Shy and Aggressive: Book 2

by Johng117

Chapter 5: Debts

Sigyn and Kenra were roaming through the streets of a dark town. The air was cold and silent as dust flowed through the sterile earth. The two were flanked by a couple of armored men.

"What do you think she wants with Lucky Dragon?" asked Kenra in confusion.

"I can only imagine. Perhaps she's attracted to him," said Sigyn. Kenra scoffed.

"Doesn't seem like her style. Still though, these people have a weird fascination for these freaks," whispered Kenra, glancing back at the guards.

"Humor them, dear. Our biggest problem is how to capture a creature like that alive. Preferably ourselves being alive as well," said Sigyn. Kenra sighed as she scratched her head.

"Normally I'm confident with our abilities. But I'm not willing to risk it with this one. If we had a whole platoon, we'd have a chance," said Kenra. Sigyn merely motioned her head to the armored men behind them.

"Too primitive," deadpanned Kenra.

"We have to work with what we have. You know that," said Sigyn. Kenra sighed heavily. She then hummed to herself.

"Hey, would any of you happen to know about someone of certain skill?" asked Kenra.

"What sort of skill?" asked one of the soldiers.

"Of facing off with a demi Titan," said Kenra. There was an uncomfortable silence. The men looked to each other.

"Ma'am, only fools dare to challenge demi Titans," said one of the soldiers.

"Although, there are exceptions," said the other soldier. Kenra and Sigyn perked with interest.

"We're listening~," said Sigyn.

"Word has it that there is a man in the Empire who specializes in capturing the most dangerous beasts ever seen. Bears, Sabre Cats, Dragons, Death Jackals, Gigas..." said the second soldier.

"Even demi Titans," said the first soldier.

"Is that so? Where can we find him?" asked Kenra.

---

It was morning. The sunlight began to ignite the room. Twilight sluggishly rose out of bed. She yawned as she stretched her arms to the air. Her night gown covered her naked body beneath. How she was glad to be out of those filthy clothes.

The girl felt herself refreshed compared to those previous nights. She was happy to have woken up in a cozy bed rather than the itchy, cold grass. Twilight found the rest of the girls still sound asleep. They looked so peaceful. Twilight was about to call out to her friends but decided against it.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to sleep in a couple more hours," said Twilight as she snuggled back under the covers. It had been a long and tiresome journey. They earned the rest.

There was a sudden knock. Twilight's eyes shot open. She rose up as the door was knocked on. Her friends began to stir awake. Rainbow groaned as she held her pillow over her head.

"Someone answer the door..." grumbled Rainbow. Twilight sighed as she reached for the dresser and placed on her glasses. She climbed out of bed and made her way to the door. Twilight opened it, finding a man dressed in formal clothes.

"Oh. Good morning," said Twilight, suddenly growing more awake.

"Good morning, miss. His Lordship has made arrangements for your service in our community. Please go over these notes," said the man, handing papers to Twilight. He bowed to her and left. Twilight shut the door and looked over the papers, which seemed to be made by a fine parchment. Likely from the hide of animals.

"Community service, huh?" Twilight began to look through the papers. Her brain worked quickly to process the intake of info, despite just waking up. Twilight silently read the notes to herself.

"So much for sleeping in," said Twilight. She looked to her friends as they slept.

"Rise and shine, ladies! We have things to do!" Said Twilight, making her way over to her bed, where she reached under and drew out her clothes that were cleaned the previous day. The rest of the girls groaned in dismay.

"Just another hour," moaned Rainbow.

"Sorry. We made a deal. I don't want to disrespect the Lord's generosity. If we want a comfortable place to stay, then we need to honor our end," said Twilight, removing her gown and placing on her bra and shirt. Rarity sighed.

"Very well," said Rarity. The girls began to dress themselves. While it was ideal to rest longer, they knew that it would bring trouble if they didn't keep their promise.

"So what is it that Grunge wanted us to do?" asked Rainbow.

"There's a number of stuff. There's helping out one of the farmers with the harvest, delivering ingredients from a local shop to a customer in the north of town, and there's also a local bakery in need of help of preparing for an upcoming wedding," said Twilight as she read through the list.

"Dibs on helping with the bakery!" cried Pinkie as she excitedly raised her hand.

"Hm. Seems reasonable," said Applejack with a smile.

"There's a couple of other things listed. But I think we would get this down fast if we were to take on tasks simultaneously. So let's do what seems more urgent," said Twilight as she began to hand off her friends the papers.

"Good thing there isn't a language barrier. I imagine this would be a lot harder than previously thought," said Rarity.

"It's still weird. This is supposed to be another world yet we have the same language," said Rainbow.

"This is likely because this world is parallel to ours. It could be that there are as much similarities as there are differences between worlds," said Twilight. Though she had no evidence for her theory, it was the best she could come up with.

"Well, wherever we are, we have to make due until we can find a way home," said Applejack.

---

Angirasu was standing at the gate of the wall. He waved to Junior, Fluttershy, Sunset, Rodan and Mosura. The teens were with Ann and a group of Iwi. This was the second day of the search for the rest of the Main 7.

"You sure you don't wanna come?" called Sunset.

"Nah. I kinda wanna help these folks out. It's the least I can do since they're helping us," said Angirasu.

"Alright, don't you throw a party while we're gone!" said Ann teasingly. Angirasu watched as the group left the area, moving to the jungle. Angirasu stretched and began to turn back to the village.

"Time to get to work," said Angirasu as he walked to the village.

Angirasu found himself walking through the village. He found several Iwi going about their own business. He scratched his head as he scanned the area. He wasn't exactly sure how to approach any of these people to offer his help. After all, he was a stranger and wasn't sure how to communicate with them. Then again, they seemed to understand his language.

Angirasu noticed that there were some Iwi hauling wood. They were gathering the wood from a pile, where tons lied. Angirasu saw that they were being hauled to a portion of the wall away from the entrance.

"Wonder what they're doing," said Angirasu.

"They are reinforcing the wall," said a small voice. Angirasu jumped with a start. He found an Iwi child, a young boy covered in blue markings, stood beside him.

"You just spoke," said Angirasu in shock. The boy bowed.

"Forgive me, noble Guardian. For I did not mean to startle you," said the boy.

"I-it's fine. But... You're speaking to me. Right? Or am i imagining this?" asked Angirasu.

"I speak, noble Guardian. But it is tradition of elders to take a vow of silence. I am called, Ato," said the boy.

"My name is Angirasu. I'd actually prefer that you call me that. Calling me 'noble guardian' makes me a bit uncomfortable," said Angirasu with a sheepish smile.

"If that is your desire, then I shall," said Ato with a bow.

"You said that they were reinforcing the wall?" asked Angirasu.

"Yes. The devils tend to bring damage to our protective walls. It is important that we regularly fix it," said Ato.

