Location: Classified. MONARCH Delta Base.
It was dark. There was faint lighting in the room. The room was a sanitary lab, with electronics running and surgical tools that were placed neatly away. The lab was cold, lonely, and one middle-aged, Neighponese man stood in the room with a large cylindrical tank in front of him. The tank was filled with a clear liquid, wires were hooked at the base, faint lighting was inside of the tank. The tank had a young woman with long, green hair floating within. She was wearing a white skintight suit, with small tubes in her fore arms, and a mask covering her mouth and nose, providing her with air. Her long hair floated all around her in the liquid, the muffled sound of air flowing into her could be heard outside. A plaque was bolted at the base of the tank. On the plaque was the word Rose, engraved on it.
"My sweet, sweet Erika." said the old man solemnly. Footsteps sounded from behind the old man.
"Genshiro, is the test subject ready?" asked a female Earth bound in black uniform. The old man turned to face the woman.
"Yes, her wounds have healed. We just need to restart her heart before we can cancel the spell on her brain." replied Genshiro. The woman nodded in approval.
"Good, we'll need her back on the field." said the woman. Genshiro sighed in response.
"Yes..."
"Don't worry, she may technically be a Transmutant now, but she is a soldier for MONARCH. Unlike the ones that we have to fight, she is on our side." reassured the woman.
'Yes, but we were the ones responsible for their creation. But you don't know that.' Genshiro thought solemnly.
The tank was drained of its liquid, the lifeless body of Erika leaned against the glass. The tank was opened from the front, steam hissing out from the tank. Two men came in with a bed, rolling it toward the tank. They set the bed near the tank, making their way towards Erika's body. The men carried her body over to the bed, gently laying her down. They rolled the bed out of the dark room, moving it down towards a sterilized room. The room was filled with medical equipment and a large heart monitor. The two men rolled the lifeless woman into the center of the room, stepping away from the bed. An Elf wearing scrubs came in, seeing the patient ready.
"Please leave while I work on reviving her." said the Elf. The two men nodded, making their way out of the room. The Elf stepped closer to Erika, raising a hand over her head. A red aura engulfed his hand; he placed his hand on her head, closing his eyes. His mind was flooded with memories from Erika. Everything from her childhood to the time of her death was entering into his head. He searched her mind, looking for the desired memory. After a few seconds of searching, he had found it. A black moth-like creature spoke to her, telling her information that has been classified to the lower ranks of MONARCH. The truth about the origins of these Transmutants. They couldn't have Erika back knowing what she learned as it could endanger the organization. The Elf concentrated on that memory, erasing it from her mind.
"There, now we can bring her back." said the Elf. He raised his other hand, covered in the same red aura. He had experience in forbidden magic, which was why MONARCH recruited him into their organization. This particular spell is considered an abomination among Elves and was strictly forbidden in ancient times. But, the Elf had his sources on where he learned this ancient spell. The Elf waved his hands in motion, the light from the aura dancing with his rhythm. The Elf then stopped waving his hands, then held out his right palm. Suddenly, a small bright flash of light shone over his palm. The Elf flinched at the light, but refocused his vision shortly after. Over his palm was a small white orb that floated with an ethereal glow. The Elf smiled to himself under his face mask. He made his way over to Erika's lifeless body, looking back at the small orb. He held the orb out toward Erika's head, the orb changing into a glowing, white mist. The mist then flowed into the nostrils of Erika. The Elf raised his left hand over Erika's chest, his hand sparking with electricity. The electricity shot from the palm of his hand, striking Erika in the chest. Erika's body twitched from the volts that coursed through her nerves. The Elf then raised his right hand over the head of Erika, his magic shooting toward her forehead. A ring appeared on her crown, dispersing into sparks as he closed his right hand. The electricity then ceased to emit from the Elf's hand, causing Erika's body to remain motionless. The Elf watched the body as it remained motionless; he made his way over to the heart monitor, paying close attention to the monitor. He waited patiently as the monitor gave off the long beep and displayed a flat line. He waited a couple of more seconds, before the long beep stopped, a small beep sounded as a spike appeared. Success, her heart had started back up. The Elf made his way over to Erika, seeing the young woman shift weekly. She suddenly shot up, gasping deeply with her eyes wide. She coughed furiously as her long starved lungs consumed oxygen. Her coughing settled down, she panted as she slowly searched her surroundings. Erika's eyes gradually changed in color from an emerald green to a bright yellow. She noticed the Elf that stood next to her and nearly fell out of bed due to being startled by him. She calmed her breathing, trying to find her voice.
"Wh-where am I?" asked Erika.
"Back in the world of the living, Private." answered the Elf.
Ponyville, Equestria. 11:30 AM...
Junior sat on the grass in Everfree, a blindfold covering his eyes. His breaths were calm, his muscles were relaxed and his mind was cleared. He was completely silent, with only the sounds of small birds in the air. Junior opened his mouth slightly, letting out a low, beastly growl. His eyes may not have seen, but the sounds bounced off of the trees, painting silhouette pictures in his mind. He recognized them as the trees and bushes that stood five feet away. Anything beyond that point was just a dark void. Junior began to pick up the volume in his growls, his mind drawing up further images. Junior stood to his feet, still growling. He slowly walked forward, searching his surroundings. His ears picked up the echoes; his mind painting the direction where his eyes would be looking. Junior would chuckle to himself if it wouldn't cause him to go blind again. He continued his growls, patrolling the forest. Junior continued on in search of his target. Junior began to make a loud moan with his throat, increasing his mental radar. He continued forward, searching the ground for his target. He noticed a small form lying on the ground, no bigger than the palm of his hand. He gently reached for the small form; the form suddenly moved from his reach. Junior attempted to reach for it again, but the small figure began to move further, still on the move. Junior smiled to himself, and then continued to walk faster as he raised his voice into a louder moan. The echoes revealed the small figure moving through the ground. Junior's mind painted images of tree-like objects in his way. He dodged them with ease as he began to sprint toward the small figure. Junior noticed a boulder in his path; he hopped over it and continued to pursue the object. As he got closer to the figure, he dove for it, catching it in his hands. Junior panted, his ears missing the sounds that painted the images. Junior removed the blindfold, beholding what he had caught. It was a small, stuff mouse toy for cats. A long string was attached to the end, leading all of the way toward a familiar female mutant.
