//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7: The Vault 
// Story: The Arrogance of Man 
// by Johng117 
//------------------------------//

It was beautiful morning in Ponyville. The sun was shining brightly in the sky; the air was cool from the coming fall weather. The Valkyries soared in the air, the wind blowing through their hair. The sound of chirping birds can be heard. Fluttershy is humming to herself as she feeds her animal friends. They smiled in her presence and felt secure. There was no other human around that was a better caretaker than her. Fluttershy had finished feeding the animals and was making her way down the road. She continued to hum, taking in the fresh air and the morning sun. Suddenly, she heard a loud banging on a door. She stopped, her peaceful mood interrupted. Fluttershy turned and saw that she wasn't far from Junior's home. In front of the door, there were two Earth bounds standing on his porch. A crimson haired Earth bound was banging his hand on the door.
"Hey Gojira, open up!" called the crimson haired Earth bound. Fluttershy's ears perked up at how he called his name. Was he a friend of Goji's?
"Takeshi-san! You in there man?" the larger Earth bound called, his hair was incredibly spiky when compared to the crimson haired Earth bound. Fluttershy was now curious about their reasons wanting to meet with Gojira. She slowly approached the two, taking quiet and timid steps.
As the Valkyrie was several feet away, she hesitated to take another step. How could she keep going? She was just too shy to approach them! Fluttershy was about to leave until the larger Earth bound quickly turned around. Fluttershy gave a startled yelp at the sudden movement. The larger Earth bound visibly flinched in response to her yelp.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." apologized the large Earth bound. The crimson haired Earth bound turned around as well, his eyes widening at the sight of Fluttershy. Fluttershy didn't speak; she instead hid her face behind her hair. Angirasu had small frown. Did he do something wrong?
"Hey, no need to be afraid." said the crimson haired Earth bound. Fluttershy analyzed the two Earth bounds. The crimson haired one seemed friendly. However, the larger Earth bound frightened her. He had a round muscle tone, and was taller than she was. His spiky hair looked scary to her. She whimpered as she looked away from the larger Earth bound making him sigh in response. The crimson haired Earth bound noticed this and hatched an idea to get her to warm up to him.
"I know he might look a little scary, but you don't need to worry about him. He’s actually friendly for such a big dude!" The crimson haired Earth bound reassured. Fluttershy cautiously looked back to the larger Earth bound, making eye contact with him. The larger Earth bound then puts on a friendly smile, trying to appear less intimidating. Fluttershy moved her hair out of her face, getting a better look at the Earth bound. A small smile formed on her face, he didn't look as scary as she thought after all.
"My name is Angirasu Riku. It’s nice to meet you." greeted the larger Earth bound.
"And I'm Rodan Shou." the crimson haired Earth bound introduced himself.
"I-I'm Flutter..." Fluttershy mumbled the last half of her name, shyly looking away.
"Could you repeat that?" asked Angirasu. Fluttershy steeled herself, hoping to say her name clearly.
"My name is Fluttershy!" She quickly said. Angirasu had a small smile on his face at how cute that was.
"That's a nice name, very fitting if you don't mind me saying." complimented Angirasu. Fluttershy smiled i response, placing her hands behind her back.
"T-thank you."
Rodan looked at Angirasu, a small smile forming on his face. He suddenly remembered what they were here for. He turned back around and knocked on the door again.
"Gojira, open the door!" called Rodan. Fluttershy looked at Rodan in wonder.
"Do you...know Goji?" Rodan was about to knock on the door again but immediately stopped as he heard that sentence. He turned back around with a surprised look on his face.
"Do you know him?" asked Rodan in disbelief. He then felt Angirasu lightly slapping him in the back of the head. Rodan looked at him in annoyance.
"What?"
"She asked you first." replied Angirasu.
"Oh no, it’s alright! Yes, I do know him. He's my friend and neighbor." said Fluttershy, pointing to her cottage that was down the road.
"Oh. Well to answer your question, yes we do know him. He's...hmm let’s see. Not friend, we aren't that close. We just train with him for martial arts." replied Rodan. He couldn't get over at how cute this girl was. He especially couldn't keep his eyes on her. Her eyes, her hair and her timidness just made her so damn cute! It was nearly impossible for him to look at her without getting flustered.
"Have you seen him? We wanted to see if he was up for training today." said Angirasu. Fluttershy thought back to a couple of days ago. Goji had told her that he was going back to Neighpon.
"You missed him a couple of days ago. He said that he was going back to Neighpon for a while, but he didn't give a specific reason. He just said that he had to take care of something." Angirasu and Rodan's eyes widened, they both looked at each other with worried expressions on their faces. Fluttershy felt herself getting worried herself.
"I-is there something wrong?" asked Fluttershy. Rodan looked back at Fluttershy, his worried expression gone from his face and replaced with a reassuring smile.
"Oh no! There's nothing wrong. It's just that he was supposed to have a match with a friend of ours for training. We were just worried that he wouldn't make it back on time." said Rodan. Fluttershy sighed in relief.
"Oh, thank goodness." Angirasu looked at Fluttershy with a frown.
"Well, since he isn't here I guess we'll be going. Thank you." said Angirasu as he bowed. Fluttershy had a confused look on her face from the action but quickly realized why it was committed.
"Oh. It was no problem." Fluttershy smiled. "Oh, but there’s one more thing! If you don't mind that is."
"Yeah?"
"Would you two look after Goji sometime? He's very a dear friend to us, and we worry about him sometimes." Fluttershy suddenly frowned, looking down on the ground. "Especially now."
'Us?' Rodan thought to himself.
'Oh no...' Angirasu thought with dread.
Angirasu looked to Rodan, who nodded in response. Angirasu looked back to Fluttershy, a reassuring smile on his face.
"Of course. You've seem to have grown fond of him."
"Oh yes! He may look like a meanie, but deep down he has a kind heart." smiled Fluttershy.
"That's good. He's fortunate to have a friend in you. Good-bye." Angirasu walked past her, his face contorting back into a frown when he was out of her sight. Rodan followed in suit.
"Bye!"



