//------------------------------//
// Chapter 24: The Cave of Discontent 
// Story: Shy and Aggressive: Book 2 
// by Johng117 
//------------------------------//

Junior found himself standing among a group of other men. They were of different heights, but above short in Equestrian standards. The boy had a good few inches over most of them. But, a couple looked a lot larger in build compared to his own body.


'These guys must've worked out just for this,' thought Junior.


"Be warned. The training that you shall endure will be intense. You will know pain. You will know despair. And you will know true strength!" said a man, dressed in sandals, a tight shirt, and a pair of leather shorts. He was a large man himself, but was older than the rest, holding some scars on the side of his head.


"It is our job as instructors to teach you the noble art of combat, which all creatures practice and only few have perfected. It's your job to shut the fuck up and learn! Are we clear?!" barked the man.


"Yes, sir!" The volunteers shouted in unison.


'Did I enlist to become a gladiator or a soldier?' Junior thought.


"Alright! Grab a sword and get ready for your training!" said the man, gesturing to a rack, holding several wooden replica swords. The volunteers began to make their way over and took a sword.


It was evening. The Iwi village was partially lit by the torches for the night. As of now, Aiko, including a couple high ranking soldiers, the Main 7, the Guardians, and Kong were gathered together. They were analyzing a map that was marked.


"Our lead tells us that he should be located in the capital city of the Dogomites. They're not a friendly bunch," said Twilight.


"That's miles away. Not to mention in the middle of bad guy territory!" said Pinkie.


"How're we supposed to get through? No doubt they'll attack us if we're spotted," said Rarity.


"We do we have the firepower. The worse that these guys have are dinosaurs and swords," said Aiko.


"And magic, apparently. But we have a more subtle way of getting in," said Sunset, pointing to the map.


"There's an entrance to the catacombs that can lead us into the capital, undetected. Problem is that there's an aggressive tribe called the Amazons that live around there, and there are some dangerous creatures in the catacombs themselves," said Sunset.


"So we'll have to get the whole platoon in on this. We can get to this region in mere hours with the vehicles. We have enough fuel that should last us there and back," said Aiko.


"Then we'll leave at dawn," said Senior, his brows furrowed.




Later that evening, Angirasu was walking through the Iwi village. He saw that the breach in the wall was finally patched up. That left one less concern. As the boy crossed a corner, he stopped as he heard retching. The boy grimaced.


Angirasu proceeded to sneak around the hut, where he found Dwan to be hunched over near a corner of the wall. She lurched and there was the sound of something splashing to the ground. Angirasu's high sense of smell picked up a stench.


"Ugh..." Dwan sighed as she took a gourd and began to pour water into her mouth. She swished it around and gurgled, before spitting the water back out.


Angirasu retreated back to the shadows, as Dwan turned and walked back to the village. The boy just stared as she passed by. Angirasu sighed to himself, frowning.







Somewhere in Sacramentonia's Inner Territories...




The evening sky had long since came. The shimmering stars hung above, decorating the darkened sky in a sea of white dots. They were countless.


However, this night wasn't as peaceful as this sky made it seem. A city found itself in turmoil. Fires burned, lighting up the city in its orange light. Citizens screamed in panic as they flooded the streets, fleeing from their homes. Some took to barricading themselves inside their homes instead.


Sacramentonian soldiers brushed passed the fleeing citizens. They were prepared to meet the challenge, but stopped as a few soldiers came fleeing their way. They bore ghastly wounds, which bled to the streets.


"We're doomed!!" cried a soldier, fleeing.


"Come men! We must meet the enemy head on!" shouted a soldier. The men gave shouts as they charged through the streets. But as they charged, there was no sign of Dogomite soldiers. However, there was something else. The soldiers stopped as a group of naked humanoids stood in the street. They were feasting on the corpses of men, women and children. The soldiers looked on in horror as these demons fought over their food, scarfing down pounds of flesh with their gnarly yellow teeth. Their sunken soulless eyes were full of nothing but hunger, as they fed. The monsters turned their sights on the soldiers, some dropping the corpses they had. They shrieked and began to sprint towards the men.


In mere moments, the Skull Walkers rammed into the soldiers, their bony yet powerful bodies knocked them off their feet. The soldiers cried out in panic and pain as they attempted to fight back. There were too many swarming them. A couple of soldiers managed to escape, while the rest were clawed, mauled, and torn limb from limb. Their agonized cries etched into the minds of the fleeing soldiers.


This city had been peaceful and quiet not too long ago. But now, it was reduced to a Hellscape.


While citizens attempted to flee the city, they were met with a blockade. A couple platoons of Dogomite soldiers stood at the three different gates of the city. Whenever citizens escaped the ravenous Skull Walkers, they faced the swords of the Dogomites outside. Already, corpses were piling up at the gates. There was no hiding or escape for these Sacramentonians. The monsters hunted and smoked them out, like cats and dogs going after rats. All the while, the Dogmoites took down the stragglers that came across them.


"Shall we advance into the city, Commander?" asked a Dogomite soldier.


"Nay. Let the Skull Walkers feed. By morning, we'll search what remains," said the commander.


It was thanks to these abominations that the tide of the war was in their favor. While the Sacramentonians were beginning to outsmart them, the Dogomites were ultimately able to push into these inner territories. This was thanks to using the Skull Walkers as pest control. They would lure the monsters, entrusted to them by Malicia, into the cities and allow them to feed. With the panic and chaos the creatures created allowed the Dogomites to greatly reduce their casualties.


"A brilliant strategy," said the commander to himself.







Three days had passed. Junior was panting as he held up a shield, just as a sword came slashing at him. He stumbled back a bit as the wooden blade collided with the wooden shield with a loud clank. The boy stepped back, as an instructor came at him again.


"Keep your shield up!" said the instructor, after elbowing Junior in the chin, causing him to stumble back. He quickly rubbed his bruised chin before rising back up his shield.


Throughout these past three days, Junior had spent his time attending these classes with the other gladiator volunteers. They were a lot tougher than he imagined them to be. Even as a mutant, Junior found himself getting pushed to his limits. He never knew how uncoordinated he was until these guys told him to wield a sword. Now, he was paying for that lack of grace and skill by being put into more intense training. Whether it was something seemingly small like balancing himself a few feet off the ground, enduring long runs, and learning how to actually wield a sword and shield.


Junior grunted as he blocked the next strike.


"When you find yourself in a bind as this, counter by bashing your opponent with the shield!" said the instructor as he swung his weapon again. But, Junior suddenly bashed his shield against him, sending him back a couple feet. The instructor grunted as he fell onto his back, as his sword fell out of his group.


"Ah shit!" exclaimed Junior in alarm, rushing over to help up the instructor.


"Not bad, son," coughed the instructor with a wince. He patted Junior on the shoulder.


"At this rate, you'll be just fine," said the instructor. Junior took some comfort out of those words, especially when he didn't know what exactly he'd be facing off against in the arena.


"You need to stay loose. You're not gonna be fast enough to react when your opponent lunges for you," said the instructor.


"Got it," said Junior, shaking himself off.


"Alright! Let's break for lunch! We'll work on sword techniques afterwards!" said the instructor, gaining everyone's attention.



Later, the volunteer gladiators found themselves gathered at a table inside of the building that held the training yard. They each bore plates full of mostly vegetables and cooked beans. Junior sighed in dismay as he took a spoon full of beans.


"I'd kill for a piece of chicken or something," said Junior in dismay.


"Also some bread and wine," sighed a volunteer.


"You need to get as much nutrition and fiber to turn body fat into fuel. You'll need the strong body to go against what gladiators face to entertain the masses," said another volunteer.


"Well this one might have that covered. This Demi-Titan here," said another volunteer, pointing a spoon to Junior. The boy slightly stiffened as the attention was on him.


"What's a Demi-Titan such as yourself doing all the way out here, participating as a gladiator?" asked one of the volunteers.


"Uh... I was told this would help with my self-esteem?" Junior shrugged with an awkward smile. The men were silent for a moment. They then laughed in hysterics.


"I like this kid!" a volunteer sad, smacking Junior in the back, causing him to choke on his food.


"Quite the joker, aren't ya?" laughed another volunteer. Junior hacked up a piece of vegetable and began to drink water to sooth his throat.


"Yeah..." Junior weakly smiled. Though technically, it wasn't exactly a joke.



It was later into the day. Junior sighed as he soaked into the tub in Malicia's citadel. His sore muscles were soothed by the hot water he was submerged in. The boy opened an eye an annoyance, as a hand maid took his arm and began to scrub him. His brow twitched as he found himself getting scrubbed from all over by three hand maidens.

"Can I have one bath to myself?!" asked Junior in annoyance.


Later, Junior found himself dressed, having recently finished his bath. He was making his way down to the dining hall. Once there, he found Malicia sitting at the table, waving to him. Junior made his way inside with a tired sigh. He took a seat across from the woman, as always. After training, he would return to the citadel rest. Meanwhile, the other volunteers stood at a facility provided to house them.


"Another grueling day of training?" asked Malicia.


"Oh yeah," said Junior.


"Ah. You should know that I've been having a talk with the Lord that owns the training facility that you're going to," said Malicia as a hand maiden poured wine into two chalices.


"What about?" asked Junior as he was handed a chalice.


"Well, he's heard of your performance. You seem to display some combat experience. A bit sloppy on your swordsmanship, but you've shown yourself to be a quick learner," said Malicia, sipping her wine.


"Hmph. I can't memorize the formulas for my math classes back home, but I'll be damned if I don't retain knowledge on how to fight," said Junior in dismay.


"The Lord is thinking of setting you ahead of the rest of the class because of this, and you being a Demi-Titan. I also made sure to mention that you've been surviving through the Roaring Jungle for days," said Malicia, almost in a whisper. She smiled mischievously.


"Ahead of the class?" asked Junior.


"You'll have your first match as a gladiator by the end of the week. We'll start you off small," said Malicia.


"I-Is that OK?" asked Junior, worriedly.


"I've seen your heart. With that comes your experience. I think you're ready," said Malicia with a smile. Junior sighed.


"Well... If you have that much confidence in me," Junior scratched his head. He sighed in dismay as he found a salad was brought over to him. Malicia was meanwhile brought a few large dishes, most containing meat. Junior's stomach growled.


