It was early morning, the sunlight shone little light on the land. The sun beamed little spring heat. The air was filled with a rippling sound; black smoke rising in the air. A small village laid in ruin. Homes had crumbled or were engulfed in flames. A lone figure stood alone among the destruction. This figure was covered in scars, slowly healing. His coat was torn; his chest was covered in bloody gashes. The man's face was bruised, and his dark blue hair was covered in rubble. His jeans were slightly torn at the leg, but were still in condition to be worn. The man stood, watching the flames consume the homes. The lifeless bodies of over a dozen villagers laid in a row with sheets covering them. The figure watched as people wept for the loss of their homes and their loved ones. A woman keened while her husband comforted her, as the two were with a smaller body that was completely covered by a sheet. It was a painful sight to behold and he knew that things couldn't go on like this. He couldn't remain idle as Transmutants attacked the innocent. They were the reason why he had received his wounds. He decided to stand up for these humans. The Transmutants that attacked weren't as strong, but their numbers gave him trouble. It was bad enough that a Transmutant like Destoroyah was leading a group of terrorists for his so called, 'fight for survival'. Now, some Transmutants, such as the Mantis group, have gone on to become pests that raided towns for their food. None of this was helping human and mutant relations.
As the man was about to leave, a ragged Earth bound woman approached him. She was covered in dirt and a few scars. She had a nervous look on her face as she slowly approached him. The man merely kept his face neutral, allowing the woman to approach him.
"A-are you one of them?" asked the woman fearfully, intimidated by the man's larger build. The man nodded to her.
"I am. But, I'm not affiliated with the ones that were here. I'm on my own." the man answered. The woman had a puzzled expression.
"But...why would you help us?" asked the woman.
"Because if I didn't, then who would?" the man asked. The woman stepped closer the man. She then felt someone yank her from behind. She grunted and noticed that a familiar man to her had pulled her away from the stranger.
"You stay away from my sister, you... you damned freak!"
"Brother, please! He drove them away! He saved us!" the woman shoved away her brother, glaring at him disapprovingly.
"Don't be stupid! He's one of them. They can't be trusted!" the replied as he glared at the stranger. The stranger didn't glare back, he didn't even think of defending himself.
"Get out of here you monster!" shouted an Elf woman. A few other people turned their attention toward the stranger, shooting him angry looks.
"This happened because of you!" another man shouted. Soon, the gathered crowd began to shoot insults, and blame onto the stranger. The stranger took it all in, not retaliating. It wouldn't have gotten him anywhere. The woman that approached attempted to calm the crowd and to defend him. They didn't hear her, as they were too busy condemning the stranger.
"Alright...I'll leave. I'm sorry for all of your loses." the man said under the crowds. He turned and proceeded to leave the village, though his ears still picking up the condemnation that the people were giving him. His heart was heavy, but he continued on. There was something that made him a little happy. That woman who approached him; she didn't see him as the rest. Even though she was the only one who thought differently, it gave him hope. He may just be able to earn their trust. He just had to show them that he wasn't what they saw him as. A wise creature once told him, 'you're actions define who you are'. However, he couldn't do it alone. He was going to have to find others that wanted what he wanted.
"Hey wait!" called a familiar feminine voice. The man stopped and turned to find the woman that approached jogging his way. She stopped and began to pant.
"What...*huff*....what's your name?" asked the woman, attempting to catch her breath. The man looked to her in surprise, not expecting for her to come by and to ask his name. He lightly smiled.
"Goro." answered the man.
"Well, Goro. Thank you, for driving them away from our village. I'm sorry that the others treated you harshly." frowned the woman.
"No problem. I didn't do it and expected to receive any type of gratitude."
"I'll spread the word about you. I'll tell others that there's a Transmutant out there who stood up for humans!" declared the woman.
"Thank you. And good luck to you." said Goro.
Ponyville, Equestria
"Ah!" Pinkie screamed in delight as she bounced on a trampoline.
"I! Can't! Believe! The Grand! Galloping! Gala! Is! Tonight!" squealed Pinkie, every word came after each bounce. Twilight sat on the grass, reading a book outside of Rarity's boutique. An annoyed look was on her face.
"Pinkie, please stop shouting. I'm trying to concentrate!" said Twilight. Pinkie continued to bounce. Just then, Rarity stepped outside of her boutique, finding Pinkie bouncing in the early spring heat.
