//------------------------------//
// Chapter 22: Beauties from the Deep 
// Story: The Arrogance of Man 
// by Johng117 
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The sun hung high in the sky. Its scorching rays were cast upon the kingdom of Saddle Arabia. Earthbound men and women wore cloaks. Certain women covered their heads with hijabs while some men wore turbans or caps. The village streets were filled with people making way to their destinations. A man with large belly made his way through the town. As a father and husband, he had a responsibility to provide for his family. As he continued through the town, he made his way to the outskirts. He continued on down the sandy plain, his face dripped with sweat from the scorching sun. He later arrived to an area where several other men roamed about with nets in their grip. They saw the man approaching and greeted him.
"You're here!" shouted one of the younger men.
"Of course. I have to work too, you know." replied the man. He made his way over and began to help the men unfurl the nets. The men separated into three groups and boarded the sail boats. From there, they forced the boats off of the shore and into the Great Inland Sea. The men waited as their boats sailed further out into the sea.
"I'm surprised that you decided to come. Especially after the rumors of fishermen disappearing out into sea." said one of the young men. The large bellied man rolled his eyes in response.
"Bah! Those boys are probably just skipping out of work. Might as well, more money for us." grinned the large bellied man. The boats separated from each other, prowling their own area for fishing. The large man helped dip the fishing net into the water, feeling the weight increasing. Sometime later, they pulled the net out along with a group of fish. The fish squirmed and wiggled as they attempted to free themselves back into the sea. The men brought the fish back into the boat and set them aside as they continued to flap themselves against the wood. Suddenly, the fishermen heard something.
"Do you hear that?” asked one of the young men. The larger man searched the area, finding nothing around them in the middle of the Inland Sea. He then began to hear a sound as well.
"Yes. What is that?" asked another one of the young men. They continued to listen, hearing what sounded like a soothing tune.
"Is that...a woman singing? In the middle of the sea?" asked the large man. The young men continued to search, eager to find the owner of such a beautiful voice.
"Aaaaah~ Aaaaaah~" the woman's voice grew louder. The sound of something emerging from the water can be heard. The men turned and found a beautiful young woman with long red hair. Her head and a part of chest could be seen. The men stared, mesmerized by the woman's voice as she vocalized. They felt themselves forgetting about their job to fish. It did not matter to them as long as they could continue to listen to the lovely woman sing.
"Oooooh~ Oooooh~" a second voice can be heard. Next to the red haired woman was a second woman with black hair. She had eyes like the sea and her voice was much softer than the red haired woman's. The men listened to the voices of the women as they sang harmoniously. Next, two more women emerged from the water. The men's ears picked up the voices of the women as they sang to the crew. The fishermen walked closer to the edge of the boat. The black haired woman swam closer to one of the younger men with seductive eyes as she continued to sing. As the man leaned over the boat, the woman took his face into her hands. She then brought his face closer to his and locked lips with him. The two kissed passionately as the three other women enticed the men to join them. As the men got closer, the three other women did as well. The black haired woman suddenly yanked on the man, pulling him into the water. But the other men paid no mind to this. The larger man could not resist the women and desired to get closer, but he realized that something was off. Thoughts of his family and his duty as a fisherman made him realize that the women were distracting him and his crew. He shook his head, refocusing his mind, and then shook the other two men. That was when he noticed that one of them was missing.
"Hey, where is-" the man is interrupted as the red haired woman dove under the water. The man searched the water as the two remaining women began to circle the boat while singing. The man watched as women’s movement caused a small whirlpool that made the boat slightly spin. He gasped as he saw the women's eyes turn red. Suddenly, the red haired woman burst out of the sea, revealing her lower body to be covered in a fish tail covered in green scales. Her chest was covered in shells, making a bikini bra. Her mouth was wide open as she gave a screech, exposing sharp fangs. The sides of her head had fish fins below her ears and at the back sides of her lower jaw. Her forearms had short fins sticking out and gills were exposed at the side of her neck. The fish-woman held her hands out, tackling the large man off of the boat and into the water. The two remaining women stopped circling the boat and sprung out of the water. Both women bore the same fish tails that the red haired woman had. The fish-women tackled the remaining men and bit into their necks, causing them to wail in agony. The women then dragged the men back into the water, leaving the sail boat alone in the middle of The Great Inland Sea.




Later that day...

Junior and Angirasu roamed the village outside of the palace. They were sweating from the heat, so they ditched their sweater and coat back at their camp and decided to take a look around. They didn’t find any posters of their faces on them on the road, so they felt relief that they could pass through the town inconspicuously. Still, they decided to remain vigilant. The pair continued to walk and passed a couple of guards, who had large swords with curves. Junior tensed as one of them looked his way. As they continued walking, Junior heard a commanding voice.
"Stop!" Junior and Angirasu stopped dead in their tracks, going stiff. They slowly turned and found one of the guards approaching them.
"I haven't seen either of you around here before." the guard spoke with an accent. "Where are you from?"
"Neighpon." Angirasu answered calmly. "We're from Neighpon."
"Really now? What brings you here to our country?" questioned the man suspiciously. Junior cleared his throat.
"We're just visiting. It gets kind of old just being on an island surrounded by an ocean. We thought traveling would be nice so that we could see the other nations." answered Junior. The guard nodded.