'Damn this diet,' thought Junior.


"Is that all you've been eating? This won't do," said Malicia as she carved the turkey. She began to send slices into Junior's salad bowl.


"A gladiator should at least be able to enjoy his meal. White meat should be fine," said Malicia with a smile. Junior smiled back.


"Thanks, Empress Malicia," said Junior.


"Just Malicia, dear," said the Empress sweetly.


"OK..." Junior looked away with a blush.


"By the way, were you trained prior? You don't strike me as a military man," asked Malicia curiously.


"No, but my dad was. He used to teach me to defend myself when I was growing up. I often got into fights," said Junior as he sipped his wine. His mom would kill him if she caught him drinking, but Malicia just seemed to be good at convincing him to have at least one. "Even as of recent months, he trained me in some more fighting techniques."


"Ah. So your father was a soldier? Has he ever told you any of his war stories?" asked Malicia. Junior was silent briefly.


"Not really... I had to find out some stories on my own," said Junior, his tone small. Malicia tilted her head.


"My dad fought for the Imperial army of Neighpon long before I was born. I don't know what exactly all of his battles entailed, but I do know that most of his career was focused on suppressing nationalist and communist rebels in Chi'Nai before the Equestrians joined the war," said Junior, drinking more wine.


"Ah, so you are familiar with the Imperial way?" asked Malicia.


"Me? No, I was born in Equestria, almost half a century later. Well, unless you count faceless mega corporations using labor from foreign nations and their resources as Imperialism," said Junior, dryly. Malicia laughed in amusement.


"Oh, my dear. How I enjoy our talks," said Malicia.


"I do. Half the time at least. No offense," said Junior.


"Half the time?" asked Malicia.


"Sorry. Just recalling certain stuff bums me out. Not the World War 2 thing. I understand that whole thing was a mess," said Junior.


'World War 2?' thought Malicia in confusion.


"It's just... I remembered how shortly after the war, my dad and a lot of mu- I mean, Demi-Titans. They found themselves sold out by the Equestrian and Neighponese government and were sent off to these islands to help build these cities for these corporate entities. They were pretty much slaves," said Junior with a sigh.


"How did they enslave them?" asked Malicia in shock.


"I don't know. I think they got them with war crimes or something. Apparently my dad and his squad had their fair share of atrocities. So they probably rounded up slaves by using that as an excuse to force them into labor," said Junior.


"Hmph. Fools. To think they'd treat beings as us with such disrespect," scoffed Malicia.


"Well, that's how it is in my world. We're hated," said Junior. The boy felt a growing emptiness. How could he ever criticize Angirasu not wanting to return home because of almost being locked up in the Vault? After all, Junior felt a growing sadness just by reflecting on the past of his kind. Even if he never experienced those hardships himself, he knew that he was suffering the consequences of actions taken during then.


"It got to a point where my father led a revolution with the other slaves. The cities turned into war zones. The military couldn't suppress them, no matter how many bombs or guns they used," said Junior, staring at the red wine in his chalice. It was dark like the blood that flowed in his veins.




"They got their freedom, but the world decided that we were too dangerous to leave unchecked. They did everything they could to suppress us and our abilities. They tried sterilizing us, aborting us, chipping us... It worked in some ways. In others, it didn't," said Junior, glancing at his reptilian arm.


"Honestly, I'm surprised that I've made it this far in life. I easily could've been one of those infants that were aborted in the womb because my mother didn't want to be a parent, let alone to a... freak," said Junior. He felt a pair of arms wrap around him from behind. Junior's heart jumped as he found Malicia burying her face into his shoulder. He felt her soft, warm breaths against himself.


"I know the sorrow you've felt. To feel alone," said Malicia, softly. Junior swallowed the lump in his throat, gritting his teeth. He kept his eyes on the wall, trying to remain stoic. Malicia began to gently caress his new cut hair. Her touch was soft, gentle and comforting, much like a mother's touch. Junior almost wondered if this woman had ever been a parent in her life, because she seemed like she'd be a decent one.


"My dear boy, you'll learn to overcome. You'll be the master of your own fate, through me," said Malicia as she leaned her head against Junior's neck. The boy closed his eyes, feeling relaxed as her pale hands brought him against her bosom in her warm embrace. Against her chest, Junior picked up a scent. It was a pleasant scent. Junior felt his face flush as he took a whiff. Malicia continued to caress his head as she stood with him.


"Oh, Gojira..." Malicia said in a sultry tone. She stared into Junior's eyes, lovingly. The boy just gave soft breaths as his eyes glazed over, his face growing red. Malicia ran her hand over his chest.


"You're such big, strong young man. And handsome," said Malicia as she began to bring the boy's face to her own. As their faces inched closer, Junior's eyes suddenly shot wide open.




"Whoa! What's happening?!" Junior exclaimed as he pulled away. Malicia stared, stunned by the sudden shift of tone.


"Oh dear! Pleaae, forgive me! I think I've had a bit too much wine!" said Malicia sheepishly. Junior glanced back at the table.


"Oh. Ok," said Junior in an awkward tone. He took a seat and began to silently eat.




Later that night, Malicia watched as the boy left the dining hall. The Empress bore an annoyed look as she left as well, having finished dinner. Malicia later made her way to her study. She made her way over to a desk, where a small bottle sat.


"Hmm..." Malicia opened the bottle and took a whiff. She scrunched her nose and coughed.


"I thought this would work," said Malicia, turning to find Onyx sitting on a chair, drinking tea.


"Did you apply thoroughly?" asked Onyx.


"My clothes reek with it. But he didn't act. I thought it was working on him for a moment," said Malicia.


"Well, it isn't easy developing a pheromone for his class of Titan. Either it doesn't work, he uses the head on his shoulders more, or he's not into women," shrugged Onyx.


"Oh, he's attracted to women, alright. I've seen lust in his eyes," said Malicia. She sighed.


"I may have to be old fashion about it. No tricks," said Malicia.


"Why bother trying to sleep with him? Do you take pleasure in robbing the virginity of younger men?" asked Onyx with a sigh.


"You don't understand. He's the only one worthy," said Malicia. Onyx snorted.


"For what? Love? I didn't think you could fall in love," said Onyx.


"No. For my goal. But I'm not worried. Mark my words, his body, mind, soul, and seed, will belong to me, said Malicia, a cold look on her face.







It was morning. Aiko was looking through a pair of binoculars. She had her sights on a distant jungle that lied beyond the empty grasslands. The area was quiet, with only the sound of the woman's breathing.


"Anyone picking up something?" asked Aiko.


"Negative," responded a voice on the COM. Aiko sighed.


"Alright, stand by," said Aiko. She turned to find a few soldiers behind her, along with the Main 7 and the Guardians.


"Here's what I'm thinking. We send out a couple of scouts out to the jungle. Maybe to locate that entrance we've talked about," said Aiko. She then looked to Koizumi.


"Are you up for the challenge, Sergeant?" asked Aiko.


"Sure, why not? Maybe the Amazons will be hot," said Koizumi with a shrug and a smirk.


"Huh?" Inoue cocked a brow.


"I mean just think about it. A bunch of exotic babes living in the woods with their own society! I mean, imagine them. Looking something like Wonder Woman," said Koizumi with a chuckle.


"If we're talking about those kinds of Amazons, they might not be into you, Sarge." Inoue rolled her eyes.


"We're not here to pick up the indigenous people, Sergeant. Keep it in your pants," said Aiko, sternly. Koizumi sighed.


"Roger that," said Koizumi in dismay.


"Who'll join him?" asked Aiko.


"I'll go," said Inoue, raising a hand. She was worried that her superior officer would try to score with one of the members of a potentially dangerous tribe. Someone had to make sure he stayed out of trouble.



"Me too," said Angirasu. Aiko grimaced as her son stepped up.



"Angirasu, maybe-"


"Hey, I'll gladly go on my own. I have a friend that needs me," said Angirasu, walking off as he ignored his mother.


"Kid, that's your mother. Show some respect," said Koizumi with a glare. Angirasu ignored him as well. He instead walked on to the distant jungle, as the rest of convoy remained parked, where some soldiers lunged about.


"Little shit," scoffed Koizumi.


"Just go after him, Sergeant. Brody, Yasu, you're with them," said Aiko, looking back at the privates.


"Roger that," said Ford as he and Battra began to jog after Angirasu. Inoue and Koizumi followed as well. The group began to make their way down to their destination.


As they reached the forest, they kept alert. Their eyes scanned every inch possible of this foreign territory. Along the way, they heard the sound of rustling. Every now and then, the group would tense up and freeze, doing a brief scan. But, they would find nothing and would continue on their journey.


"Ugh. This is driving me nuts. I feel like at any minute, something's gonna pounce on us from the shadows," said Inoue.


"Just stay on the path and we should be fine," said Koizumi. He began to grin to himself.


"I wonder how they look. Maybe they've got a sexy bronze complexion," said Koizumi. Inoue sighed in dismay. Angirasu glanced at Battra, who kept his eyes forward. However, he began to take notice of the younger mutant looking his way.


"Something wrong?" asked Battra.


"Sorry. I was just... Thinking," said Angirasu.


"What about?" asked Battra, curiously.


"Well, how can you join MONARCH? I mean... You know what you are, right?" asked Angirasu.


"It's circumstantial, but I think it's a stride in the right direction." Battra shrugged. Angirasu scoffed.


"MONARCH needs to be taking a lot longer strides," said Angirasu. Koizumi looked to the boy in annoyance and offense.


"Hey, what the hell is your problem, kid? You've been judging us a lot lately. It's starting to get on my nerves," said Koizumi.


"Ever since my father died, I learned how you guys treat Transmutants. Most of the guys you recruit are xenophobic towards us to the point that you're apathetic to innocent mutants. You toss us in the Vault and let us fall prey to the Purists. That's my problem," said Angirasu.


"Listen, I get it. I know MONARCH's done some questionable stuff in the past, speaking as someone's who's been on their payroll for years now. But every action that MONARCH has taken was for the sake of the people," said Koizumi.