"10 seconds; that’s your best time yet!" exclaimed Mosura.
"Thank you." smiled Junior. He stood back up to his feet, dusting himself off. He noticed Rodan dropping from a tree branch.
"Dude, it never gets old to watch you chase a stuffed mouse like a house cat!" laughed Rodan.
"Shut up!" Junior said irritably. Mosura lightly giggled at the comment.
"Come on you two, let’s get back to the lair." said Mosura.
"Yeah, I could go for the hot springs right about now. I'm beat." sighed Rodan. Junior looked at him in confusion.
"Hot springs?"
"Oh yeah, they're deeper in the Everfree. We spend time over there to relax sometimes and to consume the energy from there." explained Rodan. Junior gave him another confused look.
"Energy? Don't you need nuclear radiation to nourish yourselves?" asked Junior. Mosura's ears perked at this and turned to Junior.
"Well, we aren't dependent on that radiation like you are. We use the hotsprings' geothermal energy. The heat energy from within the Earth is transferred up to hot springs, lava and geysers. We bathe in the hot springs to consume this energy. I believe that nuclear energy is something that certain mutants mostly depend on based on the species that they were mutated with." explained Mosura. Junior smacked his forehead at this.
"Jeez! Battra dragged my ass across the world to get nuclear radiation to survive but I could have gained something over here!" spat Junior. Rodan looked to him with a surprised expression.
"Wait, you didn't know that you needed some kind of energy to sustain yourself?" asked Rodan. Junior looked at him incredulously.
"Why the hell would I know that?! I never knew that much about Transmutants or myself until I met you guys!"
"Good point." said Rodan, sheepishly.
"Why don't you join us Takeshi-kun? It may be a pleasant experience for you." suggested Mosura. Junior thought about it. A hot spring did sound nice.
"Yeah, let’s do that."
Junior, Angirasu, Mosura, and Rodan made their way through the forest. Towels rested on their shoulders and bags with a change of clothes. They continued on down the forest, steam was in the air. The group made their way past the trees, finding a large pool of water. Rocks lined the shore, steam rose from the clear water. Tree branches and leaves shaded the area. The water flowed down to a smaller pool of water, with stones making up the corners. The group placed their towels on a pile of rocks, and placed their bags near their towels as they made their way toward the large pool of water. The three male Transmutants wore swimming trunks, while Mosura wore an orange one piece swimming suit. The group stepped into the water, feeling the heat. Junior sighed in relaxation as he went deeper into the water, reaching up to his belly. Being inside of the water was like being wrapped into a warm blanket in winter. It was satisfying to feel the heat consume his body, as the cold weather pierced the air.
"Enjoying yourself?" asked Mosura, a smile on her face. Junior merely nodded in response as he sank lower into the water.
"Just feel that energy course through you! Best part is that you don't actually need to transform one bit to get it. Thank you pores!" exclaimed Rodan. Angirasu leaned back, allowing the water to carry him on his back. After several minutes of relaxing in the hot spring, Junior thought of a way to better experience this warm water. He stood as he began to grunt in pain. Mosura heard Junior; she faced toward him in worry.
"Hey, are you alright?" asked Mosura.
"Y-yeah. I'm just...Grh!" Junior's neck began to sprout five rows of small gill flaps. They were matching Junior's skin tone, flapping slightly. Mosura recoiled at the sight.
"Oh my gosh!" exlaimed Mosura. Angirasu's widened in surprise, Rodan's face contorted into disgust.
"Sorry, I just wanted to practice using these some more. I hardly ever use them." said Junior. Junior exhaled as he lowered himself down to the water, his gills flapping open as his neck made contact with the water. Junior dove beneath the surface, swimming past Mosura. Junior moves toward the center of the pool, getting into a sitting position at the bottom of the hot spring. His gills took in the warm water, delivering oxygen and the geothermal energy into his blood. He closed his eyes as he felt his energy slowly build. It wasn't necessary for him to consume energy now, nor was it as fast as consuming nuclear radiation. However, it didn't hurt just to build it up now.
After thirty minutes, Junior emerged from the water, his gills closing against his neck. Junior took a breath, taking oxygen into his lungs. He noticed that the others were sitting and waiting on the shore. They had their towels over them as they sat dry.
"Took you long enough." said Rodan.
"My bad, I kinda dozed off and found myself lost in the warmth." apologized Junior.
"It’s alright. I have to admit, it was fascinating to see you remain underwater for so long and still be able to breathe." said Mosura.
"It's actually pretty relaxing to be underwater." replied Junior. "Oh, I've been meaning to ask you guys something!"
"Yeah?" the three other mutants asked in unison.
"You guys wanna join me and the others for the Nightmare moon festival this weekend?"
"Others?" asked Angirasu curiously.
"Yeah. You know, Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow?"
"I'm down with that! I've been meaning to hang out with RD." Rodan grinned. Angirasu contemplated.
"Well, I guess it couldn't hurt." answered Angirasu.
"I...think I'll pass." answered Mosura. The three male mutants looked to her in confusion.
"Why?" asked Rodan.
"I don't...I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with being around with other people." sighed Mosura. Junior frowned at this, fully understanding what she means.
"Yasu-san, you don't have to worry about that. We'll be by your side." reassured Junior.
"Yeah! Especially us, we're family." said Rodan. Mosura looked to both, about to protest. She then felt a comforting hand placed on her shoulder. She turned and saw Angirasu, a light smile on his face.