"Very well. Please, enjoy your stay. One other thing, stay out of trouble. The Sultan has low tolerance for trouble makers."  warned the guard.
"Yes sir." Junior and Angirasu responded in unison. The guard then took off with the rest of his fellow guards. Junior and Angirasu sighed in relief. They then went on their way through the village. They saw performers in one area: men stepping on fiery coal; body builders flexing their muscles; beautiful women dancing; and a man sticking a sword down his throat. Junior's eyes widened at the sight of the man and the sword and the man on coal.
"Oh, god!" exclaimed Junior. Angirasu shared his reaction.
"These guys are good!" said Angirasu. The pair spent the next hour watching the performers. They watched as a man played a flute, causing a cobra to emerge out of the basket as it swooned to the melody. Junior and Angirasu watched the spectacle with several other people, entertained by the sight.
"Man, I would love to see Shy doing this. That is if I wasn't worried about her getting bit by a poisonous snake." chuckled Junior. Angirasu sighed.
"Yeah..." said Angirasu. Junior mentally kicked himself for bringing Fluttershy up. He felt that he must have put a damper on their day.
"Sorry about that, man." apologized Junior. Angirasu waved his hand dismissively.
"Nah. Don't worry about it." said Angirasu. He then twiddled his thumbs as they sat with the group of people. "So...do you think that I would have had a chance with Fluttershy? I mean, if I weren't a...you know?"
"Hey, if Twilight said yes to me when I asked her out, I think you might have had a chance with Shy." said Junior with a smile. Angirasu chuckled in response.
"Ah, don't say that to make me feel good about myself." said Angirasu.
"No way. I'm serious about that. She even told me that she liked you!" said Junior. Angirasu smiled to himself.
"That's nice to hear." said Angirasu. Junior patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't worry about it. You might end up finding yourself a girl that shares what you have." said Junior in reassurance.
"That'd be nice. I wouldn't have to worry about her rejecting me based on that specific detail. She would have the same problem." replied Angirasu. Junior smiled, proud to have cheered up his friend.
"Come on. I hear that there's a market that sells fish. We can get some for dinner tonight." said Junior as he stood up. Angirasu nodded to him.
"Let's go." said Angirasu. The two Transmutants made their way through the village and proceeded to head down to the market. As they arrived, they began to search the place. They found men selling jewels, fruits, vegetables and meat. They eyed the food in longing as their main diet consisted of veggie sandwiches which, while good, didn’t satisfy a carnivore like Junior. As they continued on, they came across a stand that was filled with fish. They rushed over to the stand, finding a man decapitating the head of one of the fish.
"Hey, you speak Equish?" asked Junior. The man turned to face them with a smile.
"Of course! I took some classes as a boy to learn the language." answered the man. Junior smiled in response.
"Great. How much is your fish?" asked Junior.
"Ah, that would be fourteen coins per pound!" said the man. Junior fished for his bag of bits, but then a thought crossed his mind.
"Will you accept Equestrian bits?" Junior asked hesitantly. The man sighed in disappointment.
"I'm afraid not. Their currency is no good out here. I'm sorry."
"Can we work something out?" asked Angirasu. The man raised a brow in response.
"What did you have in mind?" asked the man.
"Well, we could work to earn a small portion of food. We'll be willing to do whatever you need to be done." offered Angirasu. The man rubbed his chin in thought.
"That does sound fair. How badly do you need food?" asked the man.
"As in, 'we will starve to death if we don't get something to eat', bad. We're traveling and we will need food to sustain us on our journey." answered Junior. The man nodded in understanding.
"Well, young men like you can help me with something. Over the past couple of weeks, we have had trouble getting men to fish in The Great Inland Sea. If you go down there tonight, our men will take you aboard their boats so that you can help catch fish. After you are finished, they will allow you take the largest one." said the man.  Junior and Angirasu pondered the decision. They silently discussed it together.
"What do you think? Should we?" asked Junior.
"Yes. But I have to wonder why they are having trouble getting men to fish in that sea." answered Angirasu. Junior shrugged in response.
"It's probably nothing to worry about." said Junior.
"I don't know..." Angirasu said uneasily.
"This might be the only opportunity we have. Come on, think of it as community service." said Junior. Angirasu gave him a deadpanned stare.
"You have to work without making a profit for it to be community service." retorted Angirasu.
"We're not making a profit. We're just earning food." said Junior. Angirasu sighed.
"OK, let's roll with it." the two Transmutants broke their huddle and looked towards the man.
"You got yourself a deal." said Junior. The man smiled in response.
"Excellent! I'll let the men fishing tonight that you boys will be joining them. May I have your names?"
"Gojira Takeshi and Angirasu Riku." answered Junior.



Later that afternoon, the sun was beginning to set. Nightfall would be approaching sooner than Junior and Angirasu originally anticipated. They stood back at their campsite where Mosura and Rodan sat.
"You're going fishing?" asked Mosura. Junior and Angirasu nodded in response.
"That's right. We made a deal with one of the retailers in the market that he would hook us up with a job. He even said that we would be paid with the largest fish that we catch." answered Junior. Rodan shook his head.
"You should've asked to work for money." said Rodan.
"I didn't because we might not even be here for very long. We're just trying to get something other than smores and veggie sandwiches to eat." retorted Junior. Rodan frowned in response.