"That sounds like a lot of work. Maybe I can pitch in to help?" asked Angirasu.

"You need not trouble yourself, Noble Angirasu," said Ato with a shake of his head.

"Just 'Angirasu' is fine," deadpanned Angirasu.

"You are a guest. There is no need to trouble yourself," said Ato.

"I insist. After all, we're already enough trouble as it is. What with bothering some of you tribe members to help look for our friends," said Angirasu as he made his way after the other Iwi. Ato followed. Angirasu made his way to the rest of the men, who were beginning to take their wood and set it up near the wall.

"Uh... hey guys. Need an extra pair of hands?" asked Angirasu. The Iwi merely looked back at Angirasu in silence. The teen cleared his throat as he forced a grin.

"I mean, because I have a pair right now," said Angirasu with a chuckle. The Iwi merely stared, some glancing at each other.

"Ato, could you help me please?" asked Angirasu sheepishly.

Angirasu had spent the morning assisting the Iwi tribe in reinforcing the wall. Thanks to Ato's 'translation' and overall knowledge of how his people behaved, he was able to help Angirasu work. It seemed that they understood the child quite well when he spoke, and he seemed to almost understand the thoughts of his elders. Their way of communication was too confusing for Angirasu to understand. Instead he just went along with what he knew what was. The teen would hold up wood and logs, allowing the Iwi to secure them to be hammered or tied into the rest of the logs that made up the wall. While not speaking, they made hand signals and gestures that Angirasu had to decipher for each step. Luckily, Ato was around to help him understand properly should he miss something.

Angirasu rubbed his hands as he released a log as it was secured to the damaged wall. He began to jog to over to the rest of the lumber. However, he heard weeping. He turned and found Dwan to be walking nearby, her face buried into her hands.

"Dwan? What's wrong?" Asked Angirasu, his expression turned to worry. The girl wept as she approached the boy.

"I-I-I just..." Dwan revealed her tear streamed face and began to weep. She wrapped her arms around the boy and buried her face into his shoulder. Angirasu held her with a frown.

"Hey, what's wrong? Did something happen?" Asked Angirasu

Unbeknownst to Angirasu, Dwan was smirking behind her teary face. She nuzzled the boy's shoulder as he caressed her back. Angirasu pulled away a bit, while Dwan quickly reverted to her crying expression. She sniffled as her lip trembled.

"Come on, tell me what happened," said Angirasu.

"It's just... Go-Gojira!" said Dwan. Angirasu raised a brow.

"What did he do?" asked Angirasu.

"He was so mean to me last night! I just wanted to talk and get to know him! But he said I was bothering him and snapped at me!" cried Dwan, weeping into her hands. Angirasu frowned, feeling sorry for the girl.

"Don't take it personally. For as long as I've known the guy, he's always been kind of a grump. He just likes to keep to himself," said Angirasu. Dwan sniffled as she wiped her eyes.

"Oh. You're so nice and understanding. That's why I'm calling you 'Nice Aang'," said Dwan with a smile. Angirasu gave a small chuckle as he looked away with a bashful smile.

"Thanks," said Angirasu. Dwan wiped away her tears and had quickly recomposed herself from her forced crying.

"Can I ask you something?" asked Dwan.

"S-Sure," said Angirasu, clearing his throat.

"What's the story between you and Sonata?" asked Dwan. Angirasu looked away with a grimace.

"Ah. Sorry, that was out of nowhere. I couldn't help but notice that she keeps looking at you and you seem to act cold around her. I shouldn't have asked, that's none of my business," said Dwan as she twiddled her fingers, placing on a facade of awkwardness.

"No, that's OK," said Angirasu with a sigh. He scratched his head as he stared at the ground, not wanting to get into the subject more than he needed to. But inside, he was still getting heated about the incident. It was too much of a pain to keep bottled up. He was just glad he wasn't taking those damned pills anymore, otherwise he was sure he'd get hostile with Dwan right now. He knew those damn things did little to help him out.

"It's kind of a long story. When Sonata came to town, I thought she was sweet. She was kind of a ditz, but I thought she was nice person and started to like her. I thought we clicked. I thought we understood each other," said Angirasu. His expression hardened as he looked off to the wall.

"But things got weird when my mom finally came back. I was stuck between trying to please her and building something more with Sonata. I even lied to her just so we could hang out. Then Sonata started stalking me by changing her classes and manipulated me," said Angirasu. While he did lie to his mother out of his own free will to hang out with Sonata, he remembered when he wasn't in control of himself other times when he lied to her. He was already uncomfortable with it the first time, but being bewitched to do so without his say was over the line. Just thinking about it infuriated him.

"I got into some trouble and... Well, here we are," said Angirasu, gesturing to the land.

"Wow. I've known that girl for a bit. But I didn't think she was capable of stuff like that," said Dwan in surprise. Angirasu scoffed.

"That makes two of us," said Angirasu, crossing his arms. Dwan smiled a she stood by the boy's side.

"Well, sometimes the first person we meet isn't always our soul mate. Sometimes they're just someone you either like or hate. Trust me, I've met a lot of people that I hate, but also people that I like~," said Dwan as she bounced her eye brows. Angirasu slightly blushed as he looked to the ground.

"I guess," said Angirasu with a shrug. Dwan patted the boy's shoulder and began to walk off.

"You'll get passed it. But if you need cheering up, I'm your girl," said Dwan, pointing to herself with a wink. Angirasu slightly smiled and nodded. While she was overtly flirtatious, Dwan seemed to be a nice girl at heart.

Angirasu took a breath and let out an exhale, relieving himself of pent up stress. He turned to pick up sticks but stopped a he found Sonata standing before him. Her arms were crossed as her brows were furrowed. Angirasu felt his mood sour immediately.

"What?" asked Angirasu.

"You didn't actually buy that, did you?" asked Sonata. Angirasu narrowed his eyes.

"Buy what?" asked Angirasu.

"Aangey, she's playing you! She's just trying to get in your pants! She was playing innocent with you! No guy ever makes her cry!" said Sonata. Angirasu scoffed.

"What is your deal? I thought you at least liked her out of your sisters," said Angirasu as he crossed his arms.

"Yeah, until she-" Sonata fell silent. She scowled as her cheeks flushed.

"Wha- Because she's talking to me? Sonata, you have no right to be upset over that. I can talk to whoever I please," said Angirasu, walking off. Sonata quickly got in his path.

"I just don't like how she's acting around you! You deserve better than that!" said Sonata.

"So what if she's flirty with me?!! At least she isn’t trying to brainwash me, like some people I know!" said Angirasu, glaring at the girl. Sonata shrunk back, her face guilt ridden.

"Aangey... I didn't-"

"I told you not to call me, Aangey!" said Angirasu, storming off passed the Dazzling. Sonata deeply frowned as she watched the boy leave. She rubbed her arm as a tear trailed down her face. She turned and began to walk away.

