//------------------------------//
// Chapter 28 
// Story: The Arrogance of Man 
// by Johng117 
//------------------------------//


Ponyville, Equestria

The noon had arrived over the town. The buildings that were ruined from the Transmutant attack have been restored. Few people were yet to finish mourning those who perished during the attack. A few guards watched over the town with vigil eyes among rooftops and streets. People continued on with their daily lives in the town, but there were some that were worried about Celestia's decision to ban MONARCH from Equestria.  All they could do was attempt to move on with their lives and hope for the best. 
At the Golden Oaks Library, a woman searched through the library with Twilight Sparkle by her side.  The woman scanned through the spines of the books, searching for the title of the book that she desired. She hummed in wonder as she continued to search. Her face suddenly brightened up into a smile as she found the book.
"Ah! Here it is!" said the woman as she took the book from the shelf. She then handed the book to Twilight.
"Alright! Please come with me and we'll check this out." said Twilight. The petite Elf led the woman over to a podium. Twilight levitated a quill with her magic and began to write down the title of the book being checked out and the name of the customer. The woman handed a few bits to Twilight as payment to borrow the book. Twilight then handed her the book as she took the bits.
"Enjoy!" said Twilight. The woman gave her a smile and began to make her way to the door. She suddenly stopped herself.
"Hey, what do you think of the princess's decision to ban MONARCH from Equestria?" asked the woman. Twilight rubbed her arm uncomfortably.
"Well...I will admit at how extreme it seems, especially after what happened a few weeks back. But, I trust her. I know that she has a plan up her sleeve." answered Twilight.
"That's reassuring to hear. Thanks again Ms. Sparkle!" said the woman as she left the library. Twilight sighed as the woman left. The scholar made her way over to a chest hidden in another room. She then took out a small key and pressed it inside of the keyhole. With a turn, she unlocked the chest and opened it to deposit the bits inside 
'It's been awhile. I wonder if he's doing OK.' thought Twilight. She has had trouble adjusting to the disappearance of Junior after the attack. She suffered from depression of possibly never seeing the man that grew so close to her heart. The thought of him hating her just broke her heart, but she managed to pull through her depression before it got worse. She hoped that Junior would eventually return to her side, which was a growing possibility now that MONARCH was banned from Equestria. Still, Celestia had informed her that Luna had visited the Transmutant in his dreams. Apparently, Junior was afraid of returning due to the risk of Mosura and the others being captured. She admired how he was willing to make sacrifices for his friends, but she hated that the sacrifice involved him not returning home.
"Twilight?" called Spike. Twilight snapped out of her dazed state and turned to find the drake approaching her with a few books in his hands.
"Oh, yes Spike?"
"How are you feeling? You know after..." Spike didn't finish. Twilight sighed solemnly.
"Well, I'm doing better." answered Twilight.
"That's good. Hey, the princess sent you a letter. She wanted to know if you would like to help a couple of the guards pack some of Gojira's stuff so that they could store it in Canterlot Castle." said Spike. Twilight looked over to him in surprise.
"Oh. Yeah, that does make sense since no one is living there anymore." said Twilight. She then cleared her throat. "Spike, take a letter."



Twilight and Spike made their way through the outskirts of Ponyville. They had just closed the library and were on their way to the former house of Gojira Takeshi the 2nd. As they continued on, they spotted a figure flying at the speed of a bullet with rainbow streaks trailing behind. Twilight and Spike waved at the figure as it turned and made its way towards them. The figure landed, revealing itself to be Rainbow Dash.
"Hey, Rainbow!" greeted Twilight. Spike waved to the Element of Loyalty.
"Hey, what's up, you two!" greeted Rainbow Dash.
"We were on our way to Gojira's house to help pack some of his stuff and send them back to Canterlot." answered Twilight. Rainbow raised a brow in surprise.
"Why are they taking his stuff?" asked Rainbow with a quizzical expression.
"Princess Celestia wants to make sure that he will still have his possessions if he returns." said Twilight.
"Oh. We-well, I'm sure that he'll come back!" said Rainbow with her fist pumped. Twilight gave her a small smile.
"I hope so. Come on Spike." said Twilight as she looked down towards her adopted kid brother. Spike followed the Element of Magic down the path, nearing Junior's old house. Rainbow looked down and hesitantly looked over to Twilight.
"Hey, mind if I tag along?" asked Rainbow. Twilight stopped and turned to Rainbow in surprise.
"Really?" asked Twilight.
"Well, yeah. I mean, it's not like I hated the guy. He was kinda cool, honestly." said Rainbow as she rubbed the back of her head. Twilight gave her a bright smile.
"Well, let's get going!" said Twilight. Rainbow smiled back and made her way over to the pair. So, they continued on to the house, finding a couple of guards carrying boxes and taking them to a chariot where Valkyries waited patiently. Twilight noticed the ink writing on the boxes. They were labeled as clothes. One of the guards recognized the petite Elf.
"Ah! Miss Sparkle, glad that you could join us." greeted the guard. Twilight gave a kind smile.
"Thank you. I hope you don't mind that I brought a couple of friends to help." said Twilight.
"Not at all. We need all the help that we can get." replied the guard. The trio made their way into the house, finding it to be nearly empty aside from the furniture. They made their way deeper into the house, finding the bedroom with the drawers open. Inside, they found the room still neat aside from the few spider webs that clung to the walls.
"Wow. It's kinda roomy in here." said Spike as he looked over the room.
"Well, let's get started with helping them pack his clothes." said Twilight. Rainbow and Spike nodded. The trio began to sift through his clothes and organized them together. Rainbow Dash made her way out of the house and towards the chariot with a box in her hand. She then noticed a familiar rose haired Valkyrie approaching.
"Rainbow Dash? What's going on?" asked Fluttershy.
"Oh, hey Flutters! I'm just helping Twi and Spike pack some of Gojira's stuff so the princess can hold onto it in case he comes back." answered Rainbow.
"Oh. Um...mind if I help?" asked Fluttershy.
"Sure, if you want." said Rainbow with a shrug. Fluttershy's face brightened up into a smile.



"I must say Applejack, you really must go to the spa more often. A lady deserves a chance to relax and to be pampered every once in a while." said Rarity. She walked beside the blonde Earthbound and the hyperactive pink haired Earthbound down the path to Fluttershy's cottage. Applejack sighed in annoyance.