"I'm a little uncomfortable too. But, this might be good for us." said Angirasu. Mosura looked down toward the ground, thinking of any way to refuse. On the other hand, they said that they would be with her. She didn't have to worry about being alone.
"OK, I'll go." Mosura sighed in defeat. "But, I won't be wearing a costume!"
"That's fine. I just wanted you to come out and enjoy yourself." smiled Junior.
A few hours later...
In the vast orchard on the Apple farm, Junior was carrying two baskets of apples over back to the barn. He felt refreshed after that trip to the hot springs. He was relaxed, taking in the fresh air and the heat from the sun. It was one of those days that felt great, as if nothing bad could happen. He hoped the whole day could be like that. As Junior placed the baskets on the ground, he found Applejack making her way over to him.
"Goji! I got a favor to ask!" called Applejack.
"Sure, what's up?" asked Junior. He had recently moved on from just knocking down and gathering apples to many other kinds of chores. It was a good thing as he was afraid that he would've gotten bored and lost his mind if he kept doing the same routine over and over again.
"I need to pick up my little sister from school. Would ya mind feeding the critters on the farm?" asked Applejack. Junior nodded in response.
"No problem. I can handle it." Applejack smiled at his answer.
"Glad that I can count on ya! I'll see ya soon." said Applejack, turning and making her way down the path off of the farm.
"Anything for a friend." Junior said to himself. There was a bit of a problem for him when it came to interacting with the others. At first, he definitely didn't acknowledge them as his friends, just Twilight and Fluttershy. However, he kind of had taken a liking to the others. Sure, he found Pinkie annoying at times but she sometimes caused him to crack a smile when she wasn't looking. At least he hoped that she wasn't. She was an odd girl, which was impressive considering that the statement came from a guy that can shape shift into a monster. Pinkie had an aura around her that prevented anyone from hating her. In the case of Rarity, he didn’t spend a lot of time with her, but he admired her creativity. She was a drama queen, but she at least wasn't a snooty, stuck up bitch like the girls that he met in Canterlot. He wasn’t a fan of Rainbow’s boasting, yet he found her loyalty towards her friends made up for that defect. He envied her goal to reach her dream of becoming a Wonderbolt. Dreams frightened Junior because he had no chance to fulfill them. For him, they were what they were, just dreams. He found that statement to be a pretty pathetic thought. Junior was at times uneasy to be around Applejack. She could tell if somebody was lying just by looking at them. He hadn't lied to her lately, but he was afraid that he would. This wouldn't be so bad if she would be able to handle one particular truth. He liked her tendency to work hard and to do as much as she could on her own. Her honesty was something that people could appreciate in an individual. Junior was unsure if the girls even considered themselves friends with him, which made it hard to admit to them that he saw them as friends.
Junior carried a sack of food, dropping the pellets onto the ground for the chickens. The birds crowded as they pecked at their food, clucking noisily. Junior then moved on to find Applejack's pet dog, or 'companion' as she likes to put it.
"Winona, come here girl!" called Junior. He whistled for the Fido as he poured kibble into a bowl. He then heard excited yipping from around the barn. From around the barn, he saw a little, brown and white furred collie. She turned her head facing Junior, and then looked down at the bowl that sat next to his feet. She continued to yip excitedly as she ran toward the bowl. Junior stepped away from the bowl as Winona scarfed down her food. Junior left the dog, picking up a stack of hay and carried it over his shoulder. He made his way over toward a fence, walking over toward a small orange Earth pony with a blonde mane and tail. The pony's ears flickered at the sound of Junior's footsteps, turning its face to reveal big green eyes and white little freckles on its muzzle.
"Hey girl, got something for you." said Junior as he set the stack of hay down. The orange mare trotted over to Junior with what appeared to be a little smile on her muzzle. Junior pulled out a few straws of the hay, holding it out for the pony. The pony trotted closer, raising her head to reach the straws. Junior had to kneel next to the pony, since she was only at least three feet tall. The pony took the straws in her mouth, graciously chewing. Junior raised his hand and scratched behind the ears of the little pony, she leaned her head down as she felt pleasure from her ears being scratched. As Junior finished feeding the pony he stood and was about the leave.
However, he heard a loud sound. Junior searched his surroundings, looking for the source of the sound. He couldn't find it anywhere. He then looked toward the orange pony, whose ears were folded back as she looked up at the sky while backing up in fear. He wondered what could cause the pony to worry so much Junior followed the pony's gaze, finding a figure in the sky with what appeared to be insect-like wings. He couldn't tell for sure since the sun was in his eyes. Suddenly, the figure was diving down toward him.
"HOLY SH-!" Junior rolled out of the way, avoiding the collision with the figure. The figure touched down to the Earth, with dust rising in the air. The pony whinnied in terror as she stood on her back hooves and kicked her front hooves. Junior got back up to his feet, and squinted his eyes to make out the figure. Out from the dust, came a Mantis-like creature that stood about seven feet tall. The creature was a forest green with big yellow eyes, four arms with the upper two on the thorax. Two of the upper arms were that of any other praying mantis with the hook like appendage with spikes at the bottom. The two lower arms were human-like in build and with four appendages, but covered in the exoskeleton. The creature was slender, standing on two legs that went backwards beneath the thighs. Long wings flapped closed from the abdomen of the mantis. The creature clicked its mandibles at Junior. That was when Junior noticed a familiar smell being emitted from the insect.
"A Transmutant." Junior glared at the mantis getting into a fighting stance. The mantis screeched at Junior, raising its hooked arms in the air and displaying its wings, attempting to intimidate Junior.
