//------------------------------//
// Chapter 29: Broken 
// Story: Shy and Aggressive: Book 2 
// by Johng117 
//------------------------------//

"Contact Destoroyah when you return. The time has come. Execute order: Bellus," said Onyx. He handed over the control to the Dimension Tide from the Rescue Team, though they themselves were now captives under the Dogomites.

Megaguirus held the control in her hand with a smirk and nod. As she was about click the control, Onyx suddenly gasped.

"Wait! I almost forgot!" said Onyx as he turned to a table. Megaguirus heard the clicks of latches unlocking.

"A little parting gift," said Onyx, presenting an opened trunk. The content inside made Megaguirus smile devilishly.








Meanwhile in Equestria...


The air was quiet and ever stagnant. The Dimension Tide remained offline, but its new power source remained intact. There was a group of scientists that were working on any menial tasks, and maintained the Archway.

It had been a few days since the platoon was deployed through the archway. In all of this time, there had been no activity, nor any soul that had returned from the unknown world. It seemed hopeless to just wait for a return. But, orders were orders.

"For all we know, they could've been torn from every atom that made up their very existence," scoffed a scientist.

"You better hope not. The last thing we want is to having to explain away the disappearances of civilians and a whole platoon of soldiers," said another scientist.

The DT Archway suddenly hummed to life. Every scientist turned as the lights ignited, and the portal appeared.

"Did one of you-" one of the scientists looked to the rest.

"They're coming back!" exclaimed the other scientist.

The portal began to ripple and spark. The scientists made their way to the ramp, awaiting for the soldiers to return to their world.

From the portal, an unfamiliar woman stepped inside. She was clad dirty clothing, with ruby red eyes. Her short violet hair blew from the gusts of wind created by the archway's power. A harness was strapped to her person.

"Where are the rest?" asked one of the scientists.

Megaguirus smirked as the harness began to shift. A robotic tail rose from behind her back, with a glowing light at the end. It suddenly shot forth a bolt of energy, causing the scientist to cry out as he dropped to the ground. The rest of the scientists screamed and attempted to flee. Megaguirus lunged forward, crouching to the ground as the stinger continued to fire off at the fleeing scientists, causing them to drop to the ground unconscious. The mutant sighed as she rolled her neck, making her way towards the computer console that dictated the controls of the device. She inserted a drive into a slot on the console and began to press away at the keys. She then reached to her side, drawing out a cellular device.

"This is Megaguirus. I've infiltrated the base and I have control of the device. Yes, I'll send you the location," said Megaguirus, turning to the archway. She found a trail of lights of the cables to be running from a pedestal, where a pure white glowing gem was resting inside. The woman grinned.






Equescidar. Lur, Dogomoto...


Junior found himself on his knees. The enchanted shackles that he wore weighed heavily on him. But not as heavily as the events that happened hours ago. In spite of his hands being washed, he still felt the warm, oily feeling of blood. It didn't matter how much the hand maidens washed him. He would never be clean.

Junior heard the sound of doors creaking. The footsteps echoed out in this lonely cold stoned room.

"Finding yourself comfortable?" asked Malicia. Junior didn't respond. The woman sighed.

"Come now, dear. I can't even get rude remark from you. Now that you'll be staying here, we have to communicate," said Malicia in mock disappointment, circling around the boy. The sound of her heels echoed into Junior's ears.

"Why?" Junior finally spoke. Malicia stopped, her back facing him.

"Why did make me do that? What have I done to deserve this?" asked Junior, his voice hollow. Malicia sighed.

"I told you that it was best to not form attachments," said Malicia.

"She didn't deserve to die," said Junior.

"She was a rebel and a threat to my empire," said Malicia.

"She was my friend," said Junior, his tone began to rise.

"She was in my way," said Malicia, turning to face the boy.

"YOU MADE ME KILL HER!" Junior shouted. Malicia was unphased by his tone. The boy just glared hatefully at her. That face was a familiar one.

"You think that we're nothing alike. But I see that in your eyes, we are," said Malicia. She knelt down and brought a hand to his face. Junior pulled away with snarl.

"DON'T. TOUCH ME."

Malicia merely smiled. She stood up and looked down at the boy.

"Gojira, it didn't have to turn out this way," said Malicia.

"I'd never give you a kid to ruin," growled Junior. Malicia shook her head.

"It's not only that, my dear. From the beginning, you had a choice," said Malicia. Junior growled.

"You never gave me a choice!"

"Of course I did. From the very first day, I gave you a choice. Remain here and learn, or take your chances with the world that hated you. You chose the former," said Malicia. Junior lost his glare and just knelt in silence.

"You might not believe me, Gojira. But if you had said no, I would have let you go on your way. But you took my offer. You've taken every offer that I made. You didn't have to. You didn't have to become a gladiator," said Malicia. Junior glared at her.

"You told me that-!"

"I didn't lie. You've proven capable of defending yourself. I taught you to kill your enemies. It was you who accepted the wager, Gojira. In the end, that girl's blood is on your hands," said Malicia. Junior felt his blood run cold. He began to tremble as he recalled every decision that he made. Every offer that he accepted. The lies that he believed. They were all him.

"Kiri..." Junior muttered.

"Just let go, my son. Abandon your old life and embrace your new one. Stand with your mother," said Malicia warmly. Junior furrowed his brows. He raised his head to meet her eyes.

"I already have a mother," said Junior, venom in his tone. Malicia's expression became cold.

"It seems that I have to work on you," said Malicia, before leaving the room. Junior gritted his teeth, as the door began to close.





It was morning. Lush green fields ran as far as the eye could see. Unlike that of Lur, the cities, villages beyond were crawling with life. Dinosaurs roamed in the distance, migrating across the land for their nesting grounds, while mammals either grazed in the fields, or hid in their burrows.

It was a rather fairly normal day for the people of this village. They went about their daily chores such as tending to their livestock, harvesting for food, tending to crops, building and repairing anything that may have been necessary. While the adults worked, the children played. Some of course, were handling their own fair share of chores. But when they finished, they quickly joined the fun with the other children in their community. Life was more peaceful here compared to the more hectic life of the city. People rarely got sick, there was no crowding, and neighbors knew each other quite well. These people lived without so much of a care in the world, ignorant of their day being observed from a distance.

Scar stood by in silence, as Kenra was peering through a pair of binoculars. She watched the village with a click of her tongue.

"They have no idea what's coming," said Kenra under her breath, placing the binoculars down. She then turned to Scar, Alexandra and Dreadnought. Adrian was absent, due to the little torture session with Maximilian being a lot more than she was able to handle.

"Now, you poor saps have a job to do. None of you have a choice. You're to find the Demi-Titan insurrectionist that's turned their village against the Empire, and neutralize him," said Kenra, as she held up a controller.

"Now, in case any of you try to sit out or abandon the objective, there will be Hell to pay," said Kenra, as she pressed a button. The Purists cried out in pain as they felt a brief jolt of electricity sent through them.

"With that out of the way, let me introduce you to the new outfits that Malicia commissioned," said Kenra, pointing to the clothes that the Purists wore. They were more like tunics.

"Those clothes are specially made. They're made from the living energy of a subject, and are designed to accommodate for your transformation. So don't worry about losing your clothes. Be grateful to the Empress!" said Kenra.

"How convenient," said Dreadnought, tugging at his clothes.

"OK, I'll have you set into your other forms, while increasing your cognitive processing power to average. Just so you're at least smart enough to know to not to fight amongst yourselves and to stay on task," said Kenra. Scar bore a hard expression, while Dreadnought crossed his arms.

"Alright, let's go!" said Alexandra, eagerly.

"Nothing escapes. Go!" said Kenra, stepping back as she began to activate commands on her remote controller. The Purists cried out in agony as they dropped to their hands and knees. Their legs shrinking, as their arms grew. Their bodies morphed and grew, as tails sprouted from them. The clothes that covered their bodies quickly began to disperse into glowing particles, reforming into harnesses and sleeves on their bodies.

Once they had transformed, the Purists shrieked in their monstrous forms. They leapt down the hill and charged towards the unsuspecting village. By the time that the villagers took notice of the beasts that were approaching, it was already too late.

The Purist Skull Crawlers slammed into the houses and other small structures in the village. Their bodies sent planks of wood flying, along with dust. The villagers screamed as they fled, while some took arms with their farming equipment and attempted to fight back. But, the ferocity of the Skull Crawlers was too much for them. They moved swiftly, stomping, chomping, and slashing at the humans. Whole houses began to collapse, as farm animals began to panic and attempt to flee from their pens.

During this chaos, Scar was just able to process every action that he took. While he didn't feel whole, mentally, he at least had awareness. But, being in this form was excruciating. His stomach ached terribly, and his mouth salivated extensively. Walking on his arms gave him a clumsy feeling, as he stumbled and tripped during this attack. He had to act wildly just to avoid getting stabbed by any sharp tools that the villagers had. For an insurrection, they were ill prepared to fight back, even if it wasn't against mutants.

From a house, a man bolted out. His eyes were wide in horror as he witnessed the village being destroyed by three Skull Crawlers. No, not just any Skull Crawlers. He was able to recognize them as Demi-Titans, as they seemed to only be attacking, not eating the villagers. The man hardened his expression and clenched his fists. He dropped to one knee, as his body began to morph and change.

The man's body grew to be 15 feet in height, as his flesh was replaced with bright warm colors. His body became reptilian, with long clawed limbs and a tail, with a mouth full of sharp teeth. But, he also stood with an avian posture, his arms having lengthened as wings, where feathers grew. His head morphed and changed to slanted and flat brows, giving his head an eagle-like appearance. The Demi-titan spread his wings out, as a lizard-like frill erected from his neck, bearing colors of red, yellow and orange. He shrieked as he took flight, catching the attention of Scar.

The avian lunged for Scar, his wings carrying him through the air. He dug his talons into the Purist. Scar snarled as he and the Demi-Titan rolled along the ground with their bodies slamming into a nearby house. Scar scrambled up and lunged, but missed as his enemy took to the air. But, the avian dropped back down, slamming his weight upon the Purist.