"Rarity, I can't just spend money on the spa as much as you do. I need to save up in case any of our equipment on the farm falls apart." said Applejack.
"Darling, I treated you this time, didn't I?" asked Rarity.
"Yes, and I appreciate that. But I have other methods of relaxing after a hard day of work. Methods that don't cost me bit!" said Applejack with a smile.
"Hmm. You have to show me sometime." said Rarity as she thought of what the farm girl could possibly do for relaxation without paying for a massage.
"Eh. You probably wouldn't like it." said Applejack. Rarity gave her a hard stare.
"Try me." said Rarity in a firm tone. Applejack snickered in amusement.
"Alright. How does lying in the mud with the hogs sound?" asked Applejack. Rarity's face contorted into disgust.
"Ew! How can that be relaxing?!" asked Rarity in a dramatic tone. Applejack shrugged in amusement.
"Hey, if it’s still wet and mushy, it feels nice on the skin. The hogs like it too." said Applejack.
"I should drop by and join you! Mud is pretty fun!" said Pinkie. Applejack gave her an amused smile. The girls suddenly stopped as they found guards packing boxes outside of Junior's home. Spike made his way outside of the house and over to a chariot and placed the box inside, sighing he stretched his arm.
"Spike? What's going on?" asked Applejack. The drake jumped at the sudden call of his name and turned to find the rest of the Element bearers. Rarity eyed the abandoned home warily as her mind wondered back to the owner of the house.
"We're helping the guards pack up Gojira's stuff." answered Spike as he gestured to the small amounts of boxes inside. "Princess Celestia wants to hold onto them until he decides to come back to Equestria."
"Really?! He's gonna come back?!" asked Pinkie in excitement as she got close to Spike's face. Spike backed away.
"I said, 'until he decides to come back to Equestria'. I never said that he was coming back for sure!" said Spike.
"Oh." said Pinkie as her excitement turned to a look of dejection. Spike frowned in response for destroying that bright smile. It pained him to have been the one to have crushed her spirit.
"Anyway, I gotta get back to work. Twi and the others are here, too." said Spike. Applejack looked at the house in disappointment. She had no luck of sighting Junior or the others since they first tried to look for them in the Everfree. However, she did hear news of Transmutant vigilantes saving Mustangia from an army of Diamond Dogs. She thought that perhaps it was a lead on their friends. Nonetheless, as she saw the picture of the Transmutants in their beast form newspaper article, her hopes were crushed. None of the Transmutants were any of the ones that they knew. Still, it did put her at ease that there were at least other Transmutants like Junior and the others that fought to protect innocent people, especially now that the only force capable of a war against the Transmutant terrorists were banned from Equestria. 
"Hey Spike, mind I help? I've been meaning to check on Twi." said Applejack. Spike nodded to her.
"Come on in!" said Spike as he led the Earthbound into the house. Pinkie hopped as she pursued the two as well. Rarity was left alone outside staring at the house. Her mind flashed to the beasts that she had thought were her friends. The razor sharp teeth flashed into her mind, the sound of roars and wails played tricks on her mind as if she were actually hearing the sounds. She clutched her arm as she stared at the house, her anxiety rising. She then recalled Junior's animalistic eyes that pierced her soul. Rarity reluctantly made her way inside of the house. It was the first time that she had ever set foot into his home. She thought someone of his nature would leave a messy house. Yet, she was surprised to have seen the neatness, aside from the boxes that were stacked. Rarity noticed Fluttershy sitting on a sofa with a sad smile on her face.
"Fluttershy?" called Rarity. The Valkyrie lightly gasped as her name was called. She turned to find the Elf staring at her curiously.
"Oh, Rarity! I-I was just..." Fluttershy didn't finish her sentence. She instead held up a round object made up of vines, wood and little plastic butterflies resting on the vines. In the center was a picture of herself and Junior sitting together in the park.
"I made this for him for his birthday. I found it hanging on the wall in his kitchen." said Fluttershy as she placed the picture frame back onto the table. Rarity sat next to her and continued to stare at the photo. She wondered how this young man could have turned out to be such a monstrous beast.
"Do you think that the princess will let me hold onto it?" asked Fluttershy.
"I...I'm not sure. Why don't you place it somewhere it won't be boxed and ask Twilight?" suggested Rarity. Fluttershy nodded with a smile. She then made her way out of the living room in search of Twilight. Rarity noticed a glare of light reach her eyes. She flinched and turned to find a silver object hidden in a small book shelf. She slowly made her way over to it and found the object to be resting on one of the books. She reached for it, feeling the cold metal touch her palm. She held the object closely, finding a strap connected to it.
"A medallion." said Rarity to herself. She began to look it over, finding a sphere with a spiraling center held by four clawed appendages. The claws reminded her of a dragon's claw. Curious, she turned the medallion over, finding Neighponese characters engraved in the back. They appeared to have formed a sentence, but she couldn’t read the language. Rarity placed the medallion into her breast pocket, hoping to find out the meaning of those words later.
Rarity made her way into the hallway of Junior's home, finding her friends inside of his bedroom. She walked inside and found them carefully placing possessions into boxes. Rarity noticed a set of picture frames resting on the desk. One of them held a young boy with a man that she had nearly mistaken to be Junior until she noticed the facial hairs on his chin. Her heart jumped as she noticed a beautiful woman with long black hair with grayish-blue eyes. She picked up the photo frame and stared at the picture.
"Pretty, ain't she?" asked Applejack. Rarity flinched as she heard Applejack talk from behind her shoulder. She turned and found Applejack holding a box filled with folded blankets.
"Um...yes. Are these his parents?" asked Rarity.
"Yep. And that little tyke is the big man himself." said Applejack as she pointed at the little boy. Rarity saw the innocent eyes of the boy.
'How could these eyes turn into something so horrific?' thought Rarity. She felt bad for having such a thought. But she still couldn't shake the terrifying image of the beast that she had seen Junior turn into. Still, she thought it was nice to see such a picture where he was younger, especially due to how cute he looked at that age.
She then noticed Twilight sitting on a barren bed. Her eyes were pink and hot with the beginning of tears. Rarity slowly made her way over to the petite Elf and saw the photo that she was staring at. Behind a cracked picture frame was an image of Junior in a group photo with herself and the rest of the Element bearers and Spike. This was before Mosura and the others began to open up to them. Rarity wore a frown as she heard Twilight lightly sob while clutching the picture against her chest. Rarity pulled her into a comforting hug and gently rubbed Twilight's head.