"I'm sorry..." said Sonata to herself.

Angirasu began to make his way to the rest of the lumber that lied, waiting to be utilized for the wall. He hoped that the labor would get his mind off of his woes, As he knelt down to pick it up, he heard footsteps approaching.

"I got this one," said Angirasu as he turned. He noticed a young Iwi to be standing with a scowl on his face. He looked to be around the Transmutant's age. Angirasu looked to the side with a look of discomfort as this aggressive looking native stared him down. While he was shorter, Angirasu couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.

"Can I help you?" asked Angirasu.

"I am called, Ourah Ikakas. You are my sworn foe!" said the native. Angirasu recoiled, surprised to hear him talk. But also at what he just said.

"Come again?" asked Angirasu. Ourah pointed to Angirasu with a glare.

"You have become the center of attention of the one called, Dwan! Her affection is what I desired! And you have stolen that from me!" said Ourah. Angirasu's eyes widened.

"Wait, you have a crush on Dwan?" asked Angirasu.

"No more words, Guardian! I challenge you to a battle for the right to pursue the affection of Dwan!" said Ourah. Angirasu backed away with a nervous look.

"W-Wait! This is all a big misunderstanding! Dwan and I just met! We only talked!" said Angirasu. Ourah began to step forward as he popped his knuckles. Angirasu was beginning to feel like a kid in school that was about to be pummeled by another kid for talking to his crush, which is what was basically happening at this point.

"Look, let's just talk this out!" said Angirasu.

"No more talking! Rah!!" Ourah lunged for Angirasu, tackling him to the ground. The Transmutant cried out in pain as he landed on his back and was punched. He grunted as he punched Ourah back, who rolled off of the Transmutant. The two stood up and began to punch each other and lock each other in their arms. Angirasu found himself placed in a hold, with his head locked under Ourah's arm and was hauled around. Angirasu felt his heart racing from the adrenaline. He stumbled as Ourah swung him while keeping a tight hold on him.

"Submit, Guardian!" said Ourah. The two's scuffle began to catch the attention of the villagers nearby. Some began to approach to watch, mostly the younger men and teenagers. Angirasu found himself tossed to the ground. He rolled along the grass, picking up dirt against his skin. Angirasu panted as he rolled back onto his feet, memories flooding his mind.

Angirasu recalled this feeling. The feeling of being thrown around along the grass. His blood burning hot from the physical struggle of strength. He recalled this feeling in the fields of a park in Trotkyo. He remembered how his father would put him in head locks, picking him up and throwing him around. Angirasu felt a grin beginning to creep onto his face as his heart pumped blood through his veins. A chuckle escaped his throat.

Angirasu shot up to his feet and rushed to Ourah. Before Ourah could strike him, Angirasu slammed into his abdomen and picked him up. He then slammed him to the ground, which caused the native to groan. He kicked Angirasu away, who stumbled back.

Angirasu knew that this was a physical fight between two men for the right to court girl. He even remembered that scuffle he had with Spinner and his gang. However, the feeling of the grass, the heat, and him being tossed about and locked down reminded him of the days when his father was still around. He recalled the laugh of his dad as he held him in place as Angirasu tried to muster his own strength to get free. And the feeling of rolling in the grass on a summer's day. He had very few memories of his father from those years ago. But the few that he had of his old man had emerged from this experience.

The Transmutant placed Ourah into a headlock. He chuckled as the native struggled under his superior strength. He fell back onto the ground with Ourah and held him tightly. He began to squeeze as Ourah struggled. The young natives that were around began to cheer as they watched the two. Meanwhile, Sonata, Dwan, and Aria came rushing by in alarm.

"What the hell is going on here?!" asked Aria.

"Hey, he started it!" said Angirasu as Ourah elbowed him in the side. The native then reached out to Dwan.

"Dwan! I fight for you!" said Ourah. Dwan rolled her eyes in response.

Suddenly, the natives began to quickly back away as they looked up. Dwan looked around in confusion and then gasped.

"Oh shit," said Dwan, backing away.

"Wha- Uh oh," sad Aria as she and Sonata backed up. The group found that Kong was making his way over. His brows were furrowed. Angirasu noticed him approaching and quickly released Ourah and stood up. Ourah was about to punch Angirasu but froze as Kong approached. There was silence. The natives were tense as they stood before their god king. Angirasu gulped nervously as the older Transmutant turned his attention on him.

"You. Come with me," said Kong. Angirasu was about to protest but fell silent. He began to walk over to the ape Transmutant. Kong looked to the natives.

"Go back to your day," said Kong as he walked with Angirasu. The natives began to disperse. However, some were grabbed by their parents, who hauled them away. Ourah was grabbed by his ear and pulled away by an older woman, who sent him a glare. Aria, Sonata and Dwan looked on worriedly as Kong led Angirasu away from the village area.

Angirasu found himself led into a large cave. His mind was racing with dread. He wondered what kind of punishment this man had for him. For all he knew, his punishment would be severe that it would seem unreasonable to someone from civilization but fair to those of primitive tribal life style.

"Sir, I'm sorry. I-I don't know what came over me. Ourah was ranting something about winning Dwan's affection and he-" Angirasu fell silent as he noticed the cave around him. It was decorated with cloth and flags that hung, depicting symbols. There was a pit covered in ash and burning wood. Torches lined the walls. He noticed Kong picking up a spear, with a rusted metal tip. Angirasu stiffened.

"L-Look, I'll do anything to make up for what happened. Just don't punish my friends for it," said Angirasu. Kong merely placed the spear against a wall, turning to the boy.

"I saw you. You fought with ferocity. Ourah while human, is a stubborn fighter. He makes it a habit of fighting with the other boys his age in the tribe," said Kong.

"You're not mad?" asked Angirasu in confusion.

"No, he challenged you. Only a coward backs down and doesn't defend his honor," said Kong. Angirasu cleared his throat with a forced chuckle.

"Y-Yeah. I totally wasn't going to back down," said Angirasu.

"But, your fighting is lacking. You have no self-control. You took on hits and merely went in like a mere beast. Even when you are in your beast form, you lack the mind of a man," said Kong as he stepped over to a throne made of stone. He sat upon it as the torches illuminated him the darkness, while little natural light poured in from above.

"It always seemed to work out for us before," said Angirasu.

"Yes, with mere boys who are itching to prove themselves. But trained warriors and savage beasts like the skull faced demons are another tale," said Kong as he tossed Angirasu a fruit. The boy yelped as he nearly dropped the fruit, which looked almost similar to a mango. Angirasu looked around the cave, finding paintings to be decorated all around it.

"Did the Iwi do this?" asked Angirasu.

"Yes. Long before I came to dwell with them," said Kong, looking at the paintings. Angirasu began to scan the painting. He saw images of humans fleeing from Skull Crawlers, who devoured them at every turn.

