Shy and Aggressive

by Johng117

Chapter 62: Under the Stars

It was P.E. Junior sighed as he tugged on his shirt. His body radiated with heat as the blood pumped by his pounding heart coursed through his veins. The Transmutant loosened his muscles as he lightly hunched. He grunted as he popped his hand under to bounce a volley ball over a net. From the other side, Applejack swiftly bounced the ball back. Rodan took point and made his way closer to the net. With a leap, he smacked the ball back. Before it could hit the ground, Flash Sentry appeared and smacked the ball.

Junior sighed in dismay as he hit the ball back. He would have rather on the bench right now, but today the students were expected to participate with the indoors sports activity in the gymnasium.

"So how you holdin' up, sugercube?" asked Applejack as she hit the ball back over the net.

"I'm fine, I guess," said Rodan as he smacked the ball over to Junior, who yelped in surprise. As he fumbled with the ball, Applejack stretched her arm.

"You sure? You've been down in the dumps," said Applejack. Junior served the ball, allowing Flash to smack it back over the net.

"Just in the process of getting over her," said Rodan sarcastically.

"Hey you'll be back in the saddle in no time. Don't sweat it," said Flash in reassurance.

"Don't fill his head with false hope. Eliza was too much of a shut in to know better," said Junior. Rodan scoffed as he passed the ball to Junior.

"Least she kissed me," said Rodan. Junior snorted.

"Damn. So you kissed and she left you? Did you have bad breath or something?" asked Junior jokingly. Rodan rolled his eyes while Applejack glared at Junior in disapproval.

"Be more sensitive to the guy!" said Applejack as she leaped and served the ball to Junior. But by being focused on Junior's insensitive behavior, she applied some of her super human strength. With a loud pop, the ball shot down towards Junior, who barely had enough time to react. The ball smacked against Junior's face, forcing his head back and knocking him off of his feet. Junior grunted as he fell on his rear, while Applejack cupped her mouth with a look of alarm. Rodan and Flash began to laugh as Junior sat in a daze.

"That actually makes my day!" laughed Rodan. Junior grunted as stood up, rubbing his bruised face.

"Haha!" said Junior sarcastically as he rubbed his bleeding nose. He looked at Applejack in annoyance.

"S-sorry about that! It was an accident!" said Applejack with a sheepish smile. Junior grumbled to himself as he picked the ball up. Flash laughed hysterically.

"Hahaha! The ball imprinted itself on your face!" laughed Flash. Rodan joined him, while Applejack held in her amusement. Junior's brows twitched as his cheeks warmed up. He then gave a sinister grin.

"Oh yeah? See how you like it!" said Junior as he tossed the ball in the air and focused on Flash. He jumped and smacked his hand against it. Flash flinched as he expected to be struck by the ball. But, no impact came.

"Huh?" Flash tilted his head in confusion. Junior landed with a confused look. He looked at his hand and realized he used his left. The ball was stuck to the claws on his reptilian hand. The ball hissed and squeaked, deflating in Junior's hand.

"Fuck!" shouted Junior.

"Way to go, Goji!" chuckled Rodan. Junior groaned as he threw the deflated ball at Rodan's face.

"Shut up," said Junior in annoyance. He flexed his reptilian hand as he rubbed his human hand against the marks left on his face. Applejack joined his side as she analyzed the animal hand.

"Those claws look like they'd be an inconvenience," said Applejack.

"Aside from getting stares, I accidentally scratch furniture. Sometimes I cut myself by accident when I have to scratch," said Junior with a wince.

"Yowch," said Flash.

---

Erika was walking through the hall in silence. Her eyes stared straight ahead as some students passed. A group of girls passed by, with one of them bumping shoulders with her, causing the girl to drop her books.

"Freak," said the girl as she passed by. Erika bore a hard expression as she picked up her books. As the girl continued her walk, she made her way over to the library. She sat down alone at a table, with her brows furrowed. The girl's fists were clenched as she coldly looked down at the table. She ran a hand through her short hair, feeling a wad of gum.

"Are you kidding me?!" groaned Erika as she winced from pulling her hair. Erika suddenly heard a buzzing sound. She reached into her pocket and found her phone to be buzzing from a text. The text was from Sunset Shimmer. It read, 'Sorry. Won't be able to hang out today. Busy.'

Erika sighed as she buried her face into her arms, lightly sobbing. Her week had been stressful. Some students had taken up to harass her because of her transmutantism. It was weighing down on her and made her grow angrier and filled her with despair. And her best friend wasn't here to help her. Erika began to scroll through her phone on a social media sight. During her scroll, she found an article. The title caught her interest. It read, 'The Struggle of Transmutants'. Erika opened the article and began to read through it. Her eyes took in every word and her mind analyzed the content. Erika's stomach began to drop as her already pale face seemed to have gotten much paler.

"Oh God," said Erika softly.

---

Junior was walking alongside Fluttershy and Mosura after school. The three had ended up doing this since Mosu had began living with Junior, though the fact that it was all three of them disappointed Mosura. She wished to have the opportunity to be alone with Junior, but she at least got to be under the same roof with him for the time being. She at least had that going for her. As they walked, Junior stopped as his eyes caught sight of a familiar face. The girls noticed this and saw he was looking to a familiar young woman. It was Inoue, dressed in casual clothing, seated at a table outside of an establishment. She was greeting Junior with a smile and wave.

"Hey, Gojira! You got a second?" called Inoue.

"Uh... sure," said Junior. He turned to his friends, who bore looks of reluctance and uncertainty.

"It'll be fine. See ya at home," said Junior as he went to join Inoue. Mosura and Fluttershy looked back at the two briefly before walking on. As Junior took a seat, he gave a tired sigh.

"So, what's up?" asked Junior.

"Ah nothing. Just wanted to hang out with a familiar face," said Inoue.

"Or you just wanted to keep a close eye on me without being in a stuffy van," said Junior. Inoue chuckled in response.

"Honestly, that wouldn't be a bad idea. But it'd be suspicious for a young woman to be hanging around a high school boy every day," said Inoue. Junior shrugged.

"Oh come on. You aren't that much older than me. It's not like anyone would buy that'd I'd have an intimate relationship with someone anyway," said Junior. Inoue looked at him softly.

"Say, where do you see yourself in five years?" asked Inoue.

"If not dead from all the weird shit happening in my life, than probably just working a job I hate but pays enough to support myself," said Junior.

"So depressing," said Inoue with a sigh.

"I try not to get my hopes up," said Junior.

"Not even a little? Like maybe meet a nice girl? Go to college? Anything?" asked Inoue.

"I'd rather handle whatever just comes my way," said Junior. Inoue bore a dissatisfied look.

"What about you? What's a girl like you, who's spying on a Transmutant, hopes to be in five years?" asked Junior.

"I don't know. I guess make it home alive and well. Meet someone and have a family. Man, it's hard coming up with stuff on the spot," said Inoue with an embarrassed chuckle. She then smiled warmly at Junior.

"And maybe to see you doing well," said Inoue. Junior's brow raised.

"Yep. This is what I hope to see about you in five years. You graduating school, having a job and making good money so that you can buy a nice car if you wanted. Heck, even have a girlfriend," said Inoue. Junior looked to the side in embarrassment.

"You can have those things if you work for it," said Inoue. Junior propped his head up on the table with his hand under his chin.

"Yeah but how can I? All I'm good at is being a smartass and decent fighter in terms of strength," said Junior, with a sigh.

"No one's good at everything," said Inoue. "I was never good at cooking. Now that I've been with MONARCH, I haven't had the opportunity to get better. But I know I can," said Inoue.

"Yeah but I've always been terrible with math. That's a freaking graduation requirement. I don't even know what I'd do after high school. College is something I don't think I wanna get into," said Junior. Inoue looked down in thought.

"You ever considered serving?" asked Inoue. Junior looked at her incredulously.

"MONARCH?" asked Junior.

"Yeah. I mean, I think you'd pass the fitness test no sweat. I've seen you put up a fight. Transmutants may not be enlisted into the ranks of our branch of the military, but they may change soon," said Inoue. She looked to her surroundings and gestured for the boy to lean closer. Junior scooted up and leaned in.

"To let you in a little secret, MONARCH is testing out the concept of Transmutants in the field. But to not freak out the ranks and public, they're going to build up to it slowly with this super soldier program that's been approved. I even hear one natural Transmutant was recruited," whispered Inoue. Junior looked at her incredulously.

