'll pass by. Just drink a lot of water and you'll be fine," said Junior as he drank from a canting.

During the break, the teens sat around in the shade of the wagon. The cool breeze and refreshing water helped cool them down.

"Hey Angirasu, what's your sign?" asked Dwan.

"My what?" asked Angirasu in confusion.

"You know, your Zodiac sign. I'm a Libra," said Dwan.

"Oh. I couldn't tell you since I never paid attention to that stuff. But why do you ask?" asked Angirasu.

"Well, before I ended up in Equescidar, my horoscope told me that I'd meet a big man," said Dwan, bouncing her eye brows at the boy. Angirasu blushed as he looked away.

"Ugh. That was lame," said Adagio.

"Better than one of Rodan's old pick up lines," said Junior.

"Hey..." Rodan looked to his friend in offense.

"What? Your pick up lines are awful. They're not subtle. Plus you've stolen some from the lines of movies you've seen," said Junior.

"Seriously?" chuckled Sunset.

"Yeah. He tried to do that Leia one from The Return of the Jedi with a girl back in Junior High," said Junior.

"Heh. Laaame~!" said Dwan. Rodan crossed his arms with a sour expression.

"Rodan, if you want, I could teach you some flirting techniques. You'll make the ladies swoon," said Adagio.

"Really?" asked Rodan eagerly.

"Bad idea," deadpanned Mosura and Sunset.

"You could always buy a girl's love. Just get her some gifts and she'll put out," said Dwan with a shrug. Sunset cocked a brow at her.

"What?" asked Sunset.

"I never even thought of that," said Rodan.

"Rodan!" scolded Mosura.

"I swear to God, if you start buying shit to buy a girl's affection, I'll lose respect for you forever," said Junior.

"You respected me?" asked Rodan in surprise.

"Don't get carried away," said Junior with a roll of his eyes. "Fact of the matter is that a girl that's willing to let you in her skirt just for some presents is not a girl worth pursuing."

"Wise words," said Sunset in approval.

"Who says that relationships must have strings attached?" asked Dwan.

"Strings attached?" asked Angirasu in confusion.

"Yeah. What's wrong with not sticking with one person? Why not just screw around?" asked Dwan.

"You're serious," said Sunset.

"Yeah." Dwan nodded, nonchalant.

"I knew you were a skank," said Junior, leaning back. Dwan grunted in annoyance.

"Hey, shut up! At least I bloomed! I bet you're still a virgin!" said Dwan.

"So what?" asked Junior, an annoyed look on his face.

"There's nothing abnormal about virginity at our age," said Mosura with a scoff.

"And it's not exactly that big of an achievement," interjected Sunset.

"I expect that from little girls," said Dwan. Mosura, Sunset and Adagio bore annoyed looks. Angirasu looked to Dwan in disapproval, who shrugged in response.

"Dwan, no one cares how many dicks you took. If it makes you feel like a big girl, I won't take that away from you," said Junior, condescension in his tone. Dwan growled, growing flustered.

"You're a dick," said Dwan.

"And you're a hoe. Now that we established that, let's move on," said Junior as he stood up. Rodan chuckled.

"Hey!" barked Dwan. Adagio snickered as she stood up.

"Oof. He pulls no punches," said Sunset.







Twilight was sitting in the bedroom of the house of Salem. She was watching Rarity sew up an outfit meant for the theater.

"Production seems to be going well," said Twilight.

"Indeed. And in no short of time. I just hope that the audience enjoys it," said Rarity. Twilight sighed.

"It's been a couple days. I'm worried about Rainbow Dash," said Twilight.

"She must be searching thoroughly. It could take a lot out of a person. I wouldn't be too worried," said Rarity in reassurance.

"Yeah..." said Twilight.

Eventually, the two were walking out of the room. Rarity carried the outfit she was working on and followed Twilight outside. The two made their way through the city, on their way to the theater. But they found that there was a gathering of people. A man in robes stood among the people, holding up a poster.

"And in just moments, the dreaded Giga-Boa was killed by the noble Guardian that appeared in the town!" said the storyteller.

"Giga?" Rarity stopped and looked over.

"Huh?" asked Twilight.

"I remember hearing that word. It refers to creatures that are larger than average members of their species," said Rarity. She began to direct her attention to the storyteller. Twilight joined her.

"We know not the name of the Guardian or his place of origin. But we have here his might documented!" said the storyteller, passing a couple of posters to the citizens.

"Ah. That's a rare kind," said a man. Twilight glanced at the poster, her eyes widening. The poster depicted a rough sketch of a serpent, facing off with a spiked reptilian creature. The spiky beast looked awfully familiar.

"Angirasu?" Twilight said to herself.







It was the late afternoon. A town was just a short distance away. The triceratops towed wagon continued on, with Junior sighing in relief.

"I don't wanna jinx it, but taking advantage of that other town's appreciation might work out," said Junior.

"Hey Sunset, Goji's said something positive!" said Angirasu in a humorous tone.

"Harty har," said Sunset sarcastically.

The wagon made its way to the city gates. They were stopped by a guard, requesting a toll. Junior handed off a single silver coin from a purse, donated by the villagers of the previous town. The teens were allowed access. The wagon was towed through town.

"Is it me or is the fashion of this town..." Mosura looked around. She found a few women passing by, sporting loose fitting dresses that exposed much cleavage and leg. They were also dolled up with makeup. Some of the men were shirtless, wearing small jackets or nothing, exposing their naked torsos. Some even wore leather under wear-like bottoms.

"Risque?" Asked Mosura, grimacing.

"Hmm. This city isn't allied under the Sacramentonians nor the Dogomites. This must be under a different faction," said Junior as he analyzed the map.

"How do you know that?" asked Rodan.

"Because every location is decorated with a symbol symbolizing their nation. This one doesn't have the same symbol," said Junior.

"What's the city's name?" asked Adagio.

"Ecstasia. Or something like that," said Junior.

"Let's find a place to park. Maybe we can find an inn to rest at before hitting the road tomorrow," said Junior. Angirasu nodded as he guided the triceratops over to an empty space, around a couple of other wagons.

"Why leave so soon? Why not just relax for a bit?" asked Dwan.

"This isn't a vacation, Dwan," said Junior as he stepped off the wagon. "Now watch the wagon. Me and Aang are gonna look around," said Junior as he walked off. Dwan sighed in annoyance.

"He's so boring!" said Dwan. Rodan climbed out of the wagon and looked around. He whistled as he noticed a couple of scantily dressed women pass by.

"Pardon me, sir! Do you have a moment?" A man stepped over, dressed in a tunic and cotton loose pants.

"Huh?" Rodan looked his way.

"We're having a special over at the Siren's Cove! Here's a coupon for a discount!" said the man as he handed over a rectangular parchment.

"Cool. What is it? Some kind of-" Rodan fell silent as he blushed. On the coupon was some information, as well as a drawing of a half naked woman, with a fish tail and seaweed covering her breasts. On the coupon were the words, "Maidens of all Nations!"

"Oh..." said Rodan as the rest of the girls climbed out of the wagon.

"In addition to the discount of a meal, you also receive a one on one 'pleasure session' with one of our fine girls," said the man. Mosura gasped.

"Ooh," said Rodan. Mosura snatched the coupon from Rodan and tore it up.