"This isn't good." said Angirasu. Rodan looked to him in understanding as they jogged through the Everfree forest.
"I know. MONARCH has one of their bases there." replied Rodan.
"Along with the Vault." sighed Angirasu.
"We have to tell Mosura!" Rodan said urgently. Angirasu nodded in response. The two continued to jog toward the cave, walking through the house and running toward the hall. They continued down the metal walk-way and stood searching the lair. They found Mosura sitting on the center of the platform down below. Her eyes were closed, her posture up and her breathing was calm.
"Damn, she's meditating!" whispered Angirasu. Rodan kept walking, making his way to the metal stairway. Angirasu grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.
"What are you doing?" Angirasu demanded. Rodan turned and pried Angirasu's hand off of his collar.
"This is important. Gojira may be in trouble!" Rodan hissed.
"What?!" The two tensed as they slowly turned their heads, focusing on a now shocked Mosura. She stood up from the platform, crouching down and leaped up to the upper level in between the two.
"What do you mean, 'Gojira may be in trouble'?" demanded Mosura. Rodan gulped and was about to answer before being interrupted by Angirasu.
"Takeshi-san's neighbor said that he went off to Neighpon a couple of days ago. She said that he didn't give a specific reason why." said Angirasu. Mosura's eyes widened, filled with dread. Then her eyes hardened to a serious look.
"I'm bringing him back." said Mosura.
"Mosura..." Rodan was about to protest but was cut off.
"He's one of us, Rodan! I couldn't forgive myself knowing that he was out there if anything were to happen to him." Mosura frowned. Angirasu looked down, contemplating if he should say more. He had to tell her, it could get ugly if they didn't think about confronting the issue with Takeshi.
"There's something else Mosu." Mosura looked back at Angirasu, waiting to hear an answer.




Somewhere in Neighpon...

It was late afternoon. The sun was setting down, the sky had gone from blue to orange. Junior was sitting, waiting for the darkness to set in. He felt himself growing nervous. Was it wise to break into the Vault to free a transmutant? What if they were caught? What would become of them? Would MONARCH lock them up too or would they just kill them? He didn't want to find out. It was best just not to get caught. Junior began to wonder who this person was that he was helping. Who was this Transmutant that they were rescuing? Junior looked back up to the sky, nightfall was already here. It looks like he was about to find out.
Junior and the hooded figure made their way across the land, climbing rocky hills, running through thick jungles. The pair was nearing a clearing, witnessing a metal building that was built within the side of a small mountain. Junior watched in awe at the lights that shone brightly over the facility. There were large fences surrounding the perimeter, along with watch towers that stood in the front at the entrance. The facility extended about for about a couple of miles, a faint glowing dome surrounded the entire facility. Junior gulped at the sight. How in the hell were they going to get inside?
"Don't worry about the sight. We go around the corner, I'll partially disrupt the magic barrier with my energy and we’ll run through." reassured the hooded figure. Junior looked at him incredulously.
"What if they see us?!" demanded Junior. The hooded figure waved his hand dismissively.
"Please, that will not be a problem. I will use my abilities to cloud the minds of the guards of our presence. Humans are weak minded compared with our kind."
"How can you do that?" asked Junior.
"My psychic abilities allow me to not only read their minds, but to share memories and to manipulate what they see and hear. If we were to run into them, they wouldn't know that we were there. However, my abilities are limited. I have to concentrate and we can't make physical contact with them or any objects that may alert them to our presence." explained the hooded figure. Junior nodded in understanding.
"Let's get going than." Junior and the hooded jugged around the area, making their way to the side of facility away from the main entrance. As they were making their way closer to their destination, they quietly walked through toward the side of the barbed fence that stood at 18 feet. The magical dome extended just a few feet behind the fence. The hooded figure and Junior both leaped over the tall fence; Junior nearly failed to make it over, a small tear on the lower back of his pant leg at his calf formed from the barbs. Junior landed, turning around to inspect the tear. It didn't look too bad, but he had to stop tearing his clothes.
Junior and the hooded figure quietly walked through the yard passing guards clad in armor and armed with rifles. Junior looked at the guards, amazed at how they went past them unnoticed. Psychic powers come in handy! Junior and the hooded figure sneaked behind a guard that was making his way into the facility. They trailed him into the building, separating from him as they tailed another guard making his way down what appeared to be a large platform. The facility was vast, filled with guards roaming around, metal walls and lights that shone brightly. The guard that Junior and the hooded figure were following stopped on top of the platform along with several other guards. One of the guards reached for a panel that stood on the platform, pressing on a button. A loud mechanical whirring can be heard as the platform began to descend below. Junior nearly lost his balance but quickly composed himself. The platform descended further down, deep into a wide, dark shaft that was lit by small lights. They were now heading into the belly of the beast.




Location Declassified. Somewhere in Neighpon, POV: Gojira Sr., 12 years ago...

