//------------------------------//
// Bonus Chapter 1: Breaking old traditions 
// Story: The Arrogance of Man 
// by Johng117 
//------------------------------//

Clouds filled the day sky over Ponyville, snowflakes gently falling down to the town. The citizens were all dressed in winter attire as they treaded through the snow. Children played in the snow as the flakes continued to fall from the sky. A few had gathered together and were in the process of building a snow man. One child had stuck a carrot in the center of the head, giving it a nose. The children giggled as they continued to build the snow man. Citizens indoors merely sat down and enjoyed hot cocoa, warming themselves from inside. Others were setting up decorations for Hearth's Warming. A man and woman were setting up a tree together and noticed something hanging over them. They looked up and found another woman with a coy smile, holding a mistletoe over them. The man and woman blushed as they looked away from each other, shyly.
At Golden Oaks Library, the snow had piled around the tree trunk. Snow had piled up above the tree on the leaves and branches. Twilight Sparkle hummed to herself as she and Spike began to arrange ornaments onto a tree. Twilight levitated a trail of lights over to the tree and wrapped it around the branches. Spike made his over to a box and pulled out a golden flaming heart. He held it up to Twilight, allowing her to levitate it up to the top of the tree, planting it firmly on.
"Looks great! I'm looking forward to the Hearth's Warming party!" said Twilight in excitement.
"Me too! Especially since Pinkie Pie is planning it out!" said Spike in agreement. Twilight began to look around and found the lights that lined the library walls. Twilight placed her hands on her hips as she looked on with pride.
"This year, Hearth's Warming Eve will be great!" said Twilight.




Meanwhile...

On a lonely road just a few miles outside of Ponyville, lied the house of Gojira Takeshi the 2nd. The entire house was covered in snow. The doorway was blocked and the snow piled up to the windows. Junior sat inside of his house with a scowl and scratched his neck as he remained seated on his sofa. He looked out to the window and found the snow that blocked his doorway. He sighed in annoyance.
"I hate winter." said Junior. He stood up to his feet and zipped up his charcoal grey sweater. Junior made his way over to the closet and pulled out a shovel. He then walked towards the front door and opened it. The snow that stood in front remained as a wall, blocking any chance of escape. Junior sighed as he drove the shovel in the snow and carved a path through his porch. He stopped and then went back to his door and closed it before returning to the 7 foot wall of snow that piled up around his house. Junior continued to tunnel through the wall until he made it to the end, bursting a hole through the wall of snow. He stepped out of the wall and found several other people much further down, shoveling snow as well. Junior turned and found Fluttershy struggling to shovel snow off of her property. He rushed down the road with his shovel in hand and stopped as he neared her home.
"Need any help?" asked Junior. Fluttershy jumped and turned to find Junior standing with a shovel in his hand and a smile on his face.
"Oh, hi Goji! Um...I would appreciate it if you did. If you'd like to help that is." said Fluttershy. She wore an aqua colored beanie that covered her head and a butter yellow coat with a pink scarf wrapped around her neck along with black jeans and brown boots.
"Anything for a friend." said Junior with a nod. Fluttershy smiled brightly as the two began to scoop the snow away from the porch and out to the side of the path that led up to her cottage. Fluttershy looked to Junior in worry as she saw him wearing only his dark grey jeans and his charcoal grey sweater.
"Are you warm in that?" asked Fluttershy in concern.
"Nah, the cold never bothered me anyway." said Junior with a wave his hand. He went back to shoveling the snow. Fluttershy giggled in amusement. Junior raised a brow at her.
"What?" asked Junior.
"It's nothing." said Fluttershy. Junior shrugged in response and went back to shoveling. Fluttershy began to hum a tune to herself as she and Junior continued to shovel snow. She then began sing to herself.
"Let it go~ Let it go~" Fluttershy giggled to herself as she continued to shovel. Junior raised a brow and then scowled as he realized what Fluttershy was singing.
"Oh. Now I get it." said Junior. Fluttershy laughed as she held onto her shovel. Junior sighed in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry! It's just too...hahaha!!" Fluttershy held her stomach as she continued to laugh.
"Ugh. That movie is so overrated!" said Junior. Fluttershy began to calm herself down.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. You didn't like the film?" asked Fluttershy.
"It was OK. The ice princess seemed more interesting compared to her sister and the other characters though. Plus, I totally called the plot twist with Prince Pretty boy." said Junior. Fluttershy smiled in amusement.
"You have to admit that the song the princess sang was nice." said Fluttershy.
"Yeah, until everyone kept singing it after the film released, along with the radio stations that played the song that was sung by that one singer." said Junior with a scowl. Memories of people singing the song on a daily basis made him loath it entirely.
"Hmm. Yeah, I understand." said Fluttershy. The two stopped shoveling snow, finding the path to Fluttershy's cottage cleared. Fluttershy sighed in exhaustion. She then looked to Junior with a smile.
"Thank you very much, Goji." said Fluttershy.
"No problem, Shy. Just don't blame me for not being very big on that movie." said Junior in a humored tone. Fluttershy shook her head.
"Not at all." said Fluttershy with a reassuring smile. Junior picked up his shovel and walked away but Fluttershy called out to him. He tuned and found Fluttershy placing her shovel back in her cottage and came rushing out towards him.
"Are you going to the Hearth's Warming party that Pinkie Pie is hosting at the library?" asked Fluttershy.
"Oh. Um...yeah." said Junior as he scratched his chin. Fluttershy slightly frowned in disappointment.
"You're not coming?" asked Fluttershy. Junior sighed.
"Well...I don't know. I normally stay home on the holidays and-" Junior was about to finish his sentence but Fluttershy grabbed his arm with pleading eyes.
"Please?" asked Fluttershy. Junior looked away, unable to handle the cuteness of the Valkyrie. He sighed.
"Maybe. I'll see if I can make it." said Junior. Fluttershy smiled brightly.
"Oh! Will Angirasu and the others be there too?" asked Fluttershy.
"I can ask them." said Junior with a smile. He then began to walk away and towards his house. "I'll see you later!"
"OK! See you later!" said Fluttershy. Junior smiled as he turned and headed for his home, but his face turned into a frown. As he made it to his house, he closed the door and set his shovel to the side. He went over to his sofa and sat down, reaching into his pocket and pulled out his spare family photo to stare at the eyes of his mother's in sadness.
"It was a snowy night on this date. No doubt that it will be tonight as well." said Junior. He placed the photo back into his pocket as he lied back on his sofa.




Later that day...