"The people were at the mercy of the demons for generations. Even the other creatures in this land," said Kong. Angirasu saw images of dinosaurs biting down on human figures. There were cat-like beasts, giant bugs, and other strange beasts. He then noticed that there were a group of great ape creatures standing, fighting the skull crawlers and other creatures.

"But they looked to the great apes to defend them. The old gods of the earth. They were said to have not been of this world," said Kong as he looked to the paintings. Angirasu merely stared, finding a painting of the Iwi bowing towards a great ape that stood among them. It was humongous compared to what Kong was, but Angirasu thought it was to emphasize the greatness they had.

"So they really do see us as gods," said Angirasu, staring at the painting. Kong was silent. Angirasu turned to Kong in confusion.

"You... You know we're not gods, right? We're just... freaks," said Angirasu. Kong merely looked to the painting of the ape worshipped by man.

"I only know what I have seen and what I've heard. I know that I am not like the Iwi. Or any man. But whether I am truly divine, I cannot say. But the Iwi raised me as their own and I became their king," said Kong.

"You mean you don't know who or what you are? Or who your parents are?" asked Angirasu in shock. Kong merely closed his eyes with a sigh.

"My memories of them are faint. But they feel mixed. As though they come from two different people," said Kong. Angirasu looked on in confusion. Kong gestured to a wall on his left.

"The Kongs were a fierce and mighty race. They fought the Skull Crawlers with all of their might. But the demons are numerous. They rarely rest and they have a hunger that cannot be satisfied, for they are an empty, fallen race," said Kong. He pointed to a painting of the apes being overwhelmed as bigger Skull Crawlers attacked them. Angirasu stared, feeling a pit in his stomach.

"They leave a trail of death in their wake. Even the Kongs were no match," said Kong solemnly as only skeletal remains of apes were shown.

"They're all gone," said Angirasu softly. Kong nodded.

"Never have I met one. I haven't found much to learn about them aside from what the Iwi have recorded. Even some of their stories have been lost throughout the generations. All I know is that they found me," said Kong. Angirasu deeply frowned.

"That must be hard," said Angirasu. Kong merely tossed aside the core of his eaten fruit.

"Perhaps. But I have a duty to defend these people from the demons. Just as it was for the ancients to do so," said Kong as he stood up from his throne. He approached Angirasu with a firm expression.

"I believe that our meeting was fate. The Iwi see our kind as defenders as well as destroyers," said Kong, pointing to a painting on another wall, depicting a bird-like creature, standing among fire as a human man was depicted dwelling within the beast.

"I believe that we are meant to defend the world from these forces. But I am but one. If you wish, I can teach you the way to self-control. I will even teach you to fight, so you may defend those around you," said Kong.

"You... You want to teach me?" asked Angirasu in surprise. Kong nodded in response.

"We all need a teacher to prepare us for life. Will you listen to my teachings, young Angirasu?" asked Kong. Angirasu looked down in thought. He knew that it was a problem of having limited control over his beast form. He had to know how to control it so that he could protect his friends. After all, they were in a dangerous world. Angirasu smiled and nodded. Kong smiled back.

"Come!" said Kong as he led the boy out of the cave. Angirasu found himself taken outside of the entrance. He found that the Iwi tribe were all waiting outside, anxiously standing. He even found Dwan, Sonata and Aria to be standing by worriedly.

"Behold! I will mentor the one called Angirasu, and teach him our ways! He will learn to live among you and to defend you from the evils that dwell beyond our walls!" said Kong in a loud voice. The Iwi all began to bow, while the youth began to cheer on for Angirasu. The teen looked on as the Iwi bowed to him in respect. Dwan suddenly rushed to him and wrapped him into a tight hug.

"Congrats!" said Dwan as she planted a kiss on the boy's cheek. However, Angirasu was too focused on the approval of the people, who he was but a stranger to them. He felt a smile growing on his face.

---

It was nearing noon. Rainbow Dash was running through the town as she carried a satchel at her side. She felt her body spark as she ran but would stop every time the sparks grew too intense. While she was moving at a pace that was higher than normal, she felt herself slipping into her lighting speed. She had to stop to not only to lay low, but also to avoid getting into accidents. It was strange since she felt that she almost had the hang of her abilities during the attack on Ponyville. Though that may have been a fluke and was during a time of chaos, pushing her to avoid screwing up.

"Ugh. I guess it beats working at a bakery," said Rainbow with a sigh. She began to make her way through town, finding people passing by, still looking at her oddly.

"What strange hair," said a girl with an odd look.

"Oh come on! It's not that weird!" said Rainbow defensively. The girl stiffed and ran off. Rainbow sighed as she held her head.

"Do we really stand out?" asked Rainbow.

---

Pinkie Pie was humming to herself as she stirred a wooden spoon into a bowl. Her cheeks were covered in flour as she wore an apron over herself. She quickly made her way over to an over, finding bread to be growing inside as the fire heated up the dough.

"Mr. Caramel! The top tiers are almost done!" said Pinkie as she went back to stirring. A large man stepped into the messy kitchen, bringing in tubes filled with icing.

"Good! How are the muffins coming along?" asked Caramel as he frantically set the items down on a counter.

"Just about done mixing! They'll be ready for the oven soon!" said Pinkie. Caramel sighed in relief as he began to take the tiers of bread from the oven and began to stack them on two larger tiers that were stacked on each other.

"You have no idea how grateful I am that you came by. I'm shorthanded what with my family away for the time being," said Caramel as he wiped his brow.

"Luckily for you that I also bake as a hobby! I made all kinds of sweets back home!" said Pinkie. She beamed with a smile. She was happy for this experience, considering that she was feeling homesick.

"So who's the lucky couple?" asked Pinkie.

"The Lord's daughter is getting married! Which is why this order is very important! My shop's reputation is on the line!" said Caramel. He smacked his face.

"I was a fool to accept this task when I should have known my family would be off visiting the Sacramentonian Kingdom beforehand!" said Caramel in frustration.

"No time to bellyache, Mr. Caramel! You have all the help you need right here!" said Pinkie with a grin.

---

Applejack was hauling along stacks of hay. The hay stood over her at 8 feet, and were carried over to a large barn. A farmer stared in shock as this girl hauled the hay with rope tied around the lower stacks and her pulling the end, almost with no struggle. A younger man next to him stared.

"Father, I think I'm in love," said the young man as he watched as Applejack take the hay to the barn.

"I'm proud of you, my son," said the farmer as he patted the young man's shoulder. Applejack came rushing out of the barn, wiping her sweaty brow.

"Do ya'll need me to do anything else? I can do this all day!" said Applejack as she stretched her arms.

"Yes. Would you mind helping my sons milk the bisons?" asked the farmer.

