//------------------------------//
// Chapter 18: Fruitless Pursuit 
// Story: The Arrogance of Man 
// by Johng117 
//------------------------------//

The day was setting in the land of Equestria. MONARCH soldiers had been patrolling the town for the last four hours since the attack. Some buildings of the town were nothing but broken wood that piled over a foundation. Silence filled the place as the soldiers kept their rifles held, searching the corners of the town. People hid in their homes with their friends and family. Two large mechs stomped around the area, their blue visors glowing brightly as they scanned the area. Sunset sat on a bench with a bandaged covering her forehead. She wore an angry expression as she sat next to Erika.
"I almost had him! He knew I was going to kill him!" said Sunset in agitation.
"I thought we were supposed to arrest them if they surrendered. Why were we given the order to kill him?" asked Erika.
"I don't know. All I know is that the higher ups wanted him gone." said Sunset. She then groaned in frustration.
"I looked like an amateur! It should have been easy just to take him down, now they all got away!" shouted Sunset. Erika sighed in response. Suddenly, the sound of beeping came from Sunset's wrist watch. She looks to it and sighs.
"Come on. They want us to report back to base." said Sunset.




Meanwhile...

Princess Celestia sat on her throne in the coming evening. Her mood was calm as she felt the cool air beginning to bathe her as she lowered the sun. Celestia smiled as she saw her younger sister raise the moon into the sky. It was good to have her home and to rule by her side. Only herself and a couple of guards were present in the throne room. As she sat, the doors suddenly burst open. One of her royal guards was rushing into the throne room.
"Your highness! I bring news from Ponyville!" said the guard urgently. Celestia suddenly sat up straight in her seat, an attentive look on her face.
"Yes?" asked Celestia. The guard took off his helmet with a solemn expression.
"Ponyville was attacked hours ago." said the guard. Celestia gasped in response.
"Were there any casualties?!" asked Celestia urgently.
"At least over a couple dozen citizens perished." said the guard. Celestia stared with wide eyes. She lowered her head down in sadness at the news of her subjects being killed.
"Who was responsible?" asked Celestia in a monotone voice.
"MONARCH reported that a small group of Transmutants invaded the town." answered the guard. Celestia's eyes shot up in alarm.
'Junior and Twilight!' Celestia thought with dread. She stood up to her feet and began to descend down from her throne.
"I must check on my subjects, my pupil and my son! Tell Princess Luna that I am off to Ponyville!“ commanded Celestia. The guard saluted in response. Celestia made her way out of the throne room, quickly walking down the halls. She made her way out to a balcony, her eyes gazing out to the night sky that covered the land. She then unfurled her great feathered wings, spreading them like a majestic bird, and took off into the wind. As she flew off of the balcony of the castle, she raised her hands in the air. They were engulfed in a sparkling gold aura.
'Please be safe.' thought Celestia. She then suddenly vanished in a bright flash of light, disappearing into the night.



Celestia soared in the air over the Everfree forest. She was closer to Junior's home, so she decided to check on him first. Her wings beat against the wind as she slowed down to a descent. As she gracefully landed onto the grass, she searched her surroundings. The area was quiet, no one was in sight. She remembered the address that Junior had given her and felt her heart jump when she had located a house that sat alone. She rushed over toward the house, praying that Junior was safe inside. She reached the porch, knocking urgently against the door.
"Junior! It's me, Celestia!" called Celestia. She waited patiently for a few seconds. She didn't see any light coming from the windows of the house. She didn't hear him approaching the door. She began to grow anxious and knocked on the door for a second time.
"Junior! Son, please open the door!" cried Celestia. After a couple of seconds, she shuts her eyes and teleports inside of the house. The dark room is lit up by her magic, quickly disappearing into darkness. She raises her hand as it glowed in the darkness and searched for a light switch. After she had spotted the switch on the wall near the door, she quickly flips it, causing the room to suddenly brighten. She called Junior throughout the house, her fears and worries growing. She burst through his bedroom, finding a neat bed and a few opened drawers that had missing clothes. She slowly walked inside of the room, searching for any clue that she could find. She then found three picture frames that sat on a counter. She lightly gasped as she recognized the man and little boy in the photo. She saw her old friend, Gojira and Junior sitting next to each other with a woman, which she presumed to be Junior’s mother.
Celestia then noticed the two other photos. They were knocked over; one depicted Junior standing with Twilight and her friends. He looked happy in the photo. The other was of her and Junior standing beside each other when he was in his mid-teens. She walks out of the room and back into the living room. Before she rushed out to the door, something caught her eye. A journal sat alone on the table in front of the sofa. She levitates it toward itself, finding the text, 'My History'. Curious, she opened the journal to the first page. The writing was neat, but with few spelling errors. She saw the text, 'Entry 1' above the written paragraph. She began to read silently to herself, Junior's voice echoing in her mind as she read the entry.

'Life is filled with many things. There is beauty in it, there is danger, and there is the ugly. What is it that makes the ugly things ugly? Is it the way that they look? Is it their actions? Is it their ideas? Or is it because everyone else seems to call it ugly and it turns out ugly? That is one of many questions that I have been asking myself.  The world is facing a new race known as the Transmutants. People fear and hate them. I often wondered why they have suddenly appeared. Hearing about them and their abilities allowed me to make some startling links. My name is Gojira Takeshi the 2nd. Son of Gojira Takeshi the First of the Takeshi clan in Neighpon. This is the story where my life had changed forever. This is the story where I have been forced to live my life as a dishonest perversion of nature.'

"What?" asked Celestia aloud. She wondered what Junior meant by the last sentence as he rarely talked the way he did on the diary. She spent the next minute reading through the first entry of the journal. She read about Junior's early life from what he remembered. She felt her heart warmed from reading the joy and the love that he had his parents. However, as she continued reading on how his father taught him how to use his fighting skills, she suddenly felt herself growing uneasy as she read on. Junior wrote that men had broken into their home and kidnapped them. She read that he and his father were locked in cages after they were cut open and were exposed to a mutagen into their body. She felt herself grow upset as she read on.
"Junior, why didn't you tell me about this?" asked Celestia in a distraught voice. As she read on, she felt herself growing disturbed at the next lines. Junior described himself being in excruciating pain as if his body was breaking itself and reassembling into a different form.

'-After that, our bodies changed into something that wasn't human. We were forced to flee from the facility and hide from the humans. Unfortunately we were seen and that caused a riot. This led to MONARCH being formed after they found out that the organization had created genetic mutations and caused a panic among the locals in Neighpon. They decided to hunt us like animals.'

"Wh-what?" Celestia's blood went cold as she read about MONARCH. She couldn’t believe that her adoptive son was tied to that organization.

'The organzation took away our names and gave us new ones. My father was called, Alpha; he was the first Transmutant. I was called, Lucky Dragon, because I nearly perished in the surgery and my genes were mutated with the same kind of dragon that my father was. This is my deepest and darkest secret. We were the first Transmutants and we certainly were not the last.'

Celestia stood with the book in grip with wide eyes after she finished the journal entry. Her breathing was shallow and her body trembled. Her grip loosened on the journal, causing it to fall out of her hands and crash onto the ground.
"No..." whispered Celestia. All this time, she was told by Junior that Gojira died from an illness. He told her that he was searching for help but he unexpectedly came across her in a nearby village. She saw him crying alone in the streets with no one else to turn to. She introduced herself to him, which caused him to look at her with wide and hopeful eyes. Gojira had told him about her and that made her realize that the boy was the son of her friend.  Celestia was surprised that Gojira had a son but she could see the resemblance between those two. He even wore a medallion that depicted the Takeshi clan symbol. She had decided to take him in and raise him as her if he were her own. The happiness she felt that day strongly contrasted with her unease when she read about her son’s past as one of the first two Transmutants.
"Oh...oh..." Celestia dropped to her knees, her eyes welling up with tears. She had just read something that no one should ever go through. Reading this journal entry, she was able to tell that Junior was filled with pain and suffering. She could hear his devastated voice in her head as he had revealed the truth about himself in writing.
"Oh, Junior! I didn't know! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" cried Celestia. She sat as she wept. She then gasped as she recalled why she had arrived. She had to find her son, her love for him still strong despite the revelation that he was a Transmutant. She took the journal and quickly stood up to her feet and rushes out of the door.
"Junior! Junior, where are you?!" called Celestia. Her voice echoed in the air as she called for adoptive son. She continued calling for him as tears streamed down her face. After no response, she drops to her knees.
"Junior!!" Celestia cried out to the heavens. She then began to sob, her tears falling onto the grass. She assumed that he had run away and hid from the world after the attack and couldn’t help but despaired at having failed her son and her deceased friend.