"Pinkie Pie! Stop that right now. It's time for you to prepare for the Gala and I refuse to let you put on your new dress if you’re all sweaty." said Rarity in a scolding tone. Pinkie stopped bouncing in midair, screeching to a halt to the surface of the trampoline. She hopped off of the trampoline next to Spike, observing Twilight reading her book. Pinkie stared in confusion.
"What's Twilight doing?" asked Pinkie in a whisper.
"She's got an awesome magic spell she's been working on for the Gala." Spike whispered back.
"Where are the others? It's getting late." complained Rarity, following their whispered tones.
"Hold your horses girl, we're here." called Applejack as she, Rainbow, Fluttershy and Junior trailed behind. Twilight closed her book, smiling in satisfaction.
"Perfect. I'm ready!" said Twilight.
"For what?" asked Rainbow in an eager tone.
"Alright, Spike." called Twilight. Spike came by with a luscious red apple in claws. He placed the apple on the grass in front of Twilight.
"An apple! Are we having pie?" asked Pinkie excitedly. Spike hushed her in response.
"Watch!" Twilight stood next to the fruit, her hands being engulfed by her magical aura. The apple began to glow, its shape morphing and growing. Suddenly, the apple changed into a huge apple. It was changed into a carriage with a wooden door on the side, and golden wheels that held it up. The group gave off words of awe at the feat performed by the scholar.
"Thanks. But that's just the start!" said Twilight. She then turned to Fluttershy. "Fluttershy, did you bring your friends?"
"Yes." answered Fluttershy as four white mice poked their heads out of her long hair. "Will they be safe, Twilight?"
"You have my word." reassured Twilight. She then shuts her eyes as her hands were once again engulfed by the raspberry aura. The mice began to glow and suddenly disappeared in a poof. They then reappeared as four white horses.
"Ta-da~!" sang Twilight. The rest of the group had mixed reactions about the horse turned mice. The transformed rodents’ appearance resembled ordinary horses. However, they still had their mice front teeth, their whiskers and their violet rodent eyes.
'Gross...' Junior thought to himself.
"Neat, huh? And don't worry, they'll be mice by midnight!" said Twilight. Just then, a white cat with a purple bow on its head and a collar with a diamond in the center leaped in the air. The cat's claws were exposed and its teeth were bared as it descended toward the horses.
"Opalessence, no!" cried Fluttershy. The cat named Opal landed on the rump of one of the horses, piercing it with her claws. The horse whinnied in pain and fright along with the other three and bucked the cat off of its rump. The horses galloped away from the area, seeking to get away from the feline.
"Wait! Come back!" called Twilight. "Those horses were supposed to pull our carriage. How will we get to the Gala?"
"Whatever shall we do?" cried Rarity, a hand over head as she stood dramatically. She then shot Twilight an amused look.
It was evening. The moon was high in the sky, a few clouds were above and the wind blew softly. The night sky was filled with many stars, twinkling in the distance. Junior sat with Spike at the driver seat of the carriage. He wore a black tuxedo, with a tie and black khakis. His hair was combed back, giving it a neater appearance. Rarity and Twilight kept pestering him to do so. Despite his reluctance, he ended up doing it anyway. Spike sat next to him, wearing a tuxedo with a red bow tie. He held the rein that was attached to two Earth pony stallions, which were generously loaned to them due to Rarity’s charm.
"This is going to be great Gojira! I can't wait till we get back to our home town." exclaimed Spike. Junior sighed in response.
"Yeah...I guess." Spike looked to him in confusion.
"Hey, what's wrong? I thought that you liked hanging out with us." said Spike. Junior shook his head.
"I do. But that's not the problem." answered Junior.
"Then what is? Aren't you excited to be back in Canterlot?"
"Kind of, but only because I get to see Celestia and Blaire. I just..." Junior stopped. He didn't want to ruin their experience. He knew how awful and boring the Gala could be. But, he hoped that his friends would have fun at least.
"Nevermind. I guess I'm just worried that I won't see Blaire." said Junior.