"Ah! I wanted to try the wings!" cried Rodan.

"Here ya go, son," said the man as he was about to hand Rodan another coupon. But Sunset suddenly smacked away his hand.

"Hey! You take your filth somewhere else!" said Sunset with a glare. The man scoffed as he walked off.

"Damn foreigners," said the man before leaving.

"Geez. I'm starting to have a bad feeling about this place," said Mosura.

"Seems fine to me," said Dwan with a shrug.

"Damn, that offer for 'spicy dragon wings' sounded promising," said Rodan in dismay.

"I'm sure you really wanted to eat," said Mosura with a roll of her eyes.

"If by eat..." Dwan giggled.

"Look, I'm sick of jerky! We didn't get to eat anything at the High Moon!" said Rodan. He noticed Angirasu and Junior walking over.

"I can't believe this! What kind of fucking city is this?" asked Junior.

"Look, it'll be fine," said Angirasu.

"No it won't!" said Junior.

"What's going on?" asked Adagio.

"Well, we found out that most of the Inns in this town are fucking expensive. Some going for 10 gold a night," said Junior.

"OK, then let's find a cheaper Inn," said Mosura.

"Except they're all occupied!" said Junior. Dwan glared at him.

"Dude, I don't care how pricey it is. You are not making us sleep out in the streets!" said Dwan.

"Well we might not even have a choice, princess!" said Junior.

"Yeah I have to agree with Dwan. I don't feel safe in these streets. It feels sketchy," said Adagio, looking around warily. Junior sighed.

"The Inn Keeper might have been wrong Goji. We might find a place cheap enough if we look on our own," interjected Angirasu.

"Fine. Let's start looking," said Junior.

The gang went their way with the wagon. They traveled on the city streets, finding a mix of casually and erotically dressed folks in town. There were tall stone buildings that stood, ranging at around 4 stories in height. Some were decorated with elaborate signs and advertisements for establishments.

"Taverns, traders, whore houses..." Mosura grimaced.

"This must be what Las Pegasus is like," said Junior.

"I mean, some guy did try to give Rodan a coupon to a strip club," said Sunset.

"I feel like I'm gonna get an STD just by breathing," said Mosura, flatly.

"You know, there are other things to do in Pegasus, besides going to strip clubs," deadpanned Rodan.

"Who cares?" asked Junior. Suddenly, a couple of women dressed in short silken skirts came waltzing by, wearing heeled sandals. They were attractive young women, with curvy hips and busty chests.

"Would you handsome boys be interested in coupons to Pleasure Island? You get a discount on a show. And if you ask for the name of the girl named on the back, you get to have a private session," said one of the women with a giggle. She showed Junior the coupon.

"For you big boy, I'll set you up with the best girl," said the woman. Mosura growled as glared at the woman.

"I'm good," said Junior as he walked past the woman. The group continued on their way. During this, people advertising their businesses, mostly whore houses, pestered the teens with offers of coupons and other deals.

"I swear, if someone offers another damn coupon to anywhere, I'm gonna lose it," said Junior. As if on cue, another man walked over to the teen.

"Excuse me sir, but would you like-"

"Goddamit, I don't want a fucking coupon to to see one of your whores!" exclaimed Junior in aggravation. The man stood stunned at the boy's outburst. He instead turned to Angirasu and handed off the coupon he had before running off.

"Huh. What do ya know," said Angirasu, presenting the coupon. It was to an Inn that offered discounts to couples at half price.

"Maybe we should check this place out," said Angirasu.







Later that afternoon, Junior and the gang stood outside of a large Inn. There was a heart that decorated a sign that read, "The Heartthrob". A smaller sign hung below, reading "Couples Pay Half Price".

"Alright, so this Inn's lot more affordable. The catch is that this one's more like a 'Love Hotel'. So the rooming arrangements are limited," said Junior.

"How so?" asked Rodan.

"There's either two or one bed. While it's affordable, we can save a lot more money if we..." Junior grimaced.

"If we took the discount offer. That means some us will have to share a room as a 'couple'," said Angirasu.

"Is it really necessary?" asked Mosura.

"Well, considering how we need to use money on food, toll payments, potential damage to the wagon, and other issues that may pop up, we should be as conservative with our money as much as possible," said Junior.

"In that case, I want to room with Nice Aang. And I will not take no for answer!" said Dwan.

"Aang?" asked Junior with a sigh.

"It's fine," said Angirasu.

"Wait, I just realized that there's one too many girls. One of us will have be on our own," said Rodan.

"Doesn't matter. We can room together or you can have a room to yourself," said Junior.

"Dude, we're not gonna pretend to be a couple," said Rodan with a glare.

"What? No one's gonna know the truth." said Junior.

"Yeah but I don't want share a bed with you!" said Rodan. Junior snorted.

"Who said anything about sharing a bed? Your ass is sleeping on the floor," said Junior.

"Fine. Then I'll just have my room," said Rodan with an annoyed sigh.

"T-Then I'll room with you, Goji. That leaves Adagio and Sunset," said Mosura with a small blush. Sunset's eyes widened.

"Wait, what?" asked Sunset in dismay.

"Come on, girl. Do it for me," whispered Mosura with a pleading look.

"Fine, but you owe me," said Sunset.

Later, the wagon was parked near the side of the Inn. It was empty, and the triceratops lied asleep next to it. The items inside were taken by the teens to their respective rooms. This was to keep a close eye on their belongings.

Junior and Mosura found themselves entering a room in the Inn. It was smaller compared to the Inn from the previous town. There was a single but large bed, wide enough to fit two people. Mosura stepped over to the bed and felt the sheets.

"Ooh. Feels nice," said Mosura with a smile. She grunted as she hopped onto the bed. She giggled as she lied down. Her body felt relaxed as it found the comfort of the bed, after sitting in a crowded wagon for hours.

"Don't get too comfortable. We're gonna go out," said Junior as he set down his things. Mosura sat up, a puzzled look on her face.

"Out?" asked Mosura.

"Rodan kept complaining to me how he was sick of eating the stuff we had for the trip. Frankly I agree," said Junior. "I was told that there was a nice affordable place nearby."

"Cool! Let me get ready!" said Mosura, hoping out of bed. She rushed to the sack she brought in and found a pair of folded clothes. She looked at Junior shyly.

"Do you mind?" asked Mosura.

"Right," said Junior as he instinctively made his way to the door, stepping outside. Once he did, he noticed Angirasu and Rodan strolling by.

"Let me guess, they're changing too?" asked Junior.

"Can you blame them? They were roasting in the back of the wagon for hours," said Angirasu.

"Shit I already took a quick bath and changed. Feelin' fresh," said Rodan, tugging at his dark shirt. He was also clad in a pair of hide boots and loose hide slacks.

"You should've waited. You're just gonna get sweaty again," said Junior.

"Yeah but how can I attract the ladies when I smell like ass?" asked Rodan. Junior chuckled in amusement.

"What?" asked Rodan in annoyance.

"Nothing. Just glad to see you back at your old spirits, buddy," said Junior as he patted the boy's shoulder. Rodan nodded to him with a smile.