In the dark of the night, the Everfree was shrouded in darkness. Junior, Mosura, Rodan, and Angirasu were able to see clearly in dark. They tread through the forest together, not saying a word. They all carried a traveling back pack with the supplies they needed to survive. They had decided to leave the lair together for it was no longer safe for them to remain with MONARCH after them. Rodan wore a pained and dejected expression as he carried his bag.
"You were right, Goji. No girl would ever accept us if they knew about our real selves. I wish that I listened to you." said Rodan solemnly. Junior looks to him in sympathy.
"Hey, I was the one who messed up too. I ended up falling for Twilight and actually went on a date with her. Next day, she rejects me." said Junior. Rodan looks to him in pity.
"That's rough, buddy." said Rodan. Junior sighs in response.
"It's worse than that." replied Junior. Angirasu remained silent as he walked, closing his eyes painfully.
"I've never gave up. I always stood up to a challenge even when the odds were against me. Now, I feel like giving up at trusting humans." said Angirasu. Mosura frowns in response.
"We can't give up on trusting an entire race. We have to take certain chances like we have in Ponyville. We just have to be careful on what we tell them because of who we are." said Mosura.
"I guess." replied Angirasu. Junior sighs solemnly. His ears suddenly perked at a distant voice calling out 'Junior'. He quickly stops and turns. The rest of the Transmutants stopped and turned as well to find Junior searching the area.
"What's wrong?" asked Rodan.
"I...I thought I heard someone calling me." said Junior. The other Transmutants listened carefully, not hearing anything other than the sound of the crickets and small critters in the forest.
"I don't hear anything." said Mosura. The other two Transmutants nodded in agreement.  Junior then sighs in response.
"Never mind. It must have been my imagination. Let's keep going."




The next day...

It was a beautiful afternoon in the town of Ponyville. MONARCH had its soldiers still searching the town in secret as the citizens began to rebuild their destroyed homes and establishments. They had met Princess Celestia and were happy to see her after the devastation. People talked about what they saw and some claimed that a few of the residents of their town were Transmutants. They mostly believed that they were spies for the terrorists, which led to the attack.
In the outskirts of the town, Fluttershy was carrying a sack of feed for her chickens. She dug her hand into the sack and proceeded to feed the animals. She had been stuck on her chores all morning, hoping to get rid of the past event out of her mind. She kept recalling the images of Junior transforming and his shocking reveal as a Transmutant, along with Angirasu and the others. She was terrified to see them suddenly change into terrifying beasts, but was also filled with mixed emotions of fear and devastation. Junior was something that was capable of wiping out an entire town, yet she couldn’t help but recall the times that she had spent with him before that. He was late teenager that was temperamental and antisocial but with kindness in his heart. When she was bullied by Gilda, Junior stood up for her. He went out of his way to comfort her and to help her stay brave. He treated her with care and gentleness. That was one of the things why she had crush on him in the first place.
Fluttershy made her way back into her cottage, sitting on the sofa with a dejected look. Her emotions were conflicting with each other. Her instincts told her that she should just forget about Junior and move on while her heart told her to look past what she saw and to help him. She sighed sadly as she lied down on her sofa. Suddenly, her animals approached her with worried expressions. A raccoon crawled beside her, chattering to her.
"Oh, it's just that the other day...I learn that some of my friends turned out to be Transmutants. I was so scared when I saw them turn into such ferocious creatures. Especially since three of them looked like dragons." said Fluttershy, trembling as she recalled their appearance. The raccoon continued chattering in a questioning manner.
"Why am I afraid? Well...it's just that Transmutants have always been so cruel to people. They attack and kill them with no good reason." answered Fluttershy. The raccoon began chattering again.
"No...no they aren't like them. Goji and the others aren't like those Transmutants. They are good people." said Fluttershy with a sigh. She then suddenly gasped. "That's right, they aren't like them!"
A small group of birds flew over to Fluttershy, grabbing locks of her rose hair and began to pull on them, forcing Fluttershy to sit upright. The raccoon started chattering again.
"Yes. Goji has been so good to me and the others. We always had spent great times together! He accepted us as his friends and we accepted him too!" said Fluttershy with a smile. Her smile then turned into a frown.
"But, we rejected him when we found out about him. I-" Fluttershy's eyes began to well up with tears. "I rejected him! I'm a terrible friend!"
The animals all looked to Fluttershy in sadness as she wept. One of the mice began to squeak.
"What should I do?! How can I ever make up for how I reacted to him?!" cried Fluttershy. A white bunny hopped over to her and began to pat Fluttershy's leg in comfort. The bunny then places a paw on his chin in thought. He then hops off toward the door and began to thump his foot on the wooden floor. Fluttershy looks to find the rabbit pointing toward the door. Fluttershy makes her way over toward the door, opening it, allowing the rabbit to hop down out of the house and make his way toward the road.
"Angel, wait!" called Fluttershy as she followed the bunny. Angel stops on the road and points over to a house that sat a mile away. Fluttershy's eyes widened.
"You think I should try to make it up to him by talking with him?" asked Fluttershy. Angel nodded in response, tapping his foot while pointing toward the house. Fluttershy eyes the house in uncertainty before her eyes harden in determination.
"You're right! Goji is my friend and I will do whatever it takes to earn his forgiveness!" said Fluttershy. She then rushes down the road toward the house. As she reached the house, she nervously gulped as she stepped up to the porch. She gently knocks against the door.
"Goji? It's me, Fluttershy!" called Fluttershy. She waited patiently for a response. No answer. She knocks again, calling for Junior louder. She began to grow upset as time went on without a response. She felt that Junior was ignoring her.
"Goji, please! I'm sorry! I'm not afraid anymore! I just want to see you again!" cried Fluttershy. She suddenly heard a whoosh in the air above her. She looks up to find a rainbow streak across the sky, doing barrel rolls, flips, and turns. She saw the cyan wings and rainbow colored hair of one of her best friends. Fluttershy began to pursue Rainbow as she practiced her flying skills.



Twilight paced around the library in nervousness. Just the other day, she had witnessed something terrible. Her home was under attack by Transmutants. She and the others had avoided the attack as much as possible. She had never been as terrified as she was before in her life. She was especially terrified of the Transmutant that was called, Destoroyah. She stopped pacing as she thought back to the large black moth that had grabbed her. She shuts her eyes tightly as she thought back to its large red eyes and how close she was to death. She waited for Celestia to arrive to her home. She was worried about what she wanted to see her about. She suddenly heard a knock at her door, causing her to gasp. She turns and slowly makes her way over toward the door. She opens it to find Princess Celestia standing on the porch with a satchel hanging over her shoulder.
"Princess!" cried Twilight. Celestia gives a warm smile.
"Hello, my faithful student." Celestia steps into the library, taking Twilight into a warm embrace.
"It's good to see you. But what was it that you wanted to see me about?" asked Twilight. The two broke the hug, with Celestia looking to her with a worried expression.
"It's about Junior." said Celestia. Twilight's eyes widened at the mention of him. "Do you know where he could be?"
"No. No, the last time that we saw him was yesterday when the Transmutants attacked Ponyville." answered Twilight. She then looks away hesitantly. "Princess, he's...he's one of them. He's a Transmutant."
"I know..." sighed Celestia. Twilight looked to her in surprise.
"Wait, you knew?! Why did you keep this from us? Why from me?!" demanded Twilight. She gasped as she realized that she had raised her voice to her mentor. "I'm...I'm sorry, Princess. I didn't mean to raise my voice at you."
"It's alright my student. But, I never knew about this until last night." said Celestia. She reaches into the satchel, pulling out a journal. Twilight eyed it confusedly. "This was Junior's. I found it sitting in his house when I went to check on him. He was nowhere to be seen."
"This was his?" asked Twilight. She then gently reaches for the journal, opening it up to the first page. She skimmed through it, finding the text drawing her in. As she read on, she began to read about how Junior and his father were taken from their home. She gasped as she heard read on about how they were experimented on and were confined to cells, separated from each other.
"Junior had written everything about the days before I had met him. He had even written about his father's death." said Celestia. Twilight looks up to her in surprise.
"They were the first Transmutants." said Twilight. Celestia nodded solemnly.
"Yes. All of these years, I thought that Gojira had passed away because of an illness. Junior lied about it." said Celestia. Twilight continued reading on through toward the next entry.
"I remember reading that Alpha killed the scientists at a facility. Why would Junior's father do that?" asked Twilight. Celestia thought back to what she had read.
"Junior wrote that his father had discovered that the same facility that changed them was creating another Transmutant. His father was a soldier of a strict empire. He has always been the type to deliver punishment to his enemies at extreme measures. He wrote that he attempted to free the Transmutant but was forced to fight his way in and out. I don't agree with his action of killing those scientists, but I understand why." said Celestia. Twilight looks to her, giving her mentor her full attention.
"He wanted to make sure that the knowledge to create more Transmutants would disappear when he destroyed those who were involved and freed what he hoped would be the last Transmutant."
"But...how was it that more were able to appear?" asked Twilight.
"I don't know. I'm hoping to discover it by reading the journal. I have yet to make it all of the way through." answered Celestia. Twilight read through the journal. Junior's voice echoed in her mind as she read the text.