"But...I like smores." said Rodan in a childish voice. Junior rolled his eyes.
"Goji, we might not have to move out of Saddle Arabian territory until it is necessary. After this, I would appreciate it if the three of you would get a paying job. This sounds like a good one to start." said Mosura. Rodan groaned in response.
"Aw man. Work? How come you get to stay at camp?" asked Rodan. Mosura gave him an annoyed look.
"One, someone needs to stay and hold the fort down. Two, Saddle Arabia has kingdoms that limit the rights to female citizens. This isn't the kingdom that allows women to have equal rights." said Mosura. Rodan sighed.
"Fine. I see your point."
Junior and Angirasu found the sun to be setting much further as their conversation went on.
"We gotta get going. Mosu, we'll see if they will hire to pay us money if things go well. Rodan, just enjoy the one night that you have left to be lazy. We're going to be busy from now on." said Angirasu. Rodan grumbled in response. Mosura nodded to them as the two Transmutants took off back to the village.
"Be careful boys!" called Mosura. Junior turned around and gave her a thumbs-up. The two male Transmutants proceeded on, prepared for work.



The sky was covered in darkness. The stars and moon shone brightly in the sky. The sea was calm, with the stellar lights reflecting off of the water. Junior and Angirasu sat on a sail boat that was miles away from the shore. They were accompanied by three other men on the vessel. Junior and Angirasu helped prepare the net for their catch.
"We appreciate the help that you boys are lending. Otherwise, we would be out here all night." said one of the men. Junior nodded to him.
"It's no problem. Thanks for the opportunity." said Junior.
"I hope you boys can swim. Wouldn't want you drowning if one of you were to fall overboard." joked one of the other men. Junior and Angirasu gave each other an amused expression.
"I don't think that will be a problem." said Junior. He was confident in his swimming abilities. He wasn't sure how good Angirasu was at swimming, but he at least knew that he could swim. That was enough to put him at ease.
"So, why is it that you guys are having trouble getting men to fish?" asked Angirasu. The men went silent. No one said a word, causing an awkward silence between the humans and Transmutants.
"Well, there are rumors that men have been vanishing out in sea. For the last couple of weeks, there have been fishermen disappearing." said one of the men. Junior and Angirasu listened intently, curious to hear the explanation.
"No one has seen them?" asked Junior.
"No. In fact, we just lost a group some time ago." said the man. Junior and Angirasu eyed each other uncomfortably. 
"So...any idea what could have happened?" asked Angirasu.
"Some say that a demon roams our sea, taking the sailors and dragging them to the lower depths of the ocean." said another one of the men.
"Demons, eh? Well, I'm not sure about that, but something dragging them under does sound plausible." said Junior. He began to wonder what would be able to drag down men under the sea, leaving no witnesses.
"What kind of sharks roam the sea here?" asked Junior.
"Whale Sharks are common. There is also a Great White, occasionally." answered of the men. Junior began to analyze the answer.
"A Whale Shark can get pretty big and knock this boat over, but they're filter feeding animals so they couldn't have eaten the men. A Great White attack is also possible, but I think someone would have noticed sharks attacking the fishermen." said Junior to himself. He then sighed as he looked up at the night sky.
"Whatever is responsible, it must be big." said Junior. Angirasu gave Junior a deadpanned stare.
“Still think it was a good idea not to ask beforehand?” asked Angirasu. Junior’s brow twitched in annoyance.
“Oh, don’t start with me!” retorted Junior.
“Hey, I’m just sayin’.”said Angirasu as he raised his hands defensively.
"Well, it’s not likely that we'll run into trouble. Let's get these nets down and get to fishing." said one of the men. So, they spent the next several minutes setting the net inside, pulling it back up and bringing in their catch. Large fish wiggled and squirmed as they attempted to breathe in a waterless environment. Junior and Angirasu's combined strength allowed the fishermen to pull the fish filled nets with ease. After an hour, the boat was filled with several large fish, making the humans and Transmutants smile in accomplishment.
"Excellent work. Let's head back to shore." said one of the older men. They all brought the net back into the boat, setting it neatly aside as they turned the sail. As the sail turned, the boat made a course towards the shore. Junior watched the calm sea, feeling at peace as the moon shone brightly over the sky. It created such a beautiful image that Junior had never seen in Ponyville or Canterlot. Junior thought back to his nightmare from the previous night, the one that showed Celestia disowning him. Fortunately, his thoughts were interrupted when a sound caught his ear. He shot up, searching the area as he heard a tune. Angirasu turned, his ears picking up the sound as well.
"Do you guys hear that?" asked Junior. The men stopped and remained silent as they listened to the air.
"Hear what?" asked the older man. Junior raised a brow in confusion.
"You don't hear that? It sounds like someone is singing." said Junior.
"Yeah, I hear it too." said Angirasu. The men looked to each other in confusion.
'Odd. We must be hearing them because of heightened sense of hearing. The singer must be too far.' thought Junior. Suddenly, the singing voice began to grow louder in his ears. The men perked up as their hearing picked up the sound.
"Now I hear it." said one man. The rest all murmured in agreement. Junior searched the area, wondering where the source was. The singing voice grew louder.
