//------------------------------//
// Chapter 32: May They Rest in Peace 
// Story: The Arrogance of Man 
// by Johng117 
//------------------------------//

It was a late night over in Neighpon. The land was shrouded in darkness as the nocturnal creatures roamed about with their nightly lives. The temple of Caesar sat alone on the mountains in the still night. The Shisa sat outside of the temple as he gazed out into the stars. His past came back to him as he gazed up to the stars. A common Kaiju among others during the early Earth. His era was much different compared to the Era of Man, but the stars were the few things that remained to be recognizable. He sighed as he lowered his head. Caesar stood onto all fours and proceeded to walk back into the temple. The Shisa made his way all the way back into the cave where he had revealed the truth to the humans who had come to his home before. Caesar past a few of the fairy moths that remained perched on stones and treasure in the cave.
"Caesar?" called a small voice. The voice was a tiny echo that reached the Shisa's mind. The Shisa stopped and turned to face a pink patterned fairy moth that remained perched on a chest.
"Yes, little one?" answered Caesar.
"Are you upset?" asked the fairy.
"A little. It's just that I'm feeling a little homesick." answered Caesar. The fairy crawled off of the chest and then onto the ground.
"Don't worry. Soon, the Guardians will return." said the fairy reassuringly.
"But with how the world is now, I fear that they will be prevented from rising again. The world will be doomed without them to correct what has been done." said Caesar.
"Yes. That is why we must allow MONARCH to divide itself. Only then will they have the chance to reawaken." replied the fairy. Caesar shook his head.
"I do not see why they couldn't be brought back to the world of the living. The purpose of Kaiju was here in this life. When one side of life faltered, another side corrected it. Nothing on the planet could control us. We were a part of the Earth and it was ours to protect." said Caesar. He then folded his ears. "We failed to continue that role. Now those who have inherited the Earth are threatened with self-destruction."
"The time of Kaiju is over. It was an unfortunate event that destroyed most of them, but they won't truly be gone. They have been brought back, but not in the way that you hoped." said the fairy. She then fluttered up to the Shisa and stared into his eyes.
"Just continue to play your part while we play ours." said the fairy. Caesar nodded to her. He then looked towards the painting of the legendary Kaiju, Gojira.
"I only wish that he were here." said Caesar solemnly.




Meanwhile in Ponyville, Equestria...

The late afternoon hung over Ponyville. The guards of Equestria still occupied the town, vigil as they can be. Twilight was walking down the street with a book held in her grip. She normally took a book out to read whenever she needed to be on the go as well to study. Twilight then noticed a small crowd gathering and raised a brow as she heard the people conversing amongst themselves. As she made her way through the crowd, she peaked over through the gaps between the people. Apparently they were looking at a newspaper; an article had peaked their interest. Twilight decided that may have been about a sport or perhaps another article on celebrity couple's divorce, so she left the crowd in disappointment.
The Elf made it back to the Golden Oaks Library. As she shut the door, she noticed Spike rushing over to her.
"Twilight! Check this out!" said Spike as he held out a newspaper and pointed to one of the articles. Twilight placed the book that she held down on and took the newspaper from the drake. Her eyes began to scan through the article. Slowly, her interest began to peak.
"Wait...this is about the Summer Sun Celebration." said Twilight. She then continued to read through the article and gasped in surprise. "It says that Princess Celestia will be introducing special guests to the ceremony."
"Any idea who that could be?" asked Spike. Twilight shrugged.
"I don't know. But I wonder why she would be doing this when we could be looking for Gojira." said Twilight in disappointment. She thought the search for the Transmutant was more important than a celebration, but also understood that Celestia had other duties to fulfill. Still, she only hoped that Celestia still had her sights on finding Junior.




Mustangia, Equestria...

In the lair of the vigilante Transmutants, only Goro remained. He sat at the wooden table with a parchment in his hand. His eyes scanned through the letter that he had received from Sapphire earlier. As far as he knew, Sapphire had yet to tell the other guards about their presence. But, she certainly told someone, as he received a letter that was directed towards him. As Goro continued reading, a small smile was plastered on his face. He was so drawn into the letter that he failed to notice Manda and Baragon enter the chamber of the cave that held the 'kitchen'. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the curious stares of Manda and Baragon.
"Is that what I think that is?" asked Baragon. Goro nodded.
"Yes. It's a letter." answered Goro.
"But who would send us a letter? Who even knows that we're here other than Sapphire?" asked Manda. Goro handed her the letter with a smile.
"Princess Celestia." answered Goro. Manda looked to him surprise while Baragon looked to him in worry. Manda immediately began to read through the letter.

'Dear Transmutants of Mustangia, it has come to my attention that you have been hiding out in Equestria as MONARCH occupied my beloved country. I have been hearing rumors of vigilantes protecting my subjects from the nearby Diamond Dog clan that has been terrorizing my subjects. Little did I know that they were you, a small group of Transmutants. I would like to express my thanks to you all for protecting my subjects, especially from the massive-scale attack. If not for you, I fear things may have made a turn for the worst. The guard who has delivered this letter to you will be sworn to secrecy about you and your location. But, I would like to help you by establishing a relationship with my kingdom and your group. Too much disdain, distrust and prejudice exists between humans and Transmutants. I wish to change that by showing my subjects that Transmutants are capable of good, just as you have demonstrated for protecting Mustangia. I hereby invite you all as my special guests for this year's Summer Sun Celebration. I hope that you will consider this invitation and my offer, so that we may become good friends.
Sincerely, Celestia.'

Manda stared at the parchment with wide eyes. She slightly trembled as she held the paper. She slowly looked to Goro.
"Sh-she wants us to be her special guests at the Summer Sun Celebration?" asked Manda. Goro nodded to her.
"She does." answered Goro. Manda dropped the parchment and squealed in delight. She immediately dove for Baragon and wrapped into a tight hug. She lifted him off of the ground and spun around as she laughed with joy. Baragon struggled to get out of her crushing embrace, but failed.
"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" said Manda excitedly. She then set Baragon back onto his feet and stared into his eyes hidden by his sunglasses. She immediately dove for his cheek gave him a smooch. Manda laughed with glee as she rushed over to Goro and wrapped him into a tight hug. Baragon rubbed his cheek in embarrassment as he watched Manda give a crushing hug to Goro.
"We're...not actually gonna go are we?" asked Baragon. Manda stopped hugging Goro and looked at him incredulously.
"We are. In fact, I wrote a letter to the princess as a reply and gave it to Sapphire to deliver earlier." said Goro. Baragon sighed in disappointment and looked at Goro incredulously.
"Wait, you replied to her without even asking us if we were OK with it?!" asked Baragon. Goro sighed in response.
"Yes. Baragon look-"
"Why do we need her acceptance? Why do we even need the acceptance of them?" demanded Baragon.
"Baragon, this isn't about acceptance. We're just going to play as special guests for the Princess." said Goro. Baragon glared at him.
"Bullshit! All she wants to do is expose us for what we are!" countered Baragon.
"Only to help us show the country that we're not monsters." retorted Goro. Manda walked closer to Baragon with a frown.
"Baragon please, why don't you want to consider the possibility that people can accept us?" asked Manda, her tone filled with hurt. Baragon looked down and clenched his fist.
"Why would they? Destoroyah gave us a bad name and we're the ones paying for it. Who needs their acceptance when we have each other?" asked Baragon. He turned and slowly began to walk away. Manda reached out for him, but could not find the strength to call him. She lowered her head in sadness as she wanted to help him, but it seemed that the discrimination against Transmutants was breaking his spirit.




Later that night...