'I was angry when I found out that my dad had went off to the same facility that changed us. I was even angrier when I found out that he had killed the people that were there to rescue this new Transmutant. I ended up leaving our safe haven deeper in the woods of Neighpon. After some time to cool off, I began to forgive my dad. I was only mad because he taught me to only fight when it was to defend myself and I felt that he betrayed when he went against those principles. But, I realized that he was fighting to protect another person from sharing the fate that we were cursed with. He always fought to protect himself, but he also fought to protect others in his nation to bring balance in times of chaos before I was born. In a way, he was still holding up that legacy. He was protecting everyone from becoming a genetic freak like we were and keeping balance by eliminating those that were responsible. Before I could make my way back to our camp, I came across the Transmutant that he had rescued. He told me that he and my father were looking for me. I told him that I was coming back to the camp and that everything was fine now. Unfortunately, he had other plans in mind. He suddenly began to change before my very eyes. He grew to be a lot bigger than I was, especially my dad. I can't fully describe him, but he changed into something that I can only compare to as a demon.  I don't know why, but he attempted to kill me. Dad ended up finding me as I ran for my life and found the Transmutant that betrayed his trust. He changed as well, with the two engaging in a fight. I hid as I watched him fight against the demon. Even when in his monstrous form, my father was still shorter compared to the demon. He was also unable to hold his ground against him. My father had taken a devastating attack that ended up crippling him. He turns to me with eyes that made me wished that I had never been angry at him. It was the eyes of a father that was seeing his child for the last time. He told me to run for my life. So, I did. As I ran away, I heard the cry of agony from my father. By that time, I knew that he was gone after his cries died down. MONARCH began to mobilize its troops into the forest. I evaded from their sight as they found my Father dead and the Transmutant that killed him.'

Twilight eyes watered as she read through the entry. His father never died of an illness. He was killed by a Transmutant that he had saved
"I...I knew that he was always unhappy. But I never thought that he was hurting this much." said Twilight with a sniffle.
"Twilight, I know that this has been a lot for you to take in. I need you to make a decision." said Celestia as she turned Twilight to face her. "I need you to decide whether you will look past what you saw and still accept Junior for he is, or to move on with your life without him."
"I- What?!" exclaimed Twilight.
"You heard me correctly. You have to decide. I know that what you saw frightened you, but think back to Junior. Was he really the monster that he appeared to be?" asked Celestia. Twilight looks down as she thought about the question. It was true that she was frightened of Junior when she saw him in that form but she also thought back to all their times together. Although it was rough at first, they forged a bond through friendship. She thought back to how he was rough in nature, but he held a kind side hidden inside.Twilight thought back to Junior's offense to how she and her friends had called Transmutants monsters, and to the film that they had seen. All those subtle hints made her realize that he felt trapped in a world that would never accept him because of the other Transmutants. He was afraid to be around others because he was already an outsider to common folks. He feared of becoming an outsider of an entire race that he once called his own. He wasn't a monster, he was a lost soul. Twilight looks up to Celestia with a serious face.
"No, he wasn't. He is my friend!" said Twilight. Celestia gave her a smile, her heart filled with relief.
"So, what will you do my student?
"I'm going to find him. I'm going to tell him that I'm sorry and that I accept him with all of my heart! I will bring him back home!" said Twilight with a determined smile.



"OK, just another loop!" Rainbow said as she flew at high speeds. She had successfully pulled off her loop after performing a corkscrew for ten seconds. She was slightly disoriented but shook it off. Rainbow had spent the day practicing her flying skills in the skies over Ponyville. Suddenly, Rodan and his grin appeared in her mind. She gasped as she nearly lost control of her flight. She rises up higher into the sky, ramming into a large puffy cloud. She groans in frustration, her practice interrupted. She hadn't realized that she was extremely exhausted as she sat on the clouds. Her breathing was heavy and her body drenched in sweat. Her wings were worn out from the constant flapping. Without anything to distract her, she began recalling the previous day of the attack. She was secretly terrified as she witnessed her home getting attacked and her friends threatened. Then, the biggest slap to the face that life could give her was the revelation that Rodan and the others were the monsters that she feared.
"That...that jerk!" shouted Rainbow. She then punches the fluffy cloud that she rested on, forcing a hole through. She growls in anger as her fist made contact with only a puffy form instead of a completely solid object. She had to vent out her anger and take her mind off of the whole thing. She then takes off into the air, flying at high speed. As flew, she began to take sharp turns and loops. Rainbow streaks were left behind from her high speed. As Rainbow gritted her teeth, she suddenly felt something in her wing that made her blood run cold. A sharp pain struck her left wing, causing her muscles in her wing to go stiff.
"Cramp!" cried Rainbow as she fell out of the sky. She screamed as she free fell from the air, she gasped as she saw a stack of hay just a quick turn away from her descending direction. She forced her momentum and her good wing to drive herself toward the tack of hay, crashing into it. She panted; her adrenaline slowly began to lower and her heart beats slowed. She then slump her head back into the hay, sighing in relief.
"Rainbow Dash!" cried Fluttershy. Rainbow quickly shot up from the stack of hay, turning to find Fluttershy sprinting over to her. She had a worried look on her face.
"Are you OK? I just saw you falling from the sky!" said Fluttershy. Rainbow lightly laughed in response.
"I'm fine. My wing is just cramping." said Rainbow, standing out of the hay. Her left wing was locked in place. Fluttershy walks over to her and takes her hand, helping the rainbow haired Valkyrie out of the stack of hay. She looks to Rainbow in concern.
"You shouldn't push yourself too hard, Rainbow." said Fluttershy. Rainbow rubs the back of her head in embarrassment.
"You're right. Sorry Shy." apologized Rainbow. She then noticed Fluttershy wearing a dejected expression. Rainbow raised a brow.
"Hey, what’s up?" asked Rainbow. Fluttershy nodded in response.
"I'm trying to talk to Goji." said Fluttershy. Rainbow's eyes widened in shock.
"Why are you trying to talk to him?!" demanded Rainbow harshly. Fluttershy recoiled from her tone.
"I-I just want to see him again. He's our friend!" answered Fluttershy in a nervous tone.
"Our friend?! He's not our friend, he's a monster!" retorted Rainbow. Fluttershy gasped in shock.
"He's not a monster!" said Fluttershy with a disapproving look.
"Shy, how can you defend him? He's been pretending to be one of us this whole time! He could have killed us at any time! He could have been responsible for the invasion!" said Rainbow.
"How can you say that about him?! He may not have been like us, but he still had the same thoughts and feelings like we do! He had never hurt us!" retorted Fluttershy, her glare increasing. Rainbow stood her ground against her, nonetheless.
"Are you kidding me?! He's-"
"No! That's not fair that you are basing your bigoted assumptions on him because of a group of cruel Transmutants that hurts the innocent!" said Fluttershy. Rainbow was about to retort but stopped herself. Fluttershy looks to her in sadness.
"If he was really like them, he would have sided with them when one of them gave him the chance to." said Fluttershy. Rainbow looks to her in surprise.
"What?" asked Rainbow.
"One of them offered him a place among them. He promised him that he would have a place with the Transmutants that were attacking the town. They promised to accept him if he were to attackinnocent people with them. If he had accepted that deal, he wouldn't have been hurt and forced to fight them in the first place." said Fluttershy. Rainbow looks down in thought.
"Rainbow, do you hate Rodan now?" asked Fluttershy. Rainbow stiffens at the question.
"I...I don't know." answered Rainbow. Fluttershy frowned.
"Remember when you said that you wouldn't believe that some Transmutants were good until you actually saw them? Weren't Goji, Rodan, Angirasu and Mosura enough proof for that?" asked Fluttershy. Rainbow looks away.
"I do remember. But...I just...I can't accept the fact that he kept it a secret." said Rainbow.
"He was afraid. Wouldn't you have done the same if you were in his position?" asked Fluttershy. Rainbow nodded to her.
"I would. I...I guess Gojira was right. I've just been so afraid whenever I hear about them and how they would attack people. I would always hear and read about them just terrorizing people that I ended up seeing them all as being evil. That thought even took over when I saw Gojira and the others change." said Rainbow solemnly. She then thought back to how Rodan apologized to her that last moment while he was still in human form.
"I don't hate Rodan. I hate myself for looking at him like he was just a monster."  said Rainbow. Fluttershy gives her a light smile.
"Help me talk to Goji and I'll help you find Rodan." said Fluttershy. Rainbow then looks away.
"Wh-what makes you think that I want to find him?" stuttered Rainbow. Fluttershy giggled as she rolled her eyes.
"I know that you do. I've seen how you'd blush when you’re close to him." replied Fluttershy. She then looks to her with teasing smile. "You want him to be your special somebody, don't you?"
"I-I... No! I don't..." Rainbow blushed furiously. Fluttershy raised a brow at her, holding her smile. "Maybe! Don't tell anyone!"
"OK." said Fluttershy, making a zipping motion of her lips. Rainbow sighed in response.
"You said that he wasn't answering when went to his house?" asked Rainbow. Fluttershy nodded in response. "OK, let's go check out his place again. I'll drag his butt out if that's what it takes!"



