//------------------------------//
// Chapter 46: Soldiers, Monsters, and... 
// Story: The Arrogance of Man 
// by Johng117 
//------------------------------//


Ponyville

It has been two months since the attack of the Chimeras. Fall was here and winter was approaching over the land.  People were just as anxious around the Transmutants as ever. However, some were beginning to overcome their fear.
Junior was sitting with Twilight at a table outside of a restaurant with a scowl plastered on his face. Twilight smiled in amusement as she listened to a young woman talk his ear off as she held his hand and observed the scales that he had grown.
"What sort of reptile do you change into? I'm a zoologist and I have never seen scales like these before!" said the woman as she wore a giddy expression. Junior sighed with annoyance.
"I change into an amphibious dragon that can breathe under water," answered Junior.
"Fascinating! And you say that you absorb radioactive properties for energy? You are one magnificent specimen!" cried the woman. Junior scowled as he pulled his arm away.
"Please don't call me that. I feel like you're going to kidnap me in my sleep and cut me open," deadpanned Junior. The woman gasped in shock.
"Absolutely not! The best type of subjects for me to study is when they're alive! Humans, animals, and other races alike!" said the woman.
"Good to know," said Junior with a nod. The woman smiled as she shook the Transmutant's hand.
"Well, thank you for your time and for saving our town from those chimeras," said the woman as she began to walk away. Junior nodded to her as he sighed. The scales on his hand returned to the soft mammalian flesh. Twilight lightly giggled.
"I thought you'd appreciate a little thanks every once in a while," said Twilight.
"Yeah, but not when they come with fifty questions. Especially when I'm on a lunch date," said Junior as he shook his head. "But I guess it's better than every single person giving me the stink eye,"
"That's the spirit!" said Twilight as she gave him a thumbs up. Junior lightly smiled as he went back to eating his meal.
"Hey, Twilight. You ever feel like when things have been calm for too long, it means that something is going to happen and ruin it?" asked Junior.
"Sometimes, but there's been minor incidents like that second parasprite outbreak," said Twilight with a shrug.
"Nah, that doesn't count. Well, not for me anyway," said Junior as he took a sip of his cup of water.
"Well, perhaps you’re being paranoid," said Twilight with a chuckle.
"Maybe. Sorry, I'm just use to shit hitting the fan every other week," said Junior. Twilight shook her head.
"You sir, are in need of a vacation or something. Take some time getting away from the Everfree! I keep catching you listening in that direction whenever we're on a date!" said Twilight as she pointed towards the south of the area. Junior snorted.
"Look who's talking. You had bags under your eyes the other day from studying again," retorted Junior. Twilight scoffed as she gave him a smile.
"OK, so maybe I spend more hours in the day studying than what people would normally do. I'm just very dedicated to my studies!" said Twilight. Junior rolled his eyes.
"Sure," said Junior. He stretched his arm to the side as he yawned. Twilight eyed him curiously.
"Are you tired?" asked Twilight.
"A little. I was up late with Mosu and the others for a training session," said Junior as gave another yawn.
"Hmm. And you act like I'm the only one who overworks," said Twilight with a smirk.
"Heh," said Junior. The two sat in silence as they continued to eat.



Rodan and Rainbow Dash rested against each other as they stared up at the noon sky. The Valkyrie glanced at the Transmutant, who bore a small smile on his face.
"Say, what was up with that name?" asked Rainbow. Rodan looked at her curiously at what she meant.
"What name?" asked Rodan.
"You know, you called yourself, 'Guardians' when the Chimeras attacked. Sometimes when those butterfly things are around, they call you guys that as well. What's up with that?" asked Rainbow with a look of amusement. Rodan chuckled in embarrassment.
"Well, I thought we should have our own name. You know like how the bad guys call themselves, 'Revolutionaries'. We want to be separate from those guys, so I thought a nifty name for our group would help. Guardians just sounded cool since we-" Rodan stopped himself from revealing that he was a giant monster in a past life. He thought the name was fitting since that was what Caesar and the fairies kept referring to them as such to pay homage to their past lives.
"Since you what?" asked Rainbow Dash. Rodan cleared his throat.
"Since we...save people! Yeah, that's it!" said Rodan with a forced smile. Rainbow shrugged in response.
"Hm. I guess that works," said Rainbow.
"The Avengers was already taken. No one is going to respond to that in real life!" said Rodan.
"Hey, I said it worked!" replied Rainbow with a chuckle. She then pressed her face against his with a sultry look in her eyes. "You got a problem?"
"Heh. Maybe I do, my little Valkyrie," said Rodan in a suave tone as he brushed a hand over Rainbow's bangs. The two leaned into each other they locked lips for a quick kiss. Rainbow chuckled as she trailed her finger under Rodan's chin.
"This Valkyrie can beat you in a race," said Rainbow.
"Yeah? How about a race then? Loser has to give the winner a massage," said Rodan. Rainbow smirked as she gently pushed Rodan back.
"You'll lose," said Rainbow.
"Whether I win or lose is irrelevant. If I can get a massage after training my butt off yesterday, I win. If I have to massage you and make you feel great, that's a win for me too," said Rodan with a wink.
"Oh yeah? Then you wouldn't mind doing that for me right now instead," said Rainbow as she lied down on her belly and rested her head on her arms. She then spread her wings out wide, draping them on the ground. Rodan got on his knees and placed his hands firmly on her back, gently applying pressure. Rainbow sighed as she felt his hands relieve the tension in her back. Rodan smiled to himself as he felt her melting under his hands.
"Ah. That feels awesome," moaned Rainbow. Rodan made his way over to her wings and began to rub his thumbs on the base of them, causing Rainbow to sharply gasp. She then sighed as she lied her head back down.
"I bet. You're wings feel tense," said Rodan as he continued to rub the cyan feathered wings. Rainbow shuddered as her face broke into a blush. Rodan stopped, causing Rainbow to stiffen.
"Are you...OK?" asked Rodan in a slight worried tone.
"I-I'm fine! I'm just...sensitive right there," said Rainbow as she turned to face Rodan with her face flushed. Rodan slightly nodded and went back to rubbing Rainbow's wing, causing her to clench her fist as she held in her shuddering. He stopped playing with her wings and went down to her waist. He began to apply pressure to her lower back, causing Rainbow to sigh again. She felt her eyes growing heavy as she completely relaxed herself. She yawned as she buried her face into her arms and began to drift off to sleep. Rodan stopped as he heard the Valkyrie lightly snore. He sighed in disappointment.
"She's sleeping. What a bummer," Rodan moped to himself as he sat down while propping his head up with his hand. He glanced to his left as he caught a figure in the corner of his eye. He found Mosura jogging over to him with Amber following her.
"Oh, hey Mosu," greeted Rodan with a lazy wave. Mosura stopped as she was about to great him as well but looked at Rainbow with a raised brow.
"Huh. She normally takes her naps in trees or on the clouds," said Mosura. She then shook off the random train of thought and looked back at Rodan.
"Rodan, we're heading over to Canterlot. Yoshi called, says that they need help with something," said Mosura. Rodan moaned in disappointment.
"But I'm hanging out with Dash," whispered Rodan. Mosura rolled her eyes.
"She's sleeping! Besides, we won't be gone too long. It's just that there's a problem that the princess is concerned about," said Mosura. Rodan sighed in disappointment.
"Fine. Could you help me drop her off somewhere?" asked Rodan.
"Sure. Aang is over at Fluttershy's place right now. Maybe we can leave her there," said Mosura. Rodan nodded as stood up to his feet. Mosura knelt down and lifted Rainbow Dash off of the ground and placed her on Rodan's back. He held onto her thighs to support the Valkyrie so that she will not fall off. Rainbow Dash mumbled as wrapped her arms around Rodan's neck and lightly smacked her lips.
"Aw. She's definitely knocked out," said Mosura with a coo. The two walked out of the field with Amber fluttering after them. Rodan lightly smiled as he felt Rainbow nuzzle the back of his neck.