Baragon sat outside without his sunglasses on in the night. His vision was clear as if he were looking into the day. His sensitive eyes did not strain on this night. Baragon sighed as he looked down at the ground. The thought of the Princess inviting them to be guests for the event sounded nice, but it was just too good to be true. The humans never considered offering a hand in friendship to him. He refused to believe that the princess was any different. Still, Sapphire’s revelation about Celestia's adopted son being a Transmutant plagued his mind with doubts, especially since he couldn’t confirm if the guard was lying.
"Baragon?" called Manda. The man turned to find Manda standing outside of the cave in her pajamas. She wore a long sleeved shirt with pant bottoms.
"Oh, hey Manda." said Baragon in a soft tone. The woman made her way over to his side and sat next him. She held her knees close to herself as she looked at Baragon.
"Can we talk?" asked Manda.
"We talk all the time." said Baragon jokingly. Manda lightly chuckled.
"No, I'm serious. I just want to talk about the invitation." said Manda. Baragon went silent and looked down. Manda scooted closer to him.
"Baragon, I know you’re afraid. I am too." said Manda.
"Then why are we risking our safety by indulging the Princess? What if she's lying about having an adopted Transmutant son? What if that's just a rouse to get us to fall into a trap?" asked Baragon.
"Because if it means the chance of living like normal people again, we should take it. That's another reason why we've been protecting people in the first place." answered Manda. She then wrapped an arm around Baragon and brought him into a hug. This time, she restrained her strength.
"Please come with us, Baragon. At least be polite by accepting the invitation."
"I...I guess I will. But I want something from her." said Baragon. Manda looked to him curiously. Baragon gave her a serious expression.
"I want a discount on cider to compensate for my troubles." said Baragon. Manda stared at him blankly. Then she began to burst into laughter. Baragon lightly laughed to himself as well. As the two calmed down, Baragon sighed. "But seriously, I want at least confirmation that she had an adopted son as a Transmutant. I want to see if that woman is actually heartbroken that he's gone. If so, then I'll begin to reconsider my thoughts."
"We'll see if we can get her to talk about it." said Manda with a smile as she leaned against Baragon. The man wore a scowl.
"Hey, I'm not your pillow or something." said Baragon. Manda lightly chuckled as she took her weight off of him.
"Sorry. Come on, let's go to bed. We need to get ready for the Summer Sun Celebration next month." said Manda as she stood to her feet. She and Baragon both made their way back into the cave for the night. 




Saddle Arabia, The next day...

Rodan and Aria were in the village during this week. The two walked side by side through the town. Aria wore a bored expression on her face as the pair continued on. Rodan was looking through a small list that he had made earlier. He muttered to himself as he read off of the list.
"So, why am I helping you with the shopping?" asked Aria.
"I wanted to try and cook some dinner instead of eating sandwiches again. Mosura is busy to be my interpreter, so I need your help since you've been learning." said Rodan. Aria looked to him curiously.
"What'd you have mind?" asked Aria. Rodan grinned to himself.
"Tacos." said Rodan. Aria raised a brow.
"The hell is a taco?" asked Aria. Rodan gave her an appalled look.
"You don't know what a taco is?!" asked Rodan. Aria shrunk back as he got into her face.
"Nooooo..." answered Aria.
"You poor soul." said Rodan. Aria gave him a look of annoyance.
"Dude, what's the big deal?" asked Aria.
"It's just that you don't know what you've been missing. I can make a mean taco!" said Rodan with a confident grin.
"Well, what do we need to get?" asked Aria. Rodan looked back to the list.
"Well, we'll need some beef, lettuce, tomatoes, and a few other stuff." said Rodan. Aria looked to him curiously.
"Do you have enough money for those?" asked Aria. She hadn't heard of the ingredients that Rodan had named off before either, but she rather not risk seeming out of the ordinary due to ignorance of certain foods.
"Oh yeah, absolutely!" said Rodan. The pair made their way over the market where other people began their shopping. They looked through the market and found a few of the desired ingredients. Flat bread, wrapped raw meat, tomato, cheese, and lettuce. Rodan and Aria made their way over to the stands and began their purchase. Fortunately, the vendors seemed to have known a bit of Equish. Rodan felt a little sorry for dragging Aria out with him, but she wasn't going to have a chance of communicating with the locals in another language. The pair made their way over to a man running the vendor that held blocks of cheese wrapped in foil to get the final ingredient.
"Heya! We'd like to see what kind of cheese you got." said Rodan. The man looked to him with a puzzled expression.
"What?" asked the man in his native tongue. Rodan cursed under his breath as he realized that the man did not speak Equish. He then turned to Aria. He found her scanning through the language dictionary that Mosura had let her borrowed.
"Now's a good time to put what you learned to the test." said Rodan. Aria nodded to him as she closed the dictionary. She then cleared her throat.
"Um... What kind of cheese do you have?" asked Aria in Arabic.
"I only have Cheddar today." answered the man. Aria nodded in response as she mentally translated what the vendor had said.
"He only has cheddar." said Aria as she looked to Rodan. He nodded in approval.
"Cool, that'll do." said Rodan. Aria turned back to the vendor.
"How much?" asked Aria.
"Five pieces of silver." answered the man.
"Five pieces." said Aria as she turned to face Rodan. The Transmutant reached into his pocket and gave the vendor his remaining silver coins. The man handed Rodan the block of cheese.
"Pleasure doing business with you." said the vendor.
"Likewise. Please have a shitty day, fat cow." said Aria with a smile. The man's eye twitched in offense. His face turned red in anger.
"What did you just say to me, woman?!" demanded the man. Aria recoiled in surprise.
"What?" asked Aria in confusion with a shrug.
"Guards!" shouted the vendor. Two men armed with swords turned and made their way over to the stand. Rodan stood by nervously.
"Uh...Aria, what did you do?" asked Rodan.
