Beasts from Within

by ThatOneOtherGuy

Chapter 5: Special Presents

After a night filled with incredible amounts of danger and action, and a day filled with non-stop partying, the three brothers were all looking forward to a night filled with nothing but sleep and peaceful bliss. With the sun beginning to set, Caesar led the three brothers back to their house. He stayed primarily close to Gojira as he continued to limp with his busted leg that seemed to have healed itself.

“Phew!”, exclaimed Rodan. “Pinkie really knows how to handle a party.”

“You got that right. I’m gonna have to brush my teeth for an entire month for all the sweets and food that was there”, said Anguirus.

“Yeah, that was nice and all”, added Gojira. “But personally, I’m more looking forward to a long night of sleep.”

“I believe we all do”, said Caesar as they neared the brother’s residence. He turned to face them. “Now remember-”.

“We know, we know”, interrupted Rodan. “Don’t let others see the kaiju spirits, we’re abnormally tall stallions, yadi yada.” While Rodan intended it to be a joke, Caesar didn’t laugh.

“Well that statement holds extra truth now that you three hold a reputation”, said Caesar with heavy sternness in his voice. “You three are now known as the ones who helped save Equestria from Nightmare Moon. As a result, you may attract some attention whether from your spirits or not.”

That hadn’t crossed any of the three brother’s minds. It wasn’t everyday that someone would save an entire country from an evil alicorn who wanted to shroud it in darkness. Though it was the mane six who dealt the final blow, they still played a significant factor in their success. To the point where during the party, Celestia went up and thanked each one of them individually. With an honor as high as that, some form of recognition would soon follow. It was also during that party where Gojira had a certain thought that crashed it for him.

“Caesar”, he said with a deterred voice, catching Caesar’s attention. “If Luna was Nightmare Moon and I fought her, I’m guessing that means…”

Caesar thought about it for a moment as he let out a sigh. “None of us could’ve predicted that Luna was Nightmare Moon, so I won’t hold you in regard to that”, said Caesar. “However, although I do not wish to do so, I am going to have to tell her about our secret before she tells this to Celestia.”

Anguirus looked down at the ground with a look of disappointment. “So, I’m guessing that means we’re moving again”, he said. This statement lessened the mood of Rodan.

He expected Caesar to agree with him, but instead he shook his head. “No, that wouldn’t be necessary”, said Caesar, eliciting a look of surprise from Anguirus and a look of relief from Rodan. “With Luna being Celestia’s sister, she would more than likely have a high role in Canterlot. And with me now having to tell her about the kaiju spirits, there wouldn’t be any point in moving.”

“I thought you said you wanted to keep the spirits a secret”, said Gojira.

“I know what I said, however if I managed to convince Luna to keep this a secret, then you three may still be able to call this place home”, said Caesar as he gestured to their house. “We simply can’t afford the public finding out about them, otherwise everything that we’ve been through and sacrificed would be all for naught.”

Gojira let out some steam from the last statement. ‘More like what we sacrificed.’

“Now then, I must see to it that I escort the princess and her sister back to Canterlot, and that you three get some rest since you’ve more than earned it”, said Caesar. He looked at each one of them. “I’ll be sure to check on you three at least once a week as I’m confident that things are now going to be busier than ever back at Canterlot.”

“Well, you can always bunk on the couch”, joked Rodan.

Caesar walked up to Anguirus. “You have managed to keep your spirit hidden, but you’ve yet to fully learn how to control it”, said Caesar. “Remember to be patient, keep a calm mental mind, and don’t be afraid to ask for your sibling’s help.” Anguirus nodded, though he felt he had been told that same statement at least a hundred times.

Caesar then turned towards Rodan. “Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. With this town being bigger than all of the other places you’ve all lived in, it’s important to stay more active and lively”, he said. “It’s still your life after all, choose to live it as you see fit.” Rodan nodded, he was especially happy with that part.

Finally, Caesar faced Gojira. The two stared each other down for a few seconds until Caesar spoke up. While his first two statements were more so directed at all three of them, he had mainly wanted Gojira, and his spirit, to hear this.

“And please, keep each other safe”, he said. Gojira nodded, both physically and mentally.

With everything needing to be said, Caesar walked away from the three brothers and looked back towards them. “I hope you three will make yourselves at home here”, he said.

Rodan placed his hooves around his brother’s necks. “Believe me, we definitely will”, said Rodan with a smile that carried over to his siblings.

Caesar nodded and thus, turned and started to walk away, leaving the three brothers. Although he didn’t show it, truth be told he was still a bit hesitant about his actions. Not just with telling Luna about the spirits, but more so leaving the three in a larger town than they were used to. He felt his mind start to race as his horn flashed.

‘You’re still not sure if what you’re doing is right.’

