MONARCH Mech headquarters. Location: Classified
"What?" asked an Earth bound man wearing a lab coat. He stood in an office with an Elf male in black uniform.
"You heard what I said. We need it now." replied the Elf.
"Look, I understand that the recent attack in Neighpon has stirred up problems. But it isn't ready!" said the Earth bound. The Elf sighed in response, standing from his desk.
"I don't care what you have to do. You already have the A.I. program ready from his DNA. You just need to put the damn thing together. Use his bones as a skeletal framework to build it if you have to! It needs to be ready now!"
"What about the other two projects?" asked the Earth bound.
"You let me worry about them. Project: Rose is nearly complete. We have already gotten approval to use one of our soldiers that were killed in action back in Los Pegasus." The Elf replied in annoyance.
"Wait, if you’re using a dead test subject then what is the point?"
"We managed to save her brain before it died. Since she was a non-magical Earth bound, it will allow us to cross her DNA with Alpha's to regenerate her body. She is the only one qualified among our ranks." replied the Elf. The Earthbound was about to leave it at that, but he had to ask. He may not have gotten an answer.
"Who is the test subject?" asked the Earth bound. The Elf stood in silence.
"Pvt. Erika Shiragami." answered the Elf. The Earth bound stood in silence, taking in the information.
"Is Genshiro Ok with doing this?"
"He said, 'anything to bring my daughter back'." replied the Elf.
Neighpon...
Junior and Mosura stood, beholding a sight that brought memories back to Junior. They stood in front of an old, large house, covered in plants and decaying wood. The windows were broken, the door was gone, and the roof had a few holes in it. They were near a forest that extended back down to an abandoned village. Junior was back. He was home. Junior slowly walked up to the porch of the abandoned house, stepping onto the dirty concrete. He walked through the door less door frame, observing his surroundings. The inside of the house still had the destroyed glass and wood from when he and his father were kidnapped. The walls were losing their paint; bugs infested the holes, plants stuck to the ceiling. He continued on to the kitchen. The stove was rusted; the table had a piece of wood that had fallen from the roof on it. The tiles in the kitchen were chipped, covered in dirt and mud. Junior continued on down the hall, turning toward a room.
Mosura looked in silence, trailing behind Junior. She then noticed another room that was open. Curious, she continued down toward the room and discovered that it was a dojo. She walked inside, seeing the wooded floor decaying from the years it was abandoned. The clouded sunlight shone through the windows, giving the dojo an even more gloomy appearance. Kendo swords lined the walls on racks, along with actual katanas. Mosura then noticed something that she didn't expect. It was a stand, holding charcoal grey samurai armor. A metal silver helmet with a metal nape guard stood at the top of the stand, with a face mask shaped like a snarling dragon. The chest piece was metal, with tassels that hung under the chest piece. The torso armor was covering the stand from the front with shoulder armor and sleeve armor that hung from the sides with grey hand guards. Thigh guards hung from the waist, along with greaves at where the shins would be for the wearer. She stood in awe at the armor. Whose home was this? Then she remembered that she separated from Junior. She took one last look at the armor, and then turned back toward where she came in. Mosura found a door opened down the hall, she made her way toward it. As she stood in the doorway, she found Junior sitting on a small dirty bed, staring a picture frame. He had tears running down his face.
"Takeshi-kun?" Mosura called softly. Junior jumped at her voice, quickly wiping away his tears.
"Yeah?" asked Junior. Mosura frowned, walking over to Junior and sitting on the bed next to him. She saw a photo of an Earth bound family. A little boy with charcoal grey hair, a man with the same colored hair and a woman with black, long hair. As she stared at the boy and the man, and how much they resembled each other, she connected the dots.
"This is you and your family?" Junior nodded in response.
"I've almost forgotten my father's face. I just realized how much that I looked like him." Junior placed a finger over the woman in the photo.
"I thought I'd never remember her face again." said Junior, placing his hand over his face as tears began to run once again. Mosura scooted closer to Junior, wrapping her arms around him in a warm embrace. This must have truly been hard for him. She felt his pain, having everything that you have known and loved taken away from you. Then, coming back years later to find it as nothing but ruin.
"Yasu-san" Junior managed to say.
"Yes?"
"What happened between you and your brother before we met?" asked Junior. Mosura sighed sadly, thinking back to her past.
"We were twins that were raised at a temple that had been owned by my family for generations. We would always play together, and look after one another. We were more than just brother and sister, we were best friends. It wasn't until when we were nine years old, that MONARCH sent a group of men to our home. They killed our parents when they were trying to protect us. They even said that they had no use for the adults when they would just cause problems over the children."
Junior felt his anger build up. They really did kill them did they? And for what reason? Because the last time that they kidnapped a boy and his father for their experiments, it didn't go well. Junior continued to listen.