"I don't know! He just got mad for some reason!" answered Aria in worry.
"Arrest this woman for her disrespect!" yelled the vendor. The guard looked to Rodan with a hard stare. Rodan raised his hands defensively.
"Whoa! Whoa! What's all the hub bub, bub?" asked Rodan in a nervous tone. The guard glared at Aria.
"You are under arrest." said the guard. Aria's eyes widened in shock.
"What? Why?!" asked Aria.
"What's wrong?" asked Rodan worriedly.
"They're going to arrest me!" said Aria as she pulled out the language dictionary. She began to frantically scan through it. She then accidently dropped the book. She muttered to herself as she tried to recall words.
"Um....I did not mean to be so...ruuude. I have grasshoppers taped to my back." said Aria. The guards looked to each other in confusion.
"Uhh...I am so hungry. I need love." said Aria. The guards began to grow more confused, almost unnerved.
"I think this woman is crazy." whispered the second guard to the first.
"Please let me have you!" pleaded Aria. The guards backed up in shock.
"Wha-?"
"I am just a visiting for sex!" said Aria. The guards looked to her in shock. The vendor gasped loudly. He then pointed to the Siren.
"Whore! Filthy whore!" shouted the vendor.
"Crazy filthy whore is more like it. Seize her!" said the main guard. The second guard approached Aria as he drew his sword. Aria's eyes widened.
"Oh come on!" said Aria in exasperation. Suddenly, Rodan stepped in front of her. He faced the closest guard and sent a powerful punch into his gut. The guard dropped to his knees and heaved for air. Rodan then found the other guard unsheathing his sword. Aria opened her eyes and gasped as the guard swung his sword at Rodan. The Transmutant merely ducked the blade and grabbed the guards arm. He then yanked on his arm and pulled the guard over to him and sent a punch to his face. The guard fell to the ground unconscious. Rodan turned to find Aria staring at him with wide eyes. He immediately took her hand began to run with her.
"Time to go!" said Rodan as he and the Siren ran out of the market. The two held the bags of the ingredients that they had gotten as they ran. They heard shouts coming from behind them. Aria turned to find several guards chasing after them.
"We got company!" said Aria urgently.
"Yeah, I can hear them!" retorted Rodan. He the lead Aria over to a street corner and turned down an alley. They shoved any person that got in their way, but found themselves caught at a dead end. Aria turned to find the guards turning over to their alley.
"Now what?" asked Aria with a glare. Rodan looked frantically around the area. He then noticed a lower edge of the stone building on his right.
"Up there!" said Rodan as he pointed to the ledge. The two rushed over to the wall of the building. Rodan placed his hands together and slightly crouched with his arms lowered. "Come on, I'll boost you!"
Aria nodded in response. She then placed her hands firmly on his shoulders and stepped on Rodan's hands. She felt herself lifted up into the air while she placed her other foot on Rodan's shoulder as she reached for the ledge. Aria stepped off of Rodan as she climbed up to the roof, before turning around and reaching her hand out for him.
"No, step back from the ledge!" said Rodan. Aria reluctantly complied as she moved away from the ledge. Rodan turned and ran over to the other wall. His feet carried him up the wall for a few steps. He then turned and wall jumped to the ledge. He caught the ledge as he made it to the other side and quickly climbed over the ledge and onto the roof. The shouts of the guards grew louder.
"Let's go!" said Rodan as he led Aria over the roofs. The pair spent the next few minutes fleeing the scene. They were forced to hide and make multiple turns as the guards threatened to box them in. This was all done as the two struggled to hold onto the ingredients that they had shopped for dinner. Rodan looked down from a roof and found a horse hooked to a chariot that was carrying hay.
"Aria, we're gonna have to jump!" said Rodan. Aria turned behind herself and found the guards searching for them. Some even began to try to climb the roofs for a better search. She then looked down to the hay stack and how high the building was. It wasn't as high as she thought.
"I'm cool with that!" said Aria. She then took Rodan's hand and then jumped off of the ledge and landed in the haystack. The horse whinnied as it was startled by the sudden drop. As Aria stuck her head out of the haystack, Rodan immediately pulled her back in. She turned with a glare in her eye.
"What are you-"
"Shh! Stay low!" whispered Rodan as he lied still in the hay. Aria was about to question him but then heard the voices of the guards. They began shouting as they searched for them. Aria's eyes caught sight of one of the guards from a small opening spot in the hay. Her heart raced as he turned to their direction with a suspicious glance. She gulped as the guard approached. She heard Rodan take light breaths behind her as if to try to remain as still as possible. Aria began to follow his lead. As the guard came closer, he unsheathed his sword as he prepared to stick it in the hay stack; Aria's eyes widened in horror as he came closer. Suddenly, the guard turned as more shouting came. He looked back to the haystack but then placed his sword back in its sheath. He then turned and rushed away from the haystack. Aria sighed in relief as she leaned her head back against Rodan's shoulder.
"That was close." whispered Aria. Rodan lightly chuckled.
"Don't tell me you were scared." whispered back Rodan. Aria scoffed in response.
"And you weren't?" demanded Aria.
"Well, yeah a little." admitted Rodan. He then sighed in relief.
"Well, thanks for that. It was pretty brave of you to stand up to those guards." said Aria with a smile.
"No prob. Besides, Adagio might have killed me if she found out I had let you get arrested." said Rodan with a shudder. Aria smiled in amusement.
"Yeah, she probably would have." said Aria. The two suddenly felt the chariot begin to move. Aria peaked out from the open space in their hiding place and noticed that the chariot was leaving the area.
"Well, we need to lay low for a while until we're sure that we're far enough from the guards." said Rodan. He then shifted himself a bit. "Might as well get comfortable."
"You better not try anything." warned Aria. Rodan shook his head in disappointment.
"Ye have little trust." said Rodan. Aria sighed.
"It's gonna be a long ride." said Aria.