"Well, a protector should know the difference between what people want and what people need," replied Angirasu, his tone dismissive. Koizumi was about to retort, but couldn't think of a response. He merely scowled, deciding to forfeit the argument. He'd much rather do anything else. Inoue hummed to herself as she pondered the argument. She saw both sides of the argument. In the end, Inoue felt more affected by Angirasu's. After all, MONARCH was just like any other institution. It filled the needs of some, but it ultimately didn't have a soul to function in a way that could actually look out for those who needed it the most. It was all procedure and reactionary.


The group suddenly heard the sound of drum beats. They froze briefly and began to look around. Koizumi motioned for them to silently follow him. He struggled to suppress a lustful grin, which made Inoue cringe at the sight.



'It's like he's a pervy teenager,' thought Inoue. The group continued on through the forest, passing through bushes. They eventually came across a small village, where a group of women stood in ragged clothes and almost native garb.


"This must be the Amazon Tribe," whispered Battra. Koizumi grinned from ear to ear.



"They're even better than I imagined!" whispered Koizumi.



The Amazons exceeded the imagination of Kira Koizumi. As the name seemed to imply, they were a tribe of what mostly appeared to be women. And were they ever so beautiful. The women stood tall with long strong legs. Their skin bronze from the tropical heat. Their hair jet black, in different styles. From long, short, ponytails, buns, and hanging freely. The women appeared young and middle aged. Despite their age, the older Amazons still retained their beauty. Their bodies were visibly toned, as expected of those living in such a harsh environment as the jungle. 


On the skin of the women were tribal marks painted onto their faces and bodies. They wore hide as clothing. From coverings for their breasts and bottoms. Some wore small headdresses, covered in feathers. 


"Dear Lord, thank you for allowing me to live long enough to see this. Amen," said Koizumi to himself. 


"I mean, they're OK," mumbled Inoue.


"What's that kid? Do I detect envy?" teased Koizumi. Inoue met him with a glare.


"I'm going to pretend that you didn't say that," said Inoue.


"Ah don't sweat it. You're cute yourself. But I see you more like a niece than a woman. Now Aiko Riku, that's a woman. Sexy and strong," chuckled Koizumi. Inoue scoffed in offense.


"You're saying that I'm not attractive like a woman?" demanded Inoue.  Angirasu then glared at Koizumi.


"What the fuck did you just say about my mom?" demanded Angirasu.


"Huh. I thought you hated your mom," said Battra, cocking a brow.


"Guys, shut up!" hissed Ford.


Suddenly, the group found themselves surrounded by a group of Amazons. They held their spears up and pointed at the soldiers, meeting them with glares.


"Agh, Riku's gonna kill me for this," said Koizumi, a grimace on his face. Angirasu glared him.


"I'M going to kill you!"


"Who are you? And why do you trespass onto our land?!" demanded one of the Amazons.


"We come in peace!" exclaimed Inoue.


"Doubtful. Only those with nefarious intentions hide!" said another Amazon.


"She has a point," said Angirasu, flatly. Koizumi nudged him with a glare.


"Shut it!" hissed Koizumi. He cleared his throat as he stood up with a suave smile.


"Ladies, ladies. We're just travelers trying to get somewhere. But, I wouldn't mind to getting to know any of you. How about you, beautiful?" said Koizumi, winking at one of the women. The Amazon stepped back with a glare.


"I-I have a girlfriend!" said the Amazon. Koizumi lost his smile.


"Oh, whoops. Sorry about that. What about you, sexy?" asked Koizumi, stepping to one of the other women. She glared at him.


"I have a husband," said the woman.


"Really? I don't see him around. But, what he don't know won't hurt him, right?" asked Koizumi. The Amazon gasped with an appalled look.


"Sarge!" Inoue exclaimed in alarm.


"You Heathen!" The Amazon suddenly met Koizumi with a strike with the back of her spear, causing him to stumble back, clutching his face. 


"Yeah, you deserved that," deadpanned Inoue, crossing her arms over her chest. Koizumi winced.


"Well, at least I know you ladies don't discriminate on who you love," said Koizumi, painfully chuckling. 


"You will be our prisoner, interlopers!" said an Amazon. Swiftly, the women began to grab the group and hauled them away from their cover. Inoue sighed in dismay.


"Why did I say that I'd join you?"


There was a sudden crackle in the air.


"Sergeant, what's your status? Over," said Aiko, over the COM. The Amazons jumped with a start, searching for the voice.


"Who goes there?!" demanded one of the Amazons.


"The voice came from him! He must be a witch that can change his voice!" cried another Amazon.


"No, that was just my COM. Sorry, I gotta take this," said Koizumi, as he held his COM.


"Uh, we kinda got ourselves into a pickle. We're being taken prisoner by the natives," said Koizumi with a titter. 


"Oh for-" Aiko groaned in annoyance.


"Sergeant? Hey, are you calling for help?!" demanded one of the Amazons.


"Uh... I was going to," shrugged Koizumi. Suddenly, he was forced to the ground and was beaten by two of the Amazons with the back of their spears.


"OW! STOP IT!" shouted Koizumi. All the while, his peers winced and cringed at the sight. 


"So you are invaders! You must be in league with the Dogomites and the Zeta!" said one of the natives. 


"No, we're not!" said Battra.


"You can't be trusted! You shall be dealt with once we bring you to our Chief for your judgement!" said the the Amazon.


"We're telling the truth! We heard that your tribe is guarding a cave that leads into the catacombs to Lur. We're trying to cut through there so we can find my friend!" said Angirasu.


"Sergeant, let me talk to the Amazons!" said Aiko, over the COM. But, he was still being beaten by the two women over him.


"They're a little busy! Ow!" yelled Koizumi, painfully. 


"Let the voice from the box speak!" said the leading Amazon. The two women stopped their abuse and stood. Koizumi sat up, covered into red marks and bruises from the spears striking him. Koizumi pressed against the COM with a wince.


"They're all ears, Lieutenant. Make it count," said Koizumi, before releasing the COM. It crackled.


"I am Aiko Riku. Lieutenant of MONARCH. My soldiers were sent to investigate the cave that leads into the Catacombs. We do not intend to harm your tribe," said Aiko. The Amazons looked to each other with uncertainty. The leading one had a stern look.


"If that is truly your intention, then come alone to meet us. If you are to be trusted, then you shall honor our request," said the Amazon. 


"She says you have to come alone to gain their trust," said Koizumi, pressing on the COM. He honestly thought that things were doomed to go south. But, he wasn't dumb enough to tell the Lieutenant to just roll in with guns blazing. He was certain that she'd come to that conclusion herself. In mere moments, the COM crackled again.


"Alright, I accept. I'll come down right now. Alone," said Aiko.



Later, Aiko Riku found herself walking through the jungle alone. Her nerves were tense, as she heard the animal calls, along with the rustling of grass and cracks of sticks beneath her boots. But, she maintained her composure. At her side, her side arm was tucked securely inside its holster. She soon stopped as she took notice of a lone woman to be standing among the trees. 


"Hello?" called Aiko. She instinctively reached for her holster, but stopped herself. She couldn't display hostility, lest she wanted to ruin everything. She found more of these women to be appearing around her from the bushes, covered in grass, dirt and paint. Again, Aiko had to restrain herself from drawing her weapon.


The Amazons began to make their way to the woman. They escorted her through the forest, until they reached a clearing. Here, there were huts that were built on the ground and on the trees. She found many other natives. Aiko was surprised to see that there were mostly women here. But, she did see young children to be around as well, but they were kept out of sight. Aiko was led to an area, where she found the soldiers she sent and her son to be standing against posts. Rope bonded them to the posts. She bit her lip as she found her son in such a state, while the Amazons kept their spears drawn on him.


"Any time now, Lieutenant," whispered Koizumi.


"I didn't bring the others, Sergeant," Aiko whispered back. Koizumi's eyes widened.


"You're kidding, right?" asked Koizumi. Aiko said nothing. Her focus turned to an older woman, who was covered in long robes, with a large headdress on her head. While older, she carried hints of beauty that shined through her withering body. 


"You are the leader of these interlopers?" asked the Chief.


"I am. Lieutenant Aiko Riku of MONARCH. We come in peace," said Aiko.


"They are in league with the Zeta, Chief! Just look at their armor and weapons!" said an Amazon. The women in the village began to murmur, some in panic. 


"Ma'am, I assure you that my soldiers and myself are in no way affiliated with either the Zeta or the Dogomites. We're here to find a short cut to Lur," said Aiko. The chief rubbed her chin with a suspicious look. Her grip tight on her staff.


"If you are not with either of them, then what purpose would you have to be there?" asked the chief. 


"It's a long story. But we came to Equescidar to rescue some children who became stranded. One of them was kidnapped and was taken to Lur. A boy," said Aiko. The Amazons began to murmur amongst themselves. Some didn't believe the tale that she told. But a few did, and felt dread for this missing child. 


"I fear that we can not help you," said the chief. Aiko's eyes widened.


"B-But why?" asked Aiko.


"The Dogomites forced our tribe to safeguard the Cave of Discontent from any who would dare to pass through. Malicia took many measures to ensure that no one would pass through to reach her capital. If we were to defy her again, then she may take much more from us," said the Chief, gesturing to other Amazons.


"Our last defiance ended in the slaughter of our men and sons. We only managed to save a few of the boys of our tribe. I could only dread what she may do next if we were to provoke her wrath again," said the chief, solemnly. Aiko lowered her head, deeply frowning.


"I... I understand. You lost so much. You just want to protect what you have left," said Aiko, her tone soft.


"I can't blame you for being scared. I know what it's like to lose those that you love." said Aiko. She clenched her fists, before raising her head with a firm look.


"But even still, we can't live in fear. Otherwise, we truly lose everything that we have. I came here to find my own son and to help find someone else's. I can't go back home without them," said Aiko. Angirasu's expression softened as he heard his mother. The Amazons murmured amongst themselves. Mothers that had children kept them close, tearing up.


"Malicia would have our heads," said the Chief.


"She's already taken away most of your children and your men. You won't be able to sustain yourselves for much longer here. She's counting on your fear to keep you in line," interjected Angirasu. The chief turned to the boy who spoke. She appeared thoughtful. She then looked to the other Amazons, who stood in silence. She remembered that there were much more faces among these people. Men, women and children living together happily. That all changed when the Dogomites decided to dominate them. She sighed.