"H-he hates me. I know it!" said Twilight in between sobs.
"Oh, Twilight." said Rarity as she continued to comfort her friend. The others noticed the sobs and frowned. They wished that there was some way that Twilight could find comfort again.
'Gojira, if you ever show your face back here again, you better straighten things out with Twilight.' thought Rarity with her teeth gritted. Although she had a lack of trust of Junior and the others, she couldn't stand seeing Twilight in her current state. She was willing to put her distrust aside if it meant the possibility of Twilight being able to either move on or to patch things up in order for her to be happy again.




Later...

The Main six and drake stood outside of the abandoned house and faced the chariot filled with boxes. The guards boarded the chariot.
"Thank you for your help." said one of the guards.
"Not a problem! Have a safe trip back to Canterlot!" said Twilight as she waved to the guards. The rest of the Element bearers gave their farewells to the guards as the pegasi took off. Fluttershy held onto the picture frame that she had made for Junior closely.  Rainbow stretched as she gave a yawn.
"Welp, I'm gonna go home and take a nap. I'll see you guys later." said Rainbow. She then took off into the air, leaving the area.
"Goji had a nice house. Felt really homey!" said Pinkie as she walked with the rest of the Element bearers and drake. "I wish he invited us over."
"I guess he liked to have his space." said Applejack with her hands behind her head. Rarity's eyes widened as she remembered that she still had the medallion. She reached into her breast pocket and pulled it out.
"Twilight, I found this hidden in Gojira's bookshelf. I wasn't sure what to do with it so I held onto it for you." said Rarity as she held out the medallion to the librarian. She took the medallion and curiously looked it over. The rest all looked at the medallion curiously.
"Hey, are those dragon claws?" asked Spike, his interest peaking.
"I think so. But there's something engraved back here. I can't read Neighponese though." said Twilight. Her eyes twinkled as she suddenly thought of a way to translate the words.
"Wait, I've been learning a spell to translate words on paper!" said Twilight. She then searched herself for a pen but found Spike holding one out to her. She took it and brought a notebook that she kept in her skirt pocket. Using her magic, she levitated the medallion and caused the pen to magically write words down onto the notebook. They watched the pen write words on its own, as if a ghost was writing to them in attempt to contact them from the dead. The pen had finished writing and then dropped to the ground. Twilight levitated the medallion to herself along with the notebook. She cleared her throat as she began to read.
"It says, Cast off thy fear. Turn and face thy enemy. Never give an inch. If thou retreat, thou shall age. Be afraid, thou shall die. Face thy enemy and roar like the mighty dragon, Godzilla." read Twilight. She processed the words that she had read. They sound as if they were written to motivate warriors to never surrender and to face an enemy with valor. The words reminded her of Junior's personality, but she raised a brow as she thought of the last few words.
"Wait...Godzilla? What is that?" asked Twilight in confusion.
"I don't know, but if that medallion is telling people to roar like Godzilla, then it might be an awesome dragon!" said Spike. Pinkie had a thoughtful look.
"But how does someone roar like him? What does he sound like?" wondered Pinkie.
"Pinkie, I believe it's not being literal about roaring." said Rarity in amusement. She was quite disturbed at how Junior held onto a medallion that talked about violence. But, she began to wonder what would drive someone to fight as a warrior. 
"Hmm. I think Godzilla must be a mistranslation. Gojira once told me that his family passed down a legend about a sea dragon for generations. I think it might be referring to the dragon that he was named after and that it was mistranslated or something." guessed Twilight. She sighed in disappointment. "I need to decode this language even further"
"Well, the medallion was inspiring." interjected Fluttershy. Applejack shrugged in response.
"Well, what are ya gonna do with the medallion? The guards are long gone." asked Applejack.
"I'll hold onto it. I can give it to the Princess the next time that I see her." said Twilight as she stared at the silver medallion. She dared not to lose something that was the remaining object of Junior's lineage.




Okinawa, Neighpon

The evening sky hung over the islands that Surrounded Neighpon. The sky was lit by fire that was ignited by battle. The sound of gun fire pierced the air along with cries of agony and roars of rage. A small town on the island was under siege by a group of Transmutants. Great avian creatures and Mantises soared in the sky, dive bombing on MONARCH soldiers. The soldiers hid for cover and began to aim their rifles at the incoming Transmutants. Magic bolts shot from the muzzles and whizzed through the air, piercing the Transmutants. The mantises and birds pressed on, crashing down onto their enemies and screeching at any that they had missed. Magic bolt wounds sizzled off of their bodies as they charged at the soldiers. Birds began to unmercifully peck at the soldiers, puncturing their bodies and armor. One Elf woman ran through the chaos with a terrified expression. She screamed as a lifeless Mantis crashed down in front of her. She scrambled away and attempted to find safety. One of the soldiers called to her but was abruptly grabbed by one of the birds and carried away.
The woman searched frantically as she tried to find a safe haven. Suddenly, a bird dropped behind her, giving a horrible squawk as it flared its feathers and stretched its neck. The woman fell onto her rear as it stalked closer to her and prepared to snap its beak onto her head. Unexpectedly, a bolt of magic struck the Transmutant in its eyes, causing it to wail in agony. The woman quickly turned to find a figure clad in bulky grey armor that covered the figure from head to toe. The figure's helmet appeared like a samurai's but with modernized with technology. The helmet had a blue visor running in a horizontal line and the mouth area was covered by a metal plate. The figure stood to be six foot four, and had a MONARCH insignia painted onto the left side of the figure's chest piece, which resembled the pectorals of a built man.
The Transmutant turned and charged towards the armored man, displaying its feathered wings as it squawked. The man began to fire his rifle again as he backed away. The bird lunged at the figure, its sharp talons nearing the warrior. The warrior dropped his rifle and reached for his backside and pulled out a katana. He then swung the sword overhead, catching the bird's leg. Blood sprayed from the dismembered limb, staining the broken concrete and shattered houses. The bird screeched as it fell on its side, bleeding profusely from its wound. The armored figure rushed over towards the bird, bringing his blade down on the bird's head and silencing its cries. The armored figure turned and looked over to the cowering woman. Her breathing was shallow and her kimono was stained in blood. She trembled before this ruthless warrior. The figure rushed over to her and stood her up to her feet.