"After that...well, I suppose you know the process for introducing the mutagen?" asked Mosura. Junior nodded in response.
"Anyway, my brother and I were locked in separate cells that were heavily armored and secured. Over the course of five years, I began to learn to control what my abilities could do. I was only able to read minds at the time, but I was able to communicate with my brother. That gave us both the comfort we needed. That enormous Transmutant that you saw a while ago was the one that went out of control and led all of the Transmutants that MONARCH had been making to escape. He was actually the first one out of all of us. I'm not even sure when exactly was he mutated. They did something to him, which caused him to appear less human. After we escaped, we tried living back in Neighpon. We were staying together with a few other Transmutants, hoping to start a new life. However, a few of our members ended up attacking innocent people. This later led to people learning about our existence, which led to them wanting us gone. MONARCH stepped in as a savior to the humans, sending its soldiers after us. While the others in our group fought back, I hid with my brother, Angirasu and Rodan. This started more conflict between humans and mutants from around the world." Mosura stood from the bed, picking up a small figurine of a dragon.
"They wanted us gone; they called us freaks, monsters, demons, abominations, and other terrible things. My brother grew to be angry. His anger grew to hatred. That hatred led to him to despise not just MONARCH, but all humans. I couldn't stand being with the group as they killed innocent people, so I decided to leave and convinced Rodan and Angirasu to leave with me. I couldn't let them corrupt those two, especially at their younger age. My brother, I tried convincing him to leave with me. But he was filled with so much hate, that he refused to go. He said, 'I have to remain with our people'. I was confused at his words. But then I realized what he meant. He didn't mean the Neighponese, not even humans in general. He meant, the Transmutants." Mosura placed the figure down and looked back to Junior, her eyes welling up with tears.
"He felt so dehumanized, that he chose to give up at trying to be human!" cried Mosura.
"But, are we not human?" asked Junior, his tone soft. Mosura shook her head furiously in response.
"We may not be the same as we were before, but I want to at least feel like that I still am! Even if I have to lie about it and have no form of relationship with other normal humans! Isn't that what you've been doing all of this time when you were hiding?!" demanded Mosura. Junior flinched at her tone.
"Yeah but-"
"But nothing! Takeshi-kun, I don't think you realize what you’re getting yourself into." said Mosura.
"What do you mean?"
"Angirasu told me...he told me how you have gotten close to a girl. Your neighbor." said Mosura.
"What about her?"
"Takeshi, I don't think it’s a good idea for you to get involved with her, or with the others!" Junior's eyes widened in surprise at her words.
"My brother wants you dead! He knows where you live! He will do whatever it takes to draw you out and kill you! Even if he has to threaten those you have gotten close to." said Mosura, her eyes filled with despair.
"I won't let that happen." Junior responded.
"What? Are you going to fight my brother? You will only risk exposing yourself to everyone by doing that! What will they think of you when they learn the truth? They may no longer accept you because of that."
"So, what? Am I supposed to just leave them without an explanation? How can you suggest that?!" demanded Junior.
"Because the same thing happened to me!" shouted Mosura. She turned away from Junior, calming herself down.
"I had made friends before I came to Ponyville and moved to the Everfree. I thought that they wouldn't care if they knew I was a mutant. But I was wrong; they were actually terrified when I showed them. I was forced to move again with Angirasu and Rodan." Mosura turned back around, facing Junior. He had a look of sympathy on his face.
"Takeshi-kun, I just don't want you to go through the same thing that I went through." Junior looked down to the ground. He thought back to how the girls feared Transmutants. But, he also thought back to Twilight, how she considered the possibility of good in some mutants.
"I get what you mean. I am grateful that you’re looking out for me. But, I can't do that. I've spent most of my life living in fear. I think that they are the ones who may understand." said Junior. Mosura sighed sadly.
"Takeshi-kun, don't put too much faith in that. Humans hate and fear the things that they can't understand. They are no different." Junior simply sighed in response.
Ponyville, Equestria. One month later...
Junior and Mosura were walking away from the train station, with large suit cases in two. Junior took a deep breath, sighing in relief.
"It’s good to be back." said Junior.
"Indeed." Mosura replied happily. Then she grimaced. "I could really use a shower."
"Same here. Come on, you can use mine." said Junior. Mosura looked up to Junior, a disapproving look on her face.
"What? I got to get this stuff home. Besides, think of it as my way of saying thanks for lugging this crap back." said Junior.
"Fine, but you better not try anything funny mister." said Mosura, a glare in her eye.
"Ouch. I'm hurt that you would assume that I would do something like that." replied Junior, a hand over his chest with a false look of hurt on his. "OK, let’s just get to my place and I promise not to commit any shameless acts."
"Hmm. Alright, I'll trust you." said Mosura.
"Then let's get going" replied Junior. The pair towed the suit cases, making their way through town.