Pain. Excruciating pain is what he could feel. Gojira's breathing was shallow, his muscles and nerves ached. He never felt so much pain in his life. It has been four days since he was confined in this room. Gojira's shackles kept him restrained; he felt his anger running wild. He hasn't heard anything about his little boy and that worried him. If those bastards let him die, they were going to pay. He swore to his late wife on her death bed that he was going to be there for their son for as long as either of them lived. He was not going to forsake his son. Gojira suddenly heard banging on the door. He managed to get used to his increased hearing, his eyes were used to lights, and his nose was still sensitive but not as much as before. His body had successfully adapted to these changes, but he was still suffering from this new pain. What was happening to him?
"Hey! Good news for you pal. Your kid is doing fine. His body ended up accepting the mutagen." replied a male voice. Gojira sighed in relief.
"However, the higher ups want to separate you two." Gojira's blood ran cold.
"W-what?" asked Gojira.
"They're relocating the kid to another facility when it’s finished. They want to have more room and staff to study his DNA so they can replicate it along with yours." said the male voice. Gojira growled like an angry beast. His irises grew and his pupils shrunk. Gojira stood up to his feet, making his way to the door.
"You are not taking away my son." Gojira said calmly. The man behind the door laughed.
"You don't have a say in the matter. Sit your ass back down." Gojira growled again, feeling his muscles tense as he attempted to free his arms that were bounded behind his back. He groaned as he struggled to free his arms. His veins popped from his neck and arms.
"What in Tartarus are you doing in there?" demanded the male voice. Gojira gave a mighty shout, the magic that held his hands burst into sparks. Gojira looked at his wrists, grabbing the metal cuffs that were placed on him. He tore them off of both of his hands, one at a time. The cuffs clanged as they hit the floor. Gojira breathed heavily, making his back to the door. He raised both of his fists, slamming them both onto the metal door.
"Sweet Celestia!" shouted the male voice. Gojira continued to slam his fists against the door, causing dents with each hit.
"You. Will. Not." Gojira was causing more dents on the door, partially causing it to reveal a crack of light above the door way.
"Hey, get the guards down here!" shouted the male voice. The door was nearly knocked off of its bolted hinges. Fist-shaped dents were sticking out from the other side.
"Take. MY SON AWAY FROM ME!!" Gojira's enraged voice became deep and powerful, sounding like a mighty beast. Gojira slammed his fists against the door one final time, causing it to fly off of its hinges and collide against a wall. Gojira slowly stepped out of the room, his eyes scanning where he was. He was currently in a hall that went down to his left to an unknown location. Gojira looked to his right and saw a man in a lab coat running away. Gojira looked at his hands; they were not injured from knocking down that door. This wasn't the result of adrenaline, but something else. Gojira followed the man that ran away down the left. His eyes were still the same; a beastly growl could be heard from his throat. Gojira roamed the hall, finding several men in black clothing armed with rifles. They aimed their weapons at him, their fingers on the trigger waiting for the order to fire.
"Open fire!" shouted one of the guards. The guards fired their weapons, magic bolts whizzed through the air. Gojira's eyes widened at the incoming threat. Too late, the magic bolts penetrated Gojira's chest, causing him to jerk every time he was shot. Gojira fell onto his back; his chest sizzled from the wounds of the magic barrage.
"Control, Hostile eliminated. Alpha is dead. I repeat, Alpha is dead." one of the guards said, speaking to a radio that was pinned to his uniform.
"Hey! He's still moving!" exclaimed one of the guards. Gojira groaned as he slowly stood back to his feet. His shirt was torn by the magic bolts that burned into his flesh. Gojira's charred bolt wounds gave off a mist, as they slowly sealed up.
"That son of a bitch is healing!" shouted another one of the guards. Gojira glared at the guards. Suddenly, he broke into a sprint and gave a war cry.
"Take him down!"




Neighpon. Present day...