One hour later...

Rodan and Aria walked calmly in the desert outside of the village. They had recently ditched their hiding place and snuck through the town with their groceries. The Transmutant chuckled in amusement.
"Man, how cool was that? We outsmarted the guards and escaped unscathed!" said Rodan.
"Yep, thanks to your quick thinking." said Aria. Rodan held a proud smile.
"You flatter me." said Rodan. Aria rolled her eyes as she realized that she may have boosted his ego. As the two continued walking, Aria felt a question that nagged her to ask the Transmutant.
"Say, where did you learn to fight like that?" asked Aria.
"I learned from Mosura." answered Rodan, casually.
"Really? She doesn't seem like a fighter." said Aria in surprise.
"Heh. You'd be surprise. She's tougher than she looks. She took martial arts classes from one of her family members back in Neighpon." said Rodan. "Of course, that was years ago. When she had to leave, she ended up taking more classes when we got to Equestria."
"Really now? So, she taught you what you know?" said Aria. She decided to not question about the nations. Rodan nodded.
"Yep. She knows a couple of styles that she taught Angirasu and I when we were younger. She sticks to her own style of fighting, though." said Rodan. The two continued on, nearing the camp. Aria was curious to learn more about this man.
"So, what was your life like?" asked Aria. She then scoffed in disgust. "Sorry, that sounded kinda weird. Never mind."
"No it's cool. I'd be happy to share a bit about myself." said Rodan with a smile. Aria turned to find his contagious smile. "Besides, it's not every day when someone asks me about my life story. But, you have to tell me a bit about you when I'm done."
"Why?" asked Aria. Rodan gave her a deadpanned stare.
"Well, come on. It's only fair, right? Besides, I'm curious." said Rodan.
"I guess, But remember, curiosity killed the catfish." said Aria with a humored smile. Rodan raised a brow in confusion.
"I think the saying is, 'curiosity killed the cat'." said Rodan. Aria's eyes widened at the realization. She had just used a saying that was strangely similar to the humans but also not correct for their case.
"R-right! Sorry, that's just how people used the saying where I'm from. Force of habit." said Aria with a nervous smile. Rodan looked away in thought.
"Hmm. Kinda weird, but not the weirdest thing that I've heard." said Rodan with a shrug.
"Soooo, about you..." said Aria, wanting to get Rodan back on topic.
"Oh right! Um..." Rodan knew that he couldn't risk telling her too much. So, he had to twist the truth a bit. "Well, I was born in Neighpon. Much like Goji and the others. My dad was a Valkyrie and mom was a non-magical Earthbound. I ended up inheriting more of my mom's traits like her hair color and her non-magical Earthbound genes."
"Non-magical?" asked Aria in confusion. She was familiar with how some of the humans had traits that depended on their magical abilities. It was taught to her and other young Sirens when growing up, but she never heard of non-magical Earthbounds.
"Yeah, that's a thing. Some people are just born without the magical abilities of the average human. They're mostly found in isolated inhabited islands in the East like Neighpon." said Rodan. "We're weaker than average Earthbounds and we have a harder time working certain jobs that a magical Earthbound can do with ease such as gardening, construction, and working with animals." said Rodan. "In fact, we're pretty much disadvantaged in society since it takes longer for us to build strength compared to magical Earthbounds. A lot of work that we can do requires physical endurance. Some of us are lucky to learn that we can practice to try to take up art, writing, or something."
"That sucks." said Aria. Rodan nodded in agreement.
"Yep. Anyway, my parents passed away and I ended up living on the streets." said Rodan. Aria's eyes widened at how nonchalantly he talked about being an orphan.
"That's...terrible. I...I actually thought you'd be more down about talking about that." said Aria. Rodan shrugged.
"I kinda still am, but not as much anymore. If I just kept staying in the past, I'd never get the chance to be happy again." said Rodan. He then sighed. "But, I'd like to see them again."
"Sorry to hear that." said Aria with a frown. She never realized that Rodan had to deal with that kind of burden. 
"Don't be. One good thing that came out of it was that I met Mosu and Aang." said Rodan, his mood brightening back up. "She wasn't much older than me or Angirasu, but she took us in as family. We all stuck together no matter what. We watched each other's backs and she made sure that we knew right from wrong."
"So, she was like you mom?" asked Aria. Rodan stopped as he looked up in thought. His face brightened into a smile as he began to chuckle.
"Kinda. But sister seems more appropriate." said Rodan. He then continued on with the walk. "So, we spent years together as one small family. Then we met Gojira, the man of steel."
"Heh. Why do you call him that? Is he as tough as he looks?" asked Aria. Rodan grinned.
"Nope! He's tougher!" said Rodan. The two neared the camp. "He's got the strength of a bear combined with a crocodile! His endurance is crazy scary, too! My secret to fighting is my speed. I don't mean to brag, but I'm so quick that you wouldn't see me coming."
"Really now? So you've beaten Gojira?" asked Aria. Rodan chuckled in embarrassment.
"Nah, actually he mopped the floor with me. Three times." said Rodan. Aria shook her head in amusement.
"Figures." said Aria. Rodan placed a hand over his chest in hurt.
"Oh! Shots fired." said Rodan.
"Give it a rest." retorted Aria. The two had made their way over to the camp. The day was in the late afternoon and no one else was around. The two began to sort out their groceries and prepared to cook the meal.
"So, we made some more friends along the way. But there was an accident that occurred that we ended up having to leave our old home and come out here." said Rodan. Aria gave him a deadpanned stare.
"What? Not gonna go into any more detail?"
"I...I kinda don't want to get into it. Sorry, it's just something that I'm still bummed out about." said Rodan with a light frown. Aria noticed his solemn expression. For some reason, it unnerved her. It felt off to see this eccentric young man to be more down about this compared to the loss of his parents.
"It was that bad?" asked Aria. Rodan nodded in response. Aria cleared her throat.
"Alright. Since you don't want to talk about it, I won't press you." said Aria as she crossed her arms with a shrug. Rodan gave her a small smile.
"Thanks for understanding." said Rodan. He then reached for the flat bread and began to set them on a tray as he started a fire in the fire pit.  Rodan made his way over to a grill grate that stood on four metal legs. He placed it over the fire and then laid a pan on it. Aria handed him meat that she unwrapped and the Transmutant placed it in the pan and pulled out a spatula. Aria spent her time cutting some of the vegetables over a tray and moved the sliced pieces into separate bowls. After the next few minutes, Rodan moved on to toast some of the flatbread.
"Well, it's not tortillas, but this comes close enough." said Rodan. Aria nodded in response, even though she had no idea about the difference between the two other than the names.
"I told you everything about me. Tell me about yourself." said Rodan. Aria sighed.
"Alright, alright. Well, I guess I always had a bit of a talent for singing ever since I was a little kid." said Aria. She knew that she couldn't tell Rodan about everything. She hoped that she could twist the truth enough for it to keep her true self a secret.
"A bit of a talent? That's a bit of an understatement." chuckled Rodan.
"Yeah well, I try not to brag. You could say that it runs in the family." said Aria.
"Tell me about it." said Rodan, his interest peaked. Aria rubbed the back of her head.
"Well, my parents were singers. But they weren't like famous for it or anything." said Aria.
"That's a shame. If you're really awesome at it, I bet your parents are, too." said Rodan.
"Thanks, but I don't really care for fame. Honestly, I'm looking for a bit of excitement in my life." said Aria. Rodan's interest peaked higher as he liked women that desired excitement. Aria placed the bowl filled with the sliced vegetables to the side of the tray. "I don't think a singing career will do me any favors. I'll just get bored of that."
"Have you ever done anything exciting at home?" asked Rodan.
"Rarely. There was hardly anything to do back home other than singing. That lessened the boredom a bit, but it wasn't enough. Things seemed more fun when I was kid when I first met Adagio and Sonata." said Aria. Rodan gave her a curious glance.
"You don't seem to be very good friends." said Rodan. Aria gave him a look of confusion.
"Huh? Why would you think that?" asked Aria.
"Oh! I didn't mean to be rude. It's just that...I don't know. You guys seem to argue a lot. You also seem kinda mean to Sonata sometimes." said Rodan as he began to flip the meat on the other side and began to season it.
"Well, that's kinda how we always interacted with each other." said Aria. "I mean, yeah sometimes I get annoyed with Sonata with her stupidity, but she's use to how I react to her. Adagio and I sometimes argue more than with Sonata, but only because that's what friends do. When one of us messes up, the others give her crap about it."