"Hey, don't sweat it! I'm sure you'll see her. Hey, we're almost there!" exclaimed Spike as they were nearing the castle. Junior felt his heart pound against his chest. He never thought that he would feel nervous to return to the castle. The carriage pulled up down the road, where many people gathered outside in formal attire. Spike parked the carriage near the path, hopping off of his seat and opening the door to the carriage. He bowed, courteously allowing the girls to exit the carriage. That was when Spike beheld the sight of them. They radiated in their dresses.
Twilight wore a blue dress with cyan stars that decorated the bottom. She wore a head band with a star on it, and cyan elbow length gloves. Applejack wore a dress that resembled more of a farmer look. It was brown and leathery at the top half, a plastic and flat red apple decorated her collar. Her dress at the bottom was an emerald green, running down to her shins. Her boots were the same shade of green and leathery. Her blonde hair was made into a braided ponytail, reaching down to her shoulder. She still wore a Stetson hat, but this one was decorated with a couple of red apples and markings that made it look formal to wear. Pinkie was dressed in a somewhat frilly dress decorated with images of candies. Her dress was pink at the lower part but the upper part was colored baby blue with white stripes. Pinkie wore a little white hat on her head with a pink bow. Junior honestly thought that she looked kind of cute and that the dress was very fitting for her personality. Rarity was wearing a cloak over her shoulders that wrapped around her. Her dress came in different shades of pink, yellow, and purple. The bottom half of the dress was frilly and decorated with purple, pink, yellow and white jewels. It had stripes of yellow and pink running through a magenta surface and ending in a purple color. The upper half of the dress was simpler as it consisted of a frilly pink dress-shirt with purple cuffs and purple collar. Rarity wore two gold earrings and one amethyst earring, a gold necklace with an amethyst center, and a tiara with amethyst and purple jewels to catch the attention of the people Rainbow wore a cyan colored dress that hung from one shoulder and went down to her knees, revealing her golden slippers with straps that wrapped up to her shins. Over the lower part of her dress was a piece that went further down, with rainbows that matched her hair. She wore a necklace that was shaped as purple grapes and a long golden leaf-like piece that hung on the side of her head from a headband. The tip of Rainbow's hair was wrapped into a beret, leaving a small tail at the end. Fluttershy's dress was jade. A large butterfly decorated the center above her chest, the color matching her moderate cyan eyes. Small berets of flower heads decorated her hair, along with another butterfly that was clipped on the side of her rose colored hair. Her dress gave her the look of a guardian of nature as her gloves wrapped her hand up to her forearms, with decorative vines wrapping up further up her arms.
"You look...amazing!" said Spike as he gazed upon the girls. Junior couldn't help but gaze at them himself. He was in full agreement with the young drake. The girls stared off to the castle in excitement.
"I can't believe that we're finally here! With all that we've imagined, the reality of this night will sure to make this the best night ever!" declared Twilight.
"At the Gala" sang Twilight. A few other people sang after her.
"Oh boy..." sighed Junior. Spike looked up to him in confusion.
"What's up?"
"Another musical number, that's what's up." answered Junior sourly.
"You don't sing?" asked Spike, curiously. Fluttershy was singing about becoming friends with the animals in the Canterlot gardens.
"Hell no." deadpanned Junior. He then looked down to Spike in confusion. "Don't you find it strange that people just tend to break out into song at certain times?"
"Not really. People do it all the time." answered Spike nonchalantly. Applejack begins to sing in the background. Junior was too focused on his conversation to pay attention.
"...Seriously?" asked Junior. Spike nodded.
"You didn't know that?"
"No... I... Was I supposed to?" Junior asked worriedly. Spike shrugged.
"I don't know. Why don't you know about this?"
"I mostly kept to myself for most of my life. I never been out a whole lot." answered Junior.
"Wow. Dude, you gotta get out more often." said Spike in concern.
"Tell me about it." said Junior. The two watched as the girls and people continued to sing away. Spike then had a mischievous smile.
"Tell me that you at least know that Princess Celestia can raise the Sun." joked Spike. Junior rolled his eyes in response.
"Ha! Ha! Very funny."
"I can't believe they ditched us!" Spike shouted in disbelief. He sat on the ground of the castle entrance with his cheek resting on his claw. He had a dejected expression on his face. Junior walked up to him patted him on his back.
"Don't let it get to you kid. We can still hang out." said Junior. Spike looked back at the Earth bound and smiled.