"Just shut up and fight me!" shouted Junior as he charged toward the mantis. The mantis then lowered its wings and charged toward Junior as well. Both mutants clashed against each other, with Junior forcing the mantis back with his strength. The mutant raised its hooked arm, bringing it down towards Junior. He noticed this incoming attack and quickly shoved the creature as hard as he could. The creature staggered back as Junior sprinted toward the beast, sliding under it and kicking it on its back. The insect then raised its legs and kicked Junior in the chest. He was sent flying over the fence, crashing into a nearby barrel. Junior grunted as he stood up from the broken wood. The creature looked at Junior for a brief second before stomping over toward the little orange pony. Saliva dripped from the Mantis's mandibles, allowing Junior to draw the closest conclusion.
"Oh no you don't!" shouted Junior, getting back onto his feet, picking up an axe. Junior leaped into the air, bringing the axe down on the creatures armored back. The mantis screeched in pain as it felt the axe puncture through the back of its exoskeleton. The mantis turned and used its lower arm to back hand Junior away. Junior was knocked onto the ground, a bruise forming on his face. As the Mantis turned, it felt a strong force hit its leg. The creature fell over, feeling intense pain in its leg. It looked up and saw that the pony had just lowered its back legs and turned facing it.
"I'll devour you!" the Mantis screeched angrily in a high pitched male voice. The mantis felt something grab his legs. He turned and noticed Junior had an intense glare in his eye. Junior turned and threw the mantis over toward a nearby tree. Junior turned back to the little pony that was panting.
"Thanks for the help." Junior smiled. He suddenly heard a loud buzzing sound. He turned and saw that the mantis was flying away. Junior sighed in relief, knowing that the creature had fled. He looked back at the pony, and then pats her head. He made way back over toward the fence, hopping over it.
"Hey Gojira, we're- W-what happened?!" shouted a familiar voice. Junior turned and saw Applejack running over toward him. He then noticed how a few barrels were smashed and felt his bruise ache as he flexed the muscles in his cheek. It must have been noticeable if she was freaking out. A little girl that he remembered was her little sister was trailing close behind.
"Hey." Junior said casually.
"Hey? Is that all ya have to say is 'hey'?! Are you alright?!" asked Applejack in worry.
"Someone was trespassing and was attempting to steal the pony. I had to rough him up a bit." explained Junior. It may have been irresponsible of him to not tell her the whole story. But, he couldn't risk causing a panic. He was going to have to tell the other Transmutants about this incident.
"Applebloom, get inside." commanded Applejack. Applebloom looked up to her elder sister with a disappointed look.
"Come on sis-" Applejack cuts her off.
"Now, Applebloom!" said Applejack sternly. Applebloom sighed, making her way over to the house.
"Ya still didn't answer my last question." said Applejack, looking back to Junior. She got closer and had her hand near where his bruise had formed "I mean, just look at your face!"
"It's just a bruise." Junior pulled away from Applejack. She glared at him.
"I just want to see if you're fine!"
"I'm fine! Besides, he hits like a bitch." said Junior. He then felt Applejack grab his ear, pulling him closer to her.
"Ow ow ow!"
"None of that language on my farm, ya hear?" said Applejack.
"OK, OK I'm sorry! Please let go!" Applejack releases his ear, a sly smile on her face. Junior rubbed his ear red turned ear in annoyance.
"Come on, let’s go get ya some ice." said Applejack. Junior sighed in response.
"Alright."
Junior walked out of Applejack's home with an ice pack over his cheek. Applejack was trailing behind him.
"Thanks Applejack. I'll see ya." said Junior as he turned.
"You're welcome sugarcube. Thanks for chasing off that trespasser. It's good to have a reliable friend." Applejack smiled. Junior tried to fight himself from cracking smile, but he couldn't.
"Good to know."
A Few days later...
"OK boys, come out and let me see how you look!" called Mosura. She was sitting on the sofa in Junior's home. She was wearing a thin orange sweater with a white shirt underneath. She wore blue skinny jeans and white tennis shoes. Mosura had said that she wasn't dressing up for the festival, and here she was. Mosura heard multiple footsteps from the hall. She turned and saw Junior, Rodan and Angirasu walking out. Junior and Angirasu were dressed in their training kimonos, but wore a hakamas that covered their legs. They wore Montsuki Haori jackets over their kimonos. Rodan was wearing a brick red kimono, with a mask that covered his mouth and a hood that hid his crimson hair. He wore baggy brick red pants that matched his kimono. All three of the mutants struck a pose, with Junior and Rodan drawing out plastic katanas. Junior had his prop hanging by his side; Angirasu stood tall and crossed his arms, while Rodan stood in a crouching position with his prop in an attacking stance. All three mutants had serious expressions on their faces. Mosura sat in silence as she stared at them. She nearly bursts into hysterical laughter; she instead placed her hands over her mouth. Her cheeks turned bright red from containing her laughter.
"I told you that she would laugh!" said Junior as he smacked Rodan in the back of his head.
"Come on, didn't you feel like a badass a bit?" asked Rodan as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Oh sure, cause being dressed in what we're using as Nightmare Night costumes with plastic weapons and striking these poses would be considered badass." Angirasu answered sarcastically. Mosura lets out a couple of giggles, before she managed to compose herself. She clears her throat, clearing her mind of what she saw.
"I'm sorry, I just couldn't take you boys seriously with plastic weapons and getting into those poses." said Mosura. Junior sighed in response.
"Let's just go get Fluttershy. I told her that we were going to drop by to pick her up."
It was evening, the stars were out and the moon was full. The air was cold; a few clouds were in the skies above. The town square was filled with booths and decorations of cat-like eyes with cyan irises stood on spires. There were also cut outs of a side-view of Nightmare Moon, a horn sticking out of the forehead as her helmet did. Decorative plastic skulls and jack-o-lanterns sat around the area. People dressed in different costumes danced, played the games, and socialized with each other. A stage was built, with people playing instruments for the festival. The people danced to the music that filled the air. The atmosphere was quite festive. Junior stood next to Fluttershy and the other three Transmutants,as they searched for Twilight and Spike. Fluttershy was dressed as a black cat. She wore a black one piece dress that went to her thighs; a headband with cat ears was upon her hair. Her legs were covered in black nylon tights, matching her dress. She wore black heals and a black belt that had a tail at the end. The tip of her nose was painted black like a cat's nose and black lines across her cheeks that appeared as whiskers. In truth, the girl looked absolutely adorable. Just looking at her could leave people blushing.