The demi-titan slashed at Scar's hide, wounds began to bleed into the grass. He then used his talons to carry the Purist several feet into the air. He carried him to a structure and dropped him on top. Scar screeched in pain, as wood splinters had been caught into his hide. Scar turned to find the Demi-Titan land before him, snarling. As he approached, Scar suddenly swung his tail at the avian's legs. The creature fell over with a yip. As he fell to the ground, Scar lunged for his neck, clamping his jaws down. The avian shrieked as he attempted to fight the Purist off. Scar kept his bite, while pinning his wings with his paws. However, the avian's kicks began to strike his wounds.

Scar released the demi-titan, allowing him to escape. The bite wounds bled, and the feathers were matted down, some having been lost. The avian stood, displaying his frill with a shriek. However, the demi-titan looked to be weak from the last attack. Scar hissed, as he prepared to lunge again.

"Why do you attack this village?" The Demi-Titan suddenly spoke, as clear as day. Scar's eyes were wide. He thought he was hallucinating this. But, he recalled a similar experience many years ago. Back in Solgell.

"You do not feed, just destroy. The people of this village have done nothing to you or to the empire. What right have you to kill them?" demanded the demi-titan. Scar's eyes slightly widened. Even in this state, in hunger and as a beast, he was able to hear and comprehend every word that was spoken to him.

He began to think about all of his past actions. From the beginning. Was he really in the right? Scar's mind quickly retracted back to the present. Now was not the time to dwell. He needed answers now. But, when he tried to respond, all that came was a guttural sound.

'Why can't I speak?' thought Scar. The avian demi-titan was suddenly tackled by Alexandra from behind. She sunk her teeth deeper into his neck. The demi-Titan shrieked as he attempted to fight back. But, Alexandra clenched down harder, crushing the vertebrae of the avian. The Demi-Titan fell limp, bleeding profusely. His eyes began to cloud as a sigh escaped him. Scar stared wide eyed, as Alexandra stopped away, licking her bloody snout.

Soon, the Purists were forced back into their human forms. The leather cloth that made up the sleeves and harnesses on their bodies had now reformed into the clothes they wore as humans. Scar winced, feeling his wounds still remaining on his body. He turned to Alexandra, who was standing on the dead Demi-Titan.

"Heh. Too easy," said Alexandra. She noticed the glare that Scar was sending her. She shrugged.

"What?"

"Killing him wasn't necessary. Bringing him in alive could have bought us favor into Malicia's grace." said Scar. Though honestly, he didn't care to actually please the witch. He thought that having her trust would be useful in the long run. Alexandra scoffed in response.

"What? I only killed him because he started talking! That shit isn't natural! Once these damn freaks start talking in their animal forms, it's all downhill from there. They're just one step closer at replacing the whole human race," said Alexandra, stepping off the Demi-Titan.

"You don't know that. Besides, this is another world. They probably function a lot differently here compared to the ones in our world," said Scar. Alexandra narrowed her eyes at him.

"What happened to you?" asked Alexandra.

"What do you mean?" asked Scar, just as Dreadnought arrived to the scene.

"You're not the same man that I knew. The one who killed any mutie that threatened our society! Now these days you've been so adamant! What changed?" demanded Alexandra, narrowing her eyes.

"Nothing," said Scar.

"I can name the exact time I noticed it. It was after the night that Impact died. What happened?" Alexandra asked again. Scar sighed heavily. He hadn't thought of that night in quite a while.

"Ever since that night, I've done a lot of thinking. Getting off of the red stuff recently has made things clearer for me. I originally joined the Purists to avenge someone that I lost. Someone that I loved," said Scar, recalling the face of a woman that he held dear to his heart. His late fiancé, Roxanne.

"I spent years of my life trying to make them feel the pain that I felt. But as time went on, I'd find myself wondering if I became the very thing that I swore to destroy. A monster," said Scar, his eyes downcast. He suddenly heard a cackle. He turned, finding Alexandra laughing like a witch. He hardened his expression.

"Dude, are you an idiot? Grow up!" laughed Alexandra.

"Hey, watch it!" barked Dreadnought.

"I'm sorry, but this is too much! Most of us didn't join because we wanted justice or money. We just wanted to kill some muties! Pure and simple. We aren't a fucking league of vigilantes looking for justice!" Alexandra's face then darkened.

"I had a feeling that you were becoming soft. You're not fit to be a leader," said Alexandra. She then smirked. "Maybe it's time that someone else takes that role."

"What does it matter? We're marooned in a world that honors Transmutants," said Scar.

"Yeah, and no way in Hell would I follow you. I'm sticking with Scar," said Dreadnought.

"I thought you had loyalty to money?" asked Alexandra.

"I do. But, I'm also loyal to the man who's had my back for years and kept me on a payroll. Besides, it beats following your crazy ass," said Dreadnought. Alexandra's brow twitched.

"So I'm crazy? OK," said Alexandra with a chuckle. She then glared at the man, her face red.

"How about you say that again, you fuckin' gimp!" shouted Alexandra. Kenra and a group of Dogomite knights suddenly arrived to the scene. She glared at the Purists.

"Hey! What's with all of the fighting?! You still have work to do!" said Kenra. Scar and Alexandra stared at each other for a brief moment. The woman smirked at him briefly, before turning away from him and towards Kenra.

"Scar and Dreadnought are weak. In fact, they were plotting to stab Malicia in the back and make the Empire crumble," said Alexandra. Dreadnought and Scar were in shock. They became enraged.

"You two faced bitch!" Dreadnought lunged for the woman, as did Scar. Before they could reach her, they were suddenly met with a high voltage shock. They dropped to the ground, screaming in agony, as Kenra held a familiar control.

"Alright. Boys, take the trash back down to the citadel. We'll wrap up everything here," said Kenra, as she activated the 'stun' command on the remote. The knights yanked Dreadnought and Scar off of the ground and hauled them away.

"You'll regret this, Alexandra!" Scar shouted.

"Oh, I'm shaking in my boots!" said Alexandra in mock fear.

"Not bad on ditching those losers. They were just dead weight," said Kenra in approval. She began to walk off.

"I'll be sure that Malicia puts you into a higher position. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. Got it?" Kenra looked back to the Purist with a smirk.





It was the next day. The sun light covered the entire city. But, in the deep bowels of the citadel, it was cold and dark. There was no telling for the prisoners below to tell what time of day it was.

In the cells, the Rescue Team rested or sat in silence. Those awake were left to ponder how badly they had failed. And that they were doomed to remain here. They had no way of warning the remaining soldiers and Guardians.

The sound of footsteps filled the air. Everyone stirred, finding that some guards approached, with Kenra, Sigyn and Maximilian to be standing.

"Alright, let's get started. You. Step on out," said Kenra, pointing to Battra. The mutant merely furrowed his brows before stepping out of the cell.

"You," said Sigyn, pointing to Inoue, who stiffened. She looked back to Koizumi, who stepped forward with a glare.

"Hey, how about you- Gah!" Koizumi was struck by a pointed spear, which sparked with magic.

"Now," said Sigyn, sternly. Inoue gulped as she stepped outside. Meanwhile, Max giggled with a wheeze, before pointing to Aiko.

"You..." said Max. Aiko met him with a hateful look. She stepped forward, her fist clenched, as the old man's eyes smiled at her.

"Let's get going, shall we?" Max wheezed as he walked ahead, as a pair of guards escorted the woman away.

"Mom!" Angirasu cried. Aiko avoided meeting his gaze. But her stomach turned as he cried out to her. Malicia's enforcers left with three of the prisoners in tow. Everyone waited in their cells helplessly, and with dread.

The soldiers found themselves separated during their escorts. Each were taken to a different room, with one Enforcer each with them. The guards stood outside of the doors of the rooms






Equestria...


Xenjira found himself standing at a table, where a large tablet sat before him. On it were several different weapons. Fully automatic rifles, hand guns, submachine guns, along with plenty of ammunition to spare. This didn't seem to be enough to take over an entire MONARCH base. But, it may be a start. The real muscle may come from the fact that the mutants were the ones who were invading. There was also this 'infiltrator' on the inside that may prove to be useful.

Xenjira found Natas, Lucien and several other Revolutionaries to be arming up as well. Xenjira warily looked over his shoulder, finding more men to be standing around, armed to the teeth. They too bore emblems or tattoos that represented the Purist faction. It seemed that Lucien and Natas weren't the only ones who decided to defect as well. This didn't make sense. Why would Destoroyah work with them of all people?

"This is the moment of truth, gentlemen. Today will be the first step into a brighter future. A future that ensures that all hostility between both our races will end, permanently," said Lucien as he loaded up his rifle. Xenjira tilted his head at this. He wondered what in the world that could mean. He noticed Destoroyah to be stepping out of the back of a truck, causing it to creak and bounce. His heavy footsteps filled the air. The Revolutionary grabbed a weapon as well, loading it up.

"The communications of the base will be severed momentarily by the team that went in ahead of us. Before we move in, did anyone forget their role?" asked Destoroyah. No response came from this platoon of terrorists.

"Good." Destoroyah nodded with a toothy grin.






Meanwhile...


Hayato Yoshi was sitting in his office. His eyes were looking through his tablet, reading through reports. Anything to occupy himself until he receives word on an update with the Dimension Tide Archway.

Hayato sighed as he set the tablet down. There was a sudden beep. He reached into his pocket, drawing out his phone. He answered the call.

"Yes? What? Alright, I'm on my way," said Hayato as he stood up and made his way out of the office. He powerwalked down the hallways, his brows furrowed. The call had him a bit riled up. This warranted his full attention. Now wasn't the time for dallying and waiting for a response from the DT Archway.

Hayato soon made his way to the communications center of the base. He found the personnel here to be scrambling at their desktops. They spoke frantically to each other, as the screens on their monitors became distorted. This was more serious than Hayato originally thought it was. He made his way to the supervisor of this department.