The cottage of Fluttershy sat peacefully in its own corner of the land. The sound of birds chirping filled the air as they flew all around the back yard. The rose haired Valkyrie knelt down as she held a tooth brush in her hand and began to scrub it against the teeth of a large bear. She hummed to herself as she cleansed the large animal's teeth. She held the toothbrush to the side and turned her head.
"Angirasu, would you mind bringing me that bucket of water?" called Fluttershy. The Transmutant that she called to turned away from the white cat that rested on a pillow. He nodded to her as he spotted the bucket of water that she was pointing to.
"Sure thing," said Angirasu. He placed a brush down on the ground and gently rubbed the cat's head.
"Sit tight Opal. I'll be right back," said Angirasu as he made his way over towards the bucket. The cat rolled her eyes as she placed her paw under her chin with a scowl. The interruption of her pampering was an annoyance to the feline. Angirasu picked up the bucket of water and made his way over to Fluttershy. He sat it down beside her with a smile.
"Here you go," said Angirasu.
"Thank you, Angirasu," said Fluttershy with a smile. He gave a bashful chuckle in response.
"No problem," said Angirasu as he made his way back towards Opalescence. He knelt down as he kept his gaze on Fluttershy as she helped the bear take in the bucket of water.
"So cute," Angirasu said to himself as he began to brush Opal. The cat gave a yowl, startling Angirasu out of his wits. He turned and found the cat glaring at him as she gave a hiss. He noticed a matted area of fur that he had went over. He realized the carelessness of his action.
"Ah shoot. Sorry about that," apologized Angirasu with a frown. Opel swiped at him as she yowled again, making Angirasu slightly recoil. His eyes widened as his vision caught a small strand of his hair falling in his line of sight. He looked up to his head and felt his hair, sighing in relief when he realized that it was still intact.
"Alright, I'll be more careful next time," said Angirasu as he gently stroked the cat. Opal growled as she lied back down and closed her eyes.
"Do you like cats?" asked Fluttershy as she turned her attention to face the Transmutant. The bear that had taken in water spat it out off to the side.
"They're OK. But they only like you when they want attention," answered Angirasu as he gently brushed Opal. She gave a purr as she slumped on her pillow.
"What I like about dogs is that they can be loyal to their masters. It's nice how people can form a special kind of bond with dogs," said Angirasu as he scratched Opal behind her ears. Fluttershy lightly smiled.
"I agree. But some cats can be loyal and loving to their owners as well. It depends on their personality, sensitivity, and how much their owner pays attention to them," said Fluttershy.
"I never knew that. But then again, we never owned any pets," said Angirasu with a shrug.
"That's too bad. If you'd like...I can help you guys pick out a pet. If you want to that is," said Fluttershy as she rinsed the toothbrush off in what little water remained in the bucket.
"Oh, no that's OK. I mean, we live in the Everfree, dogs and cats sometimes want to go outside and there are Timberwolves and other dangerous creatures," said Angirasu. Fluttershy lightly frowned. The Transmutant cleared his throat, thinking of something to lighten the Valkyrie's mood back up. "Besides, I think the fairies are good enough as pets,"
"I heard that!" shouted a small, feminine voice. Angirasu went stiff, recognizing the voice. He turned and found Mosura standing with a wary glance at the fairy that sat on her shoulder. Rodan stood by with a look of amusement as he carried Rainbow Dash on his back.
"I...I didn't mean anything mean by that," said Angirasu in a slight, nervous tone.
"I still don't like it," deadpanned Amber. Angirasu sighed.
"Sorry," apologized Angirasu as he bowed his head. Fluttershy looked at Rodan in surprise when she noticed Rainbow Dash clinging to his back.
"Is she alright?" asked Fluttershy in worry.
"She's fine. She's just sleeping," said Rodan.
"Aang, we need you to come with us. We're going to Canterlot to see the rebels and the princess," said Mosura.
"Is it serious?" asked Angirasu.
"I assume so. The princess is concerned about something," answered Mosura. Fluttershy looked to Angirasu in disappointment.
"Oh, you're leaving?" asked Fluttershy. Angirasu sighed in disappointment as he turned to face the Valkyrie.
"I guess so. Sorry that I couldn't finish up helping you with your chores," apologized Angirasu.
"Oh no, it's alright. I appreciate you coming over," said Fluttershy with a smile. Rodan cleared his throat.
"Um...would it be alright if we left Dash here?" asked Rodan. Fluttershy nodded.
"Sure!" said Fluttershy. She patted the bear that she was grooming on the head and made her way over to the back door with Rodan trailing behind. Fluttershy led Rodan over towards her sofa. The Transmutant lowered himself to the sofa and allowed Rainbow to gently rest on the couch. She slightly stirred in her sleep and sighed. Fluttershy giggled in amusement while Rodan turned to face her.
"Hey, can I borrow a pen and paper?" asked Rodan. Fluttershy nodded as she rushed over to her kitchen and searched one of the drawers. Rodan gently ran a hand over Rainbow's cheek, causing her to slightly crinkle her brow.
"You're quite affectionate," said Mosura coyly. Rodan jumped in surprise. He whipped around to find Mosura giving him a sly smile. "Don't worry, we'll be back,"
"I know. I just feel bad leaving while she's sleeping," said Rodan. Fluttershy approached him and handed the Transmutant a pen and paper.
"There you go," said Fluttershy.
"Thanks," said Rodan as he knelt down at the small table next to the sofa and scribbled words down. He lifted the paper up and read it over. With a nod of approval, he folded it and placed it down on the table. He then scribbled 'To: Rainbow Dash'.
"Alright, let's get going," said Rodan in reluctance. Mosura nodded as the two and Fluttershy walked back outside. Angirasu stood by with a small smile.
"I'll uh...I'll see you soon," said Angirasu. Fluttershy shyly nodded to him. She pulled him into a hug, which he returned. She looked at him and felt her heart race. She felt herself wanting to kiss the Transmutant, but she worried about how he would react. She wouldn't be able to handle it if he were to respond with disgust. Fluttershy blushed furiously as she released him.
"O-OK. Have a safe trip," said Fluttershy as she held her arms behind her back. Angirasu nodded to her and began to follow after his fellow Transmutants with a slight look of disappointment.



The Golden Oaks Library was quiet on this day. Currently, no customers were inside borrowing books. Spike was absent, due to him offering to help Rarity with whatever task while he fawned over her. Inside, Junior and Twilight sat together as they read through a book together. The Elf leaned against him as she levitated the book into the air as she turned the page.
"OK, so how do you pronounce this?" asked Twilight as she pointed towards a piece of Neighponese text. They were looking over a section on basic Neighponese phrases. The Elf had expressed her curiosity on the language, wanting to learn more. There was no better person that she could think of to practice with other than Junior.
"Well, you have to give these syllables the same amount of stress.  Stressing only certain syllables will instead sound unnatural when you speak," said Junior. He then cleared his throat. "Repeat after me. teh-rih-yah-kee,"
"OK. Um...Teh...rih?" Twilight played the first two syllables with her tongue.
"Good. Now say, 'yah-kee'," said Junior.
"Yah-kee," repeated Twilight. Junior nodded.
"Now say it all at once," said Junior.
"Teriyaki," said Twilight. Junior smiled in approval.
"You got it! Syllables are easier to get. It's the accent I hear that is harder to master," said Junior.
"Hihi! This is exciting! I have a question though, what's Teriyaki?" asked Twilight.
"Oh, it's a cooking technique where meat is marinated. It's pretty good," said Junior.
"Well, I wouldn't know," said Twilight with a shrug. Junior chuckled in response.
"Oh, right," responded Junior. Twilight brought the book closer to her face as she read through it.
"So, how's Princess Celestia's Neighponese? She speaks it right?" asked Twilight. Junior thought back to his adoptive mother and how she was at speaking the language.
"Hmm. She's decent. Her accent needs work though," said Junior. "Besides, she mostly spoke it from when she was raising me for the first couple of years. She rarely speaks it now these days. Only when she would scold me," said Junior with a chuckle.
"Heh. Speaking of royalty, I wonder if my brother and sister-in law are finished with their honeymoon," said Twilight. She sighed as she propped her hand under her chin. "Man I can't wait to see them again,"
"It might not be long now," said Junior. The sound of a bell ringing filled their ears. Junior and Twilight turned to find Rodan, Angirasu and Mosura to be stepping inside.
"Oh, hey guys," greeted Junior. Twilight waved.
"Hello!" greeted Twilight.
"Good afternoon Twilight. Sorry to barge in like this, but we're going to need to borrow Gojira for a bit," said Mosura.
"Can it wait? I'm helping Twilight study Neighponese," said Junior.
"Yoshi and the princess wants to see us. It's pretty important," said Mosura. Twilight's face turned to concern.
"What's wrong?" asked Twilight.
"We don't know yet. But don't worry. We're going to be gone for a while," said Mosura. Junior sighed in disappointment.
"Alright. Sorry Twi, we'll have to finish this another time," said Junior.
"It's alright. I think I can study this alone. You can help when you come back," said Twilight as the two stood up. She wrapped Junior into a hug and stood on her toes. She blushed in embarrassment.
"I uh...I can't reach. Would you mind...?"
"Of course," said Junior with a smile. He bent his back and lowered himself closer to Twilight. She stood back on her toes and planted a kiss on Junior's lips. She released the Transmutant, allowing him to stand back up to his full height and to make his way back to his fellow Transmutants.
"See you later. I love you!" said Twilight with a smile. Junior smiled back to her and nodded.
"Love you too, Twilight. See ya later," said Junior. Twilight felt her heart flutter in her chest. Her smile grew brighter as the Transmutants made their way out of the library. She sighed happily to herself.
"Man, I miss him already," said Twilight.
Outside of the library, the Transmutants walked side by side. Amber fluttered over to Junior and landed on his shoulder.
"You seem to be in a more positive mood lately," said Amber.
"I have my friends to thank for that," said Junior.
"Goji, what do you say we call ourselves, 'The Guardians'?" asked Rodan. Junior looked at him with a raised brow.
"Why?" asked Junior.
"Think about it! We're protecting Ponyville and people! We protected the Earth in a past life! Why not?" asked Rodan. Angirasu nodded.
"I like it. It sure does set us apart from the Revolutionaries," said Angirasu.
"Me too!" said Mosura with a smile. Amber tapped her foot on Junior's shoulder.
"You have to admit that it's kind of catchy. Besides, you are all different compared to most Transmutants," said Amber. Junior sighed as he shrugged.
"Fine. God, this is so cheesy," said Junior.




A couple hours later...