"Let's get you to safety." said the armored figure in a deep male voice. The woman snapped out of her state and frantically nodded to him. The pair traveled through the battlefield as MONARCH soldiers gave their lives to drive off the Transmutants that plagued this land. One soldier was beating a Mantis with his bare hands, his armor drenched in a yellowish liquid.
"Not so tough are you?!" shouted the soldier as he continued to beat the Mantis. The woman spotted a man bringing down a blade on a Mantis, allowing it to die.
"May you finally rest." said the man as he bowed his head. The woman wondered why this soldier was paying his respects to such a horrible creature. She abruptly spotted Condors overhead and her heart raced with anxiety as one of them descended down towards them. The armored figure that was guiding her released her hand and began to charge past her.
"Wait!" cried the woman. Suddenly, the figure pulled out his katana and his backside began to light up. Small jets ignited from behind, thrusting the soldier over to a building wall. The soldier planted his feet onto the wall and quickly turned to face the incoming bird. He then jumped off of the wall and the thrusters on his back ignited once again, allowing him to gain velocity. The soldier gave a war cry as he swung his sword onto the wing of the Transmutant. It squawked in agony from the wound and crashed onto the ground. The armored soldier dropped from sixteen feet from the air once again ignited his thrusters. He safely descended towards the ground, swinging his blade down on the fallen Transmutant. The woman stared in awe at the feat performed by this samurai. She then immediately rushed towards the soldier. She followed him through the path of destruction that was filled with fallen civilians, Transmutants and soldiers. She was led over to a bunker that was built into the ground where soldiers stood guard.
"Quick! Go inside and you'll be safe!" said the armored figure. The woman turned to find the soldier's armor covered in scratches and slight dents, most likely result from a few years of fighting.
"Thank you, warrior." said the woman. The soldier merely gave the woman a thumb up, much to her amusement. She was then led into the bunker, where great metal doors began to close. She turned one last time to find the soldier departing. She silently wished this noble warrior luck in battle and the ones that he will be forced to fight in. The mighty doors closed, locking her and several dozen others inside of a dimly lit bunker.



The armored man stood among his comrades, looking on at the former battlefield. The fight lasted about an hour before the Transmutants decided to retreat. They were attempting to rob this village of its resources, something that the man could not accept. He sighed from under his helmet. He reached for it and slowly twisted it, allowing the sound of a hissing air to escape and enabling him to remove his helmet, revealing a Neighponese man's face. He was in his mid-twenties; his brown eyes solemnly stared out to the destruction that lied before him. A scar ran down over his face on the left side from his brow down to his upper cheek, along with another one that made a cross on his right cheek and a small one that was slightly on the left side of his chin. His eye was safe from the attack that had scarred him. A small scar on his cheek was left on his chin. His short hair blew in the wind along with his bangs.
"We would have lost a lot more men without you, Sergeant Yoshi." said one of the soldiers.
"It wasn't just me who minimized the casualties. We all did, as a team." responded the armored man. One of the female soldiers nudged Yoshi against his armored shoulder.
"You're always so modest, Sarge!" chuckled the woman. Normally, she wouldn't be so informal with her superiors, but Yoshi allowed informality with his squad.
"Come on. It's time to head back to base." said Yoshi.



Yoshi treaded through the metal base that was established miles outside of any village in Okinawa. He wore his casual clothing when off duty instead of his heavy armor. The armor was designed by Neighpon's brightest minds and with the use of MONARCH's advanced technology and resources. The suit was inspired by the design of the samurai and was capable of taking more damage than the ordinary suit of armor.  Additionally, it was equipped with motion sensors, a visor with a zooming option, and other features that enhanced the wearer's physical abilities. The built-in thruster pack allowed Yoshi to gain a boost of air and allowed him to stand up against the Transmutants. Some questioned as to why they had given the armor to someone of a lower rank such as a sergeant, but they were unaware that Yoshi was brought up and trained to be able to control this armor. He passed a few younger men in the halls, causing their heads to turn.
"No way! Dude, that's Sergeant Hayato Yoshi!" whispered one of the young recruits.
"No crap! Man, he's taller than the posters make him look!" said the other recruit. Hayato Yoshi had a vague smile on his face. The story of him becoming a rising war hero was used to motivate and inspire soldiers and recruits. Still, he only wished that MONARCH would spend more time planning different approaches in the war instead of head-on assaults. They were getting nowhere to find the heart of these Transmutant terrorists and didn’t have the money or the time to mass produce the armor and train the soldiers into using it. Only he and a few others were capable of wearing combat armor.
Yoshi made his way down the halls and into the debriefing room. He waited inside with a dozen other soldiers. A man behind a podium cleared his throat.
"As you know, the recent attack is causing locals to grow more anxious. So, MONARCH will be sending you and several others near an ancient temple. Rumors of a creature roaming outside have caused sparking restlessness." informed the older man. The rest of the soldiers continued to listen in on the debriefing. The man went on about MONARCH’s suspicions about the creature being a Transmutant hiding in the mountains. Yoshi sighed as he listened to the rest of the debriefing.




The next day...

Yoshi found himself among a dozen other soldiers searching the wilderness. The land was filled with hills and mountains. They treaded through the vast forests with their rifles raised. Yoshi's eyes watched his surroundings and occasionally switched over to the digital motion tracker displayed on his HUD. He found himself among his squad of four and the two other squads. One of the two other squads was stationed from overseas and consisted of Equestrian men and women. A few of the soldiers were unfamiliar with the Equestrian language, but Yoshi’s language skills limited the language barrier.
"Man, this thing couldn't have been spotted near that nice beach. It had to be a forest!" complained one of male Equestrian soldiers.
"You lack appreciation for the beauty of nature." said another Earthbound man from his squad. Yoshi smiled under his helmet.
"Yes, this is one of the most beautiful forests on this island." said Yoshi.
"Yeah, easy for you to say. A guy dressed in a shit tone of armor doesn't need to worry about mosquito bites." retorted the man as he slapped his neck, killing a mosquito. Yoshi rolled his eyes. They continued on, the sound of monkeys could be heard along with bird calls. The group made their way into a clearing, finding an old and abandoned temple built into the side of a small mountain. They stared in awe at the temple with its ancient Eastern architectural design. The soldiers continued on, climbing the steps of that led up to the temple. The stones were covered in vines, grass and moss.