"Talk to me," said Hayato.

"Something's wrong with the communications systems. We can't get a signal and we can't contact the other bases. We're mute," said the supervisor.

"Director! We just got word that surveillance and security systems are down!" said a man, rushing to into the room. Hayato hardened his expression.

"We're under attack. I want everything back online, now! Get word out to all units on base to be on guard. We may be expecting company," said Hayato as he drew out his side arm.

"Sir, if I may. Why is it that you've continued to stay here instead of returning to home base?" asked the supervisor.

"There's business that I plan to see through to the end. Besides, I believe it's good for a leader to make a connection with his soldiers, and the people he swore to protect. Especially the Transmutants," said Hayato, pulling back on the metallic slide on the gun.

There was the sudden sound of gunfire. Everyone stopped what they were doing, frozen like deer caught in headlights. The rapid sounds of gun fire muffled from behind the walls. Hayato quickly aimed his weapon, just as the door was swung open. He fired off his pistol, catching a man in a ski mask in the head. He fell back, but was quickly replaced by another, who peered through the door way with his sub machine gun. Everyone in the room took cover, while Hayato kicked over a table and hid behind it.

The two exchanged bullets at each other. The air was filled with the deafening sounds of the gun fire. Hayato attempted to fire back, but the inferior place of cover allowed him to catch a couple of bullets into his shoulder and arm. Just as his ammo had ran down, he fell over with a cry. The assailant quickly rushed in, followed by a couple other men.

"Nobody fucking move!" shouted one of the men.

Throughout the base, MONARCH soldiers found themselves caught off guard. The alarm had barely blared, just as a platoon of armed bogies appeared from every corner within the compound. The bullets whizzed and zipped through the air, penetrating through concrete, flesh and bone. Cries of agony from both sides filled the air. However, the soldiers found themselves suffering the most casualties.

The Revolutionaries proved to be more lethal foes than the Purist defectors were. They moved faster through the compound, able to aim with such precision, and react faster than any ordinary man.

"Shit! COM's are out!" shouted a soldier, as he and a group of soldiers were behind a HUMVEE. They exchanged bullets with a group of invaders, who stood out in the open, and were in the process of advancing.

"We need to fall back! Get- OH MY GOD!" A soldier cried, as a red cloud of dust suddenly rose into the air, forming into a serpentine-like crustacean. The beast shrieked as it began to maul the human soldiers. The ones who attempted to flee from the abomination were quickly gunned down by those who were shooting at them before. This is how it went throughout the base. Soldiers that were pinned in cover, putting up a fight, were soon spooked off from cover due to a sneaky Revolutionary that had changed into its beast form. Either they were mauled, or they were gunned down. There was no escape.

Soon, the base was conquered. The COMs remained dead, leaving the rest of the world ignorant of the ill fate that befell this base. Many soldiers that were stationed here lied dead outside, or within the halls of the base. Bullet cases littered the ground, blood stained every surface. There was no hope for survivors that dared to raise a gun at these hostiles.

Xenjira stood with a rifle, as Lucien barked orders to the others. He found Hayato, surviving soldiers and other personnel herded through the base, towards the brig. During this, Xenjira followed Natas towards the Hangar area. Here, they beheld the DT archway. It had long since halted its hums and glowing, its last voyager having long since settled.

"Magnificent," said Natas, gazing upon the archway. He noticed Xenjira drawing out a couple of grenades. Before he pulled the pins, Natas quickly placed a hand on them.

"Ah. Let's not do that. This thing is important," said Natas, prompting an odd look from the mutant.






Equesciadar...


Battra cried out in agony as he was beaten by a sparking baton. Kenra bore a hard expression as she circled the young man held up by magic chains. She beat him with the baton against his exposed back as he cried out in agony.

"I've waited years for this," said Kenra as she held her baton. Battra panted as he looked to the woman.

"All of those years serving MONARCH. What a waste," said Kenra.

"You're... not from this world either?" panted Battra. Considering the equipment that she had, it shouldn't have been a surprise. But even still, no one seemed to understand why there were MONARCH soldiers here before they themselves had come to this world.

"No. I was marooned here with Sigyn. For the last couple of years I despaired being stuck serving the Empress, never having the chance to avenge my brother," said Kenra as she glared at Battra.

"But now I've found you," said Kenra in a low tone.

"What?" asked Battra in confusion.

"Don't play dumb! Neighpon! 8 years ago! You killed my brother with your telekinesis! His name was Keno Kenpachi!" shouted Kenra. Battra's eyes widened. That name was familiar. Kenpachi. But that couldn't have been the same person that she was talking about, was it?

"I... don't know what you're talking about. I've never killed Kenpachi. He's alive! He's back in MONARCH right now, he's- " Battra grunted as Kenra punched him. Her eyes burned with rage.

"Stop fucking with me! You turned his brain to moosh! All I have left to remember him by is his baton!" said Kenra as she held up the tool. Battra panted, not responding.

"When I found him, he had the setting on high. And I don't plan on dialing it back," said Kenra with hate in her tone. "It'll be like he's here with us!"

Kenra jabbed the baton against Battra, causing him to cry out in agony from the shock. Kenra chuckled as her eyes ran with tears.

"This is for you, big brother," said Kenra.



Aiko found herself bounded to a wooden chair. Her eyes burned with hate as she glared at Maximilian. The man sighed as he mixed chemicals together.

"I haven't made this stuff since... well, since I lost my job as a dentist," said Max as he brought his tank up.

"Did you know that? In Neighpon, I worked as a dentist. I was damn good at my job," said Max as he poured the yellow liquid into the tank. He giggled and wheezed.

"But I didn't become a dentist to help people. No. You see, I was young, I was refereed as a bad little kid~" Max took on a singing tone, much to Aiko's confusion. "My mother noticed unsettling things I did.~ like shooting puppies with a BB gun, poisoning guppies, and bashing the heads of cats!~" sang Max. He turned to Aiko, who bore an unnerved look.

"Get it? You get the joke, right?" asked Max. Aiko hardened her eyes. The old man groaned in frustration.

"How could you not get it?! It's a classic!" said Max in dismay. He rubbed his wrinkly brows with a sigh.

"Long story short, I get a kick out of causing pain. Naturally I became a dentist. I used no anesthetic nor any other method of numbing pain," said Max giggled and wheezed.

"Those were the days. But one patient turned my world upside down," said Max.

"A Transmutant kid was scheduled with me. I sat the tyke down in his seat for a root canal. The kid was screaming in pain that I couldn't contain my laughter. But, the lad kicked me, causing me to stumble back with the drill. I was given a deep cut in my cheek that I had to be rushed to the hospital," said Max as he tapped a tank. Aiko grew disgusted at the story. Served the man right to be injured.

"Unfortunately, my ride crashed into a truck. It was carrying some chemicals from GeneCo in the back. I don't know what, but I fell into the spill when trying to escape. It got into my wound and burned like a bitch," said Max with a shudder.

"Soon, I was rushed to the hospital by an ambulance. This driver was much more competent. Unfortunately, surgery was only able to do so much for me," said Maximilian pulled down his mask. He revealed a hideously scarred face, stuck in what looked to be a permanent grin. Aiko felt a chill down her spine at witnessing his disfigured face.

"The chemicals damaged the nerves in my face. So I'm stuck with this smile," said Max with a chuckle and cough. He raised up his mask back up and wheezed.

"The accident damaged my lungs as well. And I still feel pain in my old age. So I inhale nitrus oxide with oxygen for relief. I even switch to pure oxygen for a while just to keep breathing properly without impairment to my senses," said Max as he brought over his newly mixed tank over to a chair in front of Aiko.

"That day made me realize that Transmutants can't take a joke. So, to teach them a lesson, I joined with the local Purists in Trotkyo. I was responsible for helping them get around Neighpon's strict gun laws by mixing toxic gases for them. It was a lot of fun to work with them," chuckled Max. Aiko bore a look of disgust.

"I don't know who's worse. The Purists that were willing to work with a maniac like you, or you with your sick twisted mind," said Aiko. Max sighed heavily.

"You're such a bore. I'm pouring my life story out to you and you're just giving me the evil eye," said Max with a disappointed tone.

"Do you know how much grief you caused?! To my family?!" demanded Aiko as she thrashed in her seat.

"Ah you're taking this way too personally! You're just like the Transmutants! I tell you, Oni Night was my greatest moment. Provided the greatest kick I've had," said Max. He noticed Aiko looked at him with hate as she breathed heavily. Like she was about to miraculously break free and lunge for his neck.

"So emotional! I wanna tell you the story of how I pulled it off, but I'm gonna have to help you with that mood," said Max as he drew a mask out from the newly set tank and placed it against Aiko's mouth and nose, who began to fight it.

"Hold still! Just let the giggles out!" said Max as he held Aiko's head in place. The woman was forced to inhale the gas, tasting a metallic flavor. Her face began to tighten as she trembled. Aiko began to laugh as Max released her.

"Good, huh? That's my special Laughing Gas. Something I used to ease my sorrows for being fired. I don't use it much now since I'm lucky to serve an Empress who understands my joys," said Max as Aiko laughed hysterically.

"Now that you're in better spirits, Oni Night as you people called it, I'm flattered, was not necessarily about killing Transmutants. The leader of our group in Neighpon wanted to generate more fear towards them to gain more supporters. So, with a little research, I developed a gas that stimulated the neurons in their brains. Normal humans weren't affected, but Transmutants were," said Max. Aiko was still laughing, trembling as she clenched her fists. She was trying to fight the effects of the gas on her but couldn't. She was powerless as this old man fondly talked about his atrocity.

"The gas causes Transmutants to transform while heightening their aggression. Think of it as a bad high from bath salts. Instead of eating faces, you go on a rampage," chuckled Max.

'Stop laughing! Stop laughing, Goddamit!' thought Aiko as she began to relax and catch her breath. Her expression hardened. Max grabbed her face and forced the mask on her again, causing her to give muffled cries.