"Against my better judgement, I shall grant you passage through the Cave of Discontent. But, we will flee from this land. It is no longer safe for us," said the chief. 


"Sorry for the trouble we've caused," said Aiko, apologetically.


"Nay. You have opened our eyes. We must move on from this place if we are to survive. I pray that somewhere beyond, we'll find a safe haven," said the chief. She then pointed her staff.


"Release them," ordered the chief. The Amazons began to untie the prisoners, allowing them to join Aiko's side. 


"What happened to you?" asked Aiko, incredulous. She had just noticed that Koizumi's face was covered in red marks and bruises. He looked away in  annoyance.


"Don't ask," said Koizumi. Inoue snorted to herself.


"Are you OK, son?" asked Aiko, worriedly. She reached for the boy's face, but he pulled away.


"I'm fine," said Angirasu looking away. Aiko frowned, as she lowered her hands.


"Good." Aiko cleared her throat, before turning on her COM.


"This is Lieutenant Riku. Negotiation was a success. Move in and set up a perimeter. We have a cave to secure," ordered Aiko.








Lur, Dogomoto...



Junior yawned as he walked through the citadel, having dressed up in his clothes for the day. He sighed as he continued on through the halls in silence.


"The week's almost out," said Junior to himself. He still couldn't believe that he was going to be accelerated through the classes and actually put forth on an actual gladiatorial game. It seemed excessive if not completely insane. But, Malicia seemed to have faith in him.


'It might not be so bad. I'm a mutant who's been through a lot of tough situations before. I should be fine,' thought Junior reluctantly. The boy eventually stopped as he came across Malicia, who had just walked by. She greeted him with a smile. Junior's face suddenly flushed as he recalled the previous night.


"Good morning, Gojira," said Malicia.


"G-Good morning..." said Junior, looking away. Malicia smiled in amusement.


"Sorry about last night, dear," said Malicia.


"Huh? Oh! No, don't worry about it!" said Junior with a sheepish chuckle. The Empress shook her head.


"You best be going. Wouldn't want to be late for your lessons," said Malicia as she strolled away. Junior cleared his throat as he scratched his head, his face red hot.







It was cold and dark. The sound of water dropping to the cave floor echoed out through the vast tunnels of a dark cave.


From inside of the Cave, the Main 7, the Dazzlings, mothers, 3 of the Mutant 4, the Guardians, Koizumi, Inoue, Battra, and Ford were navigating through the cave. They were also followed by a few soldiers. Lights shone through the darkness, giving a small view of their surroundings. The rough rocky walls were all that were present in their sight. While a team ventured into the cave to reach Lur, the rest of the platoon remained outside in the Amazon village, standing guard.


Senior felt discomfort from being in here. It was like traveling through the belly of a great beast.


Along the way, the group soon came across a spot in the cave that led down different tunnels. Everyone stopped, looking at the three different paths warily. There didn't seem to be any discernible way to know the correct way to go.


"Alright, this is a problem," said Aiko. Twilight hummed as she looked to the three paths. She began to make her way to the walls, where she placed a glowing palm. She then rushed to another wall, placing a palm there as well. Then the other wall.


"What are you doing?" asked Aiko. Twilight rejoined the group as the glowing palm prints began to change into numbers. The numbers one, two and three.


"Just so we don't have too much trouble backtracking," said Twilight, as the glow to the marks died down, leaving behind the numbers as prints on the stone walls.


"But which one leads to the catacombs?" asked Adagio.


"Hold on," said Baragon as he approached one of the cave entrances. He placed a hand on one of the walls and closed his eyes. He breathed softly as remained quiet. Everyone looked to each other oddly.


"What are you doing?" asked Rodan.


"Shut up. I need to focus," said Baragon. Everyone went silent again.


"There's a lot of activity going on down here. It's faint, but definitely there," said Baragon.


"How do you know that?" asked Rainbow in confusion.


"Call it sixth sense. I can get a feel for the formation of this place by reading the magnetic field, feeling vibrations, and hearing," said Baragon. He then pointed down the cave.


"I think we should try going down here. If we go deep enough, I might be able to pick up the path to the catacombs," said Baragon.


"Then let's go," said Senior as he walked on ahead.


"That simple, huh?" asked Koizumi. Aiko shrugged.


"Alright. Twilight, make sure you leave landmarks every now and then in case we get turned around," said Aiko. Twilight nodded.


The group spent the next hour traveling through the dark caves. Baragon took the lead, placing his hand along the stone walls every now and then, getting a feel for the current position. So far, they hadn't come across any more separate paths that were like forks in the road.


The journey continued on for several more minutes. But at this point, the group was starting to get tired out. It felt much longer than they've been traveling. What with the sun being nowhere in sight, the scenery almost appearing the same no matter how many steps they took.


"Let's stop for a minute. I believe the children could use a break," said Senior, stopping. The teens looked his way, few like Aria, Rainbow appearing annoyed.


"No, we can keep going," said Sunset, with a slight pant.


"The kids seem up for it," said Aiko.


"Even still, we should wait. I need to sit down a bit to paint a better picture of where we are," interjected Baragon. Aiko sighed.


"Fine. Everyone, take five. Have some water and maybe a bite to set yourselves straight," said Aiko. Everyone began to sit down and rest around the cave. The soldiers passed around MREs, while Baragon moved away from the group. He got on his hands and knees and relaxed. He closed his eyes as he dug his hands into the earth beneath him. The dirt slid between his fingers, and was grinding beneath his palms. His senses mapped out the surroundings in the back of his mind. He could sense that they weren't alone. THEY were everywhere.


"Shit. Chief, we got a problem," said Baragon as he turned back to look at the group as they began to make themselves comfortable. The earth in front of Baragon suddenly burst. He was partially blinded by the dirt, but found himself grabbed. Baragon cried out as he was dragged underground.


"Baragon!" cried Manda. Everyone quickly shot up, as the dust flowed.


"The hell was that?!" exclaimed Koizumi. Inoue suddenly shrieked as a dark burly figure burst from the ground and grabbed her. It quickly dove back into a freshly made burrow, dragging her along.


"Inoue!" cried Koizumi as he rushed to the burrow.


"Everyone stand close!" shouted Aiko. The soldiers began to ready their weapons, while the earth beneath everyone began to rumble.


"EEK!!" Rarity screamed as she found herself being pulled. But before she could be yanked under the earth, Applejack quickly caught her hand. She held the girl up, as a pair of leathery and grubbed hands had a lock around the girl's legs. They bore long thick claws at the end of the fingers.


"Hold on, Rarity!" cried Applejack.


"Jesus fucking Christ!" Aiko drew out a hand and rushed over. She aimed into the burrow and began to fire off her gun. There was the deafening sound of the gun that echoed through the cave. The grubby hands suddenly released Rarity, allowing her to be pulled out from the burrow. Sunset rushed to the burrow and began to send forth a stream of hellish flames that lit up the dark cave. There was the faint sound of a shriek from below, as the flames scorched whatever was inside.


The earth broke open once more. Large dark figures burst from below, shrieking as they scrambled to the intruders. The teens screamed in fright, while the soldiers fired off their weapons at them. The muzzle flashes gave the group brief glimpses at what they were faced with. Whatever their foes were, they weren't human. All they could make out were large furry masses, and beady black eyes. The inhuman figures dropped as they were pumped with lead from the firearms of the soldiers. The mothers and teens were cover, holding their hands over their ears as the guns fired off.


In just moments, the creatures stopped coming. The muzzles of the guns gave off smoke, as the cave was left in darkness, with only the rays of flashlights being the only light sources. Aiko cautiously walked over to one of the dead figures, lighting up with the flashlight on her gun. She was able to get a better look at this thing.


It was burly and furry, with small beady black eyes. It had a face that looked to be a rodent-like snout, with a star-like fleshy protrusion at the end. Its large hands lied in the dirt. This creature almost looked like an anthropomorphic mole.


"Found your mole men," said Aiko, poking the dead beast with her rifle.


"Fuck. Why'd it have to be you kid," said Koizumi, a frown on his face as he stared at an empty burrow. Senior sighed as he bowed his head, while Manda was sniffling. The ground began to rumble again. Everyone tensed up.


"Oh shit! They're coming back!" cried Ford. The earth burst, as a snarl filled the air.


"Hold your fire!" cried Senior.


From the earth, Baragon emerged, in his beast form. Inoue was clinging to his armored back, coughing as she was covered in dirt.


"Inoue!" Koizumi rushed over and pulled the young soldier off. He gently set her down on the ground, next to the wall. Meanwhile, Baragon shook off the dirt on him. Manda lunged for the mutant and held him tightly.


"I thought we'd lost you!" cried Manda. Baragon softly groaned. Senior sighed in relief as he smiled.


"What happened?" asked Koizumi incredulously.


"Those things pulled me under. I ended up in this separate tunnel below. There were a lot of these... things," Inoue panted. She smiled to Baragon.


"I would've been a goner if he hadn't been dragged under with me," said Inoue.


"That must've been one of the dangers the oracle warned about. We should keep moving," said Twilight, urgently.


"Yeah, this place is too tight for firearms anyway. Let's move on while we still can," said Aiko.








Junior panted as he stood with a wooden sword and shield. He circled his opponent, who carried a similar pair of items. The two looked to each other with hard expressions.


The trainees cried out as they lunged for each other and clashed blades. Junior and his sparring partner stepped back and swung their swords at each other. They deflected each other with their own strikes, their own shields, or merely dodged any swing that they could. The opponent gave a war cry as he swung his sword at the boy multiple times.


Junior raised his shield to block every coming blow. He grunted from the strikes, but stood his ground. As his opponent went for another strike, Junior bashed his shield against him, causing the man to stumble. Junior then kicked the man back, sending him falling to the ground.


"Nicely done. Again," said the instructor, as another trainee stood in the boy's path. His new foe drew out his wooden sword and got into a defense stance. Junior returned to his previous attack routine.








The journey through darkness continued. The rescue team continued to travel the seemingly endless tunnels. It had been a quiet yet tense journey. Due to the eternal darkness, and the danger that lied beneath the feet of the group, there was dread.