"Sure thing! Just point me to 'em!" said Applejack. The farmer pointed off to the side. Applejack turned her head and her eyes widened in shock. She found that beyond were a group of massive bisons. They were nine feet tall in height and bore wooly fur. They were stocky in build with large humps on their backs and thick short horns. The creatures fed on the grass as a couple of teens were standing by one of the creatures, grabbing onto its large utters as large tubs lied beneath them.

"Whoa nelly," said Applejack as she slumped her shoulders.

"Beautiful, aren't they? Providence has blessed us with wonderful creatures to raise," said the farmer.

"I didn't know bisons could get that big," said Applejack breathlessly.

"You should see the wild ones. They're much bigger," said the eldest son.

"I bet you folks get a lot of milk from these critters," said Applejack.

"We do. Bison milk is profitable in the Empire. Some of the extra we give to our neighbors," said the farmer. Applejack smiled.

"Yeah, back home we'd do the same thing with the apples we grow. The extras we give away," said Applejack. The farmer looked to the blonde in surprise.

"You were raised on a farm?" asked the farmer.

"You bet. The family owns an orchard in our town. We sold apples, apple pies, apple fritters, you name it," said Applejack. The girl felt a growing sadness. Home. She wondered if there was ever any chance of getting home.

"I would like to try those," said the eldest son with a smile.

"Well if you happen to have apples lying around, I could whip something up for ya'll. I'm a mean cook," said Applejack.

"Please marry me," said the eldest son. Applejack slightly recoiled.

"I-I beg your pardon?" Applejack raised a brow.

"N-Nothing! Hey, I believe the chickens dodos are due for feeding!" said the eldest son as he briskly walked off. The farmer merely faced palm while Applejack looked at him with a shrug.

---

It was the afternoon. Twilight and Rarity sat slumped on a bench in town. They bore tired looks as they leaned against each other. Twilight looked at the list of chores that they had to do. She marked off hers' and Rarity's with a quill. She sighed heavily as she set the list down.

"What a day," said Rarity.

"Compared to the last few days, this was easy," said Twilight with a deadpanned look. She looked up to the clock that sat upon a wooden building. She found that it was 3:30 in the afternoon.

"I wonder how it's going for the others," said Twilight.

"I know, right?" said Pinkie as she popped up from behind Twilight and Rarity. The two cried out with a start.

"Pinkie?!" exclaimed Twilight.

"That's my name! Don't wear it out!" said Pinkie as she smiled. Rarity groaned.

"Stop doing that! I feel like I'm going to have a heart attack!" said Rarity with a glare.

"Oh I'm sorry. Want a cookie to make up for it? I made them after I helped the baker," said Pinkie as she held out a box. Rarity smiled as she took one from the box.

"That's not ideal after complaining about a heart attack," deadpanned Twilight.

"You don't want one?" asked Pinkie.

"Are you crazy? Of course I want one of your homemade cookies!" said Twilight as she eagerly took a cookie. The girls then noticed Applejack to be walking by, waving her hat against herself to fan away the heat.

"Whoo Wee! I'm beat!" said Applejack, plopping herself next to Rarity. The purple haired girl gagged as she held her nose.

"And you stink!" said Rarity.

"That's the smell of a working woman, Rarity. And farm animals," said Applejack. Pinkie handed her a cookie, which she graciously took. Rainbow suddenly came running by, skidding to a halt. She made her way over to the group.

"Please tell me that's all? I got lost in this stinkin' town and had to go back and forth because the damn store owner forgot to give me something to go with a delivery," said Rainbow in annoyance. Twilight began to look through the list as she marked off the chores as she counted off the rest of the girls.

"Yep! All done!" said Twilight. The rest of the girls cheered with joy.

"Finally! Let's go back to the inn! I'm freaking tired!" said Rainbow.

"A nice hot bath sounds nice," said Rarity. She even glanced at Applejack, who glared at her in annoyance.

"I get it, I reek. I'll bathe first if it'll get ya to stop complaining," said Applejack.

"Well, let's get going," said Twilight as the girls began to rise from the bench. There was a sudden blare of horns in the air. The girls looked around in confusion as the villagers all stopped what they were doing. Looks of alarm were on their faces. The girls found that there were dark armored men standing in the street, much similar to the men that guarded the Lord's house. However, these guards bore green markings over their armor. Among the guards was a man dressed in formal clothes. He wore a robe and bore a shaved head. A few other men stood with trumpets in their hands.

"People of Salera! You're taxes and tributes are due!" said the robed man, who seemed to be the ring leader. People began to anxiously clear the streets, entering the doors of their homes. The guards began to spread out through the town.

"I don't like these people's reactions," said Applejack.

"Yeah. Come on, it's best we stay out of trouble," said Twilight as she and the rest of the girls began to clear out of the street.

The guards began to step over to houses and buildings, knocking on the doors. From behind the doors would emerged frightened citizens, who handed over coin purses. The ring leader of the group would count the coins, discriminating their value based on the type of metal they were made from. There were mostly silvers that he countered and a few copper coins.

"You're short one copper," said the tax collector. The man that he spoke to quickly began to search his home. He muttered to himself as he looked around. He gasped as he found a copper coin lying on a table. He grabbed it and quickly made his way back to the doorway and handed it to the tax collector.

"Good. Have a pleasant day," said the collector as he left with the guards. The man quickly closed his door as they left.

Guards that were visiting the houses left with purses full of coins. There even came some that carried gems and other expensive jewelry. Some even carried away sacks full of food. The items were gathered and placed in carts that were pulled by a domesticated triceratops.

Twilight and her friends watched from afar near the inn. They saw how intimidated the citizens were of these men. Even how some of the collections went beyond simple currency to even products owned by the citizens that produced and traded them. There was sudden screaming. The girls turned and found that a few guards were hauling a man, a woman and a teen girl through the streets. Citizens that were still in the streets cleared out of their way.

"Oh my goodness!" said Rarity in alarm.

"You curs! Release my wife and child!" demanded the man as he attempted to fight off the guards. One of the guards that held him punched him in the face. The girls recoiled in shock and horror as the family was hauled to the town square.

"Papa!" cried the girl.

"Ah! I see we have lawbreakers in our midst!" said the tax collector as he made his way to the town square. Guards began to gather along with citizens who have already paid their dues.

"What seems to be the trouble?" asked the tax collector as the family were forced to the ground.

"W-We don't have the money for today's taxes," said the father as his face swelled.

"Well that's no good. Surely you have something to offer up instead? Perhaps jewels? Resources? Say meat or medicine? Anything?" asked the collector.

"No..." said the man in a low tone.

"Perhaps your daughter? She is a fine young lady," said the tax collector as he looked lustfully at the girl.

"P-Papa!" cried the girl.

"Stay away from her!" growled the man as he stood to lunge for the collector, but a guard punched him in the jaw, sending him to the ground. His wife and daughter cried out to him. Twilight and the others looked on in horror at this abuse.