"But those with inhibitor chips, they only became more aggressive. That aggression would bring about those primal instincts in human form," said Max. Aiko returned to laughing. Her mind flashed to an old hated memory. Her husband attacked her in the midst of the gas with no sense of humanity in him. Aiko was furious, but could only express laughter. This drove her mad.

"Hilarious, right?! It was great seeing them running the streets and attacking everyone they saw!" said Max, removing his mask as he laughed along with the woman.

"Y-You made me kill my husband! He w-was a Tra- Hahaha!!" Aiko laughed as she thrashed in her seat. Max's grin seemed to widen, if that were possible.

"Then you get it! You experienced my practical joke! Tell me, did he throw you around? Did he die in pain? Ooh that gets me going!" laughed Max.

"Haha! You son of a bi-bitch! Hahaha!!" Aiko continued to laugh. Her face turning red and hot. Her lungs ached for oxygen and she was starting to grow dizzy. Her eyes ran with hot tears. But her tears were not from laughter. They were from the rage and despair she felt in her heart. Here, this man was laughing at his actions like it was a game or a practical joke. And she was here laughing with him. She was laughing at how she took her husband's life that night, in front of her child. This made Aiko feel sick.



Inoue cried out in pain as she found herself stretched from her arms to her legs. She lied on a table, as rope pulled her up and down, stretching her torso. Her cries became agonized screams.

"You said that you'd rather I torture you this way. I could've just paddled your ass," said Sigyn, pointing to a table that lied on a separate table in the room. She sighed a she tugged at the rope that bounded Inoue's wrists.

"This isn't very kinky," said Sigyn.

"Well... Ah! At least I'll get taller. Hehe. Ow!" Inoue yelped, attempting to keep a brave appearance about her situation.

"Hmm. Your cries of pain are adorable. I guess it's not too much of a waste," said Sigyn as she began to make her way to the table.

"It'd be a shame to damage that nice skin and pretty face of yours. But, I have my ways of torture," said Sigyn with a villainous giggle. Inoue grimaced as she stared up at the ceiling.

"How did I end up getting stuck with the dominatrix?" asked Inoue in dismay.

"Oh honey, you haven't seen anything yet. I'll get you playing on the other team as a visitor, you'll see," said Sigyn with a blushing grin. Inoue whimpered fearfully. Sigyn sighed as she continued to look through the room.

"I never thought we'd run into you guys," said Sigyn.

"You people kidnapped someone. You should expect people to come knocking to take him back," said Inoue, with a glare.

"I'm not talking about the boy's friends. I meant MONARCH," said Sigyn. Inoue raised a brow.

"Well, since we're talking, how about you explain that to me? How in the world did MONARCH get here. In fact, what's with the ears?" asked Inoue. Maybe now was a good chance to get some answers, though she wondered if any of that would matter now.

"Oh, if only you knew. Lucky for you, I'll let you in on the story," said Sigyn as she turned to face Inoue. She leaned on the girl's arm, causing her to wince.

"By now, you know that other realities exist. The one you're from, and the one we're in now. I'm from neither," said Sigyn. Inoue's brows raised.

"I come from a world full of magic and creatures that your world sees as mythical. Fantasy. In my world, there are three tribes of humans. The Earthbounds, who are like you. They have dominion over the earth. The Valkyries, who are humans with the wings of birds, who have dominion over the sky and weather. And the Elves, which is what I am. We have dominion over magic. Personally, I think we lucked out better compared to the other tribes, but eh," said Sigyn with a shrug.

"And MONAR- AH!!" Inoue screamed as Sigyn turned the wheel, stretching her out more.

"I'm getting there. You see, like your universe, we have our own MONARCH. Only ours is much larger and more powerful. On the surface, it's an organization of gun totting mercenaries that fight for international interests. But, there's always strings. And there's a puppet master who controls the strings," said Sigyn, smiling devilishly at Inoue. The young soldier gulped.

"If there's an alternate version of MONARCH, does that mean that there are alternate versions of... people?" asked Inoue, hesitant. Sigyn smirked.

"You saw him, didn't you? Onyx," said Sigyn. Inoue gasped.

"He's not your Onyx. He's mine. Ew, that sounded wrong," gagged Sigyn.

"W-Wait! There's an alternate version of Director Onyx from your universe?!" asked Inoue.

"Oh yes. And he's much more ambitious than the pathetic old man from yours," said Sigyn with a cackle, before turning the wheel again. Inoue screamed in pain again.

"I'm sure there's an alternate version of you out there. It can get confusing at times. But the point is, you're caught in the middle of a much bigger game," said Sigyn. Inoue panted, a glare on her face.

"I don't believe a word of the crap that you're spewing. Parallel universes? With evil versions of ourselves? Gimme a break!" said Inoue. She couldn't believe it. She didn't want to. There couldn't have been a world that is so terrible. Sigyn merely gave a sadistic grim.

"Oh yeah? How about I show ya some proof. Show ya something that will turn your little world upside down?" asked Sigyn.

Moments later, Inoue found herself strapped to a wheelchair. She grunted, attempting to break free of her restraints, but Sigyn merely tightened them. The young woman yelped in pain, as she was rolled out of the room, and further down into the citadel. Inoue's heart throbbed in her chest, as Sigyn suppressed her cackles. She was eventually brought into another room. Inoue gasped in shock. Inside of this new large room, another DT archway stood. Albeit this one seemed a bit smaller in scale to the other. However, it appeared to be functioning, as a portal suddenly opened from within. From the portal emerged a familiar man. Onyx.

Inoue recognized him, clear as day. But, she held no nostalgia from seeing him again. It wasn't so much for the pointed ears that this man bore. Rather, it was the ruby red eyes that he bore. And the demeanor that he carried, oozing with malice. This was not the same man that she remembered.

"What is she doing here?" questioned Onyx.

"It's take your victim to work day!" said Sigyn, playfully. Onyx hummed as he stepped over to the young soldier, inspecting her. Inoue stiffened, feeling discomfort. It was like a butcher was inspecting live stock for the slaughter.

"She does resemble the one from our world," said Onyx. His face twisted into disdain.

"A little too much. It makes me sick," scoffed Onyx, before standing upright.

"See? Told ya," said Sigyn.

"W-What the hell do you want? What does Gojira Junior have to do with all of this?" asked Inoue, stuttering. Onyx and Sigyn glanced at each other. Both shared a short laugh.

"The boy? Nothing. Malicia's the one interested in him. Our organization doesn't give a damn about him. Not this version at least," said Onyx, though he said the last sentence to himself. He shook his head.

"No. What we want is what's in your universe. The Genesis Gem," said Onyx, leaning close. Inoue's eyes slightly widened. Onyx bore a knowing smirk at her reaction.

"That artifact can tip the balance of power in our world. And we intend to get it," said Onyx. Inoue hardened her expression, placing on a defiant look.

"Yeah? Well, you guys just wasted your time and money! That thing is dangerous! The last ones who tried to take it were either vaporized or turned into a monster! Only people that hold the 'purest of hearts' can hold the gem!" said Inoue. Onyx gasped with a mock look of fright.

"Oh no! But my heart is tainted with the blood of innocents!" said Onyx. He then chuckled as drew out two gems. Inoue's eyes widened in shock. They looked strikingly similar to the one that the Guardians tried to hide away. But instead of white, these gems glowed green and red.

"What are..." Inoue muttered.

"You didn't think the one in your world was the only one did you? There are a few others out there. And these two will prove valuable to the Shadow's Hand," said Onyx with a dark smile.

"B-But... How can you-"

"Such sweet naivety. You really thought you could outsmart me? I'm several steps ahead of you. We aren't even playing the same game, my dear. Unlike Earthbounds, the Elves are the only race capable of wielding the Genesis Gem's power without it destroying us," said Onyx. Inoue slumped down in her chair, a look of disbelief on her face. She wondered where this was going to lead her now.

"Is Archway 2B completed?" asked Onyx.

"Yes. We just need to run it and see if it'll connect with her universe," said Sigyn. Inoue shot her head up, finding Onyx and Sigyn making their way to a second archway in the room. This one, she had failed to notice. It was similar, but was marked as 2B.

"What would you need with two of those for?" asked Inoue.






Equestria...


"OK, let's get this show on the road! Open those doors!" Lucien shouted.

The hangar area was filled with several Revolutionaries and Purist defectors. While the rest stood guard outside around the compound, or patrolled the halls of the base for more survivors.

The hangar doors began to slide open, metal creaking as they parted. Sunlight began to pierce inside. Xenjira squinted through the daylight that had broken through. As his sight adjusted, he beheld a city just in the distance. The base was built on an elevated landscape, giving a view that overlooked the neighboring city. Confused, Xenjira turned to Lucien.

"What is it exactly that we're doing here?" asked Xenjira.

"You'll find out," answered Lucien, his gaze at the city. The two suddenly heard a hum in the air, prompting them to turn and find the DT archway to have been activated.






Equescidar, Malicia's Citadel...


Inoue watched as Sigyn began to flip a switch from the console connected to the DT archway. The device hummed and opened up a portal. From the portal, there was a clear view into the space on the other side.

"DT Archway 2B is now functioning and has connected to 2A," said Sigyn.

"Excellent. I'm bridging 1B with 1A," said Onyx, as he typed away at the console, connected to the second archway that he had came out from.

"Have a good look," said Sigyn, using her magic to turn her hostage's chair to face the currently active portal of archway 2B. Inoue's eyes widened as she bore witness to a military base. No, not just any military base. It was the MONARCH base, where the Dimensional Tide Archway from her world was held. The one these villains called 2A. She found that there were several dead MONARCH soldiers that lied scattered. On the grounds of the base, Revolutionaries stood with weapons or in beast form.

"It looks like everything's gone according to plan," said Sigyn with a wicked cackle. Inoue couldn't believe her eyes. She deluded herself into thinking that it was just some horrible nightmare. But, reality kept creeping back into her consciousness. The base had been compromised by the enemy. Onyx and Sigyn's words held much more credibility. They were a part of something much bigger than what she could understand. She then heard another hum. She turned her head and found that Onyx had activated archway 1B. The young soldier anxiously looked to both active portals.