"Come on, let's go see if we can find Blaire. I'll introduce you to her." said Junior as he walked into the castle. Spike stood up to his feet, following Junior's lead.
The two roamed the castle halls, looking for any nearby guards. As the two were searching, Junior began to have a feeling of nostalgia over him. Roaming these halls reminded him of his days living there back when he would spend his days alone, in fear and anger. It was fortunate that he was sheltered by the benevolent princess. However, he wished that his father could have been around with him. As Junior was lost in his thoughts, he nearly failed to notice an Earth bound guard in golden armor walking in his path down the right hall. Junior immediately stopped himself, before colliding with the guard.
"Sorry about that sir." apologized Junior. The guard looked to him with a stern expression.
"What are you doing in these halls kid?" said the guard. His expression softened as he got a closer look at Junior. "Oh, good evening to you, Gojira."
"Oh, good evening."
"I didn't know that you would come to the Gala. Sargent Blaire always said that you hated coming to these parties." laughed the guard. Junior chuckled with him.
"Yeah. I actually came with some friends. I thought it'd be a good excuse to see the princess and Blaire." answered Junior.
"So you made friends? Blaire will be thrilled to hear that you're here and made yourself some friends." smiled the guard. He then noticed the drake next to Junior. "So, you made friends with the Princess's personal student?"
"That's right. I actually wanted to introduce Spike to her. Do you know where she is?" asked Junior.
"Of course. She's off duty right now, so I'll escort you to her." smiled the guard.
"Thank you. I appreciate it."
The trio made their way outside of the castle. They followed the guard down to the barracks, searching for Blaire. The guard placed his hand on the knob of the barrack door, twisting it and pushing it open. Inside, there were rows of beds that lined the room. The room was almost empty. Only a few guards were inside, conversing with each other. The trio traveled down the room, searching for Junior’s acquaintance. That was when Junior noticed a familiar blonde colored hair and red feathered wings.
"Blaire!" Junior called out. The mystery person in a grey T-shirt and sweat pants jumped at the call of her name. She quickly turned and gasped at the sight of Junior. She got off of bed and ran toward Junior. She wrapped him into a tight hug, tears of joy running down her face.
"Goji! Oh, I missed you so much!" cried Blaire. Junior returned his sister figure's hug, trying to fight his own tears.
"I missed you too, sis." said Junior. Blaire pulled away from him, wiping the tears out of her eyes.
"What took you so long to visit?" asked Blaire. Junior looked down shamefully.
"I'm sorry. I hadn't been able to make time to visit." said Junior. Blaire smiled at him, giving him a kiss on his cheek.
"That doesn't matter. What matters is that you're here." Blaire noticed Spike standing next to the guard, who had a light smile on his face at witnessing the reunion.
"Who's this little guy? He's so darn cute!" cooed Blaire as she knelt down in front of Spike. She rubbed Spike's cheeks, causing him to blush in embarrassment.
"I-I'm Spike." stuttered the young dragon.
"She's actually the Princess's personal student's assistant." said the guard that escorted Junior and Spike.
"Oh, well that explains why there's a little dragon in Canterlot. I had no idea about this." said Blaire.
"Well, I must be off. It was a pleasure meeting you personally, Gojira." said the guard. Junior nodded to him.
"Thank you, sir. I appreciate your help." The guard smiled in response, making his way out of the barracks.
"Hey Goji, why don't we all take a walk?" suggested Blaire. Junior looked to Spike, he nodded to him. Junior looked back to Blaire, smiling.
"Sounds good."
Junior, Blaire and Spike walked in silence. The trio was walking in the statue gardens of Canterlot. No one was around, just the three of them. They passed the historic statues of all of Equestria's history, which depicted the heroes and villains of Equestria. The statues made Junior recall the days of his past. Sometimes, he would wonder the garden when he felt sad as a little boy. He came to be alone, looking up to the stoned figures that were depicted. He grew to admire the heroes and their history.
"So, how have you been adjusting to Ponyville?" asked Blaire.
"It was rough at first. But now, I think I've adjusted just fine." answered Junior, truthfully. She smiled at this.
"So, have you made any friends?"