"Aaaaaaah~ Aaaaaaaah~ Aaaaaaaah~" a female voice vocalized in such a soft tone that it gave Junior a strange feeling. Something felt right about the sound and voice. His nerves were relaxed and his heart rate was calm. He looked over to Angirasu, who seemed to have had a slightly similar effect, except that he was dazed. Junior then noticed the other men, seeing them in a more severe state then Angirasu. Junior then heard the sound of something breaching the surface of the water. Junior turned and found a beautiful black haired woman in the water. She had eyes that were blue like the ocean and hair that reached below her shoulders and floated majestically on the surface of the water.
"Aaaaaaah~ Aaaaaaah~ Fisherman, Fisherman of the sea. How hard your work must be~ You drop your nets, praying that your catch won't flee~" The woman began to sing to Junior. Normally, he would be annoyed at the songs that people tended to break into, but he couldn't help but listen to her song. Her voice was calm, gentle, and so welcoming that it made him feel as though she was connecting with him. Junior sat and listened as the woman continued to sing. He suddenly heard the sound of the surface of the water being breached many times, along with the arrival of more women. They began a harmonious vocalization as the black haired woman took the lead.
"Fisherman, fisherman, you work hard so that you may feed~ But for how long will it be until you've earned the rest you need?~" the black haired woman sang as the rest of the women followed along in a harmonized sync. Angirasu stared into the eyes of one of the women as she swam closer to him. She ran her soft, pale hand under his chin. Angirasu looked with half-opened eyes. Junior stared uneasily as he saw Angirasu moving closer to the woman. Angirasu suddenly shook his head slightly, clenching his eyes shut. As he looked away from the woman, his breathing increased. He backed away, sitting down next to Junior.
"I...I don't feel right." said Angirasu. "I can't control myself."
"I can't say that I have the same feeling. Their singing is pleasant but...something isn't right." said Junior as he watched the men get closer to the women. He then felt a hand tenderly graze his bare arm, causing him to quickly turn to find the black haired woman dangerously close to him.
"Allow us to take the lead, to help you rest just below the sea.~" the women sang. The black haired woman's eyes suddenly turned to a glowing red. Junior's eyes widened in shock as he saw the glowing eyes and heard the last verse.
"Aw hell." said Junior with a frown. The woman wrapped her arms around Junior's neck, pulling down as she attempted to drag him off of the boat. Junior's hands caught the edge of the boat, causing it to rock as the woman continued to yank on him. She grunted as she tried to yank harder on Junior. The Transmutant pushed on the boat's edge, forcing himself up and pulling the woman out of the water. He gasped as he saw the fish tail that replaced the woman's lower half of her body. He saw the small scales that decorated her shoulders and sides, along with the gills that were on her neck and the fins behind her jaw. The woman hissed at Junior as she bared her teeth at him, revealing sharp fangs. Junior pried the hands of the fish-woman off of his neck and threw her back into the sea. The rest of the men jumped out of their dazed state as they saw Junior toss the woman into the water. Suddenly, all of the women began to hiss and screech, revealing fangs and red eyes. The women dove underwater, revealing their fish tails. The men began to panic as Junior and Angirasu glared at the water as they searched it for the creatures. Junior spotted a few harpoons on the boat. He immediately dove for one and handed it to Angirasu. He then takes another and tossed it to one of the men.
"Arm yourselves!" commanded Junior. The man caught the harpoon and searched the rippled water as the sound of dolphin-like screeches was heard from beneath. Junior picked up one of the few remaining harpoons. Suddenly, a fish-woman burst out of the water and bit into the neck of one of the men, tackling him out of the boat and into the sea. The men began to panic as the creatures burst close next to the boat, as they attempted to grab the men. One of the men was grabbed by his arm, being pulled by one of the women. Angirasu immediately rushed towards him and kicked the woman in her face, causing her to flop back into the water. Junior felt his senses take over, allowing him to see and hear the movements of their foes. He felt something approaching from behind and found a blonde haired fish-woman hurling towards him. Junior thrusted his harpoon and caught the creature in her gut and made her cry out in agony as she felt herself impaled by the weapon. Junior raised the harpoon over himself with the creature attached to it and thrust it behind him, forcing the woman to slide off of his harpoon and into the water. The humans and Transmutants fought for their lives as they began to hit and stab every one of these hybrids that dared to attack. Junior suddenly felt himself grabbed by two of the women. He turned and found them hissing as they yanked on him. Junior dropped the harpoon in his grip and fell over board and into the sea.
"Gojira!!" cried Angirasu as he witnessed his friend dragged under. He was then grabbed by another one of the women, but he sent an elbow against her head, knocking her back into the water. Another one of the men was dragged underwater, leaving only Angirasu and one of the remaining Saddle Arabians. They stuck close together as they fought any incoming creature.
Beneath the surface, Junior was dragged by two of the hybrid women deep into the sea. He held his breath as he was dragged deeper and deeper. He knew that if he didn't act, he would drown. Junior strained as his neck began to sprout gills. After they sprouted, he released the air that he was holding in his mouth and proceeded to breathe through his gills. Junior yanked on the arm of one of the women and sunk his teeth into it. She gave a wail in agony as Junior's teeth bit into her limb. Her blood began to flow out of her wound and taint a small area of the water. Junior spun as he released himself from their grip, sending a glare. The hybrids stared in shock as they saw that Junior was no longer holding his breath.