Angirasu and Rodan stood outside of the house that led into their lair. The house had multi colored lights hanging on it. Mosura remained inside of the house as she placed her hand on a switch.
"OK, Mosu hit it!" called Rodan.
"OK!" Mosura called back. She flipped the switching, causing the sound of electricity crackling to reach their ears. The lights suddenly brightened up around the house. Angirasu smiled.
"That looks perfect!" said Angirasu. He then patted Rodan on his back as he kept his eyes on the lights. "Happy Hearth's Warming, you two!"
"Perfect?! That looks like crap! Half of the lights are burned out!" said Rodan as he pointed towards the lights. Just as he said, half of the lights were dark. The lights did nothing to spruce up the old house to begin with as its wood was falling apart.
"Well, I meant perfect by our standards." said Angirasu with a shrug. Mosura made her way out of the house and joined the two Transmutants.
"God, this sucks." complained Rodan.
"Come on, that's not the holiday spirit!" said Mosura. Rodan sighed in disappointment.
"I guess." said Rodan. He then pulled out a small white cake. He smiled brightly.
"At least we have cake!" said Rodan. He then heard the sound of chattering. His eyes widened as he recognized the rodent sound. He turned and found a raccoon crawling down a tree as it began to charge towards him. The raccoon screeched as it leapt towards Rodan and took the cake out of his hands.
"Hey!" shouted Rodan. He began to chase after the raccoon across the area and then crashed into a tree. Rodan groaned as he fell onto his rear and rubbed his forehead. He glared up at the tree and found the raccoon crawling up to the highest branch of the tree.
"Damn you Mr. Nibbles!!" shouted Rodan. The raccoon hissed at him and began to devour the cake. Rodan moaned in disappointment.
"So much for the cake." deadpanned Mosura. Her ears picked up the sound of snow being trampled on from the corner of her ear. She turned and spotted Junior treading through the frost covered forest with his hands in his pockets. Mosura smiled brightly.
"Hi Goji!" waved Mosura. Angirasu and Rodan turned and smiled as they spotted Junior.
"Hey Gojira!" greeted Angirasu.
"Sup dude!" waved Rodan.
"Hey guys." greeted Junior with a small smile. He made his way closer to the Transmutants and noticed the raccoon in the tree.
"Is he eating cake?" asked Junior.
"Yeah. Mr. Nibbles robbed us of our Hearth's Warming desert." said Rodan. The raccoon hissed at him and went back to eating the cake.
"I'm surprised he's not digging around people's trash today. He's bound to find more food than that little cake." said Junior.
"What brings you here today? Don't you have plans for the holiday?" asked Mosura.
"Not really. But Fluttershy wanted to know if you guys were coming to the library for the party that Pinkie is hosting." answered Junior. Rodan's ears perked up.
"Party? Will there be food and will it actually be a festive Hearth's Warming Eve?!" asked Rodan as he grabbed Junior by his sweater.
"Uh...I assume so. I mean, it's Pinkie Pie that we're talking about." answered Junior.
"Count me in!" said Rodan as he released Junior. He then looked to the raccoon.
"Suck it, Mr. Nibbles!" said Rodan in triumph. The raccoon hissed at him again. Angirasu rubbed the back of his head with an embarrassed smile.
"Well, if Fluttershy is asking us to come, then I don't see a problem with it." said Angirasu. Junior looked to him with a raised brow. He decided against pestering his friend about his embarrassed expression.
"Sounds nice." said Mosura with a smile. Junior nodded.
"Well, just head on to the library tonight at 7:00. That's when the party starts." said Junior. Mosura looked to him as she caught a sight depressed tone in his voice.
"Hey, you OK?" asked Mosura.
"Huh? Yeah, yeah I'm fine." said Junior. Mosura looked to him in concern. He turned and sighed.
"Well, I'll be going. I'm gonna get some sleep." said Junior.
"Seriously? It's barely noon!" said Rodan.
"I know. I just get really tired in winter." said Junior. He made his way down the forest, stepping over snow that littered the ground. Mosura watched him go off in concern.
"Something wrong?" asked Angirasu.
"I think so." said Mosura.



Junior sat at kitchen table with a mug of coco in his hand. A few hours had passed. He had recently awoken from his nap and, looking at the clock on the kitchen wall, found it to be 4:32 PM. Junior looked over to the other wall and found a gift that he received from Fluttershy during his birthday several days back. He smiled at the picture frame made of twigs and plastic butterflies that held the photo of him and Fluttershy together. Junior went back to drinking his cocoa and placed it down with a sigh.
"I shouldn't go." said Junior. He looked towards his refrigerator and stood up. He opened the refrigerator and found only a carton of milk inside.
"Damn." said Junior as he closed the refrigerator. He had nothing to make dinner. If he truly didn't plan on going to the party, he would at least need food to eat for the night. He chugged his cocoa down and made his way to the kitchen sink, where he placed the mug inside. Junior rushed over to his sofa and grabbed his sweater. He then made his way out the door and locked it.
Junior had walked down the snow covered road and made his way into town. He passed a few people that were doing last minute shopping for gifts for their loved ones. Couples spent the coming evening outside together. Junior scoffed as he spotted some of them kissing in the winter cold.
'Get a room with all of that lovey dovey crap.' thought Junior. He continued on through the town where he passed a few people.
"Happy Hearth's Warming!" said a woman with a kind smile.
"Sure." said Junior with a neutral expression and in a monotone voice. The woman  raised a brow at his dull response. Junior continued on as a few people wished him a happy holiday, but he gave small responses such as 'Thanks', 'sure', or 'whatever', which shocked them due to his lack of holiday spirit. Junior continued on until he made his way into a food store. He made his way down the store where several products were organized and made his way over towards the back where he found the vegetables section.
"I think soup might be good tonight. Maybe I should get some ramen. It's cheaper than what I'm thinking of having right now." said Junior with a smile as he analyzed the vegetables. He grabbed a plastic bag that hung from a rack and began to unfurl and expand it before placing a few desired vegetables in separate bags.




Later...