Caesar let out a sigh. “I feel as though I don’t have a choice, Alpha”, said Caesar quietly. “A lot has happened in the last couple days, hay, the last couple years that I’m not entirely sure if they’re going to be ready.” He heard silence for a few seconds.

‘Your worry is justified, but what you’re doing is far from selfish. What could you possibly imagine would’ve happened if you hadn't given us to the colts.’

“They would’ve lived normal childhood lives”, said Caesar.

‘They wouldn’t have the time to learn. And that’s why we’re here. To teach them, to protect, and one day, reconnect with them. Then they will be ready for the day.’

Caesar’s horn flashed as his mind quit racing. Even despite what Alpha said, a sense of fear still remained. He felt the day was coming earlier than he had hoped. He walked back toward the town hall where the chariot to Canterlot awaited, he was soon going to meet with a good friend.

Meanwhile, the three brothers had entered their house. The sun had already set as they got ready for the night. Gojira was in the bathroom, wrapping his leg in bandages despite the fact that the wound had essentially been fully healed. Anguirus walked in on him.

“I don’t get it”, he said in a confused tone. “Why are you putting a bandage on if you don’t need it?”

“Well we know that I don’t, but others don’t”, said Gojira as he tore the last of the wrap with his sharp teeth. Anguirus nodded in understanding.

“Ok, got it”, he said. He walked up to the sink and grabbed a toothbrush. “I still can’t believe what happened today, I mean, we saved Equestria! How many stallions can say that?”

Gojira shrugged. “I don’t know, though that will make it harder to fit in than it already is”, said Gojira. He was about to leave when he was stopped by Anguirus.

“Hey, Goji”, he said in a conflicted tone. “Those six mares we met in the forest, what’s your opinion about them?”

Gojira looked down in thought for a few seconds before raising his head. “I’m not sure how I feel”, he said. “They do seem kind, however I’m more focused on training than anything else. Though I will admit, I do hold respect towards them and, for me, that’s better than any form of friendship.” He turned to head upstairs.

“Ok, but what if they were to find out about…”, Anguiurs wasn’t sure how to end the sentence, “you know.” Gojira stopped, his neutral expression was worn like a mask. He slightly turned his head so he could barely see his younger brother.

“I would prefer it that they didn’t”, he said as he walked toward the staircase. “Goodnight, Aang.” Anguirus went back to brushing his teeth, the words of Fluttershy were being replayed in his mind. He was still hoping they were true.

Rodan was currently upstairs in his room. The bedrooms in the house were fairly standard with a bed, closet, window, and small chest with a couple blankets inside of it. They fit the theme of the rest of the house with beige colored walls and wood trimming. For Rodan, the fact he got a room to himself was enough for him to like them. It gave him a sense of privacy, which was what he needed right now. His wing opened as he pulled out the old book he found back at the temple. He had kept it hidden during the party as he didn’t want anyone else finding it. And yet even after having it for several hours, he still didn’t know what it was nor what the symbol on the front meant.

“You sure we can’t share this with the others”, he asked.

‘Positive, at least until the day we may need it. I’ve been around for several centuries and yet I have little knowledge of what this could possibly be.’

The small gem in the center of the book reflected the ceiling light as if it were a mirror. Rodan saw his silhouette in the gem, it was enough to cause him to shudder.

‘But it feels so important.’

Rodan didn’t want to question further. He walked up to the chest in his room and placed the book under a stack of blankets. As soon as he closed it, he heard his door open causing him to frantically turn, only to be met by his older brother.

“Goodnight Rodan”, said Gojira with some dreariness in his voice.

“Goodnight Goji”, said Rodan as he contained a heavy sigh of relief.

“Be sure to wake up early tomorrow morning, I would like to start our training as soon as possible”, said Gojira. Rodan let out a groan.

“Oh come on, it’s the weekend”, said Rodan with the tone of a young colt. Gojira kept his expression.

“What are you, seven years old?”, he asked. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, goodnight.”

As soon as Gojira left, Rodan turned back toward the chest. He felt guilty for keeping it secret from his brothers, but until he got some semblance of what it was, he thought it was best to do so. Believing it was safely secured, he turned off his bedroom lights and used his wings to jump onto his bed, and not before long, he and his brothers were fast asleep.

---

As the moon shone on the mountains of Equestria, several beautiful details could be seen, almost like a separate identity that only appeared at midnight. From the snow covered tops to the base where the older and larger boulders lay. They were home to all kinds of animals, plants, and above all else, the breathtaking view. They were also home to several caves of all kinds of different sizes and shapes. Some were used as shelter for animals that seeked warmth, others housed the minerals that kept the buildings and castles standing and the fossils that held pieces and stories of the past.

In one of the larger caves in a mountain, a couple of stallions stood at the entrance, one of them pacing back and forth with a look of impatience plastered on his face. The stallion was a simple pony with a dark green body color. His mane and tail were light gray with curved tips of hair, his tail was also sleek and thin. The tips of his hooves had light gray highlights and eye color consisted of a combination of a yellow iris and orange pupil. He stamped around as he grew more and more reckless.