"You idiot! You'll just die of drowning!" laughed one of the fish-women. Junior turned his head, exposing his neck and began to point at it. The hybrids both stared in shock at how this Earthbound had gills.
"That's impossible! What are you?!" demanded one of the fish-women. Junior glared at them.
"Something that you just pissed off." Junior spoke in a muffled voice with bubbles floating out of his mouth. He then began to strain under the water, his breathing through his gills increased. His muscles ached and morphed. His bones grew and shifted and changed shape. The hybrid women stared in horror as they saw Junior's human body morph into a beast. His tail sprouted and his body increased in size. His back sprouted his dorsal plates and his head changed shape into its flat self and his face changed into a box shaped snout. Junior's irises grew in size, leaving any trace of white nearly gone. His pupils dilated as he glared at the fish-women. His lip curled and his brows furrowed. His teeth were bared and his nostrils flared as Junior’s transformation was completed. He then released a bellow that echoed in the sea and was slightly muffled by the immense pressure of the water. Junior leaned himself forward, his tail swished from side to side along with his body like a crocodile as he swam towards the fish-women. He opened his mighty jaws and scared them out of their wits. He chased them under the sea like a shark chasing its prey.
Junior roared as he caught up to one of the fish-women. He then clamped his jaws on the tail, causing her to screech in agony. Junior jerked his head in place multiple times, shaking the hybrid. The whiplash was too much for the fish-woman, causing her to pass out. Her tail fin was suddenly torn by the quick jerking movements and Junior's sharp teeth. Blood filled the area as Junior glared at the remaining fish-woman. He began to pursue her through the sea. The pair swam up towards the surface of the water. The fish-woman flipped her tail as fast as she could; she burst out of the water at several feet into the air. As she looked down, her eyes widened in horror as she saw Junior breach out of the water below her with his mouth wide open. She screamed as she fell back down towards Junior while he was still approaching upwards from his burst. Junior then clamped his jaws down on her abdomen side-ways, catching her in the air.
The other fish-women watched this new beast -that was much larger than they were- as it caught one of their own in its mouth. Angirasu stared as Junior burst out of the water like a predator to its prey. The man that was left gave a terrified yell as he saw this new creature. Junior crashed back below the sea as his jaws crushed the fish-woman. She screamed under water as she tried to free herself from Junior's mouth. She began beat her fist against his muzzle, but she only pissed Junior off. He began to shake his head furiously with the hybrid in his mouth. After several shakes, he released her, allowing her unconscious form to float under water. Junior swam pass the hybrid, his dorsal plates reaching the surface. Angirasu nearly panicked as he saw the dorsal plates, as he almost thought that they belonged to multiple sharks. However, he recognized the bony, maple leaf shaped plates that belonged to Junior. Angiarsu was unnerved at how unmercifully Junior attacked these creatures, especially as he witnessed the ruthless fish-women panicking as they saw that Junior was heading towards them. They dove beneath the sea, swimming as fast they could from Junior. The Transmutant, however, continued with his pursuit until he was sure that they were gone.
Angirasu watched as Junior's dorsal plates sunk beneath the surface of the water. He sighed in relief as the fish-women appeared to be nowhere else. One of the few remaining men breathed heavily at what had just transpired.
"What was that thing?" asked the man. Angirasu shrugged in response.
"Whatever it was, it got rid of those fish-women for us." said Angirasu. He then turns to find the fish still intact along with the sail. "Let's turn this boat around. We got some bad news to deliver."
"Sorry about your friend." said the man in pity. Angirasu gave a fake dejected sigh.
"He was always on the move." said Angirasu. So, the boat continued its sail towards land. The death of the men on this fishing job would not be forgotten, as they were able to figure what was responsible for the disappearance of the fishermen.



Junior continued to swim through the Great Inland Sea. The fish-women were getting further away from him. Junior was allowing them to escape, as he only intended to make sure that they would leave the area. Junior stopped swimming, staring as the creatures gave dolphin-like squeaks and screeches while they swam further away. Junior turned his head up to the surface of the sea, finding the moon still high in the sky. His clothes were torn from his transformation and he didn't like the idea of walking outside in his human form naked. He couldn't risk Saddle Arabia discovering his presence and alerting MONARCH. So, Junior swam to the floor of the sea. He found a spot on the ground next to a rock buried in sand. He lied down on his belly, sand being kicked up from his collision. Junior placed his arms in front, putting them together as he leaned his head down on them. Junior took in water, allowing his gills to take in oxygen and deliver it to his blood. He observed the dark ocean blue around him and appreciated the view. With that last sight, Junior closed his eyes, letting the sleep take hold of him.



Junior found himself in a great forest filled with tall trees. The cloudless sky was lit by the bright sun. Junior felt the warmth of the sun bathing him. He inhaled deeply, taking in the fresh air. As he walked through the forest, he found a river filled with fish that migrated through. The sounds of birds reached his ears. Junior sat down on the green grass, smiling as he sat in this peaceful environment. Everything was balanced and tranquil, feeling him with such serenity. The Transmutant didn't have a care in the world. Junior lied on his back, looking up to the sky. He took calm breaths, his belly rising and descending from each breath. He suddenly heard the sound of light footsteps approaching him. Junior immediately shot up, turning to the source of the sound.