Pinkie sat alone in her bedroom all alone in Sugarcube corner. She wore a glum expression as she sat on her bed. She sighed heavily as she slumped back on the bed. A small infant alligator with large, expressionless, violet eyes was in the room with her. It scurried along the floor, opening its long jaws, revealing a toothless mouth. The alligator gummed a balloon that sat on the floor, causing it to contract and stretch in its mouth. Pinkie turned her head and found her pet alligator releasing the balloon from its mouth. She stands up from her bed and takes the alligator into her hands and holds it up over her head as she lied down.
"Things have gone terrible, Gummy! We were supposed to have a super duper fun day yesterday and it was ruined by those monsters! They hurt and killed so many people!" cried Pinkie as she held her alligator. Gummy responded by a quick blink, his eyes unfocused on her. She then sighs.
"I even found out that Goji and the others were those big scary Transmutant things! I can't believe it!" said Pinkie. Gummy continued with his blank stare, then lets out a squeak from his throat.
"I don't know. He just seemed like a normal person. I always thought that he was just grumpy and needed to smile. We all have to smile, right?" asked Pinkie. Gummy didn't respond. Pinkie thought back to when she first met Junior. She recalled how he was very antisocial and had a mean attitude to match it. She didn't care about that; she wanted to make him smile.
"He had a nice smile. I wished that I could have made him smile more." sighed Pinkie. She then thought back to how Junior had changed. "I sometimes thought that Goji had a scary face when he was mad, but it was scarier when he...changed."
Pinkie suddenly heard a knock on her door. She shot up from her bed and gently placed Gummy on the floor. As she made her way toward her door, she heard a familiar voice.
"Pinkie! It's me, Twilight!" called Twilight. Pinkie grinned, eager to see her friend after the tragic day that they were forced to experience. She rushes toward the door and finds Twilight standing.
"Hiya Twilight! What brings you here?" asked Pinkie, joyfully. Twilight takes a deep breath and exhales.
"Pinkie, I need your help." said Twilight.
"Okiee dokiee lokiee! What do you need?" asked Pinkie. Twilight fidgets as she stood.
"I... I need help looking for Gojira." said Twilight. Pinkie's eyes widened in surprise.
"You... you are?"
"That's right. I thought about it, and well... I don't care about him being a Transmutant." said Twilight. She then rubs her arm as she looked away. "Like you and the others, he's a very dear friend to me. I can't stand the thought of him disappearing."
"Really? You're not scared?" asked Pinkie quizzically. Twilight shook her head.
"Not anymore. I'm ashamed that I couldn't look past what I saw. It must have broken his heart to see..." Twilight's lips quivered as her eyes watered. She quickly wipes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "I want to bring back home. Pinkie, will you help me?"
Pinkie contemplated her response. Despite what she saw, she remembered that Junior had a certain soft side to him to his overall rough exterior. She was able to learn about this when Gilda came to Ponyville. She remembered how Junior stood up for Fluttershy, despite the fact that he hardly knew her. He showed actual concern for her and that rewarded him a friendship with Fluttershy. That later led to him being able to open up more to others.
There was also the fact that Twilight wanted to find him. Twilight still valued their friendship and was currently asking her to join her on a quest to find Junior and bring him home. Pinkie gave her a bright smile as she gave a quick salute.
"I'll go wherever you go!" said Pinkie. Twilight gave her a grin as she heard Pinkie's acceptance.
"Great! Now all we need to do is see if Rarity will join!" announced Twilight.



In the apple orchard of the Apple farm, the sun was beaming down its rays on the green leaves of the trees. The light reflected off of the luscious apples as they hung from the trees. Applejack sent a kick toward a tree, causing all of the apples to fall into the basket. She sighed as she wiped beads of sweat off of her forehead.
"Golly, it sure was easier when..." Applejack stopped herself as her mind flashed back to Junior's face. Junior’s grumpy or solemn expression that she would catch him wearing was imbedded in her mind. She sighed again as she thought back to when he first asked her to allow him to work for her. She still found it amusing that he rejected her help the first time that they met and later came back asking for her help. She found him to be the tough guy that always tried to conceal his feelings. She always hated that about him.
"That boy was as stubborn as a mule." said Applejack as she walked over to another tree. She then sent a kick toward it, knocking the apples down. She began to think back on how they were able to work together to get the chores down on the farm. She admired his endurance and his strong will. Of course, even he had his limits. She recalled how when they were trying to get a dragon to leave a mountain before it's smog polluted the air in Equestria. She remembered how he had a general disregard for his own well-being.
"All this time... he was actually one of them. That kinda makes sense now that I think about it." said Applejack. She remembered how he was unusually strong, for a non-magical Earthbound and for someone with a bit of a smaller build compared to her older brother. He was able to endure hours of hard work, except for those couple of weeks before he disappeared in Neighpon. She still can’t comprehend the fact that he was a Transmutant. He didn't seem like the others and actually seemed to be as much human as she was, which deeply unnerved her. She was one of many that scorned Transmutants because of their abilities and appearance. Yet, Junior had showed her that Transmutants were individuals as well, acting on how they feel like when Junior had risked his life twice to protect her sister and the other CMC from the Mantis Transmutants and the Timberwolves. Junior had actually slipped out that they were chased by Timberwolves and that he had saved them on time along with Angirasu and Rodan. She wasn't happy with Applebloom being in the Everfree, but she saw how true of a friend that he was. She was thankful for that. He could have lost his life in either situation but he acted anyway.
"Goji, I have no idea what to think anymore. You just challenged this farm girl's perspective on a few things." Applejack chuckled to herself. She then sighed as she gazed at the blue sky. After that, she kicked another tree for a final time, she smiled in satisfaction.
"All done." said Applejack. She then makes her way down to her home on the farm, finding a little old woman with white hair, sitting on a rocking chair on the porch.
"Granny, I'm through with today's chores. I need to run into town to take care of something. I might be gone for quite a while." said Applejack.
"Alright, deary. Run along and take care of what you need to do. We'll see ya later." said Granny Smith. Applejack smiled in response and waved to her as she took off of the farm.  As she ran past the orchard, she noticed Rainbow and Fluttershy flying down to where she was. Applejack immediately stops and waves to them.
"Howdy. What are ya'll doing here?" asked Applejack. Fluttershy and Rainbow land after the question was asked.
"Do you know where Goji might be?" asked Fluttershy.
"Goji? You're looking for him?" asked Applejack, quizzically.
"Yeah, Flutters wanted to talk to him but he must have run away from home." answered Rainbow.
"I probably would have done the same after what happened" sighed Applejack.
"Um... Can you help us?" asked Fluttershy. Applejack looked away in thought. She honestly was frightened of Transmutants. However, none of that mattered when it came to her friends, especially when it came to a friend like Junior.
"Ah heck, who am I to let ya'll go about it on your own? Let's get going!" said Applejack with a determined smile.
"You don't mind about... you know?" asked Fluttershy. Applejack shook her head.
"Nope. I'm just gonna put him in a hurt for not showing up for work today." winked Applejack. Fluttershy grew a large smile. The trio then took off from the Apple farm and made their way through the town.