Rarity walked through the town of Ponyville as she hummed to herself. She held a bag at her side as Spike trailed after her with a few extra bags in his group. Rarity turned her head to face the young drake.
"Hurry along Spike! I am simply dying to use these materials for my customers!" said Rarity with an eager tone. Spike nodded as he bore a dopey smile.
"Anything you say, Rarity," said Spike as he gawked at the Elf. He watched as her wavy hair flowed in the wind and over her shoulders. The elegance in her voice was as sweet as honey. Her eyes were like the ocean blue that sent him into a trance whenever he stared into them. The young drake began to pick up his pace as he walked at Rarity's side.
"Thank you again Spikey Wikey for helping me on this day. I greatly appreciate your help, darling," said Rarity with a smile. Spike nodded as his face flushed.
"No problem! I'm always happy to lend a claw," said Spike. The two continued on down the road in silence. Suddenly, that silence was interrupted by the sound of panicked cries. Rarity and Spike stopped dead in their tracks as they spotted a few people fleeing in their direction.
"Run for your lives!" cried a woman.
"I knew they would turn us!" cried a man as he dodged a carriage that nearly crushed him. Rarity and Spike gasped at how the carriage had flown across the air and slammed into a building, shattering to pieces.
"What in Equestria is going-" Rarity was interrupted as a horse was flung towards a building. The equine died as it impacted the wall and slumped down to the ground. Spike grew pale as Rarity cupped a hand over her mouth.
"Sweet Celestia!" cried Rarity. The sound of crashing could be heard as more screams filled the air. Suddenly, a wall burst open in front of Rarity and Spike, causing them to cry out in fear. They stared anxiously for what was emerging from the smoke of the wall. A man was tossed out of the smoke and landed on an outdoor table. He groaned in pain as he slumped unconscious. Rarity was able to make out a figure to be emerging from the smoke. What she saw made her and Spike gasp in horror and their eyes widen in disbelief.
"That's..." Spike couldn't finish. Rarity dropped her bag as she felt her knees quiver. She dropped to the ground on her knees as she stared at the man that began to tear the wall apart with his bare hands.
"No, it can't be," said Rarity as she trembled where she remained. The Elf shot up to her feet and began to run towards the man.
"Rarity, wait!" cried Spike as he chased after her. The Elf panted as she ran towards the man that continued to wreak havoc around the buildings. His fists slammed into the walls, causing more plumes of dust. The figure stopped as he spotted Rarity running towards him.
"What on Earth do you think you're doing?! What's gotten into you?!" demanded Rarity. The man remained silent as he merely stared at Rarity with a glare. The Elf clenched her fist as she gritted her teeth.
"Gojira! Answer me!!" shouted Rarity. The man smiled darkly as he stalked over to Rarity. The Elf felt herself growing anxious. What she saw was someone who she called friend. But, Junior held a smile that wasn't his. It was sinister. The Transmutant began to chuckle.
"I realized who was on top of the food chain," said Junior. He shot his hand forward and grabbed Rarity by her neck. The Elf gasped as she held onto the Transmutant's hand.
"Rarity!" cried Spike. He stared at Junior with pleading eyes.
"Gojira, stop! Why are you doing this?!" cried Spike as he grabbed Junior by his sweater. The Transmutant merely shoved the drake off of himself. Rarity was raised into the air by the Transmutant. She tried to pry his hand off as her eyes ran with tears.
"S-Stop! Pl-please...I thought we were-" Rarity felt her head growing light. Her vision was darkening as she continued to stare at the Transmutant. She wondered why he would suddenly attack innocent people so suddenly. Junior tossed Rarity to the side on the ground. The Elf gasped loudly and coughed furiously. Spike rushed over to her and held her by her shoulder. Rarity trembled as she stared at the Transmutant, who was staring off to the sky. He then ran away as he charged through more buildings. The Elf narrowed her eyes.
"Why, Gojira? Why?! What will Twilight say about this?!" demanded Rarity. The Transmutant did not respond. He merely continued on his path of destruction. Suddenly, she spotted Rodan, Angirasu, and Mosura all joining him as they crashed through buildings and began to wreak havoc around the area. Rarity gasped as she watched them suddenly turn on the town that they had protected before. Rarity felt her neck, feeling a bruise that formed. She broke into a sob as she held Spike close. The drake allowed tears to flow out of his eyes and held Rarity as people screamed in panic.
"Why is this happening?" wept Rarity.
"Rarity, we should find somewhere place to hide," said Spike as he helped the distraught Elf up to her feet. He rushed back to the bags that were dropped and began to carry them. He then rushed back to Rarity and took her hand. The two ran down the road, finding destruction of property to be left in the Transmutant Four's wake.
"Rarity! Spike!" cried Twilight. The two stopped in their tracks to find Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie to be rushing over towards them. The group met together, panting. Twilight's eyes widened as she spotted Rarity’s bruised neck.
"Oh my gosh! What happened to you?! What's happening?!" exclaimed Twilight. Rarity pulled Twilight close as she wept.
"Twilight! It was horrible! Gojira...h-he did this to me!" cried Rarity. The rest of her friends all looked at her in shock.
"Wait, what do you mean Gojira did this to you? He would never-" Twilight looked at her in disbelief but was interrupted as Rarity shook her.
"I'm telling you the truth! Spike and I were walking and all of the sudden, people were panicking in the street and carriages were flying everywhere! A horse was thrown against a building and died!" cried Rarity.
"But that's-" Twilight was trying to deny the words what Rarity would tell her. She couldn't picture the Transmutant committing such acts.
"It's true Twilight! He attacked Rarity and started tearing the town apart! We even saw the other Transmutants with him!" said Spike. Rainbow's and Fluttershy's eyes widened.
"What?!" they exclaimed in unison.
"But...how can that be? They wouldn't do that!" said Applejack in confusion and uncertainty. Twilight shook her head as she furrowed her brows.
"No, that's impossible! Gojira and the others left to Canterlot hours ago!" argued Twilight. The sound of crashing filled the air, causing the group to yelp from the sound. They turned and found Junior and Angirasu lifting up a taxi carriage and throwing it towards a house. The base of the house was shattered, creating a hole. Twilight and Fluttershy gasped as they stared in disbelief.
"A-Angirasu?" muttered Fluttershy. Twilight shook her head as she stood in disbelief.
"No! No, that can't be!" cried Twilight. She broke off into a sprint towards the Transmutants.
"Twilight, no!" cried Applejack as she chased after the Elf. Junior pushed a lamppost that and knocked it down to the ground. Electricity began to spark. As he was about to pick up the lamppost, he felt his body being restrained. Junior turned his head and growled at Twilight, who stared at him in despair.
"Gojira, what are you doing?! How could you hurt Rarity?!" demanded Twilight. Junior yelled angrily as he rocked his body, which caused Twilight to grunt as she struggled to restrain him. She gasped as Angirasu charged towards her with his fist reared back. Twilight flinched, causing her to break her concentration. Before Angirasu could reach her, Applejack sent a round house kick against him. Angirasu crashed down onto the ground, unconscious. Junior grunted as he knelt down and picked Angirasu up. He carried him over his shoulder and ran off.
"What the-" Applejack stared in confusion. Her kicks were strong, but she knew Angirasu. Her kick shouldn't have been enough to knock him unconscious. Junior also seemed to be having a bit trouble carrying him. Applejack chased after the two but made sure to keep her distance. From the corner of her eye, she spotted Rodan and Mosura running across the roof tops. She noticed how their jumps weren't acrobatic as usual and their jumping distance was not vast.
"Something ain't right," Applejack muttered to herself.
"AJ! Wait up!" called Rainbow Dash as the rest of the girls and Spike chased after her. Applejack watched as the Transmutants continued to pass through the town. After a few a minutes of chasing, they soon found the Transmutants fleeing off to the train station. The train was in the process of moving as it began to whistle. Applejack stopped as she watched the Transmutants hop on the cars of the train. They turned to face her with a glare. Junior laughed as he waved to her. Applejack stared in disbelief as the train moved away. Twilight and the others had just arrived at her side, panting.
"Gojira!!" called Twilight as her eyes ran with tears. The Transmutant merely turned away as he walked further up the track. Rainbow Dash grunted as she glared at Rodan in anger. She rushed over towards the ticket window and glared at the man that was behind it.
"Where is that train heading?!" demanded Rainbow.
"Uh...It's heading to Appleloosa and then to Mocks Deep," answered the man nervously. Rainbow's eyes widened. She then furrowed her brows as she made her way back to her friends.
"They're probably gonna hide out in Appleloosa or Mocks Deep. We can't let them get away!" said Rainbow Dash in urgency.
"But, what are we gonna do?! They're super-duper strong! Plus they've gone crazy!" said Pinkie. Rarity shivered as she held her shoulders and stared at the ground. Twilight shook as she stared down at the ground with hard eyes. Applejack glared at the train that fled.
"Something just ain't sitting right me. Why would Goji and the others suddenly start hurting innocent people? Especially Mosura out of all of them." said Applejack as she shook her head. "I saw that girl toss a guy into the air. That's not like her," said Applejack. Fluttershy gasped as her face turned to dread.
"Do you think that maybe...they're being mind controlled or something?" asked Fluttershy. Twilight shot her head up with a gasp.
"Wait that must be it! Whatever the problem was that they were called for, I think it may have something to do with their actions! It just has to be!" said Twilight. Despite a lack of solid evidence for this theory to remain close to fact, it was the only thing that they were able to go off on. In fact, it was the only explanation that Twilight wanted to accept.
"But...who could possibly be controlling them?" asked Rarity. The Element Bearers were silent, unable to come up with a response.
"Well, we can figure that out when we get our friends back!" said Pinkie. The others nodded in agreement. Twilight turned to Spike and held him by his shoulders.
"Spike, I need you to remain home," said Twilight.
"But Twilight, I want to help!" protested Spike.
"No, it's too dangerous! Besides, I need you here to send a message to the princess.  Tell her what happened and that we need her help and to meet us at Appleloosa or Mocks deep," said Twilight in urgency. Spike reluctantly nodded.
"OK. Be careful, Twi," said Spike as he turned and rushed home. He gritted his teeth in frustration, wishing that he could do more to help. Twilight turned to face her friends with a hard stare.
"Girls, the balloon," said Twilight.




Location: Zebrabwe. One day ago...

A woman soldier stood at attention in darkness as she stared at Onyx. The female soldier was Neighponese and had short, black hair and brown eyes.
"So, you say that the Rebels had formed an alliance with the Transmutant known as 'Lucky Dragon'?" questioned Onyx. The woman nodded.
"Yes sir. Our agents have witnessed them cooperating, planning on taking down the organization," said the woman. Onyx nodded as he smiled in approval.
"Excellent, Namikawa. You have done well," said Onyx. The woman nodded.
"Thank you, sir," said Namikawa. She cleared her throat. "With your permission sir, I wish to carry out an assassination on the Transmutants as soon as possible,"
"Eager are we? I don't blame you. These monsters must be destroyed as soon as possible," said Onyx. He then rubbed his chin. "But how will you draw him?"
"He's trying to play this role as a hero, sir. All I need to do is use trouble to lure him," said Namikawa. Onyx hummed.
"I see. Well, you have not failed us before. Very well, I shall assign you a platoon to be under your command. But, I ask that you not let MONARCH's presence be known to anybody in Equestria," said Onyx. Namikawa saluted the man.
"Understood sir!" said Namikawa.
"Dismissed," said Onyx. Namikawa then stepped out of the dark room. A small ray of light reached the room but immediately faded as the door closed. Onyx narrowed his eyes.
"How long have you been here?" asked Onyx. The sound of footsteps reached his ears. He turned and found a cloaked figure standing in the small amount of light in the room.
"I am always here, my apprentice," said a raspy voice. Onyx spotted the chin and mouth of a wrinkly old man that stood in the shadows. His black hood obscured his red-orange eyes. The old man shook his head.
"You've grown careless, my dear boy," said the old man.
"Whatever do you mean, Master Thanatos?" questioned Onyx. The old man scoffed.
"Onyx, you nitwit!" shouted Thanatos as he forced his hand forward and caused a black, green and purple magic aura to push the Director of MONARCH's military to the wall of the room. The man grunted in pain as he lied pinned to the wall. The old man stalked close to him as he clenched his aura covered hand, crushing Onyx.
"Your arrogance has blinded you!" said Thanatos as he released Onyx. The Elf coughed as he felt around his body.
"Master...I know why you are upset, but rest assured, everything is going according to plan!" said Onyx. "Myself and the rest of the order have worked feverishly on this plan for years! We've set contingencies for any failures and deterrents that may try to interfere with his return!"
"It better be. We have been most fascinated by your brilliance so far. We are counting on you to help guarantee us being able to open the gates,"
"We will," said Onyx in reassurance. Thanatos nodded.
"Good. But now, we need you to be able to create more pain and suffering. I want you to order an assault on the Transmutant Revolutionaries' home base in Neighpon. I want the soldiers and the Transmutants to suffer in this battle. I want the aftermath to be horrific. I want the important ones to be angry and afraid. Only then, will we be closer to our goal," said Thanatos. He then looked down in thought. “I want you to also deploy the girl, Sunset Shimmer on the mission to Equestira. I wish to see how much stronger that she has become with the improvements that I had made with her,”
“Yes, master,” Said Onyx as he bowed. Thanatos then walked over towards a mech that remained locked in place. Thanatos darkly smiled at the mech.
"Ah Kiryu. Such a magnificent creation. I sense much anger and suffering from this machine," said Thanatos. Kiryu's eyes glowed red as the head slightly twitched.
"Ta-Ta-Target sighted. Identification: Unknown," said Kiryu in a distorted voice. The mech convulsed, causing the gears that held it in place to creak. Thanatos laughed diabolically as he clapped his hands together. Kiryu's head twitched as it stared at Onyx and Thanatos.
"Go to hell," said Kiryu in a deep and raspy voice. Thanatos continued to laugh at the machine.
"Once we're through, I am going to leave you to rust in the deepest hole," said Thanatos as he turned away and began to walk back into the shadows. "Have Kiryu take part in the assault,"
"It shall be done, master," said Onyx. He turned back to the machine and made his hand to glow with the aura of dark magic. Kiryu turned to face its head to face him.
"Yo-You're- You're going to die like me," whispered Kiryu in its raspy and distorted tone.
"Maybe one day. But we will have accomplished our mission by then," retorted Onyx.
"Don't count on-" Kiryu's voice died down as he Onyx waved his aura covered hand over the mech's snout. The red eyes changed back to being yellow. The mech slightly whirred.
"Friendly sighted. Identification: Director Onyx," said Kiryu in its normal, computer tone. Onyx nodded in approval.
"The spirit is such a nuisance. No matter. He shall remain in his comatose state, for now at least." Onyx said to himself. He then cleared his throat. "Kiryu, you were damaged in battle by the target, Lucky Dragon. We have fully repaired you and have taken care of the problem that caused you to malfunction,"
"Will I be deployed soon, Director?" questioned the mech in a monotone voice.
"Yes you will, Kiryu. We have updated your software to help you analyze the attacks of your opponent. This will help you calculate counter measures in a more efficient manner,"
"Understood, Director. When will I be deployed for the mission?" asked Kiryu.
"Within a day," said Onyx.