"Let me show you a glimpse of what is to become of your world," said Onyx.

Inoue heard a low growl escape from Onyx's portal. From the portal emerged two large beasts. The archways were barely large enough to compensate for their large size. Inoue trembled at the sight of the beasts.

One creature was a giant armored cephalopod. It bore black coloration, and had six very long, bony, and lightly haired legs. Each leg had two joints and ended with a claw. On these claws, small spikes coated the surface, having grown there. Much like a crustacean's carapace. The beast also had a plated mantle with ten tendrils hanging from its face and a pair of black eyes. The creature gave a quick chattering sound as it stood at 15 feet in height.

The second creature was a quadruped, with a grey reptilian back. It bore a head that resembled that of an earless elephant. Its tusks pointed downward, rather than up. Each wide foot possessed five claws. Its front legs were slightly longer compared to its hind legs. This strange beast also bore a tail that was two thirds the length of its large body, standing at around 16 feet in height. The creature's mouth opened wide like a crocodile's, revealing thousands of sharp carnivorous teeth. A curved horn sat upon the top of its head, pulsating a faint green glow. The trunk of this creature was leathery and long, coated in spikes. As it held its trunk up, Inoue could swear that this monster looked like a sauropod dinosaur. That is if one were to ignore the obvious elephant head attached to the trunk and the crocodilian-like jaws.

Both creatures stepped out from the portal in an orderly fashion. Upon their backs were large cages. The Zeta emblem was engraved on these cages.

"Impressive, aren't they? Meet Scylla and Mokele-Mbembe. These are the most successful Transmutants we've designed. The older ones were... imperfect. They were meant to be genetically enhanced super soldiers. But, metamorphism was an unforeseen consequence. This made them a liability. They retained too much of their human traits. But these ones... They're completely obedient," said Onyx, patting the quadruped, named Mokele-Mbemebe, on the trunk. He then stepped away from the two beasts with a nod.

"You know what to do," said Onyx, raising his hand. It began to glow red. Both Transmutants groaned as they were engulfed by red orbs of light. Inoue winced at the brightness, but was able to witness them being thrown into the portal leading to Inoue's world.



Meanwhile, on the other side of the portal, Xenjira and the rest were startled by the red orbs that burst from the portal to their archway, soaring towards the city.

The two orbs flew into the inner city, where they materialized into the mutants that had been cast out of Equescidar. Scylla shrieked as she began to scurry after cars that had screeched to turn in the opposite direction. Mokele bellowed as he charged to the vehicles, ramming into them. Cars were flipped over, trampled, and torn apart by the great strength of these new beasts. Citizens screamed as they fled in panic. They flooded the streets as they abandoned their cars to escape the monsters. Mokele-Mbembe gave chase, using his trunk to snatch up hapless victims. His trunk tossed them into the cage that he carried on his back. His cedar-like tail swung, cutting off the paths of those who attempted to flee around him. They too were snatched up by his trunk.

Scylla chattered as she crawled along the street, approaching a school bus that had rear ended another car. She used her long legs to pin the vehicle in place and used her claws to pry open the top. Her beady black eyes found the helpless children scream in terror. Scylla began to use her multiple tendrils to snatch the kids up from their seats, tossing them into the cage on her back.

Meanwhile, back at the MONARCH base, Lucien gazed upon the sight with a smile. He watched the chaos and carnage unfold, as the monsters gave their horrible cries, and the civilians screamed for salvation.

"What a beautiful sight," said Lucien. Most of the Revolutionaries began to cheer at the destruction. They mocked the 'puny humans' as they were terrorized by superior forms of life, though a few watched in dread at the sight. Among them was Xenjira, who watched as children were snatched up by the great cephalopod.

Back in Equescidar, Inoue watched from the other side of the portal in horror. As the two Transmutants rampaged through the city. Destroying whatever was in their path. They kidnapped innocent civilians. Those who were not snatched up may have found themselves unlucky enough to be crushed by the large beasts. Onyx chuckled darkly as he raised his hand again.

Inoue bore witness to the two mutants being once again engulfed by red orbs of light. The orbs were pulled out of the city, back through the portal onto their side. The mutants re-materialized, just as the portal to Inoue's world was closed. The room was filled with panicked cries and screams, as the mutants held the civilians captive. Onyx began to walk by, inspecting the catches.

"Well done. Well done, indeed, my children." Onyx smirked. He turned to Sigyn.

"Inform her majesty that she'll get her new Skull Walkers within four days. Her special commission will be ready with them," said Onyx.

"What about the children?" asked Sigyn, motioning her head to the whimpering children on Scylla's back. Onyx merely sent Sigyn an indifferent look.

"She's not the only one who needs Demi-Titans," said Onyx. He then pointed to the second portal.

"Take them back to base!" said Onyx. Mokele-Mbembe and Scylla both began to make their way into the portal, as the civilians cried for help. Inoue could only watch in horror at the sight. But, she noticed that the Quadruped, Mokele-Mbembe moved in a more sluggish manner. From the corner of his eye, Inoue saw what looked to be a small tear to be shedding, trailing down his scales. She could only watch as the mutants took the captives away to a world that wasn't their own, suffering a fate that only she could imagine.

"What do you think?" asked Onyx. Inoue slowly turned to the man. She couldn't stand to look him in the eye. The horror she felt drove her to anxiety. She feared losing herself to a fit hysteria if she was to make eye contact with a man as wicked as this.

"Why didn't you just take the gem from my world? Why can't you just leave it alone?" asked Inoue. Onyx let loose a sinister giggle, unnerving the young woman.

"My MONARCH is a tool that will usher forth a new age. It will become a power that the world will recognize as any other empire. And like any other empire, we seek to expand," said Onyx as he leaned close to the soldier, his expression carrying a malicious smile.

"We will invade and expand anywhere that we find weakness. Your world is already divided. All we need to do is conquer it," said Onyx, as Sigyn began to drag Inoue's chair away.

"I wouldn't bother telling your friends. They'd just think you're some kind of wacky conspiracy theorist. But even by some chance that they were to believe you, it's already too late," said Sigyn with a cackle. Inoue just sat in her chair, her expression having darkened to hopelessness. There was no point in telling anyone anything to begin with. They were trapped here in this world, with no chance of escaping.





Junior found himself lying on his side in the cold dark room that he had been locked away in. He wasn't sure where in the Citadel he was, but it wasn't in the dungeon with the others.

The boy's eyes stared at the cold wall in front of him. He was left to ponder what was next for him. Now, Malicia owned him. It was a matter of time before she began to start naming demands of him. He hardened his expression.

Junior sat at up and began to scoot close to the wall. He raised his clawed hand and began to scratch at it. Stone was carved and grinded. Junior kept at this, grinding his claws into the stone, trying to file them down. But even the stone didn't falter. The door suddenly opened.

"I could hear you from outside," said Malicia. Junior ignored her and pressed on. The woman sighed as she stepped inside.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to grind my way through the walls. I don't care how stupid and pointless it is. It beats staying here doing nothing," said Junior.

"Why struggle, Gojira? It's easier for you to let go," said Malicia.

"Because my family and friends are stuck with me! I promised that I'd get everyone home! I intend to do that!" said Junior.

"What's waiting for you, back in your realm? A broken home? A school that you're not welcomed in? A world that hates you?" asked Malicia.

"Shut up! I don't care what you have to say! You know nothing!" yelled Junior, continuing to scratch at the wall. Malicia sighed.

"Do you know the most pitiful thing about you? That in spite of reality, you choose not to see the whole picture of your life. It's right there in front of you, but you refuse to look," said Malicia, her tone bordering on genuine sympathy. Junior merely growled in response.

"My power allows me to see it in you. And now, I'll make you see it too," said Malicia as she stepped over. Junior turned to find the Empress to be drawing out a vial that contained a yellow fluid.

"The Specter Forest is strong with the force of dark magic. Imbued in this vial is a concoction that contains sap from the trees. This will show you what you choose to hide from," said Malicia as she removed the cap. She grabbed Junior and leaned close. The boy furrowed his brows and tucked his lips in. Malicia glared at him.

"I'm out of patience with you, boy! Drink it!" growled Malicia, pinching the bridge of his nose. Junior kept his mouth sealed, his lungs beginning to burn as air was cut off from him. He began to turn a shade of blue. Malicia kept her hold, not backing down. Junior suddenly opened his mouth to gasp for air. Malicia quickly forced the liquid down his throat. Junior began to cough violently.

"Such childishness," said Malicia with a sigh, tossing the empty vial aside. It shattered into pieces, with only a dew drop staining the ground.

Junior panted as he felt himself beginning to grow hot. Sweat sprouted from his skin, and his sight began to blur. The world around Junior began to darken.



Junior's eyes shot opened. He found himself standing alone in a dark void.

"W-Where am I?" asked Junior. His voice echoed out into the endless void. He began to walk, with only the sound of echoed footsteps filling his hearing. The boy's eyes scanned the empty darkness.

"Hello?!" Junior called. No response. Only the echoes from his cries. Junior stopped as he found himself standing in the middle of a street. He looked around, finding the world a dull grey. The air was cold, and no sign of life was present.

Junior recognized this street. He was back in Ponyville. The boy roamed about the empty streets, finding vehicles parked, with no signs of having been driven.

"Is anyone here?!" Junior called. There was the sudden roar of thunder. The boy raised his head, as a storm began to approach. Junior grimaced.

From the corner of his eye, the boy noticed a figure passing by. He turned to find the shadowy figure to be running further down the street.

"Hey, wait!"

Junior began to pursue the figure. On his chase, the clouds continued to shroud the sky. The darkness trailed on the mutant's heels.

The boy found himself running into a familiar neighborhood. It was his. He looked around, in search of the mysterious figure. But, it was nowhere to be found.