"So, why are we checking out the temple?" asked one of Yoshi's men.
"Since we haven't had any luck finding them outside, we might as well and see if we could find it here." answered Yoshi. One of the Equestrian men gave a look of annoyance.
"Hey, mind speaking Equish for the rest of us to understand?" asked the man. He was suddenly elbowed by an Elf woman who sent him a glare.
"Shut up! That's Hayato Yoshi! He's a war hero!" whispered the Elf.
"I apologize, comrade. Some of my squad members don't understand Equish. He's just wondering why we're checking out the temple." said Hayato. The soldiers continued up the stone stairs, reaching the inside of the great temple. Inside, they found cobblestone shattered and littered all around. Vines hung from the ceiling and grass grew from the cracks on the ground. A small ray of light shined through the broken ceiling, a stone moss-covered Shisa statue lied on the corners of the main room of the temple. 
"Damn, looks like no one's been home for centuries." said a woman in Yoshi's squad.
"Well, let's find that bastard and take him out." said one of the other soldiers. They began to divide into groups and began to scan the area. Yoshi's helmet gave off small rays of light from the sides as he searched the darker areas. He found rotting wood on the ground and the rats scurrying away. He continued on, but something caught his eye. He motioned for his squad mates to stop, and then kneeled down. The soldiers watched curiously as Yoshi observed the ground. He found a trail of three clawed foot prints. They appeared to have belonged to some kind of reptile, yet the prints appeared to also resemble that of a feline's.
"These tracks are fresh. I believe that we may be getting closer to our Transmutant." said Yoshi. He then cocked his rifle, scanning the area. "Fan out."
"Yes sir." said his squad mates in unison. They began to spread out, searching every nook and corner that was around them. One of the female soldiers in his group detected motion in her peripheral vision. She immediately turned her head and found one of the Shisa statues sitting in the shadows. She sighed in relief, shaking her head in disappointment and turned away to continue her search. Unbeknownst to her, the alleged shadowed statue blinked, its eyes glowing like red rubies. The Shisa began to tread quietly through the shadows on all fours, moving through the temple.
Yoshi continued to an area where his eyes were assaulted by a bright glare. His visor immediately adjusted to a shadier outlook, protecting his sight. Before him were several broken statues and piles of gold and treasure beyond his wildest dreams. He stared in awe at all of the gems and gold that littered the ground and wondered how no one has come to claim them.
'Can't worry about that now. Best to leave it alone.' thought Yoshi. He suddenly caught sight of his motion tracker blinking red. It was approaching from behind. Yoshi turned and raised his rifle, finding no one behind him. He continued to point his rifle all around himself, confused as to where the unknown entity could have gone. It was still on his motion tracker, but was nowhere to be seen. He then noticed the red arrow that was pointing upward above the red blip, causing his eyes to widen in realization.
'It's above me!' thought Hayato in alarm. He pointed his rifle up but was immediately tackled by a large form. He fell on his back with a grunt, dropping his weapon. His visor showed the face of lion with large ears and red eyes staring into his eyes. The creature growled at Yoshi, but he sent a punch towards the creature, causing it to yelp in pain. Yoshi then sent a kick towards the lion, which forced it off of him and made it stumble back, revealing its entire body. Yoshi's eyes widened at the sight of the animal. Its body was larger compared to average lions, but its ears were big, pointed, and floppy like a dog's. Its eyes were red and its forehead bore a golden crest with a green gem embedded in it. Its mane covered its head and went down to its shoulders. The creature had humanoid forelegs that resembled arms and were covered in brown scales. The creature's paws had three claws that matched the tracks that Yoshi had discovered. A long and scaly tail hung from the creature with a furry tip that gave way to its feline appearance. The hind legs of the lion-like beast were slightly anthropomorphic as well, but built in a way that allowed the creature to stand on fours with hind paws that matched its forepaws. The chest of the creature appeared to be covered in scales as well but bore slight human pectorals hidden in the fur. Parts of the creature’s body appeared to be bald mammalian skin on the side of its biceps, thighs and face. The creature's face appeared as a mix of a dog's and lion's, with a set of sharp teeth, and a little brown nose that was flaring its nostrils as the lion stared Yoshi down.
"A Shisa..." said Hayato under his breath. The creature's ears rose as it heard approaching footsteps. The Shisa turned to found the other soldiers approaching.
"Oh shit! Transmutant sighted!" cried one of the Equestrian soldiers. He then raised his rifle and began to fire at the Shisa. The creature roared in pain as the bolts of magic struck it in the neck. It then began to dash away from the gunfire as more soldiers began to fire at the creature.
"No! Hold your fire!!" cried Yoshi as he stood to his feet. His commands were unheeded as the sound of gunfire was louder than his voice. The Shisa roared as it leaped onto the walls, its claws dug into the stone and vines as he evaded the bolts and hid on a balcony above. The Shisa then dropped down and swung his tail, stripping the soldiers that shot at him.
"Take that freak down!" shouted a woman.
"Hold your fire, dammit!! That is an order!" shouted Yoshi as he pointed his rifle towards the woman. The Shisa's eyes widened in surprise as it saw the soldier pointing a weapon at one of his own.
"What the hell are you pointing that gun at me for?! Shoot him!" said the woman. The Shisa growled.
"Why do you attack me humans? What have I done wrong to deserve this treatment?" asked the Shisa in a deep voice. Yoshi’s eyes widened as he heard the Shisa spoke.
"How about you being one of those monsters that we've been trying to stop for years now?!" said the woman as she pointed her rifle at the Shisa. Suddenly, her rifle was pulled out of her hand by a magical force. She turned and found one of Yoshi’s soldiers with her hands raised as it was engulfed by a blue aura.
"That creature is no monster. He is a guardian." said the woman. Soon, the rest of the Neighponese soldiers arrived at the scene, gasping as they laid eyes upon the great Shisa. They all dropped their weapons and kneeled before the creature. The Equestrian soldiers stared in confusion at the soldiers. The Elf woman that had taken the rifle knelt before the Shisa along with Yoshi. The Shisa purred in response as it relaxed its muscles.
"We are honored to be in your presence, noble guardian." said Yoshi. The Shisa wore a small smile.
"It is my honor to protect and to be among you, humans." said the Shisa as he lowered his head in respect.
"Uh...would someone explain what the hell is going on here?" asked one of the Equestrian soldiers.