"Oh my..." said Fluttershy in a nervous tone.
"Don't worry Shy, I don't think anyone is going to scare you." said Junior, attempting to comfort his friend. Fluttershy looked to him in an unsure expression.
"Tell you what, if someone tries to scare you, I'll protect you." said Junior in a kind tone. Fluttershy smiled at this.
"Thank you Goji." said Fluttershy. She noticed movement in her peripheral vision. Fluttershy turned and saw Twilight, Spike, Rarity and Pinkie Pie. She waved to them, making her way over to them. Junior was about to move until he heard Rodan let out a light chuckle.
"What?" asked Junior.
"Oh, nothing. I just think you have a way with women." said Rodan with a sly smile.
"N-no, it isn't like that!" said Junior, a light blush on his face.
"Relax, I'm just teasing dude. You're so uptight!" laughed Rodan. Junior grumbled to himself.
"Alright boys, remember to remain vigilant tonight." said Mosura, grabbing the attention of the three male mutants. "Since a Transmutant found its way into Ponyville, we have to keep an eye out just in case it comes back. If you smell one, do not act suspicious. We have to keep this quiet to avoid causing a panic and provoking it to attack."
"Got it." said Junior, the other two nodded in response. The four Transmutants made their way over to Fluttershy and the others. As they got closer, Twilight waved to them and was followed by Rarity, Pinkie and Spike. Twilight was dressed as a witch with a black tattered dress. A big pointy hat sat on her head, and purple lipstick on her lips. She wore lavender striped stockings and black heels. Rarity was dressed as a vampiress; she wore a black dress that went down all the way to her shins. She wore a cape that had a red underside, and a black backside. When Rarity smiled, her red lips revealed that she was wearing fake fangs. Her ocean blue eyes were now red, likely from the use of eye contacts. Pinkie was dressed as a great white shark, her head poking out of the open mouth of the shark. Her arms were covered by sleeves that were shaped as pectoral fins and a tail fin ran down to her lower back. She actually looked childish in that, but it was just Pinkie being Pinkie. Spike was dressed as a mummy, wrapped in white cloth. Well, at least it looked like cloth.
"Hey Guys, glad that you all could make it!" said Twilight.
"Wouldn't miss it." replied Junior, a warm smile on his face.
"Thank Takeshi-kun for being kind enough to invite us." said Mosura. Rodan searched the crowd, then turned to Twilight.
"Hey, where's Dash?" asked Rodan.
"Oh, she'll be here soon." answered Twilight. Rodan nodded in response. He suddenly felt someone tap his shoulder. He turned and saw a young feminine face with a skull painted on her face. Rodan yelped as he saw the face at such close proximity. He recoiled from the girl, and then noticed the rainbow hair. The girl burst into a fit of laughter, her scratchy voice confirming her identity. The others began to laugh at the scare.
"Oh, it’s just you Dash." said Rodan. A hand placed over his chest as he exhaled. He lightly chuckled at the prank himself.
"Hahaha! Man, I got you good!" laughed Rainbow Dash. She wore a black spandex, full body suit that had an image of a skeleton. She wore gloves and shoes that had the image of bony hands and feet. Her face was painted black and white, creating an image of a skull.
"You sure did. That's some good make up by the way." complimented Rodan. Rainbow puffed her chest out boastfully.
"Yeah, I spent a good hour on this. So, you're dressed as a ninja? That's pretty cool!"
"Thank you, you're costume is cool too." replied Rodan. Junior was looking at the scene in surprise. He wondered at what point had Rodan gotten friendly with Rainbow. Well, it couldn't have been that much of a surprise.
The group wondered the town square, enjoying the festivities that were offered. Rodan and Rainbow Dash had taken off to pull pranks on people during the night. Mosura was in the process of scolding him for thinking of doing so. But alas, he slipped from right under her nose. So, it was just the other four element bearers and the three other Transmutants. Angirasu walked over toward the high striker. A muscled Earth bound man had just slammed a heavy mallet on the pallet, raising the object to hit ring the bell. People that were observing applauded him for his feat. Angirasu smirked to himself as he picked up the mallet with ease. The others watched Angirasu in anticipation, waiting to see how strong exactly he was. Junior had an unsure expression on his face as he watched the Transmutant raise the mallet over his head. He then brought the mallet down on the pad, causing the object to skyrocket toward the bell. The bell was knocked off of the high striker, falling to the ground. Angirasu began to sweat.
"Ah crap." muttered Angirasu. He was suddenly met with loud cheers from the people that were around. He was startled by the sudden outcry, thinking that he was about to be attacked. He then calmed himself as he noticed that they weren't charging toward him and saw that the others were cheering. Angirasu sighed in relief and smiled at the crowd. He then felt someone grab his ear, he yelped in pain as he felt himself pulled to his left. He saw that Mosura was glaring at him.
"I hope you plan to help them fix that." said Mosura.
"Y-yes!" Angirasu managed to say through his pain.
"My, she's like his mother." Rarity giggled.
"More like his big sister." said Spike. "I know the feeling."
"And what do you mean by that?" glared Twilight. Spike went stiff at her sharp tone.
"N-nothing!"
"Don't sweat it, Twilight. It's an older sibling's job to get on their younger siblings about things. I should know." said Junior. Fluttershy looked to him curiously.
"I didn't know you had siblings." said Fluttershy. Junior shook his head.