Junior and Mosura made their way outside of the town, heading down a path toward a house. Junior dug into his pocket, fishing for his key. After he felt the cold metal, he pulled it out of his pocket and continued down to the house. He and Mosura stepped onto the porch; he placed the key into the keyhole, turning it till he heard a rewarding click. Junior turned the door's knob, pushing it open. The inside of the house was welcoming; everything was just as he left it. Semi-clean and neat. He forgot to clean up the living room before he left. A couple of books were left on the floor, a shirt was left on his sofa, and a small pile of letters was left right on a small table.
"Sorry, I was in a rush before I left." sighed Junior.
"It’s not that bad." said Mosura. She made her way pass Junior, sitting the suit case up. She looked around the living room, searching for something.
"Um...may I use your shower now?" asked Mosura. Junior nodded in response, he made his way down the hall, opening a closet that was filled with laundry baskets and folded bath towels. He grabbed one of the towels and handed it to Mosura. He then ran to his bedroom, coming out with one of his t-shirts and handed it to her as well.
"The shower is down the hall at the right. Wear this while I wash your shirt." said Junior, pointing down the hall.
"Thank you." Mosura smiled, making her way down the hall. Junior looked back to the living room.
"Might as well tidy up." Junior spent a couple of minutes picking up the living room. He placed his books away, sorting his mail and tossing that shirt in the laundry basket. He made his way into the kitchen, coming back out with a trash bag in his grip. He made his way outside of the house, walking toward his dumpster. After he tossed out the trash, he made his way back to his house. He heard his name called.
"Goji!" called a young feminine voice. It was voice for Junior's sore ears. He turned, finding Fluttershy running toward him. She had a cute, bright smile on her face. The sun shined over her, giving her the appearance of an angel. Junior smiled, happy to see a dear friend. He then realized that she had her arms out, and she was getting closer. This was no good. He didn't get to...
"Fluttershy, no!" shouted Junior, backing up to his door. Fluttershy stopped a few feet away, a hurt expression on her face. Junior mentally kicked himself.
"Didn't you miss me?" asked Fluttershy, a frown on her face.
"Of course I did!" Junior said frantically. "It’s just that I didn't get to take a shower yet. I didn't want to hug you while I stunk. I'm sorry if I made it seem like I wasn't happy to see you."
"Oh, it’s alright. If you are really uncomfortable with a hug now, I can wait." smiled Fluttershy.
"Thanks." said Junior.
"Did...did they hurt you Goji?" asked Fluttershy. Junior looked to her with a puzzled expression, and then realized what she meant.
"The Transmutants? No, I wasn't anywhere near them." reassured Junior. Fluttershy sighed in relief.
"That's good. I'd hate it if those meanies did anything to you. But, where did you stay?"
"Actually, I went to the only place that I could think of. Home." said Junior.
"Home?"
"Home. Where I was raised by my parents for the time that they had." replied Junior.
"It must have been hard."
"It was. But, I at least brought some things back that survived over the years." Junior reached into his sweater pocket, pulling out a photo of him and his parents. Fluttershy gently reached for the photo, looking at it with wide eyes. She smiled sadly at the photo.
"It’s a beautiful photo. You were so cute." said Fluttershy. Junior rubbed the back of his head, looking away in embarrassment.
"Thanks." Fluttershy handed Junior back the old photo, which he placed back in his pocket.
"How were things while I was away?" asked Junior.
"Things...kind of have gotten hectic for a while." replied Fluttershy.
"Was it as serious as the time an Ursa wondered into town?" asked Junior worriedly. Fluttershy shook her head.
"No, but we did think that a woman named Zecora, who has been living in the Everfree, was evil and that she was going to gobble up little Applebloom. But we learned that she was actually nice and we got the rest of the town to warm up to her. And we had a problem with Parasprites recently. Pinkie managed to get them away from Ponyville" explained Fluttershy
"Ugh. Cute but annoying insects." spat Junior. "Well, it’s good that everything turned out fine in the end."
The door creaked, as it opened behind Junior. He went stiff, realizing that Mosura had finished with her shower.
"Oh, there you are!" said Mosura. "Thank you for letting me use your shower and shirt Takeshi-kun."
"W-what?" stuttered Fluttershy, seeing a young woman with white hair that was wet, a towel was resting on her shoulders as she wore a tan T-shirt that went down to her waist. Mosura's eyes widened in surprise, seeing the pink haired Valkyrie completely misunderstand the situation.
'Oh crap.' Junior thought with dread.
"Fluttershy, let me explain." Junior said, beads of sweat forming on his face.
"Oh no, I don't think an explanation is needed." said Fluttershy, crossing her arms with a look of disapproval on her face.
"N-no! I swear it isn't what you think!" said Junior frantically. Mosura smiled at the pink haired Valkyrie.
"Oh! So you're Takeshi-kun's friend!" Mosura stepped from behind Junior, getting closer to Fluttershy.