"Please forgive these soldiers, guardian. They are ignorant of their actions, for they are from one of the western nations." said one of the Neighponese female soldiers. The Equestrians looked to her in offense.
"All is forgiven. But, what brings you to my temple?" asked the Shisa. Yoshi raised himself to his feet.
"We were given the order to search for an enemy that was believed to have been sighted here. I believe they may have mistaken you for that enemy." said Yoshi. The Shisa hummed in thought.
"Yes, the Transmutants." said the Shisa. The Neighponese soldiers, who understood English, eyes all widened in surprise.
"You know of them?" asked Hayato. The Shisa nodded.
"Yes. I have lived for many millennia. I have seen this nation go through many changes and the battles that it had faced. I have even seen the rise of the first Transmutants." said the Shisa.
"You got a name, lion dog thingy?" asked one of the Equestrian women. Yoshi sent her a glare from under his helmet.
"I am a Shisa. My name is Caesar." answered the Shisa, ignoring the way the woman phrased her description. He stood up on his hind legs in an erect stance. The humans looked on with wide eyes as Caesar stood on two legs. He stood to be eleven foot five.
"That's a big lion." muttered one of the Equestrians.
"Humans of MONARCH, there is something that you must all know." said the Caesar. A few of the Equish speaking soldiers whispered to the non-Equish speaking soldiers, translating Caesar's words.
"MONARCH is a corrupt and evil organization." said the Caesar. The Neighponese soldiers all looked to each other in confusion
"Hey, that's a pretty wild accusation that you're throwing, bub!" spat one of the Equestrian men.
"What I tell you is the truth. Please, come with me." said Caesar as he dropped on all fours and began to walk deeper into the temple. The soldiers reluctantly followed close behind. Yoshi was curious to know more.
"Guardian, how can MONARCH be evil? We dedicate ourselves to protect and serve the humans of the known world!" said Hayato. Caesar grunted in response.
"Yes, but there are things that you have been kept in the dark about, human." said Caesar. He led the soldiers over into a large room where stone painting decorated the walls. The images depicted creatures of many shapes and sizes. One was a moth-like creature with beautiful patterns on its wings. It flew majestically in the heavens with a symbol above its head. The symbol was a cross with curved lines on each side, forming parts of a circle and squiggly lines, giving the appearance of the sun. Another painting showed a mighty dragon-like creature that looked like a cross of a crocodile head, an armadillo, and a porcupine standing on four legs among mountains. A third painting showed a red dragon-like bird soaring through the heavens. A fourth painting showed a large wingless dragon resting in a sphere of flames. The dragon took center of the cave wall as the other creatures took the sides.
"What is this?" asked one of the Equestrians. Yoshi and the Neighponese soldiers stared in awe at the paintings.
"These are the paintings by the ancient humans who once visited this temple. Here, they painted images to honor the great guardians of Earth." answered Caesar. He then pointed towards the dragon-bird.
"This is the guardian of the sky. His wings were great and caused winds stronger than hurricanes." said Caesar. He then gestured to the armadillo-like dragon.
"This is the guardian of the ground. He wasn't the strongest out of the four, but he was strong willed and courageous. He represented the strength of the mighty stones that form the ground that we walk on and the stones that form the base of the mountain." said Caesar. He then points to the moth.
"This is the guardian of peace. She was worshipped as a goddess among the natives of Infant Island. She was loving and kind and valued all life. She fought to protect life and peace, even if it meant taking a life." said Caesar. He then gestured to the center dragon in the cave.
"This...this is the mightiest of all of them. His strength was unmatched. His will was strong, his fury was great and his flames burned like the very fires of Hell itself. This is Gojira, the guardian of the sea and the king of all Kaiju." said Caesar. The Neighponese stared in awe at the images but feared the image of Gojira.
"But...Gojira and the Guardian of Peace are just a legend! Guardian, are you saying that the legends of Kaiju are true?!" asked Yoshi. The Equestrian listened on in confusion.
"Yes. Gojira and the other Kaiju were worshipped as gods by the natives that were neighboring their territory on isolated islands." said Caesar. He then looked on gravely towards the image of the flaming dragon.
"The guardian of the ground was the god of courage. The guardian of the sky was the god of swiftness. The guardian of peace was the goddess of love and peace. Gojira...he was the god of rage and punishment. He was the only one to have received a name by the natives that lived near his territory." said Caesar. The Neighponese stared in wonder at how the Shisa spoke of them as if he were familiar with them.
"Caesar, why do you talk about them as if you knew them?" asked one of the Equestrians. Caesar turned to face them.
"Weren't you listening? I have lived for many millennia. I did knew them, for I am a Kaiju guardian as well." said Caesar with a raised brow.
"Oh. Sorry, I wasn't listening. I was too busy admiring the paintings and the temple itself." chuckled the Equestrian. Caesar shook his head.
"Wait, you're one of the Kaiju guardians?!" exclaimed Yoshi. Caesar nodded in confirmation.
"I know. I am not gigantic like the Kaiju that I described. This isn't my true form." said Caesar. One of the Equestrian soldiers gulped nervously.
"Wh-what do you mean by that??" asked one of the soldiers. Caesar chuckled in response.
"In due time, you shall know." said Caesar. He then cleared his throat.
"Anyway, the guardians were once ordinary giants. They were a common member of their species that thrived on Earth when it was much younger. The Kaiju ruled the world as the stones that balanced the scale of the planet. But, something terrible happened." said Caesar as he pointed above towards a ceiling. The soldiers all looked up to the ceiling and found a painting of a great stone covered in fire.
"A comet fell from the stars, crashing onto the Earth and caused a cataclysm. Many creatures perished. The Kaiju, however, survived." said Caesar. He then sighed. "But, they were unable to continue to live. An energy source that we fed on sustained us and our size grew to be less and less on the surface of the world. It nourished us besides the creatures and other Kaiju that we fed on."
"What sort of energy?" asked Hayato. Caesar clawed at the dirt, creating a symbol of a radioactive emblem.
"You humans have been using it as your own power source for your technology." said Caesar. The soldiers stared in shock.
"Radiation?!" exclaimed a woman.
"Hai. The disaster caused this energy to dissipate from the surface. As the land changed, the volcanoes were spewing the natural energy that came from the planet's core less and less. Some volcanoes were even destroyed. The Kaiju slowly killed each other for the other's energy and food. Soon, we began to decline in population. Gojira hibernated far beneath the ocean where he could draw the Earth's energy. Other surviving Kaiju and myself burrowed deeply into the ground for the same purpose." said Caesar.