"Super soldiers?" whispered Junior. Inoue nodded.

"Apparently the use of Transmutant DNA for this project was approved. GeneCo developed it and has already made several of these guys from existing soldiers. But you didn't hear that from me," said Inoue. She smiled as she looked to Junior with a tilt of her head.

"Well, what do you think?" asked Inoue.

"I don't know. I don't fancy the idea being always shot at," said Junior as he scratched his head.

"Listen, you're alright for someone apart of that organization. I know that there was more to MONARCH's actions than I had thought before. But I can’t trust an organization that watches me 24/7. And why would they trust me? I don't want to be in that position," said Junior. Inoue looked away with a wince.

"You're right. Sorry, that was stupid of me," said Inoue as she rubbed her head.

"It's fine. It's just not the kind of life for me. But as much animosity that I've had for MONARCH, I have to respect you guys for stepping up," said Junior with a smile. Inoue smiled back.

---

Erika was sitting on her bed in silence. Her eyes were scanning through articles on her phone. Her body appeared to be sweating profusely as she read through each article that she had come across. Each article would give a brief history on the discrimination of Transmutants and how it carried onto today. They linked her to sites dedicated to the subject and its historical context. One in particular was the practice of slavery of the Transmutants post World War 2. The civilians weren't touched, but for most that served in the military for Equestrian, Neighponese, and Hooviet Union, they were subjugated into slavery. The reasoning behind this hasn't been all too clear, especially concerning certain countries' agendas.
However, the most common belief was that the prejudice these nations had caused them to deny the Transmutants that served the same glory that humans earned. Or it was fear of these super beings that had training in combat, would turn on their respected countries.

In any case, the governments at the time had hauled these former soldiers from their homes and dumped them for reconstruction for the damage caused during the war. Even the construction of new cities on the Pacific island chain, where the uprising of the Revolutionaries began, was an example of this practice.
Erika found herself trembling with despair as she read about the harsh conditions the slaves lived in. The back breaking labor, the mistreatment, and the consequences of rebelling. Even after when the group took their freedom, their main island, Solgell, was bombed. Hundreds of thousands perished. The Revolutionaries grew in number from the ashes, leading to today.

Erika found herself exposed to information glossed over or not even mentioned in school. Old pictures of the horrors made her stomach turn.

"What else haven't they been telling us?" asked Erika incredulously.

Erika found herself moving on through the internet. More and more headlines of information stood out to her. Going further back in time. She learned that during the witch hunts from centuries back, Transmutants were viewed as demonic spawns in league with the alleged witches and the devil himself. While it was easier for Transmutants to stay hidden back then, their great physical feats gave them away. A known Transmutant had their home burned down along with them in it. Usually, the Transmutant would emerge in their beast form, destroying the homes of others in retaliation.

As Erika dove further, she found other horrors wrought upon the race that she was now part of. From the Bronze Age to Medieval era, empires would seek to destroy any tribes of Transmutants found, viewing them as monsters. During the 20th century, when science led to more discoveries, Transmutants were seen as a freakish genetic anomaly that threatened the existence of Homo Sapiens. The most radical of those with these Darwinian ideas were hellbent on preventing that, from attempting forced sterilization, aborting Transmutant pregnancies, and stunting the abilities of Transmutants themselves.

Erika felt many emotions swirling inside of her soul at once, but her dominant emotion was that of anger. For as long as recorded human history, the Transmutants dealt with major threats of their relatives, the human race, but as humans grew more advanced, they managed to keep the Transmutants chained down out of fear of being wiped out. That fear has been leading for them to eventually wipe out the Transmutants, just as they feared would happen to them.

Erika saw this nothing more than evil. Natural selection does play a part in life's development. Humans are no exception to this rule. But the idea of killing and subjugation of Transmutants because a desire to remain the absolute dominant race just boiled her blood. Erika questioned why it mattered if 'normal' humans were to eventually go extinct due to the rise of Transmutants. She wondered if it was nature or even God's way of ensuring survival for humans by having them absorbed into the gene pool of Transmutants. It isn't as though they'd be forever gone. Erika knew well that nothing remained the same forever. Mediating on this drove Erika mad with anger and confusion and she found her mind wandering to many questions, practical and existential. She even found her mind wandering to dark places that she'd never wandered.

"What does this mean for Transmutants? For me?" asked Erika.

---

It was noon, Angirasu was power walking through the school hallway. A few students abruptly stood out of his way to avoid being bumped into. Angirasu kept looking over his shoulder as he moved through the hallway. This would lead him to nearly bump into other students in the hall, much to their annoyance. However, the Transmutamt managed to be careful enough to navigate through the halls without being seen. Angirasu soon found himself by the gymnasium, where he quickly entered. The boy casually walked across the basketball court, looking around with eyes that were wide and alert. He stepped over to a large basket at the far end of the court next to the bleachers.

"Psst," whispered Angirasu. From the basket of basketballs, Sonata emerged with a smile.

"Just in time!" said Sonata as Angirasu helped her climb out of the basket, while dropping a few balls onto the court.

"I'd have gotten here sooner, but I had to lose my mother," said Angirasu. Sonata sighed in frustration.

"It's not fair! Why do we have to hang out in secret as if it's some kind of immoral thing?" Sonata complained while crossing her arms with a pout. Angirasu shared a sigh.

"I know. I hate that you feel that way. My mom's been out of her mind lately. She's driving me insane," said Angirasu with his expression hardening.

"Oh I can imagine," said Sonata as she and Angirasu sat on the bleachers.

"I don't know what to do. Lately I've felt overwhelmed," said Angirasu.

"And when you try to let loose, someone spoils it," said Sonata in disappointment.

"Exactly! All my life, my mother's been overbearing since my father died. Like she doesn't trust me to be alone for one minute," said Angirasu. Sonata held her chin up on her knees as she leaned back.

"And people try to step in to control every aspect of your life. It's like they’re-"

"-taking your freedom," said Angirasu and Sonata in unison. The two looked at each other. Sonata blushed with a small smile as Angirasu bore an amused smile.

"I take it you're having problems with your sisters?" asked Angirasu.

"Just Aria. I don't know her deal. She never seemed to care about anything," said Sonata with a sigh. A smile appeared on her face.

"Hey, I think I know what would cheer us up. How about you and I go somewhere for fun later? It's Friday after all," said Sonata. Angirasu bore a reluctant look.

"I don't know, Sonata. My mom would be expecting me home," said Angirasu. Although he hated the fact his mother was so controlling, he had enough respect for her to obey. Sonata's expression slightly hardened.

"It won’t hurt to hang loose, why give a dang~," Sonata sang as her eyes flashed green. Angirasu found himself in a hypnotic state as his eyes flashed green. Angirasu blinked as his senses seemed to return. His face hardened.

"You're right. I do everything she says every day of my entire life. I deserve to relax," said Angirasu. Sonata smiled brightly.

"Cool! I'll see you after school then!" said Sonata. Score 1 for the Dazzling, and score 0 for the witch, Aiko Riku.

---

West Fillydelphia...
Battra panted as he jogged alongside his fellow recruits. While the air was chilly, the bodies of the young men burned with the blood flowing through them. Battra's throat ached from breathing the cold air via mouth. He realized it was foolish of him to do so rather than inhale through the nostrils and exhale out of the mouth. This would have spared him a bit at least.
The recruits jogged across a field, kicking up dirt. Their boot prints clustered the dirt ground. As the recruits jogged, Drill Sergeant Caliber rode a buggy jeep in the passenger seat as a man in uniform drove.

"Pick up the pace, piss ants! Deadmen walk! The living run like hell when a goddamn Condor Revolutionary dive bombs for them!" shouted Caliber. Battra panted as he and some of the soldiers picked up speed, while a couple of others looked to be lagging.

Later, Battra found himself running across a track, stepping through tires, moving over to barricades that he was forced to climb over or crawl under. Caliber continued to shout at the recruits during this obstacle course, cursing up a storm. Battra began to climb over a tall wall, grunting as he dropped off at the other side. He dashed to the end of the course. But, he stopped as he found himself at a pit, where wet mud lied. Wooden frames were inches above ground, wrapped with barbed wire.

"Get your ass down there, Yasu!" shouted Caliber as he drew out a pistol and shot into the air. Battra flinched and dove for the mud. He and other recruits grunted as the crawled on their bellies through the muck, scratching themselves on the wires. Caliber aimed his gun at the ground as he followed the recruits from the sidelines. He fired multiple blanks that rang in the ears of the recruits.