Junior and the hooded figure found themselves down below the facility. They silently walked down a hall; words marked the walls with arrows pointing toward where they were going. They succeeded in evading the detection of any of the guards, so now they needed to find this transmutant and spring him or her loose. As they went down the hall, they came across a great metal door, shaped like the ones that would find at a bank in cities.
"Now I know why they call it 'the vault'" said Junior uneasily. The hooded figure nodded in response.
"The humans store us and lock us up in here, like the assets at a bank." The hooded figure said solemnly.
"How do we get in?" asked Junior.
"I know the code." The hooded figure walked up to a panel that was on the wall near the vault. He pressed some of the buttons that were on the panel. There was a beep as the light on the panel glowed green. The great door creaked, slowly opening inward.
Slowly, a great room was revealed. Large cells with transparent fields being what stood between the prisoners and freedom. The hooded figure walked into the vault, Junior slowly trailing behind. It was true that there weren't that many people here. There were several levels above, empty cells were what could be found. The ground level had a dozen people there. The group was mostly men and a few women locked in these cells. One of the prisoners paced around his cell, glaring at the pair that was walking around his cell.
Junior heard a woman weeping. He slowly turned his head and what he saw broke his heart. A young woman, with grayish-brown hair and red highlights, was crying. She had her head buried in her knees as she wept. She then lifted her head when she heard footsteps. Her eyes widened at the sight of two people walking into the vault without uniform. She quickly stood from her bed and ran to the field. She placed her hands on the field, causing it to ripple with her touch. There was a look of hope on her face.
"Please, let us out of here! I have to get back to my husband, I'm pregnant!" The woman begged. Junior couldn't stop looking at her. He felt like crying for this woman. MONARCH locked these mutants up. Some may have been dangerous, but this woman may have just been locked away out of fear. Wait…she was pregnant?!
"Oh god..." Junior whispered to himself.
"Gojira! I found him." called the hooded figure. Junior looked in the direction of the hooded figure, and then looked back to the woman. Her bright orange eyes pleaded to him. Junior clenched his fist, quickly turning away.
"I'm sorry." Junior managed to say. He quickly made his way over to the hooded figure. Junior looked through the cell, a tall male with a bulky muscle tone. He stood at 7 foot 4. He was bald, and his back had what appeared to be two burgundy crab-like legs sticking out from his back. His flesh was covered in crustacean shelled armor that covered his shoulders, his thighs, and his forearms. The figure slowly turned around, revealing bright, yellow ominous eyes. The man had three large fingers on both hands with sharp claws. His feet were stumpy with claws on his three toes. His chest was covered in the same crustacean armor with a strange bony center. He was not like any other Transmutant that Junior has ever seen.
"We're rescuing him?!" Junior asked in disbelief. The hooded figure nodded.
"He was the leader of my group when I was younger. He taught me how to survive in this cruel world. He was later captured a few years back, and I've been planning to free him ever since." replied the hooded figure.
"What happened to the rest of your group?" asked Junior.
"Most of them are dead. Only a few of us remain." replied the hooded figure. Junior looked down on the ground, feeling pity for the hooded figure.
"You." said a gruff voice. Junior jumped, startled by the new voice. He looked back to the cell, seeing the Transmutant looking at him. Junior's head looked around for a couple of seconds. He then looked back to the mutant in the cell; he slightly tilted his head as he pointed to himself. Junior mouthed the word 'Me?' as the mutant nodded in response.
"You look familiar, child." said the mutant. Junior raised a brow in confusion.
"I do?"
"Yes." the Mutant said with a slight hiss. Junior felt himself growing uneasy in this mutant's presence.
"I...can't say that the feeling is mutual." replied Junior. Who was this guy? For some reason, Junior felt like that he should remember him. But, why couldn't he?
"Hmm. It may have just been my imagination. What is your name young one?" asked the mutant.
"Gojira Takeshi the 2nd." answered Junior. The mutant had a small, unnerving smile, revealing sharp teeth.
"It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Destoroyah." Junior nodded in response.
"I'll remember that."
"I'm sure that you will, young one." replied Destoroyah. The hooded figure moved closer toward the cell, placing his hand over the field. The field sparked, before dissipating. Destoroyah stepped out of the cell, the ground thudding with every step that he took.
"Battra, release these Transmutants from their cells." commanded Destoroyah. The hooded figure, whose name was Battra, widened his eyes.
"But-" Battra was about to protest but was silenced with a glare from Destoroyah.
"We don't leave our people behind. If we remain divided, we will surely perish at the hands of humanity." said Destoroyah. Battra sighed in response.
"Understood." Battra made his way toward the cells, disrupting the magical fields that kept the mutants confined. The men and women stepped out of the cells, looking toward Destoroyah.
"Brothers and sisters, today you will be free. For years we have suffered injustices from the hands of these humans. They experimented on us, they cut us, and they took us away from our homes and families! But today, we can leave this prison! All thanks to my student and this brave young Transmutant, Gojira Takeshi!" The small crowd cheered for the two Transmutants. Junior placed his hands behind his back, embarrassed from the praise. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed outside of the vault. Junior turned around, his eyes widened in surprise at the sight of a familiar woman.
"Yasu-san?" asked Junior. Mosura looked into the vault, her face turned to dread.
"Oh...Oh Takeshi-kun. What have they gotten you into?" Mosura said in despair.
"What are yo-" Junior was suddenly interrupted by Battra.
"Hello sister." said Battra as he stood next to Junior. Junior looked to Battra in surprise.
"Sister?!"
"Hello Battra. It's been years." replied Mosura, her tone soft. Battra chuckled in response.
"Indeed. What are doing here?"
"I came here for Takeshi-kun. I do not want any trouble. Just let me take him home with me and we go our separate ways." replied Mosura. Junior looked at Mosura in confusion. What the heck was going on here?
"Home? You have no home sister. Not as long as these humans are in power." laughed Battra. Mosura had a look of sadness on her face.
"Brother, I missed you. Please come back with me. We can start over!" Mosura pleaded. Battra shook his head.
"Start over to what? As prey for the humans? I can't do that. You should come back with me! We can take care of each other." Battra then gestured to the other mutants.
"Together, we can survive!"
"By killing innocent humans?!" demanded Mosura. Junior's blood went cold, he whipped his head back toward Battra.
"What? What the hell did she just say?!" Junior shouted. Battra sighed in response.
"Innocent? It was because of humans that we are outcasts. It is the humans who scorn us, who hunt us, who destroy us! There are no innocents, Mosura! You are just blind to the truth!"
"Battra, remember what father had taught us. Think of what he and mother would say about this!" cried Mosura. Battra scoffed in response.
"This is beyond our parents! I am doing this to avenge them, and every mutation that has been wronged by these human scums!" Battra ranted, his eyes filled with rage.
"Brother, you must have mercy on them." Mosura's eyes watered.
"Mercy? Did they show our parents mercy?! They didn't! Don't bother with them, sister. They have never accepted us, why should now be any different?" Battra looked on in anger. Junior was still in shock at hearing what Mosura said. Battra had been killing innocent humans? Junior glared at Battra.
"You never told me that you were associated with terrorists!" yelled Junior. Battra returned the glare.
"Terrorists? Humans are the real terrorists! You have no idea what they've been doing to us. You see that young woman right there?" Battra pointed at the woman with dark brown hair with red highlights.
"Yeah?"
"She's a month pregnant. They had her locked in this facility because she was a mutant. Do you know what happened to the last mutant that was with child and MONARCH found out? They killed her! They killed her and her unborn child!" The brown haired mutant gasped as she clutched her belly. Her breathing grew shallow as she trembled. Her bright orange eyes were filled with dread. Junior's face contorted into shock, he quickly forgot about his anger at Battra. He felt his anger rising toward MONARCH. How could they do that?
"That doesn't give you the right to commit genocide on all humans. If you want to blame anyone, blame MONARCH!" shouted Junior. Battra was offended by Junior's words.
"They started killing us first. It does give me the right! We are at war with them for our survival! Only the strong can survive in this world. Now, whose side are you on? Your people the Transmutants, or the humans who will eventually hate you and seek only your destruction?" Battra stared deeply into Junior's eyes. Junior contemplated his options. He did have the risk of being discovered at one point. MONARCH would find and kill him. His friends would forsake him because of what he is. On the other hand, he would only allow the destruction of the innocent, which included his friends, Celestia and Blaire. His wellbeing wasn't worth the loss of their lives. Junior glared at Battra, rearing his fist back and punching him square in the face. Battra shouted as he flew across the room.
"I choose my friends!" shouted Junior as he ran toward Mosura. She ran away from the vault, looking back to see if Junior was still following her. Junior was just a few feet behind her. Just then, the sounds of heavy footsteps could be heard. Destoroyah had emerged from the vault and was sprinting toward the two. Mosura found a lever that was covered by a glass container. She smashed the glass and quickly pulled the switch. An alarm blared, a great metal door descended from the ceiling. Junior gasped at the descending door, he slid on his back in attempt to make it past the door. He succeeded, turning to see the door shut before Destoroyah could make it through. The mutant pounded on the door from the other side, roaring in rage.
"That won't keep hold him for long. We have to go now!" said Mosura urgently.




Location: Neighpon. POV: Gojira Sr. 12 years ago...