“Where the hay are they”, he said with a noticeable Brooklyn accent that made his voice sound deeper than expected. “They’ve been gone for almost a day now.”

His colleague rolled his eyes in annoyance. While the other pony stood at a reasonable height, his figure was more well built and bulkier. His mane was a darker shade of gray when compared to the other, though it was messier and obviously unkempt. His body color was all kinds of different shades of gray and black with his under belly being a lighter shade than the rest of his body. His tail was in a similar manner to his mane as it was rougher and shorter than the others. His eyes were yellow with one of them having a noticeable scar. He looked at his former pony friend with a scowl.

“Junior, is there ever going to be a day where you don’t get on my nerves”, said the larger stallion with a gruff voice. Junior stopped talking and turned to face him.

“Shut up, Orga”, he yelled before he started pacing again. “Des has been pushing us to find that stupid book for the past week now and we’ve come up with little to nothing. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not be the one he goes after when his patience runs empty.”

Orga scoffed at this. “Will you chill for once”, he said. “Besides, we finally have a lead on where it could be. Why do you think Biollante has been gone for so long?” His words did little to calm Junior.

“That’s the problem, I don’t know why she’s been gone for so long”, said Junior as he got in the face of Orga. “For all we know, she could either have gotten lost while finding that stupid temple, or she did find the book and has now ditched us to keep it for herself.” That last statement sent a wave of anger into Orga as he bucked Junior in the head.

“Don’t you ever say that about her!”, he yelled out. Junior gave him a deep glare.

“Why you son of a-!”, he said before charging at him.

Junior pounced toward Orga as he shoved him back. However, because of his larger build, Orga barely scooted a couple inches. Using his larger body strength, he tossed Junior to the ground and stepped on his chest with his hoof. Junior squirmed before using his rear legs to kick Orga in the rear. Orga’s hoof was lifted off his chest, but not before he bit into it, extracting a yelp of pain from Orga. He pried his leg away from Junior’s jaws as he stepped back, allowing him to stand up. The bite that was left wasn’t deep, but sent a torrent of anger in Orga.

“You little-!”, he exclaimed and was about to charge at him.

His sentence and movement was interrupted by the sound of a roar and a flapping of wings as a figure that was of similar size to Orga flew toward them. He was a dragon with large, dark, beige colored wings with spikes hanging from the tips. His body color was a combination of different shades of green with his underbelly consisting of light yellow scales. He had a row of spikes that went along his body before ending at the base of his tail, which was surprisingly long for a dragon. His head was mostly normal with a large snout and fangs, but he had three horns, two on each side with one in the center, on his head and some form of a beard forming on his lower jaw. His dark green eyes with thin slits glared at the two as he flew to the ground landing on his feet. His presence caused both Orga and Junior to revert their attention to him.

“Gryphon!”, exclaimed Junior in a surprised tone of voice. “Did you find the book or anything of use?” He was hoping he didn’t notice his and Orga’s quarrel.

Gryphon stared at Junior with unmoving eyes and heavy breaths before he stepped out of the path of someone as they climbed up the rocky surface. She was a unicorn with a body type that was of similar size to Junior, if a bit larger. Her body color was a light green with her mane and tail being dark green. Speaking of, her mane was long as it had to be curled up into a barrette though her tail didn’t have such restraint. Her face, while very feminine, had certain features that you wouldn’t see on an average mare such as the large orange eyes and red horn which stood out from her green color scheme. She was also the only one with a cutie mark which depicted a beautiful rose with several vines surrounding it. She was wearing a large coat which kept most of her figure hidden and was wearing a satchel that swayed side to side as she walked toward them. Gryphon greeted her with a nod, Orga formed a small smile, and Junior wore a look of impatience as he approached her.

“Where is it?”, he asked her with spite in his voice. Biollante looked at him.

“Where’s what”, she replied with a tone of voice that made it clear she was acting clueless. Something Junior didn’t appreciate.

“The book!”, he exclaimed. “The thing we’ve been looking for this past month. The thing that if you didn’t find, Des would have each of our heads!”

“Oh, yes, that thing”, said Biollante as she followed with a short laugh. “I didn’t find it.”

Junior, who earlier was so irritated that the sound of a pin dropping would upset him, had his jaw lying on the floor as heard this. Orga looked at Biollante with a fairly surprised expression.

“Wait, seriously?”, Orga asked quizzically. “What kind of temple holds artifacts as powerful as the elements of harmony, but doesn’t hold some old book with pages made of dust?”

Biollante merely shrugged. “Not this one, apparently. Perhaps it disintegrated or something, after all, that place is practically thousands of years old”, she joked, though only she laughed.