"Um...yes."
"I am Mosura. I train with Takeshi-kun for martial arts." Mosura bowed her head. Mosura looked to Junior, who motioned for her to bow. He repeated Mosura's action.
"I...I'm Fluttershy."
"Fluttershy-chan, there seems to be a misunderstanding. I had gotten dirty from training. My shower was not working at home, so I went off to find someone to repair it. That's when I ran into Takeshi. I asked him if I could use his shower, which he agreed to." smiled Mosura. Fluttershy looked to her, unsure about the story. She then looked to Junior. She didn't see any shame in his eyes, as committing something indecent. Fluttershy smiled at him.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to assume such things." Fluttershy apologized. Junior sighed in relief.
"Its fine." said Junior. He then felt a slight itch at the back of his head. No, more like in his head.
'You’re welcome. She seems like a nice girl.' Mosura's voice echoed in his mind.
'She is. Thank you. How did you get to me in Neighpon in a short amount of time?' Junior thought, asking Mosura.
'I flew. Let's leave it at that for now.'
"Well, I'm off. Thanks again Takeshi-kun. I'll see you tomorrow for our match!" said Mosura, leaving Junior and Fluttershy alone.
"Oh. Right..." sighed Junior.
"I'm sorry, I have to get going too." said Fluttershy.
"Oh. That's OK. I'll see you around." replied Junior.
"Welcome home, Goji." smiled Fluttershy, causing Junior to feel warm inside.
"It’s good to be home."
"You. Did. What?!" Mosura demanded, glaring at Rodan. He was sweating profusely.
"I...kind of took on showing someone my moves." said Rodan.
"Why would you do that?! This ‘someone’ has no business learning our arts!" scolded Mosura.
"I'm sorry! I just thought it wouldn't hurt to show her a few moves. I swear I haven't corrupted what you taught us!"
"Ugh. I'm gone for a month and this happens while I'm away." Mosura grabbed the bridge of her nose in irritation. She then glared at Angirasu. "And where the heck were you when this happened?"
"I...was present when he made the deal with her." Angirasu shamefully admitted.
"Why didn't you stop him?"
"It was in a public area. I didn't want to cause a scene with him over it. He has only been showing her what he knows. He hasn't told or showed her the lair." explained Angirasu. Mosura sighed in response.
"Rodan, are you certain about doing this?" asked Mosura.
"Um...yes?"
"Very well. I'll allow you to continue showing her what you have learned. Just remember what I taught you, about it being more than fighting." sighed Mosura.
"I will."
"Just...just don't let her know the truth. OK?" Mosura, placed her hands over the crimson haired Earth bound's shoulders. Her eyes filled with worry.
"I'll take it to my grave." said Rodan. Mosura nodded in approval.
"I'm going to rest. I have a match tomorrow." said Mosura, making her way to her chambers.
"Can I bring Rainbow to watch?" asked Rodan. Mosura groaned in response.
"Fine! But we can't have the match here."
The next day...
It was early noon. The sun was high in the air; a few clouds covered the sky. The air had gotten colder; the wind blew against the grass and trees. The birds flew with the wind, using it to push them across the town. Mosura sat on a bench, next to Angirasu at the park. She was wearing an orange training kimono. Angirasu sat with two large bottles of water. He sat uneasily next to Mosura, seeing a displeased expression on her face as she looked at Rodan in front of her.
"When you asked me if you could bring someone to watch, I didn't think that you meant six others as well." said Mosura. She then stood from the bench and grabbed Rodan by the collar, piercing his soul with her eyes.
"Give me a reason why I shouldn't have you fight Takeshi-kun first to embarrass you in front of these girls." said Mosura. Rodan nervously laughed in response.
"Um...because you are very kind and merciful woman who never takes part in revenge? Because it’s better to fight Gojira while he is at his best instead of having him fight me? He'd just be wasting energy. Also, I had no idea that she was going to invite her friends."
"Any other reason?" asked Mosura.
"Um...because you love me like a brother?" Mosura closed her eyes in response, smiling to herself. She then released Rodan.
"Fine. But you're cleaning the dojo after this."
"Yes ma’am..." sighed Rodan. He then made his over to Junior, with Angirasu following him. Junior was wearing his charcoal grey training kimono, with Rarity trying to straighten it. Fluttershy sat with a medical kit, a worried expression on her face. Applejack, Spike and Pinkie sat with a bucket of popcorn. Twilight was making her over to Junior and Rarity.
"I must say, you are quite fit! Just look at these nicely toned muscles. Don't you think so, Twilight?" asked Rarity. Twilight went stiff. She saw the strong muscles on Junior's arms, and how his pectorals could be slightly seen under his kimono. Twilight had a light blush on her face. She mentally slapped herself.
"Yes." agreed Twilight, awkwardly.