The sky had darkened above. Junior emerged from the store and walked out into the snowy town. He heard the sound of carolers singing in the street, causing him to sigh in annoyance. The Transmutant continued on through the town as his breath turned to fog as it left his nostrils. His body heated himself up from within, allowing him to wear a sweater not suitable for snowy weather. This, of course, caused people to cast him odd glances as everyone else was bundled up with two sweaters, thicker sweaters or jackets, scarfs, and ear muffs.
Junior continued to walk down the road until something caught his eye. He stopped and found a pre-teen Elf girl sitting in the corner, huddled up for warmth. She wore a scowl as she shivered. The girl wore a thin sweater, a pair of tights and a skirt. No gloves were on her hands and no scarf was wrapped around her neck. Junior's eyes widened.
"Hey, kid!" said Junior. The girl jumped and looked over to Junior in alarm.
"What the heck are you doing out here by yourself? Why aren't you bundled up?" asked Junior. The girl scowled at him.
"None of your beeswax!" retorted the girl. Junior scowled back.
"Come on, don't be like that." said Junior. The girl huffed as she looked away. Junior sighed.
"Brat." said Junior. He noticed the sad expression that the girl held on her face. Junior began to make his way over to her and took a seat next to her in the cold snow.
"Why the long face?" asked Junior. The girl didn't answer. She merely hid her face in her knees. Junior sighed.
"Look, if you don't want to tell me, that's fine. But don't sit here in the snow. You're wearing a skirt and tights for god sakes." said Junior.
"What do you care?" asked the girl.
"I don't know. If you die of hyperthermia out here, then I'll feel guilty because I could have done something to get you out of the cold." said Junior. The girl glanced at him as he stared off to the building wall.
"I ran away from home." said the girl. Junior looked to her in surprise.
"Why would you do that? Your parents must be worried sick!" said Junior.
"Yeah right! They don't even know that I'm gone yet!" said the girl with a scowl.
"Why did you run away?" asked Junior.
"My parents don't listen to me. They're always so busy with their jobs that we hardly spend time together. They said that we were going to spend Hearth's Warming Eve together this year, but they said that they’ll be getting home late!" answered the girl.
"I see. So your parents are workaholics?" asked Junior. The girl nodded.
"Something like that. They don't care about me." mopped the girl.
"Hey, come on. I'm sure-" Junior was about to finish but the girl shot him a glare.
"What do you know?! You don't know them!" said the girl. Junior recoiled from her sudden tone. He hardened his eyes.
"I may not know them, but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt!" said Junior. The girl scoffed.
"You adults are all the same! You just think I'm some stupid kid!" said the girl.
"Well, I just turned 19. I'm still called 'kid' too by a few older people." said Junior with a shrug. He then shook his head. "Listen, all I'm saying is that you might be a little too hard on your folks."
"Yeah right! I don't care anymore! They'll miss me when they realized that I'm gone! That'll show them how much they hurt me!" said the girl. Junior gave her a look of anger.
"That's not fair! Your parents are working hard so they can raise you! You are being an ungrateful brat trying to hurt them by leaving them!" shouted Junior. The girl recoiled from his tone and looked at him with a scared expression as Junior took calming breaths.
"I'm...I'm sorry that I shouted at you." apologized Junior. He looked away and down to the snow.
"Kid, you don't know how good you've got it. I mean, it sucks that your parents don’t have enough time to spend the holiday and any other day with you, but at least they aren't willingly neglecting you." said Junior. His eyes looked down as he took on a sad expression.
"You're lucky to have your parents. I lost my parents a long time ago. In fact, my mom died on Hearth's Warming in Neighpon." said Junior. The girl's eyes widened.
"What?" asked the girl.
"That's right. My mother had gotten sick a couple of days before when I was little kid. She died on Hearth's Warming Eve. It wasn't a night to be jolly for me and my dad. It was the night where we had to say goodbye." said Junior. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the photograph.
"The last thing she told me was, 'I love you. Happy Hearth's Warming'. It was far from a happy holiday." said Junior. The girl frowned. Junior chucked bitterly.
"I hadn't celebrated the stupid holiday since. All I do now is mourn my mother until midnight." said Junior as he placed his picture into his pocket.
"Whenever people wish me a happy Hearth's Warming, I don't even care. Is it happy? Or are they just forcing me to conform to the people to act happy on this stupid holiday? Hell, I can't even bring myself to go to a party tonight that a friend of mine invited me to!" said Junior. He felt snow dropping over his head. "You think you got it bad? Kid, there are people way less fortunate than you and I. So don't-"
Junior was interrupted as he felt himself pulled into an embrace. His eyes widened in surprise as he found the girl holding him in a tight hug. She leaned her head against his shoulder as she lightly sobbed. Junior frowned as the girl cried. He caressed her back, hoping to comfort her.
"Come on, why are you crying?" asked Junior.
"Y-you're right! I-I just wanted to spend more time with my family! I love them so much that I hated that they couldn't keep their promise to be able to be home for Hearth's Warming Eve!" cried the girl. She held Junior tighter. "It makes me feel terrible to know that I'm whining about not seeing my parents tonight when you don't have any parents to spend the holiday with!"
Junior sighed as he lightly smiled. He had managed to get through to the kid and may have stopped her from making a decision that she would likely regret. He rubbed her head. He then heard a sniffle coming from his right. Junior turned his head and found Rarity standing by with tears and mascara streaming down her face while Applejack hid her face with her Stetson.
"Uh...how long were you two there?" asked Junior. The girl sniffled as she released Junior and found him staring at the two Element Bearers.
"R-right when we heard you shouting." stuttered Applejack as she tried to keep her voice under control. Junior looked away in embarrassment.
"Who are they?" asked the girl with a sniffle.
"Friends of mine." said Junior. Applejack cleared her throat as she recomposed herself.
"So, what are you doing out here?" asked Applejack. Junior raised up his hands, revealing a few grocery bags.
"I went shopping for dinner tonight." answered Junior. Rarity sniffled as she wiped her eyes with a cloth.
"Darling...are you certain that you aren't coming to the library?" asked Rarity as she recomposed her voice.
"I don't know." said Junior with a sigh. Applejack made her way next to him and sat down.
"Come on, sugar cube. Don't miss out on the holiday because your mother passed away. Surely she didn't want ya to spend the rest of your life sulking about it and would want you to be happy. After all, she did wish you a Happy Hearth's Warming Eve." said Applejack as she wrapped an arm around his shoulder.
"I..." Junior looked down to the ground. Applejack forced him closer to her side, causing him to grunt in pain from the force applied to his neck.
"Nope! You don't have a choice, partner!" said Applejack.
"Since you put it like that, I guess." said Junior. He then raised his hands again with the grocery bags. "I need to take this home though."
"What's in there?" asked Rarity.
"Twelve packs of Ramen, carrots, radishes and lettuce." said Junior. He then scowled a bit.
'I would have gotten some meat if you Equestrians actually served it.' thought Junior. Rarity hummed in thought.
"I never had Ramen. Is it good?" asked Rarity.
"Yeah it's good. That is if you cook it right and don't mind eating noodle soup." said Junior.
"I do like soup." said Applejack. Her face brightened up into a smile.
"Say, why don't you bring that stuff over and we can have it for dinner at the party?" asked Applejack.
"Sounds good. Saves me the trip home." said Junior as he stood to his feet. He then turned back to the girl, who sat down in the snow as she looked down at the ground.
"Since you're free, do you want to join us?" asked Junior. The girl looked to him in surprise.
"R-really?" asked the girl.
"Sure. You don't think Twilight will mind, right AJ?" asked Junior.
"Nah! I'm sure she'll be happy to let her come by." said Applejack. Junior smiled to the girl as he reached his hand out to her. The girl smiled as she took his hand and stood to her feet.
"Um...what was your name again?" asked the girl.
"Gojira." answered Junior.
"I'm Clover Heart." said the girl with a smile.
"Nice to meet you." said Junior. The four began to walk down the snow covered street. Applejack began to converse with Clover, while Junior lagged behind. Rarity began to slow down and walk by his side.
"You were very sweet to talk to that girl." said Rarity with a smile.
"I wouldn't have paid her any mind if she weren't sitting in the snow with what she was wearing." said Junior.
"What was your mother's name? That is if you don't mind me asking." said Rarity.
"Her name was Miwa." answered Junior. Rarity smiled.
"That's a lovely name." said Rarity. She then noticed Junior's slight dejected expression. Rarity smiled as she bumped shoulders with Junior. "Come now! Where is that rugged attitude?"
"Sorry. I'm kinda sluggish during winter." said Junior.
"Well, no wonder. You're wearing your plain old sweater! You don't even have a scarf!" said Rarity as she reached into her bag that she held by her shoulder. She pulled out a grey scarf and stopped Junior. He raised a brow at her as she stood in front of him and brought it over his shoulders. Rarity began to wrap it around his neck with a smile.
"There you are!" said Rarity. Junior frowned as he looked at the scarf.
"You didn't have to give me the scarf. You should give it to Clover." said Junior as he removed it from his neck. Rarity smiled at him warmly.
"Hmm. You really are soft underneath that rough surface. I mean that as a compliment." said Rarity. She took the scarf into her hand and made her way over to Clover. Junior lightly smiled in response and brought his hood over his head, keeping snow from falling into his hair.




Neighpon. The previous night...