Along the way, Twilight continued to mark the walls of the tunnel. The group did not have to worry about ending up at too many split paths. Baragon continued to guide everyone down the path they needed.


Eventually, the group came across a large chamber of the subterranean place. There were some faint lights scattered. The sources of light were that of mushrooms, giving off a neon blue glow.


"Oh great," Koizumi pointed a light around the chamber. There were multiple different tunnels that ran into this den. The group looked to each tunnel.


"Which way this time?" asked Senior.


"Nowhere..." a voice spoke in the darkness. Everyone tensed. The voice carried a rasp and growl. Footsteps echoed through the cave. The sound was omnidirectional, making it impossible to pin point where the source came from.


The flashlights began to shine all around, searching for the source. From one of the tunnels, a figure came shuffling over. Everyone stared in shock and horror at the sight.


The figure was a sickly pale complexion and appeared frail. His skin hung from his bones, and his gut appeared bloated compared to the skeletal appearance of this man. He stumbled, standing in torn clothes that hung from his skeletal body.


"There is nowhere to go in this place. It is an endless labyrinth," said the figure, pointing a bony finger at the group.


"Who are you?" asked Aiko, incredulous.


"I... I have no name. I've lost myself here, like the others," wheezed the figure.


"We were lost. We had no food. Those moles were well hidden... We had to eat. They were good men..." said the figure, salivating.


"Kids, stand back," said Miwa. The teens began to take a step back from the figure, who seemed to be struggling to stand in one place.


"You will be like me. Alone, scared, thirsty... Hungry," growled the man, as his eyes dilated. He began to give manic chuckles. Koizumi quickly drew out his hand gun and shot the figure, causing him to fall over. The girls and mothers screamed in alarm, averting their eyes.


"What the fuck?!" demanded Aiko.


"Jesus Christ, Sarge!" exclaimed Inoue.


"What? I just put him out of his misery! Besides, I don't like the look that he was giving us," said Koizumi.


"He was just a frail starving guy! What could he have possibly done?!" asked Manda. Senior walked passed him and began to carry the dead figure over to the wall with a heavy sigh.


"Perhaps you made the right call. He was a Transmutant," said Senior.


"H-How can you tell?" asked Inoue. Senior merely held up a bony hand, revealing it to have sharp claws on them.


"He was preparing for an attack. He may have appeared frail, but he was a much bigger threat as a desperate and feral beast," said Senior.


"Well shit, someone else noticed," said Koizumi, crossing his arms. Everyone else glared at him.


"Bullshit," said Aiko.


"It's so sad," said Fluttershy, staring at the frail corpse that lied in the darkness. She began to tear up, thinking about what this man could've gone through.


"Let us move," said Senior as he walked off, while Baragon led the way in his human form, sporting an extra pair of clothes that he conveniently had packed along with the other Guardians. He began to lead the group down one of the tunnels.


"Ugh. What's that funk?" asked Sunset, cupping her nose. Eventually, the group made their way to a much greater chamber. They stopped near a stone ledge, where they found the chamber below to be flooded with a black sludge. It gave off a foul stench. The sludge bubbled and gave off plumes of gas from popped bubbles.


"Stand back. That stuff could be toxic," said Aiko, cupping a hand over her nose and mouth.


"There's a bridge leading to the other side!" said Pinkie, cupping her nose as she pointed ahead.


"Alright, then let's move," said Aiko. The group walked along the stone bridge, over the bubbling sludge that was down below. The group suddenly stopped, finding that there was a rock wall in their path, at the other side. There seemed to be no other tunnel available for them to go through, aside from the one they came in from.


"Damn. You sure this is the right way?" asked Manda, looking to Baragon. The mutant merely sighed in response.


"Might as well try going-" Koizumi was interrupted as the bubbling sound grew louder. There was suddenly a sound that was reminiscent to a fart.


"OK, who cut the cheese?" Pinkie groaned. The chamber suddenly began to rumble. Ford looked over the edge of the stone bridge, his eyes widening.


"What in God's green earth is that thing?!" cried Ford.



From the sludge, something began to emerge. The sludge bulged and rose out from the rest, appearing to harden around into a almost humanoid shape. Two large red and green eyes were revealed as the lids opened up sideways. The creature's body almost looked like it was covered in black kelp, hanging off and dripping with the same black sludge it emerged from. Rarity gave a horrified shriek at the beast. The creature gurgled as it raised a slimed tendril, revealing a man covered in the black sludge, part of his flesh seeming to have decayed.


"Oh by Providence! Have mercy!!" wailed the man. The creature rose up until it was towering over the bridge, its eyes blinking. The creature then brought its victims up to where flaps began to move, presumably where a mouth would be. The victim screamed before he was swallowed whole. The creature gurgled as it looked to the horrified group.


"Hmm. More intruders? I am called, Hedorah. Welcome, to my cesspit." The beast spoke in a deep, gurgling voice. The sound of popping filled the air, as the creature spoke.


"Oh God, it talks too," said Rarity, trembling, her complexion turning greener by the second. 'Hedorah' suddenly scooped up sludge from its pit, holding it in its foul kelp-like hand.


"Now, have some sludge!" Hedorah hurled the sludge ball with a deep chuckle.



"Hit the deck!" Aiko shouted. Everyone quickly dove for cover, as the gunk splattered onto the chamber wall, sizzling hot. It slightly eroded the stone surface it lied on.


"No one touch that stuff!" cried Twilight.


"Fire at that fucking thing!" shouted Koizumi. The soldiers began to fire off their rifles at the creature. However, the bullets merely sunk into the sludge hide of the beast. Hedorah chuckled again, the cavern rumbling from his hearty laughs.




"Do you really think you'll survive in here? When I am through, your skulls will be the only thing left once they pass my rear and become one with my sludge!" Hedorah laughed. He hurled more gunk at the group. Everyone scrambled as they attempted to flee from the incoming sludge. 


"Can't you guys do anything right?! Gimme that!" spat Baragon as he snatched a rifle from Ford. He began to shoot off at the noxious abomination, shooting the creature's left eye. Hedorah shrieked as the eye popped and deflated. the lids sealed closed, as the head morphed and moved the single eye to the center of the head, growing in size. The eye glared at the group.


“RARGH!!" Hedorah roared angrily, causing the cavern to tremble more.


"I think you pissed him off," said Ford.


"What was your first clue?" Baragon glared at the soldier. Baragon gurgled as his eye began to light up, and sparks running along the veins. A bolt of energy shot from the air, scorching the stone ground that the Rescue Team stood on. Everyone ducked and dove for cover, as the bolt scorched along the ground.


Posey exclaimed as she found herself at the edge of the stone bridge. A portion of it crumbled, causing her to fall. Before she could plummet to the sludge below, Miwa had lunged and caught her wrist. But, she was unable to muster the strength to pull her back up. Instead, she began to slide along down with her. Miwa and Posey screamed in alarm, but Senior had grabbed Miwa by the waist. With little effort, he hoisted the two back up over to safety.


"Thanks, neighbor!" said Posey in relief.


"What's it gonna take to kill this thing?!" shouted Koizumi as the soldiers returned fire. Twilight began to fire beams of magic at the beast, while Sunset used her flames. Hedorah shrieked in rage, as his eye beam continued to shoot towards them. The blast caught  the girls, sending them back. Rarity quickly got in front and projected a shield, preventing anymore beams from hitting them. Instead, they began to ricochet around the cave.


Sunset yelped as she fell to her hands and knees. While on the ground, she noticed that there were strange yellow crystals to be sticking out from the surface of the chamber. A patch of sludge clung around one of the crystals, appearing to dry out as electric sparks shot from the crystal on contact. An idea came to mind.


Sunset rushed over to the crystal and swung a glowing hand, slashing a piece off with her magic. She caught the crystal, which briefly stung her hand. Sunset winced, before turning to face the beast. She hurled the piece of crystal into the gullet of the roaring muck monster. It suddenly began to choke as a loud buzz filled the air. The creature snarled and let loose an enraged cry. Hedorah began to violently thrash around the chamber, which caused it to rumble more. Stones began to fall to the ground and into the muck below. Senior held Posey and Miwa close, shielding them from the stones that fell from above.


"Quick! Throw more of these crystals at it!" said Sunset, as she sliced off more pieces. She began to toss the pieces to the rest of the group, who threw the pieces at the monster. Hedorah gurgled in pain and rage as the crystals burst on his surface, causing some sections of his body to dry up and break apart.


"It's not enough!" grunted Sunset in frustration. Adagio gasped as she noticed a large patch of crystal to be on the ceiling of the cave.


"Hey, guys! Shoot at the crystals up there!" cried Adagio, pointing to the ceiling. The soldiers turned their sights on the ceiling. They fired their guns at the patch of the crystal. Ford quickly stuck a grenade into the grenade launcher of his rifle and fired off. The projectile exploded on impact, causing the patch of crystal to fall upon Hedorah's head. His body began to violently spark, causing him to dry up and harden.


“Bah! You accursed humans, look what you’ve done! I’m drying! I’m drying! Oh what a world! What a world! Who would’ve thought good little humans like you can destroy my beautiful sliminess!”


Hedorah wailed as he began to crumble and turned into a black sand, replacing the pool of sludge below. The sand fell into a great metallic grate beneath the bridge. Here, a new pathway was revealed.


"Hey look! I knew this was the right way!" said Baragon. The group began to walk down a newly revealed slope, reaching the bottom of the chamber. They then proceeded to make their way into the path. Aiko scowled as she noticed the smug look on Adagio's face.


"Well, that was quite an adventure!" said Adagio.


“Don’t tell everyone that Adagio saved our asses," whispered Aiko, leaning close to Koizumi.




Later, the group continued on down down their new path. Baragon took point, now positive that they have been heading for the right direction.


"You think that was the 'Horror that Should Never be Named'?" asked Sonata.


"Well, I'm not gonna hold false hope," said Aria.


"I think we've yet to see the worse this place has to offer," said Twilight.


"Great, more bullshit," said Koizumi with a sigh.


"It can't be any worse than that thing we saw back there," said Rainbow, pointing back behind herself.


"I don't know. I think I've lost my appetite to last a life time." Pinkie Pie held her gut with a grimace.