Later...

Namikawa stood before thirty soldiers who stood at attention. Among the ranks were Sunset Shimmer and Erika Shirigami. Namikawa looked sternly to the soldiers.
"Soldiers, you have all been selected to take part in a secret mission. A mission that will not be discussed to others outside of this platoon." said Namikawa as she paced around the front of the platoon. "Today, we have orders to travel into Equestrian territory for an assassination of the Transmutant, Lucky Dragon,"
The soldiers all murmured to each other in shock and surprise. Sunset's eyes widened in shock.
"Ma'am, how could we possibly infiltrate Equestria if MONARCH is under a treaty that forbids it from having its influence in the nation?" asked Erika.
"That's why it is a secret mission, soldier. These orders come from the Director himself. Our agents tell us that the Rebels are in league with the menace and are planning something big. With Transmutants on their side, the rebels can become damn near unstoppable," said Namikawa. She then faced the rest of the soldiers. "We will only be on the edge of the country for this mission. We can't risk being seen,"
"But then how will we find him?" asked Sunset. Namikawa gave her a hard stare.
"We won't have to. He will come to us," said Namikawa.
"How?"
"You don't need to know, soldier," said Namikawa in a stern tone. Sunset Shimmer went silent.
"Understood, ma'am," said Sunset. Namikawa nodded in approval and turned to face a small ship that sat in the harbor.
"Move out!" ordered Namikawa as her eyes flashed green for a brief second. The soldiers began to march up to the ship, feeling wary about this mission, but they swallowed their fear and made stopping a dangerous Transmutant and some rebels their goal. A sinister smile appeared on Namikawa's face. Sunset and Erika shrugged as they glanced at each other. The Elf hardened her eyes as she steeled herself, vowing to not lose to Lucky Dragon again.




Present day...

"What the hell do you mean that you didn't call us?" demanded Junior as Amber sat perched on his shoulder. He stood with his fellow Transmutants in the throne room with Yoshi, Koizumi and Celestia inside. The princess and two rebels looked at him in confusion. Yoshi shrugged.
"I don't know how much clear that I can be. I never called you for help. Everything is fine," said Yoshi. Mosura scoffed.
"But you called me on your COM like hours ago! You said, and I quote, 'Yasu, the princess wants to see you and the other Transmutants immediately. It is important'. End quote," deadpanned Mosura. Yoshi looked at her in confusion.
"I haven't even used the COM today. Hell, I don't even remember calling you," said Yoshi. Koizumi rubbed his chin in thought.
"You were sleeping longer than usual today. Maybe you sleep called her?" suggested Koizumi. Rodan groaned in exasperation.
"Are you saying that I left home and I squandered my afternoon with Dash because of a sleep call?!" demanded Rodan. Junior sighed as he rubbed his forehead.
"And I left Twilight for nothing when I was helping her study Neighponese. Freaking great," said Junior.
"I...I suppose it was my fault. I apologize," said Yoshi as he bowed.
"Well, at least nothing is wrong. We should be happy about that at least," said Mosura. Celestia nodded in agreement.
"My thoughts exactly, Mosura," said Celestia. Junior sighed.
"Well, I guess we'll just head on back home. Come on guys," said Junior. Amber fluttered off of him and looked at Junior.
"I'm actually going to stay here for a while. I've been meaning to talk to Caesar and my sisters. I'll see you all later at home," said Amber. Junior nodded.
"OK," said Junior. The Transmutants started to walk away but Celestia stepped in front of them.
"Allow me to provide a chariot for you. It'll be faster to travel through air rather than train," said Celestia. Junior smiled.
"Thanks," said Junior. After waiting a few minutes, a chariot was prepped for the Transmutant Four. They boarded the transport that was being pulled by Pegasi and were taken across the land. Junior slumped in his seat. He felt a small ache come from his head, causing him to lightly grunt. His eyes shot wide open as he stared motionless. He shook his head with a look of confusion.
"Huh,"
"Something wrong?" asked Angirasu.
"No. No, I think it's just my imagination," said Junior with a shrug. He hummed in thought.
'Something felt off. Like there's trouble brewing. Nah, it might be a headache,' thought Junior. The chariot began to soar further over the land, nearing the Everfree forest.
Back in Canterlot, Celestia stood with Koizumi and Yoshi outside where Junior and the others had departed. She held a look of wonder on her face. She lightly frowned.
"Why do I feel a sudden chill?" asked Celestia.
"You mean like a bad feeling?" asked Koizumi.
"Yes. I feel like, something is wrong," said Celestia with a nod. Suddenly, a mist of green flame appeared before her, causing her to jump in surprise as a scroll formed from the flames. The scroll fell down from the air, which Celestia immediately caught.
"A letter sent by Spike," said Celestia. She wondered what her faithful student had written to her about. She began to read through the letter, her eyes widening as she read through it. She gasped in shock.
"No, that's impossible!" said Celestia.
"What's wrong?" asked Yoshi in a worried tone.
"Spike claims that Junior and the others were attacking Ponyville a few minutes ago. He said that they fled on board a train to Appleloosa or possibly Mocks Deep!" said Celestia.
"But they just left over ten minutes ago! I can still see them!" said Koizumi in confusion as he looked through a pair of military binoculars. "There's no way they got there that fast and were able to cause destruction that quickly!"
"He also says that Twilight and her friends went after them! This doesn't make any sense! How can there be..." Celestia stopped herself as her eyes widened in realization. She glanced at the corner of her eye and caught sight of a maid peeking her head through the door. The maid immediately hid behind the door and ran. Koizumi and Yoshi caught sight of her as she fled.
"After her!" cried Celestia as she pointed towards the door way.




Later...

The Transmutant Four had just disembarked from the chariot that had brought them to the edge of the Everfree. They thanked the guard as he commanded the pegasi to once again take flight. The Guardians began to walk across the road. Junior broke off from the group and began to jog.
"Hey, I'm going to go see Twilight. I'll catch you guys later at home!" said Junior. They nodded to him in response.
"Alright, we'll see you at home," said Mosura with a small smile. They waved to him as he took off towards the town. Angirasu sighed in disappointment.
"Fluttershy may not need any help from me right now," said Angirasu. Rodan looked at him with a raised brow.
"So, go see her," said Rodan as he pointed to the direction where the Valkyrie lived. Angirasu looked over to the direction with a frown.
"I don't know. She uh...she might be bothered with me if I were to just drop by now," said Angirasu. Rodan scoffed in annoyance.
"As if! Dude, I don't know what your deal is. I mean, she's asked you to hang out with her for a while now! You've had lunch together and you helped her with some chores," said Rodan. He groaned in annoyance.
"At least she doesn't take long naps in the afternoon! I can't go back because Rainbow is sleeping!" said Rodan. Mosura rolled her eyes.
"Aang, don't be afraid to drop by her place. I'm sure she would appreciate the visit," said Mosura with a small smile. Angirasu nodded in response.
"Yeah. You're right," said Angirasu with a look of determination. "I'll drop by for a visit,"
"Ask her to be your girlfriend while you're at it. You've had plenty of opportunities before, now's the time!" deadpanned Rodan. Angirasu looked away from embarrassment.
"I don't...want to put her in an awkward spot. I mean, it would be nice-" Angirasu's train of thought was interrupted as he spotted Junior rushing back to the group with a frantic expression.
"Gojira?" called Angirasu. Junior stopped a few feet away from them and began to pant.
"Guys, something happened when we were gone!" said Junior.
"What? What is it?" asked Mosura as she caught the anxiety that was radiating off of Junior.
"There were holes in the wall of buildings and destroyed carriages everywhere! People started freaking out when they saw me coming!" said Junior. He sighed in frustration as he pulled his hair. "I should've stayed behind when that call came in! One of us should have stayed!"
"Goji, relax!" said Rodan.
"Wait, why were people running away from you?" asked Mosura.
"I don't know. They just saw me coming when I was walking down the road and started screaming," answered Gojira with a deep sigh. Mosura looked out to the town in worry.
"We should probably go down there and see what happened," said Mosura. As she was about to step over towards the town, but stopped as Apple Bloom rushed over towards them. She bore a frantic expression.
"Gojira! My big sister is in trouble!" cried Apple Bloom. Junior knelt down and looked at her worriedly.
"What?! What happened?!" asked Junior. Apple Bloom was on the verge of tears as she wrapped the Transmutant into a hug.
"Sh-She and Twilight and the others were taken away by a guy with guns and black armor! And-"
Junior's eyes widened in horror at the description she gave him. There was only one group of people with access to the kind of weaponry that no one else had.
"MONARCH," growled Junior. He pulled away from Apple Bloom with a serious expression. "Why were they kidnapped?"
"I don't know! But I heard them say that they were taking them to Mocks Deep. Please, save my big sister!" cried Apple Bloom. Junior nodded to her as he stood up to his feet. He clenched his fist as he stared off to the train station.
"Don't worry, we'll get them back," said Junior as he approached the train station. Mosura rushed over to him and stopped in front of him.
"Gojira wait! We shouldn't go after them alone! We should ask for Yoshi's help!" said Mosura. Junior glared at her.
"We can't wait! Twilight and the others are in danger and it could be our fault!" argue Junior.
"Yeah, Mosu! We gotta go now while they're still in Equestria!" said Rodan in agreement.
"But it could be a trap! Besides, why would MONARCH suddenly want risk being caught just to get to us? It doesn't make any sense!" said Mosura. She then glanced at Apple Bloom, a thought crossing her mind. She noticed an unusual scent coming from off of the child. It was completely foreign and had no trace of the scent that the Transmutant was able to associate with being the child's.
"Wait a minute..." Mosura muttered to herself. Junior groaned in exasperation.
"Look, we'll deal with that when we've-" Junior was interrupted as Mosura brushed past him. Mosura knelt down in front of Apple Bloom.
"Apple Bloom, what are you doing outside today?" asked Mosura.
"I...I was playing with my friends," answered Applebloom.
"Right," said Mosura as she did a quick scan through the girl's memories. She then placed on a small smile. "It's funny because I was at your house yesterday for dinner. Applejack was kind enough to invite me after helping you study for your retake on a math test next week. She told me that you were actually grounded because you were too busy playing with your friends instead of studying. That means, you were supposed to be home,"
"What does-" Junior looked at her in confusion.
"I admit it! I snuck out and went to play with my friends! But please just save my sister!" cried Apple Bloom as she lowered her head in shame. Mosura kept her eyes narrowed.
"That's funny because I was lying," said Mosura. The male Transmutants and child looked to her in confusion. "You weren't grounded. I helped you studied a couple days before and you passed your test yesterday. I was invited over to eat in celebration,"
"I uh..." Apple Bloom looked at the Transmutant nervously. Mosura glared at the child.
"You're not Apple Bloom," said Mosura as she used her telekinetic power to levitate the child into the air. Apple Bloom yelped as she was held up above the ground.
"What are you doing?!" demanded Junior.
"She's a changeling," said Mosura as she used her power to slightly crush the child. She yelped in pain as she felt the invisible force crushing her. Suddenly, the child was engulfed in green flames and transformed into a small-sized Changeling. The male Transmutants looked on in shock. Mosura dropped the Changeling to the ground, who grunted in pain.
"Her scent was off and I did a quick scan of her memories. Some of their strongest Changelings were posing as us to frame us. The girls went after our doubles and are now heading to Mocks Deep. They were trying to bait us for a Changeling trap by telling us that MONARCH soldiers kidnapped them!" said Mosura. Junior glared at the Changeling that lied on the ground. He growled angrily at the insect as he grabbed her by the neck.
"I should squash you like the bug that you are right now!" growled Junior.
"You'll pay for interfering with our plan in taking over Equestria!" grunted the Changeling as she clawed at Junior's hand. The Transmutant tossed her to the ground, but the Changeling laughed to herself. "Even if you rescue your friends from our Queen, you'll still be hated by the humans of this town,"
"Not if we have someone to testify that we were framed," said Mosura as she raised her hand at the Changeling. The insect gasped as she suddenly slumped down on the ground, unconscious. Mosura sighed as she shook her head. Junior merely growled.
"Look, we'll go after them. But I want to make a call to Yoshi first," said Mosura as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a COM piece. Junior nodded to her.
"OK. Come on, let's tie her up in the lair and go get our friends back," said Junior with a hard expression.
"Oh, those bugs are going to regret it!" said Rodan as he punched his fist into his palm. Angirasu nodded in agreement.