"Come on, you maggots! You wanna die out there in the field?!" shouted Caliber. Her voice remained strong, despite days of shouting at the recruits. The chaos that Battra found himself in caused him to lose track of timing or even any form of rational thought. All his mind told him to do was run, climb, and crawl. That's exactly what he's been doing too. His body carried on, despite the pain, the mud in his face, and the exhaustion.

Later that day, Battra found himself freshly showered, in a shirt and his camo jeans. His body ached and trembled. Although he was a Transmutant, he was made to endure much more and longer than his fellow recruits. Battra hadn't felt this kind of exhaustion since those days he took on the vigilante life.

The young man found himself sitting in the mess hall alone, while many other recruits sat together. The Transmutant thought it was best to sequester himself during his time here, for obvious reasons. He had taken notice of the other recruits staring at him, whispering among themselves. Battra didn't analyze what they were saying, but the fact of the matter was that they were talking about him. The Transmutant was thrown out of his thoughts as he heard a tray clattered next to him. He turned and found a young man with brown shaven hair, and blue eyes. He was nearly 6 feet in height, carrying an athletic build, likely acquired before enlisting into MONARCH.

"Mind if I sit here?" asked the recruit.

"No, not at all," said Battra. The recruit took a seat with a relieved sigh as he dug into his meal.

"I've seen you sit by yourself often in the mess hall. Thought you'd like some company," said the recruit.

"That's not..." Battra was about to respectfully decline, but thought against it. No need to be stand offish with a fellow recruit. After all, he knew he was going to be forced to interact with others on the field. Might as well at least try to not make any enemies.

"Ford Brody," said the recruit as he held a hand out to Battra.

"Oh. Battra Yasu," greeted Battra as he shook the recruit's hand.

"So Yasu, where you from?" asked Ford as he took a sip of his water.

"Ponyville, in the state of Carouselnia," answered Battra.

"Oh, same! I'm from the Bay area," said Ford with a nod.

"Long way from home are we?" chuckled Battra.

"You know it. Almost regret enlisting right now. Wife's got a kid on the way," said Ford. Battra looked at him incredulously.

"I... don't mean to be rude, but why would you wanna be out here as a recruit for the military when you can be at home with your wife?" asked Battra. Ford awkwardly scratched his head.

"Ah. We had agreed upon me joining prior before. Funny enough, she had just found out she was two months in, and I was already on a bus to the base," said Ford with a forced chuckle. Battra winced.

"Well... Congratulations," said Battra.

"Thanks," chuckled Ford.

---

Adagio Dazzle was clutching the straps to her back pack. Her brows bore sweat as her heart pounded. She walked through the school hall with an anxious look. Her breaths were shallow as her eyes darted around, scanning the students that filled the hall. She felt a tug on her shoulder, promoting her to squeal in fright. She turned and slapped the hand away, finding a confused girl with eyes that flashed green.

"What's wrong mistress?" Asked the girl. Adagio whimpered as she stumbled back and bumped into a boy.

"Watch it!" said the boy. Adagio stumbled back and ran away. She rounded a corner, panting as her heart raced faster and looked over the corner before turning around. She gasped as she saw a few boys looking at her longingly with glowing green eyes.

"Do you need help with your bag?" asked a boy. Adagio bit her lip as she stepped back, her eyes darting around.
"No, i have to-" Adagio was interrupted as a boy held her hand.

"Do you need a massage? Or would you rather be escorted home?" asked the boy as he panted. Adagio cringed and pulled away.

"Just leave me alone!" said Adagio as she ran away. She soon came across an empty hall. Her breathing was quick as the heels on her ankle boots clopped against the floor. Adagio felt her skin crawl at the silence and the emptiness of this hall. It was worse than what she felt out there. She felt as though someone was watching her, following her every step. Adagio noticed movement in her peripheral vision, prompting her to jerk her head in its direction. However, nothing was there. Adagio's heart was pounding harder. Something felt wrong. She didn't feel the same kind of enjoyment she did when she hypnotized those students. For some reason, she felt unnerved by them now. Like their touch made her feel something she never felt before. But Adagio couldn't fathom why.

The girl gasped as she heard shallow breathing in the hall. The girl burst into a sprint, having heard this sound one too many times. Her mind had trapped the sound in her memory and was unable to unhear it. The teen burst out of a side exit of the school and rushed through the parking lot. The girl looked back, in fear that she was being pursued. Nothing, but it didn't set her at ease. She was all alone, and those lovesick zombies gave her no comfort. She turned her head forward and saw someone she never thought she'd be relieved to see again.

"Gojira!" Cried Adagio. Ahead was Junior, who was standing with the Main 7, Mosura, and Rodan. Junior turned, hearing his name called. Adagio quickly made her way to him and latched to his arm. Junior stumbled with a surprised look, while the Main 7 scowled at the Dazzling's presence. Mosura's expression was much harsher.

"Look what the cat dragged in," said Rainbow as she crossed her arms.

"Adagio?" Junior raised a brow.

"Hey, you mind staying close to me for a bit?" asked Adagio urgently. Junior bore a confused look. Before, Adagio wanted nothing to do with him. But he noticed the desperation on the girl's face and how she kept looking back at the school. He could smell the fear that radiated from her. Something was wrong. Suddenly, Mosura got in between the two and forced Adagio back.

"Stop drapping your tits over him, you damn exhibitionist!" Spat Mosura. Junior's eyes widened in shock. Adagio bore an offended look. The Main 7, excluding Rainbow Dash, bore shocked looks at Mosura's outburst. Rainbow was laughing as Rodan winced.

"Excuse me?!" growled Adagio.

"You heard me!" said Mosura.

"Easy, Mosu," said Rodan. The two girls got in each other's faces as they got into an incoherent shouting match. Junior quickly got between the two, who attempted to force their way to each other.

"What the hell is your problem?!" demanded Adagio as she attempted to duck under Junior's arm, but was blocked as he lowered his arm.

"You have some nerve throwing yourself on him after what you did!" yelled Mosura as she forced herself against Junior's arm, who struggled to hold her back due to her untempered Transmutant strength.

"Stop! Enough!" shouted Junior as he held the two girls out further from each other. Adagio huffed as she adjusted her jacket and stuck her tongue out at Mosura. The Transmutant growled angrily as her pupils shrunk and her irises expanded. Adagio gasped in fright as she clung to Junior's arm and hid by him.

"Mosura!" said Junior. His expression stern and his irises expanding. His throat rumbled with an inhuman sound. Mosura's expression hardened as she turned away and crossed her arms. With a blink, her eyes returned to normal. Junior began to relax as Adagio still clung to him for safety. Junior noticed the Main 7 and Rodan were crouching behind a bush with wide eyes. Junior looked at them in confusion.

"The hell are you guys doing?" asked Junior.

"Yeah, we rather not be stomped on by a 20 foot tall dino," said Rainbow from the bush.

"I'm not gonna change," said Junior in annoyance.

"Are you certain?" asked Rarity in reluctance.

"Yes! I have a handle on it. Kinda..." Junior muttered the last part to himself. He then looked to Adagio, who quickly released his arm and took a step back with her hands behind her back.

"Did you need something?" asked Junior. Adagio was about to speak but noticed that everyone else was looking at her expectantly. Adagio briefly glanced back at the school. She then stuck her nose up rather snobbishly.

"Nothing that they can offer," said Adagio. Sunset shot a glare.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Asked Sunset.

"It means I don't want to ask the rest of you for anything!" said Adagio. The teens looked at her in annoyance and glares.

"Is this something that needs to be addressed now? We're actually supposed to be somewhere," said Twilight.

"Oh you mean taking lessons from the bug?" asked Adagio mockingly.

"Yeah. Something you and your sisters should be doing," retorted Applejack.

"We're fine, thanks," said Adagio dismissively. Rarity scoffed.

"Of all the stuck up girls that I've... oooh!" Rarity sealed her lips before she could utter a curse.

"I used to think you were nice, Adagio. But you're just plain mean!" said Pinkie with crossed arms.

"Never meet your idols, girls!" said Adagio. She shook her head as she stormed off.

"Screw this, I'm out of here!" said Adagio. The teens watched as the young pop star left the scene.

"Bitch," said Rainbow.

"Stop," said Junior as he shot her a look.

"What? We're all thinking it!" said Rainbow.

"Um... we should head to the forest soon. Otherwise we won't have enough time to train," said Fluttershy.