"I have." answered Junior. He thought back to the girls, along with Spike, Mosura, Rodan and Angirasu. As time went on, he grew to call them his friends. They even began to do the same for him. In fact, Angirasu and Mosura stopped referring to him on a last name bases. They now just refer to him as 'Gojira'. He had done the same with them, referring to them at their first names.
"That's good." said Blaire. The trio had stopped walking. Blaire looked to him with a sly smile. "Any girlfriends yet?"
"Um...that depends on what you mean by 'girlfriends'." said Junior, a light blush on his face. Spike laughed at his embarrassment.
"Come on bro! I’m talking about a lover. Or do you have girls that are just friends with you?" said Blaire in a teasing tone.
"No, I haven't formed that kind of relationship. But, I did make friends with a few girls." admitted Junior.
"Oh yeah? How many?" asked Blaire, getting close Junior.
"Oh, a few." said Junior, beads of sweat on his forehead.
"A few? How much is a few?" Blaire deadpanned. Spike stifled his laughter.
"7 girls, OK?!" Junior admitted in embarrassment. Blaire placed her hands over her cheeks, a look of surprise on her face.
"7?! Ooh, you lady killer!" teased Blaire. Junior crossed his arms and looked away.
"Shut up." Blaire giggled to herself. She then looked up to the sky.
"I'm glad that you're doing better, Goji." said Blaire. She then looked to him with a smile.
"Do you remember my daughter?" asked Blaire. Junior nodded, a small smile on face.
"Little Cynthia. I haven't seen her since she was four."
"Well, what do you think of being an uncle?" asked Blaire. Junior looked to her in confusion.
"An uncle?"
"She's was shy when she was younger. But now, she isn't as shy anymore. I think it'd be nice if you could fill the role as another one of her family members." said Blaire. Junior looked to her in surprise.
"You...want me to be an uncle to Cynthia?" asked Junior in disbelief. She nodded to him. "Is your husband OK with that?"
"Of course! He thought it'd be good for her to have an uncle. My husband doesn't have any siblings, and you’re the closest thing that I have to a brother." said Blaire.
"I...I would be honored." smiled Junior.
"Great! Well, I have to get home now. I'll see you later Goji." said Blaire as she wrapped Junior into a hug. Junior returned her hug.
"I'll see you Blaire." said Junior. Blaire broke the hug and made her way out of the statue garden. She then looked to Spike and waved.
"Bye spike~" Spike chuckled embarrassingly.
"Bye!" Spike and Junior were left alone by themselves in the garden. The sound of crickets was the only sound in the air.
"Wow, she seems like an awesome sister." said Spike.
"Yeah, she is." said Junior. He looked around the garden, his memories running wild. That was when he noticed a tall statue in the corner.
"Hey Goji, You know that doughnut shop that's nearby? How about we head down there and wait for the others?" suggested Spike.
"Huh? Oh, yeah that sounds good." answered Junior, distracted by the statue.
"You OK?"
"Yeah. Go ahead without me. I'll be joining you later." said Junior as he continued to gaze at the statue.
"OK...I'll see ya there then." Spike slowly began to leave. He took one last look at Junior, and then sighed.
Junior was all alone in the garden. No one else was around but him and a few statues. To Junior, none of those statues mattered to him at the moment. It was the one in front of him that mattered; the one from his earliest days in Canterlot. The statue was a tall, lanky human-like creature. He stood at 7 foot 5, on top of a pedestal. He wore a suit and khakis; his left forearm was like an eagle's claw, but appearing to be built like a human's arm and hand. His right forearm was a lion's paw, yet also bearing the resemblance of a human's hand. His right leg was reptilian-like, with large claws at the end, and his left leg was a goat's. These limbs and appendages were like they were taken from anthropomorphic beasts. A long reptilian tail wrapped around the pedestal downward in a spiral way. The man's face had bony cheeks; one of his canines on his upper jaw was long and pointed. The man's hair was scruffy, a pointy beard on the tip of his chin and bushy eyebrows. The man had wings on his back; the left wing was a bat's and the right wing was like a bird's. The man had pointed ears and horns. However, his right horn resembled a goat's and the left one resembled a dear's antler. The man stood on the pedestal, with his lion paw over his chest, and his eagle claw extended out to his left. He looked as if he were laughing. Junior recalled this statue very well. The human-like creature did appear odd, but he often wondered what it was. Obviously, he learned that it represented disharmony.