It was Hearth's Warming Eve over in the far East. Neighpon had taken up celebrating the holiday along a few other nations, but there were differences compared to how Equestrians and the Neighponese celebrated the holiday. It was mainly based on just celebrating it for the sake of spending time with friends and family while giving each other gifts. The major difference was that Equestria also celebrated the holiday for it was on the date that Equestria was founded as a nation by the once divided Earthbound, Valkyrie, and Elf tribes, which united together in friendship for generations to come.
A great blanket of snow covered the land of Neighpon and its cities. People greeted each other happily as they wished each other a happy holiday and a happy new year.  In the capital city Trotkyo, a great tree stood up tall and proud with lights and ornaments all around it and a great golden star sat on top of it. Children laughed as they looked upon the great star and citizens took pictures of the tree. Down the street, Battra walked among a crowd of people with his hands in his pockets. Fog came from his mouth with every breath that he had taken. He was bundled up in a black coat with a red scarf wrapped around his neck. His eyes looked down on the ground as he continued to walk.
Battra continued on through the city until he began to make his way outside of it. He later began to make his way out towards a neighborhood filled with houses that were divided from other neighboring houses by concrete walls. Battra sighed as he walked through the snow.
"Just another Hearth's Warming alone." said Battra. The Transmutant Revolutionaries rarely took days off, but, due to an incident where one of the Transmutants ended up dying a week back from being worked to death, Destoroyah had reluctantly made a change in policy and allowed more vacation days for the Transmutants. The holiday gave an extra day of rest for the Transmutants over the three day weekend break the Transmutants had earned from the incident. Battra normally spent his holiday breaks alone from the other Transmutants. It was times like this that he wished he had someone that was willing to spend the holiday with him, even if it meant walking among the humans.
Battra later came across a house that had its lights shining through. He looked towards the window and found a family gathering around the table with a turkey sitting in the center. The children eagerly awaited as the father began to carve it. Battra sighed, envious of the family that was celebrating the holiday on this night. He felt a snowflake drop on his neck, causing him to shiver. Battra pulled his hood over his head and continued to walk down the street. From the windows of houses, he kept seeing people enjoying themselves for either Hearth's Warming dinner or the holiday parties. Battra later found himself around a dark part of the neighborhood. He heard the sound of a woman crying out and turned his head to follow the source. He slowly began to follow the cries as they grew louder with every step and found a woman crying out as she ran with her heels on and a black dress that reached her knees. Her hair was short and her ears held white earrings. Battra immediately dove behind a wall as he found that the woman was being chased by three men. He furrowed his brows as he remained in the shadows.
"Help! Somebody help me!" cried the woman. She tripped and fell down on the snow. She gasped as she turned and found the men approaching her with sick grins on their faces. The woman's heart raced as she stared at them fearfully. One of the men held chains while another held a crowbar. The ring leader of the men pointed a knife at the woman, whose eyes streamed with tears. Battra noticed how these men were a thuggish bunch and realized that he had wandered into a bad part of the neighborhood.
"Damn, ain't you a nice piece of ass." said the man with the knife. He stalked closer to the woman and grabbed her by the shoulder. He held his knife close to her throat as he chuckled. The woman whimpered as the man leaned in and licked her cheek. She began to sob as the man ran his hand over her body. Battra felt himself wanting to intervene, but he kept thinking against it.
'This is none of my business. She's just a human, an enemy of Transmutants.' thought Battra as he closed his eyes. He began to slowly slide against the wall in attempt to slip away from the scene.
"Help me! Someone please!" cried the woman. Battra stopped as he heard the woman's pitiful cries and heard her yelp in pain.
"Shut up!" shouted the man. Battra clenched his fist as he opened his red eyes.
'I can't believe I'm doing this.' thought Battra. He left the wall and made his way into the street and over to the man with the chain. He wrapped his hands around his head and twisted it, snapping his neck. The remaining men turned and found Battra standing over the corpse of the man. Battra glared at the men as he picked up the chain and began to swing it. The man with the crowbar yelled angrily as he charged towards Battra and prepared to swing at him. The Transmutant side stepped away from the strike and sent a jab into the man's side, causing him to groan in agony as the force and speed shattered his ribs. Battra then jabbed the man in the throat, plugging in his wind pipe. The woman's eyes shot open as the man that pinned her to wall left her and charged towards the Transmutant. Battra dodged the knife that was thrust towards his body. Battra swung the chains at the man's hand, striking him with the freezing cold metal. The man dropped the knife as he clutched his hand. Battra ran around him and brought the chain against his throat to strangle him. The woman watched with wide eyes as Battra pulled back on the chains, forcing the man to asphyxiate. Battra released the man immediately and slammed his fist against his head, causing the man to drop unconscious in the snow.
Battra stared down at the man as he lied motionless with the two other dead men. Battra turned and found the woman with her tear stained cheeks looking at him with wide eyes as she huddled for warmth against the wall. Her clothes were slightly torn as she shivered, staring at the Transmutant nervously. Battra merely looked away and began to walk through the neighborhood as he brought his hood lower over his face. He left the woman alone as he placed his hands back on his pocket. He suddenly heard footsteps rushing over to him, prompting Battra to turn around in preparation to fight, but he found the woman running over to him and wrapping him into a tight hug as she sobbed.
"Thank you! Thank you!" sobbed the woman as she buried her face into his chest. Battra raised a brow in confusion. He then sighed in annoyance.
"You're welcome. I guess..." said Battra. He felt the need to wash his tongue with soap by the time he returned home. It felt degrading for him to respond to the human in such a manner. The woman pulled away from him as she wiped her tears. She placed on a small smile. Battra cleared his throat.
"Are you going to be alright?" asked Battra, hating the fact that he asked.
"I...I think so." replied the woman. Battra nodded.
"Good. Bye." said Battra as he turned around and began to walk away. The woman grabbed his sleeved sweater before he could go far. Battra scowled in annoyance as he stopped.
"Uh actually...would you mind walking me home?" asked the woman timidly. Battra glanced at her, finding the anxious expression on her face. He sighed.
"Where do you live?" asked Battra.
"Just a couple miles from here." answered the woman. Battra nodded.
"Lead the way." said Battra.