The sky had now completely darkened. Rain water began to pelt Junior. He heard the sound of a door slamming closed. It was close. The boy turned to a familiar humble house. He made his way to the porch and stood before the door. He grabbed the knob and twisted it. The knob twisted its full range, signaling that it was open. The boy opened the door, with a low creek. Lightning flashed and thunder roared, briefly illuminating the dark living room.

Junior stepped into the house and began to search. During this, he took notice of familiar photos that rested on the furniture. This house seemed colder than the world outside. A sense of loneliness filled the atmosphere. The boy stopped as he came across a photo. He picked up the frame, finding an older family photo of himself, his mother and father.

There was a sudden crackle. Junior whipped his head around, finding that the television screen had came to life. But, the picture was completely distorted and garbled. On screen, Junior caught ghostly images of a woman.

"Mom?" Junior reached for the screen. It suddenly shut off, leaving the boy in darkness.

"Alone." A voice whispered. Junior whipped around, his eyes darting around the room.

"Always, alone." The voice whispered again. It was reminiscent of a child's voice. Quiet yet haunting, flowing like a breeze.

"Who's there?! Show yourself!" shouted Junior. The air grew colder, and began to howl like banshees.

"I see you," a cold voice spoke. Junior turned, finding a dark, hooded figure to be sitting in one of the chairs. The head hung low, obscuring the face. The smell of smoke filled Junior's nostrils.

"Do you see me?" asked the figure, the voice distorted.

"Who are you?" Junior asked, cautiously.

"The real question is, 'Who are YOU'," said the figure with a small chuckle. Junior hardened his eyes.

"Don't play games with me!" said Junior.

"There's no games being played. Only us," said the figure. The hooded head began to look around, but the figure's face still remained unseen.

"Please, tell me. Who are you?" asked Junior, feeling his nerve rattle.

"It hurts that you pretend not to see me. But, that's just how you get through in life. You pretend not to see or care," said the figure.

"I-I don't..."

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" asked the figure. Junior looked the photo frame that he was holding.

"A kind, loving and supporting woman. An angel," said the figure with a sigh.

"Yeah..." said Junior, feeling melancholic.

"But, also selfish," said the figure.

"What?" asked Junior.

"She knew the consequences of having a mutant for a child. How it would be a living Hell. Yet, she pressed on," said the figure. Junior furrowed his brows.

"You have no right to talk about her that way!" said Junior.

"Why not? Isn't that what you think?" asked the figure.

"No! Just shut your mouth!" said Junior.

"What's wrong? Don't like it when someone talks about mommy? Oh, I'm sure you've heard it plenty of times," said the figure. Junior was about to retort but stopped as voices filled the air.

"You've brought shame on us!" An unfamiliar older male voice spoke.

"Papa, please!" cried a second voice. It was unmistakably his mother, Miwa.

"Did you hear that skank slept with a mutie?" The voice of a teen girl echoed. More voices followed after, whispering unpleasant things about the woman. Junior clenched his fists.

"That mutie lover now has a demon spawn running around," said a voice.

"Now, remember what they used to say about you?" asked the figure.

"Freak!"

"Mutie!"

"Monster!"

"Demon!"

"No more..." Junior growled.

"As if that wasn't bad, there was the other mutants. They hated you just as much as the non-mutants," said the figure.

"Fucking half-breed!"

"You're a traitor to your kind!"

Voices began to shout condemnation. Soon, voices of those condemning the boy, whether he was a mutant and a half-mutant, began to overlap.

"SHUT UP!" Junior shouted.

"Hmph. I thought you said that you didn't care what people thought of you?" asked the figure.

"Being liked is grossly overrated." Junior's voice echoed through the house. But, the words spoken were from a distant memory.

"You just can't please anyone. Not humans, not even Transmutants. They always find something to hate you for. The world is cruel and unfair. It crushes you along with your hopes and dreams," said the figure, holding up a sheet of paper. Junior gasped as recognized the phoenix doodle that was on it.

"Wouldn't it be better if you could just... disappear," said the figure, as the letter disintegrated into ashy dust.

"Spare me the melodrama! I don't care about how cruel and unfair life is. It is what it is! And I especially don't care about the disappointments that are ancient history at this point!" said Junior. The figure gave distorted chuckles. Like a demon taunting its prey.

"What's so funny?" demanded Junior. The figure stood up and turned his back to the boy, staring at the photos on the walls.

"You can lie to yourself, and others. But, I know the truth. I know who you are," said the figure.

"You know nothing about me, creep!" barked Junior.

"I know everything about you, Gojira Takeshi Jr." The figure spoke in a more gravelly tone. Junior took a step back, as the air seemed to grow warmer around this person.

"I know that you act like the toughest and meanest guy around. But you're actually the most frightened of all," said the figure, turning towards the boy. His hood still hiding his face.

"Shut up!" said Junior with a glare. The figure slowly stalked over to the boy.

"I know that you fight because you hope that people will notice you protecting the weak, but you push people away that are willing to put up with you. Because even with a little bit of love, you're reminded of the big empty hole that's in your heart." The figure pointed a charred, accusatory finger to the teen.

"I said, shut up!" said Junior, stepping back. However, the base in his tone began to falter.

"And I know that every day of your life, you think the world would be better off if you weren't around. Because no one gives a rat's ass about you!"

"I'm serious!" Junior shouted.

"Just like my own father! Who abandoned ME! Who left me to fend for MYSELF!" The figure shouted in rage, eyes glowing red. He leaned close with a growl. The figure removed his hood, which caused Junior to gasp in horror.

"I know who you are. Because you're me," said the figure. His face mirrored Junior's likeness. But, his face was dark like ash, covered in magma-like cracks. His eyes burned a fiery red, like rage. Junior stumbled back, his world turning.

"N-No! No, you're not me!" said Junior.

"I am your feelings incarnate. I am a shadow of your true inner self. I am YOUR shadow," said the charred figure. Junior found himself backed up against the wall, his breathing hastened.

"LIAR!" Junior shouted. The entity scoffed, a look of disdain on his face.

"You're pathetic," said the shadow. Junior narrowed his eyes in response.

"Stop pretending that you're this misunderstood guy. That underneath it all, you're a decent person. But really, you're a coward. A hypocrite. You're not a protector. You're a destroyer. You're nothing, and you will always be nothing. You will always be alone," said the figure.

"Shut up! It's not true! None of it!" Junior shouted in defiance. The shadow broke off into a wicked grin. Junior suddenly felt water brush against his feet. He turned to find the door bulging inward, as water seeped through the cracks. From the window, everything seemed to be floating. Junior's eyes widened in alarm.

The door burst open. Water quickly flooded the house, carrying the boy out. The world had been submerged in water. Junior attempted to swim to the surface, but the water seemed to rise higher, reaching the dark sky above. He pushed on, his limbs growing tired, and his lungs burning without oxygen. He was on the verge of drowning, unable to escape. Unable to breathe. Junior noticed a massive shadow looming over him. He turned, only to be met with the face of a great dark worm-like beast. It bellowed, opening its great jaws. Junior gave garbled screams as the beast swallowed him whole, trapping him in darkness.

Junior found himself suddenly dropped to the ground. He winced as he sat up, but gasped as he found himself sitting in the middle of a green field during a bright sunny day. His body was completely dry, as though he was never submerged in water. He slowly stood up and looked around. He remembered seeing this place. A long time ago.

The sound of shouts filled the air. Junior turned to find children running about on the black top and the green fields. They climbed the jungle gym, raced across the school grounds. Each of these children bore marks on their wrists, with a letter and a number. Junior made his way closer, finding an elementary school building not too far from here.

"King of the Hill!!" A boy suddenly shouted. Junior turned to find a hill just in the field, where a large group of boys rough housed. They growled, snarled, laughed, and grinned as they threw each other down the hill. They slammed their bodies together, like gongs against bells. Junior stepped closer to the hill, his eyes wide as he watched this.

"My old elementary school..." said Junior, breathless.

Junior recalled King of the Hill. This game was much like a tradition for the boys at this school. They would gather and test their strengths and endurance against each other, while trying to remain at the top of the hill for as long as possible. He who could was seen as the strongest. This game was not for the 'wimps', as the boys would call anyone who'd cry after a couple of bruises.

"Hey, no double teaming!" said one of the boys.

"Be stronger, punk!" laughed another boy.

"Why would boys find that fun?" asked a girl, puzzled. Junior flinched as he heard the young voice. He turned to find three girls to be standing next to him. But, they didn't seem to pay him any mind.



"I know right? They're just beating each other up and getting dirty. I can think of a lot of fun stuff that doesn't involve getting hurt," scoffed another girl.

"Boys are so weird," said a third girl. She was met with verbal agreements from others. Junior glanced at his side, lightly snorting. He remembered that the girls thought the boys were foolish to play this way. The sight of this place was almost nostalgic.

"Uh oh. Look," said a girl, pointing ahead. A boy with dark spiky hair approached. He sported a dark shirt and pants. He rushed up the hill. Junior gasped, catching a glimpse at the child.

"Oh no, it's Gojira!" groaned one of the boys.

The new challenger chuckled as he rushed in. The past Junior grabbed a boy by his shirt and yanked him away from another boy. He swung and threw him down the hill. He then shoved another kid, knocking him down. The dark haired child charged, his body hopped up on adrenaline. He kicked a boy back, sending him rolling down the hill. He then grabbed another kid and threw him towards another, knocking them both back.

"Damn it!" said a boy with a bruise.

"This always happens!" complained another boy.

"Come on guys! He can't take on all of us! Let's get him!" said a boy.

"There they go," deadpanned one of the girls spectating.

Junior watched as all of the boys involved in the game began to give war cries. His past self smirked as they came running up the hill. Junior felt excitement welling up in himself, knowing what happened next.

As a kid came his way, the past version kicked him in the chest, sending him sprawling down the hill. He ducked under a punch from another boy and rammed his elbow and hand against his stomach, pushing him into a kid behind him. Junior fondly watched. Something about taking on everyone else was exciting. He always felt like a rogue taking on the world.