"But what do you think this unnamed horror could be?" asked Posey.


"What if it's another horrible monster?" asked Miwa.


"It could be a horde of horrible monsters," said Inoue.


"Maybe it's a freaky dimension that is beyond our comprehension," said Baragon.


"Or giant spiders..." muttered Mosura.


"It might even be something worse. Like the inner look at the horrors that mankind is capable of," said Senior. Everyone shuddered.


"Well, we won't have to guess much longer. Look," said Rainbow, pointing ahead. Ahead of the dark tunnel was a hellish red light. Everyone's heart leapt with excitement and fear. They proceeded to follow the light against their better judgement, dreading and anticipating whatever horror lied beyond. They continued on, growing more excited and fearful. They soon found themselves at the end of the tunnel.


They found themselves inside of yet another chamber. But this one was decorated with dark silk sheets that hung from the walls. There was an altar, where many  candles lied. Ominous symbols filled the area, painted on the walls. Several people and creatures were seen to be sitting on benches. Some of the creatures were animal like. Ranging from lizards, birds, and even moles. Among them were also a few skeletons, sitting on the benches as well. At the end of the chamber, there was a ghoulish looking creature that almost resembled a moldy potato to be standing at a podium, wearing dark robes. It was chanting rather ominously.


"Yikes. I think I prefer the smog monster." Pinkie gulped. The creature stopped chanting and noticed the Rescue Team.


"Ah. Welcome. We were just about to pray to our lord," said the ghoul, his voice deep and gravelly. Everyone sent each other a look.


"Your Lord?" asked Rodan.


"The Horror that Should Never be Named. We are followers of the Horror. I am here to judge who is ready to pass on through to the Horror," said the ghoul, gesturing to  a corridor, leading into darkness. Everyone felt knots form in their guts as they stared into the infinite black.


"Uh huh. Well, we're just here to get to the Dogomite capital city. We were told that we could get there through here," said Sunset, nonchalant.


"If it is Lur you seek, then you must be judged worthy by her," said the ghoul.


"The horror's a girl?" Sonata whispered. Aria shushed her.


"Look, we don't have time for this!" said Aiko with a glare. Senior raised a hand.


"What must we do, starched one?" asked Senior, prompting  a snicker from the kids. The ghoul's brow twitched at the name.


"You must undergo a number of trials. If you pass them, you are worthy to move on to the horror. If you survive, you'll be able to move onto Lur," said the creature. Miwa glared at the creature.


"Alright, bring on your trials," said Miwa. Suddenly, all of the attendees stood up from their seats. They all looked to the Rescue Team with cold stares. A sense of dread filled them.


"Let us begin." The ghoul smiled darkly.







It was the late afternoon. Junior found himself being led down a hall. He had recently finished his 'basic training'. Though honestly, it was more like a crash course. Considering the short amount of time he spent training. Though to compensate, Junior was told that he'd still be given lessons. That is if he survived his first game. Junior found Malicia looking back at him.


"Getting cold feet?" asked Malicia.


"Eh... a little bit," said Junior, sheepish.


"You'll do fine. You're going to be grouped up with a few others. The creatures you'll be facing won't be a match. Just remember your training," said Malicia.


'Yeah, a whole week's worth,' thought Junior. The empress led him to a heavy door.


"You'll wait in here with the rest until everything is ready," said Malicia. As the boy was about to open the door, but gasped as the woman brought his face to meet her own. She leaned in and planted a kiss on his cheek, dangerously close to the corner of his lips.


"I'll be watching you. Good luck," said Malicia with a sultry smile. Junior weakly smiled as he quickly entered the room, closing the door. He sighed as he rubbed his cheek, his face beat red.


"If I were a different man..." Junior gulped as he recalled the previous night. He groaned as he slumped his head back against the door.


The boy heard heavy footsteps. He gasped as he found a large reptilian figure to be approaching. It stood over him at 8 feet in height, covered in thick tan scales. Its crocodilian eyes stared at the boy, as its sharp teeth stuck out from its jaws. It looked like a moss back, much like the ones from around Eloi. Junior tensed.


"Hey man. How's it going?" The crocodile man spoke in a surprisingly non intimidating tone, with an English accent.


"Uh... hey..." Junior awkwardly responded.


"So you're the new guy? Well, let me introduce you," said the croc man, before pointing to himself.


"My name is Krush, with a K. This is Birdman," said the croc as he gestured to a four foot tall bird-like creature, with forward facing eyes. It looked like a falcon mixed with an owl. The creature bore wings that bore three clawed appendages near the end of the wings. Its feathers were grey with black patterns.




"Bird man?" Junior looked at Krush oddly.


"It's what he goes by. Be kind, yeah? He's not the smartest bird of his flock," whispered Krush. Birdman suddenly squawked.


"And here's a bunch of other humans. I'm sure you'll fit right in," said Krush, gesturing to the people that sat or stood in the room with them.


"What? No introduction?" asked a man in annoyance.


"As you know, I'm the leader of this band of gladiators," said Krush, puffing his chest out.


"No, you're not," said another man in a flat tone.


"OK, so I'm not. But despite being a big terrifying crocodile man, I can be quite the people person. If you need anything, whether it’s an ear to listen, or someone to bludgeon your foes, you can talk to me," said Krush. Junior just stood silently.


"Right..." Junior took the time to look around. The room he was in almost looked like a dungeon. There was hard stone walls making up the room, with very little source of light. A barred window was in his line of sight.


Most of the other people in here also looked to be dirty. Some of them were of different ethnicities. They didn't look to be related to any Dogomites, who were fairer skinned than some of the people he saw here.


"So what's your story? Did the wicked bitch ransack your swamp too?" asked Krush.


"No... Because I don't live on a swamp," said Junior.


"You know what I mean," said Krush with an annoyed look.


"Lay off him, Krush. Pardon my scaly friend's prying," said a man as he approached, leading Junior to the rest of the group.


"Some of us have been here a while longer. Just stand with us and you should get through this just fine," said the man.


"Cool. I'm Gojira," said Junior.


"I am called, Maximus. I was a prisoner of war when the Dogomites conquered the Leicans. Surviving soldiers were either subjected to fight for Malicia, or they attempted to rebel and were forced to participate in the gladiatorial games," said Maximus.


"Oh." Junior was immediately reminded of the reality of this place. The Dogomite Empire was ruthless from what he heard. He almost forgot about it.


'Maybe it's in my best interest not to mention that I'm cozying up to Malicia.'


"So... All of you are prisoners of war?" asked Junior, looking around.


"A few of us are rebels," said another man.


"Where are the volunteers?" asked Junior.


"Ah. They're the finale of the games. We're more like the warm ups and public executions to get the crowd going," said Krush. The boy did a double take as he heard this.


"Public executions?!" exclaimed Junior.


"Are you hard of hearing, friend?" asked Krush, genuinely puzzled.


"That bitch!" growled Junior. The door suddenly opened. An armored guard stood at the door, wielding a spear.


"Get a move on, gladiators."


"Ah. Looks like we're on. Come on, Birdman," said Krush as he walked out. Birdman chirped as he followed the bipedal reptile. The rest of the gladiators began to follow, with Junior lagging behind.


"Hey, I think there's some kind of mistake. I don't think I'm supposed to be executed," whispered Junior, in worry.


"Get moving, you fool!" said the guard, shoving Junior away.


"Dick." Junior growled as he followed along with the other gladiators. He found himself entering a large room, where a bunch of racks stood lined up, carrying different weapons and shields. Some of the gladiators began to pick out whatever weapon they found suitable.


"Ew! Hey! One of you slobs need to clean the weapon before you put it back!" said Krush as he held up an axe, its blade holding blood stains and bits of flesh and hair stuck to it. Junior heard the faint cheers coming from beyond these walls. He felt a knot in his gut as the reality of his situation began to settle.


"What was I thinking?" Junior murmured to himself.


"Hey, Gojira! What kind of weapon do ya want? How about a three pronged fork?" asked Krush, holding up a wooden staff that bore three sharpened points.


"I think I'll stick with a sword, thanks," said Junior as he reached for a weapon on the rack.


"Alright. I guess this would only be good against vampires. If they were to stand bunched up together," said Krush, before putting the weapon way. Meanwhile, Birdman raised up one foot and inspected the metallic talons on his foot. Then he did the same with the other.


"Remember Birdman, don't fly too high. The audience hate it," said Krush. Birdman squawked in response.


"Wait. If he can fly, what's stopping him from escaping?" asked Junior.


"Oh he can try, but he won't get very far," answered Krush.


"The hell does that mean?" asked Junior.


"Be sure to take a shield, Gojira. You never know when you might need it," said Maximus, passing by. Junior did as suggested, beginning to join the rest of the gladiators as they stood armed at the heavy wooden door before them.


"People of Lur! The games will now begin!" an announcer shouted from outside. The gladiators heard the cheers from outside. The doors creaked as they opened, allowing the orange sunlight to enter. The cheers grew louder, as the volume managed to reach inside of the armory. The gladiators stepped out into an arena, covered in bleach white sand.



The Colosseum was massive from inside. The arena itself had much space, with a few different doors to be present at different sides of the walls, having been barred. There were at least a couple hundred or so people in the audience. Their seats were elevated ten feet above the arena itself. There were also a couple of sky boxes around the arena, hanging over. One sky box in particular had elaborate decorative sculpts on it. There was an obsidian spider that stuck on the front of the sky box, with a large red gem on the abdomen. Junior saw that Malicia was making her way over to the throne that was in this particular sky box, taking a seat. She was flanked by Sigyn and Kenra.


"I got a bad feeling about this," said Junior to himself.


"And now, these gladiators will face off against three waves of some of the most dangerous beasts in all of Equescidar! The first wave, the Death Jackals!" shouted the announcer from his stand near the audience. Everyone cheered as he gestured to the arena, while the barricades began to rise on their own, allowing the doors to open.


"Death Jackals?" Junior knew he heard that name before.


The Multiple doors around the arena were opened, allowing six creatures to rush out of the tunnels. They gave shrill shrieks as they stood on their two legs. Junior felt his blood run cold as he recognized the monsters. They were the same beasts that chased him during his first day of being on his own. They began to stalk towards the gladiators.