"You're serious? You're absolutely serious about this?" asked an appalled Rarity. She stood inside of her shop, the Carousel Boutique, as Twilight and Pinkie Pie stood together with pleading eyes.
"Yes! Please, we have to find him! We want to bring him home!" said Twilight. Rarity was conflicted with her decisions. Here she was, resuming her life after that dreadful day with the Transmutant invasion, and now two of her best friends were asking her to help them find one of them.
"Twilight, darling, I don't think it's wise to go looking for him. I mean, surely you saw how he was..." Rarity searched for the right words to describe Junior in the form that he revealed.
"Scary? Big? Mean? Super-duper strong?" guessed Pinkie quickly. Twilight then gives her a deadpan stare at Pinkie. Rarity laughed nervously.
"Um... How about, all of the above?" suggested Rarity. Twilight sighs in response.
"Rarity, I know that what we saw wasn't something that we were prepared for. We weren't prepared to deal with the fact that someone close to us would be something with a distasteful reputation. Gojira isn't like the others! He's our friend! I can't just abandon him!" cried Twilight. Rarity sighed in response.
"What of your feelings for him?" asked Rarity. Twilight's eyes widened in surprise.
"My...feelings? What does-"
"Darling, no one would just go through all of this trouble unless they had that strong of connection with him. Have your feelings changed?" asked Rarity with a hard stare. Twilight was shot down in silence. She thought more of how she enjoyed Junior's company. She enjoyed the time that she spent with him, their conversayiond, and the way that he was open to her.
"My feelings were challenged at first, but they are still the same. Rarity, I don't care if he's a Transmutant. I...I love him!" declared Twilight, her stomach filled with butterflies as she heard herself say those very words.
"I see..." Rarity pondered her decision. She could just refuse and resume with her life. The problem was that she still saw Junior as a friend. However, Rarity felt her trust in him challenged. Then again, she recalled how Junior had saved her sister and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders.
"Very well. I shall accompany you on this quest. But, I'm only doing this because you are my friend. I don't know if I can trust Gojira right now." said Rarity. Twilight nodded in understanding.
"That's all that I ask. Thank you, Rarity." said Twilight.
"Let's go find Applejack and the others!" said Pinkie. The two Elves nodded to her and made their way out of the shop.




30 minutes later

Twilight, and the rest of the Element bearers all stood side by side, staring into the entrance of the Everfree forest. They stood nervously as they stared into the forest as the path led straight to the dangerous forest. Winona barked as she pointed her snout toward the entrance of the forest. Applejack held Junior's torn sweater in her grip as she stared into the forest.
"That feller is gutsy to be running off into there." said Applejack.
"He doesn't have to be. He can probably take anything on in there without a problem." replied Rainbow. Twilight took a deep breath and exhaled.
"OK. Stay together, and let's hope that we can find him soon." said Twilight. Fluttershy wore a determined expression as she stared into the forest. Applejack popped her knuckles and stretched her arms. Pinkie bounced in excitement. Rarity sighed in concern as she stared into the forest, hoping that their quest was worth the risk. Rainbow crouched as she stretched her legs. The girls all burst into a quick jog into the forest with Winona taking the lead. They spent the next several minutes running along the path. The trees had blocked the sun's light, casting a great shade over them. As they jogged, they began to slow down their movement and started to look around. The forest was desolate with only the sound of small critters and birds filling the air.
"Ugh. Why did he have to hide here?" complained Rarity. Rainbow and Applejack rolled their eyes in response. As they walked they were met with the sound of growling. The girls went stiff as they heard the sound. Their muscles locked as their eyes swiveled in their sockets, attempting to find the source.
"I don't like the sound of that." said Applejack. Fluttershy's eyes caught sight of a goat running across the path that they were walking on. The goat trips, bleating as it struggled to stand.
"Oh no! Mr. Goat, are you alright?" cried Fluttershy as she began to walk toward the goat. The goat gave a panicked bleat as it looked where it was running from.
"Wait, Fluttershy! We have to stay together!" called Twilight as she followed Fluttershy. As Fluttershy was several feet away, the goat was suddenly tackled by a larger form. It gave a high pitched bark as it bared its sharp fangs at the goat. The creature was a quadruped and had a cat-like upper body covered in navy blue fur and green eyes with a reptilian lower body. Long and sharp spikes ran along its back. The reptilian lower body and tail were covered in purple scales with a green underbelly. Fluttershy gasped as she recognized the creature.
"No! Mr. Chupacabra, please don't!" cried Fluttershy. The creature had sunken its sharp fangs into the goat's neck, feeding off of its fluid. Fluttershy cried out in despair as she saw the bleating goat dying before her eyes. As she tried to get closer to the creature, it released the goat and leaped toward Fluttershy. She stopped as the Chupacabra bared its teeth, hissing at her. Fluttershy cowered at the creatures glare as its teeth dripped with blood. Twilight had trouble getting over the sickening sight but recovered on time to see the creature's angry face. Rainbow was about to intervene before Twilight stopped her with a hand placed in front of her.
"Don't! You're just going to provoke him more!" said Twilight.
"We can't just leave her!" exclaimed Rainbow. Fluttershy gulped nervously as she slowly backed way. The Chupacabra's fur erected and its ears folded against its head as it continued to hiss at her.
"It's OK, Rainbow. I...I shouldn't have tried to interfere with him. I had forgotten that Chupacabra's feel threatened if someone else comes near them and their food." said Fluttershy. She held her hands in front of herself as she tried to regain her composure. She scolded herself for acting carelessly as she was used to feeding animals including ones that were capable of eating meat such as bears.
The Chupacabra began to settle down as Fluttershy backed further away, its fur losing its erect appearance. The creature still kept its sights on the girls as it laid next to its kill.
"Now what do we do?" asked Rarity, gagging as she saw the Chupacabra sinking its teeth back into the goat. Twilight gagged herself, averting her gaze as her stomach turned.
"We're going to have to go around him." said Twilight.