"Right. Has Aang text you guys back?" asked Junior, receiving a 'no' from the others. Junior sighed.

"Well, we're gonna have to go on without him," said Junior.

The teens began to walk across the street. Some idle conversation began, though Junior found himself distracted. He lagged behind as he watched Adagio walk off alone. The look on her face was stuck in the back of his mind. Junior stopped as he watched the girl. He then looked back to the group as they continued walking. Junior had no reason to be focused on Adagio after the stunt that she pulled. But deep down, he felt a need to be by her side right now. But he had no obligation to do that, plus he had plans that were rather important right now. But still, instincts were screaming at him.

"It could be nothing," said Junior. He then jogged to catch up with the group.

---

"Unbelievable!" said Aiko. She was fuming as she held her phone against her ear. She was quickly directed to voice mail, much to her frustration. The tone beeped in her ear.

"Young man, you better answer your phone! I've been looking for you all day!" said Aiko. She hung up and clenched her teeth. She heard Rei scoffed as she poured herself sweet tea.

"Could you at least try to sound actually worried. Like, 'Son, please call me back. I'm worried and just want to know you're OK. Love you'," said Rei, mocking Aiko's voice but with a motherly tone. Aiko glared at her sister.

"You think this is a joke?! I'm supposed to be watching him!" Said Aiko. Rei glared back.

"For what?" demanded Rei.

"Excuse me?" questioned Aiko.

"Why are you hell-bent on watching him? Is it because you're his mother or because it's your 'mission'?" asked Rei. Aiko furrowed her brows.

"Don't give me that look, Aiko. I didn't dump my child on you so I could hide," said Rei.

"I wasn't hiding," said Aiko as she opened the contacts on her phone.

"Who are you trying to convince? You could've contacted your son on your deployment many times. You could've come stay with us when off tour. But you didn't," said Rei.

"Instead it takes your higher ups to get you to come see your son," said Rei with a glare.

"It wasn't like that," said Aiko in a low tone.

"Then enlighten me, sis! Tell me why you couldn't be there for him after the death of his father, instead of being out there fighting terrorists?" demanded Rei. Aiko was unable to respond. She had nothing to say that would justify her actions from before. Rei shook her head.

"I've had to take that role. But deep down I know I can never replace you. So, here’s a word of advice from your sister, and one mother to another. Stop trying to control every aspect of his life. It's not gonna go well," said Rei. Aiko merely stormed off, stepping outside. She stood with her arms crossed as she stared to the clouds above.

"How can I face him?" asked Aiko with a tremble.

---

The Main 7 were all spread out in an open area of the Everfree forests. Large boulders filled the area along with the river that ran through the forest. Pinkie Pie was tossing a small clump of dirt in the air, allowing it to explode. She would flinch at the pop and the flash it caused.

"Relax. You determine the amount of force goes into an object, and the size of said object determines the force of the explosion," said Amber as she fluttered over to Pinkie. The hyperactive girl bore a confused look.

"That doesn't make sense. I thought you said that i can make bigger explosions with larger objects only," said Pinkie with a shrug.

"Yes. But like living things, your power will evolve over time. Now focus your energy into your hand and into your object. And don't be afraid of the explosion. You must get used to it. Pretend it’s a firework. Don’t hold it for too long, don't aim at your friends but your foes," said Amber as she fluttered.

"But fireworks are meant for fun! Not blowing people up!" said Pinkie. She pouted as she picked up a rock. She closed her eyes as she tried to focus. She clenched the rock, causing it to spark, glow and vibrate with energy. She then tossed the rock away. The rock resulted in a still small explosion but sent small bits of debris. Pinkie yelped in alarm but a golden wall appeared in front of her, blocking the shrapnel. Pinkie turned in shock as Amber fluttered with her antennae glowing.

"Oh and mind solid objects like stones and metal. The shrapnel can be dangerous if too close," said Amber. Pinkie whimpered with a quivering lip.

"I'll keep that in mind," said Pinkie. Amber flew over to Applejack, who was sweating as she stood with her arms raised over her head. She held up a dead tree over herself.

"How're we doing here, young Applejack?" asked Amber.

"Doin' fine. Just a little hot," said Applejack with a strain.

"Mm. You've held that up for about 15 minutes now. We need to find your limit. I want you to walk to the river and back without dropping the tree," said Amber. Applejack let out a deep breath and carefully began to walk. The tree rustled with each step that she took. Her muscles began to feel worn.

Amber made her way over to Rarity, who panted as she wiped a brow. A cringe was on her face as she felt the sweat that stained her.

"Keep projecting, Rarity. You must build your stamina," said Amber. Rarity moaned as she slumped her shoulders. She grunted as she swung her arms, spawning a diamond shield out of thin air. Amber's antennae flashed and fired a golden beam that struck the shield. Rarity yelped in fright as the shield was destroyed, prompting her to stumble back.

"You're shield is only as strong as your fortitude. The more energy you have left will mean the difference between being vulnerable and protected.” Rarity sighed heavily as she shakily raised her arms to cast another shield. Amber proceeded to make her way over to Fluttershy, who was staring at a tree top.

"Um... Could you bring me that acorn, Mr. Squirrel? If you don't mind that is," called Fluttershy. A squeak came from the tree, and down came a squirrel that carried an acorn. It stopped at Fluttershy's feet, who knelt down and took the acorn.

"Thank you," said Fluttershy as she gently scratched the rodent under its chin, which it responded with raising its head to allow the finger to scratch around its neck.

"Small creatures and domesticated animals are a breeze for you. But I wish to challenge your ability so that you may reach greater potential. We'll do this very soon," said Amber as she fluttered off. She came across Sunset and Twilight, who waved their hands in the air and left trails of magical auras from their palms.

Twilight muttered to herself as she reached her free hand to her glowing hand. She gripped an invisible force by her palm and proceeded to strain as she pulled. From her glowing hand came a raspberry colored tendril that sparked. With a hard pull, Twilight extended the tendril about arm's length. Twilight gasped as the tendril sparked erratically and fizzled out. She groaned in disappointment.

"Having trouble?" asked Amber.

"Yeah. I can't seem to keep this stupid spell going. It's hard to start and it's hard to maintain," complained Twilight as she shook her hand. "Despite my brain being filled with these spells, I'm having trouble comprehending and performing them. They're just so alien," said Twilight.

"Just give it time. A lifetime with no prior knowledge of the mystic arts is difficult to learn. Speeding the process as I did saved time but your mind is still sorting out the information. Just take it slow," said Amber. Sunset yelped in pain. The two turned and found the inferno haired teen to be rubbing her now red hands.

"Damn it!" said Sunset with a wince.

"As I said. Take it slow. You're trying to perform a more advanced spell, thus making it more volatile if fumbled in performance," said Amber as she fluttered over to Sunset.

"But I should be able to do it! Twilight's right, we have the information in our heads!" said Sunset in frustration.

"Sunset, you mustn't push yourself too hard," said Amber. Suddenly, a rainbow streak blew passed the group. Rainbow skidded to a halt, sporting a pair of goggles and a bandanna around her mouth. She smirked with confidence as she removed the mask.

"This is too easy! I'm not even breaking a sweat!" said Rainbow.

"You have limits, Rainbow Dash. For one, you need to learn to control your speed. Going too fast could cause major damage to yourself and others if you're not careful," warned Amber.

"Pffft! I can be careful!" said Rainbow as she broke off into a sprint. However, she missed Applejack in her sight. The blonde was unable to process her coming given the speed, so Rainbow quickly skidded to a halt. However, her foot slipped on mud, causing her to slide. She cried out as she fell over, tumbling across the grass and slowing to a stop. The teens all stared in shock as Rainbow rolled to a stop.

"Agh!! God!!" cried Rainbow in agony. The girls all immediately stopped what they were doing and rushed over to their friend.

"Good heavens! Are you alright?!" asked Rarity as the girls looked down at Rainbow worriedly. Rainbow struggled to sit up on her rear, while clutching her shoulder. Tears threatened to run down her face.

"M-My shoulder! My shoulder!" cried Rainbow frantically as she took quick breaths. Fluttershy knelt behind Rainbow as she looked over Rainbow's shoulder. Her face in shock.

"Oh no! You dislocated it!" said Fluttershy. The girls are bore worried looks as Rainbow writhed in pain.

"We should stop now and get her to a doctor!" said Twilight.

"No! This is perfect!" said Amber. The girls all looked at the fairy in shock and outrage.