"Then you know the penalty. As all of you!" said the collector as he held up a scroll, unfurling it.

"In accordance to the pact made during the reign of our fair Empress, you are to serve as providing the capital of Dogomoto with a portion of your coin and resources to make up for your debt. A debt brought on in exchange for protection against the predators that dwell in the neighboring jungle," said the collector as the family stood up to their knees.

"To not do so is a violation against the law of Empress Malicia! The punishment is death!" said the collector.

The remnants of the Main 7 gasped in shock and horror at this. They watched as the family was retrained, while a guard arrived with an axe. The citizens stood by in silence, helpless and saddened as the family were sentenced to their final fate.

"Stop!" called a voice. The girls found an armored man to be rushing to the square. The collector turned with a glare.

"Please, have mercy on my brother and his family!" cried the guard.

"So they are your relatives? My condolences," said the collector.

"I demand you release them!" shouted the guard as he drew out a sword. The guards quickly turned their attention to him, drawing their weapons.

"A royal guard dares to defy her majesty?! You will join these vermin! Seize him!" ordered the collector. A couple of the green marked guards began to rush towards the defiant guard.

"My God, I can't believe this is happening!" said Rarity in horror as the defiant guard was backing away from the two marked ones. Rainbow began to stand anxiously as she watched as the guard that was standing up for his family members was about to be seized. She watched as the girl cried out as she pleaded for help.

"That's it, I can't take it anymore!" said Rainbow as her body sparked.

"Rainbow!" cried Twilight in alarm as Rainbow zipped towards the square.

"Shoot, I'm with her!" said Applejack, rushing out to the square. Twilight gritted her teeth in alarm.

Before the axe wielding guard could bring down his weapon on the father, the weapon disappeared from his hand as a streak of rainbow passed by.

"What?!" exclaimed the collector.

"Hey!" called Rainbow. Everyone turned to find Rainbow to be standing with the axe siting at her side. A smirk was on her face as her body sparked.

"You know what we do to bullies back home? We kick their asses!" said Rainbow as Applejack charged in, kicking the guards that pursued the defiant guard. They crashed to the ground, groaning in pain. The collector snarled.

"Kill them!" ordered the collector as he pointed to the two girls. Rainbow chuckled as she dashed to the collector, kneeing him in the gut. He groaned as he fell over in pain. Rainbow dashed away as the guards began to leave the family they subdued and pursued Applejack. The blonde grunted as she dodged a swing of a sword kicked away his sword. She then grabbed the guard and threw him towards another.

"Yeah, get 'em!" cheered Pinkie.

"Hey, have a dashing day!" said Rainbow as she sprinted towards a charging guard. She punched him, sending static rainbow electricity through him, causing him to collapse.

"Ah that was terrible!" said Pinkie in annoyance.

"Hey, how bout this? Mister, can I axe you a question?" asked Applejack as she caught a war axe that was swung at her by another marked guard.

"It's 'asked', you illiterate wench!" said the guard as he strained.

"It's a pun!" retorted Applejack. She raised her foot and kicked the guard in the gut, sending him flying several feet. The rest of the marked guards drew their weapons as they steeled themselves.

"What are these girls? Demi Titans?" asked a guard,

"Just kill them!" shouted another guard as they rushed in. Applejack grabbed a cart and swung it with all of her might. The guards cried out as the cart came flying towards them. Some managed to dodge it but a few were unfortunate to be hit by it.

"Look at them! Standing up to those bastards!" said a man among the villagers.

"Yes! Even a royal guard stood up!" said a villager as the defiant guard clashed blades with another.

"Your head will be on a pike on the walls of the capital for your treachery!" said the marked guard. He was suddenly struck in the head by a rock. He was pushed back by the defiant guard and stumbled. He noticed that the villagers were throwing stones.

"You fools! You dare to-" The collector yelped in pain as a rock struck his chest. He began to run as he shielded his head from the stones. Soon, some villagers came emerging, wielding pots, pans, rocks, cleavers and any items that they could get their hands on. They began to charge after the marked guards, who began to run off. Rainbow suddenly zipped passed one and caused him to trip.

"See ya next fall!" said Rainbow with a laugh as the guard got back up and continued to run.

"The puns aren't funny!" called Pinkie.

Soon, the guards and collector had all fled, though they left behind a couple of the carts full of the taxes and tributes. The villagers began to cheer as the guards fled from their town. Rainbow laughed.

"And don't come back!" shouted Rainbow. She and Applejack gave each other a fist bump. The two recoiled as they found themselves surrounded by the villagers, who cheered for them.

"Whoa. These people sure know how to thank heroes," said Rainbow with a smirk while Applejack rolled her eyes. The two noticed that Twilight, Rarity and Pinkie were rushing towards them, pushing through the crowd.

"What were you thinking?!" exclaimed Twilight.

"What? They were going to kill those people!" said Rainbow with a shrug.

"I know! But you two just interfered with this world's daily rite! You don't know what you just-!" said Twilight.

Meanwhile, from the house of the Lord. Grunge was staring through his window. His eyes were on the girls that had came to him for help. He had just witnessed the whole thing. He turned towards a man that stood in his office with him.

"I think the King would like to meet these strangers," said Grunge, a smile forming on his face.

---

It was the late afternoon. Junior was silent as he walked along with Fluttershy, Sunset, Mosura, Rodan, Ann, and a small group of Iwi. They have had no luck of finding the rest of the girls out there in the wilderness. As time went on, Junior began to feel more dread. No could have lived out in the jungle for long. Not with what kind of creatures were lurking out there.

The group had spent the whole time searching high and low, running into different creatures that were dangerous and docile alike. Any of the most dangerous creatures out there would be able to eat the girls alive. But if that was the case, there might have been some evidence of that happening to them somewhere along the way. That may have been off the table.

"Damn it, where are they?" asked Sunset.

"Maybe we should start splitting up. We can cover more ground that way," suggested Fluttershy.

"Bad idea. We're already in danger as is. The last thing we need is to lose more people if something goes wrong," said Ann.

"We can't even find any clues as to where they could be," said Rodan. Junior groaned as he scratched his head. Just the debating drove him to stress as the fact that they were returning to the village while the others were still out there was infuriating. If he had it his way, Junior would go out on his own at night to continue the search. But he knew that would only cause his friends to worry more. And if something were to happen to him out there, it would be on him if they ended up trying to look for him as well.

The group returned to the village. Junior sighed heavily as the Iwi returned to their huts, while the teens and Ann remained behind.

"Sorry about this guys. But maybe we'll find them tomorrow," said Ann as she began to walk off.

"Wait! Ms. Darrow, can I borrow your binoculars again?" asked Junior. Ann's expression softened.