The element bearers continued their journey in the Everfree for the next thirty minutes. They soon found themeselves in a swampy region, with bodies of water to the side of the path. The sound of frogs croaking can be heard in the area. Winona sniffed the road as she led the girls through the forest. The girls felt anxious as they continued walking.
"So, how far exactly do you think he could be hiding?" asked Rainbow.
"I don't know. He shouldn't be too far. After all, I suspect that Mosura and the others were living out here," said Twilight.
"What makes you say that?" asked Pinkie, curiously.
"Well, think about it. We have never seen where they lived. Rainbow had even taken a few lessons from Rodan but I recall her telling me that he never invited her to train at his house. In fact, none of them invited us. They must not have been living in town and tried to keep their home a secret." said Twilight. Fluttershy's face brightened up at the theory. If it were true, they might run into Angirasu and the others as well. She wanted to apologize to him as much as she did to Gojira. As the girls continued on, Twilight noticed a disgusting stench.
"What the hay is that awful smell?" asked Twilight as she pinched her nose. The rest of the girls began to smell the stench and gagged, all trying to block out the smell. They continued walking and began to hear the sound of loud buzzing.
"Are those... flies? Ew!" said Rarity in disgust as she thought of the unclean insects.
"Yep. And there are a lot of them." said Applejack. Winona rushed through the forest with the girls trailing close by. They then stopped, finding large forms lying in the grass. They went pale as they saw a few dead Manticores scattered around the area. They were the source of the grotesque smell, the stench of death. Twilight hesitantly walks over to one of the carcasses, observing it. Flies were in the process of laying their eggs into the open wounds of Manticore, causing Twilight to nearly vomit. She noticed large claw marks on the Manticore, along with a bite mark on its neck. She then noticed how another Manticore had claw marks but appeared to have been killed by a large stone. Pieces of a stone that littered around its skull gave her the reason to make such a conclusion. The other two Manticores had claw and bite marks all over their bodies.
"Wh-what could have done this?" asked an appalled Twilight. She then noticed multiple shoe prints that were scattered all over the ground.
"It looks like there was a struggle." said Applejack as she crouched next to the prints. Rainbow’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the tracks.
"You mean...humans did this?" asked Rainbow. Applejack shook her head.
"Last time I checked, humans don't have claws and sharp teeth." deadpanned Applejack. She then began to closely observe one of the shoe prints. Winona made her way to one of the foot prints, taking quick sniffs. She then began to bark excitedly. "That must be the bottom of Gojira's shoe! He must be with the others!"
"Oh my. That means they did all of this." said Rarity as she stared grimly at the sight of dead Manticores. Fluttershy frowned as she stared at the Manticores.
"They must have been attacked. Come on, we might be getting close!" said Twilight. Rarity reaches out for Twilight.
"Um... is that really a good idea? I mean, you've seen what they did." said Rarity. Twilight huffs in response.
"What? You think they did this to be malicious?" demanded Twilight.
"Not at all! I just don't think it's wise to keep going after seeing what they are capable of." said Rarity in defense.
"Rarity, what does it matter that they did this? Of course it's not pretty and is most certainly nothing to be praised, but they were likely forced into this!" argued Twilight with a glare.
"Calm down ya'll. We won't get anywhere if we just stand around arguing. Let's-" Applejack was suddenly interrupted by the sounds of large footsteps and the slight splash of water. They turned to find an angry humanoid creature with grey skin and large and body with a pot belly that hung. It wore ragged clothes. The creature was bald and had pointed ears with goat horns on his head. It had yellow teeth with two long fangs on its lower jaw. It had the face of a gorilla and yellow eyes. The creature's feet were webbed like a duck's. Its fingers bore tiger-like claws. The creature's large hands were balled into a fist as it stood at seven feet tall. The creature flared its nostrils from its large nose. Twilight's shoulders slumped as she stared at the humanoid.
"Uh oh." said Twilight.
"What are you doing in my swamp?!" demanded the creature. He spoke in a male, Trottish accent. The girls and dog recoiled.
"Um... we were just passing through Mr. Ogre. We're looking for some friends that might have come by. Have you seen any other humans by any chance?" asked Twilight nervously.
"Aye. They were attacked by Manticores. I guess those oversized cats didn't last very long." said the ogre as looked to the carcasses.
"Where did they go?" asked Rarity.
"I don't know." answered the ogre. Rainbow glared at him.
"Don't know or won't tell?" demanded Rainbow. The ogre glared at Rainbow as he pointed a large finger at her.
"Hey, you kids better get off of my swamp or else I'm gonna-"
"Oh! Oh!" Pinkie waved her hand furiously. "You'll grind our bones for your bread?"
"Don't give him ideas!" scolded Rainbow. The ogre chuckled in response.
"Actually, that would be a giant." the ogre then slowly approached them. The girls backed up nervously. "Now, ogres - oh, they're much worse. They'll make a suit from your freshly peeled skin!"
"Ew!" exclaimed Rarity. The ogre continued his approach.
"They'll shave your liver, squeeze the jelly from your eyes!" the girls stared at him with wide eyes. The ogre then stopped his approach and rubs his chin. "Actually, it's quite good on toast."
"We're dead." said Rainbow. She then looks to Twilight with a deadpanned expression. "We're gonna get eaten by this guy."
"Um...Mr. Ogre, would you mind letting us pass?" asked Fluttershy timidly. The ogre gives her a blank stare.
"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGH!!!" the Ogre gave a great roar at the element bearers, causing them to scream in terror. Their screams and the Ogre's roar echoed in the swamp, scaring away birds that were nearby. The ogre stops roaring, wiping his lips as the girls kept screaming. Their screams began to die down as they realized that the ogre had stopped roaring. Winona was the ground whimpering as she hid herself behind Applejack's legs. The ogre leans closer to them with a smile.
"This is the part where you run away." whispered the ogre. The girls nodded frantically, then bursting into a sprint. The ogre laughed as he saw them run as fast they could, finding their skittish nature and expressions to be amusing.
"And stay out!" shouted the ogre.
"We're sorry!" cried Fluttershy.



"Man, that guy was a jerk!" said Rainbow as she hovered above the ground. The element bearers panted as they slowly walked through the forest. They had sprinted through the area that they ended up tiring themselves out.
"He was such an uncouth beast! Treating young ladies such as us in such a distasteful manner!" said an outraged Rarity. Pinkie shrugged in response.
"I kinda liked him. Besides, his swamp looked really, really cool! No wonder why he doesn't like visitors! He doesn't want anybody to mess it up!" said Pinkie.
"Or maybe it was because he was a monster." said Rainbow. Fluttershy gave her a disapproving glare.
"Be nice. It's not his fault that he looks different from us. A monster wouldn't have let us gone free!" said Fluttershy. Rainbow waved her hands defensively.
"Hey, he said that he was going to eat us!" argued Rainbow.
"Actually, he just said that ogres wear our skin as suits and they squeeze the juices from our eye balls. He never said that he was gonna eat us." deadpanned Applejack.
"Ugh! Stop, I just stopped thinking about it!" gagged Rarity.
"Girls! We have to move on!" said Twilight as she continued walking. Winona sniffed the ground as they continued into the Everfree. As they walked, Rarity and Pinkie were behind the group. Rarity suddenly felt something brush against her back. She looks toward Pinkie, finding her hop with a smile on her face.
"Was that you?" questioned Rarity. Pinkie stopped bouncing as she gave Rarity a quizzical expression.
"Was what me?" asked Pinkie.
"Did you touch my back?" asked Rarity with an annoyed expression.
"No." answered Pinkie. Rarity looked at her suspiciously then refocused her attention in the front the group.  She suddenly felt something brush against the back of her neck, causing her to quickly turn. Nothing was there.
"Pinkie Pie, this is not funny. Stop brushing against me like that! It's creeping me out!" said Rarity as she glared at Pinkie.
"But I didn't-"
"Really? Then who else could it beeeee?!!" Rarity screamed as vines suddenly wrapped around her waist and legs, lifting her off of the ground. Pinkie gasped as she saw a large tree beginning to shake. The side of the tree suddenly revealed green illuminating eyes that folded opened from the bark like an eyelid. The upper part of the tree, just below the branches, began to split open, revealing a gaping mouth with serrated wood. The tree gave an ominous moan as its vines brought Rarity close. Rarity lets out an ear piercing scream as she squirmed in place, attempting to free herself from the monster's grasp. Twilight and the others turned and were shocked to find a tree about to devour their friend. Twilight shot her arms forward, her hands engulfed in an aura and firing a beam toward the vines of that restrained Rarity.
As the vines were burned, Rarity fell to ground with a yelp. Applejack rushes back and catches her before she could hit the ground. The tree roared in anger as it glared at Twilight. Its branches suddenly began to move, being used to swing at the girls. They were brushed away and knocked to the ground. Rainbow took off into the air as she flew toward the tree monster. Her leg was suddenly caught by something, forcing her to crash to the ground. She grunts in frustration as she turned her head behind her to find the culprit that stopped her. Vines had wrapped around her leg, being traced back to another tree in the area. She gasped as she saw eyes on this tree as well. She felt herself being dragged by the tree, causing her heart to race as she clawed at the dirt to prevent herself from being pulled into the tree's gaping mouth. Her nails clawed into the dirt as she was pulled closer to the tree.
"Help!" cried Rainbow. Fluttershy turns to find Rainbow in a dire predicament. She dives for Rainbow's hands, attempting to pull her back. She grunted as she pulled Rainbow. The tree began to pull harder, forcing Fluttershy to be dragged along the earth with Rainbow's hands in her grip. The tree moaned as sap began to leak out of its mouth. Fluttershy flapped her wings as hard as she could to force herself and Rainbow away from the man eating tree. A third tree began to shake and revealed glowing eyes. Pinkie searched her surroundings as she tried to think of a way to stop the tree that was about to eat Rainbow Dash. She gasped in excitement as she came up with an idea. Pinkie suddenly scoops up a pile of dirt and rushes toward Rainbow and Fluttershy. She then tosses the dirt into the eyes of the tree, causing it to roar in pain as it released Rainbow. Fluttershy fell backwards with Rainbow in her embrace as the tree began to rub its vines against its eyes.
"Good thinking, Pinks!" said Rainbow as she panted. Pinkie smiled proudly in response. They suddenly heard the scream of Twilight. They turn to find her entire body wrapped in the vines of one of the other three trees. It held her up as it began to lower her into its gaping mouth. Twilight struggled as she tried to free her herself.
"Put her down!" shouted Applejack as she sprinted toward the tree and sent a powerful kick to the base of it. The tree groaned as it attempted to swipe at the farm girl. Applejack rolled out of the branches reach, the dirt staining her skin and clothes. Rainbow flies toward the vines that held Twilight, grabbing them and sinking her teeth into them as she pulled them apart. Twilight continued her struggle, freeing one of her hands on time as she spot vines heading for Fluttershy. She shot her hand toward the vine, firing a burst of magic that incinerates the vines. She then makes a quick hand gesture close to herself; she disappears in a flash and reappears on the ground. Rainbow releases the vines and flies back to her friends. They all stood close as they saw the trees glaring at them. Winona barked at the trees as they prepared to strike. Applejack runs back to her dog, picking her up and rejoining her friends.
"Time to go!" said Twilight as she made quick hand gestures, an aura engulfing herself and her friends. They disappeared before the vines could reach them. The trees roared in fury as they saw the girls reappear further away, running to where the trees could not possibly reach them.