"Hey Discord, it's me, Gojira." greeted Junior, sitting in front of the statue. The cold, dead stone did not respond. "It's been awhile since I've seen you."
"You know, you were always my favorite statue in the gardens. I look at you; see how you're much different from the others. I wondered if people hated you because you were different?" asked Junior. He waited silently, looking at the face of the statue.
"I'm right, am I? Well, I guess that's why you have the legend of causing chaos and disharmony. You find it as the only thing that would bring you joy in this world." sighed Junior. He looked down sadly at the ground.
"Can I tell you a secret? It’s something that I have never told a soul about. Not even Celestia knows." The statue remained still and silent.
"I'm not any more normal than you are. You may be the most natural one out of both of us. I'm the real freak here, not you." said Junior. He plucked the grass out of the ground as he spoke.
"I was taken away from my home along with my father. Some humans changed us into...monsters. I'm one of those Transmutants that you may have heard about from people who pass by." Junior solemnly admitted. He looked back at the statue with sadness.
"I never experienced prejudice like you might have or the others have. But, when I hear the things that people say about us, it just makes me lose hope. I'm afraid to even to tell Celestia!" said Junior as he stood.
"What have I done wrong? What has my father done wrong? What has any of us done wrong to deserve this?!" shouted Junior, his voice breaking. Junior's breathing grew shallow.
"My dad found out that the people who changed us were making another. He didn't like that. Not. One. Bit." said Junior, his voice low as he scowled at the ground.
"He set out to find the facility, and destroyed it. Along with most of the humans that were working there. Except for the new Transmutant that he could have prevented from being created." said Junior, his voice filled with spite.
"I can't remember its face, only that it looked evil, like a demon. Those eyes. Oh, God those horrible eyes." said Junior. His mind flashing briefly to his memory of those two ominous yellow eyes.
"That thing escaped. He repaid my father's rescue by taking his life! That bastard did it in front of me!" cried Junior. His eyes were burning with the great rage that was only calmed for a short while.
"I shouldn't say this, but I think my father made the right decision at killing those humans." Junior growled. He turned and began to pace around. "Because of them, there are more of us out there! Those humans had no regard for our lives. They were animals!" said Junior. His eyes were beginning to water. He stopped and then looked up to the statue.
"And he slaughtered them like animals. I hate them! And I hope that they all rot in Hell, Tartarus or whatever you prefer to call it!" shouted Junior. Junior's nostrils were flaring as he breathed heavily through his nose. The statue stood in silence. Only the sound of the night breeze, Junior's breathing and the crickets can be heard.
"Mark my words, Discord. When I find the Transmutant that took my father away from me, I am going to make him suffer." said Junior, He turned away from the statue and began to walk away.
"Just as he made me suffer." said Junior to himself. The Transmutant continued down the path, making his way out of the gardens. The statue stood alone.
"What a fascinating boy." said an echoed male voice. It began to chuckle darkly.
Junior was walking alone along Canterlot. He had completely forgotten that he had to meet Spike at the doughnut shop, so he decided to keep wondering town for a bit. He wasn't in the mood to be around people right now. He thought that talking to a statue that he treated like an imaginary friend as a kid would help him feel a little better, but it had the opposite effect. He wasn't expecting the night to be all exciting to begin with as he hated the Gala and Canterlot. So far, his meeting with Blaire was the only high point of the evening. He wanted to see Celestia, but he doubted that he would be in a better mood by then. Blaire and Celestia were the only reason why he even bothered coming to the Gala. As Junior was walking down the road, he felt that someone was following him. He heard footsteps from behind, over a dozen feet behind him.
'Let's see if you're dumb enough to try it.' Junior thought to himself. He found an alley across the road. He began to make his way down there, hearing the stalker following his pace. As he continued on, he heard a few other steps following him. Junior smirked to himself. He continued deeper into the alley, before he met with a wall.
"End of the line asshole." said a smug, male voice. A few other males chuckled as they approached Junior from behind. Junior slowly turned around, a neutral look on his face. He noticed that one of them had a wooden bat, another had brass knuckles and the leading guy held up a knife.
"Now, give us all that you got. If you do, maybe we'll only break a couple of bones." said the guy with a knife.