"That's awful!" said a Neighponese woman. Caesar sighed.
"Yes. But we were able to live on, even if our kinds had died off. We eventually awoken eons later, finding the world restored into a newborn and yet familiar world. It wasn't as hot as it was in our time, but the sun was still warm." said Caesar as he recalled the era he had come from with nostalgia. He then refocused back to his story
"But, we learned that the world had new life forms that we had never seen before." said Caesar. He then looked to humans with a smile. "Humans, for example."
"Man, those guys most of been scared out of their wits." said an Equestrian man.
"They were. I never harmed them. I was actually intrigued by your kind. You were such a fascinating race that worked together. You were resourceful. For creatures so small, you seemed strong." said Caesar.
"Charmer." teased one of the women. Caesar lightly laughed.
"Anyway, I remained near the beach where I had emerged. I tried to find happiness in this new world. One day, I spotted a group of humans walking down the beach, trembling. They brought me the meat of their livestock and the crops." said Caesar.
"They offered you a sacrifice?" asked Yoshi in amusement.
"Yes. As soon as they left it, they immediately ran away. I didn't know what to think of it at first, but decided to take the offering anyway. This continued on for a while, as every week they would try to offer me treasure and other objects to appease me. I had no concept of what they were doing and I had no idea that they saw me as a god. I eventually got annoyed and decided to explore the land more." said Caesar. His face turned dark.
"One day, I heard the terrified screams of humans in the distance. I found another Kaiju trampling through their village without a care. I don't know what possessed me to do so, but I fought the Kaiju and killed him." said Caesar. He then looked back to Mosura's painting.
"I just couldn't stand the cries of their suffering. I wanted to put them at ease. A calm voice whispered to me, telling me to protect them. So I did. Eventually, I met her."
"The Guardian of Peace?"
"Yes. She had come from Infant Island, living there in hibernation. The natives worshipped her and honored her as a protector. She told me that she had found comfort in the humans. I was awed by how she spoke of the way she lived happily by protecting them and that their love was enough recompense for her." said Caesar.
"You guys were really smart to comprehend that kind of stuff?" asked a soldier.
"We may not be human, but many living creatures have emotion. We are no exception. We may not have understood you humans, but we began to as we continued to live among you." said Caesar.
"We became a group of guardians for the humans. Gojira was the last one to join us, but he was uncaring towards the humans. He fought mostly for his territory." said Caesar.
"Typical dragons. Such dicks." said a soldier.
"Yes, but he was a good friend. The poor creature had lost his mate during the cataclysm. His kind were prideful and stubborn and would often prefer to live in solitude unless they were with their mates and raising the hatchlings that had found their way back to them." said Caesar. Yoshi was curious to know how Gojira's kind lived, but felt that it was a lesson that would have to wait.
"So, what do they have to do with MONARCH?" asked Yoshi.
"Oh! Right, sorry. You see, I am the last of the Kaiju. Gojira and the others perished after a great battle with their enemies. Gojira just gave up living after the battle." said Caesar.
"Why?" asked a Neighponese woman.
"He had found a lost hatchling that belonged to a member of his kind. He raised the young Kaiju as his own. Before the battle, his son was killed by one of the parasitic Kaiju that was a threat to Gojira's kind." said Caesar. 
"Gojira fought to avenge his child. Although he defeated his enemies, his heart was heavy with despair. He starved himself of food and the life sustaining energy and died." said Caesar. A small sniffle came from a Neighponese woman. She noticed the stares that her comrades were giving her.
"Sorry. It's just so sad." said the woman as she wiped her eyes. Another soldier patted her shoulder in comfort.
"I eventually found out that my kind actually lived on. The Shisa found refuge and continued to repopulate. However, they weren't giants as they were distant relatives that descended from the Shisa Kaiju that became the guardians of old Neighpon. They lacked the longevity and size of a Kaiju, but they were still Shisa inside. Magic fueled them for power instead of radiation." said Caesar. He then looked on grimly.
"Then, the humans found the grave of Gojira." said Caesar. The humans looked on in confusion. "They took his blood and used it to create the first two Transmutants."
"Wait, the Alpha's and Lucky Dragon's DNA were crossed with Gojira?!" exclaimed Yoshi.
"Yes. As I lived among the humans, I have gained visions of humans changing into creatures that looked like Gojira. Wise friends of mine had told me of these visions of a future where the world will face a time of hate and fear." said Caesar.
"The one responsible for the next wave of Transmutants was none other than MONARCH itself." said Caesar. The soldiers stared with wide eyes.
"No. No, w-we... You're lying!" shouted an Equestrian soldier.
"That's crazy! Why would MONARCH create more Transmutants?!" demanded a Neighponese soldier. The rest of the soldiers gave verbal outrage toward the Shisa's accusation.
"I have nothing to gain by lying to you, humans! The men who founded MONARCH have been deceiving you all! They were the ones who had loyal servants who knew of their true agenda to kidnap over a hundred humans and corrupted their DNA with the blood of the fallen Kaiju! Every time you see a Transmutant change, you are looking at an image of the Kaiju!" said Caesar, his voice raised over them.
"What proof do you have, Guardian?!" demanded Yoshi. Caesar looked to Yoshi with a hard stare.
"Proof? Very well. All of you remove your helmets." commanded Caesar.
"Our helmets? Why would-"
"NOW!!" shouted Caesar, his voice turned into a lion roar. The soldiers immediately removed their helmets with frantic expressions.
"Good. Now, remain still." said Caesar as he turned and reached for something behind him. Yoshi stared in suspicion. Caesar then turned back around and held in his paws five large moth-like creatures. They were fuzzy with colored eyes from blues to green and orange. Their patterns were orange, pink, blue, and green. The moths chirped as their antennae twitched.
"The heck are those?!" exclaimed a soldier.
"These are the fairies. They are divine creatures that were made in the Guardian of Peace's image. Don't worry, they're friendly." said Caesar. He then held them close to himself.