"Well, Sonata is a sweet girl. I noticed that she isn't that bright, but she seems cool. She reminds of me of a friend back at home. Cut her some slack." said Rodan. He began to mash the meat into smaller pieces with his spatula onto the pan. "But, I get the arguing. I sometimes have that with the guys and Mosu."
"You crushing on Sonata?" asked Aria with a raised brow. Rodan shook his head.
"Not really. I mean, she's cute and nice, but she's not my type of girl." said Rodan. Aria raised a brow in confusion. The way this man shamelessly flirted with women, there was no telling what his type was. Rodan then turned to face her. "But, I think Sonata's crushing on Angirasu."
"Wait, you think so, too?!" exclaimed Aria. Rodan nodded.
"Sure. It's so obvious. But Goji and Angirasu are too dense to even realize that a girl is crushing on them. In fact, there was this girl that liked Gojira and he was completely oblivious to it! She had to tell him that she did after she decided to move on from trying to confess to him!" said Rodan with a chuckle. He then looked to her with a smile. "Come on, didn't you know that Sonata liked Aang?"
"Well...I had my suspicions. But I wasn't sure." said Aria.
"Haven't you ever had a crush on a guy?" asked Rodan.
"No." answered Aria. Rodan tilted his head.
"Girls, then?" asked Rodan. Aria's eyes widened.
"Wha- No!" said Aria she raised her fist. Rodan raised his hands up defensively.
"Sorry! I was just asking. Some people are into that. I'm not one to judge." said Rodan with a nervous smile. Aria sighed.
"Look, I never had a crush on a guy because I never really hung out with guys other than my dad." said Aria in annoyance.
"Oh, so you're a daddy's girl?" said Rodan with a smile. Aria scoffed in offense.
"So what if I am?!" demanded Aria.
"I think it's cool." said Rodan with a smile. Aria looked to him in surprise.
"Yo-you do?" asked Aria.
"Yeah. Honestly, if I were to have kids and they turn out to be girls, I worry that they wouldn't like to spend time with me. If you hung out with your dad, then that's great!" said Rodan as he continued to mash the meat into pieces. The meat began to turn brown.
"Yeah. Dad was pretty cool." sighed Aria. Rodan heard the disappointed tone in her voice. His mind even registered the word, 'was'.
"Was?" asked Rodan.
"My old man died when I was fourteen." said Aria. She then looked down as she crossed her arms with a growing frown. "He was fishing out into sea one day. Next thing I hear, his boat was sunken to the bottom of the sea."
"Before he left, he told me that he was gonna take me with him next time. I was holding him to that. But, we never found him." said Aria. Her voice threatened to crack. She hid her face as she trembled. Her eyes stung.
"H-hey, you alright?" asked Rodan in concern. Aria took a deep breath and slowly released the air that she had taken in.
"Yeah...I'm good." said Aria softly. Rodan frowned as he watched the girl back down from showing her emotions.
"You know, I won't think less of you if you cry." said Rodan as he scooped the cook meat and placed them into a container.
"You think I care what you think?" demanded Aria with a glare. Rodan returned her glare with a hard stare.
"If you don't, then why are trying so hard to hide it?" asked Rodan. Aria went silent.
"I... Look, I just don't want people to think that I'm some weak crybaby! Do you know how frustrating it is to have people of the opposite sex avoid you because of your demeanor? Do you know how much it sucks to have the one closest to just leave you like that?!" demanded Aria. She stood to her feet with an angry expression. "I could never understand guys because they never gave me the chance to interact with them! It was because I was 'too boring' or I was 'I wasn't as good looking as the other girls'! I loved my dad and he helped me learn a bit about them other than their expectations of a woman, but now he's gone!"
"Aria..." Rodan watched the Siren as she began to fall apart. Her bottled-up emotions spurred uncontrollably from her frustration. Aria dropped to her knees as her eyes began to run with tears. She slammed her fist into the sand in anger.
"It's not fair! Why did he have to go?!" yelled Aria. She broke into a sob as she placed her hands onto the hot sand. Her tears fell from her cheeks and onto the sand. Aria suddenly felt herself wrapped into an embrace. She gasped as she realized that Rodan was holding her. The Transmutant stroked her head comfortingly as he held her.
"I guess me flirting with you didn't help, huh?" asked Rodan. Aria sniffed.
"It's just...it was weird. Sure I was annoyed by it, but it bothered me inside. I wasn't use to guys paying that much attention to me before. I know you don't actually mean it." said Aria in between hiccups as she tried to calm herself. 
"Well, that's not entirely true." replied Rodan. "You are pretty. It's just that you don't put yourself out there enough. I'm not telling you to change, because I kinda like how you are."
"Oh?" asked Siren, her heart skipped a beat.
"Aria, you know what I like about you?" asked Rodan as he released the Siren. Aria went stiff with a light blush threatening to creep onto her face.
"Wait! Wh-what's brought this all of the sudden?" asked Aria.
"Nothing really. I like how you remain strong enough to be who you are. Forget those guys back at your home. If life has taught me anything, a fantasy girl is what it is. A fantasy." said Rodan. He then helped Aria stand to her feet. "I learned that back in Ponyville. I once wanted to meet a girl who was a knockout. I wanted her to have nice hips, big eyes, and long, flowing hair."
"Wow. *sniff* Those are some high standards." said Aria. Rodan chuckled in response.
"Yeah, they were. But I wasn't being realistic. That was until I met her." said Rodan. He then sighed as looked to the clouds above. "She was a Valkyrie with long, rainbow hair. It was never combed, but it suited her personality. She had spunk and was competitive. She liked to joke around and she knew how to have fun."
"She sounds a bit like you." said Aria.
"In some ways, she was. I was drawn to that. She wasn't the most beautiful girl in town, but she was attractive. I liked her courage and determination. She was quite a woman." said Rodan. He then noticed the awkward glance that Aria was giving him. Rodan cleared his throat. "The point is that I wasn't even aiming for her type. I realized that I liked her a lot when I began to spend more time with her. The same can be for you."
"Me?" asked Aria.
"Sure! Just try to be more open and you might meet a guy you might like and he might like you!" said Rodan. Aria waved her hands frantically.
"Wait! I'm not even ready to be in a relationship!" said Aria with a blush.
"Well, than just start off as friends. Maybe Adagio and Sonata might know some guys." said Rodan with a shrug. "You're only young once."
"Yeah, I guess." said Aria with a sigh. The two began to move the bowls around and the flat bread. They had covered them up in foil and they began to remove the pan from the grill grate and they then moved the grill grate itself. Aria looked to Rodan as he began to pull out additional ingredients.
"Can't have tacos without hot sauce!" said Rodan. He held up a clear bottle filled with and orange liquid. Rodan began to serve himself a taco as he placed the beef, the vegetable slices and the grated cheese inside. He then began to pour the hot sauce into his taco. He then took a bite of the meal, savoring the taste. He moaned in delight as he tasted the food and swallowed it after he had finished chewing.
"We did good! Man, finally my own hot sauce is a success!" said Rodan as he held up the bottle triumphantly.
"Wait, you made it?" asked Aria in surprise.
"Yep! I've been trying it for years! It didn't work out so well the first time. But after several tries, I finally got it!" said Rodan. "Serve yourself a taco and try some! The others should be getting back soon!"
"Alright." said Aria. She proceeded to serve herself her food and took a paper plate. As she placed her taco over the plate, she nervously began to take a bite.
"Hmm. Wow you did a good job." praised Aria with her mouth filled with food. Rodan smiled proudly.
"Thanks. Hey, try this hot sauce and tell me what you think." said Rodan as he handed Aria the bottle. She took it in her hand and began to pour the liquid onto her food. She suddenly saw Rodan reach for a water bottle.
"You might need this. It's pretty spicy." said Rodan. Aria nodded. She then slowly took a bite of the taco. She felt the spiciness reach her taste buds. It had the taste of garlic with a bit of sweetness to it with the taste of peppers. Aria was not familiar with these tastes, but she liked them nonetheless. Still, her inexperience with spicy food cost her dearly as she immediately put down her taco, took the water bottle from Rodan, and chug the water down until the bottle was half empty. 
"OK. That was pretty good. The hot sauce is frightening, though." said Aria. Rodan chuckled in response. "Nice work on it. I never knew you were creative."
"Well, some of my ideas aren't that good, but I'm glad that this one turned out good." said Rodan with a grin, which made Aria smile in response. Although she was embarrassed for crying in front of him, she felt some weight lifted off of her shoulders. She even began to process their conversation about opening up to others. She hoped that her friends would support her through her endeavor to be more comfortable with others.