"Thank you." said Junior, feeling Rarity use her magic to tug around his kimono.
"What's your secret, darling?"
"Get plenty of exercise to the point where the muscles that you are working on get tired, eat protein, eat healthy, and have rest days." answered Junior. 'Also, get mutated by some assholes at childhood with the use of an ancient dragon's DNA.'
"Where do you get your protein?" Twilight asked curiously.
"Um...from fish." Twilight's eyes widened, she quickly looked back to Fluttershy. The Valkyrie shyly waved to her and Junior in response. She then turned back to Junior.
"Don't let Fluttershy know." said Twilight. Junior nodded in understanding.
"Yeah, I forget that Equestrians tend to be vegetarians. Especially animal caretakers like Shy." Junior then noticed that Rodan and Angirasu were making their way toward him. Rodan walked up to Junior, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Good luck. You'll need it." said Rodan, making his way over to Rainbow Dash, who sat on a bench. Angirasu walked up to Junior, handing him a bottle of water.
"Just do what you have been doing. Don't be afraid to fight her cause she's a girl." said Angirasu. Junior nodded in response.
"Give it all you've got." Angirasu took off, finding a seat next to Applejack and Pinkie Pie. Junior sighed, feeling himself grow nervous.
"Are you sure you want to go through with this? You should be resting after your trip." said Twilight. She was unsure about the whole thing. It didn't help that she heard that their matches were rough. She was concerned that someone would be seriously injured.
"I can do this. We've been putting this off for too long. Besides, I want to see how strong she is." replied Junior, his focused on Mosura. She made her way to the center of the park, a serious look on her face. Rarity finished adjusting Junior's kimono, a satisfied smile on her face.
"A warrior's apparel must always properly fitted." said Rarity.
"Thanks, but there's no point to go that far if it’s going to become undone during a battle." replied Junior.
"Oh hush, dear. Now go out there and meet your opponent!" Rarity pointed toward Mosura. Junior sighed in response. He walked pass Rarity and Twilight, making his way toward Mosura.
"And fight fair, she's a lady!" shouted Rarity. Junior groaned.
"OK, I get it!" Junior called. He stood a couple of feet from Mosura, locking eyes with her.
"I hope that you are ready Takeshi-kun." said Mosura. She and Junior bowed and got into a fighting stance.
"I Am." replied Junior, tensing his muscles. The two kept their eyes locked, pacing their breaths. The wind blew in their air; leaves fell from the trees and passed in between them. The area was quiet; the audience stared at the coming battle in anticipation. Surely this would end quickly. Junior had height and mass over Mosura. Twilight felt her heart racing at the tense atmosphere. She gulped, waiting to see the match begin. Angirasu stood from his seat, making his way near the combatants. He took a deep breath of air, waiting a couple of seconds in silence.
"HAJIME!" shouted Angirasu at the top of his lungs. The girls were startled by his voice.
Junior dashed toward Mosura, who kept her stance. As Junior reared his fist, he swung it swiftly toward the shorter girl, who side stepped to his left. Junior noticed that he missed, then immediately dropped to his hands and right knee, swept his left leg under Mosura. Mosura did a back flip away, avoiding the sweep. Junior raised a brow toward his opponent, who motioned her hand, telling Junior to come at her. Junior chuckled to himself. He stood up, dashing back toward Mosura, who slid under him, and kicked him in his back. The kick sent Junior stumbling forward. He quickly turned and found Mosura charging toward him. She leapt onto Junior, wrapping her legs around his neck. Junior grunted in response, feeling the smaller mutant swing her weight, forcing him down. He felt himself flipped onto his back. Junior looked up to Mosura, who had an unimpressed look plastered on her face. Junior hopped back onto feet, getting into a defensive stance. Mosura charged toward Junior, assaulting him with punches and kicks. Junior used his arms to block every attack; he then grabbed Mosura's incoming leg. She gasped in surprise, then felt Junior grab her leg with his other hand and was thrown. Mosura skidded across the ground, grunting as she stood back up.
Twilight felt herself wanting to intervene. She was about to stand, but felt Applejack grab her by her shoulder.
"Simmer down Twi. She seems to have done this a million times." reassured Applejack. Twilight looked back to the fight, seeing Mosura punching Junior in his chest, followed by a kick to the head. Junior fell over onto his side from the force of the kick, with Mosura leaping onto his chest, hopping up and down a couple of times. Junior grunted in pain every time that she landed on his chest. Twilight cringed at the battle. She noticed that Fluttershy was keeping herself in place, but could tell that she wanted to run out to that battle and to put a stop to it. Twilight looked back to Applejack, sighing in defeat. She remained seated and continued to watch the battle.
Junior rolled away from Mosura, sweeping his leg to cause her to fall on her back. She got back up, rushing toward Junior who was standing and kneeing him in his jaw.