His eyes met with a sight that made his heart nearly stop. Before him, stood a Neighponese woman dressed in a pure white kimono. She stood to be five foot eight. Her hair was long and black, her skin was pale and her eyes were grayish-blue. Junior trembled in her presence. His heart was heavy as he and the woman locked eyes. Junior slowly stood up to his feet, fully facing the woman.
"Mom?" called Junior. The woman merely smiled to him. She held out her arms to Junior with a kind smile. Junior felt his eyes water as the woman offered him a welcoming hug. He immediately ran over to her and prepared to wrap her into a tight embrace. However, as he reached her and threw his arms around her, she disappeared. Junior gasped as he realized that his mother was gone. He gritted his teeth in anger, dropping to his knees and slamming his fist onto the ground. Tears streamed down his face as he stared at the grass.
"It's not fair. Why did you have to go?" muttered Junior.
"Sir Gojira!" cried a familiar voice. Junior jumped at the sudden call. He turned and found Luna approaching him from the forest. He then wore an uneasy expression.
"Princess Luna? Is that you? I mean, are you the real Princess Luna?" asked Junior. The princess of the moon gave him a warm smile.
"Yes. It is I!" said Luna. Junior stood by uneasily. He wondered why she was here. He had a sudden thought of her coming here to kill him in the dream world, somehow causing an effect on him in the real world.
"What do you want?" asked Junior. Luna stepped closer to Junior and took his hands into her own. Junior recoiled from her and pulled his hands away, causing Luna to raise a brow.
"Stay back." Junior commanded, trying to keep a calm voice.
"What is wrong? I only came to talk." said Luna. She wondered why Junior reacted so strongly.
"No, you can't fool me! She sent you here to kill me didn't she?!" demanded Junior. Luna recoiled at Junior's tone.
"I-"
"Don't lie to me! She hates me doesn't she?!" Junior's eyes burned with rage. The area around them was suddenly ignited in fire. Luna gasped as she saw the once beautiful forest suddenly change into a forest of fire. Trees fell and turned to ash all around them. Junior's eyes glared at her, glowing an eerie light blue.
"Gojira, calm yourself!" cried Luna. Junior began to stalk closer to her as he held his glare. Suddenly, he spotted a figure in the distance behind Luna. It was his mother again, standing out like an angel in a hellish scene. However, instead of the same kind smile that he first saw, she had a look of despair. She sat on her knees among the burning forest, weeping. Junior's eyes softened as he saw his crying mother, causing them to lose their glow. The flames were suddenly extinguished, leaving behind charred trees and an ash covered ground. Luna watched in surprise as Junior dropped on his knees with a pained expression. She then turned and followed his gaze. Luna saw a woman in a white kimono weeping further away. The woman suddenly vanished into ash. Luna heard a light sob escape from Junior's mouth. She turned found him looking down with his fist buried under the ash.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Junior managed to say under his breath. Luna frowned, taking pity on the Transmutant. Luna took light steps toward Junior, sitting on her knees in front of him. She placed her hands on his cheeks and then held his face up to meet her own.
"Please, let us talk." Luna spoke softly with eyes that showed her desire to help. Junior felt himself compelled to reject her help, but another side was telling him to accept it. He then sniffed as he looked away.
"Fine, we'll talk." said Junior. Luna gave him a light smile as she released his cheeks. The two stood and began to walk away from the burnt area of the forest. Junior looked back, hoping to see his mother one last time. He sighed as he saw that she was absent, and then continued on with Luna. The two came across an area of the forest that was still green and filled with life. Luna smiled at the scenery around them. She then noticed Junior taking a seat on a bare patch of grass. She followed his lead and took a seat next to him.
"So...what was it that you wanted to talk about?" asked Junior.
"My sister wanted to know if thou were well. She wants you to come back." answered Luna. Junior shook his head.
"No. That can't be true." said Junior. Luna frowned.
"Gojira, come back to Canterlot. Just tell me where to find you and we'll-"
"How can I trust you?! In case you haven't recalled, I'm a fugitive that's wanted to be killed on sight!" retorted Junior.
"What we are telling you is true! She knows about what you are, but she still loves you!" said Luna. She then grabs Junior's shoulders with pleading eyes. "Please, we can help you! My sister was devastated when she discovered that you had fled Ponyville!"
"She...she was?" asked Junior in disbelief.
"She weeps herself to sleep! She is trying everything that she can to bring thou back and to keep thou safe from MONARCH. Please, do not put my sister through the devastation of losing a family member" pleaded Luna. Junior took in the Avatar's words. Celestia was aware of him being a Transmutant, yet she still accepted him and Luna was begging him to return home for her sister.  He was shocked by this discovery and was tempted to return, but one somber thought reminded him of his position.
"I... I want to come back. I would turn back from where I am and travel all of the way back to Canterlot. But I can't" said Junior, solemnly.
"Why?" asked Luna.
"MONARCH is searching for me and Equestria is too dangerous for me to live in anymore. They'll kill me!"
"My sister had set terms with MONARCH before they had occupied our nation. If you willingly surrendered to them, we can vouch for you to allow you to remain in Equestria." suggested Luna. Junior sighed in frustration.