"Oh, not these fucking things again," said Junior with wide eyes.


"Form up! We need to form a barrier!" shouted Maximus, as the gladiators circled up with their shields raised. Junior quickly rushed and joined the formation, raising his own shield. The death jackals snarled as they circled their prey


"Stand together! Once they come in close, strike fast and get back into defense!" shouted Maximus. Junior took a breath, thinking it'd be wise to listen. After all, he had the qualities of a leader. The creatures continued to circle them, drooling profusely.


"You know Death Jackals tend to be reckless predators," said a young woman next to Junior. He glanced at her as she kept her spear back.




"They have a ravenous appetite. They sometimes resort to cannibalism or eat themselves. That one is an example," said the woman as she pointed to the closest Death Jackal. It was standing on one leg and its hands. The second leg was but a stump.


"Fuck," said Junior with an unnerved look.


"Since they're always hungry, they take more risks," said the woman. The Death Jackal missing a leg rushed towards them and opened its jaws wide. The woman thrust her spear, catching it in the throat. The beast gurgled and spat out a creamy white bodily fluid.


"Just keep that in mind!" said the woman.


"Got it!" said Junior. He swung his shield at the dead beast and knocked it back from the spear. One by one, the creatures began to strike, only to be struck back by the gladiators. However, they managed to retreat with mere flesh wounds. Two of the Death Jackals squawked at each other briefly. One of them rushed towards one side of the gladiators' barrier. Just as one of the humans jabbed a spear, the creature quickly backed off, as the second Death Jackal lunged for the man's outstretched arm. He cried out in agony as his arm was caught by the jaws of the beast, who was then dragged away. The gladiators were startled from their concentration, as their formation bore a gap from the incident.


The rest of the Death Jackals took the opportunity to rush towards the group, where they began to shove themselves into the shields of the humans that were attempting to close the gap themselves. They were knocked back and were bitten by the feral monsters.


"No! Stand together!" cried Maximus. The group began to disperse, some in panic as the creatures slaughtered three of the wounded humans. Junior quickly backed away with a pant, finding a Death Jackal charging towards him with a shriek. The Transmutant grunted as he blocked the creature as it slammed into his shield. He nearly lost his footing but stood his ground. With a shove, he pushed the creature back. The woman that had dropped some facts about the creatures had quickly thrust her spear into the creatures neck, causing it to drop to the ground thrashing in agony. Junior panted as he watched as the rest of the Death Jackals were pouncing on the scattered prisoners, but were fought off by those brave enough to step in to help. The remaining wounded gladiators were not so lucky, as they were torn to shreds by the teeth and strength of the Death Jackals. How accurate their name was. Junior felt sick to his stomach as he witnessed the carnage.



"Oh shit!" said Junior as a Death Jackals came rushing towards him and the young woman.


"Stand your ground! We can take one together!" said the young woman. The creature began to focus its sights on Junior and rushed towards him.


"Of course it comes after me first!" said Junior as he raised his shield as the creature came his way. With a grunt, he swung his shield and smacked the death jackal in the head, causing it to fall and roll along the sand as some of its teeth fell from its mouth. The creature was in a daze from the strike.


"We have to regroup!" cried the woman. Junior turned to reply but found that another beast was charging for her from behind.


"Behind you!" cried Junior. The woman quickly turned, finding the beast lunging for her. She gave a scream as its talons were spread out, ready to sink into her flesh. But, the creature was slammed into by Krush, who was wielding a heavy iron mace. He slammed the creature to the ground and then raised his mace.


"Back to the Earth with you!" said Krush, before slamming his mace on the beast's skull, soaking the white sand with its blood. Junior rushed over to the woman and helped her up to her feet, just as the disoriented death jackal began to regain its senses. It snarled, bearing its broken teeth. Birdman suddenly shrieked as he soared overhead, tackling the beast. He began to kick and slash his metallic talons at the beast, causing deep gashes. The beast rolled over onto its side, bleeding out.


Soon, the remaining Death Jackals were slain by the larger group of gladiators. They lied scattered in the arena, some twitching as the cold hands of their demise claimed them. Junior found himself rejoining the rest of the gladiators. He panted as his eyes fell upon the red stains from the humans that were killed, along with their remains. He felt nauseous as he gazed into their cold eyes, frozen in horror as the beasts killed them.


"Fuck, I'm way over my head. How do I get my dumb ass into these situations?" Junior gulped. The cheers from the crowd was also disorienting. He couldn't comprehend how anyone could enjoy humans getting slaughtered by horrific creatures.



Meanwhile, from the royal sky box, Malicia watched. She hummed to herself as she reflected on the first wave. This particular group of gladiators was unlucky. After all, at least half of them were killed at the first wave. But, she didn't expect a bunch of prisoners to be as capable as professionally trained gladiators.


"Hmph. You're little pet's not very impressive," said Kenra, a look of boredom on her face.


"It's just the first wave. Let's see how he holds out," said Malicia.


"And now, for the second wave! The gladiators will face off against the fearsome, the deadly... ICARUS TIGERS!!" the announcer shouted.

The crowd cheered as the gates opened again, allowing for two large tigers to step out into the light. They were around 7 to 8 feet in height. They bore a white coat, with dark stripes running along their muscle bound bodies. They also bore more reddish stripes on their faces, and one bore a bright splotch of red as though it was coated in blood. The beasts bore sharp teeth, with some fangs hanging out from their jaws like saber cats, but much shorter. They also bore pale blueish eyes. One of these large felines bore stag-like antlers upon its head.


"Holy shit..." Junior's slumped his shoulders.


The tigers snarled as they began to rush to the gladiators, their steps almost seeming light despite their size. They caused the gladiators to scatter.


"So how do we take care of these ones?!" exclaimed Junior.


"Gimme a minute!" said the woman next to him, nervously.


The tigers roared as they swiped their large paws at the gladiators, who kept their shields raised. The blows caused some of them to stumble back.


"Surround them! Strike when their attention isn't on you!" said Maximus. Some of the remaining gladiators began to circle the large felines. They kept their distance, as the tigers swiped at them. Krush gave a shout as he swung his mace behind a tiger, causing it to snarl as it whipped around. Before it could attack, it was stabbed by a gladiator from behind. The beast roared as it went for a retaliation, but was struck by another.


The antler tiger noticed his female companion being outwitted. Just as she was about to be stabbed from behind again, the antler tiger instead lunged for the would-be attacker. The gladiator screamed as he was quickly mauled.


"Fucking Christ!" exclaimed Junior. The female tiger took the opportunity to break from its trapped state by ramming into the first gladiator in front of it. Everyone began to scatter again.


"No! Don't disperse!" Maximus cried. He was suddenly tackled to the ground, with the tigress sinking her fangs into him.


"Maximus!" Junior cried, rushing over. As he reached the unsuspecting tigress, he jammed his sword into its back. The tigress briefly shrieked before collapsing onto her side, the blade stuck deep in her body. Junior quickly knelt next to Maximus, who was covered in horrible gashes from the creature's fangs and claws. He panted as he lied, bleeding in the sand.


"Oh my God. I-it's... You're gonna be fine! We're gonna get ya some help!" said Junior, beginning to panic. Even as he said this, it didn't put the gladiator at ease. He panted and moaned in agony. Blood poured from his mouth.


"I'm... I'm not... I'm..." Maximus coughed.


"Dude, just stay with me! Stay with me!" cried Junior, holding Maximus's hand tightly.


"It's cold. So... cold," Maximus sighed as let out a gasp for air. He stared blankly at the boy, completely silent. Junior's heart sank at the gladiator's lack of response.


"Oh my God," said Junior, breathlessly. Junior heard a snarl from behind. He quickly turned to find the male tiger to be lunging for him. The crowd cheered as the boy was tackled, as the remaining gladiators looked on in horror.


"So much for him," said Kenra with shrug. Malicia watched from the sky box, her eyes narrowing as the tiger had the boy pinned.


Junior cried out as the tiger's claws scratched his arms, causing deep and bloody gashes. As the jaws came crashing towards his neck, Junior used his bare hands to catch them.


"Hang on, Gojira! Your buddy Krush is coming to save ya!" The crocodile man came rushing over, with Birdman following.


During this, Junior felt a familiar sensation. He's felt it many times before when his life was threatened. His sense of self-preservation caused his eyes to grow a tinge of yellow. His muscles tightened as he held the tiger's jaws back. The boy swiftly forced the jaws to pry open, causing a clear snap in the air. The tiger suddenly stumbled off, its broken jaw hanging and drooling on the floor. The boy scrambled to his feet, his other wounds still bled and stung. Without thinking, he suddenly lunged for the tiger itself, both rolling along the ground and kicking up sand. Junior snarled as he sunk his teeth into the tiger's neck. The more the feline struggled, the more force applied to Junior's bite.


The crowd cheered, some of the cheers began to die down as people began to register what they were seeing. The other gladiators looked on, slack jawed, as Junior mauled on the tiger like a savage beast. Malicia smiled as she suppressed a giggle.


The neck of the tiger gave a loud pop. Junior kept a tight hold on the limp beast, a feral look in his eyes. In mere moments his eyes returned to normal. The boy noticed the stares and silence, but also the taste of iron. He released the tiger and stumbled up to his feet, panting. His mouth and neck was coated with the tiger's blood.


The audience suddenly broke out into loud cheers, which startled the boy out of his wits.


"Incredible! This one gladiator managed to take on two Icarus Tigers at once! We got ourselves quite a show tonight!" The announcer cried.


"Not the reaction I was expecting," said Junior, dumbfounded. He yelped as he was suddenly wrapped into a tight embrace and was lifted up off of his feet


"You crazy bastard! You and I are friends now!" said Krush with a chortle.


"Lucky me," groaned Junior.


"The show's not over yet! We still have one more wave for these gladiators!" said the announcer. Another gate began to open. This one was much larger and heavy. The air was filled with the loud creak of the gate rising.


"Get ready for the final wave. The ferocious, the deadly, The Devilphant!" The announcer shouted, as a 15 foot tall beast stomped into the arena. The creature had a similar build to an elephant, but bore a smaller head. Its hide was more similar to scales. Bony spines ran along its back. The beast had a long leathery trunk, and a pair of small ears. It bore beady white eyes and bore sharp tusks that curved down like fangs. Its legs were also bulky, but its front half of its body carried more bulk than its back end. On its hooves were sharp claws.