"Sure, Gojira," said Ann as she reached into her satchel, drawing out and handed over a pair of binoculars.

"Don't stay up too late. Good night," said Ann as she walked off. As she left, the teens were left in silence.

"What are you guys gonna do?" asked Junior.

"I'll stay a bit and look with you," said Mosura. Fluttershy was about to interject. She instead fell silent.

"I think I'm going to turn in for the night. I'll be sure to get up extra early to help find them," said Sunset with a small smile. She waved the group as she walked off. Fluttershy silently followed. Rodan sighed.

"I will too. I uh... Sorry," said Rodan, sluggishly walking off. Junior's expression softened. He noticed that Rodan seemed to have grown much more off lately. He didn't know exactly what it was.

Later that evening, Junior found himself scanning through the forests from the wall. Mosura sat next to him in silence as Junior continued to scan the jungle from his seat. Mosura frowned as she brought her knees close to herself.

'If it was just us, this would be great. But...' Mosura watched as the boy next to her continued to look through the binoculars. He rarely blinked, as to not miss any of the girls. Mosura couldn't focus on trying to making a move to grow closer to Junior as she would like. Their friends were needed. So, the girl went back to scanning the area with her own pair of eyes. But she would glance at Junior occasionally. The boy appeared a bit haggard. Junior sighed as he set the binoculars down, rubbing his tired eyes.

"Fuck..." said Junior under his breath. Mosura noticed that he seemed to have been growing sluggish.

"Gojira, maybe you should rest. I can keep watch if you want," said Mosura. Junior shook his head.

"No, I gotta keep looking. Just a while longer," said Junior shaking himself off his sleepiness. Mosura grabbed him by his chin and pulled him close to herself. Her eyes narrowed.

"Jesus, your eyes are baggy! Have you been sleeping at all?" asked Mosura incredulously. Junior pulled away with an annoyed look.

"Yes!" said Junior.

"Gojira, don't lie to me!" said Mosura with a glare. Junior groaned.

"Look, I've just been having trouble sleeping lately, that's it!" said Junior. Mosura sighed.

"OK. We can fix that. You go to sleep and I'll take over tonight," said Mosura as she took the binoculars.

"Hey! Give those back!" said Junior as he attempted to snatch the binoculars back. But, Mosura kept her hand against his chest as she leaned back to keep the item out of his hands.

"No! Go to bed!" said Mosura. Junior growled.

"Mosura, I'm not playing around! Give those back!" said Junior as he stood up. Mosura stood up as well, tensing as she glared at him. The two stared each other down.

"What are you going to do if I don't? Are you gonna hit me?" asked Mosura with a glare. Junior narrowed his eyes.

"That's not fair. Just give-" Junior attempted to reach for the binoculars again, but Mosura held him back while moving her other arm back, keeping the item away.

"Gojira, if you don't go to sleep, I'll throw these into the jungle!" said Mosura. Junior's eyes widened.

"W-Why would you do that?!" asked Junior.

"Gojira, you're not taking care of yourself! What's next? Are you gonna start skipping meals?" demanded Mosura.

"You're being ridiculous! Just-" Junior reached again but Mosura raised her arm with a glare. Junior felt his blood run cold.

"Stop!" said Junior in alarm.

"I'm not kidding! If you try to reach for it again, you can say goodbye to it!" said Mosura.

"Why are you doing this?! Don't you care that they're out there?!" asked Junior.

"Of course I do! But I can't sit here knowing that you're going to hurt yourself!" said Mosura. Junior shrugged defensively.

"I'm just trying to make sure we don't miss them! Please, just stop!" pleaded Junior.

"Gojira, I heard you were trying to go off on your own!" yelled Mosura. Junior fell silent. The girl looked at him angrily.

"How could you think of doing that to us? How could you do that to me?!" demanded Mosura, her lip trembling.

"Mosu I-" Junior sighed as he fell silent. It seemed that more people heard his confrontation with Kong than he realized.

"Mosura, the longer we wait, the higher the chance that something happened! If I was on my own, I could cover more ground through the night without having to worry about keeping track of others!" said Junior.

"Yeah, and the better chance that you'll end up lost yourself and get eaten! Is that what you want?" demanded Mosura. Junior sighed as he sat down, burying his face into his hands. He raised his head up, staring at the ground.

"I thought you said that we'll be fine as long as we're together. Do you even believe that?" asked Mosura incredulously.

"I do. I just... Mosura, I can't forgive myself if something were to happen to them," said Junior. Mosura stepped over to him.

"Why are you putting this on your shoulders, Gojira? It's not your fault!" said Mosura.

"It's not that! I just don't want them to die! Especially if they think that I hate them!" said Junior. Mosura's expression softened. Junior turned away.

"I know things have gone wrong after they kicked me out of the club. But that doesn't matter anymore. I just want everyone safe so we can go home," said Junior. Mosura knelt next to him and wrapped Junior into a hug.

"I do too. But you can't help them if you're deprived of sleep. You need your strength. Otherwise, how can you help?" asked Mosura as she pulled away with a soft expression. Junior grimaced.

"Hey, look at me," said Mosura as she raised the boy's head to meet her gaze.

"I know how you feel. I'm worried for them too. But we can't let ourselves fall apart now. Don't think I'm trying to be cruel," said Mosura.

"I know..." said Junior. Mosura held up the binoculars to him.

"Look, if you really want to stay up a bit longer, then go ahead. Just don't ever consider going off alone again. If you do, I'll never forgive you," said Mosura. Junior looked to the binoculars and then to Mosura. He stood up.

"Keep 'em. I'm going to bed," said Junior as he left. Mosura watched as the boy left her alone. The girl frowned to herself, wondering if she was too hard on him.

'No, it was tough love. We need to stay together,' thought Mosura.

Meanwhile, Junior was making his way to the village. He was silent as the crickets chirped in the cool night air. Mosura was on the money about his lack of sleep. Just lately, he couldn't rest. Just the thought of the others kept him up at night. It wasn't just that. He also wondered what was going on back at their world. He wondered how his parents were doing. Including Erika Shiragami, Inoue, the Guardians and others he knew. He hoped they were OK, despite the chaos of the invasion.

Junior stopped as he noticed that The Healer's tent was slightly illuminated. The boy began to walk over to it and peeked inside. He found the elderly woman to be holding Adagio's head up, helping her drink medicine. Adagio gave a weak sigh as she lied her head down. Junior saw that her eyes were open.

"Adagio?" called Junior. The girl slowly turned her head and weakly smiled.

"Hey, Goji," said Adagio, her tone soft. Junior stepped inside of the tent, looking around.

"Where's your sisters?" asked Junior.

"Well, Dwan mentioned that there were huts set up for us while I was out. I told them to sleep in those since I assumed they've been staying here," said Adagio.

"I take it they protested," said Junior.