Gojira panted. His wounds were regenerating from the magic bolts that struck his body. The bodies of guards lied on the floor, lifeless. Gojira walked down the hall, searching for where his son was being held. He came across a door that stood in his way. Gojira grunted, punching the metal door. He knocked it down with relative ease. He has been searching for a few minutes, along with encountering guards along the way. Gojira found himself in a small room, a green haired Earth bound woman wearing a lab coat was hiding behind a desk. Gojira glared at the woman, making his way over to her. He flipped the desk over with one hand. The woman yelped, as she looked up to Gojira in fear.
"Where is he?" Gojira grabbed the woman by her lab coat, causing her cry out in fear.
"Where is my son?!" demanded Gojira. The woman was trembling in his grip.
"Watashi wa Equish o hanasu koto wa arimasen!" the woman cried out. Gojira groaned.
"Where is my son?!" Gojira shouted in Neighponese.
"H-he's nearby. I'll take you to him, just don't hurt me please!" Gojira released the woman.
"Get moving! Don't even think about running away."
Gojira stood behind the green haired woman, his hand firmly gripped on her shoulder. The woman's heart pounded heavily in her chest. They were nearing a metal door. Gojira gestured the woman to stay where she was, she nodded in response. Gojira pounded his fists on the door, knocking it down. He slowly walked inside, seeing his precious child sitting in the corner alone.
"Junior?" Gojira called softly. His son gasped, looking toward the source of the voice. He quickly stood and ran toward his father. He wrapped his arms around him, tears falling from his face. Gojira couldn't help but let tears run down his face as well. His son was alive. He wanted to remain like this forever, but they had to escape. Gojira stepped out of the vault with his son in his arms.
"Where's the exit?" asked Gojira. The woman went on ahead of Gojira, gesturing him to follow her. Gojira jogged after her. As they went down the hall, they were near a large door. The woman punched in the code for the door. The door slowly opened, revealing a large room, the exit just ahead. As the woman stepped out, she was suddenly shot by several magical bolts.
"No!!" Gojira cried out to the woman. He had no intention of harming her, but he ended up getting her killed in the end. More magical bolts continued to barrage her, causing her to drop to the floor. Gojira felt rage building up inside. Junior felt great stress over him. Why was his father yelling out in despair? Suddenly, both experienced excruciating pain in their bodies. Gojira placed Junior on the ground, clutching his sides. Junior began to cry as laid on his back.
"Dad, it hurts!"
"I-I know. I'm hurting too." Gojira grunted, feeling his bones and muscles shift and grow beneath his flesh. His teeth began to loosen and fall out of his mouth. Razor sharp teeth grew from his gums, replacing his old teeth. His bones popped and his muscles stretched. An intense pain came from Gojira's spine as sharp, bony, Mapple-leaf shaped dorsal plates tore through his flesh. Three rows of these plates grew from the back of the Earth bound along with his son, who was wailing in pain. Their flesh began to change, from soft skin of mammals to rough, charcoal grey crocodile-like skin. Gojira shouted in agony as he felt his skull change shape. A tail grew from the Earth bounds, with more dorsal plates growing out. Gills began to sprout from their necks, closing against their now broad necks as they finished sprouting. Gojira's size grew and grew, until he stopped growing. A beastly growl came from his throat, he looked down at his hands, they were covered in rough scales and at the tips of his fingers were black claws. Gojira looked to where he placed his son, witnessing a semi-humanoid dragon-like beast laying on its side as it panted. Gojira turned his head back toward the exit where the green haired woman perished. A dozen more guards had their weapons lowered as they stood slack-jawed at him. Gojira had one thought on his mind.
"You did this." Gojira spoke in a deep, growling, monstrous voice. The men gasped as they raised their weapons back at Gojira, trembling in his presence. Gojira stood to his feet; they have changed to be wide and stumpy, with claws sticking at the end of his toes. The size of the mutation caused the ground to thud with every heavy step that he took. Gojira took a breath and opened his squared shaped mouth, revealing small sharp teeth.
"SKRRREEEEOOOONNNK!!"




Neighpon. Present day...

"Alert! The Vault has been breached, the Transmutations are escaping!" shouted a woman over the intercom. Guards were arming themselves with weapons ranging from rifles to enchanted swords. They jogged toward the shaft that whirred from the sound of the rising platform, cocking their guns and aiming at it. They waited, remaining vigilant for the coming threat. The platform rose up to the floor, but no one was on it. The soldiers relaxed their muscles. Suddenly, a guard felt an invisible force knock him off of his feet. He grunted as he landed on the floor. A dozen more guards were knocked off of their feet as well.
"Keep running!" shouted Mosura as she and Junior continued to shove the guards out of their path. She was focusing her psychic abilities to cloud the humans' minds from their presence. There were too many humans to deal with her psychic powers and she was losing her concentration, so she suggested that they ran toward the exit. Suddenly, the platform on which they came from was knocked out of the shaft. Out from the shaft came over a dozen Transmutations, all charging toward the guards.
"Open fire!" shouted one of the guards. They fired their rifles all at once, hitting a few of the mutants but they continued their course. The mutants began to leap, roll, and duck from the magic bolts. Destoroyah roared as he came crashing down on a group of guards. He landed on a couple of them, crushing them under his weight. The guards that got away from being crushed began to fire on the mutant. Destoroyah roared as he grabbed one of dead guards by his leg and charged toward the humans. He swung the corpse of the guard at the others, using him as weapon. He beat the guards that attacked him with the corpse mercilessly. One of the mutants swiped two of the rifles from dead guards, aiming them at any human that he could find. He unleashed a barrage of magical bolts onto anyone that got in his way. Battra was nearly stabbed by a guard with his enchanted sword. He dodged the strike, then grabbed the guards arm and slammed his fist on the guard's elbow, snapping it. The guard cried out in agony as Battra snatched the sword from his grip. Battra swung the sword at the guard, cutting him down. The guards were dropping dead like flies, as the battle was becoming more brutal. Mosura looked back at the carnage and her heart broke at the sight. These humans were killed without mercy. They may have wronged them, but she didn't want vengeance. She just wanted to coexist with them. Her eyes welled up with tears as she stopped in front of the exit. Junior stopped by her side and looked back at the ongoing carnage. Battra had finished slaying a group of guards, looking back toward the exit as he glared at Junior and Mosura.
"You had potential! You could have been the one to help deliver our kind from the oppression of the humans! The next time that we meet, we will be enemies. I will not hesitate to kill you Gojira Takeshi." said Battra, as he pointed a bloody blade in Junior's direction. Junior glared back at the mutant. Battra then focused his eyes on Mosura, a look of despair was on her face.
"That includes you, my dear sister." said Battra, his tone filled with spite. Mosura's eyes began to run with tears, she then turned around and broke off into a sprint. Junior turned and followed her. As the pair made it out of the facility and nearing the fence to exit the perimeter, Junior heard Mosura sobbing as she continued to run. Junior pitied Mosura, as he knew that she deeply loved her brother. He couldn't imagine losing a family member to a darkness that they felt was the right path. Siblings turned against each other based on their different desires and ideas. This was too familiar for him. He feared that this conflict wouldn't have a positive resolution between the two.