"No, not biologically. I met someone in Canterlot when I was younger who became a sister figure to me. Her name is Blaire, she's one of Celestia's royal guard." replied Junior.
"You most certainly have an interesting background, Gojira." smiled Rarity. Junior nodded to her.
'You have no idea.' Junior thought to himself.
"What did she scold you about?" asked Spike.
"Well, you know the same stuff that Twilight may scold you for. Things like manners, respect, honesty, etc." replied Junior.
"She sounds like a very well-mannered lady." mused Rarity.
"Well, she is a noble. That's to be expected. Fortunately, she isn't snooty like most people in Canterlot." said Junior. He then sighed. Twilight looked to him with a comforting smile.
"You miss her don't you?" asked Twilight.
"I miss both of them. I haven't been able to make time to see them." said Junior. Then he remembered that he had a ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala. His mind then went sour. He was going to have to suck it up and use that as his excuse to see them.
"Did Celestia happen to give you a ticket to the Gala? Since you were taken in by her?" ask Twilight curiously. Junior groaned in annoyance in response.
"Yes..."
"Oh. Well, what's...oh never mind. I think know why." Twilight said sheepishly.
"I'll just have to suck it up and go. Besides, I never cared to socialize with the guests." said Junior. Rarity ears perked up.
"Oh darling, you simply must allow me to make you're attire for the Gala!" exclaimed Rarity.
"You don't need to trouble yourself. I may have something at home." Junior politely declined. Rarity looked at him with sad eyes.
"Pretty please." Rarity pouted. Junior's words were caught in his throat as he saw her face in a cute pout. It was not fair that she pulled this on him.
"Fine." Junior sighed as he looked away in embarrassment. Rarity clasped her hands together in joy.
"Excellent! I'll see you tomorrow to take your measurements."
"OK." said Junior in defeat. 'I think I've been letting these girls sucker me into a lot of stuff lately. I better be careful.'
A group of kids wondered the dimly lit streets alone and all dressed in costumes as zombies, ghosts, vampires, and witches. They had been going from door to door to, getting candy from residents. They chanted, 'Nightmare Night! What a fright! Give us something sweet to bite!' at every door. Their bags were filled to the brim with all sorts of candy ranging from lollipops, chocolate bars, sour drops, and liquorices. The children wondered down the road, searching for the next house.
"So, what did you guys get? I got five pieces of candy!" said a little Valkyrie girl dressed as a witch.
"I got a chocolate bar!" said an Earth bound girl in a white sheet with eye holes cut out from the front.
"I got a bit!" exclaimed an Elf boy dressed as a zombie. An Earth bound boy with a white sheet over him with multiple eye holes all around reached into his bag.
"I got a rock." said the boy dejectedly, pulling out a palm sized rock from his bag.
"Don't worry bro, I'll split my candy with you." said the girl in the white sheet. The children continued on down the road, looking for the nearest house. Suddenly, they heard a metal clang against the ground. The children yelped, searching for the source. They saw a trash can that was tipped over on its side. The sound of footsteps could be heard from all around them. The children huddled together, fearful expressions on their faces. They noticed a dark figure zipping over the rooftops above their heads. The sounds of dreadful moans can be heard in the air. As if the dead had risen from their graves. Suddenly, a low growling sound can be heard. The children began to have shallow breathing, they were sweating profusely and their heart rates shot up. They heard quick footsteps running toward them. They barely saw a figure moving past them, disappearing in the darkness. The sounds metal being scratched on can be heard. The children began to whimper at the sounds. A maniacal laugh can be heard from the shadows. The children heard a whoosh from behind, and something landing behind them. The children went stiff, turning slowly. What they saw made their stomachs turn. A skeleton with its eyes still its sockets stood before them. The skeleton raised its arms in the air and stepped closer to the children.
"RAAAAAH!!" screamed the skeleton in a scratchy voice. The children screamed in terror, turning and running away from the reanimated skeleton. As the children fled, the skeleton busted into a fit of laughter. Another voice erupted from the darkness, laughing with the skeleton. Rodan appeared out of the darkness, removing his mask.
"Nice one Rainbow!" exclaimed Rodan, high fiving the skeleton with long Rainbow hair.
"Thanks. You did pretty good yourself. You sure can make some creepy growls and move fast on the ground." praised Rainbow. Rodan grinned in response.
"Thank you, I have a knack with quickness." said Rodan. He then smiled smugly to himself. 'You should see me in the air.'
"Come on dude, let’s go scare some more people!" said Rainbow, taking off in the air.
"Right behind RD!" called Rodan. He ran across the road, hopping onto the roof of one of the small buildings. He then began to sprint off after Rainbow Dash as she flew in the direction of the full moon.
The pair spent their time pranking and scaring anyone that they could find from couples, children, and lone individuals. They hid in the darkness, creating ominous sounds and using the atmosphere to their advantage. Rodan and Rainbow sat next to each other on the roof of one of the buildings in town, looking up at the night sky.
"This has got to be the most fun that I had in years." Rodan sighed happily. He turned his head toward Rainbow "And it’s all thanks to you."
"Yeah? Me too. You're a pretty cool guy to hang out with." Rainbow looked to him with a grin. Rodan had a light blush on his face.
"Thanks." The two sat in silence, looking up at the night sky. Rodan felt his heart race just by being around the Valkyrie. He admired her courage and determination. She was someone who knew how to have fun, and wasn't the kind of athlete that was crazy with their physical looks. She was more proud of her athletic skills instead. She did boast, but he wasn't one to judge. He had a habit at being overconfident, which also caused him to lose early with Takeshi, and he was a bit of a joker. He enjoyed teaching her what he knew. Rainbow displayed herself as a quick learner. He ended up hanging out with her more while he was training her, which he enjoyed a lot, especially since he never had an actual friend before. He was glad to have met her, he knew that this feeling would have serious consequences. Rodan sighed to himself, a disappointed expression on his face. Rainbow saw this and had a look of concern on her face.