Meanwhile in Trotkyo, Neighpon...

On this early morning, things were quiet in this large city. Lights shone brightly from screens and signs. Neighponese characters appeared on screen for advertisements for new products. Neighpon's hot spot for Transmutant activity has led to tensions growing and the rise of civil unrest was inevitable. Battra walked among the locals with his black hood pulled over his head. His leather jacket with red markings was worn over his hoodie. The Transmutant searched the area as casually as possible. He then spotted a familiar purple haired woman. He began to stroll over to her.
"Hey." greeted Battra. The woman turned around to greet Battra.
"Hey there, handsome." winked Megaguirus.
"Cut it out. Where's Mukade and the other two?" questioned Battra. Megaguirus shrugged in response.
"Don't know. They were supposed to be here by now. I still don't see why we couldn't just leave together." said Megaguirus.
"Too dangerous. I rather not draw attention to ourselves by allowing MONARCH catching civilians emerging out of nowhere from an uninhabited forest." said Battra as he adjusted his leather jacket. Megaguirus then eyed the apparel. A smile formed on her face.
"That's a nice jacket. Where did you get it?" asked Megaguirus.
"I killed some bastard and took it from his corpse." answered Battra nonchalantly. Megaguirus's eyes widened. Battra cracked a smirk at her shocked expression.
"Gotcha. I didn't kill anybody for this. This is something that I stole yesterday." said Battra. Megaguirus gave him a sigh.
"Dude, don't wear the clothes of a man you have killed. That's just bad luck waiting to happen." said Megaguirus.
"Meh. If luck was what shaped our destinies, than it won't count for crap for MONARCH when we're done with them." said Battra.
"Hm. Wonder how long that'll be until we reach that point." wondered Megaguirus. Battra sighed.
"Yeah, me too."
The two waited the next couple of minutes for their companions. Megaguirus tapped her foot impatiently while Battra stood with his arms crossed over his chest. Megaguirus then noticed a trio approaching from a small crowd of people.
"Bout time!" said Megaguirus. Mukade walked past a few people along with two men trailing behind him.
"Sorry. We got lost." said Mukade.
"You. You got lost." said one of the men. Mukade sent him a glare.
"Look it doesn't matter. Next time, be quick when we are on a mission like this. I rather avoid being here for too long." said Battra in annoyance. He led the Transmutants through the city where people walked casually. It was as though there was not a care in the world. Small metal vehicles on four wheels were crossing the streets. At least a few dozen of these were being driven by citizens. The vehicles were a new invention that would one day replace the carriage. Battra scanned the area until he spotted an establishment. He motioned for the other Transmutants to follow him inside. As they made it in, they found the clerk helping a customer.
"Go find what we need. Megaguirus, with me." ordered Battra. The other men nodded and made their way down the aisle. Megaguirus stood next to Battra as casually as she could be.
"Must be nice being a second in command." said Megaguirus, hoping to strike a conversation. Battra wasn't worried about what she had said since he knew that no one else in the establishment knew Equish.
"It's alright. I'm not doing it for perks. I'm doing it because Destoroyah trusts me with this responsibility. But It's been stressful lately." said Battra with a sigh.
"Why's that?" asked Megaguirus.
"Well for one, Shinomura is such an ass. He's been challenging my authority. I think he's even trying to get a few others to challenge me. I don't know why Destoroyah chose that man out of all the other Transmutants to be one of the elite fighters. He sees Destoroyah as some kind of God and has a few screws loose." said Battra.
"Well, the way we have to address him, it almost seems that way. 'All hail Lord Destoroyah!'" said Megaguirus in a mock salute. Battra couldn't help crack a small smile. He was amused by the woman's perception of the whole thing of referring to his teacher as 'lord'. He did find it quite silly himself.
"Yeah, but I am sworn to loyalty to our leader. After all, no one else is stronger to lead us." said Battra.
"Weeeell, I think you might be qualified." said Megaguirus. Battra waved his hand dismissively.
"No way. I'm flattered but I'm not qualified for full command. I'm just a soldier." said Battra.
"Some soldier. Your ass is out here shopping for diapers and baby food!" said Megaguirus as she pointed to Mukade and the other two Transmutants. In their hands they carried boxes labeled as a brand of baby food and diapers.
"A favor for an ally. That's all it is." said Battra as he crossed his arms. Megaguirus rolled her eyes. The two made their way up to the clerk to check out the products.
"Oh. I see that someone is having a little bundle of joy." said the clerk with a smile as he eyed Megaguirus. She cleared her throat.
"Um...no, it's actually not for me. It's for a friend." said Megaguirus in embarrassment. One of the male Transmutants snorted in amusement.
"Yeah, some friend." said the Transmutant. Mukade elbowed the man in his side, causing him to yelp in pain. Battra made his way closer to the clerk.
"How much?" asked Battra. The clerk was about to answer, but was silenced as Battra raised his hand.
"Forget it. We're not gonna pay it." said Battra as his red eyes began to glow. Suddenly, the clerk felt himself growing light and fell onto the ground unconscious. Battra turned back to the Transmutants.
"Pick everything back up and let’s get going." ordered Battra.
"I knew your broke ass still didn't have cash." said Megaguirus with a sigh. Mukade chuckled in amusement.



Battra walked down the halls of the Transmutant Revolutionaries' lair. He had recently delivered the items that were requested by Hok and his wife. The past couple of days have been going well with stocking up on baby food and diapers, but it wouldn't be enough to care for all seven babies. Battra continued down the halls and found Destoroyah siting on his rubble throne. Inside of the room were Ebirah, Gaira, Shinomura, Titano, and Hok. 
"Hok? What brings you here?" asked Battra.
"My children." said Hok in a serious tone. Battra was unnerved at the tense atmosphere flowing into the room. Destoroyah rose to his feet.
"My student, we are here to discuss our contingency plan for the generator. You are just in time to join us." said Destoroyah. Battra nodded as he walked further into the room.
"Well, let's get started." said Battra.
“As you know, the magazines are vital to our group. Its enchanted gems, created by MONARCH scientists, are what allow us to store the radiation inside. We have been gathering as much magazines as possible from all sorts of fire arms that were designed to hold these gems." said Titano as he held up a glowing green gem. "We mainly stock up on these gems in case we are ever forced into a predicament to where we can't visit a nuclear source. Geothermal sources are heavily guarded now that MONARCH has caught on to our ability to harness a more natural source."
"Now, the infants may be more reliant on the energy that we consume. So, we will have to double our scavenging for magazines and we will have to accelerate our nuclear raid sooner. Meaning we have to do it this month." said Titano. Battra's eyes widened.
"This month?! But, how will we have enough time?!" asked Battra, incredulously.
"Simple. We just kick some more ass." said Gaira as he punched his palm. 
"That's right. This evening, a convoy with a few trucks holding weapons will be nearing the outskirts of the graveyard of the Takeshi clan." said Titano. Battra looked to him in surprise.
"As in...Gojira Takeshi?" asked Battra. Titano nodded.
"The very same. The graveyard of Neighpon's most legendary warriors." said Titano. Destoroyah grinned sinisterly to himself.
"So the plan is to take out the convoy, raid their weapons and ammo, bring them back here, and dismantle the mags for the gems." said Titano as he crushed the gem into his palm. The radiation stored inside flowed into his nostrils as he inhaled deeply.
"After we have gathered enough gems, we shall take a large team and travel to Saddle Arabia." said Destoroyah. Battra looked to him in confusion.
"Why there?"
"Because, Neighpon is growing too hot with our activity and has placed the nuclear plants here on lockdown. Saddle Arabia has no trace of MONARCH's presence. We must use that to our advantage and gather the radiation that will be stocked up for the babies." explained Destoroyah. He then began to walk past his loyalists and into the hall.
"If we all have an understanding of the mission, gather the soldiers. The time will be coming." commanded Destoroyah.
"Yes, Lord Destoroyah." said the loyalists in unison.
"Yes, Sensei." said Battra. He wore an uneasy expression. It wasn't concern for his own life, for he was in danger all the time. He mostly feared for Hok. If he was a part of this meeting, that meant that Hok was participating in this attack.
"Hok, stay close to me. Things get hairy when in battle with MONARCH." said Battra. Hok gave him an amused smile.
"Don't underestimate me. I know how to fight too, you know." said Hok with a smile. Battra nodded to him reluctantly. 




Meanwhile back in Saddle Arabia...