The facility collapsed under into a pile of rubble, traces of smoke filled the air. The bodies of the guards were buried under the debris, only the formerly imprisoned mutants stood victorious. They watched as the fires burned, taking satisfaction from the sight. Destoroyah smiled maniacally at the sight, this was just the beginning.
"Battra." Battra turned his attention toward the larger mutant. "I know that she's your sister, but I trust that you will not allow that to interfere with our goal?" asked Destoroyah.
"It will not. My sister is foolish and weak. She chose to abandon the people that would accept her and chose to live among those that will never accept us. She tainted the minds of those two younger Transmutants and took them with her as well." replied Battra, his tone cold. Destoroyah nodded in response.
"That boy had much power in him. I could sense it. He will still suffer the same fate as the humans." Destoroyah turned, focusing his sight at the night sky.
"Besides, he and I have unfinished business." Destoroyah chuckled darkly.




Ponyville, Equestria. Three days later...

Twilight was walking into town with Spike. A bright smile was on her face. Today, she was headed over to Sugarcube corner to hang out with her friends. The sun was high in the sky, signaling for the noon. A few clouds were in the sky, Valkyries soared in the sky. Twilight passed a few people, greeting them with a friendly smile on her face. Today was good day! Twilight and Spike made their into Sugarcube corner, the smell of sweats in the air. She searched the shop, looking for her friends. She caught the sight of Pinkie Pie waving, a big bright smile on her face.  She was sitting at a table that was near the window, along with Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity. Rainbow Dash was late, however. Twilight and Spike made their way over toward the table.
"Hi, girls!" Twilight greeted, pulling a chair a she sat down.
"Hey." Spike greeted casually, pulling a chair of his own. He was nearly about to sit next to Rarity, but hesitated. He instead sat next to Applejack.
"Howdy Twilight! Howdy Spike!" greeted Applejack.
"Hello." Fluttershy greeted quietly.
"Good Afternoon Twilight! Hello Spikey wikey~" Rarity waved. Spike rubbed the back of his head, chuckling to himself with his face flushed.
"Hiya, you two!" Pinkie greeted.
"How are things going with you all?" Twilight asked curiously. Applejack sighed in exhaustion.
"It's been a tough week. I've been working hard. It feels great to rest!" Applejack stretched her arms over her head, sighing in relief after releasing the tension.
"For me, things are going fabulous! I've nearly finished a dress that I think that you girls will absolutely love!" Rarity exclaimed.
"I'll be looking forward to it!" Twilight smiled.
"I've been doing super-duper! I've got a few parties planned out for the next couple of weeks! I hope you all can make it." Pinkie bounced in her seat joyfully.
"It would be a sin for me to miss a Pinkie party" replied Applejack. The rest agreed with nods and dialogue that grew to be too incoherent to bystanders.
"How are you, Fluttershy?" asked Twilight.
"Oh. Um...I've been well." replied Fluttershy.
"Anything new happened this week? Interesting?" asked Twilight, unsatisfied by her response.
"Well, I did meet a couple of boys a few days back." replied Fluttershy. The rest of the group looked at Fluttershy with slack jawed expressions. Fluttershy raised a brow.
"W-what?" Fluttershy asked timidly.
"My, my, is our Fluttershy going out to look for a bit of romance?" Rarity smiled, a teasing tone in her voice. Fluttershy blushed in response.
"N-no! It wasn't like that!" exclaimed Fluttershy, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
"Really now?"
"Really! They were just looking for Goji!" explained Fluttershy.
"What did they want with Gojira?" asked Applejack.
"They said that he was supposed to have some kind of match with their friend. They said that he's been training with them in martial arts."
"That would explain why he would come to work tired. Learning all of those funny looking fighting moves, no wonder that feller would nearly pass out on the farm a few times." said Applejack.
"Did I hear something about someone training in martial arts?" asked a tomboyish voice. The girls and Spike turned their attention and found Rainbow Dash making her way toward the table.
"Oh, hey Rainbow!" greeted Twilight. "How are you?"
"Meh. I'm good. Nothing new on my life. So, how are you?" asked Rainbow. The rest of the group responded with positives.
"Anyway, who were you talking about? Who's training in martial arts?" asked Rainbow, an eager expression on her face. She always enjoyed different forms of sports. Martial arts may have been more than sport, but she always found it really cool.
"Gojira. Apparently he's been training with some people that we don't know about." replied Twilight. Rainbow's expression changed.
"Oh...him." Rainbow sighed. The group looked to each other and back at Rainbow.
"Still bothered by that day, Sugarcube?" asked Applejack. Rainbow scoffed.
"Yeah right!" Applejack raised a brow at Rainbow, unconvinced by her answer. Rainbow sighed.
"OK, OK, maybe a little." Rainbow admitted. Twilight placed a hand on her shoulder.
"It's alright. He's...just not use to accepting help from others. I had a talk with him before he left. He should come around." reassured Twilight.
"It's just...how the hay does someone go on to think like he does? I shouldn't have pressed on him like that." Rainbow sighed.
"No, it was necessary. He had to know that there was no shame in accepting help. I'm sure that he'll do fine." said Twilight. Then a conversation of was heard. The words that were spoken were foreign. Nobody in the group could understand their meaning. They turned their attention toward the source of the voices. Two Earth bounds were sighted. Fluttershy recognized them as Angirasu and Rodan.
"I'm worried. I thought that she would be back by now." said Angirasu, conversing with Rodan in Neighponese. Rodan sighed in response as he and Angirasu searched for a table.
"I'm worried too man. But she wanted us to stay here. Just have faith in her." reassured Rodan. Angirasu sighed in response.
"I know, I know. I can't help it, we aren't exactly welcome back at home." replied Angirasu.
"Angirasu? Rodan?" asked a familiar, timid voice. Angirasu's and Rodan's heads turned toward the direction of the voice. They found five girls and a small purple dragon sitting at a table. A sixth girl with rainbow hair and cyan wings.
"Oh, hello Fluttershy." Angirasu casually greeted.
"What's up?" smiled Rodan.
"Hold up, you know these guys?" asked Rainbow.
"They were looking for Goji a few days ago." replied Fluttershy.
"What for?" asked Rainbow suspiciously.
"He was supposed to have a sparring match with our friend," answered Angirasu.
"Yeah? Where is this friend of yours?" asked Rainbow.
"She's...not here right now. She had something to take care."
"She?" asked a surprised Twilight. Angirasu nodded in response.
"Oh my, I hope he doesn't hurt her." said Rarity. Angirasu and Rodan looked to each other for a brief second, and then started snickering.
"What?" asked Rarity.
"Yeah, she's a lot tougher then you may think. I'm more worried about Junior getting his ass kicked." replied Rodan. Fluttershy had a concerned expression. She hoped this match wouldn't end with someone needing medical attention.
"Well, I wouldn't say that. He seems to be able to hold his own against an opponent. I think he can give Mosu a run for her money." argued Angirasu.
"We'll see." said Rodan.
"Soooo...are you guys friends of his or something?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"Not really. We just train with him." answered Rodan.
"What? You don't like him or something?" asked Rainbow curiously.
"It's not that we don't like him. We just haven't gotten to know him well enough." answered Angirasu. "But…he does seem like a good guy."
"Who are you, by the way?" asked Rodan, eyeing the Rainbow haired Valkyrie.
"Um...Rainbow Dash."
"Rainbow eh? You’re a fast flyer?" asked Rodan. Rainbow's ears perked at this.
"Only the fastest in all of Equestria!" Rainbow said proudly. Rodan grinned.
"Really now? I'd like to see that sometime." replied Rodan.
"Maybe if you show me a few moves in martial arts sometime, I can show you." said Rainbow. Rodan looked to Angirasu, who had an uncertain look on his face. He shrugged in response.
"Sure!" responded Rodan.
"Cool! What was your name again?" asked Rainbow.
"Rodan."
"Nice to meet you, dude." Rainbow had her fist out, Rodan responded with a fist pound.