"Now little ones, show the humans what I have seen. Show them the truth." said Caesar. The fairies flapped their wings and chirped; sparkles appeared on their wings. They flew in a circle, the sparkles falling down onto the soldiers. Yoshi felt his eyes grow heavy and attempted to keep them open. He blinked briefly, but what he saw made his heart jump. He found himself staring into a cold room where surgical tools lied. He then heard the sound of someone hyperventilating. He turned and found a young girl with brunette hair tied to a bed. Her blue eyes searched in panic. Two men made their way over to her and placed a gas mask onto her face, forcing her to sleep. Yoshi attempted to stop the men, but his hands phased through them. He gasped in shock at the unexpected event, but still tried to stop them or call out to them, but they didn't respond. He then saw the man take a scalpel and held it up to the light.
He watched as the man dragged the scalpel against the young girl's skin. His eyes widened as they made an incision on her arms and stuck needles into her. His stomach turned as he watched them cut her. He then noticed the red-orange liquid coursing through the needles and into her body. They continued to cut her at her sides, boosting her with a chemical that he was unfamiliar with.
"Oh my God." said Yoshi in despair as he watched the men continue their work. The vision suddenly shifted to her sitting in a corner weeping. Her arms were covered in scars and bandages. Yoshi wanted to take this child into his arms.  He wanted to comfort her and take her away from her awful situation. He then noticed something that made his eyes widen in horror. On the ground was the MONARCH insignia. He backed away as he hyperventilated.
"No! No it can't be!!" said Yoshi. He suddenly phased through the cell cage, finding guards clad in MONARCH armor and attire. They were armed with weapons that only MONARCH had access to. His eyes were wide and his breathing was quickening. He was sweating profusely.
"Oh, God. No! No, this can't be true! Please tell me it's not true!" cried Yoshi. He hadn't seen anything that nailed Caesar's claim to be true, but he was beginning to believe him. The vision suddenly shifted to finding a boy with jet black hair being beaten with batons by MONARCH guards. The boy cried as he was beaten, making Yoshi feel anger in his heart.
"Leave him alone!" shouted Yoshi. The vision kept shifting, changing to a room where adult humans roamed in what appeared to be a prison yard. Guns were pointed at them by the guards. He recognized the Mantis Transmutants sitting in a corner alone. He even saw some of the Transmutants fighting amongst themselves. The fighters were shocked by magic and cattle prods.
"I can't believe MONARCH is trying to turn these freaks into soldiers." said a guard. Yoshi quickly turned to find a couple of guards conversing.
"I know. Mutating these sorry bastards and making them into weapons? They better be able to stand up to Lucky Dragon when he shows up again." said another guard.
"No..." Yoshi had just heard the truth come from the mouth of a guard for MONARCH. Wherever he was, the facility must have been a secret if no one on his squad knew about it. The revelation that MONARCH created the Transmutants filled his heart with shame and despair.



Caesar spent the next couple of minutes watching the humans have visions of the past. The fairies continued to fly above them as some of the soldiers gave verbal cries of outrage, despair, and shock. A man was cursing like a sailor as he dropped to his knees, slamming his fists on the ground. 
"They were just children! How could they have done this?!" shouted the man. A woman was screaming as she clutched her head and lied on the ground in a fetal position. Her eyes ran with tears as she trembled.
"Oh god! W-who have I been working for?!" cried the woman. Caesar lowered his head in sadness. He had hoped that it wouldn't have come to this, but he felt that it was necessary that they learned the truth. The people continued to have visions of men, women and children being cut and injected by the mutagen. They saw memories of men in black killing the parents of the children that they had kidnapped. The knowledge that the organization they were working for committed such atrocious crimes under a façade of benevolence filled the soldiers with self-conflict.  They began to see images of current events, such as Erika Shiragami’s death and resurrection as a Transmutant. A deep and darker purpose of MONARCH was revealed to them all, causing their blood to run cold. Suddenly, the images stopped and the soldiers were free from the horrific images and found themselves back in the temple. The fairies landed and perched themselves on stones. The soldiers attempted to calm their breaths and stand up. Yoshi was panting, his eyes stung with tears upon witnessing how the organization he was working for could commit such atrocities to their fellow humans. 
A woman wept as she leaned against the wall. Her tears still ran as she cried into her hands in sympathy for all the torments that were inflicted on the kidnapped children. Her cries continued until a chirping sound caught her attention. She spotted a blue fairy standing a few inches at her side, looking up to her. She was startled by the large insect, but as she continued to stare, she felt comfort. Its eyes calmed her and its antennae twitched slightly in a way as if it was trying to speak to her. The soldier slowly reached for the moth, which tilted its head as her hand came closer. The soldier gulped as she sniffled, her hand was getting closer as the fairy lowered itself, allowing the soldier's hand to run over its fuzzy back.  She lightly smiled as she continued to pet it. The fairy then came closer and began to rub its head against the soldier's thigh, giving a purr.
"Hm. Thanks little guy." said the soldier with a sniff. The fairy chirped in response, allowing the soldier to give a light giggle. Yoshi stood with his head lowered and his eyes hard.
"Now, you know the truth. Human, if MONARCH is not stopped, more pain and suffering will occur. People must know of MONARCH's actions. The soldiers must know that the higher command is corrupt and that they have been deceiving them." said Caesar. Yoshi nodded in agreement.
"Yes. We have been deceived into thinking that we were heroes. We may have been protecting the innocent, but we were tools for a darker purpose. No more!" said Yoshi. He then turned to face his comrades.
"I will not stand for this! MONARCH’s leadership is an enemy far worse than Destoroyah! We know the truth! We must be the ones to spread it and to bring these corrupt leaders to justice!" said Hayato. One of his squad members wore a look of alarm.
"But how?! Who will believe us?!" asked the soldier.
"I shall help you spread the truth, my friends. With the help of the fairies, we can slowly build up a team of people willing to put an end to this madness." said Caesar as he gestured to the fairies. The moths flapped their wings, giving chirping sounds of excitement.
"Brothers, sisters, will you stand with me so that we may put an end to these corrupt men so that we may redeem ourselves and prevent more lives from being destroyed?" asked Yoshi. A couple of squad members immediately stepped forward.
"I'm with you to the end, Sarge!" said the soldier.
"Me too!" said another soldier. Soon, other soldiers began to step forward, pledging their allegiance. The woman that was once crying stood to her feet with the fairy perched on her shoulder, giving a quick salute to the man. 
"No, I am no longer a Sergeant. As of now, I relinquish my title as of MONARCH soldier." said Yoshi as he pulled out a knife and began to scratch at the painted MONARCH symbol on his chest piece.