"Ow! You dick!" exclaimed a boy as Junior's past self kicked him in the face, as another boy was held in a head lock. One by one, the boys were struck and sent down the hill. Those that managed to get close enough were met with punches, kicks, and were thrown back. Soon, the boys all lied at the bottom of the hill. They were all covered in dirt, bruises, and nose bleeds. They all writhed in pain as the child stood on the hill alone, panting. He pumped his fists into the hill.

"King of the Hill!!" Junior's past self cried victoriously.

"Ah shut up, Gojira!" said one of the boys in annoyance. The dark haired boy bore a confused look as the other boys all glared at him as they stood up. He shrugged.

"Wha... I thought we were having fun."

"Yeah we were, until you showed up!" spat a boy.

"You're too freakin rough!" said a boy, rubbing his nose.

"I lost a tooth, you jerk!" Said a kid, holding a baby tooth up. Junior's past self scoffed with an amused look.

"Man, I didn't realize that a bunch of wimps were playing King of the Hill today."

"Whatever dude. You're such a pain!" said a boy. Junior watched as the children all turned to walk away from his past self. Their bodies aching along with their pride.

"Man, he ruins everything," said a boy.

"Jeez. There he goes again," said one of the spectating girls. Junior turned as the boy that was once him stood alone on the hill as the children left the area. He shared a frown as the kids ran off, either to get clean up or to participate in the other games that were played.

The vision suddenly changed. It was the end of the day, Junior's past self was walking through the hall in silence. He found many kids, tall and small, to be roaming the halls as well. Once he made it outside, he found a few of the boys from his class to be standing around. He found them looking his way, exposing their bruised faces and crusted nostrils stuffed with tissue. They glared at him once they saw him and proceeded to walk away from the area.

"Oh look, it's Gojira the Recess Wrecker," said a girl as she and a small group of friends passed.

"Hey, nice work out there today! Not!" Said a boy with a laugh. The children laughed mockingly. The boy's brows furrowed as his cheeks grew red hot. Junior watched as the child barely managed to utter protest. He could recall how the boy felt, from all of those years ago.



"Why don't you switch schools and ruin someone else's recess for a change? Big idiot," scoffed another kid. Junior's past self found himself alone as the children left, walking home or boarding the bus.

"Great. You really screwed up again, Junior..."

Junior turned to the boy, deeply frowning. He raised a hand to his shoulder, but it phased through. The teen pulled his hand away with a sigh.

"It was always this way," said a familiar voice. Junior turned to find his alleged shadow to be standing nearby. Despite the sun shining above, the apparition seemed to be standing in shade of his own making.

"We were just too rough for the other kids. They never liked playing with us. The girls didn't like hanging around us, nor did the boys. We were always alone," said the shadow, as the vision changed. Junior turned to find his younger self to be sitting under a tree, away from the other children that played during recess. Junior felt an ache in his heart. How long has it been since he's felt this kind of loneliness?

"Don't kid yourself, Gojira. You've always felt this way," said the apparition. Junior turned back to the shadow. The longer he spent with this thing, the more he was beginning to convince him.

"I have more to show you," said the shadow.

"No," said Junior, weakly.

"Would you consider yourself a violent person, Gojira?" asked the shadow. The vision changed again, to the same child wailing on a pair of boys during recess. The kid's face was red with rage and hatred as he beat the boys. Junior stared at the boy, who shouted in rage as he continued to fight the kids. His stomach was in knots.

"Even at this age, you had anger. You were once a meek child. Sure, you were sometimes rough. But you never went out of your way to hurt people on purpose. You never said hurtful things to them. You always just kept to yourself," said the shadow.

"You don't understand. They- I-" Junior stuttered.

"I know. They spoke ill of your mother. You were just defending her honor. Such a devoted son," chuckled the shadow. Junior grimaced as he found some school staff pulled his past self off of one of the boys. They hauled him away, as he thrashed and shouted angrily. Students just looked on in shock.

"It all went downhill from there," said the shadow. Junior bore witness to a sort of time-lapse. The visions he saw were of Junior fighting with the other boys in his elementary school days. Then his middle school days, and then high school. Junior clenched his fists. Had he really been fighting his whole life?

"People came to fear you, Gojira. It didn't matter whether you were a mutant or not. No one wants to be around someone with a reputation as yours," said the shadow, stepping beside Junior. The two witnessed visions of Junior walking through the halls of his schools throughout the years. People avoided his gaze, his path, and began to whisper among themselves. The whispers became apparent to the boy's hearing. Junior cupped his ears, gritting his teeth as he attempted to block the voices out.

"He's so violent!"

"He's a barbaric bastard!"

"Just another punk!"

"He's a bad influence on the other students!" The voices spoke. Junior dropped to his knees. Even with his eyes closed, he could see the faces of those who spoke. Most were strangers, but they remained a stain on his psyche.



"STOP IT!!" Junior shouted. The voices suddenly ceased. Junior panted as he remained on his hands and knees.

"You see it now, don't you?" asked the shadow. Junior remained on the ground, his breaths shuddering.

"You tricked yourself into believing that the only reason that people disliked you was because of your mutantism. But the reality is that it was you. YOU were the problem. Maybe some humans would've warmed up to you if you were a different person. If you were charming, handsome, funny, kind..." the shadow spoke.

"What more do people want for me? I never bullied anyone. I never set out to hurt people out of malice. It was always to defend myself," said Junior.

"What about Flash Sentry?" asked the shadow. Junior grimaced. He lowered his head.

"I was wrong to do that. He never did it because he wanted to ruin my life. He was just trying to protect..." Junior kept his head lowered.

"But you can't say that it didn't feel good to lash out at him. Whether he didn't know or not doesn't change the fact that he made things harder for you. He even stole the girl you fell for," said the shadow. Junior shook his head.

"She was never mine to begin with. Besides, it was just a stupid crush," said Junior.

"There you go again. Lying to yourself," said the shadow with a scoff. He grabbed Junior by the shoulder and yanked him up to his feet.

"Is that all it was to you? A silly school boy crush?" asked the shadow, as visions of Junior interacting with Sunset passed. Junior grimaced as he watched as his past self blushed and acted like an awkward fool whenever the girl was around him. She always greeted him with warmth. Even though the interactions were few, brief and casual, Junior always treasured those moments.

"You've had crushes before, but this one was special. She inspired you to try and turn a new leaf. To start over. You wanted to be worthy for her affection. You even managed to get the guts to ask her out. But, she was never interested," said the shadow.

"Please, anything but that," said Junior. A vision of himself during freshmen year carried a familiar poem in his hand. But, he stopped dead in his tracks, as he watched as Flash Sentry asked out Sunset Shimmer, that very instant. In synchronized fashion, Junior felt the pain that his past self had felt.

"It wasn't a silly crush. You really did hold affection for her. Now, it's one of the things that created that hole in your heart. You hardened yourself. You gave up on trying to change yourself. Because what was the point? You could never win. You weren't going to make friends. You weren't going to meet a special girl who would love you. Who you would be able to grow with. You took a vow of isolation," said the shadow, as the vision faded from sight.

"But I do have friends..." said Junior. The shadow chuckled, shaking his head.

"No, you don't. You call people who don't have your back when the going gets tough your friends? They betrayed you. They pretended to like you, but you were just a pain in the ass. What? You think Pinkie Pie actually likes you?" laughed the shadow.

"But-"

"Stop deluding yourself. No one cares about you. You're a burden to everyone, even your mother," said the shadow, showing multiple visions. Junior looked around, finding visions of himself and his interactions with the other teenagers that he called 'friends'. He saw rolls of eyes, annoyed and disapproving looks, glares, scoffs, and indifference on their faces from the few interactions presented. All the while, his mother lied slouched on the sofa, appearing exhausted and ragged. There was the muffled sounds of her sobbing, which caused Junior to cover his ears, gritting his teeth.

"And forget about Angirasu. That prick is sticking around in Equescidar, while you return to your lousy life in Equestria. What kind of friend is that?" asked the shadow. Junior turned, a distraught look on his face.

"Please. Don't show me anymore. Do you take joy in torturing me?" asked Junior.

"Don't blame me, Gojira. I'm only showing you what you know deep down inside yourself. We are one. Whether you want to accept me or not," said the shadow, his eyes becoming reptilian for a brief moment. Junior hardened his eyes.

"Just go away! Leave me alone!" said Junior, before turning away.

"You already are," said the shadow in a raspy whisper. A small breeze passed. Junior slowly turned, finding the apparition to be gone. The world around himself grew dimmer and dimmer. The light became just a circle around him. Junior sat down, burying his face into his knees, as the light closed in, leaving him in pitch black.



Malicia just stood and stared down at the boy that lied at her feet. She watched as Junior lied in a fetal position, muttering to himself. He was sweating profusely, and his eyes were rolling back. The empress sighed as she caressed a hand over his head.

"Shh. Sleep, child. It's OK," said Malicia in a whisper.





The rattling of chains filled the air. Metallic clangs echoed out through the dungeon, as Rainbow kicked at the door.

"HEY! Can we get some food down here!" Rainbow shouted, still kicking at the door. Meanwhile, her cell mates sat around with flat and deadpanned looks.

"Really, darling? Food at a time like this?" asked Rarity.

"Hey, I'm gonna need the energy for when we bust out of here!" said Rainbow, ramming her shoulder into the door with a grunt. Aria sighed.

"Just give it up, Dash. We fuckin' lost. There's no way out of here," said Aria.

"No, I'm not giving up! Gojira needs our help!" cried Rainbow, ramming herself into the door over and over again. She began to wince, feeling the pain register. Before she could slam into the door again, Applejack held her back.

"That's enough, sugarcube!" cried Applejack. Rainbow glared at her, but it softened as the blonde met her with a look of understanding.

"That's enough..." said Applejack. Rainbow deeply frowned. She took a seat, holding her knees close to herself.