“You’re…telling me, that this temple, a place which is a vault for all kinds of powerful and ancient artifacts of Equestria”, Junior stated before his tone changed to incredible anger, “doesn’t have one, stupid book!?” His anger was merely laughed off by Biollante.

“It’s cute just how angry you can get”, she said as she ruffled his mane with her hoof. Junior huffed angrily. “Although I couldn’t find the book, I did find something interesting.” Her horn ignited in a light green aura as her satchel opened and out levitated a colorful diamond necklace.

The necklace seemingly glistened in the night as its colors beamed. It did seem like an impressive piece of jewelry, at least in the eyes of three out of the four. To Junior, it made him even more upset as he put his hoof against his forehead.

“I don’t care about some stupid necklace”, spat Junior. “And I highly doubt Des will either.” Biollante rolled her eyes.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t expect you to”, she said with a smile. “There weren’t that many artifacts inside of that temple, the last of them had been taken by the cleanup crew.” Junior and Orga looked confused.

“What do you mean by that?”, asked Orga. Biollante waved her hoof in reassurance.

“Eh, it’s not that important”, she said before turning back toward the gem. “However, this was one of, if not the only artifact left in that temple. No one seemed to want it.” Junior’s eyebrows lowered.

“You do realize”, he said, “if that’s the last artifact in the temple, and is something no one wants, then it’s more than likely completely and utterly, useless!” He shouted in order to make his point, but the others barely seemed deterred.

“Or, it’s just something that nopony thought about”, said Biollante. “It could be that with its small size, everypony believed that it wasn’t useful and not worth their time.” She turned at Junior. “After all, that’s what you thought.”

“And what I think is fact”, exclaimed Junior. “This thing is completely unhelpful for us and you have just wasted your time ogling it, instead of looking for what we really needed?” Orga gritted his teeth as he stepped forward.

“At least she found something that could be of help”, he exclaimed as he leaned into Junior’s face. “Don’t you remember the time where you thought you found the book in some random forest, only for it to turn out to be a large piece of bear po-”

“Will you shut up!”, yelled Junior as he shoved Orga. Orga gave him a deep glare and started to approach him until.

“That’s enough from both of you”, boomed a voice from inside the cave. All four of them froze and turned toward the cave with wide eyes, even Gryphon couldn’t help but tense up.

Out from the cave stood a tall being, even taller than both Orga and Gryphon. His entire body was plastered with dark, brick red scales with the only part not having them being his mane, which was incredibly spiky and short. His pure yellow eyes were accompanied with a mouth filled with a ton of mangled teeth, which were accompanied by a large yellow horn which was incredibly sharp. His horn alone gave him a presence, but the large, demonic wings, which were practically the size of his body, were complete overkill. His legs had spikes circling different parts of his legs such as his knees and his hooves. His chest had what looked to be a hole covered by white mandibles. Although he lacked a ponytail, his actual tail was very long with the tip having a sharp pair of claws the size of his head. Finally, on his hind leg was a circular emblem that depicted some kind of demon with a horn, large wings, and a wicked smile. He was an abomination, one that struck fear in the hearts of anyone, he could cause an entire room to grow cold just by being there, he was able to break even the strongest of nerves, he both looked and felt like a monster.

All four stared at him for a few seconds, before Junior bowed down to him. “M-My lord, I-I thought you were out scouting”, he stuttered.

“I finished early”, said Des in a deep raspy voice that bellowed. “And from what I heard, our lead was incorrect I assume?” He looked toward the four, causing Junior to immediately rise.

“It was her”, he said while pointing at Biollante. “She failed to retrieve the book from the temple.” His statement received a glare from both Biollante and Orga until Des turned toward them.

“Did you now”, said Des as he approached the unicorn whom he towered over. “I was confident that we had pinned the location of the Kyojin Tome”, he leaned down till he was mere inches from Biollante, “are you positive it wasn’t there?”

Biollante started to sweat as her eyes were wide with fear as she stared at Tartarus in alicorn form. “W-Well…umm…y-yes, my lord, it wasn’t there”, said Biollante with fear trickling from her throat. “Th-Though, I did manage to find something.” She levitated the gem toward Des.

The green aura was replaced with a deep yellow one as Des’ horn lit up to show he was now holding the gem. He looked at it with curiosity, taking the colors and overall shape of the gem. He slowly moved away from Biollante, allowing her to finally take a breather.

“I know it doesn’t look like much, my lord”, piped in Orga. “But if it was in the same temple as the elements then surely it must have some kind of importance.” Des didn’t respond as he seemed to be mesmerized by the look of the gem.

“You kidding”, said Junior. “What could that thing have that the elements or the Kyojin Tome didn’t?” He turned toward Des. “My lord, I must say, that gem was probably just somepony’s accessory that they probably lost.” Des didn’t respond, causing Junior to grow nervous. “It’s a useless, meaningless, and completely unhelpful piece of-”

“Junior!”, exclaimed Des. One word was enough to cause Junior to immediately stop talking and cower back.