"Perfect?! She's injured!" yelled Applejack.

"Exactly! This will be both a learning experience and a demonstration of one of her traits," said Amber as she turned.

"Ah! just in time!" said Amber as Senior came running along with Mosura, Junior and Rodan.

"What happened?!" asked Mosura.

"She dislocated her shoulder! And Amber here is making light of it!" said Sunset angrily. The Transmutants looked at Amber incredulously.

"You'll see why. Gojira, would you mind helping the poor dear?" asked Amber. Senior nodded as he knelt down.

"Let's see. OK," said Senior as Rainbow whimpered, holding her tears back. Senior placed both hands on the girl's back on left shoulder.

"Hold still. This will hurt a second," said Senior. Rainbow was about to protest but Senior quickly pressed against the girl's shoulder. With a loud pop, Rainbow groaned in agony. The teens all cringed and winced. Rainbow panted as Senior rubbed her aching shoulder.

"Back in place," said Senior as he stood up. Rainbow shook as she held her shoulder.

"Are you OK?" asked Pinkie worriedly.

"I-I think so. God that was awful," panted Rainbow as she blinked a couple of tears away.

"I think you're done for the day. Let's get you to a doctor to make sure your fine ," said Twilight.

"Huh." Rainbow looked at her shoulder curiously. She began to rotate it and tested its range of motion.

"That's funny. It... It doesn't hurt anymore. Like, at all," said Rainbow in surprise.

"What? Not even a little sore?" asked Fluttershy in surprise.

"No. It's like it never happened," said Rainbow. The teens looked at her in shock.

"That's a trait of yours. Instant healing. Because of your power, your body has undergone changes to compensate for it. You're more durable, your mind processes things faster than average humans, and your body can regenerate quickly depending on the extent of the injury," said Amber. Rainbow chuckled.

"Cool!" said Rainbow with a grin.

"Hey! Don't get cocky, little girl!" yelled Amber, startling the teens.

"You may have healing factor that surpasses the Takeshi's in terms of speed, but it cannot regenerate whole limbs! You were lucky that none of your bones were shattered, forcing us to remove your arm!" said Amber, causing Rainbow to flinch and gulp.

"From now on, be more careful of your surroundings and regulate the speed you put in. Let this be a lesson to you," said Amber sternly. Rainbow nodded timidly. Amber fluttered over to Junior.

"Are you ready for the test?" asked Amber. Junior bore a reluctant look.

"I-I don't know. It doesn't seem like a good idea. I still don't have a control on it. And what if-"

"I'm counting on that. It's to test her should she be faced with that kind of scenario," said Amber. The teens looked at the two in confusion.

"Test who? For what?" asked Twilight in confusion.

"We're going to test Fluttershy's range of her Eden Tongue ability on more... stubborn creatures," said Amber.

"You mean a bear?" asked Rarity incredulously.

"I was think something having some form of sapience," said Amber.

"What creature has that? We're the only living beings with sapience," said Sunset.

"Not entirely true. Transmutants change into creatures that were far more advanced compared to common beasts. However, Transmutants typically bear the full range of human sapience when transformed. But there are exceptions," said Amber as she looked to Junior. The teens all looked to Junior.

"Oh hell no," said Rodan.

"You can't be serious!" said Sunset. The rest of teens began to voice their protests, although incoherently.

"Children, I- Hey, I understand your-" Amber's voice was being drowned out by the shouting teens. In frustration, she flared her wings.

"Shut up!!" screamed Amber, causing the teens to go silent. Amber sighed in relief.

"Thank you. Now, I understand your concern. We're going to take every precaution necessary, but this is important. Besides, I have faith in Fluttershy. That is if she would not be opposed to it," said Amber. The teens all focused on Fluttershy, who was deathly silent.

"Shy, you really don't have to do this," said Junior.

---

Fluttershy found herself alone in the chasm, leading to the Guardian's lair. In the cave, the rest of the teens, excluding Junior, were present. They watched with anxiousness. Zip, Thorn and a few other Guardians were watching as well.

"This is insane," said Twilight.

"Yes, but necessary. Have faith," said Amber as she rested on Thorn's shoulder. The teens flinched as they heard heavy footsteps.

Fluttershy gulped as the footsteps grew louder. From each side of the chasm, Manda slithered in her serpentine draconic form, along with a massive hairy spider, covered in yellow markings. Mosura was about to scream in fright but cupped her mouth, letting out a whimper at the sight of the arachnid. It was her worse nightmare made to flesh.

"Manda and Kumonga will be in hiding and ready to spring should something go wrong. Senior is the main guard," said Amber as the footsteps grew louder. Fluttershy clenched her fists as she attempted to steel her nerves.

Further down, Senior appeared in sight first, stomping at 50 feet. Trailing behind him was a smaller reptilian beast. Junior, who stood at twenty feet, bore a noticeable difference compared to his father. Aside from being smaller, his dorsal plates were short. Senior on the other hand bore much larger and jagged plates upon his back, while bearing a more bulky chest. His tail was long like Junior's, but ended with a girthier end rather the whip-like tail.

The plan was for Senior to lead his more 'animalistic' son down the chasm, where they were to come across Fluttershy. With any luck, the girl would communicate with the younger Transmutant with no hostility or an escalation that would threaten her life. Fluttershy was certainly frightened to take part in this. However, she knew the importance of getting a proper control of her ability. As much as she and her friends would rather forget about this whole thing and live normal lives, she knew it was best to have an understanding of what's happened to them.

This would also help Junior as well. If he was in need to learn to control himself, he'd have to grow accustomed to changing and to be able to recognize friends. In the end, Fluttershy was doing this for her dear friend.

Senior lead Junior closer to the destination and the younger Transmutant was looking around, rather curiously. In his more primal yet intelligent mind, he kept wondering on how the two were going to get out of this chasm. He had no chance of climbing those steep walls and with his short arms and large body. But he was immediately distracted from his analysis as Senior stopped and grunted at him. Junior looked his way with the tilt of his head.

Junior recognized this one that was like him. His predecessor who gave him life, his father. Junior was able to familiarize himself with the larger beast via scent, yet the back of his mind told him that this was someone he was familiar with. Junior noticed his father looking down, prompting him to follow his line of sight. He saw a small mammalian creature before them. He remembered seeing this female, along with others of her kind. His brows slightly furrowed as the two locked eyes. This lower creature had guts making eye contact with him. He bared his teeth at her as a growl escaped his throat. The human girl flinched as she appeared to be sweating. Fear was strong in her, caught by Junior's nostrils. Senior was about to stand between the two but felt an itch in his head.

'He's trying to display dominance. Let him so Fluttershy may show she's no threat,' said a voice in Senior's mind. Senior reluctantly held off and watched with a keen eye. He briefly looked up and saw Kumonga and Manda hiding above, waiting to pounce.

Fluttershy was looking up at the Transmutant that displayed aggression. She was trembling in place. However, if she ran it'd likely prompt Junior to attack. But if she stood like this, he'd take it as her challenging him. So there was submission. If she displayed herself to be no threat, it should be fine. As far anyone was concerned, Junior was the Alpha.

Fluttershy slowly got on her hands and knees. She saw Junior leaning down, with his teeth bared. The girl lied down as she breathed as calmly as she possibly could. The rest of the teens grew more anxious as they watched. Junior sniffed as he lowered himself further, causing Fluttershy to stiffen. The Transmutant grunted as he stood up right. He began to flex his neck and move his head around. Fluttershy looked at him in confusion as she slowly sat up.

"The heck is he doing?" Whispered Applejack as junior moved his head head back and forth and curling his neck from left to right.

I think he's dancing," said Pinkie with an amused look.

"Not at all. He's flexing his gills," said Amber.

"He has gills?" asked Rarity in confusion.

"Oh I see them! That's interesting. So he's amphibious," said Twilight with a look of interest. Junior suddenly began to salivate and his gills on his neck briefly flapped open. They began to secrete a mucous that glistened off the flaps. Junior lowered himself down to Fluttershy, who flinched as he began to nudge his snout against her. He brought his neck over her, soaking the teen's entire front with mucous. The teens all groaned in disgust as Junior continued rubbing his neck against Fluttershy.

"Bleh," said Fluttershy with a slight cringe. Feeling grossly sticky. She noticed Junior softly groaning as held his tongue slightly out. Fluttershy gave him a forced smile.