Later, the door opened up. Mosura stepped out of the room. She was dressed in a short dress, reaching below the thighs. Her legs were bare, and leather ankle length boots. The dress fit her form, showing off the feminine physique of the girl. It was a baby blue, with white details swirling around her top. The sleeves hugged her arms to her wrists. Her hair also appeared to have been brushed, unlike the mess it was during the past week and a half of being stranded in this new world.

"What do you think?" asked Mosura.

"Looks good!" said Rodan.

"Yeah, it's a nice dress," said Angirasu in agreement. Mosura looked to Junior, expecting a response. Junior scratched his chin as he glanced away.

"It's alright..." said Junior.

While some girls would find offense in Junior's half-hearted response, Mosura knew him well. The shy glance and casual response was just like him to hide his true feelings. Mosura smiled in satisfaction.

"Thanks! I was kinda worried that the skirt was too short. I was gonna put leggings on or something, but it's kinda toasty out here," said Mosura. From the hall, the rest of the girls appeared.

Sunset was clad in a teal tunic with a pair of dark leggings. She also sported calf length dark leather boots. She also wore a pair of finger-less gloves.

Adagio wore a short skirt, with a pair of knee high boots. Her outfit hugged her body tightly, looking as if it just barely fit her form. Instead of sleeves, Adagio wore a pair of violet fishnet finger-less gloves, reaching near her elbows. A corset hugged her waist, giving her more of an hour glass shaped appearance. Her hair was tied up as it usually was back home. Her lips bore a glint of lip gloss, giving them the shine.

Dwan wore a leather outfit. The top comprised of a corset that exposed her slim tummy. She had some cleavage exposed from the top. The skirt was also short, but much shorter compared to Mosura and Adagio's. Over the skirt was a longer half skirt that hung behind her rear and just above the knee. She also wore a pair of thigh high healed boots. Her eyes were covered in dark eye shadow, and her hair was combed down. While still short, it looked a lot less wild compared to how she appeared back in the Iwi village.

"Damn," said Rodan. Mosura noticed Junior staring, causing her brow to twitch in annoyance. She nudged him roughly.

"Careful Goji, you stare any longer, you'll pop a vessel," said Mosura, a sarcastic tone in her voice. Junior cleared his throat as he stood tall, while Sunset nervously laughed.

'Mosu, we talked about this...' thought Sunset.

"Let's get going," said Junior.

Later, the teens found themselves walking through the streets of this city. They eventually found their way to the place that they were pointed to. But when they got there, they were shocked to find a large building. It stood tall and wide. It ranged to take up a whole block in the city, and stood at five stories. Every window was lit up brightly. Many people were entering, some dressed in fine formal clothes, while decorated with expensive looking jewels and rings.

"Is this really the right place?" asked Sunset.

"Yeah, it should be," said Junior, though his tone was that of uncertainty.

The teens entered the building. They found a great lobby, full of many tables and citizens that sat at them. On the tables were decks of cards, and dice. Certain tables held other casino-like games.

"Now this is really starting to feel like Las Pegasus," said Junior. Angirasu noticed a young woman in a short dress, walking by with a tray full of chalices.

"Excuse me, ma'am. We were told that we can get something to eat around here," said Angirasu.

"The dining hall is just down there," said the woman, pointing to the far side of the lobby.

After thanking the waitress, the teens made their way to their destination. They passed through a corridor and came across another large room. They were shocked to find that there were long rows of tables, holding tons of different kinds of food. Roasted or fried cut meats, fruits and vegetables, different grains, and even a section of different kinds of deserts.

"It's a freaking buffet!" exclaimed Rodan, pointing to a sign. Dwan grimaced as she looked to all of the mouth watering food, especially when some of it was replaced with a fresh batch. The smell of the hot food hung in the air.

"All you can eat for the price of 1 silver per customer? What do you think?" asked Junior. Sunset drew out a small note book and looked it over.

"Considering the value of a silver, it can pay for a meal at most pubs. We're paying the equivalent on two meals per person," said Sunset.

"So 7 silver for whatever we want and how much. That sounds reasonable," said Junior.

"Yeah, let's do it. Maybe we can sneak left overs out," whispered Sunset.

"You read my mind," chuckled Junior.

Later, the teens found themselves carrying plates full of different foods of their choice. They made their way over to a table, where they were free to sit together and converse without interference from neighboring strangers. Junior glanced at Rodan, who had a second plate full of what looked like buffalo wings. But the wings looked to be significantly larger than your average chicken.

"What kind of wings are those? It can't be chicken," said Junior.

"It's apparently, 'dragon wings'. There was a picture of some kind of pterosaur," said Rodan.

"Huh. Too bad Pinkie's not here. She would've loved to try dinosaur. Hell, she'd be raiding the desert table if she were here," said Junior, looking around.

"Ew! Goji, what's that?" exclaimed Adagio, pointing to the table. Junior looked to his plate, finding three egg sized pill bugs to be curled up, glistening with oil.

"Stuffed pill bugs," answered Junior, poking his fork against one of the bugs.

"Though it looks more like 'tucked' than 'stuffed'," said Junior in disappointment.

"Hey, are you having trouble with that?" asked a waitress, passing by.

"Yeah, what's with this? They're all curled up," said Junior.

"You just have to give it a tap," said the waitress, taking Junior's fork and tapping it against the tucked up bugs. They suddenly opened up, lying on their backs as they exposed their underside.

"Ew! What the hell is that?!" exclaimed Mosura, pointing to the substance that covered their undersides.

"Oh, that's just the stuffing! It's just creamy cheese with some pieces of bread and diced vegetables. It's one of our most popular items next to the wings," said the waitress. Junior hummed to himself as he inspected this new food.

"I was always curious about how anyone could eat bugs," said Junior as he plopped one into his mouth. Mosura and Adagio gagged in disgust, while Sunset watched intensely.

"Damn, those are pretty good!" said Junior, crunching on the fried exoskeleton of the pill bug. The waitress smiled before leaving. Junior passed his plate forward.

"Anyone want to try one?" asked Junior.

"I'm good," said Mosura, backing up from the plate. Sunset reached over and took one, placing it into her mouth.

"Mm!" Sunset quickly reached for the last pill bug.

"Hey! I said one!" said Junior in annoyance. Sunset gave a throaty giggle as she chewed. She swallowed the bite she had before passing her own plate forward.

"Here, I'll trade you a cheese cake slice for it," said Sunset.

"Shit, works for me," said Junior as he took the slice.

"What is wrong with both of you?" asked Adagio incredulously.

"Don't knock it till you try it," said Sunset with a shrug.

"Man, these wings are hella hot!" said Rodan, before chugging down a cup of water. Angirasu chuckled in amusement. He noticed that Dwan was staring at her plate, which was full of mostly greens and one small cut of meat.

"Aren't you gonna eat?" asked Angirasu. Dwan cleared her throat as she took her fork and began to dig in. In just short moments, her plate was empty.

"Are you still hungry? You didn't exactly eat much," said Angirasu. He passed his plate.

"If you want, I'll share some with you. I may have gotten carried away with how much food I got on my first round," said Angirasu with a sheepish smile. Dwan glanced at the plate, a look of longing in her eyes. She smelled the hot food and the shine the light had on the grease caused her stomach to rumble. She cleared her throat as she looked away.

"I'm good, thanks," said Dwan. Angirasu frowned as he took his plate back.