Des turned toward Biollante. “You say you found this in the temple”, he asked. Biollante rapidly nodded. Des looked down at the gem. It seemed so small and so insignificant, its bright colors gave it a toyish vibe, it looked more so like some filly took a bunch of crayons and scribbled all over it. Junior was right, it looked useless. At least, looks wise. A small grin formed on Des’ face.

“Perhaps, at least for right now, we may not need the Kyojin Tomb”, he said as he began to walk back into the cave. The group, especially Junior, ranged from wide eyes, to some having their jaws drop to floor so fast it sounded like an anvil.

“B-But, my lord”, cried Junior as lifted his jaw off the ground and ran after Des, followed by the others. “What do you mean by that? You can’t possibly say that this piece of inexpensive jewelry is just as valuable as the Kyojin Tomb.”

“Of course not”, said Des as he didn’t bother looking at Junior. “Though, it should act as a key to something that’ll make a fine replacement until we find the Kyojin Tomb.” The more he looked at the gem, the wider his smile became. “Or, should I say, someone.”

Junior and the others looked confused. “I don’t understand?”, said Biollante. “What do you mean by who?”

Des abruptly stopped and turned toward the four. Junior, Orga, Biollante, and Gryphon all waited in anticipation for an answer. “I assume you all are aware of Equestrian history?”, asked Des, eliciting nods from everyone. “Then I must also assume that you all know about the bringer of chaos himself?” He didn’t say the name, but the mention of his nickname was enough to cause everyone’s eyes to widen. They had all read stories about him, but Des couldn’t have been serious.

“D-Des”, stuttered Junior, “you don’t mean-”

Des nodded. “As we all know the story, the bringer of chaos, or Discord, was defeated when the two princesses used the elements of harmony to imprison him in stone, never to be released”, stated Des, until he lifted the gem with his horn. “Until now. This is the gem of mayhem, within it contains a small amount of the chaotic magic that he used to take over Equestria. It’s stated that if it is ever to be reunited with its master, then he would be freed from his captivity and fall under the command of thee who freed him.” The four looked at each other with curiosity.

“So, you want to set Discord free and make him bring back the kaiju?”, asked Orga.

Des chuckled, showing a very toothy grin. “Indeed”, he said as he looked over the gem. “Just imagine, a being with limitless power, one who is able to change all of reality at his will, under my control.” Des was practically fantasizing about it.

“B-But, what about the Kyojin Tomb?”, asked Junior who looked fairly reluctant about the whole idea. “You don’t plan on abandoning our primary goal, right?”

Des still refused to look at anything other than the gem. “I would never do so”, he said. “Though, with an opportunity as great as this, I must seize it.” His yellow eyes gleamed as he ogled the gem. Orga and Biollante were fairly mixed on how they felt and Gryphon stayed fairly neutral, Junior was very apprehensive.

“B-But, my lord, w-we must think logically about this. Releasing a being with this much power could be more catastrophic for us than anyone else”, said Junior.

“I don’t imagine so”, added Biollante. “If Discord were to follow our commands, then wouldn’t that be good for us?” Des merely nodded.

“Indeed it would”, he said to himself.

“Ok, but how do you plan on reuniting that thing with him”, stated Junior as he pointed at the gem. “Discord is nothing but a statue at Canterlot, likely heavily guarded. So how are we supposed to bring the gem of mayhem to him?”

“Must you always ask obvious questions”, said Orga with an eye roll. Junior glared at him.

“I’m asking questions that refer to common sense”, said Junior. “Something that you could learn from.” Orga’s eyes widened in anger as he turned toward Junior with his teeth clenched.

“I’ll show you some common sense”, he exclaimed and tried to approach Junior, but Biollante held him back.

“Enough! Both of you”, roared Des as he finally took his eyes off the gem. All four of them looked at him with fear and wide eyes as Orga slowly backed away. His yell echoed throughout the cave with it then transitioning into a screech. Des looked toward Gryphon. “By tomorrow morning, be sure to scout around Canterlot”, he directed. “Give us a general idea of where he is and what would be a good area for stealth.” Gryphon nodded before turning toward the entrance and flying away.

As he left, Des turned toward Orga and Biollante. “The two of you will continue searching for the Kyojin Tomb”, he ordered. “It’ll take time to free the bringer of chaos, though it shalln’t affect us from achieving our main goal.” The two looked at each other with uncertainty.

“But, where else is there to search?”, asked Biollante. “We’ve looked through every forest, every mountain, every canyon, almost every square foot of this whole mountain side.”