"That was mischievous of you, Goji," said Fluttershy. Junior brought his tongue back into his mouth with a grunt. Fluttershy took a breath as she stood up. Junior remained standing, calm.

"Goji, can you-" Fluttershy was about to request something, but the Transmutant turned with a bark.

"Wha- You're sleepy?" asked Fluttershy in confusion as the Transmutant walked off. Everyone watched in confusion and relief. The teens began to exit the cave.

"Not what I hoped would happen, but it's a start. And no one got hurt!" said Amber. The teens were cringing as they looked at Futtershy.

"I never knew Gojira could be so uncouth," said Rarity in disgust.

"I think we had some kind of understanding," said Fluttershy.

"Oh yeah. You two really bonded over snot," said Rainbow sarcastically.

"That's good. It means that Junior has retained some memory of you in his human consciousness," interjected Amber.

"Because you acknowledged him as a superior predator through submission, he took the time to analyze you. His human mind must have kicked in a bit and he recognized you, thus leading him to mark you via mucus," said Amber. Fluttershy's eyes slightly widened.

"So he..."

"He's exchanging his scent to you so that he may have an easier time recognizing you. It's something that the species he's based on often did for its kin or to form symbiotic relationships with other species," said Amber. "Think of it as a sticky calling card from a friend."

Fluttershy turned to watch as Junior continued walking away. A soft smile formed on her face.

"So... would it be OK as she bathed?" asked Applejack.

"The chemicals in the mucous is subtle and be detected by only him so it should be fine," said Amber. Senior watched as his son walked and parked himself next to a boulder. The young Transmutant lied on his side and yawned like a cat. Senior was relieved that this went as smoothly as it did. He suddenly felt small hands against his ankle. He looked down and saw Twilight fixated on the rough scales of his.

"The texture of the scales and plates is like cooled molten rock. I wonder-" Twilight trailed off as she noticed Senior was looking down at her. His face looked to be contorted in confusion. Twilight nervously backed away.

"Sorry, Mr. Takeshi! Just fascinated, is all," said Twilight sheepishly.

---

Junior was snoring as he lied covered in a blanket in his human form. He was lying upon grass outside, near bushes and a damaged tree. Pinkie Pie was smiling in amusement as she knelt beside him, while the rest of the teens stared at him.

"He's such a Lazy Larry," said Pinkie with a giggle and a whisper.

"Shh. Don't disturb him," whispered Fluttershy. Rainbow scoffed.

"How come he gets to nap while we have to train?" complained Rainbow.

"Weren't you enjoying yourself earlier?" asked Applejack incredulously. As AJ and Rainbow argued, Mosura stared at Junior with wide eyes. Her face began to flush, knowing that under that blanket that Junior was completely naked. Mosura clenched and pulled the bottom end of her coat as she bit her lip. Her free hand cupped her mouth. She fidgeted in place as Junior stirred, revealing his strong arm to his shoulder, exposing a bit of his pectoral as well. Mosura's blush intensified. She failed to notice that Fluttershy was glancing at Junior as well. Her face was as red as a cherry.

"Children! It is time to return to your training! Leave Junior alone, for he'll be staying over training the whole weekend," said Amber as she fluttered off.

"Wait, he's staying in the forest the whole weekend?" asked Mosura incredulously, tearing her attention from Junior.

"Yes. He didn't tell you?" asked Amber in confusion. The teens all shrugged.

"Oh! Darn it, I was supposed to tell him earlier that his father wanted him here for the weekend. He is not gonna be happy to know that at the last minute on the weekend," said Amber as she looked at Junior anxiously.

"So, what are they doing?" asked Rodan curiously.

"Oh just the same thing as usual. Teach him to control his transformation, train him to be a better fighter. I think Senior wanted to camp with him," said Amber.

"Camping? Really?" asked Twilight in confusion. Sunset smiled.

"Aw. Sounds like a good chance for father and son to bond," said Sunset.

"No fair! I wanna go camping!" complained Pinkie in disappointment.

"Um Pinkie... I think it'd be rude if-" Fluttershy spoke up but went silent as Amber hummed to herself.

"You can ask him if you want. It could give me the chance to train you girls some more all night! Maybe Senior could give you some tips for survival skills in the wild," said Amber. Applejack's face turned to interest.

"That does sound fun," said Applejack.

"I've never been camping before," said Mosura, her interest peaking.

"I have! There was this great place out of town that had all kinds of awesome physical activities!" said Rainbow eagerly.

"Ah but that's a well regulated camp site by humans. Senior is thinking of more of the authentic experience! Out in the middle of the forest, where creatures lurk! A need to fortify your own site from scratch! Catching your own food! Just as ancient man did before he invented your PlayStation boxes and porntube-things and became too comfortable in his own house," said Amber.

"I think you have those names mixed up," said Rodan with a chuckle. Twilight bore an odd look.

"Wait, what was that last thing?" asked Twilight.

"Any who, let's go ask Senior! This could be fun for all of us!" said Amber as she fluttered. The teens all looked to each other.

"Any objections?" asked Twilight.

"Hmm. I might have to take a rain check. I should be home or my folks will worry," said Rodan.

"Just say you’re spending the night at Goji's," said Pinkie.

"Let me see if it's cool with them first. If not, then I'll just check in tomorrow," said Rodan.

"Well... I'm good since I'm living with the Takeshi's at the moment," said Mosura, glancing at Junior.

"I'm free. I'll just say I'm at Erika's," said Sunset with a shrug.

"Hey, how's she been? I haven't really seen her," said Rarity. Sunset was about to answer but thought of it.

"You know... I've noticed that she's been avoiding the lunch room lately. She's definitely been coming to school," said Sunset in thought.

"Ooh! Ask her if she wants to come along!" said Pinkie.

"Count me out! A whole weekend away from indoor plumbing and a comfy bed? I think not!" said Rarity indignantly.

"Afraid to get a little dirty, princess?" asked Applejack mockingly. Rarity gasped.

"Applejack! Why, I never!" Rarity flicked her hair.

"Loosen up, sugarcube! Besides, it's always useful to know survival skills. You might enjoy some of it. Think of it as making clothes but instead your using natural resources in the forest to make baskets and stuff necessary for survival," said Applejack. Rarity moaned with an unsure look.

"That plumbing situation is a bit of a deal breaker..." said Rarity.

"I'm certainly in! This could be a good chance to try out those survival skills I learned from my survival guidebook!" said Twilight eagerly. The teens suddenly heard an annoyed groan.

"Of course you'd know from a book," said Junior in annoyance. The teens all looked to find Junior stirring up as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"Oh you're awake!" said Twilight.

"Yeah, cause you guys were loud," said Junior with a yawn. He was about to remove his blanket but quickly brought it down.

"Shit. Anyone got my spare clothes?" asked Junior.

---

It was almost evening. The sun was setting. Junior sighed as he carried a large bag over his shoulders. Senior stood on a boulder with a rifle on his shoulder.

"It's a lovely evening," said Senior.

"It's OK," said Junior as he set the bag down, wincing as he rubbed his shoulder.

"Glad you decided to indulge me, son. I know you'd rather be home playing video games or watching television," said Senior with a smile.

"That's exactly what I’d be doing if not sleeping. I guess a nice change of pace is good," said Junior. Senior nodded.

"Yes. Although..." Senior looked over Junior's shoulder, finding Mosura, Rodan, Fluttershy, Twilight, Sunset, Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow, Rarity, Zip, Thorn, Kumonga, Amber, and Manda behind him.

"...I was sort of hoping that it'd just be me and you," said Senior with a grimace. Junior sighed heavily.

"Yeah, you can blame Amber for that," said Junior as the ladies of the group conversed. He then took notice of the rifle his father had.

"I thought you guys weren't allowed to have guns," said Junior in confusion.

"What they don't know won't hurt em'," said Senior with a shrug.

"You're setting a fine example, pop," said Junior sarcastically. Both he and Senior shared a chuckle.

"Just don't do what I've done. Or do what I wouldn't do," said Senior. He then was silent for a few short seconds before turning back to his son. "Just to be safe, don't do what I would do either."

"Dad, you're kinda limiting my options. I'm running out of ideas here," said Junior. Senior cleared his throat.

"Just keep this in mind. Life's too short to do something stupid," said Senior as he patted his son's shoulder.

Junior and Senior looked behind themselves and found Pinkie bursting from bushes and shouted 'boo', startling the rest of the group. Zip yelped in fright and stumbled down a hill, grunting in pain as she tumbled down.