Two hours later...

The Element Bearers, excluding Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, were sitting in a pink hot air balloon with purple markings all around it. The two Valkyries flew with ropes wrapped around their waists as they towed the balloon across the air, giving it more speed. The girls in the basket looked down at the ground and found the train to be running across the land. They passed Appleloosa just an hour ago and were now flying through the Macintosh Hills, which were tall mountains that stood near the train tracks in the middle of nowhere. The Valkyries were growing exhausted from the flight, but Rainbow Dash pressed on.
"Go ahead and take a break Fluttershy. I got this!" said Rainbow Dash as she picked up her speed. Fluttershy nodded as she fluttered herself into the basket with her friends. She slumped down as she panted.
"This...*Huff*...this is the longest...*Huff*...I've ever flew," panted Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash continued to fly faster as she towed the air balloon further. Twilight made her way to the front of the basket with a look of worry.
"Rainbow Dash, don't push yourself! You should rest!" said Twilight. Rainbow grunted in response and kept going. The air balloon succeeded in passing all of the mountains that were in the area. Now, Mocks Deep was just a few more miles away. Rainbow Dash pressed on as she glanced down at the train that the Transmutants had boarded. She could only make out Junior alone, crouching on the train car.
'There better be an explanation for-" Rainbow's thoughts were interrupted as she felt a sharp pain in her wing. She yelped in pain as her wing lost its full range of motion. A popping sound was heard from her wing. Rainbow screamed as she abruptly fell from the air.
"Rainbow Dash!!" cried the other Element Bearers as they peeked over the basket. Applejack tightened her grip on the rope that was tied to Rainbow's waist and planted her feet firmly down. She felt a strong tug, resulting in Applejack to slightly stumble. Twilight wrapped her arms around Applejack's waist, preventing the Earthbound from falling over the edge of the balloon. Applejack panted as she stared at Rainbow, who dangled with her arms and legs hanging under her. The Valkyrie sighed in relief.
"Um...I think a break sounds good right about now," Rainbow tittered nervously.
"Easy does it, sugar cube," said Applejack as she reeled the rope back inside of the basket, allowing Rainbow to be carried up. They brought the Valkyrie over the basket and sat her down. Rainbow winced.
"Ow! Ow! Careful, I sprained my wing!" hissed Rainbow as she rocked herself. Twilight sighed.
"I told you not to push yourself," said Twilight as she knelt next to Rainbow. Fluttershy removed her sweater and began to straighten it out. She knelt next to the Valkyrie and gently tied it around the wing.
"If I didn't then we would lose them. But now we're definitely going to," said  Rainbow Dash with a look of dejection. Pinkie peaked over the basket with a pair of binoculars in her hand.
"I don't think so! They just jumped off of the train!" said Pinkie as she pointed to where she was looking. Twilight looked at her in surprise.
"Let me see!" said Twilight as she went over to Pinkie's side. The Earthbound handed her the binoculars, allowing the Elf to look through them. Twilight spotted the Transmutants and watched them as they ran towards a smaller mountain and hid themselves in a cave.
"We're taking this balloon down!" said Twilight.



The Element Bearers found themselves on the ground just a mile away from the mountain. They moved at a quick pace on the ground as they ran towards the mountain. As they continued running, they grew much closer. Soon, they had made their way towards the mountain that stood wide but not as tall as the others. Twilight stared at it as she found a cave opening, where she had seen the Transmutants entered, but she gulped nervously. Rarity walked to her side with a look of worry.
"Twilight...what if...what if they aren't being controlled? What if they really did turn on us?" asked Rarity. She hated bringing up the thought, especially when she had actually formed a genuine friendship with Junior, but she had to consider all possibilities.
"I don't believe they would. Not by their own will," said Twilight as she hardened her eyes. She ran towards the opening of the mountain with her friends trailing behind her. Twilight stopped as she found herself inside of the cave by just a few feet. Her friends stopped at her side as they looked around the dark cave. It ran deep inside with crowded walls. The Element Bearers cautiously paced themselves inside the cave, looking all around. A few walls had openings that led into different chambers. The sound of water dripping was heard as they continued their search. Their heartbeats were steady but then slowly picked up speed as sounds of footsteps reached them. They gasped as they turned to the direction of the sound. Twilight raised her hand as a raspberry colored glow illuminated around her hand, lighting their way.
"He-Hello? Gojira?" called Twilight, her voice echoed in the darkness. No response came. The girls all gulped nervously.
"Angirasu? Darling?" called Rarity.
"Mosu?" called Applejack.
"Ro-Rodan? Eep!" Fluttershy hid behind Pinkie as she hid her face behind her hair. The sound of a loud click filled the air, causing everyone to stiffen at the sudden noise.
"What was that?!" whispered Pinkie.
"Don't move. Put your hands where I can see them," ordered a male voice.
"But how? You just told us not to move," said Pinkie as she and the other girls kept their backs turned on the figure that was behind them.
"What? No, just put your hands in the air and don't move from where you're standing!" said the man in annoyance.
"Geez, make up your mind, Mr. Grumpy Pants!" said Pinkie as she and the others raised their hands into the air. Their hearts pounded in their chests as they stood by nervously. From the shadows came MONARCH soldiers with their rifles raised at the Element Bearers. Their eyes widened in shock.
"Shit! This is bad," said a woman as she kept her rifle pointed at Applejack.
"What are MONARCH soldiers doing here in Equestria?!" demanded Twilight.
"Yeah and where are our friends?!" demanded Rainbow as she stepped closer to one of the soldiers. A man cocked the shotgun that he held in his hand and pointed back at Rainbow. She gasped as the muzzle was just inches from her face.
"Back up," ordered the man. Rainbow glared at him as she stepped away from the soldier.
"What should do with them?" asked one of the soldiers as she looked at Sunset by her side. From the shadows emerged Namikawa. She bore a neutral expression as she stared at Twilight Sparkle.
"Cuff them. I don't want any of them out of our sight until we can figure out what to do," ordered Namikawa. Sunset Shimmer lowered her rifle and pulled out a pair of hand cuffs. Erika emerged from the shadows along with a couple of other soldiers. Soon, the Element Bearers were handcuffed. Twilight stared at Sunset Shimmer in shock before glancing at Erika.
"You two were in Ponyville during the attack," said Twilight with wide eyes. Sunset glanced at her.
"What? You want a prize or something?" asked Sunset in a sarcastic tone. Namikawa looked at her curiously.
"You know these girls?" questioned the soldier.
"Not really. Shiragami and I were deployed into Ponyville before for security against Transmutant threats. Apparently these girls had a close relationship with Lucky Dragon and the other three." answered Sunset. She then looked at Twilight with a smirk.
"Crazy how you can put them in a group of normal people and you wouldn't know which one was the Transmutant. That's what it was like searching for them,"
"If I recall, she's not exactly normal either," said Rainbow Dash as she glanced at Erika. Sunset glared at Rainbow and got in her face.
"You leave her alone! She's proved to have more humanity than the others!" said Sunset. Rainbow narrowed her eyes at the Elf.
"Then don't talk about our friends like they're monsters,"  retorted Rainbow. Erika made her way over to Sunset's side and slightly pulled her away.
"It's alright. Calm down," whispered Erika. Sunset sighed in response as she kept her glare on Rainbow Dash.
"What are you all doing here?!" demanded Twilight.
"We're going to handle a pest problem. The Transmutants known as Lucky Dragon has been said to have been in league with the Rebels. A band of renegade soldiers who have turned on our organization for their own dastardly plans. We're going to kill Lucky Dragon," answered Namikawa. Twilight's eyes widened as she glared at the soldier.
"You stay away from him," growled Twilight. Namikawa's eyes slightly widened but then she smirked.
"You must be quite close to this wanted creature. I think you'll be useful," said Namikawa. She then came closer to Twilight as she pulled out a small knife. Twilight lightly gasped as the knife was held close to her cheek. Erika's eyes widened as she watched Namikawa cut Twilight's cheek. The Elf cried out as she cupped her cheek as it started to bleed.
"Twilight!" cried her friends. The soldiers looked at Namikawa in disbelief at the act. Erika glared at her.
"Why did you do that?! She's a civilian! She poses no threat to us!" said Erika angrily.
"Hold your tongue, soldier!" said Namikawa as she glared at the Transmutant. Erika growled under her breath as she kept her glare on Namikawa. Sunset held her by the shoulder, shaking her head at the Transmutant. Erika loosened her tensed shoulders but kept her glare. Fluttershy was looking over Twilight's cheek with worry filling her eyes. Twilight was slightly panting as she felt the cut sting as air touched it. She stared at her shaking hand, finding it to be stain with the crimson bodily fluid.
"She didn't cut you too deep. It shouldn't scar but I'm worried about an infection," said Fluttershy as she released Twilight. The Valkyrie turned and glared at Namikawa along with the rest of the girls.
"Don't worry. The knife was clean," said Namikawa. She then grabbed Twilight by her shoulder as she gave her a hard stare. Twilight tried to pull away but the soldier shook her by the shoulder. Before Applejack and Rainbow could intervene, the soldiers warned them with a glare as they held the muzzles of their rifles closer to them.
"If you're as close to Lucky Dragon as you all claim, perhaps you can lure him over to us," said Namikawa.
"Never," said Twilight as she glared at the soldier.
"You don't have a choice. A predator like him will catch the smell of your blood. I already had some operatives draw him over to this region. It shouldn't be hard for him to smell your blood," said Namikawa. Twilight gritted her teeth as she stared at the soldier angrily. Namikawa turned to face the soldiers.
"Get the Diamond Buster Rockets," ordered Namikawa. The soldiers nodded as they moved through the cave and opened crates filled with rocket launchers and pointed rocket heads. The soldiers loaded the rockets into the double barrels of the launchers. Namikawa, Sunset Shimmer and Erika entered the cave as the remaining soldiers ushered the Element Bearers outside. The soldiers led the girls over to a secure corner and sat them down on the ground.
"I don't want to hear a peep out of their mouths," said Namikawa as she tied Twilight's mouth with a rag. The girl was forced to the ground with their friends as their mouths were covered as well. Namikawa looked to Sunset and Erika with a hard stare.
"Remember, I want him dead," said Namikawa.
"Understood," said Sunset and Erika in unison. Despite what she said, Erika was reluctant to go on with the plan as she glanced at the human civilians that were cuffed and gagged.