Twilight and Spike were walking home. Angirasu and Rodan hadn't stayed long at Sugarcube Corner. They were just looking for a place to sit until their order came in and took off. They both seem like good guys, so Twilight was happy that Junior was at least meeting other people that did not have negative outcomes. As Twilight and Spike were passing a newspaper box, an article caught Spike's eye. He stopped, and approached the mailbox. He read the article title on the front page, and what he read caused him to worry.
"Twilight!" Spike called in urgency. Twilight stopped walking, turning her head in toward the purple dragon. She jogged over to the young drake with a look of concern on her face.
"What's wrong Spike?" asked Twilight. Spike merely pointed toward the newspaper box. Twilight saw the article title, causing her to gasp. She reached for her bag of bits from her pocket, pulling out three bits and inserted them into a slot. The box clicked, Twilight then turned a little knob and pulled out one of the newspapers. She then skimmed the article, her face contorting to dread.
"Spike, we need to write to the princess!" said Twilight.



Dear Princess Celestia, I have news that worries me. I have just read in the local newspaper that Neighpon experienced an attack by Transmutants a few days ago. Gojira traveled back to Neighpon for some reason before the attack. I fear for his safety and am unsure of how he is doing. MONARCH announced that they were going to stop travel in and out of the country until they could settle everything. Is there anything that can be done to get him back home or to at least check on him?
Sincerely, your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.
Celestia placed the letter down, a look of dread on her face. She quickly stood up and paced around her throne room. Her heart was racing with anxiety. Why didn't Junior tell her that he was leaving to Neighpon? Why did he leave? There wasn't anything that she could do. MONARCH would not allow her or her guards to travel into Neighpon and they certainly wouldn't let them leave. She then remembered her sister. Celestia turned to one of her guards.
"Please, tell Princess Luna that I must see her. It is urgent!" said Celestia. The guard saluted, taking off out of the throne room. Celestia walked back up to her throne, sitting on her seat.
"Oh Junior, please be safe." Celestia placed her hand over her face, trying to calm herself down.




Neighpon. 10:45 PM...