"I'm OK!" called Zip as she climbed up the hills, with leaves and twigs in her hair.

"Like that," said Senior.

The group had eventually stopped at a clearing. Tents were being pitched, a fire was being start, and resources were gathered from the forest. Rainbow was hammering a nail into the dirt to secure the tent. She then noticed Applejack to be tying up a large rock the size of her hand onto a large stick with fiber and long grass.

"What are you making that for? We packed tools," said Rainbow.

"No way am I cutting corners. I want the whole authentic experience," said Applejack as she twirled her hand-made hammer, feeling its weight and security. Rarity was standing in the middle of camp, with her arms crossed as she anxiously looked around.

"Are we safe out here? We could run into a bear," said Rarity. Kumonga passed her while carrying long thick branches.

"Which is why we're fortifying the camp. Help me set these up," said Kumomga. Rarity groaned as she reluctantly followed. Meanwhile, Twilight was lecturing Sunset, Pinkie, Mosura, and Fluttershy on the basics of setting up camp. She showed drawings in the book that depicted the Do's and Dont's.

Meanwhile just further away from the camp site, Junior knelt in cover with Senior and Rodan. The three were looking further away, where a buck began to feed on the grass.

"That's dinner," whispered Senior as he raised his rifle.

"Is this a good idea? I think you need a permit or something to hunt right?" asked Junior.

"Don't worry about it. We're just getting one. Plug those ears," said Senior while the two teens stuck plugs into their ears. Senior looked through the scope, aiming the rifle at the dear's chest. He took a calm breath and exhaled. He pulled the trigger and the rifle kicked back from the shot. With the suppressor, the bang from the rifle was reduced in volume, but still loud enough for someone nearby to hear. The dear suddenly collapsed onto the ground.

"Let's go," said Senior as he got up from cover and made his way to the deer. Junior and Rodan followed, finding the dear to be lying in the grass, its eyes wide open.

"Hm. A direct shot to the heart. Quick and no suffering was experienced," said Senior as he analyzed the dead buck.

"Aw. Looking at him now, you see how majestic they are up close," said Rodan in disappointment.

"Dad, what if you had missed the heart? What would be the best way to handle it?" asked Junior. He wasn't wishy washy about hunting like some people are. He respected it as something that people living off the grid would do for food or the hide. With that said, Junior wasn't a sociopath and would prefer to quickly end his prey's life.

"You can either let it run off to find somewhere to die comfortably, or you can finish it off if it's unable to stand. But I advise against that. Back in Neighpon in my youth, a wounded deer bucked my uncle's teeth in. It was not pretty," said Senior.

"So just shoot it in the head?" asked Junior.

"That'd be better," said Senior.

"I just realized. What's Fluttershy gonna think if we come back with a dead deer?" Asked Rodan. Junior was silent.

"Oh fuck!" groaned Junior.

"What's the big deal?" asked Senior.

"Fluttershy's a vegetarian. Plus she really likes animals! At best she'll be angry with me for participating in this hunt and she'll never speak to me again! At worse she'll take that gun and shoot us with it!" groaned Junior. Senior raised a brow at his son.

"The quiet one? Come on she wouldn't do that would she?" asked Senior in amusement. There was a brief awkward silence. Rodan looked to Junior with a nervous to chuckle.

"Would she?" asked Rodan. Junior said nothing. Rodan and Senior both glanced at each other, filled with unease. The silence when on a few more moments, as crickets chirped in the air.

"We're not going back," said Junior quickly.

"Agreed," said Senior and Rodan in unison.

"Hey! We caught dinner!" called Manda as she came running by with a net full of fish, while Zip and Thorn carried webbed up fish.

"Ugh. You guys killed a deer?" asked Zip in disappointment.

"Just teaching the boys to hunt," said Senior as he cleared his throat.

"I always wanted to try deer," said Manda as she salivated. She covered her mouth in embarrassment.
"We can't bring it back. Fluttershy will freak out," said Junior.

"Dude, don't let that dear go to waste! It's worse to just kill it and leave it!" said Thorn.

"What if we kept him to ourselves? I don't know about you but I got a massive appetite," said Rodan as his pupils dilated and his irises expanded.

"Hm. Manda, you and the girls take the fish to camp. Come back later and we should have this deer prepared. Tell no one," said Senior.

"A secret cookout! How exciting!" said Manda as she led the girls away. Senior rolled up his sleeves as he drew out a knife.

"Next lesson, preparing your meal," said Senior.

---

The fire crackled in the middle of the campsite. The teens all sat by the warm flames, as they held plates filled with food. This ranged from fish meat, corn, beans and mashed potatoes. Save for Fluttershy, whose plate lacked fish. The teens all conversed, as Manda and Kumonga had just served themselves.

"This is a nice change of pace. No need to stay in that stuffy old cave. Just hanging out here under the stars, with a cooked meal," said Manda with a happy sigh.

"How's the fish? I'm worried that I made it too salty," said Kumonga as she eyed her meal.

"Oh it's good!" said Manda, scarfing her food down and prompting Kumonga to cringe.

"Now keep in mind that food won't come this easily," said Amber as she was perched next to Sunset, Mosura and Twilight.

"There won’t be any stores around to pick up potatoes and stuff in the wilderness. So you have to fish or hunt. Even forage for fruit, but you must be cautious to not eat anything toxic," said Amber. As she continued to leave tips for the girls that were listening. But, Mosura raised a brow in confusion as she looked around.

"Hey, I just realized... where the heck are the guys?" asked Mosura. The girls all looked around, realizing that the boys weren’t in sight, neither was Senior. Zip and Thorn merely glanced at each other.

Meanwhile, further from the camp, the boys and Senior were sitting by a fire in the middle of the forest. The deer was decapitated, skinned and hung above the fire pit. The three were feasting on the meat of the beast.

"Man this is good," said Junior as he ate. Rodan nodded in agreement as he sat next to the head of the deer.

"He's as delicious as he was majestic," said Rodan. He then noticed the deer's dead eyes looking at him. Rodan awkwardly cleared his throat as he grabbed the head by the antlers and turned it away.

"There's something about catching your own food that makes it taste better," said Junior as he reached for the cooked deer and peeled off more meat. Suddenly, Zip's face appeared before him with a smile.

"Boo!" said Zip. Junior yelped with a start and jumped back. He growled in annoyance as Zip laughed at his reaction.

"Jeez! Don't do that!" said Junior. Zip shrugged.

"Sorry. Couldn't resist," said Zip. She then reached for the deer meat in Junior's hand and took it.

"I'll take that," said Zip as she took a bite. Junior scowled in response as Thorn descended upside down.

"Sup," greeted Thorn.

"Whoa, how're you doing that?" asked Rodan with a grin.

"We're doing that thing Spider-Man does," answered Thorn as she held out one leg and brought it back where her foot pressed against the other, gripping the strand of webbing that she held.

"Cool!" said Rodan with a grin.

"Won't you two get stuck to it?" asked Junior. Zip merely reached into her jacket's pocket and drew out a clear bottle.

'Not as long as we coat our hands and feet with this. It's oil we secrete in our second forms to keep ourselves from getting caught in web," said Zip.

"Oh," said Junior. Spider based Transmutants seemed to be certainly resourceful with their traits.

Zip twirled herself over and landed feet first onto the ground. She sighed as she took a seat next to Junior with the deer meat she had snagged from him. As Junior took another piece of meat from the deer, Thorn took a seat next to Zip and Rodan while taking a piece herself.

"I can't explain to you how awesome this is," said Zip as she ate.

"Oh yeah. Deer's good," said Junior as he chewed.

"No, not just the deer," said Zip in amusement.

"It's me being able to spend time outside of that cave to camp. To talk and hang out with my sister and my friends," said Zip as she wrapped an arm around Junior's shoulder with a grin. Junior's expression softened. The group heard feet rushing over. They turned and found Manda to be looking back as she approached.

"Alpha, the girls are wondering where you boys have been. Oh, the deer is cooked!" said Manda as she grabbed a leg from the deer and yanked it off. She sat down and began to eat.

"Mm! Sho Gud!" Manda spoke as she ate. Rodan and Junior stared with wide eyes.

"Damn, she can eat," whispered Rodan.

"Shh! Don't bring it up. She's pretty sensitive," whispered Senior. He stood up.

"Well, I've had my fill. Boys, you two ought to get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow," said Senior as he walked away from the fire pit. Junior glanced at Rodan, who was still eating.