"Hey, you OK?" asked Rainbow.
"Huh? Oh, nothing. I was just thinking." answered Rodan.
"About what? Come on dude, don't get all sulky on me now." said Rainbow as she nudged Rodan in the shoulder.
"Well, you ever wish that you could change something in your past?" asked Rodan.
"Me? Well, maybe a few things. I kinda wish that I never got kicked out of flight school." Rainbow admitted. Rodan looked to her in surprise.
"No way! You?! You're the best flyer that I have ever seen!" said Rodan in shock. Rainbow sighed in response.
"Yeah, but I wasn't kicked out based on either being bad or too good at flying. I was kicked out because I broke some of their rules and was napping a lot during school. I was actually a lot lazier back then than I am today." explained Rainbow. She then sighed.
"Oh. That's too bad." said Rodan. He noticed how Rainbow brought her knees up and placed her chin on them, a demoralized expression on her face.
"Sometimes, I wonder if I'll ever become a Wonderbolt." Rodan looked down, kicking himself mentally for having her bring the subject up.
"You may have been kicked out of flight school, but you can still be a Wonderbolt." said Rodan, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You just have to apply yourself to be good enough! Study how they move and how you can improve yourself."
"You...really think that I can?" asked Rainbow. She turned her head and noticed that Rodan was closer. He placed his other hand firmly on her left shoulder, bringing her to face him. She didn't fight him, she instead looked deeply into his bright green eyes.
"No, I believe you can." Rodan said softly, with sincerity in his eyes. Rainbow's words were caught in her throat as she heard him say that. She always was confident in herself. However, there were times when she worried that she would fail. She wasn't as good as Applejack when it came to detecting liars, but she didn't see any lies in his eyes. He actually believed in her. This made her regain her confidence. She in fact, found herself lost in his gaze. Rodan too was lost in her eyes. He found Rainbow to be attractive, along with her personality, but he also loved her eyes. They were beautiful whenever they burned with determination, which he saw when he was teaching her his moves. Especially when they were wide as they were now. Their hearts beat rapidly in their chests. Rainbows palms began to sweat. Her cheeks reddened along with Rodan's. Rodan lightly gulped, feeling his heart racing much faster. His heart nearly stopped as Rainbow slowly began to lean closer to him. Suddenly, a sly smile formed on her face as she reached for the back of Rodan's head. He didn't have enough time to realize what was going on until he felt his hood tugged at. Rainbow yanked on the hood from the back and pulled it over his head, covering his entire face. Rainbow laughed lightly to herself and backed away from Rodan as he struggled to keep his balance from the force and pulled his hood off.
"Come on dude, let's go find AJ." said Rainbow Dash. Rodan sat stunned for a minute but snapped out of his state.
"Y-yeah. Let's go." He stuttered as he got up and followed Rainbow off of the building. He failed to notice Rainbow's smile as she blushed to herself.
Junior sat across from Spike on a large table. Spike was eating a caramel covered apple while Junior was eating a chocolate bar that was labeled as a Snicker. He tasted the milky chocolate, caramel and nuts. These combined made such a flavor that he couldn't resist! He wasn't much of a fan of candy, but this was his favorite. Twilight came over toward the table with a caramel apple, sitting next to Junior on his right. Rarity sat next to Spike with a paper cup of punch in her hand along with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. Mosura made her way over toward the group and sat on the table on Junior's left. She sighed in exhaustion.
"Tired?" asked Junior.
"Kind of." Mosura sighed.
"Where's Angirasu?" asked Spike as he looked around the area.
"He saw that your friend Applejack needed help with supervising the children with apple bobbing. So, he volunteered to help her." explained Mosura.
"Is that a good idea? I mean, he does have intimidating features. Gojira had the same problem with Applejack's little sister when he first started working for her. Oh, no offense darling." said Rarity.
"None taken." replied Junior. He took another bite of his snickers, savoring the taste.
"Don't worry; I made sure that they warmed up to him before I left. He seems to be great with kids." smiled Mosura.
"Awww. I bet he would make a great father." said Fluttershy. Junior went a little stiff at that comment. It wasn't that he didn't like it. He thought it would be an honor to receive a comment like that, especially from someone like Fluttershy. It was just that deep down, he knew that Angirasu wouldn't be able to experience that. He was a Transmutant! Junior didn't know if they were capable of reproducing with humans or if they could tolerate the burden of asking their children face that ostracism due to their genes. He remembered the Transmutant that was pregnant and wondered how would the children survive? Junior immediately stopped thinking about this. He couldn't let this put a damper on his night with friends.
Junior stood in front of a stand. The stand was filled with glass bottles that were tacked on each other. He held a baseball in his hand, as he shifted it in his palm. He stared at the bottles with determination. He analyzed the bottles, trying to determine where would be the best place to knock them all down. After he finished his analysis, he raised his arm, rearing it back. He calculated how much strength to use and where to throw it. Junior threw the ball toward the bottles, knocking them all down. Rarity, Mosura and Twilight applauded the Earth bound.
"Nice pitching!" praised the man that was running the stand. "Pick your prize."
"I'll take that one." said Junior as he pointed up to a medium sized plush lavender unicorn that sat on a shelf. It had violet eyes and a sapphire blue mane and tail. The man took the plushie and handed it to Junior.
"Here ya go pal." said the man.
"Thanks." said Junior . He turned and went over to Twilight and handed over the plush unicorn to her. That was then he noticed how much it reminded him of her, minus the cute highlights in her hair.
"For me?" asked Twilight in surprise. Junior smiled and nodded to her response. She then wrapped Junior into a warm hug.
"Thank you. It's very sweet of you." said Twilight. A light blush formed on Junior's cheeks.