"Hey, I picked up this brochure on the way in. Aside from the food and gambling, this place is kinda like a recreational center. There's other stuff to do besides what we see here," said Sunset. "We should check this place out before heading to the rooms. It's been awhile since we just relaxed."

The teens looked to be in agreement, though they looked to Junior. The boy grimaced as their attention was on him. He didn't realize that his opinion had much weight. It was like they were looking to him for permission. He did have to agree that he could use a bit of time to take his mind off of the predicament they've been in as of late.

"I guess it couldn't hurt to take a load off," said Junior.

"Yes!" whispered the teens. Junior went back to eating as the teens excitedly looked over the brochure.

"I gotta get another plate of wings!" said Rodan as he made his back to the food table. Once he was nearing the wings, he noticed that a pair of men dressed in white chef uniforms stepped over. They took the tray of wings that were present and dumped them into a bin.

"Ah man," said Rodan in dismay.

"You don't want to eat any of those wings, my boy. They were spiked by a hallucinogen," said one of the chefs. Rodan felt his stomach sank.

"Spiked?" asked Rodan.

"Yep. We just caught someone in the back tampering with the sauce. Sorry about that. But we'll have a fresh batch ready soon!" said the chef. Rodan gulped as he watched the men leave with the tainted meat. He began to feel himself grow hot, and the world around him seemed to be spinning. He looked to the food, finding them to be warping and melting in place. He then noticed a tray of pill bugs. One of the pill bugs suddenly opened up, revealing a cartoony face. It almost looked like a character that would appear in A Bug's Life.

"Hey, Rodan. Do you wanna eat me out?" asked the pill bug, speaking in a sensual feminine voice. The legs stroking the filling in its underside.

"Uh oh..." said Rodan.







The teens had split up to explore the building. All of the recreational stuff were located on the ground floor, while the upper floors were mainly rooms for guests to stay in. It was quite the hybrid of a building, full of different purposes.

Junior found himself with Sunset, Mosura and Adagio. They were in an area, where they found several people playing different board or card games. Some of these games were meant for gambling, while others were just good ol' fashion fun.

"I'll be honest, I'm not much of a card player," said Junior.

"That looks interesting," said Adagio, pointing to an area, where a sign read, 'Bug Wars'. The four made their way over and found people gathered around a table. It almost resembled a pool table, but inside bore rocks and sand.

"OK! OK! Place your bets! Ebony King is going strong and is facing off against Big Blue!" said the game runner at the table.

"I bet five silvers on Big Blue!" said a man.

"10 silver on the King!" said another man. People began to place their bets.

"Ooh! We should get in on that," said Adagio.

"No way!" said Mosura.

"Yeah that's a bad idea, Adagio," said Sunset. Adagio pouted.

"I was just trying to help us earn more money," said Adagio.

"Gambling's for suckers. Let's just see what this is about," said Junior.

"Alright! Bets are in! Bug war!!" The game runner shouted as he hit a small bell. Two men placed down jars, dropping two arthropods. One was a hand sized black scorpion. The other was a slightly larger blue crab-like creature, with multiple eyes on its body. It bore a jagged carapace and one large claw and smaller claw.

"Crabs aren't bugs," said Junior with a cocked brow.

"Who cares? If it has multiple limbs and crawls, it qualifies for the Bug War!" said a man next to Junior. The people surrounding the table cheered on the arthropod they rooted for. The two creatures approached, circling each other as they waited for the other to strike. The crab clicked its larger claw, while the scorpion kept its tail ready. The crab snapped its claw at the scorpion, but quickly retracted before the scorpion could jab it with its stinger. The crowd hooted once the two lunged for each other, claws unable to snap each other's armor. The stinger kept jabbing against the blue shell, but to no avail.

"This is entertaining?" asked Mosura with a grimace.

"It's kinda fascinating to watch two predators go at it," said Junior.

"I can't help but feel it's in bad taste. Not to sound bleeding heart, but this a step close to dog fights," said Sunset.

"That'd be worse to see," said Adagio.

"Well if you want to check out something else we can. These two are in kind of a stalemate," said Junior as he watched the arthropods locked onto each other.

"Uh oh! Looks like they're in a bit of a stalemate! You know what that means? Tie breaker!" said the man as he pulled on a lever, connected to the table. From the corner, a den built into the table clanked. A metal grate raised up, allowing a quadrupedal lizard to emerge. It was cat sized, decorated with bright blue and dark scales. The crowd cheered as the lizard swooped in and clamped its jaws on the scorpion, crunching it before swallowing. It then lunged for the crab and began to bite off its limbs.

"Damn it! That's bullshit!" cried a man as he tore his ticket. The betters all groaned and complained on the outcome of the game.

"Wow. Glad you guys said no," said Adagio.

"Told ya. The House wins," said Junior.

"Um... How about we see the turtle race? That looks cute," said Mosura, pointing to another table.

"Better than what we just saw," said Sunset.







Angirasu, Rodan and Dwan were walking about the area. They passed tables where the patrons gambled away their money, leaving it to chance to either come out with more or less money.

"We should totally gamble," said Dwan.

"Why?" asked Angirasu.

"Cause we could get more money out of it. Come on! What's the worse that could happen? We lose money?" asked Dwan.

"That... doesn't sell me," said Angirasu.

"Come on, I'll teach ya! Look, there's some good ol' fashion poker. You just need to keep yourself stoic and have a good deck. Look, Goji gave us some coins for drinks. Let's use them for this," said Dwan. Angirasu bore a look of reluctance.

"What do you think, Rodan?" asked Angirasu.

"Huh? Oh, whatever. Hey, do you guys hear bees?" asked Rodan, looking around.

"Bees?" asked Angirasu in confusion.

"Yeah. Whoa, has your hair always been that spikey?" asked Rodan, squinting. He began to hold his hand over Angirasu's head, who gave him a strange look.

"Are you OK?" asked Angirasu.

"Ow! That's really spiky!" exclaimed Rodan as he retracted his hand.

"Ah he's just looking for attention. Come on!" said Dwan as she towed Angirasu along.

"O-OK," said Angirasu, though he was reluctant after witnessing Rodan's strange behavior

Meanwhile, Rodan swayed as he looked around. People seemed to warp and melt before his very eyes. The strange patterns on the carpet floor seemed to move about, like animated shapes.

"Hehe. I'm trippin' hard, man," giggled Rodan. He looked around, finding a woman approach with a tray.

"Sir, are you alright?" The woman spoke in a distorted voice. Rodan grinned as he chuckled.

"You're so pretty. You and your twin sister," snickered Rodan.

"Oh dear. Another one. I'll get you some water," said the woman before leaving.

"Baby, don't leave! I'm lonely," whispered Rodan.

"Psst. Hey buddy," whispered a voice. Rodan turned, finding a plate with a roasted pig lying on its belly. It turned to face the boy.

"Oh, hey! A talking pig!" Slurred Rodan.

"Shh! Don't speak or they'll eat you!" whispered the pig.

"Wha..." Rodan looked around. His eyes widened as he suddenly found himself among hundreds of lizard men. Not a single human was in sight. Rodan's eyes darted around as he found the lizards, dressed in the clothes of man. They snarled, snorted, laughed, and slobbered their long tongues. Some shoved bloody bits of flesh into their mouth, while others chugged down cups of blood.