Battra walked with the woman close by his side. He wore a scowl as the woman held his arm and anxiously searched her surroundings. They passed a few lights that lit up the neighborhood. Certain houses were dark while a few were lit up for the holiday. The snowflakes fell down upon the neighborhood. The woman shivered as her teeth chattered.
"Achoo!" the woman sneezed off to the side. Battra stopped walking, prompting the woman to look at him in confusion. He pulled his arm away from her and reached for his scarf. He took the woman by her shoulders and wrapped it around her.
"You really shouldn't be out here without warmer apparel." said Battra. The woman blushed as Battra gently wrapped the scarf around her. She smiled at him as Battra finished. She took his arm again and stood close.
"Thank you." said the woman. Battra nodded as he escorted the woman down the new neighborhood. After several more minutes of walking, the two came across an apartment building. The woman walked up to the building but stopped and turned around to find Battra leaving.
"Um...wait!" called the woman. Battra turned and looked to the woman. She cleared her throat. "Are you doing anything for the holidays?"
"Not really." answered Battra.
"Oh! Well, why don't you come in? We can have some coffee." offered the woman.
"You're awfully trusting." deadpanned Battra. The woman scowled.
"Don't be like that! I just want to show you my appreciation for saving me!" said the woman. Battra sighed.
'I really could go for something warm in my belly right now.' thought Battra. He made his way over to the woman.
"If you insist." Battra said in reluctance. The woman smiled brightly as she led Battra to the apartment building. The two made their way inside and walked over towards an elevator that was in the lobby. The pair made their way into one of the elevators that had dropped down to them. The door closed, allowing the woman to press a button that led to the third floor. The two felt the elevator ascending and Battra sighed in relief as he removed his hood, revealing his black hair. The woman blushed as she stared at his face. Battra felt her staring and raised a brow at her. The woman immediately looked away.
"So uh...what's your name?" asked the woman.
"Battra Yasu." answered Battra.
"M-my name is Mai Yoshida. Nice to meet you!" said the woman. Battra nodded to her.
"Likewise." replied Battra. The elevator stopped, its doors opened up and revealed a long hallway. Mai led Battra down the hallway and stopped at a door, reaching into her purse and pulling out a key to unlock the door. She led Battra inside and began to take off her heels. Battra took off his shoes and placed them next to Mai's shoes. The two made their way out to the living room. Inside was a small table in the middle, a sofa, and a kitchen that was in the corner of the room. Mai clapped her hands together.
"Welcome to my home." said Mai with a smile.
"Roomy." said Battra with a nod as he looked around. The living room did have a good amount of space. The white walls were clean and undamaged and the sofa was neat with its pillows set around.
"Please have a seat. I'll make the coffee." said Mai as she removed Battra's scarf and handed it back to him. Battra sat down at the small table on a small pillow as he placed his scarf to the side. Mai got two mugs set to the side on the counter and poured water into a coffee pot. Battra remained silent as he looked around.
"Tell me, what were you doing outside all alone at this hour? Certain Neighborhoods aren't safe." said Battra.
"Oh, I was at a party with a couple of friends. I left early because people were getting a little too...tipsy." said Mai. Battra looked to her.
"Not up for those kind of parties?" asked Battra.
"Hey, I know how to have fun! I'm just not comfortable with being at a party with drunks." said Mai with a shudder. Battra raised a brow.
"You seem awful comfortable with letting a guy into your home after he had just killed two men." said Battra. Mai cleared her throat.
"Normally, I wouldn't do something like that. But those men...they stalked me from my friend's house and chased me like an animal. If you hadn't intervened, I would have been..." Mai trembled at the thought as a sob escaped her mouth. She cupped her hand over her mouth and cried. Battra lightly frowned and stood to his feet to comfort the woman.
"Um...do you...want a hug or something?" asked Battra awkwardly. He wasn't sure how to handle the situation and was especially reluctant to comfort the human, but it was hard to ignore her pain. Mai turned and leaned her head against Battra as she sobbed. She wrapped her arms around him while Battra caressed her head.
"I was so scared! I-If you hadn't showed up-" Mai sobbed as tears streamed down her face.
"It's alright now. You're safe now." said Battra with a frown. He released Mai as she sniffled.
"Sorry. I...I would have been smarter if I'd stayed back at my friends." said Mai.
"From my experience, danger lurks around every turn. You just have to be ready, even if you don't know when it's coming." said Battra with a smile. Mai smiled back.
"Thanks again." said Mai. The water in the coffee pot began to heat up. Mai turned to the pot and reached into the drawer to pull out a package of coffee beans. She dropped the package on the ground.
"Shoot!" said Mai as she knelt down. Battra had beaten her too it and held it out for her. Mai smiled as she took the package from his hand, feeling the skin of his palm. Her heart jumped as she laughed nervously. She cleared her throat and prepared to grind the coffee beans.
"So, could you tell me about yourself?" asked Mai.
"Well, I use to live around the more traditional villages when I was a child. My family owned this temple that me and my twin sister were raised in." said Battra.
"Oh! That sounds really nice. All I've done is lived close to the city." said Mai with a disappointed expression. She sighed. "It must have been nice living near a small neighborhood away from the city."
"It was. The best few years that I will ever have in my life." said Battra with a solemn expression. Mai looked to him in concern.
"Yasu-san?" called Mai.
"It's nothing. I just wish things could have been different for me. That's all." said Battra. Mai stood closer to him.
"What happened?" asked Mai. Battra sighed.
"My parents passed away years ago. My little sister and I are not on good speaking terms." said Battra.
"I'm sorry to hear that." said Mai with a frown.
"I just wish that I could get her to understand. She's involved with...people that won't accept her for who she is. She rejects me, the only person who was going to stand with her." said Battra as he lowered his head. "I miss those days. I miss waking up every morning with her and rushing to see our parents. I even miss spending Hearth's Warming with them. I've been alone on the holiday since."
"Well..." Mai leaned against him with a warm smile on her face. "...Maybe you can patch things up with your sister."
"You...you think so?" asked Battra. Mai nodded.
"I do. Just give her time and she might come around. Besides, you won't be spending the holiday alone this year. I'm stuck in the same boat of being alone. Family is living in another city." said Mai. Battra lightly smiled.
"Thank you. I...appreciate your hospitality." said Battra.



Battra and Mai sat down next to each other as they drank from their mugs of coffee. Battra sighed as he felt the warm liquid travel down to his belly. Mai giggled to herself.
"You must be really enjoying it." said Mai. Battra nodded.
"It's really good. You've done a nice job." said Battra.
"Thank you." said Mai. The two continued to drink their coffee. Mai held her mug as she stared into it.
"Say, do you have a girlfriend?" asked Mai. Battra looked to her in confusion.
"I'm sorry?" asked Battra. Mai's eyes shot wide open.
"I-I uh...was that out loud?!" asked Mai.
"Um...yes?" said Battra. Mai turned away and groaned in frustration. She banged her fist against her head as she scolded herself.
"Stupid! Stupid!" Mai whispered to herself. She then turned back to Battra and placed on a forced smile.
"To your...internal question, I’m single. I'm not exactly applying for the position of boyfriend anytime soon." said Battra as he went back to drinking his coffee.
"Oh." said Mai.
"Were you going to ask me to be your boyfriend?" asked Battra with a smirk. Mai blushed furiously.
"D-don't be stupid! I was just curious!" said Mai. Battra chuckled.
"I know. I was just joking." said Battra. Mai sighed in annoyance. She then looked to Battra with a smile.
"You know a heroic man like you would be good boyfriend material." said Mai.
"No way." said Battra as he shook his head.
"I'm serious! You seem like a nice guy!" said Mai. Battra sighed as he smiled at her.
"You'd be surprised. I can be harsh at times." said Battra as he looked away. Mai puffed her cheek out as she scowled at him. Battra chuckled in amusement at the face that she made. The two finished their coffee and sat together on the sofa to watch a Hearth's Warming film based around a reindeer with a red nose. The television set's screen glowed in the dark as the Claymation film was played with Neighponese dubbing over it. Mai held a blanket over her and Battra's lap as they watched the film.
"This is such a sad story. A reindeer that's different from everyone else and is scorned for it. It's not fair." said Mai with a frown. The Transmutant noticed her upset expression and looked at the reindeer that was being ridiculed by the other reindeers.
"Yeah, it's pretty sad." said Battra in agreement.
'Never thought I'd find myself relating to a reindeer.' thought Battra. Transmutants were as ostracized as the red nosed reindeer. He silently rooted for the little reindeer to one day find his calling in life. Battra felt that he had found his, but sometimes he wondered if it was the right calling. He shook off the thought and continued to watch the film. Later, as the film was slowly building up to the climax, he felt a weight lean against his shoulders as he lied on the arm of the couch. Mai sighed as she lied on him with her head against his chest. Battra lightly blushed as he caught the woman's scent and felt her snuggled against him as she slowly drifted off to sleep. Battra felt Mai slowly sliding off to the edge of the couch as she snoozed and immediately wrapped his arm over her stomach to catch her before she could fall. He began to scoot further back to the sofa as he held Mai. The Earthbound woman lightly moaned and Battra gulped nervously as Mai stirred. She looked to him with drowsy eyes and smiled.
"Told you that you were a nice a guy." whispered Mai. Battra blushed in embarrassment.
"You were awake weren't you?" asked Battra. Mai leaned against him as she sighed.
"Maybe. Feel free to stay the night." said Mai as she pulled the blanket over them. Battra sighed.
'I shouldn't get close to her. I can't...' thought Battra solemnly. Despite the fact that she was a human, he couldn't bring himself to hate her. Normally, he wouldn't help a human, but he couldn't bring himself to abandon this woman to the hands of the men that she encountered. He didn’t mind killing MONARCH soldiers and had killed many civilians before, but lately he felt guilty about killing civilians ever since he encountered Mosura again. Now he was feeling himself grow fond of the woman, which was something that he couldn’t afford with a human who would reject him if she knew that he was a Transmutant. Battra began to feel his eyes grow heavy and sighed as he lazily rested his head on a pillow and closed his eyes. Mai glanced at Battra with a blush. She leaned in and gave him a kiss on his cheek. Battra slightly furrowed his brows but then changed them back to a neutral position.
"Happy Hearth's Warming, Yasu-san." whispered Mai.