"Guys, trust me when I say this. You don't want to mess with me." warned Junior. The guy that wore the brass knuckles approached Junior. He reared his fist back and slugged Junior across the cheek. Junior staggered a bit. The Earth bound packed a punch, but not good enough. A light bruise formed on Junior's cheek. His eyes were closed as he inhaled deeply. He then lets out a sharp exhale, opening his eyes and shooting the Earth bound a menacing glare.
"I warned you. Now, you've just pissed me off." said Junior, calmly. He then reared his fist back and punched the Earth bound in his jaw. The Earth bound cried out in agony as his jaw had cracked from the punch. Junior then grabbed him and lifted him over his head, throwing him against the wall. Junior then charged at the Earth bound that had the knife. The Earth bound swung the knife at him, attempting to scare him away. Junior merely grabbed the knife by its blade, yanking it out his hand. He then kneed the Earth bound is his gut, knocking the wind out of him. He collapsed onto his back, struggling to breathe. The Valkyrie with the bat yelled in anger as he flew toward the Transmutant. He swung the bat at Junior across the face. Junior staggered a bit, and then felt something loose and tasted iron in his mouth. He spat on the ground, and out came a couple of his back maulers and some blood. He glared at the Valkyrie as he was about to swing again. Junior dodged the swing, then swept him with his leg. The Valkyrie fell over, dropping his bat on the ground. He then got back onto his feet and threw a punch at Junior. Junior caught the fist with his hand with ease. He squeezed the Valkyrie's fist, cracking the bones in his hand. The man began to cry out as he felt the Transmutant crushing his fist. Junior kept his glare on him, twisting his arm slowly and forced the Valkyrie onto his knees. Junior then reared his free hand back, balling it into a fist. He swung his fist against the Valkyrie's face, knocking him to the ground. The Valkyrie gave a groan before he passed out.
"Hmph. Pathetic." snorted Junior in disgust. He then reached his finger into his mouth, feeling where his teeth were knocked out. He felt that his maulers were in the process of being replaced. He then looked to his hand that caught the knife by its blade. His palm had fully healed itself, leaving behind a blood stain. It was another benefit to the mutation.
"What happened?!" cried Celesita. Junior had recently arrived at the doughnut shop that Spike was talking about. His maulers had fully grown back, but his bruises were still visible on his face. He wished that the bruises could have faded sooner. He was greeted with Twilight and the others, all of them looking ragged. They must have had a rough night too. Unfortunately, Celestia was here as well.
"I...was in the process of getting mugged." Junior admitted. She gasped, making way over to him. She grabbed him by his cheeks and was looking him over.
"What did they do to you? Where are they?!" demanded Celestia. Junior pulled himself away from her.
"I'm fine! I just got punched a few times. They're unconscious in the alley downtown. I let a couple of guards nearby know before I came." said Junior. Celestia huffed.
"Why were you down there?" asked Celestia. Twilight and the others were watching awkwardly.
"I just felt like taking a walk. Why are you freaking out about this? This isn't the first time that I've been in a fight."
"Why shouldn't I-" Celestia stopped herself. She remembered that her subjects were present. She didn't want to argue with Junior here. She motioned him to step outside with her. He trailed behind her.
"You...think he's in trouble?" asked Spike, worriedly.
"I hope not." answered Twilight. She hadn't seen Junior with bruises like that since... She couldn't remember when the last time that he had bruises was. He had spent the past few months spending time with them. He rarely got into fights during that time. Now, he comes back to their home town and he's attacked. She was actually shocked to see him like that when he walked in.
Junior and Celestia stood a few feet outside of the doughnut shop. He sighed as he listened to her beginning to lecture him.
"Junior, it's just that I worry about you. I haven't seen you since you left to live in Ponyville!" said Celestia. Junior groaned in response.
"I know that you do! But Celestia, I'm not a little kid anymore! I'm 19 now!" retorted Junior. Celestia looked at him in irritation.
"So, just because you're nearing adult hood, it’s not good for me to worry about you?" asked Celestia.
"I didn't say that! I just wish you would have a little more faith in me!" answered Junior. His tone filled with frustration.
"I do! I just..."
"I've gotten into worst fights! I've been breathing it for years! I can take any asshole on the street!"
"Watch your language, young man!" scolded Celestia.