"Oh God, I'm in a fucking reptile zoo..." whispered Rodan with dread.







Junior was sitting at a table as he watched Sunset, Mosura and Adagio watch a turtle race. He found it funny how they found entertainment in watching one of the slowest animals in the world have a race, but he went along with it. For now, he was sitting to rest a bit. A woman passed by handing him a cup

"Your water, sir," said the woman before leaving. Junior sighed before taking a sip. He noticed Sunset walking over.

"Tired?" asked Sunset.

"Just a bit," said Junior. Sunset took a seat across from him, watching Mosura and Adagio.

"It's nice to relax for a bit. Thanks," said Sunset.

"I didn't really do anything. It's not like you need my permission to do anything," said Junior.

"Yeah but we listen to you. After all, you've managed to take charge," said Sunset.

"Right. Sorry if I come off bossy or something these days," said Junior. Sunset shook her head in amusement.

"Hey, if weren't for you, we couldn't have made it in Equescidar this far," said Sunset.

"Well, I think it's because we worked together. But I'll gladly take all the credit," said Junior with a joking tone. He and Sunset shared a laugh. The girl cleared her throat as she glanced to where Adagio and Mosura were standing, their attention still on the turtle races.

"Hey, can I ask you something? What kind of girls do you like?" asked Sunset. Junior bore a mildly surprised look. He shrugged.

"I guess... any girl that's willing to put up with me is good enough," Junior awkwardly chuckled. Sunset smiled.

"Good answer, but that can't be all. I seem to recall that you wrote a poem about me," said Sunset teasingly. Junior groaned as he looked away.

"Let's not talk about that," said Junior.

"Oh come on! I thought it was sweet. I mean, I was surprised, but still," said Sunset.

"You did?" asked Junior. Sunset nodded.

"So, what exactly did you like about me?" asked Sunset. Junior sipped his cup as his face flushed. He wasn't sure why this girl was asking him about this now all of a sudden.

"I mean... how can a guy not like you. You're attractive. Bright hair, big beaming eyes, a symmetrical face..." said Junior.

"Yeah, yeah. I've heard it all before. Though not exactly put that way. It couldn't have just been my good looks," said Sunset, propping her chin up. Junior cleared his throat.

"Well... you were nice to me. I have a bad habit for crushing on girls that show me an ounce of kindness," said Junior. Sunset frowned.

"A bad habit?" asked Sunset.

"Well it's just- Forget it." Junior quickly spoke.

"It's alright. Just tell me," said Sunset, warmth in her tone. Normally, Junior would try to keep deflecting. But he felt compelled to share. Especially with the compassionate look Sunset was giving him.

"It was lonely growing up. I had no friends or family other than my parents. Being the biggest and roughest kid made things hard. I never really got along with girls. I was never mean to them. I guess they just saw me as a big bumbling fool or something," said Junior, staring at his cup. "All the pretty boys, the funny guys and jocks were popular with them. So you can imagine that a kid like me latching onto a pretty girl that glances at me."

"Oh." Sunset frowned. While Junior didn't show it, she could tell there was a bitterness to his memory.

"That's what I liked about you. Even though we were basically strangers, I liked you. Because you took the time to smile at me, greet me, wish me a good day, a safe trip home. Plus when you went off on those girls that were bullying a mutant, you were pretty hot," said Junior. Sunset lost her frown. She recoiled as she became flustered. "I liked the sound of your voice. Whether you were happy or angry."

"I- Huh?!" exclaimed Sunset.

"I liked how aggressive you were. It reminded me of myself in some ways. You stuck up for someone that needed help. That's what I like about you," said Junior. Sunset cleared her throat, a flattered look on her face. Junior suddenly sighed.

"I wasn't confident though. I kept asking myself, 'Why would a girl like that go for a guy like me? A mutant no less.' Even when I mustered the courage to ask you out, Flash already beaten me to you," said Junior.

"Sorry. If I knew you felt that way..." Sunset scratched her head.

"Ah come on, don't apologize. If you say what I think you're about to say, I might start to angst about the past again," chuckled Junior.

"Oh." said Sunset in a small tone

"Yep. Life's like that. It doesn't matter what you want or how much you want it. You won't always get it. But that was mostly my fault since I kept chickening out. But even if I did asked you out, there's no telling you'd say yes," said Junior with a shrug.

"Well..." Sunset stared at her hands with a grimace.

"I mean, why would you? You were way out of my league," said Junior with a chuckle. Sunset lightly frowned.

"That's not-"

"I mean, as much crap I give Flash, he probably had a lot of good qualities that you liked. For one, I can see he had a lot charm," said Junior.

"That may be, but-" Sunset felt a knot growing in her stomach. 'What are you saying?'

"I've been told I have mean face. I like to call it, my 'Fuck Everything' face. Cause sometimes you just feel sick of... well, everything," said Junior.

"Goji," called Sunset. The knot was getting worse. 'Please don't say that', Sunset thought.

"I mean, Hell. Who wants to date a buzz kill like that? If you had to choose between being single or having something with a ray of sunshine like me, you-"

"Please stop..." Sunset suddenly spoke. Junior raised a brow at her. Sunset slightly shrunk back once she realized the words left her mouth. While she meant for it to be her inner thoughts, it was what she wanted to tell him. Junior merely smiled.

"What? I've used self deprecating humor before," said Junior.

"I just don't like hearing you put yourself down like that..." said Sunset, looking away. Junior took note of her solemn tone. He sighed.

"Look Red, regard-"

"Red?" asked Sunset in confusion.

"Oh. Sorry, I was just trying to come up with a different nickname. Would you rather I don't?" asked Junior.

"If you want to..." said Sunset, her tone still small.

"OK. Listen, regardless of the past... I want you to know that... Well, I'm happy that we're friends," said Junior. Sunset felt warmth in her chest at the boy's sincerity. It gave her some relief from the negative feelings she felt earlier.

"Yeah. Me too," said Sunset, smiling warmly. She placed a hand over his own. The girl suddenly felt a chill in her soul.

"Worthless..." a voice whispered in Sunset's mind. The girl retracted her hand, a pained look on her face.

"What's wrong?" asked Junior in confusion.

"Goji..." Sunset was about to speak but noticed something passed him.

"Uh... Gojira," Sunset pointed. Junior turned, his eyes widening as he found Rodan staggering over, sweating as his eyes were bugged out.

"Ah! This muck on the floor! We'll never make it out of this place alive!" said Rodan as he staggered over. From his perspective, tar began to rise from the floor, covering his feet in the thick dark substance. He stumbled over to the table where Junior and Sunset sat.

"Whoa, what's with you?" asked Junior. Rodan turned and recoiled.

"Sunset, your fucking head's on fire!" exclaimed Rodan. Nearby people gasped as they looked to the teens.

"What?" asked Sunset in confusion. Rodan gasped.

"Jesus, God Almighty! Look at that bunch over there man! They spotted us!" said Rodan as he grabbed junior by the shirt and pulled him over.

"What are you talking about?" asked Junior, attempting to pry off Rodan's hands.

"Don't make a sound! Someone's giving these goddamn reptilians booze! Won't be long before they tear us to shreds," said Rodan in a grim tone.