Later...

The girls sat on the ground, resting as they waited to continue their quest. They had spent the last few hours trying to avoid wild creatures, large insects and other dangers of the forest. The girls had made no progress at finding Junior and the others. The trails were random and would lead to either more trouble or dead ends.
"Five more minutes girls. Then, we're back on the road." announced Twilight. The rest of the girls sighed in response. Rarity began to question if their quest was worth it.
"Twilight, I've been thinking... Perhaps we should...head back home." said Rarity, hesitantly. Twilight looks to her in surprise.
"Wait, what?" asked Twilight. Rarity sighed in response.
"Darling, we can't keep this up all day. It's going to get dark soon and I would rather not be here when it does."
"We... we can't! We're so close! I can feel it!" said Twilight. She couldn't believe her ears. Rarity was in the process of giving up on finding Junior.
"Twilight, it's not that I don’t want to help you. I really do! It's just that...well; maybe Gojira just doesn't want to be found. Not even by us." said Rarity. Twilight stared at her blankly. Her heart grew heavy.
"Sugarcube..." Applejack interjected, grabbing Twilight's attention. "I have to agree with Rarity. You know how Gojira is. He's not one to be easily convinced when he's in a bad mood."
"But we can't just give up yet!" cried Twilight. "He's our friend!"
"I know, Twi. But Goji's long gone. Winona can't even get a clear path on his trail." said Applejack as she petted Winona, who lied on the ground. Fluttershy frowned in disappointment.
"We'll find him! He just needs to know that we're looking for him!" said Pinkie. Rainbow gives her a deadpan stare.
"And how are we going to let him know?" asked Rainbow. Pinkie suddenly pulls out a bullhorn. The other girls all began to panic. Applejack rushes toward Pinkie and snatches the bullhorn out of her grip.
"Are you out of your mind?! You'll just draw attention to us!" scolded Applejack.
"Yeah, smooth idea Pinkie Pie!" said Rainbow sarcastically with her arms crossed. Pinkie huffed in response.
"I don't see you coming up with anything!" retorted Pinkie.
"I could probably come up with an idea that won't end up getting us all eaten!" said Rainbow as she flared her wings.
"Like how you charged into the cave and made the dragon mad a year back?" asked Applejack. Rainbow looked to her in offense.
"That was different!"
"How in the hay was that different? You kicked him!" argued Applejack.
"OK, I screwed up. I admit that! I did it because I thought it would make a point that we didn't want him there!"
"Do you think Gojira would have done that?" demanded Applejack.
"I'm pretty sure he would have! He at least knows when to get physical!" retorted Rainbow.
"That's what got the people of Ponyville to dislike him in the first place! He behaved like a barbarian. It was always a fight with him!" interjected Rarity. Fluttershy gasped in shock at Rarity's words.
"He only fought to defend himself! He never picked a fight!" said Fluttershy with a disapproving look. Rarity scoffed in response.
"Darling, violence is never the answer to resolve conflict!"
"He had a rough childhood growing up and had trouble fitting in. It's not his fault that he has trouble with peaceful conflict resolutions!" argued Twilight.
"He was living in Canterlot with the Princess! How could he have had a rough childhood?" asked Rarity.
"Goji always said that people discriminated him because he was from another country. I don't think living in a big fancy castle would solve his problems." said Pinkie. Twilight nodded in agreement.
"Rarity, he isn't naturally the way he is. He was experimented on when he was as a little boy! Think of the trauma that a child could have after going through that!" said Twilight. Fluttershy gasped. Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow and Rarity's eyes widened in shock.
"He...he was experimented on when he was a little boy?" asked Rarity in disbelief. Twilight nodded solemnly.
"He wrote a journal detailing what he could remember. They cut him Rarity." Said Twilight, her voice distraught. "They took him from his home and they cut him. They locked him up and separated him from his father. Can you imagine how frightened he was?"
"I...I had no idea." said Rarity as she looked down at the ground. She then grits her teeth, "Darling, I'm just worried for you. I'm worried that he'll hurt you. I don't think that I can trust him after finding out that he's been keeping something like this a secret. What if there's more that he's not telling us?"
"He would never hurt me or any of us. If there's more that we don't know, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." said Twilight with a comforting smile. Rarity nodded to her in reluctance. The girls suddenly heard a thundering roar in the air. They all went stiff as a second roar that was similar to the first roar echoed. Twilight's blood ran cold as she recognized the roars.
"Dragons." said Twilight. Fluttershy whimpered in response as she heard the name of the dreadful creatures. The girls all stood to their feet, searching the area. Winona growled as her animal senses picked up the beasts. Suddenly, a large form crashed into trees that caused all of the girls to yelp. Fluttershy began to hyperventilate as she saw the serpent-like head of a green dragon with a row of large spikes running down its body. The creature growled in anger as it raised itself from the dirt. Its enormous size towered over the girls, causing them to cower under it. Winona whined as she backed away. The dragon spread its large wings, roaring in rage. Further down the area, another dragon was charging toward the green dragon. This dragon had yellow scales with red spikes running down its back. Twilight's eyes widened in realization as she saw the yellow dragon charge.
"Get back!" shouted Twilight. The girls all began to run away from the green dragon as it prepared itself against the incoming yellow dragon. The yellow monster leaped toward the green dragon, tackling it to the ground. The dragons roared as they clawed at each other and bit into each other. The yellow dragon swung its claws at the green dragon, missing its head and nearly crushing Applejack. The yellow dragon was suddenly head butted and was forced off of the green dragon. The two dragons then slammed their bodies into each other, both glaring with blood lusting eyes.
"This is my territory!" shouted the green dragon in a deep and mighty voice. He then began to slam his body against the yellow dragon, causing it to fall over and began to claw at its belly. The dragon shrieked in agony as its scales were penetrated. The girls all watched the fight in fear as the mighty creatures fought savagely. The yellow dragon opened its mighty jaws, spewing forth flames from within its belly. The flames engulfed the green dragon, causing him to grunt in frustration. The flames had no effect on him. The flames suddenly made their way toward the girls, forcing them to duck for cover. Their bodies felt the intense heat that passed over them.  The girls stand back up to find the green dragon biting into the neck of the yellow dragon, jerking his head in place. The girls hid away from the sight as they heard a sickening crack. The sound of something large hitting the earth met their ears. They slowly turned to find the yellow dragon lying dead on the ground with the green dragon's fore leg resting on the head. The green dragon displayed his great wings, roaring in victory as flames spewed from his mouth. The girls panted as they saw the fight had ended, unable to take anymore adrenaline. The dragon stops roaring, slowly turning to find the girls staring at him. The girls suddenly broke off into a sprint with Winona away from the area. The dragon snorted in response, uninterested in harassing the nosy humans.