Des approached her with heavy hoofsteps. “I don’t care if it’s at the bottom of the ocean”, he exclaimed. He leaned toward Biollante. “If we have to search through all of Equestria and more, the Kyojin Tomb will be in my hooves, even if I have to sacrifice my own soul for it.”

Biollante gulped from the closeness. “N-No problem, my lord”, she stuttered. “Me and Orga will start looking for it first thing tomorrow, when we’re fully energized that is.” She smiled to ease her tension, though Des merely scoffed.

“Then go and rest”, he demanded. “These quarters exist for a reason you know.” Biollante figurosly nodded as she and Orga quickly galloped into one of the small caves that were connected to the larger one.

With them gone, Des and Junior were now left alone. The tension was so thick that it could stop an arrow, at least that’s what it felt like for Junior. Des merely stared at him, his own eyes being able to pierce through his soul. Junior started to sweat until Des finally spoke up.

“The day is nearing, Junior”, said Des as he stood at his full height of seven feet. “And you’ve still not made up your debt.” Junior tried looking for something else to focus on, but couldn’t.

“I-I…I deeply…apologize, my lord”, he stuttered, feeling as though he knew where this was going. “B-But I’ve more than made up for it with my loyalty to you and the others. As I said to you, I’m forever grateful.” Des seemed barely moved.

“That’s certainly true. However, answer me this, Junior”, he said as he leaned down to his eye level. “Is thou loyalty genuine, or merely a fad to get ahead in life?”

He looked Junior directly in the eyes when he said that, filling him with anxiety and fear that only few could relate to. He felt as though he was staring at the devil himself. He coughed into his arm to clear his throat, though it was more so a way for him to have a break from Des’ never ending gaze.

“My lord, of course I am genuine”, he said in a weaker voice. Des continued to stare at him, his yellow increasing in brightness. “I have shown nothing but my thankfulness for you and your cause, after all why wouldn’t I.” A look of disgust was plastered on his face as he remembered bits of his past.

“I used to be nothing more than a shell of what I was to become, so broken and dead from what this world had taken from me”, he said, looking out into the star-filled night. “And then you came. You told me what you had been planning for the future of this disgraceful land, and I choose to follow through with it. I have nothing more to lose, as this world has nothing more to take from me.” He faced Des and bowed in front of him. “I am, and forever will be, in your debt.”

Des stared at him for a good while, his gaze having not faltered. Junior stayed on the ground, hoping that his words would have a greater effect. With his head facing down, Junior couldn’t tell what Des was thinking, though he doubted he could’ve even if he was facing him. His breath returned to him when he heard hoofsteps walking away from him. He looked up to see Des walking away, going deeper into the cave.

“Make some room”, he called out. “We’ll soon be having ourselves a visitor.” Junior quickly stood and entered his quarter, a massive weight was off his chest, at least for right now.

As Des walked deeper and deeper into the cave, the light started to fade and soon it was only his eyes that were his source of light. The sound of his hoofs stomping into the stone ground echoed throughout the several halls and stalagmite that made up the interior. He soon entered another section of the cave, one that actually had light in the form of a heated lantern that rested alongside several tables and books. He set the gem of mayhem on one of the rotten wooden planks that made up one of the tables. Even with what little light there was, its colors still remained vibrant. His quarters were farther away from the entrance than the others due to certain seasonal changes that he never favored.

Another reason why these were his quarters were the large paintings that were sprawled across the walls. Due to several centuries having passed, whatever was used to make them was starting to fade and chip. However, Des still managed to make out what they represented. They depicted large creatures with several monstrous features such as wings, claws, sharp teeth, spikes, tails, and horns. There were two however that they mainly focused on. One was of a large reptilian monster with a long tail and large spikes which made it look like it was carrying a mountain on its back. The other was a three headed dragon with two tails, a pair of large wings, and lightning striking in the background.

Des had always been mesmerized by the painting. Others saw it as a memory from a long distant past, others remembered it as a legend told from grand-old ponies, some even thought they were made up. To Des, they were fate. A dispute that never had a definitive end, what was supposed to be the final days turned into a new beginning. And he hated that. This wasn’t how the story should’ve ended, how history should have played out.

“They’ll soon know the truth”, he said to himself. “They soon will.” He kept repeating that to himself, a way to reassure his mind of what was soon to come.

---

(The Next Day)

Gojira sat in the center of the forest completely stiff as if he were made of stone. His eyes were completely shut as he listened to his surround sounds as his ears twitched. He heard the sound of birds, the wind, even the occasional acorn that fell from a tree. It was the daunting noise of a small pile of leaves being crushed that caught his attention.

His eyes shot open as he intercepted an incoming attack from Anguirus by blocking his punch with his own hooves. He pushed Anguirus back before swinging his tail around, hitting Anguirus in the chest and sending him sliding back. Gojira barely had time to rest as he heard the flapping of wings from behind him.