"Dude, are you- Are you on something?" Asked Junior incredulously, pulling down on Rodan's cheek, exposing part of his eye socket.

"The day of the Godachi is coming! Repent! Repent!!" cried Rodan.

"Oh fuck! You're tripping!" said Junior as he gave Rodan his cup of water. "God I knew staying here was a bad idea! Round up the girls so we can go!" said Junior.

"OK!" said Sunset before running off.

"How did this happen?" asked Junior.

"Bad wings..." muttered Rodan as he held the cup. He gasped. "This is acid!"

"No, it's just water. Though I can't measure PH levels. Now where are Dwan and Aang?" asked Junior. Rodan bore an intense look as he attempted to dig through his memory during his high.

"Uh... uh.. Gambling," said Rodan before sipping the water.

"Ugh, seriously? Good thing I didn't trust them with the whole coin purse," said Junior with a sigh.







Angirasu knelt beside Dwan, as she held up her deck of cards. She glanced at the other players seated at the table. She smirked as she set the cards down.

"Read em' and weep, boys," said Dwan. The men all cursed and groaned as they threw their cards down.

"That's it! I'm out before she beats me out of all my money!" said a player before storming off.

"Wow. You're pretty good," said Angirasu in surprise. Dwan chuckled as she took the piles of chips left behind.

"All it takes is a keen eye, a good hand, and a good poker face," chuckled Dwan. "Wanna give it a shot?"

"No thanks. I think we should cash out while we're ahead," said Angirasu.

"Fine. Hey! Can I cash out?" called Dwan.

As Dwan and Angirasu awaited the winnings, three showgirls made their way over. They were clad in long tight skirts. Their bellies were exposed, due to the short tight top that exposed partially their breasts. Their outfits glittered in the light with gold.

"My, oh my! Aren't you a handsome one?" asked one of the show girls, looking Angirasu over.

"Oh. Thanks," said Angirasu with an awkward chuckle. Dwan took notice of the women as they approached the boy, standing too close for comfort.

"Ooh! Just feel those biceps! So firm," giggled a show girl.

"Would you care to join us? We can make this night one to remember," said another show girl with a sultry smile. Dwan scoffed.

"I actually-" Angirasu stepped away.

"Hey, why don't you bitches beat it? The man's with me!" said Dwan. The women glared at the girl and stepped away from Angirasu.

"Watch your tongue, girl" said a showgirl. Angirasu quickly made his way to Dwan's side.

"How about you watch your tongue before I snatch it! You look ridiculous with that glitter shit all over you!" said Dwan.

"Dwan, that's enough. Let's just go," said Angirasu.

"Ridiculous? Ha! This coming from the bitch with the boney frame! Get some meat on you, sweatheart!" laughed a showgirl.

"Yeah! And your hair! You’re better off with a wig!" said another show girl. Dwan gritted her teeth, her blood boiling.

"And those breasts aren't something worthy to show off. You're like a child!" laughed another showgirl. Suddenly, Dwan lunged for one of the girl's tackling her.

"DWAN!" cried Angirasu.

"Get off me, you maniac!" Cried the show girl as she and Dwan locked hands.

"Take it back, bitch!" Yelled Dwan, while the two other show girls began to pull her off. Dwan began to thrash and kick, forcing the two to release her. She proceeded to attack them in a fit of rage. The girls screamed in pain and fright, but fought back.

This prompted people in the area to stop what they were doing and to direct their attention on the fight. They began to flock, hooting as the four girls scrambled over each other, pulling on clothes, scratching, kicking, and pulling hair.

"Dwan!" Angirasu shouted over the crowd. He attempted to get through, but people just kept getting in his path. He noticed the rest of the gang to be rushing over.

"Hey, where's Dwan?! We need to go!" said Junior urgently. Angirasu pointed to the fight, prompting the girls to gasp in alarm.

"Oh my gosh!" exclaimed Mosura.

"Oh for- Hold on, I'll-!" Junior was about to force his way through but took notice of a small group of guards approaching.

"Alright! Alright! What's going on here?!" demanded a guard. Everyone gasped as they stopped cheering. Dwan and the show girls froze in place.

"Oh good. Hopefully we can draw her out without too much trouble," said Junior in relief.

"Hey! Gimme a drink! A man can't enjoy a good ol' fashion cat fight without a refreshing beverage!" laughed the leading guard, as his subordinates began to pull up turned over chairs and took a seat.

"Are you serious?" Junior went slack jawed as the other patrons looked to each other in confusion.

"Hey what's wrong? We wanna see a fight! No consequences! Just try not to kill each other!" chuckled the head guard. Dwan and the showgirls looked to each other briefly. Dwan suddenly smacked one of the women, then she was smacked back. The four returned to their scuffle, prompting the crowd cheer again.

"Let's make some bets! I bet 20 silver on the hot one!" said the leading guard.

"Which one's the hot one?" the other guards asked in unison. They all broke out into hearty laughter, while the women continued to fight.

"What kind of guards are these?!" Sunset cried. Junior growled, his brow twitching.

"That's it!" said Junior as he walked over to a table. He grunted as he crouched down, before lifting it up over his shoulders.

"Oh shit!" exclaimed a man from the crowd. The guards recoiled as they found Junior walking over, holding the table over his head. He began to walk through the crowd, which parted at his approach.

"Break this shit up now! Or I swear to fucking Christ that I'll drop this on all of you!" Junior shouted to the top of his lungs. Dwan and the show girls suddenly froze. They quickly backed away from each other. Junior roughly dropped the table on the ground, leaving onlookers to stare in shock. Junior turned his intense glare to Dwan, who whimpered fearfully.

"Get your ass over here. Our night on the town is over," said Junior in a low tone.

"B-But I-"

"NOW!" barked Junior. Dwan quickly fell silent, rushing to Angirasu's side. The teens quickly began to walk to the front door, while Junior turned to the on lookers.

"You saw nothing!" shouted Junior, before following after his friends.

"Ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous!" Junior ranted. He and the rest of the teens were walking away from the building. He was fuming as he walked. Rodan stumbled as Mosura held him up.

"Hey, it wasn't my fault!" said Dwan defensively.

"Then why were you fighting with those girls?" demanded Junior.

"W-Well, they were talking shit!" said Dwan.

"People talk shit about me all the time! I don't make it a habit to start a fight!" said Junior.

"You're mad at me, but what about you?! You were the one who created a bigger scene!" argued Dwan.

"Because of you! I had to escalate the situation just to bail you out of that mess! The fucking guards were gonna let you keep going!" said Junior.

"That was escalated alright," said Dwan with a roll of her eyes. Junior suddenly grabbed her by the shoulder and forced her to face him.

"Dude, what gives?!"

"Shut up. Just shut your mouth," said Junior with a glare. Dwan fell silent under Junior's stern gaze. The rest of the teens stood tensely.

"I didn't let you join us just so I can be your fucking baby sitter. You're a big girl. Act like it," said Junior. Dwan slightly narrowed her eyes. "If you start a fight like that again, you're gonna lose your rooming privileges with 'Nice Aang'. Will that get you to listen?"