The next morning...

Mai slept on the sofa, wrapped in a warm embrace. She stirred in her sleep as she began to awaken. Mai stretched her arms and legs as she softly groaned, sighing in relief as she remained on the sofa. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and bore a smile. She turned around to greet Battra, but he was not on the sofa with her. Mai shot up and looked around the living room, removing her blanket and walking over to the hall to find the bathroom door closed. She knocked on the door.
"Yasu-san?" called Mai. No answer. Mai knocked again, but no one was answering from the bathroom. Mai opened the bathroom door and found it to be empty. She walked out of the bathroom and made her way down the hall and to her bedroom, but Battra wasn’t there either. She made her way back to the living room and noticed a note sitting on her table. She rushed over to it and began to read it.

'Mai Yoshida, I want to thank you for inviting me over. You have given me the most pleasant experience that I have ever had in years. Thank you for the coffee and for allowing me to stay over for the night. I regret to tell you that I may never see you again. It's not you, it's me. I'm dealing with personal problems that I cannot bring myself to get you involved in. If things were different, I think we could have grown to be friends, but I'm unworthy of your friendship. I wish you happiness and good health. Please, be safe. Sincerely, Battra Yasu.
P.S. Happy Hearth's Warming.'

Mai frowned as she sat down on the sofa. She dropped the note on the ground and held her knees. She lightly sniffled as she stared at the ground.
"Jerk." muttered Mai. She placed her head down on her knees and sighed as she wore a bitter smile.
"I hope things work out for you." said Mai. She stood up to her feet and began to fold her blanket.
Miles outside of any spot of civilization. Battra stared up at the morning sky. Snow littered the ground and the trees for miles. Battra wore a light smile as he stared at the sky. He then heard the sound of a rifle clicking knocking him out of his thoughts.
"On your knees, freak!" shouted a MONARCH soldier. Battra turned to find a dozen MONARCH soldiers pointing their rifles at him. Battra sighed as he shook his head with a smile. He turned and faced the soldiers as his eyes began to glow purple.
"Let's get this over with. I'm on a break." said Battra. He charged towards the soldiers as they began to fire. Battra leapt over a rocket that was fired at him and rolled along the snow. The explosion echoed in the area, forcing snow all around the blast radius. Battra yelled as he fired purple beams of energy from his eyes.




Ponyville, Equestria. Hearth's Warming Eve...

Junior walked alongside Rarity, Applejack and Clover Heart. They were nearing the Golden Oaks Library. Applejack made her way over towards the door and began to knock on it. The door opened, revealing Twilight to be wearing a red sweater that depicted snow and black tights. She smiled brightly at her friends.
"Hi, AJ and Rarity!" greeted Twilight. She then noticed Junior giving her a small smile from behind the girls. Twilight grinned.
"Goji! You came!" said Twilight with joy. Junior nodded.
"I was free tonight." said Junior. Twilight then noticed the girl that stood by his side.
"Who's this?" asked Twilight.
"Clover Heart. I met her when I left the market. Kid had nothing to do this year and was all alone so I thought it'd be nice to bring her along, if you don't mind." said Junior.
"Not at all!" said Twilight. Clover smiled in response. Twilight stepped to the side and allowed her friends and Clover to enter. Inside of the library was Rainbow Dash, who conversed with Rodan, Fluttershy, who sat with Angirasu and Mosura, and Pinkie Pie, as she and Spike set up the music player. Twilight looked to Junior with a raised brow.
"Weren't you cold in that?" asked Twilight.
"Not really." said Junior with a shrug. Twilight laughed lightly.
"Alright, Mr. Tough Guy." said Twilight as she deepened her voice. She continued to laugh.
"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?" asked Junior in embarrassment.
"Nope!" said Twilight. Junior shook his head.
"Let's get ready to party!" said Pinkie as she played the music. Junior made his way over to the staircase and sat down as he watched his friends dance to the music. Rodan and Rainbow danced together as they moved to rhythm of the beat.
"You see these moves?" asked Rodan as he began to moonwalk. Rainbow laughed in amusement.
"Yeah, I see them." said Rainbow as began to copy Rodan's action. Mosura watched as Angirasu and Fluttershy danced. Angirasu's inexperience with the art only had him move with rigid movements while Fluttershy lightly giggled as she continued to dance with Angirasu, who bore an embarrassed smile. Spike danced with Rarity and had a light blush on his cheeks while the Elf smiled at the young drake as she danced with him. Clover and Pinkie both performed a synch dance, pumping their shoulders as they rocked their hips. Junior smiled amusement and was happy that the girl was having fun. He noticed Applejack approaching him and taking a seat next to him with a smile.
"Gojira, why are you sitting over here? It's a party for Pete's sake!" said Applejack.
"I'm fine where I am. Besides, I should probably start cooking." said Junior as he held out the grocery bag.
"There'll be plenty of time for that!" said Applejack. She nudged Junior in the shoulder.
"Come on sugar cube, go out and have fun with us." said Applejack. She noticed Twilight timidly approaching. The scholar shyly looked away as she stood in front of Junior.
"Um...Gojira would you like to...dance...with me?" asked Twilight, awkwardly. Junior cleared his throat.
"I uh...I-"
"He'd love to!" said Applejack as she grabbed Junior by his shoulders and stood up with him. She began to push Junior to the center of the room while the Transmutant protested. Twilight followed the two with a look of excitement. Applejack released Junior as Twilight came up to him. He gulped nervously.
"Is something wrong?" asked Twilight in a worried tone.
"No, I'm good!" said Junior with a forced smile. Twilight nodded. She began to dance awkwardly, of course, her expression showed otherwise. She bore a look of confidence as she moved her body from side to side. She swung her hips as she waved her arms. Junior raised a brow in confusion as Twilight danced without any rhythm. Junior sighed in relief.
'Here I thought I was the only one who couldn't dance.' thought Junior. He took a deep breath and began to make slow and rigid movements. His cheeks flushed in embarrassment as he attempted to dance. He moved his shoulders as he lightly bobbed his head. Twilight laughed as she made her way closer to Junior and kept up her rhythm.
"Come on! Don't be shy, add more movement!" said Twilight as she clapped her hands together. Junior chuckled in embarrassment as he began to slightly move the rest of his body. He slightly moved his arms as he stepped from side to side. When he gained enough confidence, he began to move a bit more freely, but he still lacked rhythm. Twilight took his hands as she led him with her movements. The two moved their feet along the ground as they stepped back and forth. Twilight and Junior both raised their arms up with their hands locked. Junior released one of her hands and bent his elbow as he kept his right hand over her, allowing her twirl. She laughed as she pulled Junior close to her. Junior chuckled as he lowered his head, avoiding eye contact with the others.
"God, I can't dance for crap." chucked Junior. Twilight smiled at him warmly. Rarity watched the two with a smile. She lightly giggled to herself as she saw Twilight's giddy expression. Clover watched with an amused expression.
"They really can't dance." said Clover.
"Nope! But it's kinda cute to watch." said Pinkie. She then looked to find Fluttershy walking Angirasu through a few dance steps. "Just like that!"