He turned to be met with Rodan, flying at him with his hoof extended as an attempt to deliver a blow. However, Gojira managed to dodge it by leaping out of the way. He then grabbed Rodan’s tail with his jaws. Rodan tried to fly away, but couldn’t break from his brother’s grasp. Using his great strength, Gojira pulled Rodan back and threw him to the ground. Rodan grunted as his back hit one of the trees.

Gojira stood in the middle of where his brothers lay dazed and groggy. “You both need to work on your stealth”, he said as went over to help Anguirus up. “When sneaking up on someone, you have to take every aspect of your surroundings into consideration. Even the smallest of things.” He gestured to the leaves that were scattered in the ground.

Gojira then walked over to Rodan who was leaning against the tree he bumped into. “And you need to give your opponent zero indication of where you are or when you’ll attack”, he said. Rodan merely rolled his eyes.

“I know all that”, said Rodan. “It’s hard when your eyes can’t handle the morning sun.” He rubbed his eyes with his hooves, his stomach then growled eliciting a look of embarrassment from him. “And haven’t had breakfast yet.”

Gojira looked at both Rodan and Anguirus, taking in how tired they appeared. “Well then, we’ll have to work on that some more later today”, said Gojira. “At least until you two have regained some energy.” He started walking toward their house. Both Rodan and Anguirus let out sighs of relief as they caught up to their older brother.

While walking, Rodan stretched his wings out. “Man, your morning workouts can be quite vigorous”, he said.

“Well they have to be”, said Gojira.

“I know, but it feels like they’ve been rougher recently”, said Rodan as he folded his wings after hearing a satisfying pop. “I’ve been spraining my wings more than ever.”

“Yeah, and honestly I don’t think I’m qualified for stealthy stuff”, added Anguirus.

“These training sessions are more than just workouts or ‘stealthy stuff’”, replied Gojira. “If we are to master our kaiju spirits, then expect these kinds of activities to become a regular part of our daily routine.”

Anguirus wore a look of hesitation while Rodan was clearly unhappy with hearing that. “We know that this kind of stuff is important and all”, said Rodan, “but we’ve been training and learning this kind of stuff for several years and we’ve already managed to understand the basics. Also, I hardly doubt that Caesar sent us to Ponyville just so we could train some more.”

“Of course he didn’t”, replied Gojira as the three of them reached the back entrance of their house. “However, that was something he was keen on us focusing on while we’re here, and I’m keen on fulfilling that goal.” Gojira entered the house with his brothers in tow.

While Rodan had been more loosely in favor of these training sessions, Anguirus was more neutral towards them. He understood the importance of them and why Gojira had been mainly focused on them, especially after the debacle with Nightmare Moon. However, he also could agree with Rodan. Neither of them had the extreme regenerative abilities that their older brother had, as well as the same level of stamina and strength. Which meant that they couldn’t take the same level of physical strain that he could, something that Gojira seemed to forget about at certain points.

‘Give it a few weeks. Keep this up and soon you’ll be able to match your siblings when it comes to handling our powers.’

Anguirus felt he would need more than a few weeks. As the three entered the house and into the kitchen, Gojira noticed something on the table. It was a small white bag with a string tied around it. Next to it we’re a scroll wrapped up and an envelope with a familiar symbol of the blazing sun. His siblings met his gaze and they too were confused.

“What is all that?”, asked Anguirus.

“I’m not sure, but more so, how did we miss it if it was in the kitchen?”, wondered Gojira. Rodan’s eyebrows lowered.

“Probably when you forced the two of us out the back door to do our special needs exercises”, replied Rodan. He was met with a side glance from his older brother. Gojira grabbed the scroll from the table, unrolled it, and started to read.

“Dear Gojira, Rodan, and Anguirus Zawa. I meant what I said from yesterday. These are your lives, which means that you three choose to spend them how you each want to. But at the same time, you each have the same goal. To work together, to keep each other safe, and to thrive. Inside the bag are some bits, there should be enough to last a whole week, enough time for each of you to find a job. Due to recent events, I’m not sure when I’ll be able to visit you three, but I still intend on doing so. With all that said, I hope you three will enjoy it there in Ponyville. Keep training and keep working hard. Trust me, it’ll all be worth it in the end. Sincerely, Caesar.” At the bottom of the scroll was a short blurb. “P.S. The envelope is from Celestia, consider it a thank you gift.”

After hearing the final sentence, Anguirus grabbed the letter and opened it. One look at the contents of the letter was enough to cause his jaw to go agape.

“Sweet. Celestia”, said Anguirus with an incredulous look.

Rodan walked over to him and looked at what the envelope had to offer. To say the least, he too was just as shocked. Inside the envelope were three golden tickets with the phrase “Admit One” written in bold letters. It was remarkable how a simple small piece of paper held so much value.