"Heh. They have to unless they're bad sisters," chuckled Adagio. Junior shared a smile as he took a seat next to her. He found that the elderly woman was putting away ingredients.

"You gave us a hell of a scare," said Junior. He looked down in thought.

"This might not be the best time... But you still haven't told me what was wrong? Do you remember?" asked Junior.

"How can I forget? It was before the dinosaurs and giant lizards tried to kill us," said Adagio.

"Well?" Junior asked. Adagio sighed, slightly shrinking under her covers.

"I shouldn't tell you..." said Adagio.

"Adagio, please. It's been bugging me lately. I know that..." Junior fell silent as Adagio rolled onto her side, facing away from him.

"I still care about you, Ada," said Junior. The girl didn't answer, still keeping her back to him.

"Even after what you did, I still care. I just want to know what was wrong," said Junior softly.

"Why would you still care?" muttered Adagio.

"Adagio..." called Junior. The girl hid herself under the covers, shaking underneath. Junior knelt closer to her, hearing her shudder.

"You were scared and you asked for my help," said Junior.

"I actually just asked to stick with you for a bit," said Adagio under the cover.

"Doesn't matter. You needed help, Adagio. What was it?" asked Junior, pressing further.

"Why do you want to know?" asked Adagio in annoyance.

"Because you're my friend," said Junior.

"Even after I used that power on you?" asked Adagio.

"Yes. Adagio, you have to understand that I reacted the way I did because I thought you were using me," said Junior.

"Why would you think I'd do that?" asked Adagio incredulously.

"Well, I don't know. You used a spell on me and took away from my free will. What am I supposed to think?" asked Junior, slightly annoyed.

"Just go away," said Adagio as she kept the covers over herself.

"Not until we set things right," said Junior in a firm tone. Adagio was silent. She was glancing behind herself from under the covers. While she couldn't see him, Adagio could feel his presence. The girl slowly removed the covers from over her head, turning onto her back. She found Junior looking down at her, waiting patiently. Adagio kept her face hidden, with only her eyes and hair revealed.

"I... I was trying to get away from a stalker," said Adagio, looking away. Junior's eyes widened.

"What?" asked Junior incredulously.

"It was recent. I guess when I started using my power to get everyone's attention, I realized that some people were acting weird. Some even obsessed. Some students were giving me some disgusting pieces of flesh or something as gifts. I think they were dead rats smashed or something," said Adagio. Junior's brows raised as he processed what the girl had said.

"Adagio, were any of them Transmutants by any chance?" asked Junior.

"I don't know. I wasn't paying attention," said Adagio. Junior sighed as he rubbed his brows.

"Ugh. It makes sense now. The recent surge in rogues in town," said Junior. Adagio looked at him in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" asked Adagio.

"Ada, the reason why there was a growing number of attacks was because of you. Those Transmutants were teenagers who had their inhibitor chips removed," said Junior. Adagio stared with widened eyes.

"I-I thought they couldn't do that," said Adagio.

"Not without a medical professional. Some street gangs know out of work surgeons that could remove the chips. But from what MONARCH could tell, it was amateur work. They must have done it to themselves," said Junior. Adagio had a hand cupped over her mouth in horror. It began to come back to her now. Those disgusting memories, and Aria constantly warning her about abusing her power. Her sister was right. Adagio was just too stubborn to listen.

"Oh God... Then, it's my fault," said Adagio. She began to tear up.

"It's my fault that Angirasu was almost..." Adagio gasped as she clenched her eyes shut.

"Adagio? What are you talking about?" asked Junior.

"Gojira, my power caused Spinner to stalk me! If I hadn't been screwing around like an idiot, Angirasu wouldn't have been arrested!" cried Adagio.

"Spinner? Wait, how would you be responsible for Angirasu?" asked Junior incredulously.

"That creep followed me when I was following Angirasu and Sonata on their date. I-I just wanted them to be able to have fun together without his mom keeping them apart," said Adagio, holding in a sob. She held her arms as she looked away, a look of humiliation on her face.

"H-He... Spinner tried to rape me," said Adagio, almost whispering. Junior was stunned. He couldn't reply to her after being hit with that statement. He didn't even know what to say to her.

"Angirasu was trying to protect us. But he lost control and was taken away by MONARCH. If I hadn't... Fuck!" Adagio covered her eyes, weeping. Junior deeply frowned. That must have been what set the motion of Angirasu's explanation. It didn't make sense as to why he was locked away. All he knew that he was bad terms with Sonata, and his mother.

"I'm sorry. If I knew..." Junior's expression softened.

"Why are you sorry? I'm the idiot that didn't listen," said Adagio with a sniffle.

"Yeah, but I should've tried harder," said Junior lowering his head. He found Adagio to be sniffling as she trembled. The boy reached out to her but retracted his hand. Adagio noticed his hand pulling back. She quickly took his hand and held it tightly.

"Goji, I'm sorry for what I did. Please, don't leave..." said Adagio softly. Junior held her hand firmly.

"I won't," said Junior. Adagio softly smiled, her cheeks warming up.

"Hey, last thing I remember was that the others were missing. Any luck?" asked Adagio. Junior sighed.

"Not exactly. I don't know how far the Iwi are willing to go to look for them. I don't even know if they're even alive," said Junior, solemnly.

"Hey, don't sell them short. They have far more versatile powers too, you know," said Adagio with a reassuring smile. She looked up to the roof of the tent.

"Twilight's the other smart one, right? I bet she's coming up with a plan on finding us. Or us finding them. Besides, if there's humans around, they might have found them," said Adagio.

"Maybe..." said Junior. He felt his eyes growing heavier.

"I bet if I was out there with you, we'd find them in no time. When I'm recovered, the first thing I'll do is-" Adagio fell silent as she felt Junior's hand go limp. She turned and found the boy to be sitting with his head slump. He was breathing softly as his eyelids hung closed. The girl softly smiled. The elder stepped over, finding the boy asleep.

"Poor guy must have been exhausted," said Adagio. The elder reached for Junior's shoulder, but Adagio raised her hand.

"Wait! Don't wake him up!" whispered Adagio. She blushed as she scooted over, raising her covers.

"It'd be easier to let him rest here, wouldn't it?" asked Adagio. The elder merely shrugged with a neutral expression. She took Junior and carefully lowered him onto the ground, alongside Adagio.

The Dazzling brought the cover over herself and Junior. She stared at his sleeping face as The Healer blew out the lanterns in the tent. The girl blushed as her bare skin brushed against Junior's. Her heart was beating hard in her chest, slowly escalating in speed. Junior breathed softly as he lied on his side. Adagio scooted closer to him. She smiled as she looked to the boy. She leaned in and pecked him on the cheek. The boy's brows slightly crinkled as he shifted in his sleep. Adagio merely rested her head against his chest, sighing to herself.

"Good night, Goji," whispered Adagio.

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