"Y-yeah. You're welcome." said Junior as he looked away from Twilight's face. His heart pounded heavily in his chest. Rarity looked at the two with a smile. Oh, she knew what was up. They just made it obvious for her. Mosura looked to Junior with a worried expression. She herself knew what was being forged between the two. She was sensing strong emotions from both. Twilight's was stronger. This confirmed her suspicion.
'No...I was afraid that this would happen'
Fluttershy and Spike were passing by people in costumes and were making their way over toward where people were apple bobbing. They saw Applejack dressed as a zombie with her face painted green and her clothes ragged. Fake blood was painted on her lips and her clothes. She and Angirasu were supervising the children, making sure that they weren't horse playing around the area. Applejack noticed Fluttershy and Spike approaching.
"Howdy Spike! Howdy Flutter!" called Applejack. Angirasu's ears perked at the sound of Fluttershy's name and turned and saw her approaching.
"Hi Applejack. Hi Angirasu." Fluttershy waved.
"Hello." Angirasu smiled. He then noticed a pink and grey blur run toward him. He recoiled in surprise as he saw Pinkie a couple of feet near him.
"Hiya Angie!" said Pinkie with a bright smile. Angirasu's eye twitched at the sudden nickname.
"Wait, 'Angie'??" Angirasu asked dumbfounded.
"Yep! Do you like the nickname that I gave you?" asked Pinkie, a twinkle in her eye.
"Uh...I don't know." responded Angirasu.
"Oh! Where's the line for apple bobbing?" asked Pinkie excitedly.
"Well, the last person just finished. Go ahead." answered Angirasu. Pinkie dove for the large tub, dunking her head in the water. The tub bubbled as she searched for the apples.
"Nice costumes you three." complimented Applejack. Fluttershy blushed in embarrassment.
"Thank you." said Fluttershy quietly. She noticed that Angirasu was looking around with searching eyes, as if something was wrong.
"Angirasu?" called Fluttershy.
'That smell...where is that little-' Angirasu's train of thought was interrupted.
"Boo!" jumped Rodan and Rainbow from behind a barrel. Angirasu yelped in surprise and jumped at the scare. He calmed himself as he saw the two laughing. He then glared at them in annoyance.
"Good God you two, don't do that!"
"Lighten up bro. It's Nightmare Night!" said Rodan.
"Look what you did to Fluttershy!" said Angirasu as he pointed to the Valkyrie. She had fainted and was caught by Spike, who was struggling to hold her up.
"Oh, Oops. Sorry about that." said Rodan. He and Rainbow grinned sheepishly.
"A little help here!" called Spike as he struggled to hold Fluttershy up. Angirasu made his way over to Fluttershy and picked her up bridal style. He noticed her starting to come back around. She opened her eyes and made contact with Angirasu's.
"Um...would you mind walking me home?" asked Fluttershy. Angirasu looked back to Applejack.
"Go ahead sugar cube, I can handle it from here." reassured Applejack. Angirasu nodded to her.
"OK, let's get you home. I think I'm gonna turn in myself." said Angirasu. He then looked to Rodan. "Tell Mosu that I'll be at home."
"OK. Sorry Fluttershy for scaring you." apologized Rodan.
"Yeah, sorry Flutters." Rainbow apologized as well. Fluttershy gave them both a warm smile.
"It's OK. No hard feelings. I was planning to leave early anyway."
Angirasu and Fluttershy walked side by side down the road in the dark night alone. The stars and moon illuminated their path. The sounds of crickets chirping were in the air along with the lights of fire flies. It was a cool and lovely night. They were nearing the area where Junior had stayed.
"I'm sorry about Rodan. He tends to pull jokes a little too far sometimes." apologized Angirasu.
"Oh, it’s alright. But, can I ask you something?" asked Fluttershy.
"Sure."
"How close exactly are you to Rodan and Mosura?" asked Fluttershy, curiously.
"We're pretty close. They're like my brother and sister." answered Angirasu. Fluttershy looked to him in wonder.
"How did you three meet?" Angirasu contemplated his answer. He couldn't tell her the whole story.
"We...we're all orphans." answered Angirasu. Fluttershy had a sad expression on her face just by hearing the word 'orphan'. "Mosura was the one who helped us to leave Neighpon during the first few years that Transmutants were known. Her kind and warm, loving personality drew us to her. She gave us the same kind of affection that you could receive from family. We would have to be crazy to not stick with her."
"How come I never saw you or the others in Ponyville until Gojira came to town?" asked Fluttershy curiously. The pair was getting closer to her home.
"We only moved in a few years ago. We also didn't interact with people during that time. We...weren't comfortable being around other people. We did face prejudice from other settlements along the way. We were afraid that Ponyville wouldn't be any different. So we just stayed home, only leaving to find food and work."
"You know, you're not so different from Goji." said Fluttershy. Angirasu looked to her with a brow raised.
"How so?"
"He lost his family and had his share of facing prejudice too, and he spent most of his life with no one but with the princess." explained Fluttershy. "Oh. Um...did he tell you about that?"
"Yeah, he did. He was lucky that she took him in." sighed Angirasu. He then was lost in his own thought. ‘But, I fear that she will turn on him if she knew his secret.'
"Well, we're here." said Fluttershy. The pair stood in front of a path that led up to a cottage, with fences built behind it, bird houses in the trees and the leafy top of the cottage itself. A river ran beneath a bridge that stood at an arch and led to a small pond.
"Alright, have a safe and good night Fluttershy." said Angirasu as he turned and left. Fluttershy turned to find Angirasu leaving. She went after him and wrapped him into a hug.
"Thank you for walking me home. I felt safe with you around." said Fluttershy. Angirasu had a surprised expression. He slowly reached down to her, but hesitated. He then slowly wrapped his arms around her, returning her hug. This was the first time that a girl ever gave him a hug. He was afraid to return it, but swallowed that fear and did so.
"You're welcome."