"They did give us that choice, but they tried to kill me anyway!" Junior said in anger. The face of Sunset Shimmer appearing in his mind added fire to his anger. Luna's eyes widened.
"They...they violated one of the terms?!" demanded Luna as she got close to Junior's face. The Transmutant looked away nervously.
"Yeah?" answered Junior in an unsure tone. Luna backed away, processing what she had been told. She wasn't all too familiar with MONARCH and its ways, but she did know that Celestia was weary of their methods and their excessive use of force.
"My sister must know of this. It may prove useful." said Luna. Junior raised a brow in response. She then turned back to Junior.
"Wait, thou said 'us' a minute ago. Are thou alone?" Luna asked curiously. Junior felt no reason to lie. Luna has convinced him that she was here to help.
"No. There are three other Transmutants with me. Celestia met one of them. She's a Neighponese girl with short, white hair." answered Junior. His eyes widened as he recalled his friends.
"Princess Luna, there's another reason why I can't return to Equestria. I would be putting my friends in danger of being captured if I were to bring them. I won't abandon them either." said Junior. Luna was about to protest but was interrupted.
"No! They're the only friends that I have left! And I'll never forgive myself if I ever leave them." said Junior with a hard stare. Luna was downcast at not being able to convince the Transmutant to return home. Junior turned and looked towards the sky.
"Princess, as long as MONARCH is in my way, I can never return home. I don't want to drag Celestia down with my problem." said Junior. He then turned back to Luna with a sad smile. "But, thanks for telling me how she felt about me. I only wish she could have told me face to face."
"Gojira..." Luna scooted closer to Junior, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We will make sure that it's safe for you to return to Equestria."
"Thanks, Princess." said Junior. Luna gave him a slightly annoyed expression.
"Please, call us... me... Luna." said Luna as she struggled to speak to Junior with modern linguistics. He gave her an amused smile.
"Alright, Luna." said Junior. A small grin appeared on Luna's face, but she immediately wiped it away. She cleared her throat with her head held high to appear regal.
"Much better." said Luna. Junior shook his head in amusement at how the princess tried to hide her joy. The world around them began to rumble. The pair looked up to the sky and saw how it began to morph and light was beginning to shine through. Luna immediately stood to her feet and unfurled her wings.
"Thou waketh! I must leave!" said Luna in urgency. She then took off into the air, leaving Junior on the ground below. Junior stood to his feet and held a hand over his eyes as he tried to catch one last glimpse at the Diarch.
"Take care, sir Gojira!" Luna's voice echoed from above. Junior's eyes were assaulted by a bright flash, leaving him blind.



Junior's eyes shot open. His vision was slightly blurred from just waking up. The Transmutant blinked his reptilian eyes several times to refocus his vision. Junior's mind began to recollect from yesterday's past events. He recalled the fish-women that had attacked him and Angirasu during the night. Junior then noticed his surroundings and saw different sorts of fish that swam around the area. He then noticed a crab walking on a rock that was nearby and the light that shone above. The sky appeared to be rippling as the sunlight reflected off of it. He then noticed the charcoal grey scales that covered his arms.
'Oh, that's right.' thought Junior, recalling that he had fallen asleep in the ocean. He then felt his stomach growling. Junior gave a low bellow as he used his arms to push himself off of the ocean floor. He swayed his tail and his body from side to side, propelling himself through the sea. Junior's eyes looked up to the surface. The sky was barely lit, still leaving a little bit of darkness. Junior realized that he had awoken early in the morning. His stomach began to growl again, causing him to lightly growl. He then noticed a group of fish traveling together. Junior curled his lip into a slight smile. He began to swim lower in the sea, finding the fish to be startled by his approach. They immediately broke off their formation and began to flee. Junior picked up his speed, chasing the closest fish. He stretched his neck as he began to get closer to the fish. He then opened his jaws and clamped down on the fish, engulfing half of it in his mouth. Junior began to chomp on the fish as his sharp teeth tore through the scales and swallowed the fish whole. Junior was still not satisfied, so he decided to pursue the fishes and devoured as many as he could catch.
Junior spent the next several minutes feeding on whatever fish was nearby. He was still hungry, as his larger mass forced him to eat more than he was used to. Junior then decided to head back to shore until he felt the back of his mind tingling. He stopped swimming, his head swiveling around.
'Mosura?' Junior thought to himself. He waited for a response.
'Gojira! Are you alright?!' Mosura's voice echoed in his mind. She sounded distressed. Junior began to worry if he was the cause.
'I'm fine. I was chasing after some creatures that attacked me and Angirasu.' thought Junior. He then began to search the sea around himself. 'Where are you?'
Suddenly, Junior saw a figure with great wings flapping above the surface of the sea. Junior swam up to the surface. His head breached the surface to find Mosura in her moth-like form. She flapped her wings majestically above the waters. Junior raised his head and smiled.
"Found you." said Junior. Mosura lightly giggled as she descended towards Junior.
"Thank goodness that you're alright. Let's go home." said Mosura. Junior nodded to her in response.
"Lead the way." said Junior. Mosura then turned and began to fly off across the sea. Junior then dove his head under water; his dorsal plates were exposed above the surface. The two traveled across the sea, on their way towards land.