It was a peaceful night. The sky was dark, with only the stars and moon being the source of light. The air was cold, chilling to the bone. Junior rested against a tree trunk, his arm wrapped around Mosura as she was sound asleep on his shoulder. She snuggled up against him, sighing as she felt the heat radiating from Junior's body. Junior had a light blush on his face. He hadn't expected this outcome while they were in Neighpon. They had been traveling around, avoiding confrontation with the other mutants that rampaged into different towns. It was too risky for them to settle down in any of the towns. So, they had to hide out in the forests for a while until MONARCH allowed Neighpon's borders to open. It hadn't been as cold the last couple of nights, but now was a different story. Mosura only wore shorts, a shirt and a thin sweater when she came. Junior offered to keep her warm. She at first gave a confused glance; Junior explained that he meant to give her his sweater. She agreed to this and was now wearing Junior's charcoal grey sweater, her smaller frame covered by it. She was still a little cold as the temperatures continued to drop. Junior hesitantly told her that it was alright to lie close to him. He explained that his mutation allowed him to generate more heat in his body than average humans. Mosura didn't buy this and he had to get close to her in order to convince her. She nearly punched his lights out until she felt his heat and ended up falling asleep shortly after that.
Junior lay on a tree, taking in the beauty of the night sky. He always loved seeing the night. It was filled with much wonder, how the stars would make up images in their formations. There were a lot of them tonight. But, Junior felt sad as he looked up at the night sky. He remembered that he would always talk to the heavens when he was first living in Canterlot, hoping that his parents would answer. They never did. He knew it was pointless to talk to the stars, as he would never receive a reply. But, it gave him something to speak to and helped him sleep. He just wanted something to talk with about his problems. Now, he no longer spoke to them, he instead listened to the night. After all that's happened, he felt trapped, small and insignificant. Looking at the night sky, he felt smaller and even more insignificant.
It’s upsetting, feeling like you have no place in the world. Feeling that you have no purpose, but moving forward for the sake of finding it. Junior sighed, feeling his eyes grow heavy. He took one last look at the night sky, and then closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.



Junior stood alone in a dark jungle. The sounds of birds and small animals could be heard throughout the jungle. The trees reached high into the sky, vines hung from the branches. Grass and dirt was all that surrounded Junior on the ground. Stones were scattered around the area. The air was cold and fog appeared with every breath that Junior took. The stars in the night sky shone brightly, without a cloud in the sky. There were a lot more stars right now then he remembered from a while ago. He walked through the dark forest, hoping to find a way out. He then heard a familiar sound. It was a high pitched screech that followed by a low trumpeting moan. However, something was different about this sound. The screech sounded a lot higher than the one from his dream. The moan sounded a little higher as well. He felt himself tensing, he remembered this, the giant beast that appeared from fire and burned him to a crisp. His breathing grew shallow, as he frantically searched his surroundings. The birds took off from the branches, the sounds of their flapping wings echoed in the night. Junior heard the sound again, causing him to quickly turn to the source. He saw a large dark figure that stood at least thirty feet above the ground. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been human. Junior saw the mysterious creature walk pass the large trees, the ground shaking from every step that it took. A long tail whipped about, dragging against the Earth. The mysterious creature stopped, laying itself down on the ground. Its head looked up at the night sky, letting out the familiar sound that Junior had been hearing. The creature continued its call for a minute, before its calls died down to being quiet. The creature laid its head down on the ground, taking soft breaths. Junior observed the creature in curiosity. What was it? It almost looked and sounded like the monster that was from his dream. But, this one seemed different. Why was it calling out to the sky? Why did it...sound sad when it was finished with its calling? Junior noticed a bright light shining from behind him. He quickly turned around, finding a bright white orb descending toward him. The orb flashed brightly, blinding Junior from its intense light. Junior raised his arm over his face, shutting them tightly. As he reopened his eyes, he slowly lowered his arms. Before him, stood a female Avatar with Sapphire blue flowing hair that sparkled like the night sky. Her wings were dark blue, she wore a necklace that appeared like a crescent moon, and a light cornflower blue crown on her head. Her dress was a dark blue that went down to her shins, revealing her light azure heels. Her eyes were a familiar color to him, cyan with light sapphire blue eye shadow. Junior's mind registered this woman to the only other Avatar that he could think of.
"Luna?" asked Junior. The Avatar smiled in response.
"Hello, Gojira." Luna greeted in a kind tone.
"Wow. This dream just got weirder."
"Tis is a dream, but we are real." Junior looked at the princess of night quizzically.
"How?"
"We have the power to enter the dreams of others. This power is used to vanquish the nightmares that plague our subjects and to give them advice for things that trouble them." explained Luna.
"But, you look different. You look slightly older. I-I mean, not old! I meant that you looked to be in your late teens the last time we met. Now, you look like a young woman in her early 20s." Junior said frantically, hoping that he didn't offend her. Luna had a light blush on her face.
"Ye...think that we look youthful?" asked Luna, her eyes wide, searching Junior's eyes for an answer.
"Um...Y-yeah! I mean, you look great!" Junior stuttered, embarrassed. Boy, was it hard to compliment a pretty woman directly. Luna giggled like a school girl at the compliment, but immediately composed herself.
"Gojira, are thou alright? We were told that thou were in Neighpon, and that Transmutants were attacking." asked Luna, a worried tone in her voice.
"I'm fine. I am nowhere near any towns. I'm resting in a forest." reassured Junior, thinking it would be wise not to mention Mosura. Luna sighed in relief.
"Good. My sister and fare Twilight were worried. Twilight Sparkle was the first one to find out from the local newspaper." said Luna.
"Well, I don't think that I'll be coming home this weekend. Let them know that I am fine and that I'll be looking for somewhere to stay until MONARCH opens back up the borders." said Junior.
"We will." Luna then looked around, observing the scene before her. She then noticed the dark, large beast that slept behind the trees.
"What in the name of the moon?" asked Luna. She then looked back to Junior.
"Gojira, is there...something that is bothering thou?" asked Luna.
"No. Why?" Junior lied, hoping that she would buy it.
"The area in this dream…it feels...lonesome." said Luna, a frown on her face.
"Nah. I like it. It gives me a peaceful solitude." said Junior, waving his hand dismissively.
"Peaceful?" asked Luna. Junior nodded in response.
"I feel free when I'm alone. I feel like nothing can bother me. That's the kind of peace that I am allowed." said Junior, looking up at the stars.
"Allowed? What does thou mean?" asked Luna. Junior sighed in response.
"Nothing. Don't worry about it." Junior smiled. Luna had a frown on her face.
"Gojira, if something is bothering thou-" Junior cuts her off.
"Luna, if there was something bothering me, I would tell you." Luna sighed in response.
"Very well. We will stop prying."
"Thank you. Oh, and Luna?" Junior called.
"Yes?"
"Make sure that Twilight knows that I'm fine. I'd hate to make her worry again."