The devilphant gave a hellish shriek as it charged for the gladiators, who quickly evaded out of the way. The beast stomped and blew its trunk, shrieking. The crowd cheered on.


"Quick Gojira, slay the demonic pachyderm!" cried Krush.


"By myself?!" exclaimed Junior.


"Worry not! You just have to go for its weak spot!" said Krush.


Birdman shrieked as he dove for the devilphant, flying around the beast. It shrieked as it trampled in place, swinging its trunk wildly. Birdman slashed his metallic talons along its hide. Meanwhile, a few of the remaining gladiators began to hurl their spears at the creature, piercing its hide. The devilphant suddenly raised its trunk and began to spew forth a yellow fluid. The fluid sprayed on a couple of the gladiators. They screamed in agony as the acidic properties of the fluid began to eat away at their flesh.


Junior panted as he kept his distance from the devilphant, as Birdman kept it occupied. While the spears were able to stick into the hide, the scales were too tough. But as the boy analyzed the creature, he noticed that the inner legs, and its underside appeared much softer.


"Weak spot. Right," said Junior, as he watched the rampaging creature. He noticed a spear to be lying in the sand nearby, then to the devilphant, as the base of its trunk slowly started to engorge, as small drops of acid began to drop to the ground. Junior suddenly broke off into a sprint, grabbing the spear. He then rushed to the distracted devilphant.


"Go man! Go!!" cried Krush.


Junior slid under the devilphant as it raised its front legs, shrieking. He then lunged up and gave a mighty thrust of the spear. The bladed tip plunged into the underside of the devilphant effortlessly, thanks to the boy's strength and angle. The devilphant wailed as it began to fall back down. Junior immediately felt the weight of the creature beginning to tip on his end. If he were a mere man, he'd surely snap under its weight. Yet miraculously, the boy only bent his knees, his feet sinking a bit into the sand. His muscles strained and his veins began to pop as the elephant threatened to collapse on him. The spear began to plunge deeper into the devilphant, causing it to groan in agony as its gut and some entrails were pierced. Junior gave a cry as the devilphant began to lie on top of him. The creature wheezed as it attempted to stand.


Junior groaned as he lift the creature off of himself, while squeezing his way from underneath it. He was coated in its blood as he managed to escape from its side. He gave a loud exhale of exhaustion, before collapsing to his knees on the ground. The devilphant made one last attempt to stand again, but was quickly swarmed by the remaining gladiators. They began to stab and bludgeon the beast while it was down. Junior averted his eyes, as this now helpless animal was attacked. The crowd cheered again, as the devilphant fell silent.


"He's done better than I thought he would," said Malicia with interest.







The sound of loud smacks filled the air. The pained cries of a girl echoed. 


Adagio yelped with a tear in her eye, as she felt a sharp pain. She whimpered as she looked over her shoulder, finding the ghoul to be smiling creepily at her, drool escaping from his mouth. He carried a paddle in his hand.


"I-I think that's enough!" said Adagio as she attempted to step away from a wall she stood by. Suddenly, two cult members held her in place.


"Oh come on! This is weird! Why am I the only going through this?!" demanded Adagio.


"Oh don't worry. They'll get their turn too," chuckled the ghoul, as he eyed the girl's rear. He swung the paddle, resulting in a loud smack, and the cry of Adagio. She began to whine and whimper.


"This is not cool," said Aria. Aiko grimaced. She almost felt bad for Adagio. Almost. She was also secretly enjoying this.


'I only wish I was the one beating  her ass,' thought Aiko, suppressing the need to smirk.


"What uh... What other kind of trials do you plan for us?" asked Sunset, worriedly. 


"Hmm, let's see. We paddle your asses to test your tolerance to pain. Next, we'll tie you all up and suspend you in the air," said the ghoul, as a man drew out rope. The Rescue Team began to stiffen at this.


"Tie us up?" asked Ford, eyes wide. Inoue narrowed her eyes.


"If I didn't know better, I'd say that sounded like-"


"After that, Sister Domina will take over and proceed to penetrate your bodies with this non-offensive shaped object strapped to her waist," said the ghoul, gesturing to a woman. She suddenly disrobed, revealing herself to be dressed in erotic lacy lingerie. A rather suggestive shaped object was strapped to her waist. Instinctively, all of the males of the Rescue Team stiffened, their hands brought to their rears.


"OK, now I see what's going on here," deadpanned Aiko.


"Yo, fuck that! I rather get eaten by one of those fucking monsters that we encountered!" cried Koizumi. 


"Yeah, that's a 'no' for me as well!" said Rodan.


"So is this whole cult's point is just to lure people into being sexually humiliated for your pleasure?" demanded Aiko.


"Yeah, pretty much," said the ghoul, nonchalant. 


"Then is there really a Horror that Should Never be Spoken or is this it?" deadpanned Twilight.


"Oh no, there's a horror. But you have to participate in our sexual rituals if you want to go through," said the ghoul.


"Why?" asked Fluttershy, incredulous.


"Because its the only way you can mask your scents to her. Sweat combined with sex will keep you safe," said the ghoul. Everyone bore a flat look
.

"Yeah, that sounds like a load of crap. We'll take our chances," said Rainbow. The ghoul suddenly rushed to the path of the corridor, wielding the paddle with a glare.


"You shall not pass until you go through the remaining trials!" 


"Honey, please do something." pleaded Miwa, looking to her husband in desperation. Senior nodded. He was about to step forward, but Fluttershy suddenly stormed towards the ghoul.


"Fluttershy, don't go near that creeper!" cried Posey. 



The timid girl ignored her mother as she pressed on. All Fluttershy could think of was Junior. The more time they wasted, the more likely they were going to lose him. They came too far now. No way was she going to waste anymore time. She'd rather take her chances with whatever lied beyond the corridor.


"Now, you listen here. We're on a journey for urgent business. Someone dear to us is in danger, and we need to get to the Dogomite's capital," said Fluttershy, speaking sternly. A hand was on her hip, and her eyes narrowed. This was a contrast to her usual timid and soft spoken self. Everyone was able to hear the words that came from her mouth clearly.


"Now like I said, you must go through the trials if you wish to-"


"I'M NOT GOING TO PARTICIPATE IN YOUR DISGUSTING TRIALS!" Fluttershy suddenly shouted. Her voice was loud, startling everyone. The teens bore wide eyes, while Posey had her hands cupped to her mouth, having rarely heard her child speak with such a tone. 


"Di-Disgusting?! How dare you! You are just a bunch of prudes! You know nothing until you experience true pain and learn the resilience of your own bodies!" cried the ghoul, waving his paddle.


"Oh, please! You're just a pervert who enjoys humiliating people! I bet there isn't even a horror in that corridor!" spat Fluttershy.


"Pervert?!" The ghoul shrieked. Fluttershy suddenly furrowed her brows and began to poke the ghoul's chest, getting in his face. Her face grew red.


"Yes! Also known as a degenerate! A debauchee! A DEVIANT!" Fluttershy poked the ghoul's chest after every noun, forcing him to step back. Everyone just continued to watch as the girl unleashed her fury upon the creature. No one dared to step in, lest they wished to feel her wrath.


"You're the kind of person that I hate the most! No! I despise you!  You make a mockery of the sanctity of shared intimacy between two people! And now you're trying to stop me from saving someone very dear to me!" shouted Fluttershy. She suddenly snatched the paddle from the ghoul's hand and smacked him across the face with it. He stood stunned. He whimpered as he quickly retreated, holding his swelling cheek. 


"Holy shit." said Pinkie, wide eyed.


"And you! Let go of Adagio, this instant!" shouted Fluttershy, pointing the paddle. The two cult members suddenly released Adagio, quickly retreating from her. 


"Now go away!" shouted Fluttershy.


"B-But I was just trying to get off." The ghoul whimpered, as he and the cult members began to retreat further into the shadows.  Soon, the Rescue Team was left alone. Fluttershy sighed in relief.


"Fluttershy!" Adagio whined as she suddenly latched onto the girl. The shy girl grunted as the Dazzling buried her face into her shoulder, sniffling.


"I've never felt so humiliated in my life! When people ask me who my favorite person is, I'm gonna say 'Fluttershy, because she literally saved my ass'." Adagio whimpered. 


"Oh. N-No problem, Adagio," said Fluttershy, forcing a smile. She then noticed the wide eyed looks that everyone was giving her.


"What?" asked Fluttershy, her face growing a bit red.


"Remind me to never get on your bad side," said Mosura.


"Huh. I didn't even have to do anything," said Senior, surprised.


"Love is truly a powerful weapon," said Miwa, dazzled. Posey rushed over to Fluttershy, appearing relieved.


"Honey, never scare me like that again. But I'm proud of you," said Posey, smiling sweetly. Aiko sighed heavily as she looked to the infinite darkness of the corridor.


"Let's not celebrate yet. The worse is yet to come," said Aiko. 


The Rescue Team gathered and began to make their way through the corridor. The torch lights on their rifles lit their path, as they ventured through the darkness. Their hearts were pounding in their chests, and their bodies began to excrete sweat from nervousness. Who knows what sort of horrible thing lied beyond here. That is if there was one. Some weren't entirely convinced. But, that didn't help with the ominous corridor they ventured through.


The group eventually found themselves entering another chamber. This was an aquifer. Here in the pool of subterranean water, they found the skeletal remains of a great beast. All sense of fear and dread was replaced with confusion, and some mild disappointment.


"So the Horror's a rip. What a surprise," said Baragon, sarcastically.


"Hey, is it weird that I'm both relieved and disappointed at the same time?" asked Aria, cocking a brow. Twilight sighed heavily.


"I'm starting to think the horror that the Oracle was referring to was actually those guys back there," said Twilight.


Sunset hummed as she took in the surroundings. She noticed a sign with an arrow pointing down where the water seemed to flow. The sign read 'Yonder to Catacombs'. She then took notice of the large skull of the beast.


"The catacombs are down here. Maybe we can use that thing's skull as a boat," suggested Sunset.


"Then let's get started," said Aiko