"Ergh!" Junior grunted in pain, staggering back. Mosura sprinted toward Junior, hopping over Junior and latching herself onto his back. She wrapped her arms around Junior's head, with her legs wrapped tightly around his chest. Junior wobbled, attempting to keep his balance. He realized that Mosura had him in a sleeper hold. He swung his body erratically, attempting to get the smaller mutant off of him. He rocked himself furiously, feeling Mosura was having a hard time keeping her hold on him. Junior then pried her hands off his head, throwing her off of his body. Mosura yelped as she was thrown hard onto the ground. Junior attempted to catch his breath, taking in deep breaths to get the air back in his starved lungs. He then felt Mosura knee him in the gut, causing him to drop on to his knees and vomit. The girls and Spike clutched their stomachs in response to the attack, feeling themselves gag from witnessing the bodily fluid exit Junior's mouth. Rainbow and Rodan merely cheered in excitement. Angirasu shot them both a disapproving glare, which immediately silenced them.
"Why are you holding back?" asked Mosura. Junior growled in response, spitting what little vomit that he had left in his mouth. He charged toward Mosura, throwing multiple punches, which were all blocked by Mosura. After he threw his next punch, Mosura caught it, and stepped closer to Junior, preventing him to throw another punch.
"Stop trying to hit me and just hit me!" Mosura stepped back, using her strength to force Junior closer to her, quickly turned her back toward him and used his momentum to bounce him off of her back. Junior landed on his back, panting. He slowly stood back up, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths. He opened his eyes and glared at Mosura.
"Alright. Time to get serious." Junior then charged toward Mosura, she jumped into the air, nearly making her way over Junior but was caught by Junior. She felt herself thrown toward a tree. Mosura caught a branch, swinging herself onto the branch. She saw Junior making his way toward the tree, then gasped as she saw him punching the base of it, causing it to wobble. She dropped from the branch, swinging from it and used the momentum kick him away from the tree. She landed his chest, punching him in his face. Junior shook off the pain, and then grabbed Mosura by her hands. Mosura strained as she felt Junior pushing on her arms. She was forced to her feet, with Junior's hands still locked with hers. Junior used his strength, forcing Mosura onto her knees. She grunted as she felt her arms begin to hurt from his overwhelming strength. Junior glared at the smaller mutant, he then thrusts his arms forward, knocking Mosura onto her back. Junior laid his arm onto Mosura's gut, then as she was swung her fist at his face, he quickly caught her arm with his free hand and forced it onto her chest. Mosura panted, feeling Junior's weight crushing her. She then had a small smile on her face.
"Congratulations. I yield." said Mosura. Junior returned his smile.
"Yame!" shouted Angirasu. He made his way toward the combatants. Junior stood and helped Mosura back onto her feet.
"This match is over. Takeshi Gojira is the victor!" announced Angirasu. The girls and Spike cheered at the announcement. Fluttershy went nuts, cheering at the top of her lungs, hopping in joy. Rodan stood slack-jawed, and then recomposed himself. He shrugged in response to what he had just witnessed. The two combatants stood facing each other, both bowing. Mosura suddenly had a sly grin on her face; she suddenly dashed toward Junior, sweeping him with her leg. Junior landed on his side, a dazed look on his face. The crowd gasped in response. Junior was about to stand back up, but felt Mosura sit on his back.
"The hell was that?" asked Junior. Mosura got closer to Junior's face, a cute smile on her face.
"That was a lesson. Never let yourself be distracted when your opponent is nearby." The two were silent for a minute. Mosura began to giggle to herself, this caused Junior to lightly chuckle. Mosura's giggling escalated into laughter, which caused Junior to start laughing with her. Angirasu began chuckling to himself. Rodan was in the audience was cracking up, receiving strange looks by the others. Mosura stood up with Junior, both still laughing. Twilight sighed in relief; it was all just a joke for the victor. Twilight began to giggle as well, followed by the rest to start laughing. This was truly an unexpected outcome.
Junior and Twilight were making their way to the library. Junior had changed back into his casual clothes; his sweater washed and cleaned of its stench from being in Neighpon. The day was in the late noon, the sun was descending from the sky. The air was dropping to cooler temperatures. As the pair made it to the library, they entered inside. Twilight led Junior to the book shelves, her eyes scanning for the desired book. Twilight raised her hand; a raspberry colored aura engulfed her hand and one of the books on the shelf as it levitated toward her. She looked at the cover, smiling at the title. She turned and handed Junior the book.
"Here you go. A book on Echolocation!" said Twilight.
"Thank you Twi." smiled Junior, taking the book in his hand.
"No problem. I'm curious though, why did you want to borrow this book?" asked Twilight. Junior thought back to earlier.
30 minutes ago...
"Takeshi-kun, it’s time that we moved on to helping you focus on your abnormal abilities." said Mosura. Junior looked to her in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that we are going to help you learn to control the abilities that you have inherited from your mutation. You were mutated with an ancient dragon, if I remember correctly." Junior nodded in response.