"Fine." said Dwan in a firm tone. Junior released her and continued on to the Inn. Dwan crossed her arms with a scowl. The group eventually reached the Inn lobby. Rodan groaned as he blinked, standing upright. The world had slowly returned to normal. Not a single lizard man was in sight. The surfaces were back to normal. And his train of thought was returning.

"Better?" asked Mosura.

"Yeah, but I'm feeling kinda depressed and empty. That sucks. This place gives you pleasure but quickly takes it," lamented Rodan. From the front desk, the Inn keeper arrived.

"Oh good! None of you came back drunk or drugged," said the Inn keeper in relief.

"I wouldn't say that..." Mosura muttered as she glanced at Rodan.

"Is that a common concern?" asked Adagio with a grimace.

"Oh yes. This city is a bit much for some to handle. You have no idea how bad the holidays can get," said the Inn Keeper with a sigh.

"Right. Alright, everyone to bed. We're leaving tomorrow morning," said Junior, as he walked off, followed by Mosura. The teens made their way to their respective rooms.

Junior gave a heavy sigh as he sat on the bed in his room. Mosura worriedly took a seat next to him.

"Sorry about earlier. I learned that you gotta act the craziest to get people to back off," said Junior, rubbing his brows in an irritable fashion. Mosura said nothing. She slipped off her boots and got behind Junior. She began to rub his shoulders, causing the boy to stiffen in surprise.

"Ooh. That's a lot of tension," said Mosura. Junior sighed as he felt himself beginning to melt. He heard the gentle giggle of the girl behind his ear, prompting him to blush. Mosura leaned close to his ear.

"Hey, I hear these rooms have personal baths. Wanna join me?" whispered Mosura seductively. Junior's eyes widened.

"Huh?!" exclaimed Junior. Mosura laughed in amusement.

"Kidding~! I call first dibs!" said Mosura, before rushing to the bathroom. Junior sighed in dismay. Meanwhile, Mosura was groaning as she stood against the door, scratching at her head. She leaned against the door, and peeked through the crack.

"Um... If you want to bathe now, you can. It kinda takes a while for the water to get hot," said Mosura. Junior blushed.

"I uh..."

Mosura made her way over to the boy and took his hand. She led him to the bathroom, her face red.

"Mosu... I don't think..." Junior gulped.

"It's fine. I won't peek if you don't," said Mosura, as she began to undo her dress. Junior quickly turned away. He directed his attention on the bathroom instead. While the bed room was small, the bathroom was larger.

There was a tile floor, made of stone. The walls were decorated with wooden planks. He heard the splash of water.

"OK, your turn," said Mosura. Junior turned to find the girl to be in the bath. The bath was a large tub, made up of stone. A furnace lied outside in the corner bath, holding red hot coal. There was also a nozzle that hung from the wall over the tub, presumably where the water came from.

"R-Right," said Junior as he began to undress. Mosura kept her eyes to the wall during this. Not long after, Junior stepped into the bath, at the other end. It was a snug fit. The water reached up to their chests with both sitting. Mosura kept herself lower to hide her chest beneath the surface. Both were blushing profusely.

"I... I hope you had fun while we could," said Junior, hoping to break the tension. Mosura nodded shyly.

"I did." Mosura leaned back in her corner with a content sigh. She was beginning to forget the embarrassment as she felt the warmth of the water.

"You know if it was possible, I'd love to be able to sleep under water," said Mosura.

"Oh?" asked Junior.

"Yeah. I mean, to feel weightless and to be enveloped all over with the warmth of heated water. It just sounds nice," said Mosura with a sigh. Junior smiled in amusement. Mosura sighed as she stretched out her arms.

"Goji, mind passing me the soap?" asked Mosura. Junior turned to the side, finding a couple bars of soap to be lying on a tray, tucked into an empty spot on a small rack on the wall. He grabbed one of the bar soaps and a sponge, handing them to the girl. Mosura began to wet her sponge and the soap, then proceeded to scrub her arms. Junior thought it was a good time to do the same for himself. He took his own soap and sponge and proceeded to scrub his body.

Junior gasped as he noticed Mosura raising her leg from out of the water. She hung it over the tub and began to scrub her leg. Junior flushed furiously as she gently scrubbed her fair skin. Mosura scrunched her toes as she went for her calf and down to her lower thigh. Mosura glanced at Junior, a coy smile growing on her face.

"Are you staring?" asked Mosura. Junior quickly flinched and tore his eyes away.

"N-No!" exclaimed Junior. Mosura smirked, her cheeks growing red.

'You're such a terrible liar,' thought Mosura. She tucked her leg back into the tub, turning to fully face the boy.

"Hey, let me scrub your back," said Mosura.

"N-No, I can get it," said Junior, clearing his throat.

"Well, I didn't wanna say anything, but the back of your neck has been driving me crazy," said Mosura.

"My neck?" asked Junior in confusion.

"Yeah, it's all dark. You haven't been scrubbing properly, have you?" asked Mosura.

"To be fair, it's been awhile since I've had access to a proper bath," said Junior. Mosura scooted close and patted Junior's shoulder. The boy gulped as he turned, his back facing Mosura. She ran a wet hand over his back, feeling the muscles underneath. She took the sponge and began to scrub. She leaned close, as she began to scrub the back of his neck. His entire back was covered in thick soap. Mosura panted as she worked her arms for a thorough scrub. Junior mentally groaned at the pants. It didn't help that he couldn't see her face, which allowed his imagination to run wild. Mosura suddenly bumped her chest against her back, which caused her to yelp with a blush. Junior sharply inhaled as he stiffened.

"S-Sorry!" whimpered Mosura.

"It's cool..." said Junior. His mind stuck on the softness of her chest against him. In moments later, Junior felt Mosura rinse off his back with a small pail. Mosura suddenly turned, exposing her own back.

"Hey, you mind getting my back too?" asked Mosura innocently.

"S-Sure..." said Junior. He took the sponge and soap and scooted close to Mosura. He gulped as he began to scrub her back. He made sure to not be too rough on her. Mosura bit her lip as she felt Junior's strong hands on her. The warmth of the water, and his hand pressing against her caused Mosura to melt and shudder in pleasure.

"I forgot how good you are with your hands," shuddered Mosura.

"You're gonna have to jog my memory," stuttered Junior.

"Remember when I twisted my ankle that one time? Yeah, this takes me back," sighed Mosura. "You'll have to give another massage like that sometime."

"Well, just let me know," said Junior. Mosura leaned back against Junior, her back pressed against his chest.

"How about now?" asked Mosura teasingly. Junior sighed with in dismay.

"If you insist," said Junior. He began to rinse off Mosura's back and proceeded to press his thumbs against the mutant girl's shoulder blades. Then rubbed her trapezius muscles in her neck.

"Mmph!" Mosura moaned in pleasure. Her body moved and rubbed against Junior.

"Mosu... You're-" Junior grunted as he felt the girls' bare skin rub against his own.

"That's the spot! Yes!" shuddered Mosura. She pressed closer against Junior, forcing him at the corner of the tub.

"H-Hey! Mosura!" Junior yelped. Mosura gave a content sigh as she lied her head back against the boy's chest. She then peeped her eyes open, her cheeks growing red.

"Goji... What's that poking me?" asked Mosura.

"I don't wanna say," said Junior in a small tone.

"Oh, Sweet Baby Jesus!" Mosura shot away, splashing through the water with an intense blush. She was cupping her hands over her mouth, her eyes bugged out.