Meanwhile...

Junior held onto Rodan's neck as the Transmutant soared into the air in his dragon-bird form. Rodan gave a roar as his wings allowed him to fly at high speed. The wind brushed against Junior's face, causing him to close his eyes. Mosura flew by Rodan's side with Angirasu holding onto her back. The Transmutants were currently flying passed Macintosh Hills. They flew lower to the ground, where Junior was able to pick up a scent. He closed his eyes as he continued to sniff the air. It was the smell of copper with a hint of iron that was too familiar to him. His eyes shot open as he caught another scent that was related to the coppery smell.
"Land near that mountain!" said Junior as he pointed towards a small mountain.
"What?" questioned Rodan in confusion.
"I think I caught Twilight's scent! Do it!" said Junior anxiously. Rodan nodded.
"Hold on!" said Rodan as he turned to the side, allowing himself to turn in the direction of the mountain. Mosura and Angirasu pursued after them. After the next minute, the Transmutants landed on the ground near the base of the mountain. Angirasu and Junior hopped off of Rodan and Mosura. They all slowly walked over towards the mountain as they searched the area.
"I can smell Twilight. Shit, I think she's hurt," said Junior worriedly.
"Why's that?" asked Angirasu.
"I can smell her blood," answered Junior as he narrowed his eyes. He walked closer to the mountain, but Mosura grabbed his arm with her claws.
"Wait, do you smell that?" asked Mosura. Junior stopped and began to sniff the area again. His eyes widened.
"There are more humans in the area," said Angirasu as he sniffed the air as well.
"But there should be Changelings, right?" asked Rodan. The sound of gun fire filled the air. The Transmutants yelped in surprise as the magic bolts soared towards them. Junior rushed to cover behind a rock as did Angirasu. Mosura took the shots as did Rodan.
"Good thing I left the sweater that Rarity gave to me at home," Junior muttered to himself as he looked down at his shirt. It bore a couple of holes from the bolts that struck him in the side and exposed wounds that were slowly healing.
"What the hell is MONARCH doing here?!" exclaimed Rodan as he and Mosura took cover with the other two Transmutants.
"We can ask them when we've kicked their-" Angirasu was interrupted as a rocket exploded against the rock that they were taking cover behind. It suddenly burst into pieces, knocking the Transmutants to the ground.
"Ah shit!" exclaimed Rodan as he took off into the air. He gave a screeching roar as he dive bombed towards the soldiers. He caught a man with his clawed feet and carried him off. The man cried out as he shot erratically through the air. Rodan released him, allowing the soldier to fall to the ground, leaving him injured from the fall. Junior and Angirasu hopped out of cover as they rushed towards nearby boulders for cover. Junior turned to face Mosura.
"Go find Twi and the others! We'll take care of these assholes!" said Junior. Mosura nodded to him.
"OK! Be careful!" said Mosura as she took off into the air. She flew past several bolts of magic that were shot at her. She gasped as she spotted Erika hurtling towards her through the air with her arms forged into bony clubs. Before the Transmutants could collide, Rodan caught Erika by the waist with his beak. Erika cried out in pain as the sharp teeth punctured her through her skin. Rodan flew passed Mosura and flew down towards the ground. He released Erika and allowed her to crash onto the ground. The Transmutant grunted as she rolled along the ground and dirt. Rodan landed as he glared at the Transmutant.
"I got a bone to pick with you, sister," said Rodan as he flared his wings. Erika glared at the Transmutant as she turned her clubbed arms into claws.
"I have my orders," said Erika. She yelled as she charged towards the bird-dragon. Rodan roared as he flew towards her. He lowered his foot down and caught Erika by her arm as she swiped at him. The female Transmutant swiped at his leg with her free hand, causing Rodan to screech in pain. He released Erika, allowing her to slam against a boulder. Rodan landed on the ground and plunged his beak towards her. Erika dodged the attack, the beak pierced through the stone. Rodan pulled his beak out and attempted to peck at Erika again, but she morphed her claws back into hands and punched the Transmutant against his cheek. Rodan roared as he swiped a claw at her, causing her to bleed from the attack. As she clutched her side, Rodan hopped as he flapped his wings to keep himself airborne and kicked Erika a few feet away.
As Junior and Angirasu rushed towards the closest soldiers, they blocked any punches that were thrown at them. Angirasu punched a soldier against his helmet, knocking him down to the ground. Junior swiped a man's punch away and then sent a powerful blow into his belly. The force from the punch stopped the soldier's heart, causing him to drop to the ground dead.
"Bastard!" cried a female soldier. Junior turned to find a Valkyrie charging towards him with a sword in her hand. As she swung the weapon at him, the Transmutant caught her wrists. Junior narrowed his eyes as he applied pressure to her wrists. The woman cried out in pain as she dropped to her knees while the Transmutant crushed her wrists. Junior knelt down at her as he kept a menacing glare on her. She stared fearfully into his eyes as his irises grew in size and as it became more reptile-like.
"Where are the girls?" asked Junior in a growling voice. The soldier spat in his face.
"Go to hell you freak!" shouted the woman. Junior narrowed his eyes. He stood up to his feet and then threw the soldier against a boulder. She cried out in pain as she fell to the ground, limp. Junior felt a magic bolt strike him in his back, causing him to whip around with a look of anger. Ahead of him was Sunset Shimmer. She held a rifle pointed at him as she smirked. His eyes widened in shock.
"You're not dead," said Junior in shock. He then narrowed his eyes. "You're supposed to be dead,"
"Don't sound so disappointed. You're gonna hurt my feelings," said Sunset with a smirk. "Now, let's finish what we started,"
"My thoughts exactly," said Junior as he charged towards the Elf. Sunset pulled the trigger of her rifle, firing multiple shots at the Transmutant. Junior grunted as the bolts struck him in his chest and belly. After several shots, Sunset ran out of ammo.
"Shit!" cursed Sunset as she dropped her rifle and pulled out her pistol. As Junior approached her, he sent a punch. Sunset side stepped away and kicked him in his side. Junior turned and lunged at the Elf, but she merely teleported and appeared a few feet behind him. She fired several times from her pistol at Junior's back. He yelled as he picked up a large rock and threw at the Elf. Sunset ducked under the stone and found him charging towards her. Sunset vanished again, reappearing behind him. Sunset fired her three last shots at him and tossed her pistol away. Sunset yelled as she charged towards him and her hands were engulfed in an aura. She sent a magical punch against Junior's jaw, causing him to be forced against a boulder. He slammed his fist into the boulder, causing it to crack and for his hand to burst through. He turned away from it performed a roundhouse kick towards the Elf. Sunset ducked under the attack and fired a beam of magic into his chest. Junior cried out in agony as the magic burned his chest and knocked him to the ground. Sunset panted as she raised her fists up. Junior growled as he stood back up. But, the Elf had teleported behind him and had placed him in a head lock.
"I swear you've gotten taller," said Sunset as she struggled to get her feet back onto the ground. Junior grunted in annoyance.
"For the last time, I did!" shouted Junior as he grabbed Sunset by her shoulders and threw her off of his back. Sunset forced her hands towards Junior while in the air and fired another beam of magic. Junior yelled in pain as the beam struck him. Sunset landed on her back with a grunt. She stood up to her feet and sprinted away from the Transmutant that was chasing her.
"Now!" shouted Sunset as she ran past a few boulders. From behind the rocks appeared soldiers with rifles and shotguns. They fired upon Junior, causing him to fall to the ground as he shielded his face. He cried out in agony as the bolts pierced his skin, burning him. He dropped to his knees as the soldiers approached closer to him. Junior growled as his eyes glowed a neon cyan and his belly built up with heat as he felt it trailing up through him. He deeply inhaled and glared at the soldiers as he opened his mouth to unleash his atomic breath. The soldiers were caught in the superheated, concentration of radiation and cried out in agony as they were burned to crisps from the heat. Junior's atomic breath died down and small traces of radiation flowed out of his mouth as he panted. He was suddenly struck from behind by a beam of magic. Junior cried out as he was forced against the building. He dropped to the ground, panting. He attempted to stand but he was shot by another beam of magic and fell back down. Sunset dropped on his chest and wrapped her hands in her magic aura.
"I'll kill you, you son of a bitch!!" screamed Sunset. She began to punch Junior across his face in a relentless fury. She grunted every time her fists connected with his cheeks. The anger that she felt for once again watching her comrades being killed fueled her fighting spirit. The threat was finally right she wanted him. Now she was going to end it, once and for all. Junior did not retaliate against her. The magic enhanced punches sparked against his cheek, placing him in a dazed state. Sunset felt like passing out as she was blinded with the anger that she was feeling towards her foe. Despite him not fighting back, she felt as though he was taunting her. As if he was telling her, 'I can't die'.
"I will win this fight!" shouted Sunset as she punched Junior again and again. "I'm doing this for justice and for the people that you threaten!"
Sunset panted as she stopped punching Junior's face. His cheeks were covered in bruises and blood. They were also covered in burn marks from Sunset’s punches. Junior panted as he looked at her and started to chuckle. Those chuckles escalated into laughter. Sunset slightly recoiled, disturbed by his maniacal laugh. Junior grabbed her shoulder and forced the Elf off of his chest. Sunset rolled away and crouched as she prepared her magic. Junior slowly stood up to his feet as he continued to laugh. Sunset's eyes slightly widened as she spotted the crazed look that he bore.
"You stupid bitch! Justice?!" demanded Junior as he furrowed his brows and glared at her. Sunset recoiled from his tone. Junior staggered back as he wiped his bleeding nose.
"You think just because you're fighting for an organization that calls itself a defender of humanity, it makes you the good girl?!" questioned Junior. He stumbled a bit and nearly fell to the ground, but he managed to regain balance. "It doesn't. Especially for the shit that MONARCH has been doing for these last several years,"
"What do you know about-"
"I know the things you don't!!" shouted Junior. "I know what MONARCH's true purpose is! And what you said, does not fit into this world anymore, nor the intentions of MONARCH,"
"What?" asked Sunset.
"Why do you let so many innocent people die and why are they never avenged? Why are the other Transmutants suffering while I've been living happily for these last two months until this hour? Why does MONARCH have the strings to pull to avoid being caught?" asked Junior as he clutched his head. His anger was tearing him apart inside, so he was unable to think rationally and let his anger do the thinking for him. He then glared at Sunset as he released his head. He then charged towards Sunset as his teeth grew sharp as well as his claws.