"We were so close. We were close to going back home. And now, we're trapped..." said Rainbow, solemn.

"I can only imagine what that horrible witch is doing to him," said Rarity. Twilight glanced at the remaining gladiators, who were solemn and silent. All except Callous, who seemed to be jabbing what looked to be a thick piece of bone to the ground. Her brows raised as she stood, making her way to the older man.

"I'd stay clear of him, kid," said Krush. But, Twilight ignored him. She stepped behind Callous.

"Excuse me, sir. What are..." Twilight peered over her shoulder. Callous stopped and raised himself up a bit, looking at his handiwork. What Twilight saw was a plant that was planted in the corner of the cell, where some dirt was revealed beneath broken stone.

"Oh. Sorry, I thought that you might have been tunneling out of here," said Twilight with a titter.

"I've tried that before. There's no chance to dig out of here," said Callous. He then glanced at the girl.

"Do you know what this is?" asked Callous.

"Um... A plant?" asked Twilight, as the teens began to make their way over, curious. Callous nodded.

"Indeed it is," said Callous.

"What's so special about a plant?" asked Rainbow, scratching her head in confusion.

"Nothing has grown here in Lur for many years. It's a barren wasteland. Yet I found this plant growing in the arena," said Callous.

"Actually, I did notice the lack of plant life around," said Adagio, thoughtful.

"So that plant's actually pretty special, huh?" asked Pinkie.

"It's a sign," said Callous.

"Huh?" asked Mosura.

"Lur was once a thriving land. There was green as far as the eye could see. Animals, great and small, roamed outside of these walls. Life was bountiful," said Callous.

"What happened?" asked Fluttershy.

"The Dogomites had become a wicked lot. Our people lusted after the flesh and the material. Our greed led to our downfall. The land was cursed and was made barren. The Titan who lived beneath us had poisoned the land, just before she had died," said Callous. Rarity's brows raised. Again, these fantastic beings were mentioned again. Could they really be real?

"OOOOK," said Rainbow, unsure how to respond to the explanation.

"A Dogomite taking responsibility. Now I've seen everything," scoffed Krush, prompting the teens to look at him.

"I've always taken responsibility," said Callous.

"Even for the conquering of my tribe? We were ripped from our land because of you," said Krush. The teens looked to the Dogomite in shock and disgust.

"That wasn't me. Because Malicia didn't order me to enslave tribes," said Callous.

"What did you do?" asked Angirasu, hesitant.

"I hunted the Children of Providence," said Callous. The teens bore odd looks, while Birdman squawked.

"Oh yeah, that might be worse," said Krush.

"Not literal children. Not always at least," said Callous.

"OK, I think I'm done hanging around this guy," said Aria in disgust, before walking to the opposite side of the cell. The rest of teens began to follow. Fluttershy however lagged behind. She noticed the solemn look in the man's eyes. She stepped back over to him.

"You said the plant is a sign. For what?" asked Fluttershy.

"Redemption," said Callous. Fluttershy pondered this for a brief moment before returning to join the rest of the teens. Callous remained, staring at the plant. He gently caressed a green leaf.

"It's time," said Callous to himself.

The sound of doors opening filled the air. The teens quickly began to crowd to see through the grate, finding guards to be hauling in Aiko, Inoue, and Battra. Mosura gasped in horror as she found the bruises and burns on her brother's body. The guards tossed the three into a cell.

"Anyone next?" asked Sigyn. The teens quickly stepped away from the door nervously.

"Not me. I'm ready to turn in," said Kenra, yawning.

"I've had my fill for today. But maybe tomorrow," said Maximilian with a manic giggle. Sigyn shrugged.

"I guess I'll run some errands too. Sleep tight, prisoners," said Sigyn.

"Where is my son?!" demanded Miwa. Sigyn stopped and found the woman peering through the grate to her cell door. Sigyn smirked.

"I don't think so," said Sigyn. She then stiffened as she noticed Malicia to be wandering inside.

"Did I hear that she wants to see her son?" asked Malicia.

"W-Well, yeah. But I-" Sigyn cleared her throat.

"Tell you what. I'll be the one to escort her. You've done a tremendous job as of late, so I'll take it from here," said Malicia, sweetly. Sigyn was a bit unnerved by this. She wasn't expecting Malicia to be handling trivial matters as this. But, she thought it was best to not waste the Empress's time with protest and paranoia.

"Very well," said Sigyn as she made her way to the door. She opened it and allowed Miwa to step out. Senior was following close behind.

"Ah! Ah! Not you, big boy," said Sigyn with narrowed eyes. Senior growled. Sigyn jabbed her magic infused rod against his chest.

"I said, get back!" shouted Sigyn. Senior cried out in pain as he stumbled back.

"Stop!" cried Miwa. She looked to her husband in reassurance.

"It'll be OK," said Miwa, as the door was closed. Senior peered through the grate, watching as the elf, Empress and his wife left the dungeon.

Miwa and Malicia made their way down the halls of the bowels of the citadel. While Miwa wasn't familiar with this place, she made sure to mentally document every detail. She looked out for specific landmarks. Anything from signs, to cracks on the walls, anything that stood out the most to herself. She made sure that every detail and turn was etched into her mind.

Miwa found herself led to a door. Malicia stood with her hand on the ring. A small smile on her face.

"You have three minutes," said Malicia. Miwa narrowed her eyes. The Empress stepped aside as she pulled the door open. Miwa step through, finding herself in a dimly lit room. She found the door closing behind herself. Miwa began to search the small room. She gasped as he found her son lying in a fetal position, his hands clasped over his head. She rushed and knelt down beside him.

"Junior! Oh, my baby boy!" cried Miwa, her voice distraught. Junior shook, his body covered in sweat. His mother wrapped him into a tight embrace as he shuddered.

"Shh. Shhhh. It's OK," said Miwa, softly. Her voice sweet and motherly. She sniffled as she began to caress his head.

"I'm so sorry..." said Miwa.

"Mom..." Junior called weakly. Miwa shot her head, finding Junior to be glancing back at her.

"I-I'm right here, honey! Mommy's here!" said Miwa, forcing a smile on her face.

"Ma... I'm too old for you to baby me like that," said Junior with a weak chuckle. Miwa shared a laugh. She couldn't help it. Her maternal instincts have just been kicked to over drive as of late. To her, Junior would always be her little boy.

"You really came..." said Junior, holding his hand out. Miwa tightly grasped his cold, weak hand. She held back her tears and nodded.

"Of course I did. I traveled far and wide to find you," said Miwa. Junior frowned.

"You shouldn't have," said Junior. Miwa lost her smile, finding the distant and cold look in his eye. It was a look that she had never saw before. It scared her.

"W-What do you mean?" asked Miwa. Junior strained as he sat up, scooting up to a wall. He leaned back with a pant. His senses had began to restore, but he felt fatigue.

"Look at where it's gotten you. All of you. Trapped with me," said Junior.

"That doesn't matter, sweetie. We're together again! We'll find a way-"

"You don't understand. She doesn't intend on letting me go. I have to stay," said Junior.

"Junior, we'll find a way! We'll get you away from here, and we'll go home! Back to the way things were!" said Miwa. Junior gave a bitter chuckle.

"The way things were, huh?" Junior shook his head. Miwa bore a confused look.

"Honestly, I think I'd rather stay here in this dungeon for the rest of my life," said Junior. Miwa was taken aback by this.

"What are you saying?" asked Miwa.

"What's waiting for me back in Equestria? A broken home? A school where I'm feared and hated?" asked Junior.

"Junior, you're talking crazy!" said Miwa.

"I've never been more coherent in my life," said Junior, looking up to the ceiling with a sigh.

"Son, please. We're going to bring you home. I won't leave you here," said Miwa.

"Yeah, well you should," said Junior.

"Wha..." Miwa gasped.

"I used to think, 'What would your life be like if I wasn't in it'. Maybe you'd would have finished school, gotten a better job-" said Junior.

"Junior," Miwa called, unnerved by the soliloquy.

"Maybe you would still have a relationship with your own family. Maybe you'd still have all of your friends. Only if you had aborted me," said Junior, smiling to himself. Miwa felt her blood run cold, her eyes wide. She couldn't believe the words that were coming out of her own son's mouth.

"I'm a fucking burden. I know I am. Not to mention I'm the son of the man who founded the Revolutionaries and that's killed your social life," said Junior. His voice distant and cold

"Stop it," said Miwa.

"Let's face it. You'd probably be able to do fine back home if you'd just forgotten about me. Angirasu was right. We don't have any place back home," said Junior.

"Shut up!!" Miwa smacked Junior across his face. He bore a stunned look as he looked at his mother. Miwa was fuming with tears trailing down her face.

"You should be ashamed of yourself!" said Miwa. Junior didn't respond.

"You don't get to decide what's best for me. I am your mother! It's my job to put you before myself, and I am glad to do it!" said Miwa.

"Maybe you shouldn't anymore. It doesn't matter where I am. Here, or back home, I'm not gonna end up in a better place. And I rather you to be better off than me," said Junior. Miwa shook her head with hot tears.

"W-Why?! Why are you talking like this?! What happened to my son?! The one who never gave up! The one who always put up a fight! What did that witch do to you?!" cried Miwa.

"I'm tired. I'm tired of fighting," said Junior. Miwa gritted her teeth, sniffling.

"Mom, if you guys somehow manage to escape, do yourselves a favor. Leave me behind. I belong here," said Junior.

"Junior..." Miwa muttered. She gasped as the door opened. She turned, finding Malicia to be standing at the door.

"Time's up," said Malicia. Miwa hardened her expression as she stood up.

"Easy. Don't make me regret bringing you," said Malicia in a warning tone. Miwa trembled angrily. She turned to face Junior.

"Goodbye, mom," said Junior. Miwa shook her head.

"No. We're gonna get out of here! We're gonna get you home! I swear on my life!" said Miwa, as Malicia began to usher the woman out of the room. She then closed the door, leaving the boy alone in darkness. Junior had his head held low.