"Sorry..." muttered Junior. Mosura cleared her throat as she began to rise up, her head in a daze.

"I-I think we've been in here long enough! Best to get to bed!" Mosura tittered.

"Wait, Mosu!" exclaimed Junior. It was only a second, but he caught a glimpse of Mosura's naked torso in all of its glory. Mosura squealed as she quickly dropped back down, covering her chest.

"D-Don't stare!" cried Mosura.

"Hey! This was your idea!" retorted Junior.

"I know but- A gentleman would've declined!" said Mosura, defensively.

"Oh yeah? Well, a lady is supposed to not let a guy that's not her boyfriend into the bath with her!" argued Junior. Mosura grimaced, her face growing red with shame.

"I'm sorry. You must think I'm some kind of tramp..." said Mosura in a small tone. Junior sighed as he scratched his head.

"Let's call it a night. I'll wait here for a bit while you change," said Junior.







"I can't believe him!" Dwan spat in frustration. She paced around the bedroom in a night gown, while Angirasu began to set up a pillow. Angirasu sighed. The girl had been griping the last several minutes.

"He's such a jerk! No, he's a freaking maniac! I don't know what Adagio sees in him!" said Dwan.

"Dwan, you shouldn't have hit that girl back in the gambling hall," said Angirasu. Dwan looked at him in disbelief.

"You're taking his side?!" asked Dwan.

"Of course! Dwan, your behavior back there was unacceptable. I'm disappointed in you," said Angirasu in disapproval. Dwan stuttered as she grew flustered.

"But those whores were trying to get in your pants!" said Dwan. Angirasu cocked a brow at her.

"Isn't that what you've been trying to do? Friends don't get grabby as you do," said Angirasu. Dwan grunted.

"That was different! And that's beside the point! They shouldn't have been talking shit too!" said Dwan, fuming.

"Even so, you still shouldn't have attacked her. It may not seem like it, but Goji's looking out for you," said Angirasu. Dwan pouted as she took a seat on the bed.

"Dwan, you wouldn't happen to be insecure, would you?" asked Angirasu. Dwan recoiled. She began to force a laugh.

"Whaaat? Me? Insecure? What gave you that wild idea? I'm a celebrity! I make people feel insecure! Not the other way around!" laughed Dwan. Angirasu sighed.

"If that were true, then those girls wouldn't have riled you up so much," said Angirasu. He took a seat on the bed as well.

"To be honest, I'm guilty of having a lot of insecurities," said Angirasu. Dwan looked his way, finding a solemn expression on his face.

"As much as I like the guy, I'm worried about ending up like Gojira," said Angirasu. Dwan raised a brow.

"What? Hot tempered and boring?" asked Dwan.

"You could say that. Mainly aggressive and disliked by a lot of people," said Angirasu. "He's not exactly mister popular back home. I couldn't handle a life like that. I don't even know how he does it."

"I can tell," said Dwan.

"I'd rather aspire to be more like Mosura, you know. Gentle, and liked by people. Until she was outed as a mutant, she was popular," said Angirasu. Dwan gave a teasing smile.

"Nice Aang, you wouldn't happen to have a crush on Mosura, would ya?" asked Dwan. Angirasu bore an embarrassed look.

"No, I'm not romantically interested in Mosura. Or vice versa. I mean it's obvious that she's head over heels for Goji," said Angirasu, looking away. Dwan giggled.

"It's cute when you get flustered and tongue tied," said Dwan. Angirasu cleared his throat, still avoiding eye contact.

"We should head to bed. I'm sure Gojira's gonna wanna us out of here as soon as possible," said Angirasu as he climbed in bed. Dwan nodded in agreement. She made her way over to a lantern that hung in the room and blew out the flame. She joined Angirasu in bed, pulling the covers over herself. As Angirasu lied on his side, Dwan lightly frowned.

'It's scary how he can see through me,' thought Dwan, before turning on her side as well, closing her eyes.







Sunset's eyes opened. She was in a drowsy state as her vision adjusted to the darkness. Her eyes fell on Adagio, who was sitting up in bed next to her, looking out the window. Sunset grunted as she sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"Adagio? What are you doing up?" asked Sunset with a yawn. Adagio merely sighed.

"I was just wondering if there was really a way out of this world. Every day it seems like it's not possible," said Adagio. Sunset sniffed as she rubbed her eyes some more, growing more awake.

"As hellish as this world seems, I almost feel like it's some kind of punishment," said Adagio.

"Why would you say all of that?" asked Sunset.

"I don't know. I was just thinking back to what Aang said back in the hot springs," said Adagio, sighing. "It's starting to rub off on me. I'm just realizing now how bad my actions were. What's worse, I dragged my sisters along with me."

"If Equescidar is a realm of punishment, than I guess I fit right in too," said Sunset. Adagio looked at her in confusion.

"Why? What did you do?" asked Adagio.

"I'm exaggerating. But I did do some bad things years ago. With that, it came with severe consequences," said Sunset. "But you know, I learned from it. If I were you, I'd take this quote on quote punishment as a chance to learn from your mistakes. Dig deep inside yourself and try to become a better person."

"Hmph. You never stuck me as the mean girl type. That's a surprise," said Adagio with a chuckle. Sunset smirked.

"Yeah? Well, you don't seem to be the alpha tramp that you make yourself out to be," said Sunset.

"I'll take that as a compliment," said Adagio, coyly.

"It was," said Sunset nonchalant. The two shared a laugh.

"Thanks, Sunset," said Adagio, a soft smile on her face.

"Sure," said Sunset.







It was morning. Mosura winced as sunlight shone over her face. She grumbled as she snuggled over close to Junior, shielding her face from the sun. Junior stirred awake, hearing the crow of a rooster. He got up from bed, leaving Mosura alone. He yawned as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"Come on, Mosu. Time to get up," said Junior.

"Mm. Goji..." muttered Mosura. Junior sent her an odd look, finding the girl still asleep. She muttered incoherently to herself as she slept.

"We can't kiss...I'll get pregnant..." muttered Mosura with a giggle, inaudible to Junior.

"Hey, get up," said Junior as he nudged Mosura. The girl groaned as she sat up, her hair a mess. She made a cute yawn as her eyes fluttered closed.

"Can't we sleep in just another hour?" mumbled Mosura.

"You can sleep in the wagon. I want us to get out of here so we can reach the next settlement before nightfall," said Junior, placing on a fresh pair of clothes. Mosura sighed as she sluggishly got up.

Later that morning, the teens were riding the wagon out of the city. Rodan groaned as he held his head, while drinking from a gourd full of fresh water. Mosura lied on Sunset's lap, with a pillow cushioning her head. The teens, while tired, felt relief from being out of that city.

"I still think it wasn't that bad," said Dwan.

"It was awful. I have a hangover from being intoxicated by that tainted sauce," said Rodan.

"I agree. Ecstasia is nothing more than the embodiment of lust and greed. I've never seen such degenerate behavior in human beings in all of my life. Even the pleasures this place has to offer is one big joke," lamented Junior. Mosura and Sunset shared a chuckle.

"What? Too pessimistic?" asked Junior.

"Nah. I think we're in agreement with that statement of yours," said Sunset.