"I'll tell you why! It's because there is no justice!!" shouted Junior as he charged towards Sunset Shimmer. The Elf yelled as she charged towards him as well. Sunset dodged Junior's claws as he swiped at her and punched him across the cheek. Junior yelled as he dropped to the ground. The magic sparked him, causing him to drop to the ground in exhaustion. He began to breathe heavily as he stared down at the ground with a dejected expression. Sunset turned around and glared at him.
"You monster," spat Sunset.
"I never asked to be this way," growled Junior and weakly glared at her. "That's something that humans that are like you will never be able to understand, Sunset Shimmer,"
Sunset narrowed her eyes as she levitated a pistol into her grip. She pointed it towards Junior's head as she brought her finger closer to the trigger.
"Goodbye, Lucky Dragon," said Sunset Shimmer in a cold tone. Junior furrowed his brows. As Sunset prepared to pull the trigger, the gun was suddenly engulfed in a raspberry colored aura. She gasped as the pistol flew out of her grip and towards her right. The gun was levitated over to Twilight, who stood with Mosura and the other Element Bearers. Twilight glared at Sunset Shimmer as she took the gun into her hand. Sunset's eyes widened. The scholar merely threw the pistol to the side.
"His name is Gojira," said Twilight in a firm tone. Sunset turned and found that most of the soldiers were unconscious on the ground. Namikawa was nowhere in sight. Sunset gasped as she found Erika being flung towards a boulder nearby, unconscious. Rodan glided down to the ground with Angirasu running around the boulder, both panting with effort.
"That chick was relentless," said Rodan. Angirasu nodded in agreement.
"Ahem." Mosura cleared her throat, catching Sunset's attention.
"I prefer to use attacks that won't kill people. That's how all of these soldiers are suddenly unconscious." said Mosura as she crossed her arms making Sunset growl in response. A sudden bright flash blinded everyone in the area. From the light came several figures. Princess Celestia stood tall among the dozen rebels, including Yoshi and Koizumi, as they emerged from the light. The armor of the rebels bore gold details over their helmets and armor pieces to differentiate them from MONARCH soldiers since only the Slayer units were allowed to have armor that wasn't black or grey. They stared in shock at all of the MONARCH soldiers that laid unconscious. Celestia shook her head as she noticed a few soldiers sluggishly rising.
"Apprehend the soldiers! Take away their weapons!" ordered Celestia. The rebels nodded as they rushed over towards the soldiers. They made their way to the ones that were awakening first. A few of the soldiers gasped as they saw the rebels approaching. One of them reached for a rifle and pointed it at the rebels. Unfortunately, he was shot in the shoulder. The soldier dropped down and cried out in agony. Koizumi chuckled.
"Someone make a note of that man's bravery," said Koizumi as he leaned next to Yoshi. Inoue scoffed in response. The rebels all began to surround the soldiers.
"Get down on the ground!" ordered a rebel as she kept her shot gun pointed at two soldiers. The soldiers, knowing that they were completely surrounded, held their hands over their heads and got on the ground. Celestia walked towards the soldiers as her hand was wrapped in a golden aura. The soldiers' wrists were suddenly locked together by magical handcuffs forged by her magic. As she locked up the soldiers, she looked at them angrily.
"How dare you? How dare all of you?!" shouted Celestia. She glared at all of the soldiers. "I have set a treaty that forbade MONARCH from ever setting foot on Equestrian soil! And here I come to find you all here attempting to assassinate my son and his friends! As if that wasn't enough, you even dared to hold my subjects against their wills in order to get to him!"
"Where is your commanding officer? I wish to-" Celestia stopped as she spotted a familiar face. Her eyes widened and her breath was caught in her throat. Ahead, she spotted Sunset on her knees with her hands held over head with two rebels pointing their rifles at her. The Elf was wearing the standard MONARCH infantry unit armor. Celestia slowly approached the group. Twilight rushed over to Junior's side and helped him to stand on his feet. The Transmutant noticed the cut that was on her cheek and frowned as he pulled Twilight into a hug.
"I'm so sorry," whispered Junior. Twilight hugged him back as she sniffled to herself.
"Mosura explained everything. I'm so glad that you're still yourself," said Twilight.
"Sunset Shimmer? Is...is that you?" called Celestia as she moved closer to the soldier. Twilight and Junior turned their attention to the group that was several feet away. The Transmutants and Element Bearers came closer as they looked on in confusion. Sunset's eyes widened as she heard the voice that spoke to her. She narrowed her eyes and raised her head up to find the Avatar that looked down at her in shock.
"Celestia," spat Sunset.
"Wha-What are you doing here?" asked Celestia. The Element Bearers looked at the two in confusion.
"Wait...what?" asked Rarity.
"She's Celestia's former pupil before Twilight," said Junior in a low tone. Twilight looked at him in shock.
"What?!" asked Twilight.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm a soldier on an assassination mission," answered Sunset coldly. Celestia looked at her in disbelief.
"Sunset...why? Why did you become a soldier? You're-"
"Smart? Yeah well, I was nearly killed by a research specimen when I first started working for MONARCH. So I transferred to being a soldier in hopes of putting my magic to better use. Something that you denied me many years ago," said Sunset as she glared at her former teacher.
"Sunset Shimmer, what I did was for your own good. You were growing arrogant every passing day! I never knew how bad it had gotten when you were attempting to turn yourself into an Avatar!" argued Celestia. The humans and Transmutants all looked on in shock. Sunset gritted her teeth.
"You wronged me when you removed me from my position as your pupil! You threw me out when I all I wanted was to be accepted by others! Just like you!" shouted Sunset. Her eyes were watering. "How can you tell me that it was for my own good when I spent the next few years without anyone?"
"Sunset, there isn't a day that goes by where I hadn’t thought of you. You were like a daughter to me," said Celestia in a soft tone. She knelt down before the soldier with a frown. "Even when I gained a new student, I still missed you. I always hoped that you would return to seek guidance,"
"So...not only did you replace me, but you also had the audacity to think that I was going to seek guidance from you?! The woman who abandoned me when I needed her the most?!" demanded Sunset as she glared hatefully at Celestia. She lowered her arms as she clenched her fist. Celestia felt her eyes well up with tears.
"Sunset, I just-"
"You what?! You thought that by some miracle I was going to have so many friends?! That I was going to forgive and forget what you did to me?!" demanded Sunset. The white in her eyes slowly grew dark. Her pointed ears grew with ragged ends near the tips. Her nails grew long and her teeth turned into fangs. Celestia's eyes widened as she watched the white of her eyes grow darker and the fangs that grew. Sunset Shimmer suddenly stood to her feet and her hands were engulfed in a black, green, and purple aura.
'Dark magic!' thought Celestia. She flapped her wings and ascended into the air, dodging a bolt of magic. The rebels that wear near her backed away and prepared to fire their weapons. But, Sunset turned her attention towards them and used her power to push them away. The humans and Transmutants stared in shock at what had transpired. Celestia landed several feet away from the Elf.
"I won't forgive. Not after what you did and what you've done! You're in league with the rebels and these Transmutants! The real enemy!" shouted Sunset. She felt her body burn all around her. She grunted as she dropped to her knees and clenched her eyes shut. A moderate cyan aura mixed with black began to engulf her body. Her skin burned as she cried out in pain. Tears streamed down her cheeks as the pain grew more agonizing. The tears suddenly evaporated on her skin and a bright flash blinded everyone in the area. Her pale skin turned a brilliant crimson. Her body grew in size and her muscle mass slightly increased. Her voice became echoed as she grunted through the pain. Sunset's back grew large, demonic black wings with a crimson membrane as she stood menacingly in the light. She pulled her helmet as she clutched her aching head. Her tied up hair suddenly burned away the rubber band that held it in a bun and then draped down as it became longer and resembled fire. Her armor fell off, revealing her military coat and jeans underneath that were torn from her slight gain in height and mass. She opened her eyes, revealing the white of her eyes to be black and her pupils to be dilated. Celestia gasped as she stared at her former student’s new form and the dark eyes filled with anger, and hatred. Fluttershy hid behind Angirasu as she trembled with terror while the others looked in shock, fear, and disbelief.
"What in the world is she?" Twilight muttered to herself.
"I'll stop you all before you threaten the innocent with your idiocy!" screamed Sunset Shimmer. She shot up to her feet and charged towards Celestia. The Avatar raised her hands with pleading eyes.
"Sunset stop! Something is wrong with-" Celestia was interrupted as Sunset shot a dark beam of magic that was surrounded by moderate cyan sparks. Celestia projected a very light golden shield that blocked the beam, but as it continued to spray against it, the shield shattered. Celestia rolled away from the beam just before it broke. She stared with wide eyes as Sunset growled.
"I still remember what I learned from the Archives! I've spent years secretly perfecting what I learned about dark magic! Now, I'll use it to put out the false light!" shouted Sunset as she leapt towards to the Avatar. Unbeknownst to Sunset, the wings that were on her back flapped, boosting her through the air. Celestia teleported away from her, only to reappear in the air. Sunset growled angrily as she used her magic to teleport herself. She vanished in a burst of moderate cyan and black flames and reappeared behind Celestia. She shot her hand forward and struck Celestia with a magic bolt. Celestia cried out in pain the bolt struck her side. The Avatar dropped down to the ground and staggered. Sunset Shimmer dropped down behind her and stood as she reared her fist back. She stood to be six foot five in her new height. Celestia gasped as she turned to find Sunset about to strike her with a dark magic enhanced punch. The Avatar caught her by the wrist and forced it away. She then sent her hand toward Sunset's chest and fired a light gold beam of magic. Sunset screamed in pain as she was sent several feet away. She panted as she clutched her burning chest. She snarled as she turned to face Celestia.
"Sunset Shimmer, please don't make me do this! Not again!" pleaded Celestia as her hand was engulfed in her magic aura.