The sun had lowered much further back on this side of the planet. The continents on the other end of the world were enjoying the sunshine brought by Celestia while the continents on this side of the world were to enjoy the coming evening brought by Luna. Sonata sat next to Angirasu. Among them were the rest of the Transmutants and Sirens. They all feasted on the dinner that was prepared by Rodan and Aria. Sonata moaned as her taste buds danced from the taste of the meal that she was having. The others were enjoying their meals as well. Mosura looked to Rodan with a smile.
"I can't believe your work finally paid off!  I'm so proud of you!" said Mosura. Rodan smiled to himself.
"Yeah, this hot sauce is great, especially with these delicious tacos." said Junior.
"Should you be eating that since your stomach has been hurting?" asked Angirasu worriedly.
"Probably not, but I don't give a damn. Besides, it's my abdomen that hurts, not my gut." replied Junior as he took another bite of his taco. Sonata continued to eat her taco with gusto.
"Mmh! This is soooooo good!" said Sonata in between crunches. Angirasu nodded in agreement.
"So glad that I don't have to worry about puking my guts out." chuckled Angirasu.
"Haha! Very funny!" said Rodan sarcastically. He was about to take another bite of his taco, but noticed that Angirasu, Junior, Mosura, Adagio and Sonata were covered in dirt.
"Were you guys caught in a sandstorm or something?" asked Rodan.
"No. We were wandering around the market earlier and then a huge fight starts." answered Junior.
"Seriously? That's three times this month!" exclaimed Rodan. Mosura nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, it's quite peculiar that this village has been going crazy lately. It's like some kind of civil unrest is going on." said Mosura.
"Man, it was soooo scary!" said Sonata as she shivered from the memories. She then looked to Angirasu with a blush. "But Angirasu was so brave."
"Aw." said Angirasu with an embarrassed chuckle.
"Hey, and what about us? You think we were just pissing our pants while things went down?" demanded Junior. Adagio smirked in amusement.
"If I recall, you looked like you were beginning to panic in the midst of all the chaos." said Adagio. Junior sent her a glare.
"Hey, you weren't doing any better than I was. In fact, I was only starting to panic because that guy came at you with a knife!"
"Hmph. Good point." said Adagio with a shrug. She then gave Junior a smirk. "I didn't think you took a shine to me."
"Oh come on. Don't try to embarrass me. I get enough of that from Mosura." said Junior as he pointed a thumb at the female Transmutant.
"You're so uptight, you know?" Mosura crossed her arms with an amused smile.
"No, I'm not." said Junior with a chuckle.
"You kinda are, man." said Angirasu. Junior looked to him incredulously.
"Aang! Buddy, you too?! I expected this from Rodan, but not you!" said Junior. Angirasu shrugged.
"Hey, I'm just being honest because I'm you friend." said Angirasu.
"Alright, I'll remember that." said Junior with a smile. Adagio scooted closer to Junior with a smile.
"So, you were worried about me?" asked Adagio as she leaned near him as she pocked her finger into the center of his chest. Junior cleared his throat as he avoided eye contact.
"So what if I was?" asked Junior nervously. Adagio smirked in response.
"Just curious. I think it's sweet of you. And it earns you some points on being more attractive." said Adagio with a wink. Junior blushed lightly in embarrassment.
"I...think you've been around Rodan too much." muttered Junior. Adagio lightly laughed in amusement. Mosura was about to take another bite of her taco, but a thought crossed her mind.
"Hey Goji, what did you mean by returning home over a week back?" asked Mosura. Junior focused back to the Transmutant. All eyes were focused on him curiously.
"Well...it turns out that Celestia doesn't care about the...'incident'” said Junior. Mosura, Angirasu and Rodan caught on to what he meant. Adagio had the idea of what Junior was getting at, but failed to realize that it went deeper than what she was told.
"How do you know?" asked Rodan in surprise.
"Luna sent me a message that said Celestia wanted me to come home. I wanted to wait to tell you guys that Celestia invited us to this year's Summer Sun Celebration." said Junior with a smile.
"She...wants us to come?" asked Angirasu in disbelief. Junior nodded.
"That's right. Since I told Luna that I wasn't going to come back until things were settled at home, I also told her that I wasn't gonna leave you leave you guys out here in this desert. I guess they took care of some stuff and invited us as a welcome home kind of thing." said Junior. Mosura's eyes widened.
"So...you stayed with us when you had an opportunity to go home?" asked Mosura in a soft tone.
"Of course I did! If I were to abandon you guys to selfishly go back to Canterlot, then I'd be a total jack-ass!" said Junior.
"Wait, who's Celestia?" asked Aria.
"My adoptive mother." answered Junior. Sonata's eyes widened.
"So, you don't have any parents?" asked Sonata with quivering lips. Junior was about to answer but then noticed her expression that looked to be on the verge of breaking down.
"Um...no. But it's fine. The world kinda sucks at the moment so I don't have to worry about them living in this craptacular time. They're in a better place." said Junior. 
Adagio looked to Junior with a smile but frowned as memories of her purpose came flooding back. She stood up to her feet and made her way past the group. Junior looked to her in confusion.
"Adagio? Where are you going?" asked Junior.
"I just want to sit on the beach for a while. I'll be back later." replied Adagio, her frown increasing.




Later that night...

Adagio sat outside on the beach shore alone. She watched the waves splash onto the shore and recede back into the great sea. She sighed as she tossed a shell over into the waves. She clutched her knees as she stared into the sea and moon in longing. Her mission to steal the negative energy had been going fine but the fights that broke out made it more difficult. She even had to make sure that Junior and the others were far enough to avoid them getting caught in their spell. It was risky to be alone without the male escorts, but it was for the greater good. The energy needed was about complete.
"Adagio." called Sarila. Adagio gasped as she looked to her glowing pendant.
"Sarila!" cried Adagio.
"Adagio, listen to me. There isn't much time left!" said Sarila urgently. "He will be coming to feed! We haven't been able to gather any of them to fend him off! You and the others must hurry and begin the song!" said Sarila. Adagio felt her heart skip a beat.
"Sarila, there must be something else that we can do." said Adagio as she thought back to Junior's words of standing up to foes.
"No! He's too strong for us to resist! Our only option is to appease him!" said Sarila urgently. Adagio clutched her pendant as she trembled. If that was the case, than the one she began to see as a friend would perish. She wondered why she felt so reluctant to proceed with her mission ever since she developed a friendship with Junior.
"I...I understand Sarila." said Adagio.
"Adagio...I know it's hard. But there's nothing that we can do." said Sarila in a soft tone. Adagio nodded.
"Lead the humans that you capture under your to the beach where the fishermen deport from. He will be expecting you three there." said Sarila.
"Yes, ma'am." said Adagio. The glowing pendant died down. Adagio slammed her fist into the sand in anger. She couldn't understand why she was feeling so troubled. She wanted her people to survive, but the cost was the destruction of the lives of the humans that had taken her and her friends in. Adagio stared off into the distance of the sea.
"What if...I'm no better than the humans?" asked Adagio.
"Adagio?" called Junior. The Siren went stiff as she heard her name called. She found Junior in his black sweater approaching from behind. The young man took a seat next to her in the sand.
"Hey, what are you doing out here?" asked Junior.
"Nothing. I'm just...admiring the view." answered Adagio as she avoided eye contact with Junior. The Transmutant turned to look at the sea as it reflected the night sky. Adagio sighed.
"But...I guess the sea is stupid, huh? I mean, who cares about that?" asked Adagio in a bitter tone. Junior looked to her in confusion.
"Huh? Who said the sea was stupid?" asked Junior. Adagio glanced at him.
"That's what you think of it right? Too many dangerous creatures? It's a horrible place because you can't survive in it?" asked Adagio in a harsh tone.
"Whoa! Whoa! Slow down." said Junior. Adagio lowered her head to her knees. Her chin was held up by her knees.
"Adagio, I wanted to see how you were doing. But the sea seems to be making you upset." said Junior. Adagio looked to him with a glare.
"It's not the sea, it's the people! I have never heard anyone say anything good about the sea! I always hear, 'Oh it's dangerous!' 'Monsters will eat you if you go swimming in it!' I have never heard anyone say anything good about it!" said Adagio. She then turned away in frustration.
"I can't believe how hu- people...can just assume everything is bad about it."
"Adagio..." Junior watched Adagio sat with an angry expression on her face. He sighed. "Look, not everyone is keen about the sea. It's natural that some people fear it because of those things. But not everyone is like that."
"How do you know?" asked Adagio as she held a scowl.
"Well, because I think the sea is amazing." answered Junior. Adagio lightly gasped in response. She then turned to face Junior to find him gazing out into the sea.
"See how the moon compliments the waves and the water? The light reflects off of it very little but creates an amazing view. But when you go under, you find the dim lighting of the sea floor." said Junior as he thought back to the times he had been under the Great Inland Sea. "In the day, the light brightens up the water and creates this beautiful shade of blue. The fish swim in groups or alone. They're like birds. The white sand, the rocks, the plants, the creatures, they make the ocean a beautiful place. Sure there's danger, but that's the case with every ecosystem!"
"You..." Adagio wanted to speak but she was in too much shock. A human spoke fondly of the sea, her home. Her heart felt warm in her chest.
"The sea, or ocean, is feared because we haven't been able to explore it that much. There's so much that we don't know about. The ignorance of an unexplored place causes fear, but some are brave enough to overcome that for the discovery. If I could, I'd live in the Sea." said Junior with a smile. Adagio stared with wide eyes. A human declaring that he would live in the sea that her kind thrived in. She felt her eyes water, but she immediately wiped them and looked down.
"Gojira... are we friends?" asked Adagio. Junior looked at her and noticed her dejected expression.
"Sure. But, why are you so upset?" asked Junior in concern. Adagio leaned against his shoulder with a sad expression.
"I'm just afraid." answered Adagio. Junior raised a brow.
"Afraid of what?" asked Junior.
"I'm afraid for my friends. I have to help Sarila before it's too late." said Adagio took Junior's arm and held onto it. Junior blushed slightly from the physical contact. "Gojira, I want you and the others to listen to us sing tomorrow."
"OK. But...why tomorrow?" asked Junior in confusion. Adagio held him tightly as she gritted her teeth and held back her tears.
"I...I want myself and the girls to be at our best. We're going to try to and get back home to raise the money for our friend." said Adagio.
"Alright. But remember, you can count on me if you need help. I'm here for you." said Junior in reassurance. Adagio smiled lightly to herself as a tear trailed down her cheek.
"You're not so bad now that I've gotten to know you." said Adagio with a small chuckle. Junior chuckled as well.
"Yeah. Same to you." replied Junior as he wrapped Adagio with his left arm over her shoulder. Adagio smirked in response.
"Are you trying to get romantic with me?" asked Adagio. Junior immediately released her and placed his arm back to his side and slightly scooted away.
"No! I was just trying to comfort you!" said Junior. Adagio laughed. She then scooted back to Junior and took his arm and wrapped it over her shoulder.
"Get back here. It's cold out." said Adagio. Junior sighed.
'Why is it that the girls that I know now try to embarrass me when the ones back in school always tried to avoid me?' thought Junior. Adagio leaned against him as her eyes grew heavy.
'I won't let you get involved Gojira. You or your friends.' thought Adagio.