Later that night...

The party had settled down. The music was off, the humans and Transmutants were exhausted from all the dancing. Junior had earlier taken up Mosura on her offer on dancing, much to Twilight's jealously. But now, she finally had time to be alone with him. The Elf stood close to Junior as he stirred a pot of soup. Twilight began to slice and dice the vegetables on the counter while Junior boiled the water with the noodles inside. Twilight smiled to herself, happy that he was able to come.
"So, how come you didn't visit Princess Celestia this year for the holiday? Not that I mind that your spending it with us!" said Twilight.
"I would've, but I've kept a tradition to remain alone for the holiday." said Junior.
"Oh. I hope that we didn't pressure you to break that." said Twilight in an apologetic tone.
"Don't worry about it. It was silly to begin with. I think I'm going to spend the holiday with you guys more often, if you guys want to." said Junior. Twilight smiled brightly.
"Absolutely!" said Twilight. From outside of the kitchen, Angirasu sat down on the stair case as he took a sip of water. He felt eyes staring at him. Angirasu turned and found a green baby alligator staring at him with big, unfocused, expressionless, purple eyes. Angirasu raised a brow as the gator stared. He began to turn his head to face the baby alligator as it continued to stare. He found himself lost in the infant's eyes.
"Hey Aang, what are ya-"
"Shut up, I'm staring at this strange alligator." said Angirasu as he continued to stare. Rodan raised a brow. He then began to look at Gummy and found himself lost in his eyes. Rodan sat down as he stared at gummy with Angirasu.
"I wonder what he's thinking." whispered Angirasu.
"Those eyes. They look as if they have seen things that cannot be comprehended by mankind." whispered Rodan. Angirasu nodded.
"He's like an enlightened animal, trying to pass on his wisdom onto us all." said Angirasu. Pinkie made her way over to the two Transmutants and noticed that they were staring at Gummy. She motioned for the others to join her. Clover, Spike, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Mosura, Fluttershy and Applejack made their way over to her and watched as Angirasu and Rodan stared at Gummy. The alligator squeaked as he revealed his toothless mouth.
"Tell us more, oh wise scaled one." said Rodan in a monotone voice. The girls and drake all looked to each other in confusion. The gator squeaked again.
"I think he's trying to speak to us I know it!" said Angirasu.
"What the heck?" said Rainbow in confusion. Clover tugged at Fluttershy's sweater.
"I'm scared." said Clover.
"It's alright. Gummy is a fascinating alligator." said Fluttershy with a reassuring a smile. Rodan picked Gummy up and held him forward. Everyone was confused as he began to walk away with Angirasu trailing behind him. The Transmutants made their way into the kitchen where Junior stirred the pot. He turned around and yelped as he found Gummy just inches away from his face. He glared at Rodan.
"What the hell is the matter with you?! Get that alligator out of here! He's going contaminate the food with Salmonella!" said Junior as he pointed to the outside of the kitchen. Pinkie frowned as she poked her head from the corner of the room.
"Aw don't be mean to Gummy Wummy!" said Pinkie.
"I'm not being mean to Gummy Wu- Gummy! I just don't want him in the kitchen so he doesn't contaminate our food!" said Junior.
"Just look at him in the eyes for a second!" said Rodan as he kept a firm hold on the alligator. Junior sighed.
"Rodan, I swear if you don't get this alligator out of my face, I'm going to take you to the zoo and toss you into the..." Junior was about to finish his threat, but he got lost in Gummy's eyes. He watched as they remained unfocused and slowly blinked. Junior tilted his head as Gummy did the same. They both raised their heads and faced each other.
"Gojira?" called Twilight with a raised brow.
"This is trippy." said Junior as he stared into Gummy's large eyes.
"Who are you? Who am I?" asked Junior in a loud whisper as he leaned in closer to the alligator's snout.
"Oh god." said Mosura as she face palmed. Pinkie smiled as she watched Gummy open his mouth and reveal his toothless mouth in what appeared to be his way of smiling.
"I think he likes Goji!" said Pinkie. Gummy began to wag his tail as he gave high pitched growls. Junior smiled.
"Aww." said Junior. He then noticed the stares that he was receiving. Fluttershy and Pinkie both bore a grin, Rarity tilted her head in confusion while Applejack raised a brow. Mosura bore a look of amusement after witnessing Junior's heart melt over the reptilian infant. Clover rolled her eyes while Twilight looked at Junior curiously.
"Did you just...?" Twilight almost snorted. Junior slumped his shoulders. He then glared at Rodan.
"You might be cousins." said Rodan. Angirasu and Mosura went stiff at what he said. Junior gave him a deadpanned stare.
"Cause I'm cold like a reptile?" asked Junior. He wasn't going to address that possibility of Rodan making a connection based on his Transformation and his likeness to dragons and crocodiles.
"Ooh! Ooh! Is it because he's really aggressive?" asked Pinkie.
"Because he's a carnivore?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"Yes, yes, and yes." said Rodan with a grin. Junior sighed in annoyance.
"Just take Gummy out of here and go wash up. Dinner is almost done." said Junior. He turned back to the pot and continued to stir the contents inside. Everyone except for Twilight left the kitchen. The petite Elf looked his way.
"Did you really-"
"L-let's not talk about that." said Junior in embarrassment. Twilight sighed.
"There's nothing wrong being verbal about an animal's cuteness." said Twilight. Junior shrugged.
"I guess not." said Junior. He took a whiff of the smell of the soup. He looked to Twilight with a smile. She leaned over and took a whiff as well.
"That does smell pretty good." said Twilight. She made her way over to the cabinet and began to levitate several bowls onto the counter. Junior began to fill the bowls up with ramen. Twilight gently began to levitate the filled bowls over towards the table and began to set spoons down next to the bowls.
"Soup's on!" called Twilight.




Later...