"Dragons tend to be predators, so we need to help you practice abilities that you may have inherited without transforming." informed Mosura. Junior sat in thought.
"Well, from what I remember from the diagram that was shown to me, it didn't have any wings. I did become a better swimmer after the process and I can grow gills if I were to partially transform." said Junior. Rodan raised a brow.
"Gills? I thought you said that you were mutated with a dragon, not with a fish." said Rodan.
"From what I hear, dragons are diverse. Some have wings, some don't, and some even live in the sea. So, that means I was mutated with a dragon that lived an amphibious life style." guessed Junior.
"Can sea dragons breathe fire? Can you?" asked Angirasu curiously.
"I don't think so. My father told me that he once saw a sea dragon spit boiling hot water at bandits. I guess that’s a trait they have instead, compared to other dragons.
"Wait! I think I know what we can work on!" Mosura exclaimed.
"What?" asked all three of the male mutants in unison.
"If you were mutated from an enormous aquatic creature, then that may mean you can echolocate!"
"Echo what now?" asked Rodan, puzzled by the term. Junior sighed.
"Echolocation. It’s a biological sonar that animals use by emitting calls in their environment and use the echoes of said calls to help them locate and identify objects. They mainly use this for navigation and hunting." explained Junior. He noticed that the others were giving him incredulous stares.
"What? I may look like a thug but I’m not an idiot. I paid attention in school!"
"Whoa. We seemed to have touched an old wound." said Angirasu. Mosura and Rodan nodded in agreement.
"I swear, I always had to put up with that crap for years! I busted my ass to graduate high school, and I still had those jerk offs think that I don't know Equish, history or science! Sure, I'm not advanced in the subjects and I kind of suck at math, but I tried! Hell, even one of the teachers said that I was an exceptionally good writer! It’s not that hard when you attend class with a bunch of snooty, rich, spoiled brats!" Junior ranted, his veins in his head popping from the side of his head.
"Ok, Ok, settle down there buddy." Rodan said nervously.
"And don't get me started on the girls that attended that school!"
"Takeshi-kun!" shouted Mosura. Junior snapped out of his ranting. He then calmed himself down.
"Sorry about that." apologized Junior.
"Anyway, your friends with the librarian correct?" asked Mosura.
"Yeah."
"Good, I need you to borrow a book on Echolocation. We're going to study that, and see if you can pull it off!"
Present...
Junior's mind came back to the present. He had to think of a lie. Ugh, again with the lies?
"I've always been fascinated by how some animals can navigate and hunt with this method. I thought it'd be fun to learn more." said Junior. Twilight smiled in response.
"I never knew you that had a fascination with nature."
"I do actually. It’s amazing how these creatures use the tools that they were born with and how they use them in the world that they live in." said Junior. What he said wasn't actually a lie. He kind of did like animals, as long as they weren't attacking him.
"If you're interested, feel free to drop by any time for books on zoology. We've got a lot on that!"
"I'll do that. Thank you." Junior turned to leave, but was stopped.
"Oh, um...Gojira?" called Twilight. Junior turned around, facing the scholar.
"Yeah?"
"Um....Do you have any plans next week?" asked Twilight, twiddling her fingers. Junior thought about it, he was probably going to just practice this echolocation and a few other abilities that humans shouldn't have. Nothing else seemed to be in the way.
"I don't think so. Why?"
"W-well, I was wondering if..." Twilight had her arms at her sides; her hands were locked together as she shyly looked away. "I was wondering if you would...like to come with me and the others to the Nightmare Night festival?"
"Oh?"
"Um...it’s fine if you don't want to come! I understand that you hate crowds. I just thought it'd be nice to do something fun together." said Twilight, her pointy ears descending back. Junior thought about it. It couldn't hurt to spend time with them.
"Sounds good." said Junior. Twilight's ears perked up at this.
"Really?" asked Twilight, her eyes wide. Junior nodded in response.
"Yes!" Twilight hugged Junior in joy. She then realized what she was doing. Twilight immediately released Junior and turned away from him, attempting to hide her blush.
"Sorry, I got a little carried away."
"N-no! It’s fine. I don't mind at all." said Junior, trying to not sound disappointed. Twilight smiled warmly at Junior.
"Do you have a costume for Nightmare Night?" asked Twilight.
"No, but I can figure something out."
"Feel free to invite your friends that you train with." said Twilight.
"I'll have to see if they're up for it. I'll see you later." said Junior, as he made his way out the door.
"See you later!" said Twilight, as she saw Junior out the door. As he was walking out the library, Twilight slowly closed the door, taking one last look at the Earth bound. She shut the door, leaning her back against it. She had felt her heart racing every time that she was with him lately. What was this feeling? Could it be?