The girls walked in silence. No one had said a word since the encounter with the dragons. They had agreed to return home after all. They were disappointed that their quest was in vain and was completely hopeless. They couldn't find Junior's trail and there was just too many dangers in the Everfree to take on. Fluttershy held her arm as she tried to calm herself from the encounter with the dragons. She was disappointed that she wouldn't be able to speak to Junior. Twilight was angry and devastated that she had failed to bring Junior back home just like she declared she would in front of Celestia. Rainbow wore a solemn expression, wishing that she could start the last day with Rodan over. Pinkie frowned as she thought of how she would never see Junior smile again. She yearned to see that one last time. Applejack felt that she could never repay Junior for rescuing her sister and for being a hard worker that helped her whenever she needed it. He was actually a friend to her and now she may never be able to properly thank him for that. Rarity hated that she couldn't help Twilight complete her quest. She wished that she had the will to go on but she knew that their journey was growing more dangerous every hour.
The girls had made it out of the forest, still silent. They all stopped and looked to each other with glum expressions. Twilight took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
"I just want to thank you all. Thank you for risking your lives to help me find him. I just wish that our quest could have been successful. I'm sorry." apologized Twilight with her head lowered. Applejack placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I was happy to lend a hand. I wish we could have found him too." said Applejack. Twilight frowned in response. Applejack began to walk away from the group with Winona trailing behind.
"I'll let ya'll know if I ever see him or at least one of the others come back." said Applejack as she walked away.
"Thank you. Good-bye." said Twilight. The rest of the girls all bid Applejack farewell as she made her way back to her home. Rainbow took off into the air.
"I gotta go too. I'll see you girls later." said Rainbow. She then took off into the air, flying off to her home as she were a dejected expression. Fluttershy began to walk away with a solemn expression. She stops and turns to look at Twilight.
"He'll come back. I know he will." said Fluttershy.
"I hope that you're right." replied Twilight with a frown. Fluttershy then slowly began to walk away, a few tears streaming down her face. Pinkie wraps Rarity and Twilight in a tight hug.
“I’ll be sure to throw them a ‘welcome back home' party.” Pinkie said softly. Twilight and Rarity returned the hug. Pinkie then broke the hug and made her way back home. Twilight and Rarity stood alone near the entrance of the Everfree forest. The sun was setting and the sky was growing darker.
"I'm sorry that we couldn't find him, Twilight." said Rarity.
"Thanks for coming along Rarity." said Twilight. As she began to walk way, she felt Rarity grab her arm.
"Darling, will you be alright?" asked Rarity in concern. Twilight sighed.
"I don't know. I just don't know."




Later...

Twilight had returned home to the library. The sun had been replaced by the moon. As she walked into the library, she found Spike rushing in.
"Twilight! Did you find Gojira?" asked Spike, hopeful. Twilight remained silent. She merely shook her head.
"Oh." said Spike, his hopes crushed. Twilight walked passed him with a blank stare.
"Twilight? Do you...want something to eat?" asked Spike in concern. Twilight had slowly made her way up to the stairs that led to her bedroom.
"No thank you, Spike. I'm going to bed." said Twilight in a monotone voice.
"Alright. Goodnight." said Spike.
"Goodnight." Twilight had reached her bedroom door and entered the room, closing the door behind her. She had spent her time undressing and had dressed into her pajamas. A lavender, long sleeved pajama shirt and pants. She lied herself down onto her bed as the moon cast its light down into her window. She stared blankly as she lied down. Junior was gone now. He had fled to somewhere that was likely far away. He wasn't in the Everfree as she hoped that he would be, and he was nowhere to be seen. She had hoped that she could find him and apologize to him. She hoped that she could bring him home and show that she accepted him. She had failed to do so. Now, her friend was gone.
"It's all my fault." said Twilight. She then clenched her fists as she lied down. She blamed herself for forcing him to leave. He probably would have stayed if she hadn't reacted to him so strongly. He must hate her now. He must despise her because she saw him differently in such a negative light. She had told him that monsters were people that hurt others out of malicious intent and that she thought there could have been good Transmutants. Her words were hypocritical when she briefly saw him as a monster that day. How could she forget that it was her friend? He was the person that she had fallen for! Twilight began to lightly weep as she clutched her shoulders. She wanted to take it back. She wanted to see him again so she can take it all back. But, it was too late.
Twilight then noticed something sitting just off of the corner of her bed on the wooden platform. She gently reaches for it and found it to be the lavender unicorn stuffed animal that Junior had given to her. It was something that she had always cherished ever since he had given it to her. She held it tightly to her chest as she cried.
"I'm sorry, Gojira. Please, forgive me!"




MONARCH base. Several miles outside of Ponyville. Earlier that day...

Sunset and Erika stood at attention at the front of the desk of the commanding officer. This was not the one that Erika had grown fond of; rather it was the one that gave the order to kill Lucky Dragon. The man wore a steely gaze. Erika and Sunset grew nervous under his stare.
"As you know, the higher ups aren't pleased that the Transmutants have escaped. They are especially not happy that Lucky Dragon is still alive." said the Commander.
"It was my fault, sir. I wasn't quick enough to carry the order." said Sunset, regrettably taking the blame.
"No, it was my fault. I was supposed to be the one to finish him if Pvt. Shimmer was incapacitated. I hesitated." said Erika. She couldn't let Sunset take the blame all on her own. She did hesitate when it came to killing the one named Gojira. He was so young, unlike the other Transmutants. They were mostly in their late 20s or in their mid 30s. She was disturbed how ones like Battra may have possibly been trained to be a murderer at a younger age. She knew that she wasn't any older than she was. He was actually younger by a year. Lucky Dragon and the two other male Transmutants looked to be in their late teens.
"Hmm. It's good to know that you two are taking responsibility. But, I didn't call you two in here to scold you." said the commander. Erika and Sunset looked to each other in confusion.
"I called you here because you two are being relocated for a different mission. You will be assigned to a mission where your skills will actually be useful."
"What sort of mission?" asked Sunset.
"Our Elves have scanned through you memories and have taken the images of the four Transmutants that were supposed to surrender in their human form. We are going to release their identities to the public and hope that someone will inform us that they have been spotted." said the commander. He then reaches in his desk and pulls out a cigar. The commander takes a lighter and holds the flame toward the cigar.
"That's where you two come in. You're going to hunt these four, and any other Transmutant that you may find and bring them in. But, Lucky Dragon will be terminated." said the commander.
"Um...sir, why is it that MONARCH wants Lucky Dragon dead? Why not let him surrender and lock him in the vault with the others?" asked Erika, nervously.
"The higher ups have deemed him too dangerous to be contained. He's on the kill list along with Destoroyah and Alpha, the most dangerous Transmutants alive. Well, at least one of them was alive." chuckled the commander. Erika gulped uncomfortably. She couldn't bring herself to kill a Transmutant if they have willingly surrendered. But, she had orders to follow. Besides, Lucky Dragon may be too dangerous to be kept around. He did threaten her directly before he had escaped.
"I understand sir." said Erika. The commander nodded in approval.
"Good. You ladies ship out starting next week. Get some rest." said the commander. Erika and Sunset saluted, then turned and made their way out of the office. The pair walked down the metal halls in silence. Sunset noticed Erika's troubled expression.
"Hey, are you OK?" asked Sunset in concern. Erika sighed solemnly.
"I don't know. I just don't feel right about this." said Erika.
"What's there to not feel right about? We're just going to catch those four Transmutants. It's not like we're going to invade a nest of Transmutant spiders." said Sunset.
"I don't feel right about killing Lucky Dragon. What did he do wrong that warrants for him to be killed?"
"Shiragami, don't go back on your orders. We are doing this to protect people!" argued Sunset.
"So, we're just going to kill him because he was one of the first three Transmutants?" demanded Erika. Sunset sighed in response.
"Shiragami, Lucky Dragon and the Alpha shared the dragon's DNA that they were mutated with. That same DNA runs through you veins along with the Alpha's. They are too unpredictable and powerful to contain." said Sunset. "Remember, Alpha is the reason that you can regenerate. His healing factor and his thick hide made him nearly invincible. Lucky Dragon is young and has likely gone insane over the years. If anything, we're putting him out of his misery."
"I just..."
"Shiragami, this might be what you need. If you go through with this, you may be accepted by the other soldiers and may earn back some trust." said Sunset, hoping that would convince her comrade. Erika sighed in defeat.
"Alright. I''ll follow through with my orders."
"Good." said Sunset. She then places a hand on her shoulder. "I need you. I won't be able to take them on alone."
"I've got your back." smiled Erika. Sunset smiled back. As they walked Sunset began to think of this. She never really cared for Transmutants. She didn't have a personal hatred for them as most people do. However, she did see them as a threat. She knew that by fighting these Transmutants, she would be praised for her heroism and bravery to fight. Her magic would be admired, her courage unmatched and her skills formidable. Being praised and loved as a war hero wasn't like being an Avatar princess to be loved. However, she would still be loved none the less. The death of Lucky Dragon by her hands may just be what that will guarantee that. Celestia will see how she was wrong to throw out someone like her. Her comrades will respect her. That's what she wants out of all of this. With that thought, she smiled to herself, eager for the hunt to begin.