Neighpon...

The night had fallen over the Eastern Island. The silence of the night was broken with the sounds of crackling fire. Among a great field of road were box shaped armored vehicles with wheels that were painted black and had the MONARCH insignia on its doors. These vehicles had turrets attacked to their back, but they were in deplorable conditions as they were turned over, crushed, burning and dented with the corpses of MONARCH soldiers occupying them. One soldier hung dead over the turret that he was using before the jeep was crushed on the front. Over a dozen Transmutants roamed the area and began to take the weapons away from the dead soldiers and proceeded to take the magazines from the weapons and stored them in bags. There were four large trucks with cloth over the back sides of them. A couple of Transmutants were passing weapons over to the others, allowing them to dismantle the weapons. The trucks were escorted by jeeps and soldiers in order to guarantee the safe delivery of MONARCH's weapons to another base. Unfortunately, no one survived the raid except for the Transmutants.
Battra watched as the Transmutant Revolutionaries proceeded to gather the magazines. Hok popped his shoulder and his neck.
"Man, I almost wish that I transformed." said Hok.
"Yeah, but we don't even have any clothes that we could change into. I'm just happy that we were able to succeed without doing so. It might have drawn attention to us." said Battra. Hok sighed.
"It’s unfortunate how it's come to this." said Hok. He then turned to the stars. "I wonder how things would be if our situation was different. If we weren't mutated and forced to struggle for survival."
"One could only dream." replied Battra. He then searched the area. "Hmm. Destoroyah isn't here."
"I think I saw him going over there after the battle ended." said Hok as he pointed to the distance. Battra found a forested area. He began to make his way down there and off of the road. He passed through the amounts of trees that obscured his vision. He eventually found Destoroyah standing alone looking on to an open area.
"So many graves." said Destoroyah.
"Sensei?" called Battra.
"Come my student. Gaze upon the tombstones of legends." said Destoroyah. Battra reluctantly made his way over to Destoroyah's side. He found dozens of tombstones in rows. They all stood up tall in the concrete walkway that made the graveyard. Names of the Takeshi clan members were carved in Neighponese characters from top to bottom on the tombstones. Destoroyah led Battra through the graveyard. Small decaying statues of serpent-like dragons stood among the graveyard, bearing their teeth as if to ward off any desecrators. Destoroyah began to read the names to himself. Battra looked at the names and the year of birth and death. He noticed that as they had made their way down to the more recent looking tombstones and that they depicted the same year of death.  
"After Neighpon was relieved from the war with the Griffons, the Takeshi clan's men had grown to be more as a vigilante team of samurai rather than soldiers for the New Empire. The war had cost both countries many lives, but the samurai began to dwindle in number." said Destoroyah as he continued to lead Battra through the grave yard.
"The Takeshi clan and a few others formed a greater legacy compared to their days as loyal soldiers of the old Emperor. But before the war, they began to see the old Emperor as a foolish and cruel man. So, they dedicated themselves of serving the people by rebelling against the empire while assisting the invading Griffons." said Destoroyah. He then chuckled to himself.
"But through the decades, they began to fall. A rival clan fought for control of the land that the Takeshi clan defended. The two clans went to war with each other, ending in the death of both clans. Well...so most people thought." said Destoroyah. Battra listened to the story with interest.
"A few members survived and continued their duty to protect their land. Gojira the First was a teenager during the time after the clan feud, so he was raised to be a warrior alongside his elder cousins and uncles. His teacher and father was an older man named Ishiro 'Honda' Takeshi.." said Destoroyah with a sinister smile. "The remaining Takeshi clan returned to the Empire's ranks as soldiers, but eventually died off with only the young Gojira and Ishiro remaining. The man was growing older and was able to live long enough to his only son marry off to one of the villagers. A sign of hope that the clan and his lineage would survive."
"Sensei, what does this have to with anything?" asked Battra. Destoroyah stopped and pointed to a set of tombs. One was labled, 'Ishiro 'Honda' Takeshi' and the other was 'Miwa 'Tanaka' Takeshi'.
"These humans were the closest relatives to Gojira Takeshi the Second. His grandfather on his father's side, and his mother." said Destoroyah. "Meet these fallen humans, for we will be the ones reuniting them with their descendent in the future. The traitor to Transmutants."
"I've noticed that Gojira the first is not here." said Battra,
"MONARCH took his corpse away. I made sure that they had no trouble." said Destoroyah with a dark smile. Battra looked to him in confusion.
"What do you mean?" asked Battra. Destoroyah turned to him with a smile.
"Don't worry about it. It's hardly relevant today." said Destoroyah as he turned away and made his way to leave the grave yard. Battra watched as Destoroyah left. Battra began to step away from the tombstones but felt a chill reach him. He turned to find nothing behind him. Then out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a lone woman in white staring at him from afar. She wore a neutral expression as she stared at Battra with expressionless grayish-blue eyes. Her black hair flowed in the wind as her kimono gave an eerie glow. Battra rubbed his eyes and refocused them. He found the woman to be gone. 
"I must be seeing things." said Battra to himself. He then turned and made his way out of the grave yard. Unaware of a white mist flowing through the air.