After a couple of hours, the sun had risen higher in the sky. Junior and Mosura had finally reached the shore. They were greeted by Angirasu and Rodan, who stood with blankets in their grip. Mosura landed on the beach sand, folding her wings behind her back. She turned to find Junior stomping out of shore-line as the waves passed his feet. His tail swayed as he walked and his feet left large foot prints in the wet sand. Mosura was slightly intimidated by Junior's larger build and height. Junior then found Angirasu tossing a blanket to him, which he caught in his hand. Mosura took the blanket that Rodan had and wrapped it over shoulders. Her body began to morph and shrink down. First, her eyes shrunk and changed back to being human and her body lost its insect anatomy in favor of a feminine human figure. Her wings and her two extra arms were absorbed into her body and her exoskeleton and fuzz were replaced with her pale mammalian skin.
Junior's body shrunk as well, his body build shrinking and his skull changing shape. His tail and dorsal plates were absorbed back into his body. He began to wrap himself in his blanket and covered his nudity as the rough scales had changed back into soft mammalian flesh. Junior craned his neck as his gills disappeared, his bones gave a popping sound. He sighed in relief as the pain that he felt had subsided.
"So, how'd it go?" asked Angirasu. Junior raised a brow.
"The chase? Ah, I let them go. I made sure that I chased them far away. I was too tired to bother coming back to land and decided to sleep." explained Junior.
"How'd that work out?" asked Rodan. Junior smiled.
"It was nice. Makes me want to sleep under water more often."  answered Junior. He then turned to Angirasu.
"Well, what happened while I was gone?" asked Junior. Angirasu cleared his throat.
"Well, we got our largest fish for dinner. I tried asking if they would hire and pay me at least since the guy that was with me now thinks you’re dead. They looked at me like I was crazy after volunteering." said Angirasu. He then sighed. "Now they have fewer men to fish after finding out that Sirens have been responsible for the disappearances of the fishermen."
"Sirens?" asked Junior. Mosura tugged at Junior's blanket in attempt to get his attention.
"Sirens are creatures that have bodies with the upper-half of a woman and the lower half of a fish. They are dangerous, having the ability to kill sailors by causing them to be under a spell and to lose concentration at maintaining their ship as they sing to them. Some even pull men overboard and drown them." said Mosura. Junior looked to her in surprise.
"How did you know that?"
"I actually read about them back in..." Mosura was about to finish but hesitated. She didn't want to bring up painful memories for Junior. He gave her a nod of understanding.
"I get it.” said Junior. Mosura frowned as she sensed the slight heart ache coming from Junior. He then sighed.
"Well, what's strange is that when one of the Sirens was singing to me...I didn't really feel like I was under a spell." said Junior.
"I did. Well, half-way. I felt fine at first but then I began to lose control of myself. I felt like I couldn't resist them." said Angirasu. Junior then thought back to the night. He did feel something, but it wasn't like how Angirasu described it.
"I...I did feel something. It wasn't lust or anything like that. I felt calm. I felt like I was connecting with them. Their voices sounded so welcoming. I can't explain it." said Junior. Rodan then groaned.
"Dude, don't tell me that you're already on the rebound and that you're falling in love with killer fish-women!" Rodan said in exasperation. Junior gave him a dead panned stare.
"No, I don't think that's it." said Junior. Angirasu cleared his throat, grabbing Junior's attention.
"Bottom line, they asked me to come back this afternoon and to bring anyone that I know if I could and they would pay us. They're really desperate to keep their fishing business going." said Angirasu. Junior then pondered the situation. It would be no problem for Angirasu to find anyone to join him as Rodan was supposed to work anyway. However, Junior had to lay low since he is thought to be dead. He couldn't risk being seen by anyone that knew he was there that night. There was also the Sirens, as their antics made the job that his friends would be taking riskier than before. If Angirasu wasn't immune to the spell of the Sirens, then he didn't count on Rodan being immune either, which filled Junior with worry. 
"I don't know about this. You and Gojira almost didn't make it last night. What if the Sirens come back?" asked Mosura in worry. She dreaded the thought of Rodan and Angirasu being dragged to the bottom of the sea, never to be seen again.
"Wait, we might not have to worry about that!" said Junior. The other three Transmutants looked to Junior curiously. "I may not be able to be in the boat helping you fish, but I can hide in the sea while you guys are working. That way I can chase off the Sirens if they come by since I'm immune to their spell!"
"Hey, yeah! I'd feel a lot safer if you were below scaring the crap out of them!" said Rodan in approval.
"That is a great idea." smiled Angirasu. Mosura wore an unsure expression.
“Alright. But Goji...please don't kill them. We don't know what that may bring about in the future. We can't risk more conflict." said Mosura. Junior sighed in response.
"I can't promise that. I have to guarantee the safety of Angirasu and Rodan, no matter what." said Junior. Mosura frowned in response.
"Very well." said Mosura. Junior placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Mosu, you can't keep this up. I don't want to put the scenario on you, but one day you will be forced to take a life." said Junior. Mosura looked away as she heard those words.  Rodan clapped his hands together, then began to rub them together to divert away from the subject.
"Say, how about we head back? You two need to get some clothes on." said Rodan with a chuckle. Mosura blushed in response. She then nodded furiously.
"Yes, let's go!" said Mosura. The Transmutants then left the beach, taking off towards the plateau that held their camp.