"You spoke to Eliza?" asked Junior. Rodan was about to take another bite but stopped.

"No. In fact, i rarely see her around at school," said Rodan with a sigh.

"Who's Eliza?" asked Thorn.

"The girl that I thought was the one," said Rodan with a sigh. Junior winced, regretting bringing up the girl now.

"Aw. Unrequited love?" asked Manda with a sympathetic look.

"I don't know what it was anymore. She just suddenly wanted to cut ties with me. She didn't even tell what I did wrong. I had to have done something wrong," said Rodan.

"Ro, come on. Don't do that yourself, man," said Junior.

"Ah I know. I probably sound like a whiny little girl right now. No offense," said Rodan as he looked to the females in the group. Manda sat next to him and brought his head against her shoulder with a warm embrace over him.

"It's OK. If guys don't wanna hear you open up on these feelings, I'll listen," said Manda. Rodan sighed, not paying mind to the fact that his head was resting on a gorgeous older woman. He was so focused on Eliza that no other female mattered to him the same way.

"Oh thank God. I'm not good with emotional things. It's also kind of a guy thing to not discuss that," said Junior. Rodan snorted.

"Then why'd you ask?" Asked Rodan.

"Just to make sure you were good. But I guess I blew it by bringing it up," said Junior with a forced chuckle.

"Dick," chuckled Rodan. Thorn and Zip smiled at the two boys as they playfully hit each other's shoulders. It was refreshing to see Junior and even his friends, a change of pace from sitting in a drafty old cave. They yearned to actively participate in that more.

---

Sunset lied in her sleeping bag in her tent. With her was Twilight, who slept soundly on her side of the tent. Sunset was staring at the screen of her phone. On it were messages that were left by herself, to Erika.
The messages had began with asking Erika if she were up for camping, referring to of course what she was doing now with the Guardians to train more. However, Erika hadn't replied. Sunset had left three more texts in attempt to get her to answer.

'R u mad at me??' was the last message that Sunset had sent. Still no answer. Sunset sighed heavily as she put her phone to the side. She got up to her feet and began to make her way out of the tent. She looked around, finding other tents to be standing in the area, and a fire pit with ash and no flames. Sunset began to step out with a pair of boots, made for hiking. The girl began to quietly walk away as she slipped her hands in her jacket pockets. She gasped with a start as a large figure suddenly appeared in front of her. Junior had flinched with a start as he had nearly bumped into Sunset. The girl glared at him and quickly punched him in the arm.

"Ow," whispered Junior in annoyance.

"What are you doing up? You almost gave me a heart attack!" whispered Sunset.

"I had to take a piss. Give me a break," whispered Junior in annoyance. Sunset looked at him with a cringe.

"Ugh," said Sunset.

"I washed my hands with a water bottle and some soap," deadpanned Junior. He placed his hands in his pajama pants pockets. "What are you doing up?"

"Just felt like going on a walk to clear my head," said Sunset.

"It's dangerous to be out alone this late at night," said Junior. Sunset snorted.

"Says the guy who stepped out for a midnight tinkle," said Sunset. Junior rolled his eyes in response. Sunset held in a giggle. She patted Junior on the shoulder.

"Goji, if you want to make sure I'm safe, just offer to escort me," said Sunset as she walked off. Junior watched at the girl left the area. He took a breath. He began to walk after the girl. The two walked side by side together in the evening. Crickets chirped, and the wind blew through the trees. Junior made sure that he was close to Sunset, in case something undesirable would try to pick one of them off for straying too far away from each other.

Junior and Sunset eventually found themselves near a clearing, away from the camp. Above them, the moon cast its light and the starts twinkled in the very night. Sunset looked up in awe.

"Wow. I never knew that there were this many stars here. All the light pollution in town really concealed how many there were visible to us," said Sunset. The stars were in clusters in the sky in an epicenter to the perspective of the teens. But the stars were much more spread out away from the center.

"Hmm." Junior hummed in agreement. He himself was mesmerized by the beauty of the starry night sky. It was like gazing upon an infinite ocean, glimmering before their very eyes and into the vast unknown.

"Man. You forget just how small you are until you look up at night," said Junior. Sunset nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. I wonder... what's out there? Amber threw my entire world into a loop. She said I draw magic from other worlds, but what kind of worlds? Are they like ours? Are there really life forms like us out there? Are they peaceful? Violent? What do they know that we don't?" asked Sunset as she looked up.

"One of life's greatest mysteries," said Junior as he sat down in the grass. Sunset sat next to him.

"I think a bigger one will always keep me thinking. Amber's existence makes me begin to really question. Is there a deity out there?" asked Sunset. Junior sighed.

"Don't get metaphysical on me now, it makes me depressed," said Junior.

"No, think about it! Someone or something was responsible for the Ark and the gem inside. It gave us our powers. It had a will of its own of sorts," said Sunset. She looked to the side with uncertainty.

"I've been having dreams. Dreams of things going wrong, for not handling our powers with care," said Sunset.

"Yeah, that's called 'nightmares conjured by fear of real life'," said Junior flatly. Sunset shook her head.

"No, it felt too real. And I feel like... I don't know. I feel like something is always by my side. I can't explain it," said Sunset. Junior sighed heavily.

"God. Why would a deity create us? Transmutants," said Junior.

"Goji?" Sunset looked his way.

"I just don't understand. I don't know for sure if there's one or not, and I don't care. But what's the point of making us so different from normal humans " asked Junior.

"Amber might know the answer. She knew that Transmutants had an outside force in their origin. She might tell us why," said Sunset. Junior shook his head.

"Amber is very secretive. I almost don't trust her with everything she says," said Junior. Sunset looked at him in surprise.

"Like what?" asked Sunset.

"She had my father hide himself from me and my mother for years. She only revealed what the Ark was when forced, meaning she likely didn't intend telling us why it was important. She even held off on the fact you girls were gaining powers from it," said Junior with a sigh. Sunset looked down in thought.

"She could be holding the truth about Transmutants back," said Junior.

"I'm afraid to ask her more about it. She might deflect at best. But at worse, I might not like the answer she gives," said Junior with a neutral look. Sunset placed a hand on Junior's shoulder in comfort. Her spine chilled and her eyes went blank. She felt a growing sadness.

'I don't want to be another accident,' a voice whispered. Sunset softly gasped as she released Junior. The boy merely glanced at her with a raised brow, as Sunset looked at him with slightly widened eyes.

"What's the matter?" asked Junior in confusion.

"Gojira, you..." Sunset was unable to speak. Her heart raced from recovering the sensation that she felt. The hoot of an owl caught the attention of the teens. Junior softly smiled as he spotted the brown bird, with large yellow eyes.

"Look at that guy. Handsome looking bird," said Junior. Sunset nodded in agreement, though her mind was focused on moments ago.

"Too bad Shy's sleeping. Speaking of which, we should head back to bed," said Junior as he stood up.

"Right," said Sunset as she stood up. Her expression soft as she followed Junior back to camp.

Meanwhile, perched on a tree, there was Amber. The fairy's wings were folded as she clung to the tree, staring at Junior as he walked off with Sunset. Her antennae twitched as her featureless eyes stared. A small sigh escaped her mouth. She later fluttered back to the camp site, where her form began to softly glow and change shape. She descended to the ground, covered in light. She raised herself up, standing tall. The fairy walked to a tent and peeked inside, where her blue orbed eyes searched. Junior was lying in his sleeping bag, breathing softly. Amber approached, as her wings remained folded on her back. She kneeled next to Junior, reaching a pale feminine hand upon Junior's face, caressing it. She leaned in and planted a kiss upon Junior's forehead, leaving a lip shaped glow upon his skin. It then faded away. Amber's form changed again, reverting back to the cat sized mouth. She lied herself upon Junior's lap, snuggling against him for warmth.

Comments

[DDDDDDDDD23]

when will we see rodan in beast form?

[DDDDDDDDD23]

so they heal faster than junior but are more limited in what they can heal.

[Vendetta5756]

Man you keep getting me into my feels man 😭😭😭😭 keep up the good work and keep em coming

[Saurah X]

Ford Brody?? WHAAAAAAAAT?

[Louka the great]

Well, I didn’t expect to see that Godzilla character, anyway, excellent chapter as usual.

[Johng117]

9623582
Did you read Chapter 60: Terror in the Sky?

[talontitanbane]

9623582
Hellooooooo? That happened a few chapters back. Remember the giant red pterasaur thing? That was him!