“Hey, Gojira”, called Rodan as he grabbed one of the tickets from the envelope. “Check this out.” One glance and Gojira was just as taken aback as they were. Though it could be for different reasons.

“Aw crap”, he whispered.

“Can you believe this”, said Rodan with excitement. “We’ve just been invited to the Gala!”

“I know”, replied Anguirus as he looked over the ticket. “Most stallions would kill to get their hooves in these things.” He looked towards his oldest brother who was still staring at his ticket. “Aren’t you excited, Gojira?”

Gojira was deep in thought. Anguirus was right with these being exceptionally rare. However, instead of being filled with ecstasy, he was filled with anxiety. He was brought out of his thought bubble when Anguirus poked his shoulder.

“Hey, you good bro?”, asked Anguirus.

“Huh…oh, yes I’m fine”, said Gojira. “Just a bit worried is all.”

“What do you mean”, asked Anguirus.

“Well, the gala is an incredibly fancy and high class gathering that I don’t think we’re cut out for”, said Gojira. He could almost picture the number of mares and stallions that could be there. “Plus, it’s a large gathering with who knows how many ponies are going to be there. I don’t want to risk anyone finding out about the kaiju spirits.” Anguirus and Rodan looked at each other then back at their brother.

“I get why you’re upset, Gojira, but this is such a great opportunity that I believe none of us, not even you, can miss out on”, said Rodan with confidence. “These are from Celestia herself, meaning they hold even greater value than the normal invitations. She’s expecting us to be there.”

That thought made Gojira even more nervous though he tried not to show it. “While I’d hate to disappoint her, I’m still unsure about this whole event, with it being so soon after Nightmare Moon’s return”, he replied.

“Goji, there’s no reason to worry this much over. Nightmare Moon is gone and in her place is Celestia’s own sister”, said Rodan. “We should treat this as a moment of honor, not something to be afraid of. In my eyes, this is something we all deserved. If the princess herself trusts us, then what is there even to fear?”

Gojira didn’t hate the idea of going to the gala nor was he against it, he was simply nervous about what would even happen. He felt he could trust his brothers in public with their kaiju spirits, but a fancy gathering was a different story. Nevertheless, he masked this thought and replied with a sigh before staring at his younger brothers.

“I guess you’re right, but I’ll still have to think about it”, said Gojira.

Rodan rolled his eyes. “Alright fine, but you got a few months to do so, while right now I’ve been thinking that for today we should head into town and explore”, he said. Gojira and Anguirus looked at him.

“You want to do what?”, asked Gojira.

“I said we should head into town”, replied Rodan. “As Caesar said in the letter, he expects us to find a place to work. I doubt staying here is going to help us achieve that.”

“You sure?”, asked Anguirus. “I don’t know how others may react to us with the whole Nightmare situation.”

Rodan waved his hoof in disagreement. “Pfft, we’ll be fine. Besides, as Caesar said, other ponies may see us in a positive light. I mean, we did help save Equestria. Would you say anything negative about the mares that also helped?”, he asked.

“Well, no I wouldn’t”, answered Anguirus.

“Exactly, so I think we should do it”, replied Rodan. He turned toward his older brother. “What do you say, Goji?”

Gojira thought about it. It wasn't a bad idea, after all, even he didn’t expect them to spend most of their time either at their house or outside training. However, there was once again that sense of anxiety about the kaiju spirits and him wanting to keep them secret. It was a thought that would always plague Gojira’s mind. Luckily for him, he had a counter for it.

‘He’s not wrong. Just be sure to keep a calm mind and remember. They look up to you. You stay calm, then they will too.’

Gojira looked back at his brother with a small smile. “Sure, I don’t see why not”, he answered. Rodan was beaming.

“Yes!”, he exclaimed. He turned to Anguirus.

“Well, guess I’m outvoted, let’s do it”, Anguirus replied.

“Sweet!”, said Rodan as he practically flew upstairs. After a couple of seconds, he came back down wearing a pair of sunglasses. “What are we standing around for? Let’s go!” He started out the door before being followed by Anguirus.

Before Gojira joined them, he grabbed the tickets and placed them in one of the drawers in the living room, they wouldn’t want to lose them. He then grabbed a satchel, placed the bag of bits in it, and walked out the door, locking it with the key Caesar gave him. As he caught up with his siblings, he took in the weather. The sun shined brightly in the center of the sky with not a single cloud coming close to blocking it. The temperature was hot, but not scorching and there was a nice summer breeze that balanced the temperature out. The ponies, pegasus, and unicorns of Ponyville were out and about. After a night of action and a day filled with non stop partying, it was finally peaceful. Gojira couldn’t have wanted it any other way. As he caught up with his brothers, a sudden thought came to his mind causing him to give Rodan a deadpanned look.

“You wanted us to leave in hopes we would run into Lisa, didn’t you?”, he asked. Rodan’s answer was as blunt as a malet.

“Yep.”