"Oh my goodness." Twilight giggled to herself. Perhaps it was what it was. She didn't feel this way about him at first. He always just seemed like a jerk. No way did she think that she would have ever taken that kind of a liking to Gojira. But, as she spent more time with him, she realized that there was more to him than she thought. He may have been a bit of a punk to others, but, to her and to those who knew him well, he was sweet. He may have had a bit of a temper and a stubborn streak, but he wasn't cruel. He wasn't the one that would hurt others, not intentionally at least. She was happy that she managed to convince him to open up more, but she still felt that he was still bothered by something. Whatever it was, she would be there to help him. Because, that's what friends are for.
Junior found himself walking in the Everfree forest. His mind was lost in thought. There had been some hard times while he was in Ponyville, but there were times where Twilight and Fluttershy were there for him. He couldn't comprehend what has happened to him. They were the ones who opened the door to the dark room that he was locked in, shining light into the emptiness. They were the best friends that he could ever have. He was grateful to have met them. He was grateful that others were around that cared about him. He was even grateful that he met others that were like him. He was looking forward to the festival. As Junior was nearing the house that hid the lair, Angirasu stepped out of the house, waving to him. Junior waved back. Suddenly, an ear piercing screech assaulted his ears.
"Gah!!" Junior dropped to his knees, covering his ears. The book fell out of his grip, landing on the grass in front of him.
"Takeshi-san!" Angirasu sprinted over to Junior. Junior was breathing heavily, his eyes wide as the screeching continued in his ears. He heard a young masculine voice.
"My love! Where are you?" The voice echoed in his mind, along with the screech. Junior was panting, still clutching his head. Another screech assaulted his ears. Junior cried out in pain, clutching his head.
"I'm here! Where are you? I'm near the coast of Neighpon." a familiar feminine voice echoed in his mind along with the second screech.
"I'm in the Griffon kingdom. Is our child safe?" asked the male voice. Junior kept covering his ears, fighting the screech that caused him pain.
"Yes! But...I can't revert back to my human form. I...I think we're having more than one."
"Shut up." said Junior quietly, the pain taking its toll.
"Takeshi-kun, what's wrong?" Mosura asked urgently.
"Angirasu, what happened?!" asked Rodan.
"I don't know! He just started freaking out when he got here."
"Oh, my God! Hold on, I'll be over there as soon as possible. Don't leave!" said the male voice. The screech was still assaulting Junior's ears.
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut your goddamn mouths! Get out of my head!!" shouted Junior. He stood up to his feet, running toward a tree and slammed his head against the bark. He grunted every time he collided against the tree. The voices had stopped, along with the screeches. Junior panted, he turned around and found the shocked faces of Angirasu and Rodan. Mosura had a very worried expression, almost terrified. Junior continued to pant, feeling the wood chips that splintered his forehead. He took a few steps before he collapsed on the ground, passing out.
Junior awoke, finding himself in a dimly lit stoned room. He was lying on a bed, a blanket covering him. He noticed a curtain was slightly opened at the end of the stony room, revealing a faint light in the distance. Junior looked at his surroundings; nothing was in the room except the bed, a small counter next to the bed and a small lamp on it. He took the blanket of his body, finding that his sweater was off. He noticed that his sweater was neatly folded at the foot of the bed. He rose out of the bed and grabbed his sweater, putting it on. He made his way past the curtain, discovering that he was in the lair. Mosura was sitting outside of the chamber that he was in, reading the book that he had borrowed from Twilight.
"Mosura?" called Junior, in a drowsy voice. Mosura gasped, quickly turning around to find Junior awake. She placed the book down and stood up.
"Takeshi-kun! Are you alright?" asked Mosura, her tone filled with worry.
"Yeah...I think so." replied Junior.
"What happened to you?"
"I...I don't know. I was walking back to the lair, and then I suddenly heard this loud screech." said Junior. Mosura looked to him in confusion.
"What? But, we didn't hear anything."
"I'm telling you, I heard it! I even began to hear voices during the screeches!"
"Voices? What were they saying?" asked Mosura.
"They sounded like they were looking for each other. It was a man and a woman's voice. I think the woman was pregnant." Junior explained.
"I see."
"That's not all. The woman said that she couldn't return to her human form. Her voice even sounded familiar to me. I think they were Transmutants." said Junior. Mosura's eyes widened.
"Could they have been psychics?" asked Junior.
"No, I don't think so. You said that these voices came during the screeches correct? If that's the case, than you may have been hearing another form of communication." explained Mosura.
"The male did say that he was in the Griffon nation and the female was in Neighpon. How far can you be to communicate with your psychic ability?" asked Junior.
"My telepathic range is at least a hundred feet. If they were communicating from that far and you were able to hear it, they definitely may have been using a different way to communicate." Mosura picked up the book that she was reading, showing it to Junior. "And I think I know what."