"You're not mother!" yelled Junior. After saying that sentence, he just realized what he had just said. He noticed that Celestia stood in front of him. She looked like that she was just told that she lost a family member. Her face had then changed to a look of hurt. Junior felt his heart sank.
"I...I didn't mean that." said Junior. He desperately wanted to take it back. Never in his life has he ever disrespected Celestia. He'd felt that he would be disrespecting his father as well if he ever did. He couldn't stand to look at her face like this.
"...No, I'm not. But, I began to wish that I was. I worry because I love you. I was even afraid that you would die when you went to Neighpon last year." said Celestia with a monotone voice. Junior felt that he was dying inside just hearing her speak in that tone.
"I guess that's why you left Canterlot, right? Or maybe even Equestria? Because I wasn't good enough to be like your real mother?" asked Celestia.
"No! No, Celestia that wasn't-" Junior stopped as he noticed Celestia's eyes began to water. She quickly turned away from him.
"Excuse me. I have to leave." said Celestia, struggling to keep her voice from breaking. She began to walk away from the doughnut shop. Junior reached out for her, but did not call out to her. His words remained inside of him. He then heard the door to the shop open as he stared as Celestia walked away.
"Gojira? Is everything OK?" asked Twilight. Junior didn't respond as he slowly lowered his arm.
"Twilight, I'm gonna take the train home." said Junior. Twilight looked to him with a puzzled expression.
"Why? What happened?"
"I'm sorry. I don't want to talk about it." answered Junior. He then broke off into a sprint.
"Wait! Gojira, come back!"
Junior had arrived late at home. He undressed himself out of his formal attire, slipping into his pajamas. He made his way over to the living room, dimly lit by the ceiling light. He sat on the sofa, a completely blank look on his face. His eyes were dead, his breathing was calm. He sat in silence, thinking back to earlier. He then immediately stood up and flipped over his small table. He then gave off an angry yell as he ran over to the wall, punching a hole into it with ease. He was breathing heavily as he picked up a lamp and threw against the wall, shattering into pieces.
"I'm so stupid!" shouted Junior. He then looked at a mirror that lied on the ground. He glared at the reflection.
"You made her cry, you worthless son of a bitch! You broke the heart of the woman that took you in, who fed you, who loved you! You're not a human being, you're goddamned monster!" Junior then picked up the mirror and glared at his reflection.
"You don't deserve to live, you ungrateful bastard! You should have let that thing killed you like it did with your father! Hell, you should tell MONARCH that you're still alive and let them cap your ass!" shouted Junior. He then threw the mirror against the wall, causing it to crack. Junior breathed heavily, dropping to his knees. He slammed his fist on the ground, shattering the wood.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please, forgive me, Celestia. Father. Mother." whispered Junior.
"Gojira." called a deep, and dark voice. It echoed in the air. Junior gasped as he heard the voice. He quickly stood and turned, searching for the source of the demonic voice.
"Who's there?! Show yourself!" shouted Junior. He felt a burning sensation in his body. Junior yelled in pain, feeling the heat within. He stumbled as he tried to walk.
"Gojira...I'm coming for you." said the voice. Junior burst through the door to his bathroom. He fell to his sink, his breathing shallow and his head running with sweat.
"What's happening to me?" asked Junior. He trembled as he recalled the pain. He was frightened.
"My darling boy. My Gojira." called the voice. From Junior's mirror, appeared a shadowed figure hidden in smoke. Red eyes glowed from the smoke. Junior's eyes widened at the sight as he backed away from his mirror. "Don't be afraid."
The figure spoke, the smoke cleared from the body of the figure. Smoke came from its mouth as it spoke. The figure's face was revealed to be the dragon that haunted his dreams. But, this time it was different. The dragon seemed to be a darker grey. Its body looked more menacing. Its scales were much more rough and spiked along its cheeks, brows, head and neck. Its teeth were sharper and its red eyes lacked pupils. The arms were covered in rougher scales and the shoulders were covered in little spikes. The chest still had the armored crest.
"Warriors aren't supposed to fear...power." said the dragon as it rose a brow. Junior suddenly felt intense pain burning into his soul. He wailed in agony. He fell to his knees, still crying out to the heavens. The dragon laughed maniacally at the young Transmutant's pain.
"Your evolution continues..."