"I'll kill you!" cried Sunset Shimmer as she flew towards the Princess. Celestia gritted her teeth as she placed her hands together and fired another beam of magic. Sunset Shimmer stopped and held her hands forward and fired a beam of her dark magic. The light gold beam collided with the black beam with moderate cyan sparks. Light collided with Darkness. The Transmutants and humans shielded their eyes from the blinding light. The beams sparked as an orb was formed between the two. Sunset Shimmer grunted as she panted her feet on the ground. Her clawed toes dug into the dirt, keeping her stationed. The light began to force the darkness back and towards Sunset Shimmer. The soldier clenched her eyes shut, her tears evaporating when they made contact with her cheeks.
"No!" shouted Sunset as she shot her eyes open. Her hate added more power to her magic, allowing the beam to push back Celestia's. The Avatar's eyes widened as her magic was pushed back. Soon, she was engulfed in an explosion of magic. Celestia's scream pierced the ears of everyone close by. The humans and Transmutants stared in horror.
"Princess Celestia!" cried Twilight.
"No!!" cried Junior as his eyes watered. He dropped to his knees as his heart grew heavy with despair. The light died down and the form of Celestia was seen skidding across the ground, black sparks trailed around her body. Her dress was torn and her hair was slightly singed. The feathers were ruffled and messy, and her body was covered in burns. Her crown fell down to the ground. She panted as she weakly stared up to the sky that was left in a sunset. Sunset Shimmer kept her glare as she stepped over towards the incapacitated Avatar. She knelt down and grabbed her by the ankle, grunting as she threw her against a boulder.
"Gah!" cried Celestia slammed into the rock and fell down to the ground. She moaned as she clutched her aching side and stared weakly at Sunset with tearful eyes.
"Sunny..." Celestia reached a shaking hand towards her former pupil. Her heart filled with remorse and guilt. Her student’s fall from grace happened because she chose to remove her from her castle rather than helping her to overcome her problems. She remembered that dark fateful night where she had removed the young Elf from her position as her pupil. She remembered one specific sentence that Sunset had said to her.
"It...It was the greatest mistake that I..." Celestia's voice became a whisper as she slumped down on the ground, unconscious. Sunset narrowed her eyes as her hand was engulfed in an aura.
"Liar," said Sunset as she pointed her hand towards the woman who had wronged her. Before she could finish her, several bolts of magic flew towards her. Sunset grunted as a few struck her skin, but didn’t penetrate. She turned and found the rebels firing their weapons at her. Yoshi moved forward as he continued to fire.
"Defend the princess!" ordered Yoshi as he continued to fire his rifle. Koizumi pulled out two sub machine guns.
"Get some, bitch!" shouted Koizumi as he fired his weapons and ran towards Sunset. She yelled angrily as the bolts struck her. Yoshi circled her but was caught in her magic aura.
"I'll be glad when you become maggot food, you damn traitor!" shouted Sunset as she glared at her former hero. She began to crush the Earthbound with her magic, causing him to groan in pain as his armor sparked. Koizumi rushed towards Sunset and swung his swords at but was met with a strong kick. He grunted as he rolled away from her and skidded to a halt. Sunset used her magic to knock the rebels down to the ground and then prepared a beam of magic. Before she could raise her hand towards Koizumi, the sound of roaring reached her ears. She turned and found Junior and the other Transmutants rushing towards her in their beast forms. Sunset tossed Yoshi away and fired several bolts of magic that knocked the Transmutants to the ground. Junior, however, remained strong as he continued his charge. Sunset glared at him as she continued to fire her magic bolts. Junior caught every single one as he came closer. He then reared his fist back and brought down on Sunset Shimmer. She rolled away from the attack but felt herself grabbed by her leg. Junior swung her down on the ground and prepared to stomp on her. Sunset raised her hand and fired a beam of magic at his face. Junior roared in pain as he staggered back and shook his head. As Sunset prepared to send another beam, Mosura tackled her to the ground from behind and began to punch her. Sunset yelled angrily and forced the moth off of her. She turned and found Rodan diving towards her. Sunset caught Rodan with her magic and flung him towards a charging Angirasu. She felt more bolts of magic being shot at her from behind. She turned and found Yoshi firing his pistol as he slowly walked up to her. Sunset glared at him and levitated him towards herself. As she brought him close, she glared the face that was hidden behind the visor. However, she lost her glare and her eyes widened as she found a crimson skinned woman staring back at her. It was the demon from her dreams.
"Wha-" Sunset grew fearful as she backed away from Yoshi with wide eyes. She gasped as she saw her raised hand. She never noticed it before, but her skin tone was an unnatural color. Her hands had claws at the end. Sunset hyperventilated as she inspected herself. Her entire body had changed in color and her hair was different. She felt how unnatural her ears felt and she cried out as she spotted the wings on her back. Sunset trembled as she stared at her hands. The sound of the demon from her dreams cackling reached her ears.
"No," whispered Sunset. She was suddenly tackled to the ground and looked up to find Junior glaring and snarling at her. Sunset Shimmer trembled under him as her eyes watered, but her tears evaporated as they reached her cheek. Junior felt the heat from her skin that reached his scales, but he was unaffected by it.
"Please kill me. I'm...I'm a monster," pleaded Sunset as she stared into his eyes. Junior's eyes softened as he stared into them. He saw her anger and hate, but also her fear and despair. Hearing her talk about how she felt wronged and how she was never able to have a true friend prodded his heart and made him feel sympathy for her. As he stared into her eyes, he saw the type of person he used to be. Fearful, angry and alone. Junior lightly frowned as he slowly stood up off of her.
"So am I. Even I had a hard time making friends growing up," said Junior in a soft tone. Sunset began to see familiarity in the Transmutant's eyes as well. She saw his anger, fear, and despair. She recalled how he responded when she called him a monster. It was a stigma that shamed him and he wanted to remove by improving himself, just like Erika and herself. The last line about him struggling to make friends hit home to her as she realized that she wasn't so different compared to the Transmutant.
"Stop what you're doing. You'll only continue to suffer at this rate," said Junior as he held out his hand to the demonness. Sunset looked at his hand and then back up to him. She gritted her teeth as she shakily brought her hand close to his to take.
"I...I..." Sunset struggled to make a decision. She slightly pulled her hand away and clenched it into a fist. She closed her eyes as she shook.
"It's OK," whispered Junior. The humans and Transmutants watched with anticipation as they waited for Sunset's decision. Sunset was about to take Junior's hand, but he suddenly gave an agonized shriek as an explosion struck him in the shoulder. Sunset gasped as she pulled her hand away. Everybody stared in shock as Junior's shoulder had an exposed wound. His scales had been breached, allowing his wound to smoke and bleed. Everyone turned to find where a rocket trailed was left behind. They found Namikawa standing with two rocket launchers levitating beside her. Sunset and the other soldiers stared in shock as Namikawa chuckled darkly. Suddenly, Namikawa was engulfed in green flames. Everyone stared in shock as a female Changeling stood by in possession of the rockets.
"I'm sorely disappointed that not all of you were killed during this battle, but no matter. My Queen mostly wants you specifically to be dead," said the Changeling as she pointed her rocket at Junior.
"Gojira!!" cried the Element Bearers. The Transmutants ran over to Junior's side in attempt to block the rocket.
"No!" shouted Junior as he shoved Rodan and Mosura out of his way. He did the same with Sunset. He then began to push Angirasu, but the Transmutant pushed back. The Changeling began to use her magic to pull the triggers of the rockets as she locked her sights on Junior.
"Aang, get back!" shouted Junior.
"Like hell I'm going to let you get killed!" Angirasu shouted back as he continued to shove Junior. Junior growled in annoyance.
"Goddamit, I said move!" shouted Junior as he punched the Transmutant and pushed him back.
"No!!" cried Angirasu as he fell back on his side with the other Transmutants. Junior turned to face the Changeling that prepared to fire but she never did. Erika appeared behind her, lunging towards her back. The Transmutant brought her bony blade against the Changeling's back and impaled her. She gasped loudly as her magic dropped the rocket launchers on the ground. Erika grunted as she pulled her blade out and shoved the Changeling to the ground. She panted as she dropped to her knees and brought her blade down on the ground. Sunset stared with wide eyes and relief while Erika slowly looked up to her and smiled.
"You might as well stop, Sunset. It's not worth holding on," said Erika. Sunset sniffled as her lips quivered. She lowered her head as the rebels made their way over to her and Erika. Erika changed her hands back to normal as she held them over her head.
"Private Sunset Shimmer and Private Erika Shiragami. You are under arrest," said Yoshi as he held up a pair of glowing hand cuffs. Sunset kept her head lowered as she held out her hands. Sunset and Erika's hands were bounded by the cuffs and remained on their knees along with the MONARCH soldiers that were still alive. The Element Bearers all sighed in relief as well as the Transmutants. Junior clutched his shoulder as Twilight ran to him and stared up at him in worry. He gave her a reassuring smile as he released his wound, finding the tissue to slowly being repaired before the Transmutants tackled him to the ground.
"You jerk! Why couldn't you let us cover you?!" demanded Mosura as she wrapped him into a hug.
"Well, obviously I didn't want you guys to die if Chrysalis only wanted me!" deadpanned Junior. He then raised himself up and glanced at Erika with small smile.
"I also saw her sneaking up on her. I thought I had a chance of making it out," said Junior. Erika smiled back as she gave him a small nod. Junior sighed as he stood up and made his way over to Celestia. The princess slightly stirred as she weakly opened her eyes.
"Junior?" called Celestia weakly. Junior nodded as he nuzzled her cheek.
"It's me, mom. I'm here with you," said Junior softly. Celestia lightly smiled as she ran her hand over his muzzle. Junior lowered his head, allowing Celestia to rub his head.
"You're still my handsome little boy," said Celestia. Junior brought his hand under her legs and then placed his other hand behind her back. He stood up with her with a small smile. Celestia leaned her head against his scaly chest as she closed her eyes.
"Let's go home," said Junior. The Transmutant began to walk with the Avatar in his arms in silence. Just yards away, hidden among the stones that stood near the cave, Thanatos stepped from out of the shadows. The old man glared at Sunset Shimmer as she remained seated with her wrists bounded in cuffs.
“I wasted some my power on strengthening the girl in her normal state to survive long enough to unleash the spirit’s power, only for her weak demon to fail,” Thanatos growled. He then vanished into thin air, leaving a trail of black sparks and purple mist.