Rainbow and Rodan leaned against each other's backs. They both sighed as they lazily lied against each other. Their bellies were full from the dinner that they had eaten. Rainbow yawned.
"Man that was good." said Rainbow.
"Sure was. Ramen is good for making quick dinner." said Rodan. Rainbow smirked as she elbowed Rodan.
"So, we're still up for training this weekend, right?" asked Rainbow.
"Oh, absolutely!" said Rodan with a grin. Rainbow smiled as she turned back and continued to rest against him.
"You ever been snowboarding?" asked Rainbow.
"Well, I've been skate boarding." chuckled Rodan. Rainbow smirked in response.
"Dude, you have to come with me and Pinkie Pie tomorrow! We're gonna go down this huge hill!" said Rainbow with a look of excitement.
"Hey, I'm down for whatever you two want to do for fun!" said Rodan. He sighed as he closed his eyes and felt something tingle against his nose. He swiped at it and opened up his eyes in annoyance. He found Pinkie Pie and Clover snickering as they held a mistletoe, hanging from a stick, over himself and Rainbow Dash. He immediately shot up and pulled the mistletoe from the string.
"What's wrong?" asked Rainbow as she began to turn. Rodan immediately hid the plant in his pocket with his cheeks a bright red.
"Oh, it was nothing! Just a big spider came down on my nose from its web." lied Rodan. Rainbow raised a brow, but shrugged in response and turned back and continued to lean on his back. Rodan sighed in relief and shot Pinkie and Clover a glare, both looking at him innocently. He tossed the mistletoe back to them and pointed his thumb away. The two moaned in disappointment and began to leave the two on the stair case.
Mosura sat on a sofa beside Rarity and Applejack. The three conversed amongst themselves as Fluttershy and Angirasu sat near the heater, warming themselves up. Mosura watched as Fluttershy timidly sat next to Angirasu and glanced at him. Mosura lightly frowned, feeling overcome with worry.
"Darling? Hellooo." called Rarity. Mosura shot her head to face Rarity.
"Huh?" asked Mosura.
"I was asking you if you were enjoying yourself." said Rarity.
"Oh. Yeah, I'm having a great time!" said Mosura with a forced smile. Applejack raised a brow at her response and noticed a hint of worry hidden behind her smile.
"You alright, sugar cube?" asked Applejack.
"Everything is fine." said Mosura with a smile. Applejack gave her deadpanned stare and Mosura grew uncomfortable as the farm girl gazed at her. Mosura sighed.
"OK, I'm lying." said Mosura with a scowl.
"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Applejack. Mosura sighed as she watched Fluttershy converse with Angirasu.
"You ever worry about your family but you don't know how to approach them about it?" asked Mosura.
"I have. Is there a problem with the boys?" asked Rarity as she looked to Angirasu and then to Rodan.
"I'm worried that they'll be hurt." said Mosura. Applejack raised a brow in confusion.
"Hurt? Are they in trouble or something?" asked Applejack. She then noticed that Mosura was staring at Rodan worriedly as he and Rainbow leaned against each other. She then looked to Angirasu and found him alone with Fluttershy.
"Oh." said Applejack. She placed a comforting hand on Mosura's shoulder.
"Well, I wouldn't worry about that sugarcube! They seem to get along just fine with them." said Applejack with a reassuring smile.
"I don't know." said Mosura. Rarity raised a brow.
"Darling, are you...being possessive?" asked Rarity. Mosura's eyes widened in alarm.
"E-excuse me?!" asked Mosura. Rarity raised her hands defensively.
"Don't be upset! I only asked a simple question." said Rarity, hoping to calm the Transmutant down. Mosura looked down with a frantic expression.
"No. No, I'm not being possessive. Right? I'm just..." Mosura gritted her teeth. She sighed. "I just don't want them to get hurt again."
"Again?" asked Rarity. Mosura nodded.
"They're like my brothers. I don't want them to go through rejection again." said Mosura. Rarity frowned.
"Mosura, that happens to everyone. It's not something that we can avoid. No matter how much we want to try." said Rarity.
"That's right." said Applejack. Mosura deeply frowned. Her eyes caught sight of Pinkie Pie and Clover snickering as they lowered the mistletoe over Fluttershy and Angirasu. The two looked up and found it in between them. Angirasu and Fluttershy looked back to each other and blushed in embarrassment. Fluttershy smiled bashfully and looked away as she pressed her fingers together. Angirasu lowered his head as he stared at the ground to hide his blush.
"Oh my." whispered Rarity with a smile. Applejack placed an arm over Mosura’s shoulders as she gave her a grin. Mosura turned back to watch the Valkryie and male Transmutant as they slowly turned to each other.
"Um..." Angirasu looked away shyly. Fluttershy placed on a determined expression and leaned into him. Rarity and Applejack gasped as they watched with eager looks. Rainbow and Rodan noticed the excitement.
"No way." said Rodan with a grin. Rainbow smiled.
"Flutters, when did you get so bold?" asked Rainbow as she watched Fluttershy slowly lean into Angirasu. The Valkyrie took Angirasu's face into her hands and gave him a peck on the cheek. Angirasu smiled with an embarrassed chuckle escaping his throat. Clover frowned in disappointment.
"Maybe not." said Rainbow.
"Eh. I thought she would have ran away, so this seems bold." said Rodan with a shrug. He looked on in disappointment.
'I kinda wish that I let Pinkie kept that mistletoe over us.' thought Rodan as he glanced at Rainbow.
"So much for rejection, eh Mosu?" asked Applejack with a chuckle. Mosura placed on a forced smile.
"Right." said Mosura. She then looked to Fluttershy and Angirasu as they avoided eye contact while bearing smiles. She couldn't help but smile as well.
Meanwhile in the kitchen, Twilight, Spike and Junior were in the kitchen as they washed the dishes. As Junior scrubbed the dishes and rinsed them off, he handed them to Twilight, who dried them off. After she had dried the dishes, she handed the dishes to Spike, who placed them where they belonged.
"Thanks for offering to do the dishes, Gojira." said Twilight.
"No problem, Twilight." said Junior with a smile. He began to rinse his hands off after he handed the last bowl to Twilight. After he had soaked the soap off of his hands, he turned off the faucet and began to dry his hands.
"So, what's next?" asked Spike as he placed the last bowl away. Pinkie Pie rushed into the kitchen and grabbed Spike and Twilight by their arms.
"Hearth's Warming Carols!" said Pinkie in excitement. She then ran with Twilight and Spike. The Elf turned to Junior and grabbed his hand, dragging him along with them.
"Aw man." said Junior in disappointment. Twilight laughed in response as she tightened her hold on Junior's hand, causing her heart to race. The four had made their way out to the main room of the library with everyone else.
"Hold hands everybody and gather around the tree!" said Pinkie. Junior dreaded this moment. Pinkie then looked to Junior with a serious expression.
"Listen buster, I want you to suck it up! You are going to sing and you are going to like it!" said Pinkie as she got into Junior's face. The Transmutant backed away.
"Alright, alright. Sheesh." said Junior with a scowl. He felt Twilight tugging at his sweater and found her looking at him with a smile. She held out her hand to him while holding Spike's hand. Junior sighed with a small smile and took her hand. The humans, drake and Transmutants gathered around the tree that shone with the lights. Everyone, including Junior began to sing the Heart Carol.
"One, two, three!" Pinkie counted with excitement.
"The fire of friendship lives in our hearts
As long as it burns we cannot drift apart
Though quarrels arise, their numbers are few
Laughter and singing will see us through (will see us through)
We are a circle of friends
A circle of friends we'll be to the very end~"
"Happy Hearth's Warming, everyone!" said Pinkie with joy. Junior sighed as he looked down at the ground. Twilight smiled at his embarrassment.
"For someone who doesn't like to sing, you've got a bit of a voice for it." said Twilight.
"You think so?" asked Junior with a vague smile. Twilight nodded to him with a grin. He shook his head in amusement.
"You girls sure know how to get me out of my comfort zone." said Junior.
"More carols!" said Pinkie. Junior sighed in disappointment.
"Greaaat." said Junior